RTHK: First US Capitol riot criminal trial gets under way

The first criminal trial of a person accused of taking part in the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters opened on Monday, with a judge screening potential jurors for bias.

The defendant, Guy Reffitt of Texas, is one of about 750 people charged with taking part in the riot, which attempted to stop Congress from formally certifying Democratic President Joe Biden's election.

A guilty verdict for Reffitt could motivate other defendants who face felony charges to accept plea deals offered by prosecutors.

More than 200 people have pleaded guilty to criminal charges relating to the Capitol riot. The riot was fuelled by Trump's false claims that his election loss was the result of fraud.

Reffitt faces charges of entering the Capitol grounds with a firearm as well as an obstruction charge because he allegedly threatened his teenage children with harm if they turned him in to authorities.

Reffitt's estranged son, now 19, turned him into the FBI. The son, Jackson, is expected to testify against his father at trial, prosecutors have said.

US District Judge Dabney Friedrich asked several questions of a group of about 50 prospective jurors to determine whether they could be fair and impartial.

The jury selection process is expected to take all of Monday and possibly into Tuesday, and the trial could take more than a week.

Jurors were asked if they followed news coverage about the January 6 attack and whether they have such strong feelings that they cannot be fair.

Friedrich said she would not strike prospective jurors who have read about the January 6 attack, so long as they say they can be fair.

"They'll just have to show their opinion isn't fixed," the judge said, adding: "Nobody comes into this court with a completely clean slate about January 6 because it was so widely reported."

One prospective juror, who identified himself as a programme analyst for the US Department of Defence, said he had sought out a range of perspectives about the January 6 riots by listening to both CNN and Fox News and believed he could be fair.

Friedrich blocked some potential jurors who said they have such strongly negative feelings about the January 6 attack that it would be difficult to remain neutral, including one man who said he lives 3.2 kilometres from the Capitol and was afraid to leave his house during and after the attack.

If convicted of the most serious charges against him, Reffitt faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, though defendants rarely get the maximum sentence. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
UNDP, Australia to help Vietnam reduce poverty by 50 per cent

A memorandum of understanding for a poverty reduction programme between the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), UNDP and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia (DFAT) was signed on Monday.









Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam and To uc, Head of the National Office of Poverty Reduction, shook hands after the MoU signing ceremony.



The "UNDP-MOLISA-DFAT programme development and policy advising on multidimensional and sustainable poverty reduction 2021-2023" project has provided technical support and advice to MOLISA on developing the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction (NTPSPR) 2021-2025.



The advice helps the NTPSPR have a more innovative and timely approach and allows the government and local people to innovate and strengthen community power.



The programme will also apply successful ideas in quick and sustainable poverty reduction and projects that improve livelihoods and connect businesses with people to assist in developing the value chain.



As the NTPSPR is more people-centric and focuses on improving poor people's capacity than in 2016-2020, methods must be used to solve the core problems of poverty.



"The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs always welcome bilateral and multilateral cooperation with international partners," said Le Van Thanh, Deputy Minister of MOLISA. "We want to reach the goal of eradicating poverty in all aspects, for everyone, anywhere, at any time."



During the pandemic, research and recommendations from the project regarding poverty thresholds helped many people in need.



The project will recommend digitalisation solutions in managing the NTPSPR, enabling the timely update and sharing of information and results.



"Through today's memorandum of understanding, UNDP and GREAT/DFAT will continue to advise on policy and technical support for MOLISA to expand the scale of successful innovations to reach the program goal," said Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam. "We aim to cut the number of households in poverty by 50 per cent by 2025."



The project is directly funded by DFAT and the National Office of Poverty Reduction, with the initial funding from 2021-2022 of US$180,000. Funding for the project will be increased from 2023-to 2025.



The National Office of Poverty Reduction will also fund VN 2 billion (US$87,000).



"We are committed to helping sustainable development in Vietnam," said Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Robyn Mudie. "The partnership between UNDP and MOLISA unveiled today is part of Australia's commitment."



"This is a partnership that we hold in high regard since we can recommend Vietnam in research and development of innovations and ideas that will reduce poverty."



Some of the project's recommendations aim to raise the role of women, especially women in ethnic minorities, and reduce domestic violence.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan joined the international exhibition held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia from February 22-26, the Agency for Small and Medium Business Development has reported.

The exhibition, organized by the Mecca Chamber of Commerce, featured products from more than 20 countries, including Azerbaijan.

Such products of local companies as saffron, honey products, dried fruits, jams, teas, lavender, kelaghayi, etc., were presented at the fair, with the support of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency.

The exhibition also provided information about the support and services provided by the agency to local and foreign businessmen.

Since the beginning of 2022, Azerbaijan participated in a number of international exhibitions, among which are the international food exhibition Gulfood 2022, and Dubai Expo, held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, international products exhibition Prodexpo 2022, held in Moscow, Russia, and 28th International Trade Food and Beverage Exhibition, held in Turkeys Antalya.

According to the National Export Strategy, Azerbaijan's non-oil exports are planned to be doubled and reach $3.7 billion by 2025 compared to 2020.
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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit Monday against 15 manufacturers of a firefighting foam that contains toxic chemicals and contaminated water throughout the state, Weiser's office announced in a news release.

The complaint alleges that companies including E.I. du Pont De Nemours and Company, DowDuPont, Inc., and Dupont De Nemours, Inc., among others, manufactured, distributed, marketed and sold firefighting foam that contained PFAS or "forever chemicals," knowing, or should have known, that PFAS chemicals harm the environment and human health, according to the release.

PFAS chemicals build up in living organisms, and high levels of PFAS chemicals are associated with serious diseases and increased risk of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Forever chemicals grabbed headlines in El Paso County in 2016 when Gazette reporting showed the Air Force continued to use firefighting foam despite research, going back decades, that it could be harmful. The firefighting foam contaminated groundwater used by Widefield, Security and Fountain  water providers that have since taken steps to ensure drinking water is safe.

In June 2020, Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills he said would help protect Coloradans from the effects of a toxic foam used in firefighting. One bill required agencies using PFAS chemicals to register with the state within six months of obtaining the chemicals. It also set standards for the capture and disposal of the chemicals, as well as penalties for failing to register and/or capture and dispose.

The attorney general's lawsuit seeks to require manufacturers of the chemicals to pay for "all costs to investigate, clean up, restore and monitor contamination at all sites in the state where PFAS-containing (aqueous film forming foam) was used, released, spilled, stored or disposed of."

"In 2019, DuPont de Nemours was established as a new multi-industrial specialty products company," said Daniel Turner, head of the company's media relations. "DuPont de Nemours has never manufactured or sold (aqueous film forming foam). We believe this complaint is without merit, and is the latest example of DuPont being improperly named in litigation. We fully expect this suit will be transferred to the South Carolina MDL, where we look forward to vigorously defending our record of safety, health and environmental stewardship.

This is first lawsuit brought by the attorney general during this ongoing investigation, and there may be more legal action to come, the release said.

SPECIAL REPORT - TOXIC LEGACY: Air Force studies dating back decades show danger of foam that contaminated local water
Beginning Monday evening, Colorado Springs showed its solidarity with the people of Ukraine by lighting up the Pioneers Museum's clock tower in blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

The city joins Denver and other cities in their visual support of the European country, which is currently involved in a conflict with invading Russian forces. The Colorado Capitol building and the Denver City and County Building are also showing blue and yellow lights at night.

Here in Colorado Springs we recognize and celebrate the freedom and independence we all enjoy, and we regularly celebrate the men and women of our military who protect that freedom, Mayor John Suthers said in a news release. We know that right now, there are Ukrainian soldiers and civilians alike sacrificing their own safety to protect their country and their way of life, and we honor their bravery and commitment with this display.

No end date has been set for the nightly Pioneers Museum display, according to the release.

I know I am joined by many of our residents in praying for the people of Ukraine and hoping for a ceasefire and the end of the Russian invasion to come very soon, Suthers said.

Click or tap here for the latest on Ukraine-Russia.
In a vote almost entirely along party lines, the state House of Representatives passed a bill Monday to ban colleges and universities from withholding diplomas or transcripts because of a student's unpaid debt.

The House advanced House Bill 1049 in a 40-24 vote, sending it to the state Senate for approval. All representatives who voted in support of the bill were Democrats, and all but one who voted in opposition were Republicans. Rep. Dylan Roberts of Eagle was the only Democrat who balked at the measure.

"Holding the credits a student earned for ransom prohibits talented graduates from enlisting in the military, enrolling in nursing courses or applying for their dream job," said bill sponsor Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. "This legislation will prepare our students for success and ensure Colorados workforce is stronger and more talented than ever."

If enacted, the bill would prohibit all higher education institutions from refusing to provide transcripts or diplomas to students who have unpaid fees, parking tickets or other minor costs. If a student owes tuition, financial aid or room and board fees, institutions couldnt withhold transcripts or diplomas if the student needs them to apply for a job, credit transfer, financial aid or post-secondary opportunities, such as joining the military.

Mondays vote came after representatives debated the bill for nearly two hours Thursday, with opponents arguing it would result in students never paying off their debts.

"I just think thats the wrong message to be sending," said Rep. Mark Baisley, R-Roxborough Park. "This not only encourages inappropriate behavior and not being disciplined with your finances, but also going forward, if this bill were to pass and get signed into law, then students going into college and universities would know in advance that they can blow off these expenses forever."

Other opponents said the bill could result in colleges and universities relying more on debt collectors or raising tuition in order to make up for the funds lost by not being able to withhold diplomas and transcripts.

During the 2019-20 school year, higher education institutions in Colorado recouped approximately $242 million in student debt through transcript withholding, according to the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

"We risk increasing tuition costs across all of our students at a time when student debt is already through the roof," said Rep. Tim Geitner, R-Falcon. "I dont think thats appropriate for the state of Colorado and I certainly dont think its appropriate for students looking to advance their careers and open up job opportunities."

Supporters of the bill said the relief would allow students the ability to earn the money needed to pay back their debt. Nationally, 6.6 million students owe approximately $15 billion in unpaid debt, according to the Colorado Department of Higher Education.

Rep. Matt Gray, D-Broomfield, called it "profoundly illogical" to withhold students' means to earn money and expect them to be able to pay their debt.

"This argument that were having right now is so incredibly impractical," Gray said. "Lets deny somebody their college diploma or their transcript  the thing thats going to get them a good job  until they pay the money, even though thats how theyre going to get the money? ... Until you get the money, were going to take away the thing that you need to get the job to get the money. It doesnt make any sense in the world to me."

If enacted, the bill would also prohibit institutions from charging a higher fee or providing less favorable treatment to a transcript or diploma request because a student owes debt. Students from outside of the United States would be exempt from the prohibition.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's State Statistics Committee Chairman Tahir Budagov and Serbian ambassador Dragan Vladisavljevic have discussed opportunities for bilateral cooperation in statistics.

During the February 28 meeting, the parties emphasized the importance of bilateral cooperation in all areas, particularly statistics.

They also discussed other issues of mutual interest and exchanged perspectives on potential areas and opportunities for collaboration.

Azerbaijan and Serbia collaborate in a variety of economic sectors. The Azerbaijan-Serbia Declaration on Strategic Partnership, signed in 2013, and the Joint Action Plan on Strategic Partnership, signed in 2018, laid the groundwork for the development of relations.

Last year, Azerbaijan and Serbia have signed an agreement on the mutual abolition of visa requirements for persons holding general civil passports. The agreement between Azerbaijan and Serbia on the mutual abolition of visa requirements for holders of general civil passports was signed during a meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers, Jeyhun Bayramov and Nikola Selakovic, on the sidelines of the high-level meeting commemorating the Non-Aligned Movement's 60th anniversary in Belgrade on October 11, 2021.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Serbia amounted to $9.2 million in 2021. In addition, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $758,650 in January 2022.
Angel stands on a path of brush that she built up to her tent to help keep mud and debris from being tracked in after she and friend Sleepy, not pictured, collected debris between thier site and a neighboring site on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, near I-225 and East Mississippi Avenue in Aurora, Colo. Angel has also built up a wall of debris around the tent to help insulate it from wind. (Timothy Hurst/The Denver Gazette)
Deputy Chief Adrian Vasquez will serve as interim chief of police for the Colorado Springs Police Department when Vince Niski retires later this week, the city of Colorado Springs announced Monday in a news release.

"I am humbled and find it a privilege to serve in this capacity as the City of Colorado Springs searches for its next Chief of Police," Vasquez said in a written statement sent Tuesday. "I fully support the City in their search and trust that they will choose the best candidate to serve the department and the community."

Vasquez joined Colorado Springs Police Department in 1995 after serving in the United States Air Force for 9  years, according to the release. He was named deputy chief in 2019, one month after Niski was appointed chief of police. Niski, The Gazette previously reported, was former Chief Pete Carey's deputy chief of seven years.

Deputy Chief Vasquez is a highly respected and experienced officer with deep connections within the Colorado Springs community," Mayor John Suthers said in the Monday release. "He has served in a number of roles within law enforcement and as a long-time resident, he has a strong understanding of the challenges facing Colorado Springs. I look forward to his leadership and am confident in his ability to maintain CSPDs high standards as we conduct the search for a new chief of police.

Niski is scheduled to retire Friday.

According to the release, Vasquez has served in the Sand Creek Division, the Metro, Vice, Narcotics and Intelligence (Metro VNI) Division, and on the DEA Task Force. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2011, where he served in patrol before transferring to the Violent Crimes Section where he oversaw the Homicide, Assault, Robbery and Victim Advocacy units.

Vasquez was promoted to the rank of commander in 2016, when he was assigned to the Stetson Hills Division. In 2017, he was transferred to the Specialized Enforcement Division where he oversaw the Tactical Operations Section, Patrol Support Section and Protective Security Section. He's had oversight over the department's Patrol Operations Bureau after being promoted to deputy chief in 2019.

Vasquez holds a bachelor of science degree in sociology from Colorado State University and a masters degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He is a graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership and the FBI National Academy.

The city of Colorado Springs has started a national search process for its next chief of police, officials wrote in the release, adding they currently had no timetable for when that search would be complete.
By Trend

The State Service for Antimonopoly Supervision and Consumer Market Control under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan will continue to develop digitalization in 2022.

The head of the State Service for Antimonopoly Supervision and Consumer Market Control Mammad Abbasbayli said at a press conference on the results of activities in 2021 on Tuesday, Trend reports.

The start of these works was given in 2021, he added.

"This is also affected in the strategic program of our state service. It is planned to strengthen the compliance of analysis and monitoring with international standards within its framework," Abbasbeyli said.

The civil service carefully analyzes all incoming applications, he also said.
By Trend

The winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year competition, which is held by EY Azerbaijan in partnership with the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, will be announced on March 10, Trend reports.

Nine companies from Azerbaijan, namely, ATL Tech, ELAD, Fortune Trade, IDEA, JL Tech, Your Decor and Events, ZIRA Natural & Gourmet, Portmanat and YIGIM payment system, are participants in the competition this year.

One of the mentioned companies will be declared the winner and will have the opportunity to represent Azerbaijan at the Entrepreneur of the Year international competition.

For the third consecutive year, this competition, which is organized in partnership with the Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been sponsored by ABB. Ekvita company and Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) are also partners of the competition.

The Entrepreneur of the Year competition established by EY has been held since 1986. This is one of the most prestigious awards in the world of business. The "Entrepreneur of the Year" competition, which aims to demonstrate the success of promising businessmen, is organized in more than 60 countries, besides Azerbaijan.

The goal of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year program is to encourage the activity of high-potential businessmen and inspire others upon their example.

The information about the companies participating in the competition are as follows:

ATL Tech

ATL Tech is one of the biggest software development companies in Azerbaijan both in terms of the number of employees and income.

The company provides customers with call center solutions and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software. ATL Tech's goal is to make companies efficient and accessible.

Every day, 30,000-40,000 telephone calls are processed and managed through ATL software. ATL has an artificial intelligence laboratory that allows recognizing speech in the Azerbaijani language and converting it into text.

ATL is expanding its activity outside of Azerbaijan and presently, serves clients in Georgia, the UK and the US. ATL Tech plans to become a regional leader in software development.

ELAD

ELAD is a transport company having over 16 year-experience in the automotive industry. ELAD has been recognized as a responsible and reliable partner in the market of automotive services.

The company renders such services as passenger transportation services (shuttle bus service), transfer services from and to the airport, such services as meeting and transporting guests around the city and around the country, car rent with a driver, car evacuation, office relocation, etc.

Moreover, the company also renders cargo transportation services. Presently, ELAD has a wide range of cars that allow customers to solve any problem related to the transport services.

Fortune Trade

Fortune Trade is a supplier and official distributor of several world brands of lubricating oils, filters, various fluids and AdBlue products in Azerbaijan.

The company meets the demand of both corporate and individual customers by offering a wide range of industrial, motor, transmission fluid, brake fluids, antifreeze and filters.

Moreover, the company is the founder of www.oilmarket.az , the first platform created for the online sale of these products. "Fortune Trade" plans to start the production of lubricants in Azerbaijan in the coming years and export the products of the Azerbaijani brand to the world market.

The company plans to further expand its client portfolio abroad.

IDEA

IDEA company has been operating since 2003 and it is engaged in the production of small architectural forms made of wood and metal for public spaces and uses them in construction projects.

Among the small architectural forms are benches, poles, pavilions, pergolas and other elements which are used in open spaces. Presently, the company's portfolio includes more than 500 types of products.

The products are of high quality and long-term warranty and are exported to Qatar, UAE, Russia, the UK, as well as to other countries. IDEA is the only company in the CIS and the Middle East offering such a wide range of products. The goal of IDEA is to become the world famous brand in its industry and represent Azerbaijan.

JL Tech

JL Tech company works in the field of data-technologies. The customers can process data easily and use it more efficiently through JL Tech.

The company is the biggest supplier of Oracle in the region and has its Gold Partner and Partner of the Year status.

Along with Azerbaijan, JL Tech has representative offices in Georgia and Ukraine.

Moreover, the company has a representative office in Turkey since January 2021, where it plans to expand its activity.

Portmanat

"Portmanat" is the first e-wallet system in Azerbaijan. The company offers B2B and B2C solutions for clients.

"Portmanat" is the first platform that allows integration of the payment system into websites in a very short period of time (about two hours). "Portmanat" provides clients with short-term loans.

The employees of various companies can receive a certain part of their salary ahead of schedule through another product - "Portmanat Avans". Portmanat plans to become a digital bank and issue its own payment cards.

YIGIM Payment System

YIGIM payment system founded in 2017 offers the high-tech payment solutions to the companies.

The system allows businessmen to collect payments in a short period of time through a range of payment channels (cash terminals, Mobile Banking apps, e-wallets).

The brand also acts as a processing service. The system offers a wide range of functional solutions to the companies for accepting payments via bank cards on their websites and via mobile applications.

YIGIM payment system has "PCI DSS Level 1" certificate, which allows to store and process card information. The software is wholly owned by the YIGIM brand.

More than 200 companies use YIGIM payment system for cash and non-cash payments thanks to the exclusive solutions, flexibility and professional approach.

Among them are such international companies as Wolt, Bolt, Maxim, such famous brands as Absheron Group, PMD Hospitality hotels, 189, Optimal Electronics, Music Gallery. The services can be considered unique not only in Azerbaijan, but also in other countries.

For this reason, the company's current customers offered the YIGIM system to cooperate in Georgia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia to use these services. The company plans to render the services at least in two foreign countries in 2022.

Your Decor and Events

Your Decor and Events company was founded in 2018.

The company offers its clients various services for organizing and holding events, advertising, branded products, VIP gifts, etc.

Your Decor and Events is known not only in Azerbaijan, but also in Canada, the US and the European countries.

The company has been involved in organizing a number of national and international events. Your Decor and Events helps clients to organize events correctly and realize the ideas they want to bring to life.

ZIRA Natural & Gourmet

ZIRA Natural & Gourmet, representing the premium and luxury segments of the market, is a national brand that produces preserves, jams, sauces, and vegetable snacks.

The main concept of the ZIRA company is the production of high-quality products, demonstrating the rich agricultural and gastronomic traditions of the country and the promotion of Azerbaijan on the world stage in the field of premium food products.

The main requirement for products is the natural cultivation of fruits, vegetables. That is why local farmers who do not use chemicals supply all ingredients in small volumes.

The company exports its products to foreign countries, mainly, to Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine, as well as to the non-traditional markets for the Azerbaijani products, such as Japan and the US.
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WOODLAND PARK  In the race to become Woodland Park's next mayor, unofficial voting results in Tuesday's municipal election showed incumbent H
The race for sheriff stacked up in February with four Republican candidates and one Democratic candidate.

Republicans Joe Roybal, Steve Noblitt, Greg Maxwell and Todd Watkins along with Democrat John Foley have registered with the Colorado Secretary of States Office to succeed El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder. Elder cannot run for re-election in 2022 due to term limits.

The winner of the election faces a reported understaffed office, an agency that has been riddled by lawsuits and a time of shifting public opinion about law enforcement.

The agency must deal with 114 empty positions, 80 of which are sworn and 34 of which are unsworn. Deborah Mynatt, the agency's spokeswoman, said staffing could improve if 19 graduating deputies successfully complete the agency's training academy along with 34 who started the academy this month.

One of the foremost lawsuits against the Sheriff's Office in recent years involved a $65,000 settlement in a federal class-action from the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado on behalf of six El Paso County jail inmates who alleged Elders disordered, mismanaged policies led to a COVID-19 outbreak that sickened more than 1,000 inmates and was the largest outbreak among Colorado jails and prisons.

Here's a look at the five candidates ahead of the June 28 primary election who believe they can tackle these issues.

Joe Roybal

Roybal served with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office for over 26 years in a variety of capacities from tactical teams and jail assignments to his latest position with department as undersheriff. He touted his experience managing the department's budget, collaborating with outside partners and working in the department's internal affairs office holding the agency accountable.

Roybal noted that his top priority is to build a safer community, including for inmates and deputies.

When asked about the May 2021 class-action settlement, Roybal emphasized the jail made the changes set out in the lawsuit that the Sheriff's Office takes COVID-19 "seriously."

As for staffing shortages within the sheriff's office, Roybal plans to make deputies feel more valued.

"I think we solve this with retention," Roybal said. "Retention is the key."

Roybal wants to find more incoming deputies with prior experience because those positions offer deputies larger pay incentives, which he believes could help retention. He also wants to work with deputies to get time-off approved as best as possible. Plus, give commanders more responsibility to track their own budgets in an effort to engage commanders and help them stay invested with their units and keep "more eyes" on the budget.

Roybal has raised more than any other candidate with $33,328 and took out a $1,000 loan.

Steve Noblitt

As a member of the Colorado Springs Police Department for nearly 25 years, Noblitt moved around the ranks of the department serving in community relations, the domestic violence and sexual assault unit, and most recently in the Specialized Enforcement Division overseeing areas like the Colorado Springs Airport and municipal courthouse. Noblitt also served in the Marine Corps prior to his police work.

Noblitt said "legislation that came down kind of solidified that we don't fully trust our law enforcement," referring also to the protests of 2020 and calls for defunding police.

Noblitt's said he hopes to "restore public trust" by creating a "good vison" for the Sheriff's Office by engaging with those who serve there. By investing and engaging with deputies and listening to them, Noblitt believes he can improve retention, and by holding the Sheriff's Office "accountable" from within he hopes to elicit more public trust.

He also said he wants to expand the county's mental health resources such as the Behavioral Health Connect Program (BHCON), the sheriff department's mental health unit.

Noblitt's took out $3,500 in loans for the election and raised $3,500 in campaign financing.

Greg Maxwell

Maxwell works as the director of security at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and serves the Sheriffs Office as a reserve lieutenant. He said he began his service with the department as a volunteer chaplain and completed the El Paso County Sheriffs Office Reserve Academy in 2005, when he worked in the Crime Reduction Unit and as a K-9 handler, among other assignments and has since been fully POST certified, the state certification for peace officers.

"The 30 years in the private sector, I think has given me just a leg up on everybody else," Maxwell said. "My business background, the ability to find creative solutions, established and trusted relationships that I have, throughout, not just here, but on a national level, to try to find things that we could do that maybe our agency isn't doing."

Maxwell intends to prioritize recruitment by boosting morale, improve collaboration within the agency by listening to staff's needs and foster support for deputies with strong leadership, he said.

As for managing the jail and solving issues that arise, Maxwell believes consulting outside resources and relying on outside partnerships would benefit the Sheriff's Office.

"Getting the knowledge of what people are doing well, and relying on that instead of working in a silo" is important, Maxwell said.

He raised the second most in campaign financing with $10,964.

Todd Watkins

Watkins, an Army veteran, served with U.S. Border Patrol for 24 years before retiring in May 2021. Watkins moved to Colorado in in 2015, when he split time working locally and in Washington D.C. during his last position with Border Patrol as the agency's Emergency Manager, he said. Throughout his career Watkins served in a variety of capacities with the Border Patrol, including being a Border Protection Liaison Officer to the U.S. Special Operations Command North.

Watkins believes his experience running "large and complex law enforcement operations" qualifies him for the sheriff's position.

"I think I bring a very new and fresh perspective on the circumstances and the situations which confront policing organizations," Watkins said.

Part of Watkin's perspective also includes disapproval of the government and distrust in elections.

"We have corrupt officials who appoint and hire corrupt bureaucrats to impose their political ideologies upon us," Watkins campaign website states. "We cannot trust them. We cant even trust our elections."

When it comes to tackling the jail and understaffing, Watkins plans to focus on listening to suggestions of those already apart of the organization and focusing on retention by boosting moral with better monetary incentives such as merit-based promotions and benefits packages.

Watkins' campaign raised $903.

John Foley

Foley, who considers himself a conservative Democrat, spent his career in the military where he served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman. He also worked in military intelligence, oversaw counter drug operations, and during the Iraq War served as an advisor with the Iraqi Army overseeing training and prisoner programs. He retired from the military in 2015 after more than 20 years of service.

Foley joined the race for sheriff after some of his veteran friends encouraged him to run.

"The key thing I bring to the table is leadership," Foley said. "I mean, the whole focus of an Army officer's career is leadership and about enforcing standards and improving morale wherever you go."

Foley saw his background translating well into the sheriff's position to provide ethical and effective management of the agency. Particularly, his experience hiring and managing prison detainees.

"As far as the jail and other aspects, that's where the ability of just operating and following human rights and just proper procedures and not doing stuff, either illegal or unethical, that's important," Foley said.

No financial information was available for Foley's campaign.

Karl Dent, a Republican running for sheriff, dropped out several days prior March caucuses and assemblies over concerns of his felony trespassing conviction form this past fall.

Esteban Candelaria contributed to this report.
By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

Thirty Azerbaijanis have been evacuated from the most dangerous districts of Kharkiv to the Ukrainian-Polish border, Azerbaijan's honorary consulate in Kharkiv has reported.

The staff of the honorary consulate continues to work as usual and reveal and register compatriots in the Kharkiv region.

Over the past 24 hours, more than 300 of our compatriots have been registered and instructed in terms of security, the report added.

Communication has been established between the honorary consulate and the operational headquarters of the Kharkiv regional administration. They added that the process of evacuating compatriots will continue depending on the situation.

The situation in the Kharkiv region remains tense. Therefore, we urge our compatriots not to leave their places of residence. The employees of the honorary consulate rapidly consider the appeals of our compatriots in the Kharkiv region and constantly get in touch with them, the

Meanwhile, the head of the public relations and marketing department of the Azerbaijan International Road Carriers Association (ABADA), Ruslan Eldaroghlu, stated that the evacuation of Azerbaijani drivers carrying out international cargo transportation in Ukraine has begun.

Six trucks were allowed to pass from Odessa to Moldova on February 27, he said.

To date, the same number of trucks is expected to leave in this direction. The fuel problem of drivers has been resolved. We are currently negotiating with the relevant bodies on the evacuation of drivers in the Kharkiv and Kyiv regions. Three Azerbaijani drivers were injured as a result of a shooting yesterday [February 27] in Kharkiv. One of them has already been discharged after outpatient treatment. Two other drivers were taken to the Kharkiv regional clinical hospital. Every effort is being made for their recovery and return to the homeland," Eldaroghlu said.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, the Emergencies Ministry and the State Committee on Work with Diaspora constantly follow this process.

On February 24, Baku urged Azerbaijani citizens permanently and temporarily residing in Ukraine to avoid military concentration zones.

In light of the situation in Ukraine, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry advised citizens not to travel to areas of military concentration (border areas in Ukraine's eastern region) and to avoid military facilities in the country.

On February 25, the Foreign Ministry said that due to the closure of Ukraine's airspace, Azerbaijani citizens are currently unable to leave the country by air.

In this regard, it recommended Azerbaijani citizens, who are in serious danger in Ukraine, to leave the country in the direction of Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that in response to the appeal of the leaders of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" and "Lugansk People's Republic" decided to conduct a special military operation in Eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian authorities introduced martial law throughout the entire territory. Ukrainian media report explosions in a number of cities.
The Colorado Supreme Court has clarified the circumstances under which prosecutors may face professional sanctions for failing to disclose information that they know, or should know, would cast doubt on the guilt of the criminally accused.
David is a Senior Investigative Reporter at The Gazette and has worked in Colorado for more than two decades. His work has been recognized by, among others, Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Society of Business Editors and Writers, the National Association of Real Estate Editors, at the National Headliner Awards. He has worked at publications in New York City, St. Louis, Detroit and Denver over a journalism career that began in 1982.
Republican candidates and El Paso County GOP volunteers say the county party's leadership has taken steps to favor four far-right candidates ahead of Tuesday's precinct caucuses.

While GOP rules prohibit party officers from taking sides in primaries, critics say county Republican Chairwoman Vickie Tonkins and her allies haven't remained neutral even though they're responsible for organizing the caucus and assembly nominating process that gives candidates a pathway onto the primary ballot.

Tonkins denies the charges and maintains that the nomination process is fair and open to all Republicans.

The candidates  Todd Watkins, who is running for El Paso County sheriff; Peter Lupia, a county clerk and recorder candidate; State Rep. Dave Williams, challenging Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn; and Ron Hanks, running to challenge Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.  have appeared together at events other candidates running for the same offices have not been invited to attend. Tonkins appeared alongside them at some of those events. All four candidates are looking to the caucus and assembly process to make the primary ballot.

"Its clear to me by the amount of events they are hosting who they are aligned with.  If you go to an event, it will be these four candidates all the time," said Rebecca Keltie, one of four Republicans challenging eight-term Lamborn.

The slate of the candidates lean to the far right. Watkins promises to be a constitutional sheriff that will "stand in the gap" against federal overreach. Lupia says he will campaign at the state level for an end to mail-in voting. Williams aims to follow in the footsteps of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Silt, known for her avid support of former President Donald Trump. Similarly, Hanks described himself as a pro-Trump warrior.

In addition to events, endorsement fliers for the candidates are going out to all the precincts as part of caucus packets featuring organizations that do not have websites, Facebook pages or listings on the secretary of state's website.

Residents who Keltie recruited to participate in the caucuses have also been turned away, she said.

"Its very strategic. They are not just letting anyone become precinct leaders and delegates.  They are stacking the caucuses," Keltie said. During the caucuses, residents begin the process of selecting delegates who then go on to place candidates on the primary ballot at the county, district and state assemblies. Candidates can also submit petitions to earn spots on the primary ballot.

She said she believes in the caucus process but doesn't think it will be run fairly this year.

"My complaint is with the GOP," she said.

Tonkins disputed claims the party has turned away residents interested in participating in the caucus or that she has favored any candidates despite appearances at recent events featuring them. She appeared at those events despite a letter sent by the state GOP's executive committee in January chastising her for giving the "improper" impression at a January party meeting that she supported some Republican legislators and opposed others.

On Friday Tonkins appeared as a moderator at a townhall in Peyton featuring just the four candidates that drew a crowd of about 40. Moderators typically run debates between opponents. In this case, the candidates answered questions submitted by the crowd. When asked if they believed the election was stolen, all said yes. Hanks described attending the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as a badge of honor.

The county partys vice chairman, Karl Schneider, said he was alarmed at how brazenly Tonkins has been tilting the scales toward her preferred candidates.

Noting that GOP rules prohibit party officers from taking sides in primaries, Schneider said the Peyton forum Tonkins moderated was "100% incongruous with neutrality."

"Had she had three different candidates for a state House district, three for the Senate, it wouldve been one thing," he said. "But she had a clean slate, one for each office. It was absolutely incongruous with the role of a party chair."

"We should be careful and should pay close attention to what happens at the local level," added Schneider, who called on Tonkins to resign last fall amid a controversy over the county partys involvement in school board elections. "When we continue to support leaders who do not follow the bylaws, we lose our integrity, we lose our republic, we lose ourselves."

Tonkins told the crowd at the Peyton event, attended by a Gazette reporter, she would host similar town halls for other Republican candidates if she was asked and if she was available.

"This is for you to get to know the candidates better," she said.

Tonkins was also a featured speaker earlier in February at a townhall hosted by FEC United, a conservative nonprofit group with a chapter in El Paso County, that featured Watkins, Hanks and Tina Peters, the Mesa County clerk who is running for secretary of state. Federal and state authorities are investigating Peters for a data security breach of the county's election equipment. The event made headlines when a speaker called for the current secretary of state to be hanged over unproven election crimes, 9News reported.

Joe Oltmann, a former tech CEO and Denver-area resident, has said he founded the group following his frustration with COVID-19 lockdown rules. The group's acronym stands for faith, education and commerce. Oltmann has since gained fame for statements he made on his podcast, an endeavor separate from the nonprofit.

Oltmann made statewide news in December when he talked about building gallows for treasonous politicians on his podcast. He also garnered attention Thursday for backing Russia's invasion of Ukraine because he believes Ukraine has played a role in stealing elections around the world, repeating a piece of disinformation advanced by Russian interests.

Tonkins has relied on FEC members to fill vacant party officer and precinct leader positions ahead of the upcoming caucuses.

At a live-streamed FEC United event at Fervent Church in Colorado Springs on Feb. 22, billed as an event to share the truth about the Republican establishment, Watkins, Lupia and Williams all spoke. Williams also solicited donations from the crowd.

"We have the peoples sheriff," Garrett Graupner said of Watkins. Graupner is Fervent Church's pastor, who said multiple times he was not speaking as the pastor. He is also the faith pillar leader for the local chapter of FEC United. In an email he said FEC United has not endorsed candidates.

Speakers at the event called other candidates running for some of the same offices, such as Lamborn, RINOs, a derisive acronym that stands for "Republican in Name Only," or transrepublicans.

"The theme tonight is RINO hunting," Watkins said.

Oltmann also appeared at the Fervent Church event, where he encouraged the audience to get involved in campaigns.

"I am telling you to get involved.  I am not asking anymore," he said.

A precinct leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, wrote in an email he appreciated FEC's work to get residents involved but he disagreed with the group's influence within the local party and selective support of candidates, even though he agreed with most, but not all, of their endorsements.

"My main consternation is how FEC has become a dominant influence within the (El Paso) GOP in their support of Vickie, whose leadership has been called into question. While theyve helped to initially fill numerous precinct vacancies, I see that the EPGOP has lost its neutrality as it relates to not endorsing specific candidates. That should never happen per our state GOP bylaws," the precinct leader wrote. "That significantly compromises one of the core commitments and responsibilities of our party leadership and as a result has become internally divisive."

The lists of precinct leaders  routinely distributed by the local GOP in previous years  have also not been available to those who are not aligned with Tonkins but are helping run the caucuses, a party member said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the risk of retaliation.

"I think the majority of the conservatives would not agree with the tactics," the volunteer said.

The two who spoke anonymously were among many who voiced concerns about the group to The Gazette but did not want to be quoted for fear of retaliation.

Amid the ongoing internal strife, local party members have taken their concerns about Tonkins and some of her actions to the state party, seeking redress.

Last week, Keltie informed Colorado Republican Party Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown the multiple fliers endorsing the same slate of Republican candidates who appeared at the Peyton forum were being distributed to every precinct caucus location by the county party.

In her email, which was obtained by The Gazette, Keltie said her campaign believes "GOP volunteers and resources were used in this effort giving preferential treatment to these certain preferred candidates," including by making it more difficult for some candidates to submit material for the caucus packets.

"At what point does this biased, unethical behavior and actions from the El Paso County GOP office end?" Keltie wrote. "At what point does the state or national GOP get involved? This is the most corrupt, unethical behavior I have ever seen. Something must be done. We yell from the mountains about 'election integrity,' yet the election in El Paso County is the furthest from that."

Added Keltie: "Please help. We have amazing candidates running for office down here and they all deserve a fair chance."

Keltie said Monday she hadnt received a response from the state party. After this story published, the state GOP issued a statement from Burton Brown via a spokesman.

We believe that ALL Republican candidates should be treated equally by all party officers," she said in a text message.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a comment from Colorado Republican Party Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown.

Gazette reporters Ernest Luning and Breeanna Jent contributed to this report.
By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Presidential Administration Head Samir Nuriyev have paid a visit to territories liberated from Armenian occupation during the 44-day war in 2020, Azertag reported on March 1.

Members of the delegation led by Asadov and Nuriyev aim to familiarize themselves with the implementation of tasks set by President Ilham Aliyev.

As part of their visit, they will review the progress of large-scale infrastructure projects, as well as the restoration, construction, and improvement work done by various government agencies.

Fuzuli International Airport, the Fuzuli substation, the construction site of the Horadiz-Aghband highways and railways, demining operations, the Industrial Park of the Araz Valley Economic Zone, the construction of Zangilan International Airport, the Aghali village in Zangilan region, and other locations will be inspected during the visit.

A meeting with the heads of relevant government agencies is scheduled to take place in Shusha at the conclusion of the visit.

Azerbaijan's historic victory brought an end to six weeks of fighting with Armenia in Karabakh.

The country liberated Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, Shusha, five settlements, about 300 villages, strategic heights, as well as Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin

In all, 2,908 Azerbaijani soldiers got martyred in the war and six servicemen are still missing.

Currently, the work is underway to restore Azerbaijan's liberated lands. Azerbaijan will rebuild its recently liberated areas in four stages. The initial stage includes the solution of the issues of governance and security, infrastructure, while the subsequent stages include the solution of the issues of social services activities, reconstruction, and development of the economy.

In 2021, Azerbaijan allocated $1.5 billion for the reconstruction of liberated territories, followed by AZN 2.2 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2022. These funds will be used primarily to restore infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, and so on) as well as cultural and historical monuments.
Assistant Majority Leader Waylon Brown, R-District 26, has announced his reelection bid in Iowa Senate District 30.

In the last six years, I have proudly supported important legislative priorities, advocating for common-sense licensing reform, pro-agriculture legislation, high-quality schools and historic tax reform, Brown said in a press release. I look forward to continuing my work in the Iowa Senate and serving rural Iowa.

Weve made a lot of progress in the Iowa Senate since 2016, but our job isnt done yet. I plan to continue reforming the regulatory burden on small businesses, reducing the tax burden and implementing policies to get Iowans back to work.

Brown was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2016. Currently, he serves as the chair of the Transportation Standing Committee and the Administrative Rules Review Statutory Committee. He also sits on the Commerce, Rules and Administration, State Government, and Ways and Means committees.

After the passage of the new redistricting maps for the 2022 election cycle, Senate District 30 will include Mitchell, Worth and Cerro Gordo counties, as well as part of Floyd County.

Brown states in the press release that he understands the importance of sustainable and reliable spending. He knows that for hard-working Iowan families, every dollar they earn matters. Brown said he had been a leader in delivering historic tax cuts to the state of Iowa, advocating for a flatter and fairer tax code and reforming Iowas licensing laws, easing the pathway for professionals to work.

Brown has served as a former member of the Mitchell County Farm Bureau Board, and the St. Ansgar Planning and Zoning Board, according to the press release. A St. Ansgar High School graduate, he owns a construction company and farms in Worth and Mitchell counties.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Nathan Penfold is a native of Mitchell County. He has lived in the eastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol for the past 12 years, where he worked as an English teacher. Last week, Mariupol was bombed by the Russian Federation and Penfold was forced to flee the country. Currently in Poland, Penfold plans to return to Osage.

Mariupol sits between Crimea, which Russia took by force from Ukraine in 2014, and the eastern section of the country occupied by pro-Russian rebels. The following is Penfold's unedited account of escaping the Russian invasion, as relayed by email to Mitchell County Press Editor Jason Selby. Some readers may find the details of this disturbing.

Wednesday was a usual day in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The sun was shining, people were walking in the streets, there was a general optimism among everyone that war, real full-out war, would not come after all. I really believed that everything would be solved diplomatically.

I'm an American but over the last 12 years Mariupol has become my home. I came there originally as a volunteer English teacher, and fell in love with the generosity of its people. Over the years that city has become my world, a place where I'm surrounded by old friends and memories. It's population numbers around a half million people, but at times feels like a big village where everybody knows each other.

We had been living next to conflict for eight years, so when on Saturday morning we were woken by the rumbling of shellfire outside the city, it frightened us, though we had heard such shelling years before.

A few quiet days passed and just when people started to feel safe again, the world ended. I was woken on Thursday morning by the sound of loud explosions. I looked at my computer and there was a message from a student in the city of Dnipro who I give lessons to.

"What is going on there? We can hear the shooting all the way over here!" Dnipro is halfway across the country, I thought to myself that it couldn't be possible he heard the shelling from our region.

I called my friend Ira and asked what the hell was going on. She said, "They're bombing the whole country, Mariupol, Dnipro, Kiev, Harkiv, and even in the west, everywhere! You'd better come up to our house."

I live near the beach in an area that could be dangerous if we were attacked from the sea, so I threw my documents and some clothes in a travel bag and started walking up the hill toward the city center where Ira lives. As I walked I could hear explosions that seemed to come from right over our heads, it was like watching a film, so strange and different from reality. I just kept going and praying all the time.

I met Ira and her friend Ivan near the center. All I could think about was getting to cover but Ira said, "No, we need to get to the market now and buy two sacks of potatoes." She and Ivan wanted to buy more groceries, but all the cash machines were empty. I gave them some money I had so we could finish buying supplies.

As soon as we got home she told us we needed to start filling bottles with water. After we were prepared we sat with tea in front of the television to watch the news, and from time to time we could hear explosions that shook the house. Ivan, who just finished a tour in the Ukrainian army, got very excited every time they told that Russian tanks or planes had been hit, but still, the news was enough of a mix of good and bad to leave us feeling quite nervous about our situation.

Then we heard there would be an emergency evacuation train leaving the city in 15 minutes. I had actually wanted to leave the city for some time since the shelling the Saturday before but had been sick with the flu and not well enough to travel earlier. I decided to try. So we quickly drove to the train station, and just as the train was about to pull out I jumped on without a ticket or anything. Two lady conductors told me I was welcome, but there was no free place and I would have to stand. They were making the sign of the cross over themselves as we left.

"My God, where are we taking these people?" the one exclaimed. "Into Hell, straight into Hell where all the worst fighting is happening," the other replied.

The train passed through the town of Volnovaha about 50 miles north of Mariupol, which is right near the front. We learned later that 30 minutes after we passed through there the town had been shelled, and the next day it was hit again very hard.

Our train slowly snaked its way all across the country from east to west, stopping at times while routes were changed to avoid some dangerous areas. All the time we heard rumors about formations of Russian tanks crossing the border and cities being attacked. We prayed we wouldn't meet any of them out there on the dark plains.

I was grateful when later the conductors found me a place in a different carriage. I rode in a compartment with a very nice woman who was trying to return to Italy where she lived with her husband. She had come back to Ukraine to visit family. I called my mother in America who was by then sick with worry, partly to let her know I was alright, and, in the back of my mind, to hear her voice just one more time in case anything would happen.

We finally got to Lviv, the most western large city in Ukraine, at about nine p.m. after 30 hours of travelling. I asked the taxi and bus drivers about the situation at the border, and they said they could drop people off there, but the line of people waiting to cross into Poland was 12 miles long. They stand all night in the cold, sometimes waiting more than a day to get through. Later, I learned there was a free train that would come at midnight to take people across into Poland.

I waited on the platform with a huge crowd of mostly women and children. Ukrainian men who are between 18 and 55 years of age are prohibited from leaving the country at present. There were however some old men and foreign men like myself waiting.

A railway worker walked through the crowd shouting, "Men stand back! Women and children first!" I remembered the Titanic. And just as I'm sure it was back then, when people were trying to get into the lifeboats, there was a mad rush as soon as that train pulled in and the doors opened.

People pushed to get in the train and there were screams of hundreds of frightened children. Even though I had moved aside for the women and children I still was able to get into a carriage with no problem. However after the initial rush, more people continued to run up the platform and before long the train was packed with standing room only.

People were standing everywhere in the central aisle, children were sitting on the floor between the benches. I had a seat on one of those hard wooden benches in the old carriage, which wouldn't have been so bad, except for the fact that we would be stuck in that train for 14 hours while we waited for the Ukrainian border authorities to check everyone's documents. There were so many people packed in that car that a person could barely move.

After travelling about 20 miles we stopped in a field, in the dark with no lights on in the train. I think now we were simply waiting until the driver got permission to pull into the customs checkpoint, but at the time the people were frantic with panic. There were rumors that they had turned off the lights so Russian planes could not see us moving. I don't know if that was true or not, but just the idea was enough to frighten people, and every time someone's telephone screen lit up others would shout to switch it off. So we sat in the dark and waited for about two hours, then moved into the checkpoint.

The poor Ukrainian border authorities were completely overwhelmed. An officer shoved her way through the carriage, filling a plastic shopping bag with hundreds of passports as she went. We waited for hours there, and finally when we were worried that we would never see our documents again, the officers started to bring them out of the building. Somehow they managed in that mess to return each person his document.

We still had to wait until the train received permission to go on, and by then most of the children had been more than 13 hours without anything to eat, so the border authorities brought in large boxes of cookies and began to distribute them. After another hour or so we moved into Poland. It took a while more to unload all the cars so while we were waiting for the doors to open, the Polish border authorities passed us bottles of water through the windows.

Finally when we were able to leave the train we moved into the processing terminal, near which stood crowds of people and reporters. As soon as we got through passport control we were met by some women who spoke English and asked if we needed assistance or a place to stay. Outside the building there were more people who held up signs advertising free places to stay, free rides or free food.

After visiting a welcome center that had been set up for Americans I went to the train station where I was surprised to find more volunteers distributing food and toiletries to the refugees. When I went to buy a ticket I spoke to the cashier in Ukrainian, as I don't know Polish. Because these are both Slavic languages I could understand her more or less, and she asked me several times if I were Ukrainian. I said no, that I have American citizenship, and she explained that in Poland they are giving railway tickets for free to citizens of Ukraine now.

I reached my friend's home in Krakow after an exhausting ordeal. In one day, my life and the lives of millions of Ukrainians were turned upside down. We woke up to a nightmare. In this time of terror we have seen the worst people are capable of and the best.

I have the utmost gratitude for the citizens of Poland who have so generously opened their country, and their hearts, to traumatized citizens forced to flee their own homes to save their lives. I am certain that Ukraine will prevail, and that I will meet my dear friends there again one day. My heart is filled with hope, and at the same time with great sorrow, that such great tragedy which has caused so much pain, never had to happen in the first place.

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DES MOINES  In a symbolic gesture of support for the Ukrainian people who are under Russian attack, Gov. Kim Reynolds has directed the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division to remove any Russian-produced alcoholic liquor products from its wholesale purchase list.

Although Iowans bought 2,024,662 gallons of vodka through the ABD in 2021, its unclear how much of that was produced in Russia. In the top 10 brands by gallons sold, there are five brands of vodka  Titos, Hawkeye, McCormick, Smirnoff and Five OClock. Whiskey, led by Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey, is the top choice of Iowans based on gallons sold  2,117,237 in 2021.

In addition to the United States-distilled vodka products, few brands imported to the United States still are produced in Russia. Smirnoff vodka, for example, traces its roots to Moscow, but is distilled in the U.S. Stoli, which basically translates into capital city because it originated in Moscow, is distilled in Latvia and has its headquarters in Luxembourg, a NATO country.

Iowa is one of 17 states that control the sale of alcoholic liquor at the wholesale level. Under Iowa law, ABD has the authority to determine the brands of alcoholic liquor products available for sale to retailers. Alcoholic liquor is sold by ABD to off-premises retailers, who then sell the products directly to consumers or to on-premises retailers, such as bars and restaurants.

In issuing the order, Reynolds joins governors of Utah, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania in making the symbolic gesture of support for Ukraine.

Reynolds has also called for Iowa Sister States to end its relationship with Stavropol Krai, Russia, and provide recommendations for enhancing its sister state relationship with Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine.

More information on the delisting of Russian products will be available at the ABD website on or before March 1.

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Cerro Gordo County Supervisor Chris Watts announced on Monday that he would be seeking re-election in 2022, despite being just two years into his four-year term.

"I'd like to make sure I finished what I started," Watts said. "I want to continue to improve county infrastructure, which was a priority goal of mine... and continue to save money for residents of the county."

Watts has found himself in the unusual position of having to seek re-election halfway through his term. This abnormality has come as a result of redistricting in the county, meaning Watts now has to seek re-election to complete his term.

"I'm upset the state intervened, re-did the districts and put me in a district with no rural representation," Watts said. "I promised the tax payers two terms, three at the most and I'm trying to live up to that."

The Cerro Gordo Board of Supervisors earlier in February voted to approve the proposed county districts from the Iowa Legislative Services Agency (LSA).

Currently, district one and three both cover parts of Mason City  district one, the western portion, and three, the eastern portion. District one also contains Bath Township and small portions of the Lime Creek and Lake townships, while district three contains the Portland, Owen and Dougherty townships.

District two contains the remaining 11 townships, as well as the entirety of Clear Lake.

The revised districts are a significant change from the current districts.

District one will be an entirely urban district covering the southern, western and southeastern portions of Mason City, while district three will cover the northern and northeastern portions of Mason City, as well as the Lime Creek and Falls townships.

District two will cover the remaining townships and Clear Lake.

Watts has been forced into a re-election campaign as he is no longer eligible to serve in district three, as the redistricting moved him into district one with supervisor Tim Latham, who is currently the county's supervisor for that district.

When the supervisors reviewed the proposed districts in February, Watts casted the singular vote against the new districts.

"The state plan, while considering equal population in the district passes over proper representation of these rural areas, in my opinion," Watts said at the meeting in early February. "My vote won't matter much to them (the LSA), but I'll sleep better knowing I casted my vote for Cerro Gordo."

Cerro Gordo supervisors approve new voting districts New Cerro Gordo districts were approved on a 2-1 vote on Tuesday.

The district one term will be a two-year term, according to Watts, reverting back to four-year terms in 2024.

Watts is currently the only candidate who has announced an intention to run for the supervisor seat. Latham has yet to announce if he intends to seek re-election.

Current district two supervisor Casey Callanan announced his intention to seek re-election of his supervisor seat, and Mason City Council member Paul Adams recently announced his intention to run for the open district three seat.

Mason City council member Paul Adams to seek election as CG County Supervisor Mason City mayor pro tem and at-large city council member Paul Adams announced he would be s

The county supervisor primaries will be held on Tuesday, June 7. The following general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Zachary Dupont covers local government 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

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enigma123 wrote:

If \(x^3\)  x = n and x is a positive integer greater than 1, is n divisible by 8?



(1) When 3x is divided by 2, there is a remainder.

(2) x = 4y + 1, where y is an integer.



I will really appreciate if you can tell me whether I am right or wrong. I have gone for D as an answer.



Let's simply the question stem a bit:



\(x^3\) - x = n which will give x (\(x^2\)-1) = n which will give (x-1), x and (x+1) = n. Therefore n is a product of 3 consecutive integers.



Now moving on to the statements



Statement 1 implies that x is ODD. Because ODD/EVEN will always end with some remainder.



X is ODD which means that the product will always be divisible by 2 three times and therefore will be divisible by 8.





Statement 2 implies that when x is divided by 4 it leaves a remainder 1 i.e. x is ODD. which is same as above and therefore sufficient.



Therefore for me both statements alone are sufficient to answer this question.

If x^3 - x = n and x is a positive integer greater than 1, is n divisible by 8?

Yes, your reasoning is correct.x^3-x=x(x^2-1)=(x-1)x(x+1), notice that we have the product of three consecutive integers. Now, if x=odd, then (x-1) and (x+1) are consecutive even integers, thus one of them will also be divisible by 4, which will make (x-1)(x+1) divisible by 2*4=8 (basically if x=odd then (x-1)x(x+1) will be divisible by 8*3=24).(1) When 3x is divided by 2, there is a remainder --> 3x=odd --> x=odd --> (x-1)x(x+1) is divisible by 8. Sufficient.(2) x = 4y + 1, where y is an integer --> x=even+odd=odd --> (x-1)x(x+1) is divisible by 8. Sufficient.Answer: D.Hope it helps._________________
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)

For SC butler Questions Click Here

so that they act as a guardian to the children under their care

Originally derived from British common law, the legal notion of in loco parentis, holds that schools and other educational institutions take on some of the responsibilities and functions of a parent,A) so that they act as a guardian to the children under their careB) so that they act like a guardian for the children under their careC) acting as a guardian to the children under their careD) and acting as a guardian for the children under its careE) so acting like a guardian of the children under their care_________________
House Republicans on Monday killed legislation intended to kick start the legal sale of recreational marijuana in Virginia, arguing that there is not enough time to perfect the complex legislation, while promising to address it next year.

Virginia last year became the first state in the South to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, an effort led by Democrats, who then had sweeping power. Lawmakers in 2021 punted the creation of a new legal market to the current session in an effort that appeared to fail on Monday.

Republicans, who took control of the House this year, had shown reluctance to move decisively on the issue and did not pass a measure of their own. Senate Bill 391 from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, would have launched sales by medical providers and hemp processors in September; it was the only viable bill on the topic.

Mondays move means that possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and sharing among adults will remain legal in Virginia, but selling the drug outside of the medical context will still be prohibited.

Ebbin and other Democratic lawmakers argued that delaying the creation of a legal market will encourage the illicit market to grow beyond the point that it can be reined in down the line.

We are basically providing a year for the growth and strengthening of the illicit market, said Del. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond. Before watching his bill die, Ebbin said the question before the committee was whether Virginias cannabis environment would be a regulated, confined marketplace for adults or a foreign-import, crime-subsidization program proliferating in school yards and gas stations.

Democratic leaders in the House chided GOP leaders, arguing that failing to launch a regulated market would leave Virginians vulnerable to an unregulated product.

House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, said Democrats left Republicans with a great big mess when they legalized marijuana without developing policy to erect the legal market. Last year, Democrats in the House and Senate could not come to an agreement on how to structure the legal market and deferred the work for this year. They faced an unexpected turn of events when the GOP took control of the House in the November elections.

We are left having to clean up their mess and we will not make it worse by rushing to fix it, Gilbert said.

During Mondays hearing, Del. Jeff Campbell, R-Smyth, questioned whether Ebbins proposal was the correct vehicle for creating a legal market in Virginia, if in fact its what we wish to do. Republicans, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin, made clear they did not intend to roll back marijuana legalization in Virginia during the current legislative session, but it remains unclear what they see as the future for marijuana policy in Virginia.

I think this is a bigger issue than we can correct in two weeks time, Campbell said. The imperative is that we continue to study this over the year trying to get this right.

Del. Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, said there are still a lot of cross-wires on this issue. The subcommittee she chairs voted 5-3 along party lines to punt Ebbins bill to 2023.

Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter reiterated that the governor does not want to overturn legalization of marijuana but has serious concerns about the original legislation. The House and Senate have been unable to make progress on these issues, Porter said.

The Virginia chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which supported the bill, called it an incredible disappointment.

The only benefit with the failure of this legislation was to the illicit market, said JM Pedini, the executive director of Virginia NORML.

Pedini noted that in 2020, Virginia had the fourth-largest illicit market in the nation, encompassing about $1.8 billion in sales, or 3% of the estimated $60 billion national market, according to New Frontier Datas U.S. Cannabis Report.

Undoubtedly, that will only grow as we continue to exist in this no mans land between legalization and retail sales.

Gracie Burger of the Last Prisoner Project, a criminal justice reform advocacy group, said Ebbins bill would have also addressed concerns around the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana laws. The bill would have downgraded some misdemeanors to civil penalties, ended some marijuana-related mandatory minimum sentences and created a path for resentencing people serving sentences for marijuana-related crimes.

Meanwhile, Marijuana Justice, a group that has been advocating for marijuana legalization in Virginia on Monday expressed support for Republicans decision.

The group had expressed concerns that the legislation Senate Democrats were considering would allow medical processors an advantage in the new market over social justice licensees  businesses founded by people impacted by the prohibition of marijuana and the racially disparate enforcement. They also opposed the creation of new criminal penalties for possession of amounts between an ounce and a pound.

We saved Black residents of Virginia from being targeted by new possession crimes in Virginia, said Marijuana Justices Chelsea Higgs Wise said.

Resentencing

House Republicans on Monday declined to kill a separate bill that would let people serving sentences for marijuana-related crimes to request that those terms be recalibrated.

Sens. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, and Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, introduced Senate Bill 745. In a hearing Monday afternoon, a House panel moved the bill forward suggesting room for compromise.

Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, who chairs the House courts panel, said the committee was prepared to kill the bill Monday. But, he said, the bill is part of broader politicking between House Republicans and Senate Democrats, and would be discussed further before Friday, when the House courts panel will finish its work.

Before moving it forward, the committee substituted Surovells proposed language for resentencing with language that instead called for a government study on the issue. Bell said it was essentially placeholder text.
In North Carolina, the worries about climate change often focus on more frequent storms with heavier rainfall, but a new federal report points to an equally potent danger  the seeping effect of sea level rise.

A report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of a multi-agency project shows that sea levels along U.S. coastlines will rise, on average, by as much as a foot over the next 30 years  equal to the rise measured over the last century.

Rick Luettich, who heads the Center for Natural Hazards Resilience, said the projection for 2050 isnt radically different than it was 10 years ago, but there is a lot of clarity to these numbers now.

That means sea level change isnt a case of scientists speculating on what might happen given various scenarios. The change is here and accelerating.

This new report says this is real now and its going to be significant much earlier than 2100, Luettich said.

The most noticeable effect will be more coastal flooding, even without storms. NOAA said in a summary of the reports findings: Sea level rise will create a profound shift in coastal flooding over the next 30 years by causing tide and storm surge heights to increase and reach further inland. By 2050, moderate (typically damaging) flooding is expected to occur, on average, more than 10 times as often as it does today, and can be intensified by local factors.

Flooding related to sea level rise will be more extensive in North Carolina because of its low coastal plain. As seawater seeps further inland, it will render land unusable for agriculture, impair fresh water sources and disrupt the effectiveness of septic systems.

Salt water intrusion is a major concern for the viability of coastal areas for agriculture and septic function is much less viable if the water table rises, Luettich said. Thats the hidden consequence.

Todd Miller, founder and executive director of the nonprofit North Carolina Coastal Federation, said the NOAA report offers a chilling view of the not too distant future.

If this report is accurate, the current challenges we have with ongoing sea level rise along the coast will grow exponentially more difficult to handle, Miller said. This is not simply an issue of where the sea meets the land. A foot rise in sea level in 30 years means parts of our barrier islands will be severely eroded or disappear, Pamlico Sound and other barrier island protected sounds and estuaries will be transformed into unprotected bays, and estuarine shorelines and salt marshes along our mainland areas will erode dramatically and move inland.

The rise of sea levels is a global problem with a global cause: growing emissions of greenhouse gases. While little can be done about the next few decades, a drop in emissions could lessen the long-term swamping of the coasts. The NOAA report projects that under current conditions, sea level could rise by 2 feet by the end of this century. But if emissions are not checked, the increase could be as much as 7 feet.

Orrin Pilkey, a Duke expert on coastal geology, has approached the threat of rising sea levels by calling for development to retreat from the beach and barrier islands.

But thats unlikely in North Carolina, given the large role of beach tourism and coastal real estate in the states economy. An alternative to retreating is stronger control over coastal development and more investment in infrastructure to limit flooding and protect freshwater supplies and wastewater systems.

Luettich said sea level change can be mitigated by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, but bringing that about involves an unknown thats harder to predict.

We understand the natural systems better than what people are going to do.
North Carolinas extensive history in the Vietnam War is explored in a new documentary, The Wall That Heals. The 30-minute film will premiere Saturday, March 12, at the NC Museum of History at 2 p.m.

This is the 50-year commemoration of the war in Southeast Asia, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial will celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall. In addition, The Wall That Heals, a traveling three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, will be exhibited in Garner in March and at Charlotte in October.

For those of us that lived during the 1960s, it is hard to believe that the war was 50 years ago, said Tim Stevens, a retired Raleigh News & Observer newspaper reporter who produced the documentary. But the parents of many of todays high school students were not born during the Vietnam conflict. Many of todays students know almost nothing about one of the most defining periods in our countrys history.

North Carolina had 1,611 men and one woman to die in the Vietnam War. More than 200,000 North Carolinians served in the conflict. Many of the survivors still suffer from the effects of the war with post-traumatic stress, cancer, Parkinsons disease, or other physical problems caused by exposure to Agent Orange, an herbicide used in the war, or other pollutants.

For some of our folks, the war never ended, Stevens commented. They still are fighting it.

To tell the story of Vietnam from a North Carolina perspective, the documentary focuses on six service members who lost their lives in the war and another whose life was changed drastically.

Marine Dan Bullock of Goldsboro was the youngest US service member to die in the war. Soldier Freddie Martin of New Bern had a family history of service. US Air Force pilot William Willis of Coats died rescuing orphans. Army nurse Annie Ruth Graham of Efland was one of eight US women service members who perished. Air Force pilot Glenn Cook of Charlotte remains missing in action. Marine Harold Till of Garner deliberately sacrificed his life to save others.

US Navy corpsman Butch Davenport survived the war, but his life was destroyed.

We focused on individuals to tell the bigger story, remarked Chuck Fishbein, who directed and edited the documentary. We wanted to show the sacrifices and the tragedy but also the heroism and the dedication. And the lasting effects.

Joe Marm of Fremont, a Medal of Honor recipient, says the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and The Wall That Heals mean something special to Vietnam veterans. They call it The Wall That Heals for a reason, Marm noted.

The slogan of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is to never forget, and one of the goals of the documentary is to teach people who may not know.

Stevens won a statewide award for a play he wrote about the men from his hometown who died in Vietnam and worked for more than three years on the documentary.

The project is narrated by some nationally prominent voice talent, including country music star Scotty McCreery, TV and film star Sharon Lawrence, Tony Award winner Beth Leavel, and multiple Emmy Award winner John Tesh. All have North Carolina ties.

Joe Mantegna, the co-host of the annual Memorial Day National Concert, is the documentarys host.

Showings are scheduled for March 12 at the Museum of History, March 20 at Aversboro Road Baptist Church in Garner, and March 27 at the US Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville.

Access garnerwall.com for details of the showings and the Garner visit of The Wall That Heals on March 31 through April 3.
GREENSBORO  For three days in March 1922, community volunteers went house to house, collecting money for agencies ranging from the N.C. Childrens Home Society to The Salvation Army.

They had set up a nonprofit that would act as an umbrella agency to fund community service groups and efforts.

They believe that they are working on behalf of a good cause and they expect the public to meet them halfway, read one article in the Greensboro Daily Record on March 3, 1922.

And for 100 years, the community has been banking on that.

The history of the United Way of Greater Greensboro is the story of hard work on many fronts  and, of course, people. Volunteers and donors. Employees and the board of directors, which is made up of a cross-section of the community.

One hundred years. Thats a long time for any organization to exist.

I know the energy and intent and excitement is still there, said president and CEO Khari Garvin, who was hired about six months ago.

As part of the 100-year celebration that starts this week, the agency has a range of events planned.

But more important, Garvin said, is staying focused on the work ahead.

We are responsible for this organizations future impact, he said.

****

The original idea behind the United Way of Greater Greensboro was that there were local groups providing important services to the area. They just needed money to do it.

So the Community Chest  the precursor of the United Way  launched with a three-day fundraising goal of $68,000.

That was 100 years ago. A lot has changed for the agency along the way.

The United Ways story is full of recognizable names, extraordinary events and the spirit of ordinary people unique to Greensboro.

Some of the citys most known faces  mayors, chancellors, company presidents, philanthropists  have chaired campaigns that took place in local workplaces.

Over the past century, the local branch of the United Way has raised over $450 million thats been largely reinvested in the community.

That hasnt been lost on residents.

Take the agencys current home on Yanceyville Street. It was a gift from Sidney and Kay Stern in 1992. For 35 years before that, the agency was located in a cramped building on North Elm Street.

It is such a selfless, tremendous gift, David Nesbit, chairman of the United Ways board of directors, said at the time. I think an important part of it was that it was completely unsolicited.

****

Since the beginning, a string of visionaries have shaped the agency.

In 1927, the Community Chests president wrote a letter to the Rev. R.T. Weatherby of St. Matthew Methodist Episcopal church asking his assistance in helping reach the African American community, according to the agencys research. A division was added with Weatherby as general chairman  a novel idea for the times.

In fact, many well-known African-American community leaders volunteered for the Community Chest in the 1920s, like Dr. George Simkins, whose legacy would inspire his son to lead the desegregation of health care.

The agencys first female president, Ruth Shiffman, retired in 1955 after nearly 17 years of leadership and is recognized for many accomplishments.

Also in 1955, according to United Way research, T. Spencer Meyer started as the new executive director of the local branch, and led the adoption of a new red feather campaign. Local citizens who supported the Community Chest were given that red feather to pin to their coats or insert into their hats as a symbol of support. The Red Feather campaign would be extremely successful, and the symbol was eventually adopted by similar organizations across the country.

Johnnetta Cole, the former Bennett College president, established the local African American Leadership group of donors, and would become the first African American to chair the national United Way of Americas board of directors.

Grammy Award-winning music producer Andreao "Fanatic" Heard brought together local musicians, community leaders and activists to record the album "Artists United to End Poverty." Proceeds go to the United way.

While undercover as homeless men looking for help, United Way of Greater Greensboros Frank McCain, vice president of community investment, and Michael Cottingham, vice president of marketing and communications brought attention to the gaps in services for the homeless and poor.

Their resulting report, "GSO Unseen" captured moments of hope and shattered stereotypes.

Neil Belenky, who took over as president of what was now known as the United Way in 1981, remembers being skeptical, even cautious, with Bonnie McElveen-Hunters suggestion of a womens version of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society for big donors.

Belenky years earlier had suggested something similar, but womens initiatives hadnt been successful across the country.

McElveen-Hunter spent five months approaching businesswomen, community activists and husbands who might want to honor their wives by making contributions in their names as the agency took on issues ranging from poverty to supporting schools.

The nonprofits exploration of the power of womens giving in Greensboro caught on in local communities across the country.

It resulted in more than a billion dollars raised by women and fundamentally changed philanthropy.

****

Still, the years havent been without controversy.

The local United Way began funding the grassroots Triad Health Project, which provided support for people with AIDS/HIV and their loved ones at a time when even talking about the disease was taboo.

That didnt come without a price, Belenky recalled. There were threats of boycotts against us, but it was the right thing to do.

It was early in Belenkys 17-year tenure when the scandal-plagued leader of the United Way of America, which connected thousands of agencies across the country, was forced to resign. It was alleged that he spent millions of dollars that came from local chapters across the country.

Greensboro was one of a handful of chapters that pulled out of the network of agencies.

People were divided, Belenky explained. People thought, You stay in and fix it. We said our loyalty is not to the institution but to our donors. I always viewed United Way as the peoples charity.

Still, Greensboro ended up being one of the few chapters that largely continued to grow despite the scandal.

Back then, we didnt know what the consequence was, Belenky said.

Fast forward in time. Chapters across the country were struggling after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks unfolded.

Belenky retired in 2008. Keith Barsuhn arrived as a global financial crisis threatened to sink nonprofits.

Barsuhn, just months into the job, got a call from a concerned employer who suggested the nonprofit lead an urgent one-time public appeal for cash to offset the increased burden on emergency-assistance agencies.

The shelters were overwhelmed after an early start to brutally cold weather and the near-collapse of the banking and housing markets, which tipped the balance for people who were barely making it.

Some of those people, emergency assistance workers found, just needed help with the power bill to stay in their homes.

The reputation of the United Way, some thought, could make a difference.

And it did.

From the first phone call to rolling it out was a total of 10 days, Barsuhn said at the time.

Operation Greensboro Cares ended up raising $400,000  in three weeks. It also helped establish winter emergency shelters in local houses of worship, where the homeless continue to get not only a respite when its cold but help getting back on their feet.

For Barsuhn, it was an on-the-job introduction to the community and a sign of what was to come  both the good and challenging.

Some people in the community said all youve got to do is ask  Greensboros that kind of place, Barsuhn said. Not that it was easy, but the case was made.

****

In 2013, the Michelle Gethers-Clark era essentially blew up the model the agency had been using since 1922.

For nearly a century the United Way had been an umbrella agency raising money for various groups and initiatives in the community. While some groups still received money from the annual campaign, the agency turned its focus and funding on the systemic roots of poverty.

If we focus and we put the tools in place and tear down barriers, we can change lives forever and generationally, Gethers-Clark said at the time.

An effort that brought agencies together to fight poverty drew the attention of billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who included the United Way in a list of 384 recipients to share in a $4.1 billion pot, with the agency receiving $10 million over three years to further its work.

By 2020, the United Way became the citys lead partner behind the distribution of donations to nonprofits supporting local children and families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2021, Gethers-Clark left to become Visas chief diversity officer and head of corporate responsibility. She said at the time that the agency wouldnt lose stride in helping the community solve its issues.

One of the things thats important for the public to know, Gethers-Clark said, is that one person doesnt run anything.

After a national search for her replacement, the board offered the job to Garvin, who has worked with established organizations such as Save the Children, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and Head Start.

As part of looking forward, the agency is focused on what it calls the Bold Goal of helping 3,000 households in Guilford County leave generational poverty by 2030.

Fewer people living in poverty creates a shared prosperity that impacts everyone, Garvin said.

Im hoping that whoever is having this conversation 100 years from now, he said, will be nothing about poverty.

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 336-373-7049 and follow @nmclaughlinNR on Twitter.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has evacuated 176 Azerbaijanis from neighboring countries to Baku on a charter plane due to the situation in Ukraine, Trend reported on March 1.

A plane carrying Azerbaijani citizens from Romania landed at Baku's Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the report added.

The first scheduled flight from Romania has already taken place, with the Turkish Tailwind company transporting 168 people to Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated on February 28 that due to the situation in Ukraine, Azerbaijani citizens are still being transferred from this country to neighboring Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.

The ministry underlined that, in line with the agreement reached with the aforementioned countries, visa requirements for Azerbaijani citizens transiting through these countries have been temporarily lifted, and a COVID-19 passport and a negative PCR test are no longer required. Citizens are only required to present their passports.

The ministry emphasized that since the start of military operations, 950 Azerbaijani citizens have entered Moldova, 447 Poland, 17 Hungary, 200 Romania, and 13 Slovakia.

Due to the situation in Ukraine, we advise our citizens to stay away from military facilities, stay at home or in a safe place, and refrain from traveling, the ministry said.

It was noted that in connection with special cases, Azerbaijani citizens can contact the Azerbaijani Embassy in Kyiv by phone: (+380 73) 5050000 and by e-mail: [email protected], the Honorary Consulate in Kharkiv by phone: (+38057) 7000531 and by email: [email protected]

Depending on the development of the situation, additional information will be provided to the citizens, the ministry added.

Meanwhile, the State Committee on Work with Diaspora stated that nine Azerbaijani students had departed Kyiv after being stuck in the basement of a residential complex for many days.

The committee added that one more Azerbaijani student joined them, and they left the Ukrainian capital by train to a safer place.

The committee keeps in touch with students and advises their families and friends not to be concerned. It added that the students would be taken to one of Ukraine's neighboring countries as soon as possible and evacuated to Azerbaijan.

The State Committee on Work with Diaspora, in collaboration with other state bodies, is continuing to work on the evacuation of Azerbaijanis from Ukraine to Baku.

The committee also stated that the evacuation of Azerbaijani drivers in Ukraine is currently in progress.

It was noted that six trucks from Odessa were the first to be transported to Moldova. The trucks have now arrived at the Romanian border, and the drivers are awaiting the completion of the necessary paperwork.

The Azerbaijani diplomatic corps in Moldova is in charge of the evacuation. Drivers stationed at the Odessa port's region are expected to relocate to Moldova as a result of agreements between the Digital Development and Transport Ministry, the State Road Transport Service, and the Azerbaijan International Road Carriers Association (ABADA) and the necessary agencies.

Drivers are being evacuated from Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other parts of Ukraine, and communication is being kept with them on a daily basis, the committee said.
House Republicans on Monday killed legislation intended to kick start the legal sale of recreational marijuana in Virginia, arguing that there is not enough time to perfect the complex legislation, while promising to address it next year.

Virginia last year became the first state in the South to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, an effort led by Democrats, who then had sweeping power. Lawmakers in 2021 punted the creation of a new legal market to the current session in an effort that appeared to fail on Monday.

Republicans, who took control of the House this year, had shown reluctance to move decisively on the issue and did not pass a measure of their own. Senate Bill 391 from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, would have launched sales by medical providers and hemp processors in September; it was the only viable bill on the topic.

Mondays move means that possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and sharing among adults will remain legal in Virginia, but selling the drug outside of the medical context will still be prohibited.

Ebbin and other Democratic lawmakers argued that delaying the creation of a legal market will encourage the illicit market to grow beyond the point that it can be reined in down the line.

We are basically providing a year for the growth and strengthening of the illicit market, said Del. Dawn Adams, D-Richmond.

Before watching his bill die, Ebbin said the question before the committee was whether Virginias cannabis environment would be a regulated, confined marketplace for adults or a foreign-import, crime-subsidization program proliferating in school yards and gas stations.

Democratic leaders in the House chided GOP leaders, arguing that failing to launch a regulated market would leave Virginians vulnerable to an unregulated product.

House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, said Democrats left Republicans with a great big mess when they legalized marijuana without developing policy to erect the legal market. Last year, Democrats in the House and Senate could not come to an agreement on how to structure the legal market and deferred the work for this year. They faced an unexpected turn of events when the GOP took control of the House in the November elections.

We are left having to clean up their mess and we will not make it worse by rushing to fix it, Gilbert said.

During Mondays hearing, Del. Jeff Campbell, R-Smyth, questioned whether Ebbins proposal was the correct vehicle for creating a legal market in Virginia, if in fact its what we wish to do. Republicans, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin, made clear they did not intend to roll back marijuana legalization in Virginia during the current legislative session, but it remains unclear what they see as the future for marijuana policy in Virginia.

I think this is a bigger issue than we can correct in two weeks time, Campbell said. The imperative is that we continue to study this over the year trying to get this right.

Del. Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, said there are still a lot of cross-wires on this issue. The subcommittee she chairs voted 5-3 along party lines to punt Ebbins bill to 2023.

Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter reiterated that the governor does not want to overturn legalization of marijuana but has serious concerns about the original legislation. The House and Senate have been unable to make progress on these issues, Porter said.

The Virginia chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which supported the bill, called it an incredible disappointment.

The only benefit with the failure of this legislation was to the illicit market, said JM Pedini, the executive director of Virginia NORML.

Pedini noted that in 2020, Virginia had the fourth-largest illicit market in the nation, encompassing about $1.8 billion in sales, or 3% of the estimated $60 billion national market, according to New Frontier Datas U.S. Cannabis Report.

Undoubtedly, that will only grow as we continue to exist in this no mans land between legalization and retail sales.

Gracie Burger of the Last Prisoner Project, a criminal justice reform advocacy group, said Ebbins bill would have also addressed concerns around the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana laws. The bill would have downgraded some misdemeanors to civil penalties, ended some marijuana-related mandatory minimum sentences and created a path for resentencing people serving sentences for marijuana-related crimes.

Meanwhile, Marijuana Justice, a group that has been advocating for marijuana legalization in Virginia on Monday expressed support for Republicans decision.

The group had expressed concerns that the legislation Senate Democrats were considering would allow medical processors an advantage in the new market over social justice licensees  businesses founded by people impacted by the prohibition of marijuana and the racially disparate enforcement. They also opposed the creation of new criminal penalties for possession of amounts between an ounce and a pound.

We saved Black residents of Virginia from being targeted by new possession crimes in Virginia, said Marijuana Justices Chelsea Higgs Wise said.

Resentencing

House Republicans on Monday declined to kill a separate bill that would let people serving sentences for marijuana-related crimes to request that those terms be recalibrated.

Sens. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, and Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, introduced Senate Bill 745. In a hearing Monday afternoon, a House panel moved the bill forward suggesting room for compromise.

Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, who chairs the House courts panel, said the committee was prepared to kill the bill Monday. But, he said, the bill is part of broader politicking between House Republicans and Senate Democrats, and would be discussed further before Friday, when the House courts panel will finish its work.

Before moving it forward, the committee substituted Surovells proposed language for resentencing with language that instead called for a government study on the issue. Bell said it was essentially placeholder text.
RALEIGH  North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn refiled candidacy papers on Monday and will now run for reelection in a district that largely follows the boundaries of the area that the first-term Republican currently represents.

Cawthorn, 26, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, voted against certifying Joe Bidens presidential victory and has voiced false claims of election fraud. He also spoke at the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, an act that some critics have argued should disqualify him from running again for Congress.

In December, Cawthorn had filed to run for an open seat further east that had been created by the state legislature in November for the once-a-decade redistricting process. It was considered a more pro-GOP district than the one covering where he lives in Henderson County.

But after the states redistricting map was retooled twice due to litigation, that district stretching from part of Charlotte west to the foothills essentially no longer existed. At the same time, the redistricting also eliminated a challenge by some voters in the new district who had asked the State Board of Elections to reject Cawthorns candidacy because of his actions preceding the Jan. 6 insurrection.

The latest 11th District hell now try to represent, however, leans Republican and contains all or portions of 15 out of the 17 far-western counties that were in the 11th District from which he was elected in 2020.

Western North Carolinians want a fighter in Congress. With their support, I look forward to returning to Washington as a sophomore member and helping enact major change with a historic Republican majority, Cawthorn said in a news release.

He filed his candidacy paperwork, which included withdrawing from the previous district race, with the State Board of Elections on Monday afternoon.

Cawthorn will face some challengers in the May 17 Republican primary, including state Sen. Chuck Edwards of Henderson County, who had been running before in the states far-western district. Edwards said he refiled on Monday for the 11th District.
The tributes that rolled in when North Carolina lawyer Walter Dellinger died Feb. 16 were testimony that he was one of the nations great lawyers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He was 80.

In an Associated Press article, North Carolina native Jonathan Drew wrote that Dellingers career marked him as one of the legal giants of our era. Many remembered  and justly celebrated  him as a brilliant and prolific scholar, a titan of the Supreme Court bar, an inspiring teacher and mentor to generations of bright proteges now in elected office, federal and state government, and on the bench.

He was also a government lawyer whose advice was important to both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Key officials in the Biden White House sought his advice almost literally until the day he died.

His son, Hampton, recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as an assistant attorney general in the Biden administrations Justice Department, gave this tribute to his dad, Walter lived a wonderful and extraordinary life. He had many loves, first among them his wife Anne but also the State and University of North Carolina, the law and the rule of law, and American democracy.

Several years ago I talked to Dellinger for a short North Carolina Bookwatch program recorded at Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill, where he was living. He was working on a chapter of a memoir to be titled Balcony Reserved for White Spectators.

He explained his early awareness of the unfairness of the social system in his hometown Charlotte. In the late 1950s he was working on a construction site where only whites could be carpenters and the Black men were all laborers paid $1 an hour. As I was a temporary kid, I was assigned as a laborer. I was like the token white laborer on this crew.

What was interesting and dramatic for me was that the best carpenter by far was one of the African American men who was a laborer. He got paid as a laborer no matter what he was doing. So whenever there was a very difficult challenge to the carpentry, the on-site supervisor would ask David to take on the challenge.

But if anybody from company headquarters arrived on the scene, I was sometimes a lookout, David had to put down his carpentry tools. He could be an expert but couldnt be caught breaking the rigid rules. That gives you a sense of how rigid the system was.

Dellinger remembered his love of Black music and listening to WGIV, the Black radio station in Charlotte. I listened to the gospel hour faithfully. They had a contest to see who could first identify a gospel song, and I knew immediately from the first three bars it was Ride on King Jesus.

The prize was a one-year subscription to Ebony magazine, which in the segregated South was a whole different world, particularly the advertisements where no people of color were ever in mainstream media.

Dellingers love of music led him to try to attend the Black concerts and dances at Park Center in downtown Charlotte. There he encountered the sign.

He explained, In Charlotte dances that were for African Americans had a balcony reserved for white spectators, so its sort of both literal and metaphorical the notion that I was only a spectator from the balcony on what was happening with race in the South, watching what was happening in the Black community.

After four years at UNC-Chapel Hill, three years at Yale Law School, and two years teaching at the University of Mississippi Law School, Dellinger was never only a spectator again.

He lived and died in the middle of our countrys struggle to eliminate the unfairness the carpenter David experienced and the legacy of the customs that put Dellinger in the balcony at Park Center dances.

Note: Walter Dellingers Bookwatch interview is available at www.pbs.org/video/nc-bookwatch-walter-dellinger.

D.G. Martin hosted North Carolina Bookwatch on PBS NC for more than 20 years.
A letter that solicits support from members of Congress  including our own Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis  will, we hope, make a difference. Its cause is compassionate and just.

The letter, signed by more than 70 evangelical pastors, leaders and church members who comprise the Evangelical Immigration Table, urges Congress to provide permanent legal status to Afghans who are already resettled across the U.S. after fleeing from the nightmare of Afghanistans final days as a fragile democracy in August 2021.

These are the people who assisted the U.S. military and other Americans during our long and, at the end, tragic foray in Afghanistan, only to have to abandon their homes and rush to safety here after civilized allies left and the Taliban resurged.

More than 70,000 Afghans evacuated Kabul  approximately 1,600 of them live in North Carolina. But while theyve been granted temporary humanitarian parole, their path to permanent legal status is not yet clear. Theyre existing in a sort of limbo, temporarily shielded from deportation and allowed to work, but without the assurance of permanent legal status.

Their parole could end up being part of a perpetual temporary status, requiring periodic renewal at significant cost.

Thats not good for any family.

The evangelical leaders have suggested support for the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would allow Afghan parolees to be processed in a similar way to those resettled through traditional refugee resettlement programs. They would be allowed to apply for Lawful Permanent Resident status after one year.

But there may be other options. The important thing is to provide permanent status to these refugees that would allow them to make long-range plans for their future. Providing permanent status would give them the kind of reassurance and security that most of us take for granted.

For the evangelical leaders who are advocating for the Afghan refugees, the motivation comes mostly from what they believe.

My faith compels me to lead with love and I believe that wise discernment need not give way to fear, Graham Aitkin, a pastor from Boone, wrote in a news release. At its best, this nation serves as a beacon of hope for those who have faced the unimaginable and yet found a way to endure. May we always be willing to come alongside them and welcome them home.

At World Relief Durham, weve been overwhelmed by the response from local churches and the broader community to welcoming the Afghans being resettled here in North Carolina, wrote Adam Clark, the director of that agency. As churches and volunteers step up to ensure that these new neighbors are able to integrate into our community, the Congress must do its part, as well, ensuring that Afghans are able to apply for permanent legal status, while also extending that permanence to others stuck in perpetual temporary status such as Dreamers, whose ability to work and live lawfully in our community is once again in legal jeopardy.

We love working in our community, because Winston-Salem is a very welcoming community, Rob Cassell, executive director of World Relief Triad, told the Winston-Salem Journal last year while discussing the Afghan refugees who are living in the Triad. A lot of what we do is connect these new arrivals with wonderful volunteers who get to be that first circle of support, those first friends in a community.

That perception speaks well of us.

The Evangelical Immigration Table is just as supportive of DACA beneficiaries and other Dreamers and, in its letter, asks Congress to take action on their status, too  a view that is shared by a majority of Americans.

It is both in these immigrant neighbors interest and in the interest of our society as a whole for our nation to formally affirm what we, as Christians, are eager to convey to these neighbors: that they are welcome here, that they belong and that the United States is now their home, just as it is ours, the letter reads.

The Afghans who have resettled here also sacrificed greatly to help our nation when we needed them. They risked torture and death once the Afghan government collapsed, and it was both an act of mercy and a moral obligation to bring them here.

But the job isnt done yet. Now they should be allowed to stay.
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Letters to the Editor: Michael Sherman should know; What does law have to do with it?; Parents should stop Pans vaccine bill
A Helena man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

Kenneth Lyle Kreiger Jr. entered a guilty plea in November. He was later sentenced by Judge Kathy Seeley to 10 years imprisonment with five years suspended for this crime. Judge Seeley also ordered the defendant to undergo sexual offender treatment prior to his release and to pay all court surcharges.

The defendant received credit for time served from March 18, 2021, through the time of sentencing.

According to court documents, Kreiger was found to be in possession of pornography involving four 8-year-old girls after a tip from Google was received. The files had been downloaded and were stored on a Google account owned by a "Ken Kreiger Jr."

In December of 2020, police raided and seized materials from Kreiger's home on a search warrant. Krieger gave consent to search devices that contained more than 100 sexually explicit images of children.

The defendant also had information related to cannibalism on his computer. While not illegal, multiple saved articles about butchering humans, how to eat humans, how to be a cannibal and what eating human flesh does to a person's body were found on his computer.

At that time, investigators determined that Kreiger might pose a risk of violence.

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By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

A missile attack on Ukraines Kharkiv city has struck the vicinity of Azerbaijans Honorary Consulate building, Trend reported on March 1, citing the consulate.

The building of the Honorary Consulate suffered no damages as a result of the missile attack.

At the moment, the Honorary Consulate of Azerbaijan in Kharkiv continues to work as usual and another group of our compatriots will be evacuated in the coming hours. The detailed information about the evacuation will be provided soon, the consulate said.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated on February 28 that due to the situation in Ukraine, Azerbaijani citizens are still being transferred from this country to neighboring Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.

The ministry underlined that, in line with the agreement reached with the aforementioned countries, visa requirements for Azerbaijani citizens transiting through these countries have been temporarily lifted, and a COVID-19 passport and a negative PCR test are no longer required. Citizens are only required to present their passports.

The ministry emphasized that since the start of military operations, 950 Azerbaijani citizens have entered Moldova, 447 Poland, 17 Hungary, 200 Romania, and 13 Slovakia.

Due to the situation in Ukraine, we advise our citizens to stay away from military facilities, stay at home or in a safe place, and refrain from traveling, the ministry said.

On March 1, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) evacuated 176 Azerbaijanis from neighboring countries to Baku on a charter plane due to the situation in Ukraine.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that in response to the appeal of the leaders of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" and "Lugansk People's Republic" decided to conduct a special military operation in Eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian authorities introduced martial law throughout the entire territory. Ukrainian media report explosions in a number of cities.
Applications to float Montanas Smith River were down this year after a record high in 2021, but still ranked the second highest on record.

This year, 13,824 applicants threw their names in the hat for one of the coveted permits. That is more than 1,300 below last years record high of 15,160, a dip of about 9%. This years applications are still well above the decade-long average of about 10,200.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks spokesperson Dave Hagengruber said officials are not sure why applications were down, but pointed out that while applications have trended upward over time, a year-to-year dip is not unprecedented. There has been some speculation internally that after last years float season was cut short by low flows, some floaters may be waiting to see how snowpack and runoff shapes up before trying for cancelation permits.

Cancelation permits are awarded first-come, first-serve with the hotline opening March 7 and open each day from 8 a.m.-noon at (406) 454-5861.

The Smith, known for its picturesque limestone canyons, is Montanas only river that requires a permit to float. In recent years interest has skyrocketed with about 6,700 applicants in 2013, a number that more than doubled by 2022.

Later this week, the Montana State Parks and Recreation Board will tackle proposed updates to the Smith Rivers management plan. Draft proposals, which would be released for a round of public comment, include prohibiting camping at the launch site at Camp Baker and mandating pack-out of human waste.

The board will also take up a proposal to raise application fees from $10 to $15.

The meeting takes place March 3 at 1 p.m. in room 317 of the Capitol.

Tom Kuglin is the deputy editor for the Lee Newspapers State Bureau. His coverage focuses on outdoors, recreation and natural resources.

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Rep. Matt Rosendale recently stated that the U.S. has no legal or moral obligation to support Ukraine in defending itself from Russian aggression. It appears that Rosendales idea of morality includes subverting the results of a free and fair election, suppressing the right to vote, and misrepresenting the events of the Jan. 6 insurrection. While Ukrainians have shown the world the true meaning of courage in defending their democracy, Rosendale has done all that he can to subvert our democracy from within. While moral midgets like Rosendale may grovel at the feet of the authoritarian Trumps and Putins of the world I am encouraged that the democratic nations of the world may finally be obtaining the backbone to fight back against autocracy.
Vladimir Putins invasion of the Ukraine is a long way from Central Illinois geographically, but very close economically.

As we all watch with curiosity as we try to comprehend the reason for the conflict, every moment can be measured in financial terms that will be either positive or negative for U.S. agriculture.

Coincidentally, the invasion of the Ukraine occurred at the same time reports came out of South America about La Ninas damage to soybean production. Commodity futures in Chicago wildly reacted setting a high that may not be revisited for years to come. Cash soybean prices at Paranagua, Brazil were $17.88 in terms of U.S. dollars and bushels, and approaching that at the Board of Trade.

But with the prospect of war looming in one of the worlds most productive agricultural regions, the reins were yanked and the markets horsepower was thrown in reverse. March soybean futures that were above $17.50 per bushel fell under $16 the following day and are reflecting historic volatility.

Because the region of fighting produces 30% of the worlds wheat, and there is uncertainty how much might be harvested this year, Tuesday morning futures for Kansas City hard wheat surpassed $10. Granddad would ask if that was for a truckload, assuming his hearing was faulty.

With the markets roiling, it makes it difficult for farmers to manage their price risk, and extraordinarily expensive for grain elevators to do so, because of their needs for cash in hedging accounts.

The challenges for the Ukrainian farmers are whether they will be able to plant spring crops, many of which would ordinarily find their way to export markets. Those include corn, small grains, sunflowers, and even some soybeans.

On a related front, the expected 4 million refugees from the Ukraine who are fleeing into neighboring European countries will have one of the biggest impacts for food aid relief unseen in many years. Food is likely available, but logistically it is not where it will be needed. And small children cannot wait for a ship to be unloaded several hundred miles away.

And since those victims of war are not the only ones needing food around the world, more issues arise. Former USDA Chief Economist Joe Glauber said last week, Redirecting the current consumption of food crops (maize, wheat, oilseeds) to non-food uses around the world, from the EU to Indonesia, is already generating significant tensions in food and fertilizer markets. A holistic approach regarding food and energy security is critical in ensuring that food and nutrition outcomes remain a priority.

And his mention of fertilizer raises the specter of future food shortages. Unfortunately, the world has looked to Russia and neighboring Belarus for their vast supplies, which may be scorned by international trade from reaching fields where they are needed.

While U.S. farmers get the itch this week to head to the field for early soybean planting, they will be thinking about their counterparts in Ukraine who instead are having to defend their fields instead of planting them and hope Vladimir Putin soon makes his trip across the river Styx.

Stu Ellis is an observer of the Central Illinois agriculture scene. In addition to his weekly column, you can view his From The Farm and Harvest Heritage reports on WCIA 3 News.

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DECATUR  To mask or unmask, that is still the question in Central Illinois, even after Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday finally lifted his controversial mandate requiring face coverings be worn in most indoor public places to combat the spread of COVID.

A snap sampling of public opinion by the Herald & Review revealed a cross-section of views representing both the masked and unmasked. Some plan to just keep right on wearing them, and others have clearly been counting the days until they could officially rip them off and forget em.

Kristin Rogers, taking a work break in downtown Decatur, is most definitely not in the discard and forget camp. She has a job dealing with the public and plans to keep her mask firmly in place.

Where I work, we care about the people we come into contact with, said Rogers, who did not want to name her employer. So if I get infected with something, I don't want to give it to somebody else. And Id like it to be that way vice-versa. We just want to stay safe.

Shikeva West, out walking in Decaturs West End, took a similar point of view. Yeah, I plan to keep on wearing it; I feel safer with it, she said.

Karen Majors, enjoying what felt like the first day of spring in Decaturs Fairview Park was more than happy to bid an unfond farewell to her mask. She said she believes mask-wearing did help slow the spread of COVID and its variants, but weve moved beyond that now.

Yes, it's about time the masks went away, added Majors, 64.

Cindy Joseph, exercising in the park in the warm sunshine, also believed the need for mandated mask wearing is over, but the issue should remain one of individual choice.

I think there are still going to be people who are leery and they are going to wear masks and thats OK, she said. There should not be any issues about that.

Joseph, 59, said there are still some places where even she would feel more comfortable wearing a mask, such as the confines of an aircraft. As for COVID generally, she believes the worst is over and now it's time to just get used to living with it.

Just like we live with the flu and the common cold, she added. I think were stuck with it.

Since the start of the pandemic, Macon County Health Department figures show that 321 county residents have lost their lives, with the latest fatalities being two males aged in their 60s. As of Monday, there were 10 COVID-related hospitalizations, and none of those patients were described as being up-to-date with their vaccinations.

Meanwhile Pritzker, facing an election year, appears keen for the state to get back to an unmasked sense of normalcy. His order requiring people aged 2 and older to wear masks in public was first imposed on May 1, 2020, when the state was grappling with 59,000 COVID cases and more than 2,400 deaths.

Rules had been relaxed after things appeared to be getting better in June of 2021, only to see cases worsen again with the arrival of COVID variants delta and omicron.

Now, in the wake of vaccinations and booster shots, analysis by the Chicago Tribune shows the Illinois hospitalization rate from COVID is sitting at the lowest among the five neighboring states. That works out at 883 patients per 100,000 residents admitted to hospital with the virus.

The death rate in Illinois per 100,000 residents came in at close to 79, also the lowest seen in the five comparison states.

Across the state, Illinoisans are taking their masks off today knowing that most eligible adults are boosted, and our hospitals have much more capacity to save lives, said the governor in a statement.

Im proud that Illinoisans have done the hard work that has made our state a leader in the Midwest, with more of our residents vaccinated than any other state in the region.

The business community has welcomed the lifting of the mask mandate and Mirinda Rothrock, president of the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce, said her members were looking forward to getting back to business as usual. She said after months and months of COVID-related restrictions and difficulties, the end of the mask mandate signaled a return to normalcy.

I think businesses are definitely ready to put the pandemic behind them, she said. With this mask mandate taken away, it puts a lot of ownership back into the business itself and they can make their own rules in regards to workplace safety.

All thats needed now, said the Chamber president, is for the customers of those businesses to get back to normal, too. And we can all help out our businesses by shopping and dining locally, she added.

Some returns to normalcy are going to have to wait a bit longer, however.

Decaturs annual St. Patricks Day Parade is scheduled for March 12 and, for this year, it will remain with COVID safety restrictions in place. That means vehicles only, no walkers, and no direct contact between participants and the watching crowd.

Organizer Jim Wrigley said there isnt time and it's too much of a logistical headache to go and try and change things in the wake of the mask mandate going away. And he said safety and traffic concerns were a major worry if he suddenly tried to rejig the prearranged parade rules for this year.

As for 2023, barring some unforeseen COVID variant resurgence, the parade should be back as it usually is with marchers pounding the street. And, however its organized, Wrigley counts on the luck of the Irish to make sure a good time is had by all.

Everybody is still looking forward to this years parade, he said. And us older guys, and Im an older guy, we would rather ride anyway, he added with a laugh.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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Todays Highlight in History:

On March 1, 1974, seven people, including former Nixon White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, former Attorney General John Mitchell and former assistant Attorney General Robert Mardian, were indicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice in connection with the Watergate break-in. (These four defendants were convicted in January 1975, although Mardians conviction was later reversed.)

On March 1:

In 1815, Napoleon, having escaped exile in Elba, arrived in Cannes, France, and headed for Paris to begin his Hundred Days rule.

In 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state as President Andrew Johnson signed a proclamation.

In 1893, inventor Nikola Tesla first publicly demonstrated radio during a meeting of the National Electric Light Association in St. Louis by transmitting electromagnetic energy without wires.

In 1932, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was kidnapped from the family home near Hopewell, New Jersey. (Remains identified as those of the child were found the following May.)

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, back from the Yalta Conference, proclaimed the meeting a success as he addressed a joint session of Congress.

In 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the spectators gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five members of Congress.

In 1966, the Soviet space probe Venera 3 impacted the surface of Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another planet; however, Venera was unable to transmit any data, its communications system having failed.

In 1971, a bomb went off inside a mens room at the U.S. Capitol; the radical group Weather Underground claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn blast.

In 2005, Dennis Rader, the churchgoing family man accused of leading a double life as the BTK serial killer, was charged in Wichita, Kansas, with 10 counts of first-degree murder. (Rader later pleaded guilty and received multiple life sentences.) A closely divided Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for juvenile criminals.

In 2010, Jay Leno returned as host of NBCs The Tonight Show.

In 2012, Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley signed a measure legalizing same-sex marriage in his state, effective January 2013. Online publisher and conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart died in Los Angeles at age 43.

In 2015, tens of thousands marched through Moscow in honor of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who had been shot to death on Feb. 27.

In 2017, former Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke was sworn in as secretary of the Interior Department by Vice President Mike Pence, hours after being confirmed by the Senate.

In 2020, state officials said New York City had its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, a woman in her late 30s who had contracted the virus while traveling in Iran. Health officials in Washington state, announcing what was believed at the time to be the second U.S. death from the coronavirus, said the virus may have been circulating for weeks undetected in the Seattle area.

In 2021, Vernon Jordan, who rose from humble beginnings in the segregated South to become a champion of civil rights before reinventing himself as a Washington insider, died at 85. Pennsylvanias Republican Party expressed its disapproval of U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey over his vote to convict Donald Trump during Trumps second impeachment trial, but stopped short of issuing a more serious censure. Twitter said it had begun labeling tweets that included misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines, and that it would use a strike system to remove accounts that repeatedly violate its rules. An American father and son wanted by Japan for helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn escape from the country in a box while facing financial misconduct charges were handed over to Japanese custody. (Michael Taylor would be sentenced to two years in prison; his son Peter was sentenced to one year and eight months.)

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DECATUR  When Dennis Cooper was in fifth grade, his teacher told him, Dennis, you'll never be anything.

Cooper took that as a challenge, and the next year, his grades went from Ds to As. He took his report card to that fifth-grade teacher to show her that she'd been wrong about him.

You never know when someone can change your life, Cooper said at Stepping Up for DPS, a luncheon held on Monday to thank the community leaders who volunteered to be Principal for a Day at Decatur's schools. That teacher changed his life, he said, by giving him the impetus to go make something of himself.

One of the reasons Cooper wanted to participate, he said, is that so many of the students in Decatur schools lack a male role model, particularly a Black male role model.

They need that exposure (to Black men), said Cooper, who worked for 32 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, mostly with juveniles.

Principal for a Day was the brainchild of Rida Ellis, assistant principal at American Dreamer STEM Academy, who suggested to Jeff Dase, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, that bringing members of the community into schools would not only highlight the positive things that happen in schools, but possibly inspire them to become regular volunteers and build relationships.

Dase said he hopes the event becomes an annual one, and that the volunteers will recruit friends and family to get involved, too.

Primarily it's two goals, Dase said. It's awareness and highlights of the good things that are going on in our schools to sort of combat some of the negative press that DPS has, and also to expose our kids to more diverse backgrounds and more diverse people. That's one of the reasons we did it during Black History Month, to have some of the Black community leaders to come in and talk to our kids. A lot of our kids don't necessarily see that during their career in DPS.

Of 588 teachers in the district, Dase said, only 32 are Black.

Chief of Police Shane Brandel said the youngsters he met at South Shores School had a chance to get to know a police officer in a positive way.

I need to capitalize on that and build on the fact that the kids didn't see me in a negative light, Brandel said.

Caring Black Men founder Jeffrey Perkins already spends a lot of time in Decatur's schools with his group, who visit to provide boys with positive, plain-talking Black male role models. He was principal for a day at Parsons School, where his own children attended.

I participated in a Black History program in one of the classrooms, Perkins said. I also read a book in one of the classrooms and gave them a little talk. It's kind of deja vu for me because for 15 years I've been in the schools every day with Caring Black Men. Some of the young men I remembered and had in other schools.

His wife, Sherri Perkins, served on the school board for eight years.

I want (the community) to see all the positives going on in the school district, Sherri Perkins said. There's a lot of positives going on in this district and it's an excellent place to go get an education. I promote Decatur Public Schools. Our kids graduated from Decatur Public Schools. It was refreshing to see the interaction with the kids. They were so excited and they love school.

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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Alan Blumhorst begins his tours at Rainbow Ranch with the story of Johann and Maria Mangenalker, a German couple who established the farm in 1850 in Washington County.

The immigrants could never have imagined that Blumhorst, their great-great-grandson, would someday be fighting with an international telecommunications company over placement of a cell tower. They didn't even have electricity or running water.

The 100-acre farm now operates as a petting zoo, exotic animal sanctuary and occasional wedding venue, about eight miles west of Nashville.

In recent months, Blumhorst has made it his mission to oppose construction of the 350-foot tower, which would be built across Illinois 15 from his pasture and used by AT&T, according to plans unveiled last fall. He wants to see it moved to a less-visible location.

"It's going to be an eyesore for the thousands of people who come here to see Americana," he said.

Blumhorst said the tower would negatively affect the rural landscape and therefore his business  which he calls the "No. 1 tourist attraction in Washington County"  on the heels of two difficult years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The steel tower with antennae, receivers and other equipment would be about half as tall as the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis, with flashing lights to alert aircraft from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah and Washington County Hospital in Nashville.

Blumhorst said anyone living in a rural area could face a similar situation due to state and federal laws pushed by telecommunications lobbies that allow companies to build giant towers with little input or scrutiny from local residents or county governments.

Improving cell service

The cell tower in Washington County would be built by New York-based Tillman Infrastructure and leased by AT&T. The purpose is to improve cellphone and other wireless services for customers throughout the region, according to Chris Hillabrant, Tillman's chief operating officer.

The tower also could be used by other carriers. It would help fill current gaps in coverage, Hillabrant said, decreasing the number of dropped calls, allowing for higher-speed internet and assisting police and other first responders with communication.

"It's a public safety issue," he said. "Cellphones are our lifelines these days."

Telecommunications companies must consider many factors when deciding where to put cell towers, Hillabrant said. One involves finding private property owners willing to rent land and honoring their wishes on specific locations.

Complaints are common when final decisions on tower placements are made public, based on media reports.

"Often times there's that 'not-in-my-backyard' type of phenomenon that occurs," Hillabrant said. "People all want to use cellular service. They're using the apps and the phones that are part of the critical infrastructure of the country. But nobody wants the towers or antennae next to them, and without that, honestly, you have no network."

Hillabrant said Tillman's work is governed by a host of local, state and federal ordinances, laws and regulations, and that the company is committed to following all of them.

AT&T declined to make a company representative available to answer questions about the cell tower near Nashville. Lead Public Relations Manager Lesley Roberts emailed the following statement:

"This site is part of our ongoing investment to improve service and coverage for our Washington County customers. When selecting a new cell site, we work with city officials to find a location that balances the needs of our business and those of the community."

Losing county control

The Washington County Board is now updating its policies related to placement and construction of cell towers. Its Zoning Board of Appeals was scheduled to vote on ordinance changes Thursday night but canceled the meeting due to weather.

The changes are considered necessary because officials recently learned that state law  specifically a provision in the Illinois Counties Code  supersedes a county ordinance that would have required Tillman Infrastructure to obtain a special-use permit and go through a public-hearing process to build its tower.

As a result, the county can't do much to stop the tower from being built on private property in the location next to Rainbow Ranch, according to Zoning Administrator Matt Bierman.

"The way we had it kept the voice of the people, and that's what we want," he said. "Unfortunately (the state law) takes that voice away from them, and I understand their concern. But our hands are tied."

There are other locations in the vicinity where the tower could be built, Bierman said, but county officials can't force Tillman, AT&T or the property owners to consider them.

The land is owned by farmers Bill and Annette Eade. Blumhorst said he was friends with the neighbors until they arranged for the tower to be built away from their house and next to his place instead, then failed to inform him.

The Eades couldn't be reached for comment this week.

Recovering from COVID

Residents of Rainbow Ranch include horses, miniature horses, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, alpacas, llamas, donkeys, peacocks, geese, swans, Scottish Highland cattle and fallow deer. There's a zebra named Ziggy, a camel named Candy and a kangaroo named Captain.

Blumhorst takes some of the animals to fairs, festivals, nursing homes and children's birthday parties throughout the region  at least he did before COVID-19.

"2020 was my worst year ever," he said. "2021 was OK, but I'm still bouncing back. I'm not getting school groups because they're not taking field trips. I'm not traveling to nursing homes and, as far as big parties, I did about a fourth of what I used to do. Fairs and festivals are down.

"I can't afford to take any more cuts in revenue," he said.

Tillman Infrastructure applied to Washington County in August for a special-use permit to build the cell tower along Illinois 15. That was required by the county's telecommunications tower ordinance because it was taller than 200 feet.

Blumhorst learned about the proposal when a neighbor received notice of a public hearing. He and his partner, Marty Stanberry, drummed up opposition with Facebook posts, press releases, letters to the editor, an online petition and interview with a St. Louis TV station.

Tillman withdrew its special-use permit application in October. The company reached out to State's Attorney Daniel Bronke, notifying him that state law allows companies to build cell towers up to 350 feet with "no questions asked" if they're farther than a mile and a half from municipalities with more than 25,000 people, according to Bierman.

"Well, we don't have a city or village in the county with 25,000 people," he said. "We don't even have that many people in the county."

Bringing history to bear

In January, Bierman presented the Washington County zoning board with information about how other counties are dealing with the issue of cell-tower placement. Board members voted to table the matter until February.

At a rescheduled meeting next Thursday, the board is expected to vote on telecommunications tower ordinance revisions that sync with state law and create a new application process for non-special-use tower permits, which are similar to building permits. They're issued by the zoning administrator.

If the full county board approves the revisions on March 8, companies seeking tower permits will be required to submit additional materials from their Federal Communications Commission license applications.

"They have to do (research) to get an FCC license in the first place, so that includes an environmental study, a historical study and an aviation study," Bierman said. "All I'm wanting is for them to produce that to me at the time of application."

Blumhorst supports such requirements because, he said, they could keep permit approvals from being rushed through by applicants or local governments and help farmers and other residents understand the impact of cell towers in their areas.

In recent months, Blumhorst and Stanberry have sought to bolster their case for changing the Nashville tower's location by applying to get a 172-year-old barn at Rainbow Ranch, complete with hand-hewn beams, added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Washington County Historical Society designated the "Mangenalker-Blumhorst Barn" a historic site in October.

"From our research, we believe this barn to be the oldest standing barn in the county," according to the society's Facebook announcement. "It is unique in that it is a very large drive through barn. It is still utilized in the day-to-day operations of the farm, but most importantly, houses many animals living on the farm."

Questioning health effects

Beyond the visual impact of the cell tower, Blumhorst wonders about the health effects on area residents and his roughly 250 animals.

The American Cancer Society broadly addresses this question on its website, noting that  despite concerns by some people that radiofrequency (RF) radiation waves from cell towers could cause cancer  there is no strong evidence of noticeable health effects.

"This does not mean that the RF waves from cell phone towers have been proven to be absolutely safe," it states. "Most expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify this, especially for any possible long-term effects."

More than 11,000 people follow the Rainbow Ranch Facebook page. Many have posted comments in recent months, voicing support for Blumhorst, who has lived on the farm all his life. He's the fifth generation in his family to operate it. The petting zoo was founded 20 years ago.

Some friends have warned Blumhorst that he can't win a "David vs. Goliath" battle with a giant corporation such as AT&T, particularly when state law is largely on its side. But that hasn't changed his mind.

"I've worked 20 years on this place," he said, "so I'm not going to let it go down without a fight."

The next meeting of the Washington County Zoning Board of Appeals will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the county board room at the Washington County Courthouse in Nashville.

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One of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoots top City Council allies said she will absolutely not support her campaign for reelection and criticized the mayor for being divisive, comments that reflect broader discontent with Lightfoots leadership style as she prepares to seek a second term.

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza, who Lightfoot tapped to lead the City Council Workforce Development Committee that often handles union contract issues, made the comments in an interview on the Ben Joravsky Show podcast after being asked if she would support a second term for the mayor.

Im tired of being ignored. Im tired of not getting phone calls returned. Im tired of letting the inmates run the asylum. Yeah, no. Absolutely not, Garza said on the podcast, published over the weekend. I have never met anybody who has managed to piss off every single person they come in contact with  police, fire, teachers, aldermen, businesses, manufacturing, and thats it. I said it. Thats it. I dont care.

The comments offer a window into the behind-the-scenes complaints aldermen share about Lightfoot, including people who were once friendly with the mayor.

Garza was a key ally early in the Lightfoot administration, helping the mayor pass labor legislation like the fair workweek ordinance requiring large Chicago employers to give workers at least two weeks advance notice of their schedules and compensate them for last-minute changes.

At a celebratory news conference after that City Council meeting, Garza gave Lightfoot a bottle of Hienies hot sauce, a Southeast Side staple.

The two have exchanged friendly texts, including one where Garza vented about environmentalists in the 10th Ward she represents. Lightfoot responded, I am riding with you til the end! according to text messages previously published by the Tribune.

But in recent months, Garza has been critical of the administration with colleagues in comments that echo her public remarks on the Joravsky show, sources said.

Lightfoot has not formally announced her reelection campaign but is widely expected to seek a second term. Her political team has recently started hiring for key positions and she has been raising money, though she has also burned through more campaign cash than shes collected since shortly after winning office two and a half years ago.

Lightfoots tenure as mayor has served as a crash course in crisis management, from the COVID-19 pandemic and destructive civil unrest to a teachers strike and skyrocketing violent crime. Her relationship with aldermen has also been rocky, dating back to her very first day as mayor.

While delivering her inaugural address, Lightfoot invoked Chicagos history of corruption and turned to face aldermen on the rostrum behind her, which some interpreted as an attack on their integrity.

Asked about Garzas criticism, Lightfoots office did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Garza could not immediately be reached for comment.

Lightfoot has often dismissed criticism of her temperament and leadership style, saying much of it is driven by racism and sexism and arguing that she was elected to shake up the status quo.

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During the podcast interview, Garza also criticized the Lightfoot administration for blocking a permit sought by a clout-heavy scrap shredder seeking to operate on the Southeast Side. Garza said she received a call from public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady telling her theyd be denying the permit.

I asked, On what grounds? You told me you were going to follow the science. Im not understanding the decision, Garza said, recounting the conversation.

Arwady said the firm was out of compliance, according to Garza, who criticized the city for denying the permit and the jobs it would bring.

I literally said, this is a political decision. I am not stupid. I am not stupid and I hope you can sleep at night knowing that youre putting all these people out of work, Garza said.

When she announced the permits denial, Arwady cited the long history of pollution problems at the General Iron scrap shredder RMG purchased and later closed on the citys North Side, and at related operations on the companys Southeast Side property.

Garzas criticism of Lightfoots communication mirrors an ongoing concern frequently raised by aldermen, who say she sometimes does not return messages.

In November, for instance, South Side Ald. Gregory Mitchell texted Lightfoot a series of topics he wanted to discuss, including quality-of-life issues and economic development.

Lightfoot did not text back, according to a copy of the exchange released by her office in response to a public records request.

Early the next evening, Mitchell texted Lightfoot and said he was in the building and wondered if she had time to talk before he left.

The morning after, Mitchell texted again.

Mayor, when are we going to talk? I have called, sent text and came up to the 5th floor, Mitchell texted. I hate to think that the only time I can talk to you is when you are trying to pass a budget.

She did not text back to that message, according to the documents released by Lightfoots office.

Mitchell told the Tribune on Monday that the mayor still had not called him back about these issues.

To this day, I havent talked to her, Mitchell said. Im still frustrated.

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Cloudy and windy this evening with scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 73F. SSE winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible..

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Cloudy and windy this evening with scattered thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 73F. SSE winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible.
By Azernews





By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijans Honorary Consulate in Kharkiv has evacuated 500 Azerbaijani citizens due to the tense situation in the city, Azertag reported on March 1, citing the consulate.

The citizens will be aided to cross the Ukrainian-Polish border from Lviv, the report added.

It was noted that places for daily evacuation of Azerbaijani citizens were allocated as a result of negotiations between Azerbaijani Honorary Consul in Kharkiv Afgan Salmanov, the Kharkiv Southern Railway Department and the Kharkiv Railway Station. Citizens of Azerbaijan who wish to leave Kharkiv should contact the duty station of the Railway Station and the Azerbaijani Honorary Consulate in Kharkiv.

Consular officers simultaneously monitor Azerbaijani media and social media, responding quickly to appeals posted there. The consulate requests that they demonstrate solidarity in this matter and direct Azerbaijani citizens to them.

Citizens with special cases can contact the Honorary Consulate in Kharkiv by phone: (+38057) 7000531, (+380) 63 047 05 50, or by e-mail: [email protected]

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the hotlines of the ministry and relevant diplomatic missions regarding the situation in Ukraine.

The ministry urged Azerbaijani citizens living in Ukraine, both permanently and temporarily, to avoid areas where military forces are concentrated and military facilities are located.

Our citizens are advised to stay at home or in safe places and avoid travel if they do not need it, the ministry said.

It added that Azerbaijani citizens who face serious threats may leave Ukraine for Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Citizens can also travel through Romania and Bulgaria to Turkey, and then to Azerbaijan.

To obtain the necessary information on the issues raised, the ministry advised to get in contact via the following channels:

Hotlines of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, phone: +994505748595, +994506725868, +994125969422, +994125969301, e-mail: m[email protected]

At the same time, Azerbaijan's relevant diplomatic missions in other countries can be reached via the following channels:

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Ukraine (Kyiv), phone: +380 73 5050000, Email: [email protected]

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Moldova, phone: +373 781 81 361, +373 789 91 849, +373 222 32 277, e-mail: [email protected]

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Poland, phone: +48 576 900 183, +48 22 718 30 70, e-mail: [email protected]

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Hungary, phone: +36300901033 (for phone calls), +994552999012 (for calls via WhatsApp), e-mail: [email protected]

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan accredited in Slovakia, phone: +43 676 844 509 733, e-mail: [email protected]

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Romania, phone: +407 487 77744, +407 409 90079, e-mail: [email protected]

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Bulgaria, phone: +359895002732, e-mail: [email protected]

Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Turkey (Ankara), phone: +905550310007, e-mail: [email protected]

Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Istanbul, Turkey, phone: +905441040111, e-mail: [email protected]
KINGSPORT, Tenn.  Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was in Kingsport Monday for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the old Sullivan High School, which has been transformed into the new Building Construction Technology Institute (BCTI).

Before cutting the ribbon, Lee spoke about how BCTI will help East Tennessee lure additional investments from companies and what this focus on construction technology education (CTE) means for students in Tennessee.

This is incredibly important to me, because it's incredibly important to the future of our state and to new students. It is changing the way we do high school. It's changing the way we do post-secondary. It is enhancing what we're doing in our four-year colleges, Lee said. This is important, not only because you students are the future of our state, but because our state is one of the most exciting, fast-growing states in America. We have an obligation to get prepared for them to make sure that any company that wants to come here knows that we're going to have the workforce they need.

The Elizabethton Tennessee College of Applied Technology (ETCAT) is already hosting its building construction technology course at the new BCTI building, located at 2533 N John B Dennis Highway in Kingsport.

The first group of students began classes January 4.

Students who sign up for ETCATs building construction technology course receive hands-on residential construction education. They experience and learn everything from industry best practices and safety regulations, to how to construct and repair a home from the foundation up. Jamel Foster, the instructor of the course explained once students finish the course, they will have become at minimum a certified craft level-one carpenter.

Foster said the program is truly geared towards anyone who wants to go into residential construction work.

It's going to be geared to suit any trade you want to go to, and so our basic curriculum is to become a craft level one carpenter, and then from that you can build on your HVAC, plumbing and electrical journeyman level certificate, he said.

Brandy Maney, who alongside her four children is a member of the first cohort of students taking the ETCAT building construction technology course, spoke about what it has been like to learn as a family from someone with first-hand experience, and why she will require all her future employees to take ETCATs building technology course.

None of us actually like school, but coming here, we love it, she said. We show up every day, and we actually look forward to coming to class. It's not like, Hey, you have to be there, they just love it, Maney said. I'm hoping that anybody that I hire going forward will come from this class. That way, theyll be competent to be able to work.

Foster, whose family has been in the construction business for at least three generations, spoke about why he switched lanes from working in construction to becoming an instructor.

I felt more of a calling coming into a career like this, he said. It allows me to impact more lives in a positive way. The way I look at it is, let's say I want to build you know 1,000 to 10,000 homes in my lifetime. Well, if I educate 1,000 people they go out and build one home each thats 1,000 homes I have vicariously built. You can build up a community. You can start up a bunch of spec houses, but what happens in 15 years? What happens in 20 years? Those houses deteriorate, and so teaching people how to come in and remodel and ultimately continue to make that neighborhood great is what's really going to separate this community from the rest of them.

Lee said he was proud of how the different public and private sectors of Kingsport came together to solve an issue that has challenged East Tennessee.

This community has come together to solve a problem, and the problem is that there are not enough workers to fill the required opportunities that are out there, Lee said. I commend the folks in this community that have come together, including the businesses, the nonprofits, the private sector, to make this happen.

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BRISTOL, Va.  Two local partners in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Bristol and the director of the United Way of Southwest Virginia were named among Virginias Top 50 Heavy Hitters by Virginia Business magazine.

The publication included both Jim McGlothlin, chairman and CEO of The United Company and Clyde Stacy, president of Par Ventures, LLC, on its list after the pair helped establish casino gaming in Virginia, with the states first casino expected to operate in the former Bristol Mall.

They are the only executives from any Virginia casino included on the list.

McGlothlin was a founding partner and then sole owner of the United Coal Co., now The United Co., which sold its coal mine holdings in 2009. He is perhaps best known now as a co-developer, along with Par Ventures LLC President Clyde Stacy, of the $400 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, which will be in the former Bristol Mall, according to the magazine,.

McGlothlin and Stacy were instrumental in changing state gambling laws to allow casinos in select Virginia cities. McGlothlin and his wife, Frances Gibson McGlothlin, have been major donors to their alma mater, William & Mary, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, according to the publication.

Stacy is a former coal mining magnate who headed Rapoca Energy Co.

In 2018, he bought the former Bristol Mall for $2.6 million and approached his friend Jim McGlothlin, about building a casino there. The two were instrumental in getting the state General Assembly to legalize commercial casinos in economically challenged Virginia cities.

In July 2021, the licensed medical cannabis processor that Stacy had invested in, Dharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, sold to Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries for $80 million, according to the publication. Dharma relocated from the mall to a site in Washington County, Virginia.

Construction is under way for the temporary casino quarters at Bristol Mall, expected to open in the former Belk womens store by midyear, pending approval of its license by the Virginia Lottery Board, the publication noted.

Travis Staton, president and CEO, United Way of Southwest Virginia in Abingdon was recognized for leading the organization since 2005. He has guided it through eight mergers and acquisitions into a key player in the regions economic and workforce development. He oversees the organizations work to improve the health, education and financial stability of Virginians across 17 counties and four cities  nearly 20% of the state and its poorest region, according to the magazine.

Staton led the creation of the Ignite Program, designed to build a talent pipeline from schools to the workforce. In 2018, Charity Navigator named the innovative Southwest chapter one of the 10 best United Way chapters out of more than 1,200 nationwide. In December 2021, the United Way of Southwest Virginia launched Ready SWVA, an initiative to expand access to affordable child care and increase the number of credentialed teachers, according to the publication.
Andrew White, a former student at Virginia Commonwealth University student and fraternity member, was sentenced to no time in jail Tuesday after the hazing death of his "little brother" last year.

White, 23, had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor hazing and serving alcohol to a minor following the death of Adam Oakes, a 19-year-old VCU freshman. Oakes died of alcohol intoxication after a "big-little" event for the Delta Chi fraternity in Feb. 2021.

That night, White became Oakes' big brother in the fraternity.

Judge Claire Cardwell sentenced White to 100 hours of community service, probation, speaking at five hazing prevention events and a requirement to participate in a new restorative justice program in which he will meet with the Oakes family.

"I want you to know I'm deeply sorry," White said in Richmond Circuit Court. "I think about him every day."

More important than putting kids in jail is educating them about the dangers of hazing, said Courtney White, cousin to Adam Oakes. In many hazing cases, defendants don't receive sufficiently harsh sentences. This was a more effective solution, she said.

Authorities charged 11 former members of the fraternity in connection to Oakes' death, and Andrew White's case is the first to be resolved. He declined to comment after the hearing.

Hazing and providing alcohol to a minor are Class 1 misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year in prison.

This story will be updated.
" " Old wagon tracks wind through Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on the Oregon Trail. Thousands and thousands followed the trail to get to the West. Library of Congress

On May 1, 1839, 17 men left the courthouse square in Peoria, Illinois. Their goal was to travel beyond the Rocky Mountains and settle the Oregon Country, a disputed territory that encompassed present-day Oregon, Idaho, Washington state and British Columbia. Led by an attorney named Thomas J. Farnham, this little party carried a flag that read "Oregon or the grave."

Death was a distinct possibility. During the 18th century, American pioneers flocked to the Pacific Northwest. Untold thousands of lives were lost along the way.

Most of these migrants took the same general course: A 2,170-mile (3,490-kilometer) route that extended from western Missouri to the Willamette Valley in what's now Oregon state. This highway for mules, covered wagons and ambitious souls became known as the Oregon Trail.

And a gap in the Rocky Mountains made its existence possible.

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A Continent, Divided

The Rocky Mountains begin in New Mexico and continue northward into the upper recesses of British Columbia. But the mountain range doesn't go uninterrupted. One notable gap occurs in southern Wyoming, where the Rockies are punctuated by a flat, grass-covered prairie that's aptly called the South Pass.

For thousands of years, its existence was known only to indigenous people. Then in 1812, the fur trader Robert Stuart caught wind of the pass and ventured through it with six companions and the aid of a Native American guide.

David Wolf is the executive director of the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Gering, Nebraska. He says the 1812 "discovery" of the South Pass would go on to inform the trajectory of the Oregon Trail.

"The Rocky Mountains are very difficult to traverse on horseback," Wolf says via email. "Once the South Pass was discovered in Wyoming, it made the trek a lot easier. The South Pass is a very flat, very wide cut through the mountains."

This, he explains, is why Oregon-bound pioneers overwhelmingly preferred to travel through southern Wyoming by way of the Nebraska panhandle (where Gering now resides).

" " This map shows the route emigrants followed from St. Louis to Oregon Country. Wikimedia Commons

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Treaties, Trappers and Missionaries

A few years after Stuart crossed the South Pass, representatives from Great Britain and the United States met to discuss the fate of the Pacific Northwest.

Much of the current U.S.-Canadian border was established with the signing of the historic Treaty of 1818. The document declared that all the land from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains that fell below the 49th parallel belonged to Uncle Sam. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Oregon Country would be jointly controlled by Brits and Americans for a period of 10 years. In 1827, the shared occupation policy was extended, but some big changes were on the horizon.

It was against this backdrop that the Oregon Trail as we now know it first became popular.

Early on, the cross-country route was predominantly used by fur-trappers seeking northwestern beaver pelts. But they weren't the only demographic to take advantage of the trail. During the 1830s, the Oregon Trail became a magnet for Christian missionaries like Jason Lee who were looking to proselytize to Native Americans while they also spread their faith in the Pacific Northwest. Other emigrants simply wanted to procure a better life for themselves  and snag some open farmland.

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Free Land ... For Some

The exact number of travelers who took the Oregon Trail has been lost to the sands of time. However, according to Wolf, it's been estimated that "around 400,000 people" made the trip.

By the early 1840s, there were enough American settlers in Oregon to establish a provisional government. On July 5, 1843, the Oregon provisional government passed an act that allowed single white men to claim 320 acres (129.4 hectares) of land in the region. By extension, married couples were eligible to claim up to 640 acres (259 hectares).

Unfortunately, the same body also enacted measures specifically designed to keep African-American out of Oregon. To this day, the state grapples with the aftermath of those racist policies.

As intended, the provisional government's actions triggered a westward exodus of white families into the Oregon Country. Available farmland, after all, was hard to come by in eastern states. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management reports that in 1843 alone, "almost 900 people" trekked across the Oregon Trail, with plenty of cattle in tow.

" " Devil's Gate, a fissure in the mountains of what is now Natrona County, Wyoming, was a noted landmark along the Oregon Trail. Library of Congress

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Settling Matters

Three years later, Great Britain and the United States reached an agreement about the Pacific Northwest's political future. Under the Oregon Treaty of 1846, nearly all of the disputed lands below the 49th parallel were handed over to the U.S. (Notably, British Canada retained all of Vancouver Island.)

An act of Congress in 1850 recognized most of the land claims that were made under Oregon's provisional government. The policy of doling out free land to northwestern migrants continued until 1854, when a fee of $1.25 per acre was imposed  and a cap of 320 total acres (i.e.: 129.4 hectares) per new claim was enforced.

Those terms were attractive enough to keep the hopeful settlers streaming in. Their preferred mode of transportation was a covered wagon. Pulled by mules, horses or oxen, these consisted of rectangular, box-shaped "beds" with removable canvas covers. A typical wagon in those days could carry loads of 1,600 to 2,000 pounds (725 to 907 kilograms).

"People packed various things, but what they arrived with was a different matter," Wolf says. Littering was rampant along the Oregon Trail: Travelers left everything from old furniture to dinnerware scattered across the American countryside.

"With limited space on the wagons, they had to have some food, repair tools, spare parts and maybe some family heirlooms," Wolf explains. "With very [few] settlements/forts along the way, they had make sure they had enough supplies."

Most families traveled in wagon trains, organized caravans that sometimes contained more than 1,000 individual settlers. Mind you, these didn't always follow the exact same course. On their way through Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming and other states, wagon train pathways covered vast expanses of land. "The trail got very wide," notes Wolf.

And it was full of graves. Conservatively, about 4 to 6 percent of all the emigrants who took the Oregon Trail died along the way. Many a wagon train was devastated by cholera, dysentery and other diseases. "You also had death from fording dangerous rivers, snake bites [and] accidents... like getting run over," Wolf says.

Following the completion of America's first Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, the Oregon Trail's heyday came to an end  though some families were still using it in the 1890s. Although its golden age is long past, there's no denying that this beautiful but punishing route changed America forever.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING In 2010, brothers Rinker and Nick Buck re-traced as much of the historic Oregon Trail as they could in a replica wagon pulled by a team of mules. Altogether, it took the pair around four months to get from Kansas City, Missouri, to Portland, Oregon.
" " Colonial settler Capt. John Smith was supposedly saved from execution by Native American Pocahontas in the mid 1610s. But was he really? Kean Collection/Getty Images

While plenty of people older than age of 8 know that the Pocahontas and John Smith love story is just a myth, and kind of a gross one considering he was 27 when he encountered the 10- or 11-year old girl, Smith's real-life story hasn't gotten much attention outside of academic circles. But the genuine Capt. John Smith had more effect on the trajectory of history than any two-dimensional animated version could ever hope to.

"He was one of the very most important people in early English colonization," says Karen Ordahl Kupperman, Silver professor of history emerita at New York University and editor of "Captain John Smith, A Select Edition of His Writings." "His image has endured for all the wrong reasons." Popular culture seized on the event with Pocahontas, but his interactions with her were the least important among his accomplishments.

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Who Was John Smith?

Born in 1580 in Lincolnshire, England, Smith was the son of yeoman farmers (non-slaveholding, small landowning farmers), according to his autobiography, explains Kupperman. After his father died, Smith left home and his life of adventure began.

According to the Jamestown Rediscovery Project, Smith helped the French fight for Dutch independence from Spain and then became a sailor on a merchant ship. By 1600, he had linked up with the Hapsburgs to fight the Ottomans in Hungary. He was captured, sold into slavery and given to a young woman in Istanbul. Although she is reported (by Smith) to have fallen in love with Smith, she sent him to her brother, who treated him badly. Smith wound up killing the brother to escape and traveled throughout North Africa and Europe before returning to England, where he arrived just at the time the Virginia Company was making plans to establish a colony in North America.

This might all sound like a tall tale, but scholars have shown that Smith's places, battles and dates line up with accepted records, while his astonishing version of the events places him within literary genres of the time, according to Kupperman.

" " John Smith landed in Virginia in April 1607 where the Jamestown settlement would be founded. MPI/Getty Images

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The Adventurer in Virginia

The next stop for Smith was colonial Virginia. The Virginia Company voyage set off for the "New World" Dec. 20, 1606, with Smith aboard. While sailing to North America, he was accused of a mutiny, and when the ships docked in the Chesapeake Bay in April 1607, where the Jamestown settlement would be founded, he was a prisoner. Once the colony leaders realized that the Company had intended Smith to be part of the governing council, they released him.

Smith spent his time in Virginia exploring the area and bartering with local peoples. He was in Virginia for slightly less than two years, but his role there was important. "[H]e was the only person on the leadership who had actual experience dealing with other cultures," says Kupperman, who contrasts Smith's behavior with that of Capt. Christopher Newport's. When Newport visited the local Algonquin leader Chief Powhatan, for instance, he met him with soldiers, trumpets and flags, what Kupperman calls "a ridiculous display." Smith, on the other hand, visited Powhatan accompanied only by four men.

"He understood a lot more about how you can get people to be interested in helping you in these situations," says Kupperman. "And swagger is not really it."

Smith's contributions at Jamestown went beyond his cross-cultural awareness. The English had not yet explored the Chesapeake Bay when they arrived in 1607, according to Paul P. Musselwhite, assistant professor of history at Dartmouth. An earlier attempt at settlement in the region, the lost colony of Roanoke, had not ended well. But within five years, Smith's work helped the English develop a map and knowledge of the geography and peoples of the area.

" " John Smith's 1606 map of Virginia shows the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River, other geographic features, as well as a vignette of the Native leader, Powhatan, in council. Library of Congress

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The Misconceptions About Pocahontas

Smith did a lot during his short time in Virginia, but what he didn't do was fall in love with Pocahontas  or vice versa.

"The most critical misconception is the one about his relationship with Pocahontas," says Musselwhite. In reality, it would have been practically impossible for him to have had any kind of important relationship with her because he was a nearly 30-year-old soldier and she was a tween girl. Smith played up their connection later when Pocahontas visited England and had become the center of attention at the court.

During his first year in Virginia, Smith was captured by some of Powhatan's men. According to the legend, Pocahontas intervened in Smith's near-execution by throwing herself across his body, thereby saving his life.

It seems clear that it was an initiation ceremony and Pocahontas' role was scripted, explains Kupperman. Smith was going through a symbolic death and being reborn as a member of the Algonquin community. Afterward, Powhatan said that he would call him "son."

Pocahontas and other Indigenous children did spend time at James Fort, according to Musselwhite. Sending children was a way to create cultural connections, and Pocahontas and Smith probably spent some time together. Whether he would have distinguished her from other children at the fort at the time is hard to know.

" " The most critical misconception about John Smith is the love connection between himself and Pocahontas. Library of Congress

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The Colonizer of New England

By September 1608, Smith had become the president of the council for the Virginia Colony, encouraging discipline and farming. "Smith's strong leadership helped the colony survive and grow but also made him enemies within the fort. As he slept in a boat in the river one night, Smith was badly injured by a mysterious gunpowder explosion," according to the Jamestown Rediscovery Project. His injuries were severe enough that he was forced to return to England.

But that only meant he turned his focus elsewhere, and Smith became one of the principal theorists of early English colonization, Kupperman says.

"That's his real importance," she says. "He had this vision for what the English colonies could be." It was centered on settlers from the "middling group" of English society who had independence and were willing to work hard for themselves.

In 1614, Smith returned to America from London and spent just five weeks mapping New England, he saw the way forward. Until that time, colonization had been financed by rich, elite men, who expected to get a good return on investment. Smith asserted that the only way to build a real community was for individuals  settlers  to work for themselves. And that became the American colonization model.

In fact, Smith developed the name and concept of New England. It was Smith who determined how English people geographically defined the limits of New England, according to Musselwhite. Like his 1612 map of Virginia, the New England map he published in 1616 has been shown by modern scholars to be surprisingly accurate.

And Smith's efforts writing about New England and promoting it to anyone who would listen led to its being the place that settlers like the pilgrims decided to go, says Musselwhite. That is "perhaps an underappreciated contribution."

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Smith the Writer and Publicist

Following nearly two decades of 17th-century travel, Smith entered a new phase of his life. He ceased adventuring and turned his attention more fully to writing and self-promotion. While other soldiers and adventurers may have gone on to India or become pirates, Smith realized he could make a career as a writer, says Musselwhite.

Although Smith is almost entirely famous in popular culture because he was a fighter and a practical man, his recognition has endured because he was able to pivot and worked to win patronage at court. He was certainly not a gruff, egalitarian, according to Musselwhite.

After leaving New England, he spent the rest of his life in London. Kupperman explains that Smith knew all of the contemporary writers and was part of that group. He hung out with a more quill and parchment crowd, many of whom wrote forwards and introductions for his books.

"His circle really was this community of writers in early 17th-century London," says Kupperman.

And as far as his books, he has often been described by historians as a liar because he repeatedly wrote about the same material, changing and embroidering it. A main accusation against Smith is that he was constantly aggrandizing himself; the Pocahontas story offers a good example.

Kupperman says that is true, but he was also communicating in the style of the day.

If his later writings and general history are used as important sources for understanding the world of colonial promotion, they are not a source of "objective, factual detail," Musselwhite says. But Smith represents the most powerful example of what colonial promotion had become by the 1620s. All of the personal stories were woven into grandiose claims in an attempt to develop a patronage network and colonial schemes.

In 1624, Smith, who died in 1631, compiled all of his writings about the colonies into "The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles."

"The reason his image has endured is 90 percent because of his own creation," says Musselwhite. "You would really describe him as a pragmatic and tireless soldier and as a tireless self-promoter and publicist."

Today, we might call him an influencer.

Now That's Interesting John Smith was a reportedly short man, about 5 feet, 4 inches tall (1.6 meters) with dark hair and a beard  a far cry from Disney's depiction of John Smith as tall, blonde and clean-shaven. Why Disney, why?
" " Conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot were sentenced to being hanged, drawn and quartered, though historians say the practice of tying limbs to four horses and spurring them to run in four different directions was never done in England. Instead, bodies were quartered after death. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Let's say you're the king of England in the 13th century. You enjoy absolute power and authority, but only if you can keep your grip on the throne, and there are all sorts of plotting pretenders and rebellious radicals keen on toppling your reign and seeing you dead.

So, what can you do to scare them off? You can't post a bunch of threatening Tweets (heck, the printing press is still a few centuries away). But maybe, just maybe, you can devise a form of punishment so twisted and sadistic that only a lunatic would even entertain the thought of committing high treason.

That's how historians believe medieval monarchs came up with the wildly violent execution method known as hanging, drawing and quartering. If you've seen the film "Braveheart," then you've had a (nauseating) taste of just how torturous and cruel the practice was. The Scottish rebel William Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1305 (accused of being a traitor to King Edward I) and in the movie we see him disemboweled  his abdomen cut open and his intestines removed  while still very much alive. And that was only one part of the ordeal!

" " William Wallace (immortalized in the movie "Braveheart") is dragged (or "drawn") to his execution at Smithfield where he will be hanged, disemboweled and quartered, in 1305. Culture Club/Getty Images

From the 13th century all the way until the 19th century, hundreds of Englishmen convicted of high treason were sentenced to die by this very public and grisly display of absolute power, including rebels like Wallace, political terrorists like Guy Fawkes and Catholic martyrs who refused to recognize the authority of the Church of England.

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Drawing First, Then Hanging and Quartering

Richard Clark is the creator of the excellent history website Capital Punishment U.K. and the author of "Capital Punishment in Britain." He says that hanging, drawing and quartering was the "ultimate" punishment, but that the name creates some confusion.

Here's the actual text of the English law (on the books until 1870) outlining the death sentence for anyone convicted of high treason:

"That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King's pleasure."

The "drawing" part actually comes first, and it involves the convict being tied to a type of sled that's "drawn" or dragged behind a horse all the way from the prison to the gallows. For many centuries, that journey was a full 3 miles from Newgate Prison in London to Tyburn, a remote locale outside of the city whose name became inextricably linked with public executions.

"It was probably a good three-hour drag," says Clark, and the streets would have been packed with riotous crowds jeering and throwing garbage at the poor sap as he prepared to meet his maker in the worst manner possible.

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Hanged Until 'Mostly Dead,' Then Comes the Really Bad Part

Fans of "The Princess Bride" know that there's a big difference between being "all dead" and "mostly dead," and so did medieval executioners. After being dragged to Tyburn, the condemned man was hung from a rope (from a gallows or just a tall ladder), but not dropped the necessary distance to snap his neck. After a few terrifying minutes of near-asphyxiation, the man was cut down while only mostly dead.

Boy, did he wish he was all dead! Because what came next was absolute madness. As the law dictated, his "privy members" were cut off first  that means (ahem) his penis and testicles  and tossed in a roaring fire. Next, his abdomen was slit open from groin to sternum and his intestines were pulled out.

"At what point people lost consciousness and died, exactly, we'll never know," says Clark, but if the "de-privying" and disemboweling didn't do the trick, the next part certainly did  the man's heart was cut from his chest and also burned.

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Quartering as a Publicity Stunt

In England, the final step of hanging, drawing and quartering was to cut off the condemned man's head and then "quarter" his remaining corpse by carving it into four pieces. According to graphic medieval drawings, that basically meant cutting off the legs and arms.

Clark says that the severed limbs were parboiled in a blend of spices designed to preserve the flesh for as long as possible. That's because the dead man's body parts would next be taken on a "publicity tour" of sorts to let everyone know what happens to people who challenge the authority of the king.

"One of the main points of doing all of this was to demonstrate the absolute power of the monarchy," says Clark. "Because there was no media or newspapers back then, the quartering could distribute the body parts to the surrounding towns as a warning."

" " On June 19, 1535, monks of the London Charterhouse were executed at Tyburn. They were drawn, hanged and quartered for refusing to accept King Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church. The Print Collector/Getty Images

The severed head was the sternest warning sign of all. The heads of prominent traitors like Wallace and Fawkes were placed on spikes on London Bridge or the Tower of London.

What about the practice of quartering a victim's body by tying his limbs to four horses and spurring them to run in four different directions? Clark says that was never done in England, but there's evidence that the French indulged, at least as torture. In 1610, King Henry IV of France was assassinated and the perpetrator, a man named Francois Ravaillac, was publicly tortured to reveal his accomplices. In addition to being scourged with hot pincers and molten lead, he was "torn to pieces by four horses," according to a report.

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A Contemporary Account of a 1782 Execution

The very first person to be sentenced to hanging, drawing and quartering in England was a pirate named William Maurice in 1241, but there are scant details about his crimes or his execution. Even the famous executions of Wallace and Fawkes lack much information beyond a few surviving illustrations.

But in 1782, a naval clerk named David Tyrie was convicted of high treason for selling information to the French, and this time there were newspapers around to record the event for posterity. Tyrie's execution is believed to be the last time that the three-part death sentence was carried out in full, and it drew a blood-thirsty crowd of 100,000 to the British coastal town of Portsmouth. The Hampshire Chronicle reported Aug. 31, 1782:

"After hanging exactly twenty-two minutes, he was lowered upon the sledge, and the sentence literally put in execution. His head was severed from his body, his heart taken out and burnt, his privities cut off, and his body quartered. He was then put into a coffin and buried among the pebbles by the sea-side; but no sooner had the officers retired, but the sailors dug up the coffin, took out the body, and cut it in a thousand pieces, every one carrying away a piece of his body to shew their messmates on board. A more dreadful, affecting execution was perhaps never seen."

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Why The Ugly Practice Ended

Over time, Clark says, "the more gruesome parts of the punishment were omitted," as with the executions of the five men convicted in the Cato Street Conspiracy in 1820. Although the men were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered in the traditional grisly fashion, the sheriff of London didn't want to tie up traffic with a long procession and the executioners devised a more efficient way of choreographing the killings, says Clark.

The five were hung for 30 minutes to ensure they were completely dead. Then they were laid one by one in coffins conveniently placed atop the gallows. At the head of each coffin was a raised block upon which each man's head was removed by a trained surgeon or butcher. In this more "civilized" version of the execution, the severed head was raised to the crowd along with the pronouncement, "This is the head of a traitor," but the rest of the body was left intact.

By the mid-19th century, there just weren't as many acts of rebellion, says Clark, plus Victorian-era Londoners started taking a "not in my backyard" stance on public executions.

"The gentrification of places like Tyburn and Newgate had taken place by then and people didn't want that kind of thing happening in their neighborhood," says Clark. "They no longer found these kinds of horrific punishments something they wanted to see."

In 1870, the sentence of hanging, drawing and quartering was officially removed from English law as part of the Forfeiture Act of 1870.

Now That's Not Much Better "For the sake of decency," says Clark, women convicted of high treason were spared a death by hanging, drawing and quartering. They were burned at the stake instead.
If there was an MVP (most valuable player) award given for farm machinery, I would wager a guess that most dairy farmers would probably give the same reply: the skid steer. On nearly all dairy farms of any size, a skid steer is a tool that is utilized each and every day for a wide variety of tasks. It is common for a farm has more than one of these versatile machines that can move anything from feed to manure.

Frequent use can take a toll on machinery, though, and skid steers may wear out sooner than other pieces of machinery due to their repeated use and because of the jobs they are asked to do. During an I-29 Moo University Podcast hosted by dairy extension educators in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, skid steer maintenance and trade-in values were discussed.

This episode featured guest speakers from Farmers Implement and Irrigation, with locations in Brookings and Watertown, S.D. They all agreed that regular maintenance is a key component of skid steer longevity.



Maintenance will determine how long a machine will last, shared one of the experts. This includes regular service appointments, oil changes, and greasing.

Keep up on daily and weekly maintenance, plus hour increments, said another expert. A lot of people overlook skid steers when it comes to maintenance. It is the first machine to get used but the last to get looked at.

The group noted that dairy farm work is particularly hard on skid steers. One option is to add machines so that they can rotate between different applications. For instance, perhaps a skid steer could be used by the feed pile for a while, then move to scraping manure in the barn. By rotating between different jobs, one may be able to stretch out the useful life of the machine.



They also recommended daily washes for machines that get dirty. This prevents harsh materials like manure from eating through the paint and steel.

If you are looking to trade-in a skid steer, keeping the machine clean and well maintained will help hold its value longer. The team acknowledged that this takes extra time, but people who keep skid steers in top condition can collect a trade in value considerably better than average.

They recommended 2,000 to 2,500 hours as a good time to consider trading in a skid steer. While the machine will still have a lot of life left, in their experience, the trade-in value goes down considerably after 3,000 hours of use.



The group noted that they have serviced skid steers that are still working well at 8,000 and 9,000 hours, but in these cases, maintenance is on schedule and the machine has been well taken care of its entire life.

If buying a used skid steer, they offered a few tips. For starters, find out where it came from and what it was used for. Have a dealer go through the maintenance checkpoints, such as evaluating the hydraulics and looking for leaks.

The also encouraged potential buyers to climb in and operate the machine to be sure it runs as it should. Its not that complicated, one of them remarked. You can usually tell if the machine has been well maintained or not.



Whether a skid steer is pushing feed, dirt, snow, or manure, much like farmers, they are almost always on the go. Taking time to maintain this MVP of farm equipment will go a long way in extending its useful life and protecting its trade-in value.

Abby Bauer

The author is the senior associate editor and covers animal health, dairy housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a masters degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
By Trend

Turkmenistan and Turkey have discussed expanding trade and textile industry partnership, Trend reports via Turkmen media.

This was discussed during a phone conversation between Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Deputy Chairman of the Turkmen Cabinet of Ministers and Mehmet Mus, Turkish Trade Minister.

Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation in the transportation sector, specifically the efficient use of transit corridors and air routes to improve bilateral trade relations.

Mus, for his part, stressed the importance of organizing regular meetings between representatives from relevant ministries and departments to facilitate practical joint work.

The cooperation between Turkmenistan and Turkey is successfully developing in different directions.

If the volume of trade between Turkmenistan and Turkey was 47.5 million in 1992, it would have increased 226 times by 2021 to $1.7 billion.

Back in November 2021, Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking at the 15th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Ashgabat, said that Turkey and Turkmenistan aim to increase mutual trade to $5 billion.

Turkish construction companies-contractors have implemented 1,061 projects worth $50 billion in Turkmenistan so far.
The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

Rick Adamski of Seymour was elected as the new president of Wisconsin Farmers Union during the family farm organizations annual board of directors reorganization meeting February 9th. Westby dairy farmer Darin Von Ruden, who had served as president since 2010, was re-elected to serve as District 5 Director but has shifted to the role of vice president.

Adamski has served on the WFU board since 2016. He and his wife, Valerie, own Full Circle Farm near Seymour in Shawano County. They raise grass-fed beef, fresh vegetables, pastured hogs, and laying hens on the 290-acre farm, which has been in the Adamskis family since 1900. Adamski holds degrees in Soil Science and Resource Management from UW-Stevens Point.



"I'm truly honored to represent this organization because of its history, what it stands for, its members, and its future, Adamski said. It's a huge responsibility and yet one I'm eager to take on, leading so many like-minded souls who are all working to improve life in rural Wisconsin through our shared values. For our members, I would like to have this be a seamless transition, with no noticeable changes in terms of the operation of the organization. As much as possible, I want it to be a new beginning where need be but also a continuation of the good work already happening at the grassroots, staff, and board levels."

Adamski said addressing monopoly power in agriculture will be a major focus for him in the year ahead. He notes, "The history of National Farmers Union has been steeped in fighting concentration in agriculture. We will continue to align ourselves with that dedicated effort to confront monopoly power, and I will fight for farmers to be able to have a seat at the table in the making of decisions."

Adamski also expressed appreciation to previous WFU presidents, particularly Von Ruden. "I will be tapping into Darin's experience regularly and appreciate his continued presence on the board."

Continuing in their officer roles are Secretary Linda Ceylor, Catawba, and Treasurer Ed Gorell, Eleva.



Election Results

WFUs 91st Annual Convention was held virtually January 29th, with convention delegates voting on policy priorities and candidates by mail-in ballot. Results were tallied this week at the family farm organizations state headquarters in Chippewa Falls.

Several district director seats were up for election this year. Ed Gorell of Eleva, Darin Von Ruden of Westby, and Rick Adamski of Seymour were re-elected, respectively, to District 3 (Chippewa, Clark, and Eau Claire counties), District 5 (Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Rock, Green, Lafayette, Richland, and Vernon counties), and District 8 (Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Door, Fond du Lac, Forest, Florence, Kewaunee, Langlade, Marinette, Manitowoc, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Shawano, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago Counties.





A new face joining the board is Rachel Bouressa, who will serve as the At-Large representative. Bouressa grew up on a 5th generation dairy farm in central Wisconsin. She received degrees in Agronomy and Environmental Science at UW-Madison and took part in the Agroecology Masters Program. She raises grass-fed beef cattle at Bouressa Family Farm in New London. Bouressa serves as vice president of GrassWorks and a co-coordinator for the Central Wisconsin Graziers' Network. She is also a farmer mentor with the Wisconsin Women in Conservation initiative and serves on her county FSA committee.
" " Many cultures have a tradition of cleaning the house in the spring. Carol Yepes/Getty Images

It feels almost like a biological imperative. The sun takes a little longer in its descent below the horizon and the chill of winter begins to leave the bones. Without much thought on your part, the couch is moved from its place so you can sweep beneath it and the drapes are suddenly in the washing machine. Disinfectant sprays suddenly attract a new level of interest and you decide your sponges must all be replaced. You've awakened from the long winter quasi-hibernation that kept you glued to the television. Now it's time to thoroughly rid your home of the dirt and dust and dog hair that have accumulated over the long, dark season. You've been gripped by the urge to spring clean.

You're certainly not alone in this strange desire to clean your house. Spring cleaning has become nearly ritualized in the West. Makers of cleaning products ramp up advertising late in the winter. Internet sites and magazines become awash in spring cleaning tips. Public service campaigns for everything from properly disposing of outdated pharmaceuticals in America to removing litter from the Irish countryside are attached to spring cleaning each year. It's kind of an unconscious, collective movement.

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Spring cleaning isn't for everyone, though. Using fMRI scans, researchers have determined that when confronted with a decision to throw out possessions -- even junk mail -- people who've been diagnosed as compulsive hoarders show activity in the same region of the brain that's responsible for processing damaging and unpleasant experiences [source: New England Hoarding Consortium]. An estimated one to two percent of the population in the United States are compulsive hoarders, who accumulate and refuse to throw out large collections of everything from newspapers to paper clips.

For people who don't have a hoarding compulsion, spring cleaning seems almost compulsive in itself. The sense of cleanliness and accomplishment that comes from scouring the house also brings something like a neurological reward from the brain. There isn't any documented medical evidence that spring cleaning is a compulsion; rather, it seems to be rooted in tradition more than anything else. Exactly why do we traditionally clean our homes at the beginning of spring? Those of us in the West may be surprised to find that it's possibly rooted in customs found in the East. Learn about these possible origins to spring cleaning today on the next page.
Labor was critical of the government's tech regulation. Image: Good Thanks Photography

Australias regulatory approach to digital technology is a dogs breakfast that is off-putting for international workers and investors, a Labor MP has warned.

Speaking on a panel at last weeks ACS Reimagination Thought Leaders Summit, Shadow Cyber security Minister Tim Watts took aim about what he called an un-coordinated government approach to technology regulation.

We have been doing a lot of job creation for compliance managers and regulatory affairs managers in the technology space, he said with a wry smile.

Over the last three years there have been 18 substantive policy consultation processes and substantive regulatory obligations imposed on digital platforms. There are nine processes currently underway.

If you look at an area like age verification and identity verification there are five parallel policy development processes in Australia at the moment.

If were trying to attract international talent, attract international capital, make our case as a place for a thriving technology sector, we need a bit of co-ordination and rationality in the way were approaching these regulatory issues.

At the moment weve got this dogs breakfast approach.

Legislation like the Critical Infrastructure Bill which passed last November was criticised for the extra red-tape it heaped on organisations.

Industry has also hit-out at the governments decision to begin reforming Australias electronic surveillance framework after passing legislation that gives law enforcement the power to compel IT professionals to provide technical assistance.

Following the ACCC's 2019 Digital Platforms Inquiry, the government prioritised the News Media Bargaining Code  which was designed to force Facebook and Google to pay local news outlets for content  over its overhaul of the Privacy Act which was also recommended by the ACCC and is still in its early stages.

More regulation, new policies

At the Reimagination panel, Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg leapt to the governments defense, saying regulation was a necessary step in mitigating the effects of Silicon Valley giants.

The big tech companies have got more power than any other group of companies since the Gilded Age, he said.

The trend is going to be for more regulation in the tech space, not less, while were in parliament.

One of Senator Braggs particular areas of concern has been cryptocurrency and digital assets.

He told the Reimagination audience that, if the aim is to attract international talent and international capital  a theme among speakers at this years summit  then the government is taking the right steps through its policy shift around cryptocurrency.

Weve always been in competition for the best brains and for foreign capital, he said.

One of the things that has fallen out of the pandemic is that the Reserve Bank [of Australia] (RBA) and some other regulators, frankly, were doing far too much around payments, the technology there, and on cryptocurrency and digital assets.

So, last year the government announced a new policy that we would effectively bring back into the Treasury Department the purview of digital assets and cryptocurrency and payments policy.

If you look at Singapore and the UK, both jurisdictions were competing with in this space, theyre both way ahead of us in terms of policies on digital assets.

In an environment where capital is so mobile, and highly skilled people can go anywhere, why wouldnt you want to go somewhere that didnt have a decent [cryptocurrency] policy?

ACS launched its 2022 Election Platform at the Reimagination Thought Leaders Summit last week, calling on the next government to renew its focus on boosting Australias digital economy.
The tributes that rolled in when North Carolina lawyer Walter Dellinger died Feb. 16 were testimony that he was one of the nations great lawyers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He was 80.

In an Associated Press article, North Carolina native Jonathan Drew wrote that Dellingers career marked him as one of the legal giants of our era. Many remembered--and justly celebrated--him as a brilliant and prolific scholar, a titan of the Supreme Court bar, an inspiring teacher and mentor to generations of bright proteges now in elected office, federal and state government, and on the bench.

He was also a government lawyer whose advice was important to both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Key officials in the Biden White House sought his advice almost literally until the day he died.

His son, Hampton, recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as an assistant attorney general in the Biden administrations Justice Department, gave this tribute to his dad, Walter lived a wonderful and extraordinary life. He had many loves, first among them his wife Anne but also the State and University of North Carolina, the law and the rule of law, and American democracy.

Several years ago I talked to Dellinger for a short North Carolina Bookwatch program recorded at Carolina Meadows in Chapel Hill, where he was living. He was working on a chapter of a memoir to be titled Balcony Reserved for White Spectators.

He explained his early awareness of the unfairness of the social system in his hometown Charlotte. In the late 1950s he was working on a construction site where only whites could be carpenters and the black men were all laborers paid $1 an hour. As I was a temporary kid, I was assigned as a laborer. I was like the token white labor on this crew.

What was interesting and dramatic for me was that the best carpenter by far was one of the African American men who was a laborer. He got paid as a laborer no matter what he was doing. So whenever there was a very difficult challenge to the carpentry, the on-site supervisor would ask David to take on the challenge.

But if anybody from company headquarters arrived on the scene, I was sometimes a lookout, David had to put down his carpentry tools. He could be an expert but couldn't be caught breaking the rigid rules. That gives you a sense of how rigid the system was.

Dellinger remembered his love of Black music and listening to WGIV, the Black radio station in Charlotte. I listened to the gospel hour faithfully. They had a contest to see who could first identify a gospel song, and I knew immediately from the first three bars it was Ride on King Jesus.

The prize was a one-year subscription to Ebony magazine, which in the segregated South was a whole different world, particularly the advertisements where no people of color were ever in mainstream media.

Dellingers love of music led him to try to attend the Black concerts and dances at Park Center in downtown Charlotte. There he encountered the sign.

He explained, In Charlotte dances that were for African Americans had a balcony reserved for white spectators, so it's sort of both literal and metaphorical the notion that I was only a spectator from the balcony on what was happening with race in the South, watching what was happening in the Black community.

After four years at UNC-Chapel Hill, three years at Yale Law School, and two years teaching at the University of Mississippi Law School, Dellinger was never only a spectator again.

He lived and died in the middle of our countrys struggle to eliminate the unfairness the carpenter David experienced and the legacy of the customs that put Dellinger in the balcony at Park Center dances.

Note: Walter Dellingers Bookwatch interview is available at https://www.pbs.org/video/nc-bookwatch-walter-dellinger/

D.G. Martin hosted North Carolina Bookwatch, for more than 20 years. To view prior programs: https://video.pbsnc.org/show/nc-bookwatch/episodes/
Hungary supports Ukraine's membership in the European Union, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, index.hu reports.

"Yesterday, the presidents of eight EU member states (the three Baltic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Slovakia) put forward a joint initiative to promote the European integration of Ukraine. They write that Ukraine should be granted EU status as soon as possible and start negotiations on introduction. I would like to announce Hungary's support for this initiative. We call on Brussels to put this on the agenda as soon as possible and have informed our Polish and Lithuanian colleagues. Let's not forget: Hungary is interested in peace, we will provide Ukraine with all the assistance that will help it," - Szijjarto's said, according to the index.hu website.
The English students of Sabrina Kile were conducting research for papers on a variety of subjects. The students took a tour of the library and were given a demonstration on finding resources both on the bookshelves and through the librarys online databases.
SPRINGFIELD  The need for face coverings in most indoor spaces in Illinois was ending Monday as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic eases.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier announced that he would lift the mandate for masks to slow the spread of the deadly virus as the numbers of new cases and hospitalizations fall. He intended that the requirement remain in effect for schools, where students and staff are more closely congregated, but other government action has invalidated that order.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said last week that the city would also lift its mask mandate Monday, along with a requirement that people show proof of vaccination at places such as restaurants.

An appellate court last week declined to render a decision on a lower-court ruling that invalidated Pritzker's order that public schools require masks. The 4th District Appellate Court decided the issue was moot after a legislative committee nixed an extension of the emergency rule the governor imposed on schools last summer. The Democratic governor appealed the ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Masks will remain the rule on the state House floor, where they've been challenged by Republicans. The Legislature has planned an abbreviated spring session that's scheduled to end in early April. Democratic House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch told members he doesn't want to risk an outbreak which would derail work or worse, jeopardize family members of lawmakers who are immunocompromised or too young to be vaccinated.

The requirement has led to the regular removal from the floor of up to eight Republicans for refusing to comply, including Rep. Blaine Wilhour, of Beecher City, who filed a lawsuit against Welch.

State Senate officials are evaluating options.

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SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker has asked Illinois employee pension systems to review potential divestment in Russian assets after Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

The Democrat wrote to the Illinois State Board of Investments, the Teachers' Retirement System and the State Universities' Retirement System asking them to explore the potential of divesting state pension assets from Russian-based companies and Russian assets.

Pritzker's action follows similar overtures in other states to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade its neighbor last week.

The state of Illinois stands with the people of Ukraine and nations around the world supporting peace in the country, Pritzker wrote.

Divestment of Russian-related interests from the state's $100 billion portfolio likely wouldn't have the impact that economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and much of the West. But it has precedent.

State law prohibits investing in Iran, Sudan and companies that boycott Israel.

The flag of Ukraine was also raised over the Illinois Statehouse in Springfield.

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Forsyth County and North Carolina continued to see decreasing COVID-19 numbers, although the county reported one additional death over the weekend.

Mondays update from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 157 new cases in Forsyth since Fridays report, including 23 reported Monday

Meanwhile, DHHS reported 909 new cases statewide Monday  the lowest since July 20, which was before both the delta and omicron variant surges. There also were 2,122 cases reported Sunday and 3,082 Saturday.

Forsyth has had 68 COVID-related deaths in February, the second-highest monthly total since tracking began in mid-March 2020.

The county ended January with 73 COVID-related deaths. There have been 760 deaths in Forsyth since the pandemic began.

DHHS lists COVID-19 cases and deaths on the day they are confirmed by medical providers and public health officials so people could have been infected or may have died days or weeks before their cases were counted.

Forsyth health director Joshua Swift said Thursday he remains confident the number of COVID-related deaths will decline, as have numbers of new cases and hospitalizations over the past two weeks.

Swift said some of the recent deaths in Forsyth are coming from individuals who had been battling COVID-19 for weeks, if not more than a month.

Statewide, 70 additional COVID-related deaths were recorded over the weekend, bringing North Carolinas total COVID-related deaths to 22,570.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of December, the risk of dying from COVID-19 was 14 times higher for unvaccinated adults than fully vaccinated adults.

Forsyth case counts

The 23 new cases reported among Forsyth residents marked the lowest daily case count since the omicron variant surge began in mid-to late-December.

Forsyth has recorded a total of 91,251 cases since the pandemic began.

As of Friday, Forsyths positive test rate over the past 14 days was 8.9%.

The statewide rate was 6.9% on Friday, the lowest since Dec. 8.

Fridays update had Forsyth averaging 21 cases per 100,000 residents over the most recent two-week period. Thats down from 82 per 100,000 residents in the Feb. 11 report.

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools indoor mask mandate expired Monday.

Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines is ending a citywide mask mandate on Tuesday.

Gov. Roy Cooper has recommended schools and local governments end their mask mandates March 7.

Local public-health officials say it may be several weeks before communities learn what effect ending mask mandates will have.

Swift and Dr. Christopher Ohl, an infectious diseases expert with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, still encourage residents to wear a mask in indoor public settings if they believe there is a risk for exposure.

Swift also encourages people to be fully vaccinated and boosted when eligible.

Statewide update

North Carolina has recorded more than 2.5 million cases during the pandemic, according to DHHS.

The record-high daily case count stands at 35,759, reported Jan. 14.

COVID-19 hospitalizations remain on a downward trend with 1,618 patients statewide on Sunday.

Statewide, COVID-19 hospitalizations had dropped for 31 consecutive days before a seven-patient increase from Saturday to Sunday.

Hospitals in the 17-county Triad region had a combined 299 COVID-19 patients Sunday, down 95 from Thursday.

Statewide, 194 patients are on ventilators, including 36 in the Triad region. There were 32 children hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, including six in the Triad region.

Determining COVID deaths

In response to questions about how medical professionals determine whether a death is COVID-related, the state had this explanation:

Those deaths include people who have had a positive molecular or antigen test for COVID-19, who died without fully recovering from COVID-19, and who had no alternative cause of death identified.

Deaths are reported by hospitals and clinicians directly to the local and state health departments. Once reported, DHHS or local/county health departments staff manually enter the death by date of death into the N.C. COVID system.

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Q: On Feb. 25, I went to the COVID testing center at Hanes Mall, only to learn that Novant no longer operates that location  even though it was still on both the Novant and Novant MyChart websites as being a Novant testing facility. Who does run that site?

D.I.

Answer: The site is still a Novant Health Inc. site, but its being staffed by another company, allowing Novant workers to go back to their worksites.

The Hanes Mall testing site is now being staffed by Ottendorf Laboratories, the Journal reported in early February.

It does remain on our website as we are getting the support of Ottendorf for staffing, a spokesperson told SAM.

In a press release, Novant said it is partnering with Ottendorf Laboratories, an independent lab provider, to increase access to COVID-19 testing at its primary testing sites in Charlotte and Winston-Salem. With this partnership, staffing will transition from Novant Health to Ottendorf Laboratories, which will also conduct the tests of samples. Ottendorf Laboratories support of Novant Healths testing operations is made possible by funding from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Rapid tests are not be available at the site.

The hours for sites are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The site is at 190 Hanes Mall Circle.

Appointments are not required.

For more information or concerns, call Ottendorf Laboratories customer service at 919-390-2550.

Q: I have previously appreciated editorial cartoons by Charlotte Observer cartoonist Kevin Siers, but I havent seen one of his in a long time. Will we see any of his cartoons in the future?

F.C.

Answer: Mick Scott, the editorial writer for the Winston-Salem Journal, said that Siers will be back.

Here in the editorial department, were fans of Siers artistic style.

Every day we have a variety of cartoons from which to choose. We tend to look for the one we feel is most relevant or most striking for the next days Journal (or the next two days or three days, depending on deadlines and workload). We also try to present a variety of topics. Those considerations tend to supersede selecting a particular artist, he said.

Scott also said that feedback from readers is important and that knowing readers like Siers work will help in selecting editorial cartoons.

Mark your calendarsWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities has announced dates for its annual free leaf mulch pickup.

The mulch will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 15, 16, 23, 30, and May 7 at the Forum 52 Yard Waste Facility, 180 Northstar Drive in the Forum 52 Business Park off Forum Parkway in Rural Hall.

All loads must be fully covered before leaving the site. If you do not bring a tarp or cover, your vehicle will not be loaded, said the division.

The mulch is only for homeowners in cars and pickup trucks with or without trailers. Large vehicles over one ton will not be allowed to receive mulch under any circumstances. All loads must be fully covered before leaving the site. If you do not bring a tarp or cover, your vehicle will not be loaded.

Email: AskSAM@wsjournal.com Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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Hanoi zoo to receive nine tigers rescued from Nghe An farms

Nine tigers that were rescued from two families in the central province of Nghe An will be moved to Hanoi Zoo.















Nghe An Police rescue 17 tigers at two farms in the area in August 2021



A representative from the Nghe An Provincial Forest Rangers Department told Dantri/Dtinews on February 28 that Hanoi People's Committee has agreed to receive the nine to keep at Thu Le Zoo.

"Hanoi may have to spend VND5 billion (USD 217,391) a year to raise the tigers," the department said. "Were now keeping them at the Muong Thanh Dien Lam Safari Land and preparing for them to be transferred to Hanoi."













The department said that they have spent over VND2 million to raise the tigers since they were taken from the two local farms last August. Due to the province's financial difficulties, they have sought support from various localities to raise the tigers."



The nine belonged to a group of 17 tigers which were found being kept illegally in the basements of two families in Yen Thanh District on August 4, 2021. All 17 tigers are adults, some weigh about 200kg.



According to the families, the tigers were brought to Vietnam from Laos as cubs.



The tigers were rescued by the local police and given anesthesia while being carried out to a nature reserve in Dien Chau District for health check-ups. However, eight of them died during transportation.
By Trend

Ukraine is "one of us and we want them in the European Union", Ursula von der Leyen has told Euronews, Trend reports.

She told Euronews: "We have a process with Ukraine that is, for example, integrating the Ukrainian market into the single market.

"We have very close cooperation on the energy grid, for example.

"So many topics where we work very closely together and indeed over time, they belong to us. They are one of us and we want them in."
A group of students at Mount Tabor High School walked out of class after first period Monday to protest what they say is the administrations failure to protect them from a student.

The students allege that an older student asked a younger student for sexual images and that when notified, the administration failed to act.

Disciplinary actions are confidential under federal policy laws.

The protest was planned, prompting the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office to send extra deputies to the school. The protest remained peaceful.

Though a large group of students gathered outside the front of the school around 10:30 a.m., by 1:30 p.m., the number had dropped to about 20. Extra deputies remained on the scene.

In a call to parents, Principal Ed Weiss said school administrators are listening to students concerns.

In this situation, students are concerned over a perceived lack of a disciplinary consequence involving another student. While federal privacy laws do not allow us to discuss any student disciplinary action, we hope all students and parents know we value student voices and will celebrate the sharing of peaceful and respectful student opinion but cannot allow demonstrations to be a disruption to the school day, Weiss said.

The extra deputies were called to the school out of an abundance of caution, Weiss said.

The incident Monday comes after a student was shot and killed at the school earlier this school year.

William Chavis Renard Miller Jr., 15, died in a classroom on Sept. 1. Maurice Evans, also 15, is charged with murder in Millers killing and will be tried as an adult.

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New filings on Monday have set up both Democratic and Republican primaries for the three at-large seats on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education, along with a primary in the Democratic Party to see who will contest N.C. House District 74 in western Forsyth County.

Kimberly Stone became the fourth Democrat seeking one of the three party nominations for at-large seats on the school, board. Democrats Sabrina Coone-Godfrey, Richard Watts and incumbent Deanna Kaplan had previously filed to run.

Michael Hardman and Millie Williams both filed to run as Republicans for their partys three at-large nominations, joining candidates Sarah Absher and Tabitha Hackett in the contest.

And the Democratic primary for two nominations for District 1 on the school board got more crowded with the filing on Monday of Chenita Barber Johnson. Johnson, who has run unsuccessfully for the position before, joins Tarsha Shore, Trevonia Brown-Gaither and incumbent Alex Bohannon in the contest.

Meanwhile, Sean Lew set up a Democratic primary for N.C. House 74 on Monday, joining Carla Catalan Day in the contest for the nomination. Incumbent Republican Jeff Zenger so far has no opposition for the nomination.

Reginald Reid became the first Republican to file for a District A seat on the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on Monday. George Ware became the first Republican to file for N.C. Senate 32, where Democratic incumbent Paul Lowe is so far unopposed.

Elsewhere, Davie Countys Ted Budd, representative for the 13th Congressional District filed to run in the GOP primary for the partys nomination for U.S. Senate. Budd had previously said he would run. Leonard Bryant of Fayetteville also filed to run in the crowded GOP field, which now has nine candidates. On the Democratic side, Tobias LaGrone of Greensboro filed for Senate.

Republicans Michael Ackerman of Boone and incumbent U.S. Rep. Virginia Fox filed Monday to run in the Fifth Congressional District, which includes part of Forsyth County.

In the Sixth Congressional District, Gerry Austin of Greensboro filed to run in the GOP primary, where Bill Schuch and Laura Pichardo are already running.

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The first notice arrived sometime in late autumn or early winter.

Given the subject matter, an alleged lapse of insurance on a car that had been traded/sold to a Nissan dealer in sunny Orlando, and the fact that the relevant, supporting paperwork regarding said sale had been mailed in August, the notice looked to be an oversight  a clerical error most likely  so it went straight into the circular file.

Also, it must be confessed, the source of the notice was factored into the decision to toss: the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, an agency that, if were completely honest, has never been associated with quality customer service.

A subsequent notice, received in early January, carried more bite. It claimed a $50 fine, a $5 late fee and 42-cents interest and threatened a referral to a collection agency.

The total $55.42 levy amounted to a mosquito bite  a drop of lost blood but no hemorrhage.

Still, a fine? For doing the right thing?

Well see about that.

Just a few questions

The closing sentence of the January notice seemed an invitation to reason and perhaps right a wrong. But with the benefit of hindsight, it amounted to an express pass to a 10th circle of Dantes Inferno.

If you have already mailed the full amount due and feel this letter is in error, do not hesitate to contact the Division at 919-715-7000 if you have any questions.

Questions? Just a few.

Calling DMV HQ, much like visiting a local office in person, is time lost forever. Lines at a license-plate agency are nothing compared to the hold time in a phone queue. Better bring a book and a phone charger.

So we went with Option 3, sending email to an address provided online by the DMV. Note the response time  weeks, not hours or even days.

This vehicle was sold/traded to a dealership in Orlando, Florida IN AUGUST. I mailed via US Postal Service paperwork to the NC DMV as requested, I wrote in a Jan. 4 email. And yet I am still receiving letters about a $50 civil penalty, late fee and interest now, as well as a threat to refer to NC DOJ. What else needs to be done? What gives?

An answer came back Jan. 27: Thank you for providing the documents. As of today they have not been processed. Please give it a few more days. Thank You.

I freely admit that neither patience nor tact is a virtue.

OK but the documents were mailed IN AUGUST.

Glaciers move faster than the DMV.

One more slow-mo exchange provided more of the same. But at least it included additional intrigue with the introduction of a second likely suspect: the U.S. Postal Service.

Needless to say, no documents arrived. So I tried uploading early last month a copy of the one document from the August sale that could be found.

It was a bad mistake to send via U.S. mail to the state DMV.

Never did get a response to that; the result was an electronic standoff at the DMV corral.

Over $55.42.

Patience, perseverance pays off

The basic problem when attempting to fight (or reason with) with the government is the government generally holds trump cards. To wit, the ability of the DMV to hold up other transactions such as re-upping another registration on a different vehicle.

So it was when it came time to renew the registration on another older car by Feb. 28, Monday.

The usually seamless online renewal/property tax process  thanks Treasurer Dale Folwell, who spearheaded that move to modernization as a member of the General Assembly  flashed a warning.

We cant renew this registration. Contact the DMV.

Losing an entire morning (or more) on hold waiting for a bureaucrat, a bot or both could not be avoided. At least it wasnt the Department of Revenue.

A funny and completely unexpected thing happened after 40 minutes on hold, however. Competency, patience and a glimmer of hope broke through the static.

A polite, affable DMV employee named Corey got on the line. Hed received training in how to deal with curmudgeons and it showed. You have every right to be upset, he said.

He also had an explanation and an easy fix. The actual license plate should have been mailed to North Carolina either by the dealership or the first-time new car buyer, a near grown-up with my same last name.

Send a copy of the bill of sale  happily provided by the dealer  that shows the plate was turned in before the insurance was terminated. Upload a completed form MVR-18A  lost or stolen tags  and that should do the trick.

Corey also glided over my comment about not paying $55.42 now or ever.

I wouldnt have a job if not for ... how do I put it? he said before opting for a word I helpfully provided. Slackers. Well, slackers and dealerships. The (tag) might be on somebodys desk. Maybe somebody just forgot to mail it. Maybe it got lost. It is Florida so maybe they didnt know North Carolina requires the plate to be turned in.

Either way, a problem finally met a solution. And if not for some bonehead (me) not writing down correctly the 17-character vehicle-identification number on the MVR-18A, it would have been done in time to renew by the deadline.

That $15 renewal late fee Ill eat; the $55.42 apparently got waived, the work of young Corey.

Perhaps its time to rethink some of the (bad) stereotypes affixed to the DMV. Competence and professionalism exist; it just takes time and patience to locate.

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Look. We just want elections to be fair. We want voters to vote and we want the candidates who get the most votes to win their offices and get to work for the people.

We suspect that most North Carolinians want that, too.

Is that too much to ask?

It is when youre a Republican legislator who is more concerned about party and power than representing the will of the people in your state. Because of a few who are determined to fight their cause  gerrymandered maps that retain an unjust electoral advantage  to the bitter end, the U.S. Supreme Court will now have to weigh in.

Unfortunately, that still leaves our state at risk.

To recap briefly: After the N.C. Supreme Court last month declared the Republican-led legislatures maps for U.S. House and General Assembly districts to be unconstitutionally gerrymandered  evidence presented at a trial showed the congressional district map was a result of intentional, pro-Republican partisan redistricting  Republicans were ordered to redraw and resubmit them, which they did.

Though they left much to be desired, the court still accepted the General Assembly map. But the court rejected the congressional district map, which it then redrew, relying on the recommendations of special, nonpartisan masters whose only job was to be fair.

The redrawn congressional district map reduced the expected Republican advantage from 10 out of 14 seats to a more likely seven out of 14  with six likely to be won by Democrats and the 14th a toss-up.

That seems about right for a state in which Democrats, Republicans and independent voters are roughly equal in number. Of course, partisans on both the left and the right still groused; either the redrawn map went too far or didnt go far enough. Nevertheless, the court had ruled, which finally cleared the way for potential candidates to file  or not file  and begin making their cases to the voters. All seemed settled until late Friday, when Republican legislators filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the court to restore its previous gerrymandered congressional district map. So even while candidates file for their parties primaries in May, they do so knowing that the table could be upturned once again.

These Republican legislators, incidentally, make no pretense that their map was fair  were far beyond that. They say, rather, that the state constitution allows them to be unfair. Their stated objection in their filing to the Supreme Court is to the process  to their maps going from their greedy hands to the courts. If a redistricting process more violative of the U.S. Constitution exists, it is hard to imagine it, they wrote in their appeal to the Supreme Court.

On its surface, their appeal seems too desperate to even try. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that state courts should be the presiding authority when it comes to partisan gerrymandering cases and federal courts should stay out.

North Carolina legislators are essentially asking the court to override its own decision.

We are confident this specious attempt to undermine our judiciary will be rejected, Allison Riggs, a lawyer representing Common Cause in the litigation, said in a news release. Unfortunately, the current U.S. Supreme Court, with three Trump appointees, has also exhibited a lack of what we might call judicial restraint. It has overruled long-standing constitutional precedent in several prominent cases. And early in February, the court overruled an Alabama state court that tried to block a gerrymandered map that reduces Black representation. We cant help feeling a little trepidation for a court that is so unpredictable and inconsistent.

We hope were wrong even to consider the possibility of an unjust ruling.

All of this could be avoided if our state utilized the type of independent redistricting commissions that other states use. No system is perfect, but surely putting these decisions in nonpartisan hands would be a vast improvement over allowing legislators, Democrat or Republican, to choose their own voters. Only eight states currently use independent redistricting for congressional seats; 14 for their state legislatures. Other states use hybrid systems.

In Michigan, which placed redistricting in the hands of a citizen-led, independent commission in 2018, surveys show a majority of voters approve of the results.

Its simply absurd to allow players to referee their own games, especially with such high stakes  and with players who have such sharp disagreements over the rules of the game. We need real referees. However the matter is settled this year, we can expect disputes following the next round of redistricting and the one after that and the one after that. Until we finally wise up.
Lincoln's newest big-box retailer is now open, although it's a bit different than your typical shopping experience.

Camping World announced Sunday on its Facebook page that its store at 6340 Arbor Road has opened its doors.

Company officials have not made an official announcement, and they did not respond to requests for comment, so no details about the store are available.

Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis told the Journal Star in an interview in November 2020 that the Lincoln store would be roughly 30,000 square feet and include sales of recreational vehicles and accessories and also provide service for RVs.

The store is the first in Nebraska for the company, which is the largest RV retailer in the U.S., although it does have one in Council Bluffs.

One interesting feature of the store is its giant flagpole and American flag, which is a hallmark of the company.

Camping World received approval from the city in January for a height waiver to allow its flagpole to be 130 feet tall.

The store is open for retail sales and RV service 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. It's open for retail sales only on Sundays from noon-5 p.m.

Camping World had also announced plans in 2020 for a location in Sidney but then put those plans on hold a year ago. It has since announced plans for a store in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which is 100 miles from Sidney, so it's unclear whether a Sidney store is still planned.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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Former Sen. Danielle Conrad resigned Tuesday as executive director of ACLU of Nebraska and filed as a candidate to return to a seat in the Legislature.

Conrad served in the Legislature from 2007 to 2015, when she was term-limited out of office.

Lincoln City Councilman James Michael Bowers earlier filed as a candidate in northeast Lincoln's District 46.

James Herrold is also a candidate for that seat.

When Tuesday's filing deadline passed, only two senators  Myron Dorn of Adams, who has Lincoln constituents in District 30, and Tom Brandt of Plymouth, who represents District 32 including parts of Lancaster County  will enter the 2022 election unopposed. The primary is May 10.

Former Lincoln City Councilman Roy Christensen filed earlier as a candidate for the Legislature, setting up a contest with City Councilwoman Jane Raybould for the District 28 seat.

Christensen, a Republican, served two terms on the council before losing a reelection bid last year.

Raybould is a former Lancaster County commissioner and was the Democratic nominee for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2018.

The legislative seat is currently held by Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives now held by Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.

Four legislative candidates filed in Lincoln's District 26: George Dungan, Bob Van Valkenburg, Russ Barger and Larry Weixelman.

All three Lincoln senators who will be term-limited out of office  Pansing Brooks, Adam Morfeld (District 26) and Matt Hansen (District 46)  are Democrats.

Meanwhile, Janet Chung, a Lincoln marketing and management professional, filed as a candidate for the District 2 seat in the Legislature now occupied by Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood.

The daughter of immigrants, Chung is a graduate of Lincoln Southeast High School and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Chung is former chairwoman of the Lancaster County Democratic Party.

Clements is a Republican who was originally appointed to the Legislature by Gov. Pete Ricketts, then elected to a four-year term in 2018.

Sarah Slattery of Plattsmouth is also a candidate for the seat.

District 2 was redistricted by the Legislature last year to include new portions of Lincoln and Lancaster County.

Seven candidates, including five Republicans, filed for the 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives now held by Fortenberry.

The Lincoln congressman is under federal indictment for allegedly lying to federal agents about illegal foreign contributions to his 2016 reelection campaign. He has held the eastern Nebraska House seat since 2005.

Sen. Mike Flood of Norfolk, one of his Republican opponents, has been endorsed by Gov. Pete Ricketts and former Gov. Dave Heineman.

A dozen candidates, including front-runners Charles Herbster, Jim Pillen and state Sen. Brett Lindstrom and six fellow Republicans, have filed for governor, a contest that already has been underway for months. Sen. Carol Blood is the only Democrat in the race.

No Democrats filed for secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state auditor or for seats on the Public Service Commission.

Mike Groene, who had been a candidate for a seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, was not on the list. Groene asked to be removed after he resigned from the Legislature last month after it was revealed that he took photos of a female staffer without her permission.

In the race for State Board of Education, Helen Raikes of Ashland will face Kirk Penner of Aurora in a district that includes portions of Lancaster County. Penner was appointed to the seat by Ricketts.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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A 27-year-old Lincoln man is accused of walking into three grocery stores, two office supply outlets, a book store, a hardware store and a coffee shop with counterfeit money and walking out with real cash received as change.

Austin Barrett has been charged with nine felony counts of first-degree forgery after he allegedly passed fake bills at eight businesses across Lincoln from Feb. 13 to Feb. 23, Lincoln Police Investigator Michael Wambold wrote in the affidavit for Barrett's arrest.

"Barrett primarily used counterfeit money to purchase Visa gift cards and low-dollar items where he would receive genuine currency as change," Wambold wrote.

Over the 11 days, Barrett passed more than $1,700 in fake bills, police said.

Police reviewed video footage and linked Barrett to the string of forgeries  at three local HyVee stores, a Westlake Ace Hardware and at Staples, among other locations, according to the affidavit.

He was arrested Friday and taken to the Lancaster County Jail.

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By Trend

Turkey warned all countries about the inadmissibility of the passage of warships through the Bosporus and Dardanelles, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu said, Trend reports citing Turkish media.

"Turkey has warned all coastal and non-coastal countries against the passage of warships through the straits," he said.

Cavushoglu noted that since the beginning of Russia's operation in Ukraine, there have been no requests for the passage of military ships through the straits.

The diplomat stressed that Ankara will continue to strictly follow the provisions of the Montreux Convention.
Police are investigating after a pistol-wielding man robbed three Lincoln convenience stores late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, making off with cash at all three locations.

As part of the investigation, authorities are looking into any connection to a string of robberies in the Omaha area, including two Tuesday morning.

Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said the robber, an unidentified male, entered the Kwik Shop near 44th Street and Cornhusker Highway at 11:50 p.m. Monday.

The man, whose face was covered, brandished a pistol and demanded money from the store clerk before leaving with an undisclosed amount of cash, Kocian said.

Six minutes later, a man matching the same description entered the Casey's near 48th and Fremont streets, where he struck an employee in the face with his pistol and fired a shot inside the store, Kocian said.

The suspect gathered money and left, according to police.

Officers responded to a third convenience store at 1 a.m. Tuesday after a man matching the suspect's description entered the Kwik Shop near 27th and W streets, where he demanded money from the store's clerk and a patron using the store's ATM, Kocian said.

The man left with cash from the register and the patron.

Lincoln police noted that a similar incident played out just after 3 a.m. in Omaha, where a masked, armed man robbed the QuikTrip at 5005 S. 108th St. before fleeing.

Omaha police attempted to stop a vehicle sought in connected to the robbery and reported shots fired at officers. A pursuit extended into Sarpy County, where three people were arrested. Omaha police later arrested a fourth person, with each linked to as many as eight robberies in the Omaha area.

Lincoln police said Tuesday afternoon that no arrests have been made in connection with the Lincoln robberies.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley

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A 43-year-old Tekamah woman has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison and will face deportation to Mexico for kidnapping her grandchildren in 2020.

U.S. District Judge Brian Buescher sentenced Nora Guevara-Tirana last week to eight years and four months in prison, plus three years of supervised release.

A jury in Omaha found Guevara-Tirana guilty in August after a five-day trial.

U.S. Attorney Jan Sharp said on April 20, 2020, Guevara-Tirana asked Tanner Leichleiter to take her two grandchildren, ages 4 and 7, without car seats or shoes to Kansas to "teach their mother a lesson."

It prompted an Amber Alert.

Leichleiter was found not guilty of kidnapping, but pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.

The case was investigated by the FBI, and the Tekamah Police Department, Sedgwick County (Kansas) Sheriff and Wichita Police Department.

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As Lincoln emerges from one of its driest winters in decades, there are some short-term chances for moisture, but the longer-term trend does not look favorable.

The citys official precipitation total for February was just 0.03 inches, making it the third-driest February on record.

Combined with the 0.28 inches of precipitation that fell in January, it marks the driest start to a year since 1923.

That continues what has been an extremely dry period going back to November. Since then, Lincoln has recorded just 1.05 inches of precipitation, which is about 3 inches below normal. It's the least amount of precipitation for those four months since the winter of 1976-1977.

The 3.8 inches of snow so far this winter is the lowest ever recorded by the end of February in records going back to 1948.

The precipitation deficit over the past few months has been widespread across much of Nebraska, leading to increasingly dry conditions. As of Thursday, all but a tiny corner of Southeast Nebraska was considered abnormally dry, and 91% of the state was in at least a moderate drought.

Those dry conditions, combined with warm temperatures this week, are raising the fire danger.

Lincoln reached the upper 60s on Friday and the forecast calls for 70s Tuesday and Wednesday, 50s Thursday, and the 60s again Friday.

The National Weather Service said in a bulletin that those conditions mean theres a high risk of grass fires in eastern Nebraska, especially through Wednesday.

Lancaster County's Emergency Management Agency said Monday afternoon on Twitter that crews were battling a number of grass and wildfires throughout the county.

Nebraska State Climatologist Martha Shulski said the combination of warm weather, dry conditions and lack of snow are a perfect mix for increasing the fire danger. They're also causing lower water levels in many ponds and streams.

However, Shulski said Southeast Nebraska still remains in pretty good shape when it comes to moisture in the ground.

"Luckily for this part of the state, we are not too bad when it comes to deeper soil moisture levels (8 inches down to 40 inches)," she said in an email. "Deeper root systems can tap into this moisture."

That doesn't mean your lawn and trees and shrubs can't benefit from some early watering, though.

In a recent column in the Journal Star, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Educator Sarah Browning wrote that the dry conditions and lack of soil freezing "could easily result in plant damage by spring both in woody plants, perennials and turf."

Browning recommended watering as long as soils aren't frozen and the temperature is above 40 degrees. She wrote that one deep watering per month is sufficient for trees and woody plants, while turf grass needs two waterings per month, with half an inch of water each time.

The good news is that there will be chances for precipitation in the coming days. A cold front will move through Friday night, dropping the temperature and bringing chances for thunderstorms Saturday and the possibility of snow Sunday, when high temperatures are forecast to reach only the low 40s.

The weather service also said the forecast for the next two weeks trends toward above-average precipitation.

Long-term forecasts are not as favorable for alleviating the dry conditions, however. The weather services three-month forecast for March, April and May shows below-normal precipitation chances for the western two-thirds of Nebraska and equal chances for above- or below-normal precipitation in the eastern third.

The three-month temperature outlook gives the entire state a slightly-better-than-average chance of above-normal temperatures.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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Public schools in Nebraska would have to teach lessons about the Holocaust and other episodes of genocide under a bill advanced by lawmakers Tuesday.

Senators gave the measure initial approval on a 44-0 vote, despite some questions about which specific moments in history could be defined as genocide.

Sen. Jen Day of Omaha said she introduced the bill (LB888) to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten. Day said it's particularly important now as more people who experienced the atrocities firsthand die.

The bill would require the State Board of Education to develop measurable academic content standards" about the Holocaust and other incidents of genocide as part of the state's social studies standards.

Two more legislative votes are required before the bill goes to Gov. Pete Ricketts.

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The Lincoln City Council ordinance that extends discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender expression is likely headed to the ballot box.

The Nebraska Family Alliance announced Tuesday it gathered more than four times the number of signatures needed to require the City Council to either put the so-called fairness ordinance to a public vote or rescind it.

A crowd of supporters holding Let US Vote signs gathered at Nebraska Family Alliances office at 11th and E streets for a news conference where leaders of the group announced theyd gathered 18,501 signatures.

Thats well more than the 4,137 signatures  4% of city voters in the previous gubernatorial election  required to stop the ordinance from taking effect, and well beyond the 10,000 signatures supporters collected a decade ago after the City Council passed an initial ordinance to extend discrimination protections to include sexual orientation and gender expression.

Today is about due process, to give a voice to Lincoln residents who love their city and love their neighbors, said Nebraska Family Alliance Executive Director Karen Bowling. Moms, dads and grandparents walked their neighborhoods with their kids to give them firsthand experience of grassroots mobilization because they believe that the government shouldn't pick and choose who is allowed to think and speak freely.

Bowling said the group circulated 1,365 petitions, an effort that included 339 volunteers and 72 churches.

After the successful referendum petition in 2012, the council didnt rescind the ordinance or put it to a vote, and it was in limbo until the current council passed a broader revision of the municipal code last month.

In addition to extending protections to include sexual orientation and gender expression, the ordinance adds active military and veterans as a protected class. It also updates definitions of marriage, race and natural origin, strengthens definitions and updates disability protections and reorganizes the section to clarify the process of the city's Human Rights Commission.

Tuesday afternoon, at least four council members said they supported putting the ordinance to a vote, which could happen in a special election or the general election in November.

Lancaster County Election Commissioner Dave Shively said state law prohibits holding a special election too close to a regularly scheduled election, which means a special election could be held only in July or August this year.

Before any of that happens, the city clerk must turn the petition signatures over to the election commissioner for verification. A decade ago, that took a week to 10 days.

Once that happens, Shively will report the verification to the city clerk, then the issue goes back to the City Council, which will either rescind the ordinance or pass a resolution to put it on the ballot.

If it does the latter, City Attorney Yohance Christie said, the council will spell out when that will happen.

Councilwoman Sandra Washington, who introduced the ordinance, said she supports putting it to a vote  something she said petition circulators seem to want to happen as quickly as possible.

She said shes filed paperwork with the Accountability and Disclosure Commission for a campaign committee supporting passage of the ordinance.

Im not surprised they (ordinance opponents) were able to get the signatures, given the fact that the message they were putting out was untrue, she said. They were playing to peoples emotions and fears and they werent telling the truth."

The work of supporters, she said, will be to tell the truth: that the ordinance puts into local code protections in the Civil Rights Act, which the U.S. Supreme Court spelled out in a 2020 decision.

Council members Tammy Ward, Jane Raybould and Richard Meginnis also said they supported taking the issue to a vote. Bennie Shobe said he wanted to confer with his fellow council members before commenting. Tom Beckius and James Michael Bowers could not be reached for comment.

At the news conference, Nate Grasz, Nebraska Family Alliance policy director, said the ordinance is overly broad and poorly written.

Redefining sex opens up bathrooms and locker rooms to those who identify as transgender, he said, and a broad definition of sexual harassment means people could be held liable for expressing Biblical views.

Our City Council chose politics over people and advanced an ordinance that punishes free speech and violates the safety and privacy of women and girls in Lincoln, he said. Let's be clear. No one here today opposes fairness.

A police officer stood by during Tuesday's announcement and one of two opponents in the crowd loudly disrupted the news conference, though after it was over he and several petition supporters shared a conversation.

Both ACLU of Nebraska and OutNebraska, a statewide advocacy organization, issued statements supporting the ordinance and pledging to help educate and mobilize voters.

OutNebraska Executive Director Abbi Swatsworth said a vote shouldnt be needed for peoples basic civil rights to be recognized.

Now that this petition has been submitted, every person who cares about protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination should not only prepare to vote, but prepare to talk to their friends and neighbors and to respond to lies and misinformation about transgender people. This work must start today  and it has to involve all of us."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSreist

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Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet.

Across the country, more governors are letting go of mask rules -- including in states that have long held on to school mask mandates.

California, Oregon and Washington state will shift from mask requirements to mask recommendations in schools starting at 11:59 p.m. March 11, according to a statement from the governors Monday.

California is also dropping its requirement for unvaccinated people to wear masks in most indoor settings starting Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said. But masks will still be strongly recommended for everyone in most indoor settings.

And face masks will still be required for everyone in high transmission settings such as public transit, emergency shelters, health care settings, correctional facilities, homeless shelters and long-term care facilities in California, the statement said.

Illinois lifted its mask mandate for restaurants, bars, gyms and stores on Monday. And Chicago ended its proof-of-vaccination requirement.

But that doesn't mean everyone should get rid of their masks. For example, masks are still required on most public transportation nationwide.

"I would still recommend that if you are in indoor spaces, especially those that are crowded, that you put on a mask," said Dr. Rachel Rubin of the Cook County Department of Health.

In Massachusetts, a statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools ends Monday. A similar mandate in Connecticut also ends Monday, and local school districts will be able to decide whether to require masks.

Starting Tuesday, Washington, DC will no longer require masks indoors. But Mayor Muriel Bowser said individual businesses still have the option of requiring masks or mandating vaccinations.

And New York state will no longer require students to wear masks in schools starting Wednesday. But Gov. Kathy Hochul said counties and cities with higher transmission rates can still require masks in schools, and students can still wear masks if their families choose.

The news followed steep declines in statewide Covid-19 hospitalizations and new guidance Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating healthy Americans in many counties don't need to wear masks indoors anymore.

"If we see no unforeseen spikes and our numbers continue to show a low level of risk, New York City will remove the indoor mask mandate for public school children, effective next Monday, March 7," Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement Sunday.

The mayor said he also plans to lift the city's proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor venues starting March 7, barring an unexpected spike in Covid-19 numbers this week.

"But even as some jurisdictions lift masking requirements, we must grapple with the fact that millions of people in the U.S. are immunocompromised, more susceptible to severe COVID outcomes, or still too young to be eligible for the vaccine," said Dr. Gerald Harmon, president of the American Medical Association.

"In light of those facts, I personally will continue to wear a mask in most indoor public settings, and I urge all Americans to consider doing the same, especially in places like pharmacies, grocery stores, on public transportation -- locations all of us, regardless of vaccination status or risk factors, must visit regularly."

What the new CDC guidelines say

The CDC released new metrics Friday to help determine whether Americans should wear face masks indoors.

Previously, indoor masking was recommended for those living in areas with "high" or "substantial" transmission of Covid-19 cases. That meant most Americans lived in counties where indoor masking was recommended.

But the new guidance includes two new metrics: hospital admissions and hospital capacity. As of Friday, most Americans lived in areas where healthy adults didn't have to wear masks anymore.

Of the 10 most populous counties, Los Angeles County and San Diego County were the only two where indoor masking is still recommended for everyone.

Six states had no residents living in a county where the CDC still recommends universal indoor masking: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

But several states had more than 75% of residents living in a county considered to have a "high" community level: Kentucky, West Virginia, Maine and Montana.

Transportation mandate is still up in the air

The Transportation Security Administration's mask mandate for airports, commercial airplanes, public buses and passenger trains is set to expire March 18. It's not clear what will happen after that.

Masks are not required on school buses, the CDC said Friday. But school systems "may choose to require that people wear masks on buses or vans."

While mask mandates disappear in more states, that doesn't mean Americans can ditch masks entirely, the president of the American Medical Association said.

"Although masks may no longer be required indoors in many parts of the U.S., we know that wearing a well-fitted mask is an effective way to protect ourselves and our communities, including the most vulnerable, from COVID-19  particularly in indoor settings when physical distancing is not possible," Harmon said.

The-CNN-Wire

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CNN's Virginia Langmaid, Deidre McPhillips, Elizabeth Cohen and Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report.

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U.S. Sen. Ben Sasses personal Twitter biography turned profane over the weekend in support of Ukrainian resistance to Russian incursion.

As of Monday, the Nebraska Republican's biography statement was written in Russian and translated to Russian warship, go f - - - yourself. A spokesperson said the change was made Saturday and that its origins are a viral story out of Ukraine.

Last week, many U.S. news outlets reported that border guards on Ukraine's Snake Island responded with that phrase when a Russian warship approached and asked the guards to surrender or else face bombing.

The Washington Post reported that Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda published a copy of the audio recording and confirmed its authenticity. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced 13 guards were killed after the exchange, according to initial reports. But Russian state TV later showed what it claimed was footage of the soldiers alive in custody, leading to more-recent reports that those soldiers may still be alive.

Tatyana Novkov, professor emerita in Russian at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, confirmed to the Omaha World-Herald that the phrase in Sasses bio is originally in Russian and that the translation is correct.

The free world should know about Ukraines heroes, and  while the United States isnt going to put boots on the ground  Americans should arm them so that they can keep fighting Russian invaders, Sasse said in an emailed statement Monday.

Sasse has been actively weighing in on the Russian invasion of Ukraine in recent days on national TV and via his personal Twitter account. All five members of Nebraska's congressional delegation have condemned Russia's actions.

Sasse, who is on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has called for stronger sanctions, saying incremental measures have not gone far enough, and has advocated for getting intelligence and weapons to Ukrainians.

"The U.S. and Europe are still holding back," he said in a statement over the weekend. "Cut off all Russian banks immediately, because sanctions do matter, but we need more and faster. While politicians endlessly haggle over rubles and euros, Ukrainian freedom-fighters need life-and-death, real-time intelligence to kill Russian invaders, not more half-ass bureaucratic measures.

This report includes material from the Associated Press.

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The truism that the first casualty of war is truth is certainly applicable to the situation in Europe regarding Ukraine. All wars and conflicts are rooted in histories that are complex, and unintended consequences are seldom considered.

Nebraskans for Peace has opposed all the conflicts that the United States waged since Vietnam. The potential war in Ukraine is no different. There is blame on all sides of this conflict, and all sides need to listen and respect each other if the needless devastation of war is to be avoided.

There is no question that the authoritarian president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is responsible for the current crises in Ukraine. The brutal war in 2014 with the annexing of Crimea and occupying the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine by Russian troops contributed to the current tensions. Ukrainians also remember the mass famine and starvation that Soviet Russians caused in the early 1930s.

If NATO nations want to avoid this needless war, then they must listen to the complaints of our adversaries, and the mistakes of broken promises need to be acknowledged and rectified. After the disintegration of the Soviet Unions federation of states in 1989 and most of them declaring their independence, western Europe and the U.S. stated assurances to then Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev that the NATO alliance would not expand in exchange for the reunification of Germany.

With changed leadership in all countries, an expansion of NATO began with the inclusion of some of the former Soviet republics. Russia began to feel threatened, especially after Putin came to power. In hindsight, when the Warsaw Pact dissolved it would have been best if NATO had dissolved also. Perhaps at that point there would have been a genuine peace dividend.

Unfortunately, the United States, which today has a $780 billion war-making budget which is more than the next nine nations combined, bears much of the responsibility for this conflict.

The Pentagon and the military industrial complex did not want a peace dividend with the end of the Cold War in 1989. The war industry needed to justify and enrich themselves by creating perceived threats against nations and people who were no threat at all.

Remember no more Vietnams and Mission Accomplished that were based on one lie after another lie. Spending $6 trillion on the recent Middle Eastern wars has weakened and divided our nation to the point where democracy is threatened, and elements of our population admire strongmen like Putin.

The real threat to our world is the increased use of carbon-based fossil fuels that will contribute to more severe weather catastrophes and will create more refugees, displacement and hunger.

Military weapons of war are one of the largest contributors of carbon emissions. The global community needs to work together to avoid an unlivable planet.

Only when we seek truth and acknowledge our egocentric failures will we ever experience being set free.

Ron Todd-Meyer is board president for Nebraskans for Peace and a Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam.

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KENOSHA  Amir Hussain will visit Carthage College on Thursday, March 3, as the 2022 Kenosha Interfaith Scholar in Residence. The free event will take place at 7 p.m. in the A.F. Siebert Chapel, 2001 Alford Park Drive.

Hussain will discuss anti-racism and teaching about American Muslims. Following the event, he will hold a book signing for his book Muslims and the Making of America. A small number of copies will be available for purchase at the signing.

Hussain is chair and professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University, the Jesuit university in Los Angeles. He teaches courses on Islam and comparative religion.

Hussain was the editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion from 2011-2015 and he is currently the vice president of the American Academy of Religion. He was an advisor for the television series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman and has appeared on other shows like Ancient Aliens and The UnXplained with William Shatner.

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KENOSHA  One of four men charged in the 2018 shooting death of Joseph Riley in rural Wheatland reached a plea agreement Monday in Kenosha County Circuit Court.

Demarco Hudson, 22, of Racine pleaded guilty to a felony charge of murder while committing an armed robbery and to a felony charge of first-degree reckless injury.

As part of the plea agreement, felony charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, two felony counts of first-degree reckless injury with the use of a dangerous weapon and armed burglary with the use of a dangerous weapon were dismissed.

Hudson, who has been in custody in the Kenosha County Jail on a $1 million bond since November 2018, faces a maximum prison sentence of 76.5 years when hes sentenced May 6 at 10:30 a.m. by Judge Jason Rossell.

Kenosha County District Attorney Mike Graveley said Tuesday the plea agreement acknowledges that Hudson wasnt a main player in Rileys murder, but it also guarantees a lengthy prison sentence.

Demarco Hudson was situated as an individual who did not come to both of the robbery attempts, Graveley said. He only came to one of the two robbery attempts, and he never fired his weapon nor attempted to discharge his weapon. Thats why hes situated differently than some of the other individuals.

The agreement allows the state to make an argument for a very substantial amount of (prison) time based on his conduct.

Graveley said not having to put the victims family through a third trial also was a consideration in reaching the agreement.

Thats always a factor, he said. The primary factor was sort of trying to slot in what his role had been in the incident.

Two others convicted

Two other defendants, Anthony Harris, 26, and Markeith Wilson, 23, both of Racine, have already been convicted for their roles in the murder of Riley, 26.

Both were convicted for first-degree intentional homicide, felony attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting of Eva Lofton, felony conspiracy to commit armed robbery and felony burglary.

Wilson was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole and is currently incarcerated at Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun. Harris was convicted by a jury last month and will be sentenced by Rossell on April 7.

Augustine Sanchez, 23, also of Racine, faces the same four charges as Harris and Wilson, along with two felony charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. Sanchez, in custody on a $1 million cash bond, has a status hearing April 25 at 1:30 p.m.

Court records show that during an adjourned hearing on Feb. 22, both the state and Sanchezs defense attorney were trying to reach a resolution in his case. Sanchez testified for the state in Harriss jury trial.

A fifth person tied to the case, Christina May, 44, of Lake Geneva, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and is serving a nine-year prison sentence.

According to the criminal complaint, May, who was friends with Riley, was behind in rent and in need of money when she contacted Sanchez and told him the deceased would be a soft target and would be in possession of marijuana and cash.

A potential robbery was set up for Nov. 14, 2018, but it didnt go as planned. The following night, all four men came to the house and kicked in the door, then Riley, Wilson and Harris exchanged gunfire. Riley was killed and Lofton suffered extensive injuries.

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By Trend

Georgia eased a number of COVID-19 restrictions, Trend reports via the press service of the Georgian Government Administration.

The Head of the Operational Headquarters of the Interdepartmental Council Giorgi Gibradze announced on February 22 that the order will come into force from March 1, 2022.

Thus, starting today, Georgia allows entering the country for the citizens of 67 states. However, the COVID-19 vaccination certificate, or a negative PCR test, will still be required. Although, visitors are exempt from the obligation to do a PCR test on the third day of their stay in the country.

Georgian citizens can also enter the country on the basis of a test or confirmation of a vaccination course, and if they do not have either, they can undergo self-isolation on arrival within five days.

As for the catering facilities, the number of people sitting at the table is increased from 6 to 10 indoors, and from 10 to 15 people - outdoors. Citizens will be also allowed to hold social events, such as weddings, birthdays, commemorations. Furthermore, hotels will be allowed to serve guests through a buffet.

Meanwhile, wearing masks in public places is still required.
RACINE  A Racine teenager has been accused of firing a gun at a man who had told him to stop cutting through his backyard, and later stealing a car.

Rayshawn Campbell, 17, of the 1600 block of Winslow Street, was charged with felony counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and operating a motor vehicle without owners consent in addition to misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer and possession of marijuana.

According to a criminal complaint:

On Feb. 10, an officer was sent to the 1700 block of Maple Street for a shots-fired call.

Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a man who said he heard three men arguing in his backyard. He recognized one of them as Campbell.

The man had previously told Campbell to stop cutting through his backyard, and then Campbell flashed a gun.

One of the other men said something to the effective of give me the (expletive), and he heard three gunshots. Campbell was the one in possession of the gun, and after shots were fired all three of the men left.

An officer arrived and spoke to a neighbor who confirmed hearing gunshots. Another neighbor saw suspects running through the alley.

At 7:16 p.m. on Friday, an officer was sent to Neighborhood Pantry at 1511 W. Sixth St. for a car theft. A black Lincoln MKX was stolen while the driver was in the store.

Officers later located the car in the 1600 block of Winslow Street and approached it with the emergency lights activated. Officers then saw a man flee from the car on foot and began chasing him. He was identified as Campbell and taken into custody. Officers found 2.6 grams of marijuana on him. He admitted to taking the vehicle.

Campbell was given a $2,500 signature bond and a $750 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Monday. Campbell has two preliminary hearings set for March 16 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show.

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Another calendar will turn before Mark Jensen has a new trial date.

And even before then, theres plenty of activity from both sides that has to happen.

Jensen, convicted in 2007 for murdering his wife, Julie, at their Pleasant Prairie home in December 1998, is expected to stand trial for a second time starting Jan. 9, 2023, this time before Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Anthony Milisauskas.

The door opened for a new trial last week when the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case after an appeal of a Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruling last year that Jensen should receive a new trial.

Jensen, 62, who has been in custody in the Kenosha County Jail on a $1.5 million bond since April 12, 2021, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole by Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder, who presided over the original trial, that was moved to Walworth County.

Jensen had been incarcerated at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun since his sentencing in 2008.

After a series of state and federal appellate court rulings, Jensens original conviction was overturned when it was ruled that Schroeder erred in allowing Julie Jensens so-called letter from the grave and voicemails about her suspicions that her husband was trying to harm her to be presented to the jury.

Prosecutors have argued that Mark Jensen, who has always maintained his innocence, poisoned his then-40-year-old wife with antifreeze, then smothered her at their Pleasant Prairie home. At the original trial, the defense suggested that Julie Jensen, who had sought treatment for depression, had committed suicide.

Mountain of motions

Attorneys on both sides spent most of the hearing Monday talking about a myriad of motions that still need to be dealt with.

Former Kenosha County District Attorney Robert Jambois, now an assistant district attorney in Portage County, who oversaw the original case, again will lead the states case as a special prosecutor.

Jambois said there still are 16 outstanding defense motions, and asked Milisauskas for clarification about which ones still needed a response.

Defense attorney Bridget Krause, one of five attorneys representing Jensen, told the judge the state also has filed motions and asked that a hearing be held to deal with all of them.

And thats what will happen, Milisauskas said.

Well treat everybody equally, he said. Simultaneously, each party will give the court which motions (they want to pursue).

Krause said her side doesnt intend to file any additional motions.

Both parties have until March 28 at 5 p.m. to determine which motions still need to be handled, and until May 27 at 5 p.m. to file a response.

A motion hearing date will be held Nov. 21 and 22, followed by a final pre-trial Dec. 16, at 8:30 a.m.

Another delay

Jambois said he expects the second trial to last five weeks, and added there is little space in his current trial calendar in Portage County, which forced the move to early next year.

I cant see starting this kind of trial (before the holidays), when in December, at the end of the month, theres a week of vacation, he said.

Milisauskas told Jambois his calendar is packed as well, to the tune of 1,498 pending cases.

I have people who have been in custody a long time, too, he said.

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RACINE  Firefighters and members of the community gathered Sunday to honor slain firefighter Christopher Lalor.

Fire Chief Steve Hansen described Lalor as a beloved member of the department ... He was always there for us when we needed him, and we want to be here for him as he departs this world for the next.

Lalor, 50, was found dead in his home Feb. 20 but likely died two days earlier. He was found by his mother, who went to his home on Pinehurst Avenue after she became concerned because she had not heard from him.

The only suspect in the case, Peter James Lui, 51, was reportedly found dead from suicide on Feb. 23.

The two men were described as longtime friends and former roommates. No possible motive for the homicide has been publicly stated by authorities.

Hansen called for the community to ban together and figure out a way to end the violence in our community and throughout the world.

Assistant Fire Chief Brian Wolf remembered Lalor as an amazing, amazing person. He added, I hope we can find a way to remember Chris and how great he was.

According to Lalors obituary, During one bus trip at the age of 8, he helped save his first life, telling the bus driver to pull over to help one of his fellow passengers who was in distress. Helping people was always in his blood.

The vigil outside Lalors home was organized by the Racine Interfaith Coalition, an organization of 28 churches working together in Racine for 30 years.

Tamerin Hayward, the co-president, described RIC as doing peace and justice work in the Racine community for 30 years and for 25 years they have organized a vigil at the site of every violent death.

Its basically to say we as a community say no more, that violent deaths should not happen  whatever the cause, whatever the reason. Theres no excuse for a violent death and taking another human beings life, Hayward said.

She described Lalor as a person who was willing to risk his life to save other people and added its just unthinkable that someone could take such a life.

To the gathered members of the RFD she said, I grieve for all of you who are grieving a dear friend and colleague.

Father Yeprem Kelegian, of Saint Mesrob Armenian Church, said in Armenian the word God translates to the one who brought us here.

We believe in a God who is here, who is near, and He works with us, he explained. So you came here tonight. God brought you here, and hell bring you to the next state, too.

We all have to figure out what were going to do about the violence and the insanity, the moral insanity, that happens around us like this because God brings us around for some reason, Kelegian continued. Were going to mourn Christopher but God wants us to do a lot more.

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RACINE COUNTY  Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States causing billions of dollars in damage each year. Floods are not just isolated to river flooding. Heavy rain can bring dangerous flash floods.

The Racine County Office of Emergency Management offers tips on how a people can protect themselves and their property during Flood Safety Awareness Week, Feb. 28-March 4. This years week comes as officials in Racine County and southeastern Wisconsin monitor water conditions in rivers and streams throughout the region as the winter thaw begins.

I have seen first-hand how destructive heavy rainfalls can be, said Jay Kerner, Racine County Emergency Management director. The heavy rainstorm that swept through Racine in August 2020 only lasted minutes but caused thousands of dollars of water damage. After this storm, I decided to prepare my own home by installing a backup battery on our sump pump, purchasing a generator and having a licensed electrician make modifications so the generator can run the most important items in our home to prevent damage and loss of property. The cost of being prepared for potential flooding may not be what people would like to spend money on, but it is much less than the costs associated with water damage due to being unprepared. Peace of mind is the most valuable part of being prepared.

Every homeowner and business should plan ahead to mitigate the damaging effect of floods. They should identify an evacuation route and have a place to go if they must leave their home or business, put together an emergency supplies kit to take with them, focus on the needs of pets, and obtain extra batteries and charging devices for phones and other critical equipment.

Here are more tips:

Keep important documents in a waterproof/fireproof container and create password-protected digital copies.

Move valuables to higher levels and consider raising up appliances, water heaters and furnaces.

Remove debris from drains and gutters.

Install check valves and consider a sump pump with a battery.

Do not walk, swim, or drive through flood waters. Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock over an adult, while 12 inches can carry away a small car.

Stay off bridges over fast-moving water. If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay inside and call for help.

Having adequate insurance goes a long way in helping to recover from a flood. It only takes an inch of water in a home to cause thousands of dollars in damage, which many homeowners and renters insurance policies will not cover. People can purchase or renew a flood insurance policy; it typically takes up to 30 days for a policy to go into effect. For more information about flood insurance, go to floodsmart.gov.

For more tips on emergency preparedness, go to readyracineco.com. People can also follow ReadyRacineCo on Facebook.

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Claiming some nursing home residents cast ballots without knowing what they were doing, and repeating complaints about grants from a liberal organization to help administer the 2020 election, the former state Supreme Court justice leading a GOP review of the 2020 election said Tuesday the Legislature "ought to take a very hard look" at decertifying the state's presidential election  something experts say is a legal and constitutional impossibility.

In a sweeping critique of current election rules, Gableman also called for the "elimination and dismantling" of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission after it instructed clerks in 2020 that they did not need to send poll workers into nursing homes to assist with absentee voting after many were turned away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"At best, WEC is hopelessly derelict of duty," Gableman told the Assembly elections committee in a three-hour presentation of his 136-page "interim report" from his ongoing one-party review, which reiterates past GOP criticisms of the state's presidential election, including that millions of dollars of private grants allocated to cities to help administer the election amid the pandemic constituted bribery. Courts have rejected that claim.

Gableman also indicated that his review  for which Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has allocated $676,000 in taxpayer money  is far from complete. The eight-month review has been plagued by legal challenges against multiple subpoenas issued by the former state Supreme Court justice.

"This is an important topic, and there is a lot left to do and I will be back," Gableman said.

A recount and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election but made several recommendations for improvements.

Gableman's lengthy, meandering and at times openly partisan attacks on elections commission staff and Democratic appointees underscored the one-sided nature of the investigation.

This circus has long surpassed being a mere embarrassment for our state," Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. "From the beginning, it has never been a serious or functioning effort, it has lacked public accountability and transparency, and it has been a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars."

"Any mere condemnation of this effort rings hollow  it has to end," Evers added. "Enough is enough. Republicans in the Legislature have always had the ability to end this effort, and I call on them to do so today.

Added Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, Michael Gablemans intention to continue with his so-called 'election investigation' is not in the interest of the people of Wisconsin and is undemocratic."

In a statement, Vos said Id like to thank the Office of Special Counsel for their tireless efforts in finding the truth. Theyve done a good job at showing there were issues in 2020, and the report is intended to help correct these processes for future elections. Unfortunately, were experiencing obstruction by ligation, and must first get through the nine separate lawsuits that have been filed to allow us to complete the review. Several elections officials and local elected leaders, including Racine Mayor Cory Mason, have refused to sit for private depositions. Mason is among those who have said he is willing to be deposed only if it's done in public.

Mason responded in a lengthy statement, saying: Do not be fooled: Gableman and the GOP's intention with this absurd 'investigation is to undermine our democracy. These baseless and unsubstantiated claims of election illegalities do a profound disservice to Wisconsin's municipal election clerks and election officials, who all worked tirelessly and creatively to ensure citizens' ability to vote in the midst of a pandemic. Even more concerning, Gableman's recommendations lay bare an agenda that aims to make it harder for Wisconsin residents, particularly residents of color, to vote. Gablemans insistence on continuing this charade of an 'investigation,' with closed door interviews and threats of jail time for mayors and election officials, has no place in our democracy.

"We should all be embarrassed and frightened of what it will mean for our state if Republicans won't come to their senses, finally acknowledge that Joe Biden won Wisconsin in 2020, and apologize for the damage they have done to our democratic principles and institutions," Mason continued. "While we wait for the GOP to stop allowing these unfounded and outrageous attacks on our secure and fair elections, I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure that all of Racine's citizens can exercise their right to vote, safely, and without harassment or delay.

Regarding Gableman's claim that Wisconsin's electoral votes could possibly be recalled, Neubauer said that "numerous nonpartisan attorneys have said is not possible." She continued: "It shows his (Gableman's) inability to contend with facts. Wisconsins elections are safe, secure and accurate."

Gableman's report notes that its purpose is not to challenge the state's presidential certification process, but an appendix does "sketch how that might be done." Republican lawmakers and legislative attorneys have repeatedly said overturning the election after it's been certified by the state and Congress would be illegal and impossible.

"It is clear that the Wisconsin Legislature could lawfully take steps to decertify electors in any Presidential election, for example in light of violations of state election law that did or likely could have affected the outcome of the election," according to the report, which also notes that such an action would not have any legal consequence or impact on the presidential election.

"It would not, for example, change who the current President is," according to the report.

Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, a Republican who has repeatedly rejected efforts to overturn the 2020 election, tweeted that he "will not be part of any effort, and will do everything possible to stop any effort, to put politicians in charge of deciding who wins or loses elections."

Steineke, who is not seeking another term this fall, added: In a world where partisan divides are deep & seemingly anything can be justified as long as it results in retaining power, handing authority to partisan politicians to determine if election fraud exists would be the end of our republic as we know it."

University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor and elections administration expert Kenneth Mayer likewise likewise disagreed with Gableman.

Even if the legislature did pass some sort of decertification now it would have no legal effect, he said. Once the electors have cast their ballots, and they have been counted in Congress, thats the end of it.

Gableman and his supporters who have called for the election to be overturned have only moved to have the presidential election overturned, not all elections down the ballot, despite their claims of potential widespread fraud.

Voting deputies

Gableman took special aim at the elections commission's decision to exempt clerks from the requirement that they send poll workers, known as special voting deputies, into care facilities in 2020, showing several videos of attorney Erick Kaardal questioning nursing homes residents who evidently voted but seemed to have trouble understanding questions he was asking them about the election.

The commission's guidance was issued in March 2020 to help prevent infection. The directive remained in place for the November 2020 presidential election and the February 2021 primary before being reverted back to its original form.

Rick Abrams, CEO of the Wisconsin Health Care Association, which represents nursing homes, said the commissions decision to excuse sending the poll workers into the facilities at the height of the pandemic was prudent to protect the health of residents and the deputies.

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling  whose department's investigation, headed by Lt. Michael Luell, informed much of Gableman's claims about nursing homes  had repeatedly said it would be "obnoxious" and "insulting" to even attempt to interview those in nursing homes suffering from severe mental illness because of their health struggles.

Kaardal unsuccessfully attempted to have Trump's election loss overturned in five states, including Wisconsin, and a federal judge referred him for discipline last year over his "baseless" lawsuits. Gableman said Kaardal produced "very substantial and very wonderful work."

The videos Gableman showed of Kaardal speaking with individuals appeared to call into question whether the people interviewed, in some cases appearing confused or uninformed, should have been allowed to vote. But under election law, only a judge  not an elections clerk, nor a special voting deputy, nor a family member  can reject a persons right to register to vote after being found incompetent.

"People in nursing homes are not required to complete push-polls to exercise their constitutional right to vote," Ann Jacobs, Democratic chair of the elections commission, tweeted. "These interrogations by Kardaal are completely irrelevant to whether people have a right to vote. You are allowed to vote for a candidate for any reason you choose."

Using seniors as political props just as makes me really uncomfortable, Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said after watching the hearing Tuesday. And honestly, some of them sounded like they understood what was going on.

McDonell added that families concerned a relative may be incompetent should have a judge make that finding.

You wouldn't want special voting deputies to be determining that on their own, he said.

Fond Du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg objected to showing the nursing home interviews, saying they stood in contrast with Gablemans unsuccessful efforts to conduct private interviews with city leaders.

We can show something like this publicly, but if you want to interview the mayor of Green Bay or (Elections Commission administrator) Meagan Wolfe or anything, why wouldn't that be public? she said.

Private grants

Gableman also contends that the private grants by the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, which were distributed around the state but went primarily to the state's five most populous cities, were aimed at boosting turnout in areas more likely to go for Biden.

In taking the money, Gableman said, Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha and Green Bay engaged in what he called "election bribery," defined in state law as accepting anything of value, such as money, to induce any elector to go to or refrain from going to the polls or vote or refrain from voting.

His report also points to provisions in CTCL and the cities Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan, which among other things, encourage the use of ballot drop boxes and reaching out to historically disenfranchised voters such as racial minorities and the poor, which not-coincidentally, matched that of the Biden-voter profile.

A Lee Newspapers review of the CTCL grants found that the five cities received from two to four times more money, per capita, than smaller cities.

At the same time, no community that asked for money from the group was denied, with communities in 39 of the state's 72 counties receiving grants, including ones won by Trump.

A state Legislative Audit Bureau survey also found that drop boxes were common across Wisconsin, appearing in 24 to 54 municipalities in each of seven different regions of the state, including in the northeast and northwest where Trump won the vast majority of counties.

The states anti-election bribery law also specifies other things that also cost money that are aimed at helping people vote but dont constitute bribery, such as political nominating conventions, giving employees paid time off to vote, and driving people to the polls.

Others respond

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said in a statement Tuesday that Gableman's findings "need to be taken seriously" in order "to restore confidence in our election system." He said that the WEC's opposition, in addition to opposition from "some local election officials," to Gableman's investigation is "not only troubling, but their obstruction of his investigation raises other issues."

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. said in a tweet: "Mike Gableman has undermined faith in our elections promoting Trump's Big Lie, fleecing taxpayers, and suggesting the 2020 election should be overturned. He can't handle the truth Biden won a free, fair and secure election. Trump simply lost. This circus should leave town now."

Stated state Rep. Tip McGuire, a Kenosha Democrat whose district includes part of Racine: "Today, the Speakers handpicked investigator into the 2020 election delivered his report, which pushed the Legislature to decertify the presidential election. After months of hearings and subpoenas and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars wasted, the work product that the people of Wisconsin were delivered by Michael Gableman was nothing but a restatement of the wild fantasies that the Speaker insisted that he did not believe and were not mainstream in his caucus.

This comes one week after the Assembly passed a slew of election-related bills, many of which wrestled power away from the nonpartisan Elections Commission in favor of GOP-controlled committees. These bills were not just bad policy; they were a deliberate attempt to subvert democracy in Wisconsin by making our election process ripe for partisan corruption. Despite months of claiming to be different than those who explicitly sought to overturn the 2020 election, Wisconsin Republicans have proven through their legislation and their half-baked investigation that they too have contempt for the will of the people and any election system that isnt rigged in their favor.

Lee Newspapers reporters Alexander Shur, Chris Rickert and David Wahlberg contributed to this report, as did Adam Rogan of The Journal Times.

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When opportunity knocks, you must open the door. So goes the old adage. And the City of Franklins rejection of a meat-processing plant could become an opportunity for Racine and Kenosha counties.

At a packed Feb. 18 meeting of the Franklin Plan Commission, it was announced that Strauss Brands was withdrawing its request for approvals for a $73 million, 152,035-square-foot meat processing plant for a site along West Loomis Road (Highway 36).

The announcement may not have floored people as the plan had drawn widespread opposition from residents and even litigation.

Indeed, there had been speculation for several months that Strauss would not pursue the plans. In a Nov. 1 email obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, an executive with Insight Equity, which acquired Strauss in 2019, told a representative of the animal advocacy nonprofit Free from Harm that Insight Equitys strategy for expansion has changed.

Were not planning to build a slaughterhouse there (Franklin) or anywhere else for that matter, CEO Ted Beneski said in the email.

The newspaper reported that Beneski had walked back his statement a bit saying that by there he specifically meant Franklin.

In fact, the company also received opposition when it earlier proposed a plant for a location on the economically challenged north side of Milwaukee.

Franklin residents voiced concerns, almost predictably, that the plant in their view would lower property values and threaten water and air quality. At an Oct. 20, 2020 Franklin City Council meeting, just three people spoke in support of the plant while dozens voiced objections, WITI-TV reported.

Franklin Mayor Steve Olson had lobbied for the development, saying it would bring more jobs (160 was a number floated at one time) to the city, which borders Racine Countys Village of Raymond.

Naturally, the prospect of a slaughterhouse is probably not going to be the first thing that pops into residents minds when asked what type of business would you like to see come to your city?

Questions and concerns extend beyond those of animal rights backers, many of whom would not advocate or tolerate such an operation on any count. But even if one does not have objections to meat production, they may still have very legitimate questions and concerns about what happens to waste disposal, potential odors and truck traffic from such an operation.

Meat and poultry operations have run in Racine and Kenosha counties for years. Maple Leaf Farms has had duck and downy operations in western Racine County. And meat processing plants operate in the City of Kenosha and the Town of Paris in Kenosha County. And Echo Lake Foods operates a very large egg products plant in Burlington and a smaller operation in Yorkville.

While occasionally having issues like an odor problem at Echo Lake Foods a few years back, the operations have largely been good neighbors and good providers of jobs for the area.

Thats why we think it would behoove the Racine County Economic Development Corp. and the Kenosha Area Business Alliance to make overtures to Strauss Brands. We know there are sites in the counties that could accommodate the plant and, to avoid or reduce a possible not-in-my-back-yard response by residents, here are a couple of low-impact site suggestions to consider:

Wisconn Valley: The development of the Mount Pleasant site that is home to Foxconn has infrastructure in place, has excellent access to the Interstate and most residences for a mile or more in any direction have been removed.

The Dairyland Greyhound Park site: After Gov. Scott Walker vetoed plans for a tribal casino development there (despite overwhelming support for one from Kenosha city and county residents), plans changed to developing the site for industrial purposes. The site also provides excellent access to the Interstate and is largely buffered on three sides from residences by the interstate to the west, existing industrial and corporate development on the east and Kenosha Regional Airport on the north. There are, however, residences on the south side of Dairyland.

While many questions would still need to be answered in regard to the possibility of such a plant coming to our area, it definitely does provide some food for thought for Strauss company brass and local leaders.

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Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.
1. Yes. Raising the bar for future developments will boost the citys housing market.

2. Yes. It will help in newer areas, but more needs to be done to change Killeens image.

3. No. The new standards will just slow down homebuilding and drive away developers.

4.No. The ordinance will do little more than drive up the price of new homes in the city.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say what the effect will be until they have been in place for a while.

Vote

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By Azernews





By Sabina Mammadli

The construction of about 500 private houses for families of martyrs and disabled veterans in 41 cities and regions of Azerbaijan is nearing completion, the Labor and Social Security Ministry has reported.

Labor and Social Security Minister Sahil Babayev said that the houses will be commissioned in the near future.

The minister stressed that the number of apartments provided to citizens in the aforementioned categories increased fivefold from 2018 to 2020, reaching 3,000 in 2021.

To date, over 12,300 apartments and private houses have been provided to these citizens. The reform package for 2022, which provides for a significant increase in salaries, pensions, and other social benefits, has covered 3.4 million people. An additional $1.2 billion (2.1 billion AZN) will be allocated annually for these purposes, the minister added.

The board also noted that the five DOST centers created earlier had provided services to more than 700,000 citizens during their functioning. In 2022, it is planned to open DOST Center No 5 in Baku and the DOST Center in Barda as the first regional center of the DOST Agency.

The ministry's State Agency for Medical and Social Expertise and Rehabilitation announced the launch of mobile and rehabilitation services, as well as the implementation of an individual rehabilitation program.

During the meeting, it was announced that Shamkir region's Children's Rehabilitation Center would be completed this year.

Furthermore, it was stated that 12 regional social service centers and specialized social service centers will be established on the basis of the Ministry's Social Services Agency branches.

The meeting also discussed efforts to broaden the use of digital technologies in the social sphere.

It was stated that a DOST branch with special status will be established in Shusha as part of the East Zangazur and Karabakh DOST Agency's program.

As part of the smart village project, a smart DOST service point will be established in liberated Zangilan region's Aghali village this year.

The DOST Agency, which was established in 2018 on First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva's initiative and by President Ilham Aliyev's decree, provides state social services in a timely, transparent, modern, and innovative manner.

Currently, there are five DOST centers. In 2021, these centers served 410,575 citizens, up from 651,155 in the previous year.
KEARNEY  Its Saturday, and the chilly Nebraska wind is carrying the aroma of one of Central Americas favorite foods  pupusas.

Delmy Uribe, her husband, Hector Lopez, and daughter, Jazmin Lopez, are wrapped in winter coats and hats as they work hard to keep pace with carryout orders.

The door to the kitchen is open wide enough to keep Delmy and her family cool while they cook.

Slap, slap, slap.

Delmys hands form soft masa dough into the shape of a shallow bowl. She then adds fillings of refried beans, pork rinds and grated cheese, curls everything into a ball and then flattens the ball into a saucer shape.

Theres a dozen or so pupusas (pooh-POOH-sus) sizzling on the griddle as Delmy flips them. In a few minutes theyll be ready to serve.

Customers get a whiff of Delmys pupusas as they enter the kitchen.

Some customers are sitting at a table enjoying their food.

This is the only way to eat pupusas, said Oscar Ramirez, a Salvadoran who just gobbled down four steaming hot pupusas. For Ramirez and many of the others arriving at Delmys little pupusaria, enjoying the tasty griddle cakes is like vacationing to their homeland.

Delmy sells the pupusas to help her church and family, or to boost her income. Her pupusas are popular because theyre larger than most. On this Saturday shes filling the pupusas with an assortment of popular ingredients.

Slap, slap, slap.

Another pupusa lands on the griddle and Delmy begins forming a handful of dough to receive the fillings.

Pupusas are a treat for the senses. Theres the aroma while they fry. Their golden brown color catches the eye as theyre flipped to fry on the second side, and then theres the slap, slap, slap while Delmy molds the masa into different shapes.

Theres a lot of laughter while Dely cooks. Almost everyone in the pupusaria is smiling and happy.

Delmy said cooking pupusas is a three-day task. Most of that time she spends preparing the ingredients, including the colorful shredded cabbage served on the side, along with some salsa for a hint of heat.

The salad mixture includes finely chopped cabbage, onion, carrots, vinegar, oregano, salt and enough diced beets to turn the white cabbage pink.

The salsa has tomato, garlic, onion and cilantro.

Delmy sends plastic silverware home with takeout orders, but the diners who stay for a sit-down lunch ignore the plastic utensils. Some tear bits of their pupusas into small grabbers to get some cabbage and salsa with each bite. Others try different approaches  all without a fork or knife.

Theres no wrong way to eat a pupusa, said one of them.
While we may read the news, understanding international matters requires an exploration of the history and politics between countries. Gary Locke, a former diplomat, cabinet member and governor, will explore what is happening in U.S. foreign policy, including U.S.-China and U.S.-Russia relations, in the challenging present-day context.

The lecture, sponsored by The Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership, will be at noon Thursday, March 10, at Hesprich Auditorium, in UW-La Crosses Graff Main Hall. It will be followed by a Q&A.

The lecture is free and open to the public. The event will be available for simultaneous livestream viewing between noon and 1:30 p.m. at https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/j/91608718464

Locke was the first Chinese-American to be elected governor in U.S. history. He served as governor of the state of Washington (1997-2005), U.S. ambassador to the Peoples Republic of China (2011-2014) and U.S. Secretary of Commerce (2009-2011).

Event parking will be free of charge on levels 1-3 of the parking ramp (Farwell and 17th streets); additional handicap spaces will be available in the C-12 lot and on East Avenue by the Cartwright Center circle.

UW-Ls Political Science and Public Administration Department is hosting the event.

About Gary LockeGary Locke has been a leader in the areas of education, employment, trade, health care, human rights, privacy and the environment.

As Washingtons 21st governor, in the nations most trade-dependent state, Locke increased exports of Washington State products and services by leading trade missions to Mexico, Europe, and Asia. He more than doubled the states exports to China. During his tenure, he achieved bipartisan welfare reform and oversaw the gain of 280,000 private-sector jobs, despite two national recessions.

Locke also had the most diverse cabinet in state history. More than half his judicial appointments were women and 25% were people of color. His management skills and innovations in government efficiency have won him acclaim by nationally-recognized authors and organizations, including Harvards Kennedy School of Government. During his tenure, Washington was ranked one of Americas four best-managed states.

As Secretary of Commerce, Locke led President Obamas National Export Initiative to double American exports; assumed a troubled 2010 census process, which under his active supervision, ended on time and $2 billion under budget; and achieved the most significant reduction in patent application processing in the agencys history: from 40 months down to one year.

Locke is chairman of Locke Global Strategies, providing strategic advice and consulting services to businesses in the U.S. and China across a spectrum of issues including international trade.

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U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, said Tuesday there is absolutely no daylight between the U.S. and its European allies in their response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Kind returned to Washington after spending last week in London as chair of the British American Parliamentary Group. He spoke with British leaders on how to coordinate sanctions against Russia, whose military crossed into Ukraine Feb. 24.

He said the world is united against Russian president Vladimir Putin.

I was extremely pleased to see the amount of unity that we have from our NATO, our UK and our European allies, Kind said. Americas vital national security interests are implicated by what is happening in Ukraine and the surrounding area.

Kind was also encouraged by Ukrainian resistance that has been more effective than most analysts anticipated. He said Putin miscalculated the response by Ukraine and other countries.

I think (Putin) was expecting a divided Ukraine, a divided Europe, a divided NATO and a divided United States, Kind said. Instead, hes getting just the opposite  an unprecedented show of unity to stand up to the worst military aggression the world has seen since the Second World War.

Kind said economic sanctions are already starting to impact the Russian economy. He said Russian currency has suffered a drastic decline and that the Russian stock market has crashed by 40 percent.

Kind said more sanctions are on the table. He said the House Ways and Means Committee is putting together a resolution to remove Russias most-favored nation trade status and revoke Russias membership in the World Trade Organization.

These are organizations that were set up after the Second World War to maintain global peace, Kind said. We feel that Russias membership in these institutions should be revoked until (Putin) stands down. Were thinking creatively on how we can bring this fight to his doorstep internally.

Kind said President Joe Biden has been instrumental in uniting Americas allies to take action.

I give a lot of the credit to President Biden, Kind said. He knows these world leaders by name. He has a relationship with them. President Biden has taken a very strong leadership role in establishing this global sanctions regime. He has united the free world.

Kind acknowledged that the war will cause energy prices to spike. Russia is the worlds second-leading crude oil producer, and he said gas prices will rise at home even though the United States imports only a very small amount of Russian oil.

He said the crisis should motivate countries to develop renewable sources of energy that are less impacted by global events.

It speaks to the necessity of pivoting from fossil fuels, Kind said.

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Wisconsins Conservation Congress will hold its annual spring meetings online for a third straight year, giving residents an opportunity to weigh in on dozens of natural resources issues, including deer hunting and regulation of toxic chemicals.

Conservation Congress chair Tony Blattler said the decision to forgo in-person meetings was in keeping with the Department of Natural Resources policy.

The DNR has still got everything locked up, he said. We had to make this call already the first week of January.

Created in 1934, the Conservation Congress is an independent citizen organization that advises the Natural Resources Board.

The congress turned to online surveys in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, abandoning the traditional spring hearings for the first time in its history but drawing record participation of nearly 65,000 people.

Participation fell to just over 12,600 last year, only slightly above pre-pandemic levels.

The COVID thing was so new and a lot of people were home, Blattner said. Last year a lot of people were back to work.

Blattler said the biggest challenge has been electing new delegates, which was traditionally done at the spring meetings. The congress will again extend the terms of current delegates, though people interested in filling vacancies can apply through March 11.

Thats really hurting us. We have quite a few vacancies, Blattler said. We could not come up with a secure way unless we came up with money we dont have.

There are 16 advisory questions from the DNR related to Fisheries and Wildlife Management. There are also two advisory questions from the NRB and 45 advisory questions from the WCC.

Residents can also recommend changes to natural resource issues by submitting citizen resolutions online. Citizen resolutions are due by March 11.

Among the topics covered in this years questions are deer management strategies, deer farms and shooting preserves, stricter PFAS pollution standards, fish bag limits, a proposal to limit the states wolf population and another to ban the use of dogs for hunting wolves. Many of the changes would require new legislation.

All questions are available to preview on the 2022 spring hearing webpage. The survey will go live at 7 p.m. on April 11 and remain open for 72 hours.

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A conservative law firm on Monday sent a letter to Tony Evers questioning the Democratic governors allocation of more than $2 million in federal COVID-19 funds to Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin  claiming the grants were unlawful for failing to abide by state laws prohibiting funding for abortions.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty sent the letter on behalf of anti-abortion groups Wisconsin Family Action, Wisconsin Right to Life and Pro-Life Wisconsin and seeks additional information on the roughly $2.4 million in federal stimulus funds allocated to Planned Parenthood through two grants in late 2020 and early 2022.

Officials with WILL claim in the letter that the grant programs should have been created with statutory oversight and promulgated rules, but also that they violate state prohibitions on funding abortion and related services.

We want to know exactly what legal authority Governor Evers thinks he has to create grant programs and ignore the rulemaking process, WILL deputy counsel Lucas Vebber said in a statement. Additionally, we want to know why he thinks he can ignore clear and explicit state law prohibitions on funding entities, like Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, that provide abortions and related services.

Wisconsin has received more than $4.5 billion total in federal coronavirus stimulus funds over the course of the pandemic. As governor, Evers has sole discretion over the use of federal funds, but WILL has challenged that Evers cannot create new grant programs without approval from the Legislature.

Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback in an email pointed to the many federal allocations Evers made over the last two years, including toward businesses, farmers and broadband expansion. Cudaback also took aim at Republicans who control the Legislature and did not meet for almost nine months in the early stretch of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Its no surprise Republicans and their allies are continuing to play politics while failing to support our states economic recovery and trying to obstruct efforts to get resources to folks across our state, Cudaback said.

The latest challenge by WILL follows previous efforts by the group to prevent the state from allocating federal coronavirus funds based on factors such as race.

The group in January challenged the administrations mortgage assistance program announced last year, claiming the programs intention to steer federal funds toward people of color was discriminatory.

The Wisconsin Help for Homeowners program was announced in August and is set to provide about $92.7 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to eligible homeowners across the state. The program is intended to help mitigate financial hardships associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by preventing mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and loss of utilities and energy services.

The federal government directs states to provide the grants to homeowners with incomes equal to or less than 100% of the area median income for their household size. However, states can extend eligibility to those earning 150% of the area median income if they are socially disadvantaged individuals  defined by the federal government as Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Whats more, a handful of business owners last year successfully challenged the U.S. Small Business Administrations prioritization of businesses owned by women, veterans and socially disadvantaged individuals when allocating $28.6 billion in Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants.

The business owners alleged in the lawsuits, one of which was filed by WILL, that the policy pushed white men to the back of the line for aid.

A federal appeals court ultimately ruled in favor of WILL, issuing a 2-1 opinion that said the government cannot allocate limited coronavirus relief funds based on race and sex. As a result, SBA notified 2,965 business owners who had originally been approved for grants that those funds would now be denied and the application process shifted to a first-come, first-served basis.

Another lawsuit brought forward last year by WILL on behalf of a handful of residents in several states including Wisconsin challenged President Joe Bidens plans to allocate $4 billion to more than 20,000 Wisconsin farmers.

The lawsuit alleged the Biden administration was engaging in unconstitutional race discrimination through a provision in the American Rescue Plan to provide debt relief to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. A temporary restraining order was granted last June.
Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gablemans GOP-ordered review of the 2020 election is set to be made public Tuesday, according to Gablemans team.

Gablemans eight-month review of the 2020 election has been marred by a slew of legal challenges to multiple subpoenas issued by the former justice, who previously declared without evidence that the election had been stolen. The review, for which Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has allocated $676,000 in taxpayer money, was originally planned to be completed last fall but failed to meet several deadlines, which Republican leaders attributed to ongoing court battles.

Gableman staffer Zak Niemierowicz told The Associated Press that the final report will be provided to Vos and the state Assemblys elections committee on Tuesday. A staffer for Rep. Janel Brandtjen, chairperson of the Assembly committee, said the report is expected to be released to the public.

Vos office did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Vos spokesperson Angela Joyce told The Associated Press that Gableman, not Vos, would release the report.

The Assemblys GOP-led Committee on Campaigns and Elections is scheduled to hear testimony from Gableman on Tuesday. The committee will also hear from Erick Kaardal, a Republican attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society who has challenged the use of private election grants provided to the states five largest cities to help administer last years election during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Much of Gablemans review has focused on election grants provided to Wisconsin cities by the Chicago-based Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)  funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg  to help administer the 2020 election. Republicans, including Gableman, have targeted CTCL funds as unfairly increasing turnout in the Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine.

Court rulings have found nothing illegal about the more than $10 million in grants CTCL distributed to about 214 municipalities in 39 of Wisconsins 72 counties, including many solidly won by Trump. Nor did CTCL turn down grant requests from any of the Wisconsin municipalities that made them.

Legislative action

The Republican-controlled Legislature last week sent a package of election bills to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is all but certain to veto most, if not all, of them. The proposals would give the Legislature more control over guidance issued by the Wisconsin Elections Commission, limit which absentee voters could claim indefinitely confined status and allow lawmakers to cut funding for the state Elections Commission when its deemed not to have complied with state election laws.

Another bill added late in the Assemblys final session would allow election officials to begin counting absentee ballots on the Monday before an election, but Democratic lawmakers ultimately opposed the measure because it also shortened the window that clerks have to send out absentee ballots for federal races.

Republicans have touted the measures as an effort to clean up election processes in the state following a report last year from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau that found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election but made several recommendations for improvements. President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by close to 21,000 votes in the battleground state.

Democratic legislators, Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul have lambasted the Gableman review as a waste of taxpayer dollars and an attempt to undermine faith in state elections.

Republican scrutiny of the 2020 election continues to grow as part of a nationwide GOP effort to make changes to election procedures following baseless claims by some Republicans, including Trump, of widespread fraud in the presidential election.

Vos had planned to use Gablemans report to craft election-related legislation leading up to the 2022 midterms, but the Assembly held its final session of the year last week. Vos said future bills will be drafted but that obstruction had slowed the election reviews progress.

Subpoenas, lawsuits

Gableman has previously demanded documents, interviews or both with the mayors of Wisconsins five largest cities, the states top elections official, the chair of the state Elections Commission and members of Evers administration, as well as two companies that make vote-counting systems, Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems.

Attorneys for Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software told Gableman in January the organization would not comply with the subpoena, which they called a quintessential fishing expedition.

In mid-February, Gableman withdrew his subpoena seeking emails and financial documents from immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera Action.

He also called for several officials, including Racine Mayor Cory Mason and Wisconsin Elections Commission chair Ann Jacobs, to be jailed for refusing to sit for the behind-closed-doors interviews for which they have been subpoenaed.

In December, Gableman demanded that Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway be jailed. He later rescinded the demand, only to reinstate the demand last week.

There are also three pending lawsuits related to liberal watchdog group American Oversights public records requests to Vos and Gableman for documents related to the election review. Vos last week asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up one of the cases.

Gableman made a baseless claim at a pro-Donald Trump rally in 2020 that the election in Wisconsin had been stolen by bureaucrats, and he has met with and hired people for his investigation who formerly worked for Trump and espoused conspiracy theories about the election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A Lancaster city man abused a dog for months last year, abandoning it in appalling conditions to the point that it was starving to death, according to city police.

Cesar Emilio Zamot, 27, left the dog starving inside his residence in the 200 block of Coral Street, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The dog, named Princess, had been in Zamots care since July or August 2021, during which time he failed to feed and groom her and did not provide her medical care or adequate shelter, police said.

Veterinary reports showed Princess had several conditions including multiple breast tumors and possibly tapeworms that, having been left untreated, caused her to suffer severe bodily injury.

Zamot told police he was aware Princess was in need of immediate medical care, including tumors and the smell of infection when she urinated, but had failed to take action, according to the affidavit.

Officers inspected Zamots residence in October after receiving reports of suspected animal abuse, finding the conditions inside appalling, police said. Animal feces and urine were present on every floor, and trash and food were scattered everywhere. The residences floors and ceilings had water damage that included holes large enough to see through, and the smell, which included animal waste, mold and rotten food was overpowering. The residence was also infested with fleas and other insects and pests.

Princess was found in a severely emaciated state, appearing to be starving to death with her ribs, spine and hip bones clearly showing, police said. She also walked with a limp, had infections in both of her eyes and was covered in fleas.

Police and the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals seized Princess to provide her emergency medical care. The affidavit did not provide information about her current status.

Zamot was charged Friday with one felony and two misdemeanor animal cruelty-related offenses. He had not been arrested as of Monday afternoon, court records show.

Court documents did not list an attorney for Zamot.

A preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.
By Trend

It was proposed to provide women with the opportunity to study at higher military schools In Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

This issue is reflected in the report of the human rights ombudsman of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2021.

It is proposed to provide them with the opportunity to enter specialized higher military schools in order to ensure equality and the right of women to education, the document says.

The report also proposes to involve professional specialists and military medical commissions operating in the local structures of the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription for Military Service of Azerbaijan Republic, in order to effectively protect the rights of conscripts and ensure the health of the personnel of the Armed Forces, also strengthening control over the activities of these commissions.
The shuttering of two Chester County hospitals has cost some lives, a fire chief told Parkesburg Borough Council at its Feb. 21 meeting.

Fire Chief Brian Gathercole said Keystone Valley Fire Departments emergency medical services unit has seen adverse effects from the recent closures of Brandywine and Jennersville hospitals in Chester County.

Within weeks, we lost some lives. Unfortunately, its going to continue, Gathercole said.

Brandywine Hospital in Caln Township was the closest hospital to the borough  a 20-minute commute. Since the closures transport distances have increased, the fire chief said. Last month, Keystone Valley ambulances went to Chester County Hospital in West Chester 38 times, Penn Medicines Lancaster General Hospital 34 times, plus 19 trips to Paoli Hospital in Willistown Township.

Basically, our reality is we dont have a local hospital, Gathercole said.

He said residents who have non-life-threatening problems should visit their nearest urgent care center.

Borough Council President Sharon Wolf asked the chief how the borough can share information with the residents about medical services. Gathercole responded that information is all over the place, including social media, newspapers and Chester County resources.

Gathercole said he has been in talks with Mayor John Hagan II about holding a future town hall meeting for residents addressing the closures.

We are working on the dates for the town hall meeting, Gathercole said after council met.

Although Tower Health closed the two hospitals, Tower Direct, which provides Advanced Life Support, will continue this service in western Chester County. Gathercole said after the meeting Tower Direct is connected to Tower Health, though it is its own entity.

Stuart Dixon, Tower Direct assistant chief, told Parkesburg officials, he is hoping someone moves into Brandywine and Jennersville hospitals.

We are going to be here, Dixon said.

The latest wrinkle in this situation is that a Chester County judge on Feb. 14 ordered Tower Health to restart the process of selling the shuttered Jennersville and Brandywine hospitals to Canyon Atlantic Partners LLC.

Council will hold its next in-person meeting on at 7 p.m. March 21 at 315 W. First Ave., Parkesburg.
To paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, an iron curtain is descending across the continent. But this time, all the capitals of the ancient states of central Europe and Eastern Europe do not lie on the Russian side of the divide.

Thanks to NATO, Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia are not under Russian influence. Because of NATO expansion, the Baltics states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are not subject to control from Moscow.

But in Russian President Vladimir Putins cold war on truth, NATO broke its promise to Russia that it would not expand after the Cold War. This narrative is largely the cornerstone of his grievance against the West.

In fact, no such agreement was ever made. NATO has had an open door policy since it was established in 1949. According to its founding treaty, any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic can apply to be a member of the organization.

The United States, Europe and Russia did not sign any treaty that included provisions on NATO membership. Any decision to expand NATO is made by consensus among all member countries.

The Warsaw Pact was still deeply entrenched in 1989, so the idea of expanding NATO beyond a united Germany was certainly not on the table. Former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev made this clear in a 2014 interview when he said, The topic of NATO expansion was not discussed at all, and it wasnt brought up in those years. ... Not a single Eastern European country raised the issue, not even after the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist in 1991. Western leaders didnt bring it up, either.

When Boris Yeltsin, then Russias president, raised the issue in 1997, declassified White House transcripts show that President Bill Clinton adamantly opposed any gentlemens agreement that prevented former Soviet republics from joining NATO, stating: I cant make commitments on behalf of NATO, and Im not going to be in the position myself of vetoing NATO expansion with respect to any country, much less letting you or anyone else do so ... NATO operates by consensus.

Since then, the question of NATO expansion has been a hotly disputed topic among scholars and political pundits alike.

On one side of the debate is the view that expanding NATO eastward would create a backlash in Moscow and undermine the balance of power. On the other side is the argument that a power vacuum would develop in Eastern Europe following the collapse of the Soviet Union, so NATO expansion is a necessary force for stability.

I clearly remember class discussions during seminars on international politics as a graduate student in Cambridge about whether NATO should include the former Soviet republics. The general consensus was Russia is tired; its been a long century, and thus expanding NATO would be unnecessary provocation.

With the benefit of hindsight it is becoming clear that had NATO not expanded, Russia would cast a shadow not only over Kyiv but all the capitals of Eastern Europe.

Weve seen this movie before, so you may be familiar with the plot. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia lost nearly all of Ukraine and the Baltic republics were ceded to Germany when it signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918, ending its participation in the World War I. It briefly regained control of these territories under the Nazi-Soviet pact in 1939. With the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, Russian troops were on the march again, establishing satellite states throughout the region.

The West rose to the challenge after Churchill sounded the alarm in his famous Iron Curtain speech in Fulton, Missouri, in 1946. Europe was then divided into two armed camps, with NATO in the West and Warsaw Pact in the East. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, NATOs expansion to the East included former Warsaw Pact countries and the Baltic republics.

Now that Russia is back on its feet once again, Ukraine and the surrounding nations outside of NATO are in danger of being absorbed into Russias sphere of influence, as Churchills clarion call to arms resonates with a new generation.

Ricardo Richards has a bachelors degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in international relations from Cambridge University. He teaches sociology, American government and international relations at Miami Dade College and Maryville University. He is a part-time Lancaster County resident.
THE ISSUE

At a Dec. 21 meeting of the Elizabethtown Area school board, first-term board member Danielle Lindemuth expressed concern about the districts COVID-19 quarantine protocols for unvaccinated students, according to LNP | LancasterOnline correspondent Diane M. Bitting. The language Lindemuth used was condemned by citizen speakers at subsequent meetings. Board President Terry Seiders offered a general apology at the start of the Jan. 11 board meeting, Bitting reported. But at a Feb. 22 school board meeting, three people noted that it had been 63 days since Lindemuths comment, and she has not yet apologized, Bitting noted. Lindemuth is a Republican who won election in November with the backing of the local Republican Party.

This is what Danielle Lindemuth said at a December school board meeting that some Elizabethtown residents found appalling: We are discriminating against students who cant get a vaccine or students who ethically will not take the vaccine, and we are putting a little star on their chest.

No wonder they were appalled.

That language is despicable and shockingly ignorant.

Heres a pro tip for elected officials  and for everyone, really. Here is what the Holocaust and slavery can be compared to: absolutely nothing.

Not mask requirements. Not vaccination mandates. Not any modern-day American law or government measure.

The Holocaust and slavery were singularly horrific atrocities. Nothing in contemporary American life compares to them.

Heres another pro tip: If youre in charge of deciding how history should be taught in a school district, you should actually know history.

And if youre seeking to bestow victim status on someone or some group  such as students who arent vaccinated against COVID-19  knowing history is essential.

Because then youd understand just why the Holocaust, and the terrifying and inhumane lead-up to it, were so uniquely abominable.

If you understood history, you also might know that polio was eliminated in the United States by vaccination, and vaccines often were administered in American schools, a convenience most parents appreciated.

In fact, as Education Week noted in October, In fights against diphtheria and polio in the 1920s and 1950s, respectively, schools played a central role. They hosted information sessions, coordinated with local civic groups and the media, and commanded trust in their communities. Experts saw the influence of teachers, principals, superintendents, and other educators not just as helpful, but crucial.

Commanding trust seems to us to be a critical part of leadership. You know how to quickly lose peoples trust? Make outrageous statements comparing commonsense school quarantine protocols to the Nazi practice of forcing Jews to wear stars on their chests.

Lets review the history of those particular stars.

According to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Reinhard Heydrich  a key Nazi German official who helped to plan and carry out the mass murder of Jews  decreed Sept. 1, 1941, that all Jews over age 6 in Germany, Alsace, Bohemia-Moravia and the Germanannexed territory of western Poland were to wear the yellow Star of David on their outer clothing in public at all times. The word Jew was to be inscribed inside the star in either German or the local language.

During the Nazi era, German authorities reintroduced the Jewish badge as a key element of their larger plan to persecute and eventually to annihilate the Jewish population of Europe, the museums website notes. They used the badge not only to stigmatize and humiliate Jews but also to segregate them, to watch and control their movements, and to prepare for deportation.

We know, of course, what happened when Jews wearing those stars were deported to Nazi killing centers. Six million Jews were massacred. The Nazis targeted all Jews for death, but the mortality rate for children was especially high, notes the museums website. Only 6 to 11% of Europes prewar Jewish population of children survived as compared with 33% of the adults.

Words fail to convey the heinous cruelty of the Holocaust.

By extremely stark contrast, a school districts quarantine protocols are meant to keep children healthy.

See? Nowhere near the same.

Wed urge Danielle Lindemuth to visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. While in Washington, D.C., she also could take in the slavery and freedom exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture  so she can learn why slavery shouldnt be invoked as a metaphor, either. Just in case.

In the meantime, Lindemuth must apologize.

As Elizabeth Lewis of Elizabethtown points out in a letter to the editor published today, Lindemuths comment comparing events of the Holocaust with the contact tracing and quarantining of students in Elizabethtown Area School District continues to harm the community, trivialize the horrors of the Holocaust and perpetuate antisemitism.

Lewis notes that others  such as Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  who used similar language have apologized. Sadly, Lewis notes, Lindemuth has not.

The first-term school board member shouldnt be allowed to wave away the gravity of her offense. As Lewis writes, such remarks perpetuate antisemitism, and this is how: They diminish the Jewish experience and the scale of the loss that Jews in Europe suffered. And they downplay the dangers of anti-Jewish rhetoric by seeking to make such rhetoric acceptable in public spaces such as school board meetings.

When the horrors of the Holocaust are trivialized, those who enabled those horrors are excused from their moral obligation to make amends, and those who want to imitate the perpetrators are given the green light to do so.

Knowing history is how we prevent this from happening. This is why teachers need to be permitted to teach history, and why school librarians must be permitted to put books on their library shelves that tell history honestly.

We imagine there are books on the Elizabethtown Area School District library shelves that could educate Lindemuth on this subject. She should read them.
At the Elizabethtown Area school board meeting on Dec. 21, 2021, there was discussion about contact tracing and the potential for the spread of COVID-19 in relation to differences in viral load between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.

During the discussion, recently elected board member Danielle Lindemuth seemed to compare those who are subject to pandemic measures to Holocaust victims.

Lindemuth said, We are discriminating against students who cant get a vaccine or students who ethically will not take the vaccine, and we are putting a little star on their chest.

Like many others in the community, I was shocked and saddened by this board members insensitive reference to history.

In public comments at subsequent school board meetings, various community members expressed offense regarding Lindemuths remarks.

In the months preceding this offensive comment, certain well-known persons, including Washington state Rep. Jim Walsh, Republican U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and lawyer/author Robert F. Kennedy Jr. compared COVID-19 restrictions to actions imposed on Jewish people during the Holocaust.

All three have apologized for their remarks or actions.

Sadly, Lindemuth has not.

In my view, Lindemuths seemingly intentional decision to compare events of the Holocaust with the contact tracing and quarantining of students in Elizabethtown Area School District continues to harm the community, trivialize the horrors of the Holocaust and perpetuate antisemitism.

Elizabeth Lewis

Elizabethtown
Providence Mayor Forms Reparations Commission

Providences mayor announced a city commission on reparations Monday as he and community leaders laid out their plans for the next phase in the Rhode Island capital citys efforts to atone for its role in Black slavery, systemic racism and the mistreatment of Native Americans.

The executive order signed by Democratic Mayor Jorge Elorza at the citys Bethel AME Church creates the Providence Municipal Reparations Commission.

The 13-member panel is charged with examining reparation work being done in other cities, conducting community outreach and creating recommendations for ways the city can begin repairing harms. NAACP Providence President Jim Vincent is among those already tapped to serve on the board, Elorza said.

While we know the city alone cannot repair the full scope of harm, todays action brings us another step closer to addressing the disparities our African heritage and Indigenous residents continue to face, the mayor said in a written statement.

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Elorza also released a framework for the citys reconciliation discussions that was developed following several months of surveys, community events and other outreach by experts at Roger Williams University in Bristol and local advocacy groups.

Organizers say they hope to focus the citys reconciliation effort on the experiences and perspectives of Black and Indigenous residents, particularly those with ties to the Providence neighborhoods of Fox Point, Lippitt Hill, Upper South Providence and West Elmwood, which they say were most harmed by urban redevelopment projects in recent decades.

The framework also features some proposed concepts for the next step in the citys effort, including the creation of a multimedia website featuring documentary-style interviews with residents, map visualizations and a way for residents to record and upload their own testimonials of racial harm.

Reconciliation represents the second phase of the citys Truth-Telling, Reconciliation and Reparations process, which Elorza launched in July 2020, also through an executive order.

Last March, the city completed the first truth-telling phrase with the release of the nearly 200-page  A Matter of Truth report, which details more than four centuries of cultural, political, and economic harm against people of color in Providence, from the 1600s to present.

Providence joins other cities and towns pursing reparations.

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Bostons city council is weighing a proposal to form its own reparations commission, while the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, became the first U.S. city to make reparations available to Black residents last year.
Kuwaiti officials recently canceled a yoga trip for women advertised by a teacher of the exercise form.

Lawmakers and Muslim leaders were upset over the danger of women doing yoga exercises. The incident this month was the latest cultural dispute over what women can do in the Arab nation.

Some observers say the power of tribes and Islamists in Kuwait is growing. They say politicians are opposing a growing feminist movement. These politicians, some rights activists say, consider womens issues destructive to traditional values. At the same time, the government is struggling to deal with difficult economic issues.

Our state is backsliding and regressing at a rate that we havent seen before, said feminist activist Najeeba Hayat to The Associated Press. She spoke recently during a womens protest in front of the Kuwaiti parliament. The activists were calling for freedoms they say officials have limited.

The country was once considered progressive compared to its Arab neighbors.

In recent years, however, women have made gains in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula. In Saudi Arabia, women have won greater freedoms under leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The movement against women in Kuwait was always insidious and invisible but now its risen to the surface, said Alanoud Alsharekh. She is a womens rights activist who helped start Abolish 153. It is a group that aims to end a law, called Article 153, which provides for weak punishments for so-called honor killings of women.

Just in the past few months, Kuwaiti officials shut down a popular center for belly dance classes. Clerics then demanded police arrest the organizers of a women's event called The Divine Feminine."

A court in Kuwait will soon hear a case seeking to ban Netflix after the service produced an Arabic-language movie that some people found offensive.

Conservative Islamist Hamdan al-Azmi has led the fight against yoga. He says yoga damages Arab culture.

If defending the daughters of Kuwait is backward, I am honored to be called it, he said.

These incidents have angered many Kuwaiti women at a time when there are no women in the elected parliament. There have also been several recent cases of violent honor killings.

In one case last year, a Kuwaiti woman named Farah Akbar was taken from her car and stabbed to death by a man. He was later released on bail and told to appear later in court.

The anger over Akbars killing caused parliament to write a bill that would withdraw Article 153. The law says that a man who catches his wife committing adultery or his female relative in illicit sex and kills her faces, at most, three years in prison.

Kuwaits parliamentary committee, however, did not vote on the issue. It asked the states Islamic clerics for a fatwa, or religious ruling, about the law.

The clerics ruled last month that the law be upheld.

Most of these members of parliament come from a system in which honor killings are normal, said Sundus Hussein. She is another founding member of the Abolish 153 group.

After Kuwait's 2020 elections, there was a large increase in the influence of conservative Islamists and tribal members, Hussein added.

Officials also called on clerics to decide whether women should be permitted to join the military.

The Defense Ministry had declared they could join last fall. But clerics added requirements. Last month, they decided women may only join in non-combat groups if they wear Islamic head coverings and get permission from a male guardian.

The decision upset many Kuwaitis who are used to government not making rules on head coverings.

Issues affecting women appear to be the only issue on which social conservatives can agree. Kuwaits ruler-appointed cabinet and its elected parliament cannot agree on the economy. A divided parliament has failed to fix the countrys record high deficit or pass economic reforms.

Two years ago, parliament passed a domestic violence protection law. But there are no government womens shelters or services for victims. Observers say violence against women has only increased during restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Activist Hayat has little hope the government will change anything for Kuwait's women. But she said that is no reason to give up.

If theres a protest, Im going to show up. If theres someone who needs convincing, Im going to try, she said.

Im Dan Novak.

And I'm Jill Robbins.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

yoga  n. a system of exercises for mental and physical health

regress  v. to return to an earlier and usually worse or less developed condition or state

insidious  adj. causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed

invisible  adj. impossible to see; not visible

bail  n. an amount of money given to a court to allow a prisoner to leave jail and return later for a trial

adultery  n. sex between a married person and someone who is not that person's wife or husband

domestic adj. relating to or involving someone's home or family

convince v. to cause (someone) to believe that something is true; to persuade
Researchers are looking into the biological causes of stuttering. Stuttering is a speech problem that causes the speaker to repeat the beginning sound of some words.

For centuries, people have feared being judged for stuttering. It is a condition often misunderstood as a psychological problem caused by things like bad parenting or emotional trauma. But research presented at a recent science conference explores its biological causes: genetics and brain differences.

Stuttering affects 70 million people around the world, including U.S. President Joe Biden. Biden has spoken publicly about being bullied by classmates for his speech problem. He has said that overcoming his stutter was one of the hardest things he ever did.

After a campaign event in 2020, he met a New Hampshire teenager who also stuttered, Brayden Harrington. They ended up talking for an hour.

Living with a stutter has not been easy, Brayden told The Associated Press.

I want to carry on what Joe Biden said to me, he said. That this does not define you and that you can be much more than you see yourself as.

Why do people stutter?

Stuttering has been recorded as far back as ancient China, Greece and Rome. But no one really knew what caused it until modern genetic science and brain imaging helped provide some answers.

Researchers identified the first genes strongly linked to stuttering more than a decade ago. Imaging studies looked at brains of adults and older children. And in the last few years, University of Delaware researcher Ho Ming Chow started looking at 3- to 5-year-olds. That is around the age many kids begin stuttering, with about 80 percent outgrowing it.

Chow said the imaging shows small brain differences in young children who keep stuttering, compared with those who recover or those who never stuttered. He discussed his research earlier this month at a conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

For example, Chow and his team found that genetic mutations related to stuttering are linked to structural problems in the corpus callosum and thalamus areas of the brain. The corpus callosum is an area that connects the two sides of the brain and helps them communicate. The thalamus sends sensory information to other parts of the brain. Past research has also linked stuttering to the basal ganglia, a group of brain structures involved in body movements.

Though several genes may be involved and the exact genetic causes may vary by child, they probably affect the brain in a similar way, Chow said.

Still, many people incorrectly believe that people stutter because they are nervous or suffered childhood trauma. Some also think stutterers could stop if they just tried harder.

We have a long way to go to change such beliefs, said University of Maryland researcher Nan Bernstein Ratner.

Moving ahead

Speech therapy is currently the main way to treat stuttering. But the medications now being tested could be approved for stuttering in the next few years.

Studies have suggested that stuttering may be related to high levels of a chemical in the brain called dopamine. Some medicines reduce dopamine activity or block its action.

Holly Nover is a speech pathologist and member of the National Stuttering Association. She grew up trying to hide her stutter. Her 10-year-old son, Colton, also has a speech problem.

She said many people will surely be interested in trying stuttering medications. But not her. She is happy with her life as it is and says she has accepted her stuttering. If Colton were struggling and wanted to try medication as a teenager, however, she would be open to the idea.

Brayden, who is now 14, does not plan to try medication.

Taking medicine is "just taking away a part of youtaking away part of your personality, he said.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this for VOA Learning English from reporting by The Associated Press.

Quiz- Researchers Look for Biological Reasons Behind Stuttering Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

______________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

psychological  n. of or relating to the mind

trauma  n. a very difficult or unpleasant experience that causes someone to have mental or emotional problems usually for a long time

bully  n. someone who frightens, hurts, or threatens smaller or weaker people

mutation  n. a change in the genes of a plant or animal that causes physical characteristics that are different from what is normal
The Russian attack on Ukraine has brought attention to another place that could face aggression from a much larger neighbor  Taiwan.

Some political experts are comparing Russias moves against Ukraine to China's threats to take control of self-ruled Taiwan.

Like Ukraine, Taiwan is a democracy that has resisted a more powerful government. However, many on the island feel the differences are important. For them, the war in Ukraine, and war in general, feel far away.

Ethan Lin is a 40-year-old who works in the service industry. He said, "I think our situation is not very similar to Ukraine's, whether it's political or in terms of connections. China has many exchanges with Taiwan in several areas, so I don't think it's that dangerous."

Taiwans government, the Republic of China, governs the island of 23 million people about 160 kilometers off China's eastern coast. The Peoples Republic of China claims the island should become part of its political system. The issue has grown more intense since Tsai Ing-wen became president of Taiwan in 2016. In recent months, China has increased military pressure on the island by sending ships into nearby waters and flying fighter jets in airspace claimed by Taiwan.

Military exercises by China

Last week, the Chinese army reported it had carried out military landing exercises in the East China Sea.

The important question for Taiwan is whether the United States would intervene if China invaded. U.S. President Joe Biden has said America will not send troops to defend Ukraine. The U.S. has no current official diplomatic ties with Taiwan but did in the past. The U.S. cut formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 to recognize mainland China.

Last August, the U.S. approved the sale of $750 million dollars in weapons to Taiwan. The U.S. is also bound by its own law to make sure that Taiwan can defend itself.

Kao-Cheng Wang is a professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan. He said, "Taiwan's economy and technology is important to the U.S., and perhaps the U.S. will value Taiwan more, but we have to see how the conflict plays out.

Peaceful reunification

Taiwan announced Friday it would join international restrictions against Russia. Wang Ting-yu, a lawmaker from Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, wrote on social media, "We can't sit on the sidelines while a big power bullies a small neighbor."

China's President Xi Jinping has said that "peaceful reunification" of China and Taiwan is in the best interests of both sides.

However, China has said it would use force if necessary to reach reunification. At present, military action seems unlikely. Li Minjiang is a Chinese international relations expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. He said outside events like the Russian invasion would not influence Chinas actions. He added that China would continue to use information campaigns and peaceful ways to influence public opinion on Taiwan.

Wang, the Tamkang University professor, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is different from Xi because he has used force against other countries before, against neighboring Georgia and Ukraine. "Xi Jinping is rather strong, but he increased military activity, rather than starting a war," Wang added.

Peter Chiang is a salesperson in Taiwans capital city, Taipei. He doubted China would attack. "I think even internally, they aren't that stable right now," he said.

Government criticizes creation of fear

Taiwans cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng said in a statement on Monday that people should not create fears by comparing Taiwan and Ukraine. He said: "In all areas, the two cannot be compared." Lo added that those who took this chance to talk about "'today's Ukraine, tomorrow's Taiwan' were wrongly linking Ukraine's situation with Taiwan's, disturbing people's morale. This is inadvisable."

Taiwan has a natural barrier of the Taiwan Strait separating it from China. It also is an important producer of semiconductors, or computer chips, that are used in smartphones, cars and many electronic devices.

Matsu is a group of Taiwanese islands that stretch to within 10 kilometers of mainland China. A Taiwanese politician there, Wen Lii, is concerned about a possible invasion. But he rejected simple comparisons to Ukraine.

Wen is director of the Matsu office of the Democratic Progressive Party. He wrote in an email, "People in Matsu always remain alert, but discussions about Chinese threats are usually based on concrete observation instead of a foreign crisis," he said. He added that there is no military buildup for now.

Im Jill Robbins.

Huizhong Wu reported this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English.

________________________________________________

Words in This Story

bully  v. a person who does or says things to hurt or frighten others

internally adv. existing inside something; taking place inside a group and not in public

stable  adj. not likely to change or come to an end suddenly

concrete  adj. definite and specific

disturb v. to worry or upset

morale  n. the amount of confidence and cheerfulness that a group of people have

What do you think of Taiwans reaction to the invasion of Ukraine? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
Metito Holding Limited (MHL), a leading global provider of water and alternative energy management solutions, has secured a $120 million sustainability-linked loan in co-ordination with HSBC Bank Middle East. The transaction was also supported by UAE branch of Kuwait-based Ahli Bank and Commercial Bank of Dubai.

HSBC Bank Middle East acted as the co-ordinator, initial mandated lead arranger, and bookrunner for the loan issued to MHL to further help the company support its mission of developing sustainable water management solutions and a cleaner environment.

This transaction was also supported by the UAE branch of Kuwait-based Ahli Bank ($40 million) and also Commercial Bank of Dubai ($20 million).

As the Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) co-ordinator, HSBC is helping Metito in linking four of its ambitious sustainability performance targets that are fully aligned with the companys vision and its sustainability agenda which aims at playing an active role in securing a smart and sustainable water ecosystem. The targets are:

*Water Consumption: Increase the usage of recycled wastewater for district cooling plants in the UAE,

*Water Source: Reuse of more recycled sewage water,

*Wastewater Treatment: Boost the capacity of treated wastewater in the coming years,

*Social Sustainability Target: Achieve a lower lost time to injury frequency rate (LTIFR).

On the key loan, Chief Investment Officer Talal Ghandour said: "Metito is a pioneer in the water treatment industry, and we are proud to be supported by HSBC and the wider consortium through this sustainability linked loan which we believe will strengthen our ability to grow across our target markets."

"Metitos vision to be the worlds leading provider of intelligent water management solutions across emerging markets is supported by the companys three founding principles - Impact, Sustainability, Innovation," stated Ghandour.

According to him, this loan underscores one of Metito's key attributes of providing sustainable infrastructure to its municipal and industrial clients.

"We pride ourself on having direct and tangible impact on the governments, industries and communities that we serve, and we believe real ownership can only be achieved if sustainability is fully integrated into our business model," added Ghandour.

Those who played a key role in the transaction include Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, UAE (Borrowers Legal Advisor); Linklaters UAE (Lenders Legal Advisor) in addition to other joint local legal counsels - Babbe Legal-Guernsey; Sultan Abdullah & Partner (Qatar); Z & Co (Saudi Arabia) and Rizkana & Partners (Egypt).-TradeArabia News Service
A United Nations report warns that the effects of climate change are likely to intensify unless urgent measures are taken to protect humanity and the planet.

The report was released Monday by the U.N.s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC. It deals with the ways nature and the worlds societies are currently suffering from human activities linked to climate conditions.

The report states that extreme heat, dry conditions and floods are already threatening the survival of some plants and animals. The IPCC said the changes are appearing much faster and are far more serious and widespread than expected 20 years ago.

In a speech Monday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world needs to invest in new ways to adapt to intensifying climate change. Adaptation saves lives, he said.

But Guterres said world leaders had failed to take effective steps to limit one of the main causes of climate change  heat-trapping carbon gasses.

Large investments in programs and technology will be needed to limit such pollution, which he said especially harms the worlds most vulnerable populations. The facts are undeniable. This abdication of leadership is criminal, Guterres added.

Mohamed Adow is director of the climate policy organization Power Shift Africa. He said in a statement that he considers the U.N. report a serious wake-up call to all areas of the world. The rich, polluting, global north has changed the planet through fossil fuel burning and is now refusing to help those suffering the effects, Adow said.

The report is considered important because the U.N. expects world leaders to use it to form new policies. Its release comes three months after world leaders met at a U.N. climate meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

The U.N.s climate goals

The U.N.s 2015 Paris Agreement aims to contain worldwide warming to within 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels. The U.N. report describes pre-industrial as a time before modern industry and uses a 50-year period ending in 1900 to measure it.

Experts say the world is already 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times and heat-trapping carbon gasses continue to increase. Climate experts say this could push temperatures above the U.N.s target of 1.5 degrees Celsius by the 2030s.

The new report warns that if that limit is crossed, then many human and natural systems will face additional severe risks... some will be irreversible, even if global warming is reduced."

The IPCC noted that millions of people are already facing severe food and water insecurity. They live in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and on small islands and in the Arctic.

One of the areas predicted to be the hardest hit by climate change is Africa. Its population is likely to grow faster than any other place during the 21st century, with many people living in coastal areas. The report said that by 2060, more than 190 million Africans will be vulnerable to higher sea levels.

Worldwide, 1 billion people will face coastal flooding risks from rising seas, the report said. And more people will be forced out of their homes from weather disasters. The most likely are flooding, sea level rise and large atmospheric storms called tropical cyclones.

If world temperatures continue to rise, up to 183 million people are estimated to face food insecurity in low-income countries by 2050, the report said.

Overall, the picture is stark for food systems. No one is left unaffected by climate change, Adelle Thomas told reporters. Thomas was one of the reports lead writers. She is a professor at the University of the Bahamas.

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is President Joe Bidens Special Envoy for Climate. He called the report a dire picture of the effects of climate change if we continue to ignore science. Kerry said he thinks it is no longer a question of whether the world can avoid a crisis, but whether we can avoid the worst consequences.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters, The Associated Press and VOA News reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

__________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

adapt  v. to change something to fit different conditions or uses

abdication  n. a decision not to be responsible for something anymore

vulnerable  adj. easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally

fossil fuel  n. fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas formed in the earth from dead plants or animals

irreversible  adj. not being able to change something to the way it was before

stark  adj. unpleasantly clear and obvious

dire  adj. very serious or bad

consequences  n. things produced by a cause or following from a condition

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LEXINGTON  The Two Rivers Public Health Departments COVID-19 risk dial was lowered last week as cases continued to decline across the seven county district.

There were 86 new cases of COVID-19 reported by Two Rivers between Feb. 16 and Feb. 22. In keeping with the trend over the past five weeks, positive cases have declined by 50 percent from the previous week.

According to Two Rivers, COVID-19 test positivity rates have declined in all test settings. Positivity rates in hospital and clinic tests have dropped to 10 percent, a first since July 22, 2021.

Per the Nebraska Public Health Atlas, in the past two weeks there have been around six cases in Dawson County and two in Gosper County.

As of Feb. 22, 51.4 percent of the total population of the Two Rivers district has received the minimum prescribed dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination rates have shown little change in the past month.

The risk of hospitalization or serious illness following infection is significantly higher for unvaccinated persons, according to Two Rivers.

Two Rivers strongly urges all unvaccinated vaccine-eligible residents to avail of the COVID vaccination through their healthcare provider, pharmacy or Two Rivers. For schedule of vaccination clinics, see https://www.trphd.org/covid-19/event-calendar.html

As of Wednesday, Feb. 23, there were 14 out of 32 ICU beds available across the district, 32 percent of medical and surgical beds are available across the district.

COVID-19 patients account for over half the ventilators currently in use across the district. However, less than 13 percent of all vents in the district are being used for patient support, Two Rivers stated.

Two Rivers continues to offer COVID-19 testing at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds in Kearney on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m.  11 a.m. Those interested in testing need to register at https://login.registermytime.com/tw/2rphd for scheduling.

For these reasons, the risk dial is lowered from last week in the elevated (orange) zone. The dial reflects the steep decrease in new COVID cases and test positivity rates, consistent ICU bed availability and improvements in ventilator utilization trends, according to Two Rivers.

Active COVID-19 hospitalization numbers across Nebraska continue to fall, but not as rapidly as past weeks. As of Thursday, Feb. 24, there were 305 COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The number of patients reached 767 in late January, but has been falling since that period, but this has slowed down as the numbers reached the 300s.

To date, 67 percent of Nebraskas total population over the age of five has been fully vaccinated and 6.4 percent have been partially vaccinated, according to DHHS.

Nebraska has seen a total of 453,569 reported cases and 3,247 deaths.

Taking a look the United States, The national outlook continues to improve rapidly, with new cases, hospitalizations and deaths all continuing to fall, the New York Times stated, Daily case reports have fallen more than 90 percent from their January peak. Case numbers are as low as they have been since November, before the Omicron variant took hold.

About 60,000 people with the coronavirus are hospitalized nationally, down from about 160,000 in January. The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units has fallen more than 40 percent in the last two weeks, states the New York Times, For the first time in more than a month, the country is averaging fewer than 2,000 newly reported deaths a day. Despite the steep decline, thousands of Covid-19 deaths continue to be announced each week.
Country

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Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. 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
If not for Jane Does courage, former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston,  a man who stands convicted of raping her and now faces spending the rest of his life in prison  would no doubt be on his way toward securing a second term representing this area in the Legislature.
UK-based Turner & Townsend, a global consultancy business serving clients in the real estate, infrastructure and natural resources sectors, has appointed Mark Dyson as the new head of infrastructure for Saudi Arabia.

An industry veteran, he has over 15 years of experience delivering large infrastructure projects in the Middle East and the United Kingdom.

In his new role, Dyson will be responsible for delivering existing KSA major infrastructure projects and driving infrastructure portfolio growth in the kingdom by ensuring that clients receive the best of the firms technical expertise and innovation.

He has been with the business for the past nine years and has been fundamental in Turner & Townsends successful pursuit and delivery of several major public sector infrastructure programmes in the region.

Dyson has also actively been involved in the firms strategic positioning and key client development within Saudi and Qatar markets.

Regional Infrastructure and Programme Advisory Lead Gary Haldane said: "Marks appointment reflects our dedication to strengthening our infrastructure capability in KSA. He has been instrumental in successfully delivering large-scale infrastructure programmes in the region."

"The growth of our regional infrastructure presence is a testament to our approach in helping the Kingdom with economic diversification. As a business, we are fully committed to supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. A key focus for us will be to deliver better outcomes on Kingdom infrastructure programmes by transforming performance, incorporating more sustainability principles, and driving inclusivity in the industry," he added.

On his new role, Dyson said the KSA market will see an influx of major infrastructure projects requirements over the next few years as the construction sector powers forward with the delivery of Vision 2030 Giga Schemes and the establishment of the National Infrastructure Fund.

"The demand for infrastructure to support KSAs 2030 vision will be huge over the next 10 years. As a business, we are very excited about the opportunity this demand presents us with, to support our existing and future clients on the challenges they will face in delivering, what will no doubt be, complex major infrastructure programmes," he noted.

"Our global and local experience in delivering these programmes provides us with a perfect platform to do deliver service excellence to our clients in this space," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net
WAUSAU  A man accused of fatally shooting one person and wounding two others at a Wausau cemetery in 2019 has agreed to a plea deal and will avoid a jury trial.

Henry West, 67, pleaded no contest Monday to five of 17 charges he faced. He was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide and two counts of arson , WSAW-TV reported. The 12 other counts were dismissed, but will be read in at sentencing.

Investigators say West was still upset about being fired from the cemetery several years prior and fatally shot 52-year-old Patricia Grimm, who was an employee at Pine Grove Cemetery, on Oct. 3, 2019. A 60-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman were injured.

West who was being evicted from his apartment in Schofield was convicted setting fire to the garage on the same day as the shootings. He was also accused of tampering with a gas line and laid makeshift explosives that police said could have been a deadly.

A sentencing date has not yet been set. A conviction for first-degree intentional homicide carries a mandatory life sentence in Wisconsin. Only his parole eligibility would be considered.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School will be the next Madison public school considered for a name change due to its namesakes history of owning slaves.

Jefferson Middle School principal Sue Abplanalp formally asked the board and the superintendent to launch the renaming process during the boards regular Monday meeting.

District spokesperson Tim LeMonds said the request is based on community feedback on the topic, and that Superintendent Carlton Jenkins will request the development of an ad hoc committee to begin to explore the potential name change per board policy.

Jefferson Middle School was named after the third U.S. president. Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, a key adviser on the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and a slave owner.

I think its important. I think we have to change the way we remember history. We have to be real but also thoughtful about the reality of enslavement in this country, board vice president Savion Castro said.

Staff members at Jefferson Middle School and parents of students at the school requested the name to be changed through a number of different submissions to Jenkins, through emails, letters and community outreach, Castro said.

Each member of the board will select two citizens to serve on the 12-person ad hoc committee, along with a staff liaison. Two of those citizens selected by the seven-person school board will be designated as alternates in case an ad hoc committee member steps down.

The board plans to appoint the ad hoc committee during a special meeting scheduled for March 13.

Members of the ad hoc committee will meet over a period of three months to receive community feedback and deliberate on the name change before bringing their recommendation to the board for final approval.

The request comes after the board voted unanimously to rename James Madison Memorial High School to Vel Phillips Memorial High School, in honor of the first Black woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, win a seat on the Milwaukee City Council, become a judge in Wisconsin and get elected to statewide office. She died in 2018 at the age of 95.

A committee of community members charged with the task of renaming the high school brought its suggestion before the boards Operations Work Group in November after a five-month deliberation process. The committee whittled a list of 26 names to four, and finally settled on Phillips in a 10-1 vote in October.

The high schools name change is the latest decision spurred by Black students pushing for a racial reckoning in Madison. Former Memorial student Mya Berry called on the board to rename the school in August 2020 because James Madison, the fourth U.S. president and the citys namesake, was a slave owner.

In December 2020 a Madison School Board ad hoc committee, formed to rename Falk Elementary School, voted unanimously to recommend the building be named after Milele Chikasa Anana, a prominent civil rights activist and the first African American to be voted onto a public school board in Wisconsin.

The Falk renaming committee was formed in August 2020 after a group of school staff, parents and community members submitted a letter in July of that year asking that the Southwest Side elementary school be renamed, after a discovery in 2018 by UW-Madison researchers that Philip Falk, the buildings namesake and a former Madison school superintendent, was part of a UW-Madison student group that shared a name with the Ku Klux Klan.

The university has removed the names of other famous alumni, including Academy Award-winning actor Frederic March, who were associated with the same KKK group. The NAACP has asked that Marchs name be restored after further research revealed he had been an advocate for civil rights throughout his career.

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Claiming some nursing home residents cast ballots without knowing what they were doing, and repeating complaints about grants from a liberal organization to help administer the 2020 election, the former state Supreme Court justice leading a GOP review of the 2020 election said Tuesday the Legislature ought to take a very hard look at decertifying the states presidential election  something experts say is a legal and constitutional impossibility.

In a sweeping critique of current election rules, Michael Gableman also called for the elimination and dismantling of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission after it instructed clerks in 2020 that they did not need to send poll workers into nursing homes to assist with absentee voting after many were turned away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At best, WEC is hopelessly derelict of duty, Gableman told the Assembly elections committee in a three-hour presentation of his 136-page interim report from his ongoing one-party review. The report reiterates past GOP criticisms of the states presidential election, including that millions of dollars of private grants allocated to cities to help administer the election amid the pandemic constituted bribery  a claim courts have rejected.

The commissions nonpartisan administrator, Meagan Wolfe, denounced the report, saying it was based on mischaracterizations and that almost every item flagged by the review has already been litigated or addressed.

The opinions in the Special Counsels latest interim report were fixated on topics that have been thoroughly addressed, Wolfe said. The integrity of the November 2020 election, and of the WEC, has been shown time and time again through court cases and previous investigations.

A recount and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Reviews by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau and the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty found no evidence of widespread fraud. Multiple court rulings have also found no evidence of irregularities.

Further, the results of the 2020 election have been confirmed by county canvassing boards, recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties, post-election audits by local and state election authorities and a voting equipment audit by the elections commission.

Gableman indicated that his review, for which Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has allocated $676,000 in taxpayer money, is far from complete. He said he continues to speak with Vos about extending the contract, which expired at the end of December. The eight-month review has been plagued by legal challenges against multiple subpoenas issued by Gableman.

The former justices lengthy, meandering and at times openly partisan attacks on elections commission staff and Democratic appointees underscored to critics the one-sided nature of the investigation.

This circus has long surpassed being a mere embarrassment for our state, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. From the beginning, it has never been a serious or functioning effort, it has lacked public accountability and transparency, and it has been a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.

Decertification

Republican lawmakers and legislative attorneys have repeatedly said overturning the election after it was certified by the state and Congress would be illegal and impossible. And in his report, Gableman makes clear that his purpose is not to challenge the states certification. But an appendix does sketch how that might be done, he said.

It is clear that the Wisconsin Legislature could lawfully take steps to decertify electors in any presidential election, for example in light of violations of state election law that did or likely could have affected the outcome of the election, according to the report.

UW-Madison political science professor and elections administration expert Kenneth Mayer said the claim is meaningless.

Even if the Legislature did pass some sort of decertification now it would have no legal effect, he said. Once the electors have cast their ballots, and they have been counted in Congress, thats the end of it.

Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, has repeatedly rejected efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

In a world where partisan divides are deep & seemingly anything can be justified as long as it results in retaining power, handing authority to partisan politicians to determine if election fraud exists would be the end of our republic as we know it, Steineke tweeted.

Following the hearing, committee chair Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, and member Rep. David Murphy, R-Greenville, did not rule out the possibility of pursuing decertification, though Murphy said that bar needs to be extremely high.

To undo an election would be extremely detrimental to our republic. This is a very destabilizing act, Murphy said. On the other hand, elections that are stolen, thats also destabilizing for the republic so we have to look at this with an open mind from both directions.

Gablemans report comes weeks after Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, launched a campaign for governor focused largely on claims of widespread fraud and a desire to take back the states 10 electoral college votes already certified for Biden. Other Republicans in the race  former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and anti-establishment candidate Kevin Nicholson  have also lobbed criticism at the 2020 elections administration, but have not openly called for decertifying the results.

Voting deputies

Gableman took special aim at the elections commissions decision to exempt clerks from the requirement that they send poll workers, known as special voting deputies, into care facilities in 2020, showing several videos of attorney Erick Kaardal questioning nursing homes residents who evidently voted but seemed to have trouble understanding questions he was asking them about the election.

The commissions guidance was issued in March 2020 shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. The directive remained in place for the November 2020 presidential election and the February 2021 primary.

John Sauer, CEO of LeadingAge Wisconsin, which represents nursing homes, said there are instances in the report that, if true, would certainly warrant further investigation. But, he said, even if a few of the examples cited turn out to be factual, we have to remember this was a very unusual circumstance, where the pandemic forced a suspension of the use of special voting deputies.

Sauer noted the Gableman report said investigators vetted 24 nursing homes in Dane County, but the county has only 18, according to the state Department of Health Services.

The videos Gableman showed appeared to call into question whether the people interviewed, in some cases appearing confused or uninformed, should have been allowed to vote. But under election law, only a judge  not an elections clerk or a special voting deputy  can reject a persons right to register to vote after finding the person is incompetent.

Here are 26 ways Michael Gableman is seeking to change Wisconsin's election laws Recommendations former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman makes in his "interim investigative report" for changing Wisconsin election laws.

Simply being forgetful or appearing to be confused doesnt mean that person cant formulate their opinion on who they choose to vote for, Sauer said. If theres not a determination, then the assumption is that person is competent and able to cast a ballot.

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell criticized the videos, which he described as using seniors as political props, adding that families concerned a relative may be incompetent should have a judge make that finding.

You wouldnt want special voting deputies to be determining that on their own, he said.

Private grants

Gableman also contends that the private grants by the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, which were distributed around the state but went primarily to the states five largest cities, were aimed at boosting turnout in areas more likely to go for Biden.

In taking the money, Gableman said, Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha and Green Bay engaged in what he called election bribery, defined in state law as accepting anything of value, such as money, to induce any elector to go to or refrain from going to the polls or vote or refrain from voting.

His report also points to provisions in the CTCL and the cities Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan that, among other things, encourage the use of ballot drop boxes and reaching out to historically disenfranchised voters such as racial minorities and the poor, which not-coincidentally, matched that of the Biden-voter profile.

A Wisconsin State Journal review of the CTCL grants found that the money was spread around to about 214 municipalities, while the five largest cities received two to four times more money, per capita, than smaller cities.

At the same time, no community that asked for money from the group was denied, with communities in 39 of the states 72 counties receiving grants, including ones won by Trump.

A state Legislative Audit Bureau survey also found that drop boxes were common across Wisconsin, appearing in 24 to 54 municipalities in each of seven different regions of the state, including in the northeast and northwest where Trump won the vast majority of counties.

The 2020 election is over. Heres what happened (and what didnt) The 2020 election was the most secure in American history, according to the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructu

The states anti-election bribery law also specifies other things that also cost money that are aimed at helping people vote but dont constitute bribery, such as giving employees paid time off to vote, and driving people to the polls.

The conservative Thomas More Society on Tuesday released its own private review of the 2020 election, which also alleges the CTCL grants constitute bribery and raises questions surrounding special voting deputies at nursing homes.

The separate review was conducted on behalf of the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, one of a handful of groups that unsuccessfully sued to overturn the results of the states 2020 presidential election. The organization shares office space in Brookfield with Gableman, according to lease documents, and the groups president, Ron Heuer, as well as Kaardal, are members of Gablemans team.

State Journal reporters Chris Rickert, Alexander Shur and David Wahlberg contributed to this report.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. A previous version misstated the reason why Skaalen Retirement Services in Stoughton shredded four absentee ballots in the 2020 election. It was because the residents decided they didnt want to vote. None of the residents at the nursing home at the time had been found by a judge to be incompetent.

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Gableman's eight-month review of the 2020 election has been plagued by legal challenges against multiple subpoenas issued by the former state Supreme Court justice.
OMAHA, Neb.  A judge has cleared the way for newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises to use a voting system that will ensure two longtime directors are reelected at its upcoming annual meeting despite the objections of a hedge fund that is trying to buy the company.

The Davenport, Iowa-based publisher said the Delaware judge rejected Alden Global Capital's motion for an injunction in Alden's latest lawsuit Friday. Earlier in February, a judge also blocked Alden's effort to nominate its own directors at Lee's March 10 annual meeting.

"This is now the second court ruling in less than two weeks rejecting Alden's desperate efforts to destabilize Lee and push its grossly undervalued proposal to purchase the company," Lee said in a statement.

Alden didn't immediately comment on the ruling.

The publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Buffalo News, Lincoln Journal Star and dozens of other newspapers rejected Alden's $141 million takeover offer in December. The New York-based hedge fund is already one of the nation's largest newspaper owners, but it has a reputation for imposing severe cuts and layoffs at the publications it owns.

Alden objected to Lee's decision to use a plurality standard for the director vote because it will essentially guarantee the reelection of Lee's chairman and its lead independent director. As long as the directors get at least one "yes" vote, that is more than any other candidate could get because they are running unopposed. Alden wanted the directors to have to win the majority of the votes cast to keep their seats.

Alden, which owns 6.3% of Lee's stock, says change is needed because the company has delivered disappointing results since buying all of Berkshire Hathaway's newspapers in 2020. But Lee has said it is making good progress in growing online ad revenue and digital subscriptions.

Lee's board has received support from two other hedge funds that hold stakes in the publisher because they have said Lee is worth significantly more than the $24 per share Alden has offered.

This story was first published on Feb. 27, 2022. It was updated on March 1, 2022, to correct that the judge rejected Alden Global Capital's motion for an injunction but didn't throw out the lawsuit.

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Ready to dip your toes back into travel but feeling overwhelmed by all the different airline rewards programs? Confused about how to make the most of points and miles  especially in the waning months of a global pandemic?

Not to worry: You dont need to be a seasoned traveler to start racking up points and cashing them in for free flights, upgrades and other perks. Whether your job sends you on a cross-country flight every other week or you only hop on a plane for the occasional family vacation, theres a frequent flier program for you.

Below, youll find the best airline rewards programs for every type of traveler.

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The Best Airline Rewards Programs

Best Overall: American Airlines AAdvantage

Pros Earn and spend points with dozens of partner hotels, including 500 miles for each Hyatt stay and 2 miles per dollar with Marriott Bonvoy

Massive coverage area

Easy-to-use rewards map

Starting this year, the program is simplifying its points structure Cons Some cheaper rewards flights have limited availability

Points expire after 18 months of inactivity (policy paused through March 2022), but can be reactivated for a fee

Highlight: Members can use points to purchase an Admirals Club membership and get access to more than 100 airport lounges across the globe  and elite members get cheaper membership rates.

The American Airlines AAdvantage program is our top pick for the average traveler. With hub cities in Dallas, Charlotte, Chicago, Miami, New York and more, youre likely to find options with American wherever youd like to fly. You can start redeeming benefits at just 7,500 points  thats about $1,500 spent with American Airlines for regular customers. Citi AAdvantage card holders earn exclusive benefits and rack up points faster.

Runner up: Delta Skymiles

Pros No blackout dates

Miles don't expire

Highly rated customer service Cons Can't earn miles or points toward elite status on basic economy fares

Doesn't publish an awards chart, and rates for points flights vary widely

Highlight: Earn points with unique partners including Lyft, Airbnb and Instacart

Runner up: United Mileage Plus

Pros Earn and spend points with more than 35 partner airlines including Singapore Airlines and Air Canada

Claims to have the most rewards destinations of any U.S. global airline

Miles don't expire

Doesn't add fuel surcharges to awards travel Cons Doesn't publish an awards chart

Highlight: Members get discounts on the Clear service to save time at the airport

Delta Skymiles and United Mileage Plus are also great choices for conventional travelers. Each of these programs share many of the same perks as Americans AAdvantage program, like free checked baggage for members with higher tiers of status. Both serve major hub cities across all regions of the United States. The points earning structure is similar at both airlines, and both allow customers to book flights with a combination of cash and points (though United has an edge when it comes to partner airlines and awards destinations). And as is the case with nearly every airline rewards program, airline credit card holders get exclusive perks and earn points much faster than general members. While all three of the top three loyalty programs have lots of benefits, American Airlines AAdvantage has the edge thanks to its easy-to-use points structure and extensive network of partners.

Best for spring breakers: JetBlue TrueBlue

Pros Points don't expire

No blackout dates

Partnership with American Airlines expands East Coast flight options for JetBlue customers

Can pool points with other people Cons Smaller footprint than other airlines

Highlight: Members get 300 extra points for bringing a pet along for the ride

With plenty of flights from all over the U.S. to warm-weather destinations like Orlando, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, JetBlues TrueBlue program is ideal for vacationers. And because the program lets you pool your points with up to six other people, its a great choice for larger groups traveling together. JetBlues partnership with IGH Hotels and Resorts (which includes the Kimpton, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza brands) means you can keep earning points once you arrive at your beach getaway. Youll earn top-tier Mosaic status after 15,000 points, which can be accrued relatively quickly (in some cases by spending less than $2,500 with the airline in a year). JetBlue credit card holders earn more points per dollar and get bonus points for opening their accounts.

Best for Long Haul Travelers: Alaska Air Mileage Plan

Pros Calculates points based on distance traveled, not dollars spent

Easy-to-use online route map for awards travel Cons Direct routes are more limited, especially on the East Coast

Points can expire after two years of inactivity

Highlight: Club 49, a program within Mileage Plan specifically for people who live in Alaska, offers two free checked bags on every flight to or from Alaska as well as two 30% discounts per year on flights to, from or within the state.

For transcontinental travelers or those traveling up and down the West Coast frequently, Alaska Airs Mileage Plan is a great choice. Alaska calculates rewards points based on miles flown, not dollars spent, which the airline says nets members 30% more miles on average than they would on other airlines. Alaska has 24 partner airlines including American Airlines, Emirates and British Airways, and while you may earn fewer points on those partner routes depending on what type of fare you purchase, you can still rack up points on non-West Coast flights.

Best for Couples: Southwest Rapid Rewards

Pros Partnerships with Marriott and Hyatt Hotels

No blackout dates

Free in-flight wifi for top membership tier

Points don't expire Cons Limited international destinations

Can't combine cash and points to book flights

Highlight: The programs best perk is the ability to earn a companion pass that lets you bring someone with you when you fly  for free.

Southwest is famous for its low fares, making it popular among younger, budget-minded travelers. The airline has no assigned seating, which makes it easier for travelers to sit in their preferred seats without paying extra fees on their reservation. It has fewer fees than its competitors and also offers two free checked bags on every flight. The Rapid Rewards program only allows you to earn points on flights with Southwest (or on purchases with the airlines retail partners), and youll reach A-List status after taking 25 flights in a year or earning 35,000 points. A-List status unlocks priority boarding, priority check-in and security line access and same-day standby benefits. One of the best perks of the Rapid Rewards program as a whole is the Companion Pass, which can be earned after taking 100 flights or earning 125,000 points in a year. The pass allows you to bring a guest with you every time you fly  for free (though youll both have to pay the taxes and fees on the ticket).

Best for Families: Frontier Miles

Pros Low fares

Certain membership tiers have family points pooling and free family seating

Straightforward point system: earn one point per mile flown Cons Charges fees for amenities that are free on other major carriers

Can't use points on other airlines

Points expire after six months of inactivity, but can be reinstated for a fee

Highlight: One child under 15 can fly free with a Discount Den membership of just $60 per year  an expense that pays for itself after just one flight.

Budget airline Frontier, based in Denver, is a great choice for families flying within the United States. Members earn one point for every mile flown, and reaching the first tier of elite status requires just 20,000 points. That tier of status gets you a free carry-on bag, priority boarding and the ability to pool points within your family. Frontier also offers a special program called Discount Den, which gets you access to discounted fares and lets one child under age 15 fly for free on certain qualifying flights. The Discount Den membership is half price once you reach the second tier of membership status and its free at the top tier.

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Best Airline Rewards Program Guide

What are airline rewards programs?

Airline rewards programs are specialty frequent flier programs offered by every major airline. They are generally free to join, and allow you to earn points or miles on purchased airfare that you can then exchange for a bunch of different perks. Generally, the programs have multiple tiers of membership that offer better rewards as you accumulate more points.

How do airline rewards programs work?

Airline rewards programs allow you to earn rewards based on how much you spend or how far you fly with a certain airline or group of airlines. Usually, these reward programs track your progress through points. Once youve accumulated enough points by spending money on flights and other eligible expenses, you can redeem them for perks and rewards with the airline or its partners. Those perks might include free flights, free upgrades to first or business class, free checked bags and access to exclusive airport lounges  just to name a few. Many programs also let you redeem points through partnerships with hotels, rental car agencies, cruise lines, retailers and more.

Each airline structures its rewards program a little differently, which is why its so important to do some research before deciding which one makes the most sense for you.

Best airline rewards programs FAQs Are airline rewards programs worth it? Even if you don't travel frequently, airline rewards programs offer serious benefits. They are generally free, and accumulating points now can lead to some great perks and savings down the road. Of course, the right program for you depends on a lot of factors. Our best pick for the average traveler is American Airlines AAdvantage, but the program that's right for you might vary depending on where you travel, how often you travel and who you travel with. Is it worth it to stick to one airline? You'll earn rewards faster if you stick to one major rewards program, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're stuck flying with the same airline forever. The biggest U.S. airlines (United, Delta and American) are all part of airline alliances that include an extensive network of partner airlines, many of which are international. Generally, points and benefits transfer between airlines in the same alliance. Budget airlines like Frontier, Spirit and Allegiant are not members of any airline alliances, meaning that rewards points earned through their programs can only be used on one airline. It's always a good idea to keep your options open to make sure you get the best deal. Who has the best airline rewards program? Our top pick is the American AAdvantage program, but again, the best rewards program for you might be different. You should consider which airlines fly out of your local airport and which serve your most frequented destinations. Consider whether you travel alone or with family and friends most of the time, and if any membership perks--like free checked bags or lounge access--are especially important to you. Who has the best airline rewards programs for international travel? The best airline rewards program for international travel will depend on your preferences and the destinations you most frequently visit. If you're looking for the frequent flier program with the most international options, United's MileagePlus rewards program lets you transfer points to other airlines in the Star Alliance, a network of airlines that, together, serve thousands of destinations in 195 countries.

How we evaluated the best airline rewards programs

To determine the best rewards programs for different types of travelers, Money evaluated the exclusive features, destinations served, network partners (including hotels and other airlines) and ease of earning and spending points for ten popular airline rewards programs. We used this information to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each program, highlighting the features that differentiate the winners while keeping in mind that there isnt a one-size-fits-all program that works for every traveler. We only considered rewards programs from airlines based in the United States.

Most airlines offer branded credit cards to accompany their rewards programs. Weve chosen to focus on the program itself, not the perks of the credit card, in our analysis. That said, these cards can offer significant benefits and savings and can help you earn points at a faster rate. Learn more about the best travel credit cards here.

If you need to be protected while away on a trip, Travel Insurance has you covered. Travel is full of unexpected events. Stay safe with a Travel Insurance policy. Click below to find out more today.

Summary of Moneys best airline program reviews

Best overall: American Airlines AAdvantage

Best for spring breakers: JetBlue TrueBlue

Best for long haul travelers: Alaska Air Mileage Plan

Best for couples: Southwest Rapid Rewards

Best for Families: Frontier Miles

 Copyright 2021 Ad Practitioners, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Moneys full disclaimer.

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Larry Lee Adams, 75, of Kimberly, passed away February 25 at St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center in Twin Falls. No services will be held. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Rosenau Funeral Home & Crematory.

Stanley Collins, 68, of Twin Falls, died on February 26 at a local hospital. Arrangements in the care of Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Betty May Evans, 101, of Twin Falls, passed away February 26, 2022, at Bridgeview Estates. Funeral arrangements are under the care of White-Reynolds Funeral Chapel in Twin Falls.

Vic Graybeal, 98, of Twin Falls, died February 26, 2022, in his home. Arrangements in the care of Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Richard Hunt, 81, of Twin Falls, passed away February 27, 2022. Arrangements are pending under the care of Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Kathleen Jensen Mesenbrink, 78, of Burley, passed away Sunday, February 27, 2022. The funeral is pending and will be announced by Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home of Burley.

Mildred Alleen Munri, 93, of Twin Falls and formerly of Stidham, Oklahoma, passed away in the evening at her home, surrounded by family on February 25 in Twin Falls. Funeral arrangements are under the care and direction of Rosenau Funeral Home & Crematory.

Herman Pope, 86, of Nampa, died Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Funeral arrangements are under the care and direction of Zeyer Funeral Chapel, zeyerfuneralchapel.com.

Frank David Butch Sartain, 63, of Kimberly, passed away Friday, February 25, 2022, at home. A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 5, 2022, at River Christian Fellowship Hall, 4002 North 3300 East, Twin Falls. Arrangements are under the care of Serenity Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services of Idaho, 502 Second Ave. N., Twin Falls. For tributes and condolences go to serenityfuneralchapel.com.

Tracy Sears, 52, of Twin Falls, died in her home February 27, 2022. Arrangements are pending under the direction of Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Connie Newman Sparks, 74, of Buhl, died Saturday, February 26, 2022, at a Salt Lake City hospital. Services are under the care of Farmer Funeral Chapel, Buhl.

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Leading Egyptian developer Administrative Capital For Urban Development (ACUD) will be outlining its roadmap for Egypt's growth and the lucrative investment opportunities in the real estate market there at the International Property Show (IPS 2022), which kicks off in Dubai on March 24.

Acud is the owner and developer of the New Administrative capital in Egypt, a transformative project and extension of Cairo, as one of the worlds largest urban developments at 700 sq km with an expected population of 6.5 million on completion.

It is being designed as a super smart and sustainable city of the future, that will house a new presidential district, government district, diplomatic district, headquarters of the House of Representatives, and 20 residential areas.

Egypt is witnessing a boisterous growth in its real estate investment and purchasing, with $231.1 million Net Foreign Investment being used for purchase of real estate properties in Egypt in 2021, said a top official of Acud.

"The new capital is developed with the strategic vision for a smart city integrating its smart infrastructure to provide many services to citizens. Our participation at IPS is an effort to highlight Egypts undiscovered beauty, as well as tap high net worth individuals and serious buyers interested in investing in Egypt," remarked Ahmed Zaki Abdeen, the Acud Chairperson.

"Egypts real estate sector has grown by 8% since the beginning of the year, and IPS is a true melting pot that gives ACUD the opportunity to tap a large group of real estate investors, he added.

IPS 2022 is set to attract more than 20,000 visitors from over 40 countries and 100+ international exhibitors. With Dubai Expo 2020 underway, it will get an additional boost as more visitors are expected to drop in.

The IPS 2022 will provide a stupendous platform bringing all key stakeholders and decision-makers in the real estate industry under one roof for the best returns on investments, said the event organisers.

"Egypt is certainly a promising market for real estate investment and purchasing. We are glad to have Acud on board with us," stated Dawood Al Shezawi, President of Strategic Exhibition and Conference and Head of Organizing Committee of IPS.

"Their presence and display of the new capital will be a stellar offering at the show. We are confident that for real estate developers in Egypt, exhibiting in IPS is a golden chance to reach global buyers," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
BOISE  A man who allegedly preyed on Christians, using biblical quotes to entice them to invest in Arizona real estate, is accused of operating a Ponzi scheme and scamming investors out of more than $82 million.

Bradley R. Heinrichs, 41, of Boise, was indicted in Arizona on four counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, illegal control of an enterprise, theft and conspiracy, all felonies. He has pleaded not guilty.

Out of respect for the legal process, we are not going to comment on the allegations against Mr. Heinrichs, except to say that he denies them, Phoenix lawyer Anne Chapman said by email. There are multiple sides to every story, and Mr. Heinrichs is allowing the legal process to take its course.

Heinrichs is listed as manager of Anthology real estate, 421 S. 8th St. in Boise, according to records from the Idaho secretary of states office. If convicted, Heinrichs could face a sentence of 4.5 years to 69 years in prison.

The indictment was announced in March 2021  nearly six years after the crimes were alleged to have taken place. A trial date is scheduled to be set April 14.

A settlement conference between a deputy Arizona attorney general and Chapman was held earlier this month, but a resolution was not reached.

A spokesperson for the attorney generals office did not reply to a telephone call and email.

A records request submitted to the Idaho attorney generals office did not reveal any investigations into Heinrichs conduct in Idaho.

The Arizona attorney generals office, which reviewed more than 75,000 pages of documents, said Heinrichs and a co-defendant, Stephen J. Hatch, operated a racketeering enterprise involving the sale of Arizona real estate between January 2005 and December 2014.

The pair promised double-digit returns to more than 110 investors, including many from Idaho, prosecutors said.

Business partner spent five years in prison

Hatch, now 72, pleaded guilty in 2017 to one felony count of fraud and was sentenced to five years in prison. In exchange for Hatchs guilty pleas, prosecutors agreed not to charge his children, who were paid lavish salaries and were allegedly involved in the scam.

Hatch, who was ordered to pay $1 million in restitution, was released from prison in September and remains under community supervision, according to Arizona Department of Corrections records.

In a Ponzi scheme, money from later investors is used to pay off earlier investors to make it appear there are profits. When incoming cash dries up, the scheme falls apart.

Heinrichs told investors that his company wanted to give an opportunity to Christian families to invest, how God was using their company to support missions and that they wanted to pass the blessing along to the little guy who normally wouldnt have an opportunity like this, according to a court filing from a group that formed to seek restitution for the victims from Heinrichs and Hatch.

The group said Heinrichs falsely told investors that Hatch was worth between $15 million and $20 million and didnt need money. Henrichs told investors Hatch had been in the real estate business for many years and came out of retirement to help other people, mainly his children, learn the business, the group said.

The group, the Hatch/Heinrichs Victims Recovery Fund, said Heinrichs promised some investors annual returns as high as 25%.

Heinrichs is accused of lying to investors about missing payments. Prosecutors say he regularly sent investors statements showing increasing interest earnings without telling them there was not enough money to make earnings payments.

Heinrich and Hatch created more than 30 business entities and managed 17 sets of books to buy 13 properties.

Hatch was responsible for locating, acquiring, development and rezoning properties, while Heinrichs was responsible for recruiting investors, a letter from the attorney generals office said.

Boise physician among Ponzi scheme victims

Dr. Richard Blickenstaff, a Boise dermatologist, initially invested $227,800 with Heinrichs, according to a letter to a judge from the Arizona attorney generals office. He added $100,000 more in June 2014.

Blickenstaff, who supplied the Idaho Statesman with documents from the case, lived in the same Idaho subdivision as Heinrichs parents, and they attended the same church. Heinrichs sister was a friend of Blickenstaffs son, so Richard Blickenstaff also knew Heinrichs.

Through this relationship, Heinrichs solicited investments, the letter said. He told Blickenstaff that Hatch was a Christian, a man of impeccable character, had a long history of successful real estate ventures and had delivered promised return to investors in all of his previous projects.

Five months after Blickenstaff provided Heinrichs with the $100,000, Heinrichs told Blickenstaff that Hatch had misappropriated money from the investments.

When Blickenstaff asked him how he could have taken another $100,000 from him knowing there were improprieties and red flags with regard to fraud and mismanagement, he said that is something I am struggling with, the letter said.

A second victim from Boise, who lost an undisclosed amount of money, declined to comment when contacted by the Statesman.

The allegations are similar to those in Idahos largest Ponzi scheme, in which executives of Diversified Business Services and Investments, known as DBSI, defrauded 8,500 investors and suppliers out of $102 billion.

CEO Doug Swenson, convicted in 2014 of 44 counts of securities fraud and 34 counts of wire fraud, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Three other executives, including Swensons two sons, were sentenced to three to five years in prison.

DBSI operated legitimately for many years before aggressively buying up office buildings and offering investors shares in the buildings. Cash flow problems eventually led the executives to pay investors with money supplied by new investors as profits soured.

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JEROME  A nightclub in town is closed while the aftermath of an apartment fire in the back of the building is cleaned up, the fire chief said.

Firefighters responded at about 8 p.m. Monday to a blaze in the residential unit behind El Parallito Salon, Jerome Fire Chief Mike Harrison said Tuesday morning.

The owners of the nightclub live in the apartment at 421 W. Main St. in Jerome, Harrison said.

We are still investigating, but nothing looks suspicious, he said. We are looking at a few things to find out exactly what the cause was, but right now we think it was electrical.

Damage was extensive in the apartment, he said. But there is little to no damage to the nightclub. The entire building was engulfed in smoke when firefighters arrived.

We got to it quickly, Harrison said.

The owners of the building were home when the fire started, he said. No one was injured in the fire.

The business is registered to Emelia Gomez at the same address, according to the Idaho Secretary of States office.

The Jerome Rural Fire Department, Magic Valley Paramedics, Jerome Police Department and Idaho Power Co. also responded.

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Upset about last weeks invasion of Ukraine? Want to take it out on Russia? How about starting with a boycott of Russian vodka?

Maybe youll consider avoiding Titos Handmade Vodka, Idahos favorite liquor with sales of $11.5 million in 2021. But its not made in Russia, comrade. Its from deep in the heart of Texas. Austin, to be exact.

How about Smirnoff, then, No. 7 in Idaho with sales of $5.2 million? Thats a Russian name and a company founded by Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov in Moscow (not the Idaho city) in 1864. But the company hasnt been there for more than a century.

Smirnovs family fled Russia during the October Revolution of 1917 and relocated to Constantinople, todays Istanbul. In 1924, the family moved to Poland, a town thats now Lviv, Ukraine. Since the late 1980s, after a series of sales, the brand has been a part of Diageo, based in London. Its vodka is made in the United States.

Of the 104 brands of vodka available through Idaho State Liquor Division stores and bars throughout the state, only two  Russian Standard and Beluga  are actually produced by Russian companies. The vast majority come from other countries or are manufactured in the U.S.

On Monday, the Idaho Liquor Division removed those two brands from sale, agency Director Jeffrey Anderson said.

Russian Standard, which recorded sales of 3,300 of the 750-milliliter bottles and 3,200 of the 1.75-milliliter bottles in the past 12 months, was pulled from store shelves.

The state liquor store on Grove Street in Boise also removed some $100 bottles of Beluga Gold Line Vodka. Belugas vodkas, Anderson said, were mostly available by special order and not typically carried in stores.

We just feel that given whats occurred in Ukraine that were going to ask people to enjoy something else, Anderson said.

A third brand, Zyr, which is made in Russia but based in the United States, appears in the Liquor Divisions monthly price list but hasnt been stocked since the middle of last year, he said.

Bottles of Russian Standard will be held in storage for now, Anderson said.

Sales of Russian Standard fall below a benchmark the agency uses to decide whether to keep a particular brand in stock, Anderson said. But it hadnt been delisted before Mondays move.

We do an annual examination of each category, and we have a criteria we use in order to determine whether something stays in the price book or should be delisted, he said. Im not saying were going to delist the product, but its not setting the world on fire.

In comparison, the agency sold 101,092 of the 750-milliliter bottles of Titos, 175,528 one-liter bottles and 149,517 of the 1.75-liter bottles.

Idahos action came two days after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox ordered all Russian vodkas removed from the shelves of Utahs state-run liquor stores. He issued an executive order is response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Russias ruthless attack on a sovereign nation is an egregious violation of human rights, Cox said in a statement. Utah stands in solidarity with Ukraine and will not support Russian enterprises, no matter how small the exchange.

Oregon, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania issued similar orders affecting retail outlets.

Russian Standard is owned by Roustam Tariko, a Russian oligarch. Beluga, Russias largest alcohol company, is led by Alexander Mechetin. Zyr is made outside Moscow, but the company is based in Miami, founded and headed by American David Katz.

Kamchatka vodka is bottled by Beam Suntory in Kentucky. The same state is also home to Stroika Vodka, manufactured by House of Harris.

Stolichnaya, or Stoli, is another brand with a Russian name that began in Moscow. Almost all of Stoli sold in the West is made in Latvia, a former Soviet republic that is a member of NATO. The company is based in Luxembourg and is controlled by Yuri Shefler, a Russian-born billionaire who left Russia after a dispute with the government.

On its website, Stoli says it stands for peace in Europe and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Stoli Group has had a long history of fighting oppression from the Russian regime. We unequivocally condemn the military action in Ukraine and stand in support of the Ukrainian people.

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TWIN FALLS  Could a wind project affect 911 communications?

State and local agencies have expressed concerns that the Lava Ridge Wind Project could interfere with emergency communications.

An up to 400-turbine operation on 73,000 acres of public land in south-central Idaho, the Lava Ridge Wind Project is moving through the Environmental Impact Statement process. Required by U.S. environmental law, the first step is public scoping, the period when agencies, organizations and individuals can submit comments about the project.

More than 1,400 comments were submitted regarding the Lava Ridge Wind Project. Of those comments, 96% were from individuals, 3% from organizations, and 1% from agencies.

Southern Idaho Regional Communications CenterSIRCOMMand Project Mutual Telephone both expressed concerns that the project could interfere with their operations.

I spent 32 years in law enforcement. Sometimes you only have one chance to key a mic and ask for assistance on a situation, you might not get another opportunity to do that, said Twin Falls County Commissioner Jack Johnson, who serves on the SIRCOMM Joint Powers Board. If that one chance you have is blocked or interfered with, that could be a life threatening situation.

The Idaho Military Division, which contains the Idaho Office of Emergency Management, also submitted a public comment regarding microwave radio transmission paths.

The services carried on these paths are vital as they service statewide emergency services, law enforcement, federal/state/county agency customers, the division wrote. Any interruption or degradation of signal would be detrimental and will not be allowed to happen.

SIRCOMM dispatches emergency services for 41 different agencies across four counties. The center also works with Idaho State Police, public works departments, street and highway departments, county disaster services and more.

The center wrote that compromised coverage discovered during the construction phase could prove disastrous.

Once compromise has been realized, efforts to repair the compromise may not be swift enough to avoid the disruption of emergency services to that region, which could impact human life and safety, SIRCOMM wrote.

Johnson said there have been previous communications issues in the general area of the project proposal. Geography and atmospheric conditions can impact transmission.

Its already hard for emergency services to communicate in that area, he said.

Magic Valley Energy hired a third party to complete a land mobile emergency services report. In May, SIRCOMM received the report, which included a list of recommendations.

Johnson said some of the options included adding a new repeater site or optimizing a base station, which might not be financially feasible. Repeater towers allow stations that are not within line-of-sight range to communicate.

It may therefore be appropriate to begin consideration and discussion about whether these potential costs should be part of overall project expense, SIRCOMM wrote in its public comment.

Public scoping comments Idaho Transportation Department "The District recommends that the routes used to deliver and construct the wind turbines be identified, and a plausible prediction of heavy construction and delivery vehicles be provided. Once these routes and predicted, analysis should be accomplished to predict distress on the State, Federal, and LRI routes. If deemed necessary, preventative maintenance measures should be accomplished on routes indicating significant premature failure. American Bird Conservancy "The sheer scale of the amount of grouse habitat that would be lost if the Lava Ridge Wind project is constructed as proposed demands that risk to this imperiled species be thoroughly evaluated and addressed."

"Clean energy projects on public lands should not contribute to the continuing decline of our nations birds." Shoshone-Bannock Tribes "The Tribes have significant concerns with the development of public lands in the pursuit of profit at the expense of Treaty rights, cultural resources, local communities, and a myriad of wildlife species and their habitats. For these reasons, the Tribes must oppose the Proposed Action and request that the BLM deny the proponents request to construct this enormous wind energy project, in the heart of the Tribes homelands and Idaho's sage grouse habitat." Magic Valley ATV Riders "To restrict and eliminate our right to recreate on public lands is a disservice to the recreation community and citizens of Idaho." Idaho Chapter of Safari Club International "Wildlife habitat is disappearing at an accelerating rate and we prefer that BLM not add to the problem."

"This project can only have a detrimental effect on migrating pronghorn, not to mention other important species including sage grouse and pygmy rabbits." Twin Falls County Historic Preservation Commission "The enormity of the proposed wind farm with the hundreds of massive wind turbines, sprawling corridors, miles of transmission lines, seven substations, and hundreds of miles of roads and pathways poses a huge threat to cultural resources and historical sites within Twin Falls County, within the proposed project area itself, and beyond the perimeters of the planned energy project." Individual "Many of us have lived in the immediate area for many decades. We have observed, with the exception of Elk, a general decrease in the amount of wildlife in the area. This project with its 380 miles of roads will simply finish them all off." Individual "I'm currently a sophomore out at The College of Southern Idaho studying Renewable Energy System Technologies and one of the big focuses in out class is wind turbines. Having a huge wind farm right at our backdoor would not only benefit us as a community but it would also help benefit our program with a bunch of hands on experience involving mechanical drives, hydraulics, climbing, and rigging." Individual "I am all for the wind project. There is a lot of miss information being spread about wind power that is simply not true." Individual "I dont think you will find to many areas in the lower 48 that would be better choices for renewable energy production."

Protect Mutual Telephone, based in Rupert, recently acquired wireless frequencies in Minidoka County. The licenses for these frequencies were purchased through subsidies from the Federal Communications Commission. The company could face penalties if they dont meet certain requirements.

Scott Draper, the director of construction and engineering for Project Mutual Telephone, said Magic Valley Energy, the group proposing the wind project, has made adjustments to the project location to avoid interference.

The original proposal was in that general vicinity that would cause a problem, Draper said.

Wind turbines can block signals by either physically blocking the path, reflecting the signal in other directions, or chopping the signal if it passes through the rotor.

Codie Martin, Bureau of Land Management Shoshone field manager, said Magic Valley Energy indicated it would be easy to resolve communication issues in advance.

That is a great example of why we do scoping, Martin said. Theres been quite a few issues that maybe everybody didnt think of.

Johnson said SIRCOMM is waiting to see what the next steps are and will evaluate any recommendations from Magic Valley Energy.

As this moves forward we will have to continually evaluate and work with all the partners to mitigate any foreseeable problems, he said.

The public can view the public scoping report by visiting eplanning.blm.gov.

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Accountant Cordelia Faye Holland has seen a lot of change in the Fayette Street area since she opened her business in 1992  and for the better.

It is amazing to watch the transformation that is on Fayette at this point, Holland said during a ceremony celebrating new banners on lightposts along Fayette Street. The hanging of the banners was a partnership between the Harvest Foundation and Martinsville Uptown Partnership.

The block in front of her business used to be an empty field. Once the home of Dr. Dana Baldwins businesses which were the heartbeat of a thriving Black community, it now is the site of New College Institute.

People used to say of Fayette that its not the safest street and all that, Holland said. And to see all the investments that are being made on Fayette Street lately is just very refreshing.

When we got the lights finally  because weve always had to struggle for inclusiveness on Fayette Street  to me now the entities that be come see us and they want to include us, and that is such an interesting phenomenon, and we really appreciate it. 

Thank you so much to the City of Martinsville to finally recognize where Fayette Streets place is within the city, that we are uptown Martinsville; were not just Fayette Street.

She said it is a blessing that the city recently has been including Fayette Street in all the little things that you do, such as hanging Christmas wreaths there during the holiday.

We never had them for a very long time, because we were not included. Now to see the banners and the lights and everything else that goes on with the rest of the city  Its a little thing, but its really amazing for us.

Martinsville City Manager Leon Towarnicki said the uptown improvement projects, starting with curbs and gutters, began in the late 1970s in the Commercial Business District (CBD) in the area of Church and Main streets between Clay and Moss streets.

Other improvements included moving utilities underground, installing lighting, widening the streets and putting pockets of parking, he said.

Fayette Street was not included initially in those improvements, he said, and that later was added due to factors including growth of business in the Fayette corridor and the recognition of the importance to the Fayette corridor to the uptown Martinsville area.

Fayette certainly is now an integral part and a viable component of uptown Martinsville, he said, and future developments such as new apartments further solidify and cement the importance of the Fayette Street corridor in uptown.

Mayor Kathy Lawson listed businesses that used to be on Fayette Street. Of those that were present when she was young, only the hotel and Prillamans Market remain.

Natalie Hodge, immediate past president of the board of directors of UP, said, Todays ceremony to celebrate the raising of uptown banners on Fayette Street, our historically Black business district, provides us with an incredible opportunity to honor the contributions of African-Americans to uptown and the local economy while creating space for future growth, success and collaboration.

The Harvest Foundation is excited to share in this occasion with the Fayette community, with Uptown Partnership and with the City of Martinsville, said India Brown. We are honored to partner with Uptown Partnership to invest in the brackets to hang the banners that you now see along Fayette Street which symbolize the Fayette communitys inclusion into uptown Martinsville.

Other speakers included UP Executive Director Kathy Deacon, St. Paul High Street Baptist Church Pastor Matthew Brown and First Baptist East Martinsville Pastor Charles Whitfield.

Holly Kozelsky writes for the Martinsville Bulletin. She can be reached at holly.kozelsky@martinsvillebulletin.com or 638-8801 ext. 2430.

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People2.0, the worlds largest independent global employer of record (EOR) and agent of record (AOR) services platform, has joined forces with Abu Dhabi-based Back of The House (Both).

With in-country establishments in more than 45 countries, People2.0 offers talent providers capabilities to put anyone to work anywhere, on demand, for any length of time, using one global master agreement.

Meanwhile, the Both Group, a major provider of EOR/AOR services in the largely untapped Middle East and North Africa (Mena) market, has provided EOR and AOR services to a broad spectrum of Middle East and global clients and partners since 2009, meaning the new partnership inaugurates People2.0s presence in the region at the same time expands Boths global capabilities.

We have identified the Middle East as a strategically important market in our global coverage. The region counts many thriving economies with very sophisticated, international workforces, said Erik Vonk, People2.0s Executive Chairman.

The opportunity to partner with Botha well-established EOR/AOR services provider with in-country operations in throughout the Gulf Cooperation Councilallows us to further our mission to be on the frontlines of the workforce revolution. We can meet highly prevalent needs for instant, on-demand international deployment arrangements in an environment known to attract large quantities of professionals from around the globe.

Anna Heystek, Co-founder and Managing Director of Both, believes the merger will massively boost its international client offering: Many of our clients operate globally and stand to benefit tremendously from People2.0s worldwide platform and capabilities. Boths region-based clients are now able to offer work arrangements in all major economic centres.

People2.0s EOR services are designed for the deployment of employees, while AOR services are designed for the deployment of independent contractors. As the one-stop EOR/AOR provider, People2.0 assumes a wide range of responsibilities on behalf of their clients including onboarding workers, managing employment risks, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing payroll, and administering worker benefits in geographies around the world.

Heystek confirmed Boths leadership team will be assuming key roles in the new entity, ensuring relational continuity and enabling them to guide clients in making best use of People2.0s global resources. Going forward, Both will operate under the People2.0 name and brand. Further details of the deal have not been disclosed.-- TradeArabia News Service
The transition period before a return to constitutional order in Burkina Faso, where a coup detat took place on January 24, was set at three years on Tuesday by a national meeting that brought together the countrys living forces.

A constitutional charter of the transition was signed to cheers by the head of the junta, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, at the end of several hours of work at the meeting.

The duration of the transition is set at 36 months from the date of the investiture of the president of the transition, said the charter he signed on Monday night.

Mr. Damiba, who was already sworn in on February 16 before the Constitutional Council, will be invested on Wednesday by the assizes that involved the junta, parties, unions, civil society organizations, youth, women and people displaced by the jihadist attacks that have hit Burkina Faso since 2015.

The charter also stipulates that the president of the transition is not eligible for the presidential, legislative and municipal elections that will be organized to end the transition.

This provision also applies to the 25 members of the transitional government, of which the Prime Minister is a civilian figure.

In addition to the president and the government, the transitional bodies include a Transitional Orientation and Monitoring Council, which sets the broad guidelines of state policy, and a Transitional Legislative Assembly composed of 75 members, the charter says.

It states that two of the transitions main missions will be to fight terrorism, restore the integrity of the national territory and ensure its security, and provide an effective and urgent response to the humanitarian crisis and the socio-economic and community dramas caused by insecurity.

It should also strengthen governance and the fight against corruption.

The final charter increased several provisions contained in a report by a commission created by the junta in early February and in the draft charter discussed by the assembly: a 36-month transition instead of 30 months, a 25-member government instead of 20, a 75-member legislature instead of 51.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have the capacity to both self-renew and differentiate into all mature blood cell types, making them promising treatments for a variety of diseases. However, the mechanisms involved in engraftmentwhen the cells start to grow and make healthy blood cells after being transplanted into a patientare poorly understood. A recent study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Boston University School of Medicine has revealed the unique signature of genes expressed by HSCs capable of undergoing this process. The findings, which are published in Nature Communications, could enable scientists to expand these cells outside of the body or to convert other types of stem cells into cells that can repopulate the blood system.

In adults, HSCs are found in the bone marrow and bloodstream, but before birth, they can be found to a greater extent in the liver, where they multiply, or proliferate, into additional HSCs at a very high rate. Moreover, research in animals has shown that HSCs in the fetal liver are more capable of engraftment than HSCs from bone marrow.

To understand what allows fetal liver HSCs to have these superior proliferation and engraftment characteristics, investigators examined the gene expression patterns that are unique to these highly potent stem cells. They combined this examination with a variety of experimental methods to characterize the protein expression and functionality of those same cells.

"This in-depth analysis revealed that these stem cells express a protein on their surface called CD201 that correlates very closely with this engraftment potential and can be used to isolate functional stem cells away from other cell types," says cosenior author Alejandro B. Balazs, Ph.D., a principal investigator at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard. "This will help us improve the process of bone marrow and stem cell transplantation by allowing us to purify these cells."

The enhanced understanding of the genes involved will also help scientists propagate HSCs with high engraftment potential in the lab and manipulate them to more efficiently fight blood cell-related diseases such as sickle cell anemia, HIV and certain types of cancer. "Altogether, this work has resulted in a detailed blueprint of the most potent blood stem cells and will lead to a better understanding of why these cells have such an extraordinary regenerative capacity. Such insights will allow us to create safer and more efficient therapies for patients suffering from blood disorders," says lead author Kim Vanuytsel, Ph.D., a research assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

Cosenior author George J. Murphy, Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and co-founder of the BU and BMC Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM), adds that the team's openly shared resource, which has been made available in an interactive format at https://engraftable-hsc.cells.ucsc.edu, will enable new biological insights into engraftment potential and stimulate a broad range of future studies. "This important work would not have been possible without the potent, collegial collaborations that took place between Boston area institutions. This project is also a shining example of 'open source biology' at work where the freely shared information and insights can be harnessed by all for future discovery," he says.

Co-authors include Carlos Villacorta-Martin, Jonathan Lindstrom-Vautrin, Zhe Wang, Wilfredo F. Garcia-Beltran, Vladimir Vrbanac, Dylan Parsons, Evan C. Lam, Taylor M. Matte, Todd W. Dowrey, Sara S. Kumar, Mengze Li, Feiya Wang, Anthony K. Yeung, Gustavo Mostoslavsky, Ruben Dries, Joshua D. Campbell, and Anna C. Belkina.

Explore further Super-potent blood stem cells discovered in human embryos

More information: Kim Vanuytsel et al, Multi-modal profiling of human fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells reveals the molecular signature of engraftment, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Kim Vanuytsel et al, Multi-modal profiling of human fetal liver hematopoietic stem cells reveals the molecular signature of engraftment,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28616-x
SARS-CoV-2 virus particles are visible inside a heavily infected nasal cell. Credit: NIAID

A new study using serum from human blood samples suggests neutralizing antibody levels produced by two-dose mRNA vaccines against the original and early variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus wane substantially over time, and offer essentially no protection against the Omicron variant.

The same Ohio State University lab found in a previous study, posted on the preprint server bioRxiv, that a third COVID-19 mRNA vaccine booster shot did produce effective levels of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron. This study has not yet been peer-reviewed.

"Our new work shows that two doses of mRNA vaccine do not offer protection against Omicron, and even having a breakthrough infection on top of vaccine does not help much. But our earlier study showed that the booster can really rescue the shortcomings of the two doses," said Shan-Lu Liu, the senior author of both studies and a virology professor in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences at Ohio State.

The new research is published online as a First Release paper in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The researchers examined antibodies in serum samples from 48 health care professionals with experimental versions of the parent virus and the alpha, beta, delta and Omicron variants. Serum samples were collected pre-vaccination, three to four weeks after a first vaccine dose, three to four weeks after a second vaccine dose and six months after the second vaccine.

"There was a substantial increase in neutralizing antibodies after the second dose against every variant except the Omicron variant," said first study author John Evans, a Ph.D. student in Ohio State's Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Program who works in Liu's lab. "From the second dose to six months later, there was an at least five-fold drop in immunity, even against the parent virus."

Neutralizing antibodies that block viral particles' entry into host cells are considered the gold standard of protection against COVID-19 infection.

Twelve of the samples came from people suspected to have had a COVID-19 infectionat time points ranging from before vaccination to after two vaccine dosesbased on a different kind of antibody testing. And though the findings suggested a breakthrough COVID-19 infection on top of vaccination increased immunity against most versions of the virus, antibodies from only one individual with previous infection reached levels that could put up a reasonable fight against Omicron.

"Overall, nobody in this study had good immunity against Omicron," said Liu, also an investigator in the university's Center for Retrovirus Research and a program co-director of the Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program in Ohio State's Infectious Diseases Institute.

The experimental viruses were what are called pseudovirusesa non-infectious viral core decorated with different SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins on the surface structured to match known mutations in the variants studied.

The researchers used a special method to detect neutralizing antibodies in the health professionals' blood samples to account for the varying levels of antibodies produced by individuals.

"Individuals did respond very differently to the first dose, and the same was true for the second dose," Liu said.

Results also showed that people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine produced about two-fold lower levels of neutralizing antibodies than those who received the Moderna vaccine. Men also had significantly higher antibody levels compared to women against all variants over the post-vaccination time points.

Liu said the dramatic reduction in immunity six months after two vaccine doses and the earlier paper's finding that a booster protects against Omicron highlight how important a third shot is to avoiding infection.

"After the second vaccine dose, the neutralizing antibodies effective against Omicron dropped 23-fold, but with a booster shot, immunity dropped only three- to four-foldwhich is comparable to booster effectiveness previously reported against the delta variant," he said. "Similar observations have been made by other labs."

Explore further Pfizer booster more than 50% protective against omicron

More information: John P. Evans et al, Neutralizing antibody responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination wane over time and are boosted by breakthrough infection, Science Translational Medicine (2022). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine John P. Evans et al, Neutralizing antibody responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination wane over time and are boosted by breakthrough infection,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn8057
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Past research has shown that people drink more frequently and drink higher amounts of alcohol when they have more bars and restaurants in the neighborhoods where they live.

But a new study, focusing on parents of young children, suggests it isn't just where people live that's importantit also matters where they spend their time.

Findings showed alcohol use was related to how many bars and restaurants were near where parents shopped, where they worked and where their children went to school.

"What we found suggests that parents may choose where they shop based on opportunities to engage in other activities, including drinking. They may also be cued to drink when they go out shopping or when they finish work by the convenience of nearby bars and restaurants," said Bridget Freisthler, co-author of the study and professor of social work at The Ohio State University.

"If you have a tough day at work, you may stop at the nearby bar for a drink before going home. If you're out shopping with your kids, you might stop for dinner at the chain restaurant next door that serves alcohol."

Freisthler conducted the study with Uwe Wernekinck, a doctoral student in social work at Ohio State. Their results were published online recently in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

The study involved 1,599 people in 30 cities in California, who participated in a telephone or web-based survey. All participants were parents or guardians with at least one child aged 10 years or younger who lived with them at least half the time.

Participants answered questions that allowed researchers to calculate how frequently they drank alcohol (number of days over a year) and the total volume of alcohol they drank over a year. Data was collected before COVID-19, in 2015.

All participants listed where they lived, grocery stores where they most often shopped, another store where they often shopped (such as a big box or drug store), the child's school or preschool and the parent's place of employment.

The researchers then calculated the density of alcohol outletsbars and restaurants where alcohol was consumed on sitenear these sites where people spent time. (The researchers called these sites "destination nodes.")

The findings confirmed other studies that suggested parents living in neighborhoods with higher bar and restaurant densities drank on more days and drank more alcohol during the past year than those living in areas with fewer such outlets.

Parents who visited destination nodes with higher densities of bars and restaurants that served alcohol did not drink more frequently than others, but they did report drinking more total alcohol over the course of a year than did others.

"We can't tell how they spread out their drinking over the course of the year, but it is concerning that parents who frequent these areas with bars and restaurants are indeed consuming more alcohol," Freisthler said.

Freisthler said the data doesn't show if parents had children with them when they drank alcohol.

"But that's something to pay attention to," she said.

"Based on where parents reported going, these were places where they could bundle a lot of errands together at one time and could likely have their kids with them. They could go shopping and then go to a chain restaurant that serves alcohol, but is still appropriate to bring children, unlike a bar or pub. It gives parents opportunities to drink."

The issue is not that parents may have an occasional beer or wine at a restaurant with their children present, Freisthler said. But studies, including this one, show that people drink more alcohol when there are more places that serve alcohol nearby.

"Are there additional risks in terms of how people parent their kids, such as drinking and driving? That's what we should be worried about," she said.

Explore further Frequent drinkers are more likely to neglect supervising their children

More information: Bridget Freisthler et al, Examining how the geographic availability of alcohol within residential neighborhoods, activity spaces, and destination nodes is related to alcohol use by parents of young children, Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2022). Journal information: Drug and Alcohol Dependence Bridget Freisthler et al, Examining how the geographic availability of alcohol within residential neighborhoods, activity spaces, and destination nodes is related to alcohol use by parents of young children,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109352
Credit: Christine M. Gall

Neuroscience research suggests that adult male rodents and humans perform better than females on spatial tasks. These are tasks that involve the ability to understand and remember the spatial relationships between different objects in space.

Past findings also suggest that males have a lower threshold for the long-term potentiation (LTP) of synapses in the CA3 and CA1 regions of hippocampus, which are known to be associated with learning and memory. While these findings agree with several past studies, knowledge of the cellular mechanisms of LTP and learning have come from studies of male rodents, instead of comparing mechanisms of males with those of females at different stages of development.

Researchers at University of California, Irvine have recently carried out a study investigating sex differences in LTP and memory that might emerge during adolescence. Interestingly, their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggest that hippocampal spatial learning is in fact better in prepubescent female rodents, yet this trend is reversed in adulthood. The recent study was primarily conducted by Aliza A. Le, a graduate student at UC Irvine, under the supervision of Christine M. Gall and Gary Lynch.

"My colleague Gary Lynch and I have been studying mechanisms of LTP and hippocampus based learning, for some time now," Christine M. Gall, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told MedicalXpress. "In 2018, we published a paper reporting sex differences in the specific mechanisms of potentiation in hippocampal CA1, which is the area we study in this particular paper."

CA1 is one of the primary brain regions examined when investigating the neural mechanisms of learning. The first reason for this is that it is a simply organized structure, thus it is easy to image and study. The second is that it is known to be associated with spatial learning and episodic memory (i.e., personal memories of everyday events).

"Gabrielle Rune in Germany was the first to report that LTP depended on estrogen in females and not in males," Gall explained. "Based on these findings, my research team and I worked out some of the chemical signaling pathways at the synapse that underlie this sex difference between males and females and also showed that in females they had a higher LTP threshold."

In their previous work, Gall, Lynch and their colleagues found that it was harder to induce LTP in female rodents than in males. As LTP is thought to be a primary cellular mechanism behind learning, their findings suggested that females learn spatial tasks at a different or slower pace than males.

"LTP is the change that occurs in your brain with at least some forms of learning," Gall said. "Our findings suggested there would be a different learning threshold in females and our findings showed that this was the case."

The researchers observed that when learning to complete spatial tasks, which are known to be associated with activity in the hippocampal CA1 region, females required a bit more training than males. Given that one of the key differences between the sexes is estrogen, a hormone that plays a key role in the reproductive development of females, Gall and her colleagues decided to take a closer look at LTP and hippocampal learning in females before and after puberty, which is when estrogen levels increase in females.

"Originally, we thought there would be no sex differences before puberty, but that was not the case," Gall explained. "We found that there was a very robust sex difference, but we were really surprised to find that females had a lower threshold for both LTP and learning than did males. So, before puberty they learned more readily and with less training than males and it took less electrical stimulation to elicit LTP in the females than males."

The researchers then tried to block the major estrogen receptor that mediated synaptic plasticity in the female rodents' brain. They found that hippocampal learning was influenced by the same estrogen receptor both before and after puberty.

"In our recent study, we took a step back from what had observed in adult rodents, to see if the LTP threshold was different and found that this functional plasticity was more readily induced in females," Gall said. "First, we firmly documented this statistically and then we started testing hypotheses as to what the difference we observed might be."

When conducting their experiments, the researchers relied on the expertise of Lynch, who has been conducting electrophysiology-based experiments focusing on the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal regions for a long time. Based on the findings he gathered in his previous studies, Lynch hypothesized that changes in inhibition might be at the root of the changes in LTP and learning observed in females.

"When you stimulate brain regions over time, normally a few things happen," Gall explained. "If you apply four short pulses, normally there's an increase in response and then it declines. That's because the first response also activates inhibitory interneurons, which suppress later responses in a short train. That suppression was not evident prior to puberty."

Essentially, the researchers observed that before puberty, female rodents did not exhibit this inhibition (i.e., a period during which neuronal responses are suppressed). This observation inspired them to further examine specific responses that could be associated with the activity of an excitatory receptor, known as the NMDA receptor.

"We were getting greater activation of the NMDA receptors in the females," Gall said.

"This would be consistent with changes in inhibition occurring in females during puberty."

In their experiments, the team also used a technique for looking at proteins at synapses, developed by their lab. While there are other existing methods for examining proteins at a high resolution, most of these are slow and do not evaluate large numbers of synapses.

On the other hand, the analytical technique created by Gall and her colleagues can be used to simply take images of tens of thousands of synapses within a shorter time frame and to measure proteins at those synapses using automated systems. This approach can be used to quantify GABA receptors and NMDA receptors, as well as inhibitory synapses, in a rodent's brain at different points in time.

"We found that there wasn't a change in the number of inhibitory synapses with age, but the protein composition of those synapses changed," Gall said. "We made a list of GABA receptor proteins that we wanted to to look at, but prioritized some, because certain inhibitory synaptic receptors are known to be more prevalent in dendrites, as opposed to cell bodies. We focused on these, as well as on ones that past studies suggested were regulated by steroids." These studies identified a specific protein that changes at inhibitory synapses with age, and then using a drug that blocks the action of this protein, that learning in adult females could be enhanced to levels observed in prepubescent animals.

The findings gathered by this team of researchers could have numerous important implications. Firstly, they provide new insight about possible sex differences in learning, showing that females might simply learn differently than males.

"Frequently, when exploring an environment, even if they're just looking at a picture, females tend to explore it more thoroughly compared to males, instead of only looking at the cues within that environment," Gall explained. "So, they really seem to be using a different learning strategy and in some tests that require participants to look at something and quickly get the answer, the female strategy is not going to be optimal."

Remarkably, when they compared the performance of female rodents to that of male rodents on a nonspatial task, namely a task that involved identifying objects, they found that they were matched, with neither sex outperforming the other. On the two spatial tasks they employed, on the other hand, females performed better than males before puberty and worse than males after puberty.

"One thought that we've had is that the higher threshold in females might have advantages in situations where people don't need to encode everything they encounter," Gall said. "Females may have a better filter for environmental noise and will be somewhat more specific about the things that they remember, whereas in the males the filter is set a little bit lower and there's going to be more encoding including non-salient cues."

In their future studies, Gall and her colleagues would like to test out their hypothesis, to determine whether the learning strategy used by females might be more advantageous when completing some tasks than others. To do this, however, they would first need to come up with new tasks that might favor the different learning strategies they hypothesized.

So far, most studies exploring learning mechanisms in the brain were conducted on male rodents, male primates, or other male animals. As a result, neuroscientists have a good understanding of learning mechanisms, encoding and synaptic plasticity in the male brain, yet they are unsure about the extent to which they match those in the female brain.

"Our study highlights the fact that we've been walking right past a system that's got some fundamental mechanistic differences; even though we have a lot of neuropsychiatric disorders that are more prevalent in females, the vast majority of our studies focus on males," Gall said. "For example, more females have greater incidence of depression and anxiety, which often arise with the onset of puberty, so to better understand these disorders we need more studies on females."

The recent work by Gall and her colleagues outlines the possible reasons why the threshold for synaptic plasticity changes in females during puberty. However, it does not explain why hippocampal learning in males improves in males after puberty.

"It's not just the females that are changing, the males are also changing, but we don't really know why," Gall said. "As we did not see a change in inhibition in males over that age frame, which is a major phenomenon in the females, we're now looking at the signaling activities of neurotransmitter receptors in males, to try to understand why their encoding mechanism is also changing during adolescence."

Neuroscience studies have found that LTP learning is associated with a change in the shape of synapses in the brain. In the past, Gall's team and other neuroscientists have been trying to better understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie this shape change. In their next studies, the researchers at UC Irvine also plan to investigate the possible reasons why these molecular processes are more readily triggered in males as they enter adult life.

"Concurrently, we would also like to try to unveil the consequences of the sex differences we identified, to understand if there are instances where having a higher threshold for encoding is actually adaptive or beneficial," Gall said.

Previously, Gall and Lynch also conducted studies on male rodents evaluating the potential of spaced training. Spaced training essentially entails trying to teach rodents where objects are in a maze. The team found that intermittently removing them from the maze so that they could process what they learned led to more efficient learning.

These findings suggest that spaced training is very beneficial for training male rodents. In their future works, they would like to try to determine whether it is also advantageous for female rodents.

"Aliza Le, the graduate student who led the study, was thrilled to find that the females were doing better than the males before puberty and now plans to explore this finding further," Gall added. "I think we all want to see where this can go and understand the impact of these differences on learning, as well as on other domains, such as psychological disorders."

Explore further Study reveals neurobiological processes occurring during puberty that trigger sex differences in learning and memory

More information: Prepubescent female rodents have enhanced hippocampal LTP and learning relative to males, reversing in adulthood as inhibition increases. Nature Neuroscience(2022). Journal information: Nature Neuroscience Prepubescent female rodents have enhanced hippocampal LTP and learning relative to males, reversing in adulthood as inhibition increases.(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-01001-5

 2022 Science X Network
Human intestinal organoids used in this study to model the impact of BMP signaling on differentiation. Credit: Joep Beumer, Jens Puschhof and Fjodor Yousef Yengej, Copyright Hubrecht Institute.

Intestinal cells can change specializations during their lives. The BMP signaling pathwayan important communication mechanism between cellsappears to be the driver of these changes. That is what scientists from the groups of Hans Clevers (Hubrecht Instituut) and Ye-Guang Chen (Tshinghua University, Beijing) have concluded after research with organoids and mice. The study will be published in Cell Reports on 1 March 2022 and offers new insights into potential targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases.

The intestinal wall is made up of different types of cells. Some are for instance responsible for the uptake of nutrients, while others produce hormones. It was long thought that after their formation, intestinal cells specialize in one function that they continuously perform until they die. However, recent studies show that these cells can change specializations. Researchers from the groups of Hans Clevers and Ye-Guang Chen (Tsinghua University, Beijing) now discovered that these changes are driven by the BMP signaling pathway.

Driver of change

The BMP signaling pathway is one of many signaling pathways in the body. Such pathways form lines of communications between cells: with the production of a protein by one cell, it gives a signal to the next cell, which in turn produces proteins. Eventually, this whole cascade of protein production triggers certain processesfor example processes that are important during embryonic development. Joep Beumer, one of the researchers on the project, explains: "We knew that BMP signaling plays an important role in the initial specialization of intestinal cells. What we now discovered, is that it is also the driver of changes in the specializations of these cells over their lifetimes.

Migration

Intestinal cells arise from stem cells that lie in indentations (i.e. the crypts) of the intestinal wall. These intestinal cells then migrate up the intestinal villi. During their migration, they perform a certain function, for example the absorption of nutrients or the production of hormones. Once they reach the top of the villi, they die. "The function of intestinal cells changes during their migration along the villi. They for example produce antimicrobial components in the lower parts of the villi (at the start), while they are involved in absorbing fats later on in their journey," says Beumer. This gradual change in the function of the cells is called zonation. "At the same time, the BMP signaling pathway is not very active in the crypts and in the lower parts of the villi, while it becomes more and more active higher up in the villi.

Zonated markers (Reg3g, red; Apoc3, green; Pmp22, purple) are enriched in different parts of the intestinal villus (left panel). Loss of BMP signaling (right panel) disturbs zonated gene expression: bottom villus markers increase at the expense of top villus markers. Markers are stained using fluorescent in situ hybridization. Credit: Joep Beumer, Jens Puschhof and Fjodor Yousef Yengej, Copyright Hubrecht Institute

Human organoids

The scientists at the Clevers lab used intestinal organoids for their research. These are tiny 3D structures that can be grown in the lab and that mimic the function of the gut. In these miniature guts, the researchers were able to mimic conditions of low or high BMP signaling, similar to the altering environment along the intestinal villi. Using "Single cell RNA sequencing," a technique that makes it possible to see which genes are active and which ones are not, they made a surprising discovery. Jens Puschhof explains: "When BMP was active in the organoids, the cells in these miniature guts were identical to the cells located in the top of the villi, while inactivation of BMP made the cells in the organoids resemble the cells located in the lower parts of the villi. In other words, zonation turned out to be dependent on the BMP signaling pathway."

Mouse model

The results found in organoids had to be confirmed in living organisms. Colleagues from the group of Ye-Guang Chen used a mouse model in which BMP signaling could be turned off in the gut. In mice with an inactive BMP signaling pathway in the gut, intestinal cells no longer changed specializations during their migration from the crypts to the villi. "That confirmed our conclusion: BMP signaling is the driver behind zonation of intestinal cells," says Beumer.

Methodological implications

The study, to be published in Cell Reports, has important implications for the use of organoids for research. "Normally, researchers inhibit BMP signaling in organoids," says Fjodor Yousef Yengej. "Although this proved beneficial for growth, not all functions of the gut are represented in these cultures." Activation of BMP signaling may be required for research into certain topics, such as fat absorption.

Treatment of metabolic diseases

In addition to providing these new fundamental insights into the functions of intestinal cells during their lives, the study may ultimately contribute to the development of new treatments for metabolic diseases. "In certain metabolic diseases, there is an accumulation of fat in parts of the body such as the liver, or an imbalance in gut hormones. We now know that active BMP signaling stimulates fat absorption, so if we can inhibit signaling in these patients, we can also influence fat absorption," Beumer concludes. BMP inhibitors targeting the gut are yet to be developed, but would have broad beneficial effects on metabolism.

Explore further Mini-guts reveal crucial forces that shape the intestinal lining

More information: Hans Clevers, A BMP gradient along the intestinal villus axis controls zonated enterocyte and goblet cell states, Cell Reports (2022). www.cell.com/cell-reports/full  2211-1247(22)00165-6 Journal information: Cell Reports Hans Clevers, A BMP gradient along the intestinal villus axis controls zonated enterocyte and goblet cell states,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110438
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

An international research team from universities including Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, the University of Padua and the University of Udine in Italy, and the University of Vienna, Austria, has developed a new theoretical model to better assess the risks of spreading viruses such as COVID-19with and without a face mask. The results show how the standard 'safe' distance of two meters does not always apply but varies greatly depending on a range of environmental factors, and that face masks can indeed play a crucial role.

The current recommendations and understanding around the transmission of respiratory infectious diseases are often based on a diagram developed by the American scientist William Firth Wells in 1934. But this model is very simplified and does not account for the true complexity of transmission.

Now, in the new study "Modelling the direct virus exposure risk associated with respiratory events," the researchers developed a more advanced model to show that it is possible to more efficiently calculate the direct risk of spreading COVID infection by including a number of factors, such as interpersonal distance, temperature, humidity levels, viral load and type of exhalation. They also managed to demonstrate how these risks change with and without a face mask.

The study revealed, for example, that a person talking without a face mask can spread infected droplets one meter away. Should the same person cough, the drops can be spread up to three meters and if the person sneezes, the spread distance can be up to seven meters. But using a face mask, the risk of spreading the infection decreases significantly.

"If you wear a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask, the risk of infection is reduced to such an extent that it is practically negligibleeven if you're only standing one meter away from an infected person," explains Gaetano Sardina, Associate Professor of Fluid Mechanics at the Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences at Chalmers University of Technology, who is one of the researchers behind the study.

In the study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the researchers tested the new model using data from recent numerical experiments on droplet emissions. This allowed them to take several factors into account and quantify the risk of infection, with and without a face mask.

Size a factor in droplet behavior

Viruses, such as SARS-COV-2, are spread from an infected individual to other susceptible individuals through virus-filled droplets that are released when talking, coughing, or sneezing. Droplets emitted from the salivary glands are sprayed out through the exhaled air. Once out of the mouth, these drops can either evaporate, settle or remain floating. Larger and heavier droplets tend to fall in a ballistic motion before evaporating, while smaller droplets behave like aerosols that spray and remain airborne.

The results show that a surgical face mask and, to an even greater extent, an FFP2 mask provide excellent protection that significantly reduces the risk of infection. Provided that the face mask is worn correctly, the risk of infection is negligible even at distances as short as one meter, regardless of environmental conditions and if the person is talking, coughing or sneezing.

Next step: A study on airborne spread

With this study complete, the research team is now already working on a new study aiming to explore the airborne spread of the disease.

"The published study addresses direct droplet transmission of COVIDanother important transmission path is the indirect and airborne route in poorly ventilated rooms. We are currently working on this aspect and our preliminary results show the effectiveness of face masks inalso preventing the airborne spread of the disease," says Gaetano Sardina.

The study, "Modelling the direct virus exposure risk associated with respiratory events," is published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

Explore further New study identifies most effective face-mask practices to reduce spread of infection

More information: Jietuo Wang et al, Modelling the direct virus exposure risk associated with respiratory events, Journal of The Royal Society Interface (2022). Journal information: Journal of the Royal Society Interface Jietuo Wang et al, Modelling the direct virus exposure risk associated with respiratory events,(2022). DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0819
A study led by Mark Garofoli with West Virginia University's School of Pharmacy, revealed the public's knowledge and perceptions of over-the-counter pain medications is lacking. In a survey of 1,174 people, 85% answered two-thirds of questions about OTC pain meds incorrectly. Credit: WVU Photo/Jennifer Shephard

Drug misuse is not exclusive to the opioid epidemic, according to a recent West Virginia Universitystudy. Every year, about 50,000 people in the United States are admitted to the emergency room due to misuse of a common over-the-counter pain medicationacetaminophen.

With that in mind, Mark Garofoli, director of experiential learning at the WVU School of Pharmacy, spearheaded research that revealed that the public's knowledge and perceptions of OTC pain meds is lacking. In a survey of 1,174 West Virginians, 85% of respondents answered two-thirds of questions about OTC pain meds incorrectly.

"Society needs more education on over-the-counter pain medications," said Garofoli, a clinical assistant professor. "The real issue is figuring out how, where and when to provide the information. As with most issues, it isn't viewed as important until it's staring one in the face while on a gurney in an ER."

Garofoli and his team posed questions to participants on how they perceived OTC medication, followed by nine fact-based questions about acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). Only two of the 1,174 respondents answered all nine questions correctly.

One question included, "What is the largest amount of OTC acetaminophen 500 mg tablets anyone can swallow in one day before contacting a healthcare professional?"

The answer is six.

That question reminds Garofoli of his time working at a beach town pharmacy, where a tall man in a cowboy hat asked him what he recommended for back pain.

"I asked, 'Well, what have you tried?' The gentleman replied, 'I tried Tylenol and that ain't worth anything.'"

Garofoli then asked him how much he took, to which the customer responded, "Well, 57 yesterday and 23 today (as of 10 a.m. that day)."

"We then continued the conversation to discuss just how important it was for him to receive urgent medical care because if he did not," Garofoli said, "within a day or so he would be turning yellow, and in another day, he wouldn't be able to seek said care anymore."

Side effects of OTC pain medication, Garofoli noted, can include upset stomach, liver damage (from acetaminophen) and blood thinning and stomach bleeding (from aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen).

Another concerning finding revealed itself when participants were asked, "Whom do you ask questions regarding OTC pain medication?" 46% said "family members."

"Although healthcare professionals are viewed as organic sources of this information, concern can arise when people rely upon mere family members for this healthcare information," Garofoli said.

OTC use of pain medication has likely exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic due to the lockdown of healthcare systems, staffing shortages and longer wait times, Garofoli theorized. Because of this, he believes education and awareness are more vital than ever.

"Over-the-counter pain medications are the needle in the haystack of an opioid crisis fueled primarily by needles full of more provocative substances," he said. "Just because over-the-counter pain medications are sold at dollar stores, grocery stores and flea markets everywhere, universal safety is not implied."

As for the beach town pharmacy cowboy, Garofoli urged him to check into the nearest hospital. A few days later, the man came back to the pharmacy.

"He came up to the counter saying, 'Hey doc, I was told to shake your hand. Apparently, you saved my life,'" Garofoli recalled. "After exchanging pleasantries, I said, 'Well, now let's talk about that back pain of yours.'"

The encounter would also set the stage for Garofoli to partner with West Virginia high school students interested in science on this research. After sharing the story of the beach town cowboy with Health Sciences colleagues Shafic Sraj and Ahmad Hanif, they agreed they needed to compose a plan to prevent those occurrences from happening.

Garofoli got inspiration from a weekly Teaching Scholars session when Cathy Morton, director of the Health Sciences and Technology Academy, spoke about providing opportunities for high school students in the realm of science and technology. Garofoli and his team collaborated with HSTA students, who screened the lay public for knowledge regarding OTC pain medications.

"COVID hit but our high schoolers persevered by pivoting to electronic means of research involving numerous community members," Garofoli said.

The research was presented at PAINWeek 2021, a conference for frontline practitioners treating acute and chronic pain.

"We, as healthcare professionals, need to educate the public on the safe utilization of over-the-counter pain medications," Garofoli said. "Legality and access mean nothing to a chemical that is already in a human body. Regardless of whether a substance (medication) is illegal or legal, requires a prescription or is available at a dollar store, the substance can cause incredible relief or tragic devastation."

Explore further Can antidepressant medication alleviate pain in patients with osteoarthritis?
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has analyzed, for the first time, the relationship between exposure to different green spaces and oxidative stress in children. The study concluded that greater exposure to vegetation is associated with lower levels of oxidative stress and that this association is observed regardless of the children's physical activity.

Oxygen is essential for numerous biochemical reactions that keep us alive, but its oxidation process generates harmful reactive substances that the body cannot always neutralize quickly or which cause damage that the body is unable to repair. This results in what is known as oxidative stress, which causes aging or even illness.

To date, various studies have shown that having green spaces in the vicinity of one's home has a positive effect on health, especially because greenness improves mental health and encourages physical exercise, thereby reducing the risk of overweight or obesity. But less attention has been paid to the direct effects of vegetation on biological processes, such as inflammation and oxidative stress. This is particularly important for understanding the role that green spaces can play in respiratory and allergic diseases.

Study Analyzed Over 300 Italian Children

In order to determine whether green spaces might be associated with lower levels of oxidative stress in children, and also whether physical activity plays a role in this possible association, the researchers analyzed 323 healthy children aged 8-11 years from five primary schools in Asti, a small city in north-western Italy.

Parents completed a questionnaire on how often their children engaged in physical activity. Oxidative stress was quantified in urine by measuring the concentration of the compound isoprostane. Residential and school greenness were defined according to the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and vegetated portion was also estimated. Multisite exposures were obtained accounting for NDVI around the children's homes and schools, weighted for the time spent in each location.

Possible Explanations

Several biological mechanisms could explain this direct link between green space and oxidative stress in children. Firstly, "increased exposure to these areas may contribute to children's immune development by bringing them into contact with organisms that tend to colonize natural environments," commented last author Judith Garcia-Aymerich, researcher and head of the Non-Communicable Diseases and Environment Programme at ISGlobal. Secondly, contact with green spaces can increase vitamin D synthesis due to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Vitamin D acts as an antioxidant that prevents the negative effects of oxidative stress and inflammation. Finally, vegetation improves air quality in urban areas.

No Effect Found for Physical Activity

Although proximity to green space has been associated with increased physical activity, which in turn affects oxidative stress, the study found no evidence that exercise was involved in the association between green space and oxidative stress.

Garcia-Aymerich concluded that "the short- and long-term health effects of excess oxidative stress are unknown, so we need to conduct further research and support city and public-health strategies that favor greenness."

The research was published in Environmental Research.

Explore further Children with higher exposure to air pollution and lower exposure to green space have 62% increased risk of ADHD

More information: Giulia Squillacioti et al, Multisite greenness exposure and oxidative stress in children. The potential mediating role of physical activity, Environmental Research (2022). Journal information: Environmental Research Giulia Squillacioti et al, Multisite greenness exposure and oxidative stress in children. The potential mediating role of physical activity,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112857
HUman thyroid gland anatomy illustration. Credit: purple carrot nutrition/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Thyroid cancer is the most common type of endocrine cancer in children. Because it is bilateralaffecting both sides (lobes) of the thyroidin more than one third of pediatric patients, initial treatment typically involves a total thyroidectomy, the surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland.

However, removal of only the affected lobea lobectomyhas come to be recognized as adequate treatment for most low-risk thyroid cancers in adults. This is an advantage because a lobectomy has fewer risks than a total thyroidectomy and usually does not result in a lifelong need for thyroid medication.

Now, findings from a recent study by researchers at Boston Children's Thyroid Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital suggest that lobectomy could also be an option for some children and teens with less aggressive thyroid cancer.

Rethinking thyroidectomy

The research team reviewed the medical records of 115 children and adolescents who underwent a total thyroidectomy at Boston Children's or Brigham and Women's between 1998 and 2020. Ninety percent had papillary carcinoma, the most common type of thyroid cancer. After analyzing the data, the team found that only multifocalityhaving more than one tumorin the primary cancerous lobe was independently associated with bilateral disease. This is consistent with the intuitive idea that tumors that have spread through one lobe of the thyroid are more likely to have spread also to the other lobe, says the Thyroid Center's medical director Ari Wassner, MD, who led the study.

The study also arrived at another key finding. Children who had papillary carcinoma tumors with only a single focus in the primary lobeand no signs that cancer had spread to the lymph nodeswere far less likely to have thyroid cancer in the other thyroid lobe. For patients such as these, a lobectomy might suffice, allowing clinicians to spare part of the thyroid and limit possible complications.

More research could further change the field

Although more research is needed, the studypublished last year in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolismaims to build the body of evidence to help optimize the care of children with thyroid cancer, Wassner says.

Perhaps, he says, endocrinologists and surgeons will approach treatment of less-aggressive thyroid cancers with the thinking that decisions about the extent of thyroid surgery don't have to be guided solely by the concern for bilateral disease.

Explore further Consumer Health: Understanding thyroid cancer risk
Luxembourg-headquartered Orion Engineered Carbons, a specialty chemical company, has begun commercial sales in Italy from the first new reactor for carbon black production to be commissioned in the European Union in over 40 years.

The new 25-kilotonne line at the facility in Ravenna, in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna, produces both specialty and technical rubber carbon blacks, primarily for the European market.

The new line offers customers seeking long-term solutions a unique strategic opportunity to align with a dependable plant that has been operating for more than 60 years in Europe, Orion CEO Corning Painter said.

Additional investments at the plant include a new co-generation facility to convert waste heat into electricity, generating up to 120 MWh of electricity per year. Seventy percent of the electricity is supplied to the national grid, serving about 30,000 households. Orion is a net exporter of electricity in Europe and worldwide.

Orion Engineered Carbons is a leading global supplier of carbon black.-- TradeArabia News Service
FIG. 1. Plasma neutralizing titers against variants of concern wane over time in samples from an outpatient COVID-19 infection cohort.(A) Study participants were enrolled (day 0) within three days of a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test (+PCR). Longitudinal plasma samples from day 28 (n=23), day 210 (n=23) and day 300 (n=8) were assessed against D614, Delta, Beta and Omicron. (B) The kinetics of half-maximal SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus neutralizing titers (pNT50) over time are shown. Dotted lines indicate baseline mean pNT50 obtained from seronegative subjects. Solid lines connect samples from the same participant. (C) Mean pNT50 values are shown across study time-points of all 4 pseudovirus variants. Values that were significantly different from D614 at each time point are marked with a star. (D) Ratios of pNT50 values of the indicated variants of concern over D614 pNT50 at each study time point are shown. Horizontal bars indicate median values. p values in (B to D) were calculated using mixed effects analysis with Geisser-Greenhouse correction and Tukey's multiple comparisons test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. Credit: DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn7842

Virologists thought they had seen the worst of SARS-CoV-2's variants when delta emerged in the spring of 2021, but by fall a new one was in circulation with a slew of spike protein mutations that took the scientific community off guard.

"The omicron variant harbors a striking 59 amino acid substitutions throughout its genome relative to the ancestral Wuhan-hu-1 SARS-CoV-2 virus," said Dr. Gene S. Tan, assistant professor at the J. Craig Venter Institute, reporting in Science Translational Medicine.

Working with a team of Venter Institute scientists in La Jolla, California and Rockville, Maryland, Tan and colleagues conducted a series of elegant laboratory experiments to better understand how omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variantsespecially the one known as betaelude neutralizing antibodies.

They found that the secret to antibody evasion is tucked away in the multiple mutations that pervade each of the viruses. Unlike its cousin variants, omicron is chock-full of mutations, more than any other SARS-CoV-2 variant that has so far caused waves of infection in the pandemic. Among the 59 mutations that characterize omicron, the majority are concentrated in the business end of the virusthe spike, the protein that unlocks human cells to initiate infection.

"Thirty-seven of these mutations are within the spike protein'", said Tan, referring to omicron. And the spikes are the targets of neutralizing antibodies. If the antibodies can't bind to the spikes, they are unable to easily neutralize the virus. "This degree of mutational change raises questions about the effectiveness of neutralizing antibodies that were elicited by infection with SARS-CoV-2 or by current mRNA vaccines," Tan and his colleagues concluded.

The Venter Institute research arrives as scientists worldwide attempt to peel away much of the mystery surrounding SARS-C-oV-2 variantsespecially omicron.

Also known as BA.1, omicron is a variant that emerged in the southern region of Africa in late 2021, and it has rocked the world with renewed waves of infection. Even though its surges have already peaked in many parts of the globe, it is still wreaking havoc, forcing healthcare systems to the brink of collapse.

In Hong Kong, so many people have been infected in recent weeks, doctors and nurses are treating patients in parking lots, driveways and sidewalks because they've run out of space in hospitals.

In addition to its multiple mutations, omicron also has sub-variant siblings, such as BA.1.1 and BA.2 that are subjects of new rounds of scientific investigation. As with any infectious virus, omicron has a multitude of tricks: shape-shifting is one, a maneuver that makes it difficult for antibodies to bind to a spike protein's altered conformation. A lavish swathing in glycans (sugar-based polymers) is another. The glycans act as an invisibility coat, obscuring spike proteins from antibodies on the hunt for viruses.

The Venter team, which included lead author Benjamin L. Sievers, collaborated with researchers at Stanford University and the University of Maryland to better understand which SARS-CoV-2 variants were most adept at escaping antibodies. They found that omicron and another variant of concern, beta, were most adept at dodging antibodies.

The findings coincide with discoveries from other researchers globally who've found that escaping antibodies is an evolutionary goal of SARS-CoV-2, and that omicron has proved to be most masterful at antibody escape. Its high degree of contagion, scientists say, has been based largely on its ability to evade the immune system.

To define how efficiently omicron and other variants escape neutralizing antibodies, Tan and colleagues used serum and plasma samples from patients to simulate in the laboratory some of the types of human populations that encounter the virus: people who are vaccinated, those who are vaccinated and boosted, and people who have had a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. They also took samples from pregnant women because that population is one of the most vulnerable when it comes to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pregnant women included in the research had previously received two mRNA shots.

Samples for this part of the study were drawn from individuals participating in a longitudinal cohort project and were diagnosed as having had mild SARS-CoV-2 infections. All patients were enrolled in an outpatient study at Stanford Hospital Center. This study was a trial evaluating the efficacy of interferon lambda in mild COVID-19, but only participants from the placebo arm were studied in the Venter Institute investigation.

Omicron wasn't examined in isolation but in comparison to a range of other SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the original Wuhan-hu1-virus, the strain that initiated the worldwide pandemic. Tan and colleagues refer to the Wuhan variant in their paper as D614.

"We evaluated the magnitude and breadth of the antibody response against the D614 virus along with three variants of concern: beta, delta and omicron," Tan wrote. "Understanding these neutralizing antibody responses will enable us to assess the state of pre-existing immunity elicited by the [Wuhan] virus and can inform the design of the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines."

To compare the antibody responseand escape capacityamong SARS-CoV-2 variants, the scientists used a pseudovirus that was coaxed to express the spike proteins and mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. Pseudoviruses were likewise coaxed to express the spike proteins of other SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the original wildtypeor Wuhan-hu1 variantand the beta and delta variants. These viruses were tested in serum or plasma samples from the groups of individuals to evaluate antibody responses.

"Using vesicular stomatitis virus, VSV, pseudoparticles expressing the spike protein of several SARS-CoV-2 variants, we evaluated the magnitude and breadth of the neutralizing antibody response over time in individuals after infection and in mRNA-vaccinated individuals," Tan wrote in Science Translational Medicine, noting that booster doses increased the magnitude of the antibody response to the Wuhan, beta, delta and omicron variants. However, neutralizing antibody activity remained lowest against omicron, even involving samples from people who were boosted.

"We observed that boosting increases the magnitude of the antibody response to wildtype, beta, delta, and omicron variants. However, the omicron variant was the most resistant to [antibody] neutralization," Tan concluded, based on the research results.

The antibody response was low when beta and omicron variants were tested against samples from people with prior SARS-CoV-2 infections, especially when compared with the delta and Wuhan variants.

The findings arrive as the World Health Organization consideredbut declinedgiving omicron's sub-variant, BA.2, its own Greek letter. There is no need to parse omicron into different viruses with their own names, WHO's experts in pandemic viruses concluded.

"Omicron is a variant of concern that is dominant worldwide, and we know this from sequencing around the world," said Dr. Maria Van Kerhove, who leads the agency's emerging and zoonotic diseases unit.

"Omicron is less severe than delta, but it is not a mild virus. This is a dangerous virus and there are still some countries that are seeing an overwhelmed hospital system," Van Kerkhove said.

The Venter Institute team, meanwhile, noted findings from their study raised special concerns about pregnant women. There was a lower antibody response in samples obtained during pregnancy, even though the women had received two doses of an mRNA vaccine.

Pregnancy, they underscored, is a risk factor for severe COVID-19. Results from their newly completed research suggest that ways should be sought to increase vaccination among pregnant women, an understudied and vulnerable population.

Explore further Efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against omicron studied

More information: Benjamin L. Sievers et al, Antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection or mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against Beta and Omicron pseudoviruses, Science Translational Medicine (2022). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine Benjamin L. Sievers et al, Antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection or mRNA vaccines have reduced neutralizing activity against Beta and Omicron pseudoviruses,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn7842

 2022 Science X Network
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

French-Austrian biotech firm Valneva on Tuesday said its COVID-19 vaccine received emergency authorisation for use in Bahrain, the first approval for its jab.

Valneva committed to supplying the Gulf kingdom with one million doses in an advance purchase agreement last year and plans to deliver the first batches at the end of March.

The jab, which uses the traditional technology of inactivated virus, "will offer an alternative vaccine to the Bahraini population and medical community", said Valneva president Thomas Lingelbach.

Bahrain has reported more than 1,400 COVID-related deaths and cases exceed 500,000. More than 70 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine dose.

Valneva says it remains "determined" to gain further authorisation for the VLA2001 jab. It hopes to receive conditional approval for use in the European Union by the end of March.

The company has agreed with the European Commission to supply the bloc with up to 60 million doses by 2023.

Explore further Franco-Austrian firm Valneva wins EU COVID jab deal

 2022 AFP
TUESDAY, March 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Wanderlust has become a strong incentive for Americans to get COVID-19 vaccines, a new study finds.

The bucket list beckons, and "many people consider travel an essential part of their lifestyle and a contributor to their sense of well-being," said study lead author Dogan Gursoy, a professor in hospitality business management at Washington State University.

"They'll weigh the value of travel experiences they might miss by not being vaccinated against the vaccines possible risks, Gursoy said in a university news release.

The study included more than 1,000 U.S. residents who were asked to rate their travel desire on a 5-point scale. Those with a strong travel desire were less likely to say they were concerned about potential vaccine side effects or long-term complications and were more likely to say they would get vaccinated.

Even among the 266 respondents who previously said they would not get vaccinated, their vaccine hesitancy weakened when a strong urge to travel was combined with messages about COVID vaccine safety and the potential consequences -- including spreading the coronavirus to loved ones -- of not getting vaccinated.

The findings about travel desire and vaccination intention were true even for people who didn't have upcoming vacation plans or business trips, according to the study. The results appear in the journal Tourism Management.

Since early 2020, Gursoy has led efforts to track the pandemic's effect on the hospitality and tourism industries. About 5,000 people have answered questions about vaccines in the past surveys, and about 30% consistently say they wont get the COVID-19 vaccine.

These new findings could help guide the travel and tourism industry's recovery from the pandemic, according to the researchers.

"Appealing to people's longing for a vacation getaway could help overcome their vaccine hesitancy, resulting in higher vaccination rates and reductions in COVID-related travel restrictions and advisories," Gursoy said.

More information

For more on COVID-19 and travel, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCE: Washington State University, news release, Feb. 25, 2022

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Missoula County added nine new cases of COVID on Monday, bringing the county to 320 active reports.

Residents between the ages of 20-29 account for just under 22% of all active cases in the county, the most of any age demographic. They are followed by residents aged 30-39 who make up 20.4% of active cases.

The latest surge caused by the highly contagious omicron variant peaked in Missoula County on Feb. 6, when there were 3,647 active reports. Active cases in the county have declined by over 90% since the latest peak.

Just as the number of new cases has fallen, so has the countys seven-day positivity rate as well as its incident rate, which is the seven-day average of new COVID cases per 100,000 residents.

The incident rate for the county is at 20, which is the lowest it's been since Dec. 28. The county is still considered to be experiencing accelerated spread as the incident rate is between 10-24 cases.

Missoula Countys seven-day positivity rate sits at 13.19%.

There are eight residents and seven non-residents hospitalized with COVID, according to county data.

No new deaths were reported among residents in the last week. There have been a total 201 deaths due to COVID-related illness.

The countys COVID vaccination rate is holding steady with 72.91% of eligible residents that have received at least one dose. Those 5 years old and over are eligible to receive a vaccine at this time.

At this point, 63.53% of all county residents are vaccinated against COVID.

COVID in schools

As the latest wave of cases caused by the omicron variant wanes, both Missoula County Public Schools and the University of Montana have relaxed their mask policies.

Last Thursday, the university announced that masks would no longer be required in all non-classroom environments. Face coverings will be required to be worn in classrooms and teaching labs until Thursday, March 3.

There were no new cases of COVID reported among campus students and staff on Monday. This is the fourth week in a row that no new cases were reported over the weekend.

There are 13 active cases associated with the university, down from 81 last Monday, according to county data.

Masks are also no longer required at MCPS following new guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that was announced late last week.

The district announced the change to its mask policy on Friday evening.

Based on the new recommendations, those living and attending schools in areas with low or medium community spread of COVID no longer need to wear masks. The CDC determines community levels of spread by considering incident rate, as well as other indicators such as percentage of hospital beds occupied by COVID patients.

Missoula County is considered by the CDC to be experiencing medium spread. Nearly 70% of the U.S. population resides in counties that do not have what is considered high community spread.

Last week, the district reported 19 new cases of COVID among students and staff, which is the lowest number of new weekly cases reported by MCPS so far this semester.

The most cases reported among students and staff in individual buildings were Franklin, Russell and Big Sky High School, which each reported three new cases. There were no new cases reported at any MCPS middle schools.

Those within the district identified as close contacts have also been declining over the last few weeks. Last week there were 57 close contacts, four of which were staff members.

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A Missoula man is in custody for allegedly physically abusing and strangling an 18-year-old woman.

Rafford Tucker, 60, is charged with one felony count of strangulation and one misdemeanor assault offense.

Missoula police officers responded to a Missoula home Friday to do a welfare check, according to charging documents. The caller reported Tucker had a history of violence toward two young women, both 18.

When officers made contact with Tucker, they observed what looked like defensive wounds inflicted by a victim on his face. When police asked him about these marks, Tucker did not reply  he smirked and raised his eyebrows.

The alleged victim, looking very timid and shy, said yes when officers asked if Tucker had hit her. They observed significant bruising on her. She described an incident from two days before when Tucker threw a backpack at her, pinned her against a wall and then threw her on a bed and pinned her there for about 10 minutes.

She said she could not breathe during the assault  when she communicated this to Tucker, he reportedly said, I dont care. She said Tucker has restricted her ability to breathe in the past, and once threw her to the ground so violently she lost consciousness.

Officers verified multiple reports had been made to law enforcement about these incidents. They also made contact with a friend of the survivor, who corroborated that she had told him Tucker threw her down and placed his knee on her head.

Tucker is ordered to have no contact with the two women if he is released from custody. Missoula County Justice of the Peace Landee Holloway set bail at $25,000. His arraignment was set for March 14 in Missoula County District Court.

There are many resources available in Missoula for domestic violence survivors.

The Missoula YWCA provides 24-hour crisis counseling, emergency shelter, transitional housing, mental health counseling, legal support and support groups for victims of crime. Their phone number is 406-542-1944.

The Missoula City-County Crime Victim Advocate Program provides legal advocacy for victims of crimes. Advocates can help you obtain a restraining order, report a crime to police or navigate options available to you through the justice system. They can be reached at 406-258-3830.

UM's Student Advocacy Resource Center also provides support for survivors of violence and harassment. They offer free and confidential counseling, advocacy and a 24-hour support line at 406-243-6559.

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Students and staff at Sentinel High School were among the first in Missoula to sample the new, homegrown marinara sauce coming to schools across the state.

The sauce, referred to as Montana Marinara, features squash, carrots, onions and more, grown in the state, for a truly tasty product.

Its honestly really good, said Eli Brother, a freshman at Sentinel.

Its just nice to know that everythings being sourced from an actual good source  Its just so nice that its honestly homegrown by people that love growing stuff, he continued later. They really put their love into it.

Brother was eating lunch with Zane Goicovich, a sophomore, who had packed a lunch from home that day, but said in the future hed probably opt for the school lunch option knowing that the ingredients were locally sourced.

The sauce was featured in two different entree options at lunch on Friday. Ed Christensen, an assistant supervisor for the districts food and nutrition program, also provided samples of the sauce with breadsticks for others to try.

Montana Marinara was a resounding hit with students at the cafeteria. Eventually, they ran out of samples.

Some students didnt even notice the wide variety of vegetables used in the recipe.

It tasted really good, said Zander Pinoon, an 11th-grader. With all of those ingredients, I was really surprised.

The process of incorporating more locally sourced ingredients in school kitchens across the state has been a passion of Christensens over the last decade.

My idea was originally, if the USDA could deliver commodities to a local processor and then they in turn incorporate local products to bring a value-added product that would work for all of us school districts, you know, who wouldnt do it? Christensen said.

In an effort to connect more of Montanas schools with locally crafted menu items, the Office of Public Instruction partnered with the Northwest Food Hub Network to bring the Montana Marinara'' to school kitchens.

The Northwest Food Hub Network is a collective of farmer-owned cooperatives in Montana and Washington with the mission of connecting organizations like school districts, hospitals and colleges with local, sustainable food products.

Montana Marinara is a win-win-win product  it supports small Montana farmers, it brings delicious, sustainable, locally sourced food to students across the state, and it celebrates our states history of supporting agriculture, said Kaylee Thornley, coordinator of the Northwest Food Hub Network.

All of the ingredients used in the recipe are sourced through the Northwest Food Hub Network from farms through the Western Montana Growers Cooperative. The sauce is designed to be affordable and accessible to all K-12 school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program.

The National School Lunch Program, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serves 80,000 students every school day in Montana and nearly half of those meals are served for free or at a reduced price, according to the OPI.

Due to the COVID pandemic, the USDA began offering school lunches at no cost to all public school students by expanding the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option. The meal service flexibility has been extended through the end of June 2022.

Christensen hopes that in the future they will be able to add more Montana-grown options to menus at school cafeterias.

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March may arrive like a feral lamb as an atmospheric river of precipitation drenches western Montana, producing avalanche warnings for mountains in the Rattlesnake, Seeley Lake and the Bitterroot Range.

Very dangerous avalanche conditions are developing throughout the forecast area, West Central Montana Avalanche Center analyst Jeff Carty wrote in his Monday morning bulletin for the Rattlesnake.

The Flathead Avalanche Center had similar warnings for mountains in the Whitefish, Swan and Glacier National Park areas.

Heavy snowfall and strong winds are rapidly loading the snowpack," Carty wrote. "Temperature and freezing levels will rise throughout the day with rain possible to 7,000 feet, further destabilizing the snowpack. Widespread avalanches are very likely.

The centers danger scale was high for upper and middle elevations, and considerable for lower elevations in all three regions.

In the wider picture, National Weather Service forecasters observed a major system moving into the Northern Rocky Mountains on Sunday evening and Monday morning.

What started as snow on Monday morning switched to rain across much of western Montana by afternoon as temperatures climbed into the low 40s. That sets up the potential for flash freezing on still-frozen ground Tuesday morning. Commuters should prepare for black ice in shaded areas.

Small creek and stream flooding is possible in the system, according to NWS forecasts, along with significant rise in mainstem rivers along the Montana-Idaho border.

The rainfall will be fairly steady and intense through Tuesday for north central Idaho up into northwest Montana, the NWS alert stated. Many locations will receive 1 to 3 inches of rain during this event with higher amounts in the mountains. The snowpack should be able to absorb the most of the rain, but minor flooding of small streams and creeks will be possible. Mainstem rivers near the Montana/Idaho border will see a significant rise by mid week.

Rain should stay steady with temperatures in the 40s for most of the week around Missoula. However, a possible whiff of arctic air might mix in by Friday, returning snow to the mountain passes and restoring freezing temperatures for the weekend.

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President Biden is no John F. Kennedy; former President Trump is no Ronald Reagan. The United States and the world are the losers in the absence of leadership shown by Kennedy and Reagan  and Mitt Romney.

The United States and the world lost out when we ignored presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who warned us that Russia is without question, our number one geopolitical foe," in 2012. "They fight every cause for the worlds worst actors. The idea that (President Barack Obama) has some more flexibility in mind for Russia is very, very troubling, indeed.

Both President Obama and Trump were horribly wrong concerning Putin. We are going to suffer economically and possibly physically, as the world tilts toward a full-blown war in Europe.

While President George Bush was fixated on Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as an axis of evil, Russia and China were flying freely under his administration radar. While America exhausted its military for two decades under Presidents Bush, Obama and Trump, Russia and China maintained and built up their military and economy.

Americas leadership of both Democrats and Republicans was united under eight presidents in opposing both Russia (Soviet Union) and China in the 20th century. The policy of containment was articulated by diplomat George F. Kennan during the post-World War II term of Harry S. Truman. This policy was subsequently adhered to by every president, Republican and Democrat, until the Soviet Unions collapse in 1991.

It is noted that Communist China, North Korea, and Cuba never were defeated or broken up. While the Soviet Union was broken up, the heart of communist Russia remains intact. Under Putins leadership and advocacy for the last two decades, he is resurrecting the old Soviet Union. Additionally, he is driving a wedge between Americans.

President Kennedys nerves of steel during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and President Reagans clear-eyed understanding of the evil empire were clarion. When one contrasts such with Presidents Trump and Biden, it is clear that leadership is lacking.

Perhaps President Biden will develop both a backbone and knowledge to counter Russia, China, Cuba and North Korea. Until then, Americans are adrift and split. Instead of being united in response to our historical adversaries and yes, evil enemies, we are divided. Former President Trump is more enamored and supportive of President Putin than he is of President Biden.

One bright area is the majority of Republican and Democrat congressional leaders are united in opposing the true Axis of Evil  Russia, China, Cuba and North Korea. They are showing much-needed leadership during a trying and difficult period for Europe and the world.

As Americans, it it time to revisit what we did to counter the worlds drift towards authoritarian and communism the last half of the 20th century. Both our military and diplomatic corps need an infusion of people and funding.

Presidents Kennedy and Reagan both rebuilt the military, with an emphasis on the Navy and its ability to project military might. Both presidents were aware of military quagmires and did an admirable job of avoiding such while still projecting Americas military advantage. Militarily, we need to rebuild the Navy considerably as well as all other branches.

As Americans we need to maintain our distrust of our historical enemies and be more supportive of our fellow Americans. The future of our country and the world is in the balance.

Tom Muri is a retired military lawyer who writes from Montana, Arizona and Hawaii.

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Vietnamese airlines rushing to recruit pilots

Some airlines in Vietnam are flocking to recruit pilots with attractive salary levels after resuming their services.



Bamboo Airways is looking for candidates for different positions from ground service staff to pilots. The firm has offered maxim salaries of USD13,300 and USD8,000 per month for a captain and co-pilot of long-haul B787 aircraft.



Meanwhile, the salary for Airbus and Embraer captain and co-pilot is USD10,450 and USD6,300 per month respectively.

Vietnamese airlines are rushing to recruit pilots





Before Covid-19, Bamboo Airways highest salary for a long-haul B787 aircraft captain was VND250 million (USD10.775).



Bamboo Airways is offering a monthly salary of USD 3,000 for a chief flight attendant.



Budget airline Vietjet Air has announced the recruitment of captains and co-pilots for Airbus A320Fs and A330s.

Vietravel Airlines is looking for Airbus A320 pilots and flight attendants. The carrier, however, has not disclosed salary levels. This is part of its strategy to expand its fleet to six planes to serve new air routes to Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia.

Since regular commercial international air routes were reopened to Vietnam, the country has received 153,000 passengers.



The full reopening of the local tourism sector from March 15 will boost the aviation sector development.



Bui Minh Dang, Deputy Head of Air Transport Department under the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said this year, the Vietnamese aviation industry is expected to serve 42-43 million passengers, including eight million from abroad.
Emirates First Group, a Dubai-based business set-up and investment advisory, has launched an installment payment scheme that will help investors and businessmen reduce the cost of trade licence issuance and renewals.

Investors and business owners can now pay for the trade licence issuance and renewals as well as all related government services with a cost up to AED15,000 ($4,084) in four installments, instead of a one-time payment, which will ease the financial burden on them. The initiative covers all government and company fees for company formation, visa assistance and other government-related activities.

The total number of business licences in the UAE totalled 652,885 in June 2020, a rise of 4,201 compared to May 2020, according to statistics from the National Economic Registry of the Ministry of Economy. With an average cost of trade licence issuance and renewal of AED15,000, the total investment amounts to AED9.8 billion ($2.67 billion) per annum.

We are pleased to announce this wonderful initiative that is aimed at supporting the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), that represents more than 85% of the UAE economy, Jamad Usman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, of Emirates First Group, says.

This initiative is in line with the UAE Governments latest series of economic reforms measures that include reducing government fees in business licensing procedures to help the investors. As an investment advisory and business setup specialist, we felt the need to support fellow investors in trying to reduce the burden of licensing costs. Hence we came up with this package that helps the investors and entrepreneurs to carry on with their business activities under these challenging times.

Emirates First Group, which provides end-to-end business setup services including investment and business advisory, legal consultancy, financial consultancy, labour permits, visa and residency permits, accounting, auditing and tax advisory as well as bank opening services, has so far helped set up more than 5,000 businesses in the UAE, mostly in Dubai, in the last five years.

With an average investment of AED100,000 in business setup, office rent, employee recruitment, training, per company, this translates to a total investment of AED500 million in five years. These companies have had an economic impact worth more than AED5 billion on the UAE economy through employing professionals and their business activities.

The immigration and business reforms  namely allowing foreigners to own a 100% stake in a mainland licence without a local partner and the ten-year Golden Visa  in addition to the effective handling of the Covid-19 pandemic has encouraged a large number of wealthy people either to relocate to the UAE, relocate their business to the UAE or expand their businesses to the UAE.

The number of registered licences in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah reached 530,165, accounting for 81.2 percent of the total licences in the UAE. In detail, the number of active businesses in Dubai totalled 300,000 at the end of June 2020, representing around 46% of the total number of businesses in the UAE.

In Abu Dhabi, the licences registered in June 2020 totalled 145,660, accounting for 22.3% of the total while in Sharjah, the number of businesses reached 84,505, accounting for 13%. The rest of the licences were distributed between Umm Al Qaiwain, Ajman, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.

The Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) issued 55,194 new business licences during the first 10 months of 2021. The figure marks a 69 per cent increase over the same period in 2020 when 32,626 licences were issued. According to a DET report, 59 percent of the new business licences issued were professional, and 41 per cent were commercial.

Emirates First Group currently offers advisory services for 10-year UAE Gold Card Visa services as well.

We believe in long term relationships with our clients. Therefore, we offer end-to-end services, including sometimes to source good office space and negotiate rents for them  so that they get the best services from us, Usman says.

In many cases, we offer them ready office space with all facilities built-in on a monthly rental basis. This helps them focus on business development rather than to worry about rents and payables.

Dubai has added 98 new economic activities to vital sector last year, bringing the total number of economic activities to more than 2,200. This is an increase of 88% compared to 2020, when 52 new economic activities were added, according to reports.

According to the DET, the new activities cover specialised business sectors in Dubai and include green hydrogen production, artificial intelligence developing services, gaming localisation services, industrial consultancies, 3D printing building construction contracting, space consultancies, plant-based dairy manufacturing, early childhood centre and gaming production service providers.

Emirates First Group has recently launched e-First Global, its premium business set-up and investment advisory services at the Opus within Business Bay  to serve its growing number of premium customers and large foreign investors in the UAE economy. The company, which is growing its operations in Dubai, is adding several branches to serve a growing number of clientele from across the world.

Emirates First Group currently operates through six branches, including two branches of e-First Global  a new premium services brand.-- TradeArabia News Service
CONNELLY SPRINGS  A man died in a Monday night fire south of Morganton.

Jose Luis Rolon, 84, of 7480 Virginia Ridge, died in a fire that was called in around 9:24 p.m. at his home, according to a press release from the Burke County Fire Marshals Office.

A local first responder and family friend saw the fire from Rhoney Road and called 911, the release said. The responder went to the home and tried to get inside before firefighters arrived on scene, but the heat and smoke were too intense.

Firefighters from George Hildebran Fire Department were dispatched to the scene and immediately started search and rescue efforts alongside fire suppression tactics, the release said.

They found Rolon dead inside the home, and George Hildebran firefighters along with assistance from South Mountain, Icard, Enola, Salem and Cooksville fire departments got the fire under control in about 20 minutes, the release said.

Burke County Fire Marshal Mike Willis said the fire started near the back of the house around the porch, kitchen and laundry room, but it wasnt clear yet what caused it. His office along with the Burke County Sheriffs Office and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation still are investigating the fire.

Sarah Buchanan, Rolons daughter, teared up talking to reporters about her dad Tuesday.

He was a good, happy man, Buchanan said. He was a wise man. He was kind to everyone, and he just had a beautiful soul. He was fun to be around, and once you got to know him, he loved you forever.

She said they had a special bond.

He was a great father, Buchanan said. I never thought I was a daddys girl but I know I am.

More information will be published if it becomes available.

Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941. Follow @cmurphyMNH on Twitter.

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ASHEVILLE  Two Patton High School visual art students were recently honored at the 2022 Western North Carolina Regional Scholastic Art Awards here.

Graycie Carswell won five honorable mentions for drawings and a ceramics piece, and Catheryn Stahl won an honorable mention for her digital artwork.

Since 1923, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers Inc. has conducted the National Scholastic Art Awards to encourage and recognize student achievements in the visual arts.

This years contest, sponsored by the Asheville Art Museum, received over 500 entries from students in 33 schools across western North Carolina. From those entries, works were chosen by the judges for gold key, silver key or honorable mention awards. The winners chosen best exemplify the alliances core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision.

Works receiving regional gold key awards will be sent to compete in the National Scholastic Art Awards program.

Since its founding, the alliance has identified the early promise of some of the nations more exceptional visionaries. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards continues to be the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S. and a major source of scholarships for young artists and writers.

The 2022 Scholastic Art Awards were held virtually Jan. 29 in Asheville.
Mayors home

looted

The home of Valdese Mayor C.C. Long at 401 Italy St. in Valdese was burglarized between noon Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday, according to Oscar Pascal, Valdese police chief.

Articles missing from the home include a 38-caliber pistol, a 22-caliber rifle, an assortment of jewelry and a bedspread.

The items were stolen while Long and his wife were visiting his elderly mother in Tennessee. The burglary was discovered Saturday morning when Sgt. J.W. Jones came to the house to deliver a message to the mayor. Jones said he found the front door half open, and when he looked inside, he saw that things had been strewn everywhere.

The case is still under investigation by the Valdese Police Department.

Dance deemed a rousing

success

People of all ages from Hildebran and Icard kicked up their heels at the Young Peoples Dance held Saturday night in the lunchroom at the Hildebran Primary School. Music was provided by a local band called the Satin Asses. The dance, sponsored by the Hildebran-Icard Community Development Council, was the second of its kind with a twofold purpose: to provide an evening of pleasure for the young people of eastern Burke County and raise funds for the proposed community center to be built in Hildebran. The event, which drew approximately 200 people, raised $183 for the center, according to Irving Eggers, council treasurer, and Buck Little, president.

Woman falls victim to

flim-flam

Ida Tomlinson of Route 1 in Connelly Springs was the victim of a flim-flam on Friday, according to the Burke County Sheriffs Office.

Tomlinson said a light blue car stopped in front of her house at approximately 11 a.m., and a nice young woman 25-30 years old and a man, 40-45 years old, asked to show her a carpet. When she let them in the kitchen, she believes a third party went into her bedroom while she was preoccupied with the visitors and stole her wallet, containing $41. A purse belonging to a friend of Tomlinson was also taken. The purse contained $4.

The man, who answered to George, was described as being short and heavy-set with black, thinning hair and a round face. The woman, answering to Caldwell, was described having average height with short, wavy black hair, brown eyes and pretty teeth. She was wearing brown corduroy pants and a light coat.

An investigation of the incident is in progress.

Rotary names Man of the

Year

The Rotary Club of Morganton named Burand McGinnis, a merchant who has been a civic leader in the community since 1940, as its Man of the Year for 1971.

McGinnis is founder of Burands store in Morganton. He has served as chair of the board of trustees for the South Mountain Institute and is former president of the Morganton Lions Club, the Burke County Chamber of Commerce, the Morganton Merchants Association and Credit Bureau, the Mimosa Golf Club and many other groups. He was a key player in consolidating fundraising efforts for the Burke County United Fund.

McGinnis will be honored at a banquet at the Morganton Community House planned for March.

Fire damages motorcycle

shop

The Icard Township Fire Department joined in a combined firefighting effort when a motorcycle shop building in eastern Burke County received heavy damage from fire. The shop, located on US 70 SW next to Lowmans Motor Court, is owned by Vernon Duckett and operated by Ellis Lowman. The fire was apparently caused by an explosion in the parts area, which blew out a back wall and allowed the blaze to spread throughout the building, according to Burke County Fire Marshal Marvin Sawyer. A number of motorcycles were in the shop. The Longview and Fairbrook fire departments helped to battle the blaze, which is still under investigation.

This article is sponsored by the History Museum of Burke County, where the archives of The News Herald are stored.
Here's some of your COVID-19 news for Feb. 27.

Many Americans, including parents of school children, have been clamoring for an end to masking while others remain wary that the pandemic could throw a new curveball. Now, states, cities and school districts are assessing Friday's guidance to determine whether its safe to stop mask-wearing  long after others threw out such mandates and many Americans ignored them.

Under the new guidance, the CDC says people can stop wearing masks if they live in counties where the coronavirus poses a low or medium threat to hospitals  accounting for more than 70% of the U.S. population.

Two preprint studies posted Saturday offer further evidence that the coronavirus originated in animals and spread to humans in late 2019 at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China.

One of the studies -- neither of which has been peer-reviewed or published in a professional journal -- used spatial analysis to show that the earliest known Covid-19 cases, diagnosed in December 2019, were centered on the market. The researchers also report that environmental samples that tested positive for the virus, SARS-CoV-2, were strongly associated with live-animal vendors.

Nearly half of the 500 million free COVID-19 tests the Biden administration recently made available to the public still have not been claimed as virus cases plummet and people feel less urgency to test.

Wild demand swings have been a subplot in the pandemic, from vaccines to hand sanitizer, along with tests. On the first day of the White House test giveaway in January, COVIDtests.gov received over 45 million orders. Now officials say fewer than 100,000 orders a day are coming in for the packages of four free rapid tests per household, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.

The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday revised the emergency use authorization for Evusheld, a monoclonal antibody against Covid-19 for immunocompromised people and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, to double the initial dose. People who've already received the drug should go back for an additional dose as soon as possible, the agency said.

"Based on the most recent information and data available, Evusheld may be less active against certain Omicron subvariants. The dosing regimen was revised because available data indicate that a higher dose of Evusheld may be more likely to prevent infection by the COVID-19 Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.1.1 than the originally authorized Evusheld dose," the FDA said in a news release.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced Sunday that a dramatic drop in coronavirus infections could lead to the lifting of vaccine mandates on restaurants, bars and theaters as soon as March 7.

His announcement came shortly after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced her own plans Sunday to lift the states mask mandate on schools, effective Wednesday.

Adams said the city would also lift the mask mandate on about 1 million of the citys schoolchildren in the countrys largest school system.
A Butte-Silver Bow police officer accused of choking a female relative in early January pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of strangling a partner or family member.

But Benjamin Rauchs arraignment before District Court Judge Luke Berger took longer than usual after a prosecutor suggested that a no-contact order in the case had been breached.

Prosecutor Selene Koepke said another female relative may have been telling the alleged victim she could drop the charge, and if Rauch was encouraging that, the state will be filing additional charges against him.

Rauchs attorney, Frank Joseph, said his client had not contacted either relative about the case. Berger said if that was true, it needed to stay that way and the other relative shouldnt be talking to the alleged victim about the case either.

Agents with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation arrested Rauch, a 16-year veteran with Butte police, while he was off-duty at the Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Center on Jan. 4.

Police were called to a residence on Jan. 3 to investigate a report from a woman who said she had been assaulted at a different location. Butte police did a preliminary investigation then asked the Montana Attorney Generals Office for assistance.

According to newly filed charging documents, a state investigator met with the alleged victim and documented injuries to her leg, foot and neck. She said Rauch had strangled her and during the assault, she told him she couldnt breathe.

Rauch told agents they were having a verbal argument until something happened and he grabbed the female and put her on a bed.

When Rauch was confronted with the injuries (to her), he stated that the marks could have been left by him but he did not choke her, the charging document states.

Rauch was released after posting a $50,000 bond but was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim. He is on administrative leave with pay at the police department and said Tuesday he is currently working for Jay Fortune Construction.

The felony charge carries a maximum five-year prison term and fine up to $50,000.

The charge was filed in Butte-Silver Bow but its two District Court judges, Kurt Krueger and Robert Whelan, declined to take the case and asked that another judge preside.

Koepke and another assistant AG are prosecuting the case.

Berger handles cases in Beaverhead, Madison and Jefferson counties and conducted the arraignment via Zoom on Tuesday from the bench in Dillon.

He said Rauch and the other female relative should have no contact with the alleged victim and if that occurs, he will weigh in.

If there is no contact whatsoever, there is nothing to investigate, he said.

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Big plans loom for Congregation Bnai Israel this summer, including tours, lectures and other events. Coming on the heels of a feasibility study done through a collaboration that included Helena non-profit Preserve Montana, the Butte Archives and Congregation Bnai Israel, the tentatively titled Bnai Israel Cultural Center has been a passion for Aubrey Jaap and Ellen Crain of the Butte Archives and congregation members Janet Cornish, David Canty and Glen Rafish.

All five people are on the board of Community Culture and Heritage Inc., a Montana non-profit established in 1995 by Cornish and others, which will facilitate the transfer of ownership of the building from the congregation to an entity not yet identified.

The building is in great shape because the congregation has been working to keep it that way, Rafish said. We're trying so hard to preserve it on our own, but we see down in the future that we won't be able to. He added that the temple recently purchased and installed a $35,000 furnace in the building.

The temple is important not only to the Jewish community, but to the larger community of Butte, Crain said.

Jewish people were very involved in Buttes early life, Crain said, including the establishment of its government and school systems. They also established many of the first businesses of Butte.

Cornish, member of Congregation Bnai for about 40 years, added that the first mayor of Butte, Henry Jacobs, was Jewish.

The Butte Archives began looking at a future use for the temple as a result of a project launched in 2017 called the All Nations Exhibit, in which 17 different ethnic groups were featured in different panels. Upon realizing some groups, such as the Jewish, German and Hispanic communities were underrepresented, the Archives partnered with Preserve Montana to focus on these groups and create collections featuring family stories and artifacts from members of each community.

Out of that project with the Jewish community specifically, came out that there was a need to look for a future use for the temple, Jaap said.

Because of this, the All Nations Exhibit is planned to be the first event the temple holds this summer, Crain said. The 17 panels will be on display at the temple all summer, Jaap said. There are also talks of musical events and presentations that havent been confirmed.

Jaap applied last year for a grant up to $15,000 from the Urban Revitalization Agency to cover half the cost of a feasibility study to best figure out how to forge ahead while preserving both the building and its history.

Although Jewish heritage is an important piece of the project, Cornish emphasized that this undertaking is really about the diversity of the community.

The cultural center has captured both local and national attention, which Cornish, Canty and Rafish attribute to the Archives. Butte historic preservation architect Lesley Gilmore donated her time to do a thorough building condition report for the feasibility study, including plans for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance so the temple can serve as a public space. Aaron Rosen, a rabbi and director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., offered a national context to the local Butte community for the study.

Middle Tennessee State University will send two interns this summer and one each year for the next four, paid by the university. The interns are coming under the guidance of Carroll Van West, the director of the universitys Center for Historic Preservation and will assist with development of interpretation of the history of the building as well as event planning.

Crain said its important for the community to know that because of all the generous donations the project has gotten from MTSU and people like Gilmore and Rosen, there is no tangible cost to the community at this time.

Its not going to cost the people of Butte anything, its not going to cost the government anything, she said.

Congregation Bnai has been standing proudly on West Galena Street in Butte since 1903. Steeped in history, its difficult to find a wall in the building that is unadorned with some sort of reminder of the past, whether it be pictures, memoriam boards, or a signed piece of paper commemorating the temples 70th anniversary.

In the basement, there are pictures of Cantys confirmation class, alongside pictures of Rafishs father, and his own father leading services. Near the entrance of the basement, theres a table that holds postcards illustrated with a painting of Congregation B'nai done by late congregation member Sonia Berman Ehrlich.

Membership in the congregation has fallen dramatically since its height, when there was an estimated 75 families. There is now just a handful who belong to the congregation. Canty and Rafish, who grew up together at the temple, remember when they were kids and attended services with 35 or 40 other families.

In the ritual observation of Judaism, to gather to pray, you have to have a quorum, which is called a minyan, and there has to be enough, there has to be at least 10 people, Cornish said. And that doesnt mean you cant pray individually, but the whole notion of a congregation has to be made up of at least 10.

Currently, there are not enough members of the temple to make up a minyan, Cornish said.

Canty said theres a running joke between the members of the temple that back when he was a child, if a person wanted to pray, they just had to knock on the three businesses next door to make up a minyan, something that isnt possible now.

Butte is not unique in this trend. The number of Jewish families in smaller communities has been decreasing for decades, as has the number of families that are members of a temple. There are myriad reasons for this, not the least of which is that the number of people who attend temple, church or mosque has gone down in the past several years.

A survey done by the Pew Research Center in 2021 found 29% of U.S. adults said they had no religious affiliation, a 6% increase from 2016.

Although the building will mostly be used for the project, Cornish said that the project has not closed the door on larger religious events, such as weddings and life cycle ceremonies.

[The temple] has been a gift to us, and we feel very strongly about making sure that the community and all parties continue to cherish and protect it. Its our legacy.

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A group of Butte-Silver Bow residents that includes two former commissioners wants to buck tradition by moving Buttes annual July 3 fireworks show from the M on Big Butte to the Bell Diamond Mineyard.

Theyve formally asked commissioners to consider the change, saying the fireworks extravaganza at the headframe site to the east would be visible to all of Butte, pay homage to Buttes mining past and pose fewer fire dangers.

In the forty-plus years that our city has enjoyed fireworks off the M, plants, trees and grasses have made a great comeback on the hill, former five-term Commissioner Mike Sheehy wrote in a letter to council. As such, many residents have growing concerns about the fire danger associated with the fireworks.

The letter is signed by Sheehy, former Commissioner Ristine Hall and six other residents and is to be considered for the first time when the council meets Wednesday night.

Council Chairwoman Cindi Shaw is recommending the request be set aside, so at the next meeting commissioners can learn more details and ask questions before deciding any next steps. But if a majority wants to kill it outright Wednesday night, they could.

J.P. Gallagher, Butte-Silver Bows chief executive, said hes heard suggestions over the years that a new location be found. But the show has been staged from the M since at least the early 1970s and changing that tradition, he said, is a big hill to climb.

I dont think we ever take anything off the table but I think there has to be consensus among all parties that it would be the best move for us, he said.

Butte-Silver Bow Fire Chief Zach Osborne said fire concerns are inherent with major fireworks shows no matter where you have them, and the Big Butte near Montana Tech is no exception.

We do have multiple fires every year on that hillside during the show, he said. That hillside gets little spot fires, but luckily, weve been able to put those fires out fairly fast before they spread. If it happened to be a windy night, it would be basically a different story.

Under an agreement between fire officials and the company that sets off the fireworks, the show would be canceled if its too windy, Osborne said. But there are challenges regardless of winds.

The vegetation up on the hill  we are getting a few more trees, the grass is getting a little longer, and that doesnt make it easier to put a fire out, he said.

Osborne said the department always has a truck and firefighters at the launch site farther below, and they also drive through the Uptown area checking for any fires.

They have managed well over the years, he said, but, There may be other locations that would allow for a safer fireworks show.

Sheehy acknowledged the power of tradition in Butte but said, If people really look at it, they will see that danger outweighs tradition.

Sheehy was a maintenance engineer for years at Kennedy Elementary School, which is just below the M, and he has seen the increase in trees and vegetation on the hill.

Every year they have several fires after the fireworks and my fear is that we could have a forest fire on the 'M' that could be catastrophic, Sheehy said. The Bell Diamond has a wider view shed, really, and pretty much everything around the Bell Diamond is dirt. And there are no homes for quite a distance.

The mineyard is just south of the Granite Mountain Memorial in the Walkerville area and is closed off to the public by fencing and a gate. It does offer a great view of most of Butte, as does the Big Butte.

Were also in the Mining City so this kind of pays tribute to the people who died in the fire up there, he said, referring to the Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine disaster in 1917 that killed 168 people. It pays tribute to the workers.

Gallagher said the show from the M provides a spectacular view of the fireworks and the pyrotechnic technicians and firefighters prepare for any contingencies. But he said the growth in vegetation on the hill does present challenges.

Shaw, the council chair, said she is taking a neutral position on the request for now but wants a lot more information on the proposed change.

Commissioners already made one change to fireworks tradition this year when they reduced a 12-day window for selling and lighting fireworks around the Fourth of July to eight days.

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Just before Mariia Dzholos went to sleep last Wednesday, she texted her mother in Kyiv a simple message:

Mom, I love you a lot.

By the time Dzholos woke up Thursday morning the Russians had invaded Ukraine. Her phone was filled with messages about the news from friends. She was finally able to connect with her parents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, both in the Donbas area, as independent peoples republics and ordered so-called peacekeeping troops into those areas. The first talks aimed at stopping the fighting between Ukraine and Russia ended Monday with no agreement except to keep talking, the Associated Press reported.

Dzholos said her mother and father have been dividing their time between a bomb shelter and their apartment that is on the 19th floor, which Dzholos describes as unsafe.

Any time there is a siren or warning they immediately go downstairs, she said.

They have sent pictures that Dzholos says shows their fear and exhaustion. Her parents, Oleh and Tetiana, trade off sleeping; one sleeps at night the other during the day.

Everyone is scared, but it is scarier at the front line, she said. We just hope it will end soon.

I look at my parents and look into their eyes, it is heartbreaking for me, Dzholos said.

Dzholos said on Monday they were able to go to the store to get some food. She said there was no meat and bread, but they got some greens, vegetables and some fruits.

The 20-year-old sophomore who is studying economics at Middlebury College in Vermont is familiar with Helena. She spent several months here during the pandemic of 2020-2021, when Middlebury closed because of the pandemic. She stayed at the home of her friend and fellow student Lea Hohenlohe.

Leas mother, Andrea Rankin, said Dzholos spoke daily to her parents while staying in Helena.

My heart just breaks for her because she is not there, Rankin said, noting that Dzholos has a lovely soul.

Dzholos said it was unfortunate that she could not interact with Montanans much because of the pandemic.

I think its a beautiful state, she said.

Lea Hohenlohe said she has been supporting Dzholos.

"Its been really tough," she said, adding she spoke with Dzholos' parents during the pandemic. "I try to help in any way that I can."

"I feel so insignificant in the grand scheme of things," Hohenlohe said. "It breaks my heart."

She said Dzholos has done much at the Middlebury campus to get students organized and set up events in the town of Middlebury as well.

Dzholos said she is now focused on educating people about what is going on in Ukraine, share resources and inform people about the crisis.

I feel if I do not talk about it the world will not know what is happening, she said, saying she wanted to help people in bomb shelters who cannot speak as much as they would like.

I am trying to do what I can from here, Dzholos said, adding she was telling people how they can advocate for Ukraine by writing to their elected officials in Congress.

Montana's congressional delegation has criticized Putin for invading Ukraine. GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale, Montana's sole member of the House, has said the United States should not get involved in the invasion and focus instead on securing the U.S. border with Mexico.

"The United States has no legal or moral obligation to come to the aid of either side in this conflict," he said Feb. 24, adding that Montanans are more concerned with stopping the "invasion taking place in our country by millions of illegal aliens than they are the invasion of an Eastern European country halfway across the world. It is our obligation to secure our nation and put the American people first, not send our sons and daughters to die overseas in a conflict that does not serve our national interests."

Dzholos said the threat from Putin to the United States is much greater than the threat from Mexico.

"Putin is threatening what the United States stands for: freedom and human rights," she said. "It's important to stand with Ukraine and keep up with the sanctions."

She said the United States defined itself as a world leader after World War II, and defined its national interest beyond the borders.

"As a global superpower you can't think in terms of only your borders," Dzholos said.

Dzholos' Facebook page has a Feb. 26 post featuring a photo of an apartment building hit by some kind of weaponry.

This is Kyiv. 10 minutes away from my house, she says. Spread this. Tell Russians that their army is killing civilians. Push your politicians to make a stand.

Praying for the bravest army in the world. Only victory!

Dzholos said her father is ineligible to be among the armed fighters because of health, but offers to help at a hospital. She also has an 89-year-old grandmother who lives in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.

She had high praise for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his leadership, noting he is taking an active role in the fighting.

I think he is doing great, Dzholos said. I think I have the best president  He is a president who is not hiding, but who took up arms and fought hand in hand with our solders. I am proud of my president.

Her plan is to return to Ukraine after she graduates and use her degree.

I feel like economics is a powerful (tool), she said. Its important for me to get back to my country.

Dzholos encourages people to support by making donations to organizations such as Unicef at unicefusa.org. People can also donate to Nova Ukraine at https://novaukraine.org/ and RedCrossUA at https://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/europe-central-asia/ukraine.

Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021.

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ARCHIVED - Spain complains to UK about maritime incidents off coast of Gibraltar



The Spanish government reported five incidents of concern to London in 2021

The alliance between Spain and the United Kingdom over the governance of the waters surrounding Gibraltar has ever been an uneasy one, and matters came to a head in 2021 when the Spanish government issued five complaints to the UK over incidents involving vessels from both countries.

The Foreign Ministry explained that on each occasion, it considered that certain actions by the British authorities either prevented Spain from carrying out the tasks entrusted to them normally or endangered the safety of their navigation.

You might also like: Sanchez pushes for agreement between the UK and EU over Gibraltar

Both Spain and the UK are vying for rights to the water surrounding the Rock, but Spanish authorities insist that their country only ceded the city and the castle of Gibraltar, together with its port, defences and fortresses. According to the Treaty of Utrecht, Spain only recognises the waters located within the port as having UK jurisdiction, and not the adjoining waters, where the majority of recent fracases have taken place.

The sixth round of negotiations between the UK and the EU about the future relationship of Gibraltar with the Union is taking place in London this week. The Gibraltar Government says it remains firmly committed to securing a positive agreement based on the New Years Eve political framework.

Despite the ongoing disagreement between Spain and Gibraltar, the Foreign Ministry acknowledged that whenever Spain raises an issue which it considers to affect maritime security, the ensuing complaint is considered and valued by the corresponding ministries.

In any case, the Spanish government fully intends to continue using state vessels to monitor the water adjacent to the Rock of Gibraltar.

Further reading: UK accuses EU of undermining its sovereignty in reference to Brexit negotiations over Gibraltar border

Image: Archive
Israeli and UAE companies have held 200 bilateral business meetings at the Dubai-Israel: Future Horizons Mission forum at the headquarters of Dubai Chamber of Commerce.

The event was the focus of a high-level trade mission which was joined by 50 businessmen representing 25 Israeli companies listed on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

The event aimed to highlight the vast untapped potential that businesses in Israel and the UAE, as well as existing synergies in key sectors of mutual interest and new business opportunities emerging in both markets. In addition, the forum familiarised Israeli businessmen with Dubais economy and business environment.

The forum was organised by Dubai International Chamber, the UAE Embassy in Israel and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, as part of The Executive Series, a new flagship series of VIP business missions.

The visiting Israeli delegation was headed by Ittai Ben-Zeev, CEO of Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) and joined by Altshuler Shaham, Amos Luzon Dev.& Energy, Beeio Honey, Bezeq, Delek Drilling, Energix, Enlight Enregy, Epitomee, Feat Inv., Glassbox, Group 11, Israel Aerospace, Menara Ventures, Nayax, Nova, Perion Network, Pomvom, Sofwave Medical, Strauss Group, The Phoenix, The Zarasai Group, and Userway.

Addressing participants, Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers said the event and trade mission supports Dubai Chambers efforts to build and expand Dubais trade and investment ties with Israel, which he described as a market of strategic importance to the emirate.

Israeli companies can offer specialised expertise to UAE companies in the areas of food security, information technology and financial services, said Buamim, who stressed the importance of the Israeli delegation visit, the first trade mission to be organised by Dubai International Chamber under The Executive Series.

He noted that the delegation visit and forum come at a time when Dubai is elevating its position as a global business hub and boosting its value proposition to foreign investors and top companies from around the world as it works towards a new vision for the next 50 years.

In addition, Buamim revealed that Dubai's non-oil trade with Israel reached nearly AED2 billion ($540 million) in the first half of 2021, which he says reflects the huge potential between the two business communities. He added that the trade mission would open new doors of opportunity for Israeli companies in Dubai and take economic cooperation to the next level.

Mohammed Al Khaja, UAE Ambassador to Israel, said: "I am excited to see Emiratis and Israelis show the world what can be accomplished through the joint efforts of our business sectors. Towards that end we must link our financial institutions, ease financial transactions, the flow of capital and investments to realize the true potential of the two markets working together in unison. By partnering we can increase the competitiveness of companies in both countries and better compete in the international arena."

"Israeli companies are warmly invited to take advantage of opportunities to pilot, grow and build mega-scale projects in and with the help of the UAEs business sector. As firm believers that peace leads to prosperity, we will help Israel companies open new markets and reach global scale, Al Khaja added.

Ben-Zeev said: The unique connection between the Dubai International Chamber, the Embassy of the UAE in Israel and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange contributes greatly to the realization of the Abraham Accords and the strengthening of the economic and business ties between the countries. TASEs mission is to expose leading Israeli public companies to a broad range of investors, and now is the time to also reach out to investors from the Globes Eastern hemisphere. The UAE is known for its long-term planning and perspective and I am confident that the combination of Israels innovation and advanced industry with the UAEs far-reaching perspective and vision, will be a great strategic contribution to both countries."

The forum featured workshops and panel discussions covering several high-potential sectors and fields, namely technology and innovation, and financial services and investment, which saw the participation of Mohammed Shael Al Saadi, CEO Strategic Affairs, Department of Economy and Tourism (DET); Faisal Belhoul, Chairman of Ithmar Capital Partners and Founder of Amanat Holdings PJSC; Souad Al Hosani, Director of Investor Care, Abu Dhabi Investment Office; Omar Khan, Director  International Offices, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Shimon Eckhouse, Co-Founder and Chairman, Epitomee and Software; Ahmed Al Qassim, Senior Executive Vice President, Group Head, Corporate and Institutional Banking - Emirates NBD; and David Alexander, Deputy CEO for Corporate Holdings and Development at Phoenix Holdings.

Dubai International Chamber offers support to foreign investors who are keen to explore the Dubai market, as part of its efforts to increase the emirates foreign trade, attract multinational companies and help leading companies list on the Dubai Financial Market.-- TradeArabia News Service
MUSCATINE  The pre-trial and trial of a Muscatine woman accused of sexually molesting an 8-year-old child and selling the video across state lines has been set in Muscatine County Court.

According to court records, the final pre-trial for Jessica Rochelle Peters, 33, will be held at 10:20 a.m. July 8, with the trial scheduled to begin July 18. She is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class C felony, and purchase or possession of the depiction of a minor in a sex act, an aggravated misdemeanor, was dismissed at the request of the state to allow federal charges to be brought.

Peters was arrested after Henry Winchip, 76, of Valparaiso, Ind., was arrested for allegedly paying Peters for photos and videos of the act. He faces felony charges of child exploitation and possession of child pornography.

According to the Indiana filings, on Aug. 12, the child's father told Muscatine police he believed Peters had been sexually abusing the child.

The father alleged Peters approached him with Winchip's request for the illicit video, and he told her he would not participate. He then found the videos on the phone he shared with Peters.

Text messages show Peters sent the videos and photos to Winchip in exchange for money on July 23.

Peters has denied the child is related to her.

According to court documents, the child said the videos were shot at an apartment and a hotel where they lived in Muscatine. The child told investigators their father forced them to do the videos and Peters "fake child molested" them. The child said their father would sometimes hold the phone to record the videos, and other times Peters would record the videos when they were alone.

Porter County Sheriff's Office in Indiana and the FBI served a search warrant on Winchip, who later told police he has known Peters for about 15 years, police said. Winchip was aware she was in police custody in Iowa and admitted to having paid her for sex videos for years, police said.

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Two residents of a Davenport home were injured late Sunday when a semitractor-trailer crashed into a house on Rockingham Road in Davenport.
The German National Tourist Office is preparing several exciting new ways for travelers to interact with and learn more about Germany, one of which is a microsite dedicated to educating travelers on barrier-free accommodations and attractions in Germany.
The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated four Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and ISIS-Mozambique (ISIS-M) financial facilitators based in South Africa.

When individuals are designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, their assets are blocked, and U.S. persons are prohibited from dealing with them.

OFAC said ISIS members and associates in South Africa play an increasingly central role in facilitating funds transfers from the top of the ISIS hierarchy to branches across Africa.

ISIS has recently attempted to expand its influence in Africa through large-scale operations in areas where government control is limited.

ISIS branches in Africa rely on local fundraising schemes such as theft, extortion of local populations, and kidnapping for ransom, as well as financial support from the ISIS hierarchy.

The South Africa-based ISIS members have supported the transfers or served as leaders of ISIS cells in South Africa.

Treasury is taking this action to disrupt and expose key ISIS supporters who exploit South Africas financial system to facilitate funding for ISIS branches and networks across Africa, said Under Secretary of the Treasury Brian E. Nelson.

The United States is working with our African partners, including South Africa, to dismantle ISIS financial support networks on the continent.

OFAC named the four South African-based ISIS members  Farhad Hoomer, Siraaj Miller, Abdella Hussein Abadigga, and Peter Charles Mbaga.

Between 2017 and 2018, Farhad Hoomer helped organize and begin the operations of a Durban, South Africa-based ISIS cell.

Hoomer, the leader of the Durban-based ISIS cell, has provided some of his known residential properties and vehicles registered in his name to sponsor the cells meetings and operational activities.

In his role, Hoomer claimed to have recruited and trained cell members and was in contact with members of ISIS-Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC) and ISIS supporters throughout South Africa.

Hoomer raised funds through kidnap-for-ransom operations and extortion of major businesses, which provided more than R1 million in revenue for his cell.

In 2018, South African authorities arrested Hoomer and his associates for their involvement in a plan to deploy improvised incendiary devices near a mosque and commercial and retail buildings.

Siraaj Miller, who leads a Cape Town-based group of ISIS supporters, has provided financial assistance to ISIS by training members to conduct robberies to raise funds for ISIS. In 2018, Miller also aided in acquiring temporary safe houses for ISIS.

Abdella Hussein Abadigga has recruited young men in South Africa and sent them to a weapons training camp.

Abadigga, who controlled two mosques in South Africa, used his position to extort money from members of the mosques.

Abadigga sent these funds via a hawala to ISIS supporters elsewhere in Africa.

Bilal al-Sudani, a U.S.-designated ISIS leader in Somalia, considered Abadigga a trusted supporter who could help the ISIS supporters in South Africa become better organized and recruit new members.

Peter Charles Mbaga facilitated funds transfers from South Africa. Mbaga sought to support ISIS-M by helping the group procure equipment from South Africa. Mbaga also sought to procure weapons from Mozambique.

All property and interests in property of [the people listed] that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, must be blocked and reported to OFAC, the treasury department stated.

The sanctions further prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.

The prohibitions include the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods, or services to or for the benefit of those persons.

Now read: FBI arrests notorious Internet scammers in Cape Town
The natural beauty of Californias wine country is a big part of the draw for millions of wine tourists who make the pilgrimage every year.

For those who stay and put down stakes, prefabricated luxury homes by Stillwater Dwellings increasingly are the design of choice.

Expansive window walls and indoor-outdoor living rooms take full advantage of the stunning landscapes in Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

With more than a dozen Stillwater homes dotting the hills and valleys and more under construction, Stillwater has become a wine country signature style.

Manufactured homes, once thought of only as among the lowest of the low-end housing options have gone upscale.

Stillwater Dwellings, a 14-year-old Seattle-based company, is one of the leaders in high-design and luxury in the space.

Long popular throughout the Pacific Northwest, Stillwater Dwellings is making a name for itself and taking orders from homebuyers from Colorado to Hawaii and states in between.

Stillwater pre-fabricates major components of its homes in its climate-controlled manufacturing facility in Reno, Nevada, and shipped sections flat to the home site for assembly by trained general contractors.

Total project costs average $475 to $650 per square foot without landscaping. The price tag - vastly greater than the cost of the traditional rectangular metal box in a mobile home park  is a relative steal in the luxury market.

Stillwater estimates the bill for one of its homes comes in 20-40% less than a custom-designed stick-built home of the same caliber.

Bill Jenkins and Kathy Dennett, owners of Wing Canyon Vineyard on Mt. Veeder Road in Napa, are among many homeowners who chose a Stillwater design to replace a home destroyed by wildfire.

Dennett liked Stillwaters eco-friendly pre-fabrication method, which was less taxing on the environment and on her psyche as she worked to re-establish her winery.

Stillwater was able to package the factory-made pieces of her home into smaller than usual parcels to fit up her narrow mountainside road for assembly on site.

Something I found important is you get to pick a plan and then you get to change the plan and make it your own. It made me feel I was designing a house, Dennett said.

The winery building is attached to the home and is part of the Stillwater plan.

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.

Dennett and Jenkins chose to add enough solar panels to power their home and winery so they can live and work off the grid. The Stillwater design  the window walls and skylights  means artificial lighting is rarely needed.

The climate is perfect for living inside and outside. Its the perfect house for Napa, Dennett said.

Charlie and Dan Grant also lost their 1970s two-story home in Glen Ellen to the 2017 wildfires that destroyed many of their neighbors homes.

The Sonoma couple previously was aware of and interested in prefabricated homes which appealed to their commitment to the environment. Having already researched the major prefab companies, they immediately reached out to Stillwater Dwellings.

We wanted only a prefab home because its quicker and my husband is really interested in cutting down on waste and conservation, Charlie Grant said.

Stillwater is dedicated to sustainable, healthy and environmentally sound construction. The company says its methods reduce waste up to 50% compared to traditional on-site home construction, and its engineered timber helps protect old-growth trees.

Soon, five of their neighbors chose to rebuild with Stillwater Dwellings, too. Charlie Grant said she can see three Stillwater homes from her property.

Stillwater Dwellings just ticks all the boxes, Charlie said. Especially in Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

I think its the views. The homes, the windows, make the most of the views, making sure to put the house in the right place, Charlie said.

Like Dennett and the Grants, Colin Petheram and Karteek Patel were lovers of architecture with an interest in modern prefab homes.

After stumbling upon Stillwater Dwellings, the couple  who were not burned out in the wildfires  made the decision to raze their old East Napa ranch-style home which was squandering their luscious Napa views.

Their 2019 Stillwater home showcases both the natural landscape and their personal art collection from years of world travel.

Its been fantastic, said Patel.

He would recommend a Stillwater prefab home to others in the market for such a project.

It is an easier build process, its more cost-effective and more efficient.

Whether a homebuyer comes to Stillwater Dwellings traumatized by wildfire and needing a quick return to normalcy or is rebuilding by choice, Charlie Grant said, They make it very easy to get a beautiful home.

You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com
The St. Helena Cooperative's fifth annual Ol' School Dance Party will be held on Saturday, March 12, at the Native Sons Hall in St. Helena.

The event features music by The Monophonics. Their sound meets at the intersection of classic soul, heavy funk, psychedelic rock, and classic American songwriting.

Food and drink are included and will fuel guests for a night of dancing and good ol' fashioned fun. Tickets for those 21 and older are $65 each and are available at sthelenaccoop.org.
Tuesday, Feb. 22

1015  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near College/Pope.

1052  Non-injury lift assist on Del Campo Court.

1314  Report of two suspicious men in full ski masks driving around Park Street in a Mustang.

1419  Following a traffic stop on Pratt Avenue, an officer cited someone who was refusing to stay in their vehicle.

1737  Report of a drunk man walking on Hunt Avenue. Police arrested the 41-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of public intoxication.

1859  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Main/Saint Andrews.

Wednesday, Feb. 23

0500  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Main/Hunt.

0529  An officer warned a driver about speeding near Allison/Brown.

0704  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop on Pratt Avenue.

1050  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Stralla/Pope.

1113  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near College/Pope.

1246  Report of a pickup parked on Hillview Place for over a week. Police marked it and sent a letter to its owner.

1514  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop on Pratt Avenue.

2233  Medical aid on Voorhees Circle.

2234  Following a traffic stop near Main/Adams, police arrested a 23-year-old Napa woman on suspicion of driving without a license.

Thursday, Feb. 24

0523  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Main/El Bonita.

0542  Medical aid on Peppertree Circle.

0807  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Railroad/Hunt.

1233  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Charter Oak/Allison.

1249  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop on McCorkle Avenue.

1644  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Vidovich/Main.

1832  An officer warned a driver whod parked in a red zone in front of a fire hydrant on Main Street.

1947  An officer warned a driver about speeding near Main/Charter Oak.

2000  An officer warned a driver about a taillight violation on Main Street.

2024  An officer warned a driver about speeding near Main/Adams.

Friday, Feb. 25

0124  Report of a dryer overheating on Crinella Drive, possibly stemming from a gas or electrical problem.

0731  Report of a leaf blower running for the last 10 minutes on Hunt Avenue.

1110  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/El Bonita.

1412  A man said he was being harassed by an ex-employer for switching jobs.

1622  Lift assist on Peppertree Circle.

1649  Report of a loose dog on Grayson Avenue. It was returned to its owner.

1722  Medical aid for a person with a possible broken leg near Main Street.

1905  Report of loud construction work near Tainter Street.

2130  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Main/Crinella.

2142  A caller from a Main Street business said an employee had stolen $30,000 within the last two months. Police took a report.

2347  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Main/Mills.

Saturday, Feb. 26

0908  Report of a homeless person sleeping in a tent in a Pope Street parking lot. Police checked the area and didnt find anyone.

1411  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop near Mills/Main.

1452  A woman asked police to contact her daughter, who hadnt been returning calls. Police verified the daughter was OK and didnt want to talk to her mother.

1707  A backflow preventer was spilling on a Madrona Avenue property. Public Works was notified.

1711  Police were told to be on the lookout for a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run in Calistoga.

1801  An officer assisted a driver whod run out of gas on Main Street.

1822  Police cited a vehicle parked in a red zone near Main/Spring.

1846  Lift assist on Peppertree Circle.

1849  A woman reported fraudulent charges on her card.

Sunday, Feb. 27

0018  Report of a valet acting aggressively on Main Street.

0216  A car ran off the road near Silverado/Pope. Nobody was hurt.

1031  Report of an angry guest making threatening statements to a hotel manager on Main Street.

1146  Report of chainsaw noise as a tree was being cut down on Main Street.

1430  A railroad crossing arm on Charter Oak Avenue was stuck down. The Wine Train was notified.

1653  Report of a possible drunk driver near Highway 29 and Deer Park Road.

1848  Non-injury hit-and-run involving a parked car on Charter Oak Avenue.

Monday, Feb. 28

0526  A box truck reportedly knocked over a lamp post in front of the post office and then left the scene. Police took a report on the hit-and-run.

0828  Police took a report on a problem involving a juvenile on Grayson Avenue.

0937  A man asked to talk to an officer about strange text messages hed received about his brother, whom he hadnt been able to contact lately. He wasnt sure if he should file a missing person report.

1416  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Pratt.

1435  Report of two suspicious men checking out a muscle car parked on Madrona Avenue.

1446  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Madrona.

1619  Non-injury accident at Mitchell/Main.

1634  Report of a car fire on Kearney Street.

1646  Someone threw a few bags of garbage over a fence on a Pope Street property. The bags contained identifying information.

1717  Non-injury lift assist on Del Campo Court.

2312  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Pratt.
People entering Napa County through American Canyon might see a large tourist-orientated sign saying Where Your Napa Valley Experience Begins  with a Pacific, Gas & Electric substation as a backdrop.

The sign depicts a vineyard and farmland, with mountains in the distance. Behind the sign and its bucolic depiction, though, is the tangle of metal structures and wires that make up the substation.

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The American Canyon Planning Commission wants a more welcoming environment for the city's welcome sign. On Thursday, it approved PG&E's landscaping plan for this northwest corner of Highway 29 and American Canyon Road.

PG&E will add 12,087 square feet of landscaping at the substation. Thirteen trees  six Deodar Cedar trees, three California pepper trees, four crape myrtles  are to help shield the substation view from the highway. Shrubs include ceanothus.

The cedar trees when grown are to be about 60 feet tall.

Its going to be a very nice enhancement," Commissioner Tyrone Navarro said.

Commissioners looked at the placement of the trees. Some wanted more trees in different areas to better shield the view of the substation from the highway, such as an additional tree between sign and substation.

The sign is the entry to the city," Commissioner Eric Altman said.

PG&E officials were open to commission requests. But one for more trees on the southern edge of the property is unworkable, given underground electrical equipment in this spot, they said.

Metal towers carrying PG&E lines pass by the substation. Resident Beth Marcus posed a question during public comments on that front.

In light of all the recent fires caused by PG&E lines, is there any concern about these trees being so close to the power lines? she asked.

Landscaping plans were made working with PG&E transmission officials and appropriate guidelines were followed, said Boris Letuchy of the utility.

The landscaping will be irrigated with an estimated 114,551 gallons annually of recycled water. Recycled water is a key in American Canyon, where water supplies are a concern even when the state isn't faced with a deep drought.

PG&E didn't simply decide to add more landscaping around its substation. Rather, the move is tied to landscaping requirements for a different project.

The Planning Commission on Sept. 30, 2021 approved a PG&E regional service center three miles away in the city's industrial area. City policies called for a certain amount of landscaping there.

But constraints at the industrial park site posed a challenge. The solution: transfer some of those landscaping requirements across town to the substation.

"It's a better use of the landscaping if we can bring it to the middle of the city," city Associate Planner William He said at the time.

The Planning Commission agreed. It also decided it wanted to see the substation landscaping plan before the city issued a certificate of occupancy for the regional service center.

It's uncertain how soon the substation landscaping will come. PG&E officials said planting could happen this spring, though that depends on city permits.

American Canyon has two identical welcome signs. The other is amid landscaping at the corner of American Canyon Road and Flosden Road, near a residential neighborhood.

The signs originally said Gateway to the Napa Valley. The city changed the motto to Where Your Napa Valley Experience Begins in 2010, reasoning that this better reflects the city as a destination and not simply a place to pass through.

You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com.

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A restaurant that uses the motto Where Flavor Gets its Wings would like to land in Napa.

Wingstop franchisee Waleed Mansour recently filed an application with the city to remodel a building at 110 Soscol Ave.

The plans call for an additional 785 square feet for the Wingstop and a second eatery (to be announced). More parking would also be created.

We are excited to be in Napa, said Mansour.

A company that Mansour represents, Napaland LLC, bought the parcel in September for $1.35 million. Both Mansour and Napaland use the same Inglewood, Calif. address.

This wouldn't be his first Wingstop franchise. Other companies affiliated with Mansour include additional Wingstop eateries (as well as pizza brands and a bakery) throughout California, said Mones Abdelwahab, director of operations for Napaland.

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Abdelwahab said the company chose this site in Napa because it is convenient to shoppers, nearby hotels and college students.

We have loyal customers in other parts of the Bay Area and wanted to bring our wings, to Napa, said Abdelwahab. It is about time to bring Wingstop to the area.

Abdelwahab said a coffee shop or ice creamery might be a good tenant for the second space on the parcel, but we have not finalized our decision yet.

A Mighty Quinn smoke shop was the most recent tenant at the future Wingstop space. Before that, it was a gas station. Businesses on either side include Vals Liquors and the Best Western Inn.

According to the application, the Wingstop will operate as a fast-food take out restaurant.

The remodel will include removal of an existing canopy, installation of new front landscaping and a water feature, new trash enclosure, new parking lot, and path of travel.

An estimated 20 employees could work at the site. The Wingstop would be open 11 a.m. to midnight, said the application. Construction would take approximately six months.

Maps of the renovation show the addition would be built on the north side of the existing building. Seating for indoor dining is not depicted in the drawings. A new trash enclosure would be located on the south end of the property.

Wingstop would not be the newest tenant on the block. Another chain, Huckleberrys, plans to open at 1000 Imola Ave., in the former Dennys location in the Best Western Inn.

The closest other Napa County Wingstop is in American Canyon at 5075 Main St., Suite 124 B. Other nearby Wingstop eateries can be found in Fairfield and Vallejo.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Wingstop Inc. operates and franchises more than 1,500 locations worldwide, said a news release.

Wingstop offers classic wings, boneless wings and tenders, cooked to order and hand-sauced-and-tossed in 11 flavors. Wingstops menu also features signature sides including seasoned fries and freshly-made ranch and bleu cheese dips.

For its fourth fiscal quarter in 2021, Wingstop reported 58 net new openings. Domestic same-store sales increased 7.5%. Total revenue increased 13.8% to $72.0 million.

You can reach reporter Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com

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Richard Blum, a San Francisco businessman, philanthropist and the husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, died late Sunday, the senators office announced Monday morning.

My heart is broken today, Feinstein said in a statement. My husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years. He was by my side for the good times and for the challenges. I am going to miss him terribly.

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Blum died at the family home after a long battle with cancer, the senators office said. He was 86.

Blum was chairman of equity investment management firm Blum Capital Partners. He also dedicated much of his life to the people of the Himalayas, founding the American Himalayan Foundation in 1981  something Feinstein described as one of his proudest achievements.

As a role model, Dick was second to none, and I think his compassion and devotion to the people of the Himalayan region may prove to be his most enduring legacy, she said.

Feinstein has represented California in the U.S. Senate since 1992. She and Blum married in 1980 when she was mayor of San Francisco.

Dick was incredibly devoted to his family, particularly his daughters and his grandchildren, and my heart is with them and everyone who Dick encountered, Feinstein said. He was the type of man who really replaced his divot in life, who left things better than he found them. His enormous generosity is an inspiration for so many of us.

A longtime friend of the Dalai Lama, Blum was an honorary consul of Nepal, the senators office said. He also founded the Blum Center for Developing Economies at UC Berkeley, which is focused on addressing global poverty.

He served as a member of the University of California Board of Regents and was chairman emeritus of the board.

Blum also served as co-chairman of the World Conference on Religion and Peace and was a founding member of National Geographics International Council of Advisors.

He was a trustee of the executive committee of the Carter Center and sat on several boards including the World Wildlife Fund, the Wilderness Society, the Brookings Institution, the California Academy of Sciences and the Glide Foundation, Feinsteins office said.

We have a hole in our hearts that will never be filled, she said. Dick, we love you, well miss you and well continue to celebrate everything you accomplished during an amazing life.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Ajman Department of Tourism Development has organised an Innovation Lab at the Expo 2020 Dubai as part of the UAE Innovates 2022 initiatives.



Entitled "Re-engineering the Ajman Visitors' Experience", the lab was held in the presence of Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director-General of the Ajman Tourism, reported Emirates News Agency WAM.



It was moderated and conducted by the Ajman Tourism advisor, Rita E Haddad, a Subject-matter expert in the tourism industry.



The lab was attended by the leadership team of Ajman Tourism and major senior representatives from the government entities in Ajman, the tourism and hospitality sector, the private agencies, and stakeholders from the hotel establishments, the restaurants, the academics, and the event management agencies.



The participants discussed the challenges facing the tourism sector in general and the experience and the potential innovative solutions that aim to develop and re-engineer the visitor experience in the emirate of Ajman.



The "Innovation Lab" has successfully gathered all the challenges, opportunities, requirements and generated advanced ideas and innovations in unique content.



Ajman Tourism is keen on raising awareness among individuals about the importance of innovation and its impact on the tourism future and developing a creative mindset that relies on ideation, experiences and testing ideas. This will contribute to exploring innovative and sustainable solutions to tackle the challenges facing the tourism industry in the city and creating a better future for the new generations of visitors.



During the lab, Al Geziry emphasised the importance of Innovation in the tourism industry, saying, "The tourism industry is revolving at an unprecedented pace, and we are all required to keep up with all changes and foresee the sector's future. We need to adopt agile strategies and invest in adapting the new trends to meet the visitors' expectations and needs. The voice of our stakeholders needs to be constantly heard, and the Innovation Lab is one of the platforms needed to ideate then prototype topics."
Even in a time of budget surplus, California takes money from child support meant for low-income families and keeps it in state coffers.

The state generally requires families enrolled in CalWORKs, the state's public assistance program, to open a child support case so that the government can later "recover" the cost from the noncustodial parent  usually the father  as a sort of reimbursement to itself for that cash aid.

Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom is trying to chip away at the policy, shaped by a 1975 federal law that created a child support enforcement program with a focus on "welfare cost recovery." But the governor's plans stop short of giving families on public assistance full access to their child support payments without state intervention.

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Public assistance and child support are all but inextricable. The programs are so intertwined that when a child's primary caretaker, who is typically the mother, seeks to enroll in CalWORKs, she's often forced to open a child support case in order to ensure the government is reimbursed  even if she doesn't want to.

One mother in San Diego County, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said she was resistant to pursue child support for her 4-year-old because she has a restraining order against his father, but it was the only way she could receive cash aid and services from CalWORKs.

"If you don't have [a child support case] open, they automatically pursue it for you. It's non-negotiable, and the logic is: We'll help you, but somebody's got to pay us back," she said. "So many people that I know don't pursue getting help because of that requirement."

States can give more money to low-income families than the federal government generally allows  as long as they're willing to pay for it.

In order to give those families full child support payments, the state would have to find a way to make up for the revenue that child support collections bring in, plus send the federal government a check for its portion, totaling at least $150 million, according to the California Department of Child Support Services.

The state's budget for the 2022-23 year is $286.4 billion.

At least 175,000 low-income families in California are eligible for only a portion of child support because they also receive public assistance. The rest goes to the state, counties and the federal government.

Up to 620,000 additional families could receive access to their full child support amount under a proposal in Newsom's budget unveiled last month. The proposal would direct child support to parents who previously received public assistance  many of whom no longer qualify though they maintain low incomes.

When a parent leaves the CalWORKs program, the state can no longer keep some of their child support payments. But if the noncustodial parent failed to keep up with the required payments, the state continues to take a portion of the money to cover the cost of the earlier assistance.

Parents who currently or previously received government assistance constitute more than 75% of the child support caseload in California, according to the state Department of Finance.

"When the parent who is no longer living with the children makes a payment, which we all want them to do, the children don't get the money," said Mike Herald, director of policy advocacy for the Western Center on Law & Poverty. "The public doesn't understand this. People think that the reason we have a harsh child support system is so we can get money to kids, but actually it's to get money to the government."

A custodial parent who has never received CalWORKs aid gets to keep the full amount of child support.

Dana Maciel, a student at the West Hills Community College District in Coalinga who has four children ages 1 to 12, called the policy "emotionally draining."

Maciel, a CalWORKs recipient, said that she feels punished for being poor. The system pushes parents to work their way out of needing public assistance only to continue to take from them when they no longer need it, she said.

"You worked so hard for nothing. The state still takes it away. It's pointless," she said. "It comes to a point where you end up being back in the system. They say they want to help you but it doesn't really feel like that."

In 2020, Newsom moved to increase the amount that families enrolled in CalWORKs receive in child support from $50 to $100 for one child and $200 for two or more children  the maximum amount the federal government is willing to pass through to families without requiring the state to backfill the financial loss.

Other states, including Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania, offer that same maximum amount to families.

In the San Diego County mother's case, her child's father pays about $350 a month in child support, based on his income, but she is only eligible to receive up to $100. Before Newsom's policy kicked in last month, she received just $50 per month.

Colorado gives 100% of child support to families on assistance, and to make up for it, dedicates a portion of its state budget each year to cover the federal requirement. The Colorado Department of Human Services reported that in the first two years of implementation, families received $11.7 million more than they had before and child support payments increased as paying parents were more inclined to pay when they knew the money went directly to families and not the government.

Half of all states don't pass on any child support to families on assistance, and some states provide less than California, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Newsom's budget proposes that the California Department of Child Support Services waive its share of "recoupment" for families that formerly received CalWORKs assistance, which would result in a revenue loss of $52.3 million for the state in the coming fiscal year and more than $104 million in ongoing funds by redirecting the money to the intended families instead of keeping it in state coffers.

"Providing these funds directly to families may help low-income families reduce the burden of high-cost debt and stabilize their financial position," Newsom wrote in his budget.

But families currently enrolled in CalWORKs would still have a portion of their child support payments intercepted by the state.

The Newsom administration has pointed to federal rules as a hindrance to doing more, but parent and anti-poverty advocates are pushing the state, which is now flush with cash, to follow Colorado's lead.

Newsom's focus on families formerly on assistance, instead of those currently on assistance, allows the state to avoid having to pay the federal government a multimillion-dollar bill each year.

However, directing more money to those currently on CalWORKs makes more sense, according to a report released by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office this month.

The average former CalWORKs recipient who would benefit from Newsom's proposal is a low-income 52-year-old parent with adult children, according to the report. An estimated 75% of former CalWORKs cases no longer have an active child support order, probably because the child has reached adulthood, according to the report.

Despite the federal rules, the state has discretion over how much child support it gives to families, and Newsom's proposal "does not identify a clear reason" to have different policies for different families, the report states. Giving more money to both current and former CalWORKs families is "not mutually exclusive," according to the report.

At a legislative hearing about Newsom's proposal on Wednesday, David Kilgore, director of the California Department of Child Support Services, said the state has had extensive conversations with Colorado officials about their more expansive policy.

Kilgore said that "there's a lot of merits to the idea" and that "we would like to be there at some point in time," but reiterated the state would "have to make the federal government whole" by doing so.

Greg Wilson, executive director of the California Child Support Directors Assn., called Newsom's proposals "really strong family-centered policy," but said the tendency to blame the federal government for not doing more is "a bit of mythology."

A bill that would have absolved states of having to pay the federal government and given low-income parents 100% of child support payments failed in Congress in 2020.

"The state could decide to pass it all through to families, it just comes with a price tag," Wilson said. "That's the double-edged sword for California. If Congress ever changed that to make it a better option for states, I believe that California would jump on the chance, absolutely."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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YEREVAN.  On the margins of the session of the high-level segment of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan on Monday held a meeting with the Director-General of the United Nations at Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informs.

The sides commended the effective cooperation between Armenia and the UN Office at Geneva. Ararat Mirzoyan highlighted the activities of the UN Human Rights Council, emphasizing Armenia's commitment as a member state to protect and promote human rights, fundamental freedoms, as well as the strengthening of democratic values.

FM Mirzoyan touched upon the humanitarian issues resulting from the 44-day war in the fall of 2020 in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the steps undertaken to solve them. In this context, the Foreign Minister emphasized the provision of international assistance and necessary conditions for the full realization of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Also, the Foreign Minister stressed the need for unimpeded access of international specialized organizations, including relevant UN agencies in Artsakh, as well as the implementation of humanitarian missions.
French President Emmanuel Macron is in constant contact with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Macron announced this on Facebook.

I am in constant communication with President Zelenskyy. I would like to commend his great sense of responsibility. At the latters request and given the humanitarian situation, I called [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin.

To President Putin, I reiterated the international communitys demand to end the Russian offensive against Ukraine and insisted on the need to immediately establish a ceasefire.

With discussions starting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, I asked him to stop all strikes and attacks on civilians and residential areas, preserve all civilian infrastructure and secure main roads. He confirmed his willingness to commit to these points.

I demanded compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of civilian populations, such as aid delivery. In this respect, France submitted a resolution to the United Nations Security Council.

To prevent the situation from worsening, I suggested to President Putin that we stay in contact over the coming days. We will continue our discussions, the French President wrote on Facebook.
Denmark, Finland support European Commission proposal on Russian oil sanctions

Bulgaria to seek exemption from EU proposed Russian oil embargo

Biden says he is ready for additional sanctions against Russia

Switzerland braces for serious power shortage

Uruguay freezes ambassador appointment to Ankara after Cavusoglu's gesture

Czech Republic to seek exemption from proposed EU embargo on Russian oil imports

Charles Michel on the likelihood of Moldova's EU membership

Resistance Movement actions to resume tomorrow early morning

Elon Musk is invited to UK Parliament for buying Twitter

Disobedience march reaches France Square, rally starts

US crude oil shipments to Europe hit highest level in April

NEWS.am digest: Large-scale protests being held in Armenia to demand PMs resignation

Armenia Defense Minister meets with Georgian PM

UK bans imposes sanctions on 63 individuals and organizations in Russia

EU plan to completely ban Russian crude oil threatens Hungary's energy security

EU interested in expanding energy cooperation with Azerbaijan

Germany: Gradual EU ban on Russian oil imports could lead to 'supply disruptions'

Opposition demonstration reaches government residences

Aliyev insists so-called Zangezur corridor 'is already a reality'

Slovakia seeks exemption from EU oil embargo for three years

Defense Ministers of Armenia and Georgia sign cooperation program for 2022

Romanian President approves entry of Stryker Brigade and US fighter squadron into country

Dollar goes up, euro also rises in Armenia

EU studying possibility of providing military assistance to Moldova

Public demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation

Opposition supporters move toward Armenian parliament building

EU envoys can not agree on Russian oil

Armenia Security Council chief briefs Georgia PM on Karabakh conflict settlement process

Armenia deputy police chief says law enforcement has right detain MPs

Large-scale opposition rally starts in central Yerevan

Many teenagers in New Zealand are illiterate

AFP: EU proposes to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill

Arestovich says Israel could supply Ukraine with weapons Azerbaijan used in Karabakh war

Parliament speaker threatens Armenian opposition, clergy

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Bayramov, Roquefeuil discuss Azerbaijan-Armenia relations normalization process

Armenia FM meets with US National Democratic Institute president

Armenia ruling force MP: Opposition will not achieve its goal

Armenia 2nd president Robert Kocharyans son blocking road with citizens in Yerevan

Oklahoma bans almost all abortions

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Karabakh President meets with of Free Homeland-UCA parliamentary faction members

Armenian judge waves Artsakh flag at Ironman Triathlon (PHOTOS)

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Ambassador Wiktorin to finance minister: EU ready to continue providing assistance to Armenia government

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Copper price is stable

3 COVID-19 new cases confirmed in Armenia

American Armenian youth hold protest rally outside Armenia embassy in Washington

Japan protests against North Korean missile

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Mark Milley: Potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing

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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

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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

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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

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Vayk joins demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation

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Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block road from Vayots Dzor to Yerevan

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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

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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in Mondays press briefing that, The United States is the largest provider of assistance to Ukraine, and President Biden has committed more security assistance to Ukraine over the past year than the United States has provided at any other time in history.

She added that the US is working to expedite deliveries from the latest package the President approved.

We expect equipment to start arriving within the next couple of days from this package. That brought the total security assistance weve approved for Ukraine to $1 billion over the past year, Psaki said.

According to a White House spokesperson, the US has not yet imposed sanctions on the Russian energy market, but such a possibility is being considered.

We have not taken some steps on energy sanctions, in part because we weigh that. That doesnt mean that theyre off the table. That remainthey remain on the table. But Europeans, for example, are very concerned about further price spikes on gas, in particular. Their prices have gone up 335 percent over the last threeyes, over the last year and 26 percent over the last five days. () we have to weigh all of the factors as we weigh whether to take additional steps, Psaki said.

Also, the White House press secretary stated that the US has no plans to declare Ukrainian airspace a no-fly zone.

(...) the [US] President has been very clear that he is not intending to send U.S. troops to fight a war with Russia. And I think whats important to note here is that is essentially what this would be a step toward, because a no-fly zone would require implementation. It would require deploying U.S. military to enforce, which would be a direct conflictpotentially a direct conflict and potentially war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of, Jen Psaki said.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine commented on the first round of talks between his country and Russia, UNIAN reports.

"Today, on the initiative of the Russian side, the first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia took place. The negotiations were taking place amid the bombing and shelling of our territory, our cities. The synchronization of the shelling with the negotiation process was visible. I believe Russia is attempting to put pressure in such a simple way. Dont waste time! We do not accept such a tactic. There can be fair talks in the case when one side does not hit the other with rocket-propelled artillery at the time of the talks," the Ukrainian president said in a message Monday evening.

According to him, Ukraine does not have the result it would like to get yet from the aforesaid talks.

"Russia has stated its position. Response points were heard from us to end the war. We received some signals. When the [Ukrainian] delegation returns to Kyiv, we will analyze what we have heard and decide how to proceed to the second round of talks," Zelenskyy said.


Muslim women received significantly more abuse when compared to women from other religions. They received 55.5% more problematic or abusive content.

Suchitra | TwoCircles.net

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NEW DELHI  In February last year, 17-year-old Asra Hamid Rashid woke up to hundreds of messages on her Instagram abusing her, sending her rape and death threats.

They broke me, not just on social media, but in my personal life. I do not know how somebody can have so much hate to sustain a hate-filled campaign against a 17-year-old young girl for two straight weeks, Asra told TwoCircles.net.

Asra, a Muslim queer woman, is a law student in West Bengal and has been vocal against the ruling party, and the growing Hindu extremism. Her experiences are not different from other Muslim women online. Muslim women have been experiencing extreme social media harassment ranging from abuses, slurs to active death and rape threats.

Amnesty Indias findings in 2020 saw that 1 in 5 of their analyzed tweets was misogynistic abuse. Muslim Women received significantly more abuse when compared to women from other religions. They received 55.5% more problematic or abusive content. 26.4% of the problematic or abusive content experienced by them contained ethnic/religious slurs. Women from marginalized castes receive 59% more caste-based abuse than women from general castes.

Mariya Salim is a researcher and gender rights activist. worked with Amnesty, Inter Press Service among others. Online violence can often translate into real-life violence, and that threat, that fear is difficult to navigate. Especially for Muslim, Dalit and queer women, the violence then becomes all the more intersectional.

The kind of words that are used specifically for women from Muslim communities is intended to silence them, with an added layer of humiliation with religious, ethnic slurs.

If they see you are outspoken, in cases of online harassment by the right-wing, as soon as they see that its a woman the nature of the abuse changes, Asra said.

Mariya interviewed women who are public figures and often face vicious online harassment while she worked for Amnesty India.

Imagine writing about this online harassment so many times and then waking up to being auctioned by the right-wing, and on New Years Eve of all days, Mariya said, referring to the Github Bulli Bai app. Online violence is scary for women because of the very real danger it brings, and the intention is always to silence, as I have found from my work and my personal experiences.

Online abuse has the power to belittle, demean, intimidate and eventually silence women, she said.

Around two-thirds of women who experienced abuse or harassment on social media platforms said to Amnesty International in a study from 2017, that they felt a sense of powerlessness after experiencing online abuse.

Dr Aqsa is a trans woman who is the first Transgender Nodal officer at a Delhi Covid Vaccination Centre and teaches Community Medicine at Jamia Hamdard. She is constantly at the receiving end of online vitriol from both the right-wing and the transphobes. I was afraid earlier, of doxxing, harassment and these fears are very real. I was quiet during the anti-CAA agitation because I was scared for my family.

Many women complain that they feel disappointed with the lack of solidarity from the men of their community.

Because of your identity as a Muslim woman, many times you see men from your community just not supporting you. I have been asked various times why I dont wear the Hijab, for instance, Mariya said.

A famous Muslim handle recently trolled me for speaking out against their casteism, denying my struggles as a person from a marginalised-caste, Asra said.

Many end up feeling disappointed with other spaces of solidarities, such as the queer community, which doesnt extend their support against majoritarian violence.

Many of these community members unfollow me because of both the assertion of her trans identity and her Muslim identity. A lot of abuse is for me as a Muslim person from the queer community, and a lot of abuse has also been directed at me as a transperson, by the Muslim community. I feel like we need to form solidarities, to fight the common threat of majoritarianism, said Dr Aqsa.

Dr Aqsa said that if one is queer and anti-caste, the support is not the same as intersectionality comes into play.

I often speak against this intersectionality with a lot of caution because I dont want an upper-caste, non-Muslim or a non-queer person to use my words against people who are marginalised by these intersectional identities, Asra said.

For Dr Aqsa, one of the challenges is when credentials are questioned based on gender identity. I do feel that a lot of opportunities that were due to me were not given to me. But it is worse when they also exclude you for your politics of anti-Islamophobia or anti-transphobia, she said.

Twitter has admitted that it has created an unsafe space for women by perpetuating harassment and abuse, but it has not worked with organizations aiming to make social media spaces safer. Even though Twitter has guidelines in place to identify abuse and hate, and has improved its policies and reporting process over the years, Twitter policies are not sufficient to address the toxicity that women face online. We have asked them multiple times to collate a slur-list so we can update it, but they have not accepted this demand of ours, Mariya added.

Suchitra is an independent journalist working on social justice, focusing primarily on gender justice. She tweets at @Suchitrawrites
Hakob Arshakyan, deputy speaker and currently acting speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, on Monday received the Special Envoy of Canada to the European Union (EU) and Europe, Ambassador to Germany, Stephane Dion, the press service of the NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Arshakyan underlined that this year is significant for Armenia and Canada: the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In the Armenian-Canadian bilateral relations, the NA Vice President stressed the role of the inter-parliamentary cooperation, particularly the Parliamentary Friendship Groups.

Also, he opined that the close and effective cooperation with the European Union is of special importance for Armenia, and added that the opportunities of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement shall be fully used.

That is a firm basis in terms of the development of mutually beneficial relations with the EU and the EU member states, the NA Vice President documented.

Hakob Arshakyan highly evaluated the fact that from the first days of the second Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020 Canada had actively tried to make efforts for ceasefire. In this aspect he valued the decision of the Government of Canada for stopping the supply of the Canadian armament to Turkey.

Touching upon the post-war still non-overcome problems, Arshakyan highlighted the realization of all provisions of the trilateral statement, considering of priority the issue of the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and the civilians being held in Azerbaijan. The NA Vice President reminded that the return of the abovementioned persons is postponed with fake criminal cases in Azerbaijan.

We hope that the international counterparts will decently respond to the fact and we will be able to advance in the region with the committed peace agenda, he stressed.

In this context, the importance of the demarcation and delimitation process and the complete withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from Armenias sovereign territory were touched upon. With regards to the establishment of peace in the region it was underscored that the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey actively negotiate in registering progress in the Armenian-Turkish relations.

During the meeting, the sides referred also to the efficiency and continuity of the development program of the staff being implemented with the cooperation between the National Assembly Staff and the Parliamentary Centre of Canada.

With respect to the development of parliamentary diplomacy, Hakob Arshakyan emphasized the implementation of such strategic programs. The efficiency of the implementation of the exchange programs was underlined.

Stephane Dion, in his turn, highlighted the continuous development of the Armenian-Canadian relations and the deepening of the relationship. In this context, he stressed the role of friendship groups.
Alen Simonyan, acting President and speaker of the National Assembly Armenia, on Tuesday received a delegation led by Stephane Dion, Special Envoy of Canada to the European Union (EU) and Europe, who has arrived in Armenia on a mission to outline the ways to assist in the democratic development of the country.

During the meeting, the Canadian special envoy provided Simonyan with some details about his meetings in the state agencies of Armenia during the past two days.

Referring to the purpose of his visit to Armenia, Dion said that he will study, within the framework of his respective mandate, the avenues for Canada's assistance in democracy in Armenia.

The guest added that the role and participation of about 66,000 Armenians living in Canada in the latter's foreign policy and socioeconomic issues is considerable.
YEREVAN.  The Yerevan court hearing on the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan and former deputy prime minister Armen Gevorgyanwho is now an MP of the opposition Armenia Faction in the National Assembly of Armeniawill reconvene Tuesday.

At the last session, Kocharyan's defense lawyer Hayk Alumyan had motioned to petition to the Constitutional Courtand due to the ambiguity of the accusation. He had argued that the reason for petitioning to the Constitutional Court was the legislative gap in the Criminal Code of Armenia. According to him, the Code does not enable the court to explain the accusation when it is not clearly stated, but it does not impose an obligation on the prosecution to explain it.

Along the lines of the aforesaid criminal case, Robert Kocharyan and Armen Gevorgyan are accused of taking bribesand based on the respective testimony of businesswoman Silva Hambardzumyan.
The parliamentary majority of Armeniathe MPs of the ruling "Civil Contract" Faction of the National Assembly (NA)on Tuesday refused to put on the NA agenda the draft statement condemning the ratification of the "Shushi Declaration" by the legislatures of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The draft statement was prepared and tabled by the opposition "Armenia" Faction.

The respective position of the Armenian authorities was presented by MP Gurgen Arsenyan of the "Civil Contract" Faction. He, in particular, stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia had already given an assessment to the "Shushi Declaration."

The proposal to put the aforesaid draft statement on the agenda of the current four-day sessions of the NA was approved by only 26 lawmakers. One MP voted against it, and 57 others abstained.
The head of the French Ministry of Finance said that the European Union will wage an all-out economic and financial war against Russia, RIA Novosti reports.

Western countries announced new sanctions against Moscow after the start of a military special operation in Ukraine. The European Union decided to ban operations related to the management of reserves and assets of the Bank of Russia. The restrictions also affected large financial institutions.

For some companies, it is now difficult to raise capital from abroad.

Germany has stopped the process of certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

The European Union has banned flights over the territory of the Union countries, companies will stop supplying aircraft or parts used in them to Russia.

Moscow said they were ready for sanctions and would support business.
A recess was announced at the Yerevan court hearing Tuesday on the criminal case against second President Robert Kocharyan and former deputy prime minister Armen Gevorgyanwho is now an MP of the opposition Armenia Faction in the National Assembly of Armeniato ensure Gevorgyan's arrival in the courtroom.

The court session continued after the recess.

Gevorgyan arrived, but presiding Judge Anna Danibekyan announced that she considered his absence from the courtroom "disrespectful."

Armen Gevorgyan responded that he needs to return to todays National Assembly sitting, adding that attending this sitting was his constitutional duty.

The court, however, announced the possibility of apprehending him.

Defense attorney Lusine Sahakyan, in turn, reminded the judge that according to the Constitution, the court cannot apprehend an MP.

The judge stopped discussing this matter, and moved on to the agenda and the consideration of the previously submitted motions.
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Many Armenians living in Ukraine are leaving their places of residence due to the present-day situation in the country, and are mainly going to Europe. Hamlet Hovhannisyan, Assistant to the Honorary Consul of Armenia in Kharkiv, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that the situation remains tense.

"At this moment, every family is in its hiding place. And there are some families in the basement of the [local] Armenian church. There is no evacuation at the moment, each family decides for itself whether it can go or not. They are going primarily to European countries. People are trying to get out, risking their lives," he said.

Vahagn Matevosyan, the head of the Union of Armenians of the Donetsk Region, told us that the situation is critical, especially in Mariupol.

"As of today, the electricity grid in the city of Mariupol has been damaged, there will be no electricity, therefore, there will be no heating either in the apartments. A serious problem has arisen with bread. We are working to solve that issue. We have managed to get flour, we need to bake, distribute lavash [bread]. There is panic, the [local] Armenians have consolidated, they maintain contact with each other. Many Armenians have left the citybut at great risk. They mainly go towards Moldova, the roads from the other sides are closed. 

Compared to these cities, the situation is calmer in Odessa where people stay in their homes when air raid sirens blare out.

Anna Gevorgyan, the head of the Armenian community in Odessa, told us that the local Armenian community is now ready with everything.

"If there is a need to assemble, we assemble in our cultural center. We are in touch with all the Armenians here. There is evacuation, mainly among children and women, but we do not have mass evacuation as such," she added.
STEPANAKERT.  Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan on Tuesday convened an extended working consultation on the implementation of the state financial assistance program aimed at the fulfillment of the loan obligations of individuals and legal entities experiencing difficulties in the aftermath of the hostilities unleashed against Artsakh on September 27, 2020.

The Minister of Finance, the heads of the Artsakh Investment Fund and Support Fund of Village and Agriculture made reports, presenting the program implementation process, and recorded the respective successes and difficulties, the Office of the Artsakh President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

After the discussion, the President noted that it is necessary to continue working with the officials in charge of the banking system on the established agenda to ensure the proper fulfillment of the respective obligations undertaken by the state.

Also, President Harutyunyan gave a number of instructions on further relevant activities.
The tragedy of Ukraine is the result of the connivance of Western patrons to the criminal regime formed in Kyiv, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, speaking at a conference on disarmament in the format of a video message, TASS reports.

"The tragedy of Ukraine is the result of the connivance of Western patrons to the criminal regime that was formed there after the bloody anti-constitutional coup in February 2014, carried out contrary to the guarantees of Germany, Poland and France under an agreement on the settlement of the intra-Ukrainian crisis," Lavrov said.

Achieving legally binding security guarantees from NATO countries is of fundamental importance for the Russian Federation, the Foreign Minister said.

Western colleagues have not yet demonstrated their readiness to provide legally binding long-term security guarantees to Russia.

For us, achieving these goals is of fundamental importance. It is unacceptable for the Russian Federation that American nuclear weapons are located on the territory of a number of European countries, it is high time to return them to the United States.

EU countries are trying to get away from an honest dialogue face to face, choosing the path of sanctions. The Russian Federation hopes that the conference on the NPT will still take place. The Russian Federation is deeply concerned about the situation in the OPCW that has become a consequence of Western policy, Lavrov noted.
Armenia has already expressed its position on the situation on Ukraineand it was done at the level of the Prime Minister of the republic, Nikol Pashinyan. Eduard Aghajanyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia and an MP from the ruling Civil Contract Party, stated this at Tuesdays press conferenceat the NAof the members of the Armenian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assemblyand when asked how long Armenia will not express its position on the aforementioned situation.

According to the lawmaker, the events on Ukraine are being closely followed in Yerevan.

"Armenia is deeply concerned about the current situation. As a people that have felt on themselves all the horrors of war, we [i.e., Armenians], naturally, express our sympathy in connection with the situation. Armenia supports the settlement of conflicts through peace and negotiations. The current processes, naturally, cause concern, and our country, being a member of the international community, supports the very position I have voiced earlier," Aghajanyan said.

The MP added that Armenia is concerned about these processes impact on the South Caucasus. According to Aghajanyan, Armenia must be ready for the consequences in case of any outcome.

"The most desirable scenario for the Armenian side is the immediate cessation of the military operations [in Ukraine]. But these are issues on which Armenia cannot affect in any way," said the chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the NA.
YEREVAN.  Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan of Armenia on Tuesday met with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Referring to the ICRC's activities as a non-political and humanitarian organization, Mirzoyan stressed the importance of this organization's activities towards resolving humanitarian issues in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

In this context, Ararat Mirzoyan drew Peter Maurer's attention to the urgency of returning 38 Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijan, as well as revealing the cases of forcible disappearances and the fate of missing persons.

Also, the Armenian FM stressed the need for ensuring the unimpeded access of international organizations to Nagorno-Karabakh and their active engagement on the ground.

The interlocutors agreed to continue the cooperation for the resolution of humanitarian issues.
Italy will be able to survive a complete cut-off of gas supplies from Russia in the short term, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said, adding that such a scenario would make next winters more difficult, Reuters reported.

The Italian government was also ready to provide additional support to families and businesses as Russias invasion of Ukraine and ensuing disruption to trade ties drove up energy prices further, Draghi told parliament.

Italy is keen to reduce its dependence on Russia, which supplies more than 40 percent of its imported gas.

Our forecast is that we will be able to absorb any peaks in demand from what we have in storage or other import sources, Draghi said, referring to the current situation, with the crunch eased by milder spring temperatures.

He said Italy was also working to increase supplies from other countries, such as Algeria and Azerbaijan, and to expand the use of liquefied natural gas terminals.

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said he would visit Algeria on Monday with a view to increase gas supplies from the country.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia to end the war in Ukraine and withdraw all its forces.

He noted that the Alliance will not send troops or combat aircraft to support Kyiv, because it does not want to become part of the conflict, Reuters reported.

The Russian attack is completely unacceptable, and it is supported by Belarus, Stoltenberg said after meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

NATO is a defensive alliance, we do not want conflict with Russia. Russia must immediately stop the war, withdraw all its forces from Ukraine and engage in diplomatic efforts in good faith, he added.
Hungary supports the initiative of eight leaders of the European Union member states to start membership talks with Ukraine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, Reuters reports.

"Hungary backs this initiative and we urge Brussels to put the issue on the agenda," Szijjarto said, referring to a proposal by the presidents of three Baltic states, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Slovenia

The presidents of eight Central and Eastern European countries called on the EU member states to immediately grant Ukraine the status of an EU candidate country and start membership negotiations.

"The Hungarian people did not want this war, Hungarians want peace and we are doing all we can to ensure that peace is restored as soon as possible," Szijjarto said, urging talks between Russia and Ukraine to resolve the standoff.

Szijjarto expressed solidarity with Ukraine, saying that Hungary supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The Hungarian police said that 62,736 refugees had arrived in Hungary from Ukraine since the invasion began. Most of them plan to move to Western Europe.
Greece supports EU sanctions against Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine and is ready to accept Ukrainian refugees, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, Reuters reported.

"Greece was always on the right side of history and we are doing the same today. For Greece there are no dilemmas, we are on the side of Ukraine, freedom and democracy."

He said that Russia's invasion has awakened old nightmares of war as Russia attempts to dismember Ukraine.

"The European Union was born out of the ashes of World War Two. It responded with the largest package of sanctions it has ever launched. The EU's actions awaken the world's public opinion, they are the intangible force of democracy," he said.

Mitsotakis said the EU must also support countries and businesses against further energy price hikes.

"We cannot rule out attempts by Russia to blackmail. We all realize this...will disrupt global supplies and probably trigger a further rise in (energy) prices," said Mitsotakis.

"But we all agree it is the one-off price European people will pay for defending the values which are the foundations of our continent."

Greece has spent more than 2 billion on subsidizing energy bills for households, businesses and farmers since September to cushion the impact of record gas prices. Mitsotakis said government aid would continue until the energy crisis was over.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected calls for NATO to introduce a no-fly zone over Ukraine after an emotional appeal from a Ukrainian journalist, writes the Huffing Post.

The journalist, Daria Kaleniuk held back tears as she told the prime minister the West was afraid to act.

Ukrainian women and Ukrainian children are in deep fear because of bombs and missiles which are going from the sky, she told Johnson during a press conference in Poland.

Ukrainian people are desperately asking for the rights to protect our sky, we are asking for a no-fly zone. Whats the alternative for the no-fly zone?

Nato is not willing to defend because Nato is afraid of World War Three but its already started and its Ukrainian children who are there taking the hit.

Johnson said the UK would not risk a direct confrontation with Russia.

Im acutely conscious that there is not enough that we can do, as the UK government, to help in the way that you want and Ive got to be honest about that.

When you talk about the no-fly zone, as I said to Volodymyr Zelensky a couple of times, unfortunately the implication of that is the UK would be engaged in shooting down Russian planes, it would be engaged in direct combat with Russia.

Thats not something that we can do or that weve envisaged. The consequences of that would be truly very, very difficult to control.
French presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse is against Turkey's accession to the European Union.

In an interview with Kathimerini, she stated that if elected, she would also stop the financial assistance provided to Ankara before joining.

I am unimpressed by the intimidation of the Turkish government. I will oppose Turkeys accession to the EU, the process of which has only been suspended, she said. And current pre-accession assistance should be called into question. With me as president, France will be at the forefront of the fight against Islamism and the protection of womens rights.

Pecresse, the leader of the right-wing Republicans, also said she was inspired by Greece's migration policy.

Greece is currently pursuing a courageous policy that inspires me: The asylum centers opened by the government on the islands of Samos, Kos and Leros reconcile immigration control and human dignity. We must implement such good practices in France, she said.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, she accused President Emmanuel Macron of conducting arrogant and lonely diplomacy, arguing that if we are truly allies, we must have a real voice on Russia.

The first round of the presidential elections in France will take place on 10 April. If none of the candidates wins an absolute majority, the second round will take place on 24 April.
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency extends the ban on flights to 11 airports in the central part and south of the Russian Federation until March 8, the agency said in a statement, Interfax reports.

The regime of temporary restriction of flights to Russian airports in the south and central part of Russia has been extended until March 8, 2022, 03:45 Moscow time, the agency said.

Flights are thus still limited to the following airports: Anapa, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, Kursk, Lipetsk, Rostov-on-Don, Simferopol, Elista.

The rest of Russia's airports, including international ones, are operating normally, the Federal Air Transport Agency notes.

In order to organize the transportation of passengers to closed airports, Russian airlines are recommended to organize the transportation of passengers along alternative routes using the airports of Sochi, Volgograd, Mineralnye Vody, Stavropol and Moscow, the agency added.
SWIFT announced that it expects a list of Russian banks to be disconnected from the global system as sanctions against Russia are imposed, Reuters reported.

The European Union, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Britain agreed Saturday to exclude individual Russian banks from SWIFT.

"We will always comply with applicable sanctions laws," SWIFT said in a statement. "We are engaging with these authorities to understand which entities will be subject to these new measures and will disconnect them once we receive legal instruction to do so."

The global financial system is severing ties with Russia and its banks to prevent Russian companies from raising money in foreign markets.

Market sources said Bloomberg flagged Russian sovereign bonds, as well as securities linked to Russian banks VTB and Sberbank, with a warning tag that "sanctions apply to this security," though trading continued.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the margins of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, MFA press service informed NEWS.am.

The sides praised Armenia's close cooperation with the UN, particularly with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Ararat Mirzoyan said this year is symbolic, as it marks the 30th anniversary of Armenia's membership in the UN. In this regard, the Minister stressed that Armenia has established itself as a responsible and reliable partner of the international community and consistently contributes to the promotion of multilateralism, protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the world.

Presenting the situation resulting from the 44-day war unleashed by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces against Artsakh, Mirzoyan stressed the importance of unimpeded participation of international organizations in the processes on the ground, for the full resolution of humanitarian issues in Nagorno-Karabakh, including the implementation of humanitarian missions by the UN High Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs.

He noted that Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh and its people was accompanied by gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, which have been documented in detail and submitted to international law enforcement structures.

Mirzoyan stressed that Armenian prisoners of war and civilians are still illegally detained in Azerbaijan, and official Baku refuses to release and return them, grossly violating the international law. Attention was also drawn to pre-planned acts of vandalism and destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in the territories taken under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces as a result of the war against Nagorno-Karabakh.

The sides also exchanged views on the ongoing reforms in Armenia and the achievements made in them, particularly in the fields of strengthening democracy, promoting human rights and the rule of law, as well as the judicial system and the fight against corruption. The interlocutors highly appreciated the coordinated interaction in this process with the international structures.

In her turn, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights stressed the importance of Armenia's leadership in advancing the agenda of prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity.
Romania should increase its defense spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product from 2% at present, President Klaus Iohannis said, Reuters reported.

According to him, the decision to increase defense spending requires the approval of the government and parliament, but the strategic goal is to increase spending.

Romania, a member of the European Union and NATO, has a 650 km border with Ukraine. Some 90,000 Ukrainians crossed the Romanian border in the first five days of the invasion.

The current security crisis shows us that it is necessary to increase the defense capability of the Romanian state, Iohannis said, adding that Bucharest would create a hub on its territory for receiving and transporting international humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

More than 3,000 NATO troops are currently stationed in Romania, mostly American, but also a group of 500 soldiers from France, who will lead the NATO inter-army task force in Romania.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of killing Ukrainian civilians, telling the UN Human Rights Council that the Russian Armed Forces are " hitting schools, hospitals and residential buildings."

"They are destroying critical infrastructure, which provides millions of people across Ukraine with drinking water, gas to keep them from freezing to death, and electricity," Blinken said. "Civilian buses, cars, and even ambulances have been shelled. Russia is doing this every day across Ukraine," Blinken added.

He said that Russian "crimes" in Ukraine are "growing by the hour".

Blinken said the urgent debate on Ukraine scheduled for Thursday, where a resolution presented by Kyiv and allies would lead to an international investigation into the violations, was an important step towards ensuring documentation and accountability.
War has returned to Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament.

This is a moment of truth for Europe. This is a clash between the rule of law and the rule of the gun; between democracies and autocracies; between a rules-based order and a world of naked aggression. How we respond today to what Russia is doing will determine the future of the international system. The destiny of Ukraine is at stake, but our own fate also lies in the balance, she said.

At the speed of light, the European Union has adopted three waves of heavy sanctions against Russia's financial system, its high-tech industries and its corrupt elite. I am well aware that these sanctions will come at a cost for our economy, too, she admitted.

We have endured two years of pandemic. And we all wished that we could focus on our economic and social recovery. But I believe that the people of Europe understand very well that we must stand up against this cruel aggression, Von der Leyen said.

She also spoke directly to the citizens of Russia. Russia has reached a crossroads, she said, because " the actions of the Kremlin are severely damaging the long-term interests of Russia and its people. More and more Russians understand this as well. They are marching for peace and freedom. And how does the Kremlin respond to this? By arresting thousands of them. But ultimately, the longing for peace and freedom cannot be silenced. There is another Russia besides Putin's tanks. And we extend our hand of friendship to this other Russia.

According to her, " President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people are a true inspiration."

She said that today the EU and Ukraine are closer than ever. But there is still a long way to go.
Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before meaningful negotiations on a ceasefire can begin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Reuters.

During an interview in a heavily guarded government compound, Zelenskyy urged NATO members to impose a no fly zone to stop the Russian air force, saying this would be a preventative measure and not meant to drag the alliance into war with Russia.

Zelenskyy also said Ukraine would demand legally binding security guarantees if NATO shuts the door on Ukraine's membership prospects.

Our partners, if they are not ready to take Ukraine into NATO ... because Russia does not want Ukraine to be in NATO, should work out common security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said.
The European Parliament backed a resolution on granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country for accession to the European Union.

According to UNIAN, the results of the vote for the corresponding resolution were announced by the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. In particular, 637 EP deputies voted for, 13 MEPs voted against and 26 abstained.

The resolution is now transmitted to the EU's decision-making institutions and all member states.

The resolution condemns in the strongest possible terms Russias illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against and invasion of Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this aggression.

It calls on Russia to terminate all military activities in Ukraine, unconditionally withdraw all military and paramilitary forces and military equipment from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine, and fully respect Ukraines territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognised borders.

At the same time, the European Parliament in the resolution invited Russia and Ukraine to continue diplomatic efforts and also called on Russia to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
European Union countries are considering banning Russian ships from entering EU ports in a bid to tighten maritime restrictions following the suspension of air traffic, Reuters reported.

Britain has already decided to deny entry to British ports to all ships owned, operated, controlled, chartered, registered or sailing under the Russian flag.

The Danish Foreign Ministry said EU foreign ministers had discussed closing European ports to Russian ships on Sunday.

"Denmark is actively working to ensure that the EU takes a general decision to close its ports to Russian vessels," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

We have already decided to close the Danish airspace to Russian aircraft. At the same time, we are open to looking at new initiatives in collaboration with our European partners.

A French government spokesman told Reuters that the EU was working on new sanctions and possible port closures for Russian ships, but added that any additional steps should affect Russia "proportionally much more than our own economies.

A Greek government official said Athens will implement any decision the European Commission takes on this issue.

A European Commission spokesperson said there was no such ban in force at the moment. But we continue working on further sanctions, which will be announced in due course, the spokesperson added.

The European Parliament will on Tuesday vote on a non-binding resolution calling for EU ports to be closed to Russian ships and ships coming to or from Russia, except for necessary justified humanitarian reasons, which could add political pressure for the bloc to act.
In the background of the events in Ukraine, the Georgian opposition has made a number of political demands to the authorities of the country, the main of which is the resignation of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Novosti-Gruziya reported.

The conditions were announced at a protest rally in central Tbilisi, which was joined by thousands of people who consider the position of official Tbilisi on the Ukrainian crisis unacceptable.

"First, Irakli Garibashvili must leave... Second, we must move to concrete and effective steps to help Ukraine... Our third demand is that Georgia applies for EU membership immediately after they leave," Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the opposition party Droa, said at the rally.

She stressed that these demands have been agreed upon by "all social groups and all parties," and they will seek their fulfillment together.

After Khoshtaria's address the rally participants started chanting "Go away" to PM Garibashvili.

The rally is currently going on. Traffic on Rustaveli Avenue is paralyzed.

Rallies in support of Ukraine have been taking place in Tbilisi and other Georgian cities since 24 February, but they have never been political.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the withdrawal of the Ambassador from Georgia. He cited the obstruction of volunteers who wish to help Ukraine and the position of the Georgian government in refraining from joining sanctions against Russia.

The ruling party described the decision as "unjustified and very sad," and blamed the opposition for the situation.
President Joe Biden has personally told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the US or NATO will not establish a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine.

In interviews with Reuters and CNN, the Ukrainian president repeated his request for NATO countries to establish a "no-fly zone", which would allow the alliance to control the skies over Ukraine and deny Russia the ability to use its superior aircraft against Ukraine. Zelenskyy also asked NATO to speed up its application for Ukraine's inclusion into the alliance.

Our partners, if they are not ready to take Ukraine into NATO ... because Russia does not want Ukraine to be in NATO, should work out common security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said.

But the United States and other NATO countries have repeatedly ruled out the introduction of a "no-fly zone," which would require NATO aircraft to monitor airspace and intercept violators with the ability to shoot them down if they don't back down. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the previous day that this would be equivalent to declaring war on Russia, which possesses a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have fled their country for the safety of their neighbors to the west, with many more behind them.

While Ukrainian refugees have been welcomed with open arms so far, the larger question is how people in these countries could react if these numbers swell into the millions and if Ukrainians end up staying.

Many of Ukraine's western neighbors, including Hungary and Slovakia, have consistently ranked among the least accepting in the world for migrants, and almost all (except Moldova) did not vote for the UN migration pact in 2018. (However, all neighbors except Hungary voted in favor of the UN compact on refugees that same year.)

Moldova, Poland and Romania Previously Most Welcoming to Migrants

As of Monday, more than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine since Thursday, many of them crossing into Poland, Moldova and Romania. Of Ukraine's western neighbors, these three countries were the most welcoming of migrants in 2019, which notably predates the Belarus border crisis in 2021 that led Poland to build a wall to keep migrants out.

Half of Moldovans (50%) and more than four in 10 Poles (42%) surveyed said migrants living in their countries was a "good thing," while roughly 30% in each country viewed it as a "bad thing." Thirty-nine percent of Romanians also said migrants living in their county was a good thing, while 29% said it was a bad thing.

Attitudes Toward Migrants Among Ukraine's Western Neighbors Now, I would like to ask you some questions about foreign immigrants - people who have come to live and work in this country from another country. Please tell me whether you, personally, think each of the following is a good thing or a bad thing? How about immigrants living in your country? Good thing Bad thing Depends (Volunteered response) Don't know/Refused % % % % Moldova 50 26 15 9 Poland 42 30 19 9 Romania 39 29 16 17 Slovakia 18 50 27 5 Hungary 8 56 29 7 Gallup, 2019

Thousands of Ukrainians are also making their way to neighbors in Hungary and Slovakia, where residents have been far less welcoming to migrants compared with their neighbors. In 2019, a majority of Hungarians (56%) and half of Slovakians (50%) said migrants living in their country was a bad thing, and far fewer saw it as a good thing.

These numbers are not surprising given that both countries ranked among the least accepting of migrants on Gallup's Migrant Acceptance Index scale in 2016 and again in 2019. Hungary was one of several European countries that erected border fences during the European migrant crisis in 2015.

Who Migrants Are Matters in All Countries

Who migrants are factors into people's attitudes in all five countries, which may give Ukrainians an edge in the current crisis -- given that several countries share their Slavic ancestry and adherence to the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic faiths. Large percentages in each of these countries volunteered that whether migrants living in their country was a good thing or bad thing "depends."

Implications

A crush of Ukrainian refugees fleeing a Russian invasion was likely the farthest thing from people's minds when they were asked about migrants in 2019. More than likely, they were still thinking about the then-recent migrant crisis that saw millions of migrants flee war-torn Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries and seek safety in Europe.

Unlike that crisis, instead of building more walls, Poland and Hungary's governments are taking a welcoming stance toward Ukrainian refugees and migrants, with Hungary even offering protection to all arriving citizens and legal third-country nationals arriving from Ukraine.

Still, if the situation in Ukraine escalates, as many as 5 million could stream across the borders, which could test the hospitality to migrants in countries where this is already in somewhat short supply.

Read more about Gallup's research on international migration.

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
It was a meeting in Addis Ababa five years ago that laid the foundation. A group of scientists assembled by the United Nations had gathered in the capital of Ethiopia to draft the outline of a landmark report that would assess the state of the worlds climate.

That initial forum of the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) informed three different working groups, each charged with authoring a section of the IPCCs Sixth Assessment Report. And by August of 2021, Working Group I had completed and released its chapter on the physical science of climate change, warning that humans have altered the environment at unprecedented levels and that the window to prevent the most catastrophic effects of greenhouse gas emissions is rapidly closing.

Now, Working Group II, which includes a University of Miami researcher in environmental science and policy, has issued its contribution to the nearly 4,000-page report. In their assessment, unveiled Feb. 28 during a virtual press conference, the authors not only reaffirm that climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying, they also address its impacts, the efforts to adapt to it, and the groups of people who are most vulnerable to its effects.

If we were to jump back decades to when these reports started, climate change was mostly a hypotheticalsomething that we, as a global community, could avoid, said Katharine Mach, associate professor at the Universitys Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and a lead author for the IPCCs Working Group II.

But then as we moved forward, the evolution was that warming is unambiguously occurring, she said. And certainly, when the Fifth Assessment Report came out in 2014, it was at that point we could detect and attribute impacts of climate change on every single continent, not just in terms of the change in climate, but also how its affecting agriculture and livelihoods and health.

The Earths changing climate has led to sea level rise, drought, an increase in tropical cyclone activity, and more heatwaves, adversely affecting ecosystems, food security, water resources, human health, and infrastructure, the chapter penned by Working Group II reports.

Indigenous peoples and communities in low-lying coastal areas are often hardest hit by the impacts of climate change, the authors noted.

Most underserved communities bear the brunt of the impacts that do occur. And that plays out within and across countries. So, thats a key component of the complexity of understanding the full distribution of impacts and responses, Mach said. And then, the next part of the complexity thats a big step forward is recognizing that the responses that we take at this point are an unambiguous part of the climate issue. We are trying to actively reduce emissions. Were trying to figure out how to keep people safe. And these actions that were taking constitute the new space of learning how to do this well.

While efforts aimed at adapting to climate change have ramped up significantly during the past eight years, the world is not adapting fast enough, and significant gaps exist between policies that are being implemented and what is needed, according to the assessment.

Closing those gaps will require governments, business, civil society, and individuals to act at a much faster rate than the current pace.

The huge step forward is at this point, we can document globally the degree to which theres recognition and action happening to address climate impacts, Mach explained. At the same time, we are making some progress with grappling with emission reductions. But the big question is, Is it enough? 

Disaster-proofing energy plants and other critical infrastructure, improving health systems to reduce the impacts of climate-related risks, protecting and restoring natural forests, and safeguarding ecosystems are just some of the adaptation measures that can be taken, the assessment suggests.

The number of people worldwide who consider climate action a priority is growing, notes the first chapter, citing a survey that revealed almost two thirds of the people across 50 countries view climate change as an emergency, with the highest level of support for climate action coming from small developing states.

Machs own Rosenstiel School research, which assesses climate change risks and response options to address increased flooding, extreme heat, wildfire, and other hazards, is closely related to the IPCC Sixth Assessment chapter on which she served as a lead author.

For Mach, working on the IPCC chapter to inform various groups of the current state of the worlds climate was one of the more rewarding aspects of her work. She added that, because of the pandemic, her group mostly met virtually during the past two years.

Mach said that she believes several audiences will benefit from this latest IPCC report, from the media to world governments.

But its important to recognize that the U.S. and other high-income countries, in addition to having access to the IPCC report, also have national to local assessment processes working for them, she explained. By contrast, for lower-income countries, there isnt necessarily a national, much less a local, climate assessment. So, in that regard, these IPCC reports are invaluable.
Surrounded by the sounds of Junkanoo drums, University of Miami President Julio Frenk was joined by Provost Jeffrey Duerk; Donald Spivey, distinguished professor of history and special advisor to the president on racial justice; and a host of others in a ceremony on Monday to inaugurate the Center for Global Black Studies.

Donette Francis and Jafari Allen, co-directors of the center, were also present at Cesarano Plaza. The event, hosted during Black Awareness Month, officially opened the facility, which has offices on the third floor of the Solomon G. Merrick Building.

Change depends on deep commitment translated into specific plans and subject to accountability, Frenk said. Todays milestone, which has been championed at the highest levels of both the administration and our Board of Trustees, puts our shared values into practice and our words into action. We remain committed to creating a more just society and the launch of our Center for Global Black Studies exemplifies our efforts.

Duerk, who is also executive vice president for academic affairs, said that the center will help the University continue to chart a path forward.

The administration became more attuned to the needs of an area where students and scholars interested in Black studies could meet to collaborate and engage in thoughtful discourse, pursue collaborative interdisciplinary studies of important topics of the experience of the global Black diaspora, and come together to assist in finding solutions, he said.

An audience of deans, faculty members, students, and other members of the University community joined the celebration.

This is a great way to conclude Black History Month, with the birth of the Center for Global Black Studies, Spivey said. We are laser focused on what we consider to be the number one challenge here at UM, which is to continue to improve the racial climate at the U.

H.T. Smith, University alumnus and member of the Board of Trustees, shared that the calling of this center should be a consistent commitment to excellence.

The opening of this center represents a transformational moment in the 97-year history of this great research university, Smith said. It is a critical, important step on our racial justice journey.

Catalyzed by a planning grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and support from University leadership, the center will serve as a unifying platform to assist in the coordination of initiatives that address structural racism and structural inequalities, both at the University and across society, said Francis.

The center is a key initiative in a plan unveiled by Frenk detailing the Universitys pursuit of racial justice.

I see it as both a crossroad and an incubator, said Allen, associate professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences. This is a place at the crossroad between the U.S. south and the global southincluding the Caribbean and Latin Americaand in the city of Miami, which is a place where all the Black cultures and ideas meet, he added. It is an incubator because it is a place where new ideas that impact all of those areas are born and nurtured and where we can discuss them.

Francis, an associate professor of English, said one of the centers main goals is to highlight the research being conducted by Black faculty members and foster interdisciplinary collaborations. It will also invite faculty members from other universities working on projects that address the complexities of Black lives across the globe.

The facility will house a community of scholars who can use the venue as both a platform to unveil their research and a networking tool, she pointed out.

We knew from our disciplines the vast disparities that existed [in society] and we could see them, she said. We wanted to talk about this collectively so that we could learn from each other and develop interdisciplinary language.

Through Africana Studies, a course titled Black Miami Studies was developed to complement the centers vision. Taught last semester, the course highlighted Miamis significance in the Americas and its longstanding ethnic and national diversity, which makes it a perfect model to study, Francis said.

Among the lecturers in the class were Laura Kohn Wood, dean of the School of Education and Human Development, who spoke about the inequities in education both nationally and locally, and Germane Barnes, assistant professor in the School of Architecture, who spoke on inequities in housing.

One of the centers main goals is to think about blackness in the city and beyond, noted Francis.

We are interested in thinking about what Black lives look like throughout the globe, she said. What are the everyday lives of Black folks wherever we find them? We will learn from our similarities and our differences.

To that end, upcoming events for the center will include a lecture by Savannah Shange, assistant professor of social sciences at the University of California at Santa Cruz, who will speak about her book Progressive Dystopia: Abolition, Anti-blackness, and Schooling in San Francisco. The book explores issues of gentrification and schooling disparities told through a Black feminist and abolitionist lens.

Allen is excited to hear the discussions that the talk will elicit from University faculty members, who are also doing scholarship on schooling and Black feminism.

People who study different cities are important models and points of comparisons for scholars, he said. Events in the fall semester will include a lecture and visit by Mercy Romero, whose book Toward Camden focuses on the Black and Puerto Rican community in Camden, New Jersey.

The center will also strive to become a highly visible public-facing link between the University and Black communities, both locally and globally, making it integral to the intellectual and cultural life of the University.

As part of this initiative, the center has appointed Nadege Green as its first scholar-in-residence. Green, a former Miami Herald reporter who is now director of community research and storytelling at the Community Justice Project, has been a storyteller of Miamis Black communities. Green, who has given several lectures on campus during the past year, has said she believes in the power of teaching community storytelling as a way to educate, solve problems, and heal.

Nadege joining us as a colleague and discussion partner signals our serious intention to be an active part of the Black Miami community, said Allen.

Allen and Francis both encourage students to visit the center, where they can study or engage in conversations with faculty and staff members, or to apply to undergraduate research fellowships supervised by faculty members. In the future, both co-directors hope to be able to offer student internships, as well as study abroad and other opportunities.
Oklahoma State University celebrates grand opening of Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center

Media Contact: Jennifer Kinnard | OSU Foundation | jkinnard@osugiving.com | 405-385-5185

Oklahoma State University celebrated an aviation milestone Saturday with the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center.

The 11,600 square-foot building replaces OSU Aviations outdated facilities and more than doubles the space available to students and flight instructors. Building highlights include 35 workstations for flight instructors, debriefing rooms where student pilots will receive feedback, a student lounge and locker room, an academic suite and flight simulation rooms. The facility is located southwest of Stillwater Regional Airport along North Airport Road.

With this new flight center, we now have a home that matches the energy, passion and success of our students and faculty, said Jon Pedersen, dean of OSUs College of Education and Human Sciences.

He added that enrollment in the aviation program has grown by 40 percent in recent years and that the college has added five new Cirrus SR20 planes to its fleet.

The Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center puts our program in a position to continue to grow as we attract and retain high-caliber students, Pedersen said. With common areas, space for individual flight debriefings and more, this incredible building will truly enhance our flight operation and serve our students well.

Oklahoma State University is one of fewer than 20 universities in the U.S. to offer graduate aviation degrees and has become a pipeline for trained professionals to start careers in an industry with a dwindling workforce. In addition to training students to become pilots, OSU Aviation prepares students for careers in aviation management, aerospace security and technical service.

Tara Serocki, a December 2021 graduate with a degree in aerospace administration and operations, speaks at the grand opening event about the importance of the new Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center.

Staying true to our land-grant mission, Oklahoma State University will help fill the demand for trained and skilled professionals in the aviation industry, Pedersen said.

The facility was named in recognition of a 2019 gift from Linda Booker and her late husband, Ray, who graduated from OSU A&M in 1957 with a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. Both held private pilot licenses, were passionate about aviation and wanted to increase the number of OSU-trained pilots around the world.

We met students and we could see that they are just as enthusiastic and passionate about flying and aviation as Ray was when he started out, Linda Booker said. This flight center is going to expand the number of students this program can take. And the demand is there.

Including the Bookers, a total of 17 families and organizations named spaces inside the facility through private donations.

Pedersen said he hopes the Ray and Linda Booker OSU Flight Center will grow to become an aviation complex that will eventually include aircraft storage to protect the universitys fleet of aircraft and a new maintenance hangar.

Oklahoma State University is proud of our aviation program, and this new center positions us well for future growth, said Kyle Wray, senior vice president of executive affairs, who spoke on behalf of President Kayse Shrums office. It will also provide the best educational experience to our students wanting to work in the aviation field. There are many like Ray and Linda Booker who gave generously to this project, and we are incredibly thankful for their contributions.

To learn more about how to get involved, visit OSUgiving.com/AviationComplex.
Nord Stream 2 builder may file for insolvency

The US sanctioned Nord Stream 2 AG last week. Photo: AFP

The Swiss-based company which built the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is considering filing for insolvency, two sources familiar with the situation said, as it attempts to settle claims ahead of a US sanction deadline for other entities to stop dealings with it.



The United States sanctioned Nord Stream 2 AG last week after Russia recognised two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine prior to its attack on the country, which has prompted a wave of economic sanctions by the West.



Nord Stream 2 AG, which is registered in Switzerland and owned by Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom, last year completed the US$11 billion project which was designed to double the capacity to pump gas from Russia to Germany.



The two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks about a potential insolvency are confidential, said that Nord Stream 2 AG has been working with a financial adviser on clearing some of its liabilities and could formally begin insolvency proceedings in a Swiss court as soon as this week.



Nord Stream 2 AG did not comment on possible insolvency.



Gazprom declined to comment.



The 1,230 km (767 mile) pipeline had not begun commercial operations because it was pending certification in Germany, which last week put this process on hold as a result of the escalating Ukraine crisis.



The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued an executive order on February 23 authorising "the wind down of transactions involving Nord Stream 2 AG" or "any entity in which Nord Stream 2 AG owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest" by March 2.



Gazprom paid half the cost of building Nord Stream 2, with the remainder of the US$11 billion pipeline project financed by British oil and gas major Shell, Austria's OMV , France's Engie and Germany's Uniper and Wintershall DEA.



Shell, Engie, and Wintershall DEA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. OMV declined to comment.



A spokesperson for Uniper said the company does not currently have any such information when asked about a possible insolvency filing by Nord Stream 2 AG.



It was unclear if all entities related to Nord Stream 2 AG would be shut down or how Gazprom plans to proceed with the pipeline maintenance.



Switzerland's Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said in an interview with Swiss radio service RTS on Monday that all Nord Stream staff, more than 140 employees, who worked for the company in the Swiss city of Zug had been fired.



Job cuts were confirmed on Tuesday by Nord Stream 2 AG, which said in a statement: "Following the recent geopolitical developments leading to the imposition of US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the company had to terminate contracts with employees. We very much regret this development".



Germany, which gets half its gas from Russia, had backed Nord Stream 2 to diversify energy supplies for Europe, but the project faced opposition within the European Union and from the United States for increasing the region's gas dependence on Russia and allowing Moscow to reduce volumes through Ukraine, for which it has to pay a transit fee.



Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week, several large companies, including oil majors, said they would exit their Russian operations, including Shell, which said it will no longer be involved in Nord Stream 2 among other investments. (Reuters)
Scores of diplomats boycott speech by Lavrov to UN

Ambassadors and diplomats leave the room while Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (on screen) delivers his pre-recorded video message. Photo: AP

More than 100 diplomats from some 40 Western countries and allies including Japan walked out of a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the top UN human rights forum on Tuesday in protest over Russia's attack on Ukraine.



The boycott by envoys from the European Union, the United States, Britain and others left only a few diplomats in the room including Russia's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, who is a former deputy to Lavrov. Envoys from Syria, China and Venezuela were among delegations that stayed.



Lavrov was addressing the UN Human Rights Council remotely, after cancelling his visit due to what the Russian mission said on Monday were EU states blocking his flight path.



Neutral Switzerland also imposed financial sanctions on Lavrov on Monday, a measure of the international revulsion over an offensive Russia describes as a "special military operation" aimed at dislodging "neo-Nazis" ruling Ukraine.



In his speech, Lavrov accused the EU of engaging in a "Russophobic frenzy" by supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine during Moscow's military campaign that began last Thursday.



A Russian armoured column bore down on Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Tuesday and its forces fired rocket barrages into the centre of Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, on the sixth day of Russia's assault on its neighbour.



Among the diplomats who walked out, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod joined Ukraine's ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko behind a large Ukrainian blue and yellow flag.



"It is a remarkable show of support for Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence," Filipenko told reporters.



Filipenko said there had been "massive destruction to civilian infrastructure" in Kharkiv, adding: "The maternity wards are being attacked, civilian residential buildings are being bombed."



Russia denies targeting any civilian sites.



Canada's Joly said: "Minister Lavrov was giving his version, which is false, about what is happening in Ukraine and so that's why we wanted to show a very strong stance together."



Later on Tuesday Canada will petition the International Criminal Court over what Joly said were Russia's "crimes against humanity and war crimes".



She was referring to the Hague-based court where the office of the ICC prosecutor on Monday said it would seek court approval to open an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.



The US envoy to the Human Rights Council, Michele Taylor, said in a statement: "This Russian war of aggression will have profound implications for human rights in Ukraine and Russia, and the leaders of Russia will be held accountable." (Reuters)
SpiceJet, IndiGo and Air India Express will operate these special flights to bring back stranded Indians, who manage to find their way out of the hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.

Romania and Hungary share land borders with Ukraine, and many Indian nationals, including students, have made their way to these countries.

Till now, Tata Group-led Air India has been operating flights to Bucharest (Romania) and Budapest (Hungary).

Earlier, Air India operated direct special flights to Kiev but it had to stop these operations due to a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued over the closure of Ukrainian airspace.

One of Air India's flight bound for Kiev from New Delhi returned to the national capital's IGI Airport after NOTAM was announced at Kiev airport last Thursday.

Last Tuesday, the airline had carried out the first of its special flight operations ferrying Indian citizens from Ukraine.

--IANS rv/arm

( 180 Words)

2022-02-28-22:54:03 (IANS)
The Finance Minister had announced this major e-governance initiative in the Union Budget 2022-23 presented in Parliament on February 1.

"A Budget 2022-23 announcement, the e- Bill system will be implemented across all Central Ministries and Departments. This will be a further step to enhance transparency, efficiency, and a faceless- paperless payment system. Suppliers and contractors will now be able to submit their claim online which will be trackable on a real-time basis," the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The electronic bill processing system launch will be a part of the 46th Civil Accounts Day celebration in the national capital. The event will be organised at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. (ANI)
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 1 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Things have been moving at godspeed at Svitch HQ as Svitch Bikes extended another olive branch towards diversification after acquiring the Electric Cycles market. Svitch has launched Svitch NXE, the first non-electric bike to their exclusive portfolio of E-bikes. The pre-bookings started from February 10, 2022. It comes in 5 colours in total namely: Scarlet Red, Midnight Sapphire & Yankee Yellow. 2 colours are special edition colours namely Goblin Green & Berlin Grey. All the credit for this goes to Rajkumar Patel & Chintan Khatri whose vision has put the Svitch Brand on a global map. The brand new non-electric Svitch NXE comes with these new-gen specs: - Foldable Handle Bar making it flexible as anything! - Aluminium 6061 makes it featherweight & firm at the same time! - Foldable Paddles makes it convenient to carry them anywhere! - 20" x 3" Fat Tyres make it suitable for any & every terrain! - 7 Speed Shimano Gears make it possible to ride uphill & downhill smoothly! - Dual Suspensions absorb the meanest, nastiest jerks & shocks! - Comfortable Saddle makes it possible to ride the bike comfortably for long hours. - 160 mm Mechanical Disc Brake to prevent any calamities & uncertainties! Not just stopping at Electric & Non-electric cycles, Rajkumar Patel is all ready to roll out the new-gen EV motorbike CSR 762 in the second quarter of 2022. The internal testing is done & the designs have been finalized as the e-bike is in the certification stages. Svitch Energy Pvt. Ltd., headed by Rajkumar Patel, welcomed the decision of the government of the Battery Swapping Policy passed in the budget session 2022. The dynamic Owner, MD of Svitch Bike, Rajkumar Patel is looking forward to the government's decision to subside the battery swappable infrastructure that comes with the new generation of EV vehicles as it expands further India's operation & vision for EVs. When people dreamt of riding exquisite bikes in their childhood, Mr Raj dreamt of making one. Hence, the new-gen CSR 762 was born which comes with a similar battery swapping model where one could swap their bike's batteries once the juice runs out which will save the usually long hours of EV charging time. This new development in the EV industry comes as a breath of fresh air as this will reduce the range anxiety among new users of EV vehicles as this will simplify the process down to going to a gas station for a refill. Even with the brand new Svitch NXE, people are accepting EVs & cycles as a serious means of commute along with adding them to their workout regime. Svitch Energy Pvt. Ltd., headquartered at Stellar, Sindhu Bhavan Road, Ahmedabad, is more than accommodating when it comes to catering to the needs of the people in every way possible. The coming considerable changes in the EV sector especially in India seems to be more than just welcomed in terms of subsidization of EVs first and then the battery swapping policy, carving out a path for a new generation of Electric Vehicles all set to revolutionize the face of Indian Automobiles with Svitch Energy Pvt Ltd as a huge contributor. With the onset of the non-electric Svitch NXE, Svitch Energy Pvt. Ltd., aims to equip the whole of Indian and global demographic to align them towards EVs and hence, a sustainable future. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
New Delhi/Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 1 (ANI/NewsVoir): Home&Soul (a subsidiary of Investors Clinic) today announced that the company will receive fund infusion under SWAMIH Investment Fund I from SBICAP Ventures to complete its project - f-Premiere on the Yamuna Expressway. The Central Government has announced category II alternative investment fund (AIF) in 2019. SWAMIH Investment Fund I has been formed to complete construction of stalled, brownfield, RERA registered residential developments that are in the affordable housing/mid-income category and are also networth positive, requiring last-mile funding to complete construction. F Premiere by H&S is one of the few projects hand-picked by the Fund to qualify for the financial support. f-Premiere from Home&Soul is a residential hub overlooking F1 motor racing track on Yamuna Expressway. The project features the signature 'Diamond' right at the entrance, alluring double-height lobbies, designer elevators, an exclusive sky lounge and a fully-loaded clubhouse with a grand swimming pool. Sakshee Katiyal, CEO, Home&Soul said, "As a developer, we are really grateful to the Government of India that something revolutionary and encouraging like this scheme has been announced for the stressed real-estate industry. We have our firm commitment to our buyers, and with this infusion through SBICAP ventures, we will be able to deliver on our promises. SWAMIH investment fund has been a boon to lots of developers and in the recent trying times and the fund has exited lots of projects, giving confidence to the industry." Home&Soul has five projects under its belt at present - both commercial and residential. The company has already delivered value to more than 600 proud house owners. Most of the company developed projects are in the prestigious NCR belt. Home&Soul, a real estate development organization boasts of a top-notch team of professionals that has come together to create 'A world of progressive blue'. Home&Soul, is passionate about the creation of aspirational yet functional homes; contemporary yet soulful homes. The company is engaged in managing and developing residential and commercial landmarks such as f-Premiere, Boulevard Walk, Page 3 and Beetle Lap. The emphasis on world-class architecture showcases a modern lifestyle that is driven by client expectations and the intent of realizing their dreams. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Surat (Gujarat) [India], March 1 (ANI/PNN): The Nagar Prathmik Shikshan Samiti (NPSS) run Khushaldas Vanmalibhai Palwala school would be Surat's first green government school. Thanks to renowned environmentalist and textile industrialist Viral Desai, a.k.a. 'Green Man,' for adopting the government school with the sole purpose of transforming it into the city's model green school. In the presence of Deputy Conservator of Forest Puneet Nayyar and Councillor Nilesh Patel, Viral Desai gifted about 46 benches, specifically designed for environmental conservation, to the kids Khushaldas Vanmalibhai Palwala primary school in Pal on Saturday. Desai announced that he is adopting the school to transform it into a model green school during the bench distribution event. The benches donated to the NPSS school in Pal were recycled from old worn-out benches discarded in the scrapyard. Desai brought these benches to his location and refurbished them with a spanky style on the topic of environment, where unique pictures of nature conservation and pictures portraying love for the environment have been developed to educate the children about environmental preservation. Viral Desai said, "This school has a huge campus where hundreds of trees could be planted, and the children will be trained on how to nurture them. We will be placing over 500 flower pots allowing the children to water them every day. Wall paintings on the theme of ecosystem restoration and climate action." After the bench distribution programme, Viral Desai and DCF, Puneet Nayyar interacted with the students on climate action and ecosystem restoration, in which the students participated enthusiastically. Prakashbhai Parmar, the school's principal, stated, "As a teacher and principal, I am pleased that our school will become a model green school, and the children have been rewarded with unique seats on the theme of environmental preservation." This will go a long way toward educating young minds about environmental conservation." Puneet Nayyar, DCF said, "The idea of these benches designed to make students aware of forest and environmental protection is to be applauded. It is commendable that Viral Desai has worked in this direction." It must be noted that green man Viral Desai has been credited for developing India's first model green railway station at Udhna. The Udhna railway station has been developed on the theme of climate action and ecosystem restoration. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], March 1 (ANI/PNN): Indore's Member of Parliament (MP), Shankar Lalwani, Padma Shri Janak Palta, and Mala Thakur flagged off the 'Anemia Rath' to launch the anaemia awareness campaign in the city on the part of the World Aplastic Anemia Day. The Anemia awareness campaign has been launched by Advanced Ayush Balance Centre and Advanced Homeopathic Medical Research and Welfare Foundation in Indore. Speaking on the flagging off ceremony of Anemia Rath, Indore MMP, Shankar Lalwani said Indore has attained the first position as the cleanest city of India. Similarly, it will become the number one city as far as health is concerned under the able leadership of Dr AK Dwivedi. "Dr. Dwivedi's efforts in the direction of improving the health sector in Indore will prove to be a huge milestone," said Lalwani. Padma Shri, Janak Palta said, "Through the rath (chariot), the young generation in Indore will be given vital information about the valuable food items available in their homes. It is a very commendable effort by Dr AK Dwivedi." Dr AK Dwivedi, chairman of Advanced Ayush Balance Centre and Advanced Homeopathic Medical Research and Welfare Foundation, informed that the Anemia rath would move around in the entire city of Indore, and the efforts will be to check the haemoglobin levels of healthy-looking women to know whether they have the prescribed or normal amount of haemoglobin or not. "The very purpose of flagging off the Anemia Rath is to reach out to as many people as possible. Together, we have made Indore city clean; now, we will make it healthy too. It is important that people have to be saved from anaemia and malnutrition," said Dr. Dwivedi. MP Shankar Lalwani and Padmashree Janak Palta got their blood tested for anaemia. The flagging off ceremony was attended by Dr Bhupendr Gautam, Dr Rishabh Jain, Dr Vivek Sharma, Dr Jitendra Puri, and a large number of students from AYUSH Medicine. This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 1 (ANI/NewsVoir): The 35th International VLSI & Embedded Systems Conference, 2022 was officially inaugurated today, 28th Feb, 2022 at a virtual event with a clutch of top Semiconductor leaders and Govt. dignitaries. The inaugural ceremony of the prestigious symposium witnessed a remarkable number of 5000 plus registrants, 14 key notes, 16 Tutorials, 53 papers, 3 expert panels, 10 user design sessions, 30 exhibits, 14 industry forum sessions, 45 design contest entries and over 40 sponsors. The ceremony was addressed by Chief Guest Sh. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Hon'ble (Minister of State for Electronics, IT, Skill & Entrepreneurship), Guest of Honour, Dr. Ashwath Narayan CN, Hon'ble Minister of Electronics, IT, Bio-tech, Science & Technology). Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Hon'ble MoS, Electronics & IT and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India started his speech by acknowledging the remarkable launch of latest semiconductor policy by honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he believes had been a huge confidence booster for the industry and laid out the vision for Indian technology and innovation eco system. He reiterated that PM's vision about next 10 years being the most important decade for Indian technology sector, resonates how impactful technology can be in changing the lives of all the citizens. Investment of the government capital in building talent, entrepreneurship, design ecosystem and technologies like RISC-V will help further strengthen our focus on building a technology nation. Partnership between Industry, academia and government is critical to make these efforts successful. I have never felt more confident in my last 3 decades in technology sector about realizing the potential of this important sector. Market demand, depth of innovation and government policies will be catalyst in creating sustainable leadership for India in Semiconductor and VLSI Design. He envisioned that this varied mix of critical policies and able leadership should be a good starting point for an unprecedented growth and expansion in semiconductor technology domain. He shared that as govt. their key ambition is to narrow down their focus on building India's own design and development capabilities. He emphasised that the partnership between Industry, Academia and Govt. will be defining the semiconductor and VLSI eco system in India and outside. Dr Ashwath Narayan C N, Hon'ble Minister of Higher Education, IT & BT, Science & Technology, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship & Livelihood, Govt. of Karnataka said In Karnataka, we have completely revamped/revived from ITI to Polytechnic, Engineering, Degree education in all levels. From school to higher education, we have upgraded ourselves to industry 4.0 and our facility and infrastructure is at international standards. We want to have complete utilization of all available resources, have the entire industry be a part of the academia and design the organization structure in such a way that it becomes much better than the model institutions like IIT and IIM. Our ultimate aim is to be able to cater to the manpower requirement of the entire world. Dr Satya Gupta, President, VLSI Society of India, Advisor, IESA, noted that A Semiconductor Chip is used in all technology products we use continuously in our day to day life, be it a Washing Machine, Smart Watch, Oximeter or anything else. Semiconductor technology has seen astronomical growth over the last 50 years. In 1971, when Intel announced the 4004 processor, it had approximately 2300 tied transistor devices powering the microprocessor. Today, there are more than 60 billion transistors in a tiny chip which is slightly bigger than 1.1 inch - this is, by any standard, mind boggling growth of technology in this area. Because of the power of chips, they are at the heart of every industry vertical and semiconductor technology has become the most important technology for economic, information, infrastructure and strategic security. The latest emphasis on the semiconductor ecosystem in India and world over, has created need for more than 2 Lakh VLSI Design engineers and more than 10,000 skilled technicians for designing the chips and manufacturing in the semiconductor fab. Anil Kempanna, General Chair, VLSID 2022, Vice President - IOTG, Intel welcomed all participants referring to the event as not only a platform but a confluence of all the stakeholders in the ecosystem. He noted that VLSID Committee is immensely proud to have built a robust technical program consisting of key note speeches including both global and domestic experts, tutorials, papers and posters and they are hopeful that the conference will not only meet but surpass all expectations this year. An elated Kempanna also mentioned that this year's conference marked the highest ever number of technical paper submission. He extended his gratitude to both Central and State Govt. dignitaries for fostering semiconductor VLSI industry in India. He noted that the committee is highly motivated by the visionaries and leaders who brought India's semiconductor dream to reality with the launch of the latest semiconductor policy. The team is optimistic that this will prove to be a remarkable and inspirational milestone for realising India's semiconductor dream and potentials. He reiterated that a "Technology Convergence" is the word of future and collaborative effort is need of the hour to build unmatched capabilities, path breaking competencies, tactical strategies and propel investments both within and outside the country. Some of the other eminent dignitaries and guests that attended today's inaugural ceremony were Nick McKeown, (SVP/GM, Intel Corporation, Prof. Stanford University), Prof. Vishwani Agrawal, (Professor Emeritus, Auburn University), Dr. Satya Gupta, (President, VLSI Society of India), Sambit Sahu, (V.P. & G.M. IoTG, Intel Corporation, Executive Chair, VLSID 2022), Balajee S. (Corporate V.P. & MD, Semiconductor Electronics R&D Centre, Executive Chair, VLSID 2022 ). The event is supported by some of the leading brands including Intel, Samsung, Siemens, Cadence, Qualcomm and Synopsys. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 1 (ANI/NewsVoir): On the occasion of National Science Day, the Institution of Engineering and Technology, India announced Dhivakar Kumararaja Malarvizhi, a 4th year Student of Electronics Engineering at The National Institute of Technology, Trichy as the national winner of the prestigious IET India National Scholarship Awards, 2021. He will receive a cash prize of Rs. 120,000 for his winning presentation, which proposed a unique solution to avert a potential marine disaster that non-biodegradable wastes from the pandemic could contribute to. His solutioning also featured a working prototype which impressed the jury. Amrita Kesh, from the Indian Institute of Engineering Science & Technology, Shibpur was declared First runner-up with a scholarship prize money of Rs. 80,000 and Akshata Patil, from Fr. C. Rodrigues Institute of Technology was declared Second runner-up with a cash prize of Rs. 60,000 Shekhar Sanyal, Country Head and Director, IET India, said, "The National Science Day pays tribute to the scientific genius and curiosity spirit of Sir C V Raman. The IET has always encouraged engineers to be creative, to ask the difficult questions challenging our society, and to solve them in unique ways. A big round of applause to Dhivakar Kumararaja Malarvizhi who outshone 16,000 applicants to become the ultimate winner in the country and attempted to solve a pressing challenge brought about by the pandemic. Aside from the prestige of coming on top in such a tough competition, I hope that the scholarship money that the winner, as well as the regional winners, are receiving, helps them in their journey towards excellence. It is a great feat to have risen to the top at such a competitive level." The National Finalists competed against 1400+ students in a rigorous, 4-phase online assessment that tested their STEM fundamentals. Shortlisted candidates were asked to present innovative engineering solutions to key societal challenges outlined by the Scholarship Advisory Committee during the regional round. This year's topics included "Use of futuristic technologies to address waste generated by the COVID-19 pandemic", "Development of safe and dependable public transportation for a post-pandemic world" and "Use of technology to combat the fake news infodemic", among others. "The winner has displayed technical expertise, leadership potential as well as presented his ideas in a convincing manner to the expert jury. We congratulate him on this victory. It is an exemplary achievement and to be able to present his idea to a high-profile national jury is a success in itself," said Ujani Ghosh, who heads the Scholarship programme for India. The IET India Scholarship Awards accolades undergraduate engineering students for their creativity, innovation, leadership, and excellence. To commemorate the IET's 150th anniversary, the Scholarship Awards was relaunched this year in a digital format - and the 2021 edition proved to be the most successful one, drawing over 16,000 applications from engineering students across the country. The previous four editions of the IET India Scholarship Awards drew an overwhelming response from the engineering community, with over 20,000 combined entries from students across India from 2013 to 2016, and a total of Rs. 32,00,000 presented as scholarships. Speaking on the vision behind the IET India Scholarship Award, Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, Vice President, IET Board of Directors said, "India is a hub for engineering talent. We are a large contributor of graduates to the world of engineering. Still, there are many deserving candidates who do not pursue their engineering dreams for lack of role models and financial support. It is the IET's goal to nurture and reward deserving young engineering talent from across the country and partner in helping them achieve their dreams." The IET India Scholarship Award Advisory Committee includes Professor Abhijit Chakrabarti (Professor, Electrical Engineering, IIEST, Kolkata Chairman - IET India Scholarship Award 2021), Manish Bahl (Associate Vice President, Center for the Future of Work - Asia Pacific and the Middle East, Cognizant), Dr. Nandini Gupta, (Professor Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur), Professor Santosh Kumar Vora (Professor and Head of Department-Electrical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Nirma University), Professor Samarjit Sengupta (Department of Applied Physics, University of Calcutta) and Dr. Shobha G (Department Of Computer Science & Engineering, R V College of Engineering). The IET is one of the world's largest engineering institutions with over 168,000 members in 150 countries. It is also the most multidisciplinary - to reflect the increasingly diverse nature of engineering in the 21st century. The IET is working to engineer a better world by inspiring, informing and influencing our members, engineers and technicians and all those who are touched by or touch the work of engineers. Institution of Engineering and Technology - India The IET office started operations in India in 2006, in Bangalore. Today, it has over 13,000 members and has the largest membership base for the IET outside of the UK. Given the increasing global importance of India as an engineering hub their aim is to make an impact that has relevance both locally and internationally. The strategy is to make a meaningful impact on the overall competency and skill levels within the Indian engineering community and play an influencing role with industry in relation to technology innovation and solving problems of public importance. IET does this by working in partnership with industry, academia and government, focusing on the application of practical skills within both learning & career lifecycles, driving innovation and thought leadership through high impact sectors. For more details, please visit www.theiet.in. For details on the IET India Scholarship Awards, please visit www.scholarships.theiet.in. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Vipul Organics Limited, a leading specialty chemicals company in the pigments and dyes segment, said on Tuesday its board has recommended a bonus issue of shares in the ratio of 1:4. The record date for the bonus issue is set on April 9, 2022. As per the board recommendation, the company will issue 1 new fully paid-up equity share for every 4 fully paid-up equity shares held. A total of 25,62,375 new equity shares will be issued. "Over the past five decades, the Company has grown to become one of the largest manufacturers of pigment and dyes in India. This was made possible due to the unequivocal support of all its shareholders," said Vipul Shah, Managing Director, Vipul Organics Limited, said in a statement. The company's board also approved and recommended Vipul Organics Limited - Employee Stock Options Scheme 2022 ("VOL - ESOS 2022") and issuance of up to 2,00,000 options to the eligible employees. "The issue of bonus equity shares and ESOS's is a token of appreciation for the continued support of its shareholders and employees respectively," Shah said. The board also allotted 3,34,000 equity shares at an issue price Rs 111 each (including premium of Rs 101 per share) upon conversion of 3,34,000 warrants issued on preferential basis, as approved by the members of the Company in their Extra Ordinary General Meeting held on 30th January 2021 to the promoter and promoter group of the Company. Upon conversion of the Warrants, the promoters' stake in the company has increased from 65.08 per cent to 66.22 per cent. After the above allotment, the paid-up share capital of the company stands increased to Rs 10,24,95,000 divided into 1,02,49,500 equity shares of Rs 10 each. (ANI)
BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover resigned as Managing Director and Board Director, minutes after receiving the agenda for the upcoming board meeting that included submission of the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) report regarding his conduct and considering actions based on it. The Board reserves the right to take action based on the report's findings, the company said. A source close to the developments said that Grover's 8.5 per cent stake in the company might be clawed back as it is on the board's agenda to deliberate on the issue in the meeting in the evening today. Sources told ANI that Grover mailed his resignation to the board at midnight 12:05 pm, 15 minutes after receiving the agenda of the board meeting which is scheduled on Tuesday late evening. He received the agenda in the mail around 11:50 pm on Monday. In his resignation addressed to the Board of Directors, Grover said that while they will not find a single act of impropriety against him, "I will not be participating in your charade". "Since you clearly believe you can run this Company better without me -- I am leaving you with this challenge. Build incrementally even half of the value I created so far -- I am leaving you with three times the funds I've utilised till date," said Grover. "I hereby resign as the Managing Director of BharatPe, effective immediately. I also resign as a Director of the Board. I will continue as the single largest individual shareholder of the Company," he added. His resignation comes close on the heels of Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) rejecting Grover's petition against the company for initiating an investigation against him and BharatPe sacking his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, Head of Controls at the company, over allegations of misappropriation of funds. Meanwhile, BharatPe issued a statement on Tuesday which says, "the Board reserves the right to take action based on the report's findings." It seems Grover resigned as the board meeting is going to discuss alleged irregularities by the Grover couple. BharatPe board has roped in professional services firm Alvarez and Marshal (A and M) and PwC to investigate the alleged irregularities by Grover's. PwC has completed its investigation and prepared its report which will be discussed in the board meeting. People aware of the development said that the company has found certain financial irregularities against Madhuri Jain Grover, wife of Ashneer Grover who was sacked by the company last week. The company has strong proof of the funds being used for her personal purchases at the start-up. Her stock options have also been cancelled. On the allegation that she was named in a preliminary investigation by professional services firm Alvarez and Marshal (A and M) that linked her to alleged financial irregularities at the startup, Madhuri said, "Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and A and M never presented a single document to me when I was called. They did not present any proofs for me to address. Where is the concept of natural justice? I have learned of allegations from the media. A and M has not till date been able to explain how their report leaked." A Spokesperson of the company told ANI that Jain has been terminated in accordance with the terms of her employment agreement. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI/Oswaal Books): With the students getting a clue about the board exams dates, they are still wondering when the dates for JEE Mains 2022 will be announced. National Testing Agency (NTA) has not yet announced the proper exam schedule for the JEE Mains exams. But, it is being speculated that the application form will be released by March 1, 2022. And the exam will be most probably conducted in May. As soon as the dates for the JEE Mains exam are out, students can visit the official website to check the details. Students still have many questions regarding the number of attempts this year and what are some of the key questions that they can prepare for the JEE Mains exams. JEE Mains has a vast syllabus, but still, there are some key areas from which the questions are likely asked. Students can find the latest updates and important questions for JEE Mains 2022 by going further. JEE Mains 2022 Exam Schedule JEE Mains 2022 exam details and registration schedule will be released in the brochure on the official website for JEE Main. In 2021, students were given 4 attempts for JEE Mains due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the country. But, for JEE Main 2022, there will be only two attempts i.e. in April and May. This news is not confirmed yet, but it comes from reliable sources that vow for its reliability. JEE Mains 2022 will be conducted in the online mode across 300 cities in the country. There will be overall two papers for JEE Mains exam in which students can appear. Most of the students are also worried about the 75% criteria for appearing in JEE Main 2022. There is no such announcement regarding the same. But, there are chances that it can be waived off for this year also just like the previous year. JEE Mains Important Questions to Boost Rank By preparing some of the core areas around which questions can be framed, students boost up their chances to score higher ranks. Below are some of the important question types that can be asked in JEE Main 2022. Students can practice these sorts of questions: 1. Select the unit vector which is perpendicular to both the following vectors: 2i^+2j^-k^ and 6i^-3j^+2k^ i^-10j^+18k^/5[?]17 2. The sum of the magnitude of two forces acting at a point is 18 and the magnitude of their resultant is 12. If the resultant is at 90 degrees with a force of smaller magnitude, then what is the magnitude of forces? 5, 13 3. The density of Nitrogen is maximum at: 273K and 2atm 4. The correct relationship between the boiling points of very dilute solutions of AlCl3 (T1) and CaCl2 (T2) having the same molar concentration is: T1>T2 5. If Z1, Z2 are two complex numbers such that |Z1|=1, |Z2|=1, then the maximum value of |Z1+Z2|+|Z1-Z2| is: 2[?]2 6. The value of a for which one root of the quadratic equation (a2-5a+3)x2+(3a-1)x+2=0 is twice as large as: 2/3 7. Sum of all the five digits natural numbers formed using all the digits {0, 1, 2, 3, 4} are: 2599980 8. Distance of P(p) from the plane r.n=0 is: |p.n|/|n| 9. The smallest positive value of x (in degrees) for which tan (x+1000) = tan(x-500) 300 10. A block of mass 0.1 Kg is held against a wall by applying a horizontal force of 5N on the block. If the coefficient of friction between the block and the wall is 0.5, the magnitude of frictional force acting on the block is: 0.98N 11. The atomic weight of iodine is 127. A standing wave in a tube filled with iodine gas at 400K has nodes that are 6.77cm apart when the frequency is 1000vib/sec. Iodine is: Diatomic 12. If 25% of length of wire is stretched by 25%, then %age change in resistance of wire will be about: 14% 13. The number of revolutions per second made by an electron in the first Bohr orbit of hydrogen atom is of the order of 3_ 1015 14. The stability of the dispersed phase in a lyophobic colloid is due to: Formation of electrical layer between two phases 15. The number of p-p bonds in P4O10 is: 0 For more important questions, you can also refer Oswaal JEE (Main) Mock Test Sample Question Paper Physics Chemistry Mathematics for Exam 2022. Students will get ease of chapter-wise preparation and learning tactics: * Latest JEE (Main) Four Question Paper 2021- Fully solved * Previous Years' (2019-2020) Exam Questions to facilitate focused study * Mind Map: A single page snapshot of the entire chapter for longer retention * 15 Sample Question Papers based on the latest pattern with detailed explanations * Oswaal QR Codes: Easy to scan QR codes for online concept-based content * Trend Analysis: Chapter-wise Here is the recommended link for JEE (Main) Mock Test Sample Question Paper Physics Chemistry Mathematics for Exam 2022, Click here https://bit.ly/3C1jHiB Conclusion Preparing the questions around the above concepts will help the students to score high. In addition to the above areas, students need to have a grip on core concepts for the JEE Mains 2022. Students can practice from the mock tests to books up their rank in JEE Mains. The schedule will soon be released on the official website, For further updates, stay tuned and keep on checking the official website. All the Best!! This story is provided by Oswaal Books. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/Oswaal Books)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 1 (ANI/NewsVoir): The Thunderbird School of Global Management (Thunderbird) at Arizona State University, home of the world's No. 1 ranked Master's in Management and ranked No.1 for innovation in the U.S., rolled out in Mumbai today its transformative new global initiative to educate and empower 100 million learners by 2030. Launched in Phoenix on January 20, 2022, the Global Initiative will be rolled out across continents beginning with today's event in Mumbai. The announcement coincides with the opening of Thunderbird's Center of Excellence in Mumbai, part of a global network of offices expanding the school's engagement and impact worldwide. Thanks to a historic USD 25 million donation from the Francis and Dionne Najafi Global Initiative, Thunderbird will offer an online Global Management and Entrepreneurship Certificate, consisting of five world-class courses in 40 different languages. The certificate will be covered by full scholarships and thus will be made available at no cost to learners due to the philanthropic support undergirding the initiative. The Francis and Dionne Najafi Global Initiative has been made possible through a generous initial gift of USD 25 million from prominent Phoenix businessman and Thunderbird alumni F. Francis Najafi '77 and his wife Dionne Najafi '06. "Our lives were transformed by access to quality education at Thunderbird and we wanted to extend that same transformative experience to people around the world who lack access to quality education," said the Najafis. "We are excited and deeply humbled to be part of such a bold initiative." "My ancestors come from Porbandar, the home of Gandhi. My grandfather only completed 6th standard but went on to be a successful entrepreneur. My grandmother didn't get to go to school at all. My father came to India for technical school, but my mother never got to college. I was blessed because of their sacrifices with a world-class education that transformed my life including allowing me to do graduate research in 22 states across India. I want millions in India to have access to that world-class education, at no cost, in multiple Indian languages to transform their lives," said Thunderbird Director General and Dean, Dr Sanjeev Khagram. "In order to reach scale, we are building long-term collaborations with great partners committed to educational access in India, such as Leap Scholar, Samta Foundation, OrangeSlates, KK Modi University, among many others and especially with our amazing Thunderbird alumni across India," added Dean Khagram. Vaibhav Singh, Co-founder of Leap Scholar shared, "Leap Scholar is committed to enabling and empowering students by democratizing access to global education and careers. We are ready to partner with Thunderbird School of Global Management, ASU, which is ranked #1 for Global Management, in implementing the 100 Million Learners initiative in India which will further boost the vision of bringing the best global opportunities to aspiring students." Learners in the Francis and Dionne Najafi Global Initiative will receive a badge for each course they complete and a Thunderbird executive education certificate upon successful completion of all five courses. They will gain 21st century skill sets to catapult their professional careers. Learners will also have an almost limitless number of lifelong learning options and alternative educational pathways through Thunderbird and ASU, and may even apply for an accredited 15-unit certificate from ASU Thunderbird upon completion. "Access to higher education and the need for equity and inclusion is one of a global scale. One of the reasons Arizona State University is so pleased to have Thunderbird as part of our enterprise is because it is a school that has been focused on sustained prosperity worldwide for decades," said ASU President Michael Crow. "The commitment made to the school by Francis and Dionne Najafi will impact communities around the world and be a force that brings all of us closer together. We are grateful for their commitment to a borderless expansion of the opportunities that come with higher education." Educating 100 million learners by 2030 will require a strategic, phased approach. In year one, the Global Initiative aims to reach learners in India, Colombia, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Indonesia, Egypt, Senegal, Brazil, and Vietnam in ten languages. By year two, the program will be expanded across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America to at least 25 languages. By year four or earlier, the Global Initiative will have expanded to Europe and Central Asia and 40 total languages - thus available for learners worldwide. Eventually, the initiative will be available for all learners around the world, reaching our goal of 100 million learners. "We are ready to partner with the Thunderbird School of Global Management in order to reach and empower millions of individuals across India with the transformative Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative. This is an initiative much needed in India and it will help drive entrepreneurship and innovation across our society. Thunderbird changed my life when I was a student there - making its courses accessible to all will be transformative," said Chancellor Charu Modi of KK Modi University. Richa Agrawal, Managing Trustee, Samta Foundation shared, "Samta Foundation is ready to partner with Thunderbird School of Global Management, to ensure that the tribal and rural areas, along with institutions of Maharashtra benefit from the 100 Million Learners initiative." Meanwhile Sindu Evan, COO, OrangeSlates commented, "The initiative is a great opportunity for OrangeSlates to bring futuristic courses from the best universities to educators globally." The United Nations estimates that the COVID-19 pandemic has erased 20 years' worth of educational gains and digital online education has accelerated and expanded dramatically to fill the gap. In addition, the uncertainty and disruption that has come to characterize this era of rapid technological change have displaced many workers and professionals all over the world, increasing the need for upskilling and reskilling in order to seize the immense opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Francis and Dionne Najafi Global Initiative will provide millions of people with the global management and entrepreneurship skill sets that are not only imperative to accelerate personal success and economic prosperity but also to address the persistent poverty and increase inequality worldwide. Interested individuals can request additional information and pre-register at: thunderbird.asu.edu. F. Francis Najafi is the American Dream come to life. He came to America from Iran to get an education and earned four degrees from three universities. In 1982 he founded Pivotal Group, a real estate opportunity fund with uncanny market timing and wisdom. Later he broadened Pivotal Group's mandate by successfully investing in private equity and growth venture opportunities. As his success grew, so did his philanthropy: Mr. Najafi has given millions of his own money to an incredibly wide range of causes, headlined by his recent USD 25 million donations to Arizona State University. Thunderbird School of Global Management is a unit of the Arizona State University Enterprise. For more than 75 years, Thunderbird has been the vanguard of global management and leadership education, creating inclusive and sustainable prosperity worldwide by educating global leaders capable of tackling the world's greatest challenges. Thunderbird's Master of Global Management was ranked No. 1 in the world for 2019 by the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education. To learn more visit thunderbird.asu.edu. Arizona State University, ranked No. 1 "Most Innovative" university in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, has developed a new model for the American Research University, creating an institution that is committed to access, excellence and impact. ASU measures itself by those it includes, not by those it excludes. As the prototype for a New American University, ASU pursues research that contributes to the public good, and ASU assumes responsibility for the economic, social and cultural health of the communities it serves. To learn more, please visit ASU.edu. Founded in 2019, Leap Scholar is South Asia's largest overseas study abroad platform with products & services in overseas education. Leap Scholar has pioneered the 'platform way' of end-to-end services for students pursuing international education and careers and has a thriving community of 1 million+ students. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices in Bengaluru and Mumbai, India. Being one of the fastest growing startups in overseas education, the company has raised over USD 75 MN in venture capital from marquee investors including Sequoia Capital India, Owl Ventures, Jungle Ventures and Harvard Management Company among others. The company is co-founded by IIT Kharagpur alumni, Vaibhav Singh and Arnav Kumar. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited and the holding company of all retail companies within the group, on Tuesday said it has bought a majority stake in designer brand Abraham & Thakore Exports Private Limited. Through this deal, RRVL seeks to leverage its subsidiary Reliance Brands Limited's (RBL) deep understanding of the affluent Indian customer and their heft across digital, retail operations, marketing, and supply chain platforms, to build brand Abraham & Thakore's global appeal in the fashion and lifestyle category, Reliance Retail Ventures Limited said in a statement. Launched in 1992 by David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore, they were soon joined by Kevin Nigli who famously became the "&" in Abraham & Thakore (A&T). A&T unlocked the potential and power of Indian handlooms by approaching them "with modernity and meaning through weaving and design intervention in unconventional, even non-conformist ways". "Abraham & Thakore's interesting use of material and fresh take on traditional textile techniques have crafted a highly distinctive design signature for the brand," Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, said. "With Indian luxury customers undergoing a generational consumption shift, there is heightened appreciation of Abraham & Thakore's timeless design, and we are excited to partner with the brand to bring its unique expression of Indian craftsmanship to consumers globally," she added. A&T's interpretation of Indian textiles started with loungewear and home collections that were first sold at The Conran Shop in London and later in global stores of repute such as Liberty, Browns, Harrods, and Selfridges. For almost 15 years, the brand mostly retailed predominantly in international stores before coming to India with their first fashion show presentation. The brand is strongly rooted in the philosophy of understanding the cultural construct of fashion, the statement said. Not only is an Abraham & Thakore Ikat sari a part of the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, but in 2015 the brand's creations were chosen for Fabric of India, V&A's first major exhibition that explored the rich, multi-faceted and dynamic world of Indian handmade fabrics. "Each collection continues the exploration of developing a quiet and modern design voice while simultaneously drawing on the rich traditional vocabulary of Indian design and craft. Its strong cultural language gives it a unique resonance in different mindsets and markets," the statement said. "Abraham & Thakore is excited to partner with RRVL, the company responsible for redefining India's luxury landscape. Through this partnership we will be extending the presence of the brand and bring together both fashion and lifestyle collections which will include home furnishings and loungewear," said David Abraham. The design trio, David Abraham, Rakesh Thakore and Kevin Nigli will continue to lead the creative direction of the brand. (ANI)
As India's automobile industry displayed robust sales figures broadly for the month of February in the results declared on Tuesday demonstrating some recovery from the difficulties triggered by semi-conductor shortages, fresh concerns have arisen over the Russian-Ukraine conflict which may worsen the global chip shortage. Both Ukraine and Russia play a key role in the global semiconductor supply chain. Russia is probably the largest producer and key supplier of rare metals like palladium which is essential for memory and sensor chips along with several other rare-earth metals, explains Hemal Thakkar, Director, CRISIL Research. Ukraine, on the other hand, is a leading producer and exporter of Neon gas that is used for several processes in the manufacturing of semiconductors like etching circuit designs into silicon wafers to create chips. The automotive industry, according to Thakkar, has a large dependence on semiconductors as a key component largely in the passenger vehicles and pick-ups segment. "While there are several consumer durables items, including consumer electronics, which rely on chips -- also known as semiconductors -- the last 12 months have seen huge shortages in auto-grade semiconductors due to COVID related supply chain issues," Thakkar told ANI. As per the preliminary assessment, as pointed out by Thakkar, Ukraine supplies a large part of the US's semiconductor-grade neon gas which is integral in the chip-making process while Russia supplies about a third of the US's palladium supply, a rare metal that can be used to create semiconductors. China would be the next largest supplier for neon gas, and with so much geopolitical tension, there are supply concerns. "If the geopolitical tensions continue for long, they could have probable ramifications on the semiconductors industry which was already struggling to find ground," Thakkar said. The apprehension also finds resonance in a Moody's Analytics report which notes that the crisis has the potential to extend the stress in the supply chain of semiconductors which are key to manufacturing autos and other electronic equipment in the Asia-Pacific region. The report titled, 'Limited Trade Between Ukraine and APAC' highlights that Ukrainian companies like Cryoin are a major part of the semiconductor supply chain, producing speciality gases like neon, helium, xenon, krypton and their isotopes which are then used by the powerful lasers that semiconductor fab units use to etch the microfine engravings in the silicon wafers. Indian automakers which posted encouraging sales data for the month of February 2022 riding on a demand surge, are cautiously optimistic that as they enter into the new fiscal, the semi-conductor availability will improve and they will be able to cater to the customer demand in full measure. Suzuki Motorcycle India registered overall 72,200 unit sales in February 2022, selling 58,603 units in the domestic market and exporting 13,597 units. Satoshi Uchida, Managing Director pointed out that despite the ongoing semiconductor availability constraints, the company continued to keep growth momentum in February. "We are experiencing a strong demand both from the domestic and the export market," he said. Mahindra Auto too clocked overall volumes for the month at 54,455 units, registering a growth of 89 per cent and its highest-ever SUVs volume in February 2022 with the sale of 27551 vehicles. The passenger vehicles segment (which includes utility vehicles, cars and vans) saw 27,663 vehicles sold in February 2022. Exports for the month were at 2,814 vehicles. In the commercial vehicles segment, Mahindra sold 20,166 vehicles in February 2022 with a growth of 119 per cent. Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Division, M and M said he expects demand to continue to remain strong as the COVID-19 situation eases further. "We continue to closely monitor the semi-conductor related parts supply and take corrective action as appropriate," said Nakra. The crisis of semi-conductor shortage looms over the industry was evident in the monthly figures of Hyundai Motor India which reported a 14 per cent decline in total sales at 53,159 units in February. The company had sold 61,800 units in the same month last year. "Domestic sales were down 14.6 per cent to 44,050 units last month as against 51,600 units in February 2021. Exports declined by 10.7 per cent to 9,109 units last month as compared to 10,200 units in the year-ago period," the auto major said. "As the industry continues to grapple with the semiconductor shortage situation, the company along with its partners is continuously exploring alternatives to ensure customers can take delivery of their most loved Hyundai cars at the earliest," it added. Similarly, TVS Motor Company registered sales of 2,81,714 units in February 2022 as against sales of 2,97,747 units in the month of February 2021. Total two-wheelers registered sales of 2,67,625 units in February 2022 as against sales of 2,84,581 units in February 2021. Domestic two-wheeler registered sales of 1,73,198 units in February 2022 as against sales of 1,95,145 units in February 2021. "The shortage in supply of semiconductors has impacted the production and sales of premium two-wheelers. We are cautiously optimistic that the supply of semiconductors will improve in the coming months," the company said. The country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki reported a marginal drop in total wholesales at 1,64,056 units in February 2022, which includes domestic sales of 1,37,607 units, sales to other OEM of 2,428 units and its highest ever monthly exports of 24,021 units. The company had sold 1,64,469 units in February 2021. According to Maruti Suzuki, the shortage of electronic components had a minor impact on the production of vehicles that are primarily sold in the domestic market. "The company took all possible measures to minimise the impact," MSI said. Tata Motors registered total sales of 77,733 in the domestic and international market for February 2022, compared to 61,258 units during February 2021, showing a growth of 27 per cent over last year. Toyota Kirloskar Motor sold a total of 8,745 units in February 2022, registering a growth of 19 per cent when compared to sales in January 2022, on the back of a good response to the new Camry Hybrid. Atul Sood, Associate Vice President, Sales and Strategic Marketing of TKM indicated that the overall sentiment in the market continues to remain positive with a steady surge in demand trends. (ANI)
Microchip shortages, along with high acquisition cost, subdued sales of key automobile players in February 2022. On Tuesday, auto major Maruti Suzuki India reported that its total sales last month inched lower on a year-on-year basis to 1,64,056 units from 1,64,469 units sold during the same period of the corresponding year. Domestic sales were at 1,37,607 units, and sales to other original equipment manufacturers stood at 2,428 units. The automaker reported its highest ever monthly exports of 24,021 units. "The shortage of electronic components had a minor impact on the production of vehicles which are primarily sold in domestic market," it said. "The company took all possible measures to minimise the impact." The shortage has impacted production of vehicles, consequently, elongating waiting periods and escalating cost. Similarly, Hyundai Motor India reported lower cumulative sales on YoY basis. The cumulative sales last month fell to 53,159 units down from February 2021 off-take of 61,800 units. The company's domestic sales declined to 44,050 units from 51,600 units sold during the corresponding period of last year. "As the industry continues to grapple with semiconductor shortage situation, Hyundai along with its partners is continuously exploring alternatives to ensure customers can take delivery of their most loved Hyundai cars at the earliest," Hyundai Motor India said. On the other hand, Tata Motors reported a 27 per cent rise in its overall domestic sales for February on a year-on-year basis to 73,875 vehicles sold, compared to an off-take of 58,366 units during the corresponding period of last year. The company's passenger vehicle domestic sales rose by 47 per cent to 39,981 units from 27,225 units off-take in February 2021. In terms of commercial vehicles, the domestic sales were higher by 11 per cent, at 37,552 units from 33,859 units off-take in February 2021. Another auto giant, Mahindra and Mahindra reported a rise in its overall sales during last month. The company reported a rise of 89 per cent growth in its vehicle sales to 54,455 vehicles on a year-on-year basis. "With an overall sale of 54,455 vehicles, we have achieved a growth of 89 per cent in February 2022. All segments showed robust growth including SUVs at 79 per cent, which registered the highest ever monthly volume," said Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Division, M&M. "We expect demand to continue to remain strong as the Covid situation eases further. We continue to closely monitor the semi-conductor related parts supply and take corrective action as appropriate." In terms of two-wheeler sales, rural distress as well as inventory correction efforts continued to dent sales. Two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp sold a total of 358,254 units of motorcycles and scooters in February 2022, lower than 505,467 units off-take during the corresponding month of 2021. Additionally, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India reported total sales of 312,621 units in February 2022 down from 442,740 units sold during the corresponding period last year. Honda's exports for the month stood at 26,944 exports. "Passenger vehicle sales are showing some signs of recovery as semiconductor issues ease out but one will have to look at geo political tensions very closely as a prolonged issue on the geopolitical side could pose challenges to the supply chain especially looking at the importance of Russia and Ukraine in the semiconductor manufacturing process value chain," said Hemal Thakkar, Director, Crisil Research. "Two wheelers the current inventory levels are still high and the OEMs are in correction mode which is why we are seeing a sequential correction in inventory every month since October or November 2021." Shamsher Dewan, Vice President & Group Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said: "Semiconductor shortage was easing gradually. However, recent geopolitical developments are likely to derail the industry again as both Russia and Ukraine are suppliers of key inputs." --IANS rv/vd ( 638 Words) 2022-03-01-21:38:02 (IANS)
"I want to mention my sister who we lost last year. She would have loved this. She was unbelievably loyal, supportive, and she would have loved the glitz and the oddness and the glamour. She would have just been laughing nonstop all the way through, and probably crying," he said.

Benedict's sister passed away last year due to cancer, Variety reported.

Remembering her on his special day, he further said, "I hope somewhere up there, where the real stars shine, you're looking down on this moment now. I'm sure you are. We miss you so much. You remain such a good and wonderful person to have had in our lives."

Benedict received his Hollywood Walk of Fame star on Monday in the presence of his wife Sophie Hunter. (ANI)
The shooting of the second season of HBO's 'The White Lotus', starring Jennifer Coolidge, has commenced in Sicily, Italy. The news regarding the show's filming was shared on its official Instagram account. The caption read, "Our next White Lotus property is under way. We look forward to welcoming guests in Sicily soon. #TheWhiteLotus." Apart from sharing a glimpse from the first day of filming, Coolidge's return to the series was also confirmed on Monday. "A world-class VIP. Jennifer Coolidge has joined the second installment of #TheWhiteLotus," HBO shared. However, details on Coolidge's role were not announced. Coolidge's return was expected, although until now HBO had declined comment on initial reports that she would be back. In season 1, the 60-year-old actor played Tanya McQuoid, one of the guests at the ritzy White Lotus resort in Hawaii, who was trying to find herself again after the death of her mother. Coolidge's hilarious-yet-devastating work as Tanya made her a fan favourite on the hit HBO show, reported People magazine. The 'Legally Blonde' star previously told People magazine that she almost turned down the role over concerns about her weight. In November, Coolidge recalled how creator Mike White contacted her, saying that "he'd written a part for me," but, at the time, she felt uncomfortable in her body after gaining weight during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I tried to get out of it because I was too fat. During COVID, I just let everything go. I let everything go most of my life but I really let everything go during COVID," she said. Luckily, Coolidge said, "I had a smart girlfriend who talked me off the ledge," and she agreed to take on the role anyway. Coolidge received nominations for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role. In season 1, she starred alongside Sydney Sweeney, Alexandria Daddario, Connie Britton, Natasha Rothwell, Jake Lacy and Steve Zahn. Mike White, who wrote, directed and co-executive produced the first season, had initially intended for 'The White Lotus' to be a limited series with one six-episode season. But after the show became a hit, HBO signed on for a second season which the network previously said will follow "a different group of vacationers as they jet to another White Lotus property and settle in temporarily amongst its inhabitants." In January, Michael Imperioli was cast in a leading role for the second season. The 'Sopranos' alum will play Dominic Di Grasso, a dad who isn't travelling alone. F. Murray Abraham, Adam DiMarco, Meghann Fahy, Tom Hollander, Theo James, Aubrey Plaza, Haley Lu Richardson, Will Sharpe, and Leo Woodall will also star in the second season. Season 2 of the satire will consist of seven episodes and follow the exploits of various guests and employees at an exclusive Italian resort over the span of a week -- similar to the format of the first season. (ANI)
Washington [US], March 1 (ANI) American radio and TV personality Howard Stern, during Monday's episode of his SiriusXM radio show, launched an attack against Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Variety, Stern condemned members of the Republican Party for supporting Putin amid Russia's military operation on Ukraine, most notably Donald Trump. While, at CPAC over the weekend, Trump had said that Russia's attack on Ukraine is "appalling," he was quoted last week calling Putin a "genius" for how he started the military operation. Stern said, "I hate the Soviet Union. I hate the communist regime. I always hated communism because it always turns into an autocratic situation like in China where they cut off your freedoms." "I used to love the Republicans. And their stance is firmly anti-communist, pro-capitalist, anti-communist and certainly a staunch defender of free people and free elections. I voted for many Republicans. I don't see how I'll ever get back to that," he added. Stern further continued, "They've just totally disappointed me and their support of Vladimir Putin, the praise they heap on him. Trump's praise of Vladimir Putin. This guy's a fucking animal. I wish he was dead like I wish Hitler was dead." He then called Putin a "scumbag" who "has more money than anybody, who has more power than anybody, who enslaves an entire country, who will kill you if you're a journalist, will kill you if you speak out against him, who's got everything a man could want if you're truly a megalomaniac and he didn't have enough." Stern stated that Putin's actions are a result of him "not being loved as a child." "He is a little boy who says, 'Everything in this world is for me, and I'm going to gobble it all up for myself'. That's all that's going on here. That's what's happening. We have a guy who feels like he's never full. He wants more and more," Stern concluded, as per Variety. (ANI)
Vietnam approves Covid-19 vaccines for 5-11s

The Ministry of Health has just officially approved giving the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to children aged between 5-11.













According to a decision issued by the ministry on March 1, children aged between 5 and 11 in Vietnam will be administered with Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine with a dosage of 0.2ml.



Those aged from 12 will receive 0.3ml of Pfizer each dose.



The government has recently agreed to purchase 21.9 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11.



A survey from the ministry indicated that about 50 percent of parents in the country agreed to let their children in the 5-11 age group receive the vaccines.



There is also no information yet available on the rollout plan of the vaccines, but it has been suggested that children in this age group would only be recommended to get the shots, no mandate will be enforced.



Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long last month told local media that administration to this age group would be more difficult than the rollout for adults and teenagers aged 12-17 that the country had been doing, and it has accepted the likelihood that there will be some amount of doses going unused.



Vietnam has so far administered 194.97 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines including 16.25 million doses of Pfizer vaccines given to children aged 12-17 years.



Pfizer shots so far are the only to have been recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for use in children this young, with a lower dosage compared to the adult shots.


Paramount Pictures has become the newest Hollywood studio to halt the theatrical release of its upcoming films in Russia following the country's military operation in Ukraine last week. According to Variety, a spokesperson for the studio, in a statement, said, "As we witness the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, we have decided to pause the theatrical release of our upcoming films in Russia, including 'The Lost City,' and 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2.'" They added, "We stand by all those impacted by the humanitarian crisis across Ukraine, Russia, and our international markets and will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds." Similarly, earlier this week, Disney, Sony and Warner Bros had announced they will not allow new movies, such as 'Turning Red', 'Morbius', and 'The Batman', to play in Russian movie theatres "in light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine." For now, several Hollywood movies that have already been released in Russia, including Sony's video game adaptation 'Uncharted' and Disney's murder mystery 'Death on the Nile', will continue to play there. Also on Monday, Netflix said it will not carry the 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels that the streamer could be required to host under Russian law. Like Paramount, which said it "will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds," other studios have shared intentions to keep a watchful eye on "the evolving situation," as per Variety (ANI)
The food safety commissioner of Tamil Nadu has warned the bottled drinking water companies in the state to provide safe drinking water to consumers. He said that of the 1640 packaged drinking water companies in the state, the products of only a third are suitable for safe drinking. The authorities said that nearly a quarter of the water is of poor quality. According to sources in the department of the food and safety commissioner, several complaints have been received against the packaged drinking water companies. Following the complaints, 1640 samples from various companies were collected and sent for testing. The report showed that 694 samples tested were of high quality, 527 were unsafe for drinking while 419 were of poor quality. The department of food safety has filed 173 cases in court and a fine of Rs 39.69 lakh has been imposed on these companies and their sales points. The food safety commissioner directed the companies to get a proper license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and mandatorily follow all the guidelines under the Food Safety Act. The department also directed the companies to wash the 20-litre water bottles every time before they are filled with water and stated that the name of the manufacturer and the quality should be displayed on the bottles. A senior official told IANS, "It was shocking to note that around one third of the packaged drinking water that is in use in the state is either of poor quality or unsafe. We will take stringent action against the companies that failed to maintain the minimum standards set by the BIS. There will be periodical inspections and random checks on these packaged drinking water companies." --IANS aal/bg ( 296 Words) 2022-03-01-19:28:01 (IANS)
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari kicked up a major row with his statements on the Maratha warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the saint-poet Swami Samarth Ramdas with politicians, cutting across party lines, slamming him and demanding an apology. At an event in Aurangabad on Sunday, Koshyari referred to Swami Samarth Ramdas as the 'guru' of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj while talking on how 'gurus' are important in Indian culture. The development came a few days ahead of the Budget Session of the Legislature, starting here on Thursday, and charged up the political atmosphere. Leaders from across the political spectrum - including the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and its Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale of Satara - a direct descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj - attacked the Governor for his lack of knowledge and history. Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut asked the BJP to take a stand and clarify on the issue immediately. "There is huge resentment in Maharashtra over the Governor's statements. The BJP should clarify or take a stand," Raut demanded. Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule - daughter of NCP President Sharad Pawar - said there is no historical evidence to prove that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Swami Samarth Ramdas had a 'guru-shishya' relationship. She cited a judgement of Bombay High Court's Aurangabad Bench of July 2018, when the then state government had submitted that "no record was available to show that Shivaji Maharaj had occasion to meet Swami Samarth Ramdas" or that he treated the latter as his 'guru'. She referred to a speech of Pawar wherein he had stated that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's 'guru' was never Swami Samarth Ramdas, but his own mother, Rajmata Jijabai. State Congress President Nana Patole said that Governor Koshyari has insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the people of Maharashtra and should immediately tender an apology for his remarks, and wondered why the BJP "is silent". "The people of Maharashtra will not tolerate this slur by Koshyari and his trying to contort history. He has lost the moral right to continue as Governor and the Centre should recall him," he demanded. The Governor, while speaking on the significance of 'gurus', mentioned how the great political strategist Chanakya had a big influence on the life of the legendary Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, the founder-ruler of one of the biggest empires in the subcontinent, and asked "who would have spoken about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had there been no Samarth (Ramdas)". NCP MLA Rohit Pawar said if the Governor's statement was intended to push an "agenda" with false history without understanding the true version, that it must be condemned and the Governor should tender an apology. "RashtraMata Jijabai was the actual 'guru' of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Sant Ramdas was never his 'guru', that is the real history. Yet, Governor Koshyari has cited incorrect history in this regard," said Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale. When contacted by media for his reactions, BJP state President Chandrakant Patil diplomatically stated: "No comments." --IANS qn/vd ( 501 Words) 2022-02-28-20:40:02 (IANS)
Congress's Goa state executive committee on Monday passed a resolution to challenge last week's order by the Bombay High Court bench in Goa, which last week dismissed a petition challenging Speaker Rajesh Patnekar's order in 2021 upholding the merger of 10 Congress MLAs into the BJP. "We have taken a resolution during the meeting to challenge the High Court's order... Former Advocate General and Chairman of our legal cell Carlos Ferreira moved a resolution that this needs to be challenged in the Supreme Court and the resolution has been unanimously passed," state unit chief Girish Chodankar said, after a meeting of the state executive committee. "The Pradesh Congress Committee had previously taken a resolution to file a disqualification against the 10 defectors. We briefed the PCC about the verdict of the High Court and all the members were of the opinion that if the order is allowed to stand then it will be dangerous for democracy and for the election process and questions the very existence of political parties," he said. Chodankar had filed a disqualification petition with the Goa Speaker's office in 2019 and argued the split by the 10 Congress MLAs (in the same year) and their subsequent merger into the BJP was illegal and violative of the provisions of Schedule 10 of the Indian Constitution. The Goa Speaker in his order in April last year had upheld the merger of the breakaway Congress unit into the BJP. --IANS maya/vd ( 255 Words) 2022-02-28-20:42:06 (IANS)
The Russian Embassy in India in a tweet stated: "With regard to the crisis in Ukraine, the Indian media is requested to be accurate so that Indian public receives objective information."

It pointed out Indian media reports about negotiation with Ukraine, nuclear sites in Ukraine are said to be unsafe.

The Embassy said that "Russia repeatedly initiated and indicated its readiness for dialogue and negotiations."

Russia also stated that nuclear sites in Ukraine are safe and secured as confirmed by the IAEA.

India media had purportedly reported attacks on radioactive waste-disposal site in Kyiv, and Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Even IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi commented over this, saying such incidents highlight the very real risk that facilities with radioactive material will suffer damage during the conflict, with potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment.

Russia said such reports are "biased and misleading".

In the meantime, Russia has so far not allowed any media organisation to visit the country to cover the ongoing conflict which started on February 24 when Russian troops started entering Ukrainian territory.

--IANS sk/vd

( 221 Words)

2022-02-28-20:48:05 (IANS)
The paddy has been procured from states/UTs of Chandigarh, Gujarat, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Tripura, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, a Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Ministry statement said.

Till now, about 96.41 lakh farmers have been benefitted with an MSP value of Rs 1,38,619.58 crore, the release said.

Punjab, with 1,86,85,532 MT, leads the list of states from where maximum procurement has been done followed by Chhattisgarh (92,01,000) and Telangana (70,22,000 MT).

--IANS niv/vd

( 157 Words)

2022-02-28-20:52:01 (IANS)
The ban on Chinese apps by the Indian government might appear out of sync with increasing bilateral trade ties. But India has its own reasons to do so. No country would remain indifferent when it suspects breach of national security and citizen's data privacy. The Chinese companies are globally seen with suspicion in this regard. In view of safeguarding national security and concerns related to data privacy of Indian citizens, the government of India under Section 69-A of the Information Technology Act 2000 recently banned operations of 54 Chinese apps in the country. The banned apps include Dual Space, Badlanders, Wink, and even the popular Free Fire game. Citing the reasons, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) noted that these apps belong to large Chinese tech firms such as Tencent, Alibaba and NetEase, and are re-branded versions of apps already banned by India in 2020. Further, there were complaints that these apps were 'stealing and surreptitiously transmitting user data' in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside India and that the compilation of this data, it's mining and profiling 'by elements hostile to the national security and defence of India' ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India. Meanwhile, trade ties between India and China remain robust with China becoming India's second largest trading partner in 2020-21, right behind the United States, and is the largest exporter to India, especially in pharma, electronics and IT hardware. Indian tech startups, telecom infrastructure and manufacturing businesses have attracted significant Chinese investment over the past few years. Earlier, in November 2020, the Indian government blocked access to 43 mobile apps based on the inputs that these apps were engaged in activities that were prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order. The Indian government's move is to ensure security, sovereignty and safety of the Indian cyberspace and needs to be seen in the perspective of India's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' aimed at reducing the country's dependence on imports for products that it could indigenously manufacture. The present ban on Chinese apps also fits in with Indian governments focus on development of indigenous entrepreneurship and promotion of startup culture in the country. Further, Indians can develop their own applications that will not only generate domestic revenue, but will also create employment for local techies. India has emerged as the third largest startup ecosystem after the US and China and ahead of the UK (32) and Germany (18). It could be well imagined that with the improving startup environment in India, the country would attract more investments in India's startups as seen in 2021. In 2021, there were 90 unicorns in India and 4 decacorns which attracted $42 billion of investment. As India further pursues its Startup India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat programmes, many of the production lines in both goods and services sectors will be created within the country. Howsoever inconvenient this is for the foreign suppliers, India is well within its right to safeguard its national security and privacy of its citizens, besides developing its own brands. --IANS arm/ ( 530 Words) 2022-02-28-21:14:04 (IANS)
Environment ministers and other representatives from over 150 nations gathered here on Monday to launch the three-day hybrid (in-person and online) resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2). Amid concern over intensifying hostilities in Ukraine and a call by the UN Secretary-General for an immediate ceasefire, the Assembly kicked off with high hopes to advance a global agreement on plastic pollution, among a series of draft resolutions on biodiversity and health, green economy, and circularity. "Our Assembly gathers at a moment of severe geopolitical turmoil. More than ever, we must demonstrate that multilateral diplomacy can deliver," said President of UNEA-5 and Norway's Minister for Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide. "Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic of its own. Paradoxically, plastics are among the most long-lasting products we humans have made -- and frequently, we still just throw it away. Plastic is a product that can be used again, and then over and over again, if we move it into a circular economy. I am convinced that the time has come for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution," Eide added. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said: "Over the last week, we have seen tremendous progress on negotiations towards an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. I have complete faith that once endorsed by the Assembly, we will have something truly historic on our hands." "Ambitious action to beat plastic pollution should track the lifespan of plastic products -- from source to sea -- should be legally binding, accompanied by support to developing countries, backed by financing mechanisms, tracked by strong monitoring mechanisms, and incentivizing all stakeholders -- including the private sector," Andersen added. The resolution on plastic pollution, as well as the other pressing environmental issues, will be formally decided by the member states in the closing plenary meeting of the Assembly on March 2. The UN Environment Assembly meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law; decisions and resolutions taken by the member states at the Assembly also define the work of UNEP. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the member states agreed on a two-step approach to UNEA-5: An online session (February 22 and 23) and an in-person meeting, which is taking place between February 28 and March 2. Attended by over 3,400 in-person and 1,500 online participants from 175 UN Member States, 79 ministers and 17 high-level officials, the theme for UNEA-5 is "Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals". This highlights the pivotal role nature plays in our lives and in social, economic and environmental sustainable development. The Assembly will be followed by 'UNEP@50', a two-day special session of the Assembly marking UNEP's 50th anniversary where member states are expected to address how to build a resilient and inclusive post-pandemic world. The 1972 United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, was the first-ever UN conference with the word "environment" in its title. The creation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) was one of the most visible outcomes of this conference of many firsts. UNEP was created as the environmental conscience of the UN and the world. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) --IANS vg/arm ( 555 Words) 2022-02-28-22:20:02 (IANS)
Many localities, during the crackdown on Monday, were raided by teams of Srinagar district administration and the police - led by DC Aijaz Assad and SSP Rakesh Balwal.

"These localities are where drug peddling activities are being reported by many vigilant citizens. These raids led to arrest of many accused and recovery of large quantity of narcotics and proceeds of drugs," police said.

In a statement, the district administration and the police have assured "all citizens of Srinagar that action against narcotics and drugs will continue till this menace is completely eradicated from Srinagar".

A dedicated narcotics related control room has been started in the DC office with representatives of district administration, police, social welfare, health and medical department with telephone number 01942483651.

"This control room will also have social media handles for better public interface and will be functional from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday," officials said.

"Srinagar police has already activated a narcotic helpline number 9596770550, which is operational 24x7."

--IANS zi/shs

( 211 Words)

2022-02-28-22:20:03 (IANS)
Amid stray incidents of violence, Manipur on Monday recorded 78.03 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Assembly elections in which 38 out of the 60 Assembly seats are being contested, election officials said. Of the five districts where the first phase of elections were held, highest turnout of 82.19 per cent was recorded in Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts, followed by 76.64 per cent in Imphal East, 74.45 per cent in Churachandpur and 73.44 per cent in Bishnupur district. The police said that at least one person was injured in a clash between the workers of two rival parties in Churachandpur district. Clashes were also reported from different parts of Imphal East, Imphal West and Kangpokpi districts, but the security personnel tackled the situation by mobilising additional forces. Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agrawal said that the final polling percentage would be available after the return of all the polling parties. He said that incidents of damaging EVMs by unknown miscreants were reported from seven polling stations under five Assembly constituencies -- Saikul, Saitu, Singhat, Henglep and Thanlon. FIRs were registered in all these cases and voting in these polling stations was completed with new sets of EVMs, the CEO said, adding that preventive firing (in the air) by security personnel was reported from some polling stations under Saitu, Henglep and Singhat Assembly constituencies. The other officials said that there was an incident of firing at Phunal Maring polling station. However, details of the incident are still awaited. Election officials said that a Manipur police havildar, Naorem Ibochouba Singh, died due to suspected accidental firing from his service weapon in Kakching district. Meanwhile, Congress and BJP candidates and leaders made allegations and counter-allegations of intimidation and vandalisation of polling booths. Amid favourable weather, men and women, including young voters, queued up in front of the polling stations in large numbers much before the scheduled voting time of 7 a.m. Polling continued till 4 p.m. without any break and in a few polling stations, voters were seen in queues even as the official hours ended. Manipur Governor La Ganesan, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Y. Joykumar, Speaker Y. Khemchand, state Congress President N. Loken were among those who cast their votes in the early hours of polling. Singh, who is contesting from the Heingang Assembly constituency against Congress nominee Pangeijam Saratchandra Singh, said that the BJP would secure 30-plus seats in the first phase of elections. Monday's first phase of polling will decide the fate of 173 candidates, including 15 women contestants. The aspirants include Chief Minister Singh, his cabinet colleague Thongam Biswajit Singh, NPP candidate and Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh, senior BJP leader Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Congress' Ratankumar Singh, Lokeshwar Singh, Saratchandra Singh, and sitting party MLA Akoijam Mirabai Devi, among others. Firebrand woman leader and Janata Dal (United) candidate Thounaojam Brinda, who was the Additional Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), is also contesting from the Yaiskul constituency. A senior Election Commission official said that there were 10,041 physically challenged electorate (PwD) and 251 centenarian voters in these 38 Assembly constituencies. The official said that 381 polling stations were fully managed by women polling staff. The second phase of polling will be held in 22 seats on March 5. Votes will be counted on March 10. --IANS sc/arm ( 566 Words) 2022-02-28-22:32:04 (IANS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while chairing the third high-level meeting on the Ukraine situation on Monday evening, pointed out that the visit of four senior ministers as the government's special envoys to various nations will energise the evacuation efforts. The move is reflective of the priority the government attaches to this matter, Modi said. Also, guided by India's motto of the world being one family, the Prime Minister said that India will help people from neighbouring countries and developing nations who are stranded in Ukraine, seeking assistance. Chairing the high-level meeting, his second of the day, to review the ongoing efforts under 'Operation Ganga' to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine, Modi said that the entire government machinery has been working round-the-clock to ensure that all Indian nationals are safe and secure in Ukraine. The Prime Minister further noted that the first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian crisis there would be despatched on Tuesday. This was the third review meeting in the last 24 hours on the situation in Ukraine. The Prime Minister was briefed that around 1,400 Indian nationals have arrived from Ukraine so far by six flights from Budapest (Hungary) and Bucharest (Romania), while 182 more will reach Mumbai early on Tuesday morning. Modi was also briefed that a new route to exit through Moldova has been identified and to facilitate the entry of the Indians into this country, proper arrangements are being made by the Indian Embassy staff in Romania. Modi directed the MEA officials to make proper arrangements for the students who are moving to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania till they depart for India. Union Ministers S. Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri, General (Retd) V.K. Singh, Kiren Rijiju, Piyush Goyal, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister P.K. Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other officials were present in the meeting. On Monday morning, Modi chaired a high-level meeting where he was updated about the progress of the evacuation mission under 'Operation Ganga', wherein it was decided that four Union ministers will go as special envoys to the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to oversee the evacuation process. According to the officials, Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and V.K. Singh will be going to Poland. --IANS ams/arm ( 412 Words) 2022-02-28-23:10:02 (IANS)
India's GDP per capita is already 16 per cent lower than it would have been without human-caused warming since 1991, according to a new report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). "India is the country that is economically harmed the most by climate change, with every tonne of carbon dioxide emitted globally costing the country around $86," according to a study cited by the IPCC report. To put it in context, in 2021, the world emitted 36.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. Continued warming will further damage India's economy, particularly if emissions are not rapidly eliminated, the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Working Group II (WRG II) report - titled IPCC AR6 WGII aClimate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability - pointed out. It mentions, among other things, the range of impacts India is vulnerable to heat stress, which can increase beyond the threshold of human survivability, impacts on food production due to climate change, which includes food crops, fisheries, compounding disasters, and disasters elsewhere that will impact international supply chains, markets, trade, and result in economic shocks. Heat will reduce labour capacity, particularly in agriculture, states a study cited by the IPCC report, which projects that agricultural labour capacity in India will fall 17 per cent if warming continues to 3 degrees Celsius - only a little more than current planned emissions would lead to - or 11 per cent if emission cuts are accelerated. The emission cuts are promised by world governments to restrict overall global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial era. "The overall effect of continued high emissions could be to reduce average global incomes 23 per cent, with average incomes in India 92 per cent lower in 2100 than they would have been without climate change," the IPCC report said. Dr Manu Gupta, Co-Founder, Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) said: "The IPCC WG2 report has made the socio-economic impacts of the climate crisis abundantly clear. While it calls for collaborative action at a macro-level in mitigating future risks, there's an increasing need for working with affected communities to help them adapt to the harsh realities of the present." In August 2021, the IPCC had released the report of the Working Group I while the Working Group III will be brought out in April this year, followed by the Synthesis Report further in September 2022. --IANS niv/vd ( 408 Words) 2022-02-28-23:16:01 (IANS)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s report on Monday said that globally, high temperatures and extreme weather events, such as droughts, extreme rainfall events, heatwaves and floods, are damaging crops and will increasingly limit crop production if temperatures continue to rise. These factors, along with saltwater intrusion from sea-level rise, will harm agriculture in India, which is considered by the report as the most vulnerable country in terms of crop production. Rice, wheat, pulses, and coarse cereal yields could fall almost 9 per cent by 2050 while in south India, maize production could decrease 17 per cent if emissions are high (meaning, the global temperature rise continues at higher rate). "These disruptions to crop production are expected to cause price spikes in India, threatening food affordability, food security and economic growth," the report said. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) Working Group II (WRG II) report - titled IPCC AR6 WGII 'Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability' - has pointed out the range of impacts India is vulnerable to: heat stress, which can increase beyond the threshold of human survivability, impacts on food production due to climate change, which includes food crops, fisheries, compounding disasters, and disasters elsewhere that will impact international supply chains, markets, trade, and result in economic shocks, among others. Continued climate change will also cause declines in India's fisheries as key commercial species, such as hilsa, shad and Bombay duck, are projected to decline dramatically if temperatures continue to rise. The energy harnessed by marine plants and algae - crucial for strong fisheries - in the western Indian Ocean has already declined 20 per cent in the last 60 years due to climate change reducing the nutrient mixing between ocean levels. Sandeep Chachra, Executive Director, ActionAid Association said: "We need a pro-poor and inclusive approach to climate change action. More than just social imagery of sustainable life, we need a participatory, decentralised, futuristic and technology-enabled action on planning, building, and managing rural and urban life." "With India's immense cultural, ecological and landscape diversity, this constitutes the way forward. Ignoring the science as represented, albeit in an understated manner by the IPCC reports, would be akin to choosing extinction over survival. Let us not choose extinction," he warned. --IANS niv/vd ( 391 Words) 2022-02-28-23:18:03 (IANS)
A Coimbatore couple, who had posted an advertisement for renting out their house, lost Rs 5.8 lakh to a fraudster. S. Kalaiselvi from Madukkarai, Coimbatore, said in a complaint to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) that she had posted an advertisement to rent out their home in an online portal in January. On January 22, a person contacted her husband Selvaraj, saying that he was an officer with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and that he wanted to take the house on rent and move in as early as possible. Selvaraj informed him that they would take six months' rent amount as security deposit following which the caller sent a link, claiming that it was the link to transfer the money. When Selvaraj clicked the link and entered his bank account details, he lost Rs 99,500. The family was shocked and Kalaisevli immediately called the person, who said that it must have been a technical error and sent another link, stating that he would send six months' rent as well as the money 'accidentally' transferred to Selvaraj's account. The woman in the complaint stated that the caller asked them to install an app and then enter an OTP and when the couple did so, they lost Rs 4.99 lakh from Selvaraj's account in several installments. After that, the caller disappeared. The police are investigating the matter after registering a case under Section 420 of IPC and 66D of the IT Act. The police also appealed to the people not to share their bank account details, PIN number, or OTP with anyone to prevent such frauds. --IANS aal/arm ( 282 Words) 2022-02-28-23:18:05 (IANS)
Congress candidate in Manipur's Saitu Assembly constituency candidate Dr Lamtinthang Haokip was arrested "without any reason", party leader and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Monday night. The FIR was filed in the New Keithelmanbi Polling Station in Kangpokpi district against the Congress candidate who was charged with assault of a public servant from discharge of his duty. Taking on Twitter Ramesh wrote : "INC Candidate from 51-Saitu Dr Lamtinthang Hk was arrested unjustly when he went to New Keithelmanbi Polling stn to ensure free and fair elections, to stop BJP from malpractices. We demand his unconditional and immediate release ! This is murder of democracy by Union Home Minister and CM." However, election officials and the police refused to make any comments saying that the probe is on. Haokip's chief agent Andrew Gangmei in a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agrawal said that the BJP candidate (Ngamthang Haokip), along with his henchmen, were indulging in booth capturing and proxy voting in front of the presiding officer and the returning officer at New Keithelmanbi Polling Station. The Congress candidate, on hearing of the malpractices, immediately rushed to the spot. "During a scuffle somebody smashed the Electronic Voting Machine. The polling officials instead of trying to control the situation aggravated it by instigating some of the BJP supporters that led to a melee. The polling officials were found to be biased for reasons best known to them, in favour of the BJP candidate which is unbecoming of a polling official. That, the polling officials at the behest of the BJP Candidate filed an FIR against our Candidate," Gangmei said in his letter and demanded release of Haokip. --IANS sc/vd ( 290 Words) 2022-02-28-23:20:03 (IANS)
He particularly appreciated Romania's gesture in allowing Indian citizens to enter Romania without visas, and for permitting special evacuation flights from India.

The Prime Minister also informed Ciuca about the deployment of Indian Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia as his special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts of Indian citizens over the next few days in coordination with the local authorities.

He also expressed his anguish at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue. He also stressed upon the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.

--IANS miz/vd

( 154 Words)

2022-02-28-23:26:04 (IANS)
The Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra on Monday busted a human trafficking racket by arresting four persons in which Bangladeshi nationals were brought to India through the India-Bangladesh border. According to the ATS, the modus operandi was to bring Bangladeshi nationals to India by crossing the border on foot either by cutting border-fence or by walking in through the open border to immediately obtain Aadhar Cards in their names from a UIDAI Centre in Bangaon, North 24 Parganas in West Bengal on the basis of forged Indian documents and send them to various cities in India including Mumbai armed with fraudulently obtained Aadhar Cards. On reaching various cities, these illegal immigrants obtained other forged Indian documents like birth certificates and school leaving certificates, using which they further obtained IndianPassports. ATS has so far arrested three Bangladeshi nationals, including a minor girl of 17 years. Out of these three, the accused Kajal Shaikh (28) had succeeded in getting an Indian Passport onthe basis of forged Indian documents, whereas the other two were in the process of obtainingthe same. ATS said a local person in Mumbai named Santosh Varne (52), the fourth arrested accusedin the case helped them in getting Indian passports. He supplied forged BMC documents like birth certificates and school leaving certificates to the accused and helped them get Indian passports. ATS seized a booklet of around 100 blank school leaving certificates that are generic and do not mention any school name. As per the modus operandi of the racket, the name of the school used to be stamped on the certificates after filling in the details of the illegal immigrants. These blank school leaving certificates are in old format when the name of Mumbai was Bombay. This was done to make the verification difficult, said the ATS statement. According to ATS, One Sardar Shaikh alias Monjil Mondal, a resident of Sindhrani village in thejurisdiction of Bagdah Police Station, Bangaon, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, is thethe kingpin of this human trafficking racket, who brought to India the three arrested accusedand other Bangladeshi nationals by crossing the border. Shaikh is a criminal on record of Bagdah Police Station, West Bengal. He has had four cases registered against him in the recent past, including three under section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and relevant sections of IPC and other laws, wherein he has been accused of cutting border fence and committing human trafficking across the border. He is the prime accused in the case and efforts are on to arrest him. An ATS team visited West Bengal and gathered evidence in the case with cooperation from West Bengal Police. Further investigation into the case is in progress. (ANI)
According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, the incident took place at Batamaloo area of Srinagar where terrorists opened fire at police inspector Sheikh Firdous while he was returning from a mosque after offering prayers. He was shifted to the hospital where his condition is stated to be stable.

Meanwhile, security forces cordoned off the area after the incident.

Further details awaited. (ANI)
Devotees across India thronged temples of Lord Shiva on Tuesday to offer prayers on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. Considered one of the most auspicious festivals of Hindus, Maha Shivaratri, the literal translation of which is 'the great night of Shiva', was celebrated with great fervour at Shambhu Mahadev temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. Devotees were also seen participating in the celebrations of Maha Shivaratri at Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain. The national capital too witnessed a sea of devotees offering prayers on the occasion. Other than prayers as means to celebrate the occasion, sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik used over 23,000 Rudrakshas to make an idol of Lord Shiva on a beach in Odisha's Puri. It's believed that while there is a Shivaratri every lunisolar month of the Hindu calendar, the Maha Shivaratri happens only once every year, in February/March, when winter comes to an end and spring and summer begin. Out of the 12 Shivaratris observed in any given year, Maha Shivaratri is considered especially auspicious, as it is supposed to be the night of convergence of Shiva and Shakti, which in essence means the male and feminine energies, that keeps the world in balance. Shiva and Shakti are revered as the embodiment of love, energy, and unity. There are different legends on the significance of Maha Shivaratri. One of them claims that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati tied the knot on this day. Purusha (mindfulness) is embodied by Lord Shiva, whilst Prakriti (nature) is embodied by Maa Parvati. With the union of both consciousness and energy, it facilitates creation. Another story says, during Samudra Manthan, a pot emerged from the ocean which consisted of poison. All the Gods and demons were terrified that this will destroy the entire world and so, Gods went to Lord Shiva for help. To protect the entire world from the evil effects, Lord Shiva drank the entire poison and held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. Due to this, his throat became blue and hence he came to be known as Neelakantha. Maha Shivaratri is observed in several states of India like Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar. On this auspicious day, followers and devotees of Lord Shiva observe fast and special pujas are performed in several temples across the world. They offer milk to the Shivalinga and pray for Moksha. Several devotees pray the whole night, chant mantras in praise of Lord Shiva. Besides the celebrations of the marriage of Shiva and Shakti, unmarried women pray and observe fasts on the day to wish for a partner as compassionate as Lord Shiva. On this day, fairs and cultural programmes are also organised in various temples. It is believed that those people who perform puja, fast, and offer prayers to Lord Shiva are blessed with good luck. Many people also think that Maha Shivaratri fast reminds devotees that pride, ego and falsehood lead to downfall only. All in all, this is a day when positivity wins over negativity. (ANI)
Since its inception during the freedom struggle in 1923, Gita Press in Gorakhpur, the largest publisher of Hindu religious literature, which has upgraded itself with German and Japanese machines currently publishes over 50,000 copies of more than 1,800 books in 16 languages every day. The most ubiquitous books found in Hindu households are the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita and Ramcharitmanas, often side by side with the booklet of Hanuman Chalisa. A majority of these originate at the Gita Press. "In 1923, there was a period of subjugation and most of the spiritual books had disappeared from the country. At that time a copy of the Gita could not be found even if people tried... Then, Jaya Dayal Goyandka set up the Gita Press in Gorakhpur. We started in a simple way and today we are adopting upgraded and sophisticated technologies," Devi Dayal Agrawal, a trustee of the Gita Press, told ANI. Afterwards, Agarwal said the Press started to also print the Ramayana, the Mahabharta, the Puranas among other Hindu religious books. "We are currently publishing over 1,800 books in 15 languages. Currently, we are printing nearly 50,000 to 55,000 books every day but the demand is much more. We are trying our best to fulfil the demands of people," said Agarwal. He also said that the focus of the firm is to provide pure religious books people at a minimum price. "Since its inception, the focus of Gita Press has been to make available low price books to people, and not make a profit. People are surprised to see how Gita Press is able to provide books at such low rates," said Agarwal. According to the trustee the press was able to maintain its low prices because it does not buy raw material directly from industries. "The main reason behind it is that we don't add infrastructure cost. Secondly, we purchase raw material directly from industries. And the last point is that our purpose is not to make a profit," he said. He also clarified that Gita Press "does not receive any kind of donation and it uses only its own resources." Due to the nominal prices of its books and their impeccable content with easy-to-grasp language, nicely laid-out text and top-quality printing, Gita Press has been able to reach almost every home across India through its books and was able to sell over 71.77 crore copies, including Shrimad Bhagwat Gita (1,558 lakh); Sri Ramcharitmanas (1,139 lakh); Puran, Upanishad and Aadi Granth (261 lakh); books beneficial for women and children (261 lakh); Bhakti Charitra and Bhajan Mala (1,740 lakh); and other publications (1,373 lakh). The printing press presently publishes 1,830 books, among which 765 are printed in Sanskrit and Hindi language, and the remaining are published in Malayalam, Telugu, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi, Odiya, Kannada, Urdu, Assamese, Bangla, Punjabi, English as well as Urdu. Gita Press also publishes Ram Charitmanas, an epic poem in the Awadhi language composed by the 16th-century Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas, in the Nepali language in its printing press which was founded by Jaya Dayal Goyandka on April 29, 1923, to propagate and protect Sanatana Dharma. It was a time when religious conversions were peaking and India was in the gripof the British regime in 1923 when Goyandka, Ghanshyam Das Jalan and HanumanPrasad Poddar joined hands to establish Gita Press for spiritual reawakening and moral righteousness. During its first four years, Gita Press printed only ancient scriptures. The canvas and spectrum widened in 1927 when Poddar started the magazine Kalyan. This gave a new face to Gita Press. Next year, Gita Press will turn 100 but the company, which employed over 400 workers, continues to plod on unassumingly, without making noise about its huge body of work and incredible achievements. Besides, its other books, Kalyan, the most popular Hindi periodical of the Gita Press, has a subscriber base of over 2,45,000, and its English version, Kalyana-Kalpataru, has over 100,000 subscribers. Visiting the press campus, one marvels at the architectural brilliance of its famed entrance gateway, which depicts the country's popular temple styles. The entrance pillars are designed after the pillars of the Ellora Cave Temple. The circular hollow in the middle portion, behind the chariot of Sri Krishna and Arjuna, is carved like the mouth of the Ajanta cave temple. A replica of Meenakshi Temple's architecture adorns the entry peak. Designs and graphics overhead portray Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram, 2021-- India's four major pilgrimage destinations. Satyamvad dharamamchar ("Speak truth and practice dharma") is engraved on the door. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India and a great scholar, inaugurated this grand structure on April 29, 1955. Gita Press functions on a sprawling 32 acre (13-hectare) lot. As with any press, has four main departments: pre-press, printing, binding and distribution. Apart from manual works, Gita Press has been taking the help of German and Japanese machines for better, quicker, more efficient printing, binding sewing and pasting which helps cut production expenses as well as completes to fulfil the demands of copies printed in the firm. (ANI)
With the installation of CNG on all the boats in Varanasi, boatmen say their incomes have risen by almost 10 times in the last few years. Sonu Nishad, a boatman said, "My forefathers used to sail boats at Assi Ghat. Almost 1.5 lakh family members are dependent on this profession. Earlier, it was really difficult to make ends meet, but now over the last few years our incomes have risen by almost 10 times. Due to regular cleaning at all the ghats in Varanasi and renovation of temples, several tourists are visiting the temple town." Chandan Sahni, another boatman, said, "I have been working as a boatman for the past 10 years. Since the BJP government came to power in UP and at the Centre, there has been a lot changes in Varanasi. The number of boats with each person has increased from two to four. With the installation of CNG, it has benefitted us and helped us in increasing our income." He further added, "We will vote for Yogi Adityanath because we are happy with the government." Nishad said, "Earlier, the cleaning at all the ghats used to happen once in a day. Now it is happening four times a day. All the 84 ghats are equipped with CNG boats." (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday arrested one terrorist associate from the Santnagar area of Srinagar. Ten magazines of AK-47 rifle and other ammunition have been recovered from him. Further investigation is underway. (ANI)
Malik in his plea says his arrest was illegal and has sought to be released immediately.

The ED has also summoned Faraz Malik, son of Nawab Malik in the case.

Earlier, Malik's brother Kaptan Malik was also been summoned by the agency.

Malik has been remanded to ED custody till March 3. He was sent to ED custody for seven days by a court in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case.

Earlier in February, the ED conducted raids at the residence of Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case.

Searches were carried out by the ED at several places linked to people associated with the underworld in Mumbai, informed sources said.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded the resignation of the State Minister but the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA-- comprising Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP) government has rejected the demand for Nawab Malik's resignation. (ANI)
As per Mashable, Zain, who had been born with cerebral palsy, died on Monday at the age of 26.

The unfortunate news was shared by Microsoft in an email, asking the executives to hold the grieving family in their thoughts and prayers.

After learning about Zain's demise, netizens paid their heartfelt condolences to the family.

Mourning the loss, Telugu Desam Party President, N Chandrababu Naidu, tweeted, "Deeply pained to learn of the passing away of young Zain Nadella. Condolences to Anupama Ji, Satya Nadella and family. May god give them strength through this difficult time. Om Shanthi."

Reportedly, last year, the Children's Hospital, where Zain received much of his treatment, teamed up with the Nadellas to establish the Zain Nadella Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurosciences, as part of Seattle Children's Center for Integrative Brain Research. (ANI)
Omar Khayyam penned some memorable lines that talk of a 'Loaf of Bread, a Flask of Wine' in the company of the beloved magically transforming wilderness into a paradise. And, there is Nazir Akbarabadi the 18th-century people's poet from Agra whose poem 'Rotiyan' celebrating bread is considered a classic. Countless phrases in many languages recognise the importance of bread. Man may not live by bread alone but can't live without it. Shortage of bread has triggered revolutions and royal heads like Marie Antoinette's have rolled on the Guillotine for tactless remarks about it. Bread is talked of as the 'Stave of Life' and one 'breaks bread' with someone to forge close ties --roti beti ka naata. Do joon ki roti in Hindi translates as basic subsistence. Many restaurants have ritualised serving assorted breads on a platter to save the diners from deciding to choose between tawa or tandoori, naan or paratha. The roadside kebab stall makes to with the roomali. Not many are acquainted with the fascinating array of Indian breads-sweet and savoury, crisp and soft each devised to pair with a specific delicacy with or without gravy. Some are enjoyed all by themselves- absolutely delightful. In recent months, we have come across much-talked-about artisanal breads. But like with all things phoren in the poor developing world the attention is drawn mostly to Rye, Sourdough, Baguette, and shades of brown. It's heartening to note that the Empire has begun to push back. There is a strong revival of interest in our own breads and some considered extinct are reappearing. A rebirth of sorts. Khamiri (livened) and roghani (enriched by extra ghee) are popular in Muslim eateries in Delhi, Bhopal and other parts of northern India. Lucknow has a whole range of exotic breads- sheermal (delicate, mildly sweet saffron tinted bread prepared with flour kneeded in milk) and flakey kulcha not to be confused with the tandoori stuffed paratha like preparation in Amritsar. More rarely encountered are the gavdeeda (literally Bulls Eye) and gavjuban (resembling a bovine tongue in shape). Interestingly, sheermal and kulcha are claimed by the Kashmiris as their own but despite the similarity in the name they share nothing in common with the Awadhi-Lucknowi breads. They are harder, biscuity and must have cereals for breakfast. They are relished with pink salty nun chai or cardamom saffron laced kehwa. Girda is among the most popular bread among predominantly rice-eating Kashmiris. Punjabis are partial to tandoori roti prepared with wholewheat four and naan made with plain flour. In winters makke ki (cornflour) roti plays its delicious duet with sarson da saag (green mustard leaves). In the hill villages of Uttarakhand dark-complexioned madua (finger millets) was traditionally used by the poor. Other drought-prone regions and arid zones also rely on millets like bajra (pearl millets) and jowar (giant millet /sorghum) to prepare robust roti on tawa. This is hardy peasant's fare and at a pinch can form a complete meal with just a large dollop hot chutney or salsa like thecha. Rice flour is used in pathiri in Tamil Nadu and gassi in Karnataka. Pancake like chilada roti (aka tsot) are prepared in many provinces with a rice flour batter. Bengali's claim Bakarkhani as their own. It's a rich tasty bread that commemorates the love affair of Bakar Miyan a district governor with a beautiful dancing girl Khani who was coveted by a vicious Kotwal (police officer). Khani became a victim of their rivalry. Bakar Miyan created the bread token alive the memory of that love. Bakharkhani bread is prepared at many places far away from Bengal and equally colourful backstories claim a geographical indicator for the local bake. There is even one Indian bread that found a place on the flag of the largest princely state in India. Legend has it that the newly appointed Nizam of the Deccan province went to seek the blessings of the famous Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin. He was given a kulcha as he sat at his mentor's feet. He ate five bites before replacing the kulcha on the plate. The mystic laughed and told him your family will rule for five generations in Hyderabad. Uncannily this is just what came to pass. The Nizam happy with the prophecy accorded the pride of place to the kulcha on his pennant. Some Indian breads are cooked in a clay tandoor, others in an iron oven. Most are unleavened but there are quite a few that use yeast. Some rendered extra sweet with jaggery thick roats are offered to the deities. There is an Indian bread for every season and for each reason! Disclaimer: The views expressed in the above article are that of the writer and do not reflect that of ANI. (ANI)
The suspects were part of a conspiracy to kill gangster Sunil also known as Tillu Tajpuria and a constable, police said.

As many as 22 rounds of bullets fired from both sides, police said.

Two pistols, four live rounds and eight empty rounds, and a stolen bike have been seized.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)
While speaking to ANI, a priest at the Shankaracharya temple said, "On the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri or 'Herath' today, we began the day by offering 'Puja' to Lord Shiva and praying for the well-being of the Indian students stuck in Ukraine amidst the ongoing crisis."

He added, "The biggest gathering is expected today at Shankaracharya temple, which overlooks the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar. Special 'Langar' stalls have been installed so that devotees are given refreshments."

Maha Shivaratri, which translates to the greatest night of Shiva, is one of the most splendidly celebrated festivals across the country.

It celebrates the grand marriage of Lord Shiva - with the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty - Parvati, who is also known as Shakti.

On this auspicious day, followers and devotees of Lord Shiva observe fast and special puja is performed in several temples across the world. They offer milk to the Shivalinga and pray for Moksha.

Several devotees pray the whole night, chant mantras in praise of Lord Shiva. Besides the celebrations of the marriage of Shiva and Shakti, unmarried women pray and observe fasts on the day to wish for a partner as compassionate as Lord Shiva. On this day, fairs and cultural programmes are also organised in various temples. (ANI)
The Kerala government tweeted on Tuesday, "Kerala students update: Among 36 students arrived from Ukraine to Delhi yesterday evening, 25 left for kochi by Vistara UK 883 at 5.35 (arrival 8.45) and 11 left for Trivandrum by Vistara UK 895 at 8.10 (arrival 11.25)."

These students were brought back under 'Operation Ganga'.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday advised its nationals to leave the capital city Kyiv "urgently today" amid the deteriorating security situation due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

"Advisory to Indians in Kyiv: All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," the Indian embassy in Ukraine tweeted.

A special evacuation flight will depart from New Delhi to Kosice, Slovakia today to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju will be on-board the flight, travelling as a special envoy of the Indian Government to oversee the evacuation.

The SpiceJet flight is scheduled to depart at 3:30 PM from New Delhi and is scheduled to arrive in Kosice, Slovakia at 7:50 PM IST. (ANI)
A special POCSO court in Maharashtra sentenced a man to death for raping and killing a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in 2021. The accused, Sanjay Katkar (38), was charged under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual offences act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In the order, Principal District Judge (special judge for POCSO cases) Sanjay Deshmukh wrote, "The accused, Sanjay Baban Katkar, is held guilty for the offences punishable under Sections 363 of Indian Penal Code and under Section 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. 235(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and he is sentenced to death for the offence punishable under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and he shall be hanged to death as contemplated under Section 354(5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure subject to confirmation of the Hon'ble High Court, Bombay, under Section 366 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Katkar is further sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for five years for the offence punishable under Section 363 of the IPC. He was further imprisonment for 20 years for the offence punishable under Section 4 sentenced to suffer of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012." Special public prosecutor Vilas Pathare said, "The minor girl was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and strangled to death by the accused in Panshet area of Pune district on February, 15 2021. The whole case was based on circumstantial evidence and witness during the trial a total of 17 witnesses were examined and detailed medical examination helped to reach the conviction. Expressing his feeling about the judgement Special PP also added that, "It's a welcome and a good judgement on the point of social impact, in such cases normally court gives capital punishment as life imprisonment till natural death, the basic purpose of such punishment is to create terror in the society that one should not dare to commit such crimes." (ANI)
According to the police, the explosive substances were found in the bathroom of the house and were concealed inside a six-seven feet pit.

According to the information received, the house belongs to a chartered accountant from Delhi, but no one has been living there for the last two to three years.

A team of Gurugram Police reached Delhi to speak with the landlord.

"Police has launched a search operation after receiving information about the presence of explosives and ammunition in an unoccupied house," said Virender Vij, DCP Gurugram (East).

Further details are awaited. (ANI)
One Indian student has lost his life in Kharkiv this morning because of shelling in the area, said MEA in a statement.

Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Commissioner Dr Manoj Rajan identified the deceased as Naveen Shekharappa from Chalageri village of Haveri district in Karnataka.

Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi shared the information and expressed condolences to the family.

"With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," he wrote in the tweet.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians there are safe and secure, informed Bagchi. This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine.

MEA on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations.

On February 24, the Prime Minister chaired a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in New Delhi on the Ukraine crisis.

The union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine.(ANI)
Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Commissioner Dr Manoj Rajan on Tuesday said that the Indian student, who lost his life in Kharkiv this morning because of shelling in the area, has been identified as Naveen Shekharappa from Chalageri village of Haveri district in Karnataka. "We have confirmed from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) the unfortunate demise of Naveen Shekharappa in Ukraine. He was from Chalageri, Haveri. He had left for a nearby store to buy something. Later his friend got a call from a local official that he (Naveen) has died," said Karnataka SDMA. Earlier today, MEA in a statement said that one Indian student has lost his life in Kharkiv this morning because of shelling in the area. Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi shared the information and expressed condolences to the family. "With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," he wrote in the tweet. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians there are safe and secure, said Bagchi. Government sources on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations. On February 24, the Prime Minister chaired a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in New Delhi on the Ukraine crisis. The union government has launched "Operation Ganga" to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. (ANI)
Union Minister RK Singh on Tuesday welcomed stranded Indian students at Delhi Airport and said that the Government is committed to bring back every Indian stranded in Ukraine. "Government is committed to bringing back every Indian stranded there. Four ministers were deputed just to organise this. There are help desks of states, help desk of Ministry of Power, officers of the Ministry. Students will be provided whatever assistance they need," said Singh. A flight carrying Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine arrives in Delhi from Hungary. The passengers were waving tricolours and chanted patriotic slogans. Speaking to ANI, Vindhya Doshi, an Indian student after landing at Delhi airport said thanked the Government of India and the Indian Embassy who supported the students. "I am very happy and relaxed now because the situation on the borders around Ukraine was terrible. I thank the Government of India and the Indian Embassy who supported the students. We are relaxed now," said Vindhya. The ninth flight carrying 218 stranded Indian nationals has departed from the Romanian capital Bucharest for New Delhi under Operation Ganga, informed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday. The government of India has expedited its evacuation efforts under Operation Ganga. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts, said sources. The sources said that leveraging the capacities of the Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame. It will also help to deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently, sources added. Indian Air Force is likely to deploy several C-17 aircrafts as part of 'Operation Ganga' from today. Meanwhile, at the high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians there are safe and secure, informed Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine. Government sources on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. (ANI)
The Supreme Court has granted bail to one accused observing that his appeal is pending before the Allahabad High Court since 2012 and he has already undergone 14 years and 3 months of custody. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana granted bail to one Ritu Pal after "taking into consideration the fact that the petitioner has already undergone 14 years and 3 months of actual custody and about 17 years of total custody with remission." The Court also noted that the co-accused have already been released on bail and the bail application of the petitioner is pending consideration before the High Court since 2012 and said, "We deem it to be fit case to grant him bail. The petitioner is, accordingly, directed to be enlarged on bail on such terms and conditions as the trial court may deem appropriate to impose upon him." Accused Ritu Pal was represented by advocate Rishi Malhotra. The petitioner lawyer Rishi Malhotra said that the petition demonstrate "a very glaring fact and very sorry state of affairs" in the Allahabad High Court wherein the petitioner though stand convicted by the Trial Court under section 302 read with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on January 14, 2008 for an incident which had occurred in 2004, his application seeking suspension of sentence (bail) before the Allahabad High Court remains pending to be decided since 2012. Advocate Malhotra said that the petitioner continues to remain in judicial custody till date and has already undergone 14 years and 3 months of actual custody and 17 years and 3 months of total custody with remissions as on November 11, 2021. Moreover, the co-accused persons have been released on bail pending his appeal before the High Court vide its order dated March 28, 2014 whereas the second bail application of the petitioner remains pending before the High Court since 2012. Ritu Pal was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Baghpat Court in Uttar Pradesh on January 14 2008. He was facing charges under murder for killing a man in February 2014 in Baghpat district. He had filed an appeal in Allahabad High Court challenging the trial Court order. (ANI)
Karnataka Minister for Higher Education Dr CN Ashwathnarayan on Tuesday condoled the demise of an Indian student, who lost his life in Kharkiv this morning because of shelling in the area while urging families of citizens stranded in Ukraine to stay calm. Naveen Shekharappa hailed from Haveri in Karnataka and was a fourth-year MBBS student in Ukraine. "Deeply saddened to learn about the sad demise of Naveen Shekharappa, 4th Year MBBS student from Haveri, Karnataka in the crisis zone at Kharkiv, Ukraine. May God give his family, friends and well-wishers strength to bear this irreparable loss. Om Shanti," the state minister tweeted. Amid rising tensions in Ukraine following Russian military operations, the minister has urged families of the Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine to not panic and stay calm as the government is ramping up its efforts to evacuate Indian nationals. "I request all the families of those Indians who are stuck in the crisis zone to remain calm. Authorities from the Government of India are in constant touch with students, Indians and Ambassadors for the safe passage of Indians from the crisis zone," Ashwathnarayan said. Commissioner of Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) Manoj Rajan told ANI: "We have confirmed from MEA the unfortunate demise of Naveen Shekharappa in Ukraine. He was from Chalageri, Haveri; had left for a nearby store to buy something. Later his friend got a call from a local official that he (Naveen) has died." Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai spoke to the father of the deceased student. "All efforts will be made to bring back Naveen's body to India. The CM said that the matter is being negotiated with foreign ministry officials," Karnataka Chief Minister's Office said in a statement. The Union Government has launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. The government has also deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri left for Budapest to aid the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in war-hit Ukraine. Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju also left for Slovakia on Tuesday. Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania and Gen VK Singh to Poland, informed the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday. (ANI)
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya welcomed the stranded Indians at Delhi Airport on Tuesday and said that the government's efforts to repatriate stranded students will continue till all of them are brought back. "Many of your friends are still stuck in Ukraine, tell them efforts are being made to bring them back home. Efforts to continue till all of them are brought back", said Mansukh Mandaviya. The Union Minister received the eighth flight carrying 216 Indian students, who were stranded in Delhi. He said that the government is making all efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back the stranded students. "We are speaking to the respective officials to evacuate the students from Ukraine", added Mandaviya. Meanwhile, MEA on Tuesday said that an Indian student lost his life in Kharkiv his morning because of shelling. India has been ramping up its efforts to evacuate Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri left for Budapest to aid the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in war-hit Ukraine. Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju also left for Slovakia on Tuesday. The government has deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals."Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania, Kiren Rijiju to Slovak Republic, Hardeep Puri to Hungary, VK Singh to Poland... to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process," the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Monday. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Secretary Kumar Alok in a series of tweets on Tuesday informed the parents anxiously waiting for their children stuck in conflict-ridden Ukraine that a total of 32 students from the state have already been identified and the safe evacuation process by the part of the Indian government is underway. So far, four students have already reached India while a total of 15 students have crossed the borders and are now in countries like Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Romania etc. He assured that all the students who have been given safe passage would reach home soon. Exuding confidence on the issue, he said that there are no reasons to worry as the government of India is making arrangements to bring them back. "We received a list of 32 students from Tripura studying in Ukraine. Their families are being contacted by the respective District Administrations to brief them about the elaborate arrangements made by the government of India to bring them back. There is no need to worry about their safety", his first tweet reads. The Chief Secretary also said that one of the eight students who hail from the South Tripura district has already reached Tripura. The total number of students of South Tripura who are now left in Ukraine stands at seven now. "Out of eight students from South Tripura District, one has reached Tripura and the other seven have crossed the Ukraine border and are on their way to India. All of them are safe. District Administration officers have met family members of each student," he said. Another student from Tripura's Gomati district has also returned safely while the other has been given safe passage to Hungary. The only student from Tripura's Unakoti district also reached home recently, he added. "Two students from Dhalai district were in Ukraine. Both of them have crossed the border and are in Romania. They will be reaching home soon. The only student from the Khowai district was in Ukraine and has reached Romania and is likely to reach India soon. Out of three students from Sepahijala district, one has reached Slovakia, another has reached Italy and one is still in Ukraine but safe," his tweets read. Of the four students of North Tripura district, he said, "Four students from North District were in Ukraine. One has already reached upto Silchar, another is in Romania and the remaining two have taken shelter in a metro station in Kyiv and are safe." (ANI)
In a scathing attack at the Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Tuesday said that both Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) closed 29 sugar mills in the state and sold 11 sugar mills at a very low price while the BJP government opened several new sugar mills. Addressing a public rally in Kushinagar, the BJP chief said, "SP and BSP together closed 29 sugar mills of UP and sold 11 sugar mills at a very low price. Yogi's government has gave a payment of Rs 1.41 lakh crore to sugarcane growers. Along with this, the pending dues of the Akhilesh government of Rs 11,000 crore have also been paid by BJP government. New sugar mills have been started in Uttar Pradesh under the BJP government." Nadda slammed the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for withdrawing cases against the terrorists. "On May 22, a bomb exploded in Gorakhpur. The terrorist organization took responsibility for the blast. Two persons hailing from Azamgarh and Mau were caught. Akhilesh Yadav tried to withdraw the case of such notorious criminals on 26 April 2012. The court did not allow the case to be withdrawn. The court sentenced both to life imprisonment. How can you make such a person a chief minister? Terrorists attacked the CRPF camp in Rampur. UP Police and NIA together caught Shahabuddin, a resident of Bihar. Akhilesh also helped him in getting out of jail," said BJP chief. He further said that Akhilesh takes an oath that he will protect terrorists and will shoot the people of Uttar Pradesh. "The verdict of Ahmedabad bomb blast came, in which there is a terrorist whose picture is with Akhilesh," he added. Nadda further said that the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have strengthened and empowered poor, exploited, deprived, victims, Dalits, mothers, sisters, youth and farmers. "Do you remember that Akhilesh had said don't get vaccinated? He had said the vaccine would cause problems. Then he silently went for vaccination. He used to call it 'Modi tika' and 'BJP ka tika'. On March 3 give him a final dose," said BJP chief, "There was a time when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi used to say that if Rs 100 were sent, 15 paise would reach to the people and the rest 85 paise goes to middlemen. PM Modi has opened the Jan Dhan account of the poor, without any broker and middle man, Rs 100 directly reach to the account of the poor," said Nadda. He said that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 2.63 crore houses have been built across the country, of these, about 35 lakh houses have been built here in Uttar Pradesh. "Under Kisan Samman Nidhi farmers are getting Rs 6,000 in three installments of Rs 2,000 every year," added BJP chief. "In this year's budget, 60 lakh people will get jobs within a year. 25 thousand km of road will be built in a year on which Rs 20,000 crore will be spent. Clean water will be provided to 3.80 crore houses through taps, in which Rs 60,000 crore will be spent," said Nadda. "60 lakh pucca houses will be built at a cost of Rs 48,000 crores. Five years ago the economy of Uttar Pradesh was at the seventh position in the country and today it stands at the second number economy. Form the government again this time, Uttar Pradesh will stand at number one," he added while urging the people to vote for the BJP. The BJP chief said that the party has decided to set up Anti-Terrorist Commando Centers in Deoband, Meerut, Rampur, Azamgarh, Kanpur and Bahraich. In the sixth phase, polling will be held in 57 assembly seats in 10 districts on March 3. The 2022 Assembly elections are being held in Uttar Pradesh from February 10 to March 7 in seven phases to elect 403 members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on March 10, 2022. (ANI)
MBBS student Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar was a resident of the state's Haveri district.

Earlier Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai spoke to Naveen's family.

"It is a big blow. May the Almighty bestow eternal peace on Naveen. You must be brave to bear the tragic happening," Bommai told the family while expressing grief.

The 21-year-old Indian, a student of Kharkiv National Medical University, was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv earlier today.

"With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," tweeted the External Affairs Ministry, confirming Gyanagoudar's death. Efforts are now on to bring his mortal remains to India.

"PM Narendra Modi had spoken to the family. We will try our best to recover the body and bring it back to India. I have requested PMO and MEA to help us to recover mortal remains," said Bommai. (ANI)
Kazi, who worked closely with Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze, was posted in the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Mumbai Crime Branch.

Waze is the prime accused of placing an explosives-laden vehicle near Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani's house Antilia in Mumbai on February 25, 2021.

Waze was also accused of the murder of Mansukh Hiren, the owner of the vehicle that was found containing explosives materials outside Antilia. Hiren was found dead on March 5 in Thane. He was dismissed from service in May 2021. (ANI)
The special staff of the Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested a man in Mehrauli on charges of murdering his girlfriend in a hotel in the national capital. Police found the body of the girl lying in a hotel room, police informed. The boy was absconding since February 27. During the investigation, police found that the accused who have been identified as Shivam Chouhan was in a relationship with the deceased for the past four years. "They both came to the hotel in Delhi on February 25. We got a call about the incident on February 27 and found that the boy was missing. The Special Staff team got his mobile number but it was switched off. The team collected his whereabouts but could not get his address," police added. Following the human efforts and technical surveillance, the team apprehended the accused in Mehrauli, police said. During interrogation, the accused confessed his crime and disclosed his relationship with the girl. He said that the girl was lying to him which led to a fight between them and he later banged her head on the floor due to which she died, police added. (ANI)
In its crusade against smuggling activities, Lunglei Battalion of Headquarter 23 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters Inspector General Assam Rifles (East) on February 27 had recovered a large stash of explosives and warlike stores and apprehended two persons in Siaha district.

In an official statement, Assam Rifles stated that troops of Assam Rifles had recovered 124.2 kg of BELOX -10 Explosive, 121.5 kg of Granular Explosive, 49.9 kg of Gun Powder Explosive, 3950 numbers of Detonators, 120 Lellier and Belliot 30-06 (Bullet), 100 Lellier and Belliot .22 Hornet (Bullet), 100 Mini Mag .22 Bullet, 12,000 meters of Codex, 106 Tac Shotgun Ammunition Belts, One Tata Sumo, One Bolero."The operation was carried out by COB Siaha of Lunglei Battalion. The party established a Mobile check post near India-Myanmar border based on specific information," read the Assam Rifles statement.

Ongoing smuggling of weapon and warlike store is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar border. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh government created a Guinness record in Ujjain city by lighting 21 lakh lamps as a part of Maha Shivratri celebrations on Tuesday. Maha Shivratri, which essentially translates to 'the great night of Shiva', is considered one of the most auspicious festivals of the country. It is celebrated annually with much fervour and excitement across India. The state government hosted a grant event in Ujjain which is commonly known as the city of Mahadev as Mahakaleshwar temple is a popular shrine that comprises one of the twelve major Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Attending the event in Ujjain today, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "The successful execution of this event is a fine example of the principle of 'Sarva Dharma Sambhaav,' which was espoused by Swami Vivekanand and Mahatma Gandhi. It is my earnest wish and prayer that Lord Shiva will bestow his blessings on all the citizens of the state and will continue to guide us to achieve the dream of Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh." This Mahashivratri, along with organising the Mahadev Utsav for the worship of Lord Shiva, the district administration has registered its name in the Guinness Book by lighting 21 lakh earthen lamps, CMO said. In order to create this world record, the lamps were lit in temples and homes all around Ujjain city, including the banks of the Shipra river, and the courtyard of the Devasthali Mahakal temple. The event saw participation from over 17,000 volunteers, who had registered for this massive event. These volunteers represented various voluntary organizations, students, sportspersons, professionals and social organizations, religious institutions, including the saints of all akhadas. This was a one-of-a-kind event as the city administration took special care to ensure that the event was eco-friendly and achieved the 'zero waste' goal, and adhered to the principle of 3R - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The eco-friendly steps taken by the administration included volunteer identity cards made from recycled paper, usage of paper matchboxes to light the lamps and candles, usage of biodegradable cutlery and plates for food and drink. Following the culmination of the event, the earthen lamps will be reused to make idols, pots, kulhads, in-home composting, among other things. Also, the oil bottles will be recycled responsibly. Informing about the progress of development being carried out in Ujjain, the religious capital of Madhya Pradesh, CM Chouhan added, "Recently, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone of 11 road projects worth Rs 5,722 crore for the development of entire Malwa held in Ujjain. This will certainly speed up the rate of development in Ujjain and put Ujjain on the world map as the religious tourism capital of India." "Our government is committed to introducing world-class facilities to the devotees of Lord Shiva, including the launching of a cable car service from the railway station to the Mahakaleshwar temple," he added. On this occasion, Chouhan also inspected the ongoing works in the first phase of Shri Mahakal Vikas Vistar Yojana costing Rs 750 crore. In addition, he examined the plan for the second phase of the campus expansion at Triveni Museum, which was presented by Ujjain Collector Ashish Singh, IAS. It's believed that while there is a Shivratri every lunisolar month of the Hindu calendar, the Maha Shivratri, happens only once every year, in February or March, when winter comes to an end and spring and summer begin. Out of the 12 Shivratris observed in any given year, Maha Shivratri is considered especially auspicious, as it is supposed to be the night of convergence of Shiva and Shakti, which in essence means the male and feminine energies that keep the world in balance. Shiva and Shakti are revered as the embodiment of love, power, and oneness. On this auspicious day, followers and devotees of Shiva observe fast and special pujas are performed in several temples of Shiva across the world. They offer milk to the Shivaling and pray for moksha. It is believed that those people who perform puja, fast, and offer prayers to Lord Shiva are blessed with good luck. Many people also think that Maha Shivratri fast reminds devotees that pride, ego and falsehood lead to downfall only. (ANI)
Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, the deceased student, was a resident of Karnataka's Haveri district. The 21-year-old Indian, a student of Kharkiv National Medical University, was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv earlier today.

"My deepest condolences to the family of our Indian student Naveen Shekharappa who lost his life in a shelling attack in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Thousands of our students are still stranded in harsh weather conditions & without any food in Ukraine", tweeted Pawar.

In another Tweet, he said, "I request the Central Government and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to understand the gravity of the situation, the desperate plight and anxiety of these students and their families."

According to him, the Government of India must speed up the rescue efforts to evacuate the stranded students at the earliest.

The Union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Over the last few days, Indian nationals are being evacuated on flights from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania-- countries that share borders with Ukraine.

Special flights are being operated by Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo as part of the massive rescue mission. The seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest. After special flights reach Mumbai and New Delhi, the evacuees are facilitated to reach their respective states, where local administration helps them to reach their homes. (ANI)
A man was stabbed to death on Tuesday after a fight broke out between two groups inside a gym in Central Delhi's Paharganj area, police said. The Paharganj Police Station received information from Lady Hardinge Hospital about some people injured in a fight at a Gym in the Chuna Mandi of Paharganj. The police rushed to the Lady Hardinge Hospital where they found two persons from one group and four persons from another group injured. The dead man has been identified as Manoj Manchanda, a resident of Motia Khan in Paharganj. "There was an incident of a fight inside a gym between two boys, who also called their families into the fight. The fight got aggravated and one party attacked the other with a knife killing one. An FIR has been registered in this case", said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shweta Chahan. The police registered a case on charges of murder, attempt to murder following a statement of Vicky Manchanda, the brother of the dead, the DCP said. Vicky Manchanda stated, "Mayank Manchanda, son of deceased Manoj Manchanda called his father at about 10 am on Tuesday from Fitness Hub Gym and informed him that Saurav Sharma, Joginder Sharma, Manjeet Sharma alias Babla and Rahul Sharma, all residents of Ghee Mandi, Paharganj are fighting with him at the gym. Both Vicky Manchanda and Manoj Manchanda also reached the gym. It later on turned into a fight with knives and sharp objects. Both parties scuffled with each other wherein they received serious injuries." As per the preliminary investigation, the fight broke out between two groups over playing loud music inside the gym. Police said an investigation is underway and two accused have been caught. (ANI)
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said that he is constantly in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and so far 24 students of Uttarakhand have been evacuated from Ukraine. "We are constantly in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs. So far 24 students of Uttarakhand have been evacuated from Ukraine. We are trying to bring all Indian students back to India I have also met parents of many students in my area," said Dhami during his visit to Delhi. He further said that the stranded students of Uttarakhand are more than 200 in Ukraine. "I have come to Delhi only in relation to these students that they should be brought back safely. I will contact all the officials and ministers I need to meet in this regard," he said. The Chief Minister said that he had have talked with students in Ukraine, "They are reaching neighbouring countries and we are doing arrangements to bring them from there," he added. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the eighth flight carrying 216 stranded Indian nationals has departed from Hungary's capital Budapest for New Delhi while the ninth flight carrying 218 Indians took off from the Romanian capital Bucharest for New Delhi as part of Operation Ganga. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while presiding over a high-level meeting over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine. Government sources on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will be travelling to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. The union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India as part of the mission. (ANI)
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict rages, Bihar-origin Russian legislator Abhay Singh claimed that the government and people of Ukraine are not behaving correctly with Indians in the country, especially with students. "The Ukrainian authorities and common citizens are not treating Indian students and Indian people in the right manner. It is a kind of racial approach towards them. They are not allowing many students to board the trains and buses from their big cities like Kiev and Kharkiv," Singh, who is a member of the ruling Yedinaya Rossiya (United Russia) party, told IANS over phone. Reacting to the death of an Indian student in Kharkiv, he said: "It is extremely unfortunate that a student from Karnataka died in shelling. I pay condolences to his family." Asked about the nature of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Singh, who hails from Boring Canal road in Patna near the Panchmukhi temple, pointed out that he is a very calm and determined person. "He makes pin point policy on every front, including ongoing special military operations against Ukraine as well as the previous operations. He worked as a spy in the KGB before entering politics and becoming the President of the country. Past experiences always help a person take decisions in the interest of the country," Singh said. Singh, who is currently staying just 40 km away from the Ukrainian border in Russia's Kursk province, said: "Our defence system is well-placed inside the country. Our armed forces have installed anti-missile systems and radar systems in almost all the places, especially in the borders with Ukraine to minimise threats of missiles if launched by Ukraine or any other country of the west, including the US. We are ready to face any military action from the west and retaliate against them accordingly." On economic sanctions imposed by the Western powers, he said: "Before the Russian special military operation started against Ukraine, our strategic and economic policy makers were well-aware of the consequences. The Russian economy is one of the biggest in the world. "The economic sanctions of the US and Western countries would not hamper our internal financial operations and special military action against Ukraine. There is no panic among Russian people to take out cash from the banks. This is absolute rumour. Everything is normal here." Reacting to the US advisory for its people living in Russia to leave the country, he said that he has not seen the statement of President Joe Biden about the same. "If any such advisory came from the west, it is attributed to create propaganda against Russia and nothing else," he said. --IANS ajk/vd/arm ( 443 Words) 2022-03-01-19:20:06 (IANS)
"All the advocates, litigants, staff members, police and CRPF personnel of this court are once again directed to strictly refrain from feeding the stray animals like monkeys and dogs within the court complex," read the circular issued by the Deputy Registrar Javed Khan.

The circular comes after the court observed that some of the advocates, litigants, staff, police, and CRPF personnel were still feeding stray animals despite earlier directions.

--IANS jw/vd

( 111 Words)

2022-03-01-19:26:04 (IANS)
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said students of the state stuck in Ukraine would be brought back safely. For this, the Ministry of External Affairs and the government of Haryana are making dedicated efforts, he said. So far, the Haryana government has contacted 700 students and 90 students have returned safely. The Chief Minister told the media in Karnal that in view of the crisis in Ukraine, the state government had already set up a control room. A helpdesk has been set up at thre Delhi airport. Also, some students of Haryana have reached Mumbai by plane and to help them, a control room is also being set up there. All possible help will be given to bring the students safely back to Delhi and Haryana, he said. Khattar also said that the Deputy Commissioners have been contacting the families of those who are stuck in Ukraine. About the budget session that kis beginning on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said it would be beneficial for all sections. On the lines of the Centre, this time more emphasis would be given on mission infrastructure. Also, special attention would be given as to how to ensure the reach of various welfare schemes of the government to the eligible persons, he said. Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said the state government has held talks with auto unions in Gurugram to discontinue the 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol autos. For now, this rule is not applicable to any other district. --IANS vg/vd ( 267 Words) 2022-03-01-20:18:04 (IANS)
Ten students reached Delhi by flight 6E-9451 from Bucharest. Another student returned by flight 6E-8386.

With this, the number of students and others from Telangana who have returned home from Ukraine rose to 67.

They were evacuated along with other Indian citizens from countries neighbouring Ukraine. They reached by nine flights from Bucharest since February 26. Two of these flights had landed in Mumbai while the remaining landed in Delhi.

The Telangana government made arrangements to receive all returnees at Delhi and Mumbai airports. The state government also booked air tickets for them from Delhi and Mumbai to Hyderabad.

The government shall continue to liaise with the government of India to bring back Telangana residents from Ukraine safely, said an official statement.

--IANS ms/vd

( 150 Words)

2022-03-01-20:22:02 (IANS)
Over 100 terrorists and Over Ground Workers (OWGs) are on the radar of the security forces which will soon launch an operation against them in Jammu and Kashmir, sources in the security grid said on Tuesday. According to sources, these ultras are hiding in the villages and forest areas in South Kashmir and only come out to execute an attack on the security forces or targeted civilians. The recce is mostly done by the OGWs, they added. The security officials deployed in Kashmir Valley further said that despite the fact that a large number of ultras were killed in the operation last year, Pakistan supported terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Al-Badr and Hizbul Mujahideen have been sending more terrorists in the Valley. "To prevent local youths from joining terror groups is also a major challenge for the security forces," the officials said. They also said that last year, the security grid in Kashmir Valley made robust counter attack and drones were used to oversee the areas, but to identify terrorists in forest is still a challenge for them. The intelligence agencies have identified 'some locations' near Srinagar and Baramulla districts and a coordinated operation against these terrorists are being planned at the earliest. The J&K Police's Special Operation Group will be leading the operation along with central security forces. According to the messages intercepted by the intelligence agencies, Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) officials are annoyed with the terrorists in J&K for not doing 'something big' and forcing them to execute a major terror attack. Recently, Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered a cache of weapons possibly dropped from a drone along the International Border in RS Pura sector after which a massive search operation was launched by the SOG of J&K Police. Two magazines, 70 cartridges, one pistol, three detonators, three remotely controlled IEDs, three bottles of explosives, a bundle of cortex wire, two timer IEDs and six grenades were recovered from Treva village in Arnia sector. This indicates the vicious plan of the ISI to disrupt the peace and developmental works in the Union Territory of J&K, the officials in the security forces said. --IANS ams/skp/ ( 374 Words) 2022-03-01-20:52:03 (IANS)
A judicial magistrate in Tamil Nadu's Salem was stabbed, and seriously injured, in his chamber at the district court complex by his assistant on Tuesday, police said. M. Muthupandi was admitted to Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital (SGMKMCH), where doctors said that he received three stab injuries, including a deep one close to the heart and lungs. The incident happened when the judicial magistrate was in his chamber and colleagues suddenly heard a cry of alarm. When policemen and advocates present in the court complex rushed to the chamber, they found the judicial magistrate profusely bleeding and with his assistant Prakash standing there with a knife. Police said that Prakash was recently transferred from Omalur court to Salem court and he joined duty on Monday. He requested the Judicial Magistrate to transfer him back to Omalur but the magistrate asked him to approach the principal District Judge, and irked by this, Prakash attacked Muthupandi, police said. Hasthampatty police registered a case and arrested Prakash. --IANS aal/vd ( 178 Words) 2022-03-01-20:54:05 (IANS)
A medical student returned home in Bihar's Saharsa district on Tuesday after borrowing $50 from her friends in Ukraine. Akta Khurshid returned home through Hungary border. While sharing her plight, she said it was extremely difficult for students to reach Ukraine's border with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania. "My university was in western part of Ukraine. So, I did not see any explosion or missile attack, though, I saw some aircraft flying in the air. Living in a war zone was extremely tough for us as everything has become so expensive there. The transport vehicles are not available too," Khurshid said. "As I ran out of money, I borrowed $50 from a senior student of my university to pay my bus fare. I travelled standing in a packed bus to reach Hungary border," she said. She further pointed out that those students who are in the western part of Ukraine managed to reach the borders of Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, but those living in the central or eastern parts of Ukraine like Kiev and Kharkiv are in grave danger. At least 8 students of Saharsa are still trapped in Ukraine. "After reaching Hungary border, I struggled for hours to enter into the country. I am thankful to the Indian government which facilitated a flight from Budapest. They did not charge air fare to Delhi," Khurshid said. Khurshid was welcomed in Saharsa by District Magistrate Anand Sharma and SP Lipi Singh. Sharma said the government has made arrangement to airlift all students from Ukraine. --IANS ajk/skp/ ( 269 Words) 2022-03-01-21:16:05 (IANS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of evacuation of stranded Indian nationals from war-hit Ukraine under 'Operation Ganga'. It was the third meeting held on the matter in the last 24 hours, and the fourth since Sunday evening. The meeting began with the participants expressing grief over the sad demise of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a medical student from Karnataka who died in Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. According to sources, Modi was briefed about the evacuation status and was informed that over 1,750 Indian students have returned to the country so far. He was also informed that Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju and General (Retd) V.K. Singh have flown to Budapest (Hungary), Warsaw (Poland) and Bratislava (Slovakia), respectively, as the government's special envoys to oversee the evacuation efforts, while Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia left for Bucharest (Romania) by an Air India flight on Tuesday evening. It has been learnt that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishakar briefed the Prime Minister about the ramped up efforts of the government for evacuation works in the last 24 hours, while Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla updated Modi about the arrangements made by the Indian Embassies in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Poland, all bordering Ukraine. Modi had asked the MEA officials to make proper arrangements in the adjoining border points with Ukraine for the students coming to these countries from the war-hit nation. The sources also said that Modi discussed what could be the possible ways to rescue the Indians stuck in Kharkiv, another important town after the capital city of Kiev. As of now, thousands of Indians, including students, are still stuck in Kharkiv and the Russian army has scaled up attacks on both Kiev and Kharkiv. Modi was also informed that a new route to exit through Moldova has been identified, and to facilitate the entry of the Indians into this country, proper arrangements have been made by the Indian Embassy staff in Romania. The Prime Minister is personally monitoring the evacuation efforts of the government, taking updates from the MEA at regular intervals. After the death of the medical student from Karnataka in Kharkiv on Tuesday, the Prime Minister got a call from the President of European Council, Charles Michel, who extended condolences over the tragic incident and assured support for the evacuation mission. Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Principal Secretary to PM, P.K. Mishra, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs were present at the meeting. --IANS ams/arm ( 446 Words) 2022-03-01-22:02:02 (IANS)
Ramping up the government's efforts to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 transport aircraft left for Romania in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The aircraft has taken off from the Hindan airbase at around 4 am. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the efforts to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine and asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts under Operation Ganga. The sources said that leveraging the capacities of the Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame and it will also help to deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently. After Russia's forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, the Government of India launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded Indian nationals from the conflict-torn Ukraine. As part of the 'Operation Ganga' mission, special flights are being operated free of cost. The first such evacuation flight carrying 219 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine landed in Mumbai on February 26. Several such flights have landed in the country so far. 24x7 control centres have been set up to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals through the border crossing points with Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. A new route has been opened through Moldova and an MEA team is also now in place there and is operational. The team will assist in the evacuation of Indians through Romania. A dedicated Twitter Account (@opganga) has been set up to assist Operation Ganga. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv has advised Indian citizens against moving to any of the border checkpoints without prior coordination with government officials at border posts. In a bid to energize the evacuation efforts, the Government of India appointed four special envoys who will oversee evacuation operations of stranded Indians in Ukraine's neighbouring countries. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will oversee evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Gen (retd) VK Singh in Poland while Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania and will also go to Moldova. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held several meetings so far to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. He has also said that India will help people from neighbouring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla informed on Tuesday that all Indian nationals have left Kyiv and nearly 60 per cent of Indians in Ukraine have left the country so far. He said out of an estimated 20,000 Indian citizens in Ukraine, 60 per cent have left the country since the first advisory was issued by the government. "Of the remaining 40 per cent, roughly half remain in the conflict zone in Kharkiv and the other half have either reached the western border of Ukraine or are heading towards the western border. They are generally out of conflict areas," Shringla said. Briefing the media about the evacuation of Indians including students from Ukraine in the wake of Russian military operations, Shringla informed that over the next three days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring out Indian citizens. "Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Poland and the Slovak Republic will also be used," he said. An Indian student, Naveen Shekharappa died in Ukraine's Kharkiv following shelling in the area on Tuesday. He hailed from the Haveri district in Karnataka. PM Modi has spoken to the father of Naveen Shekharappa to express his condolences. Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia. The US, Canada and European allies agreed to remove key Russian banks from the interbank messaging system, SWIFT which means Russian banks won't be able to communicate securely with banks beyond Russia's borders. President Putin has also signed a decree on special economic measures against the US and its allies. Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency. Speaking at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on February 28, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, had said that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine. On February 28, negotiations between delegations of Russia and Ukraine were held in the Gomel Region of Belarus and another round of talks is scheduled for March 2. (ANI)
The father of Naveen Shekharappa, an Indian student who was killed in conflict-torn Ukraine on Tuesday expressed his anguish over the medical education system in India. Naveen Shekharappa hailed from Chalageri village of Haveri district in Karnataka. "Despite scoring 97 per cent in pre-University course (PUC), my son could not secure a medical seat in the State. To get a medical seat one has to give crores of rupees and students are getting the same education abroad spending less money," Shekharappa's father told mediapersons. Naveen Shekharappa, a 21-year-old student studying at Kharkiv National Medical University, Ukraine died in shelling in Kharkiv on Tuesday. Shekharappa was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv. "With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family," tweeted the External Affairs Ministry. Efforts are now on to bring his mortal remains to India. News of the student's death came within an hour of the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking its citizens to urgently leave the capital Kyiv on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the demise of the Indian student in Ukraine. He spoke to Naveen Shekharappa's father. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also spoke to the family. Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia. Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency. (ANI)
Amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India will provide humanitarian assistance including medicines to Ukraine, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press briefing on Monday. MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in the press briefing on Monday said, "India will provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine including medicines. However, no more details are yet available." Talking about the evacuation of stranded Indian Nationals in Ukraine, Bagchi assured that new flights will be added as needed. "Some people are panicking. Please do not worry. Once you cross the Ukrainian borders we will make sure that there are enough flights to bring you back whether it takes a day or two more," he said. He emphasized that India is continually augmenting the presence of the MEA teams for necessary arrangements at the borders points in Slovakia, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Moldova. "Contact details of teams have been shared. We are increasing the size of the MEA teams. We are also augmenting the strength of our embassies in countries bordering Ukraine. Every day we are authorizing more officials from nearby countries as well as from Delhi, " he added. He asked the Indian Nationals to try to go to the western part of Ukraine and contact teams, contact control rooms.. Share the location information so that they can get them registered and see when can they be brought out because the borders are very crowded. Replying to the question of whether the students are paying exorbitant prices for the airfare, he assured that no one is paying anything and everything is going from the Government of India. Bagchi also confirmed that Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will be overseeing evacuation operations of stranded Indians in Romania and Moldova, while Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju will be visiting Slovakia.Furthermore, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will be overlooking operations in Hungary, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport Gen (Retd) VK Singh will manage evacuations in Poland. Bagchi, while answering a question of whether the Indian Airforce will be used like it was done during the Afghanistan crisis for evacuation of stranded Indian Nationals, he said that the airforce is ready and if required India will use this. He confirmed that right now only the commercial aircraft are working. Replying to a question on Indian Nationals not getting a response on the helpline provided, Bagchi said that control rooms have been expanded and several channels like Watsapp, Twitter among others are functional to expand the capacity to respond. Moreover, the MEA spokesperson also confirmed that many of the Indian Nationals have moved to western parts of Ukraine. (ANI)
Twelve members of Russia's diplomatic mission to the UN have been expelled by the United States by March 7, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Monday (local time). Speaking at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Nebenzia said "the US authorities have undertaken another hostile action against the Russian Mission to the United Nations, grossly violating their commitments on the Host Country Agreement that they undertook, telling us that they're announcing 12 people from the personnel of the Russian Mission and demanding that they will live by March 7." He said that he is not aware of the names yet, but the number is 12. Nebenzia termed this action by the US as "sad news". Nebenzia said this is sad news and another demonstration of gross disrespect of the course Country Agreement to their commitments, adding that it is within the framework of their obligations on the UN Charter, the host country agreement, and Vienna Conventions. Meanwhile, in a statement, US Mission to the United Nations Spokesperson Olivia Dalton said, the United States has informed the United Nations and the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations that the US is beginning the process of expelling twelve intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have "abused their privileges" of residency in the United States by engaging in "espionage activities" that are adverse to our national security. "We are taking this action in accordance with the UN Headquarters Agreement. This action has been in development for several months," the statement said. Notably, tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated when on February 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of Ukraine's breakaway region following which Western Nations have toughened sanctions against the country. Earlier, negotiations between delegations of Russia and Ukraine in the Gomel Region of Belarus ended and the second round of talks will be held on the Belarusian-Polish border in a few days. (ANI)
Head of the Kharkiv Region Military Administration, Oleg Synehubov said, "What is happening in Kharkiv is an utter war crime! It's genocide of the Ukrainian people," Ukrainska Pravda reported.

He added, "Tens of peaceful civilians are dying. This is happening during daytime, when people have gone outside to get medication, food, drinking water. It's a crime. Russia is using heavy artillery weapons."

According to the Regional Military Administration, the Russian invaders are shelling residential areas of Kharkiv, where there is no strategic or military infrastructure that could be targeted by armed forces.

Shelling is currently ongoing in the neighbourhoods. As a result, local authorities are unable to provide emergency services and eliminate the consequences of shelling on time, the report said.

According to Synehubov, 11 civilians have been killed and tens wounded.

Dozens of victims have been reported in Kharkiv after mass fire from Grad multiple rocket launchers on Monday, said the Advisor to Minister of Internal Affairs, Anton Gerashchenko.

Gerashchenko said, ""Kharkiv has just been shelled by Grads. Dozens were killed, and hundreds were injured."

The exact number of dead and injured is currently unknown, according to the Ukrainska Pravda.

--IANS san/arm

( 222 Words)

2022-02-28-21:02:05 (IANS)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday said that Russia putting nuclear forces on high alert is a "chilling development" amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "Nothing can justify the use of nuclear weapons," he said at the emergency session of the General Assembly on Ukraine. "Yesterday, Russian nuclear forces were put on high alert. This is a chilling development. The mere idea of a nuclear conflict is simply inconceivable." The Assembly met in its 11th emergency session following a Security Council resolution on Sunday to refer the Ukraine crisis to it after the Council was deadlocked on the issue because of the Russian veto. India had abstained on the resolution, along with the other two Asian countries on the Council, China and the United Arab Emirates. General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid said: "The convening of this 11th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly, rooted in the Charter and mandated in resolution 377 A (V) entitled 'Uniting for peace', is a new opportunity to ensure that the leadership of the United Nations is up to the expectation of the people we serve on matters related to peace and security." The "United for Peace" resolution was adopted by the Assembly in 1950 in response to the Soviet Union's vetoes of resolutions on the Korean crisis and it forms the basis for the Assembly to act when the Council is deadlocked, although its resolutions are not binding. Calling for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomacy, Shahid said: "The military offensive by the Russian Federation is a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and is inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations." Shahid also said the session should not become a forum for war rhetoric. "The strength of this Assembly is rooted in its moral authority. Let's demonstrate that moral courage and use today's debate not to whip up war rhetoric, but to give peace a chance. Let's ignite the fire of love, humanity and compassion," he said. The Council resolution that Russia vetoed on which India had also abstained sought to condemn Russia's invasion and demand an immedate ceasefire. "Enough is enough," Guterres declared, "the fighting in Ukraine must stop". He said that the UN has "credible accounts of residential buildings, critical civilian infrastructure and other non-military targets sustaining heavy damage. This escalating violence -- which is resulting in civilian deaths, including children is totally unacceptable". Ukraine's Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya made a direct appeal to Russian soldiers and their families, while making a plea to the international community for saving his country. He also questioned the legitimacy of Russia as a successor state to the Soviet Union to be able to exercise the veto power. Russia's Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenza asserted that the resolution in the Council was one-sided and did not take into account the Ukrainian action against its minorities. A resolution similar to the one vetoed by Russia in Council is expected to be taken up by the Assembly. Later on Monday, the Council is scheduled to meet at the request of France's President Emmanuel Macron to consider a resolution calling for unfettered access for humanitarian and relief activities in Ukraine. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) --IANS al/vd ( 556 Words) 2022-02-28-22:30:05 (IANS)
The Harford County Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to make masks optional for students and staff effective Tuesday.

It has been a long two years. We are all tired, but it is time. We need to move on, board member Dr. Roy Philips said.

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The General Assemblys Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review rescinded the current mask mandate last week, as recommended by the Maryland State Board of Education.

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With Harford County at whats considered a low community level for COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control recommends residents stay up to date with their vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms.

The community level metric is a new CDC tool to help areas decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium or high, and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

In these communities, wearing masks is optional, but people with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 are advised to wear a mask.

With the boards ruling on school masks reversed, face coverings are now optional at schools in Harford, Anne Arundel, Carroll and Frederick counties.
Nearly half of the global population is now highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. That includes everything from rising sea levels, drought and more frequent and more intense weather events that threaten lives, livelihoods, and homes. "Crucially, we must now recognise the worsening symptoms of our warming, faltering planet -- and react immediately by helping countries to adapt to the increasingly devastating effects of climate change," said United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner on Monday. "This need for rapid action is amongst the key conclusions of a landmark new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations (UN) body for assessing the science related to climate change." The IPCC report, entitled 'Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability', argues that continuing to ignore the science will put people and planet in peril like never before. Yet it also offers solutions. Climate adaptation -- measures to protect lives and livelihoods, and biodiversity -- must be elevated and placed at the very core of global climate action efforts. The commitment at COP26 in Glasgow to double adaptation finance -- from $20 billion to at least $40 billion per year -- is an urgent priority and a good first step, but more concerted efforts will be needed. In particular, UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres has been "pushing to get to 50 per cent of all climate finance for adaptation". Investment in climate resilient development is needed more than ever and at a greater scale. "UNDP is committed to continue using the IPCC findings as the scientific basis for our climate action. Our programmes will carefully build on the data provided by the report so that our support to countries on adaptation can evolve, shift and grow as needed," Steiner said in a statement. "Over 96 per cent of the 120 developing countries that UNDP has supported with its Climate Promise have enhanced their adaptation ambitions in their Paris Agreement pledges. The Climate Promise is part of wide-ranging efforts by the organisation to provide more support to vulnerable communities who are living on the frontlines of climate change. "Over the past two decades, UNDP has supported developing countries, including Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, to implement their adaptation priorities -- from enhancing food security to increasing the protection of ecosystems to rolling-out vital early warning systems," he said. "I echo the call by the UN Secretary General that every country must honour the Glasgow pledge to increase their climate ambition to align with the objectives set by the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels," Steiner added. The "Africa COP" in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November will be a key moment to accelerate climate action. "However, we cannot wait that long to instigate the level of change necessary. We need governments, particularly in developed countries, to rapidly curb their emissions and scale up support for climate adaptation; and for citizens to demand climate action now from their governments. We also need the international community to equitably deliver the level of climate finance that has been agreed upon but not yet fulfilled," he added. (Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) --IANS vg/vd ( 544 Words) 2022-02-28-23:14:02 (IANS)
Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya on Monday (local time) said the Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed that all peaceful citizens of Kyiv can leave without hindrance via Kyiv-Vasilkov road which is open and safe. Speaking at the UNSC meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Nebenzya said that people are trying to blame the Russian military for the casualties of civilians in Ukraine which is being done by Ukraine itself. "Over 5 days of operation, there hasn't been a single documented case of targetted destruction or evidence of the death of civilians caused by the Russian military, people are trying to blame us for what's being done by Ukraine itself," he said. "Ukrainian authorities issued an order to distribute arms to anyone who wants it, including criminals let out of prisons for that specific purpose, resulting in mass incidences of robberies, killings, and lootings," Nebenzya said. He also said that Russia did not start the "war" as it was started by Ukraine in 2014. "Ukrainian radicals are placing their attack weaponry in residential areas, which is a direct violation of international humanitarian law... Russia did not start the war, it's trying to end it. Ukraine started it in 2014," he said. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ambassador to UN Sergiy Kyslytsya termed the Russian invasion in Ukraine as the "most horrible" and "large-scale invasion" since World War II. "It's the most horrible & large-scale invasion since World War II... Russia keeps attacking kindergartens, orphanages, hospitals, mobile medical aid brigades & ambulances, with shellfire. This is an action of a state determined to kill civilians," Kyslytsya said. He also welcomed the appointment of Amin Awad as the Assistant Secretary-General to serve as United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine. "Ukrainian govt welcomes the appointment of Amin Awad as the Assistant Secretary-General to serve as United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine. He has arrived in Geneva and resumed his duties," he said. "More checkpoints on the border with Poland have been opened, including 2 additional pedestrian crossings, for all who want to go to the neighboring safe country. An electronic resource platform will be launched tomorrow," Kyslytsya said. "All information on the electronic platform will be systemized for effective communication & distribution of essential goods... Do not listen to the Russian lies, listen to Ukraine's cries. We need your help," he added. (ANI)
Underlining that not everyone can or will choose to flee Ukraine, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Richard Mills said that those who remain in Ukraine must be ensured "unobstructed protection and assistance". Mills made these remarks at a UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the region. He noted that now half a million people have fled Ukraine in response to Russia's invasion. "...Behind each of these numbers are real people caught in a humanitarian nightmare unfolding before our eyes. And the truth is, no one knows where it will end, how many people will flee their homes, how many will need humanitarian assistance, how many will die. That is because we don't know when President Putin will end his war of choice against Ukraine," Mills said. He noted that the World Food Program warns us that the food security impact of Russia's invasion will be felt far beyond Ukraine's borders. Vulnerable people from Asia to Africa and the Middle East will face greater levels of food insecurity as supplies are disrupted, as we are already seeing, he said. "An estimated 283 million people in over 80 countries are acutely food insecure or are at high risk, and this conflict in Ukraine will only exacerbate situations already on the brink of starvation. This is yet another reason why hostilities must end now." He highlighted that the United States is already providing nearly USD 54 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. He continued saying that USAID has been airlifting and positioning relief supplies - especially needed to help older people, people with disabilities, and people displaced from their homes - to face the winter weather. Meanwhile, UK Ambassador to UN Barbara Woodward highlighted that UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson announced USD 54 million in aid to help the Ukrainian people. "Yesterday, UK PM Boris Johnson announced USD 54mn in aid to help our Ukrainian friends, bringing the total amount pledged to Ukraine this year, to USD 190 million. The UK would also guarantee up to USD 500mn loans via multilateral development banks," Woodward said during the UNSC meeting. "The UK will also participate in tomorrow's UN appeal. UK govt experts have also deployed to the region to provide humanitarian support to those fleeing violence in Ukraine. We call on President Putin to stop this war and withdraw his forces from Ukraine," Woodward added. (ANI)
"...In light of the extraordinary urgency of the situation, Ukraine respectfully asks the Court to hold a hearing on Ukraine's Request during the week of 28 February 2022," Kuleba said in a statement.

"...Ukraine requests the President of the Court to call upon the Russian Federation to immediately halt all military actions in Ukraine to enable any order the Court may make on the request for provisional measures to have its appropriated effects," read the statement.

Notably, tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated when on February 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of Ukraine's breakaway region following which western nations toughened sanctions against the country.

Earlier, negotiations between delegations of Russia and Ukraine in the Gomel Region of Belarus ended and the second round of talks will be held on the Belarusian-Polish border in a few days. (ANI)
"In our call, @SecBlinken affirmed that the U.S. support for Ukraine remains unfaltering. I underscored that Ukraine craves for peace, but as long as we are under Russia's assault, we need more sanctions and weapons. Secretary assured me of both. We coordinated further steps," Kuleba tweeted.

He also held talks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Russia's latest war crimes in Ukraine.

"Call with @JosepBorrellF on Russia's latest war crimes in Ukraine, including brutal indiscriminate shelling of civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv which led to multiple civilian casualties. HR/VP updated me on the EU's resolute steps to further elevate sanctions against Russia," Kuleba wrote in a tweet.

Taking to Twitter, Kuleba informed that he had a call with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister also held talks with Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis and Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.

"Call with my Lithuanian friend @GLandsbergis. Lithuania stands by Ukraine resolutely. More military and humanitarian support is on its way to Ukraine. We both agree that the EU must adopt the most painful sanctions against Russia to stop Putin's war against the Ukrainian people," Kuleba tweeted.

"Call with Singapore's FM @VivianBala. Singapore stands in solidarity with Ukraine as we defend ourselves from the ongoing Russian invasion. Grateful for Singapore's humanitarian assistance and urge Singapore to join the global economic pressure on Russia to stop Putin's war," he wrote in a tweet. (ANI)
The Indian delegation of the Indus Water Commission reached Pakistan via the Wagah border crossing on Monday.

The three-day talks on water disputes will be held from March 1 to March 3, ARY News reported Monday. The Indian delegation is headed by Indian Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena.

According to Pakistan media, the Indian water experts team will proceed to Islamabad for talks over water disputes between the two countries in their three-day visit to Pakistan.

The last meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was held on March 23-24, 2021 in New Delhi.

Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, the two Commissioners are required to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan. The meeting could not be held in 2020 due to restrictions imposed on account of the Covid 19 pandemic situation.

Last year, discussions continued on designs of two Indian projects, namely, Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW). Indian side held that these projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the Treaty and provided technical data in support of its position.

Pakistan side had requested India for sharing information on the design of other Indian hydropower projects being planned to be developed. Indian side assured that the information will be supplied as and when required under the provisions of the Treaty. (ANI)
The nationwide ceasefire agreement was initiated in October 2015, Xinhua news agency reported.

The military extended the ceasefire to boost the peace process in the country and to enable effective efforts to combat COVID-19 nationwide, the statement released by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services on Monday.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the State Administration Council, had earlier announced the decision during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Nay Pyi Taw in January, the statement said.

The military had announced extending the suspension of military operations 20 times from December 21, 2018, till February 28 this year, it said.

Last week, the UN independent expert said that weapons exports to the military rulers in Myanmar by the UN Member States must stop.

In a report to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews insisted that these arms had been used against civilians.

He also called for the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session to vote on a resolution to ban this trade.

"It should be incontrovertible that weapons used to kill civilians should no longer be transferred to Myanmar. These transfers truly shock the conscience," Andrews said in a statement. (ANI)
The opposition parties in Pakistan have decided to table a resolution in Parliament, seeking to repeal the "black law" against the media, local media reported. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the joint opposition has resolved to seek repeal of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) amendment ordinance under Rule 145, The News International reported. If a resolution is tabled in a joint sitting of parliament to repeal an ordinance, after approval by the House, the ordinance can be repealed, the media outlet reported citing the regulation. Terming the media law an exhibition of "authoritarian, fascist and undemocratic" thinking of the Imran Khan government, Sharif supported the decision of the media joint action committee to challenge the Peca amendment ordinance in the court. The media was a mirror in which the rulers could see their faces, so they should correct their facial features instead of removing the mirror, the publication quoted Sharif who added that the Imran Khan government is trying to force punishments, imprisonment and fines through the black law violating the constitutional freedom of access to information. The PMLN president further said that the law being passed through the back door in the shape of an ordinance shows malicious intentions of the Imran Khan government. Meanwhile, media persons across Pakistan observed a black day against the Peca ordinance to protest against the draconian law trying to stifle the voice of dissent, according to the Pakistani newspaper. Under the PECA Ordinance 2022, online defamation has been made a non-bailable, cognizable offence and the jail term for it has also been increased from three years to five years. The amendment has also broadened the ambit of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as it gives it powers to arrest anyone and put them in jail till the conclusion of the trial. (ANI)
In an apparent murder-suicide shooting at a church in the Arden-Arcade neighbourhood, a man opened fire on three of his children, aged under 15, before shooting himself dead, CNN reported quoting Sgt. Rod Grassman with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office at a press conference.

The fifth deceased has been identified as the wife of the gunman, the media outlet reported citing Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Capt. Parker Wilbourn.

Wilbourn informed that other people were also present in the church during the incident but none of them was involved. Most of the others were employees or congregates and nobody else at the scene required medical assistance, he added.

The matter is being investigated by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.

Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom condoled the death of the victims and described the incident as "another senseless act of gun violence in America".

"Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities," he tweeted. (ANI)
Washington [US], March 1 (ANI/Sputnik): The West is preparing further restrictive measures against Moscow, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, US Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said after a classified briefing from US President Joe Biden's top national security officials on the Ukraine situation. "The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putin's inner circle anticipated," Murphy said on Twitter on Monday. He claimed that "Russians have fallen behind their timeline" in what concerns the special military operation in Ukraine and were preparing to "cut off Kiev in the next several weeks." The White House has asked Congress to allocate $6.4 billion to assist Kiev in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The funds could be attached to a broader government spending package expected to pass next week. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that he told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call that Kiev needs more weapons amid Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine and is also insisting on further restrictions against Moscow. On Sunday, G7 foreign ministers discussed with Kuleba further steps to support Kiev, including in cybersecurity and the fight against disinformation, and expressed their commitment to increasing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The ministers once again condemned Russia's operation in Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of all troops. Western nations have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after it launched a military operation in Ukraine following requests for help from the people's republics in Donbas. The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the operation is targeting the military infrastructure of Ukraine only and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and that the purpose of its operation is to save the civilian population from genocide and liberate the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), including through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. On Sunday, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to supply 450 million euros ($500 million) worth of arms to the Kiev forces. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after a virtual EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting late on Sunday that the aid would also include 50 million euros for non-lethal supplies, such as fuel and protective equipment, and the EU was also going to provide fighter jets to Kiev. The US, Canada and Australia have also approved lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine. On Friday, the Biden administration unlocked a $350 million package of military assistance to Kiev, including more Javelin anti-tank missiles. (ANI/Sputnik)
Police arrested a Baltimore man on murder charges after reviewing a surveillance video that showed three shooters opening fire on a teenage victim in the parking lot of a Northeast Baltimore apartment, according to charging documents.

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Around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 27, Baltimore police found Damond Price, 19, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the 4800 block of Lorelly Avenue in the citys Frankford neighborhood. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for treatment but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving, officials said.

On Feb. 18, police arrested Devon Young, 21, in connection to the killing. Court records show a warrant for his arrest was issued three days earlier.

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Young is charged with first-degree and second-degree murder. He is currently being held without bail, police said. The public defenders office declined to comment so early in the case.

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Surveillance footage from the night of the shootings shows a car pull into the parking lot of the Sinclair Gate Apartments and Price walking up to it, according to court documents. Someone gets out of the back of the car to greet Price when the drivers side passenger gets out and starts shooting Price.

The person from the back seat pulls out two handguns and also starts shooting, according to court documents. The driver of the car got out with a rifle and started shooting Price, according to court documents.

Police recovered 21 shell casings from the scene.

Police found an iPhone near the shooting and detectives originally thought it belonged to Price, according to court documents. Detectives got a search warrant for the phone and determined it belonged to Young, police said.

Police said a car registered in Youngs name matched the car scene in the surveillance footage of the shooting and on Feb. 6, officers pulled Young over, seized a handgun and arrested him on several gun charges, according to court records.

Its not clear if police have identified the other two shooters.

At this time only Mr. Young is listed as a suspect in this case, Baltimore Police Det. Vernon Davis said.
Bhutto congratulated the people for the reduction in fuel prices, adding, "Imran Khan's legs are trembling now," Geo News quoted him as saying.

Other opposition leaders in the country also credited their pressure tactics for the relief measures announced by Imran Khan in his address to the nation on Monday.

Miftah Ismail, former Finance Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader said that those who advised not to worry now looked worried because of the no-trust move against the PM.

The main opposition parties of Pakistan, PPP and PMLN, are reportedly planning to bring a no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government this week.

Sherry Rehman, a senator and member of the PPP said that the relief measures were a result of Bhutto's long march, which kickstarted on the same day from Karachi in the Sindh Province.

"We have just started a long march, more relief measures will be announced before PPP reaches Islamabad," Rehman said.

Imran Khan on Monday announced a number of economic relief measures in an address to the nation amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country.

The prices of petrol and diesel were slashed by Rs 10, and the electricity tariff was dropped by Rs 5. (ANI)
The Washington-based Sindhi Foundation held a live panel discussion on the importance of the Sindhi language, its linguistic and cultural diversities, last week. The Sindhi Foundation organized the event on February 22, along with the Canadian Sindhi Association (CANSA). "International Mother Language Day is a day to commemorate all mother languages. That includes first languages, immigrant languages, braille, and sign language too," said Mohammad Aminul Islam, president of The Mother Language Lovers of the World Society. Saleem Raza Noor, explained the history behind International Mother Language Day, "Bengali people shed a light in 1952 on the issue that caused a bit of uproar and that was the first step to the conception of creating our own country, Bangladesh." Shabbir Ahmed agreed on the importance of the Bengali Language Movement. "From a Bangladeshi perspective, we wanted Bengali to be recognized as one of the state languages." Another Sindhi scholar, Mohan Gehani, mentioned in the panel, "Linguistic regions are defined by nature and geography of the land. People residing in that region are bound by and share the common culture and traditions. At the same time, it is a fact that the political boundaries and regions have frequently changed with the presence of time." The theme for this year's International Mother Language Day was 'Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities'. Apps and online learning platforms play a crucial role in mastering a language. As Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur said, "When you are deprived of your language, you are not able to learn and progress in a language which is not your own." The panel discussion reached over 1.000 people. Speakers from all over the world were able to participate in the virtual meeting to acknowledge the importance of the mother language. The panel concluded with Jamal Hassan's words. "If you take away language from a nation, people lose their identity forever." The Sindhi Foundation is a non-profit that strives for social change and promotes freedom of thought and expression among Sindhi people. CANSA, The Canadian Sindhi Association, supports the preservation and growth of Indus valley civilization including the language, culture, music, literature, heritage, and the legitimate rights of the Sindhi people. (ANI)
The shipment that announced the import of yarn, contained high duty foreign cigarettes, as per the customs officials.

The consignment that arrived at Chittagong port from China was suspected to have contained goods with a false declaration, local media reported citing Custom House sources.

As many as 1,08,30,000 sticks of cigarettes were found in eight cartons in the container. (ANI)
A provincial court in Pakistan's Balochistan province on Monday admitted a petition that challenged the controversial ordinance amending the country's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016. These pleas were filed by the Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) and Balochistan Bar Council weeks after the Pakistani government passed an ordinance amending the PECA to make online "defamation" of authorities, including the military and judiciary, a criminal offence with harsh penalties. "PECA has been used to silence freedom of expression on the pretext of combating 'fake news,' cybercrime, and misinformation," said Nadia Rahman, acting deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International. "This amendment not only violates the Pakistan Constitution, but also puts anyone who questions the government or other state institutions at further risk. It particularly endangers journalists, human rights defenders, and political opponents who run the risk of prosecution for merely doing their jobs." Advocate Rahib Buledi, the Balochistan Bar Council inter-provincial chairman, said, "It is malicious on the part of the government to cruelly amend Peca through a presidential ordinance." Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday defended the amendments to Peca, dismissing the criticism that it was being used to curb media freedom, the Dawn newspaper reported. "The Peca law was made in 2016. We are only amending to curb the filth on social media." According to the HRW statement, the amendment makes defamation a non-bailable offence, and increases the maximum prison term, if convicted, from three to five years. It also expands the definition of those who can initiate criminal proceedings for defamation, allowing any person or institution to register the complaint. Pakistan has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which protects the right to freedom of expression. Article 19 of the ICCPR allows for restrictions on freedom of expression to protect the reputations of others, but such restrictions must be necessary and narrowly drawn. In a statement, Amnesty International and HRW opposed all criminal defamation laws as a disproportionate and unnecessary response to the need to protect reputations that chills freedom of expression. Expanding PECA's already overbroad criminal defamation provisions to online statements about government institutions violates Pakistan's international obligations, they added. (ANI)
Iran will recognize an inclusive government in Afghanistan that represents all factions of the country, said a media report. Iran Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian has said that they will recognize an all-inclusive government established by the Taliban, reported Khaama Press. The development came during the recent Iran visit of a Taliban delegation where Abdollahian reminded the Taliban's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Motaqi that the establishment of the inclusive government in Afghanistan is key and that all factions in the country must see themselves in the government, the news agency quoted Abdollahian during his interview with Iran's Press TV. Calling the US withdrawal from Afghanistan "embarrassing", Abdollahian said that the US' 20 years of presence in Afghanistan was a failure. He added that Afghan people have been Iran's close neighbours and have resisted the US presence in Afghanistan in the past two decades as they did in the past decades against the Soviet Union. Earlier, the Iranian Ambassador Bahadur Aminian had said that Tehran might persuade other countries to recognize the Afghan government if the Islamic Emirate brings reforms to its governance structure, reported Tolo News. "If a group comes (to power) and the group is (comprised) of a single ethnic group and all other ethnic groups are not included in the government, we don't accept it, and, therefore, we benevolently call on the Taliban rulers to form an inclusive government," he said. The Taliban's swift ascension to power in Afghanistan occurred in mid-August, triggering economic disarray and a dire humanitarian crisis in the country. The group, which is desperate to seek international recognition, has time and again been reminded that respect for women and human rights, establishing inclusive government, not allowing Afghanistan to become a safe haven of terrorism are the preconditions for the recognition set by the international community. (ANI)
"Advisory to Indians in Kyiv: All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," the Indian embassy in Ukraine tweeted.

The Union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from conflict-torn Ukraine.

This advisory comes as satellite images have emerged showing a long convoy of Russian military vehicles snaking along roadways northwest of Kyiv, CNN reported. Hundreds of tanks, towed artillery, armored and logistical vehicles can be seen in the image released by a US-based space technology company.

About 8000 Indian nationals have left since the initial advisories were issued by the country, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

"Evacuation efforts on Ukraine situation on the ground continue to be complex and fluid, some of them quite concerning, but we've been able to accelerate evacuation process. Over 8000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since we issued the initial advisories," the MEA spokesperson said during a media briefing.

He also informed that the six evacuation flight have landed in India bringing back over 1400 citizens under Operation Ganga.

"The six evacuation flights have landed in India bringing back around 1400 (1396) citizens. The four flights were from Bucharest (Romania), while the other two were from Budapest (Hungary), he said.

The MEA also informed that the government will send four Union Ministers as special envoys to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. (ANI)
A special evacuation flight will depart from New Delhi to Kosice, Slovakia today to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju will be on-board the flight, travelling as a special envoy of the Indian Government to oversee the evacuation. The SpiceJet flight is scheduled to depart at 3:30 PM from New Delhi and is scheduled to arrive in Kosice, Slovakia at 7:50 PM IST. The airline will use its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for the special flight. The aircraft will fly directly to Kosice from Delhi and will return via a technical halt at Kutaisi in Georgia. The aircraft is scheduled to return by 7:40 AM on March 3. This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday deputed four Union Ministers to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. Other ministers deputed to manage evacuations include Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania and Molodova, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri in Hungary and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport Gen (Retd) VK Singh in Poland. This is the second evacuation flight being operated by SpiceJet under 'operation Ganga' after a special flight left yesterday night for Budapest, Hungary from New Delhi. The airline is in discussion with the concerned authorities to operate more evacuation flights in the coming days. The Union government has launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India and other airlines as part of the 'Operation Ganga' mission. Earlier on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India has evacuated over 8,000 nationals since the initial advisories were issued by the country. (ANI)
"All set to bring back our young students back home safely... enroute to Budapest with a refuelling stop in Istanbul with the ever efficient 6E boys and girls," tweeted Puri. The minister was on-board an Indigo flight, pressed in the evacuation service.

This comes as government sources on Monday informed that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of 'Operation Ganga' on Tuesday. Union Minister Narayan Rane received the evacuated Indian nationals at the Mumbai airport.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while presiding over a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

The union government has launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India as part of the 'Operation Ganga' mission.

In another development, the Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday advised its nationals to leave the capital city Kyiv "urgently today" amid the deteriorating security situation due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict. (ANI)
The Russian advance on Kyiv has made little progress over the past 24 hours, said UK Defence Ministry on Tuesday as the war continues to rage in Ukraine. Russian military invasion which started last week turned into in large conflict with casualties running into thousands. Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency. "The Russian advance on Kyiv has made little progress over the past 24 hours probably as a result of continuing logistical difficulties," the UK Ministry of Defence said. According to the UK defense assessment, Russian forces have increased their use of artillery north of Kyiv and in the vicinities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv. "The use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties." It also said that Russia has failed to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine prompting a shift to night operations in an attempt to reduce their losses. This assessment comes as satellite images have emerged showing a long convoy of Russian military vehicles snaking along roadways northwest of Kyiv, CNN reported. Hundreds of tanks, towed artillery, armored and logistical vehicles can be seen in the image released by a US-based space technology company. Russia continues to maintain that the operation of their Armed Forces in Ukraine has no goal of inflicting harm to the local population, TASS news agency reported. "We address Kiev residents held by radicals in the city as the human shield. The Russian Defense Ministry confirms that all non-combatants in Kiev can freely leave the Ukrainian capital over the Kiev-Vasilkov route," Russian envoy to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said. "We reiterate: the special operation of the Russian Armed Forces does not have occupation of Ukraine or inflicting harm to local population as its objective," the Russian envoy said. (ANI)
As many as seven flights will land in Delhi tomorrow carrying stranded Indians from Ukraine under Operation Ganga, the government sources told ANI on Tuesday. A total of nine flights have already brought back stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine. The sources told ANI that the first flight of Indigo Airlines is taking off from Hungary's capital Budapest on Tuesday evening and will land at Delhi Airport at tomorrow 7:20 am. The Indigo flight has the capacity to carry 216 passengers. According to sources, flights will take off throughout the day from Budapest, Rzeszow, and Bucharest and will be landing at Delhi Airport tomorrow by late evening. The union government has deployed around 20 flights from Air India, Air India Express, Indigo, and Spice Jet. Apart from these airlines, the Airforce has also been asked to evacuate Indians from the neighbouring countries of Ukraine. Air India flights have the capacity of carrying 250 passengers, Air India Express flights 180, while IndiGo planes can carry 216 passengers on board. Meanwhile, at a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians there are safe and secure, informed Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine. Government sources on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will travel to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations. On February 24, the Prime Minister chaired a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in New Delhi on the Ukraine crisis. The union government has launched "Operation Ganga" to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India under "Operation Ganga". External Affairs Ministry on Monday informed that over 8,000 Indian nationals have left Ukraine since the initial advisories were issued by the country. The Ministry also said that the six evacuation flight have landed in India bringing back around 1,400 citizens. (ANI)
The dead person found Friday at Perry Halls Honeygo Run Landfill has been identified by Baltimore County Police as Gary Fickling, 71.

Police said Tuesday that the identification was made Monday through the mans fingerprints. The circumstances of his death are still under investigation, a police news release said.

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Spokesman Trae Corbin said Friday that officers found his body at the 10000 block of Philadelphia Road after being dispatched for a suspicious circumstance around 1:25 p.m.

The Honeygo Run Landfill is located at 10710 Philadelphia Road. Its website says it handles 1,000 tons of waste per day and 250,000 tons annually.

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The company said in an emailed statement it was cooperating with Baltimore County Police and the departments investigation. It declined further comment and directed questions to law enforcement.
The abject human rights condition, poor performance in the education area and violation of labour rights might be a roadblock in Pakistan's path to getting an extension of its Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status, according to a media report. The European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, who recently wrapped up his visit to Islamabad, noted that there are still three areas where the Imran Khan government needs to focus, reported The News International. This comes at a time when the European Union (EU) will decide about extending Pakistan's GSP+ status for 2024 post reviewing the country's two-year performance report on exports for the years 2020 and 2021. Pointing to the labour rights in Pakistan, Gilmore said that women earn less than minimum wage in the textiles industry, a sector benefitting from the GSP+ programme, according to the EU office in Islamabad. Gilmore added that women earn less than the child and bonded labour and the issue should be addressed immediately, reported the publication. Noting the country's poor performance in the education area, Gilmore said that "a large number of children are out-of-school and are being placed in a cycle of disadvantage while the society misses the untapped potential of skilled and engaged citizens". Gilmore noted that the criteria for compliance with GSP+ conventions span across human rights, labour rights, environment and good governance. "Human rights don't belong to any state but to people everywhere in each country," the Pakistani newspaper quoted Gilmore who highlighted the centrality of human rights in EU foreign policy. The GSP+, an established trade and development policy instrument, is in place since 1971. Under this status, set to expire for Pakistan on December 31, 2023, there is zero per cent duty on several products. Islamabad had managed to get GSP+ status in the EU due to political patronage by the UK. Post-Brexit, Pakistan has lost the support of 73 former British MEPs who used to vote for the country and promote its cause. In the absence of political patronage from the UK, it would be increasingly hard for Pakistan to retain GSP+, especially if it fails to take measures for full compliance with the requisite criteria of the EU. (ANI)
A delegation of former US defense and security officials will arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday for a two-day visit, which is likely to evoke a strong reaction from China. The Taiwan Presidential Office said this delegation, which is being sent by US President Joe Biden, is a sign that ties between two sides remain rock-solid, Taiwan Focus reported. Xavier Chang, the spokesperson for Taiwan Presidential Office, said the visit comes less than one year after Biden sent a delegation led by Senator Christopher Dodd in April. "The visit will even more clearly highlight the rock-solid relations between Taiwan and the United States, especially at a time of the Ukraine crisis," Chang said. The delegation will be led by former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen. It also includes Meghan O'Sullivan, a former deputy national security advisor and Michele Flournoy. The delegation also consists of two former National Security Council senior directors for Asia. According to Chang, they are scheduled to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday. He said both sides are expected to exchange views on issues concerning various areas of bilateral cooperation, and regional peace and stability. Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the German Marshall Fund said it is a good idea to give Taiwan reassurance at this time, The Financial Times reported. "Sending a group of former senior officials now outside government is a good way to do that. It sends the right message in an unprovocative way," said Glaser. (ANI)
Over the last few days, Indian nationals are being evacuated on flights from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania, countries which share borders with Ukraine. The students are being facilitated to reach their homes from the airports by the respective state governments

The Union government has launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo as part of the 'Operation Ganga' mission.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presiding over a high-level meeting over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure.

Four Union Ministers were also deputed to the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.

On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India has evacuated over 8,000 nationals since the initial advisories were issued by the country.

Earlier today, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya received Indian nationals who arrived by a special Indigo evacuation flight from Hungary.

"Many of your friends are still stuck in Ukraine, tell them that efforts are being made to bring them back home. Efforts will continue till all of them are brought back," he said. (ANI)
"The US has informed the Russian Mission that we are beginning the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the US by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security," said Olivia Dalton, spokeswoman for the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

The diplomats have been given time until March 7 to leave the US. Russia's United Nations (UN) ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, reportedly said that Russia could reply to the expulsions with a "tit for tat" move, the New York Times reported.

"It's not our choice," he added. "We didn't initiate it."

The development comes after Russia expelled the US's Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) earlier this month ahead of the conflict in Ukraine.

Earlier in December, Russia had ordered all US Embassy staff that had been in the country for more than three years to leave after the US removed privileges for 27 Russian diplomats and their families after imposing a three-year timeline for diplomats, The Hill reported.

The expulsions of diplomats from both sides come amidst the high tensions between Russia and the Western countries, over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is presently holding a special session on the conflict in Ukraine. (ANI)
Wellington [New Zealand], March 1 (ANI/Sputnik): New Zealand is hoping to amend the national legislation on foreign investment next week to amplify sanctions against Russia in retaliation for its actions in Ukraine, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday. Currently, New Zealand draws on the targeted sanction on Russia's export and travel restrictions. However, the government intends to tighten its reaction on deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine taking a cue from other countries. According to Ardern, amendments to the Overseas Investment Act as well as adoption of a new Russia-targeted legislation will enable New Zealand to ensure a "much more comprehensive response" to Moscow's actions. "We are pursuing new measures to target Russian investment, including measures to target financial institutions in New Zealand, including separate, but Russian targeted, specific legislation," Ardern was quoted as saying by RNZ radio. In a speech to New Zealand parliament, Ardern stressed that the government continues to "engage with international partners over the collective action we can all take," adding that Russia will face "a significant cost" for its actions. Russia's special operation in Ukraine was initiated on Thursday in response to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics against the intensifying aggression of Ukrainian troops. In return, the US and its European allies have introduced sanctions targeting several major Russian banks and high-rank Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, as well as ousting Russia from the SWIFT financial system. The sanctions have been joined by various other countries, including Japan and Australia which imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans, and are mulling new targeted penalties to freeze assets and restrict travel against Russia's most influential political and military officials. (ANI/Sputnik)
Students evacuated from war-hit Ukraine are being welcomed by local officials of their respective states at the airports and they are facilitating returnees to reach their homes safely. The state governments, including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, have set up help desks at various airports to assist the evacuees. During a recent high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed the Chief Secretaries of the states to contact the family members of all the students who are in Ukraine and inform them about the arrangements being made by the government. As part of 'Operation Ganga' on Tuesday, the seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest. After the special flights reached Mumbai and New Delhi, the evacuees are being facilitated to reach their respective states, where local administration is helping them to reach their homes. An official at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad informed that the evacuees belonging to Kadapa and Valmikipuram are being provided with special vehicles to reach their homes. Officials in Goa are even visiting families of stranded students to communicate and assure them about safe evacuation from war-hit Ukraine. They assured the families of full help and support in bringing the children back at the earliest under `Operation Ganga'. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the eighth flight carrying 216 stranded Indian nationals has departed from Hungary's capital Budapest for New Delhi while the ninth flight carrying 218 Indians took off from the Romanian capital Bucharest for New Delhi as part of 'Operation Ganga'. Meanwhile, PM Modi while presiding over a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure, said the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. Meanwhile, four union ministers have been deputed to countries bordering the war-hit nation to oversee the rescue efforts. The government has also decided to send Union ministers Hardeep Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, and General (retd) V K Singh to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova to oversee the evacuation of Indians. India is using the land routes to evacuate its citizens as Ukraine has closed its airspace for civilian aircraft following the Russian attack. (ANI)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey has warned all coastal and non-coastal countries it would not allow warships through its straits Bosporus and the Dardanelles as a part of the Montreux Convention adopted in 1936. "We warned all riparian and non-riparian countries not to let warships go through the straits," Cavusoglu told reporters, as quoted by the Anadolu agency. "To date, there has been no request for passage through the straits." The Montreux Convention was adopted in 1936. It ensures the freedom of passage through the straits for merchant ships both in times of peace and war, but regulations may differ by country, reported Sputnik. The document also limits the period of stay in the Black Sea of warships of non-Black Sea states to three weeks. In emergency situations, Turkey has the right to prohibit or restrict the passage of military ships through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. This comes at a time when tensions have escalated between Russia and Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the recognition of the independence of two Ukraine breakaway regions. (ANI)
A Khaama Press report said the Taliban and other Islamist leaders have misled the citizens about polio immunization. They have been saying that the polio vaccine is a Western conspiracy aimed at sterilizing Muslim children, the report added.

Local media reports said the health workers and aid agencies have been facing severe threats from terrorist organizations.

According to Khaama, Afghanistan has failed to save its citizens, health workers, former government officials, and other professionals from attacks. Incidents of attack, harassment, arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment, and killings are being reported regularly, the report added.

The UN last week had condemned the killing of eight polio vaccination workers in northern Afghanistan, the first such attacks since immunization campaigns resumed in November last year.

A member of the vaccination transit team was killed in Taloqan district in Takhar province, while four members of house-to-house teams were murdered in two separate incidents in Kunduz city, according to a statement from the UN Country Team.

Two vaccinators and a social mobilizer were killed in the Kunduz province's Emamsaheb district. Ramiz Alakbarov, the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, condemned these killings.

Alakbarov said the attacks and assassinations were a violation of international humanitarian law.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Ghebreyeus also expressed his profound shock.

"We extend our deepest condolences to their families and colleagues," he wrote, adding that health workers should not be targeted.

Last year, nine polio workers were killed during national polio vaccination campaigns. (ANI)
The main suspect in the murder case of Pakistani journalist Athar Mateen has been killed in a raid, police said on Tuesday. Karachi West police along with the Qamar-Shahdadkot police party conducted a raid in the area to arrest the culprit. The raid was conducted on receiving a tip-off for his presence in the area. As the suspect saw the police, he opened fire at them. Upon retaliation from the police side, the suspect was killed. Notably, till now police have taken two suspects involved in the murder of Athar Mateen in custody. The provincial government in Pakistan's Balochistan on Wednesday claimed to have arrested the alleged killer of journalist Athar Mateen from the Khuzdar district. The Pakistani journalist was shot dead last Friday in an armed attack on his car in Karachi's North Nazimabad area. Balochistan's Parliamentary Secretary Bushra Rind said that the alleged killer of Athar Mateen was arrested in a joint operation launched by Sindh and Balochistan police, The News International newspaper reported. The Parliamentary Secretary maintained that the alleged killer of the journalist is being shifted to Karachi from Khuzdar. While speaking on the rising crimes in Karachi on ARY News transmission, Athar's brother last week had 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." Furthermore, while grieving he said that the police station was less than a kilometre away from where his brother was shot. (ANI)
Thick plume of smoke fills the air, floating across the Bagmati River that flows through Kathmandu, as the devotees of Lord Shiva throng the Pashupatinath temple. Marijuana has religious significance among the followers of Lord Shiva. The air near the Pashupatinath temple smells of heavy smokes exhaled by the followers who have thronged the top religious attraction of Kathmandu to celebrate Maha Shivaratri. Marijuana is consumed as "Prasad" of Lord Shiva, the revered god in Hindu mythology. "I usually come here at Pashupatinath temple around Maha Shivaratri to blow weeds that are brought by Babaji (Sadhus). I don't consume it frequently but getting high on cannabis gives a different feeling," Kumar Pandey, a devotee who thronged the temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, told ANI. Once considered safe haven for cannabis and a favourite destination for hippies, the festival of Maha Shivaratri brings thousands to the premises of Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. Sadhus, the seers who have devoted their lives to Lord Shiva, throng the temple every year and bring cannabis for their own consumption which is sometimes distributed to fellow devotees in limited amounts. "The air here is very purple. The air is very purple here, the smoke has covered most of the area here (Pashupatinath temple). Baba Jee (Sadhus) are having marijuana as well as some of the devotees lighting up the fire. The smoke is mixed here and it's visible in the sky as well," Topendra Bahadur Singh, one of the devotees on the trip over cannabis told ANI. Nepal has banned personal consumption and sales of marijuana since 1976 and a person consuming the banned substances can face a jail term of one month or a decade depending on the seized quantity. But the festival of Maha Shivaratri has become an exception for people to come out and get "high" on the plant-based drug which sooner will be legalized in Nepal for medicinal purposes. Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs is working on standard operating procedures to let people consume the drug under certain terms and conditions. "The ministry's policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation division is working on it to define provisions for regulation of marijuana cultivation. We know it was being used for medicinal purposes for ages, but now it will be brought under the ambit of the law. But the process is still in the stage of infancy," Phadindra Mani Pokharel, spokesperson at the Ministry told ANI over the phone. Nepal's chairing Health Minister Birodh Khatiwada also has been raising his voice in support of the legalization proposal which has been laid on the table of Parliament by another fellow Parliamentarian. Though the legalization of cannabis seems still far away, the herb which has been proved to have medicinal values in curing various diseases has a high demand in Nepal. "Most of the Nepali citizens are also in favour of legalization of Marijuana in the country. That's because it is said to cure cancer," Singh said. (ANI)
Ukainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the press in the town of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on April 4, 2022. (Ronaldo Schemidt/Getty-AFP)

KYIV, Ukraine  Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday in what Ukraines leader called a blatant campaign of terror, while U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to make his Russian counterpart pay a price for the invasion.

Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the central square in Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city, and the deadly bombing of a TV tower in the capital.

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Biden used his first State of the Union address to highlight the resolve of a reinvigorated Western alliance that has worked to rearm the Ukrainian military and adopt tough sanctions, which he said have left Russian President Vladimir Putin isolated in the world more than he has ever been.

Throughout our history weve learned this lesson  when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos, Biden said. They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.

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People look at the gutted remains of Russian military vehicles on a road in the town of Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (serhii nuzhnenko/AP)

Biden devoted the first 12 minutes of his Tuesday evening address to Ukraine, with lawmakers of both parties repeatedly rising to their feet and applauding as he praised the bravery of Ukraines people and condemned Putins assault.

As Biden spoke, a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly on Kyiv, the capital city of nearly 3 million people, in what the West feared was a bid by Putin to topple the government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.

The invading forces also pressed their assault on other towns and cities, including the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II found Russia increasingly isolated, beset by the sanctions that have thrown its economy into turmoil and left the country practically friendless, apart from a few nations like China, Belarus and North Korea.

As the fighting in Ukraine raged, the death toll remained unclear. One senior Western intelligence official estimated that more than 5,000 Russian soldiers had been captured or killed. Ukraine gave no overall estimate of troop losses.

The U.N. human rights office said it has recorded 136 civilian deaths. The real toll is believed to be far higher.

Britains Defense Ministry said it had seen an increase in Russian air and artillery strikes on populated urban areas over the past two days. It also said three cities  Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol  were encircled by Russian forces.

Many military experts worry that Russia may be shifting tactics. Moscows strategy in Chechnya and Syria was to use artillery and air bombardments to pulverize cities and crush fighters resolve.

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Ukrainian authorities said five people were killed in the attack on the TV tower, which is near central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings. A TV control room and power substation were hit, and at least some Ukrainian channels briefly stopped broadcasting, officials said.

The bombing came after Russia announced it would target transmission facilities used by Ukraines intelligence agency. It urged people living near such places to leave their homes.

Zelenskyys office also reported a missile attack on the site of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, near the tower. A spokesman for the memorial said a Jewish cemetery at the site, where Nazi occupiers killed more than 33,000 Jews over two days in 1941, was damaged, but the extent would not be clear until daylight.

In Kharkiv, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the regions Soviet-era administrative building on Freedom Square was hit with what was believed to be a missile.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said its consulate in Kharkiv, located in another large building on the square, was destroyed in the attack.

The attack on Freedom Square  Ukraines largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life in the city  was seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasnt just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirit.

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The bombardment blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive square, which was piled high with debris and dust. Inside one building, chunks of plaster were scattered, and doors, ripped from their hinges, lay across hallways.

People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies, said Yevhen Vasylenko, an emergency official.

Zelenskyy pronounced the attack on the square frank, undisguised terror and a war crime. This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation, he said.

In an emotional appeal to the European Parliament later, Zelenskyy said: We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are.

Another Russian airstrike hit a residential area in the city of Zhytomyr, the towns mayor said. Ukraines emergency services said Tuesdays strike killed at least two people, set three homes on fire and broke the windows in a nearby hospital. About 85 miles (140 kilometers) west of Kyiv, Zhytomyr is the home of the elite 95th Air Assault Brigade, which may have been the intended target.

Zelenskyy said 16 children had been killed around Ukraine on Monday, and he mocked Russias claim that it is going after only military targets.

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Where are the children? What kind of military factories do they work at? What tanks are they going at? Zelenskyy said.

Human Rights Watch said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraines east in recent days. Residents also reported the use of such weapons in Kharkiv and Kiyanka village. The Kremlin denied using cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs shoot smaller bomblets over a large area, many of which fail to explode until long after theyve been dropped. If their use is confirmed, that would represent a new level of brutality in the war and could lead to further isolation of Russia.

The first talks between Russia and Ukraine since the invasion were held Monday, but ended with only an agreement to talk again. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Russia should stop bombing first.

As for dialogue, I think yes, but stop bombarding people first and start negotiating afterwards, he told CNN.

In his speech, Biden announced that the U.S. was joining several other countries in closing its airspace to Russian planes. He also warned the countrys oligarchs that the Department of Justice was assembling a task force to investigate any crimes they committed.

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We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets, he said. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.

Biden trumpeted the toll global measures had taken on the Russian economy already, including a stock market plunge and currency devaluation.

Moscow made new threats of escalation, days after raising the specter of nuclear war. A top Kremlin official warned that the Wests economic war against Russia could turn into a real one.

Inside Russia, a top radio station critical of the Kremlin was taken off the air after authorities threatened to shut it down over its coverage of the invasion. Among other things, the Kremlin is not allowing the fighting to be referred to as an invasion or war.

Roughly 660,000 people have fled Ukraine, and countless others have taken shelter underground. Bomb damage has left hundreds of thousands of families without drinking water, U.N. humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said.

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It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly. This cannot be explained with words, said Kharkiv resident Ekaterina Babenko, taking shelter in a basement with neighbors for a fifth straight day. We have small children, elderly people, and frankly speaking it is very frightening.

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A Ukrainian military official said Belarusian troops joined the war Tuesday in the Chernihiv region in the north, without providing details. But just before that, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country had no plans to join the fight.

A senior U.S. defense official said that Russias military progress  including by the massive convoy  has slowed, plagued by logistical and supply problems. Some Russian military columns have run out of gas and food, the official said, and morale has suffered as a result.

Overall, the Russian military has been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to completely dominate Ukraines airspace.

The immense convoy, with vehicles packed together along narrow roads, would seemingly be a big fat target for Ukrainian forces, the senior Western intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.

But it also shows you that the Russians feel pretty comfortable being out in the open in these concentrations because they feel that theyre not going to come under air attack or rocket or missile attack, the official said.

Isachenkov and Litvinova reported from Moscow. Mstyslav Chernov in Mariupol, Ukraine; Sergei Grits in Odesa, Ukraine; Robert Burns, Zeke Miller and Eric Tucker in Washington; Francesca Ebel, Josef Federman and Andrew Drake in Kyiv; Lorne Cook in Brussels; and other AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report.
Rome [Italy], March 1 (ANI/Sputnik): Italy proposes to take new restrictive measures against Russian oligarchs with assets of more than 10 million euros (USD 11.2 million) by creating an international registry to include all of them, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Tuesday. "Italy is ready for further restrictive measures [against Russia] if they are required. In particular, I suggested taking further targeted measures against the oligarchs. The idea is to create a public international registry of those whose assets exceed 10 million euros," Draghi said in an address. The Italian government is also considering measures to reduce the country's dependence on Russia, primarily in the field of gas supplies, he added. (ANI/Sputnik)
Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju has left for Slovakia on Tuesday as a special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts of stranded Indian students in Ukraine. Speaking before his departure Rijiju said, "As an envoy of our Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi we will give his message to the Prime Minister Of Slovakia because without the help of their government we cannot conduct this operation." He further said, "We will do the overall coordination for the evacuation operation. Our Indian citizens will come from Ukraine so they will face the issue of visa and all paper works, so we need the support of the Slovakia government to help our citizens." He added, "Our main aim is to provide safe passage to our Indian citizens." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to his Slovakian counterpart Eduard Heger and thanked him for the assistance provided by the Slovak Republic in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine and for permitting special evacuation flights from India. In a phone call, PM Modi requested for Slovak Republic's continued assistance in the next few days as well as India undertook to evacuate other citizens from conflict zones. "Prime Minister thanked Eduard Heger for the assistance provided by the Slovak Republic in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine, and for permitting special evacuation flights from India. He requested for Slovak Republic's continued assistance in the next few days as India undertook to evacuate other citizens from conflict zones," the Prime Minister's office said in a statement. PM Modi also informed Heger about the deployment of Kiren Rijiju, as his special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts of Indian citizens. He expressed his anguish at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue, the statement said adding further that PM Modi also stressed the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. (ANI)
Strategic analysts and security experts have urged trapped Indians in Ukraine to be cautious and advised them to take refuge in " bomb shelters" after an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv city on Tuesday. Talking about the incident, defense expert, Maj Gen (Retd) BK Sharma termed the incident as unfortunate and condoled the death of the Indian student. "This is very unfortunate, but in war situations, people do lose their life, this is what happened in Ukraine in the Kharkiv area. All I want to say is that it has no strategic dimension except that it has a huge humanitarian cost. One can only condole and lament this death," said the defense expert. Naveen Shekharappa, a medical student from Karnataka's Haveri died when Russian soldiers blew up a government building in Kharkiv this morning. Naveen was standing outside a grocery store when he was hit. "The war has broken out and no one anticipated that President Putin will launch this offensive and war has broken out, people will die," said Sharma. He further advised Indian nationals to take refuge in "bomb shelters" till the government aid reaches them. News of the student's death came within an hour of the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking its citizens to urgently leave the capital Kyiv. "Advisory to Indians in Kyiv- All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," a statement from the embassy read. Russian and Ukrainian troops continued to engage in fighting in Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv on the sixth day since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military operations. The Ukrainian presidential advisor said Russian troops are trying to lay siege to the capital Kyiv and Kharkiv. There were reports of a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatening the capital -- tactics Ukraine's embattled president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe's largest ground war in generations. Meanwhile, the Indian government launched Operation Ganga to rescue Indian citizens, mostly students, from Ukraine. (ANI)
More than 20 people have been injured in an explosion in Ukraine's second-biggest city Kharkiv, according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service on Tuesday. In a video posted on its official Facebook account, the service member said that a state administration building and adjacent building were damaged in the attack, CNN reported. "As a result of artillery shelling, a state administration building and adjacent building were damaged. People are trapped under the rubble. The head of rescue operations has learned that over 20 people have been wounded," the service member quoted by CNN said. "There are eight emergency rescue squads on-site working, with 80 staff and volunteers sorting the debris, dragging it away to find the injured and the dead. Work is underway," he added. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today denied the reports of attacking infrastructure, residential areas in Ukraine. "During the course of the special operation, Russian troops do not carry out any strikes on civilian infrastructure facilities and on a residential complex. This is out of the question. We are talking only about the demilitarization of Ukraine and military facilities. We must not forget that in a large number of cases, we are talking about the fire of nationalist groups that use living objects as a shield," Peskov said, according to Sputnik. (ANI)
Nepal Army has been observing the Mahashivaratri as the Army Day since 1991.

President Bhandari who is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Nepal Army laid a wreath at the Army Memorial there as well as received a guard of honour presented by the Nepali Army.

An Army helicopter showered flower petals on the occasion as well as displaying a banner with "Sena Diwas-2078 (Army Day- 2022)" written on it. On this occasion, the army displayed various skills and weapons.

The Nepali Army soldiers opened celebratory rifle and artillery fire as part of the function. This also included the opening of volley and individual rifle celebratory fire. Floats displaying the traditional army costumes, and music and dance ensembles were also paraded.

Banner display and helicopter display by the Army Aviation Directorate and band display by the Army Band were the other highlights of the celebration. Also, put on display were the various vehicles, equipment and arms used by the Nepali Army. A contingent of the British Gurkha Brigade presented a band display on the occasion.

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Acting Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Karki, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota and National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina were among the dignitaries present on the occasion. (ANI)
Warsaw [Poland], March 1 (ANI/Sputnik): Poland is not going to send fighter jets to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Tuesday. On Sunday, EU foreign ministers agreed to supply 450 million euros ($500 million) worth of arms, including fighter jets to the Kiev forces amid the Russian military operation in Ukraine. "We are not sending any jets to Ukraine because that would open a military interference in the Ukrainian conflict. We are not joining this conflict. NATO is not a party to this conflict. We are supporting Ukraine with humanitarian aid, however we are not sending any jets to the Ukrainian airspace," Duda said at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. (ANI/Sputnik)
Brussels [Belgium], March 1 (ANI: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Ukrainians received a standing ovation after he addressed the European Parliament as the Russian military operation entered its sixth day, where he said that Ukrainians are fighting for their land. Speaking at an extraordinary session virtually of the European Parliament on Tuesday, he informed that all the major cities of Ukraine are blocked at present time. "We're fighting for our land and our freedom despite the fact that all our cities are now blocked. Nobody is going to break us, we are strong, we are Ukrainians," he said. Russian military operation which started last week turned into in large conflict with casualties running into thousands. Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency. Reports say that more than 20 people have been injured in an explosion in Ukraine's second-biggest city Kharkiv on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire on the fifth day of tensions between the two countries, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued to evolve rapidly. Raising concern over the ongoing situation in Ukraine due to the military operation by Russia, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that escalating violence in Kyiv is resulting in the death of civilians. Asserting that "enough is enough", the Secretary-General during the 11th Emergency Special Session on Ukraine said that the soldiers need to move back to barracks and civilians must be protected in Ukraine. Earlier on Monday, negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries had begun in the Gomel region of Belarus. (ANI)
Defence Expert, Praful Bakshi on Tuesday urged Indian Nationals stranded in Ukraine to remain cautious against the associated crimes against women, children in a conflict-ridden country. He said "In Ukraine, there could be full-fledged armed forces, could be local militias..nobody can assure that .. there could be a lot of other crimes, associated crimes including crime against women, children, other holdings of people, theft etc.. these aspects are dangerous. we have 18-20 thousand students out there. it is a huge number to be evacuated." "Some steps have to be taken. Our ministers have gone there. They will all coordinate with their respective governments and Indian aircrafts will be positioned there and with Ukrainian help, our students will be evacuated," he added. Naveen Shekharappa, a medical student from Karnataka's Haveri died when Russian soldiers blew up a government building in Kharkiv this morning. Naveen was standing outside a grocery store when he was hit. "This student went to mall to buy something, and the mall was attacked resulting in his death. It was unfortunate, all Indians felt bad for it," said the defense expert. News of the student's death came within an hour of the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking its citizens to urgently leave the capital Kyiv. "Advisory to Indians in Kyiv- All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," a statement from the embassy read. Bakshi emphasized, "In the meanwhile, Ukraine must be told by the world bodies that please activate your Red Cross and other bodies etc properly along with their civil defence to protect the civilians including foreigners. No discrimination should take place on the basis of nationality. If there is a violation in that, the International Court of Justice must come into play if this war crimes happen." He further stressed that all countries must all join together and work together to evacuate people collectively without discriminating and with coordination with the Ukraine government. Furthermore, KB Fabian, a former diplomat, said that the Ministry of External Affairs has been prudent in the evacuation process of stranded Indian students. "Russia military and Ukraine military plus Ukrainian civilians are coming to blows and we don't want our people to get caught so MEA has advised the Indian Nationals to remain at their places and do not proceed ...get out of the country unless proper arrangements have been made." (ANI)
Tallinn [Estonia], March 1 (ANI/Sputnik): NATO allies will double their military presence in Estonia within the next two to three months to ensure "deterrence" on the eastern flank, Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said on Tuesday. "Within the next two-three months, NATO allies will double their military presence in Estonia to maintain deterrence on the alliance's eastern flank," Laanet told the Estonian parliament in a briefing on the security situation in Ukraine. The United Kingdom has already made the decision to send about 900 troops to Estonia and the first groups have already arrived, Laanet said. "France and Denmark will also provide additional contingents of 300 and 250 troops," he added. Last Thursday, Russia launched a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. In 2016, NATO decided to deploy multinational battalions on a rotational basis to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland at their request. A NATO combat battalion group of about 1,200 troops has been deployed in the Estonian military town of Tapa since April 2017. The NATO International Battalion is led by the United Kingdom, with the participation of military units from France and Denmark on a rotational basis. (ANI/Sputnik)
"We urge the Brussels institutions to put this request of the eight presidents on the agenda, which Hungary also supports," Szijjarto said in a video posted on his Facebook page.

"We expect Brussels to take this initiative very seriously," he added.

On Monday, eight European countries said in a joint declaration that they would support Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU.

"Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic, and the Republic of Slovenia strongly believe that Ukraine deserves receiving an immediate EU accession perspective," the declaration said.

Romania also expressed support to the initiative on Tuesday, increasing the number of EU countries supporting Ukraine's appeal to 10.

The declaration was published after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday signed an official appeal for Ukraine to join the EU, urging the bloc to grant Ukraine immediate accession via a new special procedure.

The issue has to be agreed by all of the bloc's 27 member countries, which failed to reach an agreement in the past over the issue of EU enlargement.

Asked about Ukraine's membership prospects before Zelensky's latest appeal, European Council President Charles Michel said there were "different opinions and sensitivities within the EU on enlargement." (ANI/Xinhua)
Room remains for Vietnams coffee exports to Algeria

There is large room for Vietnam to promote coffee exports to Algeria, said the Vietnam Trade Office in the African country.













A farmer in Dak Lak province is harvesting coffee cherries. (Photo: VNA)

According to the office, Algeria has to import completely coffee to serve its domestic demand. The country spends 300 million USD on importing about 130,000 tonnes of coffee beans every year.



Vietnam is one of the main coffee suppliers for Algeria, along with Ivory Coast, Indonesia, Brazil, Italy and Uganda.



Last year, Vietnam shipped over 56,000 tonnes of coffee worth nearly 99.7 million USD to Algeria, down 6.8 percent in volume but up 6.3 percent in value year-on-year.



Coffee still remains Vietnam's main exports to Algeria, marking up 65 percent of the total export value to the market.



The office said Vietnamese exporters can promote the export of processed and instant coffee with higher added value to Algeria beside coffee beans.
The Indian embassy in Romania on Tuesday said that no visa is required for Indian students sheltered here to exit Bucharest by special flights. Taking to Twitter, the embassy has said that it has getting queries from the students evacuated from Ukraine that they may not be able to leave after some days due to visa requirements. "We have received queries from Indian students evacuated from Ukraine and presently in shelters in Romania that they may not be able to leave after some days due to visa requirements. We want to assure that no visa is required to exit Romania by special flights," the embassy said on Twitter. Meanwhile, the seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of Operation Ganga on Tuesday. Union Minister Narayan Rane received the evacuated Indian nationals at the Mumbai airport. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the eighth flight carrying 216 stranded Indian nationals has departed from Hungary's capital Budapest for New Delhi while the ninth flight carrying 218 Indians took off from the Romanian capital Bucharest for New Delhi as part of Operation Ganga. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while presiding over a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine. Government sources on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will be travelling to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. The union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India as part of the mission. (ANI)
"In a phone call, President Vladimir #Putin and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces @MohamedBinZayed praised the level of #RussiaUAE interaction in the political, trade, economic and other fields," Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said in a tweet.

Earlier when Russia on Friday (local time) vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Ukraine, UAE abstained from the vote.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continued to evolve rapidly, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) called for an immediate ceasefire on the fifth day of tensions between the two countries.

Raising concern over the ongoing situation in Ukraine due to the military operation by Russia, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday said that escalating violence in Kyiv is resulting in the death of civilians.

Notably, on February 24 tension between Russia and Ukraine escalated when Russia recognized the independence of Ukraine's breakaway regions following which the western countries have imposed tough sanctions on Russia. (ANI)
"I expressed my condolences to @PMOIndia for the loss of life of an Indian student in #Kharkiv today due to indiscriminate Russian attacks against innocent civilians. European countries are wholeheartedly helping Indian citizens to evacuate from #Ukraine," tweeted Michel.

Naveen Shekharappa, a medical student from Karnataka's Haveri died when Russian soldiers blew up a government building in Kharkiv this morning. Naveen was standing outside a grocery store when he was hit.

"The Indian student who was killed (in Ukraine) was absolutely innocent. The killing of innocent people should be stopped and talks should be resumed. People should be living, enjoying life & not to be killed," tweeted Masarik.

News of the student's death came within an hour of the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking its citizens to urgently leave the capital Kyiv.

"Advisory to Indians in Kyiv- All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," a statement from the embassy read. (ANI)
"Today, the dangers that (Ukrainian President) Zelenskyy's regime poses for neighbouring countries and international security in general, have increased substantially after the authorities set up in Kyiv have embarked upon dangerous games related to plans to acquire their own nuclear weapons," Lavrov said while speaking at a meeting in Geneva, according to the media outlet.

"Ukraine still has Soviet nuclear technologies and the means of delivery of such weapons. We cannot fail to respond to this real danger," Lavrov who was quoted by the UK media added, The Hill reported.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister said that Moscow is always open to an equal dialogue on any issues and stands ready to find a fair balance of interests.

"Russia is always open to an equal, mutually respectful discussion on any issue, ready to find a fair balance of interests," Lavrov said at the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council. (ANI)
The United States on Tuesday called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to publish its report on the situation concerning human rights of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and said that the Chinese government continues to commit 'genocide' in the region. "In China, the government continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other minority groups. We urge the High Commissioner to release without delay her report on the situation there," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Blinken was addressing the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is the largest province in China with a population of 25 million people from various ethnic groups, but about 43% of them are Uyghurs, most of whom are Muslim. The region, bordering seven countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been considered an epicenter of terrorism and extremism for many years, reported Sputnik. At the end of August 2018, experts from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reported that up to 1 million ethnic Uyghurs could be in so-called "re-education camps" in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Beijing has denied the existence of "re-education camps" on numerous occasions, insisting that the country is fully complying with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (ANI)
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday said out of an estimated 20,000 Indian citizens in Ukraine, 60 per cent have left the country since the first advisory was issued by the government. Briefing the media about the evacuation of Indians including students from Ukraine in the wake of Russian military operations, he said India remains very concerned about the situation in Kharkiv and other areas which are currently in the conflict zone. "We had an estimated 20,000 Indian nationals in Ukraine at the time we issued our first advisory. Approximately 12,000 have left Ukraine so far, which means 60 per cent of the people have left the country. Of the remaining 40 per cent, roughly half remain in the conflict zone in Kharkiv and the other half have either reached the western border of Ukraine or are heading towards the western border. They are generally out of conflict areas," Shringla said. He said high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held on the Ukraine situation today. "The meeting began with the expression of deep regret and condolence of the tragic death of India student Naveen Shekharappa who was studying in Ukraine. We remain very concerned about the situation in Kharkiv and other areas which are currently in the conflict zone," he said. The Foreign Secretary he had called the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine and reiterated strongly India's demand for urgent safe passage for all Indian nationals. "We have sent a team of our officers in our mission in Moscow to the border region of Russia adjoining. This team is currently in Belgorod which is not far from Kharkiv. The function of the team is to examine all the options in terms of the route out the accommodation for our people, the transportation option. Essentially the team is in place and ready to see whatever we can do to extract our students and citizen from the Kharkiv, Sumi area," he said. "Evacuation of Kharkiv is now our top priority," Shringla added. He said over the next three days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring out Indian citizens apart from Bucharest and Budapest. "Airports in Poland and Slovak Republic will also be used," Shringla said. The seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of Operation Ganga on Tuesday. (ANI)
India on Tuesday sent the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine through Poland, informed Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. The consignment comprised medicines, medical equipment and other relief material. Mentioning humanitarian assistance to Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian Government, Shringla said, "A flight left this morning having the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine through Poland. The consignment comprised of medicines, medical equipment and other relief materials." "Another flight tomorrow will carry the second consignment also through Poland and besides medicines, a number of other items are also there for humanitarian use in Ukraine," he said in a special briefing on 'Operation Ganga' to bring back Indian citizens from the conflict zone of Ukraine by the Ministry of External Affairs. As per MEA sources, two tonnes of humanitarian aid including tents, blankets, surgical gloves, protective eye gear, water storage tanks, sleeping mats, tarpaulin and medicines have been sent to Ukraine today. The meeting began with an expression of deep regret and condolences on the tragic death of Naveen Shekharappa, an Indian student who was studying at Kharkiv National Medical University "Earlier this afternoon I separately called in the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine. I reiterated strongly our demand for urgent safe passage for all Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in the conflict area," said Shringla. He also informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yesterday spoken to his counterparts from the Slovak Republic and Romania to seek their assistance in continued support to our evacuation efforts. "Yesterday PM Modi talked to the Slovak Republic Prime Minister Eduard Heger and Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca and also spoke to the President of Poland Andrzej Duda to seek their assistance in the evacuation of Indians from the conflict zones," said Shringla. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the efforts to bring back stranded Indians in Ukraine. The meeting is being attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and senior officials. "PM Modi has also received calls. This happened as we were at the meeting, from the President of France Emmanuel Macron and the President of the European Union Commission, Charles Michel. We are certainly reaching out diplomatically to all concerned to ensure the safety, security and protection of our citizens in Ukraine," said the Foreign Secretary. Detailing about the evacuation process, Shringla said that the ministry has examined every possible option for safe passage, adding that he had emphasized to both Russian and Ukrainian officials the importance of providing a corridor to enable Indian citizens to get out of the conflict zone. "Earlier this afternoon I separately called in the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine. I reiterated strongly our demand for urgent safe passage for all Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in the conflict area," said Shringla. (ANI)
In a joint conference in Berlin on Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "immediately stop all combat operations, withdraw all Russian troops and return to dialogue."

"The bloodshed has to come to an end. Vladimir Putin is offending the Ukrainian people," Scholz added.

"These will be very dramatic times. The pictures with the many dead and injured, the destroyed buildings and infrastructure that we have had to bemoan are only a beginning of what is likely to come."

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel echoed similar sentiments, he said, "It is our damned duty to stand for the Ukrainian people."

"You are not forgotten. You are not alone," Bettel added. "We must continue our diplomatic efforts. We must achieve a ceasefire, and without talks, this will not be possible."

This is the sixth day of conflict and the fighting has accelerated in the capital city Kyiv as well as in the second largest city Kharkiv which is also under attack. (ANI)
Talking to Twitter, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Ann Linde, said, "Sweden announces another 500 million SEK (47 million euro) in humanitarian support to #Ukraine. This is on top of the 120 million SEK last week. In total, Sweden has contributed over 1 billion SEK in humanitarian aid and 2,3 billion SEK in reform support to Ukraine since 2014."

Sweden also proposed several new EU measures in light of the ongoing crisis, targeting Russian leadership and oligarchs.

"Sweden proposes several new EU measures in light of the ongoing Russian invasion, targeting Russian leadership and oligarchs, and strengthening support to #Ukraine. The sale of "golden passports" in the EU must stop now," it added.

Furthermore, Ann Linde also virtually met with Nordic-Baltic Foreign Ministers and discussed ways to increase support for Ukraine.

"Meeting today with #NB8 Nordic-Baltic FM colleagues. Strong support for #Ukraine and its people. Discussions on how to increase support. Briefed about Swedish proposals. Russia's war in Ukraine calls for extraordinary actions," added Linde in her tweet. (ANI)
He said that graves in Pakistan are taken out on the basis of caste in Pakistan. In an Interview with Journalist S M Irfan Tahir, he said that there are many incidents of ethnic cleansing in Pakistan and the country is destabilized.

"Traps of Fascism, extremism have clutched us. Democracy solves a lot of problems," he added.

Moreover, he explained that there is a need for free access to the judiciary in the country.

He also slammed the Taliban and said, "It is going on for a very long time. Taliban can not tackle the issues of the Afghan people."

"It is not clear if the peace in Afghanistan will be achieved."

When asked about his perspective on Russia and Ukraine crisis and its effect on the South Asia region, he said, "World is a global village .. the repercussion could be visible." (ANI)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Tapa Military Base in Estonia to meet the soldiers that are defending Estonia and the alliance. "These soldiers are keeping our nations safe and free. And we owe them a debt of gratitude. Thank you to Estonia for hosting our battlegroup so well. And being such a staunch NATO ally," said NATO chief. Talking of the NATO deterrence, he emphasized, "Allies are imposing severe costs on Russia through sanctions. We are increasing NATO presence across the Alliance, to deter and defend. And we are stepping up our support to help Ukraine defend itself." He thanked Boris Johnson for doubling UK's contribution over the last few weeks, with more British troops sent to Estonia. "NATO Allies are sending Ukraine anti-tank weapons, air-defence missiles, and ammunition. Allies are also providing millions of euros worth of financial help and humanitarian aid. I commend Estonia and the United Kingdom for the assistance you are providing to Ukraine," he added. Stoltenberg condemned Russia saying, "The people of Ukraine are fighting bravely against a brutal and unprovoked Russian invasion. We utterly condemn the Kremlin's war." Talking of the increased NATO defensive presence he said, "In the air, on land, and at sea. With over 100 jets at high alert operating from 30 different locations. And over 120 ships from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean." Reiterating NATO's commitment to Article 5 Stoltenberg said, "The UK, the US, and other Allies are deploying thousands more troops to the eastern part of the Alliance. For the first time in our history, we are deploying the NATO Response Force. Because there must be no doubt, no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding. Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad. We will protect and defend every inch of NATO territory. Credible deterrence prevents conflict and preserves peace." He stressed that NATO is a defensive force saying, "NATO is a defensive Alliance. We do not seek conflict with Russia. Our message to President Putin is: stop the war, pull out all your forces from Ukraine, and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts. The world stands with Ukraine in calling for peace." Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas talked of Ukraine's will to fight against Russia and said, "I think we underestimate the Ukrainians' motivation and will to protect their cities. Of course, we also know that the forces are not really equal. So one is to really conquer the cities and the other one is to keep those cities under control. So I think there is going to be a lot of resistance from Ukrainians." "I think what we have seen is that all Ukrainians have really surprised everybody by their motivation to fight for their country, to fight for freedom," she added. Echoing the same sentiments, UK PM Boris Johnson said, "With every day that goes by, as they watch the heroism of the Ukrainian resistance and they see what is happening in Ukraine, and they see episodes like the shedding, like the missile in Kharkiv and the destruction of civilian populations. I think peoples' stomachs are being turned by what is happening and they are seeing that it is necessary to stand up against Russian aggression to support the Ukrainians and to endorse our strategy, which is that President Putin must not be allowed to succeed, he must fail in Ukraine." (ANI)
Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft will leave for Romania at 4 am on Wednesday to bring back Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts under Operation Ganga earlier today. The sources said that leveraging the capacities of the Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame and it will also help to deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently. The Union government has launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo as part of the 'Operation Ganga' mission. All Indian nationals have left Kyiv and nearly 60 per cent of Indians in Ukraine have left the country so far, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday. Shringla said at a media briefing that enquiries reveal that all Indian citizens have come out of Ukraine's capital. "All of our nationals have left Kyiv. The information with us is that we have no more nationals left in Kyiv, nobody has contacted us from Kyiv since. All our enquiries reveal that each and every one of our nationals have come out of Kyiv," Shringla said at a media briefing on the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine in the wake of Russia's military operations. He said out of an estimated 20,000 Indian citizens in Ukraine, 60 per cent have left the country since the first advisory was issued by the government. "We had an estimated 20,000 Indian nationals in Ukraine at the time we issued our first advisory. Approximately 12,000 have left Ukraine so far, which means 60 per cent of the people have left the country. Of the remaining 40 per cent, roughly half remain in the conflict zone in Kharkiv and the other half have either reached the western border of Ukraine or are heading towards the western border. They are generally out of conflict areas," Shringla said.He said a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was held on the Ukraine situation today. "The meeting began with the expression of deep regret and condolence of the tragic death of India student Naveen Shekharappa who was studying in Ukraine. We remain very concerned about the situation in Kharkiv and other areas which are currently in the conflict zone," he said.The Foreign Secretary said he had called the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine and reiterated strongly India's demand for urgent safe passage for all Indian nationals. "Evacuation of Kharkiv is now our top priority," Shringla said. The seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of Operation Ganga on Tuesday. (ANI)
Russia on Tuesday intensified the shelling on the sixth day of its military operations in Ukraine by targeting the capital city Kyiv as well as the second-largest city Kharkiv with France providing Ukraine with USD 111 million financial and humanitarian aid and Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserting that "Nobody can break Ukrainians". Eight people have died and 35 injured in a rocket attack on a housing block in the second-largest city of Kharkiv in Ukraine. Notably, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier in the day denied the reports of attacking infrastructure, residential areas in Ukraine. "During the course of the special operation, Russian troops do not carry out any strikes on civilian infrastructure facilities and on a residential complex. This is out of the question. We are talking only about the demilitarization of Ukraine and military facilities. We must not forget that in a large number of cases, we are talking about the fire of nationalist groups that use living objects as a shield," Peskov said as quoting` according to Sputnik. Despite that claim, Russia is striking cities and building up its forces near the capital Kyiv, vowing not to stop until "set goals are achieved". Russian Defence Ministry that it was planning to launch a strike in Kyiv and asked its residents to leave. "We call on...Kiev residents living near relay nodes to leave their homes," Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, reported by TRT World. "In order to suppress information attacks on Russia, the technological infrastructure of the SBU (Ukraine's Security Service) and the 72nd main PSO (Psychological Operations Unit) centre in Kyiv will be hit with high-precision weapons," the spokesperson added. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba informed that Kyiv TV tower which was situated on the territory of Babyn Yar has been hit by a missile. "Kyiv TV tower, which has just been hit by a Russian missile, is situated on the territory of Babyn Yar. On September 29-30, 1941, Nazis killed over 33 thousand Jews here. 80 years later, Russian Nazis strike this same land to exterminate Ukrainians. Evil and barbaric," he said in a Tweet. According to Ukrainian authorities, more than 70 Ukrainian servicemen were killed by a rocket attack and dozens of civilians have died in the shelling. Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Kyiv, in an advisory issued Tuesday, asked Indians asked to leave Kyiv urgently through "any means available". Meanwhile, an embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its ties to the West by applying to join the European Union, a largely symbolic move for now. Google announced that it is blocking the YouTube channels linked to Russia's RT broadcaster. (ANI)
Justifying India's stand at UN General Assembly, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that it was based on "on certain careful considerations" and taken "in the best interests" of the country. "In United Nations, we take positions that are based on certain careful considerations and certainly, we do regard the merits of each and every case that comes before us...take decisions in our best interest," Shringla said while replying to India's decision to abstain from voting on a resolution to call for a special emergency session of the UN General Assembly on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. India on Sunday (local time) abstained from voting on a resolution to call for a special emergency session of the UN General Assembly on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This came two days after India abstained from voting on the UNSC resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, along with China and the UAE. In a special briefing on Operation Ganga to bring back Indian citizens from the conflict zone of Ukraine by the Ministry of External Affairs, Shringla said, "Over the next 3 days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring out Indian citizens apart from Bucharest and Budapest." Meanwhile, talking about the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, "Over the next 3 days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring out Indian citizens apart from Bucharest and Budapest. Airports in Poland and the Slovak Republic will also be used." He also advised Indian nationals in Kyiv to head to western parts and exit from there whenever they can. "Had advised all our nationals in Kyiv to head to western parts and exit from there whenever they can. They can go towards Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, and Moldova. 7700 nationals have exited through these routes, 2000 have returned and 4000-5000 waiting for aircraft," said Shringla. "PM spoke to his counterparts from the Slovak Republic and Romania to seek assistance in continued support to our evacuation efforts. He has just now spoken to the President of Poland in a similar endeavor. He also received calls from Presidents of France and EU Commission,"he said. (ANI)
According to a release by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), both the leaders also shared their concerns over continuing hostilities and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

PM Modi reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.

He stressed India's belief that respect for international law, the UN Charter and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states underpin the contemporary world order, said the release.

PM Modi welcomed the talks between the two parties and stressed upon the importance of ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people.

Prime Minister Modi also briefed Macron about India's efforts to evacuate its citizens from the conflict areas and to send urgent relief supplies, including medicines for the affected populations, the release added.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla reveal that all Indian nationals have left Kyiv and nearly 60 per cent of Indians in Ukraine have left the country so far.

The seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of Operation Ganga on Tuesday. (ANI)
During the talks, PM Modi reiterated India's appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue, according to PMO release.

PM Modi also spoke about efforts being made by India to send urgent relief supplies, including medicines, to the affected areas.

The Prime Minister stressed that the contemporary global order was anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, the release said.

The Prime Minister welcomed the talks between the two parties and stressed upon the importance of ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people, the release added.

Earlier, European Council President condoled the death of an Indian student in Ukraine's Kharkiv in the shelling.

Naveen Shekharappa, a medical student from Karnataka's Haveri died when Russian soldiers blew up a government building in Kharkiv on Tuesday.

News of the student's death came within an hour of the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking its citizens to urgently leave the capital Kyiv. (ANI)
"I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine -- including security assistance and humanitarian aid -- as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact," Biden tweeted.

Taking to Twitter, Zelenskyy said "Just had a conversation with @POTUS. The American leadership on anti-Russian sanctions and defense assistance to Ukraine was discussed. We must stop the aggressor as soon as possible. Thank you for your support!"

On Tuesday, Russia intensified the shelling on the sixth day of its military operations in Ukraine by targeting the capital city Kyiv as well as the second-largest city Kharkiv.

Eight people have died and 35 injured in a rocket attack on a housing block in the second-largest city of Kharkiv in Ukraine.

Last month, during the talks with Zelenskyy, Biden strongly condemned Russian President Putin's decision to recognize the "independence" of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the United States and its allies announced to remove Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system in response to Moscow's military operation in Ukraine. (ANI)
The fourth evacuation flight carrying 222 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine departed from Hungary's capital Budapest under Operation Ganga, informed Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday (local time). Puri, one of the four 'special envoys' deployed by the Government of India to oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals in Ukraine's neighbouring countries, reached Budapest on Tuesday. He further informed that the fifth flight from Budapest with 200 Indian students will leave for Delhi shortly. Taking to Twitter, the Union Minister said, "Even as we were being received by Amb Kumar Tuhin Operation Ganga Incharge in Budapest 18.35 local time, the fourth evacuation flight was taxiing for takeoff with 222 Indian students. The IndiGo 6Eflight which brought us will take the fifth batch of about 200 students back to Delhi shortly." Puri interacted with Indian students at the Budapest airport ahead of their boarding. "Delighted to interact with this undaunted bunch of youngsters from all parts of India who held their nerves even in the most difficult circumstances and will shortly board the flight back home. I am happy for them and their parents. The smiles on their faces tell the story. Happy to be with this group of resilient and bright Indian students in Budapest who will soon be homeward bound," said the Union Minister. Hardeep Singh Puri reached Budapest on Tuesday to facilitate the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in crisis-stricken Ukraine. The Union Government has been ramping up its efforts to evacuate Indians from Ukraine. The government has deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will oversee evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania while Gen VK Singh in Poland. The Indian government has launched Operation Ganga for the return of Indians from Ukraine amid military operations by Russia. Meanwhile, the seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of 'Operation Ganga' on Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the efforts to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. The meeting is being attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and senior officials. The Prime Minister had on Monday chaired two meetings to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga for the return of Indians from Ukraine amid military operations by Russia. Another meeting was held on Sunday. The Cabinet Committee on Security had met on February 24 in the wake of Russian military actions in Ukraine. (ANI)
This comes as Russia intensified the shelling on the sixth day of its military operations in Ukraine by targeting the capital city Kyiv as well as the second-largest city Kharkiv.

During the conversation, Blinken also emphasised working closely on economic development and regional challenges.

"Good call today with Nepal's Prime Minister @SherBDeuba to discuss Russia's unprovoked attack and our support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will continue to work closely together on economic development and regional challenges," Blinken tweeted.

Earlier, the United States welcomed Nepal ratifying the USD 500 million-dollar Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant, provided by the US Government foreign aid agency, which was cleared after a prolonged political tussle.

The US Government's MCC signed the pact with the Government of Nepal in September 2017 aimed at maintaining road quality, increasing the availability and reliability of electricity, and facilitating cross-border electricity trade between Nepal and India--helping to spur investments, accelerate economic growth, and reduce poverty. (ANI)
Russian forces' movement towards the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv is currently "stalled," a senior US defense official said on Tuesday morning (local time). Russia's advance on Kyiv is "where it was yesterday," the official told reporters, citing a variety of factors, including lack of food for Russian troops. Russians are not only facing "fuel and sustainment" problems but are showing signs that they are running out of food, the official claimed, adding that the Ukrainian "resistance" also could be a possible reason for the stall. The official noted that Russia's current lack of progress may not be only due to problems arising from resistance or their own logistics and they are "possibly regrouping, rethinking, reevaluating" before carrying on again. "They (Russia) will regroup, they will adjust, they will change their tactics," the official said, adding that the Russian defence ministry openly admitted it would target civilian areas in Kyiv. According to the official, Russia has committed more than 80 per cent of its pre-staged combat power in Ukraine. Russia has launched more than 400 missiles at Ukrainian targets so far. The official also noted that the Russian military appears to be "risk averse" when it comes to its own troops. "There has been in the last six days evidence of a certain risk averse behavior by the Russian military," the official said. "You have seen it on the ground, where units are surrendering, sometimes without a fight. And they have got, a lot of these soldiers are conscripts, never been in combat before, some of whom we believe were not even told they were going to be in combat. So we're just seeing evidence of a bit of risk aversion." Despite Russia's vastly larger armed forces, Ukraine's airspace remains contested, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's country currently mounting a viable defense, the senior defense official said. As in the first days of the war, Russia's military appears to be having more success in southern Ukraine, the official said. Russia continues to concentrate attacks on the large cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv. Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia. The US, Canada and European allies agreed to remove key Russian banks from the interbank messaging system, SWIFT which means Russian banks won't be able to communicate securely with banks beyond Russia's borders. President Putin has also signed a decree on special economic measures against the US and its allies. Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency. Speaking at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on February 28, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, had said that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine. On February 28, negotiations between delegations of Russia and Ukraine were held in the Gomel Region of Belarus and another round of talks is scheduled for March 2. (ANI)
American tech giant Apple on Tuesday (local time) paused all product sales in Russia and has limited Apple Pay and other services in the country due to the military operation in Ukraine. "We have paused all product sales in Russia," the Russian News Agency Sputnik reported citing Apple's statement. "Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia," read the statement. Earlier, Meta, Google, TikTok and YouTube have blocked Russian state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik in Europe, Euronews reported. This comes as Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine's breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia. The US, Canada and European allies agreed to remove key Russian banks from the interbank messaging system, SWIFT which means Russian banks won't be able to communicate securely with banks beyond Russia's borders. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also signed a decree on special economic measures against the US and its allies. Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country's borders, according to the UN refugee agency. Speaking at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on February 28, Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, had said that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine. On February 28, negotiations between delegations of Russia and Ukraine were held in the Gomel Region of Belarus and another round of talks is scheduled for March 2. (ANI)
A cheerful contingent of kindergartners queued up outside Patton Elementary School in Arlington Heights Monday morning, blissfully unaware that Feb. 28 marked a dramatic milestone in their nearly two-year trek through the COVID-19 pandemic.

For students in kindergarten through first grade, who have never experienced a typical, prepandemic school year, COVID-19 masks have become as ubiquitous as crayons, glue and scissors, and masked or unmasked, the youngsters greeted their arriving classmates with spirited squeals.

It does feel like were turning a corner, but for our students, masks have been a nonissue, Patton Principal Eric Larson said as the kindergartners headed to their classroom on the first day of the halting of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers school mask mandate.

The kids have done a really good job treating each other with mutual respect, kindness and empathy, and their teachers have done a great job helping them understand that people make different choices about masking for different reasons, Larson said.

Despite months of fervent parent protests, a flurry of lawsuits, and increasingly polarized communities where grievances have erupted between even the closest of neighbors, the Illinois school mask mandate ended Monday without fanfare.

Coinciding with the governors lifting of the mask mandate for the general public, and prompted by the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, federal rules also were relaxed for student transportation, with children no longer required to wear face masks while aboard a school bus.

While universal masking will still be enforced at Chicago Public Schools as part of a COVID-19 safety agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, the vast majority of the roughly 850 Illinois school districts had shifted to mask-optional policies weeks before the Friday release of the CDC recommendations.

At Barrington 220 School District, where frustrated parents have packed school board meetings in recent months, demanding an end to the mask mandate, Superintendent Robert Hunt said in a letter to parents that even with the new CDC guidance, anyone who wishes to continue wearing a mask is welcome to do so.

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As I have stated in the past, this is an individual choice and we must respect one anothers decisions, Hunt said.

The pandemic is constantly evolving and guidance may change in the future. It is possible that we will have to add mitigations if there are significant increases in transmission rates in our schools. However, these latest changes indicate a positive step forward in this process, Hunt said.

At the Washington-based National Education Association, union officials said although they are encouraged by the new guidance, local governments must bring educators to the table with our in-school experience when determining how to keep school communities safe  including those with disabilities who are more vulnerable to the exposure and effects of COVID-19.

School districts should act cautiously in response to todays announcement, with the health and safety of students, educators and their families always in mind, NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement.

Attorney Tom DeVore, who represents hundreds of Illinois parents who filed a lawsuit against the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health, arguing that the school mask mandate was authorized illegally, said the governor didnt lift anything, because there was nothing for him to lift.

State lawmakers failed to renew IDPH rules on masking in mid-February, prompting an appellate court to dismiss the governors appeal over a Springfield judges Feb. 4 restraining order as moot. In an order late Friday, the Illinois Supreme Court refused to take the case, and found that since the appeal had been dismissed as moot, the restraining order should also be tossed.

DeVore said with the vast majority of school districts statewide were already mask-optional, even before the new CDC guidance, CPS remains the sole district requiring universal masking.

DeVore said he plans to ask a judge for an order halting masking at city schools later this week.

Officials at Northbrook School District 28 said the district will continue its existing mitigation strategies, including the exclusion of positive COVID-19 cases and individuals with symptoms, SHIELD saliva testing, increased fresh air intake and hand sanitizing.

In addition, remote instruction will continue to be available for students excluded from school for COVID-related reasons, District 28 Superintendent Larry Hewitt said in a letter to parents.

Anyone who wishes to continue or discontinue wearing a mask in school is free to do so, and we respect and support each familys decision to act in the best interest of their children, Hewitt said.

In Arlington Heights, engineer and mother of two Tina Fries waved goodbye to her kindergartner Monday morning, saying that while she appreciates the value of the CDCs recent change of guidance, her children will remain masked in the classroom, at least for now.

If I continue to see the trajectory of the data moving in the right direction during the next two weeks, Ill start to feel a little better, Fries said.

Arlington Heights District 25 Superintendent Lori Bein expressed cautious optimism at last weeks school board meeting, pointing to virus data moving steadily in a positive direction in recent weeks.

The pandemic came in like a lion, and hopefully is going out like a lamb, Bein said. Were definitely in a much calmer place than we have been for the past two years.

kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines (AP)  Philippine troops backed by fighter jets attacked a remote camp of Muslim militants linked to the Islamic State group on Tuesday in a predawn assault in the countrys south that left two insurgents and a soldier dead, military officials said.

Two soldiers were wounded in the assault on the camp of about 50 Dawlah Islamiya group fighters near the town of Maguing in Lanao del Sur province. Air force fighter jets dropped a dozen bombs as army troops launched a ground attack, said regional military commander Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr.

The gunmen fled after the airstrikes and were being pursued, Rosario and other military officials said. The assault was staged far from rural communities to prevent civilians from being caught in the crossfire, they said.

Military officials said troops were continuing to clash sporadically with fleeing militants led by a militant commander they identified as Abu Zacharia.

Members of Dawlah Islamiya were involved in a 2017 siege of southern Marawi city, where hundreds of militants waving Islamic State group-style black flags occupied commercial buildings and villages and took hostages. Filipino troops, backed by U.S. and Australian surveillance aircraft, quelled the five-month siege, which left about 1,200 people dead, mostly militants.

The military has been launching offensives against small armed groups allied with the militants who laid siege on Marawi, including the Abu Sayyaf, which has been blacklisted by the U.S. and the Philippines for past bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into eastern Ukraine on Monday. Alexei Nikolsky/Associated Press

Dissent against Vladimir Putin by members of Russia's parliament is rare.

But three members have spoken out against the Ukraine invasion, The New York Times reported.

They voted to recognize two Ukrainian separatist regions but said they didn't expect the invasion.

Three members of Russia's parliament have criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, The New York Times reported Monday.

The three members  Vyacheslav Markhaev, Oleg Smolin, and Mikhail Matveyev  are all members of the country's Communist Party. They're part of the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly.

The Communist Party typically opposes the governing United Russia party but remains loyal to Putin, per The Times. The three members previously voted in favor of a resolution recognizing Donetsk and Luhansk, the two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, as independent states.

But in a social-media post Friday, translated by The Times, Smolin said he was "shocked" by the invasion. "As a Russian intellectual, I am convinced that military force should be used in politics only as a last resort," Smolin wrote.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday, Markhaev said the lower house of Parliament wasn't informed there would be a full-scale invasion, The Times reported.

And in now-deleted comments on Twitter, Matveyev called for the invasions to be stopped immediately, The Times reported.

"I voted for peace, not for war," Matveyev said on Twitter and Telegram, according to The Times. "For Russia to become a shield, so that Donbas is not bombed, and not for Kyiv to be bombed."

On Sunday, Matveyev said on Twitter that he deleted the posts because they were being cited all over the world, mostly anonymously to "incite mutual hatred."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted protests across the world, including in Russia. Politicians and public figures alike have spoken out against Putin's aggression.

Western nations including the US have levied sanctions and other restrictive financial measures against Russia, including barring some banks from the SWIFT global banking system.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KYIV, Ukraine  A 40-mile convoy of Russian tanks and other vehicles threatened Ukraines capital Tuesday as an intense shelling attack targeted the countrys second-largest city, and both sides looked to resume talks in the coming days aimed at stopping the fighting.

The countrys embattled president said he believed the stepped-up shelling was designed to force him into concessions.

I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address. He did not offer details of hourslong talks that took place Monday, but he said Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions when one side is hitting another with rocket artillery.

The developments came as Russia finds itself increasingly isolated as a result of international condemnation and potentially backbreaking economic sanctions. Five days into the invasion, the Russian militarys movements have been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to dominate the airspace.

The Kremlin has twice in as many days raised the specter of nuclear war and put on high alert an arsenal including intercontinental ballistic missiles and long-range bombers. Stepping up his rhetoric, President Vladimir Putin denounced the U.S. and its allies as an empire of lies.

Meanwhile, an embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its ties to the West by applying to join the European Union  a largely symbolic move for now, but one that is unlikely to sit well with Putin, who has long accused the U.S. of trying to pull Ukraine out of Moscows orbit.



A top Putin aide and head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the first talks held between the two sides since the invasion lasted nearly five hours and that the envoys found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen. He said they agreed to continue the discussions in the days ahead.

As the talks along the Belarusian border wrapped up, several blasts could be heard in Kyiv, and Russian troops advanced on the city of nearly 3 million. The vast convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the center of the city and stretched for about 40 miles, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

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People in Kyiv lined up for groceries after the end of a weekend curfew, standing beneath a building with a gaping hole blown in its side. Kyiv remained a key goal for the Russians, Zelenskyy said, noting that it was hit by three missile strikes on Monday and that hundreds of saboteurs were roaming the city.

They want to break our nationhood, thats why the capital is constantly under threat, Zelenskyy said.

Messages aimed at the advancing Russian soldiers popped up on billboards, bus stops and electronic traffic signs across the capital. Some used profanity to encourage Russians to leave. Others appealed to their humanity.

Russian soldier  Stop! Remember your family. Go home with a clean conscience, one read.

Video from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, showed residential areas being shelled, with apartment buildings shaken by repeated, powerful blasts.

Authorities in Kharkiv said at least seven people had been killed and dozens injured. They warned that casualties could be far higher.

They wanted to have a blitzkrieg, but it failed, so they act this way, said 83-year-old Valentin Petrovich, who watched the shelling from his downtown apartment. He gave just his first name and his patronymic, a middle name derived from his fathers name, out of fear for his safety.



The Russian military has denied targeting residential areas despite abundant evidence of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals.

Fighting raged in other towns and cities across the country. The strategic port city of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, is hanging on, said Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovich. An oil depot was reported bombed in the eastern city of Sumy.

Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, and more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, the head of the region wrote on Telegram. Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble.

In a later Facebook post, he said many Russian soldiers and some local residents also were killed during the fighting on Sunday. The report could not immediately be confirmed.

Despite its vast military strength, Russia still lacked control of Ukrainian airspace, a surprise that may help explain how Ukraine has so far prevented a rout.

In the seaside resort town of Berdyansk, dozens of protesters chanted angrily in the main square against Russian occupiers, yelling at them to go home and singing the Ukrainian national anthem. They described the soldiers as exhausted young conscripts.

Frightened kids, frightened looks. They want to eat, Konstantin Maloletka, who runs a small shop, said by telephone. He said the soldiers went into a supermarket and grabbed canned meat, vodka and cigarettes.

They ate right in the store, he said. It looked like they havent been fed in recent days.

Across Ukraine, terrified families huddled overnight in shelters, basements or corridors.

I sit and pray for these negotiations to end successfully, so that they reach an agreement to end the slaughter, said Alexandra Mikhailova, weeping as she clutched her cat in a shelter in Mariupol. Around her, parents tried to console children and keep them warm.


(Bloomberg) -- Drivers for Singapores food delivery and ride-hailing companies are often working almost 60 hours a week, a survey found, underscoring the lack of protections for gig workers in the city-state.

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About 29% of drivers work more than 59 hours a week, according to a survey of nearly 1,000 workers by the National University of Singapores Institute of Policy Studies. About one-quarter of the drivers surveyed worked exclusively for Gojek. The rest said they also drove for other companies, including Grab Holdings Ltd.

Singapore, along with governments around the world, is considering legislative changes to protect gig-economy workers. Ride-hailing and food-delivery companies like Gojek, Grab, Delivery Hero SEs Foodpanda and Deliveroo Plc. have flourished during the pandemic but also exacerbated social inequities.

Many who lost jobs during downturns have taken jobs delivering food or driving passengers but now find it difficult to exit the industry. Labor laws in Singapore limit the work week to 44 hours for employees, but because gig workers are not considered full-time staff, these protections do not apply to them.

People working for ride-hailing and food-delivery apps are often under pressure to hit targets in order to earn a meaningful wage, the report said. Effectively, those incentives require drivers to work non-stop for 14 to 16 hours a day, said Harris, 55, a driver that was interviewed by the institute. Its dangerous.

Companies encourage or penalize riders to nudge them toward certain behaviors, the institute found. Canceling jobs assigned would have an impact on their ranking and future earnings, in turn limiting the freedom workers have.

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Around half of drivers surveyed said that they would leave the ride-sharing industry if there were job opportunities. However, only 31% said that they could easily get a job similar to their previous role or related to their education.

Nearly 60 hours a week behind the wheel takes time away from building skills to develop a career, and those who are more educated may find theyve fallen behind their professional peers, the institute said in its study.

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Civil rights groups, a clinical psychologist and the family of a Texas child protection worker sued Gov. Greg Abbott and the state on Tuesday, challenging the Republican governors order to investigate the use of gender-affirming procedures on children.

According to a complaint filed in a state district court, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services launched an investigation into one of its employees  who is also the parent of a 16-year-old transgender girl  days after state officials declared gender-affirming medical care can constitute "child abuse" under state law.

Now that unnamed worker and their family are moving to stop the state from following through on election-season orders from Abbott that were backed by a legal opinion penned by conservative state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Plaintiffs Jane Doe, John Doe, and Mary Doe are terrified for Marys health and wellbeing, and for their family, according to the lawsuit, which is backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Texas and Lambda Legal organization.

The state child protection agency said it was aware of the lawsuit, but declined to comment. A spokesperson for Abbott did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The background: Abbotts order and Paxtons opinion drew condemnation from an array of organizations including a group of Texas prosecutors, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the head of the American Psychological Association and the White House.

In February, the AAP said in a statement that "for young people who identify as transgender, studies show that gender-affirming care can reduce emotional distress, improve their sense of well-being and reduce the risk of suicide."

Texas lawmakers have so far failed to pass legislation to outlaw gender-affirming care for adolescents with gender dysphoria. But a Feb. 18 legal opinion from Paxton asserted such medical care qualifies as child abuse.

Abbott followed up with a Feb. 22 directive to DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters that ordered the youth protection agency to investigate the use of gender-affirming procedures on children and called for inquiries into parents and medical providers who allegedly violate the law.

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The lawsuit, which also names Masters and his agency as defendants, alleges the child protection worker was soon placed on leave and informed that her family would be investigated."

An investigator later interviewed the family, according to the suit, and disclosed the sole allegation against the parents was that they had a transgender daughter who may have been provided with gender-affirming health care.

The Defendants have, without Constitutional or statutory authority, acted to create a new definition of child abuse that singles out a subset of loving parents for scrutiny, investigation, and potential family separation, the lawsuit alleges. Their actions caused terror and anxiety among transgender youth and their families across the Lone Star State and singled out transgender youth and their families.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket boosted the third of four advanced GOES weather satellites into orbit Tuesday to monitor conditions across the Pacific Ocean, Alaska, Hawaii and the western United States, part of an ongoing $11 billion upgrade to the nation's forecasting infrastructure.

"The GOES series has revolutionized severe event monitoring for us," said Steve Volz, a senior manager with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"With regard to storms and other environmental hazards such as wildfires, which are always a threat to many of our western states, the cutting edge technology aboard GOES-T, once operational, will allow us to see the bigger picture across the entire hemisphere while still reading the fine print of the dozens of weather stories that are happening simultaneously around the earth and around the U.S."

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket thunders away from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying the GOES-T weather satellite, bound for a high orbit above the Pacific Ocean to cover Hawaii, Alaska, Central America and the western United States. / Credit: NASA/Spaceflight Now

The Atlas 5's Russian-built RD-180 first stage engine roared to life at 4:38 p.m. EST, followed an instant later by ignition of four strap-on solid fuel boosters. With a combined 2.3 million pounds of thrust, the 20-story tall rocket majestically climbed away from pad 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station atop a brilliant jet of fiery exhaust.

Twelve minutes later, the Atlas 5's Centaur second stage completed the first of three engine firings needed to deliver the GOES-T satellite to its intended elliptical "transfer" orbit. Deployment was expected three-and-a-half hours after launch.

Over the next several weeks, an on-board thruster will be used to raise the low point of the ellipse, putting GOES-T into a circular 22,300-mile-high orbit over the equator. At that altitude, the satellite will complete one orbit every 24 hours, rotating in lockstep with the planet below to continuously observe from the same vantage point.

Once checked out and on station, GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18, replacing the GOES-17 satellite currently providing coverage of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and the western United States. The new satellite will work in concert with GOES-16 over the Atlantic Ocean while GOES-17 serves as an operational spare.

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An artist's impression of the GOES-T satellite in orbit. Once checked out and on station, the satellite will be known as GOES-18. / Credit: NOAA

Built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, GOES-T tips the scales at 11,508 pounds loaded with the propellant needed to operate for at least 10 years.

The latest generation features an advanced camera providing HDTV-quality data, a sensitive magnetometer, an ultraviolet X-ray sensor to measure how solar radiation affects the upper atmosphere, an ultraviolet imager to constantly monitor the sun and sensors to measure charged particles from the sun that can affect communications and navigation.

The satellite also is equipped with a lightning mapper that will image lightning fields in the western hemisphere about 200 times a second to give meteorologists a better sense of where significant storms are brewing.

"NOAA's geostationary satellites provide the only continuous coverage of weather and hazardous environmental conditions in the Western Hemisphere, protecting the lives and property of the one billion people who live and work in the Americas," said Pam Sullivan, the GOES program director at NOAA.

"These observations are even more critical now in a time when the U.S. is experiencing a record number of billion-dollar disasters. ... NOAA's western satellite is extremely important because most of the weather that affects the U.S. travels in a west-to-east direction. And so the western satellite gives us a great upstream view of what is coming."

GOES-T also will monitor weather affecting air and sea traffic between Asia and the United States and provide accurate weather monitoring before, during and after disasters.

The satellites bring "advanced new capabilities to help forecasters better monitor and predict dangerous environmental conditions like hurricanes, thunderstorms, floods and fires," Sullivan said. "Compared to the previous generation, the (new) satellites deliver 60 times more imagery and they have a new Lightning camera to track severe storms that spawn tornadoes and damaging winds."

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Earlier this month, Amazon announced that vaccinated warehouse workers (but not unvaccinated ones) were no longer required to wear masks. Now, the company is making face masks optional at its operations facilities across the US regardless of vaccination status starting today, according to a notice sent to workers seen by CNBC. "[This] is an exciting step in our path to normal operations," the letter states.

Workers will still have to mask up in states that mandate mask usage at work regardless of vaccination status, including Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon and Washington. Other states like California only require unvaccinated individuals to wear masks.

The move comes amid a steep drop in Omicron COVID-19 infections across the US. Amazon confirmed that the notice was real, but told CNBC it still strongly recommends that unvaccinated employees continue to wear masks.

Amazon had previously dropped mask restrictions toward the end of the COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak, but was forced to revive them in December as Omicron began to surge. Unlike Google and other tech companies, Amazon never required vaccinations for workers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance last week allowing around 70 percent of Americans to remove face coverings in areas where COVID-19 hospitalizations were low. However, some medical professionals are still concerned about protection for the elderly, immunocompromised and other vulnerable individuals.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Americans' approval of U.S. President Joe Biden's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine rose over the past week, with 43% saying they approve in a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Tuesday, up from 34% last week.

However, Biden's overall approval numbers remained virtually unchanged, with 43% of Americans supporting the way the president has handled his job, in a separate Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Tuesday. More than half - 54% - said they disapproved of Biden's performance, with 61% of respondents saying the country was on the wrong track.

A strong majority - 71% - of respondents to the poll on Ukraine said they believed the United States should provide it with weapons to respond to attacks that have seen Russians bomb urban areas as a six-day assault on its neighbor stalls. Some 77% said the United States should impose additional sanctions on Russia as a result. Support was bipartisan, with majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents backing those moves.

A majority of respondents, 58%, said paying more for fuel and gas because of the crisis was worthwhile to defend another democratic country. That was up from 49% who agreed with that statement in a poll taken on Feb. 23 and 24. Democrats were more likely to agree strongly or somewhat with that stance than Republicans and independents.

Some 75% of respondents said they believed that doing nothing in Ukraine would embolden Russia to take further military action elsewhere in Europe, up from 71% a week earlier. Among Democrats, 77% said they believed that, as well as 78% of Republicans, while 68% of independents agreed with that belief.

However, some 47% disapproved of Biden's response to the crisis, more than the 43% who approved of it. Biden's overall popularity has held near the low point of his presidency in recent weeks.

He will have another chance to reach out to Americans on Tuesday night, when he gives his State of the Union address. Biden intends to use the annual speech both to stress the importance of countering Russian President Vladimir Putin and to push his domestic economic agenda, administration officials said.

The poll on Ukraine was conducted online and in English throughout the United States. It gathered responses from 1,005 adults and has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of 3.8 percentage points.

(Reporting by Scott Malone and Makini Brice; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
By Andrew Hay and Rod Nickel

(Reuters) - A Texas software developer and a cook in British Columbia are among dozens of Americans and Canadians answering Ukraine's call for foreign volunteers to fight Russia's invasion.

With their governments refusing to send troops to Ukraine out of fear of sparking a world war, Americans and Canadians told Reuters they were inspired by Ukrainians' fierce resistance. Many believe their democratic rights at home may ultimately be jeopardized if they do nothing to defend Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Sunday for the formation of an "international legion." Some young volunteers traveled straight to Ukraine to enlist.

Others were applying at Ukrainian embassies and consulates before quitting jobs or dropping out of university.

The mobilization was taking place as Russian artillery bombarded Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Monday, the fifth day of conflict.

"I feel guilty to not go," said Dax, 26, a veteran of the elite U.S. Army 82nd Airborne infantry division, who planned to deploy with other former U.S. military personnel. Like many volunteers, the Alabama native declined to give his full name amid discussion on social media of the need to keep their identities and movements secret for security reasons.

Canadian Bryson Woolsey quit his job as a cook on Sunday after seeing Zelensky's appeal. He has no military training and plans to buy a plane ticket to Poland, cross into Ukraine and volunteer for combat.

"I felt like I had to do something," said Woolsey, 33, of Powell River, British Columbia, who became restless as he watched images of wounded women and children in Ukraine.

Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Sunday told reporters it was up to individual Canadians to decide whether they wanted to join Ukraine's international brigade. A U.S. State Department spokesperson, in an email to Reuters, said U.S. citizens are urged not to travel to Ukraine.

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Not all volunteers want to fight.

In Quebec, 35-year-old physician Julien Auger was preparing to leave his young family to become a medic with Ukraine's health ministry and provide "neutral" humanitarian aid.

"Global opinion and support is the key right now to solving the conflict," said Auger, a father of two who provides palliative care at a hospital in Saint-Jerome.

In online groups, military veterans warned volunteers who lacked combat training they were heading into a conflict where inexperience could be a liability for themselves and others.

That did not stop those like Tai B., 23, who studied journalism in New York.

"I'm not looking to be a hero, or a martyr, I just want to finally do something right," said Tai, who can cook, do basic mechanics and knows how to handle a firearm. He said he has contacted Ukraine's U.S. Embassy staff about enlisting in Zelenskiy's "international legion."

Hyde, a 28-year-old from the U.S. Midwest, said he was already in Kyiv and expected to start military training on Tuesday.

"I cannot bear the thought of Europe once again being plunged into warfare," said Hyde, who described himself as a gun enthusiast and avid survivalist with no combat experience. He expects to be given a helmet, body armor, knee pads and eventually a rifle.

In Austin, Texas, a software developer said he would draw on his experience as a U.S. Army cadet to fight for Ukraine.

"If they're willing to defend democracy then I think those that benefit from a democratic society are duty-bound to support them," said the 25-year-old, who asked that his name not be used. "I'm not telling my parents until I head to the airport."

(Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico and Rod Nickel in Winnipeg; Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Sandra Maler and Stephen Coates)
In addition to sending fighter jets and other aircraft to Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) for months, China also flew weather balloons to the islands airspace in mid-February.



Taiwans Air Force confirmed the news on Sunday, saying that the balloons, which were operated by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), passed over shortly after the Lunar New Year holiday, according to Taipei Times.



Radar reportedly detected the balloons, which were seen flying in four groups, at an altitude of 2,743-3,048 meters (9,000-10,000 feet) above the cities of Keelung, Taoyuan and Hsinchu.



A long-range rocket unit of an artillery brigade of the PLAs 72nd Group reportedly released the balloons. They have since caused security concerns, especially in light of President Tsai Ing-wen putting the islands military on high alert against foreign forces intending to manipulate the situation in Ukraine and affect the morale of Taiwanese society.



Since Thursday  the day Russia began invading Ukraine  China has sent a total of 30 warplanes to Taiwans ADIZ, according to the islands Ministry of National Defense (MND). Beijing has rejected comparisons between Taiwan and Ukraine while refusing to call Moscows action an invasion.



According to Institute for National Defense and Security Research analyst Su Tzu-yun, however, the balloons do not pose an immediate security threat, reported the Taipei Times.



The Air Force has full grasp of the movements (of the balloons). It is believed they are being used for meteorological observations, spokesman Shih Shun-wen said on Sunday, as per Focus Taiwan.



Lu Lishi, a former instructor in the Military Discipline Department of Taiwans Naval Academy, suggested that while the balloons could indeed be for weather research, their true purpose is to help China develop a software called Advanced Refractive Effects Prediction System (AREPS), United Daily News reported.



Using the balloons, the PLA can compare and correct sounding data and input meteorological environmental parameters,Lu said. Ultimately, they would be able to harness meteorological data to improve long-distance communication and radar detection performance.



Meanwhile, the MND released a video on Sunday that assured the public of its strengthened capabilities and preparedness to deter China if Beijing decides to take advantage of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.



The military has continued to step up surveillance, remains alert 24/7 and is closely observing military activities across the Taiwan Strait. We are determined and capable of defending the country, the MND said.



Featured Image via UDN

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By James Pearson and Raphael Satter

LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Warnings that pro-Russian ransomware gangs would snarl networks in Ukraine and its allies have so far failed to materialise amid disarray among the criminal underworld often behind such attacks and fears insurers would not pay out.

Conti, one of the most notorious Russia-based cybercrime groups known for using ransomware to extort millions of dollars from U.S. and European companies, announced its "full support" for the government of President Vladimir Putin last week - a position it later walked back as they themselves became victims of a leak.

"We do not ally with any government and we condemn the ongoing war," the group said in a later statement on its website.

Hours later, a Twitter account called "ContiLeaks" appeared, and published what it said was internal chat records from the criminal group.

The secret chats were leaked by a Ukrainian cybersecurity researcher, according to Vitali Kremez, the chief executive of Florida-based cybersecurity firm AdvIntel, and Alex Holden, the founder of Wisconsin-based Hold Security. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the material.

Kremez and Holden said they were both in touch with the researcher but that he did not wish to speak to the media because he was still in Ukraine.

According to Kremez, the researcher had access to the logs for some time but the trigger for going public was Conti's decision to swear allegiance to Moscow as Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

"He was offended by what they said," he told Reuters.

In the months leading up to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Western intelligence agencies warned of chaos caused by a destructive "spillover" of any potential Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine's national infrastructure.

Last month, the Conti group was involved in high-profile attacks against KP Snacks, a maker of popular British savoury snacks, and at least one oil storage company that caused delays in some European oil shipments.

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INSURANCE WOES

To be sure, U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner said top Russian hacking groups identified by the United States - the A Team as he called it - had not been used in a major cyberattack since the invasion. "It does not appear that they've been activated," he told Reuters on Monday.

On Sunday, a second notorious ransomware gang called Lockbit, also believed by cybersecurity experts to have members in Russia, released a statement declaring their neutrality in the conflict with Ukraine.

"For us it is just business and we are all apolitical. We are only interested in money for our harmless and useful work," the group said on its website.

"We will never, under any circumstances, take part in cyber-attacks on critical infrastructures of any country in the world or engage in any international conflicts."

One reason for that could be a loophole in cybersecurity insurance policies.

Experts and industry-watchers say the more sophisticated digital extortion gangs tend to focus on insured organisations because the victims already have a policy to make the payoff, making them less likely to bargain for a lower ransom or refuse to pay.

But insurance policies typically have exclusions for what is described as a "force majeure event"  such as an act of war.

The legal precedent around what exactly that means is still developing, but a cyberattack claimed by a gang aligned with a belligerent power like Russia could easily fall into that category, said Holden of Hold Security.

"In ransomware attacks, most companies call their ransomware insurer," he said. "You can imagine that insurers would say, 'force majeure' or 'this is a case of warfare  we won't cover it'."

There are other reasons too. Many gangs are laser-focused on making money and  even if their membership is not interested in leaving Russia  they are wary of attracting the negative attention that comes with openly allying with a hostile state.

"Our government would start designating them as enemy combatants or terrorists," Holden said.

(Reporting by James Pearson in London and Raphael Satter in Washington; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay and Christoper Bing in Washington; Editing by Chris Sanders and Matthew Lewis)
Apple is doing more in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine beyond cutting off services. As BuzzFeed News' John Paczkowski notes, the tech firm has halted "all product sales" in Russia after cutting off exports last week. Visit the company's Russian online store and every product is listed as unavailable. In a statement, Apple made clear this was in response to the invasion  the iPhone maker "stand[s] with all of the people" hurt by the incursion, and is joining those "calling for peace."

The company stressed that it had taken multiple actions beyond the sales freeze. It limited Apple Pay, and pulled the apps for the state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik from the App Store. Apple also mirrored Google's decision to disable traffic data for Maps users in Ukraine (including live incidents) to avoid revealing info that could put Ukraine residents in danger. Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had called on Apple to stop sales and block the entire App Store.

Google, Meta and other tech companies have restricted or withdrawn services in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24th. However, Apple is notable for pulling hardware from the market  it's willing to give up its physical stake, at least for now.

This is a notable sacrifice, if a limited one. Estimates put Apple's yearly revenue from Russia at roughly $2.5 billion in 2020. That's a large number for most companies, even if it represents just 0.9 percent of Apple's total sales from that year. As it stands, Apple wouldn't have gained much by sticking around. The invasion and ensuing international sanctions tanked the value of the ruble, making Apple's products that much harder to buy in the country. The halt will definitely affect Apple's bottom line  it just won't deal as much damage as some might expect.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli forces and armed Palestinians exchanged fire during an Israeli arrest raid in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank early Tuesday, leaving two Palestinians dead, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

One of those killed in the Jenin camp was identified as a 22-year-old member of the militant Islamic Jihad group; he had been shot in the head. The other was an 18-year-old.

In the arrest raid, Israeli troops from the paramilitary border police surrounded the home of the wanted man who eventually turned himself in.

An police statement said Palestinians opened fire from multiple directions twice during the raid, and that Israeli forces returned fire. As the Israeli forces left Jenin, dozens of people threw firebombs and a home-made grenade, drawing more Israeli fire, police said.

The Jenin camp has been a stronghold of armed men from the pro-Iran Islamic Jihad and the larger militant Hamas group. Islamic Jihad's top political leaders are based in Syria and Lebanon, with some prominent members in Gaza, where it is the second largest militant group after the ruling Hamas.

The Jenin camp is part of the roughly 40% of the West Bank that is under Palestinian administration, but Israeli troops routinely enter those areas for arrest raids.

The killed 22-year-old Islamic Jihad member, Abdullah al-Hossari, had served 26 months in an Israeli prison before being released last August. Media reported that the other killed man, 18-year-old Shadi Najem, was unarmed.

The man arrested in the raid was identified as Amad Abu al-Hija, who had previously been imprisoned by Israel. His father had been the head of the Hamas military wing in Jenin until his own arrest two decades ago.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  A man shot and killed his three daughters, their chaperone and himself during a supervised visit with the girls Monday at a church in Sacramento, California, authorities said.

Deputies responding to reports of gunfire around 5 p.m. found five people dead, including the shooter, at the church in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood, said Sgt. Rod Grassmann with the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

The victims included three girls ages 9, 10 and 13, Grassmann said.

The shooter was estranged from his daughters' mother, who had a restraining order against him, Sheriff Scott Jones said.

Investigators believe the shooting happened during a supervised visit with the children and that the fourth victim was their chaperone, Jones said.

The shooter's name wasn't immediately released, but officials said he was 39 years old.

An employee of The Church In Sacramento heard the gunshots and called 911, Grassmann said.

Sheriff's officials are investigating it as a domestic violence incident, he said.

Officials didn't know if the family members belonged to the the church, which sits on a mostly residential block near a commercial area east of downtown Sacramento.

The Church In Sacramento caters to English, Chinese and Spanish worshippers, according to its website. No events for Monday were listed on its online calendar.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said his office was working with local law enforcement.

Another senseless act of gun violence in America  this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating," Newsom said on Twitter.

___

Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporter Stefanie Dazio also contributed from LA.
The BBC argues that the story is in the public interest - Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

An alleged MI5 agent is "dangerous enough to kill a woman" and should be identified publicly "to prevent future harm" to women, the High Court has heard as the government tried to gag the BBC.

The broadcaster is attempting to publish a story about a dangerous extremist and misogynist" which it says raised serious questions" about the "attitude of MI5 toward the safety of women.

The Attorney General has applied for an injunction against the BBC to ban them from publishing the identity of the man  named in court only as X  on the grounds that it would harm national security and put his life at risk.

During today's hearing the judge was told that the X used his status to terrorise his partner, given the pseudonym Beth, who he is alleged to have abused physically, sexually and psychologically.

Though the evidence surrounding the identity of the man is shrouded in secrecy and documents have been blacked out by the lawyers, parts of Beths statement were shown to the court.

She wrote: His position was used to terrorise me, because it meant that I couldn't speak out about any of his behaviour towards me, because he had [REDACTED] who always had his back, who would intervene and who would kill me, if I spoke out.

Lord Pannick said that she alleged that X said he was above the law and could do whatever he wanted because he worked for the security services and he felt empowered by his work with MI5.

Suella Braverman - Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Though little is known about his identity, documents suggest that he had been actively involved in groups he had been an informant against, and the extremist groups which may want revenge against him were described as fragmentary, dispersed and immobilised.

The BBC argue the story is in the public interest as MI5 should have known X is a dangerous extremist and misogynist" and that it was wrong to use X as an agent.

X is also alleged to have abused a second partner  named only as Ruth  who has appealed for the judge to name him on the basis that he is a danger to women, and she fears he may kill.

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Ruth said in a statement: I consider that he is dangerous enough to kill a woman and I fear that he will do so if he is not challenged and exposed.



I think it is crucial that other women know his identity and what he looks like, so that he cannot trick and harm them.

Documents handed to the court reveal that the broadcasters alleges that the story raises questions about the extent to which [M15] enabled, and turned a blind eye to, the dangerous extremism, violence and abusive behaviour of X.

They say it also raises issues over the "scrutiny" of what the intelligence agency is doing to root out misogyny and protect women from harm.

Lawyers representing Ms Braverman said that she "neither confirms or denies" the BBC's claim that X is an agent, or covert human intelligence source (Chis), but is conducting the hearing on the "hypothetical assumption" that he is or was.

Open and closed judgments when ruling is made

Sir James Eadie QC, representing the Government, added that the "most serious" allegations against X have been investigated by police and no further action was "considered appropriate to be taken".

But the court was also reminded that MI5 operations target extremists and terrorists, its agents and informants must necessarily be drawn from the same spheres and some are involved in criminality.

The recruitment pool is complicated, chaotic, volatile and fragile and those in it have backgrounds, lifestyles, opinions and motivations which are very far removed from the world of those involved in this litigation.

But Lord Pannick argued that MI5 had been reckless in employing X and it is a matter of genuine contemporary concern on how state institutions address violence against women.

The BBC say that the story adds to the current debate over misogyny in Scotland Yard by demonstrating that allegations of misogyny and abuse extend beyond the police into security services.

Lord Pannick also argued that the human rights and safety of women who might in the future date or have a liaison with X were at risk if he was not identified. He argued it is difficult to see how police can protect women unless X is named.

Mr Justice Chamberlain, clarifying the BBCs arguments, said: It is the rights, or if not the rights at least the interest, of other women who do not know about X but who might be considering entering into some form of relationship with him.

But Sir James argued the public interest in not identifying X overrode the concerns as the secrecy and maintenance of confidentiality is an essential precondition to the efficiency and effectiveness to the protection of the public provided by the security and intelligence agencies.

He said if X's identity were revealed other people would not come forward as informants.

The rest of the two day hearing will be held behind closed doors when special advocates - security-cleared lawyers - will represent the BBC's interests. The judgement is expected at a date to be set.
In this article:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarus has no plans to join Russia's military operation in Ukraine, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

Lukashenko denied Kyiv's allegations that Russian troops were attacking Ukraine from Belarus' territory, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported.

(Reporting by Moscow bureau; Editing by Edmund Blair)
Russian President Vladimir Putin with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, on February 18. Sergei Guneyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

The Belarusian president may have shared on live TV Russia's plan of attack for Ukraine.

Alexander Lukashenko showed "what looks like an actual invasion map," a reporter tweeted.

The map also showed Ukraine divided into four sections.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko may have accidentally shared Russia's invasion plans for Ukraine on live television.

A short video shared by the Belarusian journalist Tadeusz Giczan on Twitter showed Lukashenko pointing to a map of Ukraine that shows it segmented into four parts. Giczan called it "what looks like an actual invasion map." Lukashenko is an authoritarian and longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I thank these guys," Lukashenko said, though it was unclear who he was referring to. "They warned us, and literally, six hours before the launch of the missiles, we discovered this."

Russia's Iskander tactical missile system was "located here, right?" he added.

At that point, someone off-screen says, "In the Mazyr area," referring to a Belarusian city.

"In the Mazyr area," Lukashenko said. "We hit these rockets, these positions. And we haven't seen them afterward. During the offensive of the Russians in Ukraine, we already did not see them from the position. That's why I'm saying, yes, we have made launches from the territory of Belarus, and I told, frankly, which positions we targeted. Sit down."

Lukashenko's map shows red arrows from Belarus and Russian that point deep into Ukraine, with a pincer over Kyiv (the country's beseiged capital) and others that reach from the east all the way to the Dnieper river in the country's heart.

The video appeared to be published by a Belarusian pro-state Telegram channel.

Ukraine's parliament said on Tuesday that Belarusian troops had entered the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine, near the country's border with Belarus.

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It said the information was confirmed by Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesperson for the North Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine.

The development came hours after Lukashenko told state news media that his country's troops were not joining Russia in its attack on Ukraine.

A US defense official told reporters on Tuesday there was "no confirmation that the Belarusians are entering Ukraine, we've seen no indication of that," according to Politico.

Tuesday marked the sixth day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which prompted protests around the world, including in Russia. Western nations have since levied heavy sanctions and other restrictive financial measures against Russia, in moves strongly condemned by the Kremlin.

Lukashenko, often referred to as "Europe's last dictator," is an authoritarian who has been in power since 1994.

He is widely considered to be a puppet of Putin and relies heavily on the Kremlin's support to stay in power. There were mass protests against Lukashenko in Belarus in 2020 after he won a sixth term in an election widely regarded as rigged.

The Belarusian leader faced global condemnation last year for grounding a Ryanair flight (which was escorted into Minsk, Belarus' capital, with a fighter jet), citing a security threat, to arrest a prominent dissident. Experts said Lukashenko would not have engaged in such a brazen move without Putin's permission.

Lukashenko is now Putin's closest ally in Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
President Joe Biden calls on reporters for questions while speaking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine





President Biden will outline a plan to tackle the mental health crisis during his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, which will focus heavily on holding social media companies accountable for their role in it.

The Biden administration argues that the mental health crisis among young people is "accentuated by large social media platforms, which for years have been conducting a national experiment on our children and using their data to keep them clicking-with enormous consequences," according to senior administration officials.

In the address, Biden will call on Congress to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, and demand that technology companies stop collecting personal data on children.

"The evidence is mounting that social media plays a systemic role in worsening the mental health of countless young people," senior administration officials said.

The strategy to address the mental health crisis is part of an overall "unity agenda" that the president will outline in the State of the Union.

Officials noted staggering statistics around mental health, including that students are about five months behind in math and four months behind in reading, compared with students prior to the pandemic and emergency department visits for attempted suicide have risen 51 percent among adolescent girls.

Biden will call on Congress to ban excessive data collection and targeted advertising online for children and young people and include at least $5 million in his fiscal 2023 budget for advancing research on social media's harms, as well as the clinical and societal interventions to deploy to address them.

"The president believes tech companies should be held accountable for the harms they cause and believes we need action here," officials said.

Officials added that some pieces of this require legislation but there are also pieces that they believe we do administratively, particularly around research and understanding harms.

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The efforts to support Americans by creating health environments is the third pillar in an approach that Biden will lay out to address the mental health crisis, which also involves strengthening system capacity and connecting Americans to care.

The president will include a $700 million investment in programs around training and supporting clinicians in his budget in an effort to expand the pipeline of behavioral health providers.

This funding is intended to build on the $103 million from last year's American Rescue Plan to address burnout and strengthen resiliency among health care workers.

The administration will launch a crisis hotline in July, so that every American in crisis can dial '988' to be connected to support. The president will include nearly $700 million to staff up the crisis centers, which will build on the $180 million in the American Rescue Plan to support local capacity to answer crisis calls.

To increase access to care, Biden's budget will propose that all health plans cover behavioral health services with an adequate network of providers, including three behavioral health visits each year without cost-sharing. Biden will also call for expanding access to telehealth and access to mental health support in schools, colleges, and universities.

A 2008 law signed by President George W. Bush required that when employers offer mental health and substance use disorder services as part of their health plans, they are prevented from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on those benefits than on medical and surgical benefits.

"That standard is too often ignored, and this administration is taking important steps to enforce the law," officials said.
Bob Baffert wants the courts to allow his horses to run in this year's Kentucky Derby despite his two-year suspension. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)

In an expected move that will heighten the uncertainty about who can run in this years Kentucky Derby, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert filed suit in federal court against Churchill Downs Inc., chief executive Bill Carstanjen and board chair Alex Rankin, to allow him to run horses in the worlds most famous thoroughbred race.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in the Western District of Kentucky, alleges that Bafferts constitutional right to due process was violated when Churchill Downs suspended him for two years after the positive drug test for last years winner Medina Spirit.

The notion that Churchill Downs  could unilaterally ban a trainer by an edict coupled in a press release without having the facts or any semblance of due process should arouse outrage in any fair-minded person, said Clark Brewster, who is representing Baffert in this matter.

Bafferts long-time attorney, Craig Robertson, has excluded himself from this situation because his firm also has Churchill Downs as a client.

Churchill Downs was swift with its rebuttal.

The lawsuit filed by Bob Baffert is disappointing but certainly not surprising, CDI said in a statement. His claims are meritless and consistent with his pattern of failed drug tests, denials, excuses and attempts to blame others and identify loopholes in order to avoid taking responsibility for his actions.

These actions have harmed the reputations of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs and the entire thoroughbred racing industry. Churchill Downs will fight this baseless lawsuit and defend our companys rights. Whats at stake here is the integrity of our races, the safety of horses and the trust of the millions of fans and bettors who join us every year on the first Saturday in May.

The one thing that has been certain the last year is that the winner of last years Kentucky Derby would be decided in the courts. After more than eight months, Medina Spirit was disqualified last week by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission after testing positive for betamethasone, a legal anti-inflammatory medication that is banned for use on race day. Mandaloun, the second-place finisher, was named the winner.

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In a highly unusual ruling, the KHRC did not stay Bafferts 90-day suspension, which is scheduled to begin March 8. If it is enforced, Bafferts penalty would be in effect throughout the country and Baffert would have to vacate his barn at Santa Anita. Bafferts attorneys have filed suit to stop the suspension and have precedent on their side as stays are almost always granted upon appeal.

Bafferts attorneys have argued that the rule against betamethasone only applies when it is injected into the joints or other parts of a horse, not when applied through an ointment to treat a rash. The KHRC disagreed.

The facts are clear and Churchill Downs knows them but refuses to acknowledge them, Brewster said. Churchill Downs knows the post-race test report occurred as a result of the use of a harmless ointment known as Otomax. They know it was prescribed by Medina Spirits treating veterinarian and properly and timely reported to the data bank the day it was dispensed. They know no rule was violated and the ointment could never have enhanced Medina Spirits performance.

Experts previously contacted by The Times doubt that the amount found in Medina Spirits system would have had any effect on his performances. The biggest obstacle is public perception, that a rule is a rule, regardless of its consequences.

This case and the events of the last eight months are about more than just me and ability to do the work I love, Baffert said. If powerful forces can block me from competing, they can do this to anyone. This is a fight for the integrity of our great sport, and we have the facts, the law and truth on our side.

Medina Spirit died on Dec. 6 following a workout at Santa Anita. A necropsy did not determine an exact cause of death; though it contained several factors that were consistent with a cardiac event, it could not exclude other explanations. No drugs, other than legal ones reported to the state, were found in his system.

This weekend is among the first series of win-and-youre-in races for the Kentucky Derby. Baffert is currently not allowed to accumulate points, meaning if his owners want in the Kentucky Derby they will have to hire another trainer. But few have defected, and Baffert has two horses in Saturdays San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita.

Now it will be up to the courts to help determine the starting field for this years Kentucky Derby.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A Burr Ridge businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to swindling as much as $2.6 million from hospitals seeking coveted protective gear in the traumatic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, then blowing much of it on credit cards, two Maseratis and a Range Rover.

Dennis Haggerty, 46, pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering during a hearing before U.S. District Judge John Kness. Preliminary sentencing guidelines call for up to about four years in prison, and prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of about $2.57 million in allegedly ill-gotten gains.

According to Haggertys plea agreement with prosecutors, the scheme began in March 2020, when Haggerty and two business partners formed At Diagnostics and contracted with two hospitals to provide as many as 1 million N95 face masks in exchange for $5 million.

One of the hospitals, identified only as Hospital A, was located in Chicago. The other, Hospital B, was previously identified by the Tribune as the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

According to the plea agreement, on March 31, 2020, the Chicago hospital deposited $2.5 million into a bank account that was supposedly the companys but was controlled only by Haggerty.

Beginning the next day, Haggerty withdrew and spent the funds for his personal use, including nearly $150,000 in cash that he took out in increments under $10,000 to avoid federal currency reporting requirements, according to the plea.

Haggerty also used more than $132,000 in hospital funds to buy a 2013 Maserati GranTurismo, a 2015 Range Rover, and a 2017 Maserati Ghibli, paid $20,000 to a friend, and made about $190,000 in credit card payments, according to the plea.

In April, after At Diagnostics had failed to deliver a single mask, Hospital A demanded a refund. In response, Haggerty falsely stated that his bank had no record of the hospitals wire transfer and that the bank was in the process of trying to get to the bottom of the issue, according to the plea.

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Confronted by his two business partners about the missing funds, Haggerty altered a bank statement to make it appear the money was never received, the plea stated.

Meanwhile, in June 2020, after the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics entered into a contract with At Diagnostics for 500,000 N95 masks, the hospitals payment system inadvertently released $933,825 to Haggerty before any masks had been received, the plea stated.

Instead of returning the money, Haggerty used some of it to repay what hed taken from Hospital A and spent another portion on himself, according to the plea. No masks were ever shipped to Hospital B, and as of this month, Haggerty had not paid back any of that money.

The charges against Haggerty represented the single biggest case of fraud to arise in the Chicago area out of the pandemic.

Among the others: An Elgin restaurant owner accused of obtaining a PPP loan even though shed closed the restaurant and terminated all of her employees; the owner of an Evanston-based technology company accused of falsifying paperwork seeking a $441,000 PPP loan; a south suburban businessman who allegedly was given more than $420,000 even though his company had no employees or ongoing operations; and a North Shore businessman accused of illegally price gouging customers seeking to buy protective masks.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
STORY: During the press conference, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said NATO must improve its defenses of the Baltic nations, the most vulnerable part of the military alliance.

"This includes, on land, establishing a permanent, increased forward presence. In air, establishing a credible defense posture. And a sense of urgency in developing NATO's upgraded defense plan," said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg reinforced that NATO is a defensive alliance and called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull his forces from Ukraine and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said British troops would not fight Russian forces in Ukraine, and that recent reinforcements were firmly within the borders of NATO members.
STORY: Canadian Bryson Woolsey, 33, quit his job as a cook on Sunday (February 27) after seeing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's appeal for the formation of an "international legion."

He has no military training and plans to buy a plane ticket to Poland, cross into Ukraine and volunteer for combat.

"I felt like I had to do something," said Woolsey, 33, of Powell River, British Columbia, who became restless as he watched images of wounded women and children in Ukraine.

He added that his family is not happy about his decision.

"I wanted to leave sooner, but I need to spend a couple of days with them to help them in this process, too. So, it's a big step. They're scared, right? As anyone should be."
What began as an independent study project for college student Brandon Harris turned into a successful effort to help his close childhood friend be released from prison 12 years before his sentence was over.

Sura Sohna, 23, had been serving a 14-year prison sentence when he received a letter from Harris. The two grew up playing video games and eating lunch together in elementary school and middle school. But Sohnas and Harris lives began to diverge when they went to separate high schools. Eventually Harris landed a scholarship to Davidson College, where he is now a senior, while Sohna had a few brushes with the law until he was sentenced to prison for first-degree burglary.

The two reconnected when Harris, 22, found himself back at home when the pandemic shut down his campus two years ago. When he learned that Sohna was incarcerated, he reached out.

Meanwhile, Harris had taken on an independent study project called Telling Stories of the Ignored and Forgotten in which he aimed to interview six different people. But the project pivoted and he focused his work on telling Sohnas story and the elements that led to his incarceration.

Sohnas was the tale of a boy who grew up in poverty, experienced housing instability and hunger, wore the same clothes to school for days and often lived without electricity. While the childrens homes were 2 miles apart in Annapolis, Maryland, they lived in different worlds. Harris used to invite Sohna over to spend the night at his house in a middle-class neighborhood, where they would eat pizza, and watch television. When Sohna would visit Harris house, Sohna left behind a housing project where, even as a child, he said he remembers watching a man die after being shot and beaten.

I remember when we went to Suras place, there would be a lot of police around and a lot of people out, Harris said. My neighborhood was quiet.

When Harris went to a private high school, the two remained friends but their lives were changing. Harris started a nonprofit mentoring group, he was a varsity athlete and he became deeply involved with student government. When Harris tried to get Sohna involved in his nonprofit group, he attended a few meetings, but I was 17 and already too deep in the streets, Sohna said.

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Shortly after that, he was incarcerated for the first time.

I had pretty much given up, Sohna said. I lived for the moment. I didnt think about the future.

When Harris returned home from college during the pandemic, he learned where Sohna was. He decided to write that first letter to Sohna.

It was good to hear that someone cared for me  who I am and not what I did, Sohna said. Its crazy how communication can change people.

They kept writing to each other. Because the pandemic prevented in-person visits, Patuxent Institution, where Sohna was serving time, allowed Skype calls. Sohna describes the first such call with Harris as joyful.

He showed me his college, Sohna said. I talked to all his roommates, his friends. He showed me his room. I was just happy for him. He was in a great situation and I was in a bad one, but it made me feel like one day it was possible for me to go to school too.

Sohna also introduced Harris to his friends in the institution.

I remember they were looking and saying, Wow, hes in college, Harris said. It was foreign to them to have contact with someone in college.

A pivotal experience was when a correctional officer told Sohna his time on the call was up.

Sura asked, Can I say goodbye? Harris recalled. I remember the CO reaching and hitting the button to end the call. Harris called the officers actions inhumane.

Around then, Harris was considering changing the theme of his independent study project. That moment, he said, became one factor that pushed him toward focusing on telling his friend's story. His research involved reaching out to Sohnas victims, arresting officers and the prosecutor.

When it was time for Harris to present his final project via Zoom, 450 people from around the world attended the presentation in April 2021. A couple of Sohnas former teachers attended and another childhood friend chimed in during the call to say, I love you, Sura.

It was shocking to see so many people there, Sohna said. When I went to the Zoom, they were encouraging me. It showed me how much love was there and how secluded I was from the world.

The support also prompted Sohnas attorney, Keith Showstack, who had already filed a motion to have his sentence reconsidered, to ask the judge for that hearing.

On Feb. 8, 12 years before his sentence was up, Harris was defending his friend in court before a judge.

I talked about our connection and the growth I witnessed in Sura and what I think is possible, our project and the support network Sura has gained, our goals. The judge kept using the metaphor, You can take a horse to the water, but you cant make him drink. I told the judge, Sura is ready to drink if given the chance.

Sohna wasnt there, but he was on the speakerphone. After the judge went through some legal jargon about convictions and days served, he finally asked, Mr. Sohna, do you know what this means?

No, Sohna replied.

You are being released, the judge responded.

I was so shocked, Sohna recalls. I couldnt believe it.

Harris thought the moment was surreal. We faced so many obstacles and they all popped into my head, he said.

Within hours, Sohna walked out of Patuxent Institution in Jessup, Maryland. Harris was waiting for him outside. Just four days after his release, Sohna turned 23.

Sohna has since been living at his mothers house in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He is studying to take the GED test. He wants to intern with a friend who is a professional photographer and then plans to attend college.

Meanwhile Harris, who was planning to go to medical school, has switched his dreams to law school this fall. He graduates from Davidson in May.

Showstack, Sohnas lawyer, said he knows Harris project influenced the judge but that the decision is dependent on other circumstances, as well. What is most important to Showstack is the transformation he witnessed in Sohna.

I think Brandon  more than anyone or anything else in his life  opened Suras eyes and Sura finally realized he could be the person he wanted to be.

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TAIPEI, Taiwan  As Russian forces push ahead with their assault on Ukraine, leaders in both China and Taiwan are closely watching the situation and how Western governments respond.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has generated enormous sympathy in Taiwan, a self-ruling island that Beijing claims as its territory. Chinese President Xi Jinping has not ruled out the use of force in a reunification with Taiwan that his Communist Party government insists is inevitable.

On Friday, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said it strongly condemns Russias invasion of Ukraine and will join international economic sanctions. But Taiwan also has an eye on its own security, with President Tsai Ing-wen saying last week that the military must heighten surveillance.

Taiwan has not reported any unusual maneuvers by the Chinese military in recent days. But in the last two years Beijing has ramped up what Taiwan has condemned as military aggression, regularly sending warplanes close to the island to deter what China perceives as a growing campaign for Taiwan independence. Last Thursday, as Russia began invading Ukraine, Taiwan was approached by nine Chinese aircraft, the defense ministry said.

Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow? some headlines in Taiwanese media asked on Friday.

Enoch Wu, a member of Taiwans governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), declined to speculate on the likelihood of a Chinese invasion, but said Taiwan and Ukraine faced the same threat: a revisionist power claiming another sovereign country as its own.

I think this serves as a very good wake-up call that war is a modern possibility, he told NBC News on Thursday after the invasion began. People have talked a lot about the future of warfare being all about cognitive warfare, only about misinformation, but when push comes to shove tanks will roll.

Taiwan Military Drill For Preparedness Enhancement Amid Chinese Threats (Ceng Shou / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

But fears of imminent Chinese invasion are unfounded for a number of reasons, experts and Taiwanese officials say. One is geography: While Ukraine and Russia share a 1,200-mile land border, Taiwan is an island separated from mainland China by 100 miles of water.

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That means any Chinese invasion would be a large-scale, complex operation that the world could see coming well beforehand, said Wen Lii, a DPP member on Matsu, a Taiwanese island about 10 miles off the coast of mainland China.

An amphibious assault of this size would require a massive, time-consuming buildup of Chinese troops along the coast, with many indicators noticeable several months in advance through satellite imagery, Lii said last week through a messaging app.

Taiwan, a major exporter of electronics and semiconductors, also plays a much bigger role in the global economy. While Taiwan is Washingtons ninth-largest trading partner, Ukraine ranks 67th, according to the U.S. Trade Representative.

Washington is highly focused on the security of Taiwan, said Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. The Biden administrations Indo-Pacific strategy, released in February, said the U.S. would work to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, drawing criticism from China. The U.S. is also required to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons under the Taiwan Relations Act.

Hass said that as a thriving liberal democracy in a region where autocracy is on the rise, Taiwan also has greater symbolic resonance for Americans than Ukraine, where democracy is less solidified.

China also sees Taiwan as different from Ukraine, but for a different reason: It is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and not a sovereign nation, government officials say. They have accused Tsai of exploiting the Ukraine crisis to gain international support for the island, where Chinas Nationalists fled and established a rival government in 1949 after being defeated by the Communist forces of Mao Zedong.

Inauguration of the All-out Defense Mobilization Agency Taiwan (Walid Berrazeg / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Since 1979, the U.S. has recognized the government in Beijing as Chinas only legitimate government. But its position on Taiwan is ambiguous, neither recognizing Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan, nor recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign nation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed last year that there had been no change to Washingtons one China policy.

Chinas growing ties with Russia have also raised fears for Taiwan. In a joint statement Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed in Beijing in February, Russia reiterated its opposition to Taiwan independence in any form.

But Western leaders should not overestimate the strength of the China-Russia relationship, said Kadri Liik, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations who studies Russia. Like the United States, she said, Russia has security concerns about Chinese technology and has been a target of its aggressive wolf warrior diplomacy. It also chafes under Chinas power to set the economic terms of their relationship.

They have managed to desecuritize the relationship so that neither expects danger from the other, but they keep it in a very flexible framework so there are no formal alliance obligations, Liik said in an interview last week after the invasion began.

But with Russias relations with the West immeasurably damaged, Liik said that Moscow could end up more dependent on China, and that it would be unlikely to oppose Chinese military action against Taiwan given its own actions in Ukraine.

Wu  the founder of Forward Alliance, a Taiwanese organization promoting civilian readiness for conflict and emergency situations  said that with the world focused on Ukraine, Taiwan should avoid escalating tensions with Beijing and better prepare for possible aggression.

The lesson [from Ukraine] is every country needs to own the responsibility of defending itself, he said.

Hass said he hoped Taiwans leaders would find ways to instill confidence in the Taiwan people in the future of Taiwan  in other words, not succumb to fear or anxiety.

He advised leaders in Washington, where some are calling for more explicit commitments to defend Taiwan, to remember Theodore Roosevelts philosophy of speak softly and carry a big stick.

My hope is that American policymakers will take a steady, principled, disciplined approach to finding ways to bolster Taiwans security within the parameters of our longstanding policy, rather than heightening tensions, Hass said.

A man walks in front of a destroyed building after a Russian missile attack in the town of Vasylkiv, near Kyiv, on Feb. 27, 2022. (Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP - Getty Images)

Meanwhile, most people in Taiwan see the threat from China as largely unchanged. In a survey conducted Feb. 14-15 by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, more than 60 percent of respondents said they did not believe Beijing would invade Taiwan in the event of Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Discussions about Chinese threats are usually based on concrete intelligence instead of a foreign crisis, Lii said.

Tina Chang, a 30-year-old resident of Taipei, the Taiwanese capital, said she saw a parallel with Taiwan in the sense of calm that seemed to pervade Ukraine right up until the Russian military assault.

Most people in Taiwan, we dont think that China will invade us whatsoever, she said last week, adding that the crisis in Ukraine shows that anything can happen, and we need to prepare for what will happen in the future as well.
Li Yayuanlun, the 31-year-old Chinese man who previously claimed he had been kidnapped as a blood-slave in Cambodia, reportedly fabricated his story, according to the Chinese embassy.



Li had allegedly been lured into a false job advertisement by a gang before he was abducted and sold into another gang running an online fraud company who had used him as a blood slave for months, according to previous news reports. He then had supposedly managed to escape while in a poor physical state and was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 12.



The Chinese Embassy requested Cambodian police conduct an investigation after the case caused a stir on Chinese social media. They concluded on Monday that Lis story was a fabrication.



The Cambodian police informed the embassy that Li had been smuggled into Cambodia before he contracted a serious liver disease, which led him to ask for assistance from a local social organization, according to the Sixth Tone.



While no names were publicized, the police have detained three people who reportedly assisted Li in fabricating his story to hide his illegal entry into Cambodia.



The case will be transferred to the Cambodian judicial authorities, according to the Global Times.



The Chinese embassy remains highly concerned about the case and will continue to follow up on it to protect the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties under the legal framework of China and Cambodia, according to The Star. The embassy has also called on Chinese people residing in Cambodia to abide by the laws of both countries, urging them not to engage in deception.



Featured Images via Sina

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Iranetta Wright was announced as the 28th superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022.

Iranetta Wright, current deputy superintendent of Detroit Public Schools, was announced as the 28th superintendent of Cincinnati Public Schools at the districts Monday evening board of education meeting.

More : Outgoing CPS superintendent Laura Mitchell is next CEO of Beech Acres Parenting Center

Wright has never been a superintendent before but has worked in education for nearly 30 years, including in leadership roles as chief of schools and assistant superintendent at Duval County Public Schools in Florida, according to her resume. Beginning this year, Wright will lead the third-largest school system in Ohio, which employs about 6,000 staff members and serves approximately 36,000 students in 65 schools.

"I'm looking forward to leading this district," Wright said in a Monday press release. "We're going to hit the ground running to learn, grow and develop together. Let's get to work."

Board president Ben Lindy said the specifics of Wright's contract are still being negotiated, but anticipates Wright will begin in her new role in May.

Wright is expected to start in her new role as @IamCPS superintendent sometime around May 1. Heres her resume  and cover letter for the role cont in thread @Enquirer pic.twitter.com/o1DxVxNpAu  mad mitch (@maddiemitch_) February 28, 2022

Wright was one of three finalists for the superintendent position, along with Middletown City Schools superintendent Marlon Styles and the current interim superintendent of CPS, Tianay Amat.

The Enquirer obtained the candidates' resumes and cover letters through an open records request. Click here to see the three finalists' applications.

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The board hired Alma Advisory Group of Chicago in September to help facilitate the search, which district officials said garnered more than 50 applicants. The three finalists were interviewed in mid-February by district students, employees, community members and the board of education.

During a student panel with the three finalists, Wright said that she thinks it is important to follow COVID-19 guidance from local health departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also addressed her desire to move to Cincinnati, stating shes looking for a final place in her career and in life.

I think I have 15-20 more years in me (before retirement), honestly, Wright said. But after that time, I want to stay in the community.

Since those interviews the week of Feb. 9, the board of education met in executive session again on Feb. 24 to discuss "employment of a public employee or official," according to the CPS website.

"We are incredibly excited to begin this new chapter at Cincinnati Public Schools," Lindy said in a Monday press release. "Choosing a new superintendent is one of the most important roles of a board of education(...) We believe we have chosen the best candidate, one who is committed to transformative, positive change for our students, community and staff."

Tianay Amat, CPS interim superintendent, looks on during a CPS board meeting where Iranetta Wright was voted Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent at the Mary A. Ronan Education Center in Cincinnati, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Iranetta Wright served as the Deputy Superintendent of Schools in Detroit Public Schools Community District before accepting the job as CPS Superintendent.

Amat will continue working for the district in her role as deputy superintendent, officials confirmed.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to lead our incredible district for the last eight months," Amat said in the news release. "I welcome Ms. Wright to CPS and look forward to ensuring a smooth transition."

More about the new superintendent

Wright has served as a teacher, principal and principal leader within Detroit Public Schools, where she has worked as deputy superintendent for the 53,000-student district since 2017. Like Cincinnati, the majority of Detroit's students are Black.

On her resume, Wright identified educational outcomes she has worked toward in her current role, including a focus on restorative practices (the district reduced suspensions by 63%), addressing chronic absenteeism and increasing access to arts programming.

Before becoming deputy superintendent, Wright served as a teacher in middle and high school math, science and special education as well as an assistant principal, vice principal, principal, assistant superintendent and chief of schools at Duval County Public Schools in Florida. That district is the 20th largest in the country, serving 117,000 students with 163 schools and 13,000 employees.

In her cover letter, Wright shared that she is a first-generation college graduate and grew up sharing a home with her grandparents.

"The sense of urgency has never been greater," Wright wrote in her application. "As school systems work to rebound from the throes of the pandemic, the need to move efficiently and effectively to recapture and re-engage with our students and families will be one of the keys to sustained positive impact."

She wrote she is "excited by all that Cincinnati has to offer" and sees "many parallels" between her experiences leading in Detroit and Duval and the "needs of the Cincinnati community." She is committed to providing social and emotional supports, transparency and equity.

"Cincinnati Public Schools is poised to serve as a national model in sustainable transformation," she wrote. "I would be honored and humbled to serve as your next leader."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Iranetta Wright announced as new CPS superintendent
Cindy Crawford, 56, hits the catwalk for the Off-White Womenswear Autumn/Winter 2022-2023 collection during Paris Fashion Week. (Getty Images)

Cindy Crawfords 20-year-old daughter Kaia Gerber has clearly inherited her supermodel mums genes.

When the pair hit the catwalk for the Off-White Autumn/Winter show as part of Paris Fashion Week, they made a striking double act.

They were joined by a roll call of famous faces from the fashion world including Naomi Campbell, 51, who became a mum last May, reportedly through some form of fertility treatment, after she revealed her daughter was "not adopted".

Read more: Bella Hadid announces charity auction of items she's secretly made in lockdown

Campbell appears on the cover of this months British Vogue and was joined on the Paris catwalk by stunning supermodel sisters Bella and Gigi Hadid.

Naomi Campbell walks the runway during the Off-White Womenswear Autumn/Winter 2022-2023 show during Paris Fashion Week. (WireImage)

Campbell turned heads in blue velvet flares and a dramatic floor-length velvet coat, emblazoned with the word, Respectfully on the back.

The look was topped off with a bold hat and eye-catching layers of clear-coloured, elaborate necklaces adorned her body.

Outfits worn by Crawford and Gerber were similarly dramatic, as youd expect for Paris Fashion Week. The 56-year-old sported a fairytale, floor-length dress with a tulle, tiered skirt, holding electric blue sunglasses in one hand and a clutch bag in the other.

Watch: Naomi Campbell has a WhatsApp group chat with her fellow 90s supermodels

Kaia Gerber's father is the businessman Rande Gerber and she's been following in her supermodel mum's footsteps for the past few years. Gerber made her grand debut at Fashion Week back in 2017 and has already hit the catwalk for prestigious brands such as Fendi, Prada, Max Mara and Moschino.

But it's more than just her modelling talents that she's inherited from her mother, she's also ventured into the acting world, starring as Ruby in the major TV series American Horror Story. She appeared in a stylish short film last year as part of her Calvin Klein #My Calvins campaign too.

With her perfect bone structure, beautiful brunette locks and olive skin, Gerber has inherited all her mother's celebrated traits  and thanks to her family ties, is one of the best connected young models on the fashion scene.

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Kaia Gerber, Crawford's 20-year-old lookalike daughter, hits the catwalk for the Off-White show entitled Spaceship Earth: An "Imaginary Experience" during Paris Fashion Week. (Getty Images)

At Paris Fashion Week in February Gerber wowed in an edgy mini dress with a textured puffball skirt, a small train and a yellow tee. Gerbers electric blue nails matched her mums shades and she clutched a white pair of her own in one hand and an iPhone in the other.

Gigi Hadid models at the Off-White Womenswear Autumn/Winter show during Paris Fashion Week. (WireImage)

The Off-White catwalk spectacle was an emotional landmark too, being the brands first runway show since its founder Virgil Abloh passed away last November, aged 41, after a long battle with cancer.

Abloh was deemed one of the most influential designers of his generation.

Last year British Vogue editor Edward Enninful wrote a powerful tribute on Instagram expressing how the late Abloh had changed the fashion industry.

He added, His achievements wont just live on. They will continue to evolve, because we are only seeing the beginning of his impact on the creative industries and surrounding world.
HAZLET, NJ - Contact tracing in Hazlet schools will remain after the statewide mask mandate in schools is lifted on March 7, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Scott Ridley said in a video announcement to parents.

In the video dated March 1, Ridley noted that close contacts of COVID-19 positive individuals in the district will continue to be identified. However, quarantining of students will no longer be required after March 7, as long as identified close contacts report no symptoms.

Hazlet students and staff can continue to wear masks and choose to quarantine if exposed.

Other districts such as Howell Public Schools elected to nix contact tracing efforts last month, according to a letter penned to parents from Howell superintendent Joseph Isola. Read more: Howell Schools Are No Longer Contact Tracing COVID-19 Cases

Masks are no longer required in Hazlet schools as of March 7, per Gov. Phil Murphys announcement last month. Yet, although the governors spokesperson says that districts should require masking on school transportation through March 7, Ridley noted that the district is recommending not requiring masks to be worn through Friday, March 4, in accordance with CDC guidelines updated Friday.

"School districts should continue to require masking on buses until March 7, when the state's in-school mandate ends. We are pleased that the federal government has taken action that will align bus protocol with the mask requirement for New Jersey schools," Murphy spokeswoman Alyana Alfaro told Patch.

Related: School Bus Mask Mandate Dropped: What Does It Mean For NJ Kids?

Ridley also noted that the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the district has plummeted from over 100 across eight schools in early January to just 6 cases last week.

Additionally, the central Jersey area, which spent nearly two months in the highly-dangerous red zone of the COVID-19 activity level report, has been downgraded to the moderate yellow zone: a significant reduction in terms of activity.

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The full protocol can be found in the districts safe return to in-person learning plan.

It hasnt been easy, and it certainly hasnt been quick, Ridley said. Though, as the weather turns warmer, it does appear that we are heading in a good direction during the days and weeks ahead.

View the full video announcement below:

This article originally appeared on the Holmdel-Hazlet Patch
When a protester heckled Massachusetts voting rights activist Beth Huang last month thinking she was Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, it was already Huangs third or fourth run-in with someone who had mistaken her for Wu, the citys first nonwhite mayor.

People confuse me and lots of other Asian women for Michelle Wu, said Huang, the executive director of the Massachusetts Voter Table. Theyve confused a state rep of Vietnamese descent to be Michelle Wu. Theyve confused a state rep of Korean descent to be Michelle Wu. They must think that Michelle Wu is literally all over the place all the time.

For Huang and other Asian Americans around the country, such incidents tend to crop up quietly in daily life. This one happened to make headlines, she said, because it occurred so publicly at a news conference.

An ABC World News Tonight broadcast last month misidentified New York City community organizer Grace Lee as Michelle Go, an Asian American woman who was pushed in front of a subway train in January, in its coverage of a vigil for Christina Yuna Lee, another Asian American woman who was killed in her apartment.

An ABC spokesperson said the network realized the mistake immediately and corrected it before the show aired anywhere else. In a statement to the Asian American Journalists Association, it said the misidentification was an unfortunate technical error, not one born from insensitivity.

During its coverage of this years Super Bowl, NBC also misidentified the country singer Mickey Guyton as the R&B singer Jhene Aiko during a preshow performance. NBC Sports apologized on Twitter and didnt respond to requests for further comment. NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC News, NBC Asian America and NBC Sports.

Every time that happens, its not intentional. Or I assume its not intentional, Huang said of her misidentification experiences. But it does make me think that, often, we are not perceived to be as valuable as individual leaders.

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Simple errors like those usually occur without malice, experts say. But Asian Americans are familiar with a painful history of exclusion in the U.S. that has repeatedly stripped them of their individuality, and many see a pattern in the ignorance that enables such mistakes to occur so frequently today.

Although Asian communities have populated the country since the 1800s, public hostility pushed them, as well as other non-Asian ethnic groups, to form cultural enclaves like Chinatowns. Legislation throughout the latter half of the 19th century, such as the Page Act and the Chinese Exclusion Act, further stereotyped Chinese people into a single category.

Asian immigrants initially were portrayed as cheap, dispensable labor. As more arrived in the country, caricatures associated with the Yellow Peril depicted them as a threat to the West.

The inability to separate Asian people from their races and perceived nationalities then grew starker as the U.S. entered wars against Asian countries. From the incarceration of Japanese Americans without trial during World War II to the lumping together of various Asian ethnicities during the Korean and Vietnam wars, experts said, such conflicts contributed to the homogenization of Asian Americans.

Americans were able to separate Nazis from Germans, whereas many Americans werent able were able to separate Vietnamese communists from the Vietnamese in general, said Scott Wong, a professor of Asian American history at Williams College. Or they couldnt make the distinction between soldiers in Japan and Japanese Americans. You had to almost show an allegiance to Hitler or Mussolini for you to be interned during the Second World War if youre German or Italian.

While that phenomenon might sometimes be attributed to the cross-race effect  the tendency for people of all races to more easily recognize faces of their own race  Wong said its prevalence when applied to Asian Americans is rooted in that perpetual foreignization throughout U.S. history.

Many Americans, for the longest time, did not grow up seeing Asian people, Wong said. Its not an excuse now, because theres a lot of Asians in the country, but its a legacy of exclusion and then segregation.

People today probably arent conscious of that context when they mistake one Asian person for another, Wong said. While theres nothing malicious about such incidents now, he said, they are a product of habitual American negligence in learning to distinguish between different Asian people and groups.

Ever since the civil rights activist Mia Ives-Rublee gained national prominence for her work in disability justice, she began seeing herself tagged on social media as one of several other Asian American women in the field. The same happens to them in return, she said.

Mia Ives-Rublee. (Courtesy Mia Ives-Rublee)

Such mistakes occur so frequently that when someone requested her for a speaking engagement, Ives-Rublee wasnt sure whether theyd reached out to the right person. She said the constant instances of mistaken identity have made her feel almost like a fraud.

Its just been a frustrating experience, particularly when we hit a certain milestone and get mistaken for somebody else, she said. It just takes some of the joy out of the hard work that we put in. Like, is my work making the impact that I think it is if people cant even tell the difference between me and other people?

DongWon Song, a literary agent based in New York City, said they get mistaken for one of a handful of prominent Asian American literary agents at least once during every professional conference they attend, even though they often are of other nationalities and have distinctly different physical traits.

DongWon Song. (Courtesy DongWon Song)

It just felt very racially charged as a result, said Song, who uses they/them pronouns. I think people misunderstand the term microaggression in a lot of ways, because the micro doesnt apply to the impact.

Regardless of intent, they said, instances like those can feel just as dehumanizing as more overtly racist aggressions: It becomes clear that the perpetrator is upholding an internal projection of who they are rather than engaging with them as an individual.

Its going to sound like a big leap, but all those tiny little moments are what make it possible for someone to push someone on the subway tracks without thinking of them as a person or to attack a lady in the street, Song said. Until people realize they are complicit in that exact same system, whether its making fun of my name or getting my pronouns wrong or thinking Im literally another person, all those things are designed to remove my humanity and agency in a way that enables violence.

Such honest mistakes are part of a longstanding pattern of violence against Asian Americans. When two men murdered Vincent Chin in Michigan in 1982, they were looking to take out their anger against the Japanese car industry. Chin, a Chinese American man, became the target of a hate crime against an ethnic group he didnt belong to.

Lok Siu, an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in Asian diaspora studies, said racist characterizations have repeatedly linked Asian Americans through similar stereotypes and that people view and understand Asian Americans only through those lenses when they dont make efforts to familiarize themselves with other ethnic groups.

So you have these different moments of mistaken identities for particular targeted groups that were really just mistakes, Siu said. But theyre mistakes that they dont care about, because its not about the people theyre attacking. Its really about expressing their rage against a group or against somebody.

Just as health officials in the late 1800s falsely linked Chinatowns to the spread of disease by blaming Chinese Americans for smallpox and cholera outbreaks, Chinese Americans in 2020 once again became scapegoats for the Covid-19 pandemic.

And against the background of tense U.S. relations with China, Siu said, recent government targeting of Chinese scientists is another modern-day manifestation of fear born from the inability to recognize the individuality of Asian Americans.

When all members of a diverse race of people are viewed as one, one ethnic groups being targeted can mean any ethnic groups being targeted. The violence against Asian Americans, particularly East Asians, as a result of recent anti-China discourse isnt surprising, Siu said, because its a product of the same phenomenon that has plagued those communities for nearly two centuries.

Its not a one-off. Its not anomalous. Its part of a historical process, Siu said. And you see this emerging again in this moment, but you see the same thing.
Dave Chappelles Pilot Boy Productions is investing in the subscription podcast platform Luminary behind his podcast The Midnight Miracle amid an executive shake-up that will see Rishi Malhotra take over as Luminarys CEO.

Malhotra will succeed Simon Sutton, the former HBO president who has served as Luminarys CEO since 2019. Sutton had informed the Luminary board that he was leaving his position at the end of 2021, according to an announcement from the company on Tuesday, but he will remain on the board.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Terms of Chappelles investment in Luminary were not disclosed, but the comedians production company will have a seat on Luminarys board of directors as part of the deal. Ben Jealous, a civil rights leader who was formerly the CEO and president of the NAACP, will represent Pilot Boy Productions on Luminarys board.

I chose Luminary because they value artists and share my vision for reimagining audio content, Chappelle said Tuesday. The Midnight Miracle and our unique format is changing the podcast experience.

Malhotra was most recently the co-founder and CEO of JioSaavn, an Indian music streaming service. From 2003 to 2008, he was vp multiplatform program marketing at HBO, managing promotion for HBO programming across platforms and helping build HBO On Demand.

We are going beyond subscriptions to deliver products that connect fans more uniquely to creators. Im honored to work with the exceptional team and talent partners at the company, Malhotra said in a statement. We are at a crossroads of shaping new media that entertains, educates and elevates us.

Click here to read the full article.
Mario Tama

The National Park Service approved a permit late Monday evening for a right-wing protest slated to occur in Washington, D.C. midday Tuesday ahead of President Joe Bidens State of the Union address, according to documents reviewed by The Daily Beast.

In the permit applicationfirst filed back on February 18 for the Stage of Freedom event with the National Park Service and later obtained by The Daily BeastKyle Sefcik, the rally organizer, touted that upwards of 3,000 individuals might hopefully attend the event.

However, the now-issued park permit has since revised the initial 3,000 attendee prediction downward, with the number now fewer than 500 participants who will gather besides the Washington Monument at the Sylvan Theater.

Permittee has amended his application to reduce the expected maximum crowd size to less than 500 attendees, the approved and edited permit now states.

Banned Militias Are Sneaking Back on Facebook to Grift Off the DC Trucker Convoy

As for what activities are on the agenda, the organizer listed on the permit that rally-goers during the eight-hour-long gathering will partake in Peaceful Demonstration/Assembly! Christian Music/Speakers against mandates. Support of Convoys in Canada. Lifting mandates in DC/USA.

Furthermore, on the original application, Sefcik took the unusual route of responding to questions on the government form with his own questions in extremely messy handwriting.

To one of the questions on the application about what tasks volunteers might perform, the organizer responded, Do we need them?

As for responding to questions with more questions, Sefcik told The Daily Beast late Monday that he didnt see the problem. Ya, I wanted to see if we needed certain people, he said while claiming that he has done events my whole life, huge ones.

Sefcikwho is an MMA fighter and Maryland gubernatorial hopefulwent on to dodge the question about the number of people who will be attending his gathering ahead of additional trucker convoys slated to arrive in the city later this week.

Story continues

D.C. Truck Convoy Organizers Plan Sputters Like a Busted Engine

Brother, all I can say is that we both know that it was seen by a lot of people in the United States, and Im not talking numbers, but lets just say I know that people will be there, he said. Lets just say, I know there will be people there, he added while proudly claiming his event was making authorities in Washington nervous.

Update on Protest in DC and Convoys pic.twitter.com/ekd6mUSIWx  Kyle Sefcik (@KyleSefcikForMD) February 28, 2022

I have never had to work that hard on a permit before, he continued. No, I am serious, man. I spent like 20 hours just in the last two weeks alone having meetings with them [The National Park Service] and every kind of government agency because I was number one on their list.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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NEW YORK  Even before the Nets first superstar got injured and their second superstar forced a trade, home games in Barclays Center were a civic embarrassment. Rowdy local teenagers rained M-V-P chants on Steph Curry in November; a half-full arena worshipped LeBron James every move when the Lakers visited in January. As a resident of one of the neighborhoods surrounding the Barclays Center, I can attest that, in an area largely bereft of conspicuous basketball fandom, whatever faint NBA team spirit does exist around these parts comes in the form of Julius Randle or LeBron jerseys.

And it only got worse from there.

Kevin Durant got hurt and James Harden forced his way out of town, and home games went from cringeworthy to noncompetitive disgrace. The Raptors cruised to a 36-point blowout at Barclays on Monday night, barely raising eyebrows because getting torched by the likes of Scottie Barnes is a regular occurrence in Brooklyn now. The loss dropped the Nets to 13-17 at home. Without the unvaccinated Kyrie Irving to shoulder any of the load, theyve won a single home game in the last six weeks.

As a title contender collapses, everyone has strapped on the hot dog suit as they scour the the barren Earth for the culprit.

Mayor Eric Adams says its his predecessors fault that Irving cant play at home. Hes implied that Bill de Blasios Boston roots led him to create the tortured vaccine mandates that allow unvaccinated players from visiting teams but not New York ones. I think the rule is unfair, Adams said last month. We are saying to out-of-town athletes that they can come in and not be vaccinated, yet New York athletes, you have to be vaccinated ... Im not sure if a Boston fan created this rule, I dont know.

The degree to which Adams is joking becomes less clear as he keeps bringing it up, harping on it on the same day that he announced his pending repeal of the rule in question.

Makes no sense, and I dont know who thought about putting such a ridiculous rule in place, he said, of away teams can come and play when our teams from New York (cant), but these are the rules, and I have to  I have to follow the rules.

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But the Key2NYC is gone as of next week, and Adams doesnt have to follow the rules; he makes them. And anyway, there are perhaps a small handful of unvaccinated NBA players remaining, and none of them are remotely as consequential to their teams as Irving. In reality, there is no competitive advantage for road teams able to bring in unvaccinated players, unless youre really jealous that the other team gets to use Justin Holiday while Irving sits.

The other Nets players say they can carry the load without Irving and passive-aggressively blame Harden, blaming his toxic disinterest for the teams losing ways. After winning their first home game with Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, who came north in the Harden trade, the players Irving has hung out to dry threw an ostentatious celebration for the medias benefit, then proclaimed everything was better. The locker room is just a great vibe in there right now, Bruce Brown said after the Feb. 14 win over the Kings at Barclays. I dont know what it is. Everything just shifted after the trade deadline. Everybody likes everybody, its just great. That was the first home win for the Nets in a month; it would be their last for at least three weeks, as they havent won in Brooklyn since.

Harden has looked tremendous as a 76er since pouting his way out of Brooklyn, and hes been mocked for the hamstring tightness and strength deficit that appeared miraculously healed once he was paired with Joel Embiid. But this was no normal NBA divorce. Irving explicitly told the world that whatever value he sees in remaining unvaccinated was more important than winning a ring with Harden.

Im not bringing science into basketball, he said in his latest testy exchange with a reporter about the issue. Im just saying to everybody: Im human, I have decisions to make. I have a family to take care of. There are things that are just as important to me as being great at the game of basketball or leaving a legacy.

Fine, but who can blame Harden for not wanting Irvings other priorities to get in the way of his title chase, especially when those priorities are complete nonsense?

Irving himself is the king of the blame game, muddling the situation more than anyone else has. Hes blamed the league and players union for giving him false assurances that they could find a loophole for his unprickable skin.

The NBA and the NBPA made it very clear that there would be things that I would be able to do to work around this, he said last month. And thats off the table.

He called an ESPN reporter a puppeteer for having the audacity to ask if injuries to Durant and Harden increased his urgency to get vaccinated. And he blamed Adams and de Blasio. Im the only player that has to deal with this in New York City because I play there. We have Eric Adams, we have the New York mandate, we have things going on that are real-life circumstances that are not just affecting me, bro.

No. Irving is the only player that has to deal with this because hes the only player in New York who wont get vaccinated. Amid the finger-pointing festival in Brooklyn, its not more complicated than that. The desperate search for the perfect person to blame or the perfect loophole for Irving have obscured his agency here. The Nets are a disaster because Irving is only partially available, and Irving is only partially available because he refuses to take a vaccine. This started with one mans decision to refuse a shot, and it could end in the time it takes a needle to enter an arm.
DirecTV FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images

DirecTV is officially taking the Russian-backed network RT off the air.

Amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the company said Tuesday it will no longer offer the channel RT America.

"In line with our previous agreement with RT America, we are accelerating this year's contract expiration timeline and will no longer offer their programming effective immediately," the company said, per Axios.

It was a "major blow to the network's reach in" the United States, CNN noted, as DirecTV was one of only two major U.S. carriers that offered RT. The other is DISH, which hasn't said whether it may also drop RT, but a company spokesperson told CNN that it's "closely monitoring the situation."

Earlier on Tuesday, Google announced it would block YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe effective immediately. "Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action," Google Europe said. Meta also announced it was blocking the Russian-backed channels across the European Union "given the exceptional nature of the current situation," and the National Association of Broadcasters on Tuesday called on broadcasters to drop any Russian state-sponsored programing. "We believe that our nation must stand fully united against misinformation and for freedom and democracy across the globe," the group said.

In the U.K, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week that the media regulator Ofcom was reviewing RT's broadcast license. Opposition leader Keir Starmer argued it should not be allowed on television, saying, "Russia Today is [Vladimir Putin's] personal propaganda tool. I can see no reason why it should be allowed to continue to broadcast in this country." On Monday, Ofcom said it had opened "15 new investigations into the due impartiality of" RT, with Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes saying, "Given the scale and gravity of the crisis in Ukraine, audiences expect to be able to trust and rely on duly impartial broadcast news."

Story continues

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A day after Gov. J.B. Pritzker lifted the mask mandate at Illinois schools, a downstate attorney asked an Illinois judge to halt the COVID-19 masking requirement at Chicago Public Schools  one of only a handful of districts in the state still enforcing the practice.

Tom DeVore, who recently launched a bid for the states Republican nomination for attorney general, filed a motion Tuesday with Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow requesting a temporary restraining order, arguing the children of Chicago parents who filed a lawsuit against the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health are suffering continuing harm.

Each is being subjected to wearing a mask as a type of quarantine without being provided their rights of due process, DeVore said in the motion.

While new federal COVID-19 guidance prompted Pritzker to halt the school mask mandate, CPS officials said universal masking still will be enforced as part of a COVID-19 safety agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union.

DeVores latest effort to halt the CPS mask mandate also arrives after the Illinois Supreme Court last week declined to hear the case, vacating a prior temporary restraining order and sending the lawsuit challenging the mandate back to Grischow.

On Tuesday, DeVore said the high court vacated the prior order halting the mask mandate because it wasnt needed anymore, after a bipartisan panel of lawmakers last month refused to renew the IDPH guidance, and an appellate court rendered the issue moot.

While some of the CPS students whose parents filed the lawsuit were allowed in their classrooms without a mask last month, DeVore said his clients alerted him yesterday that has changed, and CPS has now forced their children to wear masks.

CPS is still continuing to push the envelope on masks as long they can, said DeVore, who will take his case before Grischow at a March 10 hearing.

CPS and CTU officials were not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

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But earlier this week, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez reminded families in a letter that universal masking is still required in all of its schools and offices for now.

CPS is working with our labor and public health partners on how to preserve a safe, healthy learning environment for all as we transition into this new phase of the pandemic, Martinez said.

Officials with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, one of the states largest teachers unions, which includes the CTU, said in a Tuesday statement that educators are grateful for Governor Pritzkers leadership throughout the pandemic ensuring that science, not politics, has informed guidance.

It has been a long two years, but there is finally light at the end of the COVID tunnel, IFT President Dan Montgomery said, adding no one should be pressured into unmasking. These last two years have taught us that we must protect each other and that we all have a duty to protect our most vulnerable populations.

By far the largest school district in Illinois, CPS enrolls nearly 340,000 students at 626 schools, with roughly 80% of students from low-income families, according to the Illinois Report Card for the 2020-2021 school year.

Chicago Tribune reporter Tracy Swartz contributed.

kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Maks Chmerkovskiy

Michael Loccisano/Getty Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Dancing With the Stars alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy has made it out of his native Ukraine on a train amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the European country.

Chmerkovskiy shared he was "hopefully" en route to Warsaw, the capital of Poland, in an Instagram Story on Monday, noting he was in an overcrowded train cabin with four other adults and seven children.

"Train to Lviv was not an option," the dance pro wrote. "The situation at the train station is insane. At first it feels manageable, but it gets A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train. Long story but all I can say now is that I'm a big man with nothing but a backpack it's TRAUMATIZING."

Chmerkovskiy added that his cabin, carrying 12 people total, himself included, is intended for a maximum of three, writing, "There's usually up to 30 people in this particular wagon. We were told we have to fit 135. Walkways are packed. People everywhere. It's sweaty and claustrophobic."

Maks Chmerkovskiy

maksimc/Instagram Maksim Chmerkovskiy shares an update on Instagram Story

Chmerkovskiy recently returned to Ukraine to host the country's iteration of World of Dance. When Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops stormed into the capital city of Kyiv on Feb. 24, Chmerkovskiy documented much of the disorder on Instagram, sharing videos of siren sounds and most recently, a video of unarmed Ukrainian civilians confronting Russian tanks.

"I will never be the same," Chmerkovskiy captioned one of his earlier videos. "This is stressful and I'm getting old feelings back, like I've done this before. This does feel like the way it was when and why we left in the '90s. Like my old PTSD I've finally fixed is coming back."

Putin has spent the last few months moving his troops toward the border of Ukraine, but Chmerkovskiy said it was difficult to fathom that the president would actually invade, noting, "Not that no one saw this coming, but that we hoped the finality of this situation would be averted, that there would not be these kind of aggressive measures.

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In another video, Chmerkovskiy reflected on the privilege of his particular situation, noting that he has a passport and a "way out" when other Ukrainians could not say the same.

"I'm very scared and don't know what words to use, but I do know that at the very least I have a chance," he said. "I have a passport and a way out. A lot of people do not, and it's f---ing nonsense. I love Ukraine, it's an incredible pleasure to spend six months now on the ground. I fell back in love. I know now who these people are, what this country is, and what it stands for. It is totally not what is being portrayed to the Russian people in order to justify this invasion."

Related content:
STORY: Audience members watched the show in awe, with many children attending the circus for the first time in their lives.

"The show is wonderful, and the children are very happy, said one audience member.

The Gamal al-Helo circus first performed in Baghdad in 1997, but hasnt been back since due to the successive wars and conflicts that overtook the country. But director of the show, Kamila al-Helo, said they were eager to return to the Iraqi audience.

The Egyptian troupe is set to perform for over a month in Iraq.
Authorities have arrested an Emmetsburg man and charged him with murder for the 2020 death of a man whose body was pulled from a northwestern Iowa lake.

Brice Patrick Colling, 22, was arrested Monday night on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 27-year-old Rollin Bontrager, of Washington, the Palo Alto County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

Bontrager's body was pulled from Virgin Lake near Ruthven, on July 22, 2020. An autopsy showed he had been severely beaten.

Colling is the second person charged in the case. In August 2020, authorities arrested Allan Michael Schwidder, who pleaded guilty last March to second-degree murder in Bontragers death.

Schwidder was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison. As part of his sentencing, Schwidder said he and Bontrager had been fishing when the two began fighting. Schwidder said that during the fight, Colling hit Bontrager in the head with a bolt cutter. Bontrager fell to the ground, and Schwidder and another man continued to hit and kick Bontrager, Schwidder said.

While Bontrager was unresponsive on the ground, Colling hit him a second time with the bolt cutter, Schwidder said. Schwidder said he then checked for a pulse. When he found none, he and the others threw Bontrager into the water, he said.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Second man arrested in 2020 killing of 27-year-old Rollin Bontrager
Cynthia Jo Heath, 47, was found dead Thursday, Feb. 24, in her home at 701 W. Bucyrus St., Crestline.

CRESTLINE  Police have arrested a second man wanted as part of their investigation into a Crestline woman's homicide last week.

Eugene "Jimmy" Flinders, Jr., 33, of Mansfield, was arrested Tuesday morning as he was walking along Clink Boulevard in Crestline, said Jeffrey Shook, chief of the Crestline Police Department. Flinders already had a warrant out for his arrest in an unrelated case.

"He's being detained and we're trying to figure out our next steps with him," Shook said Tuesday morning. He said Flinders is not considered a suspect in the death of Cynthia Jo Heath, 47, 701 W. Bucyrus St., Crestline.

Where did Eugene "Jimmy" Flinders, Jr. live?

Flinders' last known address is 244 E. Arch Street, Mansfield. Police believe Flinders once lived with family members at 711 W. Bucyrus Street in Crestline.

Robert Pinyerd, 40, who had been living with the victim, was sought by police after Heath's body was found in her home Thursday evening. Pinyerd was arrested in Mansfield on Friday, according to police.

Police initially said Heath died of "unnatural causes" and have since characterized her death as a homicide.

Crestline: Man sought in connection with Crestline woman's death arrested in Mansfield

When were police officers called?

Officers were called to Heath's home at 9:08 p.m. Thursday when family members entering the home found her body, according to the news release.

Police had been asked to check the home earlier in the day, but "couldn't see anything out of the ordinary," Crestline Police Chief Jeffrey Shook said.

News Journal subscribers make this coverage possible. Support our work and get a special offer of 6 months for just $1 ($9.99 a month after) at offers.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/specialoffer.

"They thought that something was going on and they were concerned about her well-being," he said of family members. "They decided to check in on her because our victim wasn't there to get her daughter off of the bus."

Story continues

ODNR: Lotteries open through March for special ODNR hunting and fishing opportunities statewide

Anyone who has any information surrounding Heath's death is asked to contact Det. Jason Kitzmiller at 419-683-2222 or 419-295-3075. Tipsters also can email Kitzmiller at jkitzmiller@crestlineoh.com or the chief at jshook@crestlineoh.com.

ztuggle@gannett.com

419-564-3508

Twitter: @zachtuggle

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield man arrested in Crestline; death investigation continues
Lupita Nyong'o. Samir Hussein / Getty Images

Lupita Nyong'o has been in 12 feature films  10 have a score above 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In honor of Nyongo's 39th birthday on March 1, we've ranked all her movies, according to critics.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, "Black Panther" takes the top spot.

The lowest-rated film of Nyong'o's career is 2022's spy thriller "The 355."

"The 355." Universal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%

Nyong'o plays a British MI6 agent named Khadijah Adiyeme in "The 355," a film about four international female spies teaming up to take down an evil villain played by Jason Flemyng.

As Mashable's Kristy Puchko wrote, "If you've ever seen a mediocre action movie with a surprisingly stacked cast, then you've basically seen this."

Next up is 2019's "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," in which she reprises her role as Maz Kanata.

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 52%

In "Rise of Skywalker," the much-maligned conclusion of the Skywalker Saga and one of two "rotten" films in her career, Nyong'o plays Maz once again, in a larger role than "Last Jedi," but not as big as "The Force Awakens."

"Even as 'The Rise of Skywalker's' characters claim their ultimate triumph, the film feels clumsy, hurried, and above all, like an admission of creative defeat," wrote Polygon's Tasha Robinson.

A few weeks before she'd win an Oscar, the 2014 thriller "Non-Stop" premiered, featuring Nyong'o in a small role as a flight attendant.

"Non-Stop." Universal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 62%

In "Non-Stop," Liam Neeson plays Bill Marks, an alcoholic US air marshal, who is blackmailed by a would-be suicide bomber aboard the plane. Nyong'o has a small role as a flight attendant named Gwen.

"The filmmaking is playful without feeling jokey, the narrative stuffed with fun complications," wrote Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader.

Nyong'o plays a kindergarten teacher dealing with a zombie apocalypse in 2019's "Little Monsters."

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"Little Monsters." Neon; Hulu

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

In "Little Monsters," Nyong'o stars as Miss Caroline, a lovely kindergarten teacher, opposite Alexander England as Dave, a washed-up musician who is forced to live with his sister and nephew, and Josh Gad as Teddy McGiggle, a popular children's musician. The three adults are left to fend for themselves and Miss Caroline's class when a zombie outbreak runs rampant across the US.

"The reason to see this is Nyong'o. A kind of zombie-killing version of Julie Andrews in a sunny yellow dress, the US star proves you can defeat anything with a positive attitude and some 'Tay Tay on your uke-y,'" wrote Metro's Larushka Ivan-Zadeh.

She narrated the 2021 documentary "Who are You, Charlie Brown?"

"Who Are You, Charlie Brown?" Apple TV+

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

"Who Are You, Charlie Brown?" is an Apple TV+ documentary, which was released in June 2021. It focuses on the "Charlie Brown" creator Charles "Sparky" Schulz. Nyong'o narrated the film, directed by Michael Bonfiglio.

"'Who Are You, Charlie Brown?' is a love letter to not just [Schulz], but to the very particular kind of humanity that his cast of children embodied, none more so than the long-suffering but always hopeful Charlie Brown himself," said Alexandra Heller-Nicholas of ABC Radio.

In 2017, Nyong'o once again played Maz Kanata in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Maz's appearance in "The Last Jedi" is essentially a glorified cameo  when main characters Finn and Rose are looking for someone to help them disable the villainous First Order's tracking device, they call up Maz, and she directs them to a casino in the city Canto Bight, setting up their plot in the film.

"Rian Johnson's middle chapter in the current 'Star Wars' trilogy is the epic you've been looking for. Capped by Mark Hamill in the performance of his career, it points the way ahead to a next generation of skywalkers  and, thrillingly, to a new hope," wrote Peter Travers for Rolling Stone.

But her first appearance as the character was in 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

In "The Force Awakens," Maz is presented as the owner and operator of a tavern on the planet Takodana. She's established as an ancient being, a former pirate and smuggler, close friend of Han Solo and Chewbacca, and supporter of the Resistance.

"'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' honors the series and takes it in exciting new directions. Both The Millennium Falcon and millennials, it would seem, are in good hands," wrote Baltimore Magazine's Max Weiss.

Many thought Nyong'o's double performance in 2019's "Us" deserved an Oscar.

"Us." Universal

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

In Jordan Peele's chilling follow-up to "Get Out," Nyong'o pulls double duty as the seemingly normal Adelaide Wilson, who, along with her family, are targeted by doppelganger versions of themselves. Adelaide's doppelganger (called a "tethered" in the film) is named Red. But all is not what it seems in Adelaide's history.

"The real genius at work in 'Us' is Nyong'o, who anchors the story with underlying rage as well as the protective qualities usually reserved for male leads," wrote critic Jourdain Searles.

She played the mother of a chess prodigy in the 2016 film "Queen of Katwe."

"Queen of Katwe." Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

"Queen of Katwe" follows 10-year-old Phiona living in Uganda with her mother, Nakku. When her family can't afford to send her to school anymore, Phiona meets Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) at a missionary program. He begins to teach her chess, and before long, Phiona is competing at an international level.

"Oyelowo and Nyong'o's performances temper the film with heart-wrenching emotion. And Mira Nair's touching portrait of Katwe's inspiring young queen with a dream is one to remember," wrote Candice Frederick of Reel Talk Online.

The actress lent her voice talents to the 2016 live-action "Jungle Book" remake as Raksha, Mowgli's adopted mom.

"The Jungle Book." Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Nyong'o's version of Raksha, the wolf who adopts Mowgli, a human, after he's left behind in the jungle, plays a larger role in the 2016 remake than she does in the original 1967 animated film. In the remake, she's seen throughout as a mother figure to Mowgli as he deals with the various issues of being a "man-cub" in a jungle surrounded by foes.

Slashfilm's Angie Han put it simply: "A must-see spectacle."

Nyong'o won her first Oscar for her breakout role in 2013's "12 Years a Slave."

"12 Years a Slave." Fox Searchlight Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

In "12 Years a Slave," Nyong'o plays Patsey, a slave who bonds with the film's protagonist Solomon (also called Platt), while he is held as a slave at a Georgian plantation. Patsey is subjected to many horrors throughout the film, including rape, mental abuse, and brutal punishment.

"'12 Years a Slave' isn't simply a masterpiece, it's a milestone. This, at last, really is history written with lightning," wrote the Daily Telegraph's Robbie Collin.

The best-reviewed film of her career thus far is 2018's groundbreaking superhero film "Black Panther," in which she played the spy Nakia.

Nakia and T'Challa's sister Shuri in Black Panther. Marvel

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

While "Black Panther" is mainly the story of T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his struggles with how to rightfully lead his country, Wakanda, Nyong'o's Nakia is an essential part of the film. Nakia, T'Challa's ex, is a hero in her own way  she works as a spy, supports T'Challa and his family, and is one of the few who pushes him to open up Wakanda to the rest of the world. Expect her to play a big role in "Black Panther 2."

"'Black Panther' lived up to the hype," wrote Lawrence Ware of The New York Times.

Read the original article on Insider
The Palm House hotel building at 160 Royal Palm Way in Palm Beach was photographed a few years ago when it was shuttered and mired in bankruptcy proceedings and other legal entanglements. A new owner has the hotel under renovation.

Longtime attorney and former Palm Beach resident Leslie R. Evans has been given a pathway to avoid a criminal fraud trial in Connecticut and, potentially, to have all charges against him dropped in his long-simmering criminal case related to the former owner of the Palm House hotel property in Palm Beach, a federal judge has ruled.

The case, filed nearly four years ago, involved the fraudulent transfer of money between accounts in Florida and Connecticut, according to prosecutors in the U.S. Attorneys office for the District of Connecticut.

In April 2018, Evans pleaded not guilty in a Bridgeport courtroom to multiple charges that included wire fraud, bank fraud, illegal monetary transactions and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.

Mr. Evans is tremendously pleased with the resolution (and) that all charges will be dismissed, said a brief statement emailed Monday to the Palm Beach Daily News by Miami attorney Samuel A. Stern, who is representing Evans.

Former Palm Beach resident Leslie R. Evans enters a pretrial diversion program

Jury selection in Evans trial had been scheduled to begin April 4, but Connecticut District Judge Victor A. Bolden canceled it via an order recorded last week. The coronavirus pandemic already had delayed the trial for nearly two years because Connecticut federal courts suspended in-person jury trials in response to the health crisis.

Attorney Leslie R. Evans, a former Palm Beach resident, is pursuing a court-sanctioned program through which all charges related to his Palm House criminal fraud case could be dropped.

The judge instead agreed to allow Evans to enter a pretrial diversion program through a joint agreement between Evans; one of his attorneys; New Haven-based U.S. Attorney Leonard C. Boyle; and Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont Jr.

Under such programs, defendants who abide by certain provisions during a specified time period can have their charges dismissed.

The specific provisions of the program that Evans would participate in were still being worked out, according to the most recent court filings.

If officials cannot create a satisfactory program for Evans  or if he doesnt agree to the conditions of the program or fails to meet its requirements  judicial proceedings will once again commence against him, court documents show.

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I fully understand the requirements of the Program as well as the advantages resulting to me from my successful completion of the Program, Evans said in a waiver he signed and filed with the court on Feb. 22. It was co-signed by Coral Gables attorney Neil G. Taylor, who also is representing Evans. The document was dated Feb. 11.

Taylor declined to discuss the case, and Stern said he had nothing to add to his emailed statement. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys office in Connecticut also would not comment about the proposed agreement.

Hotel property sold: Long-dormant Palm House hotel property sells for nearly $40 million in Palm Beach

Other defendants have pleaded guilty to charges

Other defendants have pleaded guilty to various charges in the fraud case, including former de facto Palm House owner and developer Robert V. Matthews; his brother, Gerry Matthews; and Palm House construction executive Nicholas Laudano.

Robert Matthews also pleaded guilty to one count of felony tax evasion, as did Maria Mia Sneden Matthews. It was the sole charge against her brought by prosecutors. The Palm Beach Daily News could not determine if the couple is still married.

None of those who pleaded guilty has been sentenced and all are free on bail.

Evans also has been free on bond since his arrest in March 2018.

Evans at one point was Robert Matthews real estate attorney and represented him in transactions related to the Palm House property at 160 Royal Palm Way, court records show. Construction on a multi-year renovation project at the property halted abruptly in October 2014, and the project later ended up in bankruptcy court amid a tangle of other legal actions.

Pleading in Connecticut: Palm House developer Robert V. Matthews pleads guilty in fraud case

Former Palm House developer Robert V. Matthews in 2019 pleaded guilt to felony fraud, money-laudering and tax evasion charges in a U.S. district court in Connecticut. He is awaiting sentencing.

In March 2019, a bankruptcy judge in West Palm Beach approved a $39.6 million sale of the Palm House property to a company affiliated with London + Regional Properties, which has the hotel under renovation.

In March 2018, Evans and Robert Matthews were taken into custody at their Palm Beach homes. Both of those houses have since been sold.

Shortly after the two men were arrested, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Connecticut released a statement about the case that referred to funds collected from foreign investors through a federal program known as EB-5 and earmarked for the renovation of the Palm House project. Under the program, immigration officials expedited permanent immigration visas  commonly known as green cards  for qualified foreigners who invested in construction projects that created U.S. jobs.

Robert Matthews and others used EB-5 funding for purposes not related to the (Palm House) project, including for Robert Matthews personal gain, the U.S. Attorneys Office statement said about the charges alleged in a grand jury indictment.

Big plans: Exec says new owner will turn Palm Beachs Palm House into spectacular destination hotel

Under new ownership: Palm House hotel reopening in the works, Palm Beach officials told

A long time coming: Palm Beach board OKs architecture for re-do of Palm House hotel

A portion of the indictment described a 2014 real estate transaction involving a house in Washington Depot, Connecticut. Robert Matthews along with conspirators, agents and others illegally purchased the Washington Depot house in foreclosure using EB-5 money, the indictment said.

The purchase of the property in Washington Depot was made through a straw company, NJL Development Group LLC, under Laudanos control, according to the indictment.

As part of last weeks filings, Evans signed a statement of agreed facts that outlined how Robert Matthews, Laudano and others worked to purchase the property in Washington Depot for Matthews benefit. Evans statement said that at some point he learned that Matthews had lost the house to foreclosure and that Laudano had planned to purchase the residence as a straw buyer for Matthews.

The statement continued: To help effectuate this sale, Mr. Evans signed and sent (an emailed) letter dated February 3, 2014, to a company, Auction.com, who was working to sell the property on behalf of the bank that had foreclosed on the property, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank.

Evans emailed letter in 2014 stated our firm is in receipt of cleared funds for $2.75 million from Nick Laudano/NJL Development Group, LLC, according to the the statement filed last week. As part of the transaction, Evans quoted email said, we will be wiring $136,237.50 to counsel representing the bank.

The grand jury indictment said $136,237.50 was the amount intended for the down payment of the property in Washington Depot.

Evans acknowledged in his statement filed last week that he has never represented Laudano or NJL Development Group LLC nor did his firm receive cleared funds for $2.75 million from Laudano or NJL Development Group LLC.

Mr. Evans did not form any corporation or act as a signatory for any corporation on Laudanos behalf related to the Lower Church Hill Road property, nor did he receive any payment related to the property, the statement filed last week said.

But Evans did wire $136,237.50 to the attorney for the bank, the same statement said.

At the time of his arrest in 2018, Evans was represented by attorney Stanley A. Twardy Jr. of Stamford, Connecticut. We believe that the government has misconstrued Mr. Evans' role in the Palm House, and he looks forward to his day in court to vindicate himself, Twardy told the the Daily News shortly after Evans entered his not-guilty plea.

*

Darrell Hofheinz is a USA TODAY Network of Florida journalist who writes about Palm Beach real estate in his weekly Beyond the Hedges column. He welcomes tips about real estate news on the island. Email dhofheinz@pbdailynews.com, call (561) 820-3831 or tweet @PBDN_Hofheinz. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Will lawyer in Palm Beach hotel fraud case see his charges dismissed?
The attorney representing the family of Tristan Vereen, whom a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper fatally shot last year, disagrees with a report that says the officer acted lawfully.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division determined S.C. Highway Patrol Master Trooper W.B. Benton was acting in self-defense when he shot Vereen, leading Horry County Solicitor Jimmy Richardson to announce Monday that Benton will not face criminal charges.

Following a traffic stop that led to a struggle, Vereen grabbed Bentons taser, used it on him and bit the officer before Benton shot Vereen, according to SLEDs investigative report on the shooting.

But civil rights attorney Harry Daniels, who represents Vereens family, questions the legality of Benton stopping Vereen in the first place.

SLEDs investigative report, provided in summary by Richardsons office, confirms that Benton initiated the stop Sept. 11, 2021, in the Longs area due to visible cracks in Vereens car windshield.

Daniels has repeatedly argued that a cracked windshield is not a traffic violation, so the stop itself was illegal.

Tristan had a right to resist the arrest, Daniels said at a September demonstration in Conway following the shooting.

The solicitors report cites two South Carolina statutes regarding the operation of unsafe vehicles in support of Bentons decision to stop Vereen. But a criminal justice expert previously told The Sun News that there is confusion in state laws regarding whether those statutes would specifically apply to a cracked windshield.

Daniels told The Sun News Monday that he and the family stand by their position about the stop being unlawful. They plan on asking the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in light of the solicitors announcement.

He also noted that the family hasnt had an opportunity to review all of SLEDs evidence, including statements from Benton about the shooting.

The chase and shooting

After Benton attempted to initiate the traffic stop, Vereen fled, shouting, I cant go to jail! I cant go back man! at the officer, according to the solicitors report.

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The car chase turned into a pursuit on foot, when Vereen left his vehicle in a vacant lot near a residence, and Benton discharged his taser and attempted to handcuff Vereen.

After Vereen took Bentons taser, Benton drew his pistol and fired a single round into Vereens chest, the investigative report states. Vereen, 33, was pronounced dead at Grand Strand Medical Center.

Here the evidence you uncovered shows Trooper Benton had ample probable cause to believe Vereen committed felony assault on a police officer while resisting arrest and posed an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm to Benton, Richardson wrote in his summary.

Protests

Dozens of protesters gathered in Conway last September to demand justice for Vereen, and more demonstrations could be on the way following Mondays announcement.

Ashlyn Preaux, co-founder of Grand Strand Action Together, said she would follow the lead of Vereens family as far as future demonstrations.

She said she wasnt surprised by the solicitors decision, arguing that its further proof of a broken system, where officers rarely face accountability for their actions.

Preaux pointed to the disturbing dashcam footage that appeared to show Vereen running away when Benton discharged his taser. She noted proper deescalation training should have prevented such an incident.

If theyre running away, dont shoot them in the back, Preux said. Seems like a pretty cut-and-dry case of police misconduct.
The Daily Beast

ReutersTroops sent into Ukraine to back up Russian forces say they had no choice but to leave because Russian military was in shambles and they deceived us at every step.Soldiers from the breakaway state of South Ossetiaspeaking to South Ossetian leader Anatoly Bibilov at a meeting publicized by the independent news outlet MediaZonarattled off a list of complaints about faulty equipment, lack of leadership and intel, and brainless tactics.South Ossetia, which relies heavily on military and f




Georgia may keep in place for the coming election newly drawn districts that favor Republicans, a federal judge ruled late Monday.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Steve Jones rejected claims from civil rights groups and other litigants that the maps inhibit Black voters' ability to elect the candidate of their choice.

The decision is expected to allow Republicans to pick up a north Atlanta metro seat currently held by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) who is now running against Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Ga.) in a neighboring district.

The Republican-led legislature redrew the boundaries to include more of conservative-leaning rural Georgia, likely allowing the GOP to solidify control over a state where they already hold eight out of 14 congressional seats.

"The court finds that the public interest of the state of Georgia would be significantly undermined by altering the election calendar and unwinding the electoral process at this point," Jones ruled.

"Elections are complex and election calendars are finely calibrated processes, and significant upheaval and voter confusion can result if changes are made late in the process."

The 238-page decision mirrors a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, which declined to strike down an Alabama map also redrawn following the decennial census that a lower court found to violate Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters.

"When an election is close at hand, the rules of the road must be clear and settled. Late judicial tinkering with election laws can lead to disruption and to unanticipated and unfair consequences for candidates, political parties, and voters, among others," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote.

"It is one thing for a state on its own to toy with its election laws close to a State's elections. But it is quite another thing for a federal court to swoop in and re-do a State's election laws in the period close to an election."

Georgia's primary elections for the midterms are scheduled for May 24 with early voting starting May 2.

Georgia has faced a number of lawsuits against its new districts as well as a law passed last year imposing a number of new restrictions on voting following President Biden's victory in the state.
VERNON, CT  Day 1 of mask choice went on in Vernon's schools Monday basically without a hitch, Superintendent of Schools Joseph Macary said.

Monday marked the final day of the universal education mask policy adopted via an executive order put in place by Gov. Ned Lamont. Local school officials decided to leave it up the parents and students to decide.

Macary said he made two "very unscientific" observations in visits to schools Monday. At Rockville High School, it was about a 50-50 ratio between masks on and masks off throughout the building, he said. At Vernon Center Middle School , about 80 percent of the teachers had no masks and about 80 percent of the students had one on, he said.

Patch noticed a 50-50 ratio at RHS during the morning drop off and an overwhelming majority of students seemed to be wearing masks while exiting toward the pick-up area and student lot.

"There was nothing definitive," Macary said. "But it's a decision parents and students can now make on their own and we're OK with that.

Macary said, that, as of an hour after the final school dismissed in town, he had received no parental complaints.

No statistics were compiled for students on buses.

On Feb. 7, Lamont announced that he was endorsing a plan developed in consultation with Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani and Connecticut State Department of Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker to eliminate the statewide requirement that was in effect as part of Connecticut's coronavirus safety protocols for masks to be worn in all schools and childcare centers effective Monday.

The plan allows the determination on whether to require masks in these locations to be made at the local level.

"Connecticut is seeing a dramatic decline in cases caused by the Omicron variant, and children over the age of 5 have had the ability to get vaccinated for more than three months now," Lamont said "With this in mind, I think we are in a good position to phase out the requirement that masks be worn in all schools statewide and shift the determination on whether to require this to the local level."





This article originally appeared on the Vernon Patch
An officer stands behind police tape blocking a street near the scene of a shooting at the Church in Sacramento on Monday evening. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

A man killed four people, including three of his children, before turning the gun on himself inside a church in the Sacramento suburbs on Monday evening, authorities said.

The explosion of gunfire took place in the sanctuary at the Church in Sacramento, on Wyda Way east of the city, shortly after 5 p.m., said Sgt. Rodney Grassmann, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.

The shooter, a 39-year-old man, took his own life, according to Grassmann, who said the children who were killed were girls ages 9, 10 and 13.

In a televised interview, Sheriff Scott Jones said the killings took place during a supervised visit between the father and his children inside the church.

The fifth person who was killed was a man supervising the visit, Grassmann said, but it was not immediately clear what that person's relationship was to the church or family. It was also not clear whether the man and his children were members of the church or using the building as a neutral meeting location. Grassmann said it was likely a court-ordered visitation.

The children's mother is alive and has been in contact with authorities, according to Jones, who said she had a restraining order against the gunman.

She was not believed to be in town at the time of the shooting and was notified by a law enforcement chaplain, Grassmann said. "The mom  I don't know how you process it," he said.

Police were called to the scene after a church worker heard gunfire, fled the building and dialed 911 at 5:07 p.m., Grassmann said.

"I could see that it has an affect on some of them," Grassmann said of the officers who responded. "You could not go into a scene like that and not be affected."

Neither Grassmann nor a coroner's office spokeswoman could immediately identify the victims or the shooter. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators were expected to be at the scene throughout the night collecting evidence, speaking to witnesses and looking for surveillance video.

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Michael Baginski, who was described as a district leader on the church's website, suggested the shooter was mentally ill and said the man shot his three daughters. Baginski was not at the scene and said the church was not holding services at the time of the shooting. He referred additional questions to another church leader, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As of 6:30 p.m., police said there was no longer an active threat in the area. As officers began to take down yellow emergency tape near the scene, neighbors flooded the area to try to find out what happened. Some feared the dead might have been acquaintances.

It hurts to hear that a father shot his own three kids, said Alicia Harmon, 16, who lives nearby and said she hoped the victims weren't anyone she knew.

Harmon said many of her friends live close to the church, and she came down after her mother told her she might know some of those involved.

Lawmakers in Sacramento reacted to the shooting on social media.

"Another senseless act of gun violence in America  this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating," Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted. "Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities."

Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), whose district includes the church, tweeted: "Tonights senseless shooting is a tragedy beyond words. My prayers are with the victims family, loved ones and the entire Sacramento community.

"In memory of all those we have lost, we must renew our resolve to build a world free from gun violence."

Queally and Winton reported from Los Angeles and Garrison from Sacramento.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Research News

Repowering coal plants to fight climate crisis

By PETER MURPHY

If we can repower 2TWe of coal plants in the next 20 years, we will have a fighting chance of achieving Paris 2050 climate targets. 

SUNY Distinguished Professor Andrew Whittaker is part of a cohort led by TerraPraxis, a non-profit focused on action for climate and prosperity, that is developing a digital platform to repower coal plants using advanced nuclear energy.

The project team, which includes the UK-based architectural and engineering consultancy Bryden Wood, MIT, Microsoft and KPMG, among others, aims to retrofit retired and operating coal-fired power plants with modular nuclear reactors while retaining the balance of the plant.

The goal of the project is to repower 2 terawatts (TWe) of global coal capacity, starting with 250 gigawatts (GWe) of coal plants in the U.S., says Whittaker, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. If we can repower 2TWe of coal plants in the next 20 years, we will have a fighting chance of achieving Paris 2050 climate targets.

Representatives from Bryden Wood discussed the project during the 2021 COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow. The event at COP26, convened by TerraPraxis, brought together political leaders, industry specialists and investors to discuss ways to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 C by 2050. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to meet the global temperature increase limit, human-generated CO2 emissions must reach net zero by 2050. This project will help achieve these goals.

Getting to net-zero emissions by 2050 requires aggressive initiatives in several areas, including clean energy. Renewable, hydro, nuclear energy and thermal storage are all considered part of the clean energy mix, but for this to work, nuclear energy must become commercially viable. UBs role in the project will address cost and other critical factors associated with the project.

UB will provide input on the use of seismic isolation for advanced reactors; strategies for standardizing, or commodifying, plants to reduce capital cost and time to deploy, from 15 years to 4 years, cost drivers for nuclear; pathways to de-scope the required engineering of advanced reactors and simplify regulatory review and licensing; and engagement with stakeholders, customers, power utilities, advanced heat source developers and regulators in the U.S. and abroad, Whittaker says.

Whittaker and the multidisciplinary TerraPraxis team, which includes civil, mechanical and nuclear engineers and designers, are adapting proven seismic isolation and damping technologies to standardize equipment, drive down cost and accelerate construction. Researchers are targeting a five-fold reduction in capital cost.




The United Nations's climate science panel issued a report on Monday detailing both the impacts of climate change and potential adaptation measures society can take to mitigate the damage.

The report warned of dire impacts from global warming that will only get worse, from heat waves to food and water disruptions to damage to infrastructure.

Here are five major takeaways from the newest report.

Climate change's impacts are worse than scientists expected - and some are irreversible

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated that climate change's impacts are worse than expected, a message that was echoed by its authors.

The report itself said that the "extent and magnitude of climate change impacts are larger than estimated in previous assessments," citing issues including "widespread deterioration" of ecosystems.

"We're seeing adverse impacts being much more widespread and being much more negative than expected in prior reports than expected at the current 1.09 degrees that we have," Camille Parmesan, one of the report's authors, told reporters on Sunday, referring to the current level of warming compared to pre-industrial levels.

Parmesan said that the world is seeing "diseases emerging into new areas" and "the first extinctions of species due to climate change" - effects not expected from the current level of warming.

The report itself also warned that some of the impacts already being seen are irreversible.

Other impacts, like water changes from glacier retreats and changes in mountain and Arctic ecosystems linked to melting permafrost are "approaching irreversibility," the report said.

Climate change is already harming human health - and even killing people

The report warned of health risks from climate change, including from heat exposure, disease and mental health issues.

It said that globally, extreme heat events have already resulted in deaths. And it said that since the last time the IPCC issued a report in 2014, there have been more extreme events, including "heat-related human mortality," that have been attributed to human-caused climate change.

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It said that there would be more risks in the decades to come, particularly between 2040 and 2100.

"Climate change and related extreme events will significantly increase ill health and premature deaths from the near- to long-term," said a summary of the panel's findings.

It mentioned continued heat waves, as well as food-borne and water-borne disease risks and disease from pests like mosquitoes. It particularly warned of increases in the risk of diseases from a certain type of mosquito, "potentially putting additional billions of people at risk by the end of the century."

And it warned of increased mental health issues such as anxiety and stress. Report author Sherilee Harper, when specifically asked about health events in North America, pointed to three ways it can impact mental health.

"One is direct impacts of people that are having to be evacuated from wildfires or flooded areas that obviously is associated with increased impacts on things like post-traumatic stress," Harper said.

She said that it can also indirectly impact people's mental health through stresses like food insecurity, and that they can experience climate change "vicariously" by seeing impacts to other people on the news.

The report warned of impacts from increased exposure to wildfire smoke, which can cause heart and lung problems. And it noted that health services have been disrupted because of extreme weather like floods.

Climate change is disrupting food, water and infrastructure systems

Climate change is already forcing changes to the food we eat, the water we drink and the infrastructure we build our lives around.

The report noted that climate change can worsen food and water insecurity. It gave several examples, noting impacts like ocean warming and acidification weakening fishing and shellfish harvests.

It also said that increasing extreme weather due to climate change has caused millions of people to face food insecurity and reduced water security. Instances of acute food insecurity and malnutrition have increased in Africa, Central America and South America.

It found that risks to physical water availability will increase in the mid- to long- term in every region it assessed, and these changes will be exacerbated by worsened warming.

The report particularly pointed to impacts on cities, saying that climate change has already negatively affected people, particularly already disadvantaged groups.

It cited heat waves and the impacts of extreme events on transportation, water, sanitation and energy infrastructure.

Going forward, the report warned that cities, especially in coastal areas, could face even greater risks, and that globally about a billion people will be at risk from coastal climate hazards in the mid-term.

A wide variety of solutions can help us adapt to climate change

The report called on the world to take a broad range of adaptation measures to lessen the impacts of climate change.

It called for forest conservation, including diversifying tree composition to resist impacts from pests and wildfires. For agriculture, it said farms and landscapes should be diversified, and that urban agriculture should be encouraged.

Because of sea level rise, the report called for protection, and even planned relocation in low-lying coastal cities.

For energy systems, it called for increased resilience, reliability, storage and efficiency as well as diversification, including through small-scale renewable energy.

Other measures it endorsed include plans for extreme heat warnings and responses, improved access to potable water in order to combat food- and water-borne disease, and warning systems and vaccine development for diseases from pests. It said that some of the mental health impacts can be mitigated through better access to care.

The climate impacts will be worse without action

The report highlighted the need to lessen climate-warming emissions, noting that impacts will be worse with greater temperature increases.

It gave a number of examples where climate change would deliver worse outcomes with higher levels of warming, including flooding and food insecurity.

Specifically, it said that if global warming becomes two degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels in the mid-term, food insecurity risks will become worse, "leading to malnutrition and micro-nutrient deficiencies" in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Central and South America and small islands.

"This report reinforces the main findings that are actually emerging from all of our reports this cycle, and that is that every fraction of a degree of warming matters, and every action helps," Ko Barrett, IPCC vice-chair, said in an interview.

"We're in a race with the risks that are increasing as the planet warms and this report is really clear in saying that the ultimate solution lies in stopping the warming," Barrett added.
The full Ukraine team will travel to Beijing for the forthcoming Paralympic Games (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Archive)

The full Ukrainian team will be travelling to China to compete in the Winter Paralympic Games despite the invasion of the country by Russia.

The International Paralympic Committee tweeted on Tuesday that Ukraines team, made up of 20 athletes and nine guides, would be heading to Beijing.

The IPC tweet linked to a Ukrainian media article about the team, which mentioned athletes would travel to China from different locations in Ukraine. The athletes will compete in two sports  biathlon and cross-country skiing  the article stated.

The National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine communicates that their full team of 20 athletes and nine guides will be travelling to China for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. https://t.co/ANT4TBU6n9  Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) March 1, 2022

The IPC is meeting on Wednesday to discuss the participation of Russian athletes in the Games, which officially open on Friday.

The International Olympic Committees executive board recommended on Monday that international sports federations should exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes, teams and officials from international competitions wherever possible.

Russian athletes were already set to compete in Beijing under the Russian Paralympic Committee banner as part of earlier sanctions against the country for state-sponsored doping.

Should the IPC opt to exclude Russian athletes, it will be a further step towards isolating the country from the international sports community over the actions of its government.

A British Paralympic Association Statement - Beijing 2022  ParalympicsGB (@ParalympicsGB) February 28, 2022

The British Paralympic Association issued a statement on Monday saying it could not see how allowing Russian or Belarusian athletes to compete in Beijing was compatible with the objectives of the Paralympic movement.

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FIFA and UEFA have banned Russian teams and clubs from all their competitions until further notice, ruling them out of the mens World Cup in Qatar later this year and the Womens European Championships in England this summer.

Russian club Spartak Moscow have also been expelled from the Europa League, while UEFA has terminated its sponsorship deal with energy firm Gazprom.

FIFA and UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions.



Full statement:   UEFA (@UEFA) February 28, 2022

Economic sanctions could also have an impact on sport.

Alisher Usmanov, who has sponsorship links to Everton, has had his assets frozen as part of measures taken by the European Union.

The Uzbek-born billionaires USM Holdings sponsors the Toffees training ground, with an initial five-year deal announced in 2017, and has an option on naming rights for their new stadium  a deal worth 30million to the Merseyside club.

Players unions and national associations joined the queue to condemn Russia and call for sporting sanctions ahead of the joint FIFA-UEFA statement, with the Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish, Welsh and English FAs all vowing to refuse to face Russia in any fixture.

The British Olympic Association also issued a statement calling for the removal of Russia and Belarus from all top sporting competitions.
The full Ukraine team will travel to Beijing for the forthcoming Paralympic Games (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Archive)

The full Ukrainian team will be travelling to China to compete in the Winter Paralympic Games despite the invasion of the country by Russia.

The International Paralympic Committee tweeted on Tuesday that Ukraines team, made up of 20 athletes and nine guides, would be heading to Beijing.

The IPC tweet linked to a Ukrainian media article about the team, which mentioned athletes would travel to China from different locations in Ukraine. The athletes will compete in two sports  biathlon and cross-country skiing  the article stated.

The IPC is meeting on Wednesday to discuss the participation of Russian athletes in the Games, which officially open on Friday.

The International Olympic Committees executive board recommended on Monday that international sports federations should exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes, teams and officials from international competitions wherever possible.

Russian athletes were already set to compete in Beijing under the Russian Paralympic Committee banner as part of earlier sanctions against the country for state-sponsored doping.

Should the IPC opt to exclude Russian athletes, it will be a further step towards isolating the country from the international sports community over the actions of its government.

The British Paralympic Association issued a statement on Monday saying it could not see how allowing Russian or Belarusian athletes to compete in Beijing was compatible with the objectives of the Paralympic movement.

Ukrainian athletes wrote an open letter to the IOC and the IPC on Sunday calling for Russia and Belarus to be banned from international sport.

Fifa and Uefa have banned Russian teams and clubs from all their competitions until further notice, ruling them out of the mens World Cup in Qatar later this year and the Womens European Championships in England this summer.

Russian club Spartak Moscow have also been expelled from the Europa League, while Uefa has terminated its sponsorship deal with energy firm Gazprom.

Story continues

Economic sanctions could also have an impact on sport.

Alisher Usmanov, who has sponsorship links to Everton, has had his assets frozen as part of measures taken by the European Union.

The Uzbek-born billionaires USM Holdings sponsors the Toffees training ground, with an initial five-year deal announced in 2017, and has an option on naming rights for their new stadium  a deal worth 30million to the Merseyside club.

Players unions and national associations joined the queue to condemn Russia and call for sporting sanctions ahead of the joint Fifa-Uefa statement, with the Scottish, Irish, Northern Irish, Welsh and English FAs all vowing to refuse to face Russia in any fixture.

The British Olympic Association also issued a statement calling for the removal of Russia and Belarus from all top sporting competitions.
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia is negotiating the terms its aircraft deals with manufacturers Airbus SE and Boeing, with cancellation of the orders among the options, its chief executive officer told Reuters on Tuesday.

The step was taken based on consideration of the airline's short-term demand, CEO Irfan Setiaputra said.

Garuda's earnings have been hard hit by the pandemic, which forced the company to launch a major restructuring seeking to slash its debt to $3.7 billion from $9.8 billion.

"Hopefully we can get a win-win solution," Irfan said of the negotiations with the manufacturers.

Garuda is undergoing debt restructuring proceedings, known locally as PKPU, after a vendor petitioned a Jakarta court over unpaid liabilities.

Garuda has proposed converting part of its debt to equity, offering a debt haircut and a new coupon debt.

With Airbus, Garuda has outstanding orders for nine A330-900 jets and four A330-800s.

Garuda has previously said it would cancel the remaining orders of Boeing 737 Max 8 following fatal crashes of the aircraft in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Garuda ordered 50 of the aircraft in 2014, valued $4.9 billion at that time, and had only received one unit, in 2017.

The airline has said it would return more planes as it seeks to scale down its fleet to 66 from 142 before the pandemic.

(Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Fransiska Nangoy, Martin Petty)
Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a rally featuring former President Donald Trump in Perry, Ga., on September 25, 2021. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker backed out of an event featuring Greene, per the AJC.

Walker's campaign said he wouldn't attend an upcoming rally in Rome, Georgia.

The move comes as GOP leaders reject any ties between party members and white nationalist figures.

Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker on Tuesday backed out of an upcoming event organized by conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in the aftermath of her appearance at a white nationalist rally where attendees cheered Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Walker  the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock's seat  was slated to speak at the congresswoman's "Second Amendment and Freedom Rally" in Rome on Saturday.

Other planned guests include Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, former Georgia senator and current gubernatorial candidate David Perdue, and other individuals with ties to far-right organizations, The AJC reported.

However, Walker's campaign told the newspaper that he wouldn't attend the rally, which will focus on access to guns throughout the state.

Walker's move come as other Republicans across the country, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, have rejected the influence of white supremacist organizations within the party.

"There's no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism," McConnell said in a statement on Monday after being asked by a reporter about the appearances.

But the Republican leader  who endorsed Walker's Senate bid last year  did not mention any lawmakers by name.

McCarthy, who has been criticized by many for failing to rein in Greene following earlier controversies over her comparison of mask mandates to the Holocaust, said that it was "unacceptable" for Greene and Rep. Paul Gosar to speak at the America First Political Action Conference in Florida this past weekend.

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One of the event's organizers was Nick Fuentes, who has a history of making racist and antisemitic remarks.

Last year, Gosar was also a speaker at the America First conference, where Fuentes spoke of a desire to shield "the white demographic core." And this year, Fuentes called on attendees to give a "round of applause for Russia" as Putin escalates his invasion of Ukraine.

The House Republican leader  who is angling to become House Speaker after the midterm elections  reiterated that white nationalist ideology is unwelcome in the party.

"For me it was appalling and wrong. And there's no place in our party for any of this," said McCarthy. "The party should not be associated any time any place with somebody who is anti-Semitic."

Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, on Sunday criticized both Greene and Gosar.

"Morons. I have morons on my team," he said of the two lawmakers. "And I have to think anybody that would sit down with white nationalists and speak at their conference was certainly missing a few IQ points."

In Georgia, where Greene represents a congressional district anchored in the northwest corner of the state, her appearance at the pro-Putin event was slammed by several GOP leaders  including one of Walker's opponents.

Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who has spoken out against the influence of former President Donald Trump within the party, on Monday rejected any praise of Putin.

"Vladimir Putin is a selfish, brutal dictator and anybody who would tell you otherwise is lying," he said in the chamber of the Georgia Senate at the state Capitol in Atlanta. "I call on this country, I call on this state, I call on this chamber to stand in support of the Ukrainian country as they fight for freedom."

And state Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, who's facing off against Walker in the Senate race, called Greene's worldview "poison."

"Her ideas, her associations and her utter lack of wisdom and judgment are a poison in the bloodstream of our party," he told the Journal-Constitution. "I believe this behavior is a distraction and an embarrassment."

Read the original article on Business Insider
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will provide a further $1.5 billion to a global initiative for better access to coronavirus vaccines for poorer countries, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Tuesday.

"The global COVID-19 pandemic has not been overcome," Lindner told reporters after a virtual meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven leading economies.

Germany would also provide an additional 224 million euros for logistics on the ground, or "in-country delivery costs", Lindner said.

(Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Zuzanna Szymanska)
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In this file photo, the work of Ukrainian folk art painter Maria Primachenko is displayed in Mystetsky Arsenal art gallery in Kyiv, Ukraine. About 50 miles to the north, 25 Primachenko canvases were reportedly destroyed as advancing Russian troops burned down the Ivankiv Museum, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

As Ukrainian civilians face the terror of a Russian military barrage advancing on Kyiv, art scholars have begun decrying fallout of another kind: the destruction of the country's cultural heritage, including the apparent burning of the Ivankiv Museum about 50 miles north of the capital.

The J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles on Monday added its voice to the censure, condemning Russian for the "deliberate" burning of sites linked to the history of arts and culture in Ukraine.

"News reports indicate that among the many atrocities being committed in Ukraine over the past few days of Putins War, Russian forces have begun destroying Ukrainian cultural heritage," read the statement from Getty President and Chief Executive James Cuno.

Cuno said the Ivankiv Museum "housed precious Ukrainian folk art," and quoted Ukrainian scholars who called the Russian invasion "an unfolding cultural catastrophe.

According to a tweet from Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the museum's treasures included 25 works by the beloved late folk artist Maria Primachenko, who began exhibiting her work in the 1930s and was admired by Pablo Picasso. Unconfirmed video on social media sites showed a single story building identified as the Ivankiv Museum engulfed in flames.

According to the museum's website, the institution was founded in 1981 and kept as the pride of its collection "an exhibition of paintings of the first magnitude by Maria Ovksentiyivna Primachenko." It lists her many honorifics: "People's Artist of Ukraine, Honored Artist of Ukraine, member of the Union of Artists of Ukraine. Laureate of the Taras Shevchenko State Prize of Ukraine."

The Getty's statement acknowledged that as war in the region escalates, much more is at stake.

"At risk in Ukraine are millions of artworks and monuments, including monuments representing centuries of history from the Byzantine to the Baroque periods, as well as UNESCO World Heritage sites," Cuno said, concluding: "The material cultural legacy of the world is our common heritage, the identity and inspiration for all humanity. Cultural heritage has the power to unite us and is critical for achieving peace. It is also too often the target of war, another way to destroy and overtake a society by erasing its memory."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Feb. 28CONCORD  Warning it could lead to "extreme requirements," Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed legislation to require out-of-state students at two- and four-year colleges to pass a civics test before graduating.

In a brief veto message, Sununu said he was glad to have signed into law a 2021 bill (HB 320) that imposed the civics test mandate as a requirement for graduating from New Hampshire high schools.

"That requirement goes into effect in 2023 and will help continue the Granite State tradition of a citizenry actively engaged in self-government," Sununu said.

But Sununu said the bill he vetoed (HB 319) would impose the first-ever curriculum mandate on college students.

"I am concerned that this would create a precedent for future legislatures to mandate extreme requirements," Sununu said.

"There is no lesson more important than understanding our individual responsibility to uphold democracy," he said.

"Nevertheless, I believe the legislature's passage of House Bill 320 already addresses the important concerns of an engaged citizenry and an understanding of the fundamentals of democracy without some of the challenges House Bill 319 may unintentionally create."

The latest bipartisan legislation spent two years winding through the process.

The House of Representatives passed the measure in April 2021 by a single vote, 188-187, and the state Senate last spring sent the bill back to its education committee for more review over the summer and fall.

Last month, the Senate education panel recommended, 5-0, that the bill be killed.

But Sen. Bob Giuida, R-Warren, challenged that recommendation on the floor of the Senate, and he got all his GOP colleagues to go with him.

The Senate's 14-10 vote sent the bill to Sununu's desk. All Senate Democrats opposed it.

During Senate debate, Giuda said only 18% of college students take a civics course.

"We have a widespread ignorance of our founding documents," Guida said.

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Sen. Jay Kahn, D-Keene, a former Keene State College administrator, said the bill is not needed and would set a bad precedent.

Sen. David Watters, D-Durham, a past University of New Hampshire professor, said it would amount to an unfunded mandate on colleges, whose administrators already face declining enrollments, higher costs and other disruptions from the pandemic.

"Isn't it time to let those systems deal with those challenges rather than give more to them?" Watters said.

The Senate and House votes make it very likely Sununu will win this veto fight. The bill will first go back to the House for its review.

klandrigan@unionleader.com
The Greece police officer who raised concerns about how the town, department and Greece officials handled the October crash that led to the resignation of former Greece Police Chief Andrew Forsythe, intends to file a lawsuit.

Casey Voelkl, an 18-year-veteran of the Greece Police Department, has filed a notice of claim against the department, town and others, including town supervisor Bill Reilich, claiming he was punished by town officials after he contacted an outside agency to investigate the Oct. 21 crash.

Voelkl, who was promoted to the rank of deputy chief in 2015, was demoted to the rank of officer after the town completed an internal investigation on the crash and how the department handled the investigation and its aftermath.

According to the unredacted report of the investigation led by Joseph Morabito, a retired deputy chief of the Rochester Police Department, although Voelkl was not physically at the scene early that morning, he appeared to be influenced in how he reacted because the incident involved the department's chief.

Morabito, in his report, says that Voelkl bears the brunt of the responsibility for botching the investigation, telling others to "do what they saw fit" in how they handled the case. At the time of the crash, Voelkl was one of the department's two deputy chiefs.

Casey Voelkl

In the court filing, Voelkl alleges that the sole purpose of Morabito's report was to "destroy the unblemished career of an 18-year-member of the police department for whistleblowing to an outside agency."

Forsythe in mid-December pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired, admitting that he was intoxicated when he crashed early into a guardrail on the northbound lanes of Route 390 around 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 21. Forsythe initially told responding officers that he had swerved to avoid a deer and was trying to return to the nearest precinct station. That was a lie, District Attorney Sandra Doorley later determined.

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Shortly after Forsythe pleaded guilty in December, Doorley said that the DA's Office "had to play catch up and put together a case that was basically not investigated one iota by the Greece Police Department. Their actions that early morning hampered the investigation."

Voelkl was asleep at his Brighton home when Forsythe crashed his department-issued sport utility vehicle. Deputy Chief Jason Helfer, according to both reports, drove by the crash site before police were officially informed of the accident, saw the damaged fleet vehicle and Forsythe, but did not stop or speak with anyone at the scene.

Voelkl said he was awakened about an hour after the crash and was told by the responding officers that an unimpaired motorist had crashed and was not injured.

Voelkl said that, in the middle of the night, he had no suspicions about the crash or how the responding officers handled the investigation.

In the document, Voelkl says his suspension and demotion appeared to be retribution after he contacted the Monroe County District Attorney's Office roughly 2.5 days after the collision, with concerns about how the town, supervisor's office and police department were handling the investigation.

Voelkl, in the filing, noted that after viewing the damaged SUV roughly 2.5 hours after the crash and speaking with Forsythe later that day, he felt that the chief was minimizing what had happened early on Mon. Oct. 21.

The paperwork stated that in the hours after the accident, Voelkl and Deputy Chief Jason Helfer became "increasingly concerned about Forsythe's conduct after the incident, including his efforts to secure information about officers who had access to the impound lot, where the chief's damaged fleet vehicle was being held."

Both Voelkl and Helfer who were the department's two deputy chiefs at the time, were also concerned whether an upcoming contested election "was having an impact on the lack of direction with respect to any follow-up investigation."

"In sum, Officer Voelkl came to believe that politicians had taken control of the situation and instead of transparency and disclosure there would be subterfuge and cover-up" due to an upcoming contested election, the notice of claim read.

In his eight-page report, Morabito recounted numerous instances where responding and supervising officers either failed in their basic investigatory duties  for instance, not asking Forsythe whether he'd been drinking alcohol  or had taken steps to cover the chief's tracks. Voelkl specifically told two subordinate officers at the scene not to take photos of the scene of the crash site, according to the town-issued report.

He also failed to immediately contact an outside agency to investigate the crash and that Voelkl felt Forsythe remained in charge. He "failed to understand that in this type of situation, the chief is not in charge of the investigation involving himself," the town report read.

Helfer was also criticized in the report, including how he drove by the crash site early on Oct. 21 and did not stop or notify anyone of the crash. He was later suspended for two days, but had already retired from the department in January before his suspension was issued the following month.

In the notice, Voelkl also alleges that although he was qualified and in line to be promoted to chief in December 2020, when former chief Patrick Phelan retired, and in late October 2021, when Helfer became the department's acting chief, he was passed over. Both times, there was no lengthy vetting or selection process to determine the next chief.

Contact Victoria Freile at vfreile@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @vfreile and Instagram @vfreile. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Greece police officer threatens to sue town over Forsythe report
Fridays for Future, the global youth movement launched by Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg, is launching a series of events to protest Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The group plans to kick off a series of rallies on Thursday in more than 40 cities, with the list growing rapidly since the effort was announced Monday evening.

All across the world, people are taking to the streets, Dominika Lasota, a 20-year-old student at the University of Warsaw in Poland and a climate justice activist with Fridays for Future, told Yahoo News. Its quite surreal to see it all unfolding, because it has felt like such a dark time  but still, Fridays for Future rises up to that.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks at George Square in Glasgow, Scotland, during the U.N. Climate Change Conference in November. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

The group is known for its trademark youth strikes in which students walk out of classes to call for action against climate change. In this case, the activists will interrupt their daily lives to protest against war.

We are running a demonstration at 12 p.m., in the middle of the day, because the lives of the Ukrainian people have been stopped, not by their choice, Lasota said. We also want to stop our lives in solidarity with them. Activists chose Thursday because it marks one week since the unprovoked invasion.

Warsaw is one of seven cities in Poland where protests are planned. Cities in Germany, Portugal, Italy and Nigeria, among other countries, also plan to hold demonstrations over the events in Ukraine.

Poland shares a border with Ukraine and, in addition to having a long-established Ukrainian community, has already received an influx of more than a half million refugees fleeing Russias brutal military invasion.

Warsaw currently is a base of tens and tens of thousands of refugees coming over from Ukraine, Lasota noted. Every day, I walk around the city now, and I see many, many people being lost, arriving at the train station, and trying to find their way in a completely new place. And we also have had a tremendously strong Ukrainian community for many years now. On Thursday, we are hosting the strike in solidarity and close collaboration with the Ukrainian community here. Ukrainian voices, refugee voices, will be leading that demonstration, and we as Fridays will be just the host, providing logistics to make it happen.

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Displaced people from Ukraine at a Warsaw train station on Monday. (Bartek Sadowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Although the regional conflict might seem distinct from climate change, the young activists see the two issues as stemming from the same problem: the worlds thirst for fossil fuels. The group argues that the European Union has not been able to counteract Russia with full-fledged economic sanctions because of the trading blocs dependence on Russian oil and gas.

Political leaders can take the side of people or of money, greed and the fossil fuel industry, a call to action released by Fridays for Future stated. We call on global leaders to stop financing Putin's whims, and end the import of oil, coal and gas from Russia. We also call for the end of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline  once and for all.

The organization is currently in discussions about shifting the focus of an already planned global day of protest on March 25 from climate change to the war. Lasota said that Thunberg has been in touch with Ukrainian activists from the group and is in support of the antiwar protests.

Our narrative, people over profit, that we planned to center the 25th of March mobilization around ... still holds, whether we apply it to the climate crisis and the fact that fossil fuels are still leading the way and not climate action and safety of the people, or whether you apply it to the war in Ukraine, where on one side we have a man who is just in search of more power and more profits, Lasota said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. And he does everything against the people: his people, but the people of Ukraine most of all.

Thousands of people protest against Russia's military operation in Ukraine in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens on Tuesday. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Fridays for Future anticipates holding more demonstrations around the world in addition to Thursdays youth strike and the one on March 25.

Well be continuing to take it to the streets, said Lasota. Theres a potential mobilization happening in Russia, actually, but this is to be confirmed.

Global temperatures are on the rise and have been for decades. Step inside the data and see the magnitude of climate change.
Watch: Russian forces tighten grip on 2 largest cities

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. intelligence had predicted a blistering assault by Moscow that would quickly mobilize the vast Russian air power that its military assembled in order to dominate Ukraine's skies.

But the first six days have confounded those expectations and instead seen Moscow act far more delicately with its air power, so much so that U.S. officials can't exactly explain what's driving Russia's apparent risk-averse behavior.

"They're not necessarily willing to take high risks with their own aircraft and their own pilots," a senior U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Vastly outmatched by Russia's military, in terms of raw numbers and firepower, Ukraine's own air force is still flying and its air defenses are still deemed to be viable - a fact that is baffling military experts.

After the opening salvos of the war on Feb. 24, analysts expected the Russian military to try to immediately destroy Ukraine's air force and air defenses.

That would have been "the logical and widely anticipated next step, as seen in almost every military conflict since 1938," wrote the RUSI think-tank in London, in an article called "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Russian Air Force."

Instead, Ukrainian air force fighter jets are still carrying out low-level, defensive counter-air and ground-attack sorties. Russia is still flying through contested airspace.

Ukrainian troops with surface-to-air rockets are able to threaten Russian aircraft and create risk to Russian pilots trying to support ground forces.

"There's a lot of stuff they're doing that's perplexing," said Rob Lee, a Russian military specialist at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

He thought the beginning of the war would be "maximum use of force."

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"Because every day it goes on there's a cost and the risk goes up. And they're not doing that and it just is really hard to explain for any realistic reason."

The confusion over how Russia has used its air force comes as President Joe Biden's administration rejects calls by Kyiv for a no-fly zone that could draw the United States directly into a conflict with Russia, whose plans for its air force are unclear.

Military experts have seen evidence of a lack of Russian air force coordination with ground troop formations, with multiple Russian columns of troops sent forward beyond the reach of their own air defense cover.

That leaves Russian soldiers vulnerable to attack from Ukrainian forces, including those newly equipped with Turkish drones and U.S. and British anti-tank missiles. David Deptula, a retired U.S. Air Force three-star general who once commanded the no-fly zone over northern Iraq, said he was surprised that Russia didn't work harder to establish air dominance from the start.

"The Russians are discovering that coordinating multi-domain operations is not easy," Deptula told Reuters. "And that they are not as good as they presumed they were."

While the Russians have been under-performing, Ukraine's military has been exceeding expectations so far.

Ukraine's experience from the last eight years of fighting with Russian-backed separatist forces in the east was dominated by static World War One-style trench warfare.

By contrast Russia's forces got combat experience in Syria, where they intervened on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, and demonstrated some ability to synchronize ground maneuvers with air and drone attacks.

Watch: Ukraine says 5 killed in Russian attack on Kyiv TV tower

Ukraine's ability to keep flying air force jets is a visible demonstration of the country's resilience in the face of attack and has been a morale booster, both to its own military and Ukraine's people, experts say.

It has also led to mythologizing of the Ukrainian air force, including a tale about a Ukrainian jet fighter that purportedly single-handedly downed six Russian aircrafts, dubbed online as "The Ghost of Kyiv."

A Reuters Fact Check showed how a clip https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-animation-ukrainianjet/fact-check-animation-miscaptioned-as-if-to-show-video-of-ukrainian-fighter-jet-shooting-down-russian-plane-idUSL1N2V035G from the videogame Digital Combat Simulator was miscaptioned online to claim it was an actual Ukrainian fighter jet shooting down a Russian plane.

Biden led a standing ovation in support of Ukrainians in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, praising their determination and mocking Putin for thinking he could just "roll into Ukraine" unopposed.

"Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people," Biden said.

The United States estimates that Russia is using just over 75 aircraft in its Ukraine invasion, the senior U.S. official said.

Ahead of the invasion, officials had estimated that Russia had potentially readied hundreds of the thousands of aircraft in its air force for a Ukraine mission. However, the senior U.S. official on Tuesday declined to estimate how many Russian combat aircraft, including attack helicopters, might still be available and outside Ukraine.

Both sides are taking losses.

"We do have indications that they've lost some (aircraft), but so have the Ukrainians," the official said.

"The airspace is actively contested every day."

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Mary Milliken, Lincoln Feast and Sandra Maler)
PORTSMOUTH  HCA New Hampshire hospitals will host a hiring event for RNs on Thursday, March 3, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Holy Grail Restaurant, 64 Main St., in Epping.

HCA New Hampshire hospitals will host a hiring event for RNs on Thursday, March 3, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Holy Grail Restaurant, 64 Main St., in Epping. Portsmouth Regional Hospital will be one of the three hospitals with nursing directors and staff available to speak to.

Join HCA NH hospitals for hot chocolate and career conversations with leaders from various specialty areas. Visitors will have the opportunity to speak one-one-one with nursing directors and staff from Frisbie Memorial Hospital, Parkland Medical Center and Portsmouth Regional Hospital and explore nurse residency opportunities. On-the-spot job offers and up to $15K sign-on bonuses for some specialties and positions will be available.

Who should attend? Experienced RNs, new grad RNs, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Licensed Nursing Assistants.

Benefits of working with HCA include: HCA nurse residency, Galen School of Nursing free online BSN, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, extended family leave, 401K matching, comprehensive benefit package, and more.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: HCA New Hampshire hospitals host RN hiring event
WASHINGTON (AP)  Congressional Democrats and Republicans showed signs of support Tuesday for providing $6.4 billion or more in aid to Ukraine and its European neighbors as Russian forces intensified their attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

Lawmakers were hoping Congress could approve the assistance by the end of next week, possibly by adding it to a bipartisan, roughly $1.5 trillion bill financing federal agencies for the rest of this year.

Biden administration officials told congressional aides last week that their request includes $3.5 billion for the Defense Department and $2.9 billion for humanitarian assistance for the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing to nearby countries. Some Democrats said that total could grow to $10 billion or more.

There's broad support for the president and what he's doing now, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of President Joe Biden 's handling of the crisis. Our biggest complaint is, what took him so long? he added, saying providing more support earlier might have deterred heavy aggression in advance.

McConnell complained that bargainers had hit a snag. He said Democrats wanted to carve the defense assistance for Ukraine from the military spending in the larger $1.5 trillion government-wide legislation, but add the humanitarian aid on top of that measure's domestic programs. We're not going to do that. This is an emergency, McConnell said.

But congressional support for helping Ukraine and financing government agencies is strong and bipartisan, and the problem seemed unlikely to cause serious problems. Some Democrats denied McConnell's description and said the extra defense and humanitarian spending for Ukraine would be treated the same.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not respond with specifics when asked about the dispute.

We should be bipartisan on this issue. Nothing would make Putin happier than having Democrats and Republicans divided, Schumer said. He said earlier congressional efforts to impose sanctions on Russia before it invaded Ukraine, backed by lawmakers from both parties, would have torn the alliance apart, a reference to widespread international opposition to Russia's attack.

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Schumer said bargainers were working on a bipartisan, robust aid package with both military and security needs" and that very good discussions" were underway. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said his chamber could vote on the legislation next Tuesday. The Senate would follow.

With Russia's military superiority suggesting it might achieve a quick victory, several senators said they'd like Congress to approve the Ukraine aid this week. Its so fast moving that the sooner we can get assistance, the better, said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. But she and others who attended briefings from administration officials said the briefers had not expressed an urgency that the aid be approved this week.

There is very possibly a limited window in which you can get weapons to the Ukrainians, said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. But the need for humanitarian aid will be ongoing, Murphy said.

Others said that practically speaking, there was little chance of Congress approving the aid before next week.

As soon as you can here is never as quick as you and I both think it should be, said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
NEW YORK (AP)  Warner Bros. is halting the release of The Batman in Russia, just days before it was to open in theaters there, as Hollywood moved to cease distribution plans in the country following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Warner Bros., the Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures said Monday that they would pause the release of their films in Russia. Each studio has significant upcoming releases that had been set to debut internationally in the coming weeks. The Batman, one of the year's more anticipated films, launches Friday in North America and many overseas territories, including Russia.

In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia," a spokesperson for the studio said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.

Warner Bros.' move closely followed a similar decision Monday by the Walt Disney Co. The studio had planned to open the Pixar film Turning Red in Russia on March 10. That film is going straight to Disney+ in the U.S. Before Disney's announcement, Warner Bros. had been expected to proceed with the Russian release of The Batman.

Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar, a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. "We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.

Hollywood scramble plans in Russia late Monday, as global pressure mounted to sever business ties with the country over the war in Ukraine. Western economic sanctions sent Russia's ruble plummeting Monday as numerous nations sought to block Russian banks. On Saturday, the Ukrainian Film Academy called for an international boycott of the Russian film industry.

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The Motion Picture Association said Monday that it stands with the international community in upholding the rule of law and condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

On behalf of our member companies, who lead the film, TV and streaming industry, we express our strongest support for Ukraines vibrant creative community who, like all people, deserve to live and work peacefully, the MPA said in a statement.

Russia is not a leading market for Hollywood, but the country typically ranks in the top dozen countries globally in box office. Sony's recent smash hit Spider-Man: No Way Home," which has totaled $1.85 billion in ticket sales worldwide, has grossed $46.7 million in Russia. Sony's most recent chart-topping release, the Tom Holland adventure Uncharted, has amassed about $20 million in Russia over the last two weeks.

After Disney and Warner Bros. made their announcements, Sony followed suit.

Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis unfolding in that region, we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius," Sony said in a statement referencing the Spider-Man spinoff slated for early April. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly.

___

Follow AP Film Write Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
News  Headlines

Vietnamese honey risks losing US market due to high anti-dumping tariff
By Gustavo Palencia

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Environmental permits for Honduran metal and non-metal mining will be cancelled, the country's government said in a brief statement on Monday, describing the industry as harmful and declaring it will specifically prohibit open-pit mining.

The statement from the Ministry of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mines added that natural areas with "high ecological value" will be preserved, without going into further detail.

"The approval of permits for extractive exploitation is cancelled due to being harmful to the state of Honduras, threatening natural resources, public health and because they limit access to water as a human right," according to the ministry's statement.

The energy and mining ministry did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on whether the permit cancellations will only affect new projects, or whether they will also apply to existing ones.

The announcement comes from the barely a month-old government of leftist President Xiomara Castro, who took office in January promising to pull the Central American nation "out of the abyss" caused by failed economic policies and rampant corruption.

Castro's election manifesto released last September pledged to limit mining, prior to her victory at the polls in late November. The manifesto detailed 282 mining concessions doled out by previous governments through 2017, citing the country's geology and mining institute.

Canada's Aura Minerals operates an open-pit mine in western Honduras, where it has encountered stiff local opposition in part due to alleged disturbances to a Maya-Chorti indigenous cemetery.

Last year, the company suspended operations due to what it described as illegal blockades.

Aura Minerals' San Andres mine processed more than 4.4 million tonnes of ore in 2020, producing nearly 61,000 ounces of gold, according to the company's website.

Honduran mining export revenue from silver, zinc and lead projects in the country totalled nearly $130 million last year, according to central bank data, which did not include any revenue from gold shipments.

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by David Alire Garcia, Chris Reese and Kenneth Maxwell)
By Farah Master

HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong residents braced for a city-wide lockdown, emptying supermarkets and pharmacies, even as leader Carrie Lam called for calm on Tuesday and appealed for the public not to worry over a compulsory mass COVID-19 testing plan.

The Chinese-ruled territory reported 32,597 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday and a record 117 deaths in the past 24 hours. It has seen daily infections surge over 30 times from just over 100 at the start of February.

The global financial hub has reported more than 230,000 coronavirus infections and more than 800 deaths since the pandemic began in 2020. Around 500 deaths have been in the past week, with the majority being unvaccinated residents.

Hong Kong continues to stick to a COVID policy of "dynamic zero", the same as mainland China, which seeks to curb all outbreaks at any cost instead of trying to live with the virus.

The former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule nearly 25 years ago, has introduced its most draconian measures since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

Mass testing for the city's 7.4 million residents is set to take place over nine days starting in the second half of March, the South China Morning Post reported, citing an unidentified source.

The news sparked concerns many people will be forced to isolate and families with members testing positive would be separated.

Officials are planning to test people three times over nine days, with the government still deliberating whether a lockdown would be on a district basis or citywide, the SCMP said.

Exemptions would be made for those who buy food, seek medical treatment or carry out urgent tasks. Hong Kong's stock market would continue to operate, Sing Tao newspaper reported, citing unidentified sources.

"Our intention is always to keep markets fully functioning whatever the prevailing environment," the stock exchange said in a statement.

Lam had previously said she was not considering a city-wide lockdown. She also said earlier this year she had no plans for compulsory mass testing.

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On Tuesday, she appealed to the public "not to fall prey to rumours to avoid unnecessary fears being stirred", saying the supply of food and goods was normal.

"There is no need for members of the public to worry, they should stay vigilant and pay attention to the information disseminated by the government so as to avoid being misled by rumours," Lam said in a statement.

Despite her comments, dozens of people queued to enter pharmacies and banks across the city, while many scoured empty shelves in grocery stores to stock up on whatever essentials they could.

Streets and shopping malls in the heart of the densely populated city's Central financial district were eerily quiet in what would typically be a busy lunchtime period.

Health experts from the University of Hong Kong said there were around 1.7 million people already infected as of Monday, with a peak of around 183,000 daily infections expected in the coming week. They said a plan for compulsory mass testing should take place in late April when case numbers were likely to be much lower.

Lam, who inspected a mainland Chinese built isolation centre on Monday, said the team had raced against the clock to "create a miracle" in the city's construction industry.

The Tsing Yi facility, located in the northwest of the city, would provide around 3,900 rooms for infected people with mild or no symptoms and others who need to isolate, she said.

(Additional reporting by Twinnie Siu, Marius Zaharia, Anne Marie Roantree and Jessie Pang; Editing by Michael Perry and Nick Macfie)
via Nathan Howard/Getty Images

It seemed like Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin pissed off just about everyone in her state when she delivered a taped speech to a white-nationalist conference in Orlando last Friday.

But fellow Republican Gov. Brad Littlewith whom she has routinely clashed in cartoonish fashion in recent monthsand the state GOP had been notably silent.

At least until now.

It is extremely unfortunate anyone in elected office in Idaho must make statements like these, but let me be clearI fully reject racism in all its forms, Republican Gov. Brad Little said in a Tuesday statement posted on Twitter. There is no place for racism and hate in the great State of Idaho. As Governor, I will continue to stand up for Idahoans values and work to make our state the place where our children and grandchildren choose to stay.

While Little did not call out McGeachin by name, his statement came after Democrats, some former GOP officials, and advocates in the state called on him to condemn his no. 2 over her shameless appeal to professional racists.

With her speech at the American First Political Action Conference (AFPAC)which also saw speeches from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and was organized by white nationalist Nick FuentesMcGeachin leaned into an extremist vision for the modern GOP.

Idaho Lt. Guv Triples Down on Racist Appeal as Home-State Backlash Mushrooms

Since her appearance, the lieutenant governor has doubled and then tripled down on palling around with racists. The saga suggests she thinks her challenge to Littleshe has declared herself a candidate for his job, even as he has not ruled out his own re-election bidwill benefit from extremist support, and that her fellow Republicans are leery of going after her.

After all, it took until Monday for McGeachins boss to commenta move that was almost immediately followed by a painful statement from the Idaho Republican Party stating that AFPAC leadership does not represent their conservative values.

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White supremacy, antisemitism, bigotry, and neo-Nazism are reprehensible and have no place in the Idaho Republican Party," chairman Tom Luna said in a statement. We always have and will continue to stand against these divisive ideologies.

Bizarrely, however, even as the party appeared to be subtweeting her just like its incumbent governor did, the chair deferred to McGeachins Saturday statement, in which she blamed the media for a guilt-by-association game.

A spokesperson for Little did not explicitly confirm the governor was referring to McGeachin with his tweeted statement on Tuesday. A spokesperson for McGeachin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For Idaho Republican State Rep. Greg Chaney, who has been openly critical of McGeachins past antics surrounding the states COVID-19 protocols, Littles vague response is better late than never.

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I think its a good statement, Chaney told The Daily Beast on Tuesday via email. Like his statement says, it should go without saying. Governor Little has avoided direct attacks on McGeachin (a courtesy that hasnt been reciprocated) and I think the statement shows he took the time to evaluate reports, allow the Lt. Gov. to speak for herself, then made the appropriate statement in light of the facts without descending into direct criticisms.

Chaney, however, admitted that his style in responding to McGeachin is a bit more direct than the Governors. In April, he posted a Facebook video with the caption: WARNING: Beware of snake oil salesmen, political opportunists, and anyone else pretending to be concerned with your rights for their own selfish reasons. Looking at you Lt. Gov. McGeachin.

Little and McGeachin have sparred routinely over the course of the pandemic, highlighted by her seizing power when he left the state to crack down on COVID safety measures, only for him to reverse it upon his return.

The pair did not exactly choose to serve together: Unlike many states, in Idaho, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected individually. In 2018, Little clinched Idahos Republican gubernatorial primary with 37 percent of the vote while McGeachin won 29 percent. Eventually, they were both voted into office with 60 percent of the vote in the general election.

For the Idaho Democratic Party, which previously released a statement calling on Little to condemn McGeachin, the governors vague condemnation was too Little, too late.

It took over three days for him to release a statement, and nowhere does he openly condemn the event or Janice McGeachin, a spokesperson for the party told The Daily Beast. As we said in our open letter: It is not enough for us to denounce white nationalism in all its forms, we must also condemn those who openly associate and promote this unAmerican behavior.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Indiana Senate killed controversial House Bill 1134, which would have banned several "divisive concepts" and given more power over curriculum and classroom activities to parents, Monday night after several hours of closed-door discussions in the Republican caucus.

Even though Republicans have a supermajority in the General Assembly, Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said he didn't have the votes to support the bill that was inspired by nearly a year of debate about "critical race theory" in the state's public schools.

More: What you need to know about controversial 2022 education bills in Indiana

They were largely divided into two camps after a Senate committee watered it down in the face of opposition.

"We had some members of our caucus who felt like it didn't go far enough," he said. "We had some members of our caucus that felt like it was too much of a burden on education and just not good policy that we wanted to move forward."

The bill, which would have limited what teachers could say in the classroom about race, sex and religion had been staunchly opposed by educators, school leaders, civil rights groups, Black community organizations and leaders in the faith community.

For subscribers: 'Nail in the coffin': Hoosier teachers say CRT-inspired bill will drive them from classrooms

The bill was inspired by the opposition nationwide of primarily white, suburban parents to what was called "critical race theory" but was more often about social emotional learning and diversity, equity and inclusion work.

The bill would have given parents greater access to the lessons their children were being taught and more power to oppose material they found troubling.

Bray said he supported the legislation personally and had hoped to get it passed.

It was passed by the House last month, 60-37, along largely party lines but the version of the bill that the Senate was considering Monday had been significantly gutted. The list of "divisive concepts" shrank from eight items to three and provisions to allow parents to sue schools over things educators said in the classroom were stripped out.

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Those who opposed the bill said it was a solution to a problem that doesn't exist in Indiana and risked driving teachers  a critical profession already in short supply  out of the field.

It had been largely opposed by the Black community, which worried that the bill would further limit representation of Black and other people of color in school curricula and result in an incomplete and inaccurate teaching of the country's difficult history.

"This is a good day for the state of Indiana," said Garry Holland, education chair of the Indianapolis NAACP, "not to accept that which would cause disenfranchisement of children and teachers."

The Indiana State Teachers Association, which has led a weeks-long effort to oppose the measure, celebrated its demise in a statement released Monday night.

"Over the past several weeks, ISTA members and public education advocates have shared their stories and voiced their concerns about stifling teachers ability to teach and students' ability to receive an honest education," said ISTA President Keith Gambill. "Hoosier parents and educators all want our students to succeed, and well continue to be partners in standing up for whats right for their future."

A similar bill was killed by the Senate earlier this session after Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, became the focus of national outrage after saying Senate Bill 167 would require teachers to be neutral in their teaching on all topics, including Nazism, Marxism and fascism. He later walked back the comments.

Bray raised the specter that parts of the legislation could be added to another bill, though it's unclear precisely what. He said Senate Republicans were looking at "a piece or so" to keep alive but the entirety of it would not be parsed out in the final days of the legislative session.

The session is scheduled to end by March 14.

Call IndyStar education reporter Arika Herron at 317-201-5620 or email her at Arika.Herron@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ArikaHerron.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: HB 1134: Indiana Senate kills CRT-inspired legislation
An Indonesian man gave cooking oil to his new bride as her wedding dowry last week.



Supadi, a 60-year-old groom from East Java, gave his wife-to-be, 54-year-old Sumariati, a liter of cooking oil for her dowry during their wedding ceremony on Feb. 22, reported Mashable.



Muslim dowries traditionally include a prayer rug, gold jewelry and a Quran. Whether the man intended it or not, his unique gift has highlighted the severe shortage of palm-based cooking oil in Indonesia  even though the Southeast Asian country is known as the largest exporter of palm oil in the world.



"Although one liter isn't much, it's still valuable," said Meki Hasan Tachtarudin, religious affairs officer for the Sooko District of East Java and the wedding ceremonys facilitator. It's a necessity  everyone needs it for cooking."



Palm-based cooking oil has become a scarce commodity in Indonesia partly due to the increase in palm oil exports and the demand for biodiesel, a combination of palm oil and diesel fuel, according to The Straits Times.



Along with the cooking oil, Supadi also reportedly gave Sumariati a cash dowry of 1 million Indonesian rupiahs (approximately $64.46).



Featured Image via Jateng Pedia





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katleho Seisa / Getty Images

If youre an investor looking for capital appreciation, the stock market has always been a top choice. However, in recent years, two new areas for investment have unlocked exciting new opportunities for risk-tolerant investors.

See: Have $1,000? These Are the Top 25 Stocks To Buy

Find: Best Metaverse Coins to Buy for 2022

The metaverse and cryptocurrency, while related, are distinct asset classes that carry the potential for high returns in exchange for the risk of losing everything. Whether they are solid investment options  along with their risks and rewards  are still very much up for debate, though. Heres a rundown of the investment characteristics of the metaverse, cryptocurrency and the stock market, along with a look at which type of investor might be suitable for each.

Investing in the Metaverse

The buzziest asset class in recent months has likely been the metaverse, but many investors still have no idea what it is. Part of the reason is that the metaverse doesnt have one single definition. Essentially, its an online world thats a blend of virtual reality, social media and augmented reality, often powered by crypto. This virtual world has been used for years by gamers and developers, but its rapidly evolving into a parallel online universe where real financial transactions can take place.

The current hot investment in the metaverse is virtual property, where prices have jumped about 500% over the past few months, according to the CEO of Tokens.com, Andrew Kiguel. One investor even paid $450,000 for a plot of land in the same virtual neighborhood as rapper Snoop Dogg. This may only be the start. Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence see the value of the metaverse hitting $800 billion as soon as 2024, while Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak estimates that value could top out at as much as $8 trillion.

Social media giant Facebook even rebranded its entire company as Meta Platforms, indicating its belief in the enormous future significance of the metaverse. While the metaverse has exciting potential, investors should realize this early-stage asset class may offer either huge returns or devastating losses.

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Best for: Risk-tolerant investors wanting to get in on the next big thing

Worst for: Conservative investors looking for reasonably predictable returns

Learn: 5 Numbers You Need To Know About the Metaverse

Investing in Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency has made millionaires out of some investors, but its also cost many their fortune. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two leading cryptos, with market capitalizations of about $750 billion and $325 billion, respectively. No other crypto is currently worth more than about $80 billion, and most of the remaining thousands of cryptos have minuscule market caps.

Cryptocurrencies are incredibly volatile, as they have yet to prove their widespread utility in real-world transactions. Some speculators hope that crypto will one day either supplant or co-exist with fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar, but its real value may be realized if the metaverse becomes a viable entity. Either way, crypto remains a highly speculative investment, with the potential to generate tremendous gains or become completely valueless. Its best suited for investors who can stomach wild swings in value and the potential to lose their entire investment.

Best for: Highly risk-tolerant investors with capital they can afford to lose

Worst for: Those on limited incomes or with no stomach for volatility

Check Out: How To Become Rich by Investing in Crypto

Investing in the Stock Market

The stock market used to be considered one of the more volatile asset classes, but compared with cryptocurrency, its downright stable. Although the stock market experiences a 10% selloff, known as a correction, at least once per year on average, the markets long-term returns are surprisingly consistent. In fact, there has never been a 20-year rolling period in which the S&P 500 stock market index has posted a negative return.

This makes investing in a stock market index much less risky than it may seem for long-term investors. And with a long-term average return of about 10% annually, you could potentially double your portfolio every seven years or so. Youll just need the mental fortitude to survive the occasional 10% to 20% drop in market values, which have always proven to be long-term buying opportunities for patient investors.

Best for: Investors looking to build long-term wealth with some level of volatility

Worst for: Investors seeking capital preservation or with short-term financial goals

Explore: Ways Investing Will Change in the Next 25 Years

The Bottom Line

The metaverse, cryptocurrency and the stock market all offer the potential for outsized gains, but they each carry moderate-to-high levels of risk, especially over the short term. Of the three, the stock market is the least risky for long-term investors, as it has an incredible track record and is backed by real companies generating real revenues and earnings.

Cryptocurrency and the metaverse can only be described as speculative investments at this point, as they are currently only backed by the hopes and dreams of investors. If the metaverse does become a viable parallel world powered by cryptocurrency, both of those investments may have a real foundation for growth. Investors just need to fully understand the risks involved and avoid sinking their entire nest eggs into these speculative asset classes.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Should You Invest in the Metaverse, Crypto or the Stock Market?
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -The top diplomats of 22 countries, including European Union member states, on Tuesday jointly called on the government of Pakistan to support a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was in Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin last week on the day Russian forces entered Ukraine. Pakistan has expressed concern about the fallout from the invasion but stopped short of condemning it.

"As heads of mission to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, we urge Pakistan to join us in condemning Russia's actions," said a joint statement signed by envoys from 22 countries.

Signatories included EU member states Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands, as well as Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and Britain.

The 193-member UNGA will this week vote on a resolution condemning Moscow's actions, similar to one vetoed by Russia in the Security Council on Friday. The resolution needs two-thirds support to be adopted.

Before his Russia visit, Khan said the Ukraine crisis had nothing to do with Pakistan, which did not want to join any bloc.

While Pakistan has begun expanding ties with Russia on energy projects, the EU is its top export market along with the United States.

The EU has gives Pakistan special trade status, the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP+), which lowers entry tariffs.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman told Reuters that Islamabad has been engaging with members of the international community to "exchange perspectives" on the situation.

"We have all along advocated dialogue and continued engagement to de-escalate and work for a diplomatic solution," he said.

The country's Human Rights Minister, Shireen Mazari, responded on Twitter, calling the joint statement "ironic."

She said Pakistan did not support military force, but the EU should not adhere to the U.N. Charter "selectively" as has been done "for decades." She called for the EU to condemn alleged violations by India and Israel.

(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam in IslamabadEditing by Alex Richardson and Matthew Lewis)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Tuesday joined the United States and other allies in slapping additional sanctions on Russia, including freezing assets of the country's leaders and three financial institutions.

Aside from those held by six individuals including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Japan will freeze assets of Russia state-owned Promsvyazbank and Vnesheconombank, as well as the country's central bank.

Japan will also prohibit exports to 49 Russian entities as part of the sanctions, the government said in a statement.

"We've agreed on the need to take powerful sanctions against Russia," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday after an online meeting with Western leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden.

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on Russia's central bank and other sources of wealth, dealing a crushing blow to the country's economy and further punishing Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida had announced on Monday Tokyo's plan to join international sanctions that included limiting transactions with Russia's central bank.

Russia held $585.3 billion worth of foreign reserves as of June 2021, of which 5.7% were in yen, according to data by the country's central bank.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Additional reporting by Kentaro Sugiyama; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Jason Roy will not play in this seasons IPL (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

England opener Jason Roy has withdrawn from this seasons Indian Premier League.

The 31-year-old was due to play for new franchise Gujarat Titans in the 10-team competition, which is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 29.

Roy, who had a second child in early January and played in the Pakistan Super League last month, said the past three years had taken its toll on him and he wanted to spend time with his family.

Its with a heavy heart I have decided to pull out of this years tournament, Roy wrote on his social media accounts.

With everything going on in the world over the last three years its added up and taken its toll on me.

I feel its only right I spend some quality time with my family, as well as spending time working on myself and my game over the next couple of months leading into a very busy year.

Roy will be hoping to help England to World T20 glory in Australia later this year, having suffered an injury during the 2021 tournament that ruled him out of the semi-final defeat to New Zealand.
Danny is a writer and a Calaveras County native. He studied creative writing and marketing at San Francisco State University and has previously done work as an automotive journalist. He is happy to be back and writing about the local community.

Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.
Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) called on the Biden administration to ban imports of Russian oil and step up domestic energy production in a statement on Monday evening, a day before President Bidens State of the Union address.

According to Manchin, the U.S. is importing more than half a million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum from Russia while the Russian military is invading neighboring Ukraine.

This makes no sense at all and represents a clear and present danger to our nations energy security, said Manchin, who is the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The U.S. must ramp up domestic energy productionto both protect our energy independence and support our allies around the globe.

Manchin added, I am calling on the Administration and industry partners to take action immediately, up to and including banning crude oil imports from Russia.

President Biden moved to halt all new oil and gas production leases on federal lands after taking office in 2021, in an attempt to fight climate change. Biden also revoked a presidential permit for the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, leading developers to scrap the project in June.

Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) called to lift restrictions on oil and gas leases, in a Friday interview on Fox Newss The Ingraham Angle. However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said rescinding those policies would not be effective in comments to Fox on Tuesday.

They are not policies that would address the issue at all, Psaki said. This Keystone pipelineit would take years for that to have an impact on prices.

Psaki claimed that there are also 9,000 approved oil leases that companies are not tapping into.

On Fox News, WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki rebuts Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on energy prices: "These are not policies that would address the issue Keystone Pipeline, it would take years for that to have an impact There are also 9,000 oil leases that companies are not tapping into." pic.twitter.com/t7Ituxv4wJ  Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) March 1, 2022

The Biden administrations ban on new oil and gas leases is currently the subject of a court battle. The administration said in a court filing on February 22 that it would delay all new oil and gas leases indefinitely while it finds a regulatory solution for new leases, in accordance with a February 11 court order.

Story continues

Oil prices have risen sharply since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Germany, a key importer of Russian natural gas, indefinitely suspended the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which has already been built and was intended to double natural gas imports.

More from National Review




Former national security adviser John Bolton pushed back against the idea that former President Trump's behavior discouraged Russian military aggression while he was in office, saying, "It's just not accurate to say that Trump's behavior somehow deterred the Russians."

During an interview with Bolton, Newsmax host Rob Schmitt said that "there is something to be said, though, about the simple fact that there was not aggression during the four years" Trump was in office, noting a list of actions that the Washington think tank Brookings Institution said the Trump administration took against Russia.

"I mean, he took a very tough stance against Russia. I'm surprised you don't think that he would have handled it better than Joe Biden," Schmitt told Bolton.

"He did not," Bolton replied. "We didn't sanction Nord Stream 2. We should have. We should have brought the project to an end. We did impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs and several others because of their sales of S-400 anti-aircraft systems to other countries. But in almost every case, the sanctions were imposed with Trump complaining about it, saying we were being too hard."

The Trump-era national security adviser claimed the former president did not know where Ukraine was on a map and said he believed Russia did not take more aggressive actions while Trump was in office because Russia "didn't feel that their military was ready."

"The fact is that he barely knew where Ukraine was. He once asked John Kelly, his second chief of staff, if Finland were a part of Russia. It's just not accurate to say that Trump's behavior somehow deterred the Russians," Bolton said.

Taylor Budowich, a spokesperson for Trump, slammed Bolton's comments in a statement to The Hill.

"John Bolton was fired because he believes anything less than war is not enough. President Trump ensured peace during his administration and ended wars, making Bolton irrelevant," Budowich said.

A majority of Americans believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if Trump were still president, according to a poll released last week.

A Harvard Center for American Political Studies-Harris Poll survey last week found that 62 percent of those polled believed Putin would not be moving against Ukraine if Trump were still in office.
The past weekend once again showed the dominance of South Korean dramas, as Thirty-Nine and Juvenile Justice both broke into Netflixs Global Top 10 rankings.



According to FlixPatrol, a site that tracks streaming data from popular video platforms, both ranked among the top 10 most-watched Netflix shows in the world. South Korea continues to attract a global audience and proves its industry is not just a one-hit wonder with the success of Squid Games, which premiered last year.



JTBCs Thirty-Nine, released Wednesday, Feb. 16, is the story of three unmarried women and their close friendship. When one of them falls terminally ill, the three reflect on their time spent together as well as how to spend their remaining time.



The drama stars renowned actors Son Ye-jin (Crash Landing on You) and Jeon Mi-Do (Hospital Playlist), as well as Kim Ji-hyun (Justice) in her first lead role. The final episode of Season 1 is set to air March 24.



Juvenile Justice, the second Korean Netflix original of the year, premiered just this past Friday, Feb. 25. Immediately after its release, it topped several global charts in Asia; however, it did not do as well in the U.S. unlike its predecessor All of Us Are Dead, which has made a home for itself in the domestic top 10 since its release in January.



Juvenile Justice centers around Judge Shim Eun-suk, played by Kim Hye-soo (Hyena), and her many juvenile delinquent cases. The series highlights South Koreas controversial juvenile system in which offenders under 14 years of age are not held criminally responsible for their actions but are instead sent to reformatory centers for a chance at rehabilitation. The shows trailer starts with a young person laughing in court knowing they cannot be punished severely.



Featured image via Netflix Asia

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As the conflict in Eastern Europe intensifies from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, outdoor footwear company Keen is working to help those displaced from their homes.

The brand announced today that it has made a commitment of 50,000 euros, which converts to $55,669.75 at the current exchange rate, in both cash and products to support Ukrainian refugees at the Poland, Slovakia and Hungary borders.

More from Footwear News

In the face of a humanitarian crisis like the one unfolding in Ukraine, Keen stands in solidarity with its people. Our thoughts are with the people and families whose lives are affected by the crisis in Ukraine, the company said via its Keen Europe handle on Instagram.

Keen said via statement that the cash donations will be driven through GlobalGiving, which was done to provide immediate support to local organizations. Also, the brand said it has joined forces with MM Sport and Outdoor Concept, its local distributors in Poland and Czech Republic, to make sure the people and families most impacted has footwear and other essentials.

Whats more, Keen stated it is working with the European Outdoor Group (EOG) to ask the greater outdoor industry to join in the support efforts. The support Keen and EOG is looking for, the company said, includes cash and necessities such as clothing, food, hygiene products and bedding.

Keen is also encouraging its consumers to make donations via GlobalGiving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.

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On Aug. 5, 1996, Jennifer Myers was robbed of about $40, tied up and sexually assaulted at her business, Tailfeather Gallery, in West Manchester Township. The perpetrator gagged her with a shirt and, at one point, pointed a handgun at her and threatened to shoot if she didnt shut up.

Myers did not know her assailant. But she later recognized her attacker at a Sheetz in Hanover: Kevin Brian Dowling.

Jennifer Myers, a mother of two, rose aficionado and owner of Gray Fox Art Gallery in Spring Grove, was shot and killed on Oct. 20, 1997.

Not long before she was set to testify against him, Myers, a mother of two and rose aficionado, was shot and killed at her new business, Gray Fox Gallery in Spring Forge Plaza in Spring Grove, at about 1 p.m. on Oct. 20, 1997.

The sole eyewitness who testified at Dowling's murder trial  Sandra Eller  stated that she had no doubt at all that she saw him in the parking lot of the shopping center on the day of the deadly shooting after grocery shopping.

Eller said she wasn't sure of the exact time. She testified that it could have been about 11:20 or 11:30 a.m.

Though her receipt from Kennies Market listed the time as 10:50 a.m., Pennsylvania State Police Trooper William Mowrey testified that clock in the cash register was behind and inaccurate.

Dowling was found guilty of first-degree murder in 1998 and sentenced to death.

Dowling 1998 trial: Read YDR's complete coverage of this fascinating York County case

The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office  which has handled court proceedings after Dowling's conviction  now concedes that the timestamp on the receipt from Kennie's Market that morning was, in fact, accurate. So Eller, a judge has determined, must have been mistaken when she made that identification.

More than 24 years after the killing, Lebanon County Senior Judge Robert J. Eby on Feb. 22 awarded Dowling, now 63, of East Petersburg, Lancaster County, a new trial, ruling that his defense attorney was ineffective and that prosecutors did not turn over exculpatory evidence and presented false testimony about the receipt from the supermarket.

Story continues

This Court has thoroughly considered whether trial counsel provided effective assistance of counsel to Petitioner during his trial, Eby wrote in a 31-page opinion. We conclude that he did not.

This Court has also thoroughly and extensively considered whether the Commonwealth participated in the suppression of exculpatory evidence prior to Petitioners trial in October and November of 1998, as well as whether the Commonwealth failed to correct testimony of both Eller and Trooper Mowrey which it knew or should have known to be materially false, he added. On both of these issues, we concluded that is has.

Related: In Pa., many death penalty cases are overturned. York County is no exception. Here's why.

Lebanon County Senior Judge Robert J. Eby on Feb. 22 awarded a new trial to Kevin Dowling, now 63, of East Petersburg, Lancaster County, who had been found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in the killing of Jennifer Myers, the owner of Gray Fox Art Gallery in Spring Grove, on Oct. 20, 1997.

In an email, Assistant Federal Defender Tracy Ulstad, Dowlings new attorney, said she had no comment at this time.

Dowlings trial attorney, Jerry Lord, also declined to comment. Former York County First Assistant District Attorney Tom Kelley, who prosecuted the case, asked for a copy of the opinion and stated "we never didn't disclose anything."

In a statement, Molly Stieber, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office, said, We respectfully disagree with the conclusion reached by the court and plan to appeal."

Check out: Man awaiting new death penalty phase trial in 1998 double-murder in York dies in prison

Mowrey testified that he went to Kennies Market five days after the deadly shooting to investigate whether the timestamps on receipts were correct, according to the opinion.

Ellers receipt, his police report indicates, shows that the sale started at 10:45 a.m. on Oct. 20, 1997. Mowrey said investigators checked that cash register  Register No. 6  and determined that the time printed on receipts was 20 minutes behind on that date.

Law enforcement inspected the other registers at the supermarket and found that each showed a different time, according to his police report. Mowrey reported that police collected four register receipt rolls and placed them into evidence.

Mowrey did not describe his methodology as well as how he reached the conclusion that the times on all the registers were incorrect, the opinion states.

Right before trial in 1998, Mowrey went back to Kennies Market to again check the times on the registers.

Register No. 6, he testified, was 11 minutes slow. His police report, though, indicated there was a time discrepancy of 17 minutes.

Read: Execution date set for York mass murderer, though it's unlikely he will be be executed

A Bucks County jury that was brought in for the trial because of press coverage, the opinion states, received a copy of Ellers receipt with a handwritten note that specified, 20 minutes off.

Dowling's wife, Joanne, provided investigators with a videotape that purported to show her husband fishing at the time of the murder on Muddy Run Lake in Lancaster County.

Robert Boyle, a professor of physics and astronomy at Dickinson College, reviewed the footage and, using shadows and the angle of the sun, determined that some of the times in the videotape had been changed.

Dowling conceded that hed altered the times. Thats because, he said, he did not want his wife to know that hed grown bored with fishing and left to go to a strip club in Harrisburg.

During the trial, Clarence Hess, the rental boat proprietor at Muddy Run Lake, which is 40 miles away from Spring Forge Plaza, testified that Dowling got into a boat at about 10:20 a.m. and was on the water for 30 to 45 minutes, according to the opinion.

Prosecutors presented evidence at trial that it takes one hour and three minutes, or one hour and eight minutes, to drive from Muddy Run Lake to Spring Forge Plaza.

Based on the prosecution's evidence, Dowling would not have been able to make it to the shopping center until 11:50 a.m. at the earliest  one hour after Eller had already checked out, Eby noted. Because the time on her receipt is accurate, the judge noted, she must have been mistaken in her identification.

Kenneth Hewitt, of WSR Consulting Group LLC, provided an expert report that the internal register clock was accurate on Register No. 6. Christienne Genaro, with PayGility Advisors, independently confirmed his findings and submitted her own report, according to the opinion.

Prosecutors hired their own experts, Dennis and Jeffrey Houser of Financial Forensic Consultants LLC, who reported that they would testify that they agreed with the findings of the defense experts.

More: York County judge throws out death sentence against double-murderer due to jury error

First, Eby determined that Lord provided ineffective assistance of counsel.

Lord, he said, failed to request access to readily available exculpatory evidence:" the four receipt rolls. He also did not investigate whether the time on the receipt was accurate.

Instead, Lord called Mowrey to testify that the time on the receipt was off" and erroneously strengthened Eller's testimony.

*This item is very important, Lord wrote in a memo that he faxed to his investigator, Bill Donivan, days before jury selection. If we can establish the clock was definitely off by 20 minutes on 10/20/97, it will establish Dowling could not have been the guy S. Eller saw at Kennies on the morning of 10/20/97 

If Lord had requested the register rolls and investigated, he wouldve had objective proof that his client was not the man whom Eller saw outside Kennies Market. And he wouldve been able to show that Mowreys conclusions were "baseless and patently false," Eby said.

Mowrey, he said, was not competent to provide an expert opinion.

Eby remarked that memo provided him with a clear window into trial counsels flawed thought process, resulting in an unreasonable trial strategy.

Lord later testified and did not offer a reason for not hiring a point-of-sale expert besides that he was not familiar with any defense attorneys and assistant district attorneys hiring them. But Eby stated that was common in 1998.

"Had he done any of these things, it is clear there is a reasonable probability that the outcome of the trial would have been different," Eby said. "Petitioner was prejudiced."

Also of interest: His son faces the death penalty in a deadly shooting at Regal West Manchester. Why this York father blames himself.

Second, Eby ruled that prosecutors failed to turn over the receipt rolls, which were exculpatory.

Prosecutors, he said, knew that the time when Eller checked out was important their case. They knew, or should have known, that her identification mustve been mistaken, Eby said.

"Nevertheless, at trial, the Commonwealth relied upon the incompetent, unscientific and undocumented investigation of Trooper Mowrey in an attempt to bolster Eller's testimony and convince the jury that her receipt was inaccurate, Eby said.

Eby said there is "more than a reasonable likelihood that this false testimony could have affected the judgment of the jury."

Dowling is currently incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Phoenix, according to prison records.

Dylan Segelbaum is the courthouse reporter at the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Contact him at dsegelbaum@ydr.com, by phone at 717-916-3981 or on Twitter @dylan_segelbaum.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Kevin Dowling wins new trial in 1997 death penalty case in York County
A neighbor and acquaintance of a Cayce doctor accused of killing a salesman testified Tuesday that the doctor said he killed his best friend.

Tiffany Beitler, who lived a few homes down from the doctor, said Lazzarini came to her house on the night of the shooting in October 2017. He sat outside her home, folded into himself and rocked.

I killed my best friend, he said, according to Beitlers testimony Tuesday afternoon. He said it over and over again, she said.

Later, Beitlers partner also testified that Lazzarini said he killed his best friend.

Three or four days later, Lazzarini was back at Beitlers porch. They were talking through what happened, Beitler recalled.

Lazzarini was imitating the hand motions of transferring the gun between himself and Holland.

Maybe I shot him, Lazzarini said, according to Beitler. I think I shot him, he said.

He seemed confused about the transfer of the gun, Beitler said.

It was the first time jurors heard a witness say that Lazzarini confessed to shooting Holland. Prior to Tuesday, investigators had testified that Lazzarini initially said Holland had shot himself.

Lazzarini, a former Lexington Medical Center doctor, is accused of involuntary manslaughter. Investigators have testified that he told different stories about what happened the night Holland was killed in the doctors home.

Defense attorney Jack Swerling seized on Beitlers comment about Lazzarini being confused. He pushed Beitler to reiterate that Lazzarini seemed unsure about what happened in the shooting. Lazzarini was distraught, horrified and crying when he talked about the gun transferring hands, Beitler said.

Lazzarinis defense has been building a case that Lazzarini was confused about what happened and thats why his story changed about the shooting.

Chris Cunningham, Beitlers significant other who lived with her, said Lazzarini was distraught when he saw him immediately after the shooting.

Cunningham, a firefighter, came into Lazzarinis house only moments after the shooting. Lazzarinis wife had gone to Cunninghams house and said someone was shot. Cunningham found Lazzarini on the ground in shock in the bedroom where Holland was shot. Cunningham led the first police officers to the upstairs room.

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Prosecutors Shawn Graham and Luke Pincelli of the 11th Circuit Solicitors Office are trying the case. Along with Swerling, attorneys Greg Harris and Alissa Wilson are defending Lazzarini. Judge Debra McCaslin is presiding.

Nanny testifies

The longest and most rigorous testimony came when a prosecutor and defense attorney questioned the Lazzarinis nanny.

In one of the most revealing moments, the nanny, 19-year-old Savannah Beitler, daughter of Tiffany Beitler, revealed that Lazzarinis 5-year-old daughter said that he put the gun to his chest. There was a loud noise. And there was fire.

Months later, the daughter spoke with a forensic child interviewer and said her father held the gun when it went off and that she was in the room when Holland was shot.

The prosecutors said in opening statements that Lazzarini was criminally negligent in the shooting. Lazzarinis attorneys are pushing that the shooting was a tragic accident and theres reasonable doubt of the involuntary manslaughter charge.

Savannah Beitler, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, recalled the events of that night.

Lazzarinis wife, Vanessa Biery, came screaming into Beitlers house, where she lived with her mother and Cunningham. Someone was shot at their house, Biery told Savannah Beitler.

Savannah Beitler went to the Lazzarinis home, where she picked up their daughter outside. Savannah Beitler quickly walked back to her home and brought the daughter to a bedroom. Savannah Beitler asked what happened.

Thats when the daughter said she saw the shooting, Savannah Beitler testified.

Savannah Beitler had been the Lazzarinis nanny for about a year in Oct. 2017. She was working for them seven days a week at one time and would stay at their house at times.

Savannah Beitler later told Lazzarini that his daughter had seen the shooting, she testified.

He acted stern, she said.

Swerling, Lazzarinis attorney, questioned Savannah Beitler about her memory of the events.

She admitted having an extensive history of marijuana use and other drug use. She also was interrogated by Swerling on her history of mental illness.

Her drug use and mental illness were serious, Beitler said.

The bottom line is you dont remember a lot of what happened and thats because of your drug use and mental illness, Swerling asked. Beitler responded, Yes.

Beitler said she is sober now and taking medication for her illness. Shes a new mother and newly married, she said.

The trial continues on Wednesday.
Gustavo Dudamel, L.A. Phil's music and artistic director, conducts a concert in 2020. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The history of collaboration between Black women artists; the legacy and thriving state of classical music in the Americas; the untold stories of women who lived during the California Gold Rush; and an immersive, multimedia exploration of the work of three historic female composers, dating back to the Middle Ages. These themes, stories and artists will be explored as part of the 2022-23 season lineup for Walt Disney Concert Hall, announced Tuesday by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Additional highlights include appearances by Michael Tilson Thomas, Zubin Mehta, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Rhiannon Giddens, Rufus Wainwright and Renee Fleming.

LA. Phil Chief Executive Chad Smith says the season is as notable for what isn't being announced as for what is. Organizing a season, Smith says, begins as early as four years before that season unfolds. For that reason, the L.A. Phil is planning to roll out future offerings every few months, with a focus on events curated by its Humanities program, which was founded in 2019 and is the first of its kind to operate alongside a major American orchestra. The purpose of the department is to partner with arts and educational organizations to create work that helps contextualize what the orchestra is doing in order to better connect with diverse communities in real time.

"Weve known for a long time that our planning process in classical music is a barrier to relevance  that planning things too far out means you dont have the flexibility in the moment to respond," says Smith. "We are trying to be a little more fleet-footed as a result of the pandemic, so we hold back."

Gustavo Dudamel, the L.A. Phil's music and artistic director, will spearhead the efforts and is slated to conduct 10 programs, including opening the season with a night of film music by John Williams; world premieres of work by Ellen Reid and Gabriella Smith; 10 days of Rachmaninoff featuring Yuja Wang performing all four piano concertos; the conductor's first crack at Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde"; and concerts connected to his Pan-American Music Initiative.

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That initiative, now in its second year, is the L.A. Phil's "attempt to help shift the center of gravity a little bit more to the Americas and Latin America when we talk about classical music," says Smith. It will include work by Gabriela Ortiz, Jose Antonio Abreu, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Arturo Marquez.

"Rock My Soul," the festival celebrating the history of collaboration between Black women artists, is created by soprano Julia Bullock, who also will perform in it. The series was inspired by the friendship between Florence Price and Margaret Bonds, two African American composers working during the early 20th century. Their collaboration allowed their work to be heard on stages across the country despite the enormous prejudice they faced, says Smith.

"Julia said thats just an example of the supportive network that Black women artists have had over many decades, and asked, 'How can we highlight more of that work?'" says Smith.

"Rock My Soul" became the answer to that question, and also an example of how the L.A. Phil is seeking to establish itself as an "artist-centered space," says Smith.

"As we come out of the pandemic, if artists have an idea, I want the L.A. Phil to be the place where it can come to life," he says. "Whether its a commissioned new work, or a digital work, Gustavo and I want to create an institution that is malleable and able to support the most creative visionaries."

Smith says he considers Bullock such a visionary, and is excited that she also will star in John Adams' opera "Girls of the Golden West," which is told from the perspective of women and immigrant workers in California gold mines, and uses letters and journals in the libretto.

Another unique, one-night-only event titled "Electric Fields" will pair pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque with contemporary music soprano Barbara Hannigan in an immersive, multimedia exploration of the work of Medieval composer and saint Hildegard of Bingen, as well as the work of two female Italian composers, the Baroque era's Francesca Caccini and Barbara Strozzi.

"I hope that across the season that incredible creativity  that relentless and restless search for the new  is also felt and understood when we dig into those meaty and meaningful works from prior centuries," says Smith.

COVID protocols are swiftly shifting in the city and the state; as of press time, there is still an indoor mask mandate for county venues, including Walt Disney Concert Hall. The L.A. Phil expects to continue asking for proof of full vaccination (including a booster dose, if eligible).

The full 2022-23 season lineup can be found here.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
LOS ANGELES, CA  As mask mandates and pandemic health orders ease across California, the situation in Los Angeles County remains a little more complicated.

On Monday, state officials announced a March 11 end to the statewide mask mandate in schools, but the state's largest school district  the Los Angeles Unified School District  has, so far refrained from dropping its mask mandate. The teachers union has suggested that it would oppose an immediate end to mask mandates.

Similarly, the state announced an end to its indoor mask policy for unvaccinated people last week, and health departments in Pasadena and Long Beach quickly followed suit. The state's indoor mask mandate for the unvaccinated ends Tuesday, but the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has not yet altered its indoor mask mandate. County officials are slated to discuss options for altering health orders at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting.

Though not mandated, indoor masking remains strongly recommended by the state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in places with high coronavirus transmission rates such as Los Angeles County.

Still, the number of COVID-19-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals continued its downward trajectory Monday, and the region could soon achieve the CDC's moderate risk category.

According to state figures, there were 916 COVID-positive patients hospitalized locally, down from 975 on Sunday. Of those patients, 182 are in intensive care, down from 188 the previous day.

The county's number of hospitalized COVID patients has been as high as 8,098 and as low as 213 during the two-year pandemic. It quickly shot up to over 4,800 in January amid a winter surge in cases fueled by the Omicron variant, and has been steadily declining since then. The number fell below 1,000 on Sunday for the first time since December.

Officials have said some patients enter the hospital for other reasons and discover they have COVID after a mandated test.

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The county reported another 67 COVID-19 deaths on Monday, raising the overall death toll from the virus to 30,716. The county also reported a total of 2,833 new COVID cases from the past two days, raising the cumulative pandemic total to 2,796,560.

The rolling average daily rate of people testing for the virus was 1.1% as of Monday, down from 1.4% on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The falling case rates led to Monday's easing of mask mandates for California schools. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the state's indoor mask-wearing mandate in schools will end at 11:59 p.m. March 11. Los Angeles County will align with the state and also lift the school masking rule.

But it remains to be seen if the Los Angeles Unified School District will adhere to the same schedule. The head of the United Teachers Los Angeles union issued a statement opposing a lifting of the mask mandate on school campuses.

LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho issued a statement saying only that the district will "continue to consult with our medical director and health partners as we work to establish an updated mask policy."

The state on Tuesday will lift its overall indoor mask-wearing mandate for unvaccinated people in most settings. Los Angeles County, however, still has a mandate in place.

The county on Friday relaxed its mandate, allowing people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 to remove face coverings indoors at establishments that verify patrons' vaccination status.

The change took effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Hours later, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced amended COVID guidelines that dropped its recommendation for indoor mask-wearing in much of the country but not in L.A. County.

LA Metro reminded riders Saturday that they are still required to wear face masks while on buses or trains, under a federal mandate that applies to all transit systems. Under federal rules, masks continue to be required indoors at airports, transit centers, aboard public transit, in health-care facilities and at homeless shelters, long-term care centers and emergency shelters.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch
The last suspect has pleaded guilty in the multi-defendant Muscogee Superior Court clerk scandal that authorities said may have cost taxpayers over $1 million.

Rosalee Bassi, the mother-in-law of alleged ringleader and longtime Superior Court Clerk supervisor Willie Demps, pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon before U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land.

Bassi was to plead guilty earlier, but Judge Land would not accept the plea then because Bassi, speaking through an interpreter, would not admit she committed a crime. Bassi is from Cameroon, and though she can speak some English, her native language is French, and she needs an interpreter for official court proceedings, attorneys said.

She pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property, alleging she took cash derived from two Superior Court clerk checks from Columbus to Phenix City between Sept. 24 and Oct. 11, 2018. One check was for $4,320, and the other $3,868, according to her plea.

Though her plea involved only those two checks, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Helmick told the court Demps contacted Bassi 16 times between September 2015 and February 2019, asking her to cash checks that together totaled $61,896, and Bassi took the cash to her home in Phenix City each time.

Bassi faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison plus a fine of up to $250,000, and must pay back the stolen money in restitution.

Bassi also faces possible deportation, authorities said.

Defense attorney Pete Temesgen declined to comment on the plea. Helmick said she was not free to comment on the case.

Details of the scheme

Federal prosecutors have alleged Demps wired more than $500,000 to contacts in Africa between 2010 and 2018, most of it to Cameroon. He also sent funds to Nigeria, Senegal, Gabon, Gambia, Ecuador and Canada, they said.

Demps pleaded guilty Feb. 2 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of tax evasion. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine on the first charge, and five years in prison and a $100,000 fine on each of the tax evasion counts.

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Judge Land has set Demps sentencing for 9:30 a.m. June 2, when Demps accomplices in the scheme also will be sentenced at the same time.

Bassi and six other codefendants initially were accused of helping Demps steal at least $467,000 from accounts that Demps managed while working nearly 30 years for the clerks office, part of that time as chief deputy clerk. But when Demps pleaded guilty, prosecutors offered a fresh assessment of the losses.

Helmick said Demps wrote 330 fraudulent checks totaling $1.3 million between October 19, 2010 and Nov. 27, 2019, and deposited only $210 out of $5.5 million in cash paid to the clerks office over that time span. The total Demps cost the county likely comes to around $6.8 million, when cash funds he failed to deposit for the clerks office are included, she said then.

Demps managed funds for which he was authorized to write checks on Superior Court Clerk accounts at area banks. He recruited others to help him cash those checks, sometimes meeting them outside the bank branches, or outside the Columbus Government Center where he worked, authorities said. He took blank checks, wrote them to his accomplices and signed them, before they took the checks to be cashed.

The accounts he oversaw held court funds derived from felony and misdemeanor fines, forfeitures and condemnations. The accounts were at Synovus Financial Corp., SunTrust Bank and Colony Bank.

Demps, 64, was arrested Aug. 18, 2021, after he and his codefendants 71-count indictment alleged wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and transporting stolen goods and money.

Besides Bassi, 66, others involved in the scheme were:
Baltimore states attorney candidate Ivan Bates unveiled a detailed plan Tuesday for how hed bring down a persistently high rate of violent crime as the citys elected prosecutor.

Touting beefed-up gun prosecution, enhanced law-enforcement cooperation, data-driven training and new diversion programs, Bates plan details how his administration would prioritize removing violent offenders from our communities and support alternatives to incarceration.

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Bates announced the plan against the backdrop of a house in Park Heights where 24-year-old Kendal Fenwick was gunned down in 2015 for building a fence around his Northwest Baltimore property to keep illicit activity out. He was flanked by Fenwicks family, former city police brass, a retired chief circuit judge and former deputy states attorney, as well as community leaders.

We deserve better. I can do the job better so we can make our city safer so that our children can have the city they deserve and we deserve, Bates said. My plan addresses that.

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A prominent defense attorney and former city prosecutor, Bates is challenging incumbent States Attorney Marilyn Mosby in the Democratic primary, the second time hes sought to unseat the prosecutor.

Like challenger Roya Hanna, Bates plans to resume the prosecutions discontinued by Mosby during the coronavirus pandemic for drug possession, prostitution and trespassing.

Bates promises to bring back those cases not to punish those defendants with jail sentences but to connect the people to diversionary programs, such as drug court, which he argues have been underutilized. Diversion programs follow an arrest and incarceration, however brief.

Mosby has defended not pursuing such low-level offenses by presenting the argument that those prosecutions disproportionately hurt the citys minority neighborhoods. She also says that sending people to jail for things like drug possession doesnt help address underlying problems like addiction.

Bates contends the lack of arrests amount to missed opportunities to intervene in the lives of sex trafficking victims and drug users.

His plan focuses on addressing what he described Tuesday as a gun crisis in Baltimore, including by reconfiguring units within the states attorneys office to address firearms cases.

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The document cites a study from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy, part of the universitys Bloomberg School of Public Health, that found that Mosbys office dropped or indefinitely postponed more than one-third of illegal gun cases from May 2015 to May 2019.

Bates said his administration will leverage fear of prosecution in federal court, where he has seen firsthand that sentences there act as strong deterrents because there is no parole and prison time is often served in other states. He also plans to assign prosecutors to seek out those who sell illegal guns and make or sell ghost guns.

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Baltimore state's attorney candidate Ivan Bates unveils his prosecution plan to reduce violent crime on Tuesday outside the home where Kendal Fenwick was fatally shot in 2015. (Kim Hairston/The Baltimore Sun )

The defense attorney wants to augment the citys Gun Offender Registration Act. Known in court as GORA, the program requires those convicted of gun offenses to register as a gun offender with Baltimore Police upon their release from incarceration and report to a specific police station every six months for five years to renew their registration. Bates said hell advocate for more supervision and monthly check-ins.

Mosbys office says it collaborates effectively with other law enforcement agencies, but Bates disagreed and outlined steps in his plan to rebuild those relationships. He seized on tensions between Mosby and other elected and law enforcement officials, namely the U.S. Attorneys Office, which is prosecuting Mosby on federal perjury and false statement charges.

This states attorneys office has lost credibility, its lost the ability to work with others and theyre fighting, Bates said Tuesday. When the criminal justice partners are fighting, the criminal element is winning.

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

A spokeswoman for the states attorneys office declined to comment on points raised in Bates report.

Retired Chief Baltimore Circuit Judge Wanda Heard and former Deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Barksdale expressed support for Bates prosecution plan, describing it as a well researched, multifaceted approach to address crime in the city. They said in separate interviews Tuesday that it strikes a balance between being tough on crime and helping people.

You cant just lock everyone up and throw away the key and you cant just put everyone on probation, Heard said. You have to know how to distinguish the various types of crime and people that come before you.

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Among collaborative initiatives in Bates plan is the Baltimore Violence Reduction Coalition, a multi-level, multi-disciplinary and multi-agency process for exchanging information about all homicides and shootings to come up with preventive public health and criminal justice measures. He touts the success of similar groups in Oakland, California, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Bates intends to staff every homicide case with a veteran and junior attorney to bolster experience within the office. He also plans to secure money to hire data analysts to understand why cases are dropped and to use the answer to better train officers and line attorneys.

His plan also outlines his ideas to enhance victim and witness protection, in part, by assigning a prosecutor to witness intimidation and retaliation cases; reform the states attorneys offices juvenile program; and institute community court where prosecutors will review cases of loitering, trespassing and dice rolling to determine whether the defendants would best be served by doing community service or participating in a diversion program.
Nuclear fission  the physical process by which very large atoms like uranium split into pairs of smaller atoms  is what makes nuclear bombs and nuclear power plants possible. But for many years, physicists believed it energetically impossible for atoms as large as uranium (atomic mass = 235 or 238) to be split into two.

That all changed on Feb. 11, 1939, with a letter to the editor of Nature  a premier international scientific journal  that described exactly how such a thing could occur and even named it fission. In that letter, physicist Lise Meitner, with the assistance of her young nephew Otto Frisch, provided a physical explanation of how nuclear fission could happen.

It was a massive leap forward in nuclear physics, but today Lise Meitner remains obscure and largely forgotten. She was excluded from the victory celebration because she was a Jewish woman. Her story is a sad one.

What happens when you split an atom

Meitner based her fission argument on the liquid droplet model of nuclear structure  a model that likened the forces that hold the atomic nucleus together to the surface tension that gives a water droplet its structure.

She noted that the surface tension of an atomic nucleus weakens as the charge of the nucleus increases, and could even approach zero tension if the nuclear charge was very high, as is the case for uranium (charge = 92+). The lack of sufficient nuclear surface tension would then allow the nucleus to split into two fragments when struck by a neutron  a chargeless subatomic particle  with each fragment carrying away very high levels of kinetic energy. Meisner remarked: The whole fission process can thus be described in an essentially classical [physics] way. Just that simple, right?

Meitner went further to explain how her scientific colleagues had gotten it wrong. When scientists bombarded uranium with neutrons, they believed the uranium nucleus, rather than splitting, captured some neutrons. These captured neutrons were then converted into positively charged protons and thus transformed the uranium into the incrementally larger elements on the periodic table of elements  the so-called transuranium, or beyond uranium, elements.

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Some people were skeptical that neutron bombardment could produce transuranium elements, including Irene Joliot-Curie  Marie Curies daughter  and Meitner. Joliot-Curie had found that one of these new alleged transuranium elements actually behaved chemically just like radium, the element her mother had discovered. Joliot-Curie suggested that it might be just radium (atomic mass = 226)  an element somewhat smaller than uranium  that was coming from the neutron-bombarded uranium.

Meitner had an alternative explanation. She thought that, rather than radium, the element in question might actually be barium  an element with a chemistry very similar to radium. The issue of radium versus barium was very important to Meitner because barium (atomic mass = 139) was a possible fission product according to her split uranium theory, but radium was not  it was too big (atomic mass = 226).

Meitner urged her chemist colleague Otto Hahn to try to further purify the uranium bombardment samples and assess whether they were, in fact, made up of radium or its chemical cousin barium. Hahn complied, and he found that Meitner was correct: the element in the sample was indeed barium, not radium. Hahns finding suggested that the uranium nucleus had split into pieces  becoming two different elements with smaller nuclei  just as Meitner had suspected.

As a Jewish woman, Meitner was left behind

Meitner should have been the hero of the day, and the physicists and chemists should have jointly published their findings and waited to receive the worlds accolades for their discovery of nuclear fission. But unfortunately, thats not what happened.

Meitner had two difficulties: She was a Jew living as an exile in Sweden because of the Jewish persecution going on in Nazi Germany, and she was a woman. She might have overcome either one of these obstacles to scientific success, but both proved insurmountable.

Meitner had been working as Hahns academic equal when they were on the faculty of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin together. By all accounts they were close colleagues and friends for many years. When the Nazis took over, however, Meitner was forced to leave Germany. She took a position in Stockholm, and continued to work on nuclear issues with Hahn and his junior colleague Fritz Strassmann through regular correspondence. This working relationship, though not ideal, was still highly productive. The barium discovery was the latest fruit of that collaboration.

Yet when it came time to publish, Hahn knew that including a Jewish woman on the paper would cost him his career in Germany. So he published without her, falsely claiming that the discovery was based solely on insights gleaned from his own chemical purification work, and that any physical insight contributed by Meitner played an insignificant role. All this despite the fact he wouldnt have even thought to isolate barium from his samples had Meitner not directed him to do so.

Hahn had trouble explaining his own findings, though. In his paper, he put forth no plausible mechanism as to how uranium atoms had split into barium atoms. But Meitner had the explanation. So a few weeks later, Meitner wrote her famous fission letter to the editor, ironically explaining the mechanism of Hahns discovery.

Even that didnt help her situation. The Nobel Committee awarded the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the fission of heavy nuclei to Hahn alone. Paradoxically, the word fission never appeared in Hahns original publication, as Meitner had been the first to coin the term in the letter published afterward.

A controversy has raged about the discovery of nuclear fission ever since, with critics claiming it represents one of the worst examples of blatant racism and sexism by the Nobel committee. Unlike another prominent female nuclear physicist whose career preceded her  Marie Curie  Meitners contributions to nuclear physics were never recognized by the Nobel committee. She has been totally left out in the cold, and remains unknown to most of the public.

After the war, Meitner remained in Stockholm and became a Swedish citizen. Later in life, she decided to let bygones be bygones. She reconnected with Hahn, and the two octogenarians resumed their friendship. Although the Nobel committee never acknowledged its mistake, the slight to Meitner was partly mitigated in 1966 when the U.S. Department of Energy jointly awarded her, Hahn and Strassmann its prestigious Enrico Fermi Award for pioneering research in the naturally occurring radioactivities and extensive experimental studies leading to the discovery of fission. The two-decade late recognition came just in time for Meitner. She and Hahn died within months of each other in 1968; they were both 89 years old.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Timothy J. Jorgensen, Georgetown University.

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Timothy J. Jorgensen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Feb. 28Maine restaurants, bars and liquor stores are pulling several brands of vodka from shelves in a symbolic effort to condemn the invasion of Ukraine  even though little of the vodka sold here actually comes from Russia.

Gov. Janet Mills has joined the effort and on Monday called on Maine spirit retailers and restaurants to remove Russian-made spirits from their shelves and for the State Liquor and Lottery Commission to delist the products as a "symbolic but clear sign that Maine stands with Ukraine." Several other state governors have made similar moves in recent days.

Delisting would prevent additional Russian-made spirits from making their way to Maine retail and restaurant shelves until further notice, according to a press release from the governor's office. The commission must vote to delist a product.

"Maine stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the face of this abhorrent, unprovoked assault on their country, their freedom, and their lives," Mills said in a statement. "As we bear witness to the escalating tensions, I support the Biden administration's efforts to implement aggressive sanctions that punish Russia and cripple its economy ..."

Maine is not the first state to take a stand against allowing imports from Russia.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu signed an executive order over the weekend, directing state-run liquor and wine outlets to stop sales of Russian-made products. Other states including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Utah have issued similar boycotts.

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage urged Mills to take action and ban all Russian-made products in a statement issued early Monday.

"It is a move which will signal our state's resolve against Russian aggression," LePage said. "We should stand up and show support for Ukraine."

'IT SENDS A SIGNAL'

Many Maine retailers and restaurants had already removed Russian vodkas  and a few non-Russian ones  from their shelves and menus before the governor's announcement Monday.

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Russian Standard and Hammer + Sickle are the only two Russian-made spirits sold in Maine. Many of the big-name vodka brands such as Smirnoff, New Amsterdam, Pinnacle, Orloff and SKYY are distilled domestically.

In fact, only about 1 percent of the vodka imported into the United States in the first half of 2021 was from Russia, according to a report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

But the correlation between Russia and vodka, especially Russian-sounding brands, has been hard to shake.

Stolichnaya, or Stoli, for example, has been boycotted by several businesses across the country, with videos circulating online of bartenders and store owners pouring it down the drain. But despite its Russian roots, Stoli is made in Latvia, is owned by a Luxemboug company and has spoken out against the invasion.

Many Maine businesses, too, have removed Stoli from their shelves, along with Smirnoff and other brands that actually hail from Russia.

Jacques deVillier, owner of Old Port Spirits and Cigars, quietly removed all Stoli products from shelves over the weekend.

At the time, he didn't know it wasn't made in Russia. But even afterward, deVillier stood by his decision to halt sales. He said Tito's Handmade Vodka  based in Texas  is the shop's largest vodka brand, anyway.

"I think it sends a signal," he said about the decision. "We need to stand up for freedom."

A former military intelligence officer, deVillier said he's been proud of the Ukrainians and their bravery and wishes there was more he could do.

"I'm just angry. Those poor people, they didn't want a war, they were just minding their own business," he said. "I didn't do it for a response, I did it for myself. I had to do something."

LOCAL IMPACT MIXED

Montsweag Farm Restaurant in Woolwich is undergoing a few renovations this week, which owner Wayne Wescott said provided a good opportunity to give the bar a bit of a refresh. That included removing Stoli and Hammer + Sickle from its offerings.

It won't have much impact on the business, and it won't make any difference in the conflict, but Wescott said he wants to do anything he can to show support for Ukraine.

Wescott said he is also trying to find other ways, such as potentially bringing in a Ukrainian vodka brand or possibly ordering custom "Stand with Ukraine" T-shirts for staff.

Roger Tracy, owner of Skip's Lounge in Buxton, also stopped selling Stoli and Smirnoff over the weekend as a symbolic gesture.

It's a fine line, he said: There are Russian-American customers who come in regularly, and he doesn't want to disrespect them, but it's a small stance he's able to take.

If anything, it's an opportunity to promote more Maine-based alcohols, Tracy said.

Cold River Vodka, a Freeport-based distillery, expects to see that same thought reflected in customer demand.

Stoli is one of the brand's main competitors for blueberry vodka, and Cold River owner Chris Dowe said his company is likely to see an increase in sales as Stoli and other products continue to be removed from shelves.

"It's great for us but kind of weird," he said about videos circulating of people pouring out their Stoli. "It's extreme, but I can understand people's thoughts."

Dowe expressed concern for brokers who rely on sales of large vodka names such as Stoli and Smirnoff.

"It'll affect people that live here," he said.

Hannigan's Island Market on Peaks Island also announced over the weekend that the store would no longer stock Russian vodka in support of Ukraine.

The store removed Smirnoff and Stoli from its shelves, owner Bob Hannigan said.

Even though those companies aren't from Russia, the symbolism was the important part, he said.

It's unclear how other Maine businesses and organizations might approach Russian exports, whether they be products or arts and culture.

The Portland Symphony Orchestra's Summer Concert Series is scheduled to kick off June 25 with a performance of 19th century Russian composer Tchaikovsy's Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, along with Beethoven's Concerto in D Major, at the Seaside Pavilion in Old Orchard Beach.

Executive Director Carolyn Nishon said Monday that no programming changes had been made in reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but "we will be bringing together members of the organization to discuss it more fully."

Staff Writer Eric Russell contributed to this report.
By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A fugitive Malaysian financier said he won support from allies of former U.S. President Donald Trump for a possible settlement of a probe into the looting of funds from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, a former Goldman Sachs banker testified on Tuesday.

Tim Leissner offered a glimpse of what he had heard from financier Jho Low about the attempted deal, on the sixth day of his testimony at the trial of Roger Ng, another former Goldman banker. Ng, 49, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to launder money and violate an anti-bribery law.

Leissner, a former Goldman partner, said he had no independent verification of the information.

Leissner testified that Low, whom he described as the mastermind of the scheme, told him at a 2017 meeting that Low and his lawyers were in talks with the Trump administration about the potential for a multi-billion dollar deal that would spare several people from U.S. charges.

"Jho was quite comfortable and confident," Leissner said.

Low told Leissner he had met with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, in Beijing and had hired Chris Christie, the former Republican governor of New Jersey, as his lawyer with the promise of a $10 million fee if the settlement was successful, Leissner said.

Christie said he represented Low in civil forfeiture actions in California that resulted in Low surrendering $700 million to the U.S. Department of Justice. He said he never entered into an agreement to receive a fee if charges were dropped in exchange for payment to the U.S. government.

"There were never any discussions between me and any members of the Trump administration that the criminal investigation would be dropped or any charges against Mr. Low or anyone else dismissed in exchange for payment to the government," Christie said in a statement. "Nor was there any agreement for a legal success fee to me to negotiate such a result."

Kushner could not be reached for comment.

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Low, who was indicted by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn in 2018, has not been arrested by U.S. or Malaysian authorities. Malaysia says Low is in China, which Beijing denies.

Prosecutors say Goldman helped 1MDB raise $6.5 billion, but that $4.5 billion of those funds were diverted to government officials, bankers and their associates. The bank in 2020 agreed to pay a $3 billion fine and have its Malaysia subsidiary plead guilty in U.S. court.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Richard Chang)
An 18-year-old man will face charges Tuesday in the death of a Massachusetts high school student, who was shot in Quincy earlier this month.
The fire caused an estimated $300,000 in structural damage and an additional $50,000 in damage to the restaurant's merchandise and property. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

A man charged with setting fire to the Hancock Park building that houses Pizzeria Mozza during May 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd pleaded guilty Monday to a federal arson charge.

Mario Ernesto Alvarado of South Los Angeles was indicted in August 2020 on one count of arson for setting fire to the commercial building on Melrose Avenue, according to federal prosecutors. He walked into the building on May 30, 2020, the second night of civil unrest across Los Angeles, sprayed a flammable liquid on the ground and set a fire, prosecutors said.

Alvarado, 44, changed his initial not-guilty plea as part of an agreement with the federal government.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in June by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner.

The fire caused an estimated $300,000 in structural damage and an additional $50,000 in damage to the restaurant's merchandise and property. Pizzeria Mozza and a connected shop were closed at the time due to citywide curfew orders stemming from the civil unrest.

Tips from the public led authorities to Alvarado, and police who searched his home found the same T-shirt and hat he wore the night of the arson, according to court records. Authorities also found a can of lighter fluid in the back of Alvarado's Ford Focus, which he drove to and from the scene of the crime.

The fire was set on the first full day that dine-in services resumed in Los Angeles after the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. That reopening was followed by another night of unrest that saw some protests marred by vandalism and thefts, and demonstrators were met with projectiles and tear gas from police.

Michael Krikorian  a former Times reporter and partner to Nancy Silverton, chef and owner of the four Mozzaplex restaurants  said the fire inside the Mozza2Go shop left a table and some books charred. Television footage from that night showed smoke billowing out of the building and a row of firetrucks on Melrose Avenue.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
PETERSBURG  Police have a teenager in custody charged with the killing of a man Monday in Petersburg's west end, the city's first homicide of the year..

Ronald Parker, 18, has been charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and discharging a gun inside the city. Parker is being held pending a court appearance.

He is accused of killing Brian Wade Jr., 32, in the 2200 block of Ferndale Avenue near its intersection with Summit Street. The incident was reported shortly before 12:15 p.m. Monday.

Crews responding to the scene found Wade with a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died.

Deputy Police Chief Emanuel Chambliss said the suspect was located at the scene and captured without incident.

No motive has been released for the shooting. An investigation is ongoing.

This was the first homicide reported in Petersburg for 2022. Last year, 18 people were killed in the city.

More: He grew up in the foster system. Through it all, he's preserving and finding his footing.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is daily news coach for USA TODAY's Southeast Region-Unified Central, which includes Virginia, West Virginia and central North Carolina. He is based in Petersburg, Virginia. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg records first murder of the year; suspect in custody
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Manchin (D-W.Va.) is seen hearing to discuss the state of U.S. Territories on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.





Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) joined with Senate Republicans on Monday night to oppose legislation codifying the right to an abortion.

Senators voted 46-48 to move the bill toward a debate on the Senate floor, falling short of the three-fifths vote needed to move it forward.

The bill, which passed the House last year, enshrines the right to an abortion and pushes back against state-level restrictions. The Senate's failed vote comes as the Supreme Court is weighing a case that would curb Roe vs. Wade.

"Sadly it looks like the Supreme Court will limit abortion rights on the coming months. That's why the bill is essential," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

But the bill was guaranteed to fail because it needed 60 votes to move forward.

Manchin and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) weren't formal co-sponsors of the bill, but Casey had previously said he would vote to start debate on the bill.

Asked about Manchin's "no" vote, Sam Runyon, a spokesperson for Manchin, said, "Senator Manchin's position has not changed."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) accused Democrats of trying to support a "radical" policy to appease their base.

"Yet again our colleagues wish to demonstrate that the radical left fringe runs today's Democratic Party," McConnell said.

GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) voted against advancing the Democratic bill but introduced a proposal shortly before the vote to codify Roe vs. Wade.

"I have long supported a woman's right to choose, but my position is not without limits, and this partisan Women's Health Protection Act simply goes too far. It would broadly supersede state laws and infringe on Americans' religious freedoms," Murkowski said.

"The fact that my choice is between this bill, or nothing at all, shows how insincere Majority Leader Schumer is about protecting women's rights. Failing to conduct any outreach and reducing this important issue to nothing more than a designed-to-fail show vote is a disservice to women across America," she added.
A Maryland man shared a heartbreaking story about two panhandlers killing his wife after the pair spent a joyous evening at a relatives birthday party. Now, hell spend the rest of his life in prison for her murder.

Keith Smith, 55, was sentenced Monday to life in prison plus three years for the 2018 stabbing death of his wife, Jacquelyn Smith.

Just after midnight on Dec. 1, 2018, Smith brought his wife, an engineer at an Army facility to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was pronounced dead from multiple stab wounds, according to prosecutors. Her death was ruled a homicide by sharp force injuries, five stab wounds to the chest and one to the arm.

In Smiths telling, he and his wife were driving home with his daughter, Valeria, when they saw a Black woman panhandling while holding a baby. Smith claimed he stopped and the woman approached the front passenger side window, through which Jacquelyn handed her $10. Thats when, Smith told police, a man walked up and asked if he could thank Jacquelyn, then stabbed her repeatedly, grabbed her necklace and wallet and fled on foot with the woman.

But as investigators dug in, Smiths story fell apart as he and Valeria told detectives a different story and cell phone data placed the incident in a different part of town, a quiet corner where panhandlers were unlikely to be found.

While tapping Smiths phones, detectives found two calls he made trying to book one-way plane tickets to Cuba and Canada, which he was unable to do without a U.S. passport. He also asked about traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands without a passport and searched online about going to Mexico or Jamaica.

Eventually, detectives figured out the true story, later confirmed by Valeria Smith during the trial: Smith drove them to the park with Jacquelyn asleep in the front passenger seat, then stabbed her. Prosecutors alleged that it was an insurance scam.

Smith was found guilty of first-degree murder in December.

Keith Smith will now justly serve a life sentence in prison for violently stabbing his wife to death and then creating an elaborate cover-up plan to cowardly blame panhandlers for his horrific attack. Today, the public can rest assured that justice was served in a case that manipulated the hearts and minds of our country, States Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a statement Monday.

I applaud my Assistant States Attorney Shaundria Hanna for her skillful prosecution of an exceedingly hard-fought case. Her around-the-clock preparation during the weeks leading up to the trial, and close-knit collaboration with BPD, ensured Mr. Smith deservedly spends the rest of his natural life in prison for his heinous and reprehensible actions. My victim advocates will continue to support Ms. Jacquelyn Smiths family as they mourn the devastating loss of their loved one.

Valeria Smith was sentenced to five years in prison in December after pleading guilty to acting as an accessory by ditching Jacquelyns purse at a bus stop to make the panhandler story more believable.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

McConnell on Monday said there's "no place" for white supremacists in the GOP.

GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar appeared a white-nationalist event over the weekend.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also condemned the lawmakers' appearance at the event.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday said there's "no place" for white supremacists in the Republican party after two GOP members of Congress attended a white nationalist event over the weekend.

The Kentucky Republican criticized the Saturday appearances of Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona at the America First Political Action Conference, rejecting the far-right politics that have enveloped some of the more conservative elements of the party in recent years.

"There's no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism," McConnell said in a statement after being asked by a reporter about the appearances by sitting members of Congress. The GOP leader did not mention any lawmakers by name.

One of the event's organizers was Nick Fuentes, who has a history of making racist and antisemitic remarks. Last year, Gosar was a speaker at the America First conference, where Fuentes spoke of a desire to shield "the white demographic core."

At Saturday's event, Fuentes called on attendees to give "a round of applause for Russia," according to Politico, a distressing message as Congress has overwhelmingly sought to rally behind Ukraine's efforts to defend itself against an invasion engineered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

When Greene was asked by CBS News about her appearance at the controversial event, she said that she didn't "know" Fuentes and simply wanted to "address his very large following" about "America First policies" and "what's "important for our country going forward."

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"I do not know Nick Fuentes. I've never heard him speak. I've never seen a video. I don't know what his views are, so I'm not aligned with anything that may be controversial," she said.

A spokesperson for Gosar didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Other Republican leaders were similarly quick to condemn Greene's and Gosar's appearances at the event. "I definitely want to disassociate myself from it," Senate Minority Whip John Thune told Politico. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also issued a rare rebuke of his two caucus members, saying their appearances were "unacceptable."

The appearances are also an unwelcome message for a party that has sought to diversify its ranks in recent years. In many of the competitive House districts that flipped to Republican control in 2020, women and candidates of color defeated Democrats by appealing to diverse constituencies.

Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, an outspoken member of the right flank of the GOP, said she rejected Fuentes and other white supremacists.

"I do not apologize for other members and what they say or what they do. I do not support white supremacists, like Nick Fuentes, period," she told Politico.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Jacquelyn Trisvane Smiths husband seemingly had everyone fooled about her shocking murder.

Keith Tyrone Smith formulated an elaborate ruse that pinned her killing on a pair of East Baltimore panhandlers and repeated this tearful tale again and again, to news reporters and police detectives.

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He played the part of a grieving spouse during television interviews, and sat in the front row of his wifes funeral.

But his story unraveled as homicide detectives picked up on inconsistencies and prosecutors highlighted those details during his trial in December. A jury found Smith guilty of premeditated murder.

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The investigators shared a moment of celebration Monday with Jacquelyn Smiths loved ones in the corridor of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, moments after Keith Smith, 55, was sentenced to life in prison.

This will never bring her back, but we are elated and we feel that justice was served, said Yvonne Saab, Jacquelyn Smiths older sister, after the hearing.

In court, Circuit Judge Jennifer Schiffer lamented that Smith exploited Jacquelyns trust by stabbing her in the chest five times as she peacefully dozed in the passengers seat of their car, blamed her killing on the most vulnerable people in society and made a dash for the Mexican border.

I have never seen facts that showed more premeditation, willfulness and intent than this crime, Schiffer said.

She recited evidence presented during his trial about the killing and the coverup.

The crime for which the defendant was convicted was the reason the maximum sentence for murder was created, the judge added.

Saab read statements from a handful of relatives to explain how her killing had left them with a devastating void. Family members described the 54-year-old electrical engineer at Aberdeen Proving Ground as a kind, compassionate woman and doting mother who raised two boys to become successful young men.

Jacquelyns mother, Anna Trisvane, wrote that it was no coincidence that her daughter was born on the Fourth of July because she was bright and colorful like fireworks. It pains her to realize shell never hear her daughters voice or see her bright smile again, Trisvane wrote.

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I will never forgive him, Trisvane wrote of Keith Smith.

Jacquelyn Smith was killed by her husband, Keith Smith, who then blamed her death on a panhandler. Keith Smith was sentenced to life in prison for her murder.

Kendall Alexander Hood, Jacquelyn oldest son, wrote that he has endured panic attacks and night terrors following his mothers murder. He described his mothers killer as a monster who she trusted, and shed light on the additional pain his family endured because of Keith Smiths ruse.

I feel ashamed that my aunt had to pay for my mothers funeral out of her pocket while the murderer sat in the front row, Hood wrote.

Doienne Saab wrote about the milestones her Auntie Jackie will miss, and how shes wary of the people who come into her life because of the way Smith took advantage of Jacquelyns trust.

Smith appeared at his sentencing by video from jail. He apologized to Jacquelyns family but maintained he was innocent.

His attorney, Natalie Finegar, asked Schiffer to render a punishment less than the maximum, focusing on her clients faith and involvement in his church before his arrest. Finegar said Smith had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and said that his release after six years on a previous 12-year sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon indicated he was capable of doing well in prison.

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In a statement following the sentence, States Attorney Marilyn Mosby lauded the diligence of the prosecutor and the detectives on the case and touted that justice was served for a horrific attack. Mosby said her offices victim advocates would continue to support Jacquelyn Smiths family.

In court, Assistant States Attorney Shaundria Hanna, who prosecuted the case, said Smith not only manipulated the hearts and minds of his wifes family members but of a city and a nation that became consumed by his false narrative. She noted that he involved his daughter, Valeria Smith, who had been using drugs and who he knew would be defenseless.

In exchange for a lighter prison sentence, Valeria Smith agreed to plead guilty to acting as an accessory after the fact of her stepmothers murder and testify against her father. Valeria Smith, 31, was the prosecutions key witness at trial; her testimony helped prosecutors expose her fathers elaborate cover-up and provided an eyewitness account of the killing. She has served almost three of five years of her prison sentence.

Having gravely wounded his wife, Keith Smith made a distraught 911 call. He took her to the hospital but not in time for doctors to save her. He and Valeria ditched Jacquelyns wallet to support their story. He cried during an interview with homicide detectives, shed tears with his daughter while talking to reporters and demanded Baltimore outlaw panhandling.

Keith Smith, along with his daughter Valeria Smith, talks with the media in December 2018 in the area where he said his wife, Jacquelyn Smith, 54, was killed while giving money to a panhandler. A jury convicted Keith Smith of the murder in December. (Kevin Richardson / Baltimore Sun)

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

Valeria recounted from the witness stand the story he told her to repeat, and described their race to reach Mexico.

Smiths fictitious story about knife-wielding panhandlers stoked unfounded fears about people experiencing homelessness, leading to concerns the crime would provoke confrontations. The tale garnered national attention and outrage; Oprah Winfrey even commented on the tragedy.

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Detectives suspicions grew as the story spread. Police would never find evidence of panhandlers on the street corner  no knife, no cardboard sign. Smith first told detectives he didnt see the weapon, then said it was a kitchen knife. He said the womans coat was brown and then blue. Blood was spattered on the inside of the car window despite Smith claiming the window was down.

Investigators doubted anyone would beg for money on a little trafficked street corner rather than a busy thoroughfare. None of the surveillance cameras in the area of the supposed attack turned up footage of Smiths car.

When detectives confronted Smith with evidence that Valerias cellphone traced to Druid Hill Park, he brought up a previously unmentioned detour on the way home.

After that interview, Smith moved to Florida and changed cellphones. He sent Valeria Smith a new phone through the mail.

Together, they made a break from Maryland for the southern border three months after Jacquelyn Smiths murder. Texas state troopers arrested the father and daughter 20 minutes from the border, after about 1,770 miles on the run.
British paedophile Daniel Erickson-Hull, right, at a court appearance in the Bulgarian city of Sliven in July 2020. (Getty)

The Metropolitan Police has been accused of a 'dereliction of duty' for failing to investigate a British paedophile who fled to Bulgaria to abuse more children.

A former chief prosecutor said he fears that convicted paedophile Daniel Erickson-Hull, 46, may have abused children as young as ten in Bulgaria since leaving the UK.

Erickson-Hull, from London, was jailed in 2017 for making and possessing hundreds of indecent images of children.

But after his release later that year, he fled the country and went to Bulgaria.

He was required to sign the sex offenders register and was barred from travelling abroad without notifying the authorities, but he ignored both conditions.

The Metropolitan Police issued a European Arrest Warrant seeking his extradition back to the UK, but Bulgaria refused to send him home, the BBC reported.

Paedophile Daniel Erickson-Hull, second from right, fled the UK for Bulgaria, where he has posed as a pastor and youth worker. (Getty)

Erickson-Hull has been living in the deprived Roma neighbourhood of Nadezdha in the city of Sliven, which he began visiting in 2015.

He has been posing as a pastor and youth worker, but the BBC said it has heard child sexual abuse allegations against him that span more than five years.

BBC Radio 4s File on 4 programme said witnesses had reported Erickson-Hull to the Metropolitan Police.

Dawn Gibbs, a former volunteer in Bulgaria from Houston, Texas, told File on 4 she walked in on Erickson-Hull in bed with a group of boys in 2019.

She said about 15 children told her they were being abused by Erickson-Hull.

She told the programme: "This young man interrupts the conversation to say, 'We're having sexual relations with Daniel.' And I just stopped. And I looked at him and I said, 'What?'

"The youngest boy who made the allegation would be around 10," she said.

Read more: Radio DJ 'tried to arrange sex with children as young as 12 in Philippines'

Gibbs told the BBC she contacted the Metropolitan Police about the allegations but did not receive a reply.

The force can investigate child sex abuse committed by British offenders abroad through Section 72 of the Sexual Offences Act.

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Nazir Afzal, a former chief crown prosecutor for North West England, accused the Metropolitan Police of a dereliction of duty.

He told File on 4: "This is horrific industrial level sexual abuse.

"It would not surprise me if we're talking about potentially hundreds of children abused by this suspect.

"The police's statement is a dereliction of duty when it comes to a British citizen whom we've already convicted, whom we've allowed to leave the country, who appears to be abusing children on a wholesale industrial scale in a very vulnerable community in Bulgaria.

"The police here have a duty to investigate this thoroughly."

The Metropolitan Police has been accused of failing to investigate paedophile Daniel Erickson-Hull, second from right, after he fled to Bulgaria. (Getty Images)

The BBC said Erickson-Hull's sister, Anna, 43, gave the Metropolitan Police access to her brothers web search history, which she said was filled with searches for child sex abuse.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police told Yahoo News UK: Detectives from the North East Jigsaw Unit remain keen to hear from anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Daniel Erickson-Hull, who is wanted on recall to prison.

He is believed to have left the UK in July 2017.

Officers continue to liaise with domestic and international partner agencies.

In 2019, a BBC journalist for File on 4 travelled to Nadezdha and confronted Erickson-Hull.

It resulted in Bulgarian police raiding his home and charging him with sexually abusing eight boys, the BBC said.

However, the case collapsed after victims withdrew their statements following protests from some members of the Roma community who called for his release.

File on 4: The Paedophile Preacher will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 8pm on Tuesday.
Trauma surgeon and Navy veteran Dr. Peter Rhee rates 10 battlefield medical scenes in movies and television for realism. Dr. Rhee discusses the accuracy of medical war scenes in Hacksaw Ridge (2016), starring Andrew Garfield; Three Kings (1999), featuring Mark Wahlberg and George Clooney; Saving Private Ryan (1998), featuring Tom Hanks; and Cherry (2021) with Tom Holland. He also comments on the reality of bullet and grenade wounds in Black Hawk Down (2001), Band of Brothers (2001), and M*A*S*H (1973) and analyzes combat medical procedures in The Outpost (2020), Our Girl (2014), and Combat Hospital (2011). Dr. Peter Rhee is a trauma surgeon and a veteran of the United States Navy, where he served for 24 years. He is currently the chief of acute care surgery and trauma at the Westchester Medical Center. He wrote the book "Trauma Red" about his experience as a trauma surgeon. "Trauma Red" by Dr. Peter M. Rhee: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Trauma-Red/Peter-Rhee/9781476727318
With the MLB lockout continuing, it could be some time before Dodgers fans get to cheer like they did for Chris Taylor's home run that won the wild-card game last October. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Major League Baseball's three-month lockout continued Monday, the day the league said an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement needed to be reached. If not, MLB said, the season would not start as scheduled on March 31 and games would be canceled.

With so much uncertainty, Los Angeles Times writers Dylan Hernandez, Bill Shaikin, Helene Elliott and Jack Harris held a Twitter chat Monday to share their thoughts. Hernandez served as moderator. What follows is an edited version of the chat.

Hernandez: Bill, can you brief us on where we are on this thing, how close we are to losing games and how many games you think were going to lose?

Shaikin: The major league owners imposed the lockout in December. There's no rule under labor law that says if a collective bargaining agreement expires, you have to proceed to a lockout. You can continue to negotiate under the terms of the old deal. The owners did not want to do that. And the reason they didn't want to do that is because they fear that if they did that, and they didn't reach a new deal by the spring, that then the players could decide to go out on strike. And that could be bad because the owners revenue comes from primarily television these days, and then later in the season, and certainly in the postseason, the more revenues [increase]. In 1994, when the players went out on strike, they did it in August, right before the postseason. So the owners imposed a lockdown and said, we'll get it done this way. We'll do it in the offseason.

Well clearly, there's no deal by now. And the owners, again unilaterally, decided that if there's no deal by today, they're going to start calling off regular season games. And for how long? We don't know, if that happens. But clearly, the two sides have been negotiating all week, cooped up in Florida. They're probably sick of each other by now. They're probably gonna want to take a break. So I think if there is a delay to the season, it's not going to be a day or two. It's going to be a while.

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Hernandez: A lot has been said about how unwatchable the game has become, the shifts in the game because of analytics and stuff. Both of these sides at the end of the day work in the same industry. Is there no concern over the well being of a sport, at this point? Or have the owners basically talked themselves into the corner where, you know, they almost have no choice but to kind of fight their way out of it?

Shaikin: I think the greater problem has been for the past few labor negotiations, the owners have won and it wasn't really close. And the owners have been able to exploit, legally and smartly, provisions in the collective bargaining agreement that allow them to make a lot of money and frankly run a baseball team at very little economic risk. And when Rob Manfred, the commissioner, came out a couple weeks ago, the last time he spoke publicly, and said [its] probably safer to actually have your money in the stock market than in ownership, I think the players were both amused and enraged. And of course, the Braves' financial report came out  and the Braves are part of a publicly traded company, so they have to tell everybody how much money they made and how much money they spent  and in an era when Major League Baseball would like you to believe that between paying players and the rest of our other expenses, its about a 50/50 [revenue split between owners and players], in reality the Braves, who won the World Series, spent 28% of their revenue on players. And that's an embarrassment.

The Atlanta Braves celebrate winning the World Series with a 7-0 win over the Houston Astros on Nov. 2, 2021. (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

Hernandez: Here's what I don't get. A lot of these ballparks are now part of bigger developments. In the case of the San Francisco Giants, they own a lot of the real estate around the ballpark. There are gambling avenues that are going to be opening up. We heard about the [Baseball Advanced Media] sale, their multimedia property that they sold for billions. So, isnt there enough money to go around?

Shaikin: Theres more than enough money to go around. Youve got a system, frankly, where, look at what the owners have done: They've pretty much insulated themselves from a lot of risks; the term is cost-certainty. So, if you look at free agency, one of the issues that is probably among the most prominent left to be resolved is how much can an owner spend in free agency? And because there's no salary cap in baseball, as opposed to most other major sports, the owners have been able to get a luxury tax system. You can spend what you want if you're the Dodgers, but if you spend above a certain amount, we're going to give you a financial penalty. And the owners would like to make those financial penalties stronger to satisfy the Pirates and the Marlins and the Royals and all the other teams that worry about how much the Dodgers and the Yankees and Cubs spend. That's one area of cost-certainty.

In arbitration, the players want to have more eligibility for arbitration. The owners are like, Oh no, no, no. A third party deciding salaries? We don't want any more part of that than we already have. Minor leaguers, we're gonna cut minor league jobs. Drafts, we're gonna limit how much you can pay players.' I mean, there's really not a whole lot of risk, frankly, in my mind, to running a major league team at this point. And the owners kind of like it the way it is.

Hernandez: I'm a worst-case scenario guy. If you had listened to me, there was gonna be no baseball in 2020. There would have been no Tokyo Olympics. That was wrong on both counts. But, I want to ask Helene here, who obviously in addition to covering baseball has also covered the NHL extensively, there was a work stoppage that led to a season getting wiped out. And I just want to ask, how did the NHL get to that point? And do you see any similarities maybe between that one and this one, where there might be the risk of there being no baseball this year?

Elliott: Yeah, I've had the misfortune of covering three NHL lockouts. In 94-95, it shortened the season to 48 games. The entire 2004-05 season was wiped out. And then the 2012-13 season was shortened, which was the one where after the Kings had won the Stanley Cup  There's some similarities in terms of, owners will throw up their hands and complain about costs. They don't mention all those nice revenues that are coming in. Obviously, baseball is in a much better financial situation than the NHL is. Baseball has the big media contracts with the different TV networks that the NHL doesn't have, and at levels the NHL doesn't.

In all these work stoppages, all these lockouts and strikes, it's important to note that this one is a lockout. The players aren't doing this, the owners are imposing the lockout here. There's a certain amount of posturing: We can't go on. We can't compete. The smaller-market teams won't be able to compete unless we do this. All this back-and-forth thing. I think human nature is to require a deadline, a firm deadline. I remember one of the NHL lockouts, [it took until] the final, final, final deadline for a settlement to be reached to save some part of the season. And that's just human nature.

I think that we're a ways away from that point in baseball. I think the sense is that spring training is so long anyway, I don't think anybody will mourn, and certainly the players won't mourn too much, if part of spring training is condensed. It isn't like it was years ago, when players came to spring training to get in shape. They're all in shape year round. And a lot of them I think, maybe a week, 10 days, tops two weeks of spring training and that would be enough. It wouldn't break my heart if baseball started April 15 or so. I think starting in March is ridiculous anyway, particularly in cold weather cities. And I would expect there to be a lot of back and forth before anything even remotely gets done.

Hernandez: Jack, the Dodgers have obviously a lot at stake here in terms of, they're going to host an already-postponed All-Star game. What does this mean for them if this drags on to the point where they have to cancel it or postpone it again?

The Dodgers are scheduled to host to 2022 All-Star game. The 2020 game was originally set for Dodger Stadium but was canceled because of the pandemic. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Harris: There's obviously a lot of layers to the Dodgers specifically, with the idea of losing a lot of the season. I'll start with the All-Star game, which you mentioned, which is something that definitely isn't back of mind right now. I know there's already a lot of planning underway within the club to try to figure out where events will happen and what that week will look like. And obviously, the whole All-Star festivities were supposed to be a way to unveil the improvements and renovations they've made at Dodger Stadium. So the fact that, after [it was postponed by the pandemic] in 2020, it's sort of getting potentially endangered again, figures.

As far as the team is concerned, I think in some ways, a team like the Dodgers is less affected by the potentiality of losing games. It's a team that, even during the regular season, as much as they're trying to win games obviously, is also trying to perfect itself for October and get the roster right. So I think especially when you add in some of the injured players they have coming into the year, whether it's giving Max Muncy more time to rehab or someone like Dustin May time to come back from Tommy John [surgery], I don't think losing a few games up front changes a lot about how they actually perform on the field.

I think the biggest detriment is, the Dodgers have had so much success in recent years bringing in either players from the outside or players already in their system, and using the offseason, spring training, the early parts of a season to develop their players. And I think you look at the team this year with somebody like Andrew Heaney, somebody like Tony Gonsolin, some of the young pitchers in the bullpen, they're missing what has in the past been valuable time for the club to work with its pitchers and some of its other players, and try to develop them and improve them over the course of the year. So I think that's probably one of the things that the Dodgers specifically are missing out the most."

Hernandez: One thing that's puzzling to me, too, is the entire no-contact thing right now between management and the players. I know medical staffs, for example, have been told to not talk to the players at all. The guys that are rehabbing are on their own right now, which to me seems very counterproductive here.

Shaik, obviously, we've seen situations too where theyve scrubbed the players off the websites and stuff, even though they're basically making their merchandise invisible [because] the players are the product here. It almost feels like one of those 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' [situations]. How do you view this in terms of how much damage these owners of these franchises are doing to themselves here?

Shaikin: You made a great point about the no contact between anybody working for a team and any of the players, because health-wise it's going to be huge. Now we're going to end up with a shortened spring training, whatever it turns out to be. You're going to want guys to get ready for the season a little bit quicker than they otherwise might. And you don't have any idea of what shape they're in. You don't have any idea of not only what rehab program you need to prescribe for them, but really, in a sense, what your personnel needs are. Because a guy coming off an injury might be ready to go, or you might think he might be ready to go, but he's not. And you're not going to know that until you get into camp, and all of a sudden you got to rustle up somebody to replace them.

I guess on the flip side, there are 200 free agents sitting out there waiting for some sort of offers, so there'll be a market. But it does not seem like a great way to run a league. And as you pointed out, it certainly doesn't do much for protecting the game or interest from fans. Because all those Christmas ticket packages that you could have sold, you could have sold them by promoting all the new players you got, but you couldn't sign any of them because there was a lockout. All those spring training trips that everybody romanticizes about, afternoons at the ballpark sitting in the sun, downing a beer or a Coke depending on how old you are, going out to dinner after  that's all wiped out. You got whole economies in the Phoenix area that spent combined hundreds of millions of dollars on spring training facilities for the benefit of these tourism arrangements that now are not going to happen.

Hernandez: Helene, it seems like a lot of times when there are labor disputes in sports, fans ultimately wind up kind of like siding with the owners, it seems. We saw a couple days ago, Walker Buehler tweeted out about how their wages haven't kind of kept up with inflation and I think there was a pretty significant backlash there. I do feel like we've seen a shift in maybe the people that cover the game, where what Ive read seems like the media might be a little bit more pro-labor. Do you think there's been a shift in fans at all? And even if there has been, do these owners care enough about public opinion to let that affect how this whole thing goes?

Elliott: Owners don't care about public opinion. It's not family ownership anymore. It's not like the O'Malleys owning the Dodgers and being in the community and hearing from unhappy fans every day. This is corporations. This is big investment companies owning major league teams now. So I think it's different. I think the relationship is different with the community.

I think it's also important that whenever we write or whenever broadcasters broadcast about this, that it's mentioned that this is an owner-imposed lockout. People get confused by that. You hear from people saying, When the NHL players went on strike No, they didn't. It's the owners who locked them out. And I think it's part of our responsibility to make it clear where this is coming from."

Hernandez: Jack, there are a lot of players unsigned all over the league. Clayton Kershaw is one of them. We've recently seen speculation maybe the Dodgers could be in on Freddie Freeman. What do you anticipate the free-agent market looking like in the days after the lockout ends?

Harris: Hectic, in a word. I think what's interesting is that even for the players that were unsigned, going into the lockout, I think most of them probably had a pretty good grasp on what their markets were, which teams were interested and what their options were going to be coming out of the break. So how much some of that stuff changes is one of the things to look out for. I think you already kind of saw that a little bit with the news from Miami today that Derek Jeter was leaving reportedly over a change of philosophy and what they originally thought they might be able to do in free agency versus what they might actually do coming out of the lockout. So I think one of the early indicators will just be how different do teams plans and just the market in general, how different does that all look coming out of the lockout?

For the Dodgers, there are going to definitely be some options for them  to both bring back some of the guys that you mentioned that have been with them who are free agents right now, like Clayton Kershaw or Kenley Jansen or Joe Kelly. I think Freddie Freeman, of the other big-name [free agents still unsigned], probably is the one that makes the most sense, in terms of fit for the lineup and what they need and where the price point will be. I think there's also inevitably the factor of whatever the new luxury tax threshold looks like coming out of this, a team like the Dodgers, that's going to directly impact [them] as they look at their long-term plans and try to figure out where they want or how they want to spread out their their payroll over the next couple seasons."

Hernandez: If you guys were to guess, when does this lockout end? When do we have a new CBA? What day would you guys put on it?

Shaikin: Well, if things don't resolve themselves today in a positive manner  and as I indicated, I think they're all kind of sick of talking to one another every day this week  theyll take a break. It's all been dictated by the owners, frankly. The owners determined when there was going to be a lockout. The owners determined when there was going to be a so-called deadline for starting the season. So I guess whenever the owners decide that they're ready to talk every day until this thing is done. But I think human nature says theyll take a break, theyll still want three to four weeks of spring training. So let's say Memorial Day [May 30].

Elliott: This is being dictated by the owners. The pace is being dictated by the owners because they have the keys to the stadiums. You see all these wonderful dramatic videos and photos of locks on stadiums, and it's kind of funny. But they do have the keys. When there starts to be some owners who break away from the main group, who start to say, You know what, maybe we should be talking. Maybe we should be thinking about starting. Maybe this is going to hurt me more than it'll hurt other teams. I think once you start to get groups of owners splintering away, you'll see a little bit more urgency. And I would say May 1.

Harris: I think even if you're being optimistic right now, you're probably just hoping to see any sort of regular season baseball before the end of May. I think anything beyond that, you're really looking at what's going to feel like a really different kind of season, one that probably looks a lot more like 2020 in terms of just the way the schedule is set up and how much time is lost and the way it impacts what we see on the field. So I would hope that even after today, and depending on what the fallout is if games are canceled, I don't think they cancel games and then a week from now are back together finding momentum toward the deal. So I think once we get past the point where opening day is moved, it's probably going to take a significant chunk of time after that. So, yeah, Memorial Day sounds like a good sort of over-under to put it on right now.







This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Delegates from United Nations member countries are considering proposals for a binding global treaty to curb plastic pollution.

The UN Environment Assembly, meeting February 28 to March 2 in Kenyas capital Nairobi, is expected to propose an international framework to address the growing problem of plastic waste in the worlds oceans, rivers and landscape.

For the first time in history, we are seeing unprecedented global momentum to tackle the plague of plastic pollution, said U.N. Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen.

During preparations for the session, Andersen implored member states to take the opportunity to reshape humanitys relationship with plastic once and for all by developing a comprehensive global agreement to combat the problem.

Two major proposals have emerged during years of international discussions about ways to reduce single use plastic.

The first, by Peru and Rwanda, calls for a full spectrum approach to plastic pollution, covering raw materials extraction, plastic production, as well as plastic use and disposal. It urges creation of an international legally binding agreement ... to prevent and reduce plastic pollution in the environment, including micro plastics.

The proposal is co-sponsored by Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Norway, the Philippines, Senegal, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Uganda along with the European Union.

A second proposal, sponsored by Japan, calls for an international agreement to address marine plastic pollution covering the whole life cycle and promoting resource efficiency and circular economy, including reuse.

The key difference is that Japans approach concentrates on marine plastic pollution, while the Peru-Rwanda proposal covers plastic pollution in all environments.

Both proposals envision establishment of a negotiating committee to complete the new plastic treaty by 2024.

If such a plastics treaty is endorsed by the U.N. Environment Assembly, Andersen said it would be the most significant global; environmental governance decision since the Paris (Climate) Agreement in 2015.

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The environmental group Greenpeace supports the Peru-Rwanda proposals full lifecycle approach to addressing plastic pollution.

Over 140 countries have declared support for opening negotiations on a global plastic treaty, said Erastus Ooko, the plastics engagement lead for Greenpeace Africa.

However, support for negotiations is not enough," Ooko said. These countries should be calling for a legally binding treaty that will match the scale and depth of the plastics crisis.
Neighbours might be coming to an end, but fans may still be able to visit the iconic Ramsay Street location in Melbourne, Australia.

The local city council in Whitehorse is hoping to preserve the beloved set as a cultural hotspot and heritage site. The councillors passed a motion by eight votes to three to protect the properties on Pin Oak Court and Weeden Drive where the soap is filmed.

Speaking to the Herald Sun, Councillor Andrew Davenport described the location that doubles as the fictional home of one of Australia's longest-running soaps as an "iconic street and precinct within the City of Whitehorse".

Photo credit: Channel 5

Related: Neighbours star confirms Harold Bishop return ahead of show's finale

He continued: "We should not wait until production ceases before acting and give the owners of the properties the opportunity to be part of a process, rather than have it imposed on them."

In January, Channel 5 announced the shock news that it would not be renewing its contract with Fremantle Australia to fund the 37-year-old soap.

If no new broadcaster comes forward to back the show, then it will be axed and filming will end on June 10.

In a statement at the time, Channel 5 wrote: "It's been a much-loved part of our schedule for more than a decade, and we'd like to thank the cast, Fremantle and all of the production team for their fantastic work on this iconic series.



Photo credit: Channel 5

Related: Neighbours petition reaches another milestone as fans continue to campaign against axe decision

"We'd also of course like to thank the fans for their loyal support of Neighbours across the years.



"We recognise that there will be disappointment about this decision, however our current focus is on increasing our investment in original UK drama, which has strong appeal for our viewers."

Neighbours airs weekdays at 1.45pm and 6pm on Channel 5 (UK) and Mondays to Thursdays at 6.30pm on 10 Peach (Australia).

Read more Neighbours spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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Portrait of Beverly Gray.

Beverly Gray honored by NAACP

CHILLICOTHE The Ross County unit of the NAACP annually honors someone from our community in the month of April who has made significant contributions to the citizens of Chillicothe and Ross County.

This year they will pay tribute to Beverly Gray. She was officially chosen in 2020, but the tribute was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gray was a teacher for more than 30 years, she is an author, lecturer, director of the David Nickens Heritage Center, member of Ohio's Woman Hall of Fame and has been recognized nationally for her contributions to historical projects including the PBS show "Finding Your Roots."

The tribute will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 at the Christopher Conference Center. The tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for children 10 and under.

For tickets, please contact Ross County NAACP President Adrienne L. D'Souza at 740-466-5280 or any NAACP member.

Adena to host clinical recruitment event on March 14

CHILLICOTHE  Adena Health System is searching for new and experienced individuals with a passion for caring for others. During its Clinical Recruitment Event, Adena will accept applications and host open interviews for Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Patient Care Associates, Respiratory Therapists, and other nursing support caregivers.

Sign-on bonuses of up to $10,000 are available for some positions, so all interested are encouraged to attend. Leaders representing all of Adenas acute care sites and nursing departments will be available to help with the application process, there will be on-site interviews, and some qualified candidates may receive on-the-spot offers.

When: 12 to 4 p.m. March 14

Where: PACCAR Medical Education Center, 446 Hospital Road, Chillicothe

Participants should bring the following documents to the recruitment event:

Resume with prior employer/job experience;

Copy of current license and/or certification;

List of three references, including contact information;

Drivers license or state-issued identification; and

Social Security card/number

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Adena offers competitive pay and benefits. To learn more about all career opportunities at Adena Health System, visit Adena.org/Careers.

Traffic notice at Department of Energy site in Pike County

Pike County  The Northeast Bypass Road, also known as Fog Road, at the Department of Energys (DOE) Portsmouth Site in Pike County will be closed to public traffic from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning March 7. Drivers should seek alternate routes during this period. Emergency response vehicles will be granted access to Fog Road during this time.

The road closure will allow for the safe transportation of demolition debris and soil from the site to the nearby On Site Waste Disposal Facility. There will be physical barricades, electronic message boards and signage to remind drivers of the restrictions.

Walnut Street Children's School now accepting registrations

CHILLICOTHE  Registration for the 2022-2023 school year at Walnut Street Childrens School began March 1.

Registration forms can be found on the walnutstreetpreschool.com website, and will also be available in the preschool office.

Pictures of some of the fun the children have had this year can be seen on

the most recent post on the Walnut Street Children's School Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Beverly Gray honored by the NAACP for their annual tribute
DOVER, Del.  A former police officer who was caught on store surveillance video slamming a mans head against a plexiglass panel has been indicted by a Delaware grand jury on charges involving excessive force.

The indictment issued Monday accuses former Wilmington police officer Samuel Waters, 27, of six misdemeanors and two felonies in connection with two separate incidents in September.

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In the first, Waters allegedly pressed his nightstick against the back of a mans neck as another officer tried to handcuff him after responding to a domestic violence call. Prosecutors said the suspect was bent over the back of a vehicle, had his hands behind his back, and was not combative or violent with the arresting officers.

Nine days later, on Sept. 21, Waters confronted another man, Dwayne Brown, at a convenience store in south Wilmington after police received a call from a nearby day care facility about a man repeatedly harassing employees. Police reportedly were told that the man had been at the day care several times, and that his conduct included yelling and making sexual comments to staff members.

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Waters is seen on store surveillance video approaching Brown, speaking to him briefly, then grabbing his arm and turning him toward the plexiglass panel as Brown turns his head and talks to him. Waters then grabs Brown, shoves him against the panel, and slams his head into it twice before they both fall to the floor.

Waters is charged with third-degree assault and official misconduct, both misdemeanors, for each incident.

He also faces felony charges of perjury and tampering with a public record in connection with the incident involving Brown, as well as a misdemeanor charge of falsifying a business record. Prosecutors allege that Waters falsely stated in an arrest warrant and police report that he immediately recognized Brown from numerous law enforcement actions/shared intelligence from other officers, but that he later admitted he was not familiar with Brown and did not know him by name.

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

They also said Waters description of the use of force against Brown is inconsistent with the video surveillance, and that he omitted relevant facts in his police report.

The evidence in this case shows a clear and disturbing pattern of violence and deception, Attorney General Kathy Jennings said in a prepared statement, adding that investigators discovered that Waters regularly failed to turn on his body camera.

None of the charges against Waters carries any mandatory prison sentence, although he could face a maximum sentence of 13 years if convicted on all charges.

John Malik, an attorney representing Waters, did not immediately respond to an email message.

Brown has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Waters, whose attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss.

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Waters was fired from the police department effective Jan. 5.

Waters previously worked for the Cecil County Sheriffs Department in Maryland but was fired in February 2017 after making an obscene hand gesture at another motorist after a near-collision while he was in uniform and driving to work.
Good morning, people of Dallas! It's me again, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Dallas Daily.

First, today's weather:

Sunny and delightful. High: 75 Low: 49.

One of the easiest ways to connect with local customers and stay top-of-mind in town is to sponsor the Dallas Daily. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top three stories in Dallas today:

Water towers in North Texas are illuminated in support of Ukraine. The cities of Celina and Rowlett are making their water towers blue and yellow in an attempt to raise awareness of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The towers will reportedly remain lit until Friday night. (Patch) Dallas' Soul Rep Threatre Company is showcasing American history's dark side in its new play. Do No Harm is a production exploring the Father of Modern Gynecology's troublesome practices. Dr. Marion J. Sims practiced on women of color in the 1840s and his controversial procedures still linger in the medical field. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth) A stunningly colorful exhibit by JooYoung Choi has arrived at Dallas' Crow Museum of Asian Art. The exhibit covers the first-floor gallery in a humanoid object made of fabric, wood, vinyl, and paint. JooYoung Choi is a Houston native and the third Texas-based Asian-American female artist to be featured at the Crow Museum of Asian Art. (KERA News)

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Today in Dallas:

The Market At The Dallas Farmers Market (All Day)

From my notebook:

Vote for the cutest puppy. Voters can choose between Pyle, Meatloaf, and Link. The puppies are currently available for adoption with the SPCA of Texas. (Instagram)

The students at N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center celebrated Black History Month by creating a living wax museum of notable Black historical figures. Click to see the photos. (Facebook)

Tasteful Tuesday Floral Demos are free with admission to The Dallas Arboretum. The event occurs every week at 11:00 a.m. (Instagram)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday. See you all tomorrow for another update!

 Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.

This article originally appeared on the Dallas Patch
Feb. 28No injuries were reported in an Albert Lea home fire today that started in the kitchen area, according to authorities.

A press release from Albert Lea Fire Rescue stated police and fire crews were dispatched to 618 Freeborn Ave. at 10:22 a.m. after a neighbor reported the fire.

Upon arriving, fire crews entered the home to search for occupants and to extinguish the fire, with smoke coming from the back of the house. A complete search confirmed no one was home, and police later verified that the occupants had left for the day.

Firefighters extinguished the fire and began investigation into the cause. The State Fire Marshal's Office is also assisting with the investigation.

Damages are estimated at $35,000.

Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service assisted with the response.
SOMERVILLE  A North Brunswick man faces to five to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty Monday to firing a gun at a party in Manville last year.

Kevin Salmeron, 20, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Peter Tober to the second-degree crimes of aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

He was released from the Somerset County Jail pending his sentence on April 19. Because it is a gun-related offense, he must serve 85% of whatever sentence he is given.

READ: Manville police chief on leave after lawsuit alleges sexual assault over 12 years

The guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

No one was injured in the June 2021 incident.

Salmeron told the judge he deliberately fired the gun at the ground and did not aim at anybody.

"I really didn't intend to hurt anybody that day," he said. "I just wanted to give a warning."

About 3:26 a.m. June 20, 2021, Manville police were sent to the area of North 6th Avenue on a report of a man with a gun where they were notified of 10 gunshots possibly fired.

When police arrived, they canvassed the area but did not locate an active shooter and no injuries or property damage was reported.

An investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit and Manville police identified Salmeron as the suspect. He was arrested four days later at his North Brunswick home.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: North Brunswick man faces jail time for shots fired at Manville party




Welcome to Monday's Overnight Energy & Environment, your source for the latest news focused on energy, the environment and beyond. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup.

Today we're looking at the International Panel on Climate Change's latest report, the Supreme Court hearing arguments for and against the EPA's powers and another oil giant divesting from Russia.

For The Hill, we're Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk. Write to us with tips: rfrazin@thehill.com and zbudryk@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @RachelFrazin and @BudrykZack.

Let's jump in.

Report warns of deadly climate consequences

Climate advocates are seen during a press conference on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 to discuss climate change provisions in the Build Back Better Act.

A new report from a United Nations climate panel is warning of the deadly effects of climate change both now and in the future - and finding that they are currently worse than scientists had believed they would be.

The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of health risks from climate change, including from heat exposure, disease and mental health issues.

What does it say? Globally, extreme heat events have already resulted in deaths, according to the report. And it said that since the last time the IPCC issued an equivalent report in 2014, there have been more extreme events, including "heat-related human mortality," that have been attributed to human-caused climate change.

The panel's report described major additional risks in the decades to come, particularly between the years 2040 and 2100.

"Climate change and related extreme events will significantly increase ill health and premature deaths from the near- to long-term," said a summary of the findings.

In particular, the panel raised concern about exposure to heat waves as well as food-borne and water-borne disease risks and disease from pests like mosquitoes. It particularly warned of increases in the risk of diseases from a certain type of mosquito, "potentially putting additional billions of people at risk by the end of the century."

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And it warned of increased mental health issues such as anxiety and stress.

What else? The report also warned that some of the effects currently being seen are worse than previously projected.

"The extent and magnitude of climate change impacts are larger than estimated in previous assessments," the summary said, particularly highlighting "substantial damages" and "increasingly irreversible losses" to ecosystems and "shifts in seasonal timing."

"We're seeing adverse impacts being much more widespread and being much more negative than expected in prior reports than expected at the current 1.09 degrees that we have," Camille Parmesan, one of the report's authors, told reporters, referring to the current level of warming compared to pre-industrial levels.

Parmesan added that the world is seeing impacts that it previously did not expect to see at the current level of warming, such as "diseases emerging into new areas" and "the first extinctions of species due to climate change."

Read more about the report here.

SCOTUS wrestles with EPA's reach

The Supreme Court on Monday struggled with how to define the reach of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a case with profound implications for the agency's power to address a main contributor to climate change.

At issue during Monday's argument was the scope of the EPA's authority to regulate air pollution from power plants and whether it extends beyond the confines of plant sites to encompass broader aspects of the U.S. energy sector.

The 6-3 conservative majority court did not clearly telegraph an outcome in the case, but several of the court's conservative justices seemed concerned about whether the more sweeping interpretation of EPA authority went beyond the power granted to it by Congress.

Some conservatives, including Justice Samuel Alito, raised the so-called major questions doctrine. The judicial interpretative method holds that agency actions with transformative political or economic effects require a clear delegation of power by Congress. Some conservatives seemed to indicate that such an explicit statement from lawmakers was absent in the case.

Alito suggested that if the EPA were deemed authorized to regulate climate change writ large, it would be difficult to conceive of any limit to its power.

"This statute requires EPA to take into account several factors ... and they are incommensurable [with climate change]," Alito said to U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar. "What weight do you assign to the effects on climate change, which some people believe is a matter of civilizational survival, and the cost and the effect on jobs?"

On the other side of the aisle: The court's liberal justices appeared generally skeptical of arguments for a narrower reading of EPA authority that were advanced by a number of states, led by West Virginia, as well as the coal industry.

The state and companies argued that since the statute directs the EPA to issue performance standards for pollution sources, it is limited to only regulating within the power plants themselves - so-called inside the fence measures - rather than reshaping the entire power sector and promoting a shift toward cleaner energy sources.

Justice Elena Kagan countered that regulations within the power plant could very well have the same effect of changing the makeup of our power system by making coal generation too expensive or otherwise unfeasible.

"If that's what EPA wanted to do, I have a basket full of source-by-source regulations that would allow them to get their way on all of those questions. It just has no necessary relationship to this fence, non-fence way of thinking of things," Kagan said.

Read more about the arguments here.

GET ON THE LIST

Stay ahead of the news cycle with The Hill's new Evening Report, featuring the day's top stories and a look ahead to tomorrow.

Shell joins BP in divesting from Russia

Shell will end all joint ventures with Russian majority state-owned oil company Gazprom in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the oil company announced Monday.

As part of the divestiture, Shell will withdraw from its 27.5 percent Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas facility and its 50 percent stake in Salym Petroleum Development. The company will also drop its involvement with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was set to carry natural gas from Russia to Germany.

Germany itself decertified the pipeline in response to the invasion before it could go online, and it remains unclear if it will begin operations at any point in the future.

Shell owned a 10 percent stake in the pipeline, and had about $3 billion overall in "non-current" assets in Russia, as of late 2021.

"We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security," CEO Ben van Beurden said in a statement.

"Our immediate focus is the safety of our people in Ukraine and supporting our people in Russia. In discussion with governments around the world, we will also work through the detailed business implications, including the importance of secure energy supplies to Europe and other markets, in compliance with relevant sanctions."

The announcement comes a day after another major oil company, BP, announced its own divestment from its 20 percent stake in Russian oil company Rosneft.

Read more about the announcement here.

WHAT WE'RE READING

Exxon's Bank in Russia Among Those Hit by Sanctions Over Ukraine (Bloomberg)

Mass. revives gas ban battle with Boston-area 'smackdown' (E&E News)

UN plastic treaty to tackle production, packaging design - draft resolution (Reuters)

Some environmental advocates oppose the creation of a Maine Space Corporation (Maine Public)

ICYMI

Global reliance on Russian energy a hurdle to US pressure campaign on Putin

BP divesting stake in Russian oil giant over Ukraine invasion

And finally, something offbeat and off-beat: Bear with us

That's it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill's energy & environment page for the latest news and coverage. We'll see you Tuesday.
A Debt.com and Florida Atlantic University survey shows that the youngest face a host of money problems, while the oldest are racking up credit card debt.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL --News Direct-- Debt.com

The Financial Pandemic: Younger and Older Americans Are Struggling the Most. A joint survey conducted by debt.com and the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) shows the oldest and youngest respondents had to drain their savings account due to the pandemic. Gen Z (ages 18-24) did that the most, at 72%, followed by the Silent Generation (75 years old and up) at 61%.

A joint survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Debt.com and Florida Atlantic Universitys Business and Economic Polling Initiative found that two generations on polar sides of the spectrum were hit the hardest financially by the pandemic. More than half of Gen Z respondents said they stopped making credit card payments. Those in the Silent Generation took on more credit card debt, with 1 in 3 reporting they owe more than $30,000, and nearly 5% are burdened with $50,000 of debt.

The three generations in between fared better at maintaining their savings during the pandemic, but the statistics are still concerning. Only half of Millennials (51%) tapped their savings, followed by Gen Xers at 45%. By and large, Baby Boomers managed to keep their savings intact, with only 29% of Boomers saying they took out savings.

The pandemics economic shock  and its after-effects  is affecting the oldest and youngest adults in America the most, says Debt.com Chairman Howard Dvorkin, CPA.

Younger Americans were already falling further behind financially and delaying life goals thanks to things like student loan debt. Now they are even further behind because of COVID. Not only do they have less savings, but large numbers also reported that they lost income and took on credit card debt because of the pandemic.

Young Americans were also the most likely to stop paying their credit cards at some point during the pandemic. Over half of Gen Z survey respondents (57%) admitted that they couldnt keep up with those bills. Compare that to just 17% of Baby Boomers and 21% of Gen Xers who said the same.

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The survey also revealed that the Silent Generation may be silently slipping into credit card debt. One in three have more than $30,000 in credit card debt, and nearly 5% have more than $50,000. More than 4 in 10 carry credit card debt every month.

FAU BEPI director Monica Escaleras noted that differences arose not only by age, but also by location.

Related: Personal Finance Statistics

The younger generations and those in Northeast and West took on more credit card debt, Escaleras says. Individuals in the Northeast and West also reported a higher percentage of income loss due to COVID-19 compared to the South and Midwest.

In fact, Midwesterners seemed to fare better than their regional counterparts on almost every count. They were less likely to experience income loss, less likely to take on credit card debt and stop making payments, and less likely to take money out of savings.

Just as COVID-19 has spread unevenly across the country, the financial devastation is also uneven, Dvorkin says. Overall statistics about the price weve paid tell us something, but they dont tell the full story.

ABOUT: Debt.com is the consumer website where people can find help with credit card debt, student loan debt, tax debt, credit repair, bankruptcy, and more. Debt.com works with vetted and certified providers that give the best advice and solutions for consumers when life happens.

Methodology: Data was collected Oct. 1-20, 2021, from 1,022 Americans over the age of 18, using a mixed mode sample of online, cell phone and telephone participants. All respondents interviewed in this study were part of either a fully representative sample using mixed mode random stratified probabilistic sampling and a non-probability panel sample. The credibility interval for the sample is +/- 3.065% in 19 of 20 cases. Percentages are rounded up to the nearest whole number.

SOURCE: Debt.com Press Center

Contact Details

Fabianny Crespo

+1 954-377-9695

fcrespo@debt.com

Company Website

https://www.debt.com/es

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/the-pandemics-economic-shock-is-affecting-the-oldest-and-youngest-adults-in-america-the-most-694429589
Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge that hit youngsters especially hard, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention come a day after a study of New York children suggested the vaccine may not be as effective in 5- to 11-year-olds as in older kids -- especially at blocking milder infections. That data raised the question of whether kid-sized doses given to those under 12 might be too low.

But the CDC said data from multiple other states suggests the issue isn't children's ages or dose size  it's omicron. Vaccination generally is less effective against the hugely contagious omicron variant than earlier versions of the coronavirus  and vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds began just weeks before omicron began circulating.

As a parent of a very young child, I think I would do everything to keep them out of the emergency department in the middle of the night, said CDC epidemiologist Ruth Link-Gelles. What we see from the data that we have is that the vaccine continues to provide good protection against more severe outcomes.

Pediatricians say the back-and-forth results may seem confusing but that parents need to understand the shots are still the best way to prevent serious illness.

If youre vaccinated, you may get a mild infection and were just going to have to learn to live with that, said Dr. Paul Offit of the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

He said the New York study was too small to draw conclusions and also can't account for variables such as infections going uncounted in kids tested at home instead of a clinic. He said youngsters admitted to his hospital with severe COVID-19 are the unvaccinated and its hard to watch.

The CDC reported Tuesday that between April and early January there were nine deaths related to COVID-19 among vaccinated children ages 5 to 17  compared to 121 deaths among unvaccinated children that age.

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Also, the CDC examined pediatric hospitalizations in 10 states from last April to the end of January. The vaccine proved 74% effective against hospitalization in 5- to 11-year-olds. Only two vaccinated children were hospitalized compared to 59 unvaccinated children.

In comparison, the vaccine was 92% to 94% effective against hospitalization in 12- to 15-year-olds and 16- to 17-year-olds. Most of the hospitalizations in the adolescents occurred when the earlier delta variant was dominant, while most of the hospitalizations of those younger than 12 occurred during the omicron wave, which started in early December.

Tuesdays study also found that during the time when omicron was predominant, the vaccine was 51% effective in preventing emergency room or urgent-care visits by 5- to 11-year-olds. That was fairly similar to the 45% effectiveness for 12- to 15-year-olds whod gotten their second dose months earlier.

What about less serious outcomes?

A report released Monday from researchers with New Yorks state health department analyzed health records week-by-week from early December through the end of January. Vaccine effectiveness against any COVID-19 infection dropped from 68% to just 12% by the height of omicron's wave. But among kids 12 and older, that effectiveness dropped to just 51%.

Remarkably, the data suggested 12-year-olds appeared to have the most protection of any age -- prompting the researchers to ask if maybe the dose should be reexamined.

The Pfizer shots are the only vaccine available to U.S. children, and those ages 5 to 11 receive one-third of the dose given to everyone 12 and older. Also, everyone 12 and older is urged to get a booster dose to rev up protection against omicron.

The CDC's latest study didn't track infections the same way, but Link-Gelles said surveillance data from 29 other states doesn't suggest a difference between the younger and older kids.

Unvaccinated 5- to 11-year-olds were 1.3 times more likely to get COVID-19 in January -- at the height of the omicron surge -- than vaccinated youngsters, according to new CDC data. For 12- to 17-year-olds, the unvaccinated were 1.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 than their vaccinated peers that month.

Its disappointing that protection against infection isnt higher, and it may take more research to tell if younger children might fare better with a different dose, said Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who wasn't involved with the new studies.

Pfizer currently is testing a booster dose for 5- to 11-year-olds.

But meanwhile, we do know that these vaccines are safe, we do know they reduce the risk of hospitalization, Besser stressed.

___

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Jackson County prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence former Kansas City Det. Eric DeValkenaere to nine years in prison for the shooting death of Cameron Lamb.

DeValkenaere, 43, was convicted in November of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the Dec. 3, 2019, killing in Lambs back yard.

The plainclothes detective fatally shot Lamb as the 26-year-old backed his pickup truck into the garage of his home at 4154 College Ave.

In an 11-page sentencing memorandum, prosecutors asked Judge J. Dale Youngs to sentence DeValkenaere to four years on the manslaughter conviction and nine years for the armed criminal action charge. Prosecutors asked that those prison sentences run concurrently.

The sentencing is scheduled to take place Friday afternoon in the Jackson County Courthouse in downtown Kansas City.

Youngs could sentence DeValkenaere to four years in prison on the manslaughter conviction and at least three years for the armed criminal action charge. The judge will decide if those are to be served concurrently or consecutively.

DeValkenaere plans to appeal his conviction and will remain free on bond after his sentencing Friday.

Prosecutors said DeValkenaere has not accepted responsibility for Lambs death or his role in the events that led up to the shooting.

Prosecutors said Lamb was a beloved son, brother, and father of three young children. Mr. Lambs family and children will never see him alive again. As in any similar circumstance, there should be accountability for this crime.

In the defenses memorandum, attorney Dawn Parsons asked for leniency in sentencing and wrote that DeValkenaere deserves a sentence that takes into account his character and contributions to this community.

The shooting happened after officers investigating an unrelated vehicle crash reported a red pickup chasing a purple Ford Mustang. Helicopter officers spotted the truck driven by Lamb and followed the vehicle to his residence.

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DeValkenaere said he fired several shots after Lamb pointed a gun at his partner, detective Troy Schwalm. Police later found Lamb inside the truck with his left arm and head hanging out of the drivers side window. A handgun was found on the ground near Lambs left hand, police said at the time.

During the criminal trial, prosecutors alleged the crime scene was staged and evidence was planted. They also said it took only nine seconds form the time DeValkenaere arrived at the front yard of the house to the moment he fatally shot Lamb.

Minutes after the shooting, DeValkenaere radioed to commanders and other officers that when he and Schwalm arrived, they received information that there were guns involved in the chase with the red pickup truck and the purple Mustang.

That set set in motion a thin narrative that this event involved some form of violence known to police at the time, prosecutors said in their memorandum.

However, at trial, when confronted with inconsistencies in his statements, DeValkenaere could offer no credible explanation, prosecutors said.

Despite the false and divisive narratives that have been propagated by so many to undermine these proceedings and this Courts verdict and to color Mr. Lamb as a fleeing and violent felon....They are not in reasonable dispute, prosecutors said.

In their 12-page pleading, defense attorneys said DeValkenaere was born and raised in Kansas City and is the son of a retired Kansas City police officer. Prior to becoming a sworn police officer, DeValkenaere worked a year in the departments detention facility. He later worked various assignments including patrol, homicide and with the violent offender unit. DeValkenaere received numerous awards and recognition for his service.

The court received 200 letters from family, colleagues, neighbors and others on DeValkenaeres behalf.

Parsons wrote that prosecutors did not have a plan in place to ensure DeValkenaeres safety while incarcerated.

The extraordinary notoriety and extensive media coverage coupled with Erics status as a former police officer make Eric unusually susceptible to prison abuse, defense attorneys said.

Eric will be a walking target in prison  not only as a result of convictions he directly participated in during his nearly two decades of service as a law enforcement officer, but also simply because he represents authority and law enforcement in general.

Prison time is mandatory for the armed criminal action conviction, but placing DeValkenaere in indefinite solitary confinement is not a solution, his attorney said.

Parsons asked Youngs to consider the significant and overwhelming amount of evidence that calls for a mitigated sentence.
HAGERSTOWN  The path to freedom for enslaved people before  and during  the Civil War was an arduous one.

The goal for many was to reach the organized Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. While the journey could remain treacherous even there, at least they would have some help.

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That organized effort itself didnt necessarily include Hagerstown, but situated just below the Pennsylvania border, the city was a place of connection for some who sought to escape.

Historian Emilie Amt has been researching Black history in Hagerstown and Washington County, and has collaborated with Visit Hagerstown to create a brochure detailing the sites in the city where those connections were made.

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The result is a trail that leads from the former site of the Cumberland Valley Railroad depot on South Walnut Street to the future site of the Doleman Black Heritage Museum on Pennsylvania Avenue. The brochure was released last year.

The sites are not like parts of the Underground Railroad, Amt recently told Herald-Mail Media. They are sites from which people escaped.

[ A rediscovered log cabin with a mysterious past in Hagerstown showcases a forgotten Black community ]

The brochure features stories and biographies of the people involved. Included are James W.C. Pennington, born into slavery on the Eastern Shore and brought to Washington County at age 4. In 1827, he escaped to Pennsylvania and connected with the Underground Railroad. He eventually attended Yale University, became a minister and officiated at the wedding of abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Then theres Henry Wagoner, a free Black man who worked as an agent of the Underground Railroad and eventually felt pressured to leave Maryland and go north himself.

We also learn about the plight of Otho Snyder, a free Black man sent to prison after being convicted of helping an enslaved man escape.

One of the things that you find out about the Underground Railroad when you start to learn about it is that it was much more active north of the Mason-Dixon Line than below, Amt said, and people who were escaping from slavery really usually had to get themselves out of the South and into the North before they could really hope for much assistance from the Underground Railroad.

And those are the stories that emerged from the areas local history.

James W.C. Pennington was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore and brought to Washington County at age 4. (Wikimedia Commons)

It happens all over Washington County, she said, but she concentrated on Hagerstown for the brochure to create a walking tour.

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The stories in there about Hagerstown are typical of Washington County, she said. We have that kind of story everywhere. There are a lot of stories from the Boonsboro area, Funkstown, Clear Spring.

A family enterprise

One story from Clear Spring that Amt likes to tell involved three brothers who escaped the farm where they were enslaved on an Easter Sunday. They hitched two of the farm horses to a carriage and off they went, Amt said.

They went through Chambersburg and eventually made it to Canada.

But their owner discovered who their connections were in the Underground Railroad and contacted them, saying he would free the brothers if the organization would pay him $1,300.

They declined.

Then he offered to negotiate their freedom if they would come back. And theyre like, No, thanks, were good, Amt said.

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But one of the brothers did go back. He saved up $80 to go to Clear Spring and try to get family members whod been left behind. But his efforts were in vain.

They wouldnt go, Amt said.

Theyd been promised their eventual freedom, she said, and opted to wait for it.

It was probably that they thought it was too dangerous, she said, so he returned empty-handed.

There also are painful stories of enslaved people in Washington County who tried to escape, were caught, and then were sold farther south.

And that was every enslaved persons worst nightmare, was being sold farther south, Amt said. Theyd be separated from their families, theyd have much worse working conditions  it was like the end of the road if you were sold south.

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A backdrop of conflicted loyalties

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

Maryland, a border state during the secession crisis, was Southern-leaning but ultimately did not secede. It had the largest free Black population of any Southern state, and by the time of the Civil War, Amt noted, half the Black population in Washington County was free.

Politically, Washington Countys residents were conflicted over secession.

The majority of white folks out here were pro-Union, but there was an important secessionist minority. And so things got tense, Amt said.

Shes been surprised by some of the things shes learned in her study of local Black history, Amt said. While the Underground Railroad is the topic shes asked to speak about most, Black history goes so far beyond the Underground Railroad, she said.

I think its important for us, especially for white people, to learn more broadly about Black history, said Amt, who is white. It is important for us to learn more about the slave era, and that it was violent, it was oppressive. It was terrible.

And it was terrible here in Washington County, too. There was violence here; there were beatings  people were sold to the south. It was not some easy form of slavery that happened here in Washington County  it was brutal. Its not a comfortable message to tell or to hear. But its an important one for us to know if we want to know a true history.

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To take the Underground Railroad walking tour, download the brochure from the Visit Hagerstown website at https://tinyurl.com/4wfjkwns.
In a striking departure from Cold War doctrine, experts say, Russia is asserting its right to use "tactical" nuclear weapons on the battlefield. Xander Heinl/Photothek via Getty Images; Express Newspapers/Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/Insider

During the first few days after Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine, the images from the conflict were both urgent and remote. For Americans, the violence felt heartbreaking, and the diplomatic choices seemed complex. But the fighting was taking place on a faraway continent, and the consequences appeared to be equally removed.

Then, on Sunday, Putin shattered the complacency of any Westerners who believed they were a safe distance from the battlefield. He ordered Russian nuclear forces to shift to a higher state of alert he called "special combat readiness." While the Biden administration downplayed the announcement and declined to respond in kind, the implications of Putin's move were serious. He had already warned, on the day of the invasion, that anyone who stood in Russia's way would face "consequences," "such as you have never seen in your entire history." Now he was ordering his military to ratchet up the force posture on Russia's arsenal of 6,000 nuclear warheads  a small but significant step toward initiating a global thermonuclear war.

Biden was right to treat Putin's threat as a bluff. To do otherwise would've played into Putin's hands, enabling him to recast his aggression toward Ukraine as part of a larger civilizational conflict with the West. And it's important not to overstate the practical significance of Putin's decision to put his nukes on a higher alert. It most likely amounts to Russia disengaging one part of the safety on its nuclear gun, which is not the same thing as preparing to pull the trigger. "In the bizarre world of nuclear strategy," says Pavel Podvig, an analyst in Geneva who studies Russia's nuclear posture, "removing some of your safeties can make you feel safer." But the move is still a crucial one  not because it brings the world to the brink of nuclear destruction, but because it's part of a new Russian military doctrine that lowers the threshold for nuclear engagement.

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The likelihood that Putin would decide to launch long-range nuclear weapons at the US or any other NATO member is still perceived to be almost nil, a threat as hollow as the "fire and fury" that Donald Trump threatened to rain down on Kim Jong Un. On Monday, when asked whether Americans should be worried about nuclear war with Russia, Biden replied with an emphatic "no." The doctrine of mutually assured destruction, created during the Cold War, is supposed to guarantee that such an action would mean the end not only of Putin's rule but of life on earth as we know it. That's why both Russia and America have traditionally avoided any mention of their nuclear arsenals. Everybody knew they were there, but threatening to deploy them was long considered to be off-limits.

Russian nuclear missiles on parade in Moscow. Analysts have been warning for years that Russian military doctrine has shifted to permit a nuclear strike on a conventional battlefield if the existence of the Russian state were threatened. Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

But among the specialists who study Russia's nuclear arsenal, there has been a long-running debate about another scenario: the possibility that Russian forces might use so-called tactical nuclear weapons, which have shorter ranges and smaller explosive yields, to seize a battlefield advantage, especially in conflicts they are losing. This new doctrine, in Strangelovian fashion, is known as "escalate to deescalate" or "E2D." It started in 2014, when an official Kremlin document raised the possibility of a nuclear reprisal to a conventional strike if "the existence of the state itself is threatened." The following year, Putin said he had considered putting Russian nuclear weapons on alert to protect ethnic Russians in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Russia annexed in violation of international law. In 2018, Trump's national security team thought E2D was a serious-enough threat to warrant mention in the Nuclear Posture Review. That document predicts a scenario in which "limited first use" of tactical nuclear weapons "could paralyze the United States and thereby end a conflict on terms favorable to Russia."

In an interview with Insider, James Clapper, the former intelligence chief, said he agreed with the assessment that the Russian military had come to view itself as having a lower threshold for the use of tactical nuclear weapons. "The Russians were driven to this," he told me, "because the current Russian army is, comparatively, a shadow of the Soviet army." If your traditional military is weak, in other words, tactical nuclear weapons offer a major form of compensation.

Podvig, the Swiss analyst, said he considered even a tactical nuclear strike to have "very low probability" of happening. He notes that "it would not help the Russian military achieve any of its goals, and the political consequences would be orders of magnitude worse than what we're seeing now." And even if Putin orders a nuclear strike, history suggests it's possible his own military might refuse to comply. The Soviet Union came close to launching two nuclear strikes that were halted at the 11th hour by individual officers  Vasili Arkhipov during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 and Stanislav Petrov after a military computer falsely warned of a US strike in 1983.

But it's hard not to take the current threat seriously when one considers the person who is making it. Putin is an increasingly isolated autocrat, a few days into a difficult war, whose own diplomats are said to be apologizing behind closed doors for his actions.

The first days of the unprovoked invasion have gone badly for Russia: Deaths of Russian soldiers already number in the thousands, a loss on the order of what the US sustained during its 20-year campaign in Afghanistan. The Russian military has also been suffering on the information front. Charismatic videos shot by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have helped galvanize commitments for weaponry and stiffer sanctions from Germany and other members of the NATO alliance, of which Ukraine is not a member. It's too soon to say how much of the Russian public is ready to turn on Putin, but many have acknowledged the possibility that a perceived threat to his rule could cause him to overreact.

"I don't think he's a rational actor," H.R. McMaster, the former US national security advisor, said on "Face the Nation." "He's driven by a desire to remain in power until at least 2036. I think now he knows that all of that is at risk."

Clapper agreed that Putin appeared to be increasingly volatile. "He was always hard, cold, disciplined, almost machine-like," Clapper told me. "Now his anger  fury  show. His meandering, incoherent rants are illogical and scary. He has no one who can push back and disagree with him." A tactical nuclear strike, he added, could offer Putin a way out of a situation that's starting to look increasingly untenable.

"It is a risk, or at least more of a risk than it was a week ago," Clapper said. "The fact that we are even having such a discussion is reflective of the realization that yes, Putin might do the unthinkable."

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Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman, inside the Capitol on January 6. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Jury selection started Monday in the first trial stemming from the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Potential jurors said the only rioter they specifically remembered was "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley.

The judge posed questions to impanel an impartial jury for accused Capitol rioter Guy Reffitt.

On January 6, 2021, news footage captured Guy Reffitt on the steps of the US Capitol wearing a tactical vest and using a water bottle to flush pepper spray out of his eyes.

But on Monday, as jury selection began in the first trial stemming from the January 6 insurrection, residents of Washington, DC, seemed not to recognize Reffitt  a Texas man in their presence who would occasionally peel off his mask and greet them with a smile as they entered the courtroom.

Reffitt may be the first Capitol rioter to stand trial, but he's not the "shaman guy."

Potential jurors  identified Monday only by court-assigned numbers  said they followed news coverage of the January 6 attack on the Capitol but were not familiar with Reffitt or his specific case. In their memories of the insurrection, some said only one rioter stood out: the "QAnon Shaman," who paraded shirtless through the Capitol wearing furs and a horned headdress.

To one potential juror, he was the "guy with the horns." To another, "the shaman guy."

"The 'QAnon Shaman.' He's the guy I remember," said a third potential juror, who works as a program analyst at the Department of Defense.

The responses came as Judge Dabney Friedrich, along with prosecutors and Reffitt's defense lawyer, gauged the depth of potential jurors' knowledge about the January 6 attack and whether they could consider the case impartially. By day's end, Friedrich qualified 25 people to potentially serve as jurors in Reffitt's case.

After many said they were not familiar with Reffitt, Friedrich often followed up to ask whether there was any case they could recall.

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Their answers underscored the extent to which "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley had emerged as the poster boy of the January 6 attack. In November, Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to his role in the Capitol breach.

At the outset of Monday's jury selection, Friedrich acknowledged that no juror would come to the case as a "clean slate" given the widespread media coverage of the January 6 attack. Friedrich said jurors are not required to guarantee their impartiality but rather show an intent to consider the evidence with an open mind.

"Virtually every juror will have some view about the January 6 events, and that likely holds true about most Americans," the judge said.

Guy Reffitt seen at the Capitol siege. FBI

'Kind of unavoidable'

Reffitt, an alleged member of the far-right Three Percenters militia, stands charged with bringing a gun to the Capitol, charging at police guarding against the pro-Trump mob, and threatening his children to keep quiet about his involvement in the January 6 attack. Prosecutors plan to call Capitol police officers, FBI agents, and Reffitt's children as witnesses.

The jury selection proceedings highlighted the challenge of seating an impartial jury for a trial related to the attack on the Capitol.

Many potential jurors said they indeed have feelings about the January 6 attack.

"I think everyone should be prosecuted to the max," said one potential juror, who was quickly dismissed from consideration.

Several potential jurors said they almost couldn't help but absorb news coverage of January 6 and the more than 770 prosecutions stemming from the Capitol attack.

"Some things are kind of unavoidable, with how ubiquitous it's been," said one potential juror, who added that he tries "pretty hard to avoid the news."

That juror and several others said they have connections to the federal government and the legal industry. One potential juror described his father as a "major donor" to former President Donald Trump and said his stepmother worked in the Trump administration at the time of the January 6 attack.

Another potential juror said he was a public relations professional who has several friends who work at the Capitol in congressional offices. The juror said he "commiserated" with those friends and was "incredulous" that an associate of his helped organize the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the Capitol attack.

Asked whether he could review the case impartially, the juror answered, "I want to be candid, your honor. I don't think so. I feel very strongly about what happened."

Other potential jurors have said they live close to the Capitol and felt imperiled by the January 6 attack.

"It did feel like an attack on my home, in a sense," said one potential juror. "I didn't leave my house the day before, the day of, the day after."

Witness testimony in Reffitt's case isn't expected to begin until Tuesday or Wednesday. Friedrich said she expects testimony and arguments to conclude early next week.

As jury selection continued into the afternoon, some jurors said they were familiar with Reffitt only because of recent coverage previewing his trial.

One potential juror recalled reading a news story about what was then Reffitt's upcoming and recalled that the case involved a firearm.

"Little did you know," Friedrich said.

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Macedonia recreation supervisor John Doyle, along with two police officers, an off-duty firefighter, an assistant middle school principal, a vacationing teenager and a professional model will be honored for bravery and acts of heroism, at the 26th annual Acts of Courage awards, presented by the American Red Cross of Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley.

The annual dinner and award ceremony will take place on Thursday, March 3, at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, 3180 W. Market St., Akron.

As a special feature of the Acts of Courage awards, the Red Cross takes an opportunity to present a community member, who has spent a lifetime pursuing good deeds, with the H. Peter Burg Community Leadership award. This year, the award will be presented to Bernett L. Williams, Vice President External Affairs at Akron Childrens Hospital.

Acts of Courage Award Winners:

John Doyle, recreation supervisor, city of Macedonia

During Macedonias SummerFest 5K in 2021, recreation supervisor John Doyle was clearing the trails toward the end of the run and noticed a man face down on the trail. Recognizing him as the runner who had just passed him, Doyle immediately radioed for EMS and approached the man. After performing multiple rounds of CPR, several other workers arrived with an AED and LUCAS device. The runner regained his pulse and was breathing before being taken to the hospital.

Officer Lenny Kunka, Officer Kyle Auckland - Kent Police Department

A 14-year-old girl was babysitting a 1-year-old around 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning, when she heard someone trying to get inside. Unable to get away, she hid in a bathroom and bravely called 911. Through whispered exchanges, she spoke with dispatch. Two Kent police officers, officer Lenny Kunka and officer Kyle Auckland, responded to the call. Almost immediate shots were fired by the intruder. Officer Kunka was shot in the hand. Officer Aucklands bullet-resistant vest saved his life when he was shot in the chest. Both officers have recovered. The suspect was subdued and arrested.

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Tim Haas - Asst. Chief, Brunswick Hills Fire Department

On just the second day of a family vacation to Mexico, Brunswick resident Tim Haas played the hero. While at the main pool of the resort where the family was staying, Hass, saw a 2-year-old girl being taken out of the pool.

The child had drowned. She was not breathing and had no pulse. Haas utilized his extensive training and performed CPR until she was revived, about two minutes later. Emergency personnel at the resort then responded, and later told Haas the girl was doing well.

Anthony Hermann, assistant principal, Barberton Local Schools

Eighth grade assistant principal Anthony Hermann was helping clean up on a Taco Tuesday during lunch at Barberton Middle School. As students were getting ready to return to class, Hermann was called on to use the first aid training he and other administrators are required to learn. A student was choking on his meal and unable to verbalize his distress. Hermann could tell immediately what was wrong and moved into action. As he patted the childs back, trying to dislodge the food that was blocking his airway, the student passed out. As the situation unfolded, Hermann called for the room to be cleared and began to perform abdominal thrusts to dislodge the food. Eventually, the student regained consciousness.

Travis Shrout, college student, Stow

While vacationing in Topsail, North Carolina, 19-year-old Stow resident Travis Shrout went swimming. While at the beach, he noticed a mother and young child in distress in the water. Shrout pursued them using his body board. He first reached the mother and gave her the body board. He then swam toward the boy, who was struggling to stay above the waves some 10-yards away. Shrout used his Red Cross lifeguard training to calm and rescue the boy, navigating both mother and son out of the rip current and safely to shore.

LaDonya S. Williams, day care provider and model, Akron

While sitting at a traffic light at V. Odom and Raymond St., a motorist careened wildly down the street, crashing into the car in-front of LaDonya Williams and her father, off-duty Akron Police Department Detective, Donny Williams. A woman leapt out of the vehicle, screaming that her 7-month-old baby was choking. Working quickly, LaDonya Williams pulled the 7-month old child out of the car and successfully performed infant abdominal thrusts, taught by the American Red Cross. In addition to being a licensed day care worker, she is a professional model, and was supposed to be in Chicago on a modeling job, but canceled at the last minute. It was a decision that may have saved that babys life.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Red Cross to honor 2022 Acts of Courage winners
GENEVA (Reuters) - Red Cross agencies appealed on Tuesday for 250 million Swiss francs ($273 million) to provide food, water and shelter to millions of people in Ukraine where the humanitarian situation is "deteriorating rapidly" and to those who have fled abroad.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - the world's largest disaster relief network - issued the joint appeal as a huge Russian armoured column bore down on Kyiv, six days after Moscow's invasion began.

"We need the funds in order to address the humanitarian needs which are already staggering - food, water, shelter, health care, psychological support - and they are growing by the hour," Martin Schuepp, ICRC regional director for Europe and Central Asia, told a news briefing.

A priority was to reach people detained during the conflict and the ICRC is in touch with all sides regarding visits to detainees, he said. All sides have an obligation to facilitate the return of dead bodies, and ICRC teams are ready to help but remain limited in their movement due to insecurity, he added.

($1 = 0.9152 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Joseph Ax

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto O'Rourke won their parties' gubernatorial nominations on Tuesday, as the state's first-in-the-nation primary contests kicked off the race to the Nov. 8 general election.

Abbott, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, easily turned back several right-wing challengers. He is favored to beat O'Rourke, who is seeking to become the first Democratic governor of Texas in nearly three decades.

Texas voters were also selecting their parties' nominees on Tuesday for the U.S. House of Representatives. The results could offer clues about the mood of American voters ahead of the November elections that will determine control Congress for the rest of President Joe Biden's four-year term.

Progressive Democrats scored a victory when democratic socialist Greg Casar, an Austin city councilman, beat out fellow Democrat Eddie Rodriguez, a state representative.

Another liberal, Jessica Cisneros, was headed toward a run-off with incumbent Henry Cuellar, one of the House's most conservative Democrats. Both Casar and Cisneros campaigned alongside national progressive figures such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.

Meanwhile, Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton was headed to a May 24 runoff election against Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, grandson of former President H.W. Bush, after failing to capture 50% of the vote.

Paxton, who had Trump's support, remains under a 2015 indictment for securities fraud and also faces a federal corruption probe. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The election was the first test of new Republican-backed voting restrictions passed in response to Trump's false claims of election fraud in his 2020 loss to Biden.

There were no reports of major problems at polling places, following weeks in which several counties recorded large numbers of rejected mail-in ballots due to new identification requirements.

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Texas Secretary of State John Scott said Harris County, home to one in six Texans, had informed his office that vote counting was delayed due to "damaged ballot sheets."

Midterm elections typically serve as a referendum on the sitting president, and Republicans are favored to win a majority in at least one of the two chambers of Congress that Democrats control by razor-thin margins. That would allow Republicans to block Biden's legislative agenda and launch investigations that could damage his administration.

ABBOTT PUSHES CONSERVATIVE AGENDA

Abbott has pursued increasingly conservative policies during his second term, including opposing COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. He also signed the most restrictive abortion ban of any U.S. state and is building a new barrier on the border with Mexico.

Last week, he instructed state agencies to consider medical treatment for transgender adolescents as child abuse, days after Paxton issued a legal opinion to that effect. While the full effect of the order remains unclear, transgender advocates decried the move as discriminatory and dangerous.

"Abbott has not left much room to the right of him for these competitors to gain any traction," said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas.

O'Rourke, a former congressman, is the state's most prominent Democrat after losing a close U.S. Senate race in 2018 and then mounting a brief campaign for president. The Democrat has attacked Abbott's handling of the state's power grid, which failed during deadly winter storms in February 2021.

Among congressional races, Republican-backed redistricting has eliminated virtually every competitive district. Still, some contests gave early looks at how each party is navigating internal tensions.

In the 8th District north of Houston, where Representative Kevin Brady is retiring, the Republican primary was seen as a proxy battle between the party's ideological poles.

Former Navy SEAL Morgan Luttrell, backed by House Republican leadership, held a sizable lead over Christian Collins, a conservative activist supported by the House's far-right Freedom Caucus.

In the 3rd District north of Dallas, Republican Representative Van Taylor was forced into a run-off contest. He will face Keith Self, a former county judge who criticized Taylor for supporting a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2020, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

For Democrats, the contest between Cuellar, the lone anti-abortion Democrat left in the House, and Cisneros could leave the party vulnerable to a Republican takeover of the chamber.

Federal investigators searched Cuellar's home recently, though details of the investigation are not clear and he has denied wrongdoing. If Cuellar loses the primary, Cisneros could be targeted by Republicans as being too liberal for Texas.

The 15th District, likely the most competitive in Texas in November after incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez opted to run in a neighboring district, had a crowded field for both parties.

The Democratic contest will be decided in a runoff, while Republican Monica De La Cruz, who ran for the seat in 2020, won her party's nomination contest.

Republicans are hopeful they can flip the seat after Trump showed unexpected strength among Hispanic voters in 2020.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax and Moira Warburton; Additional reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell, Ross Colvin and Kim Coghill)
George Copeland describes how he felt just five days ago when Russia invaded Ukraine. As he watched troops invade the country, he worried for the country and friends he had left there just over a month ago.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian airline Pobeda, a low-cost unit of the state airline Aeroflot, is facing requests from a number of leasing companies to return their planes, the Interfax news agency reported.

Pobeda cannot immediately replace planes being requested back with other aircraft but does not plan to suspend its operations, Interfax reported citing a Pobeda official.

(Reporting by Moscow bureau; editing by Jason Neely)
Vagit Alekperov, president of Russian oil company Lukoil has lost 60% of his net worth so far. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Russia's 21 richest individuals have lost $84 billion so far this year, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Share prices of Russian companies listed globally have fallen even as the Moscow Exchange remains closed.

The biggest loser among Russia's billionaires is Lukoil chairman Vagit Alekperov, who has lost $14 billion this year  60% of his net worth.

The fortunes of Russia's richest individuals are getting hammered amid a massive market selloff as Western countries impose sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's 21 wealthiest individuals have collectively lost $84 billion this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Their financial losses have more than doubled since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine: This same group of billionaires lost a collective $39 billion in just one day after the invasion, which sent the country's stock market diving 50% last week.

The market turmoil prompted the country's central bank to halt stock trading on the Moscow Exchange to stem further declines. Even so, Russian billionaires' wealth continued to come under pressure, as some of their companies are listed elsewhere in the world.

The biggest loser among Russia's billionaires is Lukoil chairman Vagit Alekperov, who has lost $14 billion this year  60% of his net worth  after the company's share price tanked about 80% on the London Stock Exchange. He is now worth $8.8 billion, per Bloomberg.

Russia's richest known man, Vladimir Potanin, has lost $6.2 billion and now has a net worth of $24.7 billion, per Bloomberg. The share price of Norilsk Nickel, of which he is the president, has fallen by 56% on the London Stock Exchange.

Iskandar Makhmudov, President of Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, dropped out of the billionaire list altogether, Bloomberg's list shows.

Andrey Melnichenko is the only Russian billionaire to have made gains to date this year. His fortune is largely derived from privately held fertilizer company EuroChem and thermal coal firm SUEK, according to Bloomberg.

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Even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US and UK had already slapped sanctions on Russian oligarchs and their family members. Among the individuals sanctioned by the UK was oligarch Gennady Timchenko, who has close ties with Putin, according to Reuters. His net worth now stands at $11.1 billion after falling by $11.3 billion this year.

Here's a breakdown of Russia's top ten richest people, their net worth, and how their wealth has changed so far this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Name Net worth Year-to-date change Vladimir Potanin 24.7 -$6.20 billion Alexey Mordashov 21.9 -$6.94 billion Leonid Mikhelson 21.5 -10.9 billion Vladimir Lisin 20.8 -$7.19 billion Alisher Usmanov 19.7 -$1.59 billion Andrey Melnichenko 19.5 +1.99 billion Viktor Vekselberg 16.9 -1.58 billion Roman Abramovich 13.7 -4.29 billion Mikhail Prokhorov 13.5 -0.45 billion Suleiman Kerimov 11.3 -3.93 billion

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Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Russia is pressing ahead with its invasion of Ukraine despite ongoing global backlash.

Several Russian oligarchs and lawmakers have now criticized the invasion, calling for it to end.

Russia's elites usually shy away from criticizing Putin's regime, which has brutally silenced dissenters.

Members of Russia's elite are publicly criticizing the invasion of Ukraine, a rare sign of public opposition to President Vladimir Putin's rule.

After invading Ukraine last week, Russian forces have fought to seize Kyiv, but have been deterred by Ukraine's forces.

The assault has been brutal, with Ukraine accusing Russia of committing war crimes and killing civilians and children. The Kremlin has denied the claims.

Dissent in Russia is rarely tolerated, and Putin has a history of brutally cracking down on dissent. But in the past week, four Russian oligarchs and three members of parliament have spoken out against the war. All of them bar one stopped short of naming Putin.

A composite image of the Russian oligarchs Oleg Deripaska and Mikhail Fridman. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov; Pavel Golovkin/Pool via REUTERS

Here are the oligarchs who have spoken out:

Mikhail Fridman, one of Russia's richest men who grew up in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, wrote in a Sunday letter to staff at his private equity firm LetterOne that "war can never be the answer." "I am deeply attached to Ukrainian and Russian peoples and see the current conflict as a tragedy for them both," he wrote.

Oleg Deripaska, the founder of the Russian industrial giant Basic Element, wrote in a Sunday Telegram post: "Peace is very important! Negotiations need to start as soon as possible."

Evgeny Lebedev, the owner of the UK's Evening Standard newspaper and a member of the House of Lords, wrote a public message to Putin in his newspaper on Monday. "I plead with you to use today's negotiations to bring this terrible conflict in Ukraine to an end," he wrote, referring to the first round of talks between Ukraine and Russia on Monday. There was no breakthrough in that first round of talks.

Oleg Tinkov, the founder of Russia's Tinkoff Bank, said in a Monday Instagram post: "Innocent people are dying in Ukraine now, every day, this is unthinkable and unacceptable."

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The EU personally sanctioned Fridman on Monday as part of its response to the Russian invasion. "These sanctions are groundless and unfair," Fridman told Reuters. The other three oligarchs do not appear to be directly targeted by Western sanctions.

Three members of the Russian Communist Party, which usually votes in line with Putin's agenda, also spoke out against the war. None of those three MPs were named in Western sanctions against Russia.

Vyacheslav Markhaev wrote in a Facebook post Sunday that the Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament, wasn't told of the invasion. "It's sad to watch what is happening around Ukraine, and it hurts my soul," he wrote.

Oleg Smolin wrote on Russia's VK social-media platform on Friday that he was "shocked" by the invasion. "As a Russian intellectual, I am convinced that military force should be used in politics only as a last resort," he said.

Mikhail Matveyev wrote on Telegram on Saturday: "I voted for peace, not for war." That post was later deleted.

People wait for trains as they attempt to evacuate Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24, 2022. Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, in Russia, more than 2,000 people protesting the war have reportedly been arrested.

Some of Russia's closest national allies have also kept their distance from the war. On Friday, Kazakhstan refused to send its forces to help the Russian assault on Ukraine, US officials said.

Putin has not lost all international support for his invasion, however.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian ruler of Chechnya and staunch Putin ally, admitted that Russia's tactics had failed in the early days of the invasion and called for a more brutal approach.

"In my understanding, the chosen tactics in Ukraine are too slow," he wrote on Telegram on Sunday. "They take a long time and, in my opinion, are not effective."

He called for "full coordination of the actions of the military, competent alignment of forces and a decisive assault."

Meanwhile, China has slammed Western countries for imposing sanctions on Russia while not overtly supporting Russia in its invasion. Last week it accused the US of "creating panic."

The US, UK, and EU have punished Russia by introducing sanctions and booting Russia from the SWIFT global payments system. Putin called the sanctions "illegitimate."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Carroll County commissioners recently agreed to award two contracts for repairs and improvements at the Freedom District Wastewater Treatment Plant in Sykesville.

At last weeks Board of County Commissioners meeting, commissioners approved a request from the Bureau of Utilities to award a $31,814.20 contract for electrical repairs and improvements at the treatment plant to Eastern Sales and Engineering Company of Westminster.

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Bureau chief Andrew Watcher told commissioners that the wastewater treatment plant consists of a newer facility completed in 2009 and an older plant constructed in 1981. Portions of the old plant continue to be used in processing of the effluent water byproduct of the newer facilitys water treatment operation.

Staff has temporarily repaired a significant issue with the conduit and wiring at the old plant, Watcher said, but permanent improvements are required. Watcher said the project would upgrade the older plant to current code requirements and will allow the overall water treatment plant to continue to function in a reliable and efficient manner.

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The bid amount is within the countys adopted budget and no additional funds will be necessary, Watcher added.

Construction of the Freedom District Wastewater Treatment Plant was the first non-state government contract for Maryland Environmental Service. MES has been continuously operating the plant since 1972. It currently treats 3.5 million gallons of wastewater per day from the Sykesville and Eldersburg areas.

Commissioners also approved a request last week from the Bureau of Utilities to award a $31,273.65 contract for the purchase of a replacement grinder for the Sykesville Pumping Station to JWC Environmental.

The pumping station is a facility containing equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another.

The existing grinder at the Sykesville Pumping Station was installed in 2003 and is no longer operational nor can it be repaired in an economical manner, Watcher said.

The grinder is a critical component in the overall operation of the pumping station. Its main purpose is to shred any solids contained within the wastewater stream that reaches the station into a fine slurry. This protects the pumps and other equipment from damages and clogging.

The Sykesville Pumping Station will undergo a redesign or upgrade during the next several years and it is the bureaus intention to use the replacement grinder in the new facility.
MOSCOW (AP)  A Russian radio station critical of the Kremlin was taken off the airwaves on Tuesday, its chief editor said and The Associated Press confirmed, after authorities threatened to shut it down over its coverage of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The move against Echo Moskvy, one of Russias oldest radio stations, comes amid growing pressure on Russias independent media to follow the Kremlin's official line while covering the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian authorities also threatened to block Dozhd, Russias top independent TV channel. The Prosecutor Generals office accused the two media outlets of spreading content that incites extremist activities, as well as false information regarding the actions of Russian military personnel as part of a special operation in Ukraine.

The Prosecutor General's office said actions taken against the two outlets would include immediate shutdown.

The websites of Ekho Moskvy and Dozhd remained available to internet users in Moscow on Tuesday evening. However, Russia's communications and media watchdog Roskomnadzor confirmed to the Interfax news agency that it restricted access to the sites.

Alexei Venediktov, chief editor of Ekho Moskvy, rejected the accusations, saying they are not supported by any examples, any evidence (and) are unfounded and offensive to journalists and citizens of Russia."

The station will contest this decision in court," Venediktov said.

"We see a political component in it, as well as the introduction of censorship, which is directly prohibited by the Russian Constitution, he said.

Dozhd issued a statement rejecting the accusations against the TV channel, saying it strictly follows Russian laws in its coverage.

Shortly after Moscow invaded Ukraine last Thursday, Russian officials threatened independent media with closure if their coverage of the attack deviated from the official narrative, including describing the assault as an invasion or a war.

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The website of the Current Time, a Russian TV channel launched by the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that also has been critical of the Kremlin, became unavailable Sunday after the channel reported receiving a notification from the authorities.

___

Follow all AP stories on the Russian invasion of Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine.
By Chen Lin

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A lawyer for a Malaysian man sentenced to hang for smuggling heroin into Singapore asked judges for mercy during his appeal on Tuesday, and urged more time to seek further psychiatric assessment to prove his mental impairment.

Nagaenthran Dharmalingam has been on death row for more than a decade for trafficking 42 grammes (1.48 oz) of heroin into Singapore, which has some of the world's toughest narcotics laws. He has appealed on the grounds of mental disability.

His lawyer Violet Netto asked for "mercy" from the judges in allowing time to arrange an independent psychiatric evaluation.

The Court of Appeal was expected to make a decision on Tuesday but reserved judgement until an undisclosed date.

Nagaenthran's case has attracted international attention, with Malaysia's prime minister, a group of United Nations experts and British billionaire Richard Branson joining human rights groups in urging Singapore to commute his death sentence.

Singapore hanged 25 people from 2016 to 2019, according to official data, mostly for drug-related crimes.

During Tuesday's proceedings, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said Nagaenthran's lawyer was abusing the court process by submitting reports late and that her actions appeared "calculated to delay".

Menon said Netto had prevented the disclosure of her client's prison medical records, which would have helped the judges reach a decision on the appeal.

The lawyer had objected to presenting the records, which included a psychiatric assessment, citing patient confidentiality.

Nagaenthran's defence and human rights groups have argued that his intellect was at a level recognised as a mental disability and say he has other disorders affecting decision-making and impulse control.

The court stayed his execution last year without ruling on his appeal after he tested positive for COVID-19 a day before he was due to be hanged.

Nagaenthran's sister, Sarmila Dharmalingam, on Tuesday said she would keep praying for her brother's life.

"Many thanks to each and every one who putting effort to save my brother's life. Keep on praying," she said.

(Reporting by Chen Lin; Additional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Martin Petty)
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will send 150 additional troops to Latvia as part of a wider NATO buildup in the Baltic region following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Spanish Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

Spain, which already has 350 troops in the alliance's enhanced forward presence battlegroup in Latvia, is increasing the number in line with the NATO response plans "to preserve peace and security after the invasion."

The size of NATO battlegroups in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, once ruled from Moscow but now part of the European Union, are set to almost double from 3,400 troops at the start of the year to more than 6,000 in the near future.

Spain will send a field artillery Unit, an engineering unit and logistical support personnel, the ministry said.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Nathan Allen, Alexandra Hudson)
Mar. 1University of St. Thomas President Julie Sullivan was announced Tuesday as the next president of Santa Clara University in California.

Sullivan, 64, who has led Minnesota's largest private university for nine years, will leave at the end of the school year.

Rob Vischer, dean of the law school, will step in as interim president.

In the nine years under Sullivan, St. Thomas made the move to Division I athletics, launched the two-year Dougherty Family College for low-income students and founded the Morrison Family College of Health.

"Julie Sullivan has been a beloved and inspirational leader, and we are grateful for her incredible contributions to St. Thomas," Pat Ryan, chair of the St. Thomas Board of Trustees said in a news release. "She succeeded in elevating St. Thomas, building a team of strong leaders, and implementing several transformational priorities during her tenure."

Sullivan was the first woman and first layperson to lead St. Thomas. She'll do the same when she takes over July 1 at Santa Clara, which like St. Thomas is a Catholic university.

"This is God's will for me, and I believe, for Santa Clara," Sullivan said during Santa Clara's announcement Tuesday.

The Rev. Matt Carnes, Santa Clara's search committee chair, described Sullivan as a "student-centered educator" with "unbridled optimism" and a deep commitment to Catholic higher education.

She also has experience with the Jesuit Catholic tradition, on which Santa Clara was founded, having served as a trustee for Loyola University Chicago.

Sullivan, who previously was the University of San Diego's provost, said the move will put her just minutes away from her four grandchildren.

"The unique combination of leading an outstanding Jesuit, Catholic institution, along with the strong pull of my family, makes this an opportunity that I cannot pass up," she said.
Stop & Shop workers, battered by COVID-19 and eager to avoid a second strike in three years, have ratified a four-year contract that delivers a $15 minimum hourly wage a year before Connecticuts higher wage takes effect and boosts pay significantly for workers who fill online orders for curbside pick-up.

The agreement, approved Sunday and covering 30,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will increase wages by at least $4 an hour for all employees with at least six months on the job. Part-time workers will be paid a starting rate of $15 an hour and $17.30 as a starting rate for full-time employees, according to the union.

Connecticuts minimum wage rises to $15 an hour on June 1, 2023.

The company knew we were bargaining in the shadow of COVID and did not want to reduce costs or change health care, said Keri Hoehne, executive vice president of Local 371 of the UFCW in Westport.

Supermarkets were among the few businesses not shut during the pandemic. Workers, who were particularly exposed to COVID-19, were often required to enforce state and local mask rules and other regulations, occasionally drawing abuse from customers. Stop & Shop and the UFCW negotiated premium pay for workers.

In the new contract, the union said employees will not be required to contribute more to their health insurance, which was a key disagreement that led to a strike in 2019. A health insurance fund was merged with several union locals, saving money, Hoehne said.

In addition, increased hours will be available to senior part-time employees who want guaranteed hours. The contract also calls for a $500 bonus for full-time employees and $250 for part-time workers, according to the UFCW.

The contract will boost pay nearly 29%, to $19 an hour from $15.30, for click and collect workers who fill online orders brought to customers for curbside pick up, Hoehne said. The jobs were established in response to the pandemic.

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In a statement, Stop & Shop said the agreement is fair and will allow the supermarket chain to recognize and reward employees contributions and commitment to customers and the community and provide workers with opportunities for growth and advancement.

The contract also makes it possible for Stop & Shop to continue to compete and thrive in this competitive landscape as the last large unionized grocer in New England.

The agreement contrasts with a collapse in contract talks in 2019 over health care costs and other provisions. The result was an 11-day strike costing workers their paychecks and the Netherlands parent company, Ahold Delhaize, $345 million in lost sales.

I dont think anyone wanted to go though that again, Hoehne said.

Retail analyst Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director at Strategic Resource Group, said that following the devastating strike three years ago, the two sides this year made a wise strategic decision.

No enemies at the bargaining table this time, he said.

Ahold Delhaize posted 2021 sales of the equivalent of $83.9 billion, up 5% from 2020. Sales in U.S. stores for the year were the equivalent of $50.5 billion, an increase of 5.6%.

Retailers are boosting wages to attract workers in a tight labor market, with Target announcing Monday it will pay workers up to $24 an hour.

Stop & Shop has a real willingness to invest in higher wages, Flickinger said.

With compensation that includes a pension, a rare benefit in the private sector, Stop & Shop had higher productivity and better retention among its workers during the pandemic, Flickinger said.

Supermarkets that profited during the pandemic at the expense of restaurants ordered shut by public health officials will likely continue to benefit even with restaurants re-opened as consumers, struggling to pay more for energy and other expenses, cut costs, he said.

The best place to save for food is at a supermarket and wholesale shopping, Flickinger said.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.
There was a shootout overnight between a robbery suspect and police during a wild chase in Nassau County.
An 18-year-old has been arrested in the death of an 81-year-old Eastover resident who was shot three times during a robbery, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said at a press conference Tuesday.

Lott identified the suspect as Jadon Harper, who was arrested on a burglary charge eight days before the death of Lewis Jenerette. Lott said investigators believe someone else was involved. Jenerettes Chevrolet Impala has not been recovered, he said.

Naida Rutherford, the Richland County coroner, said Jenerette was shot twice in the chest and once in the leg.

Jenerette was found inside a home on Hickory Hill Road in Eastover. Lott described Jenerette as being well known in the community. Community members attended the press conference.

Deputies making a wellness check discovered his body in the home near U.S. 601/McCords Ferry Road.

Jenerette was described in his funeral program as honest, forthright, direct, always truthful, impeccable work ethics are just a few adjectives.

His family said he was the epitome of generosity. He was calm in demeanor, quiet, meek,and one who made and kept friends for a lifetime.

He was a native of Eastover, where his first job was delivering ice for refrigerators. He retired from Owens Steel in Columbia.

In 2021, there were 32 criminal homicides reported in Richland County, and all of them involved guns, the sheriffs department previously said. Lott said his office made arrests on all cases. Additionally, there were 81 non-fatal shootings investigated as crimes, according to the sheriffs department.

So far this year, there have been five murders since the first of the year, and four have resulted in arrests, Lott said.

Lott said he believes the justice system is broken because some suspects need to remain in jail, rather than bond out.
A bill that would authorize the use of vehicle monitoring systems to prevent trucks from using certain streets to get to warehouses on the Perryman Peninsula has been introduced by state Sen. Robert Bob Cassilly.

If passed, SB642, Harford County  Vehicle Height Monitoring Systems, would allow the installation of monitoring systems on segments of Spesutia Road, Mitchell Lane and Old Stepney Road. The bill was introduced Feb. 3; a hearing on the measure was held Thursday by the Judicial Proceedings Committee.

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The monitoring systems would alert police to violations and police would issue citations to vehicle owners, Cassilly said. If approved by the legislature, the bill would take effect Oct. 1.

These roads are already not to be used by those vehicles, but the residents have provided ample photos and testimony documenting that those restrictions are routinely violated, Cassilly said. These trucks are seriously undermining the safety and quality of life in these residential neighborhoods.

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Perryman residents frequently post photos on to the Protecting Perryman Peninsula Coalitions Facebook page of trucks causing traffic problems in the area at various times of the day.

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We have tractor trailers using the roads causing traffic nightmares, going through peoples yards, knocking down signs, said Perryman resident Ron Stuchinski. The curbs and sewer covers are pretty banged up. I guess residents are just getting to the point where with the more warehouses that are being built, the less attention truckers are paying.

Stuchinski was one of four Perryman residents who went to Annapolis to support the bill at Thursdays hearing. It feels great to represent a community as tight as ours, he said.

Bertha Copeland, a 52-year resident of Perryman, also traveled to Annapolis to support the bill.

This used to be a quiet neighborhood, Copeland said. Its not fair to be a homeowner to have all this traffic.

And while the Perryman coalitions organizer, Paul Fallace, says this bill is a good first step, there are still larger issues at play.

Our big thing is we just feel like theres too many warehouses inside of this residential area, he said.

Cassilly concurred that more needs to happen in Perryman. The bill, he said, is one piece of the puzzle.
Thousands of Texas ballots will be rejected unless voters take an extra step to correct them, election officials warned on the eve of Tuesday's primary.

The statewide election will be the first test of new identification requirements for voters who cast their ballots by mail, and county figures indicate many are already encountering problems.

In Harris County, almost 11,000 ballots  or 29 percent of mail ballots received so far  have been flagged for rejection as of Saturday, according to data from the office of the county elections administrator, Isabel Longoria. Harris is the largest county in the state, home to Houston and more than 4 million residents.

Election officials across the state are calling and emailing voters if they have their contact information, or mailing ballots back to alert them to the issues, but time is running out to make those changes.

Most voters must fix their ballots by the end of Tuesday, and can do so in-person, by mail or online, though some will be able to make changes at county elections offices through March 7 if the errors were discovered near the end of the early voting period.

In Travis County, home to the capital Austin and more than 1.2 million residents, 12 percent of the approximately 7,000 ballots received by election officials have been flagged for rejection, according to Victoria Hinojosa, a spokesman for the county.

In El Paso County, 26 percent of ballots  or 1,038  have been rejected due to the new ID requirements, according to Lisa Wise, the county elections administrator.

In Collin County, approximately 17 percent of mail ballots have been flagged for rejection, according to Bruce Sherbet, elections administrator in the county that's home to more than 1 million people.

"Like other counties, almost every rejection is due to lack of an ID number on the returned ballot envelope," he wrote in an email to NBC News.

Those ballots could play a deciding role in primary races for statewide positions. Gov. Greg Abbott is facing two challengers  former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West and former state Sen. Don Huffines  while Attorney General Ken Paxton is up against Rep. Louie Gohmert, former state Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and land commissioner George P. Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

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Republicans in the state Legislature overhauled the election code last year as former President Donald Trump pushed his lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, with a particular focus on mail ballots.

Among other changes to state law, voters are now required to include some form of identification  such as a drivers license number  on mail ballot applications and the envelope they use to return their completed mail ballots. The law also limits early voting hours and empowers partisan poll watchers.

Texas Democrats fought against the new law for months, arguing the changes would disenfranchise voters and were unnecessary in light of exhaustive evidence that voter fraud is incredibly rare, and widespread fraud is non-existent. (Texas own exhaustive hunt for fraud in 2020 closed just 16 minor cases, according to the Houston Chronicle.)

We have so many eligible, true, good voters whove always been part of the process that are now getting caught up in just this extra layer of bureaucracy, Longoria told NBC News in February.
Pamela Moses was sentenced to six years in prison for registering to vote. After intense public outcry and the revelation of new evidence, the judge has ordered a new trial.

The whole situation stemmed from a government official's error, but Moses was the one held accountable. Meanwhile, law enforcement officers routinely harm and kill innocent people without consequence. This dichotomy illustrates some of the deepest failures of our legal system, which protects officials and punishes citizens  particularly Black citizens, like Moses.

Moses, a Black Lives Matter activist and recent mayoral hopeful in Memphis, had completed a prison sentence for a 2015 felony conviction when she sought information in 2019 on her voting eligibility. Under Tennessee law, those convicted of a felony lose their right to vote, but they can have their voting rights restored. They just need a government agent to complete a form.

Changing the narrative

A judge told Moses she was still on probation, but an official with her probation office told her the opposite and signed her restoration form, which Moses then submitted as part of her voter registration. But the probation office later informed election officials Moses was ineligible to register to vote.

Corrections officials investigated the error right away and determined the probation officer made a mistake, but that evidence wasn't introduced at trial. To the contrary, prosecutors crafted a narrative, which the judge initially adopted, that Moses somehow tricked the probation officer into signing her form.

Racism or justice? The legal tangle behind a Black woman's voter fraud sentence

Pamela Moses was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of illegally registering to vote.

Moses was prosecuted, convicted and severely sentenced simply for relying on the probation office, whose job it was to certify eligibility for rights restoration. In other cases, too, prosecutors have zealously pursued prison sentences against mistaken voters, even though voting fraud is exceedingly rare and fraudulent votes can be nullified when discovered.

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Moses prosecution and sentence rightfully garnered widespread criticism for its unjustness and its stark contrast to the relative leniency given to white voters who have pleaded guilty to ballot signature forgery.

Political fallout: Putin's 'assault on humanity' in Ukraine is looking really bad for Donald Trump

While Moses was released from prison and began awaiting her new trial, the prosecutor sought to distance herself from the apparent injustice. In a statement, Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said Moses' conviction was overturned because "the Tennessee Department of Correction failed to turn over a necessary document."

"When reporters or political opportunists use the word 'state' they need to be crystal clear that the error was made by the TDOC and not any attorney or officer in the office of the Shelby County District Attorney," Weirich added.

Regardless, it was the choice of the prosecutor  acting as the state  to blame Moses for the probation officers error regarding the registration form, to cast this mistake as a fraudulent act and to aggressively prosecute Moses for that mistake.

Unequal standards of culpability

The injustice Moses suffered must also be considered alongside the unequal standards of culpability to which our laws hold regular citizens versus law enforcement  and it draws into sharp focus the ways our legal system actively disincentivizes political participation while shielding law enforcement from accountability.

Violence at the hands of law enforcement is an all-too-common occurrence that has been decried for decades by overpoliced Black and brown communities. The legal systems response has been to manufacture allowances to let police officers escape accountability.

Under the judge-created doctrine of qualified immunity, police officers may be sued for violating the Constitution only if prior federal appellate court decisions clearly established that they were acting illegally. Getting past a qualified immunity defense requires a showing that the unreasonableness of an officers actions was beyond debate.

Often, the Supreme Court requires the plaintiff in such cases to identify a case that put the officer on notice that his specific conduct was unlawful, even though police encounters are rarely identical.

Whoopsie! Marjorie Taylor Greene at a white nationalist conference? Probably Joe Bidens fault.

Overcoming qualified immunity is required to recover money damages for officer misconduct, and because of state and local indemnification laws, officers almost never actually pay such damages.

Convicting an officer of a criminal offense for violating constitutional rights is an even higher standard, requiring proof that the officer acted with the specific intent to deprive a person of a federal right made definite by law.

Protesters reflect in Pamela Moses' sunglasses while she leads chants with a bull horn in 2017.

While no one was harmed when Moses registered to vote based on an officials mistake, the legal system offered her no mercy. In contrast, some of the egregious situations where qualified immunity excused officers conduct include releasing a police dog on an unarmed, surrendering man, using a stun gun on an unarmed pregnant woman, and shooting an unarmed child.

Even though officers receive training and are tasked with promoting safety, they are held to relatively low expectations in high-stakes situations. Perversely, the legal system punishes those who seek to exercise their rights, while rendering helpless those who have their rights violated  in either circumstance, communities of color bear the burden.

The Supreme Court has said that qualified immunity is necessary to protect officials and allow them to exercise their authority vigorously. But there is no justification for a system in which misconduct by those charged with enforcing and upholding the law is treated as a mistake while regular citizens have their actual mistakes treated as crimes.

Kevin Jason and Georgina Yeomans, assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., are members of LDF's qualified immunity working group.

Georgina Yeomans and Kevin Jason serve as assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., where they litigate racial justice cases and are members of LDF's qualified immunity working group.

This column is part of a series by the USA TODAY Opinion team examining the issue of qualified immunity. The project is made possible in part by a grant from Stand Together. Stand Together does not provide editorial input.

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Qualified immunity: Pamela Moses reaped an unjust prosecution
France's finance minister said Tuesday that Western sanctions would cause the Russian economy's collapse.

A top Russian official responded immediately, saying that economic wars often turn into "real wars."

The West has leveled sweeping sanctions against Russia that appear to be disrupting its economy.

A top Russian official appeared to threaten France with "real war" on Tuesday as he responded to saber-rattling comments from the French finance minister about the effects of punitive Western sanctions.

In an interview with French radio on Tuesday morning, Bruno Le Maire said the West aimed to "cause the collapse of the Russian economy" through an "economic and financial war on Russia," for which the Russian population "will also pay the consequences."

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former prime minister and now deputy chairman of its security council, was quick to respond on Twitter.

He said: "A French minister said today that they have declared an economic war on us. Watch what you say, gentlemen! And don't forget that in the history of mankind, economic wars have often turned into real wars."

Western nations including France have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia, targeting everything from its central bank and leading financial institutions to President Vladimir Putin himself.

The sanctions seem to have already disrupted the Russian economy. On Monday, the value of the ruble crashed by as much as 30% against the US dollar, forcing Russia's central bank to more than double its base interest rate to 20%. Meanwhile, Russians were pictured at ATMs trying to withdraw foreign currency.

In the interview with France Info on Tuesday, Le Maire said that economic and financial sanctions leveled by the West against Russia were "extremely effective," adding: "I don't want to leave any ambiguity about the determination of Europe on this subject. We are going to wage an economic and financial war on Russia."

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He continued: "We want to target the heart of the Russian system. We'll target Vladimir Putin. We'll target the oligarchs. But we'll also target the entire Russian economy."

He added: "Sanctions must strike fast, strike hard, and we are already seeing the effects. The ruble has collapsed by 30%. Russian foreign-exchange reserves are melting like snow in the sun, and Vladimir Putin's famous war chest has already reduced to almost nothing."

Le Maire said, "We are going to cause the collapse of the Russian economy."

On Monday, the US rolled out sanctions intended to prevent Putin from accessing a $630 billion foreign-exchange "war chest" he could use to prop up Russia's battered economy. The move followed analogous sanctions from the European Union and the UK.

Read the original article on Business Insider
PARIS (Reuters) - Russia's top security official Dmitry Medvedev responded on Tuesday to comments by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire promising to wage an economic and financial war against Russia.

"Today, some French minister has said that they declared an economic war on Russia. Watch your tongue, gentlemen! And dont forget that in human history, economic wars quite often turned into real ones," Medvedev, a former Russian president, wrote on his Twitter account (@MedvedevRussiaE).

Earlier on Tuesday Le Maire told France Info radio that "we are going to deliver a total economic and financial war against Russia," over its invasion of Ukraine.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Jon Boyle)
Chapman School of Law professor John Eastman testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2017. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

Orange County attorney John Eastman is at the center of an ethics investigation into whether he violated laws while advising President Trump on how he could overturn his election defeat in 2020, the State Bar of California said Tuesday.

Eastman, a former professor and dean at Chapman University's Fowler School of Law, emerged as a key legal advisor to Trump in the weeks after it was apparent he had lost the election to Joe Biden. Eastman wrote two legal memos that advised Vice President Mike Pence he could declare that the results in several states were disputed and therefore their electoral votes would go uncounted. Doing so would have injected a new element of uncertainty and opened the door for several state legislatures to recast their votes for Trump.

The State Bar's chief trial counsel, George Cardona, announced Tuesday that Eastman has been the center of an investigation since September.

"A number of individuals and entities have brought to the State Bars attention press reports, court filings, and other public documents detailing Mr. Eastmans conduct, Cardona said in a statement.

We want to thank those who took the time to bring to our attention this information, which serves as the starting point for our investigation. We will be proceeding with a single State Bar investigation in which we will continue to gather and analyze relevant evidence and go wherever it leads us.

Eastman was not immediately available for comment Tuesday. The phone number listed for his law practice in Anaheim was busy.

Attorney Randall Miller, who is representing Eastman in the state bar probe, said his client expects the investigation will exonerate him.

"Dr. Eastman, a nationally recognized constitutional attorney and scholar, represented former President Trump in several election challenges," Miller wrote in a statement. "As was his duty as an attorney, Dr. Eastman zealously represented his client, comprehensively exploring legal and constitutional means to advance his client's interests."

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Eastman is currently challenging a subpoena from the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack. The committee is seeking documents and emails Eastman sent from his Chapman University email address, according to court records filed in a California federal court.

Eastman was hired at Chapman's law school in 1999. He was dean of the school from June 2007 to January 2010, when he stepped down to run unsuccessfully for California attorney general. He remained on the faculty until January 2021, teaching courses in constitutional law, property law, legal history and the 1st Amendment.

Eastman is also the founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a public interest law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute. The institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

In early January 2021, more than 100 Chapman faculty and others affiliated with the university signed a letter calling on the private school to take action against Eastman for his role in the events of Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Days later, Chapman University President Daniele Struppa issued a statement saying that Eastman was immediately retiring from the university.

"Dr. Eastmans departure closes this challenging chapter for Chapman and provides the most immediate and certain path forward for both the Chapman community and Dr. Eastman," Struppa wrote.

In October, the nonpartisan legal group States United Democracy Center called on the State Bar to investigate Eastman's actions on Jan. 6.

"Lawyers, particularly those who represent elected and appointed officials, have a solemn duty to the public to advise their clients within the four corners of the law, and to ensure that they do not allow themselves to become the tools by which those officials seek to undermine democratic governance," the group wrote in a letter.

The signers include two former governors, Republican Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and Democrat Steve Bullock of Montana; retired California Supreme Court Justices Kathryn Werdegar and Joseph Grodin; retired California federal Judges Thelton Henderson, Fern M. Smith and Lowell Jensen; UC Berkeley Law dean Erwin Chemerinsky; and Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe.

At the time, Eastman said, "I trust the bar association will see this as the politically motivated and defamatory attack on my legal representation of a controversial client that it is and summarily dismiss it. But if not, I look forward to responding in full to every false assertion.

Christine P. Sun, senior vice president of legal at the States United Democracy Center, said in a statement on Tuesday that the investigation is a "welcome and necessary step forward to holding democracy violators accountable, including those who seek to use their legal credentials to undermine the foundations of our democracy."

Wylie Aitken, a longtime Orange County attorney and Chapman trustee, said he commends the state bar for launching an investigation into Eastman's actions, which he called an "assault on democracy."

"I hope they will act on this because this is not a free speech issue, as some would like to characterize it," he said.

Chemerinsky, UC Berkeley's law school dean, said its crucial that the nation does not trivialize what happened on Jan. 6.

John Eastman was the architect of an attempted coup in this country, Chemerinsky told The Times on Tuesday. Its unlike anything weve ever seen in this country, as he fomented the coup, and attempted to disrupt the hallmarks of democracy: the peaceful transfer of power.

Chemerinsky does not think any attorney should be disciplined for protected free speech, but Eastmans actions went far beyond the type of speech that advocates for a position.

Its obvious, I believe, that there is enough there to investigate, Chemerinsky said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ANKARA, Turkey  Turkey is reversing policies with Gulf rivals in the hope that local defense companies can return to the lucrative Saudi and Emirati markets.

Deep political divergences harmed Turkish relations with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in recent years, including clashing policies over the civil wars in Syria and Libya; the Muslim Brotherhoods legitimacy in Egypt; support of the military group Hamas in Gaza; the blockade of Qatar; and the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and some of its neighbors through the Abraham Accords.

More directly, an official Saudi boycott of Turkish goods brought down trade volume with Turkey to $189 million last year from $3.2 billion in 2019. That boycott ended in January 2022.

Analysts agree that, faced with declining approval ratings, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan needs to lure foreign investment and boost mutual trade partnerships to improve the economy ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections in June 2023.

Policy changes

Turkey has changed course several times in its foreign policies:

On Syria, the Turkish government is leaning further toward its Gulf neighbors in their anti-Iran approach. Tehrans support of the Damascus regime in the civil war is driving Ankaras decision.

In Libya, several foreign parties involved in the civil war withdrew. Geopolitically speaking, it was Turkey against the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The Egyptian government continues to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization that has received support in Turkey. But Erdogan is reversing course and beginning to curb Muslim Brotherhood activity on Turkish soil.

Turkey has also become less vocal in its ideological support of Hamas. In addition, there are reports that Ankara has banned Hamas-controlled activity in Turkey that would harm Israel.

The blockade of Qatar  a move that saw Turkish policy clash with those of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt  ended in 2021.

Parallel to Turkeys efforts to reconcile with Gulf states and Egypt, Erdogan has initiated a charm offensive to improve relations with Israel. He has invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Turkey  a de facto end to Turkeys protest of the Abraham Accords.

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Improving relations

In efforts to reconcile, Erdogan in November hosted Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In February, Erdogan visited Abu Dhabi where Turkish and Emirati delegations signed 13 cooperation agreements, including for their defense industries. The president is now gearing up for a fence-mending visit to Saudi Arabia in which he hopes to sign agreements that would lure Gulf investment into cash-strapped Turkey.

Every country with friendly ties with Turkey is a natural market for Turkish weapons systems, a Turkish presidential aide said. Reconciliation with countries [with which] we had difficult relations will mean [a] win-win [for] business, especially in defense industry.

During Erdogans visit to Abu Dhabi, Emirati officials pledged to invest $10 billion in Turkeys defense, agriculture, information technology, construction, energy, food, real estate and health industries in the next several years.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan pose as they attend a signing ceremony for agreements between the two countries in Ankara on Nov. 24, 2021. (Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)

The first of the planned UAE investments will come into Turkeys defense industry, said Nail Olpak, president of Turkeys Foreign Economic Relations Board. We see a particularly great appetite to invest in Turkish defense industry.

Two-way trade between Turkey and the UAE was worth $8 billion in 2021. Olpak estimates annual trade will grow by 40 percent in the years ahead.

There is great potential [in defense industry], said Anil Sahin, a Turkish defense analyst. Of course, a prerequisite to happier days is sustainable normalization in political relations.

An official with a defense exports portfolio told Defense News that cooperation between Turkey and Gulf clients could include both armed and unarmed air-, sea- and ground-based drones; missile systems; naval platforms; helicopters; remotely controlled gun stations; air defense systems; and armored vehicles. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak to the media.

Last year, Al Jasoor  a joint venture between Emirati defense conglomerate Edge Group and Turkish firm Otokar  launched their six-wheel drive amphibious armored vehicle Rabdan, a variant of the eight-wheel drive infantry fighting vehicle with the same name that entered service with Emirati forces in April 2021.

But Gulf states wont want to rush into things, an Arab diplomat in Ankara told Defense News.

The Gulf states have reason not to [make] haste, to make irreversible decisions to invest in Turkey, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak to the media. They will want to make sure Erdogan does not change course once again.
By Tuvan Gumrukcu

ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey is calling on all sides in the Ukraine crisis to respect an international pact on passage through the Turkish straits to the Black Sea, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was cited as saying on Tuesday after Ankara closed access.

NATO ally Turkey borders Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Ankara has the right to limit transit through its Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits during wartime.

This allows it to curb Russian warships going to the Black Sea. The pact grants exemption to ships returning to their home bases.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was cited by state media as saying that Turkey had demanded all Black Sea and non-Black Sea states to halt passage through its straits.

"Eroding Montreux or disrupting the status quo in any way is to nobody's benefit. We see a benefit in preserving Montreux. We tell all sides that it would be beneficial to abide by Montreux," Akar told reporters after Monday's cabinet meeting, his ministry said.

In a call on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken "expressed his appreciation" to Cavusoglu for Turkey's implementation of the accord, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

Yoruk Isik, an Istanbul-based geopolitical analyst and head of the Bosphorus Observer consultancy, told Reuters that Turkey had closed the straits to all states.

"So it's really happened, it's closed... It's closed to all maritime traffic, not only to Russian ships," Isik said, adding the closure should be seen as Ankara giving Moscow "breathing room" to determine its position.

At least four Russian ships are waiting to cross from the Mediterranean.

Asked about Turkey's move to label the invasion a "war" and invoke the limiting articles of the pact, Ukraine's Ambassador to Ankara, Vasyl Bodnar, said Kyiv was "grateful" to Turkey for "meticulously" implementing the accord.

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"In today's situation, I think it's a very fair decision and it needs to be implemented," Bodnar told reporters.

Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar told his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu of the urgent need for a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, the Defence Ministry said.

'BENDS OVER BACKWARDS'

While calling Russia's invasion an unacceptable violation of international law, Turkey has carefully formulated its rhetoric not to offend Moscow, with which it has close energy, defence and tourism ties. It has called for dialogue and offered to host peace talks.

Late on Monday, President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko about talks between Russia and Ukraine on Belarus' border, his office said.

"We are determined to use the powers the Montreux Convention grants our country to ease the crisis," Erdogan said after the cabinet meeting. "We will surely not compromise on our national interests, but we will also not disregard regional and global balances. This is why we cannot abandon ties with Russia or Ukraine."

Erdogan later discussed the invasion with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in separate phone calls, his office said, adding he told Rutte that Turkey was continuing to work for an immediate ceasefire.

While forging close ties with Russia, Turkey has also sold drones to Ukraine and signed a deal to co-produce more, angering Moscow. It also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as its 2014 annexation of Crimea.

"Turkey is really doing its best, or you can see it bends over backwards not to offend Russia," analyst Isik said.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Additional reporting by Yesim Dikmen and Jonathan Spicer in Istanbul; Editing by Daren Butler and Nick Macfie)
Forensics investigators have ruled the death of a 19-year-old Millersville man, who was found deceased behind a funeral home this week, as a homicide, police said on Tuesday.

Anne Arundel County homicide detectives are investigating the death of Devin Scott Freeman, who was discovered dead behind Gonce Funeral Service in Brooklyn Park on Sunday morning.

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The teens death was ruled as a homicide caused by gunshot wounds, following an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, according to a news release from the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

Freemans body was spotted on Sunday morning by funeral home employees who then contacted police, according to Donna Znamirowski, the funeral homes co-owner.

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County homicide detectives are still investigating the death, and ask those with information on the situation to contact police at 410-222-4731. Individuals who wish to remain anonymous are encouraged to call the Anne Arundel County police tip line at 410-222-4700.
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on Ukraine and Russia to immediately stop fighting and to "contribute to world peace", adding Ankara was not opposed to NATO enlargement.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has good ties with both. Under a 1936 pact, Ankara on Monday said it was closing its Black Sea straits during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, limiting the passage of some Russian ships from the Mediterranean.

Asked about Ukraine's bid for European Union membership at a news conference in Ankara, Erdogan said Turkey, an EU candidate for decades, would support any enlargement of NATO and the EU.

Erdogan called on the bloc to show the "same sensitivity" it showed for Kyiv's membership bid for Turkey's application, and slammed member states for being "not sincere". "Will you put Turkey on your agenda when someone attacks (us) too?" he said.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Catherine Evans)
(Reuters) -The U.S health regulator has declined to approve Gilead Sciences' injectable drug for the treatment of HIV-1 infection over concerns related to the vials meant for the drug, the company said on Tuesday.

In a so-called complete response letter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cited issues related to the compatibility of the drug, lenacapavir, with the proposed borosilicate vial.

"Gilead intends to provide FDA with a comprehensive plan and corresponding data to use a different vial type," said Merdad Parsey, chief medical officer of Gilead in a statement.

Gilead, which is also developing the drug for prevention of HIV-1 infection, plans to discuss the concerns with the agency over the coming months to work towards the drug's approval.

The issue of compatibility of the vials has been an issue since December, when some of the drug's trials, including those for prevention of HIV-1, were placed on hold by the FDA due to the potential of formation of sub-visible glass particles in the solution of lenacapavir. (https://bit.ly/3hfeXwc)

The pause was only for injectable lenacapavir. Dosing of oral formulations was allowed to continue.

Gilead's lenacapavir, meant to be injected under the skin once every six months, was developed for the treatment of patients who have undergone prior therapy and are resistant to multiple existing drugs.

Lenacapavir works by interfering with the activity of HIV capsid, a protein which protects the virus' genetic material, playing a key role in its replication.

Gilead's marketing application included data from a mid-to-late-stage trial, which showed lenacapavir, in combination with other antiretrovirals, helped reduce viral load in people living with HIV who were no longer effectively responding to their current therapy.

Gilead already has several U.S. approved HIV treatments, with Biktarvy being its top selling drug in the category, raking in $8.62 billion in 2021.

(Reporting by Amruta Khandekar and Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel, Sriraj Kalluvila and Shailesh Kuber)
Mar. 1Freed for the moment from fears of being held in contempt of court, the Ohio Redistricting Commission will meet Tuesday afternoon to continue talking about a new map for Ohio's U.S. House districts.

In their meeting notice, commissioners said they will hear presentations on maps newly submitted by the general public. At their previous two meetings they only allowed discussion of maps proposed prior to the commission's November approval of a Republican map, which the Ohio Supreme Court has since overturned.

On Friday the commission sent the court official notice that it had passed a new state redistricting plan, one week after the court-ordered deadline.

The commission, with dissent from Democrats, announced itself at an impasse Feb. 18. Then, in response to the contempt hearing order, some reversed course and said they weren't at an impasse  following that by passing new maps which they say are compliant after all.

In the notice of new maps, filed Friday on behalf of the commission, Attorney General Dave Yost asked the court to delay or cancel the contempt hearing. The notice says all commission members and staff "were included in the map-drawing process" this time, and that it would create the same number of swing districts as the Democratic plan the commission rejected Feb. 17.

But an attached minority report from state Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, and House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington  the only Democratic members of the redistricting commission  argues the latest proposal actually has fewer likely Democratic districts than the maps the court overturned Feb. 7. No Republican-leaning districts have margins nearly as close as the razor-thin ones in many supposedly Democratic districts, the minority report says.

It also contradicts Yost's filing, saying the new maps were drawn "entirely by Republican legislators on the Commission without our involvement and without allowing feedback or changes."

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The latest version of maps for new state House and Senate districts, drawn to account for 2020 census results, would likely create 54 Republican House seats and 18 Republican Senate seats, according to its sponsors. Currently Republicans hold 64 of the 99 Ohio House and 25 of the 33 Ohio Senate seats.

But of those, 19 House and seven Senate seats lean Democratic by less than 4%, while no Republican districts are that close, according to the tally mapmakers handed out.

Long road to new maps

On Feb. 7, the Supreme Court ordered the commission to file new state House and Senate district maps by Feb. 17. But the commission did not meet again until that last day, when Republicans voted unanimously to defeat the Democratic proposal without offering one of their own.

The court then gave until noon Feb. 23 for commissioners to explain why they shouldn't be held in contempt. Commissioners filed various explanations, but the court scheduled a contempt hearing for Tuesday morning.

Thaddeus Hoffmeister, professor at the University of Dayton School of Law, said people should take note of the court's threat to hold most of the state's high officials in contempt.

"This is kind of precedent-setting. This is historical, really," he said.

But Hoffmeister expected the threat would have an effect, since elected officials don't want the stigma of that charge.

"The majority of Ohioans are against gerrymandering. They voted overwhelmingly to fix the lines," he said. "Maybe for your core supporters it may benefit you, but for the average Ohioan, I think they want it fixed in some form or fashion."

Contempt of court, especially at the supreme court level, is not a common charge, Hoffmeister said. It's usually used against someone who refuses to testify.

"It's rare, because most people will eventually acquiesce or cooperate with the court," he said. "And it's definitely rare that you would see it at the supreme court level and with the people that are involved here."

Hoffmeister said he expected the court would consider the latest maps in lieu of a contempt hearing. He believes the court doesn't really want to be involved, but wants to see commissioners do the job correctly.

On Feb. 24 commissioners reconvened and passed new maps. For the third time it was a Republican proposal. But in a first, Republicans broke ranks, with Auditor Keith Faber siding with Democrats to oppose the plan, which passed 4-3.

Faber said the latest maps had the same defects as the Democratic proposal that Republicans shot down Feb. 17: unnecessary splits of counties or communities, and "compromising compactness" to meet a specific partisan ratio of seats.

The day after the commission passed its third try at state House and Senate maps, the Supreme Court put the contempt hearing on hold, instead asking plaintiffs in the long-running challenge to the maps to file any further objections within three days.

Plaintiffs did just that on Monday.

The voting rights and progressive groups that have led legal challenges to the maps for months said in their latest objections that the new maps again have a disproportionate number of close Democratic districts and no similarly close Republican districts  the same grounds the court used to reject the previous maps Feb. 7.

An affidavit filed on plaintiff's behalf by Christopher Warshaw, associate professor of political science at George Washington University, reiterates that assertion.

"The fact that all of the close seats are Democratic-leaning and none are Republican-leaning gives the Republican party a substantial advantage in the translation of votes to seats in Ohio," Warshaw wrote.

Looming deadlines

On Friday, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ordered the state's 88 county boards of elections to use the latest state House and Senate maps for the May 3 primary, though those maps are still under court challenge.

LaRose, a redistricting commission member, cited a Feb. 24 letter from fellow commissioners Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and House Speaker Bob Cupp, R-Lima, reiterating the General Assembly's order to include legislative contests on the May 3 ballot. He also asked legislators for more election funding.

"The (Ohio) General Assembly is not interested in delaying this primary election," LaRose said Monday following a business roundtable with the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce.

But the Ohio Association of Election Officials, in a letter Monday to Huffman and other legislative leaders, said though money would help what they really need is more time.

The state's 88 county boards of election asked legislators to delay the May 3 primary for all offices. The group has previously said holding separate primary elections for different offices would be the worst option.

Election officials just got the latest maps on Saturday and still don't have fine details of the new district lines, the letter says.

"Moreover, these maps are subject to further proceedings in the Ohio Supreme Court, the result of which likely will not be known until next week. Congressional maps are still being debated by the Commission and must be completed before election officials can begin our internal process of redrawing district lines and assigning voters to those districts," the group wrote. "Given these facts, our ability to administer a fair and accurate election has been compromised."

Although the congressional map remains unsettled, LaRose also instructed people who want to run for U.S. House seats that they can file for office in "the most populous county of the district they seek to represent." The deadline to file for those seats is March 4.

"If the most populous county changes after passage of a new district plan by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, the board of elections where the candidate previously filed will transfer the filing documents to the new most populous county board of elections in the district," LaRose's order says.

He said he's asking the U.S. Department of Defense for more time to send ballots to overseas soldiers and their families. At the commission's Feb. 24 meeting, LaRose warned that those ballots had to be mailed by March 18.

Staff Writer Ed Richter contributed to this report
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United States is expelling a Russian "intelligence operative" who works at the United Nations, said a spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to United Nations on Tuesday.

The United States began the process on Monday "to require the departure of one Russian intelligence operative working at the United Nations who has abused their privileges of residence in the United States," the spokesperson said.

The expulsion is in addition to 12 Russian diplomats at the country's U.N. mission in New York whom Washington has also ordered to leave over national security concerns.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday of the expulsion of the Russian U.N. staff member: "We regret that we find ourselves in this situation, but are engaging with the host country."

"What makes this decision a little difficult to understand is that the staff member was scheduled to end his assignment on March 14th," Dujarric said.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday that the 12 Russian diplomats had been asked to leave by March 7. He described it as a "hostile" move by the United States and said Russia would respond "because it's diplomatic practice."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool)
LVIV, Ukraine/BEIJING (Reuters) - Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba asked his Chinese counterpart in a phone call on Tuesday to use Beijing's ties with Moscow to stop Russia's military invasion of its neighbour, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Kuleba that Beijing was ready to make every effort to help end the war through diplomacy.

China, which has grown closer with Moscow in recent years while it has also had cordial diplomatic ties and strong trade links with Ukraine, has refused to condemn Russia's attack on the country or to call its actions there an invasion.

The call between the two is the first to have been reported since Russia's attack on its neighbour last Thursday. It was initiated by Kuleba, according to China's foreign ministry.

Wang repeated China's call for a solution to the crisis through negotiations, saying it supported all international efforts that could help achieve a political resolution, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

In January, Chinese President Xi Jinping marked 30 years of ties with Ukraine, hailing the "deepening political mutual trust" between them. Ukraine is a hub in the Belt and Road Initiative, a sprawling infrastructure and diplomatic undertaking that binds China closer with Europe.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbour's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets in Lviv and Tony Munroe in Beijing, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Jon Boyle and Edmund Blair)
(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had asked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday to help close the skies over Ukraine to halt the shelling of civilians by Russia.

"Had a phone conversation with Chancellor Scholz. Spoke about Russia's shelling of residential neighborhoods in Ukrainian cities during peace talks. Emphasized the need to close the sky over Ukraine," Zelenskiy said.

He also told Scholz to move swiflty on Ukraine's EU membership bid.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Edmund Blair)
LVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukraine was seeking an end to hostilities and withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory, a presidential aide said on Tuesday, adding that Kyiv would not agree to a break up of Ukraine's territory or allow invading troops to remain on its land.

Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych did not respond to a question on when talks with Russia could resume.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Jon Boyle)
As an internal investigation continues, a judge handed down a not guilty verdict to an Anne Arundel County fire communications employee who had been accused of making a threat of mass violence in the workplace last fall.

Following a three-day bench trial in Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel District Judge Laura M. Robinson last week ruled there was not enough evidence to convict Jordan Brent Hartlove, 24, on a charge that he made a threat of mass violence while working as a civilian communications operator at the Anne Arundel County Fire Department headquarters.

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Hartlove, of Denton, was arrested in October after a fellow employee at the Millersville operations base stated Hartlove had brought a rifle to work in a gym bag, and made violent threats to injure his colleagues to her after he discovered she had sparked an internal investigation by reporting the alleged gun to supervisors.

During the district court trial last month, Hartlove maintained he had not made the threatening statements, his lawyer William C. Brennan said, adding there wasnt clear evidence he had brought a rifle to work either.

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Neither Hartlove or Steve Kroll, the lawyer who prosecuted the case, returned calls to comment on the matter on Tuesday.

Hartlove is still suspended from working at the fire department pending the results of an internal investigation, which is still ongoing following the criminal trial, fire department spokesperson Russ Davies said.
Ukrainian officials are pushing the Biden administration and lawmakers on the Hill to impose sanctions on Russian oil and gas exports and cracking down further on the energy supplies that international markets are already starting to shun.

Andriy Kobolyev, the former head of the countrys state-owned natural gas company, Naftogaz, said he has been meeting with U.S. senators and Biden administration officials to push for sanctions on Russian fossil fuel exports, which he asserts will be necessary to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin and those around him to halt their invasion of Ukraine. Kobolyev said he has been holding these meetings with the blessing of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

We are pushing for a full embargo on oil and gas from Russia to the West, Kobolyev said in an interview.

In my experience dealing with [Putins] team and him personally, one of the cornerstones ... is that the energy supply is so important to the West  the collective West  that no matter what [Russians] do, they'll always be forgiven, that Western countries will crawl back on their knees asking for their oil and gas," he said. "If the West makes the first move and says 'look, we are putting sanctions' or 'we are saying no to your gas and oil,' that will undermine that important hypothesis that Putin personally is using to convince people around him to do completely crazy things.

A staffer for Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) confirmed he'd met with Kobolyev but did not comment further. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) confirmed he had met with a Ukrainian energy official. Toomey on Twitter Monday called on Biden to impose new broader sanctions on Russia's financial sector.

Kobolyev's meetings with lawmakers come after Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Tuesday criticized oil companies that had not yet completely severed ties with Russia, and he has called for an embargo on Russian energy exports. In a document seen by POLITICO that Ukrainian officials circulated to supporters, Kuleba also requested the "blocking of all assets in U.S. jurisdiction and prohibiting U.S. individuals and legal entities from carrying out any transactions with foreign legal entities and individuals involved directly or indirectly, involved in or assisting in the purchase of Russian metallurgy products and energy products."

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The idea of blocking imports of Russian oil into the United States is gaining support on Capitol Hill. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on Tuesday unveiled a bill that would ban the import of Russian crude oil into the United States and sanction companies and people involved in bringing it into the country.

American fossil fuel companies helped fuel Putins despicable war on Ukraine to the tune of billions, propping up the oil-garchs and cronies that keep him in power, Markey said in a press release. There is no separating Russian oil from the corruption and human rights abuses of the Putin regime."

Much of Russias oil and gas flows to Europe, and deliveries of natural to countries there have actually grown since hostilities started. The United States does not import Russian gas but does take about 540,000 barrels a day of Russian crude oil and other petroleum products  a relatively small amount the total U.S. energy imports.

The Biden administration has so far rejected the idea of banning imports of Russian oil into the United States, saying Russia could simply sell the oil elsewhere. It also argues that sanctions on Russian oil and gas would prove too painful for Germany and other European allies that have so far gone along with imposing sanctions on Russias central bank and other financial entities, as well as kicking it off the international banking messaging system, SWIFT. Those moves have had a dramatic impact on the Russian economy this week.

We are imposing devastating impacts on the Russian economy because Europe is united and willing to stick with it for the long term, an administration official said. If you cut off gas to Europe, they cannot hold on for the long term.

But even without directly targeting Russia's oil exports, the sanctions that have rattled its financial foundations have caused global oil prices to spike. International benchmark Brent crude peaked above $107 a barrel on Tuesday as traders avoided cargoes and sought out crude elsewhere.

Pressure in the Capitol to target Russian oil and gas is especially notable among senators who represent energy states and argue U.S. producers could replace any shortfalls without having to turn to the Middle East or other producers for supply.

To me, it makes no sense at all for us to rely on energy from a country that is actively engaging in acts of war against a freedom-seeking democracy in Ukraine when we are blessed with abundant energy resources right here in America," Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said at a hearing on Tuesday. It's time for the administration to take strong action to unleash American energy, up to an including banning Russian oil imports at a time when they're attacking our allies.

The current sanctions on Russias banks have also created an almost de facto ban on the countrys energy exports, analysts said. Trading companies  and even Russias ally China  are increasingly wary of taking delivery of any Russian crude oil for fear of getting enmeshed in financial penalties, market analysts said.

British oil company BP canceled its loadings of Russian crude in the Black Sea, and Neste in Finland and Preem in Sweden are replacing and halting imports of Russian oil, said Andy Lipow, head of oil market analyst firm Lipow Oil Associates. For the second time in four days, the Russian oil producer Surgutneftegaz could not find buyers for its oil, he added.

The oil business requires a lot of credit from banks, Lipow said. The amount of money that a bank makes from providing funding is small compared to the risk of being sanctioned and losing access to the world banking system.

Private oil companies are also leaving Russia as financial sanctions and reputational risks pile up. Europe-based oil companies Shell and BP and wind company Equinor have said they will exit their operations in Russia, while French energy giant TotalEnergies, which is heavily invested in Russia, said it will not approve any new projects there.

Exxon Mobil is telling its non-essential personnel to leave the Sakhalin LNG project it shares with Russian company Rosneft, according to a company source. Exxon itself, which also owns stakes in other Russian energy projects, has not publicly responded to questions whether it will follow the European companies footsteps.

Given the growing moves in the private market against Russian energy supplies, Ukraine believes it is time for the Biden administration and European governments to official join in, Kobolyev said.

An argument that I heard from people here is that everybody expected us to go down very soon after Russia sent tanks into Ukraine and started shelling its cities, Kobolyev said. We were compared to Afghanistan, that 'the next day after the Russians start full-scale operations, you will go down. You will put your weapons down and give in.' Well, that's not happening, which means we are worth fighting for.

Josh Siegel and Kelsey Tamborrino contributed to this report.
Bulgarian MiG-29s Hristo Rusev/Getty Images

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Burrell said Sunday that individual EU countries had agreed to donate Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia's invasion, and Ukraine's parliament said Monday that Bulgaria, Poland, and Slovakia had agreed to give the country more than 70 MiG-29s and Su-25s. A Ukrainian government official told Politico Monday that Ukrainian pilots were already in Poland to start the process of taking control of the 28 MiG-29s they are expecting to be donated. (Joseph Trevithick at The Drive explains why he's skeptical.)

"The potential transfer of older Russian-made planes to be used in combat against Russian forces could be the most significant moment yet in a wave of promised arms transfers over the past 24 hours that includes thousands of anti-armor rockets, machine guns, artillery, and other equipment," Politico reports. But representatives from Poland and Slovakia did not respond to Politico's request for confirmation and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said Monday he had rejected Ukraine's request for fighter jets.

Other Western countries have promised to send anti-tank weapons and other lethal armaments to Ukraine, including Germany and, it was announced Monday, Finland, Sweden, Australia, and Canada. "President Zelensky said: 'Don't give me a ride, give me ammunition,' and that's exactly what the Australian government has agreed to do," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday in announcing that the "overwhelming majority" Australia's $50 million in aid will now "be in the lethal category."

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Rep. Victoria Spartz, a Republican from Indiana, addresses reporters while wearing the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Ukrainian-American Rep. Victoria Spartz pleaded for the US to do more to stop Russia's war.

Spartz told reporters that she still has family and friends in the country.

She vowed that Putin would stop his aggression with his large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz, who was born in Ukraine, made an emotional plea on Tuesday for stronger US action in defense of Ukraine and warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin has sights set on more than just taking Kyiv.

"This is not a war, this is a genocide of the Ukrainian people by a crazy man who cannot get over the Ukrainian people do not want socialism, Soviet Union, communism," Spartz, who represents Indiana, told reporters during a GOP news conference about President Biden's State of the Union address. "They want to be with the United States of America. They want to be free people. They want to be with the West."

Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, continues to be under attack and was sustaining intense shelling as Spartz spoke. The Indiana congresswoman's grandmother is 95 and lives in Chernihiv, a city just a few hours north of the capital. According to her official biography, Spartz immigrated to the US in 2000 after meeting her husband who is from Indiana.

"She told my mom ... 'do not cry, we are not crying here just give us some guns,'" Spartz said, choking back tears as she recounted her mother's conversation with her grandmother. "'So we don't just fight with the sticks.'"

Spartz claimed that Russia is killing women and children. Insider cannot independently verify accounts of fighting on the ground. Ukraine's human rights commissioner said on Monday that several children were among the 210 civilians who died so far since Russia began its bombing campaign of Ukraine's largest cities after building up more than 150,000 troops near its borders.

Putin, Spartz added, is not going to stop with Ukraine. She said what President Joe Biden is "allowing to happen" is "unforgivable," adding that the president "will have the blood of many millions of Ukrainians on his hands too."

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"If we don't stop him there, he is not going to stop," she said. "He is going to further and then we'll have to send our children to die to fight this."

President Joe Biden has repeatedly vowed that he will not deploy US forces to defend Ukraine. The US has committed more than $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine in the past year, Reuters previously reported. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy confirmed talks are underway about sending additional lethal aid to Ukraine.

Spartz called for a humanitarian corridor to be set up within the country, which would be a temporary zone that would allow Ukrainian people to flee the war and for international aid workers to come in with assistance. The World Health Organization has also called for such a zone to be established.

If Russia were to oppose such a zone, it would put enormous pressure on an already delicate situation. The White House has rebuffed calls for a no-fly zone and similar military support that would risk the US and Russia engaging in an open shooting war between two nuclear powers.

Spartz wants to see the US and the West impose tougher sanctions and has called for more Western companies to cut ties with Russia. So far, action has centered around multi-national energy companies that hold key stakes in the heart of Russia's economy. Both BP and Shell have announced plans to cut their Russian operations.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ukraine accuses Russia of using weapons banned under the Geneva Convention during their invasion of Ukraine, including so-called vacuum bombs and cluster bombs. As Russian forces draw closer and closer to the capital Kyiv, they are leaving destruction in their wake. Charlie D'Agata reports.
A proposed deal to allow Ukrainian pilots to fly fighter jets donated by European Union countries has fallen apart.

Over the course of a confusing 48 hours, the EU announced it had brokered an arrangement for member states to allow Ukrainian pilots to start flying their used Russian fighter planes, only to have those countries deny there was any such deal even as Kyiv trumpeted the impending arrival of the jets.

The dissolution of the deal comes as European countries lined up Monday to announce new weapons packages for Ukraine, from anti-armor and anti-air rockets to artillery and medical supplies.

But the announcement Sunday by EU security chief Josep Borrell that fighter jets were also on their way appeared to be a game-changer for European military assistance. Borrell was forced to walk his pronouncement back somewhat by Monday, acknowledging that any transfers wouldnt come from the EU itself, but would instead be donated bilaterally by individual EU countries.



Soon after, a Ukrainian government official told POLITICO their country had sent pilots to Poland to pick up the jets and the Ukrainian parliament announced that the planes from Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland would soon be on their way. But by Tuesday, Bulgaria and Slovakia said there was no deal to send fighters, and the Polish president, appearing at a Polish air base alongside NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, said no planes would be flying any time soon.

"We are supporting Ukrainians with humanitarian aid. However, we are not going to send any jets to Ukrainian airspace, President Andrzej Duda said.

Slovakias small fleet of MiG-29s are the countrys only fighter jets, and they are being serviced by Russian workers under contract, making their transfer a tough sell in Bratislava.

The Slovakian government is also engaged in talks with Poland to provide protection of Slovak airspace, and until that deal is reached, they need their MiG-29s.

Asked in an interview with a Slovak newspaper Tuesday if the country would ever transfer its MiGs to Ukraine, Minister of Defense Jaroslav Nad said "there is a theoretical chance, but I do not know when we will reach an agreement with the Poles, when the Poles will be able to start protecting our airspace. And the second thing, what will be happening in Ukraine in two weeks, three weeks? And in two months? I do not know.

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In a move likely aimed at increasing pressure on Europe to act, the Ukrainian parliament on Monday tweeted that Europe was sending 70 fighter planes to Ukraine, including 28 MiG-29s from Poland, 12 from Slovakia and 16 from Bulgaria, along with 14 Su-25s from Bulgaria.

The fighter plane drama came on top of a flurry of announcements over the weekend that saw European leaders promise a flood of new weaponry for the Ukrainian military to assist in fighting off invading Russian troops, an overt and very public acknowledgment of Europes newfound will to inflict pain on the Kremlin for its military adventurism.

With the air corridors to Kyiv closed by Russian anti-aircraft weapons and fighter jets, U.S. and European powers have started pushing weapons into the country by road.

Poland, Estonia and Latvia were some of the first to act, sending ammunition, Javelin anti-armor weapons, fuel and medical supplies to the Ukraine border for hand-off to Ukrainian forces.

On Monday, Finland announced it would join the club, pledging 2,500 assault rifles, ammunition, 1,500 anti-tank weapons and 70,000 ration packages to Ukraine. Sweden is also readying a large arms and aid package, announcing the upcoming delivery of 135,000 field rations, 5,000 helmets, body armor and 5,000 anti-tank weapons.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is heading to Poland Tuesday to coordinate the shipment of 100 Carl Gustaf anti-armor rocket launchers, along with 2,000 munitions and other aid.

Speaking with reporters before the trip, she said we will be able to make sure to send lethal aid to Ukraine. My role in this is to make sure that this aid gets in the arms of Ukrainian soldiers that are fighting for their life and fighting for their motherland. Thats exactly why I've been able to get an agreement from Poland to make sure that that delivery could be done through their borders.

One of the biggest surprises in recent European political history came Saturday, when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced he was sending 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine, a reversal of the German post-war policy of barring the transfer of arms to warring parties. He also pledged an immediate $100 billion infusion into the German military.

President Joe Biden also ordered the release of up to $350 million worth of weapons from U.S. stocks to Ukraine on Friday. Speaking with reporters at the Pentagon Monday, a senior U.S. Defense Department official declined to go into detail about what will be included, but said there will be capabilities in there to help them with both their ground defensive capabilities as well as airborne defensive capabilities.
HERNDON, VA  Iaroslava Dutchak finds it difficult to sum up the feelings she's had over the last week after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade her homeland.

"I feel devastated, sad, helpless, and angry," the Herndon resident said Monday. "I don't understand how Russian people can be so blind and ignorant. They believe all the lies Putin tells them. They also are scared to protest, which is upsetting."

But Dutchak also feels hopeful.

"Ukrainians have showed courage I feel I've never seen before," she said. "And the rest of the world stands with us like it never did before, too."

Iaroslava Dutchak first came to the U.S. eight years ago to get her doctoral degree from Clemson University. Her family moved to Herndon just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, so they don't have a lot of connections in the community.

"The few friends we have here feel very sad and express their concern and tell us they pray for us and our country, always asking us what we can do," she said.

One piece of incredible luck is that Dutchak's sister, Elona, came to visit a month ago, weeks before the crisis in their homeland.

As Russian tanks swept into Ukraine on Sunday, the Dutchak sisters joined other demonstrators outside the White House to express their support for their country. Iaroslava Dutchak even brought along a plastic container filled with traditional Ukrainian cookies called "horishky."

"I made them and I was giving them out, because it's very sentimental," she said.

Food is not only a way for the Dutchak sisters to share their culture, it's helping them to raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine. Iaroslava Dutchak is contributing horishky as part of the Local Bakers Bake for Ukraine effort, which is selling boxes of baked goods to provide direct donations to a number of charities.

Radhika Murari, owner of OmMade Peanut Butter, was also looking for a way to help the Ukrainian people. Over the weekend, she was talking to her neighbors in a Reston Facebook group and made a connection with Iaroslava Dutchak.

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As an Indian woman who owns her own food business, the answer seemed obvious to Murari. "Food is how you show love," she said and suggested that they do something together.



"I think I said, 'Basically, I want to do a fundraiser and maybe I can learn to make Ukrainian food, which I've actually never made in my life,'" she said. "I wanted to do something and I saw that World Central Kitchen had been there for a couple of days, at least, feeding the refugees."

Iaroslava Dutchak mentioned that she and her sister were going to make borscht and that was it  they would host a borscht-making class to raise money for the World Central Kitchen.

On Sunday afternoon, they launched the Cook for Ukraine fundraising effort. By 4 p.m. on Tuesday, they'd raised more than $7,800.

The Dutchak sisters will hold their borscht-making class from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Murari's home in Reston. In-person participants are asked to donate $35 and above for each attendee. In addition to the class, they'll receive a bowl of borscht and some Ukrainian bread.

People can also participate remotely via Zoom. Remote participants are asked to make a donation of $20 or more.

"In the midst of all this other stuff, with people getting bombed and children being taken away from their families, it's just really beautiful, in our little corner of the world, that everyone's just like, 'Yeah, let's do this,'" Murari said.

This article originally appeared on the Herndon Patch
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Travel deals: Discover the best early 2022 travel deals on hotels, flights, cruises and more

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The 10 best Amazon deals to shop right now

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The best Amazon deals of the day

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Xi stresses fostering world-class enterprises

Xinhua) 07:33, March 01, 2022

Photo taken on Sept. 9, 2020 shows the view of the skyscrapers of the Central Business District (CBD) in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday urged efforts to speed up fostering world-class enterprises and strengthen the cultivation of talents in basic academic disciplines.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while chairing the 24th meeting of the central commission for deepening overall reform.

The meeting reviewed and adopted several guidelines on the above-mentioned issues, along with other suggestions on advancing high-quality development of inclusive finance and enhancing state-owned enterprises' (SOE) capabilities of developing original technology.

China will accelerate the building of world-class enterprises with outstanding products and brands, leading innovation, and modern governance, said Xi, also head of the central commission for deepening overall reform.

The country will promote high-quality development of inclusive finance and build a sound financial system, which is highly adaptable, competitive, and inclusive, to better meet diversified financial needs of the people and the real economy, said Xi.

Xi also stressed efforts to train a large number of basic research talents urgently needed for China's innovation-driven development, and encouraged state-owned enterprises to improve their innovation systems and develop sources of original technologies, Xi noted.

Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central commission for deepening overall reform, attended the meeting.

The meeting called for support and guidance for industry-leading enterprises and those possessing key technologies in deepening reform and strengthening innovation, and urged efforts to support enterprises in transforming the advantages of China's super-large market into a global competitive edge.

In terms of pursuing the high-quality development of inclusive finance, the meeting stressed deepening supply-side structural reform in the financial sector to distribute more resources to key areas and weak links, preventing financial risks and strengthening financial regulations.

The country should expedite the construction of a system for cultivating talents in basic academic disciplines with a long-term vision, and let higher-education institutions play their leading role in nurturing researchers in these disciplines, said the meeting.

To promote the SOEs to establish cradles for original technologies, the meeting said efforts should be focused on core competitiveness of industries, supply of original technologies, and plan in advance for exploring cutting-edge and disruptive technologies.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
After graduating from the Naval Academy, spending about six years in the Marine Corps and working in the medical field, Gambrills Democrat John Dove Jr. has decided to enter his first political race.

The candidate for District 4 of the Anne Arundel County Council decided to switch his focus after retiring from a 27-year career in the medical device field, helping surgeons implant medical devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators.

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I started looking more and more at how else I can contribute to my community, Dove said. I believe Ive got the life experience [for the job] from being a veteran, from growing up the son of a veteran, from my experience in the business world, in the medical world. I think Ive got a different perspective growing up as a minority.

Dove said a few issues he hopes to work on if elected include transportation, transitioning local graduates into the workforce and supporting veterans.

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There are people that want to get to better paying jobs but theres really not a good public transportation alternative for them, Dove said.

He said hed work on helping the county contract with shuttle bus companies to transport workers back and forth, an idea hes noticed has been successful for Maryland Live. Its a topic he said hed like to do more research on and look at how other states and localities have solved the same type of problem.

On education, Dove said hed like to see the county more closely focused on helping students chart a career path, especially with major employers like Fort Meade right in their backyard. He said hed work to help foster more mentorship opportunities for high school students to learn about the workforce.

I think we have to figure out ways to get more parents involved and business people involved, whether thats people that work at Fort Meade or other folks to be involved with schools like Meade and Arundel, Dove said. We have to make sure our kids truly understand whats there.

Critical to student success, Dove said, is taking advantage of the Blueprint for Marylands Future at the county level to increase funding for school infrastructure, teacher salaries, supplies and transportation among other things.

Its really important were supporting our teachers and our schools with the funding they need, Dove said. Weve got the Blueprint coming. We need to make sure that gets implemented at a local level.

To Dove, spending money on schools isnt just a benefit to the students and teachers but the whole community, as he sees investing in students as investing in crime reduction by keeping kids in school and off the streets.

Another issue important to Dove in ensuring local veterans have the resources they need.

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Thats a big deal to me, making sure the veterans stay here. They want to stay in this county, Dove said. I know there are tax cuts on the table for veterans that retire here. I definitely support that. This is a high cost of living area.

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Dove said he admires the work the countys Veterans Affairs Commission has done to advocate for increased resources for veterans and, if elected, would work with them to bolster mental health and medical services for veterans recently returned from overseas.

Dove, who has lived in District 4 since 1994, said he thinks his years of experience serving the county and nation qualify him to represent his neighbors on the council.

I understand living here. I also understand and believe that I can work across every community in this county, Dove said. Ive been a leader. Ive been involved. I understand taking care of patients, taking care of doctors. I view that the same way as taking care of constituents.

Dove said, even after decades of military and medical service, he still has plenty of energy left to give the job.

I feel like Im a young 56, he said.

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Dove filed for election in January and is running against fellow Democrats business owner James Estepp and former Board of Education representative Julie Hummer to replace Andrew Pruski who is running to represent District 33 in the House of Delegates.

District 4 covers Odenton, Laurel, Gambrills and Fort George G. Meade.
MEDYKA, Poland  Lost in a crowd of thousands fleeing a war, Svetlana Katsi searched for a woman shes never met.

She and her son, Daniel, 9, were at the Ukraine-Poland border waiting to meet up with a volunteer who had offered to give them shelter.

But Katsi, 28, and her son werent meant to be traveling alone. They left home with her husband and both got caught in traffic for 20 hours. After their car moved only three miles, Katsi decided to take Daniel and travel to the border on foot.

They walked about three hours to get to Medyka, wheeling a suitcase.

In one day, I have no home, she said, her voice shaking earlier this week. And I dont know where my husband is.

Image: People fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine arrive at the Polish border town of Medyka (Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters)

Katsi is part of a growing wave of people fighting to flee Ukraine. The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday said that 660,000 refugees have left Ukraine to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and other countries since Russia invaded Ukraine and began bombing and shelling cities across the country. Up to 4 million Ukrainians could end up refugees, according to the agency.

Medyka is where people whose lives have fallen apart come to begin to stitch them together.

Volunteers have set up stalls for food, water, diapers and clothing. In front of a table offering meat and rice, a man holds a baby drinking a bottle of milk.

Another man walks by dragging a blue carry-on in one hand and a baby stroller with a bag of diapers in the other.

As a bus carrying dozens of people, including children, drives away, a woman yells at a police officer, asking why she could not get on.

Cars stuck in traffic as families fleeing the conflict drive towards the border crossing between Ukraine and Poland. (Daniel Leal / AFP - Getty Images)

What you guys are doing here, this is not the job of a country that is showing itself that they are helping refugees coming from Ukraine, she says. We walked 50 kilometers to come here, youre treating us like this.

The police officer replies, Because I told you, first mother and children.

What if Im pregnant? she responds.

Across the road, a First Aid tent has been set up with paramedics and two ambulances standing by.

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Ikram Kaboury, 19, a medical student from Algeria who was studying in Kyiv, said the earliest she could get a train ticket heading west was four days.

So she took a taxi with a friend from Kyiv, the capital city, to the western city of Lviv and then walked dozens of miles to the border.

She said she thought the prospect of an invasion was a joke but realized she needed to leave when Russian troops started entering the country.

I was really planning to be a successful doctor, she said. I slept, I woke up and  youre not going to school, you have to go, you have to pack your bags. This is a feeling I cant describe.

She said she planned to stay in Poland for several days, then head back to Algeria and did not know what she would do afterward.

In the nearby town of Przemysl, dozens of people gathered outside a bus carrying refugees, holding up signs of cities they were offering to drive them to for free.

At one point, a man yelled out, Germany!

Image: Russian invasion of Ukraine continues (Thomas Peter / Reuters)

Hundreds more refugees were at the train station, some resting on cots, others getting free SIM cards.

About 150 miles west in the city of Krakow, volunteers along with the local government had set up a reception center for refugees at the train station.

Yustyna Bahai, 18, a university student from Lviv in western Ukraine, was volunteering here but she said she would rather be home with her parents even though the shelling had gotten closer to their home.

Its far away from Russia. We dont expect that, she said.

Bahai said about 200 people had arrived at the reception center on Sunday and 1,800 more were expected by Monday.

She said many were going to smaller villages where people were offering to host refugees but some went on trains headed as far away as Prague and Amsterdam.

As for Katsi, from the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhia, she said she simply hoped to find a safe place to work and support her family in Poland.

In Zaporizhia, we dont have work now, she said. We have war, we have war in the 21st century in Europe.
Vladimir Putin and President Biden. Illustrated | Getty Images, iStock

American and European powers have so far responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with a remarkable degree of unanimity, toughness, and restraint. We've imposed painful economic sanctions and isolated Russia in numerous other ways, but we've refrained from moves  like imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine  that would be maximally likely to start an escalatory spiral which could spark outright military hostilities between NATO and Russia.

But will such sobriety hold through the moral turbulence of the coming days and weeks?

Russia has already begun to fire rockets at civilian areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine's largest city. And 300 miles to the west, the battle for the capital of Kyiv is just getting underway, with aerial bombardment intensifying. That will only increase with each passing day, bringing images of unspeakable human suffering to the outside world. Eventually, Russian troops will enter the city, leading to even more horrific sights and sounds, as soldiers from both sides do battle in the streets.

What will happen to public opinion throughout the Western world as these events unfold? American, British, or French air power could easily have bombed the 40-mile convoy of Russian forces as it has slowly moved into position outside of Kyiv over the past several days. But they didn't. Once those troops begin pummeling the city, killing more than consciences can bear, will people take to the streets of Western capitals, pivoting slightly from last weekend's anti-war, pro-Ukraine protests in Berlin, Amsterdam, London, and Milan to demand something be done to stop the slaughter? Will more than a handful of American politicians begin insisting we use our air power to give Ukrainian patriots a fighting chance and to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for ordering the bloodbath?

And then there's Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has become the face of Ukraine's courageous struggle against Russia's ruthlessness, his image and voice recognized and admired the world over. What if he is killed in battle, turned instantly into a martyr to his country's cause? Or captured by Russian forces and quickly convicted and executed in a military tribunal? That would be a foolish move in terms of propaganda. But then this whole operation has been a public relations disaster for Russia, so all bets are off.

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Already we've seen tectonic shifts in geopolitics since Russia's invasion began. As things get bloodier on the ground in Ukraine, the urge to go much further down the road of escalation is bound to be fierce. Much depends on the West's capacity to keep its cool.

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I love gay people, activist and playwright Larry Kramer proclaimed at the outset of a 2004 speech in New York City. I think were better than other people. I really do. I think were smarter and more talented and more aware.

A new study making waves among LGBTQ-focused academics lends empirical credence to the iconic Act Up co-founders prideful claims  not to the supposed sweeping superiority of gay men, rather to the more narrow assertion that this group is remarkably inclined to excel academically.

But the paper, which was published in the American Sociological Review on Feb. 20, comes to starkly opposing conclusions about how growing up gay appears to affect the academic performance of males versus females.

Image: sociologist Joel Mittleman (Courtesy Amy Levin)

Joel Mittleman, a University of Notre Dame sociologist and the papers sole author, found that on an array of academic measures, gay males outperform all other groups on average, across all major racial groups. Conversely, he concluded that lesbians perform more poorly in school overall and that Black gay women have a much lower college graduation rate than their white counterparts.

This article is focusing a lens on what we do to all kids, Lisa Diamond, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, said of the societal pressures that appear to impede lesbians in school even as these stressors possibly unnerve gay males into compensating for homophobia through academic striving. And the most vulnerable kids are going to show it first.

In recent years, academics, lawmakers and journalists alike have sounded an increasingly urgent alarm that on balance, American males are stuck in a scholastic funk. As the economic gap between those with and without a college degree has widened, womens college graduation rate has risen in tandem, but mens rate has remained largely stagnant for decades. Today, women comprise 59.2 percent of college students, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

Mittlemans research indicates that this characterization of the educational gender gap is critically lacking in specificity. It is, in fact, straight males who tend to be mired in a scholastic morass. And the considerable academic progress that young women have charted since the advent of second-wave feminism has been largely restricted to the heterosexuals among them.

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Benefit of adding sexuality questions to surveys

Mittleman was able to reach his striking research findings thanks to a move during President Barack Obamas second term to add questions about sexual orientation to a trio of federally funded, nationally representative surveys. These major annual surveys  which focus on health, drug use and crime victimization  provided the sociologist with information regarding nearly half a million Americans diplomas.

Additionally, the National Center for Education Statistics High School Longitudinal Study posed questions about sexuality for the first time to the cohort it followed between 2009 and 2017. From this, Mittleman mined a trove of data including 15,270 students high school and undergraduate transcripts.

The three surveys of American adults consistently indicated that gay men are far more likely than straight men to have graduated from high school or college, with just over half of gay men having earned a college degree, compared with about 35 percent of straight men. Some 6 percent of gay men have a Ph.D., J.D. or M.D.  a rate 50 percent higher than that of straight men. Mittleman found that gay mens considerably higher levels of educational attainment hold even after taking into account differences in mens race and birth cohorts. Whats more, gay mens college graduation rate dramatically bests even that of straight women, about one-third of whom have a bachelors degree.

The longitudinal survey showed that compared with their straight male peers, gay males earned higher GPAs in high school and college, enrolled in harder classes, took school more seriously, had more academically minded friends and had a much lower rate of ever dropping out for a month or more. In stark contrast, these performance disparities were largely reversed when comparing lesbians with straight girls. Most strikingly, 26 percent of lesbians reported at least one dropout period, compared with 15 percent of heterosexual females.

The U.S. lesbian populations overall college graduation rate, which ranged between 41 percent and 47 percent in the three survey studies, is significantly higher than that of straight women. But Mittleman found this advantage was limited almost entirely to white lesbians, and among women born more recently, gay womens educational edge has eroded.

Historically, girls have received better grades than boys. But during much of the 20th century, societal constraints  including the predominant expectation that young women would become wives and mothers and not pursue careers  suppressed their graduation rates. In theory, this left lesbians with an advantage. But as constrictions on womens potential have eased since the 1960s, straight womens college graduation rate has risen to the point of statistical parity with lesbians among todays young adults.

The Nancy Drew effect

Searching for the drivers of these differences in school performance between straight and gay students, Mittleman used a machine-learning algorithm to identify response patterns to survey questions that predicted being male versus female among members of the longitudinal cohort. In turn, he found that being atypical for their gender in survey responses helped explain at least part of the gay students GPA variation.

This suggested that not just sexual orientation, but its intersection with gender affectation could have influenced how well the gay and lesbians students did in school.

Seeking to explain the sociocultural dynamics possibly at play in these complex equations, Mittleman pointed in his paper to the feminine archetype, long a prized ideal in white, middle-American culture, of the demurely diligent student. (Think Nancy Drew.)

Characterizing masculinity as a fragile and insecure state, Mittleman argued that the long-standing anti-intellectual bias that plagues many American boys is driven in large part by their urge to assert their masculinity by differentiating themselves from the good-girl archetype.

Gay boys, however, appear willing  even eager  to flout gender norms in academics.

To the extent that its feminine to study and appreciate validation in an academic sphere, the gay boys will have an advantage, Yale School of Public Health psychologist John Pachankis said.

On the flip side, young lesbians may be disinclined to identify with the femininity intrinsic to the good-student ideal, Mittleman suggested. Moreover, by tending to present as more masculine, lesbians may be slapped with a bad girl label by educational authorities, subjected disproportionately to school punishment and generally discouraged academically. This could hold especially true for Black girls, whom white authority figures already tend to stereotype as masculine, according to previous research.

Girls who present as masculine are seen as troublemakers, are seen as suspicious in some way, Mittleman said.

The Best Little Boy in the World phenomenon

An additional factor that Mittleman argued drives the average gay boy to surpass even the average straight girl academically is whats known in queer psychology as the Best Little Boy in the World phenomenon. This refers to the title of the 1973 memoir by former Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias, in which he chronicled his youthful crusade to appease his internalized homophobia through admission to Harvard University and other feats of superlative achievement.

In a 2013 paper published in Basic and Applied Social Psychology, psychologist Mark Hatzenbuehler, now of Harvard University, and Pachankis found evidence suggesting that gay male college students indeed sought to compensate for anti-gay stigma by deriving their self-worth in part through academic mastery and other forms of competition.

This psychological paradigm also comprises the bedrock of The Velvet Rage, psychologist Alan Downs go-to bible for queer men, published in 2005, on overcoming the pain of growing up gay in a straight mans world.

While Mittleman is straight, he said he was nevertheless bullied as a child for not being sufficiently masculine. His brother, Dr. Chris Remishofsky, is gay and said the findings of Mittlemans paper closely reflect his personal experience.

From a young age, said Remishofsky, a dermatologist in Sterling Heights, Michigan, I was determined to become a doctor so I could prove to everyone that I could be successful even though I was gay.

An analysis by the Brookings Institutions Hamilton Project published in January found that gay male couples earn $30,000 more annually than lesbian couples.

Ilan Meyer, a researcher at UCLAs Williams Institute, expressed intrigue over the story Mittlemans paper tells of many gay men apparently overcoming considerable odds. Meyer pointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance reports that have chronicled the myriad stressors lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people weather in school and the litany of deleterious impacts, including depression and suicidality.

Indeed, Mittleman found that on the whole, lesbian, gay and bisexual young people reported feeling more unsafe in school and suffered higher levels of discrimination and whats known as minority stress than their straight peers.

The effect of resilience to override effectively all stressors is quite amazing, Meyer said. Were basically saying gay boys have a terrible school environment, but still, on average, theyre doing fantastically well. To me, that is still a major question  how does that work?

The price queer youth pay

Brian Mustanski, a professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University, cautioned that the relative success of gay men could amount to a double-edged sword.

While certainly, its good news for the young gay men that theyre able to succeed well academically, I do have some real concerns about what kind of pressure theyre putting on themselves, he said.

Suggesting that feverish academic striving in search of validation can come at a steep cost to mental and physical health, Mustanski pointed to his own research findings that gay men have disproportionately high levels of chronic inflammation. He hypothesized that this physical effect is fueled by minority stress and that it could raise the risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease.

Kirsty A. Clark, a psychiatric epidemiologist at Vanderbilt University, spoke to the plight of young lesbians and said there is strong support in scientific literature for Mittlemans hypothesis that they incur an academic penalty for flouting gender norms. She noted that gay women, in particular lesbians of color, tend to be disproportionately singled out for school discipline and are overrepresented in juvenile correctional facilities.

We need safe and inclusive policies that protect all students from bullying and differential treatment by school staff regardless of the students sexual orientation or gender expression, Clark said. She called for special support for those students who may be most likely to face difficulties in school, including sexual minority girls.

Clark further called for reform of zero-tolerance school disciplinary policies, which disproportionately impact members of minority demographics, such as lesbians of color.

While joining the other experts in praising what he called a beautifully done study, UCLA psychologist Patrick Wilson nevertheless expressed concern that Mittlemans findings may lead the public to paint student-achievement trends in overly broad strokes.

Noting what an overwhelmingly unsafe place school still is for many queer kids, Wilson further cautioned the public not to conclude, for example, that a poor Black gay boy living in Montgomery or Mobile, Alabama, feminine-presenting and gender-nonconforming, is actually succeeding in high school right now.

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PROVIDENCE  A 32-year-old man on Tuesday admitted his involvement in drive-by shootings and drug-dealing as a member of the Chad Brown street gang that plagued the city with violence for years.

Keishon Johnson of Providence was the last of five members of the gang that goes by Chad Brown Posse, Chad Brown Cutthroats and Chad Brown Killers, among other names, to admit to participating in racketeering conspiracy as an associate of the violent street gang linked to the housing complex in the Citys North End.

Johnson pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. to an overarching charge of participating in a Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization, a charge traditionally reserved for the Mafia.

Chad Brown Posse: They pleaded guilty to RICO charges: Chad Brown gang left city gripped in violence and drugs

Under the plea agreement, federal prosecutors in June agreed to recommend that Johnson serve 10 to 12 years in prison. The government dismissed multiple firearms and other charges in exchange for Johnsons admissions.

Johnson  a self-admitted Chad Brown member who has the gangs logo Cutthroats tattooed on his back with the language death before dishonor could have faced up to 20 years if convicted on the RICO count alone.

What was the Chad Brown Posse?

In pleading guilty, Johnson joined his brother Kendrick Johnson, 30, cousin Montrel Johnson, 25 and Delacey Andrade, 28, in admitting to targeting rivals in the deadly dispute and selling drugs to pay for their enterprise. The plea agreements entered in federal court over the past two weeks came as jury selection in their trial was set to start March 8.

According to prosecutors, the men engaged in acts of revenge, shared weapons and cars and celebrated their violence and gang allegiance in social media posts and through text messages chronicling their crimes.

There is no higher priority for this office and this department than combating violent crime and gun violence in our communities, U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said in a statement. This case demonstrates that we, working hand-in-glove with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, will bring every resource at our disposal  including the sweep and impact of a RICO prosecution, to bring the sources of violence in our communities to justice. These convictions are a testament to that cooperation  particularly the work of the Providence Police Department, ATF and the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General, and a victory for public safety.

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State Attorney General Peter F. Neronha credited investigators with using digital technology comparing spent shell casings to connect a firearm recovered in the probe to six additional shootings, two of which the defendants were charged with.

Thanks to this investigation and prosecution, some of the worst perpetrators of violent crime in Providence will now find themselves behind bars  and for a long time, Neronha said

I commend the entire team of patrol officers, investigators and prosecutors for their relentless work regarding this case. This incredible investigation leading to criminal charges and convictions sends a very clear message to individuals who continue to be involved in violent criminal activity within this city that they will be relentlessly pursued by the Providence Police and our law enforcement partners, said Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements Jr.

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Clements vowed to use every resource available in pursuit of justice and to put a stop to senseless gun violence and retaliation.

We will continue to target this violent criminal activity, as evidenced by the high volume of firearms we continue to seize, with no jurisdictional boundaries, he said.

The scene after after a fatal shooting in October 2014 at the Chad Brown housing project in Providence.

What crimes in Providence were the gang members connected to?

According to court documents, the Chad Brown gang and its associates long targeted their East Side rivals.

The hostilities escalated in June 2013 when a Chad Brown member, Jose Hova Sanchez, was shot to death, and in retaliation, two East Side members, Ryan Moondo Almeida and Nelson Vamp Sanchez, were killed, Assistant U.S. Attorney John McAdams told the court.

The defendants were not charged in federal court with those killings, but that violence marked the start of the time period implicated in the RICO case.

McAdams detailed Tuesday a drive-by shooting involving Andrade and Montrel and Keishon Johnson in October 2016 after East Side rival Ryan DaCruz labeled Kendrick and Delacey snitches in a Facebook message that featured secret grand jury testimony.

That incident came two years after 22-year-old Chad Brown member Terry Trap Robinson was shot to death outside the Chad Brown housing complex minutes after attending an arraignment in state court in another murder case. Andrade was shot in the buttocks, but Kendrick Johnson escaped injury.

Four members of the East Side gang  also known as the East Side Mafia and East Side Killers  were charged in Robinsons shooting.

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According to McAdams, Andrade, Keishon Johnson and Montrel Johnson shot at DaCruz outside Walmart on Charles Street, seriously injuring him in retaliation with three gunshot wounds to his abdomen and back

McAdams referenced the 2016 trial into Robinson's shooting death. Andrade and Kendrick Johnson were subpoenaed as witnesses at trial against one of the killers, Bruce Moten. Andrade never took the stand. Kendrick Johnson  Robinson's good friend  told jurors that he couldnt remember the incident, but thought the shooter was a very tall, white Providence police officer, prompting Robinson's family to storm from the courtroom.

McAdams detailed, too, prison phone calls in which Keishon instructed his associates to sell marijuana while he was behind bars. Federal prosecutors accused Kendrick Johnson and Andrade of engaging in illegal drug and liquor sales, including dealing cocaine and marijuana.

Andrade, authorities said, also directed associates in prison phone calls to track down guns that had been tossed using code names for the weapons. Federal prosecutors told the court that ATF agents used Andrade's instructions to locate two guns that were used in drive-by shootings, McAdams said.

McConnell asked Keishon Johnson, who was represented by Michael Fontaine, if he agreed to the facts laid out by McAdams.

"Yeah, I admit" to it, Johnson said.

McConnell urged Johnson, who is being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, to get a COVID vaccination.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Chad Brown gang member pleads guilty in racketeering conspiracy case
Google is the latest to join the growing list of tech companies blocking access to Russian state media across Europe. In a tweet, the company has revealed that it's blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik in Europe following the European Commission's announcement that it will "ban the Kremlin's media machine in the EU." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the declaration a few days ago, adding that RT, Sputnik and their subsidiaries will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war."

The tech giant said it'll take time for its systems to fully ramp up, so EU residents may still be able to access channels affiliated with the media organizations at the moment. It also said that it has a team monitoring the situation around the clock to take swift action, perhaps to ensure no new channels pop up to take the place of the ones being blocked.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, were blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately. Itll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.  Google Europe (@googleeurope) March 1, 2022

YouTube barred the outlets from being able to monetize their content on the platform a few days ago, citing sanctions against their home country. In addition, it made sure their videos appear less frequently as recommendations and made their channels inaccessible in Ukraine following a request from the country's government. Eastern European media outlet Nexta tweeted out a copy of the letter Alexander Tkachenko, Ukraine's Minister of Culture and Information Policy, sent to YouTube, in which he asked the website to "block access of the aggressor state's propaganda channels not only in Ukraine, but around the world." So far, YouTube has only blocked RT and Sputnik in Ukraine and the EU.

Facebook restricted access to the state-owned media outlets across the EU a few days ago after it removed their ability to monetize their pages with ads. Twitter halted ads in Ukraine and Russia, as well, "to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don't detract from it." Microsoft followed suit, banning the publications from its ad network, pulling their news apps from the Windows store and de-ranking them in Bing's search results. Google started downranking results from the outlets in 2017, though it's unclear if that has changed over the years. Earlier, TikTok also made the RT and Sputnik accounts inaccessible to audiences within the EU.
A 6.5% raise for all Amherst County Public Schools employees at a cost of $2.5 million is included in the divisions proposed 2022-23 fiscal year budget.

Superintendent Rob Arnold presented the proposal, which totals $63.2 million, to the Amherst County School Board on Feb. 24.

All in all, it is a very positive budget. The 6.5% raise for staff is fantastic, said Arnold, adding of the COVID-19 pandemic: And after these two years, they certainly deserve everything we can give to them.

The budget plan includes a substitute pay minimum wage increase, at just more than $16,600, a pay scale adjustment for some positions at a cost of about $76,700, three additional teaching positions totaling nearly $160,000 combined and $162,752 in stipends for workers providing intensive support services, an area Arnold said are difficult positions with lots of turnover.

Health insurance costs are estimated at about $301,000.

We expect that number to come down but we are trying to be conservative in how we budget that, Arnold said.

Overall, additions of $5.8 million to the proposed $52.5 million operational budget include one-time school construction funding of $2.4 million from the state, just more than $74,200 in increased textbook funding and $133,600 for higher fuel costs.

The budget also includes $5.1 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stability (CARES) Act. That federal money includes $1.5 million in personnel costs and $2.6 million to go toward a major expansion project planned at Amherst County High School, among other items.

Arnold, who presented his final budget for the division as he is retiring at the end of June, said the high school project, which includes a new auditorium and renovations to the cafeteria, is set to begin next year. For the fifth consecutive year, the division is requesting level funding of $13.9 million in local funding from the Amherst County Board of Supervisors.

The budget plan is built on a projected enrollment of 3,838 students but the division has assurance from the state it will be held harmless in regard to funding per student if the count doesnt match up.

If we have less, were not going to lose money, Arnold said. Thats a comfort to all of the schools. That takes a little bit of the heavy lifting off of us.

Arnold said the combination of the CARES money and one-time school construction money from the state, which combined exceeds $7 million, makes this upcoming budget higher than usual at $63.2 million and that number is expected to come down beyond the 2022-23 school year.

The board of supervisors recently authorized borrowing more than $19 million for the high school expansion project.

I will say its been nice for the last four years that we havent had to ask for additional funds [from county supervisors], especially with the support that we are getting with construction on the school auditorium, said Abby Thompson, the boards chair. The board of supervisors has been very helpful with us.

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Three Republican state delegates filed a lawsuit in February challenging the new legislative district map, arguing that it violates the Maryland Constitution. One of the most gerrymandered regions, they say, is Anne Arundel County.

The lawsuit, filed by Dels. Mark Fisher of Calvert County, Kathy Szeliga, who represents parts of Harford and Baltimore counties, and Nic Kipke of Anne Arundel County, is one of four legal challenges to the new map in the states highest court.

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Kipke said he and Szeliga have been looking forward to the new map. They served together in the Republican leadership of the General Assembly for much of the past decade with Kipke as minority leader and Szeliga as minority whip. Fisher was included in the filing because the area he represents was particularly heavily gerrymandered, said Kipke.

We started working on [the lawsuit] as soon as we saw the maps since we knew very few changes would be made to them, Kipke said.

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The goal is to have lawmakers redraw the districts or use the map created by the bipartisan Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission and later rejected by lawmakers. The citizens commissions map was supported by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. The lawsuit argues the approved map doesnt respect the borders of townships, some of the districts arent geographically compact, and natural barriers arent taken into consideration, violating state law. It further argues this was done to get as many Democrats elected as possible.

The new map, which was approved by the General Assembly in January, was created by a group of legislators in which Democrats outnumbered Republicans.

The delegates petition was filed Feb. 10. Special Magistrate Alan M. Wilner, a retired Court of Appeals judge, will review the challenge and is scheduled to submit his report to the Court of Appeals by April 4, more than two weeks after the March 22 filing deadline for the June primary. This may mean candidates will have to choose to run without knowing what districts they would represent.

In Anne Arundel County, the suit, filed with the assistance of lawyers Strider Dickson and Brenton Conrad, says Districts 12, 21, 31 and 33 violate the Maryland Constitution. Dickson and Conrad did not respond to requests to comment.

In the lawsuit, the lawyers argue the constitutional requirements of Article III, Section 4 are being violated in all four of the Anne Arundel County districts the suit cites. Article III, Section 4 reads: Each legislative district shall consist of adjoining territory, be compact in form, and of substantially equal population. Due regard shall be given to natural boundaries and the boundaries of political subdivisions.

District 12 previously covered Arbutus and parts of Catonsville and Columbia. It has now been split into two districts (12A and 12B). The two combined stretch from south central Howard County in the west to Glen Burnie and Marley Heights in Anne Arundel County in the east with several twists and turns along the way. The dividing line between the two new sub-districts is around Elkridge.

District 21 previously included parts of Odenton, Laurel, Maryland City and Beltsville. It now dips farther south to include College Park in the southwest, still includes Laurel and Maryland City in the north, and now wraps in part of Crofton in the southeast.

In the previous map, District 31A included Brooklyn Park and Glen Burnie, while 31B covered Green Haven, Riviera Beach, Pasadena and Lake Shore. Under the new map, District 31 becomes one district stretching from Gibson Island to Severna Park and Pasadena in the east and Severn, Gambrills and the other side of Pasadena in the west. Kipke represents District 31B and is running to represent District 31.

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District 33 previously included Crofton, Benfield, Severna Park and part of Arnold. The district has now been split up into three parts: 33A, 33B and 33C; 33A includes Odenton, 33B includes Crofton and 33C includes Severna Park.

Doug Mayer and his organization Fair Maps Maryland worked with the delegates and lawyers on the lawsuit. Mayer, a former top aide to Hogan, said its not illegal to draw districts to protect incumbents, but it is illegal to divide localities across districts. In other words, the team believes the new maps violate the part of Article III, Section 4 of the Maryland Constitution that states that when drawing a legislative district: Due regard shall be given to natural boundaries and the boundaries of political subdivisions.

You can do things to protect incumbents, but you run into big trouble when you start splitting up towns in order to do it, Mayer said.

Though Mayer worked for Hogan, he said gerrymandering is a bipartisan issue that narrows the playing field for candidates in all states that participate in it.

The arguments that we are making are very similar to arguments that are being made by Democrats in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Mayer said. If were interested in having serious, competent people represent us, then we need to have our districts shaped in a way that promotes real competition of ideas and personalities.

Kipke agreed that the new districts practically predetermine the outcomes of elections.

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The way the districts are packed heavy Republican or heavy Democratic polarizes the process and basically handpicks winners and losers, and the general election is basically decided when the primary concludes, which totally freezes out unaffiliated voters, Kipke said.

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Mayer said he helped create Fair Maps Maryland and focus his time and energy on fighting gerrymandering because he believes its toxic and leads to increasingly extreme candidates.

You have extreme candidates winning the primary because there are so many Democrats or Republicans in one district. In the past that candidate usually would have lost in a competitive general election, but now the general election isnt even close to being competitive, so they win, Mayer said. And when you do that in hundreds of places across the country you get what you get in D.C.  gridlock. People arent there to compromise. In fact, theyre sent there to not compromise.

Mayer and Kipke said they hope the judge will issue a favorable review of their case, but know they have an uphill battle ahead of them.

Im cautiously optimistic. Its not an easy thing to undo decades and decades of partisan tradition in this state. Youve got the attorney general, Brian Frosh, representing the General Assembly. They can throw hundreds of attorneys at this, Mayer said.

The Office of the Attorney General declined to comment because it is ongoing litigation.

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Kipke added that he knows, even if they are successful, the General Assembly will still be primarily Democratic. But to him, its that principle thats important.

My hope is for free and fair elections, Kipke said. The end result will still very likely be a General Assembly still controlled by Democrats. It just doesnt have to be so overwhelmingly partisan, as this is among the most partisan maps drawn in the entire country.
The University of Lynchburg this week announced its new five-year strategic plan.

Dubbed "Reimagine the Lynchburg Experience," the plan aims to put "a spotlight on the student experience" and "broaden the Universitys impact on campus and in the community," the university said in a news release. It came about after months of campus surveys, conversations, and deliberations among faculty, staff, and students.

We will expand enrollment, make a deeper commitment to the use of data for decision-making, leverage our expertise to share leadership development, infuse operations with an innovative approach to problem-solving, and ensure a campus environment built on inclusive excellence, the new strategic plan states.

The plan's goals include "Leadership for the Future, An Inclusive Campus and Collaborative Community, and A Pathway to Innovation."

 From staff reports
Its been nearly a week since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, and one University of Lynchburg professor is warning Central Virginia residents that the Eastern European country isnt the only thing Russian President Vladimir Putin has his eye on.

Because Putin sees the collapse of the Soviet Union as the greatest geo-political tragedy of the 20th century, said Marek Payerhin, a Polish-born professor of political science and international relations, hes been trying to build out Russia sort of to a position that the Soviet Union would have had before.

Payerhin stressed Putin still sees the world in the category of Russia versus the West, which means Ukraine may not be his endgame in the region.

Its a long-term attempt ... more broadly to reconstitute the Russian empire as it existed before, and of course NATO is seen as the potential threat that would keep Russia from doing this, he said referring to the the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that keeps the USA, Canada, and 28 European nations united against Russia.

Payerhin said during World War II, the United States was going to stay out of the conflict until the foreign war hit home with the invasion of Pearl Harbor. But Payerhin believes the United States might not be able to wait until the war comes to us to get involved this time.

As a member of NATO ... right now we are committed to helping any NATO member that is attacked by another country, Payerhin said.

And NATO countries border Russia, and some of them used to be a part of the Soviet Union, like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. So thats where Id expect most of the risk for a major confrontation starting, that one of the member states will ... be attacked, which will trigger provisions within NATO. So essentially, this does not have to be an attack against the United States for us to get involved.

Unless that happens, the focus of the world will be on Russias invasion of Ukraine, which could lead to some changes for Lynchburg residents. Most likely, the biggest impact will be felt at the gas pump, according to Payerhin.

Russia is the second-largest producer of oil in the world... Payerhin said. There is already an increasing price of oil, even though Russia is still allowed to sell its oil and gas, which is one area we have not sanctioned.

The Biden administration, and many other countries, in the wake of the invasion, implemented economic sanctions on Russia, which could end up hurting the citizens and oligarchs of the country more than the actual leaders themselves, according to Payerhin.

But Payerhin noted Russia still is allowed to sell its oil, one of the few things the United States has yet to cut off from the country.

Payerhin said he thinks the U.S. could take in stride local impacts from the invasion fallout, such rising prices of known commodities that come out of Russia, such as wheat, oil and other natural resources, which are regulated by international markets.

On Tuesday, the U.S. and 30 other member countries of the International Energy Agency agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves, half of which will come from the U.S., according to the Department of Energy.

Meanwhile, there is one area where Payerhin believes Americans should prepare for a threat: Cyber warfare, an arena in which Russia has been alleged to be highly active.

Given the record of Russian cyber warfare attacks  governmental, or private but allowed by the government  one likely form of hostilities may be similar cyber attacks launched against the interests of U.S. businesses and individual citizens, Payerhin said.

He suggested reviewing personal internet security provisions and backing up sensitive data on devices in order to reduce the impacts of a cyber attack.

Its Payerhins expectation that there wont be significant improvement in relations between Putins Russia and the United States.

Im saying Putins Russia because it may significantly change should Putin be out of the picture. I would expect after that, that both countries would have interest in improving the relations, he said.

But while Putin is in charge, the desires of the Russian president will be what drives the countrys push for control.

For so long we looked at Putin as this calculated, long-term player like a chess player... but the most recent pronouncements he made suggest a significant shift, he said. This is almost like a wounded, mentally detached individual who is really spewing all these fabrications and fantasies, and maybe he is somebody who is personally wounded by the loss of power in Russia, by the loss of Ukraine and other Soviet holdings.

For the time being, Payerhin stressed Americans should look at the Ukraine Embassys website for ways they can help out those in need. He said other avenues of help may not be impossible, but could be impractical to do.

One way the professor said Americans can have an impact is by divesting themselves from anything having to do with Russia and declare that, Today is the day to say, We are all Ukrainians.

Talk to your company or your financial director and ask if you have those investments and pull those back, Payerhin said.

Its easy to put yourself in the shoes of those in an unexpected, unjustified invasion that goes against the major populations of an independent, democratic, free nation. Its easy to see how much we have in common.

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A House subcommittee on Tuesday again voted down proposed constitutional amendments to remove defunct language barring same-sex marriage from the state constitution and to automatically restore voting rights for felons who have completed their terms.

The votes in the House Privileges and Elections subcommittee are the death knell for those measures in the General Assembly session that is scheduled to end March 12.

The House and Senate had backed both proposed amendments last year when Democrats led the legislature. A proposed amendment must pass in consecutive years before going to the state's voters in a referendum.

The panel voted 6-4 along party lines to defeat a resolution from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, to remove the defunct language from the state's constitution and the resolution on felons' rights proposed by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton.

Under current Virginia law, people convicted of felonies lose the right to vote unless a governor restores it on an individual basis. The proposed constitutional amendment would restore voting rights automatically once felons complete their terms.

Locke told the panel she was under no illusions about the resolution's prospects, given the subcommittee's Feb. 8 vote to reject a similar measure from Del. Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria.

"It's too early in the morning to waste my time or yours," Locke said. "You know what this amendment does and that's all I've got to say."

Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, a member of the subcommittee, said that when the state's 1902 constitution took effect, putting in place barriers to voting such as poll taxes and literacy tests, Virginia became "the worst democracy in the country." While Virginia adopted its current constitution in 1971, the continuing prohibition on voting for felons is a vestige of that era, he said.

"We should not be in the business of telling people they can't participate in a country that is theirs," VanValkenburg said.

Representatives of Green New Deal Virginia, the ACLU of Virginia, Prison Fellowship and the Virginia Catholic Conference spoke in favor of the measure. No one spoke in opposition.

The measure's backers included Richard Walker of the advocacy group Bridging the Gap in Virginia. Walker has said that he received an 18-month sentence for a felony as a result of drug use and then-Gov. Bob McDonnell restored his rights.

"It's one thing to be punished for the fault that you've done," Walker told the panel, "but it's another thing to be left on punishment for the rest of your life."

As for the other resolution, in 2006, Virginias voters backed a constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriage. In 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court struck down state laws that prevented same-sex marriage.

Ebbin told the committee that the 2006 amendment "stained" Virginia's constitution.

He said his proposed amendment to remove the language and affirm a right to marry "provides a fundamental dignity and equality to our friends, family and neighbors, and to me."

Representatives of Equality Virginia and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance spoke in favor of Ebbin's resolution.

Representatives of the Virginia Catholic Conference and the Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists spoke against the measure.

"We affirm the dignity of every person," said Caruso of the Virginia Catholic Conference. "We also believe marriage has an original design and purpose that predates any nation, religion or law."
RICHMOND  Virginias space program expects to remain on track with its next launch from the Eastern Shore to resupply the International Space Station, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine has clouded the long-term horizon for rockets that depend on Russian engines and Ukrainian first-stage core assemblies.

The Antares rocket launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island on Feb. 19 for the 17th resupply mission to the international space station under a pair of private contracts with NASA, most of them from the state-owned launch pad on the barrier island in the Atlantic Ocean.

Virginia Space CEO Ted Mercer said Monday that he expects the next Antares launch in August to remain on track, on schedule, despite concerns about the future of a space station that relies on cooperation between the United States and Russia, now in a tense standoff over Ukraine.

We share the concern about what this is going to mean, said Mercer, a retired U.S. Air Force general who last year became CEO of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, which operates the regional spaceport.

Virginia has a stake in the outcome because of $160 million in state investment in the spaceport, with three launch pads serving a number of different customers, including Northrop Grumman, the Fairfax County company that is conducting the space station resupply missions under contract with NASA.

Northrop Grumman and NASA have issued brief, terse statements in response to space industry concerns about the future of the program, after Russian space agency leader Dimitry Rogozin blasted President Joe Biden on Twitter last week for imposing economic sanctions.

Biden said last week that the sanctions include reductions in export of U.S. technology to Russia that he said would degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program.

Rogozin, director general of Roscosmos, asked, Do you want to destroy our cooperation on the [International Space Station?

NASA responded last week with a statement of reassurance about the future of the space station orbiting the earth with an international crew of astronauts.

NASA continues working with all our international partners, including the State Space Corporation Roscosmos, for the ongoing safe operations of the International Space Station, the U.S. space agency said.

The new export control measures will continue to allow U.S.-Russia civil space cooperation, NASA added. No changes are planned to the agencys support for ongoing in orbit and ground station operations.

Northrop Grumman deferred all questions about U.S. sanctions to NASA but said we have all the hardware needed to fulfill our NASA-contracted missions on Antares.

John Logsdon, founder and former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, said, Its a very dynamic situation.

Logsdon, professor emeritus of political science and international affairs at the university, said the Russians have withdrawn their staff from the European launch site for the space station in South America.

Its not just what were going to do, he said. Its what theyre going to do.

Concerns about the Antares program focused on the vulnerability of a supply chain that appears directly in the line of war and retaliatory sanctions.

A Russian company, NPO Energomash, makes the RD-181 engines used in the rocket program since 2016, after an Antares rocket using rebuilt Russian engines exploded seconds after launching in October, 2014, causing $20 million in damages to the state-owned pad.

Two Ukrainian companies, Yuzhnoye and Yuzhmash, design and build the first-stage booster assemblies that propel the rocket from the launch pad. Specialty space publications have cited unconfirmed reports that the Russian attacks in Dnipro, Ukraine, had damaged or destroyed the factory that manufactures the assemblies.

Specifically with regards to Wallops, I think the long-term prospects for collaboration are shaky if indeed the Ukrainian factory has been destroyed, Logsdon said.

On Monday, Space.com reported that attacks had destroyed a massive cargo plane previously used to transport Russian space shuttles. The Antonov AN-225, nicknamed The Dream, was parked for repairs in a hangar at an airport outside of Kyiv, the countrys embattled capital.

The biggest plane in the world Mriya (The Dream) was destroyed by Russian occupants on an airfield near Kyiv, Ukraine said Sunday on its official Twitter account. We will rebuild the plane. We will fulfill our dream of a strong, free, and democratic Ukraine.

The Antares program is not the only major customer at Virginias spaceport. Rocket Lab, based in California, could be expanding its presence there with the proposed construction of a new launch complex that would be used for the Neutron rocket. The spaceport already includes a launch pad that Rocket Lab will use for its Electron rocket to deliver payloads into Earth orbit.

The first Electron launch from the spaceport is expected this year, pending NASA certification of the automated flight termination system at the new launch complex, Mercer said.

The pending two-year state budget, which then-Gov. Ralph Northam introduced in December, includes $30 million for construction of a second pad Rocket Lab could use for the Neutron rocket if it chooses the Wallops Island site. The proposed House and Senate budgets include an additional $15 million in proposed incentives for the project.

Mercer emphasized that the facility would be a multi-user launch pad that other customers also could use.

The customer brings their rocket, their payload and we launch it for them, he said.
It brings cold comfort to Mitt Romney, Im sure, to be reminded that he was right about Vladimir Putin in 2012. But it offers a cautionary note to anybody else who might think too quickly that ol Vlad has had it.

During the 2012 presidential race, Republican Romney, now a Utah senator, was ridiculed for calling Russia our number one geopolitical foe.

President Barack Obama responded in their next debate with  the 80s are calling; they want their foreign policy back.

And Vice President Joe Biden in a later speech joined in the fun, saying Romney was mired in a Cold War mindset.

Well, now that Russia under Putin has invaded Ukraine, Romneys observation sounds downright prophetic.

But, in fairness to all, Romneys Democratic critics were hardly alone in their thinking at the time. The Berlin Wall had fallen. The Soviet Union had broken apart in 1991. Al-Qaida and other international terrorist groups were posing a much more clear and present danger in the conventional wisdom of those times.

Then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev reportedly begged European leaders to include Moscow in their security institutions after the wall fell. But those calls were rebuffed.

And the mindset that the West had bigger fish to fry continued even after Putin took control of two breakaway republics in Georgia in 2008, with little objection from the rest of the world.

Then he took Crimea in 2014. Obama said there were costs and Russia was isolated, but Western sanctions had little impact. Europe continued with its commercial diplomacy, even to the point of making itself dependent, particularly in Germany, on Russian gas and oil.

Even Russian cyber-meddling in this countrys 2016 elections led to more arguing in our own parties than with consequences for Putins government.

But now that Putin has moved into Ukraine, the West faces a can of problems that we have kicked down the road for too long.

Masha Gessen, the bestselling Putin critic and New Yorker writer, says Putin learned the seeds of his current strategy from watching how President Bill Clinton and NATO handled the 1999 war in Kosovo.

NATO launched a 78-day campaign of airstrikes against Serbia to force President Slobodan Milosevic to end his military campaign of widespread killings of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. Russia disapproved and refused to recognize Kosovo independence.

But now Putin is back on the world stage with what Gessen in a recent interview on PBS Amanpour & Company called a cosplay of the Kosovo saga.

He claims a humanitarian mission in Ukraine to protect people who have been abused by the genocide of the Kyiv regime for eight years, although neither he nor anyone else offered evidence of such abuses.

He accused the Ukraine government of committing numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including citizens of Russia. Again, without evidence. Autocrats cant be troubled by such details.

More disturbing, he appeared to question the legitimacy of the other liberated republics who made up the Soviet bloc, sounding like his deadly game of rolling into independent countries is not over.

Putin seems to have chosen an unusually opportune time for his misadventures. After pulling out of its longest war ever in Afghanistan, the United States has little appetite for new conflicts.

And our politics are so polarized that conservative influencers such as Fox News Tucker Carlson keep beating their love drums for Putin, whom former President Donald Trump praised as savvy after his would-be pal Vlad recognized the independence of two Russia-backed separatist-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.

President Biden had a more appropriate description. America stands up to bullies, he told reporters as Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. We stand up for freedom. This is who we are.

Yes, at least thats who we try to be. America stands for democracy, we like to say. But were still haggling about the price were willing to pay.

Pages column is provided by Tribune Content Agency.
Gray, 8, is a native of Council Bluffs. Her father, Larry, is the executive director at Heartland Christian School and her mom, Erin, teaches there. Shes been at Heartland Christian since preschool and she is in the middle of her second grade year. Shes also part of 14 children and 11 grandchildren in the family, so there have been many Grays that have come before her at Heartland Chrisitian, and she currently goes to school with five of her siblings. Gray is a student in teacher Donna Dingus classroom, and she said its been a great school year so far. Her favorite subject is math, and shes currently learning about mixed numbers. She also enjoys spending time with her friends and classmates during recess. When the Nonpareil caught up with Gray last Friday, her class had to spend recess indoors due to the cold weather. That wasnt an issue Monday as the warm temperatures invited many in the community to get outside for some fresh air. She said her favorite recess activity is playing four square, and she likely got a few games in that afternoon. As the warm weather hints at the changing of seasons, it reminds Gray that the end of the school year is just on the horizon. While she said shes looking forward to the remaining months of her second grade year, Gray said shes even more excited for the summer season. She loves taking family trips, and the Grays have a tradition of taking their RV down to Galveston, Texas, for a beach vacation at the conclusion of every school year. From hanging out on the beach to stomping around in the splash pads and more, Gray said she is ready for all sorts of fun in the sun. Until then, Gray will make the rest of the school year count.
The Council Bluffs Community School District Board of Education last week approved academic calendars for the next two school years.

A public hearing on the calendars was held on Feb. 8.

Both calendars meet the standard for beginning the school year on or after Aug. 23, as required by state law, and include more than the minimum of 1,080 hours of instruction.

According to the 2022-23 calendar, school will start on Aug. 23 this fall and end of May 25, 2023. Winter break will be 13 days long  including weekends  and spring break will be five days long, also including a weekend. The hours of instruction will add up to 2.6 extra days, so about 2  days could be taken off for snow or other conditions without adding days onto the end of the year.

The 2023-24 calendar is very similar. School will start on Aug. 23 and end on May 24. Winter break will again add up to 13 days, including weekends, and spring break will cover five days including a weekend. Hours of instruction will amount to 4.12 extra days.

More than 800 district staff members responded to a survey on the two options, according to board materials. The response was fairly even, with 44.4% expressing a preference for the option that was similar to this years calendar and 49.9% voting for an alternate proposal with a five-day spring break in March and a slightly shorter winter break. A total of 5.4% expressed no preference.

Members of the Superintendents Round Table also provided feedback and indicated a strong preference for ending the school year before Memorial Day, as well as providing opportunities for three-day weekends in February and March.

In other business, the board:

Approved upgrades to the HVAC system at Roosevelt Elementary School totaling $981,543, including the base bid and three alternates. The contract will go to Grunwald Mechanical of Omaha, which submitted the lowest of three bids.

Approved the purchase of Chromebooks for the 2022-23 school year from CDW-G at a cost of $945,550, the lower of two bids. This includes 650 Acer C734T-C483 Chromebooks, 2,250 Acer C734-C0FD Chromebooks, 200 Acer R853TA-P3R1 Chromebooks and licenses for 3,100 Google Chrome OS Management console units.

Approved an amended contract with Meyer Building Solutions to include work on renovation of Kanesville Alternative School in the amount of $112,000. The pay rate for previously contracted work on the Early Learning Center and security system remains the same.

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Reynolds a championGov. Kim Reynolds is a champion for education in Iowa, grower of Iowa jobs, and is a leader Iowans can be proud of.

I was impressed by the governors Condition of the State Address, where she talked about starting Iowas first teacher registered apprenticeship program in the country. In doing so, she created a system where schools can better grow their own workforce.

Through the governors program, students will have the opportunity to obtain a paraeducator credential and associate degree within a year of their education. Their jobs will also count toward their student teaching requirements, which makes it more time and cost-efficient to become an educator.

When we simultaneously build Iowas workforce and our education system, Iowas future wins

Starlyn Perdue

Griswold

Unpaid time off is untenableMarch is Womens History Month. Women certainly made history during the pandemic as thousands left their jobs to care for children because schools and daycares had to close. Without income, many families struggled to pay groceries, rent and other bills. While the pandemic was a new experience, it exposed an old and chronic problem that working women in our society have faced for years  unpaid leave.

While both mothers and fathers are affected, working mothers are affected more. Women bear a disproportionate economic burden in taking time off from work to bond with a new child, for short or long-term care for a family member or to care for her own health. Many women cannot return to the workforce without addressing the needs of their families. For many, unpaid time off work is untenable and it threatens their economic security.

The United States does not guarantee paid time off for illness or family care or for paid parental leave. However, ten states and the District of Columbia have paid leave laws that are or will soon be in place. The U.S. Congress or Iowa Legislature could make history by passing paid leave laws. Call or write your senator or representative and urge them to support paid parental leave for all working families.

Jane Goldsmith

AAUW Loess Hills Branch

Treynor

A letter to Sen. GrassleySen. Chuck Grassley, I find your professed support for Ukraine profoundly hypocritical. When President Donald Trump threatened to withhold 100s of millions of dollars of congressionally approved military funding to the Ukraine as leverage to extort political favors from President Volodymyr Zelensky, an act that had as its sole purpose the advancement of Trumps own personal political ambitions, you voted against finding him guilty of committing an impeachable offense. At the time, you stated that you had based your judgment on the utterly ridiculous argument that Trump was innocent because he had not been successful in actually following through with his intended plan.

What Trump intended and attempted to accomplish was a treasonous offense. Had you Republicans booted him out of office, Im quite confident that Mr. Mike Pence as president would have reverted to an adversarial and tough-minded relationship with Putin, rather than the disgusting and dangerous mutual adoration society that Trump continued to participate in with Putin. I believe that a more assertive and defiant relationship with Putin might very well have precluded the current horror that the Russians are inflicting on the Ukrainian people and which is at the doorstep of eastern and central Europe.

But you claimed that Trump had done nothing impeachable. Then, when Trump visited Iowa last year, you humiliated yourself and Iowa when you sprinted to get his endorsement of your run for the Senate. Now, you have yet to publicly condemn Trump for continuing his outspoken support and admiration for Putin.

Your failure to condemn means only one thing: You agree with Trump and with Putins current attempt to forcefully overthrow a democratically elected government of a sovereign nation. You say that youll pray for the Ukrainians. Pray all you like. Just know that God has no ears for prayers from hearts calloused by insincerity, scurrilousness and moral depravity.

Steven Pokorny

Urbandale
DES MOINES  In a symbolic gesture of support for the Ukrainian people who are under Russian attack, Gov. Kim Reynolds has directed the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division to remove any Russian-produced alcoholic liquor products from its wholesale purchase list.

Her order is unlikely to have much impact in Iowa even though Iowans purchased 2,024,662 gallons of vodka through the ABD in 2021. In the top 10 brands by gallons sold, there are five brands of vodka  Titos, Hawkeye, McCormick, Smirnoff and Five OClock.

However, Russian vodkas account for a very small portion of overall sales, spokesman Tyler Ackerson said Monday. Over the past 12 months, the sale of Russian vodka has totaled about $95,000 out of more than $93 million in vodka sales.

Whiskey, led by Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey, is the drink of choice for Iowans based on ABDs gallons sold  2,117,237 in 2021. Sales of whiskey exceeded $168 million, according to ABDs annual report.

Very few brands imported to the United States still are produced in Russia. Smirnoff vodka, for example, traces its roots to Moscow, but is distilled in the U.S. Stoli, which basically translates into capital city because it originated in Moscow, is distilled in Latvia as well as Russia and has its headquarters in Luxembourg, a NATO country.

ABD has only three Russian vodkas permanently listed  Russian Standard Original Vodka, Russian Standard Platinum Vodka and Hammer + Sickle Vodka, Ackerson said.

Another three are considered special order on hand listing  Russian Standard Imperia Vodka, Zu Bison Grass Vodka and Quadro Vodka. ABD has several Russian vodkas listed as special order.

While Russian-made products that will no longer be available for purchase from the state wholesale operation, retailers are not required to cease sales of those products. Some retailers, bars and restaurants already have stopped offering Russian products in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Iowa is one of 17 states that controls the sale of alcoholic liquor at the wholesale level. Under Iowa law, ABD has the authority to determine the brands of alcoholic liquor products available for sale to retailers. Alcoholic liquor is sold by ABD to off-premises retailers, who then sell the products directly to consumers or to on-premises retailers, such as bars and restaurants.

In issuing the order, Reynolds joins the governors of Utah, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania in making the symbolic gesture of support for Ukraine.

Reynolds also has called for Iowa Sister States to end its relationship with Stavropol Krai, Russia, and provide recommendations for enhancing its sister state relationship with Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine.

More information on the delisting of Russian products will be available at the ABD website on or before March 1.
Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine last week happened to coincide with my reading of David McCulloughs Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Harry S. Truman, our 33rd president. Clearly, Russia has been a problem for a long time.

Near the end of World War II, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill struggled to convince Josef Stalin to comply with previous agreements about the shape of the post-war world. With his troops deployed in Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary and elsewhere, Stalin saw expansionist opportunities for the Soviet Union, and he was determined to take advantage of them.

In the late 40s, President Truman confronted few problems that caused him more anxiety and frustration than the U.S.S.R., and few projects took more of his energy than finding ways to prevent its expansion. Truman, a plain-spoken Missourian, said the Russians were like people from across the tracks whose manners were very bad.

For the next four decades, world politics revolved around the Wests resistance to the spread of communism and the Soviet Unions determination to expand its hegemony, especially in Eastern Europe.

An economic interpretation of this conflict sees a battle between communism and free enterprise, but its more than that. Roosevelt and Truman recognized that the Soviet system had no tolerance for the things that Americans value most: democracy, free elections, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, self-determination, a right to privacy.

Stalin and the Soviet Union were to be resisted. He was an autocrat who maintained power with coercive secret police, gulags, torture and terror. In the 1930s, Stalin, in an effort to subdue Ukraine, engineered a famine that resulted in the deaths of 4 million Ukrainians.

The U.S. has its faults. We are not perfect. But we were always on the right side of this struggle between democracy and autocracy. Fortunately, the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Alas, it is trying to make a comeback, in the person of Vladimir Putin.

In 1946, President Truman said that lasting peace depended on the three great powers  Britain, Russia and the U.S. Further, the great powers must also have the confidence of the smaller nations. Russia hasnt the confidence of the small nations, nor has Britain. We have.

At present the mantle for resistance against autocracy has fallen upon the shoulders of one of those smaller nations, Ukraine. Unfortunately, Ukraines young President Volodymyr Zelenskyy got a rocky introduction to modern American democracy. He can be forgiven if he got the impression that President Donald Trump was conditioning military aid to Ukraine on Zelenskyys cooperation in an investigation of one of Trumps political rivals.

And while Zelenskyy courageously leads the resistance to Putin, our still-popular ex-president finds so much to admire in Putin that Russian state television is running subtitled clips of him praising the Russian autocrat.

Further, our commitment to democracy does not include a willingness to provide American troops to fight the Russians over Ukraine. In lieu of troops, the U.S. and its European partners are applying increasingly rigorous sanctions. But the sanctions are largely half-measures, applied carefully out of concern for the European and American economies. Few think that sanctions will stop Putin and, indeed, they have not.

So while Ukrainian patriots and heroes are taking to the streets to fight for what we believe in, Biden must gingerly inform Americans that the war in Ukraine may cost us at the pump. How many times have we heard that phrase during this crisis?

Still, withholding U.S. troops is probably the right decision at this point. But autocrats like Putin rarely respond to soft power. Force is the only language they understand.

War is a great evil, but its not the worst evil. Sometimes only force can prevent fear, misery, hunger, torture, genocide, totalitarianism. If history is any guide, pure pacifism is unrealistic. Peace is rarely achieved through diplomacy and sanctions.

The crisis in Ukraine is a test of our commitment and will to maintain democracy. May we show as much resolve as the Ukrainians.

As President Truman put it, I want peace and Im willing to fight for it.
A large Ukranian flag is unfurled at the end of a special prayer service for Ukraine at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church Monday morning. (JERRY JACKSON/Baltimore Sun)

Maryland has terminated its largely symbolic Sister State relationship with the region that includes the Russian city of St. Petersburg due to Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Gov. Larry Hogan sent a letter to Aleksandr Drozdenko, the governor of Leningrad Oblast, on Monday that cited the duty of every government to remain vigilant of unlawful acts against public order, democratic principles and innocent civilians.

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Marylands relationship with Leningrad Oblast dates to 1993, a time of thawing relations and new investment in Russia by the United States after the fall of the Soviet Union. The state retains the Soviet-era name for the countrys second-largest city.

Baltimore, meanwhile, is rekindling older ties to the Ukrainian city of Odesa, the Black Sea port located 50 miles by water from Russian-occupied Crimea. The Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee was established in 1974, Mayor Brandon Scott said Friday in a news release.

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Ukrainians began settling in Baltimore during the 1880s, Scott said, especially in Highlandtown, Fells Point and Patterson Park. During the early 1900s, many worked for the citys steel- and glassmakers. Others followed shortly in part to escape World Wars I and II.

The City of Baltimore stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine at home and abroad and we join leaders across the world in condemning Russias military actions against Ukraine, Scott said. Ukrainians have been a part of our city for generations. Today, many worry for the loved ones they may still have in Ukraine.

If Gov. Hogan hadnt acted to break ties with the St. Petersburg region, Senate President Bill Ferguson said Monday morning that he planned to introduce a resolution calling for Hogan to pull out of the partnership.

Diplomacy and soft power are vital, and relations should be resumed when Russian aggression ceases, Ferguson wrote on Twitter. Until then, we must send a clear message that we stand with Ukraine.
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By March 1 at noon, over 2000 Moroccans, mostly students, managed to leave the Ukrainian territory to neighboring countries, Moroccan foreign ministry said.

Most crossings took place in Poland, followed by Romania, Slovakia and Hungary as Morocco dislocated its embassy and consular staff to Lviv, about 70 kilometers south of the Polish border.

Prior to the start of the Russian invasion on Feb 24, Morocco has urged its citizens to leave Ukraine.

On Feb 27, Moroccos flag carrier announced an airlift operation scheduling exceptional flights with affordable rates of $70 (750 DH) to transport Moroccans who fled Ukraine through neighboring countries.

The airline said it would also transport Mauritanian students who had to leave Ukraine.

The Russian military campaign on Ukraine has forced nearly 400,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring countries.

The media have spoken about discrimination against non-European refugees fleeing Ukraine, notably Africans.

Nigeria and South Africa have expressed alarm at reports that their nationals are being stopped from leaving Ukraine.
CEO of Algerias oil and gas company Sonatrach Toufiq Hakkar said on Feb 27 his country was ready to tap the potential of a 10 cubic meter pipeline to Italy, but a day later he backtracked on his promise casting doubt on Algerias limited gas production capacity, in a volte-face that indicates a fear of Russian retribution.

Algerias foreign policy has been geared towards supporting Russian position on regional issues and Algiers imports the bulk of its armament from Russia.

Hakkar was first quoted by Liberte-Algerie as saying that his country was able to pump additional gas to the European market at a time Europe faces a dependency on Russian gas.

The Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory put into a new test Europes energy security as Germany halts the landmark Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Moscow has often used the gas card to serve its geopolitical agenda in Europe and any move by Algeria to replace parts of Russian market share may trigger an angry response from the Putin regime, the protector of the military-political junta in Algiers.

That explains the volte-face of Hakkar who rather blamed the newspaper for what he described as a mis-interpretation of his statements, in a move that indicates the scale of disarray within a military regime that looks at its key ally outflanked by economic sanctions.

The invasion of Ukraine and the economic crackdown by the West on the Russian economy has made it hard to do business with Russian firms.

Algeria, which claims to be with the right of people to self-determination, has not expressed a stand yet regarding the crisis in Ukraine and has not even urged its citizens to leave the war-stricken country.

By keeping silent, Algeria is actually taking a stand in support of Putin and that will be remembered by the West and the international community amid a global rejection of the use of force in resolving international disputes.
The U.S. has imposed visa restrictions on a number of Somali officials, including regional leaders, suspected of obstructing the electoral process. This is in response to the missed deadline for the completion of Somalias long-delayed elections.

The countrys National Consultative Assembly, which is chaired by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, has extended the deadline for completing parliamentary elections to March 15. The previous deadline was February 25.

In a press release announcing visa restrictions targeting some unnamed Somalis, the United States demanded the swift completion of parliamentary and presidential elections in a transparent and credible manner. According to Washington, the travel ban is intended to promote accountability and punish Somali officials who obstruct the electoral process. Some Somalis welcomed the measure.

In Mogadishu, there is a broad consensus that visa restrictions should be imposed on Somali leaders to prevent them from traveling to the United States, where many Somali politicians families, some of whom hold dual citizenship, reside. Somalis hope that visa restrictions imposed by the U.S. and other countries will encourage local leaders to speed up the electoral process.
Keith L. Allen, who shot and killed 25-year-old Brett Torres in May 2020, received a life sentence on Monday afternoon.

Allen was handed the mandatory term in Nebraska for first-degree murder during a short hearing in Lincoln County District Court.

The 45-year-old North Platte man also received a term of 20 to 30 years for the use of a weapon to commit a felony in the shooting of Torres.

I feel like justice has been made, Torres father, Ray, said after the hearing. I am glad we are finished.

I dont even know how to explain it. I felt like a ton of bricks has been lifted off my chest. Now I can lay my son to rest.

Mondays sentencing came more than four months after Allen was found guilty by a jury of nine men and three women.

The jurys decision led to a continuation of the sentencing in late January, after Allens attorney, Todd Lancaster, received information of possible jury misconduct during the trial.

Judge Richard Birch ruled there was insufficient evidence to order a new trial at a hearing Monday morning.

Lancaster said an appeal on the decision will be filed with the states Supreme Court within the next 30 days.

In the court hearing, Lancaster said Allen never intended to hurt anybody on the day of the incident, and he reiterated afterward.

If (Allen) could have done anything to prevent it, he wouldve, Lancaster said. But he felt he was in a position where he couldnt. He felt he had no choice but to protect himself.

During the hearing, Lancaster pointed to the letters from Allens friends and family members that had been received as part of the pre-sentence investigation.

The letters described Allen as a good citizen in the community with a heart of gold, who loved making a difference in others lives.

Lancaster implied that Allens desire to help others may of led to the fatal confrontation outside Allens home on the 100 block of North Chestnut Street.

Maybe that why he was in that situation. He was trying to help out Amanda Beall, Lancaster said.

Allen claimed throughout the case that he acted in self-defense spurred by previous threats from Torres.

The confrontation happened as Torres pulled his Chevrolet Tahoe in an alley alongside a Ford Focus that Allen was a passenger in. The Tahoe was being driven by Beall, with whom Torres had been in an on-again, off-again relationship with.

Allen addressed the court before he was sentenced, expressing remorse for the situation but also said that two people, were not served or protected by any account of the law in the incident  Torres and himself.

He said Torres was a troubled individual who would have been best served by both counseling or rehab, but it never happened. Allen said he went to law enforcement with his claims of Torres growing threats but nothing came of it.

We were both failed by the system, Allen told Birch.

Birch said Allen wasnt the lone individual who wished the situation didnt ultimately result in Mondays hearing.

But a large part of the reason we are here is because of your actions, Birch told Allen.

As Allen was being led out of the courtroom after the sentence, one of the roughly 20 Torres family members or supporters present yelled out, I hope you find Jesus.

Ray Torres said he has few words for Allen.

I guess I would just tell him probably to burn in hell, Torres said. Thats all I could say.

More by Tim Johnson

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When a representative from Johnson Companies did not call in to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners for Mondays meeting, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerome Kramer expressed his frustration.

Because of that absence, the commissioners decided to table a vote on a bid for HVAC and smoke control software and hardware at the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office.

They should be here, Kramer said. Im not the expert on this and you can tell Im annoyed.

The problem, Chief Deputy Roland Kramer told the board, is with 11-year-old software and hardware. Johnson Companies offered two proposals to correct the problem with a cost of about $25,000.

That version would allow the company to monitor the system from off site. The board said there were questions that needed to be answered by the company representative before an educated decision could be made, and tabled the vote until a Zoom meeting or phone call could be rescheduled.

The board also tabled action on a contract with Mid-Continental Restoration Co. Inc. for an exterior coating project at the Lincoln County Courthouse.

Deputy County Attorney Tyler Volkmer, who spoke with the company representative, expressed the countys dissatisfaction with the previous coating from 10 years ago. The building shows discoloring, Volkmer said, and the reason for that had not been determined at this time.

My question is what will keep it from happening again in another seven years down the road, Commissioner Joe Hewgley said.

Another question was the type of open-ended proposal presented by Mid-Continental. Volkmer said the proposal changed from the conversation he had with the company.

At the time I (spoke with the company) it was an at-cost project, Volkmer said. It has since turned into time and materials, which are not the same thing.

Commissioner Micaela Wuehler said the coating is needed to preserve the integrity of the building.

(The company) indicated they had never had this happen before, Wuehler said.

Kent Weems, commissioner, said he understood it was a big project, but the contract did not offer any pricing.

I dont like the sound of that, Weems said. If this is what they do, they should have some idea of what the cost is going to be.

Wuehler said she would speak with the company and get the questions answered.

The board approved the 2022 contracts for brochure and rack card distribution for the North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau.

One contract will be with CTM Media Group for distribution in metro Nebraska cities, Iowa and Missouri for 25,000 brochures. The cost is $5,580.

The other contract with Certified Marketing Services and Distribution will cover Nebraska outside of the metro areas, Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas. Certified will distribute 40,000 brochures and rack cards for $5,456.47.

The board also approved a contract for printing of brochures and rack cards for the Visitors Bureau. Executive Director Lisa Burke said requests for proposal were sent to two local companies.

Myer Creative Print and Design returned the only bid for 25,000 rack cards and 50,000 brochures at a cost of $21,750.47.

The board tabled action on having a county seal emblem made for the Commissioners Room. Wuehler will gather more information from the Hershey Public Schools Industrial Arts program for the project.

Two Lincoln County Sheriffs Deputies were recognized during an employee recognition ceremony. The commissioners initiated the program for 2022 to honor employees for their service.

Deputy Zach Kramer was recognized for 10 years and Deputy Devin Ruff for 15 years of service to the county.

More by Job Vigil

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The full Legislature will look at  and quite likely work over  proposals to build a new marina at Lake McConaughy and revive the 1894 Perkins County Canal from Colorado.

The Natural Resources Committee Friday advanced bills to do both, though questions remained about price tags for the canal and a proposed new metro-area lake unrelated to the Lake Mac work.

State Sen. Dan Hughes of Venango and newly appointed North Platte Sen. Mike Jacobson joined in committee votes of 5-0 for Legislative Bill 1023, which includes the McConaughy project, and 6-0 for LB 1015, which would authorize the canal.

Jacobson, sworn in Wednesday to succeed resigned Sen. Mike Groene, took over the latters assignments on the Natural Resources, Agriculture and General Affairs committees.

Speaker Mike Hilgers introduced LB 1015 on behalf of Gov. Pete Ricketts and LB 1023 as chairman of a special Unicameral committee created in 2021 to examine three regions where water resources could be better developed.

One of those was McConaughy, where committee members have called for a new 100-slip marina at a yet-undetermined site, a formal entrance to the Lake Mac area and road improvements near both shores.

Only the marina is specifically mentioned in LB 1023 and a proposed Natural Resources Committee rewrite that wouldnt disturb the marina proposal.

Most scrutiny of LB 1023s $200 million in projects has focused on the special committees call for a lake of at least 3,600 acres near the lower Platte River between Omaha and Lincoln.

Thats also the case with the Natural Resources Committee amendment, which doubles down on an inside Unicameral joke by dubbing its opening sections the JEDI Act.

(Lawmakers in 2021 crafted the special water panels eight-word name to yield a STAR WARS acronym, blaming it on Hilgers love for the movie series. The Natural Resources amendment follows suit with its language on the metro-area lake but uses just four words.)

Ricketts 2022 budget called for applying $150 million in general-fund money to the LB 1023 projects and $50 million from Nebraskas share of federal COVID-19 aid.

The Appropriations Committee will support the $200 million total but call for tapping state cash reserves instead of American Rescue Plan funds for the last $50 million, Chairman John Stinner of Gering told the Omaha World-Herald.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission facilities at Niobrara State Park and Lewis and Clark Lake also would be upgraded in LB 1023.

Stinners committee and Ricketts are farther apart on how much money to set aside for the Perkins canal  also called the South Divide Canal  envisioned in Nebraskas 1923 South Platte River Compact with Colorado.

LB 1015 would trigger the compact by giving the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources the authority to design, build and operate the canal, DNR Assistant Director Jesse Bradley told The Telegraph Monday.

But the Appropriations Committees separate spending plan would allocate $22.5 million for design work, Stinner told the World-Herald.

Ricketts has asked to set aside $500 million to design and build it, including $100 million from ARP funds.

Early Perkins County residents dug about 16 miles of a canal in fall 1894 in Colorados Sedgwick County before financing collapsed.

A Keith County-driven 1921 revival plan prompted the two-state compact. It says Nebraska can finish the canal for irrigation purposes and tap the South Platte at an average rate of 500 cubic feet a second between Oct. 15 and April 1.

Ricketts and Nebraska water leaders have interpreted recent South Platte studies and statements in Colorado as evidence that state wants to all but shut off South Platte flows into Nebraska for use by their own residents. Colorado leaders dispute their contention.

I think its important we do something to let Colorado know were coming to claim Nebraskas South Platte share under the compact, Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard told the World-Herald.

But Erdman, an Appropriations Committee member, added he wasnt overly enthused about setting aside $500 million.

His District 47 includes Deuel and Keith counties, considered all but certain to share the bulk of the canals Nebraska portion.

More by Todd von Kampen

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Ukrainians take shelter amid Russias war of aggression. Photo: Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

That escalated quickly.

Five days ago, it looked like the wests response to Vladimir Putins war of aggression would be tepid. Its first round of sanctions was replete with loopholes large enough to jam gas pipelines through. But Ukraines resolve has proven contagious. The Ukrainians willingness to die in defense of their national sovereignty and their capacity to inflict casualties on Russia have outstripped the expectations of their friends and enemies alike. This demonstration seems to have stiffened spines in Berlin and Brussels. Over the weekend, Europe and the U.S. declared something close to financial war on the Russian state. The western powers announced they were freezing all Russian central bank assets held in the E.U., U.S., Canada, and Britain and evicting Russian banks from the international payments system known as SWIFT. As a result, the Russian people saw the value of their savings collapse over night.

Meanwhile, the U.S. and E.U. continued funneling weapons to Ukrainian forces.

When Putin commenced his invasion last week, he warned that any nation that tries to stand in our way or create threats for our country and our people  must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history. Just in case his implication was not clear, Putin reminded his adversaries that Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states.

On Sunday, following the Wests actions against Russias central bank, Putin announced he was putting his nations nuclear forces on special combat readiness in response to illegal sanctions and aggressive statements from NATO countries.

The precise meaning of Putins order is unclear. Both the U.S. and Russia keep nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles on high alert at all times. According to the theories of deterrence that structured Cold War policy, these weapons of mass death must be forever locked and loaded lest the other side seize an opportunity to launch a first strike so overwhelming it preempts retaliation.

To the extent that Putins statement has substance, it would presumably mean removing Russian bombers from their hangars and loading them with nuclear weapons and/or sending nuclear submarines out to sea. Such actions would almost certainly appear on the proverbial radar of the U.S. security state, which keeps a watchful eye on Russian nuclear facilities. The Pentagon said Monday that it had not seen any specific muscle movements from Russias nuclear forces, and Americas nuclear alert level is therefore unchanged.

Expert opinion holds that Putin is merely engaged in rhetorical brinkmanship. If youve recently looked up information about nuclear-blast radii and potassium iodide, take solace in these facts:

 The Kremlin issued nearly identical threats of nuclear action during Russias invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014.

 It would be insane for Russia to expose itself to the threat of nuclear retaliation for the sake of winning a war in which it already boasts overwhelming military supremacy.

 Although the U.S. and E.U. have aided Ukraine through the transfer of arms and the imposition of sanctions, they have not deployed troops to fight in the conflict. And even neoconservative hawks like Marco Rubio are saying that direct intervention would not be worth the risks. For these reasons, it is hard to see the war escalating to the point of a genuine nuclear standoff between opposing atomic powers.

Thus, as Georgetown University professor Matthew Kroenig told the New York Times, Putin is almost certainly engaging in a game of nuclear chicken, of raising the risk of war in hopes that the other side will back down and say, Geez, this isnt worth fighting a nuclear war over. Kroenig maintains that using empty nuclear threats to dissuade western intervention is a longstanding Russian strategy known as escalate to de-escalate.

Matthew Bunn of the Harvard Kennedy School takes a similar view, telling Vox, I think there is virtually no chance nuclear weapons are going to be used in the Ukraine situation.

Nevertheless, given the scale of devastation that a nuclear conflagration would entail, even a small increase in the probability of such a development is cause for concern. Further, considering how quickly the present conflict has escalated, it is difficult to opine with certainty about where it could and could not take us.

If one wishes to find causes for alarm, they are readily available.

In 2020, Russia lowered its official standard for deploying nuclear weapons. Previously, Moscow had vowed it would only resort to the nuclear option if the very existence of the state is threatened. Two years ago, the Kremlin revised that position, announcing that it reserves the right to use nuclear weapons  for the prevention of an escalation of military actions and their termination on conditions that are acceptable for the Russian Federation and/or its allies.

In other words: Russia reserves the right to conduct a nuclear first strike in order to end a war on its preferred terms. This leads Georgetown nuclear-policy expert Caitlin Talmadge to believe Putin could plausibly deploy tactical (or battlefield) nuclear weapons to achieve his aims in Ukraine if conventional aggression fails to do the trick.

But one of Putins aims in Ukraine is to install a puppet government capable of pacifying the populace, and dropping a nuclear bomb on the country seems to be a poor way to win hearts and minds. Initially, Russian military strategy appeared to reflect some concern about mitigating civilian casualties for the sake of maintaining postwar Ukraines governability.

This said, after Ukrainian resistance proved more formidable than anticipated, the Russian military is now attempting to demoralize the Ukrainians by leveling civilian areas.

Kharkiv administration building, right in the historic centre of the city. Russians have definitely given up on sparing the centre. changed to more brutal tactics pic.twitter.com/pw0Gntmi99  Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) March 1, 2022

It is far from clear what Putin would consider beyond the pale should his governments troubles multiply further. What happens if a collapsing ruble and mounting Russian casualties spark widespread dissidence in Russias streets  or even a challenge to Putins leadership from within the regime? What if taking Kyiv proves insufficient to break the will of a Ukrainian insurgency? What kind of violence might a homicidal dictator embrace with his back against the wall?

Theres a real possibility Putin could turn to nuclear weapons if he continues to experience military setbacks and sees the diplomatic and political situation crumbling, Talmadge told the Financial Times. Its not just a response to how his conventional campaign [in Ukraine] is going but to these other developments with sanctions and Germany sending weapons to Ukraine. The entire picture to him looks pretty bleak.

In Russia, as in the U.S., the president has the unilateral authority to order a nuclear strike. We know Putin is reckless and paranoid enough to launch a bloody, destabilizing war in the absence of any martial provocation. We know he is an aging murderer with grand historical ambitions. So its hard to say with certainty what he is and is not capable of. Bloomberg reported Monday, With Covid-19 restrictions increasing his isolation in recent years, Putin has grown more reliant on a small circle of hardline advisers, according to people close to the leadership. That is consistent with recent reports from the New York Times and the Financial Times.

Putins threats are a reminder that atomic war is not the nightmare of a bygone age. The threat of nuclear annihilation didnt end with the Cold War. Our collective success in averting a nuclear strike in the 76 years since America dropped atomic bombs on Japan is largely a product of luck.

In 1961, a B-52 bomber came apart in midair, dropping two nuclear weapons on North Carolina in the process. One of those bombs nearly went off as three of the four triggering mechanisms required for its detonation activated upon release. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the captain of a Soviet submarine ordered the firing of a nuclear torpedo at the U.S. Navy out of a mistaken belief that his vessel was under attack. Only the resistance of a fellow officer prevented that order from being carried out. In 1980, the Carter administration nearly launched an unprovoked nuclear strike against the Soviet Union after the malfunctioning of a single 46-cent computer chip led the White House to believe the Soviets had just fired 2,200 nuclear missiles at the U.S.

Near misses like these abound. Americas launch on warning policy  which commits the nation to firing nuclear missiles (which, by design, cannot be called back) as soon as an enemy strike is detected  greatly increases the risk of an accident ending less happily. As Eric Schlosser has documented, over the course of the Cold War, early-warning systems were triggered by the moon rising over Norway, the launch of a weather rocket from Norway, a solar storm, sunlight reflecting off high-altitude clouds, and a faulty A.T. & T. telephone switch in Black Forest, Colorado.

Meanwhile, Americas nuclear stockpile is far less secure than many appreciate. In 2015, a nuclear-launch officer at the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota  which is to say a person entrusted with the keys that launch intercontinental ballistic missiles  was sentenced to 25 years in prison for leading a street gang, dealing drugs, sexually assaulting a minor, and possessing magic mushrooms.

And America has the most secure nuclear arsenal on the planet.

If Russias war in Ukraine doesnt bring us to the atomic abyss, it will still set back the cause of de-proliferation. Heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow have sidelined negotiations over an extension to the last remaining nuclear treaty between the U.S. and Russia, New START, which is set to expire in 2026. Meanwhile, Russias assault on Ukraines sovereignty  after Ukraine agreed to forfeit its own nuclear arsenal 30 years ago in exchange for assurances about its territorial integrity  will discourage other nuclear powers from following Ukraines example while encouraging other small nations to start their own nuclear programs.

All that nuclear war requires is a single accident, miscommunication, or psychopath with his finger on the button. To permanently degrade human life on Earth, things need to go wrong only once. In our age of pandemics, rising geopolitical tensions, and reality-star presidents, it is abundantly clear that we need more margin for error. If we do not find a way to rid the world of nuclear weapons  or, at the very least, of nuclear ICBMs that are primed to fire at the first warning of early-detection systems that can produce false positives  our luck will eventually run out. History is not over. So we must make the world safe for history.
You know what would really waste Rubios time? A COVID outbreak at the highest levels of government. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Marco Rubio wont be joining in any Republican booing of President Biden during Tuesday nights State of the Union address  and not because his own SOTU-related mishap left him sympathetic to all who take part in the annual pageantry. The Florida senator confirmed earlier this week that hes skipping the event entirely because hes simply too busy to take a COVID test.

Rubio says he wont attend Bidens State of the Union address tomorrow because of the COVID testing requirement.



I dont have time to go take a COVID test today. I only take a test if Im sick, he says  Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) February 28, 2022

The House floor mask mandate was lifted on Sunday, but some COVID precautions are still being observed. As the New York Post reported:

The House chamber will be roughly one-third full, guests are not allowed, and some members of Congress will be relegated to the public viewing gallery. Everyone in the room must have a negative PCR test result in hand and press access to the House chamber is being dramatically curtailed.

But unlike the vast majority of his colleagues (some of whom are pretty old), the Florida senator simply doesnt have time to let someone jam a Q-tip up his nostrils for 30 seconds. And after all, what are the chances that a person who doesnt feel sick might actually have COVID?

Well, actually  four Democratic lawmakers  Senator Alex Padilla and Representatives Jamie Raskin, Pete Aguilar, and Suzan DelBene  announced on Tuesday that theyve just tested positive for the virus in breakthrough cases, as the Hill reports. And at least one of them was asymptomatic:

As I do regularly, I tested yesterday for COVID. Late last night, I received a positive test result with a breakthrough case. Im asymptomatic and grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted.  Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) March 1, 2022

Upon further investigation, logistics might not be Rubios primary issue with the State of the Unions COVID-test requirement. Per the Hill, he complained about the requirement during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.

For the first time in American history you now have people having to produce paper to go in somewhere, to sit somewhere, to go to the State of the Union, Rubio said.

Youve got to show them Im vaccinated, I took a test yesterday, they took my temperature, you know, all this stuff, he added. This is, whats happening now in America, is what happens after 20 years of infusing this Marxist thought process into every aspect of our lives and now weve come face-to-face with it.

Rubio has a point. I certainly felt more free during the Trump administration, when people could just wander into the State of the Union and shake the presidents hand without producing documentation proving theyd met any sort of criteria to be there. (Im assuming. New York says checking facts is part of my job requirements, but I dont have time to do that today.)
IndexBox, Inc.

Global natural graphite production rose by 3.5% to 1M tonnes in 2021. China recorded the most prominent growth, increasing production by 7.6% to 820K tonnes.

LOS ANGELES, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new report from IndexBox, global natural graphite production rose by 3.5% y/y to 1M tonnes in 2021. China, the worlds leading graphite manufacturer, increased output by 7.6% to 820K tonnes. The countrys share in the global natural graphite market expanded from 79% in 2020 to 82% in 2021.



Among other countries, significant gains in output were recorded in Brazil, Canada, India, North Korea, Mozambique, Russia, Norway, and Ukraine. Brazil's production rose by 7% y/y to 68K tonnes, while production in Russia and Ukraine grew by 8% y/y to 27K tonnes and 6% y/y to 17K tonnes, respectively.

Global Natural Graphite Exports by Country

In 2020, approx. 409K tonnes of graphite (natural) were exported worldwide, with a decrease of -6.1% on the previous year. In value terms, graphite exports fell to $501M.

China was the main exporter of natural graphite globally, with the volume of exports accounting for 238K tonnes, which was near 58% of total supplies in 2020. Madagascar (48K tonnes) took a 12% share of total exports, putting it in second place, followed by Mozambique (5.3%). Brazil (17K tonnes), the Netherlands (17K tonnes), Russia (16K tonnes), Germany (16K tonnes), and the U.S. (6.4K tonnes) followed a long way behind the leaders.

In value terms, China ($328M) remains the largest graphite supplier worldwide, comprising 65% of global exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Germany ($27M), with a 5.3% share of the total value. It was followed by Brazil, with a 5.1% share.

Natural Graphite Export Prices by Country

In 2020, the average graphite export price amounted to $1,225 per tonne, picking up by 5.4% against the previous year. Prices varied noticeably by the country of origin; the country with the highest price was the U.S. ($3,354 per tonne), while Russia ($162 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. In 2020, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by China, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

Story continues

Worlds Leading Natural Graphite Importers

In 2020, the Dominican Republic (259K tonnes) was the major importer of natural graphite, achieving 41% of total purchases. South Korea (47K tonnes) held a 7.4% share of total volume, which put it in second place, followed by Japan (6.8%), India (6.1%), the U.S. (5.9%) and Germany (5.9%). China (26K tonnes), the Netherlands (17K tonnes), Austria (15K tonnes) and Turkey (12K tonnes) held a minor share of total imports.

In value terms, the largest graphite importing markets worldwide were South Korea ($102M), Japan ($66M) and the U.S. ($48M), with a combined 45% share of global purchases. These countries were followed by Germany, India, the Dominican Republic, China, the Netherlands, Austria and Turkey, which together accounted for a further 28%.

About IndexBox

IndexBox is a market research firm developing an AI-driven market intelligence platform that helps business analysts find actionable insights and make data-driven decisions. The platform provides data on consumption, production, trade, and prices for more than 10K+ different products across 200 countries.

For more information, please visit

Website https://www.indexbox.io

Twitter https://twitter.com/indexbox

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/IndexBox



LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/indexbox-marketing/

Companies Mentioned in the Report

Leading Edge Materials Corp., NextSource Materials Inc., Syrah Resources Limited, Talga Group Ltd., Triton Minerals Limited, Alabama Graphite, American Graphite Technologies, Anson Resources, Archer Materials, China Carbon Graphite Group, First Graphene, Focus Graphite, Gratomic, Hexagon Resources, Gratomic, Zentek, Tirupati Carbons & Chemicals, Chotanagpur Graphite Industries, Carbon & Graphite Products, China Carbon Graphite Group

Sources

World - Natural Graphite - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

China - Natural Graphite - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

Asia-Pacific - Graphite (Natural) - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

Eastern Europe - Graphite (Natural) - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

Africa - Graphite (Natural) - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights

CONTACT: Contact Information Mekhrona Dzhuraeva Editor media@indexbox.io




What's trending in the U.S. today, Feb. 28?

***

The Snake Island soldiers

The Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island -- who were all feared dead after their defiant response to threats from a Russian warship -- are actually "alive and well," according to the Ukrainian Navy.

All of the soldiers on the tiny island in the Black Sea were thought to have been killed in an attack on the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.

According to a purported audio exchange, one of the Ukrainian troops had responded to a warning from an approaching Russian vessel to lay down their weapons or face bombing by saying, "Russian warship, go f*** yourself."

More here:

The Pelicans lose to the Lakers

The New Orleans Pelicans are starting to find their stride since acquiring CJ McCollum nearly three weeks ago. Two nights after a surprising win at Phoenix, the Pelicans rolled to their biggest victory over the reeling Los Angeles Lakers.

McCollum scored 22 points while Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram added 19 apiece in New Orleans' 123-95 rout Sunday night.

The 28-point margin of victory is the largest in franchise history by the Pelicans over the Lakers, surpassing their 139-117 win in 2018.

More here:

'The Batman' review

"The Batman" presents a muscular vision of the Dark Knight that hardcore fans have long desired, a dark and serious epic that's somewhat offset by two disclaimers: At nearly three hours, the movie hangs around too long, really feeling it down the stretch; and despite its origins, this detective-driven take owes more to movies like "Seven" and "L.A. Confidential" than other superhero fare.

More here:

***

MORE TRENDING TOPICS

Wall Street/Dow Jones

State of the Union

Derek Jeter

Mardi Gras
How Digital Transformation Reduces Safety Risks on Jobsites

While safety has always been the top priority in construction, it is often compartmentalized.

Digital transformation is changing how safety is managed on jobsites. If the term digital transformation is familiar, but not clear, here is a refresher. Digital transformation is about using technology to improve business processes, company culture and customer experiences. Extending this to safety, digital transformation also reduces risks and compliance costs and improves productivity. It does this by streamlining and/or eliminating time-consuming processes and administrative tasks, identifying potential safety risks at the office or jobsite and providing the data and insight necessary for general contractors to make more strategic decisions about their business and each construction project.

While safety has always been the top priority in construction, it is often compartmentalized. It is common to see the safety officer conduct routine inspections and audits to identify and address potential risks and observe workers to ensure they are following protocols. However, safety is only practiced by workers not imposed by consulting engineers. Separating out safety can create an uncomfortable environment for the safety officer and colleagues, potentially impacting productivity as workers feel they are being monitored. In turn, this can foster adversarial relationships. Yet to be effective, safety is everyones job and requires continuous learning and collaboration.

Digital transformation can help if safety practices are no longer a drag on productivity and if digital transformation empowers everybody on the jobsite to play a more active role in ensuring safety. Digital does not eliminate the need for a safety officer, although it will reduce the overall workload. Rather, it highlights how technology can make it easier to prioritize and follow safety guidelines, especially onsite, further reducing risks while raising profits.

Four Obstacles Holding Back Digital Transformation

The benefits of digital transformation have been proven across many industries, yet construction is among the last to adopt it. That is not to say the industry is not aware of the proliferation of new technology on jobsites. Just look at the rise in innovative solutions such as digital apps, jobsite management platforms, virtual reality, robots, sensors and drones all contributing to the creation of the connected jobsite. Yet, not every new technology leads to a company's digital transformation.

This article originally appeared in the March 1, 2022 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
Folkston, GA (31537)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.
As an invasion unfolds in Eastern Europe, the reverberations from heavy shelling in Ukraine are rippling across the world. As Putins Russia invades the sovereign country and the gears of war begin to turn, there are more questions than answers about the impact that the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine will have on the rest of Europe and the global economy. For one thing, as a critical lynchpin for the European continents energy security, conflict in Russia and Ukraine will have far-reaching consequences for the average resident in the European Union.

Already, the attacks have caused oil prices to soar above $100 a barrel for the first time in nearly a decade, and have also sent renewable energy stocks surging as the liquefied natural gas market takes a major hit. Russia historically provides around 40% of the European Unions natural gas supply and approximately 50% of Germanys. All of which is to say that the Kremlin has considerable leverage in Europe, and this codependence has created a geopolitical nightmare as Russia has ignored the Wests pleas not to enter Ukraine.

since well before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europeans have been struggling under the weight of runaway energy bills. In Germany, some residents are now paying as much for one month of energy as they used to pay for an entire calendar year. In the United Kingdom, the government raised the price cap for energy bills by a whopping 54%.

And while the individual stories of financial strife, stress, and sacrifice are heartbreaking, the impact on local businesses and industries is nothing short of frightening. All kinds of small businesses across Europe have been forced to cease their operations as energy costs outweigh profits. Large industries have not been immune to sticker shock either. Almost two-thirds of the 28,000 companies surveyed by the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry this month rated energy prices as one of their biggest business risks, the New York Times recently reported. For those in the industrial sector, the figure was as high as 85 percent.

As European politicians have tried to respond to the energy crisis, their efforts have amounted to a bandaid where a tourniquet is needed. European governments have spent tens of billions of euros trying to shield consumers from record high energy prices, and themselves from voters' wrath, but the measures look set to fall short, Reuters reported last month. For policymakers, the volatility of the energy markets has been nothing short of a nightmare, especially for poorer countries with little financial buffer. In Poland, for example, hospitals reliant on embattled public budgets are left wondering if theyll be able to keep the lights on.

Critically, Europes reliance on Russian natural gas to keep the lights on and the economy running has weakened the continents bargaining power with Putin. As the West imposes sanctions on Russia in light of this weeks Ukrainian invasions, world leaders have been hesitant to hit Russia where it can hurt them the most  energy exports. "The sanctions that are being imposed today, as well that could be imposed in the near future, are not targeting and will not target oil and gas flows," an anonymous U.S. official was quoted by Reuters on Tuesday. "We would like the market to take note that there's no need for increasing the price at the moment."

Over the weekend, the world tightened its financial sanctions on Russia, cutting many Russian banks out of the international monetary system SWIFT. And while political leaders continue to drag their feet over energy-focused sanctions, for fear of making their own citizens vulnerable to soaring gas and electricity prices, the private sector has taken matters into its own hands. BP and Shell have both abandoned Russian projects, taking a stand on the side of Ukraine and making strong statements condemning Putins aggression. The way that the world has rallied to defend Ukraine has been stunning  even Switzerland has taken a side  and the manner in which the private sector has stepped up to do what the government would or could not do is history in the making. It must be pointed out, however, that for Shell and BP, higher oil prices are not necessarily a problem.

Ironically, the West and Russia have returned to a context of mutually assured destruction. This time its not nuclear holocaust, but economic devastation thats on the line if energy sanctions are placed on Russian exports at the same time that energy supplies are already devastatingly tight. If Europe is unwilling to go further than placing sanctions on Russian banks and freezing oligarchs assets, however, the Kremlin will have little reason not to continue a reign of terror in Ukraine.



By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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OPEC+ is widely expected to continue raising its overall production quota by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) per the plan from last summer, despite the surging oil prices over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Bloomberg survey of 18 analysts and traders showed on Tuesday.

The OPEC+ groupled by Saudi Arabia and Russiais meeting on Wednesday to discuss production for the month of April, while oil prices have jumped to over $100 per barrel and the market is apprehensive that it could soon have to go without at least some Russian barrels.

Moreover, OPEC and OPEC+ have not been pumping as much as the OPEC+ pact calls for, essentially tightening the market and distorting analyst assumptions about market balances. Estimates in the International Energy Agency's monthly oil market report for February showed that the gap between OPEC+ production and its target levels surged to as much as 900,000 bpd in January.

Despite $100 oil and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the OPEC+ alliance is set to rubberstamp another 400,000 bpd increase in monthly production targets next week, several OPEC+ sources told Reuters last week. The Russian invasion of Ukrainethe move that triggered oil's jump to $100hasn't changed the dynamics in the OPEC+ group, sources at the alliance told Reuters on Friday.

In the Bloomberg survey, only one of 18 experts polled expects OPEC+ to decide to add more than 400,000 bpd to its production quotas for April.

Russia's war in Ukraine hasn't affected the OPEC+ agreement, two sources at the group told Reuters on Tuesday, and also said they expect the alliance to stick to its monthly increases.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), discussed the oil market and "supporting stability in the global energy market," according to a statement from the Kremlin cited by Bloomberg.

The UAEa U.S. allyabstained last week from voting a resolution of the United Nations to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The other two countries which abstained were China and India, while Russia vetoed the resolution.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Spare oil production capacity is already under stress, and it will likely worsen as the crisis in Ukraine continues.

The world is short on spare oil production capacity. This became clear a while ago despite attempts to ignore it on the part of some governments of large consumer countries. The problem has once again come into the spotlight amid the Ukraine crisis, which has prompted fears of disruption in Russian oil and gas exports.

Spare capacity is falling and the [oil] market is having to reprice that lack of safety margin, JP Morgans head of global energy strategy, Christyan Malek, told the Financial Times last week.

The spare capacity problem has been highlighted repeatedly, by OPEC, the International Energy Agency, and numerous analysts. The result of underinvestment, the decline in global capacity will take quite a while to reverse if it ever does, given the energy transition pressure that environmentalist groups, activist investors, and governments are putting on the energy industry. Forecasts that if Big Oil continues to explore for oil and gas, it might end up with some $500 billion in stranded assets are not helping matters, either.

Oil is currently trading at over $102 for Brent crude and over $98 for West Texas Intermediate. The latest spike came this weekend, after the United States, Canada, the EU, and the UK announced they would cut off several Russian banks from the international bank transfer settlement system SWIFT in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Given the size of Russias oil and gas exports, traders worried the latest punitive action from the West could result in oil and gas flow disruptions.

In the meantime, global spare capacity in oil has dropped to just 2.8 million bpd, according to JP Morgan data. Thats quite a bit lower than the 5 million bpd that is considered a comfortable spare capacity level, sufficient to cushion the market against any operational or, as is the case now, geopolitical disruptions. The level is so low, in fact, that, according to Malek, prices will continue higher even if the situation in Ukraine does not lead to disruptions in oil flows.

The oil price is going up, and an oil supercycle is inevitable, the analyst told the Financial Times. There is nothing you can do.

Disruptions, however, seem quite likely in the wake of the latest sanctions against Russia.

The various banking sanctions make it highly difficult for Russian petroleum sales to occur now, John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital, told CNBC this weekend. Most banks will not provide basic financing, due to the risk of running afoul of sanctions.

Although the sanctions are still being crafted to avoid energy price shocks, we believe this aggressive-but-not-maximalist stance may not be sustainable, with disruptions to oil and gas shipments looking increasingly inevitable, Evercore ISI wrote in a note, cited by CNBC.

Related: Oil Prices Retreat As Biden Leaves Energy Out Of Sanctions Package

Meanwhile, demand for oil continues to grow. According to the chief executive of Vitol, the commodity trading major, global oil demand is set to pass the 100-million barrel-daily threshold this year for the first time. Demand is going to surge in the second half, Russell Hardy told Bloomberg earlier this month.

While demand is surging, Big Oil in Europe is being pressured to reduce its oil production, in the case of Shell with a court ruling, and in the United States, shale drillers cannot drill fast enough to keep up with demand growth. They are also suffering the fallout of the supply chain havoc wrought on the U.S. economy by the pandemic, so production recovery is going slower than it otherwise could have.

Eventually were going to run out of spare capacity, Vitols Hardy told Bloomberg last week. Thats what the market is trying to work out  how worried to be about that scenario.

Hardy was speaking before Russia sent troops to Ukraine. Now, the level of uncertainty about global oil supply is a lot higher, and prices may well follow. While the Western powers have tried to work around energy supplies in their sanction push against Moscow, Moscow itself may take the last step and turn off the taps.

While for now Russia has assured its energy clients there will be no disruptions to oil and gas flows, lets not forget there were assurances it will not invade Ukraine until the countrys president mentioned Ukraine could once again become a nuclear power, which some in Russia believe acted as the final trigger for the invasion.

The FT quoted Bob McNally from Rapidan Energy Group, who said the chances of oil and gas flow disruption in Ukraine was limited, noting that Russia exports some 250,000 bpd of oil via its eastern neighbor and about a fifth of its gas exports to Europe. The lack of spare production capacity, however, made the point more or less moot.

Until its clear that there will not be an interruption in oil supplies and in gas, I think youre going to see upward pressure, McNally said last week.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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In a move that likely angered his environment-conscious base, the White House has issued a muted request for U.S. oil companies to increase crude oil production in the wake of high crude oil and gasoline prices.

Though words are different than deedsand President Joe Bidens deeds have been decisively anti-fossil fuel expansiona White House official told U.S. oil companies on Tuesday that they could increase production if they want.

Prices are quite high, the price signal is strong. If folks want to produce more, they can and they should, White House National Economic Council Deputy Director Bharat Ramamurti said in an interview today.

While the words fell short of an official request to U.S. oil companies to increase production, it is decidedly different from ignoring U.S. oil companies production plans altogether while asking OPEC+ to do the heavy lifting when it comes to oil productionto no avail, no less.

Ramamurti also dispelled the notion that the U.S. Administration was somehow curtailing crude oil production.

But U.S. oil companies have long held that while the Administration hasnt directly restricted U.S. output, the energy policies flowing out of the White House have put a damper not only on the attitude involving crude oil production but has made it far more difficult for oil companies to ramp up.

The White House has received a lot of pushback in recent days for not tapping what many see as at least a partial solution to the headache that is high oil pricesU.S. shale.

Oil companies such as Devon Energy have said they have been perplexed that the White House has not called on them directly to ramp up oil production. And Ramamurtis comments today still do not rise to the level of asking U.S. producers for more oil.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Crude oil's rally continued unabated today even after the United States and several of its international allies said they may release oil from their reserves in response to the high prices.

Reuters reported that the United States and its allies were discussing the coordinated release of between 60 and 70 million barrels of crude in response to the latest moves in oil prices, which were prompted by fears of supply disruption after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's crude oil exports average 4 to 5 million barrels daily, plus another 2 to 3 million barrels daily of oil products. These flows, however, have been disrupted after the West slammed a barrage of sanctions on Moscow, including suspending several banks from the SWIFT international system.

The sanctions have sent commodity traders reeling, with some buyers shunning Russian oil, Reuters reported, and others finding it difficult to pay for the cargo and find tankers to transport them. Meanwhile, the UK has closed its ports to all Russian or Russia-related vessels, the report also said.

So far, the West has not resorted to direct sanctions on Russia's oil and gas industry, but according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, these are not off the table, either. These, however, could have "extreme consequences for the world energy markets, particularly ours and Europe's," Psaki said.

Meanwhile, prices at the pump across the United States continue to rise. According to the AAA, the average per gallon of regular at $3.610, up by $0.06 in a day. In Los Angeles, the average gas price has broken a new record, reaching $4.89 this week. The average for the state, according to the AAA, stood at $4.827 per gallon.

With regards to the planned concerted release of oil reserves, "It should have a significant psychological effect on oil market sentiment, because it would signal to the market that the main oil-consuming nations are determined to try to prevent a further spike in oil prices," FG Energy analysts wrote in a note.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Germany had planned to phase out both nuclear power and coal in the coming years, but those plans could now be put on hold.

As Germany aims to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas, it is considering all energy sources and wants to build two new LNG terminals.

Europes largest economy is heavily dependent on Russian gas and has now realized it must change its energy policy to ensure national security.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine upended the energy policy of Germany. In just a few days since Putin decided to invade Ukraine, Europes biggest economy - heavily dependent on Russian pipeline gas and the end point of another project to receive natural gas from Russia - has suspended the new pipeline project and said no energy source is off the table when it comes to ensuring German energy security.

Early last week, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops there, Germany suspended Nord Stream 2, the Russia-led natural gas pipeline project.

We now have to reassess the dramatically changed situation: This also applies to Nord Stream 2, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said last Tuesday, adding that The certification cannot take place now.

Related: Russia Has $630 Billion To Spare As It Considers Cutting European Gas Flows

Since last Tuesday, however, the crisis escalated into a full-blown Russian invasion of Ukraine. The European Union and the United States scrambled to draft sanctions against Russia and Putin in such a way so as not to disrupt Russian oil and gas exports, a large part of which go to Europe. And European countries, including the biggest economy in Europe, Germany, outlined new measures in their own domestic energy policies to wean themselves off Russian energy dependence.

The Russian war in Ukraine placed that dependence in sharp relief - the West wants to punish Putin with the harshest possible sanctions, but it has been reluctant to slap sanctions on Russian oil and gas exports.

Some European countries realized that having one predominant supplier of gas (or any other commodity) is not a sustainable energy policy, especially in light of the green policies that have led to pledges for phasing out coal in a few years.

In a major change, of course, Germany - which had argued until a few months ago that it is looking at the purely commercial benefits it would gain from Nord Stream 2 - is now not only putting the project on ice, but it is also supporting the construction of two terminals to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is not leaving any energy source - not even coal or nuclear - off the table.

We will change course in order to eliminate our dependence on imports from individual energy suppliers, Chancellor Scholz said on Sunday at Parliament, which had convened to discuss the war in Ukraine.

After all, the events of recent days and weeks have shown us that responsible, forward-looking energy policy is not just crucial for our economy and our climate. It is also crucial for our security, he added.

Germany will build two LNG import facilities, at Brunsbuettel and Wilhelmshaven, the chancellor said.

The German government has asked energy group Uniper to reconsider its plans for an LNG terminal construction at Wilhelmshaven - plans that the company shelved two years ago because of poor economics, German business daily Handelsblatt reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Apart from two LNG terminals, Germany plans to boost the volumes of its natural gas storage and will purchase more gas on the global market in consultation with the EU, Chancellor Scholz said. Coal reserves will also be boosted, he added.

No energy source is taboo in the new German energy strategy to move away from Russian gas dependence, said economy minister Robert Habeck, a member of the Green Party.

Before Putins war in Ukraine, Germany planned to switch off all its remaining nuclear power generators by the end of 2022, while it also looked to retire a large portion of its coal-fired capacity fleet between 2022 and 2024. The country has said it would aim to phase out coal by 2030  eight years ahead of earlier plans.

Extending the operation of the remaining nuclear power plants or phasing out coal later than 2030 are options currently under discussion, the minister said.

There are no taboos on deliberations, regarding Germanys energy policy from now on, Habeck told German television ARD on Sunday.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The spike in crude oil prices last week in the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine has lent further urgency to the long-running efforts to bring Iranian oil back into the global oil market in order to bring prices back down to levels that do not cause so much damage to major economies. According to sources closely connected to the current negotiations between the P5+1 group of nations (U.S., U.K., France, China, and Russia, plus Germany) and Iran exclusively spoken to last week by OilPrice.com, the mechanism to achieve this  a new iteration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)  is tantalizingly close to being done. However, the most senior source added, not only will Iran have to make significant nuclear and missile concessions first but, even more problematic for both sides albeit for different reasons, Iran will be committed initially to aligning itself with the full rules and regulations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and then to becoming a fully-regulated and constantly-monitored FATF member.

The prize for a full new iteration of the JCPOA to be signed and put into effect will be at least an immediate 5-10 percent drop in oil prices in the short- to medium-term and maybe more. Specifically, as highlighted by OilPrice.com most recently at the beginning of 2022, Iranian crude oil and condensate production could bounce back very quickly after a new iteration of has been signed and Irans Petroleum Ministry orders the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) to ramp up production. According to a senior analyst at global energy markets intelligence company Kpler, spoken to exclusively by OilPrice.com at the time, in this scenario Iran could see an 80 percent recovery of full production within six months and a 100 percent recovery within 12 months. [As at the beginning of Q4 2021] Iranian crude oil production capacity stood at 3.9 to 4.0 million barrels per day [bpd] according to the NIOC with current output holding near 2.4 million, of which 1.7-1.8 million is consumed in domestic refineries, and close to 1 million barrels per day of condensate and natural gas liquids are also being produced at present, primarily from the South Pars gas field, although total condensate and NGL production capacity stands at around 1 3 million barrels per day, said the Kpler analyst. Ultimately, we believe Iranian production could technically jump by 1.7 million bpd including 200,000 bpd of condensate and LPG/ethane, in a 6 to 9 month period from when sanctions are lifted and an immediate impact of a 5-10 percent fall in the oil price would be likely, the analyst concluded.

Over and above the nuclear and missile concessions required of Iran  that have been analyzed in their various aspects by OilPrice.com  and can be agreed to by Tehran with varying degrees of believability, the FATF is a different matter entirely. Founded in 1989 by the G7 group of nations - U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan - the FATF was initially focused on identifying and combating money laundering but shortly afterward had its operational remit expanded to included to do the same for the financing of terrorism and related activities. With its 40 active criteria and mechanisms in place to prevent money laundering or to deal with those who do it, and nine criteria and mechanisms in place to do the same for the financing of terrorism and related activities, the FATF has swingeing powers to wield against individuals, companies, or countries who transgress any of its standards and is extremely aggressive in using them by degrees, depending on whether the sanctioned entity is on its grey or black list.

Currently, Iran is one of just two countries  the other being North Korea  on its blacklist, with a particular failure on Irans part noted by the FATF in its inability or unwillingness to address its deficiencies even after the Implementation Day of the first JCPOA on 16 January 2016. According to the FATF: Irans [2016] action plan expired in January 2018[and] In February 2020, the FATF noted Iran has not completed the action plan. The FATF added: In October 2019, the FATF called upon its members and urged all jurisdictions to: require increased supervisory examination for branches and subsidiaries of financial institutions based in Iran; introduce enhanced relevant reporting mechanisms or systematic reporting of financial transactions; and require increased external audit requirements for financial groups with respect to any of their branches and subsidiaries located in Iran. The FATF concluded  and this is where we are now: Iran will remain on the FATF statement on [High Risk Jurisdictions Subject to a Call for Action] until the full Action Plan has been completed. If Iran ratifies the Palermo and Terrorist Financing Conventions, in line with the FATF standards, the FATF will decide on next steps, including whether to suspend countermeasures.

There are three key reasons why the FATF-conditionality being insisted upon by the P5+1 group of nations in the current negotiations to sign a new iteration of the JCPOA is so difficult for Iran. The first of these is that every single element contained in all 49 combined elements of the FATFs anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism rules and regulations are being broken by Iran. Second, they are being broken by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and/or its associated entities and affiliates (depending on which of the 49 elements is looked at), and that the IRGC and its associated entities and affiliates permeate the very fabric of Irans economic and corporate structures. And third, the IRGCs activities are regarded as being done entirely in the spirit of spreading Irans revolutionary Islamic message around the world by its religious leaders.

In this latter regard, the remarkably pervasive view that the IRGC is somehow a rogue element in Iran that acts without the full knowledge and blessing of Irans senior religious figures is devoid of any factual basis. As analyzed in-depth in my new book on the global oil markets  and evidenced in recent elections  at the center of the guiding principles of Iran, and of all of its politicians and of the IRGC, is the concept of Velayat-e-Faqih. This means that all serious political and religious authority is entrusted to the Iranian clergy, which makes all the key decisions for Iran, provided that they have been approved by the foremost religious leader - the Supreme Leader himself. It is only when this approval has been given that actions are then taken to enforce it by the guardians of the 1979 Revolution, the IRGC. And these decisions cover everything of significance from foreign policy, through defense policy, economic policy, and intelligence policy, to any major domestic policy as well, a senior oil and gas industry source who works closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry told OilPrice.com.

This standard operating procedure, then, feeds back into the breadth and depth of the IRGCs involvement in all levels of Irans economic and corporate structures, as also examined in my new book on the global oil markets. Back at the beginning of 2016  again, around the same time as Implementation Day of the first JCPOA - Emanuele Ottolenghi, a senior fellow with the foundation for Defense of Democracies testified before a sub-committee of the U.S.s House Committee on Foreign Affairs that the IRGC had significant ownership shares in 27 companies that are publicly traded on the TSE, constituting at minimum 22 percent of its total value, at US$15.8 billion between them. Since then, according to sources in Washington and London, estimates are that the IRGC placed top commanders at the heart of more than 200 Iranian companies. Indeed, according to Ottolenghi, the IRGC is active in the Iranian oil, gas, petrochemical, automotive, transportation, telecommunications, construction, and metals and mining sectors, and identified several companies in which the IRGC owns a significant stake. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, in September 2012, also described the NIOC itself as an agent or affiliate of the IRGC and therefore subject to sanctions under Iran Threat Reduction Act. Moreover, after years of prevarication  given the knowledge that to do so would be effectively to brand Irans religious leadership as the same  the U.S. officially branded the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), with all of the ramifications implied.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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The IEA Ministerial Meeting being held on Tuesday has resulted in an agreement of some of its members to release 60 million barrels of crude oil from various countries strategic petroleum reserves.

The United States has agreed to release 30 million barrels of crude oil from its SPR. The rest of the IEA members in Europe and Asia will release the remaining 30 million barrels.

The concerted release is said to have a greater impact on the global oil markets than just a single countrys releasebut analysts have questioned how much of an impact it would really have on the global markets, considering that 60 million barrels is less than a day of global oil demand.

But what the market is fearing here is lost Russian barrels. Lost to the market, that is. And for this, were talking about less than 7 million barrels a day that are exported.

To offset that with 60 million barrels for a short while is certainly achievable. Whats more, its very unlikely that all Russian crude oil exports would be stopped, even if they are sanctioned. It is far more likely that China would continue to purchase crude oil from Russia even if there are sanctions, leaving an even smaller share for the SPR releases to cover.

But the market is interpreting the 60 million barrels as a mere drop in the big oil bucket, as evidenced by the rise in prices. Shortly after the announcement, WTI shot up $8.54 (+8.92%) on the day to $104.26. Brent, meanwhile, jumped up $7.85 (+8.01%) to $105.82 per barrel on the day.

The SPR release seems to have the opposite of the intended effect on oil prices, and thats not terribly surprising. An announced SPR release is also a signal to the market that the market is in trouble. Global crude oil inventories are low, and demand is soaring. And now, Russias oil supplyor at least part of itcould soon be unavailable to the Western world should additional sanctions become necessary. The announcement of the release of barrels from the SPR only highlights those issues.

The IEA, however, has said that the SPR release sends a unified and strong message to global oil markets that there will be no shortfall in supplies as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Amid Russias attack on Ukraine, Azerbaijan has been trying to maintain good relations with both countries, sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine just days after signing a treaty alliance with Russia.

Meanwhile, many Azerbaijanis have been discontented with what they see as their governments conspicuous silence in the face of the invasion, and several hundred Azerbaijanis held a rally in solidarity with Ukraine, which was ultimately dispersed by the police.

On February 26, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy tweeted his thanks to Azerbaijan for supplying humanitarian aid to his country. That aid supply had not been previously made public in Azerbaijan, but several hours later local media reported that a plane from Azerbaijani air cargo company Silkway had transported 5 million euros worth of medicines to Ukraine.

The same day, Zelenskiy sent another tweet thanking Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for ordering gas stations in Ukraine belonging to Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR to provide free fuel to ambulances and emergency services vehicles.

Azerbaijan has particular ties with each country, which has helped determine its response to the crisis.

Bakus relationship with Moscow is up-and-down, but took an up turn when Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow and signed an alliance agreement linking the two countries foreign policies just two days before Putin announced the invasion. Also while in Moscow, Aliyev signaled that Azerbaijan intended to cooperate with Russia on gas exports to Europe; Russia has threatened to cut off Europes energy supplies and Azerbaijan had earlier suggested it could be a potential alternative.

Ukraine, however, is also a strategic partner to Azerbaijan, and has long publicly supported Azerbaijans territorial integrity  that is, its right to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, over which Azerbaijan lost control to Armenian forces in a war in the 1990s. When the second war between the two sides, in 2020, ended in Azerbaijan retaking much of that territory, Zelenskiy supported Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has not vocally reciprocated: following Russias formal recognition of the Ukrainian breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics, Baku has remained silent.

The day before the invasion, Aliyev was asked in Moscow about his position on Russia-Ukraine tensions in a meeting with prominent Russian journalists. He demurred, replying that he preferred to withhold judgment as it would be irresponsible of me to give a prognosis. But he also spoke disapprovingly on the possibility of sanctions against Russia, saying he was sure that they would be futile as Putin has probably calculated it all when he made the decision.  Russia is resilient against any sanctions with its potential, geography, and opportunities.

On February 25, after the invasion had started, Aliyevs senior foreign policy adviser Hikmat Hajiyev told state television that the events happening around Ukraine were disturbing processes and should be solved by dialogue.

The fact that Hajiyev and other officials stopped short of open support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russia dismayed many Azerbaijanis. They should never again use the words territorial integrity and sovereignty, one independent journalist, Sahila Aslanova, wrote on Twitter, referring to Bakus regular talking points in defense of its position on Karabakh.

Ukraines Ambassador to Baku, Vladislav Kanevskiy, told BBC Azerbaijani on February 25 that Kyiv was still waiting to hear Azerbaijans position. Im planning to hold a series of meetings to learn the official Azerbaijani stance on the current situation. We addressed a request to the official bodies for that, he said.

The news of the humanitarian aid shipment the next day cheered many who were supporting Ukraine. When I read about Azerbaijans aid to Ukraine, I felt at ease, as if a burden was taken off of my shoulders, wrote another Twitter user.

Azerbaijans balancing act between its two strategic partners was again displayed during a vote over terminating Russias membership in the Council of Europe. While 42 member states out of 47 voted to kick Russia out, Azerbaijan was one of only two countries which didn't show up for the vote.

Support for Ukraine was not expressed only online: On February 27, a demonstration was held in Baku in front of the Ukrainian embassy to show solidarity with Ukraine, where several hundred participants chanted slogans Slava Ukraine (Glory to Ukraine) and Glory to Zelensky as well as some criticizing Russia and Putin. As the crowd grew, the police stepped in and dispersed the demonstrators, telling them nothing is going to change with your words, participants reported.

The government appeared to try to play down the import of the rally.

Holding a protest like this isnt against Russia, one pro-government member of parliament, Elman Nasirov, told local news outlet Pravda.az. If Russia were in the analogous situation, Azerbaijan would take the same steps. But now Ukraine is the side facing serious casualties.

But the authorities are being cautious with respect to the protests against the war. On the day the war started, the police detained activist Elman Guliyev in front of the Russian embassy in Baku as he read a statement denouncing the war.

By Eurasianet.org

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Canada, which has not imported any Russian oil in three years, has made a symbolic gesture in banning these same imports this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

While Canada has imported very little amounts [of crude oil] in recent years, this measure sends a powerful message, Trudeau said, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal.

Canada, the WSJ recalls, has been among the most aggressive sanction proponents against Russia, while Europe, which imports a quarter of its oil and almost 40 percent of its gas from Russia, has been more hesitant about the possibility of shooting itself in the foot with sanctions.

For now, the focus has been on the financial sector and government assets abroad, with a side focus on bans on Russian state media. While direct oil and gas sanctions have been kept off the table, there has been fear that current sanctions, including the cutting off of several Russian banks from the SWIFT international transaction reporting system, would affect oil and gas flows.

Indeed, Reuters reported yesterday that a Russian tanker carrying crude oil to Malaysia might fall victim to the sanctions. The Linda, according to the report, is the property of a company called PSB Leasing, which is a unit of Promsvyazbankone of the targets of Western sanctions. The report cited the bank as saying it was no longer the owner of the vessel.

Another vessel that Promsvyazbank said was not its property was seized by French authorities during the weekend. Again, reports said its owner was Promsvyazbanks subsidiary PSB Leasing.

Another report from this week said buyers of Russian oil were encountering problems with payments for cargos and finding tankers to carry these cargos in the wake of the sanction wave from the West.

All this suggests that even without directly targeting Russian oil and gas exports, the West could damage international flows, which means the upward risk for oil prices remains considerable.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Buoyed by the surging popularity of ready-to-drink cocktails during the COVID-19 pandemic, global liquor producer Diageo expanded its Will County manufacturing operations Tuesday with the opening of a new canning facility.

The Plainfield manufacturing facility, Diageo Lincolnway, includes two high-speed can lines to support the growth of the companys ready-to-drink category, officials with Diageo North America said in a news release.

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The parent company of Smirnoff, Crown Royal, Guinness and other well-known brands, Diageo has invested about $110 million in the Plainfield facility, which has the capacity to produce more than 25 million cases of malt-based beverages and spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails each year.

Global liquor producer Diageo invested $110 million in a new canning facility it opened March 1, 2022, in Plainfield, which will add 50 jobs to the company's roughly 600-person workforce southwest of Chicago. The plant is expected to produce 25 million cases annually of ready-to-drink cocktails, which have gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Diageo / HANDOUT)

The new facility will support 50 full-time jobs, with Diageos Plainfield warehouse and bottling operation collectively employing more than 600 workers, the company said.

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The new facility strengthens our manufacturing footprint in the region and allows us to leverage synergies with our warehouse and bottling operation in Plainfield, Michael L. Nelson Jr., Diageo North Americas senior vice president for manufacturing and distillation, said in a statement.

The ready-to-drink cocktail market across the U.S. has exploded in recent years, fueled by a soaring number of consumers choosing to dine and drink at home, especially during the early days of the pandemic, when many restaurants and bars offered only meals and alcoholic beverages to go.

Sales of ready-to-drink cocktails grew 116.2% to $723.9 million in 2021, according to market research firm NielsenIQ.

A 56-year-old partnership with the Village of Plainfield began when the Plainfield Bottling site opened in 1966, making Diageo an integral part of Plainfields economic life, providing jobs and tax revenue, Plainfield Mayor John Argoudelis said in a statement.

One of the biggest alcohol producers in the world, Diageo sells its products in more than 180 countries. The companys brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanans whiskeys; Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas; Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas; as well as Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.

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Chicago Tribune reporter Robert Channick contributed.

kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
The Switzerland-registered owner of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project could file for insolvency in a Swiss court as soon as this week, following the U.S. sanctions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.

Nord Stream 2, led by Russian gas giant Gazprom, was a project to carry natural gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea. Until last week, the pipeline construction was complete, and Nord Stream 2 was awaiting full regulatory clearance from Germany and a review by the European Union over its compliance with EU energy regulations.

However, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and deployed troops there, Germany suspended the Russia-led project, and the United States slapped sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG.

After the crisis escalated into a full-blown war that Putin now leads in Ukraine, the Western partners tightened the screw with severe sanctions on Russia and Putins ability to use Russian banks and the central bank for payments.

Nord Stream 2 has also terminated contracts with employees due to the sanctions.

Following the recent geopolitical developments leading to the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG, the company had to terminate contracts with employees. We very much regret this development, Nord Stream 2 AG said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Gazprom had European partners in the Nord Stream 2 venture, including Shell, Uniper, Wintershall Dea, Engie, and OMV.

Shell already said earlier this week that it will exit all partnerships with Gazprom and also intends to end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project due to Putins war in Ukraine.

We cannot  and we will not  stand by, Shells chief executive officer Ben van Beurden said in a statement.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Oil traders are staying away from Russian crude after the Western countries banned selected Russian banks from SWIFT, and Russian producers cant sell their cargoes in tenders because no one is bidding.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian cargoes have become toxic for most of the traders, insurers, and tanker owners, although the sanctions do not target energy exports. Some refiners and traders are uncertain how the bank credits would work; others are staying away to avoid reputational damage. The global oil market is starting to see disruption in Russian supply, which could send oil prices even higher than the current $104 a barrel as of early Tuesday.

Surgutneftegaz, for example, offered on Monday two cargoes of Russias flagship Urals grade loading on March 10 and 11, but received no bids, traders told Reuters yesterday. This was the second time Surgutneftegaz had failed to award those cargoes after a first failed tender last week when Russian invaded Ukraine. Last weeks bids were in the region of around $15 a barrel below Dated Brent.

On Tuesday, Surgutneftegaz is offering eight cargos for loading in March, and if that tender fails again, it will be indicative of the struggles Russia has with selling its crude despite the fact that it is not directly targeted by the sanctions. Refiners are steering clear of Russian crude, charter rates have soared, especially in the Black Sea region, insurers decline to ensure tankers, and tanker owners as a whole are not willing to offer their vessels to load Russian crude.

Refiners in Europe have started to replace Russian crude. For example, Neste of Finland said on Tuesday, Due to the current situation and the uncertainty in the market, Neste has mostly replaced Russian crude oil with other crudes, such as North Sea oil. Neste is preparing for various options in procurement, production and logistics.

Swedens refiner Preem told Argus it had paused all incoming orders of Russian crude oil, pending sanctions.

Supermajor BP, which said this weekend it would exit its 20-percent stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft, has canceled all of its fuel oil loadings from a Russian Black Sea port over Putins invasion of Ukraine, sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case on Monday brought by Republican states and coal companies over how much authority the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has to order emissions reductions at power plants.

The case could be a significant hurdle to future climate policies of the Biden Administration and could set a precedent on whether federal agencies have the authority to impose carbon dioxide limits on power plants.

The conservative-majority Supreme Court will hear arguments today over whether the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal- and natural gas-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act.

Republican states led by West Virginia and coal industry groups are challenging a federal court ruling from last year that said the EPA had the authority to issue such regulations.

We dont think that the EPA has the unilateral capability to decarbonize our country, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey told Fox Businesss Maria Bartiromo on Monday, commenting on the case at the Supreme Court.

We know that there is only a limited amount of authority that the EPA possesses with respect to these carbon emissionsThis is the great opportunity to rein in federal overreach, AG Morrisey said.

Major policy choices affecting the national economy should not be made by unelected agency officials, according to a legal brief filed by North American Coal Corporation, cited by NBC News.

Of those supporting the Administrations approach, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said, commenting on the case that pro-coal interests want the Supreme Court to hand them a license to pollute.

Opponents of the Biden Administration are advancing horror stories about extreme regulations the EPA may issue in the future. The EPA is writing a new rule on a clean slate, David Doniger, a climate change expert with the NRDC, told the Associated Press.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide on the matter by the end of June.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Chinese buyers of coal are having trouble securing financing to buy coal from Russia, the worlds third-largest coal exporter, as Chinas banks are wary of sanctions themselves after selected Russian banks were expelled from the SWIFT banking system.

Most banks have stopped issuing letters of credit after the SWIFT sanctions. As almost all contracts are dollar-denominated, we have no other way to make the payment, a trader dealing in Russian coal and based in China told Reuters on Tuesday.

Despite the fact that Russias large-volume energy exports are not directly targeted by sanctions, the other sanctions already in placeespecially the SWIFT banis making a growing number of traders in all energy commodities reluctant to deal with Russia, all the more so that banks decline to issue letters of credit in U.S. dollars.

Chinese traders are discussing with Russian coal exporters payments in Chinese yuan, for the first time, according to Reuters sources.

There is an option for buyers to use the Chinese banking settlement and clearing system, CIPS, at some point in the future.

Right now, even China is wary of dealing with Russian commodities, according to traders.

Loading of Russian coal has almost stopped at the moment because of uncertainty over payments given the sanctions, a market participant told Argus.

Even before the SWIFT ban, Chinese large state-owned banks were reportedly moving to restrict financing for Russian commodities purchases after Russia invaded Ukraine last week.

China is the single largest buyer of Russian coal, while Russia is the second-largest coal supplier to China after Indonesia.

Considering that the heating season is nearly at its end, China is not expected to have short-term issues with coal supply, according to Reuters.

The uncertainty over the payments for Russian commodities has already started to reverberate through the global energy markets, sending coal prices to record highs and adding to the supply disruptions from Indonesia, which restricts exports.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Until college football can figure out what to do about NIL, it can slow its effect by turning back the clock, when immediate eligibility didnt get handed out like gumballs, Sam McKewon writes.
The number of new cases of COVID-19 in Nebraska hit a seven-month low last week.

Nebraska recorded 968 new cases of COVID for the week ending Thursday, down 50% from the 1,940 reported the previous week, according to a World-Herald analysis of federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. That marked the first time since late July that weekly cases have dipped below 1,000.

Nebraskas per-capita case rate dipped below Marylands to become the nations lowest. The state rate is now less than one-third the national rate.

In all, COVID cases have fallen by 97% in Nebraska since the omicron wave peaked five weeks ago. They have dropped 90% nationally in that same time, the reason that cities, school districts and states increasingly are setting aside mask mandates.

The CDC last week issued new metrics that suggest 70% of Americans live in communities where cases and hospitalizations now are low enough that healthy people no longer need to wear masks.

Based on the CDC metrics, Douglas and Sarpy Counties both are considered to have medium case levels, suggesting those with health concerns should continue to wear masks.

Lancaster County has a low case rate. At that level, the CDC recommends that only people with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID should wear a mask.

The CDC notes that anyone can choose to wear a mask at any time.

Some rural Nebraska counties continue to have high ratings under the new system. The CDC still recommends mask use in those counties.

Hospitalizations in Nebraska are falling more slowly than the number of cases. The average number of Nebraskans hospitalized last week fell only 13% from the week before. Hospitalizations did fall below 300 for the first time since August, dipping to 279 on Sunday. Thats down from a peak of 767 a month ago. But that number remains well above levels seen before the delta and omicron variant waves arrived last summer.

There was a big exhale when we saw the volume going down, Kevin Miller, president of the Omaha areas Lakeside and Midlands Hospitals, said Monday.

But he and other hospital officials said their facilities still are busy catching up with care delayed during the pandemic. Hospitals continue to face staffing challenges and concerns about burnout.

Brett Richmond, president and CEO of Methodist Fremont Health, said he hopes for an easier spring and summer that will give staff members a bit of a reprieve.

But he said it will be important to continue to push to increase vaccination rates and booster doses. If we dont continue to make progress on that front, he said, I think well have a decrease in immunity should we see another wave sometime this year.

Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, said data provided by the state indicates that only 32% of the states eligible population is boosted.

Everyone 12 and older is eligible for boosters. Although the initial vaccine doses still are effective in preventing severe disease, their effectiveness in preventing infection wanes over time, especially in people 65 and older. And boosters have bolstered protection against the omicron variant, which can get around some portion of vaccine- and infection-induced immunity.

Most of Douglas Countys share of the at-home COVID-19 test kits purchased by the state health department have been distributed or are being sent to the areas eight school districts and the Omaha Archdiocese, said Phil Rooney, a spokesman for the Douglas County Health Department.

Others have gone to homeless shelters, correctional facilities and five Omaha Public Library branches  Washington, Abrams, Benson, South Omaha and Millard. Some also will be distributed at community events.

The state logged 73 confirmed or probable deaths last week, down only slightly from the 79 weekly deaths the state has averaged over the past month. At the current rate, the state this week will top 4,000 confirmed or probable deaths since the pandemic began. The state has recorded 453,569 COVID cases during the pandemic.

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A cheerful contingent of kindergartners queued up outside Patton Elementary School in Arlington Heights Monday morning, blissfully unaware that Feb. 28 marked a dramatic milestone in their nearly two-year trek through the COVID-19 pandemic.

For students in kindergarten through first grade, who have never experienced a typical, prepandemic school year, COVID-19 masks have become as ubiquitous as crayons, glue and scissors, and masked or unmasked, the youngsters greeted their arriving classmates with spirited squeals.

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It does feel like were turning a corner, but for our students, masks have been a nonissue, Patton Principal Eric Larson said as the kindergartners headed to their classroom on the first day of the halting of Gov. J.B. Pritzkers school mask mandate.

The kids have done a really good job treating each other with mutual respect, kindness and empathy, and their teachers have done a great job helping them understand that people make different choices about masking for different reasons, Larson said.

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Students arrive at Patton Elementary School in Arlington Heights on Feb. 28, 2022. Two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has lifted the school mask mandate. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Despite months of fervent parent protests, a flurry of lawsuits, and increasingly polarized communities where grievances have erupted between even the closest of neighbors, the Illinois school mask mandate ended Monday without fanfare.

Coinciding with the governors lifting of the mask mandate for the general public, and prompted by the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, federal rules also were relaxed for student transportation, with children no longer required to wear face masks while aboard a school bus.

While universal masking will still be enforced at Chicago Public Schools as part of a COVID-19 safety agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, the vast majority of the roughly 850 Illinois school districts had shifted to mask-optional policies weeks before the Friday release of the CDC recommendations.

At Barrington 220 School District, where frustrated parents have packed school board meetings in recent months, demanding an end to the mask mandate, Superintendent Robert Hunt said in a letter to parents that even with the new CDC guidance, anyone who wishes to continue wearing a mask is welcome to do so.

As I have stated in the past, this is an individual choice and we must respect one anothers decisions, Hunt said.

The pandemic is constantly evolving and guidance may change in the future. It is possible that we will have to add mitigations if there are significant increases in transmission rates in our schools. However, these latest changes indicate a positive step forward in this process, Hunt said.

At the Washington-based National Education Association, union officials said although they are encouraged by the new guidance, local governments must bring educators to the table with our in-school experience when determining how to keep school communities safe  including those with disabilities who are more vulnerable to the exposure and effects of COVID-19.

Students arrive for school at Patton Elementary School on Feb. 28, 2022, in Arlington Heights. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

School districts should act cautiously in response to todays announcement, with the health and safety of students, educators and their families always in mind, NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement.

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Attorney Tom DeVore, who represents hundreds of Illinois parents who filed a lawsuit against the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health, arguing that the school mask mandate was authorized illegally, said the governor didnt lift anything, because there was nothing for him to lift.

State lawmakers failed to renew IDPH rules on masking in mid-February, prompting an appellate court to dismiss the governors appeal over a Springfield judges Feb. 4 restraining order as moot. In an order late Friday, the Illinois Supreme Court refused to take the case, and found that since the appeal had been dismissed as moot, the restraining order should also be tossed.

DeVore said with the vast majority of school districts statewide were already mask-optional, even before the new CDC guidance, CPS remains the sole district requiring universal masking.

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DeVore said he plans to ask a judge for an order halting masking at city schools later this week.

Officials at Northbrook School District 28 said the district will continue its existing mitigation strategies, including the exclusion of positive COVID-19 cases and individuals with symptoms, SHIELD saliva testing, increased fresh air intake and hand sanitizing.

In addition, remote instruction will continue to be available for students excluded from school for COVID-related reasons, District 28 Superintendent Larry Hewitt said in a letter to parents.

Patton Elementary School students on Feb. 28, 2022, in Arlington Heights. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Anyone who wishes to continue or discontinue wearing a mask in school is free to do so, and we respect and support each familys decision to act in the best interest of their children, Hewitt said.

In Arlington Heights, engineer and mother of two Tina Fries waved goodbye to her kindergartner Monday morning, saying that while she appreciates the value of the CDCs recent change of guidance, her children will remain masked in the classroom, at least for now.

If I continue to see the trajectory of the data moving in the right direction during the next two weeks, Ill start to feel a little better, Fries said.

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Arlington Heights District 25 Superintendent Lori Bein expressed cautious optimism at last weeks school board meeting, pointing to virus data moving steadily in a positive direction in recent weeks.

The pandemic came in like a lion, and hopefully is going out like a lamb, Bein said. Were definitely in a much calmer place than we have been for the past two years.

kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
For the past several years, federal and state health officials have been working to get Narcan, a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses, into the hands of more people.

Pharmacies across Nebraska have made Narcan, or naloxone, available to any resident, often at no charge. A website maintained by a statewide campaign called Stop Overdose Nebraska allows Nebraskans to search for pharmacies near them that offer the drug.

A change in Nebraska Medicines electronic medical records software appears to be boosting those efforts.

In August, the health system added an advisory to its patient records system, known as One Chart, that alerts health care providers ordering opioids for patients who meet certain criteria to also prescribe naloxone for them.

Since the alert launched in August, the number of prescriptions for naloxone filled at the health systems pharmacies has increased from 36 in the five months before the move to more than 1,290, said Dr. Alena Balasanova, an addiction psychiatrist with Nebraska Medicine.

In addition, the number of prescriptions for naloxone statewide increased roughly four- or fivefold in August over the previous average of 150 to 180 prescriptions a month. The number remained well above that level through December, the latest month for which data was available. The data was collected by CyncHealth, which contracts with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to manage its prescription drug monitoring program.

Kevin Borcher, CyncHealths vice president of pharmacy informatics, said further research would be needed to confirm that the Nebraska Medicine project directly impacted the statewide prescribing numbers.

But Balasanova noted that Nebraska Medicine has clinics throughout the Omaha metropolitan area and that other hospitals elsewhere in the state use its health record system.

We want to flood the community with naloxone, she said, because we know this is the No. 1 thing that can help to reverse an opioid overdose.

Balasanova said a naloxone prescription might be warranted when opioids are prescribed for people who have respiratory illnesses or other conditions that affect breathing. The same goes for people who take other medications that can interact with opioids to impact breathing.

Even when a person takes an opioid as prescribed, the drugs can result in an accidental overdose if breathing slows or stops. Most opioid overdoses, Balasanova said, are accidental.

I think of naloxone like a fire extinguisher, she said. You want to have it in your house just in case something should ever happen. You dont ever expect to use it, nor do you want to use it. But gosh, if you end up having a fire, arent you glad you have that fire extinguisher?

More than 200 Nebraskans died of drug overdoses in 2020, an increase of nearly 43% from the previous year, according to a report last summer from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDCs report did not specify which drugs are responsible for the overdose deaths. In Nebraska, Balasanova said, methamphetamines, not opioids, have been the predominant contributor.

Balasanova said the change to the medical records system originated with feedback she got while meeting with other Nebraska Medicine providers. She leads an effort for the state health department to educate providers on opioid safety as part of a CDC grant.

In a separate but related initiative, Balasanova also spearheaded an effort to create a new set of orders, added to the system in December, that provides a way to assess opioid withdrawal in patients and offer treatment options.

Kristin Daniel, Nebraska Medicines pharmacist program coordinator for pain stewardship, said officials edited the medical records system to make it easier to prescribe naloxone.

Its just good to know that were increasing the availability of naloxone, Daniel said. If we prevent just one death, then its all worth it.

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A Bellevue man has pleaded no contest to one count of third-degree sexual assault and 10 counts of misdemeanor child abuse.

Dakota Oehm, 28, had been awaiting trial in Sarpy County District Court on two counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of strangulation of a girl at least 12 years of age but younger than 16. He also had been charged with 14 counts of possession of child pornography.

Oehm entered the plea on Monday in Sarpy County District Court. He was able to plead to the lesser charges after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Oehm had been facing up to 50 years on each count of assaulting the girl. He now will face up to 11 years in prison when hes sentenced in May.

According to court documents, the first sexual assault occurred March 3, 2014, at Oehms residence. The second sexual assault occurred between March 3, 2014, and May 4, 2015, at the same location.

Court records say Oehm intentionally stopped the girls breathing on two occasions. The first occurred between Jan. 1, 2014, and Aug. 29, 2015, and the second between Aug. 30, 2015, and Jan. 1, 2017. An investigation began in April after the girl went to police.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday added child care centers to the list of public places where masks are no longer required, a move that his office said was the result of new federal guidelines issued late Friday.

Pritzker announced Feb. 9 that he would lift the mandate for most indoor public places at the end of the month, and he added schools to that list Friday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new recommendations and the Illinois Supreme Court overturned a lower court order that blocked enforcement of mask rules in schools.

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But when he made the new masking rules official through an executive order Monday, day care centers were added to the list.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker talks to reporters as he visits Navy Pier in Chicago on Feb. 28, 2022, as the mask mandate is dropped for most indoor public spaces. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

In making the change, the governors office cited the new CDC guidelines, which only recommend universal masking in areas where the agency says the coronavirus poses a high risk to the general public and the local health care system. Currently, more than three-quarters of Illinois counties are classified as low or medium risk.

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The end of the mandate for day care centers comes as the majority of the children they serve  those 4 and younger  arent yet eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, though masks have never been recommended for those under 2.

The inclusion of day care centers appeared to surprise even those operating the Illinois Department of Public Healths social media accounts, with the agency sending a Twitter message Monday listing day cares, along with hospitals and public transportation, as places where masks would still be necessary.

The agency later issued a correction, writing: Effective today, Feb. 28, 2022, due to the CDCs recommendation that masks are needed only in areas of high transmission, Governor J.B. Pritzker lifted the states indoor masking requirements, including the use of face coverings in day care settings.

A CDC spokesperson confirmed that the new recommendations apply to early childhood care, though specific guidelines have not been published.

While day care centers werent addressed Friday during a conference call with reporters, Greta Massetti, of the CDCs COVID-19 incident management team, cited the lower risk for children from COVID-19 in explaining the decision to include schools in the new guidelines.

Weve been reviewing the data on COVID illness in children for two years of the pandemic, Massetti said. And we have seen that although children can get infected and can get sick with COVID, theyre more likely to have asymptomatic or mild infections.

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Pritzker in October issued an executive order requiring an estimated 55,000 workers in 2,900 state-licensed day care centers to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 3 or undergo weekly testing.

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
LINCOLN  Kayla Buchan saw first-hand the frustrations that remote learning created for students during the first months of the pandemic.

Trying to learn online  and losing the personal connection with school staff  cost her middle school son the momentum he had gained in a new school and new grade, the Millard mother told the Legislatures Appropriations Committee on Monday.

As time went on, he fell back into the struggles that had marked his earlier school years. With his failures came depression that continues even after students have gone back to in-person learning.

Thats why Buchan testified in support of a bill that would provide up to $2,000 per child to help Nebraska students catch up on learning lost during the pandemic.

My son is one of the many this bill would support, she said.

Legislative Bill 1240, introduced by State Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, would direct $60 million of Nebraskas federal pandemic relief dollars for education recovery grants. Gov. Pete Ricketts included the idea in his proposal for pandemic money.

Under the bill, money would be given out over three years to children from low-income families. Parents would direct the use of the grants, which could be used for private school tuition, tutoring, digital learning subscriptions, home school curriculum and other K-12 educational services.

This is a critical opportunity to make an important investment in our children, Albrecht said.

Jeremy Ekeler, associate director of education policy for the Nebraska Catholic Conference, said the proposal was crafted with the goal of temporarily giving a hand to children who need it the most.

This is a bill about vulnerable kids, not public versus nonpublic schools, he said. We cant split hairs on this issue when the future of Nebraskas most-impacted students is at risk.

However, he also contrasted the bills cost with the more than $775 million that has gone to public schools over three rounds of federal pandemic aid. LB 1240 would draw on the $1.04 billion provided to the state under the latest round, the American Rescue Plan Act.

Many of those who testified for the bill have children in private schools or are affiliated with private schools. Among them was Isabella Burns, who attends Catholic school. She told lawmakers about her difficulty understanding the teachers and seeing what they were doing while trying to learn online.

But Jacqelle Lane, with the Nebraska State Education Association, and Daniel Russell, with Stand for Schools, opposed the bill.

Russell said the money would be better used for such things as after-school programs, summer school for all grades, retaining teachers and hiring more mental health professionals. He estimated that the amount of money to be provided for the grants would help about 9,000 students, once administrative expenses are factored in.

We need statewide solutions that benefit all students, not tuition discounts to just a few, he said.

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Holly Hansen and her husband have always wanted to send their three sons to a parochial school to receive a Catholic education.

Hansen, who lives near Wahoo, said she followed up on that desire and enrolled all three at a Catholic school. But after her youngest boys, twins, started kindergarten, the family quickly realized the school did not have enough staff to help the boys who have individualized education plans and require additional help.

After many meetings with school officials, Hansen said it was decided the best thing for her twins would be to transfer to public school to get the special education help they need.

Every child has a right to an education and the value of public schools is immeasurable, Hansen said. However, I should be able to choose the school my children attend. And if my husband and I want to provide a Catholic school environment for my children, they should be able to get that. And they should be able to receive the special education help they need at any school they attend.

Hansen and other parents told similar stories to the Nebraska Legislatures Education Committee on Monday.

Legislative Bill 1251, introduced by Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, would provide state-funded scholarships to help special education students attend private and parochial schools.

Hansen said he introduced the bill to empower parents of children with special needs to choose the educational setting that is best for them.

His Equal Opportunity Scholarship for Students with Special Needs Program Act would not send money to a school. Instead, he said, it would give money to the parents of eligible students to assist them in sending their child to a school of their choice.

Students would be eligible if they received special education services under an individualized education plan at a public school in Nebraska for at least one course in the preceding semester. The amount of money available to the student would depend on the level of intervention and support that student needs.

As written, LB 1251 would take $5 million from the Nebraska State Lottery Operation Trust Fund and put it toward the scholarships. Hansen said he is still working out the details of the funding and there are a few other options for coming up with the required money.

Kami Jessop, director of special services for the Westside Community Schools, spoke in opposition to the bill on behalf of several education organizations including the Nebraska State Education Association.

Jessop said she and other education organizations have a number of questions and concerns about the bill. She said students with disabilities are already entitled to enroll in the school of their choice and students who attend private schools are entitled to receive special education services from public school staff.

Connie Knoche, education policy director for OpenSky Policy Institute, said her organization also opposes the bill.

It would direct state funds to private schools without imposing any accountability or oversight over them to ensure the program is working as intended, Knoche said.

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Ronald Roskens, the University of Nebraskas longest-serving president and a former member of President George H.W. Bushs administration, has died.

Roskens died Sunday at Rose Blumkin Jewish Home in Omaha. He was 89.

Roskens grew up in Spencer, Iowa, expecting to run the family farm. But his career in academia took off and he held leadership positions in the NU system, Kent State in Ohio and the University of Iowa.

Roskens served as president of the University of Nebraska from 1977 to 1989. Before that, he was chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

During his years in the NU system, he elevated international studies and relations. At UNO, he instituted international programs such as the Center for Afghanistan Studies. As NU president, he traveled to China at least nine times.

The Ronald W. and Lois G. Roskens Hall at UNO is named after Roskens and his wife.

Roskens is survived by his wife and their four children, Elizabeth Torson of Omaha, Barbara Blount of Castle Rock, Colorado, Brenda Dicus of Topeka, Kansas, and Bill Roskens of Omaha.

Of German heritage and at 6-foot-4, Roskens had a commanding presence, family and colleagues say.

He was fairly stoic and could be intimidating to some, but not to us, his son Bill said. He was a good father to his family and a good provider.

Bill said some of his familys fondest memories are of their summers at Green Lake in Minnesota. Extended visits to the lake gave Roskens a chance to get away from responsibilities in Nebraska.

Upon leaving the NU system, Roskens was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Roskens held that post from March 1990 through December 1992. USAID provides billions of dollars of foreign assistance from the United States.

From 1999 to 2009, he served in Omaha as honorary consul general of Japan. Shortly thereafter, for his promotion of exchange and friendship, the emperor of Japan honored him with the Order of the Rising Sun, one of Japans highest awards to foreign nationals.

Bill said his fathers work also meant his parents were always surrounded by very interesting people.

Roskens has said one of his darkest days was May 4, 1970. At that time, students were protesting on campuses against the Vietnam War and Roskens was vice president for administration at Kent State University. As a protest unfolded at Kent State, the Ohio governor called in the National Guard, who opened fire on the students. Four students died and nine were wounded.

Roskens said the lesson he took from the tragedy was that administrators needed to be more open to student views.

As a boy, Roskens attended a one-room country school where one woman taught 10 to 13 children of various ages. He said his teacher, Agnes Kearney, was excellent. She was a powerhouse, he said during an interview in 2005.

He was a licensed minister in the United Church of Christ and temporarily replaced ministers so they could have short breaks.

Among the boards he served on were those at ConAgra Foods Inc., the Silverstone Group, Capitol Federal Savings Foundation in Topeka and the Russian Farm Project.

World-Herald Staff Writers Henry J. Cordes and Rick Ruggles contributed to this report.

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BLOOMINGTON  The Fat Tuesday frenzy begins the night before for one Bloomington bakery.

Tonights a big night; its gonna be a long one, David Marquardt, general manager of Dennys Doughnuts and Bakery, said Monday.

The "hectic" Monday night has four bakers dedicated to paczkis plus one more on filling making 175 to 200 dozen paczkis for orders and extras for the display cases, he said.

Paczkis are a Polish pastry traditionally eaten before the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, but they arrive in Dennys display boxes about a week and a half before the big day.

We start out slow and then it builds up, getting supplies in that we dont have and different fillings because its different from our normal fillings, said Barb Marquardt, owner of the local staple.

Bursting with fruit jellies or cream, the double-fried paczkis at Dennys have become tradition for Bloomington-Normal residents, making appearances in unexpected places.

Barb Marquardt said theyre opening their doors a little early for one customer because he has to get his dozen paczkis to take to his exercise class. I think thats so funny  they exercise and then they have paczkis.

The pandemic might have hit their sales in 2021, but Fat Tuesday sales continue to grow annually and this year's numbers already surpass pre-pandemic years, she said.

David Marquardt also noted, timing makes a difference.

This year, being two weeks after Valentines Day we expect a bigger crowd versus when its sometimes on Valentines Day, he said.

But paczkis  which are denser and heavier than doughnuts  are not the only seasonal treat drawing folks in.

Cookies decorated for Mardi Gras are available and Dennys bakers tried their hands at mini king cakes  a New Orleans classic  for a special order and next year they plan to offer full sized cakes.

We have a lot of people, Ive noticed, with it being Fat Tuesday theyre getting just regular doughnut orders, too, Barb Marquardt said. I have somebody that just ordered 24 dozen and none of those are paczkis, so I think theyre just taking advantage of the day.

David Marquardt added, They come in and say, Whats bad for me? I want to eat it today.

Given the prevalence of Polish descendants in Chicago, David Marquardt said paczkis are more common up north, but with so many students from the Chicago area in Bloomington-Normal, Dennys usually sees big orders from Illinois State University for the holiday.

Despite the tradition holding steady in Bloomington-Normal, he noted in Poland they actually celebrate Fat Thursday.

I always thought it was funny Paczki Day is actually the Thursday before not Tuesday, he said, of the day dedicated to indulgence before the Christian tradition of fasting and sacrifice begins.

Coffee Hound also featured paczkis over the weekend and last week had Mardi Gras theme macarons ahead of Fat Tuesday. Some grocery store bakeries in Bloomington-Normal also have paczkis available each year for the holiday.

Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.

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BLOOMINGTON  Bloomington police are getting another tool to solve crime.

The city council has approved a $59,000 contract to purchase 10 automatic license plate-reading cameras. Police Chief Jamal Simington has said the cameras can help solve homicides and other violent crime, and have been used on past cases.

"We have the responsibility to serve and protect the most vulnerable," Simington said Monday night during a presentation on the cameras. With that responsibility comes the responsible effort to pursue technology improvements which would greatly enhance our capability to effectively and efficiently serve the entire city regardless of their social economic status, race, color or other classifications.

"Every victim and their family deserves justice by way of advanced, effective and responsible police services.

The contract has been at the center of debate after a number of residents and community groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, that raised privacy issues.

Bloomington police have attended multiple meetings to answer questions and quell concerns, and to explain how the department plans to use the cameras, who has access to the data, and how it is stored.

More than 600 police departments in 38 states use Flock technology, according to the company. The Springfield, Rantoul and Decatur police departments have purchased ALPR cameras through the vendor.

There is no empirical data showing the cameras reduce crime, but Simington pointed to a few cases in which the BPD used Flock data through other local agencies to identify or rule out suspects in homicides.

Bloomington plans to purchase 10 single-pole-mounted cameras that cover up to two lanes of traffic in a single direction. The cameras capture images of vehicles going up to 100 mph, and use machine learning technology to make images searchable by make, model, color and plate number.

The cameras do not capture the faces of drivers or passengers, Simington said. Data is encrypted and stored for up to 30 days in an Amazon Web Services Government Cloud Service.

Flock data is not used for traffic enforcement, fines, towing or immigration enforcement, said Simington. The police department will limit usage to only major crime investigation, such as homicides, shootings, robberies, arson and sexual assaults.

The police department has discussed the contract with members of the public, including dring a three-hour virtual question-and-answer event and a two-hour meeting with the Bloomington Public Safety and Review Board.

The Bloomington City Council in an 8-1 vote approved the contract with Atlanta-based Flock Safety to buy and install the cameras, which police say will be primarily used as a crime solving tool. Ward 4 Alderwoman Julie Emig voted against the contract.

Several residents spoke on the cameras during public comment, some voicing privacy concerns and others raising issues with potential over-policing. Other commenters spoke in favor of the cameras, saying they could help reduce and solve crime.

"The time to nip this unnecessary expansion of public surveillance in the bud is now, before it's ever in place," said Mathtew Toczko, of Bloomington. "The city of Urbana set a good example by voting the Flock cameras down, and I ask this council to take the people of Bloomington's best interest to heart and likewise not allow them in our communities."

Melissa Newbill spoke on behalf of Dameca Kirkwood, mother of 27-year-old Trevonte Kirkwood, who was murdered in a 2018 shooting in Bloomington. For the Kirkwood family, Newbill said having Flock technology in place could have meant solving Trevonte Kirkwood's murder.

"Had those been installed, it wouldn't have taken this long to find the murders," said Newbill. "If these cameras were in place where there are vulnerable populations reside and gather, that crimes could be preventive, and if they do occur, that they could be solved even faster if these cameras were in place.

She added, "It has been agonizing to watch the Kirkwood to go through this, and to think if these cameras were in place, it wouldn't have taken three long years."

Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry.

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BLOOMINGTON  The termination of the states mask mandate on Monday presents a new headache for some business owners wrestling with whether to adopt their own requirements.

It does put businesses in a weird position, said Elizabeth Asbury, owner of the book store Bobzbay in downtown Bloomington, which has opted to make masks optional for employees and customers.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker in early February said he intended to lift the mask rule in March if infection numbers continued to decline. The requirement had been reintroduced in August as cases edged higher.

Business owners also can require facial coverings, meaning its up to them to weigh whats best.

Jamie Mathy owns the downtown Bloomington board game store Red Raccoon Games and serves on the city council. He said experiences when the last rule was lifted shaped his decision, as well as local community transition rates and vaccination numbers. His shop is transitioning to mask-optional for customers and employees.

Thats not really what we want to do, however, he said. The shop was requiring masks last summer after the state first lifted its mandates for indoor public spaces, but upon requesting customers to wear masks, Mathy said, there were some who did not react well.

There were a lot of people who were just downright nasty to my employees (last summer), and Im not going to put my employees through that again.

It should be up to the individual

The previous mask mandate was eliminated in May 2021, when those who were fully vaccinated could go without facial coverings.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization have recommended the usage of masks to reduce the spread of COVID, but requirements to wear the devices across the country have been contentious.

The divide was apparent in interviews with The Pantagraph even on Monday.

Jim Carsel, 65, of Bloomington, said that after a certain point in the pandemic, the mask rules didnt make sense.

At that time, I thought it might be reasonable, Carsel said about his initial reaction to the mask mandates. But any time you have to take your mask off to eat in public, well then why wear the mask at all? Its totally stupid. If youre allowed to take your mask off to do something like drink or eat a sandwich, well then why did you bother to wear it to begin with?

Bloomington resident Shadrach Hall, 33, also questioned the need for required masks.

The way I look at it, even if people do take the vaccine or wear a mask, you can still catch it even with it on, he said, adding later, I got the vaccine shot and then I got the boost, but I still caught it.

Masks also will remain the rule on the state House floor, where they've been challenged by Republicans. The Legislature has planned an abbreviated spring session that's scheduled to end in early April. Democratic House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch told members he doesn't want to risk an outbreak which would derail work or worse, jeopardize family members of lawmakers who are immunocompromised or too young to be vaccinated.

The requirement has led to the regular removal from the floor of up to eight Republicans for refusing to comply, including Rep. Blaine Wilhour, of Beecher City, who filed a lawsuit against Welch.

Pritkzer had also intended for mask requirements to remain in effect for schools, but last week announced the state will comply with updated CDC guidelines, which now recommend masks are needed only in areas of high transmission.

Previous mask guidelines were based on state coronavirus metrics such as case numbers and test positivity rates, but the state is now following different measures, such as how many hospital beds are in use, hospital admissions, and the total number of coronavirus cases in an area.

Most Illinois counties are considered low or moderate transmission areas, according to CDC data. Counties considered high transmission areas are mostly located in southern Illinois and around the state's eastern and western borders.

On Friday, the governor's office said the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 was down 50%, and the number of intensive care beds available had increased by 24%. Illinois' weekly coronavirus case rate also decreased by 70%.

An appellate court last week declined to render a decision on a lower-court ruling that invalidated Pritzker's order that public schools require masks. The 4th District Appellate Court decided the issue was moot after a legislative committee nixed an extension of the emergency rule the governor imposed on schools last summer. The Democratic governor appealed the ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Balancing interests

Several other states, including Michigan, have loosened mask rules. This month marks the second anniversary of the first COVID cases in Illinois.

Last week, Bloomington announced it was rolling back mask requirements for city employees. People are still required to wear masks in certain spaces, such as some indoor facilities at Miller Park Zoo.

About half of courthouse workers and attendees were masked Monday at the McLean County Law and Justice Center.

Masking has become optional in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court, as the Illinois Supreme Court last week amended its order on courthouse mask policy to remove the requirement to wear a mask inside courthouses.

Normal never issued a local mask ordinance, but town employees and facilities were following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for social distancing and mask wearing.

Normal Mayor Chris Koos said Monday: It moves to a phase where people make personal decisions. I think youre going to still see people wearing masks, they may be more cautious, they may have medical reasons to do so, and it could be that theyre COVID positive and dont want to spread.

Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe added that people had become fatigued with the mask requirements. But locally, coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are trending in a positive direction.

I think people will be happy to be able to go maskless if they so desire, said Mwilambwe. If businesses want to require masks, its up to them. It will be between them and their customers.

Asbury, the book store owner, said business owners are now in a new phase. With the old requirement, I know a couple businesses that just stopped enforcing it; they were just exhausted with it. Honestly, I was approaching that point.

The best approach in her business right now is to be mask-optional, she said.

This whole pandemic, I've tried to enlighten people to the fact that its not all about them, she said. There are still people that will still need to be wearing masks and are still stressed out about going out in public.

The Associated Press and Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.

Contact Kade Heather at 309-820-3256. Follow him on Twitter: @kadeheather

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SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker has asked Illinois employee pension systems to review potential divestment in Russian assets after Russia's invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

The Democrat wrote to the Illinois State Board of Investments, the Teachers' Retirement System and the State Universities' Retirement System asking them to explore the potential of divesting state pension assets from Russian-based companies and Russian assets.

Pritzker's action follows similar overtures in other states to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade its neighbor last week.

Pritzker adds child care centers to list of places where masks are no longer required Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday added child care centers to the list of public places where masks are no longer required, a move that his office 

The state of Illinois stands with the people of Ukraine and nations around the world supporting peace in the country, Pritzker wrote.

Divestment of Russian-related interests from the state's $100 billion portfolio likely wouldn't have the impact that economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and much of the West. But it has precedent.

State law prohibits investing in Iran, Sudan and companies that boycott Israel.

The flag of Ukraine was also raised over the Illinois Statehouse in Springfield.

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African governments on Monday were scrambling to help their nationals escape the Russian invasion in Ukraine as reports emerged of racist and unfair treatment of their citizens at the border with Poland.



The reports, denied by both Polish and Ukrainian officials, have cast a pall on the massive evacuation effort that has already seen half a million civilians cross into the European Union.



While some Africans have been able to leave Ukraine, FRANCE 24 spoke to several students on Sunday at Lviv train station in western Ukraine who said they were turned back by Ukrainian border guards while attempting to cross into Poland.



They stopped us at the border and told us that Blacks were not allowed. But we could see White people going through, said Moustapha Bagui Sylla, a student from Guinea. He said he fled his university residence in Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, as soon as the bombing began.



Like thousands of Ukrainian civilians scrambling for the border, the young Guinean said he walked for hours in freezing temperatures heading for the Polish frontier village of Medyka  only to be ordered to turn back.



Another student from Nigeria described similar scenes at the border crossing. He said his group, which included women, was shut out of the border post even as White people were let through.



They wont let Africans in. Blacks without European passports cannot cross the border (...). Theyre pushing us back just because were Black! said the Nigerian student, who gave only his first name, Michael. Were all human, he added. They should not discriminate against us because of the colour of our skin.







According to Bagui Sylla, the Ukrainian border guards said they were merely following instructions from their Polish counterparts  a claim denied by officials in Warsaw.



Anna Michalska, a spokesperson for the Polish border guards, said she had spent the past two days denying such allegations.



I dont know what is happening on the Ukrainian side of the border, but we let everyone in regardless of nationality, she told FRANCE 24.



In a later communique, Polish officials confirmed that no visas were required to cross the border and that identity cards and passports would be accepted, even when expired.





A spokesperson for the Ukrainian border guards also denied reports of discriminatory practices. He stressed that only Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60  who are required to join the war effort  were barred from leaving the country.



Regarding the numerous complaints by Africans who said they were pushed back, Andriy Demchenko said perhaps they attempted to jump the queue.



Civilians fleeing the war face increasingly dire conditions at the Medyka border crossing, as FRANCE 24 has previously documented. According to a report by the European Commission, the crossing can now take up to 70 hours.



For African students lured to Ukraine by the prospect of jobs and university degrees, being treated like economic migrants  rather than refugees displaced by war  is a devastating blow.



Nigeria's government has advised its citizens leaving Ukraine to head for Hungary or Romania, instead of Poland. That is precisely what the students stranded at Lviv station said they planned to do.

Source: France 24









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Some nurses across the country are seething with rage over the government's delay in the release of their February salary.



According to the nurses, the situation has become unbearable for many health workers since salary for the month ending February has not been released.



Many a time, as government workers on the Controller and Accountant Generals Department payroll alert for salary payment, is on the 25th day of the new month. But here we are, today is March 1, and theres still no alert indicating salaries have not been paid to beneficiary banks, the nurses bemoaned.



A nurse with 14 years of experience, [name withheld] expressed the worry of her colleague workers in the health sector on the mid-day news of Accra 100.5FM on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.



Sometimes alert delays but it does not enter the new month, weve had instances of salary delays but that of this year is a cause for worry, she said.



According to the Controller and Accountant-Generals salary chart, salary for the month of February was to be paid on the 25th.



It is, however, not clear whether what the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin said about the government not being able to pay salaries for the next three months has begun to rear its head.











Source: class fm









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who helped guide the states response to the COVID-19 outbreak, will leave her post as Illinois top public health official days after the second anniversary of a pandemic being declared, a significant departure as Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration attempts to move on from coronavirus restrictions.

Ezike joined the administration in early 2019 as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, typically a low-profile, bureaucratic role. But she became a familiar  and, for many, calming  presence on TV and computer screens in homes across Illinois in spring 2020 as she appeared with Pritzker at his daily briefings during the early days of the pandemic.

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I ran for office; she did not. But throughout the crisis she has stood by me every step of the way, Pritzker said Tuesday during a news conference at Rush University Medical Center to mark the end of his statewide mask mandate. I am not putting it lightly when I say that she has had one of the hardest jobs in the world.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, head of the state's Department of Public Health, speaks to the media at the Thompson Center on Aug. 26, 2021. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

As a public face of Pritzkers coronavirus response, Ezike provided a dose of empathy along with the days grim statistics and repeated pleas for social distancing, mask wearing and hand-washing. The governor came to rely on her not just for medical guidance but also for help communicating with Spanish-speaking Illinois residents.

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There was perhaps no better display of Ezikes sincerity than a news conference in October 2020, early in the states second COVID-19 surge, when she began to cry and briefly paused her remarks as she encouraged Illinois residents to fight the fatigue and keep doing their part to slow the virus.

I have watched Dr. Ezike mourn the loss of every one of the more than 32,000 Illinoisans who have died from COVID-19, Pritzker said Tuesday. No number of sleepless nights and endless days could wear down her commitment to think first and foremost of Illinois most vulnerable.

The governor said he is loath to accept Ezikes departure, which takes effect March 14, but hopes the doctor will be able to get a good nights sleep and precious time with her husband and her four kids.

Ezike wiped away tears as Pritzker designated March 1 Dr. Ngozi Ezike Day. She received a standing ovation from Rush workers attending the news conference.

I am so blessed to have been able to bring some measure of comfort to Illinoisans, to quiet some of the chaos and to infuse some calm, Ezike said. Im proud to be an example that empathy and strength can exist in the same body and in the same breath.

Im glad that I served as a role model to young girls, girls of color, little Black girls, that they can be leaders in any field, said Ezike, the first Black woman to lead the states public health department. And Im proud to show our young boys, as well, the future men of our society, examples of women in leadership.

Before being named public health director in 2019, Ezike was medical director at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. Ezike, a board-certified internist and pediatrician, earned her medical degree at the University of California at San Diego.

She took the top job at the Department of Public Health after the agency had come under scrutiny for its role in handling a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires disease at a veterans home in downstate Quincy during Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners administration. Under Ezike, the agency again faced tough questions from lawmakers, particularly Republicans, about how it addressed a coronavirus outbreak that tore through the state veterans home in LaSalle in November 2020.

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Ezikes assistant director, Amaal Tokars, will take over as interim director. Tokars, who is not a medical doctor, has a Ph.D. in leadership and policy from Northern Illinois University and was previously the director of the Kendall County Health Department and president of the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium.

Ezike was not without her detractors as decisions over confronting the pandemic divided Illinois and the rest of the nation, and frequently became a target of scorn for those who believed the governor was overstepping his authority by issuing orders that curbed personal freedoms in an effort to slow the virus.

Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, a candidate in the GOP primary for governor who mounted an unsuccessful legal challenge of Pritzkers COVID-19 restrictions, called Ezikes departure good news for students, businesses, and people across Illinois in a message on his campaign Twitter account.

The announcement that Ezike is leaving came as the number of COVID-19 patients in Illinois hospitals had dropped below 1,000 the past three days for the first time since early August, before Pritzker reinstated the statewide mask mandate.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, left, and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, of the Illinois Department of Public Health, hold a news conference at the Thompson Center in Chicago on March 2, 2020, to provide updates on the state's response to the spread of the coronavirus. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

As of Monday night, there were 958 COVID-19 patients in the states hospitals, down from 3,805 at the end of January and from an all-time high of 7,380 on Jan. 12.

State health officials reported 40 more fatalities Tuesday, bringing the average daily number of deaths over the past week to 53. The statewide death toll stood at 32,803 since the beginning of the pandemic.

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At Tuesdays news conference, Ezike thanked her family including her husband and daughter, who attended Tuesdays event, for tolerating the absences, the last-minute changes in plans, the endless multitasking and the ever-present cellphones.

Now, its time to make you my priority and give back a portion of the encouragement and support that you have lavished on me, Ezike said.

Julie Pryde, administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department, thanked Ezike for working closely with local health departments during the pandemic. As Pryde got choked up about the toll the pandemic has taken on her community, Ezike rushed up to hand Pryde a tissue.

Thats so typical, Pryde said. Im struggling, Im on the verge of tears in front of everyone, and who comes to the rescue? Dr. Ezike.

Ezike said she has no announcements at all in terms of what the next steps are, but told the Tribune during a brief interview after her formal remarks that shes excited of the unknown.

I know that Illinois will be in good stead, with me or without me, Ezike said. But Im excited to embark upon a new chapter.

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dpetrella@chicagotribune.com

cspaulding@chicagotribune.com
The African Union has condemned disturbing reports of ill-treatment of African citizens in Ukraine trying to flee the country but are being refused the right to cross borders safely.



Thousands of Africans and other foreign nationals, particularly students, have been scrambling to leave Ukraine following Russia's invasion.



But as hundreds of thousands throng to Ukraine's various land borders, overwhelming authorities in neighbouring countries, reports have emerged that Africans are being treated differently and sometimes prevented from leaving.



Several people have shared videos and testimonies on social media, denouncing discrimination at train stations and border posts.



"Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach international law," AU Chair, Senegal's President Macky Sall, and Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of AU Commission said in a joint statement.



The statement added that all people have the right to cross international borders during conflict, and should enjoy the same rights to cross to safety from the conflict in Ukraine, notwithstanding their nationality or racial identity.



The Chairpersons commend the efforts by African Union Member State countries and their embassies in neighbouring countries to receive and orientate African citizens and their families trying to cross the border from Ukraine to safety, the statement concluded.

Source: Ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has stated that it is following the raging Russia-Ukraine conflict with deep concern.



GPCC in a statement dated 28th February 2022, called on all Ghanaians to pray for peace for the people of Ukraine, "especially the suffering women, children and the aged."



"While praying for the peace of Ukraine, the Council is also calling for prayers for the safety of the many Ghanaian students still stranded in Ukraine and those who have crossed into neighbouring countries," the statement signed by General Secretary Rev. Emmanuel T. Barrigah added.



The Council added that it was praying that leaders on both sides will see reason and de-escalate and seek a permanent ceasefire.



They also called "on the international community, especially the United Nations, to do all within its powers to mobilise immediate international humanitarian support for the displaced persons."



Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 ordered a military operation in Ukraine after it emerged that the country was seeking entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - which Russia sees as against its security interests.



Russian forces have been in Ukraine trying to take control of the capital and second largest city - Kiev and Kharkiv respectively.



The resulting chaos has led to people fleeing their homes into neighbouring countries. A major issue that has come up is the racist mistreatment of Africans seeking to escape - it has been condemned by African countries and the AU.



Most African countries have started evacuating their nationals - mostly students - by having them cross land borders into neigbouring countries where they are given consular assistance.



Initial talks between the two warring parties took place on February 28, with a second-round expected on March 2, according to Russian media.

Source: Ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Forestry Commission on Monday presented GH500,000 to the Appiatse Support Fund towards the reconstruction of the community razed by an explosion on January 20, this year.



The Commission donated GH100,000 cash and GH400,000 in wood products for the reconstruction exercise of the Appiatse Township.



Mr John Allotey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, presented the cash to Reverend Dr Joyce Rosaline Aryee, the Chairperson of the Appiatse Support Fund Committee.



He said the Commission was responding to the call from the Committee to support the Fund and as an Agency under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resource, Management saw it right to support.



He said the Commission had already sent the wood to be used for the roofing and other activities to be delivered at Appiatse site for work to commence.



As part of the reconstruction exercise, they will need wood, hence the supply of the woods, he said.



The CEO said the Commission was in talks with some companies to mobilise some support to contribute to the Fund.



Rev. Aryee said the donation was good news for the Committee responsible for the reconstruction exercise.



She reiterated the Presidents instructions to use the Fund to rebuild a green, sustainable and model community for the people of Appiatse.



She said as a country such issues always had a way of bringing Ghanaians together.



Rev. Aryee said the term of reference of the committee was to solicit funds to support the Appiatse victims and this should be done in a transparent manner.



The Chairperson commended the management of the Commission for coming to support the Fund, adding that the Committee needed to give the victims a decent accommodation.



Mr Benito Owusu Bio, Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, said the support had come at the right time because the Committee needed wood for roofing purposes.



He said a Mining Company had given the Committee an uncompleted structure, which would be completed to accommodate some of the victims.



We need about 10,000 woods but currently we have about 2,000 and hope more will come later, he added.



He appealed for more support for the reconstruction exercise to better accommodate the victims.



The Appiatse Support Fund was established following an explosion that occurred when a truck carrying explosives for mining was involved in an accident in the town.



The community was razed by the explosion.



Thirteen people died from the incident while over a hundred people suffered various degrees of injuries.



The Government established the Fund to support the rebuilding of the community.

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.

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A wreath-laying and flag-raising ceremony was held at the Nationalism Park in Osu in Accra yesterday to mark the 28th February, 1948 Christianborg Crossroads shooting incident.



The ceremony, the 74th edition, was in remembrance of the landmark incident which provoked a major strike and a call for an end to colonial rule, sparking the struggle for independence at the time.



Wreath-laying



The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who graced the occasion, laid one of the five wreaths on behalf of the government and the people of Ghana, while the Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice-Admiral Seth Amoama, laid another on behalf of the security services.



The Chairman of the Veterans Administration, Ghana (VAG), Major General Clayton Naa Boanubah Yaache (retd), also laid a wreath on behalf of the veterans, with the Gbese Mantse, Nii Ayi-Bonte II, on behalf of traditional authorities, laying one of the wreaths, while a representative of the family of the late Sergeant Adjetey, Nii Ala Nmashie I, also laid a wreath on behalf of the fallen soldiers.



The ceremony, which is held every year in honour of three ex-servicemen who were shot while on a peaceful march to the Christianborg Castle at Osu on February 28, 1948, was witnessed by traditional rulers, security personnel, veterans, relatives of the three fallen heroes, the clergy, students and pupils from selected basic and second-cycle schools, as well as government officials.



Also in attendance was a contingent of the Ghana Armed Forces and the police, while the Police Band provided some soothing songs.



Background



History has it that a number of ex-servicemen, on February 28, 1948, marched to the Christianborg Castle to present a petition to the then Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy, over their unpaid war allowances.



The ex-soldiers were, however, intercepted at the Castle intersection by a contingent of armed policemen, led by a British Police Superintendent, Mr Colin Imray, who ordered that they disperse.



When the ex-servicemen were adamant, Supt Imray ordered the police to open fire, leading to the death of the three ex-servicemen.



The ex-soldiers had fought alongside the allied forces in the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force during the Second World War and had returned home, but they were not paid their gratuity.



After several appeals to the colonial government to consider their plight had failed, the ex-servicemen decided to march directly to the British colonial governor at the Castle to present their petition.



The three fallen heroes were Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, all members of the then Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force.















Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) says it is now fully ready, starting from March 1, 2022, to begin admitting Ghanaians and dual nationals returning to Ghana using valid Ghana Cards as their travel document.



This follows the completion of the GIS connecting its systems to the National Identification Authority (NIA) database.



It will now be faster and more effective for border control officials to verify the identity of holders of Ghana Cards at the port of entry into Ghana.



Ghanas National Identity Card, the Ghana Card can now be used as an e-passport in 44,000 airports globally.



It follows the recognition of the Ghana Card globally as an electronic passport that can be read and verified in all International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) compliant borders.



In an interview with Graphic Online on Monday [February 28, 2022], the Head of Public Affairs at the GIS, Superintendent, Michael Amoako-Atta said: Following the certification by the ICAO, the Ghana card will serve as an optional travel document and from March 1, 2022, Ghanaians and those who have dual citizenship who have valid Ghana cards could travel with them into Ghana.



Ghana Card valid for countries that have bilateral agreements with Ghana



The dispensation was only available for travellers from countries that have bilateral agreements with Ghana.



Thus while the card could be used to arrive in Ghana from the country of embarkation, it could not be used as a travel document outside to countries that have no agreements with Ghana.



Thus, for now, the card could not be used outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).



It is important for all travellers to note that until bilateral agreements are signed with other countries, the Ghana Card cannot be used to travel outside the ECOWAS sub-region. He also indicated that Ghanaians who have renounced their Ghanaian citizenship to obtain the citizenship of other countries are not eligible to travel on the Ghana Card. However, Ghanaians with dual citizenship who have the Ghana Card could use it when they arrive.



Readiness



Supt Amoako-Atta said the GIS has put in some measures at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to ensure the smooth facilitation of the process.



He explained that there will be designated booths at the arrival hall to process Ghanaian passengers who travel on the Ghana Card into Ghana.



Upon arrival, the identity of the Ghana Card holder will be verified against the National Identity Register (NIR), and once the passengers identity has been successfully verified, the passenger will be admitted into the country, he explained.



Eligibility, arrivals



He explained that the dispensation was only available for travellers from countries that have bilateral agreements with Ghana. Thus while the card could be used to arrive in Ghana from the country of embarkation, it could not be used as a travel document outside to countries that have no agreements with Ghana.



Thus, for now, the card could not be used outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).



It is important for all travellers to note that until bilateral agreements are signed with other countries, the Ghana Card cannot be used to travel outside the ECOWAS sub-region. He also indicated that Ghanaians who have renounced their Ghanaian citizenship to obtain the citizenship of other countries are not eligible to travel on the Ghana Card. However Ghanaians with dual citizenship who have the Ghana Card could use it when they arrive.



While people who have renounced their Ghanaian citizenship and now using other countrys travel documents are not eligible to travel on the Ghana card, dual nationals holding the Ghana Card will not require visas to enter Ghana, he emphasised.



Caution



Supt Amoako-Atta cautioned travellers that any passenger who arrives in Ghana with a fraudulently acquired or fake Ghana Card will be denied entry and in addition, could be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with applicable laws.



It is an offence under Section 52 of Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573) for a person to fraudulently acquire or use a forged or fake travel document and convicted offenders may be fined and/or imprisoned, he emphasised.



NIA



Meanwhile, the National Identification Authority (NIA) says the Ghana card has all the credentials needed to be used as an electronic passport.

Describing as a huge milestone for the Ghana card to be recognised by the ICAO as a valid travel document, the acting Head of Public Affairs at the NIA, Mr Abudu Abdul Ganiyu said the credentials on the form used to apply for the card satisfied the requirements of the ICAO.



Ghanaians with Ghana cards can now come home without passport or visa, all they need is to pick up their Ghana card and join the next flight he reiterated.



Again, he revealed that, for all in-bound flight into Ghana, anyone in possession of the Ghana card will be able to travel because all the electronic gates that are ICAO certified will be able to read the Ghana card information into the passport.



He also confirmed that the e-passport meant Ghanaians could now travel within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-regions with only the Ghana Card, but eventually it could be used for other countries once the agreement with those countries were established.



Some two, three years to come, we will not be using paper passport, we would be using the e-passport and that will make the Ghana card very relevant, he said.







Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The African Union has said it is disturbed by reports of Africans in Ukraine being refused the right to cross the border to safety.



The body urged all countries to respect international law and offer assistance to everyone fleeing from the war irrespective of their race.



"Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach international law," AU said in a statement issued late Monday.



The union hailed member countries and their embassies in countries neighbouring Ukraine who are supporting those fleeing from the war.



Africans living in Ukraine had complained of racism at the Ukraine-Poland border.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayokor Botchwey, has revealed that there are some Ghanaians in Ukraine who have indicated that they do not want to come back home.



She said at a meeting in Accra on Tuesday, March 1, with parents and guardians of Ghanaian students in Ukraine, that the government is evacuating persons who are willing to return.



As at 5 PM on 28th of February, an estimated number of 527 Ghanaian nationals have crossed the Ukrainian border to various neighboring countries and they will soon be with us in Ghana as long as they are willing to be evacuated, it will be at no cost to them. I say that because there are some who have indicated that they do not wish to come back home.



"So after a couple of days, they will be on their own because the government cannot cover those people forever. What we are covering is to pick them to a safe place to bring them back home as many of you parents have indicated that you want your children back home, so the government will do that, she said.



The first batch of Ghanaians evacuated from Ukraine has arrived in Accra on Tuesday, March 1.



This morning the first batch of Ghanaians evacuated from Ukraine arrive in Accra, Information Minister Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah said in a tweet.



Madam Ayokor Botchwey had earlier indicated that over 220 Ghanaians living in Ukraine were expected to arrive in Ghana soon.



I am pleased to inform you that, a good number, over 220 of our compatriots have exited Ukraine and should be with us in Ghana soon, and we are earnestly facilitating the safe return of a lot more.



24 have arrived in Bucharest, Romania, and our officer on the ground is procuring tickets for them to leave tomorrow Monday en route to Accra, she said at a press conference in Accra on Sunday.





Source: 3 news









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ghana has become the first African country to evacuate its citizens fleeing the conflict in Ukraine following Russia's invasion.



The first group of 17 students arrived on Tuesday morning at Kotoka International Airport, in the capital, Accra.



Ghana's foreign ministry had earlier said some 460 students were en route to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.



They are expected to return home in coming days.



The total number of Ghanaians living in Ukraine is unknown and the government is currently meeting parents and guardians to document all students in the country.



It is estimated that more than 1,000 Ghanaian nationals are currently studying or working in Ukraine.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced government's decision to cut down the expenditure of ministries, departments and agencies by 20 percent.



This, he said, was a way to contribute towards the recovery of the economy from the shocks of the global pandemic - coronavirus.



The move, President Akufo-Addo furthered will help government save some money.



We have to make concerted efforts as partners to hasten our recovery from COVID-19 by finding intelligent ways of bringing everyone on board to contribute their quota no matter what, he said.



Government on its part is implementing a policy of cutting the budgets of ministries, departments and agencies by 20% this year as its contribution, he added.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made this known while speaking at the 2022 National Labour Conference at Kwahu in the Eastern Region on Monday, February 28, 2022.



He indicated that it's about time Ghanaians are fully involved in the payment of taxes, hence, the introduction of a tax on all electronic transactions, popularly known as the E-Levy.



We cannot continue to allow less than 10%, specifically 7.8%, that is, 2.4 million people of the population to carry the direct tax burden of 30.8 million people. We must provide an opportunity for every Ghanaian to contribute towards nation building, President Akufo-Addo stated.



But the announcement of the E-Levy in the 2022 budget has been fraught with several controversies, with many Ghanaians, including the Minority in Parliament kicking against it.



The E-Levy bill was subsequently withdrawn from parliament and currently, the E-Levy has been reviewed downwards to 1.5% from 1.75%.



The bill is yet to be re-laid before parliament after its withdrawal.



Meanwhile, government through the information ministry is organising town hall meetings to discuss the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).



The exercise will also give government feedback on reactions from citizens on the proposed levy and how best to implement it.



Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has also warned of dire consequences for the Ghanaian economy if the E-Levy is not passed.



Ken Ofori-Atta urged Ghanaians to support the implementation of the E-Levy.











Source: ghannaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The management of Consolidated Bank Ghana Ltd (CBG) led by the Managing Director, Daniel Wilson Addo, has donated GHS 100,000 to the Appiatse Support Fund to help with the reconstruction of the community. This Follows a huge explosion on January 20, 2022, along the Tarkwa Bogoso-Ayamfuri road when a truck carrying explosives to a gold mine crashed with a motorcycle.



The crash claimed the lives of 13 people, flattened many houses completely, damaged vehicles, leaving many inhabitants with various injuries, and social and economic challenges.



Presenting the cheque to Appiatse Support Fund Mr Daniel Addo explained that the Bank has an obligation to extend a helping hand when a challenge of this nature befalls a community. He said, We are here to add our contribution to establish a new township for Appiatse as part of reaffirming our brand tagline, We Stand With You. This brand promise puts a social responsibility on us to stand with our communities.



Mr. Addo further mentioned that CBG is aligned with the support funds vision of building a model community. We identify with your pillars of building a green, and environmentally-friendly township that serves as a model for building townships in Ghana.



Receiving the donation, chairperson of the 5-member committee, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, expressed appreciation to CBG saying, Thank you CBG for coming out to support the fund to rebuild Appiatse community and victims of the explosion. We call on mining firms, corporate Ghana and individuals to come on board and support.



Rev. Dr Aryee further called on Ghanaians to assist with donations to the Fund to support the victims and rebuild the community.

Other members of the CBG delegation were Nana Ama Poku Deputy Managing Director (DMD) Corporate Resources and Angela Forson Director, Corporate and Institutional Banking.



The CBG donation is to support the Government in the rebuilding of the community, as well as the rehabilitation of the about 900 victims who are lucky to have escaped the disaster.



The Appiatse Support Fund is expected to coordinate the mobilization of resources to reconstruct the community.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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When hes not hosting his popular television food segments, first for ABC 7 and now NBC 5, Steve Dolinsky has been focusing most of his attention for the past five years on pizza.

Hes written Pizza City USA and The Ultimate Chicago Pizza Guide, runs the Pizza City, USA pizza tour and currently hosts the Pizza City podcast. Now he can add a pizza festival to his resume.

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Taking place July 23 and 24, Pizza City Fest Chicago will feature a collection of some of the best pizzerias in Chicago dishing out slices to guests outside of the Plumbers Union Hall (1350 W. Washington Blvd.) in the West Loop.

Its an organic outgrowth, Dolinsky said. If New York has a pizza festival, why dont we have one?

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The two-day festival will feature 40 pizzerias, 39 of which are local. St. Vito Focacciaria from Nashville, Tennessee, is the only out-of-state option. Dolinsky said he hopes the festival shows the incredible range of different pizza styles you can find in Chicago, from deep dish and tavern-style pizza to Detroit-style and Sicilian.

Participating restaurants include Chicago institutions such as Pats Pizzeria (2679 N. Lincoln Ave.) and Palermos 95th (4849 95th St., Oak Lawn), along with relative newcomers like Pizza Friendly Pizza (1039 N. Western Ave.) and Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream (964 W. 31st St.). Dolinksy is particularly proud to feature Vito & Nicks (8433 S. Pulaski Road), the classic South Side establishment.

Vito and Nick dont usually do festivals, Dolinsky said. Im so glad they are coming.

Instead of making their pizzas and bringing them into the festival, each restaurant will cook the pizzas at the festival using PizzaMaster ovens. 20 pizzerias will appear each day. 18 of those will be available with general admission, while two are only available to VIP ticket holders.

General admission is $59 for one day and $89 for both days, though you can get both for $10 less if you purchase tickets now. You can also get discounted VIP tickets right now for one-day ($99 instead of $129) and two-day passes ($169 instead of $199). Along with the extra pizzeria, VIP ticket holders get complimentary beer, wine and air-conditioned restrooms, among other perks.

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News of the event was first reported by Block Club Chicago, though Dolinsky was still finalizing details at that point. Since then, the name of the festival changed from Chicago Pizza Festival to Pizza City Fest, and he was able to confirm several speakers and seminars on a number of pizza-related topics.

Events include a seminar with The Dough Whisperers, featuring acclaimed pizza makers Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix), Dan Richer (Razza Pizza Artigianale, Jersey City) and Laura Meyer (Capos, San Francisco). Itll be moderated by Francisco Migoya, who co-authored the epic Modernist Pizza cookbook.

Dolinsky also highlighted a Women in Pizza seminar featuring Nella Grassano (Nella Pizza e Pasta) and Kara Fitzgerald (Louisas Pizza & Pasta). Other seminars include Who Really Created Deep Dish? and Making Great Pizza at Home.

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Along with all the food, the festival will feature live music, DJs, merchandise from the participating restaurants and even some pizza art. If everything goes well, Dolinsky said he hopes to replicate the festival in other cities, including Portland, Nashville and Detroit.

To purchase tickets and find out the full list of participating restaurants, visit pizzacityfest.com

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com

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PPP National Chairman, Nana Ofori Owusu says Ghana should stop being a "begging nation" as this attitude is what is making the country subservient to European world leaders.



Dailymail.com reported that Russia has "launched an all-out war on Ukraine with simultaneous attacks coming from south, east and north, by land and by air".



According to them, "missiles and bombs rained from the sky, tanks rolled across the border, troops parachuted down on eastern regions and explosions were seen across the country after Vladimir Putin gave the order to attack".



Hundreds of Ukrainian troops are said to have been killed in the clashes.



US President Joe Biden has condemned the attack saying President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.



Also, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed gratitude to 11 countries including Ghana for backing a resolution that was vetoed by Russia on Friday, February 25, 2022.



In a tweet, Mr Zelenskyy said the veto of Russia was a ''bloodstain on its plaque in the Security Council, the map of Europe and the world''.



Reacting to the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Nana Ofori Owusu advised Ghanaians to ''build our nation. We must stop our nation from becoming a begging nation to a self-sufficient nation . . . Until we change our attitude and go back to Nkrumah of black man capable of doing for itself, African capable of doing for itself, every time we are at the mercy of what some other people are doing. The Europeans have always been war-thirsty''.



"In times of difficulty, we need each other. We need each other. So, if we don't build a nation that loves ourselves as history has proved that the African loves themselves, we will have a problem," he stressed on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the Commonwealth of Nations to investigate what it says was human rights violations against its members by the Ghanaian government.



The party has also urged the international political organisation to monitor the human rights situation in Ghana and what it said was the criminal persecution of its members.



The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Aseidu Nketia at a press conference in Accra Monday (February 28, 2022) said the party had sent a petition detailing its grievances to the Commonwealth.



He said the petition was necessitated by the "harassment, criminal persecution and human rights violations" against some leading members of the NDC including its National Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.



"There are some practices that are not in accordance with good governance and the principles of the Commonwealth so we have petitioned them to take the appropriate action," he said.



Mr Nketia explained that the party's petition to the Commonwealth doesn't suggest that Ghana was not an independent country but rather, the petition seeks to draw the attention of the organisation to the lack of good governance in Ghana's body politics.



"Membership to the Commonwealth means the member state must adhere to good governance, so if you are not practicing good governance, you can be suspended like we saw in Zimbabwe and elsewhere," he said.



Case



In reference to examples of alleged persecutions and harassment, the NDC General Secretary cited some cases that are currently being prosecuted in court as the basis for the petition.



In the case of the Republic v Stephen Kwabena Opuni and two others, which is cited in the petition, Mr Nketia said the Judge hearing the case, Mr Justice Clemence Honyenuga had made some pronouncements on the case which "in any fair legal system would warrant his recusal from the case on the ground of real likelihood or appearance of bias."



He also cited the case involving the Republic vrs Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Anthony Kwaku Boahen and the Republic Vrs Cassiel Ato Forson and two others as examples of some of the criminal persecution of NDC members by the government.



"The conduct of the government of Ghana in this matter has been dreadful leaving no doubt the government is bent on a conviction regardless of the quality of the evidence," Mr Nketia said.



In relation to the case involving Dr Ato Forson, the party said it believes that the charges are politically motivated and engineered to weaken his opposition to the passage of the E-levy.



"This is a brazen abuse of power by the government," Mr Nketia said.



Outcome



Mr Nketia said the party was therefore calling on the Commonwealth to call upon the government to stop the alleged human rights violations.



"These actions of the government create conditions that threaten Ghana's political stability and further erode our democratic values," he said.



The petition, according to Mr Nketia, also urged the Commonwealth to engage with a broad range of actors, including government officials, political parties, representatives of civil society, to respect, promote, and protect human rights in the country.



The petition urged the organisation to also continue to engage with the government and support and encourage their pursuit of accountability for "the perpetrators of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency bye-election violence and the gruesome state-sponsored killings of eight innocent Ghanaians during the 2020 elections".

Source: graphiconline.com









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Outspoken Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt says Ghana's economy has become extremely worse to the extent that even to serve a stranger a chilled bottle of beer, the nation will have to first go for a loan.



According to Mr. Pratt, affording a beer is no more a luxury in Ghana.



To him, Ghana doesn't have the wherewithal to buy even a bottle of beer for a visting Diplomat or Head of State.



Detailing Ghanaians on the state of the economy, Mr. Pratt was extremely worried about the President Akufo-Addo's governance stressing now, ''should a Head of State visit us and is thirsty for beer, we have to borrow before we can buy one bottle of beer''.



He added; ''As we talk today, if President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbe visits us and wants to drink tea, we have to use loan to make the tea for him. That is the reality. No, but that is the truth. That is how graphic you can paint the picture. When he comes and even desires to eat konkonte, we have to go for loan.''



Aside giving a stranger a bottle of beer becoming a problem for Ghana, Mr. Pratt also lamented that except the country borrows, the President cannot have petrol in his vehicle to move around.



''If an incident has happened at Nima and if the President must move from Flagstaff House to Nima, we can't buy petrol into his car if we don't go for a loan. 128 percent of your total national revenue is expended on two-line items; public sector emoluments and debt servicing. How much is left to buy petrol into his (President) car," he stated.



In his candid opinion, if only Ghana will progress, there must be a change of attitude and better way of managing the economy.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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A seven-member Supreme Court panel has set 4 May 2022 as date for judgment in the case filed by two Minority MPs and a Ghanaian citizen challenging the approval of salaries for the First and Second Ladies of Ghana.



The panel is headed by Chief Justice Anin Yeboah.



The Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee submitted the report of its recommendations, dated 18 June 2020, to President Akufo-Addo as required by the 1992 constitution.



This was in fulfilment of the Article 71 provision of the 1992 constitution which enjoins every sitting president to set up a committee before the end of his or her four-year mandate to make recommendations on emoluments for Article 71 office-holders.



The five-member committees report recommended, among other things, the payment of a salary equivalent to a cabinet minister who is a member of Parliament to the First Lady while her husband is in office, and the payment of a salary equivalent to 80% of the salary of a minister of state who is an MP if the spouse served one full term as president, or 100% of the salary of a minister of state who is an MP if the spouse served two or more full terms as president.



With second ladies, the committee report recommended the payment of a salary equivalent to a cabinet minister who is not a Member of Parliament to a second lady while her husband is in office and, once he leaves office, the payment of a salary equivalent to 80% of the salary of a minister of state who is not an MP if the spouse served one full term as vice-president, or 100% of the salary of a minister of state who is a member of Parliament if the spouse served two or more full terms as vice-president.



The reliefs sought

The two MPs, Dafeamekpor Rockson-Nelson and Dr Clement Abaasinat Apaak and the citizen, Frederick Nii Commey, are seeking a total of eight reliefs from the Supreme Court.



The reliefs are first, a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee appointed by the President under Article 71(1), only had jurisdiction to make recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of Article 71 office holders under the 1992 Constitution.



The second is a further declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee had no jurisdiction, mandate or authority to make any recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities and privileges of persons other than persons specified under Article 71 of 1992 Constitution.



Third, a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71(1) of the 1992 Constitution, the Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee exceeded its jurisdiction, mandate and authority when it purported to make recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the 1ST and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana.



The fourth relief is a further declaration that the recommendations of the Committee, to the extent that it pertains to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana, are null, void and of no effect.



Their fifth prayer to the Supreme Court is a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of the Constitution, 1992, spouses of the President and the Vice President are not Article 71 office holders for the purposes of receipt of wages and emoluments.



As their sixth relief, the applicant is seeking an order declaring the recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana as unconstitutional and void.



The seventh and eighth reliefs sought are an order restraining the President of the Republic of Ghana or any other arm, ministry, department or agency of the executive, from implementing any recommendations of the Prof Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee which pertains to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana and any further Order(s) or direction(s) as this Honourable Court may deem necessary.



In court

When the case was called today 1 March 2022, at the Supreme Court, lawyer for the applicants, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, and the deputy Attorney General, Diana Asonaba Dapaah, told the Court that they have set out four joint memorandum issues that the Court may give attention to.



The Supreme Court adopted the issues and set same down for determination on the 4 May 2022.



Joint issues

The joint issues are; whether or not the Plaintiffs have a cause of action in respect of the recommendations of the Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee.



Secondly, whether or not upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution, the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu committee exceeded its mandate and authority in making recommendations in respect of privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the President and Vice Presidet to include salaries to be paid to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana.



Thirdly, whether or not the Parliament of Ghana breached Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution in determining the privileges, facilities, salaries and allowances payable to the President and Vice President to include salaries, to be paid to the 1st and 2nd Ladies of the Republic of Ghana.



The last of the joint agreed issues is whether or not upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee created another public office holder contrary to Article 71 of the Constitution by recommending that facilities, privileges and benefits payable to the President and Vice President of the Republic of Ghana should include salaries paid to the respective spouses of the President and Vice President.







Source: asaaseradio.com









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Attorney General, Godfred Dame, has said a recent petition by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the Commonwealth Secretariat is just an attempt to evade the claws of justice.



In the petition signed by General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Ghanas biggest opposition party said that Since assuming the reins of power in 2016, the message of physical violence against political opponents that Nana Addo preached and championed before the 2016 general elections has turned into structural, institutional and systematic forms of violence in the form of human rights violations, harassment, and political persecutions against members and supporters of the NDC,



Mr. Dame, who is also the Minister of Justice, however, told journalists on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, that I find it [petition] to be very hypocritical and misleading.



He explained: All the government has sought to do is that the NDC and its officers are brought to book.



I will not be deterred at all in my quest to ensure that there is accountability for the people of Ghana, he vowed.



He noted that the cases that we have investigated and the actions we have filed in court are on account of solid evidence that we have unearthed through painstaking investigation.



I can cite the incident of Alfred Woyome, pointing out; All this recourse to the tribunal is an attempt to get the NDC to run away from justice [because] their claims are unjustified.



I do not think we must pay too much attention to it, he added.



To him, It is a clear attempt to undermine the administration of justice in the court and an attempt to interfere with the sound administration of justice.



As far as I know, no foreign entity can influence or interfere with the courts of justice in the country, he averred.



As far as I am concerned, all this attempt by the NDC is an attempt to infringe the sovereignty of Ghana.





Source: class fm









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Majority Leader in Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has said that Parliament will listen to the Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament Sarah Adwoa Safo on why she absented herself from Parliament for more than fifteen days.



The Leader of the Government Business told TV3s Benjamin Aidoo in an interview on Monday, February 28, said after he was asked when the Gender Minister was returning to Ghana that  In the course of the week she may come down hopefully.



Asked again whether she will be punished for absenting herself from Parliament for more than fifteen days, the Suame lawmaker said where we are, our orders have adequate provisions to deal with some of these matters but it depends on whatever excuse she has if it is plausible.



Which is why the orders provide that a person who absents himself or herself for more than fifteen days in the meeting is unable to provide plausible justification for the absence, then the committee of Privileges could propose sanctions, so it depends on the information she is coming with.



Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) believe Adwoa Safo is sabotaging the government. For instance, the MP for New Juabeng South, Michael Okyere Baafi, said she is making the work of the government in Parliament difficult.



All the problems the government is facing are attributable to Adwoa Safo. Clearly, her intention and posture show that she wants to sabotage NPP, he said on Kumasi-based Hello FM.



The MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong also revealed that the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare gave him 120,000 to be deposited into the bank account of Adwoa Safo for her to attend to Parliamentary duties to work for the government.



The Chief of Staff called me and I went, I swear my mothers grave, Chief of Staff gave me 120,000 and deposited into Adwoa Safos Fidelity Bank account.



I took the money there into the Fidelity Account, ask her personal assistant if what I am saying is not the truth, a furious Kennedy Agyapong said.



He added Now we are in opposition, the way Adwoa Safo is treating the party, it is clearly showing that we are in opposition and this shouldnt be tolerated at all, he told Asaase Radio on Tuesday, February 22.



Mr. Agyapong had raised issues against the conduct of Sarah Adwoa Safo.



He said that the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has failed in life for requesting that she should be made a Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament.



He wondered why a cabinet minister will now want to occupy a position that is below the rank of a Minister.



Speaking on her rampant absence from Parliament, Mr Agyapong, who has two children with her, said: She says she wants to be Deputy Majority, that woman has failed in life. A whole cabinet minister now demanding that she should be made a Deputy Majority Leader before she comes, she should go to hell.



You dont come to Parliament and you are on TikTok dancing? Dome Kwabenya is not for Apostle Kwadwo Safo, get it straight. I am very furious because people are insulting me because I went there to campaign for her.



Mike Oquaye the Speaker, the man that I respect very well, I campaigned against his son because Adwoa used my kids, calling me and begging me to help her. And now everybody is insulting me for doing that but I have not regretted it, she is very responsible when it comes to the kids, he said on GTV Monday, February 21.



Asked how many days she has been absent from Parliament, he answered: More than 15 days and the law says 15 days.



Asked again whether Ghanaians should expect her seat to be declared vacant, he said: Why not? She should go and contest on TikTok.





Source: 3 news









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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

By combining CRISPR technology with a protein designed with artificial intelligence, it is possible to awaken individual dormant genes by disabling the chemical "off switches" that silence them. Researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle describe this finding in the journal Cell Reports.

The approach will allow researchers to understand the role individual genes play in normal cell growth and development, in aging, and in such diseases as cancer, said Shiri Levy, a postdoctoral fellow in UW Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM) and the lead author of the paper.

"The beauty of this approach is we can safely upregulate specific genes to affect cell activity without permanently changing the genome and cause unintended mistakes," Levy said.

The project was led by Hannele Ruohola-Baker, professor of biochemistry and associate director of ISCRM. The AI-designed protein was developed at the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design (IPD) under the leadership of David Baker, also a professor of biochemistry and head of the IPD.

The new technique controls gene activity without altering the DNA sequence of the genome by targeting chemical modifications that help package genes in our chromosomes and regulate their activity. Because these modifications occur not in, but on top of genes, they are called epigenetic, from the Greek epi "over" or "above" the genes. The chemical modifications that regulate gene activity are called epigenetic markers.

Scientists are particularly interested in epigenetic modifications because not only do they affect gene activity in normal cell function, epigenetic markers accumulate with time, contribute to aging, and can affect of the health of future generations as we can pass them on to our children.

In their work, Levy and her colleagues focused on a complex of proteins called PRC2 that silences genes by attaching a small molecule, called a methyl group, to a protein that packages genes called histones. These methyl groups must be refreshed so if PRC2 is blocked the genes it has silenced. it can be reawakened.

PRC2 is active throughout development but plays a particularly important role during the first days of life when embryonic cells differentiate into the variouscell types that will form the tissues and organs of the growing embryo. PRC2 can be blocked with chemicals, but they are imprecise, affecting PRC2 function throughout the genome. The goal of the UW researchers was to find a way to block PRC2 so that only one gene at a time would be affected.

To do this, David Baker and his colleagues use AI to create a protein that would bind to PRC2 and block a protein the PRC2 uses to modify the histones. Ruohola-Baker and Levy then fused this designed protein with a disabled version of a protein called Cas9.

Cas9 is the protein used in the gene editing process called CRISPR. Cas9 binds and uses RNA as an address-tag. The system allows scientists, by synthesizing a specific "address-tag" RNA, to bring Cas9 to a precise location in genome and therefore cut and splice genes at specific sites. In this experiment, however, the cutting function of the Cas9 protein is disabled so the genomic DNA sequence is unaltered. As a result, it's called dCas9, for "dead." However, the Cas9 function as a "vehicle" to deliver cargo to a specific location remains active. The AI-designed blocking protein was the cargo of the dCas9-RNA construct. "dCas9 is like UBER," says Levy, "It will take you anywhere on the genome you want to go. The guide RNA is like a passenger, telling the UBER where to go."

In the new paper, Levy and her colleagues show that by using this technique, they were able to block PRC2 and selectively turn on four different genes. They were also able to show they could transdifferentiate induced pluripotent stem cells to placental progenitor cells by simply turning on two genes.

"This technique allows us to avoid bombarding cells with various growth factors and gene activators and repressors to get them to differentiate," Levy said. "Instead, we can target specific sites on the gene transcription promoters' region, lift those marks and let the cell do the rest in an organic, holistic manner. "

Finally, the researchers were able to show how the technique can be used to find the location of specific PRC2-controlled regulatory regions from where individual genes are activated. The location of many of these are unknown. In this case, they identified a promoter regioncalled a TATA boxfor a gene called TBX18. Although current thinking is that these promotor regions are close to the gene, within in 30 DNA base pairs, they found for this gene the promoter region was more than 500 base pairs away.

"This was a very important finding," said Ruohola-Baker. "TATA boxes are scattered throughout the genome, and current thinking in biology is that the important TATA boxes are very close to the gene transcription site and the others don't seem to matter. The power of this tool is that it can find the critical PRC2 dependent elements, in this case TATA boxes that matter."

Epigenetic modifications decorate broad regions of the genome in normal and abnormal cells. However, the minimal functional unit for the epigenetic modification remains poorly understood, Ruohola-Baker notes, "With these two advances, AI-designed proteins and CRISPR technology, we can now find the precise epigenetic marks that are important for gene expression, learn the rules and utilize them to control cell function, drive cell differentiation and develop 21st century therapies."

Explore further Method discovered to reactivate tumour fighting genes 'silenced' by cancer

More information: Hannele Ruohola-Baker, dCas9 Fusion to Computer Designed PRC2 Inhibitor Reveals Functional TATA Box in Distal Promoter Region, Cell Reports (2022). www.cell.com/cell-reports/full  2211-1247(22)00184-X Journal information: Cell Reports Hannele Ruohola-Baker, dCas9 Fusion to Computer Designed PRC2 Inhibitor Reveals Functional TATA Box in Distal Promoter Region,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110457
This figure is an elevation diagram of the interior structures of the Great Pyramid. The inner and outer lines indicate the pyramids present and original profiles. 1. Original entrance 2. Robbers Tunnel (tourist entrance) 3, 4. Descending Passage 5. Subterranean Chamber 6. Ascending Passage 7. Queens Chamber & its air-shafts 8. Horizontal Passage 9. Grand Gallery 10. Kings Chamber & its air-shafts 11. Grotto & Well Shaft. Credit: By Flanker, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41041394

The Great Pyramid of Giza might be the most iconic structure humans ever built. Ancient civilizations constructed archaeological icons that are a testament to their greatness and persistence. But in some respects, the Great Pyramid stands alone. Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only the Great Pyramid stands relatively intact.

A team of scientists will use advances in High Energy Physics (HIP) to scan the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza with cosmic-ray muons. They want to see deeper into the Great Pyramid than ever before and map its internal structure. The effort is called the Explore the Great Pyramid (EGP) mission.

The Great Pyramid of Giza has stood since the 26th century BC. It's the tomb of the Pharoah Khufu, also known as Cheops. Construction took about 27 years, and it was built with about 2.3 million blocks of stonea combination of limestone and graniteweighing in at about 6 million tons. For over 3,800 years, it was the tallest human-made structure in the world. We see now only the underlying core structure of the Great Pyramid. The smooth white limestone casing was removed over time.

The Great Pyramid is well-studied, and over the years, archaeologists have mapped out the interior structure. The pyramid and the ground under it contain different chambers and passageways. Khufu's (Cheops') chamber sits roughly in the pyramid's center.

In recent times, archaeological teams have used some high-tech methods to probe the insides of the pyramids more rigorously. In the late 1960s, American Physicist Luis Alvarez and his team used muon tomography to scan the pyramid's interior. In 1969, Alvarez reported that they examined 19% of the pyramid and found no new chambers.

In 2016-17, the ScanPyramids team used non-invasive techniques to study the Great Pyramid. Like Alvarez before them, they used muon tomography, along with infrared thermography and other tools. Their most significant discovery is the "Big Void," a massive void above the Grand Gallery. The discovery was published in the journal Nature and is considered one of the most significant scientific discoveries that year.

Muons are elementary particles similar to electrons but more massive. They're used in tomography because they penetrate deeply into structures. More deeply than even X-rays can.

This diagram shows what happens when a primary cosmic particle collides with a molecule of atmosphere, creating an air shower. An air shower is a cascade of secondary decay particles, including muons, indicated with the symbol (?). Credit: SyntaxError55 at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13361920

Cosmic ray muons are created when high-energy particles known as cosmic rays slam into Earth's atmosphere. Cosmic rays are fragments of atomshigh-energy protons and atomic nuclei that constantly stream into Earth from the Sun, outside the Solar System, and outside the galaxy. When these particles collide with Earth's atmosphere, the collision produces showers of secondary particles. Some of those particles are muons.

Muons are unstable and decay in only a couple of microseconds or millionths of a second. But they travel at near light speed, and at such a high velocity, they can penetrate deeply before they decay. There's an unending source of muons from the cosmic rays that constantly bombard Earth. The task in muon tomography is to measure the muons effectively.

Muon tomography is used in different applications, like examining shipping containers for contraband. Recent technological innovations in muon tomography increase its power and lead to new applications. For example, scientists in Italy will use muon tomography to image the inside of the volcanic Mount Vesuvius, hoping to understand when it might erupt again.

The Explore the Great Pyramid (EGP) mission uses muon tomography to take the next step in imaging the Great Pyramid. Like ScanPyramids before them, EGP will use muon tomography to image the structure's interior. But EGP says that their muon telescope system will be 100 times more powerful than previous muon imaging. "We plan to field a telescope system that has upwards of 100 times the sensitivity of the equipment that has recently been used at the Great Pyramid, will image muons from nearly all angles and will, for the first time, produce a true tomographic image of such a large structure," they write in the paper explaining the mission.

EGP will use very large telescope sensors moved around to different positions outside the Great Pyramid. The detectors will be assembled in temperature-controlled shipping containers for ease of transportation. Each unit will be 12 m long, 2.4 m wide, and 2.9 m tall (40 ft long, 8 ft wide, and 9.5 ft tall.) Their simulations used two muon telescopes, and each telescope consists of four containers.

There are five critical points in the EGP mission:

Produce a detailed analysis of the entire internal structure which does not just differentiate between stone and air, but can measure variations in density.

Answer questions regarding construction techniques by being able to see relatively small structural discontinuities.

The large size of the telescope system yields not only the increased resolution, but enables fast collection of the data, which minimizes the required viewing time at the site. The EGP team anticipates a two-year viewing time.

The telescope is very modular in nature. This makes it very easy to reconfigure and deploy at another site for future studies.

From a technical perspective, the system being proposed uses technology that has been largely engineered and tested and presents a low risk approach.

On the left is an illustration of the containers that make up the telescope. On the right is an illustration of how the telescope will be set up on-site. Credit: Explore Great Pyramid mission/Bross et al. 2022

EGP is still building telescope prototypes and determining which data-handling techniques they will use. Along the way, they're doing simulations and other work to prepare for the mission. One critical piece is how they'll corral all those muons into a tomographic image.

But the team is confident in the work they've done so far and satisfied with their new approach. EGP says their effort will create an actual tomographic image of the Great Pyramid for the first time, rather than a 2d image.

"The Exploring the Great Pyramid Mission takes a different approach to imaging large structures with cosmic-ray muons. The use of very large muon telescopes placed outside the structure, in our case, the Great Pyramid of Khufu on the Giza plateau, can produce much higher resolution images due to the large number of detected muons. In addition, by moving the telescopes around the base of the pyramid, true tomographic image reconstruction can be performed for the first time."

Most of EGP's work so far has been data simulations. But they won't be starting from scratch when they build the telescope. "The detector technology employed in the telescopes is well established, and prototyping of specific components has already begun," they write.

When ScanPyramids discovered the Big Void in 2017, it was big news. It caused some controversy, too. Egyptologist Zahi Hawass pooh-poohed the findings. He told the New York Times that "They found nothingThis paper offers nothing to Egyptology. Zero."

But most other Egyptologists embraced the discovery and its scientific nature. Physicists were supportive of the discovery, too. Particle physicist Lee Thompson told Science that "the scientists have 'seen' the void using three different muon detectors in three independent experiments, which makes their finding very robust."

There's bound to be some drama when scientists use modern high-energy physics to probe one of humanity's most ancient archaeological treasures. Some Egyptologists seem possessive and might view physicists as interlopers in their field. They might not like physicists using mysterious particles from outer space to open the veil on our ancient past.

It looks like they'll have to get used to it.

More information: Tomographic Muon Imaging of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Nature (2017). Journal information: Nature , Science Tomographic Muon Imaging of the Great Pyramid of Giza. doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2202.08184 Kunihiro Morishima et al, Discovery of a big void in Khufu's Pyramid by observation of cosmic-ray muons,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/nature24647
A man delivers supplies to stranded residents in Fairfield in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and hundreds of thousands more were told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast were inundated by the worst flooding in more than a decade. At least 10 people have died.

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said there had been 1,000 rescues in the state by Tuesday and more than 6,000 calls for authorities to help.

Scores of residents, some with pets, spent hours trapped on their roofs by a fast-rising river in the town of Lismore in the state's north.

The body of a woman in her 80s was found by a neighbor in her Lismore home on Tuesday, a police statement said. There were no details of how she died.

Dozens of cars were trapped on a bridge in the nearby town of Woodburn over Monday night with both the bridge's approaches submerged. Up to 50 people were rescued from the bridge early Tuesday, officials said.

"We had no capabilities to get them off in the dark so we just had to make sure that they bunkered down and we went in this morning and got them all out," Woodburn State Emergency Services Commander Ashley Slapp said.

The floodwaters were moving south into New South Wales from Queensland state in the worst disaster in the region since what was described as a once-in-a-century event in 2011.

A man inspects the damage at a farm in Logan, south of Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: Jono Searle/AAP Image via AP

Perrottet said 40,000 people had been ordered to evacuate, while 300,000 others had been placed under evacuation warnings.

Government meteorologist Jonathan Howe described the recent rainfall in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland as "astronomical."

Nine of the 10 deaths reported so far were in Queensland. A 76-year-old man who disappeared with his vehicle in floodwaters northwest of Brisbane on Sunday has since been confirmed dead.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said another man in his 70s remained missing after falling from his moored yacht in the state capital Brisbane into a swollen river on Saturday.

The cleanup was underway in Brisbane, Australia's third most populous city, despite more storms forecast for later in the week. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner urged people to register for the "Mud Army," as the thousands of volunteers who mobilized to help out after the 2011 floods were dubbed.

People wade through flood water as they relocate in Chinderah, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: Jason O'Brien/AAP Image via AP

Thousands of homes in Brisbane were inundated Sunday, many by swollen creeks in suburbs such as Ashgrove, where Kelvin Barfoot had to evacuate with members of his family, including his 99-year-old mother-in-law, Mina Baker, in a State Emergency Service rescue boat.

The family moved back into the top floor of their two-story home and started removing damaged furniture and electrical appliances that had been covered by almost 1.5 meters (5 feet) of water.

"We thought we were pretty well prepared for it," said Barfoot, who leads a volunteer bush care group which has tallied more than 4,000 hours of planting and weeding along Enoggera Creek over the past six years. "Just unbelievable. When it did start coming in, it went up very quick."

Barfoot said his daughter and her husband swam to the house to help with the rescue after notifying emergency services that her grandmotherwho moved to Australia from Christchurch, New Zealand, after earthquakes there in 2011 killed 185 peopleneeded to get out.

A man delivers supplies to stranded residents in Fairfield in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

"We were pretty much stuck upstairs at that point," Barfoot said. "That was quite traumatic for my mother-in-lawwe got her out (of New Zealand) after the earthquakes, so it was all a bit reminiscent of that for her.

"Now she's back home. She wanted to come home. She was a bit traumatized, but she's tough. She came down and asked me if there was anything to do to help!"

Schrinner said the six-day rainfall in downtown Brisbane792.8 millimeters (31.2 inches) through Monday morningwas significantly higher than the previous record of 655.8 millimeters (25.8 inches) set when flooding devastated the city in 1974.

Rick Threlfall and Steve Hadley, meteorologists who moved from England to Australia and have been living in Newmarket, Brisbane, for almost a decade, were in the process of sandbagging the ground floor of their home but couldn't finish in time to beat the rapidly rising flood.

A man handles a python snake searching for dry ground on a bridge in Logan, south of Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: Jono Searle/AAP Image via AP

"Back in the U.K., we do weather warnings for 20 millimeters (1 inch) of rain," Threlfall said. "My weather gauge here has recorded 950 millimeters (37 inches) in three days. Brisbane's average is about 1,200 millimeters (47 inches) for the year, so we've pretty much had 80% of annual rainfall in three days.

"No real escaping the water, I guess."

The extraordinary rainfall comes as the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported this week that vast swathes of Australia have already lost 20% of its rainfall and the country's fire risk has gone beyond worst-case scenarios developed just a few years ago.

Australia's hottest and driest year on record was 2019, which ended with devastating wildfires across southeast Australia. The fires directly killed 33 people and another 400 people were killed by the smoke.

A man paddles a canoe through flood water in Cabarita, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: Jason O'Brien/AAP Image via AP

In this photo provided by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, water floods streets and houses in Maryborough, Australia, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Heavy rain is bringing record flooding to some east coast areas while the flooding in Brisbane, a population of 2.6 million, and its surrounds is the worst since 2011 when the city was inundated by what was described as a once-in-a-century event. Credit: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services via AP

A woman carries sand bags as she wades through flood water in Pottsville, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: Jason O'Brien/AAP Image via AP

A bus shelter is submerged under water in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

Residents are seen cleaning up wreckage from their flooded homes in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

A cricket field is flooded in Yeronga, Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

A man makes his way through floodwaters in Brisbane, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

Wreckage is seen at the Hawthorne ferry terminal on the Brisbane river, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

Wreckage are seen at the Hawthorne ferry terminal on the Brisbane river, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australia's southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. Credit: AP Photo/Tertius Pickard

The fires also destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed 19 million hectares (47 million acres) of farmland and forests.

But two La Nina weather patterns have since brought above-average rainfall to the same regions.

Lesley Hughes, an Australian academic and lead author of the U.N. IPCC assessment reports in 2007 and 2015, said climate change was expected to overwhelm government systems such as flood responses.

"We can see that our emergency services are struggling already to cope with the floods in northern New South Wales with people stranded on roofs without food for more than 24 hours," Hughes said.

Explore further Rooftop rescues in Australia as tens of thousands evacuated from floods

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Genes jumping from microbes to green algae hundreds of millions of years ago might have driven the evolution of land plants, researchers report March 1 in the journal Molecular Plant. Their analysis reveals that hundreds of genes from bacteria, fungi, and viruses have been integrated into plants, giving them desirable traits for a terrestrial life.

"Our study changes the conventional view on land-plant evolution," says senior author Jinling Huang, a biologist at East Carolina University. "I have suspected that horizontal gene transfer helped plants to move from water to land, but we didn't know how big of a role it played until now."

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) describes the movement of genetic materials between organisms of difference species. The genome-swapping events are common in bacteria, and they're responsible for the rapid spread of antibiotic resistance in these prokaryotes. But the role of HGT in complex multicellular eukaryotesorganisms such as plants and animalsremains controversial.

Conventionally, scientists thought eukaryotic genes move only via vertical gene transfer, during which genes pass down from parents to offspring and mutations can occur to give rise to new genes and traits. But Huang and his colleagues, including plant biologist Chun-Peng Song at Henan University, have found evidence from prior studies that HGT in plants might be common.

To investigate the role of HGT in plant evolution, the researchers scanned the genomes of 31 plants. They included species from all four plant groups, including mosses, ferns, and trees, as well as charophytes, a group of green algae related to modern land plants. They found that nearly 600 gene families in modern plantsfar more than were previously thoughtwere transferred from other organisms, especially from microbes such as bacteria and fungi.

In addition, the team identified two major episodes of HGT during the early evolution of charophyte algae and the origin of land plants, when over a hundred gene families hopped from microbes to plants.

"Our finding suggests that HGT plays a significant role in land-plant evolution. Compared with mutations from vertical gene transfer, HGT enables plants to gain new traits rapidly, and some of these new traits could help plants adapt to a drastically different environment, like when they moved from water to land," Huang says.

Many of the genes acquired are known to perform important biological functions in plants. For example, the late embryogenesis abundant genes, which came from bacteria, helps plants adapt to a drier environment. The ammonium transporter gene, acquired from fungi, helps plants absorb nitrogen from soil for growth.

"Almost everyone has experienced teary eyes when chopping an onion. We found that the gene in onions responsible for producing the tear-jerking agent actually came from bacteria. That's very interesting because we are all aware of this reaction but didn't realize it's a result from HGT until now," Huang says. "There're many more examples like this."

Next, the team plans to further explore the transferred genes in bryophytes, which is the plant group that includes mosses. Many foreign genes in these plants have unknown functions, and future research might help identify desirable genes that can one day be transferred to crops to enhance their fitness.

Explore further Scientists discover how plants evolved to colonize land more than 500 million years ago

More information: Molecular Plant, Ma and Wang et al.: "Major episodes of horizontal gene transfer drove the evolution of land plants" DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.02.001 Journal information: Molecular Plant , Ma and Wang et al.: "Major episodes of horizontal gene transfer drove the evolution of land plants" www.cell.com/molecular-plant/f  1674-2052(22)00049-1
All Russia's security concerns must be taken into account for settlement in Ukraine -- Putin

Xinhua) 07:40, March 01, 2022

MOSCOW/PARIS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- All Moscow's security concerns must be taken into account for settlement in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday during a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Putin reiterated that a settlement would only be possible if Russia's security concerns were taken into account, including "Russia's sovereignty over Crimea," as well as the country's commitment to solving the tasks of Ukraine's demilitarization and denazification, and the issue of Ukraine's neutral status, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin said Russia is open to negotiations with Ukraine and expressed hope they would lead to the desired result.

"The French side expressed its well-known views on Russia's special military operation... and expressed hope for a quick settlement of the conflict through dialogue," the Kremlin said.

Putin said that Russia's armed forces are not striking civilian objects, and do not pose a threat to civilians.

"Ukrainian nationalists, who have been using their civilian population 'as a human shield,' are a threat," Putin said.

According to the Elysee, Macron asked Russia to respect international law and protect the civil population.

"The French President reaffirmed the necessity to implement an immediate ceasefire," the Elysee said.

Putin and Macron agreed to hold further contacts.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
After being closed for almost two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Adler Planetarium has announced plans to fully reopen on March 4, following in the footsteps of various other Chicago museums and institutions.

The planetarium will follow Illinois and Chicago and reopen without a mask mandate, according to Jennifer Howell, Adlers senior manager of public relations.

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The Adler will be open Thursday through Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive. It will also be open Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will be free to Illinois residents; tickets start at $19 and must be purchased in advance online at adlerplanetarium.org. The planetarium is also launching a new Star Pass, which gives visitors unlimited entry for one year with access to all exhibitions, starting at $65.

The Adler Planetarium down Solidarity Drive on June 18, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Big screen or home stream, takeout or dine-in, Tribune writers are here to steer you toward your next great experience. Sign up for your free weekly Eat. Watch. Do. newsletter here.
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Two cargo ships that allegedly dragged an oil pipeline with their anchors during a winter storm should be held liable for a disastrous October oil spill that sent thousands of gallons of crude into the waters off Orange County, the operator of the ruptured pipeline said in a lawsuit filed Monday.

In a 35-page complaint filed in federal court, Houston-based Amplify Energy Corp. accused two shipping companies and their subsidiariesbased in Switzerland, Panama, Liberia and Greeceof improperly allowing their cargo ships to drop anchor near the pipeline and of failing to notify authorities after the damage occurred.

Without the presence of the cargo ship anchors, "the pipeline would not have been displaced or damaged and thus would not have failed," Amplify said in the complaint.

The Marine Exchange of Southern California, which monitors and directs traffic in the busy San Pedro Bay, was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The nonprofit should have been aware of the anchor drags and should have notified the company, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit also names as defendants the captains and crews of the two cargo ships, the MSC Danit and the Cosco Beijing.

The Coast Guard has designated both ships parties of interest in the federal investigation of the spill, which sent at least 25,000 gallons of crude gushing into the waters off Orange County. An anchor striking and dragging the pipeline could have made the conduit more vulnerable to other damage or to environmental stressors, the Coast Guard said.

Amplify's lawsuit said that, if company employees had been aware of the damage, they would have deployed a remotely operated vehicle to inspect the pipeline, "detected its dislocation and the damage done to it, suspended operations immediately, and undertaken remedial measures that would have prevented the discharge of oil."

"We would have immediately assessed the situation and made any necessary repairs," company spokeswoman Amy Conway said in a statement Monday.

Capt. Kip Louttit, the executive director of the Marine Exchange, said he was not aware of the lawsuit and could not comment. Al Peacock, a lawyer who represents the owners and operators of the Beijing, also said he could not comment. Representatives of the owner and operator of the Danit did not immediately respond to inquiries about the suit.

After warnings of an approaching storm on Jan. 25, 2021, more than 20 container ships left their anchorages in San Pedro Bay and headed to deeper waters to ride out the storm, the lawsuit said. But the Danit and the Beijing remained near the pipeline, the complaint said.

Driven by winds of up to 63 mph and waves of up to 17 feet, both shipswhich are longer than a downtown skyscraperdragged their anchors across the seafloor "and into areas where federal law prohibits anchoring," the complaint said.

Movement data from the Danit shows the ship began "moving erratically" while broadcasting that it was at anchor, and "zig-zagged" over the pipeline repeatedly over a three-hour period, the lawsuit said.

As the Danit prepared to raise its anchor and head to deeper waters, the Beijing came within about 560 feet of colliding with the other ship, the lawsuit said, citing November court filings by the Dordellas Finance Corp., the Panamanian company that owns the Danit.

The Danit "ceased its anchor-raising operations and took action to avoid a collision" with the Beijing, the lawsuit said. The Danit's crew eventually sailed away without notifying authorities of any damage, while the Beijing remained at anchor near the pipeline, the lawsuit said.

Given the "proximity between the ships, the length of the chains typically used to anchor such vessels," and the Beijing's movements in the area, Amplify alleged that the Beijing also dragged its anchor across the pipeline.

The lawsuit accused both shipping companies of negligence. When a vessel strikes a stationary object, courts presume the vessel is at fault, the lawsuit said.

Amplify is seeking punitive damages, as well as reimbursement for legal fees, the bill to repair and replace the ruptured portions of the pipeline, and the revenue lost while the pipeline has been inoperable.

Amplify is also pushing to require the Marine Exchange to notify owners of undersea property to any potential anchor drags within 24 hours of the incident.

The company also wants the Marine Exchange to block ships from anchoring in areas immediately adjacent to the pipeline when bad weather is likely, writing that "significant vessel traffic and congestion ... combined with the ever-present threat of heavy weather, make future anchor-dragging incidents reasonably likely."

Explore further Authorities identify source of oil sheen off Huntington Beach

2022 Los Angeles Times.

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NASA's Near-Earth Object Observation Program painstakingly documents all asteroid sightings that could pose a potential threat to our planet. However, geographical constraints mean that somewhere between 2% and 7% of asteroids are not detected.

Former director of the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex (CDSCC) and recently appointed UNSW Canberra Professor of Practice, Ed Kruzins, believes Canberra could help fill that important gap.

"We could create a capability here in Australiabecause of our unique geographic locationto plug that gap and to provide a service to NASA and the global community," Professor Kruzins said.

"There is a group called the International Asteroid Warning Network, which is a part of the United Nations, and I've been very keen for Australia to become a part of that."

During Professor Kruzins's time at the CDSCC, the team discovered that the 70-meter antenna at Tidbinbilla could be used to illuminate asteroids via radio waves and collect valuable data. UNSW Canberra Space worked with the CDSCC team to analyze the signals and contribute to the NASA catalog.

Coupled with the University's telescopesone located at the ADFA campus and another in YassProfessor Kruzins said Canberra was well placed to assist in the vital task of asteroid sighting.

Catastrophic asteroid events are rare.

However, they are attributed to instances of mass extinction, most famously wiping out three-quarters of life on the Earth, including the dinosaurs, 66 million years ago. That asteroid was believed to be about 10 to 15 kilometers wide.

In 2013, a much smaller asteroidthe Chelyabinsk meteor, measuring about 20 metersinjured almost 1,500 people and damaged 7,200 buildings in Cherbakyl, Russia.

In 1908, a 50- to 60-meter meteoroid exploded over a sparsely populated area in Tungaska, Siberia, flattening an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 2,150 square kilometers.

The Tungaska event is the largest impact event on Earth in modern history, but larger asteroids do exist, and their impact could be devastating.

"UNSW's work is therefore looking to understand the orbital knowledge and science of asteroids detected from the Southern Hemisphere and to determine potentially hazardous asteroids," Professor Kruzins said.

NASA is already investigated how asteroids might be deflected if they appear to be too close for comfort.

The recently launched Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) aims to test how firing a kinetic object at an asteroid could deflect its course.

It's not just asteroids that Australia could play a role in tracking. Professor Kruzins said the same technology could also be applied to human-made objects, such as satellites and space junk, potentially locating or deconflicting rogue space missions.

Object detection is a rich area of study and one in which UNSW is already well placed through its Space Situation Awareness Research Program to assist Australia to make a meaningful contribution.

"This is our chance to play on the world stage to do something quite significant and add to the knowledge in this area," Professor Kruzins said.

Explore further NASA's plans to prevent a potential asteroid impact catastrophe explained
A man carries a dog rescued from a residential area destroyed by landslides in Petropolis, Brazil, Feb. 16, 2022. Scientists have long been warning that extreme weather would cause calamity in the future. But in Latin Americawhich in just the last month has had deadly landslides in Brazil, wildfires in the Argentine wetlands and flooding in the Amazon so severe that it ruined harveststhat future is here already. Credit: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File

Scientists have long been warning that extreme weather would cause calamity in the future. But in South Americawhich in just the last month has had deadly landslides in Brazil, wildfire in Argentine wetlands and flooding in the Amazon so severe it ruined harveststhat future is already here.

In just three hours on Feb. 15, the city of Petropolis, nestled in the forested mountains above Rio de Janeiro, received over 10 inches of rainfall  more than ever registered in a single day since authorities began keeping records in 1932. The ensuing landslides swallowed the lives of more than 200 people, and left nearly 1,000 homeless.

A report published Monday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) corroborates what many on the ground are witnessing with their own eyes. Global warming is altering the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as El Nino and La Nina, the natural heating and cooling of parts of the Pacific that alters weather patterns around the globe. These events have also become more difficult to predict, causing additional damage, the report said.

"Climate change is projected to convert existing risks in the region into severe key risks," the report said.

Until 2020, there was plenty of water, swamps, stagnant lakes and lagoons in Argentina's Ibera Wetlands, one of the largest such ecosystems in the world. But an historic drought of the Parana River dried much of it out; its waters are in the lowest level since 1944. Since January it has been the stage of raging fires.

A man pushes a shopping cart loaded with bananas through a street flooded by the Negro River in downtown Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, June 1, 2021. Rivers around Brazil's biggest city in the Amazon rain forest swelled to levels unseen in over a century of record-keeping, according to data published by Manaus' port authorities. Credit: AP Photo/Edmar Barros, File

And this week, 70% of the remote city of Jordao in Brazil's Amazon rainforest was submerged by the overflow of two rivers. It has shattered the lives of thousands of people in the region, including in 32 Indigenous communities.

Central and South America is the second most urbanized region in the world after North America with 81% percent of its population residing within cities. In this context, forests are playing a vital role to stabilize local climates and to help the world meet the ambitious temperature goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement, experts say.

The entire Amazon rainforest stores between 150 and 200 billion tonnes of carbon in the vegetation and soil, according to Carlos Nobre, a prominent Brazilian climate scientist who has studied the biome for several decades.

"It's a huge reservoir," Nobre told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "If you lose the forest, this carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, goes into the atmosphere. It is very important to maintain the forest."

Cattle walk along the banks of the Jaguari dam, which is part of the Cantareira System, responsible for providing water to the Sao Paulo metropolitan area, in Braganca Paulista, Brazil, Aug. 25, 2021. Brazil's south and southeast regions faced in 2021 their worst droughts in nine decades, raising the specter of possible power rationing given the grid's dependence on hydroelectric plants. Credit: AP Photo/Andre Penner, File

But most governments across the region have failed to heed the IPCC's warnings and stop the destruction. Many South American leaders have remained silent about illegal logging and mining activities in sensitive regions. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has gone further, outright encouraging it both with his words and by weakening environmental agencies and regulation.

Even in Colombia, where President Ivan Duque has attempted to rein in illegal logging, a recent increase in forest fires led more than 150 international academics and activists last week to send a letter urging the government to take a more aggressive stance.

Indeed, local prosecutors and police have said the region is more and more dependent on activists for preservation, either to prevent deforestation that leads to drastic changes in climate or to deal with the consequences of environmental degradation.

Rescue workers and residents search for victims in an area affected by landslides in Petropolis, Brazil, Feb. 16, 2022. In just three hours, the mountainous city nestled in the forest behind Rio de Janeiro, received on Feb. 15 over 10 inches of rainfall  more than ever registered in a single day since authorities began keeping records in 1932. Credit: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File

Alejandra Boloqui, 54, manages a private natural reserve in Argentina's Ibera Wetlands, and has been helping firefighters wage their desperate fight against the flames. Last week, she recorded a scene on her phone that overwhelmed her with sadness: a dozen alligators fleeing the flames and walking down a dirt track in search of water.

"When I started filming them, I cried. I felt they were saying to me: 'I've been left without a home, I'm leaving,'" Boloqui told the AP. "It got my attention seeing so many alligators moving together during the day. ... They are very slow reptiles who move at night to avoid heat."

They, along with many other animals, found temporary refuge in a nearby lagoon that had dried up due to lack of rain and has since been artificially refilled with solar water pumps.

Local authorities attributed the fires to the burning of pastures for cattle ranching, which has been prohibited since December. IPCC experts stress in the report that droughts lay the groundwork for blazes that spread rapidly.

A demonstrator wearing a mask depicting Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and brandishing a fake chainsaw, with another wearing a mask depicting his Environment Minister Ricardo Salles, march in defense of the Amazon, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 5, 2019. Bolsonaro has encouraged illegal logging and mining activities with his words and by weakening environmental agencies and regulation. Credit: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File

Brazil's south and southeast regions last year faced their worst droughts in nine decades, raising the specter of possible power rationing given the grid's dependence on hydroelectric plants. Simultaneously, in Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon, rivers swelled to levels unseen in over a century of record-keeping, flooding streets and houses and affecting some 450,000 people in the region.

This week, with most of Amazonian city Jordao plunged underwater, Indigenous leader and forest guard Josias Kaxinawa is working to bring any support he can to dozens of communities. He spent all day Wednesday rescuing people and their belongings using his small boat equipped with an outboard motor.

The Jordao and Tarauaca rivers join during the rainy season, which Kaxinawa and his neighbors didn't expect for several more weeks. But this time, unlike last year, showers arrived not just too early, but also brutally, he told the AP.

An aerial view of area that was consumed by a man-made fire to clear land near Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil, Aug. 18, 2020. While the threat under the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro is the latest and most severe, efforts to preserve the Amazon have been struggling for years. Credit: AP Photo/Andre Penner, File

"We are living our worst moment. Flood, rains, winds. Climate change is creating more problems for us. We are losing a lot of stuff, boats, household appliances, every crop we grew last year," Kaxinawa said by phone from Jordao, adding he had never had seen so much rain in his area. "We worry about the future," he said.

He added that the small city's agricultural production is "virtually all destroyed."

This jibes with the IPCC report, which says changes in the timing and magnitude of precipitation along with extreme temperatures are impacting agricultural production across Central and South America.

"Impacts on rural livelihoods and food security, particularly for small and medium-sized farmers and Indigenous Peoples in the mountains, are projected to worsen," the report read.

Acre state's government said at least 76 families have lost their homes in Jordao and around, most of them Indigenous and now living in a local shelter. But Mayor Naudo Ribeiro admitted the count was underestimated.

Alligators share a puddle of water in a field that was consumed by wildfires in the Don Luis reserve, next to the Ibera Wetlands, Corrientes province, Argentina, Feb. 19, 2022. Until 2020, there was plenty of water, swamps, stagnant lakes and lagoons in the Ibera Wetlands, one of the largest such ecosystems in the world. But an historic drought of the Parana River dried much of it outits waters are in the lowest level since 1944. Since January it has been the stage of raging fires. Credit: AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File

Dredging barges operated by illegal miners converge on the Madeira River, a tributary of the Amazon river, searching for gold, in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Nov. 25, 2021. Hundreds of mining barges arrived after rumors of gold spread, with environmentalists sounding the alarm about the unprecedented convergence of boats in the sensitive ecosystem. Credit: AP Photo/Edmar Barros, File

An Indigenous woman wears a protective face mask as a precaution against COVID-19 during a protest against Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's proposals to allow mining on Indigenous lands, at the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia, Brazil, April 20, 2021. Bolsonaro's administration introduced legislation that would open up Indigenous territories to miningsomething federal prosecutors have called unconstitutional and activists warn would wreak vast social and environmental damages. Credit: AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File

A wildfire consumes a forest near Ituzaingo in the Corrientes province of Argentina, Feb. 19, 2022. Local authorities attributed the fires to the burning of pastures for cattle ranching, which has been prohibited since December. Credit: AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File

Tenetehara Indigenous man Nemai Tembe from the Ka'Azar, or Forest Owners, rides through an area of trees felled by illegal loggers, as the group patrols their lands on the Alto Rio Guama reserve in Para state, near the city of Paragominas, Brazil, Sept. 8, 2020. Three Tenetehara Indigenous villages patrol to guard against illegal logging, gold mining, ranching, and farming as increasing encroachment and lax government enforcement during COVID-19 have forced the tribe to take matters into their own hands. Credit: AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File

A heavy lifter transports people across a flooded area after the passing of Hurricane Iota in La Lima, Honduras, Nov. 18, 2020. Iota flooded stretches of Honduras still underwater from Hurricane Eta, after it hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane and weakened as it moved across Central America, dissipating over El Salvador. Credit: AP Photo/Delmer Martinez, File

Members of search and recovery teams search for survivors in the debris of a massive, rain-fueled landslide in the village of Queja, Guatemala, Nov. 7, 2020, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Eta. From violent hurricanes in Central America to uncontrollable fires in the southern tip of Latin America, freak storms and other record-breaking, weather-related events are hitting the region at a worrying rate. Credit: AP Photo/Esteban Biba, File

The swollen Los Esclavos River flows violently under a bridge during Tropical Storm Amanda in Cuilapa, eastern Guatemala, May 31, 2020. Global warming is altering the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as El Nino and La Nina, the natural variations in temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean. Credit: AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File

After years of very little rainfall, the lagoon sits dry and cracked in Suesca, Colombia, Feb. 17, 2021. The basin which is dependent on runoff has suffered severe deforestation and erosion, which together with the added impact of climate change has led to a significant reduction of its water level. Credit: AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File

A muddied TV screen hangs on the wall of a home destroyed by landslides on the third day of rescue efforts in Petropolis, Brazil, Feb. 18, 2022. The ensuing landslides swallowed the lives of more than 200 people, and left nearly 1,000 homeless. Credit: AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File

"This was too fast, there's no way to prepare when it happens like this," Ribeiro told local media.

More than 3,400 kilometers (2,100 miles) away in Petropolis, the Brazilian city ravaged by landslides last week, Mayor Rubens Bomtempo provided journalists with a similar comment just days before.

"This was totally unpredictable," Bomtempo said. "No one could predict rain as hard as this."

The IPCC report suggests events like these will continue to shake the region.

Explore further Brazil launches plan to expand mining in Amazon

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Large fires are occurring more frequently than in the past. The author, who is also part of the Science Moms group of climate scientists, took this photo of regrowth at the site of a fire in Yellowstone. Credit: Erica A.H. Smithwick, CC BY-ND

When I was a young researcher studying how forested ecosystems recover from wildfire, I brought my 6-month-old daughter with me to Yellowstone National Park. These forests are incredibly resilient to wildfire because they've been adapting to it for 10,000 years. Their story of resilience was a hopeful narrative as I began my research career and brought my children into this complex world.

Fast forward to today: My daughter is now in college, and we are facing a much different fire regime in a hotter, drier world. In the western U.S., the area burned by wildfires has doubled since the mid-1980s compared to natural levels. Wildfires are now more common, from the tundra to the tropics. And the U.S. is seeing fires year-round.

A new report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released Feb. 28, 2022, shows that the extent and magnitude of many climate change impacts like wildfires are now larger than previously expected. Some animals and plants are reaching limits in their ability to adapt. Droughts are affecting crop productivity and power generation. Excess heat and flooding are helping diseases to spread in agriculture, wildlife and people. People who work outdoors or live along the coast are especially vulnerable. The social and economic impacts are also growing, with consequences for critical infrastructure, transportation networks, health and food security.

My third child in now 9 years old. According to the IPCC report, his future will include about four times as many extreme events compared to the experience of someone in their 60s todayand that's if nations reduce fossil fuel use enough to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial times. It's even more dangerous if they don't.

Adapting to a changing world

The report warns that humanity has a brief but rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future. The risks posed by climate change will be felt differently in different regions, but the most vulnerable people will face the greatest risks.

Ensuring that their voices are included in planning and decision-making is a key recommendation. For example, Indigenous peoples are on the frontlines of climate-driven catastrophes and also can be partners in their solutions. In Alaska, where I currently conduct research, sewer systems could be washed out in the next storm, and thawing permafrost is crippling critical underground food storage areas, as well as roads. I've seen homes set on coastal cliffs there that are eroding into the sea.

Water and food security

In North America, the report describes how the ideal climates for many crops and fisheries are shifting northward, leading to reduced productivity of key crops and livestock. The thermal habitat for salmon and trout may decline 5% to 31%, lobster and crab distributions will shift, and shellfish harvests will decline due to ocean acidification.

The impacts vary by region, but research shows climate change has generally reduced agricultural productivity by around 12.5% in the U.S. since 1961, particularly in drought-prone areas. Rising global temperatures are reducing the snowpack that farms and cities rely on for water, and increased groundwater pumping in response is harming access to fresh water in some areas, particularly in the western U.S.

Adapting might mean planting different crops or conserving water. On the Colorado River, falling water levels have triggered water use limits agreed to by seven states.

Wildfires are also a risk in the East. Credit: Penn State

Coastal and urban economies

Along U.S. coasts and in urban areas, damage from storms and sea level rise, and disruption of trade and transportation networks, are likely to cause substantial social and economic upheaval, the report says. Up to 99% of coral reefs, which provide natural protection from storms, will be lost by the end of the century in the Gulf of Mexico and along the coasts of Florida and the Yucatan Peninsula if temperatures rise just a half-degree Celsius more.

There are adaptation techniques other than building sea walls. Green infrastructure, typically vegetation in flood-prone areas, can help manage some floodwater. Some communities are also thinking about managed migration to help move residents out of harm's way.

Another big risk is heat-related deaths and illnesses, particularly among outdoor workers and poor urban residents. How much it increases in the future will depend on how people and countries respond.

Worsening wildfires

Last year, I was back in Yellowstone with my 9-year-old son, and I revisited the places I had been as a young researcher. Rather than a scene of resilience, wildfires had returned in just 18 years, burning landscapes that under natural conditions weren't supposed to burn again for 150 years.

What my colleagues and I saw matched what our research was showing: the potential for the Yellowstone landscape to be transformed by fire. It also showed how these changes are less than a lifetime away.

As temperatures rise, wildfire frequency is projected to increase about 30% globally by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at a high rate. Fires will release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, where it further exacerbates climate change, and they will worsen air quality for billions of people.

Strategies exist to help avoid the worst harm. Restoring fire-adapted ecosystems and using forest thinning and prescribed burns, where appropriate, can help prevent megafires. Communities can take steps to reduce the fire risk by building firebreaks and following construction codes.

A window of opportunity

The IPCC report concludes that it is unequivocal that climate change has already disrupted human and natural systems and that it threatens human well-being. It also reminds us that we can change it for the better.

Many reports have described pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach a "net zero" emissions economy to avoid the worst harm and help communities adapt.

We also need to talk about climate change with each other. If people don't talk about it, they don't act. A Yale survey shows that 72% of Americans think global warming is happening, but only 35% are talking about it. Talking about climate change with friends, our communities and our children in appropriate ways is critical to sparking action.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Fossils that be became extinct millions of years ago can reveal various aspects of how they lived. Credit: W.J.Foster

Two-hundred fifty-two million years ago, volcanic eruptions led to massive climate changes. Around the globe, roughly 75 percent of all land-based organisms and roughly 90 percent of all marine organisms died out as a result. Dr. William Foster from Universitat Hamburg's Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN) and colleagues have now used a new form of machine learning to unravel the causes of the mass extinction in the oceans. This was possible because the "machine" part of machine learning is normally a "black box," but Dr. Foster and colleagues have managed to open that box: They have not only determined which organisms went extinct and which survivedbut also why. Their findings have just been published in the journal Paleobiology.

The end of the Permian was characterized by the greatest mass extinction event in Earth's history. Two-hundred fifty-two million years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions in Siberia led to a massive release of greenhouse gases. In the course of the next several millennia, the climate ultimately warmed by 10 degrees. As a consequence, on land, roughly 75 percent of all organisms went extinct; in the oceans, the number was roughly 90 percent.

By analyzing how the now-extinct marine organisms once lived, Dr. Foster and his team were able to directly link their extinction to the following climate changes: declining oxygen levels in the water, rising water temperatures, and most likely also ocean acidification.

These changes are similar to current trends. "Needless to say, our findings on the Permian can't be applied to modern climate change one-to-one. The two climate systems are far too different," says Foster, a geoscientist. "Yet they do show which traits were critical for an organism's survival or extinctionunder similar conditions. This can offer us valuable indicators for who or what will be at the greatest risk in the future."

Specifically, the team analyzed more than 25,000 records on 1,283 genera of fossil marine organisms like bivalves, snails, sponges, algae and crustaceans from the region of South Chinaall of which had mineral skeletons or shells. Their fossilized remains can be dated using a special method, offering insights into marine ecosystems dating back millions of years. The team also drew on an enormous database that offers additional information on various ecological aspects of how these organisms lived.

The coastline of Svalbard in Norway exposes Permian-Triassic rocks and expose the record of the mass extinction. Credit: W.J.Foster

For each genus, 12 of these criteria were analyzed. Did certain traits make a given organism more likely to survive under the conditions prevalent at the end of the Permianor not? With the aid of machine learning, a method from the field of artificial intelligence, all of these factors were analyzed jointly and simultaneously. In the process, the machine essentially made certain rational decisions on its own. Once this was done, the team compared the results: what organisms were there before, during and after the mass extinction?

Their findings reveal the four factors that were most essential to whether or not organisms survived the end of the Permian: where in the water they lived, the mineralization of their shells, species diversity within their genus, and their sensitivity to acidification.

Dr. Foster says, "But with previous machine learning applications, we couldn't say how the machine made its decisions."

Using a newly implemented method from games theory, Dr. Foster has now succeeded in unraveling this aspect. "Some animals lived in deeper water. Here, the machine shows that the worsening lack of oxygen posed a risk. In contrast, those animals that lived nearer the surface had to contend with the rising water temperatures. Plus, when you have only a limited habitat, you have nowhere to go when that specific habitat becomes uninhabitable."

As such, the results show which of the organisms' traits were determined to be potentially fatal. The team was ultimately able to confirm that the mass extinction can be directly attributed to deoxygenation, rising water temperatures and acidificationwhich indicates that, in a future climate crisis, these could also be the three main causes of extinction in the long term.

Explore further Fossil snail shells offer new tool for analyzing ancient ocean chemistry

More information: William J. Foster et al, Machine learning identifies ecological selectivity patterns across the end-Permian mass extinction, Paleobiology (2022). Journal information: Paleobiology William J. Foster et al, Machine learning identifies ecological selectivity patterns across the end-Permian mass extinction,(2022). DOI: 10.1017/pab.2022.1
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

U.S. agricultural systems are world leaders in the production of food, fuel and fiber. This high level of production enables U.S. consumers to spend an average of only 8.6 percent of their disposable income on food, a percentage that has been trending downward since 1960. Growing evidence, however, shows that many hidden costs of cheap food may be passed on through factors such as reduced nutritional content, environmental degradation and the diminishing livelihoods of U.S. farm operators.

A major new study led by Emory University digs deeper into the question of why, despite the extraordinary productivity of U.S. agriculture, U.S. farm operators are systematically losing money. The journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems published the analysis, which drew from publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and other sources.

"It's not that agriculture as a sector is not profitable," says Emily Burchfield, assistant professor in Emory's Department of Environmental Sciences and lead author of the study. "It's that despite hard work and significant financial risk, many of the people who operate U.S. farms are not able to make a decent living at it."

Rising input costs, shrinking production values, commodity specialization and challenges to land access all appear to be connected to declining farm operator livelihoods, the study concludes.

"We've shown in a quantitative, systematic way the extent to which these trends are happening and, in many cases, how they appear to be worsening," Burchfield says.

An online data repository

"People who work in the agricultural space already know that it is difficult to make a living as a farmer," she adds. "In this paper, we've cleaned and merged tremendous amounts of data from multiple sources to bring key information together into one place. This allows us to tell a more complete and clear story about how and why this is happening at a national scale."

The researchers deposited the cleaned and merged data into a free, online repository (https://github.com/blschum/US-Farming-Data-Narrative) so that other agricultural stakeholders can easily access it. They hope that their "one-stop" centralized data hub on farmer livelihoods will serve as an educational tool and inspire more research into the topic.

The USDA reported in 2020 that the average funds generated by farm operators to meet living expenses and debt obligations, after accounting for production expenses, have been negative for nine out of the last 10 years. In 2017, for instance, median net-cash farm income was $1,035 in the red per farm household in the country.

Paying to farm

In many regions of the United States, the authors write, farm operators actually have to pay to engage in the labor- and time-intensive act of operating a farm.

"What we were really surprised to find in the data is that the low, or negative, median farm operator income applies even when you factor in government subsidies," Burchfield says. "Given that the federal government is subsidizing farming with billions of dollars annually, it raises the question of how we might do so more effectively. How are we going to convince folks to continue growing our food if they are locked into a system where they can't make money?"

Burchfield's research combines spatial-temporal, social and environmental data to understand the future of food security in the United States, including the consequences of a changing climate.

Co-authors of the current paper include: Britta Schumacher, a former Emory research assistant in Burchfield's lab; Andrea Rissing, an Emory post-doctoral fellow in the lab; and Kaitlyn Spangler, a post-doctoral fellow at Penn State.

Relying on off-farm income

Understanding how much income individual farms are losing on average is complicated by farm households often having a family member bringing in income through a non-farm occupation, Burchfield notes. In 2019, the USDA reported that on-farm production contributes to less than 25 percent of farm household income, on average, with the remaining 75 percent earned off-farm. This suggests that many farmers rely on off-farm income to stay afloat.

"Farming is one of the hardest jobs on the planet," Burchfield says, "and it's going to get even harder due to climate change. The combination of more gradual shifts in average climate conditions, and the increased prevalence of extreme weather events, presents a serious challenge to farmers."

These ongoing challenges, the authors argue, require an urgent rethinking of how federal subsidies can play a role in encouraging and supporting new, adaptive approaches to agriculture.

U.S. farm operations currently cover approximately 900 million cultivated acres, more than half of the nation's land area. And three cropscorn, soy and wheatare cultivated exclusively on more than two thirds of agricultural acres.

"A lack of crop diversification can make farming increasingly brittle and less adaptable," Burchfield says. "Climate change, meanwhile, makes the need for innovation and adaptation more crucial and inevitable."

The paper also highlights the lack of diversification among farm operators. Statistically, the "average" U.S. farmer is a 58-year-old white male. Those not identifying as white currently operate about 7 percent of farmland representing just 5 percent of operations. Only 1.4 percent of operators identify as Black, and these operators are heavily concentrated in the Southeast. And, on average, white operators receive twice as much from federal subsidy programs ($14,000 per farm) as Black operators ($6,400 per farm).

A call for diversity of people, plants and practices

"We need better data to track the persistent inequities at the intersection of race, class and livelihoods in the agriculture space," Burchfield says.

She recommends finding ways to support the diversity of people, plants and practices in the national farm landscape to help address the growing issues of agricultural sustainability and climate change. "Small-scale experimentation and the emergence of grassroots alternatives along with technical innovations are all needed in order to better weather the challenges," she says.

Burchfield also cites the need for the availability of more fine-scale data on the livelihoods of farmers that goes beyond yields and acreage to cover issues such as access to health insurance. "Farmers are fundamental to our survival, their work is risky and difficult, and ensuring their quality of life is necessary for U.S. agriculture to persist," she says.

As Burchfield and her co-authors conclude: "Measuring and monitoring agricultural progress using only metrics of production, efficiency and revenue masks the lived realities of the humans operating our farms."

More information: Emily K. Burchfield et al, The State of US Farm Operator Livelihoods, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2022). Emily K. Burchfield et al, The State of US Farm Operator Livelihoods,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.795901
Credit: Shutterstock

The oldest book of zoology was published on clay tablets more than 3,600 years ago, and reported the names of 396 types of wild animals known at the time. Ten of them were different kinds of fly.

Flies have lived alongside humans since the dawn of history, feeding on our bodily fluids and other organic waste such as meat and vegetable scraps. When an adult female blowfly finds some juicy decaying materialtypically a carcassshe may lay hundreds of eggs or tiny maggots in it.

So flies use us, our products, our waste, and even the bodies of our dead. How can we use them in return?

One way is the science of forensic entomology. At a crime scene, flies and maggots can be used to determine how long it has been since a person or animal died, if they have been moved or neglected prior to deathand what drugs or poisons they had in their system.

From flies on a sickle to modern forensics

The first recorded instance of flies helping out in a murder case was during the 13th century.

A Chinese judge named Sung T'zu was sent to investigate a fatal stabbing in a rice field.

At the scene of the murder, he asked all the workers to lay down their sickles. After a short time, several flies swarmed on one of the sickles, attracted by the smell of invisible traces of blood.

Sung T'zu wrote about the case in The Washing Away of Wrongs, the oldest known book on forensic medicine, printed in 1247. He showed how thinking "outside the box" using clues from nature can help in forensic investigations.

It was several more centuries before the scientific method was applied to the use of flies in criminal investigations. The discipline of forensic entomology as we know it was not born until 1894, with the publication of Carrion Fauna: The Application of Entomology to Legal Medicine, by the French army veterinarian and entomologist Jean Pierre Megnin.

Since then, research on blowfly growth rates, decomposition patterns in different environments and use of blowflies to clean up the wounds (debridement or "maggot" therapy) have gained momentum.

Often flies can help estimate the time of death, as an entomologist can identify the flies or maggots, look at environmental conditions such as temperature, and thereby calculate the amount of time they have been growing.

Forensic entomologists are often involved at crime scenes, and many suspicious deaths of humans and animals have been solved with the help of insects.

You are what you eat

However, drugs and poisons can also affect how attractive blowflies find the carcass, and how quickly maggots grow on it. This means we often need to identify what drugs or poisons we are dealing with.

This can be found by analyzing blood, urine, solid tissue or hairs from the dead body. But in some cases all that remains is a skeleton, so these are unavailable.

In these cases, we need to think outside the box, just like Sung T'zu. The old adage says "you are what you eat," so insects feeding on a body should take in substances from the body and store them in their own bodies.

Furthermore, insects' hard external skeleton is made of chitin, a comparable substance to the keratin protein from which hair is made. Similarly to hair keratin, insect chitin stores drugs for a long time, which is helpful for toxicological analyses.

Insects collected from a carcass can be used as alternative toxicological specimens in situations where traditional sources are not available. Knowing the effect of the toxins on the life cycles of the flies can be used to adjust what we know about their growth rates.

In the early 1970s, the Finnish biologist Pekka Nuorteva showed mercury from a fish carcass could transfer to carrion flies. A few years later a similar analysis was used to determine whether a murder victim had lived in a polluted area. By 1977 the hybrid discipline of entomotoxicology (entomology + toxicology) became a reality.

When tissues and fluids are unavailable, insects are more reliable than hair to detect drug use just before death. They are also easier to analyze than decomposed matter.

What's more, they are available for a very long time. Empty fly puparial cases (cocoons left in the environment by the adult fly after its metamorphosis) as well as skin of carrion beetles have even been used for toxicological studies of mummified bodies found weeks, months, or even years after death.

And since cocaine has been detected in the hair of3,000-year-old Peruvian mummies, it might also be possible to detect drugs in the insects associated with ancient skeletal remains.

Ice and antifreeze

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in drug overdose deaths and also pet poisonings.

My research group is developing ways to detect a range of drugs and other substances commonly found in the suspicious death of humans and animals.

One of these is methamphetamine, a large problem for Australian law enforcement and health authorities. Another is ketamine, a sedative and hallucinogen sometimes used to facilitate sexual assault.

We have also studied the effect of cheap, dangerous, and readily available poisons on blowflies, including

nicotine, which can be lethal if ingested from e-cigarette refills or if passed through the skin via nicotine patches

car antifreeze (ethylene glycol), as it is sometimes used to make home-made alcoholic drinks or consumed by homeless people in winter in the hope to keep themselves warm at night

endosulfan, a pesticide often used to make poison baits to kill animals.

More to be done

Many compounds (such as drugs, metals and pesticides) as well as accelerants and gunshot residues have been detected in insect tissues in a forensic context. However, fewer than 100 such studies have been carried out.

Furthermore, older research often lacks consistency, robust study protocols and method validations. Standard protocols and more sophisticated analytical methods can provide more accurate results that will hold more weight in court.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Pairwise distances between AY.3 sequences in the Delaware Valley. Included are the feline-derived sequence (VSP3509) and human-derived sequences. The number of SNPs separating each pair of lineages is shown by the color code. Credit: Viruses (2022). DOI: 10.3390/v14020421

Since being identified in people in 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has gone on to infect a wide range of animal species, wild and domestic. Concerns abound that these species jumps could lead to novel mutations and even harmful new variants.

In a new report, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine find that, for at least one example of apparent interspecies transmission, this crossing the species boundary did not cause the virus to gain a significant number of mutations.

Writing in the journal Viruses, the scientists identified a domestic house cat, treated at Penn Vet's Ryan Hospital, that was infected with the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 subsequent to an exposure from its owner. The full genome sequence of the virus was a close match to viral sequences circulating in people in the Philadelphia region at the time.

"SARS-CoV-2 has a really incredibly wide host range," says Elizabeth Lennon, senior author on the work, a veterinarian, and assistant professor at Penn Vet. "What this means to me is that, as SARS-CoV-2 continues to be prevalent in the human population, we need to watch what's happening in other animal species as well."

The find is the first published example of the delta variant occurring in a domestic cat in the United States. Notably, the cat's infection was only identified by testing its fecal matter. A nasal swab did not result in a positive test.

"This did highlight the importance of sampling at multiple body sites," says Lennon. "We wouldn't have detected this if we had just done a nasal swab."

Lennon and colleagues have been sampling dogs and cats for SARS-CoV-2 since early in the pandemic. This particular pet cat, an 11-year-old female, was brought to Ryan Hospital in September with gastrointestinal symptoms. It had been exposed to an owner who had COVID-19though that owner had been isolating from the cat for 11 days prior to its hospitalization, another household member doing the cat care in the interim.

Working through the Penn Center for Research on Coronaviruses and Other Emerging Pathogens and Perelman School of Medicine microbiologist Frederic Bushman's laboratory, the team obtained a whole genome sequence of the cat's virus.

Sequencing revealed the delta variant, more specifically, the AY.3 lineage. The researchers did not have a sample from the infected owner. Comparing the sequence to the database kept by the Bushman laboratory, however, the cat's virus was nothing out of the ordinary in terms of the sequences of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the Delaware Valley region at the time.

"When we looked at a random sampling of human sequences from our geographic area, there wasn't anything dramatically different about our cat's sample," Lennon says. "So, our takeaway was that the cat was not infected by a virus that was somehow highly different."

Not all variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been equally able to infect a wide range of hosts. For example, the original Wuhan strain could not naturally infect mice; later variants gained that ability. Scientists began seeing infections in cats and dogs from the early days of the pandemic, presumably infected through close contact with their owners.

"A main takeaway here is that as different variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge, they seem to be retaining the ability to infect a wide range of species," Lennon says.

While this particular case does not raise alarms for the virus acquiring significant numbers of mutations as it moved between species, Lennon and colleagues, including Bushman and Susan Weiss of Penn's medical school, hope to continue studying other examples to see how SARS-CoV-2 evolves. Penn Vet's Institute for Infectious and Zoonotic Disease will facilitate this look at human-animal interactions when it comes to pathogen transmission.

"We know that the SARS-CoV-2 is undergoing changes as it passes between to become more and more transmissible over time," says Lennon. "We saw that with the omicron variant. It's host-adapting to people. We also want to know, when other animal species get infected, does the virus start to adapt to those species? And for those viruses that may adapt to a different species, do they still infect humans?"

Explore further SARS-CoV-2 is moving between humans and wildlife around the US

More information: Olivia C. Lenz et al, SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant (AY.3) in the Feces of a Domestic Cat, Viruses (2022). Olivia C. Lenz et al, SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant (AY.3) in the Feces of a Domestic Cat,(2022). DOI: 10.3390/v14020421
The sun shines near the Space Needle, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Seattle as Seattle and other cities broke all-time heat records, with temperatures soaring well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius). Weather extremes like this will increase in frequency and intensity in North America the coming years as global warming accelerates, according to a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Credit: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren,File

The U.S. Pacific Northwest was in the throes of a record-shattering heat wave last summer when a woman in her 70s was wheeled into an emergency room with symptoms of a life-threatening heat stroke.

Desperate to cool her, Dr. Alexander St. John grabbed a body bag, filled it with ice from the hospital kitchen and zipped the woman inside. Within minutes, her body temperature dropped and her symptoms improved.

"I've never had to do that before. It was surreal," said St. John. "Twenty years ago, it seems like we would talk about climate change as something that would happen over the coming generationsand all of a sudden it seems to be accelerating to the point where we're all experiencing it in real time."

The technique was used to save several other patients at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center during the five-day heat wave last June that saw temperatures spike as high as 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48 degrees Celsius) in some places and killed an estimated 600 people or more across Oregon, Washington and western Canada.

The sweltering stretch across the normally cool region offers a glimpse of the types of extreme weather events that will accelerate in North America within 30 years without a coordinated effort to slow climate change, according to a United Nations report released this week. Even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, people across the U.S., Mexico and Canada will be at increasing risk of catastrophic weather events.

In this aerial photo taken from a helicopter, a wildfire burns in the mountains north of Lytton, British Columbia, on Thursday, July 1, 2021. The wildfire that forced people to flee a small town in British Columbia that had set record high temperatures for Canada on three consecutive days. Weather extremes like this will increase in frequency and intensity in North America the coming years as global warming accelerates, according to a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Credit: Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP,File

The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change lays out how worsening global warming will endanger people's health, drive food insecurity, spur economic upheaval and trigger migration from increasingly uninhabitable places. Low-income and minority populations will be the hardest hit, according to the report, exacerbating existing inequities.

In the West, the report forecasts intensifying drought, extreme heat and wildfires. The Gulf Coast is expected to get more destructive hurricanes and rising sea levels. In the Midwest and Northeast, heavier rains are expected to cause more flooding and damage to crops.

In the summer of 2019, flooding in the U.S. Midwest and South disrupted barge traffic on the Mississippi River and damaged cropland in Ohio and Indiana. A different downpour and flood months earlier crippled Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

Mud and debris surround damaged homes after Hurricane Ida in Ironton, La., on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021. Weather extremes like thisas well as drought, wildfire, flooding and diminishing air quality will increase in frequency and intensity in North America the coming years as global warming accelerates, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Credit: David Grunfeld/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP

The economic impacts will be profound. Warming water and ocean acidification will disrupt commercial fisheries, extreme heat will mean lower yields of key crops such as corn and soybeans and drought will cause livestock losses as animals have less ground to forage, the report found.

Since 1980, there have been 35 floods not associated with hurricanes in the U.S. that have caused more than $1 billion in damage and more than half of those have been since 2010, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"We're exposed to untold damage," said Kathleen Miller, a lead author of the report's North America chapter who studies the economic impacts of climate change at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

"It's time to step up and start thinking about what are our priorities and how can we address these mounting threats," she said.

A volunteer helps set up snacks at a cooling center established to help vulnerable residents ride out a dangerous heat wave on Aug. 11, 2021. Weather extremes like this will increase in frequency and intensity in North America the coming years as global warming accelerates, according to a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Credit: AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus, File

The report still holds out hope that people can slow climate changeor at least adapt to blunt its effects. Prioritizing society's most vulnerable will have the greatest impact on climate resiliency, it said.

The type of adjustments cited in the report are already underway in the Pacific Northwest, which was not built for hot weather. In Seattle, for example, 44% of homes have air conditioning.

After last summer's deadly heat wave, Portland officials are considering alarm systems in public housing that would alert building managers when temperatures climb above 100 degrees. City officials also approved a plan to distribute 15,000 heat pumps, which are an energy-efficient way to cool spaces. Oregon lawmakers are also considering $15 million in funding to boost distribution air purifiers, air conditioners and heat pumps.

Dr. Alexander St. John poses for a photo at Harborview Medical Center, on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Seattle. During a heat wave in 2020 in the Pacific Northwest, St. John, an emergency room physician, used a body bag filled with ice from the hospital's kitchen to bring down the body temperature of a patient that had reached 104 degrees. Credit: AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Longer-term discussions in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere include painting roof tops white and using lighter-colored pavement to repel sunlight, planting more trees in urban centers and creating neighborhood cooling hubs that could also be social spots.

The measures will be key for the groups hit hardest by last summer's deadly heat wavethe elderly living alone, the disabled and the poor.

None of those who died in Portland had central air conditioning, more than half lived in apartments and 10% lived in mobile homes, according to data released by Multnomah County. The city's light-rail train stopped working, making it difficult for low-income residents to reach cooling centers hastily set up in public libraries.

An analysis of data from 1,000 residences found the average temperature in richer homes was 75 degrees, compared with 125 degrees in poorer homes, said Vivek Shandas, a climate professor at Portland State University.

Dr. Alexander St. John poses for a photo in front of an ice maker in a kitchen at Harborview Medical Center, on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Seattle, where medical assistants filled buckets with ice to be put in a body bag, in an effort to bring down the body temperature of patient with temperature of 104 degrees during a heat wave in the Pacific Northwest. Credit: AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Cars stranded in a Walmart parking lot after a flash flood on Nolensville Pike in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, March 28, 2021. Weather extremes like this, as well as drought, wildfire, flooding and diminishing air quality will increase in frequency and intensity in North America the coming years as global warming accelerates, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Credit: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP, File

Vivek Shandas, a professor of climate adaptation at Portland State University, takes a temperature reading of almost 106 degrees in downtown Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, in Portland, Ore., during a major, multi-day heat wave. Weather extremes like this will increase in frequency and intensity in North America the coming years as global warming accelerates, according to a United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Credit: AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File

That shows how those with resources can "further isolate themselves and safeguard themselves," he said.

Renee Salas, an emergency room doctor and a fellow at Harvard University's Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, noted that health risks are increasingly not only from heat, but from worsening wildfires that send smoke plumes thousands of miles across North America and rising temperatures that could foster the spread of diseases by mosquitoes and ticks such as dengue fever, West Nile and Lyme disease.

Adaptation will mean considering climate change as a secondary diagnosis for many patients and treating it accordingly, Salas said. In the future, doctors might write prescriptions for air purifiers or heat pumps the way they do for medications and a national system of health records could help keep medical treatment consistent for patients who become climate refugees.

"There are so many things that we can do in order to optimally identify who's most at risk and to then help protect them," she said. "The time to do that is now, when we're already beginning to see the impact."

Explore further Deadly US Northwest heat prompts legislation aimed at relief

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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Last week, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued an excellent analysis of the growth of green jobs in New York State and the potential for additional growth in the future. According to the comptroller's report:

"There were 1.7 million green jobs in New York in 2019, 17.3 percent of total employment Green jobs constitute a smaller share of State employment than the national average (18.8 percent), and New York trails neighboring states such as Pennsylvania (20.9 percent) and New Jersey (18.5 percent), midwestern states like Illinois (21.4 percent), as well as large states like California (18.2 percent). Between 2015 and 2019, green jobs grew by 13.2 percent, more than twice the rate of total job growth (6 percent)."

The pandemic resulted in job losses throughout the economy, including the green economy. According to DiNapoli's report, in New York State: "Between 2019 and 2020, green jobs declined by over 527,000 jobs to 1.1 million and 12.9 percent of total State employment." This trend was seen nationally during the pandemic, with the first loss of green jobs since measurement began a little more than a decade ago. But as recovery began in 2021, the green economy recovered more rapidly than the economy as a whole.

According to E2, a national organization of environmental entrepreneurs:

"Economic conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the previous administration's animosity toward clean energy, resulted in the first decline in clean energy jobs in America since E2 began tracking such occupations nearly a decade ago and the only decline on record since E2 began producing its annual Clean Jobs America reports. Yet data indicates that clean energy jobs were more resilient and are recovering more quickly than overall economy. By June of last year, more than 620,000 clean energy workers had lost their jobs since the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading widely three months earlier, according to analysis of unemployment data by E2 and partners. After losses peaked at the end of May 2020, jobs grew by more than 11 percent compared to about 9 percent across the U.S. economy overall. In fact, by the end of 2020 more than half of the clean energy jobs lost between March and May had been regained, leaving the number of clean energy jobs lost since COVID 19 at about 307,000."

COVID, the Trump presidency, the horrific invasion of Ukraine, and other world crises may delay the transition to a green economy but will not prevent it. Just as global supply chains have been upended, their economic logic continues regardless. So too, with the green economy. While there is little question that the green economy is growing, there are major problems in defining that part of the economy precisely. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

"Green jobs are either: Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources[or] Jobs in which workers' duties involve making their establishment's production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources."

The Bureau measured green jobs for a few years but, due to budget reductions, ended its count in 2013. A report by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce entitled "State of Green: The Definition and Measurement of Green Jobs" observed that:

"Many different stakeholders have attempted to define and count green accurately; all have come upon the same problems. How to define an amorphous and still-emerging concept and how to count something when it does not easily fit into current coding systems have all been answered in a variety of ways by different partiesYet while there is a growing body of literature on the subject, the green jobs picture still remains fuzzy. This is due in part to the lack of consensus on a definition, but is also due to the lack of helpful information on projections and nationwide data."

A more recent report (December 2019) by Amanda Novello and Greg Carlock of the Century Foundation does an excellent job of defining the various dimensions of green employment. They chart the history of green jobs along with the evolution of environmentalism from conservation to regulation to a contemporary definition that includes equity and investment. Novello and Carlock note that:

"The standard definition of green jobs used by the BLS in their study captures ideas from all three waves of environmentalismincluding work in conservation, regulation, and all major sectors targeted for decarbonizationThe definition classifies green jobs into three major categories: renewable energy production, energy efficiency, and environmental management."

Their study reports some of the differing estimates of the size of the green economy and concludes that:

"The wide variation in estimates of the size of the green economy point to the limitations of patchwork research on the subject and the need for a government funded initiative to study the sector, or simply to reauthorize and appropriate the BLS to continue where they left off."

In the spirit of the Green New Deal, they then connect health care, education, and efforts to increase gender and racial equity as essential to a sustainable economy. They also note that the workforce engaged in the Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of green jobs tends to be male, while the workforce engaged in the broader sustainable economy especially in health care and education, tends to be female.

As the field of sustainability management evolves, we have seen the emergence of distinct subfields that will benefit from study and analysis. The Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of green jobs is focused on environmental sustainability. Issues of workplace equity and community impact are two other distinct but interrelated subfields of sustainability management. Each subfield requires its own distinct measures. Green jobs should be defined as supporting environmental sustainability. Other measures can be used to measure organizational equity and diversity and the impact of an organization on the communities it interacts with. The effort to broaden the definition of green jobs is reminiscent of the effort to include "social infrastructure" with physical infrastructure in the Biden "Build Back Better" bill. While there is no question that these social programs are essential to a sustainable economy, combining all these activities seems to lead to confusion and conceptual ambiguity and, in the case of Build Back Better, political failure. In sum, we should not expect green jobs to lead to a sustainable economy but to environmental sustainability. Comprehensive economic sustainability will require more than environmental sustainability.

The New York State comptroller's report on green jobs discussed the need for worker education and training to enable current workers to retool for some of the high-skill jobs of the green economy. Many green jobs require workers to learn how to design, manage, build, and maintain new technologies. Electric vehicles are a good example of this. Maintenance of these vehicles will require that auto mechanics receive the training needed to maintain a very different type of vehicle than the one they are familiar with. While electric vehicles require less maintenance than internal combustion-powered vehicles, they will still break down and need to be repaired and maintained. These mechanical skills are likely to be scarce early on and, for that reason, should command a higher wage than one earned by today's auto mechanics. Training programs for these new skills that are funded by government could be targeted to overcome traditional gender and racial biases.

The transition to environmental sustainability has begun, and it is important that it is connected to economic development and job creation. While there never has been an economy-wide trade-off between environmental protection and economic growth, there are always examples of jobs lost due to environmental rules. Jobs in coal mining and fracking will be reduced due to decarbonization. The people who hold those jobs should be given training for green jobs and preferences in hiring for those jobs.

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
When the flood came, it came hard on a sizzling July day in 1986 on the construction site at what was then called the Chicago Historical Society. A water main cracked and it took more than three hours to stop the flow.

But by then the water damage was done: more than 400 bound volumes of newspapers, some from the 1870s; 13,000 architectural drawings and hundreds of paintings  in total, more than 100,000 items  had been harmed by water, mud and sand. The task of saving what could be saved was immense.

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Barry Bauman was called in to work on 174 of the societys oldest and most valuable paintings. It was an intimidating, awesome responsibility, he said then. I felt as if I was holding Chicagos very history in my hands.

The restoration took three years, and Baumans work would later be compellingly captured in a documentary on WTTW-Ch. 11. Bauman, a passionate art conservationist, died on Feb. 5 of heart failure at his home in suburban Riverside. He was 73 years old and had spent most of his life bringing new life to a vast array of art and objects, his work featured in stories in the Tribune and many other publications. He was renowned in the art world.

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Barry Bauman with paintings he is restoring at his River Forest home and studio, Wednesday July 19, 2006. The paintings include: "Modonna of the Harpies" by Andrea Del Sarto, 1516 (larger painting); "Point Lobos California" by Louis Sharp (on far right) and "Death Pursuing Youth" by Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1899. (Milbert O. Brown / Chicago Tribune)

With him when he died was his wife, the visual artist Mary Bourke, with whom he had two now-adult twin sons, Ian, a casting director who lives in Brooklyn, and Jeffrey, who works in the retail industry in Chicago. We all loved him dearly, said Bourke. We met in 1983 when he was hired to repair some of my paintings that had been damaged during an exhibition. He told me then that he never dates clients but  He really loved what he did. He told me many times, If I were to die tomorrow, I would die a happy man.

Bauman was born in 1948 in Syracuse, New York, and grew up in a house with zero art, so he never imagined an interest until enrolling in art history at Beloit College in Wisconsin because a political science class was filled. After receiving his bachelors degree from Beloit in 1969 and a masters from the University of Chicago in 1971, Bauman joined the conservation department at the Art Institute of Chicago and spent years there as associate conservator of paintings.

But after 11 years in any position, one might look for new challenges, he told me. Many people, private collectors who I had met through my work at the Art Institute were coming to me for conservation work. It got to the point at which I had enough of these clients I thought I might use this base as a springboard into a private enterprise.

But he needed a loan to open his own operation, first called the Chicago Conservation Center, and that money came from Marshall Field V, then the Art Institutes president. Setting up shop by himself in what was then the less-than-trendy River North area, he was able to pay Field back in 18 months. I was glad to help Barry, and I thought a place like the Conservation Center would be good for the city, Field told me. I think it has been. And I think hes succeeded beyond anyones hopes. Im happy for him. Hes a good fellow.

The Chicago Conservation Center has since relocated to 400 N. Wolcott Ave. and is now known as the Conservation Center. It remains the largest private art conservation center in the city and one of the largest in the world.

When I first visited the place in 1993, I found myself amid more than 250 paintings, textiles and sculptures in need of aid. Most of the works suffered such relatively prosaic ailments as discolored varnish; smoke or soot, the result of fires; bulges and ripples in the canvas, the result of warped framing; small tears; flecked paint; and other signs of aging.

But weve had paintings damaged by gunshots, by floods, Bauman said. We have had a few paintings that were so badly damaged that there was nothing we could do. We are not magicians.

Paintings came into the center so covered in grime that it was virtually impossible to tell what was once underneath. But in time, canvases came alive in blazing colors. In the centers 6,000-square-foot space, Bauman and his staff repaired, retouched, cleaned and otherwise ministered to artworks that belong to museums, corporations and private collectors. They worked on worthless but dear family heirlooms and museum paintings worth millions. People realize that when they send a painting or work of art here, its not like getting your car repainted for $29.95, Bauman said.

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I asked him if he and his staff were nervous working on expensive works. He said, Would you ask a doctor if he was nervous about doing an operation? We are professionals.

Bauman would sell the CCC to his employee Heather Becker, who I first met when she worked with Bauman on what was called the Mural Preservation Project. She recently wrote a loving tribute to Bauman, saying in part, His charisma and engagement were fascinating to witness, and his loyalty to train and nurture others was ever-present, along with his endless drive that overflowed onto others daily.

Bauman would go on the start the countrys first conservation laboratory dedicated to offering complimentary services to museums and nonprofit organizations. In 2019, he started Conservation Ventures, a company that focused on presentations and helping museums apply for grants. He also gave lectures at museums and universities, in the hope that he might inspire art and art history students to consider conservation as a future career.

He and I last talked in the summer of 2021, when he told me, with typical enthusiasm, that he was working on a national conservation grant for the Edgewater Historical Society.

I was planning to write about this but then Bauman died.

Services have been held and in the wake of his death, I recalled something he told me long ago: Certainly the responsibilities of working on a $3 million Renoir are different than working on a portrait of someones Uncle Billy. But that vanishes when I sit down to work. The work varies not at all.

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rkogan@chicagotribune.com
Fabric is a porous material with structure on multiple lengthscales. The top three images, from left to right, depict successively smaller lengthscales. At the largest lengthscale, fabric is a lattice woven from perpendicular yarns that go over and under other yarns at right angles to them. Credit: Richard P. Sear

Like many other viruses, COVID-19 is transmitted primarily via particles carried in the air. An infected person breathes out particles containing the virus into the air, which can then be inhaled by another person, who then becomes infected.

Masks are widely considered an important first-line defense against airborne transmission of the disease, as is supported by a preponderance of evidence. Fueled by the omicron variant, the latest wave of the pandemic prompted public health officials to recommend more protective face coverings because not all masks are created equal.

In Physics of Fluids, researchers from England, Germany, and France focus their expertiseand their microscopeson examining the efficacy of particle filtration by woven fabric, which, unlike material used in standard air filters and masks, consists of fibers twisted together into yarns. There are, therefore, two lengthscales: the diameters of the fiber and the yarn.

Using 3D imagery produced by confocal microscopy to see the air flow channels, the scientists simulate the airflow through these channels and calculate filtration efficiency for particles a micrometer and larger in diameter. The study concludes for particles in this size range, the filtration efficiency is low.

"Masks are air filters, and woven fabrics, such as cotton, make for good jeans, shirts, and other apparel, but they are lousy air filters," said co-author Richard Sear, from the University of Surrey. "So, use woven fabric for clothing, and N95s or FFP2s or KF94s for masks."

Indeed, the flow simulations suggest when a person breathes through cloth, most of the air flows through the gaps between the yarns in the woven fabric, bringing with it with more than 90% of the particles.

"In other words, these relatively large gaps are responsible for cloth being a bad material to make air filters from," said Sear. "In contrast, the filtering layer of an N95 mask is made from much smaller, 5-micrometer fibers with gaps that are 10 times smaller, making it much better for filtering nasty particles from the air, such as those containing virus."

While earlier research revealed similar findings, this study represents the first to simulate particles going directly through the gaps in woven fabric.

Sear added good masks should feature the "two Fs: good filtration and good fit."

"Surgical masks fit badly, so a lot of air goes unfiltered past the edges of the mask by the cheeks and nose," said Sear.

Explore further The best material for homemade face masks may be a combination of two fabrics

More information: Mohammad T. Hossain et al, Dynamics of Brownian Janus rods at a liquidliquid interface, Physics of Fluids (2022). Journal information: Physics of Fluids Mohammad T. Hossain et al, Dynamics of Brownian Janus rods at a liquidliquid interface,(2022). DOI: 10.1063/5.0076148
This illustration shows NASAs NuSTAR X-ray telescope in space. Two bulky components are separated by a 33-foot (10-meter) structure called a deployable mast, or boom. Light is collected at one end of the boom and is focused along its length before hitting detectors at the other end. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

For almost 10 years, NASA's NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) X-ray space observatory has been studying some of the highest-energy objects in the universe, such as colliding dead stars and enormous black holes feasting on hot gas. During that time, scientists have had to deal with stray light leaking in through the sides of the observatory, which can interfere with observations much like external noise can drown out a phone call.

But now team members have figured out how to use that stray X-ray light to learn about objects in NuSTAR's peripheral vision while also performing normal targeted observations. This development has the potential to multiply the insights that NuSTAR provides. A new science paper in The Astrophysical Journal describes the first use of NuSTAR's stray light observations to learn about a cosmic objectin this case, a neutron star.

Nuggets of material left over after a star collapses, neutron stars are some of the densest objects in the universe, second only to black holes. Their powerful magnetic fields trap gas particles and funnel them toward the neutron star's surface. As the particles are accelerated and energized, they release high-energy X-rays that NuSTAR can detect.

The new study describes a system called SMC X-1, which consists of a neutron star orbiting a living star in one of two small galaxies orbiting the Milky Way (Earth's home galaxy). The brightness of SMC X-1's X-ray output appears to vary wildly when viewed by telescopes, but decades of direct observations by NuSTAR and other telescopes have revealed a pattern to the fluctuations. Scientists have pinpointed several reasons why SMC X-1 changes in brightness when studied by X-ray telescopes. For example, the X-rays' brightness dims as the neutron star dips behind the living star with each orbit. According to the paper, the stray light data was sensitive enough to pick up on some of those well-documented changes.

"I think this paper shows that this stray light approach is reliable, because we observed brightness fluctuations in the neutron star in SMC X-1 that we have already confirmed through direct observations," said McKinley Brumback, an astrophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California, and lead author of the new study. "Going forward, it would be great if we could use the stray light data to look at objects when we don't already know if they're regularly changing in brightness and potentially use this approach to detect changes."

Form and function

The new approach is possible because of NuSTAR's shape, which is similar to dumbbell or dog bone: It has two bulky components at either end of a narrow, 33-foot-long (10-meter-long) structure called a deployable mast, or boom. Typically, researchers point one of the bulky endswhich contains the optics, or the hardware that collects X-raysat the object they want to study. The light travels along the boom to the detectors, located at the other end of the spacecraft. The distance between the two is necessary to focus the light.

But stray light also reaches the detectors by entering through the sides of the boom, bypassing the optics. It appears in NuSTAR's field of view along with light from whatever object the telescope directly observes, and is often fairly easy to identify by eye: It forms a circle of faint light emerging from the sides of the image. (Unsurprisingly, stray light is a problem for many other space- and ground-based telescopes.)

A group of NuSTAR team members has spent the last few years separating the stray light from various NuSTAR observations. After identifying bright, known X-ray sources in the periphery of each observation, they used computer models to predict how much stray light should appear based on which bright object was nearby. They also looked at almost every NuSTAR observation to confirm the telltale sign of stray light. The team created a catalog of about 80 objects for which NuSTAR had collected stray light observations, naming the collection "StrayCats."

"Imagine sitting in a quiet movie theater, watching a drama, and hearing the explosions in the action movie playing next door," said Brian Grefenstette, senior research scientist at Caltech and the NuSTAR team member leading the StrayCats work. "In the past, that's what the stray light was likea distraction from what we were trying to focus on. Now we have the tools to turn that extra noise into useful data, opening an entire new way of using NuSTAR to study the universe."

Of course, the stray light data can't replace direct observations by NuSTAR. Aside from stray light being unfocused, many objects that NuSTAR can observe directly are too faint to appear in the stray light catalog. But Grefenstette said multiple Caltech students have combed through the data and found instances of rapid brightening from peripheral objects, which might be any number of dramatic events, such as thermonuclear explosions on the surfaces of neutron stars. Observing the frequency and intensity of a neutron star's changes in brightness can help scientists decipher what's happening to those objects.

"If you're trying to look for a pattern in the long-term behavior or brightness of an X-ray source, the stray light observations could be a great way to check in more often and establish a baseline," said Renee Ludlam, a NASA Hubble Fellowship Program Einstein fellow at Caltech and member of the StrayCats team. "They could also let us catch odd behaviors in these objects when we don't expect them or when we wouldn't normally be able to point NuSTAR directly at them. The stray light observations don't replace direct observations, but more data is always good."

Explore further NASA telescope spots highest-energy light ever detected from Jupiter

More information: McKinley C. Brumback et al, Extending the Baseline for SMC X-1's Spin and Orbital Behavior with NuSTAR Stray Light, The Astrophysical Journal (2022). Journal information: Astrophysical Journal McKinley C. Brumback et al, Extending the Baseline for SMC X-1's Spin and Orbital Behavior with NuSTAR Stray Light,(2022). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac4d24
False Widow Spider (Steatoda nobilis). Credit: NUI Galway

Scientists from the Ryan Institute in NUI Galway have published the first record of a Noble False Widow spider feeding on a protected species of Pipistrelle bats in the UK.

The new study, published today in the international journal Ecosphere, demonstrates that False Widow spiders continue to impact native species.

It is the first time a member of this family of spiders, called Theridiidae, has been recorded preying on a bat anywhere in the world, or any vertebrate in Britain.

It is also the first time for any species of false widow spider to be recorded preying on mammals.

The extraordinary discovery was made by wildlife artist Ben Waddams at his home in north Shropshire, England. On two consecutive days, bats living in the attic were found entangled on the spider's web below the entrance to the roost.

The first bat, a young pup, was completely immobilized with its limbs pinned tightly to the torso with silk. It was slightly shriveled and discolored from the spider feeding off the remains.

A second, much larger adult bat, was also captured and entangled in the web but as it was still alive, the bat was rescued from the web and released.

In Britain, the Pipistrelle bats are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.

Dr Michel Dugon, Head of the Venom Systems Lab at NUI Galway, with a False Widow Spider (Steatoda nobilis). Credit: NUI Galway

The rather grisly event is not as uncommon as people might expect, three years ago the Noble False Widow spider was reported feeding on a protected species of native lizard in Ireland.

Originating from Madeira and the Canary Islands, the Noble False Widow spider Steatoda nobilis has the potential to become one of the world's most invasive species of spider.

It was first reported in southern England in 1879 and has increased its range and population density in recent decades, spreading northwards towards Scotland and westward through Wales and Ireland. In that time the species has also spread globally from across Europe, East Asia, North America, and South America.

The species is known for its medical significance, having the ability to cause a range of mild to severe symptoms in people who are bitten, but little is known about its impact on native species.

A Pipistrelle bat entangled in a False Widow Spider's web. Credit: Ben Waddams

Over the past five years, the team led by Dr. Michel Dugon in NUI Galway's Ryan Institute, have been studying a wide range of characteristics specific to the species including its venom, symptoms after envenomation, ecology and behavior.

Dr. Michel Dugon, Head of the Venom Systems Lab, Ryan Institute, NUI Galway and senior author of the study, said: "We have been working on the Noble False Widow for the past five years, and have learnt a great deal about this speciesyet, we are still surprised by its ability to adapt to new environments and make the most of the resources available. It is a truly remarkable species."

Dr. John Dunbar, Irish Research Council Post-Doctoral fellow, Venom Systems Lab, Ryan Institute, NUI Galway and lead author of the study, said: "In more exotic parts of the world, scientists have been documenting such predation events by spiders on small vertebrates for many years, but we are only beginning to realize just how common these events occur. Now that this alien species has become well established in Ireland and Britain, we are witnessing such fascinating events on our very own doorstep.

"Even other, much smaller, species of false widows are known to capture and feed on snakes and lizards. This study presents yet another example of the invasive impact by the Noble false widow spider on native species. We know they are much more competitive than native spiders, and this further confirms their impact on prey species."

Pipistrelle bat entangled in a False Widow Spider's web. Credit: Ben Waddams

They possess a fast-acting neurotoxic venom with a very similar composition to true black widows that can cause neuromuscular paralysis in terrestrial vertebrates which allows them to occasionally feed on small reptiles and mammals.

Aiste Vitkauskaite, researcher at the Venom Systems Lab, Ryan Institute, NUI Galway, said: "False widow spiders, just as their close relatives' black widow spiders, have extraordinary prey capture techniques and remarkably potent venom which allows them to capture small vertebrate prey many times larger than the spider itself with surprising ease.

False Widow Spider that preyed on Pipistrelle. Credit: Ben Waddams

"In the last three years alone, we have observed two occasions of the alien Noble False Widow capturing and feeding on protected species of vertebrate animals in Ireland and Britain. As the Noble False Widow continues to expand its range and increase populations across Ireland and Britain, we should expect to observe similar predation events on small vertebrate animals by this spider, including protected species."

The team of scientists are encouraging members of the public to email them at falsewidow@nuigalway.ie to report sightings of the Noble False Widow spider.

View a short video about the study:

Explore further New study confirms Noble False Widow spiders bites can result in hospitalization

More information: John P. Dunbar et al, Webslinger vs. Dark Knight First record of a false widow spider Steatoda nobilis preying on a pipistrelle bat in Britain, Ecosphere (2022). Journal information: Ecosphere John P. Dunbar et al, Webslinger vs. Dark Knight First record of a false widow spider Steatoda nobilis preying on a pipistrelle bat in Britain,(2022). DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3959
Votive offering found inside the Large Temple. Credit: SIKAIT PROJECT

An international team of archaeologists led by Joan Oller Guzman, lecturer at the UAB Department of Antiquity and Medieval Studies, published the results of the 2020 and 2021 dig seasons at the Roman site of Sikait, a set of buildings surrounding Roman Egypt's emerald mines, located in the Eastern Desert. The area was known in Antiquity as "Mons Smaragdus," given that it was the only place within the Roman Empire where emeralds could be found. This scientific collaboration was conducted jointly with the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology of the University of Warsaw, Poland, and focuses on the study of how emeralds were extracted and commercialized in Antiquity.

The excavations conducted in these past two years correspond to the latest Roman period, from the 4th to the 6th centuries CE, and reveal that some of the buildings were occupied or even built by the Blemmyes, nomad tribes living in the area at the end of the 4th century. The work conducted at the main temple of Sikait, the Large Temple, has allowed archaeologists to document two perfectly preserved ritual sanctuaries, one of which contained the last votive offering to have been made intact (between 4th and 5th centuries CE).

"The discovery confirms the relevance of religion and local rituals in this late period, and this suggests that the exploitation of the mines may have fallen into the hands of the Blemmyes during this time, before the fall of the empire," Joan Oller explains.

Researchers also excavated one of the most impressive building complex, the Tripartite Building, which was probably used both as a residence and as a warehouse for the emeralds extracted from the mines.

First topography of the mines

The two dig seasons began with a detailed surveying of the mining areas in which up to eleven extracting areas were found surrounding Wadi Sikait, the dry valley in which the archaeological site is located. For the first time, archaeologists were able to conduct a detailed topographic study of the two most important mines, one of them consisting of hundreds of galleries and with a depth of more than 40 meters. The survey also allowed them to determine how work was structured inside the mines: Large-scale mining only began once the most productive veins were identified. These operations included logistical infrastructures such as small settlements, necropolises, ramps, paths, working areas and watchtowers. A demonstration of the complexity and intensity of the processes needed to extract beryl, the mineral from which emeralds are obtained.

Involvement of the Roman army

The most remarkable characteristic of this mine is the documentation of an important set of ancient inscriptions which allow researchers to infer information on who worked there and how the tasks were carried out. Among these is an inscription by a Roman legion, which would for the first time demonstrate that the Roman army was directly involved in the exploitation of Egypt's emerald mines "not only to defend them, but also probably to help in their construction," Oller explains.

The researchers continued to add to the documentation of emerald mines within the Wadi el Gemal National Park, of which over 300 have already been studied. In addition to the discoveries, the surveying of the area has led researchers to document dozens of new settlements, mines, infrastructures and even a new necropolis with over 100 tombs, which has added to the knowledge of ancient funerary rites and social features of the community living there shortly before the site was abandoned. The research is a huge step forward in understanding how emeralds were extracted and commercialized in the Graeco-Roman and Byzantine periods.

Fifth dig season

In January of this year, the archaeological team ended what was the fifth dig season of this site. The new season has focused on the excavation of what is known as the Small Temple, which, among other elements, has yielded part of an inscription in Greek dedicated to different Egyptian divinities. The team will publish the results of their most recent season before the end of this year.

Explore further New evidence regarding emerald production in Roman Egypt coming from Wadi Sikait

More information: Joan Oller Guzman et al, Emerald Mining During the Roman Period in the Egyptian Eastern Desert: Recent Evidence from Wadi Sikait, Thetis 26, pp. 25-35. 2021.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Lead researcher Dr. Milo Barham, from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group within Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the team devised a metric, which determines the "age distribution fingerprint" of minerals known as zircon within sand, shedding new light on the evolution of the Earth's surface over the last few billion years.

"While much of the original geological record is lost to erosion, durable minerals like zircon form sediments that effectively gather information from these lost worlds to paint a vivid picture of the planet's history, including changing environments, the development of a habitable biosphere, the evolution of continents, and the accumulation of mineral resources at ancient plate boundaries," Dr. Barham said.

"This new approach allows a greater understanding of the nature of ancient geology in order to reconstruct the arrangement and movement of tectonic plates on Earth through time.

"The world's beaches faithfully record a detailed history of our planet's geological past, with billions of years of Earth's history imprinted in the geology of each grain of sand and our technique helps unlock this information."

Co-author Professor Chris Kirkland, also from the Timescales of Mineral Systems Group within Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the new method can be used to trace the Earth's history with greater detail than previously achievable.

"Zircons contain chemical elements that allow us to date and reconstruct the conditions of mineral formation. Much like human population demographics trace the evolution of countries, this technique allows us to chart the evolution of continents by identifying the particular age population demographics of zircon grains in a sediment," Professor Kirkland said.

"The way the Earth recycles itself through erosion is tracked in the pattern of ages of zircon grains in different geological settings. For example, the sediment on the west and east coasts of South America are completely different because there are many young grains on the west side that were created from crust plunging beneath the continent, driving earthquakes and volcanoes in the Andes. Whereas, on the east coast, all is relatively calm geologically and there is a mix of old and young grains picked up from a diversity of rocks across the Amazon basin."

Dr. Barham and Professor Kirkland are affiliated with The Institute for Geoscience Research (TIGeR), Curtin's flagship Earth Sciences research institute and the research was funded by the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia.

"Understanding ancient tectonic settings through detrital zircon analysis" was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

More information: M. Barham et al, Understanding ancient tectonic settings through detrital zircon analysis, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2022). Journal information: Earth and Planetary Science Letters M. Barham et al, Understanding ancient tectonic settings through detrital zircon analysis,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117425
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The plants we eat have been domesticated. There are no wild chihuahuas, in the wilderness there are wolves and, likewise, there are no wild big and juicy tomatoes, bread wheat or popcorn maize in the wild. Our forebears modified these species to adapt them to their needs, uses, and tastes. The tomato was domesticated by native american cultures thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, there are few tomato archeological remains and many questions to answer. Although some of these issues have been discussed for decades, most of them still have no final answers. For instance, it has been proposed that the domestication could have been carried out in Mesoamerica, the region comprising Mexico and Central America, or, alternatively, in Peru and Ecuador, but there has been no definitive evidence capable of settling the debate.

The plant genomic group at COMAV, a research institute located in the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia in Spain, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Georgia are publishing in Horticulture Research new findings obtained within Varitome, a National Science Foundation funded project (NSF1564366). The whole genome of 628 wild and cultivated plants have been analyzed to unravel some details of the complex American tomato history.

Most of the contemporary cultivated tomato is very similar to the wild Mesoamerican plants (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme), however, in its domestication there were also involved wild Ecuadorian and Peruvian species (S. pimpinellifolium). This complex scenario has hampered the study of the tomato domestication for decades, but, thanks to a novel statistical analysis developed for this research, it was possible to find out that although the domestication process started with the Mesoamerican materials, it was quite complex. In a first step, Mesoamerican plants migrated southward to a region located between the Andes foot and the Amazonian forest in Peru and Ecuador. This humid region is known as Ceja de Montana. This migration was fast and very likely due to the commercial relationships established between different Mesoamerican and Ecuadorian and Peruvian cultures. More recently, some plants, very similar to the ones still grown in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru, migrated back to Mexico. Surprisingly, the vintage Yucatan tomatoes are more similar to the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Ceja de Montana ones than to its wild counterparts found in Mexico. Thus, it has been established that some wild tomatoes migrated southward and, then, went back as cultivated.

Moreover, these voyages would change the tomato forever. The growers from Ceja de Montana did not use pure Mesoamerican plants, but admixtures created crossing the newly arrived plants with wild plants from coastal Peru and Ecuador. It is also there, in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru, in the region located between Mayo and Chinchipe, where the highest genetic diversity of cultivated tomatoes in the world have been found, and it might be there where the domestication took place. However, to have a final confirmation regarding this question new archeological tomato remains could be needed.

The hybridization between Mesoamerican and Ecuatorial plants was used to take genes needed to adapt the northern tomatoes to the climate and latitude of Ecuador. Without this old hybridization it is unlikely that the tomato could have been easily adapted to climates as different as the Ecuadorian forests and the Mediterranean coasts.

The American tomato history was complex and included very distant agricultural cultures that adapted the crop to their needs and tastes. Like any other crop, the cultivated tomato was created by the genetic modifications fostered by its first growers. In the Americas the tomato was a secondary crop used mainly to prepare sauces. However, this was not the end of its trips, but only the beginning. For instance, after arriving in Europe different varieties were created, and it wasn't until the industrial revolution that the crop acquired its current relevance. Nowadays we are still creating new varieties adapted, again, to our needs, uses, and tastes. The native american growers defined the past of the tomato, and it is our shared task to define its future. We change the plants we grow, and they, in turn, define us.

Explore further Genome sequences for two wild tomato ancestors

More information: Jose Blanca et al, Haplotype analyses reveal novel insights into tomato history and domestication driven by long-distance migrations and latitudinal adaptations, Horticulture Research (2022). Jose Blanca et al, Haplotype analyses reveal novel insights into tomato history and domestication driven by long-distance migrations and latitudinal adaptations,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac030

Provided by Universitat Politecnica de Valencia
Finds at the Varsche Rivier 003 site in the Knersvlate region of South Africa show that humans thrived there 80,000 years ago, despite a tough climate. Credit: Alex Blackwood

Between the time when early modern humans emerged in Africa and when they spread around the globe, they developed complex behaviors that enabled themand usto adapt and thrive in new environments.

Those behaviorstoolmaking, thinking and planningevolved during the Middle Stone Age (315,00040,000 years ago), but our current understanding of where, why and how the behaviors arose relies on spotty archaeological evidence. The Middle Stone Age in southern Africa is best known from famous sites along the lush southern Cape Coast, such as Blombos Cave. But new research suggests people in the overlooked desert regions to the north sometimes lived very different, and in some ways more creative, lives.

In an article in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, Alex Mackay of University of Wollongong in Australia, Teresa Steele, professor of anthropology at University of California, Davis, and colleagues report that 80,000 to 92,000 years ago people occupying a site in the Knersvlakte region of southern Namaqualand, in what is now South Africa, were innovating in multiple ways, including:

Creating unique methods for producing stone tools by heating silcrete rocks to fracture along impurities

Transporting mollusk shells an unusually long distance from the coast

Producing technology from ostrich eggshells, their first known use as a medium for creativity

These innovations, found at the Varsche Rivier 003 site, are not present in sites just 65 miles (100 kilometers) to the south, demonstrating a lack of connections between these contemporaneous populations.

"It might be adaptations in these periods of isolation that helps motivate innovation," said Steele. However, Steele noted that a few thousand years later after a climatic shift, the occupants of Varsche Rivier 003 and the sites to the south began making the same stone tool industries, highlighting a change toward connections across wider geographic regions.

Heat-shattered rock fragments collected at the site. Credit: UC Davis

Cultural change amid climate shifts

Steele and her colleagues began excavations in 2009 at the site of an ancient rock shelter in the arid Knersvlakte, a bioregion best known for its quartz-gravel plains and endemic dwarf succulents, situated 27 miles (44 kilometers) east of South Africa's Atlantic coast and 185 miles (300 kilometers) north of Cape Town.

Artifacts from the site date to a climate shift beginning about 92,000 years ago, when milder winds and increased summer rainfall made the region more hospitable to humans. After a few thousand years, the climate changed back to more like today, with most of the region's 7 inches (175 mm) of average annual rainfall occurring in the winter.

But even during the climate shift, the Knersvlakte was a marginal environment, Steele said. "It was a tough place for hunter-gatherer-herders to make a living, even recently. Even when there was a little bit more moisture on the landscape, it wasn't lush by any means. The fact that people 80,000 years ago could thrive there tells us something about human adaptability," she said.

More research is needed to reconstruct climate change in the region in the past and to shed more light on how the environment shaped innovation and culture, the researchers said.

Explore further Ancient ostrich eggshell reveals new evidence of extreme climate change thousands of years ago

More information: Alex Mackay et al, Environmental influences on human innovation and behavioural diversity in southern Africa 9280 thousand years ago, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2022). Journal information: Nature Ecology & Evolution Alex Mackay et al, Environmental influences on human innovation and behavioural diversity in southern Africa 9280 thousand years ago,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01667-5
Credit: National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

With the upcoming launch of NOAA's new GOES-T satellite, staff at ground stations such as NOAA's Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Station (WCDAS) located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility are in full swing preparing for the event.

Although Wallops launches smaller rockets as well as research aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, and high-altitude balloons, the facility also supports NOAA's satellite tracking and commanding capabilities.

We spoke with Gregory Johnson, a GOES Ground System Engineer, and Jesse Speidel, Chief of Operations, about just what goes on at Wallops before and after a satellite launch.

First however, they explained that ground stations, like Wallops, are basically radio stations that communicate with satellites from the ground by transmitting and receiving radio waves via large parabolic antennas. Wallops tracks many satellites orbiting Earth this way, as well as deep space satellites that monitor solar activity. The ground stations can send commands to the satellites as well as receive data from them that they then send to be processed.

Prelaunch, these antennas must be thoroughly checked and tested to make sure they are fully functional. Staff must certify that each can properly receive and transmit information and validate that all specifications are met. They must also make sure that they are able to track the satellite accurately.

Once the ground station starts detecting GOES-T after launch, it will take the satellite another 9 to 10 days days to reach a temporary location at 89.5 degrees west longitude, which is over the center of the U.S. Here, the satellite will undergo Post-Launch Checkout (PLC) Post Launch Testing (PLT), where all of its instruments will be tested and calibrated in space with the assistance of a specialized software suite. Before this software was developed, it would take over a month to process the data. Now, it can be done in just two weeks.

After PLC PLT is complete, the satellite will be moved and eventually replace GOES-17 in the GOES West position, where it will keep watch over the Pacific Ocean, the western U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii.

"This is an exciting time," said Johnson. "With a new satellite launch, everyone is waiting to see the first image come down. We're excited to see all this collaboration come together."

Provided by National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Florida's experiences helped researchers develop a new United Nations climate change report that offers a stark view of how global warming threatens the world and what people can do to address it.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's more than 3,500-page paper compiles findings from numerous studies that show people have made the earth hotter by burning fossil fuels, and that climate change threatens to kill off plants and animals; leave people with less food and water; and exacerbate droughts, floods and bouts of extreme heat.

Humans still have some control of their destiny, according to the United Nations panel. The report emphasizes that people can build smarter, more resilient communities to protect themselves from disasters and could evade the most severe damage by cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Floridalush, surrounded by water and swelteringis as vulnerable to global warming and sea level rise as anywhere in the U.S. Lawmakers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to build defenses to flooding, but the state has not adopted targets or sweeping policies to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

Here are several ways that studies from Florida helped inform the report:

Flood risk and adaptation

The panel describes how sea level rise and flooding could force residents to move from certain coastal communities, citing Florida as an example. It relies on research that already suggests some lost real estate value around Miami.

While the state is at natural risk because of its geography, the report spotlights how vulnerability is also a product of development, including along the Gulf of Mexico. The threat comes not only from people choosing to build in risky places, but also from weak construction standards. Hurricane Andrew, which hit Florida in 1992 and caused widespread wind damage, is mentioned as an example. That storm encouraged state leaders to strengthen Florida's building code.

Tampa Bay is not specifically referenced like Miami. But the area is intensely vulnerable to storm surge flooding, a danger that swells with sea level rise. The United Nations panel noted sea level rise, surge and heavy rains are expected to cause bigger floods in the future.

One more local mention: Tropical systems can force people to move, shifting populations across the world, like how Puerto Ricans left the island and moved to Florida following Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Harmful algal blooms

Florida's coastline is already beset by toxic algae blooms. Red Tide is the perennial threat facing the Tampa Bay region.

Climate change could encourage Red Tide growth by altering the salinity of water or increasing the level of nutrients dumped to bays through rain runoff. Blue-green algae, a problem in Southeast Florida, could benefit from warmer water, too.

Florida's Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force last year wrote: "Without hard work and careful planning, the challenges created by (Harmful Algal Blooms) are likely to worsen due to the influences of other environmental stressors associated with climate change and Florida's growing population."

The United Nations report touches on problems that are at least partially the result of climate change, and how they cause disruptions that hurt local businesses. It cites research from Florida showing tourists spent less money during past blooms.

But it also uses the state's example to spotlight a response. Forecasting blooms and their impactsan effort underway in Floridahelps people to avoid the toxins from algae, according to the panel, limiting sickness.

Coral reefs

The effects of climate change, like warmer oceans that can spur coral bleaching, add to existing problems and pose a major threat to coral reefs, such as those off Florida. The state has already been devastated by stony coral tissue loss disease.

The United Nations panel notes research that suggested Florida could lose significant economic activity because of damage to its reef tractpopular among anglers and divers and a crucial habitat for sea life.

But efforts to save corals also get a nod in the report.

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa has been part of the response, breeding corals in a lab and outplanting them to replace lost sections of the reef.

Groundwater

There are still plenty of subjects on which science is unsettled about the effects of climate change. For Florida, groundwater is a big one.

The latest United Nations paper explains that improved monitoring is needed to fully understand how climate change will affect stores of groundwater across the world. It notes that the groundwater supply has dropped in many places because of pumping for irrigation. The authors reference a study that showed reduced spring flows in Florida.

Aquifers in tropical zones, the paper said, could respond to climate change differently than in drier areas.

The consequences of climate change's effect on freshwater supplies are enormous. The paper explains that use agreements and water laws were written for past conditions. Scarcity has already led to court battles, including the Florida v. Georgia case (which Florida lost) over flows from Georgia to Apalachicola Bay.

2022 Tampa Bay Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
QUEENSBURY  An appeal by a Lake George man serving a seven-year prison sentence for an assault on another inmate has been denied.

On Monday, Warren County District Attorney Jason Carusone announced that the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court ruled in favor of upholding the sentence from the County Court in 2017.

Scott J. Morehouse was convicted of felony assault by a Warren County jury in 2017 after he allegedly attacked another inmate at the Warren County Jail, leaving the victim with fractures in his face that required surgery.

Before the incident, Morehouse had a lengthy criminal history and had been previously confined to a mental institution after it was deemed he was unfit to stand trial for two cases in 2015.

Morehouses representation claimed that the prosecution introduced evidence improperly during the 2017 trial which resulted in a seven-year prison sentence imposed by Judge John Hall.

His counsel argued to the appeals court that the sentence was harsh and excessive, but he was denied an opportunity to be re-sentenced by a panel of four Supreme Court judges.

Morehouse is serving his sentence at the Auburn Correctional Facility and will be eligible for parole in January 2023.

Jana DeCamilla is a staff writer who covers Moreau, Queensbury, and Lake George. She can be reached at 518-742-3272 or jdecamilla@poststar.com.

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Craig Mack at a 2002 birthday celebration for P. Diddy at The Supper Club in New York City. (Globe Photos/Zuma Press/TNS))

Craig Mack, known for first putting Sean "Diddy" Combs's Bad Boy record label on the map with his iconic single "Flava In Ya Ear," died Monday at the age of 46.

"God bless my friend," his producer Alvin Toney told the New York Daily News, which first reported the news of Mack's death of heart failure.

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Mack died around 9 p.m. Monday in Walterboro, South Carolina, Colleton County coroner Richard Harvey told the Associated Press.

The New York rapper's summer 1994 single became an instant hit and turned into a must-play classic and hip-hop anthem.

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The subsequent remix included a breakout guest verse from Notorious B.I.G., whose "Ready to Die" album dropped a week before Mack's full-length debut, "Project: Funk da World." LL Cool J, who appeared on the popular "Flava In Ya Ear" remix, wrote a tribute on Twitter:

Mack was signed to Bad Boy after Diddy heard him freestyle outside of a Manhattan club.

"Craig is hip-hop's George Clinton, because his stuff is really off the wall," Diddy told the New York Times in 1995. "He does what's from his heart, which is where it starts for him. But his energy comes from somewhere else."

The rapper ended up leaving Bad Boy and releasing his second album, "Operation: Get Down," in 1997, before departing from the music industry altogether to devote his life to religion.

But he apparently was working on some new projects. Erick Sermon of rap group EPMD, who knew Mack since his breakout, tweeted that Mack was working on new music.

Mack also had been participating in a documentary about his life, including his decision to leave music and focus on his faith. Toney told the Daily News he saw Mack last week at his South Carolina church to film the documentary.

"Nobody got to understand his story," Toney told the outlet. "I wanted the world to know the talent he had. It was something I wanted people to enjoy, but it was cut short because he was very religious and wanted to go to church."

DJ Scratch wrote on Instagram that Mack had "just reached out a couple of weeks ago for me to speak on his documentary about his life." Mack was Scratch's tour roadie, helping set up and break down his turntables each night.

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"I just got a disturbing phone call. I cannot believe this dude is gone," Scratch wrote early Tuesday morning. "Rest In Peace Lil Bro."

During Toney's visit, the producer said, Mack told Toney that he had been sick for a long time and knew he wouldn't live long.

"He was prepared for whatever comes, to go home to the Lord," Toney told the Daily News. "He wasn't scared. He was ready."

Word of his death spread across the hip-hop world Tuesday, which in recent years has mourned the early passing of other pioneers: Prodigy of Mobb Deep, who died in June at 42 from sickle cell anemia-related complications, and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest, who died in 2016 at 45 from complications of diabetes.

"To be In hip hop culture & live past the age of 50 is a fight to the finish for real," Questlove wrote on Instagram, adding that "Flava In Ya Ear" was freestylers' first "viral instrumental choice."

"We cannot forget one of the greatest hip hop single debuts in the culture. That song was the gym routine mc's brushed their skills on."

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
Warren County Health Services Director Ginelle Jones said Monday that the county will follow the new CDC and state guidelines when it comes to enforcing masks in schools.

Warren County Health Services will not enact a mask mandate for schools or day care facilities in Warren County when New York states mask or face-covering mandate expires on Wednesday, March 2, she said in a news release. However, as COVID-19 continues to circulate in our community, we believe that those who feel they should wear a mask to protect themselves or a vulnerable friend or loved one should continue to do so.

Jones asked county residents to continue to practice common-sense protocols like staying home if they are ill.

The county on Monday reported a total of 32 new COVID cases from the past two days. The report stated 17 news cases were identified on Sunday and 15 added on Monday.

Warren County has recorded 88 new cases over the past five days.

Two more individuals have been admitted to the hospital since the last report, making the total now eight, with five of them vaccinated against COVID.

Glens Falls Hospital had only 12 COVID patients on Monday morning, with none in the ICU, spokesman Ray Agnew said.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate has fallen to 4.6%.

Warren County is giving away free at-home test kits at tjhe Warren County Municipal Centers DMV and Human Services building entrances, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tests are available on a first come, first served basis.

Test kits remain available in Warren County town halls and Glens Falls City Hall for free distribution, as well as most Stewarts Shops in Warren County, with the exceptions the Glen Street and Broad Street stores because of traffic concerns.

Washington County

According to New York state data on Monday, eight positive COVID cases were identified in Washington County on Sunday out of the 129 test results reported.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate was at 4.5%.

Saratoga County

On Monday, the Saratoga County Department of Public Health Services reported a total of 153 active COVID cases, with 325 positive tests confirmed in the past seven days.

The county currently has 15 residents in the hospital, with eight of them being unvaccinated.

The transmission level for Saratoga County is now considered low by CDC standards.

The seven-day rolling positivity rate was at 3.7% on Monday, the countys website indicated.

Jana DeCamilla is a staff writer who covers Moreau, Queensbury, and Lake George. She can be reached at 518-742-3272 or jdecamilla@poststar.com.

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Justin Hoagland spent seven months in Ukraine as a specialist in the New York National Guard training Ukrainian soldiers in Army doctrine.

The Whitehall native, now a sergeant, worked at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center in western Ukraine. He was stationed there from December 2017 until July 2018.

Hoagland was told his job there was to train the Ukrainian soldiers to prepare the country to potentially join NATO.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered attacks on airports and military headquarters. Tanks and troops and warplanes have bombed major cities.

Theyve been in conflict since about 2014, which kind of went under the radar for a long time until recently, Hoagland said. So we knew that we were training them to actually fight. No one knew that this was going to happen.

Hoagland and fellow Guardsmen worked six days a week  with Sundays off  teaching the Ukrainian soldiers.

We were training them on our Army doctrine for a multitude of different tactics, Hoagland said, whether it be clearing trenches, bunkers, different battle drills, things like that.

Hoagland, 25, who currently lives in Whitehall, was given permission to speak about the facts of his time at the Yavoriv training center, which was about an hour-and-a-half car drive from Poland.

The topography of Ukraine reminded him a lot of home.

It was similar climate and similar landscape to upstate New York, he said. We were kind of on the same parallel. Theyre a little bit more north, but I got to experience all four seasons. Its a little bit colder there in the winter.

He and other Guardsmen were warmly welcomed. They used their weekend passes to explore the country.

There was a city of Lviv about an hour south, he said. We were able to go and see the city and see the architecture.

He befriended Ukrainians while he was there, and is still in touch with a waiter, who has kept him abreast of the onslaught.

Everybodys kind of scared, Hoagland said. Hes in the age range where they ask you to pick up and fight.

Hoagland is currently assigned to the vaccination clinic at the Aviation Mall in Queensbury, but will be deployed to Africa this summer.

He said he thinks his unit accomplished what it was sent to Ukraine to do.

Theyre just like anybody else that has a strong sense of nationalism, Hoagland said. They want to protect their home, their families, their way of life.

Gretta Hochsprung writes features and hometown news. She can be reached at 518-742-3206 or ghochsprung@poststar.com.

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At a 3rd Ward public safety meeting Thursday night, Councilman Kaleem Shabazz said as recently as Wednesday night he was getting complaints of people having sex and taking drugs openly around Renaissance Plaza between New York and Kentucky avenues.

Starting March 1, there will be more officers in the area, interim Officer-in-Charge James Sarkos said.

Were going to make it a priority, Sarkos said. There will be officers on bikes as the weather warms.

Cameras (there) are back up and running. We are going to start property checks around Renaissance Plaza, the parking lot and overhangs of buildings several times a day.

The area is near City Hall, the Atlantic City Free Public Library, the Atlantic County building and the William J. Gormley AtlantiCare Health Plex.

Shabazz said he has gotten continual complaints about aggressive panhandling, public urination and more in the area.

To report non-emergency problems, Sarkos asked residents to call 609-347-5780, which goes directly to the citys police communication center.

Only emergencies should be reported to 911, he stressed.

The city is recruiting more special law enforcement officers, Sarkos said, which can be a route to becoming a full-time Atlantic City police officer.

Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 35, a U.S. citizen and have a valid New Jersey drivers license and a high school diploma or the equivalent, Sarkos said.

To apply, visit the careers section of the city website.

Those accepted will be sent to the State Police Academy in July, Sarkos said.

After one year as a Class II officer, you could be full time, Sarkos said. Its a pathway to becoming full time with the Atlantic City Police Department.

We are looking for community-oriented, dedicated individuals with honor and integrity who want to serve the community to come out, Sarkos said. Well consider Atlantic City residents first.

Prior convictions for simple marijuana possession should be expunged and will not prevent an applicant from being hired, Sarkos said.

The Fire Department is also starting a new emergency notification system that will go live next week, fire Chief Scott Evans said.

Its a good system for weather alerts, special messages to neighborhoods such as snow removal routes, Evans said. We will be able to geotag areas.

That means he can draw a circle around a particular area and notifications will go out to all phones and emails within the circle, Evans said.

Text messages, phone calls and emails will go out to all residents and employees asking them whether they want to opt out, Evans said.

We are coming to the table with 20,000 numbers already, Evans said.

The system also allows serious emergency notifications to be sent to all phones in the city, so visitors will be included should there be a life-or-death situation they need to know about.

The Fire Department will also be recruiting new firefighters, with applications and Civil Service tests beginning again soon.

Applicant requirements are the same as for the Police Department. Evans said military veterans can be a bit older than 35. They are allowed one year over the limit for every year they served in the military up to six years, he said.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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BRIDGETON  He broke barriers as the states first Latino assignment judge in 2011, when he took on leadership of the Atlantic and Cape May vicinage of Superior Court, but on his last day on the bench Judge Julio Mendez revisited his earliest days in the law.

At the Cumberland County Courthouse at Broad and Fayette streets, Mendez heard an adoption case and a petition for custody in Courtroom 207, the first courtroom in which he ever argued a case. It was also the courtroom he occupied for nine years as a family court judge in Cumberland County.

The Chief Justice signed a one-day order allowing me to come to Cumberland County, Mendez said in an interview after his court session ended.

Mendez turned 65 Monday. The mandatory retirement age in the state for Superior Court judges is 70.

Mendez has handled many high-profile cases as the leader of the Atlantic Cape vicinage, from disputes between Atlantic City and public safety unions to election recounts and challenges.

His successor is Superior Court Judge Michael Blee, who becomes the Atlantic and Cape May assignment judge on Tuesday.

Cumberland County is Mendezs home county. He graduated from Vineland High School in 1975 and has lived in Vineland for 40 years.

One of the first things he plans to do, Mendez said, is a 130-mile walk on a pilgrimage across the North of Spain. Thats the home of his ancestors, and where he spent two years after leaving Cuba at age 14 before emigrating with his parents to the United States.

At Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) Mendez thought of becoming an accountant, working with numbers rather than language. His English skills were new  he began studying the language in Spain, but really learned it as a junior and senior in high school here, he said.

One of the professors invited me to spend three weeks in Washington, D.C., in January 1976, Mendez said. I went and saw Thurgood Marshall, and I said, I want to do this, he said of the law.

So he changed his major to political science, and went to Rutgers Law School after graduation.

Seven years after I got (to the U.S.) I passed the bar exam, Mendez said.

On his March trip to Spain, Mendez will walk 130 miles of the 500-mile Camino de Santiago, also called St. James Way, over 10 or 11 days. The route  a network of trails  travels across the north of Spain, ending in Santiago de Compostela at the northwestern corner, where the relics of the Apostle St. James are believed to be buried.

Hes been walking six to seven miles each evening to get ready, Mendez said.

Pilgrims have been doing this for 1,200 years, Mendez said. I wanted to have a transition between my life of service as a judge and whatever comes next, Mendez said, and reflect on the good things of life, like family, for which Im thankful.

Mendez and wife, Rosa, have two adult children and three grandchildren, he said.

Some of the accomplishments he most savors are those that made the court more community oriented, he said, citing expansion and renaming of the drug court program to Recovery Court, and the courts efforts to help graduates get jobs.

That model has been duplicated statewide, as has the One Judge, One School program Mendez started that sends judges into schools to talk to students.

All the judges participated, Mendez said.

Other vicinages have followed, said Pete McAleer, spokesman for the N.J. Administrative Office of the Courts.

Mendez was instrumental in working with Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson in creating the Central Municipal Court to allow nine (so far) municipalities to share one municipal court system to save money and make the system more fair.

After finishing up his court session, Mendez greeted visitor after visitor there to thank him for his mentorship and wish him well on his retirement.

Several were former law clerks, of which he has had 26 over the years, Mendez said.

And he manages to keep in touch with all of them, said Brittany Chan, his current law clerk.

Hes beloved by all his former clerks, said Jennifer R. Perez, now a legal services attorney. We just had a Zoom call with a big group of them.

Mendez isnt sure whats next, only what isnt, he said.

I will not be doing mediation, Mendez said, or return as a judge on recall. I want to do and explore things that make me completely happy and are meaningful.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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State Sen. Vince Polistina is happy with the new state legislative district map, which includes redrawn boundaries for the 40 districts that elect state senators and Assembly members.

Im excited to have Galloway and Port Republic back because I grew up in Galloway and there are many reasons why its natural for them to be part of the district, Polistina, R-Atlantic, said Friday. Im disappointed to lose some great Atlantic County towns but will still treat it as (if) I am the senator ... representing all towns in (Atlantic) County.

Galloway Township and Port Republic are moving back to the 2nd Legislative District after 10 years in the 9th District, which covers portions of southern Ocean and Burlington counties.

The map, based on 2020 Census data, will be used from 2023 through 2030 and was recently agreed to by a bipartisan Apportionment Commission.

John Froonjian, executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University, said the new map likely benefits Republicans overall.

Certainly the Republican reaction was that there are more competitive districts now, Froonjian said. So any map that creates more competitive districts is a plus for Republicans, who have been toiling in an overwhelmingly Democratic map for quite some time.

Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, agreed the result is more competitive and that will help Republicans.

Its a truly fair map, Testa said of the commissions product. There were some really good people on both sides engaged in intellectual honesty about the map.

His 1st District, covering all of Cape May County and parts of Cumberland and Atlantic, picks up Democratic Bridgeton from the 3rd, and gives up several smaller Republican towns to the 3rd.

That probably helps Republicans in the 3rd, Froonjian said, by having a big Democratic area leave. The 1st has been Republican so long it can absorb Bridgeton (without being threatened).

The 3rd District is where longtime Senate President Steve Sweeney got voted out in November, in favor of newcomer Republican Ed Durr.

More competitive districts drive up voter turnout and make it more interesting for voters, Froonjian said.

It gives voters more of a reason to participate, he said.

Galloway is a large township with lots of Republican voters, Froonjian said. So its addition to the 2nd will shore up the GOP there.

Polistina and his running mates, Assemblyman Don Guardian and Assemblywoman Claire Swift, both R-Atlantic, defeated the Democratic team of two incumbents and a county commissioner, but it was a hard fought race.

The new map moves Mullica Township, Egg Harbor City and Folsom from the 2nd to the 8th District, which covers parts of Burlington, Camden and Atlantic counties. For the past decade, the only Atlantic County town in the 8th was Hammonton.

It also moves Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough out of the 2nd, into the 4th covering Camden, Gloucester and now Atlantic counties.

We will continue to serve people living there and help in any way we can, said Swift of the towns that are leaving the district but helped elect her and her team.

GOP gains top a year of change in New Jersey politics In a year full of political upsets, head-scratching decisions and momentous changes in the w

She recommended people in need of help with unemployment or other issues call the office at 609-677-8266.

The Apportionment Commission made history by coming to a bipartisan agreement on a new map, Froonjian said, rather than having to rely on an appointed tiebreaker.

I cant overemphasize how unusual that is, Froonjian said. Maybe civility in government might have a chance after all.

The congressional redistricting commission for New Jersey required a tiebreaker to come up with its new map this year. Even Atlantic Countys commission has asked for a tiebreaker to help decide a map for county commissioner districts.

The new map created more problematic changes in North Jersey, where new boundaries put incumbent Democrats into the same districts, forcing them to run against each other in 2023.

It made quite a mess up in Hudson County and Essex County, Froonjian said.

Political Briefs: 2019 election pointed to this year's red wave, report says The red wave that hit New Jersey in this years legislative races had its birth in the much 

The affected incumbent Democrats will have to duke it out or retire, he said.

Sen. Nick Sacco has already announced he will retire rather than run against Sen. Brian Stack (both D-Hudson).

State Sens. Nia Gill and Richard Codey, both D-Essex, will likely face off against one another in a 2023 Democratic primary.

Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature but lost six seats in the Assembly last year, while Republicans netted one new seat in the Senate.

The full Legislature is up again in 2023, the first year the new maps will be used. Assembly people go through elections every two years. State senators start each decade with a two-year term, followed by two four-year terms.

This wasnt Earth-shattering in South Jersey. It wasnt massive, but it helps the Republicans, Froonjian said. When combined with the congressional redistricting map, it shows the strength of the Republican Party right now in South Jersey.

Red wave driven by GOP turnout, but will it last? In the wake of Republicans sweeping into office across South Jersey, knocking out even longt

Congressional redistricting gave the more Republican parts of U.S. Rep. Andy Kims 3rd District to the 2nd, which is represented by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd.

We may see Republicans do well the next decade in South Jersey, Froonjian said.

REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-841-2895 mpost@pressofac.com

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OCEAN CITY  City Council and city Business Administrator George Savastano discussed the potential to create a parking garage and plans for new bathrooms on the Boardwalk during a Thursday meeting, which also saw the latest sparring between council members and the city administration.

The city has promised the bathrooms at 10th and 11th streets will be complete and ready by the summer, but the project has faced delays. Work is set to start Monday, Savastano said.

The parking garage proposal is a longer-term discussion. The idea has been considered on and off for years, but seems to have taken on new life this year, with Mayor Jay Gillian announcing plans to study its potential and council forming a parking committee.

Frank Donato, the city finance director, told council he has two proposals from firms that would study the possibilities, including whether the city could break even on such a project.

Either of the studies would cost about $20,000, he said.

Councilman Jody Levchuk, who heads the council parking committee, said he had asked for details about the garage proposal several weeks ago and finally received it the day of the meeting. He let Savastano know he was unhappy with the timing of the discussions.

Ocean City clam bar to be demolished to make way for more parking Business owner Thomas Spadafora had a year left on his lease of the building but had asked t

Why couldnt you just forward this a couple of weeks ago? he said, saying the council subcommittee wants to conduct its own investigation into garage options. I just wish that my request would have been followed up with these reports instead of me still sitting here. Im so glad you told me these exist, but I wish we could have had them in hand by now so we could have a deeper conversation about it.

Savastano said it would be inappropriate for the administration to send the proposals to a committee when council will ultimately make the decision on whether to approve a contract.

Im not trying to withhold information from anybody, but to send information out in a piecemeal fashion just doesnt make sense, Savsatano said.

The discussion on parking and on the bathrooms seemed to overlap. Levchuk, a Boardwalk business owner, expressed concern about timing for the bathroom project, which has been discussed extensively at council meetings. He also questioned whether the proposal needed to go in front of the Planning Board.

The city is set to present plans for the work to the Planning Board at its Wednesday meeting, planned for 6 p.m. at City Hall, 861 Asbury Ave.

At the meeting, Levchuk indicated he was concerned over potential delays to the work.

New bathroom facilities on Ocean City Boardwalk expected to be complete by summer OCEAN CITY  New bathrooms are on the way on two blocks of the Boardwalk, city Administrator

It was my sense that you thought it would be a good idea to take it to the board for a review, city attorney Dorothy McCrosson told Levchuk, citing an earlier conversation.

Levchuk said some Boardwalk business owners could have concerns about the design of the project.

If we go to the Planning Board, do they have the option to turn it down? asked Council member Karen Bergman. She was told they did not, that it was only a courtesy review. Oh, thank God.

This is not slowing up this project, I can guarantee that, Savastano said.

Savastano said the city originally planned to have the bathrooms built off site and delivered for final construction and connections. But now, plans are to build the bathrooms on site. He said most of the materials have already been ordered.

We ordered the stuff where there could be supply chain issues as early as possible, he said.

Levchuk said it would have been good to have the bathrooms ready by Easter, which is often a big day for the Boardwalk. He said he was sure the administration knew what it was doing but wanted to have more details, and told Savastano that saying it would be open by summer was not enough information.

Savastano said Memorial Day is the universally agreed-on unofficial start of the summer.

Were going to have both bathrooms operational at both street ends before Memorial Day, he said.

Together, the two bathrooms are expected to cost about $1 million. City officials say they will be a major improvement over the current bathrooms.

Meanwhile, the city is looking at six potential locations for parking garages, including the municipal lot behind City Hall and some of the city-owned parking lots along the Boardwalk, including at Ninth Street, Moorlyn Terrace and between Fifth and Sixth streets.

Donato told council he and other city staff members reached out to some firms for proposals to study the feasibility of such a project, including how much it could cost to construct and operate, and the potential revenue from parking fees. The plan would also include looking at parking rates in the city.

Donato said he would like to meet with councils parking committee to go over the proposals within a week or so.

Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill

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After a six-week delay, residents will have an opportunity to voice their opinions on a proposed trash transfer station.

St. Marys Episcopal Church will host a town hall at 6 p.m. Thursday for residents of Pleasantville and neighboring municipalities to discuss plans for a transfer station for debris waste to be built just off West Washington Avenue. The town hall was once scheduled for mid-January and again for early February, but was twice postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks fueled by the omicron variant.

The Atlantic County Utilities Authority is scheduled to present its analysis of the project at the meeting Thursday.

The ACUA has been the chief opponent of the proposed station. Over the past several months, the authority has organized a Stop the Dump campaign, posting signs near the proposed station and launching a website explaining its stance on the issue.

ACUA officials have argued the transfer station would increase traffic in the neighborhood and expose residents to loud noises and odors. They also have maintained the proposed facility is not large enough to handle the amount of waste it is slotted to receive.

James DiNatale, the developer for the project, has disputed the ACUAs characterization of the project. He has cited similarly sized facilities that handle as much waste at other locations from around the state as evidence the size of the development is sufficient to transfer the 400 tons of waste it is slated to receive. He also noted the facility is only to handle construction and demolition debris waste, not typical household trash, and so would not smell.

Governing bodies at the county and city level have expressed support for the project. The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution endorsing the project in December by a 7-0 vote, with one recusal and one abstention. Pleasantville City Council voted 5-2 to pass a resolution endorsing the project in May, although one councilwoman who voted for the resolution announced she was opposed to the project several months later.

Mayor Judy Ward has been one of the principal supporters of the project within city government. She said the transfer fees collected from the project would provide the city with much needed revenue it could leverage into important investment projects.

The station is to handle 100,000 tons of debris per year, something that would necessitate 230 truck trips to the facility every day, six days per week. It would ship debris at the center via rail line to an Ohio landfill. The city will be paid a $4 per ton transfer fee, thus amounting to $400,000 in annual revenue.

The proposal for the transfer station comes as the ACUAs Egg Harbor Township landfill is scheduled to close within the next seven years. DiNatale has argued the impending landfill closure makes a project like his necessary. ACUA President Rick Dovey has said the authority would be able to find an alternative location for the trash before the landfill closes.

The ACUA projects it would lose about $9 million per year in revenue if the station is built. To recoup its losses, the ACUA said it would have to raise rates on municipalities by 62%, which in turn could force municipalities to increase taxes on residents.

Contact Chris Doyle cdoyle@pressofac.com

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Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 388 gathered outside the entrances to Eaton-Cobham Mission Systems spent Monday morning waving new, handmade signs and showed off a bulletin board detailing the company's financial gains during 2021.

Morale is high, one union official said. So is hope, as talks between representatives of the striking workers and Eaton-Cobham are slated to resume Tuesday.

"Obviously, negotiations opening back up has given a lot of hope for our members," said John Herrig, directing business representative for District 6 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. "We are eagerly awaiting the company's response. I know morale will remain high throughout this process."

More than 400 Eaton-Cobham union employees represented by IAMAW Local 388 and Machinist Union Local 1191 hit the picket line just after midnight on Friday, Feb. 18 after more than 98% of the membership voted down a proposed three-year contract from the company.

According to MarketWatch, the conflict in Eastern Europe has increased the share value of a number of defense contractors and aerospace firms. It reported last week the share value of Eaton Corp. "inched 0.67% higher to $150.31." Herrig said union representatives were uncertain how or if the conflict in Ukraine will affect contract negotiations.

Katie Kennedy, senior manager of global communications and marketing at Eaton Aerospace, declined to comment on any effects of the Ukraine situation.

"Employees at our Davenport facility are diligently working and we have every intention of fulfilling our customer commitments," Kennedy responded in an email. "Eaton's proposed contract is equitable and consistent with nationwide market trends and with our goal of attracting and retaining skilled workers."

Eaton, a multinational power management company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, announced June 1 that it had completed its purchase of Cobham Mission Systems, described as a leading manufacturer of air-to-air refueling, life-support, fuel inerting, space propulsion and missile actuation systems, 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 million in tax benefits.

According to the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, the Eaton-Cobham plant employs 950 people, not all of whom are union members.

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Barbara Gaines will exit her position as artistic director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the company she founded some 36 years ago. Her departure is the latest entry in a stunning ledger of artistic departures in Chicago theater over the past 12 months.

By the time Gaines exits, likely at the end of 2022, almost all of the major Chicago-area theaters will have new artistic leadership from the pre-pandemic era, including Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre and Writers Theatre. Yet further departures are expected elsewhere.

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Gaines, 75, said her tenure had been a great ride: My life, she said, has surpassed my wildest dreams. Gaines also said the decision had been long in the making, and actually had been delayed by the pandemic and all of the insecurity it represented for the theater. I feel that I can leave now, she said, believing that we will be able to continue in a really healthy way.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater, which now operates in three major theaters on Chicagos Navy Pier, was founded in 1986 at the Red Lion Pub as the Chicago Shakespeare Workshop. A year later, the company became Chicago Shakespeare Repertory before assuming its current name. For much of its early existence, the company was in residence at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts before moving to Navy Pier as a crucial cultural anchor in 1999.

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Barbara Gaines, here in Sept. 2015, is the founder and longtime artistic director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater. She will step down from her position soon, likely at the end of 2022. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is generally regarded as Chicagos third-largest theater, although under Gaines it now has a spectacular physical facility and has also maintained a robust and leading program of international presentations by major theater companies from around the world.

But Gaines has long specialized in wrestling with Shakespeare, directing the majority of his plays. Her productions largely have been known for their clarity, accessibility and populist sensibility, be that through contemporary stagings or even the addition of contemporary music and new text. Under Gaines, the company also has been an especially strong supporter of resident Chicago actors, especially given the large casts required for many of its shows. She has aided in the training of many of them when it comes to classical work.

Barbara has created the most important theatrical venture in Chicago, said veteran Chicago actor Mike Nussbaum, a mainstay at the company throughout its history. She is an incredible combination of grit and, I believe, genius.

Criss Henderson, the executive director of Chicago Shakespeare and Gaines professional partner for some 32 years, hailed Gaines for her authentic civic engagement and noted that few directors have a comparable body of experience with the Bard. Gaines has directed over 60 shows at CST, including around 30 of Shakespeares plays, some several times. Almost all of her work has been at her home theater and she generally has seen her job almost entirely in terms of her home city.

When you look back, Henderson said, you can see how Barbara was able to journey through the Shakespearean canon in step with the City of Chicago. Thanks to Barbara, Chicagoans who thought Shakespeare was something only for pompous bookworms found him to be something else entirely.

Not many people have started a theater company and seen it grow to this size, said the actor Tyrone Phillips. Barbara has been the most generous artistic director I know.

Gaines said the precise date of her departure, which she is not calling a retirement, has yet to be worked out and will depend on the results of what is expected to be an international search for her replacement. Most likely, though, the new artistic director will take up the position at the start of the next calendar year.

I think the board of directors still thinks Im 35, Gaines said. But no goodbye parties yet. Too much left to do.

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Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Annette Oberlander was shocked when her boss at Sharon's Styling Studio called at 12:15 a.m. Monday.

What she saw a short time after that call from Sharon Wachal left her speechless as she stood outside the salon at 3018 Rockingham Road.

"Sharon told me the police has just called her and a semi truck had hit the studio and run into a house," Oberlander said later Monday morning. "It sounded a little crazy, maybe. I really didn't know what to expect."

According to the Davenport Police Department, at 11:56 p.m. Sunday emergency crews responded to the 3000 block of Rockingham Road for a report of a multi-vehicle crash with damage to several structures.

Police said the preliminary investigation showed a Freightliner semitractor-trailer was driving eastbound in the 3400 block of Rockingham Road when the driver lost control and hit a Dodge Ram 1500 traveling westbound. Police said the semitractor-trailer continued, hitting a Cadillac XTS, also traveling westbound.

The semitractor-trailer continued eastbound, hitting a westbound Chevrolet Equinox in the 3000 block of Rockingham Road. City crews confirmed the semitractor-trailer then grazed a power pole and jumped the curb before clipping the side of Sharon's Styling Studio and burying its cab in the front of the home at 3010 Rockingham Road.

Four people were transported to area hospitals, including the two women in the home who were injured. One was taken to a local hospital for treatment; the other transported to Iowa City with serious injuries.

According to police reports, the driver of the semitractor-trailer was also treated for minor injuries at the hospital. Police said no charges have been filed at this time. The driver of the Cadillac also self-transported to the hospital with minor injuries.

The Red Cross is assisting four people affected by the incident, Brian Williamsen, a Red Cross spokesman, said Monday afternoon.

Oberlander saw the aftermath of the crash.

"I got to Rockingham and it was something I'd never expected. The cab of this big semi was just buried in the house right next door. I just wondered how anyone was going to live."

Oberlander spent most of the night near the scene. The light of morning revealed most of the front of the house at 3010 Rockingham had been reduced to mounds of splintered wood and shattered plaster. Numerous plastic laundry baskets  mostly in shades of blue, pink or white  littered the area. The home's top half-story hung over the debris.

Oberlander was joined by Sharon Wachal's daughter, Tracy Wachal-Naab, at the scene. Wachal-Nabb is a State Farm Insurance agent, serves as her mother's representative and said the styling studio has been in the squat brick building on Rockingham for 55 years.

The building also is the home of Gray's Barber Shop and a tanning studio.

"As an insurance agent, I've seen plenty of cars that hit buildings or homes," Wachal-Naab said. "Have to say I've never seen anything like this."

City employees at the site said the demolition of the home at 3010 Rockingham was slated to start Monday afternoon.

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A short while ago, I was visiting with an old friend I hadnt seen for awhile. We spoke about many things; among others, the state of our nation.

He confided that he was becoming more and more of a libertarian. Hed lost confidence in government to do the right thing and trusted neither Republicans nor Democrats to make things better. As he grew older, he said he felt increasingly that he just wanted to be left alone: to do what he wanted without interference from anyone, including the government.

Since my friend and I had in past years worked together closely in government to advance common interests in our Quad Cities community, this declaration somewhat surprised me.

It also set me to thinking why members of our community grow disenchanted with government and the political process in general, so that theyd want to throw it all overboard and just be "left alone" to do as they please.

Explanations for this disenchantment abound. Dating back to Vietnam and Watergate in the 1960s and 70s, weve seen our national leaders engage in some pretty questionable acts. In more recent years, promotion of a costly war in Iraq based on phony intelligence about weapons of mass destruction and partisan gridlock have done little to increase confidence in our national government. State and local governments can raise their own concerns.

And yet, in our democracy we depend daily on the vital services government provides. From reliable police, fire and public sanitation locally; to a sturdy military and social support system nationally, we look to government daily for our needs.

Former Senator Fritz Hollings of South Carolina once shared a story thats illuminating here. Confronted by an angry constituent complaining about the burdens of big government, Hollings recalled that this particular individual: "Went to college on the GI Bill, saw his kids born in a VA hospital, started business with an SBA loan, got electricity from the TVA, and water from an EPA project. His parents, living on Social Security, were saved from financial ruin by Medicare and saw a life saved by a drug developed through the NIH (National Institute of Health). He drove to work on the Interstate and moored his boat in a channel dredged by the Corp of Engineers". Yet, the constituent wanted to "get the government off my back" and complained he was "tired of paying taxes for all those programs for ungrateful people".

The irony of this South Carolinians complaints to some extent resembles that of some libertarians today. Most of us frequently and abundantly benefit from the multiple programs and projects our government at all levels provides. So to condemn government itself as the problem is truly a case of biting that hand that feeds us.

A better path forward favors recognizing the vital and valuable role government provides and then striving to make it better. We do this through the ballot box and by our own active participation in the processes that shape and govern our lives.

It is also worth remembering that those politicians that tell us government is bad will nearly always give us bad government. Its like a law of nature: a self-fulfilling prophecy naysayers peddle to keep government from doing its job  often in protecting us from the wrongdoing of those very naysayers!

It is also curious that sometimes those most keen to get government off our back support the most authoritarian and undemocratic leaders. These would-be dictators promise easy answers to hard questions which, of course, only they can provide. These solutions generally offer a short, quick path to the same sort of political "freedom" folks in Russia and China experience today.

By working together to make government better we can avoid these false prophets and assure government does what its supposed to do. And we can give proper regard to the wise words of Abraham Lincoln who warned, "If you turn your back on the fire and burn your backside youll just have to sit on the blisters".

Mark Schwiebert, a lawyer, is a former mayor of Rock Island and an occasional columnist.

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Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 388 gathered outside the entrances to Eaton-Cobham Mission Systems spent Monday morning waving new, handmade signs and showed off a bulletin board detailing the company's financial gains during 2021.

Morale is high, one union official said. So is hope, as talks between representatives of the striking workers and Eaton-Cobham are slated to resume Tuesday.

"Obviously, negotiations opening back up has given a lot of hope for our members," said John Herrig, directing business representative for District 6 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. "We are eagerly awaiting the company's response. I know morale will remain high throughout this process."

More than 400 Eaton-Cobham union employees represented by IAMAW Local 388 and Machinist Union Local 1191 hit the picket line just after midnight on Friday, Feb. 18 after more than 98% of the membership voted down a proposed three-year contract from the company.

According to MarketWatch, the conflict in Eastern Europe has increased the share value of a number of defense contractors and aerospace firms. It reported last week the share value of Eaton Corp. "inched 0.67% higher to $150.31." Herrig said union representatives were uncertain how or if the conflict in Ukraine will affect contract negotiations.

Katie Kennedy, senior manager of global communications and marketing at Eaton Aerospace, declined to comment on any effects of the Ukraine situation.

"Employees at our Davenport facility are diligently working and we have every intention of fulfilling our customer commitments," Kennedy responded in an email. "Eaton's proposed contract is equitable and consistent with nationwide market trends and with our goal of attracting and retaining skilled workers."

Eaton, a multinational power management company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, announced June 1 that it had completed its purchase of Cobham Mission Systems, described as a leading manufacturer of air-to-air refueling, life-support, fuel inerting, space propulsion and missile actuation systems, 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 million in tax benefits.

According to the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, the Eaton-Cobham plant employs 950 people, not all of whom are union members.

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Traffic over Centennial Bridge will see some disruption March 12 for the St. Patrick Society Grand Parade XXXVI.

In order to allow the parade to cross over from Rock Island into Davenport, the Iowa-bound lanes on the Centennial Bridge will be closed from 11 a.m. to approximately 1:30 p.m. March 12. Traffic will alternate on the Illinois-bound lanes on the bridge, escorted by police.

Before the Grand Parade sets off Mass will be held at 10 a.m. at St. Marys Church, 2208 4th Ave., Rock Island.

The Grand Parade will kick off at 11:30 a.m. at 4th Avenue and 23rd Street in Rock Island, moving through downtown before crossing the bridge onto West 3rd Street in Davenport. The parade will end at East 3rd and Perry streets.

Celebrations will continue after the parade with the Post-Parade Bash, which will go from 1 to 4 p.m. at the RiverCenter, 136 E. Third St., Davenport. Membership to the St. Patrick Society is required for admission and can be purchased at the door.

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From New York to Paris to Muscatine, bridges and buildings are displaying yellow and blue lights to show support of Ukraine.

Why not the Interstate-74 bridge in the Quad-Cities?

Bettendorf and Moline have received several requests to do the same on the I-74 bridge, Bettendorf officials said.

But they ran into a snag. The lighting system can't display blue and yellow at the same time just yet.

"The aesthetic lighting on the I-74 bridge is anticipated to be fully operational in late spring/early summer," according to a news release from Bettendorf. "Until then, there are limited capabilities for illuminating the bridge. The colors blue and yellow cannot be displayed simultaneously at this time."

Bettendorf is working with the lighting vendor to find a solution, the release said.

And as a temporary solution, the bridge lights were blue on Monday night and yellow Tuesday night.

How the lights work

The lighting system was designed by a team from New York City-based HLB Lighting Design and Chicago-based engineering firm Alfred Benesch & Co., which designed the bridge.

While overhead lights provide safe entrances and exits for the twin spans, each will have more than 100 fixtures, mounted to the floor beams, to supply the aesthetic lighting for the arches.

The light shines upward, rather than down. The floor-level fixtures contain LED chips, and the glow of the luminaries follow the suspension cables. The chips and their circuitry provide the illumination, rather than traditional filament and bulbs.

"The best way to highlight the structures was to go under the ribs (arch segments) ... to help it look its best," Elizabeth Johnson, project manager/designer for HLB, said in an interview when the bridge opened.

The three primary colors in use  red, green and blue  appear at varying intensities through dimming, which creates countless colors and combinations of color.

Faith Baum, principal in charge at HLB Lighting Design, said in an interview last year that the system would supply an enormous number of color combinations, explaining that mixing light was different from mixing paint.

"The difference is that light mixes to create more light," she said. "You can't make brown."

The colors, through programming, can be static or dynamic. Changes must occur slowly, though, Baum said, so they don't distract motorists.

Reporter Barb Ickes contributed to this story.

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An upcoming special in-person class, "How to let go so you can move on," with modern Buddhist nun Gen Kelsang Gomlam, will be held Saturday, March 5 from 2 to 2:30 p.m. at Quad City Botanical Center, 2525 4th Ave., Rock Island. Cost is $10; free for members. Register at the door or sign up in advance at meditateinquadcities.org.
The future of a Davenport business's liquor license may be in question following a fatal shooting Monday.

Davenport Alderwoman Judith Lee, Ward 8, said Tuesday she planned to request city officials hold off on renewing the liquor license for GD Xpress at 4607 N. Pine St. in light of the violence.

Demetrius Ray Howard Jr., of Davenport, is accused of shooting 25-year-old Corey Martin to death late Monday after they fought at the gas station and convenience store, according to Scott County court records.

Howard, 23, was being held without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the jail website. Howard was booked into the jail at about 4 a.m.

A criminal complaint that is part of the court record accuses Howard of chasing Martin as he tried to flee, which was caught on security cameras.

"The Defendant, with malice and aforethought, willfully, deliberately, and with premeditation chased the victim out of the store while continuing to shoot," the court record shows. "The incident was recorded on surveillance video and shows the defendant possessing and firing the gun; shell casings were located on scene."

The record also indicates: Howard has felony convictions in Iowa for burglary in the 1st degree in 2015, along with previous convictions for domestic abuse with injury in 2016 and 2017.

The 23-year-old also has a felony conviction in Illinois for resisting a peace officer with injury and domestic battery in 2020.

Lee, who represents the area around the convenience store, said Tuesday she intended to make a motion at Wednesday's Davenport City Council meeting to table a routine vote to renew the business liquor license pending more information about the fatal shooting.

"Since its come up this cycle, I think its responsible to table it," Lee said during a management update meeting with city staff and council members. "Let the police department do their work and get the information we need to make the overall decision on that approval or not."

Mayor Mike Matson warned council members that the incident was still under investigation.

Council member Robby Ortiz holds the liquor license for the neighboring Hawkeye Tap Sports Bar & Grill and formerly managed GD Xpress but said he hasn't worked there in more than two years.

Ortiz cautioned against holding GD Xpress liable for a shooting he said could be unrelated to the business but happened to occur on its property.

He noted that had the shooting happened "250 feet to the left" on the property of Hawkeye Tap "and wed be talking about my license today.

Denying the liquor license, though, would largely be a symbolic move. The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division is responsible for regulating and investigating complaints about alcohol establishments.

City officials twice tried to deny a liquor license to the now-closed Shenanigans Irish Pub at 303 W. 3rd St. because of its public-safety history. The city was overruled by the Alcoholic Beverages Division

Law enforcement responded to more than 2,000 calls for service to the bar over a three-year period, including reports of gunfire and large fights. The bar closed in 2019 because the landlord ended its lease.

Davenport is pushing for legislation currently making its way through the state legislature that would allow cities and counties to sue alcohol establishments in district court for public-safety concerns.

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Aaiden Tapia was part of a funky picket line Thursday morning.

A member of Machinist Local 388's strike committee, Tapia is one of nearly 400 workers striking the Eaton-Cobham Mission System factory location on Hickory Grove Road. Part of his role is to check on fellow union members standing the line.

"We want to talk to brothers and sisters and make sure everyone is doing OK," Tapia explained after he joined a group of strikers for an impromptu bounce-and-flail in the space between the road and Eaton property. "There are a lot of questions about what is happening, what's going to happen and how negotiations will go.

"And I think I'm here to help with morale. But I have to tell you, those folks out there were the ones who got me dancing today. They're out there in the cold making the best of it. And dancing. That was cool."

Tapia said waiting for talks to start was a challenge. Local 388 maintains picket lines from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Each shift is four hours long.

"We haven't had any problem motivating people to picket," Tapia said. "We have people coming early and others staying late. I don't want to say it's fun, like some kind of party, but I get a sense that there's a lot of unity out there and people are supporting each other."

Tapia talked about the biggest challenge for the rank-and-file.

"It's hard because the company said it didn't plan to talk until March 1 or so," Tapia said. "What we know is that one of the tactics used by companies is to make the local wait for talks. We weren't surprised by that move."

Tapia said union members and leadership remained focused on health benefits and the company's contribution to the 401(k) accounts of individual workers.

"Salary is an issue, addressing the pay scale," Tapia said. "We were considered essential workers all through the pandemic, and we think that should be reflected in wages."

On a day when global events were on top of the mind, Tapia said he "really hasn't had time think much about" the invasion of Ukraine.

"I don't know if there is any kind of concerns with the projects going on there (Eaton)," Tapia said. "And we have not been given any kind of indication that what's going on over there with Russia will mean anything in terms of the negotiations between us and Eaton."

Representatives from Eaton did not respond Thursday to questions about the possible impact of Russian military moves in Eastern Europe.

Other Local 388 members said Russian attacks on Ukraine were a cause for concern but didn't rank as high as the progress of their strike.

"It's going to take sacrifice," said one union member who requested to remain anonymous. "We are looking at something like $150 a week once the negotiations start.

"That will be a challenge. Coming out to these picket lines, day after day. That will be a challenge. But I think everyone who picks up a sign is willing."

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A Davenport man was rescued but another died Monday after falling through ice in southeast Iowa.

Des Moines County sheriff's deputies were called around 5 p.m. to a rural Mediapolis address after getting a 911 call asking for help, according to a Des Moines County Sheriff's Office news release. The deputies and Mediapolis firefighters found a man who had fallen through ice while fishing and rescued him.

While rescuing the man, the authorities learned another man had also fallen through the ice but was still under water, the release states.

Authorities found and pulled him from the water about 6:30 p.m. the release states. Both men, from Davenport, were taken to an area hospital, but the second man died of his injuries.

The identities of the two men were being withheld pending notification of family members.

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Iowa cities could take bar owners to court to have their liquored license pulled for safety concerns rather than having to rely on state regulators under a bill passed by the Iowa House.

House lawmakers on Monday approved a bill that Davenport city officials say will give cities more control over addressing public safety nuisances stemming form establishments that serve alcohol.

House File 2340 would allow city and county attorneys to sue alcohol establishments for creating a serious threat to public safety and seek a temporary injunction before trial, rather than relying on the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

Licensed food establishments that sell alcohol, such as restaurants, would be exempt.

Some Iowa lawmakers and Iowas restaurant and beverage association say the bill creates an unnecessary second system for complaints and isnt enforceable.

Davenport tried to deny a liquor license to the now-closed Shenanigans Irish Pub at 303 W. 3rd St. because of its public safety history. The city was overruled by the Alcoholic Beverages Division, which is responsible for regulating and investigating complaints about alcohol establishments.

Law enforcement responded to more than 2,000 calls for service to Shenanigans over a three-year period, including reports of gunfire and large fights.

The bar closed in 2019 because the landlord ended its lease.

The bill, which heads to the Iowa Senate, states a public safety nuisance exists if "it is established by clear and convincing evidence that an owner, manager, employee, contemporaneous patron or guest of the licensed premises unlawfully discharges a firearm or uses an offensive weapon, assaults another person with a dangerous weapon, or engages in a riot on at least three separate days within any 12-month period, on the premises, on any property contiguous to the premises, or within 500 feet of the premises."

The bill previously addressed a radius of 1,000 feet of the establishment, but lawmakers winnowed it to 500 feet because of concerns from the restaurant and beverage industry. City officials said the changes still keep the integrity of the bill, which is to provide a path through the court system for local governments to address public safety concerns at alcohol establishments.

Going through local courts, which typically handle nuisance complaints in all other capacities, will bring parity to the process and, hopefully, swifter resolution, Davenport city officials have said in support of the bill.

Should a district court determine a threat to public safety exists, the court could temporarily close the business, revoke its alcohol license or require a change in business practice or operations. It could also require the owner post bond to keep the property open pending final resolution of the lawsuit.

Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association, said the organization is still opposed to the bill as written over concerns that bar-owners or managers would be discouraged to call 911 for emergencies for fear of being flagged as part of the problem.

She said the organization is hopeful the Iowa Senate will put a pause on the bill to allow stakeholders to propose a different solution for addressing issues with nuisance bars, and fix what's not working with the Alcoholic Beverage Association's complaint system.

"I think it's best to fix the system that isn't working rather than create a second system as an end-run around," Dunker said.

Sponsor Rep. Ross Paustian, R-Walcott called it "unconscionable" to allow a business with more than 2,000 public safety calls to stay open.

The problem has become more pronounced in communities bordering Illinois, Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, said. Illinois cities can suspend liquor licenses indefinitely if there is a public safety issue, she said.

Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, expressed concerns about holding establishment owners responsible for activity that happens close to but not on the property, and called the bill "classic code clutter."

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson praised the House's approval of the bill.

"Im pleased that it passed the House, and look forward to it passing the Senate," Matson said.

James Q. Lynch of the Cedar Rapids Gazette contributed reporting to this article

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BRISBANE, Australia  Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and hundreds of thousands more were told to prepare to flee as parts of Australias southeast coast were inundated by the worst flooding in more than a decade. At least 10 people have died.

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said there had been 1,000 rescues in the state by Tuesday and more than 6,000 calls for authorities to help.

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Scores of residents, some with pets, spent hours trapped on their roofs by a fast-rising river in the town of Lismore in the states north.

The body of a woman in her 80s was found by a neighbor in her Lismore home on Tuesday, a police statement said. There were no details of how she died.

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Dozens of cars were trapped on a bridge in the nearby town of Woodburn over Monday night with both the bridges approaches submerged. Up to 50 people were rescued from the bridge early Tuesday, officials said.

We had no capabilities to get them off in the dark so we just had to make sure that they bunkered down and we went in this morning and got them all out, Woodburn State Emergency Services Commander Ashley Slapp said.

The floodwaters were moving south into New South Wales from Queensland state in the worst disaster in the region since what was described as a once-in-a-century event in 2011.

Perrottet said 40,000 people had been ordered to evacuate, while 300,000 others had been placed under evacuation warnings.

People wade through flood water as they relocate in Chinderah, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (JASON OBRIEN/AP)

Government meteorologist Jonathan Howe described the recent rainfall in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland as astronomical.

Nine of the 10 deaths reported so far were in Queensland. A 76-year-old man who disappeared with his vehicle in floodwaters northwest of Brisbane on Sunday has since been confirmed dead.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said another man in his 70s remained missing after falling from his moored yacht in the state capital Brisbane into a swollen river on Saturday.

The cleanup was underway in Brisbane, Australias third most populous city, despite more storms forecast for later in the week. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner urged people to register for the Mud Army, as the thousands of volunteers who mobilized to help out after the 2011 floods were dubbed.

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Thousands of homes in Brisbane were inundated Sunday, many by swollen creeks in suburbs such as Ashgrove, where Kelvin Barfoot had to evacuate with members of his family, including his 99-year-old mother-in-law, Mina Baker, in a State Emergency Service rescue boat.

The family moved back into the top floor of their two-story home and started removing damaged furniture and electrical appliances that had been covered by almost 1.5 meters (5 feet) of water.

We thought we were pretty well prepared for it, said Barfoot, who leads a volunteer bush care group which has tallied more than 4,000 hours of planting and weeding along Enoggera Creek over the past six years. Just unbelievable. When it did start coming in, it went up very quick.

Barfoot said his daughter and her husband swam to the house to help with the rescue after notifying emergency services that her grandmother  who moved to Australia from Christchurch, New Zealand, after earthquakes there in 2011 killed 185 people  needed to get out.

We were pretty much stuck upstairs at that point, Barfoot said. That was quite traumatic for my mother-in-law  we got her out (of New Zealand) after the earthquakes, so it was all a bit reminiscent of that for her.

Now shes back home. She wanted to come home. She was a bit traumatized, but shes tough. She came down and asked me if there was anything to do to help!

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Schrinner said the six-day rainfall in downtown Brisbane  792.8 millimeters (31.2 inches) through Monday morning  was significantly higher than the previous record of 655.8 millimeters (25.8 inches) set when flooding devastated the city in 1974.

Rick Threlfall and Steve Hadley, meteorologists who moved from England to Australia and have been living in Newmarket, Brisbane, for almost a decade, were in the process of sandbagging the ground floor of their home but couldnt finish in time to beat the rapidly rising flood.

Back in the U.K., we do weather warnings for 20 millimeters (1 inch) of rain, Threlfall said. My weather gauge here has recorded 950 millimeters (37 inches) in three days. Brisbanes average is about 1,200 millimeters (47 inches) for the year, so weve pretty much had 80% of annual rainfall in three days.

No real escaping the water, I guess.

The extraordinary rainfall comes as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported this week that vast swathes of Australia have already lost 20% of its rainfall and the countrys fire risk has gone beyond worst-case scenarios developed just a few years ago.

Australias hottest and driest year on record was 2019, which ended with devastating wildfires across southeast Australia. The fires directly killed 33 people and another 400 people were killed by the smoke.

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The fires also destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed 19 million hectares (47 million acres) of farmland and forests.

But two La Nina weather patterns have since brought above-average rainfall to the same regions.

Lesley Hughes, an Australian academic and lead author of the U.N. IPCC assessment reports in 2007 and 2015, said climate change was expected to overwhelm government systems such as flood responses.

We can see that our emergency services are struggling already to cope with the floods in northern New South Wales with people stranded on roofs without food for more than 24 hours, Hughes said.

___

McGuirk reported from Canberra.
Nevada Ellison wants to fulfill a promise to his mother who died from cancer in 2015.

Ellison worked in the cannabis industry in Colorado from 2008 to 2012 before returning to Rapid City. When his mother, Susie, was in what turned out to be the last three months of her life, she called and asked her son for cannabis edibles.

She was always anti-cannabis, Ellison said. She never broke the law her entire life and she called me. She was taking hundreds of milligrams of oxycodone every day. Shes like, I cant do this anymore.  It broke her heart to break the law.

A week later, she called again and asked for more edibles, noting that she now was better able to take care of herself. Ellison took care of his mother for 16 months in Lemmon until she died. Before she did, Susie made her son promise hed get back in the marijuana business.

She made me promise if I had a chance to get back into it, especially in the medical side of it, that I would, and thats the reason that Im getting back into it, he said.

Ellison is now chief operating officer of Black Hills Cannabis Care, which is Rapid Citys first cultivating company approved for a conditional use permit by the citys Planning Commission.

Ellison runs the business with Jake Johnson, who is the company's CEO.

Johnson got into the business because he has an uncle who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and relies on medical marijuana to help manage his pain.

He knows that his time is running short, Johnson said.

He said he has friends in the industry and has heard of the medicinal benefits of cannabis and hes a believer in those benefits.

Knowing that and (Ellisons) story, we thought it was the right thing to do, to try and bring the highest quality of medicine to the people in the city, he said.

The cultivation facility will have four to eight employees, but it won't be open to the public. It will be located at 1820 Rand Road on the northwest side of Rapid City off of Deadwood Avenue. Ellison said the business will open as soon as the state grants a license.

"We're trying to get a cultivation going as quickly as possible to help meet the demand of our regional medical cannabis patients and to give them safe access to their medicine," he said. "Until we get some cultivations going, the dispensaries will have nothing to sell so we are working hard to get that done."

Cultivation facilities for medical cannabis in Rapid City require a conditional use permit to operate. In order to qualify, applicants must show their facility is at least 1,000 feet from any school and 500 feet from any church, childcare center, public park or residential area. Facilities must be located in heavy industrial or light industrial zoning districts. The city did not set a limit to the number of cultivation facilities within city limits.

Johnson said he and Ellison have been preparing for the business since November 2020 when voters overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana and have since spent nearly every day on the phone getting everything ready to apply to the state and municipalities for their licenses.

Ellison said each city and each county has different rules. Rapid Citys application included submitting plans for management, operations, security, engineering and seed to sale tracking.

Black Hills Cannabis Care also expects to have dispensaries in Fort Pierre and Belle Fourche, although the Belle Fourche location is listed under Redwater Cannabis Care. The company also has a provisional license for a dispensary in Rapid City. Ellison said they also plan to have a manufacturing facility, as well.

The patients need to have a large enough variety of products to choose from, Ellison said. Were teaming up with some other locals or South Dakota folks and trying to create a network of people who are going to be in manufacturing so we can get these products moved across the state and have a high quality and a large variety.

Johnson said those in the industry have a common goal of moving the industry forward, so even though they have competitors, they share information. They'll be working with Black Hills Cultivation and Supplies to get their equipment.

 Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com 

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Local officials acknowledged Monday that the lack of affordable housing has accelerated in Rapid City and the Black Hills while promising to do what they can to address the problem.

We are aware theres a housing crisis, fully aware, Mayor Steve Allender said at a press conference. Much of the talk early on had to do with the B-21, the arrival of the B-21 airmen, construction and all of the related business over at Ellsworth Air Force Base, but the growth is outpacing our ability to create housing without the B-21.

Elevate Rapid City President and CEO Tom Johnson, John T. Vucurevich CEO Alan Solano, Black Hills Area Community Foundation CEO Liz Hamburg and Allender also announced a public-private collaboration has been formed to tackle the housing crisis. They also intend to fund a housing study to take a closer look at the problem.

Johnson said about 2,500 people move to Rapid City and the region in an average year. With the upcoming B-21 bomber expansion at Ellsworth Air Force Base, the area could grow by 7,000 people a year, he said, adding that Elevate Rapid City anticipates between 25,000 and 40,000 new residents moving here in the next few years.

Johnson said the area currently has a need for as many as 6,000 more housing units.

A 2017 housing study commissioned by the Vucurevich Foundation found the city was behind by about by 3,500 housing units. It also found that 4,500 households in the city area were paying more than 50% of their income for housing.

At the same time, Allender said the city has seen the median listing price for homes increase from $271,400 in 2019 to $371,400 in 2021. He said the cost of rent has increased 10% in just the past year.

This is hard to accept for someone just making it, and Rapid City, South Dakota, is held up in large part by workers and families who are in the service industry, agriculture, tourism and not many of these folks are living a luxurious lifestyle, he said. These market rents are a little bit dicey.

He said with vacancies being at historic lows of 2% and scarce housing availability, theres no incentive for landlords and apartment complexes to reduce rent.

The mayor said much of Rapid Valley east of Rapid City is facing large developments of several hundred homes, which present real life issues that need to be addressed.

Pennington County officials and city officials have been discussing this behind the scenes for a little while and talks are getting very serious now, Allender said. Not only to the east but anywhere in Rapid City, if the justification exists, annexation could be one of the discussion topics that we face.

Allender said Tax Increment Finance Districts, a financing tool that Rapid City has used in the past, are a tool that could be used for housing developments.

Johnson said that Elevate Rapid City has received requests from the school district, health care organizations and other businesses that want help finding housing for employees that has led to hiring a housing coordinator with collaboration from the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. Johnson said they hired Laura Jones, who will work with the development community and city on housing projects.

Solano said his foundation, the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, Elevate Rapid City and the city will fund another housing study that is anticipated to be released by the fall. He said the 2017 study cost about $70,000, but does not have final numbers on how much the 2022 study is expected to cost.

In that time since 2017, weve seen dramatic changes, Solano said. I think maybe the challenging part will be understanding the impact of the B-21, what thats going to do to us. The immigration just during the pandemic has been so significant, to try to really understand that. Those are two dynamics that really were not in play during the 2017 study.

There are three organizations that will be interviewed to do the study, which will look at housing, demographic and population changes, and income. He said it will also help find the gaps that exist in the community and be a resource when applying for state funds and to developers.

City Communications Coordinator Darrell Shoemaker said there have been numerous inquiries from developers looking to build more housing in the area.

CommonBond, a Minnesota-based affordable housing non-profit organization, is the first company to work with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. The company was granted funds from the Strategic Housing Trust Fund, which was developed in response to the housing crisis based on the 2017 study.

CommonBond will receive a $550,000 loan for a 42-unit development on LaCrosse Street. It is also working with the South Dakota Housing Development Authority for Community Development Block Grant funds from the city.

Hamburg with the Community Foundation said the fund has about $11 million for revolving loans. She said $5 million came from the citys Vision Funds, a $5 million match from the Vucurevich Foundation, $1 million from the Dakota Charitable Foundation, and contributions from individuals.

Hamburg said each project will be different and have a different payback timeline. Those interested are able to apply for funds. Those selected will be interviewed and could be reviewed by the fund advisory board, which includes city planning staff, business people and other developers. If approved by the board, the Community Foundation board of directors considers the application and makes the final call.

She said there is a preference for multi-family housing.

Just because the problem is so great that we can take a bigger bite out of it the more we can do in one location, she said.

Allender and Johnson said solving the housing crisis is not just the responsibility of philanthropies, public and private entities. Johnson said the community can help as well by reaching out to lawmakers on legislation that could impact housing and to think about housing as a region rather than paying attention to political boundaries.

I think everybody recognizes that if we get this wrong, things could go bad and we could have growth thats not anticipated, planned for, and maybe even ugly, Johnson said. But if we get this right, we can plan for it. We can have good jobs for those that want them, we can bring kids back that want to come here, and we can keep the kind of amenities and cultural things that make this a place that folks want to come to and stay.

 Contact Siandhara Bonnet at siandhara.bonnet@rapidcityjournal.com 

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Seeking to tighten the financial squeeze on Russia over its war against Ukraine, governors and lawmakers in numerous U.S. states were taking actions Monday to pull state investments from Russian companies while encouraging private entities to do the same.

The effect of sanctions by U.S. states often pales in comparison to national ones, but state officials said they wanted to show solidarity with Ukraine and do what they could to build upon the penalties imposed on Russia by the U.S. government and other Western nations.

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, got a bipartisan standing ovation Monday when he told representatives he would seek to have the states retirement funds quickly divested from any Russian assets.

I dont know about yall, but I dont want one penny of Georgians money going to subsidize Vladimir Putin, Ralston said. While our role in international affairs is limited, we make clear we stand with those who want to live in peace.

Some actions have been largely symbolic. The capitols in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Tennessee and the governor's mansion in South Carolina were lit with the blue and yellow colors of Ukraines flag. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, issued a joint statement condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine as co-chairs of the presidentially appointed Council of Governors.

Other state actions have potential teeth.

On Monday, the Indiana House passed legislation that would block Russian-controlled businesses and nonprofits from acquiring property in Indiana for one year. It now goes to the Senate.

Indiana will not be a safe haven for ill-gotten Russian funds, nor for its oligarchs trying to find financial shelter in the wake of Putins unconscionable invasion of Ukraine, Democratic state Rep. Ryan Dvorak said while proposing the amendment last week.

Pennsylvania lawmakers said Monday they will file legislation requiring state pension funds to pull investments connected to the Russian government and its critical supporters. The state Treasury Department also has begun divesting its minimal holdings in Russian-based companies.

In a memo to fellow senators, Democratic state Sen. Sharif Street said Pennsylvania must wield our economic power to ensure that Russia faces grave consequences for their flagrant violations of international law and human cooperation.

Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, a Republican seeking co-sponsors for the legislation, said state lawmakers "have a moral obligation to ensure that our public fund investments are not inadvertently supporting those who are engaging in an unprovoked invasion of their democratically elected neighbors.

Arkansas lawmakers have filed proposals authorizing banks in the state to freeze the assets of Russian oligarchs and to require a boycott of Russian-made goods. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared Tuesday through Thursday special days of prayer for Ukraine.

A bipartisan group of California lawmakers said Monday they also will introduce legislation to divest public money from Russian state entities.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Sunday forbidding her state from doing business with Russia. She ordered state agencies to divest money and assets from companies or institutions aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine. The Democratic governor also said New York would welcome Ukrainian refugees, noting that New York already is home to the largest Ukrainian population in the U.S.

On Monday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, ordered state offices under his control to terminate government contracts that benefit Russian businesses.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has banned state agencies from doing business with Russian state-owned firms and their subcontractors. Colorados $61 billion state pension fund is pulling $8 million from a Russian state-owned bank identified in federal sanctions.

Governors in Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington also have ordered a review of whether any state money is going to Russian companies or investments supporting the Russian government. A North Dakota investment board was due to meet later this week to discuss its investments in Russia.

If our state can put one brick in the wall around Putin, it will be a good thing, and we intend to do all that we can in this regard, said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat.

Two prominent Republican governors, Floridas Ron DeSantis and South Dakotas Kristi Noem, who are widely seen as angling for a White House bid, mostly took aim at President Joe Biden rather than issuing executive orders targeting Russia. They criticized his energy policies and said that had made it difficult to slap sanctions on Russia's exports of oil and gas. Noem made her comments last weekend at the CPAC convention in Orlando, Florida.

Other governors are seeking to sever good-will relationships between their home states and those in Russia.

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday that he's dissolving Marylands decades-old sister-state relationship with Russias Leningrad region after the invasion of Ukraine. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, asked the cities of Norfolk and Roanoke to end their sister-city partnerships with Russian cities. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, called for an end to its sister-state relationship with Stavrapol Krai, Russia, and a strengthening of its sister-state relationship with Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine.

Several states have expressed a willingness to provide housing to Ukrainian refugees. The Washington state House and Senate each have added amendments to their budget proposals setting aside $19 million to provide services and temporary housing to refugees who come from Ukraine.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, posted on Twitter over the weekend that he has asked restaurants and retailers  to voluntarily remove all Russian products from their shelves.

Officials in Alabama, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia  all states that control the sale of alcohol  have directed Russian-sourced alcohol to be removed from store shelves.

Utah stands in solidarity with Ukraine and will not support Russian enterprises, no matter how small the exchange, Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said.

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Kalispell-based Logan Health has notified patients of a data breach.

In a notice posted to its website and in letters sent to patients dated Feb. 18 from President and CEO Craig Lambrecht, Logan says that on Nov. 22, 2021, it discovered suspicious activity that included unauthorized access to a server used for business operations.

With the assistance of third-party forensic experts we immediately launched an investigation to determine the nature and scope of the incident and whether any personal information was affected, according to the notice. On January 5, 2022, the investigation determined that there was unauthorized access to certain files, which contained protected health information. There was no unauthorized access to our electronic medical records.

The information accessed may be different for each patient, including name, address, medical record number, date of birth, telephone number, email address, insurance claim information, date(s) of service, treating/referring physician, medical bill account number and/or health insurance information.

Logans report to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates that more than 211,000 individuals may be impacted.

Logans notice says there is no indication that patient data was misused, but is offering patients 12 months of credit and identity protection services at no charge. More information is available at loganhealth.kroll.com.

Mellody Sharpton, Logans executive director of marketing and communications, said that after Jan. 5, it took investigators time to determine which patients should be notified. Pointing to an uptick in cybercrime including targeting of health care facilities, investigations often take months to complete, she said.

Sharpton described the perpetrators as a malicious actor, but said she did not have additional details on who committed or was suspected of committing the breach.

Logan Health -- known formerly as Kalispell Regional Healthcare -- has facilities in Kalispell, Whitefish, Eureka, Cut Bank, Conrad and Polson, among other places.

Last year, other health care facilities across Montana reported data breaches, including Benefis Health System, Glacier Medical Associates, Sapphire Community Health and River City Whole Health.

Tom Kuglin is the deputy editor for the Lee Newspapers State Bureau. His coverage focuses on outdoors, recreation and natural resources.

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In celebration of Yellowstone National Park's 150th anniversary, a variety of activities are scheduled.

Efforts will focus around reflecting on 150 years of protecting the park, highlighting successes in the ecosystem, and opening dialogue on the lessons learned from yesterday, the challenges of today and a vision for tomorrow.

"This anniversary should remind us of the incredible value of our National Park System and the need for us to continue working together to address the many challenges of the future," said Superintendent Cam Sholly.

Highlights include:

Tribal engagement

May 26Sept. 30: Yellowstone Tribal Heritage Center  Yellowstone National Park and Yellowstone Forever will pilot the Tribal center at Old Faithful where Tribal artists, scholars and presenters can directly engage visitors through education.

June 1-3: Wind River Inter-Tribal Gathering  This in-person gathering will bring together Tribal Nations, federal managers, nongovernmental organizations and others to discuss conservation, important issues to Tribal Nations, and the future of consultation and collaboration. Tribes associated with Yellowstone, nonprofits and agency personnel will honor, nourish, dance, heal and celebrate Native Americans. Hosted by the Wind River Tribes and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly will be a featured speaker.

Aug. 23-28: Teepee Village  Yellowstone is working with numerous Tribes to establish a temporary teepee village at the parks North Entrance. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with Tribal members to learn about their heritage and culture. Event partners include Mountain Time Arts, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, National Parks Conservation Association, Park County Environmental Council and Yellowstone Forever.

Partners

Feb. 28-March 1: Wyoming Governors Hospitality & Tourism Conference  Sholly will be among the keynote speakers at this conference dedicated to celebrating and educating Wyomings tourism industry. The superintendent will address how the 150th is an important moment in time for Wyoming, the country and the world.

May 6: Yellowstone National Park Lodges: 150 Years of Inspiration  Yellowstone National Park Lodges will host a public event that coincides with the summer season opening of the Old Faithful Inn. Yellowstone and partner representatives will give remarks followed by refreshments, free Historic Yellow Bus tours of the Old Faithful Historic District area and a Native American Art Exhibition and Marketplace will be open.

May 15-18: 15th Biennial Scientific Conference on Yellowstone  Themed Expanding the Scope of Science Together: The Next 150 Years, this conference will be hosted by Montana State University. It will bring together researchers and practitioners from academia, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and Tribal communities to reflect on the science and conservation accomplishments that brought us to the present day and envision solutions for some of the grand challenges facing Greater Yellowstones future.

May 19-20: University of Wyomings Symposium on Yellowstones 150th  The University of Wyoming College of Law and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources will host this public event. Keynote talks and panel discussions will celebrate the parks history and look to the future. Sholly will be one of the keynote speakers.

Video Series

MarchAugust: Yellowstones social media team will moderate a series of presentations with subject matter experts who will share their knowledge about the past, present, and future on priority issues including people of Yellowstone, geology, wildlife conservation, climate change research, transportation and infrastructure, historic preservation, Tribal initiatives, youth programs and partnerships. The video series will be shared on Yellowstones website and social media platforms.

Infrastructure

Spring: New employee housing open house  This year marks the opening of new employee housing. This $40 million project replaced 64 obsolete trailers with new modular homes. The old trailers located throughout the park were 40-60 years old and in substandard condition. The project also upgraded utilities and incorporated landscape designs to develop a sense of community.

May 27: Tower Junction to Chittenden Road (near Dunraven Pass) opens  The segment of road between Tower Junction and Chittenden Road will open to the public following two years of improvements. The $28 million project was funded through the Nationally Significant Federal Lands Program and fee dollars.

June 23: Historic Fort Yellowstone preservation project groundbreaking  This $22 million project, funded through the Great American Outdoors Act and the Legacy Restoration Fund, is one of the largest historic preservation efforts in the National Park Service. It will stabilize and rehabilitate the exteriors of 16 buildings located within the Historic Fort Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs.

Visit go.nps.gov/Yellowstone150 and follow #Yellowstone150 frequently in 2022 to stay current on commemoration information.

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" " Thanks to the high prices they command, avocados are sometimes referred to as 'green gold.' Floortje/E+/Getty Images

To the relief of avocado lovers from coast to coast, the recent drama between the United States and Mexico was fleeting.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture banned imports of the fleshy fruit from Mexico Feb. 11, 2022, after an employee of its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, who was working in Mexico, received threats after refusing to certify a mislabeled shipment of avocados.

With only a two- to three-week supply stored in American warehouses, any extended disruption to the avocado pipeline would have been quickly felt.

Eight days later, the ban was lifted, and cooks could resume smashing avocados into guacamole, blending them into smoothies and smearing them onto bread without trepidation.

Yet to me, this disruption  however brief  reveals just how reliant the U.S. has become on its neighbor for a product that has seen its demand soar. When I was working on my book "Avocado: A Global History," I was struck by the extent to which this lucrative trade has evolved over the past 25 years, making it an attractive business possibility for both legitimate and criminal enterprises.

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Mexico's Cash Crop

Avocados from Mexico have been fueling America's taste for the fruit since 1997, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture lifted a 1914 import ban, which originally was implemented due to fears over pests like seed weevils infesting U.S. crops. At the time, Southern California produced about 90 percent of the avocados eaten by Americans.

Since then, per capita avocado consumption in the U.S. has ballooned from 2 pounds (0.9 kilogram) in 2001 to nearly 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) in 2018.

This increase in the popularity of avocados, coupled with the limitations of domestic sources, has allowed Mexican avocados to dominate the American market. Today, Mexico  specifically, the Mexican state of Michoacan, which is the only state certified to sell the fruit to the U.S.  supplies about 80 percent of the 60 million pounds (27 million kilograms) of avocados eaten north of the border each week.

Avocados are sometimes referred to as "green gold" because of the price they command in international commodity markets. Exports of avocados from Mexico were valued at nearly $3 billion in 2021, ahead of both tequila and beer, two other popular Mexican exports. The average price of an avocado is up 10 percent from a year ago; during the brief ban, the price of a carton of the fruit catapulted to nearly $60, up from around $30 a year ago.

Currently, less than 1 percent of avocados eaten in the U.S. come from places other than Mexico and the U.S. Countries like Peru and Colombia also produce the fruit.

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Cartels Want Their Piece of the Pie

In Mexico, the high profit margins of the avocado trade attracted the interest of crime cartels, and those operating in Michoacan began to infiltrate the avocado business more than 20 years ago.

As various cartels have vied for control of the avocado industry, violence and extortion have escalated in the region. In the beginning, cartels were content to extort farmers, packers and exporters  in essence, taxing them for the ability to do business without interference from the cartels.

" " Members of a self-defense group guard an avocado plantation from drug cartels in the state of Michoacan, Mexico, in July 2021. Enrique Castro Contributor/AFP/Getty Images

But a bloody turf war has intensified in recent years.

In 2019, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel killed nine people in Uruapan, Michoacan's hub of avocado distribution, hanging their corpses from a prominent overpass in the city. They dumped seven more bodies on the side of a road, leaving a banner at the scene that taunted a rival gang, the Viagras. There are even reports of cartels using drones to drop bombs as part of their efforts to control the economy of the region.

Threats directed at inspectors have happened before. While no individual cartel has been directly tied to a specific threat, U.S. officials seem to think the threats are linked to increased cartel participation in the avocado trade.

In 2019, a team of USDA inspectors working in Ziracuaretiro, a city just west of Uruapan, were robbed and threatened with violence. Later that year, the USDA wrote a memo stating it would suspend inspection activities if threats of physical violence and intimidation against inspectors continued. After the most recent threat, the USDA referenced this memo when announcing the temporary import ban.

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The Hass Holds All the Cards

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador dismissed the notion that the suspension was due to cartels associated with the avocado trade. Instead, he blamed unspecified political interests in the U.S. and pressure from other countries who want a share of the lucrative American avocado market.

One of the reasons the U.S. began allowing Mexican avocados to be imported over the objection of domestic growers was NAFTA. The U.S. wanted the ability to send corn and other agricultural goods to Mexico under the rules of the 1994 free trade agreement. But the Mexican government demanded some sort of agricultural export quid pro quo to help balance trade between the two countries, and avocados were ripe for the job.

The recent brief disruption underscores the risks of being so heavily reliant on a product that comes from one region in one country that's rife with violence and corruption.

Yet it isn't easy to simply open an avocado spigot from another country. Americans really prefer just one variety of avocado: the Hass, which is the type imported from Mexico. While the U.S. allows Hass avocado imports from Peru and Colombia, wholesalers prefer not to sell them because they're thought to be lower quality. Hass is the dominant variety grown in California, too, but American growers can't grow nearly enough to meet the demand.

Greenskin avocados, which are grown in Florida and the Caribbean, along with many other countries, aren't nearly as popular with consumers due to textural differences and the fact that they don't change color to indicate when they are ripe. Greenskin avocados could ease U.S. dependence on Mexican avocados, but until they gain acceptance by avocado eaters, they won't help wean Americans off the Hass avocados grown in Michoacan.

Avocados might be a source of political tension, but their unicorn status as a creamy, delicious food that's considered healthy makes most people willing to put politics aside and pass the guacamole.

Jeffrey Miller is an associate professor of hospitality management at Colorado State University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.
" " It's tradition to eat paczki on both Fat Tuesday and Fat Thursday to mark the start of Lent is near. Xinhua/Jaap Arriens/Getty Images

You might think you've eaten a good pastry or two in your life, but you really haven't truly lived until you've tried a paczek (plural: paczki, pronounced "pawnch-kee" or "poonch-key").

This round Polish treat is associated closely with the pre-Lent religious holiday Fat Tuesday, or the Tuesday that falls before Ash Wednesday every year. And, let's face it  Mardi Gras wouldn't be Mardi Gras without it.

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How Do You Make Paczki?

The word paczek roughly means 'bud,' likely referring to its round shape, which is practically bursting at the seams with filling. Rose filling (and sometimes fried rose buds) is a component of a traditional paczek.

"It's got sugar, butter, eggs and savory flowers," says Sandy Bakic, whose parents became owners of the New Martha Washington Bakery in greater Detroit in 1973, where she's been working since she was a teenager.

The sweet treat is made of yeasty dough and comes covered in an icy glaze or powdered sugar. It also typically contains some type of cheesy cream or fruit-based filling, like cannoli cream or marmalade. Typical flavors include raspberry, strawberry, apricot and rose.

"My favorite filling in paczki is apricots," Bakic says.

Making the dough is a painstaking labor of love, which Bakic describes as a "lengthy process." "You make the big balls of dough. Then you wait till they rise. Then you make smaller individual paczki, then you let those rise, and then you fry them," Bakic says.

Although Bakic says that you could opt for a non-traditional paczki without filling, you'd really be missing out on the true flavors of the dessert. "We sell a lot more filled paczki than non-filled," she says.

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The History of Paczki

Paczki originated in Poland in the Middle Ages, but became more commonplace in the U.S. in the 20th century as Polish immigrants populated urban centers and brought their food traditions with them. Paczki evolved from a Polish pastry into a Midwestern regional treat.

"I read that every Polish person eats 2.5 paczki on Fat Thursday," said Bart Kolatek, the second-generation owner of Kolatek's Bakery & Deli, in a 2020 interview with Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW.

Each year, tens of thousands of people in Polish-heavy communities in the midwestern U.S., such as Chicago and Detroit, flock to local bakeries to purchase the confection on Fat Tuesday, also informally known as "Paczki Day" or "Polish Mardis Gras." Some people also celebrate the event on the previous Thursday, known as "Fat Thursday."

As Bob Dombrowski wrote in his book, "Paczki Day," paczki's association with the pre-Lent holiday Fat Tuesday stems from the Ash Wednesday religious ritual, which marks the beginning of Lent.

At the approach of Lent, which requires giving up something  often a favorite food  Polish families would combine any excess sugar, flour and jam, which is how they came up with paczki.

Bakic's family is of Serbian origin from the former Yugoslavia, and they immigrated to the U.S. in 1969. But they still use the recipes provided by the original Polish owners.

According to Bakic, the Polish man who had opened the bakery passed away, but his wife entrusted his recipes to the Bakic family. "She gave them to me. And they were the same recipes that we have been using all along," says Bakic. "This is a Polish bakery. We've had the pleasure and privilege to work with all the old-time Polish bakers," she adds.

Although Bakic is aware of the paczki religious associations, for her, the treat holds a greater cultural significance than a religious one. As a child, Bakic grew up eating sweet treats like paczki in her Serbian household, which she would eat "as soon as they came out of the kettle."

"[In] the European countries, whether you come from Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Poland, Czech Republic, our grandmas made these scrumptious little treats, just before Lent," Bakic says.

" " A bakery in Krakow, Poland, sells paczki on Fat Thursday, which is a traditional Catholic Christian feast on the last Thursday before Lent. ) Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Are Paczki Doughnuts?

Bakeries and websites typically describe this sweet treat as a Polish doughnut. Indeed, doughnuts and paczki share many similarities, from the familiar round doughy shape to the glaze on top.

But, technically, the doughnut has an entirely separate American history, having been brought to the states by the Dutch or the English, long before the arrival of Polish immigrants.

Some bakers feel that it's better to just leave doughnuts as doughnuts, and call paczki by their real name.

"It is not a doughnut; it is a European treat," Bakic says.

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Paczki Is Also a Dyngus Day Staple

If you missed out on Paczki Day this year, fret not. There are plenty more opportunities to chow down on this delicious pastry, including the Polish religious holiday Dyngus Day, which takes place in Polish communities every year on the Monday following Easter.

During Dyngus Day, revelers play music, dress up in the red and white colors of the Polish flag, and, of course, eat paczki. Buffalo, New York even bills itself as the "Dyngus Day capital of the world."

And, of course, if you're a talented baker, you can make paczki year-round, provided you're up for the challenge.

"You have to be basically a master baker to know the chain from measuring to mixing, because when [you] get them frying, the next batch has to be ready to get fried," Bakic says. "Otherwise, you'll never have enough paczki."

Now That's Interesting According to Michal Korkosz's cookbook, "Fresh from Poland," here's the description of the perfect paczki: "A perfect doughnut should be still warm and very fluffy, well-fried but not burnt, and with a bright stripe around the center. The glaze should glitter and stick to your fingers."

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Originally Published: Feb 16, 2021
Fibromyalgia is a common and complex condition. It is a long-term, incurable disorder that is not fully understood by doctors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4 million Americans are affected, while the National Fibromyalgia Association puts that number closer to 10 million, up to 90% of whom are women.

Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose and just as difficult to treat

For a lot of fibromyalgia patients, medication-based solutions can work quite well, says Maegan Hodge, licensed acupuncturist and owner of Centered: Richmond Acupuncture and Wellness. But when you have a system like Western medicine that has become pretty regimented and uses the solutions that work the best for the most people, there are always going to be people who fall through the cracks.

Fibromyalgia sufferers for whom doctors go-to solutions fall short find their way to Hodges clinic in search of relief. And in her experience, acupuncture can often provide them freedom from pain.

Determining the root cause of pain is key

Fibromyalgia is often rooted in a combination of stress or trauma, injury, infection and systemic inflammation, explains Hodge. The real trick is figuring out what is triggering the inflammation. Sometimes many years of digestive dysfunction could be contributing.

Sometimes it's simply chronic stress that causes the inflammation. Hodge thinks that there can be environmental factors that contribute, like exposure to allergens or toxins like mold.

Taking a deep dive to understand the patient

Hodge starts with a detailed and comprehensive intake form to collect significantly more information than a standard doctors office intake form. The thing that is so great about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine is that you are looking at all the health problems a person has simultaneously, Hodge says. For example, something like 60% of patients with fibromyalgia also have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). This is usually overlooked at your doctors office and seen as being unrelated, but it usually isnt.

This approach ensures that treatment is personalized to the patient, which means faster and better results. A good acupuncturist is able to quickly step outside of the catchall approach of Western medicine, says Hodge. If you have a complex condition like fibromyalgia and the traditional avenues of treatment are not working for you, do not give up hope. It might just be time to try something different.

For more information, visit centeredrichmondacupuncture.com.

This content is provided for informational purposes only by Centered: Richmond Acupuncture and Wellness and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice. Any views, thoughts or opinions in this paid post belong solely to Centered: Richmond Acupuncture and Wellness and do not represent the views of Brand Ave. Studios or its parent company.
Acacia midtown, the award-winning restaurant from Aline and Dale Reitzer, has signed a lease for Libbie Mill-Midtown.

Acacia has leased approximately 3,739 square feet in the Corner Shops building located at 2363 Roux St. Suite 105.

Dale Reitzer, chef of Acacia midtown, is a four-time nominee for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef Mid-Atlantic Award and was twice named Richmonds chef of the year.

Acacia was voted the best restaurant in Richmond by readers of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and The Washington Posts Tom Sietsema called it Richmonds best restaurant.

Our plan was always to open another restaurant, and we believe the time and location are a perfect fit. We are looking forward to bringing our new venture to such a vibrant community and creating an experience our long-time supporters and new diners will enjoy, Aline Reitzer said in a statement. She is also the founder of Richmond Restaurant Week, a popular annual event that raises money for Feed More.

Acacia midtown plans to open its new location in the fall.

Acacia will be a great complement to Libbie Mills existing restaurants, Shagbark, Crafted and [others] ... and we anticipate the trend of strong commercial demand to continue through 2022, Skip Nash, vice president for Gumenick Properties, the developments owner, said in a statement.

Libbie Mill-Midtown is a mixed-use, walkable community located at Libbie Avenue, Staples Mill Road and Interstate 64 in Henrico County.

Acacia midtown closed in early 2020 after the Reitzers sold the building at 2601 W. Cary St.
Richmond appears poised to create a civilian review board for its police, but what it will look like is still up in the air after City Council heard on Monday of an alternative plan for oversight backed by Mayor Levar Stoneys administration.

Stoney hired William Pelfrey Jr., a professor at VCUs L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs with national renown and expertise on policing, to make recommendations as a counterpoint to a proposal from a council-appointed task force. At odds on many points, both plans agree on one primary premise: Richmond should have a civilian review board.

There is clearly agreement from our task force, from our community, from the administration, that this is a model and a method that we drive to see put into place in our city, said Council President Cynthia Newbille, who represents Richmonds 7th District.

Newbille said the council would begin as soon as possible, working collaboratively with administration to discuss the form and function of the board.

More than five months ago, the council heard recommendations from the task force it created following the civil unrest in 2020 over police brutality. If enacted, the civilian review board and new city office envisioned by the task force would be one of the most expansive in the country with a $1.2 million budget and the ability to investigate every complaint against officers. It would be independent of the police department and could compel testimony, audit police data, suggest changes to the departments policies and budget, and punish officers.

While considered in the 28-page report submitted by Pelfrey, the task forces recommendations, outlined in a separate 35-page report, were largely disregarded.

What the task force recommended was ambitious, Pelfrey said in an interview ahead of Mondays presentation. He told City Council on Monday that the department doesnt have a track record of abuse allegations, or federal oversight like a consent decree, an agreement between a police agency and the Justice Department, usually enacted due to repeated constitutional violations.

This civilian review board would represent one of the most powerful or authoritative in the nation. Im not sure thats justified, Pelfrey said responding to the task forces recommendations. I think that if Richmond was New Orleans, or Detroit, or St. Louis, or Portland, with a long history of police abuse, and federal suits directed towards police regarding overuse of authority or deaths in custody, then the scale of a CRB would be different. But thats not Richmond.

Pelfreys pared-back CRB is in line with similarly-situated cities, he said, and would essentially review only the most serious complaints: deaths or serious injuries sustained in custody or during an encounter with police and police shootings. And its review would come after an investigation conducted by the police departments Internal Affairs unit. If an additional investigation was warranted, the CRB could then hire someone outside the department to do so.

I guess it just doesnt sound to me like the CRB is, in my view, independent if its only reviewing things forwarded from the internal affairs. So that gives me pause, said Councilmember Katherine Jordan, of the 2nd District, said.

Pelfrey responded by saying thats how the vast majority of CRBs operate, outside of those operating with federal oversight, which are required to review every complaint, as the task force suggested for Richmond. Jordan said she hoped there could be some middle ground found.

We dont want things to get worse before stronger oversight is implemented, said Eli Coston, one of the task forces leaders, after Mondays meeting. Yes, we were ambitious... We did want this to be a model for what civilian oversight could look like.

Coston is an assistant professor at VCU in the department of gender, sexuality and womens studies, and has done extensive research on policing data and Richmond polices use-of-force incidents as part of Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project, which has been calling for civilian oversight for years.

In the months since our recommendations were released, Charlottesville and Virginia Beach have strengthened their models of oversight, and these changes have generally aligned with what the Task Force recommended for Richmond, Coston said in a letter to council responding to Pelfreys report. In fact, the discontent with ineffective models of oversight in both of these places alongside concerns we heard from citizens in Richmond about the potential harms of ineffective models were key to our decision-making in this regard.

Pelfrey also recommended limited subpoena authority, which is the ability to compel evidence and testimony. It is the one power that the task force, City Council, Stoney, and even Police Chief Gerald Smith, have endorsed because it is widely accepted as the teeth that make civilian oversight effective. The ability to make binding disciplinary decisions was exceedingly rare, Pelfrey found.

Pelfrey had said he was surprised the city didnt already have a civilian review board.

Richmond should have one, he said. It just fosters trust, it enhances public perception of the police, and given the history of the police-community relationship, particularly over the past two years, anything that fosters police trust is an important thing.

Pelfrey was a member of Stoneys task force to Re-imagine Public Safety, which was formed amid the unrest in 2020 and recommended the creation of a civilian oversight board with subpoena power. He has also been consulted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch for stories on use-of-force incidents and other police matters. He was paid $3,600 for his report, according to the mayors office.
Until a year ago, Stephana Ferrells political activism was limited to the occasional letter to elected officials.

Then came her local school board meeting in Orange County, Florida and an objection raised to Maia Kobabes graphic novel Gender Queer: A Memoir. And the countys decision last fall to remove it from high school shelves.

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By winter break, we realized this was happening all over the state and needed to start a project to rally parents to protect access to information and ideas in school, says Ferrell, a mother of two. Along with fellow Orange County parent Jen Cousins, she founded the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which works with existing parent groups statewide on a range of educational issues, including efforts to keep or get back books that have gone under challenge or have been banned.

Amanda Darrow, director of youth, family and education programs at the Utah Pride Center, poses with books, including "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison, that have been the subject of complaints from parents in Salt Lake City on Dec. 16, 2021. The wave of book bannings around the country has reached a level not seen for decades. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Over the past year, book challenges and bans have reached levels not seen in decades, according to officials at the American Library Association, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and other advocates for free expression. Censorship efforts have ranged from local communities such as Orange County and a Tennessee school boards pulling Art Spiegelmans graphic novel Maus, to statewide initiatives.

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There are some books with pornography and pedophilia that should absolutely be removed from K through 12 school libraries, says Yael Levin, a spokeswoman for No Left Turn in Education, a national group opposed to what it calls a Leftist agenda for public schools that has called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the availability of Gender Queer among other books. Now were not talking about a public library or bookstores. Were talking about K through 12 school libraries, books that are just pornographic and with pedophilic content.

According to PEN America, which has been tracking legislation around the country, dozens of bills have been proposed that restrict classroom reading and discussion. Virtually all of the laws focus on sexuality, gender identity or race. In Missouri, a bill would ban teachers from using the 1619 Project, the New York Times magazine issue which centers around slavery in American history and was released last fall as a book.

The responses have come from organizations large and small, and sometimes from individuals such as Ferrell.

The American Civil Liberties Union, PEN America and the NCAC have been working with local activists, educators and families around the country, helping them to prepare for meetings, to draft letters and to mobilize opposition, according to PEN Americas executive director, Suzanne Nossel. The CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, has said he will personally donate $500,000 for a book defense fund to be run in partnership with PEN. Hachette Book Group has announced emergency donations to PEN, the NCAC and the Authors Guild.

Legal action has been one strategy. In Missouri, the ACLU filed suit in federal court in mid-February to prevent the Wentzville school district from removing such books as Gender Queer, Nobel laureate Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye and Keise Laymons memoir Heavy. The civil liberties union has also filed open records requests in Tennessee and Montana over book bans, and a warning letter in Mississippi against what it described as the unconstitutionality of public library book bans.

Vera Eidelman, staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, cited the U.S. Supreme Courts 1982 ruling declaring that local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books. The tricky area, Eidelman acknowledged, is that schools officials are allowed to ban books for reasons other than not approving of the viewpoints the books express. Officials might determine, for instance, that the book is too profane or vulgar.

The problem is just that often our definitions, for example, of vulgarity or age appropriateness, are for lack of a better word, mushy, and they can also hide or be used as pretext for viewpoint-based decisions by the government, she said.

Two anti-banning initiatives were launched in Pennsylvania. In Kutztown, eighth grader Joslyn Diffenbaugh formed a banned book club last fall that began with a reading of George Orwells Animal Farm. The Pennridge Improvement Project has started a drive to purchase books that have been removed from schools, including Leslea Newmans Heather has Two Mommies and Kim Johnsons This is My America, and place them in small free libraries around the district.

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The wave of bans has led to new organizations and to a change of focus for existing groups. Katie Paris, an Ohio resident and the founder of Red, Wine & Blue, a national network of politically engaged PTA mamas and digital divas founded in 2019, said that last year she began receiving calls from members begging for help as debates over critical race theory erupted.

Red, Wine & Blue started online sessions it calls Trouble Maker Training, which includes such guidance as Present a calm face to counter the yelling and shouting and Own individual freedom: You can decide what is right for your child, but you dont get to dictate whats right for other families. Red, Wine & Blue also launched a website that tracks book bans, raised about $65,000 to organize against bans and is organizing an event in March featuring authors of banned books and parents from communities where books are being challenged.

We think education works best when its parents and teachers working together, says Paris, the mother of 7- and 3-year old boys. And if you dont want your child to have access to a book, then opt them out. Thats fine. You just dont want to just take that opportunity away from my kids.

Trying to get a book restored is often like other kinds of community activism  letter writing, speeches, attending meetings.

Meenal McNary is a member of the Round Rock Black Parents Association, based about 20 miles from Austin, Texas. The association was founded in 2015 after a Black teenager was slammed to the ground by a police officer, but more recently became active in diversifying the curriculum and fighting efforts to remove books. Last year, a parents objection led to Round Rock school district officials considering whether Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, should be taken off middle school reading lists.

We worked with a middle school teacher who started a petition, and that gained a lot of traction, with more than a 1,000 signatures, McNary says. The district followed a three-step review process  culminating with a school board vote  during which McNary and others helped organize people into writing letters, turning up for board meetings and telling others about the petition.

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We had children speaking up in favor of this book, even though it was traumatic for some of them to read, McNary says. We had everyone from middle school students to grandmothers and grandfathers stating their reasons why this should remain on the shelves. The board ended up voting in our favor and the book is still there.

Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.
A Mechanicsville man who before his 21st birthday started to engage in a series of online consumer fraud schemes involving the sales of fictitious drone businesses, among other fake ventures, was sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison Tuesday for wire fraud. Prosecutors said at least five victims were bilked of $706,000 in 2018 and 2019.

Harlan Barry Coxs elaborate scam, in which he created websites for his fictitious businesses that included bogus company logos and financial statements, drained at least two victims of their life savings or retirement investments. The damage incurred went well beyond financial loss, prosecutors said, with some reporting severe mental and emotional repercussions.

It is impossible for me to trust anyone, one victim wrote in a statement quoted by prosecutors in court documents. Ive experienced anxiety and depression for which I had to seek medical attention. It took me a long time to stop blaming myself for what happened. I felt angry, ashamed, guilty and embarrassed. I have even had suicidal thoughts. I have become numb and very distant from my family and friends. Its been over two years and not a single day goes by that I dont relive what happened to me.

Another victim, who was seeking to acquire a business that would allow him the freedom of quitting work as a trucker, reported feeling anger, numbness and depression, placing him in shutdown mode ... unable to gain the strength to crawl out.

Cox, now 24, used most of the money he fraudulently obtained to support his lifestyle and pay personal expenses including trips to Miami, New York City and Los Angeles and the purchase of a $103,000 Mercedes SUV, according to a statement of facts signed by Cox.

Prosecutors said Cox used deliberate and calculated methods to take advantage of unsuspected victims online  planning and executing his schemes over many months.

The fake businesses he offered for sale on online marketplaces included Drone Purple and Pelagoon, companies that purported to sell drones, and Margin Street Inc., a company purported to serve as an online marketplace where other internet-based businesses could be bought and sold.

In soliciting the sales of these phony businesses, Cox created various alias names and individualized email accounts for fictitious business representatives and provided prospective buyers with purported due diligence materials consisting of false and doctored documents. That included fraudulent financial statements that purported to show that the businesses for sale were generating millions of dollars in revenue with net profits exceeding $1 million.

Thereafter, Cox made numerous material misrepresentations to induce prospective buyers to provide large down payments on quick closing timelines for the purchase of these fictitious businesses, assistant U.S. attorneys Avishek Panth and Michael Moore wrote in the governments sentencing memorandum. In reality, none of these businesses had any revenue or were viable concerns.

The victims would sign purchase agreements, which Cox signed using one of his aliases. To close on the sale, the victims were instructed to wire initial down payments to bank accounts he controlled.

The prosecutors said Cox also used various shell companies, and bank accounts created in the name of such companies, to receive the buyers money. He then quickly moved that money out into different accounts in other shell companies names to avoid recoupment of the funds.

In total, Cox utilized 10 bank accounts at six different banks in an effort to avoid detection. He sometimes would close bank accounts within months of opening them to obfuscate efforts at detecting his wrongdoing, the prosecutors wrote. At all times Cox was the sole individual in control of the bank accounts of all these shell companies.

Following a sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in downtown Richmond, Judge David J. Novak sentenced Cox to 39 months behind bars, which is near the low end of federal sentencing guidelines, which called for a term of punishment between 37 and 46 months. Novak gave Cox credit for time he has already served  nine months  as he awaited the disposition of his case.

Panth urged Novak to sentence Cox to 46 months, noting the leniency Cox received in Richmond Circuit Court after being found guilty in January 2020 of obtaining money under false pretenses  a charge that was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor and netted him a six-month suspended jail term. After getting that break, Cox continued to lie about his criminal behavior, Panth said.

But Assistant Federal Public Defender Nia Vidal urged a downward variance in punishment of 18 months, noting that Coxs crimes started just before he turned 21, and played out during a short period of time in an otherwise law-abiding life.

In comments from the bench, Novak noted that Cox attended, by way of scholarship, the Veritas School, an elite private secondary institution in Richmond, and appeared to be a very bright person. The judge also noted that Cox has a very supportive family  his mother, father, brother and grandmother attended Tuesdays hearing  and he had other advantages that most defendants who come before him dont have. In spite of that, Cox became an internet con.

Im not seeing whats going on here, Novak said. None of this makes any sense. How does this happen?

When given a chance to speak, Cox said his immaturity and greed were the principal factors. I was just outside of myself  outside of my character. I have no excuse. He added hes a different person now, after spending nine months behind bars to reflect on his actions.

You started off with such a head start, Novak replied. The good news is, everybody wants you to succeed.

Although Novak gave him a slight break in prison time, the judge ordered that Cox make $561,776 in restitution; the government indicated he already has repaid some of some of the stolen funds. Novak also ordered Cox to undergo mental health treatment while in prison, believing that may partially explain his aberrant behavior, along with his youth and immaturity.

Novak wished Cox luck, but made it clear that if he appears before the judge again, Im going to give you every day [in prison] that I can.
Chesterfield County Public Schools modified its mask mandate once again, giving staff and visitors the option to wear a mask in school buildings and for students on school buses.

In a statement to families and staff on Monday, the district announced the changes in collaboration with the countys department of risk management. The new mask options went into effect on Tuesday.

Chesterfield County government employees also now have the option of wearing a mask  or not  to work.

Guidance has been shifting over the last several weeks, reflecting the changing nature of COVID-19, the district wrote in a statement. Taking into consideration the recent shifts in guidance and continued downward trend of cases in our community, masks will now be optional for CCPS staff and visitors to CCPS facilities.

Removing mandatory employee mask use is still under review by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, but according to the districts statement, the department is expected to soon lift the requirement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday lifted the requirement for masks on school buses. In January, the Chesterfield School Board narrowly approved parental choice for students wearing masks.

Also on Tuesday, state legislation went into effect allowing for parental choice for their children wearing masks in school and rid school districts of implementing student mask mandates.

Hanover County Public Schools made masks optional for students in January, while Henrico County Public Schools followed suit in mid-February, while Richmond Public Schools waited to drop the mandate until Tuesday.

Hanover County is also allowing students to not wear a mask on buses and is giving the option to staff and visitors wear to forgo masks in school buildings. Henrico and Richmond schools are still requiring masks for adults.
Richmond and Chesterfield government employees and residents will no longer be required to wear masks in order to enter City Hall and other local municipal facilities.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced that he is suspending the mandate starting Tuesday, in accordance with updated guidance from local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chesterfield County announced a similar order  effective immediately  Monday evening, making masks optional

While we are relaxing the mask mandate, we still must be vigilant and follow protocols based on science and heed the advice of our leading public health officials from the CDC and the Virginia Department of Health, Stoney said.

Under the new CDC advice, cities and counties that are considered having a medium or low level of transmission of the COVID-19 have the option to wear masks.

As of last Thursday, CDC data shows that the Richmond area is considered medium, including Richmond and the counties of Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan and Charles City.

Dinwiddie, Prince George, Petersburg and Hopewell are still considered high.
A state Senate committee is wrestling with a bill that would essentially undo a change in the law made last year and broadly stop the public from getting access to police investigative files in closed cases. Misinformation about the current law has muddled the debate.

While records that are used in criminal court cases are public, police and prosecutors have long had discretion over whether to release records that arent filed in court. Even in police cases that are long closed, police routinely denied releasing any records.

After families of those killed in the 2019 mass shooting at the Virginia Beach government center had trouble getting police records about the case, lawmakers changed the law in 2021 to require police to provide records to the public in cases where release of records wouldnt hinder a prosecution.

The law, sponsored by then-Del. Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery, went into effect on July 1 and has been in place for eight months.

It was vetted through the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council and included some key privacy provisions: Police cant release photos or records that show or identify a victim. The law doesnt apply if release of records would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. And records that would disclose the identity of a confidential source or information provided to police only by a confidential source would not be released.

But police and prosecutors want the law largely overturned, to shift back to a policy in which the default is that they dont have to disclose any closed case files they dont want to, unless its to the immediate family of a victim.

Supporters of the proposed legislation, filed by Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, say the priority should be protecting victims and avoiding public and media access to criminal records that could re-traumatize the survivors of people who were killed.

Crime victims didnt ask to be in the situation theyre in, Bell told the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee a week ago.

Theyve been dragged in, in this case because of the deaths of their daughters, he said, referring to the parents of two college students who were murdered. That their records would be used for this is atrocious. Its obscene.

Once the public realizes they can get such records, he told senators, they can get everything.

This will not end at made-for-TV movies. It will be on TikTok videos. It will be on Facebook. Theyll be making YouTubes.

Bells bill would allow only immediate family access to records in closed police cases (and attorneys working on post-conviction issues) but shut off access to all closed police records to the rest of the public, not just in sensitive murder cases but in any closed police investigation in Virginia history.

Open government advocates who oppose the bill say it doesnt strike the right balance between family privacy and allowing public access to government records, and say the Senate committee should avoid passing the bill until more time can be spent on how to fix any real problems that exist. The committee is scheduled to address the bill again Wednesday.

Despite the speculation that sensitive records could be released, no evidence emerged in General Assembly hearings that any sensitive photos or records related to a murder or violent crime actually have been released since the new law took effect July 1.

Unanswered questions and misinformation

Hannah Graham, an 18-year-old University of Virginia student, was murdered in 2014. The man convicted in her death also pleaded guilty to killing Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student, in 2009.

In testimony this year, Hannahs mother, Susan Graham, said that she and her husband learned in November that Albemarle County police had received a FOIA request under the 2021 law from an international media company that apparently wants to make a documentary movie.

Graham said release of new records would traumatize her family, and has asked lawmakers to pass Bells bill.

Bell testified that an Albemarle detective called him and cursed, saying he had been told he needed to handle a FOIA request to a TV producer.

But its unclear whether Albemarle police have yet provided any records, or if they withheld any records for reasons allowed by existing law, or if the FOIA request is still pending.

A senator asked Bell last week if he knew its status. I dont know where theyre at or how hard theyre fighting or what they turned over, Bell replied.

And Albemarle police and county officials arent saying. A police officer did not respond to a voicemail asking about the status of the FOIA. Someone who answered the phone at the police department referred questions to the countys communications director, Emily Kilroy. She did not respond to inquiries made since Thursday to her desk voicemail, cellphone voicemail and email.

So if theres no evidence any sensitive records have been turned over to anyone in the eight months since the change in law, why the need to change it back? Its based on speculation, and thats where the misinformation comes in.

On Monday, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Childrens president and CEO, John F. Clark, sent a letter in support of Bells bill to members of the Senate committee. But the letter misstated how photos are handled under current law, saying current law allows unlimited access for anyone to crime scene photographs when a child has been murdered.

The letter falsely claimed that Bells bill would protect photos, audio or video depicting a victim from being released. Again, current law already does that.

Bell told senators the issue is the guy who wants to see as many disgusting pictures as he can and put them on TikTok.

After Bell made that comment last week, Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, told the committee he might favor an approach that focused on photos and videos and salacious things movie producers might use.

Asked in an interview Tuesday if he believed photos of victims could currently be released, Ebbin said, Thats what they made it sound like during the hearing.

Although the 2021 law also doesnt require police to release records identifying confidential sources or information provided solely by confidential sources, Bell made this comment to senators about why his proposed change is needed:

If you are a witness, who saw something, talked to the officers and were promised that they wont use it in court, it wont ever come up, that is no longer much protection because someone across the street can get the whole file. Not just see what you said and how you said it, to whom you said it, they can actually get the video if its a video case.

In an interview for this story, Bell acknowledged he was unaware of any police agency or prosecutor under the 2021 law who was forced to turn over a sensitive photo from a closed case file. He said he knows of no police agency that was forced under the 2021 law to turn over records that had the name of any confidential source in a case.

I agree that this hasnt happened, he said. We are trying to prevent this from happening. Because once it has happened its too late to address it.

Representatives of the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys, who support Bells legislation, didnt respond to a question Tuesday about whether they know of any examples since July 1 of police or a prosecutor being required to turn over sensitive records about a murder or a violent crime to news media.

Megan Rhyne, executive director of the nonprofit Virginia Coalition for Open Government, told senators last week that the 2021 law allows a balance of privacy rights with public access that can be used by journalists, historians, family of victims or someone who was arrested but not charged and wants to see what evidence the police had.

Under Bells legislation, she said, essentially were going back to no access again.
Whether parking at a home, a business, a school or any other destination, Virginia drivers are grappling with the harsh reality of a costly crime that can happen in a matter of minutes.

Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise in the commonwealth and across the country. From Richmond to Raleigh to Houston, incidents are happening in driveways, in strip malls and on side streets. Using just a wrench or a reciprocating saw, thieves can walk away with the part, and under the Code of Virginia, the car becomes legally inoperable without it.

When owners return to their vehicles, they also learn how functionally inoperable the car becomes. When trying to start the engine, they hear a roar that resembles the beginning of a NASCAR race. Worst of all, the cost of replacing a catalytic converter often exceeds the single parts price. Damage incurred during the theft can affect other components, such as oxygen sensors.

Solving the rash of these crimes requires a multilayered approach. As the National Insurance Crime Bureau explains, catalytic converters serve a key environmental purpose: transforming harmful toxins from a vehicles exhaust into less potent particles. The components that accomplish this process are what make the car part an attractive target.

To do this, manufacturers use platinum, palladium, or rhodium, the NICB adds. In recent years, the values of these precious metals have increased significantly, and many investigators are attributing the dramatic increase in catalytic converter thefts to rising metal costs.

Per the NICB, at the end of 2020, these metals were worth thousands of dollars per ounce: rhodium at $14,500, palladium at $2,336 and platinum at $1,061. As their worth rose, so did the national level of catalytic converter thefts: from 108 per month on average in 2018 to 1,203 in 2020.

State government can do something about this. Both the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate recently passed bills stiffening penalties for catalytic converter thefts. The proposals now are being debated in the opposite legislative chambers.

While the House and Senate versions slightly differed on whether thefts should be a felony or a misdemeanor, both legislative efforts have a shared priority: deeper documentation. Purchasers of scrap metal would have to collect personal information from sellers, keep it on file for at least two years and make copies accessible to law enforcement as needed.

Local governments also have a part to play. Earlier this month, Richmond Police delivered a warning on social media about a local spike in catalytic converter thefts. The No. 1 prevention tip from police was to park cars in well-lit areas.

But as Richmonders know, not every streetlight in the city promotes a sense of safety. Public service announcements about catalytic converters also should connect residents to government services other than calling 911.

For example, the Department of Public Utilities Streetlight Utility team offers two ways to request maintenance: an online request at RVA311.com; or phone calls to (804) 646-8550 for repairs and (804) 646-8541 for new installations altogether.

Drivers then have options to protect their own vehicles. Autoweek recently highlighted six devices that could complicate thieves attempts to swipe a catalytic converter.

On the lower end of the price spectrum, there are alarms ($30 via eBay) that hang with clamps attached to the cars exhaust. On the higher end, there are locks ($423 via eBay) made of cables that wrap around the part.

A company called MillerCAT also makes catalytic converter shields tailored to individual car brands. A searchable database is available on its website, showing the years, makes and models that have been created to date.

But even with better laws, better lights and better protection, maybe its time to reconsider our dependency on cars. When our worlds environment  and personal financial environments  become less stable, we must remember: There are alternatives to driving.

 Chris Gentilviso
The Local Office on Aging recently completed its second full-blown pandemic Soup for Seniors collection drive. And thats yielded some good and not-so-good news.

The not-exactly-great news is, Soup for Seniors fell 1,457 pounds short of its 2022 goal of 45,000 pounds of nonperishable food. But on the other hand, it brought in a total of 43,543 pounds of food, which was about 10,000 more than collected in 2021.

We got pretty close to our goal, said LOA CEO Ron Boyd. The volunteers, the corporate partners, the satellite collections, all of that I saw overall as a huge win.

The annual winter food drive was launched in 2006 by Barbara James, whos since retired from the LOA. It provides a stash of shelf-stable meals that will keep in a cupboard indefinitely, to needy seniors, many of them who already are recipients of Meals on Wheels.

Even better, the entire program is conducted by volunteers, without any overhead whatsoever. That means every morsel of food or dollar donated go to feed a needy senior.

The totals this year suggest Soup for Seniors collections are slowly climbing back to their pre-pandemic levels. To take a look at that, lets consider collections in recent years.

In 2019, before the COVID-19 virus was on anyones radar, Soup for Seniors collected 47,150 pounds of food overall.

They know the weight because for a number of years volunteers have weighed all donated food on a 4-foot by 5-foot industrial scale loaned by Security Scale Service of Roanoke.

In 2020, just before COVID-19 began spreading widely in the United States, Soup for Seniors brought in 54,962 pounds of canned and boxed soup, crackers, tins of meat and fish, jars of peanut butter and other foodstuffs.

That year, the LOA distributed 2,854 grocery bags to low-income seniors, who make up the bulk of Soup for Seniors recipients.

The 2021 Soup for Seniors effort occurred in the middle of the pandemic, before any vaccines against the virus were widely available. Nevertheless, it pulled in 33,377 pounds of canned or packaged prepared foods. That translated into 2,303 bags to seniors.

The 2022 effort was short of 2020 but exceeded levels of 2021.

Somehow, the volunteers managed to stretch this years collection to 2,914 bags. Roughly $1,000 in cash donations also came in to Soup for Seniors. That money was spent buying supplementary items such as peanut butter or tins of meat and fish, which were added to bags for seniors, Boyd said.

The number of pounds collected by area schools this year totaled 11,402, he said. Roanoke County schools led the way, amassing 4,654 pounds. Leading the pack in the county was Penn Forest Elementary, which collected and turned over food totaling 1,831 pounds.

Public school pupils werent the only ones who participated, however. The private Community School, in the Hollins area, donated 358 pounds of foodstuffs, and Roanoke Catholic collected 244 pounds.

Even preschools participated. One was Noahs Landing, operated by Christ Lutheran Church in Raleigh Court. It came through with foodstuff that weighed 88 pounds. Thats more than the weight of any one of its pint-sized pupils.

The American Association for Retired Persons donated cloth sacks in which the food was delivered to seniors.

Black Dog Salvage raised 1,221 pounds at its satellite collection in the West End neighborhood and also donated a truck for use in the effort. Collections at other partners  Vistar Eye Center, First Bank and the Salem and Vinton libraries bought in 5,309 pounds, Boyd said.

Numerous churches transported donations to the central collection site at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in northern Roanoke County. Central United Methodist Church, Grandin Court Baptist and Vinton Baptist led the way among church donations, Boyd said.

The Roanoke County Sheriffs Office both collected food donations and distributed bagged-up food to seniors once it was sorted, Boyd added,

A couple schools donated after the drive was over, Boyd told me. They brought the items here to LOA.

A huge round of applause for Security Scales for donating a scale for us to weigh all the food, St. Peter & St. Pauls for the use of their facility and The Roanoke County Sheriffs Department for collecting donations and distributing Soup bags, Boyd said.

Contact metro columnist Dan Casey at 981-3423 or dan.casey@roanoke.com . Follow him on Twitter:@dancaseysblog .

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A fatal, drug-fueled crash resulted in a five-year prison sentence for a Roanoke man Monday.

Christopher Charles Roberts, 35, overcame an abusive childhood to serve his country in Iraq but later descended into addiction as he dealt with PTSD and the dissolution of his marriage, defense attorneys said.

His drug use was described as escalating from marijuana to pain pills to methamphetamine  a substance that authorities found in his system at high levels during the early morning of Dec. 4, 2020, when he wrecked his motorcycle on Frontage Road Northwest.

The crash killed his girlfriend, Kasey Lynn Carpenter, a 21-year-old nursing student, who was a passenger on the bike.

Roberts pleaded guilty to aggravated involuntary manslaughter last year, and told a judge at his sentencing that he was trying to take responsibility for the tragedy.

The crash had forced him to confront his substance abuse, he said. Unfortunately, at a cost that is unbearable, he added after apologizing in the courtroom to Carpenters relatives. I realize what its cost myself and everyone else.

Defense attorney Rob Dean asked the court to delay sentencing until Roberts could be screened for possible enrollment in an alternative sentencing program offered by the state.

Assistant prosecutor John McNeil opposed that request, and said in part that Roberts had been given a chance at alternative sentencing not long before the crash.

He was placed in the regions drug court program in 2019 after being arrested on possession charges in Roanoke County, according to Mondays proceedings, but did poorly with the requirements and was removed from the program in 2020.

Roberts and his incredibly terrible decision-making would go on to end a life, McNeil said. Ms. Carpenter, unfortunately, died an unnecessary and horrific death because of the decisions made by Mr. Roberts.

Dean said the request was made not to avoid prison, which Roberts knew he would face, but to help him lay a better foundation for the day he is released.

Certainly, some kind of punishment, Dean said. But there is also the sentencing goal of rehabilitation.

He cited Roberts service in the U.S. Army, which included three deployments, culminating in a checkpoint explosion that led to him being diagnosed with PTSD in 2015. Roberts was honorably discharged from the military, according to Mondays proceedings. His record of drug use in the courts would begin to follow in 2018.

He recognizes hes an addict, Dean said. Hes also someone whos proven that hes capable of doing good things in life.

Officials advised the court that the sentencing program hoped for by Roberts would only enroll people sentenced to one year or less. Roanoke Circuit Judge Chris Clemens said that fell short of what was appropriate in the case.

Clemens said he took note of Roberts remorse and his background that led him to this day. But he added he had to balance that with Roberts court history and the severity of the crash.

You took someones life, he said. These people [her family] are never going to see her again.

He delivered a sentence of 10 years, suspended after five years are served, with five years of probation to follow after his release. The decision fell within state-calculated guidelines.

Clemens added he would consider referring Roberts to the alternative program, if eligible, once he had one year remaining on his sentence. Roberts stay in the program could go beyond his prison release date depending on the timing and how he fares with its requirements.

Roberts said hed be amenable to that. In earlier testimony, he said he was resolved to make this a turning point in his life and hoped to find a way to help others going forward.

Id like to give something back at some point, he said.

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Blacksburg police Chief Anthony Wilson announced Tuesday that he would retire this summer, stepping down after a 25-year run with the town department.

Ive been absolutely blessed to be surrounded by the greatest people on earth here at the BPD, Wilson said in a statement released by the town. They all serve with such incredible honor, sacrifice and professionalism. They have become my family and together we have weathered some of the toughest times imaginable. I truly look forward to the future and new endeavors, but will always have the men and women of the BPD in my heart and mind.

Town Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith wrote in an email that the list of Wilsons accomplishments could not capture the passion he brought to the job.

He grew up in this town, and hes served us all with fidelity and honor, Hager-Smith wrote.  The chief has a metaphor for his role: Blacksburg has a product and it is young adults. Its the work that we do together, in partnership with the university. Students come to us as youngsters, and they grow into productive adults on our watch.

Thats the kind of devotion hes given to this job: The kind you give to family.

Wilson, 60, became chief in 2014. He said then that his law enforcement career began because he missed the camaraderie hed found during a stint in the U.S. Marines. He said that he joined a fire department, then became a Blacksburg patrol officer. Sixteen years later he became police chief.

Wilson did not set a specific date for stepping down. The town said it has started a process to find a new chief.

In Wilsons retirement announcement, the town listed a litany of initiatives and positions, saying the chief emphasized community engagement and ties with Virginia Tech.

Among the programs begun under Wilsons watch were the safety programs No Hokie Left Behind, Be Safe Blacksburg, and Adopt a Cop. These included setting up cell phone charging stations in downtown restaurants; establishing Free Ride Fridays to take people from downtown to anywhere in town; launching Fifth Grade Field Days that introduced fifth-grade classes to one another ahead of the transition to middle school; and pairing Virginia Tech fraternities with officers in the Adopt-a-Cop Academy.

Wilson worked with the Montgomery County Dialogue on Race as it examined racial issues articulated by the African American community.

He worked with New River Community College to create Books to Badges, a program that offered two-year scholarships for students working toward law enforcement careers, the town statement said.

Wilson created the Training Triangle that became the cornerstone of the Blacksburg departments officer training. It increased training in tactical ability, advanced communications and de-escalation skills training, and the spiritual connection to service and psychological wellness, the town statement said.

Wilson has been co-chairman of the New River Valley Public Health Task Force for the two years of the pandemic.

Having served as a patrol field training officer, investigator, investigative unit supervisor, tactical team commander, patrol unit commander and division commander, Wilson became chief when Kim Crannis retired.

Town Manager Marc Verniel said in the town statement that it had been an honor to work with Wilson, and called him much more than a police chief for Blacksburg  a key leader in the New River Valley.

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Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea on Monday said he disagrees with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkins call this weekend for Roanoke to break off its 30-year Sister City relationship with Pskov, Russia, in light of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Now is not the time for further division, wrote the mayor in a letter to the governor dated Monday, but rather to ensure we demonstrate compassion for and support of the people of Ukraine, while continuing to use our existing relationships with the people of our sister cities to show them there is a better way, a way led by common understanding, freedom and peace  standing in direct contrast with the path of authoritarianism and violence.

Leas stance with Youngkin stood in contrast to a report this weekend by WFIR radio that said Lea told the station he agreed with Youngkins call to sever ties.

I misspoke, Lea said Monday. He added that he did not fault WFIRs reporting.

Lea said he intended to place the Pskov relationship on the agenda for discussion during the March 7 Roanoke City Council meeting. It would be up to the council to decide what action, if any, needs to be taken with regard to the relationship, the mayor said.

Lea said he does agree with Youngkins denouncement of the invasion and told him so when they talked Sunday. Lea also said he supports Youngkins action plan. The mayor did not have specifics of that plan.

Youngkins office said the governor believes the state should cease buying Russian goods and services and that the Virginia Retirement System and university endowments should pull back investments in Russian assets.

Roanoke Valley Sister Cities Inc. said it, too, disagreed with the governors offices request about Pskov in a letter signed by the groups president, Mary Jo Fassie.

Meanwhile, in Norfolk, another city Youngkin had asked to end such a relationship, Mayor Kenny Alexander called for the Norfolk Sister City Association to rally behind Ukraine and end its relationship with Kaliningrad, Russia, according to The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot.

Freedom and self-determination are ingrained in Norfolks spirit, and we stand in support of a free and independent Ukraine, Alexander wrote in a Sunday afternoon Facebook post, according to the Pilot.

Norfolk is proud to join many throughout the world who are rallying behind Ukraine, while calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin for his senseless, inhumane, and tyrannical acts of violent aggression against a sovereign and democratic nation.

Marguerite Inscoe, president of the Norfolk Sister City Association, wrote in an email to the Pilot: The mayor and governor have made a notable request considering current circumstances with Russia and Ukraine. Discussion is underway with the executive board.

Roanoke has seven sister cities and Norfolk has 10.

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The Office of Inspector General found strong evidence of race-based disparities in an analysis of Chicago Police Department stops and use-of-force incidents.

The inspector generals office announced in a news release Tuesday that it found these disparities after looking at incidents from Oct. 17, 2017, through Feb. 8, 2020. The office found that Black people were consistently at a disadvantage and white people were consistently at an advantage when faced with such policing scenarios.

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The results were mixed for Hispanics and the numbers of other racial and ethnic groups were too small to evaluate, according to the inspector generals office.

The office looked over the Police Departments tactical response report data, which is a compilation of the forms officers have to fill out when an officer uses force.

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Chicago police headquarters at 35th Street and Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Oct. 16, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

The data showed that Black people were overwhelmingly disproportionately stopped by CPD despite the demographic composition and crime level in the district where the stop occurred, according to the release. Among those who were stopped, Black people were also more likely to be subjected to force.

Black people were overrepresented in investigatory stops that lead to uses of force relative to their population in 17 of 22 police districts, the release said.

Black motorists vehicles were 3.3 times more likely to be searched than white motorists, the inspector generals office found.

During investigatory stops, Black people were also 1.5 times more likely to be searched than non-Black people and 1.5 times more likely to be patted down. Chicago police officers were also more likely to use higher-level force options against Black people, the release said.

When it came to deadly force, Hispanics had higher odds than non-Hispanics of facing a higher-level force option, according to the release.

While this report is primarily driven by quantitative analysis, OIG recognizes that quantitative data analysis cannot capture the complexity or situational uniqueness of individual use-of-force incidents, the release said. OIGs report does not draw conclusions on whether the individual stops or uses-of-force under analysis were justified by law or consistent with CPD policy. OIGs report also does not make a finding that the observed disparities are attributable to racial or ethnic bias by CPD members.

The Police Department did not immediately comment on the report.

The office did not make recommendations to the Police Department but invited the department to respond, according to the release. The department gave a description of officers use-of-force-related training and training planned for the future. It also mentioned the departments creation of the force review division that reviews individual reports of force and makes recommendations for training opportunities, refers incidents for accountability review if necessary and reports out.

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Since (OIGs period of analysis), the department has made great strides in use of force and procedural justice training and has revised numerous policies including, but not limited to, the entire use-of-force suite of orders. In fact, the department has achieved preliminary compliance on the use-of=force paragraphs in the consent decree, the police department told the inspector generals office.

pfry@chicagotribune.com
The location of the New River Valleys proposed rail station is now narrowed to one of two sites, each of which are in proximity to the Uptown Christiansburg mall, based on work performed by the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority.

The news about the sites was among several details shared Monday night during a virtual meeting hosted by VPRA officials.

The VPRA began a feasibility study this past fall to look at potential station locations in the New River Valley and then conducted a survey that ran from Dec. 22 to Jan. 31. The meeting briefly addressed the survey, with the hosts highlighting respondents general preference for the two Christiansburg mall sites.

The survey drew just over 2,600 respondents. Among the other general themes/comments highlighted from the survey was that multi-modal and public transit access to the station and student access were all considered important issues.

One of the mall sites is located just west of that property. The other is just north of the mall.

Conceptual, but not definite, designs of each location were presented Monday. The diagrams for both potential sites showed a connection to the existing New River Road. They also showed what officials said would be a temporary relocation of a piece of the Huckleberry Trail, which passes by the mall as part of its run between Christiansburg and Blacksburg.

Officials also shared estimated costs, with the mall sites showing to be most cost-effective when compared with two other previously considered sites. The total capital costs for the west and north sites, respectively, would be approximately $56 million and $52 million.

More than $250 million in investment is expected to cover the return of passenger rail to the New River Valley and the upcoming addition of another Amtrak train from Roanoke to Washington, D.C. The investment includes the acquisition of right of way and track from Norfolk Southern Railway for just under 29 miles of the Virginian Line from the Salem Crossovers to Merrimac in Montgomery County.

The start of the New River Valley service is not expected until at least 2025.

Of the sites being considered for the NRV station, several were in Christiansburg area, including the mall sites, as well as one in the Ellett Valley.

There is another virtual NRV rail meeting March 1 at noon. It was earlier announced that to register, go to: https://transformingrailva.com/events.
A man in jail custody awaiting a court appearance died Monday in an apparent suicide, according to Western Virginia Regional Jail.

Daniel Wayne Snell, 37, was discovered unconscious in his cell Monday afternoon, according to a statement from jail administrators.

Officers and medical staff attempted life-saving measures, including CPR and defibrillation, while first responders were en route, officials said. Snell was rushed to LewisGale Medical Center but pronounced dead at 4:18 p.m.

In keeping with jail policy, his death will be reviewed by the medical examiners office and the Roanoke County Police Department.

Snell, of Blacksburg, had been held at WVRJ since Feb. 9 while awaiting court proceedings in a burglary case in Montgomery County.

His is the second death reported this year by WVRJ. In 2021, three deaths were reported. That included one suicide, one case of pulmonary emboli and an 84-year-old inmate who died of COVID-19.

WVRJ, which serves multiple localities, has an average daily inmate population of about 850.

On Feb. 7, a 66-year-old man, Darrell David Davis, died after a medical emergency, according to prior disclosures from the regional jail.

The medical examiners office determined the cause of death was complications of a Covid-19 viral infection.

Davis, who was awaiting transfer to a federal prison, had been sent to the regional jail nine days earlier and was in an automatic 14-day quarantine period for new admissions, said Deputy Superintendent Christopher Hayes.

He had been seen by officers and medical staff prior to his death but no signs of acute distress were observed, according to a prior statement. Under protocols developed in consultation with the health department, new inmates are tested for covid at the end of the 14-day window.

WVRJ, which currently has 770 inmates, has experienced no other covid cases in the past 18 days, Hayes said.

The jail continues to observe masking mandates and heightened cleaning protocols including use of an electrostatic sprayer that coats rooms in disinfectant, Hayes said.

Inmates are given KN95 masks. Staff are given KN95 or N95 respirator masks depending on the community threat levels reported outside the jail. The Omicron spike in community cases also spurred the return of additional safeguards, including limiting inmate movements outside of their housing units to minimize contacts, Hayes said.

Hayes commended the work that jail officers and staff have done over the past two years to keep people safe. Officials continue to closely monitor covid data and respond to evolving risks.

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MANASSAS  A group of George Mason University forensic science students are preparing an experiment with hopes they will demonstrate how honey can help lead authorities to missing human remains.

Anthony Falsetti, an associate professor in GMUs forensic science program, and others say proteins in bee honey contain troves of biochemical information thats already widely used by scientists and government agencies to detect illegal pesticides in green products and fruit, or for measuring the amounts of heavy metal or microplastic pollutants in the air.

Whatevers in the environment, gets into the plant.  Bees take in a sample of the environment wherever they go, Falsetti said.

Falsetti said his GMU forensic science students will use a similar strategy to gather data in their study, but they will be searching for human proteins they also believe exist in the small samples of honey they will gather later for analysis.

The new experiment takes place at the universitys outdoor forensics laboratory, scheduled to open this spring at George Masons Science and Technology Campus in Manassas. The 5-acre facility features an inner fenced-in body farm, where in less than two weeks, students will help bury corpses provided to the university by the Virginia State Anatomical Program. The bodies will be placed in pre-dug graves of varying depths, already prepared in advance by the students.

[Remains] are screened by the state to make sure they do not have a contagious disease, said Stafford resident Mary Ellen OToole, a retired FBI special agent and current director of the forensic science program at George Mason University. The inner 1 acre will not disturb the surrounding community.

Falsetti said there are only eight U.S. universities where students are using human remains in forensic science experiments.

Last November, about 80 varieties of plants were strategically planted by students and researchers near the spots where the human remains will be placed. By late spring, the flowers will bear highly scented white and yellow blossoms neither typical to the campus, nor native to Virginia at all. With a bee flight radius of just over three miles, Falsetti said the unique types of flowers close to the remains will help students maintain accountability of those bees that have touched down on the special flora.

Students have already gathered samples of honey from the existing cluster of hives on the Manassas campus and will use data from those samples as a baseline in the upcoming experiment. Falsetti expects the new crop of honey will be ready for sampling by late spring or early summer.

Alessandra Luchini, a professor in the universitys Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, perfected the method to effectively extract the countless proteins from bee honey that are later analyzed in search of the presence of human remains.

Proteins can tell us a more precise story of what organisms have touched the honey and what organisms the bees have interacted with, Luchini said.

Luchini said the same technology used for years in cancer and infectious disease research will be used in the GMU honeybee experiment. Luchini said the experiment centers around an enormous mass spectrometer machine that scientists at the university maintain and operate to analyze proteins.

It spits out hundreds of thousands of different proteins without having any presumption, Luchini said. Its just a very unbiased method.

Falsetti said finding human remains in honey samples could one day aid criminal investigators in a large area searching for a missing person. He said samples of honey could be collected from beehives in an area presumed to contain a body and then analyzed. As bees operate within the wide range of their hives, the locations of existing hives could then be triangulated to help investigators determine an approximate location where the body might be found.

Its a good area, Luchini said. It depends on the frequency of the hives.

Keith Tignor, the state apiarist within Virginias Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, estimates there are between 2,500 and 3,000, if not more people involved in beekeeping across the state. With so many beehives already up and operating in a hobby thats gaining popularity in some locations, many ordinary citizens could one day help authorities solve a crime.

We can use existing beehives and the sampling is nonevasive, its just a small spoon of honey, Luchini said. Give us a spoon of honey and you could help solve the biggest crime of the century.

Falsetti said the Manassas campus hosts about 300 undergraduate forensic science majors and 90 graduate students. OToole said students in todays forensic science programs are well-versed in courses such as chemistry, biology, physics and math, and said about 85 percent of the students are women.

As they reach their junior and senior year, and certainly if theyre a graduate student, then they start to learn how to apply that science to crime scenes, said OToole.
RICHMOND  An effort by Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, to repeal red flag firearm confiscation in Virginia was quashed by a panel of senators Monday morning.

Under law passed in 2020, police or attorneys may petition a judge to prohibit a person who poses a substantial risk to himself or others from purchasing or possessing a firearm, according to state documents.

Marchs HB 509 sought to repeal that legislation, commonly referred to as a red flag law, and presented her bill to the Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday morning.

Who among us is such an expert on reading someones mind that we can predict who will commit a crime even before they commit one? March asked the Senate committee. How does one prove that a crime was prevented, when no crime has actually occurred?

Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, said the law is often used in situations where family calls law enforcement for help with someone who is in jeopardy of harming themselves or others.

Opponents of the red flag law said it violates due process and rights embedded in the U.S. Constitution, while proponents said the law is applied carefully and judiciously, and that firearms are only taken from people temporarily, to reduce the potential of harm.

Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, was one of 6 Republicans to vote in favor of Marchs bill, which was defeated 9-6 by the Democrat-controlled committee.

Anytime my government says that they are violating my constitutional rights and due process carefully and judiciously, Ive got a problem, Stanley said. We all should have a problem.

Also discontinued on a party-line vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday morning was HB 812 by Del. Wren Williams, R-Patrick. The bill proposed a list of at least 15 circumstances, mostly violent, in which judges could deny bail to accused criminals, including no bail for illegal aliens charged with certain crimes.

Committee Chairman Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, said use of the word aliens in Williams bill contradicts a law passed from the House of Delegates this year that intends remove all uses of alien from state code.

I actually thought about that, Williams said. Should we conform this bill right now?

There might be another idea, Deeds replied.

Yeah, Williams said. Youre just going to kill it.

Indeed, HB 812 was also defeated on a 9-6 party-line vote.

But Williams HB 813 survived the committee. The bill looks to remove some prohibitions on law enforcement agencies from purchasing certain surplus military equipment, including mine-resistant vehicles.

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In an effort to protect the safety of its users, Google has disabled live traffic features offered by Google Maps in Ukraine, because live traffic features are derived from data from users phones, which can be used by the Russians to track the movement of civilians.



Google said it suspended the feature for the safety of Ukrainians after consulting with regional authorities concerned that the Russians have used those tools to target crowded areas in Kyiv and other metropolitan locations in Ukraine.

Other major tech companies are also taking steps that will help protect Ukrainians from Russias invasion.

On Monday, Facebook suspended around 40 fake accounts targeting people in Ukraine that had promoted fake news articles about the invasion.

Amid a flood of Russian-backed disinformation related to the invasion, Twitter also said it would expand labeling content from Russian state-affiliated media websites.

Even though Twitter has been labeling Russian state-owned or affiliated media accounts since 2020, new rules apply to individual accounts sharing links from those sites. The company said that since the start of the invasion, there have been 45,000 shares per day of those links from individuals.

In addition to that, all three companies said they are blocking Russian state media from running ads on their platforms

"We are now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world," Facebook's head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher said.

Previously, Facebook had said that Russia had ordered the company to "stop the independent fact-checking and labelling" of four Russian outlets.

For its part, Twitter said that its services are now restricted in Russia, while Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor said it is partially limiting access to Facebook, accusing the company of "censorship" of Russian media.

Roskomnadzor has reportedly ordered independent Russian media to remove reports describing the attack on Ukraine as an assault, invasion, or declaration of war.

The Russian communications regulator also accused several media outlets of spreading unreliable socially significant untrue information about the shelling of Ukrainian cities by the Russian army.

On Sunday, Roskomnadzor stated that it had demanded from Google that Russia medias YouTube channels be restored in Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Last week, the authorities of Ukraine took steps to remove or replace all road signs that could be used by Russian forces to navigate the country.



"The enemy has poor communications; they cannot navigate the terrain. Let us help them get straight to hell, " Ukravtodor, the company in charge of building and maintaining roads, posted on Facebook last Friday.

It also said that directions have been replaced with profanities such as Go f. yourself back to Russia."

The company also urged all road organizations, territorial communities, and local authorities to immediately start dismantling nearby road signs.

That might additionally create issues for the Russian traveling troops considering that Moscow has previously banned mobile devices and social media use among its troops to prevent its movements from being tracked.
" " On Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945, for the first time in world history, two nuclear bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right). The nuclear bombs killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, mostly civilians. Public Domain

The first nuclear bomb meant to kill humans exploded over Hiroshima, Japan, Aug. 6, 1945. Three days later, a second bomb detonated over Nagasaki. The death toll for the two bomb blasts  an estimated 214,000 people  and destruction wrought by these weapons was unprecedented in the history of warfare [source: Icanw.org]

At the end of World War II, the U.S. was the world's only superpower that possessed nuclear capabilities. But that didn't last long. The Soviet Union, with the help of a network of spies who stole American nuclear secrets, successfully tested their own atomic bomb in 1949 as well [sources: Icanw.org, Holmes].

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As the U.S. and the Soviets slipped into a decadeslong period of animosity that became known as the Cold War, both nations developed an even more powerful nuclear weapon  the hydrogen bomb  and built arsenals of warheads. Both countries augmented their fleets of strategic bombers with land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching one another's cities from thousands of miles away. Submarines were equipped with nuclear missiles as well, making it even easier to launch a devastating attack [sources: Locker, Dillin].

Other nations  the United Kingdom, France, China and Israel  all had nuclear weapons by the late '60s [source: Icanw.org].

The nuclear bomb loomed over everyone and everything. Schools conducted nuclear air raid drills. Governments built fallout shelters. Homeowners dug bunkers in their backyards. Eventually, the nuclear powers became frozen in a standoff. Both had a strategy of mutual assured destruction  basically that even if one nation launched a successful sneak attack that killed millions and wreaked widespread devastation, the other nation still would have enough weapons left to counterattack and inflict an equally brutal retribution.

That grisly threat deterred them from utilizing nukes against one another, but even so, the fear of a cataclysmic nuclear war remained. During the 1970s and '80s, tensions continued. Under President Ronald Reagan, the U.S. pursued a strategy of developing anti-missile defense technology  dubbed "Star Wars" by skeptics  that was intended to protect the U.S. from attack, but also might have enabled the U.S. to strike first with impunity. By late in the decade, as the Soviet Union began to teeter economically, Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev were working in earnest toward nuclear arms limitation.

In 1991, Reagan's successor, George H.W. Bush, and Gorbachev signed an even more important treaty, START I, and agreed to major reductions in their arsenals. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Bush and Boris Yeltsin, president of the new Russian Federation, signed another treaty, START II, in 1992, which cut the number of warheads and missiles even more [source: U.S. State Department].

But the specter of the nuclear bomb never really went away. In the early 2000s, the U.S. invaded Iraq and toppled its dictator, Saddam Hussein, in part due to a fear that he was trying to develop a nuclear weapon. It turned out, though that he had abandoned those secret efforts [source: Zoroya]. By then Pakistan had tested its first nuclear weapon in 1998 [source: armscontrolcenter.org].

But another totalitarian country, North Korea, succeeded where Saddam had failed. In 2009, the North Koreans successfully tested a nuclear weapon as powerful as the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. The underground explosion was so significant that it created an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 [source: McCurry]. And by the 2020s, increasing tensions between Russia and western nations, coupled with the prospect of a new generation of hypersonic missiles capable of evading early-warning systems to deliver nuclear warheads, raised the prospect of a frightening new nuclear arms race [source: Bluth].

While the political landscape of nuclear warfare has changed considerably over the years, the science of the weapon itself  the atomic processes that unleash all of that fury  have been known since the time of Einstein. This article will review how nuclear bombs work, including how they're built and deployed. Up first is a quick review of atomic structure and radioactivity.
FLORENCE  Harvest Hope of the Pee Dee will be acquiring and moving into a new building in the spring 2023.

Harvest Hope is located at the Pee Dee Farmers Market. Its new home will be located at 2701 Alex Lee Blvd.

A groundbreaking ceremony will occur on March 17.

Erinn Rowe, Harvest Hope chief executive officer, made the announcement Monday at the Florence Rotary Club meeting at Victors.

Rowe said the move is being made possible with a generous lead gift from the Dr.s Bruce and Lee Foundation. She said they are looking for other partners in the community.

At the new site, Rowe said the building is half completed. The finished portion will be used for offices and conference rooms, she said. The half that is not complete will be transformed into warehouse space.

One of the main reasons, she said, for needing a new space is to increase storage capacity, especially for refrigeration and freezer storage. Rowe said this will enable the organization to provide more fresh produce and vegetables.

The move will allow our program in the Pee Dee to mirror what we do in the Midlands and the Upstate already, she said.

Rowe said Harvest Hope Food Bank started in 1981 as the result of a shared vision of business leaders and the faith community, who set out to provide for the hungry in Columbia.

Harvest Hope now provides food for those in need across 20 counties in the Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate.

Harvest Hope partners with more than 388 agencies in the 20 country area it serves. In the Pee Dee, Rowe said it partners with approximately 150 agencies.

Rowe said the organizations mission is to transform lives in the communities we serve, feeding the hungry, addressing food insecurity and building a healthy and hopeful hunger-free tomorrow.

Harvest Hope partners with at risk schools, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and churches. It serves children, families, military and veterans and seniors, people who have food insecurities.

Harvest Hope provides diabetic food pantry boxes, heart healthy food boxes, healthy senior food boxes, a backpack program for school-age children, onsite nutrition education and training.

Rowe said all counties in the Pee Dee are at or above the state average for food insecurity. She said Dillon County is the most food insecure.

Rowe said the first gift to the Pee Dee branch of Harvest Hope was given in 1997 by Dr.s Bruce and Lee Foundation. In 1988 the Pee Dee branch moved into the current facility at the Pee Dee State Farmers Market and is now partnering with more than 150 agencies in nine counties.

With this new location, Rowe said it is their goal to help build a hunger-free Pee Dee, to increase their capacity to serve the community and to operate more efficiently.

We want to make sure we are doing our best, she said.

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Florence, S.C.  Good mental and physical health is critical for African Americans, panelists at Mondays Florence-Darlington Technical College Black History Month discussion said.

Florence-Darlington Technical College hosted a Black History Panel on the last day of Black History Month. The panelists were all female and their occupations varied, but connected to black health and wellness.

The panelists were comprised of educators, health-care workers and community partners.

Students and community members gathered in the SIMT auditorium to learn about black health and wellness.

When asked why this panel was important, community activist and Florence-Darlington Technical College alumni Henry Bailey Jr. and Valorie Bailey said, We are black and need to be well. We are in ministry and it is important for us to not only preach to people, but educate them on how to live a holistic life. Especially as African Americans due to the disparities and disadvantages we face.

Ruth Silva, a human services student said, No matter what race you are, its important to be aware of the concerns of everyone around you. We need to be aware of different realms of thinking and concerns, so we can understand people.

The panel discussed the importance of mental health and how the topic is treated as forbidden fruit in the African American Community.

Most people are traumatized by the stigmas of mental health, said Angela Scott of Pee Dee Mental Health. The portrayal of mental health issues on the big screen has left African Americans terrified of being perceived as crazy.

If someone comes up to you expressing concerns of mental health issues, listen to them. That should be our first step in normalizing these types of conversations in our community. This will stop people from suffering in silence and make our community whole.

Mental health and physical health go hand-in-hand.

If physical health is neglected, it will bleed into mental health. A 2017 article published by Rural Information Hub shows African Americans in rural areas are disproportionately affected by heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, strokes and chronic respiratory disease.

When asked about COVID-19 and the fear within the African American community, Crystal Murillo, director of simulation at University of South Carolina nursing said African Americans did not trust medical professionals.

She recounted times during history like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment that contributed to the distrust.

We need to acknowledge that our community is afraid and that is OK. We have to look at the numbers, more people have died that have not had the vaccine than did have the vaccine.

The event concluded with the panelist giving tips to the first African American President of Florence Darlington Technical College Jermaine Ford.

Scott said school should partner with Pee Dee Mental health to have resources for students available on campus.

We do not have connections to any of the colleges. We have access, but we are not making those connections, she said.

Murillo wanted the president to know that he mattered.

This is a lot of pressure for a black man. Take care of yourself. Just as much as the community matters and the school and faculty matters. Remember that you matter too Dr. Ford, she said.

Paula McLaughlin, director of Student Life and Career Development, wanted this panel to bring awareness to health and wellness and how it relates to the rural and urban communities that Florence-Darlington Technical College serves.

We want to get to know the challenges, advantages, and disadvantages that our students and prospective students face daily to better serve them, she said.

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A rare stretch of virgin prairie has received yet another reprieve from the bulldozer, with the Federal Aviation Administration telling the Tribune that Chicago Rockford International Airport has agreed to delay construction until June 1.

The airports previous agreement to refrain from construction ended Tuesday.

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The airport wants to build a road through the Bell Bowl Prairie, one of the last remaining places in the state where prairie exists much as it did 8,000 years ago. Conservationists are fighting the road in the name of rare plants and animals found on the 5-acre stretch of land, including the federally endangered rusty patched bumblebee.

Were not trying to stop the airport expansion, said Kerry Leigh, executive director of the Natural Land Institute, a conservation group based in Rockford. Were trying to get them to redesign the road and avoid the prairie.

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Environmentalists, she said, are calling on the airport to turn what remains of the prairie into a nature preserve.

Cargo planes are visible behind the Bell Bowl Prairie adjacent to Chicago Rockford International Airport on Oct. 20, 2021, in Winnebago County. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

The airport declined to comment, but the FAA said via email that airport officials have agreed to a new time frame for any possible construction.

The Airport Authority has made a commitment that construction work will not begin before June 1, 2022, an FAA spokesman wrote.

Leigh showed the Tribune a Feb. 16 letter from the FAA to the airport, thanking airport officials for confirming they did not immediately intend to proceed with construction in the prairie area, and outlining an environmental review process involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The thing theyre trying to determine at the moment is whether there are (rusty patched bumblebee) queens hibernating in the prairie, Leigh said.

Rusty patched bumblebee queens hibernate underground in winter and emerge to lay eggs in spring.

Endangered species laws say a habitat needs to be protected when a rare animal is on the property, but once the animal leaves, the habitat can be disturbed.

The prairie, which is owned by the airport, has experienced a series of reprieves since August, when environmentalists, alerted that an area near Bell Bowl was being bulldozed, discovered the airports 280-acre expansion project.

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Not long after that, on Aug. 8, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources identified the rusty patched bumblebee in the Bell Bowl area.

Informed of the presence of the bee, the airport stopped construction on the project and the FAA began discussions with the Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the bumblebee and other species, according to the FAA.

The airports $50 million expansion project includes a new cargo center and cargo ramps for more planes, as well as new roads and parking areas.

Bell Bowl was used as a U.S. Army training camp during World Wars I and II, which protected its ancient ecosystem from grazing and plowing. The land is considered a remnant prairie, a rare throwback to the days before European settlement when buffalo roamed freely.

Less than one-hundredth of 1% of the original ancient prairie has survived in Illinois, according to a white paper by John White, a former chief ecologist for The Nature Conservancy.

A high quality, old-growth prairie is the Midwest equivalent of a cathedral redwood grove  only far, far rarer, White wrote.

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Bell Bowl is home to at least 164 species of plants, many of which are rare, and birders have found rare nesting birds such as the grasshopper sparrow.

A rusty patched bumblebee specimen in the collection of Chicago's Field Museum. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

The prairies star species, the rusty patched bumblebee, has declined by 87% in the past 20 years and is likely present in 0.1% of its historical range, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The fight to preserve Bell Bowl dates back to the 1960s, when it was championed by George Fell, founder of the natural areas movement and conservation organizations like The Nature Conservancy.

Over the years, the prairie has been reduced to 5 acres from 20 acres, but it remains a rallying point for Illinois environmentalists.

In October, the Illinois Environmental Council told the Tribune that environmental groups were urging citizens to send letters and make phone calls asking politicians to save the prairie.

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Leigh, for her part, hopes this battle for the Bell Bowl Prairie will be the last of its kind.

nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com
 Texas carries out its second execution of 2018 | Main | Mass molester Larry Nassar in state court for his third and final sentencing 

January 30, 2018

Prez Trump, in his first State of the Union address, mentions "reforming our prisons" and need to "get much tougher on drug dealers"

As had been predicted (see this prior post), President Donald Trump in his very first State of the Union address said that prison reform was on his agenda for the coming year. But later in this speech, he suggested that he supported an even tougher criminal justice response to our nation's drug problem. These were both very small parts of a very long speech, and here is the context with key sentences highlighted from this official text:

As America regains its strength, this opportunity must be extended to all citizens. That is why this year we will embark on reforming our prisons to help former inmates who have served their time get a second chance.... In 2016, we lost 64,000 Americans to drug overdoses: 174 deaths per day. Seven per hour. We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers if we are going to succeed in stopping this scourge. My Administration is committed to fighting the drug epidemic and helping get treatment for those in need. The struggle will be long and difficult  but, as Americans always do, we will prevail.

With these sentences and sentiments, I believe Prez Trump has defined the terms of what is truly possible on the federal criminal justice reform front in 2018. It would seem "back-end" prison reforms to facilitate earlier release from prison for all federal offenders and enhanced reentry efforts are quite possible and may truly be a priority for the Trump Administration; it would also seem that "front-end" sentencing reforms to reduce mandatory minimum terms for drug trafficking offenses many not be possible and may be actively opposed by the Trump Administration. Interesting times.

A few prior recent related posts:

January 30, 2018 at 11:21 PM | Permalink

Comments

As I have said several times, NYC liberal. Lots of worthless, quack, make work jobs for registered Democrats, working for government.

Posted by: David Behar | Jan 31, 2018 8:56:12 AM

Clearly, Trump already is more impressive than Obama after eight year. /snark

Posted by: Joe | Jan 31, 2018 10:47:17 AM

Its obvious that Trump and Sessions arent aware of the current penalties fir drug dealing.

But they could make a huge contribution on Opioids if they would shutdown, McKesson and other drug compsnies from shipping the drugs nation wide to be pedaled on the streets. So far both are sadly i formed on the issue. Step 2 is to educate or threThen Drs from dishing out opioid prescrptions like its Valentines day for trivial pains at best.

Step 3, get the Feds to put prosecutotial teeth in fines against these drug companies. Thats what sessions could/should be doing, not going the same make work worthless direction kf imprisoning drug addicts. Thats my story and Im stucking to it.

Posted by: MidWestGuy | Jan 31, 2018 3:07:17 PM

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 Another SCOTUS order list with a dissent by Justice Sotomayor as only criminal justice news | Main | "The New Due Process: Fairness in a Fee-Driven State" 

February 28, 2022

Previewing the notable criminal drug prosecution cases before SCOTUS

Tomorrow morning the Supreme Court hears oral argument in a couple of the relatively few criminal cases it will be addressing this Term. Two cases are consolidated for one argument, Ruan v. United States and Kahn v. United States, and here is the question presented:

Whether a physician alleged to have prescribed controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice may be convicted of unlawful distribution under 21 U.S.C.  841(a)(1) without regard to whether, in good faith, he reasonably believed or subjectively intended that his prescriptions fall within that course of professional practice.

The setting for SCOTUS to be addressing this question is quite interesting and still timely, and a number of media outlets have these helpful previews:

From JD Supra, "Pain Management or Pill Mill? Supreme Court to Weigh in on Standards for Prosecutions of Practitioners Prescribing Narcotics"

From Law360, "DOJ Has Few Allies, Many Foes In High Court Opioid Brawl"

From the New York Times, "Were These Doctors Treating Pain or Dealing Drugs?: The Supreme Court will hear from two convicted pill mill doctors in cases that could have significant implications for physicians latitude to prescribe addictive painkillers."

From SCOTUSblog, "Amid overdose crisis, court will weigh physician intent in pill mill prosecutions and more under the Controlled Substances Act"

From STAT, "Fight over opioid prescribing  and when it turns criminal  heads to Supreme Court"

February 28, 2022 at 04:29 PM | Permalink

Comments

Ironically, if a Doctor prescribes Ivermectin or HCQ, he could be stripped of his medical license and fined hundreds of thousands of dollars. Maybe if a doctor prescribed one of these narcotics instead of those proven effective drugs, many people would view them with less guilt.

Posted by: Eric Knight | Feb 28, 2022 11:34:13 PM

needed to hire any criminal lawyer for criminal drug prosecution cases before SCOTUS

Posted by: Johnson Alfred | Mar 1, 2022 5:47:58 AM

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 Previewing the notable criminal drug prosecution cases before SCOTUS | Main | Will Prez Biden say anything about any criminal justice matters during his first State of the Union address tonight? 

February 28, 2022

"The New Due Process: Fairness in a Fee-Driven State"

The title of this post is the title of this article recently posted to SSRN authored by Glenn Harlan Reynolds and Penny White. Here is its abstract:

Many parts of the criminal justice system are funded by revenue from "users" -- i.e., the accused, in the form of fines, fees, and forfeitures. Drawing on both existing Supreme Court authority and recent Court of Appeals decisions, we argue that a violation of due process exists when all participants in the criminal justice system, from police to court clerks, to prosecutors and judges, depend on revenues from pleas and convictions in order to function. Instead, we argue that due process demands that the criminal justice system be funded in ways that are not affected by the rate of arrest and conviction.

February 28, 2022 at 06:39 PM | Permalink

Comments

While I'm somewhat sympathetic, there's a distinction to be drawn here between cost recovery and profiteering. And there are some charges that could financially incentivize convictions vs. some that cannot. For example, the article mentions jail fees. Whether or not you think those fees are a good idea, it's not clear how a jail fee limited to cost recovery could create bias in an adjudicator as the jurisdiction doesn't financially benefit from jailing people. Same for probation fees, ignition interlock fees, or other fees that are limited to cost recovery.

Posted by: Jason | Mar 1, 2022 12:38:24 AM

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 Will Prez Biden say anything about any criminal justice matters during his first State of the Union address tonight? | Main | Will the US Supreme Court be interested in any issues being pressed by Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof? 

March 1, 2022

Why is getting the EQUAL Act through the US Senate proving so challenging?

In this post six weeks ago on MLK day, I asked "How about passing the EQUAL Act so we can be 'free at last' from the crack/powder sentencing disparity?". I noted in this prior post that the Senate version of the EQUAL Act has garnered seven notable and diverse GOP Senators as co-sponsors, and that this comes after last Fall the Act was passed by the US House by a vote of 361-66 with a majority of GOP Representative voting in favor. These matters are on my mind particularly today after seeing this new DOJ press release headed "Readout of Justice Department Leadership Meeting with FAMM." Here is an excerpt (with my emphasis added):

The meeting focused on the positive real-world impact of the finalization of the First Step Act Time Credit Rule, and the recent memorandum by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) concerning home confinement, as well as the need for Congress to pass the EQUAL Act. The department has strongly urged Congress to pass the EQUAL ACT, which would reduce the disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine sentences from 18:1 to 1:1. The Attorney General emphasized that meetings like these are vitally important to help department leadership understand how its policies on paper affect people and their communities. During her remarks, Deputy Attorney General Monaco spoke about the importance of implementing the First Step Act and the Time Credit Rule and praised the work of FAMM. She noted that as of this month, thousands of people are returning to their communities having put in the work to do so. In Associate Attorney General Guptas opening remarks, she reiterated the importance of hearing from individuals directly impacted by the criminal justice system and shared that the department provided written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the EQUAL Act in June 2021, saying, the current sentencing differential between crack and powder cocaine is not based in evidence and yet has caused significant harm in particular to communities of color. Its past time to correct this.

I strongly agree that it is long past time to fix the crack/powder disparity, and every day matters: on average, every single workday, about 5 people  4 whom are typically black and the other who is most likely Latino  are sentenced based on unjust crack sentencing rules in federal court. Consequently, I continue to be deeply troubled that, nearly six months after the US House overwhelmingly voted with majorities in both parties in pass a bill to equalize crack and powder penalties, this bipartisan bill remains stuck in neutral in the US Senate. Sigh.

A few related posts on the EQUAL Act:

March 1, 2022 at 01:14 PM | Permalink

Comments

I am a family member..reading everything I can find related to passing the Equal Act..watching FAMM with guest speakers etc..this is ALL TALK! Its ALL B.S. & thats a shame..Im just grateful that my family member has been accepted into a great faith-based program! So even though he may not be coming home he will be moving forward in a positive direction..

Posted by: Flo Domijan | Mar 7, 2022 9:16:48 AM

Whats taking so long for the senate to pass the bill seems all talk to me

Posted by: Tierra Roddy | Apr 19, 2022 5:31:59 PM

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 "The New Due Process: Fairness in a Fee-Driven State" | Main | Why is getting the EQUAL Act through the US Senate proving so challenging? 

March 1, 2022

Will Prez Biden say anything about any criminal justice matters during his first State of the Union address tonight?

As is this blog's focus, I tend to focus most of my attention during presidential State of the Union addresses on whether the President focuses any attention on criminal justice issues. More often than not over the nearly 20 years of this blog, I come away disappointed (but not especially surprised) that no mention gets made of the issues that are central to this blog.

But, providing a notable reminder of the different world we lived in not all long ago, it may at this moment be worth recalling that Prez Trump in SotU 2018 talked about "reforming our prisons" and need to "get much tougher on drug dealers" and in SotU 2019 gave considerable attention to criminal justice reform after having just signed the FIRST STEP Act.

Circa early 2022, with a war on-going in Europe and and a pandemic and economic worries still very fresh at home, I would be quite surprised if any criminal justice reform issues get serious mention tonight. That said, this is technically the first SotU since George Floyd's murder touched off nationwide protests about police practices, and we still appear to be in the midst of an increase in murders in many parts of the country and in the midst of an increase in public concerns about crime more generally. In addition, I do expect Prez Biden to say many good things about his new SCOTUS nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and that might necessarily include comments about he rich criminal justice professional background.

So, dear readers, do you think Prez Biden will say anything about criminal justice matters tonight? Do you think he should and if so, what should he say?

March 1, 2022 at 09:29 AM | Permalink

Comments

Could we see a paragraph or two? Maybe. The SoTU is a very long speech with a laundry list of legislative items. It's become the U.S. equivalent of the speech from the throne that opens sessions of parliament in Commonwealth countries.

Of course, the key difference is that the speech from the throne represents the intended plans of the majority party which means that many of the items in those speeches actually become law or policy. The SoTU represents the wish list of one official. So while mention may garner attention to some issues, what really matters is whether the members of Congress actually make a serious effort to follow-up on those mentions. The folks over at 538 have a chart on how many of the items mentioned in the SoTU actually become law and the percentage is rather dismal. In today's politics, mention in the SoTU may actually hinder the chances of significant legislation passing by making the idea part of the president's agenda (which then becomes anathema to folks in the other party) and takes it out of behind the scene negotiations between legislators who, for different reasons, see a need for change.

Posted by: tmm | Mar 1, 2022 10:28:15 AM

He should be explaining how Hunter got away with tax evasion and lying on a gun purchase application.

Posted by: Federalist | Mar 1, 2022 10:48:52 AM

Here's something he could say:

"The surge in murder over the last two years was unprecedented, and was the surge in drug overdose deaths. We cannot in conscience simply look away from these lethal problems, which disproportionately harm black people. Fortunately, we know how to do better. When I was Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee during Bill Clinton's presidency, we adopted and advanced policies with strong bi-partisan support that, over the next 20 years, helped to dramatically reduce crime. We succeeded once with these sober and realistic approaches and we can do so again. I challenge Congress to restore the path to success -- and to safer, more habitable communities -- that we followed not so long ago."

Chances that he will say this, although every word is true, = 0. The strong pro-criminal element on the Left won't permit it.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Mar 1, 2022 5:47:16 PM

He actually got somewhat close to what you suggested, Bill. Your Georgetown party connections sure are strong.

Posted by: Doug B. | Mar 1, 2022 10:25:09 PM

Doug --

Ron Klain and I go to the same gym.

Well, not really. But when you've been hanging around this town as long as I have, you get to know lots of people.

Posted by: Bill Otis | Mar 1, 2022 11:26:45 PM

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By Foo Yun Chee and John Chalmers

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Alphabet unit Google and its subsidiary YouTube, Facebook and Twitter must do more to tackle disinformation related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the premiers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said.

In a joint letter to the chief executives of the four companies dated Feb. 27, the four prime ministers criticised the U.S. tech giants, saying what they have done so far is inadequate.

"Although the online platforms have undertaken significant efforts to address the Russian government's unprecedented assault on truth, they have not done enough," they said in the letter.

"Russia's disinformation has been tolerated on online platforms for years; they are now an accessory to the criminal war of aggression the Russian government is conducting against Ukraine and the free world."

They urged the companies to proactively suspend accounts denying, glorifying or justifying wars of aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

They also urged the tech giants to suspend the official accounts of Russian and Belarusian government institutions, state-controlled media and personal accounts of the countries' leadership and their associates that consistently disseminate disinformation about the situation in Ukraine.

The countries called on the companies to prevent Russian state-controlled media from circumventing restrictions imposed by several national regulators against them.

The online platforms should adjust their search and recommendation algorithms to inform users of disinformation and immediately demonetise all accounts controlled by the Russian and Belarusian governments, they said.

Facebook referred to a Sunday tweet by its vice-president Nick Clegg which said the company was reviewing other government requests to restrict Russian state-controlled media.

It will continue to label and fact-check these outlets as well as prohibit ads and demonetise their accounts globally, the tweet added.

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Google and Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Russian state-controlled news service Sputnik said on Monday its Polish site was no longer available to users, and that Youtube had subsequently banned its account in Poland.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington, D.C; Editing by Jan Harvey)
LONDON  New details have been revealed ahead of the July 2 opening of the Victoria and Albert Museums major exhibition Africa Fashion, which aims to highlight the continents global impact and spark a renegotiation of the geography of fashion, according to Christine Checinska, the museums senior curator of African and African diaspora textiles and fashion.

More than 250 objects will be showcased, about half of them drawn from the museums collection, including 70 new acquisitions. The exhibition will feature stories behind the pieces alongside personal insights from the designers, together with sketches, editorial spreads, photographs, film and catwalk footage.

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The selections will represent 45 designers from more than 20 countries across the continent. A selection of garments to be on display will come from the personal archives of a group of mid-20th-century African designers  Shade Thomas-Fahm, Chris Seydou, Kofi Ansah and Alphadi, marking the first time their work will be shown in a London museum.

IAmIsigo, fall 2020 - Credit: Courtesy

Courtesy

The exhibition will also highlight influential contemporary African fashion creatives including Imane Ayissi, IAmIsigo, Moshions, Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo.

The South Africa-based Magugu, winner of the LVMH Prize in 2019, said documenting and showcasing the history and culture of his kind visually is important to the fashion industry, which is often criticized for a lack of diversity.

Its so often that our story has been told by other people and I feel like now more than ever, African designers are really in charge of their own narrative and telling people authentic stories. Not these sort of imagined utopias, he added.

Artsi, the Morocco-based designer behind Maison ArtC, who designed a piece specifically for the exhibition, thinks that Africa Fashion means the past, the future and the present at the same time. The joy of life and the joy of color are completely different and very particular to the continent.

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Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week and Style House Files, believes that African fashion reaches far beyond the designers.

Theres a whole ecosystem. There are models and makeup artists, photographers, illustrators. Imagine bringing everybodys work to life season in, season out, bringing fashion that is created by our people for our people, and for the benefits of growing and developing our economy. What could be even more special than that?

Alphadi dress, circa 1993. - Credit: Courtesy

Courtesy

Checinska told WWD in an earlier interview that she adopted an open, collaborative approach to the curation of the exhibition.

The museum made a public callout last year to anyone who has clothes by Sydou, Ansah or Thomas-Fahm, personal testimonies to share, family portraits, or made-to-order garments that showcase African and African diasporic fashion from the years of African independence to the modern day.

The results of the callout are photography from 10 families, an Alphadi dress of cotton and brass gifted to the museum by the designer and the new piece from Maison ArtC.

The exhibition provides a great opportunity to re-frame some of our historic textiles within the context of contemporary fashion.We wanted to capture personal stories that bring the exhibits to life. The foregrounding of multiple African perspectives and voices is a key guiding principle that informs all aspects of Africa Fashion,' she added.

Related:

Victoria & Albert Museum Plans a Major African Fashion Exhibition for 2022

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STORY: Wearing elaborate costumes, dancers twirled through Bolivia's capital as dozens of musicians and bands performed traditional carnival dances.

While much smaller than Rio's famed, flamboyant carnival, the festivities in Bolivia are filled with color, dance and music.

Carnvial attracts thousands of tourists to witness the unique fusion of indigenous traditions and colonial Catholicism.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- Call it a three-peat.

Tuesday morning, business representatives and elected officials from across Siouxland gathered at the Marriott Riverfront in South Sioux City to hear a speech from outgoing Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and to learn that, for a third straight year and tenth time overall, the tri-state area has been named a top spot for economic development by "Site Selection" magazine.

In sharing the news, Adam Bruns, the publication's managing editor, said: "The spike of projects (in Siouxland) is really tremendous." A press release for the event noted that one contributor to the designation was Ag Processing Inc.'s $71.5 million expansion of its soybean crushing plant at Port Neal near Sergeant Bluff. Multiple executives for the company, including CEO Chris Schaffer, were in attendance for the announcement.

Bruns said Site Selection makes its designations by counting projects that include: new construction, have at least $1 million invested, add 20,000 new square feet of space and create 20 jobs or more.

During his time at the podium, Ricketts, who was introduced by Siouxland Initiative Chair Mike Wells, shouted out AGP and said his state saw record years for corn and soybean production. While folks ate their muffins and rolls, Ricketts went on to note that Nebraska was in competition with South Dakota for highest workforce participation rates in the country.

"When you have great job opportunities, kids are taken care of," Ricketts said.

Because of Nebraska's current economic activity, Ricketts said it's an opportune time to give money back to people by: offering property tax and Social Security "relief" and by taking tax rates to below 6%. Of those plans, the governor said: "When we can be more competitive on taxes, it drives us to do better."

Looking forward, Ricketts said the state would need to continue to find more people to participate in its workforce. To do that, Ricketts pitched the idea of further bolstering apprenticeship programs and working closely with community college students. At one point, Ricketts even singled out the work South Sioux City Community Schools had done in preparing their students for future work.

The Sioux City metro area has ranked first in the nation for development in its population category (under 200,000) in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

"This award is collective recognition of the collaboration and cooperation that our Siouxland tri-state area and The Siouxland Initiative have promoted for nearly three decades," Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan said.

Jared McNett is an online editor and reporter for the Sioux City Journal. You can reach him at 712-293-4234 and follow him on Twitter @TwoHeadedBoy98.

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A Burr Ridge businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to swindling as much as $2.6 million from hospitals seeking coveted protective gear in the traumatic early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, then blowing much of it on credit cards, two Maseratis and a Range Rover.

Dennis Haggerty, 46, pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and money laundering during a hearing before U.S. District Judge John Kness. Preliminary sentencing guidelines call for up to about four years in prison, and prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of about $2.57 million in allegedly ill-gotten gains.

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According to Haggertys plea agreement with prosecutors, the scheme began in March 2020, when Haggerty and two business partners formed At Diagnostics and contracted with two hospitals to provide as many as 1 million N95 face masks in exchange for $5 million.

One of the hospitals, identified only as Hospital A, was located in Chicago. The other, Hospital B, was previously identified by the Tribune as the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

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According to the plea agreement, on March 31, 2020, the Chicago hospital deposited $2.5 million into a bank account that was supposedly the companys but was controlled only by Haggerty.

Beginning the next day, Haggerty withdrew and spent the funds for his personal use, including nearly $150,000 in cash that he took out in increments under $10,000 to avoid federal currency reporting requirements, according to the plea.

Haggerty also used more than $132,000 in hospital funds to buy a 2013 Maserati GranTurismo, a 2015 Range Rover, and a 2017 Maserati Ghibli, paid $20,000 to a friend, and made about $190,000 in credit card payments, according to the plea.

In April, after At Diagnostics had failed to deliver a single mask, Hospital A demanded a refund. In response, Haggerty falsely stated that his bank had no record of the hospitals wire transfer and that the bank was in the process of trying to get to the bottom of the issue, according to the plea.

Confronted by his two business partners about the missing funds, Haggerty altered a bank statement to make it appear the money was never received, the plea stated.

Meanwhile, in June 2020, after the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics entered into a contract with At Diagnostics for 500,000 N95 masks, the hospitals payment system inadvertently released $933,825 to Haggerty before any masks had been received, the plea stated.

Instead of returning the money, Haggerty used some of it to repay what hed taken from Hospital A and spent another portion on himself, according to the plea. No masks were ever shipped to Hospital B, and as of this month, Haggerty had not paid back any of that money.

The charges against Haggerty represented the single biggest case of fraud to arise in the Chicago area out of the pandemic.

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Among the others: An Elgin restaurant owner accused of obtaining a PPP loan even though shed closed the restaurant and terminated all of her employees; the owner of an Evanston-based technology company accused of falsifying paperwork seeking a $441,000 PPP loan; a south suburban businessman who allegedly was given more than $420,000 even though his company had no employees or ongoing operations; and a North Shore businessman accused of illegally price gouging customers seeking to buy protective masks.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Joshua Currier, 31, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and illegal possession of a firearm.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Currier conspired with others from January 2020 through February 2021 to sell at least 5 kilograms of meth. Currier also traded a 9mm pistol and meth and gave it to another person to settle a drug debt. Because of Currier's previous felony convictions, he was prohibited from possessing guns.
WALTHILL, Neb. -- Construction of a new church in Walthill can move forward now that a lengthy legal battle between church and village leaders has ended.

A federal judge has signed a consent decree to finalize a negotiated settlement that will put to rest Light of the World Gospel Ministries' contentions that the Walthill village board violated the church's First Amendment rights of free speech and assembly by passing zoning laws designed to discriminate against the church and denying its building permit applications for construction of a new worship center on Main Street.

Light of the World also had argued the village board's denial of building, demolition and special use permits for removal of four vacant buildings to clear space for the new worship center treated the church unequally compared with nonreligious entities.

"The church is thrilled with the resolution and now being able to minister more effectively," said Roger Byron, an attorney at First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based legal organization that represented Light of the World in the lawsuit.

Under terms of the agreement, the village's insurer has paid a $500,000 settlement to be divided among law firms that worked on the case, and the village board has approved the necessary permits clearing the way for construction of the church. The church agreed to include two businesses in its new building. Current plans call for a cafe and bookstore.

The church also agreed that if it builds a new structure on two lots adjacent to the planned worship center in the future, that building also must include one or two businesses or a community youth center.

"It's really a win-win for everyone, the village thinks. The church gets its church, and the village gets businesses within its commercial district," said Matt Munderloh, the village's attorney.

As part of the agreement, reached after months of mediation and negotiations, the village admits no wrongdoing.

Byron said he expects the church to move forward with demolition and construction in the near future.

Light of the World, which describes itself on its website as a diverse and multicultural nondenominational Christian congregation, has been located at 214 Main St. in Walthill since 2007. As the congregation continued to grow, the building became too small and, church leaders said, dangerous because of the partial collapse of an adjacent building.

The church first applied for a building permit in 2013 after buying four vacant buildings across the street with the intention of demolishing them and building a new worship center.

The church filed suit in federal court in Omaha in July 2018, saying that the village had inconsistently enforced its zoning laws to prevent construction of the church within the commercial district. The church argued that during the same time, the village board approved construction of nonreligious places of assembly, including a library and an education center, in the same zoning district.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued the village in February 2020 for violating a federal law intended to protect religious institutions from burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. The Justice Department on Friday announced it had settled the lawsuit. Among the settlement terms, village officials must obtain training on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, or RLUIPA.

"RLUIPA protects the right of every religious community to worship free from unlawful burdens. We will not tolerate the unlawful use of zoning or land use restrictions to infringe on that right," Jan Sharp, U.S. Attorney for the Nebraska District, said in a news release.

The building next to the church was demolished in 2019 and is now the site of a dialysis center operated by the Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center in Macy, Nebraska.

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SIOUX CITY  The process of finding a new Sioux City schools superintendent has officially begun.

Superintendent Paul Gausman was selected to be the next Lincoln Public Schools superintendent. His last day in Sioux City is June 30.

School board president Dan Greenwell said the board is in the process of seeking proposals from superintendent search firms to lead the process.

Because of the tight timeline to find a new superintendent, Greenwell said the board is considering all options, including a potential interim superintendent.

He said this is a very busy time for the search firms, with many districts seeking a new superintendent. Once a firm is selected, the board will follow their guidance on how to proceed.

The community, administration and staff will be engaged in the process, Greenwell added.

Gausman, who'd been Sioux City's superintendent for 14 years, landed his "dream job" in his home state of Nebraska following the retirement of Lincoln superintendent Steve Joel, who announced in September that he would step down after 37 years.

This just happened to be the year and I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to apply, interview and be selected, Gausman said at a press conference in Sioux City last Wednesday.

Several board members congratulated Gausman on his new position during Monday's school board meeting.

Board member Perla Alarcon-Flory said Gausman was someone who was willing to work together with the parents, students and the community. She said she is sad to see him leave, but thanked him for his work with the district.

Gausman said he has grown to love Siouxland and the people in the community.

I pledge to this community that I intend to finish well here, he said. Weve got a lot of things in the works right now and I intend to keep working forward on those things and to not be distracted as I do that work. This community, these students, deserves no less.

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SIOUX CITY  In an attempt to attract more teachers and staff, the Sioux City Community School District is offering up to $5,000 in recruitment bonuses.

We need new employees and doing what we were doing, and have been doing, probably is not going to work in this market, so we have to try something different, board president Dan Greenwell said. Doing nothing is not an option.

Teachers who are hired since Jan. 1 will receive a $5,000 hiring bonus over two years, or $2,500 per year.

Former Sioux City teachers and permanent substitute teachers who are hired will receive a $2,500 stipend; and certain SCESPA para educators, food service workers and bus drivers will receive $1,000 divided into three payments over one year.

The school board unanimously approved the stipends Monday.

Lisa Banks of the Sioux City Education Association, the union that represents the district's teachers, said she supports the new hires receiving the bonus, but added the district also needs to be focused on teacher retention.

She said there are 583 teachers with 10 years or less experience in the district and 487 teachers with more than 11 years with the district, 93 of those have been with the district for more than 25 years.

"We're not looking at a good balance there," she said.

Brenda Zahner of the Iowa State Education Association asked for the topic to be placed in the ongoing collective bargaining with the district for a new contract. She also asked the board to consider rewarding current employees.

New teachers receive their first paycheck at the end of September. Board member Bob Michaelson said if new teachers are moving to the area, the first $2,500 could help pay rent and buy food before their first paycheck. Greenwell said the board will work with human resources to determine the payment timing.

The recruitment stipends will be paid from the district's share of the Education and Secondary School Relief funding, with $600,000 currently allocated.

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Argosy University students prepare to leave the campus after they learned the school is closing for good, March 7, 2019. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)

Attorneys general from 10 states, including Illinois, announced an agreement Monday to cancel $2.1 million in student debt following the abrupt closing of Argosy University in 2019.

The private university shut down its campuses in 11 states amid allegations of financial mismanagement, giving students mere days to acquire their official transcripts in hopes of transferring elsewhere to finish their degrees and leaving them debt from predatory private loans, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement Monday.

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Students of Argosy University, through no fault of their own, have been left with debt and even negative credit ratings  but not the degrees they were promised, Raoul said. I am pleased with this agreement that provides some relief to those students and holds Argosy accountable to the students abandoned when the school abruptly closed.

At time it closed in 2019, about 700 students attended Argosys Chicago campus, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The agreement announced Monday includes nearly $90,000 of relief for Illinois students who attended classes online or at Argosys Chicago or Schaumburg campuses. The agreement also halts any negative credit reporting that may result from their debt.

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Argosy University announced the school was closing for good, March 7, 2019. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)

Raoul alleged that Dream Center Education Holdings  Argosys parent company at the time it closed  misrepresented the school to prospective students by falsely calling it a nonprofit university. The institution capitalized on its misleading marketing to issue institutional loan debt to enrolled students, according to the agreement.

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About a week before Argosy closed, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would no longer provide the school financial aid, citing the schools mismanagement of millions of dollars to cover payroll and other expenses instead of giving the money to students. The federal education department also denied Dream Centers previous request to convert Argosy from a for-profit to a nonprofit university.

Argosys financial mismanagement was a grievous breach of the universitys responsibility, the department said.

The institution ultimately entered federal receivership, a process similar to bankruptcy where a court-appointed receiver manages the property. That led to a change in ownership of the institutional student debt, and the attorneys general reached the debt-cancelation agreement with those new owners. The agreement will be filed in the Ohio federal court overseeing the receivership.

The nonprofit Dream Center acquired the chains of schools operating under the names Argosy University, South University and the Art Institute (which is not connected to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago), in 2017.

In March 2020, Raouls office entered a settlement with Dream Center to cancel more than $2.15 million in student debt and refund more than $37,000 to Illinois residents who attended Illinois Institute of Art and were deceived about the schools accreditation status.

The school also had a troubled history under its previous owner, Education Management Corp. In 2011, then-Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued the company over alleged consumer fraud. The company ultimately agreed to pay a $95.5 million settlement in 2015.

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cspaulding@chicagotribune.com
China-Africa trade reaches all-time high in 2021, showing resilience amid pandemic

Xinhua) 07:44, March 01, 2022

* China has maintained its position as the largest investor in Africa over the last 10 years.

* The African economy's improvement in 2021 was mainly due to the improvement of the external environment, especially the active support of China and other markets that enhanced Africa's export capacity.

* China created 18,562 jobs a year on average in Africa with yearly increases.

* China-Africa cooperation has yielded tangible results and contributed greatly to African countries' efforts to reduce poverty, improve the investment environment, upgrade industrialization level and promote economic development.

NAIROBI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China-Africa trade has bucked the global economic downward trend, and analysts believe it has contributed to the African economy's resilience in the face of COVID-19 challenges.

Staff members check a train at Nairobi station of Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Nairobi, Kenya, March 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Yan)

TOP TRADE PARTNER

China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. According to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the total bilateral trade between China and Africa in 2021 reached 254.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 35.3 percent year on year, among which, Africa exported 105.9 billion dollars of goods to China, up 43.7 percent year on year.

China has maintained its position as the largest investor in Africa over the last 10 years, according to a new report by Swiss-African Business Circle released in February.

Photo taken on Nov. 22, 2021 shows facilities of the De Aar wind power project invested by China's Longyuan Power and its South African partners in De Aar, South Africa. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

The United States is the second-largest investor in Africa, followed by France and Turkey, in third and fourth positions, respectively.

Globally, Africa's external trade performance in 2021 was very strong. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data in November, Africa's import and export of goods increased by 31 percent and 40 percent respectively in the third quarter of 2021.

GROWING WITH CHINA

The UNCTAD believes that the African economy's improvement in 2021 was mainly due to the improvement of the external environment, especially the active support of China and other markets that enhanced Africa's export capacity. Africa's trade growth has also been supported by higher commodity prices.

Over the past 10 years, China created 18,562 jobs a year on average in Africa with yearly increases, said the Swiss-African Business Circle report.

For example, China continued to help Zimbabwe develop its infrastructure, including telecommunications, energy, and agriculture. Major projects include the expansion of Hwange Thermal Power Station, expansion of Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, and the new parliament building.

Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2021 shows the construction site of the expansion project of Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, Zimbabwe. (Xinhua/ Wanda)

South Africa is an important trading partner of China, with bilateral trade accounting for more than one-fifth of the total China-Africa trade. In 2021, the total trade volume between China and South Africa reached 54.35 billion dollars, with a year-on-year growth of 50.7 percent.

In the same year, Chinese investment in South Africa reached 280 million dollars, including 130 million dollars in non-financial investment and 150 million dollars in financial investment.

IMPETUS FOR RECOVERY

"At present, countries around the world are still faced with the two arduous tasks of epidemic prevention and control and economic recovery. The high-quality development of China's economy has provided impetus and confidence for global and African economic recovery," said Chen Mingjian, Chinese ambassador to Tanzania.

According to the International Monetary Fund, China's gross domestic product (GDP) accounted for 18 percent of the world economy in 2021, and its contribution to world economic development has been steadily increasing year after year.

At the same time, China's steady economic growth is also bringing more development opportunities to boost African countries' economic recovery.

"In 2021, compared with the previous year, Ethiopia's exports to China increased by 8 percent; new foreign direct investment (FDI) from Chinese companies to Ethiopia grew by 346 percent; the value of newly signed contract projects by Chinese companies in Ethiopia were up 25 percent," said Zhao Zhiyuan, Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have played a key role in China-Africa cooperation.

A staff member is seen during the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Sept. 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)

According to a report by Africa Policy Institute, a pan-African think tank, since the BRI was proposed in 2013, China has supported modern infrastructure projects such as railways, roads, ports, dams, industries, and digital connectivity, injecting vitality into Kenya's growth.

"In less than a decade, Kenya has a brand new 670-kilometer modern Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connecting the port of Mombasa and the inland (dry) port of Naivasha," said the report titled "Shared Prosperity: Tracking the Belt and Road Initiative in Kenya, 2018-2021."

"The FOCAC, established in 2000, is a continuation and distillation of China-Africa friendship and provides a guarantee for high-level China-Africa relations in the new century," said Humphrey Moshi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam.

"Since 2000, under the guidance of FOCAC, China-Africa cooperation has yielded more fruitful results. In 2019, China's stock of direct investment in Africa reached 49.1 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of nearly 100 times since 2000," said Moshi.

China has helped Africa build the African Union Conference Center, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, and other large-scale infrastructure projects, and conducted close cooperation with Africa in science, education, culture, health, and other fields.

China-Africa cooperation has yielded tangible results and contributed greatly to African countries' efforts to reduce poverty, improve the investment environment, upgrade industrialization level and promote economic development.

"Despite difficulties, China and Africa have made encouraging progress in discussing practical measures to tackle the epidemic and restore economic development under the framework of the FOCAC. This once again shows that China-Africa cooperation has been moving in the right direction and has made solid efforts to help Africa achieve sustainable development," said Moshi.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will not be running for mayor against Lori Lightfoot in the 2023 election, he announced on Tuesday.

Duncan, 57, runs Chicago CRED, a nonprofit aimed at violence prevention. Before that, Duncan served as President Barack Obamas education secretary and CEO of Chicago Public Schools. He had been considering a run for months but ruled it out today, saying in a statement, I am exactly where I need to be, doing the work I love.

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Shortly after announcing via Twitter that he wouldnt run, Duncan told the Tribune he made the decision because he couldnt walk away from the work Im doing on anti-violence initiatives with Chicago youth.

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Arne Duncan speaks during a news conference at the Breakthrough Urban Ministries FamilyPlex on Nov. 1, 2021. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Lightfoot has not formally announced her reelection campaign but is widely expected to seek a second term. Her political team has recently started hiring for key positions and she has been raising money, though she has also burned through more campaign cash than shes collected since shortly after winning office two and a half years ago.

Asked whether hell back another candidate, Duncan said hell work with anyone whos serious about making our city safer.

That doesnt preclude him backing Lightfoot despite his consistent criticism of the direction of the city under her stewardship, according to Duncan.

Thats not what I said. Our kids deserve so much better, he said.

But couldnt he do more to fight violence as mayor than as the leader of a nonprofit?

Trust me, I understand the levers and the power of being mayor, Duncan said. But in the end, somebody has to do the work, and Im where I need to be to do that. Im laser-focused on breaking the cycle of violence in this city, and ready to work with anybody who can help with that work.

Family considerations werent a factor in deciding not to run, Duncan said. My family was fully supportive of my decision, whatever it was, he said.

In a statement Tuesday, Lightfoot praised Duncan and his work, saying hes dedicated himself to public service, and over the arc of his career contributed to our citys well being in important ways.

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The work hes doing now to build community-based solutions to violence is important, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Chicago CRED and the other street outreach and intervention organizations and initiatives across our city, Lightfoot said. We all agree that the priority is to make sure every resident, regardless of zip code, experiences safe and peaceful neighborhoods, and I will work with all people of good will focused on that objective.

Lightfoots tenure as mayor has served as a crash course in crisis management, from the COVID-19 pandemic and destructive civil unrest to a teachers strike and skyrocketing violent crime. Her relationship with aldermen has also been rocky, dating back to her very first day as mayor.

Public safety figures to be a key campaign issue as crime has increased significantly over the past two years.

Challengers said to be weighing bids against Lightfoot include Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner, Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, South Side Ald. Roderick Sawyer, downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins and former city Building Commissioner Judy Frydland.
DES MOINES -- The Iowa House on Monday voted 57-36, mostly along party lines, to approve a bill prohibiting public and private schools, colleges and licensed day care centers from requiring a COVID-19 immunization as a condition of enrollment.

The bills sponsor, Rep. Henry Stone, R-Forest City, offered no reason for imposing the mandate on those businesses and institutions.

Currently, only Grinnell College requires a COVID-19 vaccination. None of Iowas of Iowas K-12 private schools, community colleges, regents institutions or private colleges require a COVID-19 vaccine.

Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, said she thought majority Republicans wanted government to stay out of running private businesses.

For that reason and for the safety of our kids, she encouraged a no vote on the bill that was supported by groups opposing vaccination and mask mandates, VALOR Iowa, Informed Choice Iowa. Associations representing nurses, pediatricians, and public health opposed the bill.

House File 2298 would prevent a requirement for a COVID-19 immunization for enrollment before July 1, 2029, regardless of whether a student attended in-person or remotely.

Democrats argued the bill will take away local control from school districts, licensed day cares and colleges to require immunizations against COVID-19 vaccines as safe and effective in combating the spread of the disease. They also said the bill would discourage the use of COVID-19 vaccinations. For community health, they said, Iowa needs as many people as possible vaccinated.

As of last month, nearly 61 percent of Iowans have received the vaccination, making Iowa 26th among the states and Washington.

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DES MOINES  In a symbolic gesture of support for the Ukrainian people who are under Russian attack, Gov. Kim Reynolds has directed the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division to remove any Russian-produced alcoholic liquor products from its wholesale purchase list.

Her order is unlikely to have much impact in Iowa even though Iowans purchased 2,024,662 gallons of vodka through the ABD in 2021. In the top 10 brands by gallons sold, there are five brands of vodka  Titos, Hawkeye, McCormick, Smirnoff and Five OClock.

Russian vodkas account for a very small portion of overall sales, spokesman Tyler Ackerson said Monday. Over the past 12 months, the sale of Russian vodka has totaled about $95,000 out of more than $93 million in vodka sales.

Whiskey, led by Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey, is the drink of choice for Iowans based on ABDs gallons sold  2,117,237 in 2021. Sales of whiskey exceeded $168 million, according to ABDs annual report.

Very few brands imported to the United States still are produced in Russia. Smirnoff vodka, for example, traces its roots to Moscow, but is distilled in the U.S. Stoli, which basically translates into capital city because it originated in Moscow, is distilled in Latvia as well as Russia and has its headquarters in Luxembourg, a NATO country.

ABD has only three Russian vodkas permanently listed  Russian Standard Original Vodka, Russian Standard Platinum Vodka and Hammer + Sickle Vodka, Ackerson said.

Another three are considered special order on hand listing  Russian Standard Imperia Vodka, Zu Bison Grass Vodka and Quadro Vodka. ABD has several Russian vodkas listed as special order.

While Russian-made products that will no longer be available for purchase from the state wholesale operation, retailers are not required to cease sales of those products. Some retailers, bars and restaurants already have stopped offering Russian products in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Iowa is one of 17 states that controls the sale of alcoholic liquor at the wholesale level. Under Iowa law, ABD has the authority to determine the brands of alcoholic liquor products available for sale to retailers. Alcoholic liquor is sold by ABD to off-premises retailers, who then sell the products directly to consumers or to on-premises retailers, such as bars and restaurants.

In issuing the order, Reynolds joins the governors of Utah, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania in making the symbolic gesture of support for Ukraine.

Reynolds also has called for Iowa Sister States to end its relationship with Stavropol Krai, Russia, and provide recommendations for enhancing its sister state relationship with Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine.

More information on the delisting of Russian products will be available at the ABD website on or before March 1.

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Republican politicians may think they have a winning issue in banning controversial books from schools, but new polling says otherwise. It indicates that more than 80% of Americans oppose removing books from school shelves due to content involving race or other controversial issues. It means that Democrats (and Republicans, for that matter) who oppose such bans will not only be doing the right thing but will also be doing the politically savvy thing.

The trend toward book bans in schools is one of the GOPs more disturbing culture-war assaults of late. While activists have targeted some materials based on obscenity or violence, far more of what theyre trying to remove are books they fear will make students (or their parents) uncomfortable by accurately recounting historical facts about slavery, or discussing race in the context of current events.

They dont want students learning facts about history or society that may not line up with hard-right ideology, in other words. The fact that this wide net has captured such serious and important works as Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, recently pulled from the shelves in Wentzville, says all thats necessary about the illegitimacy of the whole endeavor. The school board rescinded that decision on Friday.

Some Republican politicians clearly think they have a winning issue with middle America. And it appears many Democrats agree with them, judging by how skittish they have been in directly confronting the book-banning efforts. But a new CBS News/YouGov poll indicates Democrats should perhaps be talking more about this issue, rather than just trying to duck the subject.

The poll asked whether adult respondents believe books should ever be banned from schools based on specific types of content like racial discussion, depictions of slavery, criticism of U.S. history or political ideas you disagree with. Between 83% and 87% of respondents said they would oppose the yanking of books from schools based on those types of content.

In an important rebuke to the conservative claim that learning about race in America would make white students feel guilty, just 23% of the polls respondents agreed. Similarly, just 16% agreed with the conservative trope that learning about race would diminish racial tolerance. Meanwhile, 68% said teaching about race would make students understand what others went through.

Numbers like those are far more lopsided than the usual Democrat-Republican split among voters  meaning even many Republicans recognize that the GOPs book-banning rationales dont hold water.

The strategy of Republican book-banning efforts counts on Democrats being cowed by fears they will look radical or woke if they oppose such bans. But numbers like these indicate that, in fact, its these ideologically driven book bans that are unpopular among average Americans  as they should be. What could be more American, after all, than ensuring future generations can assess the nations sometimes-troubling past and face the often-controversial present with facts on their side and eyes wide open?

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The German National Tourist Office is encouraging travelers from the United States to visit the country this year, showcasing its sustainability, responsibility and cultural sites in exciting new ways.

According to Amrei Gold, head of public relations for the GNTO, Americans comprise the majority of international travelers to Germany. With approximately 40 million Americans who claim German heritage, the most popular reason for visiting Germany for leisure trips is heritage travel. Overall, Germany is the third most popular destination for Americans to visit, with the United Kingdom and France coming in first and second.

With desire for international travel expected to grow more this year than in the past two years, the GNTO is preparing several exciting new ways for travelers to interact with and learn more about Germany before they even arrive.

One of these new ways is a microsite dedicated to educating travelers on barrier-free accommodations and attractions in Germany. From mobility differences to neurodivergence and more, the GNTO has created approved lists of accommodations, attractions and information for travelers with disabilities and their families.

Similarly, its published another microsite dedicated to sustainable and responsible travel within Germany, with a list of the most sustainable accommodations, attractions, travel methods, cities and more. Did you know Berlin is a vegan and vegetarian food mecca? It even hosts an annual vegan and vegetarian food festival each year and is home to the first-ever all-vegan grocery store chain!

The tourism organization is also currently in the voting stage of the new Top 100 Sights and Attractions in Germany; travelers who have visited the country can vote for their favorites now through June 30, when the list of the top 100 will be published.

Additionally, GNTO is working to create educational experiences for travelers using technology and social media. A new augmented reality program now allows people to place themselves into Germanys most popular castles and palaces using AR technology on their cell phones! Users can take selfies in a digital Neuschwanstein Castle, take quizzes on Moritzburg Castles history and more.

Americans can enter Germany provided they have proof of full vaccination, a recent recovery or a recent negative COVID-19 test.

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On Monday morning, the Supreme Courts Republican-appointed justices deployed a series of made-up rules to override the Clean Air Act and hobble the Biden administrations regulation of greenhouse gases. Their arguments, which dragged on for two hours, involved very big feelings but remarkably little law. The conservative bloc appears convinced that the federal government currently has little or no authority to regulate carbon emissions at coal-fired power plants. But this conviction is based on a subjective sense of what the Environmental Protection Agency should be able to donot what Congress authorized it to do. So while the liberal justices asked about the words of the statute, their conservative colleagues searched for some reason why those words could not possibly mean what they say.

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Mondays case, West Virginia v. EPA, is the coal industrys latest assault on federal restrictions of carbon emissions at coal-fired power plants. It began in 2015, when President Barack Obamas EPA tried to limit these emissions through a regulation called the Clean Power Plan. The Supreme Court blocked the rule before it took effect. And in 2019, President Donald Trumps EPA formally repealed the Clean Power Plan, declaring it illegal and replacing it with the Affordable Clean Energy rule. (This regulation did virtually nothing, which made the coal industry very happy.) But in 2021, a federal appeals court vacated both the Clean Power Plan and the Affordable Clean Energy rule. It held that Trumps EPA relied on a mistakenly cramped reading of federal law. And it told the EPA to consider afresh to what extent it can restrict these emissions.

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Heres the upshot of that labyrinthine history: There is no current federal regulation limiting carbon emissions from existing coal-fired power plants. So, you might think, there is nothing for the Supreme Court to dono controversy to resolve, no regulation to evaluate. There is only the prospect of a future regulation from President Joe Bidens EPA. And the Supreme Court is not allowed to issue advisory opinions about hypothetical conflicts that may arise in the future.

But it seems the conservative justices are kept awake at night by the knowledge that someday, somehow, the government might attempt to regulate power plant emissions. Theres no other reason the Supreme Court would take up this case now, rather than wait for the Biden administration to give it an actual rule to invalidate.

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West Virginia v. EPA is not a live legal dispute; it is a preemptive strike.

Which brings us back to its true target: the Clean Air Act, a landmark statute enacted in 1963 and amended many times since. When writing the law, Congress identified many specific pollutants that it wanted the government to control. It understood, however, that scientists would find new pollutants harmful to humans and the environment. So lawmakers directed the EPA to identify each emission from stationary sources like power plants that causes, or contributes significantly to, air pollution which may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. (Carbon definitely qualifies.) The EPA must then set an achievable emission standard for existing plants using the best system of emission reduction. States, not the federal government, get to determine how theyll meet these new standards.

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Technically, the fight in West Virginia v. EPA is over what counts as a best system of emission reduction. Obamas EPA read the term broadly to encompass both direct limits on power plants and broader strategies to bring down overall emissions. A cap-and-trade program, for instance, doesnt make every power plant cleaner, but it does reduce net carbon production. Increasing energy generation from renewables while decreasing generation from fossil fuelsan approach called generation shiftingachieves the same goal. The Trump administration, by contrast, read the statute narrowly. It insisted that the best system of emission reduction must apply at the source of the plant itself. So a scrubber would count, but a cap-and-trade system would not.

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The coal industry, supported by Republican attorneys general, wants SCOTUS to adopt this crabbed interpretation of the Clean Air Act. Doing so would handcuff the EPA, preventing it from setting ambitious standards achievable through creative programs. There is a problem, though: As Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan explained over and over again on Wednesday, this limitation does not exist in the statute. The Clean Air Act speaks of a system of reductions, not a technological fix. Coal lawyers dont just want to reinterpret the law; they want to rewrite it.

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These mushy doctrines encourage judges to look far beyond the textto their own feelings.

Most, if not all, of the conservative justices appear happy to oblige. During oral arguments, they deployed four fabricated doctrines or canons to replace the Clean Air Acts text with a far narrower mandate. First, theres the clear statement rulethe notion that, as Justice Brett Kavanaugh put it, Congress must speak clearly if it wishes to assign an agency decisions of vast economic and political significance. What qualifies as vast economic and political significance? No one knows. Second, theres the major questions doctrinethe principle that only Congress, not a federal agency like the EPA, can resolve major policy questions. Third, theres the nondelegation doctrine, the final boss of anti-textualism, which holds that Congress acts unconstitutionally when it delegates too much power to an agency. Finally, just for good measure, theres the federalism canon, which bars agencies from issuing regulations that upend the federal-state balance of power.

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Each of these rules was invented by conservative lawyers for the purpose of striking down regulations, even when they are authorized by Congress. Each of them is, at best, tenuously connected to the Constitution, resting on a subjective sense of the proper separation of powers (and the assumption that unelected judges get to enforce those judgments). On Monday, they all melted together into an unholy slurry. Chief Justice John Roberts suggested that a regulation violates this muck of manufactured doctrines if a judge is surprised when they read it. It was surprising when the Food and Drug Administration regulated cigarettes. It was surprising when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulated evictions. If it feels like an agency has gone beyond its mandate, Roberts asked, shouldnt the courts assume it broke the law?

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This no law, just vibes approach got a big endorsement from Kavanaugh as well. Congress, he noted, knows how to do cap-and-trade, but didnt pass a cap-and-trade measure for carbon. So why should the EPA get to suggest squeezing one into an old statute that wasnt necessarily designed for something like this? Justice Sam Alito complained that the EPA was reading a new interpretation into a long-dormant statute, as if the Clean Air Act has a secret expiration date. The task fell on Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar and Beth Brinkmann, both ably defending the EPAs power, to drag these justices back to the text and force them to confront the words on the page.

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All six conservative justices have claimed to apply the law as written by interpreting the text alone. But these four mushy doctrines encourage judges to look far beyond the textto congressional intent, to policy considerations, to their own feelings. Justices Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett have both endorsed variations of these principles, but on Monday, even they sounded confused about them. Justice Neil Gorsuch, a nondelegation obsessive, stayed mostly silent; perhaps he recognized that there was nothing to gain from wading into this constitutional quagmire.

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Its impossible to predict, on the basis of these arguments, how the court will rule. The smart bet remains that the conservatives will issue an advisory opinion radically diminishing the EPAs ability to regulate carbon emissions at coal-fired power plants, strangling Bidens climate agenda in the cradle. A bigger mystery is whether, in the process, a majority will unleash these various doctrines to run amok in the lower courts, hampering the entire administrative state from tackling the big problems of the day. Call this free-form style of judging conservative if you like. But none of us needs to pretend its textualism.
This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy.

On Sunday, Turkish leaders labeled Russians invasion of Ukraine a war, a rhetorical shift that sets the stage for Turkey limiting warships transiting the Turkish Straits and entering the Black Sea. Speaking on CNN Turk, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated that the situation in Ukraine has transformed into a war and Turkey will implement all articles of Montreux transparently. Cavusoglu was referencing the 1936 Montreux Convention, an international agreement that governs the transit of all vessels and airplanes through the Turkish Straits, a strategic chokepoint that links the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. As the Russia-Ukraine conflict rages, the Montreux Convention has taken on increased importance as a potential regulator of warship traffic into the conflict zone. If Turkey formally invokes Montreuxs wartime provisions, Russian warships will generally be prohibited from entering the Black Sea. This would play a small but substantive role in de-escalating Russia-Ukraine tensions.

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The 1936 Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits (commonly referred to as the Montreux Convention, after the city in Switzerland where it was negotiated) is a 1936 international agreement that governs the transit of the Turkish Straits for merchant vessels, vessels of war, and aircraft. Negotiated in the shadow of an expansionist Nazi Germany, the Convention includes 29 Articles and three technical annexes that address which warships may enter the Black Sea. It has played an important role in demilitarizing the Black Sea for the past 85+ years. It does so by limiting the size of vessels that may enter the Black Sea, imposing notification requirements on warships transiting the Turkish Straits, and restricting how long non-Black Sea powers can deploy their warships in the Black Sea. Since its inception, Montreux has played an important role in enforcing a rules-based international order in the Black Sea and Turkish Straits.

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The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Constitution of the Oceans, governs transit passage through international straits around the world. Article 35 clarifies that UNCLOS does not apply to long-standing international conventions in force. The upshot: Montreux Conventions restrictive provisions, and not UNCLOS, govern the Turkish Straits, which enjoy a truly unique legal status in international transit governance.

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Because Montreux was negotiated over 85 years ago and naval warships and technology have changed dramatically since that time, it can sometimes be difficult to apply the Conventions highly technical transit limitations to modern warships. Montreux generally limits the passage of capital ships greater than 15,000 tons, but this can be subject to some interpretation and debate. For example, during my time on the U.S. Navys Sixth Fleet staff in 2008, where I served as an international law and ethics attorney, the Russia-Georgia conflict raged for several weeks. The USS Mount Whitney transited the Straits and entered the Black Sea despite questions about its tonnage and whether it fell under a Montreux exception. While Russia protested the Mount Whitneys transit as a violation of Montreux and an unnecessary provocation, Turkey has allowed the Mount Whitney to transit the Turkish Straits since that time. U.S. destroyers routinely transit the Straits. The USS Porter, a guided missile destroyer, conducted exercises and operations in November 2021 with the Bulgarian, Romanian, Turkish, and Ukrainian navies.

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During peacetime, civilian merchant vessels enjoy complete freedom of transit and navigation through the Straits, under any flag any with any kind of cargo. The Montreux Convention is unique in the law of the sea in that it explicitly discriminates against nations outside the Black Sea. Instead, Montreux favors six Black Sea Powers (Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Romania, Georgia, and Bulgaria) over non-Black Sea Powers (everyone else). Non-Black Sea Powers cannot remain in the Black Sea for longer than 21 days. The Convention also restricts access to the Black Sea for belligerents during war and allows Turkey to restrict access when it considers itself to be threatened with imminent danger of war. Following Russias annexation of Crimea, its naval power and presence in the Black Sea has increased  which is permissible under the privileges it enjoys as a Black Sea Power, and which has been a source of growing NATO concern.

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Of the Black Sea Powers, Turkey is, by far, the most important. Montreux empowers Turkey with the legal authority to control the passage of warships through the Straits during war. Were Turkey to restrict passage now, that would hurt Russia but not affect Ukraine, which lacks a large naval presence and is operating in a defensive posture. In fact, Ukraine has already asked Turkey to intervene by closing the Straits to Russian warships. The Black Sea has been the site of fighting between Russia and Ukrainian forces, and several Russian naval assets are already in the Black Sea.

Two Montreux provisions are of critical importance for the unfolding Russia-Ukraine conflict. First, Article 19 states that during times of war  when Turkey is not a belligerent  warships enjoy freedom of navigation and transit through the Straits. But vessels of war belonging to belligerent parties are prohibited from transiting the Straits unless they are returning to base or rendering assistance. This appears to be the situation at hand in Ukraine, as we are witnessing two sovereign nations engaged in an international armed conflict. Turkey is not actively fighting and remains a non-belligerent. The Turkish Foreign Minister pointed to this provision yesterday, stating Article 19 of the Montreux Convention is clear. This is war. Invoking Article 19 would restrict Russian warships operating in the Mediterranean Sea from entering the Black Sea. This is significant: as of this writing, there are 16 Russian warships  the bulk of the entire Russian Navy  operating off the coast of Syria. They would now be prevented from transiting the Straits and entering the conflict.

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Second, Article 21 states that if Turkey considers herself to be threatened with imminent danger of war (emphasis added), the Turkish Government may limit the passage of warships through the Turkish Straits. The decision of what warships may enter is then left entirely to the Turkish Governments discretion. Once again, if Turkey so elected, this could prevent Russian ships outside the conflict from transiting the Turkish Straits and entering the Black Sea. Significantly, Article 21 empowers Turkey with enormous discretion to allow warships to pass through the Straits. So Turkey could feasibly allow NATO non-Black Sea vessels to transit and exclude Russian vessels from entering the Black Sea. Still, it is hard to see how Turkey could credibly claim that it is threatened with imminent danger of war. Article 19 seems much more likely to be the wartime provision at play.

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Invoking either Article would be historically significant. Turkey has not labelled earlier Russian aggression in Georgia, Crimea, or eastern Ukraine a time of war and restricted Black Sea access. In fact, Turkey has only invoked Montreuxs wartime provisions once before: in World War II, to prevent German and Italian combatants from entering the Black Sea.

The U.S. was absent from the Montreux Convention negotiations and has not joined the treaty. Nevertheless, the U.S. abides by the Convention under customary international law. While the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier is operating in the Mediterranean Sea, the Trumans passage through the Turkish Straits is likely a non-starter. While there is no provision in the body of the Montreux Convention addressing aircraft carriers, a nuclear aircraft carrier is a capital ship that exceeds Montreuxs tonnage limitations. But other U.S. and NATO vessels could still feasibly transit the Turkish Straits, provided they give Turkey ample notice under the Convention (15 days for all non-Black Sea Powers). The USS Porter destroyer and USS Mount Whitney (Sixth Fleet flagship) were recently in the Black Sea, although no NATO vessels are operating there now. Vessels of war belonging to non-Black Sea Powers  which includes much of NATOs maritime force  are prohibited from remaining in the Black Sea for more than 21 days. Putin may see an increased NATO presence in the Black Sea as an escalatory measure, so it remains unclear whether this is being seriously considered.

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If the conflict escalates, the rights of parties other than Ukraine and Russia will also depend on whether other states are adjudged to be co-belligerents. This could cut in one of two ways: if Turkey is not a belligerent but other states join the fight, their access would be compulsorily restricted under Article 19. But if Turkey itself were to join as a belligerent, or if the conflict escalated to the extent that Turkey did feel credibly threatened, Articles 20 and 21 would give Turkey discretion over the passage of warships  including the right to deny return passage to vessels of war belonging to the State whose attitude has given rise to Turkeys belief in imminent danger of war.

Article 23 is the only provision that governs aircraft transiting the Straits. It authorizes Turkey to set up air routes through the Straits. Montreux does not expressly address military aircraft, and it remains unclear how invoking the Article 19 wartime provisions will affect air travel through the Straits. As Russia is denied access to European airspace, the Turkish Strait air route may well increase in importance.

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Finally, it is important to note that Russia, as a Black Sea Power, has benefited quite a bit from the Montreux regime and is almost certain to abide by Turkish authority in the Straits. Disregarding Montreux would immediately escalate tensions between Russia and Turkey and appears to be a non-starter.

It remains to be seen if Turkeys rhetorical use of war has already led to the legal implementation of the Montreux Conventions wartime provisions. So far, Turkey has not taken measures to block the Straits, but Cavusoglu stated that Turkey always had implemented the Montreux Agreement to the letter and would do the same here. And even if Turkey did close the Straits to the arrival of future Russian warships, it could not force Russian vessels already engaging in conflict from leaving the Black Sea. It would also be required to allow those Russian vessels to return home when Russia so chose. Still, invoking the Montreux wartime provision would signal the seriousness with which Turkey, a key NATO ally, views the Russian-Ukraine conflict. It would also be broadly aligned with international efforts to isolate Russia by denying Russian access to airspace and global economic markets.

More From Just Security:

Questions for Congress to Ask the Biden Administration at the AUMF Hearing

United Nations Response Options to Russias Aggression: Opportunities and Rabbit Holes
On Monday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stunning decision transferring control over the Navys special operations forces from the commander in chief to a single federal judge in Texas. The 5th Circuits decision marks an astonishing infringement of President Joe Bidens constitutional authority over the nations armed forces, directing him to follow the instructions of an unelected judgerather than his own admiralsin deploying SEALs. High-ranking military personnel have testified under oath that this power grab constitutes a direct threat to the Navys operational abilities. As Russia invades Ukraine and declares a nuclear alert, Donald Trumps judges are actively threatening Americas national security.

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Like so many lawless cases in the 5th Circuit, this dispute began in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor. A notorious George W. Bush nominee, OConnor is best known for attempting to abolish the Affordable Care Act in 2018, then getting reversed by a 72 vote at the Supreme Court last year. So when 35 Navy Special Warfare service members refused to comply with Bidens COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the armed forces, they brought their case to OConnor. These service membersmostly SEALs, all represented by the far-right First Liberty Instituteclaimed that their religious beliefs barred them from getting the shots. (Some said they heard divine instruction not to receive the vaccine; others asserted that the mRNA vaccines altered the divine creation of their body by unnaturally inducing production of spike proteins.)

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OConnor predictably sided against Biden in January, granting a preliminary injunction of staggering scope on the grounds that the mandate violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. He awarded himself sweeping authority over the assignment of the plaintiffs, forcing the Navy to deploy them with operational units. When several plaintiffs were denied transfer to a duty station, they asked OConnor to sanction the government for allegedly violating his order; he promptly ordered the Justice Department to explain why it should not be punished for failing to deploy these service members. (OConnor has not yet decided whether to impose sanctions.)

As of today, this lone judge continues to oversee the plaintiffs assignments, forcing the Navy to train, equip, and deploy unvaccinated troopswith granular specificity as to their exact stations and duties.

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Never before in the history of the United States has one district court judge exercised so much control over the armed forces. The Constitution assigns this authority to Congress and the president. There are certainly legal limits on executive discretion, including due process and constitutional safeguards against invidious discrimination. Right-wing lawyers have typically been loath to acknowledge any restrictions on the presidents war powers. Indeed, the conservative legal movement has endorsed a near-limitless vision of the commander in chief: Republican presidents, lawyers, and judges have argued that the Constitution allows the president to deploy troops without congressional approval, indefinitely detain enemy combatants, and exclude entire classes of immigrants from the country. But now it seems they draw the line at a simple vaccine requirementeven though all service members were already required to have at least nine vaccines upon enlistment.

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Admirals testified that the courts intervention puts the Nations ability to respond to crises around the world at unnecessary and self-inflicted risk.

Setting aside this hypocrisy, OConnors order violated a fundamental principle of judicial restraint: Federal courts have long held that specific military assignments are never subject to judicial review. OConnor appears to be the first judge ever to rule that, in fact, the courts can compel the armed forces to deploy a specific service member to a specific location to perform a specific duty. If his court were in a sane circuit, this unprecedented intrusion on the presidents power would be quashed almost instantly.

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But OConnor does not sit in a sane circuit; he sits in the 5th Circuit. This rogue court is now dominated by Trump judges, and it is breaking every rule to hobble Bidens presidency. The governments request for a stay landed in the laps of two infamous Trump judges, Stuart Kyle Duncan and Kurt Engelhardt, along with Edith Jones, an infamously partisan Ronald Reagan nominee.

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In an unsigned opinion that bristled with hostility against the COVID-19 vaccine, this panel agreed that the mandate violated religious liberty. Noting that most service members are vaccinated, the panel declared that the Navy lacks the paramount interests necessary to overcome anti-vaxxers religious objections. It questioned the efficacy of the vaccine, noting that the USS Milwaukee was sidelined in December 2021 by a COVID-19 outbreak despite having a fully vaccinated crew. (Unmentioned was the fact that the crews vaccination status prevented even more transmission and serious illness.) The panel then found that the Navy will not be irreparably harmed by OConnors order. And it concluded that the public interest lies in keeping the plaintiffs unvaccinated.

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These last two assertionsthat both the Navy and the American people are better off with OConnors continued supervision of unvaccinated special forcesis not just wrong. It is dangerously delusional. In support of the mandate, the Justice Department filed five declarations from high-ranking Navy officers: Adm. Daryl L. Caudle, Vice Adm. William Merz, Capt. Joon Yun, Rear Adm. Gayle D. Shaffer, and Capt. Christopher Brown.

These leaders explained that OConnors order poses a direct threat to the militarys readiness and lethality. Service members in the Navy, they wrote, live in extremely close quarters with one another for lengthy periods. An outbreak on a ship or submarine can thwart an entire mission. OConnors reasoningabout the incremental impact of adding a few unvaccinated membersis thus incorrect and dangerous logic. With each additional unvaccinated member, the risk to personnel and risk to mission increases exponentially and unacceptably. The mandate is thus the most effective and readily available tool the Armed Forces has to protect vital United States national interests. Simply put, the less people who are vaccinated, the less ready the Navy is to deter aggression and, if required, fight and win in combat.

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The bottom line, these admirals and captains testified, is the COVID-19 vaccine is keeping ships at sea, submarines on patrol and aircraft flying to protect and defend the Nations and our partners and allies interests. Forcing the Navy to deploy unvaccinated members puts the Nations ability to respond to crises around the world at unnecessary and self-inflicted risk.

The military leaders also testified that OConnors order had grievously undermined the chain of command. In the deadly business of protecting our national security, they wrote, we cannot have a Sailor who disobeys a lawful order to receive a vaccine because they harbor a personal objection any more than we can have a Sailor who disobeys the technical manual for operating a nuclear reactor because he or she believes they know better. Our success, our national security, and the safety of our people depends on instinctive compliance with orders. OConnors injunction invites service members to challenge a commanders professional military judgment, whether it concerns training, assignment of duties, or other everyday orders essential to the Navys mission that they might find to be objectionable.

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The 5th Circuit shrugged off this testimony, substituting expert judgment with its own whims. Its decision opens the door to a significant escalation: The plaintiffs have asked OConnor to extend his injunction to an entire class of Navy anti-vaxxersexempting up to 4,000 service members from the mandate and seizing control over their deployment orders. If the Supreme Court does not put a stop to this subversion, OConnor appears poised to bite off an exponentially bigger chunk of Bidens authority.

While the world inches closer toward the possibility of nuclear war and Russia presses further into Ukraine, OConnor, Jones, Duncan, and Engelhardt are sabotaging the Navys ability to fight. If this judicial assault on military readiness during a violent global conflict does not run afoul of the commander in chiefs constitutional powers, it is hard to imagine what would.
A Prospect Heights woman has been charged in the October hit-and-run death of a man near Vernon Hills, the Lake County sheriffs office said Tuesday.

Amanda Cisneros-Elacio, 20, of the 800 block of East Old Willow Road, was taken into custody Monday on a warrant for leaving the scene of an accident causing death, the sheriffs office said. She is charged in the Oct. 9 death of Wojciech Glowik, 22, of Glenview.

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Glowik was found around 2 a.m. that date along Illinois Route 45 in Indian Creek. At a Tuesday bond hearing, Lake County prosecutors said Glowik had left a social gathering at a residence, and had walked outside to the end of a driveway when he was hit. He had ordered an Uber ride, which was canceled when the driver didnt see Glowik, the prosecutor said.

Surveillance video from a nearby residence showed an Audi SUV hitting Glowik and driving away at 1:54 a.m., Assistant States Attorney Dino Katris said at a Tuesday bond hearing

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Glowik was transported to a hospital with critical injuries and later died.

About a week later, police seized an Audi SUV at an auto body shop in Wheeling that they said had damage consistent with evidence collected at the scene of the hit-and-run.

Police said they concluded, after hundreds of hours of investigation, that Cisneros-Elacio was driving the vehicle when it struck Glowik. Authorities said they conducted dozens of interviews and reviewed video surveillance before making the arrest. Cisneros-Elacio told police in an interview that she struck an animal, but did not report it, the prosecutor said

Cisneros-Elacio was ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Judge Theodore Potkonjak on Tuesday set a Friday hearing for status of attorney.

If the driver had only stopped and called for help, maybe the young man who died would have had an opportunity to survive, Sheriff John Idleburg said. I hope this arrest provides the victims family with the first steps toward closure.
Russias difficult relationship with cryptocurrency has grown yet more complicated during the countrys aggressive invasion of Ukraine. Russia kicked off 2022 with a proposed ban on using or mining cryptocurrencies in the country before fully pivoting in February to suggest that regulation may be a better route than outright prohibition. The countrys lurching dance with crypto shows how this new technology both empowers and threatens prevailing government interests. While cryptocurrencies are nearly as popular as gold among Russian investors, according to recent surveys, Russians affinity for investing in digital currencies also introduces risks to the financial system that the Kremlin is reluctant to tolerate.

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However, recent events may paint the most compelling use case for cryptocurrency in Russian political affairs: as a new tool in conventional warfare. Since initiating its brazen invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, challenging decades of international sovereignty norms, cryptocurrency has played a significant role for both parties in the conflict, and even for nonparticipants. While the war has been waged primarily through conventional technologiestanks, missiles, and combatants on the groundcryptocurrency has played an increasingly pivotal, nonviolent role in the war. Cryptocurrency has served as a new countermeasure to the Ukrainian defense, as an escape hatch for Russia as it navigates crushing sanctions from the West, and even as a tool for nonparticipants to support Ukraine in the conflict. However, these new intersections between money and war are likely temporary.

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First, digital currencies have provided new ways for Russia to sidestep the worlds primary response to its attack: sanctions. Many commentators argue that the country has likely been developing such a strategy in the years since it invaded Crimea. Individuals and businesses targeted by sanctions can simply move their funds through crypto networks, which remain harder to monitor and control by governments, particularly across borders. However, it is worth noting that this seemingly simple strategy remains rife with difficulties. In fact, Russia may be far better off continuing its efforts to develop an alternate financial network that circumvents SWIFT (which is the global interbank financial network used to enforce sanctions). Still, given the sheer scope of Russian wealth held in cryptocurrencies, digital money will likely play a role in future sanctions against the country.

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Beyond this, cryptocurrency provides new attack vectors for the Ukrainian defense to hit back at Russia. Recognizing the opportunity for Russians to evade sanctions via crypto, Ukrainian officials have publicly solicited information on Russian politicians crypto wallets in order to monitor, publicize, and potentially intercept these attempts at evading the Wests nonviolent interventions. Two days into the armed conflict, Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov sent a tweet offering substantial rewards for any tips. The effort reflects not only the impressive capabilities of Ukraines still-growing IT army, but also the vulnerabilities that Russia still faces in its efforts to use this technology as a functional escape hatch from global punishment for its illegitimate actions.

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However, Ukraines cryptocurrency defense strategy doesnt stop with a call to hackers arms. The country has also requested that major cryptocurrency exchanges freeze every digital currency wallet associated with Russian users. Fedorov even claimed it crucial to freeze not only the addresses linked to Russian and Belarusian politicians, but also to sabotage ordinary users, a suggestion eliciting mixed responses among crypto exchanges. Crypto exchange operators are now in positions of significant power over the role of digital money in todays war. While a wide swath of these exchanges have begun freezing Russian cryptocurrency wallets on their networks, some have been reluctant to comply and have limited their efforts to the minimum necessary compliance with sanctions. This development may be one of the most significant points of uncertainty around cryptos use case in war, as it highlights the extremely youngand underregulatednature of the digital currency market, and the enormous power that these circumstances place on a small set of large business owners.

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Finally, digital money has also provided a new avenue for people outside of the armed conflict to support Ukraine. In the early days of the war, small corners of the cryptocurrency community began organizing to send digital currency donations in support of Ukraines defense. Since the countrys president openly solicited crypto donations with a publicly listed wallet address, the fundraising effort has amassed more than $22 million in financial support for the defense in a matter of days. While these figures pale in comparison with the billions of dollars in Ukraines defense budget, and the magnitudes larger funding that Russia has at its disposal, the rapid accumulation of financial support for defense has provided a compelling use case for cryptos role as a nonviolent intervention in conventional wars by non-participants.

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While crypto has helped both sides in todays conflict, the Ukrainian defense has arguably benefited more from digital moneys new role in war than Russia, at least for now. These developments are due to two unique causes which shape the lessons we can learn from todays examples. On one hand, the unique technology of cryptocurrency has paved the way for these new and creative applications of digital money in interstate conflict, especially the rapid settlement of payments that are more difficult for governments to monitor and control. On the other hand, most of these developments are due to the extremely early nature of crypto markets. The technological promises of digital currency are only appreciating their time in the limelight because there are few to no binding rules on how money moves through cryptocurrency networks, and particularly how it crosses borders.

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In this respect, the ability for digital money to make an impact in war is really a symptom of underregulation, a situation that is even less likely to continue after the use cases portrayed in todays conflict. When the dust of this war finally settles, it is likely that we will see countries turn their focus toward regulating crypto more broadly. Especially as many governments are already working to develop their own central bank digital currencies, it is likely that we will approach an end to the Wild West phase of the cryptocurrency market, and usher in an age of digital currency conflict that may open new doors for crypto in global politics.

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While the novel roles for digital money in conventional conflict are impressive, and even an exciting set of nonviolent measures, the future of this dynamic is highly uncertain. Some countries may appreciate, or even enjoy the weaponization of digital money for geopolitical goals. However, further integration of cryptocurrency in global conflict only jeopardizes the potential opportunities that digital money has to offer, and significantly expands the large risks associated with these instruments. In this respect, todays intersection of crypto and war call for careful thinking about whether and how countries want to allow this relationship to proceed, a decision that will require global coordination. After a long period of shirking diplomatic leadership, the U.S. faces a unique opportunity to restore and update its economic diplomacy by leading on this issuebefore others set more dangerous standards.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
This story was originally published by Undark and has been republished here with permission.

Since the first human genome was sequenced in the early 2000s, scientists have touted the breakthrough as a blessing to humanityone that holds promise to promote human health and enhance medical treatment the world over. But around two decades later, the benefits of that scientific advancement have barely rippled out beyond Europe and North America. As of 2018, people of European ancestry who represented approximately 16 percent of the world population at the timemade up 78 percent of all individuals whose genomes have ever been collected and studied.

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Over the last decade or so, international studies on human population genetics have begun to expand genomic libraries to encompass regions of the Global Southincluding Southeast Asia, where I am a science reporter, and the Pacific islands. These international studies, often led by Western scientists, have contributed to a more global understanding of ancient patterns of human migration and evolution. But on some occasions, theyve also sidestepped local regulatory agencies in the developing world, and ventured into murky research ethics terrain as a result.

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A recent examplea case that simultaneously illustrates the promise, pitfalls, and pressure points of international genomics researchcomes from the largest genetic study ever conducted in the Philippines, published last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A team led by Mattias Jakobsson of Uppsala University in Sweden and Maximilian Larena, who was a researcher in Jakobssons lab at the time, collected and analyzed DNA samples from more than 1,000 Filipinos representing 115 indigenous groups. The study determined that todays Filipino population descends from at least five distinct waves of human migration, spanning thousands of yearsa finding that they said contradicted the prevailing theory of how humans populated the islands.

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One could see the Uppsala study as a model of international collaboration. The project was endorsed by the Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts, a government body that coordinates, funds, and makes policy for the preservation, development, and promotion of Philippine arts and culture. It was also done in partnership with more than a dozen local Indigenous and cultural groups in the Philippines; the papers appendix acknowledges more than 100 Filipinos who assisted with the study in some way, and Larena is himself Filipino. And key portions of the research plan were approved by an ethics review board in Sweden.

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But many bioethicists would argue that it is not enough for researchers who do a human genomic study on foreign soil to merely collaborate with local groups. Various ethics guidelines on health-related researchincluding UNESCOs International Declaration on Human Genetic Data and international ethical guidelines published by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, or CIOMS, in collaboration with the World Health Organizationadvise researchers to seek approval from an ethics committee in the host country. Such reviews are critical, bioethicists say, because cultural and social considerations of research ethics might vary between countries. In low-resource countries especially, ethics reviews are essential to protect the interests of participants and ensure that data are used in ways that benefit local communities.

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Nowhere in Larena and Jakobssons paper, or in any of the subsequent publications based on the Philippines study, does the Uppsala team mention obtaining such an ethics approval in the Philippinesand Philippines officials say they never granted the team such an approval. Asked whether his group had obtained a formal ethics clearance in the Philippines, Jakobsson pointed to the projects endorsement from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and wrote that part of the commissions mandate is to ensure that the research they support is in accordance with the ethical principles of research involving participants from the Indigenous communities. But the NCCA primarily supports research that is cultural, not scientific, in nature, and a government website outlining the commissions mandate, powers, and functions makes no mention of any duties related to research ethics. In a 2021 letter, the commissions executive director wrote that the agency has no mandate or authority to give ethical clearance and did not give ethical clearance for the Uppsala study. (I reached out to the commission for this story but did not receive a response.)

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A failure to secure formal ethics clearance might be understandable if there were simply no official Filipino agencies equipped to provide that clearance. But the Philippines has such a bodythe National Ethics Committee, or NEC, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Health Research Ethics Boardand the Uppsala researchers were no doubt aware of this. In 2014, as the researchers were laying the groundwork to begin collecting human samples, they actively sought the NECs approval.

That approval was never granted. Marita Reyes, then the chair of the NEC, said she noticed problems with the initial Uppsala application. For instance, it did not clearly describe how research participants would be recruited, and it lacked the proper paperwork for researchers who intend to ship genetic materials overseas, she told Undark in an email. Reyes asked the Uppsala team to fix the issues and also recommended that they collaborate with local researchers who were doing similar work at the Philippine Genome Center.

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According to Jakobsson, the Uppsala researchers took issue with the stipulations levelled at their application, and they say the prospective collaborators at the Philippine Genome Center made troubling demands regarding control of the collected samples. Ultimately, the researchers withdrew their application altogether. Their rationale: They say their population genetics study was not health-related, and therefore did not fall under the jurisdiction of the NEC or the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board.* Given that your good office does not have regulatory mandate on the nature of our study, Larena wrote to Reyes in an email, we humbly withdraw our application. In the ensuing months, the Uppsala team would go on to collect DNA from more than 1,000 Filipinos without ever receiving express ethics approval from the NEC.

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The case created an uproar in the Philippines. In a public statement, Allen Capuyan, chairperson of the Philippines National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, condemned the study, saying the researchers showed a blatant disregard of critical policies governing scientific research in the Philippines. Leonardo de Castro, a Filipino bioethicist who now chairs Philippine Health Research Ethics Board, asserted that the Uppsala study did fall under the NECs jurisdiction, and he called on the journal that published the Uppsala work to issue a retraction. (I first learned of the controversy in 2018 from officials at the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board; Maria Corazon De Ungria, a laboratory director at the Philippine Genome Center, later contacted me about the matter as well.)

Meanwhile, the Uppsala researchers have maintained that they are absolutely certain that they abided by basic ethical principles of research involving humans, and they say that investigations by a Swedish ethics review board, by Uppsala University itself, and by scientific journals have cleared them of any wrongdoing.

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Nevertheless, I believe the case exposes a glaring shortcoming in the regulation of international genomics research: Even if bypassing a formal ethics review does not violate the letter of the law on human genomic research, it at least seems to go against the spirit of trust and transparency that are the foundation for healthy international scientific collaborationprinciples enshrined in the UNESCO and CIOMS guidelines. The Uppsala team is hardly the first to wade into this gray area of research ethics. In 2018, I wrote about a team of mostly Danish and American scientists who conducted a genetic study of Bajau traditional divers in Indonesia and also failed to obtain ethics approval from a local review board.

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Was the Uppsala team right to conclude that their study fell outside the jurisdiction of the Philippines health research regulatory framework? Some people seem to think so. In a letter of support to the researchers, an attorney with the National Commission for Culture and the Artsthe Philippines group that supported the studyaffirmed that the nature of the Uppsala project was exclusively cultural and fell under NCAAs jurisdiction, rather than that of the National Ethics Committee or the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. Hank Greely, a professor of law at Stanford University who specializes in biosciences, including bioethics, said that the study published in PNAS didnt appear to be health-related and suggested its reasonable to argue that health research guidelines shouldnt apply in this case, although that wouldnt mean that no ethical standards should apply.

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But other bioethics expertsincluding Triono Soendoro, the chair of the Indonesian Society of Ethics Committee for Research and Servicessay that ethics standards like those developed by CIOMS and enforced by the Philippine Health Research Ethics Board were clearly meant to apply broadly to research involving human biological samples, even studies that have non-medical purposes. Population genetics research that identifies subjects by social or ethnic group, as the Uppsala study does, is certainly covered by CIOMS, said Eric Juengst, a bioethicist and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Human genomic science is too important, too consequential, to allow this precarious state of affairs to persist. If we want science to serve the whole of humanity, we need a strong set of universally binding rules on research ethicsrules that clearly give local authorities a voice on matters of research ethics in all studies involving human genetic sampling, not just those that are obviously medical in nature.

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In the Uppsala case, for instance, a formal ethics review might have offered important safeguards to ensure participants were fully aware of how their samples would be used and stored. Although participants signed informed consent forms that laid out many details of the research, a copy of the form obtained by Undark did not mention that samples would be shipped out of the country, to Sweden, for sequencing and analysis. This information could conceivably have influenced a subjects decision to participate. (In a follow up email after publication, the Uppsala researchers provided seven lettersdated after the publication of this essaysigned by individuals attesting that they were involved in the sampling process and affirming that participants were aware their samples would be shipped to Sweden.)*

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Formal ethics reviews are also crucial for ensuring that low-resource countries can freely and independently access data that might benefit the health and wellbeing of their people. Even genetic data obtained for purposes unrelated to health may later prove beneficial for medical purposes. Data generated from more than 1,000 samples collected in the Uppsala study are now stored in the European Genome-Phenome Archive, where a Data Access Committee now has sole power to determine who can use it for future studiesalthough one condition must be that such research is in accordance with consent provided by study participants.* (The archives website doesnt specify the members of the Data Access Committee assigned to the Philippines data set, but it lists Larena as the contact person.) Research institutions in the Philippines are not guaranteed to be able to make use of data from the largest human genetic sampling ever conducted on its own soil (though Jakobsson indicated in an email after this essays publication that some researchers in the Philippines have been granted access through a data sharing consortium).*

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The international scientific community must be proactive in raising the standards of global research ethics. Prestigious journals, the gatekeepers of science, should ensure that researchers who collect human DNA samples make every effort to secure formal ethics approvals in the countries where the sample collection is performed. They should also be transparent about investigations of ethics misconduct and involve ethicists from developing countries in those investigations whenever possible.

Human genomic science should not stop at merely satisfying our curiosity. It should also serve the poor and the marginalized. Otherwise, if history is any guide, it will lead only to increasingly extreme disparities between the Global North and the Global South.

Corrections and updates, March 7, 2022: A previous version of this piece, which was originally published by Undark, stated that a group of Uppsala researchers had initially withdrawn their application to a Philippines research ethics authority because their proposed study was cultural, not health related. While the Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts described the work as cultural, the researchers themselves describe the work as a study of heritage. The piece has been edited to remove this error. The piece also imprecisely described the data stored in the European Genome-Phenome Archive. It is data generated from the more than 1,000 genetic samples collected. The 1,000 samples themselves are not stored in the archive. This piece has also been updated to clarify whether participants in the study knew that their DNA samples would be shipped to Sweden for analysis. As the piece originally stated, consent forms signed by study participants did not mention this transfer. Following publication of this essay, however, the researchers produced statementsdated March 2, 2022from seven individuals involved in the sampling process attesting that study participants were informed of the shipment plans. The essay has been updated to reflect this. The piece also questioned whether institutions in the Philippines would be able to make use of the data collected by the Uppsala team. In an email sent to Undark after publication, the researchers indicated that some researchers in the Philippines have already been granted access through a data-sharing consortium.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
If youre tired of your desk job, perhaps you will be intrigued by a recent career listing form the Department of the Interiors US Fish and Wildlife Service: Grizzly Bear Conflict Manager.

The salary range for the job is $79,363 - $103,176 per year, and the location is flexible, within 100 miles of a few towns in Montana.

This leaves one important question though, as Erin McCann, an editor at the New York Times who shared the listing on Twitter, pointed out:

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Why is there so much conflict in the grizzly community in the first place  erin mccann | (@mccanner) February 25, 2022

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Bears do fight with each otherlike when they compete for a mate. But as a pretty solitary species, the need for a third party arbitrator is low. Instead, grizzly bear conflict is usually defined as scuttles between bears and property or humans. This includes livestock predation and unexpected encounters (like having one turn up in your backyard because you left the garbage out, or if you run into one while hiking).

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What happens after a conflict involves a series of choices, made by the grizzly bear conflict manager. When a grizzly conflict is reported, and the grizzly in question is still on the lam, often that bear will be trapped. (You can read and watch a video about trapping bears for research here and here.) Sometimes the bear will simply be released, sometimes itll be relocated (away from a ranch or place with livestock, for example). Or, if no other option is available, the bear might be euthanized. Killing bears is the worst part of my job, recently-retired conflict specialist Tim Manley has said, according to the Flathead Beacon. We try to avoid having to do it but when bears become very food-conditioned and start causing property damage and breaking into vehicles, trailers and cabins, those bears are removed.

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Were in an important moment for the grizzly conflict manager gig. Manley, who worked in Northwest Montana managing grizzlies for nearly 30 years, told the Flathead Beacon that 2021 was one of his busiest years. Human-bear conflict is on the rise, including bear attacks.

As bear populations continue to increase, interactions with bears and humans are only going to get more common. Grizzly bears are a threatened speciesnot quite endangered, but they are protected. This means that harming or killing them is illegal except in cases of self-defense. But Montana Governor Greg Gianforte is considering lifting the ban on hunting the bears, given the uptick in conflict. The ad notes that the bears belong to a highly controversial species, and suggests that candidates should have a balanced perspective.

If the gig sounds appealing to you, be aware that the job listing also requires applicants to have not just prior bear handling experience, but also the ability to deal with large numbers of biting insects. Fun!
Welcome to Source Notes, a Future Tense column about the internets information ecosystem.

On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin issued the order for Russian forces to invade Ukraine. Since then, Russians have killed 352 Ukrainian civilians, including 14 children, according to Reuters. That information is now reflected on the English Wikipedia page for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, an article that sprang to life mere minutes after Putins televised address and has been collaboratively written by nearly 740 distinct authors as of Tuesday morning.

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With deadly explosions in Ukraines capital city of Kyiv and a developing refugee crisis, it might seem odd to cover the play-by-play of a digital encyclopedia. But internet-savvy Ukrainians, including the countrys own Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recognize that how the facts are represented on Wikipedia matters. Right now, the number of people reading about Ukraine on Wikipedia is at an unprecedented highspiking to more than 22 million English page views in the past month versus roughly 290,000 in February 2021. Meanwhile, Russia is coupling its lethal military campaign with a Goebbels-like propaganda blitz. The lies from Moscow put pressure on Wikipedia to maintain the sites disinformation countermeasures.

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But before covering the latest developments, its worth revisiting one of the most brutal edit wars in Wikipedias history, which also says something about the Ukrainian spirit. The issue was whether the web encyclopedia should spell Ukraines capital as Kyiv or Kiev. Beginning in 2003, editors tried to change the spelling on the subjects Wikipedia page, taking advantage of the sites open platform to modify it from Kiev to Kyiv and back again. Kyiv derives from the Ukrainian language, while Kiev has Russian-language roots and is seen by Ukrainians as an imperial imposition. Both sides recognized that the spelling on Wikipedia was not a trivial matter. Not only does Wikipedia inform the work of journalists and publishers, but it powers Googles search results around the world.

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For nearly two decades, Wikipedia editors retained the Kiev spelling, spending more than 50,000 words on arguments and discussion about the issue (archived here). But following Russias invasion of Crimea in 2014, many Western media outlets began using the Y, acknowledging the importance of that spelling to Ukraines national identity. The social media campaign #KyivNotKiev launched in 2018 and began gaining traction. In August 2020, Wikipedia editors began a long and spirited discussion about how language changes over time, and whether Wikipedia should play a role in righting great wrongs. After reaching consensus to use the Ukrainian name, English Wikipedia editors formally adopted Kyiv in September 2020.

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Now that Kyiv vs. Kiev has been resolved (at least on Wikipedia), the editors are working to document the breaking news of Russias invasion. The English Wikipedia page on the invasion provides historical context prior to Feb. 24, including the 2014 annexation of Crimea and Russias opposition to Ukraine joining NATO. There is a daily timeline of events, including Russias launching ballistic missiles at airfields and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys mobilization of all Ukrainian males 18 to 60 years old. Besides the Wikipedia article for the invasion itself, there is an entry on the larger Russo-Ukrainian War dating to 2014 and separate pages for its individual battles like the Battle of Kharkiv and the Attack on Snake Island.

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Wikipedia editors are required to construct the encyclopedia pages using reliable sources. The policies generally prohibit Russias state-run media outlets, which are seen as unreliable, from being used in citations. For instance, English Wikipedias source guidelines state the following about the publication Russia Today: There is consensus that RT is an unreliable source  a mouthpiece of the Russian government that engages in propaganda and disinformation.

Although Wikipedia itself has a reputation for being somewhat text-focused, the articles about the conflict in Ukraine are embedded with visuals. Theres an animated map of the invasion and photos of apartment buildings that have been struck by Russian missiles. One photo showing a structure hit by a missile fragment in Kyiv initially caused some controversy. At first, Wikipedia editors were unable to verify its authenticity, but later were persuaded by the fact that the image file contained full metadata. The metadata showed the precise geolocation where the photo had been taken in Kyiv, and indicated that it had been taken with a first-generation iPhone on the ground.

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According to Samuel Breslow, an experienced Wikipedia editor and an information journalist, one of the trickiest elements of covering the Russian invasion is writing the encyclopedia articles at the right level of detail. Wikipedia aspires to take a long-term world-historical view similar to a traditional encyclopedia like Encyclopedia Britannica. That means presenting a summary rather than an overly detailed description of historical events. But with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, its not immediately clear what events will have long-term historical importance. For instance, we dont know whether the Ghost of Kyiv will ultimately be a significant part of the narrative of the invasion or just a momentary internet rumor, Breslow said in an email. (If youre curious, the Ghost of Kyivs wiki page describes it as an unconfirmed MiG-29 Fulcrum flying ace credited with shooting down six Russian planes. The page also notes that the Ghost is most likely an urban legend that has had the effect of boosting Ukrainian morale.)

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Most of the English Wikipedia articles relating to the invasion of Ukraine have a blue E symbol in the top-right corner, indicating that editing is limited to experienced Wikipedia editors, those with at least 500 edits and a months tenure. That means brand-new editors can only propose edits to the articles behind-the-scenes talk pages. On the one hand, this protective measure cuts against Wikipedias ethos as the encyclopedia that everyone can edit. But Wikipedians say that the extra level of protection is helping to reduce vandalism and disinformation attacks on Ukraine-related information. Writing on Wikipedia always comes with a lot of responsibility, Breslow said in an email. Wikipedia is the major collective record of humanitys knowledge, and its articles are read by a staggering number of readers. They influence what people believe and how they live their lives, so its essential we make them as reliable, neutral, and comprehensive as possible.

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Meanwhile, there are echoes of the old Kyiv vs. Kiev battle lingering on Russian Wikipedia.

Its important to note that there is not a singular Wikipedia, but rather at least 323 language editionsand that these language editions can vary considerably. For instance, although English Wikipedia has seen a huge uptick in the amount of activity dedicated to Ukraine, the Ukrainian-language version has seen considerably less activity. Since the invasion, the number of article edits per day on Ukrainian Wikipedia has decreased by at least 50 percent, according to the Wikimedia Foundation. Thats understandable. When a superpower is invading your country, the Wikipedia-editing hobby tends to fall off the old to-do list. Editing Wikipedia from a bomb shelter is difficult, said Mykola Kozlenko, the vice president of the Wikimedia Ukraine user group. To be honest, covering the invasion is not our main priority now. People are mainly trying to put in place their plan B, either by evacuating to a safer place, by joining the army, or by joining volunteer organizations. Kozlenko told me that he knew of Ukrainian Wikipedia editors who were supporting the army by giving blood, organizing supplies, and building barricades designed to thwart the Russian armys advance.

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One Wikipedia edition that has signaled its support for Ukraine is Georgian Wikipedia, the version for the language spoken in the country of Georgia, which like Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. To express solidarity, the editors of Georgian Wikipedia changed their logo to reflect the blue-and-gold coloring of Ukraines flag. English Wikipedia has not yet changed its logo, and past efforts to make a public political statement have been controversial. For example, back in 2020, English Wikipedia editors voted against a proposal to black out the site in support of Black Lives Matter in part due to concerns that it could threaten Wikipedias reputation for neutrality.

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Meanwhile, there are echoes of the old Kyiv vs. Kiev battle lingering on Russian Wikipedia, where some editors have pushed to rename the article, changing it from Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022) to either Russian Military Operation in Ukraine or even the Liberation of Ukraine (emphasis added). This is Russian Wikipedia and we must interpret events from a Russian point of view, argued LukaE, a Russian Wikipedia editor. (LukaE, naturally, wrote in Russian; I used Google Translate to translate this and other comments.) A few editors repeated the Kremlins position, pushed without basis, that Russia is on a peacekeeping mission. The Russian side does not consider this a war, but a special operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, wrote Russian editor Alexander Poryadin. Other Russians argued that the word invasion was inflammatory and violated Wikipedias policy to present information from a neutral point of view. Note how this maneuver weaponizes the concept of neutrality to conceal and mischaracterize the underlying facts.

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Ultimately, Russian Wikipedia editors determined that the word invasion was accurate, and reached an agreement to preserve that word in the articles title. As the Russian editor Pessimist put it, Russian troops invaded the territory of Ukraine. Its just a fact, not a point of view. Todays readers of Russian Wikipedia will find an article describing their countrys invasion of their neighbor.

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At first, it might come as a surprise that Russian-language users on Russian Wikipedia would be willing to defy Putins preferred spin on events, especially given his governments willingness to arrest anyone who opposes him. But as Slates Yana Pashaeva has reported, Russian citizens have been loudly denouncing the attacks on social media and other digital channels, despite great threats to their personal safety. Overall, it seems encouraging that Russian Wikipedia editors would be willing to call an invasion what it is. In the best case, its a leading indicator: The Russian people are resisting Putins war.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
ARCHIVED - Polar air mass will radically reduce temperatures: Spain weather forecast March 1-3



Heavy rainfall and a DANA storm are predicted in Spain as the week moves on

While spring begins in Spain in mid-March, the arrival of the new month is set to herald far more winter-like weather as a polar air mass sweeps across the country, bringing rain, night frosts and daytime temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees lower than what we have been experiencing

Spain welcomes March with relatively stable weather and rain confined to the north but all this will change in Thursday 3, according to the experts.

As of Thursday we are going to have significant changes in the atmospheric situation, Ruben del Campo, spokesman for the State Agency for Meteorology (Aemet) warned.

A mass of polar air arrives in our geographical environment  air coming from higher latitudes, not necessarily from the pole, despite the name  much colder than what we currently have.

The cold air is likely to give rise to a DANA weatherfront (with isolated depression at high levels) in the coming days with storms predicted along the Mediterranean coast, causing a significant reduction in temperatures and widespread rain as we come into the weekend.

While Spain is braced for a few days of wintery weather that may slightly alleviate the ongoing drought situation , the meteorologist doesnt foresee any long-lasting rain.

Tuesday March 1: An inactive Atlantic front will enter the peninsular northwest, leading to rainfall in Galicia and the north of the country but generally clear skies throughout the rest of Spain. Temperatures will rise in eastern parts where the mercury will hit the low 20s.

An inactive Atlantic front will enter the peninsular northwest, leading to rainfall in Galicia and the north of the country but generally clear skies throughout the rest of Spain. Temperatures will rise in eastern parts where the mercury will hit the low 20s. Wednesday March 2: Rain will persist in the north but the weather will remain stable in the rest of Spain, although temperatures will drop everywhere except for the Mediterranean coast, where the thermometers could top 25C in cities like Valencia.

Rain will persist in the north but the weather will remain stable in the rest of Spain, although temperatures will drop everywhere except for the Mediterranean coast, where the thermometers could top 25C in cities like Valencia. Thursday March 3: A fairly active front will cross Spain from the northwest to southeast, leading to rainfall in large areas of the northern half of the peninsula and, to a lesser extent, the south and east. A mass of cold air will significantly lower temperatures across the country, with the coldest weather being felt on Thursday night.

Image: Aemet
Public opinion has shifted. Fewer Slovaks are "bear huggers" after the invasion.

Protest against the war and in support of Ukraine in Bratislava. (Source: Sme)

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Six out of ten Slovaks blame Russia for the war in Ukraine.

The Focus AKO polling agency polled 1,000 respondents for the Hospodarske Noviny daily on Friday, one day after Russia invaded Slovakia's immediate neighbour, Ukraine. More than 62 percent of respondents said Russia was responsible for the war.

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Meanwhile, 25 percent of those polled believe the US is to be blamed for the conflict.

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Related article Why Russia is winning the information war in Slovakia Read more

The claim that the US and the NATO were escalating the tension in Europe is one of the narratives frequently stressed by the pro-Kremlin websites in Slovakia. It has also been adopted by some opposition politicians.

Most prominent among them is the onetime ruling party Smer and its leader Robert Fico, who in his official statement condemned the invasion but reiterated that the war in Ukraine was a conflict between Russia and the US.

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Related article Moscow or bust: Fico backs Russia, sees popularity rise Read more

The Slovak population has been consistently deemed particularly vulnerable to pro-Kremlin propaganda and disinformation by researchers. A poll by the Globsec think tank last year put Slovakia, together with Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro, in the group of bear huggers.

In a poll from earlier this year, during the heated discussion about the Defence Cooperation Agreement with the US that the opposition fiercely campaigned against, 44 percent said US and NATO were responsible for the escalation of tension.

Afer the invasion, 8.9 percent of Slovaks polled blamed NATO for the war, while 7.8 percent said Ukraine was responsible and 5 percent said the EU was to be blamed. The respondents in the poll could mark more than one of the offered answers. More than 16 percent did not know or did not want to say.

About a quarter of those polled is convinced that there will be no war in Slovakia in the near future as a consequence of the war in Ukraine. Nearly half of those polled said they believed war was unlikely, while 13 percent said it was likely and 3 percent definitely expect war to break out in Slovakia.

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But the investment cannot be carried out without the joint effort of the EU institutions, the Slovak government and affected businesses, the company has said.

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U.S. Steel Kosice is planning to make a large investment in Slovakia.

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It wants to invest 1.3 billion in its modernisation project, which will include a new metallurgical unit. However, it stresses this cannot be done without the cooperation of the European institutions, the Slovak government and affected business subjects.

Investment Advisory Guide Well-arranged information about the economy, labour market, investor support, legislation, and real estate as well as investment opportunities in Slovakia. For more details visit our online shop.

The aim [of the investment] is to modernise the process of steel production, its casting and rolling into coils while reducing energy and raw material intensity, eliminate a significant portion of negative impacts on creating carbon footprint, and secure the sustainability of production, reads the document submitted for the environmental impact assessment, as quoted by the SITA newswire.

No increase in total production

The new unit should bring the production, casting and rolling of steel under one roof while using new, progressive technologies.

Matovic sees decarbonisation as the only way to secure the future of Kosice steelmaker Read more

It should comprise two electric arc furnaces, out-of-furnace steel processing operations, and one metallurgical line for fluent casting and hot rolling with an annual steel production capacity of up to 3,100,000 tonnes.

The implementation of the project will not increase the total production of U.S. Steel Kosice, the company said, as quoted by SITA. The construction of new technologies of metallurgical production will be done at the expense of a reduction in the production of existing facilities while preserving the current production of steel and hot roll products.

The works on the project are scheduled to start next year and finish two years later.

Support from the government needed

As the representatives of U.S. Steel Kosice stressed, a project of such an extent can be carried out only as a joint effort of the European institutions, the Slovak government and other affected business subjects.

Slovakias industry strives to be greener, needs more money and time Read more

This is part of the decarbonisation plan, and its implementation will depend on the EU's approval, the full support of the Slovak government, and the readiness of the energy infrastructure for running new technologies, said its spokesperson Jan Baca, as quoted by SITA.

The talks about the decarbonisation of production in the Kosice-based steelworks have been ongoing for some time now. Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) even visited the headquarters of the company in Pittsburgh in May 2021.

He said after the trip that the decarbonisation of production is the only way to secure the future of the U.S. Steel plant in Kosice. At the time, he estimated the investment at 1.5 billion.

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The police react to tens of thousands of refugees crossing the Slovak border.

People fleeing war in Ukraine at the border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, eastern Slovakia. (Source: Sme - Marko Erd)

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The Foreigners Police branches have announced the limitation of operations.

Taking into consideration the situation in Ukraine, the police stated that they will deal only with foreigners from Ukraine.

Other agenda will be limited until further notice, reported spokesperson for police Denisa Bardyova.

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Only foreigners arriving from Ukraine, who are citizens of Ukraine or their family relatives, will be handled at workplaces, Bardyova said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

At the same time, the Foreigners Police are drawing attention to compliance with the so-called reporting obligation in accordance with the Act on the Residence of Foreigners in the form of the Residence Report form, which can be downloaded from the website of the Interior Ministry.

The original of the completed and signed form must be delivered to the locally competent department of the Foreigners Police.

The spokesperson added that all contacts at the Foreigners Police Departments can also be found on the website of the Ministry of the Interior: www.minv.sk.
Slovakia depends on raw materials from Russia.

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Despite the ban on Russian planes from entering Slovak airspace, a Russian aircraft landed at Bratislava airport on the morning of March 1.

The cargo plane of the Volga Dnepr Airlines company received an exemption as it was carrying nuclear fuel for Slovakia's two nuclear power plants, Mochovce and Jaslovske Bohunice, both in western Slovakia. The Economy Ministry confirmed the information by explaining that the supplies the plane carried consisted of efforts to secure Slovakia's resources in the event of problems with fuel supplies from Russia.

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"After gas and oil, Slovakia's economy has secured another energy carrier," Economy Minister Richard Sulik (SaS) stated as quoted by the TASR newswire.
1. Mar 2022 at 17:30 I Modified at 23. Mar 2022 at 11:33

Temporary protection will be provided until the end of 2022 for now.

Refugees from Ukraine on the Vysne Nemecke border crossing. (Source: TASR)

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On March 1 Slovakia started providing temporary protection to people from Ukraine fleeing the war.

It is described as the easiest way of protecting refugees, not requiring long administrative procedures and enabling Ukrainian citizens quick and unlimited access to the labour market and health care, their children access to education, the Interior Ministry announced.

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For now, temporary protection will be provided until March 4, 2023, but this period can either be prolonged or shortened, based on the situation.

Read more about the current developments concerning war in Ukraine.

Important information concerning temporary protection:

the applications of people who prove their identity and state citizenship will be evaluated in an expedited procedure. Identity can be proven by presenting: a driving licence plus birth certificate; valid or invalid passport; ID card; any other personal document with a picture of its holder plus birth certificate;

people with temporary protection will be entitled to basic health care (just as in the case of asylum seekers);

in case refugees from Ukraine are accommodated in asylum facilities run by the Interior Ministry, they will receive food, hygiene products and pocket money (just as in the case of asylum seekers).

Foreigners Police branches will remain open only to foreigners from Ukraine Read more

Who can ask for temporary protection:

state citizens of Ukraine and their family members: spouses; the underage child of a state citizen of Ukraine or underage child of their spouse; parents of an underage child who is a state citizen of Ukraine;

people who are not Ukrainian citizens, if they had asylum, international protection or permanent residence in Ukraine, and had to flee the war.

Four hotspots and special website in Ukrainian to help refugees Read more

Who cannot ask for temporary protection:

Ukrainians who have temporary or permanent residence in Slovakia;

asylum seekers;

people who were already granted asylum or subsidiary protection.
Police deployed stop sticks six times on southbound Interstate 65 Monday while attempting to apprehend a motorist who led them on a more than 45-mile chase.

The driver, Jarett Astin Rivera, 31, of Indianapolis, is facing seven charges including felony resisting law enforcement (prior conviction); felony resisting law enforcement; felony possession of legend drug and felony obstruction of justice. Rivera was also charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and reckless driving.

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He was wanted on warrants from the Marion County sheriffs office for dealing in cocaine and resisting law enforcement, both felonies.

Trooper Kevin Council first attempted to pull over Rivera who was driving a white 2020 Toyota Camry southbound on I-65 near the 241 mile-marker, north of the Indiana 2 Lowell exit, after observing several different traffic violations, according to Sgt. Glen Fifield, public information officer for the Indiana State Police.

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Rivera refused to pull over and continued to travel south at the highway speed of 70 mph, a release said. The pursuit continued for about 10 miles with the vehicles speed ranging from about 60 to 80 mph.

Stop sticks were set up near the Demotte Roselawn exit at the 230 mile-marker. Rivera struck the stop sticks but continued southbound on I-65. Stop sticks were then set up two more times on the highway at the 225 mile marker and the 218 mile marker, according to the release. The driver was able to avoid them.

Another set of stop sticks were set up at the 215 mile marker by the Rensselaer Police Department. This time the vehicle struck the stop sticks but continued to flee. The driver lost a rear tire, but continued to flee at reduced speeds of 60 to 70 mph, according to the release.

Stop sticks were deploy again near the 205 mile marker, but the fleeing vehicle was able to avoid them. A last set of stop sticks was place at the 198 mile marker and where the Toyota struck them.

The vehicle continued southbound until it ran off the road near the 196 mile marker. Still the driver continued to flee, driving southwest into a field for a few hundred yards.

Jasper County Sheriffs deputies were able to apprehend Rivera in the field and place him under arrest without further incident. Rivera was wanted on an active arrest warrant through the Marion County sheriffs office. Police found him in possession of marijuana, paraphernalia and a legend drug, a release said.

Evidence at the scene led officers to believe Mr. Rivera destroyed suspected narcotics prior to being taken into custody, Fifield said in the release.

Rivera was transported to the Lake County Jail since the chase originated in Lake County.

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Indiana State Police Lowell District were assisted by the IPS Lafayette District, Jasper County sheriffs office, Newton County sheriffs office, Rensselaer Police Department, Remington Police Department, White County sheriffs office and Farneys Towing.

Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://sputniknews.com/20220228/fence-around-us-capitol-building-is-being-reinstalled-ahead-of-bidens-state-of-the-union-address-1093464122.html

Fence Around US Capitol Building Is Being Reinstalled Ahead of Biden's State of the Union Address

Fence Around US Capitol Building Is Being Reinstalled Ahead of Biden's State of the Union Address

In the past year, following the January 6 siege of the Capitol, fencing was erected around the building, and it was reinstalled before a September protest in... 28.02.2022, Sputnik International

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For US President Joe Biden's State of the Union address this week, the Capitol fence will be re-erected.Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger stated on Sunday that an inner-perimeter fence will be constructed around the Capitol. According to the police chief, the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution," as well as "in conjunction with the United States Secret Service."According to the US media reports, authorities are beefing up security in anticipation of possibly disruptive truck convoys arriving in Washington. Truckers recently shut down parts of Ottawa for weeks in protest of COVID-19 mandates, a protest that reverberated in conservative circles in the United States. Earlier this month, Capitol Police said that they were "aware of plans for a series of truck convoys arriving in Washington, DC around the time of the State of the Union" and were preparing extra security. At the time, the agency stated that restoring the Capitol building fence was still an option, but that no decision had been taken.The National Guard stated on Wednesday that up to 700 servicemembers will be available to assist local DC authorities in managing demonstrations until March 7. According to Capitol Police, a number of highways in the nation's capital will be closed for Tuesday's address, but the closures are "not related to the potential truck and vehicle convoys," as they are the same as those put in place in previous years.Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis took to Twitter on Monday to tell his followers that the Biden Administration had requested him to send the State National Guard to DC, but DeSantis had refused. Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address tomorrow., According to the known information about the contents of the speech, the president's intentions for 2022 will be laid out, which will also highlight the hurdles the government faced in its first year.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220301/council-of-europe-responsible-for-situation-in-ukraine-leningrad-region-governor-says-1093479101.html

Council of Europe Responsible for Situation in Ukraine, Leningrad Region Governor Says

Council of Europe Responsible for Situation in Ukraine, Leningrad Region Governor Says

The Council of Europe is responsible for the situation in Ukraine since Europe has never met Russia's proposals to assess and discuss the situation in Donbas... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T14:16+0000

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A representative of the governor and regional administration's press service said that Alexander Drozdenko, who heads the Russian delegation at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CoE), spoke at an extraordinary Congress meeting.For some reason, you have shut up our proposals to consider the genocide of the people of Donetsk and Lugansk Regions, you refused to consider the death of people in Odessa, and this is a genuine Nazi manifestation, you did not react to Poroshenko's words that children of Donbas will sit in the cellars, threats of massacres against citizens of Donbas by Dnipropetrovsk Mayor Borys Filatov, as well as many other facts, the governor said.However, he hoped that the chance for people-to-people diplomacy in the current circumstances would continue.Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, 24 February. President Vladimir Putin called its aim "to protect people who have been facing genocide perpetrated by the Kiev regime for eight years."The Russian President said that the plan is to demilitarise and denationalise Ukraine and to put on trial all war criminals responsible for bloody crimes against civilians in Donbas.According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Armed Forces are striking only military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops, while civilians face no threat. Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic forces supported by the Russian military develop the offensive. However, there is no plan to occupy Ukraine, the Russian president stressed.By Monday morning, more than 1,100 objects had been struck including airfields, control points, and radar stations. The area around a nuclear power station in Chernobyl and an operating nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia is now under Russian control. After eight years, the North Crimean Canal has been unblocked and the water supply to Crimea has been restored.The offensive is advancing in several directions and Kiev is blockaded from the west. However, a detailed map of Ukrainian regions where the Russian military is operating has not yet been officially published. The Russian Defence Ministry reports that there are dead and wounded among Russian troops, but casualties among Ukrainian troops and Nazi nationalists are many times higher. The exact figures have not been announced at the moment.The Russian military has reported many cases of Ukrainian troops voluntarily laying down their weapons  they have been guaranteed safety and will be able to return to their families. Meanwhile, Ukrainian security forces are deploying rocket-propelled salvo systems directly into residential areas of Kiev and other Ukrainian cities. President Putin has called this a terrorist act.

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https://sputniknews.com/20220301/donald-trump-appeals-ruling-forcing-him-to-testify-in-ny-probe-into-his-business-dealings--1093468833.html

Donald Trump Appeals Ruling Forcing Him to Testify in NY Probe into His Business Dealings

Donald Trump Appeals Ruling Forcing Him to Testify in NY Probe into His Business Dealings

On 17 February New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron said that ex-President Donald Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr, and daughter Ivanka Trump must each... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

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Former President Donald Trump has appealed a judges ruling requiring him to testify in a New York civil investigation into his business practices.Appropriate papers were filed on Monday with the appellate division of the state's trial court by a legal team representing the ex-POTUS and his two eldest children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr.The Trumps lawyers have asked the appellate court to consider if the New York attorney generals office is violating their rights by issuing subpoenas for their testimony while also participating in the criminal investigation; whether immunity for grand jury witnesses under state law can be eviscerated, if the same agency involved in the criminal investigation simply opens a civil investigation into the very same matters; and whether Judge Engoron made a mistake rejecting the Trumps argument that Attorney General of New York Letitia James has been waging selective prosecution.Trumps lawyers argue that if the Trumps are ordered to testify under oath, their answers could be used in a parallel criminal probe. A Manhattan criminal investigation resulted in criminal charges last summer against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg.In July, the Manhattan district attorneys office charged the Trump Organization with orchestrating a 15-year scheme allowing its executives to dodge taxes by compensating them with hidden fringe benefits.Furthermore, Trump and his business currently face civil and criminal inquiries into his business dealings and political activities in several states.On Monday the lawyers requested the appellate court for a stay to spare the Trumps from questioning as the matter is being considered. No court date has yet been set for arguments.In a statement on 28 February, when lawyers for the Trumps were preparing to file the appeal, Letitia James indicated readiness to fight to get them to testify.If Judge Engorons decision is upheld, Trump might have to decide whether to answer questions, or cite his fifth amendment right against self-incrimination.Politically Motivated AttackWhile New York attorney general, Letitia James, a Democrat, has been working with Manhattan prosecutors on their criminal investigation, she is also heading a parallel civil inquiry since 2019 into whether Trumps company misled lenders about the value of its assets.Prosecutors have suspected the company management of fraudulently inflating the latter to secure bank loans, while in other cases underestimating them to reduce taxes.In an eight-page ruling on 17 February Judge Arthur Engoron set a March 10 deadline for Trump and his children to sit for depositions, denying the motion by respondents Donald J. Trump, Ivanka and Donald Trump, Jr. to quash subpoenas issued by the petitioner in December 2021. The judge added that after reviewing the case, he determined there was sufficient basis for continuing the investigation.James earlier said that she had uncovered "significant evidence" indicating that the Trump Organization engaged in fraud to obtain economic benefits, "including loans, insurance coverage, and tax deductions."Trump stepped down as CEO of the Trump Organization in 2017 after taking office, passing the business on to his sons Donald Jr. and Eric.The 45th US President has repeatedly claimed that the probe into the companys financial activities is a politically motivated attack by the Democratic Party. Trump filed a lawsuit against James, accusing her of political animus and a desire to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent.

https://sputniknews.com/20220225/trump-his-children-will-not-testify-after-defense-appeals-court-subpoenas---report-1093351874.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220217/new-york-judge-orders-trump-adult-children-to-be-questioned-over-businesses-1093124929.html

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Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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Svetlana Ekimenko

donald trump, letitia james, ivanka trump, donald trump jr
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/dpr-ukrainian-nationalists-seized-some-20-osce-cars-in-kramatorsk-staffers-fate-remains-unclear-1093471783.html

OSCE Denies Their Vehicles Were Seized By Ukrainian Nationalists

OSCE Denies Their Vehicles Were Seized By Ukrainian Nationalists

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine early in the morning on Thursday, 24 February, responding to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T07:41+0000

2022-03-01T07:41+0000

2022-03-02T23:44+0000

osce

ukraine

russia

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

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In a statement, the OSCE stated that previous reports about their vehicles being stolen were false.Prior to the statement, it was reported that Ukrainian nationalists seized around 20 OSCE SMM vehicles in Kramatorsk and that the fate of the mission staff remains unknown. Earlier, the OSCE SMM stated in its daily report that monitoring teams in Donetsk and Lugansk were waiting to be evacuated through Russia. Prior to this, OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid said that she had decided to remove all members of the OSCE mission from Ukraine as soon as possible.On Thursday, Russia began a special operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, responding to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics for help in countering the aggression of Ukrainian forces. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Armed Forces strike only at the military infrastructure and Ukrainian forces, nothing threatens the civilian population. With the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR groups are developing an offensive. But there is no talk of the occupation of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasised. Prior to that, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognising the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. In the past weeks, the situation along the line of contact has significantly deteriorated as Ukrainian forces intensified the shelling of Donbass.THIS ARTICLE WAS UPDATED FOLLOWING A STATEMENT BY THE OSCE

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osce, ukraine, russia
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/end-the-imperialist-expansionism-us-progressives-demand-nato-be-disbanded-1093467424.html

'End the Imperialist Expansionism': US Progressives Demand NATO Be Disbanded

'End the Imperialist Expansionism': US Progressives Demand NATO Be Disbanded

Russia has repeatedly said that NATO failed to take into account Moscows security concerns related to the concentration of its military capacity near Russian... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T04:36+0000

2022-03-01T04:36+0000

2022-03-01T04:36+0000

situation in ukraine

us

dsa

ukraine crisis

russia

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The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have slammed the United States imperialist expansionism and failure to respond to Russias security demands and called for the dissolution of NATO's Western alliance, according to an official statement.While accusing Russia of aggression, DSA said that the US has set the stage for this conflict.At the end of 2021, Russia proposed drafts of a treaty with the US and NATO on security guarantees, including a stop to the alliances eastward expansion and establishment of military bases in post-Soviet countries. The proposals also contained the non-deployment of NATO strike weapons near Russian borders and the withdrawal of alliance forces in Eastern Europe to the positions of 1997.After a series of heavy strikes by the Ukrainian military against the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics, President Putin said that the situation require decisive and immediate action as the republics of the Donbass have asked for help.According to the Russian leader, all responsibility for the bloodshed lies on the Ukrainian authorities. He called on the Ukrainian military not to follow their criminal orders and lay down their arms.Later, the Russian Defence Ministry stressed that the Russian Armed Forces aren't launching any strikes on Ukrainian cities, and are targeting only military infrastructure. Moscow stressed that it is not interested in Ukrainian territory and would withdraw its forces after the demilitarisation and denazification of Kiev, which refused to comply with the Minsk agreements and has waged war in the Donbass region, is concluded.

https://sputniknews.com/20220301/german-mp-says-nato-responsible-for-ukraine-escalation-should-have-guaranteed-neutral-status-1093466436.html

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2022

Alexandra Kashirina

Alexandra Kashirina

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Alexandra Kashirina

us, dsa, ukraine crisis, russia
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/eu-will-wage-total-economic--financial-war-against-russia-french-finance-minister-says-1093473057.html

EU Will Wage Total Economic & Financial War Against Russia, French Finance Minister Says

EU Will Wage Total Economic & Financial War Against Russia, French Finance Minister Says

On Monday, Paris vowed to identify Russians who have properties in France so that they might be included in the EU sanctions list due to links with the Russian... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T08:14+0000

2022-03-01T08:14+0000

2022-03-01T09:55+0000

ukraine

russia

france

eu

bruno le maire

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The EU will wage a total "economic and financial war" against Russia, said French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.Russia will face a collapse of its economy amid the full force of sanctions from the European Union and the United States unleashed against it, Le Maire told France Info radio on Tuesday.Bruno Le Maire also said that he would discuss with the leaders of TotalEnergies and Engie their activities in Russia amid Moscow's ongoing actions in Ukraine.On Monday, the French Economy and Finance Minister said Paris would be identifying Russians who have properties in France as the new package of EU sanctions is unleashed. The French announcements come as on Sunday, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Union's intention to ban state-owned Russian media outlets, including RT, Sputnik and their subsidiaries, as part of new sanctions imposed on the country amid its special military operation in Ukraine.Instagram has restricted access to multiple accounts that belong to Sputnik News Agency, according to an e-mail distributed late on Monday by the platform.Furthermore, the TikTok accounts of Russia-affiliated media resources, including RT and Sputnik, are now unavailable to users in the European Union, according to reports, with Sputnik correspondents in Spain and Germany confirming denied access in the early hours of Tuesday, local time.Amid the unprecedented media crackdown, Brussels is also determined to send additional weapons supplies to Ukraine, despite the US and its NATO allies already pumping nearly $3 billion in military assistance into Kiev since the 2014 Maidan coup d'etat.Brussels is also to sanction Belarus and any other country found to be "collaborating" with Russia on Ukraine, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a meeting of EU defence ministers on Monday.Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine to demilitarise and denazify the country after the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics' authorities asked for assistance to defend themselves against persistent attacks by Ukrainian troops. Russian Defence Ministry has said that the operation is targeting the military infrastructure of Ukraine only and that the civilian population is not in danger.However, the US and its allies in Europe and Asia condemned the Russian operation as an unprovoked "invasion" and slapped Moscow with new sanctions.

https://sputniknews.com/20220227/as-west-slaps-another-package-of-sanctions-on-russia-analyst-mulls-over-their-effectiveness-1093412045.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220228/european-union-determined-to-further-increase-military-aid-to-ukraine-borrell-says-1093453678.html

ukraine

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ukraine, russia, france, eu, bruno le maire
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/german-mp-says-nato-responsible-for-ukraine-escalation-should-have-guaranteed-neutral-status-1093466436.html

German MP Says NATO Responsible For Ukraine Crisis, Should Have Guaranteed Neutral Status

German MP Says NATO Responsible For Ukraine Crisis, Should Have Guaranteed Neutral Status

According to the member of the Bundestag, the debate about Ukraine's NATO membership was the trigger for the current events. The West's unwillingness to make... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T02:45+0000

2022-03-01T02:45+0000

2022-03-01T03:24+0000

russia

ukraine

ukraine crisis

germany

german bundestag

alternative for germany (afd)

nato

situation in ukraine

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Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the German political party Alternative for Germany, also known as AfD, presented her view of the current tense situation around Ukraine, calling it "a failure of the West," while also adding that it failed to ensure Kiev's neutrality at an early stage.Speaking in the German parliament on Sunday, the politician said that her party wishes that timely measures had been made "to put Ukraine and all other surrounding countries on a neutral status and not continuously pushing the frontiers of NATO's eastward expansion."Weidel expressed an opinion that fulfilling the promise of Ukraine's neutrality could have reassured Russia about its security concerns. Weidel pointed out that Moscow had articulated the problem clearly for 20 years. And the US, for instance, would not tolerate any hostile power in its backyard, she added.Weidel reiterated that this "insult" to Russia was the main reason for the situation in Ukraine. And more to that, the West bears some responsibility for the situation, because the hardliners have stuck rigidly to the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO and, in doing so, arrogantly denied Russia's status as a great power.According to the member of parliament, "it was a total mistake" to tease Ukraine with unfulfillable promises, such as they would be able to join the EU and NATO. NATO and above all Germany and France should have intervened early on, said the politician. Moreover, the current crisis sets political processes in motion "that we may no longer be able to control afterwards."Western nations have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after it launched a special military operation in Ukraine following requests for help from Donbas. The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the operation is targeting only the military infrastructure of Ukraine and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and that the purpose of its operation is to save the civilian population from genocide and liberate the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics, namely through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

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Kirill Kurevlev

Kirill Kurevlev

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Kirill Kurevlev

russia, ukraine, ukraine crisis, germany, german bundestag, alternative for germany (afd), nato
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/hackers-become-the-hacked-anonymous-site-taken-down-following-declaration-of-cyberwar-on-russia-1093496604.html

Hackers Become the Hacked: Anonymous' Site Taken Down Following Declaration of Cyberwar on Russia

Hackers Become the Hacked: Anonymous' Site Taken Down Following Declaration of Cyberwar on Russia

The Anonymous hacker collective began attacking the Russian segment of the internet Friday in connection with the situation in Ukraine, targeting websites of... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T18:30+0000

2022-03-01T18:30+0000

2022-03-01T18:30+0000

ukraine

russia

anonymous

hacking

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A hacking group called Killnet claims to have brought down a key website affiliated with Anonymous, as well as the neo-Nazi Ukrainian Right Sector paramilitary group and the office of the president of Ukraine.Users attempting to access Anonymous official website, anonymoushackers.net on Tuesday afternoon were met with the message Sorry, that didnt work. Please try again or come back later. 500 Error. Internal Server Error.Killnet accompanied the gesture with a Russian-language video address, with a shadowy hooded figure against the backdrop of a Russian flag reading out a text.Greetings, Russians and friendly union nations. The internet is full of fake information about the hacking of Russian banks, hacks on Russian media servers, and much more. None of this poses any danger to people. This information bomb is merely text, and nothing more. Do not fall for fake information on the internet. Have no doubts about your country, the hackers said.Addressing Anonymous directly, Killnet urged the group to start restoring your site, suggesting it looks very pitiful against in light of your threats against our country.Anonymous launched a cyberwar on Moscow on Friday, summoning hackers from around the world to target Russia over its military operation in Ukraine. The group has taken credit for DDoS attacks on Russian government and media websites, the military and businesses.The groups attacks appear to have been uncoordinated, disorganized, and indiscriminate. In addition to attacks on state media, for example, they targeted an independent St. Petersburg-based newspaper, several business outlets, and regional media which do not pay much attention to federal politics or world affairs.Anonymouss hacking campaign began coordination with efforts by Western IT giants and governments, which have moved to censor Russian foreign-language media outlets by blocking websites, shutting down radio and television broadcasts, and taking Russian media social media pages offline.

ukraine

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Ilya Tsukanov

Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

ukraine, russia, anonymous, hacking
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/indian-student-killed-by-shelling-in-kharkov-says-foreign-ministry-1093480042.html

Indian Student Killed by Shelling in Kharkov, Says Foreign Ministry

Indian Student Killed by Shelling in Kharkov, Says Foreign Ministry

India is trying to evacuate nearly 20,000 citizens who have been stuck in Ukraine during the present hostilities. The stranded Indians are being evacuated to... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T14:16+0000

2022-03-01T14:16+0000

2022-03-01T14:16+0000

situation in ukraine

ukraine

russia

india

nato

vladimir putin

us

kiev

kharkiv

poland

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/01/1093483640_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_f8f208a6d4ca886d04b636980df90d44.jpg

An Indian student has been killed by shelling in Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkov on Tuesday morning, the Indian foreign ministry said.The deceased student has been identified as Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a native of the state of Karnataka, in Indias south.Several reports in Indian media claim that Gyanagoudar was a fourth-year medical student at Kharkov National Medical University (KNMU). He had reportedly gone to buy food from a nearby store when he was hit by a shell.Sources from the Indian foreign ministry have said that they have been trying to evacuate Indian students from Kharkov, but their efforts have been obstructed by intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.Indian officials have revealed that about 9,000 Indian citizens, many of them students, have been brought out of Ukraine since Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced special military operations designed for the denazification and demilitarisation of Ukraine.Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian began in earnest on 25 February, with Moscow consistently stating that its aim is to neutralise military and radar installations with minimum collateral damage.Though Ukrainian authorities say they are continuing to hold major cities such as Kyiv and Kharkov, local authorities have admitted that they have been besieged by Russian forces. The Russian defence ministry on 28 February advised civilians living in Kyiv to leave the city and head for the safer western regions, along the borders with Poland, Romania and Hungary. On the same day, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued the same advice to Indians stuck in Kyiv - that they should make their way to the western parts of the country. It also urged students to proceed to the west of the country by whatever means available, preferably on train.Russian forces are bearing down on Kharkov, which is on the border with Russia, after it was reported that attacks against parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples republics had come out of there.The US, the European Union and other western allies such as Canada, Australia and Japan, have hit Russia with a coordinated set of economic sanctions targeting its central bank and political leadership in response to these military operations. The US and its NATO allies have also supplied Ukraine with nearly $1Bln in military equipment since the hostilities began last week.However, Moscow has remained steadfast in its military and political objectives in the face of western sanctions. President Putin told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron during a telephone call on Monday, 28 February, that a settlement would only be possible if Ukraine is designated as neutral and Moscows sovereignty over Crimea is recognised.Putin also said that Russian forces were taking care to ensure that the military operations cause minimum collateral damage, as he blamed Ukrainian forces for employing human shields in a bid to mount a counter-offensive.

https://sputniknews.com/20220228/indians--africans-fleeing-ukraine-accuse-ukrainian-border-security-of-violence-racism--videos-1093437375.html

ukraine

india

kiev

kharkiv

poland

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Dhairya Maheshwari

Dhairya Maheshwari

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Dhairya Maheshwari

ukraine, russia, india, nato, vladimir putin, us, kiev, kharkiv, poland
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/israel-opens-up-to-foreign-visitors-but-will-it-be-enough-to-revive-tourism-from-covid-19-1093470256.html

Israel Opens Up to Foreign Visitors, But Will it be Enough to Revive Tourism From COVID-19?

Israel Opens Up to Foreign Visitors, But Will it be Enough to Revive Tourism From COVID-19?

In 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic, 4.6 million foreign tourists visited the country, a ten percent spike compared to the previous year. The eruption... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T09:51+0000

2022-03-01T09:51+0000

2022-03-01T09:51+0000

israel

covid-19

tourism

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/01/1093475487_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_6ff0e80f4acc25d3cca4d7efac7c5bd7.jpg

After two years of endless restrictions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19, Israel is gradually opening up to the world.Starting Tuesday, both vaccinated and non-vaccinated tourists will be allowed in, pending PCR tests that they would need to take before and after arrival in Israel.Israelis willing to travel abroad will no longer need to take a PCR test. They will need to prove their well-being only upon their return to the country.Relief is also expected within Israel. The nation has already cancelled the so-called green pass, a permit issued by the Ministry of Health that was required to be presented upon entering public institutions, bars, restaurants and public gatherings.In the upcoming weeks, the government will be mulling over the possibility of cancelling this requirement in mass gatherings. The obligation to wear facial masks in close areas might be cancelled as well.Low NumbersThe easing of restrictions comes amid a dive in the number of daily coronavirus patients.Sunday registered fewer than 6,000 new cases, a relatively small amount compared to what was seen at the peak of the fifth wave in January.But experts have been warning that Israel should not be complacent and that the emergence of yet another variant was still possible.Economic PressureHowever, the removal of the various COVID-19 restrictions was not only dictated by the decline in numbers. Another motive behind the move was the mounting economic pressure applied on the government and the demand that the public look for solutions.Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, Israel was one of the hottest tourist destinations. In 2019, for example, more than 4.5 million foreigners visited the country, a ten percent spike from the previous year.The eruption of COVID-19 in February 2020 brought this industry to a standstill. In March the airport was closed, visits of foreigners have dwindled and many local businesses that relied on tourists have gone bankrupt. Israeli tour guides have lost their bread and butter, focusing their attention on domestic visitors who didn't bring in that much of an income.During the government of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the government has been giving out money to small and medium business owners to keep them afloat. The current coalition -- led by PM Naftali Bennett -- took a different approach, limiting the assistance to the private sector.Last December, Israel's Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman advised Israeli tour guides "to change profession" indicating that that industry was dead and that the government had no intention to salvage it from the mess.Later on, he backtracked from his comments, but the damage has already been done. In recent months, representatives of the tourism industry have been protesting the inactive stance of the government. Many have taken to the streets to demand assistance, a move that finally bore fruit.In late December, the government approved a package that included special assistance for tour guides, amounting to $7.7 million. $18.5 million has been allocated to inbound tourism organisers, and an additional $46 million to hotels.Previously, tour guides were complaining that that assistance wasn't enough to recover what had been destroyed by the pandemic. But now with the opening of the gates to foreign tourists, it looks like for the first time in two years, Israel's tourism has a glimpse of hope.

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Elizabeth Blade

Elizabeth Blade

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Elizabeth Blade

israel, covid-19, tourism
Chinese action star Wu Jing will join the British action star Jason Statham in the much-anticipated sequel to the sci-fi giant monster horror film "The Meg."

China's CMC Pictures, the film's producer and Chinese distributor, announced Wu and Statham will co-lead the international project. It also published a photo of Wu on set with the director.

"The Meg 2: The Trench" will be directed by Ben Wheatley, known for his stylish thrillers such as "Kill List," "High-Rise," and "Free Fire," instead of the first installment's director Jon Turteltaub. But the original cast and crew members are returning, including scriptwriters Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, will return to the sequel. The film is loosely based on the 1999 book "The Trench" by Steve Alten.

Also joining the cast of "The Meg 2" are returning actors Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis, and Page Kennedy from the first installment besides Statham, and a new cast of renowned Hollywood actors including Skyler Samuels, Sienna Guillory, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Belle Avery will produce the film, and Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute it outside China.

In 2018, "The Meg," loosely based on Alten's 1997 book "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror," also starred Chinese actress Li Bingbing to appeal to Chinese audiences and featured a ravenous prehistoric shark known as a megalodon. The Sino-American co-production went on to earn more than $530 million worldwide. In North America, it grossed $145 million, and in China, it took in 1.05 billion yuan ($166.8 million). It was seen as a big success and a milestone for an international project mainly controlled and developed by a Chinese company to win universal popularity.

In its press release on Thursday, CMC Pictures said that the development of "The Meg 2: The Trench" may also become a pivotal opportunity to promote the progress of Chinese film industrialization further and promote Chinese culture to the world.

"It can show the world the level of Chinese filmmaking and the strength of Chinese filmmakers. At the same time, this will create further exchanges and cooperation with worldwide film industries, promote the influence of Chinese films, and show the characteristics of contemporary Chinese culture as well as the mix, integration, and inclusiveness of Chinese and foreign cultures," it reads.

The press release added that China's films have prioritized fostering cultural exchanges and showing Chinese culture globally. Wu Jing, a famous actor starring in many phenomenal blockbusters, including the "Wolf Warrior" franchise, "The Battle at Lake Changjin," and "The Wandering Earth," has become a cultural symbol and gained influence internationally.

"It is also his wish to make use of the film art, the cultural exchange form, to convey China's contemporary culture and philosophy."

"The Meg 2: The Trench" is currently filming in the U.K. and will release worldwide in 2023.
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/journalistic-unions-and-lawyers-eu-censorship-of-sputnik-and-rt-is-counterproductive-and-illegal-1093492486.html

Journalistic Unions and Lawyers: EU Censorship of Sputnik and RT is Counterproductive and Illegal

Journalistic Unions and Lawyers: EU Censorship of Sputnik and RT is Counterproductive and Illegal

The European Commission has proposed banning Russia's Sputnik and RT from accessing the European media market over Russia's "special operation" in Ukraine. The... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T16:20+0000

2022-03-01T16:20+0000

2022-03-01T16:28+0000

europe

twitter

facebook

instagram

rt

sputnik news

censorship

tik tok

youtube

google

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/103383/80/1033838044_0:160:3073:1889_1920x0_80_0_0_ca2741b9dc9a7e69cba6da0e0fb1c532.jpg

"First of all, one should bear in mind that media regulation is not within the competence of the European Union," says Ricardo Gutierrez, general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the largest journalist organisation in Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced measures that she will not be able to put into practice. The EU does not have the right to issue or revoke a broadcast license. This is the exclusive competence of states. Secondly, shutting down the media altogether does not seem to be the best way to deal with disinformation or propaganda."On 27 February, von der Leyen claimed that the EU would ban Sputnik and RT's "toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe."Gutierrez argues that censorship could be counterproductive for citizens who read or watch banned media. Instead, apparent disinformation should be countered by exposing factual errors or poor journalistic research, demonstrating the lack of their financial or political independence, devotion to special interests and disregard for the public interest, according to the EFJ general secretary.The prohibition of the media outlet is a serious step that must be based on a solid legal framework and objective reasons in order to avoid arbitrariness, according to the EFJ. The major task of democratic countries is to fight disinformation while maintaining the freedom of speech, the federation emphasises, adding that the real antidote to disinformation is not an outright restriction, but a promotion of a vibrant, pluralistic, professional, viable, and completely independent media ecosystem.The EU's move to ban RT and Sputnik means direct censorship that, if passed, would be illegal, according to Berenger Tourne, a lawyer at the Paris Bar since 2001 and former secretary of the Paris Bar Internship Conference."This is not so much a violation of free speech as it is a revision of what was considered free speech," Tourne says. "If the political power now seizes its own press (and in France its major assets already belong to a handful of billionaires), then one can say that a free press simply does not exist. They keep it on a tight leash."Even prior to the European Commission's decision, Sputnik Polska and Sputnik Czech Republic became unavailable to users in the two Central European states. Meanwhile, over the weekend, multiple Sputniks, including Sputnik International, Sputnik German SNA, and Sputnik Ceska Republika reported large-scale DDoS attacks.German regulators announced that they would block RT DE on 2 February, under the pretext that the Russian broadcaster "does not have the necessary broadcasting license."Big Tech on Warpath Against Russian MediaFollowing the EC's proposal to ban Sputnik and RT, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, signalled on Monday that it had blocked access to Sputnik and RT pages across the European Union.Instagram has blocked all RT and Sputnik News accounts in 27 European countries. Earlier the broadcaster said that the Telegram channel of RT France with more than 50,000 subscribers was blocked in France. For its part, TikTok confirmed to several media outlets on Monday that it has restricted access to "Russian-backed" accounts including Sputnik and RT, throughout the EU.Meanwhile, Twitter announced that it would "put warnings on tweets" which are sharing links to "Russian state-affiliated media," adding that the platform has been detecting over 45,000 tweets per day that are sharing links to Sputnik and RT.Simultaneously, Google Europe stated that it is blocking YouTube channels associated with RT and Sputnik across Europe.On 25 and 26 February, Facebook and YouTube blocked what they called "Russian state-affiliated media" from running ads on their platforms, with Twitter also suspending all advertising in Ukraine and Russia.Akkaya stresses that in the times of crises and during military operations, this false information spreads many times faster than usual. According to the secretary general, the duty of a democratic system is to guarantee the right of the population to receive reliable information, including during the period of hostilities.One glaring example is the story of Ukrainian border guards who, according to the Ukrainian authorities, were killed on the Zmeiny (Snake) Island in the Black Sea during Russia's special operation in Ukraine. The story was frantically circulated on social media with some mainstream media and American congressmen re-tweeting and reposting it. However, Sputnik and RT revealed that 82 Ukrainian border guards from the island weren't killed but voluntarily laid down arms, surrendered, and were delivered to Sevastopol in Crimea. The Russian media outlets presented ample video evidence describing the event and interviewed Major General Mikhail Yasnikov, deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet for logistics.

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Ekaterina Blinova

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Ekaterina Blinova

europe, twitter, facebook, instagram, rt, sputnik news, censorship, tik tok, youtube, google
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/kremlin-on-paris-remarks-on-total-financial-war-against-russia-masks-have-been-removed-1093485309.html

Kremlin on Paris' Remarks on Total 'Financial War' Against Russia: Masks Have Been Removed

Kremlin on Paris' Remarks on Total 'Financial War' Against Russia: Masks Have Been Removed

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Aggressive actions against Russia in the economic sphere have taken place before, but now "masks have been removed" and the measures have... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T13:02+0000

2022-03-01T13:02+0000

2022-03-01T13:02+0000

situation in ukraine

russia

sanctions

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"Now these aggressive actions against our country are of such an ultra-concentrated nature. But these actions, in fact, have taken place before. It's just that they maybe weren't visible to the naked eye. But experts are perfectly aware of all discriminatory measures, measures involving unfair competition, and so on. That is, this all has happened before. It's just that now it's all concentrated, extremely concentrated. Well, as they say, the masks have been removed," Peskov told reporters.The spokesman also noted that at the moment, consumers have been reacting hyper-emotionally to price increases, but this is just the first reaction.Earlier in the day, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that the European Union will wage a massive economic and financial war against Russia.On 21 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and on 24 February Russia launched a military operation to demilitarize Ukraine. The Russian Defene Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. In turn, Western nations have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after it launched a military operation in Ukraine.

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russia, sanctions
Russian Envoy to UN in Geneva: Time Has Come to Withdraw Nuclear Weapons From Europe

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The time has come to withdraw nuclear weapons from Western and Eastern Europe, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Gennady Gatilov said on Tuesday.

"The time is right to remove nuclear weapons from Western and Eastern Europe and everywhere else," Gatilov told Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen.



The envoy added that US military bases pose a threat to Russia's security, and Moscow has long demanded that Washington remove these weapons from Russia's borders.



In addition, the Russian diplomat pointed out that the United States will not be able to exclude Russia from the UN Human Rights Council or the UN Security Council. He also indicated that Moscow is not convinced that the looming dialogue will bring the desired results between Ukrainian and Russian officials.



"Contacts have begun between the Ukrainian delegation and Russia, and we hope that these contacts will continue in the nearest future and will serve as the beginning of a political solution," Gatilov told Lebanese broadcaster Al-Mayadeen.



"We support diplomatic means, but this diplomacy must respect the positions of all countries and should be carried out on the basis of equality, which unfortunately we do not see... We do not see the desire of the Ukrainian regime to try to find a legitimate and balanced solution to this problem," Gatilov added.
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/mod-plans-strikes-on-ukrainian-intel-military-relay-facilities-in-kiev-1093486001.html

Russian MoD Plans Strikes on Ukrainian Intelligence, Military Info Warfare Relay Facilities in Kiev

Russian MoD Plans Strikes on Ukrainian Intelligence, Military Info Warfare Relay Facilities in Kiev

Russian forces began concentrating near the Ukrainian capital from the first days of the operation, with troops and armoured formations backed by army aviation... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T13:16+0000

2022-03-01T13:16+0000

2022-03-01T14:20+0000

ukraine

russian military

situation in ukraine

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The Russian ministry of defence has announced plans to carry out precision strikes against Ukrainian Intelligence Service (SBU) and military information warfare facilities, and has warned employees and civilians in the affected areas to leave their homes to avoid casualties.The attacks are expected to target SBU operational and communications facilities, as well as the 72nd Center for Information and Psychological Operations of the Special Operations Force of Ukraine, according to the Russian military.These facilities have been used to carry out informational attacks against Russian state institutions, including to send out death threats and to report the planting of bombs in Russian schools, train stations and other social infrastructure, the MoD said. The military said informational attacks have spiked dramatically in recent days in connection with the Russian military operation in Ukraine. Russian authorities have long suspected informational attacks of this nature coming from Ukraine since the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev - with the threats, bomb scares and fakes tying up Russian emergency services, causing chaos in government administration and educational institutions, and costing businesses lost revenues.The long-running security crisis in Ukraine collapsed into a full-blown conflagration between Russian and Donbass forces on one side and the Ukrainian army and ultra-nationalist formations on the other last week. The Russian military and the Donetsk and Lugansk people's militias launched what President Putin characterized as a "special military operation" Thursday to "demilitarise" Ukraine following the dramatic ramping up of artillery, mortar, sniper and sabotage attacks by Kiev forces in the Donbass throughout the month of February. The US and its allies framed the operation as an out of the blue, unprovoked "invasion" and slapped Russia with new sanctions. The West also promised to send Kiev an additional $850+ million in military aid.

https://sputniknews.com/20220228/live-updates-turkey-warns-all-coastal-non-coastal-states-it-will-not-let-warships-though-straits-1093461274.html

ukraine

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Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

ukraine, russian military
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/new-planned-vehicle-may-help-store-oxygen-on-moon--build-lunar-villages---report-1093464910.html

New Planned Vehicle May Help Store Oxygen on Moon & Build Lunar Villages - Report

New Planned Vehicle May Help Store Oxygen on Moon & Build Lunar Villages - Report

New Planned Vehicle May Help Store Oxygen on Moon & Build Lunar Villages - Report

2022-03-01T00:28+0000

2022-03-01T00:28+0000

2022-03-01T00:28+0000

tech

lunar station

moon

oxygen

european space agency

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/01/0f/1092276202_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_7cfc44439ec79e6ecc5718c4b2944299.jpg

A special device, reportedly being developed by the European Space Agency in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space, Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer specialising in the space industry, would be able to extract oxygen from Lunar rocks, according to the Mirror.The innovation may be another step towards the creation of a real lunar village.An unmanned spacecraft would feed the rocks into the machine to be crushed to dust that would be pressed into tablets, according to the newspaper. When heated, these tablets were said to be able to emit oxygen that could be stored in reservoirs for future use.The European Space Agency agreed on a 840,000 ($1,1 million) deal with Thales Alenia Space to develop a blueprint for the device. The project is expected to start in the next two years.Electrolysis has many applications, from separating water into hydrogen and oxygen to extracting oxygen from lunar rocks. Not so long ago, researchers at the University of Glasgow in the UK examined how the electrolysis method works in reduced gravity since the Moon has only one-sixth and Mars one-third of Earths gravity. Scientists discovered that under conditions of Lunar and Martian gravity, oxygen production can decrease by about 11 and 6 percent compared to terrestrial conditions.Meanwhile, there is a lot of oxygen on the Moon, but it doesn't exist in gaseous form. Instead, it resides inside regolith, a layer of rock and fine dust that covers the Moon's surface.Oxygen can be found in many minerals on Earth, and the Moon mostly consists of the same materials. Minerals such as oxides of aluminium, iron, silicon and magnesium dominate the Moon's landscape. All of these minerals contain oxygen, for example, Lunar regolith is made up of about 45 percent oxygen.

https://sputniknews.com/20220225/chinese-researchers-explain-mysterious-glass-balls-on-moons-surface---photo-1093352012.html

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Alexandra Kashirina

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Alexandra Kashirina

tech, lunar station, moon, oxygen, european space agency
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/poland-begins-seizure-of-russian-property-in-warsaw-including-school-building-1093499764.html

Poland Begins Seizure of Russian Property in Warsaw, Including School Building

Poland Begins Seizure of Russian Property in Warsaw, Including School Building

WARSAW(Sputnik) - Poland began seizing Russian property in Warsaw, including the school building at the Russian embassy, the republic's foreign ministry said... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T20:41+0000

2022-03-01T20:41+0000

2022-03-01T20:40+0000

situation in ukraine

ukraine

russia

poland

seizure

building

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/101719/45/1017194519_0:152:2921:1795_1920x0_80_0_0_d80e203e358636a7f1a7750b555493de.jpg

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has applied to the competent government authorities with a submission to initiate enforcement proceedings in respect of two real estate objects that are not used for diplomatic and consular purposes and are illegally owned by the Russian Federation, that is, real estate facilities located at Sobieskiego 100 and Kieleckiej 45 in Warsaw," the statement says.The school at the Russian Embassy in Poland is located in the building at Kieleckiej Street 45. The building at Sobieskiego 100 was previously inhabited by Russian diplomats, but now it is unoccupied and in need of repair.The ministry noted that "in respect of both of these facilities, the final decisions of the Polish courts have been issued, ordering them to be transferred to their rightful owner - the State Treasury."In addition, the ministry recommended "to use all available procedural means to ensure the speedy conduct of legal proceedings in other cases related to real estate."The ministry explained its actions by a "gross discrepancy in the amount of real estate" of Poland in Russia and Russia in Poland and "the lack of prospects for finding a solution to this issue in the foreseeable future."Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said that it was planned to accommodate refugees from Ukraine in the buildings confiscated from Russia.Russia uses several properties in Poland, some of them are the property of Russia, others are used on the basis of agreements. However, several facilities in Warsaw and Gdansk are used, according to the Polish side, without the necessary agreements.The Russian Embassy in Poland will deal with the legal aspects of the decision to seize real estate in Warsaw, Russian Ambassador to Warsaw Sergey Andreev told Sputnik."We have heard the information that comes to us on this issue, and tomorrow we will deal with its legal aspects," the head of the Russian diplomatic mission said.

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ukraine, russia, poland, seizure, building
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/russia-and-ukraine-engage-in-negotiations-investors-brace-for-volatile-markets-1093465868.html

Russia and Ukraine Engage in Negotiations; Investors Brace for Volatile Markets

Russia and Ukraine Engage in Negotiations; Investors Brace for Volatile Markets

Ukrainian and Russian diplomats met today near the Belarus border to work on a resolution to hostilities. 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T07:19+0000

2022-03-01T07:19+0000

2022-03-01T09:25+0000

the critical hour

venezuela

cuba

nato

swift

julian assange

radio

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Russia and Ukraine Engage in Negotiations; Investors Brace for Volatile Markets Ukrainian and Russian diplomats met today near the Belarus border to work on a resolution to hostilities.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the Ukrainian military operation. Ukrainian and Russian diplomats met today near the Belarus border to work on a resolution to hostilities. The Russians have made clear demands that the Eastern European nation must pledge to remain neutral and free from US/NATO and Nazi influence.Jack Rasmus, professor in economics and politics at St. Mary's College in California, joins us to discuss the economy. Investors are bracing for a hostile and volatile world market as draconian sanctions against Russia threaten to destabilize the world economy. Russia has taken internal actions to dampen the effects, and the EU is considering additional actions.Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst and co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, joins us to discuss the implications of the Ukraine conflict on great world powers. The Russian operation to rid its border of a major NATO military base of operations will have major implications on changing the power dynamics of the three great world powers. The unipolar hegemony of the US empire is being challenged by Russia as Iran, Venezuela, and China watch and wait.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. Julian Assange's unwillingness to trade his integrity for power and freedom set him apart from his tormentors. Assange provided a public service to the world by ripping off the veil of the vicious and brutal elite ruling class.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Iran has advised that they will not accept any deadlines for ending talks on the revival of the JCPOA. They also say that they will no longer accept questions centered around accusations that they consider politically motivated.KJ Noh, activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. China says that the US sailing its warship through the Taiwan straits is unnecessarily provocative. Also, China has said that it opposes sanctions and will continue to do business with Russia.Ajamu Baraka, former vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, joins us to discuss the reactions to the Ukraine conflict in the Global South. Cuba has stated that they believe Russia has a right to defend itself. Also, Venezuela blames the US and NATO for the Ukraine conflict.Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss the media's response to the Ukraine conflict. The media refuses to discuss the history that pointed to this outcome. Instead, the military operation is put forth as a result of the whims of a madman.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com

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the critical hour, venezuela, cuba, nato, swift, julian assange, , radio
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/russia-has-currently-no-plans-to-withdraw-its-diplomats-from-canada---ambassador-1093465301.html

Russia Has Currently No Plans to Withdraw Its Diplomats from Canada - Ambassador

Russia Has Currently No Plans to Withdraw Its Diplomats from Canada - Ambassador

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russian Ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov tells Sputnik that media reports of alleged preparations of the Russian diplomatic mission to... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T00:21+0000

2022-03-01T00:21+0000

2022-03-01T10:23+0000

russia

canada

military aid

ukrainian crisis

russian ambassador

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Muhammad Lila, a correspondent who had worked for CBC and CNN, said on Twitter on Monday that Russia was making preparations to withdraw all of its diplomats from Canada.Earlier on Monday, Ottawa announced an additional $20 million in military aid to Ukraine that includes equipment such as helmets, body armor, gas masks and night vision gear.The Canadian government had previously approved lethal military aid to Ukraine in the amount of $6.1 million as well as a loan of up to $393 million amid rising tensions with Russia.Russia launched a special operation in Ukraine responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics against the intensifying aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the operation was solely targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and emphasized that the civilian population is not in danger.

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russia, canada, military aid, ukrainian crisis, russian ambassador
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/russian-armed-forces-will-continue-ukraine-op-until-they-achieve-their-goals-shoigu-says-1093476022.html

Russian Armed Forces Will Continue Ukraine Op Until They Achieve Their Goals, Shoigu Says

Russian Armed Forces Will Continue Ukraine Op Until They Achieve Their Goals, Shoigu Says

The Russian military and their Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republic allies began a large-scale military operation aimed at demilitarising Ukraine last... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T09:40+0000

2022-03-01T09:40+0000

2022-03-01T10:32+0000

ukraine

russia

sergey shoigu

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The main goal of the Russian military operation in Ukraine is the defence of the country against a military threat created by the West, and Russian forces will continue the mission until they reach their stated aims of demilitarising and denazifying the country, defence minister Sergei Shoigu has said.Speaking at a briefing Tuesday, Shoigu said that the Russian military was not out to "occupy" Ukrainian territory, and emphasised that troops were doing everything possible to preserve the lives of civilians, including by limiting strikes only to military objects using precision weapons.Shoigu praised the armed forces for their "courage and heroism, and the conscientious and professional carrying out of their assigned tasks" in the course of the operation.Unfortunately, the defence minister said, the Ukrainian side has shown in places that it has no qualms about using civilians as human shields, including by deploying artillery systems, heavy guns and large-calibre mortars near residential areas, schools and kindergartens.Shoigu also announced plans to hold a 'First International Antifascist Congress' in August, with its goal being to "unite efforts of the international community in the fight against the ideology of Nazism, neo-Nazism in any form of its manifestation in the modern world".Russia began a large-scale military operation in Ukraine on 24 February after receiving a request for assistance from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, which faced weeks of escalating Ukrainian shelling, mortar, sniper fire and sabotage attacks. Moscow took the unprecedented step of recognising the DPR and LPR as independent states on 21 February.The dramatic situation in Ukraine is the culmination of a security crisis which began in 2014, when pro-Western political forces backed by Washington and Brussels overthrew the country's government in a coup and set a course to drag Kiev into the European Union and NATO. The coup prompted Crimea to break off from Kiev's control and rejoin Russia. In eastern Ukraine, the rise of fledgling pro-independence movements prompted Kiev to send troops to try to crush the resistance, sparking a years-long civil conflict. A Russian, French and German-led effort to end the conflict through the 2015 Minsk Peace Agreements failed to bear fruit, with successive Kiev governments refusing to provide the Donbass with constitutionally mandated autonomy in exchange for its peaceful reintegration into Ukrainian jurisdiction.

https://sputniknews.com/20220228/live-updates-turkey-warns-all-coastal-non-coastal-states-it-will-not-let-warships-though-straits-1093461274.html

ukraine

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Ilya Tsukanov

Ilya Tsukanov

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ukraine, russia, sergey shoigu
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/scientists-propose-measures-to-ensure-well-being-of-gene-edited-babies-1093476153.html

Scientists Propose Measures to Ensure Well-Being of Gene-Edited Babies

Scientists Propose Measures to Ensure Well-Being of Gene-Edited Babies

Chinese experts suggest surveillance and protection measures for the world's first three gene-editing babies, as well as their descendents, while He Jiankui... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T09:44+0000

2022-03-01T09:44+0000

2022-03-01T09:44+0000

china

scientists

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/01/1093476064_0:320:3073:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_b57f9c98e7b821c697757dcc899fdf72.jpg

In 2018, He, a genome-editing researcher at the Southern University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, shocked the world as he claimed to have created genetically modified humans, which are the world's first. He was sentenced to three years in prison in December 2019. Citing unnamed sources, some media said that He would be released in near future, reviving concerns over the condition of the gene-edited babies, including twins referred to as Lulu and Nana and another named Amy.Amid concerns, the Global Times learned from Qiu Renzong at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing and Lei Ruipeng at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, that they had drafted a proposal to related authorities to call for the government to develop policies to protect the three children and their descendents from discrimination and gene diseases caused by the editing. The proposal suggests the babies' whole genome should be examined regularly to know whether it is normal, if not, what is abnormal. After they reach the age of 18, they should be informed by their parents with the assistance of relevant genetic professionals, that their genome has been edited.The proposal also calls for the authorities to establish a special research and care organization, which may be called the Human Genetic Genome Editing Research and Care Center, and to allocate special funds (or establish a fund with public and private investment). The Global Times learned from Lei that the proposal would be published China Science Daily recently. It has already been reported in an article published on the website of the Nature magazine on Friday, in which international researchers said that it is the first to discuss how to manage the children's unique situation and welcomed it, but some also concerned that the proposal would lead to unnecessary surveillance of the children.Qiu told the Global Times on Monday that, depending on the characters of gene editing and current development of the technology, it is necessary to conduct surveillance. Qiu explained that gene-editing techniques are immature at current stage with high off-target rate and potential abnormalities even if the target is hit. In particular, the abnormalities may be passed on through reproduction to their children and their children's children.Surveillance is inconsideration of the well-being of these children. Or, how could we detect the abnormality after gene editing? Qiu asked.Preimplantation genetic diagnosis should also be performed on early embryos with their consent during pregnancy to observe whether the embryo genome is abnormal and how is the severity of the abnormality, so as to help them make reproductive decisions, Qiu noted.This article originally appeared on the Global Times website.

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You are here: Business

Erenhot, the largest land port on the China-Mongolia border, has seen a significant rise in China-Europe freight trains so far this year, according to the local railway authorities.



Since Jan. 1, the port has handled a total of 503 China-Europe freight trains, up 27.9% from the same period last year.

The 500th China-Europe freight train this year passed through the port at 1 p.m. Monday, a milestone that took 18 fewer days to accomplish than last year.

The number of inbound trains totaled 232, up 33.3%, while the number outbound trains reached 271, a rise of 23.6%.

The port in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region now serves 54 China-Europe freight-train routes, connecting over 60 overseas destinations across more than 10 countries.
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/tel-aviv-to-vote-against-russia-at-un-but-israelis-say-it-will-jeopardise-countrys-security-1093470022.html

Tel-Aviv to Vote Against Russia at UN but Israelis Say it Will Jeopardise Country's Security

Tel-Aviv to Vote Against Russia at UN but Israelis Say it Will Jeopardise Country's Security

Over the years, Israel and Russia have coordinated activity when it came to Syria, where it did so to avoid potential clashes in the skies over Syria... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T10:20+0000

2022-03-01T10:20+0000

2022-03-01T10:20+0000

israel

russia

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Just days after Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid condemned Russia's military operation in Ukraine, he has come up with yet another dramatic declaration.This time around, he says Israel would vote to condemn Russia at the United Nations General Assembly, a vote that's expected to take place later today.According to reports, Israel is also mulling over an option to join the Western sanctions slapped on Russia but a decision in this regard hasn't been taken yet.Good Decision?Lapid's announcement has already stirred lively discussions on Telegram's various groups, with some users backing the move.Another one added: "we need to be on the right side of history. Nothing will happen to Russia as a result of this vote, that will surely pass with a big majority. Our vote at the UN is more a PR move... nobody wants that encyclopedias will write that Israel voted in favour of Russia together with Syria, Iran, China and North Korea".Fatal MistakeBut the vast majority of users who participated in that discussion said Lapid's decision was a fatal mistake."Lapid is an idiot on steroids," commented one user."Do not forget, who allows you to target Iranian weapons that arrive in Syria," reminded another.Since 2015, when Russia started its operation in Syria aiming at preserving the rule of the country's President Bashar Al Assad, it coordinated its actions with Israel to avoid potential clashes in the Syrian skies.Over the years, Israel has reportedly carried out dozens of attacks on Syria. It eliminated multiple military targets allegedly belonging to Iran and its regional ally, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah. Russia reportedly was informed about those attacks and has purportedly turned a blind eye to the situation, allowing Israel to act freely.Now, with Lapid taking sides, Israelis are concerned that that move will eventually backfire.However, Israel's free operation in Syria is not the only issue that bothers Israelis. Traditionally, Moscow has enjoyed good ties with the Palestinians, and has often served as a mediator between them and Israel at times of escalation.And this is the reason why losing the support of Moscow at a time when Hamas, an Islamic group that controls the Gaza Strip, is still threatening Israel is considered by many as a mistake that begs to be corrected.Others agreed: "well, good luck to us all, when it comes to another military confrontation with Hamas. It will soon come".Yet, there were also those, who were trying to calm down the panic."Russians are not stupid. They understand Israel has its own reservations. They were expecting this. So we have nothing to worry about".So far, it seems that Israel and Russia are continuing business as usual. Moscow has reiterated that it will keep on sticking to its coordination with Israel when it comes to Syria.The Jewish state has also offered its assistance to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, by convening a summit in Jerusalem, something that Moscow hasn't agreed to yet.Will that be enough to soothe Russia? It might, as long as Israel doesn't back its words with actions, and as long as it doesn't join western sanctions that have been damaging the Russian economy.

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Elizabeth Blade

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https://sputniknews.com/20220301/un-general-assembly-emergency-session-on-ukraine--day-2-1093491778.html

UN General Assembly Emergency Session on Ukraine  Day 2

UN General Assembly Emergency Session on Ukraine  Day 2

On Sunday the United Nations Security Council called for an emergency special session of the General Assembly amid Russias military operation in Ukraine. 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T15:04+0000

2022-03-01T15:04+0000

2022-03-01T15:04+0000

situation in ukraine

world

united nations general assembly

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The United Nations General Assembly is convening in New York City for the second day of the special session to discuss the situation in Ukraine.On 24 February, Russia began a special operation to demilitarise Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defene Ministry said the special operation is only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow has repeatedly stated it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Western nations have increased sanctions pressure on Russia as a result. Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

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UNGA emergency session on Ukraine: Day 2 UNGA emergency session on Ukraine: Day 2 2022-03-01T15:04+0000 true PT201M23S

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world, united nations general assembly, 
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/us-could-transfer-terrorists-from-syria-to-ukraine-amid-russian-op-damascus-says-1093467828.html

US Could Transfer Terrorists From Syria to Ukraine Amid Russian Op, Damascus Says

US Could Transfer Terrorists From Syria to Ukraine Amid Russian Op, Damascus Says

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - US special services could send members of Daesh*, as well as other terrorist groups in Syria, to Ukraine, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T04:35+0000

2022-03-01T04:35+0000

2022-03-01T04:53+0000

ukraine

syria

russia

terrorism

situation in ukraine

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"Based on the analysis, we can say that this is quite possibly true. We, as a state, have evidence that the US military in Syria is transferring terrorists from one place to another, especially members of the IS and Jabhat al-Nusra*," Jaafari said.He argued that the US had transferred terrorists from Syria to Afghanistan and Burkina-Faso and that the use of mercenaries is a well-established US practice.He added that Western states have been supporting nationalist radicals in Ukraine.The Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister argued that if Russia had any "real allies" in WWII, they would not be supporting neo-Nazis today.On Sunday, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to supply 450 million euros ($500 million) worth of arms to Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after a virtual EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting late on Sunday that the aid would also include 50 million euros for non-lethal supplies, such as fuel and protective equipment, and the EU was also going to provide fighter jets to Kiev. The US, Canada and Australia have also approved lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine.Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine at the end of February, following requests for help from the peoples republics in Donbass. The Russian Defence Ministry has said that the operation is only targeting the military infrastructure of Ukraine and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and that the purpose of its operation is to save the civilian population from genocide and liberate the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics (DPR and LPR), including through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.*Daesh (ISIS/ISIL/IS), Jabhat al-Nusra - terrorist organisations banned in Russia and many other countries

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ukraine, syria, russia, terrorism
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/washington-coordinating-with-allies-to-seize-putins-assets-us-senator-says-1093468399.html

Washington Coordinating With Allies to Seize Putins Assets, US Senator Says

Washington Coordinating With Allies to Seize Putins Assets, US Senator Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The West is preparing further restrictive measures against Moscow, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, US Senator Chris Murphy... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T04:52+0000

2022-03-01T04:52+0000

2022-03-01T05:08+0000

ukraine

russia

dpr

lpr

us

vladimir putin

situation in ukraine

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"The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putins inner circle anticipated," Murphy said on Twitter on Monday.The White House has asked Congress to allocate $6.4 billion to assist Kiev in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The funds could be attached to a broader government spending package expected to pass next week.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that he'd told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call that Kiev needs more weapons amid Russias ongoing military operation in Ukraine and is also insisting on further restrictions against Moscow.On Sunday, G7 foreign ministers discussed with Kuleba further steps to support Kiev, including in cybersecurity and the fight against disinformation, and expressed their commitment to increasing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The ministers once again condemned Russia's operation in Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of all troops.The Western nations have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after it launched a military operation in Ukraine following requests for help from the peoples republics in Donbass. The Russian Defence Ministry has said that the operation is targeting the military infrastructure of Ukraine only and that the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and that the purpose of its operation is to save the civilian population from genocide and liberate the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics (DPR and LPR), including through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.On Sunday, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to supply 450 million euros ($500 million) worth of arms to the Kiev forces. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after a virtual EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting late on Sunday that the aid would also include 50 million euros for non-lethal supplies, such as fuel and protective equipment, and the EU was also going to provide fighter jets to Kiev. The US, Canada and Australia have also approved lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine. On Friday, the Biden administration unlocked a $350 million package of military assistance to Kiev, including more Javelin anti-tank missiles.

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ukraine, russia, dpr, lpr, us, vladimir putin
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/west-carrying-out-massive-propaganda-to-portray-russia-as-enemy---us-activist-1093492758.html

US Activist: West Carrying Out Massive Propaganda to Portray Russia as Enemy

US Activist: West Carrying Out Massive Propaganda to Portray Russia as Enemy

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States and NATO have mounted a massive propaganda campaign to make Russia the enemy in the eyes of Western audiences... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T15:20+0000

2022-03-01T15:20+0000

2022-03-01T18:56+0000

situation in ukraine

world

us

nato

russia

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"I think the US and NATO have carefully carried out a massive propaganda campaign against Russia that has led most people in the West to unthinkingly accept the narrative that Russia is an enemy country run by a brutal dictator with expansionist ambitions," Wilayto, a co-founder of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality, and coordinator of the Odessa Solidarity Campaign, said.Wilayto has placed the responsibility for the current situation in Ukraine on the US and NATO.The activist wondered what would happen if Russia were arming, training and mobilizing military forces near the United States."There is no doubt what the reaction would be," he answered.Wilayto accused the US government of supporting the 2014 violent coup in Ukraine and bringing to power people who "have taken down memorials to Soviet heroes of World War II and replaced them with memorials to Ukrainian fascists who sided with the Nazi occupation."On Thursday, Russia began a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, responding to calls from the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics for help in countering the aggression of Ukrainian forces. The Russian Defence Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only and the civilian population is not in danger. Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.The move has elicited condemnation from Western leaders, sanctions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, and SWIFT cutoff for select banks. In addition, the European Union banned RT and Sputnik from broadcasting in the EU, with their accounts on YouTube and TikTok also blocked.

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world, us, nato, russia
https://sputniknews.com/20220301/womens-health-protection-act-which-would-codify-abortion-rights-in-us-law-voted-down-by-senate-1093465675.html

Womens Health Protection Act, Which Would Codify Abortion Rights in US Law, Voted Down by Senate

Womens Health Protection Act, Which Would Codify Abortion Rights in US Law, Voted Down by Senate

A bill that would have made the right to an abortion part of US law, instead of being dependent on a US Supreme Court ruling, has failed to pass the US Senate... 01.03.2022, Sputnik International

2022-03-01T00:43+0000

2022-03-01T00:43+0000

2022-03-01T00:43+0000

abortion

us senate

us

roe v. wade

us supreme court

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The Senate voted 46-48 on Monday on a motion to bring the Womens Health Protection Act to a vote in the Senate, meaning the bill has died.The bill passed the Democratic-majority House in late September, several weeks after the US Supreme Court decided not to stop the implementation of a Texas law that bans abortions at roughly five weeks after conception, when most women do not even know they are pregnant. However, in the evenly-split Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris casts a tie-breaking vote and where Republicans can use the filibuster rule to stop objectionable bills from even getting to be voted on, the WHPA stalled for months.In November and December, the US Supreme Court heard several cases concerning the Texas abortion law, known as SB 8, as well as another very restrictive anti-abortion law in Mississippi, but has declined to move against them thus far. In one case, Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the state of Mississippi asked the court to not just consider its ruling in the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, but also its 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade. The latter case saw the court deem abortion a legal practice, protecting access to the procedure under a womans right to privacy, but also laying out a structure in which abortion could be regulated.The Roe decision provoked a strong backlash among religious conservatives, whose anti-abortion program has become one of the bellwethers of Republican Party politics. With a 6-3 conserative majority, Democrats now fear that the high court is both capable and willing to reverse its decision in Roe.

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abortion, us senate, us, roe v. wade, us supreme court
Standardbred Canadas Heart of Harness Racing Calendars photographer for March is Kaitlyn Wesley of Truro, N.S., who captured this photo of Prince Adam in the paddock at sunset.



Wesley is a caretaker in the industry and helps take care of Prince Adam, so she and her daughter spend lots of time with him. Prince Adam is stationed at Truro Raceway, and she managed to capture this photo while turning him out one day.

Q: How many years have you been involved in harness racing?

A: Since I was in grade 11. I took a break and came back four years ago!

Q: Are you a harness racing fan, owner, groom or trainer?

A: I am a groom.

Q: What is your favourite racetrack?

A: To be honest, Cape Breton tracks!

Q: Who is your favourite horse of all time?

A: Prince Adam -- my heart horse.

Q: What is your favourite subject to photograph aside from horses?

A: Animals in general, but landscapes come close too!

Q: Where is your favourite spot to take photos?

A: Trackside! Or farms -- I love capturing memories.

Q: Who is your favourite harness driver?

A: I am very biased, but it would be Andrew Campbell (my boyfriend); just proud of how far he has come!

Q: If you could take photos for one day anywhere in the world, where would it be?

A: The North America Cup! Capturing memories of the fans, owners, trainers, drivers, grooms and horses.

Q: What is one racetrack that you want to attend that you have never been to?

A: Mohawk -- I am a faithful online watcher and would love to be there someday!

Q: The last picture you took on your phone?

A: My seven-year-old daughter Ahlea Fudge putting Prince Adam away.



Q: What is your favourite race?

A: Gold Cup and Saucer or North America Cup tied!

Q: First place you are going to visit once travel restrictions are lifted?

A: Im not much of a traveller outside of Nova Scotia, but I would have to say P.E.I. Natasha and Marc Campbell have invited us over to visit.

The calendar project is supported by many tracks and associations, and Standardbred Canada would like to thank this month's calendar sponsor, Truro Raceway.


Charles Chesnutt was one of the first widely read Black fiction writers in the U.S. RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Any writer has to struggle with the dilemma of staying true to their vision or giving editors and readers what they want. A number of factors might influence the latter: the market, trends and sensibilities.

But in the decades after the Civil War, Black writers looking to faithfully depict the horrors of slavery had to contend with readers whose worldviews were colored by racism, as well as an entire swath of the country eager to paper over the past.

Charles Chesnutt was one of those writers. Forced to work with skeptical editors and within the confines of popular forms, Chesnutt nonetheless worked to shine a light on the legacy of slavery.

His 1899 collection of stories, The Conjure Woman, took place on a Southern plantation and sold well. At first glance, the stories seemed to mimic other books set in the South written in a style called local color, which focuses on regional characters, dialects and customs.

But Chesnutt had actually written a subversive counternarrative, using humor to poke holes in the nostalgic myths of the South and expose the contradictions of a racist society.

Rewriting the past

After the Civil War, there was a concerted effort to portray the South as a pastoral place possessed with a culture of honor. Slavery, meanwhile, had been a nurturing, even benevolent, institution.

These beliefs bled into the eras fiction, with white authors such as Thomas Nelson Page and Joel Chandler Harris writing stories that sentimentalized and softened the complex histories of the past.

Writer and editor Joel Chandler Harris published a magazine named for his famous character Uncle Remus. Jay Paull/Getty Images

Many of these stories feature a formerly enslaved older male whos given the affectionate moniker Uncle. These characters tended to describe the Civil War as an affront on the Southern way of life, while presenting the South and its landed gentry as heroic.

In A Story of the War, for example, Harris introduces the character Uncle Remus, who recounts the time his master went away to fight the Civil War. Overcome with concern for the man who enslaved him, Uncle Remus follows him and witnesses a Northern soldier preparing to shoot him. In a moment of panic, Remus shoots the Northerner, wounding him.

A Story of the War, like most Southern local color tales, appealed to readers invested in the Lost Cause of the Old South, a revisionist ideology that depicts the creation of the Confederate States and cause of the Civil War as just and heroic.

Historian Fred Bailey notes that stories like Pages and Harris were hailed by the Souths upper-classes, while associations like the United Daughters of the Confederacy routinely read from these works at their meetings.

Chesnutts revisionist humor

At first glance, it would seem Chesnutt, who was mixed-race and could have easily passed for white, was merely working within the dominant literary form of his time and fashioning stories geared to a white audience.

Like his white contemporaries, Chesnutt, in The Conjure Woman, includes a character whos an uncle living on the abandoned plantation where he once toiled.

But Chesnutt, as literary historian Dickson Bruce points out in his 2005 essay Confronting the Crisis: African American Narratives, used the setting of the plantation to present a more authentic representation of slavery.

The first edition cover of Charles Chesnutts The Conjure Woman. Documenting the American South

Uncle Julius, who appears in each of the collections stories, isnt nostalgic for some bygone era. Instead, he reflects on his own life and seeks to show the humanity of the enslaved. He uses his ability as a raconteur to cleverly swindle a white carpetbagger who bought the plantation Julius lived on during his bondage and after the Civil War. The stories are descriptive, corrective  and, most importantly, funny.

While Chesnutts tales explicitly engage with the hard history of slavery, each of the stories ends on a lighter note, with Uncle Julius often getting what he wants. Throughout the collection, he parodies the conventions of Southern fiction  whether refuting racist tropes or showing the cruelty of the ruling class  subtly poking fun at a culture enveloped by the fog of nostalgia.

Bound by form

At the same time, Chesnutt felt as if he couldnt simply write broadsides against myths like the Lost Cause. In order to be published, Black writers needed to appeal to the sensibilities of white readers and the demands of editors.

For example, Uncle Julius spoke in a Black dialect that sounded similar to those of the uncles authored by white writers. This didnt come easily for Chesnutt. In one letter to his editor, Chesnutt described writing in this dialect as a despairing task.

Nonetheless, he avoided completely pandering to mainstream expectations of how Black characters should be portrayed.

He rejected the emergent historiography of Reconstruction that refused to recognize the agency of African Americans, and despite working within the form, Chesnutt didnt present Julius as a buffoon who was happy to serve the whites in his midst.

Even though his stories didnt overtly denounce racism, Chesnutt hoped they might still chip away at prejudice:

But the subtle almost indefinable feeling of repulsion toward the negro, which is common to most Americans  and easily enough accounted for, cannot be stormed and taken by assault; the garrison will not capitulate: so their position must be mined, and we will find ourselves in their midst before they think it.

Humor opens doors

Chesnutt is far from the only Black artist asked to make compromises. Poet Langston Hughes had a falling out with his patron, Charlotte Osgood Mason, who viewed African Americans as a link to the species primitive past and wanted his work to be devoid of political progressivism.

As Hughes wrote in his 1940 autobiography, The Big Sea, I was only an American Negro  who had loved the surface of Africa and the rhythms of Africa  but I was not Africa. I was Chicago and Kansas City and Broadway and Harlem. And I was not what she wanted me to be.

In Chesnutt, I also see ties to contemporary Black comedians who center their humor around race.

During the third season of Chappelles Show, Dave Chappelle famously suffered from an existential crisis because the comedian wasnt sure how people were responding to his humor. In a 2006 interview with Oprah Winfrey, he explained how, when filming a sketch in blackface, someone on the set, that was white, laughed in such a way  I know the difference of people laughing with me and laughing at me. And it was the first time Id ever gotten a laugh that I was uncomfortable with.

Shortly after, Chappelle quit the show.

Comedian Dave Chappelle struggled over whether the audience was laughing with him or at him. Riccardo Savi/Getty Images

While Chesnutt was certainly not the first African American artist to use humor to depict the horrors of slavery, he was one of the first to reach the American mainstream.

The humor disarms readers, helping them cross a psychological threshold and enter a space where a more nuanced conversation about the history of the country can take place.

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Rodney Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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OMAHA  Bio Nebraska, together with Marylinn Munson, recently announced that they have launched the Marylinn Munson & Bio Nebraska STEM Scholarship to support and encourage Nebraska high school students as they pursue relevant classroom study and professional experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related fields. Applications will be accepted beginning March 1, 2022, for the 2022-2023 academic year.

I am inspired by our talented young women and men. They are our future leaders, the ones who will not only be making new discoveries but solving existing and future human problems and needs through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, said Marylinn Munson, a Nebraska leader in the life science, biotechnology, and agriculture industries. Providing students a strong foundation, through impactful and connecting organizations like Bio Nebraska, is critical. Im honored and privileged to be able to support them in their journey.

Scholarships are available to Nebraska high school seniors who have been accepted at a Bio Nebraska approved Nebraska college, community college or university, are planning to enroll in an undergraduate course of study in a STEM-related field, and who plan to pursue a career with a STEM-related organization. A one-time scholarship payment of $2,500 may be awarded to up to four high school seniors for the 2022-2023 academic year.

We are proud to partner with Marylinn to support Nebraska high school seniors as they begin their journey to a career in STEM, said Rob Owen, Executive Director of Bio Nebraska. Nebraska offers enormous opportunities across STEM fields and our states youth is a crucial component in growing and sustaining these important industries.

Applications must be received before 9 a.m. CST on Apr. 30, 2022, and scholarship recipients will be announced in June 2022. For more information about the Marylinn Munson & Bio Nebraska STEM Scholarship, interested applicants can visit the Bio Nebraska website here.

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Several European countries, the United States and Canada issued a joint statement on Saturday saying they will remove some Russian banks from SWIFT, the payment system used for most international financial transactions.

The expulsion, which some people believe will deal a heavy blow to the Russian economy by crippling Russian banks' ability to settle international transactions, could be bad for Europe, as it will at the same time bring energy supply shocks to the European Union (EU).

That is probably why a few European countries like Germany and Italy were hesitant about endorsing it at first.

SWIFT expulsion

SWIFT is a Belgium-headquartered global provider of secure financial messaging services. It was formed in 1973 by 239 banks from 15 countries to solve the problem of cross-border payments communication.

More than 11,000 financial institutions are now using SWIFT for their financial transactions, including around 300 from Russia.

According to the joint statement released Saturday, in concert with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Canada, the United States is supporting the expulsion of "selected Russian banks" from SWIFT "within the coming days," so as to "further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies."

"It will stop them (the Russian banks) from operating worldwide and effectively block Russian exports and imports," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted on Sunday.

Many media reports have predicted that such an expulsion, if endorsed for all major Russian banks, is likely to wreak havoc on Russia's financial system and economy by triggering bank runs and greatly undermining Russia's exports, and have therefore touted the expulsion as a "nuclear option."

However, some experts said the move did not necessarily mean that Russian banks will be rendered incapable of conducting international transactions, as they can still finalize the process with other banks through other systems, or even by fax or Email given that SWIFT is only a messaging system.

The expulsion will only make the whole process slower and costlier, they said.

In fact, Russia has started to developed its own financial transfer system -- the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) -- since 2014, as an alternative to SWIFT, a move in anticipation of possible expulsions from the West.

At the end of 2020, there were 23 foreign banks connected to the SPFS from Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland. As of May 2021, the SPFS had been handling around 20% of Russia's domestic payments.

Supply shocks

Citing analysts, some media reports said there was in the beginning reluctance among several leaders from EU countries to take the step of expulsion due to their countries' heavy reliance on Russian energy exports.

For example, the Financial Times reported Thursday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believed such a move "should not be included in an EU sanctions package."

British online newspaper The Independent reported on Saturday that Germany, France and Italy opposed a request from Britain to shut Russia out of SWIFT.

"The German finance minister, Christian Lindner, admitted Berlin refused to go further because of 'a high risk that Germany will no longer be supplied with gas or raw materials,'" it said.

According to Russia's central bank, the country's exports totaled $489.8 billion in 2021, more than 50% of which were energy products. Over 40% of the EU's natural gas comes from Russia. Germany, the largest economy in the EU, gets 55% of its gas imports from Russia.

Besides, Russia is a main supplier of crude oil and solid fossil fuels to the EU.

Nikolai Zhuravlev, deputy speaker of the Federation Council of Russia, told Russia's TASS news agency in January that European countries will not be able to receive gas, oil and metals from Russia in case Russia is disconnected from SWIFT.

Many experts believed if EU countries are weaned off Russian energy supplies, they will face a huge challenge to find backup suppliers.

"Europe's economy, which is far more closely tied to Russia's than the U.S. economy, could suffer if Russia was restricted or prohibited from using SWIFT, including if banks are blocked from access," NBC News reported on Sunday.
They might be thousands of miles apart but the bond between the Christians in Ukraine and Russia and those gathered at Western Avenue Baptist Church on Sunday is one that cannot be broken.

That was the message at a quickly arranged prayer service.

Andy Lackey, Western Avenues associate pastor, said he received a phone call from local activist Brian Summers late last week as the situation in Ukraine worsened, and by Saturday morning, the prayer service was arranged.

Summers said there is one simple reason he helped to put together the prayer service.

All we can do is pray, he said.

Western Avenues pastor, Dr. Jeff Spry, said there are people in both countries who share the love of Christ with those sitting in the pews at the church Sunday.

Our bond is stronger than with any unbeliever, he said.

The service featured prayer for the people of Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainian military, the Russian military, the church and believers in the Ukraine, the missionaries serving in either of those countries, government leaders in the U.S. and those offering relief and humanitarian aid in countries neighboring the Ukraine.

Spry said the situation in Ukraine is concerning.

We are deeply concerned, he said as he opened the service.

Dr. Andy White opened the service by offering prayer to the people in both countries. He said the offering is for those who chose to flee, stay, to fight or those forced to stay as well as those in Russia protesting the invasion.

Right now, think of the people in the Ukraine, he said.

To those protesting in Russia, he said, the prayer is that God will help them find strength.

Katie Hatchett offered prayer for the Ukrainian army as well as the civilians who are taking up arms to fight.

Phil Greene prayed for those in the Russian Army, as well as civilians who may be conscripted into the army but do not want to fight.

Kyle Tucker encouraged the church and Christians in Ukraine in their fight.

May you not lose hope, she said.

Jennifer Combs asked for prayers for the Gospel to go out, while Chuck Miller offered a prayer for those in leadership in the U.S. Spry said that is so so much needed.

The service continued with blessings for those who are and will be providing relief and humanitarian aid in the weeks and, perhaps, months to come.

David Moss said organizations such as Samaritans Purse and others will be providing that relief. Words of prayer were offered to those who will be working with the refugees that have fled to other countries to provide necessities.

Spry said that local people also can help in this regard. and once efforts are established, the church will spread the word.

Mark Collins, minister of youth at Western Avenue, then sang the song Is He Worthy?, which was followed by a final prayer from Lackey.

Our hearts are heavy for all those effected, he said.
Not long after Judge Daniel Chambers started his work with the Iredell County Magistrate Court, a young probation officer brought an arrestee in front of him for his first judicial proceeding.

On Monday, that man, Clerk of Superior Court Jim Mixson, led a ceremony as Chambers was recognized for his 30 years of service with the Iredell County Magistrate Court.

Now he has three decades of experience, something that helped him be selected as the chief magistrate in 2020.

In those years, Chambers demeanor and evenhandedness have been a hallmark of his work, according to all of those gathered in the room.

Hes been a great leader in the magistrates office for many years. Hes got a calm demeanor, which bodes well for someone in his role, Mixson said.

I didnt see it coming; the years fly, Chambers said with a laugh before thanking many of those he worked with during his career. Ive worked with some great people as a magistrate here. Ive worked under some great judges. Were all a big judicial family here, and its great.

Other judges and staffers at the Iredell County Hall of Justice gathered in the Magistrate Court to present Chambers with a rocking chair Monday while sharing a few words praising the veteran judge.

He is an example of someone who will do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason, every time, Joe Crosswhite, the senior resident Superior Court judge, said. Our county is blessed to have people of his caliber step up and do this kind of work.

Crosswhite said Chambers helped show him the ropes in Iredell County when he began his time here in 1995. Crosswhite, Mixson and others said Chambers helped mentor many people at the Hall of Justice as well.

I would not know what it would be like to come into a courthouse and not have Daniel Chambers influence somewhere in the courthouse, in every office and every respect, Crosswhite said.

Chambers said he isnt one who likes the spotlight and that the ceremony was overwhelming, but he also appreciates everyone he worked with over the last three decades.

In that time, the veteran judge said remaining fair-minded and ruling that way as well has been the most important part of his work.

To be fair, to be considerate and always justice fairly, Chambers said.

Kesler recognized for 25 years of service

Mondays ceremony wasnt all about Chambers, though like the judge, Tammy Kesler said she could have done without the spotlight being on her.

She was recognized for her 25 years of service within Iredell Countys judicial system.

Crosswhite also praised her for her behind-the-scenes work that might go unnoticed by the public but was important to keep the courthouse running smoothly.

Kessler started off as a deputy clerk in the criminal department, but she has been working with with Crosswhite and fellow Superior Court Judge Will Long since 2013, providing clerical support. She also serves as a liaison between law enforcement, attorneys and other judicial offices.

I love working for the clerk of court and just meeting and communicating with people of all walks of life, she said. The 25 years with the state of North Carolina has really flown by, and I look forward to achieving full retirement.

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Community members are invited to a farewell reception for former Town Manager Kayla Cox prior to next weeks Town Council meeting at W. Skip Bishop Town Hall on March 3.

Those wishing to honor Cox and her contributions to both the Town of Floyd and Floyd County should arrive at W. Skip Bishop Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3. The regular Floyd Town Council meeting is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Cox first announced her exit last year, but agreed to stay onboard until March to fill at least two of the positions to staff the Town Offices.

Lynn Gregory joined the town team in early January as Town Clerk/Treasurer, and Andrew Morris was officially hired as Town Manager during the Feb. 3 Town Council meeting.

Coxs contributions to the town and county include restructuring the joint Floyd Tourism Department during the summer with County Administrator Linda Millsaps, planning Small Town Summer alongside contracted organizers, starting the process of Town Hall renovations and leading several VDOT-involved projects, among others.

Cox has been a part of the town team since 2016, and she is expected to fully transition out of the role by the end of March, following Morriss training.
RIDGEFIELD  The Cowlitz Indian Tribe donated more than a half a million dollars Monday to nine local nonprofits during its foundation event at the tribes ilani casino in Ridgefield.

A teen camp in Battle Ground called Camp Hope received a check for $85,000 and an animal-assisted therapy organization in Ridgefield called Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas & Alpacas received a check for $25,000.

The following organizations were also awarded for a total donation of $540,000:

Cowlitz Wahkiakum Legal Aid: $50,000.

Columbia Riverkeeper: $50,000

Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Willamette: $20,000.

Junior Achievers of SW WA: $50,000.

Innovative Services NW: $150,000.

Partners in Careers: $50,000.

PERIOD. Inc: $60,000.

The tribes foundation has donated more than $18 million to more than 1,000 Washington and Oregon nonprofits since 2018, says the organization.

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is one of 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages in the United States. The tribes land is located in Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis and parts of Pierce, Skamania and Wahkiakum counties.

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Longview dentist Dr. Sam Wise was evicted last week from his 11th Avenue office after staying roughly three months past the lease agreement, amid court cases and state investigations about his Lower Columbia Oral Health practice.

The 1538 11th Avenue office Wise operated for almost three years stood empty and closed Monday.

The eviction comes amid a pending Washington State Department of Health investigation into whether Wise violated state codes in 2019, and Cowlitz County Superior Court cases surrounding his practice.

Eviction

Court records show the landlord of the 11th Avenue office sent Wise a lease termination notice in November, after Wise failed to pay that months $8,200 rent. The lease ended Nov. 30, court records state, but Wise did not leave the building until around Friday.

Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office Chief Criminal Deputy Troy Brightbill said sheriffs deputies posted the eviction notice on the office building Feb. 18, after Superior Court issued the notice, and the business was vacated when deputies followed up on Friday.

An email from Wise to Lower Columbia Oral Health patients on Sunday alleges the eviction was not done fairly. Wise said he was one day late on rent due to mailing issues, and the landlord took advantage of the lease contract to evict him.

The landlord of the 11th Avenue office is the former tenant, Dr. Daniel Haghighi, who returned to Ohio in 2019 after operating Lower Columbia Oral Health for 24 years. Wise took over the business in 2019 under the official name German Wise Dental, LLC.

Haghighis attorney denied comment Monday, and Wises attorney could not be reached by phone Monday.

Court cases

Wise and his company are in the middle of several court cases.

Wise and his wife are appealing a Cowlitz County District Court decision that denied $7,784 from two former patients who said they were promised some free services during the offices transition from Haghighi to Wise. Court records include a letter from Haghighi stating he and Wise agreed the services for at least one of the patients would be free.

On Wednesday, Cowlitz County Superior Court ruled Wise also defaulted on a $1.35 million loan his company took out with JPMorgan Chase when he did not respond to the banks allegations he had not made payments since March 2021.

A former employee of Wise named Darci Cooper is suing Wise, his wife and German Wise Dental, LLC for shorted pay, among other issues, according to a previous article by The Daily News. A five-day trial for the case is scheduled for Sept. 27 in Cowlitz County Superior Court.

In addition to legal action, former employees and patients alleged Wise was rude to patients and staff and didnt abide by basic medical and ethical practices in 2020, according a TDN report. Wise said the complaints were from disgruntled employees and lacked evidence, says the article.

State reviews

The Washington State Department of Health is reviewing whether Wise will face disciplinary actions for prescribing his wife a weight-loss drug for sleep apnea as her dentist, about two months after Wise was issued a license to practice in Washington in 2019, according to state documents.

The state alleges the actions could be a violation of unprofessional conduct because prescribing sleep apnea medication falls outside the scope of dental practice. Wise also could be in violation of not keeping records of his wifes prescription, including the date and medication amount, says the state.

Enforcement action was listed as pending on the Washington Department of Healths website as of Monday and Wises dental license also was active.

TDN reported the state closed investigations on four complaints against Wise in 2020, but still had 11 to review at the time. Three additional complaints were filed with the Washington State Attorney Generals Office as of July 2020, according to the TDN report.

TDN requested information on the results of those complaints Monday and updates on the accusations, as well as the practice in general, are forthcoming.

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China is poised to take bolder steps to accelerate building a strong and highly efficient domestic market, analysts and business executives said.



Thus, market-oriented reforms will continue to underpin China's next-phase development, which should bring benefits to local residents as well as foreign businesses, they said.

Measures to further empower the role of the market in resource allocation and to foster a level playing field for companies from both home and abroad by removing market entry barriers are vital for China to build a new growth model characterized by the idea of a dual-circulation development pattern proposed by the central leadership, economists said.

A unified domestic market that is efficient, open and rule-based is essential for China to improve internal economic circulation while a strong and prosperous domestic economy will also help enhance external circulation, or the two-way flow of goods and capital, which is the essence of the dual-circulation development idea.

Liu Quanhong, director of the international economics research institute of the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research, said that China gained valuable experience in deepening market-oriented reform in the past decades, which will continue to guide the nation's policymakers on future reforms.

"Strong leadership of the Party to ensure reforms stay on the right track, properly handling the relationship between the government and the market to avoid improper administrative interventions, unswervingly unleashing productivity potential, and using pilot projects for experimentthese are some of the important factors for China's success," he said.

China's GDP expanded to more than 114 trillion yuan ($18 trillion) in 2021 from 54 trillion yuan in 2012 and the country's per capita GDP has exceeded $12,000. Contributing to about 30% of global growth in recent years, China has become an important growth engine for the global economy.

"In the next step, I think the most urgent task is to deepen market-oriented reforms for production factors, which is the inner driver of the country to pursue high-quality development and to build a unified and highly efficient domestic market that encourages fair competition and is fully integrated into the global economy," Liu said.

Policies should also be drafted to improve the role of the government for better coordination in allocations of key production factors such as land, capital, labor and technology, he said.

The central leadership sent a clear signal to accelerate market-oriented reform at a recent top-level meeting. President Xi Jinping said at the meeting in December that it is imperative to speed up the building of a unified national market that is efficient, standardized, open and allows fair competition. It is also vital to establish unified market rules and regulations across the country and promote the smooth flow of goods, factors, and resources on a wider scale.

Xu Gao, chief economist at BOC International, said that building a dual-circulation development model will better enable the Chinese economy to shift toward a consumption-driven growth model and to unleash the potential of its vast consumer market.

Necessary reforms including policies to substantially increase household income and its share in the country's GDP and to reform the existing income distribution system are crucial for China to build a stronger consumer market.

"A strong and vibrant domestic consumer market will create attractive business opportunities, which will also be welcomed by foreign companies," Xu said.

Foreign investors have given China a vote of confidence despite the shocks generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021,61,000 foreign-invested enterprises were established in China, up 23%, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing other news outlets.

Wu Dongming, CEO of DHL Express China, said: "China's 'dual-cycle' model marks the Chinese economy's entry into a new era of enhanced economic development. The continuous opening-up has been leading to an improved business environment, in particular the efficiency of Customs clearance, from an international logistics provider's perspective."

Peter Foo, president and chief executive officer of United Overseas Bank (China) Ltd, a subsidiary of the Singapore-based banking group, echoed the view that a stronger Chinese economy will generate more opportunities and greater access for foreign businesses.

"To achieve stable and high-quality economic development, China is spearheading efforts to drive sustainable trade and investment flows and build a greener and upgraded economy. We see more opportunities in enabling customers to transform together with China's economy," Foo said.
The grainy aerial images of a destroyed Russian tank and missile batteries were, according to Ukraines air force, the latest evidence of the damage inflicted by its fleet of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones.

The grainy aerial images of a destroyed Russian tank and missile batteries were, according to Ukraines air force, the latest evidence of the damage inflicted by its fleet of Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones on Vladimir Putins invading army.

In an English-language tweet Tuesday, Ukraine lauded the attack as the jewelry work of Bayraktar TB2 crews, saying it took place in the previous 24 hours at an undisclosed location. Since fighting started last week, Ukrainian claims have credited the pilotless aircraft with destroying dozens of Russian armored vehicles, missile systems and trucks.

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While its impossible to confirm a role for the drones in all those losses, it wouldnt be the first time planes made by Turkeys Baykar had a significant impact on battlefields where Moscow maintained an interest. Relatively cheap to make and deploy, the aircraft have in recent years helped swing conflicts in places as far afield as Azerbaijan and Libya in favor of Turkish allies.

Now they are prized items in the budding relationship thats made Turkey one of Kyivs most important backers. In the process, the planes are straining ties between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Putin, a relationship that has consequences for Turkeys economy, defense ties and regional flashpoints including Syrias war.

Information available from open-source intelligence appears to confirm Feb. 26 drone strikes on a Russian BUK surface-to-air missile system and a supply train, said Arda Mevlutoglu, an independent Turkish aviation expert based in Ankara. Satellite images showed an explosion at the specific location where the Ukrainian military claimed to have targeted the transport train, he said.

Ukraine appears to be successfully using surviving Bayraktar TB2 drones against Russian military assets, once again proving its efficiency in combat, Mevlutoglu said Tuesday. Communications and operational failures within the Russian force might be contributing to the drones successes, he said.

Michael Kofman, a Russia analyst at CNA, a nonprofit research and analysis organization in Arlington, Virginia, similarly ascribed some of Ukraines drone strikes to mind boggling decisions by Russias military, including failing to provide extensive air cover.

Putins forces, which are yet to secure control of skies over all Ukraine despite starting their campaign by targeting radar facilities and airstrips, said they had destroyed at least four Bayraktar drones as well as the base from which theyre launched, according to an Interfax report.

Russian troops are now thought by Western intelligence agencies to be massing north of Kyiv for an assault on the capital after failing to meet some of their early war aims amid unexpectedly fierce Ukrainian resistance.

Ukraine has bought dozens of Bayraktar TB2s since 2019 together with control stations and missiles, according to several Turkish officials and an executive at one of the countrys defense companies with close government ties. The two nations also agreed to cooperate on a new generation of the drones during a visit to Kyiv by Erdogan early last month.

The low-flying and highly maneuverable TB2s are operated from mobile stations and protected by jammers, said a Turkish official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Theyre a product of Erdogans ambition to make Turkeys projection of regional power more self-sufficient, and Istanbul-based Baykar is run by Selcuk Bayraktar, a son-in-law of the president.

Bayraktar drones owned by Ukraine opened fire for the first time in October to destroy mobile artillery in Donbas, a region where Russian-backed separatists have faced off against Ukrainian troops since 2014 and thats cited by Putin as one justification for his invasion.

Turkeys Drone Chief Leads Pursuit of Homegrown Military Edge

In a Dec. 10 phone call with Erdogan, Putin condemned Ukraines provocative deployment of the attack drones, according to a Kremlin statement. About a month earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had warned Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to take Moscows concern over Turkeys militarization of Ukraine as seriously as possible.

Before the Russian invasion, Ukraines government had set aside land for facilities to manufacture Turkish drones locally as the two countries planned to expand defense industry cooperation, including supplying Ukrainian engine technology for Turkeys fast-growing arms producers.

A senior Turkish official said that working with Kyiv provides Ankara with leverage in its dealings with Moscow in conflicts from Africa to the Middle East and the Caucasus.

But Turkey remains wary of aggravating Moscow and has largely avoided publicizing the role of its hardware in those wars so not to damage economic ties or trigger military retaliation in places like Syria.

Russia provides more than half of Turkeys gas and is also building a nuclear reactor in the country, while Russian tourists have been a major source of income. Thousands of Turkish soldiers are deployed in Syrias rebel-held Idlib province where theyd be vulnerable to attacks by government forces who are backed by Putin.

Ankaras foremost priority will be to avoid antagonizing Moscow, while supporting Kyiv and building Western goodwill as a reliable NATO ally will be secondary goals, Emre Peker, Europe director for Eurasia Group, wrote in a note on Monday.

Still, theres little doubt over the Bayraktar planes effectiveness in Ukraine, said Paul T. Levin, director of the Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies.

There were many skeptics about the Turkish made Bayraktar TB2 drones ability to go up against the Russian military machinery in Ukraine, he tweeted. So far, however, it appears to have done rather well for the Ukrainians.
Chinese state-owned companies have been barred from doing business in the United States, severely hampering their global ambitions.

On a stage reserved for the biggest players in the global telecoms industry, three Chinese firms took their place alongside three Western companiesand pushed the message that they wanted to "work together".

But the state-owned companiesChina Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicomhave been barred from doing business in the United States, severely hampering their global ambitions.

The US authorities cited security and risks of meddling by the Chinese statesimilar reasons lay behind Huawei's exclusion from the US market in 2020.

With a relatively small international footprint, all three firms used their presentations at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to trumpet their achievements in their homeland.

"By the end of 2022, we are expected to roll out a total of over one million 5G base stations, with subscribers using 5G networks to exceed 330 million," said Yang Jie, boss of China Mobile.

The rollout of 5Ga faster, more efficient mobile networkis seen as vital for a host of future technologies, not least self-driving vehicles and advanced industrial machinery.

But the rest of the world is lagging far behind China, and analysts are expressing concern that excluding the Chinese firms from the global market will do more harm than good.

'National security' risks

In his pitch to the MWC, Vodafone boss Nick Read was explicit about the challenge faced by Europe.

"At (the) current rate, it will take at least until the end of the decade for Europe to match the transformational, full 5G experience that China will already have achieved this year," he said.

The three state-owned firms have been integral to that effort.

China Mobile boasts almost one billion subscriptions, making it by far the biggest firm in the world. The other two Chinese companies each have more than 300 million subscriptions.

And all three are heavily pushing 5G.

"If we look at the world of the way it is now, at least on the consumer side, 65 percent of 5G sits in mainland China," said Dario Talmesio of Omdia, a research firm.

He said "a body of expertise, experience... and best practices" was being established in the region.

"Can the rest of the world confidently say: 'We don't need that'?"

The US government believes they can live without it.

In banning China Unicom in January, the US Federal Communications Commission said the company could be exploited by the Chinese government and posed "significant national security and law enforcement risks".

'Hearts and minds'

The battle lines are drawn, but on stage the three Chinese firms were cautious not to tackle the US ban directly.

Yang ended his video presentation by saying China Mobile was "willing to work with all sectors of society" to "unleash the infinite potential" of 5G and other technology.

China Telecom chief Ruiwen Ke said he wanted to "work together" to "create a better future".

The Chinese firms were on a "hearts and minds mission", according to Ben Wood of research firm CCS Insight, using their platform in Barcelona to stress China's strengths more generally.

"The Chinese are very proud of what they have created and they want to come and tell that story," he said.

"And they want to make sure that they set the agenda for the future evolution of technology."

Wood and Talmesio both highlighted the massive advantage enjoyed by the Chinese firms because of the sheer size of their domestic 5G business.

Talmesio said the firms were sending a "clear message" in Barcelona: "We're here, we're still international, we're happy to do business with anyone if they'll let us."

Explore further China Mobile's Shanghai debut lukewarm after US delisting

 2022 AFP
Combining questions about a persons health with data from smartwatch sensors, the CovidDeep app can predict within minutes whether someone is infected with COVID-19. Credit: Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy

Combining questions about a person's health with data from smartwatch sensors, a new app developed using research at Princeton University can predict within minutes whether someone is infected with COVID-19.

This new breed of diagnostic tool stems from research led by Niraj Jha, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Princeton University. His team is developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for COVID-19 detection, as well as diagnosis and monitoring of chronic conditions including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, diabetes and sickle cell disease.

NeuTigers, a company founded to commercialize Jha's work, applied to the U.S. FDA, under the agency's provision for "software as a medical device," for clearance for its COVIDDeep product. Shayan Hassantabar, a Ph.D. student in Jha's group, is the lead author of a paper in IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics describing the development and testing of COVIDDeep. The software integrates smartwatch sensor readings of heart rate, skin temperature and galvanic skin response with blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels, as well as a questionnaire on COVID symptoms.

Jha's research group at Princeton has long focused on adapting a type of AI called deep learning, which is typically energy-intensive, to function on low-power electronic devices such as phones and watches instead of centralized cloud computing centers. This approach, known as edge AI, has the added benefit of helping to preserve users' privacy and increase security. A key innovation is pared-down neural networks (the "neu" of NeuTigers) that mimic human brain development.

"It's a very generalizable framework," said Jha. "Smart health care is just one application. We are also applying it to cybersecurity and other internet-of-things applications." Similar to preventive medical interventions, machine learning models could spot aberrant patterns and help fix software vulnerabilities before a cyberattack ever occurs, he said.

In recent years, Jha's team has explored edge AI for health care applications such as noninvasive detection of diabetes and mental health disorders from smartwatch and smartphone sensor data.

In fall 2017, former pharmaceutical executive Adel Laoui audited Jha's class on "Machine Learning for Predictive Data Analytics" and was intrigued by the technology. Laoui, who had experience developing and deploying new technologies for disease management, approached Jha after the course ended. After further discussions with Jha's Ph.D. students, they launched NeuTigers in June 2018.

"We saw a lot of intersections in our interests," said Jha. "Smart health care with the help of edge AI was taking off, so it was an opportune moment for a startup in this area. Adel had a lot of connections with angel investors, and so it ramped up very quickly."

Several patented technologies from Jha's lab have been licensed to NeuTigers, including methods for diagnosis of diabetes and mental health conditions, and for security vulnerability detection in internet-of-things systems.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, Jha wondered whether his team's deep learning approaches could be used to diagnose the virusespecially in people with the potential to spread COVID-19 with no apparent symptoms, a major problem for controlling the disease.

"The hypothesis was that the disease leaves a unique signature on the physiological signals emanating from our body," said Jha. "This hypothesis seems to have been true, at least for the few diseases we had looked at, so my idea was to see if we could diagnose COVID-19 this way."

CovidDeep uses smartwatch sensor readings and a symptom questionnaire to detect COVID-19. Credit: Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy

Jha and Laoui got in touch with Ignazio Marino, a professor of surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and the executive director of the Jefferson Italy Center.

In May 2020, at the tail end of northern Italy's initial cluster of COVID-19 in Europe, NeuTigers CTO Vishu Ghanakota traveled to Pavia, Italy, to deliver medical-grade smartwatches, software applications and training materials to Marino's colleagues at San Matteo Hospital. The clinical researchers collected data from 87 individuals, 30 of whom had tested negative for COVID by PCR; another 30 tested positive and were symptomatic, and 27 tested positive and were asymptomatic.

The data included 60 minutes of smartwatch sensor readings on heart rate, skin temperature and galvanic skin response (a measure of sweat gland activity), divided into 15-second intervals. Separately, the clinicians measured participants' blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels, and answered a questionnaire indicating whether each participant had shortness of breath, cough, fever or any of eight other symptoms.

The Princeton researchers, led by Ph.D. student Hassantabar, used a subset of this data to train neural network models to predict a patient's COVID-19 status, and another subset to test the resulting models. The team found that their models were 98.1% accurate at detecting COVID-19.

One method Hassantabar used to boost the models' accuracy was the addition of synthetic data obtained based on the probability distribution of the real dataa broadly applicable technique that Jha's group first used for other applications. Another method he used was based on the grow-and-prune neural network synthesis paradigm developed in Jha's group.

The researchers have since validated the method with a larger field trial in France, and health organizations in the United States and Algeria have piloted COVIDDeep among their staff. To enable more widespread adoption of COVIDDeep, NeuTigers is working to make it compatible with some types of Samsung, Fitbit and Apple smartwatches, which will also integrate blood pressure and pulse oximeter measurements.

Manually entering clinical data into a smartphone app could be another useful screening approach in many settings, especially since smartphones are far more common worldwide than smartwatches, said Marino, who oversaw clinical data collection for the study. On the other hand, said Laoui, using a smartwatch alone may be preferable for many users, and the researchers are also working to adapt the neural network models to function with a smartwatch's more limited computing power.

"I think this could be far superior [to rapid antigen tests], because the accuracy of a rapid test that you do by yourself at home is limited," said Marino. "Pushing the swab up in the nose is obviously a discomfort, and I don't know if people are going to do that as accurately as they need to. But if you have a device on your wrist that is not invasive and is totally independent from a physical human maneuver, I think that is much better."

Marino also expressed hope that the technology could improve early diagnosis of widespread conditions such as diabetes. "There are millions of people in the United States that have early diabetes that probably is very treatable, and they don't know," he said. Having new information that leads to early diagnosis could lead to "a very successful treatment," he added.

Laoui is interested in exploring the methods' use for diagnosis and monitoring of other diseases such as cardiovascular disorders and sepsis infections, both increasing problems for the world's aging population.

"We're going to have a library of disease models embedded in the watch, and from time to time we're going to run the sensors' information through these disease models, which will be personalized," said Laoui. "If there is something wrong or something unusual, we are going to inform you in a meaningful way. I believe this new era of smart health care will be powered by edge AI applications and will redefine healthcare delivery and consumer well-being."

Explore further Smartwatch data used to predict clinical test results

More information: Shayan Hassantabar et al, CovidDeep: SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Test Based on Wearable Medical Sensors and Efficient Neural Networks, IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics (2021). Shayan Hassantabar et al, CovidDeep: SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Test Based on Wearable Medical Sensors and Efficient Neural Networks,(2021). DOI: 10.1109/TCE.2021.3130228
This Jan. 16, 2019, file photo, shows Cruise AV, General Motor's autonomous electric Bolt EV in Detroit. On Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, General Motors said Kyle Vogt will take over as CEO of its Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary, which he helped found in 2013. Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File

General Motors said Monday that Kyle Vogt will take over as CEO of its Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary, a company he helped found in 2013.

A GM representative confirmed what Vogt posted on Twitter, that he had "once again" accepted the job as CEO of Cruise.

He replaces Dan Ammann. The Detroit automaker announced in December that Ammann was leaving the company to be replaced by Vogt as interim CEO at Cruise.

Cruise is operating a small fleet of autonomous-vehicle in San Francisco that it opened to the general public at the beginning of February. GM expects to get a permit to charge passengers for autonomous rides this year.

"Based on feedback from early users of our robo-taxi service, we've made something really special," Vogt tweeted Monday. "I try to stay clear of too much hype and unrealistic expectations, but this just feels absurdly better than the status quo. We've needed this for a long time."

Explore further Cruise offers public first driverless rides in San Francisco

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Cohoes, New York, municipal reservoir (without floating solar), identified by NREL as suitable for floating solar PV, will become the first city-owned-and-operated floating solar installation in the nation. Credit: Google Earth

Two city employees of Cohoes, New York, were brainstorming how to power the city's municipal buildings with renewable energy, but few options made sense. Cohoes does not have acres of unused land for solar panels, and the slate-topped buildings cannot hold rooftop solar. Moreover, with its high amount of low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents, 17,000-person Cohoes was not swimming in cash. The solution had to be something localsomething to keep cost savings within the community.

"We looked at every aspect of how to add clean energy to our working-class community," said Theresa Bourgeois, director of operations for the city of Cohoes. "Then my colleague came upon the idea of floating solar. We considered our 10-acre water reservoir and asked, "Can we really utilize this?" The more we researched, we realized yes, we can. In fact, it's the best possible answer."

No U.S. cities have done anything like what Cohoes was proposing: a municipally-owned and operated floating solar installationbut there was no reason it would not work. Bourgeois and City Planner Joe Seman-Graves did their research and learned that the technology of floating solar is sound and that their reservoir could hold enough panels to power all Cohoes city-owned buildings and streetlightserasing around $500,000 in annual electricity costswith 40% of the generated electricity remaining for civic use. Everything about the project lined up, but at a cost of $6 million, Cohoes needed buy-in from others.

Such clean energy investments are especially challenging for small and LMI cities because municipalities cannot access the same tax incentives as private companies when developing renewable energy. Instead, the city would need to make the case for state, federal, and foundation funding, and for that, they found their pitch in a 2018 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report.

Discovery of NREL study and data set buoys support for floating solar

The NREL report that Bourgeois discovered was "Floating Photovoltaic Systems: Assessing the Technical Potential of Photovoltaic Systems on Man-Made Water Bodies in the Continental United States." The report provides coarse yet comprehensive data about potential U.S. "floatovoltaic" sites, including each reservoir's estimated size, proximity to electric transmission, ownership status, and current use. For Bourgeois and Seman-Graves, NREL's data set was the missing link.

"NREL's study gave us confidence and credibility in the power of this idea, that we could generate clean energy in Cohoes," Bourgeois said. "We used the basic results in that study to provide information to Congress, to our representatives, to the public, showing that we have a viable option. It really drove our success in building support for the project."

The report portrays floatovoltaics as a large, unexplored opportunity for renewable energy. NREL found that if even a portion of the most suitable reservoirs were covered, floating solar could generate almost 10% of national electricity. That includes almost 25,000 human-made water bodies unused for recreation, mine tailings, and fish and wildlife.

NREL has identified almost 25,000 human-made bodies of water that would be suitable for floating PV, yet there are currently less than 10 installments across the country. Credit: NREL

In one instance, the report was invaluable when Cohoes first ran the idea by New York state agency officials. Bourgeois and Seman-Graves referenced the number of possible reservoirs that could support floating solar492 in New Yorkto substantiate that not only are floatovoltaics viable, but that Cohoes could be at the forefront of a replicable model worth pursuing and funding. It was a strong enough case to win Cohoes some preliminary support.

Cohoes had similar success when running the idea by elected officials. NREL's data identifies a value proposition for renewable energy that appealed to state and federal representatives alike, with the latter advocating to fund about 50% or more of project costs.

NREL also found that many of the suitable reservoirs are in water-stressed areas with expensive land and electricitythese areas could find a shortcut to solar power with floatovoltaics. But for Cohoes, one statistic was missing in the data: What about floating solar's proximity to low-income communities? If the technology is such a practical option, how many other communities can use their own down-the-road reservoir for clean energy?

As the Cohoes Municipal Floating Solar Demonstration project becomes a model for municipal ownership and small-city sustainability, the city is using NREL's data to share resources, educate, and advocate for environmental justice in related clean energy projects around the state, region, and country.

A new life for NREL's data

While pitching the project, Bourgeois wondered whether NREL's data could be even more impactful; a visualization that breaks the data into congressional districts and economic factors might sum all 7,000 words up in a few seconds to show the economic imperative for Cohoes. Bourgeois connected with NREL and learned that no such visuals were planned, but the authors would happily provide input; so, Bourgeois teamed with nearby Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, sending NREL's paper to Rensselaer's Institute for Data Exploration and Applications (IDEA) where students and faculty engage with data of imminent societal importance.

The request was shared with John Erickson, director of research operations at IDEA, who is drawn to visualizing economic and technical data. He enthusiastically jumped in. His first goal was to visualize NREL's data overlaid with LMI maps.

"Plotting the two data sets together was an eye-opener," Erickson said. "Right away the possibilities for low-cost clean energy become clear."

Erickson collaborated with Bourgeois and Seman-Graves to create the Floating Solar Explorer. The exploration tool is available online and includes a map of all the suitable reservoirs identified by NREL, as well as congressional district-scale LMI information layered over New York. Erickson originally bootstrapped the data explorer to share with Cohoes project stakeholders, but it is now shaping up to be a nice undergraduate elective.

"We try to have our students be driven by questions from elsewhere. NREL's floating solar data set is an excellent launching point for students to use data to explore topics of deep importance," Erickson said.

The exploration tool is a perfect example of the cross-community collaboration that Bourgeois and Seman-Graves envision and which is already accounted for. They plan for NREL's data and accompanying visualization to be part of a wider virtual platform where the city can share and access information about the floating solar installation and where Cohoes can be a resource for K12 education, university-based research, workforce development, and economic collaboration, all of which provide a roadmap for others to adopt community ownership.

"Supporting Cohoes in their ongoing effort to install floating solar has been a great example of one of the many ways NREL can support cities in deploying innovative renewable energy systems," said Sika Gadzanku, who leads some of NREL's floating solar projects and has led engagement with Cohoes over the last year.

"Creative solutions such as the Cohoes floating PV project are helpful for extending the benefits of solar to LMI communities," said Jenny Heeter, lead author of NREL's Affordable and Accessible Solar for All: Barriers, Solutions, and On-Site Adoption Potential report. LMI households can face barriers to installing rooftop PV such as difficulty financing a system, higher rental rates, and underinvestment in marketing and education to their communities. Likewise, communities are generally left out of tax incentives that are meant to spur renewable development. The newly updated DOE Solar Power in Your Community Guidebook offers resources for other communities wanting to install solar on government property and also includes discussion of both floating PV and engaging LMI communities.

NREL also began cost benchmarking floating PV systems in 2021 to track their cost competitiveness nationwide. Another recent publication analyzed the benefits of pairing hydropower and floating PV systems around the worlda hybrid energy opportunity that could also be surprisingly cost friendly.

With Cohoes taking the charge toward clean energy justice, the success of NREL's research in supporting the small-city energy transition is a case study in going from R&D to deployment.

Explore further Untapped potential exists for blending hydropower, floating PV
Japanese industrial group Toshiba dates back to 1875 and has faced turmoil in recent years.

Once a symbol of Japan's advanced technology and economic power, Toshiba has been rocked by turbulence in recent years.

The industrial giant dates back to 1875 when its forerunner, a telegraph factory, operated in central Tokyo.

During Japan's 1980s tech boom it grew into a vast conglomerate, with businesses ranging from escalators and chip-manufacturing equipment to laptops and nuclear plants.

Here AFP charts Toshiba's recent highs and lows:

2015: Profit-padding scandal

Toshiba withdraws its earnings forecast in May, citing accounting problems on several infrastructure projects.

An external panel finds that high-level Toshiba staff "systematically" inflated profits by $1.2 billion between 2008 and 2014, pressuring underlings to cover up weak results.

The company president and other top executives resign over the ballooning scandal, as shares tank and thousands of jobs are cut.

2016: Asset sell-offs

The scandal hits Toshiba at a weak point after the 2008 financial crisis and 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, which dealt a blow to its key atomic power division.

In a scramble to recover, the company sheds businesses, but still suffers a record net loss of around $4.4 billion for the 2015-16 financial year.

2017: Westinghouse goes bust

Toshiba's US nuclear subsidiary Westinghouse Electric, whose tech is used in around half the world's atomic reactors, goes bankrupt, largely owing to delays and cost overruns.

Strapped for cash, Toshiba is forced to try to sell part of the family silverits memory chip business, which accounts for around a quarter of annual revenue.

The conglomerate posts a net loss of $8.8 billion in 2016/17 as it faces the humiliating threat of being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE).

It raises $5.3 billion in new capital with foreign activist investors rushing in, but is demoted to the TSE's second section.

2018: Mega-sale of Toshiba Memory

After months of complications, the $21-billion sale of prized chip unit Toshiba Memory to a group led by US investor Bain Capital is completed.

Toshiba retains a 40 percent stake in the chip business, which is renamed Kioxia.

The deal is seen as crucial to keeping Toshiba afloat, even as the firm says it has bounced back into the black by ceding assets and debts related to Westinghouse.

2019-2020: Shareholder pressure

Toshiba works on its financial woes and strengthens its governance, with a board composed of mostly external directors.

But the group faces pressure from activist shareholders who want to see faster growth and a clearer long-term strategy.

The crisis comes to a head after the 2020 annual general meeting, as some shareholders call for an independent inquiry into vote irregularities.

2021: Buyout offer

Having won a return to the TSE's first section, Toshiba says it has received a takeover offer from private equity fund CVC Capital Partners.

In a shock move, CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani, who previously worked for CVC, resigns. He insists his decision is not related to the buyout offer, which is later dropped.

In June, the independent probe into the 2020 AGM finds that the company sought government help to prevent activist investors from exercising their proposal and voting rights.

Toshiba apologises and removes two directors, but days later, shareholders vote to oust the board's chairman.

2022: Spin-off plan

Toshiba announces plans in February to spin off its device segment, revising a proposal to split into three companies that was announced in November 2021 but faced stiff opposition from some investors.

A shareholder vote on the two-way split is set for late March, but on March 1 the conglomerate's new CEO Satoshi Tsunakawa steps down after less than a year in the job.

Tsunakawa had spoken out against taking Toshiba private in an interview with Bloomberg News the previous day, saying that splitting into two companies remained the best plan.

 2022 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Europe's ferry industry has set sail for an emissions-free future. It's leading the eco-friendly revolution with electric and hydrogen-powered boats that are destined to make urban transport more sustainable.

In just a few months' time, passengers in Stavanger, Norway, will be able to begin commuting on a revolutionary ferry that doesn't produce any greenhouse gas emissions. Called Medstraum, which means both "to go with the flow" and "with electricity" in Norwegian, it will be the first high-speed vessel in the world that runs purely on electric power, replacing a diesel-powered ferry that currently shuttles people to surrounding islands.

If the trial goes well, similar vessels could soon operate in other cities too. "We're in a very exciting period," said Mikal Dahle, a project manager at public transport company Kolumbus AS in Stavanger, Norway, and coordinator of the TrAM project which is developing the catamaran ferry. "We are now finalizing the vessel and getting it ready."

Medstraum is an example of the new and sustainable modes of transport set to transform urban mobility. In the EU, emissions from transport account for about 25% of total greenhouse gas emissions and are the main cause of air pollution in cities.

Furthermore, most people use roads to get around in urban areas where traffic jams have become a huge problem and cost an estimated 110 billion a year in Europe. "Waterways are underused for the time being and could be a great alternative," said Virginie Seurat, the VP at Seabubbles, a company developing a hydrogen-powered boat.

Our waterborne travel also needs to get a lot greener to meet the EU's goal of reducing transport-related emissions by 90% by 2050. Existing high-speed craft, for example, are typically powered by fossil fuels and produce significant amounts of emissions.

"It's much more polluting to travel with (conventional) fast ferries compared to airplanes," noted Dahle. "A proper reduction in CO 2 emissions is one of the main challenges for inshore vessels."

Rethinking electric boat production

Dahle and his colleagues in the TrAM project are tackling this challenge with a novel design and production method for zero-emission electric vessels operating in coastal waters and inland waterways. Cost is still a barrier since these vessels are more expensive to build compared to those powered by diesel fuel, but the new approach should make them more affordable.

"The goal is to establish and validate a methodology for the design and production of (electric) craft that reduces the overall cost by 25%," said Dahle. "We want to make it possible for a large market to invest in zero-emission vessels."

Their new approach is based on modularization, where a boat is divided into different functional parts, such as the hull and passenger section, which are in turn subdivided into individual components, like the batteries and electrical equipment in the energy module.

The idea is that a new vessel could be designed and built by piecing together pre-existing modules instead of starting from scratch, making the process more efficient and cost-effective. "Some (parts) are standardized, like the seats in the vessel, so we can pick out exactly what we need for a boat at relatively low cost since they are produced in certain volumes," explained Dahle. "Then we have other things that need to be adjusted for each vessel like the hull shape and the motors."

Setting sail for new electric vessels

Medstraum is the first vessel being created using this approach, and aims to demonstrate its feasibility. Built from lightweight aluminum to reduce energy consumption will also allow the vessel to be easily recycled after use and contribute to the circular economy. The vessel will be able to carry around 150 passengers at speeds of up to 42 km/h and will make 16 round trips per day. The ferry's electric battery will be charged each time it stops at Stavanger.

Dahle and his colleagues will use the same approach to develop two other boats. One will be designed to transport either passengers or goods on the River Thames in London, while the other will be used on inland waterways in Belgium and will therefore need to be adapted for different purposes and environments. The London craft will be required to travel at a higher speed and have a larger capacity than the Stavanger vessel, for example, while the boat to be used in Belgium will need to meet different rules and regulations.

A 'flying' boat powered by hydrogen

City commuters could also soon use a 'flying' water taxi to get around thanks to another team aiming to lower the environmental impact of water transport. Seurat's colleagues have developed the first zero-emission hydrofoil craft that glides above waves powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and battery as part of the Seabubbles project.

"The idea is to offer citizens new solutions that are a step forward in terms of a green way of life," said Baptiste Arribe, the strategy director at Seabubbles in Annecy, France.

The futuristic-looking craft, which is made of composite fibers, can operate in two different modes and has been developed for waterways, lakes and marine zones. When traveling at less than 12 km/h, its hydrofoils are retracted and it navigates like a conventional vessel. However, at higher speeds its foils are deployed and the hull is lifted 60 centimeters above the water's surface, which results in a smooth ride even in choppy waters. "People are excited about the passenger experience because there are zero waves and no noise," said Seurat.

The "flying" mode has environmental advantages too. It uses 35% less energy compared to the conventional mode since gliding on the foils reduces the surface area of the boat immersed in water and hence the amount of friction.

Charging versus refueling

When they developed the prototype, the team initially planned to power the craft with electricity produced from solar panels and hydropower. But they later decided to switch to hydrogen power since a boat could travel further on a full tank of the gas compared to a single charge. It would also take less time to refuel; a hydrogen top-up that takes just a few minutes allows the boat to run for about two and a half hours.

While the latest Seabubble boat still runs on electricity, it is generated by a hydrogen fuel cell. It also contains a battery that is charged by the fuel cell when the craft is cruising to provide extra power when needed, for example during acceleration. Artificial intelligence is used to optimize the use of energy between the battery and fuel cell to make the boat as energy efficient as possible. "We combine the avant-garde in energy and (the latest) technology with our control system," Seurat explained.

Constructing the first Seabubbles

The first Seabubble boats are currently being assembled at a shipyard on the shores of Lake Annecy in France. They will be available to European buyers in a few months' time and later to the international market.

Able to carry up to 12 passengers, the vessels are of particular interest to private services for use as a shuttle for hotels located on the waterfront or as a quiet craft to take visitors around a nature reserve without disturbing wildlife.

While these vessels could also be used for public transport, cost remains a barrier. However, the EU's commitment to supporting the large-scale deployment of clean hydrogen technologies by 2030 should make it easier to implement Seabubbles more widely. "In the beginning, we need the support of governments to create the overall hydrogen infrastructure," concluded Seurat. "Then everything will come together, and I think we will change the mobility field."

Explore further Nation's first hydrogen fuel cell ferry to transport commuters across San Francisco Bay in early 2020


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China welcomes global semiconductor companies to invest in the nation and carry out cooperation with local companies, and jointly contribute to the stabilization of the global integrated circuit supply chain, the nation's top industry regulator said on Monday.

Tian Yulong, spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said, "We will continue providing good policies and market environment for domestic and foreign integrated circuit companies, treat all market players equally, as well as give equal treatment to domestic and foreign investment in accordance with the laws."

According to Tian, more efforts will be made to strengthen the protection of intellectual properties and jointly promote the innovative development of the integrated circuit industry.

The ministry forecast that the shortage of auto chips has gradually been eased, and it predicted the situation will further improve this year, considering that the world's major chip companies have beefed up production, and the supply capacity of domestic chip companies is also growing.

More efforts will be made to encourage auto makers and components companies to optimize the layout of supply chains, rationally schedule production, improve the efficiency of resource allocation, and minimize the impact of chip shortages, the ministry added.
AUSTIN  The 2022 midterm election season opens Tuesday in Texas, where voters will pick their nominees for governor, attorney general, congressional seats and more.

With the next state primaries not coming until May, Texas will be far ahead in offering the first glimpse of whether embracing former President Donald Trump remains a litmus test for Republicans and what messages are sticking for Democrats.

Of particular interest are congressional primaries in two districts where the incumbents are threatened. Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar is facing a progressive challenger just weeks after FBI agents raided his home. Republican Rep. Van Taylor is seen as vulnerable in his GOP-dominant district for criticizing the Jan. 6 insurrection and voting to certify Trumps loss in the 2020 election.

Statewide, Attorney General Ken Paxton is looking to survive a Republican primary challenge while under the cloud of an FBI investigation over corruption allegations.

What to watch as the Texas primary unfolds:

Issues driving the races

Republican candidates in Texas are increasingly moving to the right, and some havent stopped questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election  despite a broad coalition of top government and industry officials calling it the most secure in American history.

That makes Texas primary an early test of Trumps sustained influence on the party and how much discredited claims of widespread voter fraud will motivate Republican voters this year. One survey by Hearst Newspapers of Texas GOP congressional candidates found dozens who dispute the outcome of President Joe Bidens victory.

The primary also marks six months since Texas put in place the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. Democrats have said abortion rights will be a centerpiece of their national strategy in the 2022 midterms, but the issue has not been at the forefront in Texas primary.

The governors race

For months, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto ORourke have been looking past the primaries and campaigning against each other.

Abbott set his sights on a third term with Trumps endorsement, $56 million in campaign funds and his signature on a long list of divisive new laws  on guns, abortion and immigration  that have steered Texas hard to the right.

But that didnt insulate him from challengers on the far right, including former Florida congressman Allen West, the one-term tea party firebrand. West and other primary rivals leaned into anger within the GOP base over Abbotts handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including an early mask mandate.

But there are scarce signs of a close race. If Abbott avoids a primary runoff by garnering more than 50% of the vote, his victory would demonstrate broad support within the GOP and keep him in the conversation of potential 2024 presidential candidates.

ORourke, coming off an early exit in the 2020 presidential race, has shown he can still draw a crowd in Texas and quickly raise money. He has no serious competition on Tuesday.

Is a Trump ally in trouble?

The most heated statewide primary is the attorney generals race.

Paxton, seeking his third term in office, led a failed lawsuit to overturn the 2020 election and has been dogged by securities fraud charges and an FBI investigation into corruption allegations. He has broadly denied wrongdoing.

He carries Trumps endorsement and has become one of the nations most prominent state attorneys general by bringing cases against the Biden administration and Big Tech.

His challengers, including Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, are running on a message of restoring order to an office that has experienced upheaval under Paxton.

Bush, a son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and a grandson of former President George H.W. Bush, has spent the final days of the race expressing confidence that he will force a May runoff. Hes the only member of the Bush family still in public office.

What will voting be like?

Primary turnout is typically low in Texas, and this year so far has been no exception: Early voting has hovered in the low single digits among the states 17 million registered voters.

But this primary is also the first test of a GOP-engineered election overhaul that Texas Republicans muscled through the state Capitol last year. At least 17 other states this year will also hold elections under tougher rules, some driven by Trumps unfounded claims about the 2020 election.

The rushed rollout of new rules for Texas early primary has led to thousands of mail ballot applications and actual ballots getting returned for not including new identification requirements.

Secretary of State John Scott has said voters are still learning the rules and expects Texas later elections to run smoother. But local officials are worried that the issues could result in some voters not casting a ballot.
Semi-truck drivers opposed to medical mandates will roll past Grand Island today on Interstate 80 on their way to a rally later in the day in Lincoln.

Some of the drivers will converge on Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

Grand Island is one of the donation drop-off sites for the Nebraska Peoples Convoy. Supporters of the effort dropped off supplies at a Grand Island business. Those items will be sent to the Washington, D.C., area in support of convoy participants.

The convoy begins at 6:30 a.m. in Sidney. Participants will travel across Nebraska on I-80. A rally will be held near the Archway in Kearney between noon and 1 p.m.

The trucks will park south of the Interstate, said Allie French of Omaha, who is the founder and leader of Nebraskans Against Government Overreach.

The rally in Lincoln will begin at 5 p.m. outside the Capitol, with speakers starting around 6 p.m.

The drivers will not bring their semi-trucks to the Capitol area, French said. They will park their vehicles in parking lots outside of downtown and take shuttles to the Capitol area.

Organizers are trying hard not to bring any of the trucks into the downtown area, French said. They dont want to clog up streets. Plus, we want to be able to get home at the end of the night, too, said French, who hopes 1,500 people will attend the Lincoln rally.

One of the speakers will talk about the effects of medical mandates on rural Nebraska nursing homes, she said.

The Lincoln event will end with a ceremonial send-off to Nebraska truckers who will travel to the national event this weekend. Those drivers will head south to meet other convoy drivers on Interstate 70 near Kansas City, Mo.

Several different convoys are funneling into the Washington, D.C., area on Saturday to stand against medical mandates, French said.

Those convoys arent taking I-80, but Nebraskans still wanted to support their efforts, she said.

Thats why the Nebraska Peoples Convoy was put together. Organizers decided to do the statewide convoy in solidarity with the national event on the anniversary of Nebraskas statehood, French said.

Donation drop-off sites were organized at a number of Nebraska cities, including Omaha, Gretna, Lincoln, Grand Island, Kearney and Madrid.

French said there are no plans to block traffic on I-80.

Organizers have been in contact with local law enforcement and the Nebraska State Patrol to apprise them of their plans, French said.

French said the truckers do not plan to drive into the interior of Washington, D.C., this weekend.

They will travel to the outskirts of the Nations Capital, camping out at RV parks, unless an organizer is able to obtain a permit for them to travel near the Capitol, she said.

Another convoy will travel through central Nebraska on Friday, French said.

Members of the Midwest Freedom Convoy will stop at Bosselman Travel Center to refuel.

That group will handle replenishing efforts for truckers heading to Washington, D.C.

The supplies are needed because the truckers might be in Washington for some time, French said. The drivers arent earning an income while theyre involved in the convoy and may have difficulty obtaining food and fuel in the Washington area, she said.

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TV and internet advertising by the candidates for the Nebraska gubernatorial race  and if youve read any letters to the editor in the last month  have made an impression.

Mostly bad and worse.

From shotgun-brandishing and border-walking, the candidates for governor have been doing the agenda-setting  and still not discussing issues important to Nebraskans.

Their campaigns define the images and issues  probably not entirely without polling data. But they are trying to tell us what they think we think matters (if you can follow that)  and still not discussing issues important to Nebraskans.

The Grand Island Independent wants to try something a little different. In conjunction with its sister media companies across Nebraska, we want to find out what issues in the gubernatorial race matter most to you. So were launching a statewide, unscientific poll to see whats on the minds of Nebraskans.

Were not trying to figure out what Nebraskans think is the answer to tax reform, but how important is it. Same with immigration, rural-urban tension, climate change, rural health issues and a number of other matters.

We want to know what Nebraskans care about, and then we want to help Nebraskans get answers to how, specifically, candidates prioritize and would solve our issues.

We hope to see how different issues matter differently depending on where and how folks live.

If youre reading this in print, you can snap a photo of the QR code included with this story on your smartphone, and youll be linked to the survey. If youre reading online, you can click here https://nebraskapapers.survey.fm/nebraska-citizen-survey

Either way we hope to hear from you.

The survey runs through March 15. Your responses will help us have a more substantive discussion about what issues need to be addressed as we elect the top executive in this state in November.

Watch for stories about the results and maybe, just maybe, our gubernatorial candidates will begin to discuss the issues important to us and our lives in the Cornhusker state.
The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, concluded its 33rd session Monday in Beijing.



At the closing meeting, lawmakers voted to adopt the decision on the ranks for active-duty soldiers of the People's Liberation Army, and the decision to remove Li Jiheng from the post of the minister of civil affairs and appoint Tang Dengjie as the new minister.

President Xi Jinping signed two presidential orders to promulgate the above decisions.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the closing meeting.

Lawmakers also voted to adopt a decision to establish the Chengdu-Chongqing financial court.

Lawmakers approved in principle the work report of the NPC Standing Committee and entrusted Li Zhanshu to deliver the report to the fifth annual session of the 13th NPC on behalf of the NPC Standing Committee.

Lawmakers also approved a report on deputy qualifications and personnel-related bills.

The meeting approved the draft agenda for the NPC annual session to be opened on March 5 and the draft name list of the session's presidium and secretary-general, and decided to submit the drafts to the preparatory meeting of NPC session for deliberation.

A name list of members invited to sit in on the NPC session as non-voting participants was also passed at the meeting.

Addressing the closing meeting after the vote, Li Zhanshu called for well-thought and meticulous efforts in preparing for the NPC annual session to greet the upcoming 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

For the NPC session, Li called for thoroughly promoting whole-process people's democracy and creating an atmosphere in which people can freely express themselves and talk pragmatically to reflect their voices and demands.

Li also chaired a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee before the closing meeting and presided over a lecture for lawmakers after the meeting.
Paris, TX (75460)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
HARRISBURG  10 years following the devastating Leap Day Tornado, Harrisburg residents continue to honor the eight lives lost.

On Monday, the victims families and several government officials, including former Mayor Eric Gregg, spoke at a memorial of the resilience of Harrisburg and the eight people who died.

The day of the tornado after we had confirmed the loss of lives, I had typed it on a piece of paper, Gregg said in an interview with The Southern. I carry that with me when I go into meetings and different things. I always carry that with me just as a reminder of today. It's still with me, and hopefully, I'll be able to do it 10 more years or 20 more years.

While the paper is much more tattered than it was 10 years ago, the meaning behind it is still the same.

The takeaway is this: 'We're never going to forget those we lost,' Gregg said.

The victims were Jaylynn Ferrell, 22; Lynda Hull, 74; Mary Osman, 75; R. Blaine Mauney, 74; Donna Mae Rann, 61; Randall Earl Rann, 64; Donald R. Smith, 70; and Gregory Swierk, 50.

Leap Day 2012

A series of tornadoes struck the Midwest in 2012 on February 28 and 29.

The string of destructive storms was later named the Leap Day Tornado Outbreak, when more than 30 tornadoes touched down over two days.

The EF-4 tornado in Harrisburg was the most destructive.

At 4:51 a.m. on Feb. 29, 2012, the tornado touched down just north of Carrier Mills, damaging a church and several homes.

Five minutes later, the tornado was on the doorstep of the Dorrisville neighborhood in Harrisburg.

Jumping over U.S. 45, or Commercial Street, the tornado remained on a northeast path toward a shopping center, Walmart, an apartment complex and more homes in what is known as Gaskins City.

It then continued past the Harrisburg Medical Center, Southeastern Illinois College and into Ridgway.

The 275-yard-wide tornado with winds of up to 180 mph affected 604 homes and businesses. Of those, 99 were completely destroyed and 53 were left with major damage.

It traveled 26.5 miles and was on the ground for 22 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

By the time the dust settled, approximately 108 people were injured. Eight were dead.

Both Gregg, the mayor at the time, and Dale Fowler, a current state senator, were on the streets of Harrisburg and surrounding areas before the sun rose that day.

Fowler and his family had rushed downstairs during the storm minutes prior to glass being thrown through the top of the building and their roof taken away, Fowler said.

The work from our first responders was obviously amazing, from our community and from all over Southern Illinois and all over the Midwest and, quite frankly, the nation, Fowler said. When the sun came up, and we saw our roof was torn off and with glass throughout the whole house  it seemed like in just a matter of no time at all there were people all over our neighborhood and in my backyard that I didn't even know picking up debris. They weren't there to have a conversation. They were there to work.

Despite the devastation and tragedy the tornado brought, it did allow Southern Illinois' true colors to shine through, Gregg said.

We showed our true character during those difficult times, Gregg said. I witnessed the best people in the worst of times. Rather than see people running away from a disaster, I saw them running into it, which was just remarkable. They ran in to help their family, their neighbors, their friends, and they were fearless. It just certainly speaks very well of our character and who we are here and the kind of the culture that we have here in the Midwest.

According to The Southern Illinoisan archives, thousands of people poured into the area offering aid after the tornado.

From the moments following the storm to roughly a year later, as the city rebuilt, some 6,000 volunteers poured into Harrisburg with their aid.

The mayors office had received correspondence from 22 states and 13 countries represented by people who came to help, according to previous reporting by The Southern.

Even with all of the aid the area received, not all holes within the community have been filled.

There (are) still voids, Fowler said. I know, in the subdivision where I live, the home right beside us was completely destroyed. It's still a vacant lot, there's still a couple of vacant lots in that subdivision. So every time I drive by there, you know, it's just always remembrance of what once was there.

Harrisburg continues to grow in the wake of the disaster, according to current Mayor John McPeek.

Harrisburg is growing a lot, McPeek said. The community, the city, the town has got more businesses opening up every day. It's made a difference. It was such a tragic event that day, but it's brought our community together to help rebuild our community to be stronger. We're all in this together. I think that is a big thing. Today we're all together here.

Importance of safety

Aside from the huge levels of compassion that came from Southern Illinoisans and the nation following the tornado, Gregg took another thing away from the tragedy he said.

The biggest takeaway that is you have to be prepared as a community, Gregg said. As a community leader I had to make decisions, and I had to make them quickly because people's lives were at stake. So it was very, very important that we were coordinated on all levels.

As part of the 2022 Severe Weather Preparedness Week, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service have teamed up to publish a Severe Weather Preparedness Guide to help Illinoisans be better prepared when severe weather strikes.

The National Weather Service will be recognizing Severe Weather Preparedness Week during the week of February 28 - March 4, according to a news release.

During the week, Illinoisans are encouraged by NWS to:

Update your family communications plan

Make a severe weather preparedness plan

Build an emergency preparedness kit

Identify your safe place to during a storm

Know the various weather watches/warnings/advisories

The NWS is the official agency for issuing severe weather watches, warnings and advisories to alert the public when dangerous weather conditions are expected.

Tornado drill

On Tuesday, March 1, the Carbondale Office of Emergency Management is participating in the statewide tornado drill to increase awareness and promote preparedness for severe weather hazards.

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A 30-year-old unsolved cold case has been tied back to a West Frankfort man thanks to new DNA sampling and advances in forensic technology.

Lee Rotatori, 32, of Nunica, Michigan, was murdered in June of 1982, according to a news release from police in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Rotatori had just started a job at Jennie Edmundson Hospital and had been staying at the Best Western Frontier Hotel while looking for a permanent place to live, the release stated.

When she did not show for work the morning of June 25, 1982, her boss asked hotel staff to check on her, police said. Her body was discovered in the room. She died from a single stab wound and there was evidence of a sexual assault, police said.

No suspects were ever identified during the initial investigation.

In 2001, evidence collected in 1982 was re-submitted to the State of Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Lab. The examination revealed the presence of a male DNA profile, but no match was found in the system, police said.

The DCI Lab would periodically check this unknown DNA over the years without any luck, police said.

In April 2019, Council Bluffs investigators submitted the unknown male's DNA profile to Parabon Nanolabs to begin a genetic genealogy case.

In February 2021, researchers concluded the source of the suspect DNA was Thomas O. Freeman, of West Frankfort. A sample of Freeman's daughter's DNA was subsequently analyzed by the Iowa DCI Lab, further confirming there was a parent/child relationship between the DNA found at the scene of Rotatori's murder and Freeman's daughter.

Further investigation revealed Thomas O. Freeman was the victim of a murder not long after Rotatori was found dead.

On Oct. 30, 1982, Freeman's body was found buried in a shallow grave in Cobden, Illinois, police said.

Freeman, who was 35 at the time of his death, had been shot multiple times and had likely been dead for three months before the discovery of his grave.

Freeman's killer was never identified.

Council Bluff investigators are currently working with the Illinois State Police to determine if Freeman's murder was somehow linked to his involvement in Rotatori's death, police said.

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WASHINGTON  Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger told a conference of conservatives turned off by former President Donald Trump on Sunday he would fight to take back our political system after he leaves the House at the end of this term. He hedged later when asked if that meant he was considering a run for president.

Speaking at the end of the two-day Principles First conference at the National Press Club, Kinzinger got several standing ovations, including when he talked about his work with fellow Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming on the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

If we as Republicans would have simply  taken responsibility, we could have moved on, we could have determined nothing like that would ever happen again in the United States. And instead, we tried to sweep it under the rug. Well, its not going to be swept under the rug. The truth is out there and its coming, Kinzinger said.

Targeted by Trump for his vote for impeachment after the attack and censured, with Cheney, by the Republican National Committee earlier this month for serving on the select committee, Kinzinger decided in October not to run for another term this year.

In his speech, Kinzinger praised the bravery of Ukrainians fighting a Russian invasion and contrasted that to grievances that Trumps wing of the party complains about. Like many other speakers at the conference, he noted several times that Trump had praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin as recently as a few days ago. Kinzinger also argued the former president had abused his supporters patriotism by trying to convince them of the lie that the election he lost had been stolen.

When you have a leader of the free world that stands in front of America and convinces half the country that the system is broken, that your vote doesnt count, listen, as patriotic Americans, we can understand why some would say that it is time to overthrow the government by force  Which is why leaders words matter so much, Kinzinger said.

He then said that while he will be out of Congress in a year, Im not going anywhere, and hes excited he will have more time to work with all of you to make sure that we take back our political system because we deserve that. Those generations of Americans deserve it. But theyve been told that theres no hope, theyre told that theres no opportunity, theyve been told that somebody that doesnt think like you was the enemy. Theyve been told by a former president that Vladimir Putin is a good guy. I mean, I have no doubt that people feel confused. This is why leadership is so important at this moment.

Asked outside the ballroom if he was hinting at a presidential race, he said the super PAC he leads, Country First, has been building support and he wants to see where that goes.

I am excited about continuing the fight for the country. At some point youve got to look and say, Is the House the best place to do it? I think 12 years in the House is a long time for me. But I dont intend to give up on the fight for the country, he said.

Asked if he was definitely not running for president, Kinzinger, who turned 44 on Sunday, replied: Im definitely not announcing Im running for president.

Trump has strongly hinted he plans to run in 2024, and he and several Republicans who may run if he doesnt, including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, spoke in the past few days at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida.

The Principles First conference where Kinzinger spoke was set up as a counterpoint to CPAC, and the insurrection and Trumps dominance of the party were recurring themes. Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified at hearings that led to Trumps first impeachment for withholding aid to Ukraine, was a featured speaker and also got standing ovations.

So did Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who testified before the Jan. 6 committee, and was given an award for heroism. Former GOP Reps. Barbara Comstock of Virginia and Joe Walsh of Illinois were part of a debate over whether to form a third party on a panel called Should We Stay or Should We Go?

Two potential 2024 candidates who have begun to break from Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, were not at CPAC. But one of the Principles First programs included Alyssa Farah Griffin, Pences former press secretary, interviewing Bill Palatucci, a Christie ally and RNC member who voted against the resolution censuring Cheney and Kinzinger.

I belong to the Republican National Committee, not the Trump National Committee, Palatucci said to applause. He said some of his fellow committee members privately told him they agreed with his opposition to the resolution, which said Cheney and Kinzinger were helping Democrats carry out a political vendetta against people who engaged in legitimate political discourse. He urged the audience to talk to the committee members form their states and convince them to speak out.

They know theyre wrong. They need more courage, Palatucci said.

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Masks mandates ended in most of Chicago and Illinois Monday, but not in the states largest school district.

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez reminded families in a Sunday letter that universal masking is still required in all of its schools and offices for now.

Martinez thanked families for their patience. He said the district is reviewing the latest recommendations on masks and working with our labor and public health partners on how to preserve a safe, healthy learning environment for all as we transition into this new phase of the pandemic.

On Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the end of the mask rule for schools after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance to call for indoor masking only in areas with high COVID-19 transmission. The entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category.

Scores of Illinois schools had already moved to mask-optional policies after a lawsuit against dozens of districts, including CPS, resulted in a temporary halt to the mandate for children of those who sued.

But in CPS, universal masking is stipulated in a hard-fought COVID-19 safety agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, which came about after union members refused to teach in person during the omicron surge in January, resulting in five days of canceled classes.

Last week, the Chicago Board of Education took the further step of passing a resolution to affirm masking and other coronavirus-related rules, though it grants Martinez authority to change those policies in consultation with public health officials and stakeholders.

A day after the board meeting, CPS announced it had published inaccurate COVID-19 data on its online public dashboard that painted a rosier pandemic picture.

The district said it posted the incorrect number of students in isolation and quarantine between Feb. 18 and Feb. 23 due to a system error. Last Tuesday, the district reported 405 students in isolation because they tested positive for the virus or in quarantine because they encountered an infected person. The district is now saying that on that day there were 1,226 students in isolation or quarantine.

CPS has come under fire in recent months for not being consistent with its public data reporting methods. Last week the district once again changed the data it posts on its dashboard, this time to reflect positive cases that were detected from in-school testing, versus cases reported to the district. Case numbers have been falling since mid-January, according to CPS data.

Board members last week cited the low vaccination rates at several district schools as a reason to keep the mask mandate in place. According to the district, nearly 53% of CPS students 12 and old are fully vaccinated, while about one in three students ages 5 to 11 have received at least one vaccine dose. More than 91% of CPS staff is fully vaccinated, the district said.

Parents in CPS are lining up on both sides of the mask issue. A group in favor of keeping the mask rule rallied outside City Hall Monday morning.

Our special education students deserve to feel safe in school, not to constantly be pushed aside for the sake of normalcy or for the sake of our comfort, said Leigh Mabry White, a CPS parent of a second grader with autism.

We demand Chicago Public Schools add the COVID vaccine to the list of required immunizations for fall 2022 ... Masks, in combination with vaccination, are our only options to move in the direction that we all want.

CPS parent Erykah Nava said its unfair to leave children under five years old to fend for themselves because vaccines are not available for that age group.

When people tell us to learn to live with COVID, or COVID is like the flu, they are really saying our most vulnerable do not matter, that their lives are expendable for the sake of normalcy, Nava said. Well, we are here to show that we will never stop fighting for each others safety and lives.

Other parents are urging the district to drop the mandate in the alignment with the latest CDC guidance. Several parents attended last weeks board meeting to call for the district to go mask optional like other districts.

Pritzker had already announced that the general statewide mask mandate for most indoor spaces would end Monday, with Chicago following suit.

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For Felita Davis-Hicks, it all started as the daughter of a preacher.

She didnt know growing up in Charleston and worshiping at the historic Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church led by her father, the late bishop Z.L. Grady, that her interest in history and teaching  as well as her gift for communicating with people  would energize her career in the utility industry.

More than 35 years later, Davis-Hicks continues to evangelize about career opportunities at Dominion Energy. She started at the company in 1986 when its predecessor, South Carolina Electric & Gas, hired her as an energy educator. They recognized then the need to diversify their recruitment and community outreach team. Davis-Hicks visited South Carolina schools talking about energy conservation and electric safety.

The Orangeburg resident has been a talent acquisition specialist for the past decade based at Dominion Energys South Carolina headquarters in Cayce. Davis-Hicks helps develop new hiring strategies in support of the companys ongoing efforts to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. This, she said, ultimately drives innovation in all areas of the business and makes Dominion Energy a better company.

Although her title has changed over the years, one thing has stayed the same: her passion for connecting the right people with the right job opportunity in an industry they may never have considered before meeting her.

Dominion Energy employs about 3,700 people in South Carolina. And theyre not all linemen or engineers.

Dominion Energys workforce includes skilled technical positions in electric operations, plant operators in power generation, foresters, environmental science technicians, customer service representatives and more. Davis-Hicks is confident in Dominion Energys ability to match a wide variety of opportunities with an increasingly diverse workforce.

There is a broad range of diverse talent across our state, Davis-Hicks said. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion helps to ensure that our workforce mirrors the communities where we live and work.

Davis-Hicks said a recently established partnership with Denmark Technical College and an upcoming career fair will help Dominion Energy in its efforts to recruit from smaller, more rural parts of the state. The free, on-campus event is March 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to all students, alumni and the general public.

Our increased outreach at historically Black colleges and universities like Denmark Tech is just one example of many ways Dominion Energy has sharpened our focus on diverse recruitment, Davis-Hicks said. Were making progress every day, but there is still much work to be done.

In its first external diversity, equity and inclusion report released last year, Dominion Energy cites an increase in diverse hiring from 28% in 2013 to nearly 50% in 2020. The company has set goals to increase diverse representation among its workforce, including an ongoing focus on retaining diverse talent.

A longtime supporter of HBCUs, Dominion Energy announced in 2020 a six-year, $25 million commitment to support HBCUs and $10 million to provide scholarships to students from underrepresented communities. The company also has a robust and dynamic diversity student conference and internship program.

I see the future of our company every single day, Davis-Hicks said. I see it in the many different faces of the candidates we select and hire. We like to say that we are making progress, not just promises, and our actions speak louder. Thats what keeps me motivated to do what I do.

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A Eutawville man who was considered missing returned home on Monday, according to the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriffs office had asked for the publics help locating Nicholas Sinkler, 25, of Miami Lane, on Sunday.
Its hard to imagine Calhoun County government and Calhoun County in its totality without David Summers.

Calhoun may be a small county but it had a giant of a local leader who devoted half of his life to serving the people while at the helm of government.

Summers died Saturday, soon after announcing in January that he would relinquish the position of county council chairman, a post for which he was chosen in 1979 after being elected to council in 1978. His record as a local government leader is nothing short of amazing and in fact is a record. He was the longest-serving chairman of a county council in South Carolina, likely ever but definitely since records were kept beginning in 1969.

We say ever because elected county councils were not around in South Carolina until the Home Rule Act was passed in 1975. The act greatly expanded the authority of county government, allowing it to provide municipal-type services. It took away commissioners appointed by state lawmakers and replaced commissions with elected local leaders.

David Summers was a transitional figure in home rule. With Calhoun and Orangeburg counties the home of powerful state lawmakers Marion Gressette and Marshall Williams, he pushed ahead with the new order in which local government was to be in the hands of leaders elected to govern locally and not from Columbia.

And he did it his way.

Someone serving as long as Summers was known by many: critics, proponents, friends, rivals  just about everybody.

In reacting to the death of the longtime leader, Calhoun County officials hit the nail on the head in so many ways:

 Summers was a giant in the community, Calhoun state Rep. Russell Ott said. Not much happened in Calhoun County that he wasnt a part of.

 New County Council Chairman James Haigler said Summers was an ambassador for Calhoun County across South Carolina. Because of Summers leadership, Calhoun is known across the state like the larger counties, and it avoided the financial difficulties other small counties faced.

Summers was conservative where he needed to be and liberal where he needed to be, Haigler said. He left us fine and stable.

 Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers called his second cousin a dedicated person when it came to being on County Council.

He loved Calhoun County and devoted countless hours to Calhoun County businesses and people. He was absolutely a great asset to Calhoun County.

We have our recollections too. In our inquiries to Summers about the Freedom of Information Act as it pertained to council business, the chairman was never shy about saying he did not really agree with all provisions of the state law designed to ensure the public gets information about what its government is doing.

Unlike too many elected leaders claiming to cherish FOIA but doing too little to live up to its standards, Summers would meet requirements but openly state that local government should have the flexibility to operate more like a business than an open public forum.

Perhaps if all elected leaders had the integrity of a David Summers, the public would not have to worry if leaders could do more business behind closed doors. But he acknowledged that was not how it was to be  and he led county government in a way that will make him a model of service for generations.

We affectionately called Summers Calhouns King David. The better way to remember him and his contributions is embodied in the words of County Administrator John McLaughlin:

He was definitely Mr. Calhoun County.

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You are here: China

China has released the information on the fourth batch of lunar samples brought back by the country's Chang'e-5 mission, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Monday.

Public users can log on to the website of China's Lunar and Deep Space Exploration (www.clep.org.cn) to view information related to the new samples and submit applications for research.

The Chang'e-5 probe returned to Earth on Dec. 17, 2020, retrieving a total of 1,731 grams of lunar samples, mainly rocks and soil from the moon's surface.
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(TBTCO) - Thi truong ket thuc thang 4 voi muc giam 8,4%, tro thanh thang giam sau nhat trong vong 2 nam. Hang loat co phieu chiet khau gia cuc sau tuy gay thiet hai rat lon cho nhieu nha au tu, nhung cung se tao co hoi cho cac nha au tu khac.
A bill that would refund Wyomings share of added federal mineral royalty revenue to oil and gas producers cleared the Senate on Monday.

The states oil and gas industry has been slow to recover from prices tanking in the early months of the pandemic, often citing uncertainty about federal regulations. Lawmakers are worried that a royalty hike on new federal leases  a move the Biden administration appears to be considering  will suppress new production in the state.

Opponents of Senate File 84, which would authorize the state to issue severance tax refunds using federal mineral royalty dollars, argue that a modest increase in the royalty rate wouldnt have much of an impact on producers and lawmakers would instead be turning their backs on needed funds.

According to Sen. Brian Boner, R-Converse and Platte counties and chairman of the select committee sponsoring the bill, the royalty relief would provide stability to producers already shaken by several turbulent years.

State bill could thwart federal oil and gas royalty hike in Wyoming Under the bill, Wyoming would reimburse coal, oil and gas producers for the added cost of any federal royalty increase.

The royalty rate for oil and gas production on federal lands has remained at 12.5% for more than a century; on Wyoming state lands, its currently 16.67%. A draft notice inadvertently posted and quickly taken down last month wouldve set the federal rate at 18.75%.

Lets focus on what we know, Boner told the Senate ahead of Mondays vote. Make no doubt about it, these companies will still be paying more once (the royalty increase) goes into effect. Theyre going to be paying more to the federal and state government. So this isnt just a handout.

What we know, responded Sen. Chris Rothfuss, D-Albany County, is that the federal government hasnt formally tried to raise the federal royalty rate. The state doesnt yet know how much it might change, or how companies might respond.

Were not in a hurry to do this, Rothfuss said. We have time to think about what the data really looks like, and to understand it in the context of the circumstances when it takes place. This hasnt taken effect yet. We dont know whether it will or not.

Boner, however, said that regulatory uncertainty was already impacting producers in Wyoming.

Its important, he said, that we provide stability this year, right now.

Rothfuss also echoed concerns voiced by Sen. Charles Scott, R-Natrona County, who questioned whether, if Wyoming effectively rejected an increase in federal royalty revenue, the federal government might stop giving that money to the state.

And both Rothfuss and Sen. Cale Case, R-Fremont County, urged patience. With the budget in a bad spot, they said, wouldnt it be prudent to wait?

The world is a very, very dramatic place right now, Case said. Our mineral industry will be so needed, and I suspect that with large price increases in carbon-based minerals around the world, especially petroleum, that we are going to be in a good position for a while.

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Current leadership at Caspers Art 321 have denied the majority of allegations brought against them by former board members in a recent lawsuit, court filings show.

The suit, filed in January, alleged that the organizations executive director, Tyler Cessor, has blocked the board from key decisions, altered the artist guilds bylaws and led a campaign to remove and intimidate officers who disagreed with (his) vision for the organization.

The organization is nearly 100 years old, founded as the Casper Artists Guild in 1924. Cessor was hired in January 2020.

Among those who brought the suit, several used to sit on the guilds board. Two are former presidents and one, according to court documents, was a substantial contributor who played a role in the organizations move into their downtown facility.

Aside from Cessor, 11 other board members are named as defendants. In the defendants Feb. 14 answer to the suit, court filings show they ask the court to dismiss the case and deny the majority of its allegations.

There is a lot that we roundly object to, Cessor said Monday. Im very confident that we have a lot of the evidence we need to clear our names when it comes time.

The claims denied by current leadership include allegations that Cessor has physically intimidated people or called them names, withheld revenue and membership documents and made decisions without informing or consulting with others.

Lawyers on both sides of the suit did not respond to requests for comment on Monday.

The suit alleges that Cessor closed board meetings that were previously open and made at least three changes to their bylaws that cut members out of decisions like board member elections.

After Cessor was hired, the suit states, several volunteer committees were eliminated. The complaint also alleges that Cessor micromanages to the point where volunteers have felt uncomfortable and cease to volunteer.

The plaintiffs allege that because the current board was improperly selected without a member vote. In the initial filing, they asked the court to declare the current leadership has no authority to govern the organization. They also request the judge rule that past board presidents be reinstated to the board, in line with the organizations ruling articles.

The suit is the latest installment in a turbulent year for Art 321, as conflicts between older and newer members came to light over the summer. An open meeting was held to address concerns in July, but many members said they felt they werent heard and didnt get a chance to get the answers they sought.

(The lawsuit) is an effort by and for all members to regain their voice and to exert control over those who have disregarded the membership for the past two years, former president Vicki Primrose told the Star-Tribune when the suit was first filed.

The complaint states they are also asking for the organization to hold annual meetings and member elections for officer positions, again in compliance with the articles.

In the reply, filed in Natrona County District Court, current leadership alleges that those articles are void for vagueness and are ambiguous, and unenforceable since the plaintiffs previous enforcement of them has been inconsistent, capricious and/or arbitrary.

The suit also alleges that Art 321s membership numbers and incoming donations have declined since Cessor arrived.

On Monday, he said that theyve been seeing around seven new members join the guild each month over the last year. Although donations from the community (excluding larger, legacy donors) declined in 2020, Cessor said that they were higher in 2021 than in the four years prior.

Editors note: Cayla Nimmo, named as a defendant in this suit due to her time as an Art 321 board member, was the Star-Tribunes staff photographer during the time of the allegations. Nimmo left the Star-Tribune and Wyoming in the fall, and was not included in editorial decisions related to coverage of Art 321.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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CHEYENNE  Teenage cousins accused in last summers shooting death of a 14-year-old pleaded not guilty last week in Laramie County District Court.

Xavier Sanchez, 18, of Casper, appeared Thursday morning in front of Laramie County District Judge Peter Froelicher. He has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Raymond M. Sanchez, 16, of Cheyenne, is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He appeared Friday afternoon in front of Laramie County District Judge Thomas Campbell.

Information collected by the Cheyenne Police Department points to the 14-year-olds death having been the result of a gang-related conflict, or at least a conflict between two families.

According to court documents:

At 1:03 a.m. July 5, Cheyenne Police officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 1600 block of Taft Avenue in response to a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers observed a bullet hole in the door and a .45-caliber brass shell casing near the door.

Officers found a 14-year-old boy, identified as D.B. in the probable cause affidavit, lying on the floor with a large pool of blood to the right of his head. It was later determined D.B. had a suspected gunshot wound to his upper back.

The 14-year-old was pronounced dead by American Medical Response personnel at about 1:20 a.m.

Joshua Wolfson is the editor of the Casper Star-Tribune. Find him on Twitter @joshwolfson.

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U.S. House candidate Harriet Hageman will host town halls with Kentuckys Sen. Rand Paul on Monday in Cheyenne and Gillette.

With Donald Trumps endorsement in tow, Hageman is challenging Rep. Liz Cheney for Wyomings lone House seat. Hageman has also been endorsed by Paul.

Paul has been to Wyoming recently, as he also visited the Legislature during the first week of the states budget session.

It is a terrific honor to welcome Sen. Paul to our state, because he is a national leader in the conservative movement and truly in step with our belief in liberty and freedom we all have here in Wyoming, Hageman said in a statement. I am grateful for his support and willingness to come visit with us, because this shows how important it is that we take our only House seat back for the people of Wyoming.

Hageman entered the race in early September, after Cheney endured months of backlash for her vote to impeach the former president and her repeated rebukes of his actions on Jan. 6. Hagemans candidacy is by far Cheneys toughest reelection challenge since she first sought Wyomings lone U.S. House seat in 2016.

Ive had the chance to meet with Harriet Hageman and discuss our shared conservative view of the role of the federal government, and I am pleased to endorse her candidacy completely and fully, and without reservation, Paul said when he endorsed her in December. Harriet represents the spirit of Wyoming, which is full of people who want to live their lives without the oppressive weight of the federal government on their backs.

Normally, Wyomings House race receives little attention outside the states borders. This time around, the contest has taken on national significance thanks to the battle between Cheney and Trump. That battle has attracted unprecedented amounts of outside financial contributions and media attention.

Most recently, the Republican National Committee voted to censure Cheney over her service on the House committee investigating the Jan.6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The censure was decided by voice vote of the 168-member committee. The resolution was co-sponsored by Frank Eathorne, the chairman of the Wyoming Republican Party.

That censure came almost a year to the day after the Wyoming Republican Party voted to censure the congresswoman for her vote to impeach Trump. Wyoming GOP leadership has also voted to no longer recognize Cheney as a Republican, which is a symbolic move. She can still run in the Republican primary.

Cheney has shown no sign of backing down, arguing Trump represents a threat to the rule of law in the U.S.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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The Wyoming Senates budget amendment eliminating all funding from the University of Wyomings gender studies program faces a tough road ahead, as questions remain over its constitutionality and future, given that the same budget revision failed in the House.

The amendment, which passed late Friday afternoon, prompted a debate about the Legislatures role in the states academics.

The amendment bars any general funds, federal funds or other funds under the control of the university for the purpose of gender studies courses, academic 8 programs, co-curricular programs or extracurricular programs.

The amendments sponsor, Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, said were training activists, when arguing in favor of nixing the funding. She added that finding out what was being taught in this department caused her to lose sleep.

Jacquelyn Bridgeman, a law professor and the director of the Culture, Gender and Social Justice school at UW, said that no one from the Legislature reached out to representatives from the School of Culture, Gender & Social Justice on the topic prior to Fridays vote.

Steinmetz has articulated her displeasure in the past, but nothing as concrete as a budget amendment, said Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, who, as a professor of gender and womens studies at the university, would be affected by the loss of funding.

Attempts to strip a university program of funding appear rare in recent history. University spokesperson Chad Baldwin said he couldnt think of a specific example that matches this particular situation, although he said that, over the years, there have been some concerns in the legislature about certain activities at UW.

The Senate approved the amendment in a close vote (16 to 14) Friday, but a mirror amendment died in the House. The rules committee in that chamber concluded the amendment was not germane to the budget because its more of a policy decision than an accounting one.

A rules committee was not called in the Senate, which allowed lawmakers there to debate the amendment at length.

Academic freedoms been hijacked folks, Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, said Friday. It was never the intention that nobody else gets to weigh in on what we teach at the university, but it seems to be present that academic freedom means that if youre not smart enough or intellectual enough and work for a university then you dont get a say so in the process. Is that what intellectual freedom actually means?

Sen. Drew Perkins, R-Casper, chairman of the committee that drafts the budget bill, pushed back.

That was the hue and cry just a couple years ago about what was happening on college campuses around the nation about providing safe spaces so people didnt have to exposed to certain points of view, he said. We were incensed at that. I was incensed at that. Well this is just the other side of that coin.

Perkins maintained the Senate was within its power to act. But he said doing so was a bad idea.

Do we have the power to do this? Sure we do, Perkins said. But I still believe in limited government ... this is too much government for me. This is too much overreach.

As with many controversial bills, the legality of the amendment came into question.

Is this amendment in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the United States and Wyoming Constitutions? asked Sen. Tara Nethercott, a Republican and Cheyenne lawyer. This amendment is so broad, and its completely unacceptable and I believe unconstitutional and completely unlawful. I appreciate that you dont like the program. It appears to have some problems in balance, I will submit that. This is not our place.

But supporters of the amendment were not moved.

I dont believe its an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, Steinmetz said.

Only the Senates draft of the budget will move forward with the amendment. The differences in the two chambers budgets are hashed out in a committee that tries to reconcile the discrepancies. And there are a lot of them.

Creating one cohesive budget out of the two budget bills is a long and arduous process, which can sometimes cause some amendments to be thrown out with little discussion. At least one lawmaker predicted that may happen with the gender studies amendment.

I dont think it will be the subject of any conference committee, said Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson.

The following senators voted in favor of the amendment: Bo Biteman, Brian Boner, Anthony Bouchard, Ed Cooper, Dan Dockstader, Ogden Driskill, Tim French, Dan Furphy, Larry Hicks, Lynn Hutchings, Tom James, John Kolb, Troy McKeown, Tim Salazar, Charlie Scott, Cheri Steinmetz.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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Wyomings COVID-19 public health emergency declaration will effectively end March 14, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Monday.

As we see our case numbers and hospitalizations receding, it is time to begin the shift to a new phase, Gordon said in a statement. This virus will be with us for the foreseeable future and we should manage it appropriately. That means being personally responsible for ones own health and respectful of your family and neighbors.

Gordon issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Wyoming on March 13, 2020, two days after the first case was identified here in a Sheridan County resident. The order directed the Office of Homeland Security, the Adjutant General and the Wyoming Department of Health to mobilize resources to fight the COVID-19 public health crisis.

After cases spiked and receded many times, it appears that COVID cases and hospitalizations are on decline, at least for now. On Monday, the states hospitals were treating 47 COVID-19 patients. That number peaked at nearly 250 in October.

Cases in Wyoming have also fallen off dramatically following a spike driven by the omicron variant. In late January, the states seven-day average for lab confirmed cases topped 1,000. Its now under 60.

The New York Times reported 9,086 new cases nationally on Sunday. In mid January, by comparison, daily cases at times topped 900,000.

The end of the public health emergency entails the termination of the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program emergency allotment, effective May 1, and the elimination of emergency rule changes to licensure requirements for the Board of Medicine and Board of Nursing, according to Gordons announcement.

States were eligible to receive emergency SNAP allotments beginning in March 2020. The rule changes for licensure requirements were meant to accommodate the need for more medical personnel on a temporary basis, said Wyoming Department of Health spokesperson Kim Deti.

The announcement said that the majority of Wyomingites will not be impacted by the shifts brought about by the end of the states public health emergency (the states declaration covers different areas from its national counterpart, which is still in effect).

Gordon also announced on Monday the appointment of Stefan Johansson, currently Wyoming Department of Public Health interim director, as the departments permanent director. Johansson has served as interim director since May 2021 and has worked in the department since 2013.

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SMALL business owners in three Caribbean countries will get the opportunity to showcase how their enterprises are transforming their communities, and themselves, due to support from the social enterprise, Nudge Caribbean.

The opportunity comes tomorrow, at an event called Nudge Now, which is being organised by Nudge Caribbean, which was founded by Anya Ayoung-Chee, design strategist and social entrepreneur, and Julie Avey, Massy Groups senior vice president of People and Culture.
Chinese envoy warns against politicization of OPCW work

Xinhua) 08:07, March 01, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday warned against the politicization of the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The investigation and handling of the alleged use of chemical weapons must strictly follow the requirements of the Chemical Weapons Convention, respect science and facts, and ensure procedural compliance, reliable evidence and credible conclusions, said Counselor Xing Jisheng of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

There are still many doubts over the sources of information, working method and the completion of the chain of evidence of the report of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on alleged chemical weapons use in Douma, Syria. So far the doubts are yet to be clarified. This will invariably affect the credibility of the work of the FFM, he told the Security Council.

"China calls for maintaining the technical attributes of the OPCW, and avoiding the politicization of its work," he said.

In recent years, some countries have repeatedly pushed for a vote in the absence of consensus, seriously undermining the authority and effectiveness of the OPCW. China calls on the director-general to play an active role in promoting dialogue among states parties, returning to the tradition of making decisions by consensus, and avoiding going further down the road of division. The OPCW should not be used as a tool for pursuing geopolitical goals, said Xing.

Syria has repeatedly expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW, and its constructive attitude deserves recognition. The Technical Secretariat should take an equally constructive approach and be flexible, he said. "We hope that the two sides will hold the 25th round of technical consultations as soon as possible to promote the settlement of outstanding issues and maintain communication on issues such as the inspections of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center and the in-person meeting between the director-general and the Syrian foreign minister."

Since 2017, the Syrian government has repeatedly provided the Technical Secretariat with information on the possession and use of chemical weapons by terrorist groups. This merits the attention of the Technical Secretariat, said Xing.

Given the limited resources and busy schedule of the Security Council, China strongly suggests reducing the frequency of briefings on Syria or combining the different issues for joint consideration. This will not only help deal with the Syrian issues from a holistic perspective, but also improve the efficiency of the council, he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
The Point is to Change the World, a collection of writings by Guyanese political activist Andaiye, was in the spotlight on Thursday, the first day of the 2022 Bocas Lit Fest, which kicked off with a series of virtual events.

Thursdays conversation centred on Andaiyes writings and legacy.

Journalist Sunity Maharaj said while Andaiye left a legacy through her work, she also used her platform to be open and honest about every aspect of her life, including her battle with cancer.
A Barrackpore woman returned to her house in the early hours of last Saturday and found an i
Keeping the peace: A police vehicle blocks the entrance to the compound of Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd in Pointe-a-Pierre last evening after receiving information that the bodies of three of the four missing divers had been recovered. Photo: DEXTER PHILIP
And so it has come to pass. One week after the island-wide blackout of February 16, we told you in this space that, from among the best authority available, there would be, there could be no one to blame for what happened.

We told you that the determination had already been made as to what happened, how and why, and that nobody could have been held responsible for that. It was a warning against the natural national tendency to go for blood. Loud had been the shouts of sabotage, the result of worker discontentment, and a clamour for heads to roll.
Tucson native Claire Thai wanted to show a different side to the harp when she composed her Harp Concerto for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

The first movement of the two-movement work casts the behemoth instrument in its quintessential state  smooth and lush with lots of big chords.

In the second movement, it segues to overlapping lines from the woodwinds and strings and showcases the dramatic side of the instrument.

"I wanted to write a piece that showed a lot of different aspects of the instrument," said Thai, a senior at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia who became interested in the harp when she was 3 and saw and heard it for the first time at a TSO Just for Kids concert.

"When you think of the harp, you think of the Disney Princess movies, lush, rich sounds, and that's a wonderful part of it," she said. There are so many pieces I play that I dig into that aspect of the instrument, but at the same time there are so many things the (harp) can do."

Thai, 22, who has been studying harp since she was 5, has won a number of local and international harp contests including landing a solo spotlight at the 2017 World Harp Congress held in Hong Kong. She also spent several years in the TSO's Young Composers Project learning how to compose music.

Her Harp Concerto, commissioned by the TSO in 2019, was her second commission. Her first was the score for the Vail Preservation Societys Voices of Vail documentary in 2018.

The Harp Concerto is the TSO's fourth commissioned work from its Young Composers Project alums.

Thai will join the orchestra this weekend to perform the world premiere of her piece on a program that also includes her teaming up with the TSO's Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning principal flute Alexander Lipay for Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp.

Performances are at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at the Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway. Tickets are $47 to $96 through tucsonsymphony.org and ticketholders will be required to show proof of full COVID vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours of the performance. Face masks are required.

Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch

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PHOENIX  State senators decided Tuesday to do something they havent done in decades: censure one of their own.

By a 24-3 margin, the GOP-led chamber voted to censure Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, for conduct unbecoming of a senator.

The specifics included publicly issuing and promoting social media and video messaging encouraging violence against and punishment of American citizens.

Rogers spoke to a white supremacist group late last month, calling for public hangings.

She followed that with a last-ditch effort to avoid censure by making political threats to fellow Republicans.

Rogers lashed out, calling the official rebuke an attack on free speech.

I do not apologize, she said. I will not back down.

Rogers claimed that the hundreds of thousands of people she represents are with me and they want me to be their voice.

She accused Senate GOP leadership of colluding with Democrats.

But Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, said thats not the case.

This is not a Democratic or a Republican thing, she said, saying every lawmaker makes his or her own decision.

Fann also said this isnt about interfering with anyones First Amendment rights.

But what we do not condone is members threatening each other to ruin each other, to incite violence, to call us Communists, she said. We do not do that to each other.

Rogers had tweeted, I will personally destroy the career of any Republican who partakes in the gaslighting of me simply because of the color of my skin or opinion about a war I dont want to send our kids to die in.

Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, said many senators were offended by that threat.

Rogers tried other tactics to convince colleagues to vote against the move.

For example, she directed a Twitter posting to Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, pointing out that she supported his measure to greatly expand eligibility for vouchers of state funds for parents to use at private, parochial and home schooling. Boyer was not impressed.

So, I should stay silent on your unhinged speeches and tweets, Wendy Rogers, because you once voted for one of my bills? he responded. No thanks.

Just hours before Fann scheduled the censure vote, Rogers told her followers that today is the day where we find out if the Communists in the GOP throw the sweet grandma under the bus for being white.

Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, said Rogers public face belies her self-description.

When somebody shows you who they are, believe them, Rios said, saying Rogers has proudly shown us who she is.

Its not a sweet grandmother, Rios said. Its someone who has gleefully called white nationalists patriots, called for hanging political enemies, called (Ukranian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy a globalist puppet for Soros and the Clintons.

Rogers spoke on Feb. 25 to the America First Political Action Conference, a group of white nationalists, where she said we need to build more gallows.

If we try some of these high-level criminals, convict them and use a newly built set of gallows, itll make an example of these traitors who have betrayed our country, she said.

She also praised the conference host, Nick Fuentes, who opened it by seeking applause from the crowd for Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Shope said that, if nothing else, elected officials should not speak to such groups.

Rogers herself has made her feelings clear about the war and Zelenskyy, calling him a globalist puppet for Soros and the Clintons. She did so after Vladimir Putin said he was invading to promote the demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine. Both Zelenskyy and Soros are Jewish.

When the Anti-Defamation League, in a posting, asked Republican Gov. Doug Ducey to condemn her anti-Semitic, racist, violent language, she responded, Oh shaddup.

But Rogers isnt new to stoking controversy.

I like Indians and I like Redskins, she tweeted last summer. I like Aunt Jemima and I like Uncle Ben. I like Robert E. Lee and I like Stonewall Jackson.

And in January, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, she retweeted a posting urging people to celebrate Confederate generals.

Sen. Lisa Otondo, D-Yuma, derided Rogers claim that lawmakers were interfering with her First Amendment rights.

Freedom of speech does not give you the right to be a bully, to dehumanize people, she said. It does not allow you to have slander, many other things.

Sen. Vince Leach, R-Tucson, who supported the censure, said it would have been nice had there been a way to settle the issue in a family discussion.

But he said that isnt possible, as there are no parents who can impose discipline. And that requires all members to consider the greater wellbeing of the Senate, he said.

The body comes first, the unit comes first, Leach said, calling it a terrible vote to have to take.

The Senates action stood in sharp contrast to Duceys.

He was asked last week, after many of the senators comments had been widely circulated, whether he regretted having his political action committee put $500,000 into the 2020 election to help Rogers.

Ducey said his concerns are different. What I need as a governor are governing majorities, he responded, noting that Rogers provides the crucial 16th Republican vote in the 30-member chamber.

So thats what Ive wanted to do, is move my agenda forward, Ducey said. Im proud of what weve been able to accomplish and (Rogers) is still better than her (Democratic) opponent Felicia French.

Rogers, in response, tweeted, Thank you, Governor.

But Ducey had a decidedly different take following the Senate vote.

Antisemitic and hateful language has no place in Arizona, he said in a prepared statement. I believe the vote taken today by the Arizona Senate sends a clear message: Rhetoric like this is unacceptable.

Ducey also said late Tuesday that any statement supporting Russias action in Ukraine is not only ill-advised, but wrong and dangerous.

Voting against censure were Sens. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, and Rogers. Not voting were David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista; Victoria Steele, D-Tucson; and Kelly Townsend, R-Apache Junction.

The Senate vote cames a day after two Maricopa County supervisors, both Republicans, condemned Rogers for what they said is her hateful rhetoric. Those supervisors, Bill Gates and Clint Hickman, also called her out for apologizing for Putin and condemning U.S. allies.

There is no record of the Senate censuring a member for at least four decades, an action that takes only a simple majority.

Senators did vote to expel Sen. Carolyn Walker, D-Phoenix, in 1991.

Walker was one of 11 lawmakers caught up in what was dubbed AzScam, taking money from someone posing as a lobbyist to get them to vote to legalize casino gaming in Arizona. All the others resigned; it took a two-thirds vote to oust Walker.

Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on Twitter at "@azcapmedia" or email azcapmedia@gmail.com.

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An industrial gas manufacturing company from Taiwan has bought land in Casa Grande for a new facility.

Jing He Science bought 20 acres at Peters and Burris roads, in the Barnes Farms Industrial Area, for $1.6 million.

The new facility will supply the areas semiconductor industry and employ about 50 people when operational.

Land Advisors Organizations advisors Michele Pino, Kirk McCarville and Trey Davis represented both parties.

Were seeing incredible growth and interest in the area by manufacturing facilities, semiconductor suppliers and construction material suppliers, McCarville said.

This sale marks the firms fourth significant closing in Casa Grande.

Kohler Inc., a plumbing manufacturer, bought 206 acres in December; CCCP, a chemical company, bought 84 acres in November; and LCY, a chemical company, bought 27 acres in September.

The latter two companies are also from Taiwan.

Thanks to the support by Casa Grande and Pinal County to make critical infrastructure investments in the coming months and years to the area, industrial development is going gangbusters, McCarville said.

Other recent real estate transactions include:

KR-Pad D Cortaro LLC bought 1.28 acres of land at Cortaro Road and Interstate 10 for $550,000. Aaron LaPrise, with Picor, and Mark Bramlett, with Cushman & Wakefield of Arizona Inc., handled the transaction.

E&G Optical LLC, doing business as Eye Lab, leased 3,560 square feet at The Plaza at Williams Centre, 5480 E. Broadway. The landlord, Larsen Baker, was represented by its broker Isaac Figueroa.

Cadillac Coatings LLC leased 3,000 square feet of industrial space at Tucson Industrial Center, 4151 E. Tennessee St., from Tic Tac Properties LLC. Cintya Denisse Angulo Garcia, with Picor, represented the landlord.

Mesquite Interiors leased 1,910 square feet at Crossroads Festival, 4811 E. Grant Road, to sell custom mesquite furniture. The landlord, Larsen Baker, was represented by its broker Isaac Figueroa.

Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC leased 1,890 square feet of office space at 1151 S. La Canada Drive in Green Valley from Continental Professional Plaza. Richard M. Kleiner, with Picor, represented the tenant and Valerie Schuyler, with Partners Management and Consultants Inc., represented the landlord.

Information for Tucson Real Estate is compiled from records at the Pima County Recorders Office and from brokers. Send information to Gabriela Rico, grico@tucson.com

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"Human rights" is an ethical foundation that argues that each and every human being has a foundational set of "rights," which are defined as "a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way." Rights are deemed to be universal and are designed to protect human beings, giving everyone an equal and fair chance to exist. While everyone in the world can agree on this idea, this has not stopped these values from being mired in controversy or dispute. Western governments have sometimes been criticized for selectively using human rights as a weapon in order to advance geopolitical objectives and wars against certain countries, as well as for molding the concept into a zero-sum distinction to vindicate its liberal democratic ideology.



In response, the Chinese government has released its annual "Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States," which, through extensive detail and research, seeks to highlight Washington's hypocrisy and double standards. Although the United States is in practice a self-proclaimed "liberal democracy," the report helps us understand that such an ideological premise does not necessarily mean human rights are being upheld.

First of all, the report helps us understand that human rights are not just about "inalienable freedoms," or as philosopher Isaiah Berlin called it, "classical liberty," i.e., "the absence of restraint" or government, but of course also how the government cares for, upholds, and supports the needs of its people. As a hyper-capitalist state which renders the role of government as a moral evil and, therefore, an "individual freedom," the report notes, America has suffered considerably, in this case, through its total mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. America has since 2020 suffered 34.51 million cases and has a death count coming close to 1 million. If human rights are about the right to life  where is it here?

While this philosophy of freedom has not only led to a surge in pandemic-related deaths, its almost religiously adhering to "right to bear arms" has too led to continual and sporadic gun violence, which the government has no means of stopping. As the report notes: "There were 693 mass shootings in 2021, up 10.1 percent from 2020," and overall, more than 44,000 people were killed because of gun violence." The occurrence of mass school shootings is also accepted as a normal phenomenon in American life. Is this human rights? Is this giving people an equal chance or the protection from violence that is required? John Stuart Mill's famous "harm principle" theorized that freedom is not true freedom if it infringes upon the freedom of others, and this defines America right now.

Similarly, America's anti-China paranoia espoused by politicians has also resulted in human rights setbacks. Programs such as the FBI's "China initiative" have seen thousands of innocent scholars face state-led harassment, while "around 81 percent of Asian American adults said violence against Asian communities is rising," with "hate crimes against Asians in New York city jumping 361% from 2020." This increase in racism is also a reminder that American society is deeply divided, unequal, and that ethnic minorities, such as African Americans, continue to face problems such as poverty, unemployment, reduced educational attainment, as well as state-led police violence.

Likewise, the report slams not just America's actions at home but abroad too, noting that the United States has considerably harmed human rights overseas through its aggressive foreign policy, including the killing of civilians and children with drone strikes in Afghanistan last year; illegal and arbitrary detentions in Guantanamo Bay; the pursuance of brutal sanctions against regimes and countries, which have introduced malnutrition and humanitarian crises, such as in Yemen, Syria, and the DPRK; and many other respective conflicts. This also shines on America's claim to be a champion of human rights and morality throughout the world, showing instead that it exhibits a two-tier system of justice whereby some nations are more equal than others.

As a whole, the report is insightful, detailed, empirical, and eye-opening. Human rights are important and few can deny that, but it is dangerous in turn to interpret the meaning of human rights in practice as a zero-sum political weapon used to disingenuously smear certain countries. As such, this document helps us understand that America is not the champion of human dignity it continues to claim to be. Although it is a wealthy country, it nonetheless comes on the back of a political system that promotes extreme inequality and social disorder in the name of "freedom," which in practice upholds the interests of its wealthy elite against the population at large.

Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/TomFowdy.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
Omicron is fading away, and so are Americans' worries about COVID-19.

As coronavirus pandemic case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths continue to plummet, fewer people now than in January say they are concerned that they will be infected after the rise and fall of the wildly contagious virus variant, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Just 24% say they are extremely or very worried about themselves or a family member contracting COVID-19, down from 36% in both December and January, when omicron caused a massive spike in infections and taxed public health systems. Another 34% say they are somewhat worried.

Read on for more info:

Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet.

Across the country, more governors are letting go of mask rules -- including in states that have long held on to school mask mandates.

But, the Transportation Security Administration's mask mandate for airports, commercial airplanes, public buses and passenger trains is set to expire March 18. It's not clear what will happen after that.

Read more here:

In good times or bad, American presidents come to Congress with a diagnosis that hardly differs over the decades. In their State of the Union speeches, they declare the state of our union is strong" or words very much like it.

President Joe Bidens fellow Americans, though, have other ideas about the state theyre in and little hope his State of the Union address Tuesday night can turn anything around.

Read on:

***

PLUS, MORE COVID-19 NEWS:

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 Flash

The next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks will take place on the Belarusian-Polish border in the coming days, according to Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the talks held in Belarus, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday.



"Most importantly, we agreed to continue the negotiation process, the next meeting will be held in the coming days on the Polish-Belarusian border," Medinsky said after the consultations.

Medinsky also pointed out that each one of the delegations would now head back to their capitals to further discuss all negotiation positions and would meet for the next round of negotiations.

"We have found some issues on which we can predict there would be common positions," said the official.

During the talks, all negotiation positions were discussed in detail, he added.
PHOENIX  Companies that fire Arizona employees for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID could be required to continue paying them for a year.

The state House gave preliminary approval Monday to legislation that would make such payments automatic, though it would permit either a lump sum or installments. The only way for a firm to escape the financial hit would be to give the worker the job back  but with a reasonable accommodation to honor any claim of a religious exemption.

And the measure, House Bill 2198, which now awaits a roll-call vote before going to the Senate, would be retroactive, covering any who lost a job as long ago as December.

Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, said the payment is justified.

They need time to find employment, he said.

He said its also a matter of civil rights. State and federal laws require employers to honor a workers sincerely held religious beliefs against getting vaccinated, he noted.

And theyre supposed to provide accommodations to their workers, Kaiser said. Those usually take the form of options such as being placed separate from other workers, or working at home.

However, Kaisers legislation doesnt mention the issue of workers having a religious reason for refusing the vaccine. And, as written, it would permit employees to object for any reason and, if denied some accommodation, demand a years worth of pay.

State lawmakers have proposed several measures to prohibit government agencies from requiring that workers be vaccinated.

Proposals to extend the same prohibition to private employers, however, have failed to win approval. Kaisers measure would provide a work-around of sorts, with no ban but instead a financial disincentive.

Not all Republicans are pleased with the alternative.

Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, said if a company is violating state and federal law, as Kaiser contends, there is recourse through the courts where evidence can be presented.

Kaiser, however, said thats not an acceptable option, especially when he said it puts an individual worker against one of these massive companies.

Thats going to be very expensive, he said. Its going to be more than a year to finish that lawsuit.

Kaiser acknowledged there is the option of filing a civil rights complaint with the attorney generals office, but he said that also doesnt solve the problem.

It takes a long time, he said. The persons already been fired. There is no recourse. And they cant get another job in the industry.

Cook remained unconvinced, saying the measure runs contrary to Republican principles that say government should not set the work conditions of private employers.

Kaiser furnished Capitol Media Services with emails from people who told of being fired for refusing to get the vaccine.

Some of the complaints were from people who said they have natural immunity as a result of having previously had COVID, as well as those who contend the vaccine and the testing procedure are dangerous. But at least one person said he never asked for an exemption before being let go.

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The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

My fellow Americans, I speak to you tonight about what I believe is the most important issue we face as a country. I speak to you about the death of democracy.

Our founding fathers created our democratic republic as a bulwark against centuries of oppressive, autocratic aristocracy. They had witnessed the injustices of vast income inequality; of human suffering caused by capricious, destructive wars; of families living in fear for holding different religious views.

Our founders were wise and educated people. They understood the guiding moral and political principles of historys great philosophers. They modeled our republic on English common law, law that had evolved to ensure the rights of the people were protected.

But our founders added a remarkable innovation: we would no longer subject ourselves to the whims of a monarch. It was King Georges government  one that refused to accommodate our desire for self-determination and freedom from taxation without representation  that finally triggered the American Revolution.

The Founders model offered three unique components: Representative democracy with protections for minority rights; distribution of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches; and the exclusion of religion from our governance.

Of course, our founders were men: white, privileged men. Theirs was an 18th century perspective, where women and people of color were second-class citizens, or worse. Our countrys birth was stained by the institution of slavery. Over time, our nation has evolved, infusing new norms of behavior, cultivating a culture of respect for differences, and incorporating into law the rights of all citizens to vote and to enjoy the freedoms and securities promised by the Constitution.

But in the 1800s, debate over slavery grew fierce, pitting neighbor against neighbor, tearing our nation in two, and inciting a brutal civil war in which hundreds of thousands lost their lives. As President Lincoln said, A house divided against itself cannot stand.

My fellow Americans, we are again a house divided. Our nation must choose a different course.

We Americans love our freedom. We love it so much that we fought two world wars to defeat fascist autocracy, to protect millions of innocent victims, and to preserve democracy. Can we possibly turn our backs on our forebears, who fought and died to preserve our precious form of government?

Friends, we cannot. We cannot abandon the principles that created this great nation. We cannot stand by while America falls apart. As a country riven by a pandemic, a climate crisis of epic proportions, racism and antisemitism, economic trouble, and international threats to peace, we must act now. It is our moral duty to save our country and return to our place as the guiding example for all countries.

I call on all patriots, from both sides of the aisle, to take stock of the perilous state of our democracy. I call on each of us to commit, as did our Founding Fathers, to a new era in which we rebuild our country based on our highest values: an unencumbered right to vote, creating a truly representative democracy; ensuring policy-making is for the benefit of the people, not the wealthy; a return to a true separation of church and state; and a culture of civil debate.

We can do this. I call on like-minded Republicans, Democrats, and independent voters to commit to a renewal of our democracy. I call on every politician over the next two election cycles to commit to the Democracy Renewal Pledge, which integrates these principles.

Regardless of party affiliation, I pledge to work with and support anyone willing to commit to this initiative by word and by deed. Im calling for a peoples movement because our current political parties seem only driven by the lust for power to enact starkly different agendas.

This will be a peoples movement, not a political movement. It is not about one party winning over another. It is about salvaging the most precious gifts of our Founders: the right to self-determination based on representative democracy, separation of powers, and civil discourse.

I propose a non-partisan Democracy Restoration Fund to energize this effort and to support politicians who sign and fulfill the pledge. Corporate donations will not be accepted. This is the peoples campaign.

My friends, this will be a difficult endeavor. But I see no better way to prevent our collapse as a democracy.

Let us join together in the spirit of our Founders, in humility before God, and in memory of our fallen, to heal our democracy. Let us invoke, as Lincoln said, the better angels of our nature to ensure that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

Michael Seibold is a retired executive and Tucson resident. He served in local and state government as well as corporate leadership.

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This story was created by #ThisIsTucson and underwritten by the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. Thank you for supporting the local organizations that support us!

There are 13 rattlesnake species in Arizona and 36 total in North America and South America, according to the most recent data.

Howard Byrne, the curator of herpetology, ichthyology and invertebrate zoology at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, says that data is ever-changing.

With more than a dozen species currently in our home state, #ThisIsTucson recently chatted with Byrne to find out more about rattlesnakes and how to avoid them. Plus, read about the Humane Society of Southern Arizona's rattlesnake avoidance classes for dogs!

Lets slither into some fun and interesting facts about rattlesnakes 

Unlike constrictor snakes that have to wrap themselves around their prey, rattlesnakes can strike from a distance and let the venom do the work, Byrne said. In addition, with their super-strong senses of smell, rattlesnakes can track their wounded prey no matter how far it has attempted to flee.

Rattlesnakes have around 10 different defense mechanisms, including remaining motionless, camouflage, fleeing and rattling. However, rattlesnakes arent cookie-cutter animals, according to Byrne. Instead, they can mix and match any defense mechanisms to fit an individual situation. They also have the ability to choose between fight or flight.

Rattlesnakes have excellent memories that allow them to remember where dens and holes are so they can burrow and escape from extreme temperature changes.

A rattlesnake can strike at about one-tenth of a second, which is faster than our eyes can track it, Byrne said.

Rattlesnakes are their own living water dish, according to Byrne. Water droplets are able to stick to their keeled scales, which allows them to drink water without going anywhere. Byrne says that no other snake in the desert can do that.

Rattlesnakes pupils can appear very round at nighttime or in lowlight.

Baby rattlesnakes have brightly colored tails, according to Byrne.

No rattlesnake can deliver all of its venom in one bite. Defensive bites are usually very quick and very brief, Byrne said.

Baby rattlesnakes arent necessarily more dangerous than adult rattlesnakes. While some components of young rattlesnake venom can sometimes be more concentrated, if we're going to talk about a defensive bite, the most dangerous rattlesnake potentially would be the larger one, because it's a volume thing at that point, Byrne said. So their ability to dose that larger volume is of much greater concern than anything a small rattlesnake can deliver.

A few rattlesnake avoidance tips

Here's what Byrne said about how you can avoid rattlesnakes:

Respect rattlesnakes and theyll respect you.

According to Byrne, theres no such thing as an aggressive rattlesnake because all the behaviors that all the snakes do on planet Earth, including rattlesnakes, is only defensive. This means that a rattlesnake will never choose to interact with us, Byrne said. Rattlesnakes only interact with us when we accidentally or on purpose interact with them. So if you stumble across a rattlesnake in the wild, give it a little bit of space and understanding and the rattlesnake should happily go on its way.

Communication is key.

Sometimes rattlesnakes will slither close to your home, garage or even dog house, but Byrne says that because rattlesnakes want no interaction, they dont want anything to do with us, or our kids, or our pets. So, in these situations, its critical to communicate with others in your presence that theres a rattlesnake near, so everyone can avoid the snake who may just be temporarily visiting.

We just (need to) communicate about the snake and then it leaves. So rattlesnakes are easier to live with than some people really think, he said.

But if a rattlesnake gets inside of a place it shouldnt be, Byrne recommends calling in a professional that can safely trap and relocate the snake a short distance away.

Learn more about rattlesnakes and their behaviors.

With so many animals inhabiting the Sonoran Desert, it can be difficult to keep track of the potential dangers that each species presents. But by taking the time to learn more about inhabitants like the rattlesnake, the more informed you can be about protecting both yourself and the animal.

Places like the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum offer shows to help educate the public about rattlesnakes and their behaviors (where you can learn a few rattlesnake fun facts too).

I think the more we know about something, the less scary it becomes, Byrne said.

Your dog can learn to avoid rattlesnakes too

The Humane Society of Southern Arizonas rattlesnake avoidance training sessions return this month in an effort to help local pets avoid costly and possibly deadly rattlesnake bites this spring.

The hour-long training sessions run on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings from March 1 through mid-to-late October, with tuition prices starting at $125 for one dog. If you plan on bringing a second dog to the training session, the price is $105 for the second dog. (Important note: There needs to be one handler per dog.)

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If youve attended an HSSA rattlesnake avoidance training session before, its $75 for a refresher course.

The HSSA requires participating dogs to be at least 6 months old, be up-to-date on vaccinations and be in overall good health. Senior dogs are recommended to get approval from their veterinarian before participating in the training, according to Inge Koopman-Leyva, the HSSAs director of education and community outreach.

In many cases, when training happens, it's not just protecting your pet, it also actually ends up protecting your humans because then the dogs are warning you of the rattlesnakes, Koopman-Leyva said. So it is just another measure that we have in place to help protect dogs and humans against rattlesnake bites that could be deadly and extremely costly and traumatic, more so to the owners and the guardians than to the dog itself.

So, how does the training work?

The participants will meet up as a group at the HSSAs Education Center for a 10-minute educational session about rattlesnakes and what to expect during the training. After the brief educational session, dogs and their handlers will go to the courtyard, one at a time, where there will be five stations set up.

They're all based on sight, scent and sound, so each station really reinforces the previous, Koopman-Leyva said.

The first station features a model rattlesnake stored in a real-life snake container. The purpose of this station is for dogs to get the sensation of being near a snake. At the first station, pets will receive a shock from a shock collar, which is used to startle the dog and help it associate the shock with the danger of the snake.

The shock collar is used just to startle the dogs, it's set at a low setting, Koopman-Leyva said. And then based on the dog's reaction or nonreaction, it might need to be increased. But it's really to startle them, it's not to cause them pain.

While the HSSA uses shock collars for this training, its not something they regularly endorse, according to Koopman-Leyva. This particular course is an exception because its valuable and life-saving training, she said.

By the second station, your pet will be able to see and hear a real rattlesnake as it sits in an erected position and rattles its tail. The third and fourth stations focus on sound and scent, including hearing the muffled sound of a rattler when wet and smelling a scent rag that is housed with the rattlesnakes.

At the fifth and final station, the rattlesnake handler will lift the rattlesnake and present it to your furry companion.

At that point, we want the dog to make their own decision without looking to their owner for guidance and to say, Oh, I want nothing to do with this, get me the heck out of there, Koopman-Leyva said.

To make the training as safe as possible for everyone involved, the training is directed by professionals from Arizona Animal Experts, Inc. and Adobe Dog Training.

The rattlesnakes used from Arizona Animal Experts, Inc. have recently been trapped and will be relocated to safer locations. Every snakes mouth is secured with surgical tape to prevent possible bites.

That's why we use those animals because they haven't been defanged, so they're not altered in any way, Koopman-Leyva said. They have their venom and they're eating live wild prey, where captive rattlesnakes who have been defanged, who are altered, are eating grain-fed rats that live in a warehouse, so they smell different (from wild rattlesnakes).

If your pet avoids the snake in the final station, the training is considered a success and provides your dog with a tool they can now utilize in the real world while on hikes or just strolling through your neighborhood with you. And one of the most foolproof ways to prevent a possible snake bite is following local leash laws, according to Koopman-Leyva.

There are three main points that the HSSA hopes participants will learn from the program: help dogs become more aware of their surroundings, help owners become more knowledgeable of what their furry companions are trying to tell them and realize the importance of rattlesnakes in our environment.

Every dog is individual, but for the amount of dogs that we've had go through the class, we've had a very high number of positive cases and people call us and they're like, I was out on a hike and my dog avoided this, Koopman-Leyva said. Like they didn't believe during the class that it worked. But then they'll go out and have a real-life experience and, like, realize, Oh, it did actually work.

The HSSA offers Colorado River Toad avoidance training, too! For more information about their avoidance training courses, visit their website.

Learn more about the Humane Society's rattlesnake avoidance classes

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona provides valuable and life-saving Rattlesnake Avoidance training classes for dogs and their owners from the spring to the fall. Each Rattlesnake Avoidance training class gives dogs the necessary training to help prevent an expensive and potentially deadly snakebite.
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting immediate action be taken to strengthen the United States and its allies abroad by embracing Americas domestic crude oil and natural gas industry and halting the importation of Russian crude oil and natural gas products.

In part, the letter states:

Every administration since 1973, Republican and Democrat, prioritized American energy independence  until yours. The recent events in Ukraine are yet another example of why we should be selling energy to our friends and not buying it from our enemies.

Energy-producing states like Oklahoma are ready to step up domestic production in an environmentally responsible way . With your support, we can significantly increase production to meet Americas domestic needs and export energy to our allies, reducing their dependence on foreign adversaries ...

Mr. President, energy security is national security. Right now, ahead of your first State of the Union address, there is a window of opportunity to reverse course on your administrations resistance to domestic oil and gas production. I encourage you to embrace American energy producing states here at home. Now is the time to put politics aside and work together to regain our energy independence and support our allies around the globe.

The entire letter can be read here.The White House on Tuesday also issued a news release on the topic ahead of Bidens State of the Union address.

President Biden campaigned on a bold vision of tackling the climate crisis with the urgency that science demands by seizing the opportunity to build a strong domestic energy sector that can manufacture and deploy clean energy for the benefit of all Americans  with lower costs for families, good-paying jobs for workers, and healthier air and cleaner water for communities, it said.

Since day one, he has delivered. After rejoining the Paris Agreement, restoring scientific integrity, and reinvigorating U.S. leadership on the world stage, President Biden mobilized every federal agency to achieve groundbreaking goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030, reaching 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, and delivering 40% of the benefits from federal investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities.

The president formed the first-ever National Climate Task Force, bringing together Cabinet leaders to drive decisive action toward those goals.

U.S. Sen Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., also released a statement on the issue.

As we continue to support the Ukrainian peoples ability to defend themselves, bolster our Eastern NATO allies, and deter (Russian President Vladimir) Putin from continuing his aggression, I call upon the Biden administration to reverse its anti-fossil energy agenda and to do everything in its power to undermine one of the Kremlins biggest economic tools  high energy prices, Inhofe said.

This includes withdrawing from the radical, job-killing Paris Climate Agreement, granting permits to restart the Keystone XL pipeline, abandoning proposals for unprecedented new taxes on the oil and gas sector, and reducing regulations that have led to production costs surging in America over the past year. This will not only weaken his ability to wage continued war against Ukraine, but also provide much-needed relief here at home for hard-working Americans, many of whom are facing $5 per gallon at the gas pump and 40-year high inflation.

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Skiatook has 87 active cases of COVID-19. Sperry now has 37 active cases as of February 14, 2022.

There were 7,083 active cases in the state as of February 24, 2022, down from last week. There have been 14,537 deaths in the state. There have been 1,018,328 total cases reported in Oklahoma. The seven day new case average is is 880, down from last week.

Skiatook has lost a total of 44 people to COVID-19. There are 32 active cases in the city, down from 87 last week and 3,887 have recovered. Less than 50% of the population is fully vaccinated. There have been 3,963 total cases.

Sperry has lost 8 people to COVID-19 and has 20 active cases, down from 37 last week. There have been 1,415 people who have recovered. Less than 50% of the population is fully vaccinated. There have been 1,443 total cases.

Owasso has 121 active cases, Collinsville has 51. The city of Tulsa has 21,266 active cases.

The Stealth Omicron variant, also known as BA.2 has been detected in Oklahoma. It is called the Stealth variant because it has many genetic mutations so it doesnt look like Omicron. However, it does appear to be more contagious and will spread more quickly.

The Oklahoma State Health Department released a statement saying, A sub variant of omicron, BA.2, has been identified in an Oklahoma specimen by Aegis Sciences. While BA.2 has not yet been identified at the states Public Health Lab, variant identification and sequencing continues for positive COVID-19 specimens. We are committed to sharing information with Oklahomans on the presence of COVID-19 and its variants in the state.

Flu shots and vaccine shots are currently available and are safe to take together. The CDC now recommends vaccines for all people ages 5 and above. Booster shots are recommended for everyone ages 12 and up.

Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that unvaccinated adults who were previously infected with COVID-19 were twice as likely to be reinfected as vaccinated adults who were previously infected.

It is important to note that you can be infected with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.

It is critical for Oklahomans to seek out testing, with or without symptoms. Diagnostic testing is freely available to all Oklahomans. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, a public health worker may try to contact you; the need to adhere to instructions to quarantine and isolate remain critically important.

For more information, visit oklahoma.gov/covid19.html

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Police Chief Wendell Franklin plans to meet with residents in the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue neighborhood in a few weeks to discuss placing video cameras in the area, he said Monday.

Franklin, who recently traveled to Las Vegas with Mayor G.T. Bynum and other city officials to observe how that citys Real Time Crime Center operates, described the installation of cameras in the crime-plagued neighborhood as a pilot program.

It is about starting small, Franklin said. It is about putting some cameras up and seeing if we can change that stigma around 61st and Peoria.

Franklin said the Tulsa Police Department has tried a number of initiatives to reduce crime in the neighborhood, some of which have been successful but not necessarily sustainable over the long run.

So we need a sustainable effort, and this has not been tried in that area. And I would love for that area to be a test bed for it, kind of like a pilot program, Franklin said.

Speaking at City Hall with Bynum, Franklin said the Police Department doesnt have the resources to monitor cameras 24-7, so the video footage recorded at 61st and Peoria might be used after an incident has occurred, meaning that the camera footage is sifted through after a crime has taken place, as opposed to being able to be proactive and have eyes on the cameras all the time.

Franklin has been advocating for the creation of a Real Time Crime Center since he became police chief two years ago. City officials had hoped to visit the Las Vegas Real Time Crime Center, known as Fusion Watch, in early 2020, but the trip was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I think part of my job is to be an innovator  and to sit back and say, Oh, were good as a Police Department, and not try to move the needle forward I think is a disservice to the position, Franklin said.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has 515 cameras, including 15 camera trailers that can be deployed into high-crime areas or at big events, according to the departments Public Information Office.

The cameras are placed in tourism corridors, high-crime areas and critical infrastructure sites.

Franklins intent is to deploy Tulsas cameras in some of the same areas.

We are not looking to put it (in) covert locations, Franklin said. They would be in areas that are high-traffic areas of our city (and) areas that might experience crime problems within our city.

The cameras, which would have strobe lights to ensure that they are clearly visible, would be attached to existing utility poles and identified as Police Department equipment, Franklin said. They would not record audio.

Now, these cameras do have the option of turning that strobe (light) off sometimes, Franklin said. That can be annoying to some people, and as you get into deployments, if it became a nuisance at an intersection to have a flashing blue light  I could see that being a hindrance to the flow of traffic  then that would be turned off.

But the camera would be readily visible. There is nothing hiding or obstructing that it is a camera.

Franklin said he has no plans to incorporate facial recognition technology into the cameras and that he is well aware that some people might have concerns about the technology intruding on their privacy and civil liberties.

But he argued that the technology is already being used widely across the country, including by more than 120 local law enforcement agencies.

There is not a place that you can go to in a city that you are not on camera already, Franklin said. The majority of the crimes that we solve we solve because of cameras.

Franklin noted that private businesses are already using the technology to keep their employees and customers safe.

We are just looking to put systems in public areas that will assist us in being proactive but also assist us with our detectives in responding to crimes that have taken place, Franklin said, adding that it was too early to know how many cameras the city would need.

Bynum said the Las Vegas Police Department did a lot of work, including consulting with the ACLU, before implementing its Real Time Crime Center. He and Franklin committed to engaging similar experts and consulting with affected neighborhoods before cameras are put up in Tulsa.

This is not just going in and throwing up cameras and everybody just trust us that everything is going to be fine, Bynum said. They (Las Vegas) did a lot of work on the front end, and if we are going to do this in Tulsa, I would like to see us do the same of bringing in outside experts.

Bynum estimated that a fully deployed, state-of-the-art Real Time Information Center, as the city is calling it, would cost approximately $7 million to $8 million. Franklin said that figure would cover the build-out and equipment needed to operate the center in the Police Courts Building, with additional annual expenses tied to personnel and software updates.

But that is a ways off.

I am not looking to go all in and build the biggest, greatest center. I am looking to start incrementally, Franklin said.

A gradual rollout of the technology would give the public and police officers an opportunity to see how it works and increase the likelihood of buy-in, Franklin and Bynum said.

Franklin said he doesnt have a date for when cameras will be installed in and around 61st Street and Peoria Avenue. But hes confident they will help.

As an example, he pointed to the ceremonies surrounding last years 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre centennial commemoration, where TPD installed a temporary camera system. At the time, Franklin told the media that new technology was being deployed to assist law enforcement, but he provided no specifics.

That technology was exactly what I am talking about today. It was a camera network that we put in place in the downtown area to be able to monitor activities within the downtown area, Franklin said. That was flawless. Officers monitoring the network were able to stop potential threats, potential interruptions to the ceremonies that were going on downtown.

It occurred all in the background, and nobody knew a thing. Nobody knew anything about it.

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A nearly 20-mile pursuit that went from Broken Arrow to Tulsa and crossed Tulsa International Airport property ended when a woman driving with trafficking amounts of methamphetamine in her car slammed into an uninvolved motorist, Broken Arrow police said.

The pursuit began after Broken Arrow officers stopped the vehicle driven by Lori Lindley, 39, about 2:15 p.m. Monday in an attempt to arrest her on drug and weapons charges and for removing an electronic monitor, Officer Chris Walker said in a news release.

But Lindley fled on Oklahoma 51 near Coweta, Walker said. She struck three officers vehicles while fleeing from the traffic stop when other routes to evade existed, according to her arrest report.

The pursuit continued into Tulsa, where police and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers assisted as Lindley drove through the Tulsa International Airport, Broken Arrow police said.

After leaving airport property, Lindley reportedly avoided stop sticks at two different points on South Memorial Drive while swerving toward the police officers who had placed them on the roadway.

The pursuit, which lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, ended when Lindley crashed into a stopped car near 36th Street and Memorial Drive, police said. She got out of her disabled vehicle and was taken into custody, they reported.

Officers said Lindley was in possession of 38.3 grams of methamphetamine, about $1,500 in cash, a scale and a bundle of empty small plastic bags. Police noted that the trafficking amount for meth is 20 grams.

Lindley was booked into the Tulsa County jail around 4 a.m. Tuesday with bail set at $205,250.

In addition to the prior charges, Lindley now faces complaints including assault with a dangerous weapon, eluding, trafficking and possession of drug proceeds.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for an immediate end to Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

"The fighting in Ukraine must stop. It is raging across the country, from air, land and sea. It must stop now," he told an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine.

"Enough is enough. Soldiers need to move back to their barracks. Leaders need to move to peace. Civilians must be protected. International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, must be respected," said Guterres.
Citing dropping COVID-19 case rates and revised guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tulsa Public Schools is adjusting its mask policy.

At Monday nights school board meeting, Superintendent Deborah Gist announced that starting Tuesday, masks will be strongly recommended rather than expected at all district sites.

It did factor into our decision that some of our prekindergarten students are not 5 years old yet and arent eligible to get vaccinated, Gist said. We did take that into consideration, along with the fact that we have a smaller number of students in special services who are not old enough yet, either.

On Friday, the CDC issued new guidance that vaccinated people living in communities with a low or medium level of community spread of COVID-19 could safely stop wearing masks. As of Monday night, Tulsa County was listed as having a high level of spread on the CDCs website, but Gist said the districts decision was made after looking at more recently updated data from the Tulsa Health Department.

We will keep monitoring the data closely, and we will make changes as needed to our safety protocols, she said.

In other business Monday night, the board unanimously approved entering into a letter of agreement with the Indian Nations Council of Governments to develop new school board district boundaries with no more than a 10% population variation between the smallest and largest districts based on 2020 census data.

According to 2020 data published by the U.S. Census Bureau, 309,649 people live within TPS attendance boundaries. By comparison, the 2010 census recorded 285,730 residents in that same area.

Under state law, school boards are required to undergo redistricting every 10 years, similar to the Legislature and Congress.

Once the redistricting process is completed, the new boundaries would take effect starting with the 2023 election cycle, which includes the District 1 seat. Board President Stacey Woolley said that under the agreement, efforts would be made to avoid drawing boundary lines that would pit two incumbents against each other.

It is not the intent to move anyone, she said.

The board also unanimously voted to accept a comprehensive independent annual audit of the districts finances through June 30, 2021. The auditing firm RSM US LLP issued an opinion that the districts financial statements were fairly presented and met accepted accounting standards.

When questioned by board member Jerry Griffin, the firms representative, Mike Gibson, confirmed that the audit was a comprehensive review designed to detect material misstatements rather than a forensic audit looking for specific suspicions of fraud.

Claiming a lack of access to financial information, Griffin previously called for State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrds office to conduct a forensic audit of the districts finances. However, under state law, individual school board members do not have the authority to formally request a special audit.

Griffin confirmed Monday night that no action has been taken on his request to date and that he questioned Gibson to get it on the record that the two types of audits are distinct.

There is some confusion in the public that we have this audit conducted every year,  that this takes the place of a forensic audit, Griffin said.

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A group of Tulsa-area residents took their fight against entities installing 5G cell poles in their neighborhood to court Monday.

Twenty-two residents, mainly from the Walnut Creek neighborhood in south Tulsa but also some outliers from Broken Arrow, north Tulsa and Owasso, filed their signatures in a petition in Tulsa County District Court. Theyre seeking an injunction against multiple wireless carrier companies, utility companies, and state and city agencies that may have a part in installing the poles, which will provide for the latest generation of mobile technology, near their homes.

The group is led by Shelli Landon, a former Oklahoma congressional candidate, and her husband, Barry Landon, who say the poles could be hazardous to residents health and are property value-decreasing eyesores.

Shelli Landon, who said she survived cancer, is worried about the dangers the nearby poles could pose to her health. The American Cancer Society states that there is no strong evidence that radiofrequency waves from cellphone towers cause cancer but that they havent been proven absolutely safe, either.

Most expert organizations agree that more research is needed to help clarify this, especially for any possible long-term effects, the organizations website states.

The petition laments that the Walnut Creek neighborhood association was not notified of the poles installation and seeks a temporary injunction in lieu of a permanent injunction. The petition argues that the poles threaten to violate residents rights, create a public nuisance, and infringe on the health and safety of the neighborhood.

WHY SHOULD We The People be burdeoned (sic) to Prove that 5G is unsafe, the petition questions, comparing the potential harm and timeline to that of the tobacco industry. How long did the cigarette industry deceive us?  only now to be debunked and determined detrimental.

Among other requests, the filing seeks to remove any illegally erected structures installed on the plaintiffs properties, cease installation of those contemplated and restore all landscape to its original condition at the defendants cost.

Defendants named include Verizon, Cox, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, AT&T, Mobilitie, Renavotio Inc., construction contractors, and multiple city of Tulsa departments and state commissions.

Most of these people wouldnt allow one of these things to go up 100 feet from their home, Barry Landon said in a Tulsa World interview.

The Oklahoma Small Wireless Facilities Deployment Act allows wireless providers to install, operate and maintain utility poles in the public right-of-way.

The city of Tulsa said last week that it was reviewing pole installation permit requests for compliance with federal, state and local requirements in response to the residents complaints.

The city previously told the Tulsa World it permitted 350 5G, or small cell, device locations, the first of which was installed in 2017. Another 25 permits are pending review. The companies that have applied for permits to install poles are AT&T, Verizon, Mobilitie and U.S. Cellular.

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For Vladimir Putin, this is not war. However, he is prepared to fight one declaring that if anyone tries to stand in Russias way in Ukraine, the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.

The Russian presidents mindset is forged from World War II history, his KGB experiences during the Cold War, and the humiliation of the Soviet Unions collapse. In his Feb. 24 speech as he launched the Ukraine invasion, he lamented the Soviets lack of readiness for the Nazi onslaught, vowing that Russia will not make that mistake a second time.

He likens Americas influence in Europe to Hitlers, accusing NATO of supporting far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis in Ukraine to secure a military foothold and create a hostile anti-Russia state fully controlled by the outside.

Consider his wording carefully. He refers to Ukraine as a territory while misleadingly inferring that it will have autonomy under a pro-Russia alliance. He considers the current situation with NATO on his doorstep as a matter of life and death, and a matter of Russias historical future as a nation. The red line is drawn.

Putin is on a mission to reassert Russian dominance in Eastern Europe. He considers hardships resulting from Western sanctions to be patriotic sacrifices. The U.S., NATO and the EU have no appetite for war with Russia. Our semi-tough talk is window-dressing policy. Ukraine will be ceded to Russia in hopes of averting a larger conflict that truly could change the global balance of power.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to tulsaworld.com/opinion/submitletter.

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Society Pass Incorporated (SoPa), a Southeast Asian data-driven loyalty platform, announced on Monday its acquisition of Dream Space Trading Company Limited (Dream Space), the operator of online grocery delivery service Handycart that is based in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Handycart is SoPas third acquisition in Vietnam following its purchases of e-commerce marketplace Leflair and merchant software platform #HOTTAB.

Founded in 2019, Handycart is an online grocery delivery app with its own fleet of delivery vehicles dedicated to servicing the South Korean restaurant market and F&B sector in Hanoi.

South Korean food and pop culture have taken Vietnam by storm, driven by the growing 'Korean Wave' -- a neologism referring to the increase in the popularity of South Korean culture since the late 1990s -- with a recent survey by market research firm Q&Me having found that 58 percent of Vietnamese favor South Korean cuisine.

Seo Jun Ho, founder and CEO of Handycart, claimed that the app has gathered a loyal user base of over 3,000, with more than 26,000 orders in 2021 alone.

SoPa is an acquisition-focused e-commerce holding company operating across five interconnected verticals, namely lifestyle, F&B, travel, merchant software, and loyalty, in Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Its business model focuses on collecting user data through the expected circulation of its universal loyalty points.

The firm stated that it has amassed over 1.6 million registered consumers and above 3,500 registered merchants/brands on its platform.

Ngo Thi Cham, SoPa Vietnam country general manager, said Handycart will be integrated into SoPas F&B delivery vertical with its existing merchant POS and business app #HOTTAB.

We are determined to increase merchant coverage to 500 restaurants in Hanoi by the end of 2022 and look to expand to Ho Chi Minh City in the third quarter of 2022, Cham said.

In line with the strategic deal, Handycart CEO Seo Jun Ho has been named head of the new business unit managing both Handycart and #HOTTAB in Vietnam.

Vietnam has been one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia over the past two decades.

The countrys e-commerce is growing tremendously, valued at US$13.2 billion, and is expected to grow steadily from 2021 until 2025, according to the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM).

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Vietnams gasoline prices climbed to a new peak on Tuesday afternoon as authorities adjusted them upward for the sixth time in a row.

The price of gasoline E5RON92 leapt VND540 to VND26,070 per litter, while that of RON95-III increased VND550 to VND26,830 per litter from 3:00 pm on Tuesday, following a notice released by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. (US$1 = VND22,815)

Oil products, meanwhile, jumped VND470-530 for each liter sold.

These prices surpassed the previous peak reached in July 2014.

Tuesdays adjustment was the sixth consecutive fuel price hike since the beginning of this year.

Under a new government decree on petroleum business that took effect on January 2, fuel prices are adjusted three times on the first, 11th, and 21st day every month, or on a 10-day cycle instead of 15 days like before.

The fuel price adjustment on February 1 was skipped as it was the first day of the recent Lunar New Year holiday.

Fuel prices in Vietnam have gone in line with the global trend, which has been strongly influenced by Russia's military attack on Ukraine.

Global oil rates topped $100 per barrel last week and is forecast to continue to edge higher.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked the Ministry of Finance to study and amend the environmental protection taxes on oil and gas products as a temporary measure to stabilize fuel prices in the near future, thus preventing their adverse impacts on businesses and citizens.

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For climate scientists reviewing a Pacific Ocean temperature forecast map in November, a bright red, sideways "V", thousands of kilometres long signalled disaster.

Combined with La Nina cooling in the central and eastern Pacific, the V-shaped pattern of warm sea water, stretching from Australia's east coast to the Philippines and back over the ocean north of Hawaii, indicated that halfway around the world in the Horn of Africa the upcoming March-May rainy season would likely fail.

The scientists' organization, called Famine Early Warning System Network or FEWS Net, sent out an alert with U.N., EU and African institutions, saying the "unprecedented" drought would likely "cause a perilous and disruptive humanitarian disaster".

If the warning is born out, it could push the region into its worst drought on record. Millions of people would struggle to feed themselves.

Such warning systems are becoming increasingly essential as climate change puts food security at increasing risk. "Our work is to save lives and livelihoods," said FEWS Net agricultural meteorologist Gideon Galu said in Kenya.

On Monday, a report by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the top global climate science authority, warned heatwaves, droughts and extreme rainfall would become more frequent in coming decades as temperatures continue to climb.

Already, "increasing weather and climate extreme events have exposed millions of people to acute food insecurity and reduced water security," it said.

In East Africa, FEWS Net's team says only two biannual rainy seasons since late 2016 were considered "normal", while the rest were wet to the point of flooding or dry to the point of drought.

Following FEWS Net's Dec. 1 warning on East Africa, aid groups started scrambling for funding and supplies.

"It's not just enough to forecast, we really need to act," said Zinta Zommers, an IPCC report review editor who works at the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Cows graze on a dry field in Kilifi county, Kenya, February 15, 2022. Photo: Reuters

Acting fast

FEWS Net began in 1985 following the Ethiopian famine. The U.N. has run a similar programme known as GIEWS for decades, while other agencies including the World Food Programme have experts regularly analysing conditions.

As climate science and satellite monitoring have improved, those tools are increasingly used as the first step in heading off climate-related catastrophe.

The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change lists such systems as a tool to minimize loss and damage from extreme weather events, such as drought, heatwaves, locust swarms, storm surges and wildfires. Systems can even predict when winds will be strong enough to rip the roofs off houses.

FEWS Net now works in 29 of the world's most food-insecure countries, generating crisis risk maps three times a year.

The network's sole funder, the U.S. government's Agency for International Development (USAID), uses its research to decide where and how to allocate aid, said Tracy O'Heir, the East Africa chief for USAID humanitarian assistance. Last year, the agency's aid spending totalled $8 billion.

It has given early warning on events including flooding that is becoming increasingly common in South Sudan. In response to the current East Africa drought alert, following three failed biannual rainy seasons, USAID plans to fund searches for alternative local water sources or to bring in water trucks.

Locals struggling to feed themselves as cattle die of thirst and crops fail will receive stipends to buy food or dried foodstuffs shipped into the area.

The Red Cross, meanwhile, has begun using warning systems for "forecast-based financing", with aid payments issued automatically when certain forecasting conditions are met.

"We can make more use of the same amount of humanitarian support to help more people if we act before, rather than clean up afterwards," said Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.

In the Philippines - among countries most vulnerable to tropical storms - automatic payments will go out when a typhoon is predicted to destroy at least 10% of houses in at least three municipalities. Similar set-ups exist for Peru, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Mozambique and Mongolia.

Women carry water jerrycans on their heads in Kilifi county, Kenya February 16, 2022. Photo: Reuters

'What will you eat?'

Last month, Bernard Mbithi set to tearing out a failed corn crop from his field in eastern Kenya.

"What will you eat? How will you even survive? That is a major thing you have to ask yourself," said 63-year-old Mbithi, who is married with two children. He learned about the poor forecasts for this year's rains on his mobile phone, and decided to try planting more drought-tolerant cowpeas instead.

But warning systems, even when they work correctly, won't be a cure-all for regions hit by climate change, scientists warn.

"I'm afraid we just kind of tell them, 'Put the Band-Aid here'. We're not solving the big problem, the long-term problem" of climate change, said Jim Verdin, programme manager for FEWS Net.

A U.N. report last year found that 58 developing countries collectively need about $70 billion per year through 2030 to adapt to climate change. So far rich countries have mobilized only $20 billion annually for these efforts, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. They pledged at the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow last year to double that figure by 2025.

Mbithi said people need help urgently, for example with keeping livestock alive during extreme weather episodes.

"We need a lot  a lot of education to people, a lot of resources," Mbithi said. "Everywhere in the world you see that there is climate change. So you have to be worried."
Among the patients having recovered from COVID-19 in Vietnam are many striking cases, including two with oversized bodies in Ho Chi Minh City, who have done so thanks to their strong will and doctors persistent treatment efforts.

With a bundle of colorful flowers in her hand, Nguyen Ngoc Bao Chau recently arrived at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City to visit a doctor who gave her the last chance for recovery from COVID-19.

Dr. Tran Thanh Linh, head of the hospitals emergency resuscitation department, was really happy seeing Chau again after around six months since she was discharged from COVID-19 Resuscitation Hospital in Thu Duc City, where he had been sent in to help treat critically-ill patients.

Hello my little love, how much do you weigh now? Let me see how healthy and beautiful you have become now, Dr. Linh said jokingly when he saw his patient.

Linh replied that her weight went down remarkably to 97 kilograms and her health gradually stabilized, except for the rapid heartbeat that happened when she made strong movements.

She added she was trying to exercise, as instructed by doctors, to return to normal life soon.

Chau was a special case among the severely-sick patients that Dr. Linh had treated, as she had a very strong will to beat the disease despite facing death on many occasions during her treatment at the hospital.

In mid-July last year, when the pandemic was at its peak in the city, Chau fell ill and was confirmed COVID-19 positive after being thought to only run a viral fever for many days before.

She was sent to Cu Chi Hospital, one of the four COVID-19 treatment hospitals in the city at that time, for quarantine and treatment and was brought to the hospitals intensive care unit two days later due to her critical conditions, including a deep fall in the blood oxygen saturation index (SpO2).

Chau fell into a coma the next day and did not recover until the 20th day of her admission to COVID-19 Resuscitation Hospital in Thu Duc.

When she was conscious again, she had vague feelings about everything around, not knowing where she was, until she could talk with doctors and other health workers, Chau recalled.

She was later placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as she, with her underlying condition of obesity, was suffering damage in multiple organs including her lungs, liver, kidneys, and heart.

During those days, what Chau remembered the most was Dr. Linhs repeated saying, Lets give this case a chance.

With the chance given by the doctor, I decided that I had to try my best to struggle with and defeat the disease in reponse to doctors' efforts to save me, Chau said.

After being taken off ECMO, Chau faced the problem of gaining back her functions post-COVID, mainly due to her big body mass, and worrying about whether she could be weaned off the ventilator so that she could recover and return home.

Chau narrated that Dr. Linh, sent in from Cho Ray, and other medical workers gently slapped her shoulder and said, It'll be OK for you. Try and you will eventually go home.

This image shows Vu Quoc Dung being discharged from Field Hospital No. 16 in Ho Chi Minh City after nearly three months of COVID-19 treatment. Photo: Thu Hien / Tuoi Tre

Such words of encouragement gave Chau more energy and strength to cope with the respiratory disease and follow doctors instructions during the treatment process, she said.

As a result, Chau recovered day after day until she was qualified for a discharge.

Chau deemed her recovery from COVID-19 a miracle given by Dr. Linh and other doctors and health workers at the hospital.

"With Chaus obesity, it was very difficult to wean her off ECMO and the ventilator. But she was very determined to cope with her critical conditions, Dr. Linh said.

Despite the pain, she did not want to use sedatives, and even when suffering from pulmonary hemorrhage, she still tried to practice breathing to speed up her healing, the doctor narrated.

Witnessing such extraordinary efforts from her, we tried our best to get her out of Death's scythe, Dr. Linh said.

Meanwhile, Chau confided, Doctors have saved my life so I have to live responsibly."

She also disclosed that she has now shifted to living more slowly.

Another patient amazingly beating COVID-19 is 28-year-old Vu Quoc Dung, who was discharged from Field Hospital No. 16 after nearly three months of struggling with the disease.

After contracting COVID-19, Dung was treated at Nhan Dan Gia Dinh Hospital before being transferred to Field Hospital No. 16, where he was diagnosed with severe respiratory failure.

He had underlying conditions such as type-2 diabetes and level-3 obesity, with a weight of 140 kilograms and a body mass index of up to 48 kilograms per square meter.

Dung fell in a coma for months at the hospital and doctors believed he would face critical conditions very soon.

Only after 18 hours of admission, he was placed on tracheal intubation, invasive mechanical ventilation, and ECMO intervention.

At this time, Dung's lungs were severely damaged and had up to 80 percent of their volume become consolidated so doctors predicted that he might die at any time later.

But we were determined to save the patient's life despite his little chance of survival, recalled Dr. Giang Minh Nhat, head of the intensive care unit at the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctors and nurses treated me like their family members. They always encouraged me and told me to think positively. They said they would be beside me to help me fight the disease, Dung recalled.

Thanks to Dungs extraordinary energy and constant efforts of doctors and health workers, a miracle happened when his lungs began to gradually recover after nearly three months of treatment.

On January 23 this year, Dung was taken off the ventilator.

Doctors here have given me a new life, Dung said.

Vu Dinh Tam, Dung's father, said he was overjoyed on the day of his sons discharge. A doctor said that Dung could finally make it following efforts by doctors and health workers as well as his own iron will.

This is really beyond my imagination. During nearly three months of my son's hospitalization, nobody, no matter how optimistic they were, could imagine that Dung could be as healthy as he is today, Tam said.

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Firefighters were able to rescue three people after a fire broke out at a hotel in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City on Monday afternoon.

The ten-story hotel, located at 274 De Tham Street in District 1, caught fire at 1:46 pm.

As the high location of the flames was beyond local firefighting capabilities, three people were trapped on the eighth floor of the hotel and cried for help.

Firefighters use ladder trucks to spray water to a fire at a hotel on De Tham Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, February 28, 2022. Photo: Supplied

Firefighters arrived shortly after and managed to put out the fire at 2:40 pm on the same day, preventing it from spreading to adjacent houses.

The rescuers used a ladder truck to take the three people stuck on the eighth floor down to the ground.

Local authorities are assessing the damage and coordinating an investigation into the cause of the blaze.

Firefighters use ladder trucks to spray water to a fire at a hotel on De Tham Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, February 28, 2022. Photo: Supplied

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Two out of three major submarine cable systems in Vietnam, which previously had errors, have been fixed, contributing to the improvement of Internet connectivity in the country.

The problems on the Intra-Asia (IA) and Asia Pacific Gateway (APG) cable systems were solved on Sunday, a network operator confirmed on Monday.

An error was previously detected on the IA about 10 days ago, while the APG had encountered a problem for over three months.

The complete restoration of these two cable systems is very important in boosting Vietnam's Internet speed, especially international connection.

The issue on the Asia America Gateway (AAG) cable, which occurred in late October 2021, is still being fixed, and the repair work is expected to be finished in mid-March.

International connection in Vietnam relies on several submarine cable systems, namely the APG, AAG, IA, SMW3, and Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1), according to the Vietnam Internet Association.

The APG, which runs about 10,400 kilometers underwater across the Pacific Ocean, connects Vietnam with mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore.

The AAG is a 20,000-kilometer submarine communications cable system connecting Southeast Asia with the U.S. mainland across the Pacific Ocean via Guam and Hawaii.

The IA, with a total length of 6,800 kilometers, links Internet users in Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan.

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The next 24 hours will be crucial for Ukraine's fight with Russia, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday during a phone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the National News Agency of Ukraine (Ukrinform) reported.

Johnson said he would do all he could to help ensure defensive aid from Britain and other allies reached Ukraine.

Meanwhile, according to the regional government, the city Berdyansk in southern Ukraine had been seized by Russian troops Monday morning.

The Ukrainian army said on Monday that the situation in Kiev was still under its control.

According to the latest development, a Ukrainian delegation arrived at the place for talks with the Russian side in the Gomel region in Belarus on Monday, Sputnik reported.
A Vietnamese driver has received a nine-year jail term for transporting 11 Chinese nationals into Vietnam in April 2021 while the country was struggling against a fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak.

A court in Phu Yen Province on Monday sentenced the car driver, Pham Duy Anh, 37, hailing from Phu Tho Province, to nine years behind bars for organizing illegal entry into Vietnam.

Anh got to know Phuc, whose identity is still under investigation, on social media at the end of April 2021, according to the indictment.

Phuc told Anh that he was arranging for Chinese nationals to enter Vietnam to reach Cambodia for work.

The other ring members would help the Chinese border jumpers sneak into Vietnam while Anh transported them from north to south.

Anh was reportedly given VND27 million (US$1,184) for each successful trip.

On May 2, he picked up five Chinese near Dong Tri Bridge in Hanoi, carried them to Ho Chi Minh City, and handed them over to an unidentified taxi driver.

On the next day, the man continued transporting six other Chinese from Hanoi to Thanh Hoa Province and handed three to other accomplices to bring them to Ho Chi Minh City.

While Anh was driving through Song Cau Town in Phu Yen Province, he was pulled over by local police for a check.

Three Chinese nationals in the car, Li Chao, Kong De Meng, and Li Jia Sheng, could not present any paper proving their legal entry into Vietnam at the time.

Anh later admitted to having received VND43 million ($1,885) from Phuc, from which he made a profit of VND26 million ($1,140).

At the trial, he confessed that he did not know the five Chinese on his first trip were illegal immigrants.

However, the court concluded that Anh had tried to smuggle 11 Chinese into Vietnam on purpose, following the testimony and investigation conducted by police officers.

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Tyler, TX (75702)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
About 108,000 people crossed the state border of Ukraine in the western direction on February 28, according to the State Border Service of Ukraine.

According to operational information, about 15,000 vehicles left Ukraine, which is about 10% less than on February 27.

Almost 96,000 people traveled to leave Ukraine for the EU and Moldova. In particular, almost 61,000 people crossed the border to Poland, the rest - to Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova.

Currently, there are about 8,000 cars in queues to exit.

Over the last five days of Russian aggression, people not only left Ukraine.

"About 80,000 of our compatriots have returned to their homeland, most of them are men. Patriots who worked or temporarily lived abroad arrive in Ukraine to join the ranks of the Armed Forces, other military formations and territorial defense forces," the message says.

All checkpoints on the western border operate around the clock. Checks and access operations are simplified as much as possible, the list of documents that you need to have when leaving the country is minimized. The border guards and customs officers of neighboring countries also simplified the passage to their territory as much as possible.

The State Border Guard Service asks all citizens at the border to observe the rule of law, order and moral standards when crossing the border.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/100066866381279/posts/286848663554011/
Vingroup



VinFast signs memorandum of understanding with LeasePlan for customer leasing options in Europe BARCELONA, SPAIN - Media OutReach - 1 March 2022 - On February 28, 2022, at Mobile World Congress 2022 (MWC 2022), VinFast announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with LeasePlan, one of the world's leading car-as-a-service companies. Through this anticipated collaboration, VinFast will continue to establish its positioning in Europe ahead of launches in the Dutch, German and French markets. VInfast According to the MOU, it is the intention that LeasePlan will become the preferred partner of VinFast to provide operational leasing, fleet management and remarketing to B2C and B2B customers. It is foreseen that LeasePlan will also offer online leasing solutions as part of a range of flexible financing options available to VinFast's customers in the launch markets of Germany, France and the Netherlands. In addition to a range of financing options, including a convenient lease option through LeasePlan, as detailed at MWC 2022, VinFast is also fully integrating multiple advanced safety and convenience technologies to enhance customer experiences and to make smart EVs and their users close companions in everyday life. LeasePlan is one of the world's leading car-as-a-service companies, with the ability to manage nearly 2 million vehicles in 29 countries spanning the globe. This collaboration will help VinFast to quickly reach customers, promote electrification in Europe and lay the groundwork to bring high-quality products and advanced smart services to market. Ms. Nguyen Thanh Thuy, CEO of VinFast in Europe, said: "This announcement with LeasePlan is further evidence of the rapid progress VinFast is making towards its European launch, as well as its commitment to offering optimal financing solutions to customers. LeasePlan's reputation and market coverage will be vital enablers for our quest to penetrate a competitive market. VinFast is constantly working to meet all the needs of customers and create a better life for everyone." Europe has always been a key market in VinFast's global expansion strategy. Over the years, VinFast has established significant partnerships with proven suppliers in this market in the areas of finance, technology and design. Cooperation with LeasePlan is the next move in VinFast's expansion plan in the European market. At MWC 2022, VinFast continues to further its Future of Mobility - a safer, greener, and more efficient tomorrow. VinFast has detailed the advanced connectivity technologies fitted across its range of EV models, including Smart Services and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). These features will integrate VinFast EVs into all aspects of life, creating a true three-in-one smart EV: the perfect family car, the ultimate company car, and the ideal shopping car./. The VF 8 and VF 9 were introduced to the global audience at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, and reservations announced at CES 2022, are taking place from January 5, 2022, until the end of April 5, 2022. During this time, customers who complete a 150 Euro deposit enter the exclusive VinFirst - "Pioneer's Gratitude to Pioneers" programme, which offers many fascinating perks, including an e-voucher worth 2,500 Euros towards the purchase of a VF 8 and 4,200 Euros towards the purchase of a VF 9, one free ADAS & Smart Services package, one free portable charger, a tree planted in the participant's name, and much more. Customers can learn more and reserve at: https://vinfastauto.eu/en/reservations. About VinFast VinFast - a member of Vingroup - envisioned to drive the movement of global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability that boasts up to 90% automation in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Strongly committed to the mission for a sustainable future for everyone, VinFast constantly innovates to bring high-quality products, advanced smart services, seamless customer experiences, and pricing strategy to inspire global customers to jointly create a future of smart mobility a sustainable planet. Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.com. About Vingroup Established in 1993, Vingroup is one of the leading private conglomerates in the region, with a total capitalization of $35 billion from three publicly traded companies (as of November 4, 2021). Vingroup currently focuses on three main areas: Technology and Industry, Services and Social Enterprise. Find out more at: https://www.vingroup.net/en. Media contact: v.nammh@vingroup.net

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




PA Media: Video

The blue shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored two momentous goals to knock England out of the 1986 World Cup, including the so-called Hand of God goal, has sold for a record-breaking sum at auction. The Argentinian, hailed as one of the greatest players of all time, described his opening goal in the quarter-final, where he punched the ball into the net, as a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God. He then dribbled past a host of England players to score again past goalkeeper Peter Shilton. That effort was later voted the goal of the century.
Mark Page, pictured, is accused of trying to arrange sex with children as young as 12. (Reach)

A British radio DJ attempted to arrange sex with children as young as 12 in the Philippines, a court has heard.

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mark Page, 62, from Teesside, denies five counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

Teesside Crown Court heard on Monday that three offences occurred in 2016 on webcams when he was in the UK and the children were in the Philippines,

The remaining two offences happened in person after Page travelled to the Philippines, the court was told.

Jo Kidd, prosecuting, said: He used charity and business as a cover to meet underage people in order to meet them for sex.

The case against Mark Page is being heard at Teesside Crown Court. (Getty Images)

Read more: Wiltshire road resembles earthquake site due to mystery movements

Page is accused of bargaining down the price to have a 13-year-old boy involved, saying in a message, 3k too much for him, later making a payment of 2,000 Philippine pesos (about 30).

The court heard that Facebook monitors raised concerns about messages that exploited children which were sent to a charity that protects young people.

The charity contacted UK law enforcement and Cleveland Police carried out a search warrant at Pages home in January 2020.

Officers seized his phone, tablet and computer tower, which were analysed.

Prosecutors said this showed Page had been in contact with children in the Philippines and had arranged payments by money transfers.

Kidd said Page used the pseudonym Pancho on a Philippines-based dating app.

At the time he was managing director of Garrison FM, which provided radio services for the British Army, the court heard.

Mark Page denies five counts of arranging the commission of a child sex offence. (Reach)

Page is accused of sending explicit Skype messages to a girl in the Philippines, asking for a 12-year-old to join her.

He is also accused of asking for a boy to take part when he had travelled to the Philippines, and the final offence, in 2019, related to arranging a sexual encounter with a girl aged 13.

Kidd said Page denies being responsible for the comments, and that by implication, somebody else used his Skype account, his dating app account and someone else arranged the payments.

Page worked for BBC Radio 1 in the 1980s.

The trial continues.
 Flash

One kidnapper was killed and four others arrested after intelligence personnel of the Afghan caretaker government busted a group on the western outskirts of the capital Kabul, the government confirmed on Monday.

"The Kabul department of General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) rescued Abdul Ghafar from the kidnappers in Qargha area of Paghman district in a special operation on Monday," the government said in a statement.

The statement came as security forces have arrested nine kidnappers, six Islamic State (IS) militants and 35 robbers, and seized a huge amount of weapons and ammunition in clearance operations in Kabul and surrounding provinces since Friday, according to government sources.

The Taliban-run administration has vowed to crack down on outlaws to ensure law and order in war-torn Afghanistan.
University of North Georgia (UNG) cadet Isabelle Clark has been selected to participate in the Army's competitive Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP) during the summer 2022 semester. The internship will provide the Bachelor of Science in Nursing student the opportunity to develop both her leadership and nursing skills.

A clinical elective offered at Army hospitals in the United States and Germany, cadets attend NSTP during the summer between their junior and senior years. Clark will be based at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.

The NSTP, which starts June 27, accepts only top ROTC applicants to complete the four-week training event. Under the supervision of an experienced Army nurse, Clark will obtain invaluable hands-on experience. This one-on-one time will also allow Clark the ability to hone her clinical skills, develop problem-solving techniques, and gain familiarity with developing professional skills as a member of the U.S. Army Healthcare Team.

"I'm excited to be able to feel it out and see if it's what I really want to do," Clark, a junior from Davenport, Florida, said. "Right now my clinicals for school are an operating room floor, so I will get to see patients before and after surgeries, which is pretty hard to get in nursing school. The program is very competitive. So, I'm pretty happy to be able to do that because the Army options are pretty much only critical care."
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech on Monday calling on the international community to uphold equity and justice to promote the sound development of the global human rights cause.

Wang issued his call at the high-level segment of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which he attended via video link.

He said that ensuring the full enjoyment of human rights by all is an unremitting pursuit of humanity, while protecting human rights is the shared cause of all countries.

China believes that all parties should act as true practitioners of human rights, staunch guardians of people's interests, positive contributors to common development, and firm defenders of equity and justice, said Wang.

Wang noted that respecting and protecting human rights is the unremitting pursuit of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and China will continue to steadfastly pursue a human rights development path that meets the trend of the times and suits its national conditions.

"We will continue to uphold a human rights philosophy that puts people front and center, develop the whole-process people's democracy, promote common prosperity for all, and safeguard the human rights of the Chinese people at a higher level," said Wang.

China will continue to take an active part in UN human rights endeavors by making China's voice heard and contributing China's part to this worthy cause, he added.

Wang refuted false information about the affairs of China's Xinjiang and Hong Kong, saying they had been hyped up with ulterior motives, and adding that China is ready to engage in human rights exchanges and cooperation with all countries on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

"We do not accept self-styled 'lecturers' on human rights and reject stoking bloc confrontation in the name of human rights," said the foreign minister.
Airbnb is offering free short-term housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war with Russia, the company announced Monday.

The stays will be funded by donations to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund as well as with help from hosts on the platform.

Brian Chesky, Airbnb's cofounder and CEO, called for people to open their homes in Poland, Germany, Hungary and Romania as more Ukrainians flee the conflict in their home country.

Chesky and two other Airbnb officials sent letters to European leaders of nations bordering Ukraine to offer Airbnb's support with housing refugees, the company said. While the stays are temporary, the company said it "will work closely with governments to best support the specific needs in each country, including by providing longer-term stays."

Some Ukrainians who need housing may not currently have access to devices or internet traditionally required to book lodging on the platform. Airbnb said it will work with "nonprofits on the ground, who are responsible for booking and coordinating stays for refugee guests, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, or how they identify."

The rental platform's refugee housing is part of Airbnb.org, an independent nonprofit organization that it launched in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy that works to provide temporary housing for those in crisis. Last week, Airbnb.org announced that it will provide 21,300 Afghan refugees with short-term housing solutions.

More than 500,000 Ukrainian refugees have entered surrounding countries over the last four days as the Russian invasion escalates. The European Union is asking member nations to grant temporary asylum to all arriving Ukrainians for up to three years, according to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

The-CNN-Wire

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 Flash

Key consensus reached by Chinese and U.S. presidents last November should be implemented to bring the China-U.S. relations back on the right track at an early date, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

Wang made the remarks in a video speech at a gathering held online and offline to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the issuance of the Shanghai Communique, a historic document that became the political foundation for China and the United States to establish diplomatic ties.

During the virtual meeting with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in November, President Xi Jinping put forward the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, clarifying the framework for future development of China-U.S. relations. President Biden responded positively, Wang said.

Wang also mentioned the remarks made by Biden that the United States does not seek a "new Cold War," does not seek to change China's system, does not support "Taiwan independence," and has no intention to have a conflict with China. Biden had also said the revitalization of the U.S. alliances is not anti-China.

The important consensus reached by the two heads of state is not only a continuation of historical experience, but also development and innovation that conform to the trend of the times, Wang said.

He called on the U.S. side to adhere to the one-China principle and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.

He also called for mutual respect in keeping the correct direction of bilateral ties, and adherence to the principle of win-win cooperation to promote the development and prosperity of the two countries.

The two countries should shoulder their respective responsibilities as major countries and provide the international community with more public goods, Wang said.
WATERLOO  It was supposed to be an easy job, Marquas Gafeney said.

Gafeneys friend, Keyon Roby, had been inside the Cedar Falls apartment earlier that night for a cocaine deal. Roby told Gafeny it would be an easy target for a robbery  sweet was the term Gafeney used.

I didnt think it would be a big deal, Gafeney said.

But first Roby needed a gun, Gafaney told jurors Monday as testimony resumed in Robys trial for first-degree murder and robbery.

The Dec. 4, 2019, robbery, it turned out, would be anything but simple, ending with one dead and four others in custody on an array of charges.

Gafeney, 23, told jurors about what led up to the fatal heist.

He said Roby turned to him to acquire a gun, and Gafeney said called a friend. They then drove to an apartment building near the SportsPlex in downtown Waterloo to pick up the weapon  a green 9 mm SIG Sauer pistol with a red laser sight.

From there, McKayla Ryan drove them to Cedar Falls, and they parked in the lot behind Main Street.

As prosecutors played a surveillance video, Gafeney identified the alleged robbers by what they were wearing and as exited the vehicle.

Gafeney said he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the words Humanize my Hoodie, gray jeans and gray Air Jordan shoes. Roby had a black hoodie and pink and white shoes. The third robber, James Wright-Buls, had a gray sweatshirt and red pants, he said.

He said Roby was the first person up the stairs and down the hall to the apartment, he was second and Wright-Buls brought up the rear carrying a .25-caliber pea shooter.

They knocked on the door, someone answered, and they entered.

He ups the gun ... pointing, Gafeney said. He said Roby told the people inside We need everything, and instructed them to sit down.

Roby used his gun to club a guy who was eating in the kitchen, according to Gafeneys account.

Roby then fired three times at Grant Saul who was seated on a couch. Witnesses said Saul had pulled his own pistol before he was shot.

Gafeney said no one else fired a gun inside the apartment, and Saul was shot before he could shoot.

Following the shots, the robbers fled the apartment, Gafeney said.

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WATERLOO  Waterloo Community Schools support staff will see an increase in wages, starting with the next paycheck.

The Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved a supplemental pay increase to hourly wages for employees represented by the Waterloo Educational Support Personnel and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2749. The measure is being put in place because of the difficulties employees have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effective immediately, well be doing a $2 increase to the WESP and the AFSCME group, said Kingsley Botchway, the districts chief officer for human resources and equity.

He noted that will cost $629,671 for 390 employees covered by the WESP and $389,744 for the 177 covered by AFSCME during this fiscal year. The increase is being funded with federal Elementary and Secondary School Relief dollars. Officials plan to maintain the higher wages and boost them even more in future years.

This does utilize ESSER dollars initially to accelerate the increase, said Botchway, noting those funds will supplement district reserves. We know it will be sustainable for 10 years, even after ESSER is gone.

He credited Michael Coughlin, chief financial officer, and Superintendent Jane Lindaman for helping to make the plan possible. We feel confident we can move forward in this way, said Botchway.

This is game changing and, everyone involved, thank you, said board member Stacie Mills.

I think this proposal is right on target, said board member Lyle Schmitt. Its not just good for people, which it is, but also underscores that the employees are mission critical for the district. He believes the plan will help to land and retain our best-fit staff.

The district has negotiated contracts with the two unions that go through the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year. The raise is being implemented outside of the negotiations process after getting feedback from union members in focus groups.

The WESP contract covers secretaries, home school workers, clerk typists, paraeducators, study hall monitors and behavior intervention specialists. AFSCME Local 2749 covers custodial, maintenance, food service and campus safety monitor positions.

Under the WESP contract, right now our Step 1 is $13.23. Immediately, people with no experience would get $15(.23), said Botchway.

The contract underway now includes a 50-cent hourly pay increase for those employees next school year. But that would be supplemented by another 50 cents per hour.

So literally in the span of six months, WESP will have a $3 increase, said Botchway, bringing the beginning pay to $16.23 per hour.

In addition, those who have worked for the district four or more years will get an additional 50 cents per hour increase for every four-year period of employment. As a result, we have a number of people who will make $20, $22 even $25 per hour.

What I like is we are rewarding longevity, said board member Sue Flynn. These paras are important in peoples lives.

Beyond the immediate $2 per hour increase for those represented by AFSCME Local 2749, no decisions have been made about further supplemental pay. We still havent worked out all the details with AFSCME, said Botchway.

Employees represented by that union have a wide range of starting wages, depending on the position. Hourly pay starts at $15.03 for some food service workers and at $25.42 for master electricians/plumbers.

We want to show value for the people who have stuck with us, but also through a tumultuous time, said Botchway, of the reason for the pay increase. The measure is also aimed at retaining workers at a time when many in education are feeling demoralized.

This is definitely a focus on them, to ensure were paying attention, he noted. And we want them to stick and stay with us.

The other huge piece is were not removing any differentials, said Botchway. Differentials are part of the WESP and AFSCME contracts, providing a pay increase for certain positions. Employees in the WESP group also get additional hourly pay increases for educational advancement.

This is not the only way Waterloo Schools has increased pay recently using ESSER money. It has received a total of $52.31 million in the funds, some of which are already spent or designated.

In January, the board approved the two $550 bonuses for all regular full- and part-time staff. One bonus was distributed that month and the second will be given to those who sign a contract to continue working for the district next school year. The district currently has about 1,700 regular full- and part-time employees.

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WATERLOO  Students riding the bus in the Waterloo Community School District are no longer required to wear a mask.

Superintendent Jane Lindaman announced the change by Durham School Services, the company that provides transportation for the district, during the Board of Education meeting Monday.

Durham made a decision later this afternoon, she told the board, about the mask requirement. That will be starting (Tuesday): No more masks on buses.

Lindaman noted that the requirement is being dropped because the CDC guidance did change. The requirement to wear masks on school buses was put in place nationwide Jan. 29, 2021, by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. On Friday, the agency dropped that requirement, according to information on its website.

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CEDAR FALLS  The Maple Syrup Festival, held each year in early March, was as popular and well-attended in 2020 as it had been in previous years, with patrons standing in long lines, cramming side-by-side inside Hartman Reserve Nature Center and eating pancakes topped with the surrounding trees sweet, sticky syrup.

It was a real nice one, too, said Connie Svoboda, development coordinator for Hartman Reserve. Then, a week later, everybody shut down.

COVID-19 had come to Iowa, and the Maple Syrup Fest  which usually attracts well over 2,000 people and is one of Black Hawk County Conservations biggest fundraisers  would have to pivot a year later in 2021.

Svoboda, who plans the fundraiser, said that meant outdoor demonstrations like tapping the trees, appointment-only times to see the process of turning the sap into syrup inside the Sugar Shack, or virtual ones, such as her Cooking with Connie syrup recipe videos.

The time off wasnt all bad: Hartman Reserve staff had time to catch up on exhibits and other projects, and a record number of people took to the trails, went camping or participated in Hartman programs  a 35% jump, Svoboda said.

But people kept asking about Maple Syrup Fest.

Its such a great community event, Svoboda said. People love to come for the theater of it  the throwing of the pancakes  and all-you-can-eat pancakes, its hard to turn that down. For me, its mostly (that) you walk into a room full of smiles, and I love that.

With the blessing of county supervisors, and with cases of COVID trending downward in the county from an astronomical January 2022 high, Hartman was ready to bring it back -- with modifications.

"We decided that we would take some precautions so that people would feel confident in our decision to hold the fest," Svoboda said.

No longer will there be 2,300 people in long lines and at crowded tables: This year, the roughly 700 available tickets must be purchased in advance, with patrons assigned to an hour-long time slot and seated at fewer tables than before.

But staff will still get pancakes flying; attendees can still enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes with in-house syrup, sausage, Sidecar coffee and Hansen's milk, cream and butter; and raffle prizes -- a kayak from Crawdaddy Outdoors, gift package from Bike Tech and overnight package from The Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo -- are back this year.

"Even though it's not quite the same, we hope that we can still provide the fun atmosphere and then, of course, the great food and drink," Svoboda said.

Tickets can be purchased online at HartmanReserve.org for reserved times, which include the evening of Friday, March 11, as well as Saturday and Sunday mornings, March 12-13. Several time slots have already been filled as of this writing, though Svoboda said more times may be added.

Tickets are $10, or $5 for those ages 3-15 and free for kids 2 and under. Patrons may call 319-277-2187 for assistance.

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I wrote this a few days ago:

And predictably:

Trump went out spouting lies, as he has done non-stop since becoming president and as he has done his whole life

WASHINGTON, January 20./TASS/. Donald Trump released a farewell address on his final day in office as President of the United States, saying he was proud to have started no new wars. I am especially proud to be the first President in decades who has started no new wars, Donald Trump said. As a result of our bold diplomacy and principled realism, we achieved a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East. Nobody believed it could happen. The Abraham Accords opened the doors to a future of peace and harmony, not violence and bloodshed. It is the dawn of a new Middle East, and we are bringing our soldiers home, the outgoing president added. https://tass.com/world/1246755

Trump was given the opportunity to do what so few presidents had the possibility to do. That was to actually do anything big thing he ran for president on

But the second it was obvious that he was a puppet president, like so many before him.it was all over!

Why does everyone think Biden is now president?

It wasnt stolen, it was given back to a more stable situation, not better grant you, yet more stable in a sense for the world

The acts of war were very blatant during Trumps era. The Trade war with China, the sanctions after illegal sanctions on Russia, the alternate attack after attack and even the underhanded killing of an Iranian leader, Attacking Syria with missiles, helping Israel attack Syria and Iran, allowing Israel to move the capital & I could write page after page of things that illegally happened

So many small countries as so many small countries have been twisted and coerced into changing things and or be sanctioned and plied by media into poverty and turmoil

So many terrible things, that either were the continuation of past presidents of the US and or Trump instilled himself illegally

I dont forget:

I have article after article about what was said by many past presidents of the USA. Trump is no different and Trump lost every battle he tried to do for the people, because he never cared in the first place and that is what changed my feelings the most about the corruption of the system in the USA

That easy to win trade war with China  Lost!

Pulling out of Syria  never did and we set up and stealing Syrian oil!

Dozens of USDA attempts to stop and still attempting to stop the Russian/Germany pipeline  The USA is Illegal in all ways upon the international system!

Put Hillary behind bars?  Never happened and never will!

Wall with Mexico?  Oops.very likely Mexico will build it to keep the USA out!

There are a thousand more that never happened and or were so illegal that they should have never happened

As with Obama: Hope and Change!

Trumps hope and change I voted for the first time Fizzled and went pop!

~~ Yet Trump did not start any new wars? ~~

Not because he did not try! & he plus his cronies did try

But, because the world is allowing the USA to tighten that noose around its neck and kill her self

Tells me who values the earth more. Who wants to see peace and prosperity prevail, not death and war

It is obvious to us all now!

WtR

As we stumble into the future of the USA

PS: Irony seems to fit what has happened to the USA
Weather Alert

...MORE WINDY DAYS ON THE WAY, WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS FOR MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND... --Thursday and Friday-- * A pair of systems brushing through the region will bring gusty winds both days, with Friday looking to have the strongest peak winds. Anticipate wind gusts of 35-45 mph Thursday, and 35-55 mph Friday, locally stronger in wind prone locations. Winds will bring travel difficulties both in the air and on the ground. Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with CalTrans/NDOT for the current road information. * Area of blowing dust are possible both afternoons downwind of the Carson Sink, possibly affecting portions of I-80, US 50, and Highway 95. In addition, backcountry and ski recreation could be impacted along with choppy conditions on area lakes. * A few light showers with minimal liquid totals are possible in far northern Nevada and northeast California. --Mother's Day Weekend into Early Next Week-- * It will remain breezy throughout the weekend, with a secondary max in wind speeds on Sunday due to a strong cold front. This front will usher in a much colder air mass and high temperatures on Mother's Day will be 15-20 degrees below normal. * There will be rain and snow showers with the front, but again, liquid amounts will be minimal. There are solid chances for snow levels to fall to all valley floors by Sunday evening, which may catch many off guard, though it is hard to get snow to stick to roadways in lower elevation valleys this late in the spring. * Well below normal temperatures and chances for light showers will continue into Monday and Tuesday next week. While still some uncertainty due to winds and cloud cover, it's possible we could have frost and freeze concerns Sunday and Monday nights.

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM PDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. Wind prone areas may experience gusts in excess of 60 mph. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45 mph and waves of 2 to 4 feet expected on Pyramid Lake. * WHERE...Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area and Western Nevada Basin and Range including Pyramid Lake. * WHEN...From 11 AM to 9 PM PDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects and high profile vehicles will be prone to tip over. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Blowing dust may locally reduce visibility downwind of dry lake beds and sinks. Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with NDOT for the latest on road conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Now is the time to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture, holiday decorations, and trash cans before winds increase which could blow these items away. The best thing to do is prepare ahead of time by making sure you have extra food and water on hand, flashlights with spare batteries and/or candles in the event of a power outage. Check lake conditions before heading out on the water and be prepared for a sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind. &&
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation Monday with Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdisaid Muse Ali on bilateral ties.

Wang said that China and Somalia enjoys a long history of traditional friendship. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have stood in solidarity and jointly safeguarded the health and security of both peoples.

Stressing that China attaches great importance to bilateral relations and firmly supports the Somali side in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, Wang said that China is willing to take the Belt and Road cooperation and implementation of the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) as an opportunity to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level.

China will continue to provide assistance for the reconstruction and development of Somalia, hold consultations with the Somali side on the implementation of the "nine programs" of the FOCAC, draw up the list of priorities for cooperation and provide much-needed humanitarian aid.

China will also discuss with Somalia the implementation of projects to improve people's livelihood in areas with relatively good security situation, and strengthen practical cooperation in agriculture, fishery, health and other fields, said Wang.

China will provide Somalia with a batch of emergency food aid and more vaccines to help the country cope with drought and fight the pandemic, said Wang.

Expressing appreciation for Somalia's active support for the China-proposed Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, Wang said all countries in the region are China's good friends.

China will continue to adhere to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and help the countries in the Horn of Africa better meet the triple challenges of security, development and governance, said Wang.

The special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Xue Bing has assumed office and will soon go to work in the region, said Wang.

China looks forward to the convening at an early date of the Horn of Africa peace conference by countries in the region through consultation, he added.

For his part, Ali said he welcomes China's appointment of the special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs under the current situation, and introduced the situation on the fight against piracy in Somali waters and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The Somali side always attaches great importance to developing relations with China and will continue providing firm support for China on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns.

Expressing firm opposition to Taiwan's collusion with Somalia's northern region of Somaliland, which infringed upon Somalia's sovereignty, the Somali minister said Somalia will continue to carry out strategic and practical cooperation with China.

Thanking China for its support and assistance in the reconstruction of Somalia and the fight against the pandemic as well as the severe drought, the minister said Somalia is ready to work with the Chinese side on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, agriculture, education and people's livelihood, so as to elevate Somalia-China relations to a higher level.
Unusual financial activity

A major red flag of potential financial abuse is unexplained activity in an older persons accounts, says Stephanie Genkin, a certified financial planner in New York.

Inquire about large withdrawals and unpaid bills and make sure there are no questionable credit card charges. Stop any bank transfers or recurring transactions the account holder does not recall making. Its not uncommon for older individuals to forget things from time to time, but major financial dealings they have no memory of requesting or authorizing, or that they have difficulty explaining, should set off alarm bells.

Genkin suggests periodically reviewing an aging loved ones bank and credit card statements with them to help guard against fraud. If possible, create a transparent system that allows both of you to monitor financial activity and perform basic record-keeping, and keep the lines of communication over money matters open.

New friends or helpers

Individuals who live alone are particularly susceptible to financial exploitation. Wrongdoers can more readily hide their misdeeds if no one else is around.

Experts caution that perpetrators of financial abuse, especially new acquaintances, frequently try to box out others and limit relatives contact with a vulnerable, older adult.

Isolation is the number one tip-off, says Michael McGuire, an attorney and president of the California Elder Law Center.

It can be very subtle, he adds. A new friend may try to cut off the family from getting access to the senior. All of a sudden, this friend is saying: Theyre not available, theyre taking a nap or theyre not feeling well right now. Ill have them call you back. And then they never do.

Be especially wary of newcomers who insinuate themselves into an older persons life in a way that makes the new associate indispensable in the eyes of the victim. Many schemers are initially incredibly helpful, McGuire says, taking the senior to the store or their doctors appointments or restaurants  and, most importantly, theyre running them over to the bank.

Cognitive decline or loss of financial acumen

If an older person has known cognitive impairments such as Alzheimers or dementia or is beginning to show a loss of financial acumen, a designated family member or other trusted individual may need to immediately step in to help.

Once a decline starts, it can happen very quickly, Genkin says.

McGuire says unscrupulous family members, neighbors or friends may try to exert influence over people with cognitive issues. With dementia, theres a phenomenon that often occurs that whoever is the person sitting in front of the senior sort of wins the day and can persuade the older adult to take financial actions they ordinarily wouldnt, McGuire says.

Financial fraud can easily occur when a third party has access to an older adults sensitive private data, such as account numbers, passwords or Social Security number. Many older folks do need help with money management tasks, from simple bill paying to buying groceries, but their financial details should be closely guarded and only provided when necessary to known, trusted individuals.
Coors Light is ditching plastic rings on its six-packs and replacing them with an environmentally friendlier option.
Hong Kong: Subsidies for hair salons to open

The Subsidy Scheme for Hair Salons & Barber Shops under the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund will open for applications on March 7, the Government announced today.

Hair salons and barber shops that have been directed to suspend operations since February 10 will be eligible, including those run by social enterprises.

Each eligible hair salon and barber shop will receive a one-off subsidy ranging from $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the number of workers at its premises.

The maximum subsidy amount for a hair salon or barber shop chain is $1.5 million.

With $130 million of the fund earmarked, the scheme is expected to benefit about 4,200 eligible premises.

Operators of hair salons and barber shops with a business registration should file their applications through the scheme's dedicated online application website at hairsubsidy.gov.hk.

For those operated by social enterprises and without a business registration, their applications should be submitted via the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

The application period will close on March 20.

It is expected that the scheme's secretariat will start to disburse the subsidies within March.

Call 1836 138 or send an email for enquiries.

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese envoy hopes adjustment of Yemen sanctions is conducive to political settlement

Xinhua) 08:10, March 01, 2022

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday expressed the hope that the adjustment of Yemen sanctions is conducive to a return to the right track of political negotiation.

Since the beginning of this year, the situation in Yemen has kept deteriorating. Conflicts and confrontations intensified and hostilities saw an upward spiral. China is deeply concerned about this, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

China condemns all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, calls for an immediate stop to the cross-border attacks on and security threats to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and supports the two countries in their efforts to defend their national security, he told the Security Council after the adoption of a new resolution that imposes an arms embargo on the Houthi militia in Yemen.

Using the opportunity of sanctions renewal, and given the new developments in the situation, the Security Council just updated relevant restrictive measures and the mandate of the Panel of Experts that assists the Sanctions Committee, he noted.

China's position on the issue of sanctions has always been consistent. China will keep a close eye on the impacts of the restrictive measures, he said. "We hope that this resolution is conducive to facilitating all parties to the conflicts to renounce the military option and actively support the mediation efforts of the (UN) special envoy, so as to return to the right track of political negotiation as soon as possible."

China supports Special Envoy Hans Grundberg in continuing his work proactively and keeping engagement with all parties to promote the Yemeni peace process. At the same time, the United Nations and other agencies should continue humanitarian assistance across Yemen, said Zhang.

The Panel of Experts should conduct its work strictly in accordance with its mandate given by the Security Council, uphold objectivity and impartiality, and provide information that is accurate and neutral, he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
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China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday that China hopes both Russia and Ukraine to continue maintaining the dialogue and negotiation process and work out a political solution to realize the common security of Europe.

Speaking at a daily press conference, Wang said China welcomes the Russia-Ukraine negotiations that started on Monday.
Nearly half a million families are estimated to be stranded without reliable child care, exacerbating the nation's worker shortage as parents continue to stay home, according to a new report.


RE Project - $17.4m Acid-Bake Kiln Contract Advancing

Perth, Mar 1, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australia's next rare earths producer, Hastings Technology Metals Ltd ( ASX:HAS ) ( FRA:5AM ) is pleased to announce that it has re-activated the Design and Construct contract of the Acid-Bake Rotary Kiln previously awarded to FLSmidth, a global Tier 1 manufacturer of engineering and mining equipment.Highlights- FLSmidth a Danish Tier 1 international processing equipment manufacturer, was awarded the Engineering and Supply package for the Acid-Bake Rotary Kiln.- The $17.4m Acid-Bake Kiln to be constructed at Onslow is the most significant piece of equipment for the Yangibana project and represents the longest lead item in the construction schedule.- The supply of the kiln supports the current construction schedule and plant commissioning date in 2H 2024.- Kiln design is well advanced with shell fabrication about to commence.- The kiln is 75m long and 4m in diameter and is utilised in the downstream processing of rare earths at Onslow.- The $20m early infrastructure works package continues to gather pace with the clearing of the 300-man village area initiated.This package marks a major milestone in the commitment to build and operate the Yangibana Rare Earth projects downstream hydrometallurgical processing facility at Onslow.Detailed Kiln design is substantially complete allowing fabrication of the Kiln shells to commence immediately.On the back of the recent NAIF debt funding announcement (refer ASX Announcement dated 2nd February 2022 NAIF Approves $140m Loan for Yangibana Rare Earths Project) the re-commencement of this significant package supports the belief and commitment that the Hastings board and project team have in progressing the Yangibana Project.Andrew Reid, Hastings' COO, said:"The Acid-Baked Rotary Kiln is an internationally sourced long lead-time item required for the hydrometallurgical plant at Onslow. Hastings has chosen a trusted, industry-leading supplier for the Kiln, and the fabrication of this important piece of equipment ensures that the Yangibana construction can continue to gather pace as we target a 2H 2024 commissioning date."PROJECT UPDATEAt the Yangibana site, progress of the $20m early works package continues to ramp up with clearing activities on the main access road and permanent village progressing. The early works packages are due to run until the Q3 2022 with the main processing plant construction contract commencing during Q3.Progress highlights include:- Access Road (Shire Road to Beneficiation plant) - Vegetation clearing and grubbing now 63% complete.- 300 Personnel Village - Clearing and grubbing of the site completed with construction package due to be awarded shortly.- SipHon Borefield water bores and associated monitoring bores - drilling and construction at 50% completion- Exploration Drilling - 13,334m for 170 holes targeting the 8km long mineralised zone between Bald Hill and Frasers, in close proximity to the proposed beneficiation processing plant site is now complete. First results anticipated in late April due to long laboratory delays.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd

Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas.

Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China.

Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project.

Brockman Project

The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition).

The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project.

Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products.


Appointment of Board Member

Sydney, Mar 1, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Board of Symbio Holdings Limited ( ASX:SYM ), a leading voice communications software provider, today announced the appointment of Leanne Heywood as an Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee and Risk Committee effective 1 March 2022.Ms. Heywood is a highly experienced company director holding Board positions for both public and private companies in B2B settings across a variety of industries. She currently chairs Audit and Risk Committees at ASX-listed companies Allkem Ltd ( ASX:AKE ), Midway ( ASX:MWY ) and Quickstep Technologies ( ASX:QHL ).With a background in finance and accounting, Ms. Heywood brings considerable commercial, sales and marketing, and business analytics experience to the Board. She also has extensive international experience managing complex and culturally diverse stakeholder relationships across the APAC region during her 11 years at Rio Tinto, including her position as General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Copper Concentrate.Commenting on Ms. Heywood's appointment, Symbio Chair Anne Ward commented: "On behalf of the Board, we are very pleased to welcome Leanne as Non-Executive Director and Chair of our Audit and Risk Committees. Leanne's governance experience and global expertise means she is well positioned to further strengthen the capability of Symbio's Board and we look forward to working with her as we expand into the Asia Pacific region."Ms Heywood added: "I am delighted to join Symbio and work with the Board and management team at this exciting time. Symbio's clear strategy and long-term aspirations in a rapidly evolving industry are highly appealing and I believe my experience and skills will further complement the Company's deeply experienced Board."About Symbio Holdings Limited

Symbio Holdings Limited (ASX:SYM) is a software company changing the way the world communicates. Symbio's technology replaces old-fashioned telecom networks with software, making it faster and easier to deliver modern cloud-based communication services, unlocking endless new applications for calling, messaging and phone numbers.

Symbio is the backbone for the global cloud communication industry. Over 500 service providers - from telecom start-ups to the world's biggest software companies - rely on Symbio for the connectivity, quality and expertise they need to solve complex communication challenges.

Headquartered in Sydney, Symbio powers billions of calls and messages each year, owns networks in three countries and employs over 450 staff worldwide.

For more information about Symbio visit www.symbio.global
Spring weather may have arrived a few weeks early in New Mexico, with temperatures expected to reach 70 degrees in Albuquerque this week and fire weather conditions likely for the states northeast plains.

Randall Hergert, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque, said statewide temperatures could reach 8 to 18 degrees above normal this week.

But temperatures will trend cooler by Sunday, Hergert said.

Albuquerque is expected to be mostly sunny for much of the week.

The city has a forecasted high of 65 degrees on Tuesday and 70 on Wednesday.

Northeast New Mexico will likely experience the highest winds over the next several days.

Those traveling on area highways, especially east-to-west highways, could experience some crosswind hazards, Hergert said. We could see some peak gusts of 25, 35, potentially 40 miles per hour during the afternoon on Thursday.

The high winds, warmer temperatures and dry conditions could create ideal fire weather conditions in northeast New Mexico on Thursday.

Albuquerque may hit 70 degrees on Thursday.

Fire weather conditions could spread across eastern New Mexico and into the Rio Grande Valley on Friday.

Albuquerque is expected to reach 69 degrees on Friday.

There could also be some blowing dust impacts as well, Hergert said.

A storm system that will move into New Mexico on Friday evening is expected to drop temperatures and bring a few rain showers to the northern part of the state this weekend.

Albuquerque is expected to reach 61 degrees on Saturday and 56 on Sunday.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  After posting a narrow victory at the GOP state pre-primary convention this weekend, Jay Block declared himself as the front runner of New Mexicos Republican crop of governor candidates and quickly went on the attack.

He called for fellow GOP candidate Mark Ronchetti to drop out of the race, saying he kicked the crap out of him at the convention, and criticized another candidate who is facing an ethics complaint.

Block, a Sandoval County commissioner and retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, said in an interview his win at the Republican Party convention in Ruidoso could give him a boost in fundraising and visibility with the June primary election just over three months away.

I am the front-runner, no doubt about it, Block told the Journal.

He said Ronchetti should drop out after his fourth-place showing at the convention and should apologize to Republican Party delegates for voicing criticisms of the longstanding process used to nominate candidates.

Hes been rejected, Block said of Ronchetti. I kicked the crap out of him and it felt great.

Ronchetti, a former KRQE-TV meteorologist, got 16% of the votes cast by GOP delegates at the pre-primary convention  or just shy of the 20% threshold needed to secure a spot on the June primary ballot.

But Ronchetti has already turned in more than twice the amount of voter signatures necessary to get on the ballot and downplayed the significance of the convention in an interview Saturday.

This is just another example of a flawed process, Ronchetti told the Journal after urging GOP delegates to vote for other candidates so as many gubernatorial candidates as possible could appear on the June 7 primary ballot.

In a Monday statement, a Ronchetti campaign spokesman dismissed Blocks call for Ronchetti to drop out.

Thats a silly comment akin to Belarus asking NATO to dissolve, Ronchetti campaign spokesman Enrique Knell told the Journal.

He also cited Ronchettis lead in internal campaign polling and a fundraising haul of more than $1.2 million in the first two months after he launched his campaign, while predicting Ronchetti would defeat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in November.

Ultimately, three GOP gubernatorial candidates eclipsed the 20% delegate vote threshold, with Block getting 199 of the 687 votes cast by delegates  or about 29%  and state Rep. Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences coming in close behind with 27.9% of the votes cast.

Albuquerque financial adviser and military veteran Greg Zanetti was third with about 23% of the votes.

A four-way primary race for the GOP governor nomination  including Ronchetti  could be an advantage for Lujan Grisham, who is seeking a second four-year term and running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The incumbent governor reported last fall having more than $2.1 million in her campaign account and the Democratic Governors Association, a deep-pocketed national group that is led by Lujan Grisham, was quick to pounce Monday on the infighting among Republican gubernatorial candidates.

The candidates in the GOP primary field are too busy attacking each other to see the real reason they cant materialize any significant support  even with Republicans  is because their agendas are unpopular and out-of-touch, said DGA senior communications adviser Christina Amestoy.

After winning the pre-primary convention, Block, who was lagging behind Dow and Zanetti last fall in terms of fundraising, also criticized Dow for past issues, saying GOP voters were looking for somebody who doesnt have corruption issues.

Most recently, the general counsel for the state Ethics Commission found probable cause in January that Dow violated state law by failing to properly disclose her income from a nonprofit group that received state funding.

Dow has vigorously disputed the claims against her, which are set to go before a hearing officer in July.

She told the Journal she was in a great position for the June primary election, given the fact she was prohibited, as a state legislator, from soliciting campaign donations during the 30-day legislative session that ended Feb. 17.

Dow also said voting issues prevented some of her own family from casting ballots at the GOP convention.

A lengthy delay in voting  and vote-counting  at the Republican convention was caused by technical issues with an electronic voting system that prompted a shift to paper ballots.

While some delegates left before casting a vote, GOP officials insisted Monday the final tally was accurate.

The entire process demonstrated transparency and precision and again shows (the state Republican Partys) commitment to election integrity, said state GOP tabulation Chairwoman Amy Barela.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Philip Snedeker  a one-time sheriff of Quay County and longtime member of law enforcement  has announced his candidacy for Bernalillo County sheriff.

Snedeker will face off against Pat Ruiloba, a former state representative, and John Allen, a former BCSO homicide sergeant, in the Democratic primary in June. The general election will be held in November.

A spokeswoman for the Bernalillo County Republican Party said Joshua James, Ryan Lawrence, Paul Pacheco, and Dereck Scott were running for sheriff as well. No information was immediately available about those candidates.

Snedeker, raised in Silver City, has had a 47-year career in public service and most recently was with the State of New Mexico Probation and Parole Division, according to a news release. He began his career as an officer with the Silver City Police Department while attending college and after graduation served as a New Mexico State Police officer for 10 years in Santa Fe, Farmington and Tucumcari.

He was elected sheriff of Quay County in 1987 during which time he also oversaw the operations of the countys detention center.

In February, Snedeker retired from his position as the administrator of court services in the 2nd Judicial District Courts Probation and Parole Division.

Ive been fortunate in my career to see law enforcement from all sides, said Snedeker. From the standpoint of an officer arresting someone; to operating a detention center while defendants are in custody; to overseeing the probation and parole system. Addressing the crime situation in our community needs a comprehensive approach from someone who truly understands how the whole system works.

He said he supports the expansion of crime reduction strategies including treatment and programs to address substance abuse and the expansion of services related to mental health interventions.
PHOENIX  A man who killed his ex-girlfriend and shot five Phoenix officers two weeks ago told his sister in phone call during a standoff with police that he wasnt going to spend the rest of his life in prison, authorities said in police reports recently released.

Morris Jones sister told investigators that she heard gunfire during the call that she believed was the self-inflicted gunshot wound that killed her brother on Feb. 11 at his ex-girlfriends home in southwest Phoenix. Morris also had called his mother to say goodbye, police reports released late last week said.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiners Office had previously concluded that Jones death was a suicide.

Authorities say Jones killed 29-year-old Shatifah Lobley and wounded five officers, including one officer who was ambushed by Jones when responding to a call of a shooting at the home.

Lobleys brother, who lived with his sister, stepped out of the home at some point during the encounter, put down Jones and Lobleys 1-month-old daughter and surrendered to police. Police say Jones later shot four officers who were trying to bring the baby to safety. The infant was unharmed.

Lobleys sister told police that Shatifah had told her the night before that Jones had hit her while she was holding their infant. And Lobleys brother said he heard Jones and his sister argue shortly before the shooting but didnt know what the dispute was about. He later heard gunshots.

Four additional officers were injured by shrapnel or ricocheting bullets. All officers have been released from the hospital.

Jones had previously served time in prison on convictions for firearms possession and transporting immigrants who were in the United States illegally.
 Flash

Russia will continue its special military operation in Ukraine until achieving the main goal of defending itself from Western threats, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

"The main thing for us is to protect Russia from the military threat posed by Western countries that are trying to use the Ukrainian people in the fight against our country," Shoigu said during a video conference with top defense officials.

The Russian military is not occupying Ukrainian territory and is taking all measures to preserve the lives and safety of civilians, he reiterated.

"I would like to stress that the strikes are carried out only against military targets and exclusively with high-precision weapons," Shoigu said.
WASHINGTON  As Russias war in Ukraine plays out for the world on social media, big tech platforms are moving to restrict Russian state media from using their platforms to spread propaganda and misinformation.

After the European Unions president called for a ban on Russian state media, a wave of tech companies blocked the channels from their platforms.

Google announced Tuesday that its blocking the YouTube channels of those outlets in Europe effective immediately but acknowledged itll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Russias RT and Sputnik accounts were also disabled in Europe on Chinas TikTok, a video-sharing platform, a company spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. The actions followed Metas announcement that it would bar the state media from its platforms, Instagram and Facebook.

Tech companies have also offered more modest changes in other parts of the world so far: limiting the Kremlins reach, labeling more of this content so that people know it originated with the Russian government, and cutting Russian state organs off from whatever ad revenue they were previously making.

The changes are a careful balancing act intended to slow the Kremlin from pumping propaganda into social media feeds without angering Russian officials to the point that they yank their citizens access to platforms during a time of war, said Katie Harbath, a former public policy director for Facebook.

Theyre trying to walk this very fine line; theyre doing this dance, said Harbath, who now serves as director of technology and democracy at the International Republican Institute. We want to stand up to Russia, but we also dont want to get shut down in the country. How far can we push this?

Banning RT and Sputnik wont shut off the well of disinformation around the war in Ukraine thats flowing into social media feeds from everyday users, pundits or the Kremlins vast network of Facebook pages, trolls and reporters.

But unlike the EU, the U.S. government has not cut off one of the most obvious supplies of wartime propaganda by sanctioning Russian state media or calling on tech companies to ban it, leaving the American-owned tech companies to wrestle with it on their own.

The results have been mixed.

RT and other Russian-state media accounts are still active on Facebook in the U.S. Twitter announced Monday that after seeing more than 45,000 tweets daily from users sharing Russian state-affiliated media links in recent days, it will add labels to content from the Kremlins websites. The company also said it would not recommend or direct users to Russian-affiliated websites in its search function.

Over the weekend, the Menlo Park, California-based company announced it was banning ads from Russian state media and had removed a network of 40 fake accounts, pages and groups that published pro-Russian talking points. The network used fictitious persons posing as journalists and experts, but didnt have much of an audience.

Facebook began labeling state-controlled media outlets in 2020.

Meanwhile, Microsoft announced it wouldnt display content or ads from RT and Sputnik, or include RTs apps in its app store. And Googles YouTube restricted Russian-state media from monetizing the site through ads, although the outlets are still uploading videos every few minutes on the site.

On TikTok, a Chinese platform popular in the U.S. for short, funny videos, state-affiliated media is not labeled as such. And pro-Russian propaganda and misinformation around the war has flourished on its site.

One recent video posted to RTs TikTok channel, which is still active in the U.S., features a clip of Steve Bannon, a former top adviser to ex-President Donald Trump who now hosts a podcast with a penchant for misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Ukraine isnt even a country. Its kind of a concept, Bannon said in the clip, echoing a claim by Russian President Vladimir Putin. So when we talk about sovereignty and self-determination its just a corrupt area where the Clintons have turned into a colony where they can steal money.

Already, Facebooks efforts to limit Russian state medias reach have drawn ire from Russia. Last week, Meta officials said they had rebuffed Russias request to stop fact-checking or labeling posts made by Russian state media. Kremlin officials responded by restricting access to Facebook.

The company has also denied requests from Ukrainian officials who have asked Meta to remove access to its platforms in Russia. That would prevent everyday Russians from using the platforms to learn about the war, voice their views or organize protests, according to Nick Clegg, recently named the companys vice president of global affairs

We believe turning off our services would silence important expression at a crucial time, Clegg wrote on Twitter Sunday.

More aggressive labeling of state media and moves to de-emphasize their content online might help reduce the spread of harmful material without cutting off a key information source, said Alexandra Givens, CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington non-profit.

These platforms are a way for dissidents to organize and push back, Givens said. The clearest indication of that is the regime has been trying to shut down access to Facebook and Twitter.

Russia has spent years creating its sprawling propaganda apparatus, which boasts dozens of sites that target millions of people in different languages. That preparation is making it hard for any tech company to mount a rapid response, said Graham Shellenberger at Miburo Solutions, a firm that tracks misinformation and influence campaigns.

This is a system that has been built over 10 years, especially when it comes to Ukraine, Shellenberger said. Theyve created the channels, theyve created the messengers. And all the sudden now, were starting to take action against it.

Redfish, a Facebook page that is labeled as Russian-state controlled media, has built up a mostly U.S. and liberal-leaning audience of more than 800,000 followers over the years.

The page has in recent days posted anti-U.S. sentiment and sought to downplay Russians invasion of Ukraine, calling it a military operation and dedicating multiple posts to highlighting anti-war protests across Russia.

One Facebook post also used a picture of a map to highlight airstrikes in other parts of the world.

Dont let the mainstream medias Eurocentrism dictate your moral support for victims of war, the post read.

Last week, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia sent letters to Google, Meta, Reddit, Telegram, TikTok and Twitter urging them to curb such Russian influence campaigns on their websites.

In addition to Russias established use of influence operations as a tool of strategic influence, information warfare constitutes an integral part of Russian military doctrine, Warner wrote.

___

Klepper reported from Providence, R.I. AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this report.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday in what Ukraines leader called a blatant campaign of terror, while U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to make his Russian counterpart pay a price for the invasion.

Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the central square in Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city, and the deadly bombing of a TV tower in the capital.

Biden used his first State of the Union address to highlight the resolve of a reinvigorated Western alliance that has worked to rearm the Ukrainian military and adopt tough sanctions, which he said have left Russian President Vladimir Putin isolated in the world more than he has ever been.

Throughout our history weve learned this lesson  when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos, Biden said. They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.

Biden devoted the first 12 minutes of his Tuesday evening address to Ukraine, with lawmakers of both parties repeatedly rising to their feet and applauding as he praised the bravery of Ukraines people and condemned Putins assault.

As Biden spoke, a 40-mile (64-kilometer) convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly on Kyiv, the capital city of nearly 3 million people, in what the West feared was a bid by Putin to topple the government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.

The invading forces also pressed their assault on other towns and cities, including the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II found Russia increasingly isolated, beset by the sanctions that have thrown its economy into turmoil and left the country practically friendless, apart from a few nations like China, Belarus and North Korea.

As the fighting in Ukraine raged, the death toll remained unclear. One senior Western intelligence official estimated that more than 5,000 Russian soldiers had been captured or killed. Ukraine gave no overall estimate of troop losses.

The U.N. human rights office said it has recorded 136 civilian deaths. The real toll is believed to be far higher.

Britains Defense Ministry said it had seen an increase in Russian air and artillery strikes on populated urban areas over the past two days. It also said three cities  Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol  were encircled by Russian forces.

Many military experts worry that Russia may be shifting tactics. Moscows strategy in Chechnya and Syria was to use artillery and air bombardments to pulverize cities and crush fighters resolve.

Ukrainian authorities said five people were killed in the attack on the TV tower, which is near central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings. A TV control room and power substation were hit, and at least some Ukrainian channels briefly stopped broadcasting, officials said.

The bombing came after Russia announced it would target transmission facilities used by Ukraines intelligence agency. It urged people living near such places to leave their homes.

Zelenskyys office also reported a missile attack on the site of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, near the tower. A spokesman for the memorial said a Jewish cemetery at the site, where Nazi occupiers killed more than 33,000 Jews over two days in 1941, was damaged, but the extent would not be clear until daylight.

In Kharkiv, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the regions Soviet-era administrative building on Freedom Square was hit with what was believed to be a missile.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said its consulate in Kharkiv, located in another large building on the square, was destroyed in the attack.

The attack on Freedom Square  Ukraines largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life in the city  was seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasnt just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirit.

The bombardment blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive square, which was piled high with debris and dust. Inside one building, chunks of plaster were scattered, and doors, ripped from their hinges, lay across hallways.

People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies, said Yevhen Vasylenko, an emergency official.

Zelenskyy pronounced the attack on the square frank, undisguised terror and a war crime. This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation, he said.

In an emotional appeal to the European Parliament later, Zelenskyy said: We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are.

Another Russian airstrike hit a residential area in the city of Zhytomyr, the towns mayor said. Ukraines emergency services said Tuesdays strike killed at least two people, set three homes on fire and broke the windows in a nearby hospital. About 85 miles (140 kilometers) west of Kyiv, Zhytomyr is the home of the elite 95th Air Assault Brigade, which may have been the intended target.

Zelenskyy said 16 children had been killed around Ukraine on Monday, and he mocked Russias claim that it is going after only military targets.

Where are the children? What kind of military factories do they work at? What tanks are they going at? Zelenskyy said.

Human Rights Watch said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraines east in recent days. Residents also reported the use of such weapons in Kharkiv and Kiyanka village. The Kremlin denied using cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs shoot smaller bomblets over a large area, many of which fail to explode until long after theyve been dropped. If their use is confirmed, that would represent a new level of brutality in the war and could lead to further isolation of Russia.

The first talks between Russia and Ukraine since the invasion were held Monday, but ended with only an agreement to talk again. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Russia should stop bombing first.

As for dialogue, I think yes, but stop bombarding people first and start negotiating afterwards, he told CNN.

In his speech, Biden announced that the U.S. was joining several other countries in closing its airspace to Russian planes. He also warned the countrys oligarchs that the Department of Justice was assembling a task force to investigate any crimes they committed.

We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets, he said. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.

Biden trumpeted the toll global measures had taken on the Russian economy already, including a stock market plunge and currency devaluation.

Moscow made new threats of escalation, days after raising the specter of nuclear war. A top Kremlin official warned that the Wests economic war against Russia could turn into a real one.

Inside Russia, a top radio station critical of the Kremlin was taken off the air after authorities threatened to shut it down over its coverage of the invasion. Among other things, the Kremlin is not allowing the fighting to be referred to as an invasion or war.

Roughly 660,000 people have fled Ukraine, and countless others have taken shelter underground. Bomb damage has left hundreds of thousands of families without drinking water, U.N. humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said.

It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly. This cannot be explained with words, said Kharkiv resident Ekaterina Babenko, taking shelter in a basement with neighbors for a fifth straight day. We have small children, elderly people, and frankly speaking it is very frightening.

A Ukrainian military official said Belarusian troops joined the war Tuesday in the Chernihiv region in the north, without providing details. But just before that, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country had no plans to join the fight.

A senior U.S. defense official said that Russias military progress  including by the massive convoy  has slowed, plagued by logistical and supply problems. Some Russian military columns have run out of gas and food, the official said, and morale has suffered as a result.

Overall, the Russian military has been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to completely dominate Ukraines airspace.

The immense convoy, with vehicles packed together along narrow roads, would seemingly be a big fat target for Ukrainian forces, the senior Western intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.

But it also shows you that the Russians feel pretty comfortable being out in the open in these concentrations because they feel that theyre not going to come under air attack or rocket or missile attack, the official said.

___

Isachenkov and Litvinova reported from Moscow. Mstyslav Chernov in Mariupol, Ukraine; Sergei Grits in Odesa, Ukraine; Robert Burns, Zeke Miller and Eric Tucker in Washington; Francesca Ebel, Josef Federman and Andrew Drake in Kyiv; Lorne Cook in Brussels; and other AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report.

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Follow the APs coverage of the Ukraine crisis at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
WASHINGTON  A federal jury is scheduled to hear attorneys opening statements Wednesday for the first trial stemming from the riot at the U.S. Capitol last year.

Twelve jurors and four alternates were selected Tuesday for the trial of Guy Wesley Reffitt. The resident of Wylie, Texas, is charged with bringing a gun onto Capitol grounds and interfering with police officers who were guarding the building on Jan. 6, 2021. Reffitt also is charged with threatening his teenage children if they reported him to authorities.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich individually questioned dozens of prospective jurors on Monday and Tuesday. She disqualified several members of the jury pool who said they have strong opinions or emotions about the riot that would make it difficult for them to be impartial.

A man employed by the Architect of the Capitol was among those disqualified from serving as a juror. The man, who manages construction projects for the Library of Congress, said he knows one of the Capitol police officers who was assaulted during the Jan. 6 attack.

He also said it also was upsetting to see the damage to the Capitol, which has cost more than $1 million to repair.

You do get kind of emotionally invested in your work, he told the judge.

Reffitts trial could be a bellwether for many other Capitol riot cases. A conviction would give prosecutors more leverage in plea talks with others. An acquittal could inspire other defendants to either push for a more favorable plea deal or gamble a trial of their own.

More than 750 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot following then-President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal rally. Over 200 of them have pleaded guilty, more than 100 have been sentenced and at least 90 others have trial dates.

A prosecutor said a Capitol police officer will be the first government witness at Reffitts trial after opening statements. The trial is expected to stretch into next week.

Reffitt is a member of a militia-style group called the Texas Three Percenters, according to prosecutors. The Three Percenters militia movement refers to the myth that only 3% of Americans fought in the Revolutionary War against the British.

Reffitt was armed with a holstered handgun and wearing body armor when he and others charged at police officers on the west side of the Capitol, according to prosecutors. Reffitt retreated only after an officer pepper sprayed him in the face, prosecutors said.

Defense attorney William Welch has said there is no evidence that Reffitt damaged property, used force or physically harmed anybody.

Reffitt faces five counts: obstruction of an official proceeding, being unlawfully present on Capitol grounds while armed with a firearm, transporting firearms during a civil disorder, interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, and obstruction of justice.

The obstructing justice charge stems from threats that he allegedly made against his son, then 18, and daughter, then 16. Reffett told his children to choose a side or die and said they would be traitors if they reported him to law enforcement, prosecutors said.
NEW YORK  Until a year ago, Stephana Ferrells political activism was limited to the occasional letter to elected officials.

Then came her local school board meeting in Orange County, Florida and an objection raised to Maia Kobabes graphic novel Gender Queer: A Memoir. And the countys decision last fall to remove it from high school shelves.

By winter break, we realized this was happening all over the state and needed to start a project to rally parents to protect access to information and ideas in school, says Ferrell, a mother of two. Along with fellow Orange County parent Jen Cousins, she founded the Florida Freedom to Read Project, which works with existing parent groups statewide on a range of educational issues, including efforts to keep or get back books that have gone under challenge or have been banned.

Over the past year, book challenges and bans have reached levels not seen in decades, according to officials at the American Library Association, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and other advocates for free expression. Censorship efforts have ranged from local communities such as Orange County and a Tennessee school boards pulling Art Spiegelmans graphic novel Maus, to statewide initiatives.

There are some books with pornography and pedophilia that should absolutely be removed from K through 12 school libraries, says Yael Levin, a spokeswoman for No Left Turn in Education, a national group opposed to what it calls a Leftist agenda for public schools that has called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the availability of Gender Queer among other books. Now were not talking about a public library or bookstores. Were talking about K through 12 school libraries, books that are just pornographic and with pedophilic content.

According to PEN America, which has been tracking legislation around the country, dozens of bills have been proposed that restrict classroom reading and discussion. Virtually all of the laws focus on sexuality, gender identity or race. In Missouri, a bill would ban teachers from using the 1619 Project, the New York Times magazine issue which centers around slavery in American history and was released last fall as a book.

The responses have come from organizations large and small, and sometimes from individuals such as Ferrell.

The American Civil Liberties Union, PEN America and the NCAC have been working with local activists, educators and families around the country, helping them to prepare for meetings, to draft letters and to mobilize opposition, according to PEN Americas executive director, Suzanne Nossel. The CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, has said he will personally donate $500,000 for a book defense fund to be run in partnership with PEN. Hachette Book Group has announced emergency donations to PEN, the NCAC and the Authors Guild.

Legal action has been one strategy. In Missouri, the ACLU filed suit in federal court in mid-February to prevent the Wentzville school district from removing such books as Gender Queer, Nobel laureate Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye and Keise Laymons memoir Heavy. The civil liberties union has also filed open records requests in Tennessee and Montana over book bans, and a warning letter in Mississippi against what it described as the unconstitutionality of public library book bans.

Vera Eidelman, staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, cited the U.S. Supreme Courts 1982 ruling declaring that local school boards may not remove books from school library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books. The tricky area, Eidelman acknowledged, is that schools officials are allowed to ban books for reasons other than not approving of the viewpoints the books express. Officials might determine, for instance, that the book is too profane or vulgar.

The problem is just that often our definitions, for example, of vulgarity or age appropriateness, are for lack of a better word, mushy, and they can also hide or be used as pretext for viewpoint-based decisions by the government, she said.

Two anti-banning initiatives were launched in Pennsylvania. In Kutztown, eighth grader Joslyn Diffenbaugh formed a banned book club last fall that began with a reading of George Orwells Animal Farm. The Pennridge Improvement Project has started a drive to purchase books that have been removed from schools, including Leslea Newmans Heather has Two Mommies and Kim Johnsons This is My America, and place them in small free libraries around the district.

The wave of bans has led to new organizations and to a change of focus for existing groups. Katie Paris, an Ohio resident and the founder of Red, Wine & Blue, a national network of politically engaged PTA mamas and digital divas founded in 2019, said that last year she began receiving calls from members begging for help as debates over critical race theory erupted.

Red, Wine & Blue started online sessions it calls Trouble Maker Training, which includes such guidance as Present a calm face to counter the yelling and shouting and Own individual freedom: You can decide what is right for your child, but you dont get to dictate whats right for other families. Red, Wine & Blue also launched a website that tracks book bans, raised about $65,000 to organize against bans and is organizing an event in March featuring authors of banned books and parents from communities where books are being challenged.

We think education works best when its parents and teachers working together, says Paris, the mother of 7- and 3-year old boys. And if you dont want your child to have access to a book, then opt them out. Thats fine. You just dont want to just take that opportunity away from my kids.

Trying to get a book restored is often like other kinds of community activism  letter writing, speeches, attending meetings.

Meenal McNary is a member of the Round Rock Black Parents Association, based about 20 miles from Austin, Texas. The association was founded in 2015 after a Black teenager was slammed to the ground by a police officer, but more recently became active in diversifying the curriculum and fighting efforts to remove books. Last year, a parents objection led to Round Rock school district officials considering whether Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, should be taken off middle school reading lists.

We worked with a middle school teacher who started a petition, and that gained a lot of traction, with more than a 1,000 signatures, McNary says. The district followed a three-step review process  culminating with a school board vote  during which McNary and others helped organize people into writing letters, turning up for board meetings and telling others about the petition.

We had children speaking up in favor of this book, even though it was traumatic for some of them to read, McNary says. We had everyone from middle school students to grandmothers and grandfathers stating their reasons why this should remain on the shelves. The board ended up voting in our favor and the book is still there.

___

Hollingsworth reported from Mission, Kansas.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed that a Game Commission rule that allows landowners to restrict access to water that flowed through private property is unconstitutional.

The ruling in the stream access case represents a victory for kayaking and fishing groups seeking to preserve public access to the states waterways, and a defeat for landowners who saw the rule as key to protecting private property rights.

Chief Justice Michael Vigil said the court unanimously agreed that the rule is contrary to a constitutional reading of a 2015 state law.

The previous state Game Commission used that law to issue five non-navigable water certificates to landowners  some of whom posted signs and built fences through the waterways.

The court will order an issuance of order declaring that the certificates issued pursuant to the rule are void, Vigil said.

Those certificates are on the Rio Chama, Pecos River, Mimbres River in Grant County, Alamosa Creek in Socorro County and Rio Penasco in Chaves County.

Justices reached a unanimous decision after 15 minutes of deliberation and an hour of oral arguments from attorneys.

Seth Cohen, an attorney for the Adobe Whitewater Club and other groups that sought to overturn the rule, said the publics constitutional right to make recreational use of the public water includes an incidental right to touch streambeds or riverbanks.

It is nearly impossible for most stretches of most rivers in New Mexico for the public to enjoy that public use right guaranteed in the constitution with the rule in effect, Cohen said.

A spokesperson for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the ruling provides needed clarity on issues of stream access.

We are glad to see the resolution of this case, Nora Meyers Sackett said.

Several ranchers and landowner groups had argued that the rule should stand as a way to prevent trespass and preserve sensitive streambeds.

This isnt limited just to fly-fishing, landowner attorney Jeremy Harrison said. The right that the petitioners are seeking is a broad recreational right.

The Western Landowners Alliance said that the rule had provided clarity as to what authority landowners and law enforcement had to protect specific stream segments.

Without that clarity, the organization said, disputes and conflicts will undoubtedly continue.

The coalition said landowners have helped to restore fish populations and protect streams on their property from overuse.

As a result of development, recreation and intensive agriculture, we continue to lose wildlife habitat and wildlife species at an alarming rate, WLA said in a statement. Yet people continue to demand more and more access to places where wildlife have traditionally sought refuge, including on private land.

Justice Shannon Bacon took issue with landowner arguments about limits to the publics right to use water.

If you cant walk on the streambed, and your use and enjoyment protected by the constitution is  your ability to fly fish  unless you can figure out how we can all walk on water, how is that not contrary to the use and enjoyment of the public? Bacon said.

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich called the decision a pretty exciting day in New Mexico history.

Heinrich and former Sen. Tom Udall had filed a friend of the court brief advocating for the court to strike down the rule.

This is a huge victory for people who care about our history and our culture and our natural resources, Heinrich said. I want to thank everyone who made this possible to make sure that public waters stay in public hands.

The outgoing state Game Commission in 2017 and 2018 crafted the process for non-navigable water certifications and approved five permits that will now be invalidated.

But commission attorney Aaron Wolf told the court that the current board had no intention of using the rule, as the panel demonstrated last summer when it rejected five additional landowner applications for non-navigable waterway certificates.

Landowners had secured a federal court order that forced the commission to make a decision on the applications, even though the panel had raised concerns about if the rule was constitutional.

This whole process has exploded in the face of the commissioners, Wolf said of the panels recent resignations and removals because of the stream access debate.

When Justice Bacon asked if the issue is one of great public importance, Wolf said its a matter of balancing the publics right to these waters versus private ownership of land.

I think private ownership of land that covers waterways is increasing dramatically in New Mexico, he said. Many out-of-state people are buying up large parcels of property.

Vigil said the court will issue an opinion outlining full reasoning for the ruling.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
DENVER  Former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens has resigned from his position as chairman of the supervisory board of one of Russias largest banks, Credit Bank of Moscow, an institution that is investor-owned.

The Colorado Sun reports Tuesday that Owens decided to resign after Russia invaded Ukraine last week and informed his colleagues on the board before formally giving notice on Sunday. Credit Bank of Moscow is not state-owned but is among 13 Russian financial institutions barred by the Biden administration from issuing shares and debt in the U.S.

Russian state-owned financial institutions have been slapped with more severe sanctions.

Owens was the last Republican to be governor in Colorado, serving from 1999 to 2007. He joined the banks supervisory board in 2012 and was chairman since 2013.

Ukraine is a free and independent nation which was brutally attacked in an unprovoked way by Russia, Owens told the Sun. I believe the U.S. and our allies should stand for Ukraine, as they stand for us all.
Instagram Celebrity

In a new social media post, the WWE Hall of Famer announces that he has a new girlfriend named Sky and confirms that he's 'officially divorced' from his second wife.

Mar 1, 2022

AceShowbiz - Hulk Hogan makes it clear that he's already moved on. Taking to social media, the former professional wrestler announces that he has a new girlfriend after he's "officially divorced" from his second wife Jennifer McDaniel.

On Monday, February 28, the 68-year-old former pro wrestler confirmed that he's no longer in the ring with his wife of 11 years as saying, "Yo Maniacs just for the record, the Facebook and Instagram posts are of me and my girlfriend, Sky, I am officially divorced." He went on to add, "Sorry I thought everyone already knew, love my Maniacs4Life."

Hulk Hogan announced his divorce from his wife of 11 years, Jennifer McDaniel, and revealed that he has a new girlfriend named Sky.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Hulk, whose real name is Terry Eugene Bollea, and his ex-wife filed for divorce in October 2021. Their split was finalized that same year.

Prior to the announcement, some of Hulk's fans had spotted him out with a woman near his home in Clearwater, Florida. At one point, the pair were spotted at bars and doing karaoke. Aside from their sighting, he shared a video to his Facebook account of himself and a woman, who appeared to be Sky, watching another woman's performance at a bar. In another clip he shared on Instagram, he introduced Sky as "his girl" to the Poison frontman Bret Michaels.

As for Hulk and Jennifer, they began dating in 2008. The exes got engaged in November of the following year before tying the knot in December 2010 in Clearwater. Hulk was previously married to Linda Claridge from 1983 until she filed for divorce in 2007. At the time, Hulk was accused by Linda of having engaged in several affairs, though he adamantly denied any infidelity.

However, in 2012, during his marriage to Jennifer, Hulk was caught on tape having sex with Heather Clem, the estranged wife of the radio host Bubba the Love Sponge. The tape was filmed by Bubba and was eventually posted online by celebrity gossip site Gawker.

Shortly after, Hulk sued the radio host and Jennifer for invasion of privacy and later reached a settlement. He subsequently sued Gawker for $100 million, alleging that Gawker defamed him, invaded his privacy and caused him emotional pain. The publication eventually reached a $31 million settlement with him.
Celebrity

The 'Power of the Dog' actor calls for people to act instead of just having thoughts and prayers, saying, 'This is no longer a time for avarice or sloth or inactiveness or ineptitude.'

Mar 1, 2022

AceShowbiz - Benedict Cumberbatch is making use of his platform to raise awareness about the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Showing his support for the people of Ukraine, the actor condemned the "idiocy" of Russian government for launching the attack during his Walk of Fame speech.

"I can't speak today at this amazing moment in my life, on this extraordinary platform, without acknowledging the obvious of what's happening in the Ukraine," he said when accepting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, February 28, "and to show my support for the people of Ukraine, my support for the people of Russia who are opposing the Kleptocracy and the idiocy of their rulers to try and halt the progression of this atrocity."

The British actor called for people to act instead of just having thoughts and prayers. "But it's more now for all of us to do than just have thoughts and prayers," he urged. "We need to act, we need to go on to embassy websites, we need to see what we can do as citizens of the world, citizens of Europe and people who want a better place and a better outcome for this horrendous moment for these people with children, with families who are struggling to survive as rockets rain down on their cities."

The 45-year-old went on making his plea, "We can't stand back anymore. This is no longer a time for avarice or sloth or inactiveness or ineptitude. We need to act, and there are things you can do. You can support organizations. You can support those who help refugees on the ground. You can support human rights organizations. You can pressure your politicians, your bank, your industries to recognize anything that you can do to help. It is possible, so I urge people to do that on this day."

Earlier in his speech, Benedict paid tribute to his late sister Tracy, who passed away last year. "I want to mention my sister who we lost last year," he said. "She would have loved this. She was unbelievably loyal, supportive, and she would have loved the glitz and the oddness and the glamour. She would have just been laughing nonstop all the way through, and probably crying."

The "Sherlock" star continued, "I hope somewhere up there, where the real stars shine, you're looking down on this moment now. I'm sure you are. We miss you so much. You remain such a good and wonderful person to have had in our lives."

Benedict was feted by Kevin Feige and J. J. Abrams at the ceremony. He was joined by his wife Sophie Hunter at the event, which was attended by his "The Power of the Dog" co-star Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Instagram Music

Following the footsteps of AJR and Green Day, more musicians are canceling their upcoming performances in Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine.

Mar 1, 2022

AceShowbiz - More musicians are canceling their shows in Russia following the country's attack on Ukraine. Aside from Green Day and AJR, Yungblud, Louis Tomlinson, The Killers and HEALTH have pulled out of their scheduled performance.

In a statement he posted on his social media platforms on Monday, February 28, the "11 Minutes" hitmaker admitted to feeling "heartbroken." He wrote, "I'm heartbroken to announce I will be cancelling my Russian shows scheduled for this summer."

"Heartbroken because I know the vicious and brutal acts of the Russian regime in Ukraine over the past week do not reflect the attitudes and ideals of the beautiful people who I have met in Russia in the past," Yungblud continued. "To the people of Ukraine, a country I've spent time in and have dear friends in, my heart is with you - you've already shown such strength and determination, resisting this needless invasion."

"Everyone deserves to be the creator of their own destiny, rather than having it forced upon them by acts of war and aggression," added the 24-year-old artist. He then concluded his note as saying, "Ukraine, I promise I'll come back as soon as I can. My heart is with you, always."

Yungblud announced that he's canceling his upcoming shows in Russia amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Also canceling his upcoming performance in Russia was Louis. On Monday, the "Two of Us" crooner released a statement that read, "Due to the recent events in Ukraine, I have to sadly announce that my tour shows in Moscow and Kyiv are cancelled until further notice." The former One Direction member explained, "The safety of my fans is my priority and my thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine and all those suffering from this needless war."

In the meantime, a representative for The Killers told TMZ that the band "will no longer be playing in the 'Park Live Festival'." The group was initially scheduled to play at the event in July in Moscow. This year's lineup includes performances by My Chemical Romance, Sum 41, Gorillaz, Deftones, Iggy Pop, Five Finger Death Punch, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit.

HEALTH also showed some support to the Ukrainian people by canceling their upcoming Russian gig. "Though we do not wish to penalize our fans for governmental decisions that are beyond their control, given the current state of affairs we will no longer be performing our previously scheduled shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow," read the post. The note further added, "Our thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine."

This came after Green Day and AJR announced their upcoming shows in Russia due to the country's invasion of Ukraine. Realizing that "this moment is not about stadium rock shows," Green Day, who was set to perform on May 29 ahead of their European tour in June, decided to cancel their stadium tour in Moscow.

"With heavy hearts, in light of current events we feel it is necessary to cancel our upcomingshow in Moscow at Spartak Stadium," the band announced. "We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it's much bigger than that."

The statement posted on their official account added, "But we also know that rock and roll is forever and we feel confident there will be a time and a place for us to return in the future." The note also stated that refunds are available at the point of purchase.

As for AJR, the trio wrote, "We are sad to announce that we will be cancelling our upcoming show in Russia." They then showed their gratitude for their Russian fans, "Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country's unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine," before noting that "the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info."
Instagram Celebrity

The actor, along with a woman named Mirela Todorova, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances resulting in death and one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.

Mar 1, 2022

AceShowbiz - Aspiring actor Kather Sei had a run-in with the law. The actor, who starred on "Lucifer", has been charged for allegedly delivering drugs that killed Bed Head founders Bruno Mascolo and Kyara Mascolo's son, Ray Mascolo.

The actor, who also appeared on "S.W.A.T.", was arrested on Saturday, February 27 and was arraigned Monday, per a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, which stated that he was officially charged in a grand jury indictment on February 24. "The indictment alleges that Sei delivered fentanyl-laced pills that led to the death of a Beverly Hills man in late 2020," the release read.

The authorities alleged that the 36-year-old artist worked with a woman who ran a drug delivery service. The female had been identified as Mirela Todorova, also known by her street name "Mimi."

According to the federal grand jury indictment, Kather and Mirela were charged with "one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances resulting in death." They're also charged with another count of "distribution of fentanyl resulting in death."

In the report, law enforcement alleged that Mirela sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl that led to the 2020 opioid overdose of Bed Head hair care founders Bruno and Kyara's 37-year-old son, Ray. They also believed that Kather delivered the fatal pills.

Ray, who was named in Mirela's phone as "Ray Client Rich Kid," contacted Mirela for oxycodone pills on November 15 and 16, 2020, according to the report. The release further stated, "[Kather] allegedly delivered pills laced with fentanyl that caused the man's fatal overdose in his Beverly Hills home."

Ahead of Ray's death, Mirela and Kather's customers addressed concerns about the pills they were providing. One of the buyers told Mirela via text, "Yo mimi the oxys are dirty," according to the release.

Kather, who once starred on "The Blacklist", reportedly delivered the pills to Ray's Beverly Hills, California address. The indictment alleged that Kather placed a call to Mirela using a phone provided by Mirela. According to the Los Angeles Times, Ray's body was discovered in his kitchen by a maintenance worker who was led to the location by his Chihuahua puppy, Versace.

As for now, Kather and Mirela are being held without bail. According to the Justice Department, the aspiring actor and Mirela face a minimum of 20 years behind bars and a maximum sentence to life in prison.
Instagram Celebrity

The subject of the Netflix true-crime documentary is being sued for millions of dollars as he 'stole' Lev Leviev's family identity and 'tried to exploit' the family's good name to con his victims.

Mar 1, 2022

AceShowbiz - The man who was investigated in Netflix's true-crime documentary "The Tinder Swindler" has been slapped with millions worth of lawsuit filed by the real Leviev diamond family to which he allegedly pretended to belong. The subject of the doc, Shimon Hayut, is being sued for impersonating them and unjustly enriching himself using their last name.

Israeli Russian diamond tycoon Lev Leviev and his family, including daughter Chagit Leviev, the CEO of Leviev Group U.S.A., filed the court documents against Shimon on Monday, February 28. In the lawsuit, Guy Ophir, the lawyer for the diamond mogul, accused Shimon of defrauding, cheating, conning, falsifying as well as hurting women, men and businesses both in Israel and worldwide.

"For a long time, he [Shimon] has been making false representations as being the son of Lev Leviev and receiving numerous benefits (including material ones), cunningly and using false words, claiming to be a member of the Leviev Family, and that his family will pay and bear the costs of his benefits," read the petition. "He even used the LLD Diamonds trademark to make his victims believe that he was indeed part of the diamond company (it's CEO no less, per his signature) and was a member of the Leviev Family."

The lawsuit further stated that Shimon used Tinder to emotionally manipulate his victims. "The defendant used the dating application 'Tinder' to locate women who he then emotionally manipulated, cunningly bamboozled of funds, and eventually convinced to transfer large sums of money to him under the guise of being on the run from individuals intending on hurting him," read the paperwork.

In his statement, attorney Guy vowed that more legal action may be forthcoming. "This legal action is only the beginning of a number of lawsuits that my firm is currently working on," he insisted. "In the next [phase] we will file a monetary suit against [Shimon] and any other affiliate that will work with him, including some websites that have Joint ventures with [Shimon] and/or have offered to buy cameos from him. Anyone that will try to capitalize from this scheme will be sued."

In a separate statement, Lev's daughter Chagit dubbed Shimon a "fraud who stole [her] family's identity and has tried to exploit [her family's] good name to con victims out of millions of dollars." She further stressed, "He has no relation to the Leviev family and has no affiliation with our company LLD Diamonds."

"I am relieved that his real identity and actions have been globally exposed, and hopefully this will bring an end to his unscrupulous actions," Chagit noted. "The lawsuit we filed today is just the first step out of many we will be taking to have him face justice and get the sentence he deserves."

"The Tinder Swindler", which premiered on February 2, featured interviews with multiple women who claimed that they were scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by Shimon. He pretended to be the son of Lev and lured women in with luxurious first dates.

Under his false identity, he would charm women and persuade them to loan him money, swindling an estimated $10 million from people across the globe. Though he was convicted of fraud, theft as well as forgery and sentenced to 15 months in prison in December 2019, he was released early only five months later.
Instagram/WENN Celebrity

The 'Joe Rogan Experience' host previously came under fire after he shared a screenshot of an alleged CNN article that stated the actor was with Russian special forces near Kyiv in Ukraine.

Mar 1, 2022

AceShowbiz - Joe Rogan has offered a mea culpa for his recent social media post. Having come under fire for sharing fake news about Steven Seagal joining Russian forces, "The Joe Rogan Experience" host admitted that it was only a "parody."

Making use of Instagram, the 54-year-old uploaded an article about Seagal being banned from Ukraine due to his bromance with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the caption, the podcaster wrote, "I deleted my earlier post about Steven Seagal being in Ukraine because it was parody, which isn't surprising."

"But honestly it wouldn't be surprising if it was true either," the UFC color commentator added. "He was banned from Ukraine in 2017 because he was labeled as a national security threat. I, like all of you, hope the tragic situation is resolved there quickly."

Rogan previously came under fire for posting a screenshot of an alleged CNN article on Instagram. It read, "Intelligence agencies around the world have spotted American actor Steven Seagal among Russian special forces positioned around the outskirts of Gostomel airfiield near Kyiv captured by Russian airborne troops."

Many have since called out Rogan on Twitter after they found out that the photo of Seagal was taken from his movie, "Cartels". The comedian himself recently drew backlash over his podcast and N-word controversy.

As for Seagal, he has made it clear that he considers both Russia and Ukraine "as one family." Speaking about the war between the two countries, the veteran action man told Fox News on Monday, February 28, "Most of us have friends and family in Russia & Ukraine."

"I look at both as one family and really believe it is an outside entity spending huge sums of money on propaganda to provoke the two countries to be at odds with each other," he added. "My prayers are that both countries will come to a positive, peaceful resolution where we can live & thrive together in peace."
WENN Celebrity

The two-time Academy Awards winner, who has condemned Russia's 'brutal' attack against Ukraine, reveals that he escapes Ukraine along with his two colleagues.

Mar 1, 2022

AceShowbiz - Sean Penn is making his way to get out of Ukraine. The "Milk" actor, who has been in the country to film a documentary about Russia's invasion, informed his fans that he has walked miles to the Polish border.

Making use of Twitter on Monday, February 28, the 61-year-old posted a photo of him dragging a taped-up suitcase. "Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road," he first revealed.

"Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only," the two-time Academy Awards winner further explained. "Most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value."

Penn has condemned Russia's "brutal" attack against Ukraine. In a statement shared on Twitter, he argued, "Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and If he doesn't relent, I believe [Russian President Vladimir Putin] will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind."

"President [Volodymyr Zelenskyy] and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle," he continued. "Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost."

On the same day Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, Penn was photographed at a news conference held at the Presidential Office in Kyiv. At the conference, he spoke with deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk, local journalists and members of the Ukrainian military.

Penn's "courage" to visit Ukraine amid the conflict has been applauded by Zelenskyy. A translated statement shared on the latter's Facebook page read, "American actor and film director, Oscar winner Sean Penn arrived in Ukraine. The director came to Kyiv specifically to record all the events taking place in Ukraine as a documentary filmmaker and to tell the world the truth about Russia's invasion of our country."

"Today, Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine," it continued. "Our country is grateful to him for such a display of courage and honesty. This morning, the director visited the Office of the President and attended a press briefing by Iryna Vereshchuk, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the Head of State and Vice Prime Minister - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. He talked to journalists, to our military, saw how we defend our country."
WENN/Avalon Celebrity

While it remains unclear whether the 95-year-old monarch still tests positive for coronavirus, it is unveiled that she already met up with Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three kids over the weekend.

Mar 2, 2022

AceShowbiz - Queen Elizabeth II is on the mend. More than a week after it was announced that she tested positive for COVID-19, the Queen reportedly is recovering. It was also unveiled that she had already returned to work.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen held virtual sessions with the ambassadors of Chad and Andorra on Tuesday, March 1. On Sunday, she met up with her grandson Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton and their three kids in the winter sunshine at Frogmore House on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

It looks like the Queen is already in a good condition since she managed to have virtual meetings after canceling some last week due to her ongoing symptoms. However, during her recovery, the Queen was able to hold a weekly audience by telephone with the U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The Queen's COVID-19 status remains to be seen. The palace itself has declined to comment on the 95-year-old monarch's health, citing her right to privacy.

The palace announced Her Majesty's COVID diagnosis via a statement on February 20. "Buckingham Palace confirm that The Queen has today tested positive for Covid," the statement read. "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 statement concluded.

In the meantime, a source revealed to CNN that there were other people who also contracted the virus. "A number of cases have been diagnosed in the Windsor Castle team," the source claimed.

It has been widely reported that the Queen is fully vaccinated and her diagnosis came after her son, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla also tested positive for coronavirus. As for the couple, they are also fully vaccinated and even have received their booster shots.
Parcos, a leading luxury beauty retailer, has launched the Parcos Beauty Influencer Awards 2022 to honour influencers who, via their innovative content, get up close and personal with customers and have a significant impact on their beauty, luxury, and lifestyle habits. Parcos has always worked closely with Indian influencers to foster international collaborations, and as part of the Baccarose alliance, it now features brands like the Shiseido Group, L'Oreal, Puig, Coty, InterParfums, and many more. Parcos foresight will help to develop talent, give a platform to Indias growing community of beauty and lifestyle influencers, and expose them to worldwide brands within the Parcos family.

In conversation with Adgully,, sheds more light on the Parcos Beauty Influencer Awards 2022, the evolution of influencer marketing in India, increasingly engaging with influencers and creating the right connect between the brands and consumers and more.

How have brands worked their way up via influencer marketing?

The Indian influencer marketing industry is estimated to reach a value of Rs 900 crore by the end of 2021, according to GroupM INCAs India Influencer Marketing Report. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25% till 2025 to reach a size of Rs 2,200 crore. As per the report, personal care (25%), F&B (20%), fashion and jewelry (15%) and mobile and electronics 10% are the top four categories that contribute to 70% volume of influencer marketing. Besides, celebrities account for 27% of influencer marketing spends, while influencers account for 73%, which clearly shows the strength of influencers today. Nearly two-thirds of the Indian population follows an influencer, especially during the pandemic, which has accelerated the adoption of influencer marketing by brands, thus making it an integral part of their marketing strategy and an important part of media.

With the influx of social and digital media in consumer lives, engagement in product-led conversions, discovering the benefits and authenticity, usability has made marketers more conscious about various modes of promotion. With targeted marketing, we have arrived at a point in this digital world, where marketing or an influencing of a purchase decision has become a way of life. With the proliferation of social media, and the democratisation of online publishing, the role of word-of-mouth has rapidly expanded into a new tool for marketers- something that has the structure of publishing and traditional advertising (and sometimes the cost), but can have much more impact in swaying opinions or converting into purchase. What influencers do, as third-party endorsers, is showcase actual usage and thus, make it more believable than an advertisement whether print or digital or TV. It allows the brand to connect with the influencer attributes that matches the brand truth or promise and thus, helps the communication marry the two for a better outcome than mere traditional marketing. Basis the influencers follower pattern, deploying their distinctive approach to the communication converts to product usage, performance advocacy and driving positive word of mouth. The returns in influencer marketing investment are almost double the investment with better quality acquisition, thus leading to its manifold popularity.

Brands have worked their way up to legitimise every expense by reaching out to the correct target audience, from celebrity endorsements to micro-influencers across various channels especially redefining luxury, beauty, and personal grooming category. Influencer marketing was earlier limited to television, radio, and newspaper commercials, with little regard for the end consumer, but the trend today has shifted dramatically towards achieving the same with minimal cost and maximum reach. The legal modalities have also been pre-determined, thus making it a plausible way to deliver results and also fine tune it through brand advertisement and promotion.

How was 2021 as a year of growth for the influencer marketing industry?

During the second and third waves of the pandemic, brands had no other option but to utilise Virtual Selling platforms, wherein influencer marketing featured in this marketing mix more than before. Therefore, we have seen brands heavily investing in influencer marketing campaigns to capture a huge market by exploring new and better creative boundaries with over-the-top, glamorous, humorous, and top-of-mind kind of campaigns. Not only did brands increase awareness and visibility of their products through such campaigns, but they also created the possibility of developing new key relationships, that is, between the Brand, the Customer, and the Influencers. This meant harmonious and trustworthy bonds leading to honest selling and recommendations. Newer updates and opportunities kept the buzz and momentum of online marketing alive. Some key factors which helped are:

Short format content: With visually rich image content, short and long-form video content that includes reels, live sessions, and stories, the followers experienced similar content and product promotion, time and again by the influencer, which leads the audience to believe that the products and services have genuine reviews, which in turn translates into creating a demand for the products that influencers are using. This helped brands to capture a market through what we term as virtual word-of-mouth publicity as an outcome of trust.

Micro-influencers: Nano and Micro-influencers have been key drivers of influencer marketing campaigns, creating an impact for brands who want to involve them for most of their campaigns. Although these influencers have a lower follower base, many brands are now looking out for engagement and relatability, which is easy to receive from these kinds of influencers. Additionally, they dont charge as much, thus making it a win-win for both!

Guidelines: After influencer marketing gained huge momentum, the government took notice of it and new guidelines were issued for the smooth running of the sector, thereby providing transparency within the ecosystem. ASCI introduced guidelines that ensure that the influencer-produced content is transparent and authentic. This further helped the influencers gain the trust of the followers and be in their eyes as they have also realised that this marketplace is here to stay and if they need to survive as well, it is only right that they speak their hearts out, be consistent with what they are recommending and stick to it.

The year 2022 will only witness further growth in the influencer marketing industry with massive technological upgrades, which will revamp the way we consume content on social media platforms, thus making marketing more consumer-centric.

As per Influencer Marketing Report of 2021, there has been a 54% increase from influencers in Tier 2 and 3 cities and beauty, fashion and lifestyle continue to rule the roost. Another thing which came up is that influencers prefer long-term relationships over short-term projects. This is a win-win for both parties as long-term collaboration with specific influencers establishes brand credibility and go a long way in building trust and thus usability.

What factors should one look at when choosing the right influencers?

Overall reach of the influencer within the category, the Instagram engagement, video views and reach across social channels. Also, the content connects with the brand style and product type.

There are different types of influencers basis category specialisation. Each influencer has a follower base and basis the quantum they are bucketed into nano, micro, and macro celebrity. The content type trust and ability to drive audiences with their meaningful advocacy is the true measure of an influencer. Affiliate marketing also engages and involves influencers to help their audience set to make purchases with promo offers.

Style tonality and approach to make content appear seamless and organic are the distinct markers of a good influencer.

How is the Parcos Beauty Influencers Award different from other award ceremonies?

Keeping in mind the larger brand goals and customer connects, Parcos has announced Parcos Beauty Influencer Awards 2022 where the winners of the event will be inducted into the Hall of Fame and be associated with Parcos for a year-long partnership. This association will include masterclasses, workshops, and mentorship programs. They will also receive media coverage, which would include a campaign where winners will feature in a leading magazine. It chooses to recognise 23 winners from across influencer categories, whether popular or upcoming, and more in the world of beauty and lifestyle.

How does Parcos plan to leverage the winners in the coming year? Whats in it for the winners?

Parcos wants to leverage these extended brand partners to spread more effective messaging to targeted consumers. The connect and engagement can be measured well. We wanted to create a pyramid of influencers which would be relevant and effective for our category and what best way to do it by inviting talent in the industry to associate with us. Basis performance and a rigorous screening with stringent criteria, we are adjudging the best in class winners. The aim is to establish the right partner program with consistent product launches, reviews, sampling trials, annual contractual agreement, and product goodies besides the international trip for the top performers.

Meanwhile, commenting on what these kinds of events bring to the table,said, Influencer marketing is growing very rapidly in India and I see that trend continuing over the next few years. I hope awards platforms such as these will recognise the genuine influencers and separate them from the fraud ones.
Facebook and Instagram have taken down a network run by people in Russia and Ukraine targeting Ukraine for violating the Meta policy against coordinated inauthentic behavior.

Facebooks parent company Meta has informed that the network ran websites posing as independent news entities and created fake personas across social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Telegram, and also Russian Odnoklassniki and VK.

In the past few days, weve seen increased targeting of people in Ukraine, including Ukrainian military and public figures by Ghostwriter, a threat actor that has been tracked for some time by the security community. We continue to roll out privacy and security measures to help people in Ukraine and Russia protect their accounts from being targeted, said Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Security Policy, and David Agranovich, Director, Threat Disruption, at Meta.

In response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, our teams have been on high alert to identify emerging threats and respond as quickly as we can. Here are a few updates on our security work, they said in a blog post.

In the last 48 hours, Meta uncovered a relatively small network of about 40 accounts, pages and groups on Facebook and Instagram. They were operated from Russia and Ukraine and targeted people in Ukraine across multiple social media platforms and through their own websites. We took down this operation, blocked their domains from being shared on our platform, and shared information with other tech platforms, researchers and governments. When we disrupted this network on our platform, it had fewer than 4,000 Facebook accounts following one of more of its pages and fewer than 500 accounts following one or more of its Instagram accounts, informed Meta.

This network, said Nathaniel and David, used fake accounts and operated fictitious personas and brands across the internet  including on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Telegram, Odnoklassniki and VK  to appear more authentic in an apparent attempt to withstand scrutiny by platforms and researchers. These fictitious personas used profile pictures likely generated using artificial intelligence techniques like generative adversarial networks (GAN). They claimed to be based in Kyiv and posed as news editors, a former aviation engineer, and an author of a scientific publication on hydrography  the science of mapping water. This operation ran a handful of websites masquerading as independent news outlets, publishing claims about the West betraying Ukraine and Ukraine being a failed state, they said.

They said that their investigation is ongoing, and so far they have found links between this network and another operation they removed in April 2020, which was then connected to individuals in Russia, the Donbass region in Ukraine, and two media organisations in Crimea  NewsFront and SouthFront, now sanctioned by the US government.

Meta officials informed that Ghostwriter typically targets people through email compromise and then uses that to gain access to their social media accounts and post disinformation as if its coming from the legitimate account owners.

We detected attempts to target people on Facebook to post YouTube videos portraying Ukrainian troops as weak and surrendering to Russia, including one video claiming to show Ukrainian soldiers coming out of a forest while flying a white flag of surrender. Weve taken steps to secure accounts that we believe were targeted by this threat actor and, when we can, to alert the users that they had been targeted. We also blocked phishing domains these hackers used to try to trick people in Ukraine into compromising their online accounts, said Meta in the blog post.

Account Security

Meta has advised the people in Ukraine and Russia to take steps to strengthen the security of their online accounts to protect themselves from being targeted by threat actors.

We encourage people to use caution when accepting friend requests and opening links and files from people they dont know. Please refrain from reusing the same passwords across different services to prevent malicious hackers from gaining access to your information. We also strongly recommend using two-factor authentication on all online accounts, said the company.

Earlier this week, Meta rolled out additional privacy and security protections in Ukraine. The company is now adding them in Russia as well, in response to public reports of targeting of civil society and protesters.
Wieden+Kennedy announced today that they have hired Santosh Paddy Padhi, as Chief Creative Officer for India.

The hire also means an expansion for the independent creative agency into Mumbai, where Paddy will build out the shops second India location. Wieden+Kennedy has been established in Delhi since 2007, over the years building some of Indias most exciting brands including IndiGo Airlines, Royal Enfield, and the government of India.

Some of the offices greatest hits over the years include Nike Da Da Ding, an initiative to bring in foreign investment into manufacturing called Make in India, 15 years of branding and design for IndiGo Airlines, and more recently, Thats Why I Airbnb, for Airbnb, Light up new beginnings, for OPPO, and Gamerkind, Humankind needs you, for HP Omen. In 2021, W+K Delhi had their best new business year in five years, adding business from ABinBev, Delhivery, Hero Motorcorp, OPPO, PokerBaazi and Visa.

Padhi commented: W+K have always raised the creative product of our industry for the last 3-4 decades, they were one of my inspirations when Taproot was set up. I have always believed creativity is the core of our businessW+K has proven that consistently with fearless creative work on a variety of brands.

I'm very excited, its a great opportunity for me to take this vibrant legacy brand forward and build the next chapter of creative excellence out of India. In a business like ours you are as good as the kind of people you have onboardthere are some wonderful minds in Delhi and I'm once again fortunate to handpick some more wonderful people to join us and expand our presence into Mumbai.

Popularly known as Paddy, Padhi started his advertising career 25 years ago after graduating from art school in Mumbai. He founded Taproot in 2009, and the agency quickly became one of Indias most prominent creative agencies, picking up critical acclaim, accolades and awards for work done for clients including Amazon, Disney, Facebook, Uber, Adidas, Bennett, Coleman & Company (publisher of the Times of India), Bharti Airtel, and PepsiCo. Coke, Star Sports.

Taproot was rated the No. 1 Independent Agency from India at Cannes and ranked amongst the Top 20 Independent Agencies in the World, along with being the first-ever Indian agency to win "Creative Agency Of The Year" at Adfest, Spikes Asia Creative Agency Of The Year and Integrated Grand Prix winner, Clio India Agency Of The Year, and Local Creative Agency Of The Year.

Earning over 200 international awards (including 2 dozen Cannes Lions, and multiple Golds and Grand Prix titles from different award shows) and over 300 local awards, Padhi is one of the most awarded creatives in India.

Some work highlights include: Adidas Odds campaign for Para-athletes, The Times of India, Mumbai Mirror & Dulux Paints.

In 2012, Padhi and his partner Agnello Dias sold Taproot to Dentsu. Padhi remained the Chief Creative Officer for Taproot Dentsu until 2021, when he left.

Karl Lieberman, Wieden+Kennedy Global Chief Creative Officer commented:

Paddy is a transformative creative leader with an impressive track record building creative companies and brands, and making work that is really centered in culture. We feel lucky to have him join us at a time when we really want to connect further to the creative people and culture in India. We are excited about the future of Wieden+Kennedy in India

Immediately, Padhi will build out a leadership, talent and client roster for the expanded India shop. Dean Wei, who has been the Executive Creative Director leading W+K Delhi since 2019, is leaving the agency later this year to return to London. Current W+K Delhi Managing Director Gau Narayanan will stay on in his current role.
Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research

Dubendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 01.03.2022 - A newly installed data center in the NEST research building is not only used for data processing, but also helps to heat the entire building. The server system is part of the international EU research project ECO-Qube, which is investigating the integration of data centers into building systems and their energy-efficient operation.

A click on the internet leaves traces behind. Not only in the web itself, but also in the form of a large ecological footprint. Because even though all our data is supposedly floating in the cloud, physical data centers are required to process and store it, and these consume huge amounts of energy  a significant proportion of which is used to cool the facilities due to the enormous amount of waste heat that is generated during computation. The big tech giants are now well aware of their responsibilities, investing generously in renewable energy and looking for ways to optimize the energy efficiency of their server farms. One of these paths, for example, leads to the Arctic Circle, where some of the largest data centers are currently located. The cold temperatures there help to reduce the amount of energy needed to cool the equipment.



With the latest digital trends such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and the Internet of Things (IoT), however, further challenges lie ahead: The volumes of data to be processed are increasing rapidly, and at the same time, reactions are required in real time  without delay. To achieve this, the processing of the data must move closer to the place where it was created. For instance, in the form of a micro data center in the neighborhood. In the best case, however, this local data center will not only be used for data processing, but  connected to the energy system  will also be used to heat the building. A field test with micro data centers in the NEST research building at Empa and at two other locations in Turkey and Netherlands aims to explore the potential of this idea.



Intelligent cooling



The project, called ECO-Qube, is supported by the EUs Horizon 2020 program and brings together research and industry partners from Switzerland, Turkey, Spain, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. "Our goal is to reduce both the energy demand and CO2 emissions of small data centers by one-fifth each," says Cagatay Ylmaz, Innovation Manager at Turkish IT solution provider Lande and ECO-Qube project leader. According to the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance, another project partner, conventional data centers often operate at only about 15 percent of their capacity. Despite this, the servers constantly need power and are cooled. To counter this problem, the cooling of the ECO-Qube data centers is made intelligent: Sensor data from the individual IT components are accumulated into Big Data structures and help to ensure that the heat distribution within the components is accurately recorded at all times. AI combines this data with airflow simulations so that cooling can be specifically targeted. At the same time, the computing loads in the three test data centers in Switzerland, Turkey and the Netherlands are distributed in such a way that all three facilities can be operated as energy-efficiently as possible.



Reusing waste heat



The three data centers will be integrated directly into the energy systems of their surrounding neighborhoods and are to be supplied with renewable energy whenever possible. In NEST, for example, the electricity for operating the data center is provided by the photovoltaic systems of the NEST units and Empa's mobility demonstrator, move, among others. The waste heat from the data center is fed into the existing medium- or low-temperature network. In winter, it thus directly feeds the building's heating system and, over the year, simultaneously serves as a source for a heat pump that provides domestic hot water.



"For us, it is interesting to consider the micro data center not just as an electrical consumer, but as a dynamic component in the overall system that we can use so that calculations take place when it makes sense ecologically. The coupling of the electrical and thermal world with the IT infrastructure and data processing offers great potential for optimization towards sustainable operation," says Philipp Heer, Head of the Energy Hub (ehub) at Empa.



The project will last about three years. After completion, the team hopes to be able to provide guidelines for planners and building operators to help them integrate data centers into buildings and neighborhoods in an energy-efficient manner.

Address for enquiries

Philipp Heer

Urban Energy Systems

Phone +41 58 765 49 90

philipp.heer@empa.ch

Publisher

Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research

http://www.empa.ch




Paul Scherrer Institut

Villigen, 01.03.2022 - Scientists at EPFL and the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have studied the chemical composition and origin  whether natural or anthropogenic  of aerosols in a region spanning from Russia to Canada. Their findings provide unique insights for helping researchers better understand climate change in the Arctic and design effective pollution-mitigation measures. The work was made possible thanks to the joint effort of scientists from three continents.

The tiny particles suspended in the air known as aerosols play an important role in heating and cooling our planet, but their effects still arent fully understood. The particles can occur naturally, such as from volcanoes, forests and oceans, or be produced by human activity, such as fossil-fuel combustion and industrial manufacturing. They interact with solar radiation, either reflecting it back out into space and lowering the Earths temperature, or absorbing it and raising the temperature. They are also essential for the formation of clouds, which similarly play a role in cooling off or warming up the planet by reflecting solar radiation out into space or re-emitting terrestrial radiation back down to the Earth. Cloud formation in the Arctic is particularly sensitive to aerosols.

To gain deeper insight into these mechanisms, scientists at EPFLs Extreme Environments Research Laboratory, headed by Julia Schmale, and the PSIs Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, whose head is Imad El Haddad, analyzed samples taken from eight research stations across the Arctic over several years. The Arctic is a crucial region for understanding climate change because the temperature there is rising two to three times faster than the rest of the planet. "If we know what kind of aerosols exist in different areas and at different times of year, and what the origin and composition of those aerosols are, we will have a better grasp of how they contribute to climate change," says Schmale. "That will also help us design more targeted measures to reduce pollution." The study was led by Vaios Moschos as part of his PhD thesis, supervised jointly by Schmale and El Haddad.

Anthropogenic in the winter and natural in the summer

In a first study, the researchers looked specifically at organic aerosols. Scientists still have little data on these aerosols even though they make up nearly 50% of total particulate matter. The researchers in this study analyzed the chemical composition of samples taken in the Arctic and found that, in the winter, most of those aerosols come from human activity. They attribute this to the Arctic haze that occurs each year when emissions from oil extraction and mining operations in North America, Eastern Europe and Russia are carried to the Arctic and trapped there during the winter.

On the other hand, the study found that most organic aerosols in the summer come from natural sources. Thats because the transport of anthropogenic aerosols from mid-latitudes to the Arctic is diminished during the warmer months, and the high latitude emission rate of biogenic aerosols or their precursors rises. "We didnt expect to see so much naturally occurring organic aerosols," says Schmale. "These particles come from boreal forests as well as phytoplankton, a micro-organism that lives in oceans. Here we might see a consequence of global warming in the future  as forests expand northwards and the permafrost thaws more organic molecules can be released from land, and as sea ice retreats, more open ocean leaves space for microbial emissions."

Mitigation is now possible

In another study, the EPFL and PSI scientists used the same samples but analyzed the composition and origin of all the aerosols, both organic and inorganic. They found that the inorganic aerosols included black carbon, sulfate and sea salt; black carbon is of particular concern to the scientific community because it absorbs solar radiation and contributes to global warming. "We knew that black carbon emissions were high in regions with oil and gas extraction facilities, but we didnt have collocated pan-Arctic measurements to understand how large their circle of influence is," says Schmale. "Thanks to the data collected in this study, we were able to map black carbon concentrations and origins in each Arctic region throughout the year and recommend the most appropriate measures to take."

The scientists were able to perform the studies thanks to a unique joint effort bringing together scientists from Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Norway, Russia, Slovenia and the US. The eight research stations at which samples were collected (see list below) are run by research groups from various countries. The samples were analyzed at the two labs in Switzerland. El Haddad explains: "Analyzing organic aerosols requires mass spectrometers, which are expensive, sophisticated instruments, along with trained experts. Thats one reason why we still have little data from the Arctic on this subject. Our lab is at the forefront of research on organic aerosols and their origin."

Samples were collected at the following research stations:

Alert, Canada

Baranova, Russia

Gruvebadet, Norway

Pallas, Finland

Tiksi, Russia

Utqiagvik, USA

Villum, Greenland

Zeppelin, Norway

This research has received funding from:

The European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme 231 via the ERA-PLANET (The European Network for observing our changing Planet) project iCUPE 232 (Integrative and Comprehensive Understanding on Polar Environments) under grant agreement No. 233 689443

The Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI; contract No. 234 15.0159-1)

The SNSF Scientific Exchanges grant Source apportionment of Russian Arctic aerosols, 237 (SARAA; No. 187566)

Text: Based on a press release by EPFL

Original Publications

Equal abundance of summertime natural and wintertime anthropogenic Arctic organic aerosols

V. Moschos, K. Dzepina, D. Bhattu, H. Lamkaddam, R. Casotto, K. R. Daellenbach, F. Canonaco, W. Aas, S. Becagli, G. Calzolai, K. Eleftheriadis, C. E. Moffett, J. Schnelle-Kreis, M. Severi, S. Sharma, H. Skov, M. Vestenius, W. Zhang, H. Hakola, H. Hellen, L. Huang, J. L. Jaffrezo, A. Massling, J. Nojgaard, T. Petaja, O. Popovicheva, R. J. Sheesley, R. Traversi, K. E. Yttri, J. Schmale, A. S. H. Prevot, U. Baltensperger, I. El Haddad

Nature Geoscience, 28. February 2022 (online)

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00891-1

Elucidating the present-day chemical composition, seasonality and source regions of climate-relevant aerosols across the Arctic land surface

V. Moschos, J. K. Schmale, W. Aas, S. Becagli, G. Calzolai, K. Eleftheriadis, C. E. Moffett, J. Schnelle-Kreis, M. Severi, S. Sharma, H. Skov, M. Vestenius, W. Zhang, H. Hakola, H. Hellen, L. Huang, J. L. Jaffrezo, A. Massling, J. Nojgaard, T. Petaja, O. Popovicheva, R. J. Sheesley, R. Traversi, K. E. Yttri, A. S. H. Prevot, U. Baltensperger, I. El Haddad

Environmental Research Letters, 28. February 2022 (online)

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac444b

Address for enquiries

Dr. Mirjam van Daalen

Head of Communications

Paul Scherrer Institute

CH-5232 Villigen PSI

Phone: +41 56 310 56 74

mirjam.vandaalen@psi.ch

Publisher

Paul Scherrer Institut






Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 01.03.2022 - Switzerland is delivering around 25 tonnes of relief supplies to the Ukrainian population. Swiss Humanitarian Aid will transport urgently needed materials and medical supplies from the Armed Forces Pharmacy to Poland today and tomorrow. The aid supplies are part of Switzerland's overall support package worth around CHF 8 million.

This evening, a cargo plane with around 25 tonnes of relief supplies will fly to Warsaw, delivering medicines and tents for families equipped with mattresses, sleeping bags, woollen blankets, heaters, cooking utensils and water canisters. This will be followed by a six-truck convoy tomorrow delivering medical material provided by the Armed Forces Pharmacy of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS). The supplies include defibrillators, respirators, hygiene masks, surgical gowns and medical protective clothing for the Ukrainian population both in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries.

"The Ukrainian population is suffering. It is our duty to help them in the here and now, in keeping with Switzerland's humanitarian tradition," said President of the Confederation Ignazio Cassis, who is also the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Swiss Humanitarian Aid, which is part of the FDFA, is setting up an upstream hub in Poland for Switzerland's aid supplies. This should facilitate further aid deliveries to Ukraine and the border area in Poland, and potentially other neighbouring countries as well. Consignments are accompanied by staff of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). A team of SHA experts flew to Warsaw yesterday to plan how the current supplies will be used in the field, and to start up initial emergency measures.

Swiss funding for humanitarian organisations

Switzerland has already provided the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Ukraine with half a million Swiss francs and the UN with a quarter of a million. It also made an immediate contribution of half a million Swiss francs to the UN emergency relief fund for Ukraine. Further funding for international organisations such as UN agencies and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are being considered in view of the international appeals for assistance issued earlier this week. Switzerland will also support local organisations that are particularly active on the ground and already providing humanitarian aid. Financial resources from the existing CHF 8 million budget have been earmarked for the first phase of Switzerland's humanitarian aid support package.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html



General Secretariat DDPS

https://www.vbs.admin.ch/



Defence

http://www.vtg.admin.ch




Alton, IL (62002)

Today

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
BLACKWELL, Wis.  Each year folks in the north look forward to early spring when sap rises in the forest trees. The smell of wood smoke wafts 
Winter often lies too long along the road formerly known as Hilldale, where my woodlot resides. From hill to dale the road gives up its frost 
Dear Michael: We want to do our estate planning, but we have had a meeting with the local attorney and all of it has just sat there for the pa
Im writing this on Valentines Day, which makes me think of Teddy Roosevelt.

Heres why. Teddy Roosevelt and his fiance, Alice Lee, announced their engagement Feb. 14, 1880. Their only child, also named Alice, was born on Feb. 12 four years later. Two days after her birth, also on Valentines Day, both Teddys wife AND his mother died, his wife of Brights Disease and his mother of typhus.

Teddy wrote in his journal, The light has gone out of my life. He never spoke of his wife again, tore out the pages of his diary that referred to her and burned the letters theyd written to each other. Then he handed the baby off to his older sister and moved to a ranch he owned near Medora, N.D. He stayed for two years, grieving and rebuilding his body and soul. In letters to his sister asking about the baby, he referred to her as Baby Lee. When Roosevelt was 28, he returned to New York, married his next-door neighbor, had five more children and started a career that led him to the White House and beyond.

Its a fascinating story, even seen as romantic. But when I hear it, what I think is, what about the baby?

I realize Teddy Roosevelt lived in a different world than I. A different world and a different time. He and everyone he knew or was related to was rich beyond anything I can imagine. Not only rich, but powerful, with influence and political power going back 200 years, to a time before the United States was a country. So maybe it wasnt considered unusual to hand a newborn baby over to a relative, to be raised in a house full of servants. After all, Teddys second wife was considered remarkable because she would often spend as much as two or three hours a day with her children, before sending them back to others to feed, bathe, and put to bed. Children in that level of society were often sent to boarding schools, sometimes as young as six or seven.

But I just cant stop thinking about the little girl. Only a few days old, her mother dead and her father off to North Dakota for two years to play cowboy and get over his heartbreak.

Baby Alices life didnt turn out too well, at least not by my placid Midwestern standards. She was a rowdy young woman, to the point where Teddy, now president, told a friend, Look, I can run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both. Alice famously had a pillow embroidered with, If you cant say something good about someone, sit right here by me.

She married young, to a Washington big shot, but the marriage was a little shaky. She had a long string of affairs, and her only child was the product of one of those affairs. The girl had an unhappy life and died of an overdose when she was about 30.

It can be hard to remember that people are complicated, that we live a world with very little black and white and lots of shades of gray. Teddy Roosevelt was a great man, who did great things. He backed the little guy against big business, founded the national park system, helped bring the United States onto the world scene. But at one point, he was also a weak and broken man who recovered from a tragedy by abandoning the one person on earth who needed him above all else. Both descriptions are true statements, and unless you can hold them both in your mind, youre not ready to see the world as it really is.

Thats what I was thinking about today.

Copyright 2022 Brent Olson

Copyright 2017 Brent Olson www.independentlyspeaking.com

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With each generation becoming further removed from production agriculture, now more than ever it is crucial that young children learn about where their food comes from. With so much to learn and so many exciting things happening in the agriculture industry, Montana Ag in the Classroom was started in 2019 to help bring ag awareness into classrooms across the state.

Montana Ag in the Classroom is a public/private foundation that works to provide educators accurate materials that represent the agriculture in Montana, explained Lindsay Orem, Montana Ag in the Classroom program manager.

Any and all educators have access to the Montana Ag in the Classroom curriculum. Grade- and age-appropriate learning materials are available to K-12 public school, private school, and home school teachers. Materials range from a list of ag-accurate books to lesson plans for hands-on activities. The overall goal of the program, Orem says, is to teach Montana kids about where their food comes from and to help them gain an understanding and appreciation for the agriculture industry as a whole.

We have endless resources available, and if we dont have it, I will find someone to help me create it, she added.

With a background in special education, Orem and her family currently manage Ox Bow Ranch, where they raise registered Black Angus seedstock. Her background, combined with her current lifestyle, makes Orem perfectly qualified to sit at the helm of the Montana Ag in the Classroom program. As a mother of school-aged children herself, she also brings to the job a passion for in-school agriculture education and the values it can teach children.

This is absolutely my dream job, Orem stated.

Bringing further awareness to the program is one of Orems goals for 2022. Montana Ag in the Classroom has so much to offer students and educators, she articulated, but none of it can be made possible without monetary support.

As it is the middle of tax season, Orem emphasized that Montana Ag in the Classrooms general operating budget is funded through voluntary tax donations.

Line 18C on the short form and 69C on the long form are the voluntary tax donation lines on everyones taxes. An individual or a business can check that line and the money is donated directly to our program, she explained.

In addition to tax donations, individuals and businesses can also become program members with their dues payments applied directly towards supporting Montana Ag in the Classroom. Right now, Orem is orchestrating a membership drive with the goal of gaining 50 new contributor memberships in 2022, which entails a donation between $100 and $999.

If you become a member, you get some Montana Ag in the Classroom swag and you get a sign that says you supported the program, Orem said.

Another way to support Montana Ag in the Classroom is by sponsoring a classroom as a part of the Montana Ag Book Buddies program. For $175, your money would help provide an ag-accurate book once a month to any K-5 class of your choice. Along with the book, teachers are given coordinating lesson plans and activities.

This is Montana Ag in the Classrooms most noted outreach program and Orem explained that the impact is huge. Teachers all over the state already participate and the more classrooms that are sponsored means more children will be learning about the multi-faceted agriculture industry.

It is very important that kids have some connection to agriculture because we are losing it, she stated humbly.

Orem is beyond excited to keep growing Montana Ag in the Classroom. As the program continues to gain moment, she looks forward to enhancing Montana agriculture literacy.

For more information about Montana Ag in the Classroom or to acquire any of its curriculum, please e-mail Lindsay Orem at montanaaitc@gmail.com.

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The race among Republicans who want to be the states school chief could come down to whethe
News

featured

Woman assaulted in 'hate-related' crime in Albany

File Photo An Albany man was taken into custody and charged with homicide by vehicle after striking a pedestrian on the 1700 block of East Oglethorpe Boulevard Tuesday evening.

ALBANY  Albany police announced that the arrest of a man last week for the assault of a woman in a business parking lot is being considered a hate-motivated crime carried out against a woman for her sexual preference.

APD officers arrested Brocdrick Stewart, 44, in the Sams Club parking lot after he assaulted a woman in the presence of her partner and her 5-year-old daughter.

Officers said the female victim, whose name they refused to release out of respect and privacy, had a gun pressed into her face by Stewart, who grabbed her by the hair, pulled her to the back of his vehicle, then hit her with his fists and kneed her in the face. Police said several of Stewarts friends pulled him off the victim, and he sped away from the scene.

The violence occurred in the presence of the victims girlfriend and her daughter. During interrogation after his arrest, police learned that Stewart assaulted the victim because of her sexual preference.

Stewart was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, cruelty to children in the third degree, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a specific crime, terroristic threats and acts and robbery. He is currently being held in the Dougherty County Jail.

Officials said in a news release, The city of Albany is a caring city and celebrates diversity. This incident does not reflect our community, and our hearts go out to the victim and her daughter.

Anyone with information about this case or any similar incident is asked to contact the Albany Police Departments Criminal Investigations Bureau at (229) 431-2100. APD will also accept anonymous tips at (229) 436-TIPS.
Monroe County Assessor Randy Noe spoke to the Monroe County Board of Supervisors Feb. 8 about an ongoing property valuation appeal from Cargill.

Noe said that Cargill has appealed the 2021 assessed value of their property and requested that the valuation be cut by $22,174,511 or about 20 percent across the board which could impact the finances of several local entities.

If Cargill receives the full cut in valuation they have requested that would cut about $500,000 off their taxes each year moving forward. According to Noe the three entities that would be affected the most are Monroe County, the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont School District and the Monroe County Hospital & Clinics.

On the Cargill main plant, I am looking at the Eddyville School and thats right about $160,000 in revenue and on the Qore  part it looks like it would be right around $36,000 and its kind of the same with the county, said Noe.

Noe said the school district receives 39.311 percent of Cargills taxes, while Monroe County receives 39.937 percent and MCHC receives 10.887 percent. Indian Hills Community College also receives 3.718 percent and the assessors office receives 2.6 percent of Cargills total property taxes, with other entities receiving even smaller amounts.

Noe said the initial request was considered by the local review board and rejected in May, but that Cargill then appealed to the Iowa Property Assessment Appeal Board in June. Noe said that process is ongoing and those decisions can often take over a year to be announced but he wanted the board to be aware of the appeal as they make their budget since if the request is granted the county could lose a significant amount of funding or property tax rates on other landowners might have to be raised to make up the difference.

According to Noe, Monroe County attorney John Pabst would be representing the county at any hearings held by the Iowa Property Assessment Appeal Board if it gets to that stage. Cases can be settled before going to hearings as well.

Were going to get a third-party appraisal done and I think a lot will hinge on how that comes out, said Noe.

Noe said the appraisal could cost the county about $85,000 plus the cost of travel and time for any testimony needed at a potential hearing according to a quote he received from Mid-States Appraisal Services in Overland Park, Kansas.

Noe said that Cargill did not ask for a hearing with the local board, just made the request for the valuation cut and has so far not provided any evidence to the county as to why their valuation should be decreased. Monroe County attorney Pabst said during the supervisors meeting that he has made requests for documentation from Cargill and has received no response either.

We havent seen anything yet, said Noe.
Russia learned some hard lessons when it invaded Finland in November 1939. Today in Ukraine, its become clear that those lessons didnt stick, at least not among Russias decision-makers.

In the winter of 1939, Russia  having just conquered half of Poland after Germany had already knocked that country out of the war  decided that war was good business. So they invaded Finland. In Poland, the Soviets re-took land that had been under the control of Czarist Russia for two centuries before it was divided away from Russia at the treaty of Versailles. Repeating that strategy, on November 30, 1939, Russia attacked Finland, intending to recover land that had also been part of Czarist Russia before Versailles.

Like Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, Finland was a Baltic state that had existed for centuries, before becoming a Czarist vassal state. But unlike Poland, Finland had a strong army that had not been defeated in battle. In the Kremlin, the Soviets decided the time was right to take that territory back, thinking it would be another piece of cake as Poland had been two months earlier.

Indeed, this invasion should have been a cakewalk for the Soviets. After all, the Soviets had more soldiers in their army  1.8 million  than Finland had males of all ages  1.75 million  in its entire country in 1939. However, after two serious but little-known border wars earlier in 1939 with Japan along the Manchurian-Mongolian border, many of the Red Armys best troops were still stationed along that battle line. On November 30th, the Soviet force  450,000 men in 21 army divisions  crossed the border. Known as the Winter War, this invasion focused on the Karelian Isthmus, a strip of land that separated the Baltic Sea from Lake Ladoga. Karelia seemed to offer a highway between Leningrad and the Finnish capital, Helsinki. Most of the invading army  250,000 Soviet troops  attacked along that narrow strip of land. Facing them on all fronts were just 130,000 Finnish soldiers.

However, the Red Army committed two cardinal sins  both of which they are now repeating in Ukraine. They sent in an army largely made up of newly conscripted men, virtually just out of training and ill-equipped for a long war along the Arctic Circle. Then they divided their forces, sending nearly half their army  around 200,000 men  to invade central and northern Finland, territory with no strategic value to the Soviet Union. Their divided forces were then defeated in detail.

While some of these Red Army troops had invaded Poland in September, there was a decided  and decisive  difference between Poland and the attack on Finland. First, the Polish Army had already been defeated by the German Army, which invaded 17 days earlier. What the Russians did was less of an armed invasion and more of a peaceful occupation of undefended territory. While they experienced the invasion, none of those soldiers had experienced real combat.

Against Finland, most of the Soviet soldiers  even veterans of the Polish occupation  were relatively recent conscripts, drafted into the Soviet Army and given little training before being thrust into combat. Worse, they were not prepared for the winter weather in Finland, where daytime temperatures could reach 45 degrees below zero.

Finnish machine gun nest (public domain photo)

However, Finnish soldiers were primarily long-service veterans, well-trained for winter warfare, outfitted with camouflaged white snowsuits, many equipped with skis. Perhaps as important, they were fighting for their home, their families, and their country. Against them, the rank-and-file Red Army had no clue why they were fighting.

As in Finland in 1939, the Russian army is today invading a country during the winter, using recently conscripted troops who are ill-prepared for an all-out invasion of a well-defended enemys homeland. The failure to invade Finland using experienced troops properly dressed and equipped for a winter war cost the Russians thousands of unnecessary casualties, and dragged the war on for more than three months  a war the Soviets planned to win in less than three weeks. Now it seems to be happening again. Oops.

Fast forward eighty-three years. Reports from Ukraine suggest that the Russian armys advance had stalled out. Again. Why? In yet another winter invasion  its still very much winter in Ukraine  an army of mostly recent conscripts, given brief training before being thrust into combat has under-performed in ways not anticipated by Kremlin leaders. The lesson in Ukraine should have been learned in Finland in 1939. On average, Ukrainian soldiers are more experienced, better prepared for the weather  and theyre fighting for their homes, their families, and their nation. Those factors are strong force multipliers.

The other main lesson from history that the Red Army is ignoring in Ukraine at their own cost involves the division of force. Two thousand years ago, the legendary Chinese master of war, Sun Tzu, wrote: We can form a single united body, while the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against separate parts of a whole 

This is another lesson that the Russians should have learned in Finland, in 1939. There, they divided their forces between the main invasion and the sideshow invasion of Central and Northern Finland. Outnumbering the Finns, they remained too weak to win anywhere. It took a second invasion of the Karelian Isthmus  on top of the first, failing invasion  a new assault with a fresh army that drove Finland to the negotiating tables more than three months after the invasion.

In addition to Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz, since Czarist days, Imperial, Soviet and Russian military academies taught the precepts of military strategist American Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan. It was Mahan who warned against the folly of dividing the battle-fleet  and by extension, any army assault force. Mahans books remain required reading for Russian officer candidates, yet in its desire to quickly overwhelm Ukraine, Russia divided its invasion force into four separate attack forces. One force is attacking from the Northwest, out of Russian puppet state Belarus. Another is attacking from the Northeast, from along the Russian/Belorussian border. A third force is attacking due West from the heartland of Russia, and the final force is attacking from the South, from Crimea, which Russia took from Ukraine in 2014.

To the uninitiated, this might seem like a sound strategy  everywhere Ukraine looks, its borders are under attack. However, by mounting four attacks, the Russian army must also have four air forces to clear their paths, as well as four logistic trains to keep the troops supplied with fuel, bullets and bombs, food and water, repair teams, and medical units. All the while Ukraine has the long-known benefit of interior lines. It is far easier for them to move troops and support forces from one attack front to another, using roads and railways under their control.

Bottom line: the Russian Army should know better  and perhaps it does. But the shots are being called by the Kremlin, by leaders who have little practical experience with war at the strategic level. Eventually, if Russia is willing to absorb the casualties, they can keep pouring in ill-trained, ill-equipped troops in penny-packet formations and eventually wear down the Ukrainians, just as they did with Finland in 1939. But what could have been a lightning campaign has turned into a slogging match.

Winston Churchill famously said, Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it? Obviously, he wasnt a Russian.

Ned Barnett is a widely-published author, a student of American military history, and a frequent on-camera historian for the History Channel, back when they actually covered history. He is the founder of Barnett Marketing Communications, where he helps authors get their thoughts together and their books successfully published, offering editing, ghostwriting and book marketing and promotion services from his base in Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at nedbarnett51@gmail.com or 702-561-1167.
Charges of fascism are often flung around like paper confetti, sometimes to cover for actual fascism. Almost every political faction has been subjected to such claims, especially ones that are polar opposites of historical Italian fascism and German National Socialism. Even Canadian truckers seeking an end to COVID-19 lockdowns have been savagely attacked as Nazis, along with freedom-based organizations that supplied the intellectual ammunition to oppose Hitler's and Mussolini's ideologues.

So the question becomes this: what is fascism, and where did it originate? Consensus often points to postWorld War I Italy. However, that old belief is starting to crumble. Fascism and its state-oriented mixed economy appear to have an earlier starting date. Some scholars are now pointing at Soviet Russia.

Benito Mussolini may be the world's most notorious fascist, but he was not the first to introduce socioeconomic and political fascism to the world. In actuality, this Italian Marxist intellectual simply popularized the word. The socioeconomic mechanics behind Fascism came from another Marxist, one deep inside Russia. He was a Russian revolutionary whom Mussolini lionized: Vladimir Lenin.

After Lenin secured control of Russia in 1921, his unrelenting nationalization of the Soviet economy finally collapsed. Moscow and other Russian cities transformed into walking-dead hellscapes. Most factories and mills closed. Most Russians were starving. Workers fled to the countryside to find food. Hundreds of violent riots spread across the land. Lenin and the communists were almost overthrown. Karl Marx's dreams of a socialist worker's paradise had failed.

Under these dire conditions, Lenin had to change direction. He reluctantly rolled back the communist economic system and established a mixed economy: the state still owned the big industries but allowed small companies, farmers, and individuals to exist and engage in open commerce. At this point, Lenin embraced Marxist-lite Fascism by supporting an alternative "third way" between socialism and capitalism, a concept Lenin and Mussolini called "state capitalism." The political sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset concurred, arguing that Fascism is "extremism of the center," referring to its reliance on a mixed economy. He contended that Fascism is not right-wing because Mussolini did not plan to restore monarchical or aristocratic privilege.

In 1921, Lenin dubbed his revised economic policies the New Economic Policy (NEP), which introduced a form of "market socialism," "crony capitalism," or what he approvingly termed "state capitalism." Lenin described this change as the "development of capitalism under the control and regulation of the proletarian state." This meant that fascism was not the "last stage of capitalism" as Marxist historians have maintained, but the first stage of a pullback from the economic and political failures of Marxism-Leninism. Lenin's policies to mitigate the defects of absolute nationalization and communism spawned the NEP and produced a fascist economy.

Under his NEP policies, Lenin said he would allow "a free market and capitalism, both subject to state control," while socialized state enterprises would operate on "a profit basis." His policy even allowed the ownership of small companies, which were privatized from former state-owned enterprises. And by initiating a mixed economy in 1921 and early 1922, Lenin became the world's first fascist dictator, over a year before Mussolini was appointed Italy's prime minister in late 1922.

Who makes such a bold claim? It was Peter Drucker, the famous professor of politics, philosophy, and management, who lived in Germany in the early 1930s. He asserted that fascism came out of communism in his 1939 The End of Economic Man. He wrote, "Fascism is the stage reached after communism has proved an illusion. ... Communism in anything but name was abandoned in Russia when the Five-Year Plan was substituted for the New Economic Policy (NEP)."

Since Mussolini, Lenin, and Trotsky were Marxist chums in Switzerland, it is not surprising that Mussolini closely watched Lenin and his regime with keen interest. Considering himself a disciple of Lenin, Mussolini proposed that Italy should officially recognize the Soviet Union in 1923. According to Stanley G. Payne in his History of Fascism, 19141945, "[n]ot only was Italy the first Western country to recognize the Soviet Union in 1924, but the new Soviet art first appeared in the West that year at the Venice Biennale, Italy's premiere art show." In the Italian elections of 1919, as the leader of the Fascist Revolutionary Party, Mussolini publicly compared himself to Lenin, bragging that he was the "Lenin of Italy."

When Lenin ushered in the NEP, Mussolini felt compelled to imitate Lenin's market-oriented economic policies. The prime minister of Italy, Francesco Saverio Nitti (19191920), noted this coziness, writing, "In Italy today one finds that greater tolerance is shown toward Communists affiliated with Moscow than to Liberals, democrats, and Socialists." He also remarked, "Fascism and Bolshevism are the same."

Mussolini understood what Lenin was trying to do in Soviet Russia. Considered one of the greatest Marxist theoreticians of the 20th century, Mussolini realized that Lenin was following Karl Marx's precepts to the letter. Marx argued that only ruthless industrial capitalists could successfully bring the population out of feudalism and poverty. Since Russia's economy was primarily agricultural, some limited form of capitalism was required to get it to the Marxian sweet spot of a highly industrial state. Lenin argued for the "full maturation of capitalism as the precondition for socialist realization."

Fascism sprang out of Marxism over the Marxian reaction to the failures of Lenin's Bolshevism in the Soviet Union. In other words, many strands of revised Marxism devolved into Italian Fascism. A. James Gregor, a political scientist at U.C. Berkeley, agreed, writing, "The first Fascists were almost all Marxists  serious theorists who had long been identified with Italy's intelligentsia of the Left." The former English socialist David Ramsay Steele succinctly declared, "Fascism began as a revision of Marxism by Marxists."

Indeed, Lenin and the Bolsheviks ushered in the first fascist socioeconomic system, scattering across Europe. Winston Churchill also noted this political evolution, writing in 1948: "As Fascism sprang from Communism, so Nazism developed from Fascism."

L.K. Samuels is the author of Killing History: The False Left-Right Political Spectrum (2019) and other books.

Image: Benito Mussolini, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
The retreat of the United States and her allies before the Chinese-backed Taliban in Afghanistan and the failure of the Wests feeble attempts at diplomacy in the face of Russias invasion of Ukraine share a sinister aetiology that has attracted remarkably little attention. A relentless, targeted campaign of desinformatsiya  systematic reputational destruction or unpersoning by Communist front groups posing as environmental campaign entities but in reality fostered, funded and too often founded by Moscow and Beijing  has all but silenced thousands of skeptical climate researchers who had formerly been able to debate the climate question in the sunlight of the agora, and has deterred tens of thousands more who would have spoken out in their support but dare not do so.

Goebbels had developed unpersoning as an art-form in the decades before the Nazis took power in Germany. Anyone who had proven successful in denouncing Corporal Hitler was compelled to endure repeated reputational assaults, until very nearly all who valued their reputations fell silent, allowing Hitler to assume power in 1933. In 1945, when the Allies hung back from Berlin to allow Marshal Zhukov the honour of taking the capital of the Reich in recognition of his gallant defence of Stalingrad, it was the then MGB that we permitted to march into the Mitte district, the seat of government at the heart of Berlin. In Mauerstrasse, they captured the Reichspropagandaamt, then the largest office building in Europe.

Goebbels, having swallowed his own propaganda about the Tausendjahriges Reich, had ordered his officials not to destroy the Propaganda Ministrys records. The Royal Air Force had bombed one wing of the giant office block, but nearly all of the records were intact. They fell into the hands of the MGB. Within a month, the MGB  later the KGB  had come to understand the efficacy of unpersoning. At once, they founded the Desinformatsiya directorate. Its chief task was to unperson everyone, anywhere in the world, who had publicly opposed Soviet Communism.

The Kremlin appointed General Ion Mihai Pacepa, then the head of the Securitate, the secret police in Ceausescus Romania, as the first head of the directorate. He was to hold that post for a third of a century. His first target was Pope Pius XII. The Directorate commissioned a German Communist playwright to draft a play hostile to the Pope, and infiltrated stories about his alleged Nazi-loving, Jew-hating sympathies into fellow-traveling news media throughout the West.

Ion Mihai Pacepa in 1975 (public domain photograph)

The facts were that in 1937, the Pope, as secretary of state to his predecessor Pius XI, had published Mit Brennender Sorge (With profound concern), the first Papal encyclical in a language other than Latin since the Middle Ages, roundly condemning Nazism while all the chancelleries of Europe, applying their habitual policy of the pre-emptive cringe, were cravenly appeasing the Corporal. So successful was the Vaticans pipeline to get Jews out of the Gestapos clutches in Italy that, as soon as it was safe to do so after the War, the Chief Rabbi of Rome and his deputy were both baptized as Catholics. The Chief Rabbi particularly requested that the Pope should stand sponsor for him.

At the Yad Vashem memorial to the Holocaust in Israel, the largest plaque on the memorial wall for those who had stood by the Jews is devoted to Pope Pius XII. Notwithstanding such mere facts, after some years the KGB had succeeded in tarnishing the reputation of the saintly Pope. It was only recently, when the Holy See opened the archives to scholars, that the truth became widely known.

Unpersoning has become a staple technique among Communist front groups throughout the West. For instance, Saul Alinsky devoted two of his dozen Rules for Radicals to advocacy for it. It was and is of particular efficacy in silencing almost all those who would otherwise have dared to question the official narrative on global warming, whose origin in the Desinformatsiya directorate is nothing like as widely appreciated as it should be.

On 28 July 1979, less than three months after Margaret Thatcher had first taken office as the British Prime Minister, the Communist leader of the National Union of Mineworkers, Arthur Scargill, quietly set sail on a Polish freighter bound for St. Petersburg (then Leningrad). There, like Lenin before him, he took a sealed train to Moscow, where he was met and transferred to the Patrice Lumbumba University, where the worlds terrorist rank and file were trained. After just three weeks there, Scargills handlers realized that he was a cut above the rest and transferred him to the Lenin Institute, where terrorist leaders such as Yassir Arafat were trained. He spent five months at the Institute, returning on an Aeroflot flight to Paris, where he transferred to a British Airways flight bound for London.

Scargills handlers had trained him to emulate the success of the miners strike a decade earlier, which had brought down the Conservative government of Edward Heath and replaced it with a Kremlin-friendly Labour administration. He was given funding of at least $30 million that our quants in the intelligence community could trace  a substantial sum in those days  paid via the then Czechoslovak Embassy in London, which the KGB had vainly hoped we were not monitoring.

However, the year before Scargill set sail for St Petersburg, Pacepa had quietly defected to the West. He was perhaps our most important defector in the Cold War. He had warned us the second miners strike was coming. No less importantly, he had told us why. Despite the tight control of information in Soviet Russia, the impoverished, suffering citizenry had come to learn that life in the West was far better and freer. Whenever any of us visited the Communist bloc in those days, flashing our orange British Military Mission cards at Checkpoint Charlie, we would wear four or five pairs of jeans, which, like so much else, were unobtainable behind the Iron Curtain. We would give the much-prized jeans to our contacts there. The KGB had reasoned that the Wests economies must be brought down to the wretched Soviet level, and their citizens freedoms taken away, so that Soviet citizens would no longer have reason to clamor for the unimaginably wonderful Western lifestyle, jeans and all. The KGBs weapon of choice at that time was its control over certain Western union leaders.

Since energy is the lifeblood of any modern economy, the KGB decided that it would see whether it could bring down the elected government of Margaret Thatcher, the feared Iron Lady, by fomenting a miners strike. However, thanks to Ion Mihai we were more fully prepared than the Kamitet had realized. Margaret, though still in opposition in 1978, acted on his warnings transmitted to her via the ever-helpful American cousins in the CIA. The special relationship is a wonderful thing. Margaret had already appointed the late Nicholas Ridley, soon to be a member of her Cabinet, to head a committee to devise stratagems for defeating the Kremlin-funded strike whenever it came.

Ridley, apparently an amiable, tweed-clad, hearty-drinking squire from the shires, had  and carefully concealed  the sharpest mind on Margarets team. First, he did a deal with the private, non-union port of Felixstowe in rural East Anglia, which quietly installed coal-bunkering facilities. Next, he approached the Poles via Solidarnosc, Lech Walesas anti-Soviet trades union, for which the British Catholic newspaper The Universe had raised some of the earliest funds. He obtained the Poles agreement, under the very nose of the Soviet stooge General Jaruzelski, to supply as much coal as we might need in the event of a miners strike, for delivery to Felixstowe.

He also persuaded the then-nationalized Central Electricity Generating Board that it should build a load-equalization station  a substantial forebay lake dug out of a mountain-top with a reversible turbine beneath it in the roots of the mountain and a channel to a natural lake at the foot. The previous miners strike had shown that at peak hours it was necessary to bring dozens of ancient, inefficient coal-gobbling power stations online. The daily peak was at 7.45 pm, during the commercial break halfway through the daily episode of Coronation Street, then Britains most popular soap opera, when every housewife scuttled out to the kitchen to put the kettle on and electricity demand surged.

At night, when electricity from the grid was plentiful and cheap, Ridleys proposed turbine would be run in reverse to pump water from the lake at the foot of the mountain to the forebay lake at the top. During Coronation Street, grid managers would be able to flip a switch and the water in the forebay would instantly drop straight through the turbine, providing several minutes vital boost to the grid to power Nans kettle, so that the ancient, coal-guzzling spinning-reserve power stations were no longer needed.

Three questions arose: where to put the load-equalization station, how to defend it against attack by Communist saboteurs, and how to conceal its existence from Russias many spies throughout the governing elite and saboteurs in the unions. Ridleys solutions were characteristically masterly. First, he decided to put it in Wales, which was somewhat less Communist than Scotland, the only other region with the right terrain. The deciding factor was that the station, to be built at Dinorwig, near Caernarfon, was little more than 100 miles from the SAS lines at Hereford. When the miners strike began in 1984, the boys of the special forces were kept on constant exercise in the hills around the new power station. No one messes with the SAS, and no one got near it.

The third question  how to conceal Dinorwig from the Kremlins spies  was pure genius. Ridley advertised it. He commissioned a commercial showing the load-equalization station being built at night, so that one could not quite see where it was. The ad, in the name of the grid authority, described how the station would work, and ended with a sickening jingle: We have the power to help you! sung (if that is the word for it) to a particularly drippy theme. It worked a treat. It was not until weeks before the strike ended that the KGB found out it had been hoodwinked by Ridleys skilful maskirovka. By then it was far too late. Dinorwig came onstream early in 1985. The strike collapsed in early March that year.

A few weeks before the strike began, Ridleys committee had dispatched a tall, lean, good-looking lad ostensibly from Margarets six-man policy unit at 10 Downing Street on his loud, red, fast Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica motorcycle to a country house somewhere in England. There the lad recruited the late David Hart, a property magnate and close friend of Margarets, to visit every pit throughout Britain and talk to the ordinary mineworkers directly. David drove 29,000 miles in his new Mercedes that year, explaining to every mineworker that Scargill had been trained in Moscow and was being funded by the Kremlin.

The lad had been down the pits both in Wales and in Yorkshire. Indeed, he had been put alongside Scargill some years before, at the motor-mouth Communists favorite watering-hole, a 15th-century pub in the center of Leeds, a Yorkshire city two hours north of London. Scargill was clubbable, but his politics stank. The lad knew that although the miners leaders were Communist the rank and file were not. They were deeply loyal to their country first and foremost and would fiercely resent Scargills Moscow connection. In general elections, many of them secretly voted for Margaret.

To ensure that the demarche that would  and did  break the strike was unseen by the many spying eyes in the Civil Service, the lad arranged for David Hart to report daily direct to the Prime Minister and to no one else. Davids first-class memoranda, now publicly available, were a model of punchy concision, and were a great comfort to Margaret, for it is lonely at the top. To keep the operation secret, David established a war room around the walnut grand piano in a grand suite at Claridges, the last place where the KGB would ever think of looking. The lad would amuse the team from time to time by playing the first movement of Beethovens moonlight sonata and suchlike soothing pieces.

Eventually, Peter Walker, the not entirely trustworthy Trade and Industry Minister, nominally but not actually in charge of the Governments response to the strike, discovered the existence of Davids war room at the swank London hotel and angrily telephoned him to say: You cant run this strike from Claridges!

David, unperturbed, said: Of course not, Minister. Youll be wanting to speak to the Chairman of the National Coal Board. Here he is now. And he handed the phone to Sir Ian MacGregor. Weeks later, the strikers were defeated, with the help of an advertising campaign planned and paid for by David. At a personal cost of millions, he took out daily full-page spreads in the national newspapers, saying to Scargill, Come on, Arthur, gizzaballot! on ending the strike. Sure enough, the miners delegates voted to return to work. David, like all who work for their country in the shadows, never received any thanks or recognition for his unpaid, unsung and uncommonly effective service to his countrymen, on whose behalf I honor his memory here.

The shock in Moscow was palpable. The strike had been defeated by a method the KGB had simply not foreseen, and by a team of whose existence it had been entirely unaware. We had appealed directly to the loyal mineworkers of Britain, over the disloyal, Communist heads of their union. At the lads farewell party at 10 Downing Street after the strike had been brought safely to an end, three leaders of the National Working Miners Committee founded by David were present  perhaps the first mineworkers ever to set a friendly foot in Downing Street under a Conservative administration.

Now that the Kamitet knew we knew how to thwart such strikes, which had until then been frequent and damaging, it realized it could no longer depend on the Communist union leaderships it had spent decades and tens of millions corrupting. Smarting from its defeat, it was most anxious to find another way to bring the Western economies down and to undermine our enviable prosperity and our precious freedoms, for which the people of Soviet Russia longed.

The Kamitet had already had some success in infiltrating far-Left political lobby groups. In particular, we learned from the Vaticans intelligence service  often the best-informed in the world, in those days  that the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was Soviet-controlled, under the influence of a powerfully-placed but profoundly misguided Catholic monsignor who shall remain deservedly nameless.

Building on that success, the Kamitet decided to infiltrate the environmental movement, beginning with Greenpeace. The problem was that the leaders of the movement, such as Patrick Moore, were and are genuine environmentalists, not Communists. Therefore, Greenpeace was infiltrated by thousands of new Communist members. In short order, Patrick and his fellow true environmentalists were pushed out and replaced with Communists. As a rule of thumb, one would not be far wrong in assuming that these days every environmental pressure-group with an innocent-sounding name is, first and foremost, a Communist-led front group, though few of the members  like the miners  are themselves Communist.

By the time the global warming scare was launched into the public square by elaborately-publicized testimony in 1988 before Congress on the part of a many-times-arrested far-Left agitator at NASA, the KGB had seen the potential. The kamitet realized that, if the climate-change narrative could be captured, it would be possible to induce Western ministers and opinion-formers fearful of being unpersoned to fall as culpably silent as the opponents of Nazism in the years leading to Hitlers takeover in 1933. What was more, Pacepa told us, the KGB, by now firmly in control of the environmental movement, had seen the potential not merely to impoverish and even bankrupt the Western economies but also to inflict upon their peoples so many pettifogging environmental restrictions in the name of Saving The Planet that the freedoms we have long taken for granted would, in effect, be no more.

The growth of the internet greatly facilitated the unpersoning of climate skeptics. For instance, Wikipedia, founded by a pornography merchant, was swiftly captured, whereupon the biographies of climate skeptics were tampered with A single fellow-traveler rewrote the biographies of more than 2000 skeptics, including mine, to recast us as knaves, rogues, idiots or all three. The intelligence community tracked down the agent via his incautious membership of a rowing club in a tiny Cambridgeshire village. He was banned from interfering with Wikipedia entries. However, as the Communists tightened their grip on Wokipedia, driving out the pornographers co-founder in despair at its sullen, far-Left prejudice, the agent was reinstated.

YouTube and FaceTwit began shadow-banning skeptics by preventing their internal search engines from returning entries related to or posted by anyone questioning the Party Line on climate. After the massive nationwide campaign of voter fraud organized by the Democrat National Committee in swing States had unexpectedly failed in the 2016 election (for in 2011 I had learned of it from the chief investigator working for Sheriff Arpaio of Maricopa County, AZ, who had discovered it, and I had at once alerted the Republican National Committee), the tech giants doubled down on their censorship of non-Communists, especially climate skeptics.

Google held a staff meeting at its headquarters, at which its largely far-Left leaders reassured its largely far-Left personnel that no such election result would ever be permitted again. In 2020, it was not permitted at all.

Matters were little better on the other side of the Atlantic. Who would have imagined a third of a century ago, when the Berlin Wall was overthrown, that in Britain today a nominally Conservative government, under an undue alien influence that it would once have resisted, would be busy shuttering the last of the coal-fired power stations that produce electricity at half the cost of gas-fired power and a quarter of the cost of wind-farms, and would ban gasoline-fired autos, ban fracking of the largest shale gas reserves in Europe, ban extraction of North Sea oil, ban fireplaces and gas-fired central-heating boilers, ban Edisons incandescent lamps, and even ban the roast beef of old England? Who would have thought that, as a result of these lunatic encroachments and impositions on our freedoms, electric power in Britain, once among the worlds cheapest, would have become the costliest?

Though the Soviet Union collapsed at about the same time as Margaret Thatcher lost office (on the question of Britains membership of the European Union, on which  as in much else  she turned out to have been right all along), in 2000 a silent coup orchestrated by Vladimir Putin unseated Boris Yeltsin. By 2004, Putin had installed some 6000 of his former KGB colleagues in key governmental posts in Moscow and in all the regions of Russia. Communism was back. With good reason, the intelligence community describes Putins Russia as a DINO  a democracy in name only, an atavistic throwback to the lumbering, murderous, militaristic totalitarianism of old that we had hoped was extinct.

The Kremlins capture of the environmental movement was latterly and actively assisted by China, the chosen home of the late UN climate fanatic Maurice Strong (who called himself a lifelong Socialist). So successful has been the Communists theft and repurposing of the environmental movement, their capture of the climate-change issue and their unpersoning of all who dare to question the Party Line on that subject that by 2004, four years after his coup, Putin himself had become concerned that perhaps global warming was a real problem after all.

That year Putin asked Dr Andrei Illarionov of the Russian Academy of Sciences to hold a climate-change conference with a difference in Moscow. The difference was that, instead of true-believing climate fanatics only, whose unfailing custom was and is to exclude rather than to debate those who disagree with the Party Line, skeptics were invited to participate as well. Putin was genuinely curious to know whether his kamitets own propaganda about global warming might, after all, correct.

Andrei looked around the world and decided that Britains governing class was the sappiest, most lackwit, most true-believing classe politique on the planet. He invited the governments then climate change ambassador, the chemist Sir David King, to give the keynote address. However, when King arrived at Sheremetyevo airport, he noticed that several prominent skeptics were arriving as well. He tried to turn back and return to the UK. However, the FSB gently but firmly accompanied him to the Kremlin and he was made to give his talk.

Halfway through, Dr Roy Spencer, the skeptic who had won awards for designing, building and operating the microwave-sounding-unit satellites that provide the least inaccurate measure of global temperature (which currently shows no global warming for well over seven years), interrupted King in full flow to say, Surely, Sir David, you cant possibly believe that?

Sir David, unfamiliar with the notion of debate, flounced out. The FSB made to intercept him a second time, but Andrei waved them away, replaced King at the microphone and said: Sir David King has disgraced the name of science, disgraced the name of Britain and disgraced the name of King. But he has taught us one thing. Global warming caused by us was not, is not and will not be a problem. That is what Andrei later told me he had reported to Putin.

From then on, the Desinformatsiya directorate, joined by its Chinese equivalent, doubled down on unpersoning anyone, anywhere in the West, who had proven successful in publicly opposing the Party Line on global warming. The unelected Kommissars of the European tyranny-by-clerk, easy prey for Communist infiltrators, saw to it that coal-fired power stations with decades of useful life in them were torn down and replaced with combined-cycle turbines powered by Siberian gas, whose unit carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt-hour generated are half those of coal but whose unit cost is twice that of coal.

As competition from coal inexorably diminished, the price of Siberian gas sold to Europe no less inexorably rose. The law of supply and demand is an iron law. It is not up for repeal. Even before the Chinese-virus pandemic, Europe was paying Putin four times the world price for its gas. Now it pays more like eight times the world price; and, on a day in December 2021 when Europe was under a blocking high and the wind did not blow, it rose to 200 times the world price. Putin, on the pretext of addressing an unspecified technical fault in the pipelines but in reality to serve notice on Europe that it was now utterly dependent upon him and him alone to keep the lights on as he prepared to invade Ukraine, had turned the gas off for a few hours. The price had duly and very profitably surged.

Putin has not only succeeded in crippling the Western economies with the global-warming nonsense: he now profiteers directly from our scientifically-illiterate politicians economically and strategically half-witted decision to interfere in the energy market by force and remove coal from the energy mix, reducing competition, hiking power prices and rendering Europe and  to a striking degree  the United States dependent upon a hostile foreign power for the preponderance of its energy supply, the lifeblood of its industries. Aluminum smelting, steelmaking, heavy manufacturing and many other energy-intensive enterprises have been driven out to Russia, India and China, which have all repudiated attempts by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to shutter their economies as the West has so eagerly done under the Paris climate accords.

Putin has made a fortune from Siberian gas overpriced as a direct and ineluctable consequence of the Western classe politiques abject, poltroonish fear of being unpersoned. He has spent it wisely, steadily rebuilding the motherlands armed forces. He now has five times as many men under arms per head of population, and ten times as many in all, as the United Kingdom, which  under successive, ever-dimmer Conservative administrations that ought to have known better  has cut its own armed forces to almost nothing. Putin has 1.4 million men under arms. Only a fifth of them are deployed at the Ukrainian front. He has 15,000 tanks. Britain, laughably, has only 200.

China, like Russia, now profiteers directly by the Wests craven failure to act upon the ancient Roman saw Si vis pacem, para bellum  if you want peace, be ready for war. As invisibly as the Tsar of Some of the Russias and his KGB cronies have rebuilt the Soviet armed forces on the vast profits from Europes overpayments for Siberian gas, Xi Jinping, emperor of the Middle Kingdom, has built up Beijings armed forces to make them the largest and best-equipped on the planet. He is doing so out of the rapidly growing profits from the sale of lithium carbonate extracted from the vast mines of occupied Tibet by usefully inexpensive slave labor.

What is more, China has quietly been cornering the market in the extraction and supply of lithium carbonate worldwide. Every electric buggy churned out by Tesla and increasingly by other automakers worldwide must have lithium-ion batteries. All other metals are too heavy for the job. As it is, the extra weight of the batteries adds 30% to the mass of an auto and, therefore, 30% to its energy consumption. No sane government would for an instant interfere in the market to force real autos of the road and replace them with buggies that waste energy on that monstrous scale.

Beijing has supported, trained and equipped the Taliban for decades. Once the Democrat administration in Washington (which has long been far too close to Communism for comfort) had done what was expected of it and pulled out the troops, carefully leaving nearly $100 billion in military materiel behind to ensure that the enemies of the West in the region were equipped with nothing but the best, the Taliban rewarded China for its support by granting it effective control of the lithium mines in Afghanistan, by far the largest and most productive in the world.

China has also gained control of lithium mines in Africa via its Belt and Road debt-trap diplomacy scheme. It has bought a placeholder stake in the substantial deposits recently discovered in south-western Greenland (where, by a delicious irony, Communist environmental campaigners had succeeded in persuading their government that the lithium should not be extracted, prompting China to reduce its stake). China has a controlling 73% stake in the Cornish lithium mines in south-western England, whose Prime Minister, despite repeated attempts by the intelligence community, cannot be brought to understand the strategic importance of lithium.

China is currently doing a deal with the recently elected Communist president of Chile to secure control of the mines there too. As a result, almost 100% of global lithium production is already under Beijings control, and the market in lithium carbonate is denominated not in dollars but in the Chinese currency. As governments panicked by the fear of unpersoning rush to ban affordable, energy-efficient gasoline-powered autos, the price of lithium carbonate has risen sixfold this year alone. Buy some now and put it in the shed. It will be worth dozens of times the cost in a year or two.

If the British Prime Ministers crazed plan to ban real autos in just eight years time were to come to pass, the UK alone would consume almost all of the worlds current supplies of lithium carbonate, as well as half the global annual output of copper and twice the global output of cobalt. Worse still, as the price of electrical power continues to rise as coal-fired stations are needlessly shut down, not only the capital cost but also the running cost of electric buggies will put personal transport  one of the greatest freedoms the West has given to the world  far beyond the reach of the ordinary motorist.

In the real world no longer inhabited by Western politicians, net-zero carbon dioxide emissions are not in practice achievable. As if the scarcity and soaring prices of rare-earth and other essential minerals as artificially increased demand driven by net-zero foolery rapidly outstrips supply were not bad enough, a net-zero electricity grid is simply unattainable. The reason is that once the installed capacity of unreliables (wind and sun) becomes equal to mean hourly demand, as it very nearly does in the US and in the UK, adding more unreliables cannot reduce total grid emissions.

In any event, the requirement to back up unreliables with spinning reserve power from gas-fired power stations wipes out any theoretically obtainable reduction in emissions. Analysis of published grid data in the US shows that, notwithstanding close to 10% of capacity contributed by unreliables, only 0.3% of total grid emissions is being abated. By the time emissions from construction and cabling are taken into account, that 0.3% becomes a net-zero cut in emissions. Forgive the pun.

In any event, net-zero emissions are unnecessary. Climatologists perpetrated a grave error of physics in 1984 when they borrowed feedback method from control theory in engineering physics without understanding it. They forgot the Sun was shining. They added the large solar feedback response to, and miscounted it as part of, the actually minuscule feedback response to the small direct warming by greenhouse gases. Thus, they overstated CO 2 -driven warming fourfold. After correction, global warming will continue to be, as it has long been, small, slow, harmless, and net-beneficial. Not a cent need or should be spent on attempts  futile in any event  to abate it.

Had it not been for the Wests capitulation to Communist propagandists paid by Russia and China to peddle the official global warming narrative and profiteering by the ineffable strategic immaturity, scientific illiteracy and economic innumeracy of our current generation of politicians, trembling in fear of being unpersoned, the West would never have given Putin the means to rebuild his forces. But it is we who elect the politicians. Irresponsibly, we chose a close-to-Communist administration led by a fumbling geriatric in the United States and an etiolated, clapped-out, effete, no-longer-Conservative administration led by a notorious and all-too-exploitable sexual incontinent in Britain.

Ion Mihai would be appalled. In his handwritten dedication to me on the dedication page of his book Desinformatsiya, he wrote: Dear Viscount Monckton, Please receive my warm thanks for your tireless exposure of Communism/Progressivisms economic stupidity and for your valuable help given to those who engaged in the war against Communism and Progressivism. With gratitude, Ion Mihai Pacepa. Ion Mihai is now merry in Heaven. In 2021 that friend of freedom died and I attended his virtual memorial along with his formidable widow and also the former CIA director who had long been his handler. How sorely we miss him.

The gallant president of Ukraine and the army of brave citizens now fighting not only for their nations right to determine its own destiny but also for their very lives have us, the voters of the West, to thank for their existential predicament. After decades of imprudent self-disarmament aggravated by the global-warming stupidity by which we have long been funding the militaristic expansions both of Putin and of Xi, we are scarcely less at fault for the plight of Ukraine than is Vlad the Invader himself.

Christopher Monckton is the third Viscount Monkton of Brenchley
Something called a Mission Critical toolkit has been disseminated amongst British intelligence agencies MI5, MI6, and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), according to the Daily Mail. The Daily Mail published the leaked documents showing that the intelligence agencies are promoting inclusive language, attempting to do away with verbiage that could reinforce dominant cultural patterns, and urging Britains spies to declare their preferred pronouns and add them to their email signatures.

This new guidance was allegedly approved by Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the U.K.s national security adviser. But wait, isnt the title Sir a vestige of bygone days? Is it not binary in nature, as well as being classist? Does it not itself reinforce dominant cultural patterns?

The toolkit, shared internally in early December, purportedly states: Sharing your pronouns, if you are comfortable doing this, helps to create an environment in which this is normal. It notes, In national security, look out for words and phrases, such as strong or grip, that reinforce the dominant cultural patterns. (Really? Well, not to worry then; the dominant cultural patterns wont be dominant for long.)

Documents in the toolkit also allegedly state, Avoid jargon, hierarchy or gender biases, and strongly caution against the use of the term manpower. Sir Lovegrove would disapprove.

Use gender-neutral language to reflect peoples diversity and reduce stereotypes and assumptions, for example about job roles and functions which need not be gender-defined.

Image: Flying the trans flag over M16s headquarters. Twitter screen grab.

The toolkit tells staff that they should understand your unconscious bias, be aware of intersectionality, acknowledge your privilege, and consider refusing to speak on all-male panels. In that kind of climate, I think I would refuse to speak at all.

The nanny state toolkit also encourages intelligence officers to read a list of books focusing on diversity, inclusion, and equity, including those by critical race theory advocate Kimberle Crenshaw.

Richard Moore, chief of Britains Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), declared: Were proud of our trans and non-binary colleagues and committed to providing an inclusive workplace where you can be your true self. Diversity makes us more effective, inclusion makes us stronger. Apparently, you can be your true self only if you fully agree with the trans and non-binary agenda, and the inclusion of anyone else would not make British intelligence services more effective or stronger.

MI6 proudly flew the transgender flag over its headquarters last April, to mark the Transgender Day of Visibility. Historically, a nations spies and intelligence agencies liked to keep a low profile for numerousand obviousreasons. Secrecy was the key to success, not visibility. Of course, back in those silly old days, Western leaders typically thought that protecting ones nation was more important than catering to a specific special interest groupor making sure their virtue-signaling tolerance was as visible as a transgender flag flying high above Vauxhall, Londons MI6 headquarters.
As of today, thirty member countries constitute the NATO alliance. Between 1999 and 2020, fourteen countries were admitted into NATO in the following order: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. Much of that real estate borders Russia, and the U.S. is committed to defending those lands against Russian aggression.

Alliances can be powerful deterrents to war, but they can also be dangerous. After Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, the Serbians agreed to a long, demeaning list of Austrian demands to avert war. Nevertheless, the Austrians insisted on crushing Serbia without fear of drawing Russia to Serbia's defense, knowing that the Kaiser had sworn the equivalent of a Teutonic blood oath to defend Austria unconditionally,

On December 9, 2021, Reuters reported that in a 90-minute phone call, President Biden had assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance was in its own hands. Said Zelensky: "President Biden said very clearly that the decision on Ukraine's accession to NATO is the decision of the Ukrainian people only, this is a sovereign and independent Ukrainian state, he said ... and it depends on Ukraine and NATO members."

Surely Biden knew that admitting Ukraine into NATO was a red line for Putin that would trigger a military response, and surely Putin knew about the phone call if Reuters published an article about it. Knowing we could not realistically prevent Russia from invading Ukraine if she was determined to do so, was it wise to give Zelensky those assurances just as Putin was massing troops on the border?

Last week, the New York Times reported that for the last three months, from December through February, U.S. intelligence officials had been sharing information about Russian troop movements with the Chinese, in an unsuccessful attempt to get China to dissuade Putin from invading Ukraine. The intelligence given to the Chinese was passed on to the Russians, and wouldn't that harm rather than help the Ukrainians, whose interests we are presumably defending?

On the face of it, the behavior of the Biden administration makes it look as though Biden's people were baiting Putin into invading Ukraine. But why? Getting a stock villain to do so something villainous can help shift the focus of the administration's tanking poll numbers. That's a high-risk motive if that's what it is. Then you have the Green New Dealies, who are influential in the Democrat party and are ever impervious to political and economic damage. They hate low oil and gas prices because they know that high oil and gas prices make their unpopular grand schemes more palatable to the masses. Motive or not, it's a fact that the U.S. imported 12 million to 26 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per month from Russia in 2021, and we import more gasoline from Russia than from any other country: "In 2021, Russia accounted for 21% of all U.S. gasoline imports, with Canada second at 17%." To compound those stats, Biden's cancelation of the Keystone Pipeline has deprived us of about 800,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada.

There's plenty of blame for this mess to be laid on Biden's lap. Our military's readiness, effectiveness, and status in the world have certainly been degraded by Biden. The whole world witnessed the humiliation of our withdrawal from Afghanistan. Wherefore art those woke generals who howled that climate change is the number-one threat to our national security? So far only John Kerry is dumb enough to publicly fret that the horror and stench of war are bad for the climate.

Putin has put Russia on some sort of Defcon nuclear alert and has said removing Russian banks from the SWIFT banking network would be an act of war. An American/Russian cyber-war could be devastating to power grids, financial networks, and the energy sector.

As much as we may wish for the resistance of the Ukrainians and the sanctions from the U.S. and Europe to succeed, we can only hope that those actions don't result in a catastrophic escalation of events. A bitter compromise agreement between Russia and Ukraine with which neither side is entirely happy may be the best result that can be achieved.

Image: Vitaliy Ragulin.
When I think of former attorney general William Barr, I think of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Part of him is an upstanding figure who respected constitutional limitations; another part of him is a loyal swamp creature who desperately wanted to serve a milquetoast George W. Bush (or George H.W. Bush) only to find himself working for a vigorous, aggressive Donald J. Trump. Both those aspects of his personality apparently come through loud and clear in a new 600-page book (and doorstop) in which he narrates his stints as U.S. attorney general under George Bush, Sr. and Donald Trump.

I have not read One Damn Thing after Another and do not intend to. Everything in this short essay is based upon the New York Post's article about the book.

First, the part of the article that reflects well on Barr's relatively short stint as Trump's A.G.:

In his book, Barr defends himself against accusations that he was protecting Trump when he issued a summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. He also dropped the criminal case against Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser, for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials during the presidential campaign. Barr wrote that he had to intervene in those cases because of what he saw as overreach by federal prosecutors. "Predictably our motion to dismiss the charges led to an election-year media onslaught, flogging the old theme that I was doing this as a favor to Trump," he wrote in the book. "But I concluded the handling of the Flynn matter by the FBI had been an abuse of power that no responsible AG could let stand."

Barr was correct. His summary of Mueller's report was accurate in all respects, so he did nothing wrong by writing it. As for Flynn, both the FBI and the prosecutors were engaged in gross overreach and abuse of power. It would have been a travesty to proceed, and Barr rightly pulled the plug.



Image: Bill Barr. YouTube screen grab.

However, with the Mueller Report front and center in my brain, I take serious issue with Barr's criticisms about Trump  criticisms that seem to arise from the fact that Barr and Trump didn't get along:

The conservative lawyer encouraged members of his party to consider "an impressive array of younger candidates" whom he did not identify by name  who he believes share Trump's agenda but not his "erratic personal behavior," the book says. The former attorney general, who served from February 2019 to December 2020, wrote that the former president has "shown he has neither the temperament nor persuasive powers to provide the kind of positive leadership that is needed."

The fact is that, with the massive, vicious, defamatory Russia hoax dogging almost all of his presidency, Trump was never given the opportunity truly to lead. That is, he was able to use his management skills to incredibly good effect, but the Democrat establishment ensured that he was not able to function as either a leader or a statesman. For Barr, who had Robert Mueller's report in front of him  a report that tried desperately to smear Trump but was unable to do so because the facts weren't there  to attack Trump is just low.

When you look at Trump's successes despite the indecently corrupt anchor dragging him down, it's really extraordinary: a roaring economy; energy independence; a border coming under control (something, again, that the Democrats blocked); improved racial relations (blown to bits by George Floyd's selfish, drug-induced death and the Democrats' BLM/Antifa response); growing peace in the Middle East; a slow vise closing around Xi Jinping, the Iranian mullahs, Hamas, and Putin; and a growing rapprochement with Kim Jong-un, who was gently being inveigled into the fold of civilized nations.

Barr also doubles down on his claim that the election was untainted by fraud, even though it was immediately obvious that multiple states and jurisdictions had unconstitutionally removed checks against fraud and engaged openly in vote fraud. Whether Barr did so because he hated Trump, was a coward, was siding with his Bush buddies, or something else, I don't know, and I'm betting he doesn't explain it in the book.

All I know is that when I look at our open borders, broken economy, racial divisions, insane slide into wokeness, weakened military, and now a possible nuclear showdown with Russia, I strongly blame Barr. There's nothing in his book that can be sufficiently exculpatory for me ever to forgive him for abandoning Trump when the chips were down and it was clear that the other side had cheated.
A long time ago, a power-mad tyrant established himself as the autocratic ruler of a democratic country. He crushed dissent within his own country, and then he began to make demands on other countries. At first, he went after small, weak countries. Often, he would take small parts of that country and annex them to his country. These were minor countries on the world stage, so most other countries would not stand up against him for those insignificant places.

Other countries argued, "Why should we stand up for these little countries? This will only result in a major war. Who wants to risk another world war?" So no one wanted to stand up to him.

Then one day, the tyrant changed his ways and simply invaded another country. There was a cover story giving a phony reason for the invasion, but everyone knew that it was false. The world knew that the invader would win, but everyone hoped for a miracle.

As you've guessed, that narrative could describe Hitler in the 1930s or Putin now, given that the parallels between the current Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Nazi invasion of Poland are many. What's different is that there was an optimism about the future at the start of World War II.

Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, and France all fell quickly to Hitler, yet those countries did not completely give in. They each formed a "government in exile" in another country, typically Britain.

Not only that, but expatriates who were able to make it to Britain formed their own fighting units, such as the "Free French" brigades and the Polish pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain. And don't forget the resistance fighters who waged unconventional war inside those countries. Each of these countries' governments and people expected that, one day, they would be able to return to their own land.



Image: Polish flyers (plus one Canadian) in the Battle of Britain. Public domain.

But where did that vision come from? Mind you, this was before the NATO alliance. It was before the United Nations was formed. And it was before the United States entered the war. By the fall of 1940, the only intact country fully opposed to Hitler's Third Reich, which stretched across most of Europe, was Britain. It was a pretty small alliance against such an overwhelmingly powerful foe. Britain had not yet won the Battle of Britain, an air battle. Neither the British nor these governments-in-exile had any idea how long it would take to defeat Hitler, but they were determined to try.

The ability of those governments-in-exile to continue the fight depended on three primary things:

Shelter: A country willing to shelter and support a government in exile. That country would be automatically targeted as Russia's enemy. Britain was already at war with Germany, so it had nothing to lose by sheltering governments-in-exile. Willingness: A cultural willingness to fight regardless of the strength of the enemy's forces. Churchill's speeches did much to strengthen his countrymen's resolve. Potential Leverage: A sense that a much larger military force just might be brought to bear in the near future. Britain worked for the U.S.'s participation, and it finally came about.

This is highly speculative, but if Russia were to defeat Ukraine in the near term, I think Poland might be the best bet for a government-in-exile. Let's evaluate those three criteria:

Concerning shelter, it is possible that a Western NATO country might be able to step into this role, but thus far no such country has stepped forward. Currently, though, Poland is allowing many Ukrainians fleeing the war to settle in their country. The Poles might accept a government-in-exile. Concerning willingness, Poland has a history of standing up to the Russian bear near the end of the Cold War. It's also a potential target of Russia because it's adjacent to Russia's ally, Belarus, and because Russia owned Polish land in the past. Concerning leverage, Poland is part of NATO. If the NATO treaty is to be believed and enforced, then war between Russia and Poland would bring the full force of that alliance to bear (pun intended).

It may be that the war will end with Russia retreating. However, if the Russians prevail, there is a strong possibility that Putin will follow Hitler and expand his wars of conquest. If that turns out to be true, it would be better for the world to stand against Putin now than a much stronger Putin in the future. And that's why the possibility of continuing the fight should be considered.
Trump absolutely did not praise Putin for invading Ukraine, contrary to what so many journalists; other Democrats; and people like Romney, Cheney, and other Trump-hating Republicans say.

What he said is that Putin is a genius. It related to how he hoodwinked the U.S. and NATO as he prepared for war. There have been and are a lot of evil geniuses. While Putin built up his troops and telegraphed everything he was going to do for months, Biden, NATO, and others just talked and threatened him with sanctions.

While Ukraine was asking for weapons, we were promising sanctions. Germany gave them helmets.

Hillary, Pelosi, and other Democrats are saying Biden's strategy on Ukraine and Russia has been brilliant. That is stupidity on steroids, yet the media, Democrats, Romney, Cheney, and others are not pointing out their pure ignorance. Of course, the media and other Democrats have always been more concerned about talking points than results.

Here is a timeline of items relating to Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. and under what president they occurred:

In 1994, during Clinton's presidency, the U.S. and U.K. coerced Ukraine to give up its nuclear weapons by promising to defend them if Russia ever attacked. No matter how many times in the last 28 years, The U.S. and U.K. have not kept their word.

In 2009, Obama backed out of a promise to put up missile shields in Poland and the Czech Republic, which certainly appeased Putin. It showed NATO members that the U.S. could not be trusted to keep its word.

In March 2012, Obama whispered to the Russian president that he would be more flexible after the election.



YouTube screen grab.

Before the election in 2012, Obama laughed at Romney when Romney said Russia was a dangerous adversary.

In 2013, the Obama administration gave Russia permission to take over a uranium mine from Canada and America, and all Russia had to do was give massive kickbacks to the Clintons.

Obama drew a red line that if Syria ever used chemical weapons on his people, that country would be in big trouble. Yet Syria used them, and Obama essentially moved the red line and engaged Russia to monitor Assad, the Russians' buddy.

The Obama administration signed on to the worthless Paris agreement, which leaves Russia and OPEC more powerful to control oil prices and essentially does nothing about the climate. It destroys the U.S. economy by decimating our fossil fuel industry.

As Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, Obama refused to give the Ukrainians weapons, which certainly had to please Putin.

It had to be pleasing to Putin that the Obama-Biden administration was so willing to lie to build up Iran with hundreds of billions as the Iranians pledged death to America.

The more money Iran had, the more it could spend on arms in Russia, one of its biggest trading partners.

Contrast the actions of Obama and Biden with Russia to how Trump handled them:

Unlike Obama, Trump gave Poland and Ukraine weapons, which would have ticked off Putin.

In 2018, Trump pushed NATO allies to pay more for their defense, which had to displease Putin. He also told Germany and other NATO countries that it was dangerous to be so dependent on Russia for their energy needs. Sadly, they didn't listen.

Trump pulled out of the worthless Paris climate accord and started producing more American oil, which reduced the pricing power of Russia and OPEC and helped Americans with lower prices, especially the poor and middle class.

Trump pulled out of the Iran deal and punished Iran with many sanctions  and that harmed Russia.

Putin and other dictators had to be pleased that while Trump was in office, the media and other Democrats trashed our country as an unfair, systemically racist country and claimed that capitalism helps only the rich. They love propaganda that they can feed to their people to say how much better they are than us.

Then Biden took office and again catered to Putin:

One of the first things Biden did was block the Keystone pipeline and send a message that he would destroy the American fossil fuel industry. And prices started going up.

We also rejoined the Paris climate accord, which further weakens America and further raises prices. Anyone who thinks Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other oil-producing countries care about their carbon footprint needs to have his head examined.

Biden waived the sanctions on Nord Stream 2, which helped Russia and harmed Ukraine.

While Putin was building troops around Ukraine, the U.S. and other NATO allies were essentially begging Iran to get back in the Iran deal so we could help them build their economy. A main spokesman for Iran is a Russian. That is as brilliant as having Russia monitor chemical weapons in Syria.

The Iran Nuclear Talks' Breakout Player

Love him or hate him, Russia's man in Vienna has become the Iran deal's unofficial spokesman.

While Putin was preparing for war in Ukraine, the Biden administration was giving China intelligence, which the Chinese shared with Russia. Another brilliant strategy. What could go wrong?

While China was sharing intelligence with Russia, keeping the origin of the coronavirus secret, and committing genocide, the Biden Justice Department was deciding that it should stop investigating Chinese professors. Here is how CBS described it.

Dropped investigation of Chinese professors

The Justice Department is ending a controversial program, launched under the Trump administration, to hunt down Chinese spies. The "China Initiative" was designed to tackle a top national security priority: identifying and prosecuting those responsible for China's widespread theft of hundreds of billions of dollars a year in American trade secrets and intellectual property.

The media frequently insert the word "controversial" into news stories when they want to influence, not inform their audience. "Controversial" should be used in opinion pieces, not news pieces. What possibly is controversial about investigating Chinese professors when we know how much intellectual property China steals?

While Putin, Iran, and China prepare for war, the American military is focused like a laser on wokeness, computer-generated climate models, and kicking healthy people out of the military for refusing a vaccine that doesn't protect against a virus.

Will the media ever report on all the kickbacks to the Biden family from Russia, China, and Ukraine? Isn't it important to know if those kickbacks influence Biden's policies, or don't journalists care about pure corruption?

Journalists and others should pay attention to what politicians do instead of what they say. Make no mistake: Obama and Biden continually catered to Russia and Iran, and Trump held them at bay.

The main solution to controlling Putin has always been for other countries not to become dependent on him for their energy needs.
It is greatly heartening to see how well the Ukrainians have been fighting off Putin's invasion. Even for someone like me, who is skeptical of Russia's real military capabilities, it was surprising to hear how badly this is going. Now, apparently, the Russians are already bled so badly that Putin may have to call in reinforcements from Belarus. The average Russian soldier has no stomach for this fight.

Almost as incredible, the new German chancellor has stepped up with powerful sanctions and weapons support, showing the leadership NATO has long needed. The last SPD chancellor was a Russian mouthpiece. Angela Merkel  Frau Dummkopf, as I call her  was long Putin's enabler, possibly part of her long suspected communist past.

These developments, assuming they're really happening, must also have sent a chill down Chairman Xi's spine. The Red Chinese plans to take Taiwan  the Republic of China (ROC)  were often said to be similar to what Putin has tried in Ukraine, using much of the same arsenal of missiles and airplanes, their war machines being inferior copies of Russian designs. They would want to use a barrage of short-range missiles to soften up the ROC army, then land airborne troops, to get a toehold for a months-long amphibious invasion.

Given the well armed and trained land, sea, and air forces of the ROC, and a million-man reserve, such an operation now looks like a suicide mission.

But Ukraine's troubles are only beginning. The Ukrainians can fight off the Russians trying to enter their big cities, but they are surrounded. Another week, and the food shortages will be severe. Lack of medicines will see older people dying of chronic diseases and worse. We could see a modern version of WWII's Leningrad siege, maybe even with the cannibalism, if this keeps going.

Somebody has to go to Moscow and talk to Putin, to at least get a ceasefire in place and allow humanitarian supplies to come in. There are only two people who have ever impressed Putin on the world stage enough to pull this off: Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.

Mr. Xi leads Russia's only important ally. And Mr. Trump, whatever some Americans think of him, dominates world opinion in a way nobody has since Ronald Reagan. Uniquely, he is seen now as likely to return to the presidency.

Mr. Xi won't lift a finger to help. Why would he? Mr. Trump, though, would be happy to lead a delegation to give this a try.

Right now, Old Joe is hiding away in Delaware, and Team Biden, Blinken, Klain, Wendy Sherman is still trying to do a sell-out deal with Iran. That's why Saudi Arabia won't increase oil production. Waiting for these folks to get the message and do something smart may be a long time in coming.

But perhaps with all the newfound courage among our NATO leaders, one or two of them can ask Trump to go visit Putin on their behalf. Making a deal with Trump instead of Biden could be just the kind of face-saving gesture that would entice Putin to stop the shooting.

As long a shot as this may be, I figure the odds are better than what I suspect Team Biden may actually be planning: sending Kamala Harris over to beguile Putin with her feminine charms.

Frank Friday is an attorney in Louisville, Ky.
The Biden administration has done a lot of damage to immigration enforcement in the U.S., but perhaps its most dangerous move has been its consistent refusal to deport criminal illegal aliens who commit crimes right here in the U.S.

The latest example of the Biden administration's malfeasance came late last month, when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) canceled a deportation request for an illegal alien who allegedly killed a teenager in a hit-and-run incident. Heriberto Fuerte-Padilla, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in November 2020 after he allegedly drunkenly rammed his car into the car of 19-year-old Texas woman Adrienne Sophia Exum, killing her. Fuerte-Padilla then allegedly fled the scene before police officers caught up and apprehended him. After initially putting out a detainer for Fuerte-Padilla's deportation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rescinded the detainer after Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas dramatically reduced the pool of illegal aliens eligible for deportations.

"To be arrested or deported, a migrant now must be a national security risk, a recent border jumper or a public safety risk," a report from the Washington Times stated.

While most law-abiding Americans would likely consider drunk driving a "public safety risk," Mayorkas has made clear that he sees things differently. Shortly after taking office last year, Mayorkas announced that many criminal illegal aliens living in the country no longer had to worry about being deported. The guidelines adopted by DHS under Mayorkas's leadership give free passes to illegal aliens who commit crimes such as drunk driving and assault. Other illegal aliens living in Texas with drunk driving offenses are also getting a pass, according to the Washington Times' report.

Another illegal alien who is benefiting from the Biden administration's relaxed rules is Jose Godoy Vasquez, an illegal alien from Guatemala who now lives in Texas. Vasquez has a lengthy criminal record, which includes convictions for drunk driving, drug possession, and domestic violence. Like Fuerte-Padilla, Vasquez initially had an ICE detainer on him, which was rescinded as a result of the policies implemented by Mayorkas after he took office. This means that Vasquez will be able to continue to live in Texas once he's released from prison in 2025 unless a new administration is elected and rescinds the White House's current policies.

The Washington Times' report also noted Nay Thar, an illegal alien from Thailand who was previously convicted of drug possession and drunk driving. Thar was released from prison earlier this year and will be allowed to continue to live in Texas because of the Biden administration's guidelines.

Biden is doubling down on his radical anti-borders agenda even as polls make clear that the American people oppose these policies. Even some Americans who cast their ballots for Biden in the last presidential election now regret their votes, including Adrienne Sophia Exum's mother, who recently expressed outrage over the administration's refusal to deport her daughter's alleged killer.

"By him not being deported, it's like you telling me my daughter's life didn't mean anything," she said in a recent Fox News interview.

It may sound harsh, but it's certainly a reasonable conclusion to come to, given the Biden administration's stubborn refusal to hold criminal illegal aliens accountable. At the very least, it's fair to say there is a startling lack of empathy from America's leaders toward victims of illegal alien crime. We see this lack of empathy demonstrated not just in this administration's refusal to deport illegal aliens convicted of drunk driving offenses, but in instances involving other crimes as well.

A recent investigation from the Immigration Reform Law Institute uncovered the story of Antonio Miranda-Cota, an illegal alien in Nevada who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for repeatedly bludgeoning his construction co-worker in the head with a claw-hammer, an act that nearly killed his victim. Miranda-Cota had previously been referred for deportation after two previous assaults but was allowed to stay in the country and was ultimately given a work visa by the Obama administration. Miranda-Cota's victim survived the attack but has lost his ability to work, and he was not allowed to read a victim impact statement at Miranda-Cota's sentencing.

These crimes evoke outrage because of how preventable they are. The refusal of our political elites to enforce the law has led to a body count that continues to grow. The Biden administration's radical moves to protect criminal illegal aliens will only create more victims and more suffering.

William J. Davis is a communications associate for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration.

Image: Pixnio, public domain.
Last week marked a grim period in American history. It was 80 years ago that, in the name of the "greater good," 120,000 Americans were rounded up by the "woke" ruling party of the day and shipped off to camps in order to "protect" everyone.

They lost homes, businesses, jobs, savings, and in many cases their lives. They were denied their freedom and the American dream they were promised.

In the aftermath, and upon reflection, it was determined that the Japanese-American internment during World War II not only was unlawful but also had no positive effect on the "greater good." Our nation pledged never again to allow this type of horror to be repeated.

But that was then.

Now, as we exit the two-year pandemic, we see many of the same tendencies from the "woke" ruling party of the day. In the name of the "greater good," we were thrust into home lockdowns and told "two weeks to slow the spread," a blatant lie to anyone familiar with the science of diseases. We were forced to mask up, to stand six feet apart, to let our loved ones die alone, lest we risk the safety of others to say goodbye. Above all, we were told that, to be re-accepted into society as we once knew it, we must undergo (at least) three doses of an experimental vaccine...or else!

Many lost homes, businesses, jobs, savings, and in many cases their lives. They were denied their freedom and the American dream they were promised.

In the aftermath, and upon reflection, we're learning that masks are actually detrimental, that lockdowns did nothing to slow the spread, and that the mRNA shots don't stop anything.

It's highly unique that in America, government is formed in order to "protect the liberties of the people." Yet there have been times when government has forgotten its role, all with the well-intentioned "greater good" in mind.

But our founders were wise to this excuse. They knew all too well that unrestrained power can be exercised upon an unsuspecting people where there are no laws in place to limit that power. The dictatorial whims of King George were a prime example.

Freedom to work and freedom of medical choice have always been fundamental tenets of our society. Government was granted only the powers expressed in the Constitution, leaving all other power to the citizens who allow them the power to govern. The government must not be allowed to trample on the people's power  even for the "greater good."

It was Ronald Reagan who said freedom is only one generation away from extinction. Every generation has its moment to take a stand and preserve our great democratic republic that was gifted to us by Almighty God and administered through remarkable minds during our nation's founding.

Exposing the festering poison of government control disguised as pandemic "safety" measures is just the beginning. There is much more to be done, and each of us has an opportunity to contribute. Let us each find the courage to do so. Let freedom ring.

Andrew Crapuchettes is the founder and CEO of RedBalloon, founded in 2021 to fight alongside business owners, hiring managers, and job seekers to protect and preserve the fundamental freedom to work  regardless of one's medical decisions, pronoun choices, or ideology.

Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
(Image source from: Twitter.com)

Telangana Chief Minister KCR is focused on national politics and he announced a Federal Front. For the same, he has been meeting several crucial leaders of the regional parties of the country. KCR left for New Delhi on Monday to meet several leaders in the national capital. A day before this, political strategist Prashant Kishor met KCR at his Erravelli farmhouse. There are strong talks that KCR will meet AAP Chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today to discuss about the Federal Front. KCR has also plans to meet retired bureaucrats and the officials of defence. KCR is planning a crucial meeting in Hyderabad very soon as per the update.

Rakesh Tikait, the Union Leader for Farmers who was active in the protest of the farmers will meet KCR today in New Delhi. Telangana government announced an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakhs for the deceased farmers in the agitation. KCR's daughter Kavitha along with TRS leaders Santosh Kumar, B Vinod Kumar and V Srinivas Goud are present along with KCR for his Delhi trip. KCR and the leaders flew to Delhi from Begumpet airport. KCR recently met Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai recently. KCR is also in plans to meet some of the leaders from Punjab during his Delhi tour. The Telangana Chief Minister is in plans to launch Mana Vooru-Mana Badi program from Wanaparthy on March 8th.
COSCO SHIPPING has ensured its core business remains globally competitive while building a comprehensive logistics supply chain service ecosystem.

China COSCO SHIPPING Corporation Limited (COSCO SHIPPING) was founded in Shanghai on February 18, 2016 as a result of the merger between China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COSCO) and China Shipping (Group) Company (China Shipping). In the six years since its restructuring, COSCO SHIPPING has attached equal importance to improving the competitiveness of its core businesses and optimizing the industrial chain layout, while facilitating the global economic and trade development and creating an integrated logistics supply chain ecosystem. By constantly optimizing its business structure and layout and establishing a market-oriented operation system, it has made unremitting efforts to become a world-class enterprise with global competitiveness.

Chinas first 20,000 TEU container vessel COSCO SHIPPING ARIES is docked at the port of Piraeus, Greece.

Focus on Core Business and Optimize Industrial Structure

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), COSCO SHIPPING carried out deep and rapid reforms during the restructuring process. While focusing on four strategic dimensions  scale growth, profitability, anti-cyclicality, and globalization, it made an overall plan to promote the integration of group headquarters and the reorganization of its core businesses. In 2016, also the initial year of its restructuring, COSCO SHIPPING completed the reorganization of its headquarters and seven core industrial clusters, including container shipping, ports, oil tankers, dry bulk shipping, logistics, shipping finance, and equipment manufacturing, as well as its overseas networks. Based on that, it successively completed a number of integration projects on seafarer management and educational resources, in addition to a total of 20 major specialized restructuring reforms. Eleven listed companies were engaged in the reorganization, involving 130,000 employees and more than 1,600 units in more than 160 countries and regions.

Through reform and reorganization over the past six years, COSCO SHIPPING has continuously consolidated its industrial leadership and become the worlds largest integrated shipping enterprise, with a fleet capacity of more than 110 million DWT. It has also become the worlds largest terminal operator, with an annual throughput of 130 million TEUs. COSCO SHIPPING ranked 231st among the Fortune 500 in 2021, up 234 places compared with the pre-merger ranking.

Today, the global operations of COSCO SHIPPING are gaining steam, with the overseas assets, income and net profits accounting for 57 percent, 59 percent and 63 percent of the total, respectively. In addition, the core businesses weigh more heavily, as the ability of the corporation to serve globalization has been effectively enhanced. Its total shipping capacity has increased by 35 percent compared with the pre-merger period, and the container shipping capacity has increased by 78 percent. Particularly since 2020, COSCO SHIPPING has added 47 ships into its fleet, with a capacity of 6.76 million DWT to stabilize imports and exports, ensure the transportation of anti-pandemic supplies, and safeguard the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain.

Build an Unimpeded Service Supply Chain

COSCO SHIPPING highlights the role of business that serves as a pivotal point and continuously strengthens port operations in the Belt and Road countries. Terminal business is the foundation and strategic support of its global network. COSCO SHIPPING has so far invested RMB 64.2 billion in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and invested in 20 ports. In 2016, it acquired 67 percent of the equity in the Port of Piraeus, the largest port in Greece, and fully took over its operation. In 2019, the throughput of the Port of Piraeus jumped to 5.4 million TEUs, making it the largest port in the Mediterranean, and bringing great economic and social benefits to the local communities. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis jointly inspected the port on November 11, 2019. According to President Xi, the Belt and Road Initiative advocated by China is not just a slogan or a legend, but a real and exciting example of cooperation. He said that the project is a successful example of China and Greece complementing each others advantages and pulling together to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

The China-Europe Land-Sea Express starting from the Port of Piraeus has become the third trade corridor from the Far East to Europe. Extending from the Far East to the Port of Piraeus by sea, and then to the hinterland of Central and Eastern Europe by rail, it covers nine countries along the route and a population of 71 million.

COSCO SHIPPING places great emphasis on total logistics and consolidates the land-sea integrated logistics service foundation. Since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed, COSCO SHIPPING has been increasing its investments in Asia-Europe sea-rail intermodal transport and Asia-Europe freight trains. Transport services, including Chongqing-Shenzhen, Chengdu-Shenzhen, Lianyungang-Kazakhstan-Europe, and Tianjin-Moscow lines, have been launched successively in recent years. To further boost the construction of the new land-sea corridor in the west, COSCO SHIPPING has opened new ocean routes with Qinzhou Port in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as the departure or stopover port. Combined with the service provided for the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, special trains offering intermodal transport service were also put into operation in 2021, with new accomplishments achieved at Hainan Free Trade Port by the supporting industrial chains. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, COSCO SHIPPING launched special trains to transport pandemic prevention supplies to Germany, France and other countries and regions, which have provided a strong guarantee for the resumption of import and export trade of local enterprises, as well as great support for overseas pandemic prevention and control.

COSCO SHIPPING highlights innovation-driven development and promotes the creation of a digital-empowered industrial ecosystem. During the reform, COSCO SHIPPING has been promoting digital innovation and transformation, applying big data technology to build a data integration platform to continuously improve its global resource allocation capabilities. It pioneered the application of blockchain technology in the shipping industry, and took the lead in building the industrys first blockchain alliance  Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN). The GSBN platform has launched the paperless cargo release application, cutting the time for imported goods to be document ready for release from 24-48 hours to less than 4 hours. COSCO SHIPPING also launched Syncon Hub, a visual shipping e-commerce platform, and put into use the IRIS4 global container management system and e-commerce platforms for domestic trade to promote the realization of digital transformation and improve the transportation efficiency and service quality. In addition, it also launched Chinas first smart port with full-scenario application of 5G technology at Xiamen Ocean Gate Container Terminal, achieving smart port operation in all business scenarios empowered by 5G technology. Its data integration platform, IRIS4 system and GSBN blockchain platform have been successively listed as major projects by the Ministry of Transport

While carrying out global operations, COSCO SHIPPING also highlights the obligation of fulfilling its corporate social responsibility. It attaches great importance to its overseas charitable causes and continues to organize regular charitable donations. In 2020, it launched a campaign in overseas markets to battle against COVID-19, donating 42 batches of supplies in cash and kind to more than 20 countries to support the global fight against the pandemic. COSCO SHIPPING (North America) was presented the 2020 Hero Award by the city of Secaucus where it is based and the Hudson Regional Hospital, as a recognition of its contribution to the local community during the pandemic. COSCO SHIPPING also received letters of thanks from Rotterdam Port Authority. The donation activities held by COSCO SHIPPING in Italy were covered by local media, including Rai Radiotelevisione Italiana and ANSA News Agency, which reported that at this historical moment, COSCO SHIPPINGs donations are more precious than gold and diamonds.
North Andover, MA (01845)

Today

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
The Huawei chairman says that the company does not intend to retreat from international markets despite sanctions and political issues. Huawei is currently one of the main victims of the dispute between the West and China.

Huaweis Rotating Chairman Guo Ping presented his pre-recorded message to the MWC 2022. He stressed that others should judge Huawei by its achievements, not by where the company is located.

Huawei has been excluded from all Western telecom development projects on charges of collaborating with the Chinese government on censorship and espionage. Regarding the issue, Ping said that to see the future, we need to look up, above the politics, partisanship, and rhetoric.

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Ping also noted Huaweis determination to continue its presence in international markets. Many people ask whether Huawei will retreat from the international market. But the answer continues to be no. We are committed to helping customers who choose us to achieve the greatest business success.

Despite all hardships, Huawei wont give up international markets

Allegations of collaborating with the Chinese government have caused Huawei to lose a large portion of its market share. In this regard, the companys profit in 2021 decreased significantly.

Huawei even hoped that it could reach an agreement with the new administration of the United States. However, Joe Biden whipped Huawei hopes by imposing new rounds of sanctions on the company and other Chinese manufacturers.

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But Huawei still wants to continue to operate in international markets. The company has adopted new strategies and focused more on other areas of technology. We are reshaping three areas  fundamental theories, architecture, and software  that will support the long-term sustainable development of the ICT industry, Ping noted.

Pings say that his company will increase its investment in foundational technologies that will reshape the technological paradigm.

MWC 2022 could be a good opportunity for Huawei to showcase its latest achievements and let others know what valuable and cheap technologies they may lose if Huawei is excluded from global markets.
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(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 1 - The EU will be held responsible for the lethal weaponry it is supplying to Ukraine, Russia's ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov said Tuesday.

"The citizens and structures of the EU involved in supplying lethal weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces will be held responsible for any consequence of such action in the context of the ongoing special military operation," he said.

"They cannot fail to grasp the degree of danger of the consequences".

Razov also said EU sanctions on Russia would not "remain unanswered". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 1 - A 29-year-old Albanian bandit who broke out of jail at Vercelli by lowering himself down from his cell on a bedsheet on New Year's Eve has been caught in the Netherlands, Italian police said Tuesday.

Kristjan Mehill, a member of the 'gang with the ice-cold eyes' who staged a string of burglaries in villas in Piedmont and Lombardy, was serving a term until 2029.

The gang's biggest heist was in November 2018 when they stole cash and valuables worth some 40,000 euros from noted Monferrato wine producer Riccardo Coppo after repeatedly threatening to blow his brains out unless he opened his safe.

The armed and violent gang were arrested in May 2019.

Police said they operated with military precision - the same precision shown in Mehill's spectacular jail break.

Three alleged accomplices in the jail break were also arrested.

(ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 1 - The Italian embassy in Ukraine is being moved from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv due to the deterioration of the security situation in the capital and the resultant impossibility of ensuring full functionality, the foreign ministry in Rome said Tuesday.

The embassy will move to Lviv in order to continue to carry out its functions, like other embassies which have already moved there, the ministry said. (ANSA).


The debate about what democracy is, permanently crosses political and academic boundaries, extending in certain contexts to the whole of society. The system, conceived to defend the peoples right to elect and supervise their rulers through mechanisms of direct or indirect participation, is adopted mostly in the West, and in Latin America in particular, the U.S. model is used.

With the rise of China in the international arena, debates are making their way in the West about whether or not there is democracy in China as democracy has failed to solve many problems of the people in the West. Much more is known in China about the democracy that is practiced in the West than in the West about the Chinese political system and democratic practices.

Wang Xiaomei (first from left), deputy to the National Peoples Congress and vice principal of Qingshen Middle School in Qingshen County, Meishan City of Sichuan Province, conducts an on-site investigation of the implementation of the Qingshen Middle School relocation project, on May 14, 2020.

Differences between China and the West

There have been also a lot of discussions about democracy in China in recent years. However, it is considered a tool for the benefit of society, not a good in itself. On the other hand, in the West there is the conviction that if there is not an electoral process based on a multiparty system, with a very strong tendency towards U.S.-style bipartisanship, there is no democracy.

In general, in the Chinese intelligentsia there is a need to advance the internal democracy of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to further deepening the current economic, political, and ideological legitimacy. If the legitimacy of the CPC deteriorates, this will not only have consequences in China, but throughout the world.

Peoples congresses of different levels and the national and local committees of the Political Consultative Conference of the Chinese People are among the many platforms through which Chinese people can exercise democracy, participate in state and local affairs, voice their opinions, and supervise the government and the implementation of laws and the adopted resolutions.

Dr. Cristina Reigadas, a political philosophy and ethics expert from Argentina, holds that the claim that there is no democracy in China is a Eurocentric prejudice and that the Chinese political culture is suitable for democracy.

In the Chinese political reality, the efforts to strike a balance between tradition and innovation, as well as centrality and decentralization, within the framework of democratic centralism, create the best conditions for the growing popular participation of state affairs and democratic practices. This dynamic, enriching and not without challenges, is a process that is based on the sinicization of Marxism. It takes into account the rich ancient culture and philosophy of China, and allows a permanent adaptability to the changing reality, upholding the principle of seeking truth from the facts. This steers the country towards the resolution of contradictions, towards a society ruled by law and a socialist future.

In this regard, President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech in October 2021 at a central conference on work related to peoples congresses. There he stressed that the government encourages and promotes democracy in China and allows popular participation in national governance, adding, Whether a country is a democracy or not depends on whether its people are really the masters of the country.

Xi affirmed that democracy is a shared value of humanity and has always been cherished by the CPC and the Chinese people, and that it is not a decorative ornament, but an instrument for addressing the issues that concern the people.

On the other hand, he was very clear about the attacks on the Chinese political system by stating that to judge whether a country is democratic or not, one must look into whether the rules and procedures for the exercise of power are democratic, and more importantly, whether the exercise of power is genuinely subject to public scrutiny and checks. Xi contended, Whether a country is democratic should be judged by its people, not dictated by a handful of outsiders, in a clear reference to the interventionist policies and the anti-China campaign promoted by the United States and its allies in the West. Xi believes that there is no fixed model of democracy; it manifests itself in many forms.

A Permanent Debate

Based on what we have observed, it can be concluded that socialism with Chinese characteristics is not incompatible with democracy, as many Western analysts want to make out, starting from the idea that democracy is exclusively Western. On the contrary, in China there is a whole-process peoples democracy in place. And democracy per se is considered a tool to benefit society, not a good in itself.

One aspect that we consider very important is the way in which candidates for different legislative and executive positions are chosen in each country. In China, the starting point is direct elections at the base and indirect elections at higher levels. The candidates are proposed by local communities and grassroot organizations. The elected, in turn, designate the higher representative authorities, but having to answer to the lower instances for their decisions. In China, deliberative democracy is advancing, an effective practice to make the principle that the people are the masters of the country, a reality.

Although it is very difficult to make predictions about how the political and participatory systems will evolve in China and in Western countries that follow the American model, there is some data provided by historical experience, by the processes underway, and by the systemic characteristics present in the capitalist or socialist objectives present in these countries, that can guide us to establish trends.

In this sense, we understand that if the process of building socialism with Chinese characteristics continues, with advances and setbacks, in the consolidation and creation of popular participation mechanisms, with the same flexibility that it has been demonstrating, it can achieve much deeper progress than what is expected.

On the contrary, many Western societies are facing the contradiction between the capitalist logic, based on exploitation, and the pre-eminence of increasingly concentrated economic, financial and media powers, which act as strong limitations to autonomous and sovereign projects and, ultimately, to the deepening of democracy.

RUBEN DARIO GUZZETTI is an international analyst and member of the China Studies Department of the Center for Marxist Studies and Training in Argentina.

MARCELO F. RODRIGUEZ is director of the China Studies Department of the Center for Marxist Studies and Training in Argentina.
(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 1 - Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Pier Francesco Zazo has managed to rescue around 20 children including six newborn babies as the Italian embassy in Ukraine was moved from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv due to the deterioration of the security situation in the capital and the resultant impossibility of ensuring full functionality, the foreign ministry in Rome said Tuesday.

The children had been taken in by the embassy in the last few days because they had no safe place to go.

The embassy is moving to Lviv in order to continue to carry out its functions, like other embassies which have already moved there, the ministry said. (ANSA).


BEIRUT - Over 300 people have been reported killed in February alone in the armed conflict in Syria that has been ongoing for over 10 years, according to the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The victims include 161 civilians - 34 children and teens and 11 women. The soldiers and militants killed are 172, mostly ISIS fighters, members of militias led by the Kurdish PKK, government soldiers and anti-regime fighters, the NGO said.



According to the detailed toll provided by the UK-based monitoring group, which has been counting for years on a widespread network of contributors on the ground, out of the 161 civilian victims, 45 were killed under torture in government-run prisons, including a minor. Another 33 victims, including two women and 16 minors, died in the explosion of landmines and other war explosives. Twenty-seven people, including four minors and four women, were killed in a raid carried out by the Russia-backed Syrian government. Three people - two children and a woman - died due to causes linked to the dire economic situation in regions strongly affected by chronic lack of food.



A woman and a child were killed by gunfire shot by Turkish border guards. One woman was killed by jihadist militants. Two men were killed under torture in prisons run by anti-regime militants. Four people, including two teens, were killed by Kurdish militias. An additional 20 people, including three women and five minors, were killed in armed clashes not directly connected to the armed conflict but caused by growing social tension.



The toll of non-civilian victims included 42 Kurdish and Arab members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the coalition of militias led by the anti-Turkish Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).



In addition to these victims there were 39 members of ISIS, 32 Syrian government soldiers, 16 loyalist militiamen, as many anti-regime militia members, six Shiite jihadists who are members of Hezbollah or other pro-Iranian militias, one Turkish soldier, another 18 unidentified armed men, according to the NGO.
TEL AVIV - Two Islamic Jihad militants were reportedly killed by Israeli gunfire last night in a refugee camp in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, according to a toll provided on Tuesday morning by Palestinian medical sources. The victims have been identified as Abdallah Hussari and Shadi Najem. The Islamic Jihad warned on Tuesday morning that it will retaliate. A message of solidarity towards militants who have taken up armed fight against Israel was issued by Hamas in Gaza.



Israeli military sources were quoted by local media as saying that border guards and a special plainclothes unit went inside the refugee camp in Jenin to capture a member of the Islamic Jihad, Imad abu al-Hija.



After his arrest, the Israeli unit was exposed to intense fire from automatic weapons and the launch of molotov cocktails and it responded by firing back. The two militants were hit during the shooting.



According to Israeli media, in Jenin the security services of the Palestinian National Authority are showing growing weakness, which induces Israeli forces to carry out an increasing number of operations.



Last week, Israeli forces killed a 14-year-old Palestinian whom they said was launching Molotov cocktails against them in the city of Bethlehem.



Some 475,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank, together with 2.9 million Palestinians, in settlements that are mostly considered illegal under international law.
BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed on Tuesday that Belgrade opposes sanctions against Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine. Vucic said that Serbia backed condemnations concerning the violation of territorial integrity, but did not adhere to sanctions, speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony to begin work on a planned highway connecting Belgrade to Sarajevo. Such a situation, he added, will remain until he is president. The situation could change if another president will be elected on April 3, he explained.



Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said Tuesday in Belgrade that Serbia deplores armed conflicts and the crisis that emerged in Ukraine, believing it is a mistake to violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any State. Selakovic was speaking at a meeting with the head of the EU representation in Belgrade, Emanuele Giaufret and ambassadors of EU countries in the Balkan State. Serbia, he added, clearly urges the respect of international law, on which its foreign policy is based.



Selakovic, who according to a statement issued by his ministry informed diplomats on the conclusions adopted over the past few days by the Council for national security, stressed at the same time that Serbia fully backs negotiations between the two sides and all international efforts to look for a peaceful and political solution to the crisis in Ukraine. Belgrade, he concluded, continues efforts to maintain peace and stability in southeastern Europe.
CAIRO - The daily cost for Egypt of Ukrainian tourists who are stranded in Egyptian tourist resorts is "between 50 and 100,000 pounds", or between 2,850 and 5,700 euros for each hotel, opposition website Mada Masr said on Facebook, citing a member of the "board of tourist facilities", Ali Mansour.



In case of a "continuation of the crisis and difficulties for Ukrainians to return" it is "possible" that the Egyptian union of tourist chambers will "help pay off the owners of hotels by negotiating with the government", noted Mansour.



According to the charge d'affaires of the Ukrainian embassy in Egypt, Ruslan Nechai , there are "16,000" Ukrainian tourists stranded in Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam, the three main seaside resorts on the Red Sea.
Belarusian military chiefs are among those to be targeted as part of the UKs first tranche of sanctions against Minsk for the role it is playing in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Belarus president Alexander Lukashenkos administration actively aids and abets Russias illegal invasion and should be made to feel the consequences.

Four senior defence officials and two military enterprises have been sanctioned with immediate effect under the UKs Russia sanctions regime, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

The named individuals will be unable to travel to the UK and any UK-based assets will be frozen.

The decision affects the Belarus chief of the general staff and first deputy minister of defence, Major General Victor Gulevich, who is responsible for directing the Belarusian armed forces.

The Foreign Office said the Belarusian military has supported and enabled the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Others sanctioned include Major General Andrei Burdyko, the deputy minister of defence for logistics and chief of logistics of the Belarusian armed forces; deputy minister of defence for armament and chief of armament of the Belarusian armed forces, Major General Sergei Simonenko; and deputy minister of defence, Major General Andrey Zhuk.

State enterprises JSC 558 Aircraft Repair Plant and JSC Integral, a military semi-conductor manufacturer, have also been included in the economic strike, the FCDO said.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has announced that sanctions relating to Russias invasion of Ukraine will be extended to hit Belarusian military officials and organisations (Efrem Lukatsky/PA)

JSC 558 provides maintenance and servicing to military aircraft at Baranovichi air base, from which Russian aircraft operated as part of the invasion, according to the department.

The Foreign Secretary said: We are inflicting economic pain on Putin and those closest to him.

We will not rest until Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity is restored.

The Lukashenko regime actively aids and abets Russias illegal invasion and will be made to feel the economic consequences for its support for Putin.

There will be nowhere to hide. Nothing  and no one  is off the table.

The move follows separate sanctions against Russia, including preventing designated Russian banks from being able to transact payments in sterling and have correspondent banking relationships with UK-based banks.

NEWS: UK imposes sanctions on Belarus for its role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) March 1, 2022

It is designed to cut Russias biggest bank, Sberbank, out of the UKs financial markets.

A ban has also been enacted on a range of exports critical to the maintenance and development of Russias military and strategic interests.

It is being applied in close alignment with the US, European Union and other partners to collectively cut off much of Russias high-tech imports, with the intention of constraining Russias future military-industrial and technological capabilities.

The Belarus sanctions are on top of those already applied on Minsk by the UK since 2020.

More than 100 people and organisations have previously been targeted in response to the fraudulent elections in Belarus and the litany of abhorrent acts and human rights violations that the Lukashenko regime continues to commit, the FCDO has said.
UN ready to scale up humanitarian operations in Ukraine once security permits

Xinhua) 08:11, March 01, 2022

Photo taken on Feb. 26, 2022 show a temporary resettlement site for people from Ukraine, in Przemysl, Poland. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

The UN Refugee Agency reported that more than half a million people have already crossed international borders, primarily toward Poland. At least 160,000 were internally displaced.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and partners are preparing to scale up humanitarian operations in Ukraine once the security situation permits, a UN spokesman said on Monday.

Local civil society organizations and volunteers are on the front lines providing support to everyone in need, including internally displaced people, those impacted by the violence and the people trying to cross borders, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"Our colleagues are telling us that days of intense clashes across parts of Ukraine have caused civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure, with severe humanitarian consequences," he said. "Road damage and insecurity have disrupted local supply chains and access to food and other basic items."

The spokesman said the UN Refugee Agency reported that more than half a million people have already crossed international borders, primarily toward Poland. At least 160,000 were internally displaced.

"Our humanitarian colleagues are also warning that the increasingly intense conflict threatens to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine and in neighboring countries," said Dujarric.

People from Ukraine arrive in Medyka, Poland, Feb. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Nan)

He said the World Food Programme (WFP) is launching a three-month emergency operation in Ukraine to provide food assistance for people fleeing the conflict. The WFP is on standby to assist refugees in neighboring countries, as requested.

WFP teams are on the ground in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev and in a number of neighboring countries, leading the emergency telecommunications and logistics clusters on behalf of the UN's humanitarian community, he said.

The WFP also warns that the Black Sea basin is one of the world's most important areas for grain and agricultural production and that the conflict's impact on food security will likely be felt beyond Ukraine's borders, Dujarric said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
NAIROBI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations has called for the use of science-based innovative solutions in order to halt the decline in the health of oceans globally.

Peter Thomson, the special envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Ocean, said Monday that science has the solution that is crucial toward restoring the health of marine and coastal ecosystems.

"The international community needs to produce solutions that could lead to starting a new chapter in the global ocean action," Thomson said at a forum on oceans held on the sidelines of the fifth resumed session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) underway in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Thomson emphasized there was an urgent need to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development and for use by future generations.

He observed that for a long time micro-plastics have unleashed health challenges to consumers of ocean resources.

Inger Andersen, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said that oceans must be kept healthy since millions of populations globally rely on them for survival while urging nations to embrace the blue economy since it is part of the solution to the growing ocean pollution and the climate crisis.

She urged UN member states to take keen attention to climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss in order to transform livelihoods and emphasized the need to embark on the transfer of technology and finance to save the planet from the global crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, pollution and waste.

She also called on fishing communities to embrace sustainable fisheries and ensure that plastics are not thrown into the water systems.

Macharia Kamau, the principal secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, observed that low funding toward blue oceans is part of the delay in meeting the fourteenth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG14), adding that 2 percent of funds that have been allocated through green climate projects is not enough for the island states and oceans programs. 
Sleeping in the basement, struggling to eat and keeping an eye on the news 24 hours a day.

That is the new reality for many Ukrainians, according to one student living just outside of the capital Kyiv.

Liza Chernobay, 19, spent the last six years studying at a school in Gloucestershire in England but was living with her parents in central Kyiv when the Russian invasion began.

Now they have moved outside of the city to stay with friends, where they are continuing to monitor the situation before deciding what to do next.

At the moment to travel is probably more dangerous than to stay where you are, she told the PA news agency.

Liza Chernobay said the last few days in Ukraine have felt like a dream (Liza Chernobay/PA)

If things will start to get worse but its just, the word worse  what is good and what is bad is quite relative at the moment.

Everything seems quite horrible.

Ms Chernobay said the last few days have felt unreal.

She said: It all felt like a dream  like Im gonna go to sleep, then wake up the next morning and everythings gonna be just fine, but it never happened.

And now Im realising that it is this new reality.

And very often I start thinking about what could have been, what life could have been, whats not gonna happen anymore, whats not possible anymore, and think about the bad things.

I try not to think about it because it doesnt help, but to be completely honest, it does pop into my mind quite often nowadays.

Ms Chernobay is due to return to the UK later this year to go to university but is now uncertain whether it will happen.

First of all, even though it sounds very morbid, but I dont know if Ill still be alive, she said. Hopefully, I will.

But I currently dont have a visa to the UK. If I managed to get to another country, I suppose that wont be a problem.

But also there is a factor which is a very, very big concern, which is the economic impact of this war on Ukraine.

For now she remains in her friends house, waiting to see what happens next.

And while the initial shock has lessened, Ms Chernobay is still struggling to come to terms with what is happening.

I think things are a little bit more calm, she said.

Well, again, the word calm here is used very relatively  calmer than before.

So I feel less shocked  still afraid, but not as intensely afraid.

Nowadays the routine consists of checking the news 24/7  its just my new job, to read the news and to share some information.

Liza Chernobay is now living with friends outside the Ukrainian capital Kyiv (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Her family and their friends are sleeping in the basement of the house, which she described as the best solution in the absence of a bomb shelter.

Many are struggling to eat and sleep though, and nearly all semblance of normal life is gone from her daily routine.

She said: It starts with checking the messages and asking my friends who are still in areas most affected whether they are OK  likewise my grandmother, shes still in Kyiv.

And I check the news.

And as a person living in 2022 I think its one of my small duties to spread truthful information so I do a lot of my own little media campaign on Instagram.

Ms Chernobay said they try to do some exercise and go outside when they can.

And she added: I was lucky to bring a book with me, but I havent touched it.

I just cant do anything normal  it just doesnt seem right.
The International Energy Agency said that all 31 member countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to send a strong message to oil markets that there will be no shortfall in supplies as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The IEA board made the decision at an extraordinary board meeting of energy ministers chaired by US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Besides the United States, other members of the organisation include the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Alexei Nikolsky/AP)

IEA members hold emergency stockpiles of 1.5 billion barrels.

The release amounts to 4% of stockpiles or roughly two million barrels per day for 30 days.

It is only the fourth time in history that the IEA has done a coordinated drawdown since the reserves were established in the wake of the Arab oil embargo in 1974.
Nicola Sturgeon has called on the UK Government to waive all visa requirements for any Ukrainian nationals fleeing the Russian invasion and seeking refuge in the UK.

In a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Scotlands First Minister said she is concerned current proposals from Westminster are still insufficient given the gravity of the situation.

Mr Johnson announced on Tuesday that more Ukrainians will be allowed to enter the UK to join family members as they flee the war zone, which his official spokesman said would widen eligibility to around 200,000 people, twice the number previously estimated.

Ms Sturgeon urged Mr Johnson to offer immediate refuge and sanctuary, where necessary for those who may be displaced.

She said: For those Ukrainians who were already in the UK prior to Russias unprovoked and illegal invasion, the UK Government announcement of temporary visa extensions and in-country visa category switching measures simply do not go far enough.

Ukrainians in the UK should be offered the assurance that they will be offered protection in the UK for as long as is required, regardless of their migration status.

In this respect it is vital that you lift No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and any employment restrictions so that individuals can support themselves and access vital public services during this difficult time without fear of breaching the conditions of their visa.

Her letter also says that Scotland stands ready to offer refuge and sanctuary for those who may be displaced as it did with the Syrian Resettlement Programme, which saw all 32 local authorities in Scotland welcome Syrian families into their communities.

Ms Sturgeon said it is vital that rapid, safe and legal routes be established immediately, cooperating with international partners wherever possible.

She said it is important to learn the lessons from the Afghanistan resettlement schemes in order to provide rapid and appropriate support to those who need it.

Ms Sturgeon added: We cannot turn our back on the people of Ukraine during what is arguably the most serious moment the world has faced since the end of the Cold War, and one of the most dangerous since World War II.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Poland on Tuesday (Leon Neal/PA)

She said further action is needed on three fronts  to support UK nationals and their family members who currently have a right to enter the UK but who face bureaucratic barriers, to establish a safe route for those fleeing conflict, and to support Ukrainian nationals currently in the UK or arriving here seeking refuge.

During a visit to Poland on Tuesday, Mr Johnson announced that individuals and organisations will be able to sponsor Ukrainian refugees to come to the UK.

The first phase of the plan had allowed people in Ukraine who had immediate family members in the UK to come and join them, but the move was criticised for being too restrictive.

Downing Street said people living in the UK would now be allowed to bring in adult parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings in addition to those who had previously been allowed.

Mr Johnson said the widened access would allow very considerable numbers of Ukrainians to come.

At Holyrood earlier on Tuesday, Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said that MSPs from all parties should call on the UK Government to waive visa requirements for Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.

A UK government spokesman said: The United Kingdom with Scotland within it has a strong and proud history of supporting people in need and that will never change.

We are making it easier for people here to bring their Ukrainian relatives to join them in the UK and today we announced further measures, including our sponsorship scheme, that could see thousands more come to the UK.

We welcome the Scottish Government and Scottish councils offers to support these efforts, demonstrating that when we pull together we can achieve so much more.
Russia could try to starve Ukrainian cities of food to break the fierce resistance to the invasion, Kyivs ambassador to the UK has told MPs.

Vadym Prystaiko said Vladimir Putin is facing a lack of progress. with civilians meeting his tanks by hurling Molotov cocktails from their cars rather than the flowers he dreamed of.

The diplomat warned that the Russian president could try to crush the will of the Ukrainian people to resist, and raised concerns about people running out of cash.

There is currently a lifeline to secure food supply, but Mr Prystaiko warned of a bottleneck, a very serious one and raised the need to explore the option of humanitarian ships being able to arrive in the Black Sea.

Conservative MP Bob Seely asked the ambassador during an appearance before the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee whether the Kremlins strategy could be to starve civilians into surrender.

Mr Prystaiko replied: The support and resilience is going so much against his (Mr Putins) plans and in Russia themselves start asking questions, What are we doing?

I believe they might use the tactics you described in the second part  try to block our cities, try to soften political position, try maybe some riots in Ukraine, because of the lack of foods, against the government.

Mr Prystaiko said officials might have to come up with some military solution to the distribution of food.

Mr Seely said he recognises that to prevent a civil breakdown you need arms and you need food.

The Ukrainian ambassador seemed to hold out little hope over the negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, saying we just stated our positions and went back to our capitals, with the Kremlin wanting demilitarisation and recognition of annexed state Crimea as Russian territory.

Addressing how Mr Putins assault can be overcome, Mr Prystaiko said: The only soft spot he still has is his own population. The circle around him, we dont believe that they are self-sufficient or risky enough to tell him no.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy has reached Poland after fleeing Ukraine.

The pro dancer, who was born in Ukraine and immigrated to the U.S. in 1994, shared the news Tuesday on Instagram.

"I'm in Poland," he wrote along with flag emojis for Ukraine and Poland.

(Screenshot: Maksim Chmerkovskiy via Instagram)

In a second post, he noted that he hadn't slept in 31 hours.

Chmerkovskiy, of Dancing With the Stars fame, had been in his birthland to shoot the reality competition series World of Dance Ukraine when Russia invaded. He documented his experience being in Kyiv as the war broke out.

On Monday, he shared that he had been arrested in Kyiv. He also said he was beginning his journey out of the county. It involved taking an overpacked train, with its five train cars stuffed with people fleeing, to the Poland border. The cabin he was riding was normally for 30 people, but they were told they would have to fit about 135 people.

Chmerkovskiy said he would be limiting updates to conserve battery power so he could stay in touch with his family. About 30 miles before reaching the border, he made a quick video when the train stopped to change wheels  and passengers used the restroom.

He talked about how "packed" the train cars were. He said one car was slightly less filled because it was devoted to transporting sick children and adults. More than 500,000 people have fled the country in recent days, the U.N. estimated.

In his updates, Chmerkovskiy previously made it clear that because he's Ukrainian-American and holds a U.S. passport, he had more options. ("I have a passport and a way out. A lot of people here do not," he said.) The dancer's full-time residence is in Los Angeles with his wife, Peta Murgatroyd, and their 5-year-old son, Shai.

He also said that being in Ukraine while the war plays out has resurfaced old wounds from his childhood. He said it felt "like the way it was when ... we left [Ukraine] in the '90s" and immigrated to Brooklyn. "My old PTSD Ive finally fixed is coming back."
Cartier lawsuit accuses Tiffany of stealing luxury jewelry trade secrets Tiffany & Co. jewelry is displayed in a store in Paris

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Cartier sued Tiffany & Co on Monday, accusing its luxury rival of stealing trade secrets concerning its high-end jewelry from an employee it lured away in December, in a sign competition in the fast-growing jewelry category is heating up.

According to a complaint filed in a New York state court in Manhattan, Tiffany hired an underqualified junior manager away to learn more about Cartier's "High Jewelry" collection, where pieces typically cost $50,000 to $10 million.

Cartier, a unit of Switzerland's Richemont SA, called Tiffany's hiring of Megan Marino a desperate bid to revive its own high jewelry unit after it was left in "disarray" following several departures, reflecting Tiffany's "disturbing culture of misappropriating competitive information."

According to court papers, Tiffany appeared to pin ultimate blame on Marino by firing her after just five weeks.

In an affidavit accompanying the complaint, Marino said Tiffany was "more interested in hiring me as a source of information than as a High Jewelry manager."

Cartier also accused Tiffany, owned by luxury goods group LVMH, of letting a recently hired former Cartier executive work on a high jewelry project called the "Blue Book" despite her six-month non-compete agreement.

Contacted by Reuters, Tiffany said in a statement: "We deny the baseless allegations and will vigorously defend ourselves."

The lawsuit seeks an injunction requiring that Tiffany return and not use stolen trade secrets, plus unspecified damages.

Cartier said in a statement: "Cartier fully respects the rights of competitors to pursue their commercial objectives. In this case, however, Tiffanys commercial ambition crossed the line between the ordinary course of business and unfair competition."

Bernstein analyst Luca Solca said he believed LVMH was indeed in the process of becoming a contender for category leadership against Richemont.

"Branded jewelry  after the Tiffany acquisition  has transformed from an oligopoly to a duopoly. Tiffany has plenty of opportunity to revive its fortunes," Solca said in an emailed statement.

On Jan. 19, Richemont said strong demand for jewelry and watches following a trough earlier in the coronavirus pandemic boosted quarterly sales by 32%.

Sales at Richemont's jewelry brands Cartier, Buccellati and Van Cleef & Arpels rose 38%.

The case is Cartier v Tiffany and Co, New York State Supreme Court, New York County.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel, additional reporting by Silke Koltrowitz in Zurich; Editing by Sandra Maler and Jonathan Oatis)
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their homes.

More than 160,000 people reportedly have been displaced within Ukraine since February 24 when the invasion started and over 520,000 have crossed into neighboring Moldova, Poland, and other European nations. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations warned that up to five million Ukrainians could be displaced.

Many around the world are looking for ways to help. Here are some organizations that you can donate to assist Ukrainians in need.

Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Bordersis sending teams to Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to set up emergency response sites. It already in place in Russia and Belarus.

In Mariupol, Ukraine, the organization is distributing medical kits for injured people and is providing telemedicine training for trauma care for 30 surgeons from eastern Ukraine.

A women waits beside a Ukrainian flag after refugees from the Ukraine arrive at the main train station on March 1, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. Governments around the world are still struggling to evacuate their citizens caught between Russia's armed invasion and the mounting humanitarian crisis as Ukrainians flee to neighbouring countries. (Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/Getty Images)

UNICEF

UNICEF (United Nations Childrens Fund) helps children through the United Nations. The organization is working in eastern Ukraine with municipalities to provide emergency programs for affected children and families, including:

Setting up health, hygiene, and emergency education supplies;

Delivering safe water by truck to affected areas;

Supporting teams providing psychosocial care to children, responding to cases of violence and abuse, and assisting children separated from family.

The International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross is delivering clean water to Ukrainian citizens. The Red Cross is also helping to rebuild infrastructure in the nations areas thats been destroyed during the Russian invasion.

Project C.U.R.E.

Project C.U.R.E. delivers medical equipment to people in developing countries. The organization is currently working to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian hospitals. It plans to send a cargo shipment to Ukraine via Poland on Friday, March 4, according to its website. The organization is also planning a second shipment.

World Food Kitchen

WCK has expanded our #ChefsForUkraine response into Romania! Working with restaurants like Marinela in Stefanesti, were serving hot, fresh meals to families at a local community center. Today Marinela made chicken soup, pilaf with sausage, and chicken with polenta. pic.twitter.com/mJ4xBCXmj4  World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) March 1, 2022

Chef Jose Andres and his non-profit World Food Kitchen is setting up operations in the region to serve hot meals to Ukrainians fleeing the invasion. The organization has multiple locations serving food in border crossings in Poland. It's also supporting local restaurants offering meals in Odessa and Lviv in Ukraine. Teams are arriving to Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, and Hungary to offer support.

Razom for Ukraine

Founded in 2014 after Russia invaded Crimea, Razom for Ukraine  Razom means  together in Ukrainian is purchasing medical supplies to support Ukraine. Donated funds will go to buying items as tourniquets bandages, combat gauzes, sterile pads, and satellite phones.

The organization is collaborating with U.S. nonprofits that provide medical supplies to countries in crisis as well as Nova Ukraine, United Help Ukraine, Revived Soldiers Ukraine, Sunflower for Peace, and Euromaidan-Warszava.

Ukrainian women who were fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine hold their children as they arrive at a temporary camp in Przemysl, Poland, March 1, 2022. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

United Help Ukraine

United Help Ukraine raises funds to provide food and medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees. The organization also works to raise awareness about the Ukraine crisis.

Save the Children

Save the Children is a charitable organization dedicated to helping children in crisis. In Romania, it is working with migrants and asylum seekers in five reception centers. In four refugee camps in northeastern Romania, the organization's teams are planning to distribute essential items and set up spaces where children can safely play, learn and cope with grief and loss. The organization is also assessing needs in Poland and Lithuania.

International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee provides health and education services to refugees and is in Poland preparing for the influx of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion. It is working with the government and local nonprofits to address the crisis and scale up its support as needed.

Ella Vincent is the personal finance reporter for Yahoo Money. Follow her on Twitter at @bookgirlchicago.

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Facebook parent Meta (FB) is taking on Russian propaganda by removing groups and users that share it on the companys social networks. But that doesnt mean Meta will ever be completely rid of it.

One of the fundamental truths of security is that the bad guys keep trying, and we know they'll keep trying, Nathaniel Gleicher, head of security policy at Meta, told Yahoo Finance on Monday. The goal is to make them less and less effective.

On Monday, Meta announced that it knocked out a pro-Russia network of accounts spreading disinformation about Russias invasion of Ukraine. The group, Gleicher said, is linked to a similar Russian operation Meta took down last year.

The difference this time around, however, is that while the propagandists managed to get some 250,000 followers to their various pages promoting Russian disinformation before Meta caught them in 2021, they only got 5,000 followers this year.

That's a very good trend, Gleicher said.

Facebook-based disinformation campaigns arent new. Russia attempted to disrupt both the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections, as well as the U.Ks 2016 Brexit referendum and elections in France in 2017 and Germany in 2021.

Gleicher, however, says that unlike in 2016, networks of defenders now work to recognize disinformation campaigns.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with representatives of the business community at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia February 24, 2022. Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via REUTERS

Despite those increased efforts, however, Meta continues to face considerable pushback from regulators around the world who say the company doesnt do enough to remove disinformation. Meta, for its part, says it doesnt want to delete posts, regardless of accuracy, so that users can see what people are posting. The company does, however, label disinformation and misinformation as incorrect.

As for how the company identifies disinformation, Gleicher told Yahoo Finance that the social media giant works with third-party fact-checkers to ensure the accuracy of user-generated content.

But not everyone likes Metas fact-checking. Russia, for instance, has limited its citizens access to Facebook, because Meta refused to stop labeling disinformation from state media organizations as false.

On Monday, at the request of the European Union, Meta blocked the pages for Russias RT and Sputnik state media organizations across the E.U.

Beyond the disinformation networks its dismantling, Meta announced that it is monitoring a Russia-linked hacker group known as Ghostwriter thats stealing users credentials to spread disinformation.

According to Gleicher, the group is sending out fraudulent emails in an attempt to gain access to victims email accounts. Once they do that, theyre able to jump to their social media accounts and begin posting as if they were their victims.

The group is specifically targeting high-profile Ukrainians including politicians and journalists in an effort to spread disinformation about the invasion.

One of the pieces of content they tried to share was a video that purported to show Ukrainian soldiers surrendering and waving a white flag of surrender, Gleicher explained. This is why it's so important to find and counter these operations early.

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MOGADISHU, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) said Tuesday its forces killed ten al-Shabab terrorists in the ongoing security operations in Lower Jubba, southern part of the country.

The SNA commanders leading the operation told the State-owned Radio Mogadishu that some of the militants were also wounded in the sting operation conducted in Yontoy, Raynerow and Farbulay locations.

"Ten al-Shabab terrorists were killed and some wounded and captured in special security operations conducted by the SNA in Yontoy, Raynerow and Farbulay of Lower Jubba region on Tuesday," the radio reported.

The latest onslaught on the militants came hours after the security forces repulsed an attack on its military base in Hudur town in Southwest State early Tuesday, killing five al-Shabab militants.

There was no immediate comment from the terror group which has intensified its near-daily attacks during the electoral process.

Prime Minister Mohamed Roble on Tuesday held a meeting with senior security and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) commanders where he directed them to enhance security in the country.

During the meeting, Roble instructed the officials to intensify the counter-terrorism measures in the country and maintain the stability in the capital ahead of the elections of parliamentary speakers and the presidential elections. 
When Ann Civitareales father passed away in 2009, she little fathomed that she would spend thousands of her inheritance on medical and educational testing for her two sons.

Yet the boys, 12 and 14, have struggled with multiple disabilities  including developmental and speech delays and profound challenges learning to read  that she did not feel the schools could sufficiently diagnose.

Usually when you get a report back from the school, its just a few pages, not a comprehensive report, she says. Ive always gotten them more than what the school offers.  I want them to have the best possible start in life.

Over the last decade, Civitareale, who lives in the Boston suburb of Medford, estimates she has spent upwards of $20,000 on the independent testing. Each of her sons has had five evaluations each, with insurance covering the base rate of $5,000. Yet Civitareale has paid an average of $2,500 out of pocket each time for extras not covered by her familys already expensive insurance, including classroom observations and expert testimony at school meetings. One dyslexia evaluation with an expert who didnt accept insurance cost her family $5,000 alone.

Ann Civitareale sits at the kitchen with her sons as they work on homework. Despite the fact that she and her husband paid more for health insurance that covered a lot of it, Civitareale estimates that her family's spent upward of $20,000 out of pocket for evaluation-related expenses alone.

Costly independent evaluations have come to play an outsize role in the diagnosis and treatment of numerous disabilities, from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to autism to dyslexia. Depending on the scope, the evaluations can involve up to two days of testing, interviews and observation with up to a dozen doctors and experts. And thats even for disabilities that are relatively common: An estimated 9% of American kids have ADHD. Dyslexia hinders a persons ability to read words correctly and efficiently, with between 5% and 15% of the population likely affected.

The costs can make it more complicated and expensive for whole swaths of Americans  particularly families with lower incomes and those living in rural areas  to access desperately needed special education services.

Dyslexia is not for poor kids, because you dont get the diagnosis. You dont get the treatment, says Maureen Ronayne, another Medford parent. She and her husband, a carpenter, have struggled to afford repeated independent evaluations for two of their six children. She said theres an oft-recited maxim: This is a rich mans game.

Two boys with the same disability tried: The rich student got it quickly. The poor student did not.

Homework at the kitchen table in the Civitareale family.

In some school districts, a specific diagnosis  and even the first-hand testimony of a neuropsychologist  can be crucial for accessing the best services. Those can range from occupational and speech therapy to small group time with a teacher to a publicly funded spot in a specialized private school.

The system designed to support struggling students is broken  in ways that extend far beyond evaluations, says Nadine Gaab, an associate professor and reading expert at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Why are we not making assessments in the schools better and more comprehensive? Speaking of reading in particular, she says: We need to move from a reactive model to a proactive model, where we are trying to find the people who will most likely develop problems and help them before they struggle so much.

What is a neuropsychological test?

The independent evaluations many families find so costly and hard to access originated in a well-intended provision of federal law: the guarantee that families have the right to a second opinion.

Thousands of families each year seek out a medical exam known as a neuropsych, which looks closely at the connection between brain function and learning, and has become a critical part of diagnosing some disabilities. With many neuropsychologists temporarily suspending in-person appointments during the first year of the pandemic, and countless students struggling more than ever due to school shutdowns, the bottleneck has worsened in many communities.

Any students with more complex learning disabilities or developmental disabilities could benefit from a neuropysch, says Katherine Gamble, president of the Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society. If anyone is on the autism spectrum, there is no question those kids need it.

A limited number of school districts have neuropsychologists on staff or on contract, but thats more the exception than the rule, Gamble says. I dont think they have the funding, she says. Neuropsychologists arent needed all the time, and theres this question: Why would we spend this money on someone who doesnt need to see all of our kids?

Many families pay out of pocket for the exam  and its many add ons. Some, like Civitareale,a stay-at-home parent whose husband is a kitchen supervisor at a hospital, seek out deluxe health insurance plans partially because they cover neuropsych exams. Her familys cost $1,800 a month for several years.

Others cobble together whatever money they can. One Boston parent said she relied on relatives who cashed in retirement savings to fund her daughters $4,200 independent evaluation for dyslexia and other disabilities.

'Special needs'?: Disability advocates, experts implore you to stop saying it

Federal law requires school districts to foot the bill for independent evaluations if a family can prove one is warranted. Thats a battle school districts do often win because the parent has to show that the evaluation was flawed, wrote Ellen Saideman, an attorney based in Rhode Island who focuses on special education.

In Massachusetts, the state actually requires districts to pay for independent evaluations for lower-income families regardless  yet at a rate well below what most evaluators typically charge. Moreover, most families dont realize thats an option unless they are working with an advocate or lawyer.

Its asking parents to know a lot, says Cassandra Archie, founder and CEO at Advocates for Educational Equity & Excellence. They dont have the time; they dont have the experience in this space; they dont have the language. It is intimidating. Many parents of color also worry about stigma and prejudice from a potential disability diagnosis, Archie adds, and may hesitate to seek outside testing for that reason.

Even when parents do know, they can encounter years-long wait lists at providers willing to accept a payment well below market rate. In Massachusetts, for instance, a neuropsych often costs at least $5,000, yet the state reimbursement rate typically works out to less than $3,000  even after a recent increase, according to Helene Busby, an attorney at Community Legal Aid in Springfield, who works on a lot of special education cases.

Ninety-nine percent of the work around independent evaluations involves talking on the phone to a million people, asking who has an opening in the shortest amount of time, will do a good job and will take the state rate, says Elizabeth McIntyre, senior counsel at the EdLaw Project in Boston, which provides advocacy for underserved student communities in Massachusetts.

Sometimes districts put up hurdles to that effort  whether by accident or intent. Two Massachusetts parents interviewed for this piece said their school districts list of approved independent evaluators included psychologists who actually werent licensed to work in the state. And Ronayne and Gamble say the Medford school district at one point asked neuropsychologists to provide not only a resume, tax form, professional license and liability insurance, but also to drive to Medford for a criminal records check and get fingerprinted. I believe that this is a way to slow the (independent evaluations) down, Ronayne says.

Those requirements rarely slowed down the process, says Joan Bowen, director of pupil services for Medford Public Schools. (The requirements, Bowen said, were instituted before she assumed her current position.) Yet earlier this school year, the district changed course after conversations with attorneys and other special education directors. We stopped it right then and there, she says.

The districts biggest challenge, she said, has been finding evaluators who take the state rate.

Its not that school districts never diagnose learning disabilities, but their evaluations are typically less extensive than an independent neuropsych exam.

Apart from the capacity issues highlighted by Gamble, school districts may fear, sometimes legitimately, that a neuropsychologist will ask for services they are unable to provide. That can cause a family to ask to send their child to a private school with better services at the school districts expense, a right families have under federal law.

Private special ed schools: Some restrain kids, and parents might not know

Restraints can end: How 'the most violent' special education school ended restraint and seclusion

Not unlike most things in life, it boils down to money, says Tiffany Hogan, a professor and director of the Speech & Language Literacy Lab at the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

She completely understands the frustration of many parents. Still, she says, sometimes the expectations parents have around the progress kids should make in school is too high. Schools have to work under resource limitations.  The school is sometimes left in the position of deciding who to give treatment to  and who not to.

Homework at the kitchen table in the Civitareale family.

A year and a half for answers

For families who dont have the money to pay out of pocket for an independent evaluation, the wait for a publicly-funded one can be excruciating. Busby worked recently with one financially struggling mother in the Springfield area who realized in the fall of 2019 she wanted a fresh perspective on her sons disabilities and classroom needs. Over several years, the school districts evaluations had focused much more heavily on behavioral issues than academic ones. Yet the childs mother, Sara, who asked to be identified by her first name to protect her sons privacy, wanted desperately to understand how the boy, now 11, could learn better.

It took a year and a half to get some answers.

Since the family could not afford to pay for independent testing on their own, they needed to find an evaluator who would accept the public rate. They quickly found someone local with availability that September, according to Busby. But before the family could schedule an appointment, the woman wrote to say she was taking an indefinite leave of absence from her practice. Over the course of the fall, Busby and an intern reached out to dozens of potential evaluators; none of them took the state rate or had openings within the next three months.

Finally, in early 2020, Busby found a provider in Amherst, less than an hour away, who would accept payment only modestly above the state rate. But before the school district and the center finalized the contract, COVID-19 shut down in-person evaluations. In late September 2020, the Amherst center still had not resumed bringing in patients. Busby began the hunt again. The school district balked at one provider who charged well above the state rate, according to Busby; but in early 2021, after repeated inquiries from Busby, school officials offered up an alternative. In February, the pre-teen traveled to the Boston area for two days of psychological evaluations, including a thorough reading assessment. In March, a doctor followed up by observing the boy at school.

The diagnosis  dyslexia, plus ADHD and disruptive mood disorder  enabled Saras son to receive much more intensive and tailored reading supports than he had previously, including small-group instruction in a science-based reading program.

For Sara, the long and at times frustrating wait for an independent evaluation was worth it.

It was such a relief to finally have it put into his (individual education plan) that his issues are not just behavioral but about learning as well, Sara says. It confirmed to me that I wasnt wrong as a mom.

Her sons reading struggles are hardly over, but Sara says her son is willing to spend more time with books at home. There is less of a fight, she says.

Another family's fight for special ed services: Their son had autism. Mom didn't speak English well. Then COVID-19 put school online.

It shouldnt take families thousands of dollars  or the resourcefulness and tenacity of a team of lawyers  to secure a disability diagnosis that might bring a child more educational support, many experts say. Whats happening is that we are withholding the necessary treatments as if they are chemotherapy, until (families) can absolutely prove that they are disabled, says Steve Dykstra, a Milwaukee-based youth psychologist who serves as an advisor to the International Foundation for Effective Reading Instruction. We should be treating it like vitamins, like brushing your teeth.

One necessary change is to work toward better screening for all students so independent evaluations become far less important, Gaab says. That would enable students struggling with reading, including those who might not meet the diagnostic criteria of dyslexia, to get help earlier. The reading scores in this country havent changed substantially since 1992, Gaab says. If you look at all the policy implementations, none of this has moved the needle. What may move the needle is moving from a reactive to a proactive model.

Many families have learned the hard way that even a costly diagnosis doesnt necessarily translate into appropriate educational supports.

There are a lot of times the neuropsych will recommend things, says Civitareale, one of the Medford parents, and the school will say, We dont agree with that. We dont want to put this accommodation in.

For instance, one evaluator recommended Civitareales older son, then in third grade, receive a specialized reading program. The district disagreed, maintaining its own reading program was sufficient.

So the family opted to hire a private tutor to work with the child. Like the independent evaluations, the expenses quickly added up, yet Civitareale didnt feel like she had any other choice. They are already behind, she says, and I dont want them to fall further behind.

Sarah Carr, an independent journalist, is examining gaps in access to reading supports during a nine-month OBrien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University. Lelah Byron and Aimee Galaszewski, who are students at Marquette, contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ADHD, autism test: Why neuropsych for special education costs so much
The West fears Vladimir Putin will resort to barbaric tactics as his forces close in on Ukraines capital.

A Russian military convoy around 40 miles long is north of Kyiv and there are fears that the city will face a barrage of rockets and shells which could inflict devastating civilian casualties.

Ukraine has already accused Russia of war crimes during the invasion over the bombardment of civilian areas in the second city Kharkiv.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, a former Foreign Office lawyer, said it must be clear both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow and on the ground in Ukraine that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war.

He told Sky News: Those that engage in war crimes will be held to account.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said he plans to open an investigation as rapidly as possible into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Western officials fear that the slow progress of the Russian invasion will lead Mr Putin and his commanders to adopt more brutal and indiscriminate tactics to achieve the Kremlins goals.

Mr Raab told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We can expect, for every stutter and stumble, him to try and come back for even more heavy-handed tactics, but that is a sign that the initial phase at least  and this is going to be a long haul  has not lived up to his expectations.

Mr Raab told LBC nothing is off the table in support for Ukraine in response to a question about whether the UK would supply fighter planes.

But the Ukrainian air force largely flies jets from the former Soviet bloc so it is unlikely that British planes would be helpful due to a lack of pilots trained in their use.

Latest Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/1Ynzlps2dY  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) March 1, 2022

The latest intelligence from the Ministry of Defence said the advance on Kyiv had made little progress over the past 24 hours, probably due to logistical problems.

But there had been increased use of artillery north of the capital.

The MoD also said that Russia had been forced to shift to more night operations due to the failure to gain air superiority.

Satellite images from the Maxar company showed the extent of the Russian forces massing around Kyiv, with a column of armoured vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles stretching 40 miles.

That force was 17 miles from the capital on Monday.

(PA Graphics)

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is visiting Poland and Estonia to help show the UKs support for its eastern Nato allies.

Mr Johnson said: We have shared values that are more important than ever to protect, as the humanitarian situation gets worse.

Alongside all our international allies the UK will continue to bring maximum pressure to bear on Putins regime to ensure he feels the consequences of his actions in Ukraine. We speak with one voice when we say Putin must fail.

The northern end of a convoy of Russian vehicles (Maxar Technologies/AP)

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was in Geneva addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, where she was due to accuse Mr Putin of violating international law.

He is violating human rights on an industrial scale and the world will not stand for it, she will say.

Mr Johnsons visit to Poland, one of the main destinations for people fleeing from Ukraine, came as the UK Government faced pressure to do more to address the refugee crisis.

(PA Graphics)

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: At the moment, what the Home Office is doing is trying to just tweak the existing system.

Theyre trying to carry on with a version of business as usual, with a version of asking people to apply for traditional work visas or traditional visitor visas or traditional family visas that are still narrowly drawn.

And the normal system just doesnt work when you are facing war in Europe, when youre facing a crisis on this scale.
Boris Johnson has accused Vladimir Putin of unleashing barbaric and indiscriminate violence against Ukrainian civilians as Russian forces closed in on Kyiv.

A military convoy around 40 miles long is north of the Ukrainian capital and there are fears that the city will face a barrage of rockets and shells which could inflict devastating civilian casualties.

Ukraine has already accused Russia of war crimes during the invasion over the bombardment of civilian areas in the second city Kharkiv.

Speaking during a visit to Warsaw, Mr Johnson said the Russian president had decided to bomb tower blocks, to send missiles into tower blocks, to kill children, as we are seeing in increasing numbers.

But he said that in the grim war Mr Putin had fatally underestimated the resistance of the Ukrainians and the resolve of the West to act.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a press conference with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw (Leon Neal/PA)

The Prime Minister paid tribute to the leadership and courage of Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president.

I think he has inspired and mobilised not only his own people, he is inspiring and mobilising the world in outrage at what is happening in Ukraine, Mr Johnson added.

(PA Graphics)

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said he plans to open an investigation as rapidly as possible into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, a former Foreign Office lawyer, said it must be clear both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow and on the ground in Ukraine that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war.

He told Sky News: Those that engage in war crimes will be held to account.

Western officials fear that the slow progress of the Russian invasion will lead Mr Putin and his commanders to adopt more brutal and indiscriminate tactics to achieve the Kremlins goals.

Mr Raab told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: We can expect, for every stutter and stumble, him to try and come back for even more heavy-handed tactics, but that is a sign that the initial phase at least  and this is going to be a long haul  has not lived up to his expectations.

The latest intelligence from the Ministry of Defence said the advance on Kyiv had made little progress over the past 24 hours, probably due to logistical problems.

But there had been increased use of artillery north of the capital.

Satellite images from the Maxar company showed the extent of the Russian forces massing around Kyiv, with a column of armoured vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles stretching 40 miles.

The northern end of a convoy of Russian vehicles (Maxar Technologies/AP)

That force was 17 miles from the capital on Monday.

Mr Johnson is visiting Poland and Estonia to help show the UKs support for its eastern Nato allies.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was in Geneva addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council, where she was due to accuse Mr Putin of violating international law.

He is violating human rights on an industrial scale and the world will not stand for it, she will say.

(PA Graphics)

Mr Johnsons visit to Poland, one of the main destinations for people fleeing from Ukraine, came as the UK Government faced pressure to do more to address the refugee crisis.

The Prime Minister told his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki: We stand ready, clearly, to take Ukrainian refugees in our own country, working with you, in considerable numbers, as we always have done and always will.

But shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: At the moment, what the Home Office is doing is trying to just tweak the existing system.

Theyre trying to carry on with a version of business as usual, with a version of asking people to apply for traditional work visas or traditional visitor visas or traditional family visas that are still narrowly drawn.

And the normal system just doesnt work when you are facing war in Europe, when youre facing a crisis on this scale.
LONDON (AP)  Queen Elizabeth II held two virtual audiences after more than a week of suffering cold-like symptoms from COVID-19.

Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old British monarch held virtual sessions with the ambassadors of Chad and Andorra. The queen canceled several sessions last week, so the ones held Tuesday suggest she is recovering.

The monarchs age, COVID-19 diagnosis and a health scare last year caused worry among officials and the public. The palace's Feb. 20 announcement that Elizabeth had tested positive test for the coronavirus virus prompted concern and get-well wishes from across Britains political spectrum.

The palace has declined to offer day-to day commentary on the monarch's health, citing her right to privacy. But palace officials have said that Elizabeth, who has been fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, would continue with light duties at Windsor Castle.

The queen, who is the countrys longest-reigning monarch. has a series of engagements coming up as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.

She is due to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14, and then a March 26 memorial service, also at the Abbey, for her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last April at age 99.

___

Follow all AP stories on the queen at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
Two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine offer almost no protection against coronavirus infection in kids ages 5 to 11, according to new data posted online  a finding that may have consequences for parents and their vaccinated children.

Researchers from the New York State Department of Health found that the vaccines effectiveness dropped to 12 percent from 68 percent in the age group in December and January, when the omicron variant of the coronavirus began circulating widely in the United States.

The Pfizer shots still offered protection against serious illness from COVID-19, the researchers found, with protection against hospitalization declining to 48 percent from 100 percent over the same time period.

The findings, which were posted to a preprint server Monday and have not yet been peer-reviewed, looked at the health records for COVID-19 cases in children and teens in New York between Dec. 13 and Jan. 30.

It may be a setback for parents with vaccinated children who were hoping to resume normal pre-pandemic activities. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only COVID-19 shot in the U.S. available to kids in this age group.

More than 7 million children ages 5 to 11 have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The large drop in the vaccines effectiveness against infection may be due in part to the smaller vaccine dosage given to kids 5 to 11, said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Childrens Hospital. He helped develop another COVID-19 shot that uses old vaccine technology.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized a vaccine dosage of 10 micrograms for kids ages 5 to 11, one-third the dosage given to everyone 12 and up. The two doses are given three weeks apart.

The New York state researchers, who also examined vaccine data in children ages 12 to 17, found the shots performed better in older children, who are given a higher dosage.

Vaccine effectiveness against infection in older kids fell to 51 percent from 66 percent, according to the data. Vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization dropped to 73 percent from 85 percent.

Its looking more likely that at the current lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the 5- to 11-year-olds, a third dose may be required, Hotez said.

Its unclear if Pfizer will seek FDA authorization of a booster dose for kids 5 to 11. The company told NBC News in a statement that it is confident in the protection and safety of its COVID-19 vaccine, though early data suggests people vaccinated with three doses may have a higher degree of protection.

Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, said it will be hard to determine whether a higher dosage or another shot is needed in kids 5 to 11 because the omicron variant has also already been shown to evade some of the immunity in vaccinated or boosted adults.

I dont think you can tell yet because omicron is immune evasive, so therefore even if youre vaccinated, youre not going to be as well protected, he said.

For now, it is reassuring that the vaccine appears to hold up some against serious illness, Offit said, though some children may be susceptible to mild illness.

Hotez said while the vaccine is holding up against severe illness, it is unclear whether that level of protection is continuing to diminish or if it is simply because of the omicron variant.

About two weeks ago, Pfizer said it was postponing its vaccine application to the FDA for children ages 6 months to 4 years after it found two doses didnt work well in children ages 2 to 4.

The company said it will wait for its data on a three-dose series of the vaccine.

This story was originally published on NBCNews.com
Three Republicans in the U.S. House were the only votes against a bill that would make lynching a federal hate crime.

The Emmett Till Antilynching Act, named after a 14-year-old Black boy beaten and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, passed the House with an overwhelming vote of support, 422-3, on Monday. The bill would make lynching a federal hate crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

The only three representatives to vote against the bill were Republicans Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Chip Roy (Texas). In a series of tweets, Massie explained he voted against the bill in part because passing this legislation falsely implies that lynching someone does not already constitute criminal activity.

The bill doesnt imply that. Instead, it gives federal authorities the power to prosecute lynchings as hate crimes.

From left: Republican Reps. Chip Roy, Thomas Massie and Andrew Clyde voted against a bill that would make lynching a hate crime. (Photo: Getty Images)

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), who authored the bill, said he was 8 years old when he saw a photograph of a dead and brutalized Till. The experience shaped my consciousness as a Black man in America, changed the course of my life, and changed our nation, Rush said in a statement.

Rush cited the 2020 killing of Black man Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia as an example of a modern-day lynching. Arbery was 25 years old when he went for a jog and was chased and shot to death. Three white men were convicted of federal hate crime charges last month in his killing.

The House today has sent a resounding message that our nation is finally reckoning with one of the darkest and most horrific periods of our history, and that we are morally and legally committed to changing course, Rush said.

The bill will now go to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
On Monday, the leaders of eight European Union countries in Central and Eastern Europe gave their support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys plea to quickly facilitate his countrys membership in the EU.

We, the Presidents of the EU member states: the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic, and the Republic of Slovenia strongly believe that Ukraine deserves receiving an immediate EU accession perspective, the leaders wrote in an open letter.

Zelensky asked for immediate EU membership as Russian troops encircle the cities in Ukraine, and much of Europe has rallied in support of Kyiv. Eastern European countries once under Soviet control have been particularly shaken by Russias invasion of its smaller neighbor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holding the country's application for membership in the European Union on Monday. (Ukrainian Presidency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Speaking at a briefing at the presidential palace in Kyiv, Zelensky appealed to the EU for immediate accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure. He added: Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. Im sure its fair. I'm sure its possible."

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reiterated the presidents point on Twitter and said the country is applying for EU membership under a special procedure and the time to put it down on paper has come.

Typically, EU membership is an exhausting and time-consuming process that involves adopting the blocs laws and currency. Croatia was the last country to join, with its application formally accepted in 2013  10 years after it had applied for membership.

Some EU officials cast doubt on whether Ukraines request was practical.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Euronews that Ukraine is one of us and we want them in the European Union. However, she gave no indication whether it would be the quick accession requested by Zelensky.

Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, said, Membership is a long-standing request from Ukraine. But there are different opinions and sensitivities within the EU on enlargement. Ukraine will submit an official request, the European Commission will have to express an official opinion and the Council will decide."

European Council President Charles Michel speaks to media on the situation in Ukraine on Feb. 25. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he didnt know whether Ukraines request could be put through immediately. But he said that regardless of how quickly the country's membership could be confirmed, he "certainly would be a proponent and supporter of accelerating it and making it very clear that they can become members of the European Union. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday that the EU has always been a house with open doors and that Ukraine is a part of the European house. But Baerbock added that membership is not something that can be completed in a few months, but involves an intensive and far-reaching process of transformation.

Where are Russian forces attacking Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out.
Benedict Cumberbatch. (Ryan Pfluger/For The Times)

Benedict Cumberbatch knows you have questions about that "Power of the Dog" ending. He has questions too. Maybe they're the same ones. But before he dives in  and this is a man prone to picking apart and parsing, so settle in  Cumberbatch would like to make a statement. And before we hand him the floor, it should go without saying that if you haven't seen "The Power of the Dog," which has been available for months now, you should not be reading this story because we're going to be talking about the ending that everyone has been discussing and dissecting since the end of, ahem, last year.

Now that we have that out of the way, Cumberbatch would like to say that he very much hopes you felt bad when his character, the menacing, hyper-masculine cattle rancher Phil Burbank, dies at the end of the movie. He doesn't expect that you broke down weeping or anything. (Phil wouldn't want that.)

But Cumberbatch thinks people are taking juuuuust a bit too much pleasure in Phil's death.

And while the 45-year-old actor can understand why audiences cheer for Peter (played by Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee), the young man who does a seeming 180 and murders Phil to protect his mother, Rose (another Oscar nominee, Kirsten Dunst), and avenge the way Phil mistreated her, Cumberbatch thinks people are missing some larger issues as well. For one: how Phil's malevolence comes from a place of self-loathing and self-protection as a closeted gay man living in Montana in 1925.

"I'm feeling the whiff of a popularity contest in the reaction," Cumberbatch tells me over a lunch conversation not long ago. "It's reductive: 'Phil's the mean guy. Peter's the hero.' It's not that simple. I think people better watch out for Peter." Cumberbatch dips a fry into ketchup and begins musing about the future of Phil's brother, George (Jesse Plemons, yes, another Oscar nominee), whose marriage to Rose sets the film's plot in motion.

"Peter hides the rope under the bed ... why does he do that?" Cumberbatch asks, mentioning the object Phil and Peter made together, the one fashioned with the anthrax-infected rawhide that Peter supplied, unbeknownst to Phil. "I think he's going to kill George. Nice as George is, he's still in the way of the Oedipal complex and the full Anthony Perkins takeover, you know?"

Cumberbatch is half-kidding, but it's not the last time he drops a reference to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" in the conversation. I've heard others embrace his take on Peter over the past couple of months. Smit-McPhee, though, isn't having it.

"I think murdering Phil is a one-time thing," Smit-McPhee tells me. "Killing Phil was just something he had to do, and now hes gone on with his life." He smiles. "I think Benedict might be a little too close to Phil still, which I can understand. I feel the same way about Peter."

In the film, Peter's and Phil's paths first cross at the restaurant at the Montana inn run by Rose. During a fried chicken dinner with George and the ranch hands the brothers employ, Phil makes disparaging remarks about Peter, whom he perceives as effeminate. Phil also burns the paper roses that Peter made as centerpieces. (Smit-McPhee believes Peter decides to murder Phil right then and there.)

Some time later, after George and Rose marry, Peter comes to the ranch to live with his mother. By this point, Phil's psychological warfare (all that whistling and banjo playing!) has driven Rose to alcoholism, and the initial prospects for his treatment of Peter don't look much better. Phil and the ranch hands taunt Peter. But to Cumberbatch, Phil's motivation for doing this might have less to do with destroying Peter than to "rip the umbilical cord from his mother's womb."

"Phil's teaching Peter to ride, to tie the rope, and he's looking over at Rose, thinking, 'I've got your f boy and I'm tying him to me. He's mine now,'" Cumberbatch says. "You could view the purpose of his recruitment as an act of tough love."

While making the lasso on that final night together in the barn, Phil recounts how his hero and role model and "best friend" Bronco Henry once saved him from freezing to death by lying body against body in a bedroll. As the scene progresses, it's clear that there's a seduction taking place, but the power dynamic is fluid.

Benedict Cumberbatch. (Ryan Pfluger/For The Times)

"Is there some real chemistry there?" Cumberbatch asks, still unsure of the answer himself. "Who's in control? Is Phil allowing himself to be killed to risk it? He doesn't ask where the hide comes from. He doesn't ask about the cow. Is he losing himself in some kind of dreamscape where he's falling into a memory and he's suddenly Bronco Henry and Peter is becoming Phil?"

Cumberbatch likens Phil's destabilized mental state to what he experienced when he came down with COVID after the London Film Festival in October.

"You're just consumed by the illness, but, at the same time, you understand what's going on around you," Cumberbatch says. "By the end, Phil knows what the boy did and why he had to do it and he can't believe he did it and is sort of proud and astonished by it and then, you know, he's got a fever, so he's fighting death. I really wanted to play with the space between those two things."

The end comes quickly, both for Phil and the movie. The next day Phil doesn't show for breakfast. George drives him to the doctor. The screen goes dark briefly, and the next thing we see is George picking out Phil's coffin. And then, after the funeral, we find Peter pushing the rope under the bed.

"It definitely signifies that he's holding onto something," Cumberbatch says. "I love stories that are f up."

Did you grieve Phil? Cumberbatch did. For all the emphasis on Phil's cruelty, Cumberbatch says there are things about the man that should be celebrated. As the father of three boys, he says he'd like to be able to teach them to be "so resilient in a world gone mad so they could be producers rather than consumers."

"That's what my ethos is," Cumberbatch says, noting that he thinks often about what skills he's passing on to his children. "There's an amazing amount that Phil is capable of."

Cumberbatch stayed in character throughout the shooting of "The Power of the Dog." In an oft-told story, director Jane Campion introduced Cumberbatch to the crew on the first day of filming as "Phil."

"You'll meet Benedict at the end of the movie," she added. "Benedict's really nice."

One anecdote that Cumberbatch hasn't yet shared came on that last day of filming, which concluded with a shot of Phil lying in a coffin as the lid is shut. (By the way, Cumberbatch also would like you to grieve the way Phil has been shaved and dressed. "He has been completely de-Philled," he says. "It's awful and would go against every wish as to how he'd like to be remembered.")

After Campion finished the shot, Cumberbatch stayed in the coffin for a little longer than he would have liked. He could hear glasses clinking outside. And then Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" came wafting through the lid.

"Then they opened the coffin and it was this weird celebration and f up commemoration all in one," Cumberbatch says. "I was so floored. Even now, I'm getting choked up talking about it. And, of course, I immediately went into stuttering English actor mode, super self-conscious because everyone was just kind of staring at me like I had just dropped out of the back of an animal. 'Why are you staring?' 'Well, it's because we really haven't met you.' That's how wonderful my immersion into Phil was. They gave me the space to play this toxic but ultimately damaged and flawed human being.

Benedict Cumberbatch photographed at the Four Seasons Hotel for his role in "The Power of the Dog." (Ryan Pfluger/For The Times)

"And that orchestrated ending was a really beautiful thing," Cumberbatch continues. "I'd been naked spiritually, psychologically and physically in front of them all. I bared my soul and my ass as well."

That made me laugh, and I repeated the line to Cumberbatch in appreciation.

"There's the headline," he says, laughing. "It's something my mom will read and ask, 'Oh, Benedict, why do you have to say things like that?'"

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NAIROBI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Tuesday announced that it will woo landlocked east African nations to use its China-built Lamu port to enable them to boost their international trade.

Stephen Ikua, the director-general and chief executive officer of the Lamu Port, South Sudan, Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Development Authority (LCDA), told a continental forum in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that Kenya's second commercial seaport has the capacity to handle larger sea vessels as compared to the existing port of Mombasa due to its deep natural waters.

"South Sudan's vast mineral and agricultural resources can now be efficiently be exported through the port of Lamu, diversifying the country's revenue that is heavily reliant on crude oil production," Ikua told the seventh Programme For Infrastructure Development In Africa (PIDA) Week organized by the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD.

President Uhuru Kenyatta officially operationalized the first berth of the port of Lamu in May 2021.

The seaport in the Lamu archipelago is being constructed by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and will have 32 berths in total upon completion.

According to the government, the first three berths will be financed by the government while the private sector will fund the remaining 29 berths.

LCDA said that the berth at the Lamu Port can currently handle 400,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year.

Ikua said that Ethiopia has heavily invested in the industrial sector with the emergence of various special economic zones (SEZs), supporting exports of finished products in the textile and manufacturing sector over and above the horticultural, livestock and mineral exports. "The LAPSSET corridor, therefore, offers an efficient alternative to support its growing export base."

Ikua said the LAPSSET corridor is Kenya's second strategic transport corridor with the first being the Northern Corridor that connects Kenya's Mombasa seaport to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He added that the project will ultimately connect the deep seaport of Lamu in Kenya to South Sudan and Ethiopia through a series of road, railway crude and product oil pipeline networks contained within a 500-meter-wide transport corridor. 
GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday that Russian "crimes" in Ukraine are mounting by the hour, with strikes hitting hospitals, schools and residential buildings with civilians.

Moscow faced increasing isolation on Tuesday as President Vladimir Putin showed no sign of stopping an invasion of Ukraine, where fierce fighting and Russian bombardment have killed dozens and sparked a refugee crisis.

"Russian strikes are hitting schools, hospitals, and residential building," Blinken said in a video message to the Geneva forum. "Reports of Russia's human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law mount by the hour."

Blinken said that the council's urgent debate on Ukraine scheduled for Thursday, where a resolution brought by Kyiv and allies would set up an international probe into violations, is an "important step toward ensuring documentation and accountability".

"We must send a resolute and unified message that President (Vladimir) Putin should unconditionally stop this," he said.

"We must reject Russia's attempts to falsely justify this attack as a defense of human rights  misappropriating terms that we reserve for the worst atrocities and disrespecting every victim of those crimes," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Uzra Zeya, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva after the speech that Russia's invasion was "resulting in a human rights and humanitarian catastrophe".

Blinken's speech marked Washington's return as a voting member to the top U.N. human rights body which the Trump administration quit in 2018 over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform.

But he said that the Biden administration would continue to counter what he called the council's "anti-Israel bias and the unfair and disproportionate focus on Israel on the Council".

He said that China "continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang" against Muslim Uyghurs. He was referring to reports that some 1 million Uyghurs are detained in mass camps in the remote northwestern region, some subjected to forced labour, which Beijing denies.

He called for U.N. human rights boss Michelle Bachelet to release her office's report with findings on the situation.
Russian military convoys advance north of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. (Maxar Technologies)

Russian forces struck government buildings, a television tower and Ukraine's main Holocaust memorial on Tuesday as they targeted residential neighborhoods and assembled a 40-mile-long column of tanks, artillery and other military vehicles outside Kyiv, in what appeared to foreshadow an imminent assault on the capital.

The specter of more violence and the scenes of civilians huddled in bomb shelters or pouring across Ukraine's western borders came as Russia found itself increasingly isolated on the world stage, with sanctions inflicting immediate damage to its economy and currency.

The United Nations high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a news briefing from Geneva that about 677,000 people have fled Ukraine in the last six days. The rate puts the situation on track to "become Europes largest refugee crisis this century," agency spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said in Geneva.

Russia's Defense Ministry said it would strike facilities of Ukraine's state security service along with communications centers "in order to suppress information attacks on Moscow."

Soon after, a large explosion rocked Kyiv when Russian bombs felled the capital's landmark TV tower. Ukrainian defense officials said at least five people were killed and five others injured. Programming of Ukraine's TV channels was temporarily disrupted. The officials also reported a "powerful missile attack" near the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, which marks the site where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed within 48 hours in 1941 when the city was under Nazi occupation.

In Kharkiv, the nation's second-largest city, a missile slammed into a central city square in front of a large, ornate government building, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said. Video of the explosion was shared widely on social media, showing cars driving through the cobblestoned square in the morning hours after the curfew's break before being engulfed in flames.

Barbaric Russian missile strikes on the central Freedom Square and residential districts of Kharkiv. Putin is unable to break Ukraine down. He commits more war crimes out of fury, murders innocent civilians. The world can and must do more. INCREASE PRESSURE, ISOLATE RUSSIA FULLY! pic.twitter.com/tN4VHF1A9n  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 1, 2022

Ukraine's State Emergency Service said 10 people were killed and 24 wounded in the strike on Freedom Square, the site of Kharkiv's regional government headquarters. An opera house and concert hall nearby were also hit.

The blast came after a barrage of what observers say might have been cluster bombs on a residential neighborhood Monday evening, killing at least nine civilians and wounding dozens of others in Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million in northeastern Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as "state terrorism."

Ukrainian authorities also confirmed reports that about 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in a Russian attack on a military base in the town of Okhtyrka, west of Kharkiv, on Sunday. And several people were wounded in strikes Tuesday on the southeastern port city of Mariupol, the Associated Press reported.

In an interview with Ukrainian 24 News, Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said, "Russian Nazis seek the genocide of the Ukrainian nation."

"We will fight until the last bullet," he said. "If they run out, we will use our teeth against the enemy that is moving toward Mariupol."

The bombardments hint at a new, more violent phase in a Russian incursion that appeared to have partly stalled in the face of dogged resistance and possible logistical problems, such as a shortage of food and fuel.

A senior Pentagon official said Tuesday that there were signs that Russian troops might be losing morale, and said some had surrendered without a fight.

"They're not only running out of gas, but they are running out of food, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Yet Russia has been unrelenting in its bombardments, with the official saying more than 400 Russian-launched missiles had struck Ukraine as of Tuesday.

The U.N.'s Human Rights Office said that since hostilities began Feb. 24 and up to midnight March 1, there had been 536 casualties, including 136 civilians killed  13 of them children.

The toll's rise matches alarm over fears of increased airstrikes and suspicions that Russian President Vladimir Putin will order his troops to encircle and blockade major population centers such as Kyiv and Kharkiv, bombing or starving them into submission.

Despite word from Russian officials quoted by the state news operator Tass that negotiations would resume between Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a news conference on Tuesday that the special military operation  Moscow's routine term for its war in Ukraine  "will continue ... until the set goals are achieved."

What we see now see is a new wave of attack against Ukraine, against innocent people," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a news conference in Estonia on Tuesday. "And a column of heavy Russian armor which is moving towards Kyiv will bring more death, more suffering and more civilian casualties."

Speaking virtually at the opening session of this year's U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken blasted Moscow for its mounting human rights abuse and violation of international law.

Russian strikes are hitting schools, hospitals and residential buildings, Blinken said. They are destroying critical infrastructure, which provides millions of people across Ukraine with drinking water, gas to keep them from freezing to death and electricity. Civilian buses, cars and even ambulances have been shelled. 

Later in Mondays U.N. meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke, also via video conference. With delegates from Western countries turning their backs and staging a walkout, he launched into an angry speech justifying Russias invasion of Ukraine, blaming the neighboring former Soviet republic for atrocities against ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine. And he claimed, with no evidence, that Kyiv was trying to secure nuclear weaponry.

The German representative, Katharina Stasch, accused Lavrov of a cynical distortion of the facts, according to the German news agency DPA.

Lavrov had planned to attend the meeting in person  but couldnt travel because most of Europe has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft, as part of a battery of sanctions the West and others have imposed to punish Moscow.

Talks on Monday between Ukraine and Russia failed to bring the cease-fire that Kyiv demanded. More negotiations are in the offing, but Zelensky has expressed skepticism of any breakthrough, saying he agreed to talks only to show that he was shunning no opportunity to try to restore peace.

As the invasion stretched into its sixth day, residents of Kyiv braved freezing temperatures and trudged through snow Tuesday to line up outside supermarkets, gas stations and even the small coffee kiosks that dot the sidewalks here to stock up before a Russian assault.

Throughout the capital there were signs of a city hunkering down. Makeshift checkpoints sprang up overnight in greater numbers than before. Reservists dressed in civilian clothing  some of them young men who appeared to be barely out of high school  wrapped yellow armbands around their sleeves, indicating they were with the so-called Territorial Defense Force, a sort of people's army that has joined regular troops in repulsing a Russian blitz. Wielding guns, they manned hastily assembled barriers of tires, trash bins and other detritus and stopped motorists to check their cars.

To the northwest of the city, closer to Russian positions, traffic was almost nonexistent; even the large neighborhood supermarket had no lines. Soldiers shooed away anyone approaching, warning them that Russian artillery fire had started up.

Moments later, a blast hit nearby, reverberating across the tall birch forests on the side of the highway.

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to London, told British lawmakers that Ukrainian troops still maintained control of the western approach to Kyiv and the western part of the country, which is vital to keep the capital from being strangled by Russian forces. He said Ukraine's military had 200 tanks and 700 trucks to help defend the country and keep supply routes open.

Volunteers with Ukraine's military. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

But the massive convoy of Russian armored vehicles to the north of Kyiv, which satellite images showed stretching for 40 miles, augured a major assault.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a warning, carried by the news agency Tass, that its forces would be launching "high-precision weapons" at a facility belonging to the Security Service of Ukraine and an information and psychological operations center in Kyiv, "in order to suppress information attacks against Russia." The statement warned residents in the area to leave their homes.

They want to break our nationhood  thats why the capital is constantly under threat, Zelensky said in a video address late Monday, adding that Kyiv was hit by three missile strikes Monday and that hundreds of Russian saboteurs were roaming the city.

Many, including remaining staff and family members of foreign embassies, decided that threat was too high. Thousands carrying what bits of their life they could take massed in Kyiv's train station, lugging suitcases on stairs while others stared at the departures board, almost willing it to change. It showed that the train from Kharkiv had arrived; there was no return trip.

Outside, near a commercial center, an advertising billboard shuffled through messages directed at the coming Russian troops, telling that "Instead of flowers, bullets are waiting for you" or "How can you look in the eyes of your children?" Others were more direct: "Russian soldier, go f yourself."

A host of Western nations, including most recently Australia, have agreed to supply Ukraine with military aid. But they have rebuffed calls to impose a NATO-led no-fly zone over Ukraine because of the risk of starting a much larger war.

Unfortunately the implication of that is that the U.K."  and other nations  "would be engaged in shooting down Russian planes," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in Warsaw. "It would be engaged in direct combat with Russia. Thats not something that we can do or that we've envisaged. ... The consequences of that would be truly very, very difficult.

Both Kyiv and Kharkiv, as Ukraine's two most populous cities, hold enormous symbolic significance and are therefore prime targets, said Prystaiko, the ambassador, pointing to the historical example of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia more than a century ago.

"They are using the same textbook they used from 1918 when they couldnt take Kyiv," Prystaiko said. "They took Kharkiv" and proclaimed the Ukrainian Peoples Republic, with Kharkiv as its capital. Then, "as soon as Kyiv fell, they moved the capital back to Kyiv. So I believe that thats one of the scenarios [now].

Johnson, following a meeting with the Polish premier, said that the West was prepared to intensify its sanctions on Moscow to punish it for "unfolding disaster in our European Continent."

I say to Vladimir Putin and his regime: There is only one way out of this morass, and that is to stop the tanks, to turn back the tanks, on their way to Kyiv  turn them round and take the path to peace, Johnson said.

On Monday, Zelensky said he had officially signed an application for Ukraine's membership in to the European Union.

Appearing by video in an address to the European Parliament early Tuesday afternoon, he passionately campaigned for Ukraine to be let into the 27-nation club, although accession is a distant prospect.

We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe," Zelensky said. "I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are. ... We have proven that, at a minimum, we are the same as you.

At night in Kyiv, with curfew back in place, the explosions were more sporadic. Air raid sirens wailed. When they stopped, all that remained was the slap of ropes against flagpoles and the subdued whir of a sidewalk billboard shuffling through its posters: A bank and a rock concert from last week. Above, the streetlights remained stubbornly lit, illuminating the streets for no one.

Bulos reported from Kyiv, Linthicum from Mexico City and Wilkinson from Washington. Times staff writers Anumita Kaur in Washington and David Pierson in Singapore also contributed.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
TISZABECS, Hungary (AP)  Of the hundreds of refugees gathered on the grounds of a small village school in eastern Hungary, almost all are women and children who left their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons behind to fight in Ukraine's resistance to the deadly Russian invasion.

I have brothers, they are fighting now, said Olga Skliarova, a 34-year-old resident of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Men are not allowed to cross the border, so they helped us to get to the border and went back to Kyiv to fight.

The exodus of refugees from the war in Ukraine is rapidly growing in the eastern countries of the European Union, with more than 675,000 people fleeing to neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began  a number that will only grow, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Shabia Mantoo, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva Tuesday that at this rate, the situation looks set to become Europes largest refugee crisis this century.

An order from Ukraine's government prohibiting men aged 18- to 60-years-old from leaving the country  so as to keep them available for military conscription  means that many women and children must seek safety on their own.

Irina Yarimchuk, an accountant from the western Ukrainian town of Kalush, traveled the five hours to the Hungarian village of Tiszabecs early Tuesday with her 14-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.

Through tears, she said her brother had joined the Ukrainian army, and she was "very worried about his life.

I love you so much. Keep yourself strong. We will win, and we will see you soon, I hope, she said in an emotional message to her brother, who is stationed near Ukraine's border with Belarus.

After a missile hit the nearby Ivano-Frankivsk airport as the Russian invasion began Thursday, Yarimchuk  who is planning to stay with relatives in Prague  spent her days and nights shuttling her family from their home to a bomb shelter as air raid sirens blared every few hours.

From that day ... we stay outside our home every evening, she said of the five panicked nights before she left. I was afraid for my children.

Skliarova, who worked in tourism in Kyiv before war laid siege to the city, recounted keeping a full backpack of clothes and emergency supplies that she brought with her each time she took shelter in her apartment building basement.

Its an evil, evil feeling," she said. "Scary, stress, shock. Every hour in the night, we got up to run into the basement. We slept dressed to get up and run.

In Poland, too, it was largely Ukrainian women arriving with their children as Russian President Vladimir Putins forces intensified their attacks on civilian targets in a campaign that is becoming deadlier for children.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the European Parliament on Tuesday that Russian forces had killed 16 children the day before as he appealed to EU leaders to accept Ukraine in the bloc.

Among those fleeing was Oxana Sereduk, who arrived by car in Medyka, Poland, with her two daughters and grandchildren Tuesday morning. Her daughter Mariana drove the car, sometimes with her 16-month-old baby sitting on her lap and nursing.

I am mostly afraid for the children, Sereduk said.

Maria Lisicka took her two children and fled when shelling began in Lutsk, western Ukraine. I will do everything for my children, she said. I didnt want to take them away, I wanted them to be at home, but what can be done? I want their psyche to be normal. The most important thing is children. I dont care about the rest.

At the bus station in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Tuesday, Pavlo Bilodid wiped away tears as he kissed his wife and 2-year-old daughter Maria goodbye, helping them board the bus to Poland.

Wrought with emotion, as three generations of the female members of his family made the trip to safety, he told the Associated Press they had fled Kyiv after fighting there intensified.

Sorry, he said, taking a moment to compose himself. Its terrible, because it was so unexpected and nobody was prepared for this situation, and we believe that we will see them soon. Im sure that we will see them soon.

Bilodid, 33, and his father stayed behind.

Were staying here and we have to volunteer and we will do here what we can do here in Lviv, and if we will need, we will go to Kyiv to fight, he said.

Back in Hungary, many of the women and children at the school in Tiszabecs hope to reach destinations in the Czech Republic and Poland, but difficulties have arisen in arranging transport from the remote village on the Ukrainian border.

Our biggest lack in recent days has been transportation, said Lajos Revesz of Hungarian Baptist Aid, which is running the reception center at the school.

Volunteers from several countries in the region have begun arriving in Tiszabecs to bring newly-arrived refugees farther into the EU.

Ivan Mursha, a native of Khust in western Ukraine who lives in Brno, Czech Republic, drove more than seven hours to offer free rides to anyone wishing to join him.

We are all Ukrainians. We must unite and help each other, Mursha said.

Skliarova, before departing for Brno in Mursha's 12-passenger van, said that her cousins 15-year-old son was shot by Russian forces on Monday while riding in a car in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv. The boy, she said, survived.

When asked what she expects to find when she returns to Kyiv, she said simply: Ruins.

I think someone has to stop" Putin, she said. "I think there must be at least one person in the world who can stop this paranoiac. Hes ill."

-

Gera reported from Medyka, Poland. AP writer Andrea Rosa in Lviv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.
Ukrainian officials and two Republican members of Congress have pushed for the United States to implement a no-fly zone as Russias invasion continues, but doing so would mark a major escalation in the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, via a statement to Axios on Monday, called on President Biden and NATO to impose a no-fly zone over significant parts of his country, saying that if the West does this, Ukraine will defeat the aggressor with much less blood. Zelensky tweeted Tuesday morning that he had told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Europeans supporting Ukraine needed to close the sky.

In an interview with MSNBCs Morning Joe on Tuesday, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandra Ustinova continued to make the case.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Monday. (Presidency of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

We need to protect our sky, and thats why we need a no-fly zone, Ustinova said. I know this is something that nobody wants to talk about because everybody is scared of Vladimir Putin.  My only question here to the international community would be, what is the red line for him? What is the red line when you actually step in? How many children have to die?

On Friday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., called for the implementation of a no-fly zone, stating that it would disrupt Russias air [operations] to give the heroic Ukrainians a fair fight. Its now, or later.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., joined him on Monday.

Clearly, in the absence of a U.N. resolution, which Russia would veto, a strong coalition of like-minded nations should step in and seriously consider this, Wicker told HuffPost in an interview.

Tens of thousands of women and children fleeing from Kyiv west have created a humanitarian situation that the international community needs to step in and be involved in, he added. According to the United Nations, more than 100 civilians have already been killed since Russia launched its invasion last week, although the real number could be higher than that.

To actually enforce a no-fly zone, NATO would likely need to shoot down any Russian aircraft that violated the declaration, an open attack on a nation with nearly 6,000 nuclear weapons. (On Monday, Biden said Americans should not be worried about nuclear war with Russia.)

The U.S. and its allies have implemented multiple no-fly zones in recent decades over countries with much less powerful militaries, such as Saddam Husseins Iraq in the 1990s and Libya in 2011.

Flight tracker website Flightradar24 shows no aircraft flying over Ukraine following the Russian attack. (Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The concept of a no-fly zone over Ukraine appears to have gained no traction with the Biden administration. Press secretary Jen Psaki said at Mondays White House briefing that implementing one would require deploying U.S. military to enforce, which would be ... potentially a direct conflict, and potentially a war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of.

During Mondays Department of Defense briefing, a reporter asked Pentagon press secretary John Kirby whether mounting civilian casualties could lead the U.S. to implementing a no-fly zone. Kirby answered, No, and moved on with the briefing.

There was bipartisan support of that position from Capitol Hill.

Theres been a lot of loose talk from smart people about close air support and no fly zones for Ukraine, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., tweeted. Lets just be clear what that is  the U.S. and Russia at war. Its a bad idea and Congress would never authorize it.

Military equipment for Ukraine, humanitarian support for Ukraine, crippling sanction on Russia, movement of U.S. troops to the eastern flank of NATO  these are all the right moves, he continued. But direct war between the worlds two nuclear powers should be a non-starter.

People have to understand what that means, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told reporters Monday evening when asked about the possibility of a no-fly zone. That means a willingness to shoot down Russian planes. And that would mean World War III.

President Biden at the White House on Monday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

International allies in Europe also ruled out the possibility. United Kingdom Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said last week that implementing a no-fly zone would put British fighter jets directly against Russian fighter jets and that NATO would have to effectively declare war on Russia because thats what you would do.

We have no intentions of moving into Ukraine, neither on the ground or in the airspace, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told NBC News in a Monday interview. We have a responsibility to make sure that this doesnt spiral out of control and escalate even further into concern for full-fledged war in Europe involving NATO allies.

Where are Russian forces attacking Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out.
An off-duty police officer in Las Vegas is accused of robbing a casino at gunpoint early Sunday, police said.

Caleb Rogers, 33, a member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department since 2015, is charged with burglary with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon, according to a statement from his agency.

Police said they were dispatched to a casino in the 4100 block of South Valley View Boulevard shortly before 7 a.m. Security at the casino, which police did not name, told officers they had detained a suspect.

Responding officers contacted security and identified the suspect as off-duty LVMPD officer Caleb Rogers, police said.

The department said Rogers, who is assigned to the Community Police Division, Bolden Area Command, will be "placed on suspension of police powers without pay pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigations."

Rogers made an initial appearance in court Monday and was held on $250,000 bail with high-level monitoring and a mandate that he have no weapons if he posts bail, a representative for the Clark County District Attorney's office said.

It was unclear whether Rogers had retained an attorney. He remained in the Clark County Detention Center on Monday afternoon, according to online jail records.

His relatives could not be immediately reached for comment.

Earlier Monday, prosecutor Christopher Laurent said in court that Rogers also is a suspect in two other armed robberies in the area. They include recent holdups at Red Rock Resort and Aliante Hotel, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

They have similar MOs, Laurent said, adding: It appears to be the same person. Metro is currently investigating. He is a danger to the community with that kind of training and knowledge.

A representative for the district attorney's office deferred to Las Vegas police when asked whether Rogers is a suspect in additional casino robberies. A spokesperson for Las Vegas police declined to answer and pointed to the departments statement from Sunday when asked the same question.

"Additional charges may be forthcoming," police have said.

Steve Grammas, the president of Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said Rogers arrest is not a reflection of the department.

"While everyone has a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, if these allegations are true, the LVPPA could not be more disappointed and disgusted by the actions of one rogue officer, the statement said.

This is not indicative of the excellent work and character that the men and women at LVMPD exemplify on a daily basis. ... If these charges are proven to be true, we hope the criminal justice system accurately holds the person accused accountable.
In this image taken June 16, 2020, a Russian Tu-95 bomber, top, is intercepted by a U.S. F-22 Raptor fighter off the coast of Alaska. Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers have flown near Alaska on missions demonstrating the military's long-range strike capability. (North American Aerospace Defense Command)

President Vladimir Putin conjured up the specter of nuclear war during the last weeks fierce fighting in Ukraine, instructing Russias military to place nuclear forces on high combat alert, a special regime of combat duty.

When was the last time there was a nuclear alert like this?

The last nuclear alert in a U.S.-Russian/Soviet crisis was by the United States during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, according to James Acton, who co-directs the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Before that, many experts say the closest the Cold War powers came to nuclear war was the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.

Acton wrote an instructive Twitter thread about Russias current nuclear threat.

He explains that Russian nonstrategic warheads are stored separately from the weapons that carry them, like intercontinental ballistic missiles and ballistic submarines. Putins alert may direct forces to move them to the same sites, then disperse them to strategic locations.

There could well be numerous changes to other aspects of Russia's nuclear posture: More troops called up, airborne command-and-control aircraft alerted, security at bases increased. The basic idea here is clearly to scare the West into backing down, Acton wrote.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush ordered U.S. nuclear-capable strategic bombers off alert in an effort to reverse the nuclear arms race, and they have remained that way since.

So how close are world powers to a nuclear showdown?

On Monday, Acton said analysts he knows who have access to classified Russian information have not seen any major changes to Russias nuclear force posture except increased readiness of nuclear command and control.

I still think theres a good chance that over the next few days we will see a change in Russias physical nuclear forces, Acton said. Partly this depends on who the audience is, the U.S. or Ukraine or both?

If its the U.S., Russia would probably deploy added submarines with long-range weapons or place warheads on long-range bombers, intercontinental missiles or trucks dispersed in the field where theyre more difficult to target, Acton said.

If Russia wants to send a message to Ukraine, it would deploy shorter-range weapons that cant reach the U.S., moving warheads from storage to aircraft, ground launch and ballistic missile sites.

We havent seen any of this yet, Acton said.

Actons concern is that Putin  unwilling to compromise in negotiations on allowing Ukraine to remain a sovereign state and facing a protracted, bloody ground war  will deploy a nuclear weapon as a show of force. Experts said he would probably test-fire a weapon or deploy it in a remote, sparsely populated area of Ukraine, away from Russian strongholds in the east and south.

The point wouldnt be to win the war through brute force. The point would be to say, Im willing to do this,  Acton said.

How have the U.S. and Europe responded to Putins nuclear threats?

The Biden administration has not raised the alert level of U.S. nuclear forces. U.S. Strategic Command issued a statement saying that it remains at an appropriate posture, meaning its combat readiness has not increased. Britain and France, the leading nuclear powers in Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, have not increased their alerts either, Acton said.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned Putins nuclear threats as completely unacceptable. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused Putin of manufacturing threats that dont exist in order to justify further aggression.

How many nuclear weapons does Russia have?

Russia has about 6,200 nuclear warheads, the U.S. nearly 5,500, according to the Arms Control Assn. Of those, about 2,000 in both countries can be launched quickly. They include land- and sea-based long-range ballistic missiles and heavy bombers with intercontinental range.

These things are designed to destroy cities, said Brian Toon, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Colorado in Boulder, who has spent 35 years researching chilling nuclear winter scenarios (here's his Ted talk summary).

Toon was concerned that as fighting rages in Ukraine and tensions escalate between Russia and the West, an accident could lead Russians to activate a nuclear weapon.

This is a classic example of how you get into a nuclear war. Its very improbable that Russia is suddenly going to attack the U.S. or the U.S. is going to attack Russia. But weve had numerous examples of coming close to a nuclear war, like the Cuban missile crisis, and, Weve had numerous cases since then where one side thought they detected a missile launch by the other side.

If they do, he said, they have a roughly 20-minute window to decide whether to launch in return or potentially be targeted.

He estimates that full-scale nuclear war between Russia and the U.S. could kill up to 6 billion people.

The way you would kill most of them is not radiation, he said. Most of the deaths would be because you would burn the cities.

How powerful are Russias nuclear weapons?

Both the U.S. and Russia now have nuclear weapons exponentially stronger than the bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan during World War II.

But what makes todays nuclear weapons more dangerous is not just the force of their explosions, but also improved accuracy, said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists: You dont need as big a bang to destroy your target.

So when people say the arsenals are more powerful, its not about tonnage, its that theyre more efficient, Kristensen said.  Weve seen Russia really modernizing its nuclear forces, bringing them out of the Soviet era.

How does the Russian nuclear arsenal compare with other nations?

Russia and the U.S. have the largest nuclear arsenals, but other countries have expanded their stockpiles in recent years, including Britain, China, India, North Korea and Pakistan, Kristensen said. Every permanent member of the United Nations Security Council has them.

The total number of weapons has dropped by about 80% since the end of the Cold War, from an estimated 70,300 in 1986 to 12,700 this year.

Other than Britain and France, no other NATO countries have significant nuclear stockpiles, Kristensen said, although the U.S. has sent some nuclear weapons to alliance members including Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

If its about standing up to the Russians, he said, only the U.S. can do that.

Does Ukraine have nuclear weapons?

After the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine inherited thousands of nuclear weapons stationed there, the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal.

But in 1994, the new Ukrainian government joined the global Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, relinquishing its weapons. In exchange, the treaty said, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.

Didnt the U.S. also agree to scale back nuclear weapons as recently as last year?

The Biden administration was soon expected to release a Pentagon-led study of U.S. nuclear capabilities with no plans to expand in coming years, Kristensen said.

Our military doesnt think they need to  they think they have plenty, he said.

Last year, the U.S. and Russia agreed to extend until 2026 a treaty limiting their nuclear stockpiles. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, signed in 2011, limits both countries to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and imposes restrictions on land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers used to fire them.

But after Russias nuclear threats, the Biden administration's position may change.

Biden came in with a promise to do several things to try to scale back the nuclear arsenal, Kristensen said. Most of those, if not all, are now in jeopardy because of the way things are going with China and Russia and certainly with these events and Russia rattling the nuclear sword.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Japanese writer-director Ryusuke Hamaguchi adapted material from three Haruki Murakami short stories  and Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya"  to create "Drive My Car." (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Japanese auteur Ryusuke Hamaguchi adapted a roughly 40-page Haruki Murakami short story into a fully realized, seamless three-hour film, "Drive My Car." But it was much more involved than that: He actually took material from three Murakami stories, and within that adaptation, he included significant passages of Anton Chekhov's stage classic "Uncle Vanya"  in multiple languages. And he accomplished all of that while retaining Murakami's themes and expanding far beyond where the author left his characters.

"The short story didnt really have a conclusive ending; it was sort of midway through," said Hamaguchi, through an interpreter. "From the audience perspective, thats something they might be dissatisfied with. I had to think of What were the characters issues, and how were they going to be solved?' I thought the most legitimate way to do it would be to use other stories from this collection ... there were common themes running through them."

"Drive My Car," nominated for four Oscars, including best picture, director and adapted screenplay, could as easily have been called "Men Without Women," after the book from which Hamaguchi mined the three tales. The central relationship, between actor-director Kafuku (played by Hidetoshi Nishijima in the film) and laconic driver Misaki (a perfectly cast Toko Miura), and Kafuku's wife's infidelities  including with a man Kafuku came to know, Takatsuki  come from the collection's first story, "Drive My Car." But the most unforgettable aspects of Kafuku's wife, Oto, come from another, unrelated story: "Scheherazade," in which a woman having an almost regimented affair tells her lover fascinating stories of her past following their sexual encounters. In the film, that basic scenario exists with the stories being inventions, not memories. A third entry in the collection, "Kino," contributes more subtly, with its decisive violence and main character's catharsis.

Hamaguchi said, "The character Kino, in the short story, is also cheated on by his wife, and there are things that he should be noticing that he doesnt. In the same way, there are things Kafuku should have realized, so I used 'Kino' to show the place where he should be getting to. Also, in regards to the violent nature of Takatsuki [in the film], this was something depicted in Kino that influenced the character of Takatsuki."

That's quite a bit of surgery on material by one of the world's foremost authors of fiction. Hamaguchi was undaunted.

In the Murakami story, Kafuku is a somewhat fading stage actor in a performance of "Uncle Vanya"; the discovery of his glaucoma requires the use of a hired driver, a young woman named Misaki. In the car, Kafuku drills his lines with a cassette tape of the other characters' dialogue. Apart from a brief, quoted passage, the Chekhov barely appears in Murakami's pages. In Hamaguchi's film, it's a major presence: The artistically formidable Kafuku is directing the play; his "Vanya" is cast with actors from several different Asian countries, speaking the dialoguein their own languages (one uses sign language).

Hamaguchi said, "I had a friend who had gone to France and performed with a multilingual acting troupe. That was extremely interesting. Even if its in just one language you dont speak  lets say for me, its in English  Im not going to get everything, but Im going to base my understanding on nuances, emotions, things like that. [The actors] are going to have this very intense concentration to be in tune with the other people."

This device suits his and Murakami's theme of deeper understanding, realizing one didn't know another as one thought. But Hamaguchi also saw parallels between the play and his characters. Vanya is envious and obsessed with what might have been; Kafuku is likewise unable to free himself from the past and looks jealously upon Takatsuki, whom he has cast in "Vanya" despite knowing of the affair.

"I was surprised by the amazing [correlation] between Vanyas character and Kafukus character. The lines spoken by Vanya really match up with the feelings Kafuku has. Because I wasnt using [Murakamis devices of] flashback and inner monologue, this would also help express those things."

He also saw "parallels between Misaki and Sonya [Vanya's niece, a practical person to whom Vanya listens]. The driver Misaki is able to guide Kafuku to solutions to ease his burden. This is similar to the relationship of Sonya and Vanya. There was the solution of being able to live on, to move forward with your life.

"The theme of how those left behind, those surviving, go on with their lives  this is definitely in the film. You have to move on, or it wont end. I thought, how can the audience come to think that Kafuku will be OK, to think, Hell be all right? Thats how it turned out this way."

One of Hamaguchi's subtler changes is also one of the most significant. The film adds the wrinkle that the voice on the cassette with which Kafuku runs lines belongs to his wife, Oto.

"After she dies, hes continuing this conversation with her even though shes not physically there anymore," said Hamaguchi. "Of course, its a [set] conversation; hes not gaining any information about the things he wants to know about her, her secrets. Its a safe way for him to interact with her. Its also a way to show how hes still so caught up with his wife."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A translator was seemingly moved to tears while translating an impassioned speech by the president of Ukraine at the European Parliament as Russias military invasion enters its sixth day.

Translating Volodymyr Zelenskys speech live on Tuesday, the interpreter could be heard getting emotional. This morning, two cruise missiles hit Freedom Square.  Dozens were killed. This is the price of freedom, Zelensky said, according to the translators interpretation.

The interpreter then could be heard choking up.

We are fighting just for our land and for our freedom, he continued.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks via video conference to the European Parliament on Tuesday. (John Thys/AFP via Getty Images)

On Tuesday morning, the square in the heart of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, was struck by a missile, and the large explosion could be seen ripping apart cars. At least 20 people, including one child, were reportedly injured, and authorities are still trying to confirm the death toll.

Speaking via video link to the European Parliament, Zelensky went on to say that his citizens were fighting for their survival.

Nobody is going to break us, he said. We are strong, we are Ukrainians. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think its a fair one. Yesterday, 16 children were killed.

Zelensky received a standing ovation from hundreds of diplomats at the European Parliament. The parliaments president, Roberta Metsola, told diplomats that she welcomed Ukraines application for EU membership and would work toward it.

Members of the European Parliament applaud after Zelenskys address. (Virginia Mayo/AP)

We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe, Zelensky said Tuesday. The European Union is going to be much stronger with us.

The speech came one day after Zelensky asked for immediate EU membership as Russian troops encircled Ukrainian cities, and much of Europe has rallied in support of Kyiv. Speaking at a briefing at the presidential palace in Kyiv, Zelensky appealed to the EU for immediate accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure. He added: Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. Im sure its fair. Im sure its possible."

On Tuesday, the chairman of Ukraines parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, also told the European Parliament that the best support to the people of Ukraine in its darkest hours will be the real recognition of our European aspiration. He added: Give us the membership of the European Union.

_____

Where are Russian forces attacking Ukraine? Check out this explainer from Yahoo Immersive to find out.
SYDNEY, March 1 (Xinhua) -- As devastating floods continue to swamp much of eastern Australia, an environmental scientist is warning of the threat to the drinking water supply for millions of people.

Writing in the online current affairs publication, the Conversation, Ian Wright from Western Sydney University noted that the torrential rains had already forced the temporary closure of two drinking water treatment plants in the southeastern region of the state of Queensland.

In response, health authorities are urging people to conserve drinking water, which has already led to one bottle shop in the state capital of Brisbane offering free ice to thirsty residents.

Wright said the problem was caused by an excessive run-off of soil which led to "milky chocolate brown" flood waters, which could become even more contaminated by various forms of waste matter potentially creating "a dangerous cocktail".

"The trouble is the treatment system has been hit quickly by a tremendous volume of water, which puts great pressure on the process which has not been designed for such disasters," he told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Wright said the huge input of unclean water could overwhelm the system by, for example, clogging the system's filters and ultimately diluting the chlorine and other chemicals used in the disinfection process.

"Water must be crystal clear by the time it gets to your tap," he said, adding that during these unprecedented flood times, cloudy water could appear in the system meaning the entire water body had to be "flushed" along with extensive testing done before the "all clear" could finally be given.

Meanwhile, other health experts are also anticipating a rise in related illnesses due to the filthy flood waters.

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Queensland deputy chair Shantha Raghwan warned in a statement on Monday that residents in the flooded regions could expect to suffer from an increase in gastroenteritis and skin infections due to the unclean conditions.

Adding to the problem, Raghwan said the floods were hampering staff numbers at hospital and healthcare systems.

"Due to floodwaters, many healthcare workers are unable to get to hospitals to work, so there are significant staffing pressures being experienced across Queensland and northern New South Wales," Raghwan said. 
Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Monday, Feb. 28. Follow here for the latest updates and news from Tuesday, March 1, as Russia's invasion continues.

***

More than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, the head of the region wrote on Telegram.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble. In a later Facebook post, he said many Russian soldiers and some local residents also were killed during the fighting on Sunday. The report could not immediately be confirmed.

Earlier Monday, Russian forces shelled Ukraines second-largest city, rocking a residential neighborhood as they closed in on the capital, Kyiv, in a 40-mile convoy that included hundreds of tanks and other military vehicles.

The fighting continued as talks aimed at stopping the war yielded only an agreement to keep talking. The countrys embattled president said the stepped-up shelling was aimed at forcing him into concessions.

I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address. He did not offer details of the hours-long talks that took place earlier, but said that Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions when one side is hitting each other with rocket artillery.

As Russian forces marched forward and met stiff resistance from Ukrainian soldiers, countries tightened the vise around Moscow's economy Monday, announcing new sanctions on its central bank and individuals. Even Switzerland is breaking its neutral stance to join the EU in its actions.

TRACK THE INVASION: Satellite images, surveillance footage, social media posts show the latest on the war in Ukraine

FACT CHECK: What's true and what's false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine

RUSSIA'S RICHEST TARGETED:Biden hits yacht-riding elites with sanctions. Will it help?

Russian infantry GAZ Tigr vehicles destroyed as a result of fighting in Kharkiv, seen on Feb. 28, 2022.

Mastercard blocks financial institutions over sanctions on Russia

Mastercard announced Monday it was blocking "multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network" as a result of sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S.-based financial services company said in a statement it will continue to work with regulators to stay in compliance and is actively monitoring and preparing to respond to cyberattacks.

The U.S. and EU have sanctioned top Kremin officials and Russian elites as well as taken steps to remove Russian banks from the SWIFT network, which allows for payments between financial institutions.

The financial corporation also said it would donate $2 million in humanitarian relief.

 Celina Tebor

United States expels Russian diplomats from U.N. headquarters

The United States is expelling 12 Russian diplomats stationed at the United Nation's headquarters in New York. for engaging in espionage activities that undermine U.S. national security.

Olivia Dalton, a spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN, said the U.S. action has been in the works for several months.

She did not elaborate on the accusations that the Russians were spying on the U.S. but referred to the 12 individuals as intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the United States.

 Deirdre Shesgreen

Australia commits $50 million in support for Ukraine

Australia will provide Ukraine with $50 million in missiles, ammunition and other military hardware to fight Russian invaders.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday elaborated on his countrys plans after revealing a day earlier that his government would provide Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with lethal military equipment. Morrison promised only non-lethal military equipment last week.

President Zelenskyy said: Dont give me a ride, give me ammunition, and thats exactly what the Australian government has agreed to do, Morrison said.

Australia had committed $50 million to provide both lethal and non-lethal defensive support for Ukraine through NATO, he said. The overwhelming majority of that ... will be in the lethal category, Morrison said.

 Associated Press

Disney, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. halt release of films in Russia

The Walt Disney Co., Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. are joining the list of businesses retaliating against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Disney is pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar, in response to the attack, the company said in a statement Monday.

We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation, the statement said.

The company said it is working with non-governmental organizations to provide aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.

WarnerMedia is putting the release of The Batman on hold in Russia. The film starring Robert Pattinson had been set to open in Russia on Thursday.

We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves, Warner Bros. said in a statement. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.

Sony Pictures is also pausing planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius, which is due out in early April.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly," a Sony Pictures spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement.

 Michael Collins, Charles Ventura

Ukraine official: 5 million rubles and full amnesty for Russian soldiers who stop fighting

Ukraine is offering Russian soldiers cash to stop fighting in a Kremlin-ordered invasion of the country.

We offer Russian soldiers a choice: to die in an unjust war or a full amnesty and 5 million rubles in compensation. If they lay down their arms and surrender voluntarily, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a statement posted to the departments Twitter account.

The offer of 5 million rubles is worth less than $50,000 dollars as the currency has cratered amid global sanctions levied against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

 Rick Rouan

Durbin requests Temporary Protected Status for Ukrainians in U.S.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters that he plans to send a bipartisan letter to President Biden this evening asking for Temporary Protected Status for all Ukrainians currently in the U.S.

There are 29,500 Ukrainians in the United States now on visas," said Durbin, the second most powerful Democrat in the Senate. "They include tourists and students and people working here."

He said some have expired visas and are now expected to return to Ukraine, which is unacceptable under these current circumstances. Temporary Protected Status would allow them to stay in the U.S. temporarily without fear of deportation.

That is something we could and should do immediately, he said.

 Dylan Wells and Rebecca Morin

Ukraine ambassador compares Russia to Nazi Germany

Ukraines ambassador to the United States said Monday Russian forces that invaded her country are acting like the Nazis during World War II and killing innocent civilians.

Russian troops have shot into residential areas, orphanages, schools and kindergartens, Ambassador Oksana Markarova told reporters after a meeting with U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

FROM SOCCER TO VODKA: The sanctions, bans and boycotts placed on Russia

It is horrible, she said. They have to pay the price. They have to be isolated. They have to understand that its not OK in the 21st century to start a war and kill people in a neighboring sovereign country.

Russia is trying to inflict devastation on Ukraine, Markarova said, but Ukrainians continue to fight back and will not surrender. We are defending our home, she said. We do not have any other option.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the Congress members who met with Markarova, praised the Ukrainians and said there was universal support among lawmakers at the meeting to offer assistance.

Were exploring all the ways that we can help them, he told reporters after the meeting.

 Michael Collins

U.S. not ruling out closing airspace to Russian planes

The U.S. has not ruled out the possibility of banning Russian flights from its airspace in retaliation for Moscows invasion of Ukraine, the White House said Monday.

There are obviously a range of options that remain on the table, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. So it's not off the table.

Canada and the 27-nation European Union have closed their airspace to Russian planes. Russia has responded by closing its airspace to airlines from 36 countries.

On Monday, Russia announced that it has closed its airspace to carriers from 36 nations, including European countries and Canada, responding in kind to their move to close their respective airspaces to all Russian aircraft.

The move, announced Monday by the state aviation agency, follows a decision by the EU and Canada over the weekend to close their skies to the Russian planes in response to Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

It added that planes from those countries could only enter Russias airspace with special permission.

 Michael Collins

U.S. has no plans to update nuclear threat level

The U.S. sees no reason to update its nuclear threat level despite Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to put his nuclear forces on high alert, the White House said Monday.

The U.S. is assessing Putins directive, but at this time, we see no reason to change our own alert levels, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Neither the U.S. nor NATO has any desire for conflict with Russia, Psaki said, and we think provocative rhetoric like this regarding nuclear weapons is dangerous, adds to the risk of miscalculation, should be avoided and will not indulge in it.

- Michael Collins

Poll: Majority of Americans fear Russia could deploy nuclear weapons

Most Americans are wary that Russia could use nuclear weapons if the United States and its NATO allies step in to stop the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine, a new poll found.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted mostly before Russian President Vladimir Putin put his countrys nuclear forces on high alert found that more than six in 10 Americans are worried Russia could deploy nuclear weapons.

President Joe Biden says they shouldn't.

Asked Monday by a reporter as he attended a Black History Month celebration at the White House whether Americans "should be worried about nuclear war," Biden answered with a simple 'no'."

Still, there is growing support among Americans for U.S. military involvement. The share of respondents who support President Joe Bidens decision to send U.S. troops to shore up NATOs eastern flank increased from 54% in a Feb. 16 poll to 70% in the most recent survey.

About 70 percent of respondents said American troops should get involved if Russia moves beyond Ukraine and into a NATO country, a prospect that nearly two-thirds believe Putin has in his sights.

The poll surveyed 1,364 U.S. adults between Feb. 25-27.

-- Rick Rouan

Shell to cut ties with Russian natural gas company

Shell will exit a joint-venture with the Russian-owned natural gas company Gazprom a day after BP said it was cutting ties with a Russian state-owned oil company amid the Kremlins ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said in a prepared statement.

The company said it had about $3 billion in assets tied up in Russian ventures at the end of 2021. That includes interests in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and other joint ventures.

 Rick Rouan

Twitter to flag tweets sharing Russian state media content

Twitter will begin flagging content shared on its platform from Russian state media as it tries to stem the tide of disinformation flowing from the Kremlin.

The social media platform announced its plan on Monday. Twitter already labeled the accounts of state media outlets, but now it will flag tweets from any account sharing that content, the companys head of site integrity Yoel Roth said.

Roth said about 45,000 tweets a day are sharing links to Russian state-affiliated media outlets.

 Rick Rouan

Macron: France will bring resolution to UN security council

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will bring a resolution to the United Nations Security Council after reinforcing to the Kremlin the need to protect civilians in the invasion of Ukraine.

Macron tweeted on Monday that he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to adopt a ceasefire and to stop attacks against civilians, residences and infrastructure. He asked Putin to respect humanitarian law, according to a translation of his tweet, and said France would bring the resolution to the UN.

The UN general assembly is scheduled to meet in an emergency special session on Monday.

Ukraines ambassador to the United States previously accused Russia of committing war crimes in the attack, including the use of heavy missiles and artillery to hit hospitals and kindergartens as well as infrastructure.

 Rick Rouan

Zelenskyy asks European Union to grant Ukraine immediate membership

Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has formally made his appeal for membership into the European Union.

Zelenskyy signed an application to grant Ukraine membership in the EU on Monday after urging the union publicly to expedite the process under a special procedure.

The request came after the European Union announced new actions against Russia, including plans to close its airspace to Russian airlines, bankroll weapons for Ukraine and ban pro-Kremlin media outlets.

-- Rick Rouan

Residents of Sievierodonetsk, Lugansk Oblast, wait hidden in their basement during heavy shelling by Russian forces and Russia-backed separatists on Feb. 28, 2022.

Residents of Sievierodonetsk, Lugansk Oblast, look out from the basement where they hid during heavy shelling by Russian forces and Russia-backed separatists on Feb. 28, 2022.

FACT CHECK ROUNDUP: What's true and what's false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Ruble-to-bitcoin trades surge after sanctions crater Russian currency

Holders of Russian currency are turning to bitcoin as the ruble cratered in the aftermath of global sanctions that have cut off Russia from western financial institutions.

Coindesk, a cryptocurrency news organization, reported a spike on Monday in trading volume between the Russian ruble and bitcoin. Trading volumes have hit a nine-month high, according to Coindesk.

The increase came after the U.S., European allies and other countries around the globe imposed financial sanctions that have crippled Russias economy in response to Moscows invasion of Ukraine. The value of the ruble compared with the U.S. dollar has plunged since the announcement of those sanctions.

-- Rick Rouan

A baby sleeps while people trying to flee Ukraine wait for trains inside Lviv railway station, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, in Lviv, west Ukraine.

Kremlin: Sanctions 'problematic,' worsened economy

At the outset of a brewing financial crisis, the Kremlin conceded Monday that Western sanctions were affecting the economy but remained confident effects could be dampened.

"The economic reality has considerably changed," Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlins spokesperson, said during a press call with reporters, according to Reuters and CNN. "These are heavy sanctions, they are problematic, but Russia has the potential to offset the harm."

The U.S. and EU have sanctioned top Kremin officials and Russian elites as well as taken steps to remove Russian banks from the SWIFT network, which allows for payments between financial institutions. The West also took steps to stop the Kremlin from accessing its $640 billion in foreign reserves which Russian banks could use to buoy the isolated economy.

"Russia has been making plans for quite a long time for possible sanctions, including the most severe ones. There are response plans, they were developed and are being implemented as problems appear, Peskov said.

He added that sanctions on Russian elites and Russian President Vladimir Putin himself were pointless.

 Matthew Brown

EU Foreign Affairs chief: 'Sanctions have a cost'

Days after the United States and European Union levied stringent sanctions on the Russian elite and financial system, the EUs foreign affairs chief reiterated that sanctions will have a negative effect on the global economy. Its a price that the West must be ready to pay, he stressed.

This is not a free lunch. Sanctions will backlash. Sanctions have a cost, Josep Borrell, vice president of the European Commission, said Monday. Borrell said it is important to explain to public opinion the costs of sanctions on the global economy.

LEARN MORE: Mapping and tracking Russia's invasion of Ukraine

We have to be ready to pay this price now because if not, we will have to pay a much bigger price in the future, Borrell continued. He noted there would be turbulence in global energy markets that would especially impact Europe in the short term, which the EU and U.S. are working to mitigate.

While the U.S. is more insulated from the economic pain of isolating Russia than Europe, President Joe Biden has also cautioned Americans that the sanctions will have ripple effects for the U.S. economy that will be felt in the stock market and energy prices

 Matthew Brown

IOC calls for exclusion of athletes from Russia, Belarus

In a sweeping move to isolate and condemn Russia after invading Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee urged sports bodies on Monday to exclude the countrys athletes and officials from international events.

The IOC said it was needed to "protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants."

The decision opened the way for FIFA, the governing body of soccer, to exclude Russia from a World Cup qualifying playoff match on March 24. Poland has refused to play the scheduled game against Russia.

The Olympic bodys call also applied to athletes and official from Belarus, which has abetted Russias invasion.

 Associated Press

PUTIN'S MIND: 'Erratic?' 'Delusional?' Lawmakers question Putin's stability as he puts nuclear forces on alert

Swiss adopt EU sanctions

The Swiss government on Monday took the extraordinary step of joining in the EU's sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Switzerland's Federal Council decided to adopt the financial sanctions, whiich include freezing the assets of individuals and companies, as well as levying sanctions upon Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The Swiss government is also joining the EU in closing its airspace to all flights from Russia and to aircraft with Russian markings. The Federal Council is suspending visas for Russian nationals, excluding diplomatic passports, and is blocking entry for "a number of individuals who have a connection to Switzerland and are close to the Russian president."

 Katie Wadington

United States imposes sanctions on Russia's Central Bank

The U.S. on Monday imposed new sanctions on Russia targeting the country's Central Bank, dealing a major blow to Moscow's economy, which holds more than $630 billion in foreign currency reserves.

The sanctions effectively cut off Russia's Central Bank from accessing assets either held in the U.S. or in U.S. dollars, severely restricting any effort by Russian President Vladimir Putin to blunt the effects of previous sanctions that have sent the country's economy into a free fall.

The new restrictions, in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, also target Russia's National Wealth Fund and the Ministry of Finance.

The measures prohibit foreign financial firms with U.S. dollars from sending it to Russia's Central Bank, National Wealth Fund or finance ministry, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the announcement.

The official said the U.S. wanted to put the penalties in place before markets opened Monday after learning from allies over the weekend that the Russian Central Bank was attempting to move assets beginning Monday morning from institutions around the world.

 Courtney Subramanian

WHAT IS SWIFT?: How would a removal from SWIFT affect Russia?

Zelenskyy creates 'international legion,' enlists foreign fighters

President Volodomyr Zelenskyy announced the creation of an international legion to enlist non-Ukrainians who want to support the war effort against Russia.

We already have thousands requests from foreigners, who want to join the resistance to the (Russian) occupiers and protect the world security from Putin regime, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said Monday.

While no other country has sent its own troops to Ukraine, the U.S., European Union and NATO have all ramped up the delivery of weapons to the eastern European country amid the Russian invasion.

Anyone interested in joining the new unit should reach out to the Ukrainian embassies in their home countries, the statement said.

The Ukrainian government has also called on the support of its civilians to assist in defending the country from Russian invasion by directly resisting and confusing invading forces.

 Matthew Brown

U.S. closes embassy in Belarus

The State Department has shut down the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, Belarus, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday morning. Non-emergency personnel and family members at the embassy in Moscow have also been authorized to leave.

Blinken said the steps were taken "due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine."

Belarus has served as a staging area for Russian troops for weeks ahead of the invasion that started on Thursday.

 Katie Wadington

Pope Francis offers to help solve Ukraine crisis

The Vatican is offering to help in any negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vaticans No. 2 official, told several Italian newspapers in an interview published on Monday that the Holy See is offering its willingness to facilitate dialogue with Russia."

On Friday, Pope Francis took the extraordinary step of visiting the Russian Embassy to the Holy See to meet with the Russian ambassador. The pontiff urged an end to fighting and a return to negotiations, Parolin said.

While Orthodox Christians are predominant among the faithful in Ukraine, the Catholic Church has a discreet presence in that country through believers who follow the Eastern Rite of Catholicism.

 Associated Press

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson: 'Putin must fail'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed that Western allies would impose the harshest economic sanctions possible against Russian President Vladimir Putin for his "abhorrent campaign against Ukraine."

The European Union has announced unprecedented new actions against Russia, outlining plans to close its airspace to Russian airlines, fund a weapons purchase to assist Ukraine and ban some pro-Kremlin media outlets, while the Associated Press reported the United States approved the delivery of anti-aircraft Stinger missiles to Ukraine.

Western powers in support of Ukraine could soon be joined by Switzerland, an oftentimes neutral country that on Monday is set to review potential sanctions and asset freezes against Russia, said President Ignazio Cassis via Reuters. Cassis said it was very probable the country would follow suit, the outlet reported.

"Putin must fail," the British prime minister wrote on Twitter.

 Caren Bohan and Associated Press

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukrainian soldiers killed after Russian artillery hits base: Recap
Editor's note: This page recaps the news from Ukraine on Tuesday, March 1. Follow here for the latest updates and news from Wednesday, March 2 as Russia's invasion continues.

Russian military forces escalated attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine's largest cities Tuesday, even as its massive convoy of tanks and vehicles appeared to bog down.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called an attack Tuesday on the main square of the country's second-largest city frank, undisguised terror. Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget. This attack on Kharkiv is a war crime.

At least 11 people were killed and 35 wounded in the rocket strike, Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said, adding that the death toll is expected to rise. Closed-circuit television footage showed a fireball engulfing a street in front of one building, and a few cars rolled out of the billowing smoke.

Russian strikes on Kyivs TV tower also killed five people.

The Russian military advance drew to within 15 miles of Kyivs center amid signs that troops are running out of gas and food, a senior U.S. Defense Department official said Tuesday. Russia has committed about 80% of the combat force President Vladimir Putin deployed to invade Ukraine, the official said.

Ukrainian resistance is continuing, and it has helped stymie the advance, according to the official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence findings. It is also possible the Russians are pausing to regroup and reassess their attack, the official said.

Zelenskyy said he spoke with President Joe Biden on Tuesday concerning Russian sanctions and defense assistance to Ukraine. The White House confirmed that they spoke for more than 30 minutes.

"We must stop the aggressor as soon as possible," Zelenskyy tweeted. "Thank you for your support!"

Biden gave his first State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday night amid the war abroad, condemning Russia for its "unprovoked" invasion of Ukraine and confirming the closing of U.S. airspace to Russian planes.

Biden said the U.S. and western allies are enforcing "powerful economic sanctions," including cutting off Russia's largest banks from international financial systems, preventing Russia's central bank from shoring up the Russian ruble and "making Putin's $260 billion war fund worthless."

Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been, he said.

Hospital workers transferred a Kharkiv maternity ward to a bomb shelter. Amid mattresses piled up against the walls, pregnant women paced the crowded space to the cries of dozens of newborns.

Zelenskyy said he believes Russian shelling of civilian areas is an attempt by Russia to put pressure on Ukraine to make concessions. No peace deal can be reached when one side is hitting another with rocket artillery, he said.

In Geneva, dozens of diplomats from the U.S., the U.K. and other European countries walked out in protest when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was addressing the UN Human Rights Council and Conference on Disarmament.

THE NEWS COMES TO YOU: Get the latest updates on the situation in Ukraine. Sign up here

A view of the square outside the damaged local city hall of Kharkiv on March 1, 2022, destroyed as a result of Russian troop shelling.

Latest updates:

Apple said it would stop selling its products in Russia. The company doesn't have physical stores in Russia but ships devices through its online stores and sells its products through retail stores there.

ExxonMobil said it would discontinue operations of the Sakhalin-1 project and leave the venture, which involves Russia among other countries, and that it would not invest in new developments in Russia.

At least two international humanitarian groups accused Russia of using cluster bombs, which open in the air and rain down multiple explosives over a wide area with little accuracy. Moscow denied the allegation.

At least 677,000 refugees have already fled from Ukraine into neighboring countries, most to Poland, said Filippo Grandi, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees.

Zelenskyy, in an address to the European parliament Tuesday, said his country is fighting "to be equal members of Europe. We have proven that, as a minimum, we are the same as you.

The State Department has closed the U.S. Embassy in Belarus, a Russian neighbor and supporter, and is allowing non-essential staff at the U.S. Embassy in Russia to leave the country.

TRACK THE INVASION: Satellite images, surveillance footage, social media posts show the latest on the war in Ukraine

USA TODAY FACT CHECK ROUNDUP: What's true and what's false about the Russian invasion of Ukraine

United States to ban Russian planes from American airspace

President Joe Biden announced State of the Union address Tuesday night that the U.S. is closing its airspace to Russian planes in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, .

The U.S. joins a growing list of countries that have announced plans to close their airspace to Russian aircraft in response to the invasion. The European Union took that step Sunday after several European countries, including France, Italy and Denmark, announced the move. Canada also joined the international move to cut off Russian aircraft.

 Michael Collins and Courtney Subramanian

Biden says 'no more' to Russian oligarchs; sanctions strangling Putin

Biden said at the State of the Union Tuesday night that the U.S. and western allies are enforcing "powerful economic sanctions," including cutting off Russia's largest banks from international financial systems, preventing Russia's central bank from shoring up the Russian ruble and "making Putin's $260 billion war fund worthless."

The president, who praised Ukraines resolve on the battlefield, also said the Justice Department is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russias wealthiest people. He pledged that the U.S., along with European allies, will look seize Russian yachts, luxury apartments and private jets.

We are coming for your ill-begotten gains, Biden said.

The president also said coordinated sanctions are "choking off Russia's access to technology" that will weaken its military and undermine its economic strength.

 Courtney Subramanian and Phillip M. Bailey

US to release 30 million barrels from Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Biden said at the State of the Union the U.S. is working with 30 countries to release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves around world to ease the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy markets.

The U.S. is leading the effort by releasing 30 million barrels from its own Strategic Petroleum Reserve, he said.

These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home, he said.

 Michael Collins

Ukraine: Attack on TV tower kills 5, damages Babi Yar Holocaust Center

Russian strikes on Kyivs TV tower killed five people, wounded others and damaged the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office tweeted that a "powerful barrage" was underway and that a missile hit the center.

The Nazis shot tens of thousands of people at Babi Yar, including almost the entire Jewish population of Kyiv.

"To the world: what is the point of saying 'never again' for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar?" Zerenskyy tweeted. "At least 5 killed. History repeating"

Ukrainian emergency service personnel carry a body of a victim out of the damaged City Hall building following shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

US official: Russian force may be regrouping

The 40-mile convoy approaching Kyiv has made little progress because of resistance and a lack of gas and food, according to a senior U.S. Defense Department official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence findings.

The official said the Russians also are likely protecting the convoy, explaining why it does not appear to have been attacked. The airspace over Ukraine continues to be contested by Ukrainian and Russian forces, the official said.

There are also signs that there are morale problems among Russian troops, many of whom have been drafted into service, the official said, declining to say how the Pentagon has made that assessment. Many of the soldiers are young men who have not been thoroughly trained or even aware why they were sent to Ukraine.

The Russians, however, have a potent force in and around Ukraine, the official said.

The Russians have systems capable of launching thermobaric weapons in Ukraine, the official said. Those fuel-air weapons are used primarily to kill people on the ground or in bunkers.

 Tom Vanden Brook

Ukraine refugees find open doors through online sites

At a time when desperate Ukrainians are fleeing their country by the hundreds of thousands, online connections are helping them find refuge in other countries.

Facebook groups such as Host A Sister and Accommodation, Help & Shelter for Ukraine are among the sites serving as a link between those escaping the war in Ukraine and hosts willing to open their doors to them.

Iryna Yarmolenko, who served as a council member for the Ukrainian city of Bucha, fled with her mother and 5-year-old son last week and found a safe place with a couple in Lublin, Poland, after posting a request for help on the Host A Sister page.

"Even if it was just with their words: 'Iryna, we are here. Tell me what you need,' ... I felt myself not so alone." she said. "I was totally broken because I left all my stuff, all my dreams, all my house, all my career, all my everything."

 Bailey Schulz and Eve Chen

Ice skating, skiing and basketball join growing list of sports entities barring Russians

In addition to the economic sanctions piling up against Russia for invading Ukraine, the sports bans continue to mount.

On Tuesday, Russia was barred from competing in international ice skating, skiing, basketball, track and some tennis events, a day after being kicked out of soccer competitions and hockey  President Vladimir Putins favorite team sport. The decisions follow the IOCs request to international sports federations to keep Russian athletes out of events they organize.

The International Skating Union, which runs the sport around the world, said it won't allow any competitors from Russia to participate in its events, which would exclude Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova and 15-year-old star Kamila Valieva from the world figure skating championships in France later this month. Athletes from Belarus, which has supported Russia's attack, will also be barred.

Court will look into whether Russia has committed war crimes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of committing war crimes during the invasion, and the International Criminal Court's prosecutor said he would investigate.

But what exactly are war crimes? Are they attacks on civilian populations? Launching rockets into residential areas? Other forms of cruelty in what's an inherently brutal endeavor like war?

The definition of a war crime has evolved over time, but Dustin Lewis, research director for the Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict, said it encompasses two criteria.

"First, the conduct must be committed with a sufficient connection to an armed conflict,'' he said. "Second, the conduct must constitute a serious violation of the laws and customs of international humanitarian law that has been criminalized by international treaty or customary law."

 Ryan W. Miller

Mayor describes Kharkiv's situation as 'pretty grave'

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Tuesday that his government remained in control but said the city is surrounded by Russian troops.

Military equipment and armored vehicles are coming from different directions, he told The Washington Post in a phone interview.

Terekhov said a government building and the opera and ballet theater were among buildings shelled. Transformer stations were also struck by artillery, cutting off power to much of the city, he said. The shelling stalled efforts to supply the city with food and medical supplies, he said.

There are casualties, and by now, there are certainly a lot more of them, after the night and morning shelling, he told the Post. The situation is pretty grave.

Diplomats in Geneva walk out on Lavrov speech

More than 100 diplomats from dozens of nations walked out on a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday in protest of the invasion. Lavrov spoke remotely from Russia because he said his flight path to Geneva was blocked by governments that closed their airspace to Russian planes. He accused the West of "Russophobic frenzy."

Ambassador Michele Taylor, the U.S. representative to the council, said the diplomats were working to ensure Russia's leaders were held accountable for the "illegal war" against Ukraine.

"As widespread human rights abuses continue + civilian casualties mount, we #StandwithUkraine in rejecting Lavrovs lies," Taylor tweeted. "Russia is isolated."

Actor Sean Penn flees Ukraine on foot

Filmmaker and actor Sean Penn confirmed he has evacuated to Poland after spending time in Ukraine working on a documentary about the conflict. The actor shared a photo of himself Monday carrying a suitcase while walking along the side of a backed-up highway as many others attempted to flee Ukraine.

"Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road," Penn wrote. "Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value."

Penn said Putin has made a "most horrible mistake for all of humankind" and that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people "have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams."

Penn's visit drew accolades from Zelenskyy.

"Sean Penn demonstrates the courage that many others, especially western politicians lack," the president's office wrote on Facebook. "The director specially came to Kyiv to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia's invasion of our country."

 Elise Brisco

Cities under siege: A look at Kyiv and Kharkiv by the numbers

The war has thrown a global spotlight on Ukraine's two largest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv. Kyiv's (KEE-ev) population of 2.7 million people would make it the third largest in the U.S. slightly ahead of Chicago. The city covers 330 square miles  bigger than Chicago or New York, about the size of San Diego. Kyiv is in north central Ukraine, not far from the borders with Russia and Belarus. Ukrainian and Russian are commonly spoken in the city, among the oldest in Eastern Europe.

Kharkiv (kar-KEEV), 300 miles east of Kyiv and near the Russian border, has a population of about 1.4 million spread over about 135 square miles  about the size of Philadelphia, which has a population of about 1.5 million.

Ukraine has a population of about 44 million people, 4 million more than California, and is about 233,000 square miles  a bit smaller than Texas.

NATO chief says nuclear alert level unchanged

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday visited troops in Poland with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Poland shares a border with Ukraine, and the air base in the central Poland city of Lask is home to NATOs Polish and U.S. F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.

"We are increasing our presence in the east to defend & protect our people," Stoltenberg said in a social media post. "Allies are stepping up support for #Ukraine & imposing costs on #Russia. The world stands with Ukraine in calling for peace."

Despite Russias threats about nuclear weapons, the alliance sees no need to change its nuclear weapons alert level, Stoltenberg said. And while Ukraine is not a member of NATO, it is the alliance's responsibility to ensure that we dont see a development where a conflict in Ukraine spiraled out of control and becomes a full-fledged confrontation between NATO and Russia in Europe."

A military facility was destroyed by shelling in the city of Brovary outside Kyiv on March 1.

Google, other big tech firms grapple with Russian state media, propaganda

Big tech platforms have begun restricting Russian state media from using their platforms to spread propaganda and misinformation. Google announced Tuesday that it's blocking the YouTube channels of those outlets in Europe effective immediately but said it could take some time to get all of them removed. Other U.S.-owned tech companies have also taken steps, including labeling more content so people know it originated with the Russian government and cutting Russian state organizations off from ad revenue.

The changes are intended to slow the Kremlin from pumping propaganda into social media feeds without persuading Russian officials to block their citizens from access to platforms during a crucial time of war, said Katie Harbath, a former public policy director for Facebook. Read more here.

"Theyre trying to walk this very fine line; theyre doing this dance, she said.

War threatens Russian space partnerships with US, Europe

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised concerns about the country's relationship with the United States in space, a union that has remained intact despite geopolitical rifts between the two countries.

Four NASA astronauts, two Russian cosmonauts and one European Space Agency astronaut are stationed aboard the International Space Station, their home traveling 17,500 mph some 200 mile above Earth  where Russia has drawn international rebuke for its invasion of Ukraine. NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is scheduled to return March 30 aboard a Russian spacecraft.

President Joe Biden has promised sanctions will target the Russian aerospace industry, a warning that led to a tweet from Russian space chief Dmitry Rogozin asking "who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe."

The European Space Agency also works with Russia. A planned launch of a European-Russian mission to Mars this year is "very unlikely," the space agency said Monday.

 Emre Kelly, Florida Today

Contributing: Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine recap: Biden takes aim at Putin in State of the Union address
Kyiv's Gorodetsky House, also known as House with Chimeras, seen here in 2012, is a prominent architectural symbol of the Ukrainian capital. (Christopher Lee / Getty Images)

In 1903, an architect by the name of Vladislav Gorodetsky put the finishing touches on a luxurious apartment building in the center of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. To say that the building is unusual would be a vast understatement.

Gorodetsky  alternately known in English as Wladyslaw Horodecki  was a Polish-born architect dubbed "the Gaudi of Ukraine." His namesake building fuses Beaux-Arts and Art Nouveau styles with a roofline and facade bearing a truly bizarre menagerie of grotesqueries: Rows of frogs patrol the roofline, an elephant bulges from the building's skin, heads of deer and rhinoceros emerge from atop Corinthian columns. And, on the roof, mermaids ride writhing fish.

As arts writer and editor John Pancake once described Gorodetsky House in a 2010 Wall Street Journal dispatch: This was a structure created by "a man who hated the dull, the safe, the easy."

It therefore could not be more apropos that the building has emerged as architectural backdrop to one of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's urgent social media dispatches. On Saturday, as Russian troops unleashed their attack on Ukraine, and rumors swirled that Zelensky might be evacuated from the country, the Ukrainian leader stood firmly before Gorodetsky House and declared: "I am here. We are not laying down our arms. We will defend our state."

He could be nowhere else. Gorodetsky House exists only in Kyiv.

Like countless people around the world, I have been glued to my phone for news updates on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And like countless others, I have been deeply moved by Zelensky's eloquence, his fearlessness and his social media savviness amid Vladimir Putin's senseless invasion.

It has been gripping for what is at stake: the sovereignty of Ukraine and the lives and deaths of millions. It has also been gripping for how Zelensky, an actor and comedian turned politician  whose inexperience was cause for great concern as tensions with Russia boiled  has not only led with great strength, but masterfully deployed the internet as a weapon.

In some of his videos, Zelensky appears decked out in stylish olive green raglan tees; in others, he serves as his own jittery camera operator. This gives him an air of a tough, youthful leader deep in the trenches. Putin, by contrast, has appeared in dark suits, giving statements from gilded rooms like "a detached and scowling villain in a John Le Carre novel," as my colleagues Nabih Bulos and Kate Linthicum wrote in a recent analysis of how Zelensky is winning the public relations war.

Times fashion scribe Adam Tschorn told me via Slack, "Zelensky in a raglan-sleeve olive-green shirt beats a shirtless Putin any day."

I get the feeling that raglan shirts  which have design roots in the Crimean War (the one from the 19th century)  will soon be making a comeback.

In employing the building as a symbolic backdrop, Zelensky also seemed to be pointing to the cultural heritage that is at stake.

As Artnet's Sarah Cascone has reported, Ukraine's museums have been scrambling in the face of the Russian advance, attempting to find secure storage for thousands of objects. On Monday, the Kyiv Independent, an English-language news outlet based in Ukraine, tweeted that Russian troops had burned down a museum of Ukrainian folk art in Ivankiv, a city northwest of the capital. Afterward, Ukraine's minister of culture asked UNESCO to strip Russia of its membership in the organization  presumably for violating the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of an Armed Conflict.

In addition to taking lives, the destruction of cultural patrimony is a way of eliminating a culture's narratives.

And Gorodetsky House offers a particularly compelling one. Completed in 1903, the building began life as a ritzy apartment building  and among its dwellers was its flamboyant architect. According to Pancake, Gorodetsky was "a bon vivant, ladies man, crack shot, big-game hunter, watercolorist, jewelry designer and lover of airplanes." According to legend, much of which may very well may have been self-invented, the architect liked to motor around town in his automobile  reportedly one of the first in Kyiv  in the company of a monkey. Death caught up with him in Tehran, Iran, where Gorodetsky got himself a commission designing railway buildings for the Shah.

Today, a statue to the architect  shown drinking coffee and reading a book about hunting  inhabits a well-to-do shopping arcade on Khreschatyk Street in Kyiv.

A statue dedicated to architect Vladislav Gorodetsky in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in 2017. (Efrem Lukatsky / Associated Press)

His best-known building, Gorodetsky House, has been an unlikely survivor of 20th century turmoil. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, its grand apartments were chopped up and turned into communal dwellings. And the neighborhood that surrounds it saw the rise of self-serious Soviet-style government buildings redolent of bureaucrats and Neoclassicism (such as the Ukrainian Presidential Administration Building, which sits just across the street). Around the time of World War II, Gorodetsky House changed hands repeatedly. After the war, it was turned into a medical clinic for Communist Party brass.

After a needed renovation in 2004, the House with Chimeras, as Gorodetsky House is also known (in reference to the architectural term describing gargoyle-style decorations on a facade), was transformed into an official government building. This fanciful, rather unreal structure is now used for diplomatic gatherings.

In Zelensky's hands, this ebullient building has become a symbol of ebullient defiance, a fitting backdrop to an ideal of leadership embodied by Zelensky, which, in the words of the Atlantic's Tom McTague, is becoming a rarity in the cynical West  a figure who expresses an "unembarrassed, defiant belief in a cause."

May Zelensky and Gorodetsky House survive the onslaught  and add a chapter of 21st century history to this extraordinary building's storied halls.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Prime Minister is due to fly to Natos border with Russia, pledging that Vladimir Putin will feel the consequences for invading Ukraine.

Boris Johnson will travel on Tuesday to meet counterparts in Poland and Estonia and visit British troops as he pushes for Western unity in punishing the Russian president for starting a conflict that has taken hundreds of lives in only five days.

Before his trip to eastern Europe, the Prime Minister urged allies to speak with one voice to ensure Putin must fail.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will also embark on a diplomatic mission as she prepares to address the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The Cabinet minister is expected to tell the council that Mr Putin has blood on his hands and that he has been murdering Ukrainians indiscriminately.

Putin is violating international law he is violating human rights on an industrial scale and the world will not stand for it, Ms Truss is expected to say in a speech urging the West to isolate Russia as a result of the war it has instigated.

The comments are due to be made only 24 hours after Moscow suggested it had put the Russian nuclear deterrent on high alert in response to unspecified comments made by Ms Truss.

The ministerial trips come after the UK Government looked to up the pressure on the Kremlin on Monday, with fresh sanctions on Russian banks and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urging all UK ports to deny access to Russian flagged, registered or operated vessels.

Mr Johnson, in a call on Monday with world leaders from the G7, Nato and the European Union, stressed the need for allies to continue to provide Kyiv with defensive weapons.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will travel to Geneva (Aaron Chown/PA)

He also said Ukraines neighbours would require support to deal with large numbers of Ukrainians escaping violence.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with Warsaw and Tallinn leaders and visit British troops serving in Estonia, which shares a border with Russia.

Speaking before his visit to the two Nato members, Mr Johnson said: Alongside all our international allies the UK will continue to bring maximum pressure to bear on Putins regime to ensure he feels the consequences of his actions in Ukraine.

We speak with one voice when we say, Putin must fail.

Officials said Mr Johnson will meet Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki before travelling on to Estonia, where he will hold talks with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

Now back in the underground shelter in Kyiv, our position shaken by nearby missile fire. Windows shook. Closest blast yet to our base.Fighting coming closer to heart of #kyiv  Clive Myrie (@CliveMyrieBBC) February 28, 2022

They will jointly visit British troops serving on the front line of Russian aggression in Tapa, No 10 said, before meetings with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Estonian President Alar Karis to discuss security.

Ukraine was braced for another evening of attacks, with reports that Kyiv had come under fire on Monday evening.

BBC broadcaster Clive Myrie said he had to take shelter underground after the building he was reporting from in the capital was shaken by nearby missile fire.

He tweeted: Windows shook. Closest blast yet to our base. Fighting coming closer to heart of Kyiv.

It came after a first round of Ukraine-Russia talks aimed at ending the fighting concluded with no immediate agreements.

Western officials believe that so far around half of the Russian forces that had been ringed around Ukraines borders have been committed to the assault on the country.

Moscow could use more indiscriminate force if the invasion stalls, British officials fear.

Meanwhile, in New York, British diplomat Dame Barbara Woodward was part of a chorus of Western pleas for Russia to stop the war.

Barbara Woodward, permanent representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the security council (John Minchillo/PA)

The UK permanent representative to the UN told the Security Council that Russias attack had brought Ukraine to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe and that only a withdrawal of troops could save the Ukrainian people from the disaster that Russia is inflicting upon them.

She said hundreds of civilians had been killed as a result of the Russian invasion and seven million people had been displaced, with the figure rising exponentially.

The Ukraines representative, Sergiy Kyslytsya, told the council that Kyiv was sitting within Russian crosshairs right now and that 352 people, including 16 children, had been killed as of Monday in the fighting.

He accused Moscow troops of attacking hospitals and ambulances in a determination to kill civilians, adding: There is no debate. These are war crimes.

But Vasily Nebenzya, the Russian UN permanent representative, said his countrys armed forces did not have the goal of occupying Ukraine or harming the local population.
Ambassadors from dozens of countries have backed a proposal demanding that Russia halt its attack on Ukraine, as the UN General Assembly held a rare emergency session during a day of frenzied and sometimes fractious diplomacy surrounding the five-day-old war.

If Ukraine does not survive  international peace will not survive, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said at the assemblys first emergency meeting since 1997.

Have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next.

Reflecting escalating global alarm, both of the UNs major bodies  the 193-nation assembly and the smaller, more powerful Security Council  took the unusual step of holding simultaneous, hastily scheduled meetings on the war.

In Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council voted to hold its own urgent session.

Tension permeated the diplomatic discourse: The Security Council meeting opened with the news that the United States was kicking out 12 Russian UN diplomats whom Washington accused of spying.

Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks on the Belarus border, agreeing only to keep talking.

A girl holds a plush doll as people who fled Ukraine after the Russian invasion arrive by bus in Athens. More than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighbouring countries since Russias invasion started on Thursday (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

The guns are talking now, but the path of dialogue must always remain open, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the assembly.

We need peace now.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia reiterated his countrys assertions that what it calls a special military operation in defence of two breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine was being misrepresented.

Russian actions are being distorted and thwarted, he complained. Russia has repeatedly sought to blame Ukraine for what Moscow claims are abuses of Russian speakers in the eastern enclaves.

The Russian Federation did not begin these hostilities that were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents, he said. Russia is seeking to end this war.

The assembly session came three days after an attempt to condemn and stop Russias attack ran into a Russian veto in the Security Council.

The assembly will give all UN members an opportunity to speak about the war. More than 110 signed up to do so, with speeches to continue on Tuesday. The assembly, which allows no vetoes, is expected to vote later in the week on a resolution coordinated by European Union envoys, working with Ukraine.

The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, demands that Russia immediately stop using force against Ukraine and withdraw all troops. It urges an immediate peaceful resolution through dialogue and negotiations, and it deplores what it calls Russias aggression and the involvement of Belarus, which is siding with Moscow.

Assembly President Abdulla Shahid opened Mondays session by asking all envoys to stand for a moment of silence. In hours of speeches afterward, dozens exhorted their colleagues to vote yes.

With the Security Council having failed to deliver against its responsibilities, we, the General Assembly, must now stand up to play our part, said New Zealands ambassador, Carolyn Schwalger.

Austrian Ambassador Alexander Marschik appealed to those who have good relations with Russia, saying that a good friend, an honest friend, will speak up and say what needs to be said and what needs to be done when a friend commits an illegal and evil act.

Vasily Nebenzya, Russian ambassador to the United Nations (Seth Wenig/AP)

But Russian ally Syria accused the West of a politics of hypocrisy, noting that various other conflicts over the years havent gotten such special attention.

This historic emergency session on the situation in Ukraine completes the anti-Russian campaign that finds its origins in the provocative and hostile rhetoric towards Russia, propagated by the West to stoke tensions in Ukraine and compromise Russias security, Syrian Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh said.

China, another Russian ally, called for respecting all countries sovereignty and internationally recognized borders but didnt directly address the resolution.

Instead, Ambassador Zhang Jun encouraged fostering a conducive atmosphere for Russian-Ukrainian talks and frowned on any approach that may exacerbate tensions.

Nothing can be gained from stirring up a new Cold War, but everyone will stand to lose, he said.

The Security Council meeting later Monday was focused on the humanitarian impact of Russias invasion, but the session began with a prickly exchange about the Russian diplomats expulsion from the US.

Mr Nebenzia bristled to the council that the expulsions were yet another hostile step by Washington. US Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills said the dozen diplomats were engaged in undiplomatic activities.

Olivia Dalton, a spokesperson for the United States UN mission, later said in a statement that the 12 were intelligence operatives who were engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security. Mr Nebenzia, in remarks to The Associated Press, dismissed the assertion as a pretext.
Ukraine is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, Britains UN ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward has warned an emergency meeting of the Security Council.

As Russia continues its assault on the eastern European country, Dame Barbara was among those at the UN to accuse the Kremlin of launching indiscriminate attacks against men, women and children and violating international humanitarian law.

She said: As a result of President Putins decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a country of 44 million people is now on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe.

Missiles have rained down on Kharkiv, with cluster munitions hitting residential areas and injuring residents. Disruption to supply chains has caused food shortages in Kramatorsk.

The reckless bombing of an oil depot in Vasylkiv, has unleashed toxic fumes in nearby communities.

Violence in Kyiv has forced people to seek refuge underground, with many thousands, including the elderly and disabled, unable to evacuate.

Barbara Woodward, permanent representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the security council (John Minchillo/PA)

The UK permanent representative to the UN told the Security Council that hundreds of civilians had been killed as a result of the Russian invasion and seven million people had been displaced, with the figure rising exponentially.

Ukraines representative, Sergiy Kyslytsya, told the council that Kyiv was sitting within Russian crosshairs right now and that 352 people, including 16 children, had been killed as of Monday in the fighting.

He accused Moscow troops of attacking hospitals and ambulances in a determination to kill civilians, adding: There is no debate. These are war crimes.

But Vasily Nebenzya, the Russian UN permanent representative, said his countrys armed forces did not have the goal of occupying Ukraine or harming the local population.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he plans to open an investigation as rapidly as possible into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/AP File)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky echoed Mr Kyslytsyas statements in a late-night address on Monday. In a video posted to social media, the leader said that in five days Russian forces had launched 56 missile strikes and 113 cruise missiles in Ukraine.

He added: Today, Russian forces brutally fired on Kharkiv from jet artillery. It was clearly a war crime.

Kharkiv is a peaceful city, there are peaceful residential areas, no military facilities. Dozens of eyewitness accounts prove that this is not a single false volley, but deliberate destruction of people: the Russians knew where they were shooting.

There will definitely be an international tribunal for this crime  its a violation of all conventions. No one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people, he said.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson flies to Natos border with Russia today, pledging that Vladimir Putin will feel the consequences for invading Ukraine.

Boris Johnson will meet counterparts in Poland and Estonia and visit British troops as he pushes for Western unity in punishing the Russian president for starting a conflict that has taken hundreds of lives in only five days.

Prior to his trip to eastern Europe, the Prime Minister urged allies to speak with one voice to ensure Putin must fail.

(PA Graphics)

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also embarking on a diplomatic mission as she prepares to address the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The Cabinet minister is expected to tell the council that Mr Putin has blood on his hands and that he has been murdering Ukrainians indiscriminately.

Putin is violating international law he is violating human rights on an industrial scale and the world will not stand for it, Ms Truss is expected to say in a speech urging the West to isolate Russia as a result of the war it has instigated.

The comments are due to be made only 24 hours after Moscow suggested it had put the Russian nuclear deterrent on high alert in response to unspecified comments made by Ms Truss.

The ministerial trips come after the UK Government looked to up the pressure on the Kremlin on Monday, with fresh sanctions on Russian banks and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urging all UK ports to deny access to Russian flagged, registered or operated vessels.

Mr Johnson, in a call on Monday with world leaders from the G7, Nato and the European Union, stressed the need for allies to continue to provide Kyiv with defensive weapons.

(PA Graphics)

He also said Ukraines neighbours would require support to deal with large numbers of Ukrainians escaping violence.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with Warsaw and Tallinn leaders and visit British troops serving in Estonia, which shares a border with Russia.

Speaking before his visit to the two Nato members, Mr Johnson said: Alongside all our international allies the UK will continue to bring maximum pressure to bear on Putins regime to ensure he feels the consequences of his actions in Ukraine.

We speak with one voice when we say, Putin must fail.

Officials said Mr Johnson will meet Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki before travelling on to Estonia, where he will hold talks with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

Now back in the underground shelter in Kyiv, our position shaken by nearby missile fire. Windows shook. Closest blast yet to our base.Fighting coming closer to heart of #kyiv  Clive Myrie (@CliveMyrieBBC) February 28, 2022

They will jointly visit British troops serving on the front line of Russian aggression in Tapa, No 10 said, before meetings with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Estonian President Alar Karis to discuss security.

Ukraine was braced for another evening of attacks, with reports that Kyiv had come under fire on Monday evening.

BBC broadcaster Clive Myrie said he had to take shelter underground after the building he was reporting from in the capital was shaken by nearby missile fire.

He tweeted: Windows shook. Closest blast yet to our base. Fighting coming closer to heart of Kyiv.

It came after a first round of Ukraine-Russia talks aimed at ending the fighting concluded with no immediate agreements.

Western officials believe that so far around half of the Russian forces that had been ringed around Ukraines borders have been committed to the assault on the country.

Moscow could use more indiscriminate force if the invasion stalls, British officials fear.
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday British troops would not fight Russian forces in Ukraine, and that recent reinforcements were firmly within the borders of NATO members.

"These are nothing more than defensive measures, which have been the essence of NATO for more than 70 years," he said during a visit to Estonia where Britain has deployed more troops.

"I want to be crystal clear finally, on that point, we will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine and our reinforcements like these reinforcements here in Tapa are firmly within the borders of NATO members and they are profoundly the right thing to do."

(Reporting by Michael Holden. Editing by Andrew MacAskill)
A war veteran, who says he feels a sense of duty to do something for Ukraine, is planning to travel to Poland to deliver medical supplies.

Matt Simmons, 42, from Emsworth, Hampshire, set up the organisation Ems4Afghans last year in response to the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan, which is now being relaunched as the community interest company Bridge to Unity to offer support to multiple causes.

He told the PA news agency he found a Facebook page for a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Poland (Zintegrowana Sluzba Ratownicza) and has teamed up with them to help provide medical supplies to those in Ukraine, including ambulance dressings and eye wash.

Zintegrowana Suzba Ratownicza members helping Ukrainians who enter the Polish border (Zintegrowana Suzba Ratownicza/PA)

Mr Simmons has been crowdfunding to help raise money for the medical supplies, and said he has been reaching out to absolutely everyone, and has been working on three hours of sleep at night.

So far, 10,000 has been raised from the 12,500 target Mr Simmons set when he started fundraising on February 25  just one day after Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine.

We went to the community in Emsworth and surrounding areas and its gone bigger than little us in Hampshire, he said.

Its gone mad. Ive got people sending items from New York and donating from around the world.

Charlotte Crosby from Geordie Shore has put out a message about me on her Instagram (story).

Charlotte Crosbys story from March 1 which mentioned Bridge to Unitys fundraiser (@charlottegshore/PA)

Mr Simmons added that the support he has received so far has been overwhelming and heart-warming.

I think sometimes people want to do something when you see such things in the media but dont necessarily know how they can help, he added.

(Fundraisers) give people a direction of how to help. Ive tried to say to people, it doesnt matter if youre donating money, if youre sharing a post, if youre interacting with a post, if youre putting us in contact with somebody that may be able to help.

Its about sharing and interacting and pushing the message out and thats the important thing  us all coming together in the face of Russian aggression and fighting back in a way.

Mr Simmons is set to travel to Poland between March 4-5 with five others, including two members of Portsmouth Baby Bank who have been collecting essential items for mothers and their children  and Hannah Jarvis, 39, from Abergavenny, Wales, who has worked with Mr Simmons on helping Afghan refugees in the past.

Hannah Jarvis (Hannah Jarvis)/PA)

She said: (It has been heartening to see) the best of humanity leap into action and respond to the worst of humanity.

I never expected wed raise over 10,000 in such a short space of time and were now at the point where were declining offers of assistance, which is a wonderful problem to have.

Whilst I think we may see some unpleasant scenes at the aid camp and no doubt be upset to hear of the experiences of the Ukrainian refugees, its certainly preferable to being at home feeling helpless and frustrated.

The conversations Mr Simmons has had with the Polish NGO, which provides medical care and practical assistance to those entering Poland from Ukraine, have meant the drive for donations is even more paramount.

Members of Zintegrowana Sluzba Ratownicza (Zintegrowana Sluzba Ratownicza/PA)

Theyre saying theyre really up against it. Theyve got teams of medical people down there 24 hours a day, he said.

Supplies are a massive issue. Theyre just having to do supply runs all the time and thats taking people with medical experience away from the border.

Theyve said in the last 24 hours theres been a difference in the type of injuries theyve seen come through and the type of medical needs that are coming through.

Theyre starting to see more trauma injuries.

Even though there is a risk in travelling to Poland, Mr Simmons said: Ive got to go. Thats the biggest thing.

Thats what will get people behind us, I think, because we can then be transparent with whats donated.

People will be able to follow us, follow the story and by taking it myself, its actually like Im taking the supporters with me and theyll be able to see where their donations have ended up.
MANILA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Philippine health authorities on Tuesday urged people to remain vigilant amid the easing of the COVID-19 restrictions to accelerate the economic recovery from the two-year pandemic.

The government downgraded the pandemic restrictions in Metro Manila and 38 other areas to alert level 1 from March 1 to 15 as COVID-19 transmission slowed and the hospitalization rate declined. The rest of the country is under alert level 2.

Lowering the alert level means that more people can go back to work, take public transport, and more businesses can operate at full capacity.

"As the country shifts to alert level 1, we continue to urge the public to remain vigilant, so we can slowly but surely transition into the new normal," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told an online press conference.

Carlito Galvez, the chief implementer of the government's measures to combat COVID-19, said the decision to lower the rules to the minimum comes one year after the government launched the vaccination rollout on March 1 last year.

Galvez noted the Philippines received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 28 last year from China.

"Donated by the Chinese government, the COVID-19 jabs enabled the Philippines to roll out its vaccination drive the following day," he said.

China has delivered tens of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines, remaining its biggest supplier of vaccines.

The Philippines, with a population of around 110 million, has administered nearly 136 million doses of vaccines. More than 63 million people are now fully vaccinated.

Galvez expressed confidence that the government can hit its goal to inoculate 90 million Filipinos by the end of the second quarter.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said relaxing the restrictions will accelerate and sustain economic growth this year.

"This situation is good for our country. Alert level 1 will benefit 62 percent of the economy and 20.3 million workers who will earn more," Chua told a televised press conference, adding that transport, hotels, malls, and restaurants are expected to recover further.

Chua said the shift to alert level 1 in more parts of the country will generate an estimated 9.4 billion pesos (roughly 183 million U.S. dollars) per week of economic activity in gross value-added terms.

The new rules will also improve the performance of key sectors like tourism. According to Chua, the contribution of domestic tourism to the economy fell by 1.5 trillion pesos (roughly 29 billion U.S. dollars), or 7.4 percent of the gross domestic product in 2020. With the easing of restrictions, he said at least 750 billion pesos (about 14.6 billion U.S. dollars) can be recovered.

The Philippines has reported over 3.66 million confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 56,451 deaths. 
The Ministry of Defence has announced a host of new deployments in recent weeks in response to building tensions with Russia, culminating with the invasion of Ukraine last week.

British troops and tanks have been deployed to Estonia, near Russias border, while Royal Navy ships are at sea in the Mediterranean and Royal Air Force jets are conducting missions over Poland and Romania, intended to reassure allies.

Here, the PA news agency runs through where key British forces are currently located across Europe.

(PA Graphics)

 Royal Navy

After a short delay due to a technical defect, the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Diamond, a Type 45 guided-missile destroyer, to the Mediterranean.

She is due to join up with HMS Trent, currently deployed alongside other Nato vessels in the eastern Mediterranean.

HMS Trent is an offshore patrol vessel and is lightly armed but does carry a detachment of Royal Marines.

Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond leaves Portsmouth on February 25 (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Also in the region is HMS Echo, a multi-role survey vessel. While she specialises in survey work, she is armed with some light weapons.

The Royal Navy has vessels deployed in Norway too. HMS Albion for example, an amphibious assault ship, is currently in Tromso, ahead of a Nato exercise.

@HMSTRENT continues to support European Maritime Security through contribution to Operation #SeaGuardian We are doing this now as part of @NATO #SNMG2 enhancing security and reassurance to the region#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/hKeyUJOJp6  HMS Trent (@HMSTrent) March 1, 2022

HMS Portland, Northumberland, and Defender are all also at sea, all in the vicinity of the UK.

The Royal Navys two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are alongside in Portsmouth. The latter is due to deploy later this month to join Nato exercises off the coast of Norway.

Aircraft carriers HMS Prince of Wales, left, and HMS Queen Elizabeth are currently alongside in Portsmouth (Andrew Matthews/PA)

 Royal Air Force

The UKs base in Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, is home to a number of Typhoon fast jets. Four more jets have been deployed to the base in recent weeks.

Alongside Voyager air-to-air refuelling tankers, jets based both in Cyprus and the UK are conducting flights over Romania and Poland. This is known in Nato as air policing, and aims to preserve the security of alliance airspace, according to the organisation.

Also in the area is a Royal Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, designed for anti-submarine warfare.

RAF Typhoon jets, pictured here in 2020, are conducting air policing missions over Poland and Romania (Sgt Keates/MoD/PA)

Currently deployed in Sicily, it is taking part in Nato exercises.

Intelligence-gathering aircraft have been seen active near Ukraine. A Royal Air Force RC-135W Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft has flown several times since Russian forces invaded Ukraine.

On February 23, a day before Russias invasion began, the aircraft was seen on flight tracking website flightradar24.com flying a pattern over Ukraine. Since then, it has been conducting flights over Poland, near the countrys border with Ukraine.

According to the Royal Air Force, its sensors soak up electronic emissions from communications, radar and other systems.

 British Army

A Nato graphic illustrating the spread of its enhanced Forward Presence (Nato/PA)

The British Army has maintained a presence in Estonia since 2017, as part of Natos enhanced Forward Presence (eFP). Nato says these deployments, which also include a Canadian-led force in Latvia, a German-led force in Lithuania, and an American-led force in Poland, make clear that an attack on one ally would be considered an attack on the whole alliance.

The UK has now deployed an additional 1,000 troops to Estonia, as well as further Challenger 2 tanks.

In early February, an extra 350 troops were also sent to Poland, adding to the 100 troops already in the country.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said last week that the UKs deployments constitute a credible deterrent to stop Russian aggression threatening the territorial sovereignty of member states.
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COLOMBO, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka surpassed 90,000 in February, seeing a 14-percent increase from the previous month, official figures from the Tourism Ministry showed here Tuesday.

According to the ministry, 93,582 tourists arrived in February, leading to 175,909 tourists arriving in the country this year.

Russia continued to be the leading source market for Sri Lanka with 28,392 tourists arriving in the country to date, followed by India with 24,141, Britain 17,749, Ukraine 13,039 and Germany 12,779.

In addition, tourists also came from countries such as France, Poland, Australia, Kazakhstan and the Maldives in January and February.

Sri Lanka recently revised its tourist arrival forecast for 2022, down from 2.3 million to 1.1 million due to challenges posed by the Omicron variant.

The tourism sector contributed to 4.3 percent of Sri Lanka's gross domestic product and employed 402,607 people in 2019. The country has lost an estimated 10 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue over the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
by Misbah Saba Malik

ISLAMABAD, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Arshad Swati from Pakistan's northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is among the thousands of onion farmers in the Asian country. He dreams of selling his onions overseas to fund a better education for his children.

In particular, he wants his onions to be sold to China.

"Many farmers in Pakistan export their onions and have got rich by doing so. I want to join other producers in my hometown and export our crop to China. It will mean more money for everyone," Swati told Xinhua.

Swati thinks that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is located not very far from China, is well positioned to access China's huge market.

Pakistan is one of the world's largest onion producers. Malaysia, Gulf countries, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are the major overseas destinations of Pakistani onions today. Currently, about 30 percent of Pakistan's fresh produce of onions are wasted due to the lack of storage facilities and substandard practices in packing and transportation.

Pakistan exporting onions to China has not yet begun, but related rules were agreed on in November last year.

Pakistani Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam told Xinhua that agriculture is one of the focuses for cooperation in the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Pakistan's production of many crops, including onions, will improve with the access to Chinese technology and research, he said.

"The Chinese agriculture sector is very modern, and they have a high per acre yield. Pakistan too has a very fertile land with rich potential to produce crops of high export value. We are already producing some very high-quality onions, and our scope can be enhanced in cooperation with China," the minister noted.

Yasar Saleem Khan, a provincial team manager at the Pakistan office of the Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) said that the CPEC cooperation with China may "save millions of (U.S.) dollars and increase onion production by millions of tons" for Pakistan.

According to the CABI, no onion processing of any kind currently takes place in Pakistan, even though the technology is very simple. With small investment, excellent export value can be generated.

"Dried onions are in demand in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and the Gulf at large. There is no supply from Pakistan so if we make better use of this potential, it will generate income and create a lot of jobs. Good quality onion seeds from China will greatly improve the crop," Khan told Xinhua.

"The economic corridor is an opportunity for Pakistan to transport all kinds of commodities to international markets. Access to the Chinese market will have a great effect on the lives of our farmers," he added. 
Nancy Carolyn Roberts Chappell, 71, a native and lifelong resident of Crossett, died Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at her sisters residence in Hamburg. She was a 1968 graduate of Crossett High School and a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello School of Nursing. She worked as a  Read more
A vote is expected Wednesday, and it must reach a two-thirds threshold to pass

The Security Council holds a meeting to address the invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations headquarters on February 28, 2022 in New York City. (AFP)

UNITED NATIONS: Encountering deepening global isolation, Russia faced urgent calls Monday to end its "unprovoked" and "unjustified" assault on Ukraine as the UN General Assembly's 193 members held an extraordinary debate on the invasion of the ex-Soviet state.

During the rare emergency special session, just the 11th the Assembly has held in its history, Russia defended its decision to invade its neighbor as nation after nation urged peace from the podium.

On the sidelines, the United States said it was expelling from the country 12 "intelligence operatives" at Russia's United Nations mission for "engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security."

Inside the General Assembly hall, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, pleaded: "The fighting in Ukraine must stop. Enough is enough."

Representatives of more than 100 countries are expected to speak over three days as the global body decides if it will support a resolution that demands Russia immediately withdraws its troops from Ukraine.

A vote is expected Wednesday, and it must reach a two-thirds threshold to pass. The resolution is non-binding but will serve as a marker of how isolated Russia is.

Its authors hope they may exceed 100 votes in favor -- though countries including Syria, China, Cuba and India are expected to either support Russia or abstain.

"We do not feel isolated," Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters.

He reiterated Moscow's stance, flatly rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies, that its military operation was launched to protect residents of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.

"The hostilities were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents," he said during his address.

The vote is also being seen as a barometer of democracy in a world where autocratic sentiment has been on the rise, diplomats said, pointing to such regimes in Myanmar, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, Nicaragua -- and of course Russia.

"If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive. Have no illusions," said Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya.

'I'm afraid'

During an emotional speech, Kyslytsya held up images of what he said were the final text messages from a Russian soldier to his mother before he was killed.

"Mama, I'm in Ukraine. I'm afraid," Kyslytsya said, reading the messages. "They call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard."

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Moscow has pleaded "self-defense" under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

But that has been roundly rejected by Western countries and the United Nations itself. They accuse Moscow of violating Article 2 of the Charter, requiring members to refrain from the threat or use of force to resolve a crisis.

Addressing the General Assembly, British ambassador Barbara Woodward said the war was "unprovoked, unjustified."

The resolution would be "a message to the world: that the rules we built together must be defended," she added. "Because otherwise, who might be next?"

China's UN envoy Zhang Jun warned that "nothing can be gained from starting off a new Cold War," but did not indicate how Beijing would vote.

The move to hold the emergency session was sparked by Russia using its veto Friday to block a similarly-worded Security Council resolution.

Council members can turn to the General Assembly if the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- fail to agree to act together to maintain peace.

'Hostile act'

There is no veto right at the General Assembly, which held a similar vote in 2014 condemning Russia's seizure of Crimea and obtained 100 votes in support.

The Security Council held a separate emergency meeting Monday on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned that the fighting was expected to displace four million people.

Nebenzia broke the news of the 12 expelled diplomats during a press conference, saying he had just heard the dozen had been told to leave the United States by March 7.

A US spokeswoman said the move had been "in development for several months," implying it was not directly related to the war.

In response, Moscow called the expulsions a "hostile act."
Delhi abstains in yet another vote, on special UN general Assembly session

New Delhi: The government said on Monday that it is rushing four ministers to oversee the safety and return of Indian nationals, mostly students, from war-struck Ukraine. Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Gen (Rtd) V.K. Singh and Kiren Rijiju will be positioned in Ukraine's neighbouring countries Hungary, Romania-Maldova, Poland and Slovak Republic, respectively, to coordinate and oversee the evacuation of Indians. Union ministers have also been deployed to receive them at Indian airports.

This announcement came after India once again abstained at the United Nations Security Council during a vote to convene a rare Emergency Session of the 193-member General Assembly on the Russian military action on Ukraine.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor slammed the government's decision not to vote for Ukraine at the UN. If the Chinese march into our country we would want other countries to stand up for us. If Ukraine expects us to speak to Russians, then at least we should try and be counted on the right side of the issue, he said even as his party quickly said his views are personal and do not reflect the partys opinion.

We continue to be deeply concerned about the safety and security of the Indian nationals including a large number of Indian students who are still stranded in Ukraine," said India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations T.S. Tirumurti during the UNSC meeting even as India welcomed the announcement by Russia and Ukraine to hold talks at the Belarus border. He added it was regrettable that the Ukraine situation has worsened further since the Council last convened on this matter.

We reiterate our call for immediate cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities. There is no other choice but to return back to the path of diplomacy and dialogue. Our Prime Minister has advocated this strongly in his conversations with the Russian Federation and Ukraine, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held another meeting on the Ukraine crisis. This was the third such meeting in the last 24 hours.

Foreign secretary Harsh V. Shringla said the Indian government will be sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine and that it is in touch with the International Committee of Red Cross in Geneva for the needs of citizens stranded in Ukraine. MEA officials said the aid will include medicines among other things as sought by the Ukrainian government.

More flights carrying Indian students are landing in various cities. In Delhi, the sixth evacuation flight from Hungarys capital city Budapest carrying 240 Indian nationals was welcomed by Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Air India Express has also joined Operation Ganga operating flights between Mumbai and Bucharest. Poland ambassador to India Adam Burakowski said already more than 2 lakh people have crossed the border into Poland, including Indian students. The border points are overcrowded but we are receiving everyone with a warm heart There will be special flights for Indian students. Poland is cooperating and will also help India's High-level delegation in the evacuation process. Indian nationals can cross into the Poland border without any visa, Mr Burakowski added.

With the weekend curfew lifted in Kyiv, the Indian embassy in Ukraine asked all students to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the country's western parts. Ukraine Railways is operating special trains for evacuation. Indian students from Odessa who are in shelters in Moldova set up by Moldovan government are requested to remain in the shelters. Embassy officials are in Chisinau and will go to the shelters to facilitate evacuation, Indian embassy said. It added, It has been brought to our notice that some people are charging money to transfer Indian students from the Romanian border to Bucharest. Please note that all services provided by the Embassy are free, including transport to Bucharest. Please do not pay money to anyone.

Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said over 8,000 Indians left Ukraine since they issued initial advisories and six evacuation flights  four from Bucharest two from Budapest -- have brought 1,396 Indian students.

Mixed stories of struggle to cross borders keep coming from Ukraine. Some lucky ones managed to be evacuated early while many had to tread miles yet remained stuck at borders in freezing weather.

Our focus is of course on land borders to get them on the bordering countries of Ukraine. There have been some difficulties on Poland's borders and it is pretty crowded. Though there are still difficulties but situation has improved. Our embassy has managed to take out some students but more are there. Food and shelter has been arranged for them till they board flights. At the border with Romania and Hungary we have managed to bring out more people even as large crowds still remain in all border points. We have opened new route through Moldova to bring out people from Southern Ukraine like Odessa etc, he said

We are encouraging Indians to move to Western Ukraine. Some students are taking trains and reaching to western side but do not move to the borders on their own without coordinating with us as there is long waiting and queueing on the borders. Stay in nearby cities and stay put till we make arrangements to take you out. Do not panic. There are enough flights and our teams are there to help students out, he added.

We are closely monitoring Kyiv and Kharkiv Over the next 24 hours three more flights are scheduled -- two from Bucharest and one from Budapest. Flights are not the constraints but the main focus is to get Indians to cross over to the neighbouring countries. Students should not panic. We are constantly augmenting MEA teams in the area, Mr Bagchi said.

When asked about the mistreatment and beating of Indian students at Ukraine-Poland border by the Ukraine security allegedly after India abstained in UNSC voting, Ukrainian ambassador in India Igor Polikha said Ukraine is doing everything possible in challenging circumstances to facilitate the exit of Indian nationals, especially students, adding though Russian President Vladimir Putin alone can give assurances for their safety even as he brushed aside these reports. Instead, he said there was need for discipline and calm at the border checkpoints to ensure the orderly exit of all foreigners. There are bound to be issues as some 500,000 Ukrainians and foreigners seek to flee through the land borders with Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. It is a war, its a deep crisis... I can assure that the Ukrainian side is helpful to everyone who is trying to leave the territory, Mr Polikha said. He added that even the Ukrainian defence attache and his wife along with several others remained stuck at the Poland border for three days.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar spoke to EAM Dr S. Jaishankar over phone on Monday and discussed evacuation of Indian students stuck in Kharkiv. Discussions also covered evacuations via Belgorod (Russia) route and matters of aiding students stuck at the Romania-Poland border were also discussed.
In an advisory, it asked the citizens to leave Kyiv by available trains or any other means

Indian students stuck in Shehyni, Lviv Oblast before crossing the Ukraine-Poland border, as part of evacuating Indians from war-torn Ukraine. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday asked stranded Indians in Kyiv to leave the capital city urgently.

In an advisory, it asked the citizens to leave Kyiv by available trains or any other means.

"All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," the embassy said.

The advisory came amid increasing fighting between Russian forces and Ukrainian troops around Kyiv.
There were reports of poll violence in Heingang, the constituency of chief minister N. Biren Singh

Women holding their identification cards, wait in a queue to cast their vote during the first phase of Manipur Assembly Elections, in Manipur. (PTI Photo)

Guwahati: Amid reports of sporadic incidents of violence, more than 78 per cent voters came out to exercise their franchise in the first phase of the Assembly polls in Manipur on Monday. A Manipur Police personnel who was on poll duty was killed in a suspected case of accidental firing.

There were reports of poll violence in Heingang, the constituency of chief minister N. Biren Singh, where Congress accused the ruling BJP of resorting to rigging the polls. The Congress candidate complained that his agents were not allowed to participate in the polling process.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajesh Agarwal said that an incident of poll disruption was also reported in Keithelmanbi which led to a delay in the polling process. He said that EVM machines were broken in the polling stations.

Mr Agarwal also told reporters, A Manipur Police personnel, who was on poll duty on Monday, was killed in a suspected case of accidental firing from his service rifle during the first phase of assembly elections to 38 seats in the state.

The incident took place in Tipaimukh assembly constituency in Churachandpur district. The police personnel was identified as Naorem Ibochouba, a resident of Kakching district and his body has been airlifted to Imphal and sent to a state-run hospital for autopsy.

Security sources said that voting began at 7 am in 1,721 polling stations in five districts amid tight security and strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols. At least one person was injured in a clash between two parties in Churachandpur district. Allegedly Congress workers vandalised a BJP polling booth in Kakwa area in Langthabal constituency in Imphal West district, while a vehicle of an NPP candidate was damaged by supporters of a rival group in Keirao seat, although nobody was injured in the incident.

Polling was stalled at a polling station in Saitu constituency Monday morning after a clash broke out between two groups, police said. This is the first of the two-part election in the insurgency-hit state.

The key candidates whose fates were sealed on Monday include chief minister N. Biren Singh, who is contesting from Heingang, Speaker Y. Khemchand Singh from Singjamei, deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh from Uripok and state Congress chief N. Lokesh Singh from Nambol.

The second phase of polling for the remaining 22 seats will be held on March 5, and the votes will be counted on March 10.
The minister, V Kashiho Sangtam, added that the forensic report is awaited after which the SIT will submit its finding

The graves of 12 civilians, killed by Indian army soldiers on Dec. 4, lie in a row in Oting village, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. (Photo: AP/File)

Kohima: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is still awaiting the report of the forensic laboratory in the border violence incident in which 14 civilians from the state had died.

Nagaland Minister for soil and water conservation V Kashiho Sangtam told ANI that the SIT has completed its investigations and is ready with the report. But the forensic report is awaited after which the SIT will submit its findings, he said.

"The SIT which was formed by the Nagaland government to probe the deaths of 14 civilians in Mon district in the violent border skirmish will submit its report soon. The SIT is yet to receive the forensic laboratory report. The SIT will submit its findings after receiving the forensic report. The state government will take a decision on the matter after receiving the SIT report," Sangtam added.

The border violence had led to deaths of 14 civilians and one security personnel also killed and many were injured that took place between Tiru and Oting villages in the Mon district on December 4 and 5, last year.

Earlier, the SIT had examined and recorded statements of the officers and jawans of 21 Para Special Forces who were allegedly involved in the firing incident.

On the other, Sangtam on the issue of the border dispute between the two neighbouring states said that the issue between Assam and Nagaland is now in the Supreme Court.

"Whenever the Supreme Court will give the verdict, both states will come together to resolve the inter-state border issue," the Minister said.
Modi has asserted that his government's top priority is to ensure safety and evacuation of Indian students

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting Tuesday evening on the Ukraine crisis with focus on the evacuation of Indian citizens from the war-hit country, official sources said.

This was his fourth meeting on the Ukraine situation since Sunday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and another Union minister Piyush Goyal were among those who attended the meeting besides top bureaucrats.

The meeting comes as the situation in the war-hit country worsened, with one Indian student also losing his life in shelling in Kharkiv as Russian troops advanced deeper into Ukraine.

Modi has asserted that his government's top priority is to ensure safety and evacuation of Indian students.
BUDAPEST, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Hungary supports a request by eight European Union (EU) countries to begin membership talks with Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said here on Tuesday.

"We urge the Brussels institutions to put this request of the eight presidents on the agenda, which Hungary also supports," Szijjarto said in a video posted on his Facebook page.

"We expect Brussels to take this initiative very seriously," he added.

On Monday, eight European countries said in a joint declaration that they would support Ukraine's immediate accession to the EU.

"Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic, and the Republic of Slovenia strongly believe that Ukraine deserves receiving an immediate EU accession perspective," the declaration said.

Romania also expressed support to the initiative on Tuesday, increasing the number of EU countries supporting Ukraine's appeal to 10.

The declaration was published after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday signed an official appeal for Ukraine to join the EU, urging the bloc to grant Ukraine immediate accession via a new special procedure.

The issue has to be agreed by all of the bloc's 27 member countries, which failed to reach an agreement in the past over the issue of EU enlargement.

Asked about Ukraine's membership prospects before Zelensky's latest appeal, European Council President Charles Michel said there were "different opinions and sensitivities within the EU on enlargement." 
Tirumurti voiced deep concern for the safety and security of thousands of Indian citizens, including students, stranded in Ukraine

PR/Ambassador of India to United Nations TS Tirumurti speaks during the UNSC meeting, in New York. (PTI Photo)

United Nations: India voiced concern over the urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine and told the UN Security Council that apart from evacuating its own citizens, New Delhi stands ready to help those from neighbouring and developing countries stranded in Ukraine and in need of assistance.

There is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine. In such times of conflict, India attaches the highest priority to safety and well-being of civilians, in particular women, children and elderly. We are of the view that core principles of humanitarian assistance should be fully honoured, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said at the Security Council meeting Monday on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Tirumurti voiced deep concern for the safety and security of thousands of Indian citizens, including students, stranded in Ukraine.

Our evacuation efforts have been adversely impacted by the developments on ground at the border crossings, Tirumurti said.

Underlining that the safety of Indian nationals is of paramount importance to the Indian Government, Tirumurti told the Council that senior Ministers from the Government of India are being deployed as Special Envoys to Ukraine's neighbouring countries.

We thank them for their cooperation at this difficult time. We stand ready to help those from neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting that reviewed ongoing efforts to bring back Indians from Ukraine.

India has decided to send four senior ministers as the prime minister's special envoys to Ukraine's neighbouring countries to oversee the evacuation of Indians.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi that Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs & Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will go to Hungary, Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will oversee the evacuation process in Romania and Moldova, Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju will travel to Slovakia and Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation General (retd) V K Singh is leaving for Poland.

Tirumurti said that taking into account the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine, the Indian government has also decided to provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines and these are expected to be dispatched Tuesday.

India on Monday decided to send relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation along its bordering areas arising out of tens of thousands of people attempting to flee the Russian invasion.

Tirumurti told the Council that India remains deeply concerned at the unfolding developments in Ukraine, where the situation continues to deteriorate.

Our considered call for immediate cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities is an urgent imperative, Tirumurti said, reiterating that there is no other option but to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, as the only way ahead.

He underlined that Modi has advocated strongly for the immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities in his recent conversations with the Russian and Ukrainian leadership.

We welcome their commencement of direct talks. We reiterate our conviction that differences can only be bridged through sustained dialogue and diplomacy.

In his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Modi reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue, and expressed New Delhi's willingness to contribute in any way towards peace efforts.

In the telephonic call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue.

He appealed for an immediate cessation of violence, and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.

India also underlined that all member states have agreed on the principles in UN Charter, international law and on the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

Tirumurti said India notes the appointment by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres of Amin Awad of Sudan as United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, to lead the coordination of all UN efforts, including the humanitarian response, on both sides of the contact line.

We support and welcome the UN's efforts in this direction.

France requested the meeting of the 15-nation Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

The Council meeting was running parallel to a rare emergency special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly on Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
The IAF is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of Operation Ganga from Tuesday

In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under Operational Ganga, PM Modi has called for the IAF to join the exercise. (Twitter)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive against that country, sources said on Tuesday.

The IAF is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of Operation Ganga from Tuesday, they said.

Till now, only private Indian carriers were evacuating Indians from Romania and Hungary, countries with land borders with Ukraine on the western side, as the Ukrainian airspace had been shut since February 24.

India began evacuation of around 14,000 of its stranded citizens on February 26.

In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under Operational Ganga, PM Modi has called for the IAF to join the exercise, the sources said.

Leveraging the capacities of the IAF will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame, they noted.

The large C-17 aircraft will also help deliver humanitarian aid to war-hit Ukraine more efficiently, they mentioned.

Taking into account the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine, Ambassador of India to United Nations, T S Tirumurti, on Monday, had said that India has decided to provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines to Ukraine, which is expected to be despatched tomorrow.

Tirumurti made these remarks at the UNSC meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. He said that there is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine.

PM Modi briefs President Kovind on Ukraine crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday and briefed him on various issues, including the Ukraine crisis, official sources said. Sources said Modi briefed Kovind on the crisis and his government's efforts to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the country.

Meanwhile, An Air India Express flight carrying 182 Indians nationals from war-torn Ukraine landed in Mumbai from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday morning, an airline spokesperson said.

The AI Express flight IX-1202 from Bucharest via Kuwait touched down the runway at 7.40 am, he said.

This is the second evacuation flight operated to Mumbai from Bucharest to bring back Indians from war-hit Ukraine since February 27.
Indias foreign policy under the current government has not been able to find its rhythm because it doesnt have a theme

India has abstained on the vote in the United Nations Security Council (where we are a non-permanent member) condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. India said that it was deeply disturbed, called for an end to violence and for respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and then said that for these reasons it chose to abstain. This may seem puzzling as India is repeating the worlds case against Russias war, and then refusing to condemn it.

But the reality is that India faces a difficult period in diplomacy. Russia provides more than half of Indias military materiel. For instance, 96 per cent of our main battle tanks are Russian, our only aircraft-carrier and only nuclear-powered submarine are Russian, 71 per cent of our fighter jets and all six of the air tankers are Russian. This is not classified information: these numbers come from the US Congressional Research Service. War and even training in these extremely high-performance machines requires constant spare parts and servicing, and for this reason India must remain connected to Russian suppliers. Additionally, experts see Russia as the peacemaker between us and China on the issue of Ladakh. So, we cannot afford to displease Mr Putin. Indias vote did not really matter in the end, because Russia as a permanent UNSC member has a veto, which it used, and it was known the condemnation would fail. However, it was an opportunity for the world to come together against aggression and the largest democracy chose not to side with the invaded country. Interestingly, China also abstained along with us.

Indias foreign policy under the current government has not been able to find its rhythm because it doesnt have a theme. Throughout our history as an independent nation, India has presented itself abroad as an ancient land with secular and inclusive traditions. This changed after 2014 but without an official shift in doctrine, meaning there was no written policy that proclaimed Hindutva was Indias ruling ideology. Recent studies show that the government has begun instructing diplomats to focus on events abroad which showcased Indias Hindu traditions. This made some diplomats uncomfortable, but the change was accompanied by recruiting more diplomats who were aligned to the BJPs ideology. For the first five years of this government, the change did not matter because the ideology did not show itself within India to any large extent.

After 2019, our diplomats have been kept busy in a defensive posture because the ideology bared its fangs against our minorities. After the second win of 2019 came a series of internal strokes that had external repercussions. The first was the decision to undo Article 370 of the Constitution. This was accompanied by an Internet blockade on all Kashmiris for 17 months. Kashmiri children had no access to online education for all of 2020. In the US House of Representatives (their Lok Sabha), a resolution was moved to condemn Indias actions against Kashmiris. The resolution could not progress far because the Republicans were in charge and President Donald Trump was our friend. Only days after Joe Bidens administration was sworn in, India lifted the 17-month blockade, and one reason was the pressure it felt was sure to come now that Mr Trump was out.

Weeks after the Article 370 move, a confident BJP passed the Citizenship Amendment Act. The world was again alarmed. In the European Parliament, a resolution was moved condemning India. It was reported here that it would likely pass. Indias diplomacy managed to stave off the vote but the quid pro quo was that we would not implement the CAA (which has not been enforced). These are the sort of things that Indias diplomats have not had to deal with in the past with those who are supposed to be our friends. The contradiction  portraying ourselves as secular and pluralistic abroad while acting in the opposite fashion at home  has not been easy to resolve.

To add to this issue which we have brought on ourselves is the problem of the neighbourhood, also coming after the change in Article 370: the Chinese incursion in Ladakh. We must defy China, but also be friendly with Russia (which is aligned with China against the West). We want to get closer to the United States militarily and have signed a series of agreements after 2014, but we do not know how close to get. The Quad alliance was meant to be a naval partnership, but that role has now been given to something called AUKUS, of which we are not part of, while the Quad is dealing with Covid-19 vaccines.

Our external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says the world is multipolar and so India must be opportunistic and discard what he calls the hesitancies of the past. However, what is being exposed is that we have no real doctrine and no idea how to deal with the world. It is hard not to conclude that our standing in the world has reduced because of what we have chosen to do internally. On the other hand, we have gained no new friends or allies by going down the road that we have.

Fortunately, we dont have to debate this or even recognise this debacle. Our global stature is less important than opposing namaz, beef and the hijab, and we will remain focused on that.
Premier Christian Brand Communications Agency Celebrates 20th Anniversary

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Infinity Concepts

March 1, 2022



EXPORT, Penn., March 1, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- On March 1, 2022, Infinity Concepts, an integrated brand communications agency, will celebrate their 20th Anniversary.



Founded in early 2002, Infinity Concepts sought to create a new kind of agency that could provide organizations with help in two key areas:

strategic thinking to best fulfill God's calling on their lives, ministries, and businesses



expertise in the specialized fields of branding, marketing, fundraising, and media

"My vision for Infinity Concepts was a new kind of agency, an agency that would offer an integrated communication ecosystem with multiple agency disciplines under one roof," says Mark Dreistadt, Infinity Concepts Founder and CEO. "This agency concept was revolutionary at the time, yet it quickly became our reality. In the beginning my wife, Susie, and I worked from our kitchen table. But now the agency has grown into a successful international business with a dedicated staff that currently serves over 50 clients."



Infinity Concepts is a unique organization that helps clients to reach, engage, and activate the Christian community and build effective Jewish-Christian relations. In 2006, Infinity Concepts became the Christian marketing and public relations agency for the Israel Ministry of Tourism for North and South America. This relationship helped to build unprecedented bridges of communication and cooperation between the Jewish people and the Christian community.



"We have inspired tourism, volunteerism, and chartable support for the land and people of Israel," says Dreistadt. "We have served to strengthen the intrinsic link that connects the Jewish and Christian communities as they work together in areas of solidarity."



Through the years, Infinity Concepts has continued to broaden service options and develop new strategies that best serve their growing list of clients. With many clients in the nonprofit and ministry sectors, Infinity Concepts also serves clients in health care, broadcasting, hospitality, retail, and tourism.



In 2015, Pittsburgh Business Times honored Infinity Concepts as one of the 100 fastest-growing businesses in Pittsburgh. And in 2020, Infinity Concepts received the National Religious Broadcasters annual award for Best Digital Experience for production of the weekly podcast Health, Hope & Inspiration.



So, what does it take to build a premier Christian brand communications agency that serves clients not only across America but also around the globe?



"We are a unique set of individuals who are guided by biblical principles. Our team is skilled in strategy, marketing, and communications and we are committed to our clients' success. It is our teams' commitment to effectiveness, integrity, and excellence that has helped to make Infinity Concepts America's premier Christian brand communications agency," says Dreistadt. "God has blessed the hard work of our agency these past 20 yearsand it appears that the future is bright for this innovative agency to blaze new trails in the years ahead."



For more information on Infinity Concepts or to schedule an interview with a member of our agency management team contact Infinity Concepts Vice President and Chief Growth Officer, Darrell Law at darrell@infinityconcepts.com or 724-930-2801.



Infinity Concepts is America's premier Christian brand communications and fundraising agency serving clients worldwide.



SOURCE Infinity Concepts



CONTACT: Darrell Law, 724-930-2801, darrell@infinityconcepts.com


San Angelo, TX (76909)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Recently I listened to a podcast that highlighted the life of Amy Carmichael. Are you familiar with her?

Amy Carmichael was a missionary in the 19th century. She was born in Northern Ireland and spent almost 60 years serving in India, sans furlough. During her years of service she built an orphanage and safe house for young girls and later boys and played a major role in rescuing thousands of indian girls from the ancient practice of temple prostitution that had become normalised.

As a young girl she was told that if she prayed, the Lord would answer. She found her brown eyes to be quite unattractive and so prayed earnestly one night that God would change her eye colour from brown to blue. The next morning she excitedly looked in the mirror only to see the same brown eyes staring right back at her. She was overcome with disappointment.

Amy Carmichael's heroic and life threatening rescues as a missionary were only possible because she was able to pass as a hindu and be amongst the girls in the temple. She did this by wearing traditional indian dress and staining her skin with coffee and tea bags. Amy's naturally dark hair and brown eyes enabled her to blend in perfectly with the other girls at the temples. The brown eyes that she was born with that God did not transform to blue, equipped her to do the work that God called her to do.

We question our quirks

What are the things you find unattractive about yourself? Why do you deem them unattractive?

In today's world we all are more exposed than at any other time in history. Comparison is rife. All day, everyday we are being told either by others or our own self talk that we are not enough of one thing and too much of something else. We have developed an unhealthy fixation with identifying (what we consider to be) weaknesses and flaws and creating paths, programs and mechanisms to fix them.

The range of 'problems' is wide and deep, actual and perceived. Growing up I was always taller and bigger than everyone my age. As a result it was assumed that I was older and so I was often given additional responsibilities and chastised and ridiculed for being childish when playing with friends. My adolescent heart was bruised several times as I heard variants of "you're cute/fun/nice but too tall" from the boys I liked. I knew that praying to be shorter would prove futile and so I continued being uncomfortable standing up straight until I got to university and finally had peers I could look up to, literally. Prior to that my being tall was a shackle that brought me the wrong kind of attention and was too much for the people I wanted to attract. A great source of pain and shame.

Why couldn't God have made me a few inches shorter and smaller?

He began a good work in all of us

Years later during my time as a high school teacher, it was my height and stature that would aid me in maintaining control and building positive relationships with some of the more troublesome male students who made it a sport of trying to intimidate my smaller counterparts.

Teaching was never a lifelong dream but I know God placed me there for that particular season and used what I had been ashamed of all my life, to be an asset.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10

For some it is obvious what their particular strength and calling is, for others not quite.

Your headstrong son that can only be described as stubborn and never listens to you will one day become an immovable pillar in the kingdom of God. That side of yourself that you wish you could turn off because everyone says you're too emotional, is what will drive you to your knees interceding for hours on end for persons you don't know and will never meet. You're constantly being told how irresponsible you are because you don't seem to focus on the long term but you are the one who when the going gets tough are able to point everyone else to the joy and blessings present even in difficult times. You are labelled as the party pooper because of your tendency to over think but you will be the one to churn out a cornucopia of strategic plans when the time is right.

God never has to make do

"But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christs power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9

Our all seeing, all powerful, all loving God knew from before the beginning of time exactly what He was pouring into each of us. Please note, I am not referring to sinful tendencies and wayward desires, that's a whole other discussion. What we consider to be our quirks, weaknesses and flaws are not obstacles that God suddenly has to navigate. These are designated areas in our natural design that God uses as an aperture through which His power can be clearly seen.

Danelle M. Pinnock first emerged as a writer when she began chronicling her journey with God, through a debilitating sickness. Her authentic reflections provided encouragement to many and resulted in her first publication 31 Day Devotional- Quiet Time.

This full time homemaker, a proud Jamaican, lives in Kingston with her husband Raul and their two children Levi and Zhuri. Along with her freelance writing, she is a worship leader at her church and serves with her husband, a cancer survivor, on the marriage ministry team.

Visit her website, (danellempinnock.com) to learn how God guides a woman with a background in Chemistry, Business Management and Public Health to skillfully pen His methods and His ways through sickness, marriage and parenting.
Athens, TX (75751)

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Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
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The entire system is 82-feet (24.9 meters) tall, but only occupies two square meters (21.5 square feet) of ground for itself, and it is imagined to have six charging points installed.Those points are meant to allow the simultaneous charging of six EV s with up to 20each. Its inventor initially set out to improve traditional wind turbines for farm use, but decided to use their skills to provide a solution to a different problem.As Jim Bardia explained, conventional wind turbines are not efficient at generating power if they face gentle gusts of wind, so he first worked on a way to improve those. Both the Vertical Axis Wind Turbines and the Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines were examined. The company, Change Wind Corporation, decided to go for a distinctive design.Eventually, he and his development team, which included friends and colleagues with whom he shared experience in motorsport, managed to build a model that could achieve that goal. The first model was deployed for five years in Pennsylvania, where it survived two hurricanes According to the inventor, the Wind and Solar Tower is more effective than conventional wind turbines due to its use of powerful permanent magnets, which are deployed within a floating-bearing levitation hub. The idea is that technology eliminates contact between moving parts, as well as reduces friction, which means an increase in the electrical output curve of the installation.For further optimization, these towers were equipped with a multi-speed sequential gearbox, which is operated by a computer and helps generate electricity in wind speeds as low as 5 mph (ca. 8 kph), but also works in wind speeds as high as 75 mph (ca. 121 kph). Both existing turbine technologies cannot operate under the described conditions, Change Wind Corporation claims.When not charging an electric vehicle, the energy generated from the new type of wind turbine is stored into an on-site battery array that has a capacity of 1,000 kW (one megawatt). Otherwise, excess energy is sent into the grid. Unlike other wind turbines, this tower also integrates a solar panel, which has a self-cleaning function for optimal performance.We should note that other wind turbines have been adapted to charge vehicles before, while other companies have developed solutions to store renewable energy for later use. There are also solar-poweredchargers out there, but none of the systems we know of have combined all these ideas into a single unit, as is the case with the Wind & Solar Tower.According to its creators, the WST can generate 169,000-hours of non-polluting electricity each year, and the resulting resource may be used for over 600,000 miles (ca. 965,606 km) of pollution-free driving. That is the best-case scenario, where up to 8,400 EVs are topped-up each year from the tower, which allows for up to six vehicles to be charged at the same time.
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Audi has recently pulled the plug on the A1 and Q2 due to woeful sales, which is why a small electric vehicle in the spirit of the A2 has been mooted since February 2021. Back then, big kahuna Markus Duesmann told British motoring publication Autocar.co.uk : I like the A2. Certainly we discuss this segment as well. So, it might be an A2 or an E2, or an A3 or an E3.The smallest electric vehicle currently offered by Audi is a premium-oriented crossover utility vehicle dubbed Q4 e-tron. Almost 4.6 meters long, this fellow could use a little brother, although it remains to be seen how little. Using the shorter, low-cost version of the MEB platform could backfire in the sense that a watered-down Audi wont sell as well as its Volkswagen Group twins from Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT, and SEAT's Cupra marque.An electric vehicle, slightly smaller than the A3 Sportback, may fare better, yet Audis executives are keeping their lips tightly shut in regard to the finest of details. The AI:ME concept , for reference, is 4.3 meters long.Speculatively rendered by pixel artist Bernhard Reichel in an eye-popping shade of green, the design study before your eyes wouldnt look out of place in the automakers future lineup. As far as the underpinnings are concerned, Audi may very well borrow the front-mounted electric motor and 57-battery of the Volkswagen ID. Life concept from IAA Mobility 2021.The only alternative would be rear- or dual-motor MEB underpinnings from the Q4 e-tron, which are too expensive for the segment of the A2/E2 in the automakers lineup. Given these circumstances, the MEB eco platform seems to be the right call for the indirect successor of the A1 and Q2.
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Back in September 2021 during the IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, the chief executive officer of Volkswagen Passenger Cars let it slip that sister models are in the pipeline with software developed by the peeps at CARIAD, a Volkswagen-owned German company established in 2020.In addition to locations in Wolfsburg, Ingolstadt, Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart, these guys also work closely with development teams in China, Silicon Valley, and Seattle. One of the projects that CARIAD has taken is the software and technology platform for the Premium Platform Electric, due in 2022 in the Audi A6 e-tron and next-generation Porsche MacanSkoda chief executive officer Thomas Schafer made it clear that the Czech marques baby electric crossover will stand out from its twins with maximized interior dimensions. Given that practicality has been Skodas mantra ever since the Volkswagen Group acquired this brand, this kind of differentiation was to be expected. Schafer told the media that hes not sure if production will be handled in the Czech Republic or somewhere else.Expected to be priced in the ballpark of 20,000 euros or 22,200 freedom bucks are current exchange rates, the yet-unnamed model will be launched in 2025 at the earliest or 2026 at the latest. Until then, Skoda is due to premiere a compact-sized model based on the ID.3 compact hatchback.Speculatively rendered by pixel artist Bernhard Reichel with stylistic influences from the ID. LIFE concept mentioned earlier, the indirect successor of the A-segment Citigo e iV hatchback has the makings of a commercial success if Skoda can keep the starting price as low as technically possible.As a brief refresher, the ID. Life presented in September 2021 is rocking a 57-battery pack that enables adriving range of approximately 400 kilometers (248 miles). A front-wheel-drive affair instead of rear-wheel drive like the compact-sized ID. 3, the concept packs 231 horsepower (234 ps) and hits 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 6.9 seconds.
As most of you know by now, Super Bowl LVI took place at the SoFi Stadium. Thats in Inglewood, California, a stone's throw away from the shiny Los Angeles.As usual when it comes to such high-profile events, the said stadium was witness to a spectacle not only on the field, but also in the sky. There, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) deployed, together with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation, a P-51 Mustang.The vintage aircraft was not alone , but accompanied by the infinitely more modern F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, and A-10 Thunderbolt. The four aircraft performed what the Air Force calls its first-ever heritage flight over a Super Bowl.But these planes were not the only ones flying that night. Further up, and out of sight, three F-15E Strike Eagles were lurking in the dark, performing security patrol missions over the Los Angeles area.We get to see one of them in action thanks to the main photo of this piece, released by the USAF last week. The plane is deployed with the 144th Fighter Wing and was snapped on film by a Senior Airman, as the fighter jet was approaching its airborne refueling station.That would be a KC-10, flying with the 60th Air Mobility Wing, which delivered during the Super Bowl night no less than 83,000 pounds (over 37 tons) of fuel to the three hunting birds.The F-15E Strike Eagle is described as a dual-role fighter, which can take on both airborne and ground targets. Its a two-seater that came to be in the shops of McDonnell Douglas (now owned by Boeing) back in the late 1980s and has proven successful enough since then there are presently over 200 of them flying with the USAF.Each Strike Eagle comes equipped with a pair of Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines with afterburners, giving out up to 29,000 pounds of thrust each. Thanks to them, the planes are capable of reaching speeds of over Mach 2.5 (1,875 mph/3,018 kph), being some of the fastest military birds presently flying.Normally, F-15E Strike Eagles can fly for as much as 2,400 miles (3,840 km) when packing three external fuel tanks to complement the onboard ones. But, thanks to the availability of aerial refueling, as seen during Super Bowl over Los Angeles, that range is purely theoretical.Back in 1998, the reference year for this birds price, a single unit cost $31.1 million, which in todays money would mean close to $54 million.
Clive Palmer is worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but its not just his wealth thats made him a household name. Hes also a lawsuit-happy magnate with dealings in iron ore, coal and nickel, an aspiring politician, and a business entrepreneur who once dreamed of bringing the Titanic back to life  and into modern times, for actual cruising, but without the whole part about hitting an iceberg.In recent months, hes also been working on building what he believes will be the worlds greatest collection of vintage cars, which he wants to go on display at a yet-uncertain location. The goal, according to news.com.au , is to have 600 such prized collectibles rotating on display when the museum does open to the public.His latest acquisitions would certainly make it worthy of at least one visit: reports from the local media say that Palmer has finalized the deal on Adolf Hitlers armored limousine, shortly after purchasing King Edward VIIIs Rolls-Royce. He bought the latter at an auction in London for a reported $200,000, while Hitlers ride was sold to him by a mystery Russian owner.The limousine in question is a very rare 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen , last offered publicly for sale in 2017. Its been with countless owners and its often described as one of the most historically significant vehicles offered at a public sale, and its priced to match: the auction prompted a $7 million bid but reserve was not met. No word on how much Palmer ended up paying for it, but he did put in two years worth of negotiations, according to the report.Hitler owned and used the armored limousine for almost three years, including on official appearances in Berlin (with Mussolini), in France, Greece and Yugoslavia. Powered by a 7.7-liter 8-cylinder supercharged engine producing 230 hp, the Super Mercedes, as its come to be called, could go from 0 to 100 kph / 62 mph in 23 seconds and max out at 190 kph (118 mph). Hitlers was armored, which made it slower.
In order to win this grand prize, youll have to first sign up for the sweepstakes, which you can do right HERE . Theres also another contingency, namely that you need to be a new or current Land Rover owner, which of course includes all Range Rover-branded models such as the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Velar and Range Rover Evoque.Aside from winning a seat on a Virgin Galactic space flight, there are also a number of other prizes in contention, such as various Land Rover Experiences, Land Rover and Virgin Galactic merchandise, and more.Land Rover owners love adventure, and we are pleased to offer them a chance to win the greatest adventure of the 21st Century: a once-in-a-lifetime trip to space with Virgin Galactic, said JLR North America president and CEO, Joe Eberhardt.Land Rover and Virgin Galactic share a spirit for innovation and exploration, and now together we are offering our owners the adventure of a lifetime.His sentiments were mirrored by Virgin Galactic president and chief business officer, Blair Rich, who also mentioned the strong partnership these two companies have, and how they both like to push boundaries and reach for the unexplored.After registering for the sweepstakes, you can receive additional entries by creating a Space Team and referring friends and family to join. In turn, that Space Team will then generate additional entries for the Land Rover vehicle owner.You can throw your hat in the ring any time between now and June 20, 2022, with the grand prize winner getting announced on August 15, 2022.
Despite a solid start to their pre-season campaign in Barcelona, Red Bull was only fourth overall in terms of how many miles they put in at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya  with 34 fewer laps than Mercedes over three days.When asked to assess his teams performance in Spain, Verstappen stated the following: Its difficult to rate. What was positive is the car was running smooth, I was happy with the balance  but Bahrain is going to be completely different, so heading into race one, the car will be completely different as well.He then went on to say that he just focused on doing a lot of laps and try to really nail down every single aspect of the car.The car runs really well. In general, the weight is a bit up, but I really enjoy driving the car, it has a nice stable balance and I think they look cool as well  that's always nice to jump into.That right there is a rare instance in which a driver praises the way these new grand effect cars drive. Then again, theyve only just started driving them, as all previous work had been done in the simulator.The 2022 Formula One season is scheduled to commence on March 20, in the same venue as this upcoming pre-season test, Bahrain. By the way, Verstappen will be in the #1 Red Bull instead of the #33  one of the perks of being the champ.
Less than a month ago, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, Russian President Vladimir Putin moved his assets closer to home, anticipating worldwide sanctions against him. He also made sure all three of his superyachts made a quick rush to safe Russia-controlled waters.

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Chinese envoy calls for political decisions to revive Iran nuke deal

Xinhua) 08:11, March 01, 2022

VIENNA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna Wang Qun on Monday urged relevant parties to make political decisions in the final stage of the Vienna talks to seek a deal restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Wang made the remarks at a meeting of the Joint Commission on the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), held here. Representatives from Iran, Russia, Britain, France and Germany also attended the meeting, which was chaired by Enrique Mora, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service.

The Chinese envoy said the negotiations have entered the "final critical stage," and relevant parties are "seeing hopes of reviving the JCPOA."

He called on all parties to show wisdom and political determination at this stage to reach an agreement, instead of "falling one step short of success."

China commends the vital role played by the European Union (EU) coordinators in the negotiations and acknowledges the efforts by all other parties to reach a deal, Wang said, adding that Iran's legitimate and reasonable demands on pending issues should be addressed in an appropriate manner.

He stated that China will continue to work with all other parties to seek an early agreement from the perspectives of upholding the JCPOA and safeguarding multilateralism and the global non-proliferation regime.

The JCPOA was signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (namely the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States, plus Germany), together with the EU. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled Washington out of the pact in May 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments and advance its halted nuclear programs.

Since April 2021, Iran and the other five remaining parties to the JCPOA have held rounds of talks in Vienna to revive the deal.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Its been a tense week, even in areas we, average Joes, never thought conflict would come. Like say in space exploration, a human activity that almost never cares about dissensions between governments and armies.That changed over the past few days, with Dmitry Rogozin , the head of Roscosmos, asking who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled de-orbit if the Russians no longer cater to keeping the station in place, safe from burning up in the atmosphere.It also changed with Russia pulling out from joint operations with the European Space Agency (ESA) at the Kourou Spaceport in French Guiana, forcing the Europeans to find alternatives to the Soyuz rocket.And, as a twist, current events seem to have far-reaching effects when it comes to mid-term plans as well. This year, ESA was planning to use a Russian Proton-M rocket to launch the continents first rover to an alien world, the Rosalind Franklin.Franklin, part of the ExoMars mission, was supposed to leave our planet in the fall, and land sometime next year in the Oxia Planum region of Mars, where it would have looked for signs of life. The timetable is no longer valid, said ESA this week, without giving any indication of an alternative solution.Regarding the ExoMars programme continuation, the sanctions and the wider context make a launch in 2022 very unlikely, the space agency said in a statement ESAs Director General will analyse all the options and prepare a formal decision on the way forward by ESA Member States.
The apparent destruction and complete loss of the the largest cargo aircraft the world has ever seen in armed conflict was a horrific blow for both the civil and military aviation sectors worldwide. The announcement that the six engine, 1.4 million pounds (fully loaded) Ukrainian transport plane had been destroyed during fighting at Antonov Airport in the capital of Kyiv took time to be confirmed as factual.But now, footage of what appears to be the An-225 engulfed in flames in its massive hangar appears to confirm the worst. It appears what was once deemed the largest operational airplane of any kind in the world is now nothing more than a pile of ash and scrap lying on the floor of a hangar in a Kyiv airport hangar. To understand why this is a devastating blow for aviation, it's essential to understand the historical significance of what the An-225 indeed was.Absurdly large airplanes are nothing new. Since the dawn of manned flight, man has been trying to find ways to make aircraft bigger, heavier, and capable of carrying more stuff. Be it cargo, trucks, tanks, bombs, and hey, even people. Apart from a couple of industry icons in the Boeing 747 , Airbus A380, Hughes H-4 Spruce Goose, and a handful of others, it's been astonishingly tricky for supersized transport planes and airliners to jump from concept drawing to reality, let alone become operationally successful.The An-225 is another name on that short list, at least before some unspecified event rendered it nothing more than an oversized barbecue. It was designed as a purpose-built carrier aircraft for the Soviet Space Shuttle program . Dubbed the Buran Orbiter, the Soviet-built space plane is a near-identical copy of the North American-Rockwell S pace Shuttle Orbiters famous for service with NASA.The An-225's design has its roots in the smaller but still gargantuan An-124 quad-engined airliner and military transport. Nearly every aspect of the base An-124 airframe was strengthened, elongated, and widened to fit the specifications required by the Soviet Space program. This included a bonkers 32 wheel landing gear system capable of holding the immense girth of the airframe. This gear arrangement became a bit of a trademark feature of the Ukrainian jet.There was every reason to suspect that the An-225 was due for a long and successful career in support of the Soviet Space Program, but there was one not-so-small snag in the road. By December 1991, the Soviet Union was up in smoke. So too was its promising Buran Shuttle program, which only logged one un-crewed mission orbiting the Earth before the collapse of the Soviet Union saw it unceremoniously retired.Consequently, the An-225 Shuttle Carrier spent eight years following the collapse of the USSR mothballed in storage in Ukraine. Once the Ukrainian economy had recovered sufficiently to even consider taking the massive aircraft out of storage, the airplane promptly went about setting all kinds of impressive world records.These include the world record for a single-item payload of 189,980 kg (418,830 lbs) lifted by a single aircraft and an airlifted total payload of 253,820 kg (559,580 lbs) with an astonishing four unspecified Russian Main Battle Tanks in tow at speeds in excess of 500 miles per hour (800 or so kph). It also carried a fully-loaded payload of 247,000 kg (545,000 lb) in commercial service. Dwarfing the average payload of something like a 747.At the end of the day, there were a plethora of uses for an aircraft as colossal as the An-225. Be it in the government-funded space sector, private cargo service, and yes, the occasional military mission. The loss of the only airworthy Mriya in the world is a crippling loss for aviation. Legend had it that another partially completed An-225 airframe is lying in storage somewhere either in Ukraine or Russia.If this 70% complete by some estimates airframe can be found, it should be a top priority for Antonov to bring another An-225 into service. Some very important super heavy and super-specialized cargo is very much dependent on it.Of course, the Ukrainian people have much more pressing priorities at the current moment. But once the dust settles on their current struggles, the rebirth of the An-225 must be a matter of national importance. The global aviation sector depends on that for invaluable research into super large aircraft.Check back for more record-breaking and unique aircraft profiles from all over the world and so much more right here on autoevolution.
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During the presentation, Carlos Tavares, the Chief Executive Officer of the Stellantis conglomerate, which also includes the Jeep brand, has confirmed that the battery-electric Jeep is the next step of the brand's vision of Zero Emission Freedom. The latter was also mentioned last week when Jeep confirmed its presence at the 56th Annual Easter Jeep Safari At the time, Jeep published two teaser images of future concept vehicles. One of them was shaped like a pickup, while the other was a blue vehicle that is expected to be based on the 2022 Grand Cherokee. Those images are not related to this new vehicle, the first all-electric Jeep.As you can observe, the first fully electric Jeep model presented today is painted yellow, and it is one of many concept vehicles planned to be revealed by the American brand in the coming months. It is believed that the upcoming Jeepwill share underpinnings with vehicles like the Opel Mokka-e and other models from Stellantis.Brand representatives have not announced if this vehicle, yet to be named, will be shown in April in Moab, but they have confirmed that more information on the matter will be released in the coming months. Sadly, that is not much to go by, as the vehicle is meant to be revealed in early 2023.It is worth noting that Carlos Tavares announced that half of all the vehicles sold by Stellantis in the U.S. will be all-electric by 2030, while all of the vehicles sold by the industrial conglomerate in Europe will be electric by that year.Moreover, the conglomerate wants to have a 50% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030 when compared to the levels of 2021, as well as become net-zero when carbon emissions are concerned by 2038.As a group, Stellantis plans to have over 75 battery-electric vehicles modes in its portfolio in the years to come and targets annual sales of over five million EVs by 2030. The all-electric Jeep model will be succeeded by the first all-electric pickup from Ram, the 1500. Starting with the year 2025, the Alfa Romeo, DS, Lancia, and Maserati brands will only launch electric vehicles, while all will stop sellingvehicles in Europe by 2030.
None of these concepts have actually proven their worth in real life, but its never too late  conventional aircraft interior design has nothing in common with these thought-provoking ideas that could transform luxury private aviation.Andrew Winch, the founder of the British award-winning brand Winch Design, studied under the legendary yacht designer Jon Bannenberg, before becoming an acclaimed designer himself. As a brand thats mostly known for its opulent yacht interiors, its not surprising that some of those elements made their way to the brands aircraft interior designs as well.Unlike most of the designs in the companys portfolio, the Sky Residence concept never became reality, although it was initially conceived for a customer asking for a clean, calm, modern look for a wide-body such as a Boeing 787 or Dreamliner. According to Robb Report, the team at Winch Design enjoyed the idea so much that they decided to keep it anyway, so its still available for potential buyers.The main idea behind this concept was to replace that feeling of being on a plane with a residential atmosphere. Due to it being meant for a larger airplane, this cabin includes a master suite, a childrens room, and two generous lobby areas. That offered plenty of room for an open space layout.Instead of conventional dividers and bulkheads, the team envisioned sliding doors and transparent screens. Thanks to this, from certain areas inside, passengers can enjoy a stunning 100-foot (20.4 meters) view down the cabin, Grieg Jolly, a Winch associate, told Robb Report.The wide rectangular panels used as window treatments diffuse the light and create a horizontal line, which also contributes to a feeling of spaciousness. Last but not least, the neutral tones with calming blue accents recreate the harmonious elegance of luxury yachts, instead of the formal look typically associated with business jets.This futuristic airship inspired by blimps is a unique lifestyle zeppelin thats supposed to provide the luxuries of a cruise ship while flying its busy millionaire passengers from one place to another. Although its not just a cabin, but an aircraft concept, the most impressive thing about it is the interior. As its name suggests, the Strato Cruiser is designed to make passengers feel as though they are enjoying a luxurious cruise.This includes a lap pool, located on a terraced deck, premium spa and beauty services, access to yoga and fitness classes, plus even a library and several private mini-offices. The airships atrium would also boast a sky lounge, with a gourmet restaurant and bar beneath it, and a climbing wall for adventure enthusiasts in-between.In the evening, after all that spa pampering and body toning, the passengers would also get to party at the onboard club, before ending the day in their private suites.According to Dezeen , who presented this unusual concept back in 2007, this aircraft was inspired both by ocean cruising and space travel. It was supposed to be built with helium chambers, a retractable polycarbonate roof, a photovoltaic cell network, and a propulsion system that would make it much faster than regular blimps.As you can guess, the Strato Cruiser never came to life either, but it offered an interesting vision of what luxury cruising could look like up in the sky.This is the most recent concept out of the three, and the one with the most chances of coming to life someday. It was introduced by the German aircraft overhaul and maintenance specialist Lufthansa Technik, at both the Monaco Yacht Show and the Dubai Airshow in 2021. Designed for the Airbus Corporate Jet ACJ330, this two-level cabin concept was directly derived from explorers  the yachts that are meant to travel to the most isolated locations on the planet.Able to accommodate up to 16 passengers, the Explorer stands out right away due to a projection system that can cover the interior walls and ceilings with any type of setting, including underwater scenes, transforming the interior into a fantasy world. According to Lufthansa, this large-scale projection system for a VIP cabin is a premiere in the industry.The most unusual feature is the spacious veranda offering an incredible view from 13 feet (four meters) above the apron. This is possible due to the design of the floor in the forward fuselage area, which can extend outwards, turning into a veranda.In addition to bedrooms, offices, a dining area, and even a gym, what makes this cabin concept an explorer is that it also offers room for several luxury vehicles onboard. The unique Mobility Lounge that would carry these vehicles was designed together with Brabus. Passengers would even get a great view of the cars inside, thanks to the main decks glass floor, right above the Mobility Lounge on the lower deck.If youre wondering how much the Explorer concept costs, Aviation Week reports that configuring the ACJ330 with this design, for 12 passengers, would add up to $100 million  not counting the aircrafts initial price. If billionaires have paid outrageous sums for blowing bubbles in space , someone is also likely to pay this much for turning a wide-body jet into a flying world explorer.
After two years of struggle, car manufacturers out there have mixed expectations for 2022, with some predicting a continued struggle due to the very constrained chip supply.Toyota, on the other hand, seems to be very optimistic most problems would go away sooner rather than later. In fact, the Japanese carmaker is so optimistic that it reportedly expects to build no more, no less than 11 million, in the fiscal year 2022.While the firm hasnt publicly announced this target, its pretty clear that building 11 million vehicles wouldnt be possible unless the global chip inventory improves.In other words, Toyota is almost certain this thing can happen in the coming months, despite all the gloomy forecasts coming from various experts and analysts across the world.But in addition to the current chip supply, the Japanese carmaker also has other things to worry about.Toyota has recently decided to suspend its domestic operations due to what was believed to be a cyberattack. The company, therefore, halted the operations at its plants in Japan, and its believed the production of approximately 13,000 cars would be impacted.Correctly predicting the chip shortage, on the other hand, seems to be more of a matter of luck at this point. Strongly tied with the global health crisis, the lack of semiconductors is seen by many as a long-term headache that just wouldnt go away overnight.For the time being, however, even the largest carmakers out there are struggling to find a way to reduce the disruptions the shortage causes in their daily operations. Ford, for example, has recently suspended the operations at its North American plants due to the very same reason, therefore confirming that the chip inventory continues to be as tight as in 2021.
The automotive world was in shock on February 16 when the news broke about the Felicity Ace car carrier being affected by a fire that broke out in the cargo hold. Abandoned by the crew, the ship continued to burn for days, with little hope for the rescue teams to extinguish the fire. Many cars onboard were electric vehicles, which means they had Li-Ion batteries that are notoriously difficult to extinguish in case of a fire.One week later the fire appeared to have been put out and rescue teams were expected this week to board the ship to assess the damages. This did not happen though, as rough waters and heavy waves pushed the vessel to lean 45 degrees to its starboard side. Around 9 a.m. local time, Felicity Ace sank 220 nautical miles off the coast of Portugals Azores Islands, taking the 4,000 cars onboard to the bottom of the ocean.The weather was pretty rough out there, Pat Adamson, a spokesperson for MOL Ship Management, a unit of Mitsui OSK Lines, said by phone to Automotive News. And then she sank, which was a surprise.The ship was carrying almost 4,000 cars from the German port of Emden to Rhode Island at the time the fire started. Most of them were Audi, but also Volkswagen, Porsche, Bentley, and Lamborghini. According to dealer and Volkswagen sources, there were around 1,900 Audis, 1,100 Porsches, 500 Volkswagens, 189 Bentleys, and 85 Lamborghinis on the ship. Some of them were end-of-life limited-edition Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae, which are irreplaceable Volkswagen declined to comment on Tuesday. The German company had hoped at least some of the cars onboard were salvageable, but the hopes sank along with the vessel. According to Automotive News , the risk-modeling company Russell Group estimated the accident would cost the carmaker at least $155 million. There were $438 million worth of goods on the ship, of which $401 million were cars.
In a statement via email, the Swedish brand said that it had made this decision because of potential risks associated with trading materials with Russia, including the sanctions imposed by the EU and US.Then came the big announcement: Volvo Cars will not deliver any cars to the Russian market until further notice, said Volvo.Meanwhile, a company spokesman stated that the carmaker was previously exporting vehicles to Russia from plants not only in Sweden, but also China and the United States, reports Reuters . Last year alone, Volvo sold roughly 9,000 passenger cars in Russia.Yesterday, Swedish truck maker AB Volvo also decided to halt all production and sales in Russia , for similar reasons. Then there was German truck brand Daimler Truck, who stated that it would freeze its business activities in Russia effective immediately  including its cooperation with Russian truck company Kamaz.Last week, automotive companies such as Volkswagen, Renault and even tire firm Nokian Tyres, had outlined plans to either shut down or shift manufacturing operations following the Russian armed forces' attack in Ukraine. If things carry on as they have, its safe to assume that all global automotive players will follow in Volvos footsteps, and sooner rather than later.However, by far the most significant decision by a Western company with regards to these sanctions was taken this past weekend by BP (British Petroleum), who abandoned its stake in Russian oil giant Rosneft, marking the end of three full decades of operating in Russia. The latter now stands abandoned on several economic fronts, as well as by major international sporting governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA and the FIA.
Auto giant General Motors has decided to suspend vehicle exports to Russia following President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. GM's move to hold exports follows the application of severe U.S. sanctions on Russia.

A GM spokesperson issued a statement regarding the conflict, saying the company's thoughts are with the people of Ukraine at this time. The spokesperson added that the loss of life is a tragedy and the carmaker's overriding concern is for the safety of people in the region.

The good news for General Motors is that it no longer operates any manufacturing plants in Russia. The company already sold its stake in Russian car brand Avtovaz, which French automaker Renault now owns. GM still operates, however, a national sales company for Russia and CIS markets with vehicles sourced from South Korea and North America.

U.S. piles more sanctions on Russia as war in Ukraine continues

The U.S. government announced on Monday, February 28, that it is imposing stricter sanctions on the central bank of Russia and its other sources of wealth, as per CNBC. The United States is piling on the pressure with this series of escalating actions to force Russia to stop its military action in Ukraine.

A senior U.S. administration official told Reuters that the government's main objective is to make sure that the Russian economy goes backward if President Putin decides to continue with his invasion of Ukraine.

With the United States and its allies using all the tools at their disposal to hurt Russia's economy, that is bad news for companies that have business interests in Putin's country as well as in Ukraine. Volkswagen and Renault have already been forced to halt production this week due to supply chain issues brought upon by the war.

A Volkswagen spokesperson said that the German firm is suspending delivery of its vehicles to dealerships for the time being because of the conflict. The spokesperson added that Volkswagen deliveries would only resume once the effects of the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on Russia have been clarified.

General Motors made it clear that it has limited supply chain exposure to the two countries waging war. The company said that it is working hard to mitigate any potential risks to its people and business.

Also Read: Volkswagen Halts Production at 2 German Plants as Russia's War in Ukraine Causes Parts Shortage

Volvo suspends vehicle exports to Russia

GM joins Volvo Cars and Trucks in suspending exports to Russia. Volvo Cars was the first international automaker to stop vehicle shipments to Russia, making the announcement on Monday.

Volvo exports vehicles to the Russian market from its plants in the United States, Sweden, and China, selling around 9,000 vehicles there in 2021. Volvo Cars decided to halt vehicle exports because of the sanctions imposed by the EU and the U.S. on Russia, citing "potential risks" in trading material with them.

Truckmaker AB Volvo also acted swiftly, suspending its sales and production in Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

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Toyota to suspend domestic factory operations due to a suspected cyberattack on one of its suppliers. (Photo : KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP via Getty Images)

Toyota Motor announced that it would suspend domestic factory operations on Tuesday, March 1, after one of its suppliers was targeted by a suspected cyberattack. Kojima Industries, which produces electronic components and plastic parts for Toyota, suffered a devastating crash to its system on Monday, February 28.

A spokesperson for Kojima issued a statement, saying the company appeared to have been a victim of some kind of cyberattack. A Toyota spokesperson described the incident as a "supplier system failure."

As a result of that system crash, Toyota would temporarily shut down 28 production lines at 14 Japanese plants. That is a huge blow for Toyota as the auto giant will be losing around 13,000 vehicles of output because of the closure.

Will shutdown extend to another day?

Toyota scheduled the shutdown for Tuesday's first and second shifts, but the Japanese automaker is unsure if the closure will extend to another day. Toyota hopes that won't be the case as its 14 plants in Japan account for a third of its global production.

No information was given about who was the one responsible for the cyberattack. Kojima's system failure, however, comes just after Japan joined its Western allies in imposing sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. However, it was not clear if the attack on the Japanese company's system was part of Russia's retaliation to those sanctions.

As per Reuters, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that his government would launch an investigation and determine whether Russia was involved in the cyberattack.

Kishida told reporters in a press conference that it is difficult to say that Russia was behind the cyberattack before making thorough checks. Kishida himself announced on Sunday that Japan would join other countries, including the United States, in blocking some Russian banks from gaining access to the SWIFT international payment system. Kishida also said that Japan would provide $100 million in emergency aid to Ukraine.

Toyota was not the only automaker affected by the March 1 shutdown as some of the closed Japanese plants were operated by the company's affiliates, Daihatsu and Hino Motors. Toyota is known in the auto industry for its Just-In-Time manufacturing method, with parts from suppliers going straight to the production line instead of being stockpiled.

Also Read: Toyota Offers Free EV Charging to Owners of 2023 bZ4X After Partnership Agreement with EVgo

Production stoppage in Japan is the latest setback for Toyota

Toyota's production stoppage comes at the worst possible time for the world's biggest automaker, with the company already facing supply chain issues to start the year. A global semiconductor shortage has been wreaking havoc on the entire auto industry ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started, forcing Toyota and other carmakers to curb the production of their vehicles up to now.

Toyota also had to halt production in some of its plants in North America last month due to parts shortages caused by the trucker protests on several border crossings in Canada.

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The U.S. deported its first Afghan evacuee back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan earlier this month due to a criminal record discovered after their arrival, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Out of the tens of thousands of evacuated Afghans brought to the United States, only a small handful remain in government custody because of criminal records or other concerns. Now, a process has been established for returning Afghans to their home country, if necessary.

The details: The Afghan in question was returned on Feb. 13 in coordination with officials in Doha, Qatar, according to an internal government document obtained by Axios.

The details of the crime are unclear, although Axios was told by an administration official there was no connection to terrorist networks or national security concerns.

The official said that this was an example of the vetting system working.

All Afghans are screened and vetted through multiple U.S. agencies before their arrival.

As of September, just 44 out of tens of thousands of evacuees were flagged through those processes as potential national security risks, the Washington Post reported at the time.

What they're saying: The vetting process is ongoing. "If individuals engage in criminal activity or additional information becomes available that raises a concern, the U.S. government takes action, which can include prosecution, revocation of parole and placement into removal proceedings, a DHS spokesperson told Axios in a statement.

The big picture: Roughly 76,000 Afghans have been brought to the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome since the Taliban took Kabul in mid-August.

As of earlier this month, all had been moved off military bases, to be resettled in communities across the U.S.

More than 1 in 3 has been resettled in Texas, California and Virginia, CBS News reported.

"We are prepared to welcome additional qualifying Afghans over the coming weeks and months as capacity allows," a DHS official told Axios in a statement.

That includes "thousands of Afghans who are at overseas transit locations for processing to come to the United States."

What to watch: As of Sunday, the Taliban will no longer allow Afghans to leave the country without a good reason, the Wall Street Journal reported.
With Ukraine holding Russia off longer than many U.S. officials had expected, President Biden now faces a great unanswered question  how to give Vladimir Putin an off-ramp to avoid even greater calamity.

Why it matters: A cornered, humiliated Putin could unleash untold pain on the world, from cyberattacks to nuclear threats. After enacting brutal sanctions, the White House now must consider how the invasion can end without a new catastrophe.

Between the lines: Nobody knows what Putin would accept.

Many officials fear that we are heading into a very dangerous period  the punishing Western sanctions pushing an autocrat into a corner.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee, has hinted Putin could be addled.

"This is the most dangerous moment in 60 years," Rubio tweeted Sunday night. Putin, he said, "is facing a humiliating military fiasco & he has triggered extraordinary consequences on #Russia's economy & people that will not be easy to reverse ... And his only options to reset this imbalance are catastrophic ones."

A European diplomat told reporters at a briefing yesterday: "It's like the Sun Tzu thing of giving someone a golden bridge to retreat across. How do you get him to go in a different direction?"

"I think the door to diplomacy remains open," the diplomat continued. "Putin ... doesn't normally back down. But he also controls the information environment in his own country to such an extent that if he does, he can cover his tracks. ... So I think there is room for him to de-escalate  and that's certainly what we're pressing for."

The diplomat pointed to yesterdays Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Belarus as the most viable off-ramp in a sea of bad options, noting that negotiations lasted for four hours and appear headed for a second round.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said before the talks that he was willing to discuss "neutral status" for Ukraine  one of Putin's three demands.

But the other two  demilitarization and "denazification" of Ukraine, and recognition of Russia's claim to Crimea  suggest Putin will never accept a deal in which Zelensky remains in power.

The bottom line: The West's response to Putin  for so long, uncertain and halting  has moved at astonishing speed and ferocity over the past week. How Putin will respond  and whether de-escalation is even possible  is keeping national-security leaders up at night.

Go deeper: Axios Ukraine dashboard
Social media platforms are beginning to crack down on Russian state media in response to the Kremlin's efforts to tighten controls around internet communications.

Why it matters: Tech giants that provide services around the world prefer not to take sides in conflicts where they operate in both combatants' territory, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine is making that stance tough to maintain.

Driving the news: Google said late Saturday it is pausing monetization of Russian state-funded media across its platforms, hours after its subsidiary YouTube announced a similar measure, citing "extraordinary circumstances in Ukraine."

A YouTube spokesperson noted it will also be "significantly limiting recommendations to these channels."

Facebook parent Meta on Friday said it would also prohibit Russian state media "from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world," per a tweet from its head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher.

Twitter also said Friday it would temporarily pause advertisements in Ukraine and Russia "to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads dont detract from it."

State of play: Social networks have for many months labeled accounts for outlets such as RT and Sputnik as Russian state media. Russia is beginning to push back on efforts to fact-check content from those accounts.

Twitter has been restricted in Russia, as of Saturday morning, according to data forensics from internet monitoring group NetBlocks.

On Friday, Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg confirmed that Russia had partially restricted the platform after Facebook refused to stop fact-checking and labelling of content posted by four Russian state-owned media organizations when asked by Russian regulators.

Meanwhile, Russian state media has quickly become a target for hackers seeking to show support for Ukraine.

On Friday, hackers claiming association with Anonymous, the decentralized activist group, said they were responsible for web outages at RT.com and Russian government sites.

On Thursday, Reuters reported that Ukraine has been asking for volunteers from its own hacker community to defend against Russian cyberattacks.

The big picture: Security officials warned for weeks leading up to the invasion that Russia would be using disinformation via state media channels to seed justification for the war.

Ahead of the invasion, Russia state media accused the West of hysterical over-reaction to non-existent invasion threats  then pivoted to pumping out minute-by-minute coverage of the tensions.

Around the world, millions of people are watching the chaos unfold from the ground on platforms like Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. That allows timely reports to spread fast but leaves information context-free and easy to distort or misrepresent.

Between the lines: Ukraine officials have been publicly urging social platforms to take down Russian state accounts.

On Friday, Ukraine's vice prime minister and minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, wrote a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook asking him to block access to Apple's App Store for citizens of the Russian Federation.

On Saturday, Fedorov tweeted that Twitter had decided to stop Russians from registering new accounts in Russia, and urged Meta to do the same. Twitter didn't confirm that detail.

On Thursday, Ukraine's official Twitter handle wrote, "They should not be allowed to use these platforms to promote their image while brutally killing the Ukrainian people."

What to watch: U.S. regulators are closely eyeing whether U.S. companies are vulnerable to Russian cyberattacks, given reports of attacks on computers in Ukraine ramping up during the crisis.
Israeli government experts believe that a U.S. return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran will set the amount of time Tehran needs to produce the amount of highly enriched uranium needed for a nuclear bomb to four to six months, a senior Israeli official told me.

Why it matters: This assessment is shorter than the six to nine month breakout time the Biden administration experts calculated, per two Israeli officials familiar with strategic consultations between the U.S. and Israel.

The big picture: The standard set by the 2015 nuclear deal was one year breakout time.

But Irans nuclear advances since the Trump administration withdrew from the deal made this standard irrelevant.

U.S. and Israeli officials say that Irans current breakout time  without a deal in place  is only about five weeks.

Behind the scenes: The six to nine month breakout time assessment by the Biden administration was relayed to Israeli officials during video strategic consultations two weeks ago, Israeli officials told me.

During the consultations with the U.S., Israeli officials learned that a renewed nuclear deal will not include destroying Iranian advanced centrifuges, which they were not allowed to use according to the 2015 agreement.

A senior Israeli official said a renewed deal will only include the storage of these advanced centrifuges in Iran under an International Atomic Energy Agency seal. Israeli officials fear this will allow Iran to resume using those centrifuges on a very short order.

A White House National Security Council spokesperson declined to detail the strategic consultations between the U.S. and Israel, which he said were meant to exchange views and trade ideas confidentially.

We will not negotiate in the press or comment on specific claims about the negotiations," a State Department spokesperson said.

What to watch: The Vienna nuclear talks, which resumed yesterday, have reached a critical point, with U.S. officials saying Iran must make "tough" decisions now or face an escalating crisis.

Rob Malley, the U.S. envoy for Iran, is in Vienna but continues to engage in indirect talks with the Iranians through European mediators.

The talks are expected to continue through at least next week. Its unclear whether a breakthrough can be achieved.

Go deeper: Inside the Biden-Bennett call on Iran
Diplomats from mainly Western countries staged walkouts of two meetings when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov began a remote address on Tuesday.

Driving the news: Ukraine's ambassador to the UN in Geneva led the walkout at the UN Human Rights Council and was followed by approximately 100 people, a council spokesperson told Axios.

The walkout left just a few diplomats in the room, including envoys from Russia, China, Syria and Venezuela.

Lavrov said that he had planned to attend the sessions but was unable to because European countries banned Russian airlines from their airspace, AP reports.

Around the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was addressing the European Parliament remotely. He received standing ovations before and after his speech.

What they're saying: During his speech to the Human Rights Council and a disarmament meeting in Geneva, Lavrov accused Ukraine of looking to acquire nuclear weapons, an unfounded claim that the Russian government has used to justify its invasion of Ukraine, per the New York Times.

He also said that the current "hysteria" in the U.S., NATO and the European Union confirmed that "it was and still is the aim of the U.S. and all its allies built by Washington to create an 'anti-Russia,'" the Times notes.

The walkout "demonstrates the strong unity of the international community in condemning Russias war of aggression against Ukraine," said Ambassador Sheba Crocker, a U.S. envoy to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva, in a statement.

"We are working with our partners at the Council to hold Russia accountable for the extensive human rights abuses and deteriorating humanitarian situation brought about by this unprovoked war.

"As each day passes it is clear that Russia is isolated and has no one but itself to blame for the situation it now finds itself in."

Go deeper: Ukraine war enters new, uglier phase

Editor's note: This post has been updated to include comment from Ambassador Sheba Crocker.
Data: UNHCR; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

More than half a million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries as Russia continues its invasion of their homeland, according to UN statistics released Monday.

Why it matters: There were 84 million forcibly displaced people around the world as of mid-2021, according to UN data. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as last year's fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, will only add to the global population without a home.

"Even before the situations in Afghanistan and Ukraine, the numbers of people forced to flee globally had been rising to new highs for several years," Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement to Axios.

"[S]adly, there is no sign that the trend is ending,"

By the numbers: Roughly 520,000 Ukrainians have now fled to neighboring countries, according to UN figures as of late Monday afternoon.

Most (281,000) have headed to Poland, while Hungary has received 94,000.

At least 160,000 people have also been internally displaced inside Ukraine, Martin Griffiths, UN emergency relief coordinator, said on Monday.

The big picture: With so many global crises, refugee and humanitarian groups "are all stretched very thinly right now," Bob Kitchen, International Rescue Committee's director of emergency preparedness and response, told Axios.

Much of the region's refugee infrastructure has been in Ukraine rather than surrounding countries, complicating humanitarian organizations' efforts to prepare. Many refugee programs in Ukraine have been forced to shut down.

Some national leaders now welcoming Ukrainians only recently refused  or reluctantly offered refuge  to people fleeing from the Middle East and Africa, as NPR reported.

Go deeper.
Ahead of a possible large-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine's government has moved to introduce a 30-day state of emergency, call up military reservists between the ages of 18 and 60 and allow ordinary civilians to carry firearms.

Why it matters: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he does not expect an "all-out war against Ukraine" but that he will "put Ukraine on a war footing" if there is a "broad escalation" from Russia. [Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine crisis.]

Details: The state of emergency will apply to all of Ukraine except for the territory in the east occupied by Russian and pro-Russian separatist forces.

It will allow the government to impose additional security measures and inspections, pending parliamentary approval, and could be extended a further 30 days.

The Ukrainian government has also called on millions of Ukrainian citizens to leave Russia, warning that it could become difficult to ensure their safety in a hostile country.

Between the lines: Some Western officials have been puzzled that Zelensky hadn't taken similar steps before or ordered a full national mobilization. But the president has long argued that causing "panic" would destabilize the country at the worst possible moment.

"There's been this perception that they've been downplaying the threat, and that they're therefore not prepared. That's completely inaccurate," a source in contact with the Ukrainian government tells Axios.

"They're as prepared as they can be. And boy are they going to fight. I do believe that the Russians don't quite understand what they're going to face," the source added.

The big picture: Zelensky does not intend to relocate himself and his team from the capital Kyiv to Lviv, in western Ukraine  to protect himself against what U.S. officials warn would be a devastating assault, complete with Russian missiles raining down on the city and the paralysis of electronic communications.

"The president will not be running away from his own capital," another source close to Zelensky told Axios' Jonathan Swan.

But the mood in Kyiv is "much more nervous than it was even 48 hours ago," the source said.

What they're saying: "Plan A is to utilize every tool of diplomacy, to deter Russia and prevent further escalation," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said at a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.

"And if that fails, plan B is to fight for every inch of our land, and every city and every village. To fight until we win."

What to watch: Russian forces have entered the occupied territories in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, but it's still unclear whether they will move beyond the "line of contact" or seek a confrontation with Ukrainian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the borders of the separatist "republics" he recognized extend to territory controlled by the Ukrainian government  the clearest indication yet that he may soon instigate a war.

Go deeper: Read the latest developments
You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @idesai98 on Twitter.
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Police, once again, are reporting that gun fire has struck a place where people and their families live in Port Arthur.

This time, Port Arthur Police Departments officers received a call shortly after 10:20 p.m. Sunday in the 3607 block Jimmy Johnson Blvd. at the Encore at Ninth Avenue apartment complex for deadly conduct.

When officers arrived, they observed the residence was struck twice by gunfire, PAPD said in a news release. No one was injured.

Police are investigating the incident and no further information was provided.

This is not the first call that the agency has received for this type of crime.

In the past year, PAPD has reported at least four incidents where an apartment complex or house has been struck by a bullet.

About 15 minutes away from this apartment complex, PAPD officers received a call on around 8 p.m. on Jan. 26 for deadly conduct at Farnham Park Apartment at 3000 block of Turtle Creek Drive. Officers reported that the residence had been hit once by gunfire.

The residence was occupied at the time of the incident, however; no one was injured. PAPD said in the release.

About 15 minutes away from the Encore Apartment Complex or 20 minutes from Farnham Park Apartment, officers received another call at approximately 11 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the 3400 Block of Seventh Street to report gunshots.

When the officers arrived, they learned a house had been hit several times by gunfire during a drive-by shooting. None of the occupants were injured and possible suspects were identified by police, a previous news release said.

The Seventh Street incident occurred fewer than 2 miles  about 5 minutes  away from where a toddler was struck in a July drive-by shooting.

The 1-year-old child had to be flown to a Houston hospital after being hit by the bullets in the aggravated assault in the 2100 block of Evergreen Drive.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/megzmagpie
A Beaumont school designed to help students missing credits to catch up with their classmates is about to get an upgrade.

In a January presentation to the Beaumont ISD school board, Paul Brown Learning Center Principal Calvin Rice and members of the Office of Innovation presented a plan to maximize the potential of the campus' operations.

"The superintendent felt the campus was being underutilized," Rice said. "So, she charged me along with members of the innovation team to look at some things that we could possibly do to expand the program to increase opportunities for students who were at risk and needed credit recovery."

The Paul Brown Learning Center is an alternative high school in BISD targeted at helping students with credit deficiencies to rejoin their cohort and graduate.

Some students also perform better in a smaller learning community, which the Paul Brown Center provides, BISD Chief Innovation Officer Anetra Cheatham said at the meeting.

Additionally, the school serves students who have missed a number of class days for truancy or medical absences that prevented them from regularly attending school. Students who are pregnant or already have children also can regain lost credit from classes missed to care for their children.

"Whether a school had five or 500 students before the pandemic, those same students now have more risk factors and access to fewer supports," Rice said at the presentation.

The campus currently serves just over 110 students -- 150 at its maximum. Rice said during his presentation that the campus needed to be accessible to more students, providing data that showed more than 150 students in the district needed credit recovery.

The redesign will make room for 250 students and increase the campus from serving just 11th and 12th graders to ninth and 10th graders as well.

"The longer a student becomes deficient in their credit, the more likely they are to drop out of school," Rice said. "So, if we're identifying students -- and most of the time you can identify those students when they're in middle school that are in danger of dropping out -- if we (identify) these students early, then there's a chance we can prevent them from dropping out."

Students who regain their credits before their senior year can return to their home campus, Rice said. However, students are allowed to continue at Paul Brown if the circumstances at their home campus played a role in why they were credit deficient.

"Because this is a small environment, we try to encourage those students to persist here," he said.

The campus is also implementing an "optional flexible school day," where students can enroll in a dual credit program and earn credits towards a certification, Rice said. It also helps students who work or take care of their children throughout the day, which makes attending traditional school hours difficult.

"A student can attend our campus at three different sessions, there's an a.m., there's a p.m., and there's an evening session which students can attend," Rice said. "So, if I'm Charlie, and I have to work to help support my family, and I have to make a choice on whether or not I'm going to come to school, I still can attend because I can go to work in the morning, get off and then come in the evening to take classes. Or if I work in the evening, I can come in the morning to attend class."

The optional flexible school day is only given to students who apply and meet the criteria and is given on a need basis, Rice said.

Previous criteria for attending Paul Brown prevented students with persistent discipline issues from attending the school as well. But, with the reimagining, some of those students will be allowed at the campus because they are often the group with the most credit deficiencies, Rice said.

"Even though these students have made a mistake, we don't want to take the opportunity from them to be able to come in and regain their credit," he said. "However, those students will be interviewed to make sure that they understand, that in this environment, they have to make sure that they're doing what they're supposed to do in order to regain the credits."

The learning center is also looking to have its own graduations. Previously, students who chose to walk would graduate with their home campus. The redesign proposes that the Paul Brown campus host its own graduation that students can participate in if they choose. Rice said this could serve as a point of pride for the students.

One of the more complicated aspects of the redesign is the hope to partner Paul Brown with Lamar Institute of Technology to give students an option to work towards a degree or certification before they graduate, since the campus doesn't have access to the Taylor Career and Technology Center, which provides the same opportunity to other BISD high school students.

However, the Paul Brown Center operates on a different semester system than LIT, which makes scheduling difficult, Rice said. One nine-week period makes up a semester at Paul Brown while LIT's semesters are about double that.

"We're looking at partnering with LIT to help us support our students in the (College Career Military Readiness)," he said. "My mantra since I've been here has always been, we want to graduate students, however we're graduating students and they're going into society and they're lost and they're trying to find their way. Some of them find their way and some of them don't. I think that we can give them a head start in our program to put them in a position to be successful."

A partnership with LIT would also help improve the school's accountability rating, which is currently a D.

"While our teachers have done a great job of preparing students for the STAAR and they have fared well on STAAR, we have lost accountability because of our CCMR, which is our domain three, closing the gaps," Rice said. "So, if we could get more students engaged in CCMR or Career Technical Education programs, then we would be able to get those points we need in order for us to move beyond a D."

Some of the changes have already been implemented, including allowing ninth and 10th grade students on campus as well as students with discipline issues and the optional flexible school day. Rice said he's looking at the fall semester for the beginning of the LIT partnership.

Rice said he wants the community to know that the Paul Brown Center is offering every opportunity it can for students to be successful.

"It starts with making sure that, first of all, (students) graduate, but most importantly, that they are capable of entering into the workforce and being productive citizens in our community," he said. "One of the biggest things (that makes us) different from many schools is that we don't have extracurricular activities. Many schools get good support from the community because they have extracurricular activities. If people have time and resources, I would ask that they would engage the Paul Brown Learning community and offer support for our students."

olivia.malick@hearst.com

twitter.com/OliviaMalick
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Families had a chance to cast a line during the Big Thicket National Preserves free fishing day on Saturday at Village Creek.

Big Thicket National Preserve Chief of Interpretation, Meagan Urban, said the event provided a place for children of all ages to fish with Certified Angler Education Instructors. The instructors taught participants basic fishing skills.

Whitley West, 8 of Lumberton, learned about baiting and identifying fish during her familys first trip to Village Creek on Saturday.

The event was held where Texas 327 crosses the creek  on the west side of the river and the south side of the highway.

I think it is cool because it is fun and I havent fished in a long time, Whitley said.

Elizabeth He, 11 of Beaumont, and her family also participated.

The discovery of getting a new fish is exciting, He said.

The preserve had nine rangers, a superintendent and a couple of volunteers onsite throughout the day.

We have been pleasantly surprised with the number of people who have showed up, Urban said about an hour into the event.

So far, we have had over 20 people and a lot of other people coming to launch boats and learn more about Big Thicket.

She said Thicket staff is looking forward to continuing these kinds of events through the year.

The preserve teamed up with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the event.

With the TPWDs approval for an exemption, none of the participants had to have a Texas fishing license, which normally would be required.

The only statewide free fishing day is held on the first Saturday in June, Urban said.

Fishing is one of the many great past times and ways to recreate here in Big Thicket, Urban said.

For some people who might not have grown up fishing, this is a great way for them to get comfortable fishing and maybe bring their family out.

The annual event began in 2018. However, last years gathering was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic.

We are happy that we are able to start out doing events again, Urban said.

The fact that we are able to do our events outside makes it a family-friendly and family safe event.

You dont have to worry too much about masks. It definitely made rangers happy to get back out and do what they love doing  connecting with people.

The Big Thicket already has scheduled other events, such as ranger-led canoe trips and hikes, through the end of the calendar year.

Reservations are required to keep numbers small and manageable during the pandemic.

The preserve will be celebrating its birthday event in October, which will be held in Beaumont.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/megzmagpie
Anime: Upcoming Dragon Ball Super Movie Gets Release Date And Key Visuals

3 Minute Read

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The next Dragon Ball Super movie is right around the corner. This is everything you need to know about Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

The Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie is coming out in Japan on April 22, 2022. And it officially has a North American release date, too. Heres what we know about the next Dragon Ball movie and when you will have a chance to watch it.

What We Know About the Story

Weve known about this movie for a little while now. The San Diego Comic Con 2021 panel that featured executive producers Akio Iyoku and Hirihiro Hayashia gave us a bunch of preliminary information and hype over the summer. But with the Japanese release right around the corner, Im getting excited about the next Dragon Ball chapter.

The fictional Red Ribbon Army, an evil organization that once destroyed by Goku, is rebuilt. Red Ribbon Army and their Androids will seek revenge on Goku and his entire Dragon Ball family. Despite Goku being at the center of this, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is said to be a story centered around the master and disciple relationship of Gohan and Piccolo. Previous movies have focused on Goku and Vegeta, but Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will give some other characters a chance to shine.

And there will be lots of other characters! Official posters and art show most of the Dragon Ball cast, including new androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. It also includes the adorably tiny Pan. It also looks like Piccolos home will be heavily featured in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

This film will be a sequel to and take place after the events of the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie but before the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai Tournament.

Animation Style

While last years conventions were seeing a lot of info and concept art, there have also been teaser trailers. This one was shown as part of Decembers Jump Festa 2022.

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Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will be the first Dragon Ball movie to utilize a 3D animation style. And Im not sure how to feel about it! The animation looks clean, and the art style is unmistakably Dragon Ball. But the 3D style makes it feel almost more like a video game than a movie. Its a little weird, but Im looking forward to seeing it in its entirety.

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When can the North American audience expect to see Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero? It looks like well be waiting for a summer 2022 release. More specific dates arent available; and as of yet, I havent seen more information regarding further international releases. I will be keeping our eyes peeled for dates as well as where to watch or stream the movie.

Are you looking forward to the upcoming Dragon Ball movie? What do you think of the 3D animation style? Which member of this huge cast is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

Ja Ne, Adventurers!

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Plan to create retirement-like savings accounts for Wisconsin kids nets bipartisan support

Godlewski Ringhand Loudenbeck

Spreitzer

MADISONIn a rare show of bipartisanship, state lawmakers are in support of an effort that would create a retirement-style savings account for every child from birth in Wisconsin.

In January, Wisconsin Treasurer Sarah Godlewski announced a bill that would create the 401KIDS savings program to help every child in Wisconsin save money for retirement. The framework of the legislation stemmed from the Retirement Security Task Force that Godlewski chaired.

In an interview with the Beloit Daily News, Godlewski said on Monday that a number of people who testified last year during public hearings before the committee signaled they wanted to save for retirement, but were unable to do so based on various factors.

The bill would create an IRA-like investment account for every child born or adopted in Wisconsin. The state would oversee investment and management. The individual account holder would access the savings once they became an adult to roll the funds into an additional retirement plan, pay off medical expenses or school tuition costs.

Families with existing children would be able to buy into the program to create accounts for children, with the ability to contribute to the fund over time.

This is a win-win. You dont lose anything from joining, Godlewski said. The big piece to know is that bipartisan support is what is needed and the fact that is what this bill has is setting it up on a path for success to improve the lives of Wisconsinites.

A study by University of Wisconsin-Madison that was funded by AARP found that 427,300 Wisconsin residents are at risk of experiencing poverty during retirement in 2030, and the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) reports that less than 50% of all households contribute to a retirement account. Additionally, one in five households with respondents ages 55 to 64 reported no retirement savings.

Godlewski said the automatic enrollment to the account would be the first of its kind nationwide, with the committee basing legislation off of other state programs and a similar plan in Rhode Island that creates savings accounts for children.

The bill was introduced by Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee and Sen. Janis Ringhand, D-Evansville. Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, is a co-sponsor of the bill. Spreitzer said Monday he was glad to see the bill was scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday in Madison.

(I) hope it continues to move through the legislative process, Spreitzer added.

Ringhand said the bill would be vital to the future success of Wisconsins social and economic well being.

Its very important that every child gets this opportunity, Ringhand told the Beloit Daily News. Its important to look at ways to get out in front of problems and to start people on the right path. That would be a big advantage for these kids and their families. It would ensure that they have a more secure future.

Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, said she was supportive of the idea that would create accounts for children, but questioned the nature of the current draft of the legislation.

I believe the bill is well intended, but based on the feedback from the departments, may be cumbersome and somewhat costly to implement, Loudenbeck said. Its certainly worth further discussion in the next legislative session.

Godlewski said Monday the timeline for the bill was still unclear, but highlighted the success of a hearing set for Tuesday for the bill. The bill would need to move out of committee with a vote on the floors of both the Assembly and Senate prior to heading to Gov. Tony Evers.

Were not entirely sure what the legislative schedule is going to be, Godlewski said.

Loudenbeck said it was highly unlikely the bill would be passed this year due to it being introduced late in the legislative session.
Relatives of a 12-year-old boy and residents carry his body to be cremated in Sinak, a district of Puncak regency in Indonesias Papua region, Feb. 24, 2022.

The military is investigating the death of a boy in Indonesias rebellious Papua region after he allegedly was tortured by soldiers who had accused him and his friends of stealing a firearm, an army spokesman in the area said Tuesday.

Human rights advocates, meanwhile, are clamoring for an independent probe into the death of 12-year-old Makilon Tabuni. He died on Feb. 22 after being arrested two days earlier along with six other children for allegedly stealing a gun belonging to an Indonesian soldier in Sinak, a district of Puncak regency in Papua province, a resident said.

The investigation team is already in Sinak district, Puncak regency. The investigative team has inspected the location of the incident at the Sinak Airport Command Post, where the firearm disappeared, and the location of the alleged abuse, Col. Aqsha Erlangga, the spokesman for the provincial military garrison, told BenarNews.

The investigation team has also investigated a number of  soldiers who are suspected of having knowledge of and being directly related to the incident of the missing weapon.  I hope the public can be patient because the investigation team continues to search to obtain the correct data, he said.

The alleged incident has cast a fresh spotlight on longtime grievances among locals about Indonesian government forces using excessive force and engaging in racist actions against indigenous people in mainly Melanesian Papua. The militarized region in Indonesias far-east is home to a separatist insurgency that has simmered for decades.

The body of Makilon, who was the son of a village chief, was cremated on Feb. 24, according to local customs, said a resident who requested to be identified only by the initials Y.K. for security reasons. No autopsy had been conducted.

Y.K., a teacher, said a soldier tasked with guarding a military post in Sinak lost his gun on Feb. 20 and immediately suspected that children who were watching television at the post earlier in the day had taken it.

A joint military and police team arrested seven elementary school-aged children, Y.K. told BenarNews.



A Papuan human rights activist, Okto Tabuni, said Makilon was dead on arrival when he was rushed to a community clinic in Sinak on the night of Feb. 22.

Okto also said that he did not know details about Makilons injuries. But he said that under a local custom, cremation is usually performed for people who die of unnatural causes.

Culturally, it is a form of protest to the authorities, he told BenarNews.

After Makilons death, the other six children were transferred from a police detention center to a hospital to be treated for their injuries, the source Y.K. said.

When asked about Makilons death, Papua police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ahmad Musthofa Kamal replied: I need to emphasize that the police are not involved.

He declined to comment further.

Calls from rights groups mount

Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International in Indonesia, said the alleged assault that led to the boys death could not be justified, as he called for an independent investigation.

We would like to remind [authorities] that civilians, especially children, must not be made victims of abuse, let alone be killed in an armed conflict, Usman told BenarNews.

Usman said allegations of torture by security forces must be investigated thoroughly and independently to ensure that such cases do not happen again.



For the sake of justice, those responsible for this tragedy must be made to account, Usman said.

Fatia Maulidiyanti, coordinator for the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), also called for an impartial investigation.

It must be uncovered with an investigation involving other parties such as the National Commission on Human Rights and the Indonesian Child Protection Commission, Fatia said.

Okto echoed Fatias calls.

This is not the first case of children dying because of the military in Papua. So, other parties must be involved in the investigation, so that it does not set a bad precedent in the future, Okto said.

Two children were shot, one of them fatally, during a gun battle between security forces and rebels in Intan Jaya Regency in October 2021.

In Jakarta, a deputy of the Presidential Chief of Staff, Jaleswari Pramodhawardani, could not be reached immediately for comment.

On Monday, United Nations human rights experts expressed serious concern about what they called the deteriorating human rights situation in the Papua and West Papua, provinces, citing shocking abuses against indigenous Papuans.

These abuses, they said, included child killings, disappearances, torture and mass displacement of people.

Between April and November 2021, we have received allegations indicating several instances of extrajudicial killings, including of young children, enforced disappearance, torture and inhuman treatment and the forced displacement of at least 5,000 indigenous Papuans by security forces, the experts said, according to a statement issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

They said estimates put the overall number of displaced, since the escalation of violence in December 2018, at between 60,000 to 100,000 people.

Violence and tensions in the Papua region, which is made up of the provinces of Papua and West Papua, have become more intense in recent years after separatist rebels killed 19 workers who were building a bridge in Nduga regency in late 2018, accusing them of being government spies.

In 2019, more than 40 people were killed in violent unrest across the Papuan region after police raided a dorm in Surabaya and arrested dozens of Papuan students amid allegations they had disrespected the Indonesian flag. Video was circulated of the armed police using racial slurs against the students.

Meanwhile, provincial military garrison spokesman Col. Aqsha said authorities had arrested a teacher, who authorities identified only as D.M., for leaking photos of Makilons cremation that later were posted on social media accompanied with text deemed to be fake news.

Aqsha did not elaborate on why the text was considered to be false.

The suspect, D.M., admitted that he was the one who sent the photo of Makilon Tabunis cremation to the the WhatsApp group of Puncak Students Association, Aqsha said.

Aqsha added that D.M. admitted that he sent the photos to the WhatsApp group but denied posting them on social media or writing the text.

Under the law, distributing fake news online is punishable by six years.

Last year, the government designated separatist rebels as terrorists after insurgents ambushed and assassinated an army general who headed the regional branch of the National Intelligence Agency. The killing prompted President Joko Jokowi Widodo to order a crackdown.

In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua  like Indonesia, a former Dutch colony  and annexed the region that makes up the western half of New Guinea Island.

Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-sponsored vote, which locals and activists said was a sham because it involved only about 1,000 people. However, the United Nations accepted the result, which essentially endorsed Jakartas rule.

The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has fought for independence for the mainly Christian region since the 1960s.
Nearly three dozen people, a majority of them Ukrainian, protest against Russias invasion of their homeland outside the Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Feb.28, 2022.

Malaysia will bar a Russian oil tanker on a U.S. blacklist from docking at any of its ports in coming days, the transport ministry announced Tuesday, saying it did not want to breach Washingtons sanctions over Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

European Union officials, meanwhile, urged non-aligned Malaysia to back a U.N. General Assembly resolution denouncing the Russian military strike and that is due for a vote soon.

The Russian tanker Linda is named among several Russian assets sanctioned by Washington, in a United States Treasury document dated Feb. 22, 2022. The ship is scheduled to arrive at Malaysias Kuala Linggi International Port, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia on March 7, according to MarineTraffic, a website that uses satellite-based data to track movements of ships worldwide.

The vessel called the Linda a.k.a. Lady M, cited in media reports published early this week, is allegedly included in sanctions by a foreign country against the Russian Federation, the Malaysian Transport Ministry said in a statement.

MOT wishes to inform that the port operator of the vessels destination in Malaysia has made the decision to decline its request to dock at Kuala Linggi International Port (KLIP) in order not to violate any sanctions as it is the operators prerogative, the ministry said.

The Linda is due to arrive at the Kuala Linggi port on Saturday, March 5, the statement said.

The ministry will keep reviewing the situation for further action as may be required according to current government policies, the MOT added.





The route of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Linda, which left a port in Oman on Dec. 12 and was more than 200 miles from Banda Aceh, Indonesia as of 12:30 a.m. (Malaysia time) Wednesday, March 2, 2022. [MarineTraffic.com]

Meanwhile several European Union (EU) ambassadors in Malaysia are urging similar action from the government during a vote in the U.N. General Assembly, likely on Wednesday, on a resolution condemning Russia for launching its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

The French, German and other EU ambassadors said that Malaysia, as a non-aligned country, should back the resolution in its own interest.

[M]alaysia, like Ukraine, is not a party to any alliance, which means that at the end of the day, the only defense and the ultimate defense of Malaysia lies in the respect of the principles that I just emulated; territorial integrity, sovereignty, political independence, the right to make their own choices, Roland Galharague, Frances ambassador to Malaysia, said at a press conference.

Additionally, Malaysia had supported a similar resolution when Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, he said.

Malaysia voted in favor of the resolutionand we think that this time, were not talking about Crimea, were talking about the whole of the country, the French envoy said.

The political independence of Ukraine is being violated and the right of Ukraine to choose its security arrangements is being violated, he told reporters.

Also present at the press conference were the Ukrainian and German ambassadors to Malaysia.

In neighboring Thailand, 18 diplomats from Western nations, including Michael Heath, the U.S. Charge d' Affaires, met with the Thai Senates foreign relations committee on Monday to talk about Ukraine.

Don Pramudwinai, Thailands foreign minister, said the cabinet discussed the Ukraine situation during its weekly meeting on Tuesday.

Thailand has to adjust its approach because condemnation by several parties doesnt help. Thailand has to find a point which makes the situation go in the right direction. We have to brainstorm how to. We have to support dialogue  and it must go on without stalemate, he said.

Thailand is lucky to be a friend of all people in the world and we can talk. We have channels to talk with the EU, Russia, Ukraine and the U.S., but  we have to make it flow naturally, no need to take action.

But Kobsak Chutikul, a retired Thai envoy and advisor to the Senates foreign relations committee, did not flinch in stating that Russia was in the wrong as he urged Thailand to act accordingly.

Thailand should take principled stand. At stake are not only the security concerns on the European continent, but an assault on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that have held together a post-World War II and post-colonial world, he told BenarNews.

The world will be a more dangerous place if we do not uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations. We cannot go back to a world divided into spheres of influence where there are no constraints on the powerful carving up territory.

Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Philippine troops enter a section of the southern city of Marawi where Islamic State-linked militants engaged in battles with the military, June 2017.

Two Filipino members of an Islamic State-linked extremist group and a soldier were killed during a battle in the southern Philippines on Tuesday in which government warplanes bombed suspected militant positions as part of a major operation, the military said.

The military offensive targeted members of Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group militant faction, said Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., head of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) headquartered in Zamboanga city.

Weve been monitoring this Maute Group. The operation [was] very deliberate. We made sure no civilians would be affected, Rosario told reporters, describing the offensive as a major operation.

Maj. Andrew Linao, a spokesman for the regional command, said government troops recovered two bodies of Maute members at a militant camp overrun by the military, while a soldier also died and three other government troops were injured.

Daulah Islamiyah is the local name of the Islamic State (IS), whose membership comprises fighters from several Filipino militant factions, including the Maute Group fighting out of Lanao.

In May 2017, Maute Group members and other pro-IS militants launched a siege of Marawi, precipitating a battle with government forces that lasted five months. As many as 1,200 militants, troops and civilians were killed before the military regained control of the southern Philippine city.

Aerial, ground assaults

On Tuesday, the military launched bombing runs before dawn to support an infantry mission against 60 Daulah Islamiyah members hiding out in the hinterlands of Ilalag in Lanao del Sur province, WestMinCom said in a statement.

Linao said ground troops assaulted the Maute Group fighters at around 2 a.m., unleashing a battle with about 50 militants under the leadership of Abu Zacharia. Military officials have accused the local IS leader, also known as Jer Mimbantas, of leading attacks against government positions in Lanao towns.

Zacharia faces arrest warrants on charges of arson, murder, kidnapping and terrorism, according to officials.

The military said the militants fled from the battle.

As of now, were pursuing them  the enemy scampered, Linao told reporters.

He said the battle occurred far from communities, but he urged residents to stay put and remain calm amid pursuit-operations against the militants.

Meanwhile, military spokesman Col. Ramon Zagala told BenarNews that Philippine Air Forces FA-50 lead-in fighters and A-29 Super Tucano bomber planes carried out the aerial assault.

We used precision munitions since our troops were nearby. There are no civilians in the area since this was in the hinterlands where we had identified the enemy presence, Zagala said, without divulging details.

At least a dozen airstrikes were carried out against dynamic targets as guided by the intelligence operatives, a WestMinCom official, who knew of the military offensive but was not cleared to speak to the media, told BenarNews on condition of anonymity.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano said this was not the first combat operation for the bombers delivered by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer in 2020.

There were a lot of aircraft in the area, Mariano said. The Air Force was in full support of the effort.

A BenarNews correspondent in Zamboanga, Philippines, contributed to this report.
In this Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 file photo Shawn Wooden, then candidate for Connecticut state treasurer, speaks at the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee Cookout and Campaign Rally, in Greenwich, (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, File) (Tyler Sizemore/AP)

Connecticut is divesting Russian-owned assets from its retirement plans and trust funds following Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine, state Treasurer Shawn T. Wooden said Tuesday.

State investment in companies in Russia and government debt issued by Russia amounts to $218 million, less than half of 1% of the states retirement funds valued at more than $47 billion. Woodens decision to drop the investments are as much a business decision in response to the collapsing value of Russian investments due to sanctions squeezing its economy as a protest against Russias attack on a democratically elected government.

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[ Connecticut package stores removing Russian vodka in protest of Ukraine invasion ]

The Ukrainian people are experiencing an assault on their freedom and suffering devastating human loss due to an unprovoked and unjustified attack by the Russian government, Wooden said. We cannot stand idly by as the humanitarian crisis unfolds and Russian markets crumble, and I cannot continue to invest these pension funds in a way that runs counter to the foreign policy and national interests of the United States.

The attack that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched last Thursday has created a fiscal and humanitarian crisis that puts global markets at risk, Wooden said. His decision to divest Russian stocks and bonds is a necessary step towards protecting the long-term viability of our investments globally.

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The value of Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds Russian-related investments has declined since 2014 due to rising geopolitical risks, he said. Sanctions imposed over the past several years against Russia and Russian cyberattacks and election interference have made the Russian markets less favorable relative to others, Wooden said.

Eliminating our holdings of Russian assets is not only a moral imperative but the current crisis also constitutes a substantial risk for Connecticuts investments, our national policy and economic security, Wooden said.

Connecticut joins California, Georgia, Oregon, Pennsylvania and other states that are moving to divest state assets from Russian interests.

Wooden said in a statement that Putin needs to know that the free world stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and that Putins abhorrent actions will have enduring, harrowing economic consequences in the days, months, and years ahead.

The treasurers office did not release a specific list of the investments he targeted.

Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.
As police continue to investigate two head-on crashes that killed six within 20 minutes Saturday, information is beginning to emerge about the victims. One was on a ladies night out with friends; another was a student at Southern Connecticut State University.

Four of the women, including Yarelis Ramos, died in a crash with a tractor trailer in the Hartford tunnel on I-84 about 2:45 a.m. About 20 minutes earlier, two women, including a 21-year-old Southern student named Charde Monet Spates, died in a head-on crash on I-91 in Meriden.

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Investigations into the collisions, which took place more than 20 miles apart, are continuing.

Ladies night out

Yarelis Ramos, 37, told her boyfriend he couldnt come out with her Friday night because it was a girls night out, said her mother, Ivette Negron. She was with her friend and neighbor, Quashonda Grant, 31, who lived in the same apartment building in Hartfords South End.

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Yarelis Ramos died in a head-on crash in Hartford Saturday. Three other women died in the same crash. (Provided by Ivelisse Correa-Ojeda)

The women were with two others, April Slade, 40, and Natachia Izekia Rivera-Hall, 40, who was driving, at the time of the crash. Somehow, the SUV they were in ended up heading west in the lanes for eastbound traffic and collided head-on with a tractor trailer, state police said. All four women died at the scene.

Negron said she heard that her daughter and Grant had been heading to a house party.

Ramos cousin, Ivelisse Correa-Ojeda, said, She spent hours getting ready that night and was so excited.

Negron said her daughter liked to dance and sing.

Yarelis Ramos dances with her grandfather, Jorge Negron. Ramos died in a head-on crash that killed four women over the weekend. (Provided by Ivelisse Correa-Ojeda)

She lights up the party wherever she goes, she said.

She worked for a security firm and did stints at Westfarms mall and Saint Francis Hospital, her mother said.

She worked with the public most of her life, Negron said, describing her daughter as both very friendly and humble, a caring person who treated people with respect. Negron is raising money for her daughters funeral services through GoFundMe.

Hard worker

Shortly before 2:30 a.m. Saturday on I-91 in Meriden, about 20 minutes before the tunnel crash, the 2020 Toyota Camry Charde Spates was driving south in the north lanes collided head-on with a 2012 BMW driven by Judith Melvin-Levy of Windsor, state police said. Both Spates and Melvin-Levy died; Melvin-Levys front seat passenger Justin Thomas Levy, 21, survived, suffering injuries troopers said seemed minor.

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A tractor trailer also struck the BMW but was not involved in the initial crash, state police said.

As with the other crash, police said they are still trying to determine why the Camry was in the wrong lanes.

Charde Spates of New Haven was only a few credits shy of earning her degree in public health, a Southern spokesman, Patrick Dilger, said Tuesday. She was scheduled to finish classes this semester, complete an internship in the summer and graduate in August.

Spates was part of the universitys Residential New Haven Promise Emerging Leaders Program in 2018.

Her mentor, Dawn Stanton, director of University Access Programs, said Spates was so warm and kind and full of ambition. She was a hard worker who learned to balance multiple responsibilities and took great pride in everything she committed to achieving.

Charde Spates, a student at Southern Connecticut State University, died in a head-on crash Saturday. (Provided by Southern Connecticut State University)

She was beautiful inside and out with a smile that lit up the office every time she walked in, Stanton added. I will miss her smile, her occasional texts, and knowing all the ways she would have changed the world. The loss of Charde is heartbreaking.

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Faculty members said Spates worked several jobs but managed to get good grades.

Why do head-on crashes happen and how can we avoid them?

Breaking News As it happens Get the latest updates on Coronavirus and other breaking news events happening across Connecticut >

State police say head-on crashes happen for different reasons and are avoidable.

Anyone who is drunk or under the influence of a drug should not drive. A designated driver should get behind the wheel and if there is none, a rideshare service should be called, Sgt. Dawn Pagan said.

[ Connecticut state police release details on fatal wrong-way crash ]

People with medical conditions that may cause them to be sick or disoriented also shouldnt drive. Pagan said some drivers suffer diabetic attacks while driving, and elderly people sometimes become disoriented. She asked that people should keep an eye on their ailing or aging family members.

Manage your loved ones, she said. Pay attention to their driving.

Highway drivers may take steps to avoid being struck by a wrong-way driver by driving in the center or right lane, Pagan said Tuesday. Thats because wrong-way drivers often travel in the left lane.

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When wrong way drivers are traveling the wrong way on the limited access highway they often travel in the left lane because they believe they are driving on the correct side of the road, she said.

Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.
Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
Paul Belogour, owner of Vermont News & Media, has employees based in Ukraine who work globally for his many businesses. Some of those employees are Eugene Sherbak, head of website development; Eugene Sidoronok, head of sales, in a Vermont Innovation Box T-shirt; Ilya Petrov, head of IT operations, Boston Unisoft Technologies; Ivan Sonin, head of software development; and Arsen Abovyan, head of technical support.
Christine MacBeth, president and CEO of The Brien Center, will speak when the Zonta Club of Berkshire County meets March 8.
A day after K-12 students returned to classrooms with a statewide mask mandate no longer in place, the Baker administration announced that children no longer need to mask up while riding in school buses or vans.

Individual Berkshire County districts may continue to require masking on buses, as well as in schools, even as state and federal guidelines shift, though most districts will drop masking requirements in the coming weeks.

The state Department of Public Health published an updated advisory on Tuesday that does not feature a face covering requirement for bus and van transportation to and from schools and child care centers, aligning Massachusetts with federal policy changes rolled out last week.

On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would no longer mandate masks on school buses and vans for both K-12 schools and for child care programs, affecting both public and private schools.

As always, any individual who wishes to continue to mask should be supported in that choice, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley wrote in a Monday night newsletter.

Riley announced Feb. 8 that a statewide mandate for students and staff to mask up in K-12 schools would expire at the end of the month.

Since that announcement, Berkshire County districts have implemented a variety of policies on masking. Many have taken a wait-and-see approach, opting to continue their mandates at least one week, if not more, into March.

Masks will be optional in classrooms at Lenox Public Schools starting March 14. Pittsfield Public Schools, meanwhile, will stop requiring masks as of March 7 or March 14, depending on case counts.

For some districts, indoor school masking mandates will continue to go hand-in-hand with transportation mandates for as long as they last. Berkshire Hills Regional School District, for example, will continue to require masks on buses for the rest of the week, before dropping its mandate on March 7

Masks remain required on some forms of transportation including public transit and flights as well as in health care facilities, but state and local officials have been steadily loosening mandates in recent weeks as cases and hospitalizations decline after a winter spike fueled by the omicron variant.
Rapid COVID-19 antigen tests are sent out to waiting cars at a drive-thru testing clinic in January in Lee. Tri-Town Health, the regional agency serving Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge, is expected to withdraw its COVID-19 mask directive by the end of this week.
Cops and Courts Reporter

Amanda Burke is Cops and Courts Reporter for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise.
WECO Hospitality will start delivering meals to Connecticut homes on March 22. Among the offerings, pictured, is the lobster ravioli kit. (Brian Samuels Photography)

A new meal prep service that delivers locally sourced food to your door is expanding into the Hartford area starting March 22 and announcing its arrival with a lasagna event in West Hartford on March 5.

WECO Hospitality, co-founded in March 2020 and based in Acton, Massachusetts, drops new menus  full meals, kids meals and desserts  every Thursday at noon. Meals, prepared the morning of delivery, are delivered to homes Monday to Friday.

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Starting March 22, WECO will deliver to homes in West Hartford, Avon, Canton, Bloomfield, Windsor, Simsbury, Farmington, Burlington, Windsor Locks, East Granby, Granby and Suffield. More towns will be added in phases.

WECO sources food from New England purveyors, including BOTL Farm in Ashford, Arethusa Farms in Bantam and Saugatuck Kitchens in Stratford.

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The company has a unique payment system. Customers order online but, as in a restaurant, they do not pay for the meal until after it is eaten. Unlike a restaurant, however, customers decide how much to pay.

Ramen is one of the dishes that have been offered by WECO Hospitality, which is starting service in the Hartford area. (WECO Hospitality)

Jennifer Fremont-Smith, WECO CEO and co-founder, said the system is totally crazy but we are really glad we did it.

Our payment system is trust-based. We operate on the honor system. When you request food from us, we are going to cook it, package it, deliver it to your door. You are going to unbox it, heat it, plate it and eat it all before weve asked you for money, Fremont-Smith said.

Each customer is emailed a payment invoice at 7 p.m. the night of the meal.

We will only bill you the cost of ingredients [and a $6 per-day delivery fee], she said. Then we ask customers to add whatever they think is fair for our overhead, labor and love. Essentially, theyre paying the ingredient cost and whatever is reasonable that they consider to be the value of the meal.

The system has worked, she said. Our community is pretty good at covering the cost, she said. If they can afford to pay more, they do, and that allows us to serve those who pay a little less.

On average, ingredient costs per person for main courses range from $9 to $13, for bowls $7 to $9 and for kids meals $5 to $7. Fremont-Smith said the menu cant be more specific than that because the local farms where WECO buys food wont know until the day the food is bought what they will charge for it.

WECO Hospitality delivers chef-prepared dishes inspired by cuisines around the world, including Italy, India, China and Japan. (WECO Hospitality)

WECO has gained popularity in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In addition to Connecticut, WECO plans to expand to Maine and Rhode Island.

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Every week, WECO studies customer requests to decide where to expand.

Food & Drink Weekly Keep up with news from the Connecticut food scene, delicious recipes, and restaurant and bar reviews >

There is this ever-growing chorus of people saying, please come to our town. Its been that way from the beginning, she said. A lot of people have been asking us to come to Hartford. People in our areas buy gift cards give them to friends in Hartford. People in Hartford are saying, I want to use this card.

The meals delivered to Hartford-area towns will be made in the commissary kitchen in Randolph, Massachusetts. Eventually, Fremont-Smith said, WECO will establish a kitchen in Connecticut.

Past menu selections have spanned the globe: Italian (potato gnocchi piccata, chicken marsala), Indian (chicken tikka masala, saag paneer), Mexican (beef barbacoa burritos, tacos shrimp al pastor), Chinese (mushroom lo mein, shrimp and basil fried rice), Japanese (pork belly miso ramen, soba noodle bowls), North African (Moroccan pot roast, harissa chicken), Thai (khao soi, sweet chili shrimp and rice bowl), Spanish (gambas al ajillo), Korean (bibimbap rice bowls), Vietnamese (banh mi) and French (choucroute garnie). WECO also serves a variety of American-style dishes such as roast pork loin, short ribs, salads with steak or chicken and fried chicken, as well as meatless selections, kids meals and desserts.

Fremont-Smith said meals sell out quickly, so those who want to buy them should log in as soon as possible after noon on Thursday. We have customers who set alarms so they wont forget, she said.

WECO delivers meals from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Customers get a text the night before with an estimated delivery time. Those who cant be home for delivery can leave a cooler on the doorstep.

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WECO Hospitality will hold a Limited Edition Lasagna Drop on March 5 from 2 to 6 p.m. at New Park Brewing, 485 New Park Ave. Up to 200 customers can buy a WECO lasagna, meat or veggie, to be picked up there. To get a lasagna that day, register in advance at wecohospitality.com/secret-lasagna-drop.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
Downtown Pittsfield landmarks will light up in blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine
Columnist Ruth Bass wonders: What is the city of Pittsfield doing about all these potholes? And why is it that some heavily traveled roads get completely ignored?
Mary Hurley was the first woman to be elected mayor of Springfield in 1989. She has represented Berkshire County and most of Western Massachsuetts on the Governor's Council since 2017.
Averys Beverages of New Britain has produced a special flavor called Putin Punch. Proceeds will benefit the Ukrainian Red Cross. (Courtesy Averys Beverages )

Averys Beverages, the New Britain independent sodamaker famous for releasing special flavors based on news events, has created a Putin Punch, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Ukrainian Red Cross. The flavor was introduced on Tuesday.

Averys General Manager Rob Metz said Averys already has donated $500 to the Ukrainian Red Cross. He added that at least 50 cents per bottle of Putin Punch will be donated to that cause.

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Whenever something topical happens in the news, we try and commemorate it. This is a little different. You feel a little helpless with all this stuff going on and you feel like you cant do anything about it. I mean, we make soda. So we decided to make a soda to try and donate it to a cause that will help people living there, Metz said.

The bottles design shows Russian President Vladimir Putin being punched in the nose by a gloved hand that is blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

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We showed that because basically a lot of people around the world would like to do that, he said.

In the now seven-day-old war, Putin has waged an assault on Ukraines capital and other cities across the country that destroyed homes and public buildings as well as military targets and left untold numbers dead.

A a senior Western intelligence official estimated that more than 5,000 Russian soldiers have been captured or killed, while Ukraine has given no estimate of troop losses, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 16 children had been killed Monday.

Metz called the drink fruit punch with a little twist, a little more acidic than normal.

The beverage was produced so quickly that it currently is available for sale only at the Averys plant at 520 Corbin Ave. Metz said six bottles maximum will be allowed per customer, until they can get the label production ramped up. One bottle is $2. When buying multiples, they are $ 1.50 each.

Those who want to donate directly to the Ukrainian Red Cross can visit redcross.org.ua.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
BLISS, ID - The Idaho State Police arrested a California man on multiple charges Tuesday morning after a Trooper spotted him at a rest stop inside a stolen vehicle. After being spotted, the suspect reportedly rammed multiple patrol cars and led police on an off-road vehicle and foot pursuit before eventually being taken into custody.

Early Tuesday morning, ISP Troopers receives word to watch out for a white Ford pickup pulling a trailer with a Bobcat skid-steer loader that had been reported stolen out of Twin Falls.

Later Tuesday morning at approximately 8:15 a.m., a Trooper on patrol located a vehicle matching the description at a rest stop on westbound Interstate 84 west of Bliss. According to the ISP, when the Trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver attempted to flee, ramming the patrol car, driving through a fence and into the desert near Power Plant Road. Soon after, police say the pickup became disabled and the suspect got out on foot, circled back, and drove off in the skid-steer.

The suspect, who was later identified as 33-year-old Lonnie S. Schaefer, of Sacramento, CA, then allegedly rammed a Gooding County patrol vehicle before the skid-steer also became disabled in a ditch. At this moment, police say the suspect remained non-compliant, which led Gooding County Sheriff's deputies to deploy bean bag rounds and an ISP Trooper to deploy a Taser before the suspect was finally taken into custody.

During the incident, police there was evidence Schaefer may have ingested a controlled substance. Schaefer was transported by ground ambulance to a medical center in Gooding where he was treated and released. Upon his release, Troopers booked the subject into the Gooding County Jail on the following charges:
MOSCOW - Citing a dramatic decline in COVID-19 cases across the state, as well as easy access to vaccinations and KN95 masks, masks are now optional at University of Idaho facilities in Moscow and Coeur dAlene, staring March 1. Masks are no longer required in labs, meeting rooms, hallways or other areas of the university.

Instructors may still require masking in their classrooms until directed otherwise.

A memo from University of Idaho President Scott Green says both Gritman Medical Center and Idaho Public Health also support the move to personal protection choice.

"If positive cases dramatically increase or if a new variant threatens our local hospital capacity, we will move swiftly to reinstate a mask requirement," said Green.
The UK has provided 276 million since 2018

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), based in Norway, has welcomed a 160 million pledge from the UK Government to advance its work against the COVID-19 crisis and build the critical tools and partnerships needed to reduce, or even eliminate, future epidemic and pandemic threats.

The announcement comes ahead of the UK government hosting CEPIs Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit on 7 to 8 March in London. The event aims to raise funds for CEPIs goal, backed by the UK during its G7 presidency last year, to cut the time it takes to develop new vaccines to 100 days, including variant-proof vaccines that will work against multiple future COVID-19 variants.

The UK government invested more than 88 million to support the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. To date, the UK has also donated 32.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, of which 25.3 million have gone to COVAX, a global scheme to get more vaccines to developing countries.
Several facets of our great nation were brought forth by the sudden impact of COVID-19. For one, healthcare infrastructure and diagnostics need fundamental changes and strategic direction for future improvement. Vaccinology has, however, written success stories in both development and manufacturing. It also highlighted how public-private partnership can succeed, building on the nations earlier success with developing and manufacturing world-class Rotavirus vaccine ROTAVAC, TYPBAR TCV, the innovator Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine among other world-leading vaccines. These challenging times also reaffirmed the growing need to nurture startups in areas of vaccine development and the ever-increasing need for the industry and academia to participate in advancing science.

India had the advantage of two good vaccines to fight the SARS-COV-2 virus and both vaccine companies have to be commended for their contributions during this pandemic. India has placed itself in the upper tier of countries such as the United States and China, where more than two COVID-19 vaccines were manufactured and supplied at scale. Most importantly, Covishield and COVAXIN were available in the quantities required to vaccinate our large nation.



'Necessity is the mother of all inventions' , and adversity can bring out the best or worst in us.



During the early days of the pandemic (January-March 2020), while the nation was grappling to deal with the pandemic, scientists at Bharat Biotech were chalking out its product development strategies towards a self-reliant indigenous vaccine. The company had the option of deploying multiple platforms and vaccine manufacturing technologies such as inactivated, recombinant, viral vectored, etc. Bharat Biotech had invested in these technologies with a significant amount of prior knowledge and expertise in all these platforms including research and development.



Evolution of vaccine research in India



The primary prerequisite for any new vaccine is always safety, safety, safety !. The whole virion inactivated platform technology provided us with the required assurance of safety, with deep expertise to rapidly deploy the technologies required for manufacturing and testing. India was always ahead in its pursuit to research, develop novel vaccines such as the Rotavirus, Typhoid Conjugate, Hepatitis, Zika, Chikungunya, Rabies, among others. Bharat Biotech had existing BSL3 facilities and a vero cell manufacturing platform to manufacture inactivated vaccines. We received the SARS-COV2 strains from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Virology (NIV)-Pune, and were immediately able to start product development activities. In fact, several developmental activities had already commenced prior to the receipt of strains.



The significant aspect of Indias vaccine was its ability to complete all the preclinical studies and clinical trials required for emergency use approvals. The knowledge on inactivated vaccine platforms led to extensive pre-clinical studies and to conduct safety, immunogenicity, toxicology, and live viral challenges, in multiple animal models including hamsters and primates for the vaccine.



Clinical Trials knowledge is another significant aspect of Indias advancement in vaccine science and establishing its position as a world-leading vaccine developer and manufacturer. COVAXIN has been tested in more than 30,000 subjects (adults & children), for safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy, including, detailed immunogenicity evaluation that was conducted for both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses.



COVAXIN is the most highly studied vaccine in India, in the Indian population, providing a great level of confidence on the safety, efficacy, effectiveness, and duration of immune responses. These detailed clinical evaluation studies have defined COVAXIN as a UNIVERSAL VACCINE with the versatility of the same dosage, that can be administered to adults, and children, for the two-dose primary and booster dose schedules. With approvals from India, 25 other countries, and World Health Organisation (WHO), COVAXIN has become a global vaccine with significant demand from foreign countries. It is one of the few vaccines that have an excellent safety profile, followed by efficacy and cellular immune responses.



Need for self-reliance



The development of COVAXIN was based on knowledge and technologies available in India. Its development has also been instrumental in developing a sustainable ecosystem for vaccine development and R&D in the country.



It leaves behind a sense of accomplishment and self-reliance that the country needs. Institutions such as the NIV-ICMR and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, were instrumental in developing COVAXIN .



While NIV-ICMR provided the strains for the manufacture of COVAXIN, IICT developed the process for synthesis and manufacture for the IMDG molecule used as an adjuvant in COVAXIN. The IMDG molecule licensed from a company in the United States, and the ICMR, both receive royalties as per industry standards. In the process, these institutions have received a rare glimpse and understanding of the R&D and product development process of vaccines, and they will be geared-up for future challenges.



The trail of knowledge does not end at development and licensure, the manufacturing process for COVAXIN is being shared with four companies in India and one in the United States. One of the companies has already absorbed the technology, and started manufacturing and supplies. The IMDG adjuvant molecule is, also, fully manufactured in India - the first adjuvant to be manufactured within India. Hence COVAXIN manufacturing has been 100 per cent indigenised, providing a great amount of vaccine security to our country.



This initiative will result in the manufacturing ecosystem also being activated for vaccines and associated technologies and improve our readiness for future pandemics. Both the biotechnology and chemical-pharmaceutical manufacturing industries have been involved in the manufacture of COVAXIN, both playing their roles.



COVAXIN has created an ecosystem for vaccine development, manufacturing not just at Bharat Biotech, but also around the country. This will surely improve the scientific focus required for a country like ours.



We need to have positive examples of Indian industry and academic institutions showcasing their ability to rise to the challenges during a pandemic.



Most importantly, the financial resources, taxpayers' money, must remain within our country to strengthen our GDP and reduce the drain on our economy.

Dr Krishna Ella, Scientist, Serial Entrepreneur and CMD, Bharat Biotech
Ukainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the press in the town of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on April 4, 2022. (Ronaldo Schemidt/Getty-AFP)

KYIV, Ukraine  Russian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday in what Ukraines leader called a blatant campaign of terror, while U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to make his Russian counterpart pay a price for the invasion.

Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the central square in Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city, and the deadly bombing of a TV tower in the capital.

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Biden used his first State of the Union address to highlight the resolve of a reinvigorated Western alliance that has worked to rearm the Ukrainian military and adopt tough sanctions, which he said have left Russian President Vladimir Putin isolated in the world more than he has ever been.

Throughout our history weve learned this lesson  when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos, Biden said. They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.

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People look at the gutted remains of Russian military vehicles on a road in the town of Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (serhii nuzhnenko/AP)

Biden devoted the first 12 minutes of his Tuesday evening address to Ukraine, with lawmakers of both parties repeatedly rising to their feet and applauding as he praised the bravery of Ukraines people and condemned Putins assault.

As Biden spoke, a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly on Kyiv, the capital city of nearly 3 million people, in what the West feared was a bid by Putin to topple the government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.

The invading forces also pressed their assault on other towns and cities, including the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II found Russia increasingly isolated, beset by the sanctions that have thrown its economy into turmoil and left the country practically friendless, apart from a few nations like China, Belarus and North Korea.

As the fighting in Ukraine raged, the death toll remained unclear. One senior Western intelligence official estimated that more than 5,000 Russian soldiers had been captured or killed. Ukraine gave no overall estimate of troop losses.

The U.N. human rights office said it has recorded 136 civilian deaths. The real toll is believed to be far higher.

Britains Defense Ministry said it had seen an increase in Russian air and artillery strikes on populated urban areas over the past two days. It also said three cities  Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol  were encircled by Russian forces.

Many military experts worry that Russia may be shifting tactics. Moscows strategy in Chechnya and Syria was to use artillery and air bombardments to pulverize cities and crush fighters resolve.

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Ukrainian authorities said five people were killed in the attack on the TV tower, which is near central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings. A TV control room and power substation were hit, and at least some Ukrainian channels briefly stopped broadcasting, officials said.

The bombing came after Russia announced it would target transmission facilities used by Ukraines intelligence agency. It urged people living near such places to leave their homes.

Zelenskyys office also reported a missile attack on the site of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, near the tower. A spokesman for the memorial said a Jewish cemetery at the site, where Nazi occupiers killed more than 33,000 Jews over two days in 1941, was damaged, but the extent would not be clear until daylight.

In Kharkiv, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the regions Soviet-era administrative building on Freedom Square was hit with what was believed to be a missile.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry said its consulate in Kharkiv, located in another large building on the square, was destroyed in the attack.

The attack on Freedom Square  Ukraines largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life in the city  was seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasnt just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirit.

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The bombardment blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive square, which was piled high with debris and dust. Inside one building, chunks of plaster were scattered, and doors, ripped from their hinges, lay across hallways.

People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies, said Yevhen Vasylenko, an emergency official.

Zelenskyy pronounced the attack on the square frank, undisguised terror and a war crime. This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation, he said.

In an emotional appeal to the European Parliament later, Zelenskyy said: We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are.

Another Russian airstrike hit a residential area in the city of Zhytomyr, the towns mayor said. Ukraines emergency services said Tuesdays strike killed at least two people, set three homes on fire and broke the windows in a nearby hospital. About 85 miles (140 kilometers) west of Kyiv, Zhytomyr is the home of the elite 95th Air Assault Brigade, which may have been the intended target.

Zelenskyy said 16 children had been killed around Ukraine on Monday, and he mocked Russias claim that it is going after only military targets.

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Where are the children? What kind of military factories do they work at? What tanks are they going at? Zelenskyy said.

Human Rights Watch said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraines east in recent days. Residents also reported the use of such weapons in Kharkiv and Kiyanka village. The Kremlin denied using cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs shoot smaller bomblets over a large area, many of which fail to explode until long after theyve been dropped. If their use is confirmed, that would represent a new level of brutality in the war and could lead to further isolation of Russia.

The first talks between Russia and Ukraine since the invasion were held Monday, but ended with only an agreement to talk again. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Russia should stop bombing first.

As for dialogue, I think yes, but stop bombarding people first and start negotiating afterwards, he told CNN.

In his speech, Biden announced that the U.S. was joining several other countries in closing its airspace to Russian planes. He also warned the countrys oligarchs that the Department of Justice was assembling a task force to investigate any crimes they committed.

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We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets, he said. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.

Biden trumpeted the toll global measures had taken on the Russian economy already, including a stock market plunge and currency devaluation.

Moscow made new threats of escalation, days after raising the specter of nuclear war. A top Kremlin official warned that the Wests economic war against Russia could turn into a real one.

Inside Russia, a top radio station critical of the Kremlin was taken off the air after authorities threatened to shut it down over its coverage of the invasion. Among other things, the Kremlin is not allowing the fighting to be referred to as an invasion or war.

Roughly 660,000 people have fled Ukraine, and countless others have taken shelter underground. Bomb damage has left hundreds of thousands of families without drinking water, U.N. humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said.

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It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly. This cannot be explained with words, said Kharkiv resident Ekaterina Babenko, taking shelter in a basement with neighbors for a fifth straight day. We have small children, elderly people, and frankly speaking it is very frightening.

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A Ukrainian military official said Belarusian troops joined the war Tuesday in the Chernihiv region in the north, without providing details. But just before that, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country had no plans to join the fight.

A senior U.S. defense official said that Russias military progress  including by the massive convoy  has slowed, plagued by logistical and supply problems. Some Russian military columns have run out of gas and food, the official said, and morale has suffered as a result.

Overall, the Russian military has been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to completely dominate Ukraines airspace.

The immense convoy, with vehicles packed together along narrow roads, would seemingly be a big fat target for Ukrainian forces, the senior Western intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.

But it also shows you that the Russians feel pretty comfortable being out in the open in these concentrations because they feel that theyre not going to come under air attack or rocket or missile attack, the official said.

Isachenkov and Litvinova reported from Moscow. Mstyslav Chernov in Mariupol, Ukraine; Sergei Grits in Odesa, Ukraine; Robert Burns, Zeke Miller and Eric Tucker in Washington; Francesca Ebel, Josef Federman and Andrew Drake in Kyiv; Lorne Cook in Brussels; and other AP journalists from around the world contributed to this report.
The new millennium was ushered in with the conviction that innovation in life sciences, especially biotechnology, will play a transformative role in making India a knowledge economy. The optimism was palpable and several ventures emerged during the period spanning 2000 and 2002 to translate this dream. That was when I moved from Mumbai to Hyderabad to head the newly formed ICICI Knowledge Park (later renamed as IKP Knowledge Park, IKP), the first life science park in the country, founded by ICICI Bank with support from the then State government of Andhra Pradesh. But, before reminiscing about the evolution of the life sciences startup ecosystem since that time, a few trendsetters that created a fertile ground for change, need to be recognised

The Early Years

When Astra Zenecas R&D Centre (erstwhile Astra Research Centre India, ARCI) became operational in 1987 near the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) campus in Bangalore, it created an open innovation environment that helped bioscience researchers gain industrial R&D exposure. ARCI could be called the first biotech incubator in India that helped spawn startups like Bangalore Genie, Xcyton and Gangagen, and later Aristogene, Cellworks and Enzene. In 1993, when Dr. Varaprasad Reddy founded Shantha Biotechnics, it was briefly incubated at Osmania University, Hyderabad and then at the Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB). Shantha Biotechnics went on to produce Indias first domestically developed rDNA product  Shanvac-B, a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, at less than a dollar a dose when the same was globally sold at $23. Companies like Advanced Enzymes, Biocon, Biological E, Praj, Serum Institute of India (SII) among others were making their own mark in the biotech field. Bharat Biotech, that indigenously developed the COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, started operations in Hyderabad in 1996. Two institutions that funded technology innovations during these times were TDICI (ICICI Ventures), the first Venture Capital Fund set up by ICICI and UTI in 1988, and the Technology Development Board, DST, GoI, set up in 1996 to fund commercialisation of indigenous technologies. Globally, the Human Genome Project was causing huge excitement regarding advances in medicine and biotechnology.

This was the setting when a number of startup icons began their entrepreneurial journey between 2000 to 2002. Four computer science faculty from IISc led by Prof. Vijay Chandru started Strand Genomics (later Strand Life Sciences), the first bioinformatics and medical genomics company in India, in 2000. In the same year, Anuradha Acharya co-founded Ocimum Biosolutions, another trailblazing bioinformatics startup. Prof. J. Ramachandran launched Gangagen to develop novel therapeutic proteins targeting infectious diseases. Dr. K. K. Narayanan and Dr. Gautham Nadig left their corporate research jobs to start Metahelix Life Sciences focusing on crop protection and productivity. Dr. Villoo Morawala Patel founded Avesthagen and delved into the agbiotech and nutraceuticals opportunities. Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan, founder, Healthcube, Bigtec co-founders Chandrasekhar Nair and GM Kini, and Dr. Bala Manian of Reametrix focused on developing innovative, affordable point of care medical diagnostics. Dr. Sudhir Jain left Ranbaxy to start Concord Biotech in fermentation-based APIs. ChemBiotech, GVK Bio and Sai Life Sciences augmented the Contract Research space where Syngene had already started functioning. These entrepreneurs came with deep domain expertise and have been a guiding force for the next generation of startups. The journey of these iconic startups are rich with lessons. Many of these businesses succeeded in developing unique scalable models. All of them raised capital at a time when biotech venture funding was rare in India. Some of them faltered, several pivoted, got acquired and the entrepreneurs went on to start one or more new ventures.

Several ecosystem level developments were simultaneously happening during this time. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka had set up state level VC funds. AP, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu came up with state biotech policies; biotech parks were set up, including the Jubilee Womens Biotech Park in Chennai, focussing on women entrepreneurs. BioSpectrum was launched in 2002; the Association of Biotech Led Enterprises (ABLE) was launched in 2003. The New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) of the Department of Science & Industrial Research, GoI was launched in 2003 to fund innovation projects.

The 2nd Wave of Indian Biotech & Medtech Startups

The second wave of bio and medtech entrepreneurship came with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), GoI setting up the Small Business Innovation Research Initiative (SBIRI) scheme in 2005. The product IP regime was introduced in India in the same year. Some notable innovative companies founded during this period are Stempeutics Research, VLife Sciences, Anthem Bioscience, Inbiopro Solutions. The Stanford India Biodesign (SIB) programme of DBT, in partnership with AIIMS, IIT Delhi and Stanford University in 2007 started clinical immersion programmes for engineers and shook up the medtech startup space. This got further fillip from global partnership programmes like the Affordable Healthcare in India fund of Wellcome Trust, UK, the Indo-US Endowment Fund, Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Grand Challenges Canada. A special GCE was launched by BMGF in India in 2011 with IKP as the partner, which later on expanded as the DBT-BMGF Grand Challenges-India initiative. With grant funding and guidance from Indian and global mentors, young engineers, clinicians and researchers found an alternate path to channelise their talent to innovate for social impact.

The growth of biotech startups in India however really began with the launch of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in 2012. Pioneered by DBT under Dr. M K Bhans vision, BIRAC became a vehicle to both leverage government funding to derisk technology development and also develop the ecosystem with partners. The Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme with liberal grant funding drew innovators from across all fields of biotechnology to develop the proof of concept of their ideas. BIG has so far supported over 750 startups and innovators from across India, many of whom went on to raise substantial follow-on private capital. Fig 1 shows that the number of startups supported through BIG as a percentage of the total number of biotech startups has decreased from 23% in 2015 to around 14% in 2021.

This seems to point to the critical role BIG played in reducing the risk perception of early-stage funding of biotech startups, thereby attracting funding from other donors, friends and family, as well as angels and early stage VCs. The success of partnering with biotech incubators for the BIG programme led to deeper engagements with the incubation community. The BIRAC Regional Innovation Centre (BRIC) at IKP mapped the innovations across life sciences clusters, and helped BIRAC formulate targeted programmes to promote entrepreneurship. This led to the setting up of three more BIRAC Regional Centres, at C-CAMP, Bangalore and Venture Centre, Pune for entrepreneurship development and at KIIT TBI, Bhubaneswar for capacity building in the North East Region. The DBT and World Bank funded National Biopharma Mission helped revamp infrastructure and innovation capacity, including setting up Regional Tech Transfer Offices to ensure translation.

The StartUp India action plan of 2015 brought startups to the centre stage. NITI Aayog, central government ministries as well as state governments launched a plethora of initiatives around incubation and seed stage funding. As per the Startup India website there are around 790 incubators in the country of which around 226 have biotechnology as one of their domains. The total number of DPIIT registered startups in February 2022 is around 63,800 and roughly one-tenth of that would be in the life sciences space. ABLE puts the number of biotech startups at around 5,400 at the end of December 2021. As of 2021, over 17% biotech startups are from outside the established clusters (Fig 2).

By 2010 e-commerce and SaaS platforms had started revolutionising the technology startup space with influx of huge global capital. Lifesciences startups being IP /product driven largely failed to attract the capital needed for scaling. Examples of biotech startups that succeeded in raising substantial venture capital are Bugworks, MedGenome, Sea6Energy, String Bio, Zumutor. Several others like Remidio, Forus Health, Niramai, Telluris and Tierra Bio Science could provide huge impact through early stage capital.

Since 2015 the country started witnessing the emergence of a large base of healthtech, agtech and cleantech entrepreneurs leveraging data, AI & ML. Technology convergence across domains became a norm marked by the emergence of new age digital health and agtech startups offering solutions to solve problems across the spectrum of service delivery attracting several rounds of venture capital funding. The disruptions led by the COVID-19 pandemic led to widescale adoption of digital healthcare services. Turtle Shell (Dozee), with its under-mattress wireless health monitoring device used technology to turn a hospital ward bed into a stepdown ICU. AI based startups Cure.ai, Predible Health and Setu helped read CT scans and X-rays, providing quick decision support to doctors and healthcare staff.

Covid19 Turbulence and the Response of Indian Biotech Startup Ecosystem

COVID also tested the agility of the Indian innovation ecosystem, and especially the biotech ecosystem, and it passed the stress test with aplomb. From breaking silos and collaborating to solve problems, to shrinking development, validation and manufacturing timelines to meet the requirements of diagnostics and vaccines, the startup ecosystem walked in step with regulators and industry to deliver. The investment community, incubators, corporates, donors and the government rolled out several funds at lightning pace. More than a dozen groups worked on non-invasive ventilators and those for ICUs. The story of the ICU ventilator developed at IIT Kanpur is well known. Huwel Life Sciences was quick to gauge the supply chain issue of its imported reagents and started developing these in their own labs along with the RTPCR test kit for COVID-19. Pune based Mylab, the first company to receive ICMR approval for COVID-19 testing and also developed a home based rapid test is supported by Mr. Adar Poonawala, Chairman, SII. Mylab has entered into a strategic tie-up with Shilpa Biologicals from Dharwad for manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics. I must hasten to add that these are just some examples and there must be at least a hundred startups that need special mention.

The Next Decade

A startup journey is akin to that of a river. It starts small and along its path gains strength through investments and acquisitions, very much like tributaries and at times hives off/or an employee quits to grow independently. This goes on till it itself merges with a dominant river or the sea (IPO). Many streams also die before reaching another river. Estimates are that 80% of the streams on the planet are first to third order headwater streams.

To judge the evolution and maturity of a startup ecosystem my three indicators would be if:

Some startups from the ecosystem have grown enough to acquire new startups

Some employees from the matured startups are becoming entrepreneurs themselves

Matured entrepreneurs are mentoring and investing in new ideas

The story of Dr. Reddys and Biocon are well known as ecosystem creators. Laurus Labs, that started as a 3-member pharma API startup at IKP Incubator in 2006 has grown to become a fully integrated pharmaceutical company with market cap of around US$3.8 Billion. In 2020, Laurus acquired Richcore Life Sciences to foray into Biotech and in 2021 took a minority stake in ImmunoACT, an advanced cell and gene therapy startup from SINE, IIT Bombay. This is a happy trend of a maturing startup ecosystem. I look forward to many more such examples in this decade of deep science and deeptech innovations around digital health, personalised medicine, biomaterial, sustainability, climate resilience and one health.

Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, Chairman & CEO, IKP Knowledge Park
It has been a long journey for the Indian pharmaceutical industry from being merely an import dependent to emerging as a selfreliant producer and now as one of the main export countries in the global market. Today the Indian pharmaceutical industry is the worlds third largest by volume and worth over $42 billion. Let's chart the future of this 'sunrise' sector as it stands presently

India exports pharmaceuticals to approximately 206 destinations with the US being the largest export destination followed by Africa and Europe. It is a leader in vaccine manufacturing and supplies over 60 per cent of global vaccine demand. With an export value of $24.44 billion (2020-21), the products of the Indian pharmaceutical industry continue to improve health outcomes for patients worldwide. The policy initiatives by the Government of India and entrepreneurship spirit of Indian industry have made it possible to achieve this.

In the recent Union Budget 2022, the Government of India recognised the pharmaceutical industry in the sunrise sector of the economy which is expected to register a threefold growth in the next decade. According to the Indian Economic Survey 2021-2022, the pharmaceutical industry is estimated to reach $65 billion by 2024. The industry aspires to grow to $120-130 billion by 2030. For this, the industry can embark on a vision of establishing Indias global leadership in life sciences, while driving deeper domestic access and affordability.

Mettle of Indian pharma industry

Crisis doesnt create character, it reveals it. The pandemic posed unprecedented and new challenges but it also offered opportunities and learning to the Indian pharma industry. The pandemic demonstrated the pharma industrys commitment to be a reliable supplier of high-quality, affordable medicines.

The urgency to understand the virus and develop new medicines and vaccines provided unparalleled learning opportunities. In India, the industry not only supplied medicines continuously but also contributed to preventive healthcare, sanitation and quarantine facilities. It responded to the challenges of COVID-19 by evaluating the possible utilisation of available drugs (repurposing drugs) and exploring innovative approaches to fight the pandemic. This coupled with regulatory reforms, initiated by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), has resulted in speedy permissions for clinical trials, and encouraged approval of applications to manufacture or import drugs and vaccines for trials.

Over the last two years, collaboration and coordination between government, industry and other stakeholders was instrumental to address challenges collectively by sharing best practices, knowledge, technology, and experiences.

Several Indian companies forged strategic alliances with global pharma to provide better access to essential drugs/new treatments for COVID-19 such as Remdesivir, Molnupiravir among others. Under the initiative of Vaccine Maitri, the Indian government delivered over 14.68 crores of doses of vaccine to 97 countries. A new trend of joint development of vaccines by private entrepreneurs and government laboratories has also been witnessed. For example, Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV) manufactured COVAXIN vaccine.

Advantage India

Under the ambit of Ease of Doing Business, the Government of India took initiatives to reduce the compliance burden and amended the Drug Rules. Further Policy support such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and other pharma products by the government announced in 2021, is a positive and significant step towards promoting domestic manufacturing thereby increasing not only self-reliance but also cater to the Make in India pharma products for the world.

India has the advantage of both scale and reach from the pharmaceutical sector perspective. The cost of manufacturing pharmaceutical goods in India is relatively lower than advanced countries. India has a highly skilled workforce and enjoys price advantage over other developed nations while providing best of quality medicines.

Leading the post-pandemic world

Having contributed significantly to the generics, the industry is now poised to expand its innovation and research and development (R&D) capabilities to offer cutting-edge products at affordable prices. It is time to move from Make in India to Discover and Make in India. The thrust would be on accelerating R&D and innovation, smart manufacturing, foster policy reforms, expedite digital transformation, and nurture valuable collaborations.

Focus on R&D and innovation: Indian pharmaceutical industry would need to move up the value chain and focus on innovation which accounts for 2/3rd of the global pharmaceutical market size. The Indian pharmaceutical industry needs to build a strong innovation pipeline (with 5-7 new molecular entities and 1012 innovation launches per year by 2047). Towards this, the industry is now venturing into complex generics and specialised drugs. Idea is to enhance Indian pharma's significance in biologics, new drug development and innovations and on enhancing capabilities in biological sciences, usage of Information Technology, Cell and Gene therapy, all focused on patient needs.

Foster policy reforms: A fundamental enabler for a vibrant innovation ecosystem is a strong and efficient regulatory setup e.g., having a single window system, elimination of multiple regulatory bodies, establishing detailed guidelines. Learning from the pandemic, it is critical to ensure that there is an ongoing dialogue between the regulator and the industry for example - pre-approval meetings, more frequent industry meets, rolling reviews, may be considered.

Digital transformation: Digital transformation is imperative for improved patient care, cost-effectiveness, greater transparency, improved production, and drug development. Supply chains are also becoming more patient-centric due to the increased adoption of digital tools, telehealth, and app-based ecosystems. Latest technologies, like AR/VR, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), 3D printing and additive manufacturing are assisting pharma companies to step up the research and development process, conducting tests in increasingly less time and adding newness to the products as well as improving efficiencies and compliance in manufacturing.

Nurture valuable collaborations: During COVID 19 pandemic, cohesive collaboration between the government, academia, and industry to promote research initiatives has been the key. Regular feedback, integrated efforts, sharing and consistent dialogue between industry stakeholders and government authorities has worked well during COVID-19 pandemic and this dialogue should continue in future too.

Focus on exports: Going forward it will be critical for the industry to consolidate the existing large export markets and to explore new ones. Indian missions abroad could be great facilitators in this context. At the same time, the policies in India would need to focus on supporting the industry to be competitive in the export market through policy instruments such as Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP), PLIs, incentivising R&D and innovation in the pharma sector.

The road ahead

India has an advantage of technology and world-class manufacturing capabilities that have been built over the years. This strength is critical in regulated and science driven industry as the rate of change is expected to be faster for the next two decades. Agility to adapt will be crucial in sustaining the competition. Indian industry has demonstrated its commitment towards patient welfare especially during the pandemic and will continue to do so in future too. Nonetheless, in this mission of providing quality medicines at affordable prices, the key will be to be a leader in technology and to leverage the demographic advantage of India and become the life sciences hub.

Samir Mehta, President, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) and Chairman, Torrent Group
Here we look at whether the dismissal of an employee who accused a fellow employee of racism and threatened and intimidated her was substantively and procedurally fair.

Summary

Alleged unfair dismissal of the employee for reasons of misconduct

Legal provisions considered by the CCMA

CCMAs findings

The dismissal of an employee who had accused a fellow employee, a female security supervisor, of searching his car because he was a black man and intimidated her by promising to deal with her, was considered to be substantively and procedurally fair.This was the issue considered by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in the case of. This case related to the alleged unfair dismissal of the employee for reasons of misconduct. The employee commenced employment at the respondent as a supervisor. He was dismissed on 29 September 2020, after a disciplinary hearing was convened and he was found guilty of misconduct.The employee, thereafter, referred a dispute to the CCMA. It was the employers case that the employee had accused Mokhadi Elizabeth Mafoko, a security supervisor stationed at the employers premises, of racism. Mafoko testified that the employee had informed her that he had purchased off-cut leather bags from the employer and that they were too heavy to carry to his car. She then suggested that he bring his car inside the employers premises. She noted that his car would be searched upon entering and leaving the premises.Before the employee brought his car onto the respondents premises, Mafoko had received a tip-off that he had loaded a full hide in his car. It was for this reason that Mafoko approached the employees car when he arrived on the premises and began conducting a search. At the time, two other security officers had already begun searching the employees car. Mafoko asked the security officers to remove the off-cut leather bags from the car so that she could conduct a thorough search. The employee became angry and accused Mafoko of engaging in a search of his motor car because he was black. The employee then informed Mafoko that he was going to deal with her. He said he would find out whether Mafoko treated a white lady in the same manner as that which she had treated him.The employer had a zero tolerance policy for racism. Daniel Modipane, the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing, testified at the CCMA. He noted that the employee had failed to raise a grievance through proper channels in respect of the way in which his car was searched and that the most aggravating factors against the applicant were that his actions were directed against a female employee, and that he did not show remorse for his conduct.The employee acknowledged that he was aware of the respondents search procedures but took issue with the fact that Mafoko wanted to search his car after it had already been searched. The employee explained that he felt as if he was being treated like a criminal which provoked him, but denied that he made any racial insults towards Mafoko.In considering the substantive and procedural fairness of the employees dismissal, the CCMA Commissioner considered the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the Labour Relations Act, Schedule 8 of the Code of Good Practice: Dismissal as well as various case authority. The relevant legal authority was in support of the finding that employees who falsely accuse other employees of racism assault such employees dignity.This may result in the dismissal of the employee making such a false allegation. For instance, in the decision of(LAC) the court dismissed an employee who had made false accusations of racism against his employer and held that false accusations are demeaning, insulting and an attack on ones dignity and the dismissal of the employee was therefore upheld. The authority also supported a finding that employees who engage in intimidation and/or use abusive language may be dismissed in appropriate circumstances.The employee did not present any evidence challenging the procedural fairness of his dismissal. In regard to substantive fairness, it was held that the employer had proved on a balance of probabilities that the employee had committed the offences of racism and intimidation. Furthermore, the Commissioner noted that throughout the proceedings the employee failed to acknowledge the wrongfulness of his conduct and continued to make unfounded allegations of racism. In light of the employees lack of remorse for his conduct, it was held that the dismissal of the employee was substantively and procedurally fair.
In the last few years, we've seen great innovation across various industries, breakthroughs for marginalised communities and a digital revolution that has impacted every aspect of our lives. Although these are milestones to be celebrated, there is still so much more that needs to be done when it comes to developing the presence of women in the technology and innovation space.

Kim Palmer

One woman who has dedicated her career to this cause, to the empowerment of youth and the promotion and upliftment of women in the ICT sector, is the award-winning founder of Cape Town based training organisation, On the Ball College (OTBC), Kim Palmer.Launched in September 2005, this renowned college has since become a household name in the ICT industry within the Western Cape. As a participant in the Innovator Trust ICT Incubation program, this black-female owned college has actively been involved in sharpening the minds of youth and created a much-needed space for women to interact through their ICT learnership offering, skills programmes and their annual Women in ICT Seminar.Women in ICT at present in South Africa account for less than 30% representation. Women need to see more role models, they need to have access to mentorship and be made aware of the careers that are available to them. The future is built on a foundation of digital skills and if women are not encouraged to grow these skills, they will be excluded and left behind, said Kim Palmer.For On the Ball College, the Innovator Trust have been one of those role models and a key partner to the promotion of continuous learning and development particularly for women such as Kim within the South African ICT sector. The benefit of being a part of an incubation program such as the one offered by the Innovator Trust, is that it provides support across the organisation and not just at the executive level, shares Kim. Executive leadership skills and operational expertise complemented by a mentor, a personal coach and a support team who are on-call and ready to assist suggests a incubation model tailored to guiding SMMEs beyond just profitability, to a state of sustainability. This is not a place of toxic affirmation so expect to be challenged. The values witnessed and why I would encourage participation in the program is the focus and professionalism, the detail and empathy experienced, the flexibility with our business and the exceptional support and belief in the vision and cause for On the Ball College, added Kim.Raising racial awareness, spotlighting cultural shifts, and creating platforms for marginalised voices only reflects part of the active interventions of On the Ball College. A unique value offering from the organisation is that theyve managed to unlock exclusive industry insights that have allowed its students to thrive, often surpassing industry peers. These triumphs are testament to the colleges study approach and material content that focus on both theoretical and practical applications.Each year, students are able to participate in ICT certificate programmes that range from NQF levels 4-6, providing beneficiaries with the opportunity to be accredited for future careers which include becoming a computer technician, network administrator, programmer, developer or business analyst.Beyond launching the careers of several successful individuals, Kim has found innovative ways to combine her wealth of knowledge from 21 years of experience in the ICT educational sector, with current emerging industry trends and tactfully apply it to the social-political environment in which the company now finds itself.While many institutions have battled to keep up with e-learning demands, Kim Palmer has proven that she is not only an industry veteran but a trailblazer too. To aid the transition from brick-and-mortar learning to online schooling, On the Ball College has readjusted its learning structures.We adapted and helped clients to adapt to the changing learning environment through adding devices like laptops or tablets to our course fees and learnership programmes. We included a work-from-home learning model to help our students be better prepared for remote working and become more adaptable to this way of working, said Palmer.
The media industry association Publisher Support Services (PSS) has challenged Google and Meta to be compensated for their content used on these platforms. This happened at an in-camera hearing of the Competition Commission's market inquiry into online platforms operating in South Africa.

Hoosain Karjieker, CEO of Mail and Guardian Media and chairperson of the PSS, said, Although the initiative is led by the founder members of the PSS (Arena Holdings, Caxton, Independent Media, Mail & Guardian and Media24), the main objective of the submission goes beyond the interests of these publishers only. This is about protecting the funding and sustainability of journalism as a cornerstone of our democracy.Globally, platforms like Google and Meta have been using publishers content at no cost to grow their market dominance. Our objective is to get them to compensate all publishers, big and small, fairly and equitably for their journalistic efforts, Karjieker continued.Karjieker noted the success achieved by similar efforts in other parts of the world, most notably Australia and Europe, that forced these platforms to the negotiating table to have them agree on fair compensation to publishers for their content.The Competition Commission launched its market inquiry into online platforms operating in South Africa in May 2021, focusing on online intermediation services. This includes the market dynamics and business practices that apply across the respective platforms operating in the country.Karjieker reiterated his invitation to other media organisations to participate. Publishers and media owners who are not members of PSS are welcome to join our efforts or independently liaise with the Commission.The inquiry is expected to release its findings and report by October 2022.
Wavemaker South Africa bids farewell to Pick n Pay as the retailer moves media services in-house

For the past 13 years, Wavemaker and GroupM have worked with major South African retail brand Pick n Pay and has contributed enormously towards shaping consumer decisions through media, content and technology to ensure Pick n Pay's success and growth. After much thought, analysis and review, Pick n Pay has come to the decision to move their ATL media planning and buying in-house effective from 1 March 2022. This allows the retail giant to merge its already in-housed digital media with ATL media to drive communication synergy and performance.

Wavemaker South Africa believes that growth sometimes requires uncomfortable change. What matters is that these shifts are done in the best interests of the businesses it has long supported. Since October 2021, Wavemaker has worked to assist and support Pick n Pay with this move to in-house media-buying services.



Although the transition from outsourcing to insourcing can be difficult, having a strategic partner that is equally invested in your business can make the process easy and effective, and can help to ensure that no marketing momentum is lost.



Our successful partnership throughout the years has enabled us to provide the best solutions and strategic counsel to Pick n Pay. While we are truly sad to see this flagship client leave us, we are always supportive of progress and wish them well with their in-sourcing journey, says Merissa Himraj, Wavemaker CEO SSA.




Scan Display supplied a full shopfitting solution for The Fashion Cube at Table Bay Mall in Cape Town in November last year. The 360m store was created as an incubation space for small local businesses that are looking to establish or grow their retail footprint. It is one of three similar concept stores (the other two being The Food Cube and The Creative Cube) that the mall has created to nurture entrepreneurs, while offering shoppers a greater selection of South African brands and products.



Scan Display was contracted by design house TAG Design (now Bryce Henderson Design, or BHD), to fit out the space, installing flooring, electrics and lighting, ceiling features, fitting rooms and shelving units. Architect Bryce Henderson, who is a director of BHD, was responsible for the store design. The sleek and modern interior has clever nautical references (echoing the malls design theme) while providing a versatile backdrop to promote the 22 brands housed there, which include clothing, jewellery and accessories brands like Leigh Schubert and Dr Pachanga.As an entrepreneur, this project is close to my heart, says Scan Displays managing director Justin Hawes. Scan Displays origin story is also that of a small business, which I founded 24 years ago. Weve grown the business so that today we can provide a turnkey solution for retail environments, including all fittings, decor, electrics and lighting, flooring and branding. We also provide exhibition and event infrastructure, build exhibition stands, and stock a wide range of display products.Henderson says he chose Scan Display as a service provider due to their industry experience, past projects, and that they have their own factory as well as in-house designers and services, all of which made the project more seamless.Despite strikes affecting the delivery of steel and other essential items, the team was able to complete the job in time  an achievement that has been credited to their experience working in the exhibition industry, with its tight turnaround times to deliver (often) complex stands.Rian Thompson, centre manager of Table Bay Mall, says: This space has only been open for two and a half months but has received a positive response from our community.He continues: Its a real privilege to be able to support small businesses in this manner. While were honoured to give entrepreneurs the opportunity they deserve, were also proud to be nurturing the incredible talent and skill thats so richly present in South Africa. The fashion space is especially exciting in this regard, and were delighted to give our shoppers more choice, a greater range and a chance to get behind our local designers.To find out more about this and Scan Displays other capabilities, please contact Justin Hawes at az.oc.yalpsidnacs@nitsuj or on + 27 11 447 4777, or visit Scan Displays website
Chinese envoy calls for efforts to promote direct negotiations on Ukraine

Xinhua) 08:17, March 01, 2022

Zhang Jun (C, front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during the Security Council emergency meeting on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

-- "China welcomes the start of direct dialogues and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine," a Chinese envoy said.

-- Cold War mentality based on bloc confrontation should be abandoned. Nothing can be gained from stirring up a new Cold War, but everyone will stand to lose, he warned.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called for efforts to create an enabling atmosphere and conditions for direct negotiations over the Ukraine conflict.

The situation in Ukraine is changing sharply and has evolved to a point where China does not wish to see and where it is not in the interests of any party, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

The immediate priority is for all parties concerned to exercise necessary restraint, prevent the worsening of the situation while stepping up diplomatic efforts aiming for a political solution, he told an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine.

"China welcomes the start of direct dialogues and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine should serve as a bridge of communication between the East and the West, rather than an outpost for confrontation between major powers. We call for efforts to create an enabling atmosphere and conditions for direct negotiations between the parties concerned, as this is the fundamental way to resolve the issue," said Zhang.

All actions taken by the United Nations and the relevant parties of the international community should prioritize regional peace and stability and universal security for all, and should help de-escalate tensions and facilitate a diplomatic settlement. China does not approve of any approach that may exacerbate tensions, he said.

Photo shows a view of the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations held in the Gomel region in Belarus on Feb. 28, 2022. (Belta news agency via Xinhua)

China supports relevant UN agencies' continued work on humanitarian aid in Ukraine. China believes that the safety of civilian life and property and their humanitarian needs should be effectively guaranteed, he said.

"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China always earnestly fulfills its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. It is our consistent and unequivocal position that all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected, and that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld. China will continue to play a constructive role in the pursuit and realization of peace," said Zhang.

The Cold War has long ended. Cold War mentality based on bloc confrontation should be abandoned. Nothing can be gained from stirring up a new Cold War, but everyone will stand to lose, he warned.

One country's security should not come at the expense of other countries' security. And regional security should not rely on reinforcing or even expanding military blocs, he said.

China supports the European Union, NATO and Russia in resuming dialogues, bearing in mind the concept of indivisible security, properly addressing the legitimate security concerns of all parties, including those of Russia, and striving to put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism, so as to achieve lasting peace and stability on the European continent, he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
A homeless man with a lengthy arrest history has been charged with smearing a stranger with human feces as she waited for a subway train in the Bronx, in a revolting caught-on-camera attack, police said Monday.

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Frank Abrokwa, 37, was arrested Monday and charged with the disturbing Feb. 21 attack.

The 43-year-old victim was minding her business while sitting on a bench on the Manhattan-bound platform at the Wakefield-241st St. No. 2 train station when she was attacked without warning about 5:15 p.m., cops said.

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Video released Monday shows the assailant walking down the platform in her direction as he opens a plastic bag holding the excrement. Suddenly, he turns toward her and wallops her in the face with the bag.

The shocked woman dropped her cell phone to the ground as she tried to shield herself with her hands, the video shows. But the attacker, now standing behind the bench, rubbed the bag on her head two more times, smearing her further before running off, the video shows.

I got out of work and was waiting for train, sat down for a moment, the victim told ABC 7, speaking in Spanish through a translator. All of a sudden, a man approaches me. He hits me in the face and throws a bag of feces. He spreads it all over my face, in my hair, without a motive, for no reason.

It happened so quickly, I didnt even realize, she added. Once he left, it sunk in what occurred.

Tips led police to arrest Abrokwa on Monday and charge him with forcible touching, menacing, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Sources said Abrokwa has 44 past arrests, including three from January and February for which he was released without bail, cop sources said.

On Jan. 7, he attacked a 30-year-old stranger on a subway platform at 125th St. and Lenox Ave. He approached the man aggressively, yelling, Hey! Hey! as he repeatedly punched the man in the head, cops said.

On Feb. 5, police said, he walked up to a 53-year-old man, also a stranger, at the Greyhound station at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown and punched him in the cheek.

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And on Feb. 22, he grabbed screwdrivers and other items from a Bronx hardware store, then pointed a screwdriver at an employee and said, Call the police, cops said.

Abrokwa was arraigned on bail-ineligible misdemeanor charges in the first two cases, and though police initially charged him with robbery in the Bronx case, he was ultimately arraigned only on menacing, petit larceny and misdemeanor weapon possession charges, court records show.

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The video speaks for itself and must have been as awful to experience as it is disgusting to watch, said MTA spokesman David Steckel. Its another example of why we fully support efforts by the governor and mayor to deliver essential mental health services to those who need them.

A similar unprovoked feces attack in 2016 led cops on a manhunt for a perpetrator who threw excrement at two women on the Upper East Side in a four-hour span. Cops arrested a suspect, Ekwan Hill, at a Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, homeless shelter. A judge later deemed Hill unfit to stand trial.

News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m >

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last year saw an uptick of reports of feces on the subway. The No. 2 line where the woman was attacked last week was the third-poopiest subway line during the first five months of 2021, a Daily News analysis found.

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The putrid smear in the Bronx was the latest in a crime uptick in recent months that transit officials say is keeping riders from returning to mass transit. Subway turnstiles clocked fewer than 3 million daily entries last week, and weekday ridership is about half what it was before the pandemic.

Our riders are letting us know that they dont feel safe, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said in January. Our workforce is scared in addition to our passengers. Our workforce is scared because theyre feeling vulnerable.

Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul recently announced a new effort to crack down on subway crime that includes additional cops on trains and platforms.

The NYPD in 2021 reported the highest number of assaults, homicides and rapes on the subway system since the late 1990s  and crime has continued to rise.

Cops reported 320 major crimes on the subways this year through Feb. 20, a 61% increase from the 199 reported during the same period of 2021. Robberies were up 87%, to 88 from 47, and grand larcenies more than doubled, to 153 from 74.
"We've been here three times in the last month" said Dereck Cutone of Terryville who came with his daughter Adley to Amato's Toy and Hobby in New Britain on its final day of operation. Owners Steve and Sheri Amato are retiring; Monday was the end of a six-week-long closing sale. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

Wrapping up 19 years behind the register at Amatos Toy and Hobby in New Britain, Danica Levesque figures shell miss the little children most of all.

Some of them would come in and their eyes would get wide. Their parents or grandparents would tell them This is a toy store. Youve never been in a real one before. This one is real, " Levesque said.

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From its creaking, circa-1925 hardwood floors to its shelves of 1940s to 1990s board games, Amatos could never have been confused with any big-box chain outlet.

Starting this week, though, memories are all that will be left: Monday was the end of the line for what had been one of central Connecticuts best-loved hobby shops for more than 60 years.

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Preparing for semi-retirement, owners Steve and Sheri Amato began a store-closing sale in mid-January; Monday was the final day. Clearance discounts of 20 to 50% brought in a steady stream of buyers, but many came mostly to say goodbye.

This is sad, but I know he has to move on, said Art Speranza, of Wethersfield, a customer for the past decade.

You come in here, you feel so comfortable  youre like family. And theyre very helpful, knowledgeable. If you go online, its very hit or miss. Here hes got basically everything you want, Speranza said.

Steve Amato, left, talks with Ernie Miranda in the aisle of Amato's Toy and Hobby on Monday as the New Britain toy store closed. The day capped a six-week-long closing sale; a steady stream of customers visited for a last chance to buy new and vintage toys from the iconic downtown store. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

Speranza is among a loyal group of model train enthusiasts who rely on Amatos for everything from scenery, trestles and track to secondhand locomotives and box cars. In more than a half-century in the toy business, Steve Amato has sold trendy items from the Furby to Hungry Hungry Hippos and Big Wheels, but considers trains as a secure niche that never goes out of style.

The back wall of Amatos 9,600-square-foot store displayed scores upon scores of railroad-related items. A working model train in a compact layout ran in one corner, and shelves offered pricy collector-oriented trains  particularly Lionel and vintage American Flyer locomotives.

Unlike a general toy retailer, Amatos is known for dealing in vintage trains  sometimes secondhand and worn, occasionally still in fading, decades-old original wrapping.

Bob Lariviere, 85. works as a model train repairman in the back of Amato's Toy and Hobby in New Britain. He solders wires on a vintage Lionel steam engine. "It just brings a lot of joy just to repair them," he said Monday. "That's where I find the most fun." Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

At a workbench in employees only storage room in the back, 85-year-old Bob Lariviere was still working Monday on repairs to red American Flyer locomotive from its 1950 circus train.

The new ones have circuit boards, theyre different. But a train like this you can keep going forever, Lariviere said.

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Like model railroaders in general, Amatos train shoppers skewed heavily toward late middle age and up. But there were exceptions.

I came in here and it was just complete wonderland, said 26-year-old Josh Wilson, who periodically made trips from his home in Ledyard specifically for the inventory of used trains.

With trains and a truck for himself and his son, Sean Raymond of Southington (right) loads toys in his car with the help of Amatos' Chris Pawlow on the store's final day of operation. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

The draw to the hobby for me is having something that is broken or has all kinds of dents and dings. Ill take it home and put my personal touch to bring it back to what I think it would look best as, Wilson said after buying $276 worth of locomotives and scenery for his layout. This is a place with a whole wall of stuff thats reasonably priced and has all kinds of history behind it.

Amatos shoppers also include a sprinkling of classic toy collectors, radio-controlled car enthusiasts and, of course, parents and children looking simply for toys. Levesque  Sheri Amatos sister  enjoys them most of all.

The ones Im really going to remember are the little kids who come in with pocket change in a little baggie, she said. Therell be a little kid who is so excited and proud. Well be counting out the nickels and dimes and pennies to see if he has enough to pay for his toy. I dont know if other stores would do that.

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Amatos was about service. You cant go into another store and get that  they barely know what theyre selling, let alone how to fix it or get you going, she said.

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Co-owner Sheri Amato and Chris Levesque, a relative, hug in the aisle of Amato's Toy and Hobby in New Britain as it prepared to shut down Monday. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

Steve Amatos father at one time had toy stores in several Connecticut cities, but in recent decades there have been just two: The Middletown store and the New Britain one.

Diane Gervais, Steve Amatos sister, owns the Middletown business and plans to keep going.

But Steve Amato, who has run the New Britain shop since 1976, said he and his wife are ready to shift to an online and mail order business. Theyve sold the 97-year-old Main Street building to developer Avner Krohn, who intends to demolish it to make way for an apartment complex.

Brian Walsh carries a large-scale model of the Enterprise aircraft carrier out of Amato's Toy and Hobby in New Britain on Monday. Photograph by Mark Mirko | mmirko@courant.com (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

Amato recalled being asked how his store was still operating when even giant Toys R Us had gone out of business.

One of the early messages I remember from my dad was that you dont build a business solely on price. Thats the easy thing to do. You build a good business with relationships, stand behind what you sell, he said.

And the other thing was that you cant focus on what you like. My job is to have and sell you want you want, not to get you to buy what I want, he said. Ive seen hobbyists get into the business and fail because they focus too much on their interest. I should ask what you want, what do you want to do with it  and then sell you that.
Globalist billionaire investor Bill Ackman has called for the United States to intervene militarily in the Russia-Ukraine war, despite the clear risk that this would lead to a global nuclear conflict.

Ackman, who exploited COVID-19 hysteria to make billions after hysterically warning hell is coming if the entire country was not shut down, made the comments on Twitter.

I hope Russia stops this onslaught, but I dont see how Putin saves face. We need to be prepared for what comes next which means we need to start thinking about intervening military, Ackman tweeted. Isnt it time we set a real red line?

We cant sit back and allow hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and perhaps millions to die. I dont want to live in that world and you dont either. @POTUS, it is in your hands. You can fix the errors of the past and protect our future. With all due respect Mr. President, the time is now, he added.

need to start thinking about intervening military. Had we set up a show of force at the beginning of the war that we were prepared to execute on, we might have deterred Putin. We let Crimea, Georgia, and more happen, which got us here. Isnt it time we set a real red line?  Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) February 28, 2022

Ackman is seemingly upset at thousands of Ukrainians dying, but his response is to call for a massive escalation that could lead to billions of people across the world dying.

Genius.

Chris Menahan asserted that if Ackman was so keen to fight for Ukraine, he should take up Volodymyr Zelenskys call for foreigners to join the Ukrainian army.

If Ackman wants to fight in Ukraine so badly he should pick up a gun and go there himself, he wrote. You can take your whole family along with you as Zelensky is fine with women, children and the elderly throwing themselves against Russian tanks.

As we highlighted earlier, chickenhawks have begun to stridently call for a no fly zone to be imposed over Ukraine, something that would almost inevitably lead to a nuclear world war.

Both the Biden White House and people like Senator Marco Rubio have explained the obvious  that shooting down Russian warplanes would spark World War III.

Meanwhile, the military-industrial complex continues to enjoy vast profits as the war drums beat louder.

War is obvious the grimmest and darkest thing humanity can confront, but, admit all the misery, here is some good and exciting, and coincidental and unrelated, news: pic.twitter.com/VgM6JQApzR  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 28, 2022

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Stop & Shop workers have ratified a four-year contract that delivers a $15 minimum hourly wage a year before Connecticuts higher wage takes effect and boosts pay significantly for workers who fill online orders for curbside pick-up.

Stop & Shop workers, battered by COVID-19 and eager to avoid a second strike in three years, have ratified a four-year contract that delivers a $15 minimum hourly wage a year before Connecticuts higher wage takes effect and boosts pay significantly for workers who fill online orders for curbside pick-up.

The agreement, approved Sunday and covering 30,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will increase wages by at least $4 an hour for all employees with at least six months on the job. Part-time workers will be paid a starting rate of $15 an hour and $17.30 as a starting rate for full-time employees, according to the union.

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Connecticuts minimum wage rises to $15 an hour on June 1, 2023.

[ From gasoline to groceries, Connecticut consumers buying less to avoid soaring inflation ]

The company knew we were bargaining in the shadow of COVID and did not want to reduce costs or change health care, said Keri Hoehne, executive vice president of Local 371 of the UFCW in Westport.

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Supermarkets were among the few businesses not shut during the pandemic. Workers, who were particularly exposed to COVID-19, were often required to enforce state and local mask rules and other regulations, occasionally drawing abuse from customers. Stop & Shop and the UFCW negotiated premium pay for workers.

In the new contract, the union said employees will not be required to contribute more to their health insurance, which was a key disagreement that led to a strike in 2019. A health insurance fund was merged with several union locals, saving money, Hoehne said.

In addition, increased hours will be available to senior part-time employees who want guaranteed hours. The contract also calls for a $500 bonus for full-time employees and $250 for part-time workers, according to the UFCW.

The contract will boost pay nearly 29%, to $19 an hour from $15.30, for click and collect workers who fill online orders brought to customers for curbside pick up, Hoehne said. The jobs were established in response to the pandemic.

In a statement, Stop & Shop said the agreement is fair and will allow the supermarket chain to recognize and reward employees contributions and commitment to customers and the community and provide workers with opportunities for growth and advancement.

The contract also makes it possible for Stop & Shop to continue to compete and thrive in this competitive landscape as the last large unionized grocer in New England.

The agreement contrasts with a collapse in contract talks in 2019 over health care costs and other provisions. The result was an 11-day strike costing workers their paychecks and the Netherlands parent company, Ahold Delhaize, $345 million in lost sales.

I dont think anyone wanted to go though that again, Hoehne said.

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Retail analyst Burt P. Flickinger III, managing director at Strategic Resource Group, said that following the devastating strike three years ago, the two sides this year made a wise strategic decision.

No enemies at the bargaining table this time, he said.

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Ahold Delhaize posted 2021 sales of the equivalent of $83.9 billion, up 5% from 2020. Sales in U.S. stores for the year were the equivalent of $50.5 billion, an increase of 5.6%.

Retailers are boosting wages to attract workers in a tight labor market, with Target announcing Monday it will pay workers up to $24 an hour.

Stop & Shop has a real willingness to invest in higher wages, Flickinger said.

With compensation that includes a pension, a rare benefit in the private sector, Stop & Shop had higher productivity and better retention among its workers during the pandemic, Flickinger said.

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Supermarkets that profited during the pandemic at the expense of restaurants ordered shut by public health officials will likely continue to benefit even with restaurants re-opened as consumers, struggling to pay more for energy and other expenses, cut costs, he said.

The best place to save for food is at a supermarket and wholesale shopping, Flickinger said.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.
People in the NATO-member state of Czechia have been warned that they could face up to three years in prison if they express support for Russia on social media.

Yes, really.

The countrys Attorney General Igor Striz announced in a press release that it was necessary to inform citizens that the current situation associated with the Russian Federations attack on Ukraine may have implications for their freedom of expression.

The limitations are being imposed under the umbrella of criminal code measures that make it a crime to approve a criminal offence or deny, question, approve or justify genocide.

[F]reedom of speech also has its limits in a democratic state governed by the rule of law, asserted Striz, announcing that anyone who publicly (including at demonstrations, on the Internet or on social networks) agreed (accepted or supported the Russian Federations attacks on Ukraine) or expressed support or praised the leaders of the Russian Federation in this regard, they could also face criminal liability under certain conditions.

Evidujeme desitky podnetu na komentare v internetovych diskusich, schvalujici ruskou invazi a aktivity ruske armady. Internetove prostredi peclive monitorujeme a omlouvame se, ze nereagujeme na kazde oznaceni v prispevcich. Neni to vzdy zadouci a takticke. Dekujeme za pochopeni!  Policie CR (@PolicieCZ) February 27, 2022

The official Czech Police website also announced that they were closely monitoring the content of dozens of comments in internet discussions approving the Russian invasion and the activities of the Russian army.

According to a report by Radio Prague International, someone found in breach of the criminal code could be imprisoned for up to three years, although it would be difficult to bring charges.

Breitbarts Jack Montgomery asked if someone might be open to prosecution for merely questioning NATOs eastward expansion, the Wests decision to back the Euromaidan coup in 2014, or the extent to which claims the Ukrainian government has mistreated civilians in Donbas might be true.

As we previously highlighted, before the outbreak of war, Czech President Milos Zeman said Russia would be crazy to invade Ukraine.

One wonders how far governments working in cahoots with Big Tech will try to milk the war for more domestic censorship.

Will simply pointing out brazen examples of war propaganda pushed by the pro-NATO political media class also be characterized as Russian disinformation?

Leftist blue checkmark journalists on Twitter must be licking their lips.

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As an active member of the Lima Group, Macris government demonstrated an interventionist attitude in relation to Venezuela, said Tayana.

With the overall goal of overthrowing the Bolivarian Revolution, the objective of the military drills was to train a swift action battalion ready and available to the U.S. militarys Southern Command. Seven military exercises were conducted at the Campo de Mayo garrison and by videoconference. Participants included Cordobas Parachute Brigade, the Tenth Mechanized Infantry Brigade of La Pampa, and commandos from Argentinas Special Operations Force, also located in Cordoba. After the initial incursion into Venezuelan territory, a multinational task force would follow to provide military support and consolidate the occupation.

The Communist Party of Argentina has called for Paleos removal.

Maps in code

Revealed by Argentinean journalist Horacio Verbitsky, operation Puma also uncovered maps of Venezuela with military installations and positions. Not so unassuming codewords and acronyms were used to describe different countries in the region. South America is called South Patagonia. Venezuela is referred to as Volcano and its officials in conflict are NM and JG, otherwise, Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido, said Verbitsky. The map also showed Colombia referred to as Ceres; the two Guyanas and Suriname are Tellus; Brazil is Febo; Peru and Ecuador are Fauno; Chile is Juno; Uruguay is Baco; and Paraguay and Bolivia are nonexistent.

It also has been noted that the first Puma military exercises were conducted in April 2019, just 15 days prior to Operation Liberty, a failed attempt to seize a military base east of Caracas. The operation was coordinated by the disgraced former president of Venezuelas National Assembly and self-proclaimed president, Juan Guaido, and opposition figurehead Leopoldo Lopez.

Withdrawal from Lima Group

Macri was a regional head of state who recognized Guaido as president of Venezuela. He also was a signer to the Organization of American States (OAE) Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. During heightened tensions against the Venezuelan government, this treaty made it permissible to activate the armed forces of regional countries if any member state suffered an attack.

Venezuelas National Assembly has approved an agreement, signed by the government and opposition, on three principal aspects regarding the protection of its national territory: (1) Coordinate and reject any pretense of military intervention; (2) Incentivize investigations to determine responsibility and impose sanctions on those who attempt to undermine or weaken the national territory; (3) Strengthen internal laws related to security and defense of the national territory.

Argentinas current president, Alberto Fernandez, withdrew from the Lima Group in March 2021. The Republic of Argentina has formalized its withdrawal from the so-called Lima Group, considering the actions promoted by the group internationally, to isolate Venezuela and its representatives, have achieved nothing, noted Argentinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official press release also stated that the Lima Group was composed of Venezuelan opposition members, as if they were equal parties to the group. Their presence has led to the adoption of positions that our government cant undertake and will not support.

Established by 13 countries  including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru  with support from the United States, the Lima Groups stated purpose is to denounce the rupture of the democratic order in Venezuela. Despite not officially being a participating member, the U.S. government attended several Lima Group conferences via videoconference.

In May 2019, as Paleo commanded the second and third sessions of the Argentine Armed Forces exercise to invade Venezuela, said Verbitsky, [t]he (U.S.) Southern Command published a white paper entitled Enduring Promise for the Americas. The publication of the document coincided not only with Operation Puma military drills but also an official visit by the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Craig Faller, to Argentina in June 2019. During his stay, the career military official convened with Venezuelas former Minister of Defense Oscar Aguad to discuss issues involving cyber-defense, narco-trafficking, and organized crime.

Feature photo | The commander of U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Navy Adm. Craig Faller, visits the CAECOPAZ training facility in Argentina, on June 25, 2019. Photo | US Embassy Argentina

Julian Cola is a translator (Brazilian-Portuguese to English). A former staff writer at the pan-Latin American news outlet, teleSUR, his articles and essays also appear in Africa is a Country, Black Agenda Report, Truthout, Counterpunch and elsewhere.
The past was alterable. The past never had been altered. Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.  George Orwell, 1984

Whats happening in Ukraine right now is a travesty. Innocent people are suffering and it is unacceptable. War is the plight of mankind and should be avoided at all cost. Unfortunately, however, when a physical conflict or war breaks out, it is always preceded and accompanied by psychological attacks, in the form of propaganda which help to start it and keep it going.

The propagandists involved in the Ukrainian crisis have been in a full-court press well before the first shot was fired or border crossed. Americans were bombarded with conspiracy theories about Russian false flags before the invasion and they have been bombarded with false stories taking place after it began.

Cenk Uygur & Vaush on the Snake Island massacre. pic.twitter.com/BxRH9XALWl  Jackson Hinkle  (@jacksonhinklle) February 27, 2022

The result of such a massive propaganda campaign has been a new era of McCarthyism. Simply pointing out facts about how this war was preventable, and the historical context which shaped it  now makes you a traitor  who should be hung.

What Tulsi Gabbard says in the above quote is accurate. For the last decade, Russia has been asking for Ukraine and Georgia to remain neutral states and not be allowed into NATO; and for years, the United States has refused to reach a compromise.

It is also important to point out that just because the US baited Putin into war, it does not excuse any of the violence the Russian military is carrying out inside the Ukrainian border. This invasion is criminal and it is why the Russian people are protesting.

Yes, Vladimir Putin is a tyrant in his own regard and so is the Ukrainian government, who has been attacking the Donbass region, killing innocent civilians for 8 years since the coup in 2014.

If he was so concerned with the Donbass region, why didnt Putin step in sooner? Whats more, why didnt the US condemn the attacks against civilians in Donetsk that have been taking place at the hands of their allies for years?

Not only was the US silent as Ukraine bombed innocent civilians but they were actively planning an escalation in the region in order to take the fight to Russia.

The US aids Ukraine and her people so that they can fight Russia over there, and we dont have to fight Russia here, Rep Adam Schiff said on the Senate floor in 2020.

The US aids Ukraine and her people so that they can fight Russia over there, and we dont have to fight Russia here. @RepAdamSchiff Schiff made it plain that US uses Ukraine to fight Russia over there. Dont be surprised when Russia fights back.pic.twitter.com/6B4QVFSZvV  Aaron Mate (@aaronjmate) February 25, 2022

Even if you forget that the US has been one of the main driving forces behind this war, what right does America and their 30-nation army in NATO have to sabotage peace agreements between Russia and Ukraine? What right does the US have to arm insurgents in the region to fund one side of the war?

There is no basis even for US sanctions against Russia much less providing the means of taking lives. Yet, somehow, this is all happening and acceptable now thanks largely in part to psychological manipulation from the corporate press and state actors who are weaving a narrative that fits their interests, and their interests only  truth and the lives of innocent people be damned.

What we are seeing now is a level of propaganda akin to that of which unfolded after 9/11 when hundreds of millions of people were tricked into supporting senseless wars  including this author. Unfortunately, we are now seeing the full catastrophic nature of such reckless endeavors going largely unchecked by the mainstream. We should not do this again.

As Glenn Greenwald reminds us,

Again, no matter how certain one is about their moral conclusions about this war, these are urgent questions that are not resolved or even necessarily informed by the moral and emotional investment in a particular narrative. Yet when one is trapped inside a system of a complete consensus upheld by a ceaseless wave of reinforcing propaganda, and when any questioning or dissent at all is tantamount to treason or siding with the enemy, there is no space for such discussions to occur, especially within our minds. When one is coerced  through emotional tactics and societal inventive  to adhere only to one script, nothing that is outside of that script can be entertained. And that is all by design.

This divide and propaganda is not new. For years, all wars have been started with distortions of the truth and appeals to emotion. Government-sanctioned blinders are applied to the minds of statesmen and the lies and propaganda reverberate between them, reinforcing false narratives to the point of dehumanizing entire groups of innocent people.

How would the state get away with ruthlessly killing children for years without this tactic of manipulation? How is it that millions of people are donning the blue and yellow flag emojis in support of Ukraine, while simultaneously ignoring the genocide the US is currently aiding in Yemen?

Yemen has been devastated by more than 6 years of civil war, fostered by the Saudi Arabian government and supported militarily by the United States and yet Twitter is not flooded with millions of Yemeni flags in profiles.

Since March 2015, over 23,000 airstrikes have been launched by the coalition in Yemen, killing or injuring over 18,000 civilians. Living in a country subjected to an average of 10 airstrikes per day has left millions feeling far from safe, the UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen stated in a recent report.

While there have been thousands slaughtered with US-backed airstrikes, the blockades imposed by the US and its allied states are wreaking far more havoc. As Antiwar.com reported, humanitarian groups agreed that the air war conducted by the KSA and UAE caused the most civilian damage and casualties. Along with the de facto blockade imposed by the royal states and their hireling coalition partners, the result has been horrific. Nearly 400,000 civilians, an astonishing 70 percent of them children, have died, most from disease or malnutrition.

Clearly we are not trying to deemphasize the severity of the suffering of the people in Ukraine. Their suffering is real, calculable, and senseless. The point to be made here is the selective outrage held by so many folks who claim to be against their suffering, while largely ignoring the suffering of those in other conflicts.

Despite this horrific suffering of mostly children, the mainstream has been almost completely silent on the issue of Yemen. As a result, the American public and Westerners at large, have also been completely silent. This is by design.

As Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman pointed out in their book Manufacturing Consent, this propaganda model works because the establishment is able to convince the population which victims are worthy of support and which arent.

Chomsky and Herman hypothesized that worthy victims will be featured prominently and dramatically, that they will be humanized, and that their victimization will receive the detail and context in story construction that will generate reader interest and sympathetic emotion (Ukrainians). In contrast, unworthy victims will merit only slight detail, minimal humanization, and little context that will excite and enrage. (Yemeni children)

Sadly, their hypothesis has been proven right multiple times since the book was published in 1988.

We have the tools to be able to see the truth and beat the propaganda, yet fewer and fewer people are choosing to use them. If this tendency continues, the possibility of catastrophic consequences increases. We cannot allow this to happen.

Source: The Free Thought Project

Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds.
The Rev. Ollie Gray III watched his mother draw her last breath as she lay dying of cancer. That harrowing experience nearly 30 years ago reaffirmed his belief that only God determines when death occurs.

In the end, God knows whats best, said Gray, a pastor and motivational speaker from Waterbury. And his timing, even in the matter of death, is perfect.

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Gray was one of nearly a dozen Christian leaders to speak out at a recent legislative hearing against a bill that would make Connecticut the 12th state to legalize aid-in-dying for terminally ill patients.

The Catholic Church, which believes suffering is part of life, has long been one of the most powerful voices in opposition to the measure. Catholic teaching holds that life is sacred from conception until natural death and, in 2020, the Vatican reaffirmed its stance that assisted suicide is evil.

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Our own pain and suffering is not worthless but rather redemptive when united with Jesus Christ, the Rev. Joel Estrada, a Catholic priest, told lawmakers at the hearing. Assisted suicidewill only cause the temporal and spiritual downfall of our state and its deteriorating view of the true dignity and sacredness of life.

But other people of faith take a different view.

The Rev. Josh Pawelek, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Society: East in Manchester, spoke out in support of Senate Bill 88, which would allow patients with less than 6 months to live to seek a physicians help in ending their lives.

As a pastor who will inevitably be asked to serve as a witness to requests for medical aid and dying should this bill become law... I cannot imagine saying no, I dont support you,' Pawelek said.

For me to witness and support such a request, and to be present at the time of death if invited, would be an act of the most compassionate, loving ministry I can provide, he said.

The Rev. Cecily Stranahan, an interfaith minister from Southport, said she, too, views efforts to end a persons suffering as an expression of kindness and love.

We do not allow our pets to die in long, drawn-out, pain, suffering and helplessness, she wrote in an email to lawmakers.

We, with consideration and planning, should be allowed the same option, Stranahan said,

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Ten states, along with the District of Columbia, allow some form of aid in dying. The concept has been raised in Connecticut at least 14 times since 1994. Last year was the first time the bill was approved by the legislatures public health committee, but it failed to come up for a full vote in either the House or the Senate.

The bills supporters say this year they will again bring it up for a committee vote.

Supporters of the measure say providing terminally ill patients with a medical means to end their suffering provides enormous comfort, even though studies show most people who qualify under the bill do not pursue aid in dying.

But critics of the legislation say it could be used to target vulnerable people such as those with disabilities and the elderly. (The bills advocates say safeguards embedded in the legislation, such as a requirement that only mentally competent patients can participate, address those concerns.)

[ Disability-rights groups vow to block aid-in-dying bill ]

Critics also point out that medical experts cant always determine exactly when a terminally ill person will die. Instead of approving aid in dying, they said, the state ought to provide more resources for palliative and hospice care.

Sister Catherine Mary Clarke, a clinical social worker and spiritual care for Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care, told lawmakers that terminally ill patients need not suffer at the end of life, provided they have access to proper pain medication through hospice.

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What is extraordinary and beautiful is the way that that process can unfold even if its difficult, Clarke said.

Theres essentially no reason for someone to have to be in pain with proper services, she said. That doesnt mean its not painful to watch someone you love decline but in the course of that process, the conversations, the reminiscences, the healing that happens on every level. It really is a gift.

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Connecticut, a blue state where Democrats control both chambers of the General Assembly and the governors office, was the third state to recognize marriage equality and has a long tradition of supporting access to legal abortion.

But unlike other cultural issues, the aid in dying debate doesnt always break down along political lines. Former Gov. Dannel P Malloy, a Democrat and a Roman Catholic, was a strong opponent of the idea. (His successor, Gov. Ned Lamont, also a Democrat, has been more open to the idea.)

The state is also among the most heavily Catholic. Late last week, the Connecticut Catholic Public Affairs Conference, the churchs lobbying arm, sent an email blast to parishioners asking them to sign a petition against Senate Bill 88.

The state of Connecticut already faces a suicide crisis and should not enact any legislation that views suicide as a solution to a problem, the petition states.

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But the state also has a tradition of religious tolerance, said the Rev. Davida Foy Crabtree, a retired United Church of Christ minister.

As a state weve set aside other singular religious doctrines that used to govern birth control and freedom of conscience and same gender marriage, Foy Crabtree told members of the public health committee.

We dont impose our faith practice on others and we have a reasonable expectation that others will not try to impose their faith practices on us, Crabtree said. Everyone should be free to practice their faith according to its teachings as they understand them and according to their own relationship with God.
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A female patrol officer with the Wethersfield Police Department is suing the town, complaining of years of sexual harassment on the job.

Jessica Blank is accusing several coworkers and supervisors of harassment, and contends that the departments administration knew about it but didnt act.

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The working environment that the plaintiff is exposed to on a daily basis is hostile and pervasive, according to the suit filed in January in Hartford Superior Court. There is a clear pattern of discriminatory behavior dating back years.

The lawsuit is the latest problem for the department, which has gone through more than a year of turmoil involving former Chief James Cetran.

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The town fired Cetran last summer and appointed Rafael Medina as his replacement in November, but Cetran is still pursuing a lawsuit to reverse his dismissal.

Blanks lawsuit doesnt cite Cetran by name, but appears to side with his version of a severe rift with then-Town Manager Gary Evans. Evans overrode Cetrans discipline against an officer who had harassed her, Blank claims, but later denied it.

(Evans) claimed he did not rescind the discipline. This was not true, the suit said.

Blank served 2 years on the Enfield police force before transferring to Wethersfield in mid-2013. Her lawsuit claims she has been harassed through much of her career since then.

She has been the target of sexual harassment at the hands of supervisors and other officers with no consequence and retaliated against for speaking up, her attorney, Ronald Pugliese Jr., wrote in her suit.

The Wethersfield Police Department and the town of Wethersfield has not taken the plaintiffs complaints seriously, yet is quick to prosecute complaints made against her, according to Pugliese.

Neither Pugliese nor attorney Patrick Allen, who is representing the town, would discuss the suit Tuesday.

This is pending litigation and the town does not comment on that, Interim Town Manager Bonnie Therrien said in an email Tuesday.

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Blank is currently on special assignment as the departments accreditation manager. She was assigned to regular patrol duty during much of the time when she alleges harassment.

The lawsuit claims that a year after Blank joined the department, some co-workers began gossiping about how she had been the victim of domestic violence by an ex-boyfriend. One male officer was casually talking and joking about her situation and making untrue and inappropriate comments about her while at a training class.

The suit said a male supervisor took her complaint, but took no action against the officer. Instead, the supervisor added a regulation prohibiting department members from spreading malicious rumors about each other.

She said the same male officer later put up a social media post portraying her as unprofessional and potentially having a drinking problem that prevented her from effectively doing her job. This was untrue, offensive, and salacious.

Supervisors gave the male officer a written reprimand, but Blank contends that was inadequate.

Her suit also contends that she suspected a male janitor had gone through her closed gym bag in the departments locker room and left her underwear out.

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Rather than investigate the incident immediately, Lieutenant (Michael) Connolly told her that she should not have left her gym bag unsecured in the locker room, according to the suit.

When commanders decided to investigate, they put a small hidden camera in the female locker room. Female officers were supposed to be told when the camera was activated and when it was off, but that didnt consistently happen, Blank claimed.

The janitor continued to work day after day and it did not appear as though anyone was actively trying to stop this behavior or protect the female employees, according to the suit. Repeated requests for someone to simply check the hallway camera monitoring the door to the female locker room were ignored until the footage had recorded over itself and was unavailable.

[ Details of Wethersfield police chiefs paid leave revealed, as Cetran submits retirement letter ]

The suit said the janitor later confessed to stealing another officers sunglasses.

It was further discovered that he had stolen other items from the police department. After this occurred, the plaintiff requested a formal review as to why there appeared to be no official internal investigation regarding her complaint, the suit claims. To this day, she has not received a satisfactory answer.

Blank is seeking damages for emotional distress along with other compensation. The town is scheduled to file a response in court before March 7.

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An agenda for a Feb. 22 special meeting of the Town Council included discussion in executive session of pending litigation involving suits from Blank, Cetran and Jenny Rivera.
OTTAWA  The Trudeau government says its making it easier for Ukrainians to reach Canada, but refugee advocates want the federal government to do much more to prepare for a humanitarian airlift.

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OTTAWA  The Trudeau government says its making it easier for Ukrainians to reach Canada, but refugee advocates want the federal government to do much more to prepare for a humanitarian airlift.

We have to learn a little bit from what happened in Afghanistan, said Lloyd Axworthy, who chairs the World Refugee and Migration Council.

Im disappointed that there isnt a bit more pickup.

Manitobas Ukrainian community says its not aware of many people who want to leave Europe, but Axworthy argues its clear that Russia will target politicians, journalists and civil-society activists if it takes over Kyiv.

We need to establish a lifeline for those people fairly quickly, he said.

Axworthy said he fears a repeat of last fall, when Canada set up a chaotic, last-minute program to air-lift Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover of Kabul, a program advocates had called for months earlier.

Its the kind thing that really calls for very proactive and energetic action.

Axworthy was Jean Chretiens immigration and foreign affairs minister in the late 1990s. In 2019, he oversaw Canadas election-observation delegation in Ukraine during its presidential vote.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Monday that more than 500,000 refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine.

Manitoba has the largest percentage of Canadians who claim Ukrainian roots, and Axworthys group wants Ottawa to tap into those communities for a fast-tracked, private-sponsorship program, for Ukrainians who either could be targeted by Russia or have medical issues that wont get adequately treated during a war.

We should be taking the lead, not just on our efforts but in trying to get international efforts mobilized, said the Winnipegger, who argued that Ukrainians would likely return home from various countries once its safe to do so.

His group called Saturday on Ottawa to take six steps to make sure people living in Ukraine can seek asylum, from organizing flights from Europe to Canada, to deploying visa officers to border zones.

Instead, Ottawa dropped visa processing fees for Ukrainians on Monday, and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told reporters he had beefed up consul staffing in the capitals of countries that neighbour Ukraine.

Were working with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to develop the best path forward and working with different provincial counterparts as well to understand the opportunities to do this the right way, he said.

The federal Conservatives have called on Canada to drop its visa requirement entirely, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed open to pursuing.

We have several concrete measures that have accelerated the processing of applications  but we are also looking at all the different tools that we could use to best help those who want to come to Canada, Trudeau said.

Manitoba has, so far, contributed $150,000 to the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress for humanitarian aid to displaced families and refugees, a statement from Premier Heather Stefanson said Monday.

The province will take in Ukrainian refugees looking for a safe haven, and will expedite Ukrainian immigration applications through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, the statement said.

Its too soon to expect a flood of refugees from Ukraine but Canada needs a plan, said Winnipegs Ostap Skrypnyk, vice-president of the Canada Ukraine Foundation and former Ukrainian Canadian Congress executive director.

Were preparing for that eventuality and trying to work with the federal government to see what could be done in that regard, said Skrypnyk.

Right now, these people are fairly comfortable staying in Europe, he said.

If the situation worsens and refugees from Ukraine begin arriving in Canada, there are Manitobans who want to help, he said.

Some have been contacting the Ukrainian Canadian Congress nationally and here in the province about offering to take people from Ukraine into their homes, said Skrypnyk.

I got an email last night about a woman in Beausejour that says shes willing to give her spare room for a refugee family,  he said. Right now there is no big influx of people on the immediate horizon.

Axworthys group has also called on Canada to make sure that neighbouring countries continue allowing people living in Ukraine to claim asylum, amid reports of Ukrainians and other foreigners being denied entry to countries like Poland.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said she has been bringing up that concern with Eastern European countries, and would do so again in a Tuesday visit to Poland.

Should they see massive flow of people at their borders, (I told leaders) that Canada could help, she told the Free Press during a press conference from Geneva.

Canada will play its part. And of course, we will make sure that Ukrainians seeking refuge will have a place to stay in Canada.

 Winnipeg Free Press
OTTAWA  Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says co-ordinated sanctions against Russia by G7 countries will go even further in the coming days, choking off President Vladimir Putins ability to fund his war on Ukraine.

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OTTAWA  Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says co-ordinated sanctions against Russia by G7 countries will go even further in the coming days, choking off President Vladimir Putins ability to fund his war on Ukraine.

Freeland says she spoke with her G7 counterparts this morning, joined by Ukraines "tired but determined" finance minister, who assured them his country would win the war as he spoke from a windowless room furnished with a spartan cot and a blue and yellow flag taped to the wall.

She says existing sanctions are the most serious and stringent ever imposed on a major economy and new measures will keep targeting the institutions and individuals enabling Putin to advance his attack.

Freeland says G7 countries understand the stakes of this great conflict between democracy and dictatorship.

She says Putin has made a grave and historic error and this is not the behaviour of a superpower but the last gasp of a failing kleptocracy.

Defence Minister Anita Anand also says Canada will provide another 1,600 fragmentation vests and just under 400,000 meal packs to Ukraine in addition to previously announced military aid.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2022.
Brandon Sun photographer Tim Smith chanced upon a great grey owl that was spending its afternoon hunting in the deep snow along Highway 10 near Onanole on Monday.

The Audubon Field Guide to North American birds describes the great grey owl as "a big nightbird, haunting woods of the far north and certain high mountains of the west.

"Its great size is partly illusion: it has very thick fluffy plumage, and its body size is smaller than it would appear, so it preys mostly on tiny rodents.

"When there is a population crash of voles and other rodents in the boreal forest, numbers of Great Gray Owls may drift into the northeast, causing excitement for birders."

The great grey owl hunts either day or night, locates its prey by sound, and can plunge into snow to catch rodents more than a foot below the surface.
OTTAWA  Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is headed to the Poland-Ukraine border today to make sure that Canadas latest supply of military aid flows into the war-ravaged country.

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OTTAWA  Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is headed to the Poland-Ukraine border today to make sure that Canadas latest supply of military aid flows into the war-ravaged country.

Her visit comes as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that Canada was sending anti-tank weapons and upgraded ammunition to Ukraine, which amounted to a significant upgrade in lethal military aid.

Of course, this is in addition to our three previous shipments of lethal and non-lethal equipment, Trudeau said.

He added Canada has bolstered its presence in the region so it can fast-track immigration applications for Ukrainians who want to come to Canada.

Joly said she will also be meeting with her Polish counterparts in Warsaw to discuss the refugee crisis spawned by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

My role in this is to make sure that this aid gets in the arms of Ukrainian soldiers that are fighting for their life and fighting for their motherland, Joly told reporters from Geneva on Monday.

Joly earlier told a United Nations panel that Russia lied to the world in the run-up to its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia is the only one to blame for this crisis. It chose to resort to lies and violence and fabricate all the pieces of a crisis to try and undermine the rule of law and violate the rights of people, Joly told the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

Worse, theyre trying to justify their war by spreading a false rhetoric and attempting to manipulate the principles of human rights to support their illegal and illegitimate violence.

Joly was in Geneva after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for talks earlier in the day in an attempt to defuse the biggest land conflict on the continent since the Second World War.

Outmatched Ukrainian forces were holding off the onslaught of a land, air and sea attack by Russia as President Vladimir Putin raised the stakes further by placing his countrys nuclear forces on alert.

Asked on a media video conference what she thought about the threat, Joly said it was madness.

Bob Rae, the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations, offered a harsher assessment in an interview from New York.

We cant be buffaloed or bullied by that kind of a tactic, Rae said.

He knows if he has any practical bone in his body, he knows what the consequences will be  for him and for his government and for his people.

Rae spoke after denouncing the invasion in a speech before the UN General Assembly, telling Russia it had a responsibility to play by the international rules that it helped write when it helped create the UN after the Second World War.

Were not asking any nation state, any member state to do us a favour. Were asking them to follow the rules and to follow the law, Rae said, waving a well-worn blue booklet of the UNs founding charter. It means that there are no second-class states in this organization.

In the interview, Rae said he wanted use his speech to call Russia out as bully and an abuser, and he also derided the lies that he said Putin and his supporters were now telling the world, including Putins justification that he is saving Ukraine from the clutches of Nazis.

This attempt to smear all Ukrainians and the Ukrainian government or anyone whos proud of being Ukrainian  to smear everyone as a Nazi is a terrible lie. Its a horrendous lie, said Rae.

Asked what he thought of the myriad or pre-invasion assurances by Putin and his diplomats that they had no intention of attacking Ukraine, Rae said: This government under President Putin is profoundly cynical, and a government thats drowning in lies and propaganda.

You know, you can take the boy out of the KGB, but you cant take the KGB out of the boy.

Joly also condemned the arrests of Russian citizens who have protested the war in demonstrations across their country.

We call on Russia to respect the human rights not only of Ukrainians, but also of its own citizens, who by thousands have taken to the streets in protest of this unjust war.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Monday an immediate ban on all Canadian financial institutions from conducting transactions with the Russian central bank.

In addition to that prohibition, Canada is imposing an asset freeze and a dealings prohibition on Russian sovereign wealth funds.

Canada and its allies continue to take concerted action to ensure that Russias invasion of Ukraine will be a strategic failure. This has never been done before at this scale  today we are taking a historic step by directly censuring Russias central bank, Freeland said in a written statement.

 The Canadian Press
While World Poetry Day doesnt take place until March 21, members of the Western Manitoba Regional Library are already collecting the best forms of written expression that the surrounding region has to offer.

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While World Poetry Day doesnt take place until March 21, members of the Western Manitoba Regional Library are already collecting the best forms of written expression that the surrounding region has to offer.

After all, the winners of this years contest will get the chance to showcase their poetry for all to see in the pages of The Brandon Sun.

WMRL program and outreach assistant Michelle Boudreau told the Sun that the organization decided to offer this new grand prize as a way of making up for the fact that the in-person performance element of World Poetry Day wont be around this year in Westman.

"I think its an awesome opportunity to get peoples artistic and creative sides going," Boudreau said on Friday. "And its another opportunity for people of all ages to connect with each other through a beautiful form of art."

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization first adopted March 21 as World Poetry Day during its 30th general conference in Paris in 1999.

Program and outreach assistant Michelle Boudreau took some time on Friday afternoon to showcase some of her favourite poetry collections that are currently available at the Brandon branch of the Western Manitoba Regional Library. Boudreau told the Sun that she is one of several WMRL members who are involved in organizing World Poetry Day festivities for the Westman region. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun)

The stated goal of this global celebration, according to UNESCOs official website, is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increase the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.

As such, Boudreau wanted to remind Westman residents that the WMRL will be accepting World Poetry Day submissions in any language and any form, as long as each poem adheres to a strict one-page limit.

With those loose parameters in mind, Boudreau encourages Westman residents to get creative and step outside their comfort zone if they choose to take part in this years festivities.

"And if theyre looking for inspiration, pop by your local library, because we have a lot of books to help you jump right into the world of poetry," she said.

The WMRL currently has branches located in Neepawa, Carberry, Glenboro, Hartney and Brandon, with plans to expand the organizations presence in Brandons Shoppers Mall.

Anyone looking to submit their piece for the WMRLs World Poetry Day contest should send an email to programs@wmrl.ca by March 18. Entries will be divided between an "under 18" and "over 18" category.

 The Brandon Sun
KYIV, Ukraine  Russian forces shelled Ukraines second-largest city on Monday, rocking a residential neighbourhood, and closed in on the capital, Kyiv, in a 17-mile convoy of hundreds of tanks and other vehicles, as talks aimed at stopping the fighting yielded only an agreement to keep talking.

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Cars are stopped at a roadblock set by civil defensemen at a road leading to central Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. (The Associated Press)

KYIV, Ukraine  Russian forces shelled Ukraines second-largest city on Monday, rocking a residential neighbourhood, and closed in on the capital, Kyiv, in a 17-mile convoy of hundreds of tanks and other vehicles, as talks aimed at stopping the fighting yielded only an agreement to keep talking.

Amid ever-growing international condemnation, Russia found itself increasingly isolated five days into its invasion, while also facing unexpectedly fierce resistance on the ground in Ukraine and economic havoc at home.

For the second day in a row, the Kremlin raised the spectre of nuclear war, announcing that its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarines and long-range bombers had all been put on high alert, following President Vladimir Putins orders over the weekend.

Stepping up his rhetoric, Putin denounced the U.S. and its allies as an empire of lies.

Meanwhile, an embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its ties to the West by applying to join the European Union  a largely symbolic move for now, but one that is unlikely to sit well with Putin, who has long accused the U.S. of trying to pull Ukraine out of Moscows orbit.

A top Putin aide and head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the first talks held between the two sides since the invasion lasted nearly five hours and that the envoys found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen. He said they agreed to continue the discussions in the coming days.

As the talks along the Belarusian border wrapped up, several blasts could be heard in Kyiv, and Russian troops advanced on the city of nearly three million. The vast convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 25 kilometres from the centre of the city, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

People in Kyiv lined up for groceries after the end of a weekend curfew, standing beneath a building with a gaping hole blown in its side.

Messages aimed at the advancing Russian soldiers popped up on billboards, bus stops and electronic traffic signs across the capital. Some used profanity to encourage Russians to leave. Others appealed to their humanity.

Russian soldier  Stop! Remember your family. Go home with a clean conscience, one read.

Video from Kharkiv, Ukraines second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, showed residential areas being shelled, with apartment buildings shaken by repeated, powerful blasts. Flashes of fire and grey plumes of smoke could be seen.

Footage released by the government from Kharkiv depicted what appeared to be a home with water gushing from a pierced ceiling. What looked like an undetonated projectile was on the floor.

Authorities in Kharkiv said at least seven people had been killed and dozens injured. They warned that casualties could be far higher.

They wanted to have a blitzkrieg, but it failed, so they act this way, said 83-year-old Valentin Petrovich, who watched the shelling from his downtown apartment and gave just his first name and his Russian-style middle name out of fear for his safety.

The Russian military has denied targeting residential areas despite abundant evidence of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals.

Fighting raged in other towns and cities across the country. The strategic port city of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, is hanging on, said Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovich. An oil depot was reported bombed in the eastern city of Sumy.

In the seaside resort town of Berdyansk, dozens of protesters chanted angrily in the main square against Russian occupiers, yelling at them to go home and singing the Ukrainian national anthem. They described the soldiers as exhausted young conscripts.

Frightened kids, frightened looks. They want to eat, Konstantin Maloletka, who runs a small shop, said by telephone. He said the soldiers went into a supermarket and grabbed canned meat, vodka and cigarettes.

They ate right in the store, he said. It looked like they havent been fed in recent days.

Across Ukraine, terrified families huddled overnight in shelters, basements or corridors.

I sit and pray for these negotiations to end successfully, so that they reach an agreement to end the slaughter, said Alexandra Mikhailova, weeping as she clutched her cat in a shelter in Mariupol. Around her, parents tried to console children and keep them warm.

For many, Russias announcement of a nuclear high alert stirred fears that the West could be drawn into direct conflict with Russia. But a senior U.S. defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States had yet to see any appreciable change in Russias nuclear posture.

As far-reaching Western sanctions on Russian banks and other institutions took hold, the ruble plummeted, and Russias Central Bank scrambled to shore it up, as did Putin, signing a decree restricting foreign currency.

 The Associated Press
A new research study at Brandon University will explore Indigenous approaches to autism in education.

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Patty Douglas, an associate professor in BUs Faculty of Education, is leading a research study that will explore Indigenous approaches to autism in education. (Submitted)

A new research study at Brandon University will explore Indigenous approaches to autism in education.

The research will bring Indigenous autistic people and those who love and care about them together as part of an upcoming video-based collaboration.

Patty Douglas, an associate professor in BUs Faculty of Education and project academic lead, said there is a need to better understand Indigenous approaches to autism and how these approaches can improve school outcomes, well-being and belonging for Indigenous students, families and communities.

Overall, the project will be guided by the teachings and presence of Elders, knowledge-keepers and Indigenous storytellers and artists, and the team from Douglas ReStorying Autism in Education project.

Interviews with Indigenous people with autism and family and other kin, teachers, community leaders and supporters are currently being held ahead of an online digital storytelling workshop that will begin March 12.

The workshop will bring together these groups to support participants to create their own videos telling their stories  with the school system, life experiences, strengths and struggles.

"Interviews and videos from the project will serve as important sites of knowledge and a road map for change honouring Indigenous worldviews of difference," she said.

Douglas added that Indigenous perspectives that understand children, including autistic children, as unique and as gifts, are largely absent from mainstream understandings of autism.

She is working in partnership with Leah LaPlante, vice-president of the Manitoba Metis Federation Southwest, and with Gail Cullen, executive director of the Brandon Friendship Centre.

Following Douglas earlier research and digital storytelling work on autism, LaPlante suggested a need for a similar initiative in southern Manitoba because supports for Metis families with autistic members are limited.

"Opening up about lived experiences that have been hard to deal with and telling your story with the help of elders is an important part of this study. We are hoping this study will give us the documentation we need to improve autism supports and add a cultural perspective. It is crucial that the well-being of Indigenous people is woven into education and health care systems going forward," LaPlante said.

This video project is part of a larger focus on decolonizing autism for the ReStorying Autism project. Last May, Maori family members in New Zealand whose youth are takiwatanga (a word that translates to "living in their/our own space and time" and is used to describe people who have autism), along with other international participants, created digital videos reflecting their own experiences.

"We are looking to see if we will find similar results in southern Manitoba, and to expand educational practice to include cultural understandings of difference going forward," Douglas said.

 kmckinley@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @karenleighmck1
Tamela Mann Takes Home Two NAACP Image Awards | TKO Publicity

DALLAS, TX  Grammy Award-Winning Recording Artist Tamela Mann is celebrating wins at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album for Overcomer and Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song for Help Me, featuring The Fellas. The award-winning, Billboard Gospel music charting album, Overcomer, features the single, Help Me, which added to Tamelas bank of personal bests; the track was her eighth No. 1 on Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart.

The public and NAACP members cast this year's award votes, and industry and fans showed their support of Tamela by honoring her with these prestigious awards.

I am so thankful to God, the NAACP, and the fans for recognizing my album and song. This is the most important musical body of work Ive ever done. To be recognized for the project is a big blessing, said Tamela.

For the latest updates on Tamela Mann, visit:

WEBSITE: www.tillymannmusic.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/davidtamelamann TWITTER: @DavidandTamela INSTAGRAM: @DavidandTamelaTIKTOK: @TheRealTamelaMann
If punishment can be measured by damage to reputation and public ignominy then Crowns major shareholder James Packer and the former board have already paid a heavy price.

Now it will be up to Australias financial system crime detection unit, AUSTRAC, to determine the financial injury the scandal ridden casino must endure for a litany of now infamous anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism law breaches.

This is an important moment for Crown shareholders - here comes the real hip pocket cost.

AUSTRAC chief executive Nicole Rose says Crown made Australias financial system vulnerable to criminal exploitation. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

And there is plenty at stake because the payment of a large financial settlement by Crown could jeopardise the proposed $9 billion takeover from private equity firm Blackstone for the casino group.
The political reporter is seeking unspecified damages from the network, which she alleges caused her to suffer a personal injury, hurt, humiliation and distress, the loss of opportunities to advance her career and lost income.

George launched Federal Court action against her employer in January , arguing the way she was treated - specifically by Murdoch and Dr van Onselen - had damaged her career and had a severe impact on her mental health. She has been on leave since June 7, 2021 after suffering what she claims to be a personal injury.

Ten has filed its defence with the Federal Court, denying its senior editors including network executive editor Anthony Murdoch, and political editor Peter van Onselen ignored, undermined or humiliated her and alleged that George had taken several text message exchanges out of context.

Television broadcaster Network 10 has rejected allegations political reporter Tegan George was bullied during her time working in Parliament House, requesting more than 20 claims made to the Federal Court be struck out because they are embarrassing and vague.

In her statement of claim, George alleges van Onselen had directed her to move desks to allow a more junior journalist to use her desk, sent parts of a script she had written to Health Minister Greg Hunt without her knowledge (reducing her professional standing with a minister) and refused to meet with her about her workplace concerns. She alleges van Onselen expected her to apologise for hurting his feelings.

Network 10 denies these claims and denies any decisions were made to undermine or humiliate George. The network also defended van Onselens inability to have coffee with George and said he was not in a position to meet with Canberra-based journalists except on limited occasions.

George alleges her situation escalated after she overheard a conversation between a Network 10 employee and a freelance camera operator in the networks Parliament House bureau in May last year, during which a sexist remark was made about another employee. She said when she refused to make a formal complaint  believing it would adversely impact her health  she was threatened with disciplinary action.

Network 10 claims George refused to be involved in a sexual harassment investigation involving another colleague. A text message allegedly sent by George on May 10, 2021 to Canberra bureau chief Achim Bormann, explained she would not give a statement to help with the investigation.

If it was something I wanted to take further, I would have said something in the moment, the text message said. Or even in the week after. I need to do what I expect others would afford me in the same situation. See you tomorrow  Network 10 says it did not threaten disciplinary action against George in connection with her refusal to assist with the investigation.
Swindlers who prey on the lonely and lovelorn have drained life savings from victims in Connecticut and throughout the nation, state and federal officials warned.

Romance scams have cost victims in the U.S. $1.3 billion in the last five years, and the crooks profits have been rising. Recent convictions in a federal trial in Bridgeport reveal the yield in cash, cryptocurrency and gifts available to heartless grifters, authorities say.

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State Attorney General William Tong in a news release referenced the federal case and a Netflix documentary, The Tinder Swindler, which tells the story of a man who allegedly fleeced women out of millions using the Tinder dating app. While the scope and scale of the depicted scam was exceptional, dating app cons are common, state and federal law enforcement officials say.

[ Tinder Swindler Simon Leviev might be hosting a dating show ]

Scammers strike up relationships, earn their victims trust and persuade them to send money. The romance ripoff artists also use social media apps such as Instagram and Facebook.

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Be hypervigilant when a stranger contacts you online and asks you to share personal information and send money, Tong said. Its most likely a scam.

He cited complaints sent to his office in the last two years. One Connecticut woman said she lost $100,000 to a scammer she met on the dating app Bumble. She and the scammer communicated for several months before he claimed to be stranded in Turkey and in debt. The woman sent him $100,000 in wire transfers and BitCoin before realizing it was a scam, Tong said.

Ive never thought of myself as a gullible person, but I was manipulated, the woman was quoted as saying in the news release.

Earlier this year, a man told Tongs office he was asked to send $6,300 to a woman he connected with on a dating app. The woman said she was traveling in Dubai and needed the money for an emergency. The man recognized the scam and did not pay, the release said.

Tho Vu, who spent nearly her entire life savings after being tricked by a crypto scammer posing as a man named Ze Zhao on the dating app Hinge, in Gaithersburg, Md., Feb. 16, 2022. Romance scams -- the term for online scams that involve feigning romantic interest to gain a victim's trust -- have increased in the pandemic. (Schaun Champion/The New York Times)

Typically, romance scammers create profiles on dating websites that include false personal details such as the death of a spouse or military service to gain victims trust. Then they ask for money for medical or business emergencies, travel expenses to see the victim and other fictional purposes.

Dating scams are among the costliest cons. In 2021, victims lost $547 million, up 80% since 2020, the FTC reported. The median individual reported loss in 2021 was $2,400.

Reports about romance scams increased for every age group in 2021, according to the agency. For people ages 18-29, the number of reports increased more than tenfold from 2017 to 2021. But the reported median loss increased with age: people 70 and older reported the highest individual median losses at $9,000, compared to $750 for the 18 to 29 age group, the FTC reported.

In mid-February, a federal jury in Bridgeport found three men guilty of bilking millions of dollars from mostly elderly victims through romance and lottery scams. Farouq Fasasi, 27, Rodney Thomas Jr., 31, and Ralph Pierre, 32, were convicted of conspiracy, fraud and money laundering offenses, federal authorities said.

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From August 2015 to March 2020, the men persuaded victims around the nation to send money, gifts and personal details. Victims mailed cash, money orders and checks to various addresses in Connecticut. They also wired or deposited money into bank accounts in the state controlled by the swindlers, authorities said.

Fasasi, Thomas, Pierre and other co-conspirators lived together on Sherman Avenue in New Haven, where many packages containing cash, checks and money orders were delivered. To help launder the money, Pierre formed a fake charity called Global Protection Foundation and opened four bank accounts in the fake charitys name, authorities said.

The scams defrauded more than 200 victims across the U.S. of more than $5 million, officials said. Many of the victims were elderly and vulnerable, and some victims lost their life savings. One Connecticut victim lost more than $1 million.

Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. >

A jury found Fasasi and Thomas guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and mail fraud. Fasasi also was found guilty of three counts of money laundering. Pierre was found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. Sentencing is set for May 10.

These verdicts will help to heal the many individuals who gave thousands of dollars to these predators, U.S. Attorney Leonard Boyle said. I encourage all to resist falling victim to these schemes and not send any money to anyone you havent met in person. Instead, call your local police department, or 833-FRAUD-11, for assistance and to report these crimes.

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Some tips to avoid becoming the victim of a romance scam:

Never send money or gifts to a love interest you havent met in person. Scammers will contact you on dating apps and request money, sometimes in the form of cryptocurrency or gift cards.

Be wary of someone youve never met professing their love quickly. Tinder calls this lovebombing on its tips to avoid romance scams  bit.ly/3M7dUwF.

Scammers will often claim to be overseas or in the military and have emergencies in which they need cash immediately.

Scammers may study information people share online and then pretend to have common interests, according to the FTC. Details they share about themselves will always include built-in excuses for not meeting in person. For example, many reportedly claim to be serving overseas in the military or working on an offshore oil rig.

If you suspect you might be scammed, stop communicating with the person immediately. Seek advice from someone you trust, like a friend or family member.

If youve been contacted by someone you dont know online, take time to verify the persons identity and think through what youre being asked. Does it makes sense? Search to see if other people have reported similar stories as scams.

Reverse image search (bit.ly/3MaGInT) the persons dating profile picture to see if it belongs to a different person or account. If you find the picture and its associated with another person or the details dont add up, its likely a scam.

Victims are urged to contact local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Complainants also may call Tongs office at 860-808-5420, or file a complaint with the office at dir.ct.gov/ag/complaint. Scams also may be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or at ftc.gov/complaint.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com
The ASX increased for a third session in a row despite devastating flooding in north-eastern Australia and rising concerns about the impact of Russias invasion of Ukraine on the global economy and financial markets.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 gained 47.4 points to 7,096.5 points on Tuesday, a rise of 0.7 per cent. The Reserve Banks monthly meeting was unsurprising with rates kept on hold, but traders still expected to see the US Federal Reserve lifting rates later this month.

Chairman Jerome Powell was due to provide more details in a speech to Congress overnight. But the pressure to lift rates prompted MSCI Researchs Daniel Szabo and Thomas Verbraken to warn global economies could be at risk of stagflation - where prices rise but demand falls.

Floods havent stopped the ASX from recording its third consecutive day of gains.

In addition to the growing human toll, which is all too real, Russias invasion of Ukraine could significantly impact economies and financial markets worldwide, they wrote in a blog post this week.

MSCI revealed it was considering removing Russia from its Emerging Markets ETF, which would see huge amounts of capital pulled out of listed Russian companies.

Mr Szabo and Verbrakens worst-case scenario has central banks unable to postpone monetary tightening because of rising inflation caused by an energy shortage.

Equities plunge, credit spreads rise and the U.S. dollar gains versus the euro, they predict.

Amid the economic recovery from COVID-19 and high-inflation environment, the U.S. and European economies are vulnerable; anda diversified portfolio of global equities, bonds and real estate could lose 13 per cent under a scenario where stagflationary pressures take the upper hand.

Locally, the Commonwealth Bank gained 1.5 per cent after announcing it would sell a $1.8 billion stake Chinese lender Bank of Hangzhou, with NAB, ANZ, Westpac and Macquarie Group also closing higher.

GrainCorp gained 1.4 per cent, Elders gained 0.7 per cent, and Nufarm gained 1.3 per cent after official estimates the national harvest would peak at $81 billion in 2021-22.

Virtus Health jumped 4.7 per cent to new highs of $7.80 as a bidding war saw CapVest increase its offer.

ASX-listed depository receipts in Block Inc gained 12.8 per cent after its Nasdaq listed shares reached a four-week high.

Insurer IAG was flat after receiving 6700 claims so far from flooded areas. Suncorp pared losses with a 1.2 per cent rise.

And Crown Resorts fell 1 to $12.37 after the financial crimes regulator launched court action alleging innumerable breaches of anti-money laundering laws over the past six years.

Sandfire Resources dropped 11.6 per cent after Royal Bank of Canada analysts said half-year results missed expectations

Zip Co dropped 6.3 per cent to 22-month lows of $2.07 as detailed an all-scrip acquisition of US-based Sezzle, which ended the day 9.9 per cent higher.
In the late 1970s and early 80s, a ripple of momentum in Geelong was building into wave after wave of action. Bored teenagers were expressing themselves in live bands and Maree Robertson found herself at the heart of this sweaty, raucous and captivating musical maelstrom.

Now with teenagers of her own at home, Robertson found time in the past two years to turn a dream of documenting Geelongs world-renowned music scene into reality.

Dave Thomas on stage with Bored! and, right, a flyer for a live gig in Geelong featuring the band. Credit:Ron McPherson

Bored! This Was Geelong is a 680-page book filled with Robertsons treasure trove of photographs, band flyers, letters, posters, newspaper clippings and first-hand accounts from the bands and fans who lived and breathed the scene.

The number of contributions from people sharing their memories was enormous, Robertson writes in the books introduction. This a book thats full of love and focused on a time that was ours.
Pope Francis has asked people around the world to remember Ukrainians in underground shelters seeking protection from bombardments and thanked Poland for taking in the bulk of refugees from the war.

Francis spoke at his weekly general audience on Ash Wednesday, which he has declared a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine.

Pope Francis spoke at his weekly general audience on Ash Wednesday, which he has declared a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine. Credit:AP

After addressing Poles, the pope went off script to say that the Polish translator on the stage with him, Father Marek Viktor Gongalo, is Ukrainian.

His parents are now in underground shelters to protect themselves from the bombs in a place near Kyiv, the pope said.

By accompanying him, we accompany all the people who are suffering from the bombings, including his elderly parents and so many other elderly who are in underground shelters defending themselves. Let us remember these people in our hearts.

Kyiv residents have been sheltering in metro stations and other underground sites at night, there are long lines for fuel, and some products are running out in shops. More than half a million Ukrainians have fled the fighting since the invasion, which Russia calls a special military operation, began, most crossing into Poland and Romania.

The European Commission proposed granting temporary residence to Ukrainian refugees.You were the first to support Ukraine, opening your borders, your hearts and the doors of your homes to Ukrainians fleeing war, the pope said, addressing Poles through the translator.

You are generously offering them everything they need to live in dignity, despite the drama of the moment. I am deeply grateful to you and I bless you from my heart.

Pope Francis has called for humanitarian corridors to help refugees leave and said those who make war should not be deluded into thinking that God is on their side.

Reuters
And if so, did they complete an exit interview outlining their concerns of bullying or harassment? The ABCs written reply was blunt. No. Not that the ABC is aware of. N/A. The answers were supplied before the follow-up Senate estimates hearing in February. While Bragg doesnt resile from probing the past lives of public candidates, strangely enough, none of the Liberal Party MPs at the hearing revisited that line of questioning. SECOND SHOT In his crusade to independently vet candidates standing for public office, Bragg fired a round of shots at union official and one-time dating advice writer Misha Zelinsky  which were deflected.

The Australian Workers Union official and CBUS super fund trustee stood as a Labor candidate for the southern Sydney seat of Cunningham but withdrew in mid-February. Sean Penn with Misha Zelinsky. Credit: It was Zelinskys role as a trustee of a super fund that piqued Braggs curiosity, given action under way by the financial regulator to examine insider trading in the sector. Acting for Parliaments joint committee on corporations and financial services, Bragg asked the Australian Securities and Investments Commission if Zelinsky was under investigation for insider trading in superannuation. The short answer? No. Meanwhile, Zelinsky has sought redemption by becoming a war correspondent in Ukraine for The Australian Financial Review. His dispatches have him as a shoo-in for a Walkleys nomination in the best selfie category, pictured with Sean Penn while sheltering in a hotel bunker.

TOP TIER To think we assumed Penny Wong had reached the top when then-Labor leader Bill Shorten named the plain-speaking Adelaidian as opposition leader in the Senate back in 2013. Penny Wong has scored the ultimate achievement in the world of corporate perks. Credit:ILLUSTRATION: JOHN SHAKESPEARE Little did we know of the altitude Wong had yet to reach. Now the opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman has scored the ultimate achievement in the world of corporate perks: Qantas Frequent Flyer Lifetime Platinum Status  a designation, in our books, on par with an Australia Day honour or top gong on Dancing With The Stars. When pressed, a Qantas insider confirmed the privilege was bestowed only on passengers once they rack up 75,000 status credits  a different measure to frequent flyer points.

And the South Australian senator sure knows how to fly. Consider this: frequent flyers earn 10 status credits for a discounted economy flight from Adelaide to Canberra. That means Wong has taken the equivalent of 7500 flights between the two capitals during her lifetime and near-20-year tenure in Federal Parliament. Of course, there were stints on the frontbench first as climate change minister and then as finance and deregulation minister  and both gigs involved a packed international travel roster. But thats all in the past. With Wongs new designation, theres plenty to be happy about including lifelong access to the airlines first and business lounges, and a guarantee that your name is top of the pile for international upgrades. It also comes with a handy luggage bonus, which means your bag is first off the plane and first to arrive on a baggage carousel when you land. Less time hanging about in Heathrows Terminal 4? Heck, wed fly to Adelaide for that. STAYING POWER Things are getting messy inside the Melbourne Racing Club, where a board split over the choice of a new chair has prompted the incumbent, Peter Le Grand, to perform a spectacular backflip just days after announcing he would wrap up on March 14. Its been just over four months since the former footy player and prominent businessman told the clubs annual general meeting of his plans to retire. A week ago, he told racing reporter Michael Felgate he would wrap up on March 14.

But by the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse last weekend, those plans were out the window. Le Grand told the committee room that hed shelved arrangements to step down and would now stay until late 2022. Daumier, ridden by Mark Zahra, edges out his rivals in Saturdays Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Credit:Getty Images Could it be a case of unbridled passion making it hard to say goodbye? Not so, according to insiders at the exclusive club who say board members are at loggerheads over choosing a successor. The 10-person committee is equally split between non-executive director Matt Cain and transport executive Scott Davidson. To be fair, theres plenty of factors for the directors to consider. Le Grands plain-speaking manner and strident criticism of the Victorian government during lockdown had some club insiders complaining of receiving the cold shoulder from the Andrews government and Racing Minister Martin Pakula in particular.

That hatchet appears to have been buried if Pakulas attendance at the racecourse and presence on Le Grands table is anything to go by. But committee members are on high alert over the need to keep things light with the government and the states powerful racing body, Racing Victoria. Presumably, the committee now rates skills in diplomacy at the top of the pile for desired attributes in a new chair. An MRC spokeswoman played down the division, issuing a clipped response on Le Grands Nadia Comaneci-esque performance. Peter Le Grand announced he was stepping down as chairman at the AGM last year and is currently working through transitional arrangements with the board. Nothing like working through transitional arrangements.

MULTITASKING CBD loves a multi-hyphenate. And none more so than Ross Andrew Fitzgerald, AM, the academic, historian, novelist, secularist and political commentator. Fitzgerald, an emeritus professor in history and politics at Griffith University, even though he lives in Redfern, Sydney, is the author and co-author of 43 books. His latest is a one of a series of political/sexual satires about corpulent anti-hero Professor Dr Grafton Everest, co-written with Ian McFadyen, of TV series Comedy Company fame. The novel, The Lowest Depths, released last year, is set in Australia and Russia, and during its course the latters dictatorial president for life, Vladimir Putrid, is assassinated. Wish-fulfilment or canny prophecy? Whatever, the ninth novel is on the way, where Everest becomes secretary-general of the United Nations. The books are barely known here but sell well in South Africa and Britain.
The first perspective is from Professor Greg Dore, an infectious diseases physician and researcher at the Kirby Institute, who is leading a research project on long COVID. I like Dores views because they tend to be pragmatic and change as the evidence changes, and because he is willing to openly criticise developments and people (including me) when other scientists are not. The second perspective is from Professor Brendan Crabb, head of the infectious diseases-focussed Burnet Institute. The Burnet has done major COVID-19 modelling for the Victorian government. Professor Crabb is a member of OzSAGE; in general, I find OzSAGE members tend to be slightly more pessimistic than other experts about the pandemics future course and the risks we face. Before we get into how to think about the pandemic, its useful to think about how much direct personal risk we face right now Weve talked before about the evidence around Omicrons severity in general, but we have some better data now which allows us to be a bit more personal. Using this data, the Immunisation Coalition have updated their excellent COVID-19 personal risk calculator. Lets start with me, a 31-year-old male with no underlying health conditions who is triple-vaxxed. I have a 1 in 120,000 chance of dying from Omicron if I catch it.

Compare that to my risk of dying from choking on food: 1 in 5000 over the course of my life. Or my risk of dying from going for a base-jump: 1 in 2500 per jump. Now, Im not the best case-study here. My chances of dying from COVID-19 even if I was unvaccinated are 1 in 14,000. But what about people who are older? What to make of this data? Professor Colleen Lau, who worked on the team that built the calculator, points out these numbers relate only to death. A lot of other bad things can happen when we get COVID: serious illness, long-lasting symptoms. University of NSW infectious diseases modeller Associate Professor James Wood has a slightly different perspective: In vaccinated people the severity of Omicron (and likely BA.2) is similar to influenza, he says.

At a personal level, if you are vaccinated or had Omicron and are not at high risk, then you can consider current COVID variants as comparable to other significant respiratory viruses that circulate seasonally. Something that can make you quite sick and miss work but not a life-threatening virus. Right. So how should I feel? One thing both Dore and Crabb agree on: its time to move on from being anxious about the pandemic. With vaccination rates high it is time, Dore argues, for us to refocus some of the enormous energy we have put into COVID towards other public health problems. What Im concerned about is that we have lost focus on other major public health issues for the country, he tells me. The inevitable consuming of peoples time and energy in the public health sphere has to detract from other public health concerns. I look at Hep C. Were a fair bit behind where we had hoped to be a couple of years ago.

There has to be some sort of change in relation to COVID exceptionalism. It has to change. Professor Crabb, meanwhile, notes that while he is quite positive about the current situation, its not over. But what about all the deaths? Theres a weird cognitive dissonance here, I find. We are reopening. The variant is less-severe. Yet our mortality is as high as it has ever been: 1482 people died with coronavirus in Australia in the past month alone. Imagine if you had read that line two years ago. People would be freaking out! One way to square this in your head is to think about risk.

The reality is, a global pandemic means Australians are going to die, argues Professor Andrew Robinson, CEO of the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis at the University of Melbourne. This is an unavoidable truth. The mortality rate is low, he says. The number of people dying is upsettingly high. But the rate is less than a quarter of a percent. The risk to the vulnerable Here is where Crabb and Dores viewpoints diverge. What the vastly increased transmission (of Omicron) means is the virus is finding its way to every susceptible person in the community. Everyone who is vulnerable, Professor Crabb argues. This new variant is, in one sense, much more worrying, and in another sense less worrying. Make no mistake, the more transmission, the more suffering and death.

Professor Dore disagrees. If you continue to push the line that theres huge swathes of the community that are vulnerable, that drives anxiety. The reality is, a large proportion of the community have an underlying health condition, but the vast majority of those people are at low risk of severe disease if infected. Thats what the data says, he says. To continue to push, to overplay, the vulnerability line, I think is not the way to go. Many, many people who are marginalised in society are at far greater risk from other public health issues. To be honest, if they are vaccinated, COVID is way down the list. Almost three quarters of Australian deaths due to coronavirus up to July 2021 had a pre-existing chronic condition, per the Australian Bureau of Statistics. These people do face a higher risk. But thanks to vaccines, that risk is dramatically lower than it was. Consider this CDC study of 2246 fully-vaccinated Americans who caught COVID-19 in 2020-21 (before Omicron). Some 189, or 8.4 per cent, ended up with severe COVID-19.

The underlying condition that made the most difference was immunosuppression; it nearly doubled a persons chances of getting seriously ill. Thats bad. But, because everyone was vaccinated, this doubling was from a low base. Some 446 immunosuppressed patients were included in the data; 86 or 19.2 per cent of them developed severe disease. The elderly and the immunosuppressed are at greater risk, but they are not entirely unprotected. What about restrictions? Professor Crabb is concerned we have become too confident in the success of our vaccines and are not doing enough to use the other tools at our disposal to cut transmission. While we performed brilliantly for the first 18 months, I dont think were performing brilliantly now, he says.

What else can we do to protect the community while being more open? What are we doing to get the best quality masks and encourage people to wear them? To get testing and isolation to work where its most needed? To clear the air in our high-risk settings? We could do substantially more. The narrative is far too vaccine-set-and-forget for me. I dont understand it. Are we afraid of not having a social licence, do we not believe in the science? For whatever reason we dont embrace these non-onerous tools as we should. Professor Dore by and large agrees. All that is common sense, he tells me. Its more about the focus. There are only so many public health professionals, so much money and infrastructure, so much political will. And at the moment, he argues, were spending too much of our budget on COVID-19. The next variant The best evidence we have suggests variants of COVID-19 will keep coming. The best experts are reluctant to guess if that variant will be more lethal or less (no, there is no scientific rule that says viruses get less lethal over time).

But there are some promising hints that, over time, our immune systems should get better at fighting new variants thanks to the incredible powers of T cells. More on that in a future Examine. Where do I personally find myself landing on all this? Loading I am choosing to treat Omicron as the eye of the storm. With three doses in my system, I am as worried about the virus personally as I am about the flu. Im not in close regular contact with anyone who is extremely vulnerable to the virus. I am not worried about the risk COVID-19 poses to my child. Things may get worse, via a new variant or an outbreak that suddenly overwhelms our healthcare system. Equally, they may well get better. But if there is ever a time to go see friends and family and fully take part in life, this feels like it.
Pfizer appears to be far less effective at protecting children aged five to 11 against infection with COVID-19 than it is for adolescents or adults, with experts speculating the Omicron variant or a lower dose of the vaccine could be to blame for its rapidly decreasing protection.

New data collected during the Omicron wave by New York state health officials suggests that while Pfizer strongly prevented severe illness and hospitalisation in children, it offered virtually no protection against infection, even within a month of full immunisation.

Australian infectious disease physicians and paediatricians still strongly recommend the Pfizer vaccine for children. Credit:AP

The findings of the not-yet-peer-reviewed and pre-print study, published on Monday, follow preliminary indications from early clinical trials that the vaccine fared poorly in children aged two to four, who received an even smaller dose.

In the study, six New York state public health scientists analysed outcomes for 852,384 fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 17 and 365,502 children aged five to 11 between December last year and January this year.
An accounts manager for One Nation is accused of using bogus emails in his attempt to defraud the Electoral Commission of Queensland of $24,000 in election funding.

Alexander Stewart Jones, national executive treasurer for the party led by Pauline Hanson, is charged with attempted fraud, forgery and uttering forged documents.

Mr Jones is due to appear in person on Wednesday at Brisbane Magistrates Court for a mention of his case. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

The 22-year-old, who listed his address in court documents as a three-bedroom Hamilton townhouse renting for $630 a week, had his case mentioned in Brisbane Magistrates Court again on Wednesday, where it was adjourned to March 31 in the same court.

He was charged on December 15 last year after the police investigation began in January following a referral from the Electoral Commission of Queensland.
One couple, Lee and Jan Langford, moved into the street in 2000 but now rent their Ryan Street home to students. The Langfords were back on Monday to lend a hand. We knew from before, and you just get on with it. Its like we say to our kids: Shit happens, its how you handle it. Its damage management, Ms Langford said. Lee and Jan Langford in Gray Road, West End. Credit:Tony Moore The Langfords say insurance companies should face scrutiny again after many companies refused to pay out flood or storm insurance in 2011, when we were last flooded. We were lucky and Lee had taken photographs of the water coming up through the grates and it was clean, Ms Langford said.

So it wasnt from the river. For us, it was stormwater damage. We ended up getting a small payout. The couple believe Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk should consider a Queensland flood appeal similar to 2011, to help those who will undoubtedly need help. I think the conditions are no different, Ms Langford said. People did not get much of a chance to get their belongings out. Weve been told about the house next door here in Ryan Street where their dog came in at 2am and woke them up. It was waist deep. They would have had no chance to get things out. Jason and Rebecca Petzke. Credit:Tony Moore

Jason and Rebecca Petzke paused as they headed to the shops to look at a line of cars barely visible in the floodwater. Mr Petzke backed the Langfords call for a flood appeal. I work in construction and there are lots of companies and workers that are going to struggle after these floods, particularly after two years of COVID, he said. So yes. I definitely think it is something they should think about. Earlier, our neighbour Mark Wheelhouse jumped from his front deck after sleeping upstairs while the water filled the ground floor beneath him.

I slept on and off for a couple of hours; then I had a couple of smokes and walked around a little and saw how the water levels were going inside, he said. Mark Wheelhouse. Credit:Tony Moore When I was inside resting the water must have come up three feet or more. I woke up at 7am and thought with all the water inside Im going to have to jump off the balcony. He put dry clothes and his wallet inside a plastic bag and jumped or scrambled down the balcony.

Then I waded through the water past my car and the guys across the road were awake and were taking photos. Loading Across Ryan Street, Terry  or Jingles as he is known  told how he scrambled to repair a Harley-Davidson bike he crashed last week, just so he could get it clear of the rising water at 9.45pm on Sunday. Talk about a biker build-off, the good-humoured, Muswellbrook-born bloke said, referring to a popular YouTube competition where bikers get a fortnight to completely rebuild a motorcycle. I just had to really go for it to get my bike ready. And I did. I just rode her out gently as the water was coming up. That just after 9 on Sunday.

In the newer apartments close to the river  long-term residents refer to the area as West of Montague Road  cars were parked on the footpath outside the new Woolworths as floods filled the basement car parks and cut off Ferry Road and Duncan Street. Allan Farrell (right) and Josh Gilsenan have a generator for power in their units at West End. Credit:Tony Moore West End Community Association president Selina More said questions about how and when Energex turned off the power to the suburb, and how that impacted the apartments occupants, deserved scrutiny. They turned it off on Saturday from about 11am without notice. But particularly for the area, west of Montague Road, theres about 3000 apartments in five streets down there. They are not going to have power for several days. That raises questions of fire compliance and ventilation. In this area between Montague Road and the swollen river nervous people were carrying out belongings, while 40 to 50 more sat charging their phones at the nearby shopping centre.
Federal Defence Minister Peter Dutton and a Coalition colleague may risk opening themselves up to perceptions of favouritism or political motivations in the allocation of money from online crowdfunding flood-support campaigns, a public integrity and governance expert has warned.

Insurers say it is still too early to determine the size of the recovery bill as south-east Queensland and northern NSW reel from the major flooding event, with more than 150 GoFundMe pages alone already netting more than $500,000 for those affected.

Brisbane-based minister Peter Dutton and fellow Coalition MP Luke Howarth have set up online fundraisers for flood recovery efforts amid criticism that such support should come from government. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Griffith University professor and Transparency International Australia board member AJ Brown said while the MPs intentions may have been noble, it was very unwise, if not dangerous for politicians to place themselves at the centre of such a charity fundraising effort.

Hes leaving himself open to allegations of favouritism in deciding where it goes, Professor Brown said, suggesting Mr Dutton could have encouraged the council or a local community group to set up the fundraiser instead and then publicised a sizable donation of his own.
The Andrews government has dumped its controversial $800 million social housing tax, even if Labor is re-elected, after fierce resistance from the property sector.

Less than two weeks after it was announced, Treasurer Tim Pallas on Tuesday ditched the package, which could have streamlined planning approvals, creating $7 billion of economic uplift over 10 years while building 1700 new affordable homes for vulnerable Victorians.

State Treasurer Tim Pallas. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui

Mr Pallas said the rare policy retreat occurred because the property sector reneged on an agreement to support the tax and opposed returning a portion of the new profits to the government to pay for social housing.

They are done, they are dusted, and they are finished, he said. This is clearly a disappointing result.
An Avon man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a charge that he distributed pornographic images of children.

The U.S. Attorneys office said Michael Ferro, 36, began communicating over an internet platform frequently used by child pornographers with a person he did not know was an undercover FBI operative posing as someone who was abusing his 12-year-old child.

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Prosecutors said Ferro sent the operative an obscene photograph of a child, said he had more photographs, and asked to meet the operatives child.

Ferro was arrested on Sept. 29, 2021.

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Ferro is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24 and faces a mandatory minimum of at least five years in prison, according to federal authorities.

Ferro had been free on bond since his arrest but was taken into custody after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.
An 11-month-old boy who was in a car when it was allegedly stolen in Melbournes south-east has been reunited with his family, Victoria Police say.

Emergency services were called following reports a white 2013 Toyota RAV 4 was stolen from Putt Grove at Keysborough about 2.10pm on Tuesday.

Victoria Police Inspector Fiona Halford said the mother of the infant had momentarily stopped on the street and had gotten out of the still-running Toyota, when an unknown man jumped in the drivers seat and drove off.

Ms Halford said the theft appeared to be opportunistic.
While West Australian hospitality, tourism and events businesses lament impending harsher COVID restrictions, some of the countrys top epidemiologists say flattening the Omicron peak is a worthwhile pursuit.

Despite a third-dose vaccination rate of 64 per cent on Monday, WA Premier Mark McGowan announced the state would beef up its public and social health measures from level one restrictions to level two from Thursday as the states hard border was brought down.

WA Premier Mark McGowan. Credit:Peter de Kruijff

The new restrictions extended the mask mandate to children in year 3 and above and significantly reducing event and venue capacities.

The Premier said the restrictions would likely last a month and were a proactive effort to reduce hospitalisations as the states COVID-19 cases approached their predicted peak  expected to occur by the end of March.
Australia will ramp up its spending on a surge in weapons being shipped to Ukraine after federal cabinet ministers heard new warnings about a Russian advance that will intensify the siege of the capital, Kyiv, and bring massive firepower to the conflict.

The growing alarm over the Russian advance, including a column of tanks and troop carriers heading into the capital from the north, led federal ministers to commit to a dramatic increase in military and humanitarian aid on Tuesday with the promise of more funding still to come.

The northern end of a 60-kilometre Russian military convoy north-west of Kyiv on Monday. Credit:Maxar Technologies via AP

The $105 million Australian pledge was far greater than expected earlier in the week and was approved by the national security committee of cabinet to fund NATO allies that can ship supplies into Ukraine as soon as the coming days.

With United States defence officials warning of brutal siege tactics against Kyiv and other cities, western allies are pledging anti-tank missiles, machine guns, bullets and food packages for the Ukrainian forces.
Fears of major flooding on Sydneys north-western fringes were growing on Tuesday night as forecasters escalated weather warnings before torrential rainfall expected from a major east coast low threatening the city.

Communities in Richmond and the Nepean were on high alert and sandbagging properties, just shy of 12 months since thousands from the same areas were evacuated in what became Sydneys worst floods in 60 years.

Flooding at Leichhardt on Tuesday morning. Credit:Renee Nowytarger

Late on Tuesday the State Emergency Service (SES) was escalating preparations after the Bureau of Meteorology updated forecast rainfalls in the catchment, with major flooding possible in the upper and lower Nepean rivers, Hawkesbury and the Shoalhaven.

We have to prepare for the worst, even if its not as bad as the March flood last year, said SES spokesman Phil Campbell.
The federal government has fired a warning shot at Facebook, Twitter and TikTok for allowing posts from Russian state-owned news outlets on their platforms, urging the social media giants to follow the lead of local television networks and pull the services content.

Australian TV networks Foxtel and SBS pulled Russian state-owned news services, RT and Sputnik, from their offerings in recent days. The Russian services have also been blocked or restricted by Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube in Europe, following a request from the European Commission.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lashed Russian state media as spreading lies to justify the countrys invasion of Ukraine. Credit:AP

However, posts from the two Russian channels remain visible on the digital platforms in Australia, sparking a rebuke from Communications Minister Paul Fletcher. I encourage Facebook and the other large platforms to act responsibly, recalling they are signatories to the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, he said.
First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on November 5, 1956

Russians overrun Budapest

Attack by 1000 tanks while talking peace

LONDON, Nov. 4.In a lightning invasion today, Russian armoured forces over ran Budapest and are fighting for the rest of Hungary.

Front page of The Sydney Morning Herald on November 5, 1956. Credit:SMH Archives

Just before noon Moscow Radio interrupted its programme to announce: The Hungarian counter-revolution has been crushed.

Unconfirmed reports say that the Russians have seized the Titoist Hungarian Premier, Mr. Imre Nagy, his Government and Hungarian officers who were holding peace talks with Russian officers.
In their 1999 book on military strategy in the era of globalisation, Unrestricted Warfare, two Chinese colonels wrote: Warfare has re-invaded human society in a more complex, more extensive, more concealed, and more subtle manner. Over the past five days, war has re-invaded European society with Russias invasion of Ukraine, although it has been anything but subtle.

The Ukrainians are fighting hard (and smart) for their people, and the idea of a free and democratic society. This sense of purpose for combatants and the citizens they serve is critical. At the same time, it is not clear that the Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have a similarly compelling sense of purpose.

An armoured personnel carrier burns and damaged light utility vehicles stand abandoned after fighting in Kharkiv. Credit:AP

We are approaching a critical phase in the Russian conquest of Ukraine. There have been multiple commitments of Western lethal and non-lethal aid in the past 72 hours. Concurrently, the Russians continue to commit more combat forces. According to background briefings at the Pentagon, Russia now has committed about 75 per cent of its combat power initially arrayed at the Ukrainian border.

After an initial lack of progress, it is likely that the Russian military leadership has rethought its strategy and will change its operational approach in the Ukraine. This will result in an increase in the use of artillery, rockets, thermobaric weapons, and air-delivered munitions as they turn to their more traditional approaches to war to secure their version of victory.
They were hailed as national heroes and promised Ukraines highest honour posthumously for their bravery after standing up to the Russian Navy in a key Black Sea atoll in a final act of defiance against the invading forces.

The defenders of Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, went viral as the victims of Russias first major transgression in the war with Ukraine and a symbol of the bravery of the Ukrainian people in the face of the invasion.

Snake Island. Credit:location4film.com.ua

But on Tuesday morning AEDT the Ukrainian navy said the border guards were alive and well and had surrendered to the Russians.

The guards drew international attention last Thursday after an audio recording of their purported encounter with the Russian warship was published online by the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrayinska Pravda. The recording was later verified by a Ukrainian official.
Yet there he stood on the second day of Russias invasion, surrounded on the street by his top advisers and military officials, the moment crafted for YouTube, choosing precisely the words his people might need: We are all here, defending our independence, our country. And it will stay that way. Glory to the men and women defending us. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. Within hours, millions across the world had downloaded the moment. And in the past 24 hours, condemning the Russians for attacking residential areas in the city of Kharkiv at the very time so-called peace talks were occurring, Zelensky chose words that rang with perfectly clipped outrage. Peaceful city. Peaceful residential areas. No military facilities. No one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people, he said. At a time when the power to inspire might be as important as an artillery piece, Zelenskys path to political leadership appears to have equipped him like few others with the ability to motivate his own people and to attract the support of much of the world.

He was born in Kryvyi Rih to Jewish parents, a Russian-speaking region in southern Ukraine. His father was a cybernetics professor and university lecturer and his mother worked for 40 years as a civil engineer. Zelensky became, after gaining a bachelors degree in law, a highly successful entertainer with a sharp line in political satire whose campaign for Ukraines presidency in 2019 was run entirely on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Alongside him was the woman who became his wife in 2003, scriptwriter, trained architect and champion of social and humanitarian causes, Olena (nee Kiyashko), who was born in the same region as her husband, and in the same year, 1978. They met at Kryvyi Rih National University. Though she reportedly opposed her husbands political aspirations initially, she is considered his most steadfast ally, who refuses to leave her homeland as the war rages. She is said to be in an undisclosed area in Ukraine with the couples two children, Oleksandra, 17 and Krylo, 9. And Olena, too, uses social media to inspire.

I will not have panic and tears, she wrote to Ukrainians in an Instagram post last week. I will be calm and confident. My children are looking at me. I will be next to them. And next to my husband. And with you. Zelensky and his team controlled the presidential campaign in 2019 to the point that Ukraines TV and other news media channels were reduced to replaying Zelenskys savvy YouTube statements over and over because he drastically restricted the number of his formal interviews. The result was that his rare face-to-face appearances rose in value and his own messages and key ideas still broke through. He won the election with more than 70 per cent support from voters. Perhaps the only other major political figure to achieve such political impact through social media was Donald Trump, who used Twitter as a weapon and a personal noticeboard.

Zelensky acknowledged that he had studied Trumps approach during what would become an infamous phone call between the US and Ukrainian presidents on July 25, 2019. Loading A partial transcript of the conversation revealed Zelensky said to Trump: I would like to confess to you that I had an opportunity to learn from you. We used quite a few of your skills and knowledge and were able to use it as an example for our elections. The conversation later led to Trumps impeachment after it became obvious he had tried to strongarm Zelensky into investigating the Democratic Party and the family of Joe Biden, who Trump claimed had been involved in allegedly corrupt dealings with a Ukrainian prosecutor. Zelensky had asked Trump to increase military aid to allow Ukraine to purchase Javelin missiles for defence purposes.

Trump, who had suspended $US400 million of military aid to Ukraine just a week before, made it clear such a request would depend on Zelenskys co-operation in investigating the Bidens, saying: I would like you to do us a favour, though. Zelensky might have been moved to reflect privately on one of his old barbed gags when he was a stand-up comedian: Can someone be a president and not steal anything? Well, this is a rhetorical question, as no one has ever tried to do so. Trump is gone now and Zelenskys greater foe, Vladimir Putin, has sent his military machine to Zelenskys door. But it remains tempting to imagine that Trumps attempt at quid pro quo blackmail gave Zelensky insight into the level of pressure great powers are capable of exerting, and perhaps helped toughen him for todays battles for national survival. Meanwhile, the social media world has fallen hard for this Ukrainian leader, not least through discovering bewitchingly video-friendly elements of his past.

Millions seem transfixed at the YouTube evidence that Zelensky won the first season of the Ukraine version of Dancing with the Stars in 2006. There he is all over Twitter, all rhythm and athletic flare, the audience and the judges going gaga. Millions more melted to discover Zelensky had been the voice of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian version of the enormously popular movie. And a clip from his old TV comedy drama, Servant of the People (he created, produced and starred in the show himself), remains on high rotation. It is considered to be an almost impossibly accurate prediction of the future.
The vaccines effectiveness against hospitalisation declined to 73 per cent from 85 per cent in the older children. In the younger children, effectiveness dropped to 48 per cent from 100 per cent. But because few children were hospitalised, these estimates have wide margins of error. The numbers for protection from infection are more reliable. Vaccine effectiveness against infection in the older children decreased to 51 per cent from 66 per cent. But in the younger children, it dropped sharply to just 12 per cent from 68 per cent. The numbers change drastically between ages 11 and 12. During the week ending January 30, the vaccines effectiveness against infection was 67 per cent in 12-year-olds but just 11 per cent in 11-year-olds. The difference between the two age groups is striking, said Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The biological difference between the two ages is likely to be minimal, but while 12-year-old children got 30 micrograms of the vaccine  the same dose given to adults  children who were 11 received only 10 micrograms, he noted.

Loading This is super interesting because it would almost suggest that its the dose that makes the difference, Krammer said. The question is how to fix that. There have been at least 851 deaths involving COVID-19 in children under 17, and nearly 7,000 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, a rare but serious condition associated with COVID. More children were hospitalised during the Omicron surge than at any other point in the pandemic. The findings underscore the need to gather more information on the best dose, number and timing for the shots given to children, Rosenberg said. They also underscore vaccines as just one measure of protection from the virus, along with masks and social distancing, he said. Rosenbergs research was posted just days after the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention released new recommendations that would allow the majority of Americans to stop wearing masks, including in schools.

The new data also raises important questions about the Biden administrations strategy for vaccinating children. Only about 1 in 4 children ages 5-11 has received two doses of the vaccine. (The CDC has not yet recommended booster doses for this age group.) The vaccine has not yet been authorised for children younger than 5. Scientific advisers to the Food and Drug Administration were scheduled to meet February 15 to evaluate two doses of the vaccine for the youngest children, while three doses were still being tested. But the meeting was postponed after Pfizer submitted additional data suggesting two doses were not strongly protective against the omicron variant. Loading Rosenberg briefed top CDC officials, including Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the agencys director, with findings in early February. FDA leaders learned of the data around the same time. Some federal scientists pushed for the data to be made public before the FDA expert meeting scheduled for February 15, viewing it as highly relevant to the discussion about dosing in children under 5, federal officials and others familiar with their responses to it said. The data is generally consistent with a report from Britain showing that vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection in adolescents ages 12-17 drops to 23 per cent after two months. The CDC has been compiling its own data on the vaccines effectiveness in younger children and is expected to release at least some of it as early as this week, according to people familiar with the agencys plans.

Israeli researchers have also been assessing the vaccines performance in young children since the country made it available to them in November. We continue to study and assess real-world data from the vaccine, Amy Rose, a spokeswoman for Pfizer, said in response to queries about the new data. Dr Philip Krause, who recently retired from the FDA as a senior vaccine regulator, said assumptions about certain antibody levels being predictive of vaccine effectiveness should be re-evaluated in light of the new results. It certainly weakens the argument for mandating that people get that lower dose, he said. It is not unusual for experts to revisit the dosing and interval for pediatric vaccines as more evidence becomes available. But in this case, giving the children a higher dose to kick up the immune response may not be an option because some data suggest that it may cause too many fevers, an unwelcome and potentially dangerous side effect in young children.

There are other alternatives that may improve immunity in young children, said Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona. Pfizer and BioNTech are testing a third dose in children under 5, as well as in those ages 5-11, with the idea that, as in adults, an extra shot may significantly augment immunity. Results from these trials are expected in several weeks. Studies in adults suggest that three doses of the vaccine were more protective against the Omicron variant than two doses. Bhattacharya said he and his wife spaced the two doses for their children, who are 8 and 10, by eight weeks rather than the currently recommended three, based on studies suggesting that a longer gap between doses may improve protection. The CDC last week encouraged some people older than 12, especially boys and men ages 12-39, to wait eight weeks between the first and second shot. Another option may be a version of the vaccine designed to thwart the omicron variant, or one that has a mix of several variants. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are all testing Omicron-specific versions of their vaccines. The next variant may differ widely from omicron, much as omicron did from the delta variant. But training the body to recognise multiple versions would still offer a better chance at preventing infection with newer forms of the virus.
Ukraines resistance to Russias invasion epitomizes a stark example of passionate fighting for the homeland. Ukrainians  and their leaders  commitment to stay and fight, risking life against superior forces, is profoundly inspiring.

The United States joins a large international community that is fortifying its efforts with funds and materiel.

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Ukrainians are also valiantly working to exploit home-field advantage with subterfuge, improvised explosive devices and surprise attacks.

And then there is the cyber dimension  both offense and defense  of this heartbreaking, unprovoked war. Discussion of cyber has been drowned out by the immediate, visible impact of Russias aggression. But we overlook it at our peril.

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Soldiers in Belgium prepare to depart to Romania to join the NATO Response Force, which was activated following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys) (Olivier Matthys/AP)

In 2013, Russian Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov articulated a blueprint of tactics to achieve strategic goals, or as one analyst put it, What Gerasimov was talking about was the use of subversion to prepare the battlefield before intervention. Such tactics include conventional attacks, terror, economic coercion, propaganda and cyber, currently being deployed to disrupt government and bank services.

The Ukrainians have long suffered from  and are bitter about being a Russian petri dish for  Russian cyber weaponry. Russia weaponized social media, flooding it with disinformation, during its 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Russia has twice used cyber to shut off electricity in Kyiv in the winter. Then there was the NotPetya malware in 2017, which was spread through software for filing taxes in Ukraine but metastasized to cripple ports, corporations and government agencies around the world.

Make no mistake, cyber is bound to be a player in the current battle, and our distant, physical borders are no comfort.

Several scenarios could lead the United States and NATO countries to be drawn into cyber exchanges with Russia: direct response to resupplying Ukrainian forces or to economic sanctions deemed to be acts of war; malware deployment like NotPetya that spills beyond its intended target in Ukraine to damage Europe and the United States; cyberwarfare spilling into Poland or another NATO member, interpreted as an attack and triggering NATOs Article 5 joint defense provision.

Cyber easily triggers unforeseen consequences. As a United States resident, you are not immune. As a Connecticut resident, you may be interested to know that our state was active in strengthening Ukraines cyber defense after 2015.

During my time at Connecticuts Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and subsequently as chief cybersecurity risk officer, we became the first state with a cybersecurity strategy and action plan, initially for critical infrastructure and then more broadly for the state. The U.S. Agency for International Development included the Connecticut model of critical infrastructure defense assessment in its support offered to Ukraine, other Black Sea countries, the Baltics and former Yugoslav countries. We made our strategy available to them and held several overseas training sessions during which participants agreed that national security vulnerability directly tied to inadequate relationships between utilities and national intelligence and military authorities.

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Within a few years that support became outdated. Security is not a state in which you exist; its a constant battle. Nation states have continued to penetrate utilities in the U.S. and Europe with sophisticated malware, and the West has reciprocated. Our national intelligence capabilities track such plantings and work to keep penetrators unaware of what we know. However, this leaves our utilities half-blind, with defenses to fend off a wide range of hackers and ransom attackers but detached from the sophisticated national security threats to their operating systems.

Clearly, a cyberattack derived from any cause, including the Ukraine war, demands a comprehensive, national plan to join the separate worlds of intelligence and critical infrastructure as well as municipal, state, regional and national leadership. After all, the states could not have implemented the national highway system without national leadership.

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Every states infrastructure also needs first-rate defenses in the form of strong, diverse resilient networks. That means a high density of small nodes and lots of pathways between them, so there are backups for nodes and pathways that are not destroyed. We need redundant applications, backup processes and planning and training for network failure. Preparation also requires some old-school bench strength: analog systems in some instances, physical backups and manual options for operating systems.

We can never forget, however, that cyber offense is more powerful than cyber defense all over the world. We need to get beyond the Maginot line mentality that we can prevent any attack. Clever forces will go around our lines. Someday it will happen, and none of our states has adequately come to terms with cyber weaponry against domestic or international targets.

A women embraces her son as the family reunites after fleeing from Ukraine at the border crossing in Medyka, Poland, on March 1. Cyberattacks preceded Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber/AP)

Finally, we need to anticipate and face up to how ugly a compromised system could be and rehearse what we will do when it happens. How would Connecticut handle loss of electricity for more than two weeks? No drinking water? Inoperable banks and hospitals whose generators have run out of diesel fuel?

Perhaps the reality of a war whose arsenal includes cyber weaponry that could hit the United States  and any of our hometowns  will motivate national, state and corporate leaders to prepare for dangers that are increasingly at our doorstep.

Arthur House has worked at the National Security Council and for the director of National Intelligence. He chaired Connecticuts Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and was Connecticuts chief security officer. Currently he is an adjunct professor at UConn. He lives in Simsbury.
Wellington: Wearing riot gear and using pepper spray, New Zealand police on Wednesday moved in on the hundreds of protesters who have been camped outside the nations Parliament for more than three weeks.

A fire broke out among some tents, sending smoke billowing over the site before it was doused by police, as officers towed cars and worked to completely clear the grounds.

Those protesters illegally occupying Parliament grounds and surrounding streets have been given ample opportunity to leave. It is time for them to go, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a news conference after the police action.

It was the most significant use of force yet by authorities against the protesters, who oppose coronavirus vaccine mandates.
We in the Pacific have been raising the alarm about the impacts of climate change for decades, but the latest United Nations climate science report on impacts hits especially hard. The report confirms our darkest fears that humanity has already severely tested natures resilience and it is clear that we have already caused irreversible harm to our planet.

My people in Kiribati are effectively paying the price for the worlds addiction to fossil fuels. By 2050 up to 80 per cent of the land on the island of South Tarawa, one of the most densely populated places on the planet, may be completely inundated and these effects will result in significant loss of livelihoods and massive human displacement. Globally, most ocean reefs, including the very reefs Kiribati is built on, will have lost their ability to grow with the rising tide.

Kiribati is effectively paying the price for the worlds addiction to fossil fuels. Credit:James Alcock

Even if global temperatures are kept within 1.5C as per the Paris Agreement, there will still be biodiversity losses, water insecurity, submergence of reef islands, economic decline, loss of cultural resources and heritage. And it will be the worlds poorest and most vulnerable, those who have contributed the least to global warming, who will pay the biggest price. Tens of millions around the world will be pushed into poverty as climate change disrupts their livelihoods and their environments.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change makes it abundantly clear that we still have time to reverse course and avoid future nightmares but this requires strong political commitment by polluting countries and a radical reassessment of the role of the fossil fuel industry.
Quint Digital Media Limited, a digital media group, announced on Tuesday that it has entered into a binding term sheet with the .

will acquire a minority stake in Quintillion Business Media Private Limited.

"The proposed transaction with the is only for QBM which is a digital business platform and not in relation to other digital media/ media tech properties owned by Quint Digital viz. The Quint, Quintype Technologies, thenewsminute and Youthkiawaaz," said Quint Digital in a stock exchange filing without quantifying the stake Adani was taking.

Adani Media Ventures intends to lead the path for new age media across different platforms. The adoption of technology and the increased ability of our nation to consume information has dramatically transformed the way media is expected to disseminate authentic information. This is exactly what Adani Media Ventures aims to do. I have had the privilege of working with QBMs talented, credible and diverse team. This relationship between AMV and QBM marks a strong beginning of Adani Groups foray into Indian media, said Sanjay Pugalia, CEO, Adani Media Ventures Limited.

QBM is a business and financial company and operates a leading business digital platform in India. QBMs main content is based on the Indian economy, international finance, corporate law & governance and business news, amongst others through its platform Bloomberg | Quint.

We are delighted to welcome the Adani Group as an investor in QBM. Given the proven execution record of the Adani group, their support to fulfill the ambitions of QBM will lay the foundation for accelerating the growth of the business and scale of QBMs high quality content for the Indian audiences, said Anil Uniyal, CEO, QBM.

Last year, there were media reports claiming that Adani is looking to acquire a Delhi-based media house, which many speculated to be NDTV.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg Media and Quintillion Media on Tuesday announced the restructuring of their partnership in India. The have ended their equity joint venture in favor of a new content license agreement. Bloomberg Media and Quintillion Media will no longer co-produce content but will continue to distribute Bloomberg content in India through a license agreement

We have valued our relationship with the Quintillion Media team. While we have mutually decided to shift the focus of our work together, Bloomberg Media remains committed to our presence in India and look forward to a continued relationship with Quint," said M Scott Havens, CEO, Bloomberg Media

Our joint venture with Bloomberg Media was the embodiment of resilient energy. Our digital-only premium subscription product has quickly become the market leader. Even as our terms of engagement with Bloomberg Media have changed, we look forward to imparting a new energy and spirit to the new website," said Raghav Bahl, Co-founder, Quintillion Media.





With Tuesday's move, Adani is set to face off with Reliance which owns India's Network18 that runs several business TV news channels and online platforms.

Adani Group has a market capitalization of over $150 billion, comprising seven publicly listed which are in the businesses of operating airports and ports, power generation and transmission, coal and gas trading.
Snapmint has raised $9 million in its Series A from a clutch of marquee investors and industry leaders led by Prashasta Seth, CEO & CIO of Prudent Investment Managers. The round also saw participation of 9 Unicorns, Anicut Capital, Negen Capital, Livspace founder Ramakant Sharma, Usama Fayyad - Chairman of Open Insights and head of Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University, among other angel investors.

Snapmint, a BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) platform, makes it easy for Gen Z consumers to buy any lifestyle category product, be it clothes, accessories or mobile phones, using small installments and no-cost monthly payment options, said the company. It has over 4 million consumers on its platform, many of who are from Tier 2/smaller towns, and serves over 27,000 pin-codes across India.

With this round of investment, Snapmint plans to expand its network of merchants, launch a suite of BNPL products and power the purchases of over 450 million consumers in India.

Nalin Agrawal, Co-founder of Snapmint said, This investment will boost our expansion plans as we look to grow our merchant partners 50x pan-India and bring a unique shopping experience to our customers. Our transaction-led underwriting models allow us to democratize access to credit, provide fair financial terms and give the freedom of choice to our consumers.

IIT batchmates and serial entrepreneurs Nalin Agrawal, Anil Gelra, Abhineet Sawa and Rahul Agarwal, founded Snapmint in 2017. They researched the market on the observation that only a handful of their employees actually had a credit card and many were afraid of onerous credit card terms. As per industry estimates, although there are nearly 450 million bank account holders, there are less than 35 million active credit card users. On the other hand, over 15 million young consumers join the workforce every year, and they aspire to buy a range of lifestyle products. Snapmint was founded to give customers the option of paying using convenient installments, thus letting them manage their monthly cash flows without burning a hole in their pocket.

Prashasta Seth, CEO and CIO of Prudent investment Managers said, We are truly impressed by the teams ability to underwrite young customers from Tier2/small towns instantly and seamlessly, which shows in the portfolio quality. This differentiates them from a vast majority of the other players in the space.

The $810 billion Indian retail market is the fourth largest in the world, and affordable credit options will continue to boost the growth of this market. A 2021 report by Bain and Co. shows that 80% of the growth in new e-retail customers came from Tier-2/ smaller towns in India. Snapmint is looking to democratize access to credit by allowing these customers to buy on interest free installments, with no hidden costs. For online merchants, Snapmints platform gives upto a 25% boost to sales, opening up a brand-new segment of customers which were previously not shopping with them.
Two weeks after he was appointed chief executive officer, has declined the offer to join the Tata Group-owned airline. Aycis departure, even before taking charge, comes in the backdrop of a controversy around his security clearance prospects.

Ayci, former chairman of Turkish Airlines, had earlier served as advisor to Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His closeness to Erdogan drew criticism on social media given the frosty relations between India and Turkey. More recently, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak-backed Swadeshi Jagaran Manch opposed the appointment on grounds of national security.

Ayci, who spearheaded Turkish Airlines to its turnaround and success, blamed the media for viewing his appointment with an undesirable prism. As a business leader who has always prioritized professional credo and more importantly the happiness and well-being of my family above all else, I have come to the conclusion that it would not be a feasible or honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of such a narrative, he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ayci said he had recently met Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran to convey his decision of not accepting the post. Tatas, which won the bid and acquired in a Rs 18,000-crore deal last year, did not comment.

While Aycis exit is being seen as a major hurdle for Tata Groups effort to revamp operations, this is not the first such departure for the salt-to-software conglomerate. In March 2021, Marc Llistosella, then a top Daimler executive, was named Tata Motors CEO. Llistosella declined to join and Guenter Butschek continued as CEO till June 2021. Since then Tata Motors has been without a CEO.

To the question on Tatas plan B for Air India leadership, sources said the airline would be operated by a five-member committee in the interim. Tata Sons has resumed the process of hiring a CEO. The five member committee is headed by Nipun Aggarwal, senior vice president at Tata Sons.

While head hunting firm Egon Zehnder had shortlisted other names besides Iyci for Air India CEO, any fresh appointment at that level will require more than a month, sources said. Incidentally, Llistosella was shortlisted for Tata Motors by the same executive search firm.

Talking about the interim five-member committee, a source said that the airline under the current set-up has improved its financial performance as well as on timings and passenger focus.

"Wherever required, experts from the group are assisting the interim committee. This is not to say that the company can stay headless but the interim management has been quite adept at running the airline, a person familiar with the operation said. The daily loss at the airline has been reduced primarily due to financial restructuring prior to disinvestment. Around Rs 46,000 of debt of the company was taken over by the government before handing over the national carrier to the .

Sources said that Suresh Tripathi, former vice president of human resources at Tata Steel HR, is involved with Air Indias restructuring process while a team from Tata Consultancy Services is working to integrate the airlines software with the One Tata Operating Network (OTON). A second team with people from Taj Hospitality group and led by Sandeep Verma--who earlier headed in-flight services for Vistara--is looking at improving the airlines soft image.

The DGCA rules make it compulsory for the airline to designate an accountable manager whos responsible for airline's operations. In most cases, the CEO of an airline is designated as accountable manager.

Besides appointment of a new CEO and planning an Air India board, Tata Sons is also working on restructuring and merger of the operations of its low- cost airline AirAsia India and Air India Express- a subsidiary of Air India. Sources said that the groups partnership with Malaysian airline AirAsia Bhd would be over by the end of March .

An executive of a head hunting firm with experience in aviation termed Aycis exit as unfortunate adding that it will reduce Indias attractiveness as a work place for foreign executives. As it is, it is not easy to convince accomplished foreign executives to come and work in India. Such incidents where a large group like Tata Sons has to bow down to public pressure for appointments will hit the sentiments further, he said.

According to the ministry of home affairs guidelines, an airlines board of directors requires a security clearance. Security clearance is also required in case the post of CEO, CFO and COO is filled with a foreign citizen.
In his resignation letter to the Board, co-founder Ashneer Grover has hit out at the in his company. In the wee hours of Tuesday, the embattled founder of the fintech unicorn quit as the managing director and one of the directors of the Board.

Shedding light on his fraught relationship with the companys investors, Grover wrote: "You treat us founders as slaves  pushing us to build multi-billion-dollar businesses and cutting us down at will. Investor-founder relation in India is one of master-slave. I am the rebel slave who must be hung by the tree so none of the other slaves can dare to be like me ever again."

"None of you, including the ones based in India, have ever been to our office even once, since the pandemic turned our lives upside down and sought to suffocate the economy. Not even once. Not Micky. Not Harshjit. Not Mohit. Not Teru San. Not Rahul. Not Deven. No one. None of you even turned-up despite an invitation for the inauguration of our new office," he added.

Grover was referring to Micky Malka of Ribbit Capital, Harshjit Sethi of Sequoia, Teruhide Sato of Beenext, Rahul Vijay Kishore of Coatue, and Deven Parekh of Insight Partners.

Ribbit Capital owns 11 per cent of shareholding in the company, Beenext holds 9.6 per cent, Sequoia 19.6 per cent, Coatue 12.4 per cent, according to data from Tracxn. Insight Partners holds around 10 per cent of the company, according to media reports.

Grover has resigned amid a tussle in the company where Grover has found himself on the opposite side of the Board, key in the company and his co-founders.

Meanwhile, the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) has refused to grant emergency relief to Grover from a governance review being conducted by the company, according to sources.

Earlier this month, he had filed an arbitration plea earlier this month to stop a probe into alleged financial mismanagement in the company. The MD, who went on leave last month till March-end, is also said to be seeking indemnity against future action by the company through the plea.

The company and Grover are also reportedly in talks to settle the matter by buying out the latters stake in the unicorn. Grovers stake of 9.5 per cent in the company was worth Rs 1,915 crore based on the last funding round in August, when was valued at $2.8 billion.
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The government on Tuesday issued a memorandum promising a one-time relaxation measure for bringing back pet dogs and cats along with stranded Indians who are being evacuated from war-hit .

The measure by the government followed an appeal from the People for the Ethical Treatment of (PETA) India after the non-profit noticed a video on social media on Saturday. In the video, Rishabh Kaushik, a final-year undergrad student of software engineering at the Kharkiv University of Radio Electronics in Ukraine, complained that he had been trying to contact Indian authorities but they repeatedly asked him for documents in order to bring his pet dog, Malibu.

India wrote to Parshottam Rupala, the minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying. On Tuesday, shared the office memo that includes relaxed pre-import and post-import conditions and directs regional officers of all animal quarantine and certification services (AQCS) to coordinate with the state veterinary authorities concerned to share details of each migrant pet with the Centres Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

We are extremely thankful to the Modi government for this compassionate decision to include companion in the evacuation process. Separating animal companions from their guardians would have been another tragedy for those desperately fleeing Ukraine, and it would have only resulted in more heartbreak and unnecessarily lost lives, said India Chief Executive Officer and veterinarian Manilal Valliyate in a press release.

He added that with this decision, India joined a select list of countries  including Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania  that have made entry for less bureaucratic, thereby helping families, including people like Rishabh, escape the warzone with their beloved companion animals.

When asked about how the relaxation has eased conditions, Valliyate told Business Standard that according to the existing law, anyone bringing a companion animal from abroad has to produce proof of continuous stay of two years in that particular country, along with proof of transferring his or her residence to India, which implies an airline ticket. Besides this, one requires an advance customs permission.

Most importantly, the individual has to produce a health certificate from a vet ruling that the animal is free from any contagious diseases, as well as a vaccination certificate that is valid. The vaccination of the animal has to be within 12 months of travel, with the latest round not less than one month prior. Finally, the person has to give a declaration saying that the animal is not being transported for any commercial purposes.

Putting this tedious documentation aside, Valliyate says, what the government has now done is to allow a person to give a declaration claiming possession of the pet for merely one month.

Ideally, the government still prefers a health certificate and vaccination certificate of the animal. If you are travelling and crossing the border to another friendly country, you can take the animal to a veterinarian and get a certificate.

The memo gives further relaxation. For example, if you have a vaccination certificate, upon arrival at a place where you have the quarantine services, the pet will be examined along with the certificate and given a clearance. In case there is no vaccination certificate, the animal will be kept in quarantine for 15 or 30 days, at the end of which the animal will be vaccinated, Valliyate said.

After the animal is taken home, it has to be taken to a vet and its owner has to submit a certificate to the AQCS. Valliyate pointed out that India is an exception of sorts, as other countries relaxing rules similarly are those bordering .

A Facebook page of the alumni association of St Josephs Academy, a co-ed school in Dehradun where Kaushik studied, posted his video and has been giving regular updates on his whereabouts.It had posted that Kaushik had refused to leave for Dubai with his family on February 19. His family runs an export business in .

When the crisis in Ukraine worsened, Kaushiks father immediately arranged a visa for his return. But Kaushik was adamant about leaving with his pet.

Praveen Chandhok, who heads the alumni association of the school, said Kaushik caught a train from Kiev on Monday, along with Malibu, to Uzhhorod, a city in western Ukraine along the border with Slovakia and near Hungary. He is expected to reach Hungary on Tuesday and fly with his pet to India soon after.
An Express flight carrying 182 Indians nationals from war-torn landed here from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday morning, an airline spokesperson said.

The AI Express flight IX-1202 from Bucharest via Kuwait touched down the runway at 7.40 am, he said.

An aircraft to bring back Indian nationals from had left from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for Bucharest on Monday.

This is the second evacuation flight operated to Mumbai from Bucharest to bring back Indians from war-hit since February 27.

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All Indian nationals have left Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Foreign Secretary said on Tuesday.

At a media briefing, Shringla said he has conveyed to envoys of Russia and Ukraine India's demand for "urgent safe passage" for all Indian nationals stuck in Kharkiv and other conflict zones.

He said at a high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis, PM Narendra Modi expressed deep anguish over the loss of life of an Indian citizen in Kharkiv.

"We remain very concerned over the situation in Kharkiv, Sumy and other conflict zones," Shringla said.

"Over the next three days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring back Indian citizens," he said.

Shringla said a C-17 IAF aircraft is expected to fly out at 4 AM on Wednesday to Romania to repatriate our citizens.

India has been operating flights to bring back Indians from Romania and Hungary after they crossed over to these countries.

Shringla also said that Prime Minister Modi received a call from President of France Emmanuel Macron. Modi also spoke to the President of Poland.

Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Poland and the Slovak Republic will also be used to operate evacuation flights, he said.

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Union Home Minister is scheduled to visit on March 8 to attend the fourth anniversary celebration of the BJP-IPFT government in the state.

He will also lay the foundation stone of the Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) campus in Jarulbachai area of West district. The NFSU is presently functioning from the old building of Basic Training College near Buddha Mandir in heart of Agartala.

Shah is scheduled to attend a rally to mark the completion of four years of the BJP-IPFT government. Though the anniversary is on March 9, the event will be held a day earlier.

The Union home minister will also launch two welfare schemes of the state government on the occasion.

Shah will arrive in on March 8 morning and leave the northeastern state by evening.

state vice president Rajib Bhattacharjee said that Chief Minister Biplab Deb has already held a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath and state president Dr Manik Saha at the state party headquarters to chalk out a plan for the rally at Vivekananda Ground.

"The Union home minister will lay the foundation stone of NFSU in Jarulbachai area in Dukli block of West Tripura district. The state government has also requested him to launch the PRASHAD programme, a tourism-related project at Tripureswari temple," Prashanta Kumar Goyal, secretary to the chief minister, said on Tuesday.

He said that the details of the tour are yet to be finalised.

The Centre has already sanctioned Rs 100 crores for the infrastructural development of NFSU, considered an institute of international importance. The state government has allotted 50 acres of land to build the NFSU campus in Jarulbachi area.

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As many as 162 persons tested positive for coronavirus, while two died of the infection in on Tuesday, an official from the state health department said.

With this, the tally of infections in the state has risen to 12,22,790 and the toll stood at 10,932, he said.

At least 333 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the count of recoveries to 12,10,211, the official said, adding that the state is now left with 1,647 active cases, with 16 patients being on ventilator support.

As per official data, Ahmedabad reported 65 new cases, Vadodara 23, Banaskantha 12, Surat 11 and Rajkot eight cases, among others.

Both the fatalities were reported in Vadodara, the official said.

Meanwhile, 31,552 people received COVID-19 jabs on Tuesday, raising the number of doses administered so far to 10.30 crore.

The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu reported one new case, taking the count of cases to 11,410, including 11,404 recoveries and four casualties.

There are currently two active cases in the region, it was stated.

Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 12,22,790, new cases 162, death toll 10,932, discharged 12,10,211, active cases 1,647, people tested so far - figures not released.

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Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said 11 more students from the state, who were stranded in war-torn Ukraine, have reached New Delhi, as part of the evacuation mission.

With their return, overall 12 students from the northeastern state have been evacuated so far.

"11 students of Meghalaya, who are studying in Ukraine, have reached Delhi safely. Efforts are on to get the rest of the students back home safely," Conrad said on Twitter.

Still, several students from the state remained stranded in the restive country, an official said.

Of the 12 students, Ishika Debnath, a resident of Laitumkhrah area in Shillong, had arrived here on Sunday after taking a flight from Ukraine's neighbour Romania.

Debnath, a student of Bukovanian State Medical University, had taken the flight after crossing the Ukraine-Romania border with the help of the Indian Embassy, her parents said.

She boarded a bus from her university and reached the border on February 24.

"We got off the bus and walked for around 4-5 km before crossing the border, and were then escorted to the airport," she said.

Debnath said she heaved a sigh of relief after finding her name in the second Indian Embassy list of 240 students who would be evacuated. "There were some Assam students from my batch, and I was the only one from Meghalaya," she said.

Chief Secretary R V Suchiang said the state government is in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the safe return of the remaining students.

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Congress leader on Tuesday condoled the death of an Indian student in shelling in Ukraine's Kharkiv and called upon the Union government to draw up a strategy for the safe evacuation of all stranded Indians.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the death in a tweet on Tuesday and said it was in touch with the family of the student.

The student, Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, was a native of Chalageri in Karnataka's Haveri district.

"Received the tragic news of Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

"I reiterate, GOI (Government of India) needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious," wrote on Twitter.

The Congress party expressed condolences to Gyanagoudar's family and friends. It also urged the government to expedite the evacuation of Indians stranded in war-torn Ukraine.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the demise of an Indian student in Ukraine. Our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. We once again urge GoI (Government of India) to ensure the speedy and safe evacuation of our people," it stated in a tweet.

The MEA said the foreign secretary is calling in ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate its demand for "urgent safe passage" to Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and in other cities which have become conflict zones.

"Similar action is also being undertaken by our ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," the MEA said.

The Kharkiv city is witnessing increasing fighting between the Ukrainian troops and Russian forces.

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Union Ministers and Gen (Retd) on Tuesday flew to Budapest and Warsaw respectively to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals stranded in .

Taking to Twitter Puri said, "All set to bring back our young students back home safely. Enroute to #Budapest with a refuelling stop in Istanbul with the ever efficient 6E boys & girls."

Puri left by a special flight of IndiGo Airlines for the evacuation of Indian nationals stuck in via Budapest. Union Minister General V.K. Singh is on his way to Poland to energize the government's efforts to facilitate Indians stranded on the Ukrainian side of the Polish border. The Indian Ambassador to Poland is also present near the Polish border points to personally direct the evacuation efforts.

Taking to Twitter Gen Singh said, "Stay where you are, don't move until you are told, and don't panic. Your country will safely evacuate you. Jai Hind. #General_In_Poland.""My message to all parents, guardians and family members, Your kids will be back with you soon," Singh said in his other tweet message.

While leaving for Slovakia, Union Minister said, "Thank you @flyspicejet for joining the efforts to evacuate our fellow Indians especially students who are facing huge difficulties due to war in # ." PM @narendramodi Ji has given clear instructions to evacuate every Indian back home safely, he added in his tweet message. He also thanked SpiceJet for operating a special flight for Slovakia to evacuate the Indian nationals in Ukraine via the Slovakia border.

On February 28 the government, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to send four senior Union Ministers -- Hardeep Singh Puri, Gen VK Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and -- to the countries neighbouring war- torn Ukraine to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals under 'Operation Ganga'.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is leaving for Romania and Moldova, for Slovakia, is enroute to Hungary and Gen V.K. Singh (Retd) for Poland to oversee the evacuations.

On Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to his Polish counterpart to discuss the evacuation efforts while Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday spoke to the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate the demand for the safety of Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones.

On Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv asked all Indians to leave as soon as possible as the situation in the capital city of Ukraine is getting worse. On Monday, the weekend curfew was lifted in Kyiv and the Indian Embassy advised all students to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western parts. The Embassy officials were present at the railway station to facilitate and a large number of students were able to board the trains.

To avoid overcrowding and a long waiting time and ease pressure at the border points, the External Affairs Ministry's teams and the Embassy are trying to arrange shelter in nearby towns, particularly Uzhhorod near the Hungary border, Indian officials said.

--IANS

ams/bg

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Devising their own strategems to get out of Kyiv, about 100 Indian students stranded at the train station split into groups of 10 to board a train from the Ukrainian capital to city of Lviv where they would be safer, one of the students said on Tuesday.

We realised no one is going to come to help us and it is up to us now, 20-year-old Ashna Pandita told PTI over the phone as the train took them to the western city of Ukraine, about 80 km from the Poland border, where the fighting has been relatively less.

We split into smaller groups and somehow managed to board the train," she added a day after the students from Taras Shevchenko Medical University in Kyiv managed to escape from the back gate of their hostel and reach the Vokzal station, the capital's main train hub.

Though they responded to an advisory from the Indian mission asking all students to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western part", the students alleged that officials had failed to provide any transportation to shift them to a safer location.

The advisory said Ukrainian railways is putting up special trains for evacuation" but the reality on ground was quite different, Ashna and her brother Ansh, who studies in the same college, said. The twins are from Ghaziabad.

The group of 100 odd youths, including many women, were not allowed to board a train and Ukrainian guards thrashed some of them, they alleged.

After they were pushed away from many trains, the students split into smaller groups and somehow managed to get on to the train to Lviv, where the officials of many embassies are stationed.

The train was crowded and they could manage only standing space during the nine-hour journey. At least let us reach Kyiv, Ashna said tearfully, recounting their struggles to reach the station from a city that had run out of food and cash in ATMs and then the many hurdles to get on to a train.

Left to their own devices, the students said they would either try to cross over to Poland or to the Hungary border, about 570 km from Lviv.

On Monday, the train station was teeming with people. The Indian students sat huddled together, holding a large tricolour aloft so they could be recognised in the crowd and also so no one from the group gets lost.

The students had also issued a video appeal.

"Indian embassy, we request you to evacuate us as soon as possible," Ansh Pandita said in the video as his friends looked on.

Ashna, too, sent videos to family and friends at home. One showed a train with closed doors and shuttered windows.

"This train didn't let us in. They closed the door on our faces. They pushed us out," she said.

In another, students can be seen being pushed and chased away by guards.

Back home in Ghaziabad, Ansh and Ashna's parents Anil and Sunita are frantic with worry.

"My children are suffering. They have nothing to eat and the irony is that we can't do anything sitting here other than to appeal to the government to bring everyone back," Sunita said.

Their worries have escalated after an Indian student from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city on Tuesday morning.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," the External Affairs Ministry said.

The government is sending four Union ministers as the prime minister's envoys to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova to oversee the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine through its border crossings with these countries.

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The on Tuesday said it was inclined to dismiss a petition filed by dismissed policeman Sachin Waze challenging two orders of the panel set up to probe into the corruption allegations against former minister .

Waze, who is presently in jail after his arrest in the Antilia bomb scare and murder case of businessman Mansukh Hiran, in his petition challenged the legality, validity and propriety of the two orders passed by the Chandiwal Commission and sought to quash the same.

The first order of the panel refused Waze's application seeking to summon the Joint Commissioner of police (Crime) Milind Bharambe for examination, while in the second order, the commission denied him permission to retract his earlier statement against Deshmukh.

A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Madhav Jamdar, however, said it was not inclined to grant any relief and said it would dismiss the petition.

Waze's counsel Anil Anturkar then sought that the matter be posted on Wednesday so that he could take instructions from the former policeman on whether he would prefer to withdraw the plea.

"You (Waze) either withdraw the petition or we dismiss it with strictures," the court said.

Waze had filed an application before the Chandiwal Commission on January 21 this year seeking to summon the then joint commissioner of police (Crime) Bharambe for examination before the Commission.

Bharambe had written a letter and later authored a report on March 25, 2021.

Former home minister had presented a copy of this secret letter along with Bharambe's report March 30, 2021 before the commission.

Waze had sought to call Bharambe before the Commission claiming that the latter's report is prejudicial to his interest.

However, the Commission dismissed his application on January 24.

On February 9, Waze had made an application seeking to retract his statement with regard to Deshmukh. He had said that neither the former minister nor his associates or people related to him have ever made any monetary demand or instructed him to extort Rs 100 crore from the city's bar owners.

However, a month later Waze sought to retract the statement, which the commission did not permit.

According to Waze's plea before the court, he had filed an affidavit before the Commission along with his application for retraction of his statement.

The former policeman had claimed that he was under immense and tremendous pressure due to his arrest by the Mumbai crime branch.

He has alleged that he was mentally harassed and victimised so as to affect his psyche and his state of mind, and claimed that he was subjected to severe mental torture and harassment apparently by Deshmukh and it continued even after his resignation.

Consequently, when the petitioner was put certain questions at the time of his cross examination before the Hon'ble One Member High Level Committee, the petitioner gave incorrect answers, Waze's plea read.

Waze, in his plea, claimed that he is a whistle blower and has been falsely implicated in a series of criminal cases consequent to political vendetta arising out of the shocking revelations disclosed by him in the public domain through his senior officer.

The former policeman has claimed that he had confided in his senior officer about a series of demands made by Deshmukh, and based on this, the senior officer had written to the state government on March 20, 2021, following which a one-member committee headed by retired Justice K U Chandiwal was formed.

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India "strongly and emphatically" asked and on Tuesday to create "urgent safe passages" for the Indian nationals stuck in various conflict zones in Ukraine, after a medical student from Karnataka was killed in intense shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla called in the envoys of the two countries and conveyed the demand, while the Indian missions in and too passed on similar messages to the diplomatic and military authorities in the two countries.

After attending a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Ukraine, Shringla said the evacuation of Indians from Kharkiv is now India's top priority.

"We have absolutely, strongly and emphatically asked them (the Russian and Ukrainian envoys) to create the safe passage. But there is a war going on and we will have to make the best of the situation so that we can find a way," he said.

"I think our interlocutors both in and understand that and we will try and continue to press them to enable us to withdraw and evacuate our citizens," he added.

Shringla said all Indian nationals have left Kyiv. The Ukrainian capital also witnessed bombings and shellings by Russian forces.

"The information with us is that we have no more nationals left in Kyiv. Nobody has contacted us from Kyiv. All our inquiries have revealed that each and every one of our nationals has come out of Kyiv," he said.

Earlier in the day, the Indian embassy in Ukraine asked all Indians stranded in Kyiv to leave the Ukrainian capital urgently by trains or any other means of transport.



Shringla said over the next three days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring out Indian citizens, adding that airports in Poland and the Slovak Republic will also be used, apart from those in Bucharest and Budapest.

The foreign secretary said a C-17 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is expected to fly out at 4 am on Wednesday to Romania to repatriate the Indian citizens.

He said more IAF aircraft could be used in the evacuation mission in the next few days.

Shringla referred to his comments a few days ago that an estimated 20,000 Indians were in Ukraine at the time India issued its first advisory. The first advisory was issued over a fortnight ago, when the tensions between Russia and Ukraine were increasing.

"This is the general number of people in Ukraine. From that number, approximately 12,000 have since left Ukraine, which is 60 per cent of the total number of our citizens in Ukraine," he said.

Roughly a half of the remaining 40 per cent remained in the conflict zones in Kharkiv and Sumy and the other half has either reached the western borders of Ukraine or are heading towards the western part of the country, Shringla said.

"In other words, they are out of the conflict areas," he added.

The foreign secretary said around 2,000 Indians have come back to their homeland, while 4,000 to 5,000 are getting ready to be brought back by flights.

To a question on whether Indians are facing difficulties in getting out of Ukraine, he said there is "no endeavour to block our citizens from coming out".

"I think the issue is logistical. There are huge queues of people, there are lines of vehicles," Shringla added.

He said a flight carrying the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine left India on Tuesday morning.

The foreign secretary said the consignment comprised medicines, medical equipment and other relief materials.

"Another flight tomorrow will carry the second consignment also through Poland," he added.

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The central government on Tuesday compared its response to help Indian citizens in war-hit with those of several other countries, including the US, the UK and China, vis--vis their nationals to assert that while its 'Operation Ganga' continues and embassy remains functional, others have been unable to work at such a scale with some even expressing inability to help their citizens.

There has been criticism from some quarters, especially opposition parties, over the alleged delay in India's response to evacuate its citizens, mostly students, with some videos surfacing of Indian citizens facing harassment.

Government sources shared response of various countries to rebut criticism and assert that India has been prompt and relentless in helping its citizens.

The Chinese have postponed their evacuation plans while the Indian Operation Ganga is proceeding. Flights from India into neighbouring countries are continuing to bring back Indians. China has issued no travel advisories and no support mechanisms, while India has released contact numbers, advisories and support mechanisms. Chinese nationals are being attacked in while the buses with the Indian flag are being given safe passage, a source said.

The US has stated that it will not be able to evacuate its citizens who are facing a long waiting time at the Ukrainian border for evacuation through other neighbouring countries, government sources said.

They cited official statements from the US and China besides Chinese media reports to back their claims.

At certain points, the US asked its citizens to even carry food and other items for two days at the Ukrainian border, and their waiting situation is similar to that of Indian citizens, they said, adding that both India and the US have issued similar advisories and have released several phone numbers for assistance.

Citing the response of other countries, government sources said Britain has clarified that it will not be able to provide increased support to its citizens stranded in while, they added, India has increased support on a war footing.

The British embassy has relocated while the Indian embassy in Kyiv is still functioning. Britain has asked its nationals to follow the advice of Ukrainian authorities with no additional assistance, a source said.

He quoted a statement of the UK government which said, Russia's military action in Ukraine will severely affect the British Government's ability to provide consular assistance in Ukraine. British nationals should not expect increased consular support or help with evacuating in these circumstances.

Similarly, the German embassy has been closed at Kyiv while the Indian embassy is still functional. Germany has said that it is not in a position to evacuate its citizens, while India's Operation Ganga, name of its evacuation exercise, is continuing, they said.

Over 80,000 international students study in Ukraine, according to data from Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science. The largest number come from India, followed by Morocco, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Nigeria. India's evacuation programme, Operation Ganga, has been the most active among all nations which have their citizens in Ukraine, a source claimed.

Sources shared media reports of various other countries, including Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria, to back their assertions.

Some opposition parties, including the Congress, have been criticising the government for not evacuating Indian students in time from Ukraine and have called for urgent steps to evacuate them, after attacked Ukraine. They have shared videos of Indian students in Ukraine highlighting their plight and making appeals to the Indian government to evacuate them soon.

Stepping up its evacuation efforts, India on Monday decided to send four Union ministers to countries in Ukraine's neighbourhood as its special envoys to coordinate the evacuation of Indian students.

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In first Indian casualty in the war in Ukraine, a student from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city on Tuesday morning.

External Affairs Ministry confirmed the death of the Indian in a tweet.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," it said. The ministry said it is in touch with the family of the student.

"We convey our deepest condolences to the family," it said.

The student was a native of Karnataka's Haveri district, a state government official said.

"A student Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a native of Chalageri in Haveri district, died in the shelling," Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan told PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to the father of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar. Official sources said Modi offered his heartfelt condolences to the family following the tragedy.

No one form the Indian Embassy reached out to stranded Indian students in Kharkiv in Ukraine, the victim's father alleged earlier on Tuesday.

Naveen Shekargouda was killed when he stepped out of his bunker to exchange currency and fetch some food, his uncle Ujjanagouda claimed.

Shekaragouda's residence in Chalageri slipped into gloom upon receiving the news of their child killed in the faraway European nation, with a large number of people thronging the house to console the bereaved family.

Shekaragouda complained that no one from the Indian embassy reached the students stuck in Kharkiv, which is witnessing hostilities. His family members said Naveen was in the fourth year of his course in the Kharkiv medical college.

Ujjanagouda said Naveen along with others from Karnataka was stuck in a bunker in Kharkiv. He had gone out in the morning to exchange currency and to fetch some food when he was caught shelling happened, in which he was killed instantaneously.

On Tuesday when he rang up his father, Naveen said there was no food and water in the bunker, Ujjanagouda stated.

Learning about the tragedy, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called up Shekaragouda over phone and expressed his sorrow.

Bommai assured Shekaragouda he would make every effort to bring back his son's body to . He also told him that he is touch with the officials in the external affairs ministry.

The bereaved father told Bommai that Naveen had called him in the morning as well. Daily the son used to ring him up at least two to three times, he told the Chief Minister.

The MEA said Foreign Secretary is calling in ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate its demand for "urgent safe passage" to Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and in other cities conflict zones. "Similar action is also being undertaken by our ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," the MEA said.

The Kharkiv city is witnessing increasing fighting between the Ukrainian troops and Russian forces.

Official sources said the deteriorating situation in Kharkiv is a matter of grave concern and that the safety and security of Indian nationals in that city is of utmost priority for the government.

They said has already taken up up with the Russian and Ukrainian embassies the "pressing" requirement of safe passage to Indian nationals, including students, from Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones.

"This demand has been repeatedly made of Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of this conflict on February 24. It has been conveyed to both their ambassadors in New Delhi as well as taken up in their capitals," said a source.

The sources said the preparations for evacuation of Indians from the Indian government side have been in place for sometime now.

"An Indian team has been positioned in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. However, the conflict situation in and around Kharkiv and nearby cities has been an obstacle," the source said.

"Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to our need for safe passage urgently," it said The sources said in places where the conflict has not endangered movement, Indian authorities have been able to evacuate the citizens. They said will continue to make utmost efforts to ensure the return Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine.

Union Minister Hardeep Puri is going to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia will oversee the evacuation process in Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju is traveling to Slovakia and Gen (retd) V K Singh will oversee the evacuation along the transit points with Poland.

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Prime Minister on Tuesday spoke to the father of Indian student Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, who died in shelling in war-hit Ukraine.

Official sources said Modi offered his heartfelt condolences to the family following the tragedy.

Gyanagoudar was a native of Karnataka's Haveri district.

Earlier, the external affairs ministry in a tweet confirmed his death.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," it said.

The ministry said it is in touch with Gyanagoudar's family.

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Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik, who was arrested by the (ED) on February 23 in connection with a Prevention of involving underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim, has moved to the against his arrest.

Malik in his plea has urged the Court to quash the PMLA case lodged by the central probe agency.

He has also mentioned his plea that his arrest was illegal and sought to be released immediately.

Malik is in the ED custody till March 3. The ED had on February 18 arrested Dawood's brother Iqbal Kaskar in the matter.

Salim Qureshi, an aide of Chhota Shakeel, was also interrogated in the matter.

On February 3 the NIA had received an information that was raising terror funds and was working with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaeda (AQ). He was controlling criminal activities in India through his close aides.

The ED filed a PMLA case against Dawood. Another case was lodged against his brother Iqbal Kaskar, Iqbal Mirchi and 19 others. Later both the cases were merged by the ED.

The Central probe agency conducted nine raids and recovered incriminating documents from the premises of Dawood's aides.

Chhota Shakeel's relative Salim Fruit told the probe agency that in 2006 he met Chhota Shakeel three to four times during his Pakistan visit.

--IANS

atk/dpb

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Prime Minister met President on Tuesday and briefed him on various issues, including the Ukraine crisis, official sources said.

The government has launched "Operation Ganga" to evacuate Indian citizens, mostly students, from Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia.

Sources said Modi briefed Kovind on the crisis and his government's efforts to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the country.

The government had on Monday decided to send four ministers to several neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation exercise.

(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 spoke to several European leaders over the crisis on Tuesday and expressed his anguish over the deteriorating situation and the humanitarian crisis in the war-hit country, while reiterating India's appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue, the PMO said.

Modi spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and European Council President Charles Michel amid a worsening situation in as the Russian forces moved deeper into the country. An Indian student also lost his life in shelling during the Russian advance.

Modi and Macron shared their concerns over the continuing hostilities and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in .

Modi welcomed the talks between Ukraine and Russia, and stressed upon the importance of ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people.

In his comments, the prime minister reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy. He stressed India's belief that respect for international law, the UN Charter and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries underpin the contemporary world order, the PMO said.

Modi also briefed Macron on India's efforts to evacuate its citizens from the conflict areas and send urgent relief supplies, including medicines, for the affected populations.

In his talks with Duda, Modi thanked him for the assistance provided by Poland in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine and for the special gesture of relaxing the visa requirement for the Indian citizens crossing over to the country from Ukraine.

He expressed his particular appreciation for the warm reception and facilitation extended by Polish citizens to the Indian nationals at this difficult time, the PMO said.

Alluding to the traditional friendly relations between the two countries, Modi recalled the assistance offered by Poland in the wake of the Gujarat earthquake in 2001.

He also recollected the exemplary role played by the Maharaja of Jamnagar in rescuing several Polish families and young orphans during the Second World War, the PMO said.

Modi also informed Duda that Union minister V K Singh would be stationed in Poland as his special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts of Indian citizens.

"The Prime Minister reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue. He stressed upon the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations," the PMO said.

In his talks with the European Council president, Modi expressed anguish over the deteriorating situation and the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. He reiterated India's appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue.

"The Prime Minister stressed that the contemporary global order was anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states. He welcomed the talks between the two parties and stressed upon the importance of ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people," the PMO said.

Modi also spoke about the efforts being made by India to send urgent relief supplies, including medicines, to the affected areas.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's top lender will not process any transactions involving Russian entities subject to international sanctions imposed on after its invasion of Ukraine, according to a letter seen by Reuters and people familiar with the matter.

"No transactions involving entities, banks, ports or vessels appearing" on a US, or sanctions list shall be processed irrespective of the currency of the transaction, said a letter sent by State Bank of India (SBI) to certain clients.

did not immediately respond to emails or calls seeking comment on the matter.

"We have a significant international presence and we need to comply with U.S. and EU regulations as we are present in those jurisdictions and we cannot be seen as not adhering to these rules," said a senior executive.

The invasion, which calls a "special operation" and which is the biggest assault on an European state since World War Two, was met with widespread condemnation and an array of sanctions.

India, which has deep trade and defense ties with Russia, has so far not publicly condemned its long-standing ally, but has called for an end to violence and for diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the conflict.

in the letter to clients also urged "extra precautions" while handling any transactions related to sanctioned countries.

Many major Indian corporate houses have deep links with the state-controlled lender, which has a large network of overseas branches.

SBI has also sought information from Indian oil companies about their exposure to including stakes in Russian assets, funds received from in the last year and lenders involved in routing these transactions, according to two senior energy industry sources.

One of India's top refiners, Indian Oil Corp, said on Monday it would no longer accept cargoes of Russian crude and Kazakh CPC Blend cargoes on a free on board (FOB) basis due to insurance risk.

Apart from oil companies, Indian fertiliser companies also deal extensively with Russia for imports of crop nutrients.

(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.)
Snow clearance operation along the Srinagar- national highway is in the last phase and efforts are on to open the 434 km-long strategic road as soon as possible, BRO officials said on Tuesday.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is maintaining the highway which usually remains closed during winters due to heavy in the 3528 m-high Zojila Pass, a high mountain pass that runs through the Kashmir valley to Ladakh.

BRO's Project Vijayak Chief Engineer Ashish Gambir said the snow clearance operation is going on in full swing in the Zojila Pass and the road would be opened as soon as possible.

He gave this assurance to Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor Feroz Ahmad Khan during a meeting here, an official spokesperson said.

Gambir said only a stretch of 2-3 km is left to be cleared of snow from side and the highway is all set to reopen shortly. It was closed for vehicular traffic in January this year.

The spokesperson said the chief engineer also briefed Khan about the BRO projects being executed in Kargil district.

Gambir said the recently announced bypass from Drass to Pushkum via Shimsha Kharboo is in tendering process and work will start soon on the project, the spokesperson said, adding this road is expected to decongest and minimise traffic in Kargil and Drass towns.

He also said the work on Kargil to Batalik road is already underway, while the survey on the Hambuting-la tunnel is complete and further process will be carried out soon.

On Khangral to Sanjak road realignment, the spokesperson said the BRO and the Kargil Revenue Department decided to conduct a joint survey on the project. Accordingly, the CEC assured it will take up the issue with the UT administration.

The spokesperson said Gambir assured that local workers who have labour cards as per MGNREGA will be engaged in Project Vijayak on twice the wage



MGNREGA workers currently get wage of Rs 214 per day, while the BRO project will give them at least Rs 600 per day, he 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.)
Four top ministers were dispatched on Monday as Indias special envoys to countries neighbouring Ukraine to facilitate and speed up the evacuation of Indian students from the war-torn nation. And all stranded Indians were advised to move to West Ukraine but not reach the border directly. It is cold. There are long queues at all borders as Ukrainian citizens also make their way to the most convenient exit point.

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Digital Editor
Feature: Photographer gives Greeks online tour of China

Xinhua) 08:18, March 01, 2022

ATHENS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Greek photographer is taking his compatriots on a journey to China, with online tours organized by the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation in the port of Piraeus.

From Feb. 16 until April 11, amateur photographer and environmentalist Nikos Stantzos will act as an online tour guide for Beijing and its outskirts, as well as the ancient capitals and the country's borders. Stantzos will give five presentations for Greek people, called "Traveling to China," which are free of charge.

Stantzos lived in Beijing from 2012 to 2017, working for a German company as an expert in energy, renewables and climate change. He has taken more than 20,000 photos in China, and found the time to tidy up his archive during the pandemic. He decided to share his pictures and experiences to show his people the lesser-known side of a country he has grown to love.

Stantzos has traveled to over 20 Chinese provinces to date, and is planning more adventures in the future, he told Xinhua in a recent online interview. Speaking from Singapore, where he is now based, he said:

"Beijing, when I moved in 2012, was a city that was just basking in the glory of the 2008 (Summer) Olympics. That was definitely a high point for the city. Because of my work there, I had to travel extensively all over China ... That gave me an exposure to how variable and how amazing basically China is."

He was also impressed by the organization of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

"I think that these Olympic Games show a China that it is more, if you like, confident and relaxed, compared with the first Olympics (2008)," he told Xinhua.

"The Chinese did an amazing job to reuse a lot of the facilities. For example, the water tube that became the ice tube ... I thought that was a very good symbolism of how we can actually reuse facilities," he said.

Stantzos' main motivation for the "Traveling to China" series was to contribute to understanding between the East and West. He wanted to show the China he saw and experienced, which is very different from what is sometimes being reported by mainstream Western media, he explained.

"My message is that you have to go out and find out China with your own eyes ... go there with an open mind and I guarantee you you're going to like it or at least you're going to find a lot of things you like," he said.

Konstantinos Mazarakis Ainian, General Director of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, was happy to see the strong interest Greeks showed for China during the first presentation.

"What impressed us is that the approximately 600 viewers who started watching the series at the beginning of the first episode did not decrease until the end," he told Xinhua, adding that viewers had bombarded Stantzos with questions.

The foundation, which is a cultural and educational organization promoting Greek letters and historical and nautical research, has a close partnership with Tsinghua University in Beijing, as well as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

"We thought that an important parameter that can bring China closer to Greece is for the average Greek to get to know China in a non-academic way, as a tourist. So we arranged and organized this series of five trips to China that I believe gives ... a complete picture of China as it is today, highlighting culture, history, way of life," he explained.

"Traveling to China" is presented within the framework of the Center for China Studies, which was established two years ago at the Foundation in collaboration with CASS, to enhance bilateral cultural relations, promote Chinese culture in Greece, and produce scientific work in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
India on Tuesday sent the first tranche of humanitarian assistance comprising medicines and other relief materials to via Poland.

At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said another flight will carry the second consignment of aid to the east European country on Wednesday.

"A flight left this morning carrying the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to through Poland," he said.

India on Monday decided to send the relief supplies to to help it deal with the humanitarian situation along its border areas that has arisen out of tens of thousands of people attempting to flee the Russian invasion.

"The prime minister noted that the first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on Ukraine's borders would be despatched tomorrow," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.

Ukrainian envoy Igor Polikha thanked India for sending humanitarian aid to his country.

(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 first Indian to become collateral damage in the Russia- conflict, Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, originally from a small village in Karnatakas Haveri district, was killed in intense shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday.

As the Russian army closed in on Kyiv, the Indian Embassy in sent a message to all Indians to get out of the capital immediately, by any means possible. About 400 students who were living near the Indian Embassy were successfully sent to Romania and were on their way home.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday, announced that the Indian Air Force would be deployed for evacuations in addition to commercial aircraft. He also spoke to Naveens father, who alleged that the government did nothing to reach out to stranded in Kharkiv.

After the meeting on the crisis, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said all Indian nationals had left Kyiv. He said the government remained very concerned about the situation in Kharkiv, Sumy and other conflict zones in Ukraine. He said 26 flights had been scheduled to bring back Indian citizens over the next three days. Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Poland and Slovak Republic would be used to operate evacuation flights, he added.





ALSO READ: A rules-based world order. Where?

Naveen, who was studying at a medical college in Ukraine, was killed instantaneously in shelling when he stepped out of his bunker to exchange currency and fetch some food, his uncle Ujjanagouda said, according to news agency PTI. On Tuesday, when he rang up his father, Naveen said there was no food and water in the bunker, Ujjanagouda stated. Efforts were being made to get his body back.

The foreign secretary called ambassadors of and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage to Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones, the spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi, said. Similar action is also being undertaken by our ambassadors in and Ukraine.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met President Ram Nath Kovind to brief him about the evacuation efforts, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. Later, the PM also met the President. Two more flights landed in Delhi and Mumbai with around 400 Indians. With several MPs receiving anxious calls from families of Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine, Jaishankar has asked MPs to directly contact his office to flag particular concerns and share information about such people. Please be assured that we are taking cognisance of all enquiries and information. All of them will be attended to by Team MEA representatives on the ground, the Union minister said in a letter sent out to all MPs on Monday. He also shared an e-mail ID and WhatsApp numbers on which the MPs can share details.

But for Naveen, it was too late. With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning, the government tweeted. There is still no clarity about the exact number of stranded in Kharkiv, as food and water shortages in the embattled city mount, heating of buildings drops, and petrol runs out.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) via its teams on the ground reported about the grim situation in eastern Ukraine. Residents across Ukraine are desperately trying to get in touch with their relatives, but internet connectivity is very bad. People are seeking safety in shelters, often for hours on end. In Kyiv, most citizens are torn between staying or heading west. Most streets have been deserted though we see long lines at pharmacies and bank machines, said a team member.
Prime Minister has asked the (IAF) to evacuate Indians stranded in due to the Russian military offensive against that country, sources said on Tuesday.

The IAF is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of Operation Ganga from Tuesday, they said.

Till now, only private Indian carriers were evacuating Indians from Romania and Hungary, countries with land borders with on the western side, as the Ukrainian airspace had been shut since February 24.

India began evacuation of around 14,000 of its stranded citizens on February 26.

In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under Operational Ganga, PM Modi has called for the IAF to join the exercise, the sources said.

Leveraging the capacities of the IAF will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame, they noted.

The large C-17 aircraft will also help deliver humanitarian aid to war-hit more efficiently, they mentioned.

(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.)
SpiceJet on Tuesday afternoon sent a plane to Kosice in to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive.

shares land border with Ukraine on the western side.

Minister of Law and Justice is travelling on SpiceJet's special flight to as a Special Envoy of the Indian Government to oversee the evacuation, SpiceJet said in a statement.

"The aircraft will fly to Kosice in Slovakia from Delhi and the return flight will operate via Kutaisi, Georgia," it said.

The Kosice flight depart from Delhi at 4 pm on Tuesday, the airline said.

Ukrainian airspace has been shut down since February 24 for civil aircraft operations and therefore, India is operating evacuation flights to neighbouring countries such as Romania, Slovakia and Hungary to evacuate its stranded citizens.

The Kosice flight is the second evacuation flight being operated by SpiceJet under 'Operation Ganga' after a special flight left on Monday night for Hungarian capital Budapest from Delhi.

(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 external affairs minister and TMC leader on Tuesday said Prime Minister has a chance to be a "Vishwaguru" (world leader), if he successfully mediates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Modi has good relations with Russian President and he can play a significant role in ending the ongoing six-day-old war with Ukraine as it is badly affecting the global economy, Sinha told a press conference held at his house.

"It is a big opportunity for Modi to become a Vishwaguru if he utilises his good relations with Putin and convinces him to end the war at this juncture as (otherwise) this conflict will continue and ruin the global economy," said Sinha who was the external affairs minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

As of now, India has taken a neutral stance on the conflict.

The TMC MP said no other country has come forward to end the war.

Responding to a query, Sinha said Modi should talk to Putin as India has been a long time friend of and has always supported it.

"Modi should utilise this moment and influence the Russian president to end this war as it is wrong to capture Ukraine. Besides, war is no solution to any problem," he said.

Sinha urged the PM to send Foreign Minister S Jaishankar to create an atmosphere for holding talks.

The move would be relevant as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sought India's support, he pointed out.

He also expressed fear that if the war continues, it will have a tremendous impact on the prices of petroleum products, agricultural production, fertiliser and chemicals.

Sinha said sanctions imposed by countries such as the USA, France, Germany and the UK will have no impact on as Moscow is backed by China.

To a question, he said India should have brought back students from Ukraine much earlier when there was an indication of the war coming.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India is committed to address to reduce its adverse impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as well as human well-being, Environment Secretary Leena Nandan said at the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly on Tuesday.

In her address at the assembly being held in Nairobi, she also said that India had piloted a resolution on addressing single-use plastic product pollution in the last UNEA in 2019.

"India is committed to address including marine to reduce the adverse impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and human well-being. India had piloted a resolution on addressing single-use plastic product pollution in the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) held in 2019, bringing global focus on the issue," Nandan said.

"The government has recently notified the guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) on plastic packaging under the new Plastic Waste Management Rules banning identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential," she said.

Making the national statement for India, the secretary also said that sustainable development is core to the country's development strategy.

"Proactive steps have been taken to mainstream the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into policies, schemes and programmes of the government. Our sustainable development policies cover many sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable mobility, sustainable habitats and many others," she said.

The progress towards the SDGs can be accelerated through strong global partnerships in accordance with agreements under multilateral environmental conventions, Nandan said.

"India reiterates its commitment to sustainable development, and supports global efforts in this direction," she said.

Union Bhupender Yadav, who will be also representing India at the UNEA, had on Monday said that India will play a vital role in the UNEA on the issues of sustainable use and recycle economy.

"Our ministry has already brought out the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, following the directions and vision of the prime minister to ban single-use plastic by 2022," he had said.

According to the ministry, on Sunday, three resolutions were put forth by member states -- Peru, Rwanda, Japan and India -- on plastic pollution.

The two draft resolutions of Peru, Rwanda and Japan were based on the principle of a legally binding target, while the Indian draft resolution was based upon the principle immediate collective voluntary action by countries.

In order to allow for global action to take place, India agreed for setting up of an intergovernmental negotiating committee for a new international legally binding treaty, a ministry official said, adding that the Indian delegation is engaged constructively in the negotiations.

In her address, Nandan asserted that making the planet pollution free must be the responsibility of all member states and driven nationally.

"India has been spearheading many initiatives which include National Hydrogen Energy Mission, National Clean Air Program, restoring 26 million hectares of degraded and deforested land, development of urban forests, and conservation of species like lions and dolphins," she said.

Nandan also reiterated the Lifestyle for Environment-LIFE mantra proposed by India at COP 26, saying, "the call for the mass movement on sustainable lifestyle is a true reflection of India's ethos towards Mother Earth or nature."



While thanking the UNEP for organising the assembly, Nandan said it is being held at a time when the global community is still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder that all countries must work together to ensure vaccine equity, leaving no one behind. Without vaccine equity, another wave of COVID-19 may emerge necessitating the imposition of lockdowns and restrictions," she said.

The UNEA commenced on Monday and will conclude on March 4 with a special session of the Environment Assembly to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP@50), which will be held on March 3 and 4 under the leadership of the Presidency and the Bureau of the sixth session of the Environment Assembly.

(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.)
Turkey's Ilker Ayci declines CEO role in setback for Tata Group

Former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci on Tuesday said he has declined the Tata Group's offer to be the chief executive officer and managing director of as "some sections of the Indian media" have attempted to "colour" his appointment in an undesirable manner.

Ayci is considered to be close to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Pakistan. Read more

Ukraine crisis: Karnataka student killed during shelling in Kharkiv

In first Indian casualty in the war in Ukraine, a student from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city on Tuesday morning.

External Affairs Ministry confirmed the death of the Indian in a tweet.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," it said. Read more

GST collection up 18% YoY at over Rs 1.33 trn in Feb: FinMin

in February grew 18 per cent to over Rs 1.33 trillion in February even as the Omicron wave dented the month-on-month collection momentum.

This is for the fifth time in the current fiscal that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection has crossed Rs 1.3 trillion-mark. Also, this is the first time, cess collection has crossed the Rs 10,000 crore-mark, signifying recovery in certain key sectors, especially automobile sales, the Finance Ministry said on Tuesday. Read more

Maruti Suzuki sales decline marginally in February to 164,056 units

The country's largest car maker (MSI) on Tuesday reported a marginal drop in total wholesales at 164,056 units in February.

The company had sold 164,469 units in February 2021, MSI said in a regulatory filing. Read more
Union Home Minister on Tuesday announced that the government would talk with all the militant outfits in and solve the insurgency related problems in the state by bringing all the cadres of the extremist groups into the mainstream.

Addressing an election rally in Thoubal, the home minister said that so far 9,500 militants belonging to various outfits of Assam and other northeastern states surrendered and joined the mainstream.

"There will be no fire to any Manipuri youth, no youth will go to jail. All the cadres of the extremist outfits would come into the mainstream and they would work for the development of and the country," Shah said. He added that curbing smuggling and illegal trade, would be made a drug free state.

Urging the people to vote for the BJP in the assembly elections, Shah said: "The BJP government has done a lot of work in Manipur in the last five years. Give us five more years. I came here to tell you that we would hold talks with all militant groups to establish permanent peace in the state."

He also announced to keep the territorial integrity of Manipur intact. His promise to secure the territorial integrity of the state assumes significance as the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) has been demanding the integration of the Naga dominated areas of the neighbouring states -- Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. This demand has been strongly opposed by all the three northeastern states.

Highlighting the performance of the BJP led Manipur government, Shah said when his party first came to power in the state in 2017, there was no women run police station, now all the districts have women police stations. "There was no railway line in Manipur earlier, but the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government has extended 111 km railway line in the state by spending Rs 12,000 crore."

"Earlier there was no national highway but now there are several national highways in Manipur. Rs 16,000 crore is being spent to build major highways in the state," he added.

The Home Minister said that the former Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh (Congress), knocked at the doors of the Gandhi family several times, but the BJP government at the Centre introduced the Inner Line Permit for which the incumbent Manipur Chief Minister does not have to go to Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday also addressed election rallies in Manipur virtually from Delhi. He had visited the poll bound state on February 22 and addressed an election rally in Imphal while Shah visited Manipur several times to campaign for the party.

The first phase of the Manipur (in 38 of the 60 seats) was held on Monday while the second phase of polling will be held in the remaining 22 seats on March 5. The votes will be counted on March 10.

--IANS

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(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.)
Hollywood studio has decided to pause its theatrical releases in Russia, following the country's military operation in .

The company's spokesperson shared the update via statement.

"Given the unprovoked invasion of and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia," the statement read.

will also halt the release of 'Turning Red' from Pixar, which was previously set to premiere in the country on March 10, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

"We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees," the spokesperson added.

For the unversed, last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced military operation in and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences they have never seen.

(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.)
After Facebook and Instagram, Google-owned on Tuesday said it has also blocked Russian news outlets RT (formerly Today) and Sputnik across Europe in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Alphabet-owned company confirmed the news on Twitter.

"Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we're blocking channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately. It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action," it posted.

Ursula von der Leyen, The president of the EU Commission, said the bloc would ban "the Kremlin's media machine.

"The state-owned Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war. We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe," she said.

Earlier, Meta (formerly Facebook) blocked Russian state media outlets RT and Sputnik across the European Union.

RT and Sputnik pages aren't visible in the EU on Facebook and Instagram any more.

"We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media," Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, said on Twitter.

"Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time," he posted late on Monday.

The social network has also blocked Russian state media from advertising on the platform.

Meta earlier blocked access to several Russian state-controlled accounts in Ukraine. The social network said it was also reviewing other governments' requests to restrict access to these accounts in their countries.

Hit by partial restrictions, Meta (formerly Facebook) had prohibited Russian state media from running ads or monetising on its platform anywhere in the world.

Meta has also taken down a network for targeting people in Ukraine who posed as news editors, aviation engineers and authors to spread misinformation around the Russian invasion across social media platforms.

The people ran websites posing as independent news entities and created fake personas across social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Telegram and also Russian Odnoklassniki and VK apps, the company said.

This operation ran a handful of websites masquerading as independent news outlets, publishing claims about the West betraying Ukraine and Ukraine being a failed state.

--IANS

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(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.)
Russia's Permanent Representative to the Vasily Nebenzya on Monday (local time) said the Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed that all peaceful citizens of Kyiv can leave without hindrance via Kyiv-Vasilkov road which is open and safe.

Speaking at the UNSC meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Nebenzya said that people are trying to blame the Russian military for the casualties of civilians in which is being done by itself.

"Over 5 days of operation, there hasn't been a single documented case of targetted destruction or evidence of the death of civilians caused by the Russian military, people are trying to blame us for what's being done by itself," he said.

"Ukrainian authorities issued an order to distribute arms to anyone who wants it, including criminals let out of prisons for that specific purpose, resulting in mass incidences of robberies, killings, and lootings," Nebenzya said.

He also said that did not start the "war" as it was started by Ukraine in 2014.

"Ukrainian radicals are placing their attack weaponry in residential areas, which is a direct violation of humanitarian law... did not start the war, it's trying to end it. Ukraine started it in 2014," he said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ambassador to UN Sergiy Kyslytsya termed the Russian invasion in Ukraine as the "most horrible" and "large-scale invasion" since World War II.

"It's the most horrible & large-scale invasion since World War II... keeps attacking kindergartens, orphanages, hospitals, mobile medical aid brigades & ambulances, with shellfire. This is an action of a state determined to kill civilians," Kyslytsya said.

He also welcomed the appointment of Amin Awad as the Assistant Secretary-General to serve as Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine.

"Ukrainian govt welcomes the appointment of Amin Awad as the Assistant Secretary-General to serve as Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine. He has arrived in Geneva and resumed his duties," he said.

"More checkpoints on the border with Poland have been opened, including 2 additional pedestrian crossings, for all who want to go to the neighboring safe country. An electronic resource platform will be launched tomorrow," Kyslytsya said.

"All information on the electronic platform will be systemized for effective communication & distribution of essential goods... Do not listen to the Russian lies, listen to Ukraine's cries. We need your help," 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.)
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday that Russian "crimes" in Ukraine are "mounting by the hour", with strikes hitting hospitals, schools and residential buildings.

Blinken, addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, said that the forum's urgent debate on Ukraine scheduled for Thursday, where a resolution brought by Kyiv and allies would set up an probe into violations, is an "important step toward ensuring documentation and accountability".

"We must send a resolute and unified message that President (Vladimir) Putin should unconditionally stop this," he said.

Blinken also said that China "continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang" against Muslim Uyghurs, and called for U.N. human rights boss Michelle Bachelet to release her office's report with findings on the situation.

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Ambassadors from dozens of countries on Monday backed a proposal demanding that halt its attack on Ukraine, as the UN General Assembly held a rare emergency session during a day of frenzied and sometimes fractious diplomacy surrounding the five-day-old war.

If Ukraine does not survive ... peace will not survive," Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said at the assembly's first emergency meeting since 1997.

Have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next.

Reflecting escalating global alarm, both of the UN's major bodies the 193-nation assembly and the smaller, more powerful Security Council took the unusual step of holding simultaneous, hastily scheduled meetings on the war. In Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council voted to hold its own urgent session.

Tension permeated the diplomatic discourse: The Security Council meeting opened with the news that the United States was kicking out 12 Russian UN diplomats whom Washington accused of spying.

Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks on the Belarus border, agreeing only to keep talking.

The guns are talking now, but the path of dialogue must always remain open, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the assembly. We need peace now.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia reiterated his country's assertions that what it calls a special military operation in defense of two breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine was being misrepresented.

Russian actions are being distorted and thwarted," he complained. has repeatedly sought to blame Ukraine for what Moscow claims are abuses of Russian speakers in the eastern enclaves.

The Russian Federation did not begin these hostilities that were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents," he said. is seeking to end this war.

The assembly session came three days after an attempt to condemn and stop Russia's attack ran into a Russian veto in the Security Council.

The assembly will give all UN members an opportunity to speak about the war.

More than 110 signed up to do so, with speeches to continue Tuesday. The assembly, which allows no vetoes, is expected to vote later in the week on a resolution coordinated by European Union envoys, working with Ukraine.

The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, demands that Russia immediately stop using force against Ukraine and withdraw all troops. It urges an immediate peaceful resolution through dialogue and negotiations, and it deplores what it calls Russia's aggression and the involvement of Belarus, which is siding with Moscow.

Assembly President Abdulla Shahid opened Monday's session by asking all envoys to stand for a moment of silence. In hours of speeches afterward, dozens exhorted their colleagues to vote yes.

With the Security Council having failed to deliver against its responsibilities, we, the General Assembly, must now stand up to play our part, said New Zealand's ambassador, Carolyn Schwalger.

Austrian Ambassador Alexander Marschik appealed to those who have good relations with Russia, saying that "a good friend, an honest friend, will speak up and say what needs to be said and what needs to be done when a friend commits an illegal and evil act.

But Russian ally Syria accused the West of a of hypocrisy, noting that various other conflicts over the years haven't gotten such special attention.

This historic emergency session on the situation in Ukraine completes the anti-Russian campaign that finds its origins in the provocative and hostile rhetoric towards Russia, propagated by the West to stoke tensions in Ukraine and compromise Russia's security, Syrian Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh said.

China, another Russian ally, called for respecting all countries' sovereignty and internationally recognized borders but didn't directly address the resolution.

Instead, Ambassador Zhang Jun encouraged fostering a conducive atmosphere for Russian-Ukrainian talks and frowned on any approach that may exacerbate tensions.

Nothing can be gained from stirring up a new Cold War, but everyone will stand to lose," he said.

The Security Council meeting later Monday was focused on the humanitarian impact of Russia's invasion, but the session began with a prickly exchange about the Russian diplomats' expulsion from the U.S.

Nebenzia bristled to the council that the expulsions were yet another hostile step by Washington. U.S. Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills said the dozen diplomats were engaged in undiplomatic activities.

Olivia Dalton, a spokesperson for the United States' U.N. mission, later said in a statement that the 12 were intelligence operatives who were engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security." Nebenzia, in remarks to The Associated Press, dismissed the assertion as a pretext.

With the UN saying the war is creating an already alarming and potentially massive humanitarian and refugee crisis, France and Mexico planned to propose a humanitarian-focused Security Council resolution.

French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said Sunday it would demand the end of hostilities, protection of civilians, and safe and unhindered humanitarian access to meet the urgent needs of the population.

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Beijing's pro-Kremlin approach concerning the ongoing Russian military operations in the Ukrainian territory might compromise the safety of the Chinese citizens stranded in Ukraine, said a media report.

According to the Chinese embassy in Kyiv, there were around 6,000 Chinese nationals in Ukraine when launched its military operations in the country, reported Vision Times.

Notably, the Chinese embassy initially advised its citizens to display the flags of the People's Republic of (PRC) on their cars as a sign of their neutral position concerning the ongoing conflict.

However, revoking this decision on February 26, the embassy told its citizens to "avoid ... flaunting symbols of their identity", the publication reported citing Radio France Internationale (RFI).

The Chinese embassy also advised the PRC nationals to maintain "harmonious relations with the Ukrainian people " and "avoid confrontations on specific issues."

With China's pro- attitude in the whole conflict, showing the PRC's colours got some Chinese citizens in Ukraine in trouble.

"I put the national flag on my car, as the embassy recommended. Then people started chasing me, what the [expletive]," the media outlet quoted a Telegram user.

"Do you dare take responsibility for your words? Putting the flag on yourself and going outside is looking for death. Everyone knows that the Chinese here are affluent and well-supplied, and on top of that people here think the Chinese support Russia's invasion of Ukraine," said another user berating the Chinese embassy.

Notably, though the Chinese Foreign Ministry on February 23 said the sovereignty of all nations, including that of Ukraine, must be respected, it has accused the United States and its allies of augmenting the situation.

Further, Chinese President Xi Jinping on February 4 signed a major strategic agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, securing the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Moreover, Chinese social media, filled with pro-Russian sentiments, clearly demonstrates Beijing's pro-Kremlin attitude. Also, prior to Russia's military operations in Ukraine, Chinese state media accidentally published guidelines on how to handle the Russia-Ukraine conflict: to support Moscow and expurgate content presenting in a negative light.

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US Secretary of State has assured to impose more sanctions against and will provide weapons to Ukraine, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday (local time).

"In our call, @SecBlinken affirmed that the U.S. support for remains unfaltering. I underscored that craves for peace, but as long as we are under Russia's assault, we need more sanctions and weapons. Secretary assured me of both. We coordinated further steps," Kuleba tweeted.

He also held talks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Russia's latest war crimes in .

"Call with @JosepBorrellF on Russia's latest war crimes in Ukraine, including brutal indiscriminate shelling of civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv which led to multiple civilian casualties. HR/VP updated me on the EU's resolute steps to further elevate sanctions against Russia," Kuleba wrote in a tweet.

Taking to Twitter, Kuleba informed that he had a call with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister also held talks with Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis and Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.

"Call with my Lithuanian friend @GLandsbergis. Lithuania stands by Ukraine resolutely. More military and humanitarian support is on its way to Ukraine. We both agree that the EU must adopt the most painful sanctions against to stop Putin's war against the Ukrainian people," Kuleba tweeted.

"Call with Singapore's FM @VivianBala. Singapore stands in solidarity with Ukraine as we defend ourselves from the ongoing Russian invasion. Grateful for Singapore's humanitarian assistance and urge Singapore to join the global economic pressure on to stop Putin's war," he wrote in a tweet.

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on Tuesday warned the US that it will pay a "heavy price" for its attempts to show support to Taiwan's independence as a delegation of ex-American defence officials dispatched by President Joe Biden landed in Taipei amid apprehensions that Beijing may attempt action against the self-ruled island akin to Russia's military assault in Ukraine.

Taiwanese media reports said a five-member delegation headed by former US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Admiral (retd) Mullen was received by Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, raising concerns in Beijing over the US efforts to step up its engagement with Taiwan, which firmly affirms as part of the Chinese mainland.

in recent months ratcheted up military preparations sending hundreds of its air force jets into Taiwan's Air Defence Zone besides beefing up its naval force keeping the self-governing breakaway island on tenterhooks.

Officials in and the US say that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has drawn fresh attention to China's threat to forcibly annex the self-governing island.

Besides Mullen's visit, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was due to arrive in on Wednesday.

Both Mullen and Pompeo, known for their anti-China rhetoric during their stint under former US president Donald Trump, are due to meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who Beijing blames as the ring-leader of advocating Taiwan's independence.

Much on the expected lines, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had some sharp words to criticise the visit of US officials.

"The Chinese people are firmly determined to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here when asked about the American officials visit.

"The attempt by the US to show support to will be in vain no matter who it sent. China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle, he said.

He denounced the US guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson last Saturday sailing through the contested waters of Taiwan Straits, saying the US moves to back Taiwanese independence forces will accelerate their fall.

"I wonder what is the US intention behind this high part of this passage of USS Johnson. If it intends to embolden Taiwan's independent separatist forces, then it will only accelerate the fall of Taiwan independence forces and the US will pay a heavy price for his adventurous acts, Wang said.

If the US intends to intimidate China by this, then, in front of the 1.4 billion Chinese people united in their steely determination, the so-called military deterrence will be nothing but scrap metal, he said.

"Such US tricks involving sailing across the Taiwan Strait will better leave the show to those obsessed with hegemony, Wang said.

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Corp. is facing a tough choice over whether to leave as rival supermajor oil explorers quit the countrys vast oil and natural gas fields in response to the invasion of .



Although BP Plc and Shell Plc have announced plans to cut ties with Russian partners, Exxon hasnt disclosed intentions for its 30% stake in a huge offshore crude development in the Russian Far East.

The moves by BP and Shell leaves Exxon and TotalEnergies SE as the only remaining supermajors with significant drilling operations in . Unless an announcement comes sooner, Exxon Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods is expected to be grilled by analysts Wednesday during the companys annual strategy presentation to Wall Street.

The geopolitical urgency of energy security is much more central to the conversation that it would have been even 100 days ago, said Pavel Molchanov, an analyst at Raymond James & Associates. Exxon has a long-standing history in and that relationship will be a question at Wednesdays event.

Shell cited Russias senseless act of military aggression while BP said the invasion prompted a fundamental rethink of its ties with Rosneft.

Exxons position in Russia already may be growing more tenuous after banking-sector sanctions threated the drillers ability to pay local workers, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Woodss predecessor and mentor, former CEO Rex Tillerson, avoided finding fault with Putin during a previous incursion in that led to the seizure of the Crimean peninsula.

We dont take sides in any geopolitical events, Tillerson said in a 2014 meeting with reporters. We have navigated these kinds of challenges before.

Exxon made history when it successfully tapped gigantic oil reserves off the coast of Sakhalin Island. The Texas explorer oversees the Sakhalin-1 development that it co-own with Rosneft and from Japan and India.

As for TotalEnergies, the French titan holds a major stake Novatek PJSC. Chevron Corp., which is also a member of supermajor clique, doesnt conduct any drilling in Russia, although it holds an interest in a pipeline that crosses part of the nations territory.
The Finnish government has decided to provide the Ukrainian authorities with military assistance, including assault rifles, anti-tank weapons, and combat ration packages, the Finnish defense ministry said on Monday.

"On the proposal of the Government, the President of the Republic decided today that will deliver 2,500 assault rifles, 1,50,000 cartridges for the attack rifles, 1,500 single-shot anti-tank weapons and 70,000 combat ration packages to as material aid," the ministry said in a statement.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin noted at a briefing that the decision was "historic," since the country had never previously supplied weapons to conflict zones.

"This is not a war of ordinary Russians. In Finland, there is no place for discrimination and harassment against Russians or Russian speakers," Marin stressed.

According to Finnish Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen, the military assistance will be delivered to in two batches - on Tuesday and on Wednesday. Poland pledged to help with the transit, he said.

also decided to provide with additional military support, in particular, M72 light anti-tank weapons, the Norwegian government said on Monday.

"Like other countries, has an idea of the military equipment Ukraine needs. With that in mind, the armed forces assessed what can offer promptly. The government decided to donate up to 2,000 M72 anti-tank weapons," the government said in a press release.

The Italian Council of Ministers approved on Monday a decree also providing for military assistance to Ukraine amid Russia's operation in the country.

"The order allows the transfer of military means, materials and equipment to the governmental authorities of Ukraine," the council said in a statement, following a meeting on the Ukrainian crisis.

The Italian government's decree must be approved by the parliament to come into force.

On Sunday, both Oslo and Helsinki pledged to provide Kiev with helmets and bulletproof vests. In addition, decided to sent stretchers and equipment for emergency medical care stations in Ukraine. Italy, in turn, approved the allocation of 110 million euros ($123 million) to support Ukraine.

On Thursday, Russia began a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in countering the aggression of Ukrainian troops. Moscow has repeatedly said that it has no plans to occupy the Ukrainian territory.

Western countries have been arming Ukraine for months prior to the Russian operation. According to reports, Ukraine has now asked the EU for more arms, including air-defense and anti-missile systems, as well as cannons, mortars, and automatic weapons.

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Three evacuation flights from Romania's capital Bucharest and Hungary's capital Budapest came to India on Tuesday with 616 Indian nationals who were stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive, officials said.

On Tuesday, two flights were operated by while one service was operated by Tata Group-owned .

India began the evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania and Hungary on February 26. Private Indian carriers have brought back 2,012 Indian nationals in nine special flights till now.

operated the Bucharest-Mumbai flight via Kuwait with 182 Indian nationals.

operated Budapest-Delhi flight via Istanbul with 216 Indian nationals.

India's largest carrier also operated Bucharest-Delhi service via Istanbul with 218 Indian nationals.

Meanwhile, sent four planes, two to Budapest and two to Rzeszow in Poland, to evacuate Indians. SpiceJet also sent a plane to Kosice in Slovakia for evacuation on Tuesday.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said on February 27 that around 13,000 Indians, mainly college students, are currently stranded in Ukraine.

Ukranian airspace has been shut down since February 24, when the Russian government started its military operations against the country.

In first Indian casualty in the war in Ukraine, a student from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city on Tuesday morning.

External Affairs Ministry confirmed the death of the Indian in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive against that country, sources said on Tuesday.

Indians are travelling by road to Ukraine's borders with Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland etc, from where they are being taken by the Indian government officials to airports for evacuation flights.

The Indian Embassy in Ukraine on Twitter advised all Indian nationals, including students, to leave Kyiv urgently on Tuesday itself, preferably by available trains or through any other means available.

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Global auto and truck makers, including U.S. automaker Co and Germany's Daimler Truck, on Monday suspended some business in Russia following that country's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian forces invaded Ukraine last week, marking the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two. Many firms have idled operations in Russia following Western sanctions against Russia.

Energy giant BP Plc, Russia's biggest foreign investor, abruptly announced over the weekend it was abandoning its 20% stake in state-controlled Rosneft at a cost of up to $25 billion.

On Monday, GM said it would suspend all vehicle exports to Russia until further notice. The Detroit company does not have plants in Russia, only sells about 3,000 vehicles annually there and has limited supply-chain exposure.

"Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine at this time," Gm said in a statement. "The loss of life is a tragedy and our overriding concern is for the safety of people in the region."

Swedish automaker Volvo Cars said it would suspend car shipments to the Russian market until further notice, becoming the first automaker to do so as sanctions over the invasion continue to bite.

In a statement, the company said it had made the decision because of "potential risks associated with trading material with Russia, including the sanctions imposed by the EU and US."

"Volvo Cars will not deliver any cars to the Russian market until further notice," it said.

A Volvo spokesman said the carmaker exports vehicles to Russia from plants in Sweden, China and the .

Volvo sold around 9,000 cars in Russia in 2021, based on industry data.

Also on Monday, Volkswagen in Russia temporarily suspended deliveries of cars to dealers until further notice. "Deliveries are to resume as soon as the effects of the sanctions imposed by the European Union and the have been clarified," a VW spokesperson said.

VW previously said it would halt production for a few days this week at two German factories after a delay in getting parts made in Ukraine.

Daimler Truck said on Monday it would freeze its business activities in Russia with immediate effect, including its cooperation with Russian truck maker Kamaz, which is 47% owned by Russian state conglomerate Rostec.

Mercedes-Benz Group is also looking into legal options to divest its 15% stake in Kamaz as quickly as possible, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported.

A Mercedes spokesperson said business activities would have to be re-evaluated in light of the current events.

Mercedes-Benz Group, formerly Daimler AG, was the parent company of Daimler Truck before the truck maker was spun off.

U.S. truck engine maker Cummins Inc on Monday declined to discuss its relationship with Kamaz, but said it expected "some impact" to its business in Russia without providing further details. In 2006, Cummins agreed to produce engines for Kamaz's fleet of trucks, buses and other heavy machinery.

Media representatives for Kamaz could not immediately be reached to comment.

HALTED PRODUCTION

Swedish truck maker AB Volvo said it has halted all production and sales in Russia due to the crisis. It generates about 3% of its sales in Russia and has a factory there.

"We now have a bit more clarity on sanctions and security in the region ... this means all operations in Russia end," a company spokesperson told Reuters, adding the measures would apply until further notice.

Officials with U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co could not be reached to comment on Monday.

Ford, which has a 50% stake in three Russian plants, previously said it was working to manage any impacts on its operations but its primary focus was the safety of its employees in the region.

U.S. airplane manufacturer Boeing said Monday it has paused operations at its Moscow Training Campus and temporarily closed its office in Kyiv.

Separately on Monday, Toyota Motor Corp said it would suspend factory operations in Japan after a supplier of plastic parts and electronic components was hit by a suspected cyberattack.

No information was immediately available about who was behind the possible attack, or their motive. The attack comes just after Japan joined Western allies in clamping down on Russia after it invaded Ukraine, although it was not clear if the attack was at all related.

Japanese government officials said they would investigate whether Russia was involved.

(Writing by Ben Klayman in Detroit, additional reporting by Jan Schwartz in Hamburg and Bianca Flowers in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

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Several Indian students stuck in eastern parts of Ukraine, which is largely affected by the Russian military offensive, are facing a grim situation as it is difficult for them to travel by road to reach the western borders and move out of the war-hit country, one of the students returned to India said here on Tuesday.

A number of students evacuated from arrived in Mumbai by an Air India Express flight from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday morning.

Talking to reporters at the Mumbai airport, one of the evacuees, Nishi Malkani said the university where she was studying is located in west Ukraine, where the situation is comparatively better.

"We hid in our hostels for a couple of days and then managed to reach the western border quickly. Thousands of students in educational institutions in the eastern parts of are facing a grim situation as travelling by road from there is extremely difficult, she said.

"There should be more efforts to provide an access to those students for safe return," she said.

Asked about her experience in the last few days, Malkani said, I had never thought that I will face a situation like this in my life. We were asked by our university administration to remain inside our hostels for four days.

We were close to Ukraine's western borders, so we could cross over to neighbouring Romania quickly. The Indian embassy officials helped further and we could return home, she said.

She also claimed there were "some militants" on her university campus in the last few days, but the students were not harmed.

Poorva Patil, another student who came back from on Tuesday, thanked God for the safe return.

She was also pursuing an educational course at an institution in west Ukraine.

"I feared for my life, but by God's grace, I am back home. It is a big thing for me, she said.

Narrating her experience in the war-torn country, Patil said, First, we were asked to stay inside our hostel rooms and were later sheltered in bunkers. It was severe cold with temperature around 2 degrees Celsius. We travelled almost 10 km by hiring a bus to reach near the Romanian border.

She has been exhausted after facing such a difficult situation. "My feet are swollen, Patil said, adding that she received good support from the Indian embassy officials in facilitating her safe return.

Some of the other evacuees also said that many Indian students were still stuck in Ukraine and were in need of support.

Union minister Narayan Rane, who received the students at the airport here, said, As many as 182 students have returned to Mumbai today. It was the fifth flight organised by the Union government under 'Operation Ganga'.

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The on Monday has issued red notices against Atul and Rajesh Gupta -- two of the three Indian-origin Gupta brothers -- who fled with their families amid investigations into their alleged looting of billions of rands from state and parastatal organisations.

However, they have declined a request from the South African government to issue red notices against their wives -- Arthi and Chetali Gupta.

A red notice is an alert to all member states that an individual is a wanted fugitive, but is not equivalent to an arrest warrant. However, it strengthens the case of a country negotiating the extradition of wanted criminals from another state.

The South African government had applied for Red Notice against them seven months ago.

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has described the move as a positive development which he hoped would allow justice to take its course.

South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has been trying for several years to extradite the Gupta brothers, who are believed to have fled to Dubai in 2018.

Although their exact whereabouts remains obscure, last year had concluded an extradition treaty with Dubai and applied for their extradition.

The Guptas have been accused of misusing their proximity to former President Jacob Zuma to loot from parastatal companies, including the national electricity supplier Eskom, which is now severely cash-strapped, resulting in frequent load shedding cross the country.

The Guptas had previously stated that their extradition was politically motivated, which has been denied by the NPA.

Zuma is currently fighting the revocation of his medical parole after serving just a few months of a 15-month jail sentence imposed by the apex Constitutional Court last year because he walked out of a hearing of the commission and refused to testify further.

Lawyers for the Guptas have confirmed that they had been made aware that the NPA had "temporarily succeeded" in having red notices issued against the brothers, but stated that they would be challenging these notices on the basis of "material misrepresentations by the NPA, according to website news24.co.za.

Outgoing head of the Investigating Directorate at the NPA, Hermione Cronje, who had led the process to get the Guptas back to South Africa, has described Interpol's move as bittersweet.

"This is my last day at the ID, so getting formal notification that these red notices have been issued - which paves the way for the Gupta brothers to be extradited - is bittersweet. So many people have worked very hard to make this a reality and my sincere [wish] is that their efforts translate, finally, into those allegedly responsible for state capture being held to account, Cronje told news24.co.za.

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The has denied that the Russian military has used cluster munitions in and insisted that the Russian forces only have struck military targets.

Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Tuesday that the Russian troops don't conduct any strikes against civilian infrastructure and residential areas. Peskov's claim contradicts abundant evidence documented by the AP of indiscriminate shelling of homes, schools, and hospitals across .

Peskov also rejected the accusations that the Russian military has used cluster munitions and devastating vacuum weapons, dismissing them as fabrications.

Speaking in a conference call with reporters, he wouldn't respond to questions about whether the is happy with the pace of the offensive and wouldn't comment on Russian military casualties.

The Russian Defense Ministry said for the first time Monday that it has suffered losses but didn't name any numbers.

___



Geneva: The UN human rights office says it has recorded the deaths of 136 civilians, including 13 children, in since the start of Russia's invasion on Feb 24, but warned the toll may be far higher.

The Geneva-based office said Tuesday that it has also recorded 400 civilians injured in the conflict, among them 26 children.

Most of these casualties were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and air strikes, it said. These are only the casualties we were able to cross-check, and the real toll is likely to be much higher.

It urged parties to the conflict not to use explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas because of the very high risks of indiscriminate and disproportionate impact on civilians.

___



Moscow: Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu says that the military will keep pressing its offensive in Ukraine until it achieves its stated goals, charging that the attack is intended to protect" his country from a military threat from Western countries, "which are trying to use the Ukrainian people in the fight against our country.

Shoigu reaffirmed on Tuesday that the Russian military strikes only military facilities and uses exclusively precision weapons despite abundant evidence documented by the AP of indiscriminate shelling of homes, schools and hospitals across Ukraine.

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All day long, as trains and buses bring people fleeing to the safety of Polish border towns, they carry not just Ukrainians fleeing a homeland under attack but large numbers of citizens of other countries who had made their home and whose lives have also been upended.

In Przemysl, a town near the border which is the first stopping point for many refugees, there is a visibly large number of Africans and people from Middle Eastern countries.

Ahmed Ibrahim, a 23-year-old Egyptian, arrived carrying his cat in a carrier late Friday, feeling stunned and sick after days of travel. He said he had been studying medicine in for five years and had only one year left. He had no idea what his future holds, not even what his next steps are. What should I do? he said.

Earlier a Pakistani man got off a bus that had come from Lviv in western Poland in a supermarket parking lot that is the arrival point for buses. Shaking in the cold he told a volunteer that he wants to go to Germany but has no money. The volunteer asked him if he wanted to be taken to Krakow, a Polish city that would bring him closer to Germany, and he said yes.

The UN refugee agency said Tuesday that some 660,000 refugees had already fled from Ukraine into neighbouring countries.

This figure has been rising exponentially, hour after hour, literally, since Thursday, agency chief Filippo Grandi told the United Nations Security Council. I have worked in refugee crises for almost 40 years and I have rarely seen such an incredibly fast-rising exodus of people the largest, surely, within Europe, since the Balkan wars.

Most go to Poland, a European Union country that is already home to many Ukrainians who came for work in recent years.

UNHCR figures on Monday had 281,000 people arriving in Poland, more than 84,500 in Hungary, about 36,400 in Moldova, over 32,500 in Romania and about 30,000 in Slovakia.

The UN believes up to 4 million refugees could leave Ukraine if the war deteriorates further.

Polish UN Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski said people of some 125 nationalities had been admitted from Ukraine on Monday morning alone. Most were of course Ukraine. But other nationalities that made up at least 100 people each were: Uzbek, Nigerian, Indian, Moroccan, Kazakh, Pakistani, Afghan, Polish, Belarussian, Iranian, Turkish, Algerian and Russian.

Some non-Ukrainians have complained that they have waited longer in line than Ukrainians and in some cases felt treated poorly.

Kaneka Agnihotri, an Indian student who has lived six years in Ukraine, walked six hours without food to the Shehyni border crossing. There, she said, Ukrainian guards humiliated her and a group of other Indians, telling them to stand up and sit down over and over again and getting close to them with guards.

She told the AP that her group later moved to a different border crossing where they were treated well. Once in Poland, the Poles did everything to help.

There have been some reports that Africans in particular have been treated badly by Ukrainian guards.

Cihan Yildiray, a 26-year-old from Turkey who has been working in Kyiv, said Ukrainians passed through the border checkpoint more easily. He said he saw Black people and Arabs being beaten by Ukrainian guards.

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Meta (formerly Facebook) has now blocked Russian state media outlets RT (earlier called Today) and Sputnik across the .

RT and Sputnik pages aren't visible in the EU on and Instagram any more.

"We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media," Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, said on Twitter.

"Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time," he posted late on Monday.

The social network has also blocked Russian state media from advertising on the platform.

Meta earlier blocked access to several Russian state-controlled accounts in Ukraine. The social network said it was also reviewing other governments' requests to restrict access to these accounts in their countries.

Hit by partial restrictions, Meta (formerly Facebook) had prohibited Russian state media from running ads or monetising on its platform anywhere in the world.

Meta has also taken down a network for targeting people in Ukraine who posed as news editors, aviation engineers and authors to spread misinformation around the Russian invasion across social media platforms.

The people ran websites posing as independent news entities and created fake personas across social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Telegram and also Russian Odnoklassniki and VK apps, the company said.

This operation ran a handful of websites masquerading as independent news outlets, publishing claims about the West betraying Ukraine and Ukraine being a failed state.

--IANS

na/svn/

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Russia said it would press forward with its invasion of until its goals are met, as troops were seen moving in a large convoy toward the capital, Kyiv. In the countrys second-largest city, Kharkiv, the mayor said residential areas were being bombed in what he called a war to destroy the Ukrainian people.

As penalties against Russia continued, the identified seven Russian banks its considering excluding from the SWIFT messaging system. Meanwhile, a United Nations agency reported more than 100 civilian deaths, and said the actual number of casualties could be much higher.

Russia banned residents from transferring hard currency abroad, as President Vladimir Putin sought to counter the fresh sanctions walloping the economy.

Russia warns it will strike military targets in Kyiv

Russia plans to strike some communication objects belonging to security service inside Kyiv, Russian Defence Ministry says, according to Interfax.

Russian forces plan to strike the source of information attacks, the ministry said. While Russia says it is only targeting military facilities, Ukrainian officials and eyewitnesses have reported scores of civilian casualties from air and missile strikes and shared videos of munitions hitting civil and residential buildings.

Zelenskiy urges to let join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the EU to grant Ukraine entry, as eight presidents from the blocs eastern members called for the country to be immediately given a path to accession.

Zelenskiys request has been met with enthusiasm from some member states, but EU officials, who declined to be identified while speaking about a confidential issue, cautioned that the procedure is usually long and complex. The EU will be definitely stronger with us, Zelenskiy told the European Parliament via video link.

In an open letter to the EU, the presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia called for a path toward membership to be opened for Ukraine. Hungarys government also said it backs the membership bid.

Cargo aircraft grounded by Russian invasion

Russias invasion of Ukraine has sidelined a fleet of massive freight-hauling planes that oil companies and engineering firms rely on to carry oversize items such as helicopters, power turbines and even spacecraft.

UK looking at tighter Russian SWIFT curbs

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK is examining how we can tighten up yet further restrictions on Russias use of SWIFT, on which it relies for its oil and gas exports. Speaking in Poland, Johnson told reporters.

Sberbank, Russias largest lender, could also face more sanctions after announcing Monday that it will no longer be able to clear payments in pounds sterling.

UN reports hundreds of civilians killed, wounded

Reports of civilian casualties and civilian infrastructure damage continue to increase across Ukraine, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement.

The government-controlled areas of the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions in eastern Ukraine are among the hardest hit, with several cities, towns and villages on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, the OCHA said.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights confirmed at least 406 civilian casualties, including 102 deaths, with the real figures feared to be much higher.
Ousted leader Aung San pleaded not guilty Monday to a corruption charge that alleged she had accepted $600,000 and seven gold bars from a former political ally, a legal official said.

The case is one of 10 in which she is being prosecuted under the anti-corruption law.

She is accused of receiving the money and gold bars in 2017-18 from Phyo Min Thein, the former chief minister of Yangon, the country's biggest city. He was also a senior member of her National League for Democracy party.

has been detained since the army toppled her elected government in February last year, and has not been seen or allowed to speak in public since then.

All of her court hearings have been closed to the media and public. Her lawyers, before they were served with gag orders late last year, said she rejected all the corruption allegations against her as absurd.

has also faced a series of other criminal charges since her arrest. She has already been sentenced to six years' imprisonment after being convicted of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions and sedition.

Her supporters and human rights groups say the cases against her are an attempt to discredit her and keep her from returning to and participating in a new election the army has promised by 2023.

Her party won a landslide victory in the 2020 general election. The army said it seized power because there was massive voting fraud, an allegation that independent poll watchers do not support.

A court in the capital, Naypyitaw, is hearing the 10 corruption cases against Suu Kyi. The maximum penalty for each offense is 15 years in prison and a fine.

The nine other corruption cases include several related to the purchase and rental of a helicopter. She is also charged with diverting money meant as charitable donations to build a residence, and with misusing her position to obtain rental properties at lower-than-market prices for a foundation named after her mother.

The state Anti-Corruption Commission has declared that several of the actions deprived the state of revenue it would otherwise have earned.

An 11th corruption charge, alleging that she accepted another bribe, has not yet gone to trial.

In Monday's hearing, the judge ruled that the trial should proceed after earlier hearing the prosecution's case, as is customary in trials, and Suu Kyi then pleaded not guilty.

She then requested that four prosecution witnesses, including Phyo Min Thein, be recalled for re-examination.

The legal official familiar with the hearing said Suu Kyi appeared to be in good health. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information.

Suu Kyi is also being tried in the same court on a charge of violating the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years, and on a charge alleging election fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of three years.

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on Tuesday awarded three additional missions to the Space Station (ISS) to Elon Musk led company for a $3.49 billion contract.

The contract for Crew-7, Crew-8, and Crew-9 is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap), which follows the US space agency's notice of intent to procure the flights in December 2021, said.

It brings the total missions for to nine and allows to maintain an uninterrupted US capability for human access to the space station.

As part of the missions, SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket transport up to four astronauts along with critical cargo to the space station.

Earlier, was contracted to fly three more missions to the ISS: Crew-4 and Crew-5 in 2022 and Crew-6 in 2023.

With the extension, which is "fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity," NASA said in a statement.

The period of performance for SpaceX now runs through March 31, 2028, it added.

"It's critical we begin to secure additional flights to the space station now so we are ready as these missions are needed to maintain a US presence on station,a Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate, said in the agency's notice of intent to modify SpaceX's contract, published in December 2021.

"Our US human launch capability is essential to our continued safe operations in orbit and to building our low-Earth orbit economy," Lueders added.

In 2014, NASA had awarded the CCtCap contracts to Boeing and SpaceX through a public-private partnership as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Programme.

Under CCtCap, NASA certifies that a provider's space transportation system meets the agency's requirements prior to flying missions with astronauts.

Only SpaceX was certified by NASA for crew transportation in November 2020, and the company is currently on its third crew rotation mission for the agency.

--IANS

rvt/dpb

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The Energy Agency said on Tuesday that all 31 member countries have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to send a strong message to oil markets that there will be no shortfall in supplies as a result of Russia's invasion of .

The IEA board made the decision at an extraordinary board meeting of energy ministers chaired by US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

Besides the United States, other members of the organisation include the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada.

IEA members hold emergency stockpiles of 1.5 billion barrels. The release amounts to 4 per cent of stockpiles or roughly 2 million barrels per day for 30 days.

It's only the fourth time in history that the IEA has done a coordinated drawdown since the reserves were established in the wake of the Arab oil embargo in 1974.

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Secretary- General Jens Stoltenberg is meeting Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Lask Air Base in central Poland for talks on the eastern flank's security, as Russia wages war on Ukraine, just across Poland's eastern border.

Stoltenberg and Duda shook hands early Tuesday at the 32rd Tactical Air Base in Lask, where Polish and fighter jets are based, including F-16s.

The United States recently reinforced the eastern flank of NATO's territory with some 5,000 additional troops.

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Rebecca Meads 2014 book My Life in Middlemarch was an original and insightful hybrid work. Blending literary biography, textual commentaries and snippets of personal memoir, she shone a fresh light on George Eliots study of provincial life and at the same time revealed how the novel had helped and guided her, both when she first encountered it at age 17 and when she revisited it at key stages throughout the years.

If there was a downside to the book it was that Mead's experiences were frequently overshadowed and ultimately eclipsed by Eliot's life story. She avoids this problem in her latest book, another personal account, by positioning herself squarely at the center of it. Her tale comprises the main narrative, but branching off from it at regular intervals are welcome riffs and reflections on a diverse range of topics.

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(Alfred A. Knopf)

Home/Land: A Memoir of Departure and Return chronicles the authors relocation from her adopted home of New York to her birth city of London. After becoming increasingly disenchanted with the American political situation, Mead, a staff writer at The New Yorker, decided to leave the country with her husband and adolescent son.

It was a big step: She had lived in America for 30 years and become an American citizen; London had drastically transformed itself over that time and she harbored mixed feelings about her "chilly, moated island nation." But in the summer of 2018 she and her family finally took the plunge and made the move.

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Mead describes how relocation brought dislocation: She spends months in limbo, staying in temporary, short-term accommodation and adapting to new surroundings and different ways of doing things. As she recounts how she acclimated, one thought gives rise to another. London landmarks  streets, buildings, institutions, recreational space  trigger private memories or spawn meditations on art and literature. A profile of the carpenter she recruits to build her bookcases  a man who, until recently, had the distinction of being Britains longest-serving prisoner  prompts musings on the seaside town of Weymouth where she grew up, her first love, Thomas Hardys Tess of the dUrbervilles and her late fathers birthplace.

Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news >

Mead continues to zigzag through time by replaying her years starting out as a journalist in New York and tracing her parents' histories. Her non-linear approach never disorientates  rather, it invigorates, creating as it does a rich patchwork of overlapping ideas and recollections. Only occasionally are Mead's ruminations too ponderous for their own good.

This is an artfully crafted memoir that offers a clear-eyed examination of home, roots, belonging, and personal and national identity. At the end Mead explains that she has been sifting through fragments, filling in blanks, making imaginative leaps, all in an attempt to weave myself back into the citys fabric. In doing so, she shows us how we are shaped by both the places we come from and the places we come to call home.

Malcolm Forbes has written for the Times Literary Supplement, the Economist and the Wall Street Journal. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

___

About the book

HOME/LAND: A Memoir of Departure and Return

Rebecca Mead

Alfred A. Knopf. 240 pp. $27.
NATO's chief says the alliance sees no need to change its alert level, despite Russia's threats.

The alliance's secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, spoke to The Associated Press following talks on European security with Polish President Andrzej Duda. They met at an air base in Lask, central Poland, where NATO's Polish and US fighter jets are based.

We will always do what is needed to protect and defend our allies, but we don't think there is any need now to change the alert levels of NATO's nuclear forces, Stoltenberg said.

The Kremlin has raised the spectre of nuclear war, reporting on Monday that its land, air and sea nuclear forces were on high alert following President Vladimir Putin's weekend order. NATO itself has no nuclear weapons, but three of its members, the United States, Britain and France, do.

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The government on Monday reiterated that it would not allow any activity against its friendly and neighbouring countries, including India and China, on its territory.

The comments, which were part of a Cabinet decision, came a day after Nepal's Parliament ratified the contentious US-funded USD 500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact along with an Interpretive Declaration a day ahead of the February 28 deadline set by Washington, ending months of debates, protests and polarisation in the Himalayan nation.

The MCC is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the US Congress in 2004. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID.

Nepal's political parties were sharply divided on whether to accept the US grant assistance under the MCC agreement.

The MCC also dragged into a geopolitical game, with Beijing taking a jibe at Washington for providing a "gift" to with an ultimatum, for a second time in a week, firstly warning the US against using coercive diplomacy in Nepal.

On Monday, the Nepal government, during the cabinet meeting, expressed thanks to all, including the Speaker, members of the House of Representative (HoR), political parties in the ruling alliance, the oppositional party, and other parties for facilitating to create an enabling atmosphere to endorse the MCC compact from the HoR on February 27.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday took a decision to this effect. "Nepal would not allow its territory to be used against any friendly and neighbouring countries including and India," stated the cabinet decision.

The Cabinet meeting stated that the essence of Nepal's foreign policy is to keep friendly relations with all the countries, according to government spokesman and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki.

The Cabinet meeting also thanked all the friendly countries, donor agencies, regional and organisations for their significant support in Nepal's socio-economic development.

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and signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Tuesday that unlocks unprecedented access to the British market and accelerates New Zealand's Covid-19 recovery, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

"Virtually all our current trade will be duty-free from entry into force, including duty-free quotas for key products like meat, butter and cheese, helping to accelerate our economic recovery," Ardern said in a statement.

The deal will boost New Zealand's GDP by up to NZ$1 billion ($680 million), supporting business and jobs, he added, Xinhua news agency reported.

This is New Zealand's first bilateral trade agreement to include a specific article on climate change and includes provisions towards eliminating environmentally harmful subsidies, such as harmful fossil fuel subsidies, and prohibiting fisheries subsidies which lead to overfishing, she said.

The FTA was signed in London by Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor and Britain's Secretary of State for Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

It's estimated New Zealand goods exports to will increase by more than 50 per cent through the agreement, O'Connor said, adding the agreement will enter into force by the end of 2022 after both partners ratify the agreement through respective parliaments.

was New Zealand's seventh-largest trading partner pre-Covid, with two-way trade worth NZ$6 billion ($4.06 billion) to March 2020, he said.

--IANS

int/sks/dpb

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Oil futures rose on Tuesday morning, following a volatile start to the week, as the market weighed a coordinated release of crude inventories against Russian supply disruptions in the wake of Moscow's invasion of .

May Brent crude futures, which began trading as prompt on Tuesday, gained about 1% at 0141 GMT to $98.90. The benchmark touched a seven-year high of $105.79 after Russia's invasion of began last week.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) April crude futures were up about 0.8% at $96.53. That contract touched a high of $99.10 a barrel the previous day, and had settled up more than 4%.

Concerns over tightening supplies come as major oil and gas companies, including BP and Shell, have announced plans to exit Russian operations and joint ventures. Buyers of Russian oil are also facing difficulty over payments and vessel availability as Western sanctions in response to the invasion of take hold.

The market calmed as the United States and allies discuss a coordinated release of crude stocks in a bid to mitigate supply disruption. That release could tally up to between 60 and 70 million barrels, media outlets reported.

"That likely release is capping oil price rises for now," analysts for Commonwealth Bank of Australia wrote in a note.

The Energy Agency (IEA) is set to hold an extraordinary ministerial meeting on Tuesday to discuss what role its members can play in stabilising oil markets.

Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation", exports some 4-5 million barrels per day of crude, and 2-3 million barrels per day of refined products.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers - including - will also meet on Wednesday and are anticipated to maintain a gradual increase to supplies.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

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By Julia Payne

LONDON (Reuters) -Oil prices surged on Tuesday as concerns over potential supply disruptions after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions outweighing talks of a coordinated global crude stocks release.

May Brent crude futures were up $3.04, or 3.1%, to $101.01 a barrel by 0843 GMT. The benchmark touched a seven-year high of $105.79 after the invasion began last week.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) April crude futures were up $2.56, or 2.67%, at $98.28. The contract touched a high of $99.10 a barrel the previous day, ending up more than 4%.

A huge Russian military convoy approached Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Tuesday after ceasefire talks between and Ukraine failed to reach a breakthrough.

Russia's economic isolation worsened as the world's biggest shipping firm Maersk on Tuesday said it would halt container shipping to and from .

"The fragile situation in Ukraine and financial and energy sanctions against will keep the energy crisis stoked and oil well above $100 per barrel in the near-term and even higher if the conflict escalates further," Louise Dickson, senior oil market analyst from Rystad Energy, wrote in a note.

Major oil and gas companies, including BP and Shell, have announced plans to exit Russian operations and joint ventures.

Buyers of Russian oil are facing difficulty over payments and vessel availability due to sanctions.

Still, the market mood was helped by the United States and allies discussing a coordinated release of crude stocks to mitigate supply disruption. That release could reach 60 million to 70 million barrels, media outlets reported.

"That likely release is capping oil price rises for now," analysts for Commonwealth Bank of Australia wrote in a note.

The Energy Agency (IEA) is set to hold an extraordinary ministerial meeting on Tuesday to discuss what role its members can play in stabilising the oil market.

Meanwhile, Asia's factories sustained a brisk recovery in February amid signs the coronavirus pandemic was having less of an impact on business, implying an uptick in oil demand.

Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation", exports some 4 million to 5 million barrels per day of crude oil, and 2 million to 3 million barrels per day of refined products.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers - including Russia - will also meet on Wednesday and are expected to stick with a planned output increase for April.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver and Muyu Xu in Beijing; editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Jason Neely)

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed Ukraines membership application.

Deputy Head of the President's Office, Andriy Sybiga, said that Zelenskyy has just signed a historically significant document: Ukraine's membership application, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

He also signed a joint request with the head of the Verkhovna Rada [Parliament] of and Prime Minister Dmytro Shmygal.

The documents are already on their way to Brussels.

Zelenskyy said: "I have signed Ukraine's membership application. I am sure that we can achieve this."

According to EU procedure, the membership application has to be submitted to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Council is currently headed by France.

Ukraine's application may be important for Zelenskyy, given that this issue could potentially be used in the talks with Russia, because the European Union is a project built around peace and using dialogue to resolve conflict, Ukrainska Pravd reported.

On Monday morning, Zelenskyy addressed the European Union regarding Ukraine's accession under a special procedure. According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainians deserve EU membership.

After Russia's invasion, several EU countries called upon the EU to give a pathway to membership, and Slovakia proposed a special procedure for Ukraine's accession to the EU.

--IANS

san/arm

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Russian President Vladimir Putin justifies his war on as a peacekeeping mission, a denazification of the country.

In his address to the Russian people on Feb. 24, 2022, Putin said the purpose was to protect people who had been subjected to bullying and genocide  for the last eight years. And for this we will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of .

The victims of the genocide claimed by Putin are Russian speakers; the Nazis he referenced are the elected representatives of the Ukrainian people. While Ukraines new language laws have upset some minorities, independent news media have uncovered no evidence of genocide against Russian speakers. In fact, as the historian Timothy Snyder has pointed out, Russian speakers have more freedom in Ukraine than they have in Russia, where Putins authoritarian government routinely suppresses political dissent. And while far right groups have been growing in Ukraine, their electoral power is limited.

As the author of a recently published book on anti-Jewish violence in Ukraine and a historian of the Holocaust, I know why the accusations of Nazism and genocide have resonance in . But I also understand that despite episodic violence, Ukrainian history offers a model of tolerance and democratic government.

Ukraines Jewish leadership

First, it is worth pointing out that Ukraine today is a vibrant, pluralistic democracy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won a five-year term in the 2019 presidential election with a landslide majority, defeating 39 candidates. His Servant of the People party then swept the parliamentary elections in July 2019, winning 254 seats in the 450-seat chamber, becoming the first majority government in the history of the modern Ukrainian state. Zelensky was well-known as a comedian and star of the popular sitcom Servant of the People, from which his partys name was derived.



The fact that Zelensky is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor and was raised in what he told The Times of Israel was an ordinary Soviet Jewish family was barely noted during the election. Nobody cares. Nobody asks about it, he remarked in the same interview. Nor did Ukrainians seem to mind that the prime minister at the time of Zelenskys election, Volodymyr Groysman, also had a Jewish background.

For a brief period of time, Ukraine was the only state outside of Israel to have both a Jewish head of state and a Jewish head of government. How could I be a Nazi? Zelensky asked in a public address after the Russian invasion began. Explain it to my grandfather.

The pogroms against Jews

Sporadic episodes of violence against Jews, or pogroms, began well before the Holocaust. In 1881, for instance, after the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, ordinary churchgoers, laborers, railway workers and soldiers attacked Jewish-owned shops, mills and canteens, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Jews in what was then considered the south of Russia, but is now Ukraine. During another wave of violence following the Revolution of 1905, workers, peasants and soldiers, egged on by Russian right-wing paramilitary groups, murdered 5,000 Jews in the region.

During the unrest that followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, about 100,000 Jews died as a result of attacks perpetrated against them by soldiers fighting to restore a united Russia, as well as by the armies of the newly established Ukrainian and Polish states.

Finally, during the Second World War, German soldiers murdered 1.5 million Jews in the areas that are now Ukraine, often with the collaboration of Ukrainian militias established in the diaspora and with the help of local auxiliary police. The role of ethnic Ukrainians in the Holocaust remains contentious in Ukraine today, where nationalist heroes who collaborated with the Nazis continue to be honored.



Yet at the same time, millions of non-Jewish Ukrainians lost their lives under the Nazis or were exploited as slave laborers. The occupiers treated Ukrainian lands as little more than Lebensraum , living space for ethnic Germans.

A pluralistic state

Forgotten in this history is the period between 1917 and 1919 when an independent Ukrainian state offered a different model of multiculturalism and pluralism. The Ukrainian state that declared its independence from in the aftermath of the 1917 Revolutions, envisioned a Ukraine for all ethnicities and religious groups living within its territory.

One of its first acts was passing the Law on National Autonomy in January 1918, which allowed each of the major ethnic minority groups  Russians, Jews, and Poles  broad autonomous rights, including the right to use their own language.

The cabinet included a Secretariat of National Affairs, with vice-secretariats for Russians, Jews and Poles, and, briefly in 1919, even a Ministry of Jewish Affairs. The legislative body, as well, included proportional representation from each of the national minorities. The state issued declarations and currency printed in four languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and Yiddish.

However, this state, hailed by Jews around the world as a model for the new nation states then emerging in eastern and central Europe, never managed to hold the capital for more than a few months at a time. By April of 1919, the government was being run from a moving train and could barely claim more land than the tracks beneath it.

From its inauguration in January 1918, Ukraine found itself enmeshed in a bloody war on multiple fronts. The Soviet Red Army attacked it from the east, while Moscow sought to ignite Bolshevik revolutions throughout Ukraine. A Russian White Army led by officers from the old tsarist army attacked from the south, hoping to reestablish a version of the Russian Empire. From the west, the army of the newly established Polish Republic attacked with the goal of restoring historic Polands borders.

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At the same time, a range of insurgent fighters and anarchists formed militias to seize land for themselves. In the midst of this chaos, the dream of a pluralistic state devolved into inter-ethnic violence.

In March 1921, the war ended with the Treaty of Riga, incorporating much of the territory claimed by the independent Ukrainian state into the Soviet Union.

Putins selective telling of the past exaggerates the legacy of Nazism in Ukraine while ignoring the states historic struggle for pluralism and democracy. There is a good reason for this: he fears democracy more than he fears Nazism.

Jeffrey Veidlinger, Professor of History and Judaic Studies, University of Michigan

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Russia's foreign minister told a Geneva disarmament meeting on Tuesday that Ukraine has been seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, a "real danger" that needed a Russian response.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday in what it called a special operation to demilitarise and "denazify" the country - a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as propaganda.

"Today the dangers that (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy's regime pose for neighbouring countries and security in general have increased substantially after the authorities set up in Kyiv have embarked upon dangerous games related to plans to acquire their own nuclear weapons," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Conference on Disarmament in a video address.

"Ukraine still has Soviet nuclear technologies and the means of delivery of such weapons. We cannot fail to respond to this real danger," he said, also calling for Washington to rebase its nuclear weapons from Europe.



He delivered the speech to a thin crowd after many diplomats including France and Britain staged a walk-out to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine as they did at a parallel U.N. meeting in Geneva on Tuesday.

They stood in a circle outside the meeting for the duration of Lavrov's speech, holding a Ukrainian flag. Lavrov was supposed to attend the session in person but the visit was cancelled, with Russia accusing unidentified EU states of blocking his flight path.

Earlier, a minute of silence was held for the victims of fighting in Ukraine.



Russia's invasion of Ukraine has enlivened the deadlocked arms negotiating forum that has failed to reach a deal in decades despite holding over 1,600 plenary meetings.

At the same meeting, Ukraine's foreign minister accused Russia of war crimes through its shelling of his country and the ambassador called for a special meeting to address Russian aggression and weapons of mass destruction.



A copy of the request seen by Reuters said the meeting would address the "the use of conventional weapons against the civilian population as well as nuclear and other WMD threats" and called for concrete and specific actions.



It said the request was supported by "numerous other" members of the 65-member body, without naming them. Russia's delegate objected to the meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
on Monday again advocated for peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and said the Indian government firmly believes in the path of .

Speaking at the 11th Emergency Special Session of UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Ukraine, India's Permanent Representative, TS Tirumurti, said, "Peaceful settlement of disputes has been India's consistent position; my government firmly believes that there's no other choice but to return to the path of ."

" is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals who are still stranded in Ukraine... this important humanitarian necessity must immediately be addressed," he said.

Tirumurti thanked all neighbouring countries of Ukraine for opening up their borders for Indian citizens. "We stand ready to help those from our neighbours and developing countries who may seek assistance," he added.

Prior to the Session, a UNSC meeting was also held on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

During the Security Council meeting, Tirumurti informed that will provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines to Ukraine.

The Indian representative at the UN said that there is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine.

"In such times of conflict, India attaches the highest priority to safety and well-being of civilians, in particular women, children, and elderly. We are of the view that core principles of humanitarian assistance should be fully honoured," he said.

Tirumurti also noted that India remains deeply concerned about the unfolding developments in Ukraine where the situation continues to deteriorate. "Our considered call for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities is an urgent imperative," he stated.

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From a tent in the rebel-held pocket of Syria, Ahmad Rakan has closely followed news of Russia's invasion of . More than two years ago, a Russian airstrike destroyed his house in a nearby village during a months-long Syrian government offensive backed by Moscow's firepower that drove him and tens of thousands of from their homes.

We more than anyone else feel their pain, he said of Ukrainian civilians currently under Russian bombardment.

For the past seven years, Syrians like Rakan have experienced first-hand Russia's military might as it struck opposition strongholds, brokered mass surrender deals and deployed military police across their country, practically rendering it a Russian protectorate on the Mediterranean.

Observers say Russia's brazen military intervention in and the impunity with which it was met emboldened Vladimir Putin. They say it gave him a renewed Middle East foothold from where he could assert Russian power globally, and paving the way for his attack on .

There is no doubt that the Russian intervention in is an accumulation of a series of Russian military interventions in Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014 and in 2015, said Ibrahim Hamidi, a Syrian journalist and senior diplomatic editor for Syrian affairs at the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

Putin believes that America is regressing and China's role is increasing and Europe is divided and preoccupied with its internal concerns so he decided to intervene, he said.

Moscow's 2015 decision to join the war in was its first military action outside the former Soviet Union since the federation's collapse. It saved President Bashar Assad's government and turned the tide of the war in his favor, enabling the Syrian leader to brutally reassert control over much of Syria. Russian airstrikes often indiscriminately hit hospitals, schools and markets.

The war-ravaged country became a testing ground for Russian weapons and tactics that it can now bring to bear in Ukraine.

Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute focusing on Russia's policy toward the Middle East, said deployed a multi-domain approach in Syria, including long-range precision weapons and large-scale bombing campaigns, along with cyber warfare, disinformation and use of paramilitary forces.

Deploying its air power has come to define Russia's evolving way of war and Syria was an especially important illustration of this development, she said.

Moscow also showed a canny diplomatic touch in Syria, creating arrangements with the West that forced an implicit acceptance of its intervention. It created joint patrols with NATO member Turkey which backed Syrian rebels, to enforce truces in some areas. It established understandings with Israel that allowed the latter to carry out airstrikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria. It set up a so-called deconfliction line with the U.S. to prevent mishaps between American and Russian planes flying in Syria's skies.

At the same time, it sought to defend Assad on the scene, dismissing as fabrications Assad's use of chemical weapons and barrel bombs against civilians. Within Syria, added a soft power campaign. In some areas, festivals were put on to popularize Russian culture, Russian national songs were played on Syrian television, self-serving propaganda was churned out and hot meals were served to civilians.

Max, a dual Syrian-Ukrainian national who hails from Syria's coastal province of Latakia, recalled working for a week as a social media troll disseminating the truth about Russia's positive actions in Syria. He and other Russian-speaking Syrians worked from an office set up in a local university.

A member of Assad's Alawite ruling sect, he said he and in his hometown were grateful when intervened militarily in 2015, particularly as Islamic extremists had been approaching the area.

Then Russians came and the front line was pushed way back, he told The Associated Press in a phone call from Ukraine, where he is now stuck in an Airbnb in a residential area of Kyiv.

Max, who is now working for an organization in Lebanon, had flown to Ukraine to update his personal documents when he became trapped there by Russia's invasion. He spoke on condition his full name would not be used for his safety.

Today, Max no longer buys into the Russian narrative. Many in his hometown in Syria, though, support Russia's war in Ukraine, as Moscow continues to mount a sophisticated disinformation effort about its invasion.

Images coming out of Ukraine, including the harrowing mass flight of civilians, are stirring intense and conflicting emotions among Syrians at home and refugees across the globe.

Resentment runs deepest in the northwest province of Idlib, Syria's last opposition-held bastion, where Russian airstrikes continue to this day. In a statement issued Monday, the opposition's civil defense group known as the White Helmets group, deplored Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

It pains us immensely to know that the weapons tested on Syrians will now be used against Ukrainian civilians, it said, lamenting what it said has been a lack of support from the community in holding Russia to account in Syria and elsewhere.

Instead of standing up for international norms, such as those against the use of chemical weapons, the international community has tried to find ways to cooperate with Russia and to this day considers Russia a willing and essential partner in diplomacy, it said.

Borshchevskaya said the lesson Putin took from Syria was that the West will not oppose his military interventions and it gave him a success to build on.

Appetite comes with eating, and with each intervention he has grown increasingly more brazen, culminating in the tragedy we now see unfolding in Ukraine, she said. Just as what happened in Syria did not end in Syria, what is happening in Ukraine will not end in Ukraine.

Rakan now lives in a tent with his wife and three kids near the Turkish border, where he runs a car spare parts shop. He said he hopes a Russian defeat in Ukraine could have positive repercussions for Syria's opposition.

We pray for God for victory for the people of Ukraine, and we hope that this war will mark the end of Russia, he said.

Maybe they (Ukrainians) can achieve the victory that was not achieved in Syria.

(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.)
Robert Peele, ABC store manager in Norfolk's Downtown Plaza, shows where the store stocked Russian vodka before its removal. This photo ran in The Virginian-Pilot in September 1983. (Bill Ballenberg)

Russian vodka brands pulled from state-owned liquor store shelves in solidarity with Ukraine will be kept in storage for now  a move with precedent in the liquor monopolys nearly 100-year history.

The seven Russian-sourced vodkas in Virginia ABC inventory  amounting $77,500 in stock  will be kept in store back rooms and other state facilities for the time being, ABC spokesperson Carol Mawyer said in an email. Another $30,000 in stock, still owned by suppliers and not purchased by the ABC, also will be held from shelves.

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The Russian vodka brands to be removed include Beluga, Hammer & Sickle, Imperia, Mamont, Organika, Russian Standard and ZYR.

The Russian-sourced spirits accounted for $1.2 million in Virginia ABC sales during fiscal year 2021  a fraction of the $57.9 million generated in the same time frame by Titos brand vodka, the top-grossing vodka in the state.

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Its unclear what will ultimately happen to the liquor. The products wont be destroyed, Mawyer said.

The state-run liquor store system attributed the decision to Gov. Glenn Youngkins call on Saturday for the state to take decisive action in support of Ukraine. Virginia ABC said in a Facebook post it would be reviewing its other products to determine whether they have origins in Russia.

It isnt the first time the Virginia ABC has pulled alcohol from its shelves based on political sentiment.

Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news >

Stolichnaya, or Stoli, was pulled from Virginia ABC shelves at least twice in the 1980s amid the Cold War. It was the only Russian-imported product carried in state liquor stores at the time, The Virginian-Pilot reported in 1983. The vodka was quietly returned to shelves once tensions thawed.

This time around, Stolichnaya is one of the Russian-themed vodkas staying on the shelf, as it is made in Latvia, according to its website.

Still, the vodka with hard-to-pin-down origins in Moscow was an instinctual target of wrath during chills in U.S.-Russian relations in the 1980s.

The first removal in 1980 was prompted by the then-Soviet Unions invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Virginia ABC halted orders of Stolichnaya but kept remaining inventory up for sale until stock ran out, the Associated Press reported. The product returned in April 1981, The Pilot reported.

The high-priced spirit was pulled again in protest when Soviet jet fighters shot down a South Korean airliner carrying 269 passengers and crew members in 1983. A Virginia ABC spokesperson told a Pilot reporter at the time the removed bottles would be stored. The liquor was absent from shelves for nearly three years until its return in mid-1986.

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Other states have joined the commonwealth in squirreling away their Russian liquor brands. Officials in Alabama, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia  all states that control the sale of alcohol  have directed Russian-sourced alcohol to be removed from store shelves.

Ali Sullivan, 757-677-1974, ali.sullivan@virginiamedia.com
British Prime Minister on Tuesday left for a tour of Poland and Estonia, Britain's European allies neighbouring Ukraine which is fighting a bloody conflict with Russia.

In Poland, Johnson has a meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to underpin the UK's financial and diplomatic support for central Europe as it faces the prospect of a humanitarian crisis. He then travels on to Estonia, where he will join NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to meet British troops on the frontline of the Russian invasion in Tapa.

Today I will visit Poland and Estonia, two countries that are acutely affected by the current crisis in Ukraine. We have shared values that are more important than ever to protect, as the humanitarian situation gets worse, the PM said.

Alongside all our allies the will continue to bring maximum pressure to bear on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's regime to ensure he feels the consequences of his actions in Ukraine. We speak with one voice when we say, Putin must fail, he said.

Johnson is also due to meet Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Estonian President Alar Karis to discuss European security and stability.

His visit comes as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss outlined further tough sanctions against Russia in the House of Commons on Monday.

We will continue working through our hit list of oligarchs, focusing on their houses, their yachts, and every aspect of their lives, Truss told parliamentarians.

More legislation will follow in coming weeks to sanction Russian-occupied territories in the Donbas, extending more sanctions to Belarus, and limiting Russian deposits in UK banks, she said.

The minister confirmed two new pieces of sanctions legislation as the UK keeps ratcheting up actions aimed at introducing a set of new powers against Russia's financial sector. It includes powers to prevent Russian banks from clearing payments in Pound Sterling.

Truss told Parliament that with over 50 per cent of Russian trade denominated in Dollars or Sterling, the coordinated action with the United States will damage Russia's ability to trade with the world.

And as soon as this legislation comes into force we will apply it to Sberbank Russia's largest bank. I will also be imposing a full asset freeze on three further banks, VEB Russia's national development bank, SovComBank the third largest privately owned financial institution in Russia, and Otkritie, one of Russia's largest commercial banks, said Truss.

We will bring in a full asset freeze on all Russian banks in days, looking to coordinate with our allies. This same legislation will prevent the Russian state from raising debt here. And it will isolate all Russian companies that's over 3 million businesses from accessing UK capital markets, she added.

The target is for Russian global giants like Gazprom no longer being able to issue debt or equity in London. Another piece of UK legislation will ban exports to Russia across a range of critical sectors, with impacted British businesses being offered support by the Department for Trade (DIT).

On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Truss is set to travel to Geneva to speak at the United Nations Human Rights Council, where she is expected to accuse the Kremlin of breaching human rights on an industrial scale, paving the way for a UN resolution which could go as far as expelling Russia from the Security Council.

It comes after Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov blamed "unacceptable" remarks about possible "clashes" between NATO the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military alliance and Moscow, including by "the British foreign minister" for putting its nuclear forces on high alert.

The UK has categorised the heightened nuclear alert as an attempt by the Kremlin to "distract" from what was "going wrong" with its assault on Ukraine.

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In war, winning quick control of airspace is crucial. Russia's failure to do so in Ukraine, despite its vast military strength, has been a surprise and may help explain how has so far prevented a rout.

The standoff in the sky is among the Russian battle shortcomings, including logistical breakdowns, that have thrown Moscow off stride in its invasion.

Typically, an invading force would seek at the outset to destroy or at least paralyse the target country's air and missile defenses because dominance of the skies allows ground forces to operate more effectively and with fewer losses.

US military officials had assumed that would use its electronic warfare and cyber capabilities to blind and paralyse Ukraine's air defenses and military communications.

A possible explanation for Russia's failure to do so is that President Vladimir Putin built his war strategy on an assumption that Ukrainian defenses would easily fold, allowing Russian forces to quickly capture Kyiv, the capital, and crush Ukrainian forces in the east and south without having to achieve air superiority.

If that was the plan, it failed, although at this stage the conflict's overall trajectory still seems to favour the larger, better equipped invading force.

The invasion is less than a week old, and still hasn't committed to the battle the full force it had assembled on the border.

A senior US official said Monday that about one-quarter of the force hasn't crossed into .

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal military assessments, said has retained a majority of its surface-to-air missile systems used to shoot down aircraft and a majority of its helicopters and airplanes.

One reason they have yet to be destroyed, the official said, may be because Ukraine's air defenses were not centrally located and may have been moved around the country.

It appears that Russian commanders have become frustrated by the pace of their battlefield gains and failure to win full air dominance, the official said. In response they may consider more aggressive, larger-scale attacks against Kyiv and to reduce the significant remaining Ukrainian air defenses.

When he announced his decision to attack on Feb. 24, Putin gave no timetable for completing what he called not a war but a "special military operation."



By US estimates he had assembled more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders.

We think that they're a few days behind where they expected to be at this stage, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday, five days into a war that is the largest in Europe since World War II.

It's clear, yes, the Russians have had their own challenges and they have met resistance we don't believe they fully expected.

Philip Breedlove, a retired Air Force general who commanded NATO forces in Europe from 2013 to 2016, said did unleash substantial missile attacks on Ukrainian air defense sites and airfields in the first few days. And yet the Ukrainians have found creative ways to preserve their air and missile defenses.

I am pleasantly surprised that the air defense capability of Ukraine, even though diminished, has carried on as long as it has, Breedlove said.

He added that Russia may yet bring more fighters and bombers into the conflict, even as Ukraine acquires Stinger missiles and other air defense weaponry from Western nations.

In Breedlove's view, the weaponry provided to Ukraine by the United States and many other countries in recent weeks, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, has given Kyiv an important boost.

He recalled that when Western countries in 2014 began providing radars used to detect and pinpoint the origin of artillery and mortar attacks, some questioned whether the Ukrainians could make good use of them.

It was not long after they had them and started working with them that they were teaching us new tactics, techniques and procedures on how to employ them, said Breedlove, who was NATO chief at the time.

From what I read and see, the Ukrainians have done a pretty good job of inflicting costs on Russian airborne forces, he said.

More broadly, beyond failing to destroy or ground the Ukrainian air force, the Russians as of Monday had not managed to capture any major Ukrainian city and were advancing far more slowly than planned, Pentagon officials have said in recent days.

Still there were signs of intensified conflict. Fighting raged in towns and cities scattered across the country.

The strategic southern port city of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, was hanging on, said Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovich. An oil depot was reported bombed in the eastern city of Sumy.

Video from Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, showed residential areas being shelled, with apartment buildings shaken by repeated, powerful blasts.

There are two basic ways you can describe the slowness of the Russian advance in Ukraine," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute, a Washington think tank.

"One explanation is deliberate restraint. The other explanation is poor execution. We don't know enough to identify which is the more plausible explanation, but it's important to recognise the Russians have all sorts of options they have not yet brought to bear, including heavier use of cyberattacks against the Ukrainian command and control system and air defenses.

In its latest assessment, the Institute for the Study of War said Moscow has likely recognized that its initial approach failed and is moving additional combat power toward Ukraine.

The tide of the war could change rapidly in Russia's favour if the Russian military has correctly identified its failings and addresses them promptly, given the overwhelming advantage in net combat power that Moscow enjoys, it said.

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Russian forces stepped up their attacks on crowded urban areas on Tuesday, bombarding the central square in Ukraine's second-biggest city and Kyiv's main TV tower in what Ukraine's president called a blatant campaign of terror.

Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the square in Kharkiv.

Ukrainian authorities said five people were killed in the attack on the TV tower, which is a couple of miles from central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings.

Officials said a TV control room and a power substation were hit, and at least some Ukrainian channels briefly stopped broadcasting.

Zelenskyy's office also reported a powerful missile attack on the site of the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial, near the tower.

At the same time, a 40-mile (64-kilometer) convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly on Kyiv in what the West feared was a bid by Russian President Vladimir Putin to topple Ukraine's government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.

Many military experts worry that the Kharkiv attacks mean could be shifting tactics. Moscow's strategy in Chechnya and Syria was to use artillery and air bombardments to pulverize cities and crush fighters' resolve.

Russian forces also pressed their attack on other towns and cities across the country, including the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II found increasingly isolated, beset by tough sanctions that have thrown its economy into turmoil and left the country practically friendless, apart from a few countries like China, Belarus and North Korea.

The attack on the TV tower came after Russia's Defense Ministry announced it would target transmission facilities in the capital used by Ukraine's intelligence agency. It urged people living near such places to leave their homes.

Overall death tolls from the fighting remained unclear, but a senior Western intelligence official, who had been briefed by multiple intelligence agencies, estimated Tuesday that more than 5,000 Russian soldiers had been captured or killed so far.

Britain's Ministry of Defense said it had seen an increase in Russian air and artillery strikes on populated urban areas over the past two days.

The ministry also said three cities Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol were encircled by Russian forces.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the region's Soviet-era administrative building on Freedom Square was hit with what was believed to be a missile.

The attack on Freedom Square Ukraine's largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life in the city was seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasn't just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirits.

The bombardment blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive square, which was piled high with debris and dust. Inside one building, chunks of plaster were scattered, and doors, ripped from their hinges, lay across hallways.

People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies, said Yevhen Vasylenko, an emergency official.

Zelenskyy pronounced the attack on the main square frank, undisguised terror and a war crime. This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation, he said.

In an emotional appeal to the European Parliament later, Zelenskyy said: We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are."



He said 16 children had been killed around on Monday, and he mocked Russia's claim that it is going after only military targets.

Where are the children, what kind of military factories do they work at? What tanks are they going at, launching cruise missiles? Zelenskyy said.

Human Rights Watch said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraine's east in recent days. Local residents also reported the use of the weapons in Kharkiv and the village of Kiyanka, though there was no independent confirmation. The Kremlin denied using such weapons.

If the allegations are confirmed, that would represent a new level of brutality in the war and could lead to even further isolation of .

Unbowed by Western condemnation, Russian officials upped their threats of escalation, days after raising the specter of nuclear war.

A top Kremlin official warned that the West's economic war against Russia could turn into a real one.

Throughout the country, many Ukrainian civilians spent another night huddled in shelters, basements or corridors. More than a half-million people have fled the country, and the UN human rights office said it has recorded the deaths of 136 civilians. The real toll is believed to be far higher.

It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly. This cannot be explained with words, said Kharkiv resident Ekaterina Babenko, taking shelter in a basement with neighbours for a fifth straight day.

We have small children, elderly people and frankly speaking it is very frightening.

UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said the bombings had damaged water pipes and electrical lines. Hundreds of thousands of families are without drinking water, he said.

A Ukrainian military official said Belarusian troops joined the war Tuesday in the Chernihiv region in the north, without providing details.

But just before that, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country had no plans to join the fight.

In Kharkiv, explosions burst one after another through a residential area in a video verified by the AP. In the background, a man pleaded with a woman to leave, and a woman cried.

Determined for life to go on despite the attacks, hospital workers transferred a Kharkiv maternity ward to a bomb shelter.

Amid makeshift electrical sockets and mattresses piled up against the walls, pregnant women paced the crowded space, accompanied by the cries of dozens of newborns.

Russia's goals in hitting central Kharkiv were not immediately clear. Western officials speculated that it is trying to pull in Ukrainian forces to defend the city while a larger Russian force encircles Kyiv.

Russian troops continued their advance toward the capital, a city of nearly 3 million.

The leading edge of the convoy was 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the center of the city, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

A senior US defense official described the long convoy as bogged down, saying Russia appeared to be pausing and regrouping to re-evaluate how to retake the momentum in the fighting.

Overall, the Russian military's movements have been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to completely dominate Ukraine's airspace.

The immense convoy, packed together along narrow roads, would seemingly be a big fat target for Ukrainian forces, the senior Western intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.

But it also shows you that the Russians feel pretty comfortable being out in the open in these concentrations because they feel that they're not going to come under air attack or rocket or missile attack, the official said.

Ukrainians used whatever they had on hand to try to stop the Russian advance: On a highway between Odesa and Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, residents piled tractor tires filled with sand and topped with sandbags to block convoys.
Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, on Monday regretted the US decision to expel 12 staff members of the Russian UN mission.

"I would like to inform you about yet another hostile step taken by the host country -- a step against the Russian mission. Just now, literally, an hour ago, we were informed that from the Russian mission, 12 of its staff are being expelled," said Nebenzia at the beginning of a Security Council meeting that he was chairing, Xinhua news agency reported.

The decision is "yet another gross violation" of the UN Headquarters agreement signed by the as the host country, and of the Vienna Conventions, said Nebenzia.

"We keep being told about the need for diplomacy, diplomatic solutions. At the same time, our opportunities to conduct this kind of activity are being restricted," he said.

"We deeply regret this decision. And we'll see how the events develop within the context of this decision."

US deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Richard Mills, said the 12 staff members of the Russian mission were ordered to leave because they engaged in "activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats".

"They have been given a request to depart this country so they do not harm the national security of the host country," said Mills.

Nebenzia said the US representative's response was not satisfactory.

The US decision came amid Russian military operations in .

--IANS

int/pgh

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South Korean President on Tuesday called for to look squarely at history and show a humble attitude over its wartime past in order for the two countries to overcome historical feuds and move forward for cooperation.

In a speech marking Korea's 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Moon said remains open to dialogue with to work together on various regional and global issues, such as Covid-19 and supply chains, Yonhap news agency reported.

and "should be able to overcome the 'history of a once unfortunate past' and cooperate toward the future," Moon said, describing the two nations as "close neighbours".

"To that end, Japan must look squarely at history and be humble before history."

Moon said Japan can become a "trusted nation" only if it "can sympathise with the wounds of the people of its neighbouring country".

Diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Tokyo have run deep since 2019, when Japan imposed a set of export restrictions against in a move seen as economic retaliation for South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms involved in forced labour during Japan's colonial rule.

--IANS

int/pgh

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South Korean President on Tuesday expressed his concern about a "new Cold War" and nationalism seeking to gain hegemony by force, as pressed ahead with its invasion of despite global condemnation and sanctions.

In a speech marking Korea's 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Moon emphasised that should have the power to prevent itself from being pushed around by global powers, Yonhap news agency reported.

"The order is fluctuating amid the Covid crisis," Moon said. "State-centered nationalism, which seeks to gain hegemony by force, is also raising its head again. Concerns over a new are on the rise as well."

Moon said that the lesson from the spirit of the 1919 uprising "gives us today is that we should have the power to lead our history without being pushed around by an order centered on powerful countries."

Moon's speech came a day after said it will ban exports of strategic items to and join sanctions to exclude major Russian financial institutions from a key global payment system to increase pressure over Moscow's invasion of .

The remarks were seen as a veiled condemnation against Russia's military action.

Moon said is "imbued with the spirit" of the 1919 uprising, "which resisted violence, discrimination and injustice, and rejected a hegemonic international order."

"We will never again experience that pain from one hundred years ago," Moon said. "We will safeguard the survival and raise the pride of all Koreans through peace and prosper in peace."

Moon also called for Japan to look squarely at history and show a humble attitude over its wartime past in order for the two countries to overcome historical feuds and move forward for cooperation.

"In this time of many difficulties, Korea and Japan -- close neighbours -- must be able to overcome the history of the once unfortunate past and cooperate for the future," Moon said.

"Beyond Korea-Japan relations, I sincerely hope that Japan will take leadership as an advanced nation. To this end, Japan must squarely face history and be humble before it," Moon said.

South Korea remains open to dialogue with Japan to work together on various regional and global issues, such as Covid and supply chains, Moon said.

Moon said Seoul "will always keep the door open for dialogue to join forces not only for regional peace and prosperity but also in responding to global challenges -- ranging from Covid and the climate crisis to the supply chain crisis and the new economic order."

With North Korea showing signs of ratcheting up tensions by test-firing ballistic missiles, Moon said dialogue with the North must be resumed to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.

Recalling heightened tension about five years ago, when North Korea conducted a nuclear test, Moon said his administration "was able to achieve peace through dramatic dialogue. However, dialogue has been suspended, making our peace tenuous."

"Efforts for dialogue to sustain peace must continue," Moon said. "If we do not lose our determination -- just as we dreamed of turning the PyeongChang Winter Olympics into a Peace Olympics amid the dark clouds of war -- we can certainly bring denuclearisation and permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy," Moon said.

"Cooperation between Korea and Japan is the responsibility of the current generation for the sake of future generations," Moon said.

"Japan will become a trustworthy country only when it is able to empathise with the wounds of the people of neighbouring countries, which are sometimes exacerbated by a once unfortunate past," Moon said.

Diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Tokyo have run deep since 2019, when Japan imposed a set of export restrictions against South Korea in a move seen as economic retaliation for South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms involved in forced labour during Japan's colonial rule.

Japan's recent heritage bid for a controversial mine added to a litany of thorny issues between the two countries, including Japan's claims to Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, its wartime sexual slavery and its planned discharge of tainted nuclear plant water into the ocean.

The latest tussle over the Sado mine -- where as many as 2,000 Koreans were thought to have been mobilised to work against their will -- struck a particularly jarring note as it put a damper on Seoul's hitherto unfruitful fence-mending efforts with Tokyo.

--IANS

int/sks/dpb

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says it sent 27 tons worth of medical supplies to via a flight to late Monday.

Foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou told reporters Tuesday that was happy to assist as a responsible member of the community, and a member of the democratic camp.

has strongly condemned Russia's invasion of and had said it would impose economic sanctions against Russia. It has yet to reveal what those sanctions were, but the island is a dominant manufacturer of semiconductor chips, which are crucial to tech products ranging from smartphones to cars.

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Turkish President insists his country won't give up on its relations with either Russia or Ukraine, but says it will implement an convention that allows to shut down the straits at the entrance of the Black Sea to the warships of belligerent countries.

The 1936 Montreux Convention gives the right to bar warships from using the Dardanelles and the Bosporus during wartime. Ukraine has asked to implement the treaty and bar access to Russian warships.

Several Russian ships have already sailed through the straits to the Black Sea in the past weeks and it was not clear how much of an impact Turkey's decision to close down the straits would have on the conflict. The convention, also provides an exception for Black Sea vessels returning to port.

Turkey has criticised Russia's military aggression in Ukraine, but has also been trying to balance its close ties to Ukraine with its interests in not upsetting its fragile economic relationship with Russia.

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Even now, on the fifth day of the Russian invasion of and Kyiv bracing for the worst, the West has continued purchasing the that Moscow is desperate to sell  pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars daily to subsidize its war machine.

Washington and Brussels have carved out loopholes big enough for an oil tanker in their current sanctions policy, allowing the trade to continue. Western officials have also worked the phones, reassuring traders  and their banks  they can continue buying  and paying for  Russian .

But Kyiv is pleading for it to stop. We insist on a full embargo for Russian oil and gas, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted over the weekend. Buying them now means paying for the murder of Ukrainian men, women and children.

As with every other action that only a few days ago seemed unpalatable and unlikely  targeting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and SWIFT foreign-currency system, or supplying offensive armament  the oil weapon is looming as an economic punishment that could provoke a dangerous military response.

exports about 8 million barrels a day of crude, refined petroleum products and other oil liquids, a significant chunk of global demand of about 100 million barrels a day. About two-thirds of the Russian supply goes to industrialized nations in Europe, North America and Asia.

Germany is worried Europe wont have enough gas to make it until the spring, and blackouts may follow. The U.S. fears oil prices will jump to $150 or even $200 a barrel, just ahead of its midterm elections. In Washington and Berlin, the message is almost unanimous: Sanctioning Russian will hurt the West more than Moscow, and its unlikely to deter Vladimir Putin. For now, it wont happen. John Arnold, a famed former commodity trader, summarized that school of thought: As much as the world is mad at Putin, that is not a price the West is willing to pay.

Others appear open to the idea, however. U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss over the weekend floated the prospect of setting caps on purchases of Russian oil, progressively reducing them. Ironically, that sounds exactly like the 1973 Arab oil embargo, which set a 5% monthly output reduction. Other Western officials are asking, if not now, when?

I cant see the status quo of the energy trade lasting forever. Unless the Ukrainian-Russian talks yield some quick results, the gruesome photographs and videos that will inevitably follow a Russian push into the biggest Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, will harden Western public opinion. If the war drags on, its a matter of when, rather than if, the energy trade gets sanctioned. Already some European refiners have stopped buying Russian crude, self-sanctioning Russian oil. Even with the White House encouraging oil traders to keep going, moving Russian petroleum, particularly seaborne flows, is increasingly difficult.

Canada on Monday became the first G7 nation to brandish the oil weapon. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his country won't import more Russian crude, a largely symbolic step as Canada imports just a trickle of Russian oil. But as Trudeau said, "this measure sends a powerful message."

Oil traders described it to me this way: Nothing official is blocking the energy trade, but there's a lot of sand in the gears. The system is at risk of seizing up at any time, they add.

In a sign of how reluctant the market is to buy Russian oil, its flagship Urals crude is selling at a record discount to the benchmark Brent. On Friday, it sold for minus $11.50 a barrel. The gap is likely to be much larger on Monday. For sure, China and India may buy more, but they cant replace European demand. If that dries up, Russian crude will start to back up at ports. With limited domestic storage, and without the option of turning tankers into floating storage units, Russian producers will be forced to shut down wells, potentially damaging them for good.

Western countries have contingency measures. Washington, in talks with European nations and the Energy Agency, has drafted a plan to release between 60 and 75 million barrels from the West strategic petroleum reserves as soon as this week, if needed. An emergency IEA ministerial meeting was for called for Tuesday to authorize the release and explore further measures.

For now, OPEC+ doesnt see the need to deviate from its plan to boost monthly output by 400,000 barrels a day. But in the event of an actual disruption, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates may feel compelled to use their spare capacity.

A lot more would be needed, even if only half of the Russian oil gets hit by either official sanctions or corporate decisions. In theory, the IEA emergency reserves should be able to absorb even a 5 million-barrel a day disruption for a few months. But the West would be fighting an open-ended disruption with a finite stock. The market would anticipate that sooner or later the reserves would be exhausted, and oil prices would soar.

Ultimately, though, the biggest risk of deploying the oil and gas weapon, is military rather than economic. The Kremlin could consider it a casus belli. At current prices, earns north of $1 billion a day exporting its oil and gas, and cutting that equals the economic decapitation of the regime. Putin has already raised nuclear alert levels. Put oil and gas on the table, and hes likely to up the ante.
NATO's chief said Tuesday that, despite Russia's threats about nuclear weapons, the alliance sees no need to change its own nuclear weapons alert level.

The alliance's secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, spoke to The Associated Press following talks on European security with Polish President Andrzej Duda at an air base in Lask, central Poland, where NATO's Polish and US fighter jets F-15 and F-16 are based.

We will always do what is needed to protect and defend our allies, but we don't think there is any need now to change the alert levels of NATO's nuclear forces, Stoltenberg said.

The Kremlin began an invasion of last week and on Tuesday shelled the center of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. has raised the specter of nuclear war, reporting on Monday that its land, air and sea nuclear forces were on high alert following President Vladimir Putin's weekend order. itself has no nuclear weapons, but three of its members do the United States, Britain and France.

We strongly believe it's reckless and irresponsible the way is speaking about nuclear weapons, Stoltenberg said, standing in one of the base's hangars, which has been turned into a conference room with Polish and flags and jets around it.

Stoltenberg stressed that has signed a number of deals agreeing that nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought.

He called on Russia to stop the attacks and withdraw all its forces and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Government delegations from and Russia met for talks in southeastern Belarus on Monday, but the outcome was not immediately clear.

This is a horrendous, horrific invasion of an innocent country and we see that civilians are killed. It's a brutality that has to stop immediately, Stoltenberg said.

The United States recently reinforced the eastern flank of NATO's territory with some 5,000 additional troops deployed to Poland and Romania. Both countries border Ukraine, which is not part of NATO. A number of French troops were traveling to Romania on Tuesday to further strengthen the region, Stoltenberg said.

The alliance is to discuss further reinforcement steps at its next summit in June in Madrid.

It is NATO's responsibility to ensure that we don't see a development where a conflict in spiraled out of control and becomes a full-fledged confrontation between NATO and Russia in Europe, Stoltenberg said.

He said alliance commanders are insisting that they are able to maintain deconfliction (contacts) with Russia, he said.

From Lask, Stoltenberg flew to Tallin, Estonia, for talks on security of the Baltic region which borders Russia and its ally Belarus.

(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.)
Jason Nixon, left, and Alexis Nixon, right, listen as Sen. Bill DeSteph speaks during a meeting in Richmond on Jan. 28, 2020. Families of Virginia Beach mass shooting victims met with lawmakers to encourage launching a state investigation into the mass shooting. (Jonathon Gruenke)

Richmond  An amendment to defund the state commission investigating the 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting was included in this years House budget  and two Virginia Beach delegates are arguing about who is to blame.

Democrat Kelly Convirs-Fowler recently slammed Republican Barry Knight, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, on social media for cutting the funds. But on the House floor Thursday, Knight attributed it to a miscommunication and said he was unaware the commission needed more time to finish its work.

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Knight said he would get the funding back in the budget. The House and Senate already passed their proposed budgets but will be working together on compromises in the coming weeks.

A city employee went on a shooting rampage May 31, 2019, at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. The gunman fatally shot 12 people and wounded four others before he was killed by police.

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In the aftermath, Convirs-Fowler worked alongside now Attorney General Jason Miyares, who was then a Virginia Beach delegate, to create the state commission. She previously explained many survivors and victims families were concerned with the city investigation and believed it was not independent enough to be effective.

On the House floor Thursday, Convirs-Fowler said the funding for the commission had been actively omitted and stricken from the budget.

Virginia Beach is watching, she added.

Convirs-Fowler did not reference Knight by name Thursday. But she called him out directly in a recent social media post.

Why did Chairman Barry Knight kill the mass shooting commission when it hasnt even finished its work?! she wrote on Twitter last week. VB deserves better than his politics. Jason Miyares and I did this for VB in a bipartisan way.

Knight did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Virginian-Pilot.

Daywatch Weekdays Start your morning with today's local news >

In an interview with the Pilot, Convirs-Fowler said the commission needs more time to complete its mission. It was only formed in June, she said, and its work was partially delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jason Nixon, whose wife, Kate, was killed in the shooting, told The Pilot he came to Richmond last week to speak directly with Knight.

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The meeting was initially tense, according to Nixon. But he hopes Knight will ensure the commission gets its money.

If he is a man of his word, he will do exactly what he said he will do, Nixon said.

Nixon said he appreciates the ongoing support from Miyares and Convirs-Fowler, and credited both legislators for staying committed to the victims families. But Nixon said he is tired of fighting for more information about the day his wife was killed.

I shouldnt have to keep jumping through hoops to get the right thing done, he said.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com
Britain on Tuesday banned any ship with Russian connections from entering its ports as the country stepped up efforts to isolate President Vladimir Putin's government because of its war in .

Announcing the blanket ban in a tweet, British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps encouraged other countries to prohibit ships tied to from using their ports.

We've just become the first nation to pass a law involving a total ban of all ships with any Russian connection whatsoever from entering British ports, Shapps said.

The decision came a day after Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, urged Shapps to block a Russian tanker from docking in the Orkney Islands, where the ship was due to arrive Tuesday.

The NS Champion is owned by Sovcomflot, a Russian state-owned company that specialises in the transportation of oil, oil products and liquefied natural gas.

Western countries have imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russian companies, wealthy individuals and even Putin in an effort to end the war in . Sovcomflot, the Russian state-owned company that owns NS Champion, hasn't been sanctioned by the UK.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the EU on Tuesday via video link to an emergency session of the European Parliament to "prove that you are with us" in Ukraine's war with Russia, a day after Kyiv officially asked to join the bloc.

European Union lawmakers, many wearing #standwithUkraine T-shirts bearing the Ukrainian flag, others with blue-and-yellow scarves or ribbons, gave Zelensky a standing ovation.

"We are fighting to be equal members of Europe," Zelensky said in Ukrainian in a speech translated into English by an interpreter who spoke through tears.

"Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans, and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness," he said.

"The EU will be much stronger with us."

Zelensky has remained in Kyiv to rally his people against the invasion. As he spoke on Tuesday, a Russian armoured column was bearing down on Ukraine's capital.

The presidents of eight central and eastern European nations on Monday published an open letter calling for to be granted immediate EU candidate status and for the start of formal membership talks.

#WATCH | Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received thunderous applause after concluding his remarks at EU meeting, said, "We are also fighting to be equal members of Europe. Without EU Ukraine is going to be lonesome. Do prove that you are with us & will not let us go." pic.twitter.com/49WtnQT6MP  ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2022

HARD TO JOIN EU

But is well aware that any membership process will be long and difficult, even if it manages after the war to avoid falling back under Moscow's domination.

Charles Michel, the chairman of EU leaders, told the EU Parliament after Zelensky's speech that the bloc would have to seriously look at Ukraine's "legitimate" request to join.

But he added: "It is going to be difficult, we know there are different views in (about further enlargement)." According to a draft text they will vote on later on Tuesday, EU lawmakers are expected to brand Russia a "rogue state" and urge member states to agree even tougher sanctions.

The EU has taken unprecedented steps, including financing weapons deliveries to Ukraine, after President Vladimir Putin launched war on Russia's neighbour last week.

According to the draft resolution and amendments backed by the assembly's main parties, lawmakers will call for the scope of sanctions to be broadened and "aimed at strategically weakening the Russian economy and industrial base, in particular the military-industrial complex".

Russia's invasion of "effectively makes Russia a rogue state," the lawmakers are set to say.

While Putin "recalls the most dreadful statements of 20th century dictators", Zelensky is being "heroic", the draft of the non-binding resolution said.

The European Parliament will also urge EU leaders to be tougher on oligarchs and officials close to the Russian leadership, restrict oil and gas imports from Russia, ban Russia and its ally Belarus entirely from the SWIFT bank messaging system, and to close all EU ports to Russian ships or ships headed to or from Russia.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation" aimed at ridding the country of leaders it characterises as "neo-Nazis and drug addicts".

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Putin's decision to invade Ukraine had had the effect of uniting countries against Russia.

"If Putin was seeking to divide the European Union, to weaken NATO, and to break the community, he has achieved exactly the opposite," von der Leyen told the EU Parliament, a blue and yellow ribbon pinned to her jacket.

(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.)
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday (local time) asked the Court of Justice to hold a hearing on Ukraine's request as soon as possible and called upon to immediately halt all military activities in the country.

"...In light of the extraordinary urgency of the situation, respectfully asks the Court to hold a hearing on Ukraine's Request during the week of 28 February 2022," Kuleba said in a statement.

"... requests the President of the Court to call upon the Russian Federation to immediately halt all military actions in Ukraine to enable any order the Court may make on the request for provisional measures to have its appropriated effects," read the statement.

Notably, tensions between and Ukraine escalated when on February 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of Ukraine's breakaway region following which western nations toughened sanctions against the country.

Earlier, negotiations between delegations of and Ukraine in the Gomel Region of Belarus ended and the second round of talks will be held on the Belarusian-Polish border in a few days.

(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.)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a faster transition to .

"Instead of slowing down the decarbonisation of the global economy, now is the time to accelerate the energy transition to a future," the UN chief said in his video message on Monday to the Geneva press conference launch of a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on (IPCC).

According to the IPCC, if warming isn't controlled, some of the planet's most crowded regions will become uninhabitable, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 3,600-page report focuses on the practical impacts of on humans and nature.

"Today's IPCC report is an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership," said the top UN official.

The UN chief warned that global average temperatures have already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius, roughly two degrees Fahrenheit, "leaving perilously little room" for meeting the targets of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

"I am calling for developed countries, Multilateral Development Banks, private financiers and to form coalitions to help major emerging economies end the use of coal," he said.

"The Glasgow commitment on adaptation funding is clearly not enough to meet the challenges faced by nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis," Guterres said.

--IANS

int/sks/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.)
The UN refugee agency says that about 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighbouring countries since the Russian invasion began.

The number, given on Tuesday, was up from a count of more than 500,000 a day earlier.

Shabia Mantoo, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said in Geneva that at this rate, the situation looks set to become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century.

She said the agency is urging governments to continue allowing access to all those who are fleeing, including third-country nationals living in Ukraine who are forced to escape the violence. She added: We stress that there must be no discrimination against any person or group.

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Berlin: The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe says some of its observers in Ukraine are trapped in Kharkiv and Kherson due to fighting in those cities.

The Vienna-based organisation announced Friday it was evacuating members of the monitoring mission from Ukraine.

In its latest report, published late Monday, the OSCE said due to ongoing kinetic activity, including continued shelling and reports of fighting, as well as the dynamic movement of front lines, the monitoring teams located in the cities of Kharkiv and Kherson continue to shelter in place.

The teams are conducting dynamic security risk assessments to establish a window to allow them to move safely, it added.

The OSCE said its chief Monitor and senior management would remain in Ukraine until the evacuation process was complete. The mission comprising some 500 observers was tasked with monitoring the line of contact between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.

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Geneva: The UN human rights office called Tuesday for the release of all peaceful protesters who were arrested after taking part in anti-war demonstrations in Russia.

The Geneva-based office said reports suggested about 6,400 people have been arrested in Russia since last week for taking part in peace protests.

We understand the vast majority are released within hours, many after paying an administrative fine, while some are given prison sentences ranging from seven to 25 days under various laws, it said. There are also reports of unnecessary and excessive use of force by police during and after the arrests.

Arresting people solely for exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty, it added. We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and for the authorities to abide by their obligations to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly.

Separately, it also urged the release of some 744 people detained in neighboring Belarus, saying some had been arrested for chanting no war and expressing support for Ukraine.

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Geneva: The Red Cross is appealing for 250 million Swiss francs ($272 million) to help people affected by the war in Ukraine.

The Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Cross federation said in a statement Tuesday they fear millions of people face extreme hardship and suffering without improved access and a rapid increase in humanitarian assistance.

Casualty figures keep rising while health facilities struggle to cope, said the head of the ICRC, Robert Mardini.

We already see long-term disruptions in regular water and electricity supplies, he added. People calling our hotline in Ukraine are desperately in need of food and shelter.

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Rome: The Italian ambassador to Ukraine has been sheltering 87 Italians, including children and newborns, in his home in Kyiv.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi told Parliament on Tuesday said most of those being sheltered should be leaving today for Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.

Unlike several other Western countries, Italy kept its embassy services functioning in Ukraine's capital in the run-up to the invasion by Russia but moved the embassy to the ambassador's residence.

There are some 2,300 Italians in Ukraine, more than half of them residents of the country.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US-based charitable non-profit organisation here has launched a helpline to help evacuate students stranded in war-ravaged by arranging for transportation to the nearest border check post and making arrangements for food and other essential supplies for their journey.

Sewa already has over 4,000 students registered in its helpline, with its volunteers making concerted efforts to help evacuate another 400, according to a statement by the organisation on Monday.

Explosions and gunfire were heard in embattled cities in on Monday as Russia's invasion met with stiff resistance.

Sewa Europe, an independent partner organisation, and the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) are currently working in ten Ukrainian cities.

Sewa has also released USD 10,000 for the Ukrainian relief efforts and started a Facebook fundraising campaign to help people who are caught in this humanitarian crisis, the release said.

The messages and videos we are getting from the war zone show the fear, anxiety, and danger people are facing as they run to safety. As the global Sewa network rises to face this challenge, I request people to support Sewa International in this rescue effort," Arun Kankani, President, Sewa International, USA said.

"The war between and has affected all people in the region and caused serious distress in a world that is still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sewa International in the USA, and HSS volunteers in Europe, the US, and India are receiving hundreds of messages seeking help from people who are stuck in the war zone," he explained.

Sewa International helped a group of 150 students on February 26 to travel from Vinnitsa to Chernovtsy by bus. At Chernovtsy, Sewa provided them shelter, food, and transport for their onward journey to the Romanian border, the release said.

According to official estimates, about 18,000 Indian students are studying in universities across Ukraine. Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they are currently stranded, facing a severe shortage of food, and are in dire need of transport and shelter.

The Indian Embassy in Kyiv is advising these students on how to reach the country's western borders to reach Poland, Romania, or Hungary from where they can board Air India flights specially operated by the Indian government to reach India.

According to latest information, a total of 1,396 Indian nationals have been brought back from Ukraine in six evacuation flights.

(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.)
Underlining that not everyone can or will choose to flee Ukraine, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the Richard Mills said that those who remain in must be ensured "unobstructed protection and assistance".

Mills made these remarks at a UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in and the region.

He noted that now half a million people have fled in response to Russia's invasion.

"...Behind each of these numbers are real people caught in a humanitarian nightmare unfolding before our eyes. And the truth is, no one knows where it will end, how many people will flee their homes, how many will need humanitarian assistance, how many will die. That is because we don't know when President Putin will end his war of choice against Ukraine," Mills said.

He noted that the World Food Program warns us that the food security impact of Russia's invasion will be felt far beyond Ukraine's borders.

Vulnerable people from Asia to Africa and the Middle East will face greater levels of food insecurity as supplies are disrupted, as we are already seeing, he said.

"An estimated 283 million people in over 80 countries are acutely food insecure or are at high risk, and this conflict in Ukraine will only exacerbate situations already on the brink of starvation. This is yet another reason why hostilities must end now."

He highlighted that the is already providing nearly USD 54 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

He continued saying that USAID has been airlifting and positioning relief supplies - especially needed to help older people, people with disabilities, and people displaced from their homes - to face the winter weather.

Meanwhile, UK Ambassador to UN Barbara Woodward highlighted that UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson announced USD 54 million in aid to help the Ukrainian people.

"Yesterday, UK PM Boris Johnson announced USD 54mn in aid to help our Ukrainian friends, bringing the total amount pledged to Ukraine this year, to USD 190 million. The UK would also guarantee up to USD 500mn loans via multilateral development banks," Woodward said during the UNSC meeting.

"The UK will also participate in tomorrow's UN appeal. UK govt experts have also deployed to the region to provide humanitarian support to those fleeing violence in Ukraine. We call on President Putin to stop this war and withdraw his forces from Ukraine," Woodward 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.)
US payment card firms Inc and Inc have blocked multiple Russian financial institutions from their network, complying with government sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

said on Monday it was taking prompt action to ensure compliance with applicable sanctions, adding that it will donate $2 million for humanitarian aid. also promised to contribute $2 million.

"We will continue to work with regulators in the days ahead to abide fully by our compliance obligations as they evolve," said in a separate statement late on Monday.

The government sanctions require to suspend access to its network for entities listed as Specially Designated Nationals, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The United States has added various Russian financial firms to the list, including the country's central bank and second-largest lender VTB.

On Saturday, the U.S., Britain, Europe and Canada announced new sanctions on Russia - including blocking certain lenders' access to the SWIFT payment system.

Russians rushed to ATMs and waited in long queues on Sunday and Monday amid concerns that bank cards may cease to function, or that banks would limit cash withdrawals.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation".

Many Western banks, airlines and more have cut ties with Russia, calling the country's actions unacceptable. European nations and Canada have shut their airspace to Russian aircraft.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ukrainian resistance to Russias invasion has been fierce since attacked the country, raising questions about whether hed be able to rule Ukrainians as he pleases if hes ultimately successful in winning the war in military terms.

There are good reasons to believe that he wouldnt. Even if victorious, Putin wont be able to achieve what he wants because to ultimately win, hell need to govern a country conquered against its will.

How well a country is governed depends on its culture  more precisely, on how compatible its culture is with the model of the government put in place.

The late American political scientist Harry Eckstein, an expert in political culture, once argued that governments perform well if their authority patterns are similar to the authority patterns of the governed society.

In stable democracies, all organizations  including households  have some elements of democratic rule. Conversely, in autocracies, power tends to be centralized at all levels of social organization. The father of the nation, a popular concept in Russia, is expected to act very much like the father of a family.

Power distance

The concept of power distance, originally proposed by the late Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede, helps measure to what extent inequality in the distribution of power is socially accepted.

The bigger the value of the power distance index, the more inequality is accepted, although Hofstede was interested mostly in the distribution of power within companies.

An in-depth comparative study of the perception of power conducted in Russia and in 2015-16 shows Ukrainians and Russians regard power differently. The value of power distance index is 100.9 in Ukraine compared to 110.7 in Russia. Educated and well-off Ukrainians have a particularly low tolerance for inequality in the distribution of power.

Putins potential rule in is therefore problematic because it would not match the model of power that Ukrainians are prepared to accept. Suspicion and rejection of autocratic power is deeply rooted in Ukrainian culture.

(AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

The impact of the Cossacks

Ukraines most renowned historian, Mykhailo Hrushevsky, considers the Cossacks of the 15th and 16th centuries the predecessors of modern-day .

The Cossacks  border militia hired by the Polish and Russian governments to protect against raids by the Tatars  had a reputation for being trouble-makers for any rulers, including the Poles, the Tatars and the Russians. Hrushevsky described the Cossacks as people knowing no authority over them. Even the Poles, who had their own problems with the concept of centralized power, called the Cossacks unruly.

Cossack military leaders, or starshina, were elected and easily replaceable. After a military loss, the Cossacks usually gathered and elected a new leader. No one among them possessed power permanently and with no strings attached.

Does the Cossack heritage still influence Ukraines culture, at least as far as the perception of power and those who possess it are concerned? The fierce resistance Ukrainian forces are showing against their Russian invaders suggest it might.

Ukrainian national culture was suppressed during the Soviet Union era and denigrated by Russia. That could explain Putins allegations that Ukrainians are ruled by nationalists and neo-Nazis.

Elements of Cossack culture were revived during the mass protests in 2013-14 against the former Ukrainian presidents efforts to replicate Putins style of governance. The protesters organized their tent camp in the centre of Kyiv along the organizational and spatial lines of Cossack military camps.

(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

War creates nations

War often serves a trigger for the revival of a nations consciousness. British historical sociologist Anthony D.

Smith, an authority on nations and nationalism who died in 2016, wrote that warfare is one of the most powerful factors in the creation of both nations and ethnic communities in every period of history.

The 2014-15 military confrontation in eastern Ukraine and Crimea had precisely this effect. Todays full-fledged war waged by Putin will hardly be an exception. It will likely lead to an outcome clearly unanticipated by Putin  the further rejection by Ukrainians of autocratic rule.

If one placed Ukraine and Russia on a continuum from anarchy to autocracy, Ukraine would be closer to anarchy whereas Russia is an autocracy. Russia has always been a power-centred society where all key decisions are expected to be taken by a few  ideally, by one.

(AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

The alignment of Putins rule with the perception of power rooted in Russian culture explains its exemplary stability, at least so far  mass protests against the Ukrainian invasion in several Russian cities suggest growing dissent. Nonetheless, Russia and Ukraine appear to be almost perfect opposites, reducing the chance that Ukraine could be governed in a friendly manner by Putins Russia even if it wins the war.

The war in Ukraine confirms that power is about force in the Russian mindset. For Putin to transfer that mentality to Ukrainians would be a very difficult if not impossible task.

Anton Oleinik, Professor of Sociology, Memorial University of Newfoundland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
BitConnect founder Satish Kumbhani, charged criminally in the U.S. last week with a $2.4 billion scheme, has vanished from his native India, officials said.



Last September, the separately sued Kumbhani, claiming he fraudulently raised more than $2 billion from investors in his exchange platform. But the SEC didnt know where he was and couldnt serve him with the lawsuit.

The mystery deepened a bit Monday.

Kumbhani, 36, has likely relocated from India to an unknown address in a foreign country, SEC attorney Richard Primoff said in a court filing. Since November, the commission has been consulting with that countrys financial regulatory authorities in an attempt to locate Kumbhanis address. At present, however, Kumbhanis location remains unknown.

Primoff asked U.S. District Judge John Koeltl for an extension until May 30. The SEC said it wants to look for Kumbhani and if it finds him in the U.S., serve him with the complaint.

Of course, if Kumbhani comes to the U.S., he could be arrested and potentially go to prison if hes convicted of charges in the indictment filed Friday in San Diego. Prosecutors said he created BitConnect in 2016 and the digital token, BitConnect Coin.

Kumbhani touted BitConnects lending program based on proprietary trading bot and volatility software that would trade on the global crypto markets. But in reality, the lending program was a massive scheme that raised $2.4 billion from investors around the world before shutting down in January 2018, prosecutors said.

The next day, one of Kumbhanis promoters based in South Korea warned that some people here are talking about committing suicide and that lots of [Korean investors] invested everything they have, according to the indictment. A promoter in Australia also wrote that we are getting death threats...[and] the coin will be useless!!!!!

BitConnect used money from new investors to pay earlier ones, the U.S. said. He is charged with wire fraud, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and three conspiracies: to commit wire fraud; commodity price manipulation; and international money laundering.

Last September, BitConnects top promoter in North America, Glenn Arcaro, pleaded guilty. In November, prosecutors said they would sell about $57 million in seized from Arcaro. This month, a judge approved an amended order for the sale.

The indictment of Kumbhani seeks to forfeit $2.4 billion attributable to his actions.
The Norfolk-based destroyer USS Forrest Sherman operates with the Italian carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi and two U.S. 6th fleet warships. (U.S. Navy)

The Norfolk based destroyer USS Forrest Sherman, recently deployed to the Mediterranean as part of the Navys stepped-up presence there, has been exercising with the Italian navys anti-submarine warfare carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi.

The American destroyers assistant navigator these days is Italian Lt. j.g. Gianmatteo Francavilla, who is on a one-year exchange program with the U.S. Navy.

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Watching from Forrest Shermans bridge as the destroyer drills on maneuvering and communicating with the Garibaldi was something special, he said.

Garibaldi is a veteran ship and is one of the most important in the Italian Navy, he added. Commissioned in 1985, Garibaldi is the Italian Navys the first aircraft carrier since World War II.

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The carrier has surface-to-air missiles, torpedo tubes and close-in weapons system. It can launch and recover AV-8B Harrier II jump jets as well as helicopters.

Also joining the exercise is the commander of Norfolks Destroyer Squadron 22, Capt. Milciades Tony Then, operating on the Gaeta, Italy-based amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney, and the Rota, Spain-based destroyer USS Roosevelt.

I admire the incredible professionalism Garibaldis sailors showed during the exercise, Then said.

Forrest Sherman is one of several Norfolk-based destroyers deployed in recent weeks to the Mediterranean as Russian threats to Ukraine mounted ahead of last weeks invasion.

The USS Gonzalez and USS Mitscher have also been operating in the Mediterranean. Separately, the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group deployed there in December, and has stayed in the Mediterranean longer than has been typical recently for Norfolk-based strike groups.

Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com
By Rajendra Jadhav and Mayank Bhardwaj

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's exports are expected to accelerate with a flurry of enquiries from buyers seeking alternatives to Black Sea shipments as Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens to disrupt supplies from the two major producers.

After five consecutive record crops, is struggling with mammoth inventories and both the government and private traders are keen to capitalise on any opportunity to sell the grain on the world market.

is the world's biggest rice exporter, shipping 20 million tonnes last year, but shipments have been hampered by unfavourable global prices - at least until now.

The Black Sea belt is the world's largest supplier of wheat but given the current uncertainty, demand would shift to India, Nitin Gupta, vice president at Olam Agro India, told Reuters.

"Also, wheat availability in the world market anyway remains limited until April-May, and can easily tap this opportunity," he said.

India, which exported 6.12 million tonnes of wheat in 2021 against 1.12 million tonnes a year earlier, is likely to sell 4 million tonnes of the grain in the first half of 2022, traders said.

Apart from India, in the face of any long-term Black Sea supply disruption, Australia could become another top supplier.

Kyiv has significantly climbed the ranks of grain exporters over the last decade and was likely to take third place this year, but the conflict with Russia has left doubting whether it can maintain its export effort.

Ukraine's military has suspended commercial shipping at its ports, threatening grain and oilseed exports.

"For the first time in many years, India has received so many enquiries for both prompt and long term deliveries of wheat," said the chief of a global trading firm who didn't wish to be identified in line with his company's policy.

"We haven't seen such interest in Indian wheat, at least not in our recent memory."

Indian suppliers, who have been exporting wheat at $305 to $310 a tonne free on board, could sell at $330 a tonne, said trader Rajesh Paharia Jain at Unicorp Pvt Ltd.

On Monday, benchmark wheat prices in Chicago were up 6.1% at $9.12-3/4 a bushel, after earlier touching $9.35 a bushel.

Bangladesh, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates are among the main buyers of Indian wheat, but new buyers such as Lebanon could also turn to India.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav and Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

(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 state-run coal major's offtake stood at 57.4 million tonnes (MT) in February 2022, growing 12% as compared with 51.3 MT recorded in the same month last year.

The company's coal production rose 3.9% to 64.3 million tonnes (MT) in February 2022 from 61.9 MT in February 2021.

On a sequential basis, the production fell 0.31% while offtake dropped 5.59% in February 2022 as compared to January 2022.

On a consolidated basis, the PSU coal major's net profit jumped 47.7% to Rs 4556.54 crore on 19.7% increase in net sales to Rs 25,990.97 crore in Q3 FY22 over Q3 FY21.

Coal India is a coal mining company engaged in the production and sale of coal. As of 31 December 2021, the Government of India held 66.13% stake while Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India held 11.01% stake in the company.

Shares of Coal India advanced 3.18% to end at Rs 168.65 on Monday, 28 February 2022. The domestic stock market will remain shut today, 1 March 2022, on account of Mahashivratri.

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Hero MotoCorp sold 358,254 units in February 2022 compared to 505,467 units in February 2021.

Total sales include domestic sales of 331,462 units and exports of 26,792 units.

With a sharp decline in the number of Covid-19 cases and the economy gradually opening up with several other positive indicators, such as easing of the lockdown restrictions, as well as the measures announced in the FY'23 Union Budget, a swift revival in sales is expected in the coming months.

In the month of February 2022, Hero MotoCorp became the first automotive OEM to tie up with a leading Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to set up charging infrastructure across the length and breadth of the country. The company has collaborated with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), to establish charging infrastructure for two-wheeled electric vehicles (EVs) across the country in its endeavor to electrify India.

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Panacea Biotec and its wholly-owned subsidiary Panacea Biotec Pharma (PBPL) have entered into definitive agreements for sale of pharmaceutical formulations brands of PBPL for India and Nepal, to Mankind Pharma.

The sale is being for a total consideration of Rs 1,872 crore. Mankind Pharma is India's 4th largest pharmaceutical company and operates in 34 overseas destinations.

The consolidated revenue of Panacea Biotec is Rs 634.78 crore and the domestic formulations brands being sold have reported revenue from operations of approximately Rs 132 crore for H1 FY2021-22 which is approximately 42% of Panacea Biotec's consolidated revenue for H1 FY2021-22. As part of this arrangement, Mankind Pharma has agreed to retain Panacea Biotec's well-trained sales and marketing team engaged in this business.

Dr. Rajesh Jain, managing director of Panacea Biotec, said: The sale of domestic formulation brand portfolio is in line with the company's strategic plan to become debt free and focus on exports of Pharmaceutical formulations in US and other international markets besides the vaccine business in global markets. The divestment will ensure adequate liquidity for these businesses, drive investments in products under development and expanding capacities for key vaccine projects to drive future growth in a sustainable manner.

Panacea Biotec is a biotechnology company that focuses on discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines primarily, focusing on vaccines, diabetes, transplant, gastroenterology, and oncology.

The company reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 49.20 crore in the quarter ended December 2021 as against net loss of Rs 40.06 crore during the previous quarter ended December 2020. Sales rose 9.96% YoY to Rs 155.88 crore in Q3 FY22.

The scrip shed 0.21% to end at Rs 189.05 on Monday. The domestic stock market will remain shut today, 1 March 2022, on account of Mahashivratri.

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Persistent Systems has achieved Infrastructure Services Specialization by Google Cloud. Persistent is part of the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program.

Specialization is the highest technical designation a Google Cloud partner can earn and requires an established Google Cloud practice, client success, and proven technical capabilities, as endorsed by Google.

The benefits include technical enablement, financial incentives, competitive pricing, training, and certifications to help accelerate Google Cloud-led modernization for clients.

Cloud is arguably the most critical component of any digital journey. Persistent's deep experience in the cloud, combined with this specialization and the increasing shift to a multicloud strategy, will help meet clients' need for modernization using Google Cloud.

Being part of the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program means Persistent has the certified experience to deliver Google Cloud solutions to clients. The Specialization reflects Persistent'scommitment to help clients meet their digital transformation goals with Google Cloud and allows for a closer alignment around advanced training, go-to-market, and technical collaboration.

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Persistent Systems announced the completion of the asset acquisition of Data Glove IT Solutions, India, by the Company, asset acquisitions of Data Glove Inc., USA and its affiliate entities based out of Australia, UK, Canada and Singapore by the wholly owned and step-down subsidiaries of the Company and equity acquisition of Data Glove IT Solutions Limitada, Data Glove's subsidiary in Costa Rica by Persistent Systems Germany GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

Consequent to the equity acquisition, Data Glove IT Solutions Limitada, Costa Rica has become a step-down subsidiary of the Company.

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Hyderabad-based Brightcom Group (BGL) on Monday said the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) ordered a forensic audit of books of accounts of the company on 16 September 2021.

In a communication, BSE said, "The Exchange is in receipt of a letter dated 16 September 2021, from SEBI, issued to the Company, Brightcom Group Ltd, informing the Company about the appointment of a forensic auditor, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP, for conducting the forensic audit for the financial years FY15 to FY20. The same is being disseminated for the information of the Investors."

BGL is a digital marketing solutions company. SEBI ordered a forensic audit by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India into the financial statements of BGL for the financial years 2014-15 to 2019-20.

The market regulator has said that it found discrepancies in the disclosures by BGL that could be detrimental to the interests of investors and securities markets.

The auditor will check if there are any manipulation of books of accounts of the company and its subsidiaries; misrepresentation of consolidated financials and business operations; and wrongful diversion or siphoning off company funds by promoters, directors and key managerial persons.

BGL, in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges on Monday (28 February 2022), said it received SEBI's communication in September 2021, informing it about the appointment of the forensic auditor.

It was primarily concerning queries relating to 'Impairment of Assets in 2019-20. The impairment charge, a non-cash charge, was taken by the company due to the Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and its applicability worldwide, it said.

We have represented to SEBI that the said audit was unnecessary because several internet companies had to take such charges globally, owing to the GDPR norms, it said.

However, the market regulator informed on 25 February 2022 that the audit would be necessary.

"Since September 2021, the company has extensively cooperated with the SEBI and the auditor, in this regard, by supplying volumes of data, including a break-up of the impaired assets," it said.

BGL said it was audited by EY for 40% of its revenues, and "nearly 70% of our revenues come from Israel and the US, two of the most regulated countries in the world."

BGL consolidates ad-tech, new media and IoT based businesses across the globe, primarily in the digital eco-system. Brightcom Media enables businesses, agencies, and online publishers worldwide in meeting their digital marketing needs.

On a consolidated basis, net profit of BGL surged 168% to Rs 371.45 crore on 130.08% rise in net sales to Rs 2021.33 crore in Q3 December 2021 over Q3 December 2020.

The company allotted 1,50,00,000 (one crore and fifty lakh only) warrants convertible into equity shares to Shankar Sharma and 80,50,000 (eighty lakh and fifty thousand only) equity shares to the 21 other allottees on 23 January 2022 at an issue price of Rs 37.77 per warrant/share on preferential basis.

Sharma is vice chairman & joint managing director of First Global, an investment management firm.

Shares of BGL rose 0.68% to Rs 119.05 on Monday (28 February 2022). The domestic stock market is shut today, 1 March 2022, on account of Mahashivratri.

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TVS Motor Company registered sales of 281,714 units in February 2022 as against sales of 297,747 units in the month of February 2021.

Total two-wheelers registered sales of 267,625 units in February 2022 as against sales of 284,581 units in February 2021. Domestic two-wheeler registered sales of 173,198 units in February 2022 as against sales of 195,145 units in February 2021.

Motorcycle sales grew by 5% increasing from 137,259 units in February 2021 to 143,523 units in February 2022. Scooter sales of the Company registered 86,616 units in February 2022 as against sales of 95,525 units in February 2021.

The shortage in supply of semiconductors has impacted the production and sales of premium two-wheelers. The company is cautiously optimistic that the supply of semiconductors will improve in the coming months.

The Company's total exports grew by 6% from 101,789 units in the month of February 2021 to 107,574 units in February 2022. Two-wheeler exports grew by 6% from 89,436 units in February 2021 to 94,427 units in February 2022.

Three-wheeler sales of the Company grew by 7% from 13,166 units in February 2021 to 14,089 units in February 2022.

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A new LOVE sculpture has been installed at the Portsmouth seawall. Here, Irving Wolff, who built the sculpture, removes some grass from the public art before its dedication Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. (Steve Earley/The Virginian-Pilot)

portsmouth  A 71-year-old Portsmouth man who said he was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed a woman in his apartment Sunday was one of the artists who constructed the citys LOVE sculpture in Olde Towne, according to court documents and a colleague.

Irving Wolff was charged with second-degree murder in the Sunday night shooting of 37-year-old Crystal Jacobs. In an interview with detectives shortly after the incident, Wolff told officials he shot Jacobs after she attacked him.

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Describing the encounter to police, Wolff said Jacobs had asked him to take her to his bank to get money for drugs but he refused because hed been drinking, according to court documents filed in Portsmouth General District Court. Wolff said Jacobs became irate and began throwing him around the apartment, then pushed him to the ground and grabbed him around the neck. Wolff said he broke free, drew his gun and the two fought over it.

Next, Wolff said he got control of the gun, fired a round into the ceiling, and then went and sat down. Jacobs jumped over a couch and attacked him again, and thats when he shot her, the court document said. Wolff said he shot her a second time after she ran to the kitchen door, turned and pointed at him.

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Irving B. Wolff is charged with second degree murder, use of a firearm, shooting in commission of a felony and reckless handling of a firearm. (Courtesy of Portsmouth Police Department)

Wolff is one of the artists who worked on Portsmouths LOVE sculpture, which was erected next to the Crawford Bay seawall near Tidewater Yacht Marina in July 2016. Wolff served as a fabricator for the project, confirmed John Joyce, a co-founder of Support Portsmouth Public Art, the organization that oversaw the installation of the steel structure.

Irving did a great job on the project for very little in return, Joyce said Monday, noting he had not been aware of the charges against Wolff until he was contacted by a reporter. He worked in blistering heat and rainy conditions to achieve his perfectionist self-approval. He is truly an artist.

There are more than 300 LOVEworks sculptures across Virginia. The sculptures are a play on the states marketing slogan: Virginia is for Lovers.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

Portsmouth police talked to next door and downstairs neighbors in the building  located in the 100 block of Florida Ave. in Port Norfolk  who said they heard two gunshots several minutes apart. After the second one, they heard someone falling down the rear metal stairs.

Shortly after neighbors heard the second gunshot, they said Wolff knocked on their door and asked them to call police. When officers arrived, they found Jacobs slumped on the drivers seat of a car parked in the back of the building. She had a gunshot wound on her left side and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police didnt see any wounds on Wolff, the document said.

Wolff is charged with second-degree murder and three firearm charges.

Wolff was taken into custody and released from the city jail on a $25,000 bond Monday evening. He could not be reached by phone following his release.

Jane Harper, 757-222-5097, jane.harper@pilotonline.com

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Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com

Staff writer Ali Sullivan contributed to this report.
A 22-page notification was issued by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, on October 29, 2021. It was titled General Instructions on Procurement and Project Management, which is an innocuous one. There was no announcement on this by the prime minister or finance minister.

Very few in the media and business circles even took notice of this. All Central government entities were routinely informed, and the document was quietly hosted on the ministry website. The Infratalk in Business Standard of December 7, 2021, highlighted that it was one of the most ...
The on Tuesday demanded that the government should convene all-party meet on and apprise the situation to the parliamentarians.

Gaurav Gogoi, party deputy leader in the Lok Sabha said, "At such a crucial time in history, Prime Minister Modi should convene an all-party parliamentary meeting on the Russian- war. Such a dialogue will help the Indian government take the best possible step forward."

The has been critical of the government's evacuation exercise and said it should deter from making it a public relations exercise, "India has glorious history of 30+ evacuations -- "There should be no on ongoing evacuations but at same time no drum beating in election rallies should be done till every single Indian stranded is rescued -- GOI must pressure to ensure safety of Indians caught in crossfire."

The Prime Minister on Monday evening chaired a high-level meeting, his second on Monday, to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine, and said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indian nationals there are safe and secure.

"India has never abandoned it's citizens & always evacuated them from war zones. Gulf War, Kuwait, 1991: 150,000+, Op Sukoon, Lebanon, 2006: 2,300, Op Home Coming, Libya, 2011: 15,000, Op Raahat, Yemen, 2015: 4,650 PM should remember evacuation is his duty not PR exercises for it," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, in a tweet on Monday.

--IANS

miz/dpb

(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 traditional raffle is one of the oldest forms of fundraising in the world and has a surprisingly rich history; the Ancient Babylonians used raffle-like games to draw winners for community prizes; Moses awarded the land to the West of Jordan through a lottery; and the Han Dynasty deployed a similar game called Keno to raise funds to build the Great Wall of China.

Raffles are still an invaluable fundraising tool today, and youd be very hard-pressed to find someone who hasnt played a raffle at some point in their life, whether at a school fayre, a local event, or perhaps as part of a charity fundraiser. Yet for something so well-enjoyed across the world, the raffle is still predominantly an offline phenomenon, and hasnt been brought up to speed with the digital revolution.

That is, until now.

Meet Raffolux  an online raffling platform started by two British entrepreneurs, Gerry Lianos and Harry Hammond, that brings a long-overdue digital makeover to the raffle industry. With Raffolux, people have the chance to win amazing prizes and support amazing charities, all from as little as 1 an entry and with much better odds than the lottery.

The prizes range from major jackpots such as a brand-new Mercedes G-Wagon or an all-inclusive stay at a luxury resort in the Maldives, to the latest in tech and fashion (iPhone 13 anyone?) and quick cash bundles that can be won within minutes. During a time when charity is needed more than ever, Raffolux supports a range of organizations, such as Womens Aid, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Oxfam, Worldwide Cancer Research, the Alzheimers Society, and many more.

Raffolux CEO and co-founder Gerry Lianos said that Raffles are something that just about everyone understands, and with Raffolux, we wanted to bring such a well-loved game online for the first time. We offer really good odds on all our raffles, and our players know that win or lose, theyll have donated to a charity of their choice just by playing.

Zion Chetram, founding employee and commercial manager at Raffolux, noted that its really exciting to be part of a project that is forming an entirely new category within the play-to-win industry, and the company culture is fantastic - innovation is very much the expectation rather than an exception.

Raffolux is home to over 100,000 active users, and five new people become winners every single day through the platform. For more information on Raffolux, visit their website or follow them on Instagram.
Between 2016 and 2020, Indian defence was the main recipient of Russian arms, accounting for 23% of the total arms import, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). 49.4% of Indias arms imports between 2016 and 2020 were from Russia and in the previous five years, Russia accounted for 69.6% of India's total arms imports. While Indias arms imports from Russia have fallen from $3.85 billion in 2013 to $969 million in 2020, Russia continues to be Indias biggest defence supplier. The defence business between the two countries is strong, with contracts worth over $15 billion in the pipeline. Several Indian are vulnerable to sanctions under a 2017 US law, including the $5.4 billion contract for five long-range ground-to-air S-400 Triumf missile systems, the deliveries of which began in November last year. The air defence capability of India will be significantly enhanced with the induction of this system.

The US has previously objected to this purchase.

Besides this, India signed a $3 billion contract in 2019 to lease a Russian nuclear attack submarine for ten years, starting 2025.

Further, the Indian Air Force wants to buy and upgrade 21 MiG-29 fighter jets lying unused in Russia for about a billion dollars. Its also considering a new contract to buy 18 Sukhoi-30MKI fighters for over $800 million.

A $2 billion deal for joint production of 200 Kamov 226T light helicopters, the $4 billion purchase of four stealth frigates, of which two are to be built in India, are also underway.

Defence expert and Business Standard columnist Ajai Shukla tells us what the threat of mean for Indias defence procurement deals with Russia and the options that India has.

Meanwhile, the Centre is reportedly planning to strengthen the rupee-rouble trade arrangement with Russia after the US and its Western partners decided to cut off several Russian banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system that facilitates cross-border payments.

Trade in the rupee-rouble account has increased manifold since the Narendra Modi government assumed office in 2014.

Western sanctions on Russian banks could also disrupt India-Russia trade, particularly fertilisers that are crucial for Indias vast agriculture sector.

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Among the financial sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia is the exclusion of several Russian banks from the payment system, which facilitates smooth and rapid money transfers across nations. Without access to SWIFT, Russian banks will find it harder to communicate with international peers which will slow down trade and make transactions costlier. According to a US White House official, if one of the banks cut off from wants to make a payment with a bank outside of Russia, it will likely need to use a phone or fax machine. Russian companies and individuals will find it harder to pay for imports and receive cash for exports, borrow or invest overseas. Lets learn more about and what it does. The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or SWIFT, is the worlds leading provider of secure financial messaging services. It facilitates trillions of dollars of cross-border payments between 11,000 financial institutions in more than 200 countries. Each member has its own SWIFT code. Every day, more than 40 million financial messages are exchanged securely using the SWIFT platform. Headquartered in Belgium, SWIFT is a global member-owned cooperative that was founded in 1973 by 239 banks from 15 countries. It went live with its messaging services in 1977, replacing the Telex technology that was then widely used by banks to communicate instructions related to cross-border transfers. The SWIFT Standards group maintains several important message standards. The use of standardised messages and reference data ensures that information exchanged between institutions is unambiguous and machine-friendly, facilitating automation, cost reduction and risk mitigation. Through SWIFT, banks, custodians, investment institutions, central banks, market infrastructures and corporate clients can connect with one another to exchange structured electronic messages for common business processes like making payments or settling trades. SWIFT is a cooperative society under Belgian law and is owned and controlled by its shareholders, representing approximately 3,500 financial institutions across the world. The shareholders elect a board of 25 independent directors representing banks across the world. This board governs the company and oversees ist management.

The executive committee is a group of full-time employees headed by the chief executive officer. Each nations usage of SWIFTs messaging service determines both SWIFT shareholding allocations and the number of board directors that each nation is entitled to. SWIFT is overseen by the central banks of G-10 countries, as well as the European Central Bank, with the National Bank of Belgium as the lead overseer. It is important to note that SWIFT is only a messaging service provider. It has no control over the underlying financial transactions that are mentioned by its financial institutional customers in their messages. While SWIFT complies fully with all applicable sanctions laws, the responsibility for ensuring that individual financial transactions comply with sanctions laws rests with the financial institutions handling them, and their competent authorities. In March 2012, as international sanctions tightened against Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, SWIFT was prohibited from providing financial messaging services to European Union-sanctioned Iranian banks. SWIFT, since it is incorporated under Belgian law, had to comply with this regulation as confirmed by its home country government and disconnect these Iranian banks. In January 2016, many of the affected banks were removed from the sanction list by the EU and were subsequently reconnected to SWIFT. In 2014, Russia developed its own alternative to SWIFT. It is called the System for Transfer of Financial Messages, or SPFS. But this system has struggled to establish itself in international transactions. Similarly, China launched the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System in 2015 to internationalise the use of the yuan. It allows global banks to clear cross-border yuan transactions directly onshore. CIPS still largely relies on SWIFT for cross-border financial messaging, but it has the potential to have and independently operate its own direct communication line among financial organisations. About 1,280 financial institutions from 103 countries and regions are connected to the CIPS, which processed more than $12 trillion in 2021.
Michael Wayne Mitchell Jr. defense counsel Robert Ringstrom, standing, addresses 28th Circuit Court Judge Jason Elmore during his clients scheduled sentencing Monday. Mitchell Jr. was scheduled to be sentenced Monday, and while the proceedings were held, the 16-year-old was not sentenced. The Manton teen pleaded guilty in January to intentionally discharging a firearm from a dwelling causing serious injury for his connection with an incident on Sept. 3 in Cedar Creek Township. As part of the plea, two counts of assault with intent to murder will be dismissed at sentencing.
Chinas months-long suspension in issuing new gaming licenses has affected the industry widely. Photo: VCG

Gaming /

In Depth: Chinas game studios face long march as titles languish unapproved

The future of Chinese video game companies is hanging in the balance as Beijings freeze on licenses for new titles enters its seventh month.

The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), which oversees licensing video games in China, has not published a list of approved new titles since late last July. Its the longest hiatus since Beijing carried out an eight-month hold on giving out licenses back in 2018.

This freeze has become a major headache for the industry, driving many companies out of business. During the six months between July and December, 140,000 gaming companies shut down, according to data from commercial query platform Tianyancha. In contrast, just 18,000 shuttered their businesses in 2020.

Russia-Ukraine /

Cover Story: The beginning of the end of the post-Cold War world order

At 4 a.m. Feb. 24, when Russian missiles pounded the Ukraine capital Kyiv, the post-World War II world order faced its most severe challenge  far more so than the Balkans crisis of the 1990s and the regional wars in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine in a nationally televised speech, multiple cities in Ukraine came under attack from three sides by land, sea and air. Massive explosions were heard in Kyiv, and street fighting broke out early Sunday in the second-biggest city, Kharkiv.

Chinese envoy reaffirms respect for Ukraine sovereignty, assures countrymen of safe evacuation

Chinese embassy in Ukraine urges its citizens not to reveal their identity

Hong Hao: What the Russia-Ukraine conflict means for Chinese markets

FINANCE & ECONOMY

China Merchants Bank and one of its subsidiaries have won approval to conduct pilot trials of its AI-backed verification product in a fintech regulatory sandbox in the Greater Bay Area. Photo: VCG

Fintech /

China Merchants Bank to join Greater Bay Area testing ground for fintech

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd. (CMB) and one of its Hong Kong subsidiaries won initial approval to conduct product trials as part of a cross-border fintech pilot program in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

An artificial intelligence-backed identity verification tool developed by CMB and CMB Wing Lung Bank Ltd. will be used when CMB Wing Lung's Chinese mainland customers open a Hong Kong-dollar account on its app, according to a product description released by the Shenzhen branch of the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC).

Supply chain finance /

In Depth: China overhauls $23 trillion supply chain finance mechanism

China is about to rein in its booming, 167.23 trillion ($23 trillion) market for commercial acceptance bills, a risky, controversial form of business financing that played a role in the 2019 collapse of Inner Mongolia-based regional lender Baoshang Bank.

Stung by that financial calamity, Chinas central bank and top banking regulatory agency are about to overhaul the 25-year-old regulations governing the bills. The rapid growth in their use in recent years and their involvement in fraudulent financing and other violations spurred regulators to close loopholes and tighten supervision of the instruments.

Morgan Stanley /

U.S. probe casts shadow over Morgan Stanleys China expansion

American investment bank Morgan Stanleys drive to expand its business presence in China hit a speed bump after U.S. regulators questioned its block trading operations.

The Wall Street giant faces closer scrutiny by Chinas securities regulator, which may slow its plan to take greater control of its China fund management business. Chinese regulations stipulate that foreign financial institutions should have no record of violations within three years before such a transaction.

Covid-19 /

Shenzhen probes Covid rule-breaking as new outbreak tops 150 cases

Shenzhen is investigating a dental clinic and property management firm for potential violations of epidemic control rules as the southern tech hub strains to contain its latest local Covid-19 outbreak.

The Guangdong province city reported 36 locally transmitted cases Sunday after its government ramped up testing and contact tracing. It imposed temporary lockdowns in some areas. The new batch of cases takes the tally in the outbreak to more than 150, many of which have been confirmed as the omicron variant.

Inactivated Covid-19 vaccines may contaminate inoculation sites, China study says

Quick hits /

China pledges stronger economic policies to stabilize growth

BUSINESS & TECH

A Nio showroom in Shanghai on Dec. 27, 2021. Photo: VCG

Electric cars /

Chinese EV-maker Nio to trade shares in Hong Kong

Chinese electric-vehicle (EV) maker Nio Inc. obtained pre-approval for its secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where its shares are set to start trading on March 10 under the ticker 9866, according to a statement released Monday.

Nio chose to list by introduction  a way for companies with good compliance to trade their existing shares on another bourse. This means the New York-listed business will not sell any fresh shares or raise any money from the move, the company said in a separate exchange filing with the Hong Kong bourse. Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse AG, and CICC Capital are joint sponsors.

Li Auto swings back to profit as sales of its sole electric car surge

Evergrande /

Evergrande sells off more projects to firms that promise to finish them

Debt-ridden China Evergrande Group will sell stakes in four unfinished real estate projects to two state-owned trust firms that have promised to complete them as the troubled private developer works to keep enough cash coming in to pay its bills.

The move shows the lengths Evergrande is willing to go to comply with government directives for developers to complete projects they have already started in hopes of rebuilding confidence in Chinas battered real estate market.

Metals /

Ukraine war sends London aluminum, nickel prices on wild ride

All eyes were on prices of aluminum and nickel ahead of their opening in London Monday after supply concerns amid Russias invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions whipsawed them last week.

The aluminum price on the London Metal Exchange (LME) jumped 3.1% to close at $3,395 per ton Thursday, a historic high, before sliding 1.1% the next day. Prices of nickel gained 1.3% to hit a near 11-year high of $24,716 Thursday, then dropped 1.4% Friday.

Commodities from gold to grains rally as Russia faces isolation

Quick hits /

Sequoia China, Legend Capital lead $188 million funding in self-driving truck developer

Editorial: Seeking progress while maintaining stability in the global industrial chain

GALLERY

Ordinary Ukrainians amid Russias attack

Recommended newsletter for you /

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The Gazprom PJSC Slavyanskaya compressor station, starting point of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, in Ust-Luga, Russia. Photo: Bloomberg

(Bloomberg)  Gazprom PJSC took a new step toward potentially its biggest-ever natural gas supply deal with China as nations around the world sever economic and political ties with Russia over the countrys invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian gas giant signed a contract to design the Soyuz Vostok pipeline across Mongolia toward China, Gazprom said in a statement. If Russia reaches a new supply agreement with China, Soyuz Vostok will carry as much as 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to the Asian nation.
On Feb, 28, Chinese students traveled from Ukraine to Moldova on buses organized by the Chinese embassy. Photo: CCTV screenshots

The first 400 Chinese students were successfully evacuated from war-torn Ukraine Tuesday, entering neighboring Moldova by bus, according to the Chinese embassy in Ukraine.

The students were evacuated from Odesa and will be transported to the Moldova capital Chisinau with the assistance of the local embassy and consulate. An additional 200 Chinese students in the capital Kyiv are on their way to leaving the country, the Chinese embassy in Ukraine said.
The Coast Guards Portsmouth command center received a call just before 4 a.m. from a container vessel about a crew member who had suffered a serious hand injury while working in the engine room. (AP)

The Coast Guard on Sunday medevaced an injured woman from a container ship 57 miles east of Hatteras Island.

The Coast Guards Portsmouth command center received a call just before 4 a.m. from the container vessel Ivar Reefer about a crew member who had suffered a serious hand injury while working in the engine room.

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The command center launched an aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City, with the crew meeting the boat offshore and hoisting the injured woman aboard, the Coast Guard said in a news release.

The crew member was taken to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital in Norfolk.

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Kari Pugh, karipugh@icloud.com
Gov. Roy Coopers executive order directs agencies and departments to review existing contracts and terminate those that directly benefit businesses that are headquartered in Russia or have their principal place of business there. (Bryan Anderson/AP)

RALEIGH, N.C.  North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday ordered state offices under his control to terminate government contracts that benefit Russian businesses in response to its war against Ukraine. The directive also meant some liquor was getting removed from shelves at government-operated alcohol stores.

Coopers executive order directs agencies and departments to review existing contracts and terminate those that directly benefit businesses that are headquartered in Russia or have their principal place of business there.

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The invasion of Ukraine is an attack on a free people. This order sends a strong message and helps ensure no public dollars or operations from North Carolina will benefit Russia and its unjustified aggression, Cooper said in a news release about the sanctions. Our state stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight courageously against a tyrant to defend their country, their democracy and their freedom.

The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission was also directed under the order to review products made by Russian businesses approved for sale in North Carolina through local ABC outlets and to suspend the approval of such products as quickly as practicable.

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The ABC Commission confirmed the suspension of those products late Monday, which ultimately means ABC stores run by area governing boards wont offer them for sale. Three alcohol brands appear subject to the order, Coopers office said.

The sanction on contracts also applies to future contracts, unless its determined by an agency head that a contract is necessary for the agency to perform its work and there arent any suitable alternatives.

The order applies to government entities over which Cooper has executive authority, as well as those for which he appoints the chief executive or a majority of the board members. Other government agencies run by members of the statewide elected Council of State and local governments are encouraged to follow the order, it says.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who oversees the states retirement plans and investments, said earlier Monday that there are no plans at this time to divest from Russian holdings unless directed by federal or state regulators.

Of the state pension plans total assets of $118.2 billion, less than $80 million  or almost 0.07%  are from securities from companies domiciled in Russia, Folwell wrote in an email.

We will continue to make investment decisions based on what is in the best interest of the members of the pension plans who teach, protect and otherwise serve, Folwell wrote, adding his office will be prepared to reallocate investments as circumstances warrant.
Construction of mainland-aided isolation facility in Hong Kong completed in 1 week

Xinhua) 08:19, March 01, 2022

Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), speaks in a video speech in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2022. Lam said that Hong Kong will undoubtedly win the battle against the epidemic and resume normal under the staunch support from the country. (Information Services Department of the Government of the HKSAR/Handout via Xinhua)

HONG KONG, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The construction of a community isolation facility (CIF) located in Tsing Yi, Hong Kong, was completed on Monday with the support of the Chinese mainland in one week's time.

Commenced on Feb. 22, the construction of the CIF is the first one to be completed since the fifth wave of the epidemic, able to accommodate over 3,900 patients after being put into use.

The CIF is a combination of modular cubicles, with basic furniture and bedding, air conditioner, smoke detector and fire extinguisher included in each room.

"The construction team has created a miracle for Hong Kong within seven days," said Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), during her visit to the CIF on Monday afternoon.

"The construction of the CIF is a test to our team in terms of resource deployment and rapid construction capability," said Zhang Ming, assistant president of China State Construction International Holdings Ltd., the construction contractor that is building the temporary facilities.

Zhang said that they have mobilized all possible resources to Hong Kong for the construction project, including sending 150 engineers and various construction supplies from the Chinese mainland.

Zhang pledged that the team will pay full effort in the construction of the remaining seven community isolation facilities in Hong Kong under the support of the central authorities.

Lam, the HKSAR chief executive, said in a video speech earlier on Monday that Hong Kong will undoubtedly win the battle against the epidemic and resume normal under the staunch support from the country.

According to Lam, the HKSAR government will step up existing anti-epidemic efforts and are currently refining the details of the compulsory universal testing to be launched within March, in order to cut COVID-19 virus transmission chains in a thorough, speedy, orderly and effective manner.

The central government has also assigned a mainland construction team to build a hospital for contingency use in the Lok Ma Chau Loop area to enhance Hong Kong's treatment capability, Lam added.

"The HKSAR government will continue to mobilize all available manpower and resources, and adopt all necessary measures to fight the epidemic," she said.

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 26, 2022 shows the construction site of the community isolation facility (CIF) in Tsing Yi, south China's Hong Kong. The construction was completed on Monday with the support of the Chinese mainland in one week's time. Commenced on Feb. 22, the construction of the CIF is the first one to be completed since the fifth wave of the epidemic, able to accommodate over 3,900 patients after being put into use. (Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 26, 2022 shows the construction site of the community isolation facility (CIF) in Tsing Yi, south China's Hong Kong. The construction was completed on Monday with the support of the Chinese mainland in one week's time. Commenced on Feb. 22, the construction of the CIF is the first one to be completed since the fifth wave of the epidemic, able to accommodate over 3,900 patients after being put into use. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Students show the thumbs-up sign before boarding the flight in Bucharest. (Photo: Twitter/@DrSJaishankar)

Mumbai: An Air India Express flight carrying 182 Indians nationals from war-torn Ukraine landed here from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday morning, an airline spokesperson said.

The AI Express flight IX-1202 from Bucharest via Kuwait touched down the runway at 7.40 am, he said.

An aircraft to bring back Indian nationals from Ukraine had left from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for Bucharest on Monday.

This is the second evacuation flight operated to Mumbai from Bucharest to bring back Indians from war-hit Ukraine since February 27.
This site of Highway 24 in Peletier could eventually become waste vegetation disposal site for Carteret County after hurricanes, but the land must be cleared first. (Brad Rich photo)
New Delhi: The nations worst fears came true on Tuesday as an Indian student was killed during intense shelling by the Russian military in Kharkiv. Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, 21, a fourth-year medical student from Bengaluru, died when splinters hit him as the Russians bombed a nearby government building, the Kharkiv governors house. Naveen had gone to buy food items in a nearby supermarket when the tragedy struck. As the Russian forces moved towards Ukraines capital Kyiv, the Indian embassy in Ukraine asked all its nationals to leave the city immediately as the government scrambled to organise safe passage for its citizens. About 4,000 Indian students are still in Kharkiv, while almost all have left Kyiv now.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired yet another meeting on Tuesday evening on the Ukraine situation. Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the PM conveyed his deep anguish over the loss of life of an Indian. The PM also spoke to the students family in Karnataka.

With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family. The foreign secretary is calling in the ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in the conflict zone. Similar action is also being taken by our ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine, MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said on Tuesday.

We had already taken up with the Russian and Ukrainian embassies the pressing requirement of safe passage for Indian nationals, including students, from Kharkiv and other cities in the conflict zone. This demand has been repeatedly made of Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of this conflict on February 24. It has been conveyed to both ambassadors in New Delhi as well as taken up in their capitals. From the Indian side, the preparations for evacuation have been in place for some time now. An Indian team has been positioned in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. However, the conflict situation in and around Kharkiv and nearby cities has been an obstacle. Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to our need for safe passage urgently, sources said.

The sources said the deteriorating situation in Kharkiv was a matter of grave concern and the safety and security of Indian nationals in that city was of utmost priority to the government.

The Indian embassy in Kyiv has shut down and the ambassador and the staff are on their way to western part of the country, the sources said. Its a fluid situation. Our interlocutors will press to allow us to evacuate. We remain concerned about the situation. During our conversation with the Russian and Ukrainian governments, we emphasised the need to protect Indian students and reiterated the demand in Kyiv and Moscow too for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals. The evacuation from Kharkiv remains our top priority. While 60 per cent of Indians have left the zone, of the 40 per cent left, half are in conflict zones while the other half have moved towards the western borders. All our nationals have left Kyiv as per our information, the foreign secretary said.

He added another 1,400 Indians in Zaporizhia had left for the western borders while at Moldova 400 students have crossed over. An Indian embassy office is being set up at Lviv in Ukraine. In the next few days, 26 more flights, including by IAFs C-17 aircraft, have been scheduled to bring the Indians back home.

The sources said that in places where the conflict has not endangered movement, several Indians have been evacuated. More than 9,000 have been already brought out of Ukraine, while a considerable number are now in the safer areas.

On India abstaining during the vote at the UN Security Council meeting on the resolutions against Russia, Mr Shringla said: In the UN we take positions that are based on careful considerations and certainly we do regard the merits of each and every case that comes before us. There are a number of resolutions that have emanated and we will take decisions based on their entirety and on careful consideration of our best interest.

Indias permanent representative at the UN in New York T.S. Tirumurti told a rare emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine convened on Monday that New Delhi was doing whatever it can to undertake an immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals still stranded in Ukraine.

India is deeply concerned that the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate. We reiterate our call for immediate cessation of violence and an end to hostilities, Mr Tirumurti said. My government firmly believes there is no other choice but to return to the path of diplomacy, he said.

Mr Tirumurti noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advocated this strongly in his recent conversations with the leaderships of Russia and Ukraine. We reiterate our firm conviction that all differences can only be bridged through honest, sincere and sustained dialogue, he said.
l

Walter Pelorosso is from Canuelas, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. With a touch of humour he claims to be ""a kind of modern Rousseau "", sharing his time between the reality of a bank job and his passion for painting. He lives upholding respect, passion, friendship, love and fun, which he considers to be the five pillars of his equilibrium and development.

For him, it is crucial to present and not represent. One must invent, creating a new reality through art. And so he chose to follow in the footsteps of the great masters of geometric abstraction of the early twentieth century, seeking to retain the essence of the Argentine art movements of the 40s such as ""Arte Concreto Invencion"" and ""Arte Madi"".

At the age of 30, he decided to further his knowledge and began a Bachelor of Visual Arts. He says that he was overwhelmed by this new form of language and sought to exploit it to the best of his ability to develop his own style. Contemplation and creativity then became two essential and inseparable actions in the eyes of the artist. Since then, he has regularly attended university to take courses in graphic design and video and has learned to do his work in 2D and 3D installations. The artist describes his style as ""geometric, conservative and composed."" He focuses on the invention of new spaces. Walter seeks to create something new, without any references. He advocates geometry as a pure, concrete and timeless art, whose mastery requires the utmost attention to detail. Lines must be perfect, shapes carefully assembled and colours solid. Over time, Walter Pelorosso pushes the content of his compositions by incorporating a brand new element. He now offers us paintings done in acrylic, in which he creates collages with newspaper clippings. Carriers of various information, they give a new and different meaning to each of his works.
Thank you for reading!

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ATLANTA  The Carter Center is establishing I-Policy (India Policy), an initiative to educate U.S. policymakers on issues related to democracy and human rights in India.

I-Policy will host dialogues and publish original policy research to keep stakeholders informed of key developments in Indian democracy, including those that impact U.S.-India relations. With a programmatic presence in Washington, D.C., I-Policy aims to be an important resource for American policymakers to ensure that Indias democracy remains robust, especially given rising challenges in the country.

At a time where global cooperation is more necessary than ever, upholding the democratic values at the root of U.S.-India ties is vital, said the Carter Centers CEO, Paige Alexander. Experts have pointed out that because India is the worlds largest democracy, backsliding there has repercussions for countries everywhere, especially the U.S. I-Policy, therefore, will bring these issues to the attention of American policymakers through informed and measured research.

In recent years, India has seen a significant decline in global indices that measure the strength of democratic norms and practices. Areas of concern include freedom of the press, judicial independence, and protection of minorities. Economic stagnation has compounded these problems, and U.S. companies  including technology firms  have reported difficulties navigating Indias sensitive landscape. Failure to address such challenges in a timely and effective manner poses risks to economic prosperity, geopolitical stability, and the U.S.-India strategic partnership. I-Policy will provide American policymakers with necessary research and analysis on Indian democracy and human rights, with a view to strengthening bilateral ties and managing potential pitfalls.

Tanmay Misra has been appointed as I-Policys strategy officer and will be based in Washington, D.C. He brings to the role a decade of experience in the United Nations and with the Indian diaspora in the U.S. and UK. He is a graduate of Brown University (B.A.), the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (M.A.), and the London School of Economics and Political Science (Ph.D.). Shelby House will be I-Policys researcher-editor. Fluent in Hindi and Urdu, she has a background in research and communications and is a graduate of the University of Washington (M.A.) in South Asian studies and Vanderbilt University (B.A.) in political science and South Asia studies.

I-Policy will be supported by an advisory board whose members include Saman Zia-Zarifi (secretary general of the International Commission of Jurists), James Traub (columnist at Foreign Policy and senior fellow at New York University's Center on International Cooperation), and Vinod Jose (executive editor at The Caravan Magazine).

This spring, I-Policy expects to launch its official website, which will showcase research and analysis of developments in Indian democracy from a diverse array of leading observers in both the U.S. and India.

###

Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Russian strikes pounded the central square in Ukraines second-largest city and other civilian sites Tuesday in what the countrys president condemned as a blatant campaign of terror by Moscow. Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget, vowed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At the same time, a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced on the capital, Kyiv, in what the West feared was a bid to topple Ukraines government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime. And Russian President Vladimir Putins forces pressed their attack on other towns and cities across the country, including the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II found Russia increasingly isolated by tough economic sanctions that have thrown its economy its disarray and left the country practically friendless, apart from China and Belarus.

In Kharkiv, Ukraines second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the regions Soviet-era administrative building was hit. Explosions tore through residential areas, and a maternity ward was moved to an underground shelter.

Kharkivs Freedom Square  Ukraines largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life for the city  was struck with what was believed to be a missile, in an attack seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasnt just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirits.

The strike blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive central square, which was piled high with debris and dust. Inside one building, chunks of plaster were scattered, and doors, ripped from their hinges, lay across hallways.

People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies, said Yevhen Vasylenko, representative of the Emergency Situations Ministry in Kharkiv region. In addition to the six killed, 20 were wounded in the strike, he said.

Zelenskyy called the attack on Kharkivs main square frank, undisguised terror, blaming a Russian missile and calling it a war crime. This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation, he said.

In an emotional appeal to the European Parliament later, Zelenskyy said: We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are.

He said 16 children had been killed on Monday, and he mocked Russias claim that it is going after only military targets.

Where are the children, what kind of military factories do they work at? What tanks are they going at, launching cruise missiles? Zelenskyy said.

In a worrying development, Human Rights Watch said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraines east in recent days. Local residents have also reported the use of the munitions in Kharkiv and the village of Kiyanka, though there was no independent confirmation.

If confirmed, that would represent a worrying new level of brutality in the war and could lead to even further isolation in Russia.

The Kremlin denied Tuesday that it has used such weapons and insisted again that its forces only have struck military targets  despite evidence documented by Associated Press reporters of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals.

The International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor said earlier this week that he plans to open an investigation into possible war crimes.

Unbowed by Western condemnation, Russian officials upped their threats of escalation, days after raising the specter of a nuclear attack. A top Kremlin official warned that the Wests economic war against Russia could turn into a real one.

The first talks Monday between Ukraine and Russia yielded no stop in the fighting, though the two sides agreed to another meeting in the coming days.

Throughout the country, many Ukrainian civilians spent another night huddled in shelters, basements or corridors. More than a half-million people have fled the country, and the U.N. human rights office said it has recorded the deaths of 136 civilians. The real toll is believed to be far higher.

It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly. This cannot be explained with words, said Kharkiv resident Ekaterina Babenko, taking shelter in a basement with neighbors for a fifth straight day. We have small children, elderly people and frankly speaking it is very frightening.

A Ukrainian military official said Belarusian troops joined the war Tuesday in the Chernihiv region, without providing details. But just before that, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said his country had no plans to join the fight.

One after the other, explosions burst through a residential area of Kharkiv in one video verified by the AP. In the background, a man pleaded with a woman to leave, and a woman cried.

Determined for life to go on despite the attacks, hospital workers transferred a Kharkiv maternity ward to a bomb shelter. Amid makeshift electrical sockets and mattresses piled up against the walls, pregnant women paced the crowded space, accompanied by the cries of dozens of newborns.

Russias goals in hitting central Kharkiv were not immediately clear. Western officials speculated that it is trying to pull in Ukrainian forces to defend the city while a larger Russian force encircles Kyiv.

Russian troops continued their advance toward the capital, a city of nearly 3 million. The convoy was 25 kilometres from the centre of the city and stretched about 65 km, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

Flames shot up from a military base northeast of Kyiv, in the suburb of Brovary, in footage taken from a car driving past. In another video verified by AP, a passenger pleaded with the driver, Misha, we need to drive quickly as theyll strike again.

And Ukrainian authorities released details and photos of an attack Sunday on a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, saying more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed along with some local residents. The attack could not be immediately confirmed.

The Russian militarys movements have been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to dominate Ukraines airspace.

Ukrainians used resourcefulness to try to stop the Russian advance: On a highway between Odesa and Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, residents piled tractor tires filled with sand and topped with sandbags to block Russian military convoys. In Kyiv, sandbags were heaped in front of doors and windows of City Hall.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Scores of diplomats have walked out of two meetings at the United Nations in Geneva in which Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was beamed in for a video statement, as a protest against Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Lavrov spoke by video to the Conference on Disarmament and the Human Rights Council, which he had planned to attend before closure of airspace to Russian planes by several European countries prevented his travel to the Swiss city.

What you have seen is strong support for Ukraine, said Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. Undersecretary of State for arms control and international Security, after the walkout from the disarmament meeting.

Shortly afterward, in a conference room two floors higher, scores of diplomats  including Ukraines ambassador in Geneva and the foreign ministers of Canada and Denmark poured out of the Human Rights Council chamber.

A spokesman for the council said about 100 people left the room.

Meanwhile, in Poland, NATOs chief says the alliance sees no need to change its nuclear weapons alert level, despite Russias threats.

NATOs secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, spoke to The Associated Press following talks on European security with Polish President Andrzej Duda an air base in Poland where NATOs Polish and U.S. fighter jets are based.

We will always do what is needed to protect and defend our allies, but we dont think there is any need now to change the alert levels of NATOs nuclear forces, Stoltenberg said.

The Kremlin has raised the spectre of nuclear war, reporting on Monday that its land, air and sea nuclear forces were on high alert following President Vladimir Putins weekend order. NATO itself has no nuclear weapons, but three of its members, the United States, Britain and France, do.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada wants the International Criminal Court to speed up its investigation into Russia for possible war crimes because of its invasion of Ukraine.

Joly announced Canada's intent in Geneva Tuesday after she and other Western officials walked out in the middle of the address by their Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

On Monday, ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan issued a statement saying he had decided to open an investigation because he found there was a reasonable basis to believe war crimes and alleged crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine.

Joly's announcement could speed up the pace of an ICC investigation.

Khan said that because Ukraine is not a party to the Rome Statute that governs the court it "cannot itself refer the situation" to his office. He noted Ukraine has accepted the ICC's jurisdiction in the past "over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute occurring on its territory."

"An alternative route set out in the statute that could further expedite matters would be for an ICC state party to refer the situation to my office, which would allow us to actively and immediately proceed with the office's independent and objective investigations," said Khan.

Canada is a state party and founding member of the ICC and the Rome Statute.

"Today also Canada will petition the International Criminal Court of justice against Russia, for crimes against humanity and war crimes. And it was also important for us to show that we're steadfast in terms of our support," Joly said Tuesday in Geneva.

Joly said she and her fellow diplomats walked out on Lavrov to send a message to Russia over the invasion.

"Minister Lavrov was being broadcast and giving his version, which is false about what is happening in Ukraine," said Joly.

Lavrov, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, have been sanctioned by Canada and their allies for their role in orchestrating what is described as an illegal attack on a sovereign country.

Joly was leaving Geneva and headed to Poland later Tuesday for meetings with her counterparts there to address the Ukrainian refugee exodus and oversee the delivery of Canadian military aid.

She is expected to travel to Poland's Ukraine border later this week.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The first three RCMP officers who responded to the Nova Scotia mass shooting walked through darkness toward gunfire and burning homes, but the gunman they pursued continued to kill before slipping away.



Transcripts tabled Tuesday at a public inquiry indicate the officers who raced  sirens screaming  to the scene in Portapique, N.S., were dispatched after a harrowing 911 call at 10:04 p.m. on April 18, 2020, from Jamie Blair, just before she was killed.



"The last thing we had was just a person screaming there (in Portapique)," the dispatcher radioed Const. Stuart Beselt as he drove about 50 kilometres toward Portapique's unlit, dirt roads, arriving at about 10:25 p.m.



A 92-page summary prepared by the commission of inquiry details the officers' actions after they arrived in Portapique, and reveals that for about 90 minutes, they were the only police officers to enter the village.



As Beselt drove into the community in his patrol vehicle, he met residents Andrew and Kate MacDonald driving out. They had just crossed paths with the killer in his replica RCMP cruiser, and Andrew MacDonald had been shot. However, the inquiry heard Monday that at that moment the shooter was beyond Beselt's line of vision, in a dip in the road.



Some time between 10:27 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., the killer drove south, deeper into the small community and fatally shot Joanne Thomas and John Zahl in their home.



At that point, as the first officers were advancing into Portapique, the killer, Gabriel Wortman, managed to elude detection. Rather than head north toward the Mounties, the commission believes he drove along a rough trail through a wooded lot that he owned in the south end of the community, ending up at his warehouse on Orchard Beach Drive, which he had earlier set alight.



The commission says there is evidence Corrie Ellison  a visitor to Portapique  was taking photos of the burning building just before he was shot dead at 10:40 p.m.



Within the next five minutes, its believed the gunman slipped out of the community by taking a dirt road that provided an escape route to the highway and allowed him to bypass police stationed on the main road into town.



But this wasn't known to Beselt, a 24-year-veteran of the force, as he entered the community on foot with Const. Adam Merchant, a 13-year-veteran, and Const. Aaron Patton, a newer member.



According to the inquiry's summary, he had put on his body armour almost immediately upon arriving, and after encountering the MacDonalds, he was ready to enter the community along with Merchant.



The commission documents show Beselt speaking to the MacDonalds at 10:28 p.m., and by 10:36 p.m., he was radioing Patton, who was just behind him, that he and Merchant could see a burning house halfway down Portapique Beach Road.



Beselt had studied the 2014 shootings of RCMP officers in Moncton, N.B., and believed being in a police car added to the danger. "I made the decision to run in, and I'm glad I did. I think it kept me alive, to be honest with you," he told commission investigators.



According to the commission's transcripts and interviews, Beselt, Merchant and Patton advanced with carbines pointed forward and wearing body armour, while Const. Vicki Colford stayed at the intersection of the highway and Portapique Beach Road, to contain the area.



They were following basic RCMP training to create an "immediate action rapid deployment" team, which requires them to seek out someone posing a threat to others' lives.



Just after 10:39 p.m., they radioed in that they were hearing shots being fired to their east, and found their way through a wooded trail that emerged at the killer's burning warehouse property. By 10:48 p.m., Beselt radioed to a supervising officer that "things are blowing up or they're shooting, I'm not sure." They found Ellison's body in front of the warehouse.



Then, the three officers knocked on the door of Lisa McCully's house, where her two children and Jamie Blair's two children had taken shelter, and were on the line with a 911 operator. McCully had been killed by the shooter when she'd gone outside.



Meanwhile, back at the intersection of the highway, Colbert radioed incoming officers at about 10:48 p.m. that she'd been informed there were private, back roads that might lead out of the area.



"If you guys want to have a look at the map, we're being told there's a road, kind of a road that someone could come out, before here," she said. The commission's investigators state it's likely that message was directed at Cpl. Natasha Jamieson and Const. Chris Grund who were coming in from the Millbrook detachment.



The commission doesn't indicate how they responded. However, it was probably too late: the commission's investigators say the killer had likely already reached the highway and was driving away. It wasn't until a little after 5 a.m. the next morning police set up a checkpoint at the back-road exit where the killer escaped.



The commission said GPS data suggests that the killer's vehicle may have sped by two RCMP officers during his escape, but both Grund and Jamieson told commission investigators they didn't notice a police car passing them.



Shortly after 11 p.m. more officers had arrived at the entrance to Portapique Beach Road and the report describes their frustration as they awaited orders. Grund asked Staff Sgt. Andy O'Brien, the operations officer during the incident, about entering the community, but O'Brien "indicated that he only wanted one team in the community to avoid a risk of crossfire," according to the commission summary.



Const. Bill Neil, arriving from neighbouring Pictou County, also asked supervisors to "give us something to do" at about 11:35 p.m. After the RCMP dispatcher indicated nobody was with the children, he and Grund were sent to bring them to safety shortly after midnight.



Grund and Neil were the first officers to join Beselt, Merchant and Patton in the community  about 90 minutes after their original entry on foot.



Through all of this, the general public had been given little word of what was going on. At 11:16 p.m., Beselt radioed Brian Rehill, RCMP risk manager, to ask whether some kind of emergency broadcast might be made to warn civilians, but Rehill replied the police were using a 911 map to call as many residents as possible.



At 11:32 p.m. local time, the RCMP sent out a tweet saying they were "responding to a firearms complaint in the Portapique area," and asked people to avoid the area and stay in their homes with locked doors.



It wasn't until 8:02 a.m. the next morning, over nine hours after Wortman had escaped the area, that they issued another tweet declaring an "active shooter situation."
What is happening in Ukraine is horrible and heart-wrenching.

My husbands family were on the receiving end of Russian aggression as the tanks rolled into Hungary in 1956. They escaped by walking to Italy to a Red Cross camp and eventually to Canada, which took in 40,000 refugees. Many more went to the US and Australia.

We have been very fortunate never to have had (modern) war touch ours lands. We have no concept. Hearing the horror stories from my in-laws are forever etched in my mind and am grateful every day to live in a free Canada.

Those who are calling for a strong military response from NATO countries towards Russian have to realize Ukraine is currently not a member of NATO, so it cannot respond in a military fashion as it would violate its charter. That would indicate a call to war and just play into Russian justification for the invasion.

These NATO countries can give military equipment to Ukraine so they fight this aggression themselves and many are doing just that, including Canada.

This is a different time and not like during the two World Wars. Provoking Russian into nuclear aggression will not end well for any country and we have to be very cognizant of that.

Carole Kormendy
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Tapa Military Base in Estonia to meet the soldiers that are defending Estonia and the alliance.

"These soldiers are keeping our nations safe and free. And we owe them a debt of gratitude. Thank you to Estonia for hosting our battlegroup so well. And being such a staunch NATO ally," said NATO chief.

Talking of the NATO deterrence, he emphasized, "Allies are imposing severe costs on Russia through sanctions. We are increasing NATO presence across the Alliance, to deter and defend. And we are stepping up our support to help Ukraine defend itself."

He thanked Boris Johnson for doubling UK's contribution over the last few weeks, with more British troops sent to Estonia.

"NATO Allies are sending Ukraine anti-tank weapons, air-defence missiles, and ammunition. Allies are also providing millions of euros worth of financial help and humanitarian aid. I commend Estonia and the United Kingdom for the assistance you are providing to Ukraine," he added.

Stoltenberg condemned Russia saying, "The people of Ukraine are fighting bravely against a brutal and unprovoked Russian invasion. We utterly condemn the Kremlin's war."

Talking of the increased NATO defensive presence he said, "In the air, on land, and at sea. With over 100 jets at high alert operating from 30 different locations. And over 120 ships from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean."

Reiterating NATO's commitment to Article 5 Stoltenberg said, "The UK, the US, and other Allies are deploying thousands more troops to the eastern part of the Alliance. For the first time in our history, we are deploying the NATO Response Force. Because there must be no doubt, no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding. Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad. We will protect and defend every inch of NATO territory. Credible deterrence prevents conflict and preserves peace."

He stressed that NATO is a defensive force saying, "NATO is a defensive Alliance. We do not seek conflict with Russia. Our message to President Putin is: stop the war, pull out all your forces from Ukraine, and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts. The world stands with Ukraine in calling for peace."

Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas talked of Ukraine's will to fight against Russia and said, "I think we underestimate the Ukrainians' motivation and will to protect their cities. Of course, we also know that the forces are not really equal. So one is to really conquer the cities and the other one is to keep those cities under control. So I think there is going to be a lot of resistance from Ukrainians."

"I think what we have seen is that all Ukrainians have really surprised everybody by their motivation to fight for their country, to fight for freedom," she added.

Echoing the same sentiments, UK PM Boris Johnson said, "With every day that goes by, as they watch the heroism of the Ukrainian resistance and they see what is happening in Ukraine, and they see episodes like the shedding, like the missile in Kharkiv and the destruction of civilian populations. I think peoples' stomachs are being turned by what is happening and they are seeing that it is necessary to stand up against Russian aggression to support the Ukrainians and to endorse our strategy, which is that President Putin must not be allowed to succeed, he must fail in Ukraine."

(ANI)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting Tuesday evening on the Ukraine crisis with focus on the evacuation of Indian citizens from the war-hit country, official sources said.

This was his fourth meeting on the Ukraine situation since Sunday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and another Union minister Piyush Goyal were among those who attended the meeting besides top bureaucrats.

The meeting comes as the situation in the war-hit country worsened, with one Indian student also losing his life in shelling in Kharkiv as Russian troops advanced deeper into Ukraine.

Modi has asserted that his government's top priority is to ensure safety and evacuation of Indian students.
Isolation is recommended during acute infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but the duration of infectiousness varies among individual persons. Rapid antigen test results have been correlated with detection of viable virus (13) and might inform isolation guidance, but data are limited for the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant. On January 5, 2022, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) recommended that persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection isolate for 10 days after symptom onset (or, for asymptomatic persons, 10 days after a positive nucleic acid amplification or antigen test result). However, isolation could end after 59 days if symptoms were resolving or absent, fever was absent for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications, and an Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag (BinaxNOW) rapid antigen test result was negative. Antigen test results and associated individual characteristics were analyzed among 3,502 infections reported to YKHC during January 1February 9, 2022. After 59 days, 396 of 729 persons evaluated (54.3%) had a positive antigen test result, with a declining percentage positive over time. In a multivariable model, a positive antigen test result was more likely after 5 days compared with 9 days (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 6.39) or after symptomatic infection (aOR = 9.63), and less likely after previous infection (aOR = 0.30), receipt of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series (aOR = 0.60), or after both previous infection and receipt of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series (aOR = 0.17). Antigen tests might be a useful tool to guide recommendations for isolation after SARS-CoV-2 infection. During the 10 days after infection, persons might be infectious to others and are recommended to wear a well-fitting mask when around others, even if ending isolation after 5 days.

YKHC provides health care and public health services to approximately 27,000 persons in an area of southwest Alaska that includes 50 remote communities; high rates of COVID-19 have been reported in this region.* On January 5, 2022, after rapidly increasing incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections associated with introduction of the Omicron variant, YKHC recommended an isolation policy incorporating the use of SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests. All persons with a positive SARS-CoV-2 antigen or nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) result were eligible to receive a follow-up BinaxNOW SARS-CoV-2 antigen test 59 days after symptom onset (or, in asymptomatic persons, after the first positive test result) if the person reported no symptoms or resolving symptoms, and no fever for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications. Persons were recommended to isolate for 10 days but could end isolation after 59 days if the follow-up antigen test was negative; all persons were advised to wear a well-fitting mask around others and to avoid close contact with persons at elevated risk for severe COVID-19, until the end of the 10-day period.

Persons with a positive SARS-CoV-2 NAAT or antigen test result were interviewed by a public health or clinic staff member after notification to YKHC, and at the time of a follow-up antigen test, if performed after the initial interview. Information collected included age, sex, whether the person was of the American Indian or Alaska Native race, and whether any symptoms were reported during follow-up. Persons were considered vaccinated if 14 days had elapsed since completion of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series and were considered to have received a booster dose if 7 days had elapsed after receipt of their booster dose. Previous infection was defined as a previous positive NAAT or antigen test result >90 days before the current infection episode; vaccination and previous infection status were assessed from electronic health records. Follow-up antigen testing was performed by YKHC staff members at a local health facility using the BinaxNOW antigen test; results of the first follow-up antigen test were recorded in the electronic health record.

Positive results of the first follow-up antigen test were evaluated by demographic characteristics, symptom status, previous infection, vaccination status, and number of days since symptom onset or a positive test result. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors independently associated with a positive follow-up antigen test result, adjusted for age group, previous infection, vaccination status, presence of symptoms, and number of days since symptom onset or the initial positive test result. Statistical analyses were conducted using SAS (version 9.4; SAS Institute), using a two-sided significance threshold of p<0.05; univariate comparisons were made using the chi-square test. This activity was reviewed by CDC and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.**

During January 1February 9, 2022, a total of 3,502 persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported to YKHC, including 3,266 (93.3%) in whom symptom onset or the initial positive test result had occurred 59 days earlier. Among these persons, 729 (22.3%) received a follow-up BinaxNOW antigen test 59 days after symptom onset or, among asymptomatic persons, after the first positive test result (Supplementary Table, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/114423). The median age was 30 years (IQR = 1745 years), 380 (52.1%) were female, and 666 (91.4%) were of the American Indian or Alaska Native race. By the day of the initial positive test, 541 (74.2%) had completed a primary COVID-19 vaccination series 14 days earlier, including 215 (39.7%) who had also received a booster dose; 21 (2.9%) persons were partially vaccinated, and 167 (22.9%) were unvaccinated. Previous infection was documented in 145 (19.9%) persons, including 108 who had also completed a primary COVID-19 vaccination series; among persons with a previous infection, a median of 418 days (IQR = 343439 days) had elapsed between the earlier infection and the current episode. Symptoms were reported by 564 (77.4%) persons. Compared with persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection without follow-up antigen testing, those with follow-up antigen testing were more likely to be older (median age = 30 years versus 22 years, p<0.001) and to have received a primary COVID-19 vaccine series (74.2% versus 59.9%; p<0.001), although other characteristics were similar.

Overall, 396 (54.3%) tested persons had a positive BinaxNOW antigen test 59 days after symptom onset or after an initial positive test (Table 1). A positive antigen test was more likely after a symptomatic infection (361 of 564, 64.0%) than after an asymptomatic infection (35 of 165, 21.2%) (p<0.001). The proportion of positive antigen test results declined with the number of days since an initial positive test (p<0.001), and, among persons with symptomatic infections, since symptom onset (p<0.001) (Figure). A positive test result was more likely if there was no history of previous infection (346 of 584, 59.2%) than if there was a documented previous infection (50 of 145, 34.5%) (p<0.001). Among 541 persons who received a primary vaccination series, 285 (52.7%) had a positive antigen test result, including 127 of 215 (59.1%) persons who had received a booster dose and 158 of 326 (48.5%) who had not received a booster dose. Among 167 unvaccinated persons, 98 (58.7%) had a positive antigen test result. In multivariable models, a positive antigen test result was more likely after 5 days than after 9 days (aOR = 6.39; 95% CI = 3.3912.03), symptomatic infection (aOR = 9.63; 95% CI = 6.0315.37), and less likely after previous infection (aOR = 0.30; 95% CI = 0.190.46), receipt of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series (aOR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.390.93) or after both previous infection and receipt of a primary COVID-19 vaccination series (aOR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.090.33) (Table 2).
AdBri records revenues of AUD1569m in 2021

01 March 2022

AdBri reported revenue of AUD1569.2m (US$1135m) compared to AUD1454.2m in 2020 with increased sales volumes experienced for all products other than lime. Strong sales demand was seen across all market segments, including residential, commercial, infrastructure and mining.

Reported net profit after tax (NPAT) attributable to members increased from AUD93.7m to AUD116.7m. Net debt increased by AUD65.3m to AUD437.4m at 31 December 2021, representing a leverage ratio of 1.6 times underlying EBITDA and gearing of 34.5 per cent, while interest cover was 14.4 times underlying EBITDA.

Cement and lime

Cement and lime growth was achieved in cement volumes during the year despite variable demand due to temporary government lockdowns that closed the construction sector in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Northern Territory.

Lime volumes decreased as the Alcoa contract wound down. A contract extension with Adbris second-largest lime customer, South32, and agreements with Northern Star and Newmont Boddington reinforced Adbris reputation for reliable domestic supply.

Concrete aggregates and masonry

Concrete and aggregate volumes increased by nine and 22 per cent respectively, despite temporary construction industry restrictions in some markets and states due to the pandemic. Overall, masonry sales revenue increased by two per cent to AUS$149m as compared to the prior year.

The earnings contribution from joint ventures increased by AUD6.4m to AUD33.3m compared to the prior corresponding period. Strong demand across the southeast Queensland construction sector, saw a 115 per cent improvement in Sunstate Cements contribution to earnings. Independent Cement & Lime Pty's earnings rose by 13 per cent and Mawson Group's earings increased by 23 per cent.

Capex spending

Capex increased marginally to AUD140.5m (AUD103.4m stay-in-business capex and AUD34.5m for development). Development projects included the purchase of a pugmill and road access works for the Scotchy Pocket quarry, upgrade of the Birkenhead drymix plant and AUD14.1m for the Kwinana upgrade project. The company also injected AUD32.2m into a new 50/50 joint venture to acquire the Metro Quarry Groups sand assets in Victoria.

The Kwinana upgrade project will provide greater efficiencies in our Western Australian cement operations, with reduced electricity and diesel use, and lower emissions, compared to the existing operations, said AdBri. Progress on the lime strategy included completion of a pre-feasibility study for a new kiln in Kalgoorlie and commencement of a definitive feasibility study, expected to take 12-18 months. In December 2021, we completed the sale of our Hilltop land in Geelong.

Outlook

Favourable market conditions are expected to continue in the construction and resources sector. Buoyant residential construction will underpin a strong order book until at least the middle of 2022, while multi-residential activity is also beginning to increase.

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As one of the worlds great traditional old-time and bluegrass fiddlers, the late Fletcher Bright dedicated his life to sharing his gifts with others. So when his daughter Lizzer Bright Graham 77 wanted to honor his legacy through a gift to Girls Preparatory School, she knew it had to celebrate the arts. The result is The Fletcher W. Bright Fellowship for Inspiring Artistic and Community Engagement, an endowed program that offers an annual award to a rising senior.

The award was established to foster and instill individual growth, to develop a discerning sense of inquiry, and to explore an area of concentration that brings excitement and sensitivity of wonder in a student. As Fletcher Bright felt about all of the artsthe possibilities are vastly endless. For the sake of this fellowship, the disciplines include visual, creative writing, music, theater, or dance.

This year, Rowan Espy 23, a member of Terpsichord, Partnerships in the Community, Science Club, Environmental Club, and SWE-Next (Society of Women Engineers-Next Generation), was awarded the prestigious title of Fletcher Bright Fellow by a judging panel composed of Peggy Wood Townsend 81, a GPS alumna and arts philanthropist who co-owns Townsend Atelier; Charlotte Caldwell 01, a GPS alumna and arts philanthropist who founded and serves as director of Stove Works; and Eleanor McCallie Cooper 64, a GPS alumna, arts philanthropist, author, and community engagement strategist.

Rowans proposal outlined her plan to showcase mental health topics through dance during a two-night performance at Barking Legs Theater. During this showcase, the Chattanooga dance community could come together to perform, with proceeds donated to various mental health organizations such as the Aim Center, the AB Korker Foundation, and Erase the Stigma Through Dance.

She explained, The COVID-19 pandemicand the loneliness, grief, and isolation it broughthas caused a mental health crisis, particularly among youth. Some therapists have described it as a second pandemic that has intensified depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

Despite this increase, Rowan said, openly discussing mental health is considered taboo, so the subject does not receive the attention it needs, and people who need help go without treatment. Those suffering from mental health illnesses often do not receive the same level of care or are not taken as seriously as those with physical illnesses. Because of this stigma, many people suffer in silence. The goal of this project is to expose people to the issue of mental health illness, encourage the destigmatization of it and demonstrate how participation in the arts can be freeing to those who suffer from it.

Ultimately, she hopes her project can prompt people who are struggling to get help, to destigmatize asking for help, and to raise awareness in addition to funds. As of now, the plan is for the performances to take place this October.

Additional applicants for the fellowship included:

Soree Kim | Soree, a violinist and member of GPSs Tango Quartet, proposed to perform for her elementary school and provide an illustrative wall cling in an effort to empower young girls to pursue music. In addition, she wanted to sponsor a young musicians introductory lessons. She said she wishes she had been introduced to the violin earlier, but her elementary school didnt have a music program like GPS.

Anisha Phade | Anisha, who created her own business in middle school called Quill for Kids, which raised money for Childrens Hospital at Erlanger, proposed a week-long quilling class for elementary and middle school children over the summer. They would learn to make jewelry pieces, then have the opportunity to sell their work at local markets and donate the proceeds to charity. The workshop, she said, would push kids to take risks and experiment, and would encourage self-confidence.

Colette Smith | Colette proposed to host a week-long summer camp at Siskin Childrens Institute for kids with special needs. The programming would center around music therapy. On the autism spectrum herself, Colette has received immense support and inspiration from musical theater, choir, and dance. Music enrichment, she said, is one of the best ways to stimulate the mind of a child with autism.
First, let me say that I have nothing against any of the three Republican county mayor candidates, but I do have questions and thoughts.

Weston Wamp- County mayor is an executive position that requires management of people and departments. It is not just a policy-oriented position. How many direct reports have you ever managed? What level of budget have you ever managed? Have you ever met a payroll or had to manage a bottom line? You are well-spoken and seem intelligent, but what have you ever accomplished that would entice voters to vote you into such an important position? Also, you are vocal and it seems like your support of vocational education is saying lets support that instead of a college education. I support adding more vocational education, but lets continue to push people toward college. The future will be won by those who are more highly educated, not the other way a round.

Matt Hullander- You clearly have run a business successfully, have met a payroll and have managed a bottom line. What I cant figure out, is why you are running? Your TV commercials that say you Want to make it better are childish and non specific. What do you want to do and why are you even in this race? My impression is that you have sold your business, made millions and now need something else to do.

Sabrina Smedley- I know almost nothing about you but a good friend of mine who lives in Ooltewah, says you have been an excellent representative and sings your praises. Your commercials, which talk about not riding daddys coattails sure ring a bell with me. It seems to me that you have the citizens' best interests at heart.

In summary, Im not sure who to support but Weston and Matt need to make a better case before they win my support.

David Groves

* * *

David,

Thank you for you interest in this important race.

Ill address your questions in two parts: about my background and about my position regarding vocational education.

My background:

You may be surprised to learn that the county mayor, while serving as the fiscal agent of our county and authoring the budget every year, does not have a particularly large number of direct reports. In that way, county government is structured quite differently than city government.

That said, I have led several entrepreneurial ventures, including being involved from the ground floor in two of the most important small business investment funds in recent years in Chattanooga, Lamp Post Group and the original $18 million Dynamo Fund. These two entities were the first investor in several of the fastest growing companies in our region. I launched a fiscal policy nonprofit in 2019 and organized and have led a commission of 20 business executives across America while coordinating the commissioners advisors, another 20 the brightest economists and elected officials in America.

As far as budgets are concerned, I serve on the Finance Committee of the Tennessee Board of Regents, overseeing a $1.45 billion budget  50 percent larger than the countys budget.

My background spans business, policy and education and has prepared me well to serve as county mayor.

On vocational education:

It is my strong opinion that the world needs more young people to pursue specific career and vocational skills as opposed to generalist college degrees.

As a graduate with honors from our states flagship university, I can tell you that most four year degrees are highly overrated  including my own.

The current K-12 model is hyper-focused on sending all of our children to college, which is part of the reason it costs a fortune to hire a plumber these days. Its also part of the reason that so many of our high school students are hopeless because they werent reading on grade level in elementary school and never caught up to have a realistic shot at a four-year college.

Im not sure that your assertion that the future will be won by those who are highly educated, not the other way around is true in 2022 and beyond.

A welding certificate and some business classes at Chattanooga State are every bit as valuable as many graduate degrees.

Based on the states Ready Graduate standard, more than 60 percent of our countys high school graduates arent ready to go to work or to college.

Ive got a track record as a problem solver and an entrepreneur and if Im elected as our next mayor, Ill guarantee you that number will improve dramatically.

Id be honored to have your vote.

Weston Wamp

* * *

As I read Weston's beautifully articulated explanation of his background, I had to ask myself, "huh?" I realized I completely zoned out like when I'm watching talking heads on the news. The answer was a whole lot to do about nothing with which I can relate. $18 million. After rereading that paragraph, it has me even more puzzled as to why Weston started out with some of the biggest investor funds our area has seen in years. Everyone else running started out at the relatable bottom and worked up.

I think it reads more like: "I was hand selected by elites to put me in a position of perceived power and success in order to one day repay them by running for office and effecting policy in their favor. Big number, larger than we've ever seen in this area. I found success in a position in which I couldn't fail doing things that didn't really move the needle. I have a long track record of place holding on various boards until I was called up to run for office. I have the backing of a political machine and higher aspirations than county mayor."

Juxtapose David's take on Matt's reasons for running and you realize that Weston is salivating to get his first elected position.

I've watched Sabrena's involvement ever since I came to town. She comes across as a true advocate for the people. She doesn't need the job. She has given out her cell phone number to people I know in order to deal with issues within her district. She spent her career understanding the people of Hamilton County's needs as a realtor (single word describing her basis of experience). She had her finger on the pulse of the people's needs when forced annexation was happening and she responded by getting involved. I've watched her vote "No", followed by the words: "The people of my district are completely against this." She can say those words with confidence because she is the only commissioner (or other elected official for that matter) to hold community meetings, where she puts herself out there to educate the public and take the heat. Her latest one was Monday evening regarding a zoning change.

It's very clear to me that Sabrena has a servant's heart, relatable experience, and the appropriate motives for running. Weston's experience appears to be as useful as his college degree and his motive's are vague at best.

Tim Giordano
The Chattanooga Fire Department is looking for future firefighters who will help strengthen the department and continue a legacy of service and dedication. It is currently taking applications for fire cadets for our next Fire Academy which is expected to start in January 2023. The 2022 Fire Academy is currently underway.

With a 150-year history in Chattanooga, the CFD leads the way with superior response, training and reputation. We have 26 companies housed in 20 stations across the city, a Fire Prevention Bureau that conducts inspections year-round, a modern training center and a repair shop. In all, more than 400 dedicated men and women provide firefighting, emergency medical care and all-hazards response 24x7x365 for an area of 143 square miles and nearly 185,000 citizens.

We are laying the groundwork for the next 150 years of our department and this next generation of firefighters will play a vital role in preserving our past and pushing the CFD into the future. We want career firefighters who want to make a difference in their community, said Fire Chief Phil Hyman.

Candidates will be responsible for participating in a six-month Fire Training Academy. Duties include attending class, taking exams and integrating classroom training during hands-on exercises. No prior experience or knowledge is required. Training staff will educate cadets on all aspects of the fire service. They will complete Emergency Medical Technician training and learn how to fight different types of fires. They will also master other skills like hazardous materials operations, vehicle extrication, rope rescues, tactical ventilation, self-rescue and how to save fellow firefighters lives in dangerous situations.

For more information on the hiring process, feel free to email CFDRecruiting@chattanooga.gov. Here is the link for fire cadet: https://fa-eqto-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/22195/?utm_medium=jobshare
In 2012, UTC business majors Keenan McLean and Nate Harlan thought Black male students on campus needed a unifying group beyond the formal structure of fraternities.

We felt there was an unmet need for minority males on campus as far as leadership and retention opportunities, Mr. McLean recalled.

Mr. Harlan said the University needed a place for men of color to have the type of conversations in which This person right here is my brother. I trust him to hold what it is that I share in this space.

Ten years later, the student-led organization they brought to UTC, Brother 2 Brother, is still at the forefront of helping men of color find success and camaraderie during their college years, while never losing sight of the importance of education and earning a degree.

The Brother 2 Brother program is a national student organization that promotes successful retention and college completion among African American and Hispanic/Latino males. The group encourages its members to embrace leadership by serving as positive role models for one another through a solid commitment to academic achievement, brotherhood and community service.

I have been around this organization since it first started on this campus and Ive seen firsthand the impact of what it has done to impact male retention here at UTC, said Chris Stokes, assistant director of the UTC Office of Multicultural Affairs and the campus advisor to Brother 2 Brother.

When those young men are together, theres a level of transparency, comfort and familiarity, he said. Its men from all different backgrounds, typically African American, some Hispanic, biracial, multiracial, young men of color. They get to share their experiences and commonalities in a space where they can just be comfortable.

Mr. McLean and Mr. Harlan met as second-graders in Columbia, Tn. They stayed in touch through their adolescent years and bonded as first-year students at UTC.

When they arrived, Mr. McLeans sister, Katrina, already was a UTC student.

She was extremely involved with everything that was happening on campus, from orientation to admissions to campus organizations, and she introduced us to all of the students who were just as active and passionate about UTC as she was, Mr. Harlan recalled.

We were introduced to UTC from a lens of, This is your University. Its going to be whatever you make it.

They took it to heart. Once sophomore year rolled around, Mr. McLean and Mr. Harlan began having conversations about things impacting them that were unique to their experiences.

Their initial concept was to build an organization from scratch called the Elevated Mens Initiative. They brought their idea to Justin Moses, the UTC associate dean of students, asking him to be the program sponsor.

He said, I think that something like this is going on at another campus, Mr. Harlan recalled.

Mr. Moses then suggested they learn more about an organization called Brother 2 Brother.

After we were introduced to Brother 2 Brother, Mr. Harlan said, we worked with Dean Moses to figure out how that model could be tailored to what we needed here at UTC.

Mr. McLean recalled meeting with Mr. Harlan and others in his Stophel Apartment living room, talking about whats going on around the world with us, three to four hours at a time.

We were just college kids, and we were writing bylaws and creating something, but even at that young age, we had that mindset that we wanted this to be a long-term thing.

At the forefront was building Brother 2 Brother with an education-first attitude. Its members were at UTC to receive a degree.

A second priority was student retention.

We used to say, How do we keep you coming back over the mountain? Thats a saying from Keenan and me; to get from Columbia, Tennessee, to Chattanooga, you have to come over the mountain, Mr. Harlan explained.

The want and the push to create this organization so that it could be sustainable and a resource for students 10 to 20 years after that was one of the reasons why I continued to come over the mountain.

Equally as important, the group was established to fill a much-needed void.

Brother 2 Brother was created to be a safe space for these young men to feel like they can be their complete selves and be free, Harlan said. Whatever happened in that room, whatever we discussed, whatever walls we broke through, whatever epiphanies we had, they remained in that room.

Mr. Harlan received a bachelors degree in business administration with a finance concentration in 2014. He is now a financial planning and analysis manager with Asurion in Nashville.



Mr. McLean received a bachelors degree in business administration and management from UTC in 2015. He is now a market rep analyst with Nissan Motor Corp. in the Chicago area.

Several years after they graduated, Cinque Peggs came to Chattanooga from Jackson, Tn. He was not your typical high school graduate when he first came to UTC in fall 2019.

Thanks to a partnership between Jackson-Central Merry Early College High School and Jackson State Community College, Mr. Peggsthe salutatorian of his graduating classarrived at UTC with an associates degree.

He is on pace to receive a bachelors degree in mechatronics, robotics and automation engineering in December. He could have fully devoted his time to academics but said he was hooked after being invited to a Brother 2 Brother meeting.

The group opened doors to volunteering, mentoring and leadership opportunities. Mr. Peggs climbed the organizational ladder, taking over as president at the end of fall semester 2021.

Accountability, he said, makes Brother 2 Brother different from other groups.

We ask our members to sign a contract agreeing to hold your brother or another member of the organization accountable, he said. We really stress that the people joining the organization be serious and be committed because we want this bond to be a brotherly bond: Someone that is there to help you out throughout your college journey and set you up for success.

Mr. Peggs said its imperative that everyone feels comfortable during Brother 2 Brother weekly meetings. He uses the phrase: I am my brothers keeper and together we shall rise.

What that mantra means is that, as Black males on campus, we realize that we have a powerful voice, he said. If we want to go somewhere and be successful, we have to hold each other accountable for whatever our goals might be. Hence, being our brothers keeper.

Mr. Harlans mother, Patricia, is a candidate for a doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy analysis at East Tennessee State University. She is the inspiration for an in-the-works documentary about the first 10 years of the UTC Brother 2 Brother program.

My mother is doing her dissertation on the impacts of mentorship and mentor programs for Black male retention within higher education, Mr. Harlan said, so this seemed like the right time to have the conversations, do the reflections and remember what it was like when we started.

Mr. McLean called it a walk down memory lane to collect photos and thoughts of the organizations creation. He and Mr. Harlan are just as excited about documenting the groups formation as they were about creating it.

At the heart of the documentary is understanding what we did, the benefit we had and the lives we changed, Mr. McLean said. I always tell Nate, I cant believe that was us but, at the same time, we did that. We believed in each other, and we built a community.

An outline has been completed and a script is being finalized for the documentary. Shooting is scheduled to begin in the next few months. If all goes well, the film will be finished within the year.



It definitely makes you pinch yourself and just kind of say, Im glad we decided to do what we did, Mr. Harlan said. This documentary stems from a plan coming together, like the labor of love we did 10 years ago.
Hyderabad: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has launched KCR as Prime Minister campaign in bordering villages of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh in the wake of its president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao's recent decision to play a key role in national politics.

The party is showcasing the benefits being enjoyed by the people in Telangana villages bordering these states with the implementation of Chandrashekar Rao's welfare schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, Aasara pensions, 24x7 free power to agriculture, KCR Kits, Kalyana Laxmi, Shaadi Mubarak etc. and highlighting development of villages with Palle Pragathi programme prompting people in bordering villages of other states wish Chandrashekar Rao becomes the Prime Minister and extend Telangana development schemes to all states.

The pink party has deployed teams to these bordering villages in other states where they are interacting with villagers and discussing Chandrashekar Rao's welfare schemes and development programmes.

These teams are camping in Nekli, Amthana, Palaj, Chandrapur etc. in Bhokar taluk in Nanded district in Maharashtra. They are also camping in Purushothapatnam, Etapaka and Nellipaka villages in Bhadrachalam mandal which were merged with Andhra Pradesh soon after the bifurcation of state in 2014. They visited Tallagudem village in Bhupalapatnam taluk in Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh which is bordering Mulug district in Telangana.

The prime objective of these teams is to show the 'difference' between Telangana and their states. They are showcasing how people in these bordering villages in Telangana were receiving 24x7 uninterrupted power, treated piped water through taps in their households through Mission Bhagiratha, receiving Rs 10,000 per year per acre towards Rythu Bandhu, Rs 5 lakh free life insurance through LIC as part of Rythu Bima within a week in the event of the death of farmer, free 24x7 power to agriculture etc.

They are also highlighting how the people of other states are not enjoying any benefits like Telangana people do who are just a few kilometres away from these bordering villages. The people in the villages of other states are complaining about power cuts, their plight to walk kilometres to fetch drinking water, not getting free power for agriculture, even though some states are implementing free power to agriculture, they are supplied at midnight leading to accidents and snake bites in fields, and not getting financial assistance for farmers

like Rythu Bandhu etc.

The teams are also showcasing clean and green villages with Chandrashekar Rao's Palle Pragathi programme under which every village has been provided with a nursery, a tractor to collect garbage every day, a water tanker to water plants, vaikuntadhamams (crematoria), dump yard in every village with segregation of wet and dry garbage facility, Rythu Vedika in every village etc and convey a message that if Chandrashekar Rao becomes the Prime Minister, these schemes will be extended to the entire India.

After interacting with these teams, people in these bordering villages in other states expressed their desire to see Chandrashekar Rao as the Prime Minister and wanted their villages merged with Telangana until then. Videos of these responses from people wishing Chandrashekar Rao as Prime Minister are being circulated widely on social media platforms.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced that hunting and fishing licenses and permits will be valid for one year from the date of purchase. All current yearly Tennessee hunting and fishing licenses expired Feb. 28.



Exceptions will be captive permits, Federal duck stamp, migratory bird permits, and slat basket tags.



Licenses are available online anytime at www.GoOutdoorsTennessee.com, on the TWRA On the Go App, or at one of 474 license agents across the state. You can also select to auto-renew your license and never worry about your license expiring again. Customers can also purchase a new design of the collectors card for any annual license. The new waterproof, durable card features a choice of a smallmouth, Tennessees state game fish, or a pair of deer.



If you like wildlife of any kind, you should thank a hunter or fisherman. Without them, the state would not have the abundance of fish and wildlife that Tennesseans enjoy.



Hunters and anglers have been funding Tennessees and the nations wildlife conservation for more than 100 years through license purchases. 100% of hunting and fishing license fees go to support wildlife conservation in Tennessee. Whats more, a license purchase returns taxes paid on firearms, archery equipment, fishing gear and boat fuel to Tennessee at a rate of up to $40 per year so a license purchase is a great investment. This successful funding system is the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration program which is the largest driver of wildlife conservation nationwide.
Because of support from the community, the Samaritan Center was able to partner with Ready Set Sew! to give five refugees sewing supplies that will allow them to start a new life. Through the partnership with local businesses, each refugees sewing kit cost the Samaritan Center $716.



For only $716 we are changing peoples lives. Because of this donation, these refugees will be able to work and support their families. Its incredible, said Sharon Smith-Hensley the Social Services director at the Samaritan Center.



Each refugee received a sewing machine, serger, ironing board, storage cart and 30+ notions and tools necessary to mend and make garments. Students at the F.R.E.E Refugee Center will learn to mend, create and alter garments. Once they complete the sewing course, the refugees will be able to start new jobs at businesses and boutiques that work with F.R.E.E.



The Samaritan Center is a non-profit social services agency that has impacted the community for 35 years. By providing, rent and mortgage assistance, emergency food boxes, disaster assistance and more, the Center provides help and hope to neighbors in need.

For more information about the Samaritan Center, visit https://thesamaritancenter.net/ For more information on Ready Set Sew!, visit www.ReadySetSewTN.com and for information about F.R.E.E, visit https://freerefugees.org/.
The Monday evening Signal Mountain Town Council meeting was the last one for Interim City Manager Mitchell Moore. It had been expected that a new city manager would be in place before he left. However, after narrowing the list of candidates to two, the council members decided not to move forward with either. So the search has started over from scratch. An employment agreement with James Smith, another interim city manager, was approved at the council meeting.

Mayor Charles Poss thanked Mr. Moore for all he did during the short time he worked with the city. Mr. Moore said he had enjoyed his short tenure. Wishing the town well, he said that he had found that Signal Mountain has five dedicated council members as well as dedicated employees.

During the time he has worked in Signal Mountain, Mr. Moore has been instrumental in filling vacant positions. On Monday, he announced two new employees, a new executive administrative assistant, Katie McKinnon, who started work this week. And beginning next week, Matthew Justice will become the towns new water utility director. He comes to Signal Mountain from American Water.

Bid openings for paving will be Thursday and for a drainage project on Friday. Bids to replace 500 feet of water line on Palisades Road were advertised to be opened on Feb. 17, but no bids were received. Mr. Moore said the problem is that contractors do not want small jobs now. Additionally, water piping is not readily available. The work will be rebid in hopes that there is some interest received. A new bid opening for the project will be March 28. An extension may be needed from TDOT to complete the work. A special council meeting will be held March 3 to discuss problems with three projects that CTI engineers are facing.

Some interest has been expressed to locate a brew pub in Signal Mountain. After the initial inquiry the town found that would not be permitted under the existing zoning ordinance. After reviewing, the planning commission approved allowing a restaurant that would make and sell beer. The council agreed and voted to allow a brew pub in the Highway Commercial District. The change will require a second reading before it is final.

Two board appointments were made on Monday night. Those are Amanda England to the Condemnation Board and Katie Anderson to the Signal Mountain Recreation Board.

Resident and volunteer with the MACC Dick Graham gave a monthly update for the facility. He said that a goal of $15,000 was made for new lighting and that a check for $15,000 from an anonymous donor was received. On April 16 a community Easter egg hunt will take place there with over 3,000 eggs including camo-eggs for adults to find. And on April 2, the first monthly Market at the MACC will take place. It will be modeled after the Chattanooga Market at First Horizon Pavilion, with vendors selling crafts, photos, art and pottery.
Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) has joined Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) in introducing the American Energy Independence Act of 2022, which they said "reverses President Joe Bidens shutdown of the American energy sector and returns American energy to full production."

The senators said, "Immediately following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the price of oil rose to over $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014.

Gas and energy prices for working Americans are quickly rising to new highs. The Biden Administration has been reluctant to sanction the Russian energy sector, due no doubt to the United States dangerous dependence on foreign energy. At the same time, European countries, particularly Germany, are heavily dependent on Russian natural gas."

Senator Hagerty said, The Biden Administrations war on American energy has placed severe burdens on the shoulders of American citizens and led to disastrous national security ramifications across the globe. For the sake of our national and economic security, we must immediately reverse course and re-establish the energy independence created by the previous Administrations policies, which is exactly what this legislation would do.

Senator Hawley said, To be strong and free as a nation, we must be energy independent. My bill will reverse Joe Bidens disastrous energy surrender that has allowed Russian energy dominance and instead open up American production full-throttle. To stand up to aggressors like Vladimir Putin, we can and we must work to power our nation and the world.
Waldens Ridge Emergency Services respond to a house fire on the W Road Tuesday morning.

At 6 a.m. a motorist called 911 reporting a house fire located at 4020 W Road. Fire officials from WRES arrived on the scene reporting 95 percent of the home was on fire and immediately requested a mutual aid response for additional manpower and water tankers.

Since there are no fire hydrants on the W Road, WRES had to set up a water supply system called a Tanker Shuttle to fight the house fire.

Chattanooga Fire Department and Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene to assist WRES. Signal Mountain Fire Department stood by at WRES fire stations for any additional emergency calls.

Once fire officials confirmed no one was home, firefighters conducted a defensive attack to contain the fire. No injuries were reported, but Hamilton County EMS was on the scene for any potential injuries to firefighters.

The cause of the fire is undetermined and will be under investigation by WRES. Damages are unknown at this time.
Taylor Sheridans 1883 episode 10 showed Elsa Duttons death, and fans were saddened to see the protagonists long and agonizing fate. Elsa died in the arms of her father, James Dutton. And its clear James was absolutely heartbroken over what became of his daughter. Tim McGraw, the 1883 cast member who plays James, explained the hardest thing of filming the scene, too.

[Spoiler alert: 1883 episode 10 spoilers ahead.]

Elsa Duttons death in 1883 episode 10 deeply upset fans and the cast

Isabel May as Elsa and Tim McGraw as James | Emerson Miller/Paramount+

Elsa Duttons fate was sealed long before 1883 episode 10. In the pilot episode of the series, a flashback scene showed Elsa getting shot with an arrow through the stomach  and that scenario played out in episode 9. While Elsa initially lived through the arrow wound, she became ill with an infection. Margaret and James Dutton conversed about their daughters inevitable death, and they decided they wouldnt tell her what they already knew.

Elsas health was tough and go in episode 10. While it seemed like she was making a recovery from her infection, the pain and the fever returned. James vowed to settle wherever he buried Elsa, which also changed their traveling plans. Instead of heading all the way to Oregon, they decided theyd settle in Montana.

Once Elsa accepted she would die, she and James rode on horseback together to a clearing. They sat under a tree and fell asleep as Elsa drifted to her death.

James Dutton actor Tim McGraw explained the hardest thing about Elsas death

Isabel May as Elsa Dutton and Faith Hill as Margaret Dutton | Emerson Miller/Paramount+

During an interview with Variety, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill talked about their personal difficulties with filming Elsa Duttons death in 1883 episode 10. Hill and McGraw both cried as they read through the finale.

When I finally finished reading episode 10 to him, we both just sat there and said, My God, this is one of the most incredible stories weve ever read,' Hill said.

As for the hardest part, McGraw said it was not being too emotional too early.

Both of our characters are really strong people and wanted to be strong for our family, McGraw explained. So that was the hardest thing for us, because we do have daughters and because Isabella, when we first walked on set and saw her, we said, My gosh, she looks she could be one of our daughters. It was great casting. But you do become emotionally invested and you do bring your real-life situation into the way you act.

McGraw and Hill also found themselves thinking of their own family with Elsas death scene. It does expose all those emotions, and its hard as a parent, playing that role  you dont want to go to any dark places in your mind about your kid, McGraw added.

Will 1883 Season 2 happen? Taylor Sheridan shared his thoughts

Though Elsa Duttons death in 1883 episode 10 clearly defines the end of the series, fans are hopeful for more details on whats to come for future episodes. 1883 Season 2 seemed to be in the works. So, whats happening with it now?

According to Deadline, creator Taylor Sheridan seems content to leave the story where it is. Its unclear exactly where this leaves the possible next season.

You never get to see how James and Margaret move on, Sheridan explained. You did seem them in a flashback as having moved on, and so thats what I cared to explore. On to the next peek through the window. I also wanted to create something you could watch and be completely enthralled and fulfilled, having never seen Yellowstone. Let it live on its own merits.

As for the next peek, Sheridan has another Yellowstone spinoff coming titled 1932.

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RELATED: Sam Elliott Said Taylor Sheridans Part for Him in Yellowstone Didnt Speak to Him
Yellowstone prequel 1883 is the latest Western Sam Elliott has made, so he knows a thing or two about the American west. So when The Power of the Dog swept the Oscar nominations, Elliott weighed in. Unfortunately, he doesnt approve.

Sam Elliott | Emerson Miller/Paramount+

Elliott was a guest on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast on Feb. 28 to discuss 1883. When Maron asked him about the Oscar-nominated Power of the Dog, Elliott didnt mince words.

1883 star Sam Elliott does not approve the message of The Power of the Dog

As soon as Maron brought up The Power of the Dog, Elliott let loose. Apparently, they had mentioned bringing it up before recording the podcast.

You wanna talk about that piece of sh*t? Elliott said on WTF. I didnt like it anyway. I looked at it when I was down there in Texas doing 1883. What really brought it home to me the other day when I said do you want to f***in talk about it, there was a f***in full page ad out in the L.A. Times and there was a review, not a review but a clip and it talked about the evisceration of the American myth. And I thought what the f***? What the f***? This is the guy thats done westerns forever. The evisceration of the American west.

Sam Elliott says The Power of the Dog left out families

The Power of the Dog stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Phil Burbank, a grumpy rancher who terrorizes his brother (Jesse Plemons), his sister-in-law (Kirsten Dunst) and her effeminate son (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Elliott understood the films interrogation of cowboy machismo, but said it ignored the families who settled the frontier. Those families are at the heart of 1883.

RELATED: Oscars 2022: The Power of the Dog Could Change Cinema History

And the myth is that they were these macho men out there with the cattle, Elliott said. I just come from f***in Texas where I was hanging out with families, not men but families. Big, long, extended multiple generation families that made their living and their lives were all about being cowboys. Boy, when I f***in saw that I thought what the f***? Where are we in this world?

Other possible inaccuracies in The Power of the Dog

As a veteran of westerns like Tombstone and Rough Riders, Elliott rattled off more critiques of The Power of the Dog. Though a fan of New Zealand writer/director Jane Campions work, Elliott felt she had no place depicting the American west. The Power of the Dog is based on the Thomas Savage book.

RELATED: 1883 Season 2 Is Coming, But Fans Should Not Expect Another Full Season of the Yellowstone Prequel

What the f*** does this woman, shes a brilliant director by the way, I love her work, previous work, but what the f*** does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American west? Elliott said. And why the f*** does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say this is the way it was? So that f***in rubbed me the wrong way, pal.

Elliott also called the Power of the Dog wardrobe inaccurate and impractical. He compared the cowboys in the film to Chippendales dancers in costume.

Theyre all running around in chaps and no shirts, Elliott said. Cumberbatch never got out of his f***in chaps. He had two pair of chaps, a wooly pair and a leather pair. Every time hed walk in from somewhere, he never was on a horse, maybe once. Hed walk into the f***in house, storm up the f***in stairs, go lay on his bed in his chaps and play his banjo. I was like what the f***? Wheres the western? Wheres the western in this western?

RELATED: Sam Elliott Said Taylor Sheridans Part for Him in Yellowstone Didnt Speak to Him
Frank Sinatra was a powerful force in the music industry whose impact has lasted in the decades after his death. As it turns out, Sinatras mother was also a significant figure in his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey. Natalina Maria Vittoria Garaventa, who went by Dolly, was active in local politics. She also provided abortions to women in her community, earning her a criminal record.

Frank Sinatra and Dolly Sinatra in 1945 | Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Frank Sinatras parents were Italian immigrants

Dolly Sinatra immigrated from Italy to the United States, where she met Anthony Sinatra, an Italian immigrant and boxer. Per the Daily Mail, Dolly would disguise herself as a boy by stuffing her hair into a hat so that she could watch Anthonys fights. In 1913, the couple married. In 1915, they welcomed Sinatra, their only child.

The Frank Sinatra statue is standing nice and tall in Hoboken, New Jersey If you happen to be around, snap a picture using #PhotosWithFrank pic.twitter.com/cEZRAnRDHj  Frank Sinatra (@franksinatra) January 4, 2022

Given the tense dynamic between Hobokens Irish and Italian populations, Anthony went by the name Marty OBrien so that he could fight in the Irish-only gyms. According to the Hoboken Museum, Anthony would later open a bar under the same name.

His mother was a notable figure in Hoboken

Sinatras mother was intelligent and ambitious. She wielded both traits to gain power in local politics.

My mother is what you would call a progressive, Sinatra said, per the essay Frank Sinatra: The Popular Front and an American Icon by Gerald Meyer. She decided she didnt want to be just a housekeeper, and studied nursing and is now a graduate nurse. She was always interested in conditions outside her own home. My father, too, but he was the more silent type.

Dolly became the Democratic Party leader for Hobokens Third Ward, the first immigrant woman to hold this job in New Jersey. Her influence in the community was far-reaching  she used her clout to secure her husband a job in the fire department and she had 87 godchildren. She was also able to cross lines between Irish and Italian residents because of her close political relationships with Hoboken mayors.

Outside of her position as a ward boss, Dolly campaigned ardently for womens rights. Per the Irish Times, she was arrested in 1919 for chaining herself to Hobokens town hall in support of womens suffrage. As a midwife, she also helped provide and organize free abortions for women in need.

Frank Sinatras mother died in a plane crash

In 1977, Dolly was on a plane to Las Vegas to watch her son perform at Caesars Palace when the aircraft vanished off radar screens. After an arduous search, authorities discovered the plane had crashed into Mount San Gorgonio, killing Dolly and three other passengers.

This is Dolly Sinatra, once known as "Hatpin Dolly." She provided illegal abortions to the women of Hoboken, she got arrested protesting for the right to vote, she ran a saloon during prohibition. She was a fighter. We will be fighters too. pic.twitter.com/fJVtCnFYHP  Robyn Pennacchia (@RobynElyse) June 28, 2018

A 1977 article in the Desert Sun (via the California Digital Newspaper Collection) detailed that her funeral in Cathedral City, California, drew roughly 700 mourners. This included many public figures, such as Cary Grant, Dean Martin, and Ronald Reagan.

Religious leaders at the service spoke highly of Dolly. Rabbi Joseph Hurwitz read from the Book of Proverbs and called Dolly a valiant woman. Rev. Alfred F. Geimer referred to her as one of the kindest persons I ever knew.

RELATED: Frank Sinatra Was Unhappy and Lonely, According to Larry King
Squid Game continues to make history as leading actors HoYeon Jung and Lee Jung-jae won Female and Male Actors in a Drama Series at the 2022 SAG Awards. The 2021 Korean drama has broken ground as the first to be recognized globally by Hollywood. It is also Jungs first role as a new actor. Her co-stars and fans stood proud as she received her SAG Award. A behind-the-scenes video shows Jung collapsing from emotion, but fans believe she is bowing out of respect to Lee.

Lee Jung-jae and HoYeon Jung at 2022 SAG Awards backstage | Emma McIntyre via Getty Images

HoYeon Jung received SAG Award for her role in Squid Game

Squid Game was nominated in four categories at the 2022 SAG Awards. Lee and Jung were nominated for best female and male actor in a drama series. Some of the K-drama cast was in attendance including Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo-ryoung, and Park Hae-soo. They were in attendance as Squid Game was nominated for Ensemble in a Drama Series and Stunt Ensemble in a TV Series.

Jung was nominated with Jennifer Aniston, Elisabeth Moss, Sarah Snook, and Reese Witherspoon. The South Korean model and actor took home the win. Her co-stars and fans watched as Jung was overcome with emotion during her speech. In a behind-the-scenes video posted on Twitter by Ramin Setoodeh, Jung is seen collapsing in front of Lee. But fans believe Jung was doing something else.

HoYeon Jung was bowing to Lee Jung-jae out of respect at the SAG Awards

Squid Game star Jung Ho-Yeon collapses to the ground as she hugs Lee Jung-Jae after they both win #SAGAwards. pic.twitter.com/i0Kk04zEva  Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) February 28, 2022

RELATED: Squid Game Season 2: Lee Jung-jae Has an Interesting Idea to Bring Back Characters

In Setoodehs Twitter post, he describes Jung as collapsing after receiving a congratulatory hug from Tripathi at the SAG Awards. Anyone who watches the video would think the same, but fans explain that is not what is likely happening. According to fans on Twitter, Jung is bowing to Lee.

The video shows Jung dropping to her knees in front of Lee and bowing her head as he approaches to congratulate her. South Koreans and fans aware of Korean culture are right to assume Jung is bowing out of respect to Lee. In Korean culture, bowing is the equivalent of shaking hands and showing respect to elders.

According to The Korea Times, Respect for age and seniority is still a huge part of Korean culture and influences how one bows to others. How a person bows also indicate the message they are giving across. When paying respect to elders or giving deep thanks, the person will kneel and bow so deeply that his forehead touches the floor. 

Jung is still a newcomer to the acting industry, and Lee is a veteran being one of South Koreas most recognized actors. With the global fame Squid Game has received since its premiere, Jungs SAG Award win was a momentous moment in her career, and she wanted to respect Lee as her senior.

The South Korean actor paid homage to South Korea

Jung Ho-Yeon receives her first-ever Actor for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her role in #SquidGame #sagawards pic.twitter.com/PJAHCavDni  SAG Awards (@SAGawards) February 28, 2022

RELATED: Squid Game Wi Ha-joon was Unable to Attend SAG Awards Due to Schedule Conflicts

Squid Game is the first K-drama in history to receive global success. While K-dramas are not new to TV, they were still making their way out of a niche fan base. K-drama, K-content, K-Pop, and Korean culture have become a global interest, and Jung wanted to represent her country with pride.

At the 2022 SAG Awards, Jungs dress and hairstyle represented years of Korean history. Louis Vuitton custom-made her black and silver dress to represent Korean embroidery. The accessory in Jungs braided hair has sentimental value. Louis Vuitton designed a daenggi using the same dress fabric. Korean women often use the accessory when wearing braids dating back to years of history.

RELATED: Squid Game: HoYeon Jungs Mindset About Aspiring for Hollywood Has Changed Since K-Drama Success
Julia Garner didnt anticipate the real Anna Delvey/ Sorokin to be so charming even though she transformed herself into the Russian-born German fake heiress in the Netflix series, Inventing Anna.

Based on a true story, Inventing Anna recounts Delveys rise in the Manhattan financial sector when she posed as a wealthy heiress intent on creating her own upscale social club, The Anna Delvey Foundation. Delvey scammed powerhouse banks, luxury hotels, and a few friends along the way until she was ultimately arrested.

Garners convincing performance was compelling, bringing Delveys stark often cold remarks and calculating moves to light. She studied her unique accent and style but was surprised by how likable she was when they met.

Julia Garner was surprised by how likeable and charming Anna Delvey was

Garner met with Delvey while she was still in prison and revealed what really struck her. The thing that struck me that I did not, I didnt expect  I really dont even know really how to describe it  was how bubbly she was at moments, and how likable she was and how charming she was, and how quickly she can go from light to dark and dark to light in seconds, she recalled to IMDb.

Julia Garner | RCF/MEGA/GC Images

She also described to Elle that the entire experience of meeting Delvey was surreal. Shes very funny, when you meet her in real life, and so I knew there had to be that comedic aspect to the show, she said.

Very funny, very likable, and she wanted to talk, as much as she was able to, Garner continued. But I also still dont think that she thinks she did anything wrong. I think she just wanted power, and prestige, and success, and she was still thinking like that. It seemed like her perspective was still that she didnt do anything wrong, that she was just doing everything it took to get to where she should be. I dont think she sees a difference between being hungry, and being ambitious.

Developing Annas accent was a challenge

Garner also shared with Elle that capturing Delveys accent was immensely challenging. This is probably the hardest job Ive ever done, she said.

It makes so much sense that Anna Delvey knew Fyre Fest organizer Billy McFarland pic.twitter.com/xgXgT4SzbB  Netflix (@netflix) February 16, 2022

Its German, but then she grew up in Russia, so you hear a little bit of the Russian inflection alongside the German. But then the musicality of it is more American, she added. A lot of times, people coming from Europe to live in America, their accents starts to shift. And Anna especially does that anyway, she kind of embodies whoever shes hanging out with. Shes struggling a lot with her own identity, so you see her pick up on traits from whoever shes hanging out with.

She shared with IMDb which of Delveys phrases from Inventing Anna was her favorite to say in the accent. The one that makes me laugh every time I see it, Im crying on the phone and Im saying Im all on my own! I just think its so funny, she shared. It just came out, I wasnt even aware of what I was doing. My accent was very strong there because I was emotional, and I had my wall down. Well, Anna did.

What happened to those iconic Celine glasses?

Garner also dished about being on the Inventing Anna set and said filming in Morocco was the most memorable location. Plus, which days were the most luxurious? Every day, minus the jail scenes! she exclaimed to IMDb. I was like Im going to wear my Chanel, and Prada and Givenchy. You know.

Speaking of fashion, she said most of the dresses and those iconic Celine glasses went into the archives. I got to keep a few things a lot of it went also to archives, she said. I cant keep the babydoll Alaia dress with the Celine glasses just because that is the iconic Anna Delvey outfit. Also, I dont know where I would wear that  people would be like oh thats what you wore on Delvey which is totally fine, I dont mind that but you know.

RELATED: Inventing Anna: 5 Shows Like It to Watch for More True Crime and Con Artists
Hyderabad: In a sudden development, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao left for Delhi at 7.45 pm on Monday. He is likely to meet leaders of various parties as part of his efforts to forge an anti-BJP front in the runup to 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The Chief Ministers sudden visit to Delhi has created a buzz in the party and political circles. There were no indications whatsoever either in the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) or in political circles about the Chief Minister leaving for Delhi on Monday until Chandrashekar Rao left for the airport.

The Chief Minister convened a meeting at Pragathi Bhavan on Monday to finalise the dates for holding the budget session of Legislative Assembly and Council. Ministers T. Harish Rao, K.T. Rama Rao, Vemula Prashanth Reddy and CMO officials were present in the meeting. The meeting started at around 3 pm and ended at 7.10 pm. The Chief Minister rushed to Begumpet airport soon after to leave for Delhi by a special flight.

The Chief Ministers visit to Delhi at a time when the Assembly polls for five states have almost ended barring Uttar Pradesh where the final two phases of polling will be held on March 3 and 7 and counting of votes will take place in all the five states namely UP, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur on March 10.

Party sources said Chandrashekar Raos prime focus was on UP, where he wanted the BJP to lose and Samajwadi Party to win with a strong belief that if the BJP lost in UP, it would boost his ongoing efforts to bring all regional parties together against the BJP.

Rao is expected to meet Aam Aadmi Party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during his Delhi trip and leaders of other parties based on their availability. It is not clear whether Chandrashekar Rao will proceed to other states from Delhi for the purpose.

Chandrashekar Rao is likely to camp in Delhi for a few days and likely to return before March 6 to attend the state cabinet meeting to approve the budget and take part in the budget session of the Assembly from March 7.

On March 8, the Chief Minister will launch Mana Ooru-Mana Badi programme to develop government schools in the state in Wanaparthy. He will later inaugurate the newly-constructed Integrated Collectorate Complex and the TRS district office in Wanaparthy and address a public meeting on the same day.
Kanye West, (sometimes referred to by the stylized stage name Ye) is an artist known for his genre-bending albums. Before he was a Grammy Award-winning musician, West attended Chicago State University and wrote essays for his English courses.

Kanye West attended college for becoming a Grammy Award-winning artist

Rapper and producer Kanye West is seen in Chelsea, New York | Gotham/GC Images

Some know him for songs like Praise God, City of Gods, and POWER. West is the musician behind Donda, making a name for himself as a rapper, producer, and even gospel artist.

West created music for several years, even starting his career while still attending college. During an interview with Complex, the rapper explained that he went to college for almost two semesters. West dropped out because he received a rap deal with Donnie Ienner at Columbia Records.

I dropped out my second semester, West added. I went to Chicago State second semester freshman year, and I dropped out in the fall sophomore year Once I got back to Chicago, I left school at that point and had to figure out a way to make it.

Kanye West studied English while at Chicago State University

The Chicago Sun Times reported West attended Polaris High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois, graduating from high school in 1995. West first attended the American Academy of Art for one semester because of a scholarship.

Because the scholarship did not extend beyond his first semester and his mother advised against taking out a loan, the artist transferred to Chicago State University.

Because his mother (Donda) worked at Chicago State University, he could attend for a lower tuition cost. He majored in English, which even played a role in his creative process and his experience as a rapper.

Public speaking, piano, voice training, even though I was an English major, um, I had essays, he added in the same interview.

The rapper never returned to college to finish his degree, setting his sights on music and his Yeezy sneaker brand. He did reference dropping out of college in the 2022 release City of Gods, rapping, I go back to college, do an album, and then drop out again.

Kanye Wests debut studio album is The College Dropout

Released in 2004, Wests first studio album was The College Dropout, featuring tracks Graduation Day, Ill Fly Away, and All Falls Down. The production was, according to Billboard, the story of the underdog or the underachiever. Since its debut, this production has earned millions of Spotify plays.

According to the Grammy Awards website, the artist earned his first Grammy nomination for The College Dropout, snagging recognition in the Album of the Year category. He went on to receive over 70 nominations, and 22 award wins.

Despite drama with Billie Eilish, his family, and his ex-partner Kim Kardashian, this rapper announced Donda 2 on Feb. 22, 2022. Until its premiere, music by West is available on most major streaming platforms.

RELATED: Its Gemini Season: Kanye West, Venus Williams, and Other Celebrities With the Star Sign
Over the past few weeks, one particular story has captivated the entire world. The Tinder Swindler is a true-crime documentary that has been making waves on Netflix, opening up conversations about the functionality of dating apps, the way that people craft their online identitiesand the prevalence of scamming in a social media age. In the days following the shows release, many fans have been diving deep to learn more about the man behind the story in The Tinder Swindler. And as it turns out, pop culture fans might be seeing more of him in the near future.

When did The Tinder Swindler air on Netflix?

The Tinder Swindler dropped on Netflix in early February. The documentary, which was produced and created in Britain, tells the story of an alleged Israeli conman named Simon Leviev. The conman allegedly used the dating app Tinder in order to find people to manipulate and extort money from. Visceral and intense, The Tinder Swindler showcases the darker side of online datingand cautions viewers against trusting people that they have only just met on any online platform.

The Tinder Swindler has gotten an incredible response from fans, with many turning to the documentary as both a true-crime story and a cautionary tale. Some experts have praised the documentary as fascinating, a perfect example of what happens when humans looking for meaningful social connections become too responsive to strangers. Psychology Today notes that the tale of Leviev is fascinating on a deep level, but has educational overtones as well.

What do pop culture fans know about Simon Leviev?

As The Tinder Swindler has become wildly popular, many pop culture fans have become interested in what ended up happening to Simon Leviev. As it turns out, Leviev was sentenced to prison for the fraud he committed in his home country of Israel in 2019. Still, Leviev wasnt charged with any of the crimes that he allegedly committed against the women featured in the documentary. Ultimately, Leviev only served about five months out of his 19-month prison sentenceand was released in 2020.

Leviev has used various aliases over the course of his life, and according to People Magazine, he was born Shimon Hayut. The publication notes that Leviev ostensibly still lives in Israel and is very active on social media, regularly posting content to his Instagram pages. Leviev is banned from Tinder, following the release of the documentary  although, according to a new report from TMZ, he could be looking to get on peoples screens in a whole new way.

Simon Leviev allegedly wants a Hollywood career

It will cost you a lot to get a personalised message from #TheTinderSwindler. https://t.co/nKs5RbVtXM  Heart (@thisisheart) February 21, 2022

Although Leviev isnt receiving the best press, a TMZ report claims that he is actively considering a Hollywood career, and could be taking steps to make that happen. Sources note Leviev is working with a manager named Gina Rodriguez, and is interested in launching a dating show that would feature multiple women competing for his affections. Additionally, Leviev is said to be looking at options for a podcastand he is interested in clearing the air regarding his true intentions, claiming that the Netflix documentary got his personality and motives all wrong.

While nothing official has been announced regarding Levievs future projects, fans should be on the lookout for the next move from the infamous Tinder Swindler. After all, if Leviev has shown anything, it is that he is resilient and easily able to bounce from one situation to the next with relative ease.

Most recently, TMZ reported Leviev is charging $20,000 to appear at nightclubs. He is also on the celebrity e-greeting service Cameo, charging $200 to $1,000 for a video.

RELATED: True Crime Documentaries: Netflix Tackles the College Admissions Scandal in Operation Varsity Blues
Summer House newbie Mya Allen quickly gained fans with her honesty, vulnerability, and impressive cooking skills. Heres everything you need to know about the reality TV star, including who her ex-fiance Kwame Onwuachi is and the business she runs outside of the show.

Amanda Batula, Mya Allen, and Ciara Miller | Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank

Mya Allen is a new cast member on season 6 of Summer House

Mya Allen is a new cast member on season 6 of Bravos Summer House. She struggled for the first few episodes to find her place in the house and win over her castmates, but they saw her in a new light after she sat down with them and initiated an important conversation about race.

Her fellow cast members, including Ciara Miller, Paige DeSorbo, and Kyle Cooke, seem to love her cooking, and with good reason. Allen is a certified professional chef, and she owns a cookie company called The Knead. The New York City-based business ships its cookies nationwide. According to the dessert delivery services website, Allen studied at Colby College before getting her culinary degree from the International Culinary Center.

She worked in restaurant management for years, gaining further culinary experience at various restaurants in New York City before becoming a freelance personal chef. The reality star founded The Knead in 2020 during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a way to spread love through cookies!

Kwame Onwuachi | Dixie D. Vereen/The Washington Post

Mya Allens ex-fiance Kwame Onwuachi is a famous chef

Mya Allen has mentioned her ex-fiance Kwame Onwuachi on Summer House. Onwuachi is a chef, author, and restaurateur who came into the public eye as a contestant on season 13 of Top Chef.

In 2016, Onwuachi opened his own restaurant in Washington, D.C., called the Shaw Bijou. The restaurant closed in January 2017. Later that year, the chef opened an Afro-Caribbean restaurant called Kith and Kin. Esquire named Onwuachi the Chef of the Year in 2019 and deemed Kith and Kin one of the Best New Restaurants in America.

In 2019, Onwuachi published a memoir, Notes from a Young Black Chef, about his childhood in Nigeria and New York and Nigeria and his experience opening the Shaw Bijou. His cookbook, My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef, is scheduled for release in May 2022.

According to The Washington Post, Onwuachi and Allen got engaged in August 2016 after six months of dating. He said of their whirlwind romance, Yeah, we moved fast, but when you know you know, Onwuachi said of their whirlwind romance. Im definitely very excited. Ive got a lot on my plate right now, and this is just adding to it, but I figured why wait.

As Allen revealed on Summer House, she and Onwuachi ended their engagement just months before she first appeared on the Bravo show.

The Summer House star owns a cookie delivery business called The Knead

Besides her relationship with Kwame Onwuachi, another piece of her life Maya Allen has shared on Summer House is her gourmet cookie business. Although Allens castmates seem to love her cookies on the show, many of her fans and customers havent gotten to try them yet. Several people are leaving angry comments on The Kneads Instagram, saying that they havent received their cookie delivery orders.

Ordered cookies on Feb 9. Still have not received them and no responses to email or DMs, one customer commented on The Kneads Instagram post from Feb. 8. Another customer wrote, Ordered cookies on the 4th. Confirmation email  money taken out  no cookies and no reply to email I sent two days ago either.

One upset customer commented, Do NOT order from this place! They take your money and you get nothing! I have sent messages and emails to no avail!! Needs to be reported to the better business bureau for false advertising!!

The Kneads website states that orders are processed within 1-4 business days, and customers will receive an order confirmation email.

On Feb. 27, Allen shared an Instagram post from the business page apologizing for the delays.

The Knead customers  we deeply apologize for the delay in product shipment and communication, she wrote. We appreciate the overwhelming amount of support we have received from you all and cannot wait for you to taste our cookies!

RELATED: Winter House Couple Paige DeSorbo and Craig Conover Dress as Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee for Halloween
The Monkees werent a band known for creating controversy. Despite this, The Monkees Randy Scouse Git had a title so offensive it had to be censored in England. During an interview, the Prefab Fours Micky Dolenz explained why he gave the song its distinct name.

The Monkees Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz | James Jackson/Evening Standard/Getty Images

How the sitcom that inspired All in the Family influenced The Monkees Micky Dolenz

During a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, The Monkees Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith named 15 songs that defined their lives. One of them was Randy Scouse Git. While many of the Monkees greatest hits were written by outside songwriters, Dolenz penned Randy Scouse Git on his own.

Dolenz explained the inspiration behind the tracks name. I was watching an English television show called Till Death Us Do Part, which became All In The Family over here years later, he recalled. The father figure calls the young song a randy scouse git. I didnt know what it meant, but in my frame of mind I just thought, Whoa, thats really cool, man. Im gonna call my song that.'

The Monkees Mickey Dolenz | Gems/Redferns

RELATED: The Monkees: Micky Dolenz Played This Chuck Berry Song During His Audition for Their TV Show

The title of The Monkees Randy Scouse Git is a sexual British phrase

Dolenz learned Randy Scouse Git was going to be released in England. Ward Sylvester, a producer of The Monkees sitcom, received a letter about the song. Dear Ward, following up my recent cable to you concerning Randy Scouse Git,' the letter said. You are no doubt aware that many English expressions have a totally different meaning in America and vice versa. In this, it is a question of the versa being vice.

The name Randy Scouse Git had a sexual meaning. To give you a perfectly straightforward translation of the title, you are referring to someone as being an oversexed, illegitimate son of a prostitute from Liverpool, he said. The word git has been used on television in this country but only in a late-night adult program. The letter noted The Monkees using the word git would clash with their wholesome image. In England, Randy Scouse Git was released under the name Alternate Title.

RELATED: The Monkees Micky Dolenz Reacted to Breaking Bad Using 1 of Their Songs in a Drug Scene

The way listeners in the United States and the United Kingdom reacted to Randy Scouse Git

Randy Scouse Git did not become popular in the United States. It did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. On the other hand, its parent album, Headquarters, was a hit. Headquarters peaked at No. 1 for one of its 68 weeks on the Billboard 200.

Under the name Alternate Title, Randy Scouse Git became successful in the United Kingdom. According to The Official Charts Company, the song peaked at No. 2 in the U.K., staying on the chart for 12 weeks. Meanwhile, Headquarters hit No. 2 and lasted on the chart for 19 weeks.

The original name of the song was offensive  but that didnt stop it from becoming a hit.

RELATED: Why The Monkees Micky Dolenz and The Carpenters Lost the Chance to Record Three Dog Nights An Old Fashioned Love Song 1st
90 Day Fiance has certainly had some interesting cast members over the years. Some of them  like Kenny and Armando  warm our hearts. Others  like Darcey Silva and Jesse Meester  make us laugh. And still others  like David and Annie  have become like our extended family.

And then there are those cast members that make us vomit. Whether theyre cheating, abusive, or just plain nasty, these 10 90 Day Fiance cast members are the worst of all time.

90 Day Fiance stars Leida and Eric | TLC/Discovery Press Room

10. Debbie Johnson (a/k/a Colteeees Mother)  whos now a current 90 Day Fiance: The Single Life cast member

While Debbie Johnson has rebranded herself as a bit of a lovable old lady who just needs a little love, 90 Day Fiance fans cant forget how possessive, smothering, and over-the-top she was about her baby Colt. Sure, Larissa Dos Santos Lima had her own set of issues  and by no means was she perfect. However, Debbie didnt seem to get the memo that Colt picked her. And as Colts subsequent failed relationships have proven, Debbies presence looms large  and unhealthily so. They were better suited for I Love a Mamas Boy than 90 Day Fiance.

9. Evelin Evil-Lyn Villegas

How hard do you have to work to get the nickname Evil-Lyn from nearly everyone in the fandom? Just ask The Other Way cast member Evelin Villegas, whom Reddit users refer to as cold and fraudin. And thats when theyre being polite. Her nasty and entitled personality, combined with her despicable treatment of her husband Corey, and her hypocrisy about cheating make her one of the worst 90 Day Fiance cast members of all time.

8. Alina Kozhevnikova

A recent entry into the TLC pantheon, Alina was fired from the show before her season was even over thanks to her over-the-top racism. Good riddance to bad garbage!

7. Deavan Clegg

Shes fame-hungry, man-hopping, and a poster child for parental alienation. Fans of 90 Day Fiance couldnt help but notice how neglected and dirty her daughter, Drascilla, looked all the time  not to mention how ill-behaved she was, seemingly from a lack of love and attention from her mother, who always seemed to be too busy posting selfies and hooking up with the next man to pay attention to her children. And while Deavan has subsequently blasted the show for their editing, according to OK! Magazine, producers cant work with what you dont give them. So, there had to be some truth to the rumors.

6. Mark Shoemaker  one of the creepiest, and most sexist, 90 Day Fiance cast members

Only the die-hards will remember Mark Shoemaker, who was 58-years-old when he married Nikki, a 19-year-old native of the Philippines. Fans couldnt help but notice that all of Marks children were older than his new wife  and he was so controlling that he forced her to sign a prenup, refused to give her any children, and flipped out on her when she left her fingerprints on his car window.

Shoemaker set the stage for follow-up creeps who bedded and wedded barely-legal women  like Jonathan Rivera, who was well into his 30s when he began dating 17-year-old (and not of legal age) Fernanda Flores, according to Newsweek  but hes the original, and still the worst.

And as for the sexism claims? Well, the 90 Day Fiance alum had this to say about his critics (per InTouch): You know, when you look at most of the people who are responding [on social media], they have five things in common. Basically, theyre overweight, theyre women, theyre alone, theyre jealous, and I dont know what the fifth is.

Yes, Mark, theyre definitely jealous. LOL.

5. Mohamed Jbali

Again, nobodys saying that Danielle Mullins is perfect. Certainly, she was a piece of work. But when her ex-husband Mohamed Jibali went on national television to inform the nationwide viewing audience that Danielle smells down there, while screaming that no man would ever have sex with her because of it  and then finishing it off by screaming at her to stop crying as he continued to humiliate her  he crossed a major line.

4. Paul Staehle

Paul Staehles most redeeming qualities were that he was neurotic and strange. But few 90 Day Fiance fans realized how much trouble he would bring until it was way too late. Us Weekly has a detailed timeline of his back-and-forth relationship with Karine Martins, and needless to say, its filled with shocking abuse claims, possessiveness, and overall disgusting behavior.

3. Ximena Morales

Its evident to anyone with a pair of eyes that shes using Mike Berkowitz for everything hes worth. While 90 Day Fiance fans all seem to agree that Mike is nothing if not a strange egg, hes definitely a good egg. And that makes Ximenas behavior even more despicable.

2. Geoffrey Paschel

Someone should have done some research before bringing Geoffrey Paschel on 90 Day Fiance. His rap sheet includes convictions of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance, as well as two federal drug trafficking charges. But thats nothing compared to his most recent crime. According to People, Paschel is currently serving an 18-year sentence for kidnapping, and violently assaulting, his ex-fiancee. Theres no possibility of parole for this violent felon, and the world is suddenly a safer place because of it.

1. And Leida Margaretha is the worst 90 Day Fiance cast member of all time

You have to really work overtime to be universally reviled by every member of the 90 Day Fiance fandom  but Leida Margaretha definitely earned the top spot. She beat out convicted felons and n-word using racists. Thats pretty impressive in its audacity if nothing else.

Fans will recall that Leida had no issue reminding Eric how much she had to give up to be with him, as she went from alleged wealth in Indonesia to a small apartment in Baraboo, WI, which was far beneath her high standards, you see.

And as for the apartment? Well, this is where it gets even more despicable.

As it would later be revealed by InTouch, it turned out that Tasha  Erics daughter from his previous marriage  was the one who rented the apartment. Imagine how much audacity you have to have to kick someone out of their own home that they were paying for with their own money just so you and your ill-behaved brat could move in.

But you dont have to imagine, because thats exactly what the spoiled, entitled Leida did. (That Eric stood by and watched it happen to his own flesh and blood makes him just as bad as his new blushing bride, but thats neither here nor there.)

And then there were the subsequent fights with Eric that led to police involvement, death threats to other cast members (including Deavan), and noxious political views that resulted in Leida receiving death threats of her own. (And to be clear, nobody deserves to receive death threats, even when theyre as terrible as Leida clearly is.)

But the worst part of all was when Leida encouraged Eric to stop paying child support for his children from his previous marriage, and to divert his limited funds to Leida and her child from her previous marriage instead.

In short, Leida is the embodiment of the wicked stepmother trope: a vile, nasty person who browbeats her husband, abuses his children, and demands everyones attention at all times. And for this reason, she is the worst 90 Day Fiance cast member of all time.

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Fans Outraged Over Kimberly Forcing Intimacy With Usman
The process is sustainable (right to left: flasks containing astaxanthin, beta-carotene, and a blend of both pigments extracted from P. rhodozyma yeast)

Scientists based in Brazil and Portugal have developed an environmentally sustainable process to produce biodegradable plastic using pigment extracted from yeast by green solvents. In an article published in the journal Green Chemistry, they show that this biodegradable plastic could in future be used in smart packaging with antioxidant and anti-microbial properties.

With similar applications to those of conventional plastics derived from oil, gas and coal, which take hundreds of years to decompose, sustainable bioplastics produced from sugarcane, corn and potatoes are starting to become commercially available.

After more than eight years of research, the scientists demonstrated that eutectic solvents can efficiently extract two carotenoids, astaxanthin and beta-carotene, from biomass of the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma.

Carotenoids are a class of more than 750 naturally occurring pigments synthesized by plants, algae and photosynthetic bacteria. They account for the yellow, orange and red colors of many plants. They have commercial applications in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, among others.

According to the researchers, eutectic solvents can be used both to extract the pigments and to produce biodegradable plastic film based on bioactive starch without any need for additional purification.

We demonstrated as proof of concept that its possible to produce a natural pigment by means of a sustainable process. We worked with two lines. One was production of yeast-based pigments and extraction of these economically valuable natural compounds using eutectic solvents, which are a blend of biocompatible and biodegradable components. The other was utilization of the extracts to produce biomaterials such as the starch-based bioplastic, said Jorge Fernando Brandao Pereira, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Coimbras School of Science and Technology in Portugal, and one of the corresponding authors of the article, alongside Cassamo Ussemane Mussagy.

FAPESP supported the research via four projects (20/08655-0, 19/15493-9, 18/06908-8 and 15/11759-3).

The research is part of Mussagys postdoctoral work at the University of Sao Paulo (USP) in collaboration with Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), under the supervision of Professor Adalberto Pessoa Junior.

We set out to find alternatives to synthetic pigments and the extraction processes that use polluting solvents. We worked with sustainable methods to obtain natural pigments and apply them in the production of biodegradable plastic using green solvents, Mussagy told Agencia FAPESP.

Pigments have been used for centuries to enhance or restore the appearance of different products and guarantee uniformity. As consumers increasingly seek healthier or more nutritious products, while also trying not to harm the natural environment, synthetic pigments are being replaced by natural compounds that are ecofriendly and are also biologically active in the sense of having antioxidant and anti-microbial properties.

According to the researchers, scientific studies aiming at the production or extraction of natural pigments from microorganisms will help expand the supply of bioplastics. Also known as biopolymers, these products currently account for less than 1% of the more than 367 million metric tons of plastic manufactured every year worldwide, according to European Bioplastics, which represents the interests of some 70 member companies.

According to some estimates, production of bioplastics will rise from 2.42 tons in 2021 to 7.59 million tons in 2026, in response to the rise in demand for alternative materials from the packaging, appliance and textile industries, as pressures increase to reduce the use of plastics derived from petroleum, owing to pollution and non-degradable waste.

Development of novel biopolymers is the focus for a research group led by Rondinelli Herculano, a professor at UNESP who collaborated on the development of the starch-based bioplastic.

Some 11 million metric tons of plastic were thrown away in 2018 in Brazil, corresponding to 13.5% of total waste in the year and making Brazil the fourth-largest producer of plastic waste in the world. The estimate is from the Brazilian edition of Plastic Atlas, published in November 2019 by Heinrich Boll Foundation, a German NGO.

Plastic pollution is a growing threat to all ecosystems, especially the oceans, where it accounts for 85% of total waste, according to the United Nations.

Industrial production processes are always aggressive even if the product is biodegradable, Pereira said. Paper, for example, is renewable and recyclable, but in almost all cases its produced by non-sustainable methods that consume huge amounts of energy, water and toxic chemicals. Our study demonstrates the possibility of obtaining bioplastics via an integrated and sustainable platform.

The process

The scientists produced the carotenoids by growing Phaffia rhodozyma in a bioreactor. They then used ionic liquids, choline-based eutectic solvents and butyric acid to extract the pigments from the yeast. Choline is a vitamin B-like nutrient produced by the human organism and found in nature.

Ionic and eutectic liquids are considered ideal solvents for the extraction of compounds from natural matrices, thanks mainly to their capacity for solvation, a process whereby solvent molecules surround and interact with solute ions or molecules, or an ionic compound dissolves in a polar substance without forming a new one.

To maximize retrieval of astaxanthin (one of the most important natural antioxidants produced by yeasts and microalgae) and beta-carotene, the researchers tested five biomass-solvent (solid-liquid) concentrations, considered a key parameter in cell rupture procedures to retrieve intracellular molecules from microbial biomass. The concentration that increased in both was up to 0.2 g mL1 of wet yeast cells.

We used the biosolvents so that the pigment was extracted from the yeast biomass and could be applied. We detected that the solvent with the best result both extracted the pigment from the biomass of the microorganism and also acted as a plasticizer for packaging, said Valeria de Carvalho Santos Ebinuma, a professor at UNESP and a co-author of the Green Chemistry Hot Article.

Constant long-term investment is needed if we want to foster first-class research, so FAPESPs support is important, Mussagy said. After years of research on the development of sustainable processes to produce and extract pigments from microbial sources, weve seen our work recognized by a science journal thats one of the best 5% in the field of sustainability.

For Pereira, the multidisciplinary approach used in the study is important. Its a reward for Mussagys steady efforts, and shows the importance of synergy between institutions and researchers, he said.

Mussagy said next steps will focus on application of the results to show that packaging with this type of green plastic can be used for various purposes, not least by the food industry.
Hahnemuhle is delighted to announce the appointments of Nancy Janes to the position of Hahnemuhle UK & Ireland Managing Director and General Manager, Sven Heeren to the position of General Manager DACH & The Netherlands and Simon Waller to the position General Manager Hahnemuhle USA. All appointments become effective as of 1 March 2022.

In line with the excellent growth of the Hahnemuhle Group worldwide, I am excited to expand the management team with outstanding business leaders to prepare and scale up Hahnemuhles Go-to-Market regions per the long-term planning. All of them are commercially focused senior leaders, experienced with global companies across the paper and printing industry or already with Hahnemuhle and responsible for great achievements within our company stated Jan Wolfle, President and CEO Hahnemuhle-Group.

Nancy Janes charter is to take both roles, the General Manager as well as Managing Director for Hahnemuhle UK & Ireland. She has a proven track record in driving positive customer, business and employee outcomes. Nancy is experienced across UK & Ireland, EMEA and worldwide in the Commercial, Publishing and Packaging printing markets. She has extensive leadership experience, with expertise in sales, marketing, solutions, channel management, commercial strategy, digital printing capabilities, business development and partnerships. The wealth of experience Nancy brings, will enrich the existing Hahnemuhle UK team and contribute to accelerating success.

Relevant highlights from her professional experience include her most recent role as Global Publishing Solutions Business Director at HP, where she established HP as a thought leader partnering with brands like Adobe, Mondelez, Danone, Pearson Publishing etc. to enable Print-Service-Providers transitioning their analogue to digital workflows, utilizing the benefits of digital graphics creations and digital Publishing / Packaging. Most notably, Nancy was HP Country Manager for HP Indigo, HP Inkjet high speed webpress, Wide Format (Latex, Aqueous, UV), and PageWide and achieved best performing region results in EMEA. During that assignment she was being named the 16th most influential person in the UK printing industry by PrintWeek.

Hahnemuhle is using this change to enable Simon Waller, General Manager UK & Ireland since 2005, to make a career move. Simon will succeed Sven Heeren as General Manager Hahnemuhle USA, who was recently promoted to General Manager DACH & The Netherlands within the Hahnemuhle Group. Sven joined Hahnemuhle USA in 2019, having previously worked at companies such as Messe Dusseldorf, Kraft Foods, and Beam Suntory. During his time at Hahnemuhle North America, the team significantly outperformed organic market growth in the Digital FineArt and Photo business segment. As a native German, living in USA for more than 20 years, this position was an excellent development path for Sven also in his endeavor to return to his roots. As General Manager, he will lead sales and a team of product and marketing managers at Hahnemuhles headquarters in Germany.

Simon Waller is appointed General Manager Hahnemuhle USA with nearly 25 years of experience in Hahnemuhle (former Schleicher & Schuell Group). He drove the UK team successfully in Digital FineArt, Artist Papers and Filtration/Life Science. Most notably, he prepared UK Region for Brexit and established B2B and B2C Web-Shop and Direct Sales capabilities during the last years.

These three appointments complete important steps in Hahnemuhles Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy. With this newly structured organisation our tradition rich company will drive the development of new products and services to new levels in a challenging business and competitive environment. Hahnemuhle offers everyone the opportunity to work internationally and implement personal career and succession plans, concludes Jan Wolfle, President and CEO Hahnemuhle-Group.
A shopper waring a proactive mask as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus selects fruit at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. The majority of healthy Americans, including students in schools, can safely take a break from wearing masks under new U.S. guidelines released Friday, Feb. 25. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined a new set of measures for communities where COVID-19 is easing its grip, with less of a focus on positive test results and more on whats happening at hospitals.
Keith Lewis disposes of used syringes at a needle exchange run by Camden Area Health Education Center in Camden, N.J., Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Four companies involved in the opioid industry are finalizing settlements over the addiction crisis in the U.S. in deals that could total $26 billion over 18 years.
At some point, the US Supreme Court will have to consider whether Christian college professors are legally ministers, and who decides that, and how, Justice Samuel Alito said in a statement on Monday.

But the case of a former social work professor suing Gordon College for denying her promotion is not quite right for those argumentsat least for now.

The court turned down Gordons appeal to have Margaret DeWeese-Boyds lawsuit dismissed based on the ministerial exception, which says that clergy are not protected by employment law, because that would be excessive government interference into religious matters. Alito, however, released a statement saying there are still concerns about how ministers are being defined legally.

The preliminary posture of the litigation would complicate our review, Alito wrote. But in an appropriate future case, this Court may be required to resolve this important question.

The statement was joined by three other conservative justicesClarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrettsignaling an interest in appeals from Gordon or other Christian colleges seeking exemption from antidiscrimination legislation.

For now, however, DeWeese-Boyds lawsuit against Gordon College can go forward in state court. She claims the school administration denied her promotion in 2017, against the recommendation of her department and the full faculty, because she critiqued the schools stance on LGBT issues. Gordon argues it denied her promotion because she hadnt done enough scholarship. The school also sought to have the case dismissed because it considers DeWeese-Boyd a minister.

Gordon revised its faculty handbook in 2016 to say that all professors are ministers. Professors have long been required to integrate faith into their teaching, showing students how Christian commitments relate to their academic disciplines.

D. Michael Lindsay, the former Gordon president who is also on CTs board of directors, testified before a Massachusetts court that there are no non-sacred disciplines at Gordon. He said for faculty, joining Gordon should be like joining a religious order.

Becket vice president Eric Baxter, told CT the ministerial exception should apply to anyone whose work has a religious function, even if theyre not ordained and not considered a minister in any church.

The phrase ministerial exception is perhaps unfortunate, he said. The ministerial exception does not require you to be a minister. It applies to anyone doing an important religious function. I think maybe a better term would have been important religious function.

The state supreme court, however, found that the school was collapsing the difference between Christians and Christian ministers.

While it may be true that Gordon employs Christians, and Christians have an undeniable call to minister to others, Justice Scott Kafker wrote, this line of argument appears to oversimplify the Supreme Court test, suggesting that all Christians teaching at all Christian schools and colleges are necessarily ministers.

The Massachusetts judge also worried that the college was asking for an expansion of the ministerial exception to the point of eclipsing and elimination of civil law protection against discrimination.

The president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, representing DeWeese-Boyd before the Supreme Court, agreed.

The ministerial exception was meant to ensure that houses of worship could freely choose their clergy, Rachel Laser told Courthouse News Service. It was never intended to be a free pass for any religious employer to discriminate against its entire workforce and sidestep civil-rights laws.

John Bursch, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, which also represents Gordon, said that kind of argument seems to deny that Gordon is a Christian college, entitled to First Amendment protections.

Gordons professors are key to teaching the Christian faith to students, who choose to attend Gordon because they want to integrate their faith and learning, he said. And the First Amendment is clear: The government has no business telling a faith-based college how to exercise its faith.

Alito, similarly, said, I have doubts about the state courts understanding of religious education.

In Massachusetts, Gordon will still be allowed to argue that DeWeese-Boyd was, in fact, legally a minister. The two sides may, however, focus more on the specific details of the denied promotion, the metrics for measuring scholarship, and Gordons established standards for promoting professors.

If DeWeese-Boyd wins the lawsuit, Gordon could also appeal the case to the Supreme Court again.

Meanwhile, if any other Christian schools want to make the case that Christian college professors are ministers, there are four Supreme Court justices who would like to hear about it.
Alabama megachurch votes to leave The United Methodist Church

A megachurch in Alabama has voted to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church several months before the denomination will hold a legislative meeting that might lead to a schism over theological differences.

Frazer United Methodist Church, a congregation of about 4,000 members in Montgomery, voted on Jan. 30 to disaffiliate from the mainline Protestant denomination.

Their decision to depart the UMC will be voted on in June at a scheduled session of The UMC Alabama-West Florida Conference, which is the regional body that Frazer Church belongs to.

It is not without sadness that we contemplate departing from our denominational ties with the UMC. The Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference of the UMC has been our home for many years, and we honor the connection we have shared and the work we have accomplished together, said Frazer Church in an emailed statement to The Christian Post from its Director of Communications Kym Klass.

The church said in its statement to CP that the congregation intends to join the Free Methodist Church: "[W]e believe that the Free Methodist Church is a better fit for our present identity and future fruitfulness.

It further explained that they look forward to this new chapter in our history once this decision is ratified by the Annual Conference in June.

We pray for continued blessings on our Bishop, our Conference, and all UMC churches around the world, knowing that Gods Kingdom transcends all denominational lines, they added.

In response to the church's decision, the Alabama-West Florida Conference expressed its praise for Frazer Church in an emailed statement to CP.

Frazer Church is a remarkable witness for Jesus Christ. For many years they have been a leader in the United Methodist Church and in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, stated the conference.

While we are saddened that they are exploring denominational options, it is our strong desire and prayer that each church and clergyperson honor what God is genuinely calling them to do.

The conference added that it will follow all guidelines outlined in our United Methodist Book of Discipline regarding the June process of confirming the disaffiliation.

We mourn their potential departure, yet we know that Kingdom work knows no denominational bounds, and we pray they continue to make positive changes in their corner of the world, the conference added.

Frazer Churchs decision to disaffiliate from the UMC comes as the denomination prepares to hold its General Assembly meeting Aug. 29  Sept. 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delegates at the UMC General Assembly will consider measures aimed at ending its decadeslong debate over whether to consider homosexuality a sin and to ban the blessing of same-sex unions.

Many believe that the churchwide legislative meeting will result in a splitting of the UMC along theological lines, with large numbers of traditionalists possibly leaving to form their own denomination while most progressives will remain to change the stance of the UMC on LGBT issues.
Islamic terrorists kill 3 Christians, destroy church in Nigeria

Suspected terrorists from the Islamic State West Africa Province have killed three Christians and destroyed a church in an attack in a village in northeast Nigerias Chibok area, according to reports.

The attack took place in the predominantly Christian village of Kautikari in Borno state on Friday evening in which three Christians were killed and the building of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria was destroyed, Morning Star News reported Sunday, citing area residents.

Nigerian newspaper the Daily Post identified the deceased as Bulama Wadir, a traditional rulers son, and two internally displaced persons.

The Kautikari community, which lives on the fringes of Sambisa forest, a base of ISWAP terrorists, was also attacked in mid-January, when 24 Christian women and children were captured and taken into captivity, with 20 of them still held captive. The four others managed to escape in late January.

A worship auditorium of the local Church of the Brethren in Nigeria was also damaged in the January attack.

Kautikari village is near Chibok, where over 200 girls were kidnapped from a school in 2014.

Chibok leaders were quoted as saying that their communities have been attacked more than 72 times since the 2014 kidnappings. After eight years in which 57 girls escaped on their own and others were released, 110 of the girls remain in captivity, according to the Chibok Area Development Association.

In an earlier interview with The Christian Post, Emeka Umeagbalai of the Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law said kidnappings of Christians happen for various reasons.

Boko Haram, ISWAP and radicalized members of the Fulani herding communities are motivated by money, while others are inspired by Islamic radicalism.

Security analysts say kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative industry in Nigeria as weapons are becoming available to militants in Nigeria thanks to war-torn Libya.

In Nigerias northeast, Boko Haram and ISWAP have killed thousands and displaced millions.

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern warns that the Nigerian government continues to deny any religious motivation behind the attacks and has recently convinced the U.S. Department of State to do the same.

Many have raised concerns about what they perceive as the governments inaction in holding terrorists accountable for the rising number of murders and kidnappings.

However, last November, the Biden administration removed Nigeria from the U.S. State Departments list of countries of particular concern, a designation reserved for the countries that tolerate or engage in some of the world's worst violations of religious freedom. Nigeria was added to the CPC list in December 2020 during the final months of the Trump administration. ICC identified the African country as one of its 2021 Persecutors of the Year.

Nigeria is one of the deadliest places on Earth for Christians, as 50,000 to 70,000 have been killed since 2000, the ICC Persecutor of the Year report states.

According to Open Doors USAs 2022 World Watch List report, at least 4,650 Christians were killed between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, up from 3,530 the previous reporting year, and more than 2,500 Christians were kidnapped, up from 990 the previous reporting year.
Pastor survives after he's stabbed 7 times in 'devastating' random attack outside home

Members of Second Baptist Church in Santa Ana, California, are thanking God for their pastor being alive after he was stabbed seven times in a random attack outside his home that left him with significant injuries, including two punctured lungs.

Kelita Hull-Gardner, executive director of operations for the church, explained in a statement posted on the churchs Facebook page that her pastor, the Rev. Ivan S. Pitts, was attacked at about 8 a.m. Thursday outside his home in Long Beach by a man he did not know.

The doctors are claiming him to be very lucky, but we know luck has nothing to do with his survival, Gardner said in her statement.

Pastor Ivan Pitts was randomly approached by a man in his driveway. The man commenced to stab the pastor 7 times; in his left eye, back and shoulder/neck. Both lungs were punctured, bones in his eye socket and shoulder were broken, she explained.

Gardner further explained to ABC7 in an interview that the pastors attacker, who is now in police custody, approached the pastor and asked him if he could ask a question and when he acknowledged him, he stabbed him seven times. Twice in the eye, four times in the back and once in the neck, shoulder area.

Pastor Pitts, who is a married father of four, went on to get surgery to repair three cuts to his left eyelid and a tendon. He was recovering in great spirits, according to a Sunday update from the church in which he declared I am so fortunate.

Pastor Ralph Williamson of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine told ABC 7 that he and Pitts are members of a coalition of pastors who were set to meet at 9 a.m. Thursday. The attack, he said, has devastated the community.

"We received a long text message stating what had happened, that Pastor Pitts has been attacked in his own driveway following his return home and he was stabbed several times. It devastated us," said Williamson.

Gardner told ABC 7 that her pastor ran to a nearby construction site to get help after he was attacked, and workers got a picture of the man's license plate. The suspects car was later found by Huntington Beach police and he was arrested.

Authorities intend to charge the suspect with attempted murder, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and felony vandalism.

Williamson explained that he has been communicating with the pastor frequently via text. He noted that despite the attack, the pastor is "going to be alright."

Gardner said the pastors family is supporting him in the hospital and urged the church community to limit calls and texts to the family.

If you desire, the family has asked that cards and flowers be sent to the church, Gardner said. Theyve requested to please give them space to process and heal by avoiding calls and texts at this time.
Pro-lifers praise Senate's defeat of bill to codify abortion rights into federal law

As a bill that would have codified the right to abortion into federal law failed to advance in the U.S. Senate Monday, pro-life advocates contend that Senate Democrats who supported the bill are radically out of touch with the American people.

The Senate failed to garner the necessary votes to begin debate on the Womens Health Protection Act, described as a bill to protect a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy, and to protect a health care providers ability to provide abortion services.

The Senate came up far short of the 60 votes required to invoke cloture and begin debate on the legislation, with 48 senators voting in favor of cloture and 46 senators voting against it.

All Senate Republicans that voted, including pro-choice Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against invoking cloture.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the only Senate Democrat to join Republicans in opposing the bill.

The Womens Health Protection Act passed the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives last year, with all Republicans and one Democrat opposing the measure. The bill was supported by the White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Pro-life groups issued statements Monday evening, reiterating their concerns about the legislation and the Democrats near-unanimous support for it. Meanwhile, pro-abortion organizations have condemned the Senates failure to advance the bill.

We thank all our pro-life allies in the Senate who spoke out about the extremism of this bill and helped defeat it, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the grassroots lobbying organization Susan B. Anthony List.

Biden, Pelosi, and Schumers Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act would enshrine an unlimited abortion right in federal law and block common ground pro-life laws around the country.

In calling for this bill to be passed, Chuck Schumer referred to abortion as sacred and a fundamental right  proving that pro-abortion Democrats could not be more radically out of touch with the American people, she added. Those who sided with the abortion lobby to trample the will of the people will face political consequences.

Carol Tobias, the president of National Right to Life, described the Womens Health Protection Act as evidence of the abortion zealotry of the Democratic Party.

This legislation shows just how rigid and uncompromising the Democratic Party has become on abortion, she said. This legislation would have made sweeping changes, including expanding taxpayer funding of abortion, and eliminating requirements that a woman be given information about the development of her unborn child so she can make an informed decision.

This legislation would quash nearly all existing protective state laws, warned Jennifer Popik, NRLCs director of Federal Legislation. With this bill, elective abortion would have become the procedure that must always be facilitated  never delayed, never impeded to the slightest degree.

Leaders of pro-abortion advocacy organizations vowed to keep fighting to pass the legislation. Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, tweeted Monday asserting that Mondays outcome was disappointing.

But the progress we made along the way is still a big step towards protecting abortion access, Johnson tweeted.

The outcome of today's vote on WHPA was disappointing, but the progress we made along the way is still a big step towards protecting abortion access.



We are grateful for all the organizers, volunteers, supporters, & elected officials who fought for WHPA! We wont stop fighting.  Alexis McGill Johnson (@alexismcgill) February 28, 2022

We are grateful for all the organizers, volunteers, supporters, & elected officials who fought for WHPA! We wont stop fighting.

NARAL, a pro-abortion advocacy group, blamed Senate Republicans for blocking the bills advancement. NARAL contends that the legislation would safeguard the legal right to abortion.

Reproductive freedom is at risk  but they failed to protect us, NARAL tweeted. Were holding the Republicans who voted against WHPA accountable in 2022.

BREAKING: Senate Republicans blocked advancement on the Womens Health Protection Act, which would safeguard the legal right to abortion. Reproductive freedom is at riskbut they failed to protect us. Were holding the Republicans who voted against WHPA accountable in 2022.  NARAL (@NARAL) February 28, 2022

The effort to pass the Womens Health Protection Act, which began nearly three years ago in the 116th U.S. Congress, heated up last fall after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a Texas law banning abortions after six weeks gestation to go into effect.

Additionally, concerns that the Supreme Court will reverse or weaken the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, played a role in the push to codify abortion into federal law.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to decide on the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks gestation.

Polling indicates that while most Americans oppose the overturning of Roe, most Americans support limiting abortions after 15 weeks gestation. A poll conducted late last year and sponsored by Harvard Universitys Center for American Political Studies found that 54% of Americans oppose overturning Roe, while 56% of respondents expressed support for limiting abortions to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Jesus loves little children and little churches

While the world is quick to celebrate the strong and mighty, the large and powerful  the Lord has a special place in His heart for the small, the weak, the overlooked, and the ones society barely notices. This is especially true in the case of little children and little churches.

Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14). On one occasion, Jesus took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in His arms, Jesus said to them, Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me (Mark 9:36-37).

No one loves little children more than Jesus; not even their parents. The lyrics of a popular childrens song convey Gods attitude: Jesus loves the little children, All the children of the world, Red and yellow, black and white, They are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.

It is no wonder Jesus gave this warning: If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6).

Jesus told His disciples: See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in Heaven always see the face of my Father in Heaven (Matthew 18:10). While the world tends to look right past little children and little churches, Jesus loves them dearly.

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things  and the things that are not  to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him (1 Cor. 1:27-28).

Many congregations are relatively small, and even more churches have garnered this label over the past two years of COVID-related social distancing and an overall decrease in church attendance. And yet the Holy Spirit is not limited in accomplishing His powerful work in churches that are small in number, yet strong in faith and obedience.

Chapters 2 and 3 in the book of Revelation contain seven letters from Jesus to seven congregations in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). In five of those letters, Christ identified particular problems in the congregations, while only two of the letters contained no such corrections. One of those two churches was the church in Philadelphia, which was a small congregation of believers.

You see, the size of a church is not what determines the Lords approval or displeasure. Instead, Jesus is pleased by the faith, love, sacrificial service, spiritual growth, persistence, faithfulness to Scripture, obedience, and graciousness in the lives of the Christians in the church. This has always been Gods measuring stick for those who belong to "the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

Jesus loves little children and little churches, and believers have been given a high calling. We are not called to impress the world or to achieve some worldly measure of success. Instead, we are called to humbly serve the King who gave His life on the cross for our eternal salvation.

In his book, Strategically Small Church, Brandon OBrien writes, Instead of illustrating the dominant narrative of success, the Bible testifies to the narrative most pastors experience  the narrative of obscurity. Sometimes faithfulness to Gods work results in the sudden shrinking of a group of followers. People left Jesus in droves when His teaching struck too near to the bone.

OBrien suggests that we adjust our mental image of the size and success of the early Church. The three thousand that responded to Peters message were dispersed over an area twice the size of Texas and separated by the Mediterranean Sea. Pentecost may have been the first mass revival in history, but it did not create the first mega-church. Instead, Acts 2 records the birth of many small  even micro  congregations.

It should not surprise us then today that the vast majority of Christian congregations have fewer than 100 people in attendance. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research reports that the median church in the U.S. has 75 regular participants in worship on Sunday mornings.

Thankfully, Jesus loves churches of all sizes and people of all ages. During the three years of Christs earthly ministry, He chose to spend much of His time teaching, discipling, and mentoring those in His small inner circle of followers. And the impact of Christ's intentional and relational ministry has been transforming lives for 2000 years wherever believers have implemented the Lord's life-changing model of discipleship.

The Holy Spirit empowers Christians who trust, love, and obey Jesus, regardless of the size of their family or the number of people in their congregation.

Jesus teaches us how to effectively raise children and how to effectively make disciples. Our focus should always be on individual people rather than on numbers. If and when the Lord chooses to increase the number of people in a family or in a congregation, our task remains the same. God wants us to become mature disciples, and to assist others in becoming spiritually mature as well.

The Holy Spirit helps believers grow in the grace, love, and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The fact that Jesus loves little children and little churches so much is a huge motivator to press on toward the goal to win the prize (Philippians 3:14). Believers are free to focus on Christ rather than on numbers.

Our goal is to please our King and Savior, and one day to hear these words: Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your masters happiness (Matthew 25:23).

So dont be surprised when the world continues to ignore the very things that cause angels to rejoice in Heaven! (Luke 15:7,10).
The future of Russia and Ukraine according to the Bible

The invasion of the Ukraine by Russia has re-awakened fears of the communist Northern giant that havent been felt for a very long time. And fear is something all bullies, including Russia, prize even when everything else around them is failing.

While living in Russia, journalist David Satter tells of waiting in a potato line when a fight broke out among those on the street. These lines are a disgrace. How can we live like this? asked one man who was promptly answered by an old woman with, Never mind  the whole world is afraid of us.

This being their mindset, military action by Vladimir Putin should really surprise no one. When you have a disgraced country with a worldview proven to be a failure, an economy in shambles, a capital that mirrors Gotham City, utter lawlessness that makes the recent U.S. crime wave look tame by comparison, allies who resemble serial killers, and Olympic athletes who cant compete without doping up, carrying out war is the most effective way for him to consolidate support for his deteriorating regime.

Looking at the situation, political commentators are recalling the 2014 annexation of Crimea that caused the Crimea effect, in which, according to Nikolai Petrov of Moscows Higher School of Economics, Russians forgot their worries and felt everything was allowed and anything was possible. Deflection, a favorite tactic of political failures, works anywhere naive populations exist (just look at our own country).

So, in a sense, its a win-win for Putin who buttresses his own failing approval numbers while causing unreasonable fear everywhere else. That seems especially true in America where the panic-porn media trumpets the potential for nuclear clashes and the stock market sells off in sheer terror, never mind the fact that, before the invasion, Ukraine is a country to which 99% of Americans have never given a moments thought.

While Im thankful every day God saved me and privileges me with knowing His truth, its times like these when Im especially grateful to rest in His sovereign control over everything and know Hes never taken by surprise. And that includes actions by nations like Russia who have their fate spelled out clearly in Scripture.

Gods plan for the nations

When it comes to all the nations that have or will ever exist, there are basically two eschatological (End Times) buckets: (1) Israel, a nation divinely brought into existence and chosen by God to deliver the Messiah (the human Word) and the Bible (the written Word) to the world, and (2) Gentile Nations: non-Jews both beloved (the Church) and hated, used by God for His purposes.

When it comes to nations leaders, whether its Alexander the Great or Vladimir Putin, their actions are ultimately controlled by God, who treats their heart, like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes (Prov. 21:1). God is, ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings (Dan. 4:32, 2:21).

Because humanity is estranged from God and from one another, the end result is constant turmoil and the rising and falling of nations. The longer humanity attempts to rule the Earth apart from God, the more degenerated that rule becomes.

This being true, the big picture Scripture paints for the nations is consistent worldwide turmoil, unrest, wars/threats of wars (Matt. 24:6-8) that eventually culminates first in the regathering of the nation of Israel in the End Times (Is. 11:11-2, Is. 66:7-8, Jer. 16:1415, Ez. 36:2228, 37:1-10) and then the establishment of a false peace by a one-world government and its appointed leader (Rev. 6:1-2).

After that, the Bible says those on the Earth will experience a world war like no other, followed by the return of Christ and the establishment of His rule on Earth (Rev. 19:11-20, 20:4-6).

And what part does Russia play in all this?

Gods plan for Russia

A telltale sign of a nation ruled by Satan is its hatred for Israel and the people of God.

You probably wont be surprised to find that Russia is brutal to everyone in general, including its own people. Russians file more complaints with the European Court of Human Rights than the citizens of any of the 46 countries that make up the Council of Europe, 13,645 complaints in 2020 alone (by contrast, the figure for the U.K. was 124).

But its anti-Semitic worldview makes it especially difficult for Jews. In the 1800s, Russian Jews were murdered or forced to immigrate if they didnt join the Russian church. Fast forward to the early 1960s and we find a Times magazine article stating, The major center of persecution of Jews nowadays is the Soviet Union. In a land openly dedicated to atheism, the 3,000,000 Jews of Russia suffer more than any other faith because they are attacked both for their religion and as a despised national minority.

But Psalm 121:4 says, Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep, and so we find a very fitting end to Russia spelled out in Scripture.

The prophetic Word of God states in multiple places how God will pull Russia into its doom, with the most complete description being found in Ezekiel 38-39. In those chapters, Russia is referred to as Gog and Magog.

Interestingly, Magog is identified by Josephus as the land of the Scythians, the region north and northeast of the Black Sea and east of the Caspian Sea  now occupied by three countries: Russia,Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. The Great Wall of China was originally called The Wall of Magog by the Arabic countries in reference to it protecting the Chinese from invading Russians.

At some point in the future, God says He will, put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out  on that day when My people Israel are living securely  you will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you  and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog (Ez. 38:4, 14-16).

Russia is also referred to as a people from the north multiple times elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., Dan. 11:40-41) so its no surprise that when you look at a map and draw a line north from Israel, you go squarely into Ukraine and then Russia. Theologian C. I. Scofield was ridiculed in the early 1900s for saying in his study Bible that there would be a future Russian invasion of Israel, who didnt exist at the time, but he said, I dont understand it, and I cant explain it, but the Bible says it, and therefore I believe it.

Scripture is crystal clear in its prediction of Russias demise, so while today they may confidently flex their military muscle and claim Ukraine, the reality is they are squarely carrying out Gods will and in the crosshairs of His trap from which they one day wont escape.

So, knowing God is in control and has told us in advance what will happen, dont be afraid of the actions of Russia or any nation, and do pray for the people of Ukraine. Never forget our God is sovereign over everything: He makes the nations great, then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away (Job 12:23); The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, 'surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand,' (Is. 14:24).
Black Americans more certain than any other racial group that theyre going to Heaven: study

An increasing number of Christians say faith in God is not required to go to Heaven, and Christianity is not the only way to get there. Now, a new study has revealed that a majority of Americans need to be certain theyll make it to Heaven, and African Americans are more certain than any other racial group that they will be with God in Heaven in the afterlife.

African Americans are also more likely to be certain theyre going to Heaven if they hold Christian beliefs, according to the findings of a recently published Evangelism Explosion Study of Americans Openness to Talking about Faith conducted by Lifeway Research from Dec. 8-17, 2021. Some 1,002 Americans from a national pre-recruited panel were surveyed for the report.

The Bible assures Christians in Scriptures like John 3:16 "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

According to the study, however, only 37% of Americans are sure they will be with God in Heaven, while 23% hope they get to Heaven. Another 17% say no one can really know that they are going to Heaven.

Still, some 55% of Americans, in general, note in the survey that it's very important to have the certainty they will go Heaven or have eternal life.

In the survey, 49% of African Americans chose the response I am sure I will be with God in Heaven when asked about their place in the afterlife" compared to just 37% of white respondents. Only 28% of Hispanics selected that response.

Some 63% of Americans who are sure they will be with God in Heaven hold Christian beliefs, while 21% who do not hold Christian beliefs say they are sure they will go to Heaven.

When it comes to the certainty that theyll make it to Heaven, more women, 44%, selected I am sure I will be with God in Heaven compared to 30% of males. Older American adults were also more certain about their place in Heaven than younger ones.

While women and older adults were more likely than men and younger adults to say they deserve to go to Heaven because of their trust in Jesus Christ alone, a significant share also said they should be allowed into Heaven just because they are a good person.

Respondents from the Northeast were found to be more likely to hold this view than those in the Midwest or South.

The study also showed that while a majority of Americans were open to talking with a friend or a stranger about God, six out of 10 say that many of their friends who claim to be Christians rarely talk about their faith.

Now, perhaps more than ever, people are open to conversations about faith, yet few Christians actually take the opportunity to engage in personal evangelism, John B. Sorensen, president and CEO of Evangelism Explosion International, said in a statement published by Lifeway Research.

Our mission at EE is to equip Christians to have the confidence to share the Gospel naturally, lovingly, and intentionally with family, friends, and yes, even strangers. We imagine a world where every believer is a witness for Christ to His glory.

It really isnt about religious liberty, people not wanting to hear, or religion being off-limits, Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, added. The reason conversations are not happening about the Christian faith is that Christians are not bringing it up.

While many Christians still maintain that their faith in Jesus alone will take them to Heaven, a recent survey from Probe Ministries, a nonprofit that seeks to help the Church in renewing the minds of believers with a Christian worldview, showed that nearly 70% of born-again Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the only way to God.

And according to Steve Cable, senior vice president of Probe Ministries, that could contribute to Christians not sharing their faith in a society where Christianity is losing its cultural dominance on faith in America.

If you think that there are multiple ways to Heaven, why would you want to go out of your way to convert someone to your religion? Cable asked. Of course, you could be sharing with an unaffiliated person who needs to choose a valid religion.

The Probe Ministries survey found that among the top reasons given by born-again Christians for not telling others about their faith is the acceptance of pluralism. When asked why they dont share their beliefs with others, born-again respondents chose, They can get to Heaven through their different religious belief, We shouldnt impose our ideas on others and The Bible tells us not to judge others as their top three responses, respectively.

At first glance, this may seem surprising. But in a culture where pluralism is a dominant part of all religious groups, it begins to make sense. And the pluralistic reasons were dominant, attracting around two-thirds of the population across all religious groupings, Cable said.

He stated that pastors and churches need to focus on teaching the exclusivity of Jesus as the only way to Heaven in their congregations in order to push back against the tide of pluralism.

On the most common reasons (which indicate a belief that other people dont really need to know about salvation through faith in Jesus), we need to make the exclusive role of Jesus Christ in any hope of salvation a recurring and prominent theme in our teaching, he said.

This is not a topic to tiptoe gingerly around. Rather, we need to boldly proclaim, There is salvation in no other name under Heaven other than the name of Jesus Christ. God would not have planned from before the beginning of time to sacrifice Himself on the cross for our salvation if there were any other means to reconcile sinful men and women to Himself.
RZIM says it 'does not agree' with entire explosive Guidepost report, but vows to 'learn' from mistakes

The board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries reacted to a report detailing how leaders turned a blind eye to Zacharias misdeeds for years and spent nearly $1 million to defend the late apologist against allegations of sexual misconduct, saying that while it does not agree with everything in it, it hopes to nevertheless repent and learn from our mistakes.

On Wednesday, the board of RZIM released a statement in tandem with a report from Guidepost Solutions highlighting Zacharias moral failures as well as oversights by the organization's board and ministry leadership.

Although we are releasing this report, we do not agree with everything in it, the board of directors said. We believe there are inaccurate accounts or pieces of information that were either overlooked or omitted by Guidepost and we disagree with some characterizations therein. Regardless, we believe this report provides an important assessment of our organization's actions to investigate Zacharias and the steps we sadly failed to take.

The board said it has endeavored to honor the biblical exhortation to be quick to hear, slow to speak even when some narratives about RZIM differ from our experience.

Our focus has been instead to repent and learn from our mistakes, it added. We remain committed to supporting ministries that present the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those with deep questions in challenging settings around the world.

RZIM had engaged Guidepost in February 2021 to independently evaluate RZIMs structures, culture, policies, processes, finances, and practices, including the handling of any former abuse allegations against Zacharias, who died in 2020 after battling cancer.

The report, released seven months after the board of RZIM received it, found that the organization used nearly $1 million of ministry funds to pay for Zacharias legal bills after he was accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, thus ensuring that Zacharias himself did not pay a single penny, even though RZIM was not a party to the legal action.

The board had previously publicly stated that no ministry funds were used in connection with his legal action.

Guidepost also found that leaders at RZIM had been aware of allegations of inappropriate behavior by Zacharias since at least 2008 when he was seen in Singapore holding the hand of a young woman who was not his wife. When confronted about the incident, Zacharias claimed he required assistance to walk across the street due to ongoing back pain.

The report also detailed how, in 2011, an RZIM board member traveled to Singapore at Zacharias request, as the apologist was concerned because he had been seen leaving a massage therapist office and there was an inference that he had done something inappropriate.

Zacharias told the board member that he had visited the massage studio because it was essential for his back issues, and then separately added that he had never viewed pornography (which seemed odd to the board member), the report states.

Though Zacharias family raised concerns about the ministry leader traveling with a female massage therapist, Zacharias daughter and former CEO Sarah Davis told Guidepost they did not suspect that there was anything untoward about the relationship between Zacharias and the massage therapist; rather, they were concerned about the appearance of the relationship and its potential impact on the ministry.

In the fall of 2020, months after Zacharias death, numerous allegations surfaced against the apologist accusing him of sexual misconduct at spas that he had co-owned in the United States.

A February 2021 report from Miller & Martin found the ministry leader had engaged in sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape during his life. He also was accused of having an illicit online relationship with Canadian Lori Thompson, allegedly soliciting sexually explicit photos from her and engaging in sex over the phone.

Zacharias later sued Thompson and her husband before paying a $250,000 settlement, authorized by the RZIM executive committee, according to the Guidepost report. The committee then gave the apologist a $400,000 bonus for the specific purpose of paying back the $250,000 loan made by RZIM to Zacharias for settling the litigation he started against the Thompsons.

Overwhelmingly, Guidepost found that RZIM leaders and board members showed Zacharias near-complete loyalty even in the face of his inconsistent and incomplete explanations, evidence undercutting those explanations, and an ever-evolving storyline that played out in the Christian and mainstream media.

Since the release of the Miller & Martin report, Guidepost said many current and former RZIM employees had come forward to speak with them and claimed to have had suspicions and unanswered questions dating back to 2017.

However, each of these individuals also told us that somehow, in spite of their concerns and questions at the time, they were satisfied enough with the explanations provided by Zacharias to stay at the ministry, the report said. We are unaware of anyone who left RZIM in 2017 or 2018 because they did not get answers to questions or did not believe the statements by Zacharias regarding his relationship with the Thompsons. As one RZIM employee told us, We were all duped.

Still, the report stressed that many RZIM leaders, employees, and the board of directors chose not to press for further investigation of Zacharias interactions with Thompson, despite clear indications that Zacharias had not provided a truthful account of those interactions.

Ultimately, we believe that RZIMs leadership and cultural weaknesses stem from the devotion and loyalty to Zacharias shown by the ministrys leaders, directors, employees, and followers, it said.

Guidepost offered a series of recommendations in light of its findings, including advising the organization to periodically communicate and train staff about sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct, to demonstrate the ministrys commitment to prevent this improper and illegal behavior.

It also recommended changes to RZIM leadership, expressing concern about RZIMs ability to move forward under its current leadership and board.

Many of the current leaders and directors of RZIM are the same individuals who mishandled the ministrys response to allegations about Zacharias in the past, it said.

It will be difficult for the current RZIM leaders and the board to rebuild trust with the ministrys employees and members and to reestablish their credibility as leaders, because of their previous failings.

In its statement, the board of RZIM said the past 18 months have brought to light painful and sinful realities which have impacted so many lives.

We at RZIM sincerely apologize for the enormous pain caused by Ravi Zacharias' sin and our failure to uncover it sooner. Regretfully, we trusted and defended a man of whose integrity we were firmly convinced, it said.

In the fallout from the scandal, the global apologetics ministry downsized and restructured into a grant-making organization. Davis, who has since left RZIM and been replaced by Garth Morrison, announced in March 2021 that RZIM intended to change its name and remove all content featuring her father from the organizations website.

In May, Davis apologized for her initial reaction to her fathers sexual misconduct allegations. She said she erred by ignoring allegations against her father and defending his innocence.

I earnestly wanted the truth, but I recognize that the steps I took didnt always show this, she shared. I should have immediately called for an independent investigation in 2017, but I trusted my father fully, and I carried his narrative, both in 2017 and then initially in 2020, when we were first made aware of those allegations. In both of these, I know that I caused pain. I did not serve well, and I did not love well. And for this, Im deeply sorry.
Pastors Robert Morris offers money-back guarantee if congregants tithe for a year and nothing happens

Willow Creek Community Church Senior Pastor David Dummitt has offered his congregants a money-back guarantee if they tithe 10% of their income for a year and nothing happens. He made the offer Sunday after guest preacher Pastor Robert Morris revealed he's been offering the same guarantee to his nearly 40,000-member Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, for 22 years without a claim.

Morris, who preached at Willow Creek on Sunday on The Principle of First as part of the suburban Chicago churchs sermon series More Than Money, was seeking to help boost falling revenues that the church has been experiencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Roys Report.

I dont want to exaggerate, but Im sure thousands and thousands of people, and Im sure its multiplied, that have told me some way over the years through email, letters, whatever, this changed my life, Morris noted in a YouTube Clip from his message on tithing the first 10% of one's income.

When I started giving the first 10% to God it changed everything. And heres what Id like to do. Id like to just challenge you. Ive done this with our church. Ive told our church on multiple occasions, Ive said to them, if youll try it for one year, if you are not fully satisfied, at the end of that year, Ill give you your money back. With 22 years in the church, no ones ever asked for their money back, he said before suggesting to Dummitt that he should also offer the money-back guarantee.

You know what? Im so confident, Ill say it here. You tithe for one year, if youre not fully satisfied, Dave will give you your money back, he said with a chuckle.

In the YouTube clip posted by The Roys Report, Dummitt is then shown accepting the challenge.

Ill just go ahead and say yes. Just like the Lord said, test me in this. I think Ill go ahead and be bold and say if you do this for the year and you are not fully satisfied, well give the money back. I like that challenge, he said.

The Christian Post reached out to Willow Creek about the challenge on Thursday and while Dummitt was not immediately available for an interview, Liz Schauer, Willow Creeks marketing and communications director, noted in an email on Friday morning that: Our team is still exploring the potential program. The portion of Morris sermon about the money-back guarantee also appears to have been edited from the full sermon posted by Willow Creek Church.

A majority of Evangelicals say tithing is a biblical commandment, but a recent study shows that only an estimated 13% engage in the practice, and half give less than 1% of their income annually.

The study, "The Generosity Factor: Evangelicals and Giving," from Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts, a brand communication agency, shows that the average Evangelical gave $1,923 to the church and $622 to charity over the past 12 months, for a total of $2,545 in giving. At the median mark, however, Evangelicals only gave $340 to the church and $50 to charity, for a total of $390.

The study found that people who were more engaged with their church and faith tended to give more to their church, and vice versa.

The higher the household income of the Evangelical, the more they were also found to give. Among Evangelicals with a household income below $30,000 annually, the median total giving was found to be $300. This doubled to $600 when people earned $30,000 to $60,000. It more than doubled to $1,400 when the income was $60,000 to $100,000. At six figures, median giving registered at $2,200.
Actress developed blood disorder 'out of nowhere' while filming supernatural horror The Conjuring

Actress Joey King has opened up about her time on the set of the horror film The Conjuring, revealing the physical condition she developed out of nowhere.

King played little girl tormented by demons in the 2013 film when she was 12. But in a recent interview on The Drew Barrymore Show, she admitted that the things she experienced made her shudder.

The actress said she suddenly developed an unexpected blood disorder while playing the character Christine Perron.

It was pretty intense. Some weird stuff happened on the set, along with the movie being scary, she revealed. Its true, I developed this bizarre, rare, out-of-nowhere blood disorder, and basically, my body, like all the red platelets from my body were like drained. They were just gone.

The condition was so grave King went to the hospital before each taping to ensure she didnt need a blood transfusion.

King had a high risk of internal bleeding. The actress said that every day before work and after work, she had to go to the hospital, get my blood taken.

Barrymore became spooked by Kings story when the 22-year-old revealed that the condition suddenly stopped as soon as she was finished filming The Conjuring.

Then, all of a sudden, I got home, and Ive never had a problem with my blood since, she commented. Every time I think about it, I just shudder a little bit.

In another interview in 2020, King told crass radio host Howard Stern that the bizarre condition was discovered when bruises randomly began appearing on her body during filming.

In the [movie], when the mom gets possessed, she gets all these bruises on her, King disclosed, saying that it was during those scenes that she noticed a lot of bruises show up on my body.

King, who comes from a mixed Jewish and Christian background, said she realized her experience was nothing but normal.

The Bible speaks of demon possession often and warns believers not to partake in darkness.

The Conjuring franchise was written by Christian screenwriters Chad and Carey Hills. Although many Christians think scary movies are evil and should be avoided, the writers maintain that their films are to show how faith overcomes evil.

For us, its very simple; we love doing true stories of where good conquers evil. Conjuring 2 is a story told through the eyes of believers, whose strongest weapon is their faith in God. Our film allows believers and non-believers to travel their journey with them, and in some ways, maybe affect someone who is on the edge of faith, and somehow give them the strength they need, the couple told The Christian Post in a past interview.

They added: For us, other than ones own faith in Jesus, the symbol of the cross radiates that faith for those who hold it, hang it and even tattoo it! Some may have a Bible in their home and think theyre protected. But without studying it and believing, its like just any other book. Same with the cross. One must believe in what it represents.
Appeals court rejects Biden admin.'s attempt to unblock vaccine mandate enforcement on Navy SEALs

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has rejected a motion to lift a block on enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for 35 Navy personnel who oppose getting vaccinated against the coronavirus for religious reasons.

In a per curiam decision released Monday, the panel denied a motion from the Biden administration to lift a lower court injunction blocking the Department of Defense from enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on the 35 service members seeking religious exemptions.

Under the policy, military service members were to have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 28.

The court concluded that the 35 plaintiffs, including 26 Navy SEALs, had a valid complaint under the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act that deserved to be seriously considered.

Plaintiffs allege specific, and far from frivolous, violations of their free exercise rights under both the First Amendment and RFRA. Thus, the nature and strength of Plaintiffs claims weigh in favor of judicial resolution, the decision reads.

Plaintiffs also face irreparable harm if judicial review is denied.  By pitting their consciences against their livelihoods, the vaccine requirements would crush Plaintiffs free exercise of religion.

The panel noted that Navy leadership does not even dispute that its COVID-19 vaccination requirements substantially burden each Plaintiffs free exercise of religion, but the nature of the injury bears emphasis.

Plaintiffs have thoughtfully articulated their sincere religious objections to taking the vaccine itself. Accepting the vaccine would directly burden their respective faiths by forcing them to inject an unremovable substance at odds with their most profound convictions, continued the decision.

Defendants have not demonstrated paramount interests that justify vaccinating these 35 Plaintiffs against COVID-19 in violation of their religious beliefs.

The First Liberty Institute, a legal group representing the Navy service members, released a statement Monday celebrating the panel decision.

Our military should be welcoming service members, not forcing them out because of their religious beliefs, said First Liberty Director of Military Affairs Mike Berry in a statement.

Its time for our military to honor its constitutional obligations and grant religious accommodations for service members with sincere religious objections to the vaccine. Were grateful the Fifth Circuit denied the Navys motion.

Last November, First Liberty Institute filed the lawsuit on behalf of the service members who opposed getting vaccinated against COVID-19 for religious reasons.

In January, Judge Reed OConnor of the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, a George W. Bush appointee, issued a preliminary injunction against the mandate.

The Navy provides a religious accommodation process, but by all accounts, it is theater. The Navy has not granted a religious exemption to any vaccine in recent memory. It merely rubber stamps each denial, wrote OConnor earlier this year.

The Navy servicemembers in this case seek to vindicate the very freedoms they have sacrificed so much to protect. The COVID-19 pandemic provides the government no license to abrogate those freedoms. There is no COVID-19 exception to the First Amendment. There is no military exclusion from our Constitution.
African American author recalls seeing her aborted baby in a divine dream: 'His name is Tyler'

An African American author who recounted her own decision to get an abortion as a teenager at last months March for Life has shared how her faith in Christ helped her heal from post-abortive trauma, recounting a dream where God revealed her aborted son.

Toni McFadden is one of many who spoke at the 2022 March for Life in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 21, expressing regret for the abortion she had as a senior in high school and detailing how she suffered severe hemorrhaging a month after taking a second dose of the abortion pill.

McFadden, who now runs the organization Relationships Matter with the aim of educating the youth on the degradation of sex in culture, is the author of the upcoming book Redeemed: My Journey After Abortion.

McFadden documents the story of her abortion as a teenager in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and her healing process in detail. The book, scheduled for publication in paperback format on Apr. 11, is currently available in Kindle format on Amazon and as an eBook from Barnes & Noble.

Now a married mother of four, McFadden attributes her successful lengthy healing process that followed her abortion to her faith in Christ, which began to solidify when she was in college.

If it wasnt for my faith, I dont think I would be healed right now, she told The Christian Post in a recent interview. God showed me not only my sin, but He showed me what He did with my sin by dying on the cross for my sins.

While God showed McFadden that she was created for more, He also forced her to take responsibility for her abortion.

I think I would still be sitting in shame if not for the Gospel, she suggested.

I think I would still be sitting in condemnation if it wasnt for Jesus coming and rescuing my soul and showing me what life was truly supposed to be. So Ive been having a testimony to tell, she said.

Changing worldview

After rejoicing that she had given her life over to Jesus, McFadden declared: I know that His word  the Bible  is alive and it has shaped me and it has changed my worldview. It has changed the way I view life from womb to tomb.

Before she gave her life to Jesus, McFadden said she didnt have a strong faith but knew things about God. Knowing things about God, she said, is very different than having a relationship with God.

I went to church here and there, but it wasnt consistent. And I think Ive learned things about God, which  Im thankful for, she recalled. Im thankful that I was exposed to Christianity when I was younger, but I dont think it took root in my life until after I was in college.

McFadden became a Christian in 2001 but didnt talk about her abortion until three years after her conversion.

I dont even think when I became a Christian, I knew what the term pro-life even meant, she said.

I think I knew when I became a believer reading the Bible that abortion was wrong, but I dont think I took a stand until probably  2005 when I started working for the crisis pregnancy center and started going through my healing.

During remarks she gave at the Heritage Foundation headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 14, McFadden explained how pressure from her boyfriend and her best friend influenced her to have an abortion when faced with the unplanned pregnancy.

When she had a sonogram shortly before the abortion, she asked the nurse to show her the screen, which was faced away from her. The nurse showed her the sonogram.

McFadden said she wishes she would have just had somebody else with a different perspective, the perspective of life at the time of her abortion instead of those around her who assured her that this is normal and this is what you have to do.

She reiterated that, at the time, she viewed abortion as her only option. She was given abortion pills from an abortion clinic in what she characterized as an area of Allentown with a high minority population.

In McFaddens case, the boyfriend broke up with her immediately after her abortion although she cited concerns he would leave her if she did not go through with the procedure as one of the reasons why she terminated her pregnancy. But ultimately, the boyfriend came back to me almost nine years later to apologize to me.

The two eventually married and now have four children, three of whom joined them on stage at the March for Life. Her children are 11, 10, 9 and 7 years old.

To this day, McFadden still thinks about the baby she aborted.

His name is Tyler, she said. I named him when I went through post-abortion counseling, so my husband had not come along yet. This is something [that happened] when I was going through my own healing, and the Lord gave me a dream and showed me that the baby was a boy.

Telling her kids about their sibling

As demonstrated by their presence on stage with her at the March for Life, three of her four children know McFaddens abortion story.

She sat down with each of them separately to tell them what happened because she didnt want them to find out from somewhere else, like Google.

That was probably the most difficult conversation, and its an ongoing conversation because  theyre still pretty young, she said. We [told] them as much as we thought they could handle.  They dont know  the procedure I went through, they dont know anything like that. But we understand that its going to be an ongoing conversation.

As they mature in life, theyll be able to handle a little bit more depth of our story, she predicted. They understand that they are supposed to have another sibling, and they just know abortion is wrong. And so they question like, Why would you do something like that? Kids dont use euphemisms like adults do, and they dont sugarcoat things.

McFadden said it was heartbreaking when one of her children asked: So were supposed to have another sibling?

She responded to her child by saying, Yeah, you are.

We wish we could go back and change it, but we cant, and this is why mommy  goes out and speaks because I dont want any other people to go through this and I want other women  and men to know that they can have healing, McFadden recalls telling her child.

McFadden expressed gratitude for a God who redeems.

He can take the pain and the mistakes of our past and make something absolutely beautiful out of it, she said.

McFadden closed the interview by assuring women who have walked the same journey and maybe in a place of shame that healing is possible. She offered pursuing a relationship with Jesus Christ and an eight-week Bible study called Forgiven and Set Free by Linda Cochran as remedies for women experiencing post-abortive trauma.

McFadden weighed in on the state of the pro-life movement with the U.S. Supreme Court scheduled to make a ruling in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health. A ruling in favor of the state of Mississippi, which is seeking to uphold a 15-week abortion ban, would weaken the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Im very hopeful that Roe v. Wade is overturned. And that is going to change our nation. I think that the pro-life movement still needs to be the pro-life movement, regardless [of] if Roe v. Wade is overturned or not because we know its going to be brought to the states. But even if the state says ... abortion is illegal, women are still going to face unplanned pregnancies. And the pro-life movement needs to be who we are right now, and that is we are the ones meeting the needs of these women who are going through it right now.

They want to eliminate those who look exactly like me

Since the March for Life, McFadden has spoken at other pro-life events, including a press conference hosted by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation announcing the relaunch of the Standing with You initiative for women facing unplanned pregnancies.

Not only does the abortion industry not care about women, but they want to eliminate those who look exactly like me, McFadden claimed at the event.

The act of abortion is literally wiping out the black community, she proclaimed. Yet NARAL and Planned Parenthood want to celebrate Black History Month and pretend they care about black lives while telling blacks and minorities that restrictions on abortion [are] racist and that we need access to abortion to thrive. They are walking right in step with their racist founder, Margaret Sanger.

In her interview with CP, McFadden elaborated on why abortion advocacy group NARAL and abortion giant Planned Parenthoods recognition of Black History Month ring hollow as long as they continue to promote abortion and assert that restrictions on abortion are racist.

Its an absolute lie. What theyre saying is a lie, she argued. Black Americans make up 12-13% of the population, yet theyre putting all of their abortion facilities, over 80% of them, in our neighborhoods.

And then they say that there is a lack of access [for] black women and women of color. Thats not true, she continued.

Theyre within walking distance in their cities. And it goes back to their founder, Margaret Sanger, who theyre trying to disavow. But it goes back to her saying [they] dont want word to get out that [they] want to eliminate the negro population. Thats what she said, but its actually working. Planned Parenthood kills 360 black babies a day.

Additionally, she insisted that if abortion didnt exist, black Americans wouldnt even be a minority.

The statistics McFadden pointed to come from the pro-life Radiance Foundation, which determined the 360-a-day figure based on the data from Planned Parenthoods 2018-2019 annual report revealing that the organization committed 345,672 abortions in that period.

Applying the statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finding that black babies constitute 38% of abortions to the total number of abortions committed by Planned Parenthood led the pro-life organization to conclude that roughly 131,355 black babies lost their lives to abortions that year. Dividing 131,355 by the 365 days in a year results in a quotient rounding up to 360.

Degradation of sex in our culture

She told CP that she sees the degradation of sex in our culture as a root cause behind the high number of abortions in the U.S.

Weve taken the meaning out of it, where God is the Creator of sex. And sex inside the boundaries of marriage has benefits; not just procreation but [it] is also protected by a lifelong commitment, she asserted.

Because sex has become mainly just about a feeling in our culture, McFadden stated that there is so much divorce stemming from the fact that the sexual revolution has led to people not taking marriage seriously and failing to take commitment seriously.

McFadden lamented the epidemic of broken homes, stressing that its not normal anymore to have parents who are still together.

I think thats mainly because of the way our culture sees sex, in music and [in] the movies, she said. Theyre just surrounded by [sex]. Not only is it degrading to these teens, but were seeing the after-effects down the road.

The after-effect that causes the pro-life activist the most concern is the rush to abort following unplanned pregnancies, an experience she knows all too well.
Church sued by employee who resigned for cohabitating with boyfriend wins in court

An appeals court has ruled that a Wisconsin church daycare employee who left her job over a policy barring unmarried employees from cohabitating was not wrongfully terminated.

Sandra Sandoval sued Capitoland Christian Center Church, Inc., claiming the institution ended her employment because she violated an employment agreement that prohibited workers from cohabitating outside of marriage. Sandoval contends that the Madison-based church discriminated against her due to her marital status.

In a per curiam decision released last Thursday, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals panel which included judges JoAnne Kloppenburg, Rachel Graham, and Jennifer Nashold  ruled against Sandoval, upholding a prior ruling from the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission.

According to the decision, Sandoval signed a Statement of Affirmation and Agreement, where she agreed to refrain from co-habitation with members outside of marriage as a condition of employment.

Sandoval was hired to cook for the church daycare center in 2014. The fact that she lived with her boyfriend was not brought up until January of the following year.

The panel concluded in part that she was not wrongfully dismissed from the position because the church did not explicitly fire her, noting that the director of the church daycare center had wanted to work something out regarding the employee agreement violation.

The director of the church daycare center, Brenda Van Rossum, testified that when she informed Sandoval that Capitoland could not allow its employees to live with each other outside of marriage, she replied, its okay, Ill be done then.

Van Rossum reported indicating to Sandoval that she did not want her to resign right away and announced her intention to touch base with the Capitoland pastor (Samuel Jake Stauffacher) and go from there.

Additionally, she said she encouraged Sandoval to come back the next day and to not just resign on the spot like that.

The director of the church daycare center hoped Sandoval could elaborate on her arrangement to determine whether it conflicted with the agreement, but she repeatedly responded to such requests by insisting, no, thats okay, Ill be done.

It didnt seem like she wanted to discuss it, Van Rossum concluded.

Sandoval deduced based on the conversation that she had already been fired even though she was never explicitly told that. She called in to say she would not be coming into work the day after the discussion and did not show up or call in for the following three days, which was a cause for termination of employment.

When Sandoval returned to work four days after her conversation with her supervisor to hand in her keycard, she claims she was told, I could not return to work unless I got married, and if I didnt, I could not return to work.

Based on testimony from Sandoval and her former employer, the panel determined that Sandovals noncompliance with the Agreement was ongoing, [and] Capitoland had not yet imposed any ultimatum on Sandoval.

Additionally, the judges affirm the Commissions finding that Sandoval voluntarily resigned her employment with Capitoland.

Sandoval does not develop any argument explaining why she would be entitled to any of the damages she seeks if, as we have concluded, Capitoland did not terminate or constructively discharge her employment, the panel reasoned.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal nonprofit representing Capitoland, celebrated the ruling that reaffirmed the earlier decision against Sandoval.

Every church has a statement of faith, and it is not only reasonable, but expected for a church to require its employees to agree with and follow its religious beliefs, asserted ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus in a statement released Thursday. Were pleased the Wisconsin Court of Appeals agreed and that Capitoland Christian Center Church will be free to continue its great work in the Madison community.

The Madison Equal Opportunities Commission ruled against Sandoval in May 2019, concluding that she was unable to draw a causal connection between the adverse action and her protected classes (sex, race, and/or national origin).

Sandoval argued that the commission's determination that she voluntarily resigned her employment was "erroneous" and claimed that the commission was wrong to determine that the church's "no cohabitation provision" doesn't violate the state's Equal Opportunities Ordinance.

"[R]egardless of the merits of Sandovals argument that the Agreements cohabitation clause violates the Equal Opportunities Ordinance, Sandoval does not argue that she is entitled to relief if she voluntarily resigned her employment," the panel ruled. "During the proceedings before the Commission, Sandoval sought back pay, front pay, and an unspecified amount of damages for emotional distress, but it appears that some if not all of the damages sought by Sandoval may be dependent on proof that she was subjected to an adverse employment action."
'God answered our prayers': Jill Duggar, Derick Dillard expecting baby after miscarriage

Duggar sister Jill Dillard of "19 Kids and Counting" fame revealed she and her husband, Derrick, are expecting another baby after her recent miscarriage.

Weve been keeping a little secret! the couple said in a blog post shared Sunday.

The Dillards suffered a devastating loss last fall due to the miscarriage of their baby they named River Bliss.

We have prayed that, if it was Gods will, He would bless us with another baby," they said.

We are excited to announce that God has answered our prayers and we are expecting our rainbow baby due July 2022! We are so thankful for a healthy baby and pregnancy so far and we look forward to finding out the gender soon!

Rainbow baby is a term used for a baby born after a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Dillard was a main figure in her familys popular TLC series, 19 Kids and Counting, which followed her Christian parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and their ultra-conservative household. After seven years on air, she starred in the spinoff series, "Counting On," along with her sisters. She decided to quit the show in 2017.

The couple, who married in 2014, have two sons, Israel David and Samuel Scott. They first revealed in 2021 that Dillard had suffered a miscarriage.

We recently found out we were expecting our third baby, the Duggar sister captioned an Instagram video at the time. We were thrilled! However, a few days later we started miscarrying. We love and miss you, River Bliss!

The Arkansas native disclosed that the name of their unborn child was intentional.

One meaning for River is tranquil, and here in Arkansas, rivers are often a serene, beautiful escape in nature, they explained in the blog post at the time. We also like how the River talked about in the Bible (Rev. 22:1-5) represents Gods life-giving presence. The river of life (Holy Spirit), flows from the throne of God, and with the tree of life is for the healing of the nations.

They added, Our baby doesnt get to live here with us on earth, but is forever with the source of the river of life, in the presence of the Lord!

The Dillard family's announcement comes as the eldest Duggar sibling, Josh Duggar, is facing up to 20 years in prison for allegedly having over 200 images of child porn on his devices of children ranging from about 18 months of age to 12 years of age.

After Josh Duggar was found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography in December, the Dillards shared a lengthy statement on their family website.

Joshs actions have rippled far beyond the epicenter of the offense itself, they said.

Children have scars, but his family is also suffering the fallout of his actions. Our hearts are sensitive to the pains Joshs wife, Anna, and their seven children have already endured and will continue to process in the future. This trial has felt more like a funeral than anything else. Joshs family has a long road ahead. We stand with them, we are praying for them, and we will seek to support them however we can during this dark time.
Pastor Greg Locke says hes being threatened with death, hexes and sex toys for exposing witches

Pastor Greg Locke, who exposed the presence of suspected witches at his church in recent weeks, says hes being threatened with death, hexes, sex toys and glitter bombs for preaching about deliverance from evil.

Locke, the leader of the Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee, has been preaching about deliverance at his church for the last two months. On Sunday, he referred to his latest series as the most dangerous message hes ever preached.

The most dangerous message Ive ever preached is the message of deliverance in the name of Jesus Christ. Its caused more anger; its caused more pushback, its caused more threats, more evil, it stirred up more problems, he said. Its done more to hurt people in our church  meaning that friends and family have forsaken them.

In a video message to his more than 2 million followers on Facebook Friday, Locke called the opposition to his deliverance message unbelievable.

Its really been unbelievable. I havent even checked the mail yet today, but you can ask anybody on our staff or people that volunteer here with us in deliverance ministry at the office. It is non-stop, he explained.

We get hundreds and hundreds, many times thousands, of phone calls every week. The voicemail will only hold 40 voicemails at a time. We can be on the phone and the voicemails will fill up about every two hours, and so many of them are like non-callback numbers, private numbers, people calling us and fussing, he continued.

Locke revealed one man recently "promised to come to the tent and slice my throat and to kill me," while others have sent sex toys and glitter bombs in the mail.

"Everybody is mad about the thing I said about calling out witches," he said. "They are real. They know theyre real. Theyre not hiding the fact that theyre real. Its just that the Church is too unbiblical and ignorant to recognize witchcraft, sorcery and spells and curses when they see them. We literally got a box the other day that said it was from my mom that was full of all kind of crystals and hexes and vexes and curses.

Locke added that the Church of Satan sends him postcards every day, and some detractors have been trying to get him banned from his favorite Dunkin' Donuts coffee shop.

The Tennessee pastors ongoing crusade to promote deliverance in American churches began generating national headlines after he said a demon told him the names of six witches in his congregation during a deliverance session at his church.

He insisted that while many of his critics have been trying to make him look crazy for pushing his deliverance message, he is confident that the Bible supports it.

During his sermon on Sunday, Locke said he's been reading the book of Psalms in the Bible to encourage himself.

How many times in the 150 chapters of the book of Psalms, David or one of the Old Testament writers . wrote about the subject of deliverance? You ought to do a Blue Letter Bible study sometime of how many times the word 'deliver' and 'deliverance' [are] even used in the book of Psalms. Its uncanny, he said.

Locke said he began to notice many of the headings to the Psalms include the word "deliverance."

"As I read through the Psalms, Im amazed ... at how much deliverance is mentioned in the Bible and more shocked at how little preachers have said anything about it for decades, he added.

Its almost like its been hidden under a rock for so many years. Then all of a sudden, we start peeling things back and making the invisible Kingdom visible, and the devil gets so stirred up when we bring national, global attention he would assume stay a secret.
Pastors call to police after 2 church members die same way leads to conviction for double murder

Years after a Missouri pastor called police about two members of the same family dying in a short time span, a court convicted the wife and mother of the deceased of killing them by antifreeze poisoning. However, she now claims in a media interview she is innocent.

Diane Staudte was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2018. The conviction came years after Jeff Sippy, the former pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Springfield, Missouri, made an anonymous call to police about the death of Staudtes husband and son, followed by the hospitalization of her daughter.

"I shared that I am a pastor and I have a family who has experienced two deaths in a short proximity of time and has another family member in ICU," Sippy said in Friday's episode of ABC's "20/20."

"I've never had two family members die in the same type of situations ever. I believe these were circumstances that needed to be investigated," he added.

Staudte's husband, 61-year-old Mark Staudte, a musician, died on Easter Sunday in 2012. His death came two days after his bandmates noticed he was slurring his words and his skin appeared yellow, the media outlet said, adding that there was a ring of blood around his mouth at the time of his death.

Five months later, Staudte's son, Shaun, died after suffering from flu-like symptoms.

Then, in 2013, her eldest daughter, Sarah, was admitted to the ICU with a brain bleed and organ failure. She was taken to the hospital by her mother and her sister, Rachel. Thats when doctors suspected that poisoning could be the cause.

There was nothing in me that believed that it was of a natural cause, Sippy was quoted as saying. I didnt believe that he died of a stroke. A heart attack. Or in his sleep. I just didnt. Theres nothing scientific. Theres nothing professional about my observation. But my first words were, No way. He did not just die.

After Springfield Police Department Detective Neal McAmis interrogated Diane Staudte and her daughter, Rachel, the duo admitted to mixing antifreeze into her childrens Coca-Cola and husbands Gatorade, ABC News said.

Though she recovered from the poisoning, Sarah Staudte has sustained permanent damage with lifelong effects. She is now in assisted living.

Staudte, a nurse who was described as "an active member of her church and the breadwinner for her family of six," later told police she felt "trapped" in an unhappy life, she hated her husband, found her son to be "worse than a pest" and was upset that her daughter Sarah was "nosy" and didn't have a job.

She said she researched online how to kill someone with antifreeze, a product she believed would be hard for medical examiners to detect.

Rachel Staudte told police her mother first brought up the idea and she went along with it. Diane and Rachel Staudte each pleaded guilty to two counts of murder in 2016. In 2018, Diane Staudte was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Rachel received two life terms with the possibility of parole after 42-and-a-half years.

However, Staudte is now maintaining her innocence, and recently told ABC News that theres more to that than what people know.

Mark was with some people that are very dangerous  people have disappeared, she said. Im saying somebody probably came in and gave him something.

She claimed her husband struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, but that she was not the one to poison him.

But McAmis dismissed her claims, adding: There is nothing whatsoever to show that anybody was involved in this case other than those mentioned already. Diane and Rachel ... the ones that killed their family.
Biden to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court

President Joe Biden has nominated a federal judge to fill an impending vacancy on the United States Supreme Court who, if confirmed, would become the first black woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.

The White House announced the presidents intention to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, to the Supreme Court on Friday. If confirmed, she will replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who plans to retire at the end of this term.

A former clerk for Justice Breyer, Judge Jackson has broad experience across the legal profession  as a federal appellate judge, a federal district court judge, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, an attorney in private practice, and as a federal public defender, the White House noted in a statement. Judge Jackson has been confirmed by the Senate with votes from Republicans as well as Democrats three times.

The White House praised Jackson as an exceptionally qualified nominee as well as a historic nominee, and the Senate should move forward with a fair and timely hearing and confirmation.

A native of Washington, D.C., and the daughter of parents who attended segregated schools, Jackson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School. She lives in Washington with her husband and two children.

When formally announced, Jacksons nomination will go before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where members will decide whether to advance her nomination to the full Senate. Jackson only needs the support of a simple majority of senators to secure confirmation. Currently, the Senate has a 50-50 split between the two parties, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote in favor of the Democrats.

As the White House statement noted, Jackson has received support from Republican senators in the past. Last year, when Biden nominated her to serve on the influential D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, three Republicans voted with all Democrats in favor of her confirmation: Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

As a presidential candidate, Biden announced his intention to nominate an African American woman to serve on the Supreme Court should he win the 2020 presidential election and a vacancy on the Supreme Court were to pop up. Collins, one of the three senators who supported Jacksons nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, expressed concern that imposing such a litmus test on Supreme Court nominees adds to the further perception that the court is a political institution like Congress when it is not supposed to be.

What President Biden did was, as a candidate, make this pledge, and that helped politicize the entire nomination process, Collins said.

Graham, on the other hand, explained that he was in the camp of making sure the court and other institutions look like America, signaling that he did not view Bidens litmus test as a problem.

Whether you like it or not, Joe Biden said, Im going to pick an African American woman to serve on the Supreme Court. I believe there are plenty of qualified African American women, conservative and liberal, that could go onto the court, Graham added.

Interest groups on both sides of the aisle quickly reacted to Jacksons nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony List, released a statement citing Jacksons nomination as evidence that Joe Biden is fulfilling his promise to only appoint justices who support the Roe v. Wade regime of abortion on demand up to birth  a policy so extreme only a handful of countries in the world hold it, including North Korea and China.

Ketanji Brown Jackson is backed by many of Americas most radical pro-abortion groups, she said. She is on record opposing free speech rights of pro-life advocates pleading to save lives outside abortion centers and supporting the false claim that abortion is health care. We have no doubt she will work with the most pro-abortion administration in history to enshrine abortion on demand nationwide in the law.

Susan B. Anthony List pointed to a 2001 amicus brief Jackson authored in support of a Massachusetts law creating a buffer zone around abortion clinics to prevent pro-life sidewalk counselors from approaching to speak with women seeking abortions as a cause for concern for the pro-life movement.

Carrie Severino of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network sent out a Twitter thread asserting that With the intended nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson, Joe Biden has made it clear that his top priority is paying back the left-wing dark money network that spent over one billion dollars to help elect him and Senate Democrats.

She specifically mentioned that the Arabella Advisors Network has been increasingly vocal about the fact that Jackson was their preferred nominee  the one they are sure will rubber stamp their left-wing political agendas from the bench.

Today, Joe Biden is delivering exactly who they demanded, she lamented. Expect to hear from Biden and his supporters that Judge Jackson is in the mainstream. Thats liberal-speak for a judge who will deviate from the text of the constitution and statutes without hesitation to ensure the Lefts preferred policy outcomes.

Recently, the Arabella Advisors network has been increasingly vocal about the fact that Jackson was their preferred nomineethe one they are sure will rubber stamp their left-wing political agendas from the bench.



Today, Joe Biden is delivering exactly who they demanded. /2  Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) February 25, 2022

NARAL Pro-Choice America, a pro-abortion group, expressed gratitude for Jacksons nomination to the Supreme Court, tweeting, We need a justice on the bench who will uphold reproductive freedom.

Planned Parenthood Action, another pro-abortion advocacy group, sent out a tweet proclaiming: This nomination arrives as our rights are in crisis, and we believe Judge Jackson will bring a commitment to the court to protect our individual liberties, including reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

BREAKING: Ketanji Brown Jackson is President Bidens nominee to the Supreme Court. We need a justice on the bench who will uphold reproductive freedom. This historic nomination is a chance to shape the Court for decades to come. pic.twitter.com/pniSAR5fQv  NARAL (@NARAL) February 25, 2022

Some GOOD news!! Judge Jackson is making history. This nomination arrives as our rights are in crisis, and we believe Judge Jackson will bring a commitment to the Court to protect our individual liberties, including reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights. #JusticeForAllhttps://t.co/QxpDDVXY0k  Planned Parenthood Action (@PPact) February 25, 2022

Jacksons nomination to the court will not dramatically change the ideological balance of the court, which currently consists of six justices appointed to the bench by Republicans and three appointed by Democrats.

Jackson would become Bidens first Supreme Court appointment, joining two justices appointed by Democratic former President Barack Obama, three justices appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump, two justices appointed by Republican former President George W. Bush and one justice appointed by Republican former President George H.W. Bush.

In addition to becoming the first African American woman on the Supreme Court, Jackson will become the fourth female Supreme Court justice and the third African American Supreme Court justice if confirmed.
Biden vows to hurt Putin's long-term ambitions with new sanctions: 'Freedom will prevail' US 'forces are not and will not be engaged in the conflict with Russia and Ukraine'

President Joe Biden addressed the nation Thursday as Russias invasion of Ukraine intensifies, vowing to enact additional sanctions to hurt the Russian economy and President Vladimir Putins long-term strategic ambitions. Biden assured that freedom will prevail.

Biden spoke at a press conference in the East Room, calling the Russian militarys attacks that began Thursday targeting Ukrainian military assets across several cities a brutal assault on the people of Ukraine without provocation, without justification, without necessity.

Lamenting the pre-meditated attack, Biden asserted that Vladimir Putin has been planning this for months.

This is a dangerous moment for all of Europe, for the freedom around the world, he contended.

While the 79-year-old president spent much of his speech discussing the peril of the situation, he remained optimistic about the future.

In the contest between democracy and autocracy, between sovereignty and subjugation, make no mistake. Freedom will prevail, he said.

Biden insisted that all available diplomatic options have been exhausted before indicating that he had authorized additional strong sanctions and new limitations on what can be exported to Russia.

He maintained that the additional sanctions would impose severe costs on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time.

We have purposefully designed these sanctions to maximize the long-term impact on Russia and to minimize the impact on the United States and our allies, he said.

Biden touted a coalition of partners, including 27 members of the European Union, Great Britain, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and others.

Biden had spoken with leaders of the G7, a coalition of the worlds largest democracies, earlier in the day. He reported that they were in full and total agreement in determining that we will limit Russias ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds and yen to be part of the global economy.

Were going to stop the ability of them to finance and grow  the Russian military, he said. Were going to impair their ability to compete in [a] high-tech 21st-century economy.

He cited the efforts of existing sanctions on the Russian economy and the strength of Russian currency as evidence that the approach would work.

The new sanctions will expand to four additional banks in Russia, meaning every asset they have in America will be frozen. They will also apply to members of Russian elites who have personally gained from the Kremlins policies.

Between our actions and those of our allies and partners, we estimate that well cut off more than half of Russias high-tech imports, Biden predicted. It will be a major hit to Putins long-term strategic ambitions.

Biden stated that NATO, a group of nations formed during the Cold War to counter the Soviet Union, will convene a summit Friday. The summit will bring together the leaders of 30 allied nations and close partners to affirm our solidarity and to map out the next steps we will take to further strengthen all aspects of our NATO alliance.

The president vowed that U.S. forces are not and will not be engaged in the conflict with Russia and Ukraine" and acknowledged the presence of U.S. troops in Europe to defend our NATO allies and to reassure those allies in the east.

Addressing the potential impact of heightened tensions with Russia on the price of gasoline in the U.S., Biden said that his administration was using every tool at its disposal to protect American families and businesses from rising prices at the gas pump.

Shortly after Biden spoke, reports surfaced that Russian forces seized the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant in Northern Ukraine.

Biden insisted that this aggression cannot go unanswered because America stands up to bullies, we stand up for freedom.

This is who we are, he said.

Biden detailed a conversation he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The president assured support for the Ukrainian people and vowed to provide humanitarian relief to the Eastern European country.

In response to a question from a reporter, Biden declared that he has no plans to talk to Putin.

He told another reporter that [t]he notion that this is going to last for a long time is highly unlikely as long as we continue to stay resolved in imposing the sanctions were going to impose on Russia.

Biden pushed back on the idea that sanctions would not change Putins mind about taking further action in Ukraine because sanctions have failed to deter him thus far.

He concluded that imposing the sanctions as opposed to simply threatening sanctions will weaken Russia so that Putin will have to make a very, very difficult choice as to whether to continue to move toward being a second-rate power or, in fact, respond.

In addition to reaction from global political leaders, religious groups have also condemned Russias aggression against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations released a statement Thursday expressing disappointment that the efforts to prevent the outbreak of war by many people around the world, including our Council, have not been successful.

The truth and the international community are on the Ukrainian side, the statement reads. We believe that good will prevail with Gods help. We support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and all our defenders, we bless them in their defense of Ukraine from the aggressor, and offer our prayers for them.

A poll from the Associated Press, released Wednesday, reveals that Americans do not want the United States to play a major role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Just 26% of respondents want the U.S. to play a major role in the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Most Americans (52%) want the U.S. to play a minor role, while the remaining 22% think the U.S. should have no role in mediating the conflict.
Teachers across US advocating trans-ideology in classroom for Jazz & Friends reading day

Schools across the United States are urging students to read books about trans-identified children as part of an annual campaign promoted by a leading activist group to support transgender and non-binary youth.

Launched by the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT activist organization, schools nationwide held the annual Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings on Thursday in partnership with the National Education Association and the American Association of School Librarians.

The event was first conceived after what the HRC characterized as a national anti-LGBTQ hate group [bullying] a young transgender girl in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and her community rallied behind her by hosting a community reading of I am Jazz by transgender advocate Jazz Jennings.

Liberty Counsel, the religious liberty law firm that was derided by the Human Rights Campaign as a national anti-LGBTQ hate group, wrote a letter to the president of Mt. Horeb Area School District Board of Education in 2015, expressing opposition to plans to read the book, I am Jazz, to first-grade students. The law firm threatened to file a federal lawsuit against teachers and staff in their official and individual capacities for violation of parental rights if the school went ahead with the reading.

In response to the threat to take legal action, the Mt. Horeb Area School District canceled plans to read the semi-autobiographical childrens book to first graders. However, a Mt. Horeb parent presented the book reading at a public library in the village in a show of support for a trans-identified student in the district.

Shortly thereafter, the effort led to similar events across the U.S., which took place at schools and other community locations, such as libraries and places of worship, and has since become an annual affair. The stated purpose of the Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings is to support transgender and non-binary youth.

The Human Rights Campaign promotes I am Jazz as the primary reading material for the day, although it offers other suggested titles as well. The advocacy organization has put together a lesson plan, which encourages teachers to tell elementary school students that gender is a spectrum, not a binary, and that we all express ourselves in many different ways along that spectrum. Students are also taught about differences and being an ally.

Along with I am Jazz, the Human Rights Campaign has put together lesson plans for other books included on the advocacy organizations list of suggested reading material for the Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings. The descriptions for one of those books, CALVIN: Time To Be Me! reads: Calvin has always been a boy, even if the world sees him as a girl. He knows who he is in his heart and in his mind, but he hasnt yet told his family. Finally, he can wait no longer.

The Human Rights Campaign lists CALVIN: Time To Be Me! as an ideal resource for students in kindergarten through second grade. The lesson plan for the book calls on teachers to use the Gender Snowperson when introducing the concepts of gender identity to their students, a concept whose lesson plan indicates that it is designed for students in the third through eighth grade. In other words, the Gender Snowperson is designed for students older than the target audience for CALVIN: Time To Be Me!

Lesson plans for CALVIN: Time To Be Me! describes the Gender Snowperson as a simple tool to break down the concepts of how you feel and know yourself to be (gender identity), who you love (sexual orientation), boy/girl assigned at birth (sex assigned at birth) and gender expression.

The lesson plan insists that many people do not realize that gender identity and sexual orientation are two very different concepts and that all of us have both a gender identity and sexual orientation, adding: there are lots of different ways to be a boy, girl, both or neither.

Conservative groups expressed concern about promoting LGBT activism and ideology to school children, contending that parents are the best people to teach their children about such topics. Jeff Johnson, a culture and policy analyst at Focus on the Family, first wrote about the Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings in 2019.

Sadly, this event is part of a much larger trend in public education, as children are taught confusing messages about gender and sexuality in classrooms across the nation, he said. These lessons are in direct opposition to objective, scientific reality  and to most parents beliefs and values.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest public school district in the United States, announced last week that it was partaking in the National Day of School & Community Readings to affirm transgender & non-binary youth. The event, available for viewing on Zoom, was hosted by Hooper Avenue Elementary Schools Rainbow Club.

National Day of School and Community Readings - JAZZ & FRIENDS

Affirm Transgender & Non-binary Youth

FEBRUARY 24,

8:20AM - 9:10AM https://t.co/qy3lktbq99pic.twitter.com/NDhOcoVWGH  BCM_COS (@BCM_CoS) February 15, 2022

Join Human Relations, Diversity & Equity (HRDE) and schools across the district for a nationwide virtual community reading about gender, diversity & inclusion, a promotion for the event states. Teachers, Zoom in with your class for the story, discussion, and an optional art activity. We recommend paper and basic supplies for the activity.

While the Los Angeles school district did not state which age group the discussion was geared toward, the fact that Hooper Avenue Elementary School is taking part suggests that young students will be participating. The book at the center of this particular discussion, From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea, is designed for students in kindergarten through third grade.

The Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings comes as parents across the U.S. have raised concerns that school officials are encouraging gender fluidity in children who might be confused or have questions surrounding their biological gender. Last year, a parent in Leon County, Florida, sued the school system for working to prevent her from finding out that the school had begun to refer to her daughter by using they/them pronouns and allowed the child to sleep in the same quarters as her male classmates on a school field trip.
Courage on display in Ukraine

History is unfolding in Ukraine. Russias invasion of the country is a voluntary war of aggression the likes of which Europe hasnt seen since World War II, and the way the world chooses to respond is profoundly significant.

The heroes and villains of this story are already emerging. Tragic and impossible situations reveal ones character. And Russias unprovoked  and to most Ukrainians, completely unexpected  attack on Ukraines very right to exist as a country has prompted Ukrainians to respond with remarkable strength and determination.

A survey of recent reporting offers a glimpse of the heroics on display from everyday people: Ukrainians in small rural communities are patrolling their villages and constructing checkpoints, trenches and underground shelters. A Ukrainian woman named Julia cried as she waited to be deployed to fight Russian troops, telling The New York Times, I just want to live in our country, and thats all. Julia is a teacher, not wanting and hardly expecting a fight, but she volunteered to take up arms for her country anyway. The government is arming anyone able to hold a gun and willing to fight. Many are taking them up on the offer, even a former Miss Ukraine.

Elsewhere, a Ukrainian woman was entrusted with bringing a strangers children across the border to safety while their father stayed to fight. A young boy demonstrating maturity beyond his years teared up while telling a journalist how his father stayed behind to support the fight against the Russian forces while he flees to the border. Although over 500,000 Ukrainians have fled to other European countries, some Ukrainians who were living in Poland are returning to Ukraine to join the fight.

The Russian leadership does not understand that it is at war not only with the armed forces of Ukraine, but with the entire Ukrainian people, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sunday. This seems to be exactly the case. A senior defense official at the Pentagon stated openly over the weekend that Ukraines resistance is greater than what the Russians expected.

The courage of everyday Ukrainians is inspiring people around the world. Thousands throughout the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Japan, Brazil, the United States, and many other countries are rallying in support of Ukraine.

The world is also noticing the rise of a Churchill-like figure in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He first became famous as a comedic actor in a TV series in which he played an average character who almost accidentally became president. In real life, he campaigned on an anti-corruption platform, likely not suspecting to be targeted by a sophisticated full-scale Russian invasion. Zelenskyys presidency is now anything but comedic, yet he has risen to the challenge of being a wartime president with remarkable resolve and grace under fire.

Last Thursday, Zelenskyy addressed the Russian people in a heartfelt plea. He said:

It is not about peace at any cost. It is about peace and principles, of justice, of international law. It is about the right to self-determination, that every person might determine their own future. It is the right of every society, and of every person, to security, to a life without threats. I am certain that these rights are important to you, as well. The truth is that this needs to end before it is too late. If Russias leadership does not want to meet us across the table for the sake of peace, perhaps it will sit at that table with you. Do you Russians want a war? I would very much like to know the answer, but that answer depends only on you, on the citizens of the Russian Federation.

Some Russians seem to have responded to Zelenskyys appeal, making it clear to Russian leaders they do not want to see an attack on Ukraine. Its one thing to protest in a free country, but its quite another for Russians to protest the government they know might brutally crack down on them. By some estimates, Russian authorities have arrested more than 5,000 Russian protestors.

Experts believe that Russian forces want to assassinate Zelenskyy and replace him with a Russian-backed leader  and Zelenskyy believes it too. The United States offered to help Zelenskyy leave. Yet, his reply showed unwavering resolve: The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.

This strength of will has earned admiration across the globe and fostered hope both inside and outside of Ukraine. One Ukrainian American journalist wrote on Sunday, Can Ukraine withstand the third largest army in the world? If you asked me Thursday, Id think the chances were low. Now I am sure they will.

Images and videos of Ukrainians praying and singing hymns are stirring hearts around the world. Join them in praying for the preservation of their country and the sound defeat of Russias brutal attack on their freedom and independence. If Ukrainians manage to keep their land and freedom, it will be due in large part to the courage of the Ukrainian people and their gutsy leader. God bless them.

Originally published at the Family Research Council.
Gary Kremen, the founder of Match.com who currently serves as chair of the board of directors for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, is suspending his campaign for Santa Clara County assessor following a nude photo scandal he is calling "made up."

Over the weekend, the San Jose Spotlight spoke to an anonymous former Kremen campaign staffer who accused him of sharing unsolicited nude photos. The Spotlight reported that the staffer "became upset and vomited after seeing the photos," which according to the Spotlight, show Kremen and his partner "in bed, nude from the chest up." The Spotlight reviewed the photos and reported that the woman's "left breast is exposed in four photos."

Kremen told the Spotlight that the four photos were among 20,000 photos from his iPhone camera roll he moved to a Dropbox and asked the staffer to review. According to Kremen, he wanted the staffer to find photos of his family that would be suitable for campaign material. He said that the four photos were taken while his wife was breast feeding, telling Bay Area News Group, "As a new dad, I was excited to capture every moment with my family and took many shots of us all."

The Spotlight reported that the child was not in any of the photos in question, and that when the staffer confronted Kremen, he reportedly "joked about the pictures and asked if he looked good," then refused to delete them. Kremen denied both allegations.

The news has prompted two Santa Clara County officials  state Sen. Dave Cortese and Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee member Michele Dauber  to publicly call for Kremen's resignation from the water district board, a position he has held since 2014.

In an email to SFGATE, Kremen said he will not resign, writing, "Having this made-up 'scandal' (4 breastfeeding picture that allegedly made an adult 'vomit') is defocusing to run a campaign against a 27 incumbent in a county of 1.9 million people. It has nothing to do with providing safe, clean water during one of the worst droughts in history."

Kremen said that the staffer, who resigned July 7, 2021, is primarily retaliating over an argument with Kremen over Israel and Palestine. Specifically, Kremen told SFGATE he believed that a resolution passed by the Santa Clara County Democratic Party condemning Israel's bombing of the Gaza strip was "divisive at best and antisemitic at worst." The staffer disagreed with Kremen's characterization and subsequently resigned, Kremen said.

When SFGATE asked Kremen why he suspended his campaign if he believes the nude photo scandal is "made-up," he replied, "Because the headline and a campaign piece 'nude picture scandal' gets more folks worked up than 'private breastfeeding pictures illegally shared.' Or 'unheard of event - folks fight over the Middle East.'"

Because the photos were shown to the Spotlight, Kremen said he is looking at possible legal action against the staffer.

"To secretly keep copies of all my photos, shopping them to the media for at least 6 months before someone bit and then sharing them with others is a betrayal of trust, very creepy as well as revenge porn," he wrote in an email to SFGATE.

The staffer told the Spotlight that prior to the Israel-Palestine argument or sharing of the nude photos, Kremen had a pattern of behavior they objected to. Kremen allegedly touched the staffer's shoulders and legs at parties and showed pictures of himself with pornographic actors. Kremen denied the staffer's allegations of inappropriate behavior during parties and told SFGATE he plans to return all of the money he raised for his campaign.

In his run for county assessor, Kremen was challenging Larry Stone, an incumbent of 27 years, whom Kremen accused of having a cavalier attitude towards the COVID-19 pandemic. Stone previously got into a high-profile feud with staffers over return-to-office policies.

Kremen founded Match.com, which was originally based in San Francisco, in 1993. He then left the company in 1996, and became the first registrant of the internet domain address Sex.com. He founded solar financing startup Clean Power Finance in 2006 before first getting involved in local politics in 2010, when he was elected to the board of the Purissima Hill Water District in Los Altos Hills.
U.S. stocks registered a strong rally at the end of the last week despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Bargain-hunting for beaten-down stocks amid geopolitical tensions led to risk-on sentiments. Moreover, as per some market analysts, western sanctions against Russia have not been as harsh as initially feared. Plus, there have been reports that Russia is open to negotiating with Ukraine, even as Russian troops are approaching the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv.

Against this backdrop, below we highlight five sector ETFs that have been benefiting from the Russia-Ukraine tensions.

Defense

Any kind of warfare or military strike means increased purchase and usage of weapons. This benefits the defense and aerospace industry. Defense sector ETFs hauled in $126 million in the week to Feb 21, almost doubling their inflows so far this year, per a Financial Times article.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Wednesday passed a law to boost the revenue and expenditure parts of the 2022 state budget by UAH 26.5 billion. Of these, UAH 16 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Defense to increase the state's defense capabilities and national security.

It says that, the operating environment is pretty hot for aerospace and defense ETFs like iShares US Aerospace & Defense ITA and SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (XAR).

Oil/Energy

Russia is energy-rich. And Europe is highly dependent on Russia for energy, importing about 40% of its energy requirement. If Russia tensions increase, gas prices in Europe  which soared to new highs last year  will go up further, per Capital Economics, as quoted on a CNBC article. Russia is the provider of about 35% of Europes gas.

Oil breached $100 for the first time since 2014. United States Brent Oil Fund, LP BNO was up 3.2% past week amid heightened tensions in East Europe. So, the energy sector can be considered for short-term gains should the geopolitical tensions continue. For this, investors may try ETFslikeiShares U.S. Oil Equipment & Services ETF (IEZ).

In any case, oil prices have been rising since the beginning of 2022. The upside in crude oil prices was triggered by a variety of factors like easing Omicron variant concerns, outages in Libya causing supply shortages and less OPEC+ output.

Clean Energy

Clean energy stocks have registered an upswing due to the jump in fossil fuels. The sheer jump in the conventional energy sector made the prospects of the alternative energy sector lucrative. After all, the cost of renewable energy generation has been falling in recent years with continued technological innovation. Invesco Solar ETF TAN and WilderHill Clean Energy ETF (PBW) added about 8.3% and 4.6%, respectively, past week.These funds seem excellent choices to play the rebound in the stock market as well as the energy market.

Cyber Security

With the Russian incursion into Ukraine and the resultant Western sanctions against Russia hitting headlines, chances of heavy cybercrime on the global level have come to the fore. Several Ukrainian government websites were offline on Feb 23, 2022 as a result of a mass distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, a Ukrainian official said, as quoted on a CNBC article.

No wonder, cyber security ETFs staged a rally late last week. Volt Cloud and Cybersecurity Disruption ETF (VCLO) andWisdomtree Cybersecurity Fund (WCBR) gained 3.1% and 3.9%, respectively, last week against 2.2% gains seen in the S&P 500 Index.

Materials

Its not only oil that has been getting a boost from the crisis. The disruptive metal industry is also following the suit. Ukraine is a major producer of uranium, titanium, iron ore, steel, and ammonia too. And the countrys steel makes up around 10% of Europes imports.

In any case, solar industry (which needs usage of several disruptive metals) itself has been thriving with an upward potential. Titanium alloys are also widely used in military applications (another high-demand area currently). This explains why disruptive metal companies have been surging higher. Steel is the backbone of any civilization. So, fears of supply chain woes in this segment sent material stocks soaring.

VanEck Steel ETF SLX and SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF XME are two sectors that gained materially last week.

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Indonesia Energys (INDO) shares have rallied so far this year, fueled by industry tailwinds. The stock is up more than 380% in price this year. However, the companys weak bottom line and negative profit margins are concerning. So, is it wise to add INDO to ones portfolio now? Read on.



The shares of Jakarta, Indonesia-based oil and gas exploration and production company Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited (INDO) have gained 61.9% in price over the past year and 169.5% over the past six months. The stock has gained 382.1% year-to-date to close yesterdays trading session at $13.50. The companys share price has been rocketing due to bullish sentiments surrounding the energy sector.

The rally in oil and gas prices due to the U.S.-Russia-Ukraine geopolitical crisis amid already tight supply from the OPEC+ favored INDO. Also, the company has outlined plans for drilling projects in 2022, which attracted investors attention.

Last month, INDO announced plans to commence drilling two new wells in its Kruh Block within 30 days. Also, it plans to begin drilling a third new well at the location before the end of the second quarter, with each well costing $1.50 million to initiate. INDO named these wells Kruh 27, Kruh 28, and Kruh 29. The company expects to produce approximately 450 barrels of oil per day after completing the first two wells and generate approximately $1.50 million in net revenue in their first year.

Heres what could shape INDOs performance in the near term:

Poor Profitability

INDOs gross profit margin and EBITDA margin of negative 4.33% and 281.25%, respectively, is substantially lower than the 38.50% and 22.93% industry averages. Also, its negative 182.60% levered FCF margin is lower than the 9.36% industry average.

Moreover, INDOs negative 51.30%, 44.56%, and 26.88% respective ROE, ROA, and ROTC compare with the 7.69%, 2.53%, and 4.19% industry averages.

Stretched Valuation

In terms of forward EV/Sales, INDO is currently trading at 18.47x, which is 649.3% higher than the 2.47x industry average. Also, its 18.98 forward Price/Sales ratio is 1,177.6% higher than the 1.49 industry average.

Weak Financial Profile

INDOs trailing-12-month revenues stood at $2.02 million, but its revenues have declined at an 18.8% CAGR over the past three years. Also, its gross profit came in at a negative $87,260, while its EBITDA came in at a negative $5.67 million. INDOs trailing-12-month operating income was negative $6.36 million. Its net income and EPS were negative $6.32 million and $0.85. In addition, its trailing-12-month net operating cash flow and levered free cash flow stood at negative $3.78 million and $3.68 million, respectively.

POWR Ratings Reflect This Bleak Prospects

INDO has an overall D rating, which translates to Sell in our proprietary POWR Ratings system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 distinct factors, with each factor weighted to an optimal degree.

The stock has a D grade for Stability, which is consistent with its 24-month beta of 2.57.

INDO has a D grade for Quality. Its negative profit margins justify this grade.

Among the 53 stocks in the Foreign Oil & Gas industry, INDO is ranked #51.

Beyond what I have stated above, one can also view INDOs grades for Sentiment, Growth, Momentum, and Value here.

View the top-rated stocks in the Foreign Oil & Gas industry here.

Bottom Line

INDO has garnered significant investor attention so far this year. However, its premium valuation is not justified by its underlying fundamentals. Furthermore, Wall Street analysts see a potential 40.7% downside in the stock. Although the company expects to generate significant returns from its new projects, it might take a while to reverse its losses and improve margins. INDO looks less attractive than its peers, and thus, we think it could be best to avoid the stock for now.

How Does Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited (INDO) Stack Up Against its Peers?

While INDO has an overall POWR Rating of D, one might want to consider investing in the following Foreign Oil & Gas stocks with an A (Strong Buy) rating: LUKOIL PJSC (LUKOY), TransGlobe Energy Corp. (TGA), and Gran Tierra Energy Inc. (GTE).

Note that TGA is one of the few stocks handpicked by our Chief Growth Strategist, Jaimini Desai, currently in the POWR Growth portfolio. Learn more here.

INDO shares fell $0.98 (-7.26%) in premarket trading Tuesday. Year-to-date, INDO has gained 382.14%, versus a -8.07% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.

About the Author: Subhasree Kar

Subhasrees keen interest in financial instruments led her to pursue a career as an investment analyst. After earning a Masters degree in Economics, she gained knowledge of equity research and portfolio management at Finlatics.

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Sanctions imposed by the worlds leading economies on Russia amid the Ukraine invasion are triggering an exodus of some of the biggest energy companies. The latest name on the list is Shell PLC (LON:SHEL), which announced it would quit operations in the country, following the steps of BP plc (NYSE:BP).

Q4 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more

Shells Exit

As reported by Fox Business, the announcement means the energy giant is canceling its relationship with Russian colossus Gazprom PAO (MCX:GAZP), which owns 50% of the Sakhalin 2 LNG plant in which Shell holds a 27.5% stake. Shell is also ending its involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline project.

The announcement arrives a day after BP dropped its stake in Rosneft NK Rosneft PAO (MCX:ROSN) a move that could cost the British company over $25 billion, according to Reuters.

On Shells side, pulling out of Russias joint ventures could yield impairments as the company had $3 billion in non-current assets by the end of last year.

Shell Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said in a statement: We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security.

More On The Go

There are more exiters within the energy sector, including the likes of Norway giant Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR) and Frances TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE). The formers CEO Anders Opedal said the companys position given the current situation is unsustainable.

Other firms from various sectors are pausing operations in the Russian market, among them the giant manufacturer Daimler Truck Holding AG (ETR:DTG), with labor representatives supporting the idea of the German firm dropping its stake in local partner Kamaz PAO (MCX:KMAZ).

Volvo Car AB (STO:VOLCAR-B) and General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) are halting sales in Russia the American manufacturer exports about 3,000 vehicles a year to Russia from the U.S. The Swedish multinational also announced it would stop production in the country.

Other Western companies including global bank HSBC and the world's biggest aircraft leasing firm AerCap said they plan to exit Russia as Western governments ratchet up economic sanctions on Moscow, as informed by Reuters.

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No charges have yet been filed against three people involved in a Thursday night shootout with Montgomery County Sheriffs deputies in Magnolia.

Deputies responded to an 8:45 p.m. call about shots being fired in the area of 19700 Turtle Dove Lane. Hearing an active disturbance inside the home, the deputies entered with one male shooting at the officers. In response, a deputy shot back at the shooter, according to the sheriffs office.

No one was struck or injured by either shot, the sheriffs office noted.

Deputies gave verbal commands to the shooter whereupon he surrendered without further incident, according to the agency.

A pair of males spoke with deputies about how they were at the home looking for a friend whom they had not heard from in several days. They told officers they spoke with another male inside the home and an argument ensued with one of them firing shots into the ground and the third male retreating back into the home, according to the sheriffs office.

All three unidentified individuals were detained and questioned by detectives, the sheriffs office explained Friday.

It was unclear how many deputies were involved in the initial disturbances response or the shootout.

Texas Rangers are involved in the investigation, the sheriffs office added.

On Monday afternoon, sheriffs spokesman Lt. Scott Spencer told The Courier a grand jury will likely decide whether charges will be filed against the individuals involved in Thursdays shooting incident.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

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The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office on Sunday evening arrested a man accused of fatally shooting his stepfather.

Joseph William Lloyd Pilkerton, 18, of Porter, is charged with murder, according to the sheriffs office. As of Monday, Pilkerton was being held on a $100,000 bond at the Montgomery County Jail in Conroe, jail records show.

Anthony Dawann Holt, 47, died at a local hospital from injuries sustained after being shot in the chest sometime around 7 p.m. in the 21600 block of Cavallo Lane in Porter, according to the sheriffs office. Holt was allegedly shot by Pilkerton, his stepson, during an argument, the agency has detailed.

Sheriffs deputies detained Pilkerton on the scene without incident and homicide detectives questioned him before he was charged, the agency explained.

Pilkerton, arrest records show, was taken into custody at his home address, whose property is owned by Holt, according to the Montgomery County Appraisal District.

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As Connecticuts treasurer on Tuesday announced he is cutting the state pensions ties to Russian financial assets, the governors office says its reviewing all potential connections with the country following last weeks invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement calling Russias invasion an unjustified and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, Connecticut Treasurer Shawn Wooden said he was directing the state pension fund to divest public funds from Russian-owned assets.

Eliminating our holdings of Russian assets is not only a moral imperative, but the current crisis also constitutes a substantial risk for Connecticuts investments, our national policy and economic security, Wooden said in his statement. Connecticuts action today will apply further economic pain on a dangerous autocrat who needs to know that the free world stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and that Putins abhorrent actions will have enduring, harrowing economic consequences in the days, months and years ahead.

The move comes amid wide-scale sanctions against Russia by the United States and Europe following last weeks invasion, which has so far left hundreds dead or wounded.

Gov. Ned Lamonts office has initiated a review of all state purchasing and had not found any Russian or Russian-backed suppliers as of midday Tuesday. The governors office was also looking into state investments through the Department of Economic and Community Development or Connecticut Innovations, the states quasi-public technology investment arm.

Were checking with all of our state agencies, which have contracting authority, Lamonts spokesperson Max Reiss said. Is there any technology were paying for, is there any product were paying for, is there any service were paying for that is being provided by a Russian company?

As for economic aid or investments, Reiss said Tuesday, as of now, were not aware of any Russian company that were backing.

Connecticut Innovations was not aware of any Russian-owned companies in its portfolio.

We dont have any direct investment in companies that have emanated from there, CEO Matthew McCooe said Monday. We do, however, have a company called Intelliboard where the CEO is from Kyiv. Hes based in Monroe and hes got employees in Kyiv and hes got employees in Russia. And headquarters are here. Its a fast-growing ed-tech company here and weve had many conversations over the last few days about what the implications are and what we might do to support them.

Reiss said the governors office has asked McCooe to check on investments in companies that also have investments by Russian entities.

Woodens office said the more than $47 billion pension funds Russian investments total some $219 million, which includes nearly $151 million in equities in companies based in Russia, and just over $68 million in Russian-backed debt.

The office said the sanctions issued by the Biden administration only freeze new investments, meaning divesting the fund is not directly the result of U.S. sanctions against the Kremlin.

But eliminating our holdings of Russian-owned assets is a necessary step toward minimizing harm to our investment portfolio and is consistent with the treasurers mandate, codified in state statute, to consider U.S. foreign policy, Michelle Woods Matthews, a spokesperson for the office, said in an email. This action is consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national interests of the United States, including the sanctions currently imposed by the Biden administration.

The treasurers office noted the funds Russian investments  including in companies located in Russia and in sovereign debt issued by the Kremlin  have declined since 2014. That coincided with wider U.S. sanctions in the wake of Russias annexing of the Crimean peninsula and fomenting a separatist conflict in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.

Reiss said Lamont is also checking with refugee settlement agencies about their ability to help emergency immigrants from Ukraine.

We want to welcome with open arms any Ukrainian refugees that could find their way to Connecticut, Reiss said, understanding that Afghan refugee resettlement is ongoing.

Lamont said he believes encouraging boycotts of products, other than oil and gas, may be less effective than direct measures the state can take. The governor wants to take steps, which are tangible and real, Reiss said.
U.S. advises its citizens in Russia to depart

Xinhua) 08:38, March 01, 2022

Photo taken on March 16, 2020 shows the White House Visitor Center in Washington D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The State Department said that the U.S. government's ability to assist Russia-based U.S. nationals is "limited" now, so Americans should consider leaving the country "via commercial options still available."

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of State on Monday advised U.S. citizens currently in Russia to consider departing the country "immediately," citing Moscow's ongoing military actions in Ukraine and what the department expected to be potential "harassment" toward Americans by "Russian government security officials."

The State Department said in an updated travel advisory that the U.S. government's ability to assist Russia-based U.S. nationals is "limited" now, so Americans should consider leaving the country "via commercial options still available."

The European Union closed its airspace to Russian aircraft on Sunday, three days after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration expanded a "no-fly zone" to cover the entire territories of Ukraine and Belarus, as well as the western part of Russia. An increasing number of airlines are cancelling flights into and out of Russia.

As such and given "the ongoing armed conflict," the State Department in its advisory advised U.S. citizens against traveling by land from Russia to Ukraine, and urged those near the Russia-Ukraine border and those who plan to travel there "to be aware that the situation along the border is dangerous and unpredictable."

Ukrainian and Russian delegations concluded the peace talks at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border on Monday, with the next round of negotiations scheduled for the coming days on the Belarusian-Polish border, according to the Russian delegation.

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A cross-country convoy is picking up more cars and trucks  as well as some political support  as it completes the final legs of an 11-day trek.

The People's Convoy is the collective name being used for a motorcade of vehicles, mostly big rigs, that is traveling to Washington, D.C., as a sign of opposition to pandemic restrictions and mandates. The dozens of vehicles making their journey were scheduled to stop Monday for a rally in Sullivan, Missouri, near St. Louis, before rolling another 315 miles to Indianapolis today.

The convoy is inspired by truck protests that took place in Canada.

The People's Convoy is one of three major convoys planned. Freedom Convoy USA 2022, which started in California, disbanded because of a lack of support, according to reports, but urged drivers to join one of the others. The Texas Convoy is the third.

Although the convoy's route remains largely to the south of west-central Illinois, there are estimates that as many as two dozen other, smaller convoys are going to join up before arriving Saturday in the nation's capital.

That possibility prompted Illinois State Police to caution drivers about the potential for more traffic than usual along some interstates this week, and also to caution convoy participants to keep things moving.

Officials have become aware of a planned event along several interstate corridors ... where truck drivers plan to conduct a convoy causing traffic delays and potentially crashes," Saturday afternoon's announcement from ISP said.

Illinois State Police Col. Margaret McGreal said police respect the rights of people to express their opinions lawfully, but not any attempts to impede or block the movement of traffic.

"Traffic backups are a major contributing cause to traffic crashes, which lead to property damage, personal injury and even death. A planned event designed to impede normal traffic flow is dangerous to the innocent motoring public," McGreal said. "Those who choose to participate in events that intentionally endanger the public and violate Illinois law will be subject to the enforcement of applicable laws and could potentially be held liable for traffic crashes occurring as a result of their actions."

About 700 National Guard troops will be in Washington to help with traffic control, The Associated Press reported. Several truckers have told reporters they plan to remain on the city's outskirts to avoid confrontation.

"This convoy is about freedom and unity. The truckers are riding unified across party and state lines and with people of all colors and creeds  Christians, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Mormons, Agnostics, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Republican, Democrats," according to a statement from organizers. "It is now time to reopen the country."

A poll conducted by Trafalgar Group and released Monday said the convoy protest has strong support from Republicans and independents, with 78.5% of Republicans and 68.6% of independents saying they were "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to support demonstrations by truckers. Among Democrats, that support fell to 15.1%, according to the poll.
Kim Brent /The Enterprise

Buc-ee's continues to draw attention, this time from TikToker AnneinSeoul. The social media celebrity made a "fan requested" stop at the gas station famous for its clean bathrooms and beaver nuggets on Sunday, February 27 in Fort Worth.

AnneinSeoul has over 1.9 million followers on TikTok and gained her fan-base by going to stores in South Korea and trying different kinds of snacks in her videos. She was heading back to South Korea when her plane made a stop before heading home. She decided to finally get out to Buc-ee's after her fans requested she try out the Texas gas station someday.
San Antonio Board of Realtors

As people recover from their Fat Tuesday indulging, the Gruene Historic District prepares to welcome people to the Hill Country for another celebration. Hill Country-area bars, shops, and restaurants are offering patrons ice-cold deals for Texas Independence Day on the 186th anniversary of Texas declaring independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836.

To celebrate Texas' 186th birthday, the Gruene Historic District invites people to enjoy deals littered with the number 186.
A video posted online shows former Austinite and drug trafficker on the lam praising Russian troops invading Ukraine as "liberators." The man, Russell Bonner Bentley, is seen in a video posted to Twitter in front of Russian military tanks before they invaded Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv.

"It's Tejas on the frontline with the de-Nazifiers and liberators of Ukraine," Bentley says in the video. "These guys are tough. These guys are ready and there is plenty of them."

RELATED: San Antonio sold Laika out of cheesecakes throughout the weekend to support Ukraine

The video was posted to Twitter by international correspondent for The Independent Borzou Daragahi, saying "Just a good ol' boy apparently embedded with Russian forces in Ukraine."

Bentley is a former arborist from Austin turned drug trafficker and self-proclaimed communist who is on the run from U.S. Marshals, according to a 2018 Texas Monthly article. He was also an Army engineer based in Germany, a musician in South Padre, and a marijuana legalization activist in Minnesota and Alaska.

Bentley has reportedly been embedded with the Russian military since the last Russia-Ukraine crisis in 2014.

He joined a militia group recruiting foreign fighters known as the the Vostok Battalion in 2014 and has since become a local celebrity in the area. During the 2014 Ukraine crisis, he also purported that the conflict was the result of Nazis in Ukraine.

When Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24, he called it a military operation to "denazify" Ukraine as justification. There is an ultra-nationalist militia group in Ukraine that formed in 2014 as part of the National Guard of Ukraine known as the Azov Battalion. The militia wears insignias featuring neo-Nazi symbols.

However, neither U.S. officials and the United Nations have recognized Putin's justification and have denounced his actions as an invasion. It should be noted that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is Jewish.

Bentley, however, still believes that Russian forces are liberating Ukraine from Nazis, saying the military will "bring the hammer" to save the "good people" of Ukraine. As for the "bad people"  Russian forces will "Boom! Kick their a**."

The U.S. has since enacted sanctions against Russia and the UN has reported that at least 102 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 304 injured, according to CNN. Those figures might be an underestimation as the invasion continues.
Texas kicks off the midterm primary season Tuesday with elections that will help determine the political staying power of the Bush family name, the potency of former president Donald Trump's endorsements and the state's future representation on Capitol Hill.

Primary contests for governor, attorney general and Congress, as well as dozens of local jobs such as county judge and justice of the peace, are on the ballot in a state where Republicans have found their footing after suffering some setbacks during the 2018 midterm elections.

Republican strategists enter Election Day bullish on their prospects in November. Early-voting totals show much higher Republican than Democratic interest in what appears to be shaping up as a low-turnout primary affair. More than 1 million Republicans had cast ballots through Friday, compared with about 628,000 Democrats, according to a tally kept by the Texas secretary of state.

"Their turnout is going to be dwarfed by our turnout," said David Carney, a Republican consultant who is advising Gov. Greg Abbott on his reelection campaign. "The EPA should be down here protecting Democrats as an endangered species."

Democrats countered that they are well positioned to hold their ground and potentially make gains in the fall, even as they complained that new voting laws have been keeping some of their voters from turning out. These include rules requiring specific types of voter identification that have led to a higher number of rejected mail-in ballots.

"I don't think there is any question that we have momentum. Part of the problem we have right now is we are dealing with these new election laws," said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa. "People are just not enjoying going out to vote because the state of Texas wants them to be scared."

Among the questions voters will answer Tuesday is whether state Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Trump endorsee who faces an FBI investigation and an indictment on state securities fraud, can avoid a runoff in his quest for his third Republican nomination against Land Commissioner George P. Bush, a grandson and nephew of former presidents, as well as retired state Supreme Court justice Eva Guzman and Rep. Louie Gohmert.

At least two embattled House incumbents face challenging primaries. In the 28th Congressional District on the southern border, a rematch between Rep. Henry Cuellar and more liberal 2020 challenger Jessica Cisneros is the Democratic Party's most expensive congressional race, with Cuellar dipping into his war chest after his home and campaign office were searched by the FBI. Cisneros has been supported by liberal activists both from Texas and farther north, including the Justice Democrats.

Republicans, who have never seriously competed for the Laredo-based border district, have a competitive but less-expensive primary for the seat - and both could go to runoffs. Cuellar has denied any wrongdoing but vanished from the campaign trail after the FBI raid, encouraging liberal groups who see a chance to unseat one of the most conservative Democrats in the House.

On the Republican side, Rep. Van Taylor, who represents a suburban district north of Dallas, faces a primary challenge from the right, after he voted with Democrats to support a bipartisan investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump has stayed out of that race, while endorsing more than 30 other Republican candidates in the state, a wide array that runs from Abbott's gubernatorial campaign to a candidate for Tarrant County judge. Many of his endorsements have come in the last few weeks and have gone to incumbents or candidates not facing serious opposition, suggesting that he is hoping to burnish his win-loss record in GOP primaries, a statistic he often boasts about.

He has also proudly endorsed state Rep. Ryan Guillen, another border politician, who recently switched parties to become a Republican after state leaders redrew his district. Republicans have been running local candidates at a clip not seen in recent memory in historically Democratic strongholds in southern Texas.

"I am almost unblemished in the victory count, and it is considered by the real pollsters to be the strongest endorsement in U.S. political history," Trump said in a statement on Feb. 13.

Abbott, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, and former Democratic congressman Beto O'Rourke, who ran for Senate in 2018 and president in 2020, are expected to win their parties' nominations for the top job in the state. Public and private polls have put them both well above the 50% threshold needed to avoid a May 24 runoff in their respective contests.

O'Rourke, whom Democrats spent months urging to enter the race, faces challengers who've raised little money, including public radio reporter Joy Diaz. Abbott's challengers include conservative YouTuber Chad Prather, former state senator Don Huffines and former state GOP chairman Allen West, all of whom have accused the two-term governor of acting on conservative priorities only when forced. A mindful Abbott in recent months has floated conservative measures on voting, abortion and transgender rights.

"There's a clear, stark difference between the governing style and priorities of [Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis and the style and priorities of our governor here in Texas," West said in an interview after a lunch with a Republican club in Houston.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a close ally of Trump who like Abbott is seeking a third term, has drawn only little-known challengers, while Democrats will pick from a field that includes 2018 Patrick challenger Mike Collier and state Rep. Michelle Beckley.

Paxton, who trailed other Republicans in his 2018 reelection race, has the best-funded challengers of any Republican on the ballot. He has run ads attacking Guzman and Gohmert, but polls suggest that he is likely to be forced into a second round, with Bush as the most probable runner-up.

"He's already admitted that this is going to a runoff," Bush said in a recent interview, after a campaign stop near College Station. Trump's endorsement of Paxton, he said, had not changed his own strategy. Bush had fought at minimum to deny Paxton the endorsement, to no avail.

"I'm still reaching out to Trump supporters, and I still subscribe to his policies," Bush said. "They work for Texas, whether they're securing the border, energy independence or getting tough on crime. He still likes me, he's said so publicly." Bush also pointed out that National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd, an early Trump supporter, endorsed him and was featured in his ads.

Trump has also backed state Sen. Dawn Buckingham in the primary to replace Bush, helping her lead the field for that influential statewide job. She's raised nearly $2 million for the race; Jay Kleberg, a Democratic conservationist leading the contest for his party's nomination, has stockpiled $500,000, more than any of the Democrats running for attorney general. In the race for agriculture commissioner, Trump has endorsed incumbent Sid Miller, another early backer of his 2016 presidential campaign.

New congressional districts approved by Texas's Republican-led legislature last year drastically shrunk the number of competitive seats, with swing districts around Houston, Dallas and Austin redrawn into districts safe for one party.

Lawmakers also created a new open seat on the border, the 15th District, stretching north from McAllen, where Republicans in Washington are hoping a local business executive, Monica De La Cruz, wins the nomination with Trump's endorsement. She faces challenges from her right from Mauro Garza, another Republican businessman, who recently received the endorsement of Rep. Paul A. Gosar, R-Ariz., and has attacked De La Cruz as a representative of the establishment.

Democrats are divided between a few candidates, with Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, backing veteran Ruben Ramirez and some national liberal groups supporting activist Michelle Vallejo. She's run unabashedly from the left, while Ramirez has argued that the Republican-trending district is more inclined to elect a moderate in November.

"The way you get lasting change is to have bipartisanship," Ramirez said while greeting early voters last week in McAllen. "It's unfortunate that the Republicans are too busy playing politics instead of coming up with viable solutions."

Ramirez, who served in Afghanistan, said he would support hearings into the Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal of American forces from that country last summer, during which 13 U.S. service members were killed.

The rest of Tuesday's House primaries will determine who will represent safe seats, or which candidates will compete for them in the May runoffs. The bitterest Republican primary has unfolded in the 8th Congressional District, where longtime Rep. Kevin Brady is retiring. A candidate for that seat, ex-Navy SEAL and Trump administration official Morgan Luttrell, has faced criticism for his friendship with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a fellow veteran. Christian Collins, a former aide to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, has attacked Luttrell over a $5,000 donation from Kinzinger, even though the candidate returned it.

"I've spent my life intimidating other people, like that empty suit," Luttrell said at a televised debate with Collins last month. "That guy's going to sit down there and bag on me, and he has actually done nothing in his life except for what somebody has told him to do?"

Luttrell has the support of fellow Republicans Rep. Dan Crenshaw and former governor Rick Perry, both political mentors, while Collins rallied during the early-voting period with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C.

The most expensive Democratic fight for an open seat is unfolding in the 35th Congressional District, where former Austin city councilman Greg Casar has locked up labor and liberal endorsements, rallying with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. - though he lost the support of a local Democratic Socialists of America chapter over his rejection of its Israel policies.

Polling has put him ahead of state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez and lesser-known candidates, but supporters of both Casar and Jessica Cisneros are trying to push them over 50% Tuesday, wary of runoffs that could give moderate Democrats time to regroup and spend money against them.

"This is about making sure that we send a message: Do not mess with Texas progressives," Ocasio-Cortez told voters at a San Antonio rally last month with Casar and Cisneros.

Democrats are also battling for another safe seat, the 30th Congressional District in Dallas, where Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson is retiring and has endorsed state Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a former public defender. Crockett has swept up endorsements from liberal groups but has trailed two other candidates in fundraising: former state legislative staffer Abel Mulugheta and party operative Jane Hamilton.

Democrats argue that while the state remains challenging ground, the party is poised to show that Texas is growing more blue after the 2018 burst of energy, as they seek to ride shifting demographics.

"Texas has been a hard state for Democrats for 25 years," said Matt Angle, director of the Lone Star Project, a group focused on recruiting and supporting Democrats in Texas. "The fact that [Republicans] are able to hold on in a Republican state is not a show of strength."
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is investigating one of its own employees after Gov. Greg Abbott directed the agency to probe parents of transgender youth for possible child abuse. Last week, Abbott issued the controversial directive following a legal opinion issued by Attorney General Ken Paxton defining gender-affirming health care, including puberty blockers and sex change procedures, as child abuse when administered to minors.

An employee of the state's protective services agency with a 16-year-old transgender child says she was placed on administrative leave last week and now faces termination, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday. The employee, who works on the review of reports of abuse and neglect, says she was visited by an investigator from DFPS seeking medical records related to her child, who is identified in court documents as Mary Doe.

The state investigator told the employee, identified as Jane Doe, that the sole allegation against her and her husband, John Doe, is that their transgender daughter may have been provided with gender-affirming health care and was currently transitioning from male to female," according to the suit.

Jane Doe has refused to turn over records requested by DFPS. Not providing Mary with the medically necessary health care that she needs is not an option for us," Jane Doe wrote in the suit. We are terrified for Marys health and well-being, and for our family. I feel betrayed by my state and the agency for whom I work.

On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and Lambda Legal, a civil rights organization focused on the LGBTQ community, sued to block the inquiry. According to the filing, other investigations have also begun, some almost immediately after the directive was issued.

The groups argue that Abbott and Paxton's directives were issued without proper authority, "in violation of the Texas Administrative Procedures Act, the separation of powers requirements of the Texas Constitution, and the constitutional rights of transgender youth and their parents."

Dr. Megan Mooney, a licensed psychologist in Houston, is also a plaintiff in the suit. Mooney is required to report suspected child abuse under Texas law and has a practice that includes transgender patients, many of whom have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, according to the suit.

No family should have to fear being torn apart because they are supporting their trans child, said Adri Perez, the policy strategist at the ACLU of Texas, in a statement. A week before an election, Gov. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a partisan political attack that isnt rooted in the needs of families, the evidence from doctors and the expertise from child welfare professionals."

As news of the lawsuits spread online, users took to social media to express their dismay. Charlotte Clymer, a writer and activist, warned that Abbott's directive could have potentially deadly consequences for transgender children.

"What's happening in Texas will lead to higher rates of abuse, harassment, and ultimately suicides of trans children," Clymer tweeted Tuesday. "Greg Abbott is attempting to completely erase trans children from the public square, and trans kids will die because of it. Those are the stakes here."

Other users called for Texans to consider the targeted attacks on transgender children when voting at the polls during the primary Tuesday. Abbott and Paxton are both up for reelection. "Its really happening," tweeted transgender activist and actress Jen Richards. "A parent was placed on leave and is being investigated for simply providing love and care to her trans child. Texas primaries are today. Please vote if you can. This is nauseating and terrifying."

Chris Mosier, the first openly transgender athlete for Team USA, said trans kids in Texas and other states facing similar legislation, "deserve better."

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke also chimed in on the investigations, tweeting "The people of Texas are so much bigger than this hate. Together, we will overcome it and protect trans kids."

Hours prior, the former El Paso congressman tweeted "Imagine what our kids could accomplish if they had a governor who invested in their success instead of obsessively attacking them."
Contrary to its Russian-sounding name, Smirnoff vodka is not a

Russian product. Its made in Canada and is still available on LCBO

shelves.
Local

Man behind Light Up Citrus battles thyroid cancer

mattbeck / Matthew Beck / Chronicle photo editor In this photo from Nov. 13, 2020, Frank Simmons hangs LED lights on their Lecanto home as part of his annual Light Up Citrus lights and synchronized music display.

People in Citrus County may not know Frank Simmons by name, but many do know him as the Light Up Citrus guy whose house is ablaze with lights and synchronized music throughout the Christmas holiday season every year.

Also what people may not know: Simmons, 45, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2020 and has been going through treatment, which has depleted his energy and all his and wife Rachels savings.

However, some local people have learned of this news and are spreading the word that Simmons could use some community support.

While I dont know Frank personally, my family has delighted in his magical creations for the past few years, Mary Alice Hogan wrote in an email to the Chronicle. I recently learned via the Light Up Citrus Facebook page that Frank has fallen on hard financial times with his battle with thyroid cancer.

Hogan added, Frank uses his displays to collect donations for local nonprofits. As an example, with the Batman of Spring Hill and his Masked Miracle Inc., he was able to collect and donate 336 toys and 200 stocking stuffers to Jessies Place this past Christmas.

With all that he has done for the community, I thought the community might be able to help him, she said.

Batman of Spring Hill, Citrus County EMT Jack Asbury, called Simmons a serious blessing to Citrus County.

He constantly, without hesitation, helps anyone who needs it, stranger or friend, Asbury said.

{h4 style=text-align: center;}Accidental diagnosis{/h4}

It started with a car accident in June 2020.

Simmons was driving on Homosassa Trail when he was rear-ended at a traffic light.

I was OK, but it was enough that I thought I should get checked out, he said.

An MRI after the accident showed a mass in his neck area; an ultrasound led to needing a biopsy.

Thats when we learned it was cancer ... so, the accident was a blessing in a way, Simmons said.

Next came many doctor appointments before surgery at UF Health Shands on Oct. 14, 2021, to remove his thyroid, followed ever since by more back and forth appointments in Gainesville.

Recently, Simmons received a radioactive iodine treatment and he will take daily medication for the rest of his life.

On Feb. 24, a full-body scan resulted in good news and bad news, Simmons said. The cancer hasnt spread, but its still detected in the lymph nodes in his central neck.

I was hoping they would tell me its all gone, he said. When I heard that, it really threw me for a loop.

Simmons said before he was diagnosed, he worked in Ocala as a manager for a rent to own company. He had also resumed his decal business that he started in 2010.

Currently, hes not able to work because the medication he takes causes his energy level to be unpredictable.

Some days Im amped up and other days when I cant function, he said. I take a lot of naps.

His wife, Rachel, works full time at a dental office.

She also lives with a thyroid condition called Hashimotos disease.

I never had medical issues before, and Im not used to this, Simmons said. Ive been leaning on my wife, and if it wasnt for her, I wouldve lost my mind.

Simmons said his cancer diagnosis has forced him to rethink everything.

It makes me realize what my priorities are, and that I have a lot of life left to live and Ive got to live it, he said.

That includes doing more for the community, he said.

In his spare time during the off-season, hes continually planning and tweaking and dreaming up new things for the next Light Up Citrus.

It started off as Hey, I love lights, and then it was Hey, theres a car out front and then we had two cars and then 100, he said. Actually, 2020 was our busiest year because of the pandemic. That was the year that everybody needed it the most.

Weve gotten messages from people who tell us how much it meant to them and about the people theyve lost to COVID, and that drives us to keep going, he said. This year we teamed up with the Batman of Spring Hill and did a Trunk or Treat toy drive and had about 3,000 people here that night.

That was nine days after his surgery.

He did all he could do to make sure he was out of the hospital in time to host it, Rachel Simmons said. The event for our community was amazing, and honestly, I still cant believe a week after surgery (and 17 hours on a ventilator) he was able to be present.

For Frank Simmons, his motivation is the community.

Im always thinking about things that can bring the community together, he said. Because thats all weve ever wanted to do. We just want people to be happy.

A Help with Franks Thyroid Cancer journey GoFundMe account for Frank Simmons is at https://tinyurl.com/476ud6ak.

Send Frank Simmons a message at the Light Up Citrus Facebook page or email at: lightupcitrus@gmail.com.
Florida, US (34429)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
A vehicle collided with this Citrus County School District bus occupied by 21 Citrus Springs Middle School students the afternoon of Tuesday, March 1 at a Hernando intersection. One student reported minor injuries, and at least occupant of the other vehicle was transported to hospital for treatment.
Please refer to the Canadian government's website for more information.

Canadas immigration measures for people affected by the situation in Ukraine

Canadas immigration measures for people affected by the situation in Ukraine Please refer to the Canadian government's website for more information.

Canadas immigration measures for people affected by the situation in Ukraine Please refer to the Canadian government's website for more information.

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The Canadian government has introduced a variety of new immigration measures to assist Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and Ukrainian citizens impacted by the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has created a webpage for those seeking assistance. Click here to learn more.
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Oklahoma City, OK (73106)

Today

Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.
Termeni de referinta pentru selectarea unui expert/ e care va presta servicii de instruire in drepturile omului pentru tinerii care se pregatesc sa paraseasca sistemul de protectie
Government efforts to collect data on charities and social enterprises at the start of the pandemic were chaotic, a parliamentary committee said today.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) was left scrambling for information to understand the impact of Covid-19 on civil society when the outbreak began, according to MPs and peers on the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on social enterprise.

Their report into the governments support for social enterprises during the crisis, Rising to the Challenge, was published this afternoon.

The report recommends that responsibility for social enterprise should be moved from DCMS to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Puzzling DCMS approach

Social entrepreneurs first raised their concerns formally with government on 13 March 2020, 10 days before the first national lockdown was implemented, the report said.

It says that representatives from social enterprise told officials at the Covid-19 forum, convened by DCMS, about the lack of balance in the meeting, which only included one voice from social enterprise and focused more on voluntary organisations and volunteers than social enterprises, despite the size and scale of the sector being equal (and in employment terms greater than) the voluntary sector.

Despite raising this issue, no changes were made to the balance of the meetings. Given the impact and contribution of social enterprises, this decision is puzzling.

Data

One witness told the committee that DCMSs approach to data collection was chaotic.

The report found that basic information on the size and scale of the social enterprise sector was not available to officials. The rush to understand the sector was typified by repeated requests for information with very short deadlines. MPs describe times when sector representatives had just a single morning to provide detailed information on social enterprise, as well as requests for data which had already been provided weeks earlier.

The report said: Repeatedly, ministers would say that not enough information had been provided to make decisions, despite all requests for information being responded to.

It said that progress was hampered by a lack of understanding and awareness of social enterprise or its contributions to society and the economy and that the government had to learn about social enterprise as the pandemic developed, and did not have the information to integrate social enterprise into policy measures as they were being developed.

This weakness raises questions about whether DCMS should retain responsibility for policies affecting social enterprise, the MPs concluded.

Where in Whitehall?

The parliamentarians called on the government to move oversight of social enterprise from DCMS to BEIS, so that social enterprise is fully embedded in business policy across government and to ensure that future support open to other businesses is made available equally to social enterprises.

The report also said that the role of social enterprises in public service delivery should be ramped up, given the financial resilience the sector showed during the pandemic. It stated: At a time when we are looking to rebuild from Covid-19, we need our best organisations on the frontline.

Rather than ramping down social enterprise in public services, we should be ramping up delivery.

SEUK: Ministers need to listen

Social Enterprise UK urged the government to take on board the recommendations in the report.

Peter Holbrook, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK said: I am grateful to parliamentarians for their inquiry and the recognition of the vital contribution that social enterprises made to keeping our country going through the pandemic. Social enterprises across the UK stepped up to help communities when they needed it most and we should be proud of what the sector has done and continues to do to help with our recovery.

We should learn the lessons from the pandemic but more importantly we need to think about the future. Whether it is the independent Commission on Social Investment or this APPG inquiry there is a clear consensus that social enterprise have significant potential to improve our society but we are not doing enough to maximise that potential.

I hope that ministers will listen carefully to the constructive recommendations made in this report and work more closely with the social enterprise sector to develop a plan for how we can grow our sector over the coming years.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
TONIGHT, BEFORE A JOINT SESSION of Congress, President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address. The backdrop is a frightening new war in Europe, which the president has described as a brutal and unjustifiable assault on the people of Ukraine. In a moment of great uncertainty, it will be on Biden to comfort and provide clarity to Americans about what the conflict might entail. Hell also have on his plate threats to democracy at home, a struggling economy, and a pandemic whose challenges continue to evolve. Then theres that other crisis, climate change, which threatens much of life as we know it but disappears so easily from our aperture because it is a slow-moving crisis. But it endures, and, as ever, humanitys time to act remains short. Ukraine is rightly top-of-mind, but this evening journalists must also make room for climate in their coverage of the presidents address.

To his credit, Biden will arrive on Capitol Hill with more than a few climate wins notched in his belt: Immediately upon taking office, the president rejoined the Paris Agreement, a critical international accord to get serious on climate, signed in 2015, on which, during the Trump administration, the US became the only country in the world to renege. Biden announced plans for the US to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and reach net-zero emissions by 2050consistent with international goals of limiting global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius. In November, Biden signed into law a $1.2 trillion infrastructure and jobs bill, which includes substantial provisions for clean energy and climate resilience. And via executive authority the president has moved, among other things, to decarbonize the federal government, protect and restore natural lands and waters, and improve US vehicle and building efficiency standardsall while also taking steps to address Americas legacy of environmental racism, which grows only more apparent as climate impacts begin to take their toll.

Those achievements of Bidens, of course, are only half the story. On nearly every count, climate advocates sayand science agreesthe US should be doing more, faster. In some cases, changes implemented under Biden have only reversed slash-and-burn environmental cuts made by Donald Trump; other of the former presidents rollbacks remain in place. After scuttling the high-profile Keystone XL gas pipeline, Biden perhaps confusingly has allowed similar projects, including the controversial Line 3 pipeline, to go ahead. Similarly, though Biden issued a moratorium on federal oil and gas leases, in the past year he granted new oil and gas drilling permits at a faster rate than Trump ever did. Most publicly, Bidens bid to pass his much-touted Build Back Better bill, which encompassed the majority of his administrations climate agenda, failed; the bills collapse leaves America with decidedly meager tools to tackle what the president himself called the number one issue facing humanity.

In his State of the Union, Biden will likely want to shine light on the more flattering aspects of his climate program. The grim reality, though, is that, in the face of climate emergency, America is a powerful country either unable or unwilling to act at scale. Indeed, one reason for the unusual March date of this speechin recent history, State of the Union addresses have been delivered in January or Februaryis that Democrats reportedly wanted to give Biden time to get his legislative agenda back on course. Alas, the speech is here, and Bidens agenda, including its climate components, remains stuck on the rocks.

Coverage of State of the Union addresses is typically hit-or-miss. Theres a lot of style over substance, with much focus on how the president appeared, versus what he said, and who among the audience cheered, jeered, or slept. Humdrum winners and losers framing comes in abundance. And what coverage does parse the particulars of the speech often resorts to summary, rather than placing the presidents remarks in the context of the big issues of the day. If climate change doesnt come up or comes up only briefly in the speech, its likely to also be missing in the coverage.

At a time of monster wildfires, crippling drought in the West, and ever stronger hurricanes that batter the Gulf Coast and the Eastand with time short to implement rapid, far-reaching change, if humanity hopes to avoid worseclimate is context we cant afford to ignore. As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Monday, on the release of a major new climate report, Delay is death.

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Should Bidens speech paint an overly rosy view of Americas climate future, journalists should challenge that. Should the president say little about climate change, journalists should call that out. Journalists might also observe the clear connections between climate and the Ukraine crisis: For example, the Wests stubborn reliance on fossil fuels, which are Russias top export, has greatly limited retaliatory options that might be taken against the Kremlin. To be sure, for journalists to explain all of this isnt tantamount to climate advocacy. Science is unequivocal that humanity is on the brink of climate breakdown, and the press should expect leaders to articulate both the threat and its solutions. Whats more, Biden campaigned as a climate championso his effectiveness on climate is an obvious standard by which his administration should be judged.

Not all responsibility for Americas weakness on climate belongs at Bidens feet, of course. The failure of Build Back Better is in large part attributable to the whims of Democratic senator Joe Manchin, a former fossil-fuel executive from West Virginia who has raked in enormous sums of money from fossil-fuel companies; through months of negotiations, Manchin slowly whittled away Build Back Betters climate provisions before declaring, in December, that he would not support the bill. Then theres the Republican Party, filled with reliable and often gleeful obstructionists; Manchins opposition to climate action would matter less if only one Republican senator could muster the courage to break ranks. Republicans position on climate is indefensible, yet in the press they are seldom held to account; their anti-scientific obstruction is simply taken as a given or, worse, treated as a neutral stance. Bidens power alone is not enough to solve the climate crisis; to the extent that America remains behind the curve on climate, journalists must be clear with audiences that were losing at a team sport.

But this crisis is winnable. In fact, the latest science says if humanity enacts ambitious policies now to zero out greenhouse gas emissions, global temperature rise will halt in as little as three to five yearsdown from the decades that scientists previously thought. Amid all else that weighs on the worldnot least Russias invasion of Ukraineas journalists, we must preserve space for the biggest story of all. Just as climate is a standard by which we should judge the president, its a good standard by which we journalists should judge ourselves.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Andrew McCormick is an independent journalist and former CJR Delacorte Fellow. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the South China Morning Post, and more. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewMcCormck.
In the five days since Russia declared war on Ukraine, invading troops have drawn ever closer and their attacks have grown more deadly. Domestic and foreign reporters on the ground are struggling to determine how much danger is too much, and where they can most effectively cover the conflict.

On this weeks Kicker, NPRs Eleanor Beardsley and Igor Kossov, a journalist at the Kyiv Independent, speak with Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of CJR. The two journalists, both attempting to leave the country as they speak, discuss the war they witnessed and their decision to leave.

SHOW NOTES

The Ukraine invasion, and breaking our worst habits, Kyle Pope, CJR

Fighting breaks out after Russian troops enter Ukraines second-largest city, Eleanor Beardsley, All Things Considered

Sanctions likely to seriously hurt Russia. But they may not stop the war, Igor Kossov, the Kyiv Independent

TRANSCRIPT

Eleanor Beardsley: Can you hear me?

Kyle Pope: Yes, go ahead.

Eleanor Beardsley: OK, Im heading out today.

Kyle Pope: Youre in a car with an NPR colleague?

Eleanor Beardsley: Yes, theyre trying to get us out through Hungary, so were driving through the Carpathian Mountains. Were catching a bus to the Hungarian border. Were going to walk across and catch another bus to Budapest, and hopefully Ill have my flight to Paris tomorrow.

Kyle Pope: How far is the walk?

Eleanor Beardsley: We just have to walk over the border, I dont think its too far. Well, I dont know actually, there could be tons of people at the border crossing. Were just trying to catch our bus to get there, and then well find out. Its supposed to be less crowded than Poland.

Kyle Pope: And where were you before this?

Eleanor Beardsley: OK, before this I flew to Kyiv on Friday the 18th, and I spent a couple of days in Kyiv. Then I went east to the Donbas, and I went right up against the separatist Republic, some small towns like 10 miles from the front line. I ended up not going in the trenches or anything like that, but I was over in the east and then drove out of there and went to Kharkiv that one night, and thats when the invasion started, the next morning. We spent one night in Kharkiv and my husband called me at 3:30 in the morning from Paris and said where are you because CNN is reporting that Putin is going to invade Kharkiv. And I said, Oh, Im in Kharkiv. Its kind of a horrible feeling.

And then I spent the entire day. As soon as Putin declared war, I heard the explosions and it was just chilling, because we knew that it was starting. So we decided to get out instead of, you know, hunker down. We didnt think theyd start shelling, so we thought lets just get out of here. We left at 5:30 in the morning.

Kyle Pope: How was the reporting before you left? How did you find the mood of the people? How did you go about doing your job?

Eleanor Beardsley: Oh, well, I was in this village, Slovyansk. It was a village that was basically occupied by the separatists. They spent only like three months under separatist occupation, but its horrible. Like the journalists felt threatened. It was just a terrible time and many things were destroyed, peoples houses. The Ukrainian army took it back, and everybody was very glad.

They were close, they were in Donetsk Oblast, so they were close. They never want to live under that, and Im going to do a story about that. That was my next big feature, but the invasion came the next morning. I spent the whole day there and then drove out and the invasion came. I reached some of the people a couple days later, and they hadnt been invaded yet, but now I havent been able to reach them, and I fear that theyreI mean, the Republic is going to enlarge, try to take all of the Donbas. and the attack is on for Kharkiv and Kyiv, and then up from the south.

*We watched the country completely change. everything changed. It changes every day. The first day of the state of shock, people in an absolute state of shock. We went out on the highways at 5:30 in the morning and there was nobody out. Then they started getting crowded. People just with a stunned look on their face.

Then the next day it was anger. We rode by little towns, and there were hundreds of men out ready to enlist in the army, in the territorial defense. Fathers and sons together and you could see an anger.

And then next day theyre mobilizing, and theres roadblocks put up everywhere,. On highways, going into little towns, and neighborhoods. People had brought out guns, just protecting, looking for Russian saboteurs. I mean, the roads and many checkpoints at night, you have to turn the lights on, and the satellite thing, and look at you. They want to know who you are and the whole nation is really vigil. I mean, theyre preparing.

And as they watch these two cities, the onslaught on the two biggest cities, the rest of the country knows that they could be next, and people are getting ready. We went to a little town, and when we arrived theres an air raid, sirens going off, and people were just calmly filing down under us. Please go into this bunker under there they had benches set up, food and water, and they had little beds for all the kids. They were big enough so adults could fit on them too. People were lying there. Some people brought their dogs down. Other people had cats in cages.

Its like theyve been doing it forever and theyve only been doing it two days, a couple days ago. And so its a completely different country and things are shut down. Things are closed mostly.

Kyle Pope: How are people eating, are the grocery stores open?

Eleanor Beardsley: Yeah, the grocery stores are still open, though in that little town we went to, the family said that they had gone that day, and there were no provisions. The clerk said that the trucks had been shot at at the border. Not the border, the boundary, the town limits.

Theres a lot of fear. Nobody knows whats going on, and stores are open and theres food and water. Theres huge lines at the gas station. Thats a big thing, and theyve only been letting people get five gallons at a time. Thats a big deal if you dont have your car gassed up. We had to wait a long time for gas, many times.

Kyle Pope: So Eleanor, let me ask you about the call from your husband. So he called at 3:30 in the morning when this happened. You talked to him. I know that you have kids at home. How much did you debate this in your head? I assume youd already been thinking about this, do I stay or do I go? But tell me about the thought process there.

Eleanor Beardsley: It was really scary, I was actually really scared. I wasnt like, my life was going to end, but I really thought, My God, I am in the far east of Ukraine, 25 miles from Russia, in this teeny town.

And of course, you know, the time we talked, I didnt believe any of this. That it could be this. I couldnt fathom it. I mean, it was wrong. I was one hundred percent wrong. But many other people, Ukrainians are in a state of shock. Its like were having World War II in 2022. Its unfathomable.

I just received a video of Kharkiv being shelled from a friend of mine. Its her apartment building she can see in the background. She now lives in California, but her father is in there and hes 80 years old, and the people who filmed it, theyre talking, and you can see shells are raining down on a residential housing block.

So yes, at that moment, our security guys said we need to go to the basement. My husband said Do you have a French passport? I can never remember. Im like, No, I dont have a French passport, I need to get one. He said, You shouldnt be stuck there with your American passport, you know? And I just thought, Oh my God, I dont want to be here when the Russian soldiers arrive, is all I could think.

You dont know what to do. When he called me, it was dark, and I called our security guy next door, and we decided to go on the road in a car, the three of us alone on the dark roads. And that didnt seem safe, so we decided to wait till daylight and then decide, and we decided to go. And Im so glad we did, because after that it sounds like the roads were blocked, and you cant get back.

But millions of Ukrainian people are making that same decision. Some are hunkering down and some are leaving. And I thought so much about World War II, about the Jewish people. Maybe they didnt believe it either.

Kyle Pope: I talked to a journalist from the Kiev Independent who was exactly where you are. He was in a car leaving the town. Hes in a different situation, he lives in Ukraine, hes a young guy. But he was like, Im leaving but I dont know if its the right thing to do. Should I turn around and go back? I dont know what to do.

You know, I am reminded of our last conversation and we talked about this, and you had the view that I had, that a lot of people had, like this can never happen. This is absurd. Do you still, even having seen what youve seen and experienced these last few days, do you still have a hard time wrapping your head around it?

Eleanor Beardsley: Yes, I do. And I think Putin has really lost, hes unhinged or something, he does not understand Ukraine today. Theyve been in a bubble with phone or internet or something.

The first day I was like, Is this a dream? I cannot believe this is happening. Then when you look at the footage, these soldiers are rolling into a country thats done nothing and they are attacking it. And I still cant imagine how theyre going to occupy it. Theyre going to be attacked from now until kingdom come. They will not have one moments peace here. And but its going to be long and its going to be horrible, and no, I still cant believe it, and neither can the Ukrainians.

And I will tell you one thing, I will never doubt US intelligence again, its unbelievable. I mean, they got it exactly right. These crazy predictions about a full-scale assault on these major cities, which seems so absurd when you hear. Its just a normal place, youve got a beautiful, nice city. It does seem unreal, and then when you see the footage of whats happening. I mean, I think Putins a madman, a Hitler type character who lives in this world of fantasy and who nobody can reach, maybe. No one can tell him the truth. It seems like that. And a person like that can do anything, so its very dangerous.

Kyle Pope: Are you feeling a sense of relief for your personal safety, or are you still worried about the journey that you have ahead of you?

Eleanor Beardsley: No, Im not worried for my personal safety. I think I was a couple of times, like trying to get out that first morning in Kharkiv. I felt very alone at 3:30 in the morning in the dark, straining my ears just to see if I could hear these attacks. I still couldnt believe it, why is everybody fighting? And it was scary. You know, air raid sirens, and you dont know, is that plane is going to fly overhead and strike us?

But I havent really been scared, just that first morning. If I was going back, if I was in Kyiv, Id be terrified, yes. Terrified of being shelled and terrified of what the Russian troops would do when they found an American journalist. Its not only like young Russians. Its Chechens, and mercenaries, and the Wagner Group. Really scary people.

Kyle Pope: Well, its great to connect with you. Good luck on this. Hopefully, this last couple of legs here, and Ill be thinking of you and looking forward to talking to you next time from your apartment in Paris.

Eleanor Beardsley: Okay, and the next time I hope not to get it so wrong. And never doubt US intel. Theyre good.

Kyle Pope: All right, Eleanor, be safe. Take care, good to talk to you.

Eleanor Beardsley: Thank you. Good to talk to you too. Bye bye.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach.
In the back of Facility magazine is a list of door entry codes for bathrooms throughout New York City: the TJ Maxx near Union Square, the Standard Hotel in the East Village. Even though the publication keeps a more up-to-date list on its website, sometimes the codes change. (Chipotle is particularly notorious for this.) When in doubt, the magazine advises that many places print their bathroom codes on their receiptsthose can be lifted from trash cans. Some bathrooms in the list come with an extra endorsement: a reader says this bathroom is the shit, Facility noted for a Guitar Center in Queens.

The most basic of needs is what informs the rest of the independent, hundred-plus-paged, black-and-white magazine devoted to all things bathroom and hygiene.

Erin Sheehy conceived of the magazine with another writer, Elizabeth Gumport, in 2019. When I actually started thinking of it, Sheehy says, all of a sudden I had around like twenty ideas for stories, and they were actually good.

Sheehy and Gumport, who edit the magazine together, realized it was a specific way to address the broad topics they were interested in, including public spaces, city infrastructure, and the environment, while thinking about gender, race, class, and disability. It was like, you can talk about all those things, and it might be funny or gross, but theres something sort of freeing about it being a little silly like that, Sheehy said.

They took inspiration from a seventies magazine about gourmet bathing called Wet. Even though Sheehy says the magazine didnt really define gourmet bathing, it had a compelling sensibility in covering topics beyond hot tubs. (Its a lens thats proved of interest to a few other writers as well.)

The first issue of Facility explores history with stories like Howd We Get Segregated Bathrooms, Anyways? by Gumport and The Groom of the Stool, by Sheehy, about Henry VIIIs bathroom servant. The issue recounts events like the 504 Sit-in that helped ensure disability access in public spaces (yes, including bathrooms) and riots over sanitation at the El PasoJuarez border in 1917.

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These stories sit between sink photography, morning-routine surveys, interviews with plumbers, and reviews of pill capsules and cleaning ingredients. Facility leans into the inherent silliness of the topictheres a guide on which household item best replicates the look of urinebut deftly maneuvers through being a literary publication, art portfolio, beauty blog, and trade magazine. Its stories can be read on their own, but like any good magazine, the full issue of Facility offers its own rewards.

They were working on the second issue when the pandemic hit, and Sheehy initially had her doubts. It was like, should we be making a bathroom magazine right now? But soon people started reaching out to her, talking about fears around contamination, hygiene, restricted access to public bathrooms, and more. What was originally planned to be shorter became another full-fledged issue.

In that issue, Joyce S. Lee, a researcher and zine creator, explored toilet paper design. I had been thinking about embossing on toilet paper as analogous to that on business cards, a symbolic rather than functional enhancement, Lee wrote. I hadnt considered that embossings texture could play a role in performancethe same way that the weave of dish towels functions differently than, say, that of a bath towel.

Lee mused on the broader utility of toilet paper, reflecting on its scarcity at the start of the pandemic and drawing from her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, where she became used to washing with water instead. As her Peace Corps instructor put it: Imagine you had poo on your handwould it feel cleaner if you wiped it off with some paper, or if you washed it with soap and water? (Yes, they do review bidets.)

An essay by Ward 5B, Bleach: The Scent of Plague, recalls how bleach once again permeated his senses during the coronaviruss initial outbreak, just as it had over thirty years ago during the aids epidemic. In another story, Sheehy penned an essay about the role of water in protests during the summer of 2020 after George Floyds death.

Sheehy and Gumport financed the first issue of Facility themselves; sales from the first issue paid for the second. They print the magazines out of a facility in Queens, and then ship them out of Sheehys apartment in Brooklyn. Its a small operation that doesnt yield much profit. Were just delighted by the idea that someone would find this in twenty years, she said, and be like, What is this?

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Feven Merid is CJR's staff writer and Senior Delacorte Fellow.
BRISBANE, Australia (AP)  Parts of Australias third-most populous city Brisbane were under water Monday after heavy rain brought record flooding to some east coast areas and killed eight people.

The flooding in Brisbane and its surrounds is the worst since 2011 when the city of 2.6 million people was inundated by what was described as a once-in-a-century event.

The latest fatality was a man in his 50s who drowned on Monday after driving his car into floodwater before dawn at Gold Coast city, south of Brisbane, Queensland state police said.

The bodies of the man and his dog were retrieved hours later from a submerged car which had been washed from the road, a police statement said.

Queensland emergency services warned life-threatening flash flooding was occurring in parts of Gold Coast.

Emergency crews made more than 130 swift-water rescues in 24 hours, officials said.

All eight flood deaths have been in Queensland state, of which Brisbane is the capital. A search continues for a solo sailor, aged in his 70s, who fell overboard from his vessel in the Brisbane River near the city center on Saturday.

Police were also searching for a man missing from Goodna, west of Brisbane and another Esk, northwest of Brisbane.

South of the Queensland border, police on Monday were searching for man after officers heard him calling for help on Sunday in floodwaters in the New South Wales town of Lismore.

Police warned downtown Brisbane businesses along the river waterfront to evacuate after a pontoon carrying a crane broke from its moorings upstream and began riding the floodwaters toward them.

Multiple emergency flood alerts were in place for Brisbane suburbs, where 2,145 homes and 2,356 businesses were submerged on Monday. Another 10,827 properties were partially flooded above the floorboards.

The Brisbane River peaked on Monday at 3.85 meters (12 foot, 3 inches), officials said.

That was 61 centimeters (2 feet) below the 4.46 meter (14 foot, 3 inch) flood level reached in 2011, officials said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the rainfall over Brisbane had been extraordinary since November when authorities were considering water use restrictions due to a shortage.

It is still a significant event, and I think everyone would agree no one has seen this amount of rain in such a short period of time, in the southeastern area, Palaszczuk said.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the floods are very different to 2011 because the rain pummeled the region for five days. In 2011, the rain had stopped days before the Brisbane River peaked and authorities had warned for several days of flooding downstream.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey said major roads had been cut. Train and ferry services across Brisbane have been halted, he said.

Were going to have localized flooding in a lot of areas for a couple of days yet, Bailey said.

Lismore was bracing for its worst flooding on record.

Downtown Lismore was inundated on Monday after days of unrelenting rain and 15,000 people had been evacuated, officials said.

About the photo: In this photo provided by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, water floods streets and houses in Maryborough, Australia, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Heavy rain is bringing record flooding to some east coast areas while the flooding in Brisbane, a population of 2.6 million, and its surrounds is the worst since 2011 when the city was inundated by what was described as a once-in-a-century event. (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services via AP)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A swath of major American businesses  from major banks to utility companies  is preparing for possible cyberattacks against their computer networks as Russia on Thursday threatened consequences for nations that interfere with its invasion of Ukraine.

Their concerns, echoed in C-suites and around Washington, follow recent warnings from the Biden administration that U.S. firms should harden their defenses against potential cyberattacks that could disrupt the nations critical infrastructure.

American officials say there are no current threats against the U.S. But they have nonetheless urged organizations to plan for worst-case scenarios and more aggressively monitor their computer networks for possible intrusions.

Right now, everybody needs to be at a heightened alert in the event this continues to escalate, and Russia tries to sway political opinion by causing damage in the United States and its Western allies, said David Kennedy, the chief executive officer of security firm TrustedSec. He said companies should be going through their computer infrastructure with a fine-tooth comb to ensure previous intrusions cant be used to cause future, more damaging, attacks.

Major U.S. banks, for instance, fear aggressive cyberattacks if Washington imposes deeper financial sanctions on Russia, said two banking executives who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. CEOs of major financial firms and their cybersecurity experts recently met with Treasury officials as Russian threats of war intensified, according to the executives. (The New York Times previously reported the meeting.)

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday that any foreign attempts to interfere with Russias actions in would lead to consequences you have never experienced, according to remarks of his speech provided by the Kremlin. U.S. officials have tied recent cyberattacks on government websites and banks in Ukraine to the Russian government.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden warned that the U.S. is prepared to respond to any cyberattacks.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has been urging U.S. businesses and organizations to be prepared for cyberattacks, despite the lack of specific threats. Russia may consider taking retaliatory action in response to sanctions that may impact our critical infrastructure, she tweeted on Tuesday. Those warnings were echoed by Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in a letter Wednesday to energy executives, urging them to prepare to the highest possible level for potential Russia-linked cyber and disinformation activity or cybercriminal activity from actors seeking to exploit the ongoing geopolitical situation.

CISAs Shields Up campaign has encouraged cyber preparedness in recent days, from ensuring that software is up to date to designating a crisis-response team for a suspected cybersecurity incident. The Russian government understands that disabling or destroying critical infrastructure including power and communications  can augment pressure on a countrys government, military and population and accelerate their acceding to Russian objectives, according to a webpage devoted to the campaign.

Speaking on a panel for the Aspen Institute last week, Easterly said, We all recognize that early warnings of a cyberattack effecting U.S. organizations are frankly going to be identified by very likely a private company first rather than the government.

Michael Daniel, who served as a cybersecurity coordinator under President Barack Obama, said he is most worried about a Russian hacking operation that spirals out of control. I think its almost inevitable that there will be some sort of spillover effect, he said, which could start with neighboring countries but extend further to the U.S.

Steven Silberstein, chief executive officer of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, known as FS-ISAC, an organization that shares cyber intelligence among financial institutions around the world, said in a statement: Our global intelligence team is continuing to actively assess the situation through enhanced monitoring and cross-border threat intelligence sharing across the financial services sector. Our members and the broader financial services industry remain vigilant.

Electric utilities are closely monitoring the situation and are coordinating across the industry and with our government partners, said Scott Aaronson, a security executive at the Edison Electric Institute, a trade group. The Solar Energy Industries Association, meanwhile, encouraged its members in a message Thursday to discuss your organizations cyber response procedures with your staff and have a clear understanding of everyones roles and responsibilities.

Other experts urged caution, saying it wasnt a given that Russia would wage cyberattacks against American organizations in retaliation. Adam Meyers, senior vice president for intelligence at the cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike Holdings Inc., said he didnt currently anticipate Russia attacking U.S. targets in retaliation for sanctions or other actions from the Biden administration.

Meyers said the guise of the Russian effort is a peacekeeping mission, and to them attack Western entities would be problematic for that narrative.

With assistance from Hannah Levitt, Katherine Doherty, Mark Chediak and William Turton.

Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The State Bar of California is investigating a data breach after learning that a website published confidential information about 260,000 attorney discipline cases in California and other jurisdictions.

State Bar officials learned about the posted records on Feb. 24, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

As of Saturday night, all the confidential information that had been published on the website judyrecords.com had been removed, the newspaper said. The records included case numbers, file dates, information about the types of cases and their statuses, respondent and complaining witnesses names.

We apologize to anyone who is affected by the websites unlawful display of nonpublic data, State Bar executive Leah Wilson said in a statement. We take our obligations to protect confidential data with the utmost seriousness, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that we resolve this issue quickly and prevent any such breaches from recurring.

Full case records were not published. Officials said they dont know whether the published information was the result of a hacking incident.

Judyrecords.com is a website that aggregates nationwide court case records.

The State Bar website allows the public to search for case information, but the information on the attorney discipline cases posted by judyrecords.com is not supposed to be available to the public, the Times said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Claremore, OK (74018)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 3 to 5 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 3 to 5 inches of rain expected.
If a visitor to Israel had the time to take a month to really get to know the country, I would recommend the period that has just concluded  from Passover through Israeli Independence Day. Its Israel in a nutshell. And it also happens to be a time of year when most of the days are picture-
Emporia, KS (66801)

Today

Periods of rain. The rain will be heavy at times. High 56F. Winds E at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers likely. Low 53F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
South Euclid could see its first medical marijuana dispensary by the end of this year or early 2023.

At a Feb. 14 city council meeting, council unanimously approved a conditional-use permit that would allow the Nevada-based The Source dispensary, named in the legislation as The Source Holding Ohio LLC, to open at 14481 Cedar Road in the former Huntington Bank building.

When medical marijuana sales became legal in Ohio in 2017, city council approved legislation that would allow dispensaries within the city as a conditional use, and also set up guidelines preventing the businesses from being near schools, libraries, churches or playgrounds.

According to Michael Love, city economic development director, The Source was one of 12 applications received when applications for dispensaries were reopened in 2021 and was one of seven businesses randomly selected from those applications. If all goes according to plan, The Source will lease the building, he told the Cleveland Jewish News.

This will be our first medical marijuana dispensary in South Euclid, Love said, with the closest one being Buckeye Relief in Cleveland Heights, which is set to open early this year. Beyond that, you have to go pretty far west or east to access a dispensary. Out of those applying, we were happy (The Source) was selected.

The former Huntington Bank building also seemed somewhat conducive for The Source, as it is both a free-standing building and soon to be fully vacant once Arova, a kosher restaurant, moves to the Cedar Center shopping plaza in a few weeks.

Its going to be totally vacant, so they can come in and do a comprehensive renovation of the building, Love said. We think it works out well as a location for the dispensary, and it will beautify a building that definitely needs some love.

Love said he also believes the community will respond well to the dispensary.

In our discussions with The Source, theyve said they want to be very supportive of the community and want to be involved, he said. We dont know exactly how that will play out as it is still to be determined, but we think they will be a good community partner.

Before moving forward, The Source has a few more approvals on the state level, which is a three-to-six month process, Love said. Then they have to submit all of their plans to the city for review, which is administered through the building and fire departments.

Ruth Gray, South Euclid City Council president, told the CJN that the city has done our due diligence and believed a dispensary within the community warranted opportunity.

Medical marijuana is something our society needs and is regulated, she said. The ability for people to create entrepreneurship on it while also serving a medical need is something in line with what South Euclid wanted to do.

Gray added The Source has done their homework, and she believes they can present a good application to the state for their licenses when the time comes.

Love mirrored the sentiment that a medical marijuana dispensary, and specifically The Source, is a good fit for the South Euclid community.

We look forward to working with The Source because everything that weve heard and discussed with them shows them to be a really good company that aims to be very involved, he said.

The Source has four locations in Nevada  two in Las Vegas, one in Reno and another in Henderson. Simon Nankervis, CEO of The Source, previously lived in Columbus for several years and worked for Designer Brands.
Clinton, IA (52732)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Charles Dumas, a professor emeritus from Penn States College of Arts and Architectures School of Theatre, described himself as a foot soldier during the 1960s civil rights movement.

Dumas, the School of Theatres first Black professor to receive tenure, said he went to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom  where Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech  and later met King in 1964 while helping people in Mississippi register to vote.

He was involved in a variety of committees and events during the civil rights movement, including the Congress for Racial Inequality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Dumas said in the South during the 60s, activists lived under fear of terror at all times.

If you stepped out of line, you could be killed, and if you were killed, you would be sure that the people who did it would not be prosecuted, as in the case of Emmett Till, he said.

By risking their lives fighting white supremacy in the South, Dumas said King and his supporters hoped to appeal to the conscience of white America.

Starting in 1964, Dumas said he worked as a full-time civil rights activist for 8 or 9 years by helping register people to vote, traveling and working in places like Mississippi, California and New York.

We were poor workers, Dumas said. We werent doing it for money because there was no money. We were doing it because we wanted to make a change in the world.

Jo Dumas, Charles wife and an associate teaching professor in Penn States Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, said she has very vivid recollections of Little Rock Central High School being integrated in 1957.

She said she was outraged seeing adults beating and intimidating Black teenagers on television.

Once the Vietnam War began, Jos father served as an officer in the military. The fact that he was still opposed to the war strongly influenced her opinion that the war was unethical, Jo said.

Despite the intimidation, Charles said he and his fellow activists always had hope.

Charles, 76, said his parents generation fought in World War II. The Black soldiers were inspired by the Double V campaign, which meant victory overseas and victory at home, according to Charles.

We were a generation growing up with the notion that it was courageous, honorable and fully American to fight for democracy, freedom and equality, Charles said.

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As the 60s progressed, the civil rights movement found itself marching alongside anti-Vietnam War protesters, according to Charles, who said American conservatives elected Richard Nixon in 1968 out of fear of these protesters.

Charles said conservatives thought of protesters who entered the streets and demonstrated against the war as lawless.

He called these protests one of the most American things ever.

If theres one thing about American exceptionalism, it is the fact that we as a people and we as individuals think that if something is wrong, you open your mouth and try to change it, Charles said.

Charles said the assassination of King in 1968 was a turning point in the civil rights movement since King preached nonviolence and was not a physical threat to anyone.

While Charles and his fellow activists succeeded in changing segregation law, what they couldnt change was an assassin murdering King or Robert F. Kennedy, which led to despair and frustration among the activists, Charles said.

Jo said King epitomized goodness.

Everything he communicated with people through his writings and through his speaking was about rising to those better angels that we can all become, Jo said. He appeared to be someone who had already done it.

After King was killed, Jo said she and many other supporters had to rediscover our goodness.

We had to rediscover that commitment and that love we had for a path of nonviolence, Jo said.

Charles said he ran for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvanias 5th District in 2012. Even though he lost to Republican Glenn Thompson, Dumas said he believed his Democratic campaigning helped Obama win Pennsylvania.

Charles said he also ran for the New York State Senate in 1980, where he was endorsed by Coretta Scott King, Martins wife, and Jo said Coretta attended an event Charles and Jo hosted for her.

Jo said she was getting the refreshments ready, but Coretta would not allow me to stay in the background.

Coretta told Jo behind every man doing great work is someone unsung working alongside, and Jo recalled Coretta as the most down-to-earth person.

After Martins death, Jo said she admired how Coretta would continue to laugh, joke and play  despite all of the responsibility she had taken on as she continued advocating for civil rights.

For Charles, he said hes always very impressed with young peoples advocacy  especially with how confident he said they are about confronting climate change.

One sign of hope he said he saw for the future was how Parkland, Florida, high school students reacted to their school being attacked in 2018.

On Feb. 14, 2018, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the high school, opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others.

Their friends had been killed, and instead of crawling into a hole, they started organizing against guns and created thousands of people coming to Washington. Charles said. These were high school kids.

They were younger than me when I went to Mississippi. That gave me hope.

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In 1997, Charles directed the classic 1959 Lorraine Hansberry play A Raisin in the Sun at Penn State, which was the first play written by an African American person to be performed on Penn States main stage, according to Charles.

Charles said he was asked where he would find Black actors for the play, since the universitys School of Theatre was predominantly white at the time.

There were Black students all over the campus, Charles said, and he said Frances Foster, who was a dear friend he brought in from New York to play Mama, was the only person in the cast from outside of Penn State.

Foster was the understudy to the younger Ruth in the original Broadway production.

According to Cynthia Henderson, who played Ruth in Penn States 1997 production, Foster took over Ruths role on Broadway when Ruby Dee played Ruth in the 1961 film.

Charles said this would be the last play Foster performed before she died.

Henderson, currently a professor and the associate chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at Ithaca College, called the 1997 play one of the most artistically satisfying experiences shes had.

Carla Hargrove, who played Beneatha in the 1997 Penn State production, said Charles would require the actors to do research on their characters to explain choices the characters made in the play.

He didnt let us skimp on that research, Hargrove said.

Hargrove said while auditioning for the play, she felt more connected to Ruth and really wanted to play her. However, being cast as Beneatha forced her to think differently and go to different places than she had planned.

It was a nice process to be able to explore parts of myself that I had not intentionally thought about, Hargrove said.

Being cast as Beneatha helped Hargrove realize that, as a performer, Its not necessarily what you get  its what you do with what you have, she said.

Henderson and Hargrove both graduated from Penn State in 1997.

Henderson called A Raisin in the Sun a perfect play in terms of its structure and encapsulation of the civil rights movement.

She also praised the plays universality of family dynamics, calling it one of the great kitchen sink family dramas alongside Death of a Salesman.

For Hargrove, Penn States production of the play has a special place in her memory.

The whole show and the whole time has a little halo around it, Hargrove said. It was a good time.

Both Charles and Jo have always been mentors to Henderson, she said, ever since they met in 1996, when Henderson became Charles office assistant.

Hargrove also gave praise to Charles for his passion for community involvement.

Its really, really rare to find someone like him  someone who has achieved all that he has achieved but also is so very willing to give back, Hargrove said.

Hargrove said she thinks of Charles as her adopted dad. Charles and Jo are also close with Hargroves daughter, often mailing her birthday cards.

Charles has stayed in Hendersons life since the play in 1997, and she invited Charles to teach a theatre and race workshop at Ithaca College over Zoom in 2021.

Henderson called the workshop eye-opening and wonderful, and she said about half of Ithacas theatre department attended.

For Hargrove, wherever she goes, she tries to remind her colleagues to maintain a focus on Black history, art and culture throughout the year.

There shouldnt be just a rush to pay attention in February, Hargrove said. There shouldnt be an eyeglass shone down on Black people from Feb. 1 to Feb. 28.

Charles campaigning across the hinterlands or red sea of rural Pennsylvania had some similarities to the campaigning he did nearly 50 years earlier, he said.

While the messages were different, Charles said the political process has always been about engagement and knocking on doors.

Charles said one of the motivations for knocking on doors in the 60s was to humanize the civil rights movement.

People saw that you didnt have two heads, and you werent some kind of communist conspirator running around trying to destroy America, Charles said.

For Charles, he said he had the same goals throughout his 2012 election campaign.

Theyre gonna see that Im like them, Charles said. Ive got my mortgage, my children, my grandchildren, and Im trying to build a better world for all of our children.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE
Cathleen Hunt, teaching professor and co-director of undergraduate studies in psychology at Penn State, has spent the last 15 years dedicated to psychology education and research.

For as long as I can remember, I knew that I wanted to learn more about human and animal behavior, Hunt said.

Early in her career, Hunt developed a passion for developmental studies by pursuing her undergraduate degree in her home state at the University of California Davis, her masters degree at California State University, Sacramento, and her Ph.D. at the University of Arizona.

My research experience as an undergraduate was mainly focused on an animal behavior group, Hunt said. But my masters thesis was focused on people.

Since finishing her Ph.D., Hunt has become well-versed in ethology and human behavior, human development and behavior genetics, she said.

Following her arrival at Penn State, Hunt has been an active member of the psychology faculty.

Every semester, I teach a ton of really interesting classes, Hunt said. I teach Introduction to Learning Psychology, Introduction to Developmental Psychology and Evolutionary Psychology.

For Hunt, teaching has always been something she wanted to pursue.

I was sure that I wanted to be an academic-oriented psychologist since I started my undergrad, Hunt said. Luckily, [teaching] stuck.

Furthermore, Hunt said she enjoys everything she teaches and interacting with her students in and out of the classroom.

Hunt said shes also involved in advising students, mentoring undergraduate teaching assistants and judging undergraduate and graduate research conferences.

The processes involved in development and learning have also been centerpieces of her research.

I havent been actively researching for a while now, Hunt said. But, my last project was working to demystify research articles for students so that they feel more comfortable reading and comprehending published research in scholarly articles.

For this project, Hunt allowed her students to take part in the research process.

I have hope for the future of research, Hunt said. I hope to see continued research in the biological components of human and primate behavior.

Hunt said the relationships with her undergraduate TAs are really important to her.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE

My favorite part about being a professor is being able to mentor students, Hunt said. I have enjoyed getting to know my undergraduate TAs better as students and as individuals.

Hunt, similar to the rest of Penn State, said she felt the effects of the coronavirus pandemic in her classroom.

I tried to let my students know that we could get through this together, Hunt said. I tried to make my students smile at least one time during class.

Because of her experience advising students, Hunt offered advice to students who want to pursue higher education in psychology.

If youre interested in pursuing a career in psychology, do your best to get research experience, Hunt said. You should also try to get one-on-one experience with a faculty member.

Mikayla Day has experienced being both a student and TA for Hunt.

I took her developmental psychology course during the spring semester of my sophomore year, Day (senior-psychology) said. She asked me if I wanted to be a [teaching] assistant because I asked her more questions than any other student.

Day said Hunt is not just a great professor but a great person in general.

Dr. Hunt is different because she empathizes with every student and wants people to do well if they want to do well. Day said. She will go out of her way to have a conversation with you  she is very approachable and genuinely cares about what she is teaching.

For Day, her favorite topic to learn and teach with Hunt is fetal psychology.

Samantha Ricciardella, another former student and a current TA of Hunts, echoed Days thoughts.

I took her class during my first semester freshman year, Ricciardella (freshman-psychology) said. During class, my favorite subject was the stages of cognitive development.

Ricciardella said near the end of the class, she wasnt ready for it to be over.

I really wanted to become a TA because of how much I enjoyed her class, Ricciardella said. So when she asked me to TA for her, I was overjoyed.

For Ricciardella, Hunt did a great job at keeping the students involved in the class.

She is just an amazing lecturer, Riciardella said. She does a wonderful job keeping everyone in the class engaged and interested.

Besides being a TA for Hunt, Ricciardella said she enjoys being around Hunt because of her positive style of teaching.

She cares so much about her students, Ricciardella said. She also just has so much experience in the psychology field that she has so many stories and real world examples.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE
Im no Carrie Bradshaw.

Real life isnt drinking martinis and dating the most eligible men in the city. Lets face it: Martinis in London are about 12 (thats about $16), and the most eligible men arent stalking the local pubs.

But theres a very important difference between Carrie and all people my age  Tinder, Hinge and Bumble. You might think there are no differences between being on dating apps in the U.S. compared to the U.K., but youd be wrong.

London specifically is a melting pot of cultures. In addition to the many American exchange students, there are different nationalities with their own customs when it comes to dating.

Being a straight, white 21-year-old, Im only looking at men in my dating pool. That being said, the only similarity between men in the U.S. and the U.K. is that I frequently ask the question, Why do men?

Thats it, thats the question.

A gentleman from Hinge once asked me if I have an American accent. Another asked why my name was Megaladon (exact spelling). Again, Why do men?

The biggest difference between the two countries is that I havent gotten one request for my Snapchat username. Each time a guy asks, it's always for my Instagram handle. It seems here in the U.K., Instagram direct messages trade places with Snapchat as the first line of initial communication.

If Ive progressed past the Instagram trial run, hell ask for my WhatsApp. Forget iMessage games, this is WhatsApp, where the only cool thing is you can change the background of your text chains.

One positive Ive noticed is that lads here are quick to set up a date. Instead of talking for a couple of weeks over Snapchat, theyll quickly ask to grab a drink and meet face-to-face.

I dont know about all the other ladies out there, but meeting a stranger in a public setting rather than a 1 a.m., You up? text is much better. Plus, free drinks (if youre of age of course).

In addition, each bathroom of every pub has flyers advertising the pubs no harassment policy. If any woman feels unsafe, the safety initiative called Ask for Angela allows women protection from dangerous dates. Sexual harassment is no joke, and I appreciate that pubs take that issue seriously.

My personal apps of choice are Hinge and Bumble. I like having conversations with people and feel those two are the apps where that most happens. The prompts allow something that Tinder could never  substance.

Instead of just superficially judging pictures on Tinder, you can also superficially judge their personality with prompts, too. Leading the conversations toward, Can you be my tour guide, Im American, can yield lots of restaurant recommendations or even your very own tour guide.

Carrie Bradshaw could never.

Clothing is also different. A blanket statement doesnt cover all of the male existence in the U.S., as the vast majority of men seem to love the gray sweatpants, sweatshirt and flannel combo. No hate, as women also get called out for wearing the same jeans and black crop top combo in a group.

In the U.K., due mostly to the fact that people constantly dress nice, theres no cookie cutter outfit that all men wear. Men will come to the date dressed to impress  and impress it does.

Obviously, these are just my cultural observations. I cannot encompass the entire ecosystem of online dating differences between the U.K. and the U.S.

By no means am I hating on any men in any country. Im just embracing the differences I observe. If I could give any advice, it would be to embrace said differences.

There are pros and cons for everything, right?
In this June 29, 2018, file photo, wild horses occupy a watering hole outside Salt Lake City. The U.S. government is seeking new pastures for thousands of wild horses that have overpopulated Western ranges. Landowners interested in hosting large numbers of rounded-up wild horses on their property can now apply with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
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The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
New rocket to be partially reusable

By ZHAO LEI (China Daily) 08:38, March 01, 2022

The Shenzhou XIII spacecraft and the Long March 2F carrier rocket are moved from a testing facility to a launch tower at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Oct 7, 2021. WANG JIANGBO/FOR CHINA DAILY

China's next-generation rocket designed to carry astronauts will be multifunctional and partly reusable, according to a senior rocket scientist.

Wang Xiaojun, president of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the country's major maker of carrier rockets, told an international forum in mid-February that the new rocket, which has yet to be named, will have two models.

The first will consist of a two-stage core booster and will be used to transport astronauts or cargo to China's Tiangong space station, while the other will have a three-stage core booster and multiple side boosters and will be tasked with carrying astronauts to the moon.

The first model will be able to send 14 metric tons of payload to the low-Earth orbit in which the Tiangong station is traveling. The second model will be capable of carrying spacecraft weighing about 27 tons to an Earth-moon transfer trajectory, a gateway for lunar landings, Wang said.

The first two stages of their core boosters will be basically identical while there will be a third stage on the moon-landing rocket, he said.

The first stage of the models will be reusable, Wang said, explaining that the component will have a controlled, powered landing with its own engines and will be captured by a special recovery net.

Wang's remarks were made at the International Symposium on Outlook and Cooperation on Near-Earth Orbit Human Spaceflight on Feb 17 and were published by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp last week.

The virtual conference was co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Astronautics and the International Astronautical Federation.

Chinese space industry engineers have been working to make their rockets reusable for several years and have made substantial progress via technology demonstration tests.

Jiang Jie, a senior rocket designer at Wang's academy and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said research and development of the reusable variant of the Long March 8 rocket are proceeding well.

She said designers are developing an integrated first stage for the reusable variant. It will consist of a core booster and two side boosters. Instead of breaking up and falling back to Earth like the first stages of all previous Chinese rockets, the new core and side boosters will stay together and make a powered landing at a preset landing site or a recovery platform at sea.

The only reusable rocket that has entered operational service is SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, which made its maiden launch in February 2018.

All boosters on the US rocket's first stage can be recovered and reused as they separate from each other before controlled reentry and landing.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
As the Cubs were beating the Braves 6-3 Wednesday night Steve left to see the game with his mom and dad, Reva and Harold, brother Ron and baby niece Elizabeth Henney. He left behind to run the store his wife Kathleen (Knight), Amelia (27), Nathan (24) and his beloved cat Lewis Black. His sis
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With Russia's attacks on Ukraine intensifying, I expect Apple will join the list of companies exiting the Russian Federation. Doing so reflects the companys commitment to environmental, social and corporate responsibility.

Update: Since this article was posted, Apple has ceased selling products via its online store in Russia and published a statement (see below).

Will Apple leave Russia?

Ive been thinking about the implications of Apple making such a move since Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov urged it to stop offering products and services in Russia. At first, I felt that doing so might deprive Russians of essential tools they could use to oppose their government. My thinking has moved on, though Apple will also have a duty of care to its Russian employees, who may find themselves exposed to reprisal if the company exits the market. Im not going to dig too deeply into the politics of current events. Newsweek, Slate and others do a far better job of that, but I will try to explore what the significance might be.

First, what is Russia to Apple?

Russia is (or was) the worlds 11th-largest economy. As we know, Apple continues to seek out markets for future growth, and while the Russian market was small, it was generating business and Apple has very loyal customers there.

Apples Russia business has grown significantly in the last few years. Apple CFO Luca Maestri told us the company was very pleased with results there in Q3 21. The most recent data Ive seen suggests Apples business in Russia generated around $2.5 billion in 2020, which is under 1% of Apples sales.

Apple probably makes more revenue selling Apple One subscriptions internationally. Given the cost of those sales, its unlikely they contribute a huge amount to company profit.

What is the business environment?

Apple only recently complied with a government mandate to open offices in Russia. One of the reasons it was required to do so was so it could continue to offer online services there.The company also keeps some user data on servers situated in Russia. This likely includes iCloud user data.

Apple isnt the top smartphone brand in Russia; that's Samsung, according to Burga, with Xiaomi a close second. In third place, iPhones account for about 15% of smartphones sold in Russia in Q3 21 but also take roughly 45% of smartphone sales revenue. The revenue may matter less, given the plunging value of the ruble.

When a Russian consumer purchases an iPhone they will see a prompt during setup which encourages them to install Russian-developed software. This was required by Russian regulators and was a step Apple originally opposed, but eventually agreed to take.

When it did, the company successfully reached a compromise that means customers can choose or reject which Russian apps they should install, rather than having these apps forcibly pre-installed.

Notably, other smartphone manufacturers (including Samsung) did not reach the same compromise, which means most non-Apple devices sold in Russia ship with state-sanctioned software pre-installed. Thats the environment in which Apples business takes place.

What happens when you leave?

But what happens if Apple does exit the market? One recent illustration of what happens when you apply financial sanctions: Russian commuters hoping to catch the subway who find they can no longer use Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Google Pay to pay for the metro. This likely affects the 20% of Russians who use Apple Pay.

When it comes to the supply chain, it seems unlikely that Apple relies on Russian component suppliers. Most of its manufacturing partners are in the APAC/US regions. The conflict is likely to generate interruption in raw materials supplies with or without sanctions, but perhaps those challenges can be resolved.

There is also the significance of exiting the market on Apples customers there.

Protecting Apple customers

In terms of using big-name services such as Apple and iCloud, its arguable that Russias brave peace protesters should (and probably already have) adopt more highly secure, cross-platform communication tools, such as Signal or Briar. They should also disable server-based services such as iCloud to protect their privacy and dig deep to secure every available privacy feature on their device.

Of course, fully securing your iPhone degrades the functions and services it provides. At its most secure, an iPhone will not use Apples services and most certainly will not store data in iCloud.

iCloud is not encrypted, and Apple will share details of data held in the service with law enforcement in any nation in which it does business. Given that most dissidents will understand this, Apples services cannot logically be seen as essential to the effort of protesting Putins war.

It seems relevant to note that Russia government device requests for customer data grew from under 200 in 2013 to more than 2,000 in July-December 2020, according to Apples own transparency report. Apple does not comply with all these requests and Russia does not make anything near as many such requests as the US.

What happens next?

I do not think Apples business will be deeply impacted if it chooses to withdraw from Russia. On a global basis, I imagine Apple and others are already feeling the decline in consumer confidence, in comparison to which the Russian business may seem small-time.

Its a tragedy that weve reached a point where there are no good answers  and even the least worst answers seem terrible.

When the invasion began, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted:

I am deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine. Were doing all we can for our teams there and will be supporting local humanitarian efforts. I am thinking of the people who are right now in harms way and joining all those calling for peace.

Meanwhile, in the Ukraine, developers  including those from Reddit, MacPaw, Setapp, Readdle and others  continue to strive to protect their own people.

While working to support people in Ukraine, I imagine Apple will now also be considering what it can do to protect its Russian teams from reprisal as the situation continues to unravel.

What Apple did

On March 1, Apple ceased product sales via its online store. It also published the following statement via John Paczkowski and Buzzfeednews.

"We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence. We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region."

The company also confirmed steps it has taken so far:

Apple has paused all product sales in Russia.

It has stopped all exports into its sales channel there.

Apple Pay and other services have been limited.

RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia.

Apple has disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine.

"We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace," the company also said.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.
The memorial service for Judith McFerran Robertson will be held at Algiers United Methodist Church, 637 Opelousas Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70114 at 2PM on Sunday, May 22, 2022 with Reverend JoAnne Pounds officiating. The obituary for Judi can be viewed and online condolences made at www.shule
It is not often that the media, when reporting news of the murder of a leading member of organized crime, immediately and in unison, indicate the organization suspected of being responsible as well as the motive.





In the case of Carmine Verduci's murder (on Apr. 24, 2014; see Part 2), all this happened. And it happened largely for one reason: because there were different police sources who all suggested the same line of inquiry. We refer to a set of opinions expressed by anonymous officers that, considering their authoritativeness and competence, journalists understandably reported and developed.

These opinions could be summarized as follows:

 The killing was to be attributed to the Rizzuto crime family (Montreal Family), which had eliminated a high-ranking member of the 'Ndrangheta rooted in the Greater Toronto Area, right in the heart of its territory.

 Verducis fault would have been to have joined the attempt (2009-2011), headed by Salvatore Montagna, to overthrow the leadership of the same Montreal Family (Montagna would have been killed as part of an internal feud within his crime syndicate on Nov. 24, 2011; in the above picture, he is shown in surveillance footage on the day of his murder).

The outcome of the attempt has now passed into the history of North American crime. Despite the very high human losses suffered by the Rizzutos, it was a failure (which was made definitive by the departure from the scene of its principal promoter mentioned above), not without the same amount of bloody consequences.

Indeed, after the release of the supreme boss Vito Rizzuto from a US prison (on Oct. 5, 2012, after a total of nine years of imprisonment), a relentless work of revenge started that continued even after his death on Dec. 23, 2013 (due to natural causes).

Thus, over time, those who had participated or supported in the attack on the Family paid with their lives. The same fate that befell some who merely had not openly sided with it.

Therefore, in this context of events, the proposed motive for the killing of Verduci could appear coherent and plausible, if it was not for a small detail: that it was almost certainly wrong, at least based on subsequent acquisitions by the Italian authorities, in particular within a Project code-named Acero-Krupy (Sept. 2015), however not yet proven in court (we will deal with them carefully in the next Part 4).

But what we want to highlight in the present article is that noteworthy news and information, already known at the time of Verduci's murder, all together could and should have contributed to casting doubt on that investigative hypothesis, given by all the questioned police sources as the most likely. Indeed, this news and information reported unequivocal, historical, and documented relationships between the Rizzutos and the Coluccio Clan. We have already dealt extensively with the latter in this explanation (see in particular Part 1). Therefore, we know that it was a relevant component of the mother-Locale of Marina di Gioiosa Ionica (supreme boss Rocco Aquino) and its dependent Locale rooted in the GTA.

Carmine Verduci belonged to the Coluccio Clan and the Locale on Canadian soil, where he had settled for many years. Probably, at the time of his assassination, of this Locale, following the previous deportations of its other leading exponents to Italy, he held the position of the supreme boss (Capo Locale), as argued in Part 2.

Hence the doubts - that should have arisen - about the convenience for the Coluccios, and consequently for the mother-Locale of Marina di Gioiosa Ionica, to waste such close and valuable ties with a criminal organization as powerful as the Montreal Family. All this to embark, along with others, on a risky adventure that indeed ended, as we have already noted.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

But let's proceed in order. Firstly by quoting opinions of police sources as they were reported, at the time, by the major newspapers focused on the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto Sun, National Post, and Toronto Star). As we will see, these opinions guided the judgments, hypotheses, and narratives of their specialized journalists.

The first contributions that we propose are those of R. Lamberti and C. Doucette and only of R. Lamberti (Toronto Sun). A very evocative narrative characterized them:

Mob boss Vito Rizzuto is dead but his vendetta lives on.

Carmine Verduci, 56, was gunned down outside a private Vaughan social club, police said Friday.

Verduci is a suspected Toronto-area Ndrangheta clan mob hitman described as a bona fide psycho-killer.

Its proof the Vito Rizzuto vendetta continues, sources believe.

Its not over, a source said. This is a direct result of Montreal. This is a message to the Calabrians. This is a settling of accounts.

()

Police in Ontario and Quebec were uncertain as to how the settling of accounts stood after Montreal mafia chieftain Vito Rizzuto died of natural causes on Dec. 23, 2013.

The 67-year-old Mob boss was on a rampage, seeking revenge for the assault on his family that began in 2009 with the deaths of his son, his father, and family members and friends who were senior members of this crime clan.

Its believed a confederation of Ontario Ndrangheta clans and turncoat Quebec mobsters launched the assault while Rizzuto was in a Colorado jail serving a 10-year sentence for his role in the 1981 murders of three Bonanno captains who were apparently planning a coup.

But shortly after his release and return to Canada, Rizzuto began his vendetta.

He reached out to Italy in the slaying of his former Ontario captain Juan Fernandez, known as Joe Bravo, to Mexico to kill Moreno Galo, and to the GTA with the shooting murder of hitman Salvatore Sam Calautti. They were but three who were eliminated.

Rizzuto, however, ran out of time as he died of natural causes in December and Ontario-based Ndrangheta clan members thought they didnt have to look over their shoulders. They body guards that travelled with them and their family members were set aside.

Police knew his vendetta wasnt complete but investigators were unsure if it would continue past his death or if a balance of power would be reached. Thursdays assassination of Verduci shows the vendetta continues, a police source said.

Police were waiting to determine if the Rizzuto vendetta had stopped and it appeared to be quiet on the Mob front.

This is the big drop, the source said. This is a big message. It aint over.

(R. Lamberti - C. Doucette, Toronto Sun, Apr. 25-26, 2014).

The city [Woodbridge] is where many of Ontarios Ndrangheta members feel safe. Its their home turf. But the incursion by assassins, who police strongly believe were sent by those who have taken over Vito Rizzutos Montreal crime family, is sure to strike fear.

In a world often marked by symbolic maneuvers, the hit on Verduci is a significant move by the Montreal Mob.

It was Montreals reminder that Rizzutos vendetta  his quest for revenge in the murders of his father, his son and other family members in an attempted coup  didnt end with the capos Dec. 23 death of natural causes.

Police sources say Verducis death could signal that the next targets could be higher in stature.

This is basically putting it in their faces, a police source said. Verduci had huge influence within the Calabrian underworld.

Its the second recent venture by the Montreal mob into Woodbridge.

Calabrian mob assassin Salvatore Sam Calautti, a 41-year-old father of two who owned a Dufferin St. restaurant, was assassinated in an ambush last July 12 as he sat in his car outside a Vaughan banquet hall attending a stag. His killer or killers knew Calautti would be there.

The same seems to be true for Verduci. His killers knew where he would be and patiently waited for their moment.

()

Woodbridge is the Calabrian Ndranghetas power base and killing a guy like Verduci is like saying that none among them is safe.

Clearly, someone needed to be held to account and (Verduci) was on the vendetta list, the source said, who believes the hits are expected to continue.

He is a central figure in the power base, the source said. They know Verduci is a guy who gets things done for them.

()

When the guns were turned on the Rizzuto clan, the Calabrians started by killing low-level members such as the street drug dealers. They slowly moved up the hierarchy until they reached Vito Rizzutos father Nicolo, his son Nick Jr., and other family members who were also senior level leaders.

The same thing is happening here, the source said. I think this is the message we were waiting for, everyone was wondering what was happening after Vito was gone.

Theres going to be a lot of nervous people.

(R. Lamberti, Toronto Sun, Apr. 26, 2014).

Identical concepts were also reaffirmed a few months later (Dec. 2014), as can be inferred by the same title of the article (Mob vendetta spree expected to continue in new year):

A police source says the vendetta spree that began in 2012 shortly after Vito Rizzuto returned to Canada after serving a 10-year prison sentence in Colorado for racketeering-related charges is expected to continue. The natural death of Rizzuto, 67, last December didnt stem the vendetta.

There are apparently still a few Calabrian Mob opportunists and Sicilian traitors that need to be dealt with by the Rizzuto crime family, the source says.

()

Verduci was killed in a precise strike against him outside a cafe frequented by Ndrangheta members in the city where they felt safe.

The message was loud and clear: For those who opposed Rizzuto, there is no safe haven.

(R. Lamberti, Toronto Sun, Dec. 28-29, 2014).

A. Humphreys (National Post) developed the theme of the alleged revenge of the Rizzutos less than the others did. However, he also reported the opinion of a police source who always proposed the same scenario:

His [Verducis] position within the Calabrian clans of Toronto would make him an attractive target to Sicilian rivals in Montreal looking to make a stand, a police source said.

We might find it was meant as a message to the Calabrians from the Sicilians, that this aint over, we havent forgotten.'

If that scenario is true, then hope of peace after Mr. Rizzutos death seems unlikely.

(A. Humphreys, National Post, Apr. 25, 2014).

Lastly, we report some excerpts from the article by P. Edwards (Toronto Star). Already from the title: Rizzuto revenge suspected in murder of GTA mobster Carmine Verduci in Woodbridge, it is possible to understand that he also speculated the same motive:

The brazen daytime slaying of GTA mobster Carmine Verduci is a blunt message from Montreals underworld: The war with Vito Rizzutos old crime family isnt over.

()

Rizzuto, Canadas top Mafioso, died in bed from what were reported to be natural causes in December, in the midst of a gang war that pitted members of the Montreal mob against GTA criminals.

At the time of his death, Rizzuto was bent on revenge against at least a half dozen GTA mobsters, police sources say.

Verducis murder is a loud message to his old associates in the GTA and Hamilton underworld, police officers who specialize in organized crime said Friday.

To me its a huge message, one officer said. Its not over just because Vitos dead... Certain people have to die before business gets done.

()

The slaying comes after several visits to the GTA from two senior members of the old Rizzuto crime family this year.

Verduci was a prime target for Montreal assassins because he tried to encroach on turf which the Rizzutos considered their own, a police source said.

(P. Edwards, Toronto Star, Apr. 25, 2014).

However, Edwards' article had the merit of continuing by also providing some interesting additional information and in particular:

He [Verduci] was a frequent visitor to Montreal during the mob wars of the past five years, police say. Rizzutos eldest son and father are among the victims of unsolved gangland murders during that time.

During the fight to steal turf from Rizzuto, police say Verduci was part of a group that became involved with Sal Montagna, head of the Bonanno crime family of New York City.

Montagna was murdered near Montreal in November 2011.

(ibidem).

So, according to this latest news directly from the police:

 Verduci had traveled frequently to Montreal during the ongoing mob war in that city.

 He had openly sided with Salvatore Montagna.





Needless to say that it was information of great importance. We do not know how the police collected it. The only access to its archives would allow us to understand this.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

However, we can make assumptions based on at least one diagram (see Figure 1.) identifying steps and methods of collecting crime intelligence information. The diagram represents and develops the content of the following clear sentence: in order to carry out his activities, a member of a criminal organization must meet personally with other members, mainly from his organization, but also from other different ones, with whom to decide and plan, and potentially carry out in person, certain crimes.

Even more so, in a situation of constant fear of wiretapping that imposes an absolute ban on talking about criminal affairs by phone. This well-known dictate reminds us that law enforcement agencies carry out a typical intelligence activity. Therefore, it is usual for the mobsters, aware of the danger, to oppose the relative counterintelligence. Usually, it is not particularly sophisticated, but this does not mean that it is ineffective.

In addition to the first rule that is, as we said, not talking about criminal affairs by phone, examples of counterintelligence measures (which altogether constitute a code of conduct that distinguishes a real mobster from a street criminal) include:

(+) Using the method, widely employed by all mafia organizations of Italian origin, of the so-called ambasciate (transl. embassies): the high-ranking mafia member does not expose himself personally, but he makes a trusted person go to communicate (embassy), verbally or by written notes (to be destroyed immediately after reading them), orders, news, and appointments to the intended recipient. This method tries to undermine precisely the investigative scheme we are dealing with since it reduces the opportunities for meetings, which could be monitored, and, at the same time, avoids much of the possible electronic interception of communications.

(+) During conversations, never use people's names; at most, only nicknames or other names other than real ones. Moreover, mix English, Italian and closed dialects, thus making it more difficult for eventual police eavesdroppers to understand the dialogues (in a possible criminal proceeding, this expedient then often allows defense lawyers to challenge the correctness and interpretation of the translations).

(+) Using encrypted mobile phones. On the black market, members of criminal organizations can find cell phones specially configured to avoid surveillance. They are usually standard phones (among which BlackBerry devices traditionally stand out), then suitably modified. In particular, they are often deprived of all the principal and usual functions such as microphones, cameras, and GPS antennas. There is no internet browsing and no regular messenger apps pre-installed too. In return, they have a secure-communications software to send encrypted messages through servers located in offshore countries. In addition, devices can be remotely wiped if authorities seize them. Concerning the contrast to this kind of communication service when it is deliberately functional to the commission of crimes (in particular, international drug trafficking), we can mention the court cases against two companies, curiously both based in Canada, Phantom Secure (its case became known in 2018; see: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/phantom-secure-takedown-031618 ), and, even more recently (Mar. 2021), Sky Global (see: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices ).

(+) Continuous replacement of the cell phone SIM cards, possibly from other countries, and registered in the name of figureheads. Furthermore, especially during particular movements, it is essential for mobsters not to bring along their mobile phones or exchange them with accomplices to confuse possible controls of investigators (we refer to the traceability of mobile phone numbers through the analysis of the cellphone towers information).

(+) Always in communications, using cryptographic codes, which usually associate a number with a letter of the alphabet (see the picture belowfrom an Italian investigation that ended in Sept. 2021, code-named Crypto, against the Ndrangheta rooted on the Tyrrhenian side of the province of Reggio Calabria and engaged, as usual, in international drug trafficking).

(+) Periodically inspecting premises and cars for bugs or GPS devices and, at the same time, manning and monitoring them continuously to prevent the police from sneaking in and installing these types of devices. Interception activities by law enforcement otherwise should be feared at all times. Ndrangheta high-ranking members are very vigilant in this regard.

By way of example, we can recall the words of Vincenzo Muia from Siderno during his stay in the GTA in Apr. 2019 (he had crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the hope that the Figliomenis would provide him with information about the perpetrators of the murder of his brother Carmelo, killed in Siderno on Jan. 18, 2018; see the second article of this series): Even outside they [law enforcement agents] hear you, You [they] put the directional and hear what you say. () In my opinion, that home [a house in Vaughan, a city just north of Toronto, where Vincenzo had been a guest for a meal] is a bomb, That house, full of bugs. He says no, [but] I told him  If they want to hear you, they hear you.





o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Then, returning to the diagram represented in Figure 1, police can rely on or act as follows:

 Collecting information directly.

 Using informants confidences.





Figure 1.: Investigative techniques

Confidential informants are often extremely valuable. In particular, in cases where they provide an initial indication that consent to identify a line of inquiry to pursue.

In our case study, it can therefore happen that an informant in some small part can:

 Report a mobster to start investigations.

 Inform what illegal business he deals with and who his crime partners are.

 Report where he goes and who he meets beyond the topics covered in one or more of his meetings.

However, it is necessary to be very careful. Indeed, news from informants is not always reliable as it mainly serves their convenience. For this reason, any information from them must always be carefully verified and cross-referenced.

The figure of the confidential informant, who is, at the same time, a high-ranking member of an organized crime group, is particularly significant and delicate to manage (evidently, always by an exchange pact of mutual benefit). According to the journalists F. Seguin and E. Thibault in their book La Source (Les Editions du Journal, 2020), the notorious mobster Andrea Scoppa, shot to death on Oct. 21, 2019, in Montreal borough of Pierrefonds (see Part 1), belonged to this category.

On the other hand, operating directly means that, after selecting a target, the police investigators will employ their specialized operating units capable of carrying out physical and electronic surveillance activities (we remember that, in the present context, the target can be defined as an individual, not necessarily placed at the highest levels of a criminal organization but having at least some key role or particular qualities, whose monitoring promises interesting investigative developments).

Specifically, we are referring to stalking and surveillance, including a series of integrated technical activities such as: photographing; filming; data analysis of GPS trackers; analysis of the cellphone towers information; wiretapping (which, in any case, remains a fruitful tool for monitoring movements and knowing the circle of relationships of a target).

However, stalking a person and finding out where she goes and who she meets is much easier than knowing what is said during her meetings. At the same time, the latter is indispensable knowledge since meeting one or more people in itself means nothing in front of a criminal court. Intercepting conversations (indoors or outdoors) is, therefore, the only way to obtain it, excluding from this examination the informative contributions of undercover agents and government witnesses that are both outside the strictly operational context.

Note that the contents of a meeting can be captured live or ex-post, meaning the interception of a conversation (for example, inside a car) in the course of which usually a high-ranking mafia member tells his trustworthy not present subordinate or relative of what was discussed.

In any case, skills that are not common to the special police units employed in this type of operation are required. Indeed, according to the circumstances, they must:

 Know in advance the place chosen for a meeting.

 Elude the eventual continuous control of a place precisely to prevent intrusions by the police (we have already mentioned this counterintelligence measure here above).

 When it is time to act, implement an outer protective belt. For instance, in the case of homes, it is essential to activate surveillance for all residents to avoid being surprised by sudden, unexpected returns.

 Apply specific technical skills to enter the place (the typical way is to get or make a copy of the door or car key) and hide and power listening devices and cameras, all while leaving no traces of their passing. The latter ability is of paramount importance. In any case, it must be said that it is practically impossible to completely eliminate the risk of burning an often unrepeatable opportunity, however great the attention paid. Lets not forget that expert criminals are trained to notice the differences as well as use expedients (always definable as counterintelligence measures) to detect possible police intrusions.

By way of example, we can recall the case of the wife of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra boss Salvatore Lo Piccolo, at that moment still at large and for this reason actively sought by the police throughout the Palermo area (he will be arrested on Nov. 5, 2007, after 24 years as a fugitive). The woman, the first natural target of the investigation, purposely left a layer of dust on top of her car dashboard. One day, thanks to it, she noticed some fingermarks, thus realizing that the police had entered to install a listening device. Soon after, she was seen and filmed handing over the car to an auto wrecker.

As for this type of special police operation in Canada, it is worth mentioning a still relatively recent press article by D. Renaud ("Proces de Claude Gauthier: comment entrer chez un Hells Angel en catimini", La Presse, Aug. 12, 2020). He reported the deposition of an operational officer of the Escouade nationale de repression du crime organise (ENRCO) during the trial of Claude Gauthier, 53 (below), a full-patch member of the Hells Angels (Trois-Rivieres chapter), for drug-trafficking in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (on Apr. 9, 2021, he was sentenced to a prison term of nine years). The officer described problems and techniques used during house intrusions. When a team acts after dark, one of the main problems is the need to operate with very little light so as not to run the risk of attracting random attention from the outside. Instead, the technique they use to make sure they put everything back in its exact place is, before starting to search and hide listening devices, to film all the rooms, both in their entirety and in particular. In this way, in case of doubts, it is always possible to double-check any original position. However, it is essential to note even the smallest detail. The officer gave the example of a wad of banknotes, easily discovered inside Gauthier's home. A rubber band held it tightly, but they noted another rubber band strangely inserted under the first. It had probably been deliberately positioned that particular way only to allow the suspect to detect any possible tampering.

In the absence of interceptions and possible contributions of undercover agents or government witnesses, the only other way to know the contents of a meeting between full mafia members is to rely on the information revealed by one or more confidential informants.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

After briefly outlining the operational framework of reference, let us now return to the events of our interest.

We can therefore assume that the statement: "He [Verduci] was a frequent visitor to Montreal during the mob wars of the past five years", was truthful since direct or indirect surveillance of him by law enforcement was undoubtedly possible.

On the contrary, it seems much more complicated to determine the reasons (which could have been more varied) for such visits to confirm the other very important information provided by P. Edwards in his article (During the fight to steal turf from Rizzuto, police say Verduci was part of a group that became involved with Sal Montagna, head of the Bonanno crime family of New York City).

As we have already said, we are not in a position to know based on what evidence the police came to such belief that evidently directed the investigations related to Verducis (still unsolved) murder.

Instead, what we know from the content of some interceptions within the Italian Project code-named Acero-Krupy is that, almost certainly, the homicide in question was inserted into a completely different context. To be precise, a context of war/clash between two Locali of Ndrangheta located in the GTA, therefore, recalling the categorization proposed in the fourth article of this series, falling into Cat. 1 sub.2.





These investigative results of the Italian authorities, about a year and a half after the killing, consequently dropped the motive that would have consisted in Verducis involvement alongside Salvatore Montagna and his partners in crime. However, already in the aftermath of the murder, specific elements were known which did not support this hypothesis presupposing a type of war/clash falling into Cat. 3 sub.1 (war/clash between one or more Locali of Ndrangheta located in the GTA and one or more other distant criminal organizations with Italian origin). Indeed, these elements described such long-lasting and close relationships between the first command line of the Montreal Family and the principal exponents of the Coluccio Clan that it was rather unlikely that the latter would suddenly change sides. Nevertheless, they were not taken into adequate consideration by the police sources consulted by the journalists.



(Continued on Part 3.2).
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And Princess Leia doing the Gangnam Style dance alongside her dead mother 

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Then there was the Kinect Star Wars video game which bafflingly included a level in which Han Solo boogies perilously close to Cloud Citys carbon freezing chamber, thanks to beats provided by (*sigh*) DJ Lobot.

Maybe, in time, fans will come to embrace groups of middle-aged tourists shuffling awkwardly to a fake pop song in a hotel lobby as an inexorable part of the Star Wars canon.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter!

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Suppose a company facing mass tort liability to U.S. citizens produced a piece of paper that read "Cook Islands Liability Extinguishment Corporation." The company then says to the tort victims, "We have formed this corporation under the law of the Cook Islands, which allows us to assign any liability we want there and extinguish it. And, that's exactly what we did with your tort claims." The legal response would surely be that the law of the Cook Islands does not govern the company's tort liability under U.S. law.

Yet, this is not dissimilar what has happened to citizens of Illinois and other states in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder litigation. Essentially "old J&J" split into two companies--J&J Consumer and LTL Management. (The corporate structure is more complex, but those details are unnecessary to the point.) J&J's talcum powder liability went to LTL Management, and the bulk of the assets and other liabilities went to J&J Consumer. All this is authorized as a "divisional merger" under the Texas Business Organizations Code. In a procedure known as the "Texas Two-Step," LTL Management then filed bankruptcy to deal with the talcum powder liability. The rest of the company--i.e., J&J Consumer--went along its merry way pretending the liabilities it used to have are no longer part of it. Texas law here sets the rule for everyone.

In fairness, J&J did not leave LTL Management with nothing and claims there are financial resources to backstop the tort liability. A bankruptcy court last week refused to dismiss the LTL Management bankruptcy filing on grounds of bad faith and indeed controversially embraced the idea that bankruptcy courts are an appropriate place to handle mass-tort liability. I don't want to get into that debate. My question is why should I, as a citizen of Illinois, have to suffer the consequences of the Texas legislature's decision to allow divisional mergers? Well, as a lawyer, I know why, but I think that can be changed.

The reason I have to put up with the Texas two-step is the internal affairs doctrine. It says that the law of the state of organization governs the corporation's internal affairs. That is, because J&J Consumer and LTL Management were organized under Texas law, that same law governs how to divide up the companies asset and liabilities.

The internal affairs doctrine, however, is just a choice-of-law rule, and as lawyers are taught in law school, a choice-of-law is just another law that determines which jurisdiction's laws apply in a particular dispute. Most choice-of-law rules are judge made. Like any other judge-made rule, a state always can change a choice-of-law rule by adopting a statute providing otherwise. It seems to me that if Illinois (or Massachusetts or New York or California, to name a few possibilities) does not want its citizens' tort rights against a corporation to be governed by the divisive merger law of Texas, it can simply adopt a statute so saying. Such a law might provide, for example, that for purposes of liability Illinois tort law, the divisive merger is ignored. Indeed, nothing occurs to me why such a law could not apply to existing tort liability.

Adam had an earlier post explaining how fraudulent transfer law would (or would not) apply to a Texas two-step. Fraudulent transfer recoveries requiring lawsuits and happen years after the fact--and Adam's post explains the weaknesses in arguments that fraudulent transfer law even governs. Statutorily, changing the internal affairs rule requires none of that. It would allow tort claimants simply to proceed against the surviving companies after a divisional merger.

Some defend the Texas (and Delaware) divisional merger statutes as efficient and allowing companies to deal with liabilities without interfering with profitable operations. As an empirical matter, I disagree, but I see the contrary view. What is more difficult to defend is the idea that one state should be able to make this policy decision for everyone.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Margaret Pearl Blaylock, age 85, of Crossville, TN, passed away at her home on May 3, 2022. She was born on November 18, 1936, in Crossville, TN, daughter of the late William Wyatt and Alice (Hale) Wyatt. Margaret was a homemaker and attended Stephen Gap Church of Christ. She is survived by 
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Corporate boards are asking their CISOs to inform them more often about cybersecurity risks. This gives security leaders an opportunity to help senior business stakeholders better understand securitys value and makes them more likely to support and strengthen security strategies.

However, talking to the board about cybersecurity in a way that is productive can be a significant challenge, and failing to do so effectively can result in confusion, disillusionment, and a lack of cohesion among directors, the security function, and the rest of the organization. Here are some common mistakes that CISOs make when speaking to the board, along with advice for avoiding them.

1. Using over-technical security language

When presenting to the board, CISOs need to be careful about the language they use. If they are too technical, they will lose their audience, Michael Tamir, CISO at Cyren, tells CSO. Directors are rarely security experts and using overly technical jargon is going to be counterproductive, he adds.

Board members dont like things they dont understand, and most are multitasking a thousand different things in their heads, so, perceptively, they have short attention spans, agrees Information Security Forum analyst and former CISO, Paul Watts. CISOs must translate the deeply technical into business terms where possible and explain things they cannot. Be as succinct as you can, use a sensible pace, and visualize rather than using lots of words.

2. Focusing on the wrong threat impacts

CISOs should ensure that threat messaging never strays far from the business impacts to the organization, says CyberGRX CISO, Dave Stapleton. A CISO may understand why a specific code library dependency presents a threat to an internet-facing asset, but this is likely too far in the weeds for the board of directors, he adds.

Sounil Yu, CISO at JupiterOne, agrees. CISOs often speak Greek when the rest of the board speaks in dollars and common sense. To connect with the board in a language they can understand, CISOs should focus their messaging on how security enables the business to enter new markets, execute on new initiatives, and quantitatively reduce annual loss exposure.

This is where knowing what key performance indicators (KPIs) the board measures and being able to assess the impact of threats on those KPIs can be particularly helpful, says Rob Dartnall, UK council chair at information security accreditation and certification body, CREST. Being able to relate the threat risk to the impact on a business service or the boards main strategies and objectives is powerful, he adds.

Security concerns that deserve the boards attention should be framed with context into how the threats, if unaddressed, can hinder business growth or introduce unacceptable levels of operational or business risk, concurs Yu.

Regarding the code library threat example cited above, Stapleton says a security leader is far more likely to capture the attention of the board by talking about enterprise software supply chain risk and describing the return on investment (ROI) expected from implementing a code dependency analysis program.

3. Relying on out-of-box cyber risk reporting

CISOs often report cyber risk posture based on what their tools tell them, which typically focus on aggregates of operational activities, vulnerability remediation efforts, or even one-size-fits-all measures, says Peter Prizio, CEO at Booz Allen Hamilton threat intelligence spinout SnapAttack. However, this is missing the mark. Not all risks are created equal, and those risk scores lack the nuance and context required to make them actionable.

Instead, Prizio says CISOs need to zero in on the things the company cares about most, such as maintaining its reputation, protecting the crown jewels, or continuing operations. They then need to tie in the specific assets that support them and assign risk in terms the board can understand. He also warns against using compliance objectives to measure and quantify risk, as showing progress against regulatory requirements is not the same as communicating the true risks a business faces.

4. Failing to prepare for potential questions

Board meetings are not a great place for surprises, says James Nelson, vice president of information security at Illumio, and CISOs need to avoid being caught off guard by questions they cant answer. Preparation should include not just generating the content in your slides, but also thinking about what questions the board will potentially ask you and considering your answers ahead of time.

Nelson advises apprising any executive team attendees of both your prepared material and the questions you think will be asked, as well as how you plan to answer them. They will know you cant guess them all, but the process can help build trust, he adds.

5. Oversharing and security scaremongering

A boardroom is not the place to unburden yourself, although it can be tempting when you feel the collective burden of everyones risks on your shoulders, says Watts. Dont be the prophecy of doom, and be very careful when using fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) as a weapon of leverageit can come back to bite you.

Instead, explain why you think a problem exists, and follow that with solution options, your recommendations, and their associated benefits, Watts continues. Do this as a package.

Its also key to avoid segues into other debates as they surface during conversations. Take a mental note, park them, and come back to them, Watts says. When it comes to giving bad news, avoid allegations or confrontation during delivery. Prepare the audience in advance to soften the blow. Boards do not like surprises especially bad ones.

6. Presenting cybersecurity as a cost center

A common mistake made by CISOs when speaking to the board is not addressing the outdated view that security is a cost center, Mandy Andress, CISO at Elastic, tells CSO. That mindset must change, and CISOs should help the board see security as a business enabler that facilitates growth and innovation.

Jasmine Henry, field security director at JupiterOne and a former CISO, concurs. Security leaders often approach board meetings hoping to win additional resources and budget. While it can be tempting to make a case for security investment by presenting a complex laundry list of technical needs, CISOs should consider how to change board member perceptions of security as a cost center, she says.

CISOs can win board endorsement by presenting evidence that security is a revenue-driver instead of a costly function, and this can be achieved by quantifying the bottom-line impact of security on profitability, Henry adds. Important metrics include securitys involvement in the sales process, the velocity of completed sales security questionnaires, and the total revenue value of all customer contracts that include security and compliance obligations.

Likewise, if outages or costs are occurring due to a particular type of attack, relaying what the increased profit would be, based on removing that threat, can be helpful, says Dartnall. An example would be: We refunded XXm in fraud against our clients based on Y attack type. By implementing this control, we will recover Xm in lost revenue, he says.

7. Not investing in relationships outside the boardroom

Matthew Smith, divisional director, cyber and information security at St. Jamess Place Wealth Management and ClubCISO member, says that CISOs can be guilty of failing to engage with board members outside of the formal board context. Understanding your audience's personal and professional motivators helps you more succinctly land any message or content you are presenting upwards, he adds.

Often having context or addressing issues outside of the formal channels helps build rapport and ensures that your content is suitable and relatable to those you want to influence or impact. This is something Watts agrees with. This is stakeholder management 101: Research your board, understand their motivations, and find boardroom allies, especially non-technical ones who can help you stress test pitches in advance. When it comes to getting business cases signed off, divide and conquer: take complicated or big-ticket pitches to them all individually and work out the wrinkles well in advance, he says.

CISOs can then leverage the outcomes of these conversations to isolate any dissenting voices with a consensus of buy-in from others. Make them all feel like theyve contributed, Watts says. You need to be a politician, salesman, account manager, matchmaker, and mediator.
Risk-based authentication (RBA), also called adaptive authentication, has come of age, and it couldnt happen fast enough for many corporate security managers. As phishing and account takeovers have blossomed under the pandemic, RBA can become a key technology to protect corporate assets, particularly as remote work is more the rule than the exception.

What is risk-based authentication?

RBA is all about examining signals, as the vendors refer to the various observations they make in near-real time as a user moves through the login process or when a customer buys something online. It creates a risk profile of the person or device requesting access to the system. That profile is based on factors or signals including IP geolocation, user behavior, keystroke patterns, and connection type. These factors may change depending on specific threat factors, and this could require ongoing management of risk profiles.

The changing risk-based authentication market

A lot of corporate M&A has occurred in the authentication space since Experian bought 41st Parameter in 2013:

Equifax bought Kount

Lexis/Nexis Risk Solutions bought ThreatMetrix

Transunion bought Iovation

Quest Software bought OneLogin (and now owns OneIdentity)

Vasco rebranded as OneSpan

RSA split off Fraud Manager to Outseer

Easy Solutions is now part of Appgate

Ping Identity bought SecureTouch

Behind all this activity, RBA has split into two and a half major markets: transactions/fraud prevention and enterprise authentications. The half could be considered the passwordless branding that some vendors are using. While this last use case isnt a full adaptive/step-up authentication, the notion of combining a series of authentication factors helps drive a full RBA adoption.

Note that some of these mergers involve the major credit bureaus. That shows how quickly RBA has grown from some wonky infosec tech into the mainstream.

Authentication trends driving RBA adoption

Multi-factor authentication becoming the norm

Google made multi-factor authentication (MFA) mandatory last October across its own accounts and has seen a rapid adoption and a just as rapid decrease in phishing and account compromises. This has helped drive higher RBA adoption, too, because you need MFA in place before you can roll out RBA. Two other core technologies that are seeing more traction include more adoption of both FIDOv2 and OpenID Connect standards. They have both come a long way and are mostly now accepted and well implemented across all five endpoint operating systems (Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS).

Concern over use of biometric data

Thanks to the EUs GDPR and its global equivalents, there is a growing sensitivity about how security tools leverage biometric data, where this data is stored, and how it traverses the authentication infrastructure. Witness the recent blowback from the IRSs use of facial recognition software as a prime example of what not to do. Having RBA can help control how these biometric factors are consumed by your security apparatus.

Threats becoming more sophisticated

RBA will continue to be useful in fighting the latest sophisticated threats. One such example is the growing popularity of installment payments.

Increased adoption of EMV 3-D Secure

Payment vendors have continued to develop the EMV 3-D Secure (3DS) standard, which incorporates RBA methods to fight transaction fraud. A few RBA vendors have begun to incorporate this standard in their toolsets. The payment and credit vendors -- including Mastercards NuData Security business -- now have access to a huge corpus of billions of transactions that they can use as early warnings of fraud to apply the step-up challenges. (NuData partners include both Thales and Entersekt.)

Risk-based authentication products

We spoke with the following vendors:

Appgate RBA

Cisco/Duo Security

Entersekt Authentication

iProov

Lexis/Nexis Risk Solutions

Okta, who offers its own and Auth0 product lines

OneLogin by One Identity/Quest

OneSpan Intelligent Adaptive Authentication

Outseer Fraud Manager

PingID, which offers a series of products

Silverfort

Thales Safenet Trusted Access

Other vendors in this space including Iovation, Kount, IBM Securitys Verity Access, HIDs Global Risk Management, SecureAuth and Transmit Security did not respond to multiple requests.

RBA pricing

Most RBA vendors are coy about pricing. There are two general approaches: One scheme is used for transactional or fraud detection business and another for what is sometimes called the workforce -- the traditional per-end-user authentication business.

Three notable exceptions are worthy of your attention: Duo, Ping and Okta. Duo has the best pricing page, laying out the various pricing tiers and the features available in each in a clear and informative manner. Ping has finally made its pricing public, and Okta has pricing pages for both its Okta and Auth0 business units. Many vendors offer free trials of their most capable plans and some, like Duo and Auth0, have forever-free plans -- but with limited features that dont include any RBA support.

Appgate RBA

Appgate purchased the RBA software line from Easy Solutions in October 2021 and has added advanced behavioral biometrics that bring near-real-time decision making and a more complete API. The product temporarily stores biometric information on an Appgate server when needed to verify a users login but then delete the data.

Appgate has added the workforce RBA to augment the older Easy Solutions transaction RBA. While Appgate is now a FIDO member, it hasnt yet added support. The company has transaction pricing and says a mid-sized organization with about 6 million logins per year would pay a fixed fee of $10,000, with surcharges for additional transactions. They dont have their own identity provider but support Active Directory, Google, Salesforce, SugarCRM, and others through SAML and Radius connections.

Cisco/Duo Security

Since being purchased by Cisco several years ago, Duo has continued to enhance its authentication offerings and has a fully featured collection of authentication tools. Some are available with its Access tier, but you probably want to consider the Beyond plan tier for the full set.

While its span of authentication features is granular and deep, managing the RBA processes and policies isnt as adept as it could be. For example, you can track user location, device hardware fingerprint, behavioral factors, apps being run and lots more. However, crafting the best action from these various signals can take some effort. Any biometric data is encrypted and stored in the endpoint secure enclave.

Duo supports a variety of identity providers including Okta, Google and Active Directory. It also supports the FIDOv2 standards and devices and is a key player in the shared signals working group of OpenID. As I mentioned earlier, Duos pricing is transparent and useful and should be a model for vendors that are still hiding their fee structure. The company processes billions of monthly transactions.

Entersekt Authentication

Entersekt is based in Capetown, South Africa, and has been providing mostly financial services transaction security for the past decade. It has recently branched out into the workforce user authentication market. Entersekt doesnt have its own identity provider but supports others through SAML and OAuth. It works with the endpoint secure hardware enclave to store private encryption keys and detect jailbreak and harmful apps installed on the phone.

Entersekt scores risk signals including location, fingerprinted hardware, and the NuData Security transaction corpus to build a risk profile for each transaction. It supports FIDO devices and standards. Entersekt offers both transaction and per-user pricing.

iProov

iProov is another decade-old security vendor that offers SDKs for developers rather than a turn-key application suite. Its network handles hundreds of thousands of daily transactions. iProov doesnt store private data other than for a brief time to check a users initial login. Customers can specify a range from 12 hours to a month for the life of this temporary data storage.

iProov supports identity providers including ID.me, Ping Identity and Jumio.com. It offers both transaction and per-user pricing. iProov is involved in an interesting trial at Londons St. Pancras train station where passengers just need to have their face scanned to board Eurostar trains.

Lexis/Nexis Risk Solutions

The company acquired ThreatMetrix in 2018 and has since built a sophisticated RBA business, offering a line of mobile SDKs and Java-based tools that are now found in just about every large bank and most of the major insurance carriers. Lexis/Nexis Risk Solutions use its large corpus (the company processes more than 270 million hourly transactions across more than 8.5 billion devices) to detect transaction fraud and provide signals for identity verification.

It offers three different levels of endpoint identification: the ExactID based on cookies, the SmartID based on Java and the StrongID system using cryptographic signatures with a private key stored in the phone or desktops secure enclave. It supports the latest EMV 3DS protocols. Lexis/Nexis offers transaction pricing.

Okta

Okta offers two product lines. First is the Auth0s Adaptive MFA. Auth0 has a well-developed collection of risk signals, including impossible travel (where multiple logins happen in near succession from far-apart locations), known bad IP addresses, bot detection, and breached password detection through its separate attack protection and Credential Guard services, which are available to Enterprise plans. Pricing is transparent, with a forever-free plan and others that start at $23/month (not based on per users, but transactions). Any RBA/MFA features are only available on the Enterprise plan at an additional cost.

Oktas own product line includes its MFA tool and a large collection of authentication policies for 7,000 different products and a large collection of API references for different programming languages and frameworks. Oktas Risk Ecosystem API augments its built-in risk scoring system by ingesting external risk signals from new third-party solutions, including bot detection and web application firewall providers Fastly, HUMAN, F5 Networks, and PerimeterX. Oktas FastPass passwordless product works with its single-sign on product.

The company also has a transparent pricing page that provides workforce plans that start at $5/user/month for RBA. Add $6/user/month for Adaptive MFA, and there are other extra-cost features. A separate pricing scheme for transactions starts at $36,000/year for enterprise-grade plans.

OneLogin by One Identity/Quest

OneLogin is now the access management component of One Identitys solutions which span situations including privileged access and Active Directory connectors. The OneLogin RBA features are supplied by its Vigilance AI dynamic risk engine, which scores each authentication attempt and assigns the appropriate action and login flows. The product also offers dynamic Smart Factor Authentication and checks for compromised credentials to prevent users from password reused or part of a previous breach.

OneLogin doesnt store any biometric data and supports on-device hardware fingerprinting. FIDO2/WebAuthn standards as an additional MFA (including using Yubico keys, FaceID and Windows Hello) are supported and are stored in the secure endpoint enclave. OneLogin can synchronize its own IDP as well as Google Workspace, AD, Azure AD, LDAP and others. Pricing ranges from $2-$6 per user per month for workplace users and transaction pricing for its fraud/transaction product line is also available.

OneSpan Intelligent Adaptive Authentication

The OneSpan product has been delivering RBA solutions for many years, and now supports both the user authentication and transaction markets. Its own Cronto hardware token to provide an encrypted channel for transactions was an early FIDO adopter, and it incorporates behavioral methods. OneSpan also has an integrated esignature and its own government ID verification applications. It covers a variety of MFA methods and token form factors and provides both SSO and RBA with a large collection of pre-configured rules and policies.

One place you should examine is its demo My Bank online application, where you can freely get to play around with its interface and see how the product works. OneSpan did not reveal pricing.

Outseer Fraud Manager

Outseer is the repository of RSAs legacy fraud analytics business unit that primarily targets financial institutions. (RSAs SecurID unit has its own RBA version based on similar technology.) It comes in either on-premises or cloud-based versions and can obtain signals from other behavior and location-based third parties. One of the new modules can protect fraud in installment buy now, pay later transactions, while another supports the latest EMV 3DS standard. The vendor also offers a FraudAction intelligence service.

PingID PingOne
In keeping with the hybrid nature of Russias invasion of Ukraine, several hacktivist groups and hackers have joined the fight in the embattled nation, including some hacktivists encouraged by the government of Ukraine itself. Although the hacktivists have been waging their version of cyber warfare mostly against Russian organizations, hacktivists sympathetic to Russia are also turning their weapons against Ukraine.

The following are notable hacktivist events that have occurred so far related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

IT Army of Ukraine emerges : Developers in Ukraine are joining an IT army, the IT Army of Ukraine, which has assigned them specific challenges. Announced on February 26, the group already has nearly 200,000 users on its main Telegram channel that it uses to hand out assignments and coordinate operations. The group was ostensibly responsible for shutting down the API for Sberbank, one of Russias major banks and Kremlin-aligned Belaruss official information policy site. Its not clear if the Ukraine government is behind the IT Army of Ukraine, even though Ukrainian officials have endorsed the effort.

: Developers in Ukraine are joining an IT army, the IT Army of Ukraine, which has assigned them specific challenges. Announced on February 26, the group already has nearly 200,000 users on its main Telegram channel that it uses to hand out assignments and coordinate operations. The group was ostensibly responsible for shutting down the API for Sberbank, one of Russias major banks and Kremlin-aligned Belaruss official information policy site. Its not clear if the Ukraine government is behind the IT Army of Ukraine, even though Ukrainian officials have endorsed the effort. Anonymous claims credit for website take-downs. Late last week, a Twitter account purporting to represent Anonymous wrote that The #Anonymous collective has taken down the website of the #Russian propaganda station RT News. The Russian state-run TV channel RT website said it was a victim of a hacker attack, which it attributed to Anonymous.

Late last week, a Twitter account purporting to represent Anonymous wrote that The #Anonymous collective has taken down the website of the #Russian propaganda station RT News. The Russian state-run TV channel RT website said it was a victim of a hacker attack, which it attributed to Anonymous. Cyber Partisans of Belarus claim train hacks. Activist hackers in Belarus called the Cyber Partisans allegedly breached computers that control that countrys trains and brought some to a halt in the cities of Minsk and Orsha and the town of Osipovichi. The hackers purportedly compromised the railway systems routing and switching devices and rendered them inoperable by encrypting data stored on them.

Activist hackers in Belarus called the Cyber Partisans allegedly breached computers that control that countrys trains and brought some to a halt in the cities of Minsk and Orsha and the town of Osipovichi. The hackers purportedly compromised the railway systems routing and switching devices and rendered them inoperable by encrypting data stored on them. AgainstTheWest targeted Russian interests. Another hacktivist group known as AgainstTheWest claims to have hacked a steady stream of Russian websites and corporations, including Russian Government contractor promen48.ru, Russian Railways, the State University Dubna, and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research.

Another hacktivist group known as AgainstTheWest claims to have hacked a steady stream of Russian websites and corporations, including Russian Government contractor promen48.ru, Russian Railways, the State University Dubna, and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. The Anon Leaks says it messed with Putins yacht information. The Anon Leaks, a group purportedly an offshoot of Anonymous, said it changed the callsign of Russian President Vladimir Putins superyacht Graceful on MarineTraffic.com to FCKPTN. The hackers also found a way to alter the yachts tracking data, making it look as if it had crashed into Ukraines Snake Island and changing its destination to hell.

The Anon Leaks, a group purportedly an offshoot of Anonymous, said it changed the callsign of Russian President Vladimir Putins superyacht Graceful on MarineTraffic.com to FCKPTN. The hackers also found a way to alter the yachts tracking data, making it look as if it had crashed into Ukraines Snake Island and changing its destination to hell. Presumed hacktivists hacked Russian EV charging stations. Hackers, presumably activists, hacked electric vehicle charging stations along Russias M11 motorway to display anti-Russian messages. The hackers likely gained access through a Ukrainian parts supplier called AutoEnterprise.

Hackers, presumably activists, hacked electric vehicle charging stations along Russias M11 motorway to display anti-Russian messages. The hackers likely gained access through a Ukrainian parts supplier called AutoEnterprise. Patriotic Russian hackers helped hit Ukraine websites with DDoS attacks: Last week, some independent Russian hackers, so-called patriotic Russian hackers, or vigilantes who operate in a hacktivist-like mode, claim they helped bring down Ukrainian websites during the second round of DDoS attacks that hit the country.

Last week, some independent Russian hackers, so-called patriotic Russian hackers, or vigilantes who operate in a hacktivist-like mode, claim they helped bring down Ukrainian websites during the second round of DDoS attacks that hit the country. Russian media outlets hacked to display anti-Russian messages. The websites of several Russian media outlets were hacked to display anti-Russian messages, with some of the sites going offline. The sites affected were TASS rbc.ru, kommersant.ru, fontanka.ru, and iz.ru of the Izvestia outlet. Some Russian media sources say anonymous was the source of these hacks.

The websites of several Russian media outlets were hacked to display anti-Russian messages, with some of the sites going offline. The sites affected were TASS rbc.ru, kommersant.ru, fontanka.ru, and iz.ru of the Izvestia outlet. Some Russian media sources say anonymous was the source of these hacks. Researcher leaked Conti gangs messages: A Ukrainian security researcher leaked over 60,000 internal messages belonging to the Conti ransomware operation after the gang publicly sided with Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. (Conti backpedaled from its robust support of Russia after its Ukrainian affiliates objected). The leaked messages were taken by a Ukrainian security researcher who reportedly had access to Conti's backend XMPP server from a log server for the Jabber communication system used by the ransomware gang.

Hacktivism isnt necessarily a good idea

The main question surrounding the hacktivism accompanying Russias invasion of Ukraine is whether this kind of hacking is a healthy development in defense of Ukraine. It's worth noting that the situation is really quite unprecedented, Brett Callow, threat analyst at Emsisoft, tells CSO. I don't recall anything like this having happened before. We obviously have multiple activist groups operating on behalf of both sides, as well as certain cybercrime groups taking sides, as well as intelligence services invariably doing the things they normally do.

Generally speaking, hacktivism isn't necessarily a good idea, Callow says. It's obviously illegal, and the consequences can be quite unforeseen. Sometimes a DDoS attack can affect more than the resource being targeted. In the case of the IT Army of Ukraine, "The Ukrainian government may be concerned that they are not going to get as much help as they otherwise could on the cyber side of things and so are looking to take matters into their own hands by recruiting the army.

Another argument against encouraging hacktivism is that hacktivists arent always truthful and can contribute to disinformation. Callow doubts, for example, that the claims by AgainstTheWest are true. The claims seem unlikely to be true, he says.

One of the most concerning risks is that activists will interfere with other planned strategic operations. For example, if a Western intelligence agency has compromised, stealthily compromised, the network of a Russian company, that could all be blown out of the water if a Russian company finds itself having to remediate because of an attack by activists. The activists will be looking to cause short-term disruption. Whereas the intelligence agencies may have longer-term objectives included information gathering.

All is fair in love and war

Chris Anthony, founder and CEO of TeamWorx Security, leans more favorably toward hacktivism in this circumstance. We're talking about an effort that's rising up and challenging whoever the bad guys are. I think it's an important part of who we are as humans, Anthony tells CSO.

Back in the 1700s, we used to circle the wagons and come to each other's defense. I think hacktivism is the same thing, just in the 21st century. There's an aggressor, and this is our country, and we're not happy. We're going to use whatever means available to us to show you that we can stand on our own two feet. We can fight back, and we can defend ourselves.

Hacktivists can particularly help when the target faces such a lopsided fight, as in Ukraine. Sometimes, this is a war of attrition, Anthony says. When you call upon every single mobile device and computer, assembled and united against the cause, it's a pretty powerful thing. I think that's an advantage to Ukraine.

Garret Grajek, CEO of YouAttest, also supports what the hacktivists are doing, saying, in essence, all is fair in love and war. The powerful tool of unwelcomed site intrusion cuts both ways, Grajek tells CSO. Russians attacked Ukrainian and government sites immediately. Now hackers officially aligned with Ukraine, and hacktivist groups like Anonymous have begun hacking and attacking official Russian sites and affiliated news sites. It's war, and it's to be expected. The gloves came off when the tanks rolled in.
The holiday season has long been completed, but that doesn't stop Hallmark from continuing the Christmas spirit. A new movie for the channel was filming in West Hartford on March 1.

According to spokesperson for the city of West Hartford Renee McCue, a scene from the forthcoming Hallmark film, "The Ghost of Christmas Always" was filming on 34 Foxcroft Road in West Hartford.

In a synopsis of the film provided by McCue, the film provides a new take on the classic, "A Christmas Carol." The film tells the story of Katherine Marley, a ghost who is "spending her afterlife working for the Department of Restoring Christmas Spirit as a Ghost of Christmas Present." Marley's job is to visit earth every Christmas to help a soul rekindle its love of Christmas. When she is assigned to help a man named Peter, Marley cannot figure out why his Christmas spirit needs help. What Marley does discover that she and Peter "just might be fated for each other."

McCue said in an email that the West Hartford location isn't the only one in the area the production is using as a backdrop.

"The majority of the movie is filmed in Hartford at the Bushnell Park carousel," she said.

While there is no information available yet on when the film will air, the Hallmark production joins a host of other movies to have filmed in the state over the past year. In 2021, Hartford played host to the film, "A Holiday in Harlem" that premiered during Hallmark's "Countdown to Christmas" in November. Hallmark also filmed "Next Stop, Christmas" and "Sugar Plum Twist" in Connecticut in 2021, both of which debuted during the network's "Countdown to Christmas" movie series.
DANBURY  The health care system that runs Danbury and Norwalk hospitals stopped delivering babies at Putnam Hospital in nearby New York on Tuesday, with hopes to reopen the maternity ward as a smaller birthing center for low-risk pregnancies.

The reason: the OB-GYNs affiliated with CareMount  the only medical group providing deliveries at Putnam Hospital Center  have either taken their patients to larger hospitals in neighboring New York counties or are phasing out of practice, an executive told Hearst Connecticut Media on Tuesday.

We received notice in early January that their group, which has been with us for past 30 years, made the decision to deliver babies (at Vassar Brothers Medical Center) in Poughkeepsie and at Northern Westchester Hospital, said Dr. Mark Hirko, president of Putnam Hospital  part of the seven-hospital health care system in Connecticut and New York known as Nuvance. Yes, it is a temporary setback, but we are looking at the silver lining that we have the opportunity to do something different.

CareMounts OB-GYNs switched hospitals because of greater birth volumes and the support of neonatal intensive care units, the group said in a release. Putnam Hospital, which does not have a NICU, has averaged one birth daily for the last two years, Nuvance said. Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y., which belongs to a competing network called Norwell Health, has a NICU and averages five births a day, CareMount said.

It was too soon on Tuesday to say what impact the maternity ward suspension at Putnam Hospital would have on Danbury Hospital 17 miles to the east, except that Nuvance would encourage women in Carmel, Southeast and other nearby New York towns to consider giving birth at Danbury Hospital.

Putnam Hospital is the only hospital in a county of 100,000 people which stretches from the Connecticut border to the Hudson River.

Our job is to keep the people as local as possible by temporarily splitting them with Danbury and Northern Westchester and Vassar, Hirko said. Were not going to put a NICU (in Putnam Hospital) but we do have the ability to do low-risk births.

It was not clear on Tuesday how long it would take for Putnam Hospital to reinvent its maternity ward, or what model a smaller center might take. Such a center could include midwives and OB-GYNs on staff who handle births.

Nationally we know that its difficult to recruit high-end physicians, so we know this is not going to be easy, Hirko said. But its encouraging that we have people that are reaching out to us.

Putnam is the second Nuvance hospital in six months to announce changes to its maternity ward. Late last year, Nuvance said it would phase out its maternity wing at Sharon Hospital, where births are averaging 200 annually.

Sharons maternity ward will close as soon as it is approved by the state Office of Health Strategy, which is backlogged in approval requests by hospitals.

So why does Sharon with low birth volume have to close while Putnam with low birth volume is being reimagined as a smaller niche center?

The short answer is that if something goes wrong during labor at Putnam Hospital, there are NICUs to the north, south and east. There are fewer emergency options for Sharon Hospital.

Sharon is more isolated, and because of the low volume of births, it is difficult to recruit and keep the full gamut of maternity services, Hirko said. Putnam is surrounded by multiple tertiary care centers with NICUs, so its possible to maintain a unit with a lower number of births.

Meanwhile, CareMount OB-GYNs will continue to practice at Putnam Hospital.

They are keeping their offices and (gynecology) practices on site, so there is no change in that that category, Hirko said. The demographic changes in the U.S. mean that hospitals  have to look at regionalization of care. You dont do liver transplants in every hospital, and you dont have NICUs at every hospital.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
The newest beer coming out of Hog River Brewing Co.'s Hartford taproom is a "juicy" New England IPA, fruited with peach and Cara Cara oranges. It also has particular significance for the women of Connecticut's brewing industry.

Driven by a shared desire to empower and uplift women in beer, three female brewery owners came together to craft the collaboration beer, which they named "Bombshell." It's a partnership between Joy Braddock of Hog River, Heather Wilson of Hop Culture Farms & Brew Co. in Colchester and Alisa Bowens-Mercado of Rhythm Brewing Co. in New Haven.

The beer was released during a special event at Hog River on March 5, in the first week of Women's History Month. Proceeds from sales will be donated to the CT Pink Boots Society Scholarship for Women in Brewing, which supports women enrolling in Sacred Heart University's Brewing Science Certificate Program.

The Bombshell IPA was available on draft and in cans at Hog River and Hop Culture's taprooms, and will be distributed along with other Rhythm beers at select retail outlets. The release event at Hog River featured more than a dozen female vendors in the taproom, along with live music.

Winter Caplanson/ CT Food & Farm

As female brewery owners, Braddock, Wilson and Bowens-Mercado face the challenges of a male-dominated industry, and Bowens-Mercado is one of just a few Black female owners in the United States. When they gathered in Hartford to brew the beer, they sat together and had long, candid discussions about their experiences, Braddock said.

"It was unlike any other conversation I've ever had with any other peer in the industry, to date," she said. "I've never been surrounded by two other female owners. It was honestwe could relate in a different way to each other. It was really refreshing."

They chose "Bombshell" for the name to signal that women will be making a splash, Bowens-Mercado said. "We're letting folks know, 'Don't underestimate women in the industry."

The 'reckoning' in craft beer

A man is literally talking to me like a dog right now, Brienne Allan posted on her Instagram story last May. Frustrated by her experiences in the industry, Allan, a production manager at Massachusetts' Notch Brewing, asked women in beer to share their own stories: the sexism, harassment, racism and general misogynistic behavior they'd experienced in their professional settings.

The response was swift, and overwhelming. Thousands of women reached out to Allan on Instagram, describing demeaning remarks about their knowledge levels or physical strength, assumptions about their roles in the industry, pervasive cultures of sexual harassment  and even sexual violence.

The movement, which Braddock called a "reckoning," also hit home in Connecticut. Women writing to Allan accused an employee at South Windsor's Connecticut Valley Brewing Co. of sexual harassment. The employee was fired, and the brewery's owners issued a statement denouncing his behavior and affirming a commitment to training and education.

Courtesy of Joy Braddock / Hog River Brewing Co.

None of it came as a shock to Connecticut's female leaders in beer. Braddock said she was "sickened and saddened, although not surprised" to hear about sexual harassment and abuse in the industry.

She and her husband, Ben, opened the brewery in 2016, and she says people rarely assume she's an owner, or that she's just "the brewer's wife" helping out. She says she and her female staff members will sometimes get "tested" on their craft beer knowledge, as if customers don't trust they know what they're talking about.

"It's just a very different treatment, as compared to if Ben goes behind the bar, and it's instant respect...that conversation starts without him having to prove himself," she said.

Bowens-Mercado opened Rhythm in 2018. "I think when we hit the scene, we were the fourth [Black female-owned brewery] in the country," she said. "I don't take that lightly. When you have numbers like that, then you know there's work to be done."

Before she even "made a drop of beer," she said, she researched the industry for more than four years, understanding that she would need to be equipped with as much knowledge as possible to be taken seriously.

"People are going to quiz you; they're going to think you don't know anything about the industry," she said. "And I knew, getting into the business as an African-American female, that the assumption was going to be, 'What the heck does she know about beer?'"

Winter Caplanson/ CT Food & Farm

Wilson co-owns Hop Culture with her husband, Sam, and she's the head brewer at their Colchester farm brewery. People are sometimes surprised that she's at the helm of the operation, and she's also had her knowledge challenged. But she's trying to break down stereotypes, she said.

"That only challenges me to level up and become better," she said. "I don't want to become the best female brewer. I want to be the best brewer. Every time I'm challenged with that, I just continue to learn and try to grow my craft."

The future of women in brewing

Sacred Heart's brewing science certificate is the first of its kind in Connecticut, according to the university. The curriculum includes classes in sanitation and safety, introduction to brewing ingredients, sensory analysis and beer service, craft beverage brewing and operations and management.The early courses will qualify students for the Cicerone Certified Beer Server exam and the ServSafe Alcohol exam.

The Connecticut brewery owners said they're thrilled to be involved in contributing to the scholarship, which was established in 2021 by Bloomfield's Back East Brewing Company and the Connecticut Chapter of the Pink Boots Society as a way to help "increase opportunities for females in a male-dominated industry."

Winter Caplanson/ CT Food & Farm

Braddock said she believes the brewing science education and associated internships will help more women move into "decision-making roles" in the beer industry. (Bowens-Mercado currently has an intern at Rhythm who's a student in the program, calling her "an up-and-coming star in the beer world.")

Wilson, a mother of three daughters, said it's a "big passion" of hers to get more women involved in the production side of brewing.

"We believe that increasing access to knowledge and information and education will give women the chance to step into some of these bigger roles on the production side, and [becoming] owners and brewers themselves," she said.

Braddock said her "heart was full" after the event. "It was such a positive energy between the customers and vendors who were there," she said. "I think because everyone was there with an intention to support the cause, it just permeated the whole space."

The goal was to have visibility, Braddock said. "To actually see people come through the door and say, 'Yes, I want to see more women in the industry,' that's what I wanted to see, and that's what really feels good."

While the release was a success, Braddock said she, Wilson and Bowens-Mercado are already asking, "What's next?"

"We've got to capture the momentum, which we're feeling, and just keep going with it," she said.

Elsewhere in Connecticut, Stratford's Athletic Brewing is releasing the 2022 edition of "Trailblazer," a Helles-style non-alcoholic beer, in celebration of Women's History Month. One hundred percent of the profits will be donated to multiple non-profit organizations such as Pink Boots Society, Ladies Who Launch, the Womens International Beer Summit and other organizations that inspire women to join the craft beer community.
A series of crashes on state highways and local roads killed eight people within two days over the weekend.

According to investigators, the first two crashes involved drivers heading the wrong way on major highways less than an hour apart during the overnight hours early Saturday morning.

The issue of wrong-way drivers is one that is not unique to our state, Connecticut State Police said in a statement. It is a battle that is faced nationwide, and unfortunately, is not something new. When calls are received reporting wrong way drivers, State Police respond swiftly as we fully recognize the imminent danger involved.

State police said factors influencing wrong-way driving tend to involve those experiencing mental health issues, those who are driving while impaired and inclement weather.

Officials have not said whether the third weekend crash involved a wrong-way driver.

Here is what we know about each of the accidents:

I-91 northbound in Meriden

State troopers were called to Interstate-91 northbound in Meriden around 2:26 a.m. Saturday on reports of a crash.

When they arrived, they found the Toyota Camry driven by Charde Monet Spates, 21, of New Haven, was heading southbound in the left-most of the northbound lanes when it collided with BMW X5 that was heading the correct direction on the highway between exits 17 and 18, a state police report showed.

Spates was killed in the crash. The driver of the BMW X5, identified as 50-year-old Judith Melvin-Levy of Windsor, was also killed in the crash, state police said.

A passenger in the BMW suffered suspected minor injures, according to state police.

State police are asking any witnesses to the crash to contact Trooper David Pelletier, of Troop I, at 203-393-4200 or david.pelletier2@ct.gov.

I-84 eastbound in Hartford

Troopers were dispatched to Interstate-84 eastbound in Hartford around 2:46 a.m. Saturday for a wrong-way driver crash.

Troopers found that a Chevrolet Equinox traveling westbound in the left of four eastbound lanes crashed into a tractor-trailer truck that was heading eastbound in the left-most lane, according to a state police report.

All four people in the Chevrolet Equinox were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, state police said. The driver of the tractor-trailer truck was taken to Hartford Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to state police.

On Monday, state police identified two of the individuals in the Equinox as Natachia Izekia Rivera-Hall, 40, of Bedford Street in Hartford, and April Slade, 40, of Seyms Street in Hartford. State police said Monday they were still working to identify the other two people in the vehicle.

State police are asking anyone with information to contact Trooper John Wilson of Troop H at 860-534-1098 or john.wilson@ct.gov.

East Cedar Street in Newington

Newington police were called to a crash on East Cedar Street near Route 175 around 9:30 a.m. Sunday for a reported crash.

Police said two people were killed in the multi-vehicle crash. On Monday, they identified the two people killed in the crash as Mark Steiner, 61, of East Hampton, and Alexis Soto, 29, of Wethersfield.

The Midstate Accident Reconstruction Team, a regional group of police officers, were investigating the accident.
The National Poison Control Center cautioned those using an at-home rapid test kit for COVID-19 might not be safe to use. A warning came from a toxic substance that could adversely affect children and adults from the kit.

Based on a blog on the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center responsible for it. The National Poison Control Center (NPCC) published a warning as well.

At-Home Rapid Test Kits Found With Toxins

The NPCC mentioned that a component in the kit called sodium azide found in the extraction vial, used as a preservative agent, is harmful. Several kits like BinaxNow, BD Veritor, Flowflex, and Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 quick test kits have it, reported the Epoch Times.

These kits were found to have sodium azide in all of them hence the warning for its use, noted the National Capital Poison Center.

The unsafe chemical has no smell or color to it. This liquid is where cotton swabs are dipped into before being used for swabbing. Sodium azide is usually used for herbicides, controlling pests, and car airbags.

Health Canada forwarded an advisory on how it can lower blood pressure even in small doses, but larger amounts would cause more severe effects.

ProClin adds that more than one component chemical could cause eye and skin irritations, including allergic reactions. Some hospitals have had calls complaining of symptoms caused by sodium azide in the US.

Sheila Goertemoeller, a pharmacist and clinical toxicologist for a Children's hospital, said that the effects caused by the exposures were recorded by early November. The National Poison Control Center said many people of all ages were affected using the at-home rapid tests kit.

Read Also: Study Identifies Certain Antibodies That can Stop Omicron Infection, Affect the Notorious Spike Proteins

She added that it worried her that young children get affected by it.

Proper Use of Test Kit Could Avoid Exposure to Toxins

Another doctor, Kelly Johnson-Arbor, connected to the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, spoke to WNEP about the concern during the weekend.

One of the common mistakes is that it is thought to be eyedrops most of the time. Kinds would drop rub on their skin, and adults would put it in their eyes as eyes. The doctor added that exposing it to anyone's skin results in allergies or a very bad skin rash.

Another danger that can happen is someone might ingest the chemical by accident. If it happens, better contact the PCC, as ingesting the liquid with several components could be harmful. Both non-toxic and dangerous chemicals ingested might need medical care.

The official spoke to an outlet about the test kits, which they should dispose properly of because accidental ingestion happens if someone will not follow how to use them properly.

Officials reminded consumers that the test kits are not dangerous if someone knows how to use them appropriately.

Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, a St. Luke's University Health Network, reminded users of these test kits to dispose of as instructed to avoid further problems.

Anyone might ingest the sodium azide, touch them and put it in the eyes, and rub it on the skin, which could cause a rash, all of the above are harmful.

If there is eye exposure, just rinse for 15 to 20 minutes using warm water. For skin exposure, just wash the skin with tap water, and it's all good. Call the PCC's online tool or at 1-800-222-1222 for more help in case of accidental ingestion.

Take note that the Poison Control Center says at-home rapid test kits should be used only for what they are purposed, and the contents are not for any other uses, reminded authorities.

Related Article: Scientists Engineer Synthetic Coronavirus To Study SARS-CoV-2 Innate Mechanisms Better To Devise Countermeasures

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Even through the fog of war, the Ukrainian peoples fight against Russian invaders has been awe-inspiring.

Its hard to pick a most moving moment, but heres mine: Over the weekend, a viral video showed a Henichesk woman offering sunflower seeds (the national flower of Ukraine) to Russian soldiers, so that when they are killed in Ukraine, the seeds will be fertilized by their rotting bodies.

Thats the kind of curse you can support, a matter-of-fact invitation to hell that is just the right amount of eloquent.

Its hard not to be a little shame-faced about what has occupied public discourse in the Nutmeg State. By comparison, skirmishes in Connecticut are petty and sad. A guy punches another guy over changing a high school mascot in Glastonbury. The police are called to a Coventry board of education meeting because overexuberant parents dont want their children to wear masks in a global pandemic. (The board eventually decided to make masks optional unless the town reaches a certain number of COVID cases.) A handful of students and parents travel to the State Capitol to whine that they dont like masks either, because they cant see their colleagues faces and that interrupts their socialization.

I mean, honestly. If the world isnt laughing at us, it should be.

While Ukrainian grandmothers are confronting Russian soldiers and everyday Ukrainians are trying to stop tanks by standing in front of them, the anti-science brigade of Connecticut is celebrating the states relaxing of some pandemic mandates. Happy First Week with No State Mask Mandate in Schools and Child Care Centers, Connecticut. If its all the same to you  and even if it isnt  Ill go ahead and mask up when I go out because I dont know the burdens of that guy at the next cash register. But do keep belaboring the point and reminding the rest of us about freedom.

To guard their own freedom, Ukrainian citizens  not just soldiers  have made and are throwing Molotov cocktails at their invaders. Theyre sleeping in metro stations when they arent out defending their homeland. They go home to get more clothes, then the sirens sound and they go back to the stations. Their money is running out. They cant use credit cards, and provisions are running low.

Meanwhile, a truck convoy whose members were inspired by truckers who shut down Ottawa, Canada, over vaccine mandates is rolling toward D.C. to protest  well, Im not entirely sure. If mask mandates have been mostly lifted around the country, I supposed theyre protesting out of a sense of nostalgia, or to give their lives meaning. This isnt a grassroots movement. The convoy enjoys strong ties with and the deep pockets of radical right-wing groups, and shame on them.

Perhaps we can all draw a lesson from Ukraine, where a man blew himself up trying to stop Russian convoys from crossing a bridge.

In Connecticut, the Party of Trump has taken to social media to whine about gas prices. What one news outlet called rampant geopolitical uncertainty has a way of affecting prices and supply chains  which, by the way, arent helped by truckers who block roads because theyre irritated.

After fighting in the Spanish Civil War, George Orwell wrote, One of the most horrible features of war is that all the war propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.

Ukrainian men between ages 18 and 60 have been conscripted to fight. Some Ukrainian soldiers on an island in the Black Sea were told by someone on a Russian military ship radio to surrender. Instead, the soldiers told the Russian warship to go (fill in the blanks). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said later those Ukrainian soldiers were killed  though recent reports hold out hope they survived. God, let that be true.

President Zelensky, who has earned the respect of the everyone in the world except Putin, has stayed to fight. If you needed the reminder, the Ukrainian president was on the other end of that phone call made by the former president, who really, really wanted to find some dirt on President Joe Biden and his family. I would like you to do us a favor, the former president said, and so opened the door to his first impeachment trial.

Pvt. Bone Spurs? Meet Capt. Ukraine.

On Sunday, Dee Snider, front man for the band Twisted Sister, took to Twitter to explain why he endorsed the Ukrainian peoples use of his 1984 song, Were Not Going to Take It, when he wouldnt let the anti-maskers use it. Snider wrote, Well, one use is for a righteous battle against oppression while the other was an infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience.

If we cant agree about the appropriate response to a global pandemic, weve strangely (and mostly) been able to pull together for Ukraine. There have been multiple gatherings around the state to show support for Ukraine, including one last Saturday in Hartford. The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford began taking donations. Donors crashed the website of an heirloom seed company in Missouri that offered to share all weekend proceeds with Ukraine relief groups. Package stores throughout the country started pulling Russian vodka off their shelves.

A pandemic should have pulled us together. Instead, we went for each others throats. Perhaps this one thing we can do. We can stand together against tyranny. And for the elected officials who dont? We see you and well remember.

Susan Campbell is the author of Frog Hollow: Stories from an American Neighborhood, Tempest-Tossed: The Spirit of Isabella Beecher Hooker and Dating Jesus: A Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism and the American Girl. She is Distinguished Lecturer at the University of New Haven, where she teaches journalism.
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A proposed bill could provide homeowners in some Connecticut municipalities a brief reprieve by allowing local officials to delay property revaluations up to one year.

Connecticut property values have rebounded during the COVID-19 pandemic to levels not seen since the real estate boom of the mid-2000s, as high-rise dwellers in New York City have sought an escape to the town and country lifestyle.

In some instances, that has cascaded into annual tax bills homeowners and businesses pay municipalities where they are located. Bridgeports grand list of property values jumped 23 percent last year, with owners having until earlier this week to file appeals.

Democrats proposed the bill last week in the Connecticut General Assembly, where it will get an initial consideration in the Planning & Development Committee. The bill would allow municipalities to delay up to one year any initiation of revaluations through 2023.

The municipality can vote on it, said state Rep. David Michel, D-Stamford. I believe in letting the cities decide on this, especially under the assumption that it can offer temporary relief for many, in the case that the reval would end up in an increase in property tax, which seems most likely for many homeowners.

The committees co-chairs are Sen. Steve Cassano, D-4, a former Manchester mayor whose district includes Glastonbury and Bolton that are up for revaluations in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey, D-Fairfield.

As part of his budget plan, Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed expanding Connecticuts property tax credit to $300 annually from its current level of $200, and ending a restriction that allowed only taxpayers with dependents or those age 65 and older to qualify.

Property tax is pretty relentless  you pay it in good times, you pay it in bad times, Lamont said this month when he announced the tax-credit expansion. It particularly hits the middle class hard, and were doing everything we can to mitigate that.

Under Connecticut law, municipalities complete property revaluations every five years, with taxpayers able to challenge those findings to lower their property assessments.

Stamford, Danbury, Middletown, Ansonia, Bethel, Guilford, Newtown, Orange, Redding, Ridgefield and Wilton are among those that have revaluations underway this year.

Norwalk, Darien, New Canaan, Madison and Weston are scheduled next year for revaluations, which could be pushed back a year under the bill.

For revaluations completed in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, Connecticut values totaled $392 billion spanning homes, autos, apartments, commercial buildings and other property subject to assessment for tax purposes. That was up $7.1 billion from the prior year.

In 2020, Bridgeport saw the single-biggest jump in grand-list value, a 23 percent increase from 2019. Many Bridgeport taxpayers were vocal after seeing their bills go up on the heels of a 2016 revaluation.

Includes prior reporting by Julia Bergman and Brian Lockhart.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman
HARTFORD  Gov. Ned Lamont has nominated 22 Connecticut residents, including two on the Shoreline, to fill vacancies as judges on the Connecticut Superior Court.

The court currently has 59 vacancies.

This is the second class of Superior Court nominations made by Lamont since he took office in 2019, according to a press release. His first class was made in early 2021 and consisted of 15 judges.

Our court system works the best when it reflects the diversity, experience, and understanding of the people who live here, Lamont said in a prepared statement.

These men and women that Ive selected to become judges not only have the competence, skills, and proficiency to serve the court with integrity, but come from a variety of backgrounds that provide them with the important shared experiences of the people who will come before them, he added. These nominees have the qualifications that meet the high standards the residents of Connecticut deserve on the bench.

Nominees include:

Kevin M. Shay, 47, of Old Saybrook, who graduated from the University of Notre Dame and earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is a senior assistant states attorney assigned to the Judicial District of Middlesex, and as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Prior to his government service, Shay was a staff attorney for Connecticut Legal Services, and an associate in the litigation department of Nutter, McClennen and Fish in Boston, the news release said.

Maria del Pilar Gonzalez, 34, of Guilford graduated from Quinnipiac University and obtained her juris doctor degree from Quinnipiac School of Law. Since 2018, she has served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut and is a member of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

She is also the District of Connecticuts Violence Against Women Act coordinator. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorneys Office, she served as an assistant states attorney for the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice in the Appellate Bureau and at Geographical Area 23.

The nominations will be considered by the Connecticut General Assembly.

To view the other nominees, go to portal.ct.gov.
Contributed Photo / Hartford Police Department

HARTFORD  A woman was found with a gunshot wound at an apartment complex in Hartford Saturday morning, according to the Hartford Police Department.

Police were called to the Collinswood Apartments on Collins Street around 9 a.m. Sunday for a report of someone shot. At the scene, police found a woman in her 20s with a gunshot wound, according to Lt. Aaron Boisvert.
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STRATFORD  A Florida man pleaded guilty Monday after allegedly attempting to defraud the government while working for a Stratford health care company, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for Connecticut.

Innis Fredrick, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service, which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.
Amid the Russian attack on his country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has earned the admiration of the world, most especially his constituents, after his declaration that he will not go anywhere and will stay to defend Ukraine's sovereignty.

"The enemy has marked me down as the number one target. My family is the number two target. They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state. I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine," Zelensky, a former actor, said in a video that went viral.

Aside from the love of his country, President Zelenksy also draws courage from the love of his life, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska, 44, whom he married in 2003. She is one of the most influential women in the country, Zelensky's most steadfast comrade, and the mother of their two lovely children.

Like her husband, Zelenska communicates with the people of Ukraine through social media, uplifting spirits amid the crisis that their country is going through.

In her Instagram post, she uploaded an image of a baby covered in a white blanket, with the caption (translated in English) "This child was born in the Kyiv bomb shelter. This was to take place in completely different conditions, under peaceful skies. It is what children should see.But the main thing is that despite the war, there were doctors and caring people on our streets next to her. She will be protected and defended. Because you are incredible, dear compatriots!"

Read Also: Volodymyr Zelensky Agrees to Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Without Preconditions Despite Vladimir Putin's Deadly Threat

The Wife of Volodymyr Zelensky

Olena Zelenska (whose maiden name is Olena Kiyashko) is an accomplished screenwriter, but initially, she took up architecture at Kryvyi Rih National University per Parade. She is among the co-founders of Studio Kvartal 95, the most prominent television and film production company in Ukraine.

She met Zelensky at the university when he was a budding comedian and law student. Eventually, Zelenska wrote for the comedy group that catapulted the now-president into the public spotlight, just in time for his breakout role as a satirical politician in the hit comedy series Servant of the People.

Zelensky's aspirations to enter politics were strongly opposed by Zelenska, who had previously lived a life away from public attention. Though, apparently, that did not stop him.

Working First Lady

As First Lady, Zelenska spearheaded initiatives on promoting gender equality, access to health services, proper nutrition, and spreading the Ukrainian language around the world.

In September 2020, she worked with French First Lady Brigitte Macron to promote physical and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and other programs aimed at securing women's equal opportunity.

Zelenska is also considered among the most stylish First Ladies in the world. She graced the pages of several prominent fashion publications showcasing her "Fashion diplomacy" to make significant statements. According to her interview with Diplomatic Courier, she does it to support Ukrainian artists and designers.

The Ukrainian First Lady believes that fashion also sends a message about a diplomat's country and its goals. "The President and I always want to represent Ukraine in a positive and strong way. It is a reflection of our actions and values," she said in a Tatler interview.

Related Article: Belarus President Warns US, West Sanctions Are Pushing Russia to World War 3: "Nuclear War Is the End of Everything"

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Watching the news coverage of Russias invasion of Ukraine under President Vladimir Putin, Sergei Sikorsky spotted an old comrade.

I am a very close friend of Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, Sikorsky said Monday from his home in Arizona. Ive seen him on one or two of those quick little flashes that the television shows. ... Vitali is very definitely on my mind.

Sikorsky and his Connecticut-based brother, Igor Jr., both in their 90s, are the sons of the late Igor Sikorsky Sr., the Russian immigrant who invented the first practical helicopter, constructed seaplanes or flying boats and founded the namesake Stratford-based aircraft manufacturing giant. His name also adorns Bridgeports Stratford-based airport.

The aviation pioneer was born in Kyiv in 1889 when it was part of the Russian empire. For that reason and other connections his sons are viewing the conflict there, and the fate of Ukraines capital in particular, with intense personal interest.

Mother was born in Poltava, which is a city in Ukraine. So they both were Ukrainian by citizenship but really Russian by citizenship at that time, said Sikorsky Jr., who resides in Unionville. I am appalled by Putin. I believe that father would be, also.

Sikorsky Sr. fled Russia in the early 1900s and after living briefly in France he arrived in New York City in 1919 during the Russian Revolution which resulted in a Communist government under Joseph Stalin.

There was no way you could get dad back into Russia while Stalin was still alive. He would have been arrested and probably executed as a quote-unquote defector or traitor or whatever, Sergei Sikorsky said. But dad spoke, I think, quite favorably of his childhood in Kyiv. ... He had good, fond memories.

According to Sikorsky Jr., their fathers home, at least until recent events, was in terrible shape but still standing and there had been some discussion about turning it into a museum, though nothing ever developed.

I would say father's name in Russia is more famous than it is here. ... Hes the kid who left and made good, he said. In the Stalinist-era his name was enough to get you arrested  saying something nice about Sikorsky. But afterwards he gradually became accepted.

To the point where one of Kyivs two international airports was a few years ago named in honor of Sikorsky Sr., as was the National Technical University of Ukraine, also located in Kyiv, that he attended. The schools website boasts he was an outstanding aircraft designer of the 20th Century.

But, as combat rages and Russian soldiers bear down upon Kyiv, Sikorsky Srs. sons are less worried about bricks-and-mortar tributes and more concerned about the individuals they have met from both Ukraine and Russia through familial and business connections.

During the course of my professional career I met with and became friends with a great many of the people there in the aircraft industry, said Sergei Sikorsky, a retired Sikorsky Aircraft executive.

He last spoke with Klitschko who, along with brother Wladimir is a famous former boxer, by phone maybe a year ago around Christmas. He has not tried to contact him recently.

I feel very much concerned about Vitali, about his brother and the whole Klitschko family. But right now things are very confused and quite frankly I have not been trying to get a hold of Vitali by phone. I think hes pretty busy right now.

Sikorsky Jr. said their grandfather had 11 children so there are a bunch of Sikorskys out there. He previously visited Ukraine five years ago.

Sergei said overall he feels pity and sadness.

Its something I very, very deeply regret that is happening to the people of Ukraine and Im keeping my fingers crossed, he said.

Meanwhile Sikorsky Jr. is calling on the Russian-American community and Russians everywhere to repudiate the actions.

This is clearly very unfortunate, he said. And it will haunt the Russians for a lot longer than they realize.
In the latest insight post on NAFCUs Compliance, Risk, & BSA Network, NAFCU Senior Regulatory Affairs Counsel Kaley Schafer reviews how the imposed sanctions against Russia will impact credit unions. Russia early Thursday morning launched an attack on Ukraines borders in an effort to undermine its territorial integrity. In response to the invasion, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) imposing sanctions against Russia, blocking property of certain persons and prohibiting certain transactions with respect to the attacks.

Schafer notes that while the majority of the imposed sanctions will not impact credit unions, there are sanctions that directly impact Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) compliance, which credit unions, as financial institutions, are familiar with.

Following Bidens EO, OFAC added certain individuals and entities to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN), to include major Russian banks and their subsidiaries, as well as Russian political figures and families with close ties to Russian President Vladmir Putin. Transaction monitoring systems typically receive updated SDN list information, but credit unions should ensure that they are abiding by OFAC regulations and properly blocking property and prohibiting transactions as required, wrote Schafer.

Of note, the EO also blocks all property and interests in property that are in the U.S. by any person operating in covered regions. OFAC issued several directives including one that prohibits any U.S. financial institution from participating in certain actions with the Central Bank of Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, or the Ministry of Finance Russian Federation.
Despite Moscow placing its nuclear forces on high alert in response to tough US sanctions, President Joe Biden said Monday that Americans need not be concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine turning into a worldwide nuclear war.

Because of aggressive declarations by NATO countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged his military to increase its readiness to deploy nuclear weapons on Sunday. Putin ordered Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to place their nuclear forces under a special combat duty regime.

Biden Admin Seeks To Ease Tension

"We believe aggressive rhetoric like this involving nuclear weapons is irresponsible, contributes to the risk of mistake, should be avoided, and [we] will not indulge in it," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday, NY Post reported.

However, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Putin ally, stated on Sunday that US sanctions on Russia may lead to a third world war, although the US has so far avoided targeting important Russian industries like oil and gas exports.

After imposing limited restrictions last week, the White House slapped more sanctions over the weekend, targeting Putin's immense personal fortune and shutting Russian banks out of the SWIFT international payment system.

The Biden administration is seeking to ease the tension produced by Russian President Vladimir Putin's alleged nuclear threats, according to Psaki. Over the weekend, Putin put Russia's nuclear weapons on high alert, and he earlier threatened Western nations with dire repercussions if they intervene militarily in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Psaki dismissed as "provocative rhetoric."

Putin's threats, she stated, are hazardous, contribute to the risk of miscalculation, should be avoided, and US will not engage in it. Psaki went on to say that the White House is "assessing President Putin's directive, and at this moment, we see no cause to modify our own alert levels."

Later in the briefing, Psaki told reporters that the No. 1 way the US is actively working to "reduce the possibility of nuclear war" is by "not escalating our own rhetoric," as per Washington Examiner. Earlier in the day, when asked if nuclear war with Russia is a realistic possibility, President Joe Biden simply replied, "No."

Read Also: Volodymyr Zelensky Agrees to Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Without Preconditions Despite Vladimir Putin's Deadly Threat

President Joe Biden's Approval Rating Plummets Amid Ukraine Invasion

President Joe Biden's approval is plummeting in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to recent polling from The Washington Post and ABC News, only 37% of Americans approve of Biden's job performance, a new low for the president just over a year into office. A majority of adults in the United States, 55 percent, disapprove of Biden's job performance.

Those findings were echoed in a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll poll, which indicated Biden's approval rating had dropped to an all-time low of 38%, as originally reported by The Hill. Biden appeared to enjoy a rare moment of bipartisan support, as senators across the political spectrum decried Vladimir Putin's aggression on Ukraine and backed US sanctions against Russia.

However, numerous congressional leaders chastised the president last week for not moving far enough on sanctions as Moscow began a full-scale invasion of its eastern European neighbor.

Many Republicans also questioned the administration's decision to join European partners in penalizing Putin personally as too late, citing the timing of sanctions on Russia's financial institutions and rich elites. Others criticize Biden for failing to target Russia's oil and gas supply.

Related Article: President Joe Biden Sparks Fury For His Absence in DC; POTUS Spends Weekend in Delaware Despite War Wages in Ukraine

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Opioid settlement

As part of the $26 million opioid lawsuit agreement:

Johnson & Johnson is required to:

Stop selling opioids.

Not fund or provide grants to third parties for promoting opioids.

Not lobby on activities related to opioids.

Share clinical trial data under the Yale University Open Data Access Project.

In addition to providing funds, Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen will:

Establish a centralized independent clearinghouse to provide all three distributors and state regulators with aggregated data and analytics about where drugs are going and how often, eliminating deficiencies in the current systems used by distributors.

Use data-driven systems to detect suspicious opioid orders from customer pharmacies.

Terminate customer pharmacies abilities to receive shipments, and report those companies to state regulators, when they show certain signs of diversion.

Prohibit shipping of and report suspicious opioid orders.

Prohibit sales staff from influencing decisions related to identifying suspicious opioid orders.

Require senior corporate officials to engage in regular oversight of anti-diversion efforts.
Binance raised more than $10 million that will be distributed to intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help provide emergency relief to Ukrainian refugees, including children, amid Russia's continued invasion.

The cryptocurrency trading platform said in a media release that it would allocate the funds through organizations on the ground, including UNICEF, UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, the International Strategic Action Network for Security (iSANS), and People in Need. Currently, the company has a partnership with only UNICEF.

Donations for Ukraine

The donation will add to another crypto crowdfunding project known as "Humanity First - Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund," which aims to raise roughly $20 million. In a statement, Binance urged others to support Ukraine by directly donating crypto.

People who wish to support the cause can use BNB, BUSD, bitcoin, and ether to donate to the funding. In an email, a Binance spokesperson said that other charities could be added in the future. The money raised in the project will be used to "support logistics on the ground such as food, fuel, and supplies for refugees in countries bordering with Ukraine and more," as per Coindesk.

After posting appeals on social media platforms, the Ukrainian government was able to raise roughly $13 million in cryptocurrency as donations. The government's official Twitter account appealed for digital asset donations on Saturday after Moscow's full-scale military operation.

Ukrainian Vice-Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov posted on the social media platform his requests for support of the Ukrainian population. He urged people to donate cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Tether.

Read Also: Belarus President Warns US, West Sanctions Are Pushing Russia to World War 3: "Nuclear War Is the End of Everything"

According to Reuters, as of Monday at 8:50 GMT, the wallet addresses were able to raise roughly $12.8 million from 17,300 donations. The numbers were released by London-based Elliptic, which tracks the movement of digital coins on the blockchain, which is a public ledger that records cryptocurrency transactions.

Funds for Military Weapons

Furthermore, the Ukrainian embassy to the Czech Republic has also launched a crowdfunding campaign, but unlike before, this project aims to raise money that will be used to purchase weapons. The equipment will be distributed to Ukraine's armed forces to support them in fighting against the Russian invasion.

The embassy in Prague launched the project on Saturday through social media and asked people to donate to the fund to help procure military equipment. The Kyiv command wrote a list of items that would be purchased using the money.

"We call on all to financially support the fundraiser for immediate assistance in procurement of military equipment for the Ukrainian Army and citizen self-defense units. The Armed Forces and the Defense of Ukraine now urgently need military material to defend their homes, country, and national sovereignty," the embassy said on Saturday on its official Facebook page, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Several other donation projects aim to help Ukraine in this time of crisis, including one from UkraineDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that was made for the country. The founding member of the "conceptual protest art group," Nadya Tolokonnikova, announced the funding earlier this week.

Related Article: US Banks Prepare For Russian Cyberattacks Amid New Sanctions on Moscow

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The University of Oregon launched The Ballmer Institute for Childrens Behavioral Health today, UO President Michael Schill announced in an email to the UO community. The institute aims to provide behavioral and mental health resources to K-12 students in Oregon.

The Ballmer Institute will be based in Portland, which the institute's website identifies as the epicenter of Oregons behavioral health crisis.

The global pandemic has only amplified the mental and behavioral health needs of students here in Portland and across the country, Portland Public Schools Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero said in the announcement. School districts are often ill-equipped to adequately address these barriers to learning. We have a responsibility to find innovative ways to support the holistic needs of our students and are excited for our groundbreaking partnership with the Ballmer Institute.

Toya Fick, a UO board of trustees member and Oregon director of the nonprofit Stand for Children, said the institute follows statewide legislation like the 2019 Student Success Act.

We heard from so many parents and teachers and students themselves that our schools need the financial support to provide mental and behavioral health for our kids in a school setting, Fick said. That legislation provides the financial resources. The Ballmer Institute will help provide the human resources to ensure our kids have what they need in school settings across Oregon.

The Ballmer Institute will be funded by a gift of over $425 million from Connie and Steve Ballmer. The two also co-founded the Ballmer Group, a philanthropic organization that works to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty, according to its website.

With the institute, UO plans to create new degree and certificate programs for behavioral health practitioners, provide science-based early detection, prevention and treatment strategies for children and families, develop new technologies and research through clinical studies and provide scholarships to support UO students and help them enter the workforce.

The board of trustees is expected to look at purchasing the former Concordia University campus in northeast Portland as a home base for the institute.

UO held a press conference at noon Tuesday to discuss the initiative further. Schill, UO Provost Patrick Phillips, Guerrero, Director of the Prevention Science Institute Laura Lee McIntyre, Executive Director of Ballmer Institute Randy Kamphaus, and UOs Vice President for University Advancement Mike Andresen sat on the panel together. UO Vice President of Communications Richie Hunter introduced the speakers.

Kids in this state are suffering, Schill said. Parents in this state are suffering. And our state needs help, and the University of Oregon, we are uniquely capable of providing that help.

Guerrero applauded UO for having a willingness to be bold and to seek solutions to the issue of behavioral health among students. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed the negative impact on Oregon students, he said, highlighting the potential for the Ballmer Institute to have a positive impact on both students and families.

Why us and why now? Phillips asked. He cited UOs research capabilities, its student body that pays attention to how it can make a difference and an opportunity to show why Oregon as a state is special, since the program has garnered state government support. We exist at a scale where we can actually make a difference, he said.

Andreasen highlighted how Connie and Steve Ballmer are asking all of us, maybe even demanding of us, to leverage our teaching mission to have an impact on society through their donation.

Kamphaus said that UO feels the same urgency as the rest of America in addressing the issue of behavioral health. Interested parties can anticipate the certification program later this year, he said, followed by the admittance of 200 students in fall 2023 for its bachelor-level program.

this story was updated at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to include details from the press conference.
As darkness sets in like a fog and the shrill sound of police sirens echo out, a malevolent energy rises up from cigarette ashes on the pavement below. Time slows, like traffic, as the hours become late and tired. Streets empty and lots fill. Cars sit paralyzed, listening to the passing trains horn blare through the night. At least the trains can escape, they think.

What comes next: the all too familiar tales of vandals and burglars who haunt streets at night. Cars perhaps know these stories best.

Crime against cars has risen across Oregon. Portland car thefts have seen a dramatic 62% increase from the past 10 years, and, last year on average, 20 cars were stolen everyday in the area. In Eugene, 2,556 car break-ins occurred in 2020, and vandalism as a whole is on a 63% rise.

When specific lots become high-risk for vehicular crimes, cities typically intervene to require security camera installations. But what if an entire city itself becomes high-risk?

It seems Eugenes answer is to do nothing. Perhaps a lack of resources prevents the city or private lots from taking action  the swiftness with which cars are ticketed for parking violations both indicates and challenges this theory. Still, the more likely reason is that no one really cares. Be this true or not, cars essentially remain sitting ducks, waiting for the crimes against them to escalate.

In an abandoned lot on Broadway, car on car crime has reached treacherous heights. Being one of few free and relatively unmonitored lots in Eugene, drivers fight tire and rubber to ensure a spot. Cars are blocked in daily as the lot crowds. This, expectedly, upsets the trapped cars owners. Some leave notes or wait it out. Others, though, take a darker, more villainous route.

My car was keyed all over, Elliott Turner, a frequent parker in this lot, said. Its been happening to more and more people. I think its definitely someone at the [apartment nearby] doing it.

At least three cars in this lot alone have been keyed with the words Nice Parking on the hood. The nearby apartments cameras do not reach the area, and the lot itself has no cameras. Turner, who filed a police report, was told the department will continue to look'' for the person responsible.

This lot is far from the only hub of car crime. Vehicular victims of violence are spread far and wide across Eugene, and stories like these can be heard from nearly every car owner in the city as their possessions are looted, their windows smashed and their dignity stripped. Imagine if it were you who were deliberately and routinely preyed on by predatory vandals and thieves night after night with little to nothing to protect you.

For many, this gruesome existence is reality. Consider Helen, who has had her window broken to bits, her bike rack stolen, her glovebox rifled through constantly and, one time, her doors literally left swung open. Most recently, her front tire was slashed with the word walk written into the dust on her door. Several items were taken from her, including napkins and registration. Helen, though, is not a person. Helens a car. My car. And she is a victim.

The targeted attack on cars like Helen and, at times, drivers in Eugene is nothing new. Last year, in a Diamond parking lot near the 959 Apartment building, student Jakob Klinenberg was sitting in his car when he noticed two men approach his vehicle.

They were 5 or 6 feet away from my car when one of them pulled a gun out at me, yelling get out of the car, Klinenberg said. Fortunately, his car was still in drive, and he was able to speed out of the lot unharmed.

Klinenberg reached out to the Diamond Parking company, who put him in touch with a lot owner who reportedly seemed more concerned with how his phone number had been reached rather than what had happened in his lot. He basically was like, Im sorry that happened, but I dont plan on putting in cameras or doing anything. After filing a police report, a detective met with Klinenberg the following day to look into the encounter. Two months later with no leads, though, the investigation was dropped.

Few may know that Eugene is internationally recognized as a city of peace. This declaration of peace accompanies a mission to transform and unite every neighborhood to ensure security, empathy [and] collaboration. Who, you may ask, reaps the benefits of this promise, of this protection? Certainly not the cars. They know no protection. They know no peace.

In a 2020 Emerald interview, Eugene Police Departments Community Engagement Specialist Steven Chambers said, Almost 100% of vehicle break-ins can be prevented. I agree, Steven. Vehicular break-ins can be prevented, but not just by locking a car and taking out everything inside, as the Eugene Police Department website advises. Empty cars can still become victims of break-ins and other crimes.

If someone wants to smash your car window and steal cents in change, they will. If they want to key your car and slash its tires, they will. If they want to pull out a gun and threaten you, they will.

The city government needs to show that it takes these crimes seriously before they get worse. Consequences are necessary, and the inability to find perpetrators is no longer acceptable. Current city surveillance laws need to change and mandate security camera installations in public and privately owned parking lots.

If you care about your car and, more importantly, your community, call and urge the city council to ensure Eugene lot safety for cars and drivers alike. Your car story deserves to be shared and heard. You deserve to feel safe in your city.
On Monday, North Korea broke its quiet on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, criticizing the US and the West for their "hegemonic strategy" and "high-handedness."

Russian and Ukrainian officials resumed talks on the Belarusian border as Moscow faced US-led economic sanctions four days after its invasion of Ukraine, which was widely condemned in the West.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry issued its first official statement on Russia's attack, accusing the West of "abuse of power," according to Reuters via MSN. "The root cause of the Ukraine crisis completely lies in the hegemonic policy of the US and the West, which enforce themselves in high-handedness and abuse of power against other countries," the North's official KCNA news agency quoted an unnamed foreign ministry spokesperson.

More Than Half a Million Residents Fled Amid Russia-Ukraine Tension

The message arrived only a day after North Korea fired a missile in what might be its first test after a record number of launches in January despite stalled denuclearization negotiations with the US.

Washington has urged for a resumption of negotiations aimed at eliminating Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, but Pyongyang has rejected the offers, demanding an end to the US's hostile policy and double standards. Pyongyang has also vowed to resume testing of longer-range missiles, possibly including nuclear weapons.

The US has promised to impose export curbs on semiconductors and other advanced technology critical to Russia's weapons development and biotechnology, as well as to prohibit some Russian banks from using the SWIFT international payments system. North Korea accused the United States and its allies of disregarding Russia's fair and lawful requests for legally supported security guarantees.

The vast influx of migrants from Ukraine to the European Union's eastern fringes showed no signs of slowing down on Monday, according to the United Nations. More than 520,000 individuals have reportedly fled Russia's escalating conflict with Ukraine, Market Watch via MSN reported.

At checkpoints around the borders of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova, long lineups of automobiles and buses formed. Others walked across the border, dragging their belongings behind them.

Read Also: Joe Biden: US Should Not Fear Nuclear War Amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Russia Launches Massive Rocket Attack in Ukraine

Hundreds of migrants congregated in a makeshift reception center in Beregsurany, Hungary's border settlement, awaiting transfer to transit hubs where they would be sent farther into Hungary and beyond. Many of the refugees in Beregsurany, as well as other Eastern European border areas, are from India, Nigeria, and other African nations who were working or studying in Ukraine when the conflict erupted.

More than 520,000 refugees have fled Ukraine, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who spoke to the UN Security Council via video, adding that the number "has been rising exponentially, hour after hour." Trains continued to bring refugees into the border town of Przemysl on Monday, with Poland reporting the most arrivals at over 280,000. As they departed the station, several wore winter jackets to protect themselves from the near-freezing conditions and carried little luggage.

Cluster munitions are a type of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that discharges or ejects tiny submunitions, which are meant to kill people and destroy vehicles, as per The Independent.

It comes after the Russian military was suspected of employing similar explosives in a separate strike in northeastern Ukraine, which killed a kid and two adults hiding in a pre-school. In the shelling of the Sonechko nursery and kindergarten in Okhtyrka, a second kid was injured. According to Amnesty International, the strike might be considered a war crime.

Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia began earlier this week along the Belarusian border. The purpose of the discussions, according to the Ukrainian president's administration, was to achieve a quick ceasefire and the evacuation of the Russian military from Ukraine.

After violent confrontations with Russia, Ukrainian troops declared Sunday night that they had successfully repulsed an attack on Kharkiv, the country's second largest city. However, as the battle progresses on a daily basis, the situation has shifted.

Related Article: Volodymyr Zelensky Agrees to Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Without Preconditions Despite Vladimir Putin's Deadly Threat

@YouTube

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Over the years, as bloody conflicts have unfolded across the globe and tyrants have slaughtered indiscriminately in the pursuit of power, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been unequivocal about one of the great geopolitical challenges of our age.

The 'major problem'  his exact words back in 2012  was Nato, the military alliance formed in the still-looming shadow of World War II to promote the freedom and security of its members in Europe and North America, but which Corbyn asserted was instead dedicated to 'thwarting the Soviet Union'.

As we know, Corbyn's loathing of Nato is matched only by his passionate support of nuclear disarmament, something for which he has argued vehemently over the years.

Damaged radar arrays and other equipment outside Mariupol, Ukraine on Thursday following air and missile strikes from Russia

Vulnerable

As recently as 2015, Corbyn has proclaimed that there is no justification for nuclear weapons now that the Cold War is 'over'.

Those words sound pretty hollow today as Putin's tanks encircle the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and Russia's state of nuclear readiness is cranked up to maximum.

How profoundly thankful we must be that Corbyn (who led the Opposition until two years ago) did not triumph at the polls, meaning his determination to strip this country of its strongest means of defence never came to pass.

If he had, the effect would have been catastrophic: it would have left all 68 million of us in the UK vulnerable to the whims of a psychopath.

The mere thought of how exposed we would be is horrifying. Yet I also feel much the same revulsion at Corbyn's more recent proclamations.

In the face of distressing scenes from Ukraine  and Putin's increasingly evident lunacy  Corbyn has certainly softened his rhetoric, bleating about the need for a 'global peace movement' to act 'against the war machine'.

This, too, betrays the stupidity of a man and his followers whose world-view has always been at best naive, at worst reckless, sinister and morally delinquent.

The defeatism of the Left dates back to the 1950s when the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) was founded to push for the scrapping of Britain's nuclear deterrent.

The remains of a missile that landed in the street in Kyiv, Ukraine, pictured on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a military operation

In the very same month that CND was established, arch Leftist Tony Benn resigned his position as one of Labour's front bench spokesmen on defence, stating that he could not, 'under any circumstances, support a policy which contemplated the use of atomic weapons in war'.

Benn never succeeded in becoming leader of the Labour Party, but another CND veteran did: Michael Foot.

In 1960, he declared: 'A Britain which denounced the insanity of the nuclear strategy would be in a position to direct its influence at the United Nations and in the world at large, in a manner at present denied us.'

Foot was a regular participant in the Aldermaston marches, which set off from the Atomic Weapons Establishment near Aldermaston to Trafalgar Square, attracting a diverse array of radicals from Monty Python's Eric Idle to a teenage Rod Stewart.

David Patrikarakos writes: 'How profoundly thankful we must be that Corbyn (pictured) did not triumph at the polls'

And a series of Left-wing voices have parroted the same old saws ever since, from Diane Abbott to Angela Rayner.

As recently as 2016, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy  who joined the CND as a teenager  said: 'Thankfully, the threat of nuclear attack seems far more remote than when I was growing up, but many of us now seem to have lost sight of the senselessness of the stock-piling of these weapons and the utter barbarity of the concept of mutually assured destruction.'

Even Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister to David Cameron in the Coalition Government of 2010 to 2015, had a wobble in 2013. Speaking on his weekly phone-in radio show with LBC, he said: 'Trident was designed very explicitly for a completely different Cold War world, where the main strategic threat was [an] unannounced, overwhelming and unpredicted nuclear strike from Moscow. I think the world has changed.'

How wrong he was.

As a student of international conflict, I can tell you that many Ukrainians have long been baffled by those who have continued to call for nuclear disarmament in the name of 'peace'.

Only eight years ago, Ukrainians faced the Russian president's forces as the country's 2014 revolution led to Putin aggressively annexing Crimea and, after that, parts of eastern Ukraine.

As days turned into weeks, gunfire and shells turned cities in the east of the country into ghost towns, to the horror of the watching world.

Yet not all of the watching world was outraged. In an eerie foreshadowing of the arguments deployed by Putin eight years later as he prepared to invade Ukraine, Corbyn refused to condemn this outrageously hostile act.

Denounced

The man who was then just a year away from becoming Leader of the Opposition asserted that Ukrainians had collaborated with the Nazis during World War II, stating that 'their descendants could be seen bearing Nazi insignia and spouting racist slogans in Kyiv only a week ago'.

What a damning insight into the prevailing, unquestioning ideology of the hard Left.

Thankfully, eight years on, Sir Keir Starmer now leads Labour  and on this issue at least he's sensible.

As recently as 2016, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, David Lammy (pictured), who joined the CND as a teenager, said: 'Many of us now seem to have lost sight of the senselessness of the stock-piling of these weapons'

In recent days, Starmer has both reaffirmed Labour's staunch support for Nato and denounced Stop The War protesters as no 'benign voices for peace' but supporters of authoritarian leaders who directly threaten democracies.

Amen to that. Mindful, too, of the fact that his party is often seen as weak on defence, Starmer has reaffirmed its commitment to maintain Britain's nuclear deterrent.

Yet there is also no doubting that, behind the scenes, many of those in his party remain loyal to the cause of nuclear disarmament: in 2016, alongside Corbyn, some 46 MPs voted against the renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear weapons programme.

Threat

Today, their views appear breathtakingly unsophisticated, the product of a mindset that is blind to the fact that the collapse of communism in 1989 did not mark the end of any threat to our national security.

And that since the end of World War II, it is the threat of mutually assured destruction that has safeguarded us from mass global conflict  or a confrontation between Russia and the West, at least.

This is not just on the battlefield, but in the boardroom, too. If you lack a seismic threat possessed by another, it weakens you on all fronts.

In an ideal world, none of this would be true  but even the biggest idealist amongst us must see that we do not live in such a world.

Whether we like it or not, the threat to our autonomy and peace will always be there.

And while it is always better to prevent a war than to have to fight one, those who believe the planet is 'safer' without a nuclear deterrent show a lack of understanding of the world that would be astonishing at high-school level, more still in political office.

In a world where despots possess nuclear weapons that could be aimed at us  despots who are all too often supported by the Left  we must not, and cannot, give up our own ultimate deterrent.
Each day brings a new horror. Pictures of a child's final moments caught in an air attack, the desperation of medics unable to save her, the anguish of her family.

Her blood-stained pink unicorn pyjamas, the cartoon crocodile on the doctor's surgical hat. Heartbreaking details that only emphasise the soul-wrenching hopelessness of the situation.

The anguish of young women giving birth in makeshift wards as they try to escape the 40-mile-long convoy of Russian tanks and artillery reaching towards Kyiv like a creeping black shadow.

The sense of disbelief as, minute by minute, Putin tortures Ukraine before our very eyes.

'Flee or die,' was his message to the people of Kyiv. If only we could fast-forward to the part where he blows his brains out in a bunker.

Each day brings a new horror. Pictures of a child's final moments caught in an air attack, the desperation of medics unable to save her, the anguish of her family

Pictured: A girl named Polina, who Kyiv officials say was shot and killed by the Russians while in a car with her parents

But this is no Hollywood blockbuster. This is the reality of war, in all its grinding desperation. The world watches as one man destroys a nation, child by child, mother by mother, father by father. And we seem powerless to stop him.

Worse than powerless, in fact. Because in a ghastly way we are complicit. It's our money that's fuelling this war. Ours and Europe's: up to one billion dollars a day on Russian oil and gas, flowing from our pockets to his.

That's an awful lot of hardware, boots and cluster bombs. What does he care if the rouble loses 30 per cent of its value. Each day brings another billion. This is exactly what dear, old Ronald Reagan predicted, back in the 1980s, when he tried to obstruct the construction of the pipelines. He failed, and 40 years on, here we are.

But it's not too late. I'm no Greta Thunberg. But if I had to ditch my car, turn off my heating, shower every other day and never catch another plane to put an end to this man's lunacy, I'd do it.

But this is no Hollywood blockbuster. This is the reality of war, in all its grinding desperation. The world watches as one man destroys a nation, child by child, mother by mother, father by father. And we seem powerless to stop him. Pictured: A child patient in treatment at Okhmadet Children's Hospital, Kyiv

In a ghastly way we are complicit. It's our money that's fuelling this war. Ours and Europe's: up to one billion dollars a day on Russian oil and gas, flowing from our pockets to his

I'd read by candlelight on a winter's evening if I thought it meant the world could be a safe place, where little girls in unicorn pyjamas can sleep soundly at night.

My greatest hope is that we see Vladimir Putin in The Hague. My greatest fear is that this is only the start of it. But whatever transpires, if one good thing comes out of this nightmare it will be that we finally understand the need to be reliant on our own energy reserves: we must never again find ourselves in the perverse situation of indirectly financing a madman's war.

Clive, King of Kyiv If one person is restoring my faith in the BBC, it's Clive Myrie, who's been professional, compassionate and charismatic reporting from Kyiv. He's worth the licence fee alone. And to think that they'd squirrelled him away presenting Mastermind. Advertisement

Perhaps, as Kwasi Kwarteng says, re-starting fracking in Britain will not make much difference. Perhaps North Sea oil won't get us as far as we'd like to think.

But we should not rule anything out. And however frightening nuclear power may seem, it's a lot less scary than Putin. Provided, of course, we don't get the Chinese to build it.

The pandemic showed us how reliant we, as a nation, are on other countries for many of our basic necessities.

Covid PPE was a case in point: there was a huge shortage, for the simple fact that Britain no longer has a solid manufacturing base.

I'm not saying that we need to build Fortress Britain and turn inwards on the world. But our Government has a duty to ensure we maintain a degree of independence in vital sectors such as manufacturing, fuel and, of course, food production.

Because, as we now see from the horrific events unfolding in Ukraine, you never know when you might need it.

Vladimir Putin is running short of friends in the world.

So he might be thankful for Kristina Rihanoff, the Russian-born former Strictly dancer who at the weekend posted a series of tweets in which she said she doesn't 'give a sh*t about the war' and which some deemed to be supportive of the president.

Perhaps she'd like to take her perfectly sculpted rear and go and offer him support in person  as far from Britain as possible.

Eye-bulging: Russian former Strictly pro Kristina Rihanoff has claimed she is 'deeply sorry' for raging 'I don't give a s**t about the war' in shocking tweet

Talking ourselves into trouble

Barely a week goes by without another report warning of the dire mental state of the nation's children.

The latest, from a study of secondary school pupils, suggests that girls in particular are suffering due to their perfectionism.

I have no doubt young people are facing many difficulties. But I can't help wondering if there's something about the widespread debate around mental health issues that's actually starting to contribute to the problem.

It almost feels as though the welcome destigmatisation of mental illness has had the side-effect of encouraging young people to categorise themselves as ill.

It's important we distinguish between normal feelings of sadness and actual mental illness. Otherwise we'll end up medicalising an entire generation for no reason.

This tiresome trend among showbiz mums

Well, there's a surprise: Amanda Holden says her daughter Lexi, 16, has signed with Kate Moss's modelling agency.

What is it about women like Holden and Victoria Beckham that the sum total of their ambitions for their children seems to be offering them up as fashion fodder?

Lexi is very pretty, but she should be working on her school exams, not being paid to prance around like a clothes horse.

Well, there's a surprise: Amanda Holden says her daughter Lexi, 16, has signed with Kate Moss's modelling agency

Labour's Stella Creasy has lambasted early years tsar Andrea Leadsom for opposing moves to allow babies in the Commons.

She said Leadsom's comments were 'worrying', since it's her job to help give youngsters the best start in life.

Forgive me, but spending an afternoon listening to a bunch of MPs braying at one another doesn't strike me as 'the best possible start in life'.

It's not the first time someone has made that Helen Mirren joke about the SAG showbiz awards  the 76-year-old said: 'I hate to say the word sag at my age, it's always S-A-G for me'  but it is the first time a winner has done so.

Good on her. She may have acquired U.S. citizenship, but it's refreshing to know that she still retains a self-deprecating British sense of humour.

Outbreak of sense

In a rare outbreak of sanity, the NHS has pushed back against demands to note patients' preferred pronouns on their medical records.

A report had claimed that 70 per cent of trans people had experienced 'discrimination', 'misgendering, micro-aggressions and misunderstanding' from their primary care provider.

Seventy per cent? Can that really be true? In my experience, most medical professionals go out of their way to make patients feel at ease  but then I guess I'm not a trans woman.

Still, the last thing they need is more pointless paperwork. Common sense: 1; Wokery: 0.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has outlined plans to introduce a licensing scheme for beauty salons providing Botox or fillers. The only remarkable thing about this is that it doesn't exist already.

My 18-year-old daughter has recently started working in a bar. It's been quite an eye-opener for her. She says the scariest customers are the middle-aged women who get blotto and then importune men who are half their age. Classy.

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan claims the capital is 'well-prepared' for a nuclear strike. What on earth is the man talking about? If only he could say the same about this week's business-wrecking Tube strikes.

Can someone tell me the Richard Moore on Twitter who lists his pronouns as he/him and uses the war in Ukraine to remind everyone about the importance of LGBT rights is not the Richard Moore who is the head of MI6. Because if it is, then we're in more trouble than I'd thought.
Hotels offer people the chance to leave their cares and worries at the door and enjoy a bit of pampering and TLC, so it's not too much for staff to expect rooms to be left in good order in return.

But unfortunately that's not always the case, as these snaps from around the world collected by Traveler Door reveal, with gruesome guests leaving underwear in kettles and nail clippings in the phone.

One photo shows a man passed out in the doorway of his room, topless with his clothes spread around him, while another image shows a filthy bed covered in newspapers and food.

Elsewhere is a terrifying prank, where someone has wound the telephone cord around a dummy under the duvet cover.

Here Femail shares a selection of photos that will make you inspect your hotel room very carefully the next time you check in.

Made or unmade? We do NOT want to know what is lurking beneath those bed sheets in this very messy hotel room in Australia

This guy definitely hit it too hard last night at the hotel bar? Points if you can find all of his clothes

Well that must have been a nail biting conversation. This gruseome guest in the US left their nail clippings inside of the hotel room's telephone

Breakfast in bed? This guest just couldn't wait for his dinner and decided that midnight munchies of pork chops in bed was just what he needed. Can't fault his honesty

Fancy a tasty snack whilst practicing butterfly? This guest decided to leave their chicken wings poolside at a hotel in New York

A hotel guest, believed to be staying in Australia or New Zealand, was lambasted on Twitter for using the kettle to clean her period-stained pants, claiming it was a 'fast and hygienic' solution

That's not smashing! Nobody will be able to stay in this hotel room until the sink is fixed after being dramatically broken by the previous guest

And this pair decided to take anything they could get their hands on. Unfortunately they weren't the slyest of burglars and the neighbours caught them stealing the mini fridge

Treetops ski resort in Gaylord issued the University of Michigan with a bill for half a million dollars after six fraternities and sororities staged a huge party that tore apart the hotel in an Animal House-style melee

You've got to be sheet-ing me! Let's spare a thought for the cleaner who opened the door to this prank
A woman has been urged to dump her boyfriend after he let his friends to go through his phone while drunk, potentially allowing them to see the X-rated photos she had sent him.

The anonymous British woman took to Mumsnet to ask for advice on how to deal with the situation.

She explained that her boyfriend of 10 months had been at a party when he text her and said: 'I kissed a girl tonight x'.

When she challenged him, he said his friends had taken his phone and sent her the message as a prank.

A woman has been left disgusted by her boyfriend's behaviour after he got drunk at a party, kissed another girl and let friends on his phone, able to see her explicit pictures (file photo)

The anonymous woman from the UK took to the 'Am I Being Unreasonable?' thread on the forum website to see if other women could help her decide how to deal with her boyfriend

She continued: 'Thats not what Im p****d about. Im p****d he has my revealing pics/images (ones you expect between gf and bf) and explicit saved messages.

'These are really easy to find on his phone (think Snapchat) and Im so very upset these could of been exposed or seen by other people. I trusted him and he stupidly let others on his phone.'

The woman explained that her boyfriend didn't understand why she was upset.

She said that her boyfriend is 'genuinely such a good person' but feared she wouldn't be able to see past this behaviour.

The woman added: 'Am I being unreasonable to be upset with him? I supposed it could be my fault for sending such things but Im hurt he was so careless. Theres sick f***s in this world and the phone might of been passed around or videos taken. Maybe Im just overthinking this. Advice welcome.'

Many users said she should break up with her boyfriend after deleting all of the photos and videos from his phone. Others noted it seemed likely that he had kissed someone else.

The community was unforgiving to both the boyfriend and the woman, who many argued it was not 'expected' nor 'normal' to send explicit photos of yourself

Others blamed the woman, saying she shouldn't have sent him X-rated content in the first place.

One said: 'See him and delete all the photos of you from his phone (if that's something you worry about), then dump him.

'And, in future, I would advise that you not send revealing photos of yourself to anyone. Or, if you feel you must send them for some reason, make sure they don't include your face.'

Another user said that these photos shouldn't even be sent to someone you're married to, considering the risks it holds: 'I'm so sorry. But these are not 'images you'd expect' to share for this exact reason.

'You haven't even known this guy a year. It's silly to send stuff like this even if you were married tbh. You just don't know who can get hold of these images. He is an a******e. You must be so hurt.

'As PP [previous posters] said arrange to see him then make sure you delete all of these images (also from deleted items and cloud) just as damage limitation. But he may well gave already sent them to others or stored them elsewhere.

'Then dump him and block him and move on. What an utter b*****d and it sounds like his friends are equally obnoxious, you will be well rid.'

Another user added: 'The trust will be gone now and every time he goes off with these mates you will worry. Cut your losses and as above, remove all images from his device that involve you exposing yourself.'

The woman was urged to break up with her boyfriend once she had deleted all of the evidence

Most respondents said they didn't believe his argument that he wasn't the one to send the message to the upset girlfriend.

'He sounds cruel,' said one user. 'I don't believe him that he didn't send the message.

'I think he sent it to hurt you. The admiring other women in front of you is also hurtful. This guy takes pleasure in hurting your feelings. See him, delete the photos, then get rid! He's lousy.'

Someone else reiterated the dangers of sending naked pictures of yourself to someone, no matter how trustworthy you consider them to be: 'Howay OP [original poster], he sent the message when he was pissed hoping for a reaction from you.

'He's obviously thought better of it once he'd sobered up. Whether he did actually kiss someone is irrelevant really - his text was to hurt you, whether it was true or not. I'd dump him for the old 'my mate sent it' excuse alone'.

'Please though, don't send identifiable pics to anyone, no matter how nice you think they are - it's not worth the stress if you split.'
After leaving school in Qatar at the age of 16 Hash Tayeh tricked his parents into thinking he was going on a short holiday to Australia - but had secretly planned to stay and set up a new life for himself.

Fifteen years later the Melbourne businessman is the CEO of the country's largest privately owned burger chain Burgertory which turned over more than $30million worth of burgers in 2021 alone.

Hash and his family lived in Australia briefly when he was just a year old after fleeing Jordan during the Gulf War.

When he turned six his family relocated to Qatar for his father's work but he never stopped thinking about the laidback Australian lifestyle he had known as a young boy, and he missed his friends living Down Under.

'Having friends on Myspace and MSN messenger, I could always see what my friends in Australia were up to, the lives they were living seemed to be filled with freedom, fun, and diversity,' he told FEMAIL.

Hash Tayeh (pictured), 31, from Melbourne, came to Australia from Qatar without his family at just 16 with nothing and is now the owner of burger empire, Burgertory

With 17 location across Melbourne, Burgertory has been named the largest independently owner burger chain in the country and has sold $30million worth of burger since launching in 2018

Hash tricked his parents into thinking he was going on a holiday to visit his aunty in Australia but planned to stay and hit the ground running starting his own business just one year later

'I plotted a plan to tell my parents I wanted to go and visit my aunty in Australia, however when I landed I stayed with friends and told them that I planned to stay for good.

'To say they were angry would be an understatement, they were furious.'

Hash hit the ground running and started up his first business just a year later and spent the next decade making money as an entrepreneur, launching Burgertory in 2018.

Since opening the first Burgertory store in the Melbourne suburb of Braybrook, the eatery has been going from strength to strength selling 2.1million burgers across its ever expanding locations since the beginning.

'The omicron wave was particularly hard for us at one point... 260 of my staff were off sick with Covid. Everyone who wasn't sick worked around the clock, many doing double shifts so the stores could stay operating,' he said.

'With the masses being restricted to their areas they were forced to discover their local small businesses, this gave us an opportunity to rapidly expand and benefit from huge local exposure.

'During the Covid restrictions last year we opened 11 new stores.'

Since opening the first Burgertory store in the Melbourne suburb of Braybrook, the eatery has been going strong, selling 2.1million burgers across its ever expanding locations since its beginnings and even through challenges arisen because of the pandemic and lockdowns

Now with 17 locations Burgertory was named the largest independently run burger chain in Australia and Hash has plans to grow to 50 restaurants by the end of 2023.

'People ask me all the time why is being independent so important when it comes to making a better tasting burger - and that's because the buck stops at me,' Hash said.

'We don't take short cuts or compromise on quality. Each item off our menu is made the exact same way as the day we started Burgertory. We didn't streamline our production or lose our origins in our fight to the top.'

With a series of businesses and a burger empire under his belt, Hash said his parents have finally forgiven him for sneaking away at 16.

'I think it took them about ten years of me being abroad to tell me they were proud of me,' he said.

'My proudest achievement is that a few years ago I was able to support my family in helping them move back to Australia, so we are all reunited now.'

Burgertory's new flagship store in Box Hill, Melbourne, will launch tomorrow, Wednesday, March 2 and the first 300 customers will receive a free burger to celebrate the opening

On Wednesday March 2 the new Box Hill store will open and mark a new era for Burgertory.

It will be the new flagship store with a 300sqm layout and the capacity to serve $400,000 worth of burgers each month.

To celebrate Hash being named the burger king of Australia and the launch of his flagship store, Burgertory will be giving away free burgers for the first 300 customers at the new Box Hill location from 4pm tomorrow.
UN chief says fighting in Ukraine must stop

Xinhua) 08:39, March 01, 2022

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. Guterres on Monday called for an immediate end to the military operations in Ukraine. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for an immediate end to the military operations in Ukraine.

"The fighting in Ukraine must stop. It is raging across the country, from air, land and sea. It must stop now," he told an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine.

"Enough is enough. Soldiers need to move back to their barracks. Leaders need to move to peace. Civilians must be protected. International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, must be respected," said Guterres.

"We are facing a tragedy for Ukraine, but also a major regional crisis with potentially disastrous implications for us all," he warned. "Yesterday, Russian nuclear forces were put on high alert. This is a chilling development. The mere idea of a nuclear conflict is simply inconceivable. Nothing can justify the use of nuclear weapons."

The only true solution is peace, said Guterres. "The guns are talking now, but the path of dialogue must always remain open. It is never too late to engage in good-faith negotiations and to address all issues peacefully."

He expressed the hope that the direct talks now taking place between Ukrainian and Russian delegations will produce not only an immediate halt to the fighting, but also a path toward a diplomatic solution.

"I welcome and encourage all peaceful efforts to end the bloodshed and halt this conflict. I thank the countries who have offered to host and facilitate negotiations. The United Nations is ready to support such efforts," he said.

"War is not the answer. It is death, human suffering, senseless destruction and an immense distraction from the real challenges facing humanity," he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (on the podium) speaks during an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. Guterres on Monday called for an immediate end to the military operations in Ukraine. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (on the podium) speaks during an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. Guterres on Monday called for an immediate end to the military operations in Ukraine. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Reports say that China gave classified intelligence regarding Russia-Ukraine to help talk Vladimir Putin from a possible invasion.

This revelation by ex-Trump Pentagon official Kash Patel calls President Biden's decision to share information a violation and a colossal failure of leadership.

The sensitive information is about the Russian troops moving on the Russia-Ukraine border, as one of the devastating wrong decisions similarly made before the fall of Afghanistan.

US Shares Classified Information With China

Over three months and six meetings, President Joe Biden allowed US officials to speak to their Chinese counterparts, while Vladimir Putin would array massed troops on the shared border with Ukraine as mentioned by the New York Times last Friday.

The White House thought that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be enough to change the Kremlin's mind. But the White House shamed itself by getting cast aside by Beijing, which doubted Russia would push through, reported the Daily Mail.

When the information was transmitted to Moscow, Biden should have considered it is still debated.

It only backfired quite spectacularly when the administration could even consider China siding with the US. China sent the info with the sensitive intel, expressing how naive the White House is to believe it can cause disunity between Beijing and Moscow, cited Axios.

On Fox's Sunday Morning Futures, Patel took a swipe at President Biden and compared his administration as a train wreck to the full-on and in-control Trump administration, for allowing China access to classified information could be a critical push for Russia.

Read Also: Supreme Court Says Hillary Clinton Testimony Not Needed in an Email Server Case

China Gave Putin Information Shared by the US

Last Thursday, Vladimir Putin ordered the special operation to free Donbas and Lugansk, next came to the assault with missiles on Ukraine's military assets. A propaganda battle online to show Ukrainian resistance to Russian forward movements.

In an embarrassing moment in one of the press meets about the invasion, the president just gave no comment the Chinese could help.

Patel called it proof that an American leader spoke to China, which is America's competitor, gave the information to them.

He served as chief of staff under the Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller. He was also an official in the National Security Council under Trump's presidency.

The Democrat House committee would subpoena him as a suspect in the alleged Capitol attack, which conservatives called a witch hunt.

It seemed that the Biden practiced bad judgment in even considering that China would naively support Washington over Russia. To many worlds leader and even Americans, the president has little credibility due to crumbling polls.

Everyone knows that China and Russia sense weakness with the US president and are sharing information is another alleged debacle of judgment in only one year in office.

Patel added that everything that happened and attempts to stop the hostilities was made worse by sharing with China. Unlike Trump, Joe Biden has jeopardized NATO, the EU, and the US by his actions, who started no conflict in four years.

Patel was accused as Trump's back channel to Ukraine when Hunter Biden, the president's son, was involved. But it would not hold, and the media would shield then vice-president Biden.

China got the classified intelligence shared by the US, which is tantamount to sharing with the enemy. Plus, Biden's connection to Ukraine is getting spotlighted again.

Related Article: Who Is Kash Patel? Would the New Defense Secretary be Loyal to the Administration?

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Novelist Howard Jacobson has said misogyny 'is not a word that should be used about writers' as he made a stand against publishing's sensitivity crisis.

The 79-year-old, who lives in London, said he was repeatedly warned to 'be careful' when writing his memoir Mother's Boy, which is released this week.

The author, who won the Booker Prize for The Finkler Question in 2010, said he was warned by his publisher that his book would make him seem 'not very likeable'.

Having previously been accused of misogyny by critics, he told The Telegraph: 'I've lost the energy for the battle...[Misogyny] is not a critical term. As anti-Semitism is not a critical term...

Novelist Howard Jacobson, 79, has said misogyny 'is not a word that should be used about writers' as he made a stand against publishing's sensitivity crisis

'Dickens wrote novels that you could say are anti-Semitic  so what have you said? And a male writer is not obliged to like women.'

Howard said a common mistake by readers is to confuse art, in terms of plot or character, for a political statement from the author.

He said he considers 'the worst crime' to be 'bad writing, much lower down the list is whether or not you said something you're not supposed to say at the moment'.

Meanwhile he added that the 'male gaze' is a 'horrible concept' which he called 'anti-life and it's anti-art',

He revealed he had repeatedly been told to be 'careful' when writing the novel having been accused of misogyny by critics

His comments come after critically-acclaimed author Kate Clanchy, 57, from Scotland, found herself at the centre of a cancel culture row over revising her memoir.

She revealed her former publisher Picador recruited 'sensitivity readers' to 'detect and reform problematic racism and ableism' in her Orwell Prize-winning book.

It came after the 2019 memoir about her life as a state school teacher was criticised for allegedly portraying some pupils in a racist manner.

Miss Clanchy, 57, said she was 'horrified that people found prejudice and cruelty' in the book and 'went into the process' of the memoir being scrutinised by the sensitivity 'experts' willingly.

Kate Clanchy (pictured), who wrote Some Kids I Taught And What They Taught Me, revealed her former publisher Picador recruited 'sensitivity readers' to 'detect and reform problematic racism and ableism' in her Orwell Prize-winning book

Writing for website UnHerd, she said one focus group rated supposedly offensive words and passages on a scale of one to three.

She wrote: 'One Reader fusspots around single words: I should not use 'disfigure' of a landscape (infraction level 3, as presumably comparing bings  spoil heaps  to boils might be harmful to acne sufferers).

'Nor should I use 'handicap' in its ordinary sense of 'impede' (infraction level 2, serious); and I should prefer the acronym 'SEN' to its origin phrase, special educational needs, because it is more inclusive (infraction level 2).'

She added: 'My Readers though, have not been hired as literary people. They are there to help create a book that would play better on Twitter, not one that is better written.'

Miss Clanchy, who was awarded an MBE in 2019, cut ties with Picador before the revised version of the book was published.

Swift Press has reissued it without the changes but with other edits.

Swift Press told the Daily Telegraph: 'The only thing we wish to say is that minor revisions were made because Kate wished to make them.'
A Virginia woman who found a secret room in her home filled with hundreds of old love letters from the previous owners has now reunited them with the recipient's family.

Anna Prillaman, 40, from Henrico County, was stunned when she discovered a hidden door to a blocked off section in her attic, while she was doing some spring cleaning recently.

Inside, she came across hundreds of handwritten letters addressed to a woman named Betty Sue McGhee - some of which were penned by a man named Vance Herschel Long, who professed his love for Betty in them.

Anna, who was moved by the pair's compelling love story, became determined to find Betty and Vance - or their descendants - and she set out on a mission.

A Virginia woman, who found a secret room in her home filled with hundreds of old love letters from the previous owners, has now reunited them with the recipient's family

Anna Prillaman was stunned when she discovered a hidden door to a blocked off section in her attic while she was doing some cleaning recently. Some contents of the room are pictured

Inside, she came across hundreds of handwritten letters addressed to a woman named Betty Sue McGhee

Some of them were penned by a man named Vance Herschel Long, who professed his love for Betty in them. Betty and Vance are pictured together

Eventually, through the help of social media, she was able to get in contact with their grandson, and she has now sent the letters to him.

A glimpse into Vance's love letters to Betty In one of the letters, Vance wrote, 'Hi honey. How is my baby getting along? 'When were not together I know just the right words that I would use in telling you everything. 'But when were together all I can think of is "I love you."' Advertisement

According to Anna, she was hoping to find 'treasure' in the hidden room, but instead, she found something much more special.

'I realized there was a door. It is not a door that had a key or anything it was just latched at the top,' she recalled to local news outlet WTVR.

'I am an '80s baby, so I watched Goonies. As Im rummaging through the attic, Im thinking there could be treasure back here, could be a map, there could be gold coins.'

In one of the letters, Vance wrote, 'Hi honey. How is my baby getting along? When were not together I know just the right words that I would use in telling you everything. But when were together all I can think of is "I love you."'

Although Anna admitted that it felt slightly 'intrusive' for her to read the letters, which were more than 70 years old, she said they left her wanting to know more.

'It does pose a lot of questions just out of curiosity about their love story. Because it sounds neat,' she said.

Anna, who was moved by the pair's compelling love story, became determined to find Betty and Vance (pictured) - or their descendants - and she set out on a mission

Eventually, through the help of social media, she was able to get in contact with their grandson, Dalton Long (pictured), and she has now sent the letters to him

Although Anna admitted that it felt 'intrusive' for her to read the letters, which were more than 70 years old, she said they left her wanting to know more. Betty and Vance are pictured

In one of the letters, Vance wrote, 'When were not together I know just the right words that I would use in telling you everything. But when were together all I can think of is "I love you"'

'I think the reason it felt intrusive is that a letter written is between two people and two people only.

Anna (pictured with the letters) took to Facebook to try to find the rightful owners, posting in local community groups, and everyone in town became invested in the story

'I thought, Im not sure I need to be the third party that puts my head and my eyes on that because it wasnt meant for me to read.

'But upon glancing at these, it was clear [they] needed to be in the right hands and I needed to figure out how I was going to find that.'

She took to Facebook to try to find the rightful owners, posting in local community groups, and everyone in town became invested in the story.

'People love the story. Everywhere I go in town people are stopping me like, "Hey you wrote that post about the letters have you found the family yet?"' she shared.

'I think a lot of people put on their Sherlock Holmes hat and got to work.'

After much detective work, Anna came across a man named Dalton, who turned out to be Betty and Vance's grandson. He is pictured with Betty and Vance as a child

She reached out to him, and he revealed that Betty and Vance (pictured) - who were high school sweethearts - ended up getting married, and were together for 50 years

Now, Dalton said he is excited to read the letters and 'connect on a human level' with people who 'aren't here with us anymore.' Betty and Vance are pictured

After much detective work, Anna came across a man named Dalton Long, who turned out to be Betty and Vance's grandson. But he unfortunately, lived thousands of miles away in Portland, Oregon.

She reached out to him via Facebook, and he quickly responded and said he 'would love' to have the letters.

He revealed that Betty and Vance - who were high school sweethearts - ended up getting married, and were together for 50 years until they both sadly passed away.

Now, he is excited to read the letters and 'connect on a human level' with people who 'aren't here with us anymore.'

'To add words to that time in their life is going to be incredible. I think it is so beautiful to connect on a human level with people that arent here with us anymore you know?' said Dalton, who grew up in the house that Anna now owns.

He added that 'to add words to that time in their life' is going to be 'incredible' that that he is so thankful Anna helped 'unite him with a little piece of his past'

Anna explained that if she found long-lost love letters from her own grandparents, she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears. 'I hope that is what this family is able to do,' she added

According to Anna, she was hoping to find 'treasure' in the hidden room, but instead, she found something much more special

'She was able to find something and find the other end of it. And I think not only is it exciting for me but I hope its exciting for her to be able to unite me with a little piece of my past.'

Anna explained that if she found long-lost love letters from her own grandparents, she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears.

'I know that if I found letters from my grandparents on my mother's or fathers side, I would be sitting there in a pool of tears reading them and cherishing them. I hope that is what this family is able to do,' she added.

'It is interesting the reach this story has gotten with people being interested in it. So everyone has that in them. Human connection matters. The past matters.'

Dalton's mom recently picked up the box of letters and is now planning on sending them to Dalton soon.
A mother-of-two from the US has divided opinion over her take on 'walking tacos' for dinner, which involves filling a bag of Doritos with meat, cheese and sour cream.

Cooking with Meg on TikTok shared a recipe video with the Doritos 'treat' on February 26, showing how she crafted a separate meal for her daughter and son.

'My daughter only wants lettuce as a topping,' she wrote, showing how she piled pieces of iceberg lettuce on top of a mince meat base with chips.

'Whereas my son wanted cheese and sour cream on top of spicy sweet chilli Doritos.'

Interestingly the mother herself opted for 'the lot' with mince meat, hot cheese, lettuce, chopped up tomato and sour cream.

Cooking with Meg on TikTok shared a recipe video with the Doritos 'treat' on February 26, showing how she crafted a separate meal for her daughter and son

Poll Would you make a walking taco? Yes No Would you make a walking taco? Yes 25 votes

No 45 votes Now share your opinion





The meal is so simple to make and can easily be eaten while you wander around because the bag of Doritos acts as a bowl.

But not everyone was so sure about the quick trick.

'This looks like literal prison food,' one woman remarked.

'Are US parents really calling this a meal for their kids? For real?' Said another.

A third added: 'Sometimes I'm very happy that I'm not American'.

But others were complimentary of the snack and said it made for an excellent fix when you were in a rush.

'I remember when they gave these out at school,' said another.

'As a British woman this is revolutionary to me and I know if I do this for my husband he is going to think I'm a genius, thanks for sharing,' replied another.

Meg clarified that the concoction has a different name depending on where you're from and also goes by taco in a bag, nachos and dorilocos.
First Lady Jill Biden showed her support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion by wearing a face mask embroidered with a sunflower  the country's national flower.

The 70-year-old made the political fashion statement when she joined her husband, President Joe Biden, at an event celebrating Black History Month in the East Room of the White House on Monday.

Dr. Biden donned a $1,390 white and black polka-dot midi dress and a $2,190 matching blazer by Brandon Maxwell, which she paired with a white face mask featuring a sunny yellow sunflower embroidered on the side.

First Lady Jill Biden wore a face mask with a sunflower at a White House event on Monday to show her support for Ukraine

The White House said that she chose to wear the mask because the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, and she wanted to express her support for the Ukrainian people

The White House said that she chose to wear the mask because the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, The Guardian reported.

Dr. Biden wanted to express her support for the Ukrainian people as they fight to protect their country against Russian aggression, the White House told the press pool.

The first lady topped off the look with bright pink stilettos and pink flower earrings featuring a rhinestone-encrusted center. The baubles peeked out from underneath her shoulder-length blonde hair as she walked.

The Bidens entered the East Room with Cateo Hilton, a student and a junior mentor at Life Pieces to Masterpieces, an after-school program for young black men and boys in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Biden introduced Vice President Kamala Harris at the event, earning a few laughs after she accidentally referred to her as the president.

Dr. Biden paired the mask with a white and black polka-dot midi dress and matching blazer by Brandon Maxwell

The first lady's white mask featured a sunny yellow sunflower embroidered on the side

Dr. Biden topped off her designer outfit with a pair of bright pink stilettos

'I just said that to make you laugh,' she joked, playing up the blunder.

During the event, President Biden said Americans should not be worried about nuclear war with Russia after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that 'aggressive statements' by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led him to ratchet up his nuclear defenses.

'Should Americans be worried about nuclear war?' a reporter asked him.

'No,' the president shot back matter-of-factly.

Press secretary Jen Psaki later stated the White House sees 'no reason' to change its nuclear posture.

'We think provocative rhetoric like this is dangerous adds to the risk of miscalculation, should be avoided, and well not indulge in it,' Psaki said.

While Dr. Biden made a political fashion statement with her sunflower mask, her husband, President Joe Biden, opted for a standard black medical face covering

The first couple was joined by student Cateo Hilton as they headed to the East Room to attend the event celebrating Black History Month

Hilton is a junior mentor at Life Pieces to Masterpieces, an after-school program for young black men and boys in Washington, D.C.

'We are assessing President Putins directive and at this time we see no reason to change our own alert levels.'

Putin's move raised concerns that the invasion of Ukraine could intentionally or mistakenly lead to a global nuclear war.

Russia's assault on Ukraine continued overnight as Putin's forces closed in on the capital city, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been able to defend Kyiv, so far.

Sunflowers have become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance in recent days.

Last Thursday, a video of a Ukrainian woman telling Russian soldiers to put sunflower seeds in their pockets so flowers would grow in Ukraine after they died in battle went viral.

Hilton will be attending Delaware State University after he graduates high school. The news thrilled President Biden, who grew up in Delaware

Dr. Biden also donned pink flower earrings featuring a rhinestone-encrusted center

Dr. Biden introduced Vice President Kamala Harris at the jovial event

The clip was posted on Twitter by the news site UkraineWorld and has been viewed more than 8.4 million times. BBC News also shared the video with English subtitles.

'Take these seeds so sunflowers grow when you die here,' the woman told the Russian soldiers, according to the BBC's translation.

'Guys, put these seeds into your pockets. Take these seeds,' she continued. 'You will die here with them. You've come to my land ... Do you understand? You're occupiers. You're enemies. And from now on, you're cursed.'

Protestors around the world have taken to carrying or wearing sunflowers while activists such as David Hogg are adding sunflower emojis to their Twitter bios, Insider reported.

Dr. Biden's show of solidarity comes just one day after she urged anyone whose mental health was suffering due to the conflict in Ukraine to reach out for help.

President Biden assured Americans on Monday that they should not worry about nuclear war with Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured sitting several feet away from his aides during a meeting) ordered forces operating Russia's nuclear deterrent to be on alert amid simmering tensions with the West

'I imagine many of us are feeling the weight of what is happening in Ukraine over recent days,' she wrote at the start of her Twitter thread. 'Parents are sitting in front of the television with their children, explaining reports from thousands of miles away.

'Teachers are standing in front of classrooms, answering questions of "why" and "what is going to happen next?" Our military families are acutely aware that events taking place in Europe may have a rippling effect on the future of their loved ones in uniform.'

'In this difficult time there are no easy answers, and that may cause a feeling of uncertainty,' she wrote. 'It is okay to ask for help.'

She encouraged people to reach out to MentalHealth.gov and told military service members and their families to seek counseling at Military OneSource and Veteran Affairs.

Dr. Biden added that she and President Joe Biden were praying for 'the brave and proud people of Ukraine.'

"Take these seeds so sunflowers grow here when you die"



Footage shows Ukrainian woman confronting armed Russian soldier



Follow live coverage on Russia's invasion of Ukraine: https://t.co/vPdkyzs8cg pic.twitter.com/4Rn56iNYb0  BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 25, 2022

Last week, a video of a Ukrainian woman telling Russian soldiers to put sunflower seeds in their pockets so flowers would grow in Ukraine after they died in battle went viral

Sunflowers have become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance in recent days. A German protester is pictured wearing a headdress with sunflowers while protesting the war in Ukraine

'Our hearts are with our troops and our military families, including those who are stationed throughout Europe demonstrating solidarity with our Allies. We are profoundly grateful for your service,' she wrote.

A second round of talks aimed at ending Russia's attack on Ukraine is set to take place after the first meeting ended without a resolution.

The first set of talks, which were held in Belarus on Monday afternoon, ended with Kyiv slamming Russia's destructive processes.'

A member of the Ukrainian delegation today said the discussions, which took five hours, were difficult and the Russian side was biased.

Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter: 'The Russian side, unfortunately, still has a very biased view of the destructive processes it has launched.'

The sunflower emblem of Ukrainian resistance is seen on the walls of the Russian embassy

A woman is pictured holding up sunflowers at a protest in Michigan. Nearly 40,000 Michigan residents are of Ukrainian descent

A woman is pictured taking a selfie while holding a flower at a U.S. protest against Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Russian officials, meanwhile, said: 'We have identified certain points from which we can predict general positions.'

Zelensky earlier admitted he was not confident of a positive resolution, adding that he owed it to his people to at least try and engage.

A new round of talks is now set to take place in the coming days, according to Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin.

'Another round of talks was agreed to,' Medinsky said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, gave few details except to say that the talks, held near the Ukraine-Belarus border, were focused on a possible cease-fire and that a second round could take place 'in the near future.'

'The next meeting will take place in the coming days on the Polish-Belarusian border, there is an agreement to that effect,' he added.

Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, awoke from a night of heavy Russian bombardment on Monday as fears that Putin's troops could step up attacks increased

A Ukraine resident who volunteered to right against Russia is pictured preparing a post with trenches in Kyiv on Monday

Zelensky had been reticent to agree to talks in Belarus, a country used as a staging ground for the Russian invasion and which is now poised to join the war, offering instead to meet in Istanbul, Warsaw, or Baku.

Ukraine had indicated it would request a ceasefire and full withdrawal of Russian forces, but Moscow remained tight-lipped over what the negotiations would entail.

The discussions came as columns of Belarusian military vehicles were spotted on Monday heading east from the southwestern corner of the country in what appeared to be preparations to join the invasion of Ukraine.

Some observers warned the talks could be a pretext for Moscow to ramp up its attacks on Ukraine if Kyiv's officials refuse Russian demands.

Among those present at the talks were the Ukrainian defense minister, a lead advisor to the president's office, and the deputy minister of foreign affairs.

But while Ukraine sent its defense minister and other top officials, the Russian delegation was led by Putin's adviser on culture  an unlikely envoy for ending the war and perhaps a sign of how Moscow views the talks.

Meanwhile, ahead of peace talks on Monday, Russian military officials ordered heavy strategic bomber flights as part of what appeared to be efforts to prevent international aid from reaching Ukraine.

Observers have warned the order suggests Putin's forces are preparing to ramp up the bombardment of Ukraine in the coming days.

Richard Nass, president of the Council of Foreign Affairs, said recent development most likely mean the progression of the conflict is 'conventional' military escalation by Russia, rather than a diplomatic breakthrough.

Nass, writing on Twitter, speculated that Moscow was using negotiations to 'appear somewhat reasonable' to slow sanctions against Russia as well as help to Ukraine.

But he warned the Kremlin's forces were likely to turn to 'more destructive munitions' if peace talks collapse, using the failure to negotiate a diplomatic breakthrough as a pretext.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted he was not confident of a positive resolution ahead of Monday's peace talks but added that he owed it to his people to at least try

Delegations from Ukraine and Russia, including aides to both Putin and Volodymyr, held peace talks in Belarus' Gomel region on Monday

As outgunned but determined Ukrainian forces slowed the Russian advance and sanctions crippled the Russian economy, the military confirmed that its nuclear forces were on high alert following Putin's order.

While that raised the unimaginable specter of nuclear conflict, it was unclear what practical effect it had.

A tense calm reigned in Kyiv by Monday morning. Explosions and gunfire were heard in embattled cities in eastern Ukraine, and terrified Ukrainian families huddled overnight in shelters, basements, or corridors.

Ukraine filed a lawsuit against Russia at the Hague, with Zelensky requesting that the UN International Court of Justice orders Russia to stop its attack against Ukraine and starts trials soon.

The United States condemned Putin's order to put his nuclear forces on high alert as dangerous and 'unacceptable.'

Russian forces are now attempting to skirt around Kyiv and encircle it from the west. Troops fighting out of Crimea continue to make gains and are likely to surround Mariupol soon, while also reaching the outskirts of a key Ukrainian nuclear plant. Fighting in the east continues to be heavy with no breakthrough for Putin

Kyiv has been holding out for days against Russian attempts to breach the outskirts of the city, with tanks now trying to encircle it and a large column of armor approaching amid fears the fighting could get much worse

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield also said nothing was 'off the table' when asked about the possibility of Putin being tried in international court as a war criminal.

When Russian troops invaded Ukraine on Thursday, the city of 2.8 million people initially reacted with concern but also a measure of self-possession.

However, nerves started fraying when grocery stores began closing and the city's famously deep subway system turned its stations into bomb shelters.

Ukraine's health ministry said on Sunday that 352 civilians, including 14 children, had been killed since the beginning of Russia's invasion. It also said that 1,684 people, including 116 children, had been wounded.

At least 200,000 people have fled Ukraine to three countries, with 150,000 said to have crossed into Poland alone.
A TikToker has shared a 'magic' hack for whitening teeth that requires just a kiwi, a cucumber, and some baking soda  and a dentist insists it really works.

Armen Adamjan, who goes by the username @creative_explained on TikTok, has shared his 'magic' teeth whitening hack at least twice on the app  and he's earned hundreds of thousand of views of views for the tip.

Adamjan breaks down how a simple three-ingredient mixture can naturally whiten teeth at a fraction of the cost of pricey whitening strips.

TikToker Armen Adamjan shared his 'magic' teeth whitening app and earned hundreds of thousand of views

The ingredients are surprising, and include cucumber and kiwi

He mixes slices of cucumber and kiwi, mashes them up, and adds baking soda

Like 'magic'! How to whiten teeth with KIWI Ingredients: Kiwi

Cucumber

Baking soda Method: Mash two slices of kiwi and two slices of cucumber in a bowl. Add a sprinkle of baking soda and mix. Apply mixture to your toothbrush and brush teeth with it. Repeat twice a week. Advertisement

'Kiwis are packed with calcium and cucumbers get rid of any bad bacteria that builds up in your mouth, which in turn gives you whiter teeth,' he explains in one video.

'If you want to whiten your teeth without using those whitening strips, try this,' he continues.

'Get a bowl, add some kiwi. Add some cucumber. Mash it up,' he says.

He demonstrates, throwing two slices of cucumber and two slices of kiwi into a bowl and mashing them together with a pestle.

'Add a little bit of baking soda,' he goes on. 'Mix it up. That's it!

'Put it on your toothbrush and brush your teeth with it, twice a week,' he says, demonstrating. 'Tastes like kiwi!'

'Don't buy these expensive teeth whitening strips,' he warns in another video. 'Just use cucumber and kiwi. It's magic!'

Plenty of creators have shared tips for getting whiter teeth with natural products that cost less, but not all of them work.

Yet dentist Dr. Joseph Field, DDS, told Bustle that this combination really will get teeth a bit whiter  but no one should expect staggering results.

Baking soda is abrasive and already found in a lot of whitening toothpastes, while the kiwi and cucumber both have acids that can dissolve and remove surface stains

Dentist Dr. Joseph Field, DDS, told Bustle that this combination really will get teeth a bit whiter, though users shouldn't expect a dramatic change

Adamjan says to brush teeth with the mixture twice a week, while the dentist says to do it for ten days in a row and then once or twice a month for maintenance

'The kiwi, cucumber, and baking soda combo does a good job removing the stains from your teeth, giving them a whiter appearance,' he said.

Baking soda is abrasive and already found in a lot of whitening toothpastes, while the kiwi and cucumber both have acids that can dissolve and remove surface stains.

'You need to be careful not to use it too often as it can cause [your tooth] enamel to erode,' Dr Field added, suggesting people apply the mixture once a day for up to ten consecutive days.

After that, it's OK to use once or twice a month for maintenance.

Of course, not every beauty, skincare, or dental hack found on social media is effective or even safe, and it's always advisable to check with a doctor before trying something new.

In fact, in 2020 a teeth-whitening TikTok trend was slammed as 'extremely harmful by dentists.

Leading dentists warned against a potentially 'extremely harmful' beauty in which teens bleached their own teeth with hydrogen peroxide

Users from the US and the UK took to buying hydrogen peroxide  one of the active whitening agents used in over-the-counter and professional teeth whitening products  and applying the chemical directly onto their teeth to achieve a brighter smile.

Among them was 18-year-old Claudia, from Essex, whose video of the process racked up nearly 3 million views on the video sharing platform. The teenager bought a 4 bottle of hydrogen peroxide from eBay and used a cotton bud to apply the liquid directly to her teeth for up to one minute.

The bottle contained three per cent hydrogen peroxide  30 times the amount allowed in over-the-counter and regulated online teeth whitening products.

However, Claudia appeared unconcerned with potential risks, saying in the voiceover to her video: 'If you're a dentist, don't tell me this is wrong, save me the grief, the damage has already been done.'

She later pointed out that some US teeth whitening products use up to 14 per cent of hydrogen peroxide in their products, and insisted she is not encouraging any other users to use the same method as her.

Another user, an American named Amanda told her followers she often rinses her mouth with the product to keep her teeth white.

The user advised others to use the chemical for 30-seconds to a minute in order to change the color of their teeth

Another user, an American named Amanda told her followers she often rinses her mouth with the product to keep her teeth white

Dental experts warned using undiluted hydrogen peroxide in strong concentrations in this way poses significant risk to long-term oral health. The substance can cause sever gum damage, which can eventually lead to tooth loss, as well as damage the enamel and tooth sensitivity.

Dr. Reena Wadia, founder of London gum clinic RW Perio, explained: 'Professional teeth whitening systems use a custom-made "tray" that holds the hydrogen peroxide gel in contact with the teeth and prevents it from contacting the gum tissue.

'This is important as if the gel touches the gums it can lead to gum irritation, inflammation and pain.'

Severe gum issues can even lead to teeth falling out.

She continued: 'Gums and bone hold your teeth in place so there is no point having white teeth if they start loosening up, changing position and eventually fall out.

'Professional teeth whitening involves supervision from a dental professional who can oversee the whole process.

'This allows you to have the very best whitening result while ensuring that no harm is being done.'
Women's bathrooms are far more than the rooms we visit to perform our ablutions.

They are where we go to do our make-up, cry, gossip, laugh  to bond with other women.

When we become mothers, they are where we dash with our toddlers before  or after  they have an accident. In short, they are female sanctuaries.

Hilary Freeman with her daughter, Sidonie. She writes: 'When I was younger, the women's toilets in nightclubs and pubs were a private haven'

I once took a positive pregnancy test in the ladies' loo at House of Fraser. Another time, I was in the toilet at London's Soho Theatre when I realised I was miscarrying another baby.

Both times, I was with female friends who supported me. These are not experiences I would have wished to share with strange men.

When I was younger, the women's toilets in nightclubs and pubs were a private haven, somewhere to escape the unwanted attentions of persistent men.

I want my six-year-old daughter to have these same safe spaces available to her when she is older.

So it was with some horror that, earlier this month, I found myself in a West End theatre having quite the opposite experience.

That night, I was expecting to see Cabaret. I certainly didn't anticipate that, during the interval, I'd also be 'treated' to an impromptu performance of Privates on Parade.

But, thanks to the Playhouse Theatre's gender-neutral toilet policy, that's exactly what I got  front-row tickets to the unwelcome spectacle of a row of embarrassed men relieving themselves at urinals. Opera glasses were not required.

Why? There are no longer any Ladies' toilets at the Playhouse Theatre.

Facilities once reserved for women are labelled simply 'Toilets' and open to both sexes. The only other option are labelled 'Urinals'.

You don't have to be a genius to work out that this means, in effect, that all the theatre's toilets are for men.

Hilary Freedman says: 'I also find myself deeply concerned at the seemingly insidious spread of gender-neutral toilets across Britain.' Pictured, a stock photo of a gender neutral toilet

Theatre staff ushered me and other bemused women into the urinals (where there were also two cubicles) because what was formerly the 'Ladies' was utterly oversubscribed.

This isn't an isolated incident. Last week in her column, Sarah Vine wrote an impassioned piece about how the rise of gender-neutral toilets  which, while intended to help, make many people deeply uncomfortable  exemplifies the insanity of the modern age.

Her words sparked a strong reaction from readers, who inundated the Mail with letters supporting her view.

I also find myself deeply concerned at the seemingly insidious spread of gender-neutral toilets across Britain.

For they are more than just a 'right on' nod to the semantics of gender identity.

They are nothing short of an erosion of women's rights, an attack on a precious safe space.

This audit proves how widespread unisex loos have become. They're found in workplaces, restaurants, schools and universities, department stores and the studios of 'anti-woke' TV channel GB News.

In 2018, Bristol University (pictured) pledged to spend 3.4 million on campus toilets, including installing gender-neutral ones

I have been forced to take my daughter to a gender-neutral loo in one of London's most refined department stores, Liberty.

Surprised, she asked why there were men queuing in 'our' loo, which thankfully was all cubicles without urinals.

Regardless, though, it's potentially very confusing for children like her, as teachers at her school are (rightly) strict about girls and boys 'keeping their privates private'.

Indeed, when a boy exposed himself to her at school last year, she was congratulated for telling the teacher, he was berated, and both I and his mum were called to see the head for a solemn debrief.

What mixed messages are we sending children, then, with these gender-neutral facilities?

More than this, my daughter is becoming aware of the need to protect her privacy, and to explore her independence  proud to be able to go to the toilet on her own without me in attendance.

But would you allow your six-year-old to use a gender-neutral public toilet alone, alongside adult men? Would you want your young daughter to glimpse grown men's penises at a urinal?

Conveniences at Halifax Borough Market (pictured), West Yorkshire, have recently been designated unisex

Soon, I fear, it will be too late, and all women, young and old, may find themselves at theatres, museums or restaurants, shuffling past exposed men.

Unisex toilets have been popping up in public spaces for the past decade, since gender-reassignment discrimination became illegal under the Equality Act 2010.

In London, their spread can be traced back to Mayor Sadiq Khan's 2017 guidance that all new commercial developments in the capital should feature them.

Under the terms of the Act, organisations can be taken to court if transgender people feel they are being treated worse than others.

However, the law is murky. While single-sex bathrooms can be viewed as discriminatory, making all toilets gender neutral could also be seen as discrimination on the grounds of religion.

But how does changing the sign on a toilet door from 'Men's' or 'Ladies' to 'Gender Neutral' protect a transgender person? All it does is make all females  both 'cis', as biological women are dubbed, and trans  feel less safe.

Most concerning is the fact that unisex loos are being forced on our children, with their adoption in some schools  both primary and secondary.

In 2017, the head of the prestigious Highgate School in North London had to apologise to parents after introducing gender-neutral lavatories without consultation. Pupils said they made them feel 'less comfortable and happy'.

An Edinburgh branch of Costa recently refurbished four toilets, making two for men and the others unisex (stock photo used)

There have been many anecdotal reports claiming some girls now won't eat or drink all day at school to avoid using mixed-sex toilets, putting their health at risk.

And all this against the backdrop of a sexual assault crisis in schools. Remember, a 2021 Ofsted review showed sexual harassment in educational establishments has become normalised. Surely gender-neutral loos will only exacerbate the problem?

Some trans lobbyists may be delighted at the encroachment of gender-neutral loos, but by and large, these toilets please no one.

In 2018, female Home Office employees refused to use the newly installed gender-neutral toilets which cost taxpayers 36,000  as they felt 'distressed' by their male colleagues leaving the cubicle doors open while they urinated.

At the Playhouse Theatre on the night I attended, men also expressed their discomfort.

One elderly man looked extremely alarmed. Unsurprisingly, decent men don't like urinating in front of women, any more than women like changing their sanitary protection with men just a few feet away.

So what can we all do? Boycott venues that offer only unisex loos? Cross our legs?

In September last year, Finham Park secondary school (pictured) in Coventry told parents of its plans to start making some toilets gender neutral

There are solutions, but they tend to be expensive. If venues really want to provide toilets that are safe for everyone, they should construct bathrooms that contain a set of fully enclosed cubicles (no gaps over and under the door for peering), complete with individual mirrors and sinks.

Alternatively, they could provide three types of toilet: Men's, Women's and Unisex. Or, if this isn't possible, they can just leave the toilets as they are. Common sense should apply.

Yes, trans people need safe spaces, but so do women, and, once again, it's women's rights that are being flushed away.

Call me cruel, but at the Playhouse Theatre, part of me felt pleasure at the men's discomfort. I may even have paused a little longer than necessary at the sink to apply some lipstick, just to drive the point home.

Because in our society, men's voices are still louder than women's. And I fear it's only when we make their displeasure heard that things will change.
Aldi Australia has made a major change to its bread packaging and it's dividing customers - especially during wet weather.

In a bid to reduce its impact on the environment, the supermarket giant has ditched plastic bread tags for cardboard ones.

However, despite being better for the environment, shoppers are whingeing that eco alternatives are flimsy and crumble into 'mush' when wet.

While many Aldi customers are praising the eco-friendly switch, there's the same number who claim the new tags are 'useless'.

In a bid to be more environmentally friendly, Aldi Australia has switched from plastic to cardboard bread tags sparking a debate among customers

'It's not only Aldi, nearly all bread has these tags now, it's called being environmentally friendly,' a shopper fired back.

'I like the paper/cardboard tags. I replace them with an Ikea bag clip anyway, but now can put the cardboard tag into the compost. Win,' said a second.

'Yep they are the worst. In this wet weather even more so. They just fall off the bread,' another wrote.

'They break too easy. Especially if they get wet, they just fall off and then they are useless. Biodegradable plastic would be better,' a user responded.

Many others were suggesting their alternative solutions to using bread tags and keeping loaves fresh.

'I just keep a couple of clothes pegs in the cutlery draw for this. It's not a big deal,' a woman advised.

'I just spin the bag and it's locked tight. Done. I've never understood why anyone puts the tag back on,' wrote another.

On social media, Aldi customers are praising the eco-friendly switch however some aren't happy claiming the new tags are 'useless'

A spokesperson from Aldi Australia told FEMAIL the move is part of an effort to reduce plastic packaging and increase sustainability.

'ALDI Australia has a number of commitments to improve the sustainability of our product packaging, including a goal to reduce the amount of plastic packaging across our own-label range by a quarter by 2025,' they said.

'We have started trialling recyclable cardboard bread tags on a select range of our bread products, and we continue to work closely with our business partners to identify opportunities to transition to cardboard tags on more of our products.'

'The next few years will see us continue to remove plastics from our range or replace it with sustainable alternatives and by 2025 all remaining packaging will be either recyclable, reusable or compostable.'
ARIES - Six of Cups

Your wildest dream relates to a nostalgic and affectionate daydream about your past, or even childhood.

The Six of Cups is a rekindling card, so maybe there's a relationship, love, family tie, activity, hobby, place or role that you once loved a great deal, but lost.

This new moon, wander down memory lane and focus on the one thing you miss the most. You can restore this to your present life, and now is the right time.

TAURUS - The World

It's time to clarify, plan and work on what will become the biggest and boldest achievement of your life to date (and possibly ever).

The World is the tarot's final card and a powerful symbol of ultimate achievement. It can also represent global travel and aspirations, so an amazing journey or location move could be in scope.

It asks you to think big and to go for the boldest ambition you can muster. The cosmos is backing you.

GEMINI - Two of Wands

Multi-tasking and adaptability are your greatest strengths, and you spin a great many plates at one time.

However, this new moon, the Two of Wands is asking you to prioritise and recalibrate your precious time and energy into the one ambition you hold dearest or have the greatest future potential.

You're spreading yourself too thinly and hedging your bets. Come down off the fence, pick a priority, and make overt and focused moves towards it. Magic will happen.

CANCER - Four of Coins

The Four of Coins shows that life has gotten more rigid, same-same routine and predictable these last few years.

What was comforting and familiar now feels a little stifling and boring. You are ready for major change. This new moon, make a conscious effort to release your old routines and rituals and do as many new things as possible.

Visit different places, change your schedule, look for new roles, reconnect with old friends. Shake it all up and your life can, over the coming two weeks, totally renew and transform.

LEO - Five of Swords

The creative theme of this new moon for you, Leo, is healing. The Five of Swords shows you've endured some stress and strife in your relationship landscape over the last six months or so, now you can repair, restore, and rejuvenate the bonds under the most strain.

Be logical, objective, and factual. Don't add more emotional fuel to this fire. Let the embers burn out and then set to talking. Everyone is ready to resolve this, and you can lead them through this process (you're a natural leader). The end result will feel wonderful.

VIRGO - Two of Swords

A big decision has hung over you the last couple of months with the tough and challenging Two of Swords. You have been procrastinating because there doesn't seem to be clear course of action (and clarity is your cat nip).

This new moon, let your best hopes (not worst fears) lead you here. Let your imagination dream up a dream of the best possible outcome and then head in its direction. Be positive and optimistic and the cosmos will bring you what you want.

LIBRA - Ten of Wands

Being ruled by Venus gives you a default setting towards pleasure, indulgence, and chill-time. Life needs to be beautiful in your ideal world. Libra, you can make it so.

The Ten of Wands reveals your wildest dream right now is to introduce real, deep rest and relaxation back into your regime. Seek active ways to lighten your load of obligations and tasks.

Streamline the chores. Clear some room. And then bring in new rituals- massage, crystal healing, reiki, exercise, sofa time, whatever floats your boat and makes you feel amazing.

SCORPIO - Judgment

This new moon is a life-changing turning point for you. Old ways and beliefs are falling away to be replaced by new attitudes and behaviours which are aligned with your authentic self.

You're not pretending or faking or trying too hard any more. You're being happy in your own skin and attracting whatever (or whoever) genuinely aligns with that.

Life is going to change for the better. New opportunities, invitations, roles, and relationships will start to flow, simply because you've changed the power and authenticity of your beacon.

SAGITTARIUS - The Magician

The Magician is one of the tarot's most magical cards so your new moon is going to feel almost enchanted.

It represents creation and creativity, the ability and desire to make and present something new to the world, something which could indeed make your fortune.

This is a time to seek entrepreneurship, self employment, creativity, the arts, new jobs or side lines. Draw closer to your natural talents and make something new of them. There's a niche in this world JUST for you.

CAPRICORN - Eight of Cups

Capricorn, the Eight of Cups is bringing healing and progressive energy to your world this new moon, if only you'll acknowledge and release something you've been hoping for that hasn't panned out.

Acknowledge the disappointment and withdraw your time and energy from this project, situation, or relationship. Dream a new dream. The cosmos is ready to replace whatever was lost with something far better and more suited to you.

Let go of the fading or false, in order to activate the new and authentic. Something better is coming. Let it in.

AQUARIUS - Five of Coins

Your wildest dream right now is to feel normal, settled, content, at peace with yourself. You're an honest and self-aware person and you know the last few years have taken an emotional toll on you.

It's time, this new moon, to turn a corner and feel genuinely enthused about the future, rather than regretful about the past. The key here is to plan some things to look forward to.

Schedule some future treats and rewards this new moon to consciously turn your gaze to your bright and waiting future life. It's time to reawaken. It's time to feel like your best self again.

PISCES - The Lovers

The Lovers brings you the opportunity to settle and resolve the issues in your life that have created confusion and doubt recently.

There is a situation you've felt conflicted or torn about  maybe a head vs heart decision, a temptation, a cross roads. It has given you anxiety and you're tired or worrying about it.

This new moon, resolve to make a choice and act upon it, and get past this unsettling phase. Make a list of pro's and con's, engage your feelings and your intellect, and make a choice based on what you know now.

Do a future you a massive favour and unblock this obstacle in your life.

Source: Tarotbella
A grieving mother is desperate to know why her two teenage daughters died alongside their father after all three bodies were discovered in his home.

Father Manuel Gil, 33, was found dead upstairs in his home in December 2021 after apparently starving himself. His daughters Adriana, 17, and Mariel, 16, were discovered together on the sofa downstairs but their cause of death in not known.

Police said it appeared the girls died five days before their father, meaning he remained in the same property as their bodies for almost a week.

The girls' mother, Betsy Alvarado, 33, of Washington, said her ex was 'extremely religious' and she fears he had been 'brainwashing' their children in the lead up to their deaths.

'I knew the girls were following their dad in his extreme religious beliefs. Really, it was like a cult,' she said. 'I knew he was putting ideas in their head. I just had no idea it would come to this.'

Ariana was found dead beside her sister Mariel on the sofa, with both girls weighing less than eight stone, compared to their normal weight of around 12 stone each.

Cleaning company boss Betsy Alvarado, 33, discovered her daughters Adriana (pictured right), 17, and Mariel (pictured left), 16, were dead on December 11 2021, after months of anguish during which she feared their father Manuel Gil, 33 - who was found dead in the same property - had 'brainwashed' the teenagers

Betsy (with her daughters), of Washington State, said: 'I knew the girls were following their dad in his extreme religious beliefs. Really, it was like a cult. I knew he was putting ideas in their head. I just had no idea it would come to this.'

Manuel Gils (pictured) landlord discovered his body upstairs on the floor dead, with the cause suspected as starvation. Ariana was found dead beside her sister Mariel on the sofa, with both girls weighing less than eight stone, compared to their normal weight of around 12 stone each

The two teenagers decided to live with their father when aged 11 and 12, despite their mother receiving full custody after the couples split.

Betsy and Manuel were just 15 when the childhood sweethearts fell pregnant with Ariana.

Resolving to raise their family in the right way, they found jobs and moved in together in their home state of Louisiana, before Mariel was born a year later.

The girls were so close in age, they were often mistaken for twins, according to Betsy, who said: 'They did everything together, always playing, always smiling.

'They were such beautiful little girls, and their dad was great with them. He was never, ever violent towards them.'

Sadly, though, with Betsy, he often became drunk and violent.

And eventually, after years of domestic abuse, following their move to Washington State in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, she left Manuel, going on to meet Ron Anderson, 44, with whom she had another daughter.

But Manuel's brooding presence was felt when he decided to take Betsy to court over custody of their older daughters - a move that backfired.

The two teenagers (pictured) decided to live with their father when aged 11 and 12, despite their mother receiving full custody after the couples split. Pictured left to right, Mariel and Adriana

The girls' autopsies failed to establish a cause of death and toxicology results are yet to be completed - leaving Betsy (pictured) without any answers

She said: 'Ironically, I was awarded full custody, although I worked with Manuel to co-parent.

'Things seemed to calm down. Manuel got married and would see the girls every other Wednesday and every other weekend. It was good.'

When the girls turned 11 and 12 and decided they wanted to move in with their dad, Betsy was horrified. She said: 'Manuel's life with his wife seemed stable. I was a strict parent but didn't want to disregard the children's feelings.

Adrianna wanted to live with her and Mariel did everything with her sister.'

Not wanting to push them away, Betsy agreed, hoping the girls would change their minds eventually. She continued to see the girls as much as she could.

Mariel came back to live with her mum while Adriana visited on weekends.

In 2020, Betsy became aware that Manuel had become involved with religion. A year on she started to worry.

A video Manuel posted on YouTube shows him ranting about 'having the devil in me.'

Betsy (pictured centre) and Manuel were just 15 when the childhood sweethearts fell pregnant with Ariana

Betsy said: 'My daughters were being brainwashed by what they were calling a religion but was actually like a cult.

'They started covering their hair, became pescatarian, then vegetarian, then really strict vegan. We'd go out and they'd pull a single spinach leaf from their bags and refuse to eat anything else.'

Betsy agonised as she watched her daughters lose weight and become withdrawn - last seeing them alive in February 2021 when she took them rollerblading.

The trio made plans to do the same again the next weekend, but Adriana and Mariel cancelled the plans at the last moment.

Betsy said: 'They were saying to me that I was sinful, and they couldn't see me. That skating was against their beliefs. I knew Manuel must have been putting all this stuff in their heads.'

The girls also withdrew from Betsy's wider family and, eventually, stopped responding to their mum's calls and messages altogether.

Betsy was heartbroken but did not want to put any pressure on her daughters and risk pushing them further away.

She tried to speak with Manuel, but was met by strange, circular conversations, where he would rant about God and her still being his 'wife.'

Eventually, after years of domestic abuse, following their move to Washington State in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Betsy left Manuel, going on to meet Ron Anderson, 44, with whom she had another daughter. Pictured, Adriana and Mariel as children

Despite not getting a response, Betsy would text her daughters regularly, reminding them that she would always be there for them.

She said: 'I cried so many nights trying to convince them to come back, but they felt like if they lived with me, they would burn in hell because they wouldn't be following God's word.'

With no other way to contact them, Betsy received regular updates from Manuel's now ex-wife.

Then, last spring, the girls' school called Betsy to say they had not been attending.

Worried, she called Child Protective Services (the CPS) to intervene and claims that, while she was told someone would get back to her, she never heard anything.

On December 10, 2021, Betsy received a worried call from Manuel's ex-wife, who had not heard from the family in days.

She told Betsy that Manuel had unexpectedly quit his job and had not used his bank account in two weeks.

Worried, Betsy immediately drove the 40 minutes from her home to her ex's house in the Renton area of the state.

She knocked but got no answer and, after neighbours said they had not seen the family for over a week, she called the police.

An officer arrived, but refused Betsy's calls for him to break down Manuel's door.

For three months now, Betsy has been left without any answers and was only finally able to lay her daughters to rest last month

The next day, she returned to the property to try and gain access, fearing her ex had abducted their daughters.

But when she approached the back door, through a gap in the curtain, she saw 16-year-old Mariel lying on the sofa.

Thinking her daughter was asleep, Betsy was relieved and left the property to head to work.

To her horror, just a couple of hours later, one of Manuel's neighbours called and explained that the landlord had entered the home to find 'everybody in there dead.'

Manuel Gil had been found upstairs on the floor dead, with the cause suspected as starvation and his time of death being stated as the day before - just when Betsy had stood outside begging police to break in.

Ariana was found dead beside her sister on the sofa, hidden from Betsy's view through the glass.

When they were found, the girls each weighed less than 8st, compared to their normal weight of around 12st each.

But the girls' autopsies failed to establish a cause of death and toxicology results are yet to be completed - leaving Betsy without any answers.

Renton police told The Seattle Times that it appeared the girls died around December 5 and their father died around December 10, one day before their bodies were found by their landlord.

She said: 'I just want to know why my girls have died. I know in my heart that Manuel did this to them for some sort of religious reason, mental illness or something.

'But two healthy girls don't just die on the same day side-by-side. It doesn't happen.

'Now I just want justice, but I don't feel like the police care because even if it was murder the killer is dead too.'

For three months now, Betsy has been left without any answers and was only finally able to lay her daughters to rest last month.

She said: 'It was a beautiful day. But I can't rest until I know why my daughters are in the ground. It tortures me. Why, why, why?'

Betsy also feels something could have been done to save her daughters while they were still alive.

She said: 'Someone could have done something. Manuel clearly wasn't well and I just had no idea how bad it had got. If someone had listened to me, then my girls would still be alive.'
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A beaming Kate Middleton was in high spirits today as she joined Prince William to celebrate St David's Day with a visit to Wales.

The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, donned an all-green tonal outfit while visiting Abergavenny Market alongside the Duke, 39, where the couple learned how important local suppliers are to rural communities. They then visited a youth club at Blaenavon Hwb in Blaenavon, and played a game of pool.

Mother-of-three Kate opted to wear her 940 longline forest green Sportmax coat with a matching polo neck, as well as black skinny jeans, for the occasion.

In a touching nod to her decade of duty in the royal family, Kate also finished her outfit with her Aquatalia Rouge boots, which she first wore for her first official engagement in 2011.

When the couple visited Blaenavon Hwb, a community-focused youth centre, Kate, who is a keen baker, cast her eye over William's attempts to make Welsh cakes and they also played a game of pool.

She went over to the oven and effortlessly began assisting with cooking and flipping the cakes on the stove, while chatting with Libby, 16.

After William began rolling the dough and cutting it out, he told the group gathered around him: 'I'm under a lot of pressure here.

'Do not judge my cooking, this could go horribly wrong. It's not Bake Off. Where's Mary (Berry) when you need her?'

When the duchess asked to see her husband's efforts, she pointed out the thinness of his cakes.

'That one is a little bit skinny,' William conceded, before looking at them again and adding: 'They are probably all a little bit skinny.'

Kate (pictured) appeared perfectly poised as she joined Prince William at Pant Farm near Abergavenny, on a visit to Wales today - as the nation celebrates St David's Day

Then the Duke and Duchess both opted for forest green knitted jumpers as they arrived for their visit to the market this afternoon (pictured)

Taking part! The Duchess of Cambridge at the Neon Youth Club at Blaenavon Hwb in Blaenavon during her trip to Wales today

Saying hello! The adorable goats kept on the Welsh farm were eager to greet their royal guests during their tour of the grounds

The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, cut an elegant figure in the forest green jacket with a matching polo neck as she stepped out in Wales earlier today

It was a quick costume change for the royal, who earlier today was in her natural element when getting up close and personal with a group of adorable goats as the couple paid a visit to a Welsh farm.

Kate dressed down in a recycled Seeland khaki jacket and a red scarf as she joined the Duke at Pant Farm; a goat farm near Abergavenny, that has been providing milk to a local cheese producer for nearly 20 years.

She teamed her garment with a simple pair of black jeans and finished off her look with her 170 boots from celeb-loved brand Blundstone. Meanwhile, William donned navy trousers, a green jumper and a matching coat with a light blue shirt for the occasion.

The royal couple are visiting Wales to learn about the importance of the agricultural industry to rural populations and how community organisations are providing support to young people while also celebrating the history of the region.

During the visit, the couple also revealed how they are getting their children involved in farming, the couple revealed on a day out to Wales to mark St David's Day.

The future Prince and Princess of Wales were visiting a goat farm in Llanvetherine, near Abergavenny, and shared how Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had helped with their animals during half term.

The Duchess was seen howling with laughter after trying her hand at a game of pool at Neon Youth Club at Blaenavon Hwb in Blaenavon

It's pancake day! Meanwhile the Duchess was also seen making pancakes in the kitchen at the youth centre earlier today

The Duchess wore her long brunette locks in loose waves across her shoulders for the visit earlier this afternoon

Flipping it up! Kate shared a laugh with team members at the youth centre as she grabbed the utensils to help make pancakes for the group

The Duke and Duchess had a rare moment of PDA as she placed a hand on his back while encouraging him to try out making a pancake

The royal couple could barely contain their enthusiasm as they chatted with staff members at the community-focused youth centre that helps to support over 600 local young people

The cooking king! The Duke could be seen wielding a rolling pin as he tried his hand at some baking during the royal visit today

The 39-year-old was enthusiastic and animated as he tried his hand at baking this afternoon at the youth centre

Meanwhile the Duke and Duchess also spoke with youngsters at the youth centre as they celebrated St David's Day

It is thought the family were in Norfolk, where the Prince of Wales has been working to turn the Queen's Sandringham estate into a fully organic operation.

During a day spent in the Welsh valleys, the couple tried making traditional Welsh cakes at a community centre but the future king told the young people watching: 'Do not judge my cooking...'

As they toured Pant Farm, where Gary and Jess Yeomans, both 50, produce goats' milk that has supplied a local cheesemaker for the past two decades, William spotted a robot silage sweeper in one of the barns.

Gary explained it could also be used to move feed, and the duchess replied: 'That was George's job at half term - moving feed.'

William told his hosts the children had been getting involved on the farm and added: 'We are trying some Agroforestry as well.'

The method involves planting crops in between rows of trees to provide healthier soil, higher yields and vital homes for wildlife.

The duke studied agricultural management at Cambridge University in 2014, but it seems the duchess also has farming running in her veins.

Kate told her hosts: 'I was looking into my ancestry and there was someone who was a rare breed goat farmer. I will have to find out which one it was. It was just after the First World War.'

William also commented on the couple's new sporting rivalry following Wales's narrow defeat to England in the Six Nations on Saturday, where Kate, as patron of England Rugby, triumphed over her husband, patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.

'She's wearing a Welsh scarf today though,' said the Duke. 'It's a good family rivalry.'

Gary told him: 'George is going to have to come on your side.'

'Don't worry,' replied William. 'He's already there.'

Looking typically radiant, Kate donned her 209 green Seeland wax jacket, which appears to have become a favourite with the royal since she also sported the coat during her trip to Denmark, last week.

She teamed her casual garment with a high neck jumper and a bright red scarf, while wearing a daffodil pin. The national flower is traditionally worn on St David's Day, Wales' patron saint's day.

Opting for a smattering of glamorous makeup, the mother-of-three kept her locks loose and wavy, while wearing a dainty pair of hooped golden earrings, costing 60 from Spells of Love.

During their trip, the Duke and Duchess also met with representatives of the wider farming sector, both in Wales and across the UK, as well as those secondarily employed by the industry to gain a better understanding of how the agricultural sector underpins so much of the local economy.

The Duchess was seen clutching a small bunch of daffodils as she chatted with one man during her visit to Wales this afternoon

Kate and Prince William were greeted by crowds of cheering royal fans, many of whom were waving their flags as they celebrated St David's Day

Back to normal! After two years of virtual royal visits and low key engagements during the Covid pandemic, Kate appeared overjoyed to be meeting crowds again

The couple were in high spirits as they arrived at the bustling marketplace to see first hand how important local suppliers are to rural communities and to mark St David's Day

All smiles: The mother-of-three beamed as she waved to the crowds of royal fans following the visit earlier today

Prince William and Kate appeared particularly charmed by one young royal fan as they greeted crowds at the market this afternoon

Following their time at Pant Farm, the couple visited Abergavenny Market to see first hand how important local suppliers are to rural communities and to mark St David's Day.

Later today, in Blaenavon, the Duke and Duchess visited the Blaenavon Hwb, a community-focused youth centre that helps to support over 600 local young people.

While visiting the centre, the duke then chatted with the children about their experiences using the centre and asked them: 'What sort of talking do you do?'

One girl told him that she comes to the hwb to rant and let off steam and the duke replied 'Everyone needs to rant.'

They ended their visit by planting a 'tree for the jubilee' as part of the Queen's Green Canopy, an initiative created to celebrate the Queen's 70-year reign.

In keeping with many South Wales valley towns, Blaenavon has had to overcome economic hardship in the last 30 years and the Hwb is playing its part by ensuring that the next generation are able to reach their potential by providing a space for alternative education and supporting care-experienced and vulnerable young people.

Both giving it a go! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge enjoyed a game of pool when visiting the Neon Youth Club at Blaenavon Hwb in Blaenavon

The Duke and Duchess (pictured) took the opportunity to celebrate an important historical moment as they 'planted a tree for the Jubilee' in Blaenavon as part of The Queen's Green Canopy, an initiative created to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee

The Duke of Cambridge plants a tree at the Blaenavon Heritage Centre in Blaenavon, left, while Duchess of Cambridge also takes part, right

Joining in! The Duchess of Cambridge also plants a tree at the Blaenavon Heritage Centre in Blaenavon during a visit to Wales

The Duchess of Cambridge at the Blaenavon Heritage Centre in Blaenavon during a visit to Abergavenny and Blaenavon

They also had the opportunity to take part in some of the activities the centre lays on, which on this St David's Day includes making Welsh cakes.

While the decline of the mining industry has led to some of the challenges faced today, Blaenavon's history is an important part of its identity, with parts of the town and surrounding area recognised in 2000 as a World Heritage Site  an example of how the 18th-19th Century iron and coal industry in Wales drove the Industrial Revolution.

The Heritage Site, in partnership with the Blaenavon Hwb, uses the power of culture to empower young people's voices and helps to promote the area's rich history through the World Heritage Youth Page 2 of 5 Ambassador programme.

World Heritage Youth Ambassadors get involved in organising events, managing workshops and building networks with other World Heritage Sites around the world.

Adorable! The Duchess said hello to the goats at Pant Farm, when visiting alongside her husband Prince William today

Kate (pictured) and William, both sporting daffodil pins as is tradition on St David's Day in Wales, toured the grounds with farmers Gary and Jess Yeomans

Look at me! The goats seemed eager for the royal couple's attention, with Kate and William chatting to farmers when touring the farm in Abergavenny

Kate and William will meet a number of these young ambassadors, before travelling to the World Heritage Site visitor centre to learn more about the history of Blaenavon and the importance of the Ambassador programme.

The Duke and Duchess took the opportunity to celebrate an important historical moment as they 'planted a tree for the Jubilee' in Blaenavon as part of The Queen's Green Canopy, an initiative created to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee.

Earlier this morning, the Duke and Duchess wished the people of Wales a 'Happy St David's Day' on Instagram, writing: 'Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus,' which is the Welsh translation of the greeting.

The post continued: 'See you soon to learn all about the role of small businesses in local communities - from farm, to market, to table - and how young people's opportunities are being improved by charities and engaging projects across Wales'

Affectionate: The Duke and Duchess walked alongside each other and appeared in good spirits during their trip to Wales

The Duchess of Cambridge, 40, dressed down in a recycled Seeland khaki jacket and a red scarf as she joined the Duke (pictured together), 39, at Pant Farm; a goat farm near Abergavenny, that has been providing milk to a local cheese producer for nearly 20 years

The Duke (pictured right) and Duchess (pictured centre ) heard about the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector and how the farm works with local industries and services

During their trip, the Duke and Duchess (pictured touring the farm) also met with representatives of the wider farming sector, both in Wales and across the UK

Kate (pictured) teamed her garment with a simple pair of black jeans and finished off her look with her 170 boots from celeb-loved brand Blundstone
First Lady Jill Biden made headlines after she introduced United States Vice President Kamala Harris as the president of the U.S. during a Black History Month celebration at the White House on Monday. She later said that she was joking.

During her introductory remarks, Jill Biden started out by saying the path of the vice president to get into the White House began with Harris' parents in the Civil Rights movement. The first lady said Harris has dedicated her life to pursuing justice and opportunity for all Americans. Biden called Harris a partner to her husband, United States President Joe Biden, particularly on issues such as voting rights.

"President" Kamala Harris

Afterward, Biden introduced Harris as the president of the United States but immediately corrected herself amid the audience's laughter and a shrug from her husband. The first lady then said that she only referred to Harris as the president to make the audience laugh.

Jill Biden introducing Kamala Harris:



Ladies and gentlemen, the president I mean the Vice President I just said that to make you laugh.

pic.twitter.com/EGCUHJqu5m  Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 28, 2022

Similarly, Biden's husband has repeatedly referred to Harris as the president of the United States in his remarks. In December, during a commencement address at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Joe spoke glowingly of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He then touted that "President Harris" was a proud Howard University alum, as per Fox News.

The situation comes as Joe is the subject of criticism every time he confuses Harris as the president of the United States. Another instance was in January of this year during an appearance to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read Also: Joe Biden: US Should Not Fear Nuclear War Amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis

During his speech at the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Joe said that he and "President Harris" stood on the United States Capitol the week before. Another incident was in March 2021 when Joe celebrated Harris' COVID-19 response, saying the two of them took a virtual tour of a vaccination center in Arizona.

According to the Independent, Joe will be coming into his Tuesday State of the Union Address with 54% of Americans expressing concerns that he does not have the mental sharpness needed to effectively be the president of the United States.

Black History Month

During the Black History Month celebration, Joe called on Congress to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and pass voting rights bills. In his remarks, the president acknowledged that the process can be slow and frustrating. But he noted that cooperation and faith can help progress things along.

The East Room was filled with roughly 150 people, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, state and local elected officials, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and other community leaders. Black individuals in Joe's Cabinet and other administration officials stood on stage as the president called on them by name to thank them.

During the event, Joe said he was happy that the event was held in person and not virtually, a milestone amid the coronavirus pandemic. Harris said that the people at the celebration were gathered at a time when America's democratic principles have come under threat due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine using a full-scale military operation, GrayDC reported.



Related Article: President Joe Biden Sparks Fury For His Absence in DC; POTUS Spends Weekend in Delaware Despite War Wages in Ukraine

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
University Challenge viewers were gutted after fan favourite Luke Kim was booted out of the competition.

Luke, who has just completed his degree in physics at Cambridge's Trinity College, has been praised throughout the series for his 'cheery disposition and untriumphant happiness'.

But last night was his final appearance on the show after his team was beaten by fellow Cambridge college St John's by 155 points to 125.

Viewers acknowledged that the 'best team won' but shared their dismay at losing Luke, saying it 'broke their heart'.

University Challenge viewers were gutted after fan favourite Luke Kim was booted out of the competition when Cambridge's Trinity College lost to St John's College by 30 points

How many Starter For Ten questions can YOU answer? Scroll down to check your answers... The Indian City of Makrana, the Greek Islands of Naxos and Paros and the Italian town of Carrara are notable sites for the quarrying of what material? What three letter term is applied to a funnel-shaped inlet in a river mouth for example Southampton Water? At a similar latitude to St Petersburg in the Shetland Islands Cape Farewell is the southernmost point of which island more than three times the size of Texas? An international best seller during the Covid pandemic, what allegorical novel of 1947 begins with Dr Rhia? What name is given to the insects with species including the Yukuba and Verillas? What surname links all of these: The 17th century author of the memoir Religio Medici, a US abolitionist executed in 1859 and a Spanish Botanist? What punctuation mark was intended to end this phrase: 'What? A refrigerator that makes its own ice cubes'? In newtons what Centripetal force is needed to move a 4kg object in a circle of radius 50cm at constant speed 3m per second? What decade saw all of these, the dancing plague of Strasberg, the first publication of Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso and the accession of Francis I of France? Advertisement

'I hope to one day be as happy as Trinity's Kim #UniversityChallenge', said one viewer.

Another wrote: 'The best team won there. The only thing breaking my heart was seeing Kim and Brekke losing - such good contestants.'

'Its been very cheering to see Luke Kims untriumphant happiness at knowing and giving a right answer the last few months, said a third.

Another commented: 'I shall miss Kim's sunny disposition most of all #UniversityChallenge.'

Fans of the academic quiz show were quick to take to Twitter to share their dismay, saying it 'broke their heart' to see Luke's 'cheery disposition and untriumphant happiness' leaving their screens

With a total of 515 points, Trinity had appeared on the quiz show three times before the quarter-final, beating Durham in round one before losing to University of Edinburgh in round three.

They had an outstanding win in round two against St Hilda, Oxford - at one point gaining a lead of over 200 points to zero before eventually winning by a whopping 210 points.

In addition to their win, Trinity's student team was a big hit with viewers after their second episode, having gained fans during their appearance in the first round of the quiz show in August.

Appearing on BBC2 last night, the two Cambridge teams battled it out in the quarter-final - with St John's ultimately bagging the victory with a total of 155 points to Trinity's 125

Trinity was also represented by Hatty Innes, Ludvig Brekke, and Luke Kim - with Kim cementing his status as fan favourite thanks to his constant grin while answering questions

Navonil Neogi, a Maths student from Surrey, was a particular hit with viewers after admitting to host Jeremy Paxman that he had no idea what question he had just asked during the show.

Trinity was also represented by Hatty Innes, Ludvig Brekke, and Luke Kim - with Kim cementing his status as fan favourite thanks to his constant grin while answering questions.

Meanwhile, with a total of 690 points, St John's lost to Imperial College in round one but continued through the competition to beat UCL and Queen Mary's London - however were defeated in their last match by Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

The St John's team was represented by Thomas Clark, Louis George, Jonathan Chan, Kiana Ouyang.
His younger sister Georgia, nine, has also caught the acting bug and is the star of a new Northern Irish film, Torn - and younger brother Jonah is already attending the same drama class as his newly famous brother

LA talent agencies have been scrambling to sign the talented youngster; his mother Shauneen, now his manager, says she first noticed his acting skills when he read out a poem at school when he was just four

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Before being cast in Belfast, Sir Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical blockbuster about a childhood in Northern Ireland, young actor Jude Hill attended his local village primary school, taking drama lessons and reading poetry in his spare time.

However, with awards season now well underway in Hollywood - finally in person after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic - the Northern Irish youngster, who turned 11 last summer, is quietly stealing the show in Hollywood - with a slew of LA talent agencies having battled to represent him.

On Monday night, at the 5th annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards at Los Angeles' swish Avalon nightclub, a confident-looking Jude donned a characterful royal blue suit, with matching polka dot dickie bow, and smart brogues, and looked every inch the rising star as he took to the stage to accept his first major individual award.

The blonde-haired boy from the village of Gilford, about 25 miles south-east of Belfast in County Down, looked every inch a match for Hollywood's glitterati.

Scooping Best Newcomer Award for the role of Buddy in the black-and-white film, which documents life growing up in a working class family during the Troubles in the late 1960s, the rising star was swiftly congratulated by A-listers Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe, who play his parents in the film.

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Hollywood calling: Jude Hill, 11, won the Best Newcomer Award at 5th annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards for the role of Buddy in Sir Kenneth Branagh's Belfast; it was Hill's first major film role after he beat 300 hopefuls to win the part

High praise: The Year 7 student is currently doing the rounds with his co-stars during Hollywood awards season - pictured left to right: Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Kenneth Branagh and Ciaran Hinds

Hill, who grew up in a village 25 miles from Belfast, has been hailed as a natural by actor Sir Kenneth Branagh, with Dame Judi Dench saying the star was like an actor who had had 25 years experience

Family affair: Hill's parents, Darryl and Shauneen, are currently chaperoning their young son during his trip to California; the actor has a sister, Georgia, who also acts, and a younger brother, Jonah who is signed to the same drama school

Critics have garlanded the film with praise  in his five-star review, the Daily Mails critic Brian Viner called it a small masterpiece - and the awards season looks set to back that up.

Mingling with his co-stars on the red carpet this week - including Sir Kenneth Branagh, the youngster has had the chance to meet his heroes; he told reporters that he was lost for words after chatting to Spider-Man: No Way Home star Andrew Garfield.

His stratospheric rise to fame, after beating 300 hopefuls to play the part, has seen him win wide praise for his own stellar performance - and several awards, although he missed out on a predicted Oscar nomination.

Hill has now been signed by Hollywood acting agencies UTA and Berwick & Kovacik and further roles are surely just a matter of time - but his parents maintain that he's just 'a normal boy', who they're keen to protect from the glaring spotlight of Hollywood.

Potential: Hill in a photo posted on his Instagram account showing him during his final year at primary school

'Normal boy' A young Jude holding aloft a trophy for his drama skills, and right in Ninja outfits with his younger brother

Mum Shauneen has now given up her job to be a full-time manager to her son - and rising star daughter, Georgia. Pictured from left: Darryl, Georgia, Jude, Shauneen and Jonah

Wearing a characterful royal blue suit, with matching polka dot dickie bow, and smart brogues, the 11-year-old has looked entirely at ease with his glitzy co-stars while doing the rounds in Hollywood

Now 11, the young actor has been hailed as a natural by Sir Kenneth, while co-star Dame Judi Dench said he was completely like an actor who had had 25 years worth of experience.

For the Hill family, the bright lights of Hollywood are a far cry from the sleepy County Down village where they live.

Dad Darryl is an Operations Manager at Concentrix, while mum Shauneen has given up work to focus on the acting aspirations of both Jude and daughter Georgia.

Adorable photos on his official Instagram page - significantly glitzier in recent weeks - show the family in their everyday life, enjoying family holidays in Mallorca and gathered around a Christmas tree at their home.

The schoolboy trained at the Shelley Lowry School for speech and drama in his spare time while attending St John's Primary School. He secured the Hollywood role after sending in a tape of his work and having a series of virtual interviews and auditions.

His mother, Shauneen, now his full-time manager, said she spotted her sons talent when he was only four, after he recited the poem Roger Was A Razor Fish at school.

The blonde-haired youngster has been sharing photos of his rise to fame on his Instagram account, and has his own TikTok account too

She told Belfast Live in October: 'It all started off with Jude whenever he was four. I used to bring him to all these Speech and Drama festivals and he cleaned up in every festival every year.

'I could see when he was in nursery, and even when he was in primary school, that when he'd be asked to read a poem in public or something - I could see how talented he was.'

After being encouraged to go for roles by local talent manager Lowry, the actor began sending out tapes, saying: 'The first audition I ever did was a self-tape. I go to speech and drama lessons and I do poems and extracts from books and my teacher sent through this self-tape and I filmed it and I got called back like five or six times.'

The self-tape was a scene from a film chosen by his mother. He used a scene from Belfast for future auditions before the final hurdle: A call with Sir Kenneth.

When the email came through I ran around my house screaming for about five minutes, Jude said of winning the role.

I didnt even get half way through and I read it all and I found out who would be in it and I was amazed... It was just crazy.

Jude Hills stellar performance in Belfast has seen him already win awards for his portrayal of Buddy, although he missed out on a predicted Oscar nomination

Jude Hill and his mother Shauneen Hill arrive the 24th British Independent Film Awards at Old Billingsgate on December 5, 2021 in London. It seems that his newfound fame is not going to his head. His mother said: Hes very humble and hes such a good boy about it'

Jude Hill (centre)with actors Judi Dench and Ciaran Hinds, his co stars in the film 'Belfast'. Mum Shauneen says he's taken to fame like a duck to water, saying: 'Hes very humble and hes such a good boy about it.'

On set: Director Kenneth Branagh (left) and Jude Hill (right) during the filming of Belfast; much of the film was shot in Berkshire

Friends: The schoolboy's principal organised a trip to the cinema so that Hill's pals could see him in action

Pictured earlier this year with This Morning presenters Alison Hammond (far left) and Holly Willoughby (far right) after an appearance on the ITV daytime show with his mum Shauneen

His younger sister, Georgia, is the star of a new short film written, Torn, by Lowry, in which Jude also stars, proving that the acting genes run in the family. She also recently finished filming Mimis World, a Channel 5 childrens drama, and appeared in the CBBC show Silverpoint.

Talent Manager Lowry told the Belfast Telegraph that all eyes are currently on Northern Ireland for young talent thanks to Belfast, saying: 'The eyes of the world are on Northern Ireland because of this brilliant film that Kenneth Branagh has made.

'When I was in LA with Jude, everyone I spoke to knew about the talent here. Theyre waiting to see whos going to be the next Dornan, Branagh or Neeson.'

It seems Jude's not going to let his newfound fame is not going to his head. His mother said: Hes very humble and hes such a good boy about it.

'Even when he went back to school after [filming], his teachers were asking him lots of questions and he didnt really talk about it, saying: 'Hes just a normal boy and thats how we and him want to stay.
Sir Kenneth Branagh revealed Prince Charles spoke about the 'isolation' and 'burden of expectation' he feels as the heir to the throne when the pair held a private meeting in the late 1980s.

The actor, 61, told the Awards Chatter podcast that he arranged to speak to Charles as he prepared to take on the role of Shakespeare's Henry V in a 1989 film, which he also directed.

He said Prince Charles acknowledged he was privileged in his position and as a result worked even harder to connect with people, and give back to the public.

'It was interesting also to hear how he spoke - very quietly. People in authority often do,' the actor said.

Sir Kenneth Branagh, 61, revealed how he met with Prince Charles, then 40, as he prepared to play and direct Shakespeare's Henry V in 1989 (pictured in 2019 in London)

The actor, pictured in the movie with Emma Thompson, said he suffered from impostor syndrome before he directed his film

'They don't need to raise their voices - the degree of thoughtfulness, the degree of detail. Watching them when they deal with large numbers of people.'

Branagh explained Prince Charles understood that people expect memorable moments when they meet him and that it was his desire to connect with people who were 'dazzled' by his job title.

The actor continued: 'Built in, and I could see it in every fabric of his being, a sense of duty, a sense of privilege, a sense of sacrifice.

'For all of the first class life that they lead, they know it's an accident of birth and one that they need to meet by a commitment to serving others.

'And I saw in his case a genuine expression of that, and it doesn't matter if you're a monarchist, an anti-monarchist or whatever.

'I felt that what I was hoping to find in the character of Henry V, because I believed it was there as Shakespeare wrote it, was this sort of spiritual or character confirmation of at least some parts of it, and that carried the sort of interior of the performance into what I was trying to do. So for me it was an invaluable experience.'

Branagh and the Prince of Wales talking after a production of Hamlet starring the actor in 1988

Branagh said it was a combination of his own imposter syndrome - going from his Belfast working-class upbringing to playing a royal - and his young naivety and bravado that led him to find a way to meet Charles.

He had appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Henry V, directed by Adrian Noble, when he was 24, before adapting it for the film version, which he appeared in and directed.

Talking about securing the meeting with Charles, he said: 'There was a moment when I was playing the part in the theatre where, I do think it's ignorance, you're not really thinking, or it's a tunnel vision about the creativity.

'And I think this is another thing I carried from Belfast: who the bejazes am I, nine-year-old working-class North Belfast Protestant, to be playing the air to the throne of England and then the King of England. And I thought "well, how do you find out about what that's like"?'

Talking about his desire to go deeper into a royal's life and character, Branagh said: 'I thought "well, how do you find out about what that's like? Can you find a way to speak to the heir to the throne?"

'I was voicing these concerns over a pint with a friend of mine, who said "well actually, you know, I do know someone who knows someone". He said "if you're serious and you will be discreet". And so he arranged a number of intermediary meetings.

'I was very clearly screened. But eventually I met Prince Charles who was very open, particularly about the burdens of expectation, and the fact of isolation, and this to me was very interesting.'

Branagh added that despite his conscientious preparation with Charles the launch of the film was at risk until the last minute.

He added: 'Financing was harem-scarem right up to the last minute. I remember Sir David Puttnam was involved for a while, Lord Puttnam as he now is, and he I remember called me in with a month to go before shooting.

'He just felt that the finance wasn't strong enough. And I'm 27 years old and he says "Ken, I've got to tell you with absolute certainty, this film will collapse, either two weeks before or two weeks after principle photography begins and your movie career will be over in its entirety".

'And I said "well gosh, gosh, well I very much hear what you're saying sir, and thank you for being involved up to this point and I'm grateful for your candour".

'And it was a great challenge. I didn't go away thinking "how dare he". I thought "well I'm sure he means and knows what he says, he's been there many times".

'It was with ten days to go, maybe even a week to go.'

Dame Judi Dench, Paul Scofield, and Robert Stephens also appeared in the film.
The Duchess of Cornwall reflected the sombre mood in Southend-on-Sea today, wearing a stylish navy and black ensemble as she helped Prince Charles finally make the Essex town a city - after years of campaigning by murdered MP Sir David Amess.

The royal, 74, who has recently recovered from a second bout of Covid, joined the future king on the official visit to the Essex coastal region, wearing a smart blue navy coat dress, frilled white blouse and black suede knee-high boots for the bittersweet public duty.

Camilla carried a classic Chanel clutch bag in navy and wore a wide-brimmed black velour hat and black gloves for the visit, in which she met the widow of late MP Sir David, who was killed on October 15th last year by a terrorist while he held a clinic for his constituents.

An emotional Lady Julia Amess received the free man of the city honour on behalf of her late husband.

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The Duchess of Cornwall, 74, accompanied Prince Charles, 73, to Southend-on-Sea today as the Essex coastal town was officially made a city. The royal chose a stylish navy and black ensemble for the public duty

Camilla chose darker colours - and accessorised with a classic Chanel bag - to mark the bittersweet occasion; Southend was officially granted city status following years of campaigning by local MP Sir David Amess - who was murdered in 2021 by a terrorist

Camilla carried a classic Chanel clutch bag in navy and wore a wide-brimmed black velour hat for the visit

Camilla holds a bouquet of flowers she was handed while chatting to members of the public in Southend on Tuesday

The Duchess also added vintage jewellery for her visit to the east coast, wearing pearl drop earrings and an oval diamond brooch on her dress coat.

Camilla appeared to be in good spirits and happy to be carrying out public engagements again following her latest recovery from Covid, which saw her isolating with Prince Charles for a second time.

Today, she took time to chat and shake hands with well-wishers who turned out to greet the couple, accepting bouquets from royal fans.

On a grey day in the newly crowned seaside city, the royals also spent some time close to the water, posing for photos near the resort's famous pier during their visit.

The couple also visited the Western Esplanade, and the official granting of city status was broadcast to local residents on a big screen.

Charles and Camilla arrive to greet members of the public during their visit to Southend, as hundreds of locals gather to look on

Charles and Camilla unveil a new eco-friendly Pier Train, named after murdered MP David Amess, during their visit to the Pier in Southend on Tuesday

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, leave the Civic Centre during a visit to Southend-on-Sea

Camilla looked chic in a navy pea coat, paired with a black hat, gloves, boots and a dark blue Chanel bag, while Charles donned a navy pinstriped suit paired with a patterned tie and grey shirt

In a speech just after 11am, the Prince of Wales praised the town - now city - for coming together following the brutal murder of Sir David in the town of Leigh-on-Sea last year.

He told those gathered to witness the granting of the city status: 'In the aftermath of Sir David's brutal murder, the people of Southend-on-Sea came together in a remarkable and inspiring way to bring good out of evil.

'In doing so, they demonstrated a deep truth: that what matters more than any name, whether of a person or a place, is the spirit.'

Later during his speech, the future King of England became the first royal to condemn the attacks on Russia.

Sir David Amess (pictured), who had served as Conservative MP for Southend West since 1997, was murdered during a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15

An emotional Lady Julia Amess (pictured) received the free man of the city honour on behalf of her late husband

Camilla was all smiles as she clutched her Chanel handbag and shook hands with members of the public upon arriving to Southend on Tuesday

The Prince said he 'stands in solidarity' with the citizens of Ukraine as he lauded Sir David for his dedication to the 'values which underpin the society we share'.

He said: 'We can only hope that those who are too often cynically dismissive of those in public life will look at his example of service.

'No one could have given more for the values which underpin the society we share, values which appear all the more precious, at this present time, when we see more starkly than for many years, the appalling suffering and devastation caused when the path of violence is chosen.
Poundland has announced its plans to sell its products online after the discount retailer bought out a rival's website.

Poundland has acquired poundshop.co.uk, an online-only budget retailer founded in 2014, that will see it inherit its online platform, distribution centre and database of 400,000 customers across the UK.

The retailer trialled online shopping in Birmingham and Walsall last year and is now looking to expand.

Poundland already owns the poundland.co.uk website but for the majority of the UK it is simply a landing page to see the products available in stores.

Poundland has aquired poundshop.co.uk, a website founded in 2014 with almost 400,000 customers across the UK, meaning bargain hunters in the UK and Ireland who love a trip to Poundland will be able to get their favourite products online (file photo)

The jobs of all 65 staff members working at the Poundshop centre will be protected under the new ownership of Poundland.

A spokesman for Poundland said that all active online orders will still be fulfilled during the passing over of the business ownership and management.

They also said that this acquisition would help 'power a national roll-out of its own pilot ecommerce operation' where their items can be purchased online.

Poundland will retain all of the current Poundshop.com staff and during the integration process Poundshop.com will continue fulfilling customers orders as normal.

The price of the buy-out has remained a secret.

But this is one big step for the discounted retailer to roll-out their product lines, including their clothing range Pep&Co and their homeware items, to an online market.

This e-commerce operation has plans to one-up the website they have just acquired.

These new expansions of product ranges now joining the world wide web could put Poundland up against UK supermarkets who also offer an online shopping service (file photo)

Chairman of Poundshop.com, Steve Smith, and CEO Chris Maddox are said to be helping with the changeover in an 'advisory capacity', led by retail and transformation director at Poundland, Austin Cooke.

Mr Cooke is to lead the operation of Poundland's online business day-to-day. They are also going to offer a Dealz online service, the Republic of Ireland's version of Poundland.

This latest online business venture also complements Poundland's recent opening of new stores, as well as an expansion of the current range, including more clothing from in-house brand Pep&Co, chilled and frozen food.

The managing director for Poundland, Barry Williams, said of the purchase: 'This acquisition puts power and pace behind our aspirations to make our amazing products and value available to customers across the UK and Ireland, however they choose to shop.'

These new expansions of product ranges now joining the world wide web could put Poundland up against UK supermarkets who also offer an online shopping service.
'Momager' Amanda Holden stands to make 1 million from her daughter Lexi's modelling contract in just 12 months, experts have revealed.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 51, told MailOnline that Storm, who have propelled the likes of Cara Delevingne, 29, and Cindy Crawford, 56, to catwalk stardom, 'came after' her 16-year-old daughter and it was Lexi's decision to sign on the dotted line ahead of interest from rival agencies.

In an exclusive interview, Amanda joked she would love to become a 'momager' like US reality star Kris Jenner, 66, who's known for being the matriarch of the Kardashian family, and responsible for the success of her five millionaire daughters.

The presenter has previously spoken of how she would 'push her children into showbusiness behind-the-scenes', and taken her 16-year-old to various red carpet events.

Experts have now predicted Amanda stands to make 1 million from her daughter's modelling contract within the first 12 months alone.

Gary Pope, CEO at family focussed marketing agency, Kids Industries told FEMAIL: 'Should Amanda's daughter be successful, it'll be a short hop to a wide ranging media profile, endorsements and of course her own range of licensed products.

'Momager' Amanda Holden stands to make 1 million from her daughter Lexi's modelling contract in just 12 months, experts have revealed

In an exclusive interview, Amanda joked she would love to become a 'momager' to her daughter Lexi

'Ms Holden seems to be an amazing mum and will place her daughter's best interests as a child first and that is the number one thing you can do.

'And actually, being authentic in this way is fundamentally important to today's audience.

'The sky really is the limit but depending on her success and how audiences perceive her, she could pull in around 1m in her first 12 months alone  leveraging her Mum's profile and no doubt the line of brands ready to cash in on that.'

Meanwhile Beth Gregory, a personal branding specialist at Folio Creative said her earning potential could be 'phenomenal'.

Her daughter initially made her television debut before she was even born, with Amanda filming her TV series WIld At Heart while pregnant with her first child (pictured while expecting)

She said: 'Building a personal brand is certainly a lot easier if your parent, or parents, are already famous, as is the case with Amanda Holden.

'Amanda's personal brand will turbocharge her daughter's ability to earn and significantly boost her appeal with brands globally.

'How much she could earn is anyone's guess, but you can't help but think her earnings potential is going to be considerable, if not phenomenal, in the years ahead.

'Amanda's exact plans aren't clear but she seems to be fairly keen on keeping her daughter grounded and moving things forward at a sensible pace, which is encouraging.

And as Lexi grew older, Amanda began taking her to various press events and red carpet events (pictured in 2010 at the Gala Screening and Tea Party For Disney's 'The Princess and the Frog)

'With Amanda's business savvy behind her, Lexi has the potential to take the world, literally and metaphorically, by Storm.'

It's far from the first time that the actress and presenter has spoken about encouraging her children to enter the spotlight.

Her daughter initially made her television debut before she was even born, with Amanda filming her TV series WIld At Heart while pregnant with her first child.

In a 2008 interview with People magazine, Amanda said she was 'overly-complimentary' to her two-year-old daughter to encourage her natural talents.

She said: 'I'm like that with  Lexi. I'm really encouraging when she's painting on the kitchen floor.

In a 2013 interview with the Daily Star, she explained how she was determined then-seven-year-old Lexi would follow her into the fame game.

'I try to instill positivity into everything, if you can do that, then naturally they will have some kind of confidence.'

And as Lexi grew older, Amanda began taking her to various press events and red carpet events.

And in a 2013 interview with the Daily Star, she explained how she was determined then-seven-year-old Lexi would follow her into the fame game.

She said: 'I won't be pushing them into showbiz but I will be doing it secretly behind the scenes.'

She went on to discuss her daughter's 'talents' and said the would 'hit the path to fame soon.'

Among the events that Lexi attended with her mother was the British Academy Television Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in 2018

At the time, she spoke about her daughter Lexi's singing talent as being 'really good' and said she could be a 'future winner' of Britain's Got Talent.

She added: 'Me and my husband keep saying they live with us rent-free so it's about time they went out there and earned a living.'

In recent years, the star has been ramping up the amount of photographs she has shared of her daughter with her 1.8 million following.

Earlier this year it was reported she is set to scoop a string of lucrative commercial deals  but her mother had told her she had to wait till she turned 16.

'They're keen': The BGT judge told MailOnline that Storm, who have propelled the likes of Cara Delevingne and Cindy Crawford to catwalk stardom, 'came after' her 16-year-old daughter

Calling her future 'incredibly bright', a source told The Sun: Amanda was adamant she complete her studies first.

'The family is excited and proud.'

She had interest from agencies including Source, Select and MiLK agencies.

Amanda told MailOnline: 'Lexi has just signed with Storm Management this week.

'They came after her and they're very lovely and nurturing and it will be a soft, slow thing and she won't do anything until she's 18 but they want her and that's what she wants to do.

Good genes: In an exclusive interview, Amanda joked she would love to become a 'momager' like US reality star Kris Jenner, who's known for being the matriarch of the Kardashian family

'I have to say there was quite a number of them and there's such a different mindset to how you might think modelling agencies look after the young, but they are very nurturing and very caring, all of them.

'She has made the decision to sign with them and Chris and I support her, and we are very protective but they're very keen.

'It is odd because I remember changing her nappy and her first tantrum and suddenly, she's this little woman.

'She is bright too so we're making sure she does her A-levels and she has her sights set on university but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.'

The Heart Breakfast presenter, who also shares Hollie, 10, with husband of 14-years Chris, 49, said she aspires to be like Kris Jenner after she helped daughter Kendall, 26, to become one of the world's highest-paid models.

She added: 'I hope I am! If I have an ounce of the business acumen that Kris has then yes.

'Chris is phenomenal and is a record producer and works at a management level with artists and is really savvy when it comes to business and contracts and I'm in it.

'We are quite a good team and we sit round the dinner table every night and we will describe our days so she has a good insight into the industry so I think she is going into it more eyes wide open than most 16-year-olds.'
Meghan Markle has continued to support Smart Works, one of her UK patronages, with a grant from her and Prince Harry's US-based Archewell Foundation.

The Foundation, which was created by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they stepped down as senior royals in 2020, will help finance one of the charity's major 2022 projects, titled The Smart Works Female Unemployment Index, Hello! revealed.

Smart Works has a team of 300 trained volunteers and helps long-term unemployed and vulnerable women regain the skills, confidence and tools to succeed at job interviews, return to employment and transform their lives.

Meghan became patron of Smart Works in January 2019 and remains in the position even after stepping down as a senior royal because it is one she held in a private capacity, rather than was given by the Queen.

Meghan also remains Patron of UK animal charity Mayhew. She had to give up her royal patronages of the National Theatre and the Association of Commonwealth Universities as part of the Megxit agreement.

The Archewell Foundation will give out a grant to Meghan Markle's Smart Works patronage to mark International Women's Day (pictured, the 40-year-old during a visit to Smart Works in 2019)

Archewell, which was founded by Harry and Meghan, pictured on 26 February, after they stepped down as senior royals in 2020

Kate Stephens, CEO, Smart Works said: 'We are so grateful to Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and Archewell Foundation for their steadfast support of Smart Works' mission and continued growth.

'Whether in person or remote, we are dedicated to providing women with the tools they need to feel confident at such a critical moment in their lives, and the research we are undertaking will shine a light on the challenges they face.'

The new Smart Works project, which will be published in late 2022, will focus on data around female unemployment in the UK and the challenges face by women Smart Works supports.

The charity has always held a special place in Meghan's heart since her royal days.

In September 2019, she launched a sell-out capsule collection with Smart Works and her designer pal Misha Nonoo.

She has remained the charity's patron despite stepping back from royal duties, although her title changed from 'royal patron' to simply 'patron'.

Kate Stephens, CEO of Smart Works, pictured with Meghan in Oxford Street in 2019, thankd Archewell and Meghan for their 'steadfast support'

In spring 2021, she sent personalised notes on behalf of the UK-based charity, which helps long-term unemployed and vulnerable women return to employment.

In an Instagram Story shared at the time, the charity revealed Meghan sent notes to four clients from her home in California.

The bulk of the note was typed on the computer but photos reveal the Duchess wrote each woman's name by hand and included a short message: 'Wishing you every success in your new role' before signing off 'as ever, Meghan'.

They were included in parcels sent out to women who have benefited from the charity's services. Further details about the recipients were not revealed.

Meghan, who is currently living in her $14 million mansion in California, has been increasingly vocal about politics in the US having stepped back from royal duties.

Over the weekend, the mother-of-two spoke to Anita Hill for URL media about the nomination of Judge Jackson, saying: 'Judge Jacksons nomination has opened new ground for womens representation at the highest level of a judicial system that for too long has tilted against the very community she hails from.

'For the millions of young women who will rightfully find inspiration from this moment, lets remind ourselves that Black achievement is something that exists not just today or yesterday, and not just in moments of celebration, but as a fabric woven into the entire chronicle of the American story.'

Anita said the pair had 'recently connected' and said there was 'a measure of parallelism given her experience navigating uncharted territory as a Black woman.'

The duchess's latest intervention heightens speculation that she sees herself in a political position in the future, like her heroines Angelina Jolie and Amal Clooney.

It is not the first time the Duchess has weighed in on politics in the US.

Last year, she made a series of calls for compulsory paid family leave in the US, including in her first major TV appearance since her notorious tell-all with Oprah Winfrey.
A woman who needed IVF treatment to have kids took a part-time position at Starbucks just for the fertility benefits - despite earning $0 a week from the job.

Autumn Lucy, 33, a small business owner from Michigan, and her husband, Anna, were struggling to get pregnant after suffering multiple miscarriages and having an ectopic pregnancy - which required emergency surgery - so they decided to turn to in vitro fertilization per the recommendation of their doctor.

However, they soon discovered that it could cost an upwards of $30,000 for the treatment, and it isn't covered by private insurance companies.

Autumn - who was paying $600 a month for private insurance at the time - decided to start working 20-hours a week at Starbucks so that she could have access to the company's benefits - and despite taking home a $0 paycheck each week, the side gig has now made it possible for her to start IVF.

As of October 2019, Starbucks offers its employees a benefits package that includes $25,000 towards IVF treatment and $10,000 for related medications.

How much you pay out of pocket depends on which plan you choose, but Autumn opted for one that has a low deductible and high monthly cost - which is automatically taken out of her paycheck.

This means she pays very little for the IVF treatment but earns $0 for her work.

A woman who needed IVF treatment to have kids took a part-time position at Starbucks just for the fertility benefits - despite earning $0 a week from the job

Autumn Lucy, a small business owner from Michigan, and her husband, Anna, were struggling to get pregnant

They suffered multiple miscarriages and had an ectopic pregnancy - which required emergency surgery - so they decided to turn to in vitro fertilization

Autumn decided to start working 20-hours a week at Starbucks for the benefits - and despite taking home a $0 paycheck, the side gig has now made it possible for her to start IVF

She went viral on TikTok last summer when she posted a video of herself talking about her first day at Starbucks, while showing off her new uniform.

She went viral on TikTok last summer when she posted a video of herself talking about her first day at the job, gaining more than a million views on the clip

'It's my first day of work at Starbucks for fertility benefits so I can pay for IVF should I need it,' she said at the time, as she pulled out her green apron and name tag to show viewers.

The video has since received over a million views, and many people were impressed with Autumn's dedication and hard work.

'IVF and other fertility treatments are a covered benefit under Starbucks health insurance, and Starbucks gives healthcare insurance to part-time employees as long as you're working 20 hours a week,' she explained in another TikTok.

'They cover up to $25,000 in medical expenses for fertility treatments, and up to $10,000 in prescription expenses.

'How much you will pay out of pocket depends on your state, your doctor, and which level of plan you pick.

'If you pick a plan with a cheaper monthly premium and a higher deductible, you obviously have to pay your deductible before your benefits kick in so you're going to pay more out of pocket.

Autumn explained that IVF is covered under Starbucks health insurance, which you have access to as a part-time employee - as long as you are working at least 20 hours a week

She said the company will cover up to $25,000 in medical expenses for fertility treatments, and up to $10,000 in prescription expenses

She began working there at the end of August, covering three morning shifts weekly, and making roughly $300-$400 each week. Her benefits became available after three months

She chose a plan that has a very low deductible but costs a lot each month; that meant it 'ate up' all of her paycheck, but saved her money in the long run

'They also have high monthly premium plans with very low deductibles, so you pay very little out of pocket for your IVF.

'I'm choosing a low deductible plan, which will probably eat up a lot of may paycheck, but I'm paying very little for my IVF.'

In a statement to Human Resource Executive after raising their benefits for fertility services from $15,000 to $25,000, the company said in 2019, 'We are consistently evolving our benefits as we continue to listen and learn from our partners [employees] and the Family Expansion Reimbursement program extends Starbucks long-history of putting partners first.

'It has long been our belief that when we put our partners first, the result is an elevated Starbucks experience for our stores, our customers and our communities.'

Autumn explained that you have to work three months at Starbucks before you have access to the benefits.

She said she began working there at the end of August, covering three morning shifts weekly, and making roughly $300-$400 each week.

In December, the benefits became available to her and she decide to choose a plan that cost a lot each month, but has a very low deductible; that meant it 'ate up' all of her paycheck, but saved her money in the long run.

'I'm going to pay very little out of pocket for a $25,000 medical procedure. I would have had to pay $25,000 to have my IVF done,' she added.

Autumn has now started the IVF process and often documents it for her 20,000 followers on TikTok, where she has wracked up more than 700,000 likes across her videos

Dedicated: She shared her story in the hopes of helping others who are struggling to pay for IVF

Her egg retrieval is now complete and she has a transfer of her healthiest embryo scheduled for April. And she said having access to the treatment 'feels incredible'

'There are almost no employers in Michigan that cover IVF in their insurance plans. I was buying insurance from the marketplace because I own a small business and there are no insurance plans on the marketplace that cover IVF at all.

'It's saving me tens of thousands of dollars and hopefully I'll come out of this with a baby.'

When asked if she was going to quit after she got pregnant and the IVF was done, Autumn explained that she had no plans to stop working there.

'No, I don't plan on quitting once I get pregnant,' she said. 'Before working at Starbucks, I was paying $600 a month in private health care insurance, and I had a family deductible of $6,000.

'With my Starbucks insurance, I have really good healthcare, I have a $0 deductible and I get life insurance and lots of other benefits that come with working the job.

'I really enjoy working at Starbucks. My manager is really great, the employees I work with are really nice.'

Autumn has now started the IVF process and often documents it for her 20,000 followers on TikTok, where she has wracked up more than 700,000 likes across her videos.

She shared her story in the hopes of helping others who are struggling to pay for IVF.

'Before posting my first-day video, I had only a couple thousand followers on TikTok, but as folks hit the follow button, I decided to keep posting about my experience of subsidizing my IVF journey through part-time work,' she told Insider.

'I'm using my new platform to talk about ways that non-wealthy people can access this life-changing treatment.'

Her egg retrieval is now complete and she has a transfer of her healthiest embryo scheduled for April. And she said having access to the treatment 'feels incredible.'

'I'm not saying that getting a second job with IVF coverage is a perfect system - far from it. I believe in socialized medicine and think healthcare should be available for all Americans,' she concluded.

'But at the same time, I have to work within the broken system we have. So I'm making lattes and fraps three mornings a week while advocating that states add mandates and make fertility benefits a requirement.

'I am so grateful for the opportunity to work for Starbucks and for the incredible management at my store. While others in my situation are having to take out huge loans  or even refinance their homes  to afford IVF, I feel I have found a shortcut, and that's why I continue to talk about this on TikTok.

'I believe that regular, non-wealthy Americans should not be excluded from conceiving simply because we don't have $30,000 in the bank.'
David Bowie's son has hit out at RT for quoting his late father - and produced the 'perfect comeback', according to Twitter users.

Duncan Jones took to the social media platform after the state-backed Russian broadcaster tweeted a story about NASA with the caption 'Ground control to Major Tom'.

The lyric is from Bowie's 1969 hit Space Oddity, and Mr Jones was seemingly less than impressed by the channel, formerly known as Russia Today, referencing his father's work.

He swiftly replied, quoting the tweet and simply writing: 'Wrong song' alongside a Ukrainian flag and two heart emojis, as well as an image of poignant lyrics from another Bowie classic Heroes (1977).

Social media users were quick to reply to Mr Jones and brand his reply a 'perfect comeback' amid the Ukraine crisis.

David Bowie's son (pictured together in 2009) has hit out at RT for quoting his late father - and produced the 'perfect comeback', according to Twitter users

Duncan Jones took to the social media platform after the state-backed Russian broadcaster tweeted a story about NASA with the caption 'Ground control to Major Tom'. He swiftly replied, quoting the tweet and simply writing: 'Wrong song' alongside a Ukrainian flag and two heart emojis, as well as an image of poignant lyrics from another Bowie classic Heroes (above)

The lyrics tweeted by Jones on Friday were: 'I, I can remember (I remember). Standing, by the wall (by the wall). And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)

'And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall). And the shame, was on the other side. Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever. Then we could be Heroes, just for one day.'

Delighted by Mr Jones' response, one person wrote: 'Well if that isn't the perfect comeback.'

Another said: 'This has always been my favourite of your dad's many brilliant songs, for very emotional, personal reasons. It has never meant more to me than it does now. #GloryToUkraine.'

A third added: 'This tweet is the tweet of the decade', while a fourth wrote: 'The old man's grinning now mate.'

Social media users were quick to reply to Mr Jones and brand his reply a 'perfect comeback' amid the Ukraine crisis

It comes after media regulator Ofcom yesterday began 15 investigations into the 'due impartiality' of RT.

The move, which increases the likelihood of RT losing its UK licence, relates to 15 editions of its hourly news show aired on Sunday.

The EU has banned the channel but Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned a similar move in the UK was likely to lead to the BBC being banned in Russia.

She added: 'We want the Russian population to hear the truth about what Putin is doing.'

After days of speculation, Ofcom revealed it had 'observed a significant increase' in the number of shows on the broadcaster that 'warrant investigation under our Broadcasting Code'.

Mr Jones (pictured in 2018) was seemingly less than impressed by the channel, formerly known as Russia Today, referencing his father's work

It is understood the investigations mainly centre on reporting from correspondents on the ground - in places like the Donbas region of Ukraine - rather than the handling of stories by presenters in the studio.

RT, which has a number of British presenters and reporters, has reportedly referred to the invasion of Ukraine as a 'special military operation'.

Ofcom said yesterday it was expecting 'full-cooperation from RT', adding that the investigations will be 'expedited' given the 'severity and urgency of the current crisis'.

On Sunday, Boris Johnson said the channel had been 'peddling' content that was 'doing a lot of damage to the truth', and called for Ofcom to look at whether it was 'infringing the rules of this country'.

Last week Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries used a letter to Ofcom to accuse RT, previously known as Russia Today, of being 'demonstrably part of Russia's global disinformation campaign'.

Media regulator Ofcom yesterday began 15 investigations into the 'due impartiality' of state-backed Russian broadcaster RT

But yesterday Miss Truss admitted any move to ban the channel here could lead to retaliation against UK broadcasters like the BBC.

She told Parliament: 'We are looking at what can be done on RT but the reality is that if we ban RT in the United Kingdom, that is likely to lead to channels like the BBC being banned in Russia.'

The Foreign Secretary added: 'And what we want is we want the Russian population to hear the truth about what Vladimir Putin is doing.'

Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said last night: 'Given the serious on-going situation in Ukraine, we will be concluding our investigations into RT as a matter of urgency.'
A bereaved mother has written a heart-wrenching tribute to her son, who died last month of a drug overdose  and has used his obituary to spread awareness about the dangers of addiction.

Hunter Lee Clemons had just turned 22 when he died on February 10, 2022, after taking a pain pill laced with fentanyl while getting ready for work in Jacksonville, Florida.

His mother, Christy Couvillier, describes him as 'kind, funny, charismatic, selfless, [and] loyal'  but says that drugs offered him 'an escape from his demons.'

In an honest and emotional obituary, Couvillier said that she and the rest of her son's family want to 'speak the truth about his death' so that it wasn't in vain  and that they might educate others about the drug epidemic in the US.

Hunter Lee Clemons had just turned 22 when he died on February 10, 2022, after taking a pain pill laced with fentanyl while getting ready for work

His mother, Christy Couvillier, described him as 'charismatic' with a 'heart of gold' in his obituary

She said drugs offered him 'an escape from his demons' and he'd been to rehab after a 2019 overdose

'Hunter had a heart of gold; anyone from his childhood or adult life could confirm,' Couvillier wrote in the obit.

'He was kind, funny, charismatic, selfless, loyal, and always tried to find the positive in any situation.

'In turn, doing his best to block out the negatives, which is where his addiction came into play. Drugs offered Hunter an escape from his demons he faced throughout his life.'

While living in Lafayette, Louisiana, Clemons began struggling with addiction  and on July 23, 2019, at age 19, he overdosed after taking heroin laced with fentanyl.

Clemons spent four days on life support at the time and entered rehab when he got out of the hospital. After completing a rehab program, he moved to Florida, where he was born.

'Hunter had a heart of gold; anyone from his childhood or adult life could confirm,' Couvillier wrote in his obit

While living in Lafayette, Louisiana, Clemons began struggling with addiction - and on July 23, 2019, at age 19, he overdosed after taking heroin laced with fentanyl

Clemons spent four days on life support and entered rehab when he got out of the hospital. After completing a rehab program, he moved to Florida (pictured with his mother and sister)

Clemons (pictured with his brother) began using again at some point and took a single pill one morning before work

'He thrived after moving to Florida,' Couvillier wrote. 'He started a job as a valve tech at Flotech, Inc. and went fishing every chance he got. He loved spending his days outside on the water or with his roommates.'

But Couvillier told KLFY that at some point, he started to use again, unbeknownst to her.

The morning of his death, he took a pill while getting ready for work. He soon felt unwell, and went to sleep face-down in his bed.

He never woke up, and his roommate found him hours later.

'His family would like to speak the truth about his death,' Couvillier wrote. 'Silence would mean Hunter's death was in vain, but if one person's life is saved by his story, we would tell it a million more times.

'We know the pain of his suffering. We know the pain of our own suffering as his family, and we know there are hundreds of other people here in our community suffering as addicts or as loved ones to them.'

Couvillier, from Louisiana, wants to 'speak the truth about his death' so that she might educate others about the drug epidemic in the US

She stressed that her son wasn't an IV drug user and took just one pill from someone he trusted, but it was laced with dangerous fentanyl

'It can happen to anyone, not just everyday users. Nobody is exempt from fentanyl,' Couvillier said

Couvillier noted that addiction is an epidemic in the US, and she hopes that reading about her son's death can help save others.

'Speaking the truths (no matter the circumstances) surrounding the epidemic of drug use may be the difference between life and death for someone,' she wrote.

'In honor of Hunter's life, we ask that truth be spread in regards to this epidemic and awareness be raised.'

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Couvillier stressed that her son took just one pill, having no idea that it was laced with fentanyl  and that a similar fate could befall anyone.

'I want it to be known that my son didn't die from heroin or IV drug use,' she said.

'He took one pill that was laced with fentanyl. He took this pill from someone he trusted. All it took was one single pill.

'It can happen to anyone, not just everyday users. Nobody is exempt from fentanyl.'

Fentanyl is is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and mimics the effects of heroin, and illegally-made fentanyl has been used to lace other street drugs

According to the CDC, 93,000 people died of a drug overdose in the US in 2020. That's up from 70,630 in 2019, when 70.6% of all drug overdose deaths were due to opioids.

Opioids, and synthetic opioids in particular, are the main driver of overdose, involved in 72.9% of opioid deaths.

Opioids were involved in 49,860 overdose deaths in 2019 (70.6 per cent of all drug overdose deaths).

Fentanyl, which is used by prescription to treat severe pain, is is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and mimics the effects of heroin.

However, most deaths related to fentanyl are due to illegally-made fentanyl. It can end up in black market pills that look like Oxycontin, Vicodin, Xanax, or Adderall.
Ryan Reynolds, a Hollywood actor, has opened up about his anxiety problems.

The 45-year-old Deadpool star has battled the crippling condition his whole life, but it took a toll on him when he became one of Hollywood's most popular stars. The much-loved actor has said that he felt he would die from his anxiety struggle at times throughout his professional career. Before big TV appearances, Ryan Reynolds recounted how the crippling condition grabbed hold of him.

Reynolds Confesses the Probable Cause of His Anxiety

Ryan Reynolds went on to discuss how he manages his anxiety and how his panic episodes lessen with time. Reynolds, who is also a happy father of three kids, revealed that he believes his anxiety issues derive from his father's upbringing. Mirror reported that Ryan Reynolds said his father, James Reynolds, was a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer who was a "tough guy."

The 45-year-old actor has been candid about his lifetime struggle with anxiety, which is characterized by a feeling of unease, concern, fear, or dread about what is going to happen or what could happen. However, the Red Notice actor, who has been dubbed the "King of Twitter" for his impeccable comic timing, admitted to being scared before chat show appearances.

Ryan Reynold claimed in a 2017 interview that his wife, Blake Lively, assisted him in coping with the stress of working on the first Deadpool film. "Blake was there to help me get through it." He remarked, "I'm blessed to have her around just to keep me sane."

Ryan Reynolds said that he has been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun, and that he has been anxious about a variety of things in the lighthearted, as per METRO.

Read Also: Kim Kardashian Ignores Divorce Drama After Kanye West Denies Separation; Rapper Files To Ban Social Media Posts For Proof of Misinformation

Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively Donates $1 Million For Ukrainian Refugees

Meanwhile, following their million-dollar vow to help Ukrainian refugees over the weekend, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were spotted out on a stroll in New York City. Following Reynolds' kind Twitter announcement the day before, the married couple strolled out arm-in-arm on a frigid February Sunday.

Hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled into neighboring nations seeking safety since Vladimir Putin's forces invaded the independent nation last week. As they went down the Manhattan sidewalk, the Gossip Girl star looped her arm around her husband, according to Daily Mail.

Ryan Reynolds was dressed warmly with a navy hoodie and puffer vest, as well as navy knit gloves and a beanie. He wore khaki pants and sneakers with a warm combination. The pair announced on Saturday that they will match donations to the UN Refugee Agency up to $1 million in support of Ukrainian refugees.

According to the United Nations, more than 500,000 people have left Ukraine as a result of the horrific invasion. This figure is projected to rise. The Washington Post said that the bulk of the refugees are seeking sanctuary in Poland, with thousands more escaping to Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, and Romania.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, the Russian invasion will leave about three million Ukrainians in need of humanitarian assistance. Blake Lively also announced the news on her Instagram page, where she posted a photo of a woman with a toddler wearing a blue and yellow jacket in the Ukrainian colors.

Ryan and Blake, who married in 2012 and have three children: James, seven, Inez, five, and Betty, two, have repeatedly stepped up to help in times of need throughout the years. In the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the couple contributed another $1 million to Feeding America and Food Banks Canada earlier this month.

Related Article: 'Sister Wives' Star Kody Brown Refuses To Continue Tell-All Topic After Christine Brown Reveals Divorce; Fan-Favorite Scores New TLC Spinoff

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The daughter of former cult leader-turned-child killer 'Mother Anna' has opened up about growing up in her mother's twisted 'House of Prayer,' recalling how she watched two children die of starvation and abuse.

Joy Fluker's mother, whose real name was Anna Young, died in prison last March at age 79 after spending just 42 days behind bars for the deaths of toddlers Emon Harper and Katonya Jackson in the 1980s.

It was Fluker who had called the police in 2016 to report that her mother had killed Harper decades earlier while running her tightly-controlled religious community in Micanopy, Florida.

'There was a part of me that hoped that my memories were mistaken and that there was a chance that maybe, because of all the other sufferings, I was delusional a little bit,' Fluker explained on Tuesday's episode of Dr. Phil.

Joy Fluker, the daughter of former cult leader 'Mother Anna,' has opened up about what it was like to grow up in her mother's strict 'House of Prayer'

Fluker's mother, whose real name was Anna Young, started the House of Prayer in Micanopy, Florida, in 1983. Its religious philosophies were based on her perverse Bible interpretations

'I was hoping that it wasn't true, but I knew that I could no longer live with myself without speaking up because I felt like, what kind of mother, what kind of person am I if I'm okay with the fact that I believe that my mother is responsible for a child's death?'

Young started the House of Prayer in 1983, and the community's strict religious philosophies were based on her own perverse and often cruel interpretations of the Bible.

Members and their children had to change their birth names to biblical ones and went by the titles of 'Brother' or 'Sister.' As the leader, Young dubbed herself 'Mother Anna.'

They were also required to wear Old Testament-style 'holy clothing,' including long robes and beards for men and long dresses and head coverings for women.

Young preyed on the vulnerable, and many members were single mothers. She offered free room and board to those who were struggling, but she made it nearly impossible for them to leave by requiring members who earned money to back into the community.

Young died in prison last March at age 79 after spending just 42 days behind bars for the deaths of toddlers Emon Harper and Katonya Jackson in the 1980s

Young believed in corporal punishment and would allegedly refer to Bible verses when dolling out abuse at her Florida compound (pictured)

The strict religious leader was accused of locking children in closets and in the attic or throwing them outside as punishment, something Fluker said she feared as a child

The leader would sleep in the same room as the children and cut them off from their biological mothers. She also believed in corporal punishment and would allegedly refer to Bible verses when dolling out abuse.

'Our church community believed that my mother was basically the voice of God,' Fluker said, sharing that she still has 'nightmares' about Harper being starved to death.

Harper, who was called 'Baby Moses' by members of the religious community, was taken to the House of Prayer as a baby in 1986 because his mother was unable to care for him.

He disappeared two years later and is presumed dead.

The child, who was two or three when he died, had been locked in a closet and deprived of food and water. His body was never found.

Fluker said she still has 'nightmares' about Harper (pictured), who had been locked in a closet and deprived of food and water until he starved to death. His body was never found

In 1983, two-year-old Jackson (pictured) was starved, beaten, and denied epilepsy medication because Young believed the girl's seizures were a sign she was possessed by the devil

'We all as a church would have to fast and pray, [a] three-day fast. No food. No water. And it didn't matter how old the children were. They also had to fast,' Fluker explained.

'Emon Harper had to fast as well, and [during] different times of the punishment, he wasn't allowed to eat or drink or anything,' she recalled. 'I remember being a child once. I had to give him his water after he had went through a fast as a punishment, and he was starving.

'And I remember the dead skin from his lips being so much it touched my finger. And I remember pulling away. I was a little kid myself. I was scared.'

Fluker said other children's mothers were with them and would witness their beatings at the hands of the community's leader.

'One of the other children was beat so much he started having seizures, and one of those seizures killed her,' she added, referring to Jackson.

In 1983, two-year-old Jackson was starved, beaten, and denied her epilepsy medication because Young believed the girl's seizures were a sign she was possessed by the devil.

'I was a little kid myself. I was scared,' Fluker said of watching Harper starve to death

'I just didn't wanna get in trouble,' she explained. 'I wanted to be obedient 'cause I didn't want to get the next beating'

It was Fluker who had called the police in 2016 to report that her mother had killed Harper decades earlier, which led to her arrest and conviction for the toddlers' deaths

'I was a child, so I thought it was normal. I thought she was the voice of God too,' Fluker said of her mother. 'I wanted to be her. I thought, at first, that that this was God's will.'

'I just believed everything,' she added. 'I just didn't wanna get in trouble. I wanted to be obedient 'cause I didn't want to get the next beating. I didn't wanna get thrown outside. I didn't wanna get put in the attic.'

The cult dissolved in 1992 after Young bathed a 12-year-old girl in a tub full of chemicals as 'punishment.'

Many of the members of the House of Prayer were children whose parents were unable to take care of them for various reasons, and the victim's parents were not members.

Young had reportedly decided the girl 'smelled bad' and that bathing her in bleach would 'burn the evil out of her.'

The parents reported the leader to the police for child abuse, but she fled Florida and was captured eight years later in the attic of a relative's home in Illinois.

'There was a part of me that hoped that my memories were mistaken and that there was a chance that maybe, because of all the other sufferings, I was delusional a little bit,' Fluker said

Fluker has since started a nonprofit called Prevent the Pain, which offers support for victims who have spoken up about people they know who were causing pain to themselves or others

In 2001, she was convicted and sentenced to six months and 12 days in jail.

Following her release, she moved to Marietta, Cobb County, where she kept her past hidden from her neighbors for more than 15 years.

Young's arrest in December 2017 was sparked by her daughter coming forward and telling law enforcement that she knew Harper had died as a result of regular beatings and starvation by her mother.

In February 2021, the former cult leader pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and negligent manslaughter, according to Alachua County court records.

She received 30 years for the murder conviction, which would have run concurrently with her 15 year-sentence for manslaughter for Jackson's death, but she died in prison a little over a month later.

Fluker has since started a nonprofit called Prevent the Pain, which offers support for victims who have spoken up about people they know who were causing pain to themselves or others.

'After I spoke up regarding my mom, I wanted to speak to someone else  just like I wanted to breathe air  that had spoken up against someone that they love, knowing that that person would suffer [the] consequence for what they did,' she told Dr. Phil.
An American couple who welcomed twin preemie babies via surrogate in Ukraine are now in a desperate fight to get their children out of the war-torn capital.

Alex Spektor, 46, and Irma Nunez, 48, from Georgia, are doing everything they can to keep their newborn babies, Lenny and Moishe Spektor, safe amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The twin boys were born at 32 and a half weeks - two months early - via surrogate on Friday at Adonis maternity hospital in Kyiv, after a 'complicated' pregnancy.

Due to their small size, the babies (who weigh around four pounds each) are now facing terrifying health complications - including having trouble breathing - as a war rages on right outside the hospital walls.

As 'staff and supplies dwindle' at the 'unstable and dangerous' hospital, the parents are desperate to transfer the four-day-old babies to a safer area.

Come home: An American couple who welcomed twin preemie babies via surrogate in Ukraine are now in a desperate fight to get their children out of the war-torn capital

Alex Spektor, 46, and Irma Nunez, 48, from Georgia, are doing everything they can to keep their newborn babies, Lenny and Moishe Spektor, safe amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The twins were born at 32 and a half weeks - two months early - via surrogate on Friday at Adonis maternity hospital in Kyiv, after a 'complicated' pregnancy

Russia launched an all-out attack on Ukraine on Thursday, with missiles raining from the sky, tanks rolling across the border, and masses of attack helicopters swarming on capital Kyiv

The Georgia parents of newborn twins born via surrogate in Ukraine are scrambling to get their premature babies safely home. @JesseKirschNews reports. https://t.co/MzxslXbiEt pic.twitter.com/ArHfvh6qeB  TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 1, 2022

'Its unimaginable, what can I say? Its impossible to wrap your mind around,' Alex said during a recent interview with the Today show.

Russia launched an all-out attack on Ukraine on Thursday, with missiles raining from the sky, tanks rolling across the border from Belarus, and masses of attack helicopters swarming on capital Kyiv after Russian leader Vladimir Putin personally gave the order to invade.

Ukrainian troops are fighting Russian forces for control of the Chernobyl exclusion zone, 60 miles north of the capital Kyiv, amid fears the battle could damage storage facilities holding nuclear waste sparking a fallout that could blanket Europe.

The couple is desperate to transfer the babies to a safer area, and eventually bring them home to the U.S., but their special medical needs pose a major problem.

'The fact that theyre premature plays against us - theres a conflict,' Alex continued. 'They need to stay put. We need to take them out.'

The parents want to move the little boys to a different hospital - which has a basement bomb shelter - however, they cannot find an ambulance available to transport them.

'They came into the world two months early, at the end of a complicated pregnancy and the beginning of a war,' their mom, Irma, wrote on a Facebook page created to help the twins.

'We need your help to bring them home safely and to help other newborn babies, parents, and their caregivers stranded at the hospital with them.

'The twins cannot cannot be moved without medical support. They still need some help with breathing and monitors and any medicines/equipment in case of distress while on the move.

Due to their small size, the babies (who weigh around four pounds each) are now facing terrifying health complications - including having trouble breathing - as a war rages on outside

Dedicated parents: As 'staff and supplies dwindle,' the couple is desperate to transfer the babies to a safer area, and eventually bring them home to the U.S.

The parents want to move the four-day-old boys to a different hospital - which has a basement bomb shelter - however, they cannot find an ambulance available to transport them

Alex told the Today show that the hospital is running low on equipment needed to care for the babies - including clothes and preemie milk

Speaking out: They parents said the hospital is 'unstable and dangerous,' as they begged for help via a Facebook group started for the twins

'Ordinary people have been taking extraordinary actions to care for each other in this horrific situation.

'Do you speak Russian? Can you make calls RIGHT NOW to find someone who can do a supplies drop-off at the Adonis maternity hospital in Kyiv?

'Can you help track down an ambulance in Kyiv for transport of Moishe and Lenny from Adonis to a nearby hospital with more supplies/staff that has agreed to take them in? WE NEED YOU.'

The couple explained that the hospital is running low on equipment needed to care for the babies - including clothes and preemie milk.

'I talked to this pharmacy in the morning. By afternoon, when one of our contacts got there, it was already shelled and it was closed,' Alex explained to the Today show.

They revealed in another Facebook post that the hospital was thankfully able to find some preemie milk for the babies after a 'family member' took supplies 'on foot' amid the 'chaos.'

However, they said the hospital remained 'unstable and dangerous.' They also voiced their fears that the surrogate, Katya - who is currently watching over the babies - may want to leave soon.

'The twins cannot cannot be moved without medical support. They still need some help with breathing and monitors in case of distress while on the move,' their mom wrote on Facebook

'We need your help to bring them home safely,' she added. 'Ordinary people have been taking extraordinary actions to care for each other in this horrific situation'

Coming together: The couple has also set up a GoFundMe page, where they have raised more than $50,000

Staying positive: Despite the battle that the tiny babies have already had to face, Alex said he feels hopeful that his sons will make it home

Fighters: 'To have them born in a war zone - among all this devastation - feels incredibly hopeful,' he said

'In our mind, the surrogate, she gave birth to our children, but shes not beholden to them. What if she decides she needs to be with her family and save herself?' Alex said to the Washington Post. 'We need to find someone who can take care of the babies.'

The couple has set up a GoFundMe page, where they have raised more than $50,000. But they are calling on the help from the United States government.

'Just get our babies out,' Alex begged, while speaking to the Today show. 'Or, if thats not possible, at least to Lviv, somewhere westward, where they would be safe.'

During the pregnancy, Katya began to develop a condition where her body 'attacked' the babies due to an Rh-incompatibility.

Then, when she went into labor early, she had to spend three hours in an ambulance due to traffic from military vehicles.

'For those three hours, it was agony. Were thinking, "Is this three hours going to be the end of our babies?"' Alex recalled to the Washington Post.

Despite the battle that the tiny babies have already had to face, Alex feels hopeful that his sons will make it home.

'We have these two lives born, and their own journey into this world was so difficult, and all of a sudden to have them born in a war zone - among all this devastation - feels incredibly hopeful,' he concluded.
Prince Harry's ex Chelsy Davy wrapped up in a navy puffer jacket as she stepped out for her first appearance in public since welcoming a baby with her Old Etonian partner.

The mother-of-one, 36, opted to wear a cosy jacket with a pair of denim jeans and brown boots as she stepped out of her London home to walk her dog earlier today.

It marked her first appearance since it emerged she had given birth to her first child, a boy called Leo, with her partner Sam Cutmore-Scott, 37, a successful hotelier, who was in the year above Harry at Eton College.

Chelsy and Harry have stayed amicable since breaking up in 2010 after a seven-year romance. In 2011 they went to Prince William's wedding together.

Prince Harry's ex Chelsy Davy wrapped up in a navy puffer jacket as she stepped out for her first appearance in public since welcoming a baby with her Old Etonian partner

The mother-of-one, 36, opted to wear a cosy jacket with a pair of denim jeans and brown boots as she stepped out of her London home to walk her dog earlier today

It marked her first appearance since it emerged she had given birth to her first child, a boy called Leo, with her partner Sam Cutmore-Scott, 37, a successful hotelier, who was in the year above Harry at Eton College (pictured)

It was revealed on Saturday, that Chelsy Davy had given birth to her first child, a boy called Leo, in January without virtually anyone knowing she was pregnant.

One of their friends confirmed: 'Sam is the father of Chelsy's baby.'

Sam is managing director at The Harper hotel in Holt, Norfolk, and Chelsy shared a photo online last week of their dogs on a beach a few miles away.

He's the brother of Jack Cutmore-Scott, 34, the dashing Hollywood actor best-known for his role in Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning film Tenet and the U.S. drama series Deception.

Chelsy and Harry have stayed amicable since breaking up in 2010 after a seven-year romance. In 2011 they went to Prince William's wedding together

Chelsy cut a low-key figure as she donned a pair of sunglasses and a white beanie hat to walk her dog in London today

It's unclear if Sam is married to Chelsy but he's a director of his parents' hospitality company, the Bijou Collection, which owns four exclusive wedding venues.

These include a mansion and a manor in Surrey, an abbey in Buckinghamshire and a chateau in the South of France.

Chelsy and Oxford graduate Sam live together in Chiswick, West London. Their baby was born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in January.

Party-loving Chelsy, who was born in Zimbabwe and now runs a jewellery and luxury travel business, revealed in 2020 that she had a serious boyfriend.

Chelsy and Oxford graduate Sam live together in Chiswick, West London. Their baby was born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in January

Party-loving Chelsy, who was born in Zimbabwe and now runs a jewellery and luxury travel business, revealed in 2020 that she had a serious boyfriend

At the time, she did not give his name, explaining: 'There is someone, and I am quite taken by this one, but it's very new and I don't want to say too much.'

Her last known boyfriend before then was dashing television producer James Marshall, from whom she split in 2018.

Chelsy began dating Prince Harry while she was a pupil at Cheltenham Ladies' College.

The pair had an on-off relationship for seven years until they split in 2011, as Chelsy didn't want to be a royal bride.

Both Chelsy and Sam declined to comment yesterday.
A new mother who gave birth while hospitalized with severe COVID-19 has been reunited with her newborn baby, meeting him for the first time two months after he was born.

Macenzee Keller, 20, from New Hampshire, gave birth to her son, Zack, via C-section on November 28, 2021 a day after arriving at the hospital with COVID.

But the first-time mom was critically ill and under sedation, and didn't get to meet her son for the first time until February 3, 2022, once her condition had improved.

'It was very emotional because I was like, "Oh, I got to finally see my baby that I was waiting for so long to see,"' Keller told the AP.

Macenzee Keller, 20, gave birth to her son, Zack, via C-section on November 28, 2021 a day after arriving at the hospital with COVID

Struggling to breathe, she had been put on ECMO and was sedated during and after his birth and didn't get to meet him

Keller was diagnosed with COVID-19 two weeks before before her due date.

Pregnant and unvaccinated, she was hit hard by the virus, and was experiencing shortness of breath on November 27 when she decided to go to the hospital  which is the last thing she remembers.

She was put on a ventilator at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, and her baby was born via C-section the next day.

Critically ill, Keller was soon transferred to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), before getting to meet her son.

She was kept on ECMO for 47 days, which Ciaran Moloney, BSN, RN, a nurse who cared for her, said is 'a lot longer than weve seen in the past.'

'There were times when we were wondering how or if she would be able to recover, but over the last few weeks, shes made an amazing recovery,' he told the hospital's newsroom.

She remained on ECMO for 47 days but finally got to meet her son on February 3

By then he was two months old and weighed 11 pounds, 13 ounces

Keller, who was unvaccinated, said she now wishes she had got the shot and is encouraging others to do so

Finally, Keller was able to come off of sedation as her condition slowly improved, but she said waking up was confusing.

'Do you know like when you fall asleep somewhere and then you wake up somewhere new? And youre like, "Whoa!" Thats kind of what I felt,' she said.

It still took some time until she was well enough to meet her son, but on February 3, she got to hold him for the first time.

By then, Zack was two months old and weighed 11 pounds, 13 ounces.

'Its a new experience, but Im excited to become a mom,' Keller said. 'He was big!'

She now wishes she had been vaccinated during her pregnancy, and is encouraging other unvaccinated people to get the shot.

'Now I'm definitely getting vaccinated,' Keller said. 'Definitely get vaccinated. Being as sick as I was, was definitely scary, and I don't want anybody to have to go through that.'

'It was very emotional because I was like, "Oh, I got to finally see my baby that I was waiting for so long to see,"' Keller said

She still uses a pulse oximeter to measure her blood oxygen levels and is also getting physical therapy to help her walk again

Doctors told Keller she has to wait a couple more weeks before she can do so.

The new mom is still improving, but she still uses a pulse oximeter to measure her blood oxygen levels. She is also getting physical therapy to help her walk again.

But while she is not totally back to her pre-COVID self, her recovery has been a bright spot for medical professionals at the hospital.

'In the medical (intensive care unit), we have a lot of difficult and often tragic stories, and so when we get one like this, where someone has made such an amazing recovery and gets to meet their child for the first time, its a real special one for us, and one that really makes it easier to come into work the next day,' Moloney said.

'She went from being completely reliant on the ECMO pump to being fully interactive within just a span of a couple of weeks,' he added.

'My wife, we found out she was pregnant roughly around the same time, and that just made it very emotional for me to see everything that Macenzee was going through,' he said.
The Tinder Swindler was spotted dining out with a friend today at a restaurant in Tel Aviv - weeks after he was discovered living in a luxury 14-storey tower block in the coastal city in Israel.

Shimon Heyada Hayut, 31, from Israel, found notoriety after a 114-minute Netflix documentary exposed how he ruthlessly conned women he had met on Tinder out of an estimated 7.4 million by posing as the son of a billionaire diamond mogul.

Hayut, who operated under several aliases, including Simon Leviev, was recently found by the Daily Mail to be holed up in a high-end complex in the city after he was exposed as one of the world's most reviled fraudsters.

The crook, who is dating girlfriend Kate Konlin, a model, was pictured visiting a restaurant in Tel Aviv today, where he sat down with a friend and appeared to enjoy a meal.

The Tinder Swindler was spotted dining out with a friend today at a restaurant in Tel Aviv - weeks after he was discovered living in a luxury 14-storey tower block in the coastal city in Israel (pictured)

The crook, who is dating girlfriend Kate Konlin, a model, was pictured visiting a restaurant in Tel Aviv today

Hayut would pretend to be Simon Leviev, chief executive of LLD Diamonds and the son of Israeli-Russian billionaire Lev Leviev, a man Forbes once called the 'King of Diamonds'.

The international conman would dazzle his victims with his apparently luxurious lifestyle of private jets, designer clothes and five-star hotels  before tricking them into giving him eye-watering sums.

In a twisted Ponzi scheme, he would use the cash he stole from them to lure in his next target, lavishing them too with trips abroad, and with hundreds of red roses and tables in VIP clubs.

He left his victims with suicidal feelings, crippling bank debts and the agony and humiliation of discovering their relationship with him was a sham.

Above, Hayut's girlfriend, model Kate Konlin. Her Instagram is filled with pictures of her posing in skimpy attire on their modern balcony, or with an enormous teddy bear and hundreds of balloons in their lounge, or showing off her Louboutin heels in the slick lobby of their apartment building

Hayut has denied all their allegations against him, claiming he is 'not a fraud and not a fake' but instead a 'legitimate businessman' who made his fortune by investing in Bitcoin.

In an interview on the U.S. TV programme Inside Edition, he insisted this week: 'I'm not this monster. I was just a single guy that wanted to meet some girls on Tinder.'

In the interview, he kissed his girlfriend Konlin, for the cameras as she accused his victims of creating a 'fake story'.

To find out more about the Tinder Swindler and to build up the most comprehensive profile of the fraudster yet, the Daily Mail spent several days in Tel Aviv, the city he comes from and to which he has now returned.

Reporters spoke to neighbours, to relatives and visited the poverty-stricken area east of Tel Aviv where he was brought up  a neighbourhood poles apart from the vibrant, city-centre location of his current home just 200 metres from the city's crowded beach.

The twice-jailed criminal was tracked down to the high-end complex where he lives with his blonde Ukrainian-Israeli girlfriend by following a trail of clues on her social media account.

Her Instagram is filled with pictures of her posing in skimpy attire on their modern balcony, or with an enormous teddy bear and hundreds of balloons in their lounge, or showing off her Louboutin heels in the slick lobby of their apartment building.

When reporters arrived, they found Hayut himself in a garish Gucci jumper making a tense phone call while pacing up and down the same balcony.

Hayut (pictured), 31, from Israel, found notoriety after a 114-minute Netflix documentary exposed how he ruthlessly conned women he had met on Tinder out of an estimated 7.4 million by posing as the son of a billionaire diamond mogul

Conman Hayut (above) would pretend to be Simon Leviev, chief executive of LLD Diamonds and the son of Israeli-Russian billionaire Lev Leviev, a man Forbes once called the 'King of Diamonds'

The brand new building boasts 6million five-bedroom penthouses with private rooftop swimming pools. Even the more modest three-bedrooms flats, with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern balconies, cost 1.2million.

Home to a raft of well-heeled residents  including foreign diplomats and other residents draped in designer wares  it is one of Tel Aviv's most sought-after developments.

It is also the base from which Hayut has been cashing in on his cruel crimes. The vast windows, always with their blinds drawn, have served as a backdrop to all his interviews, videos and business meetings.

While his victims are still fighting to clear the debts they took out to fund his vicious scams, he has continued to grasp at opportunities to profit from their misery.

After the Netflix documentary's release, he signed with Los Angeles agent Gina Rodriguez, who represents a raft of fame-hungry clients through her agency Gitoni.

It has been claimed that Hayut wants to 'break into Hollywood', start his own dating show and host a podcast.

In 2018, one of Hayut's targets, London-based Norwegian web designer Cecilie Fjellhoy (pictured with him), travelled to Amsterdam with more than 20,000 in cash to give him, thinking she was saving her boyfriend's life

Even though he claims he wants to clear his name, when the Mail approached him with the chance to do so through an interview, he demanded 7,000 ($10,000) 'compensation'.

When we insisted that we did not think a fee was appropriate, a Gitoni employee suggested the money would be paid to the management firm rather than to the conman himself.

He added: 'Simon has never been convicted of crimes involving the women in the documentary. He also has never been arrested or investigated by police over the accusations.'

Konlin has since signed with the same company. Hayut's other money-making schemes include charging his 'fans' 148 a time for personalised greetings messages.

He signed up to the platform Cameo, which boasts other celebrity signings including Nigel Farage and John Bercow.

Punters can ask the criminal to record any greeting or message  from wishing their loved one a happy birthday to telling them to give him a wad of cash.

It has been reported on one American gossip website that he made more than 22,000 in the first three days from this, although this should be treated with scepticism  his account only has 59 reviews.

After the Netflix documentary's release, Hayut signed with Los Angeles agent Gina Rodriguez, who represents a raft of fame-hungry clients through her agency Gitoni. It has been claimed that Hayut wants to 'break into Hollywood', start his own dating show and host a podcast

As well as selling 25 T-shirts emblazoned with tasteless quotes such as 'If she really loves you, she'll take out of a loan for you', the fraudster has also launched a series of NFTs (or non-fungible tokens)  digital artworks  of the very pictures he used to con his female victims.

Since the Netflix documentary, he has continued to parade his supposedly limitless wealth. Last weekend, he was pictured browsing Ferraris worth more than 200,000 at a garage.

When a Mail reporter visited the garage, outside Tel Aviv, a witness claimed Hayut appeared to have brought the cameraman with him.

The lifestyle Hayut seems to live could not be more different from his strict upbringing in Bnei Brak  a Hasidic Jewish neighbourhood in the east of Tel Aviv.

This is one of the most densely populated cities in Israel, made up of uniform, beige apartment blocks.

The run-down area, described as 'dirt poor' by local media, consists of crumbling buildings. Furniture and other rubbish lies in piles in overgrown grass.

Hayut grew up with his five siblings in one of 16 apartments in a concrete four-storey block.

His father, Rabbi Yohanan Hayut, still lives in the building which has a bomb shelter filled with junk and holes in the walls on the stairwell.

Hayut was eventually arrested and imprisoned in December 2019 at Tel Aviv Magistrates Court but released the following May, after serving five months of his 15-month sentence

Outside the sparse family home, a white orchid sits on a welcome mat, but the reception from Rabbi Hayut, a severe-looking man with a white beard, is anything but warm.

As soon as he opened the door to Mail reporters, he immediately slammed it shut and locked it.

Rabbi Hayut himself has been accused of teaming up with his son to defraud a wealthy rabbi in New York, although he denies the allegations.

According to neighbours, the father-of-six is a 'tough man' who used to shout at his children  at Shimon Hayut in particular. Just three of the Hayut children remain in the community, the neighbours added.

Shimon 'lost his way'. 'Shimon left the family and his religion and fell apart,' said one man, who wanted to remain anonymous.

Describing the Tinder Swindler, one neighbour said: 'He brought shame to the entire neighbourhood. How a man like this isn't ashamed of his behaviour is beyond me. What he did damaged our city's name.'

Hayut's criminal career began when as a teenager he used stolen cheques to buy a Porsche and pay for a pilot training course.

Although he was charged in 2012, he fled Israel on a stolen passport before his sentencing. Three years later, he was jailed for two years after defrauding three women in Finland.

In 2017, upon release from the prison, he legally changed his name to Simon Leviev. He was returned to Israel, to be re-charged and sentenced, but slipped out of the country for a second time.

This is when his elaborate con to trick the victims featured in the Netflix documentary began.

Hayut is currently living as a free man in Tel Aviv. He has never been charged for the crimes outlined in the Netflix documentary

After impressing his targets with his supposed riches, gaining their trust and winning their hearts, he would claim that he was in danger owing to the violent nature of the diamond business.

He would send them pictures of his bodyguard 'Peter' supposedly bleeding from the head following what he said was a criminal attack.

Claiming he had to go underground to hide from his 'enemies', Hayut told his targets he was unable to use his credit cards because he could be traced.

In this way, he persuaded his victims to give him the cash he said he needed. They used high-interest loans and platinum credit cards to raise the money before handing it over to him in the belief it was the only way to ensure his enemies would not find him.

Convinced by the outrageous ploy  and certain his previous displays of wealth proved he was not short of cash  the victims always complied.

In 2018, one of his targets, London-based Norwegian web designer Cecilie Fjellhoy, travelled to Amsterdam with more than 20,000 in cash to give Hayut, thinking she was saving her boyfriend's life.

He convinced her to pretend she worked for his fake firm on a vast salary, so she could increase her American Express allowance. She was left with debts of more than 200,000.

The other victims featured in the documentary, Pernilla Sjoholm and Ayleen Charlotte, also faced mounting debts from a carbon copy of the same scam.

Hayut was arrested for his original charges of fraud in 2019 after Miss Charlotte, who had become wise to his tricks, reported him to Interpol for using a fake passport in Greece.

He was extradited to Israel and, in December 2019, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, of which he served five.

He has since been living as a free man in Tel Aviv. Hayut has never been charged for the crimes outlined in the Netflix documentary.

Additional reporting: Jotam Confino
Finding could lead to test that enabled risky pregnancies to be spotted early

Parents at risk of having preterm baby could be spotted through swab test

A simple cheek swab of mothers and fathers-to-be could determine whether their baby will be born prematurely, experts claim.

Washington State University researchers say the finding would eventually lead to a 'very useful' test that can spot pregnancies that are likely to be preterm, allowing doctors to intervene early.

Tens of thousands of babies are born premature  before the start of the 37th week of pregnancy  in Britain and the US every year.

Being born early is a leading cause of death among newborns. Survivors are more likely to develop future health problems, such as disabilities and seizures.

Scientists from Washington State University, who studied 40 sets of parents, found around 100 differences in the epigenetics of fathers and mothers who gave birth preterm compared to those who had their baby at full-term

How common are premature births? Around eight per 100 babies are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. This means around eight per cent of births in the UK are preterm, equaling around 60,000 babies a year. Of these births, five per cent were extremely preterm - meaning they happened sooner than 28 weeks. Around one in 10 were very preterm, which means the mother gave birth between week 28 and 32 of pregnancy. Meanwhile, the majority were moderately premature, meaning the baby was born between 32 and 37 weeks. Around 95 per cent of babies born after 31 weeks in the UK survive, but the survival rate drops the earlier that the baby is born. The earlier a baby is born, the higher the risk of it having health problems. One in 10 of preterm babies will have a permanent disability, such as lung disease, cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness. And around half of those born before 26 weeks will have a disability. The risk of giving birth prematurely is highest for black Caribbean women (10 per cent) and lowest for white women (six per cent). The NHS can determine if a woman is at risk of giving birth early based on whether they have done so previously, if their cervix has been damaged during surgery or if their cervix is short. But in some cases, pre-term labour is planned because it is safer for the baby to be born sooner, such as if the mother has a health condition. Source: Tommy's Advertisement

For the study in the journal Scientific Reports, scientists took cheek swabs from 40 sets of parents nine days after their baby was born.

Half of the mother-father pairs had a baby born prematurely, while the others were carried to full-term.

Lab analysis of the samples showed mothers of premature babies had 100 unique biomarkers, which could enable them to be identified early in theory.

Distinct epigenetic signatures  molecular processes that determine how genes behave  were also spotted in swabs of fathers, although there were fewer.

But study author Professor Michael Skinner said biomarkers were present in all the parents whose babies were born early.

Biomarkers were also spotted in female babies who were born preterm but not in boys, results showed.

The marker among girls could potentially be used to determine whether they are at risk of giving birth prematurely later in life, the team said.

The researchers said their findings suggest that a test could be developed to spot these differences among expectant parents.

Being able to predict preterm birth and intervene to reduce the rate of early births would have a 'significant impact on human health'.

It would allow caregivers time to take action to delay or prevent the early birth, the researchers said.

Current treatments to halt early labour include inserting a hormone in the vagina or an operation to put a stitch in the cervix to help support it.

Professor Skinner said: 'Although we may not be able to fix the problem, if we know that it's going to develop because of these diagnostics, we can treat it.

'This could help with the transition from reactionary medicine to preventive medicine.'

However, the researchers noted that longer and larger studies would be needed to refine which biomarkers to test for.

A preterm birth is classified as a baby born less than 37 weeks after conception. It affects around one in 10 births.

Pregnant women are more likely to give birth premature if they smoke, have diabetes or are carrying twins.

However, it is unclear exactly why some women give birth early in more than half of preterm births.


Moderna is facing allegations of hijacking technology from two smaller biotech firms to produce its COVID-19 vaccine.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company is facing a lawsuit from Arbutus Biopharma and Genevant Sciences, both based in Vancouver, Canada, over allegations that is used lipid nanoparticle technology that infringed on the Canadian companies' patents.

Moderna's shot is the second most commonly used in the U.S., and has been a financial success for the previously low-profile biotech brand.

Earlier this month, CEO Stephane Bancel told investors that the company expects to rake in $19 billion in revenue in 2022 off of vaccine sales alone.

This is the second lawsuit Moderna is facing over its vaccine, with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) also suing to have three of its scientists named as co-inventors of the vaccine after contributing to its creation.

Moderna is being sued by Arbutus Biopharma and Genevant Sciences, both from Vancouver, Canada, over allegations the company infringed on patents when making its COVID-19 vaccine (file photo)

The two companies allege that nanoparticle technology used by the Moderna vaccine belongs to them, and that the company knowingly used it without even requesting a licensing agreement (file photo)

'We seek fair compensation for Modernas use of our patented technology that was developed with great effort and at great expense, without which Modernas COVID-19 vaccine would not have been successful,' William Collier, CEO of Arbutus, said in a statement.

Arbutus and Genevant have patented a 'breakthrough' lipid nanoparticle that gives the vaccine a protective coating it needs to function.

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines work by providing a person's body with an instruction kit to make an artificial spike protein. The immune system then activates to destroy that protein, and in the process builds Covid antibodies.

Without the nanoparticle, the companies filing suit allege, the vaccine would not have been discovered so quickly.

'It is well established in the scientific literature that the most significant technological hurdle to developing and deploying medicines using mRNA is engineering a safe and effective way to deliver the mRNA to human cells,' an Arbutus statement explains.

'Scientists at Arbutus and Genevant have spent years developing and refining lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology, which has been licensed for various applications to many different third parties... with this technology, the RNA can travel through the human body to a target cell and through the target cells membrane before releasing the RNA.

'Without this crucial delivery technology, the RNA would quickly degrade in the body and be ineffective.'

In a complaint, Arbutus writes that Moderna knew that it was breaking the patent when it used the nanoparticle without licensing it.

They allege that 'attempted to invalidate several of the patents before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and when those efforts largely failed, Moderna simply used the patented technology without paying for it.'

Moderna made around $12 billion in profit in 2021, largely fueled by a successful rollout of Covid vaccines, and booster shots later in the year.

The company's shot has been administered 208 million times to fully vaccinate 75 million Americans and boost 40 million others.

It has more vaccine products on the way that should boost revenue figures this year - and in future years - as well.

Keeping the virus under control will likely require regular, potentially annual booster shots, similar to a yearly flu shot many Americans already receive.

Bancel said on an earnings calls earlier this month that he believes the next available Covid shot could become available during the fall, but said the U.S. government has not yet ordered a purchase of more jabs.

Moderna is also currently in Phase 2 of trials for its Omicron-tailored Covid jab. It is reportedly aiming to have the shot available to Americans late next month.

The company is also under fire from the federal government at the moment as it battles a lawsuit from the NIH.

The NIH claims that the creation of the vaccine was a collaborative project between the agency and Moderna, while Moderna declined to include three NIH scientists on its patent application for the mRNA sequence that forms the basis of the vaccine.

If the NIH were to win, the agency would be able to collect royalties on vaccine sales, and even license it to smaller, less developed, nations that have had trouble purchasing the vaccine from companies like Moderna.

This would hurt Moderna's market share - now competing with generics rather than just Pfizer and a few others in the international vaccine rollout - while also being a boon to much of the developed world.
It's a mainstay of first aid advice for treating burns  run the affected skin under cold water.

Now scientists have discovered precisely how long you need to do it for and why the remedy is so effective.

According to research by leading skin specialists, 20 minutes is the optimum time spent under the tap.

Doing so led to a 56 per cent reduction in the depth of the burn  which is how damage to the skin is measured.

This time protocol is longer than that recommended by some NHS hospitals, which advise just ten minutes.

Professor Hugh Wright, a consultant hand surgeon at Leeds General Infirmary who led the study, experimented on 30 pieces of tissue donated from patients whod undergone breast reconstruction.

According to research by leading skin specialists, 20 minutes is the optimum time spent under the tap for treating burns

HOW TO BEST TREAT A BURN - Remove clothing from around the burn - Put it under running water for 20 minutes - Do not use iced water - Cover burn with clean, sterile, non-stick material - If the burn is larger than a 20c piece, seek medical treatment Advertisement

The breast tissue was burned to the same severity as the skin of a hand touching a gas hob.

This created so-called mid-thickness burns, where the damage penetrates only the upper layer of the skin. This is the most common form of burn.

The tissue was then run under water cooled to 16 C  the average temperature of tap water  for different 20 minutes, and compared with burnt skin that had not been cooled.

Prof Wright explains that the cooling effect interferes with the bodily process that triggers skin damage after a burn.

When the skin is injured, the immune system releases proteins called cytokines which protect against infection in the wound.

But often, too many cytokines are released in response to a burn, leading to prolonged inflammation in the area and increased damage to the tissue as a result.

Prof Wrights study, entitled Putting Out The Fire Of The Burn, argues that cooling the wound shuts off the release of cytokines, limiting the tissue damage.

He said the findings, presented at the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons in December, show that, if more injured people run burns under cold water for 20 minutes, there would be fewer severe burns treated on the NHS every year.

Roughly 250,000 Britons experience burn injuries every year, with 175,000 attending hospital for treatment, according to the National Institute For Health and Care Excellence.

The most common type is a scald  caused by hot water or steam. Prof Wright said: If we can teach people why it is so important to cool skin after a burn and how to go about it, we can save many people skin grafts, infections and ongoing burns treatment.
More than twice as many drivers plan to buy a petrol car than an electric one in the next five years as motorists plan to get their hands on unleaded-powered models ahead of the 2030 ban, according to a huge poll of motorists.

Some 22 per cent of a 15,677-strong panel of drivers quizzed by the AA said their next motor will be petrol compared to one in 10 who plan to transition to EVs between now and 2027, despite new car buyers being forced to buy battery-only cars some three years later.

And while 36 per cent of the drivers surveyed currently own a diesel, only 9 per cent intend to buy another oil burner, in what the AA described as a 'nail in the coffin for diesel cars'.

Petrol demand could stay above electric for years: A poll of 15,000 drivers has found that twice as many plan to buy a petrol car over an EV between now and 2027

The study asked licence holders which fuel type they would choose to buy next between now and 2027 - just three years before the ban on sales of new cars with internal combustion engines (ICE).

Results of the poll have been published as the average UK petrol prices surpassed 1.50-a-litre over the weekend, with both unleaded and diesel prices reaching new record highs on the back of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Yet drivers planning long-term car purchases say they are twice as likely to buy a petrol vehicle next over an EV, with the latter being more expensive to purchase but far cheaper to run.

While the majority of drivers already own a petrol car (58 per cent), compared to just one per cent who drive pure EVs, twice as many motorists say they will choose a petrol model next over a vehicle with batteries and an electric motor.

After petrol, the next most popular fuel choice is hybrid (both conventional and mild-hybrid) at 19 per cent, while demand for plug-in hybrids is the same as diesel (9 per cent).

Fuel type drivers plan to buy in the next 5 years Fuel Type Current Car Next Car Petrol 58% 22% Diesel 36% 9% Hybrid 3% 19% Plug-in Hybrid 1% 9% Pure Electric 1% 10% Other 1% 1% Don't know N/A 18% I won't be changing my car within five years N/A 12% Source: AA poll of 15,677 drivers

With the Government's ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles set to be introduced in 2030, almost one in five (18 per cent) drivers are torn about their next purchase, adding to the suggestion that there isn't enough public confidence in EVs and the charging infrastructure for many to make the transition.

The findings also hint at a potential slowdown in battery car uptake when compared to recent sales data.

Last year, EVs made up 11.6 per cent of all new cars registered in the UK - compared to 6.6 per cent in 2020.

New EV sales outsold diesels (both conventional and mild-hybrid diesels) last month, and the study found that just one in four current diesel owners will get another.

But the AA said there need to be the 'right incentives' to switch to EVs in place to keep consumer confidence high before the 2030 ban on sales of new ICE models.

If so, the motoring group says there is 'considerable scope' for EV's to become the most popular drivetrain when people change their current car.

Some 22% of the licence holders surveyed by the AA said they will buy a petrol car in the next 5 years. That compares to 10% whose next vehicle will be electric

The study follows the Government's decision in December to slash the plug-in car grant for a second time in nine months and ahead of the close of the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme - offering 350 towards the installation of a home charge point - for most Britons at the end of March.

It also comes just weeks after the Department for Transport published public charging infrastructure figures for 2021 that showed the network falling behind current EV uptake and highlighting a regional disparity in terms of availability.

The number of public charge points for electric vehicles grew 37 per cent last year, though a North-South divide is expanding in terms of which areas have the worst and best access to devices, according to data published by the DfT in January.

An additional 7,600 new charger installations were added to the country's network over the 12 months, taking the total to 28,375 publicly-accessible plug-in points.

However, the data shows that London has benefitted from a much faster expansion of its charging infrastructure than any other region, with 102 devices per 100,000 of its population, while areas like the North West have just 24 per 100,000 people.

There are also growing concerns that infrastructure is failing to keep pace with the number of electric cars entering the road, with one new public device added for every 24 zero-emission vehicle registered last year.

This chart shows the growth in the UK's public charging infrastructure in the last 7 years. An additional 7,600 new charger installations were added to the UK network in 2021

This data shows the number of total public charging devices in each region per 100k people. It shows that London is miles ahead of the rest of the country in terms of availability

Commenting on the results of the study, Edmund King, AA president, said the AA is doing its part to boost public confidence in electric cars by adding more EV-qualified technicians to its recovery team

'One in ten drivers saying they will actively choose an electric vehicle for their next car is a great step towards cleaning up the UK's road based transport system,' he said.

'The electric revolution is in good health, but with a large group of drivers unsure which drivetrain to choose next, we know that some drivers need help and reassurance that, should they switch, the AA will be able to help them throughout their ownership.

Which EVs are currently eligible for the Gov's 1,500 plug-in grant? The Government slashed both the value and eligibility for the Plug-in Car Grant - a taxpayer-funded incentive designed to cut the cost of relatively expensive electric vehicles (EVs) - in December 2021. Originally launched in 2011, the Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) offered up to 5,000 off the price of a new EV. But a decade later, transport ministers have bludgeoned the value of the subsidy to just 1,500 and capped its availability to models priced up to a maximum of 32,000 - down from 35,000 previously. This means all expensive models from the likes of Tesla, Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar are all priced out of the scheme. Since it was scaled back at the end of December 2021, only 24 models on sale qualify for the 1,500 subsidy. > See which cars are currently eligible, from cheapest to the most expensive

'As the UK's number one for EVs, with more EV-trained patrols than anyone else, we're giving power to electric drivers so potential owners or a long standing EV drivers, can trust us to support them throughout their electric dream.'

The results of the AA's study mimicked findings from a similar piece of research carried out by Close Brother Motor Finance in December.

Its poll of 1,500 motorists found that petrol remains the number one choice of car for UK drivers in 2022, despite the upcoming ban on petrol and diesel vehicles.

Its survey found that almost a third (30 per cent) of drivers still prefer to purchase a petrol vehicle as their next car - which is 8 percentage points higher than when they polled motorists a year earlier.

Some 18 per cent told the finance company they would choose to go electric with their next car.

Close Brothers Motor Finance also found that more women than men would stick to petrol, at 31 per cent versus 29 per cent respectively.

Conversely, electric cars are more popular with men, 22 per cent of whom would choose one compared with just 14 per cent of women.

Director, Sean Kemple, said: 'The Government's ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars is fast approaching  just eight years away. But at what should be a time for motorists to transition and plug into electric, they're in fact moving further away.

'Significant concerns remain, and these must be addressed if we are to see more motorists making the switch. We are still languishing in the tens of thousands of much needed electric car charging points  we need to get to two million to meet the ambitious 2030 goals.

'Coupled with the Government cutting grants  the second time in just one year - for electric car buyers, the industry is at risk of not going in the right direction.'

Studies have suggested that new EVs will have price parity with petrol and diesel cars by 2026, which would likely influence a more rapid shit to battery cars than the AA and Close Brother Motor Finance studies predict.
The Swedish regulator has given Freetrade the green light to offer its products to investors, paving the way for its long-awaited expansion across Europe, This is Money can reveal.

The Finansinspektionen recently authorised Freetrade to offer its product to Swedish retail investors, meaning investors in the Scandinavian country will now have commission-free access to thousands of European, UK and US stocks and ETFs.

Freetrade Sweden will also look to offer local investors an ISK account in the coming months - which is the Swedish version of an Isa.

Freetrade Sweden, led by Karl Broome, has been granted approval by the Swedish regulator kickstarting the platform's move into the continent

The platform plans to launch a closed beta for those signed up to the waitlist in the coming months, before rolling out to the general public.

Freetrade has long talked of a move into Europe, having incorporated a separate entity in Sweden last year.

Its chief marketing officer Victor Nebehaj told This Is Money last year: 'We chose Sweden because it has a very reputable regulatory jurisdiction and not a lightweight one'.

Regulators in both Europe and the UK have started to crackdown on what they deem as the 'gamification' of investing as well as crypto investing more broadly.

Where Freetrade does have the regulatory upper hand, particularly across Europe, is that it does not use payment for order flows.

The European Commission is set to ban the practice, which sees brokers receive payments from third parties for directing client order flow to them as execution venues.

While the Swedish regulator's approval marks a significant step in Freetrade's European expansion, it will still need to apply to each regional regulator in the EU.

However it is understood that because of passporting the approval is likely to speed up the process.

While the investment platform has captured a significant portion of the UK market, Freetrade will now be vying with rivals like Sequoia-backed Trade Republic and eToro.

Earlier this year, Freetrade struck a deal to offer its customers direct access to the German stock exchange via CBOE and Equiduct, usually reserved for institutional investors, rather than using the CREST system which charges a fee.

It followed the arrival of Finnish stocks on the platform in December 2021 and users can now also trade Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese and Austrian shares on the platform.

Freetrade has expanded at a rapid pace since its launch in 2018.

It has built a loyal following in large part because of its referral system which promises a free share worth up to 200, which has helped push customer numbers to over 1million.

That has met the attention of the Financial Conduct Authority, which last month said is considering banning refer-a-friend bonuses or new joiner giveaways. It is currently in consultation stage.

Its valuation has also doubled from 270million to 650million in under a year.

Trading volumes in 2021 soared 313 per cent while revenue was up 647 per cent, according to recent figures.

Karl Broome, managing director and Freetrade's head of Sweden, said: 'I am thrilled to be able to share our mission to get everyone investing in Sweden.

'This development is testament to the hard work of our team and we're looking forward to evolving the way retail investors in Sweden, and eventually, across Europe, access global stock markets.

Adam Dodds, Freetrade founder and chief executive added: 'There is a massive opportunity for our business to offer European retail investors a low-cost and simple way to invest for the long-term.

'We've always put our customers' first in everything we do, and we're thrilled to now be able to bring this to the rest of Europe.'
The troops who were charged with defending Snake Island in the Black Sea have reportedly been captured and are alive and well, the Ukrainian Navy says after initial reports that they were killed.

The group of soldiers valiantly fought against Russian troops on the island, known as Zmiinyi Island, and successfully repelled two assaults. The defenders were later forced to surrender after they suffered a "lack of ammunition."

Snake Island Troops

In a statement on Monday, the Ukrainian Navy reported the reversal of the initial reports but noted that Russian troops have completely destroyed the island's infrastructure, including lighthouses, towers, and antennas.

The Ukrainian Border Guard Service said that over the weekend, they had received information that all of the 82 soldiers on Snake Island may be alive. Previously, Russian state media have shown the arrival of the Ukrainian soldiers in Sevastopol, Crimea, where they are currently being held captive.

Snake Island is positioned roughly 30 miles off the southern tip of the Ukrainian mainland in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. It is also about 185 miles west of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014, as per CNN.

After the Ukrainian military first lost contact with the soldiers on Snake Island, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that each of the defenders would be posthumously awarded the title of "Hero of Ukraine."

Read Also: Joe Biden: US Should Not Fear Nuclear War Amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis

In a statement, the Ukrainian Navy said that authorities were glad to hear that the troops were alive and well. They added that the illegal capture of a civilian ship, a non-combatant without performing any military mission, was a violation of the rules and customs of war and international humanitarian law.

According to Fox News, officials demanded that Russia immediately release all of the illegally occupied citizens of Ukraine amid its invasion of the region. Adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, Anton Heraschenko, circulated an audio clip purportedly of Russian forces threatening that they would bomb the 13 Ukrainian soldiers if they did not surrender.

Fog of War

The Russian troops sent a message identifying themselves and proposing the Snake Island soldiers surrender to avoid further bloodshed and unnecessary victims. In their reply, the troops on the island shouted explicitly at Moscow's troops, saying "Russian warship, go f*** yourself."

The initial reports of the troops being dead stemmed from the belief that they were gunned down by Russian soldiers. Zelensky previously noted that Snake Island was part of Ukrainian land and he will order to protect it with all of the country's might.

The incident was an early incident and an example of the fog of war and its effects on parties involved as well as spectators. Reporting about the news of the conflict is usually clouded by distance, efforts to capitalize on potential PR victories, and the general confusion over the multiplicity of events that are occurring at the same time, Yahoo News reported.

Despite its sparse population, Snake Island serves a historic role in Ukrainian territorial waters in the Black Sea. while it is only roughly 46 acres in size, the non-partisan Atlantic Council think tank called the island "key to Ukraine's maritime territorial claims" in the Black Sea.



Related Article: North Korea Says Russia-Ukraine War's Root Cause Is Not Territorial Dispute But US' Sanctions; More Than 520,000 Refugees Flee Kyiv

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mortgage brokers have warned that some estate agents are pressuring buyers into using their in-house financial advice services  sometimes as a condition of submitting their offer.

A group of independent brokers has said that certain agents, including some nationwide chains, are taking advantage of the ultra-competitive market as a way to sell in-house mortgage and financial advice.

They have said that buyers, desperate to secure a home, are being 'misled' into using services they do not want or need.

Brokers have accused some estate agents of pressuring buyers into using their in-house financial advisers, but trade body Propertymark confirmed that they don't have to do so

They claim that some agents are implying that a buyers' offer will not be put forward to the seller unless they agree to use these services, or that they will be viewed less favourably.

Buyers may pay a fee for in-house mortgage or financial advice, which can be up to 700 in some cases, and agents usually receive a commission if they do.

Having to go through lengthy conversations with advisers may also waste buyers' time, especially if they have already spoken to an independent mortgage broker and secured an agreement in principle (see case study below).

The practice also affects sellers, as agents refusing to put certain offers forward could reduce the price they ultimately sell their home for.

Rhys Schofield, managing director at mortgage broker Peak Mortgages and Protection, told This is Money the practice had been increasing in the past eighteen months due to the current housing market boom.

He said: 'I won't mince my words: many agents are repeatedly breaking the law and don't give a damn about it because clients are too scared to complain for fear of missing out on properties.'

Schofield, along with other brokers, is currently assembling evidence to take to trade body the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries.

Home buyers can provide documents from their own personal mortgage broker or financial adviser, instead of using the one recommended by an estate agent, to prove viability

Rob Peters, principal at broker Simple Fast Mortgage, said agents employing these tactics were doing so under the guise of having to prove to the seller that the buyer could afford the property  even if the buyer had already obtained such evidence elsewhere.

'Clearly, by the time a buyer gets to the estate agent, they've usually already checked they can get a mortgage and for how much,' he said.

'High volumes of feedback from both customers and brokers indicate some estate agents are refusing to accept confirmation or documents provided which evidence the buyer is "fit" to proceed, instead insisting they speak with their preferred in-house mortgage adviser.

A large corporate applied the pressure tactics, and ended up offering a client a mortgage that would have cost them an extra 12,000 in payments over a few years Imran Hussain, independent financial adviser

'The unfortunate result is that buyers are being misled into using services they would not have otherwise wanted or needed, with potential additional cost, in order to have their purchase offer put forward.'

There are also concerns that buyers using in-house mortgage brokerage services may not be offered the best deals available.

This is because they often use a selected 'panel' of lenders, rather than showing clients mortgages from across the whole market.

Lewis Shaw, founder and mortgage expert at Shaw Financial Services, said: 'Often these in-house mortgage services have limited panels, are never whole-of-market or independent.

'They also often push heavily-loaded life insurance premiums, often from only one insurer  you guessed it  the one that will pay them the highest commission rates and that rinses the consumer.

'It's time this practice was banned, and a proper punishment was put in place.'

One independent adviser said he had seen a client offered a mortgage that would cost them thousands more over the fixed term than comparable deals on the market.

UK house prices rose 11.2% last month, the strongest January rise since 2005. The competitive housing market is said to be making buyers more susceptible to agents' up-selling tactics

Imran Hussain, director at Harmony Financial Services, said: 'I think most advisers at some point have come across agents applying pressure tactics on clients looking to purchase a home to use their in-house services, which they get huge kickbacks on.

'Usually it comes from the large corporate agents who have silly targets in place for the advisers they employ.

'I have personally had someone approach me after a large corporate applied the pressure tactics, and ended up offering a client a mortgage that would have cost them an extra 12,000 in payments over a few years.'

This is Money asked Propertymark, the membership body for estate agents, to clarify the rules when it comes to agents recommending their in-house financial advisers to buyers.

Its chief executive, Nathan Emerson, was clear that 'an agent cannot say they will not pass on an offer unless someone is taking their services.'

It is a legal requirement that an agent puts forward all offers on a property, unless the person selling the home has requested otherwise, in writing.

It is not illegal to ask a potential buyer to verify their information, however, and agents must perform anti-money laundering checks and confirm the buyers' identity.

If the agent has in-house financial experts, Emerson said it often 'makes sense' for them to carry out this vetting.

However, he said that this should not be forced upon buyers, and that they are free to solicit their own advice elsewhere.

'These checks can [also] be done by a provision of mortgage agreements in principle, evidence of proceeds of sales and conversations with brokers and independent financial advisers,' he said.

Emerson also said that, if an agent receives a referral commission, they must advise the seller of the home in writing.

In 2015, we answered a reader question on the same topic - could I lose out on our dream property if the estate agent snubs me because I haven't used their financial services?
Unsuspecting Britons have been conned out of 880,000 through fake NHS Covid text scams claiming they had come into contact with a virus case since January, Santander has warned.

The bank said people are being scammed out of 5,600 on average, with one couple even transferring more than 20,000 after fraudsters send the victims a link to a fake NHS website to order a PCR test.

The website then asks for their personal details and a small amount of money is requested to cover postage for the PCR test  meaning the payment card details can be harvested by the fraudster.

The thief then contacts the intended victim pretending to be from their bank and convinces them they are being scammed and they need to move their money into a safe account.

Unsuspecting Britons have been conned out of 880,000 through fake NHS Covid text scams claiming they had come into contact with a virus case since January, Santander has warned. Pictured, an example of a bogus text a person might receive

People are being scammed out of 5,600 on average, with one couple even transferring more than 20,000 after fraudsters send the victims a link to a fake NHS website to order a PCR test

Top tips to stop fraud Criminals will offer 'travel deals' to obtain your money and information. Websites may look genuine, but subtle changes in the URL can indicate they are fraudulent. Websites may use images of luxury villas and apartments that do not exist. These are offered for rent, often at discounted prices and require deposits which are never returned. Where possible, book directly with an established hotel or through a reputable travel company/agent that is a member of a trade body such as Abta or Atol. Always use the secure payment options recommended by reputable online travel providers and do not accept requests to pay separately via a bank transfer. Where possible, use a credit card when booking holidays over 100 and up to 30,000 as you receive protection under Section 75 of the Credit Consumer Act. When travelling in the EU, people will be able to access emergency and medical care with a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This card has replaced the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Criminals are asking people for payment details, when the GHIC is free. They are advertising cards on fake websites that emulate the NHS. They claim to either fast-track or manage your application process before charging an up-front fee. Criminals may also target people with fake 'Covid certificates' and 'passports'. Often posts include a link to a fraudulent website, used to steal personal and financial information. SOURCE: Take Five To Stop Fraud Advertisement

The name on the safe account is often someone elses and the fraudster will concoct an explanation for why it is not in the customers name. In reality, the account is controlled by the fraudster.

Once the money is sent, all contact is cut off, and victims details are sometimes sold on to other criminals.

In one case seen by the bank, Mrs D received a text purportedly from the NHS warning her she had been in close proximity to someone who had tested positive for the Omicron variant. She clicked on a link in the text to order a PCR test and paid 1 for postage.

She then received a call from someone claiming to be from the Santander fraud team, who advised her she had recently fallen victim to an NHS PCR scam and that her account was at risk.

She was told she needed to move her money to a safe account immediately. The account details provided were under someone elses name.

When Mrs D transferred the money, confirmation of payee  the system used by many banks that checks whether the account name matches the account number provided  confirmed the account was registered to someone else but she continued with the transfer.

Once the transfer was complete, the fraudster asked to speak to her husband. Mr D was advised to move his money from his joint account with his wife into his sole account, as his wifes details were apparently compromised.

He was then provided with the same account details as his wife and told to transfer his money to the safe account. In total, Mr and Mrs D transferred more than 20,000 to the fraudster.

Chris Ainsley, head of fraud control at Santander UK, said: Be on high alert if an SMS or email includes a link to a website, however genuine the website may look, and never feel pressured to move your money.

No bank or legitimate organisation will ask you to transfer your money to a safe account  ever.

Santander said if someone is contacted by a person claiming to be from their bank, the police or any organisation and they are asked to move their money, they should stop, end the call and call their bank, making sure to use a number they trust.

If they think they have fallen victim of this type of scam, they should report it straight away, the bank said.

Adam French, Which? consumer rights expert, said: Throughout the pandemic, fraudsters have used every change in Covid rules as an opportunity to create new scams to part people from their hard-earned cash.

These scam NHS texts offering PCR tests are no exception. People should be on high alert for scams and if in any doubt, should verify the text directly with the NHS or their bank before giving any personal or bank account details.

Which? is calling on banks and businesses to sign up to its SMS best practice guide and commit to taking steps to help prevent their customers falling victim to fraud.

During the pandemic, there was a massive spike in coronavirus-related cybercrime, including fraudsters using fake NHS Covid apps to dupe victims.

As Britains vaccine rollout began in January 2021, vulnerable Britons were targeted with fraudulent messages offering them access to coronavirus vaccinations. Pictured, an authentic letter received by residents on the Isle of Wight

Experts oversaw a 15-fold rise in the removal of online campaigns in 2020-21 compared to 2019, according to the National Cyber Security Centre.

There was a jump in the number of phishing attacks using NHS branding to dupe victims, with the Covid-19 vaccine rollout used as a lure via email and text message to harvest people's personal information for fraud.

HM Revenue & Customs remains the most copied brand used by fraudsters, totalling more than 4,000 campaigns, followed by the Governments gov.uk website, and TV Licensing.

As Britains vaccine rollout began in January 2021, vulnerable Britons were targeted with fraudulent messages offering them access to coronavirus vaccinations.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said that text messages had been sent out including links to fake NHS websites that asked recipients for bank details, supposedly for verification purposes.

Such messages were first reported at the end of December on the Western Isles of Scotland, but the CTSI said they were by no means limited to the region.
Its 10:00 AM on Saturday and English professor Matthew Kenenitz is sitting at a pierogi cafe in rural Pennsylvania making video calls on Whatsapp, trying to reach his teenage students in Ukraine.

A few weeks ago, he would have been in class teaching them in the western city of Lviv, less than 50 miles from the Polish border.

One student, 17-year-old Maksym, picks up the professors call. 'Im stressed and sad,' he tells Kenenitz. He and his family are safe, for the moment, but fears what will come next.

A text comes in from another student. It reads, 'I hear the 4th air siren of the day, we are making our way to shelter.'

'Im telling them they need to sleep in shifts in case something happens,' says Kenenitz, 40, who has been teaching English to college students in Lviv since 2019.

Third generation Ukrainian Matthew Kenenitz takes a video call from a student in Lviv, Ukraine who is trapped there following the Russian invasion

Alex Duda-Holoviak, 13, says he and his 19-year-old brother Vladimir are ready to go to Ukraine to fight against Putin's forces. His mother Paula says: 'Go ahead'

Rosemarie Duda, 84 (with granddaughter Zoryana) says Putin's attack on her ancestral homeland feels like Stalin all over again

A third-generation Ukrainian himself, whose grandfather was a coal miner, Kenenitz feels deeply connected to the nation's culture and history. And hes hardly alone in Pennsylvania's Schuylkill County in that regard.

Schuylkill is home to the highest percentage of people claiming Ukrainian ancestry in the whole United States. Beginning in the 1870s, the first influx were workers from farmlands of Western Ukraine who settled near Pennsylvania's steel and coal-mining regions.

Between the two world wars, a second wave came as they escaped a Stalinist-induced famine. In the 1940s came more as Europe was torn apart by World War II, according to the Ukrainian Heritage Studies Center at Manor Junior College.

A fourth migration came in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union.

'It is so deeply interwoven, from expressions we use in English, to the food to the way we celebrate holidays, greetings and the church,' said Paula Duda-Holoviak, a friend of Kenenitz and founder and co-director of the Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble.

She was one of many in the community to pressure Kenenitz to leave Ukraine earlier this month amid rising security threats. Since his return, Kenenitz said he is afraid to go to sleep at night.

Students in Lviv shared a picture of a bomb shelter in their hometown with their English professor Matthew Kenenitz as Russian forces threatened. One said he had heard four air sirens in one day

Thousands of women and children thronged Lviv train station, trying to escape to Poland and points west in this picture taken Saturday

Women, not knowing when or if they will ever see each other again, hug at Lviv train station on Monday. More than 500,000 people are estimated to have left Ukraine since the outbreak of hostilities

Vehicles destroyed by Russian shelling in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.Russian forces now appear to be shelling Ukrainian cities indiscriminately

Russian rocket attacks in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv have destroyed buildings in the city center

A young girl sorts empty bottles for Molotov cocktails at a humanitarian centre in Lviv on Sunday

'I wake up to messages and am afraid to find out something happened to someone I know.'

Across Schuylkill County this weekend, families and friends gathered at church, at restaurants and in their homes to discuss the war, bonding over their shared Ukrainian identity. At every church service, there were prayers for the beleaguered nation.

Rosemarie Duda, Paula's 84-year-old mother, sat with her granddaughter, Zoryana. 'I am heartbroken for Ukraine,' she says.

'Ukraine is in my blood,' says Paul Hancher, 85. 'All we can do is pray'

'This is Stalin all over again.'

Many believe a much stronger response to Putin's aggression is needed from countries around the world.

'We need boots on the ground, we need to put a stop to this. We as a world are delusional if we think Putin will stop at the Polish border,' said Kenenitz.

'Evil does not stop itself. Right now we are watching the forces of evil spreading their terror.

'The world has just let this guy use Eastern Europe as a personal playground. We watch it from thousands of miles away but there is a very real threat to western ideals democracy and freedom to have a good life, a free life," said

As an educator, Kenenitz said it has always been his mission to help provide a better life for his students - 'to guarantee success for them' - but now he feels he has failed in his mission because of the 'unchecked cruelty of one person.'

'Vladimir Putin,' he says, tears welling in his eyes.

The deep emotional ties to Ukraine is something Duda-Holoviak understands well.

'We refer to non-Ukrainians as Americans,' she says. 'But of course we are Americans. We are our own little village.' As a child, at age 5, Holoviak, now 58, said she learned how to write Cyrillic before she was taught English.

Today, she says her two boys, 19 and 13, are more Ukrainian than she is. 'My kids are making plans to go fight in Ukraine. I say go ahead. They want to be heroes,' she said with a smile.

'Seeing war in Ukraine, to see the damage, it's heartbreaking and senseless. Ukrainians are winning, holding the mighty Russian army at bay. You cant subdue the people, you wont break the back of [the Ukrainian] people,' Duda-Holoviak adds.

'Evil does not stop itself. Right now we are watching the forces of evil spreading their terror, says Matthew Kenenitz, pictured with a group of students he was teaching in Lviv, Ukraine

Rev. Petro Zvarych (left), and Deacon Paul Spotts (at lectern) lead Sunday church services at St. Michael's Ukrainian Church in Frackville

Frackville is a little more than 100 miles north west of Philadelphia in Schuylkill County which has the highest percentage of people of Ukrainian descent in the country

Stan, (right) , a self-described 'old warrior,' says he believes U.S. military action may be necessary in Ukraine> He is with the Rev. Petro Zvarych (left), and Deacon Paul Spotts at St. Michael's Ukrainian Church in Frackville

Area churches are collecting money through the Ukrainian Homestead, an organization celebrating heritage and culture. Holoviak added, community leaders are encouraging people to donate to the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (ZUDAK).

Frackville is in Schuylkill County which has a higher percentage of people claiming Ukrainian heritage than any other county in the country

On Sunday morning, outside St. Michael's Ukrainian Church in Frackville, Paul Hancher, 85, comes to pray for the embattled nation.

'Ukraine, its in my blood. My father was from Ukraine,' Hancher said. 'All we can do is pray for them, other than sacrifice ourselves over there, thats it.'

Another parishioner named Stan, said he joined the U.S. military at age 17 and that its time for the U.S. to take stronger action in Ukraine. 'There's people like myself, old warriors who are ready to go. Its time, whether it be economic pressure or military pressure. Time for talk is over,' he said.

Rev. Petro Zvarych, who leads the church, opened with a prayer for his country, afraid for many in his family , including his sister and father, who live in Lviv.

Paula Duda-Holoviak, the founder and co-director of the Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble, shows a 1916 picture of her grandparents. Her grandfather came to the United States from Ukraine in 1898

Matthew Kenenitz and Father Paul Makar of the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Church in West Easton, Pennsylvania, make their message clear

'We ask that God watch over Ukraine and its people,' he says. 'I want to cry but deep in my heart I am praying God will watch over Ukraine to stop this invasion.'

His colleague, Deacon Paul Spotts, a third-generation Ukrainian, said he wants the West to do more to help. 'I am very disappointed in the rest of the world as they do nothing.'

I am heartbroken for Ukraine. This is Stalin all over again Rosemarie Duda, 84

For Kenenitz, who continues to get hourly updates from his students in Ukraine, he says he just wants his students to have the life they deserve.

'I just want to cry because they should have so much more in life. They should have so many more opportunities. This should not be their day to day existence. They wonder every day if there is a home to come back to.'

And now as the war with Russia enters its second week, Kenenitz hopes to continue virtual classes to talk and exchange ideas and is already plotting his return to Ukraine via Poland to help in the rebuilding efforts, whenever it comes.

His students encouraged him to leave earlier this month but told him not to worry. 'Ukraine will always be here, they said. We will be here waiting for you.'
Schoolchildren in California, Oregon and Washington will no longer be required to wear masks as part of new indoor mask policies the Democratic governors of all three states announced jointly on Monday.

'With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the West, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance,' the governors said in a statement. There are more than 7.5 million school-age children across the three states.

The new guidance will make face coverings a recommendation rather than a requirement at most indoor places in California starting Tuesday and at schools on March 12, regardless of vaccination status. In Washington and Oregon, all the requirements will lift on March 12.

Federal mask requirements will still apply in high-risk indoor settings such as public transportation, airports and taxis. Rules for other high-risk indoor settings could also vary by state.

The milestone, two years in the making, comes as much of the country relaxes public health orders, including school mask mandates, in an effort to restore normalcy and boost economic recovery.

The changes reflect a growing sense that the virus is not going away and Americans need to learn to live with it. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced Sunday that the state's masking requirements in schools would be lifted by March 2.

New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and others recently made similar adjustments to ease restrictions for schools. Hawaii stands alone in the nation in sticking with a statewide mandate after Governor David Ige said Friday that Hawaii will not be following the new CDC guidance on masks.

California will stop requiring masks in K-12 schools as of March 12, leaving it up to counties and school districts to keep or ditch the the pandemic mandate as tension mounts among parents, who are divided over whether or not face coverings should stay on kids

State officials from California, Washington and Oregon announced the end of school mask mandates on March 12 on Twitter after other states have dropped theirs in recent weeks following low averages of newly reported COVID cases and deaths in the U.S.

The announcements signal a turning point that is poignant in its timing, coming almost exactly two years after American cities began shutting down to prevent COVID-19s spread. California was the first state to announce a shutdown with stay-at-home orders in March 2020, followed soon after by other states.

'Two years ago today, we identified Oregon's first case of COVID-19,' Oregon Governor Kate Brown said in the statement. 'On the West Coast our communities and economies are linked. Together, as we continue to recover from the Omicron surge, we will build resiliency and prepare for the next variant and the next pandemic.'

Earlier this month, California became the first state to formally shift to an endemic approach to the coronavirus with Governor Gavin Newsom's announcement of a plan that emphasizes prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and business shutdowns.

Newsom has come under growing pressure from Republicans and other critics to ease the school mandate, which has increasingly become a polarizing issue among parents in California.

While many parents still support wearing masks in schools, others have questioned why it's necessary when they are no longer required to do so in supermarkets and elsewhere.

Parents who are part of the California Parent Power group, a parent-led organization centering the voices of students and families in public education and claiming to ' helping reimagine education reform in California', have asked for the state's mask mandate to be dropped as early as tomorrow, instead of next month.

'For the past two years California has treated children in a way that doesn't correspond to their low risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. We already know a year-plus of school closures has caused significant academic and emotional harm to children,' CA Parent Power Executive Director Megan Bacigalupi said in a statement.

'Masking is not without harm to many children, as it impairs the ability to read facial emotions, makes early literacy teaching much more difficult, is likely contributing to speech delays, and impedes speech therapy. Given all of this, mask mandates in schools should be the first to be lifted, not the last,' she added.

Parents in school counties across California have pressured Governor Newsom to end mask mandates in schools earlier than the March 12 deadline, including those who are part of the California Parent Power group - a parent-led organization centering the voices of students and families in public education and 'helping reimagine education reform in California'

On February 15 California ended an indoor mask requirement for vaccinated people, but at that time left the rule in place for the unvaccinated and for schoolchildren.

Starting Tuesday in California, masks will no longer be required but 'strongly recommended' for unvaccinated individuals in most indoor settings. The same shift will apply to K-12 schools and child care facilities starting March 12, the statement said.

The powerful California Teachers Association said it expected a mixed reaction to the announcement at schools across the country's most populous state.

'Simply put, while some students are ready to immediately remove their masks, others remain very afraid,' CTA President E. Toby Boyd said in a statement. The union has more than 300,000 members. 'Change is never easy, and today's announcement is bound to disrupt and destabilize school communities.'

A handful of California school districts have already dropped mask mandates for students in recent weeks in open defiance of the state mandate.

The West Coast announcements come after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased the federal mask guidance Friday, essentially saying the majority of Americans don't need to wear masks in many indoor public places, including schools.

The new CDC guidance bases recommendations for restrictions such as masking on a new set of measures, with less focus on positive test results and more on what's happening at hospitals. Under the new system, the CDC said that more than 70 percent of Americans live in places where the coronavirus poses a low or medium threat to hospitals and therefore can stop wearing masks in most indoor places.

Of the most populous counties in California, Los Angeles County and San Diego County were the only two where indoor masking is still recommended for residents.

The CDC had endorsed universal masking in schools regardless of virus levels in the community since July, but it now recommends masks in schools only in counties at high risk.

Six states didn't have any counties where residents are still recommended by the CDC to follow indoor masking protocols: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island.

But other states had more than 75 percent of residents living in a county considered to have a 'high' community level: Kentucky, West Virginia, Maine and Montana.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee said health officials will announce new guidance for schools next week to give them time to prepare.

'Many businesses and families will continue choosing to wear masks,' he said. 'As we transition to this next phase, we will continue to move forward together carefully and cautiously.'

The total amount of daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has gone back to levels seen before the first numbers of the highly infectious omicron strain were reported, helping to lower hospitalizations, the number of patients in intensive-care units and the daily death toll.

The U.S. has recorded an estimated 65,858 cases per day, decreasing by 62 percent from two weeks ago, according to the CDC, as cases caused by the omicron strain continue to decrease from its peak in January.

There has been an average of 52,909 hospitalizations a day, down 43 percent from two weeks ago. Deaths are also starting to fall, down 24 percent to an average of 1,867 a day. The number of Americans in ICUs is down 42 percent to 10,033 a day.
A police officer's son accused of murdering schoolboy Rikki Neave has denied having an unhealthy interest in dead birds and young children in underwear.

James Watson was only 13 at the time it is alleged he killed six-year-old Rikki in Peterborough on November 28 1994.

The little boy was found strangled, stripped and posed in a star shape in woodland the next day.

Watson, now 40, was charged with Rikki's murder after his DNA was allegedly found on the youngster's discarded clothes.

Jurors at the Old Bailey have heard that he was seen with the victim on the morning of November 28, when both children should have been at school.

A police officer's son accused of murdering schoolboy Rikki Neave has denied having an unhealthy interest in dead birds and young children. James Watson (left) was only 13 at the time it is alleged he killed six-year-old Rikki in Peterborough on November 28 1994

Giving evidence on Monday, Watson told jurors that was the 'first and only time' he had met Rikki.

The defendant also dismissed allegations that he was interested in dead birds and images of young children in underwear.

Watson was taken into care after his father, a serving police officer with Cambridgeshire Police, was arrested and subsequently jailed, the court was told.

He could not stay with his mother instead because of the person she was living with, the jury was told.

Watson said: 'It was not my fault that I had to leave and go into care.'

He hated school and would play truant 'an awful lot'.

'I did not fit in. I did not like having to sit there for hours. I didn't have any friends at school,' he said.

After being dropped off at school by taxi, he would walk around, sometimes at a shopping centre, before getting picked up for the journey back to the children's home, jurors heard.

He denied ever going into the home of Rikki and his family on the Welland estate in Peterborough.

Watson also denied a former girlfriend's evidence that he once killed a sparrow with a stone, saying: 'All my life I have always liked animals, and birds in particular.'

Watson, now 40, was charged with Rikki's murder after his DNA was allegedly found on the youngster's discarded clothes

He told jurors that he later became involved in animal rights when he and a boyfriend lived in Cambridge.

He added that he had always wanted to be a vet but did not have the qualifications, and was 'really proud' that he passed an Open University course in animal care while in prison.

His lawyer, Jennifer Dempster QC, asked about a claim that he kept a 'bespoke' clothing catalogue, featuring young children in underwear, in his room when he was in care.

Watson replied: 'Absolutely not.'

Ms Dempster said: 'If you had a Littlewoods-type catalogue did you have that for any purpose connected with looking at pictures of children?'

Watson dismissed the suggestion as 'crazy' and insisted he had no interest in that type of material.

On the claim that he kept the carcass of a pheasant in his room at the same children's home, Watson said he was against 'animal cruelty' but found the iridescence of pheasant feathers 'fascinating'.

Earlier, in an opening address, Ms Dempster told jurors there are three issues in the defence case.

A map showing the distance between Rikki's home and the wood where his body was found

Firstly, she highlighted the difficulty in pinpointing the time of Rikki's death.

The second issue is whether the jury can be sure that Watson killed Rikki 'given the state of the evidence'.

Ms Dempster said it is 'incontrovertibly' proven that Watson had met Rikki and there were a 'few minutes' of interaction.

But there is 'simply no evidence' that he was in the woods for some two hours, during which time it is alleged he killed, stripped and posed Rikki.

Thirdly, Rikki's body was found by a police officer the next day, shortly after noon.

Yet, Ms Dempster said, another officer had searched the path where he was found just after 7.30pm the night before and Rikki was not there.

The defence lawyer suggested that if that was right, Rikki or his body was moved there under cover of darkness.

The 'major consequence' of that would be to rule out Watson, as he would already have got his taxi back to the children's home, she asserted.

Watson, of no fixed address, denies murder and the trial continues.
The body of a man has been found floating off a beach by shocked locals on their morning walk.

Police were called to Lady Robinsons Beach in Brighton-Le-Sands about 9.30am on Monday after beachgoers made the grim discovery.

The body was retrieved by police and a crime scene established.

The body of a man has been found floating in the water near Lady Robinsons Beach in Brighton-Le-Sands, south Sydney (pictured, police establish a crime scene)

'The body has not been formally identified, however is believed to be a man,' police said.

'A report will be prepared for the information of the coroner and the circumstances surrounding the death are being investigated.'

Police believe the man took his own life and could not provide any more details.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr has found herself standing knee-deep in the swollen Brisbane River while reporting on Queensland's deadly floods.

'When we set up this morning we were on dry land, as we have been standing here, this is how much it has risen,' Ms Barr said live on TV.

The camera then panned down to show water coming up to the top of Ms Barr's boots.

Eight people have died and hundreds have been rescued from floodwaters which have so far damaged at least 19,000 homes and won't fully recede for days.

Ms Barr said many stressed residents are asking why Wivenhoe dam is still releasing water

Brisbane copped the wettest week since records began in 1840, with 19,000 homes damaged

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said much of the wider region is devastated

'The water was way back there it wasn't anywhere near us, and it has come back here and is now nearly up to my knees.'

'We have had people coming up to us very frustrated asking "when is this going to end, why are they still releasing water from Wivenhoe dam?",' Ms Barr said.

'The Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk is saying, Brisbane get used to flooding for the next week, because they have to release the dam in the next six to seven days.'

But Ms Palaszczuk has reassured residents that it a safe and necessary for the Wivenhoe dam to continue releasing water downstream into the Brisbane area.



'What we've seen is those extraordinary levels of water going into our SEQ grid, but also into Wivenhoe as well,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

Many people are distressed, who can't leave their homes or defiantly not wanting to leave

'We had an inquiry following the 2011 floods, the dam manuals have been updated and I have been absolutely assured that those dam manuals are being followed and that means controlled releases. That is safety for SEQ residents.'

Yet Ms Barr said there are many Queenslanders under a lot of strain.

'They are already under so much stress, tens of thousands of people dealing with their homes underwater,' Ms Barr said.

'It's a terrible situation - many, many people still sitting in their homes, defiant, they don't want to leave, or they can't leave as there's not many places to go.'

Major flooding is under way on the Brisbane, Logan, Bremer and Mary rivers, and Warrill Creek after the torrential downpours of the past week.

More than 1.77m of rain fell on Mount Glorious, 1.55m at Pomona on the Sunshine Coast and 1.23m at Upper Springbrook on the Gold Coast in seven days.

Brisbane copped 795mm - the city's wettest week since records began in 1840 - with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying much of the wider region is devastated.
Former President Trump appealed a New York judge's order for him and his two eldest children to testify as part of a civil investigation into his business practices on Monday.

Lawyers for Trump, Don Jr. and Ivanka filed papers for a review from state apellate court after Judge Arthur Engoron compelled them to testify in a Feb. 17 ruling. The ruling gave the Trumps 21 days to appear, and the appeal is likely to back up the fight over the former president's testimony for months.

The lawyers argue ordering the Trumps to testify violates their constitutional rights because anything Trump says in a civil deposition could be used against him in the criminal probe being overseen by the Manhattan district attorneys office.

At a hearing prior to Engorons decision, Trumps lawyers argued that having him sit for a civil deposition is an improper attempt to get around a state law barring prosecutors from calling someone to testify before a criminal grand jury without giving them immunity.

A federal judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump all must provide depositions in a civil fraud case

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump, Don Jr., and Ivana must appear within 21 days

A lawyer for the attorney generals office told Engoron that it wasnt unusual to have civil and criminal investigations proceeding at the same time, and Engoron rejected a request from lawyers for the Trumps to pause the civil probe until the criminal matter is over.

Last summer, spurred by evidence uncovered in James civil investigation, the Manhattan district attorneys office charged Weisselberg and the Trump Organization with tax fraud, alleging he collected more than $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation. Weisselberg and the company have pleaded not guilty. The future of the criminal probe was thrown into question last week when the two prosecutors leading it abruptly quit.

New York AG Letitia James argued that all possess vital information about Trump's business dealings and assets. She has already accused Trump of boosting valuations on financial statements when seeking lending.

Trump is no stranger to depositions  he answered questions for 4 1/2 hours last year in a case brought by men who claimed they were assaulted by security at Trump Tower.

His other adult son, Eric Trump, previously testified in the civil case and repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment rights  more than 500 times, according to a filing by James' office.

Don Jr. and Eric ran the Trump Organization along with now-indicted executive Allen Weisselberg while Trump was serving as president.

The decision comes after a bombshell filing Monday that revealed Trump's longtime accounting firm Mazars USA had quit and that 10 years of financial statements could not be relied on.

While undoubtedly helpful for prosecutors, James has already been able to obtain a trove of information through subpoenas and interviews with other company officials.

She was able to obtain a wealth of tax and financial information from Trump's longtime accounting firm, Mazars, following a case that went to the Supreme Court.

The ruling came down on a day when James, who is up for reelection, took a victory lap at the state Democratic Party convention in Manhattan, blasting former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and vowing she would not be 'bullied.'

'Today, justice prevailed,' James said in a statement. 'Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump have been ordered by the court to comply with our lawful investigation into Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization's financial dealings. No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law,' she added.

Trump this week accused James of 'vicious intimidation tactics' against his longtime firm, after Mazars said it could no longer rely on a decade's worth of financial statements it worked on for him and announced it was ending its relationship with the company.

Ivanka Trump had an option to purchase a Park Avenue apartment leased to her by her father's company for $8.5 million, according to the court order seeking testimony filed by the AG's office. But the firm listed its value as high as $25 million in financial statements

Ivanka had an option to purchase the Park Avenue apartment for $8.5 million, according to the court order seeking testimony filed by the AG's office, after leasing it on 'extraordinarily favorable terms'. Ivanka is seen in the apartment with two of her kids

Trump said they were 'essentially forced to resign from a great long-term account by the prosecutorial misconduct.'

Trump in his statement goes on to provide dollar figures for cash and marketable securities, escrow, reserve deposits and other categories he says lead to a net worth of $5.8 billion.

Earlier Thursday, Trump lawyer Alina Habba used a hearing in the former president's alleged fraud case to accuse District Attorney Letitia James of going after him 'probably because he can win again in '24.'

The Bedminster, New Jersey-based lawyer also took the opportunity to accuse Trump's 2016 rival Hillary Clinton of 'spying' on his campaign.

Channeling Trump's tone in his frequent online statements and his demands to investigate his investigators, she told James and another lawyer for the state AG's office: 'I want to know ... are you going to go after Hillary Clinton for what she's doing to my client?'

Lawyers for the Trumps asked the appellate court Monday to consider three questions:

- whether James' office is violating their rights by issuing subpoenas for their testimony while also participating in the criminal investigation;

- whether protections for grand jury witnesses under state law, such as immunity, can be 'eviscerated, if the same agency involved in the criminal investigation simply opens a `civil investigation into the very same matters';

- and whether Engoron erred in rejecting the Trumps' contention that James has engaged in selective prosecution.

Engoron, in his ruling, said the thousands of pages of evidence hes reviewed in the case shows theres sufficient basis for continuing the investigation and undercuts 'the notion that this ongoing investigation is based on personal animus, not facts and law.'
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The most expensive home in the nation - which boasts five swimming pools, a 30-car garage, a bowling alley and more - went up for auction on Monday after failing to sell on the market for $295 million.

Dubbed 'The One,' the 105,000-square-foot Bel Air estate could fetch the highest price tag in US history if it surpasses the $238 million that hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffith spent on a Manhattan penthouse in 2019.

Bidding on the opulant property started at 4pm on Monday through Concierge Auctions, and will run until Thursday. It has been listed at $295M - its previous asking price - and has no reserve.

The infamous White Elephant estate - which took eight years to build and was once priced at $500 million - has been a money pit since hitting the market last year and falling into foreclosure.

Although the opulent estate is undeniably impressive, some have raised concerns about undisclosed construction flaws and zoning code violations, the Los Angeles Times reported. Other possible red flags include a missing occupancy permit, although a realtor representing the property dismissed critics as 'unhappy people.'

'You know, really this is not for me, or you,' co-listing agent Rayni Williams of the agency Williams& Williams told the Times. 'This is for the one per cent of the world, and were not the one per cent of the world.'

A 105,000-square-foot megamansion known as The One is going up for auction Monday after failing to net the $295 million asking price on the open market

While most people would be happy with one pool, the Bel Air estate boasts five swimming pools

A listing agent stated the obvious when commenting that the house wasn't likely to be snapped up by a commoner. 'You know, really this is not for me, or you,' Rayni Williams said. 'This is for the one per cent of the world, and were not the one per cent of the world'

Other features of the home include a movie theatre, 'philanthropy wing' for charity galas, a nightclub, an outdoor running track, and a 4,000 square foot guest house.

The home's 4,000-foot master bathroom includes a sprawling walk-in closet and private pool.

Despite the home's size, it shouldn't be difficult to track down a bathroom. After all, there are 49 of them.

Branden Williams, who is also representing the estate along with the Aaron Kirman Group at Compass, called the property 'a modern masterpiece.'

'Its four acres at the top of a mountain in Bel-Air, and it can never be built again,' the seller asserted.

With that said, Hollywood producer-turned-developer Nile Niami, 53, who set out on building the house in 2013 with the help of 600 contracted workers, probably wishes it never was.

During its construction, the home was billed by Niami as the 'biggest and most expensive modern home in America.'

What's more, the ex-Hollywood exec reportedly was convinced he could secure an asking price of $500 million for the impressive estate - a prediction that would leave the the producer of films like The Patriot and Point Blank hopelessly disappointed.

Other features of the home include a movie theatre, 'philanthropy wing' for charity galas, a nightclub, an outdoor running track, and a 4,000 square foot guest house

An indoor lap pool is pictured inside the estate, where floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of natural light

An indoor bowling alley is yet another feature of the home, complete with digital score boards and lounge areas

Branden Williams, who is also representing the property, called the home 'a modern masterpiece.' He said: 'Its four acres at the top of a mountain in Bel-Air, and it can never be built again'

A colorful glass sculpture stands erected outside the home, which took eight years to build

The sprawling home took eight years to build and once once marketed for $340 million

Niami hired renowned architect Paul McLean and interior designer Kathryn Rotondi to bring his vision to life on five acres in the hills overlooking Los Angeles, but cost overruns left him in massive debt to the tune of $180 million.

Niami, known as 'The King of LA mega-mansions,' filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for his Crestlloyd company in October, after he defaulted on a $106 million debt owed to Hankey Capital.

The palatial estate was subsequently placed into receivership - a form of foreclosure - last year after being listed for $340 million in January of that year. At that point, the home was pulled from auction, after ten months on the market.

Following the foreclosure, the sale of the home was subsequently blocked until November 29. It finally made its return to the market on Friday - with its price slashed by $45 million.

Now, insiders familiar with the court proceedings say it will have to sell for at least $200 million just to cover the costs.

If the newly listed property fails to collect that price, lenders will either be forced to sell below the asking price and take a loss or direct the property into further foreclosure proceedings.

It is currently being shown by court-appointed receiver Ted Lanes, who now controls the property and is in charge of finding a buyer and paying off the lenders and other creditors.

With that said, lenders and brokers say that the property's second listing Friday comes at an ideal time, with luxury real estate in Los Angeles currently a hot commodity.

Sales of properties priced at $10 million or more doubled in 2021 compared to 2019, prior to the pandemic, with a total of 312 sales, according to real estate appraiser Miller Samuel.

Working from home won't be a problem at The One, where office space is plentiful

Circular seating within a moat offers panoramic views of the mountains and forests

The home was built by Hollywood producer-turned-developer Nile Niami, 53 in 2013 with the help of 600 contracted workers

The ex-Hollywood exec reportedly was convinced he could secure an asking price of $500 million for the impressive estate

And the home itself, boasting 21 bodacious bedrooms and 42 bathrooms, is nothing to sneeze at, even by luxurious LA standards.

Designed by architect Paul McLean and decorated by interior designer Kathryn Rotondi, The structure is surrounded by a moat on three sides and 'appears to float above the city,' Architectural Digest wrote last year in a profile of the contemporary castle.

The mansion even possesses its own beauty salon, which boasts bright red walls and opaque shampoo stations.

Despite the opulence, McLean and Rotondi, who were enlisted by Niami to construct the structure, said that wanted to create a house that was light, bright, and low fuss.

'We wanted to provide that quintessential L.A. living but on a bigger scale. To allow the home to feel livable,' McLean stated last year.

Interior pictures show the home features floor to ceiling windows letting in the California sunshine.

The mansion even possesses its own beauty salon, which boasts bright red walls and opaque shampoo stations

Insiders familiar with the court proceedings say it will have to sell for at least $200 million just to cover the costs

The home includes 21 bodacious bedroom, 42 bathrooms, and a range of open-concept living spaces

During its construction, the home was billed by Niami as the 'biggest and most expensive modern home in America'

There's no shortage of breathtaking views from a number of vantage points

Pictured: A woman's walk-in closet in the 4,000 square-foot master bathroom, which also includes a private pool

The Los Angeles skyline is visible from the well-manicured grounds of the estate

Niami first purchased the land where 'The One' now stands in 2012 for $28 million from Rita Kogan, the late video game heiress and daughter of Space Invaders creator Michael Kogan.

The former producer reportedly took out millions of dollars in loans to fund the lavish project.

Now, more than a hundred million of dollars and a decade later, the home is still unfinished, and a buyer would need to cough up millions - and likely spend months mired in construction - just to make property livable.

Bidding was set to open Monday at 4 pm PST and is scheduled to close March 3.
The Russian embassy to Australia's Facebook page has been inundated with pro-Ukrainian posts, after the Sydney consulate was the scene of heated confrontations.

Recent posts and social media updates by the embassy on the situation in Ukraine have been targeted Ukraine loyalists and trolls.

The embassy last published a post on Thursday where the aide to former Russian culture minister Vladimir Medinsky relayed a message calling for 'peace talks'.

It didn't take long for the post to be swarmed, with one Ukraine supporter writing, 'Putin has blood on his hands. He needs to go'.

The attacks on the Russian Embassy's Facebook page come after pro-Russian and pro-Ukraine protesters clashed outside the Sydney consulate over the weekend (pictured)

Ukraine protesters took to the streets of Sydney to demonstrate against Putin's invasion

The Russian embassy (pictured) to Australia's Facebook page has been inundated with pro-Ukrainian posts, after the Sydney consulate was the scene of heated confrontations

Another said: 'Are you really aiming to achieve peace? Or is this another opportunistic situation to take advantage of the other side like your historical actions?'

'Happy for my taxpayer dollars to pay for weapons aimed at Russian invaders while you pretend to negotiate,' a third wrote.

One user commented: 'Do the Russians love their children too? Regardless of ideology, we share the same biology.'

'De-escalate the situation please. Have troops return to the Russian border. Stand down the nuclear threat. Work for peace.'

The attacks occurred on the embassy's Facebook page, where recent posts and social media updates by the embassy on the situation developing in Ukraine has been bombarded with comments from Ukraine loyalists and trolls

One user commented: 'Do the Russians love their children too? Regardless of ideology, we share the same biology.' 'De-escalate the situation please. Have troops return to the Russian border. Stand down the nuclear threat. Work for peace'

The embassy, who have not responded to the online attacks, last published a post on Thursday where the aide to former Russian culture minister Vladimir Medinsky relayed a message calling for 'peace talks'

'Pathetic country and culture. A s**tstain on the underpants of humanity,' added a Ukraine supporter on another post.

One individual called on fellow supporters to 'egg' the embassy.

Others shared images and GIFS with the Ukrainian flag.

The responses on the page ranged from calling the nation 'fascists' and 'propagandists' to 'hypocrites' and 'liars'.

The Facebook page s also been bombarded with one star ratings, and while it has not responded numerous comments have been deleted.

It didn't take long for the post to be swarmed by pro-Ukraine supporters, with one writing, 'Putin has blood on his hands. He needs to go'

The responses on the page ranged from calling the nation 'fascists' to 'propagandists' to 'hypocrites'

The swarming of comments on social media comes as pro-Russian and pro-Ukraine protesters clashed over the weekend.

Putin supporters outside the Sydney consulate holding pro-Russian signs were confronted by pro-Ukrainian protesters, while the CBD was home to a large anti-war demonstration.

A fringe group of Russian patriots in Australia, some of whom were spotted at the protests on the weekend, are fervently backing the invasion of Ukraine.

As western allies including Australia back financial sanctions against Russia and its wealthy oligarchs, members of a Sydney-based self-styled military group who hold meetings in Soviet-style uniforms and a bikie club known as 'Putin's Angels' are staunchly defending the Russian President.

They claim Ukraine is the aggressor and Putin is recognising self-proclaimed republics in the area of Donbass in southeastern Ukraine, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), some of whose territory has been occupied by pro-Russian separatist groups since 2014.

Simeon 'The Aussie Cossack' Boikov of Cabramatta in western Sydney leads a self-styled military unit called Australian Cossacks or Zabaikal Cossack Society of Australia

Australian Night Wolves' Sasha Duganov (left of above left), with global bikie group president, Alexander Zaldostanov, and (above right) Russian Australians dressed in uniforms and mocked up their cars as tanks

Simeon 'The Aussie Cossack' Boikov of Cabramatta in western Sydney leads a self-styled military unit called Australian Cossacks or Zabaikal Cossack Society of Australia.

Boikov claims the President's aim is the 'demilitarisation and de-Nazification' of Ukraine, which had been waging a war of its own with missile strikes and killing civilians' who speak Russian' for the last eight years.

The Russian nationalist activist publishes a monthly newspaper in Australia printed in Russian, The Russian Frontier, campaigned but did not eventually run as an independent in the Strathfield by-election.

On his Youtube channel he described Russia versus Ukraine as 'Z' (the symbol on Russian tanks) v 'The Elites' and claims it's a welcome distraction for politicians like Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden.

Sydney-based group The West United For Russia, also campaigns against Ukraine and against sanctions on its Facebook page with photos of Australians waving flags and wearing T-shirts with the hashtag #IStandWithRussia.

The West United for Russia is a group which protests against sanctions taken out by allies to punish Russia at time when it is actively at war with Ukraine
After unintentionally posting a story announcing Ukraine's defeat, Russian state-run news outlets had to scramble. The article was swiftly removed, but not before numerous social media users caught wind of it and translated it.

According to Google Translate, the article published by RIA Novosti stated incorrectly that "Ukraine has returned to Russia...It will be reorganized, re-established, and returned to its natural state as part of the Russian world...[Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine will now act] in geopolitical terms as a single whole..."

Report About Russia's Victory Is False

Per Newsweek, the story is false and was most likely crafted in advance for publication before being unintentionally released. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is still going on. Although Russian and Ukrainian officials started peace talks on Monday, the discussions and armed confrontation continue, as Western nations continue to impose economic and diplomatic sanctions on Russia.

In other words, the essay said that ethnic Russians need to unite since individuals of mixed races and ethnicities cannot dominate Europe. The story was supposed to go live at about 8 am. According to The Internet Archive, the story was published on February 26. Though RIA Novosti swiftly removed it, Pakistan's Frontier Post, Scotland's The Scotsman, and other foreign news sites quickly reported on the gaffe.

With additional British anti-tank missiles being delivered practically daily, hero Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Boris Johnson with a "shopping list" of weapons required to fight Putin's soldiers. According to the PM, the latest consignment of weaponry would be flown out to Poland and pushed into Ukraine in "hours and days," The Sun reported.

Read Also: Joe Biden: US Should Not Fear Nuclear War Amid Russia-Ukraine Crisis

UK To Send Weapons to Ukraine

The Prime Minister will go to Poland and Estonia today to speak with British troops stationed on NATO's eastern flank. He noted last night that these are two nations that are most affected by Ukraine's present issue. As the humanitarian situation worsens, we have common ideals that are more crucial than ever to safeguard. When we say, "Putin must fail," we speak with one voice.

According to Western diplomats, Putin's stumbling Russian offensive has already deployed half of the soldiers he had amassed on Ukraine's border since last October. They are concerned, however, that as the Kremlin despot grows upset with the sluggish pace of his invasion, he would resort to more "indiscriminate" shelling and bombing.

One official lashed out at the isolated Kremlin chief, suggesting he was not listening to advice, saying Putin had "stirred up a hornet's nest but also underestimated the capacity of the Ukrainians to fight."

Meanwhile, over 100,000 Ukrainians escaping the invasion will be permitted to enter the United Kingdom, according to Priti Patel. Even if they do not fit the standard visa conditions, the Home Secretary stated that immediate family, partners, and children under the age of 18 of British and Ukrainians currently in the country would be allowed to enter.

Despite pleas from MPs, she said these applications would be a priority, but she would not waive all visas due to security concerns. There are serious concerns that Russian criminals or operatives may take advantage of the check-free entry to the UK.

Instead, humanitarian assistance will be focused on assisting displaced persons in neighboring countries to return home as soon as possible. More than 500,000 Ukrainian refugees have already left, according to the UN.

The bombing of Kharkiv, which killed scores of people, has been branded as a war crime by Ukraine's president. Eyewitness stories of people being purposefully targeted during Monday's onslaught on Ukraine's second-largest city, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to human rights organizations, war crimes may have happened during Russia's incursion. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is considering conducting its own inquiry following the claims. Russia is invading Ukraine on numerous fronts as part of its invasion, but Ukrainian resistance has delayed its approach, as per BBC.

Related Article: North Korea Says Russia-Ukraine War's Root Cause Is Not Territorial Dispute But US' Sanctions; More Than 520,000 Refugees Flee Kyiv

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Australia will have more floods, bushfires and droughts and stands to lose entire ecosystems to climate change, a major international report warns.

Scientists who wrote the Australasian chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report say that the nation is barrelling towards a future that will be full of disasters like the floods causing chaos in NSW and Queensland.

They found Australia is lagging when it comes to planning and executing strategies to adapt to the risks climate change will deliver.

National progress on adaptation is uneven, the report says, citing a lack of consistent policy direction and 'competing objectives'.

Australia is poised to endure a number of floods, bushfires and droughts over the coming years and also stand to lose entire ecosystems to climate change, a major international report has warned (pictured, a firefighter working on the Sydney bushfires in 2019)

Scientists also say that the nation is facing a future that will be full of natural disasters like the floods causing chaos in NSW and Queensland (pictured, a dead sheep in NSW after the droughts in 2018)

The IPCC report, representing a large-scale review of global warming research, also warns some species and ecosystems are approaching the limit of their capacity to adapt.

The Great Barrier Reef and snow-dependent plant and animal species in Australia's Alpine region are said to be at critical thresholds, with limited scope for adaptation.

'The region faces an extremely challenging future. Reducing the risks would require significant and rapid emission reductions to keep global warming to 1.5C to 2C, as well as robust and timely adaptation,' the report says.

'The projected warming under current global emissions reduction policies would leave many of the region's human and natural systems at very high risk and beyond adaptation limits.'

Mark Howden, a professor at the Australian National University and vice-chair of the working group that compiled the report, said Australians must acknowledge that climate change is already here, affecting almost every aspect of life on every continent.

He said it's embedded in extreme weather events like the current floods and in the Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20.

Prof Howden said Australia could still help get the world off its current path towards warming of more than 2C and possibly as high as 3C.

'We can go on a high emissions trajectory which leads us to extraordinary degrees of climate change, effectively equivalent to an ice age - but in reverse.

'Or we can go on a low emissions trajectory, a trajectory that's consistent with the Paris agreement.'

The current floods in Queensland and NSW have left several people either dead, missing or facing an uncertain future (pictured, an overturned car in Toowoomba recently)

He urged Australia's political leaders to 'listen to the people', saying 90 per cent of Australians are hungry for more aggressive action to combat climate change.

In the flooded NSW city of Lismore, resident Maddy-Rose Braddon is furious.

She spent Monday helping victims salvage possessions from homes swallowed by a so-called 'rain bomb' - the type of intense rainfall event the IPCC report says will be more frequent in Australia as the climate warms.

'We've never had a flood like this. People in two-storey houses are stranded on their rooftops. People have drowned in their cars,' Ms Braddon said.

'We don't need another report to tell us what we already know. Climate change is destroying our homes. We had once-in-a-century floods five years ago, and now we're having them again.

The floods in Queensland in particular have been relentless, with experts declaring it the biggest downpour in 30 years (pictured, a woman trapped in south-east Queensland on Monday)

AAP sought comment from the offices of the prime minister, environment minister and emissions reduction minister.

The Scott Morrison-led government has promised to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 under a plan that relies on a technology-led economic evolution to cut emissions, capture and store them, or offset them, while allowing coal and gas exports to continue as long as there is demand.

Mr Morrison faced heavy international criticism at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year for not ramping up Australia's 2030 emissions target - one of the big appeals to avoid runaway climate change.

The conference ended with a call for all countries to return to the negotiating table in 2022 with stronger 2030 targets.
An Australian Covid expert has warned new data shows the Pfizer vaccine offers very little protection against infection for young children.

New York Health Department researchers found the two-dose Pfizer shot was only 12 percent effective at preventing Omicron infection in children aged five to 11 after only a month.

Protection against catching the virus was about 67 per cent after the second jab, but dropped rapidly by 28 to 34 days.

Australian National University professor Peter Collignon discussed the results on his social media, noting the vaccine's ineffectiveness against the dominant strain.

'While protection against hospitalisation is still strong, the vaccine offered almost no protection against infection, even just a month after full vaccination,' he wrote.

The study looked at more than a million newly fully vaccinated children in the United States amid the Omicron wave in December and January (stock image)

ATAGI recommends everyone five or older get a Covid vaccine - with only Pfizer available for those under five, and both Moderna and Pfizer for six to 11.

New York researchers gathered data 852,384 children aged 12 to 17 and 365,502 aged five to 11 for the study.

The study, which is pre-print and pending peer-review, gathered data from the Omicron period of the pandemic, from December 2021 and January 2022.

Participants in the study were followed up with and compared to general figures from unvaccinated populations.

Pfizer's effectiveness at preventing infection dropped from 66 per cent to 51 per cent in older children when up against the Omicron variant - and in younger children dropped from 67 per cent to just 12 per cent.

The most dramatic difference in numbers was noted between 11 and 12-year-olds in the week leading up to January 30 where those aged 12 had 67 per cent protection and those aged 11 had just 11 per cent protection.

At two vaccine doses immune system response against Omicron is much lower (source: Kirby Institute)

'The difference between the two age groups is striking,' Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, said.

One major difference between the study groups is the dosage of the vaccine. Children aged 12 and older receive a 30 microgram shot, but only 10 micrograms for the five to 11 age group.

'This is super interesting because it would almost suggest that it's the dose that makes the difference. The question is how to fix that,' Dr Krammer said.

The findings have far reaching implications on the use of the vaccines, and whether parents will want to get their children jabbed.

Children do not suffer much of a risk from the virus, with hospitalizations and deaths being especially rare.

The main argument in favor of vaccinating them is to prevent them from spreading the virus, though these findings imply that the vaccine does little to prevent that.

The Omicron variant, though causing less severe symptoms, is far more contagious and more children were hospitalised during this wave than at any other point in the pandemic.

Professor Collignon (pictured) said more variants are expected but there are more tools to fight Covid so the consequences are less 'than even a year ago'

As well as illness directly from Covid, there is growing evidence of associated conditions that can appear weeks after infection.

A study from Italy showed a link to severe gastrointestinal illness in children 4-6 weeks after infection, while in the US more than 7,000 children have been diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a rare but serious condition.

While the Omicron wave has largely subsided, experts agree more Covid variants will appear.

Pfizer and BioNTech are testing a third vaccine dose in children aged 5 to 11 based on a third dose significantly improving immune system response in adults against Omicron.

Several labs around the world are also working on a pan-sarbecovirus vaccine - a single dose vaccine to protect against all future variants of Covid.
A Florida man has been arrested for murder for allegedly shooting his girlfriend in the head at a shooting range as part of a botched suicide-pact.

Alec Almanzar, 23, had put his head next to Ayadalis Chalas' and pulled the trigger in the hope the bullet would kill them both, police said.

But the bullet that killed Chalas, 21, only injured Almanzar who was taken to hospital. He has since been arrested, Holly Hill police Lt. Chris Yates told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

The couple had visited the Hot Shot Shooting Range in Holly Hill back on October 7 and rented a 9mm Glock handgun.

'Basically, they just put their heads together and he shot into her head,' Yates said on Thursday. 'The bullet went through her head into his head.'

Pictured: Ayadalis Chalas, 21, was fatally shot, allegedly by her boyfriend Alec Almanzar, as the two visited a shooting range in Florida in October

Pictured: the Hot Shot Shooting Range in Holly Hill, Florida, the site of an alleged botched suicide pact between Almanzar and Chalas

A safety sign is posted at the shooting range as police investigate the fatal shooting of Ayadalis Chalas, 21

Almanzar was hospitalized at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, until December 15. Once discharged, he left for New York with his family.

He was extradited back to Florida last week and brought back to Volusia County, Yates said.

Almanzar was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm in the death of his Chalas.

He was being held without bail in the Volusia County Branch Jail on Thursday.

'They (Almanzar and his family) knew that the charges were coming down,' Yates said.

Chalas, pictured, was found dead on arrival, with her her back on the floor, when authorities arrived to the shooting range on October 7

Chalas, pictured, could be seen in surveillance footage paying with her credit card before the two headed to Lane No. 7, where the shooting reportedly occurred

'Now he is back in our custody and will be facing the charges.'

A reason behind the alleged suicide pact was not immediately given, as a suicide note was not found at the scene of the crime.

Surveillance video from the shooting range obtained via a warrant request that day shows the couple as they requested two targets and received ear and eye protection, along with a box of ammunition, prior to heading to the designated shooting lanes.

Chalas could be seen paying with her credit card before the two headed to Lane No. 7, where the shooting reportedly occurred.

The video footage showed Almanzar talking to Chalas as he loaded the firearm and then fired at the targets one at a time, according to the report.

Pictured: the location of Holly Hill, Florida, where a man was arrested for murder in connection to his girlfriend's shooting death months after an alleged botched suicide pact

Police investigating the crime scene of a shooting death at a Holly Hill shooting range back in October

Almanzar initially positioned his head so that the right side of his face was touching the left side of Chalas' head before pulling the trigger, however the gun misfired.

He reportedly was then seen on surveillance video checking the gun and looking at Chalas, before firing three shots at the target.

Moments later, Almanzar shot into Chalas' head with his head adjacent to hers, Yates added.

Chalas was found dead on arrival, with her her back on the floor, when authorities arrived shortly thereafter, while Almanzar was discovered sitting in a chair and holding a compress to his head, according to investigators.
Both Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy came out against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for her appearance at a white supremacist event over the weekend.

McCarthy, R-Calif., said he plans to speak with the Georgia Republican and Rep. Paul Gosar, who spoke at the event last year and appeared this year in a 30-second pre-recorded video.

McCarthy said that Greene should have left the stage after the event's alt-right organizer, Nick Fuentes said in announcing her: 'Can we get a round of applause for Russia?' and the crowd started chanting, 'Putin! Putin! Putin!'

'To me it was appalling and wrong,' McCarthy said, according to CNN.'There's no place in our party for any of this.' 'This is unacceptable,' he added.

'The party should not be associated, any time, any place, with some body who is anti-Semitic,' the California Republican said.

McConnell echoed his sentiments in a statement to Politico: 'There's no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism.'

Fuentes, who has been described as a white supremacist by the Anti-Defamation League, founded AFPAC in 2020 to rival the popular Conservative Political Action Conference, which also held its annual conference over the weekend.

As the event's organizer Nick Fuentes introduced Greene, he said: 'Can we get a round of applause for Russia?' and the crowd started chanting, 'Putin! Putin! Putin!'

Republican leaders condemned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for appearing at a white nationalist rally

Before introducing Greene, Fuentes told the crowd: 'Now they're going on about Russia and Vladimir Putin is Hitler  they say that's not a good thing.'

He gained infamy for making many anti-Semitic comments, denying the Holocaust happened and opposing women's right to vote. Fuentes was also apart of the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

In her AFPAC address she claimed that Democrats had destroyed 'gender' and 'pronouns' by adopting trans-inclusive language and told the crowd they must 'fight for the Constitution.'

'You've been handed the responsibility to fight for our Constitution and stand for our freedoms, and stop the Democrats who are the communist party of the United States of America,' Greene said.

But the Georgia Republican's appearance at the rally left her increasingly isolated from members of her own party.

'I definitely want to disassociate myself from it,' said Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told Politico. 'It's unacceptable.'

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, did not mince words in his criticism of Greene and Gosar. 'Morons. I have morons on my team,' Romney said Sunday.

Even Trump-era Sec. of State Mike Pompeo called Greene's appearance at the rally 'shameful.'

'Associating with anti-Semitic neo-Nazis is not consistent with the conservative values I've defended for decades. Representative Taylor-Greene playing footsie with Nick Fuentes and his splinter movement is shameful,' Pompeo tweeted.

Even fellow far-right congresswoman Lauren Boebert put distance between herself and Greene: 'I do not apologize for other members and what they say or what they do. I do not support white supremacists, like Nick Fuentes, period.'

After Greene's remarks at AFPAC, speaker Vincent James Foxx told the crowd, 'They want to replace you.'

'Western white culture is the majority culture, to which even non-whites assimilate into today  and they're better off for it.'

As Greene exited CPAC, where she also spoke to the crowd, she claimed not to know Fuentes.

'I do not know Nick Fuentes. I have never heard him speak, I have never seen a video. I do not know what his views are so I am not aligned with anything that is controversial,' she told CBS reporter Robert Costa.

'I went to his event last night to address his very large following because it's a very young following and it's a generation I'm extremely concerned about,' she said.

And as her appearance at the conference gained media attention, Greene wrote on Twitter: 'I am not going to play the guilt by association game in which you demand every conservative should justify anything ever said by anyone they've ever shared a room with. I'm not going to be drawn into that. I'm only responsible for what I say. So ask me about my speech.'

Greene came out as a special guest at Fuentes' AFPAC event to talk about 'god and liberty.' The two are pictured together at Friday's event

US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (center) denied knowing white nationalist Nick Fuentes (right) despite taking a picture together with him and right-wing pundit Michelle Malkin during his America First Political Action Conference in Orlando on Friday

'I talked about God and Liberty. I'm also not going to turn down the opportunity to speak to 1,200 young America First patriots because of a few off-color remarks by another speaker, even if I find those remarks unsavory.'

'I want to embrace the young, boisterous and energetic conservatives in our movementnot cancel them like the establishment does.

'I am going to play it. You spoke to a white supremacy group. You are defending your presence there. If this was not bizarro world, you would be the one censured and excommunicated from the GOP. You will lose ultimately, just like Putin. And people will curse your name,' Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., shot back on Twitter.

One Republican remains squarely in Greene's camp: Donald Trump. He praised the congresswoman when he took the stage at CPAC, facetiously describing her as 'a person who is very shy, doesn't like speaking her mind, but she does it anyway.'

Even Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel weighed in on Greene's appearance at the event, saying in a statement: 'White supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech and bigotry are disgusting and do not have a home in the Republican Party.'

One RNC member suggested on Twitter he would bring up a resolution to censure Greene and Gosar, just as the committee had done for Reps. Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., for joining the House Jan. 6 committee.

McDaniel did not shoot down the idea, but instead suggested on a call with reporters that the next party meeting in August would be the forum to debate that topic.
The most flooded postcode in Australia was left off a priority list to better prepare it for natural disasters, as people are rescued from rooftops in the town in its worst-ever flood.

Lismore was left off a list of local government areas prioritised to receive Commonwealth money to help with flood preparedness and resilience.

The town of about 45,000 people in the northern rivers region of NSW is undergoing one of its worst flood disasters to date after more than 700mm of rain fell in the area on Sunday and Monday.

Wilsons River running through Lismore peaked at 14.1m on Monday, above the peaks of around 12m during the town's famous 1954 and 1974 floods, and when rain from Cyclone Debbie inundated the town In 2017.

Lismore in northern NSW is the most flooded postcode in Australia yet didn't make a priority list to receive credit towards Commonwealth funding for disaster resilience

Locals and emergency services take to small boats to help evacuate people in Lismore on Monday

One local said Lismore had experienced 130 floods in 150 years of official flood records

Applications for grants of up to $10million under the Preparing Australian Communities opened in December, with results to be announced in March.

The program is run by Australia's National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) who announced a list of priority LGAs assessed as having 'high exposure to bushfire, tropical cyclone or flood' which would receive extra points towards receiving one of the grants.

Lismore was not on the list, as the ABC reported in November, despite neighbouring LGAs of Byron, Ballina and Clarence Valley appearing as priorities at risk of flood.

Resident Richard Trevan from Lismore Citizens Flood Review said at the time the decision was 'crazy'.

'We've had 130 floods in 150 years of official flood records, which means something in the order of a flood about every 14 months,' he said.

Shane Stone, the Director General of the NRRA subsequently visited Lismore to meet with Mr Trevan's group.

'There are other funds that they can tap into,' Mr Stone said when asked why Lismore was not considered a priority LGA.

'Projects will be funded based on merit, so a local government area that isnt listed as a priority location is still eligible to receive a share of the $150 million available under this round, if they put forward a strong application that meets all the criteria,' he said.

The latest flood in the town saw harrowing scenes of people trapped on the roofs of their houses and desperate social media calls for assistance.

Around 1000 rescues were conducted in the northern rivers area, with a number of residents believed to still be missing.

Residents inspect the damage as water from the Wilsons River begins to recede after peaking at 14.4metres

A natural disaster has now been declared in Lismore, making affected communities and individuals eligible for further range of special assistance measures

Around 1000 rescues were conducted in the northern rivers area, with a number of residents believed to still be missing. Pictured: Debris seen in Leycester St, Lismore

On Monday Lismore residents and others in northern NSW became eligible for the one-off disaster relief payment Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Sunday to compensate Queenslanders affected by flooding the weekend deluge.

The Disaster Recovery Payment of $1,000 per adult and $400 per child is paid directly into bank accounts for those who have suffered a significant loss, including a severely damaged or destroyed home or serious injury.

A natural disaster has now been declared in Lismore, making affected communities and individuals eligible for further range of special assistance measures from the state body tasked with disaster management and recovery, Resilience NSW.

Eight people have now died in the deadly 'rain bomb' weather event across Queensland and northern NSW.

Lismore has attempted numerous efforts at mitigating floods in the town over the years.

In 1999 a government-funded scheme to protect the CBD and South Lismore from a 1-in-10-year flood event via levees was approved.

Lismore has attempted numerous efforts at mitigating floods in the town over the years

The proposal was designed to prevent smaller floods would entering the town's CBD and given residents and businesses more time to evacuate in larger floods.

But the levee was unable to contain the March 2017 flood, with extensive damage caused to the town.

The local council then launched a Flood Ready project to respond to natural disasters in concert with emergency services, local agencies and community groups.

The NRRA said it could not comment on applications while the assessment process is underway when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
Anthony Albanese has joked he won't be taking his new white sneakers to visit flood victims in Brisbane.

The Labor leader debuted a fresh new look last week, posing for photos in a fitted shirt, skinny chinos and $129 Country Road gum sole sneakers with girlfriend Jodie Haydon at his Marrickville home.

The images caused a storm online with one Twitter user even comparing him to James Bond actor Daniel Craig.

Anthony Albanese (pictured last week) has joked he won't be taking his new white sneakers to visit flood victims in Brisbane

Anthony Albanese opens up about splitting from his wife of 30 years as new girlfriend reveals the moment she knew she was in love - as he sends a subtle message to the PM with his shoes in stylish photo shoot https://t.co/n6N4IiGt8l  Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) February 24, 2022

In an interview with Brisbane radio B105 on Tuesday morning, Mr Albanese confirmed he owned the sneakers instead of just borrowing them for the shoot.

But he said he would be wearing more appropriate footwear for his visit to flood victims in the city on Tuesday.

'No. They might end up a bit muddy,' he joked when told not to wear the sneakers.

All of southeast Queensland is likely to be declared a 'disaster emergency zone', with deadly floods still peaking in some areas after parts of the region were hit by the most intense rainfall ever recorded.

Eight people have died and hundreds have been rescued from floodwaters which have damaged at least 19,000 homes and won't fully recede for days.

There were blue skies over much of the region on Tuesday morning but major flooding is under way on the Brisbane, Logan, Bremer and Mary rivers, and Warrill Creek after the torrential downpours of the past week.

People are seen disposing their flood damaged belongings in the suburb of Albion in Brisbane

A Queensland Fire and Rescue Swift Water Rescue crew move through the flooded streets in Paddington in suburban Brisbane

More than 1.77m of rain fell on Mount Glorious, 1.55m at Pomona on the Sunshine Coast and 1.23m at Upper Springbrook on the Gold Coast in seven days.

Brisbane copped 795mm - the city's wettest week since records began in 1840 - with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying much of the wider region is devastated.

'We will get to the stage where basically the entire southeast will be declared a disaster emergency zone,' she told Nine's Today program on Tuesday.

'At the moment they are doing council, one-by-one. Don't forget Ipswich has been badly impacted as well, now Logan is experiencing it, they definitely will.

Hundreds of homes are being inundated in Logan, south of Brisbane, where the Logan River was still yet to peak on Tuesday morning.

More than 15,000 homes in Brisbane and 3600 in Gympie have been damaged by the floods and another 43,860 properties were without power.

Maree Harradine (left) and Jason Pride (right) check Maree's fathers house in Ipswich, west of Brisbane

A man casts a fishing line into the swollen Brisbane River in Brisbane on February 28

More than 800 schools also remain closed across the southeast and many roads are still cut by floodwaters.

Scott Morrison visited Brisbane on Sunday and Monday and Mr Albanese made his way up on Tuesday.

It comes as Labor is ahead of the Coalition by 10 points according to Monday's Newspoll and four points according to Essential on a two-party preferred basis.

But the polls leading up to the 2019 election, which also put Labor ahead by up to four points during the campaign, turned out to be wrong - just like at the 2015 UK election and 2016 US election.

An inquiry found they were distorted by falling response rates which led to unrepresentative samples.

People who were more engaged in politics and more highly educated were more likely to answer polls, giving the results a left-leaning bias.
Aussies in flood-affected areas have found creative ways to combat the catastrophic weather.

Footage from TikTok users brxcewxyne and charlilewisss - both from Queensland - shows friends and family ingeniously keeping floodwaters out of their properties.

One video sees two men using a tabletop to push an overflow of water down a walkway next to their home towards a yard.

'We used a tabletop to stop our house flooding,' the caption in the clip reads.

One video sees two men using a tabletop to push an overflow of water down a walkway next to their home towards a yard

'Just another year in Australia,' they wrote in the post.

The other video has a family locked inside their house as the floods continue rising around their property.

A woman is filmed at the front door using a vacuum cleaner to suck up any excess water that has fallen through the cracks.

Eight people have died and hundreds have been rescued from floodwaters in Queensland, which have damaged at least 19,000 homes and won't fully recede for days.

All of southeast Queensland is likely to be declared a 'disaster emergency zone', with deadly floods still peaking in some areas after parts of the region were hit by the most intense rainfall ever recorded.

There were blue skies over much of the region on Tuesday morning but major flooding is under way on the Brisbane, Logan, Bremer and Mary rivers, and Warrill Creek after the torrential downpours of the past week.

A woman at the front door using a vacuum cleaner to suck up any excess water that has fallen through the cracks

Brisbane copped 795mm - the city's wettest week since records began in 1840 - with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying much of the wider region is devastated.

'We will get to the stage where basically the entire southeast will be declared a disaster emergency zone,' she told Nine's Today program on Tuesday.

'At the moment they are doing council, one-by-one. Don't forget Ipswich has been badly impacted as well, now Logan is experiencing it, they definitely will.

Snr Sgt Howard said the past four days have been harrowing with at least 630 water rescues made and more than 10,000 calls for help responded to across the southeast.

All of southeast Queensland is likely to be declared a 'disaster emergency zone', with deadly floods still peaking in some areas after parts of the region were hit by the most intense rainfall ever recorded. Pictured: A man fishing at a flooded Brisbane River

There were blue skies over much of the region on Tuesday morning but major flooding is under way on the Brisbane, Logan, Bremer and Mary rivers, and Warrill Creek after the torrential downpours of the past week

Snr Sgt Howard said the past four days have been harrowing with at least 630 water rescues made and more than 10,000 calls for help responded to across the southeast. Pictured: A woman using a kayak in Rocklea in Brisbane

In New South Wales, more severe weather is expected along the coast as people in parts of the north coast town of Ballina have been told it's too late to leave.

The State Emergency Service performed 932 flood rescues across the Northern Rivers region - which encompasses Ballina - in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning.

There are evacuation orders covering 34,000 people and another 310,000 across the state are on standby.

The crisis has engulfed the northeastern part of the state, with multiple major flood warnings including the Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Brunswick, Bellinger and Clarence rivers.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned NSW is in for more thunderstorms, heavy rain and damaging winds as extreme weather moves south.
Wild footage has captured the moment a group of thugs blocked peak hour traffic as they viciously bashed another man in the middle of a motorway.

The handheld video taken on the Monash Freeway near the Blackburn Road exit in Mount Waverley in Melbourne's south-east about 4pm on Monday showed the group of at least four attackers putting the man in a headlock.

He was then thrown to the ground as onlookers including a child watched on in horror.

Vision of the attack ended with one member of the group stamping on the man repeatedly as he lay defenseless on the tarmac.

The road rage brawl ensued after the car load of attackers got out of a grey BMW bearing red P-plates.

The cause of the fight remains unclear.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the force was unable to confirm whether the matter had been reported to authorities.

The footage comes just two weeks after a driver allegedly pulled a gun on another motorist as they wildly swerved at each other on a busy Adelaide highway.

A 32-year-old man behind the wheel of a grey Toyota Hilux was later arrested following the incident at Salisbury Heights in Adelaide's north on February 15.

Set upon: A group of thugs blocked peak hour traffic as they viciously attacked another man in the middle of a motorwa

A passenger in a car behind the two vehicles filmed the shocking encounter.

'Bro, he's just aimed a gun at him,' the witness exclaims.

'What the f**k, he's got a gun... Pull over, pull over'.
Abbott Laboratories expanded its recall of Similac baby formulas on Monday, after a second infant who was exposed to the powdered baby formula died.

The company recalled Similac PM 60/40 cans and cases produced at its Sturgis, Michigan facility, after an unidentified infant who used the formula died of a Cronobacter sakazakii infection, which can cause severe blood infections and meningitis.

Similac PM 60/40 is marketed as a 'specialty formula for certain infants who would benefit from lowered mineral intake.' It was sold in the United States and Israel.

It was not included in a recall issued just a few days earlier for certain lots of Alimentum, Similac and EleCare baby formulas that were also produced at the Sturgis facility. One other baby previously died after exposure to deadly bacteria. That victim has not been identified either, but both babies who died are from Ohio.

The FDA had said at the time that it had received complaints dating back to September 16 of Cronobacter sakazakii infections, and are investigating the consumer complaints.

Both it and the Centers for Disease Control are also now conducting additional laboratory testing, and are working with Abbott to safely resume operations at the factory.

Similac PM 60/40 baby formula was recalled on Monday after an Ohio infant who used the formula died of a Cronobacter sakazakii infection

Elecare and other Similac products were previously recalled on February 17

The CDC has said it was first notified of bacterial infections related to Abbott Nutrition baby formulas on February 10.

Since September 16, it reports, four infants in Minnesota, Ohio and Texas have contracted a Cronobacter sakazakii infection after consuming baby formula including Similac Sensitive, Similac Pro-total Comfort, Similac Advance and Similac PM 60/40.

One Salmonella Newport infection has also been reported in connection with the outbreak, NBC New York reports.

All five children were hospitalized as a result, and the two infants in Ohio have died.

Abbott Laboratories said they have not found any Cronobacter sakazakii in any samples of the formula it sends out, and conducts tests on a regular basis.

But it did say it found evidence of the bacteria in a 'non-product contact area' at the Sturgis plant.

The dangers of Cronobacter sakazakii Cronobacter sakazakii is a bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections or meningitis. The first symptoms in infants is usually a fever, accompanied by poor feeding, excessive crying or very low energy. It can also cause bowel damage and spread to other parts of the body, possibly resulting in the swelling of the linings surrounding the brain and spinal cord - or meningitis. If it spreads to the blood, it could also cause jaundice - or a yellowing of the skin or eyes. Advertisement

According to the FDA, Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria can cause life-threatening infections or meningitis, symptoms of which could include poor feeding, irritability, temperature changes, yellowed skin or eyes, grunting breaths and abnormal movements.

The first symptoms in infants younger than 1 year old is usually a fever, accompanied by poor feeding, excessive crying or very low energy.

It can also cause bowel damage and spread to other parts of the body, possibly resulting in the swelling of the linings surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Some infants may also experience seizures.

The company announced a recall of the products on February 17, with Joe Manning, the executive vice president of nutritional products, saying in a statement: 'We know parents depend on us to provide them with the highest quality nutrition formulas.

'We're taking this action so parents know they can tryst us to meet our high standards as well as theirs.

'We deeply regret the concern and inconvenience this situation will cause parents, caregivers and health care professionals.'

Consumers are encouraged to type in the code on the bottom of their package to confirm whether it is part of the recall, and those who are using the formula are encouraged to switch to a different brand. Liquid baby formulas are not included in the recall.

Anyone whose child is experiencing any symptoms of an infection is also encouraged to call their health care provider immediately.

The products came from the company's Sturgis, Michigan plant (pictured), where Cronobacter sakazakii was found in a 'non-product contact area'

Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria (pictured) can cause life-threatening infections or meningitis

Following the announcement, angered and panicked mothers took to social media to express their frustrations and the symptoms their children were experiencing.

Khrysten Ziegenfuss, for example, wrote that her daughter, Everly, had been taking Elecare almost since birth and is now almost three months old.

During that time, she shared, Everly would vomit out of her mouth and nose, making her unable to breathe and needing immediate assistance clearing her airway. She also had a distended abdomen and would scream every time she had a bowel movement.

Ziegenfuss said she took Everly to the Emergency Room on three separate occasions for abdominal pain and issues going to the bathroom, but doctors would keep dismissing her concerns.

'For almost three months my daughter has been in pain,' Ziegenfuss posted on February 21. 'For almost three months, I have been advocating for her and telling every doctor she saw that something was wrong, and NOW it comes to light that I was right, and my daughter was sick.

'She's been continually infected with bacteria for her entire life up until recently,' she wrote, adding: 'I'm angry and disappointed, but even more than that I am sad that my daughter and so many babies suffered and did so because a company wanted to make a quick buck rather than stop production BACK IN SEPTEMBER when they and the FDA were made aware of possible bacterial contamination in that facility.'
The son of a Holocaust survivor was appalled to discover a makeshift wooden swastika in the backyard of a Melbourne property in the heart of the city's Jewish community.

The man was walking through Caulfield, an affluent suburb in the Victorian capital's south-east, on Monday afternoon when he spotted the Nazi insignia.

'Something alarming is happening in Victoria, and it's time to acknowledge that we are facing an epidemic of antisemitism,' Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich said.

'No Jewish person should be confronted with the emblem of evil in their own neighbourhood.'

The son of a Holocaust survivor was appalled to discover a makeshift wooden swastika in the backyard of a Melbourne property in the heart of the city's Jewish community

The Jewish man, aged in his 70s, found the swastika on one of the busiest roads in the leafy suburb, not far from Princes Park.

The symbol was visible from the street, crudely made out of pieces of plywood.

The site appears to currently be under instruction, and it's believed the owner of the property lives next door.

Caulfield is not unfamiliar to acts of anti-semitism, after extremisit group Antipodean Resistance stuck a swastika at the front of an aged care facility that was home to several Holocaust survivors.

The insignia was found on the gates of Emmy Monash Aged Care on New Year's Day in 2019, prompting calls to ban the public display of Nazi symbols in the state.

The laws were supposed to be proposed and introduced in the first half of 2022, with the Liberal member for Caulfield David Southwick admitting there was an escalation in hateful incidents in recent years.

'It's not just an issue for the Jewish community, it's right across the board,' Mr Southwick said last year.

The man was walking through Caulfield (pictured), an affluent suburb in Melbourne, on Monday afternoon when he spotted the Nazi insignia

The Australian Federal Police also released a report, saying they 'strongly support the criminalisation of the public display of flags and other extremist insignia'.

Dr Abramovich lamented the stalling of instituting the laws in Victoria

'This malicious act, dripping with venomous and dangerous hate, is a punch in the gut of every Holocaust survivor, and a spit on the memory of the victims and the diggers who gave their lives to vanquish that monstrous dictator,' he said.

I look forward to the day this year, when the Victorian Parliament rises to the challenge, and does the honourable and righteous thing by banning the public display of all Nazi insignia genocidal symbols that stand alone in the annals of human barbarity.'

Glen Eira Council confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they had removed the swastika.
Former United States President Donald Trump has filed an appeal against a judge's decision that he and his two eldest children were required to testify in New York state's civil investigation into his business practices.

The move was widely expected by parties involved in the probe and could potentially prolong the legal battle over his testimony by several months. Lawyers representing the Republican businessman and his two children filed the papers on Monday with the appellate division of the state's trial court.

Trump Files Appeal

The legal experts seek to overturn Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron's ruling on Feb. 17, requiring the three Trumps to testify. The lawyers argued that the order requiring the defendants to testify violates their constitutional rights because their answers and statements could be used in a parallel criminal investigation.

Engoron set a Mar. 10 deadline for Trump and his two eldest children, Ivanka Trump and Don Jr., to sit for depositions in an eight-page ruling. The lawyers for the three asked the appellate court for a stay to the ruling to spare them from questioning while it considers the matter, as per The Guardian.

Trump's lawyers are fighting the legal battle amid the Republican businessman's consideration of a potential presidential run for the 2024 elections. The situation comes as two top prosecutors leading the investigation resigned last week amid talks over the strength of the criminal case against the former president.

Read Also: Barr's New Memoir Criticizes Trump, Says Former President is 'Unfit' To Lead

A source familiar with the thinking of the former president said that Trump and his team would find it rather difficult to run for president while grappling with a criminal indictment. The businessman's legal team plans to litigate against New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil probe for as long as they can amid the possibility of charges fading in New York.

According to CNN, while the source said that the civil case was a critical barrier to Trump's candidacy, they looked at options for pleading the Fifth Amendment if the former president and his children are forced to appear for depositions.

Civil Probe Into Trump Organization

Trump accused Attorney General James of selectively prosecuting him because he was her political enemy, arguing that the investigation into his company was a political attack. In response to the appeal, James' office repeated its statement last Friday.

The statement said that while Trump and his children had the right to seek a delay, they were not able to deter the attorney general and her office from following the facts and the law wherever they may lead. James' office added that no one was above the law, not even a former president of the United States.

At the time of Engoron's ruling, Trump issued a statement decrying it as a "continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history-and remember, I can't get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by judges and the judiciary. It's not possible!"

James' civil probe has already run for nearly three years and focuses on whether the Trump Organization improperly valued its real estate properties to get better loans and lower tax bills. Despite the probe, none of the Trumps have been accused of criminal wrongdoing, Yahoo News reported.

Related Article: Jan. 6 Panel Could Get Voluntary Interview With Ivanka Trump Amid Capitol Riot Probe

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Britons were warned against all travel to Russia yesterday as the Ukraine conflict escalated.

The Foreign Office released a statement urging UK travellers not to visit any part of Russia due to a lack of flights for returning and increased volatility in the country's economy.

American citizens were also advised to leave the country on Sunday.

It comes after Britain last week banned Russian planes from entering UK airspace and the Kremlin retaliated by mirroring the ban.

The European Union has also banned Russia's planes from flying over its airspace.

Britons were warned against all travel to Russia yesterday as the Ukraine conflict escalated. Pictured: A passenger looks at a departures board at Sheremetyevo airport

The Foreign Office released a statement urging UK travellers not to visit any part of Russia due to a lack of flights for returning and increased volatility in the country's economy as Liz Truss, foreign secretary, made a statement on Russia on Monday

The Foreign Office blames a lack of flights for returning and Russia's economy being more volatile. Pictured: Heathrow Airport

The Foreign Office said: 'If you are in Russia, you should be aware that it may not be possible to fly directly to the UK, or via EU countries, and should amend any travel plans accordingly.'

It added: 'The value of the rouble has fallen considerably in recent days, and there are reports of large numbers of people attempting to withdraw their savings from Russian banks.

'Any amounts of Russian currency you hold may reduce in value.'

The statement continued: 'There are also reports that foreign nationals in Russia are having difficulty using ATM and banking services.

'You should be aware that it may not be possible for you to access your funds through Russian banks.'

The Foreign Office has also warned against travel to Ukraine, which has shut its airspace, for the past few weeks.
Americans have rallied together to show their support for Ukraine as the nation battles an ongoing invasion from Russia, with crowds lining the streets for a table at East Village's Ukrainian restaurant, Veselka, following the Russian invasion.

More than 100 New Yorkers joined a line wrapping around the block in a show of solidarity with Ukraine and the almost 70-year-old restaurant.

'I'm surprised by the crowds, but then again, I'm not. It's kind of like we're everybody's favorite living room and I am grateful and thankful for that,' said Jason Birchard, Veselka's owner.

'Many of our staff members are Ukrainian. Everyone is up all night, talking to family members. Some are so distraught, they can't even come to work. They are hanging by a thread, feeling so angry, upset and helpless,' added Birchard, who has been working 16 hour days since the invasion.

New Yorkers wait in a long line at a Ukrainian diner Veselka to show solidarity in the wake of Russia's invasion on February 25, 2022

Pictured: New Yorkers waiting in line for Lower East Side Ukrainian restaurant Veselka after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began last week

The mural facade outside of Veselka restaurant in the Lower East Side, where over 100 patrons could be seen lined up around the block in support of Ukrainians

A Ukrainian flag hangs outside of Veselka on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, in New York

People dine inside Veselka where a Ukrainian flag hangs in the East Village, Friday, February 25, 2022, in New York on the date of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Jason Birchard, pictured, owner of Veselka, said he has been working 16 hour days at the restaurant since the invasion

The restaurant, which opened in 1954 and was famous for its 24-hour service prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, serves Ukrainian comfort food, ranging from pierogis to borscht.

One customer, a 29-year-old Ukrainian-born medical technician who only gave her name as Tanya, told the New York Post that Veselka is 'a very symbolic, special place.'

'My heart is always there. I try to support it as much as I can,' said Tanya who came to the restaurant wrapped in a yellow and blue Ukrainian flag.

Those colors have illuminated skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building, buildings and national monuments since Russia invaded last week.

Tanya added that her own family back in Ukraine is currently 'surrounded by lots of Russians and tanks.'

But thankfully the tanks are out of fuel and the most serious bombing has stopped for now.

'But it was pretty bad,' she said. 'My family is still hiding in basements and the Russians were shooting at a kindergarten while kids were there and some died. My entire family is still in Ukraine, my parents, brother, uncles, aunts and friends.'

The Empire State Building, left, and the State Education Building, right, are illuminated colors of Ukrainian flag in New York City

Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge is illuminated in the colors of Ukraine's flag in support of their efforts during Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 27, 2022 in Washington, DC

A red traffic light frames the George Washington Masonic National Memorial which is lit with blue and yellow lights in support of Ukraine, in Alexandria, Virginia on Saturday

Several hundred people participate in a Stop the Bloodshed in Ukraine rally on February 27, 2022 in Santa Monica, California

Another patron, identified only as Susan, added why she too felt compelled to dine at Veselka in support of Ukrainians on Saturday.

'We came to Little Ukraine tonight to do something, to show some sort of support for the brave people of Ukraine,' she told the Post.

'My husband and I printed a dozen shirts with President Zelenskyy's statement: 'The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.''

'It gave us comfort to pass these out and listen to the stories of others who are worrying about family, friends and humanity. President Zelensky and his people are brave, fighting to live in peace and freedom. We pray this ends quickly, with the outcome of peace and freedom for Ukraine,' she continued.

Meanwhile, protesters carrying signs and waving flags have flooded the streets outside the White House, as well as in other major US cities, and called on leaders to take action against Russia.

Pictured: the I-35W Bridge glows blue and yellow in support of the people of Ukraine in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 25, 2022

Demonstrators during a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday, February 28, 2022

Ukrainians and people gather around the Lafayette Park in front of the White House in Washington DC to stage a protest against Russia's attacks on Ukraine, on February 27, 2022.

The large crowds began coming together, both in Washington DC, in front of Veselka and across the country, after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 25.

The colors of the Ukrainian flag have illuminated skyscrapers and monuments nationwide, including the Empire State Building, State Education Building, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and more, since Russia invaded the country last week.

'It's been like this for days,' said a manager, who has been working 16 hour days since the invasion...

'We're just trying to keep up,' said Birchard.

'Everyone is pitching in. Managers are working as cashiers and cooks are working seven days a week.'

Birchard added that the restaurant has always served as a gathering point for the Ukrainian community in New York, including everything from 9/11, Superstorm Sandy, the Orange Revolution of 2005 to Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea.
A tiny sedan sent a large car rolling across an intersection after failing to stop for a red light and ploughing into it.

Dramatic dashcam footage showed the white Toyota Camry plowed into its side at an intersection in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

The driver was moving through the intersection between Alexander Parade and Brunswick Street when the other car appeared to run a red light.

A tiny Camry sent a large car rolling over an intersection after failing to stop for a red light

The small vehicle T-boned the driver and sent the car rolling until it landed upright in front of a pedestrian walkway, almost hitting two men.

One bystander ran from the crash while the other began pacing with his hands on his head, despairing at the devastation.

A woman ran towards the vehicle to help while on the phone, presumably calling for an ambulance.

The rolled car landed upright after the collision in front of a pedestrian walkway, almost hitting two men

The first man ran from the incident while the other began pacing with his hands on his head

Debris from the accident struck the window of an unoccupied car parked nearby.

Victorian Police said one of the drivers from the collision were taken to hospital with minor injuries and both vehicles were severely damaged.

Police said they were investigating the crash.
More than 150 British ex paratroopers who fought in Afghanistan are now on their way to Ukraine to battle Putin's forces - after Army chiefs banned serving UK soldiers from the warzone.

Whitehall officials are scrambling to determine the Government's policy after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she would support British nationals who chose to fight alongside Ukrainian forces against the Russian invasion on Sunday.

Her comments went against Foreign Office travel advice, while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and a No 10 spokesman also both appeared to contradict Ms Truss yesterday.

Hundreds of troops have expressed interest in answering a request from Kyiv for international volunteers, it is believed, but commanders have told them not to sign up.

They cannot stop retired personnel from travelling to eastern Europe, but full-time and reserve troops have received a stern warning not to take part in the conflict.

Shaun Pinner, 48, (pictured) is one of many UK nationals who have travelled to Ukraine to fight

A Ukrainian serviceman fires an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Donetsk region earlier this month

Ukrainian Military Forces walk in the small town of Sievierodonetsk, Lugansk Oblast, on Sunday

A serviceman of pro-Russian militia stands next to a house that caught fire after shelling on Monday

One brigadier said he heard talk that some soldiers were considering going Awol to join the fight, The Times reports.

But a post on the Armys internal messaging service read: There has been some recent media coverage relating to foreigners being welcomed into Ukraine to help fight against Russia.

'To be clear, as members of the British Army, you are not authorised to travel to Ukraine to support the ongoing conflict against Russia in any form, whether you are on leave or not.

Please remain professional and focused on your duty and your team.

Despite this, a military source has said that 150 of former paratroopers were on their way to Poland.

Shane, 34, a former sniper with the Princess of Waless Royal Regiment, said Ms Truss' comments on Sunday were 'the green light'

Ukraines president Volodomyr Zelensky said he was forming his countrys own foreign legion to fight Russia.

Several thousand people have volunteered to join the force, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said yesterday.

Military surplus stores have been overrun with Ukrainian expats sourcing gear for recruits heading to join the fight.

Ukrainian soldiers walk at Kyiv central train station last week ahead of an ongoing battle with Russia

At the Ukrainian embassy in London yesterday, one 60-year-old English ex-soldier, who did not give his name, vowed to join the fight.

He told Sky News: I used to be in the TA so Ive got a lot of first aid training so I thought it would be a good idea to come and do something. I can get on a flight tomorrow.

Im 60 which means Im just about within the age range theyll accept.

Asked if he would put his life on the line, he said: Well somebody has to.

Shaun Pinner, 48, an ex-soldier with a Ukrainian wife who is already on the front lines, and Antony Zamparelli, a father-of-seven who served in the Army but has never been in a conflict, are among those from the UK to have said they will fight.

But Mr Wallace insisted yesterday: Unless you are properly trained, unless you are an experienced member of the armed forces, there are better ways for you to contribute to the security of Ukraine.

Oleksander Biletsky, a foreign ministry adviser, says weapons were being distributed to anyone who wanted to fight for Ukraine.

He told British soldiers it was 'really cool [of you]' to support his country.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has urged only properly trained UK nationals to join the cause in Ukraine

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (pictured) said she would support British nationals who chose to fight alongside Ukrainian forces against the Russian invasion on Sunday

It comes amid concern that over whether those who decide to travel to Ukraine will be charged with terrorism offences if they return.

During the Syrian civil war in 2014, the Crown Prosecution Service warned those going out to fight that they could be committing an offence.

Its guidance adds that Britons who travel overseas to participate in fighting 'may be caught by the provisions of section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000'.

His warning came 24 hours after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss welcomed those joining the struggle.

Mr Wallace insisted: Unless you are properly trained, unless you are an experienced member of the armed forces, there are better ways for you to contribute to the security of Ukraine.

Downing Street also effectively contradicted Miss Truss yesterday.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The best way we can help Ukraine right now is by ensuring Putin fails.

There are a number of ways Brits can show their support for that, and the Ukrainian embassy in London is putting out information about how the British can support them.

We fully recognise the strength of feeling about British people wanting to support the Ukrainians following the Russian invasion.

'Theres advice up on travelling to Ukraine, we currently advise against travel to Ukraine.

At the Ukrainian embassy in London yesterday, one 60-year-old English ex-soldier, who did not give his name, vowed to join the fight.

He told Sky News: I used to be in the TA so Ive got a lot of first aid training so I thought it would be a good idea to come and do something. I can get on a flight tomorrow.

Im 60 which means Im just about within the age range theyll accept.

Asked if he would put his life on the line, he said: Well somebody has to.

On Sunday Ukraines president Volodomyr Zelensky said he was forming his countrys own foreign legion to fight Russia.

Several thousand people have volunteered to join the force, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said yesterday.

Military surplus stores have been overrun with Ukrainian expats sourcing gear for recruits heading to join the fight.

Folkestone has become a rallying point and the Kent towns G4 Echelon supply store has seen scores of volunteers buying up combat uniforms, first aid kits, flak jackets and helmets.

Britain's Lads Army 'willing to die' in fight with Putin: Ex-carer who battled ISIS, father-of-seven who has never seen action and ex-soldier with Ukrainian wife line up to battle Russia - as No 10 says DON'T go to war

By Chris Matthews for MailOnline

Dozens of former Army and Special Forces soldiers from Britain and amateurs who have never seen action before have volunteered to fight Putin's invading troops and say they're willing to die for the cause.

Shaun Pinner, 48, an ex-soldier with a Ukrainian wife who is already on the front lines, and Antony Zamparelli, a father-of-seven who served in the Army but has never been in a conflict, are among those from the UK to have said they will fight.

Others include Aiden Aslin, 28, an ex-carer who previously fought ISIS in Syria, as well as a team of 60 British former Army and Special Forces soldiers that have been gathered by Mamuka Mamulashvili, 43, commander of the Georgian National Legion.

It comes as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and a No 10 spokesman both appeared to contradict Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who yesterday gave her backing to Britons who wanted to join the resistance movement.

Speaking this morning, Mr Wallace said he didn't 'want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians' and asked people who were not properly trained or an 'experienced member of an armed forced' not to join the war in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was 'very dangerous', Mr Wallace told Sky News, and there were 'better ways' to support the country.

Shaun Pinner, 48, (pictured) is one of many UK nationals who have travelled to Ukraine to fight

Father-of-seven Antony Zamparelli said he was willing to die for Ukraine and urged other Brits to fight against the Russian invaders

Aiden Aslin, 28, (pictured) is a former carer who previously fought against Isis in Syria. Now he is fighting against a Russian invasion of Ukraine

A 60-year-old former Territorial Army soldier (pictured) said outside the Ukrainian embassy in London that 'somebody has to' put their life on the line

Sixty British volunteers are heading to Ukraine to fight against Vladimir Putin's Russian forces, led by Mamuka Mamulashvili, Georgian National Legion (pictured training in Kyiv in January) commander

Asked if the Prime Minister supported her remarks, a No 10 spokesman said today the travel advice was not to go to Ukraine.

He added: 'We think the best way of helping now is ensuring Putin fails.'

Friends and families of the Brits going to war told MailOnline of their worries for them being on the frontlines in Ukraine.

Mr Pinner, who previously served in the Royal Anglian Regiment, said he fought with the Ukrainian army as a 'contract soldier

This week they are frantically searching for chest seals to treat battle wounds before they head to Ukraine, she added.

A friend of Mr Aslin, Kattia Beckinsale-Yates, told MailOnline: 'I messaged the other day but haven't heard anything back.'

She added she was 'hoping and praying he's safe'.

A YouGov poll of UK adults on Monday found 18 per cent believes the Government should encourage people who want to fight the Russians to go to Ukraine (Image: YouGov)

A YouGov poll of UK adults on Monday found 18 per cent believes the Government should encourage people who want to fight the Russians to go to Ukraine.

Father-of-seven Antony Zamparelli told GB News he was willing to die for the Ukrainian cause and urged other Brits to 'go to Ukraine if you're willing to fight for freedom'.

Meanwhile, a 60-year-old former Territorial Army soldier said outside the Ukrainian embassy in London that 'somebody has to' put their life on the line.

He added: 'I decided to come and do something. I can get on a flight tomorrow.'

MailOnline revealed on Saturday that foreigners are crossing into Ukraine to take up arms after a call from president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Aslin is a former carer who left his job in April 2015 and travelled to Syria to fight Isis in Syria.

He spent ten months there before coming home to the UK, where he was arrested.

He was held for 30 hours after officers boarded his plane at Heathrow, where members of his family were eagerly awaiting his arrival.

He was immediately taken to Nottinghamshire Police headquarters for questioning over a suspected terrorism offence.

He remained on bail for months until all charges were dropped in October 2016.

Now, in Ukraine, he is not the only Britain ready to fight off a Russian invasion.

The former carer has been joined by ex-soldier Mr Pinner, from Bedfordshire.

He is married to a Ukrainian woman and has been in Donbas for the past four years.

Mr Pinner previously served in the Royal Anglian Regiment and said he fought with the Ukrainian army as a 'contract soldier'.

Speaking from a trench ten miles outside Mariupol, he said: 'I am here defending my family and adopted city. Russia started this war  it's funded by Russia and driven by Russia. But we will fight them, make no mistake about that.'

Mr Pinner said fighting in the trenches was 'like Hell', with snipers 'less than 600m away'.

Mr Pinner said there has been tension in Ukraine' for years'.

'It's only new to Europe, who have finally woken up to what's happening here,' he told Al Jazeera.

Mr Pinner is one of the oldest in his unit, which has three Brits and one Croatian as well as Ukrainians.

The team is known as the Marines First Battalion. 'I've always got something to prove,' Mr Pinner added.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline commander Mamulashvili said: 'I have a very big group of Britons, around sixty travelling to Ukraine to join up with my Georgian National League unit.

'They are travelling by car from the UK and will cross over at the Polish border. I am expecting them here with equipment and supplies in the next few days.

A Russian tank burning in the Ukrainian city of Sumy just days after newly revealed dashcam footage showed a huge column of tanks moving in

'They are mostly guys who have fought with me in Ukraine before but there are also new recruits as well.

'We will provide them with training and weapons and they are coming from London and all over Britain.

'Their background is former British Army and Special Forces and they are good fighters, they can be trusted to take on the Russian aggressors and most importantly win.

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine faces a 'crucial' 24 hours as Russia throws even more ground forces at Kyiv

Plumes of smoke rise from a building, which was caused by a cruise missile according to local media, in Kyiv, Ukraine

Smoke billows over the town of Vasylkiv, which is just outside Kyiv on February 27

Public Chernihiv reports that a rocket hit a residential building in the centre of Chernihiv, north of Kyiv. A fire broke out with two lower floors ablaze. The number of injured is currently unknown

'What I want to stress is that none of them are getting paid, they are not mercenaries, they are all volunteers.'

Commander Mamulashvili is a veteran of the 2008 war against Russia in Georgia and a mixed martial arts expert and founded the unit in 2014 to provide foreign fighters in Ukraine's war against Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region.

He added: 'The guys from the UK are just bringing basic equipment with their uniforms and rations, they will get weapons when they arrive.

'Putin is very much mistaken if he thinks he will take Ukraine, he will face a fight to the death as the Ukrainian army has shown how brave and strong it is.

'They have experience and now they have good equipment from the rest of Europe and the world and now we have the backing of some of the best foreign volunteer soldiers in the world.

'We know some of us might die but unless we fight against Russia, Putin will just keep going and trying to take countries.

'When he went into Georgia in 2008 the then President of my country said Ukraine would be next and he was right.'

Father-of-two Mamulashvili added that he 'expected' the number of volunteers from Britain and elsewhere to top 500 within the next few days after having received dozens of requests asking for details on how to join up.

Members of Georgian Legion train civilians to adapt them with the self-defence capabilities in January

The paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers to fight against Russian aggression in Ukraine in 2014, now includes people of various nationalities

Commander Mamuka Mamulashvili told MailOnline: 'anyone from the UK who wants to come and fight is to get in touch with the Ukrainian embassy in London and they will advise how to get to our base. If that is not possible volunteers should make their way to Poland and cross the border into Ukraine and head for the city of Lviv where we have a mobilisation base and make themselves known to the local authorities'

He added: 'My advice for anyone from the UK who wants to come and fight is to get in touch with the Ukrainian embassy in London and they will advise how to get to our base.

'If that is not possible volunteers should make their way to Poland and cross the border into Ukraine and head for the city of Lviv where we have a mobilisation base and make themselves known to the local authorities but for obvious reasons I cannot give you the exact address.'

Earlier this year it emerged that at least two Brits were fighting in Ukraine, Aiden Aslin, 28, from Newark, Nottinghamshire and Sean Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire.

Do you know someone going to fight in Ukraine? Email chris.matthews@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

Harry Jackson, 27, who founded UK Aid for Ukraine, and launched an appeal on Facebook for volunteers and equipment said he had been 'flooded with offers of help'.

Harry said: 'I'm putting people in touch with Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of the Georgian National Legion.

'I have helmets, flak jackets and medical supplies all going out as well as a group of volunteers.'

On Sunday President Zelensky urged foreigners to head to Ukrainian embassies in their home countries to sign up for an 'international brigade' to help fight invading Russian forces.

He said: 'All foreigners wishing to join the resistance against the Russian occupiers and protect global security are invited by the Ukrainian leadership to come to our state and join the ranks of the territorial defence forces,' Zelensky said in a statement on the presidential website.

'A separate unit is being formed from foreigners  the International Brigade of the territorial defence of Ukraine. This will be a key testimony of your support for our country.'

Since 2016 it has been legal for foreigners to join the Ukrainian army.
Sen. Joe Manchin joined with his GOP colleagues to block a bill that would have codified the right to an abortion after states across the country have restricted the practice.

The bill was widely expected to fail, but Democratic leaders put it up to a vote in a show of support for abortion rights ahead of the Supreme Court's impending ruling on Roe v. Wade.

The Women's Health Protection Act garnered 46 yeas and 48 nays. Manchin along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, both Republicans who have supported abortion rights, voted against moving the bill forward for debate. The House-passed bill would have needed 60 votes to surpass the filibuster and make it to President Biden's desk.

Both Murkowski, R-Ala., and Collins, R-Maine, introduced their own amendment to codify Roe v. Wade shortly before a vote on the bill.

'I have long supported a woman's right to choose, but my position is not without limits, and this partisan Women's Health Protection Act simply goes too far. It would broadly supersede state laws and infringe on Americans' religious freedoms,' Murkowski said.

Sen. Joe Manchin joined with his GOP colleagues to block a bill that would have codified the right to an abortion after states across the country have restricted the practice

Some 26 states would move to immediately ban abortion if Roe is overturned, according to the Guttmacher Institute

'The fact that my choice is between this bill, or nothing at all, shows how insincere Majority Leader Schumer is about protecting women's rights. Failing to conduct any outreach and reducing this important issue to nothing more than a designed-to-fail show vote is a disservice to women across America,' she added.

Collins and Murkowski cited concerns about language in the bill stating that the WHPA 'supersedes and applies to the law of the Federal Government and each State government,' including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. That law prohibits government from 'substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion,' according to The 19th.

The bill stated that healthcare providers should be able to provide abortions without a number of barriers - including restrictions on abortions prior to fetal viability, which many states currently have in place. It proposed that the U.S. attorney general could sue any state or government official who violated its terms.

The two senators wanted to remove any 'extraneous and over-reaching provisions' in the bill.

Republicans said the bill was too radical at a news conference ahed of the vote.

'This is by far the most extreme pro-abortion bill that has ever been put in front of Congress. Ever,' said Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

Since the 1973 Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade, women have had the right to an abortion prior to viability, around 23 or 24 weeks. In December, the court signaled its willingness to permit a Mississippi ban on abortion after 15 weeks. The court is expected to come to a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in late spring.

Even Chief Justice Roberts questioned why 15 weeks is 'not enough time' for a woman to choose, Brett Kavanaugh hinted that abortion rights should be left up to the states and Amy Coney Barrett brought up alternatives to termination including adoption during debate in December.

Some 26 states would move to immediately ban abortion if Roe is overturned, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights advocacy research group.
Ukraine's deputy prime minister is sharing his appreciation for billionaire Elon Musk, who activated Starlink satellites for the war-torn country after its Internet service was disrupted by relentless Russian invaders.

Musk, the world's richest man, on Saturday answered the pleas of vice PM and Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had implored him to help the embattled nation with Internet access.

After the Tesla and SpaceX founder came through, Fedorov tweeted: 'Starlink here - thanks, @elonmusk' alongside a picture of a truck filled with equipment.

Musk promptly responded, tweeting: 'My pleasure.'

Eastern European news station Nexta reported that the satellites were already providing service at speeds of 100 Mbps, which is enough bandwidth to stream movies, play games, and work from home.

Ukraine's vice PM Mykhailo Fedorov took to Twitter on Monday to thank Elon Musk for supply the country with Starlink satellites

Ukraine's vice VP Mykhailo Fedorov

Although Fedorov was among the more prominent figures to recognize Musk's assistance, everyday Ukrainians also turned to Twitter to express their gratitude.

'Success! SpaceX Starlink is working in Kyiv, Ukraine,' tweeted Kyiv-based engineer Oleg Kutkov. 'The Dishy was placed just outside my window, even without adjustments. Thanks, @SpaceX team, for your support,'

Kutkov tweeted that the Internet at one point reached speeds of 200 Mbps.

As Internet service became spotty following days of rocket attacks by Russia, Ukrainian officials sought ways to ensure locals remained connected.

It's been five days since Putin ordered Russian troops to enter Ukraine, which has reported 352 civilian deaths since the start of the invasion, including 14 children.

Russia has for days been attempting to takeover Kyiv, but faced fierce resistance from brave Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who used guns and Molotov cocktails to defend their capital city.

A refugee stands by a fire after crossing the Ukrainian-Polish border on February 28, 2022 as Russia carried out its fifth consecutive day of unprovoked attacks on Ukraine

A woman is pictured in front of a damaged building in Donetsk, Ukraine on February 28, 2022

They saw it as a way to combat Russian propaganda and share atrocities being carried out by troops on the orders of Vladimir Putin.

Fedorov put out a request for help last Saturday, tweeting: '@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars  Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space  Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.'

Within 11 hours, Musk announced that Starlink - a space-based system that SpaceX has been building for years to bring internet access to underserved areas of the world - was up and running in Ukraine.

Musk's response to Fedorov's request was prompt; the Starlink stations were up and running within 11 hours

The tech visionary, who founded Tesla and SpaceX, told the Ukrainian official that he was happy to help

SpaceX Starlink works by creating a mesh network in orbit, that users within the range of these satellites can connect to using a specialist dish and terminal

STARLINK: SATELLITE INTERNET FROM SPACEX Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched nearly 2,000 of its 'Starlink' space internet satellites into orbit. They form a constellation designed to provide low-cost broadband internet service from low Earth orbit. Its goal is to beam superfast internet into your home from space. There are an estimated 145,000 users users around the world, and that is before it available worldwide. SpaceX says putting a 'constellation' of satellites in low earth orbit would provide high-speed, cable-like internet all over the world. The company has previously filed plans with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 4,425 satellites into orbit above the Earth and could have 42,000. 'Once fully deployed, the SpaceX system will pass over virtually all parts of the Earth's surface and therefore, in principle, have the ability to provide ubiquitous global service,' the firm said. 'Every point on the Earth's surface will see, at all times, a SpaceX satellite.' Advertisement

While Ukraine continues to ensure attacks from the air and assaults from the ground by Russian forced, the county has also been subjected to cyber attacks.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Cabinet of Ministers, and Parliament website were all appeared offline for several hours last Wednesday following a cyberattack which also affected some of the banks in the country.

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX has close to 2,000 Starlink satellites orbiting Earth at an altitude of 340 miles.

Earlier this month, Musk's satellite venture launched a free high-speed internet service to connect remote villages in Tonga that were cut off since a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in January.

The satellites allow for large amounts of information to be beamed quickly to any point on Earth without the need for fiber-optic cables.

'In 2022 modern technologies are one of the best response to tanks, rockets and missiles. I've addressed to the biggest tech giants to support the sanctions for Russian Federation. We asked them to help us stop this outrageous aggression on our people!' Fedorov wrote in another Twitter posting on Saturday.

As of the February 26, a total of 2,142 Starlink satellites have been launched since the first couple in February 2018, although many of this total have failed or been decommissioned in space.

SpaceX has even grander plans for its Starlink project, and has already requested authorization for a second-generation megaconstellation, made up of 30,000 satellites.

Musk, 50, also offered to come to the rescue Sunday after Putin's space chief Dimitry Rogozin warned on Twitter that Russian technology was needed to keep the International Space Station in orbit and prevent it from crashing into the US or Europe.

'If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States and Europe?' Rogozin tweeted last Friday.

Musk said his company SpaceX would rescue the ISS if necessary.
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Americans and Canadians are among the thousands of international civilian volunteers responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call to arms to help fight Russia, despite the fact many have no military experience.

Zelensky on Sunday announced the formation of what he is calling the International Legion of the Territorial Defense Army in Ukraine. He asked international volunteers with experience to join him and the Ukrainian people on the ground as they continue their brave defense of the country.

Among those who answered is 29-year-old Canadian comedian Anthony Walker, who is already in Poland, and several Americans who spoke to Reuters on the condition that their full identities not be disclosed.

Ukrainian nationals like a Chicago-based woman who gave her name only as Maria are also flying back to the region to help.

'It's harder when you're not there. All of my people are there. I'd rather go there. I am strong, I am stubborn, I speak all the languages in the region - I can be useful,' she told NBC on Monday.

Canadian Anthony Walker, left, is in Poland now and plans to enter Ukraine when more volunteers arrive next week. Right, a Ukrainian woman who gave her name only as Maria, who lives in Chicago. She will fly to Poland next week and enter Ukraine from there

She is taking her American fiance with her who is a military veteran. The pair have asked for night vision goggles as wedding gifts, and plan to get married within the next week before they fly to Poland on Monday.

'I hope by the time I get there, this is all over,' she said.

Walker told DailyMail.com that he has no military experience but feels compelled to help. He has been sharing videos from the border on social media where he and others are galvanizing to enter Ukraine to fight soon.

Anthony Walker has a wife and kids at home in Canada but he says he feels compelled to help in Ukraine

Others include American veterans who say they feel 'guilty' watching the conflict from afar.

'I feel guilty to not go,' said Dax, 26, a veteran of the elite U.S. 82nd Airborne Division infantry, who planned to deploy with other former U.S. military personnel.

'Like many volunteers, the Alabama native declined to give his full name amid discussion on social media of the need to keep their identities and movements secret for security reasons.

Canadian Bryson Woolsey quit his job as a cook on Sunday after seeing Zelenskiy's appeal.

He has no military training and plans to buy a plane ticket to Poland, cross into Ukraine and volunteer for combat.

'I felt like I had to do something,' said Woolsey, 33, of Powell River, British Columbia, who became restless as he watched images of wounded women and children in Ukraine.

Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Sunday told reporters it was up to individual Canadians to decide whether they wanted to join Ukraine's international brigade.

The U.S. Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Not all volunteers want to fight.

Maria and her fiance. He is a US Army veteran who will travel with her to Ukraine next week to help in the war against Russia

Anthony Walker is in Poland now, stationed on the border. Hundreds more volunteers are expected in the region next week

Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar posted on Facebook on Monday said that thousands of people had come forward since Zelensky's appeal

In Quebec, 35-year-old physician Julien Auger was preparing to leave his young family to become a medic with Ukraine's health ministry and provide 'neutral' humanitarian aid.

War reporter Nolan Peterson said on Monday he had been informed by one of the American volunteers fighting in the region that he almost died 'on the first day'

'Global opinion and support is the key right now to solving the conflict,' said Auger, a father of two who provides palliative care at a hospital in Saint-Jerome.

In online groups, military veterans warned volunteers with no combat training they were heading into a conflict where inexperience could be a liability for themselves and others.

That did not stop those like Tai B., 23, who studied journalism in New York.

'I'm not looking to be a hero, or a martyr, I just want to finally do something right,' said Tai, who can cook, do basic mechanics and knows how to handle a firearm.

He has contacted Ukraine's U.S. Embassy about enlisting in Zelenskiy's 'international legion.'

Hyde, a 28-year-old from the U.S. Midwest, said he was already in Kyiv and expected to start military training on Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday after signing an application for Ukraine to join the EU. On Sunday, he appealed to international volunteers to join Ukraine's International Legion of Territorial Defense

Ukrainian emergency service personnel gather outside the damaged City Hall building following shelling, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022

People take part in a basic military training on March 1, 2022 in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. Ukrainians from the eastern and central parts of the country have increasingly fled to western cities as Russian forces advance toward Kyiv from three sides

A view of the central square following shelling of the City Hall building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022

'I cannot bear the thought of Europe once again being plunged into warfare,' said Hyde, who described himself as a gun enthusiast and avid survivalist with no combat experience.

He expects to be given a helmet, body armor, knee pads and eventually a rifle.

In Austin, Texas, a software developer said he would draw on his experience as a U.S. Army cadet to fight for Ukraine.

'If they're willing to defend democracy then I think those that benefit from a democratic society are duty bound to support them,' said the 25-year-old, who asked that his name not be used.

'I'm not telling my parents until I head to the airport.'

The Military Times on Monday reported that it had received 'several' inquiries from American veterans who were interested in flying to the region to help.

Officially, anyone who wants to fight is being asked to fill out their credentials at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington DC.
A mother-of-three who was tragically found stabbed to death in one of the UK's 'poshest' villages has been named by police.

The body of Clair Ablewhite, 47, was discovered in her home shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday in Hall Lane, Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire.

A post-mortem examination has since been carried out and confirmed the 47-year-old suffered multiple stab wounds.

Nottinghamshire Police revealed they had arrested a 48-year-old man on Sunday morning in connection with the incident on suspicion of murder and he remains in custody as enquiries continue.

Detectives said they were 'carefully and painstakingly building up a picture of what happened before, during and after the murder'.

Ms Ablewhite's family are described as being 'devastated' by her death and family liaison officers are working closely with them and providing support.

The body of Clair Ablewhite, 47, (pictured) was discovered in her home shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday in Hall Lane, Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire. A post-mortem examination has since been carried out and confirmed the 47-year-old suffered multiple stab wounds

In a statement, Nottinghamshire Police said: 'The death of a woman at her home in Colston Bassett is being treated as murder, police have confirmed.

'Mother-of-three Clair Ablewhite was found dead after officers were called to the property in Hall Lane, shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday.

'A Home Office post-mortem examination has since been carried out and confirmed the 47-year-old suffered stab wounds.

'Officers arrested a 48-year-old man on Sunday morning on suspicion of murder in connection with the investigation and he remains in custody as enquiries continue.

'Police have been carrying out forensic investigations at the property, as well as house-to-house enquiries and checking CCTV in the area.

'A cordon is likely to remain in place for some time and officers will be in the area as they continue their investigations and provide reassurance to local residents.

'Family liaison officers are working closely with the family and providing support at this difficult time.'

Detective Inspector Mel Crutchley, of Notts Police, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Our thoughts remain with the family as they deal with the impact of this tragedy. They have been left devastated by her loss.

'Our investigation is now in the stages of very carefully and painstakingly building up a picture of what happened before, during and after the murder and as people can probably imagine, this process can take time as the evidence we gather makes things clearer and clearer.

'I understand that in a quiet, close-knit community like this it is shocking for an incident like this to happen and people will be talking but I would urge people not to speculate, respect the family and please trust the judicial process to find the truth in due course.

Nottinghamshire Police revealed they had arrested a 48-year-old man on Sunday morning in connection with the incident on suspicion of murder and he remains in custody as enquiries continue. Pictured: Police cordon off Hall Lane in Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire

'I would also ask anyone who has information that may help the investigation to contact Nottinghamshire Police as soon as possible.'

Simon Robinson, leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, said: 'It is very unusual to see this happen. and we send the woman's family our condolences.

'It's a shock for this to happen in such a rural area. The woman who died was very well known in the community.'

Colston Bassett - named as one of the 54 'most desirable' in the country in January - is based in the picturesque Vale of Belvoir on the Notts-Leics border, and has a population of around 400.

The average house price is around 800,000 - the most expensive in Notts - and the village is the home of traditional Stilton and Shropshire Blue cheeses.

Its dairy has been making cheese for over 100 years, and is one of only five nationwide that are permitted to name their blue cheese 'Stilton'.

And Colston Bassett's pub, the Martin's Arms, is a frequent award winner renowned for its fine wine and cuisine.
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A Russian military convoy traveling towards the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has grown from being 17 miles long earlier on Monday to 40 miles, a satellite company has said, as U.S. officials warned that the city could be the scene of a siege and ugly urban warfare.

Maxar Technologies, a private U.S. satellite company, said additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units were seen in southern Belarus, less than 20 miles north of the Ukraine border.

Maxar said the convoy stretches from the Antonov airbase, just 17 miles north of Kyiv's city center, to just north of the Ukrainian town of Pribyrs'k, which is close to the Ukraine-Belarus border and the failed nuclear reactor at Chernobyl.

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A second round of talks aimed at ending Russia's attack on Ukraine is set to take place after the first meeting on Monday ended without resolution

Ukraine's Defense Ministry says Russia has lost 5,300 soldiers, 29 planes, 29 helicopters and 151 tanks

Russia's DoD has for the first time acknowledged suffering losses, but refused to say how many

Ukraine reports 352 civilian deaths since the start of the invasion, including 14 children. The UN puts the civilian toll at 102, including seven children.

Russian economy entered freefall as Western sanctions put in place over the weekend took effect, with ruble sliding to its lowest level ever

Moscow's central bank has more-than doubled the interest rate to 20 per cent

Russia orders people and companies to sell 80 per cent of their revenue in foreign currencies, forcing them to buy the ruble to help prop it up

Moscow stock exchange won't open until at least 3pm in an attempt to head off all-out crash

Zelensky has allowed Ukrainian prisoners to be freed if they join defense forces to 'repay their debt'

Ukraine's president also announced creation of 'international brigade' for foreign volunteers wishing to join military, after 'thousands' applied

Spain's foreign minister called Putin's order to put nuclear forces on high alert 'one more sign of [his] absolute irrationality'

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his country should be open to hosting nuclear weapons

Germany announced a $112million fund to rebuild the country's armed forces, more-than double its current self-defense budget

EU announced, for the first time in its history, that it will send funds to Ukraine for weapons - including fighter jets Advertisement

White House sources told CNN they were carefully monitoring the convoy, and were concerned not only at its increased size but also at the uptick in violence and indiscriminate killings.

U.S. intelligence officials told members of Congress on Monday that they expect a second overwhelming wave of attacks to engulf Ukraine. Two people told CNN that the briefing detailed how they expect the sheer numbers of Russian troops to flatten the Ukrainian resistance.

Another source told the channel that Russia was likely to lay siege to Kyiv, and predicted ugly scenes of urban warfare.

U.S. intelligence believes around 75 percent of Russian forces positioned on the borders with Ukraine are now inside the country.

Monday's convoy of vehicles was so extensive that it was not entirely captured in the satellite imagery.

In some areas, the vehicles are two to three rows deep.

It was not clear whether all vehicles in the convoy were headed for the same final destination, or whether the military forces would split up and encircle the capital.

On Sunday, when Maxar had measured the convoy  then near Ivankiv, Ukraine  it stood at just 3.5 miles long.

News of the convoy came as the scale of the attacks over the weekend were becoming clear.

On Monday, Dmitry Zhivitsky, the head of the Sumy Military Administration in the east of the country, said that 70 Ukrainian soldiers were confirmed dead when they came under attack from Russian artillery on Sunday.

He said that many Russians also died, without giving details.

An apparent cluster bomb attack targeted the city of Kharkiv on Monday, killing at least 11 people and wounding scores more.

Ukraine's ambassador to the US also accused Putin's forces of using a banned thermobaric bomb on the capital of Kyiv overnight.

The bombardment of Kharkiv continued Tuesday morning with a rocket landing just in front of the civilian public administration building, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself.

Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around.

Closer to the capital, the director of the Adonis maternity hospital in Buzova, 20 miles west of Kyiv city center, said their facility had been hit. The district came under heavy attack in the early hours of Saturday, and the onslaught continued into Monday, when the hospital was hit.

A rehabilitation clinic for military veterans in Borodyanka, 40 miles north west of Kyiv center, was also hit on Monday, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Vitali Klitchsko, the former world heavyweight boxing champion who is now the mayor of Kyiv, said on Monday night that his city was frightened but determined.

'We never were so patriotic,' he told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

'I have never been so proud of our soldiers. Our soldiers are heroes. Civilians are building defenses. People are taking weapons and are ready to defend our homes, defend our families, our future and our country.

'I am really proud. The army is not interested in how strong the Russian army is; we are ready to fight, and ready to die for our home. Because it is our future. Somebody wants to come to our home and steal our future from us.'

Asked how long Kyiv could hold out, he replied: 'So long as we can survive.'

And, in a message to Putin, he said: 'We don't want the Soviet Union back. We want a free, democratic country. We are fighting for that - fighting for our dream.

'We don't need the war. We are a peaceful nation, a peaceful people.'

Earlier on Monday, he advised residents to spend the night from Monday to Tuesday in basements or bomb shelters, if possible.

'Tonight will again be difficult,' he wrote in a statement. 'I call on people in Kyiv to spend the night in a shelter.'

After a daylong curfew on Sunday, the mayor allowed residents to leave their homes during the day on Monday but few did.

A massive Russian military convoy is seen advancing from Belarus in the north towards Kyiv. This Maxar satellite image taken and released on Monday shows part of a military convoy in southern Ivankiv

A 40-mile long convoy is seen traveling south from the Belarus border towards Kyiv on Monday. The convoy is composed of tanks and personnel carriers

The head of the convoy is at Antonov airport, 17 miles north of Kyiv city center - the scene of fierce fighting since Thursday. The airport is strongly contested, but is believed to be controlled by Russia

The 40 mile-long convoy of military vehicles came from the north, from Belarus, and was on Monday moving south past Ivankiv and Prybirsk

Russian troops have advanced on Kyiv from the north, through Belarus; from the south, from the Black Sea; and from the east, via the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. The eastern city of Kharkiv has also come under heavy attack. In the early hours of Tuesday, the city of Kherson, 120 miles east of Odessa, was being attacked

Russia on Monday was continuing to pour heavy weapons into Ukraine. On Monday Ukraine's ambassador to the United States said that Moscow had deployed a thermobaric weapon, which is banned by many countries for its lethal efficiency in killing large numbers of people

Handed over  application for the EU membership signed by President @ZelenskyyUa to  PermRep to the EU Philippe Leglise-Costa, current Presidency of the Council of the EU @Europe2022FR.

Application is registered. Process has been started. #UkraineIsEU #EUisUkraine  pic.twitter.com/BBcx7UI6ST  Vsevolod Chentsov (@VVChentsov) February 28, 2022

Kharkiv was struck by more Russian rockets on Tuesday morning, with one striking outside the civilian public administration building which was heavily damaged in the blast. The rocket can be seen a split second before it slams into the building, triggering a massive blast

The rocket caused huge damage to the building and threw up a huge plume of smoke in the aftermath of the explosion

The blast blew debris across the square outside the administrative building and demolished several parked cars

This image, posted by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, shows the square outside the administrative building covered in rubble following the rocket attack

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows bridge damage in Stoyanka, a village west of Kyiv, on Monday. It was unclear whether the bridge was deliberately damaged to slow the Russian advance, or whether it was hit by artillery

A satellite image shows a closer view of ground attack helicopters, at Vd Bokov airfield, in Mazyr, Belarus, on Monday. Putin in January and February staged military exercises in Belarus, and then kept his troops there for the invasion

Ground forces are pictured deployed in Teshkov, Belarus, north of the border with Ukraine, in images taken by Maxar Technologies on Monday, showing the scale of Russia's military onslaught

Helicopters are pictured lined up in Bokov airfield in southern Belarus on Monday, not far from the border with Ukraine. The satellite company also released images showing a huge military convoy of Russian equipment heading towards Kyiv

Russian military equipment is pictured moving into formation in Khilchikha, Belarus, on Monday. Vladimir Putin and his ally, Belarus's dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko, are working together to attack Ukraine from all sides

The military convoy is seen on Monday in Ivankiv, heading south towards Kyiv. The convoy in places is three vehicles wide, showing the scale of the invasion

A satellite image shows southern end of convoy armor towed artillery trucks, east of Antonov airport on Monday. Antonov airport is only 17 miles outside of Kyiv city center

A view shows the regional administration building following the Russian rocket attack in central Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 1, 2022

Rescue workers and medics are pictured close to the regional administration building in central Kharkiv, picking their way through the debris following the explosion

The bombardment of Kharkiv continued Tuesday morning with a rocket landing just in front of the civilian public administration building, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself. Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around

Ukraine on Monday announced it was applying to join the European Union - a move guaranteed to further anger Vladimir Putin.

On Monday evening, Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of the Ukrainian Mission to the E.U., tweeted photos of him handing over the documentation.

'Handed over application for the EU membership signed by President @ZelenskyyUa toPermRep to the EU Philippe Leglise-Costa, current Presidency of the Council of the EU @Europe2022FR,' he said.

'Application is registered. Process has been started. #UkraineIsEU #EUisUkraine.'

On Tuesday morning in Japan, the prime minister, Fumio Kishida - who comes from Hiroshima - said the G7 nations will urge the international community to unite against Russia.

'It is important that all members of the international community respond resolutely to Russia's acts,' Kishida told reporters in a news conference after a call with G7 leaders and allies.

Kishida said the G7 nations  Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States  and their partners had also agreed to help Ukrainian refugees following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida said any use of nuclear force is unacceptable.

As Kishida spoke, the economic noose was tightening around Moscow.

Mastercard announced late on Monday it has 'blocked multiple financial institutions' from its payment network as a result of sanction orders against Russia.

The company's chief executive, Michael Miebach, did not say which financial institutions had been blocked, only that Mastercard would 'abide fully by our compliance obligations as they evolve.'

Hours earlier, Disney said they were banning their films from Russia.

They followed Uber, BP, Shell, HSBC and other companies in withdrawing from the country. There were bank runs reported in Russia on Monday, and the rouble suffered its biggest-ever loss against the dollar, plunging 40 percent.

On Monday night, Connecticut senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said that a classified briefing to Congress confirmed that Putin was advancing slowed than he had hoped.

'Just leaving classified briefing on Ukraine crisis. A few takeaways that I can share,' he tweeted.

'1/ Confirmation that the Russians have fallen behind their timeline. Ukrainian resistance has been fierce and there have been multiple Russian equipment and logistics failures.

'2/ DoD and DHS are pressing hard for Congress to end the continuing resolution and get a budget passed. There is no way for our national security agencies to be nimble enough to support Ukraine if they are operating on the 2020/21 budget.

'3/ The ability to keep supply lines running to Ukraine remains alive, but Russia will try to encircle and cut off Kiev in the next several weeks. The fight for Kiev will be long and bloody and Ukrainians are rapidly preparing for street to street combat.

'4/ The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putin's inner circle anticipated.'

Part of a Russian rocket is seen in the street outside a shop in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, after bombardment by Russian forces

A spent Russian rocket is seen embedded in the floor of an apartment building in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, after Putin's forces unleashed a bombardment against civilian areas on Monday

A destroyed Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle is seen next to a spent missile casing in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, which came under attack from 'cluster' munitions on Monday

Antonov airport, the closest Russian-held site to the center of Kyiv, was the scene of fierce fighting on Friday as it changed hands several times.

By Saturday, it was under Putin's forces' control.

Kyiv was subjected to a strong attack on Friday night and into Saturday morning, as Russian forces attempted to enter the city from all sides.

From the north, troops were attacking from Antonov airport, with a thermal power plant in the suburb of Troieshchyna the focus of fighting.

From the east, Putin's forces advanced towards Kyiv zoo, sparking fierce battles along Peremohy Avenue - a main artery into the city.

And from the south, fighting was raging near the town of Vasilkov, 20 miles south of Kyiv.

On Monday, delegations representing Ukraine and Russia met in Belarus to discuss the future.

As soon as the discussions broke up, Russian forces began firing upon Kyiv.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, said on Monday night that his country had so far in the five-day conflict been hit with 56 Russian missile strikes, and 113 cruise missiles were fired.

He accused Russia of war crimes after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks on the fifth day of their invasion.

In a late night address directed at Russia, Zelensky said there would 'definitely be an international tribunal' for what he said was a 'violation of all conventions' and added that 'no one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.'

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said that he plans to open an investigation 'as rapidly as possible' into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

In the early hours of Tuesday, air raid sirens were sounding once again in the capital city.

Ukrainian media reported that the city of Kherson, 300 miles south of Kyiv on the Black Sea, was also coming under attack early on Tuesday, Nexta reported.

In a late night address directed at Russia on Monday night, Zelensky said there would 'definitely be an international tribunal' for what he said was a 'violation of all conventions' and added that 'no one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people'

Smoke can be seen near Ivankiv, 50 miles north of Kyiv, after the Russian convoy passed through heading south towards Kyiv. It is unclear what caused the smoke

A burnt-out car is seen in the east of Ukraine, in Donetsk, on Monday

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of war crimes on Monday after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks on the fifth day of their invasion. Above: Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, coming under heavy attack on Monday

The attack on Kharkiv is believed to have left nine people dead, including three children. Above: The aftermath of the strike on Monday

Body of a Russian soldier lays outside a school destroyed as a result of fighting not far from the center of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Monday

What are thermobaric 'vacuum' bombs? Thermobaric weapons - also known as vacuum bombs - are high-powered explosive that use the atmosphere itself as part of the explosion. They are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed. The bomb works by using oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, making it far deadlier than a conventional weapon. A thermobaric bomb dropped by the US on Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 weighed 21,600 pounds and left a crater more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) wide after it exploded six feet above the ground. Thermobaric weapons were developed by both the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. In September 2007, Russia detonated the largest thermobaric weapon ever made, which created an explosion equivalent to 39.9 tons. The U.S. version of the weapon reportedly costs over $16 million each. Last week, it emerged that Russia may use the weapons if their assault in Ukraine became bogged down. A western official said: 'My fear would be that if they don't meet their timescale and objectives they would be indiscriminate in their use of violence. 'They don't adhere to the same principles of necessity and proportionality and rule of law that Western forces do.' Advertisement

The eastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest, came under heavy attack on Monday, killing nine civilians, The New York Times reported.

'Today showed that this is not only a war, it is the murder of us, the Ukrainian people,' said Kharkiv's mayor, Igor Terekhov, in a video posted on Facebook.

'This is the first time in its many-year history that the city of Kharkiv has been through something like this: shells that hit residential homes, killing and maiming innocent citizens.'

Terekhov said four people died on Monday when they emerged from bomb shelters to find water.

A family of five  two adults and three children  was burned alive when a shell hit their car.

Another 37 people were wounded, he said.

Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. claimed earlier on Monday that Russia used a devastating vacuum bomb on Ukraine.

Oksana Markarova, speaking after briefing members of the U.S. congress, said: 'They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by the Geneva convention. The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.'

The vacuum bombs, which are also known as thermobaric weapons, can vaporize bodies and crush internal organs. They use oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive.

They are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed.

The U.N. human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, said on Monday her office has confirmed that 102 civilians, including seven children, have been killed, and 304 others injured in violence in Ukraine since Thursday, as she cautioned that the tally was likely a vast undercount.

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, on Monday voiced his anger at reports of 'Russia's attacks on Ukrainian cities and mounting civilian deaths,' according to the State Department.

Blinken made the comments while on a call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday.

Their conversation came amid reports that Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko is poised to throw his own troops into the fighting.

The move follows on from Chechen forces being thrown into battle, which led to the almost-immediate destruction of a column of armored vehicles and the death of one of their top generals.

Belarus on Sunday also voted to amend the country's constitution allowing them to host Russian nuclear weapons, which came after Putin's chilling order to his defense chiefs to put the country's nuclear weapons on 'alert' in response to 'threats' from the West.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that Russia's decision to raise the nuclear alert was 'a reckless, dangerous decision'.

He added: 'There's no reason for that. NATO is no threat to Russia. We don't seek confrontation with Russia.'
Media regulator Ofcom yesterday began 15 investigations into the 'due impartiality' of state-backed Russian broadcaster RT.

The move, which increases the likelihood of RT losing its UK licence, relates to 15 editions of its hourly news show aired on Sunday.

The EU has banned the channel, formerly known as Russia Today, but Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned a similar move in the UK was likely to lead to the BBC being banned in Russia.

She added: 'We want the Russian population to hear the truth about what Putin is doing.'

Media regulator Ofcom yesterday began 15 investigations into the 'due impartiality' of state-backed Russian broadcaster RT

The EU has banned the channel, formerly known as Russia Today, but Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned a similar move in the UK was likely to lead to the BBC being banned in Russia

Last week Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries used a letter to Ofcom to accuse RT, previously known as Russia Today, of being 'demonstrably part of Russia's global disinformation campaign'

After days of speculation, Ofcom revealed it had 'observed a significant increase' in the number of shows on the broadcaster that 'warrant investigation under our Broadcasting Code'.

It is understood the investigations mainly centre on reporting from correspondents on the ground - in places like the Donbas region of Ukraine - rather than the handling of stories by presenters in the studio.

RT, which has a number of British presenters and reporters, has reportedly referred to the invasion of Ukraine as a 'special military operation'.

Ofcom said yesterday it was expecting 'full-cooperation from RT', adding that the investigations will be 'expedited' given the 'severity and urgency of the current crisis'.

On Sunday, Boris Johnson said the channel had been 'peddling' content that was 'doing a lot of damage to the truth', and called for Ofcom to look at whether it was 'infringing the rules of this country'.

Last week Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries used a letter to Ofcom to accuse RT, previously known as Russia Today, of being 'demonstrably part of Russia's global disinformation campaign'.

But yesterday Miss Truss admitted any move to ban the channel here could lead to retaliation against UK broadcasters like the BBC.

She told Parliament: 'We are looking at what can be done on RT but the reality is that if we ban RT in the United Kingdom, that is likely to lead to channels like the BBC being banned in Russia.'

The Foreign Secretary added: 'And what we want is we want the Russian population to hear the truth about what Vladimir Putin is doing.'

Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said last night: 'Given the serious on-going situation in Ukraine, we will be concluding our investigations into RT as a matter of urgency.'
As the war between Russia and Ukraine goes on, there are also fears of Moscow's possible use of more advanced and highly devastating weapons.

Some media reports say that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "War Toys" or unconventional arsenal developed by the country's scientists. It includes robot tanks, invisible drones, and attack dogs.

In the recent past, Russian scientists claimed to have invented driverless robot tanks - armed with sensors, rockets, machine guns, and flamethrowers - which could destroy enemy trench positions.

The Daily Star reported that Kremlin already has the Uran-9 strike robots operational. Such robots can operate unassisted and can be controlled remotely.

Russia also reportedly has dogtroopers. These airborne soldiers would hit the ground accompanied by attack dogs in body armor, ready for combat and rescue missions.

Aside from dogs, Russia War Toys also include tanks that can be dropped with a parachute onto land and into bodies of water. These are the 18-ton Sprut-SDM1 war machines that can destroy targets from three miles away. Even getting hit in 4ft. waves, it can still fire its anti-tank gun.

Moscow also has a stealth drone that cannot be noticed by radar. It is the S-70 Okhotnik that can fly back and forth from Moscow to London. It could support Su-57 fighter pilots in groups of four.

How massive is Russia's Nuclear Weapons Arsenal?

According to the Arms Control Association, Russia's overall nuclear stockpile is larger than the United States. Moscow has around 6,250 total nuclear warheads, while the US possesses not less than 5,500.

The Arms Control Association estimates that Russia has 1,458 warheads on 527 intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and bombers in terms of deployed nuclear warheads. While the US holds 1,389 warheads on 665 intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and bombers.

No other country possesses nuclear weapons, including the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Pakistan, India, China, and North Korea, which has a stockpile level near those numbers of Moscow and Washington, CNN reported.

Read Also: North Korea Says Russia-Ukraine War's Root Cause Is Not Territorial Dispute But US' Sanctions; More Than 520,000 Refugees Flee Kyiv

Vacuum Bomb Allegedly Used by Russia in Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States claimed that Russia had used a condemned weapon in its attacks.

In a media briefing after a meeting with US legislators, Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador, said Russia had used a thermobaric weapon, known as a vacuum bomb, in its attack on her nation.

A vacuum bomb, also known as a thermobaric weapon, draws oxygen from the surrounding air to produce a high-temperature explosion. It generates a blast wave that lasts much longer than a normal explosive and is capable of vaporizing people.

However, authorities have not yet confirmed the employment of thermobaric weapons in the Ukrainian conflict, per Reuters.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had seen reports on such weapons but had not received any confirmation if Russia utilized a vacuum bomb.

She remarked that if Russia used a thermobaric weapon to attack Ukraine, "it would potentially be a war crime."

Human rights group Amnesty International says International humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons, like cluster munitions. It is a war crime to execute indiscriminate strikes that kill or hurt civilians.

Related Article: Russian Billionaires Jet Tracker: Teen Who Stalked Elon Musk Now Targeting Russia's Wealthiest

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Scott Peterson was back in court Monday for his retrial hearing to overturn his conviction in the sordid slaying of his pregnant wife 20 years ago, as his defense team argued a juror was not impartial because she allegedly failed to disclose domestic abuse at his first trial.

Lawyers on Monday completed their questioning of former juror Richelle Nice who testified that she did not intentionally lie on the jury questionnaire about being the victim of a crime.

'I did not do it intentionally. I don't consider myself a victim. I've been in many fights,' Nice testified.

Nice, dubbed 'Strawberry Shortcake' because of her dyed red hair, was among the 12 jurors who found Peterson guilty of killing his pregnant wife, Laci.

Peterson, 49, was convicted in 2004 of killing Laci and their unborn son, who the couple planned to name Conner. He has long maintained his innocence.

Attorney Pat Harris, said it was impossible for Nice to be unbiased in Peterson's case because she was the victim of domestic violence while pregnant, like Laci.

Nice was once granted a restraining order against a boyfriend convicted of assaulting her.

'When I filled out that questionnaire, honestly and truly, nothing of this ever crossed my mind, ever,' Nice said Monday of her failure to disclose that she had sought a restraining order in 2000 against her then boyfriend's former girlfriend, saying then that she feared for her own unborn child.

That, Peterson's attorneys say, colored her view of Peterson. But they must first prove to California Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo that Nice lied on her pre-trial jury questionnaire to get on the panel.

The judge then would have to find that Nice was biased against Peterson from the start, tainting his jury and denying him a fair trial.

Peterson's attorneys plan to spend the next two days of the weeklong hearing putting on witnesses they say will contradict Nice's answers.

Scott Peterson listens during a hearing at the San Mateo County Superior Court on February 28. His lawyers are seeking a retrial on the grounds that a juror lied on her questionnaire when failing disclose she was once beaten while pregnant

Peterson, seated, listens as attorneys Shelley Sandusky, left, Pat Harris, second from left, and Cliff Gardner, speak during a break at hearing at the San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City, California on Monday, February 28

Lawyers must first prove to California Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo that Nice lied on her pre-trial jury questionnaire to get on the panel that convicted Peterson in 2004

Richelle Nice was a juror who helped convict Scott Peterson for the Christmastime 2002 murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner

Peterson was sentenced to death in 2005 for the murders, but was last December re-sentenced to life without parole

Nice swore also disputed any financial motive in the case.

Jurors never discussed jointly writing a book until after the trial and verdict - 'Absolutely not,' she swore.

Another juror loaned her $1,000 only after the trial ended - 'Way after the trial, maybe even a year.'

She denied selling a series of post-trial letters between herself and Peterson to People Magazine.

Nice said she doesn't recall a fellow juror's account that when she joined the jury in deliberations she declared that 'We should get Scott for what he did to Laci and 'little man.''

'It doesn't sound like something I would say, but I have no idea,' she said. 'I don't remember this.'

She said to her recollection, the first time she used 'little man' to refer to Conner was in her first television interview after the trial.

Peterson's attorneys argue that she lobbied to get on the jury.

But prosecutors on Monday called that into question with a transcript of the jury selection process showing that the trial judge had dismissed Nice from the jury pool because of financial hardship and she was ready to walk out the door without complaint - until Peterson's celebrity attorney, Mark Geragos, called her back.

It was only then that she said she could afford to serve during what was expected to be a five-month trial despite being paid by her employer for just two weeks.

Nice said she could afford to go without pay because she was living with her mother and boyfriend, who could help financially.

Scott Peterson, seated at right, listens as attorney Pat Harris, standing, speaks during a hearing at the San Mateo County Superior Court on Monday, February 28

Peterson, right, walks out of court after the hearing on Monday.

But Peterson attorney Pat Harris said Friday that they can't find Nice's then-boyfriend, who he said told a defense investigator that he was concerned at the time about the financial toll and Nice's need to care for a sick child. Massullo is weighing whether to allow the investigator to testify instead.

Defense attorneys plan to call Geragos to the stand, contending now that his allowing Nice to serve amounted to ineffective assistance of counsel.

Geragos has said in court papers that had he known of Nice's personal history he would have immediately bounced her from the jury.

Peterson's attorneys plan to call to the witness stand three former fellow jurors; a co-author of 'We the Jury,' the book written by Nice and six other jurors; and filmmakers who say Nice had on her wall a photograph of a young child in pajamas with printing on the pajamas that said 'Little-man.'

They also plan to question a People magazine reporter who wrote a story based on the 17 letters Nice wrote to Peterson after his conviction and the eight letters Peterson wrote to Nice.

Nice became emotional for the only time during the two days of questioning when she said her therapist had suggested that she write to Peterson in the wake of a trial that she said 'absolutely' changed her.

She said she asked Peterson about his infidelity in one letter because she was trying to understand 'about men in general, why they cheat.'

Peterson was arrested only after his lover came forward to say he had told her his wife was gone a month before her actual disappearance.

Nice testified that her boyfriend at the time was serially unfaithful, which Peterson's attorneys have suggested biased her against him going into the trial, which she denies.

Nice (pictured at Peterson's sentencing in 2005) allegedly failed to disclose that she was a victim of domestic abuse during the 2004 juror selection process for Peterson's high-profile trial, and it's now among the reasons his defense team is seeking a retrial

Nice's testimony Monday and Friday centered on whether she lied about her history with domestic violence. She's pictured on February 25, 2005

Nice is pictured hugging attorney Gloria Allred after speaking at a news conference after the formal sentencing of Scott Peterson in Redwood City, Calif., on March 16, 2005

Nice's testimony, which started Friday, kicked off a weeklong hearing centered on whether she lied about her history with domestic violence to get on a jury so she could vote to convict Peterson.

While grilled on the stand Friday by Peterson's lawyer Pat Harris, Nice claimed that although her boyfriend was convicted of assaulting her, he never actually did.

She said her then-boyfriend Eddie Whiteside called the cops on her in November 2001 after she assaulted him in their bedroom during a fight. When police arrived, she said they noticed a cut on her lip that was caused by her braces and they arrested him for assault.

'Eddie never hit me,' she told court on Friday. 'Now, or any time. Eddie never hit me, so I was not a victim of domestic violence.'

However, Nice did admit during testimony that she failed to disclose being victimized by her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend, who slashed his tires, broke into their home and threatened her.

Nice, who was testifying with impunity, claimed she never intentionally lied when responding to a jury selection question about whether she or her associates had ever witnessed or been victimized by a crime.

She responded that she hadn't been victimized, despite filing a restraining order while pregnant in 2000 against a woman she then accused of terrorizing her.

But she claimed on the stand Friday that she was 'being spiteful' by seeking a court injunction for herself and unborn son.

When asked if she was ever in fear that the woman would harm her unborn child, she said: 'Nope.'

Her latest claim that she wasn't worried about her baby's safety contradicted the statements she made while requesting the court order. She at that time said she was worried the woman might hurt harm the fetus.

She now said she was only worried about what might have happened if the two engaged in a fist fight.

'She wasn't going to deliberately hurt my child, but if we fought and rolled around like some dummies on the ground, then yes I would be fearful losing my child doing something stupid like that,' she said.

If Peterson gets a new trial, Harris said they can present new evidence that burglars were nearby on the day Laci Peterson disappeared, that witnesses saw her alive that day, and that her fetus was 'alive for at least another five to six days' based on an examination of the fetal remains.

However, prosecutors said Peterson's attorneys have presented no evidence to support their assertions that he deserves a new trial because Nice had a 'darker motive' to be on the jury 'and was in essence a stealth juror.'

Peterson's pregnant wife Laci (pictured) vanished on Christmas Eve 2002 and was discovered months later floating in the San Francisco Bay. The mutilated corpse of their unborn son was also recovered

If Peterson gets a new trial, his lawyers said they can present new evidence that burglars were nearby on the day Laci Peterson disappeared

Laci Peterson, 27, was killed when she was eight months pregnant with a son, whom the Petersons planned to name Conner. Investigators said that on Christmas Eve 2002, Scott Peterson dumped his wife's body from his fishing boat into San Francisco Bay.

Peterson was eventually arrested after Amber Frey, a massage therapist living in Fresno, told police they had begun dating a month before Laci Peterson's death.

She said he had told her his wife was dead. Peterson has maintained his innocence throughout.

Although the state Supreme Court threw out Peterson's death sentence in December and ordered Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo to decide if Nice tainted his trial, it also said 'there was considerable other circumstantial evidence incriminating Peterson.'

Peterson was sentenced to death in 2005 for the 2002 murder of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Connor. Last December, he was re-sentenced to life without parole.
Private schools are on high alert to block fee money from sanctioned Putin cronies and report it to the authorities.

The Independent Schools Council advised fee-paying schools they must not accept money from Russian individuals or banks on the Governments updated sanctions list.

Universities will likely take similar action. However, staff may delay taking action if they have safeguarding concerns.

Oligarchs have long favoured UK private schools, often boarding, which can provide a prestigious British education while parents enjoy a lavish jet-set lifestyle.

In addition, the government has also banned any Russian national living in the UK from having more than 50,000 in British banks.

It means even Russians who are far removed from Vladimir Putin could find it hard to process the funds to pay for fees.

If fees remain unpaid for a certain period - usually 14 days - the schools have the right to terminate the contact with the parents and the child would have to leave.

Fee paying schools 'must not' accept money from Russian individuals or banks, The Independent Schools Council has warned. Pictured: A generic stock image of pupils at a school

However, schools may delay this action if they have safeguarding concerns.

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, said childrens safety and wellbeing are a priority and that sanctions are drawn up by the government - not by the ISC.

However, she said: Sanctions currently imposed on individuals and Russian banks mean schools must not accept payments of fees from these sources.

They are encouraged to remain on high alert over suspicious payments and expected to raise Suspicious Activity Reports if they have any concerns over the provenance of the money they are receiving.

She added schools are conducting background checks on sources of funds in accordance with guidance from the Independent Schools Bursars Association, which has been drawn up with legal experts.

Clearly, the support of the Home Office, National Crime Agency, NECC (National Economic Crime Centre) and other relevant authorities is hugely important, she added.

Associations representing independent schools work with these agencies to encourage vigilance against suspicious fee payments and ensure reporting is carried out as required under relevant laws and regulations.
An $800 million housing tax on property developments to fund social housing has been dumped by the Victorian Government, blaming a 'mischievous' scare campaign.

The Andrews Labor government on February 18 announced plans to impose a 1.75 per cent levy on new developments of more than three dwellings to pay for building thousands of social and affordable homes from 2024.

It argued the tax would affect less than 30 per cent of residential planning permits and could raise more than $800 million per annum to fund up to 1700 new social and affordable homes each year.

An $800 million housing tax on property developments to fund social housing has been dumped by the Victorian government (pictured, stock photo)

Several key industry groups immediately expressed concern the levy costs would be passed onto home buyers, despite the government claiming they reached a deal to secure support for the levy alongside reforms to cut red tape for the sector.

Treasurer Tim Pallas confirmed the tax and adjoining reforms would be dumped after meeting with sector leaders on Monday.

'They are done, they are dusted, they are finished,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

The Andrews Labor government on February 18 announced plans to impose a 1.75 per cent levy on new developments of more than three dwellings (pictured, Victorian premier Dan Andrews)

He attributed the decision to the industry's 'negative' response and the spread of 'misinformation' as part of a 'mischievous' scare campaign.

'They've sought to mislead and confuse the community into this being a net cost on housing,' he said.

'It's total nonsense and the government is not going to put up with the scare campaign of that nature.'

The reforms package and levy will not be revisited by the Andrews government after the November state election, with Mr Pallas admitting some fellow Labor MPs expressed concern about the impact of the 'disinformation'.

'We're not interested in playing those games. We'll get on and deliver social and affordable housing,' he said.

'But, of course, a great opportunity I think has been squandered here for people in most need who needed this industry to step up to the plate and think beyond their own immediate self interest.'

The tax could fund up to 1700 new social and affordable homes each year (pictured, a couple walks past a real estate agent's window in Melbourne)

One of the main industry bodies, the Urban Development Institute of Australia, said last week it was not informed about the levy during government talks on the reforms before it was announced.

UDIA Victoria's chief executive Matthew Kandelaars welcomed the decision to bin the levy, citing figures it would cost home buyers up to $20,000, but not its planning reforms.

'It's frustrating that the government has chosen to hold to ransom the improvement of inefficiencies within a state-sponsored planning system that would help to accelerate the Victorian economy out of the pandemic, with a $20,000 tax on homebuyers,' Mr Kandelaars said in a statement.

'The ultimatum was put to us, but it is a position we could never accept.'

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the government should not have been considering a levy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Victorians don't want more taxes and now is the last time they can afford new taxes,' he said.
MPs today demand a shake-up at the police watchdog following a string of scandals which have undermined public confidence in how complaints against officers will be handled.

The Commons home affairs committee says lengthy inquiries, poor communications and opaque processes are still having a detrimental impact on complainants and officers alike.

This means the public perception remains that complaints against police are unlikely to succeed and would only result in minimal sanctions.

MPs also blast watchdog officials for making the widow of ex-home secretary Leon Brittan  falsely accused of being a member of a Westminster murder and child sex ring  feel like a suspect when she complained about potential misconduct in Scotland Yards disastrous VIP child sex abuse inquiry, Operation Midland.

The home affairs committee says those responsible for making Lady Brittan feel this way should be ashamed.

The MPs call for a change in the governance of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Speaking out: Lady Brittan is seeking justice over the treatment of her husband, the former Home Secretary Leon Brittan, after false allegations were made about him

The report into the IOPC follows scandals including the police-vetting row in the Sarah Everard case, appalling failings by detectives in the case of gay serial killer Stephen Port and a damning review published last month into a toxic culture of racism and sexism at Charing Cross police station.

Todays report refers in detail to the testimony of Lady Brittan. Bungling Scotland Yard officers raided her two homes following bogus claims of child sex abuse and murder made by serial liar Carl Nick Beech.

Not one officer has faced sanction, despite a report by retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques that identified 43 blunders in Operation Midland.

The MPs say: The sorry story of Operation Midland and subsequent inquiries into how it was conducted demonstrates why a robust complaints and conduct system is necessary if the public is to be confident that police officers behave properly and will be held to account if they do not.

'Lady Brittans account of how she... was treated is salutary.

'Those investigating potential police misconduct should be ashamed of leaving any vulnerable person feeling as if they are a suspect.

Labours Dame Diana Johnson, home affairs committee chairman said: The IOPC does deserve credit for the progress it has made in the four years since it was created. However, more work remains to be done.

'We heard from individuals and communities who feel badly let down.

The Mails role in exposing the Operation Midland scandal was praised at a committee hearing last May.
Doctors have warned of a wave of gastroenteritis and skin infections caused by floodwaters in southeast Queensland and northeast NSW.

Torrential downpours caused flooding along the Queensland coast before the storm moved south, causing rivers to break their banks and putting Lismore underwater by Monday afternoon.

Australian College for Emergency Medicine deputy chair Dr Shantha Raghwan said there was already extreme pressure on the healthcare system from the disaster.

'Many staff are sleeping at hospitals, as they cannot leave, and everyone across the healthcare system is working hard to provide care to people who need it, while worrying about the wellbeing of their own loved ones, homes and communities,' she said.

Amid record-breaking floods in northeast NSW, a medical expert has warned to avoid the floodwater which is contaminated and could cause illness (pictured: Lismore on Tuesday)

Hundreds of Lismore residents, many carrying their pets, were rescued by boat as floodwaters inundated the city (pictured)

Some healthcare workers were stuck at hospitals, unable to leave as floodwaters or storms blocked routes, and had been working back-to-back shifts, she added.

Dr Raghwan strongly advised against travelling through floodwaters unless absolutely necessary.

There was not only the risk of drowning but of also being infected by diseases and contamination in the murky water.

'We are anticipating gastroenteritis and skin infections from exposure to contaminated floodwater. Wherever possible, avoid contact with floodwater,' she said.

'Please follow government directives on maintaining and consuming safe drinking water.'

Floodwaters in Lismore on Monday reached the gutter-level on houses and cut-off roads (pictured)

Many Australians unaware of the dangers have posted videos online of themselves and friends swimming and playing in flooded streets.

One man kicked back on an inflatable pool raft while AFL star Mitch Robinson copped backlash for swimming laps in his flooded backyard.

'Mate you can practically see the gastro radiating from the water,' one person commented on the clip.

NSW Health also warned to avoid the deluge saying floodwaters contaminated with sewage may carry a range of viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Southeast Queensland is enduring its worst flood since 2011 with more than 49,000 homes cut off from power.

The floods were caused by several days of relentless heavy rain and inundated several towns with residents stranded.

Residents who lived along the Brisbane River were warned their properties may be at risk as the river was expected to peak at 4m.

AFL star Mitch Robinson has been ridiculed for risking his health after taking a swim in floodwaters surrounding his home in south-east Queensland

Further south, Wilsons River in Lismore peaked at more than 15m and submerged the entire CBD with roof-level water.

There are evacuation orders in place for 350,000 residents and hundreds of people across the region were stranded for hours on rooftops as state and federal emergency services struggled to access impacted areas.

Rescuers in a flotilla of dinghies and inflatables plucked stranded residents from the rooftops and balconies of submerged homes on Monday.

Other Lismore residents waded to higher ground carrying belongings and pets.

'The expectation of the flood waters peaking is now above 16 metres in Lismore and for context the previous record was just a tick over 12 metres in 1954,' NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said.

He added that two defence force Blackhawk helicopters were airborne and conducting rescues as flying conditions marginally cleared.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie launched into former President Trump with dismay over his comments describing Vladimir Putin as 'very savvy' and a 'genius.'

Christie, a former close advisor to Trump who trained him for his debates in 2020, wrote on Twitter: 'How can anyone with any understanding of the world call Putin's decision to invade Ukraine "genius" and "very savvy" as we watch him unite the rest of the world against Russia in nearly an instant?'

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has triggered aggressive sanctions the world over - even typically neutral nations like Sweden and Switzerland have joined the European Union's sanctions plan to starve and isolate the Russian president.

'President Putin has been one of the greatest unifiers of NATO in modern history. So I guess that is one thing we can thank him for,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

'Putin has two choices now: an unwinnable occupation of Ukraine after leveling the country and murdering its hero President (if that is even achievable) or a humiliating retreat. Yeah, that's 'genius' and 'very savvy' alright. No walking that back. History is watching,' Christie continued.

Christie, a former close advisor to Trump who trained him for his debates in 2020, wrote on Twitter: 'How can anyone with any understanding of the world call Putin's decision to invade Ukraine "genius" and "very savvy" as we watch him unite the rest of the world against Russia in nearly an instant?'

Speaking with conservative podcaster Buck Sexton last week, the former president said: 'I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.'

'Putin declares a big portion of of Ukraine, Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful.

'So, Putin is now saying, 'It's independent,' a large section of Ukraine. I said, 'How smart is that?''

'He used the word 'independent' and 'we're gonna go out and we're gonna go in and we're gonna help keep peace.' You gotta say that's pretty savvy.'

Trump hit the theme again on Wednesday, during a fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

'I mean, he's taking over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I'd say that's pretty smart,' he said.

And again, the former president insisted that Putin was smart during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

'The problem is not that Putin is smart, of course he's smart, but the real problem is that our leaders are dumb,' Trump said.

'I have no doubt Putin made his decision to ruthlessly invade Ukraine after watching pathetic withdrawal from Afghanistan.'

'I was with Putin a lot, I spent a lot of time with him, I got along with him,' Trump also offered. 'It's a good thing to get along with people, it's not a bad thing,' the ex-president protested.

'It would have been so easy for me to stop this travesty from happening,' Trump continued. 'He understood me, he understood I didn't play games.'

The ex-president knocked Biden for being 'grossly incompetent' and poked fun at Biden's threat of sanctions, saying Putin's been getting sanctioned for the past 25 years.

Trump then wafted between saying the Ukrainian invasion never would have happened on his watch and questioning why Americans cared so much.

'Ukraine is a catastrophic disaster, but [it's] really interesting that so many Democrat politicians in Washington seem to be rushing to microphones to declare, 'Ukraine's borders are sacred, we feel for Ukraine ... Ukraine's sovereignty must be protected at all costs,'' he noted. 'Even though they're destroying our own borders and our own sovereignty.'

'The Biden administration has spent months obsessing about how to stop an invasion of a country thousands of miles away,' Trump said. 'I believe Americans deserve a president who will stop an invasion of our country.'

He added that the Biden White House 'cares more about helping citizens of a distant foreign nation than it does our own citizens.'

Trump also suggested that if Democrats were interested in fighting for democracy, 'they should start with the democracy that is under threat right next door - a place called Canada.'

Democrats hit out at Trump's comments, President Biden saying: 'I put as much stock in Trump saying that Putin's a genius as I do when he called himself a stable genius,' in an interview with political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen.

Ukraine's president accused Russia of war crimes on Monday after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks on the fifth day of their invasion.

Christie, once a trusted Trump advisor, has publicly broken with the president on a number of issues in recent weeks

'Putin has two choices now: an unwinnable occupation of Ukraine after leveling the country and murdering its hero President (if that is even achievable) or a humiliating retreat. Yeah, that's 'genius' and 'very savvy' alright. No walking that back. History is watching,' Christie said mockingly

In a late night address directed at Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said there would 'definitely be an international tribunal' for what he said was a 'violation of all conventions' and added that 'no one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.'

In a panicked bid to reignite his stalled military onslaught, Vladimir Putin had launched an indiscriminate bombing campaign on the eastern city of Kharkiv just 24 hours after local resistance had sent his troops packing from its streets.

Weapons rained down on the most Russia-friendly city in Ukraine  which sits 25 miles from the border and is home to 1.5million people  in a bid to break its will to resist.

The hail of bombs, shells and rockets which began falling at lunchtime left at least 11 dead, including three children, with homes and even a school reduced to rubble.
A Hawaiian adventurer filmed himself climbing into a 25 foot volcanic fissure to rescue a dog that had been trapped there for two days.

Kawika Singson is renowned on the island for getting up close to volcanoes - normally to snap an incredible eruption photo.

So when a dog went missing and was tracked, via its GPS collar, to a fissure into Kilauea volcano, on the island of Hilo, he was the first call to rescue the animal.

'I received a text about a dog that fell in a volcanic fissure deep in the tropical rain forest, so I made the 100-mile drive to try to help rescue the dog,' he said on YouTube after posting the footage.

Scroll down for video

Kawika Singson, pictured, captured footage of the heroic rescue of a dog trapped inside a fissure caused by a nearby volcano and posted it on YouTube

Pictured: Malka, the dog that had been trapped inside the fissure for two days before being rescued

Footage from Singson's headcam shows him repelling down for some time before reaching the whimpering dog

The dog, named Malka, belongs to a teenage boy named only as Cody and had been trapped for two days before Singson arrived.

Singson met Cody and other rescuers at the entrance to the volcanic vent and armed with climbing equipment, Singson began to descend - risking sudden high temperatures and toxic gases.

Footage from Singson's headcam shows him repelling down for some time before reaching the whimpering dog, hiding in between several rock plates, who initially cowers away.

He grabs the pet by the collar before securing it in a safety harness and slowly ascending up the tight fissure towards the crew waiting above.

The dog, hiding in between several rock plates, initially cowers away from Singson when he tries to reach for it

He grabs the pet by the collar before securing it in a safety harness and slowly ascending up the tight fissure towards the crew waiting above

Singson eventually heaves the dog out the vent first, before following him out

Kilauea: one of the world's most active volcanos Kilauea is the youngest and most active Hawaiian shield volcano, erupting constantly for over three decades It can be found on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the southeastern slope of Mauna Loa, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Kilauea is one of 5 active volcanoes in Hawaii, including Loihi, Mauna Loa, Hualalai and Haleakala. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates Kilauea's first eruption happened between 300,000 and 600,000 years ago Its current eruption began January 3, 1983 and is called Pu'u'O'o Advertisement

Singson eventually heaves the dog out the vent first, before following him out.

The dog was thankfully uninjured despite the 25 foot fall and two days without food or water.

'Another happy ending,' Singson tells the camera. ' We got Maka out of this hole,'

Singson is a well-known figure in Hawaii, having captured photos of volcanic eruptions on the island over the years.

In 2013, he withstood the intense heat of a lava flow and allowed himself to be set alight in order to get this photograph on top of a Hawaii volcano.

The photographer then stood on a thin layer of rock just centimeters above magma and it was so hot his tripod and shoes set on fire.

In 2015, the extreme landscape photographer braved the rough waters during a brief period of calm and managed to capture the Kilauea volcano eruption in all its glory.

The stunning footage - taken somewhere in between Waikupanaha and the Hawaii Volcano National Park, off the coast of the Big Island - is almost therapeutic to watch as fiery fluid plunges underwater where it will transform into land.

And a year later, he retrieved the remains of bombs that were dropped onto Mauna Loa volcano in an effort to divert lava and protect the nearby city of Hilo.

The remains were part of a cluster of 40 bombs dropped on the big island of Hawaii just two days after Christmas in 1935, the first time bombs had been used in Hawaii to redirect lava.
The NHS has rebuffed a demand to note patients preferred pronouns and trans status on their medical records.

A report by the London Assemblys health committee says trans and gender-diverse patients are being failed by a lack of NHS data on gender identity.

Some experience misgendering, micro-aggressions, and misunderstanding and may be deterred from booking an appointment, it adds.

The report found that 70 per cent of trans people had experienced discrimination from their primary care provider, with 14 per cent claiming they were refused GP care because they were trans.

Incorrect medical records that fail to take account of patients individual circumstances may result in a trans patient missing out on life-saving tests, it warns.

The NHS said it 'currently does not have any plans' to add patients' pronouns or trans status to medical records, despite calls from the London Assembly

This is because the way gender is noted in GP records determines who is automatically invited for screening, including for breast and cervical cancer.

An NHS spokesman said: The NHS does not currently have any plans to add pronouns or trans status to medical records.

'We continue to work... to ensure that nobody faces undue barriers to getting the care they need, when they need it.

The London Assembly document, published yesterday, stated: To avoid the harmful impact of mispronouning and misgendering, NHS Digital should improve NHS IT systems so that all healthcare providers can record trans status in a consistent and inclusive way.

The committee investigated health inequalities among the capitals trans and gender-diverse (TGD) population and examined ways to improve access to care.

It found 70 per cent of trans people had experienced discrimination from their primary care provider, with 14 per cent refused GP care because they were trans.

Caroline Russell, chair of the London Assembly Health Committee, said: We were told during our investigation that without data, you are invisible.

It is clear that trans and gender-diverse people are being failed by this absence of appropriate recording, which is having a significant impact at both an individual and population level.

Training NHS staff and adjusting NHS IT systems to be trans inclusive could reduce health inequalities and greatly improve the general healthcare experience for trans and gender-diverse Londoners.

The way gender is noted in GP records determines who is automatically invited for screening programmes such as breast and cervical.

However, systems currently fail to take account of patients individual circumstances and trans history.

The report says: Greater awareness and understanding of TGD people and their healthcare needs is required within the NHS to deliver good quality, personalised care and support.

The absence of mandatory training for new and existing clinical and non-clinical NHS staff has hindered their ability to gain the confidence and skills needed to support TGD patients effectively.

A fear of getting it wrong also makes it difficult to drive progress in this area.'
Sydneysiders are bracing for what's forecast to be six hours of heavy rainfall as torrential storms wreak havoc on the NSW coast.

The deluge briefly started battering down just before 7pm on Tuesday before easing, but residents in Newcastle down to the South Coast have been warned of more torrential rain in the coming hours.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe weather warnings for damaging winds and heavy rainfall in Sydney, the South Coast and parts of the Hunter coast.

Thunderstorms with damaging winds and heavy to torrential rain may also lead to flash flooding along the length of the coast from the Hunter down to Bega on the south coast, combined with severe warnings of abnormally high tides and damaging surf.

Some areas may cop 200mm of rain over the six-hour period on Tuesday night.

Sydney residents can expert to see increasing rain and wind into the evening on Tuesday and continuing throughout Wednesday

Lismore in northern NSW has been devastated by floods this week with heavy rainfall now set to wreak havoc in Sydney

The huge downpour may bring flooding to parts of Sydney's west and north west, as the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers overflow.

Flooding is also expected along the Cooks River in Sydney's inner west and in the Parramatta River.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier described the downpour as a 'one in 1000-year' event and warned Sydney was next in line to cop the brunt of the weather.

'The worst could be yet to come ... the flood rivers remain a real risk to people's lives and we will be doing everything we can to get every person, every family, every business back on their feet as quickly as possible,' Mr Perrottet said.

'I also want to say as well, we know that at the moment this is focused on the north. But very quickly, as we're seeing in metropolitan Sydney now, it will move to the south.'

Sydney won't see any relief on Wednesday and Thursday with 150mm to 200mm of rainfall to hammer down on the city tomorrow alone.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier described the downpour as a 'one in 1000-year' event and warned Sydney was next in line to cop the brunt of the weather (pictured in Lismore)

There is a 80 to 95 per cent chance of rain everyday in the city over the next week until Tuesday.

It comes as flooded Lismore reports its first death of the crisis - with an 80-year-old woman found dead inside her home about 10.20am.

Northern NSW has been devastated by floods in recent days with a total of 1,000 rescues being carried out.

Another 300,000 are currently under evacuation warnings.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned on Tuesday: 'We've been encountering what has been an extraordinary weather event - a weatherbomb.

'There has been a series of extreme events which are continuing and will still continue for many days to come.

'Further storms and further flooding activity is expected throughout the week. People in Lismore have been used to floods - but nothing like this in their lifetime.'

The low pressure system that has brought flooding havoc to south-east Queensland and Lismore in northern NSW (pictured) is expected to deepen and approach Sydney with the worst expected to hit about 6pm

Sydney and the NSW coast will now bear the brunt of the latest 48-hour weatherbomb explosion (pictured)

South-east Queensland is set to be smashed by yet more storms, bringing days of damaging large hail and even more heavy rainfall, with flood warnings for creeks and streams between now and the weekend.

The PM revealed defence forces had been mobilised to respond to the predicted chaos.

'We are pre-positioning ADF support all along the eastern coast of Australia,' he said.

'We also have the assets out of Holsworthy where the Blackhawk [helicopters] are and able to assist should they be called upon to do so.'

Mr Morrison put the banks and insurance companies on notice that they will be expected to help and support those suffering in the devastation.

'The treasurer and the assistant treasurer will be working closely with the banks and insurance companies,' said the PM.

'I've asked them to contact all the banks today and the insurance companies and be very clear what our expectations are about their response.

'I look forward to that being a positive response.'

Wednesday is likely to bring even worse weather for parts of NSW.

'Damaging wind gusts with peak gusts in excess of 90 km/h may develop over parts of the coastal fringe in the warning area from Wednesday,' the BoM warned.

The arrival of the system in Sydney comes just a week after the city was smashed by a severe downpour that turned streets into rivers in the inner-west and saw the Parramatta River break its banks.

The new weather event follows a huge downpour in Sydney last week when the Parramatta River broke its banks (pictured)

State Emergency Service commissioner Carlene York said the rain coming to Sydney is unlikely to be as heavy as the storms up north, but could still lead to flash flooding.

'That is affected by the amount of saturation that's in the land at the moment that there is no way for the water to run as it falls onto the ground, which will cause flash flooding and that's a very dangerous situation for any motorists.'

The rain fell in record-breaking numbers in northern NSW in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday, with 775mm of rain in Dunoon, 537mm in Nimbin, 520mm in Mullumbimby and in 467mm Lismore.
The mostly Gen Z activists have blocked the entrance and climbed among pipes and atop tankers at the Nustar Clydebank terminal, near Glasgow, resulting in dozens of police officers being called to the scene. In videos posted on Twitter, groups of activists can be seen holding up orange banners carrying their organisation's name, while demonstrators - some as young as 17 - warn they will push on with their 'disruptive action' across the country until the UK government releases a 'meaningful' statement agreeing to their demands. It comes just days after a total of 35 people were cuffed after members of the eco-mob damaged pumps and glued themselves to the tarmac and vehicles at two petrol stations on the M25. Meanwhile, drivers were warned last night that Petrol and diesel prices could hit new records within weeks - just in time for the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday getaway in early June. One protestor told Capital Scotland News on Tuesday that the group's demand to stop investment for new oil fields that 'won't be operational for decades to come' was 'more than reasonable'. He added: 'We don't want to be here, we don't want to be inconveniencing people, we don't want to be shutting people out of their work, we don't want to have police here wasting their time with this frankly, when they have got better things to be doing... Our plan is to stay here until we are forcibly removed, and over the longer term we are going to keep doing these disruptive actions until we get a meaningful statement from the government that they're going to halt the expansion of oil and gas.' A spokesperson for the group told MailOnline there have yet to be any arrests and that many plan to protest at the Scottish site 'for several days'.
Prior to the release of the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, the South Korean technology company revealed the shocking news that the Galaxy Note series will be ending its era.

This, however, is not a discarding of the product, but a rebranding. The tech giant clarified that Galaxy Note will now be known as the Galaxy Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy Note Ends Its Era

For those unfamiliar, Android Headlines has an informative summary of the Samsung Galaxy Note Series' history and evolution. The Samsung Galaxy Note series was first introduced in 2011, an extremely large smartphone compared to others available on the market.

The first Samsung Galaxy Note has a 5.3-inch 1280 x 800 display while having an above-average width of 83 mm. It also has a plastic back cover, a physical key under its display, and two capacitive buttons on the side.

Surprisingly, the Galaxy Note also features a hidden stylus inside which is accessible at all times.

Since this device provided numerous surprising specs and designs, the Galaxy Note series smartphones have become one of the most popular devices worldwide selling tons of them over the years.

The Verge recently reported that the South Korean-based technology company will never make another Galaxy Note phone despite it being on the market for over a decade.

Samsung's head of smartphones Roh Tae-moon told reporters at Mobile World Congress 2022 that the Galaxy Note series will now be known as Ultra. It is worth noting that Samsung recently released the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

The last smartphones under the Galaxy Note series were the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra which were released in 2020.

Similar to the Galaxy Note 20, the Galaxy S22 Ultra also contains a stylus pen.

Read Also: Samsung Metaverse Event Ends Up a Disaster: Fans Complain About Connectivity Issues

The Verge also emphasized that the Galaxy Note series has become a way for the South Korean tech giant to popularize larger devices. However, the initiative was without a few setbacks.

The Galaxy Note 7 series was tagged as one of the worst consumer electronics disasters in recent memory. This particular device was immediately recalled and ultimately discontinued due to safety concerns over defective batteries. This slowed down the Note's momentum and the Galaxy Z fold took over as Samsung's standard-bearer for smartphones with large screens.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Series Prices and Specs We Know So Far

In terms of its price range, Tech Advisor noted that the standard Samsung Galaxy S22 series will cost around $799 to $849. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus costs around $999 to $1,049.

For those eager to have the flagship phone, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has a prince range of $1,199 to $1,599.

With regards to its camera, both the S22 and S22 Plus contain a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixels ultrawide camera, and 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, per Tom's Guide. For their front camera, both devices offer 10 megapixels.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a 108-megapixel sensor, and two 10-megapixel telephoto cameras have been added, one with 3x optical zoom and the other with 10x optical zoom. In addition, the selfie camera has a resolution of 40MP.

Related Article: Samsung Unpacked Releases Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: 5 Cameras and an S Pen
A politician has been grilled after proudly posting a photo of a charred lasagne he cooked.

Liberal MP David Sharma was mocked on Twitter for sharing a photo of the dish, which featured burnt pasta sheets on top, on Sunday night.

Some commenters joked that the photo could lose Mr Sharma the Italian vote, while others compared the dish to asbestos.

Twitter simmered with comments: 'looks more like Cardboardgna,' and 'anti-Italian hate crime'

Liberal MP David Sharma was mocked on Twitter for sharing a photo of the dish, which featured charred pasta sheets on top

The photo was posted with the caption: '[political scare campaign voice-over] can you really trust Dave Sharma to govern when you can't even trust him with a lasanga?'

One user responded: 'this is an anti-Italian hate crime'

'Who on earth tops a lasagna with dry pasta sheets.'

'That looks how I used to make lasagne - before I realised I had no idea how to make lasagne,' said another.

One commenter said it 'looks more like Cardboardgna', while another said: 'That looks almost as awful as Morrison's curries.'

Mr Sharma hit back, bemused at how much attention one of the 'family favourites' had attracted.

'My children can vouch for the fact that I make good lasagna,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'The crisp - some would, uncharitably, say burnt - lasagne sheets on the top level are actually at their request  they like a crisp top layer, rather than a soft top layer.'

Mr Sharma said he cooks for the family often, at least a few nights a week.
City kids have turned a flooded skate park into the ultimate water slide pool amid record-breaking floods.

Pharaoh Christos shared a heartwarming video on Monday of kids at Varsity Lakes skate park, Brisbane, sliding into a flooded skate park bowl.

The bowl had been filled with rainwater by recent heavy rainfall and created the perfect makeshift water slide pool.

Scroll down for the video.

Pharaoh Christos shared a heartwarming video on Monday of kids at Varsity Lakes skate park, Brisbane, sliding into a flooded skate park bowl

Parents watched on as little ones made the most of the wet weather.

Kids could be seen sliding down the sides of the bowl and splashing in the rainwater gathered below.

Commenters were impressed by the creativity of the children and were glad they could find joy in the stressful situation created by the southeast Queensland floods.

'I would totally do that! Hahah this is why we love Australia,' one person wrote.

The bowl had been filled with rain water by recent heavy rainfall and created the perfect makeshift water slide pool.

'Good on ya kids, they deserve to have fun,' another said.

'Love it, I would have done the same in my childhood too,' another wrote.

However, other commenters were concerned over how dirty the water would be after so many children playing in it.

A man paddled a kayak past a bus in Milton Brisbane as the region battles the worst flood event the state has seen since 2011

'Cholera, diarrhoea, hepatitis A & typhoid vibes,' one person wrote.

'Someone grab come chlorine from Clarkeys and she'll be right,' another said.

'Less bacteria in a dogs water bowl,' another wrote.

The Brisbane River peaked at 3.85m at 8am on Monday and 140 suburbs were issued flood warnings

Residents in Lismore, northern NSW, were forced to evacuate on Monday following the collapse of the town's levee

The devastating flood in southeast Queensland has submerged at least 15,000 Brisbane homes and cut off power to 53,000 more.

Eight people have been killed in Queensland's worst floods since 2011 and at least another four are missing.

The Brisbane River peaked at 3.85m at 8am on Monday and 140 suburbs were issued flood warnings.

Lismore, northeast NSW, is facing its worst ever flood crisis following the collapse of the town's levee as 340,000 northern NSW residents have been urged prepare to evacuate their homes

Lismore, northeast NSW, is facing its worst ever flood crisis following the collapse of the town's levee.

40,000 northern NSW residents - majority in the Lismore region - have been ordered to evacuate their home while another 300,000 have been told to prepare to flee their homes.

Emergency services, and the military all assisted with the large-scale evacuation effort.
A California father has shot dead his three daughters aged nine, ten and 13 before gunning down a fourth victim and then killing himself in a Sacramento church.

David Fidel Mora-Rojas, 39, had a restraining order against him from his wife and was on a supervised visit with his three children at the church on Monday afternoon.

The identity of the fourth victim is not yet known, with some reports suggesting it was a male chaperone.

The horrific attack started at around 5.10pm on Monday when officers were called to the 'The Church in Sacramento' in the Arden Mall area of the city, reported ABC10.

The shooting happened in the main room of the small church. Emergency services were alerted after an employee at the church who was upstairs heard gunshots and called 911.

A huge police presence built up outside the church where the shooting took place

Multiple people were killed in a shooting on Monday at a church near the California capital of Sacramento, CBS13 television reported, citing the Sacramento Metro Fire department

A large police presence could be seen gathered outside the church in the Arden-Arcade area

Police vehicle could be seen positioned outside of the church early on Monday evening

Residents watch police activity following a shooting at a church in Sacramento, California

People look over a fence towards a church following a shooting in Sacramento

Police block off Ethan Way and Wyda Way after a shooting at the Church in Sacramento

A father killed four, shooting three of his children before killing himself at the church in Sacramento

A sheriff's deputy puts up crime scene tape following the shooting

A police officer can be seen putting up crime scene tape following the shooting on Monday

Sgt. Rod Grassman from the city's sheriff's office said he did not know if the family members belonged to the the church, which sits on a mostly residential block near a commercial area east of downtown Sacramento, CBS13 reported.

It wasn't immediately known how many people were at the church or if there were any services or activities at the time of the shooting.

The church is known to hold Bible study classes for children and teens, although none were scheduled for Monday.

So far, a possible motive for the shooting had not been released but the sheriff's office said it was a case of domestic violence.

Police officers investigate the scene of a shooting at the church

Police investigate a shooting at the Church in Sacramento near Wyda Way and Ethan Way in Sacramento on Monday

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies stand by police tape that blocks the street leading to a church where a shooting occurred with multiple victims, in Sacramento on Monday

Neighbors Samantha Sanchez and Nick Martinez watch as police officers investigate the scene of a shooting at The Church in Sacramento

Sgt. Rod Grassman from the city's police force also confirmed there was a fifth person killed, however it is unclear if that person was also a family member

'Another senseless act of gun violence in America  this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating,' said California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

'Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities. We are working closely with local law enforcement.

'Our thoughts are with the community, parishioners, and all those impacted by this horrific event.'

The Mayor of Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg, also tweeted about the incident on Monday night.

'This is an unspeakable tragedy. It happens too often, and tonight it happened in our backyard. First thoughts are with the victims and their families. Same to the first responders who have to confront such a horrible scene.'

The shooting took place at a church on the outskirts of the California state capital in the Arden Mall area of the city (pictured, file photo)

'Another senseless act of gun violence in America  this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating,' said California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement

The Mayor of Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg, also tweeted about the tragedy on Monday night

BREAKING NEWS: @sacsheriff deputies responding to a shooting a church on Wyda Way in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood. There is a massive sheriff and police presence there right now. @van_tieu is on the scene and photojournalist Miguel Cano pic.twitter.com/VFBCNfe76z  Madison Wade (@madisoncwade) March 1, 2022

Alongside emergency services, a SWAT team were also called as officers tried to secure the scene reported ABC10.

Video images from the scene showed a heavy police presence outside the church in the Arden-Arcade area outside the city limits.

'Please be aware and on the look out. Local law enforcement are responding to a mass casualty shooting event in the county at a church on 2041 Wyda way,' Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra said on Twitter. 'Please be alert while in the area as local law enforcement responds.'

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department told the public to avoid the area because of the large police presence, and said it was establishing a command post in the area.
There are calls for a group of heroic Fijian abattoir workers to be granted Australian citizenship after rescuing elderly residents of an aged care home from New South Wales' generational floods.

The city of Lismore in northern NSW remains cut off, where more than 1,000 stranded residents are trapped or waiting to be rescued on Tuesday morning.

The severe weather cell is now moving south, with a further 300,000 residents are currently subject to evacuation warnings.

A team of 45 Fijians emigrated to the town under the Pacific Labour Scheme last year, a program designed to help the country's labour shortage due to the pandemic.

The men, who work in a local abattoir, leapt into action on Monday after hearing an aged care home was flooded with dozens caught inside.

'It was just devastating, the entire building was underwater,' Apenisa Marau told Ben Fordham.

A group of 45 Fijians who emigrated to Australia under the Pacific Labour Scheme helped rescue dozens of aged care residents in Lismore

A team of 45 Fijians emigrated to Lismore under the Pacific Labour Scheme last year, a program designed to help the country's labour shortage due to the pandemic

There are calls for a group of heroic Fijian abattoir workers to be granted Australian citizenship after rescuing eldery residents of an aged care home

The bureau has issued a flood watch for the Mid North Coast, Central Coast, Greater Sydney, the Illawarra and the South Coast.

There are also major flood warnings for rivers in the state's north and minor to moderate flood warnings on the Mid North Coast.

The rain fell in record-breaking numbers in northern NSW in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday, with 775mm of rain in Dunoon, 537mm in Nimbin, 520mm in Mullumbimby and in 467mm Lismore.

SES crews and local volunteers continue to boat residents away from their home as they race to rescue the remaining people as floodwaters continue to rise.

Mr Marau said the situation was 'terrifying' and their task made more challenging given the condition of some of the aged care residents.

'It was really hard, and quite terrifying trying to get those elderly people out of their homes,' he told 2GB. 'Most of them were bedridden, in wheelchairs, some of them were just trying to stay afloat.

'They were pretty shocked by the time we reached them, but we were glad we were able to get them to safety.'

Many of the residents could have died if it wasn't for these Fijian meat workers who saved them

The men, who work in a local abattoir, leapt into action on Monday after hearing a Lismore aged care home was flooded with dozens caught inside

ADF and abattoir workers aid flood emergency As #Lismore faces its worst-ever flood disaster, the Australian Defence Force has been called in to help. It comes as Fijian abattoir workers aid SES and emergency volunteers to evacuate 60 nursing home residents. Special #Floods coverage LIVE: 9Soci.al/iLTI30sc2LW Posted by 9 News Sydney on Sunday, February 27, 2022

Despite the horrific conditions, which has seen the Wilsons River peak at 14.4 metres overnight, the 45 Fijians are on deck to help out again on Tuesday.

'The boys are ready, we're getting everything organised and then we'll see who we can send down to the SES to help with the search this morning. The rest are here at the shelter assisting the SES as well,' Mr Marau said.

'You stepped in when people needed help. You've done your country proud and you've done Australia proud,' Fordham replied, commending the group on their heroism.

The Fijians managed to help move the 60 trapped elderly residents to safety, before the SES workers boated them out of the town.

'We just tried to do what we can, since we're going to be here for the next three years, we wanted to be a part of the community,' the Fijian worker said.

Mr Marau said the situation was 'terrifying' and their task made more challenging given the condition of some of the aged care residents

A woman is assisted to higher ground as people use small boats to travel through flood water in Lismore

The entire Lismore CBD was underwater on Monday after days of heavy rain that led to the Wilsons River breaching its levee overnight, with roads cut off.

Some residents resorted to cutting holes in the corrugated iron roof of their homes so they could climb out to be rescued - with the water above doors and windows.

Waters in Lismore were receding on Monday after peaking at 14.4m. The Brisbane River was also falling with the tide after peaking at 3.5m, but is expected to reach 3.7m on Monday morning.

A distraught woman is helped through the flood in the town of Lismore by SES workers

Residents evacuate from flooding occurs in Lismore, on February 28, 2022. A severe weather warning is in place for south-east Queensland and areas in northern New South Wales

State Emergency Service commissioner Carlene York said even with the best forecasting, it was hard to tell which areas would be worst hit.

'The issues with these types of east coast lows is that it just depends where it goes  how close to the coast and what path it travels. And then the unknown is where it will actually drop the heaviest rainfall,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

Sydney is predicted to get up to 90mm of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, while further south, Kiama is forecast to get up to 80mm on Tuesday and 150mm on Wednesday.

The Batemans Bay region will be inundated with similar levels on Wednesday and Thursday.

A man wearing just his boardies is pictured leading a dog on a string through flooded waters in Lismore

The huge geographic spread of the floods is stretching emergency resources. Ms York said the SES resisted sending more people to northern NSW to ensure there was capacity down south when needed.

'We have moved extra members up into the Northern Rivers district, but also we have retained our volunteers and other emergency service partner members down on the South Coast to make sure that they are in the stages of planning, and also getting messaging out and communication out to the community to prepare them for this event as it comes through,' she said.

Ms York said the rain coming to Sydney is unlikely to be as heavy as the storms up north, but could still lead to flash flooding.

'That is affected by the amount of saturation that's in the land at the moment that there is no way for the water to run as it falls onto the ground, which will cause flash flooding and that's a very dangerous situation for any motorists.'
A Ukrainian family who secured visas and flights to Australia has been barred from boarding a flight to Sydney, as their nine-month-old baby does not have a passport.

Iryna Zaiets fled Ukraine when the Russian invasion began on Thursday, with her mother Olena Kuzmych and nine-month-old baby Oksana, leaving her father and husband behind.

After making it across the border to Poland, the family secured visas and flights to Sydney, but when they went to check in for the Emirates flight from Krakow to Sydney via Frankfurt and Dubai, they were told they could not fly.

The Australian family of Iryna Zaiets and her baby Oksana are worried as the Ukraine conflict rages

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of war crimes on Monday after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks on the fifth day of their invasion

Ms Zaiets' sister in Sydney said they would have been allowed into Australia on a direct flight but would have been deported at transit stopovers because baby Oksana did not have a passport.

Olha Lyeskakova told AAP she has heard from half a dozen Ukrainian families with small children who are facing the same problem trying to get to Australia.

'I am the first one but there is a queue of people in the same circumstances and they are looking at me for how to manage all this,' she said.

The department of home affairs has been contacted for comment.

Ms Lyeskakova's family is staying in emergency accommodation in Krakow but will not be able to remain there long and she believes they are not safe in Poland.

The Australian family of Iryna Zaiets and her baby Oksana are worried as the Ukraine conflict rages

"If Russia starts bombing and uses nuclear weapons, it will not be limited by a border, it will go to Poland, it will go everywhere," she said.

Friends who are hiding in Kyiv have told her their houses have been leafleted with instructions in case of a nuclear attack.

Ms Lyeskakova said that while the EU was allowing people to cross the border from Ukraine without travel documents, other countries were not.

'The EU will be overwhelmed with Ukrainians who will be willing to depart immediately from Europe to their relatives in Australia, the US or Canada, but there is no legislation in place at this stage to get it done,' she said.

The Australian permanent resident said the Ukrainian embassy in Krakow is assisting her family and she hopes DFAT may be able to quickly issue temporary travel documents for baby Oksana.

'We are very thankful to the Australian government, you can't believe how much support there is in this humanitarian crisis,' she said.

It comes as federal cabinet's national security committee begins talks to determine further responses to the Russian invasion, including the supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The aid will come on top of the $4 million already pledged to military assistance through NATO's Ukraine trust fund.
The family of an elderly dementia patient who was seen being brutally arrested by a Colorado cop in shocking video footage have revealed their disgust over a controversial plea deal that could see him walk free in a year.

Officer Austin Hopp, 26, was fired and charged with serious bodily harm after his police body cam captured him hurling 73-year-old Karen Garner to the ground and breaking her arm.

The 80-pound grandmother was left sobbing in pain in a jail cell for six hours while gloating Hopp replayed the sickening arrest to his colleagues and boasted: 'We crushed it!'

Hit with felony charges of second degree assault, attempting to influence a public servant and official misconduct, the rookie Loveland Police Department cop faced up to 30 years behind bars.

However, Garners family learnt last week that prosecutors are offering the warped bully a plea deal that will reduce his charges and likely slash his sentence to just a few years when its rubber-stamped at an upcoming plea hearing.

Bodycam footage showed Hopp throwing Karen Garner to the ground on June 26, 2020

Garner's daughter-in-law Shannon Steward said this incident was 'the lowest form of human behavior and indecency'

Shannon Steward, Garners daughter-in-law, told DailyMail.com that her loved ones are adamantly opposed to the pact and will make a heartfelt plea to the judge when Hopp appears Wednesday morning at the Larimer County courthouse.

Karen didnt resist. She didnt fight. She didnt swear. She did nothing to deserve this inhumane treatment, said Steward, who is married to Garners son John.

You would expect that officer to get her home safely not to abuse her, throw her down, assault her and then leave her locked up for six hours with a dislocated shoulder.

We think theres more than enough evidence to get a guilty verdict so why do a deal now? This is cheapening what happened to Karen, its not justice.'

Steward says her gregarious, outgoing mom-in-law never recovered from her brutal June 2020 ordeal at the hands of Hopp, who chased her down for forgetting to pay for $13 worth of items at a Walmart, including a Pepsi and a candy bar.

Hopp's body camera footage shows him catching up to her as she walked through a field

Garner's family said she was a happy grandmother (right) before the traumatizing arrest in June 2020 where she was left in a jail cell in pain with her broken arm still cuffed behind her (left)

Body-worn camera footage shows him catching up to Garner as she picks flowers on her route home and giving her barely seconds to comply before he savagely bundles her to the ground and hogties her.

Garner, who frequently forgets things because she suffers from dementia and sensory aphasia, cries out in pain and repeats the phrase Im going home over and over as the snarling officer drags her to his squad car.

As she languished in a cell for the next six hours crying out in pain because of a fractured arm and dislocated shoulder, Hopp was recorded on his police departments CCTV system laughing and joking as he played back his footage to colleagues.

Ready for the pop? he was overheard saying as he relived the moment he pinned Garner to his vehicle and violently yanked her arm behind her back.

I think it went great. I think we crushed it, he sniggered, giving his partner Daria Jalali a celebratory fist bump. I was like, All right, lets wrestle, girl. Lets wreck it!

Garner faced no further action but the damning video evidence instead led to criminal charges being leveled against Hopp and Jalali, 27.

Loveland city leaders fired both and paid Garner, now 75-years-old, a $3 million settlement but nothing can repair the damage done to her dwindling quality of life, Steward told DailyMail.com.

Austin Hopp, left, and Daria Jalali, right, turned themselves in after warrants were issued for their arrest

Prior to the incident her mother-in-law lived alone with constant monitoring from family who used a tracker on her phone to see where she was.

She had left it at home the day she was roughed up by Hopp.

Today, she lives in a facility for dementia patients, suffers from PTSD and no longer recognizes her three children and nine grandchildren.

Karen would repeat things, she would show me her new bedspread three times while I was visiting, that sort of thing. But she wasnt leaving the stove on, it wasnt dangerous. She loved to walk, she loved to be active, Steward said.

After the incident all she could say was, why did they do this to me? Why did they do this to me? She couldn't discuss it, she just repeated herself over and over.

She didn't trust anyone. The doctors and nurses would try to come in her room and she would push the doors shut. She wanted to be left alone. She couldn't get a Covid vaccine because she wouldnt let anyone touch her.

We were told by her care facility that the PTSD has accelerated her dementia. She wouldn't even let us hug her.

Garners family say they were anticipating an April trial for Hopp when they were contacted out of the blue last week by Assistant District Attorney Matt Maillaro and asked to review a potential plea deal that would scrap the less serious charges and downgrade the assault charge.

Steward says the family spent hours debating what was best before deciding to reject it  only for Maillaro to push on regardless.

They will come face to face with Hopp at this weeks plea hearing where theyve been advised that Judge Michelle Brinegar could sentence him to anything from two to six years in jail.

Taking into account his clean record, good behavior and Colorados emergency Covid directives, Hopp could be back on the streets in as little as a year, they fear.

We were taken aback. We were unhappy. Karen has no ability to comprehend what is going on with the case but we reviewed it as a family and said, categorically no, Steward said.

There is plenty of evidence and its our position that this should go to trial. In less than 24 hours he said he was doing it anyway.

Its not just us, our town - the video went global, the world was outraged when they saw that video. We will have to go before the judge and plead with him to give Karen what she deserves, her day in court.

The DAs office have declined to provide further information about the potential plea deal.

DailyMail.com revealed last April that Hopp and Jalali, who also lost her job for her part in Garners arrest, were previously in a romantic relationship.

She faces misdemeanor charges of failing to report excessive use of force, failure to intervene and first-degree official misconduct.
Australians returning to the office are finding their work attire covered in an unpleasant white mould that costs a fortune to dry-clean.

Soaring humidity thanks to a rainy La Nina summer and poorly-ventilated homes provide the perfect conditions for bacterial growth.

Tens of thousands of workers on the east coast are going back to their desks as relaxed Covid rules led to cancelled work from home orders.

But when opening their wardrobes and shoe drawers for the first time in months, many were shocked to find tiny white spores stuck to their clothing.

SAS Australia star Simone Holtznagel shared her frustration on Monday after her $3,000 leather Givenchy bag was covered in white mould from Sydney's humidity

Heavy rain and warm summer temperatures combined to turn bedrooms into the perfect bacterial breeding ground.

In Sydney, humidity levels spiked to 91 per cent on Tuesday, far higher than a regular summer even in the city's temperate climate.

Occupational health scientist Brad Prezant said poorly-ventilated wardrobes were one of the first places mould tends to grow when the humidity rises.

'Once the humidity gets over 80 per cent, that's when it contributes to fungal growth,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'What's happening is we're seeing humid air going into your wardrobe and condensing on surfaces.'

Mr Prezant said leather shoes, which are porous and allow moisture to seep through, were particularly vulnerable to mould growth.

SAS Australia star Simone Holtznagel shared her frustration on Monday after her $3,000 leather Givenchy bag was covered in the same white mould.

Unlike more aggressive black mould that grows in the corners of bathrooms or on ceilings, white mould can be easily brushed or wiped off surfaces and then the clothes washed or dry-cleaned - but could of course grow back.

Australia's humidity stays high throughout the summer months largely thanks to La Nina - a climactic phenomena that brings more rain, floods and cyclones.

Mr Prezant said leather, which is porous and allows moisture to seep through, was particularly vulnerable to mould growth

Australian meteorologists declared a La Nina weather event back in November 2021, characterised by cooler temperatures but higher humidity.

Mr Prezant said many Australians homes also leave themselves open to mould growth with household habits that encourage high humidity - such as cooking and using cheap electrical dryers.

'You have to bear in mind you have outdoor-generated moisture and indoor-generated moisture,' he said.

'Every time we boil spaghetti, wash dishes or use an indoor dryer we are creating moisture.'

He said condensing dryers, which take the hot air generated from drying clothes and condense it into water, helped reduce humidity but were expensive to run and out of the financial reach of many families.

'The main solution is good ventilation,' he said. 'You can do that by keeping your closet open or by using a dehumidifer.

'If you're aggressive over the humid months, you can probably also keep the mould at bay by wiping it off with a surfactant [such as mould solution cleaner].'

Mr Prezant added mould would be less likely to grow on properly treated furniture, such as a table with a shellac cover, than on unfinished wood.

He said when professionals often use an industrial dehumidifier when they go into a home to rectify flood damage, and the same process would work for mouldy clothes.

But he added that task was made harder in high-humidity climates such as Queensland and NSW.

'If you were in Tasmania in winter you could get away with just taking the outside air and using it to heat your house,' he said.

'If it's very humid you need to seal the building or home and make it very dry before you use a dehumidifer.'

In some situations there's no going back, he added - such as when furniture is exposed to moisture for such a long period of time it starts to dry rot.

'In most homes, unless you have a chronic leak you only see staining on clothing or furniture.'

As well as causing ripe conditions for mould growth, Australia's La Nina nightmare has also been blamed for triggering a spike in eczema cases.

Eczema is a health condition that makes your skin chronically red and itchy and can occur at any age.

Hot and humid conditions are well known irritants of the condition.

Dermatologists say a humidity level of 30 to 50 per cent is the most ideal for people who are prone to eczema.
Baffled residents have discovered a cow washed up on the beach - alive - in the wake of Queensland's flood crisis.

Gold Coast locals found a cow roaming Duranbah Beach on Tuesday morning and assumed it had floated down from a flooded Tweed Heads paddock.

Locals have been driven cow-crazy over the last five days after three dead cattle were discovered on nearby Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach among flood debris.

Gold Coast locals spotted a cow roaming Duranbah beach on Tuesday morning and assumed it floated down from a flooded Tweed Heads paddock

However residents were shocked on Tuesday when a cow washed onto the beach and began exploring.

The adventurous cow first took a walk along the beach before venturing into headlands and crossing roads.

Authorities believe the bovine was swept away from the Murwillumbah area by floodwater.

The adventurous cow first took a walk along the beach before venturing into headlands and crossing roads

A front end loader was used to clear away a dead cow that washed up on a Gold Coast beach over the weekend

However the cows are far from the only animals affected by the floods.

RSPCA Queensland said they have received 510 animal rescue calls from Brisbane, Logan, Scenic Rim, Toowoomba, Somerset, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Gympie council areas since Wednesday last week.

323 animals have entered RSPCA's hospitals since then, 84 of which were brought in on Monday.

323 animals have entered RSPCA's hospitals since then, 84 of which were brought in on Monday

RSPCA Queensland said they have received 510 animal rescue calls since Wednesday last week

RSPCA staff and volunteers have rescued and cared for flood-stricken animals since Wednesday last week

Spokesperson Emma Lagoon said due to limited resources the RSPCA wasn't able to respond to all calls for help.

'It's been a tough time for our rescue teams. Like many others, we've been limited with our ability to get to every call for help due to flooded roads and staff and volunteers also stranded. Our Rescue Units can only get to places the roads will let us,' she said.

An RSPCA Queensland worker nurses a wet joey who was rescued from southeast Queensland's floods

RSPCA have received calls from Brisbane, Logan, Scenic Rim, Toowoomba, Somerset, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Gympie council areas

An RSPCA spokeswoman said staff and volunteers were working hard to care for injured animals

'Sadly we are now seeing more deceased animals that couldn't survive the weather event, it's just devastating.'

Some RSPCA shelters have been forced to close due to power outages and road damage but Ms Lagoon confirmed all sheltered animals are safe.

Southeast Queensland is currently in the grips of the worst flooding event the state as seen since 2011 with eight lives lost so far.

A koala being nursed back to health by an RSPCA worker after being rescued from floodwater

Some RSPCA shelters have been forced to close due to power outages and road damage but Ms Lagoon confirmed all sheltered animals are safe

Staff and volunteers at RSPCA Queensland are working hard to rescue animals - big and small - from southeast Queensland's floods

All Gold Coast beaches have been closed due to debris and dangerous conditions.

80 roads have also been closed in the Coast/Tweed Heads region with estimates of flood damage costs nearing that of Cyclone Debbie in 2017.

Hundreds of motorists are stranded on the M1 highway south of Queensland's border in the Tweed region due to the road closures.

RSPCA Queensland have received hundreds of calls to help animals injured in recent floods

An RSPCA worker cares for a wet koala after it was rescued from southeast Queensland's floodwater

RSPCA Queensland said flood damage and limited resources had prevented them from answering every animal distress call

Sunshine Coast man Dene Smedley told the ABC he and other motorists have been trapped since 2pm Monday.

'There's kids and elderly people and we're just sitting around waiting for somebody to tell us what's going on,' he said.

'We've got water behind us and water in front of us.'

Residents in the Tweed Region have been stranded due to flood damaged roads in the area

Tweed Council has warned residents to ration water as the town only has access to a two-day supply while water treatment facilities are repaired

Road damage caused by floodwater has also trapped residents in the Tweed area.

Tweed Shire Council Mayor Chris Cherry has urged locals to be considerate of their water usage as they only have a two-day supply left.

'We can't treat water at the moment and so although the most tempting thing for everybody to do is hose everything down, we've only got two days' supply of water,' she said.

'It's going to take two days to repair our water treatment.

Tweed Shire Council Mayor Chris Cherry has urged locals to be considerate of their water usage as they only have a two-day supply left
A man who killed a security guard in Sydney and almost beat a former champion kickboxer to death has been released from prison.

Django Womack O'Hara was granted an 18-month extended supervision order in the community by Justice Julia Lonergan at the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.

The state of NSW initially sought a four-year order, but Justice Lonergan opted for a 'significantly shorter' period of time because of 'positive factors exhibited' by the 47-year-old.

'I am satisfied that he has shown remorse for his past violent offending and a determined and positive approach to avoiding violence in his last few years in custody,' Justice Lonergan told the court.

Notorious murderer who bashed a champion kickboxer behind bars with a sandwich press and left him with brain damage is released from jail

'I am satisfied Mr O'Hara is entirely genuine in his wish to 'turn his life around' and he has made large strides towards that.'

The former prisoner has had a long history filled with violent criminal behavior, and at age 21 he was jailed after pleading guilty to the shooting murder of 31-year-old Michael Fennell.

The sentencing judge found O'Hara didn't intend to kill but acted with reckless indifference to human life by discharging a shot into the darkness in the direction of Mr Fennell during an attempted robbery at a Roseville home in 1995.

O'Hara was later sentenced for inflicting a burn mark on another inmate and assaulting a prison officer, before receiving more time after he attacked remand prisoner Adam Watt in 2009.

The champion kickboxer suffered brain damage after O'Hara bashed him from behind with a sandwich press hidden inside a pillowcase.

O'Hara said the victim had threatened him 'so I was going to kill him first before he got to me'.

He later served terms for violence involving two other inmates, before being released in November.

Former champion kickboxer Adam Watt (pictured) suffered brain damage after O'Hara bashed him with a sandwich press hidden inside a pillowcase

The judge, who heard expert psychiatric and psychological evidence, said his compliance with conditions of an interim supervision order had been very good.

'The evidence tendered and that I have evaluated satisfies me to a high degree of probability that the defendant does pose an unacceptable risk of committing a serious violence offence if not kept under supervision under the order,' the judge said.

'Mr O'Hara has spent nearly all of his adult life in custody.

'He has had a complex and traumatic upbringing which has left him with cognitive distortions around violence.

'He  to an extent understandably  has hypervigilance.

'A lot of his offending has its origins in that hypervigilance and his sudden violent responses to perceived (and actual) threats.'

O'Hara said Watt had threatened him 'so I was going to kill him first before he got to me'

A psychiatrist had noted O'Hara's positive factors were 'strength of character, the fact that he is articulate and intelligent, and that he is in regular contact with his family and has their support'.

The numerous conditions of the supervision order include wearing an electronic monitor and being subject to a curfew from 10pm to 6am.

His lawyer had argued against a condition that O'Hara agree his supervisor would disclose his criminal history to another person 'if reasonably necessary', arguing it would induce a 'feeling of no control or ability to navigate his own interactions with others'.

But the State said as O'Hara's violence is reactive and potentially overreactive, people living or working with him need an opportunity to develop safety plans.

There is also a concern that he will minimise his past offending.

'Both arguments have merit,' the judge said.

She imposed the condition but added that O'Hara should first be given the opportunity to disclose his offending himself if thought 'reasonably necessary'.
An truck driver has been jailed for nearly four years because he 'turned a blind eye' to mysterious packages loaded into his truck.

Peter James Wright, 59, had no idea the boxes contained $4 million in cash, but a court ruled he should have been suspicious and refused them.

The truckie from NSW crossed into WA in September 2020 believing he was on a legitimate job to transport construction equipment.

He stopped at the Swan River Hotel in Ascot, Perth, the evening before he was supposed to collect the load, where his employer told him the job had changed and he would be paid $7,500 to complete it.

Mr Wright left the hotel In the morning, unaware police were tracking him, and met with co-accused James Harrison in a gravel truck bay in Wattleup, in Perth's south.

Two large plastic toolboxes shrinkwrapped in black plastic were loaded into Wright's truck after stopping on the side of the road (pictured)

Police who had been tracking him broke the padlocks and found $4million in cash the largest money seizure ever in WA (pictured)

Harrison pulled two large plastic toolboxes covered in shrink-wrap from the boot of his Commodore and loaded them onto the truck.

He then drove off with police tailing him as he headed back in towards the South Australian border.

Cops pounced in Sawyers Valley an hour east of Perth where they broke the padlocks on the containers and found just short of $4 million in cash inside.

The bust was the largest cash haul ever seized by WA Police, including a separate $3,000 in cash found in the truck's cab.

Police also seized 13kg of meth at another location as part of the investigation.

Wright claimed he assumed the containers held tools but in court this week, Judge Gary Massey found as a professional truck driver he did or should have suspected the containers were linked to illegal activity.

'They were loaded into your truck in an isolated area on the side of the road and were padlocked and were wrapped in black plastic shrink wrap,' he said, according to The West Australian.

The investigation also netted 13kg of methamphetamine (pictured)

'Given that you're a professional truck driver, the circumstances... fell far short of the way this job would have been performed if the boxes were part of a legitimate delivery.'

Judge Massey added that despite being a 'mere courier' he played a pivotal role in a criminal enterprise by assisting in the laundering of money.

Wright was jailed for three years and 10 months and will be eligible for parole in July.

His co-accused Harrison was jailed for five years.
A data extortion group has claimed responsibility for NVIDIA's two-day outage last week.

LAPSU$, the data extortion group in question, recently revealed they stole 1TB of data consisting of "stuff, schematics, driver, and firmware" from the U.S. chipmaker, per a Bleeping Computer article.

The group says it is prepared to sell the stolen data, including a procedure to remove the Ethereum mining limiter NVIDIA placed on the GeForce RTX 30 Series if the company does not pay the ransom demand.

LAPSU$'s Messages and Threats

According to the group's messages, they were in NVIDIA's systems for a week. During such time, they "fastly escalated to admin of a lot of systems."

It was in this same message where they revealed they were able to acquire data they described as most important.

They also mentioned that NVIDIA fought back by encrypting a machine the hackers were using to retrieve data from the company but failed due to LAPSUS$ already having all the data the group needed, per a PC Mag article.

In another message, the group said it "decided to help [the] mining and gaming community" by ordering NVIDIA to push an update for all GeForce RTX 30 Series Firmware, removing the limitations NVIDIA placed.

Should NVIDIA ignore the group's demand, they will leak a folder containing instructions on how to remove it.

Read More: How Attack Surface Management Software Projects Against the 4 Major Cybercrime Pathways

"If they remove the LHR, we will forget about [the] hw folder," the group said, adding that they know about the impact of LHR on mining and gaming

The LHR, or "Lite Hash Rate," is NVIDIA's identifier for GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs that have a limited Ethereum hash rate. This limiter and identifier is part of the company's effort to help gamers get their hands on the GPUs, per NVIDIA's blog post on the matter.

The data extortion group also mentioned that they have documentation, company private tools, SDKs, and data regarding NVIDIA's proprietary control processor, Falcon.

LAPSUS$ Posts Link to NVIDIA's Data

LAPSUS$ finally posted a link to the first part of NVIDIA's data. According to the group's message, the leak, which is around 20GB, contains the source code and highly confidential data from various parts of NVIDIA's GPU driver. It also includes other information, such as data about Falcon and the LHR.

NVIDIA filed an abuse report to prevent the leak, but LAPSUS$ switched to using torrents to share the information, stating they would not re-upload the file.

The leaked information was reported to be sufficient enough for a good developer to create a bypass for NVIDIA's LHR.

NVIDIA's Reponse

LAPSU$ extortion group, a group operating out of South America, claim to have breached NVIDIA and exfiltrated over 1TB of proprietary data.



LAPSU$ claims NVIDIA performed a hack back and states NVIDIA has successful ransomed their machines



Intel and photos courtesy of @S0ufi4n3 pic.twitter.com/fXcTNqgIpW  vx-underground (@vxunderground) February 26, 2022

NVIDIA did not immediately respond to inquiries about LAPSU$'s messages but gave a statement saying that they are "investigating an incident," and its business and commercial activities continue uninterrupted.

The company also added that it is evaluating the nature and scope of the event and has not any new information to share at the time of the statement's release.

This was also the same response NVIDIA released last week when the two-day outage was fresh on everyone's minds.

However, PC Gamer reports that NVIDIA counter-hacked LAPSU$ with ransomware in retaliation of their hack last week. Whether NVIDIA's hack is successful or not remains to be seen, but we should be getting an update from NVIDIA in the coming days.

Related article: NVIDIA Cyberattack Leads to Outages! Email, Developer Tools Compromised?
A burns survivor has opened up about her incredible recovery 10 years after she was set on fire in a fit of paranoid jealousy.

Dana Vulin, 36, was doused in methylated spirits and set alight when her attacker broke into her Perth apartment in 2012.

The woman wrongly believed Ms Vulin slept with her estranged husband after she spotted the pair talking at a New Year's Eve party.

Ms Vulin suffered third degree burns to more than 60 per cent of her body and endured years of rehabilitation and more than 200 surgeries.

Dana Vulin, 36, has shared her incredible 10 year recovery in a Facebook post (pictured) after she was doused in methylated spirits and set alight by a jealous woman who broke into her Perth apartment

Now, almost 10 years on from the horrific attack, Ms Vulin has chosen to share her incredible recovery in a raw and unedited video on social media.

'This isn't to sexualise myself but more to show other survivors and people that anything is possible,' she captioned a video uploaded to Facebook.

'It may not be for everyone but no one is. I am so proud of how hard I've worked on my body and feel the strongest and fittest I've ever felt in my life.'

The 15-second clip shows Ms Vulin's progression from 2013 to 2016, before she unveils herself at 36 in red lingerie.

Ms Vulin said she created the video without auto-enhancements, special effects or lighting to inspire other survivors.

'I carry this with a badge of honour, It's a point of difference and that's why I choose to show my body raw and unedited,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Vulin has chosen to share her incredible recovery in a raw and unedited video on social media while sporting a stunning piece of red lingerie (pictured)

Ms Vulin (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia that she created the video without auto-enhancements, special effects or lighting to inspire other survivors

'What happened to me was the most cruel and evil thing, I wasn't allowed to have a voice or a say because of the trial.

'I remember I was so desperate for before and afters  for me since my story has been so public I take this responsibility so seriously.'

However, Ms Vulin pointed out her transformation wasn't just physical and she reached other milestones along the way.

'I've accomplished so much, I've become an author, a speaker... I've completed a degree, there's more to my recovery than just aesthetics,' she said.

Ms Vulin (pictured) emphasised her transformation wasn't just purely physical and that she's reached a number of milestones along the way

Ms Vulin earned a master's degree of science in nursing and is working as a cosmetic nurse to help improve the scars of others.

She opened her clinic I am D aesthetics - which stands for 'I am deserving' - in August last year which offers cosmetic tattooing to cover scars from injuries or other surgeries.

The surgeon regularly treats new mothers and cancer patients, helping them minimise marks from operations.

'I carry this with a badge of honour... I'm so grateful I'm alive for me it's such a responsibility for survivors,' she said.
Radio broadcaster Ben Fordham has launched another blistering attack on the ABC's doomsayer Covid expert Dr Norman Swan after he claimed Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead to a spike in Covid cases and even new variants.

Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale war last week, with 150,000 soldiers attacking key cities and territories near the border as they attempt to take the capital of Kyiv.

But while most Australians worried about whether Ukraine would be able to hold out, yesterday Dr Swan fretted about low immunisation rates in Eastern European nations.

Ben Fordham has called out ABC broadcaster Norman Swan and asked whether he was suffering from 'relevance deprivation syndrome'

The former GP and ABC presenter said the invasion had huge health ramifications on both populations given the chaotic movement of people.

'Fresh outbreaks, new variants. Warfare through the centuries is a concurrent theme in making pandemics worse or creating them in the first place,' he told ABC Radio National.

Dr Swan's comments prompted a scathing response from Fordham on 2GB.

'Is Dr Norman Swan suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome?,' he said on Tuesday morning. 'The ABC's medical expert is now warning about COVID numbers in Ukraine.

'Dr Swan says that the Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead to a spike in COVID cases and even new variants.

'Do you think locals in Ukraine are more worried about missiles or COVID right now?'

Fordham has previously slammed Dr Swan, claiming he lead a fear campaign about the Omicron virus, despite the variant only having a death rate of 0.1 per cent.

Dr Norman Swan said Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead to a spike in Covid cases and even new variants given low immunisation rates

Ukraine has vaccination rates of just 35 per cent in its eligible population, with Russia just over 56 per cent.

Russia is suffering a wave of Covid cases, with a rolling average of more than 137,000 new infections a day as Omicron makes it way through the country.

'If this goes on a lot longer, where people are getting hungry, sanitation breaks down, Covid may be the least of it,' he said.

The combination of high infection rates and low immunisation could lead to a medical catastrophe, with vulnerable people packed together in wartime conditions, Dr Swan warned.

'But you will certainly see an exacerbation in Covid-19, particularly in the elderly population of the Ukraine.'

There are also questions over the effectiveness Sputnik vaccine that is being administered in Russia, with fears infected soldiers could expose at-risk populations.

'Even the Russians coming in are vulnerable because they've got the vaccine which has dubious protection,' the physician said.

'You've got two populations coming in together who are either under-immunised or they've got an inadequate vaccine.'

Dr Norman Swan, a former GP and presenter for the ABC, said the invasion had overwhelming health rammifications on both populations

Dr Swan said separate from Covid, the war would see an increase in other diseases and illnesses associated with the conditions of conflict.

He said there would be more common sicknesses like colds, diarrhea, vomiting, and gastroenteritis spreading through the community, but things could get much worse if the invasion was prolonged.

'If it goes on a long time you'll see pneumonia. Kids will die of childhood diseases,' the ABC doctor said.

'It doesn't bear thinking about how bad it could get with the usual disease, much less Covid-19 going around in a vulnerable population.'

Surrounding countries like Poland, Romania, and Moldova were also at risk as thousands of Ukrainian refugees fled over the border.
Shocking video footage captured the moment at least a hundred teens fell through the floor of a massive house party in a Denver-area suburb of Colorado over the weekend.

Three people were taken to a hospital, one with serious injuries, after the floor collapsed into the basement under the weight of more than 100 partygoers, authorities said.

South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) said crews responded to the house southeast of Aurora around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.

'A portion of the first floor collapsed into the basement due to a large party with 100-150 juveniles inside,' SMFR reported.

Video of the party shows the teens dancing and jumping up and down as the floor finally gives way beneath them in a violent crash.

A portion of the first floor of Denver home collapsed into the basement due to a large party with 100-150 teenagers dancing inside. Video of the party shows the teens dancing and jumping up and down as the floor finally gives way beneath them in a violent crash

Shocking video footage captured the moment at least a hundred teens fell through the floor of a massive house party in a Denver-area suburb of Colorado over the weekend. Three people were taken to a hospital, one with serious injuries, after the floor collapsed into the basement under the weight of more than 100 partygoers

Two of the partygoers who were among the teens who fell through the floor, said they found out about the party because address of the home was shared on social media

Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office told KUSA that the homeowners were hosting a birthday party for their 18-year-old grandson at the time of the collapse.

It is not clear if they were home at the time.

Two of the partygoers who were among the teens who fell through the floor, said they found out about the party because address of the home was shared on social media.

Cass Henry, 15, and his brother AJ Henry, 17, told KUSA that the party quickly got out of hand.

'I think it just got leaked around a little bit so everyone thought it was just an open house,' Cass said. 'People started just showing up.'

Cass went to the hospital for a broken ankle.

'Two seconds before the ground ended up breaking, you could hear it all snapping apart, but you didn't have enough time to do anything about it,' Cass said.

South Metro Fire Rescue said the collapse caused a natural gas leak, but it has since been shut off and for now the house is not fit for occupancy

Authorities have not identified the homeowners or those taken to the hospital, but said it appeared to be a horrible accident and as of right now, there is no criminal investigation.

South Metro Fire Rescue said the collapse caused a natural gas leak, but it has since been shut off and for now the house is not fit for occupancy.

'It's amazing that no one was seriously hurt or killed,' Scott Richardson, special operations chief for SMFR, told KUSA.

Richardson added that he's never before seen a floor collapse in his career quite like this one.

'It's not the static weight of us just standing on [the floor], but if people are jumping up and down, and that creates what we call a "shock load" to the floor, and then you can't really predict what's going to happen,' he said.
Victoria's Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has called for Melbourne's council to cut ties with Russia's second largest city after the nation invaded Ukraine.

Melbourne's sister city relationship with St Petersburg could be suspended, as calls grow for it to be completely scrapped over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Victoria's Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has added his voice to calls for the City of Melbourne to cut ties with Russia's second largest city, after the nation launched a ground and aerial attack on neighbouring Ukraine.

Victoria's Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has called for Melbourne's council to cut ties with Russia's second largest city after the nation invaded Ukraine (pictured, a Melbourne pro-Ukraine protest)

'It's not a reflection of the people of St Petersburg, many who do not support that war, but it is sending a message to the Russian government,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

The Ukrainian-Australian has family living in the war zone near Kharkiv in the country's northeast, close to the Russian border.

Mr Guy earlier published a text from his cousin describing the 'horror' of the last four days.

'Praying this war will end immediately. Every morning (I) write to all (my) acquaintances, friends, relatives (to) find out if everyone is alive,' it read.

'But despite all this horror, we believe in a bright future. We believe that we will restore all cities, infrastructure, economy and we will live happily in peace.'

Melbourne's sister city relationship with St Petersburg could be suspended, as calls grow for it to be completely scrapped over Russia's invasion of Ukraine (pictured, an anti-war protest in St Petersburg)

Melbourne and St Petersburg established the partnership in 1989, when the Russian city was still known as Leningrad and before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Sally Capp, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, said the status of the partnership could first be raised during a meeting on Tuesday night.

'I can't reveal anything that might happen this evening but it can be considered,' she told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

'We actually have a full-scale review underway of all our sister city relationships.'

It is expected a motion suspending the sister city partnership will be voted on during the council meeting from 5.30pm.

Melbourne's other sister cities include Japan's Osaka, China's Tianjin, Greece's Thessaloniki, United States' Boston and Italy's Milan.
An out of control inferno has erupted at a city centre woolshed next to a massive petrol and diesel fuel storage facility.

More than 100 firefighters and 30 firetrucks are tackling the firestorm in Wickham, near Newcastle, NSW, which has engulfed the city in thick black smoke and knocked out power to 1,200 homes.

Fire and Rescue NSW have branded it a 'mega warehouse blaze' with FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter saying the the fire was a 'major' incident.

A nearby oil terminal with bulk fuel storage facilities is creating serious concerns for firefighters who are desperately trying to stop the flames spreading.

The Ampol hub distributes petrol and gasoline to fuel trucks delivering to service stations across northern NSW.

More than 60 firefighters are currently on the scene with at least 50 more bringing water pumps and specialist equipment to tackle the four-storey inferno.

One of Australia's biggest wool storage facilities has spectacularly burst into flames with more than 40 firefighters on the scene (pictured)

More than 1200 homes have lost power in the area as a result of the blaze.

Fire crews fear there could be asbestos in the iron roof of the building which can be seen buckling in the intense heat which has so far been contained to one of three storage areas.

One eyewitness told Daily Mail Australia her partner had been loading steel onto his truck at the nearby wharf before he was told clear the area immediately as the fire raged nearby.

'He was surrounded by trucks full of fuel, so no-one wanted them around with these flames about,' she added.

More than 100 firefighters and 30 firetrucks are tackling the firestorm in Wickham, near Newcastle's CBD, which has engulfed the city in thick black smoke and knocked out power top hundreds of homes

The fire is believed to have broken out about 2.30pm and quickly took hold of the building.

'Crews from Fire and Rescue NSW are currently on scene working to extinguish the flames which are contained to the building,' said a NSW Police spokesman.

'Police officers have evacuated residents and businesses along Annie and Milford Streets as a precaution.

'Several surrounding roads have been closed, motorists are urged to avoid the area whilst the operation remains underway.'

Newcastle's city centre has been engulfed in thick acrid smoke from the blaze, prompting health warnings for anyone with respiratory problems.

Fire crews warned locals to stay inside and shut all their windows and doors after taking in any washing they may have outside.
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Many people turned to exploring local nature paths for their daily exercise when lockdown closed gyms and group sports took a hiatus amid the pandemic.

Amateur photographers who captured stunning images of animals in their natural habitat were quick to submit their snaps to Weekend magazine's annual Wildlife Photography Challenge in the hopes of winning a package worth over 1,000.

The entrants were split into five categories - Birds; Mammals; Insects; Under-18s; and Reptiles, Fish, Amphibians & Molluscs.

While each category winner received a Nikon mirrorless digital camera kit and a year's subscription to Nikon Owner magazine, the overall winner also received a trip to the Camargue with wildlife photographer Simon Stafford, courtesy of Create Away, for a four-night masterclass in photographing the region's wild horses, flamingos and bulls.

Judges David Suchet, Clare Balding, Lucy Cooke, Steve Brown, Kelly Brook and Michael Eleftheriades were impressed with Lee O'dwyer, 67, a retired engineer from Lancashire, who was awarded the overall winner for his shot of a long-tailed tit.

These runner-up snaps taken by talented amateur photographers prove choosing an overall winner was a tough decision...

BIRDS

PUFFIN: Taken by Joseph Bristow, 23, a retail supervisor from Llantwit Major. 'Arriving at 3am and queueing for the 6am ticket office to open. First in line I caught the boat over to Skomer Island. With only a few hours permitted on the island I had no time to waste. Surrounded by the Puffins was an amazing spectacle and allowed me to capture some amazing photos. I found this one puffin who seemed very tame and loved posing for the camera. As he stared down the barrel of my lens I took my shot and was pleased with the result. I found the black background really provides a provocative and striking image highlight the vibrant colour of the Puffins.'

KESTREL CHICKS: Taken by Jayne Kirkby, 20, from Braintree, Essex. 'Beautiful pair of Kestrel chicks, taken at Wrabness on 20th June 2020.'

KINGFISHER: Tim Clifton, a 59-year-old from, St Leonards on Sea, snapped this captivating photo of a kingfisher hunting for small fish

MALLARD: William Watson, 64, a semi retired HGV driver from East Dunbartonshire. 'Taken on the Forth & Clyde canal (December '19') Bishopbriggs, As I went to take this photo of this female Mallard it stretched creating a nice reflection....'

INSECTS

BUTTERFLY: Adam Lane, a 27-year-old host at Legoland, from Slough, captured a butterfly perched on a purple flower in specular detail

WASP: Shelia Moth took this captivating photo of a wasp on a thistle, capturing the insect and plant in immense detail

SPIDER: Taken by Geoffrey Wells, 67, a maintenance caretaker from North Yorkshire. 'This picture was taken in my back garden during the recent lockdown.'

REPTILES

MATING FROGS: Taken by Steve Jellett, 64, from Essex, who is retired. 'Taken in small garden pond when 21 frogs descended to mate.'

MAMMALS

ROE DEER: Tim Cliffton, a 75-year-old from St Leonards on sea, took a photograph of two roe deer spotted in a field

MOUSE: Taken by Cameron Parfitt, 20, a student at the University of Brighton, from Worthing. 'I would love to highlight that even in your back garden there are images to be had. This image is of a cheeky wood mouse that keeps stealing food from what we have now dubbed the mouse feeder. It's not unheard of for this little guy to be found inside the feeder without a care in the world stuffing himself with the bird seed.'

JUNIORS

FOX CUB: Billy Evans-Freke, 15, a secondary school student from East Sussex. 'It wasn't a long wait in the hide before the first fox cub woke up from its nap and came out into the open. It was soon followed by another cub. At first they stayed in the shadows of the bushes near the den. But once they gained their confidence they started coming closer. This cub in particular was very curious and came very close to the hide.'
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator from Connecticut has revealed the U.S. is working with its allies in order to seize Russian President Vladimir Putin's assets.

Senator Murphy who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee made the revelation on Twitter after he attended a 'classified briefing on Ukraine.'

'The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putin's inner circle anticipated,' Murphy wrote on Twitter noting that it was just ''a few takeaways that I can share.'

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, pictured above, says U.S. together with allies are 'coordinating to seize assets of Russian President Putin and oligarchs'

In series of tweets, Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee said the U.S. and its allies are preparing further sanctions and restrictions against Moscow, including seizing the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin

Murphy also said tweeted several other nuggets of information that he was allowed to reveal publicly.

'Confirmation that the Russians have fallen behind their timeline. Ukrainian resistance has been fierce and there have been multiple Russian equipment and logistics failures,' he wrote.

'Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security are pressing hard for Congress to end the continuing resolution and get a budget passed. There is no way for our national security agencies to be nimble enough to support Ukraine if they are operating on the 2020/21 budget,' Murphy added in a follow-up tweet.

'The ability to keep supply lines running to Ukraine remains alive, but Russia will try to encircle and cut off Kiev in the next several weeks. The fight for Kiev will be long and bloody and Ukrainians are rapidly preparing for street to street combat.'

Senator Murphy is renowned as one of the most vociferous critics of Russia in the Senate.

Even before the current war in Ukraine, Murphy held the view Russia would remain a permanent, persistent threat to the United States and its security interests, regardless of who was president.

'The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well,' Senator Chris Murphy revealed

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco Rubio of Florida said Russian President Vladimir Putin was laying the groundwork for a 'medieval siege' of Kyiv

Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been passionately tweeting about Ukraine

The classified briefing heard from President Joe Biden's top national security officials who detailed how the worst was still to come for Kyiv.

New satellite images shows a large Russian convoy some 40 miles in length is edging ever close towards the capital.

'Russia can hold on a lot longer than Ukraine can,' said Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 'This is dire.'

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Marco Rubio of Florida said Russian President Vladimir Putin was laying the groundwork for a 'medieval siege' of Kyiv.

'No matter how many cities Putin takes he will never pacify 40 million Ukrainians. We should provide them weapons to keep eliminating the Russian occupiers until they leave And then we should help them overthrow & bring to justice the traitorous puppets Russia leaves behind', Rubio Tweeted.

'Maybe Putin takes Kyiv, but he will NEVER conquer Ukraine. He isnt just fighting against a military he is fighting against over 40 million people. And they wont stop killing Russias invaders until all of them are gone,' the Republican Senator added.

A massive Russian military convoy can be seen advancing from Belarus in the north towards Kyiv in satellite images released on Monday

The head of the convoy is at Antonov airport, 17 miles north of Kyiv city center

On Monday night it was revealed that the Russian military convoy traveling towards the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is now far longer than first thought having grown from 17 miles long to 40 miles, according to pictures from a satellite imaging company.

U.S. officials are warning the city could be the scene of a siege and ugly urban warfare.

Maxar Technologies, a private U.S. satellite company, said additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units were also seen in southern Belarus, less than 20 miles north of the Ukraine border.

On Sunday, Maxar had initially measured the convoy to be just over three miles in length.

White House sources told CNN they were carefully monitoring the convoy, and were concerned not only at its increased size but also at the uptick in violence and indiscriminate killings.

U.S. intelligence officials told members of Congress on Monday that they expect a second overwhelming wave of attacks to engulf Kyiv with the sheer numbers of Russian troops flattening any Ukrainian resistance.
'Cocaine' Cassie got engaged to Tatiana last November and are about to marry

She wore an orange coat and high-heeled boots as she waited for her mother

Sainsbury is waiting on a judge's decision to be able to return home to Australia

She was caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in her luggage as she tried to board a flight

It was the first time Sainsbury had returned to the airport since her arrest in 2017

Australian drug dealer 'Cocaine' Cassie Sainsbury has reunited with her mum Lisa Evans in Colombia for the first time in four years ahead of her wedding later this month.

Sainsbury, 26, and her fiancee Tatiana met her mum and her husband Nick Evans at El Dorado Airport in Bogota on Monday morning.

It was the same location where, in April 2017, Sainsbury was caught with 5.8kg of cocaine in her luggage as she tried to board a flight to London.

She spent almost three years in El Buen Pastor jail for her crime and is unable to leave Colombia because she is completing her sentence on bail after getting an early release due to Covid.

Sainsbury was wearing a stylish orange coat, matching high-heeled boots and tight black trousers showing off her impressive weight loss.

Cassie Sainsbury (left) is hugged by her mum Lisa Evans. Beside them are Lisa's husband Nick and Cassie's fiance Tatiana

She and Tatiana looked nervous as they waited for her mum and stepdad to arrive in Bogota after an epic 31-hour journey from Adelaide.

Writing on social media during a stopover on her mammoth trip, Lisa wrote: 'I'm so happy that my girl has found her true love.'

Tatiana stroked Sainsbury's blonde hair and made her laugh to break the tension as the wait went on.

If the police officer stationed a metre away from her bothered Sainsbury, she didn't let on.

As passengers started to emerge from the arrivals area, she and Tatiana moved closer to where her mother would emerge from.

And then, the moment Sainsbury had waited four years for finally arrived.

A nervous looking Cassie Sainsbury (pictured left) is calmed down by her fiance Tatiana (right)

It was four years since Cassie Sainsbury (pictured right, with her fiance Tatiana) had seen her mum

Cassie Sainsbury (left) looks worried as she waits with her partner Tatiana for her mum to arrive

Tatiana (right) pulls a funny face to keep Cassie Sainsbury's (left) spirits up as they wait for her mother and stepfather to arrive from Australia

Ms Evans came out of arrivals first and headed straight for her daughter for a minutes-long, emotional hug before the group headed to a people carrier and on to a hotel.

Then Mr Evans emerged with two large suitcases and got a welcome to Colombia hug from his future daughter-in-law.

It was the first time Sainsbury had returned to the airport since her arrest and also the first time Mr and Ms Evans had met her partner.

Cassie Sainsbury (left) and her finance Tatiana (right) were getting excited at the imminent arrival in Colombia of Cassie's mother and stepfather

Then the moment finally came and Cassie's mum Lisa Evans emerged from the arrivals gate. Pictured are Cassie and Lisa embracing while her fiance Tatiana looks on

Cassie's stepfather Nick Evans (pictured right) then arrived as Cassie was still hugging and crying with her mum

Nick (left) chatted to Cassie's fiance Tatiana as the emotional mother and daughter reunion continued

The relief can be seen on Lisa Evans' (centre) face as she hugs her daughter, Australian drug dealer 'Cocaine' Cassie Evans

As Sainsbury and her mum continued to embrace and cry, Mr Evans chatted with Tatiana, whom he'd previously only spoken to on the phone and on video chat calls.

Getting off to a good start, Tatiana, who is an IT specialist, brought a huge bouquet of flowers with her to present to her future in laws.

An onlooker said: 'It was a very emotional moment at the end of what must have been a very difficult flight.

'Cassie seemed nervous before her mum came through but Tatiana looked very confident and assured.

'They're plainly in love, they were laughing and giggling and Tatiana held Cassie's hand to reassure her.'

Getting off to a good start, Tatiana (right) brought a huge bouquet of flowers with her to present to her future in laws

Cassie Sainsbury's mum (left) admires the flowers given to her by her future daughter-in-law Tatiana (centre)

Pictured left to right are Lisa Evans, her husband Nick, future daughter-in-law Tatiana and daughter Cassie Sainsbury

Sainsbury, who is still on bail after being released from jail early in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic, lives with Tatiana at an apartment in the Chapinero suburb of Bogota.

Last November, she showed off her glitzy engagement ring as she opened up about Tatiana and made plans to return to Australia after the years locked up in a Colombian prison.

Sainsbury shared the news of her engagement to her 15,000 Instagram followers, posting a photo proudly posing with her ring.

'So hard to choose a wedding dress,' she wrote. 'Yes people I'm engaged.'

In celebration of her upcoming nuptials she posted a series of photos with Tatiana, a 33-year-old computer technician from Bogota who she met through mutual friends on May 26, 2021.

Sainsbury shared the news of her engagement to her 15,000 Instagram followers, posting a photo proudly posing with her ring (pictured)

They are getting married later this month and plan to live between Colombia and Australia once Sainsbury is able to return to her home country.

'It was a really unexpected relationship,' Sainsbury told Daily Mail Australia from Bogota.

'We had shared a group of friends and one night we went out for a birthday and we literally hit it off.'

After a short romance, Sainsbury said Tatiana further surprised her by proposing to her during a getaway to Cartagena on the Colombian coast.

'She put a ring on it!' Sainsbury said of the engagement. 'She'd been planning for a while trying to find a ring that she thought was perfect for me and in the end she found it.

Sainsbury (pictured) spent three years in Bogota's El Buen Pastor prison after she was convicted for smuggling 5.8kg of cocaine into the country in April 2017

'She took me to Cartagena and organised a small, romantic dinner at a cosy little restaurant on the beachfront. She asked me to marry her there.'

In July last year Sainsbury told Daily Mail Australia her new lover was unaware of her past and why she had been headline news in Australia, but that has now changed.

'I shared everything with her about everything,' she revealed.

'Basically [Tatiana] said she wasn't going to judge me on my past, she was really mature about the whole situation.

'I feel like I'm the happiest I've ever been. It's nice to feel like I can be myself with no judgement from someone who is always there for me.'

Sainsbury said she wants to return to her hometown of Adelaide as soon as possible but delays in the Colombian legal system caused by the incursion of Covid-19 into the country mean she is still waiting on the decision of a judge before she is allowed to return home.

After a short romance, Sainsbury (pictured) said Tatiana further surprised her by proposing to her during a getaway to Cartagena on the Colombian

Sainsbury (pictured being escorted to a court hearing in Bogota in 2017) became engaged to a fellow female inmate, Joli Pico, while in prison, before her current relationship

'We'll get married and then the plan is to go back home for a while, sort things out there, see my family and then make a decision about what the big plan will be.

'She's never been to Australia. We'll probably end up between Australia and Colombia because obviously her family is here so it will be like, some time here, some time there type of thing.'

Sainsbury, whose Australian accent has been transformed by a Latin lilt after her four-and-a-half years in Colombia, has undergone many changes since her arrest in April 2017 when cocaine packaged inside 18 headphone boxes was found in her suitcase.

Coming out as gay is one such change.

Sainsbury became engaged to a fellow female inmate, Joli Pico, while in prison, before her current relationship with Tatiana once she'd been released.

'It has always been something there,' she said of her attraction to women. 'I had relationships like that [in Australia]... but not as serious.'

'Tatiana said she wasn't going to judge me on my past, she was really mature about the whole situation' Sainsbury said of her new love

Sainsbury said the lowest point of her whole ordeal since she was first arrested was when she became seriously ill with bacteria in her stomach while inside El Buen Pastor prison.

'When I became sick I was taken out of prison into hospital and that is what saved me.'

While in prison she was locked in a two-metre by two-metre cell with up to five other inmates and says she still has nightmares about it.

Sainsbury said she is focused on putting her past behind her rather than trying to prove the claims she made in a 60 Minutes program in April 2020 that pressure from a Brazilian drug lord had caused her to undertake the cocaine smuggling mission.

She claimed back then that a mysterious man named 'Angelo Sanchez' allegedly threatened to kill her mother and then-boyfriend, Scott Broadbridge, unless she committed the crime.

Sainsbury was just 22-years-old when she was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine hidden in her luggage at Bogota airport (pictured, arriving for a court hearing in Bogota in 2017)

'I want to move forward but trust me there are still days where I ask myself, 'why me?''

'I want to move forward but trust me there are still days where I ask myself, 'why me?''

'I feel like if I keep trying to bring up the past, I'm never going to be able to move forward. I just want to be able to put all this behind me and live a normal life.'

But Sainsbury said she does take note of the perceptions Australians have about her.

'I still care. Believe it or not, the comments people make obviously affect me,' she confessed.

'I try not to let it affect me too much, I know there are a lot of mixed opinions about me. I can't tell someone not to have their own opinion.'

Sainsbury said the perception of her by Australians does affect her. 'I'm not sure what to expect, to be honest,' she said of returning to her home country

'I feel like if I keep trying to bring up the past, I'm never going to be able to move forward. I just want to be able to put all this behind me and live a normal life, Sainsbury said, pictured above at the time of her arrest in Colombia in April 2017

She said she is concerned about whether she will be able to readjust to life in Australia, where she has said she wishes to establish a personal training business and is open to reality television offers.

'I'm not sure what to expect, to be honest.'

A love of Colombian culture and people was one of the positive things to come from her experience since she'd been out of prison, Sainsbury said.

'Through everything I went through, I learnt to take the best out of the experience I could... meeting new people, maturing, learning more about myself.

'To make it feel like it was not a complete loss of time, using what I learnt from the experience to become the person I've become.'
An 11-month-old baby boy who was missing for nearly four hours in Melbourne's south after a man stole a car with the infant sitting inside has been found safe and well.

The baby had been inside the back of a white 2013 Toyota Rav 4 before it was stolen from Putt Grove in Keysborough at 2.10pm on Tuesday.

Police say the child's mother had briefly exited the car while leaving the engine running before an unknown man jumped into the driver's seat and took off with the baby still onboard.

The baby and the Toyota were later found in Cranbourne about 5.40pm and a man was arrested.

Police are searching for this man after an 11-month-old baby went missing in Melbourne's south

'I can safely say that we have located the child safe and well and he's in the process of being returned to mum and dad now,' Inspector Fiona Halford told reporters.

'I just cannot thank the public enough. It was a member of the general public who had identified police of the location and subsequently police attended that location and found the child safe and well.'

Police earlier released images of a man they wished to speak to and a car similar to the one stolen.

Investigations are ongoing and a 46-year-old man is assisting police with their inquiries.
The 13 Ukrainian border guards who were feared dead after they told the Russian military to 'go f*** yourself' over the radio as they defended a small island in the Black Sea are actually alive and being held as prisoners of war, the Ukrainian Navy has since confirmed.

'We are very happy to learn that our brothers are alive and well,' it declared in a statement.

The Ukrainian Navy added that a civilian ship had gone to the island to help after the attack, but it was captured by the Russians, and demanded the release of all Ukrainian citizens.

'Illegal capture of a civilian ship  a non-combatant without performing any military mission, is a violation of the rules and customs of war, international humanitarian law,' the Ukrainian Navy added. 'We demand from Russia the immediate release of illegally occupied citizens of Ukraine.'

The guards defending Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, a strategically-significant speck of land south of the port of Odessa, had originally thought to have gone down in a blaze of glory during Thursday's attacks.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy even promised to posthumously decorate 'the heroic deceased border guards.'

But pictures released by the Russian Defense Ministry claim guards, part of the Ukrainian independent law enforcement agency, the State Border Guard Service, are in fact still alive after 'voluntarily' surrendering their garrison to Russian troops.

Almost a dozen photos released by Russia purportedly show the men boarding buses, being given bottled water and a food parcel, before being shown sitting in their seats.

Ukrainian border guards protecting tiny island in the Black Sea from Russia were thought to have been killed after telling Russian navy to 'go f**k yourself' but Russia has since released almost a dozen pictured

The guards defending Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, a speck of land south of the port of Odessa, had originally thought to have been killed but to have gone down in a blaze of linguistic glory but they were purportedly pictured on Saturday

The Ukrainian border guards manning a tiny island in the Black Sea near Romania who were originally thought killed on Thursday after telling a Russian warship to 'go f*** yourselves' when they were told to surrender, are now believed to have survived

Snake Island is strategically important because it allows Russia to claim territorial waters stretching 12 nautical miles out to sea.

Russia have even said that men will be released an be allowed to return to their families.

The Ukrainian Navy confirmed Monday that the soldiers on the island repelled two attacks by Russian forces, but were forced to surrender 'due to the lack of ammunition.'

They also said in the statement that Russian forces destroyed Snake Island's infrastructure, including lighthouses, towers and antennas.

On Friday, an audio clip shared online, an officer from a Russian military ship can be heard telling the Ukrainian guards to 'lay down your arms immediately to avoid bloodshed and unjustified deaths', adding 'otherwise you will be bombed'.

The guards can then be heard talking amongst themselves, agreeing 'this is it', before they responded to the Russian navy saying: 'Russian warship, go f*** yourself.'

Ukraine later lost contact with its forces defending the island on Thursday after Russia conducted strikes from the air and sea, officials in Kyiv said.

A video circulating on Twitter also appeared to show the moment that the island was shelled. It showed a Ukrainian soldier staring at a camera before a shell landed nearby.

The Ukrainian Navy called for their immediate release.

Pictures released by Russia on Saturday purportedly show Ukrainian servicemen arriving from Snake Island, having left their garrison and 'voluntarily surrendering' to Russian troops

Before getting on board a bus, the soldiers were given food parcels and bottles water

Russian officials handed the Ukrainian solders bottled water as they boarded a bus

The Russians have said the men who were captured will be 'returned to their families'

The men can be seeing boarding a bus having been taken off Snake Island during the operation

The Ukrainian border guards manning the tiny Snake Island in the Black Sea near Romania were thought to have been killed on Thursday after telling a Russian warship to 'go f*** yourselves' when they were ordered to surrender, but now it's thought they survived

Protestors in Munich, Germany hold signs containing messages of the Snake Island attack where a Russian warship was told ''go f**k yourself'' by border police

The soldiers were posted on Snake Island in the Odesa region and were defending the territory after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The island is ruled by Ukraine but sits just miles from the coast of NATO member Romania

On Friday, Russia's defense ministry said 82 Ukrainian soldiers on the island had surrendered to them voluntarily. It made no mention of carrying out strikes or inflicting casualties.

Russian Major-General Igor Konashenkov stated how the servicemen on the island 'laid down their arms and voluntarily surrendered to a unit of the Russian Armed Forces.'

'Russian media reported that Ukrainian servicemen on the island had been sent to Sevastopol' in Crimea the statement explained.

Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion in the early hours of Thursday, Moscow's most aggressive action since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

Snake Island is ruled by Ukraine but sits just miles from the coast of Romania.

It is strategically important because it will allow Russia to claim territorial waters stretching 12 nautical miles out to sea.

They cover important shipping channels to the port cities of Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson.

After taking the island, Russia would have been able to cut off the shipping channels, isolating Ukraine from international markets and depriving its economy of vital trade revenues as it seeks to defend itself.
The famous automaker Toyota is getting ready to suspend 14 of its factories because of a possible cyberattack. Officials say they have no idea how long this disruption might last.

The 14 flagged factories in Japan notably account for a third of the automotive firm's global production. Other plants affiliated to Toyota, like Hino Motors and Daihatsu, are also included in the shutdown.

Toyota Cyber Attack 2022: Japan Factories Affected

There is no information immediately available about the attack, so sources like Reuters recorded the data submitted by reporters. Some speculate the attack might be retaliation against Japan for supporting Ukraine, but nothing is confirmed at this time

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, "It is difficult to say whether this has anything to do with Russia before making thorough checks." He promised that his government was already taking steps to investigate the attack.

It should be emphasized that the attack was not launched directly against Toyota Motor Corp. Instead, it was directed towards the supplier of plastic parts and electronics components, namely the Kojima Industries Corp.

A spokesperson told Nikkei that "It is true that we have been hit by some kind of cyberattack. We are still confirming the damage, and we are hurrying to respond, with the top priority of resuming Toyota's production system as soon as possible."

For reference, Toyota uses a just-in-time production control system, which means any parts received from the supplier are immediately used for production instead of being stockpiled. This is why Toyota had no other choice but to stop production.

Note that until the supplier system failure is resolved and its cybersecurity not compromised, Toyota will still continue to struggle with production.

Read Also: Toyota Tundra 2022 Design Flaws: Users Worry About Door-Lock and Waste Gate Issues, Are These Fixed Now?

Toyota Cybersecurity Issues: When Will Production Resume?

As previously mentioned, Toyota is one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world. So this sudden shutdown is definitely affecting its systems negatively. The closure will reportedly set back the production of 13,000 cars or more, per BBC. This is approximately 4-5% of Toyota's monthly output in Japan.

Its affiliate Hino Motors will also suspend operations at its Koga facility and Hamura plant. These two are responsible for manufacturing trucks of all sizes for export and domestic sale.

Unfortunately for fans, Toyota has yet to announce how long this shutdown would last. The suspension will be effective starting Tuesday, Feb. 28, and will last indefinitely until the company is confident with its system repairs and cybersecurity countermeasures.

Notably, the cyberattack shutdown just happened on top of Toyota's supply chain crises because of the global pandemic. These two factors should negatively impact their performance. Toyota should be able to find a way to overcome these unfortunate predicaments, just as it did during the Toyota recall crisis.

Fans interested in the Toyota vehicle lineup are advised to wait for further updates, which might drop anytime within the week.

Related Article: 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor USA Release Date, Engine, Specs: Just How Powerful Is the "Most Powerful Ranger"?
An equestrian rider found guilty of raping two women in their swags at horse events told them not to leave him 'sexually frustrated'.

Joshua James David Slape, 24, from Glenburnie in South Australia was jailed for 11 years with a non-parole period of seven in the District Court on Tuesday.

Judge Gordon Barrett found the horse breeder guilty of rape, attempted rape and indecent assault, over the two incidents which occurred in 2017 and 2018.

Slape was 19 when he assaulted the first woman while at a horsing riding event at his family's farm in June, 2017.

He forced her to perform sexual acts on him before raping her while her two children slept just metres away.

Joshua James David Slape, 24, from Glenburnie in South Australia was jailed for 11 years with a non-parole period of seven in the District Court on Tuesday

Slape had told his victim 'are you just going to leave me with blue balls?', according to court documents.

The second attack happened just six months later after a rodeo event.

Slape had known both women and had climbed into both of their swags before assaulting them.

The court had earlier heard Slape had told both women 'not to leave him sexually frustrated' before he attacked them.

One victim has suffered from severe anxiety and depression in the wake of her rape, saying in an impact statement she keeps all her blinds and doors shut.

'My life is very different now and I'm a different person to what I used to be. I wish I could be the confident, happy, outgoing person I was,' she said.

The second victim said it would take time for her to be able to trust people again.

Slape's sentence will be backdated to 2020, meaning he can be eligible for parole in 2027.

The horse rider has been viciously trolled online in the wake of his charges.
Women and children were forced to watch on in horror as a motorist was violently attacked by four other men on a busy freeway.

The brawl was sparked in the middle of Melbourne's Monash Freeway near the Blackburn road exit at about 4:30pm on Monday.

In footage of the violent encounter, four men spring from a grey BMW convertible sporting red P plates and begin to pummel the motorist in front.

In footage of the violent encounter four men spring from a grey BMW convertible sporting red P plates and begin to pummel the motorist in front (pictured)

At one point in the video, the driver is put in a headlock and thrown to the ground, as the attackers land a series of punches and kicks.

A woman can be seen yelling at the group to break it up as a young boy and other shocked motorists watch the violence unfold.

The chaotic scenes brought traffic to a standstill just before the afternoon rush.

It is unclear what triggered the brawl, with Victoria Police to launch an investigation into the incident.

A spokesperson said police have spoken to parties involved who has declined to make a formal statement at this time.

Anyone with dashcam footage of the altercation has been urged to contact police.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has issued a graphic telling people how to launch a Molotov cocktail at a tank.

It came as brave Ukrainians were seen hurling DIY petrol bombs at a Russian tank from the window of a passing car.

Remarkable footage shows people in the car shouting abuse at Putin's forces, before a woman throws the home-made weapon directly at the armoured vehicle.

The Ministry of Defence and the Ukrainian army's General Staff posted detailed instruction on how to make Molotov cocktails and where to aim when faced with a Russian tank or truck.

The official account of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces showed people key areas of Russian tanks and trucks to target with petrol bombs. It added: 'Beat the occupier! Let's win together!'

A series of graphics showed which parts of Russian tanks and trucks to aim for, including the windows, manholes on top and the engine grill

Remarkable footage shows people in the car shouting abuse at Putin's forces, before a woman throws the home-made weapon directly at the armoured vehicle

Another angle shows the aftermath of the incident, in which flames can be seen erupting from the tank, as vehicles drive by on a dual carriageway

The official page of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense shared a flyer of how to make a Molotov cocktail

It gave detailed instructions on how to create the DIY petrol bomb and suggested throwing them at Russian tanks and trucks. They are illegal to make in the UK under the Explosive Substances Act

A map issued by Ukrzaliznytsia, or Ukrainian Railways, showed which stations were still operational (Pictured: Graphic for February 27)

The daily graphics give an idea of the Russian advance from the east and south (Pictured: Graphic for February 28)

A Green dot means 'The station is operational', a green train means 'There's a connection', a red sign that there is 'no connection' and an explosion sign that 'there's a situation, explosions near the station' (Pictured: Graphic for March 1)

Civilians have been encouraged in recent days to make their own petrol bombs, with President Zelensky's embattled government even giving out a DIY flyer with instructions.

The illegal petrol bombs believed to have had their name coined by the Finnish: What are Molotov cocktails? Molotov cocktail is a generic name given to petrol bombs. Also known as a poor man's grenade, because of their relative ease to make, they are improvised incendiary weapons involving flammable liquid put into glass bottles. The name was coined by the Finnish during their war with Soviet Russia in 1939 - also known as the Winter War. It is believed they were called Molotov as a pejorative reference to Vyacheslav Molotov due to the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact  a deal between Russia and Nazi Germany that saw Poland divided between the two countries and Finland into the Soviet 'sphere of influence'. However they were used before the Winter War, most notably in the Spanish Civil war three years earlier. General Franco is said to have ordered his Nationalist troops to use them against Soviet tanks. Many were made by people in Britain in the 1940s as the threat of an invasion by Nazi Germany loomed. They are often used in riots and uprisings and, as of such, have become a symbol of revolution. But they are illegal to make in the UK under the Explosive Substances Act. Advertisement

A post from the verified Twitter page of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine last week said: 'In Obolon... We ask citizens to inform about the movement of equipment!

'Make Molotov cocktails, neutralise the occupier! Peaceful residents - be careful! Do not leave the house!'

More footage over the weekend showed hundreds of civilians of all ages making the weapons as part of efforts to arm themselves against Russian attackers.

A Sky News report from Dnipro showed crowd of people grating up polystyrene and putting it into bottles.

The idea is that the substance would then make the cocktail stick to vehicles and other targets.

The weapons were being made according to a recipe distributed by Ukraine's ministry of defence.

Ukrainian Railways have also issued daily maps showing which stations were still operational.

They give an insight into how far Russian forces have advanced from the east and south of Ukraine.

The name Molotov cocktail was coined by the Finnish during their war with Soviet Russia in 1939 - also known as the Winter War.

It is believed they were called Molotov as a pejorative reference to Vyacheslav Molotov due to the MolotovRibbentrop Pact - a deal between Russia and Nazi Germany that saw Poland divided between the two countries and Finland into the Soviet 'sphere of influence'.

However they were used before the Winter War, most notably in the Spanish Civil war three years earlier.

General Franco is said to have ordered his Nationalist troops to use them against Soviet tanks.

Many were made by people in Britain in the 1940s as the threat of an invasion by Nazi Germany loomed.

They are often used in riots and uprisings and, as of such, have become a symbol of revolution.

But they are illegal to make in the UK under the Explosive Substances Act.
An elderly couple has been found dead inside their home in a suspected murder-suicide.

The bodies of Stephen and Sally Starling, aged 74 and 75, were discovered at their Perth home about 6.45pm on Monday after a neighbour noticed the couple's barn door was open.

Western Australian police confirmed the bodies were discovered by a traumatised neighbour who alerted police on Monday evening.

A neighbour has arrived first on the scene to make the tragic discovery of the bodies of a 'gorgeous' elderly expat British couple in their home

Sally Starling, 74, was one of the two people found deceased by a neighbour in the Darling Downs home, alongside her husband Stephen

Mr and Mrs Starling, said to be an adventure-loving couple and members of the Jaguar Car Club of Western Australia, were identified on Tuesday (pictured, Stephen Starling)

Mr and Mrs Starling, said to be an adventure-loving couple and members of the Jaguar Car Club of Western Australia, were identified on Tuesday.

The club posted twice about 'the tragic passing of [the] respected long-time members' but deleted one in order to allow the family 'space to grieve without interference'.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia WA police said there was 'no indication at this point in time of any third party involvement' in the tragedy'.

WA police commissioner Chris Dawson told ABC radio it was 'a tragic set of circumstances for this couple'.

Another neighbour, Maureen Parkes, told 7News that police were at property in the 'quiet' Darling Downs area overnight.

'About 2am I got up, looked out the window and police cars were there ... the whole of the driveway was floodlit, so I knew something was wrong,' she said.

Another neighbour, Pat Hogge described the couple as 'gorgeous' and 'welcoming'.

It is understood that as well as being in the classic car club, Mr Starling, a former engineer, owned a yacht and his wife was 'a keen horse rider'.

Ms Hogge said the neighbour who found the couple were 'quite close' to them.

'She couldn't talk, she said there has been an incident and that's all I can say.'

WA police confirmed they were not looking for any third party and described the incident as 'tragic for this couple' but they could not confirm the identity of the deceased pair

Mr Starling, was an engineer and author who wrote a book about riding motorbikesa cross te United States

'About 6:45pm [on February 28], police were called to the home by a neighbour. Upon attendance a 74-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman were located deceased,' the WA police statement said.

'Investigations in the circumstances surrounding the deaths are ongoing.

'Detectives and forensic officers will remain at the scene today.'

Mr Starling was also an author have written a well-regarded book, 'Three Harleys, Three Aussies, One American Dream: A 5,000-mile Motorcycle Adventure around the USA'.

'Travel, writing, and photography have been Stephen W. Starling's passions since he left the UK in the 1970s.

'Stephen has backpacked across Africa, Asia, and South America; ridden motorcycles around Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and the USA; and sailed the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Indian Ocean,' his Amazon author's bio reads.
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Ukraine war: The latest Russian army tells citizens in Kyiv they can 'freely leave' as it hints of attacks on civilian areas

Russian forces shell Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, killing at least 11 civilians in residential areas

Russian forces reach the southern city of Kherson near Moscow-controlled Crimea

Kyiv says 352 civilians have been killed, including 14 children, since the invasion began last Thursday

Nearly 520,000 people have fled Ukraine in the last five days, the UN's refugee agency says,

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan says he is investigating the 'situation in Ukraine', saying there is a 'reasonable basis' to believe 'war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed'

Turkey blocks warships from the Bosphorus and Dardanelles strait, limiting the movement of Russian and other naval assets by invoking a 1936 treaty

Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia end a first round of talks with no breakthrough. Both sides agree to conduct a second round 'soon'

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Head of UN's atomic watchdog 'gravely concern' that invading Russian troops are operating close to Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine's largest nuclear power station

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International Olympic Committee urges sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes

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Lawmakers in traditionally non-aligned Finland - which has a long border with Russia - are to debate NATO membership

Disney and Sony Pictures stop the release of their films in Russian cinemas because of its invasion of Ukraine Advertisement

The woman who broke down in tears as she demanded Boris Johnson tighten UK sanctions against Russia is a high-profile Ukrainian campaigner who helped establish the country's anti-corruption court.

Daria Kaleniuk's voice began to crack as she urged the Prime Minister to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and its oligarchs following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

During a press conference in Poland, where Mr Johnson is visiting today ahead of talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Ms Kaleniuk said Ukrainian children were 'taking the hit' because of the refusal of NATO to get involved in the conflict.

She also urged the Prime Minister to get tough on Russian billionaires such as Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and their families, including Vladimir Putin's, who she said were safe 'in mansions' while Ukrainian children were hiding in bomb shelters.

Mr Abramovich vehemently denies he is close to the Kremlin or has done anything that would merit sanctions being imposed against him.

Breaking into tears as she talked, Ms Kaleniuk, who said she recently fled her home in Kyiv, where many of her family and colleagues remain, she told the Prime Minister: 'These are Ukrainian children who are there taking the hit.

'You're talking about more sanctions Prime Minister but Roman Abramovich is not sanctioned.

'His children are not in the bombardments. His children are there in London. Putin's children are in Netherlands, in Germany, in mansions, where all these mentioned seized? I don't see that.

'I see that my family members, that my team members, I'd say that we crying. We don't know where to run. This is what is happening Prime Minister.'

Ms Kaleniuk, believed to be a mother-of-two, is the co-founder and executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), an organisation that has shaped Ukraine's anti-corruption legislation

After listening in awkward silence, Mr Johnson replied that he was doing what he could, but 'cannot pretend' that the West will step in militarily.

'Unfortunately the implication of that would be that the UK would be engaged in shooting down Russian planes, engaged in direct combat with Russia, that's not something we can do,' he said.

The confrontation came after Mr Johnson accused Mr Putin of using 'barbaric and indiscriminate tactics' against innocent Ukrainian civilians.

As the invading forces escalated their attacks with harrowing pictures of children falling victim to the violence, he warned that the world was witnessing an 'unfolding disaster'.

The UN says at least 136 civilians have been killed so far, including 13 children, and hundreds more injured.

The woman who broke down in tears as she demanded Boris Johnson tighten UK sanctions against Russia is high-profile Ukrainian campaigner, Daria Kaleniuk (pictured), who helped establish the country's anti-corruption court

Daria Kaleniuk told Boris Johnson said women and children were 'taking the hit' because NATO would not enforce a no-fly zone

Ms Kaleniuk said Mr Johnson was coming to Warsaw rather than Kyiv because he is 'afraid'

Mr Johnson said he could not pretend NATO is ready to intervene militarily, warning that the situation could spiral out of control if there was a direct confrontation with Russia

Speaking alongside Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw, Boris Johnson said the UK 'stands ready' to take refugees in 'considerable numbers'

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Vladimir Putin (left) has 'blood on his hands' and urge the West to 'isolate' him further in a speech at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

A wounded woman is helped in aftermath of Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine today

A view shows the regional administration building following the Russian rocket attack in central Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 1, 2022

Daria Kaleniuk's emotional appeal to the PM in full I passed the border a couple of days ago. I'm from Kyiv. Most of my family. Most of my team members are still in Ukraine in Kyiv, in Lviv. A woman from my team is now in Bilozerka. She is there with two kids, and Russian military is over there and she is so much afraid that she will be shot. Kharkiv, the city where I was studying was bombed today, fully, the downtown square. 'So you're talking about the stoicism of the Ukrainian people. But Ukrainian women and Ukrainian children are in deep fear because of bombs and missiles which are going from the sky. And Ukranian people are desperately asking for the West to protect our sky. We are asking for the no fly zone. We are saying response that it will trigger World war three. But what is the alternative Mr Prime Minister, to observe how our children are instead of planes are protecting NATO from the missiles and bombs? What's the alternative for the no fly zone? We have planes here we have air defence system in Poland in Romania. NATO has this air defence, at least this air defence shield the Western Ukraine. So this these children with women could come to the border. 'It's impossible now to cross the border. There are 30 kilometres of mines. Imagine crossing the border with a baby or with two children. 'I'm so glad that Samantha Power is coming here to the border from the Polish side. Let her come to the border from Ukrainian side and see that. 'Britain guaranteed our security under Budapest Memorandum. So you're coming to Poland you're not coming to Kyiv Prime Minister, you're not coming to Lviv, because you are afraid. Because NATO is not willing to defend. Because NATO is afraid of World War Three, but it is already started. 'And these are Ukrainian children who are there taking the hit. You're talking about more sanctions Prime Minister but Roman Abramovich is not sanctioned. He's in London. His children are not in the bombardments. His children are there in London. Putin's children are in Netherlands, in Germany, in mansions, where all these mentioned seized? I don't see that. I see that my family members, that my team members, I'd say that we crying. We don't know where to run. This is what is happening. Prime Minister. Advertisement

Kyiv endured another night of bombing on Monday before satellite images revealed the huge column of tanks headed for the city, with Putin's men trying to cut off the capital and bomb it into submission

The tearful Ukrainian campaigner who begged Boris to do more: American-educated anti-corruption chief fled Kyiv but has family and colleagues stuck in under-siege capital The woman who broke down in tears as she demanded Boris Johnson tighten UK sanctions against Russia is a high-profile Ukrainian campaigner who helped establish the country's anti-corruption court. Ms Kaleniuk is the co-founder and executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), an organisation that has shaped Ukraine's anti-corruption legislation. Her group, which is funded by donations, and with the support of the US and the European Union, helped establish the country's National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), as well as the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine - which was founded in 2019. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Ms Kaleniuk has called for heavy sanctions on Russia, including a no-fly, cutting Russia from the SWIFT banking system and arresting all Russian oligarchs and their family members - accusing them of being 'enablers' of the war Ms Kaleniuk, who according to Linkedin studied law in Kharkiv before studying and working in the Chicago, US, for a year, co-founded the group with Vitaliy Shabunin, who is the head of the council of public control at NABU. As co-founder of the group she has held talks with a number of high profile politicians, including Andy Baukol, then US acting Secretary of the Treasury, who she met in September last year, and George Kent, who served as US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs from 2018 to 2021. She visited Washington last year with Hanna Hopko, a former Member of Parliament and head of the committee on foreign affairs of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada and the influential chairwoman of Ukrainian Democracy in Action. And pictures from 2020 show her in discussion with Larry Fink - the billionaire businessman behind the highly influential BlackRock, an American multinational investment firm with an annual revenue of more than $22billion. The pair are said to have discussed investment and the environment, according to her Facebook post. Alongsider her work with AntAC, Ms Kalniuk has also founded resources aiming to track money laundering and corruption across the world and last year organised a Zero Corruption conference in Kyiv, where she was living prior to the Russian invasion. She told the press conference in Poland she had escaped Ukraine 'a couple of days' ago but that most of her family and team remained in under siege Kyiv. Ms Kaleniuk has demanded Russia be banned from world economy and financial markets and said Russia should be immediately removed from the UN Security Council Since the invasion of Ukraine, Ms Kaleniuk has called for heavy sanctions on Russia, including a no-fly, cutting Russia from the SWIFT banking system and arresting all Russian oligarchs and their family members - accusing them of being 'enablers' of the war. She has demanded Russia be banned from world economy and financial markets and said Russia should be immediately removed from the UN Security Council. She has also shared graphics comparing Vladimir Putin to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Ms Kalniuk, who is a mother of two, has previously shared her support for Hong Kong on social media, and has visited in China, having posted a picture of herself in the port city of Dalian in June 2019. Advertisement

Mr Johnson said the UK 'stands ready' to take refugees in 'considerable numbers' - suggesting that could mean more than 200,000.

He also pledged to stay for the long haul, insisting Putin has 'fatally underestimated' the resolve of the West and Ukraine's citizens under the leadership of 'inspirational' Volodymyr Zelensky. He stressed there is still 'more things that we can and will do' on sanctions,

But Ms Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre civil society organisation, stood up to lambast the West's response.

Saying she had recently come over the border from Ukraine, she said her family and friends are still there.

'Ukrainian women and Ukrainian children are in deep fear because of bombs and missiles which are going from the sky.

'Ukrainian people are desperately asking for the rights to protect our sky, we are asking for a no-fly zone.

'What's the alternative for the no-fly zone?

'Nato is not willing to defend because Nato is afraid of World War Three but it's already started and it's Ukrainian children who are there taking the hit.

'You are talking about more sanctions Prime Minister but Roman Abramovich is not sanctioned, he's in London, his children are not in the bombardments, his children are there in London.'

She added: 'Putin's children are in Netherlands, in Germany, in mansions, where all these mentioned seized? I don't see that.

'I see that my family members, that my team members, I'd say that we crying.

'We don't know where to run.'

Mr Abramovich vehemently denies he is close to the Kremlin or has done anything that would merit sanctions being imposed against him.

A Downing Street source said Mr Johnson 'sympathised' with Ms Kaleniuk's 'very important' intervention. They are not thought to have spoken after the encounter.

Ms Kaleniuk's group, which is funded by donations, and with the support of the US and the European Union, helped establish the country's National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), as well as the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine - which was founded in 2019.

Ms Kaleniuk, who according to Linkedin studied law in Kharkiv before studying and working in the Chicago, US, for a year, co-founded the group with Vitaliy Shabunin, who is the head of the council of public control at NABU.

As co-founder of the group she has held talks with a number of high profile politicians, including Andy Baukol, then US acting Secretary of the Treasury, who she met in September last year, and George Kent, who served as US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs from 2018 to 2021.

She visited Washington last year with Hanna Hopko, a former Member of Parliament and head of the committee on foreign affairs of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada and the influential chairwoman of Ukrainian Democracy in Action.

And pictures from 2020 show her in discussion with Larry Fink - the billionaire businessman behind the highly influential BlackRock, an American multinational investment firm with an annual revenue of more than $22billion.

The pair are said to have discussed investment and the environment, according to her Facebook post.

Alongsider her work with AntAC, Ms Kalniuk has also founded resources aiming to track money laundering and corruption across the world and last year organised a Zero Corruption conference in Kyiv, where she was living prior to the Russian invasion.

She told the press conference in Poland she had escaped Ukraine 'a couple of days' ago but that most of her family and team remained in under siege Kyiv.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Ms Kaleniuk has called for heavy sanctions on Russia, including a no-fly, cutting Russia from the SWIFT banking system and arresting all Russian oligarchs and their family members - accusing them of being 'enablers' of the war.

She has demanded Russia be banned from world economy and financial markets and said Russia should be immediately removed from the UN Security Council.

'If you can't, just dissolve UN and throw it out from fancy offices in New York and other key cities at the West. Use these building for shelters of Ukrainians who are must flee their homes because of full impotence of international community,' she said in a Facebook post last week.

She has also shared graphics comparing Vladimir Putin to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, and has shared inspirational quotes from Winston Churchill.

Ms Kalniuk has previously shared her support for Hong Kong on social media, and has visited in China, having posted a picture of herself in the port city of Dalian in June 2019.

The confrontation came after Mr Johnson accused Mr Putin of using 'barbaric and indiscriminate tactics' against innocent Ukrainian civilians.

As the invading forces escalated their attacks with harrowing pictures of children falling victim to the violence, he warned that the world was witnessing an 'unfolding disaster'.

The premier is now heading on to Estonia as the UK pushes for sanctions to be ratcheted up again.

In his speech, Mr Johnson said it was clear Putin is willing to 'bomb tower blocks, to send missiles into tower blocks, to kill children, as we are seeing in increasing numbers'.

Heaping praise on Mr Zelensky he added: 'I think he has inspired and mobilised not only his own people, he is inspiring and mobilising the world in outrage at what is happening in Ukraine.'

In a nod to criticism of the government's visa offer to those fleeing Ukraine, Mr Johnson told Mr Morawiecki: 'We stand ready, clearly, to take Ukrainian refugees in our own country, working with you, in considerable numbers, as we always have done and always will.'

In a speech in Warsaw afterwards, Mr Johnson said Putin is 'tearing up every principle of civilised behaviour between states' and Ukraine's 'spirit will not be broken'.

'Putin has lied to his people and his troops about how this will go... and he has now been caught out in that lie.'

He added: 'He has hurled his war machine on the people of Ukraine, a fellow Slavic country, he has bombarded civilian targets, fired rockets at blocks of flats, he is responsible for hundreds of civilian casualties including growing numbers of children.

'And also, of course, for the deaths of many Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

'We must accept the grim reality that Putin will continue to tighten the vice and, if you go by the size and firepower of Vladimir Putin's war machine, the odds have always been heavily against Ukrainian armed forces.'

Ms Kalniuk, who is a mother of two, has previously shared her support for Hong Kong on social media, and has visited in China, having posted a picture of herself in the port city of Dalian in June 2019

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Ms Kaleniuk has called for heavy sanctions on Russia, including a no-fly, cutting Russia from the SWIFT banking system and arresting all Russian oligarchs and their family members - accusing them of being 'enablers' of the war

She visited Washington last year with Hanna Hopko, a former Member of Parliament and head of the committee on foreign affairs of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada and the influential chairwoman of Ukrainian Democracy in Action. Pictured: Daria Kaleniuk

Pictures from 2020 show her in discussion with Larry Fink - the billionaire businessman behind the highly influential BlackRock, an American multinational investment firm with an annual revenue of more than $22billio

Mr Johnson had 'tripped and stubbed his toe' on the fact that no matter how many troops and tanks he sends Ukrainians will want to be independent.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss today warned that 'nothing and no-one is off the table' when it comes to punishing Russia - amid claims of 'indisputable evidence' of war crimes.

She delivered a stark message to Vladimir Putin and his allies that they will be held accountable as she gave a speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Ms Truss said Mr Putin has 'blood on his hands' and the consequences 'will only increase in breadth and severity' as the conflict continues.

Delegates at the session staged a walkout when Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov appeared on screen to give a speech.

Meanwhile, Ireland has highlighted 'deliberate' targeting of civilians with a probe under way into the use of cluster bombs and vacuum bombs.

The UN says at least 136 civilians have been killed so far, including 13 children, and hundreds more injured.

Ms Truss told the UNHRC meeting: 'Putin is responsible for civilian casualties and over 500,000 people fleeing with the numbers still rising fast. The blood is on Putin's hands, not just of innocent Ukrainians but the men he has sent to die.

'We're using our collective heft, making up over half the world's economy to cut funding from Putin's war machine and we're delivering severe economic costs through these sanctions as ordinary Russians are finding form queues at their local banks and rising interest rates.'

Ms Truss went on: 'These consequences will only increase in breadth and severity as the conflict goes on, we're working to squeeze the Putin regime harder and harder by steadily tightening the vice.

'We're going after the highest echelons of the Russian elite, targeting President Putin personally and all of those complicit in his aggression. Nothing and no one is off the table.'

Earlier, Mr Johnson said that Russians considering whether to follow Mr Putin's orders should bear in mind that they will face justice in the end.

Ms Truss told the UNHRC session that 'nothing and no-one is off the table' when it comes to punishing Russia

He pointed out that Radovan Karadzic was eventually convicted of genocide during the war in the former Yugoslavia.

Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said there is 'indisputable evidence' of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

'We've seen I think indisputable evidence now that war crimes are taking place in Ukraine  the brutalising of a number of Ukrainian cities, the deliberate targeting of civilians,' he told reporters in Dublin.

'First of all, it is now under investigation from the International Criminal Court, who have now opened a file on potential war crimes in Ukraine, and I think that says a lot.

'But I think we can see for ourselves in terms of some of the social media pictures that are coming out, which I think are being stood over by the media organisations, as to the extent of civilian targeting in Ukrainian cities, which is essentially terrorising civilian populations.

'And that is something that can't go unchecked and we need to call it out.'

In a call with world leaders from the G7, Nato and the EU last night, Mr Johnson stressed the need for allies to continue to provide Kiev with defensive weapons.

He also said neighbouring countries will require support to deal with 'large numbers of Ukrainians escaping violence'.

Mr Zelensky is said to be providing the PM with a 'shopping list' of military gear to fight the Russian advance in near-daily phone calls.

Mr Johnson is scheduled to visit British troops serving in Estonia, which shares a border with Russia, as well as holding talks with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.

They will jointly visit British troops serving 'on the front line of Russian aggression' in Tapa, No 10 said, before meetings with Estonian PM Kaja Kallas and Estonian President Alar Karis to discuss security.

In a round of interviews this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab warned Putin could resort to 'even more barbaric tactics' as his campaign stalls, and insisted any war crimes must be pursued.

Western ambassadors and diplomats walk out while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's pre-recorded video message is played to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva

Boris Johnson arrived in Poland today and will head for Estonia later as he vows to exert 'maximum pressure' on the Kremlin

Ukraine ambassador warns Putin could try to starve cities Ukrainian ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko has warned that Russian invaders could try to starve civilians in major cities in a bid to win the war. Asked about the possibility by MP Bob Seely, the ambassador told the Commons Foreign Affairs committee that Vladimir Putin was facing a 'lack of progress', with civilians meeting his tanks with 'molotov cocktails from their cars' rather than the 'flowers' he dreamed of. 'The support and resilience is going so much against his plans and in Russia themselves start asking questions 'what are we doing',' the ambassador said. 'I believe they might use the tactics you described in the second part, try to block our cities, try to soften political position, try and maybe ... some riots in Ukraine, because of the lack of food, against the Government.' Advertisement

Mr Raab told Sky News: 'Those that engage in war crimes will be held to account.'

He said it must be clear to 'both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow and on the ground in Ukraine that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war'.

Voicing alarm at the prospects for escalation, Mr Raab said: 'We know that Putin will react to this, or we fear that he will react to this, with even more barbaric tactics, that's why we must be prepared that this could be a long haul.

The former foreign secretary added: 'This is turning into a much, much more perilous misadventure for Putin than I think he realised and it has a demoralised effect on Russia forces and it has had the effect of steeling the will of the Ukrainian people.

'That's how we will ensure Putin fails in Ukraine and we're there for the long haul.'

Britain's UN ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward told an emergency meeting of the Security Council last night that Ukraine is on the brink of a 'humanitarian catastrophe'.

As Russia continues its assault on the eastern European country, Dame Barbara was among those at the UN to accuse the Kremlin of launching 'indiscriminate attacks against men, women and children' and violating international humanitarian law.

She said: 'As a result of President Putin's decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a country of 44 million people is now on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe.

'Missiles have rained down on Kharkiv, with cluster munitions hitting residential areas and injuring residents. Disruption to supply chains has caused food shortages in Kramatorsk.

'The reckless bombing of an oil depot in Vasylkiv, has unleashed toxic fumes in nearby communities.

'Violence in Kyiv has forced people to seek refuge underground, with many thousands, including the elderly and disabled, unable to evacuate.'

The UK permanent representative to the UN told the Security Council that 'hundreds of civilians had been killed as a result of the Russian invasion' and seven million people had been displaced, with the figure 'rising exponentially'.

Ukraine's representative, Sergiy Kyslytsya, told the council that Kyiv was 'sitting within Russian crosshairs right now' and that 352 people, including 16 children, had been killed as of Monday in the fighting.

He accused Moscow troops of attacking hospitals and ambulances in a determination to 'kill civilians', adding: 'There is no debate. These are war crimes.'

But Vasily Nebenzya, the Russian UN permanent representative, said his country's armed forces did 'not have the goal of occupying Ukraine or harming the local population'.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he plans to open an investigation 'as rapidly as possible' into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky echoed Mr Kyslytsya's statements in an address late last night. In a video posted to social media, the leader said that in five days Russian forces had launched 56 missile strikes and 113 cruise missiles in Ukraine.

He added: 'Today, Russian forces brutally fired on Kharkiv from jet artillery. It was clearly a war crime.

'Kharkiv is a peaceful city, there are peaceful residential areas, no military facilities. Dozens of eyewitness accounts prove that this is not a single false volley, but deliberate destruction of people: the Russians knew where they were shooting.'

'There will definitely be an international tribunal for this crime  it's a violation of all conventions. No one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people,' he said.

resident Volodymyr Zelensky is said to be providing the PM with a 'shopping list' of military gear to fight the Russian advance in near-daily phone calls

The bombardment of Kharkiv continued Tuesday morning with a rocket landing just in front of the civilian public administration building, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself. Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around

Belarus troops have invaded Ukraine, Kyiv claims, as 40-mile convoy of Putin's artillery snakes towards the capital amid fears Russia will 'use medieval tactics' to bomb the city into submission as supermarket shelves run empty

Belarusian troops have joined in the invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv claimed today, as a 40-mile Russian convoy bared down on the capital amid warnings that Putin will now use 'medieval tactics' to try and force a bloody victory after being handed a series of embarrassing defeats in the opening days of the war.

Vitaliy Kyrylov, a spokesman for Ukraine's North Territorial Defense Forces, said that Minsk's men had entered the city of Chernihiv, north-east Ukraine, on Tuesday morning. Dictator Alexander Lukashenko acknowledged sending 'rapid deployment groups' to the border 'to stop any military action against Belarus', without acknowledging that his men had joined the attack.

It came as a convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks, artillery pieces and trucks was pictured snaking its way towards Kyiv, leading to fears that its mission will be to surround the city, besiege it, and bomb it into submission as Russian forces did in Syria while fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, said Russian forces may also try to spark a food crisis by cutting off supplies to major cities as pictures showed some store shelves already running empty in the capital. He said the military may have to step in to ensure everyone has access to food.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg today said Putin had 'shattered peace in Europe' with an invasion 'enabled by Belarus' while vowing to support Kyiv and defend 'every inch' of allied territory should the Russian strongman's sights wander outside Ukraine's borders.

But, speaking during a visit to the Lask airbase in NATO member Poland, Mr Stoltenberg repeated that the alliance is 'defensive' and that no troops will be sent to assist Ukraine. 'NATO is not going to be part of the conflict,' he said.

Russia already appeared to be employing siege tactics elsewhere in Ukraine today as the city of Mariupol, in the south, came under 'constant shelling' by Russian forces using artillery, Grad rockets, and fighter jets targeting civilians areas such as schools and homes which had left many dead, including women and children.

Power to the city, which is in danger of being surrounded by Russian forces, has been cut - region head Pavlo Kyrylenko said Tuesday - but it remains under Ukrainian control.

Kherson, another key city located in southern Ukraine with a bridge over the Dnieper River, also came under bombardment by Russian forces today as missiles landed near civilian buildings on the outskirts and troops were pictured moving through the streets.

Kharkiv, in the east, continued to be bombed today with a large rocket landing in front of the civilian public administration building, leaving the interior heavily damaged. It came just a day after the city was hit by cluster bombs that landed near a shopping centre, killing at least 11 people and leaving dozens more wounded.

Ukraine's ambassador to the UN later said that a thermobaric 'vacuum bomb' was also used on the country, though did not saying exactly when or where.

President Volodymyr Zelensky this morning branded the Kharkiv bombing a 'terrorist' attack and branded Russia a 'terrorist state' while repeating calls for a war crimes investigation. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at The Hauge has said that a probe will be established 'as soon as possible'.

Philip Reeker, America's Charge d'Affairs to the UK, warned separately that 'medieval tactics are certainly what we can expect' from Moscow's forces going forward. '[That is] exactly what President Putin and the Russian military have in mind,' he added.

Sergey Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, said Tuesday morning that the invasion will continue until 'objectives are met' - which he said was to prevent Russia being threatened by the West.

In a grim sign of the carnage to come, he also warned that Ukraine's army is using civilians as human shields in what looks to be an attempt to justify the deaths of innocents as they ramp up over the coming days.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both said that Russian forces appeared to have used widely banned cluster munitions, with Amnesty accusing them of attacking a preschool in northeastern Ukraine while civilians took shelter inside.

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, told reporters after meeting with members of the U.S. Congress that Russia had used a thermobaric weapon, known as a vacuum bomb, in its invasion of her country.

'They used the vacuum bomb today,' Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers. '...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.'

A vacuum bomb, or thermobaric weapon, sucks in oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive and is capable of vaporizing human bodies.

There has been no official confirmation that thermobaric weapons have been used in the conflict in Ukraine. CNN reported that one of its teams had spotted a Russian thermobaric multiple rocket launcher near the Ukrainian border early on Saturday afternoon.

A convoy of Russian tanks, artillery pieces, fighting vehicles and support trucks now stretches all the way from Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv, to the village of Prybirs'k some 40 miles away (part of the convoy is seen, right)

There are fears the purpose of the convoy (pictured) is to surround Kyiv, besiege it and bomb it into submission - mirroring tactics Russia used in Syria while fighting alongside the forces of Basahar al-Assad

A line of Russian vehicles is seen snaking its way via the town of Ivankiv towards Kyiv, around 40 miles to the south

Russian vehicles are seen to the southeast of Invankiv and heading towards Kyiv in this satellite image taken on Monday

A handout satellite image made available by Maxar Technologies shows part of a military convoy and burning buildings, northwest of Ivankiv

As Kyiv prepares for a dramatic escalation in bloodshed, Kherson, Kharkiv and Mariupol all came under shelling attack by Russian forces as Putin looks to achieve victory by brute forces after more-sophisticated tactics failed

People walk by a damaged vehicle and an armored car at a checkpoint in Brovary, outside Kyiv

A volunteer of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces walks by a damaged armored vehicle at a checkpoint in Brovary, Kyiv

A man reacts inside a vehicle damaged by shelling, in Brovary, outside Kyiv

Members of an Ukrainian civil defense unit pass new assault rifles to the opposite side of a blown up bridge on Kyiv's northern outskirts, where fighting with Russian forces has been taking place

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she had seen reports but did not have confirmation that Russia had used such weapons. 'If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime,' she told a press briefing, noting that there are international organizations that would assess that and President Joe Biden's administration 'would look to be a part of that conversation.'

The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Markarova said Ukraine was working actively with the Biden administration and Congress to obtain more weapons and tougher sanctions.

'They should pay, they should pay a heavy price,' she told reporters after leaving the meeting.

One lawmaker who attended the meeting, Democratic Representative Brad Sherman, said the Ukrainians had asked for a U.S.-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine but that he felt that was too dangerous because it could provoke conflict with Russia.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could retaliate with increasingly 'heavy-handed tactics' if his invasion of Ukraine faces further hitches.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'We can expect, for every stutter and stumble, him to try and come back for even more heavy-handed tactics, but that is a sign that the initial phase at least - and this is going to be a long haul - has not lived up to his expectations.'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for their support amid the Russian invasion.

'Olena and I are grateful to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge that, at this crucial time, when Ukraine is courageously opposing Russia's invasion, they stand by our country and support our brave citizens,' he tweeted.

'Good will triumph.'

Amnesty International said international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions. Launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.

As the bloodshed ramps up, the Kremlin has found itself increasingly isolated by tough economic sanctions that have sent its currency plummeting.

After a first, five-hour session of talks between Ukraine and Russia yielded no stop in the fighting, both sides agreed to another meeting in coming days. Ukraine's embattled president, however, said he believed the stepped-up shelling was designed to force him into concessions.

'I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday in a video address. He did not offer details of the talks that took place Monday, but he said Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions 'when one side is hitting another with rocket artillery.'

Six days into the invasion, the Russian military's movements have been stalled by fierce resistance on the ground and a surprising inability to dominate the airspace. Many Ukrainian civilians, meanwhile, spent another night huddled in shelters, basements or corridors.

'I sit and pray for these negotiations to end successfully, so that they reach an agreement to end the slaughter,' said Alexandra Mikhailova, weeping as she clutched her cat in a shelter in Mariupol. Around her, parents tried to console children and keep them warm.

The Kremlin has twice in as many days raised the specter of nuclear war and put on high alert an arsenal that includes intercontinental ballistic missiles and long-range bombers. Stepping up his rhetoric, President Vladimir Putin denounced the United States and its allies as an 'empire of lies.'

Supermarket shelves have started to run empty in Kyiv as the city is slowly encircled and besieged by Putin's forces

A woman looks at empty shelves that typically contain in Kyiv, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues

A view of empty shelves in a local grocery in Kyiv, Ukraine, as Russian tightens the noose around the capital

A photo shows empty shelves at a market due to the problems in food stocks, in Ukrainian capital Kyiv

Houses destroyed as a result of shelling by the Russian army in Bucha, Kyiv

Military equipment destroyed during the hostilities with the Russian army in Bucha

Military equipment destroyed during the hostilities with the Russian army in Bucha, Kyiv

Burned bits of polystyrene litter the road - evidence that homemade Molotov cocktails were used against Russian military vehicles during fighting in Bucha, near Kyiv

Meanwhile, an embattled Ukraine moved to solidify its ties to the West by applying to join the European Union - a largely symbolic move for now, but one that won't sit well with Putin, who has long accused the United States of trying to pull Ukraine out of Moscow's orbit.

A top Putin aide and head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that during the first talks held between the sides since the invasion, the envoys 'found certain points on which common positions could be foreseen.' He said they agreed to continue the discussions in the days ahead.

As the talks along the Belarusian border wrapped up, several blasts could be heard in Kyiv, and Russian troops advanced on the city of nearly 3 million. The convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles was 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the center of the city and stretched about 40 miles, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

People in Kyiv lined up for groceries after the end of a weekend curfew, standing beneath a building with a gaping hole blown in its side. Kyiv remained 'a key goal' for the Russians, Zelenskyy said, noting that it was hit by three missile strikes on Monday and that hundreds of saboteurs were roaming the city.

'They want to break our nationhood, that's why the capital is constantly under threat,' Zelenskyy said.

Messages aimed at the advancing Russian soldiers popped up on billboards, bus stops and electronic traffic signs across the capital. Some used profanity to encourage Russians to leave. Others appealed to their humanity.

'Russian soldier - Stop! Remember your family. Go home with a clean conscience,' one read.

Video from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, showed residential areas being shelled, with apartment buildings shaken by repeated, powerful blasts.

Authorities in Kharkiv said at least seven people had been killed and dozens injured. They warned that casualties could be far higher.

'They wanted to have a blitzkrieg, but it failed, so they act this way,' said 83-year-old Valentin Petrovich, who watched the shelling from his downtown apartment. He gave just his first name and his patronymic, a middle name derived from his father's name, out of fear for his safety.

The Russian military has denied targeting residential areas despite abundant evidence of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals.

Fighting raged in other towns and cities. The strategic port city of Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, is 'hanging on,' said Zelenskyy adviser Oleksiy Arestovich. An oil depot was reported bombed in the eastern city of Sumy.

Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, and more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, the head of the region wrote on Telegram. Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble.

In a later Facebook post, he said many Russian soldiers and some local residents also were killed during the fighting on Sunday. The report could not immediately be confirmed.

Despite its superior military strength, Russia still lacked control of Ukrainian airspace. This may help explain how Ukraine has so far prevented a rout.

In the seaside resort town of Berdyansk, dozens of protesters chanted angrily in the main square against Russian occupiers, yelling at them to go home and singing the Ukrainian national anthem. They described the soldiers as exhausted young conscripts.

Kharkiv was struck by more Russian rockets on Tuesday morning, with one striking outside the civilian public administration building which was heavily damaged in the blast. The rocket can be seen a split second before it slams into the building, triggering a massive blast

The rocket caused huge damage to the building and threw up a huge plume of smoke in the aftermath of the explosion

This image, posted by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, shows the square outside the administrative building covered in rubble following the rocket attack

A view shows the regional administration building following the Russian rocket attack in central Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 1, 2022

Rescue workers and medics are pictured close to the regional administration building in central Kharkiv, picking their way through the debris following the explosion

The bombardment of Kharkiv continued Tuesday morning with a rocket landing just in front of the civilian public administration building, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself. Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around

'Frightened kids, frightened looks. They want to eat,' Konstantin Maloletka, who runs a small shop, said by telephone. He said the soldiers went into a supermarket and grabbed canned meat, vodka and cigarettes.

'They ate right in the store,' he said. 'It looked like they haven't been fed in recent days.'

For many, Russia's announcement of a nuclear high alert stirred fears that the West could be drawn into direct conflict with Russia. But a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States had yet to see any appreciable change in Russia's nuclear posture.

As far-reaching Western sanctions on Russian banks and other institutions took hold, the ruble plummeted, and Russia's Central Bank scrambled to shore it up, as did Putin, signing a decree restricting foreign currency.

But that did little to calm Russian fears. In Moscow, people lined up to withdraw cash as the sanctions threatened to drive up prices and reduce the standard of living for millions of ordinary Russians.

In yet another blow to Russia's economy, oil giant Shell said it was pulling out of the country because of the invasion. It announced it will withdraw from its joint ventures with state-owned gas company Gazprom and other entities and end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project between Russia and Europe.

The economic sanctions, ordered by the U.S. and other allies, were just one contributor to Russia's growing status as a pariah country.

Russian airliners are banned from European airspace, Russian media is restricted in some countries, and some high-tech products can no longer be exported to the country. On Monday, in a major blow to a soccer-mad nation, Russian teams were suspended from all international soccer.

In other developments:

- The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he will open an investigation soon into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

- Cyberattacks hit Ukrainian embassies around the world, and Russian media outlets.

- The United States announced it is expelling 12 members of Russia's U.N. mission, accusing them of spying.

The U.N. human rights chief said at least 102 civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded - warning that figure is probably a vast undercount - and Ukraine's president said at least 16 children were among the dead.

More than a half-million people have fled the country since the invasion, another U.N. official said, many of them going to Poland, Romania and Hungary.

Among the refugees in Hungary was Maria Pavlushko, 24, an information technology project manager from a city west of Kyiv. She said her father stayed behind to fight the Russians.

'I am proud about him,' she said, adding that many of her friends were planning to fight, too.
Do you know someone going to fight? Email james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk

British 'Lads' Army' volunteers eager to take on Vladimir Putin's Russian forces could be prosecuted under UK terror laws if they go out to fight in Ukraine, Boris Johnson today hinted.

Groups of men have gathered outside the Ukrainian embassy in west London to answer Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky call to arms for foreign fighters to join his country's defence against Russia.

Yesterday Foreign Secretary Liz Truss appeared to encourage Britons saying she would 'absolutely support' those who wished to sign up to fight as part of the Ukrainian armed forces.

But lawyers have warned that Britons who fight in Ukraine could be prosecuted under UK terror laws - much like those who took arms for Kurdish militia forces against ISIS in Syria.

Now the Prime Minister has waded into the debate, warning members of the so-called 'Lads Army' that they could be breaking British law by going over to Ukraine to fight.

Giving a speech in Estonia today, Mr Johnson said: 'I can understand why people feel as they do but we have laws in our country about international conflicts and how they should be conducted.'

Do you know someone going to fight in Ukraine? Email: james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement

Asked if, in the wake of Ms Truss's comments, that the Government was encouraging Britons to fight, he replied: 'The UK is not actively doing any such thing.'

It comes as a London banker became the latest to arrive at the Ukrainian embassy in London to volunteer to fight against Russia.

Sam Ottaway, 38, works at a bank in the City and has no combat experience, but came down to volunteer in his lunch break.

Mr Ottaway, who describes British writer George Orwell as one of his heroes and an inspiration for his decision to join the fight, said: 'It's the right thing to do, can't see that happen. History has taught us that this stuff doesn't just stop does it?'

It comes after gym owner Leon Dawson, 37, yesterday told reporters he was prepared to lose his life fighting to defend Ukraine as a volunteer in the country's newly formed Foreign Legion.

Standing outside the Ukrainian embassy with other would-be-fighters, including his friend Tom Konarzewski, who is originally from Poland and who runs a dog care business, he told reporters from Sky News: 'We're young, strong, fit men and we can help, so why not?'

'We don't want to die. We're obviously scared. But if we're scared, we can imagine how the innocent women and children feel. I can't sit here and just let that happen.'

Asked if his family were aware, Mr Dawson, who has no military experience, said: 'My family are upset. Obviously it is a hard time.'

British 'Lads Army' volunteers eager to take on Vladimir Putin's Russian forces could be prosecuted under UK law if they go out to fight in Ukraine, Boris Johnson (pictured) has hinted today.

Leon Dawson, 37, is seen telling journalists he is prepared to lose his life fighting to defend Ukraine as a volunteer in the country's newly announced foreign legion

Standing outside the Ukrainian embassy in west London with other would-be-fighters, including his friend Tom Konarzewski (pictured left), he tells reporters from Sky News: 'We're young, strong, fit men and we can help, so why not?

Brian Grove, a 60-year-old former Territorial Army (TA) member from Kent, told reporters he had 'decided to do something' to help under siege Ukrainians

Mr Dawson and Mr Konarzewski were mong a number of people seen outside the Ukrainian embassy yesterday responding to calls by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky for foreign fighters to join their defence against Russia. Pictured: Governor Dmitry Zhivitsky posts photos of damage done by Russia to Okhtyrka

The 'Lads Army' volunteering to fight in Ukraine Leon Dawson A 37-year-old gym boss from Surrey, Leon Dawson has no prior military experience. But speaking outside the Ukrainian embassy in London yesterday, where he volunteered for the country's newly established foreign legion, he said: 'We're young, strong, fit men and we can help, so why not?' Leon runs The Physique Warehouse Gym in Moseley, on the outskirts of west London. Tom Konarzewski Originally from Poland, and friends with Leon Dawson, Tom Konarzewski runs a dog care business in Surrey. His business is called Walk-Me. Founded in 2007, it is a dog-walking business aimed at high-flying professionals. It also offers daycare and overnight services. On signing up to join Ukrain's Foreign Legion, he said: ' 'What we've seen on the TV, in my opinion, is wrong,' he said. 'We'd like to get over there as soon as possible.' Brian Grove Brian Grove is a 60-year-old former Territorial Army (TA) member from Kent. He told Sky News reporters he had 'decided to do something' to help under siege Ukrainians. 'I used to be in the TA, I've also got a lot of first aid training so I've decided to come and do something,' he said. Asked if he's prepared to fight, Mr Grove, from Sittingbourne in Kent, replies: 'Yes, I can get on a flight tomorrow.' Sam Ottaway Sam Ottaway, 38, works at a bank in the City and has no combat experience, but came down to volunteer in his lunch break. Sam said: 'It's the right thing to do, can't see that happen. History has taught us that this stuff doesn't just stop does it? 'George Orwell is one of my heroes. Homage to Catalonia. 'People have done this before in history, volunteering for good causes. And if this isn't a good cause, I don't know what is.' Jason Luck Jason Luck has family in Mykolaiv, a city near the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. He served for 12 years in the British Army and feels he has something to offer in the fight. He is due to fly out on Wednesday. Jason said: 'My family are in Ukraine. Fighting isn't my priority. My family is my priority. I live in Surrey but go back and forwards. First it was the pandemic, now this idiot [Putin].' Shaun Pinner A 48-year-old ex-soldier with a Ukrainian wife. He is already on the front lines. He is married to a Ukrainian woman and has been in Donbas for the past four years. Mr Pinner previously served in the Royal Anglian Regiment and said he fought with the Ukrainian army as a 'contract soldier'. Liam Hawkins A 30-year-old father with no military experience. He drove to the Ukrainian embassy from Deptford, south-east London, to sign up to help refugees stuck at the border in a humanitarian capacity. 'I havent slept since this invasion and I just cant stay at home with my babies and my missus and do nothing. 'I know its dangerous, people are trying to talk me out of it, but I believe I can make a difference.' Matthew Green A 47-year-old from London, who retired as a Staff Sergeant six months ago. He said: 'I want to fight for diplomacy. 'I think the British military are stuck and I'm sure we would send our men if we could. It's the perfect timing for me as I was discharged six months ago. 'I have no connection with Ukraine or Russia, but I want to do my part.' Alex Pickett A 32-year-old from Andover, Hants, who works in private security. He said: 'I will do whatever I can in whatever way I can. 'I'm just slowly getting my affairs in order so that I can go when they tell me. I'm non-military, but I'm an Englishman. 'I'm a free man who is fighting for a free world and is willing to do his part. 'All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.' Antony Zamparelli A father-of-seven who served in the Army but has never been in a conflict. Mr Zamparelli told GB News he was willing to die for the Ukrainian cause and urged other Brits to 'go to Ukraine if you're willing to fight for freedom'. Akos Horvadh A 28-year-old Hungarian man living in the UK. He says he is nervous about telling his parents but is adamant about going to fight. Akos said: 'I'm Hungarian. Ukraine is my neighbour. I can't stand to see what goes on there. 'As I see it, what they really need is people to go there and fight. I have a little experience. I know how to use a gun. 'If I go there there is a chance I could die. But that's the truth of war. I could die, lose my limbs, I'm aware. But someone needs to go.' Douglas Lambourne Douglas Lambourne is a 25-year-old from west London. He said: My mums Polish and Ive got family out in Ukraine. Im 25 and sitting at home, and my time is better spent going over there doing whats right.' Advertisement

Among those attending the Ukrainian embassy yesterday was Brian Grove, a 60-year-old former Territorial Army (TA) member from Kent. He told Sky News reporters he had 'decided to do something' to help under siege Ukrainians.

'I used to be in the TA, I've also got a lot of first aid training so I've decided to come and do something,' he said.

Asked if he's prepared to fight, Mr Grove replies: 'Yes, I can get on a flight tomorrow.'

Others to arrive at the embassy to volunteer include Akos Horvadh. The 28-year-old says he is nervous about telling his parents but is adamant about going to fight.

Akos said: 'I'm Hungarian. Ukraine is my neighbour. I can't stand to see what goes on there.

'As I see it, what they really need is people to go there and fight. I have a little experience. I know how to use a gun.

'If I go there there is a chance I could die. But that's the truth of war. I could die, lose my limbs, I'm aware. But someone needs to go.'

Though many who have arrived at the embassy have no previous combat experience, one man to volunteer, Jason Luck, does.

Jason Luck, who has family in Mykolaiv, a city near the Black Sea in southern Ukraine, served for 12 years in the British Army. He is due to fly out on Wednesday.

He said: 'My family are in Ukraine. They're in the east of the country. I've got my partner, her boy, my daughter.

'Fighting isn't my priority. My family is my priority. I live in Surrey but go back and forwards. First it was the pandemic, now this idiot [Putin].'

Jason, who is in his late 40s, refused the offer from Ukrainian authorities to pay for his flights.

'I'm going out Wednesday. I need to. I'm really worried. I've got a twisted feeling in my stomach,' he said.

'I want to go out there to protect my city. I don't want to end up in Kyiv. I want to be near my family. That's why I'm here.

'I don't want to join Ukrainian regular forces. This is why I'm here to explain to them. I'm happy to fight but I want to be there for my family.'

Matthew Green, 47, from London, who retired as a Staff Sergeant six months ago, said: 'I want to fight for diplomacy.

'I think the British military are stuck and I'm sure we would send our men if we could. It's the perfect timing for me as I was discharged six months ago.

'I have no connection with Ukraine or Russia, but I want to do my part.

Alex Pickett, 32, from Andover, Hants, who works in private security, said: 'I will do whatever I can in whatever way I can.

'I'm just slowly getting my affairs in order so that I can go when they tell me. I'm non-military, but I'm an Englishman.

'I'm a free man who is fighting for a free world and is willing to do his part.

'All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.

'I'm just a normal Englishman, I've got a basic firearm skill and I'm reasonably fit.

'My heart is in the right place and that is the only reason why I'm doing this.'

If the 'Lads' Army' are given the green light to fight in Ukraine, they will be joined by more than 150 British ex-paratroopers who fought in Afghanistan are now on their way to Ukraine to battle Putin's forces.

Dozens of former Special Forces soldiers from Britain are also said to be heading out there to fight for Ukraine, including a crack team of retired SAS fighters who are on their way to join the war on the side of the Ukrainians.

Ukrainian expats living in Britain are also heading back to their home country to fight against Putin's invaders.

Meanwhile, military supply stores in the UK are said to be kitting out volunteers - with some even offering 50 per cent discounts for those heading out to Ukraine.

Yesterday, as the fighting raged on in cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and a No 10 spokesman both appeared to contradict Liz Truss, who gave her backing to Britons who wanted to join the resistance movement.

In a surprising comment, the Foreign Secretary said she 'won't oppose' British nationals who travel to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion.

But Mr Wallace urged Britons not to join the fighting, particularly those without military experience, saying that the 'very dangerous' situation could lead to them being killed.

The comments came as a former defence minister today said the Government should issue clear advice that Britons should not go to Ukraine to fight.

The British Army meanwhile are warning UK soldiers 'on or off leave' not to take up arms against Russia over fears that the sight of British insignias could spark a major escalation in the conflict.

Hundreds of troops have expressed interest in answering a request from Kyiv for international volunteers, it is believed, but commanders have told them not to sign up.

They cannot stop retired personnel from travelling to eastern Europe, but full-time and reserve troops have received a stern warning not to take part in the conflict.

One brigadier said he heard talk that some soldiers were considering going Awol to join the fight, The Times reports.

But a post on the Army's internal messaging service read: 'There has been some recent media coverage relating to foreigners being welcomed into Ukraine to help fight against Russia.

'To be clear, as members of the British Army, you are not authorised to travel to Ukraine to support the ongoing conflict against Russia in any form, whether you are on leave or not.

'Please remain professional and focused on your duty and your team.'

Despite the warning, a military source has said that 150 of former paratroopers were on their way to Poland.

Shane, 34, a former sniper with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, said Ms Truss' comments on Sunday were 'the green light'

Ukraine's president Volodomyr Zelensky said he was forming his country's own foreign legion to fight Russia.

Several thousand people have volunteered to join the force, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said yesterday.

Among them are reportedly a group of SAS veterans eager to defend Ukraine.

According to The Mirror, the retired UK special forces soldiers have volunteered for missions deep inside Ukraine to back up the country's defence.

The veterans, aged between 40 and 60, have had meetings to discuss signing up for the dangerous mission, backing up Ukrainians in combat.

Key to their operation is among them there are highly-trained snipers and experts in the use of anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles.

It comes as lawyers warned that Britons leaving to fight in Ukraine could face legal action on their return under UK terror laws.

However they said prosecutions would likely be a 'non-starter' - pointing to those who avoided legal action for fighting against for Kurdish militias against ISIS.

Under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, terrorism is described as the use or threat of violence, to influence a government or the public, 'for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause'.

Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, said fighting in Ukraine would be captured by the definition.

He told The Independent: 'Russia's aggression against the international legal order, and the importance of supporting Ukraine, makes any support for foreign fighters who want to travel to Ukraine at first glance attractive.

'Given the government's apparent support, prosecution of foreign fighters against Russia under terrorism legislation appears to be a non-starter even if the broad statutory definition of terrorism is satisfied in these cases.

'But there is always the possibility of less desirable cases at the edges - individuals who travel to Ukraine under false pretence either to support Russia or fight with an ideological group such as the [neo-Nazi] Azov battalion.'

British authorities have previously tried to prosecute British fighters who took up arms against ISIS in Syria.

Ex-paratrooper Daniel Burke originally fought against ISIS with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) between late 2017 and June 2018.

No action was taken at the time. But he was later prosecuted for 'preparing acts of terrorism' after allegedly attempting to return to support the YPG against an invasion by Turkish-led forces in 2019.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (pictured left) said he didn't 'want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians' and asked people who were not properly trained or an 'experienced member of an armed forced' not to join the war in Ukraine. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (pictured right) said the UK will back Britons going to fight in Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Ukraine faces a 'crucial' 24 hours as Russia throws even more ground forces at Kyiv

More than 150 former British paratroopers who fought in Afghanistan are now on their way to Ukraine to battle Putin's forces More than 150 British ex paratroopers who fought in Afghanistan are now on their way to Ukraine to battle Putin's forces - after Army chiefs banned serving UK soldiers from the warzone. Whitehall officials are scrambling to determine the Government's policy after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she would support British nationals who chose to fight alongside Ukrainian forces against the Russian invasion on Sunday. Her comments went against Foreign Office travel advice, while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and a No 10 spokesman also both appeared to contradict Ms Truss yesterday. Hundreds of troops have expressed interest in answering a request from Kyiv for international volunteers, it is believed, but commanders have told them not to sign up. They cannot stop retired personnel from travelling to eastern Europe, but full-time and reserve troops have received a stern warning not to take part in the conflict. One brigadier said he heard talk that some soldiers were considering going Awol to join the fight, The Times reports. But a post on the Army's internal messaging service read: 'There has been some recent media coverage relating to foreigners being welcomed into Ukraine to help fight against Russia. 'To be clear, as members of the British Army, you are not authorised to travel to Ukraine to support the ongoing conflict against Russia in any form, whether you are on leave or not. 'Please remain professional and focused on your duty and your team.' Despite this, a military source has said that 150 of former paratroopers were on their way to Poland. Shane, 34, a former sniper with the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, said Ms Truss' comments on Sunday were 'the green light' Ukraine's president Volodomyr Zelensky said he was forming his country's own foreign legion to fight Russia. Several thousand people have volunteered to join the force, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said yesterday. Advertisement

However the charges were later dropped against Burke and two other men following a review by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Yesterday Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and a No 10 spokesman both appeared to contradict Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who yesterday gave her backing to Britons who wanted to join the resistance movement.

Mr Wallace said he didn't 'want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians' and asked people who were not properly trained or an 'experienced member of an armed forced' not to join the war in Ukraine.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was 'very dangerous', Mr Wallace told Sky News, and there were 'better ways' to support the country.

Asked if the Prime Minister supported Ms Truss's remarks, a No 10 spokesman said yesterday the travel advice was not to go to Ukraine.

He added: 'We think the best way of helping now is ensuring Putin fails.'

As the debate continued, today former defence minister Kevan Jones told MailOnline that the Government needs to issue clear advice that Britons should not go to Ukraine to fight.

The Labour MP flagged the risk that people could either get captured by Russian forces, or hamper the Ukrainian resistance because they are not properly trained.

'Following the Foreign Secretary's comments the government needs urgently to clarify the position,' he said.

'Not only in terms of the legal position but also whether it could endanger the individuals and hamper the resistance rather than help it  no matter how well intentioned.'

Meanwhile, one British military store is reportedly giving discounts to Britons wishing to join Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

Damon Warren, a 52-year-old ex-soldier who owns Folkestone's G4 Echelon Military Supplies in Kent, is said to be giving 50 per cent discount to both Ukrainians and any British veterans seeking to help them.

However Mr Warren said he had been turning away Britons who were not veterans because those with neither military experience nor the ability to speak Ukrainian would be 'more of a liability than a help'.

One person visiting his store yesterday was Andrew Lester, a 25-year-old electrician from Kent who served in the Parachute Regiment till last July.

He told the Telegraph: 'The Ukrainians are really doing quite well, I think.

'They're holding out. If they need a few more blokes to push them back, then that's what we're here for.'

Yesterday, as the fighting raged on, nine Ukrainians left England heading off to war in three equipment-laden SUVs.

They left from Kensington's Ukrainian Social Club, where Britons had been appearing throughout the day to volunteer to fight against Putin.

The cars were laden with body armour, rucksacks and piles of Boots bags packed with bandages, nappies, medicine and toothbrushes.

Yesterday nine Ukrainians left England heading off to war in three equipment-laden SUVs

They left from Kensington's Ukrainian Social Club, where Britons had been appearing throughout the day to volunteer to fight against Putin

The cars were laden with body armour, rucksacks and piles of Boots bags packed with bandages, nappies, medicine and toothbrushes

Lawyer warns Britons could face prosecution under terror laws for joining Ukraine's fight against Russia - but says legal action is likely a 'non-starter' Lawyers have warnet Britons leaving to fight in Ukraine that they could face legal action on their return under terror laws. However they say prosecutions would likely be a 'non-starter' - pointing to those who avoided legal action for fighting against for Kurdish militias against ISIS. Under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, terrorism is described as the use or threat of violence, to influence a government or the public, 'for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause'. Jonathan Hall QC, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, said fighting in Ukraine would be captured by the definition. He told The Independent: 'Russia's aggression against the international legal order, and the importance of supporting Ukraine, makes any support for foreign fighters who want to travel to Ukraine at first glance attractive. 'Given the government's apparent support, prosecution of foreign fighters against Russia under terrorism legislation appears to be a non-starter even if the broad statutory definition of terrorism is satisfied in these cases. 'But there is always the possibility of less desirable cases at the edges - individuals who travel to Ukraine under false pretence either to support Russia or fight with an ideological group such as the [neo-Nazi] Azov battalion.' British authorities have previously tried to prosecute British fighters who took up arms against ISIS in Syria. Ex-paratrooper Daniel Burke originally fought against ISIS with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) between late 2017 and June 2018. No action was taken at the time. But he was later prosecuted for 'preparing acts of terrorism' after allegedly attempting to return to support the YPG against an invasion by Turkish-led forces in 2019. However the charges were later dropped against Burke and two other men following a review by the Crown Prosecution Service. He was one of a string of fighters to face unsuccessful prosecutions for fighting against ISIS. Almost all terror charges were dropped before trial or ended in acquittals. Advertisement

One - called Vladimir - 44, said: 'I am going to fight for Ukraine, to protect Ukraine, to defend Ukraine.'

Another in their party, a Russian called Denis, 33, who worked with the fighters, was helping to ferry equipment to Ukraine.

He said: 'They have families here, they know what they have to do. They are just going to their home. If they support it they will fight.

'They just want to go to their home and help their families. They just want to go to their home.'

He said he would stop at the border and not fight, but would help them take equipment across.

Cars carried provisions alongside helmets, sleeping mats, armoured vests and binoculars.

Angela, 47, said: 'I don't know if I will fight but I will try to help the innocents.

'It's very important. When you see people who die you think we can help here with the money from England, but we don't have the people.'

In a touching scene, they were helped by 28 year old engineer Harry Wright from Dagenham, east London, before he volunteered himself.

Father-of-two Harry, who has three-and-four-year old girls, said: 'I want to stop it from spreading. Stop letting Putin get that power.'

Jimmy Butt, a forklift driver from Wolverhampton, has relatives who are 'cut off' in Ukraine.

He said: 'My friends are not really taking me seriously with it. Think I'm blowing off steam.

'I want to try and do something worthwhile, something beyond myself while I'm still able to do it.

'This is bigger than anything. I'm willing to sacrifice for something I see as greater.'

As their passports were checked and the Ukrainians tried to force more equipment into the boots of their cars, onlookers said it felt like a First World War spirit as they watched them go off to war.

They are getting a ferry and then driving across Europe to the Polish border.

It comes as MailOnline reported on Britons already in Ukraine joining the fight against Russia.

Shaun Pinner, 48, an ex-soldier with a Ukrainian wife who is already on the front lines, and Antony Zamparelli, a father-of-seven who served in the Army but has never been in a conflict, are among those from the UK to have said they will fight.

Others include Aiden Aslin, 28, an ex-carer who previously fought ISIS in Syria, as well as a team of 60 British former Army and Special Forces soldiers that have been gathered by Mamuka Mamulashvili, 43, commander of the Georgian National Legion.

Friends and families of the Brits going to war told MailOnline of their worries for them being on the frontlines in Ukraine.

This week they are frantically searching for chest seals to treat battle wounds before they head to Ukraine, she added.

A friend of Mr Aslin, Kattia Beckinsale-Yates, told MailOnline: 'I messaged the other day but haven't heard anything back.'

She added she was 'hoping and praying he's safe'.

Shaun Pinner, 48, (pictured) is one of many UK nationals who have travelled to Ukraine to fight

Father-of-seven Antony Zamparelli said he was willing to die for Ukraine and urged other Brits to fight against the Russian invaders

Aiden Aslin, 28, (pictured) is a former carer who previously fought against Isis in Syria. Now he is fighting against a Russian invasion of Ukraine

Sixty British volunteers are heading to Ukraine to fight against Vladimir Putin's Russian forces, led by Mamuka Mamulashvili, Georgian National Legion (pictured training in Kyiv in January) commander

Mr Pinner, who previously served in the Royal Anglian Regiment, said he fought with the Ukrainian army as a 'contract soldier

A YouGov poll of UK adults on Monday found 18 per cent believes the Government should encourage people who want to fight the Russians to go to Ukraine.

Father-of-seven Antony Zamparelli told GB News he was willing to die for the Ukrainian cause and urged other Brits to 'go to Ukraine if you're willing to fight for freedom'.

MailOnline revealed on Saturday that foreigners are crossing into Ukraine to take up arms after a call from president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Aslin is a former carer who left his job in April 2015 and travelled to Syria to fight Isis in Syria.

He spent ten months there before coming home to the UK, where he was arrested.

A friend of Mr Aslin, Kattia Beckinsale-Yates (pictured), told MailOnline: 'I messaged the other day but haven't heard anything back.' She added she was 'hoping and praying he's safe'

A YouGov poll of UK adults on Monday found 18 per cent believes the Government should encourage people who want to fight the Russians to go to Ukraine (Image: YouGov)

Amazing scenes outside Ukrainian embassy in London on Sky News



60-year-old who used to be in the TA wanting to sign up to fight pic.twitter.com/QKHCKRbQy2  John Stevens (@johnestevens) February 28, 2022

He was held for 30 hours after officers boarded his plane at Heathrow, where members of his family were eagerly awaiting his arrival.

He was immediately taken to Nottinghamshire Police headquarters for questioning over a suspected terrorism offence.

He remained on bail for months until all charges were dropped in October 2016.

Now, in Ukraine, he is not the only Britain ready to fight off a Russian invasion.

The former carer has been joined by ex-soldier Mr Pinner, from Bedfordshire.

He is married to a Ukrainian woman and has been in Donbas for the past four years.

Mr Pinner previously served in the Royal Anglian Regiment and said he fought with the Ukrainian army as a 'contract soldier'.

Both Mr Aslin (left) and Mr Pinner (right) are prepared to fight off a Russian invasion in Ukraine as they wait on the frontline

Ex-Marine turned pub landlord to drive over 1,000 miles from English seaside town to Ukrainian border to deliver supplies to refugees A pub landlord is driving over 1,000 miles from an English seaside town to the Ukrainian border with a van-load of supplies for refugees - and he is prepared to fight. Tom Littledyke, an ex-royal marine reservist, was compelled to help as Russia invaded the country and hundreds of thousands of refugees fled. Tom Littledyke, an ex-royal marine reservist, was compelled to help as Russia invaded the country and hundreds of thousands of refugees fled The 31-year-old from Lyme Regis, Dorset, has filled his 14ft minivan with donated sleeping bags, children's toys, coats, and tinned food left outside his pub. He is undertaking the 1,300 mile journey to the Polish border town of Korczowa and is currently in Germany. On the way he has picked up people travelling to fight for Ukrainian forces in the struggle against the Russians. He said he would do so too 'without a second of hesitation' to defend refugees from enemy aggression. He said: 'Absolutely (I would fight) if necessary, if called upon, in the aid of people who have not asked for this. Entirely so - without a second of hesitation. 'I'm incredibly full of emotion and clear drive. I am blown back by the amount of support we have received already. I am inspired by how inspired people have been to make this happen. 'That we can get this much together in a couple of hours inspires me - and we are already talking about doing another one.' His partner, Georgia, added: 'I know Tom will do as much as he can and he doesn't have anything stopping him. 'He doesn't have the fear that most of us have - he is either brave or stupid and I haven't decided which yet.' The couple have raised 6,000 on a Justgiving page to buy further supplies for a second trip later this year. Advertisement

Speaking from a trench ten miles outside Mariupol, he said: 'I am here defending my family and adopted city. Russia started this war  it's funded by Russia and driven by Russia. But we will fight them, make no mistake about that.'

Mr Pinner said fighting in the trenches was 'like Hell', with snipers 'less than 600m away'.

Mr Pinner said there has been tension in Ukraine' for years'.

'It's only new to Europe, who have finally woken up to what's happening here,' he told Al Jazeera.

Mr Pinner is one of the oldest in his unit, which has three Brits and one Croatian as well as Ukrainians.

The team is known as the Marines First Battalion. 'I've always got something to prove,' Mr Pinner added.

Another man who turned up at the Ukrainian embassy to try to enlist with the country's military told Sky News: 'They look like they need help. We are young, strong fit men, we can help so why not?'

A third he said he was going to 'try to make a difference'. Asked if he was prepared to lose his life, he said 'I think so'.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline commander Mamulashvili said: 'I have a very big group of Britons, around sixty travelling to Ukraine to join up with my Georgian National League unit.

'They are travelling by car from the UK and will cross over at the Polish border. I am expecting them here with equipment and supplies in the next few days.

'They are mostly guys who have fought with me in Ukraine before but there are also new recruits as well.

'We will provide them with training and weapons and they are coming from London and all over Britain.

'Their background is former British Army and Special Forces and they are good fighters, they can be trusted to take on the Russian aggressors and most importantly win.

'What I want to stress is that none of them are getting paid, they are not mercenaries, they are all volunteers.'

Commander Mamulashvili is a veteran of the 2008 war against Russia in Georgia and a mixed martial arts expert and founded the unit in 2014 to provide foreign fighters in Ukraine's war against Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region.

He added: 'The guys from the UK are just bringing basic equipment with their uniforms and rations, they will get weapons when they arrive.

'Putin is very much mistaken if he thinks he will take Ukraine, he will face a fight to the death as the Ukrainian army has shown how brave and strong it is.

'They have experience and now they have good equipment from the rest of Europe and the world and now we have the backing of some of the best foreign volunteer soldiers in the world.

'We know some of us might die but unless we fight against Russia, Putin will just keep going and trying to take countries.

'When he went into Georgia in 2008 the then President of my country said Ukraine would be next and he was right.'

Father-of-two Mamulashvili added that he 'expected' the number of volunteers from Britain and elsewhere to top 500 within the next few days after having received dozens of requests asking for details on how to join up.

Plumes of smoke rise from a building, which was caused by a cruise missile according to local media, in Kyiv, Ukraine

Smoke billows over the town of Vasylkiv, which is just outside Kyiv on February 27

Public Chernihiv reports that a rocket hit a residential building in the centre of Chernihiv, north of Kyiv. A fire broke out with two lower floors ablaze. The number of injured is currently unknown

A Russian tank burning in the Ukrainian city of Sumy just days after newly revealed dashcam footage showed a huge column of tanks moving in

He added: 'My advice for anyone from the UK who wants to come and fight is to get in touch with the Ukrainian embassy in London and they will advise how to get to our base.

'If that is not possible volunteers should make their way to Poland and cross the border into Ukraine and head for the city of Lviv where we have a mobilisation base and make themselves known to the local authorities but for obvious reasons I cannot give you the exact address.'

Earlier this year it emerged that at least two Brits were fighting in Ukraine, Aiden Aslin, 28, from Newark, Nottinghamshire and Sean Pinner, 48, from Bedfordshire.

Harry Jackson, 27, who founded UK Aid for Ukraine, and launched an appeal on Facebook for volunteers and equipment said he had been 'flooded with offers of help'.

Harry said: 'I'm putting people in touch with Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of the Georgian National Legion.

'I have helmets, flak jackets and medical supplies all going out as well as a group of volunteers.'

On Sunday President Zelensky urged foreigners to head to Ukrainian embassies in their home countries to sign up for an 'international brigade' to help fight invading Russian forces.

He said: 'All foreigners wishing to join the resistance against the Russian occupiers and protect global security are invited by the Ukrainian leadership to come to our state and join the ranks of the territorial defence forces,' Zelensky said in a statement on the presidential website.

Members of Georgian Legion train civilians to adapt them with the self-defence capabilities in January

The paramilitary unit formed mainly by ethnic Georgian volunteers to fight against Russian aggression in Ukraine in 2014, now includes people of various nationalities

Commander Mamuka Mamulashvili told MailOnline: 'anyone from the UK who wants to come and fight is to get in touch with the Ukrainian embassy in London and they will advise how to get to our base. If that is not possible volunteers should make their way to Poland and cross the border into Ukraine and head for the city of Lviv where we have a mobilisation base and make themselves known to the local authorities'

'A separate unit is being formed from foreigners  the International Brigade of the territorial defence of Ukraine. This will be a key testimony of your support for our country.'

Since 2016 it has been legal for foreigners to join the Ukrainian army.
The United Nations has voiced 'grave concern' of another Chernobyl disaster after Russian troops started operating close to Ukraine's largest nuclear power station.

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said late on Monday that he was following the events in Ukraine 'very closely and with grave concern'.

He warned Russian troops it was 'extremely important' not to 'put at risk in any way' nuclear power plants across Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin's men seized control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant following a 'fierce' battle on Thursday.

It has sparked fears of a radiation leak that could cause fallout in Europe, last seen when the reactor exploded in 1986, after officials said the condition of the nuclear storage facilities was 'unknown'.

Radiation levels at the plant had increased by Friday, according to Ukraine's nuclear agency, though Moscow denied the claim.

Grossi also warned that 'an accident involving the nuclear facilities in Ukraine could have severe consequences for public health and the environment.'

The United Nations has voiced 'grave concern' of another Chernobyl disaster after Russian troops started operating close to Ukraine's largest nuclear power station (pictured, the safe confinement structure covering the damaged reactor at the nuclear plant)

Russian troops have been warned by the UN that it is 'extremely important' not to 'put at risk in any way' nuclear power plants across Ukraine

Radiation levels at Chernobyl nuclear power plant have increased after Russian troops seized the area on Thursday (pictured), Ukraine's nuclear agency warned on Friday

Grossi also said he had received reports that the soldiers were close to the Zaporizhzhia station in eastern Ukraine.

The six reactors there were safe for the moment and Russian troops had not tried to enter the facility, a statement said.

But Grossi said he was following developments in Ukraine 'very closely and with grave concern'.

A meeting of the IAEA's governors is scheduled for Wednesday at its Vienna headquarters to discuss the risks that the conflict poses to Ukraine's nuclear facilities.

Ukraine has four nuclear power stations currently in operation providing about half the country's electricity.

It is also the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, the 1986 Chernobyl fire.

The disaster occurred when a nuclear reactor at the plant 80 miles north of Kyiv exploded, sending a radioactive cloud across Europe.

It happened while Ukraine was part of the USSR, with Soviet officials initially playing down the disaster, slowing the response.

The damaged reactor was later covered by a protective shell to prevent leaks with the construction of the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement completed in 2018.

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said late on Monday that he was following the events in Ukraine 'very closely and with grave concern'

Grossi also said he had received reports that the soldiers were close to the Zaporizhzhia station (pictured) in eastern Ukraine

Ukraine war, day six: Russian forces are now attempting to skirt around Kyiv and encircle it from the west. Troops fighting out of Crimea continue to make gains and are likely to surround Mariupol soon, while also reaching the outskirts of a key Ukrainian nuclear plant. Fighting in the east continues to be heavy with no breakthrough for Putin

Video on Thursday revealed Russian tanks and armoured vehicles standing in front of the destroyed reactor.

An official said on Thursday that Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository and an increase in radiation levels was initially reported.

On Saturday Russian forces damaged an electrical transformer at a radioactive waste disposal facility in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Meanwhile on Sunday, the agency said Ukraine's nuclear authorities had reported that missiles had hit a radioactive waste disposal facility in Kyiv.

There were no initial reports of damage to the buildings or indications of a release of radioactive material but further monitoring was underway, the IAEA said.

Such facilities typically hold low-level radioactive materials such as waste from hospitals and industry, but Grossi said the two incidents highlight a 'very real risk'.

He said if the sites are damaged there could be 'potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment'.

It is not clear whether Russian forces are deliberately attacking nuclear plants or radioactive waste disposal facilities.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has said missiles hit a radioactive waste disposal site in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv (pictured, a big fire at a petroleum storage depot after a Russian missile attack, in Vasylkiv near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Saturday night)

In this file photo taken on February 4, 2022 Servicemen take part in a joint tactical and special exercises of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ukrainian National Guard and Ministry Emergency in a ghost city of Pripyat, near Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

The bombardment of Kharkiv continued Tuesday morning with a rocket landing just in front of the civilian public administration building, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself.

Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around.

It came as Russia's invasion of Ukraine - which met with heavy defeat in its initial plan to seize key targets and infrastructure in precision strikes - entered a new phase, with the aim seemingly to surround and besiege cities such as Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy and Kherson which have so-far put up fierce resistance.

Moscow's tactics seemed to be to bomb the cities into submission using indiscriminate weapons in echoes of tactics Russia used against rebel forces in Syria while fighting alongside dictator Basahar al-Assad.

Meanwhile Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday accused Russia of war crimes after what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks following a blast on the city of Kharkiv on Monday which killed at least 11 people and wounded scores more.

In a late night address directed at Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said there would 'definitely be an international tribunal' for what he said was a 'violation of all conventions' and added that 'no one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.'

Prosecutors at The Hague say they intend to open a probe 'as soon as possible.'

The rocket caused huge damage to the building and threw up a huge plume of smoke in the aftermath of the explosion

Kharkiv was struck by more Russian rockets on Tuesday morning, with one striking outside the civilian public administration building which was heavily damaged in the blast. The rocket can be seen a split second before it slams into the building, triggering a massive blast

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of war crimes on Monday after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks on the fifth day of their invasion. Above: Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, coming under heavy attack on Monday
A man accused of three sex attacks, including rape, while he was a serving Met Police officer 18 years ago has this morning denied all the charges.

Stephen Kyere, 58, is accused of attacking one woman three times over a four-day period in April 2004 in Teddington, Middlesex.

The alleged victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - is being supported by specialist officers in Kyere's old force.

He appeared at the Old Bailey in London today to deny three charges of rape, attempted rape and indecent assault.

Kyere, who retired from the Met Police in March 2021, was off-duty at the time.

According to the Met, he was attached to the Hammersmith and Fulham police at the time of the allegations.

Former PC Stephen Kyere has been charged with a rape in Teddington in 2004 18 years ago

Stephen Kyere, seen at court this morning, has denied all three sex attack charges today

The former PC was dressed in grey trousers and a white shirt for the brief appearance.

The Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft, QC, fixed Kyere's provisional trial date for January 16 next year at the Old Bailey.

It is expected that the trial will last up to five days.

Kyere, of Ashford, Middlesex, was granted unconditional bail ahead of a further pre-trial hearing on May 16.

Former PC Kyerer also faced charges of attempted rape and indecent assault in court today

Met Police said former PC Stephen Kyere has been charged with a rape in Teddington in 2004

The Met Police earlier released a statement which said 'A former Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with rape, attempted rape and indecent assault.

'The charges relate to an incident in Teddington in April 2004 when the officer, then attached to Hammersmith and Fulham police, was off duty.

'Former PC Kyere was charged by postal requisition in January 2022 following an investigation by officers at the South West Command Unit.

'He retired from the Metropolitan Police on 19 March 2021. Misconduct matters will be considered following the criminal process.'
Long Covid could be being drastically overreported in children, an official report suggests.

The Office for National Statistics said only one in 100 primary-aged pupils actually have the condition, despite half of parents reporting at least one of its symptoms.

Professor Russell Viner, a member of SAGE and child health expert, said it showed 'just how common tiredness and headaches are in children'.

The report showed that 47.5 per cent of parents said their child was still battling at least one symptom of the virus 12 weeks later.

But almost the same amount (46.6 per cent) had similar symptoms despite never having Covid. Most common symptoms were a sore throat, lost voice, coughs and shortness of breath.

The ONS estimated that fewer than one in 40 secondary pupils in the UK have long Covid.

The report was based on a survey of 3,400 parents and 3,300 students between March 2020 and December 2021.

Graph shows: 47.5 per cent of parents said their child experienced one or more symptoms of the virus at least 12 weeks after a positive test between March 2020 and December 2021 in England. But 46.6 per cent also claimed their children had the same symptoms even if they did not have an official Covid case.

An Office for National Statistics (ONS) report showed just one per cent of under-11s were considered to meet all the criteria for the condition

Primary school children were more likely to experience head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat (HEENT) symptoms (21 per cent)  including sore throat, lost voice or earache  regardless of a positive test. A quarter of those testing positive had the symptoms compared to a fifth in those who did not. It was followed by 'cognitive disturbance  trouble sleeping, headaches and memory loss  (21 per cent) and pulmonary symptoms  coughs or shortness of breath  (20 per cent)

The most common long-lasting 'long Covid' symptom in pupils from Year 7 to 11 who did not test positive were anxiety and mood swings (30 per cent). Thirty-one per cent of those who tested positive had trouble sleeping, headaches and memory loss, compared to 29 per cent in those who did not test positive.

Reacting to the findings, Professor Viner, former chair of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: 'These data emphasise just how common symptoms such as tiredness or headaches are in children and teenagers, regardless of whether they had Covid-19 or not.

'They found that almost all these symptoms occurred as frequently in those who had never had a positive test compared with those who had.

'Covid toes' may actually be caused by not wearing socks, experts claim 'Covid toes' may actually have nothing to do with the virus, experts now believe. Throughout the pandemic, there have been reports of infected patients suffering from chilblains  redness and swelling on their feet. Some experts believed the condition was brought on by the body's immune system being weakened by the virus. But Yale University scientists now say the condition may have been caused by people not wearing socks while working from home. The study, published in PNAS, looked at 23 people claiming to have Covid toes but found only three actually caught the virus beforehand. While the authors could not rule out an immune response to Covid as a cause, they said there were other explanations for the increased trend, including not wearing socks. Chilblains are usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold or damp air. They said: 'An increased incidence of chilblains has been observed during the pandemic and attributed to viral infection. 'Our results do not support Covid as the cause of the increased chilblain incidence.' Advertisement

'These findings make it clear that research that simply counts issues or symptoms in those who have had Covid or those who haven't overstates the extent of major problems after infection.'

Long Covid is a poorly understood condition, which has seen survivors complain of fatigue, breathing difficulties and problems concentrating.

Experts have previously cast doubt over long Covid estimates because headaches and fatigue are so common.

The report found only 1 per cent of under-11s met the clinical definition for the condition  a positive test, continuous symptoms for at least 12 weeks and everyday life impacted by those symptoms.

Meanwhile, just 2.7 per cent of secondary school children met the same criteria, the ONS said.

Yet a total of 57.6 per cent of children who were diagnosed with Covid reported lingering symptoms 12 weeks after their case.

This was only slightly higher than the 49.5 per cent who reported a common symptom despite never testing positive.

Despite the rates of symptoms being similar in those who tested positive and those who did not, rates of long Covid were significantly higher in children who already suffered with a mental disorder.

Thirty per cent of primary school children with mental disorders reported long Covid symptoms, compared to 7.7 per cent of those without.

Professor Viner added: 'We have always known there is a small group of children and teenagers in whom persistent problems after Covid affect them considerably.

'Although there's been a lot of debate about the size of this group.

'These data are very helpful in confirming this appears to be a reassuringly small group.'

Dr Michael Absoud, a women and children's health expert at King's College London, said: 'The study provides reassuring findings for children and their families.'

He added it was 'consistent with recent studies by the ONS and others that showed the vast majority of children recover well post Covid.'

Dr Shamez Ladhani, consultant paediatrician at the UK Health Security Agency and study chief investigator, said: 'It is reassuring that the vast majority of primary and secondary school aged children surveyed since March 2020 have not experienced long Covid symptoms.

'These new data should be reassuring for parents, clinicians and policy-makers.

'Not surprisingly, the study also highlights that some primary and secondary school aged children have described symptoms of emotional, behavioural or hyperactivity conditions.

'As these findings show that children are at much less at risk of complications from Covid-19 than adults, keeping children in school  where mental health support is available  therefore remains vital.'
President Volodymyr Zelensky played the voice of Ukrainian Paddington Bear eight years before he had to stand up to the Russian Bear when Putin invaded last week.

The 44-year-old President has garnered love from around the world as he defies Russia's calls for surrender and live-streams from the capital of Kyiv.

Yet it's not just his bravery in the face of invading Russians people adore him for. Before becoming President in 2019 he had a 23-year career in showbiz as an actor and comedian.

The man defending Ukraine from Putin's attack even played a fictional president on television that also lead defended the country from Russian influence.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last Thursday, Zelensky has been a symbol of courage and strength in the country

President Volodymyr Zelensky played the voice of Ukrainian Paddington Bear eight years before he had to stand up to the Russian Bear when Putin invaded last week

The President had a career in acting and comedy that spanned 23 years before he went into politics

Although many saw him as a joke candidate he won 73 per cent of the vote after pledging to fight corruption and make peace in Donbas, south east Ukraine, which has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014

Zelensky played the voice of Ukrainian Paddington Bear (pictured) in the hit children's film starring Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins

Servant of the People, a political satire that debuted in 2015 and went on for three seasons. It tells the tale of a history school teacher's 'tirade against government corruption', which goes viral, with Zelensky's character Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko soon finding himself sitting the president's seat.

The series ran from 2015 to 2019, during which time, in 2018, Zelensky announced his candidacy for the presidential election the following year. Pictured in the show

Zelensky was born to Jewish parents in Kryvyi Rih, in Soviet Ukraine (now east Ukraine), in 1978.

His grandfather fought for the Red Army against the Nazis in WWII, while three of his great-uncles and his great-grandfather were killed in the Holocaust.

Zelensky was only 17 when he started acting and telling jokes. A little more than two decades later he became president.

The first episode of the piece of political satire has amassed over 13.7million views on YouTube, with Zelensky starring as Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko, a high-school teacher in his thirties. He was unexpectedly elected as the President of Ukraine after being filmed by one of his students ranting against the corruption of his country's government, which ended up going viral

His popularity as a fictional leader (pictured) was what led him to become the president in 2019. In the clip that went viral in the fictional series, Zelensky , as Holoborodko, said to his colleague: 'I am sick and tired of it. Why do our politicians come to power and make the same mistakes?'

Before that, he played Napoleon in Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon, a sequel to the comedy Hitler Goes Kaput, had a recurring role as the main character in rom coms Love In The Big City and Love In The Big City 2 and even won the first season of Ukraine's Strictly Come Dancing in 2006.

He was a regular in rom coms, comedy and stints on the red carpet.

He recorded the Ukrainian voiceover for Paddington Bear in the 2014 Paul King film starring Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky goes viral after Strictly Come Dancing appearance President Volodymyr Zelensky has come a long way in a short space of time, having been a comedy actor before winning a landslide victory in the Ukraine elections of 2019. He appeared on the Ukrainian version of Strictly Come Dancing in 2006, which he won with an impressive jive wearing a pink suit with flared trousers. Footage of the Ukrainian President's performances on the show went viral over the weekend. Twitter user Kat Abu, from the US, posted a compilation of the President's best dances on the show in a clip which has been viewed more than two million times. The video shows Zelensky in an array of flamboyant outfits Waltzing, doing the Paso Doble and performing blindfolded with professional partner Olena Shoptenko. His appearance on the show is what made Zelensky a household name and acted as a preface for his on-screen acting career which began in 2008. Advertisement

Zelensky playing Maksym Tkachenko in the 2018 Ukrainian film I, You, He, She trailer

Zelensky also had a leading role as the main love interest in 8 First Dates (left), which was released in 2012 and won the Best Russian Comedy of the Year at the 2013 Russian National Movie Awards. He also featured as Napoleon in Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon (right), a sequel to the comedy Hitler Goes Kaput

However, the role he is most famous for is another comic number as a school teacher Vasyl Petrovych Holoborodko who becomes president of Ukraine in successful series Servant Of The People, which ran from 2015 to 2018.

The same year the show ended he became Ukraine's actual president, running with a party set up by his TV production company Kvartal 95 and named Servant Of The People, after the series.

Although many saw him as a joke candidate he won 73 per cent of the vote after pledging to fight corruption and make peace in Donbas, south east Ukraine, which has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014.

He also promised to remain as President only for one term of five years.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last Thursday, Zelensky has been a symbol of courage and strength in the country.

As shells rained down on Kyiv he posted a video from the streets of the capital and has led Ukraine's strong resistance to Putin's army.

On Tuesday he accused Russia of war crimes over the brutal shelling of Kharkiv that saw 11 civilians killed and schools destroyed as Ukraine's ambassador to the US claimed Putin dropped a deadly thermobaric vacuum bomb during the invasion.
China issues report on U.S. human rights violations

Xinhua) 08:42, March 01, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council Information Office on Monday issued the Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021.

The report said the human rights situation in the United States, which has notorious records, worsened in 2021. Its political manipulation led to a sharp surge in COVID-19 deaths while shooting deaths in the country hit a new record.

Fake democracy trampled on people's political rights and violent law enforcement made life harder for migrants and refugees in the United States, it said.

The report also highlighted the country's growing discrimination against ethnic minority groups, especially people of Asian descent.

Unilateral U.S. actions created new humanitarian crises across the globe, it added.

Related:

Full text: The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021

China on Monday issued The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

China on Monday issued The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

China on Monday issued The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021. (Xinhua/Xiao Xiao)

China on Monday issued The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021. (Xinhua/Xiao Xiao)

China on Monday issued The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021. (Xinhua/Xiao Xiao)

China on Monday issued The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Lee Sook-kyung, the artistic director for the 14th edition of the Gwangju Biennale, slated for April 2023 / Courtesy of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation



By Park Han-sol



What is known as the "Gwangju Spirit" is a foundational mindset of Korea's southwestern city historically, which witnessed one of the most tragic events of the modern era, the 1980 Gwangju Uprising.



The Gwangju Biennale, Asia's oldest biennial of contemporary art, has continuously revisited this spirit in both its mission and exhibition themes since its founding in 1995.



To Lee Sook-kyung, the newly appointed artistic director for the 14th edition of the Biennale, the spirit of Gwangju is a rich concept that still leaves plenty of room for constructive redefinition and reinterpretation.



"The city's spirit didn't emerge out of nowhere along with the May 18 pro-democracy movement. Rather, it has been a [deep-rooted] mindset that simply burst out in the form of resistance in the face of extreme adversity in 1980," Lee said at Monday's press conference in central Seoul.



"In fact, the concept can be traced back much further to the ideological and cultural roots inherent to the city."



She emphasized that the Biennale does not aim to narrow its focus to artworks that directly represent Gwangju's history. Instead, the host city's iconic spirit will serve as a transnational framework to bring together a range of contemporary pieces that are intricately connected to different layers of global crises: reckonings with forms of racism, the climate emergency, Indigenous peoples' right to self-determination and the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.



"For instance, during the show, Mexico's Indigenous Mayan artists can unfold their own stories of oppression based on their historical and ideological background Or a new-generation Arab creator who has memories of the Arab Spring can perhaps discuss the similarities and differences of their experiences to the case of the Gwangju Uprising from four decades ago."



Therefore, the curation of the exhibition will be aimed at connecting the dots and creating dialogues between these geographically and temporally distinct narratives that all explore issues of oppression, resistance and justice, many of which were marginalized and rendered "peripheral" within previous hegemonic cultural frameworks, the director stated.



Such a commitment to steering away from certain dominant Western-centric discourses and examining other transnational, postcolonial narratives has been reflected in Lee's own identity and decades-long practice as the "migrant curator," most recently, as the senior curator of international art at the Tate Modern in London.



Slated for April 7, 2023, the upcoming edition of the Gwangju Biennale will be held for 94 days until July 9, making it the longest run in the event's history.





A facade of the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan, one of the venues where the upcoming Busan Biennale will be held / Courtesy of the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee
British Airways has been questioned by the industry regulator over its latest IT meltdown which left thousands of holidaymakers in the lurch.

The Civil Aviation Authority has sought clarity from the flagship carrier amid concerns about whether consumer rules were breached.

The regulator is understood to be concerned about whether travellers who suffered cancellations were offered the full array of alternative flights they were entitled to.

Airlines are legally obliged to arrange alternative flights to get travellers to their destination on the right day, even if it means booking customers a fresh seat with a rival carrier.

Yesterday the Mail revealed how BA cancelled or delayed more than 500 flights over the weekend after suffering its biggest IT meltdown for years.

It scrapped 65 flights on Sunday, with a further more than 200 delayed. This was on top of 187 cancellations and 151 delays on Saturday.

There were dozens more cancellations and delays earlier in the week.

Passengers complained of being stranded abroad, having breaks cancelled at the 11th hour and their luggage lost or waiting hours to receive it.

Passengers at Heathrow Airport T5, London, as an IT meltdown caused havoc with British Airways flights on Saturday, February 26. The issue continued for passengers on Sunday

The airline said the problem, which also caused delays for its customers using Gatwick and London City Airport, is related to a hardware issue and is not because of a cyber attack

Passengers queue at the arrivals entrance to terminal five at Heathrow Airport on Saturday morning

British Airways has been questioned by the industry regulator Civil Aviation Authority over its latest IT meltdown which left thousands of holidaymakers in the lurch. [File image]

BAs customer service was also branded woeful after travellers found it impossible to get through on their helpline.

The CAA is said to have approached BA informally. But it could launch a formal probe if its concerns are not addressed. The regulator has powers to force operators to comply with consumer law.

Under European passengers rights rules, imported into UK law after Brexit, airlines which cancel services are obliged to find travellers an alternative flight that will get them to their destination as soon as possible after the original arrival time.

They are allowed to re-book customers onto one of their own flights later that day, even if it takes off after a rival airlines flight.

However, if there are no other flights with the cancelling airline, it is obliged to book passengers a seat on a rival carrier.

New seats are often with a rival carrier it has disruption agreements with.

But if none of these are available the cancelling airline is legally obliged to buy a fresh ticket with an unrelated carrier.

However, BA appears not to have made the rules explicitly clear in a letter to passengers affected over the weekend, which said: You can either accept the replacement flight weve suggested for you or review alternatives which might be more suitable.

Furious customers posted more complaints on social media yesterday as the fallout from the fiasco continued.

A member of staff checks passenger boarding passes at the entrance of Heathrow Airport Terminal five

A check in board at Heathrow Airport's terminal five showed a number of cancellations on Saturday morning

Departure screens were completely blank at Heathrow after the computer system failure

Traveller Sara Templeton posted on Twitter: @British_Airways could you tell me firstly when my money will be refunded for my cancelled flight on 26th Feb.

Secondly what compensation I am due having been forced to buy another very expensive flight with another carrier?

Another traveller, Lin Payne, also complained of having to personally shell out for an alternative flight.

She posted: I know I get a refund but it doesnt even cover half the cost of the new flight I had to book which was 180.

No news of when there would be availability so I had to take what I could to get back to work.

Conor Hayes posted: Absolutely deplorable our experience with British Airways.

Myself and my wife are supposed to be on our honeymoon but will have missed nearly 3 full days in St Lucia after 2 cancelled flights and now experiencing a 4-hour delay while sitting on the plane.

Passengers expressed their frustrations as they directed questions at the airline and Heathrow Airport on social media following Saturday's delays

BA has repeatedly denied being the victim of a cyber-attack, but has not revealed the cause of the IT failure.

A BA spokesman said: We always meet our obligations under the law. Where a customers flight is cancelled, we always offer options including a full refund or to re-book onto another service.

There is no evidence to suggest it was a cyber-attack.

It took some time for all the systems to fully recover. This meant we regrettably had to cancel short-haul flights from Heathrow on Saturday morning, and suffered some further disruption later that day and on a small number of flights on Sunday after some crews and aircraft were out of position.

A CAA spokesman said: Passengers who have seen their flights cancelled should be offered the choice of reimbursement for cancelled flights, alternate travel arrangements under comparable conditions at the earliest opportunity which includes flights on other airlines, or a new flight at a later date at the passenger's convenience.

We also expect airlines to proactively provide passengers with information about their rights when flights are cancelled.
Boris Johnson today lavished praise on Volodymyr Zelensky as the two leaders continue to forge a strong relationship following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking during a visit to Warsaw in Poland, the Prime Minister hailed the 'courage' of the Ukrainian President and said he had 'inspired and mobilised' the world against Vladimir Putin.

The two men have held phone calls every day since Moscow launched its attack last Thursday.

Mr Johnson appears to have spoken to Mr Zelensky more than any other Western leader in the last six days, with the Ukrainian President leaning on the UK for military support.

He is said to have presented Mr Johnson with a 'shopping list' of arms requests, with Britain thought to be sending anti-tank missile shipments almost daily.

Downing Street would not be drawn on the specifics of the weapons it is sending but Number 10 said last night that Mr Johnson had committed to 'sending more in the coming hours and days'.

A source told The Sun: 'Zelensky has made very specific requests for military hardware during near daily phone calls, and we are working round the clock to get them into Ukraine.'

Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelensky have spoken every day since the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Mr Johnson appears to have spoken to Mr Zelensky more than any other Western leader since last Thursday, with the Ukrainian President leaning on the UK for military support

Mr Johnson is today visiting Poland and Estonia as he inspects NATO's borders and meets British troops.

He told a press conference in Warsaw that Mr Putin had 'fatally underestimated' the resilience of the Ukrainian people and their leader.

The PM said: I think in this grim war which is now, what, in its sixth day, he (the Russian President) has fatally underestimated two things.

The first is the passionate desire of the Ukrainian people to defend and protect their own country, their belief in their sovereign right to defend themselves.

'And may I pay tribute by the way to the leadership and courage that is being shown by Volodymyr Zelensky.

I think he has inspired and mobilised not only his own people, he is inspiring and mobilising the world in outrage at what is happening in Ukraine.

It emerged at the weekend that Mr Johnson had told aides of his admiration for Mr Zelensky as he continues to lead his nation's fightback against Russia, having turned down a US offer of evacuation.

The Prime Minister has publicly paid tribute to the 'incredible heroism' of the Ukrainian people and their leader.

Following a call with Mr Zelensky on Friday morning, Mr Johnson reportedly turned to an aide and said: 'Jesus, that guy is brave.'

The pair have now spoken every day since Russia's invasion began in the early hours of Thursday morning last week.

The calls between the two men appear to be taking place more frequently than Mr Zelensky's discussions with other world leaders.

However, Downing Street yesterday refused to be drawn on the subject when asked about the frequency of the calls.

It is unclear whether the PM will speak to Mr Zelensky today but given the daily calls up to now, it appears highly likely.

The daily calls started last Thursday after Russia launched its initial invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Johnson and Mr Zelensky spoke in the early hours as the PM said he was 'appalled by the unfolding events in Ukraine'.

The premier also told his counterpart that the 'West would not stand by' as Mr Putin 'waged his campaign against the Ukrainian people'.

Then on Friday morning Mr Zelensky updated Mr Johnson on Russian advances as the PM said the 'world is united in its horror at what Putin his doing'.

Downing Street said Mr Johnson had 'committed to provide further UK support to Ukraine in the coming days'.

The phone calls continued over the weekend as Mr Johnson 'paid tribute to the incredible heroism and bravery of President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people' during a conversation on Saturday evening.

Mr Johnson is today visiting Poland and Estonia as he inspects NATO's borders and meets British troops. The PM is pictured arriving in Warsaw, Poland, this morning

On Sunday evening Mr Johnson again 'lauded the bravery of the Ukrainian people following the Russian invasion and praised the leadership of President Zelensky in the face of such adversity'.

Number 10 said the leaders 'agreed to continue to stay in close contact and the Prime Minister reiterated the UK's staunch support for Ukraine's sovereignty'.

The most recent call took place yesterday afternoon as Mr Zelensky 'updated the Prime Minister on the Ukrainian resistance to the ongoing Russian invasion'.

Mr Johnson again praised Mr Zelensky for 'his bravery and that of the Ukrainian people'.

Downing Street said: 'The leaders categorically condemned the barbaric airstrikes being carried out by Russia against innocent civilians, including children.

'The Prime Minister updated President Zelenskyy on UK military support being sent to Ukraine, and committed to sending more in the coming hours and days.'
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Prince Charles warned in a speech today that the values of democracy are 'under attack' in Ukraine in the 'most unconscionable way' - as he blasted Vladimir Putin's 'path of violence' for causing 'appalling suffering and devastation'.

The Prince of Wales made the comments as he officially made Southend-on-Sea a city on Tuesday following a years-long campaign by the late MP Sir David Amess - who was stabbed to death by a terrorist last year.

During his speech, the future King of England said he 'stands in solidarity' with the citizens of Ukraine as he lauded Sir David for his dedication to the 'values which underpin the society we share'.

He said: 'We can only hope that those who are too often cynically dismissive of those in public life will look at his example of service.

'No one could have given more for the values which underpin the society we share, values which appear all the more precious, at this present time, when we see more starkly than for many years, the appalling suffering and devastation caused when the path of violence is chosen.

Prince Charles speaks at an extraordinary council meeting in Southend-on-Sea on Tuesday - in which he made the town an official city and blasted Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Prince Charles, with Camilla at his side, formally presents the legal document which entitles the change of status, the Letters Patent, to Southend's mayor Margaret Borton at the extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday

Charles told the council meeting about Sir David: 'No one could have given more for the values which underpin the society we share' - while the late MP's emotional widow looked on

An emotional Lady Julia Amess (pictured) received the free man of the city honour on behalf of her late husband

Lady Julia Amess (left) passes the Freedom of the City of Southend award, presented to her on behalf of her late husband MP Sir David Amess, by Southend's mayor, Margaret Borton (left), to their daughter Kate Amess

Lady Julia Amess (centre) passes the freedom of the City of Southend presented to her on behalf of her late husband MP Sir David Amess, by Southend's mayor, Margaret Borton (left), to their daughter Kate Amess

The Prince of Wales (pictured during speech in Southend, with Camilla by his side) made the Ukraine comments as he officially made Southend-on-Sea a city on Tuesday following a years-long campaign by the late MP Sir David Amess - who was stabbed to death by a terrorist last year

The future King of England waves to crowds who had gathered for his arrival at Southend-on-Sea on Tuesday

Camilla was all smiles as she clutched her Chanel handbag and shook hands with members of the public upon arriving to Southend on Tuesday

Hundreds of locals gathered by barricades and waved Union Jacks as Charles and Camilla arrived to make Southend an official city

A local dressed as Queen's guard poses for a photo as Camilla approaches in the background in Southend on Tuesday

Sir David Amess (pictured), who had served as Conservative MP for Southend West since 1997, was murdered during a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall stand in the council chamber at the Civic Centre in Southend-on-Sea

Camilla looked chic in a navy pea coat, paired with a black hat, gloves, boots and a dark blue Chanel bag, while Charles donned a navy pinstriped suit paired with a patterned tie and grey shirt

Council members and the family of Sir David Amess listen attentively to Charles' speech as he makes Southend a city, fulfilling the late MP's long-held dream

From climate change and Crimea to the infamous Black Spider memos - A history of the 'dissident' Prince Charles' interventions Prince Charles today branded Russia's invasion of Ukraine a 'brutal aggression', blasting Vladimir Putin's 'path of violence' for causing 'appalling suffering and devastation'. It was the most strongly-worded intervention from a royal on the invasion to date, in which the future King of England said he 'stands with' the people of Ukraine. But it's not the first time the Prince of Wales has spoken his mind about politics, having allegedly compared Putin to Hitler while often speaking out passionately about climate change over the years. Climate change intervention In August last year, Charles made his most powerful intervention to date in the fight against climate change, telling Britain's business leaders they must help, or the planet is 'done for'. Drawing emotionally on his family connections to wildfire-racked Greece, the prince issued a robust challenge to big business to join his crusade for action 'before it's finally too late'. The heir to the throne said humanity's 'only hope' is for business chiefs to join world leaders in an 'epic battle' to avert 'climate catastrophe'. The prince urged leading companies to sign up to his 'Terra Carta', a charter that commits them to putting sustainability at the heart of all their business activities. Charles 'compares Putin to Hitler' In 2014, the Queen's first-born son allegedly compared Putin to evil German dictator Adolf Hitler during an official visit to Canada. He reportedly made the comments while speaking to a former Polish war refugee about Russia's actions in Ukraine - which saw Crimea annexed. The Russian president said that if the prince had made such comments they were 'wrong' and 'not royal behaviour'. Clarence House did not comment at the time. Qatari letters Years earlier, in 2009, Charles disagreed with architect Richard Rogers's planned designs for the Chelsea Barracks site in west London. He decided to pen a letter to the Qatari royal family, who were financing the project, branding the plans 'unsuitable' and a 'gigantic experiment with the very soul of our capital city.' Rogers was removed from the project and replaced by The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment - leading Rogers to brand Charles' intervention as 'unconstitutional' and an 'abuse of power', accusing the future King of subverting the 'open and democratic planning process.' Infamous Black Spider memos And there was outcry in 2015 when a series of letters sent by Charles to former Prime Minister Tony Blair and other government figures, dubbed the Black Spider memos, were finally published following a decade-long legal battle. They showed how Charles contacted Tony Blair in 2004 over his concerns about a lack of resources for the Armed Forces in Iraq and particularly the 'poor performance' of the Lynx helicopter. He also sent a barrage of correspondence to Mr Blair over a seven-month period pushing for a cull of Britain's badgers and describing opponents as 'intellectually dishonest'. In 2004, he complained over modern teaching methods and extolled the virtues of his Summer Schools when writing to Education Secretary Charles Clarke The future king also asked Mr Blair to 'bring pressure' on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs over the bureaucratic burden on farmers. In a letter to Mr Blair in February 2005, he also voiced support for 'alternative' medicines, describing a regulation to restrict practitioners as being like 'using a sledgehammer to crack a nut' He also penned a note to Environment Minister Elliot Morley in October 2004 in which he involved himself in the illegal fishing of the Patagonian toothfish. During another 2005 missive, he even made an ironic comment about his reluctance to put issues in writing to Mr Blair because of the Freedom of Information Act - which was ultimately used to release the contents of the letters to the public. The 'dissident' prince In 2006, Mark Bolland, the former deputy private secretary and press adviser to the Prince of Wales, said the royal had referred to himself as a 'dissident' who worked against the prevailing political consensus. Concerning Charles's views, Mr Bolland said in a 10-page witness statement that he 'routinely meddled in political issues and wrote sometimes in extreme terms to ministers, MPs and others in positions of political power and influence.' The statement was prepared for court when Charles was attempting to seek summary judgment against the Mail on Sunday for breach of confidence and infringement of copyright after the paper published extracts from a journal he wrote following the British handover of Hong Kong in 1997. Mr Bolland added: 'The prince used all the means of communication at his disposal, including meetings with ministers and others, speeches and correspondence with leaders in all walks of life and politicians. 'He was never party-political, but to argue that he was not political was difficult. These letters were not merely routine and non-controversial...but written at times in extreme terms...containing his views on political matters and individual politicians at home and abroad and on international issues. 'I remember on many occasions seeing in these day files letters which, for example, denounced the elected leaders of other countries in extreme terms, and other such highly politically sensitive correspondence.' Advertisement

'What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself.

'We are seeing those same values under attack today, in Ukraine, in the most unconscionable way.

'In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.'

He added: 'In the aftermath of Sir David's brutal murder, the people of Southend-on-Sea came together in a remarkable and inspiring way to bring good out of evil.

'In doing so, they demonstrated a deep truth: that what matters more than any name, whether of a person or a place, is the spirit.

'Today, Southend becomes a city. As we celebrate and honour that fact, we remember that it is always, and crucially, a community.'

Charles is the first working royal to condemn Putin's actions, which have seen hundreds of civilians killed - and thousands of soldiers slain.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who gave up their royal duties last year, previously said they 'stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law.'

At an awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, Prince Harry added: 'We would like to acknowledge the people of Ukraine, who urgently need our continued support as a global community.'

Charles formally presented the legal document which entitles the change of status, the Letters Patent, to Southend's mayor Margaret Borton at the extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday.

He presented the document on behalf of the Queen with his wife the Duchess of Cornwall by his side.

Sir David, who had served as Conservative MP for Southend West since 1997, was murdered during a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15.

The 69-year-old had campaigned tirelessly to make Southend a city.

Mayor Mrs Borton said Tuesday: 'Formally receiving city status from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will be a special moment for Southend-on-Sea, and we are hugely honoured to receive a royal visit from Their Royal Highnesses on what is sure to be a momentous day for our new city.'

Hundreds of locals gathered behind metal barricades in the wet and windy weather to greet the royals.

They were seen waving Union Jack flags and filming the future king and Queen Consort on their phones as they stopped to shake hands and chat.

Camilla looked chic in a navy pea coat, paired with a black hat, gloves, boots and a dark blue Chanel bag, while Charles donned a navy pinstriped suit paired with a patterned tie and grey shirt.

Lady Julia Amess was given the Freedom of The City honour on behalf of her late husband.

Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, a friend of Sir David's, read a statement on behalf of Lady Julia and her family.

'Despite a traumatic and tragic journey, we have arrived at the city of Southend-on-Sea,' she said.

'How thrilled our husband and father would be to know that Her Majesty the Queen has bestowed such a huge honour to the people of Southend-on-Sea in his name.

'A dream come true, and he would now be wanting to get out there and make the very best of this huge opportunity for the city.

'There would have been talk of nothing else in our home or indeed whenever he spoke in Parliament.

'How we wish that this could be.

'Of course, David was very well aware that city status would not have been possible without the help and hard work of so many people.

'The people of Southend-on-Sea came together and look what they achieved

'We know they will continue to work together in friendship and with pride to promote their city.'

Ms Widdecombe said that, on behalf of Sir David, the family 'wish to say thank you to the amazing people in the community who have achieved so much for Southend'.

The statement concluded: 'We are, of course, filled with sadness that he's no longer with us but his legacy is huge and we are so grateful to have had him in our lives and to know that he will never be forgotten.'

Charles and Camilla also visited the seafront to unveil a new eco-friendly pier train named after Sir David.

The battery-powered trains will be used to take visitors from the shoreline to the end of Southend Pier, which at 1.33 miles (2.14km) is the longest pleasure pier in the world.

The 3.25 million pier train replacement project is seeing the existing diesel trains, which have been in operation on the pier since 1986, replaced with new, eco-friendly trains, designed in heritage green and cream following a public vote.

Green and cream liveried pier trains previously ran on Southend Pier from 1949 to 1978.

The Duchess of Cornwall capped her visit with the Prince of Wales by having a seaside staple - fish and chips.

Camilla's lunch of cod and chips was accompanied with tartar sauce and a wally - the local word for a gherkin - when she stopped for a bite to eat.

Philip Miller, executive chairman of Stockvale, which owns and runs the restaurant and Southend's fun park Adventure Island, said: 'The visit was tremendous for Southend. The turnout was brilliant.

'When she came in we offered her cod and chips and she had them in the boardroom. She thoroughly enjoyed them.'

Before arriving at the restaurant, the couple went on a long walkabout along the seafront and Charles was asked about the health of the Queen by Janice Jacom, 64, an admin worker at a local golf course.

She said: 'I asked the prince about his mother and he said "she's a lot better now - it was very mild".

'It was a bit worrying as the Queen is getting on a bit but I think she's absolutely wonderful.'

Southend was one of several towns competing for city status as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June next year, with Sir David having pushed for the recognition for at least two decades.

Camilla 'thoroughly enjoys' fish and chips - served with a 'wally' - during Southend visit Camilla capped her visit to Southend with the Prince of Wales by tucking into some fish and chips. Camilla's lunch of cod and chips was accompanied with tartar sauce and a wally - the local word for a gherkin - when she stopped for a bite to eat. Philip Miller, executive chairman of Stockvale, which owns and runs the restaurant and Southend's fun park Adventure Island, said: 'The visit was tremendous for Southend. The turnout was brilliant. 'When she came in we offered her cod and chips and she had them in the boardroom. She thoroughly enjoyed them.' Before arriving at the restaurant, the couple went on a long walkabout along the seafront and Charles was asked about the health of the Queen by Janice Jacom, 64, an admin worker at a local golf course. She said: 'I asked the prince about his mother and he said "she's a lot better now - it was very mild". 'It was a bit worrying as the Queen is getting on a bit but I think she's absolutely wonderful.' Advertisement

With a population of around 183,000, Southend is a large coastal town and is home to the longest pleasure pier in the world, Southend Pier, measuring 1.33 miles.

It also has London Southend Airport less than two miles north of the town centre.

Cities historically were settlements with cathedrals, which is why small places such as Ely in Cambridgeshire and Salisbury remain cities.

But having a cathedral is no longer an official requirement for a city-aspiring town.

In recent years, towns have been able to apply to the Government for city status via competitions by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

At the last competition, held to honour the Queen's Diamond Jubilee nine years ago, three towns were granted city status - Perth, Chelmsford and St Asaph.

In 2002, Preston became a city, while Brighton and Wolverhampton were granted the upgrade to mark the turn of the millennium.

In the days after his death, the Prime Minister praised Sir David as a politician who 'simply wanted to serve the people of Essex' as a backbench Conservative.

He vowed that the 'contemptible act of violence' that took his life would not 'detract from his accomplishments as a politician or as a human being'.

Mr Johnson added that Sir David was a 'seasoned campaigner of verve and grit' who 'never once witnessed any achievement by any resident of Southend that could not somehow be cited in his bid to secure city status for that distinguished town'.

'As it is only a short time since Sir David last put that very case to me in this chamber, I am happy to announce that Her Majesty has agreed that Southend will be accorded the city status it so clearly deserves,' the Prime Minister said, to cheers from MPs.

Charles and Camilla are guided through the Civic Centre during their visit to Southend

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, leave the Civic Centre during a visit to Southend-on-Sea

Charles and Camilla visit the Civic Centre during a visit to Southend-on-Sea on Tuesday

Charles appears to point to the camera during a tour of the civic centre in Southend - before he made the town an official city

Charles and Camilla arrive to greet members of the public during their visit to Southend, as hundreds of locals gather to look on

The Prince of Wales greets members of the public outside during his visit to Southend

A nurse records the moment Prince Charles stops to talk to locals during his visit to Southend on Tuesday

A local records the moment he shakes hands with the future King of England during his visit to Southend

Camilla holds a bouquet of flowers she was handed while chatting to members of the public in Southend on Tuesday

Camilla looked chic in a navy pea coat, paired with a black hat, gloves, boots and a dark blue Chanel bag, while Charles donned a navy pinstriped suit paired with a patterned tie and grey shirt.

Security stand outside The Sands fish and chips shop ahead of the arrival of Charles and Camilla to Southend

Union flags are handed out to the public of Southend ahead of the arrival of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Charles and Camilla are welcomed by Southend mayor Margaret Borton during their official visit Tuesday

Charles and Camilla shake the hands of council members and Sir David Amess's family in Southend on Tuesday

Charles and Camilla unveil a new eco-friendly Pier Train, named after murdered MP David Amess, during their visit to the Pier in Southend on Tuesday

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall pose for pictures during a visit to the sea front at Southend-on-Sea, in Essex on Tuesday

Charles and Camilla take a walk along the shores of Southend during their royal visit

Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe (pictured), a friend of Sir David's, read a statement on behalf of Lady Julia and her family.

A new sign pictured Tuesday welcomes people to the City of Southend-on Sea, which is twinned with Sopot in Poland

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the city status for the seaside town was a 'fitting tribute to Sir David's hard work'.

Nadine Dorries paid a touching tribute to Sir David in October when she revealed his last letter to her pleaded for help making Southend a city.

In it he congratulated on her promotion to replace Oliver Dowden in Boris Johnson 's reshuffle, adding: 'Let's now make Southend a city!'

In a tweet, Ms Dorries wrote: 'It's taken me a while to get through the post in my Parliamentary office.

'Just opened this letter from David, in his true style, asking me to make Southend a city.

'It happened David, it happened.'

Workers install a new Welcome to the City of Southend-on-Sea road sign ahead of today's Royal visit

With a population of around 183,000, Southend is a large coastal town and is home to the longest pleasure pier in the world, Southend Pier, measuring 1.33 miles. (Pictured: People enjoying the hot weather on Southend beach in summer of 2020)

A man skates along the promenade in Southend, Essex on October 18, 2021

Southend also has London Southend Airport less than two miles north of the town centre (pictured)

Nadine Dorries paid a touching tribute to Sir David in October when she revealed his last letter to her (pictured) pleaded for help making Southend a city

Sir David was known for using every opportunity he could to lobby for Southend to be upgraded to city status.

In March 2018, Theresa May, then Prime Minister, was being quizzed over Anglo-Russian relations following the recent Salisbury poisonings - but Sir David had other priorities.

During Prime Minister's Questions, he asked Mrs May if she was aware that a charity for learning difficulties in his constituency had just broken the world record for dinging the most triangles - and whether or not she thought, as he did, that this was enough of a reason to make Southend-on-Sea a city.

At the Westminster Dog of Year contest last year, Sir David entered his French bulldog Vivienne.

Asked why she should win, he said: 'Because she is an enthusiastic supporter of Southend becoming a city.'

Prince Charles' speech in which he condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine while granting Southend-on-Sea city status Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, my wife and I are immensely proud to join you (albeit later than originally intended, for which I can only apologise profusely), at this historic moment for Southend-on-Sea. I recall with great fondness an occasion in January 2014, when my wife and I visited the Palace Theatre in Westcliff-on-Sea. We were most impressed as local school children from the area expertly performed scenes from Shakespeare plays to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the playwright's birth. It was a very happy occasion, and we were enormously touched by the warmth of the reception from everyone we met. During that visit we recall our conversation with Sir David Amess. I knew of him, of course, as a renowned and respected Parliamentarian and an effective campaigner on many national and local issues. Among them was his passionate determination to secure city status for Southend-on-Sea. Today, we mark the culmination of that dedicated campaign - and yet, how we all wish we could celebrate the occasion without the shadow of the dreadful event which took the life of such a devoted public servant. Sir David's tragic and senseless murder in October 2021, and the appalling circumstances under which he died, shocked the nation. I am only too aware that today's ceremony cannot possibly replace the agonising loss felt by Sir David's widow, Lady Amess, and their five children, but I do hope it will offer at least some comfort in such unbearable sorrow. I have no doubt that Sir David would have been immensely proud today. However, as was the case throughout his life, it would not have been pride in personal success, but would have stemmed from his deep understanding of duty and his unfailing ambition to serve his constituency and improve the lives of those he represented. We can only hope that those who are, too often, cynically dismissive of those in public life will look at his example of service. No-one could have given more for the values which underpin the society we share  values which appear all the more precious at this present time when we see, more starkly than for many years, the appalling suffering and devastation caused when the path of violence is chosen. What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself. We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression. In the aftermath of Sir David's brutal murder, the people of Southend-on-Sea came together in a remarkable and inspiring way to bring good out of evil. In doing so, they demonstrated a deep truth: that what matters more than any name, whether of a person or a place, is the spirit. Today, Southend becomes a city. As we celebrate and honour that fact, we remember that it is always, and crucially, a community. By that measure, Ladies and Gentleman, Southend-on-Sea is a marvellous example to our nation. It epitomises the heartfelt words offered by Sir David's family following his death about the need, and I quote  'to set aside their differences and show kindness and love to all' There could be no greater legacy. I pray that this new city of Southend-on-Sea will continue from strength to strength, honouring the memory and legacy of Sir David Amess - one of its greatest ambassadors - and inspired always by the example of his dedication to the community he loved.' Advertisement

Zelensky thanks Kate and William for 'standing by Ukraine's brave citizens at this crucial time'... but fails to mention Harry and Meghan despite their own statement on invasion

By Dan Sales for MailOnline

Prince William and Kate were thanked this morning by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife after the royals said they stood with them in their fight.

The supportive message from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was sent on Saturday as Putin's forces bombarded the country.

And this morning Mr Zelensky and his wife Olena said they were 'grateful' for the rare political comment from the Royals.

They added the support was boost as Ukraine continued to fight off Russia's invasion.

President Zelensky said: 'Olena and I are grateful to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge that at this crucial time, when Ukraine is courageously opposing Russia's invasion, they stand by our country and support our brave citizens.

'Good will triumph.'

Harry and Meghan had also sent their own words of support to Ukraine, but was not mentioned by Mr Zelensky. It is not known whether he has privately thanked them.

The Sussexes had posted on their website on February 24 'Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine'.

They restated that support on television as they accepted the President's Award at the NAACP Image Awards.

William and Kate's remarks were posted on Saturday and were a rare foray into politics.

The message of gratitude to William and Kate was posted just after 8am this morning

The Duke and Duchess entertained President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena in the opulent Throne Room

The area today near the regional administration building, which city officials said was hit by a missile attack, in central Kharkiv, Ukraine

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, accept the President's Award at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards Show, where they restated their support for Ukraine

Harry and Meghan also posted a message of support on their Archewell site on February 24

Their February 26 post on Twitter insisted they 'stand' with the people of the war-torn nation, as they 'bravely fight' for their future.

The royal couple also recalled the 'privilege' of meeting President Zelensky and his wife, when they jetted into London in 2020.

In a personal tweet signed by the couple, they wrote: 'In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine's future.

'Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine's people as they bravely fight for that future.'

William and Kate welcomed the Ukrainians to Buckingham Palace in October 2020 - their first audience since the start of the first Covid lockdown.

The Duke and Duchess entertained President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena in the opulent Throne Room.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have said they 'stand' with the people of Ukraine as they 'bravely fight' for their future

William and Kate welcomed the Ukrainians to Buckingham Palace in October 2020 - their first audience since the start of the first Covid lockdown

The Tweet from William and Kate was sent on Saturday and was a rare political message

Ukraine war: The latest Russia promised on Monday that it would hit back against the EU following its support of Ukraine and warned the West against supplying weapons to the country

A second round of talks aimed at ending Russia's attack on Ukraine is set to take place after the first meeting ended without resolution

Ukraine's MoD says Russia has lost 5,300 soldiers, 29 planes, 29 helicopters and 151 tanks

Russia's MoD has for the first time acknowledged suffering losses, but refused to say how many

Ukraine reports 352 civilian deaths since the start of the invasion, including 14 children. The UN puts the civilian toll at 102, including seven children.

Russian economy entered freefall as Western sanctions put in place over the weekend took effect, with ruble sliding to its lowest level ever

Moscow's central bank has more-than doubled the interest rate to 20 per cent

Russia orders people and companies to sell 80 per cent of their revenue in foreign currencies, forcing them to buy the ruble to help prop it up

Moscow stock exchange won't open until at least 3pm in an attempt to head off all-out crash

Zelensky has allowed Ukrainian prisoners to be freed if they join defence forces to 'repay their debt'

Ukraine president also announced creation of 'international brigade' for foreign volunteers wishing to join military, after 'thousands' applied

Spain's foreign minister called Putin's order to put nuclear forces on high alert 'one more sign of [his] absolute irrationality'

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his country should be open to hosting nuclear weapons

Germany announced a $112million fund to rebuild the country's armed forces, more-than double its current self-defence budget

EU announced, for the first time in its history, that it will send funds to Ukraine for weapons - including fighter jets Advertisement

The couples did not wear masks but observed social distancing and appeared in good spirits during the meeting, the first royal event to take place at Buckingham Palace in nearly six months.

William and Kate held the audience on behalf of the Queen, who stayed at Windsor Castle to carry out a limited number of engagements.

Ukraine's president has accused Russia of war crimes after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks in an attempt to turn the tide of a conflict that they have so-far been losing.

In a late night address directed at Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky said there would 'definitely be an international tribunal' for what he said was a 'violation of all conventions' and added that 'no one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.' Prosecutors at The Hague say they intend to open a probe 'as soon as possible.'

Zelensky spoke after what appeared to be a cluster bomb attack on the city of Kharkiv on Monday which killed at least 11 people and wounded scores more, and after Ukraine's ambassador to the US accused Putin's forces of using a banned thermobaric bomb on the capital of Kyiv overnight.

The bombardment of Kharkiv continued Tuesday morning with a rocket landing just in front of the civilian public administration building, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself.

Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around.

It came as Russia's invasion of Ukraine - which met with heavy defeat in its initial plan to seize key targets and infrastructure in precision strikes - entered a new phase, with the aim seemingly to surround and besiege cities such as Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy and Kherson which have so-far put up fierce resistance - and bomb them into submission using indiscriminate weapons in echoes of tactics Russia used against rebel forces in Syria while fighting alongside dictator Basahar al-Assad.

Fears that Kyiv will be hard-hit have been growing and reached new heights on Tuesday as satellite images revealed a column of Russian vehicles heading towards the capital is actually 40 miles long, as opposed to the 4 miles that were reported on Monday.

The most-advanced units in the column are now just 15 miles from the city, having been significantly slowed by Ukrainian resistance but never-the-less inching closer day by day.

The regional administration building, which city officials said was hit by a missile attack, in central Kharkiv, Ukraine

Ukrainian police officer escorts refugees, at the Medyka border crossing in Poland today

Russia's plan appears to be using the heavy armour to encircle and shell the city, before troops move in for street-to-street fighting.

A taste of what was to come struck Kharkiv on Monday when bombs rained down on the most Russia-friendly city in Ukraine  which sits 25 miles from the border and is home to 1.5million people  in a bid to break its will to resist.

The hail of bombs, shells and rockets which began falling at lunchtime left at least 11 dead, including three children, with homes and even a school reduced to rubble.
The man shot dead by police outside a Brisbane McDonald's has been identified, as its revealed he was recently released from prison.

Ben Baker, 33, had only been reunited with his partner for 24 hours before he was hit with a spray of bullets in a car park in Marsden last week.

Confronting footage of the incident shows a shirtless Baker walking towards officers with a knife just seconds before several shots are heard.

Confronting footage of the incident shows a shirtless Baker walking towards officers with a knife just seconds before several shots were heard (pictured)

Police can be heard asking the 33-year-old to drop the knife which he refused to do, instead taking steps towards the armed officers.

Shots were then fired at Baker, who later died from his injuries in hospital.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said police had received several calls about the man with reports he was threatening McDonald's staff, the Courier Mail reports.

'When he came at police, obviously police took action,' Ms Carroll said.

'Knives can be just as dangerous as guns.'

The commissioner said a female employee was being held against her will at knifepoint when police arrived on the scene.

Ben Baker, 33, (pictured) had only been reunited with his partner for 24 hours before he was hit with a spray of bullets in a car park in Marsden last week

Queensland Police released a statement at the time confirming the shooting.

'He was transported to Logan Hospital with serious injuries, in a critical condition,' the statement said.

'There is no ongoing threat to the community and no-one else has been injured.'

Acting Chief Superintendent Mel Adams said police were called to the scene after reports of a man threatening people with a knife at Marsden Park Shopping Centre.

'Police found an armed man at the McDonald's at Marsden on Chambers Flat Rd, ' Acting Chief Superintendent Adams said.

It's understood Baker was recently released from prison, with his bereft partner and a few friends paying tribute to the 33-year-old online (pictured is the scene in Marsden)

'Police attempted to negotiate with that person but that person ran at police.'

She added officers tried to subdue the man by using a taser device before he was shot multiple times.

It's understood Baker was recently released from prison, with his bereft partner and a few friends paying tribute to the 33-year-old on social media.

'I got one night, one day with him after being locked up for two years,' she wrote.

No McDonald's crew or dine-in customers were harmed, the corporation said in a statement, with employees offered support and assisting police.
The International Criminal Court is set to open a probe investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine after invading Russian forces bombed the city of Kharkiv.

'Today I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible,' said ICC prosecutor Karim Khan on Monday.

'I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine' since 2014, he added.

A rocket landed in front of the civilian public administration building in Kharkiv on Tuesday morning, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself.

Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around.

Zelensky said on Monday that Russia had 'violation of all conventions' in its attacks on Ukrainian people, adding there will 'definitely be an international tribunal' to investigate

The ICC's comments follow Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Russia of war crimes after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks on the city of Kharkiv.

Zelensky said on Monday that Russia was in 'violation of all conventions' in its attacks on Ukrainian people.

'Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine,' added Kahn.

The Hague-based court began receiving queries last week 'with respect to the crime of aggression'.

But because Ukraine is not a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, meaning it has no representation within the Hague assembly, it was unable to refer itself.

'I will continue to closely follow developments on the ground in Ukraine, and again call for restraint and strict adherence to the applicable rules of international humanitarian law,' said Khan on Monday.

The ICC had already launched preliminary probes to investigate the violent suppression of pro-European protestors leading up to the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

CCTV footage shown the Russian munition landing outside the civilian public administration building in the city of Kharkiv, with the missile circled in red

The impact tore through nearby cars and infrastructure, with casualties yet to be confirmed

Analysist fear the missile strikes are a hint of evolving Russian tactics, signaling a pivot towards heavily artillery shelling of Ukrainian cities

Russian tactics change

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is being met with heavy resistance that has so far stalled its initial plan to seize key targets and infrastructure in precision strikes.

But the war is entering into a new phase, with the aim seemingly to surround and besiege cities such as Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy and Kherson.

The use of indiscriminate weapons on civilian targets echoes tactics Russia used against rebel forces in Syria while fighting alongside dictator Basahar al-Assad.

Fears that Kyiv will be hard-hit have been growing and reached new heights on Tuesday as

Satellite images revealed a column of Russian vehicles heading towards the capital Kyiv previously thought to be 4 miles long is actually stretches to 40 miles, with most of the units just 15 miles from the city.

Russia's plan appears to be using the heavy armor to encircle and shell the city, before troops move in for street-to-street fighting.

A taste of what was to come struck Kharkiv on Monday when bombs rained down on the most Russia-friendly city in Ukraine  which sits 25 miles from the border and is home to 1.5million people  in a bid to break its will to resist.

The hail of bombs, shells and rockets which began falling at lunchtime left at least 11 dead, including three children, with homes and even a school reduced to rubble.

A military source told MailOnline that videos of the onslaught showed 'cluster' munitions - which are illegal under international law - had been used.

Later on Monday, Ukraine's ambassador to the US claimed that Russia used a devastating vacuum bomb on Ukraine.

The vacuum bombs, which are also known as thermobaric weapons, can vaporize bodies and crush internal organs. They use oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive.

Russia's foreign ministry promised that it would hit back against the EU after the bloc imposed sanctions, ramping up tensions between Putin and the west.

A Russian spokesman also warned that 'EU citizens and structures' involved in sending weapons to Ukraine would be 'responsible for any consequences'.

Amid the ongoing fighting, it was announced that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will on Tuesday fly to Poland to visit British troops manning Nato's eastern border with Russia.

Photos taken after the missile landed in Kharkiv shows wreckage throughout the city square
A British teacher who travelled to Ukraine to save his wife and son from the brutal Russian invasion has made it to his family 'tea in hand'.

Ian Umney arrived in Nikopol, near Dnipro in the south east of the war-torn country, on Tuesday afternoon to be with Nelia and young Jonathan.

The 28-year-old from St Helens, Merseyside, now dressed in combat gear, said his first job was to barricade them in the house amid fears of Vladimir Putin's bombs.

Mr Umney flew from Manchester to Krakow in Poland on Sunday before travelling to Lviv in Ukraine and taking a 12-hour overnight train for 500 miles to Nikopol.

It comes as Russia's war on Ukraine entered its sixth day, with a 40-mile convoy of tanks and armoured vehicles inching closer to the capital Kyiv.

Putin stepped up shelling of Kharkiv, the second-largest city, pounding civilian targets there.

But local fighters are putting up a fierce resistance and Russia has not been able to dominate the skies.

Ian Umney arrived in Nikopol, near Dnipro in the south east of the war-torn country, on Tuesday afternoon to be with Nelia and young Jonathan (pictured together today)

Ian Umney is on a 12-hour train journey from Lviv to Nikopol, near Dnipro, as he desperately tries to reach Nelia and their baby boy

Mr Umney updated his Telegram followers at 2pm Ukraine time - 1pm in Britain - to say: 'I made it to my family... tea in hand.'

He added on TikTok: Guys I made it. It's been a long time but I'm finally here. This place is empty by the way because I have to secure it for us.

'I have to tape the windows and everything. But I will go live very soon and speak to you all.'

Mr Umney has documented his rescue mission over the last few days online, saying he could not just sit in Britain and do nothing.

In an update on Tuesday morning, he shared a video message while on a railway line through western Ukrainian heartlands between Lviv and Nikopol.

He said: 'Turbulent morning with trains being delayed and not being here but now I'm on the train, it's an overnight train so it will take all night.

'I should be in my wife's city in 12 hours so that's the time frame that I've got for myself.

'How long it's going to take to get there on average... 12 hours I should be in the arms of my wife and my son will be in my arms.

'So not long left, just the rest of the evening on this train, then the night time and then tomorrow morning into the afternoon.

'My journey's not over yet. I still have the entire... nearly the entire width of Ukraine to traverse, but it's nearly there. It's nearly time for family time.'

The 28-year-old from St Helens in Merseyside was travelling the 500 miles overnight through the war-torn country as Vladimir Putin's bombs rained down

Mr Umney added a second clip this morning, but it was believed to have delayed uploading from last night due to a lack of signal.

He said: 'So there's not much to give an update on really. I'm on the train. Still. It's a long, long, long, long train journey over the other side of the country.

'I should arrive, I estimate GMT 11am. I should arrive at a station at about 11am. But I am going to update everyone tomorrow morning.

'I should have better signal so I should be able to go live but right here in central Ukraine it's nearly impossible.

'Everyone keeps saying ''update, update, update''... I'm on a train bro, I can't do anymore. But thank you I'll speak to you tomorrow.'

Mr Umney's videos have garnered millions of views across social media, with some calling him a hero.

Asked what he will do when he gets to his family, he said: 'I'm not really sure... I'm leaning towards getting my family out but the journey to do that is a bit dangerous at the moment.'

He continued: 'We're going to have to come to a decision about what's best for us and our family.

'People have commented how I'm being selfless and a hero but I'm not, I'm just a husband and a father.'

The former cybersecurity worker (pictured with his wife) vowed he was 'on the way to reunite with my family by whatever means'

Mr Umney has documented his journey through the Ukraine crisis across social media before he decided to fly out. Pictured: Mrs Umney

Mr Umney met Nelia in 2016, later marrying her, but had to return to the UK for work. He plans to apply for a spouse visa when they decide to return to the UK.

Mr Umney said his wider family were 'completely against' him going to Ukraine and warned him not to.

'My uncle is senior Army... he's quite well clued up on what's happening in Ukraine and he advised me not to go.

'I just told him it is my decision, it's my family - I have to be there.' Despite the warnings, Mr Umney said he 'feels safe' in Ukraine.

He said: 'I don't feel in danger at all, I feel like it's a normal day, if I were living here, it would be a normal trip from one place to another.

'I've not been to the east yet, I don't know if the situation there is going to be a lot more strict.

'But in the gateway to Europe, it's very much calm, collected, quite organised and there is a massive amount of help for people over here.'

Mr Umney's brother, Garry Umney, said he has the 'full support' of his family.

The 30-year-old said: 'He has my respect, he has the full support of his family both home and abroad, and we stand with the Ukrainian people and pray for a peaceful resolution to this conflict.

'Ian is very happy with the positive responses he has had from people all over, including the Ukrainian people he comes into contact with.'

Before flying Mr Umney posted a video of the provisions he was taking in a military rucksack and holdall.

He said in the footage: 'I've got everything packed, not going to get much more in there.'

He continued: 'Decided to take a little holdall because as a Brit going abroad I need the most essential things - PG Tips and a cup.

'And I've got my everyday things in there, chargers, cigs and stuff, but yes, I'm ready to go. I'm leaving to the airport... I'll let you know what happens.'

Mr Umney met Nelia in 2016, later marrying her, but had to return to the UK for work. He plans to apply for a spouse visa when they decide to return to the UK

He said in another post: 'I'm here at Manchester Airport heading to the gate then on to the flight to Krakow.

'The next update I want to do is if I can get into Krakow, get on the WiFi, make sure everyone knows I'm there.'

He added: 'But mainly will be when I'm at the border of Ukraine - so I'll give you an update then.'

The next video he shared was of him walking through the railway station at Krakow Airport.

He said: 'There's the train going to the city centre, next stop will be the border. Stay in touch. Slava Ukraini.'

Mr Umney posted a further clip on Monday morning as he crossed the border into Ukraine on what appeared to be a bus.

He said: 'So I made it successfully into Ukraine last night. And now we're just approaching the outskirts of Lviv.'

The Briton went to school in Western Australia where he played first team rugby before moving to Germany to attend Frankfurt International School.

He went on to study computer engineering at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee in the US.

Mr Umney moved to Ukraine in February 2016 where he worked as a teacher at a school in Dnipro.

But for the past five years he has run his own service, which runs courses for locals looking to speak English.

'I have a strong interest in cyber security and I am currently studying for several CompTIA certifications to pivot into the industry next year.

'My personal ambition is to relocate back to the UK next year, in the new career, and build up experience and skills to progress into digital forensics within 10 years.'



Mr Umney appeared to toy with the idea on social media as the Russian invasion spiralled out of control before declaring he would fly out.

He wrote on Facebook: 'I cannot sit here, while my wife and son are in Ukraine, and watch the freedom and safety of Ukraine be threatened by Putin.

'I took four days of stress, upset, hurt, and anger but now I have packed my bag, planned, written my letters.

'I'm now on the way to reunite with my family by whatever means. Please continue to support Ukraine and those who are in need.

'I will post updates. I love you all. I will be safe. Stand strong, Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine.'

Yesterday Defence Secretary Ben Wallace urged Britons not to travel to Ukraine to join the fighting as he said the 'very dangerous' situation could lead to death.

Volunteers from the Territorial Defense Units gather in an outpost to collect weapons, train and get their assignments in Kyiv

He said he did not 'want to see British people killed any more than I want to see Ukrainians' dying.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a new 'international legion' to defend his country and appealed to foreigners to come forward and bare arms.

Foreign Secretary Ms Truss told the BBC: 'The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.

'Absolutely, if people want to support that struggle I would support them in doing that.'

But Mr Wallace, who served in the Scots Guards, said there were 'better ways' for Britons to help.

He told Sky News Ms Truss was right it was a 'just cause', but added: 'If you're keen to help and you're a United Kingdom citizen, come and join our armed forces.

'Look, there are people who will go... I think what I would say is unless you are properly trained, unless you are a, you know, experienced member of an armed forces, I think there are better ways for you to contribute to the security of Ukraine.'

He said this could be through donating money through the Ukrainian embassy to be spent on weaponry and aid, or to volunteer with organisations helping refugees.

Mr Zelensky's call for an international legion carried echoes of the International Brigades that fought against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba appeared to encourage the comparison, saying just as Hitler had finally been defeated, 'we will defeat Putin, too'.

He tweeted: 'Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries.

'Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too.'
YouTube and Facebook have banned Russian state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik's channels across Europe.

It is the latest in a big-tech clampdown on Moscow's propaganda finally imposed this week following the Russian invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.

The Google-owned video platform said the ban was effective immediately, including in the UK, but said it may take some time for the block to become fully effective.

The technology giant had previously limited the ability for RT and other Russian channels to make money for advertisements that appear on videos but has extended its sanctions to fully blocking such channels.

Facebook parent company Meta announced yesterday that it had blocked both media organisations, which are considered mouthpieces of Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime.

The change means RT and Sputnik's pages are not visible on Youtube, Facebook or Instagram in the EU, but for now, they remain visible in the UK.

It comes a day after an international hacking organisation launched a 'cyberwar' on Putin's media, social media sites and Kremlin-backed broadcaster.

Anonymous targeted Russian state news agencies TASS, Fontanka, and Kommersant, as well as Kremlin-backed channel RT and the Kremlin website, taking the sites down - though they were back online on Tuesday morning.

YouTube and Facebook have banned Russian state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik's channels across Europe (pictured today)

Sputnik's youTube channel (pictured before the ban yesterday) was considered a mouthpiece of Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime

The Google-owned video platform said the ban on Russia Today and Sputnik was effective immediately, including in the UK, but said it may take some time for the block to become fully effective

'Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we're blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately,' a statement from Google Europe said.

'It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.'

Former UK deputy prime minister, Sir Nick Clegg, who is now vice president of global affairs at Facebook's parent company, Meta, said the firm had been asked by governments to take further action against Russian state-backed media.

'We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state-controlled media,' he said on Twitter on Monday night.

'Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.'

He added Meta would continue to work closely with governments on the issue

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday announced they and their subsidiaries would be banned from broadcasting in the bloc for spreading 'lies to justify Putin's war'.

Canadian telecoms operators have also stopped offering the RT channel.

Meanwhile yesterday anonymous hackers attacked several Kremlin-backed media outlets, posting a message on one that urged Russia to 'stop this madness'.

When trying to access TASS, Fontanka, and Kommersant's websites on Monday morning, error messages appeared and the websites were unable to load.

When MailOnline tried to access Fontanka, a news outlet based in St Petersburg, on Monday morning, a message signed by Anonymous urged citizens to 'stop this madness' and said Vladimir Putin has 'put us in danger'.

All the sites appeared to be were back online by early Tuesday. Hackers have declared a 'cyber war' on Putin's government after he mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday.

Moscow has been accused of producing Hollywood-style 'fake news' videos to inflame tensions with Ukraine.

Misinformation about the conflict includes the notion that Ukrainian soldiers are 'radical nationalists' who are defending a genocide against Russians.

When trying to access Fontanka, a message reads: 'Dear citizens. We urge you to stop this madness, do not send your sons and husbands to certain death'

When MailOnline attempted to access Kommersant's website on Monday morning, a message appeared saying 'the site can't be reached'

A similar error message appeared when trying to access TASS's website on Monday morning

Facebook parent company Meta announced yesterday that it had blocked both media organisations, which are considered mouthpieces of Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime

Google had earlier blocked access to the Russian media outlets YouTube channels in Ukraine following a request from Kyiv on Saturday.

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on Twitter he requested the ban 'to help Russians and the world to know the truth.'

He said: 'I've contacted @YouTube to block the propagandist Russian channels  such as Russia 24, TASS, RIA Novosti.

'If they are afraid of speaking the truth, so we should stop this flow of poisonous lies.'

Following another request from the Ukrainian government, Google also removed Russia's state-run television network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, from its Google Play Store in Ukraine.

YouTube has removed hundreds of channels and thousands of videos over the past few days that violated its policies by engaging in 'coordinated deception,' CNN reported.

Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor over the weekend demanded that Google restore access to the channels on YouTube in Ukraine and accused Facebook and other big tech companies of 'censorship' for limiting its programs.

It said on Sunday that it had written a letter to Alphabet Inc., Google and YouTube's parent company, seeking the removal of all restrictions imposed on state media outlets such as RBC, TV Zvezda and Sputnik.

Roskomnadzor has been cracking down on the country's own outlets, ordering media to remove reports describing the Kremlin's attack as an 'assault, invasion or declaration of war', or face being blocked and fined.

Russian forces entered Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv today after failing in their overnight efforts to seize control of the capital city of Kyiv

YouTube also restricted Russia state-run media outlets from monetizing due to sanctions against the country

Some Russian news websites have been criticised for being part of a media offensive from the Kremlin in which Ukraine's fighters are painted as Nazis and Russia is viewed as a liberating force.

Some Russian reporters have also insisted the Russian military is not targeting civilians, despite images of bloodied Ukrainians and bombed-out tower blocks.

Describing Ukrainian fighters as 'Nazis', Russian state TV talk show host Olga Skabeyeva said: 'You know, as they retreat, the Ukrainian Nazis continue to destroy Donbas.

'Today Zhelobok was shelled with Grad multiple rocket launchers. Yesterday the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched Tochka ballistic missiles at an oil facility.'

Criticised stories included TASS headlines, which claimed Russian troops were 'welcomed with flags in Ukraine's Melitopol' and that Ukrainian forces have 'actively resorted to sabotage'.

The propaganda has led many Russians to be convinced that the conflict was provoked by the West.

Amid the misinformation, Anonymous announced on Twitter on Thursday evening that it was declaring a 'cyber war' against Vladimir Putin's government.

They said shortly before 10pm: 'The Anonymous collective is officially in cyber war against the Russian government.'

Around 30 minutes later, they announced that they had taken down the website of the Kremlin-backed TV channel RT, which broadcasts in Britain and has been heavily criticised for its coverage.

Anonymous said in their tweet about RT: 'The #Anonymous collective has taken down the website of the #Russian propaganda station RT News.'

When MailOnline attempted to access the RT site on Friday morning, it was still inaccessible and only displayed an error message that said 'this site can't be reached'.

On Monday, the website appeared to be back up and running.

Anonymous have previously targeted groups including the Ku Klux Klan and Islamic extremists. Members are known as 'Anons' and are distinguished by their Guy Fawkes masks.

On Thursday evening, Anonymous said shortly before 10pm: 'The Anonymous collective is officially in cyber war against the Russian government'

The group also announced that they had taken down the website of the Kremlin-backed TV channel RT, which broadcasts in Britain and has been heavily criticised for its coverage
Searchers have found the body of a man who went missing while on a camping trip with his girlfriend in the South Australian outback.

Dylan Stuart, 29, and and Danika Thomson, 24, were on a trip in north of Roxby Downs when their 4WD became bogged down on Saturday.

Mr Stuart rode off on a motorbike to seek assistance while his girlfriend remained in the car.

Ms Thomson waited several hours for Mr Stuart return before setting off on foot into the surrounding area, which is regarded some of the hottest and driest country in South Australia.

Searchers have found the body of a man who went missing while on a camping trip with his girlfriend in the South Australian outback

Dylan Stuart, 29, and and Danika Thomson, 24, were on a trip in north of Roxby Downs when their 4WD became bogged down on Saturday

Police were alerted when family were unable to contact the pair.

During the search police found a hat, footprints and a motorcycle they believed belonged to Mr Stuart.

His body was eventually found 10km north of where their vehicle broke down.

Ms Thomson was spotted because she had turned her dirty white t-shirt inside out to make it more visible - searchers acknowledged this may have saved her

The body of Dylan Stuart, 29, was found by searchers at 2pm on Tuesday 100km north of Roxby Downs

'After waiting several hours for his return, the woman left the 4WD on foot,' SA Police said.

Ms Thomson was found on Monday afternoon in a creek line about 100km north of Roxby Downs by a search aircraft and taken to hospital where she was treated for dehydration at the local hospital.

Ms Thomson was spotted because she had turned her dirty white t-shirt inside out to make it more visible - searchers acknowledged this may have saved her.

She was also carrying a red bag.

'I spotted a white T-shirt and a red bag,' pilot and Marree publican Phil Van Wegen told the ABC.

'The T-shirt was fairly dirty  she'd been out in the bush for a bit, so she put her shirt on inside out so it was whiter and it stood out a lot better and we were able to spot her, so very lucky.'

Ms Thomson was treated for dehydration after being found. Tragically her partner Dylan Stuart died when he went to get help after their vehicle became bogged

The country around Roxby Downs is regarded some of the hottest and driest in South Australia

An air and ground search was intensified on Monday with local police, PolAir, family members, local station owners and aircraft involved.

'Sadly, the body of the 29-year-old Roxby Downs man was located near Gregory Creek about 100km north of Roxby Downs, just before 2pm,' police said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

There are no suspicious circumstances and police will prepare a report for the coroner.
The Tories are clawing back ground on Labour as Boris Johnson oversees the response to the Ukraine crisis, according to a poll.

Research by Redfield & Wilton Strategies showed Keir Starmer's lead has been trimmed from six points to three over the past week.

Meanwhile, the PM's personal ratings have surged after plummeting amid the Partygate row.

Some 32 per cent said they approved of his performance, up by seven points from a week ago. And the proportion disapproving was down six points at 50 per cent.

The net rating of minus 18 is the best Mr Johnson has recorded since the start of the year.

Research by Redfield & Wilton Strategies showed Keir Starmer's lead has been trimmed from six points to three over the past week

Mr Johnson has been playing a leading role coordinating the international response to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The PM is pictured arriving in Poland today

The premier has been playing a leading role coordinating the international response to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

He is visiting Poland and Ukraine today, and has been speaking almost daily to President Vlodymyr Zelensky.

Tough sanctions have been imposed on Russia, cutting off banks and sending the rouble into freefall.

The poll put Labour on 38 per cent - down one over the past week - while the Tories were up two on 35 per cent.

The gap has not been narrower between the main parties in a Redfield & Wilton poll this year.

It suggests the PM has been benefiting from his handling of the Ukraine crisis.

However, Mr Johnson is still awaiting the results of the police probe into Partygate.

Tories have been threatening to move against the leader if he is fined for attending lockdown-busting gatherings in Downing Street.

But Cabinet ministers have been voicing growing confidence that Mr Johnson can ride out the scandal even if he is punished.
Furious Muslims have voiced their anger after a religious studies secondary school teacher used a picture of Osama Bin Laden to depict the Prophet Muhammad - an act likened to comparing the Pope to Jimmy Savile.

The teacher at the Church of England All Saints Academy in Dunstable, near Luton, has now been suspended after Year 10 pupils were shown the image during a Power Point presentation on Friday.

After the use of the picture was brought to the academy's attention by a concerned pupil in the class, the school apologised and pledged to bring in an 'external person' to carry out an investigation.

But outraged Muslims, many of whom consider any depiction of their prophet to be deeply offensive, are accusing the school of 'Islamophobia' and claiming the incident reveals a 'pure hatred' for their religion.

Akbar Dad Khan, a community leader in nearby Luton who attends the Central Mosque in the town, said putting the name of the Prophet Muhammad alongside a photograph of Osama Bin Laden had been compared with Jimmy Savile's name appearing underneath an image of The Pope.

Mr Khan, who is the Chair of a community group called Building Bridges, said: 'I have had conversations with young people about this and they are very angry. They feel this has been done deliberately to defame Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

'Putting name of the Prophet alongside an international terrorist is very directly connecting Islam with terrorism. It is condemnable and should be condemned.'

All Saints Academy in Dunstable, outside Luton, has apologised for using a picture of Osama bin Laden to depict the Prophet Muhammad

Deputy Editor of Muslim community news site 5 Pillars, Dilly Hussain, wrote to the school: 'Your apology and short-term suspension of the teacher aside, the Muslim community want answers: How did a photo of Osama bin Laden used to depict the name of the Prophet Muhammad?'

He went on: 'It is right for the school to suspend the teacher concerned and carry out a full investigation. It must be impartial. The school has acted promptly and has issued an apology, which is the right thing to do.'

'SIX QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERING' Muslim community news site 5 Pillars is demanding answers to six questions regarding the circumstances of the incident. The six questions they want answering, posted to the 5 Pillars website, are: 'Was this presentation slide from All Saints Academy Dunstable? If yes: 'For how long has this presentation slide been used in R.E. classes? Is it still being used? 'What is the name of the teacher who put this presentation together? We'd like to contact them for comment as well. 'What action have your board of governors and headteacher taken regarding this matter (if any)? 'Does ASA believe this is remotely acceptable? 'Is the teacher in question competent enough to teach religious education?' Advertisement

The school, which teaches around 700 pupils aged 13 to 18-years-old, says it has a Christian ethos and 'very useful' links had now been established with the Muslim community in Luton.

Muslim community news site 5 Pillars, which has more than 400,000 followers, is now demanding answers to six questions regarding the circumstances of the incident.

Deputy Editor Dilly Hussain wrote to the school: 'Your apology and short-term suspension of the teacher aside, the Muslim community want answers: How did a photo of Osama bin Laden used to depict the name of the Prophet Muhammad?

'[We want] chronology and full details, [including] all who knew and involved.'

One social media message directed to the school's Twitter page reads: 'Absolutely despicable. It's hard to see this as anything other than malicious! This needs investigating asap!'

Another said: 'All I see is pure hatred for Islam and all Muslims here. I see no error... If all you did was remove the content, then you don't really see the gravity of this offense. That means your views are not too far off from the offender's.'

A third said: 'Disgusting. You're clearly an Islamophobic, ignorant, pusillanimous school. I hope the world sees how disgusting you are.'

In a statement, the school said it was 'totally inappropriate' to use the picture and that it 'recognises the deep hurt and distress' caused.

They said: 'Not only was it offensive to attempt to portray an image of the prophet Muhammad, but the image that was used was that of Osama bin Laden, a terrorist leader, which added further added to the deep insult.

'The academy reiterates its unreserved and sincere apology for the distress this episode has caused.'

It is not yet clear how the picture of the al-Qaeda leader ended up in the PowerPoint presentation.

Muslims, many of whom consider any depiction of their prophet to be deeply offensive, are accusing the school of 'Islamophobia' and claiming the incident reveals a 'pure hatred' for their religion

In Islam, it is deeply offensive to depict the Prophet Muhammad because it is seen as similar to the forbidden worship of idols.

The use of the image was brought to the Academy's attention by a concerned pupil in the Year 10 class.

After suspending the teacher, who has not been named, the school said it would also undertake a review.

On its latest inspection by OFSTED  the school's regulator  in 2019, it was described as 'requires improvement'.
A notice about branch consolidation is posted in the window of a KB Kookmin Bank branch in Seoul, Jan. 25, 2021. Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung



Korea's major financial holding firms are in a rush to scout senior digital experts possessing decades of field experience at major IT firms.



With digital transformation becoming the new normal in financial circles in the wake of the pandemic, banking groups here are seeking to stay ahead of the toughening digital competition by hiring better digital experts.



KB Financial Group recently recommended Gangneung-Wonju National University professor Choi Jae-hong as its new non-executive director, in recognition of his broad career experience at major IT companies  such as NHN and Kakao.



The nation's largest financial holding firm by market capitalization expects him to give a clearer direction to its ongoing digital transformation. Choi is best known for his advisory role, having worked as a non-executive director at Kakao for six years and helping the company develop into the nation's top mobile platform operator.



Last May, Hana Financial Group also appointed former Delivery Hero executive Kim So-jung as the vice president at Hana Bank's digital experience division. Kim had also been a vice president of eBay Korea before moving to the online food-delivery service operator in 2020.



She has since placed her focus on driving Hana Bank's mobile growth, looking for the lender's next digital innovation initiatives.



Industry officials said the moves will accelerate down the road, but most financial firms still face difficulty expanding their digital experts.



"Even if banks can find such executive-level officials with less difficulty, most banks have a tough time hiring digital experts in working-level positions," a financial industry source said. "This is because demand for officials with IT background keeps surging while supply is still limited. Most IT experts still prefer to work at conventional tech firms in the area of games and IT platforms. Banks are not the priority for most digital experts."



But financial firms have no choice but to invest more in the digital sector at a time when conventional financial services are being replaced by online platforms rapidly.



According to data from the Financial Supervisory Service, the number of sales offices of Korea's top four banks  KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori  came in at 3,203 as of the end of September 2021, a decline of 15 percent from five years earlier.



But the number of subscribers for their mobile banking apps is on the rise each year, even among those in their 60s and older. Data from the nation's five banks showed that the number of mobile banking subscribers in the age group reached 8.57 million at the end of 2021, up 63.1 percent from two years earlier.




He has otherwise been silent about invasion being bravely resisted by Ukrainians

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was urged to publicly denounce the Russian invasion of Ukraine today amid questions over his claims to be involved in brokering a peace deal.

The oligarch, who made his fortune in post-Communist Russia, has been under fire since Vladimir Putin's troops crossed the border and has since suggested he is relinquishing his control of the Champions League winners ahead of possible sanctions.

Last night the Russian-Israeli billionaire was believed to have flown to Belarus ahead of crunch talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials.

His spokesman claimed the mega-rich businessman had become involved after a request from the Jewish community in Kyiv.

But he has otherwise been silent about the deadly invasion, which is being bravely resisted by the Ukrainian people.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab today demanded he denounce Putin, saying: 'I think every right thinking person should denounce what Putin has done.'

The oligarch, who made his fortune in post-Communist Russia, has been under fire since Vladimir Putin's troops crossed the border

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab today demanded he denounce Putin, saying: 'I think every right thinking person should denounce what Putin has done.'

On Saturday, amid the mounting pressure, Mr Abramovich announced plans to hand over the stewardship of his beloved Chelsea to the club's charitable trust.

Asked if the billionaire could be key to negotiations, Mr Raab told LBC radio: 'Who knows? I would say this, first of all, I think the prospect of diplomacy at the moment is slim but we must always make sure that we keep the door to a diplomatic resolution open.

'It's also true to say that the financiers who are close to Putin, the oligarchs and the like, are often one of the most important points of leverage and that's where our sanctions have been directed and targeted.'

Mr Abramovich, 55, who is one of Russia's richest men and is reportedly worth more than 10billion, was last week labelled as an enabler of the Putin regime by British MPs in Parliament, amid calls for powerful oligarch 'with links to the Russian state' to be hit with greater sanctions.

Mr Abramovich vehemently denies he is close to the Kremlin or has done anything that would merit sanctions being imposed against him.

On Saturday, amid the mounting pressure, Mr Abramovich announced plans to hand over the stewardship of his beloved Chelsea to the club's charitable trust.

The club's trustees are yet to accept his proposals, while experts have described the move as a 'PR' stunt with 'no legal significance'.

Last night, in a surprise development, a spokesman for the Premier Club revealed that the businessman has been 'trying to help' in brokering a peace deal between his home country of Russia and Ukraine.

'I can confirm that Roman Abramovich was contacted by the Ukrainian side for support in achieving a peaceful resolution, and that he has been trying to help ever since,' a Chelsea spokesman said.

The spokesman added: 'Considering what is at stake, we would ask for your understanding as to why we have not commented on neither the situation as such nor his involvement.'

Mr Abramovich was in Belarus, according to the Jerusalem Post, though this has not been confirmed. On Sunday one of his private jets was seen flying into the Latvian capital of Riga, while another of his planes was seen travelling to Moscow yesterday. There has been no confirmation that he was on either jet.
Dominic Raab today suffered a skewering over the Government's help for Ukrainian refugees amid mounting calls for ministers to offer more support to people fleeing the Russian invasion.

The Justice Secretary faced a bruising interview on Sky News with presenter Mark Austin who pressed the Cabinet minister on how vulnerable people are supposed to make it out of Ukraine.

Mr Austin, speaking in Kyiv as air raid sirens blasted, presented Mr Raab with a hypothetical example of a 75-year-old woman in the capital who has a son living in London.

He questioned if she would be eligible to come to the UK and how that journey would be facilitated.

But Mr Raab squirmed as he said 'we know that the difficulties on the ground make it practically very challenging' for people to get out of the country.

He also insisted that he 'cant comment on every potential hypothetical case'.

Dominic Raab today suffered a skewering over the Government's help for Ukrainian refugees amid mounting calls for ministers to offer more support to people fleeing the Russian invasion

Priti Patel yesterday ruled out a visa waiver for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict but rules have been eased to make it easier for people with links to the UK to come here

The Home Secretary said that the Government is 'giving British nationals and any person settled in the UK the ability to bring over their immediate Ukrainian family members'

Ministers are under growing pressure to make the UK's help for refugees more generous.

Priti Patel yesterday ruled out a visa waiver for Ukrainians fleeing the conflict but rules have been changed to make it easier for people with links to the UK to come here.

The Home Secretary said the Government is 'giving British nationals and any person settled in the UK the ability to bring over their immediate Ukrainian family members'.

However, Home Office guidance suggests that elderly parents would not qualify under the definition of immediate family.

Mr Austin suggested to Mr Raab that the UK is being a 'bit mean-spirited' on the issue of visas as he asked: 'I wonder, a 75-year-old woman living now in a basement in the capital here who has her son living in London, can she go and join him?

Mr Raab replied: In terms of the question of visas and Ukrainians, the Home Secretary has set out the plans for a bespoke humanitarian scheme for Ukraine, allowing up to 100,000 to come here.

The dependents of British nationals in the UK, the dependents of Ukrainians living in this country and I think that is the right way to approach and it follows the wider action that we have taken.

As air raid sirens began to sound, Mr Austin said: But how does the 75-year-old woman, as the siren is just going off here, living in a basement get to her son who is living in London? Can she do that? Is she able to do that because I cant see how she does. How does she go to Lviv, 11 hours drive away, get a visa, it just doesn't make sense.

I dont see how she can get to her son in London under the current system.

The Deputy Prime Minister replied: Well, this is a consistent feature whenever we have humanitarian asylum schemes set up.

We know that the difficulties on the ground make it practically very challenging. But we also know that many will get out of Ukraine, those that are fleeing through fear, and we need to be ready with our international partners, the Europeans

Mr Austin told the Justice Secretary that the European Union had made a more generous offer to Ukrainian refugees and asked why the UK is not doing more.

Mr Raab said: I cant comment on every potential hypothetical case. What I have just set out is the circumstances and of course we understand the difficulties of the practical situation on the ground.

'That is common to most conflict zones, of course. We recognise that and will work with all of our international partners and the UN to try and resolve that and make sure that we continue this tradition of offering safe haven to those fleeing persecution.

Mr Raab said many Ukrainians who are fleeing the country would want to be as close to their home country as possible in order to be able to come back at some point in the future.

But challenged again on the hypothetical case of the 75-year-old Mr Raab said: Sorry, I dont know the facts of the case but it is clear from what the Home Secretary announced yesterday that we would make that route technically open but of course it is very difficult to know how exactly she would traverse the country at that age.

But that is the offer the Home Secretary has made, actually it addresses the scenario you have described.
Ukrainian forces have inflicted heavy losses on advancing Russian forces as bitter fighting in Ukraine enters its sixth day, according to a spokesperson for the nation's general staff.

Ukraine claimed that Russian forces have lost 5,710 personnel in the fighting thus far, along with 29 aircraft, 198 tanks and 846 armoured vehicles which were either destroyed or significantly damaged - though these figures cannot be verified.

Moscow acknowledged for the first time yesterday that its forces had incurred losses amid the invasion but have refused to give concrete figures, stating only that the numbers are far lower than those given by Ukraine.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian forces had dealt significant damage to Ukrainian defences in kind.

'A total of 311 tanks and other armoured military vehicles, 42 airplanes and helicopters, 51 multiple launch rocket systems, 147 field artillery weapons and mortars, and 263 specialised military vehicles have been destroyed,' he said.

Russia's invasion - which met with heavy defeat in its initial plan to seize key targets and infrastructure in precision strikes - entered a new phase yesterday, with the aim seemingly to surround and bombard cities such as Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol, Sumy and Kherson.

Ukrainian army units and civilian defence forces have put up fierce resistance and have stalled the Russian onslaught on the ground for now, prompting Putin to launch an indiscriminate bombing campaign of Ukraine's two largest cities - Kyiv and Kharkiv.

The civilian death toll has increased significantly in the past two days since Russia began its bombardment, with Ukrainian authorities reporting 352 civilian deaths since the start of the invasion, including 14 children.

Ukrainian forces have inflicted heavy losses on advancing Russian forces as bitter fighting in Ukraine enters its sixth day, according to a spokesperson for the nation's general staff (picture: Russian armoured vehicles stand destroyed or abandoned in the streets of Kharkiv)

Ukraine claimed that Russian forces have lost 5,710 personnel in the fighting thus far, along with 29 aircraft and 198 tanks which were either destroyed or significantly damaged, though these figures cannot be verified (pictured: a Ukrainian territorial defence fighter examines a destroyed Russian armoured vehicle)

A Ukrainian Territorial Defence fighter takes the automatic grenade launcher from a destroyed Russian infantry mobility vehicle GAZ Tigr amid conflict in Kharkiv

Ukrainian army units and civilian defence forces have put up fierce resistance and have stalled the Russian onslaught on the ground for now, prompting Putin to launch an indiscriminate bombing campaign of civilian targets in Ukraine's two largest cities - Kyiv and Kharkiv (pictured: demolished buildings in northeast Kharkiv as a result of Russian shelling)

Russian authorities meanwhile acknowledged for the first time yesterday that their forces had incurred losses amid the invasion, but have refused to give any further details or concrete figures. Ukrainian forces have thus far successfully repelled Russian attacks on the ground (servicemen of Ukrainian Military Forces walk in the small town of Sievierodonetsk, Lugansk)

A comparison of Russian and Ukrainian military might suggests that Russia easily has enough bodies and firepower to succeed in their invasion. But Ukraine has called on all men between 18-60 to remain and fight, while the US and several EU countries have delivered a steady stream of weapons and equipment to its army

This image, posted by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, shows the square outside the administrative building covered in rubble following the rocket attack

The U.N. human rights office has put the civilian death toll in Ukraine at 136, including 13 children, since the start of the invasion, but warned the toll may be far higher.

The Geneva-based office said this morning that it has also recorded 400 civilians injured in the conflict, among them 26 children.

Many of the civilian deaths are thought to have come as a result of Russia's bombardment of residential and administrative targets in Kyiv and Kharkiv in the past 48 hours.

The move has seen Putin accused of war crimes, after multiple reports of the use of cluster bombs on residential high-rises and non-military structures.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan confirmed yesterday that a probe will be launched into Russia's bombing campaign: 'I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible'.

'I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine,' he added.

It came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last night said there would 'definitely be an international tribunal' for what he described as a 'violation of all conventions' and added that 'no one in the world will forgive [Putin] for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.'

The Kremlin meanwhile denied that the Russian military has used cluster munitions in Ukraine and insisted that the Russian forces only have struck military targets.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that 'the Russian troops don't conduct any strikes against civilian infrastructure and residential areas.'

But Peskov's claim contradicts abundant evidence of indiscriminate shelling of homes, schools, and hospitals across Ukraine.

Speaking in a conference call with reporters, he wouldn't respond to questions about whether the Kremlin is happy with the pace of the offensive and wouldn't comment on Russian military casualties.

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov also declared today that Russia 'did not and does not have any land-based, short or medium-range missiles', though he did not explicitly deny the widespread reports of Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The bombing campaign began yesterday morning, with the most intense fire laid down on Kharkiv - Ukraine's second city which is home to 1.5 million people and stands a mere 25 miles from the Russian border.

Bombs, shells and rockets began hailing down on the city from lunchtime, leaving at least 11 dead, including three children, with homes, offices and even a school reduced to rubble.

Harrowing images show the brutality of the Russian attacks in Ukraine. This citizen was caught in a rocket blast in Kharkiv on Monday and lost a leg

Kharkiv was struck by more Russian rockets on Tuesday morning, with one striking outside the civilian public administration building which was heavily damaged in the blast. The rocket can be seen a split second before it slams into the building, triggering a massive blast

The blast blew debris across the square outside the administrative building and demolished several parked cars

Rescue workers and medics are pictured close to the regional administration building in central Kharkiv, picking their way through the debris following the explosion

A military source told MailOnline that videos of the onslaught showed 'cluster' munitions had been used.

'The BM-21 Grad is a multiple launch rocket system used for "area denial", dropping cluster bombs on a concentrated area,' the expert said.

'It's mainly used on enemy troops before an offensive. Used against civilians, it's not only a war crime, but has only one purpose  to spread terror and alarm among the civilian population.'

But despite Russia's ruthless bombing campaign and sustained ground assault, the Ukrainian army and its territorial defence forces have remained resolute.

Dozens of images and videos published on Monday showed Ukrainian forces parading defeated Russian soldiers who were captured as the remainder of their units retreated or were killed.

Ukraine has paraded captured Russian soldiers in dozens of online videos. Footage appeared on Facebook that showed a captured Russian soldier saying he did not come to the country 'wanting to kill'

The body of a Russian serviceman is coated in snow next to a destroyed Russian military vehicle on the outskirts of Kharkiv

Servicemen from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic were captured by the Ukrainian military on Thursday, hours after Russia launched an invasion of the country

Footage posted online show tied up 'demoralised and exhausted' prisoners of war captured after they failed to break through defences in Kyiv and Kharkiv over the weekend.

Several of the videos were posted on a Telegram channel set up on Saturday by Ukraine's Interior Ministry called 'Find Your Own'.

Many Russian troops claimed that they believed they were conducting training exercises in the border regions and did not know they were being sent to invade Ukraine.

The Russian onslaught seems to have been slowed considerably, but there are fears that this lack of success on the ground will give rise to a prolonged bombing campaign designed to inflict maximum damage and beat Ukraine's cities into submission.
Finland will today debate joining NATO after a petition calling for a referendum reached 50,000 signatories in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The move to debate Finland's NATO membership comes despite neighbouring Russia threatening the country with 'military and political consequences' if they join the military alliance.

Finnish MPs will discuss the possibility of their country joining NATO on Tuesday after an opinion poll showed a historic change in attitude in the traditionally non-aligned country after Putin waged war on Ukraine.

'I fully understand that the view of many Finns on the issue of NATO membership has changed or is changing as Russia has started military action against Ukraine. This is understandable,' Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin said.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Monday evening that a planned debate in parliament the following day would cover the situation in Ukraine and was not intended as a 'wider conversation on Finland's policy regarding military alignment or non-alignment'

Finland will today debate joining NATO after a petition calling for a referendum reached 50,000 signatories in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has threatened both Sweden and Finland - Moscow's Arctic neighbours - with 'military consequences' if they join NATO. Both countries have rejected any Russian interference in their foreign security policy

She said on Monday evening that a planned debate in parliament the following day would cover the situation in Ukraine and was not intended as a 'wider conversation on Finland's policy regarding military alignment or non-alignment'.

But she added that since a citizen's petition requesting a parliament debate on a referendum had reached the necessary 50,000 signatories to trigger a debate in parliament, it 'makes sense to hear the parties' views on handling the issue.'

'From this perspective, the issue will also figure in tomorrow's parliamentary debate,' Marin said.

The petition, which is calling for a referendum on membership, was launched last Monday and reached the targeted 50,000 by the end of the week.

Marin said that the shift in Finnish opinion on joining NATO has been influenced by Russia's movements in Ukraine.

She told Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat: 'The question is if Russia crosses a border, are we alone or with others.'

Finland shares a lengthy land border with Russia, and the two countries fought a short but bloody war over it between 1939 to 1940 which saw Finland inflict heavy losses on Soviet forces.

Russia has threatened both Sweden and Finland - Moscow's Arctic neighbours - with 'military consequences' if they join NATO. Both countries have rejected any Russian interference in their foreign security policy.

People walk by a damaged vehicle and an armored car at a checkpoint in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday

A destroyed Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle is seen next to a spent missile casing in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, which came under attack from 'cluster' munitions on Monday

The debate also comes on the heels of a poll released Monday by public broadcaster Yle, showing that most Finnish people now favour joining NATO, according to a poll released Monday, a historic change in attitude and a major shift compared to even just a few months ago.

According to the survey, commissioned by public broadcaster Yle, 53 percent of Finns backed their country joining the military alliance, 28 percent opposed it, and 19 percent were unsure.

'A completely historic and exceptional result,' Charly Salonius-Pasternak, senior research fellow at Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said. 'The change is dramatic.'

The poll surveyed 1,382 respondents between the ages of 18 and 80 between February 23 and 25, said Yle.

In contrast, a January poll published by the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper had only 28 percent in favour and 42 percent against NATO membership.

'The only significant thing that has changed is that Russia has attacked a neighbouring country that is not a member of NATO,' Salonius-Pasternak said.

Although the results of the latest poll could be an effect of the initial shock at the Russian invasion, the researcher said he believed support would likely remain at a higher level.

When Yle last commissioned a similar poll in 2017, support for NATO membership was at 34 percent.

A man is visibly upset as he sits inside a vehicle damaged by shelling, in Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday

Finland shares a 830-mile-long border with Russia. While neither it nor neighbouring Sweden are NATO members, both countries are partners of the Western military alliance.

Faced with Moscow's demands that NATO not expand eastwards, Helsinki and Stockholm have rejected any Russian interference in their security policy.

Both countries have received assurances from NATO that the door remains open to them, though the Social Democrats in power in both countries have no plans to join.

In another response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Alko, Finland's state-run alcohol distributor, took vodka and other Russian products off the shelves Monday.

'The situation in Ukraine is shocking and we have taken it seriously,' said spokesman Anu Koskinen, announcing the suspension of both in-store and online sales.

Members of an Ukrainian civil defense unit pass new assault rifles to the opposite side of a blown up bridge on Kyivs northern front on Tuesday

The measure will affect around 30 Russian products - most of them vodka - from its total stock of 11,000 items.

In neighbouring Sweden, the state-run alcohol monopoly Systembolaget also announced it would stop the sale of Russian products.

Last week, Russia threatened its close Arctic neighbours Sweden and Finland with 'military consequences' if they join NATO.

Sweden and Finland are the two closest countries to Russia in the Arctic Circle.

'Finland and Sweden should not base their security on damaging the security of other countries and their accession to NATO can have detrimental consequences and face some military and political consequences,' Russian foreign affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a news briefing.

The foreign ministry later reiterated the threat on Twitter.

'We regard the Finnish government's commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe,' the department wrote. 'Finland's accession to NATO would have serious military and political repercussions.'

Vladimir Putin is widely believed to have attacked Ukraine after western nations mooted the idea of the country joining NATO, over fears it could end up with a US military presence on its doorstep.

A similar move by Sweden or Finland could potentially provoke similar ire.

Ukrainian leaders want to join NATO but Russia has been strongly opposed to the move.

Western nations have increased weapons shipments to Ukraine to help its forces defend themselves - but have so far ruled out sending in troops.

Still, the embattled country moved to solidify its ties to the West by applying to join the European Union - a largely symbolic move for now, but one that won't sit well with Putin, who was already infuriated by Ukraine's desire to join the NATO alliance.

Messages aimed at the advancing Russian soldiers popped up on billboards, bus stops and electronic traffic signs across the capital. Some used profanity to encourage Russians to leave. Others appealed to their humanity.
Steven Seagal has sparked fury after claiming both sides of the Ukraine war are 'one family' and blaming an 'outside entity' for spreading propaganda against the Russian invasion.

The actor, 69, who is a friend of Vladimir Putin and was granted Russian citizenship in 2016, said he is hoping for a 'peaceful resolution' after forces invaded Ukraine last week.

The Kremlin apologist, who was appointed as a special envoy for humanitarian ties with the US in 2018, previously supported Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and praised Putin as 'one of the great living world leaders'.

Putin apologist Steven Seagal has sparked fury after claiming both sides of the Ukraine war are 'one family'

The actor, 69, who is a friend of Vladimir Putin and was granted Russian citizenship in 2016, said he is hoping for a 'peaceful resolution'

The Under Siege star told Fox News: 'Most of us have friends and family in Russia and Ukraine.

'I look at both as one family and really believe it is an outside entity spending huge sums of money on propaganda to provoke the two countries to be at odds with each other.

'My prayers are that both countries will come to a positive, peaceful resolution where we can live & thrive together in peace.'

The comments sparked fury online, with many slamming the actor for parroting the Kremlin's lines and failing to condemn the Russian invasion.

The comments sparked fury online, with many slamming the actor for parroting the Kremlin's lines and failing to condemn the Russian invasion

Last year, the Hollywood star joined a pro-Kremlin party.

Seagal received a party membership card of an alliance named Just Russia - Patriots - For Truth, a video released by the party showed.

It was formed earlier last year, when three leftist parties, all of which support Putin, merged into one.

Seagal proposed a crackdown on businesses which damage the environment.

'Without being able to arrest people, when we just fine them, they are probably making more money of the production of the things that are defiling the environment,' said in his welcome speech at a party event.

Hollywood star Steven Seagal received a party membership card of an alliance named Just Russia - Patriots - For Truth on Saturday, a video released by the party showed

The party controls a faction in the lower house of the Russian parliament and plans to take part in a parliamentary election in September.

Seagal, a US-born martial artist, is best known for producing and starring in action movies, while Putin, who granted him the citizenship, is a fan of martial arts.

In 2018, Russia tasked Seagal with improving humanitarian ties with the United States at a time when relations between the two countries have deteriorated to their worst level since the Cold War.

As a Russian representative, Seagal visited Venezuela earlier last year and presented a samurai sword to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
This is the moment Britain's most wanted woman was arrested by Spanish police following nearly a decade on the run.

Privately-educated university graduate Sarah Panitzke, 47, was held on Sunday by officers from an elite Madrid-based police unit as she walked her dog near her home in Santa Barbara village, between Barcelona and Valencia.

The property developer's daughter has been wanted since 2013 over a massive mobile phone VAT fraud in which she played a key role by laundering up to 1billion.

She was part of 16-strong criminal gang that bought mobile phones abroad without VAT then resold them in the UK. Panitzke was said to have travelled to places like Dubai, Spain and Andorra to 'clean' the money the gang had stolen.

Originally from Fulford, near York, Panitzke disappeared in May 2013 before being convicted and sentenced in absentia to eight years behind bars. She was the last of the gang to be caught, with other members collectively sentenced to 135 years in jail, Britain's National Crime Agency said.

Sarah Panitzke, 47, from Fulford has been on the run for nearly nine years

She was sentenced in her absence to eight years in jail in August 2013 after absconding during her trial at Kingston Crown Court and has been on the run ever since.

A court found she laundered 1 billion as part of a VAT fraud has been arrested while walking her dogs in Spain

Panitzke had been recruited into notorious tax criminal Geoffrey Johnson's web of 18 fraudsters located throughout the UK after meeting an acquaintance.

She was part of a group of companies that bought cheap mobile phones in overseas countries without VAT, then sold them in the UK for a big profit.

UK holidaymakers were asked to help catch the convicted fraudster from Fulford near York in a recent appeal for information.

She was said to have 'disappeared into thin air' after becoming the only woman on the National Crime Agency's Most Wanted List.

Police said in an appeal in August 2019 she was responsible for laundering approximately one billion pounds.

Privately-educated university graduate Sarah Panitzke (pictured) was held on Sunday by officers from an elite-Madrid based police unit as she walked her dog near her home

For a long period she was the only woman on the National Crime Agency's Most Wanted List, with her face described in one recent newspaper article as an 'anomaly' alongside those of a fugitive who stabbed and paralyzed his victim with a machete and another who raped a seven year-old girl.

The arrest occurred around 9am on Sunday, well-placed sources said.

Initial reports said the 5ft 7in blonde had been held in the town of Vilanova i la Geltru a 45-minute drive south of Barcelona and close to the famous resort of Sitges, although police are expected to confirm later that she was arrested in a village in the Catalan province of Tarragona.

Respected Spanish news website El Confidencial, which broke news of Sunday's arrest on Monday, said she was fighting her forced return to the UK.

Last night she was said to be in a prison near Madrid ahead of her expected extradition.

Well-placed sources confirmed she had been held on Sunday. The arrest was carried out by the Civil Guard Central Operative Unit's Fugitive Task Force.

The specialist Madrid-based unit was the same one that arrested Irish fugitive gang boss Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch last August near his hideaway in the Costa del Sol resort of Fuengirola.

Panitzke, who went to York College for Girls before moving on to fee-paying St Peter's School, which is the third oldest in the world, came from a wealthy family.

Her father Leo was a residential property developer and insurance broker but was arrested when she was 19 for buying council houses and selling them on early for a large profit and was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison.

She is said to have studied ten GCSEs and three A-levels. She studied Spanish at Manchester Metropolitan University before doing a master's degree in Barcelona in Business Management.

Sarah Panitzke was held in Catalonia on Sunday and is claimed by Spanish authorities to be the only member of a crime gang that remained free, with 16 people already jailed

She was arrested by Spanish Civil guard police officers whilst she was walking her dog near her hideout in Spain

Operation Vaulter, the codename given to HMRC's investigation into the fraud gang, led to a trial at Kingston Crown Court.

Her links to Spain were well-known and she is believed to have been allowed to travel to and from her then-home on a gated residential estate in Vilanova i la Geltru where she had been based during her trial.

At the time she was said to have been living in the coastal town with two dogs and a long-term partner and doing 'front jobs' as a hotel worker and property investor.

Recent reports said she would face 17 years' incarceration if caught because her non-payment of a 2.4 million confiscation order meant further time had been added to her prison sentence.

She remained the only member of the 18-strong gang on the run because ringleader Geoffrey Johnson was arrested in Dubai in 2017 and subsequently sentenced to 24 years in prison.

In 2016 when she first became Britain's 'Most Wanted Woman' her father, who died in April 2020, told the Daily Mail it was a 'shock'.

Her brother Leon told Vice magazine last year 'the whole saga had been incredibly difficult for everyone involved.'

At the time he was described as the director of a communications agency. The Costa del Sol was flagged up as a possible hideaway for Sarah after she went on the run.

Police described her in their Wanted Appeal as '170cm tall, slim build with mousey straight hair, blue eyes and a Yorkshire accent.'

She was the only woman on the National Crime Agency most-wanted list - and had been for most of the eight years she was on the run.

The NCA had said in an earlier appeal: 'She controlled the company accounts of many companies remotely via different IP addresses.'

She is said to be languishing in a prison near Madrid ahead of her expected extradition

The arrest was carried out by the Civil Guard Central Operative Unit's Fugitive Task Force.

A spokesman for the force, which released pictures and footage of Panitzke's arrest, said: 'The Civil Guard has arrested a British national aged 47 with the initials S.P. in the municipality of Santa Barbara in the province of Tarragona.'

It added, detailing the long operation to catch her after she absconded during her Kingston Crown Court trial:

'The evidence pointed to the fact she could be in hiding in Spain because of her family and academic links that she had maintained with Spain since her adolescence.

'For that reason HMRC in the UK contacted the Civil Guard to help them track her down.

'In 2015 we were able to establish that S.P. was hiding out in Olivella near Barcelona where she was visited by her husband at weekends amid tight security.

'Those visits were designed to provide the woman who has now been arrested with her basic necessities, as she hardly left her hideout so as not to raise suspicion.'

But during the operation to arrest her, Panitzke managed to detect the police presence, completely change her appearance and escape.

'From that moment she became a prime objective for investigators, who managed to accumulate a large amount of information about her and put her close circle under constant watch,' said the Civil Guard

'Despite that investigators concluded she had broken off all physical ties with her family in Spain to avoid detection.'

In a statement on the arrest, the Civil Guard added: 'In February officers received information about her possible presence in Santa Barbara in Tarragona, a small village with around 4,000 inhabitants.

'A round-the-clock watch was established in the area that lasted several weeks.

'At the beginning of last week investigators managed to detect a woman whose appearance matched that of the detainee and then established that she lived in a block of apartments on the outskirts of the locality.

'Given what had happened in 2015, a large-scale operation with undercover officers was put in place and on Sunday morning she was arrested when she left her home to walk her dogs.'

The Madrid-based judge who ordered her remand in prison while she fights her forced return to the UK, has been named as Joaquin Gadea.

No-one could be reached late on Monday night at the Audiencia Nacional, the court which deals with extradition issues.
A hospital has been forced to evacuate all staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters continue to devastate parts of northern New South Wales.

Fifty-five patients at the Ballina Hospital will be moved to the Xavier Catholic College where a makeshift emergency department is being set up for any others needing urgent care.

All patients have been transported with the help of NSW Ambulance and SES crews.

A hospital has been forced to evacuate all staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters continue to devastate parts of northern New South Wales

Fifty-five patients at the Ballina Hospital will be moved to the Xavier Catholic College where a makeshift emergency department is being set up for any others needing urgent care

All patients have been transported with the help of NSW Ambulance and SES crews

'The evacuation is taking place on the advice of the local Police Commander and out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of patients and staff,' Northern NSW Local Health District said.

'Extra NNSWLHD staff have been called in and are working alongside NSW Police, NSW Ambulance and the SES to ensure the safe transfer of all patients, whose families have been notified.

'A makeshift emergency department is being set up at Xavier Catholic College for anyone in the community in need of emergency care while the hospital is temporarily closed.'

Those living in the area will be notified through a text message that the hospital is temporarily closed.

Earlier on Tuesday evening an evacuation order was issued for Ballina's CBD as flooding ravages northern parts of NSW.

The Ballina Hospital was evacuated on Tuesday evening as flood waters rise in northern NSW
A Scottish nationalist politician has been forced to make a grovelling apology after using the Russian invasion of Ukraine to justify her party's drive for Scottish independence.

The SNP's Michelle Thomson drew a link between Kyiv's emergency attempt to join the European Union and her party's hopes of rejoining the bloc if they break up the UK.

The SNP wants a new independence referendum in Scotland, having failed to win one in 2014.

President Zelensky last night signed a request for Ukraine to join the EU 'immediately' as troops resisted a fierce onslaught.

As desperate Ukrainian leaders used all levers at their disposal with Russian troops over-running their country, she tweeted: Delighted for Ukraine. It just goes to show what political will can achieve. Remember this Scotland!'

Her remarks were immediately condemned by the SNP's political opponents, with Tory MSP Annie Wells saying it was 'utterly tone deaf' and colleague Stephen Kerr adding: 'This is not normal behaviour for a political party.'

Later, Ms Thomson deleted her tweet and write: 'I noted and then tweeted something earlier that was insensitive regarding Ukraine. Like everyone, my first thoughts are sympathy for the people there. Apologies if I offended anyone.'

The SNP's Michelle Thomson drew a link between Kyiv's emergency attempt to join the European Union and her party's hopes of rejoining the bloc if they break up the UK.

President Zolensky last night signed a request for Ukraine to join the EU 'immediately' as troops resisted a fierce onslaught.

Later, Ms Thomson deleted her tweet and write: 'I noted and then tweeted something earlier that was insensitive regarding Ukraine. Like everyone, my first thoughts are sympathy for the people there. Apologies if I offended anyone.'

It came as Belarusian troops joined in the invasion of Ukraine. Kyiv said a 40-mile Russian convoy was baring down on the capital amid warnings that Putin will now use 'medieval tactics' to try and force a bloody victory after being handed a series of embarrassing defeats in the opening days of the war.

Vitaliy Kyrylov, a spokesman for Ukraine's North Territorial Defense Forces, said that Minsk's men had entered the city of Chernihiv, north-east Ukraine, on Tuesday morning. Dictator Alexander Lukashenko acknowledged sending 'rapid deployment groups' to the border 'to stop any military action against Belarus', without acknowledging that his men had joined the attack.

It came as a convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks, artillery pieces and trucks was pictured snaking its way towards Kyiv, leading to fears that its mission will be to surround the city, besiege it, and bomb it into submission as Russian forces did in Syria while fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, said Russian forces may also try to spark a food crisis by cutting off supplies to major cities as pictures showed some store shelves already running empty in the capital. He said the military may have to step in to ensure everyone has access to food.
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This is the astonishing moment dozens of diplomats from around the world today walked out during a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a Geneva disarmament conference in protest against Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Diplomats from countries including Britain, United States and France stood up and filed out of the room when Lavrov's pre-recorded video message to the U.N. Human Rights Council began to play.

During his speech, the foreign minister blamed Ukraine for the war and claimed Kyiv has been seeking to acquire nuclear weapons - a 'real danger' that required a Russian response.

But Lavrov delivered his speech to a thin crowd after dozens of diplomats staged a walk-out to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine as they did at a parallel U.N. meeting in Geneva on Tuesday.

They stood in a circle outside the meeting for the duration of Lavrov's speech, holding a Ukrainian flag. Lavrov was supposed to attend the session in person but the visit was cancelled at the last minute, with Moscow blaming 'anti-Russian sanctions' imposed by EU countries.

Diplomats from countries including Britain, United States and France stood up and filed out of the room when Lavrov's pre-recorded video message to the U.N. Human Rights Council began to play

Lavrov delivered his speech to a thin crowd after dozens of diplomats staged a walk-out to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine as they did at a parallel U.N. meeting in Geneva on Tuesday

The diplomats stood in a circle outside the meeting for the duration of Lavrov's speech, holding a Ukrainian flag, on Tuesday

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addresses the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council through a pre-recorded video message - but he delivered the speech to a sparse crowd after the walkout

'Today the dangers that (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy's regime pose for neighbouring countries and international security in general have increased substantially after the authorities set up in Kyiv have embarked upon dangerous games related to plans to acquire their own nuclear weapons,' Lavrov told the Conference on Disarmament in a video address.

'Ukraine still has Soviet nuclear technologies and the means of delivery of such weapons. We cannot fail to respond to this real danger,' he said, also calling for Washington to rebase its nuclear weapons from Europe.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday in what it called a special operation to demilitarise and 'denazify' the country - a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as propaganda.

Before diplomats walked out on Lavrov's pre-recorded video message, a minute of silence was held for the victims of fighting in Ukraine.

The walkout was led by Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko, who told the crowd gathered around the large Ukrainian flag outside the chamber: 'Thank you very much for this wonderful show of support to Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence.'

'Any invasion constitutes a violation of human rights... massive violations and civilian losses,' French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said. 'It is important that the Human Rights Council shows with this walkout that it is united with Ukraine and with the people of Ukraine.'

The fresh walkout came less than an hour after diplomats all but emptied a nearby room at the UN's European headquarters in Geneva when Lavrov's video speech aired to the Conference on Disarmament, a body created in 1979 to try to stem the Cold War arms race.

Outside that chamber, diplomats also gathered in front of a Ukrainian flag and applauded loudly.

The applause could be heard in the chamber where Lavrov's speech continued, with only a handful of ambassadors from countries including Yemen, Syria, Venezuela and Tunisia there to hear it.

Before diplomats walked out on Lavrov's pre-recorded video message, a minute of silence was held for the victims of fighting in Ukraine

Ambassadors and diplomats walk out while Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (on screen) addresses the Geneva conference

Ambassadors and diplomats walk out while Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (on screen) addresses with a pre-recorded video message the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday

Delegates and ministers walk out of the Human Rights Council meeting during the video speech by Lavrov

Ambassadors and diplomats gather next to Ukraine's ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko (centre) as she holds a Ukrainian flag after they walked out of the convention

The walkout was led by Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko, who told the crowd gathered around the large Ukrainian flag outside the chamber: 'Thank you very much for this wonderful show of support to Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence'

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov addresses a largely empty room at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Tuesday

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has enlivened the deadlocked arms negotiating forum that has failed to reach a deal in decades despite holding over 1,600 plenary meetings.

At the same meeting on Tuesday, Ukraine's foreign minister accused Russia of war crimes through its shelling of his country and the ambassador called for a special meeting to address Russian aggression and weapons of mass destruction.

A copy of the request seen by Reuters said the meeting would address the 'the use of conventional weapons against the civilian population as well as nuclear and other WMD threats' and called for concrete and specific actions.

It said the request was supported by 'numerous other' members of the 65-member body, without naming them. Russia's delegate objected to the meeting.

Russia has become an international pariah since it launched a full-scale invasion six days ago, with its forces killing dozens on the streets of Ukraine's cities and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee.

The morning meeting of the disarmament conference kicked off with a minute of silence for the victims in Ukraine.

'Russian indiscriminate attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure are war crimes and violations of the Rome Statute,' Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told the meeting.

The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court.

'Russian aggression is a global threat,' Kuleba warned. 'The response too must be global.'

He said Ukraine had called for a special plenary meeting on the crisis at the Conference for Disarmament but it remained unclear whether this would go ahead.

Kyiv meanwhile succeeded on Monday to secure support for an urgent debate at the UN human rights council later this week. It will seek the creation of a high-level investigation into violations committed in the conflict, dating back to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

In his speech at the Conference on Disarmament, Lavrov meanwhile blamed Kyiv for the crisis and said Ukraine was trying to assemble nuclear weapons.

'I can assure you, Russia as a responsible member of the international community... is taking all necessary measures to prevent the emergence of nuclear weapons and related technologies in Ukraine,' he said.

It comes as Kyiv claimed today that Belarusian troops have joined in the invasion of Ukraine, as a 40-mile Russian convoy bared down on the capital amid warnings that Putin will now use 'medieval tactics' to try and force a bloody victory after being handed a series of embarrassing defeats in the opening days of the war.

Vitaliy Kyrylov, a spokesman for Ukraine's North Territorial Defense Forces, said that Minsk's men had entered the city of Chernihiv, north-east Ukraine, on Tuesday morning. Dictator Alexander Lukashenko acknowledged sending 'rapid deployment groups' to the border 'to stop any military action against Belarus', without acknowledging that his men had joined the attack.

It came as a convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks, artillery pieces and trucks was pictured snaking its way towards Kyiv, leading to fears that its mission will be to surround the city, besiege it, and bomb it into submission as Russian forces did in Syria while fighting alongside Bashar al-Assad's forces.

A convoy of Russian tanks, artillery pieces, fighting vehicles and support trucks now stretches all the way from Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv, to the village of Prybirs'k some 40 miles away (part of the convoy is seen, right)

There are fears the purpose of the convoy (pictured) is to surround Kyiv, besiege it and bomb it into submission - mirroring tactics Russia used in Syria while fighting alongside the forces of Basahar al-Assad

A volunteer of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces walks by a damaged armored vehicle at a checkpoint in Brovary, Kyiv

Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, said Russian forces may also try to spark a food crisis by cutting off supplies to major cities as pictures showed some store shelves already running empty in the capital. He said the military may have to step in to ensure everyone has access to food.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg today said Putin had 'shattered peace in Europe' with an invasion 'enabled by Belarus' while vowing to support Kyiv and defend 'every inch' of allied territory should the Russian strongman's sights wander outside Ukraine's borders.

But, speaking during a visit to the Lask airbase in NATO member Poland, Mr Stoltenberg repeated that the alliance is 'defensive' and that no troops will be sent to assist Ukraine. 'NATO is not going to be part of the conflict,' he said.

Russia already appeared to be employing siege tactics elsewhere in Ukraine today as the city of Mariupol, in the south, came under 'constant shelling' by Russian forces using artillery, Grad rockets, and fighter jets targeting civilians areas such as schools and homes which had left many dead, including women and children.

Power to the city, which is in danger of being surrounded by Russian forces, has been cut - region head Pavlo Kyrylenko said Tuesday - but it remains under Ukrainian control.

Kherson, another key city located in southern Ukraine with a bridge over the Dnieper River, also came under bombardment by Russian forces today as missiles landed near civilian buildings on the outskirts and troops were pictured moving through the streets.

Kharkiv, in the east, continued to be bombed today with a large rocket landing in front of the civilian public administration building, leaving the interior heavily damaged. It came just a day after the city was hit by cluster bombs that landed near a shopping centre, killing at least 11 people and leaving dozens more wounded.

Ukraine's ambassador to the UN later said that a thermobaric 'vacuum bomb' was also used on the country, though did not saying exactly when or where.

President Volodymyr Zelensky this morning branded the Kharkiv bombing a 'terrorist' attack and branded Russia a 'terrorist state' while repeating calls for a war crimes investigation. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at The Hauge has said that a probe will be established 'as soon as possible'.

Sergey Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, said Tuesday morning that the invasion will continue until 'objectives are met' - which he said was to prevent Russia being threatened by the West.

Kyiv endured another night of bombing on Monday before satellite images revealed the huge column of tanks headed for the city, with Putin's men trying to cut off the capital and bomb it into submission

As Kyiv prepares for a dramatic escalation in bloodshed, Kherson, Kharkiv and Mariupol all came under shelling attack by Russian forces as Putin looks to achieve victory by brute forces after more-sophisticated tactics failed

People walk by a damaged vehicle and an armored car at a checkpoint in Brovary, outside Kyiv

A man reacts inside a vehicle damaged by shelling, in Brovary, outside Kyiv

Members of an Ukrainian civil defense unit pass new assault rifles to the opposite side of a blown up bridge on Kyiv's northern outskirts, where fighting with Russian forces has been taking place

In a grim sign of the carnage to come, he also warned that Ukraine's army is using civilians as human shields in what looks to be an attempt to justify the deaths of innocents as they ramp up over the coming days.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both said that Russian forces appeared to have used widely banned cluster munitions, with Amnesty accusing them of attacking a preschool in northeastern Ukraine while civilians took shelter inside.

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, told reporters after meeting with members of the U.S. Congress that Russia had used a thermobaric weapon, known as a vacuum bomb, in its invasion of her country.

'They used the vacuum bomb today,' Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers. '...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.'

A vacuum bomb, or thermobaric weapon, sucks in oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive and is capable of vaporizing human bodies.

There has been no official confirmation that thermobaric weapons have been used in the conflict in Ukraine. CNN reported that one of its teams had spotted a Russian thermobaric multiple rocket launcher near the Ukrainian border early on Saturday afternoon.
The NSW Department of Education has issued an apology after blaming a principal for saying 'better breeding' is required in order to improve students' grades.

Department officials claimed earlier this week an acting principal at Lithgow High School had been in a meeting with the director of educational leadership in September 2020 when they made the accusation.

They were asked by the director: 'What will it take to move students from Band 4 to Band 5 in each HSC course?' to which they replied 'better breeding'.

The remark, which was recorded in the minutes of the meeting, has been unearthed by One Nation MP Mark Latham, the Daily Telegraph reports.

However, on Tuesday the department backtracked.

It was forced to apologise to the unnamed ex-principal, explaining that meeting minutes from different schools had somehow been muddled up.

The former relief principal who was blamed for saying Lithgow High School's grades could lift with 'better breeding' has been given a public apology - but the identity of the principal who did say it remains a mystery

Lithgow High School (pictured) was exonerated by the education department's apology which said the school's former relief principal was not responsible for the 'better breeding' remark

'The Department has apologised to the former relieving principal for the inference that they were in any way involved in the matter,' the department told the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday.

It admitted that the minutes containing the offending comment did not even relate to Lithgow High School.

Notes from a meeting with another school were 'inadvertently included' with files given to parliament.

One Nation MP Mark Latham, who uncovered the remark, now claims the high school principal who did make the remark remains in their job and has faced no consequences over the 'slur'.

He also sledged the department as 'incompetent' over the messy episode.

The identity of the official who made the remark remains a mystery.

'How incompetent is NSW Education Department?' Latham tweeted on Tuesday evening.

'Now [they are] saying they put the wrong document in the upper house Call For Papers. The better breeding slur is from a high school principal near Lithgow who, seemingly has stayed in her job untouched since the slur was made 18 months ago.'

One Nation MP Mark Latham (pictured) condemned the 'slur' as 'nasty, elitist and condescending' and doubled down on his criticism, calling the education department incompetent

In its apology issued on Tuesday, the department did not say which school the 'better breeding' suggestion related to or who said it.

The context for the initial outrage was that whoever made the comment was asked by another senior education official: 'What will it take to move students from Band 4 to Band 5 in each HSC course?'

They replied 'better breeding' - and it was recorded in meeting minutes.

NSW One Nation Leader Mark Latham stumbled upon the comment when reviewing documents about a School Excellence Policy, following a parliamentary call for papers.

He condemned the 'slur' as 'nasty, elitist and condescending' to the people of Lithgow as well as the students enrolled at the school.

Mr Latham said the 'nasty' slur was the last thing the Lithgow community needed as it entered an economic transition following a loss of jobs in the mining sector.

'Is this really how schools in Lithgow are being run? With elitist, condescending, nasty reflections on the breeding of this working class community? he said.

'These are leaders who are supposed to have effective ways of improving school results  yet instead they are sneering at the school community by saying there's something wrong with their breeding.'

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell (pictured) said she was 'shocked' that such a statement had come from a staff member

The Department of Education responded to concerns by launching a formal investigation into the comments.

Underneath the initial response of 'better breeding' the relieving principal goes on to suggest grades could be improved by choosing the correct maths course.

'We have the small numbers to allow students to push themselves to achieve mathematically in a higher course,' they wrote.

'This means we achieve bands 3 and 4 in Advanced courses rather than bands 5 in the Standard course. This gives our students more scope to access university courses.'

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said she was 'shocked' that such a statement had come from a staff member.

Initially the department of education said the comment came from a former relieving principal at Lithgow High.

'The Department unreservedly apologises for the comment, which was inappropriate and doesn't reflect the standards we expect of our principals,' a spokesperson said.

'The comment was made by the then relieving principal, who is no longer in the role or teaching at any school.

'The matter was immediately addressed by the local director. It has been referred to the department's Professional and Ethical Standards Unit.'

Lithgow High School is also exonerated by the department's apology.


Calls grow to disband Financial Services Commission for better supervisory independence, consumer protection



By Anna J. Park



A long-running debate on how to restructure Korea's financial supervision system has reemerged ahead of the March 9 presidential election. Lawmakers from both the ruling and main opposition parties as well as financial experts from the private sector have been calling for an overhaul of the current financial regulatory system by the next administration, to ensure better supervisory independence and consumer protection.



Currently, the country's financial policymaking and supervision are handled by two institutions: the Financial Services Commission (FSC) which assumes the roles of both directing financial industry policies and supervision, and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) which is focused on carrying out the supervision of private financial companies. The FSS is under the authority of the FSC. The current system was established at the onset of the Lee Myung-bak administration in 2008.



Experts have long been critical of the current system as it does not guarantee the independence of the financial supervisory system. The core problem is that the FSC, the policy provider of the finance industry, also holds authority over supervisory functions in the financial sector, thereby impairing the objectivity of supervision. Due to conflicts between the two roles, the country's financial supervision could not earn a satisfactory level of independence to raise its proper voice of impartial criticism to limit any possible problematic financial practices or policies driven by the FSC.



That's why four lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties each submitted their own bills to the National Assembly on restructuring the nation's financial supervision system. Despite slight differences in details, three of the four bills have a common element of dismantling the FSC. The submitted bills share a common awareness that the FSC's dual role in both policy and supervision has impaired supervisory functions, resulting in a series of financial fund fiascos, such as those associated with Lime and Optimus, which are two private equity funds that incurred huge losses on thousands of private investors. As a result, the bills aim to separate the policy and supervisory roles of financial watchdog agencies.



Granting independence to FSS



Financial experts in the private sector agree that it is necessary to separate the two functions to improve the country's financial market system.



In early February, 312 experts comprised of financial professors and industry professionals released a joint statement calling for the financial supervisory function to be separated from the financial policy institution. The association of experts called for granting the financial supervisory institution complete independence from the government.



"The restructuring of the financial supervisory organization is the utmost task that cannot be delayed further for the sake of financial development and consumer protection," Kim Dae-sik, a professor at Hanyang University, said during a press conference held in mid-February, representing the group's view that financial policy should be transferred to the government's Ministry of Economy and Finance, while financial supervisory functions should be implemented by an independent institution.



"A raft of financial fiascos, ranging from savings bank scandals from the past to recent mis-selling of problematic funds, originated from the financial policy institution's control over the supervisory roles. Unless we rectify the structural problem that the supervisory function is swayed by government policy, it's hard to prevent such financial accidents," the association's statement read.



Jun Sung-in, a professor at Hongik University's School of Economics who contributed to the joint statement, told The Korea Times that the country's current FSC-FSS system is fairly different from other advanced markets like the U.S., where the supervisory function is clearly separated from the government that devises industry policies.



"Financial supervision should be taken up by an independent entity. Supervisory function is to serve the role of regulation and it should not be subject to a country's policy direction," Jun stressed.



The professor explained that while Korea's monetary policies under the authority of the Bank of Korea were once controlled by economic ministers during the 1960s, this underdeveloped system was revamped to grant deserved independence to the central bank. He continued that the financial supervisory role should be given similar independence to the central bank's, utterly separated from the current problematic organizational structure where the government exerts control over supervision.



"The current supervisory system under the purview of the FSC is not desirable in the sense of the development of the financial market nor in consumer protection. Such a system is rarely seen in advanced market countries," Jun reiterated.



Guaranteeing checks and balances



Regarding such arguments in favor of dismantling the FSC, financial industry watchers have come up with less drastic measures. They point out that the structure and the number of employees at the FSC have been increasing over the years. As a result, making structural changes to the FSC and FSS system would be a more realistic approach to improve the situation, according to experts.



"I think the status of the FSS governor in the governing body of the FSC should be strengthened in order for the supervisory agency to better carry out its supposed role of checks and balances against the FSC. In addition, the FSC's secretariat has been controlling the budget and personnel matters of the FSS. I think it needs to be changed; the FSS should have its decision-making rights in matters of budget and personnel to secure the supervisory institution's independence," stressed Lee Sung-bok, research fellow at the Korea Capital Market Institute.



Meanwhile, the financial authority has been showing a low-key approach regarding such matters. FSC Chairman Koh Seung-beom said it is now more important to focus on solving imminent problems, such as the deepening financial imbalance in the COVID-19 situation.



"I think it's more important to create a system where financial authorities could organically cooperate in a concerted effort, rather than changing the system itself," Koh said during a National Assembly audit last October.




Russian politicians who voted to recognise the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk are now saying they regret their decision and have condemned Vladimir Putin's invasion.

Dissent to the war is growing not only on the streets in Russia, with thousands arrested during protests, but also in parliament where dissent against the leader is rare.

Three members of the Communist Party, which typically remains loyal to Putin on key issues, have spoken out against the military action, saying they did not realise what they were voting for.

Vyacheslav Markhaev, a senator from Siberia, wrote on Facebook that Putin 'hid plans to unleash a full-scale war with our closest neighbour'.

His remarks follow two of his party colleagues who have denounced the invasion.

Vyacheslav Markhaev, a senator from Siberia, said he did not realise Vladimir Putin would launch an invasion

Oleg Smolen said he was 'shocked' by the invasion, saying military force should only be used as a last resort

Mikhail Matveyev from Samara also called for the war to be stopped, saying he 'voted for peace, not for war'

Markhaev said members of Russia's Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, did not know the vote would lead to a full-scale invasion

Ukraine war: The latest Russia promised on Monday that it would hit back against the EU following its support of Ukraine and warned the West against supplying weapons to the country

A second round of talks aimed at ending Russia's attack on Ukraine is set to take place after the first meeting ended without resolution

Ukraine's MoD says Russia has lost 5,300 soldiers, 29 planes, 29 helicopters and 151 tanks

Russia's MoD has for the first time acknowledged suffering losses, but refused to say how many

Ukraine reports 352 civilian deaths since the start of the invasion, including 14 children. The UN puts the civilian toll at 102, including seven children.

Russian economy entered freefall as Western sanctions put in place over the weekend took effect, with ruble sliding to its lowest level ever

Moscow's central bank has more-than doubled the interest rate to 20 per cent

Russia orders people and companies to sell 80 per cent of their revenue in foreign currencies, forcing them to buy the ruble to help prop it up

Moscow stock exchange won't open until at least 3pm in an attempt to head off all-out crash

Zelensky has allowed Ukrainian prisoners to be freed if they join defence forces to 'repay their debt'

Ukraine president also announced creation of 'international brigade' for foreign volunteers wishing to join military, after 'thousands' applied

Spain's foreign minister called Putin's order to put nuclear forces on high alert 'one more sign of [his] absolute irrationality'

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his country should be open to hosting nuclear weapons

Germany announced a $112million fund to rebuild the country's armed forces, more-than double its current self-defence budget

EU announced, for the first time in its history, that it will send funds to Ukraine for weapons - including fighter jets Advertisement

Oleg Smolen said he was 'shocked' by the invasion, saying: 'As a Russian intellectual, I am convinced that military force should be used in politics only as a last resort.

'I could not vote for the recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics without betraying myself.'

Mikhail Matveyev from Samara also called for the war to be stopped, saying in a now-deleted tweet: 'I voted for peace, not for war. For Russia to become a shield, so that Donbas is not bombed, and not for Kyiv to be bombed.'

Markhaev said members of Russia's Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, did not know the vote would lead to a full-scale invasion.

He wrote: 'It is sad to watch what is happening around Ukraine, and it hurts the soul, imagining where our world and the whole world's contribution can go.

'We needed the recognition of the independence of the Republic of DPR and LPR to protect them from complete extinction. It was thought that this could be developed the possibility of continuing negotiations and finding new compromises to settle all sharp corners.

'To my great regret, the whole Campaign in recognition of the DPR and the LPR had a completely different idea and plan, which was initially hidden, and as a result, we were in a state of full-scale confrontation and war between the two states.

'It is very painful to lose colleagues, colleagues, co-workers, ordinary young and promising guys. It is very painful to look in the eyes of their parents, children and loved ones.'

He continued: 'I condemn the West's unjustified strategy, their double standards policies, promoting their own interests through a change of lawful power in countries they don't suit, seize new territories under false slogans of protecting democracy.

'I also condemn the leadership of Russia, which began to use the same methods of double standards. Under the aegis of recognition of the DPR and LPR, we have hidden plans to launch a full-scale war with our closest neighbor.'

An online petition to stop the war which was launched shortly after the invasion was announced on Thursday has garnered over 1 million signatures, which made it the most widely-supported online petition in Russia in recent years.

Since the first day of the attack on Thursday, Russians in Moscow, St. Petersburg and dozens of other cities have been taking to the street to protest it - only to be swiftly, and often brutally, detained by police.

On Monday, the OVD-Info rights group that tracks political arrests counted at least 350 detentions of protesters in 13 Russian cities.

Over the past five days of protests, more than 6,000 people been detained, according to OVD-Info.

Many were detained, according to local media, and one woman lost consciousness while being arrested, Novaya Gazeta reports

The OVD-Info rights group that tracks political arrests now counts 6440 detentions in anti-war demonstrations in the country since February 24

Videos on Telegram show protesters sitting on the floor, clapping, and chanting 'no to war' as others showed police taking protesters away

Kyiv endured another night of bombing on Monday before satellite images revealed the huge column of tanks headed for the city, with Putin's men trying to cut off the capital and bomb it into submission

As Kyiv prepares for a dramatic escalation in bloodshed, Kherson, Kharkiv and Mariupol all came under shelling attack by Russian forces as Putin looks to achieve victory by brute forces after more-sophisticated tactics failed

In an effort to stifle critical voices, Russian authorities have restricted access to Facebook, which has played an important role in amplifying dissent. Internet users also reported problems with accessing Twitter.

Russian officials have also pressured the media to cover the invasion in strict accordance with the official line and have bemoaned the reports that described Russia's attack on Ukraine as an 'invasion' or 'a war' as untrue.

The website of the Current Time, a Russian TV channel launched by the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that has been critical of the Kremlin, became unavailable Sunday after the channel reported receiving a notification from the authorities.

'I have two sons and I don't want to give them to that bloody monster,' Dmitry Maltsev, 48, who joined the rally in St. Petersburg, told The Associated Press. 'War is a tragedy for all of us.'

Protests also took place in Belarus, where more than 500 people were detained on Sunday, according to the country's most prominent human rights group.

The Viasna human rights center said demonstrations were held in at least 12 cities, including Minsk, the capital. Demonstrators placed flowers on a growing pile outside the Ukrainian Embassy.

It comes as Russia's ministry of defence said today it was going to strike sites it said belong to Ukraine's security forces and special operations units in Kyiv, warning civilians who live near the buildings to evacuate.

There are fears that Russia is about to massively step up its assault on Ukraine including on its major cities using heavy and indiscriminate bombardments, after attempts at using more-sophisticated tactics yielded a series of embarrassing setbacks for Putin's forces in the opening days of the conflict.

Kharkiv was struck by more Russian rockets on Tuesday morning, with one striking outside the civilian public administration building which was heavily damaged in the blast. The rocket can be seen a split second before it slams into the building, triggering a massive blast

The rocket caused huge damage to the building and threw up a huge plume of smoke in the aftermath of the explosion

This image, posted by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, shows the square outside the administrative building covered in rubble following the rocket attack

Russia already appeared to be employing siege tactics elsewhere in Ukraine today as the city of Mariupol, in the south, came under 'constant shelling' by Russian forces using artillery, Grad rockets, and fighter jets targeting civilians areas such as schools and homes which had left many dead, including women and children.

Power to the city, which is in danger of being surrounded by Russian forces, has been cut - region head Pavlo Kyrylenko said Tuesday - but it remains under Ukrainian control.

Kherson, another key city located in southern Ukraine with a bridge over the Dnieper River, also came under bombardment by Russian forces today as missiles landed near civilian buildings on the outskirts and troops were pictured moving through the streets.

Kharkiv, in the east, continued to be bombed today with a large rocket landing in front of the civilian public administration building, leaving the interior heavily damaged. At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 were injured in the attack, which came just a day after the city was hit by cluster bombs that killed at least 11 people and left dozens more wounded.

Ukraine's ambassador to the UN later said that a thermobaric 'vacuum bomb' was also used on the country, though did not saying exactly when or where.

President Volodymyr Zelensky this morning branded the Kharkiv bombing a 'terrorist' attack and branded Russia a 'terrorist state' while repeating calls for a war crimes investigation. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at The Hauge has said that a probe will be established 'as soon as possible'.

The civilian death toll has increased significantly in the past two days since Russia began its bombardment, with Ukrainian authorities reporting 352 civilian deaths since the start of the invasion, including 14 children.
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Prince Charles said today that his mother the Queen is 'a lot better now' after she held two virtual audiences at Windsor Castle following her Covid diagnosis.

Nine days after she caught the virus, the 95-year-old head of state felt well enough to speak to the diplomats who were at Buckingham Palace today after postponing similar virtual engagements on two days of last week following her positive test on February 20.

Buckingham Palace said at the time of her positive test that she was experiencing 'mild cold like symptoms', but she was able to continue with 'light duties' throughout the period while she was unwell.

The heir to the throne reassured well-wishers during a visit to Essex to formally present Southend with the Letters Patent granting it city status following the death of MP Sir David Amess.

The prince and his wife Camilla went on a long walkabout on the seafront and Janice Jacom, 64, an admin worker from a local golf course, asked about the Queen's health.

She said: 'I asked the prince about his mother and he said "she's a lot better now - it was very mild". It was a bit worrying as the Queen is getting on a bit, but I think she's absolutely wonderful.'

Today, the Queen received His Excellency Mr Carles Jordana Madero, who presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own Letters of Credence as Principality of Andorra ambassador to the Court of St James's.

The monarch also received His Excellency Mr Kedella Younous Hamidi, who presented his Letters of Credence as ambassador from the Republic of Chad to the Court of St James's this morning.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said it was 'splendid news that indicates she has recovered from Covid'. Another royal expert, Phil Dampier, tweeted that the Queen was 'seemingly a lot better', adding: 'What a woman.'

During the two audiences the Queen wore a green dress with a large brooch and her trademark pearls. It comes after a diplomatic reception the monarch was due to host at Windsor Castle tomorrow was also postponed.

The Queen was due to meet hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps but Buckingham Palace said on Saturday she had accepted the Foreign Secretary's advice to delay the event. It is understood the decision was made because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Queen Elizabeth II appears on a screen via videolink from Windsor Castle today during a virtual audience with an ambassador

Queen Elizabeth II appears on a screen via videolink from Windsor Castle for a virtual audience to receive the Ambassador of Andorra, Carles Jordana Madero (centre), and Soraia Maria Valls Pinilla (left), at Buckingham Palace in London today

The Prince of Wales has revealed that the Queen is 'a lot better now', as he met well-wishers in Southend-on-Sea today

It comes after the Daily Mail revealed today that the Queen had enjoyed an afternoon with some of her nearest and dearest over the weekend as she continued her remarkable recovery from Covid.

The 95-year-old monarch went to Frogmore on her Windsor Estate on Sunday, where younger members of her family had gathered to meet her for the first time since her diagnosis.

They included Princess Beatrice, her baby daughter Sienna and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children, who were all making the most of the unseasonably glorious sunshine.

When in better health, the Queen often drives to Frogmore, which is about a mile from Windsor Castle, to walk her dogs.

Today, the Queen received His Excellency Mr Carles Jordana Madero, who presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own Letters of Credence as Principality of Andorra ambassador to the Court of St James's

The Queen also received His Excellency Mr Kedella Younous Hamidi, who presented his Letters of Credence as ambassador from the Republic of Chad to the Court of St James's this morning at Buckingham Palace

But following a spate of issues and her recent diagnosis with Covid-19, she has not been such a frequent visitor of late.

It is believed that Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their year-old son August, who live at Frogmore Cottage, were not at home on Sunday.

The Queen is said to be making a 'good recovery' from her bout of coronavirus following an outbreak of cases at Windsor.

Last week she was forced to cancel a number of online engagements while in isolation.

But sources said there was no cause for alarm, explaining her reluctance to appear on camera was due to sounding rather hoarse as a result of the virus.

The Queen is pictured in the back of a Range Rover leaving Windsor Castle today after suffering from coronavirus

The Queen is driven in a Range Rover today as she leaves her residence of Windsor Castle in Berkshire

William and Kate's presence was intriguing  coming the day after the Mail revealed that their plans for a new family life in the Home Counties were moving forwards swiftly.

The couple are advanced in their decision for a new Berkshire prep school for their eldest son Prince George, eight.

And they have been looking at new family homes on the Windsor Estate, although well-placed sources have said that the castle itself has been earmarked for the couple one day.

The Queen has a string of high-profile events coming up that she is due to attend, including the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14, and then the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial service, also at the Abbey, on March 29.

The nation's longest reigning monarch, who is believed to have been triple vaccinated, recently spent more than three months resting, on doctors' orders.

In the autumn she pulled out of attending the Cop26 climate change summit, the Festival of Remembrance and then the Remembrance Sunday Cenotaph service due to a sprained back. She also missed the Church of England's General Synod.

The Queen now regularly uses a walking stick and has been pictured looking frailer recently. She remarked during a Windsor Castle audience last month: 'Well, as you can see, I can't move.'

Her lights duties as head of state include working from her red boxes, sent to her every day and containing policy papers, Foreign Office telegrams, letters and other State papers which have to be read and, where necessary, approved and signed.
A senior Tory MP today warned Russia could try to disguise agents as Ukrainian refugees to enter the UK and carry out a repeat of the Salisbury spy attack.

Mark Harper, the former chief whip, said the Russian regime 'will not hesitate to send agents here to kill British citizens' as he urged the Government to maintain strict checks on the people coming to the UK.

Mr Harper said it is 'really important that we continue to keep the biometric checks in place' because he can 'still remember what happened in Salisbury' in 2018 when a Novichok nerve agent was used on the streets of the Wiltshire city.

Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted the checks will be kept in place amid calls from some MPs to cut 'red tape' to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to come to Britain.

Ms Patel told the House of Commons that Russian troops are 'seeking to infiltrate and merge with Ukrainian forces' and 'extremists are on the ground in the region too'.

She said that because of this, combined with 'Putin's willingness to do violence on British soil', the Government 'cannot suspend any security or biometric checks on people we welcome to our country'.

It came as Boris Johnson today predicted more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees could come to the UK after ministers offered more help to people fleeing the Russian invasion.

The Prime Minister said Vladimir Putin's attack had 'already forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes and we must prepare for an even larger outflow' as the conflict worsens.

Mr Johnson said 'many people in Britain will of course want to help Ukrainian refugees', with ministers now allowing Ukrainians living in the UK to bring their relatives here.

The premier said the numbers are 'hard to calculate' but it could be in excess of 200,000 - double an initial Government estimate of 100,000 - after ministers today decided to extend the refugee scheme.

The original scheme allowed people to be reunited with their 'immediate family' but Downing Street said it will now be widened to also cover parents, grandparents and children over 18.

Meanwhile, the Government is also creating a 'humanitarian sponsorship pathway' which will allow individuals, charities and business groups to offer to sponsor Ukrainian citizens with no family ties to the UK so they can come to Britain.

Mark Harper, the former chief whip, said the Russian regime 'will not hesitate to send agents here to kill British citizens' as he urged the Government to maintain strict checks on the people coming to the UK

Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted the checks will be kept in place amid calls from some MPs to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to come to Britain

Boris Johnson today predicted more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees could come to the UK after ministers offered more help to people fleeing the Russian invasion

Some MPs have urged the Government to waive visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens coming to the UK.

Ms Patel told the Commons this afternoon: 'I have heard some members calling for visa waivers. Russian troops are seeking to infiltrate and merge with Ukrainian forces, extremists are on the ground in the region too.'

The Home Secretary was heckled by some SNP MPs but continued: 'I will continue and perhaps the opposite party members, I will take their questions later on, but I actually do want to emphasise the seriousness of the security situation on the ground and that is not something that can be discounted lightly at all.'

She added: 'Given this and also with Putin's willingness to do violence on British soil and in keeping with our approach which we have retained consistently throughout all emergency evacuations, including that in Afghanistan, we cannot suspend any security or biometric checks on people we welcome to our country.

'We have a collective duty to keep the British people safe and this approach is based on the strongest security advice.'

The SNP's Stuart C. McDonald later told Ms Patel: 'The simple and just response is to waive visa requirements for Ukrainians and offer comprehensive protection, that is the only way to stop splitting up families and the only way to help Ukrainians as a whole, avoiding the red tape that we have already heard about today.'

But Mr Harper hit back and said: 'Could I just gently say to SNP members it is really important that we continue to keep the biometric checks in place.

'I can still remember what happened in Salisbury. The Putin regime is a regime that will not hesitate to send agents here to kill British citizens and it is the Home Secretary's job to make sure we keep people safe.'

Ms Patel yesterday announced the Government was 'giving British nationals and any person settled in the UK the ability to bring over their immediate Ukrainian family members'.

However, that only covered spouses, unmarried partners in relationships of at least two years, parents of children under the age of 18 and children under the age of 18.

Number 10 confirmed at lunchtime that the scheme will be extended to cover more groups.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman told reporters: 'The Home Secretary set out the first phase yesterday. But you can be any nationality. It is not about being a UK citizen, you just need to be settled in the UK.

'The extension will cover adult parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings in addition to the immediate family members.'

Ms Patel confirmed the extension in the Commons as she said: 'Those joining family in the UK will be granted leave for an initial period of 12 months. They will be able to work and access public funds.'

The Home Secretary also said the Government will set up a 'humanitarian sponsorship pathway' which will 'open up a route to the UK for Ukrainians who may not have family ties with the UK'.

The scheme will allow individuals, charities, businesses and community groups to offer to sponsor Ukrainian citizens so they can come to Britain.

They will initially have leave to remain for 12 months and will be able to work and access public services.

Ms Patel said: 'The Home Office will work closely with all our international partners on the ground to ensure that displaced Ukrainians that are in need of a home are supported.

'My colleague, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up (Michael Gove), will work with the devolved administrations to ensure that those who want to sponsor an individual or a family can volunteer and be matched quickly with Ukrainians in need.

'There will be no numerical limit on this scheme and we will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and have matched sponsors.

'Making a success of the new humanitarian sponsorship pathway will require a national effort from the entire country and our country will rise to that challenge.'

The Government has stressed it is helping the nations surrounding Ukraine to offer support to refugees.

Mr Johnson said 'many people in Britain will of course want to help Ukrainian refugees', with ministers now making it easier for Ukrainians living in the UK to bring their relatives here. A refugee is pictured today at a border checkpoint in Medyka, Poland

Speaking today during a visit to Warsaw in Poland, Mr Johnson said: 'When I spoke to President Biden and fellow leaders last night, we focused on the humanitarian emergency that is now beginning.

'Putin's invasion has already forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes and we must prepare for an even larger outflow, perhaps numbered in the millions.

'Poland has already welcomed many thousands of refugees with compassion and practical help, and the UK will provide up to 220million of emergency and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and I have placed 1,000 troops on stand-by to help the humanitarian response in neighbouring countries, including in Poland.

'Many people in Britain will of course want to help Ukrainian refugees. So, we will make it easier for Ukrainians already living in the UK to bring their relatives to our country, and though the numbers are hard to calculate they could be more than 200,000.

'And if the worst happens, and President Zelensky's government is no longer able to function in Kyiv, we must prepare to support them whatever happens in the weeks ahead.'
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The fencing around the U.S. Capitol is back up, police are stationed at major intersections and highways in Washington D.C. and the National Guard on standby ahead of President Joe Biden's Tuesday evening State of the Union address - but, undeterred, the People's Convoy is still rallying through the midwest on its way to the capital.

Federal authorities beefed up security in the area after dozens of trucker convoys announced plans to gather in the capital city and protest coronavirus restrictions, including one group that threatened to shut down a major interstate.

However, after at least two of the announced trucker convoys fizzled due to to a lack of participation, it is unclear if any of the anti-vaccine protesters will arrive in time for the president's annual address to Congress.

The largest truck caravan, the eight-mile long, 100-vehicle People's Convoy, rallied in Missouri overnight and continued its trek through Illinois on Tuesday, despite a harsh warning from state police discouraging protesters and threatening legal action for traffic disruptions.

Modeled after recent trucker protests in Canada that shut down border crossings to the U.S., the People's Convoy has called on Biden to end the national emergency originally declared at the start of the pandemic, as well as any remaining coronavirus mandates. The truckers allege the government has infringed upon their constitutional rights with the mandates.

'This is not a left issue. This not a right issue. This is an American issue,' trucker and Peoples' Convoy co-organizer Brain Brase, 37, of Ohio, told a crowd of supporters in Missouri Monday night. 'Not only have we seen multiple violations of our constitutional rights, but on a global scale we have seen violations of our God-given rights. Governments around the world are violating your human rights.'

The People's Convoy - which has raised more than $1.5million in donations made through its own website - has sworn not to disrupt roads or bridges and organizers have promised a '100% safe, lawful and peaceful journey' that will 'terminate in the vicinity of the D.C. area, but will NOT be going into D.C. proper.' The trucker caravan intends to reach the greater D.C. area on Saturday, March 5.

A freedom convoy rally was held in D.C. on Tuesday afternoon, however barely a half-a-dozen people turned up.

EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: The People's Convoy is making its way across the United States towards Washington, D.C. Protesters departed Cuba, Missouri on Tuesday morning and are heading to Monrovia, Indiana. The convoy will travel through Illinois, along the Dan Ryan Expressway, despite a harsh warning from state police discouraging protesters and threatening legal action for traffic disruptions

EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: A crowd of People's Convoy supporters are pictured on an overpass along Highway 70 waving American flags, as well as Trump and Let's Go Brandon flags

EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: Truckers are pictured driving along Highway 70 in Effingham, Illinois which is home to America's 2nd largest cross

WASHINGTON D.C. - MARCH 1: Federal authorities had prepared for trucker protests ahead of President Joe Biden's Tuesday night State of the Union Address. The fencing around the U.S. Capitol was back up, police were stationed at major intersections and highways in the area and the National Guard was placed on standby. However, the rally that did occur on the National Mall near the Washington Monument was poorly attended

The largest group of protesters - The People's Convoy - is not slated to arrive in the capital city until Saturday, March 5

The People's Convoy - which embarked from California last week on an 11-day trek to Washington D.C. - departed Missouri early Tuesday morning and began its route to Indiana, which included traveling along the Dan Ryan Expressway in Illinois.

The convoy was met with a wave of support in the Prairie State as citizens were seen cheering for the truckers with flags as signs as they drove along the interstate.

The positive response contradicted that of Illinois State Police Division of Patrol Col. Margaret McGreal who, before the convoy's arrival, had warned that officials will take action against any protesters who violate state law and endanger citizens.

'A planned event designed to impede normal traffic flow is dangerous to the innocent motoring public,' McGreal told WGN. 'Those who choose to participate in events that intentionally endanger the public and violate Illinois law will be subject to the enforcement of applicable laws and could potentially be held liable for traffic crashes occurring as a result of their actions.'

Kris Young, who is the admin for the People Convoy's Facebook page, reiterated earlier this week that the group would continue it's route through the Prairie State regardless of the warning.

'We encourage the people of this state to come out and show your support and/or join us!!' she wrote.

EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: The eight-mile long, 100-vehicle People's Convoy, continued its cross-country trek through Illinois on Tuesday. The group will stop in Indiana overnight

EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: The People's Convoy was met with a wave of support in the Prairie State as citizens were seen cheering for the truckers with flags as signs as they drove along the interstate

EFFINGHAM, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: A woman decked out in stars and stripes waves an American flag to show her support for the People's Convoy as it rolls through her Illinois town

LEASBURG, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: The People's Convoy is traveling across Missouri and into Illinois as it continues its journey to Washington D.C. on Tuesday. The group will stop Tuesday night in Indiana

FENTON, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: A crowd of People's Convoy supporters are seen an over pass cheering and waving flags as the truck caravan nears the Illinois border

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: Modeled after recent trucker protests in Canada that shut down border crossings into the U.S., the People's Convoy is protesting mask and vaccine mandates, and other COVID-19 restrictions

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: Convoy co-organizer Brain Brase, 37, of Ohio, (not pictured) told a crowd of supporters in Missouri Monday night: 'This is not a left issue. This not a right issue. This is an American issue. Not only have we seen multiple violations of our constitutional rights, but on a global scale we have seen violations of our God-given rights. Governments around the world are violating your human rights'

LEASBURG, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: The People's Convoy is met by waving supporters as it travels along I-44 in route to Indiana

Convoy supporters slamming Illinois law enforcement on social media, accusing ISP of being hypocritical in its response to the protest after state troopers shut down the same motorway for a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.

'Illinois is a People's Convoy no-go zone,' tweeted Dan Proft. 'ISP on the #BlackLivesMatter protest in Aug. '20 that shut down the Dan Ryan Xway: "We have been in contact with the protest organizers to set up a safe route of travel...will protect the rights of those seeking to peacefully protest."'

'Welcome to Illinois! The Land of Communism,' echoed Erin Geary.

'Utterly sickening. The rank and file tend to be good. But ISP/CPD leadership is complacent. We support the police and they shut down peaceful protests. No good deed goes unpunished,' added Matt McKeon.

The People's Convoy left Adelanto, California, about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, last Wednesday with more than two dozen 18-wheeler trucks and about 50 pickups and recreational vehicles. It has since grown to include about 100 vehicles and spans a distance of eight miles, according to organizers.

The group is expected to be joined by more than 20 other truck cavalcades, including ones leaving from Texas and Pennsylvania, when it arrives in D.C.

ST. JACOB, ILLINOIS - MARCH 1: The People's Convoy is pictured crossing in to Illinois from Missouri as onlookers cheer

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: A biker who requested not to be named is pictured at the travel center in Cuba, Missouri, where the People's Convoy held a rally Monday night. The group will continue its cross-country commute on Tuesday

FENTON, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: Truckers are pictured driving along Highway 70 near the Missouri-Illinois border

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: The People's Convoy prepares to leave Cuba, Missouri for Indiana on Tuesday

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: The convoy left Missouri on Tuesday and headed to Indiana, driving through Illinois. Illinois State Police Division of Patrol Col. Margaret McGreal has warned the protesters officials will take action against any participants who violate state law and endanger citizens

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: Two different semis sporting anti-vaccine mandate signs

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: The People's Convoy left Adelanto, California, about 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles, last Wednesday with m ore than two dozen 18-wheeler trucks and about 50 pickups and recreational vehicles. It has since grown to include about 100 vehicles and spans a distance of eight miles, according to organizers

The convoy was met with a wave of support as it rolled through Missouri on Monday. Large crowds of supporters were seen lining the roadways and waving American flags as the trucks drove along the interstate, honking the horns as the onlookers cheered.

The group held two rallies in the state on Monday and featured several right-wing speakers, including former Governor Eric Greitens - a Republican who Missouri from January 2017 until June 2018 when he resigned amid sexual misconduct and campaign finance allegations.

'You know what scares the left?' Greitens asked the cheering crowd, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

'You do. You know what scares tyrants? You do. You know what scares the mainstream media with all their lies? We do. Let everybody know that we are here to take our country back.'

He accused the left, which he claims extends beyond the Democratic party, of trying to silence American citizens.

'We are talking about leftism as a tyrannical movement,' he said. 'And thats why all these people are here. Its freedom vs. tyranny.'

Rally participants echoed Greiten's claims, arguing COVID-19 restrictions have negatively impacted their lives.

Leigh Dundas, a California attorney who is assisting the convoy, told the crowd: 'We are all essential and weve got to get back to working and making this capitalist country what it always has been  a wonderful, God-loving, God-fearing economy that is just started.'

'I refused to get the jab, and they terminated me,' convoy participant and former Kaiser Foundation Hospitals telehealth nurse, Pedley-McClintick, 69, told the newspaper Monday night when asked why she was rallying.

'I am so overtaken by the experience. I am committed now. I am fully engaged. Its so nice to be around like-minded people. Its really beyond the vaccine. Its really fighting for the soul of democracy, for the soul of America as we knew it.'

CUBA, MISSOURI - MARCH 1: A trucker named Dan, of Dallas, who is traveling with the People's Convoy as it heads for Washington D.C. Dan is pictured at a truck stop in Cuba, Missouri Tuesday morning

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: The largest truck caravan, the eight-mile long, 100-vehicle People's Convoy, rallied at a truck stop in Cuba, Missouri Monday night

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: Former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (right) spoke at the rally. He told the crowd: 'You know what scares the left? You do. You know what scares tyrants? You do. You know what scares the mainstream media with all their lies? We do. Let everybody know that we are here to take our country back'

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: The People's Convoy has already raised more than $1.5million in donations made through its own website

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: The truckers allege the government has infringed upon their constitutional rights with the COVID-19 era mandates. Leigh Dundas (not pictured), a California attorney who is assisting the convoy, told the crowd at the rally in Cuba, Missouri Monday: 'We are all essential and weve got to get back to working and making this capitalist country what it always has been  a wonderful, God-loving, God-fearing economy that is just started'

Meanwhile, Washington D.C. remains on high-alert despite there being no specific or credible threats related to Biden's Tuesday night speech.

Law enforcement officials have taken extra precautions ahead of the event. citing the trucker convoys and concern for an event similar to that of Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump successfully stormed the Capitol, briefly disrupting the certification of the 2020 election.

Federal investigators have been monitoring online chatter surrounding the State of the Union address and the trucker protests.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger said Sunday the fencing that was erected around the Capitol grounds was put up 'out of an abundance of caution.' The fencing was last erected after the Capitol insurrection and remained up for several months.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington's non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives, has said she doesn't want the fence to stay up indefinitely this time.

'I will ensure that the fencing comes down as soon as possible to restore freedom of movement for District of Columbia residents and the general public,' Norton penned in a statement last week.

Capitol Police have also requested additional assistance from outside law enforcement agencies before Tuesday's address, as well as help from the National Guard. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee said Monday that his department is closely monitoring the shifting information and would be devoting additional policing in a rolling state of heightened alert over the next few weeks.

'We regularly handle peaceful demonstrations and welcome all to the nation's capital to exercise their First Amendment rights,' Contee said. But he warned that the multiple security departments were 'prepared to take swift law-enforcement actions for violations of our local and federal laws, if necessary.'

FORT LEONARD, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: A man is seen saluting as the People's Convoy rolls through Missouri on Monday

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: Convoy supporters (pictured at Monday night's rally in Missouri) have accused Illinois law enforcement of being hypocritical in its response to the protest, citing how state troopers shut down the same motorway for a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: A semi traveling with the People's Convoy is pictured at a truck stop in Missouri. Based on its 'Freedom Convoy 2022' sign, it is probable this truck was originally traveling with the now-disbanded Freedom Convoy USA group. At least one other announced trucker convoys has fizzled due to to a lack of participation

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: A truck displaying a collection of flags, including campaign flags for former President Donald Trump, attended the rally in Missouri

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: A crowd of supporters stood along the interstate waving American flags as the People's Convoy arrived in Cuba, Missouri on Monday

A rally was held in D.C. Tuesday in honor of the truckers, however the event was poorly attended.

Kyle Sefcik, a small gym owner and independent candidate in the Maryland Gubernatorial race, hosted the Stage of Freedom rally at the Sylvan Theater on the National Mall to protest the national state of emergency and what he considers to be unconstitutional mandates imposed by the Biden administration and other government entities in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sefcik had been promoting the trucker convoys, as well as his rally, on social media over the past few days. He was a member of the Freedom Convoy USA 2022 campaign that was forced to disband due to lack of participant.

He also claims to have been censored by online platforms, specifically Twitter, for speaking out against vaccine mandates.

Sefcik is not the only convoyer whose protest was met with a disappointing turnout.

Bob Bolus, who led a small convoy out of Scranton, Pennsylvania, had promised to shut down the Beltway and other roads leading into and out of D.C. ahead of the State of the Union speech, but had not disclosed how he intended to do so.

When asked about it last week, he told reporters his convoy was 'not going to cause a traffic problem any more than [D.C. residents] live with every single day.'

However, his overhyped convoy - which was advertised as having at least 50 participants - only contained eight vehicles, including organizer Bolus' semi.

WASHINGTON D.C. - MARCH 1: Kyle Sefcik (left), a small gym owner and independent candidate in the Maryland Gubernatorial race, hosted the Stage of Freedom rally at the Sylvan Theater on the National Mall Tuesday. His poorly attended rally intended to protest the national state of emergency and what he considers to be unconstitutional mandates imposed by the Biden administration and other government entities in response to the coronavirus pandemic

WASHINGTON D.C. - MARCH 1: Sefcik had been promoting the trucker convoys, as well as his rally, on social media over the past few days. He was a member of the Freedom Convoy USA 2022 campaign that was forced to disband due to lack of participant

WASHINGTON D.C. - MARCH 1: Attendees of a Freedom Convoy USA 2022 rally recite the pledge of allegiance at the start of their poorly attended protest at the Sylvan Theater on the National Mall in D.C. on Tuesday

SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 23: Trucker Bob Bolus (pictured) had promised to shut down the D.C. Beltway and roads leading in and out of the city for Biden's SOTU address. After failing to secure substantial participation in his convoy, Bolus has backtracked and claims he will not attempt to interfere with traffic

Bolus has since backtracked and says although he still has hopes of disrupting the Beltway someday, he will not attempt to interfere with traffic.

'Were not putting a chokehold on D.C. today,' he told the Daily Beast last Thursday. 'Not to say that it wouldnt happen in the very near future. Its just going to be an idea of whats to come.'

The organizer did note his convoy will 'peacefully' sit in Beltway traffic without attempting to cause any backup.

'Were going to go with the flow. Today were going to go with the flow of traffic,' he said. 'If they go at two miles an hour, we will be at two miles an hour.'

It remains unclear if Bolus and his convoy are still planning to assemble outside the Capitol Tuesday night or if the group even reached D.C. Multiple reports indicated that Bolus hit many roadblocks along the way, including a flat tire and getting lost along his route.

The trucker has not yet responded to DailyMail.com's outreach, nor has he provided any updates about his protest on social media.

The anticipated trucker protests comes as nearly every state in America either has lifted mask orders or has scheduled a day to do so in the near future, with the exception of Hawaii.

Even the U.S. Capitol, which has had a controversial mask mandate since legislators returned in Summer 2020, lifted mask orders over the weekend.

Vaccine mandates, possibly the most controversial COVID-related mandates, are starting to become a thing of the past as well as New York City aims to drop them for businesses like bars and restaurants in the coming week.

WASHINGTON D.C. - FEBRUARY 28: Meanwhile, Washington D.C. remains on high-alert Tuesday despite there being no specific or credible threats related to Biden's State of the Union speech

WASHINGTON D.C. - FEBRUARY 28: Capitol Police have also requested additional assistance from outside law enforcement agencies before Tuesday's address, as well as help from the National Guard. A Guard vehicle seen along the city streets

WASHINGTON D.C. - FEBRUARY 28: Law enforcement officials have taken extra precautions ahead of the event. citing the trucker convoys and concern for an event similar to that of Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of supporters of former President Donald Trump successfully stormed the Capitol, briefly disrupting the certification of the 2020 election

VINITA, OKLAHOMA - FEBRUARY 28: However, the People's Convoy has sworn not to disrupt roads or bridges and organizers have promised a '100% safe, lawful and peaceful journey' that will 'terminate in the vicinity of the D.C. area, but will NOT be going into D.C. proper'

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: The People's Convoy is scheduled to arrive in the greater D.C. area on Saturday

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: Convoy supporters are seen waving American and Blue Lives Matter flags as the convoy rolls through Missouri on Monday

CUBA, MISSOURI - FEBRUARY 28: The People's Convoy holds a rally in Missouri

The policy changes are in response to case loads across the country having dropped precipitously since their early January peak, with the omicron variant proving to be less likely than earlier strains to cause death or serious illness, especially in vaccinated and boosted individuals.

On Monday, the U.S. recorded 106,018 new coronavirus infections, a 19 percent fall over the past week, and a 86 percent drop since the Omicron surge peaked at 800,000 cases per day in mid-January.

Deaths are plummeting as well. On average, 1,961 Americans are dying from COVID daily, a 5 percent increase over the past week and a 21 percent drop from the peak of the Omicrons surge when around 2,500 Americans were succumbing to the virus daily.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issued new coronavirus guidelines on Friday that resulted in the lifting of mask recommendations for 70 percent of Americans.

Under the CDC's newly revised calculations, only 28.2 percent of the American population - living in 37 percent of counties - is still recommended to mask up in indoor, public, settings.

These counties are scattered throughout America, but include the entire state of West Virginia and much of its neighbor, Kentucky. Oregon and Montana have large portions of the state classified as 'high' risk as well.

The policy changes come as case loads across the country have dropped precipitously since their early January peak, with the omicron variant proving to be less likely than earlier strains to cause death or serious illness, especially in vaccinated and boosted individuals. On Monday, t he U.S. recorded 106,018 new coronavirus infections, a 19 percent fall over the past week

Deaths are plummeting as well. On average, 1,961 Americans are dying from COVID daily, a 5 percent increase over the past week and a 21 percent drop from the peak of the Omicrons surge when around 2,500 Americans were succumbing to the virus daily

Every US state is also reporting a COVID-19 vaccination rate of over 50%

 Slide me  The revised CDC guidelines - released Friday - moved the number of U.S. counties considered as 'high' or 'substantial' risk down to 30% (right) from 95% (left). The first map is the nation's counties under initial calculations, while the second is the revised version unveiled by the CDC Friday afternoon
Children as young as four could be given anti-racism lessons as part of Brighton and Hove City Council's extended plans to 'decolonise' the school curriculum.

The Green Party-controlled authority previously approved its 500,000 five year anti-racist education strategy, which proposed racial literary lessons for children aged seven and above, in November 2020.

But next week, the council's children, young people and skills committee will vote on whether or not to extend the programme to children in the early years foundation stage and key stage one - children aged four to seven.

The strategy cites professor Evan Apfelbaum, and says: 'Children as young as three years old begin to learn the markers of racial categories and hierarchy and yet the widespread view that children, particularly young children, are racially unaware persists.'

The extended strategy comes weeks after education secretary Nadhim Zahawi was forced to investigate Brighton and Hove Council over reports that 'concerning' race theories are being taught in schools run by the local authority.

More than 5,000 people signed a petition slamming the council for allegedly telling primary school children they are 'racists' or 'victims of their classmates' in lessons.

Children as young as four could be given anti-racism lessons as part of Brighton and Hove City Council's extended plans to 'decolonise' the school curriculum. Pictured: Brighton Royal Pavilion

The council's recently published education strategy gives a nod to university professor Ibram X Kendi, who is linked with the controversial philosophy critical race theory.

The first quote said: 'We are all socialised and conditioned into unequal and racialised societies. All of us have work to do to 'unlearn' the racism we have absorbed from society.'

While the second quote said: 'The majority of the people around the globe are not white and yet ideas about white superiority are still deeply influential and prevalent.'

Last month, leaked slides from race training given to teachers in Brighton and Hove Schools showed children as young as seven were being taught that they are not 'racially innocent', because they view 'white at the top of the hierarchy', according to the Sunday Telegraph.

In response to that report, Mr Zahawi said: 'Every day in schools across the country, brilliant teachers are teaching sensitive issues in a balanced and inclusive way - which is why reports like this one are so concerning.

'These issues can be divisive if covered the wrong way, and I am clear - as is the law in the country - that any contested theories and opinions must not be presented to young people as facts.'

The council will extend the programme to children as young as four if proposals are approved by councillors at a meeting next Monday.

The draft version of the anti-racist education strategy was agreed by the council in November 2020 and in March 2021, 100,000 of funding for each of the five years of the 500,000 strategy was approved.

In a report issued to councillors ahead of next week's meeting, the council said pupil of colour workshop programmes, which supported children to 'articulate their heritage and identity' were piloted in the city's Patcham High and Varndean schools.

Cardinal Newman Catholic School, in Hove, piloted a peer mentoring project, according to the report, while St Luke's Primary piloted a similar support group for primary age pupils.

The report also said St Luke's Primary and Elm Grove Primary were supported to pilot innovative engagement activities with their BAME parent and carer communities.

During the first year of the strategy, around 300 people were asked to provide feedback with the majority being 'very positive', according to the report.

In an example of the feedback, one respondent said the project was 'ambitious and wide-ranging' and had a more long-lasting aim than 'one-off or tokenistic work'.

The extended strategy comes weeks after education secretary Nadhim Zahawi (pictured) was forced to investigate Brighton and Hove Council over reports that 'concerning' race theories are being taught in schools run by the local authority

Last month, more than 4,700 people signed a petition in Brighton and Hove entitled, 'Stop the council teaching our kids that they are racists or victims of their classmates'.

The petition accused the council of teaching a 'warped ideology' and alleged that the council refused to release the training materials under the Freedom of Information Act, citing the commercial interests of the training providers.

At the same time, the council's 'Anti-Racist Schools' strategy document called parents who object to critical race theory, a controversial racial ideology, as 'potential barriers to implementation'.

Brighton council launched its plans in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, when protests swept across the US, UK and many other Western countries.

Its chair of children, young people and skills, Hannah Clare, said training has been 'co-developed with people affected by racism, and addresses the urgent need to tackle issues that have historically led to inequalities for people of colour'.

She added: 'Education settings have confirmed that there is a need for this strategy and commitment to the work. It includes behaviour management, recruitment and retention of staff and helping young people understand the complex issues of race.'

Ms Clare said feedback on the programme had been 'overwhelmingly positive'.
Scott Morrison has tested positive to Covid-19 after experiencing flu-like symptoms.

The Prime Minister had cancelled an event in Sydney on Tuesday night after falling ill just hours after he tested negative on the self-administered RAT test.

He had a noticeable and persistent cough during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Morrison said he is isolating at home in Sydney and following health guidelines.

His wife Jenny and their two daughters have tested negative but will also isolate for seven days at home as close contacts.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday night

Just after 7.30pm, Mr Morrison's office told journalists he would not be attending a planned event in Sydney to light up the Opera House with Ukraine's colours.

The event was planned to start at 8pm and the NSW government was advised he could not attend at 'very' late notice.

The Prime Minister's office said he was 'no longer available' to attend but did not specify illness as the reason for his decision to cancel his appearance.

At 11.24pm Mr Morrison's office issued a statement confirming that the Prime Minister has tested positive for Covid-19.

The statement was a direct communication from Mr Morrison, saying he had tested positive to Covid-19 and is 'experiencing flu-like symptoms'.

It went on to say he 'will be recovering over the next week'.

Mr Morrison said he had tested himself daily since Sunday, including on Tuesday morning, 'with all tests returning a negative result'.

'I took a further test this evening after developing a fever late today. The test was inconclusive so I took a PCR test tonight which returned a positive result late this evening,' he said.

Scott Morrison (right) with his wife Jenny (second left) and their daughters. Mr Morrison has tested positive for Covid-19

Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce also contracted Covid-19, while on a visit to Washington DC, late last year.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton also tested positive to Covid early in the pandemic.

Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer, who is running for the Senate in Queensland on the United Australia Party ticket, tested positive to Covid and pneumonia last week.

Mr Palmer is unvaccinated and an outspoken opponent of Covid-19 vaccinations.

Scott Morrison's statement on Twitter that he has tested positive for Covid-19

The Prime Minister said he will continue to carry out his responsibilities while in isolation, 'including virtually chairing meetings of the National Security and Expenditure Review Committees of Cabinet'.

He said he would also be focusing on the 'emergency response to the devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales and ensuring we stand with each and every one of the affected communities both now and as the waters eventually recede'.

Mr Morrison also referred to 'our urgent response to the tragedy unfolding in the Ukraine and Russia's senseless aggression'.

He said he would be staying in regular contact with Australia's 'security and intelligence officials and our international partners, as well as working with the Treasurer to finalise the Budget'.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is briefed on the flooding disaster in Queensland and NSW in the National Situation Room at Emergency management Australia in Canberra

Mr Morrison had been expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky on Tuesday night, but it is not known if this phone call went ahead, given Mr Morrison's sudden illness.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Prime Minister's office with a number of questions about the situation.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Morrison called Russia 'a pariah state' as he announced a $105million aid package for Ukraine.

Australia will send $70million worth of defensive supplies to Ukraine, the vast majority of which is lethal aid including missiles and bullets to help fend off Russia's invasion.

A further $35million will be sent to provide shelter, food and water for hundreds of thousands of women and children who have become refugees after fleeing the warzone.

Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny light a candle in support of Ukraine during a vigil at St Andrews Ukrainian Church in Sydney on February 27, 2022

'This will be our opening contribution. We expect over time there will be further requests and we will be addressing those as time goes on,' he said.

'We're talking missiles, ammunition, we are talking about supporting them in their defence of their homeland. The overwhelming majority of that will be in the lethal category.'

Is was also announced on Tuesday that Australia will take in thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have escaped their homeland after Russia invaded.

Mr Morrison said he is working on a temporary protection scheme similar to the one deployed during the Kosovo War.

In April 1999, Australia created 'safe haven' visas for about 4,000 Kosovars. Nearly all of them stayed for less than a year and returned home when the war ended.

'We should not make the mistake thinking that every person who is seeking to leave Ukraine does not want to return to their home country,' Mr Morrison said.

Scott Morrison speaks following a service by Reverend Simon Ckuj at St Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church, Lidcombe on February 27, 2022

'I have no doubt hundreds of thousands, if not more, will want to return to their home country.

'That's where their family is, that's where their lives are and we want to ensure that those things are not taken from them.'

Mr Morrison said more than 500,000 Ukrainians have fled their country and 160,000 more are on the move.

Alongside the temporary protection programme, Australia will also offer permanent humanitarian visas to some Ukrainians.

But Mr Morrison said the number of places available will be worked out later because the demand 'is not very clear' at the moment.

'We will address that in partnership with other agencies when we get to that point. And if that requires supplementing our existing program, just like with the Afghanistan program we're currently working on, then we will,' he said.
Vladimir Putin's alleged 18-year-old love child has been trolled online over the Russian war on Ukraine.

Luiza Rozova, a student in St Petersburg, has come under siege on Instagram over the invasion with followers asking her: 'Are U sitting in the bunker?? Like a rat?'.

Rozova, who has 84,000 followers, stopped publicly posting five months ago, triggering the suspicion that Putin had gagged her - though her account remains visible.

It comes amid claims Putin has hidden his family members in a luxury hi-tech bunker in an 'underground city' in Siberia, designed for protection in the event of a nuclear war.

In recent days trolls have commented on Rozova's last post, from October 2021, accusing the teen of being the 'daughter of a murderer, war criminal, psychopath and drug addict'.

Many posts include the Ukrainian blue-and-yellow flag and one carried the message: 'The Russian nation must rise against this dictator. You don't want to have anything to do with him.'

Vladimir Putin's alleged 18-year-old love child Luiza Rozova (left and right) has been trolled online over the Russian war on Ukraine

Rozova, who has 84,000 followers, stopped publicly posting five months ago, triggering the suspicion that Putin had gagged her - though her account remains visible

Rozova is the daughter of cleaner-turned-multimillionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh, 46, now a part-owner of a major Russian bank.

Svetlana - who owns a 3.1 million plush property in Monaco - has not commented on claims that her daughter was fathered by the Kremlin strongman, and nor has Rozova, who is also known as Elizaveta, although she told Russian GQ that she 'probably' looks 'similar' to a young Putin.

Putin has not publicly acknowledged her.

A troll suspecting she may be in her mother's Mediterranean bolthole said: 'While you're fluffing around in Monaco, people of your generation are dying in Ukraine because of your father.

'Your destiny will be that of Marija Milosevic when your dad gets sent to The Hague.

'SHOW YOUR FACE YOU COWARD!'

She was told: 'Young Russian soldiers are being sent to Ukraine without any knowledge about where they are, who they fight and what they do.

'The Russian economy is collapsing, reaching absolute zero.

'Soon, if not already, you won't be able to use Netflix, Spotify, social media apps, pay with Google and Apple Pay, all popular brands and boycotting and exiting Russia.'

Rozova was also told: 'Many Ukrainians have forgotten about what sleep is, and even more so in bed. After all, falling asleep, many of us run the risk of not waking up.

'People spend the night in basements like rats because bombs are falling from the sky and rockets are coming.

'All you need is not to be silent, not to stand aside. Tell people the truth about what is happening in Ukraine!

'We want to live in peace and sleep peacefully in our beds, to know that in the morning our relatives and friends will be alive.'

In recent days trolls have commented on Rozova's last post, from October 2021, accusing the teen of being the 'daughter of a murderer, war criminal, psychopath and drug addict'

Svetlana Krivonogikh (pictured) has not commented on claims that her daughter was fathered by the Kremlin strongman, and nor has Rozova, who is also known as Elizaveta

Rozova is the daughter of cleaner-turned-multimillionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh, 46, (pictured) now a part-owner of a major Russian bank

But commenters also defended her, with one saying: 'Don't judge her...is not her fault.'

Another wrote: 'She cannot do anything for having a crazy father'. One more said: 'Come on guys, she is just a person. She is not guilty.'

But a commenter called Martina hit back: 'Yes, she is guilty of passive complicity. It is the same as most of the Germans in the Nazi period.'

Another penned: 'Call him - if he loves you ... maybe you can convince him not to kill.'

One posted: 'Stop writing she's an innocent. She is the daughter of that devil! She could at least show that she does not agree with what her father is doing, somehow influence him.

'Putin doesn't give a s*** for ordinary people, but maybe his daughters still mean something to him. She stays quiet because she knows if she says one bad word to Daddy, she will be cut off from big money, apartments and expensive things.

'Unfortunately, there are important things - and more important things. Apparently, purses and villas are more important to her than human life.'

Luiza earlier showed her life at cafes, on trips to Paris and running her own fashion label. She was also seen working as an in-demand DJ.

Luiza earlier showed her life at cafes, on trips to Paris and running her own fashion label. She was also seen working as an in-demand DJ

Putin has two daughters by his ex-wife Lyudmila, the former Kremlin first lady.

Likewise, neither of them - Dr Maria Vorontsova, 36, a geneticist, and Katerina Tikhonova, 35, a high-kicking 'rock'n'roll' dancer-turned-mathematician, has commented on the war.

Meanwhile Ksenia Shoigu, 31, financial whizz-kid and glamorous daughter of Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, has made her account private in recent days.

Shoigu, a married mother-of-one, was previously open in Instagram but her account is now private.

She graduated from elite Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) - a training ground for diplomats and spies.

She was previously adviser to the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprombank. In February, she became the managing partner of the Sistema SmartTech investment fund.

Ksenia Shoigu, a married mother-of-one, was previously open in Instagram but her account is now private. She graduated from elite Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) - a training ground for diplomats and spies
A self-confessed 'scumbag' hotel boss is facing up to five years in jail for sexually assaulting two of his female staff.

'Ex-army' Gary Adam, 35, 'used his power as the boss' to intimidate and sexually assault two women, one of whom he told he would 'snap like a twig'.

The father-of-one attacked an 18-year-old university student working as a waitress and a 23-year-old barmaid, Falkirk Sheriff Court was told.

The women worked at Waverley and Crags hotels that were both co-owned by Adam and opposite each other in the main street of the Scottish tourist town of Callander, Perthshire.

Gary Adam, 35, (pictured) faces up to five years in jail after intimidating and sexually assaulting two women

Jurors heard the 18-year-old had been working for Adam for only a week when he made a pass at her while she was in another local pub playing pool.

When she went into work on December 8, 2019, she told him she 'didn't want to lose her job, or have sex with him'.

Within hours, however, he asked her into the office at the Waverley Hotel on the 'ruse' that she needed a new uniform T-shirt, pushed her against a wall, put his hand 'quite tightly' round her neck, kissed her forcibly on the lips, and tried to put his hand down the front of her jeans.

The woman told jurors he was 'growling or grunting' in her ear and said he would 'snap her like a twig'.

She said: 'He's quite strong, ex-Army, and I'm five foot three.'

She said on an earlier occasion he had snapped a pool cue in front of her.

She left 'in shock and disbelief' but later that night Adam sexually assaulted her again, 'touching her bum' in a darkened hotel kitchen as she bent over to get cutlery.

The next day she gave her two weeks' notice.

The court heard Adam also sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman repeatedly in January 2020 while she was working at the Crags Hotel.

The 'ex-army' father-of-one attacked a university student working as a waitress, 18, and a barmaid, 23

Weeping, she said he had followed her into a walk-in cupboard where she fetching juice, locked the door behind them and pinned her 'forcibly' against the wall with two hands on her shoulders as he tried to kiss her.

She said she was 'frozen' and 'scared' and didn't know what to do.

She was only able to leave when a customer called from the bar.

Later Adam, who had earlier been drinking with friends, returned alone and 'a bit more drunk' and asked her for the key to one of the hotel bedrooms.

He then texted a demand that she deliver a Peroni beer to the bedroom.

After she left it outside he opened the door, grabbed her wrist, and 'dragged' her in, pushing her back onto the bed.

There, he held her arms above her head and tried to kiss her. He also took her phone.

She said she 'just kept saying no' and eventually he told her to go back to the bar but refused to return her phone.

When he gave it back later, the text message asking her to take beer to his room had been deleted.

He described himself in evidence as 'a scumbag' for cheating on his own partner but denied the charges

The court heard Adam later told the woman 'it would never happen again'.

Just three weeks later after finishing her shift at the Crags she went over to the Waverley to see some friends when Adam asked her if she would give him a lift back to his home on the outskirts of Callander in her Renault Clio.

She thought it awkward if she refused but on the short drive he immediately asked her if she would stay with him in one of the hotel rooms.

When she turned him down, he demanded she stop and let him out.

Before she had even had a chance to turn off the engine he climbed over, sat on top of her, forced her head back, and forced her mouth open with his hand.

She said: 'He managed to get it open and put his tongue down my throat. I just sat there. I didn't know what to do.

'He put his hand in my leggings and under my underwear.

'His fingers touched my private area. They didn't go inside, but they were very close to.'

'Scared and disgusted', the woman managed to call a random number on her phone, and when Adam realised he stopped and asked to be driven the rest of the way home.

After a three-day trial, the jury found father-of-one Adam, a first offender, of Cambusmore, Callander, guilty of five charges of sexually assaulting the women.

After a three-day trial, the jury found father-of-one Adam, a first offender, of Cambusmore, Callander, guilty of five charges of sexually assaulting the women

He described himself in evidence as 'a scumbag' for cheating on his own partner, but denied the offences, claiming that in some cases what the women had said did not happen, and when it had happened, it was with consent.

Prosecutor Cheryl Clark said Adam had perpetrated 'a pattern of systematic abuse against the two young women, engineered situations to be alone with them, and used fear, intimidation, physical strength, and his powerful role as their employer to manipulate the situation'.

Sheriff Christopher Shead continued bail for reports, placed Adam on the sex offenders' register, and warned a custodial sentence would be considered.

Adam will appear again on March 31.
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen a build-up of NATO troops deployed across eastern Europe in an effort to further reinforce the region.

Thousands of troops, backed by air and naval support, have been sent to protect allies near Russia and Ukraine in response to Vladimir Putin's decision to invade.

The size of NATO battlegroups in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, once ruled from Moscow but now part of the European Union, are set to almost double from 3,400 troops at the start of the year to more than 6,000 in the near future.

In recent days, British troops have arrived in Estonia while Norwegian soldiers landed in Lithuania as they bolster NATO's eastern flank amid fears Russia will not stop at Ukraine and invade the former Soviet states as well.

The United States recently reinforced the region with some 5,000 additional troops deployed to Poland and Romania. Both NATO countries border Ukraine, which is not part of NATO.

A number of French troops were traveling to Romania on Tuesday to further strengthen the region, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said.

The alliance is to discuss further reinforcement steps at its next summit in June in Madrid.

U.S. soldiers line up at an airport in Bavaria, Germany, after they were transferred from Nuremberg, on Tuesday

Tanks uploaded on military truck platforms as a part of additional British troops and military equipment arrive at Estonia's NATO Battle Group base in Tapa, Estonia, on Friday

Dutch soldiers of the Air Mobile Brigade in Assen arrive at Schiphol Airport for a military exercise which was supposed to take place in Germany, but has been moved to northeast Romania due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on Monday

Norwegian soldiers of the NATO enhanced forward presence battalion pose at a military plane as they arrive at an airport in Kaunas, Lithuania, on Sunday

It is Nato's responsibility to 'ensure that we don't see a development where a conflict in Ukraine spiralled out of control and becomes a full-fledged confrontation between Nato and Russia in Europe,' Mr Stoltenberg said.

He said alliance commanders are insisting that they are 'able to maintain deconfliction (contacts) with Russia'.

The alliance today said NATO foreign ministers will hold emergency talks in Brussels on Friday over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

NATO allies have rushed to bolster their eastern flank after Putin ordered the attack, but remain adamant that they will not get involved militarily in the war in non-NATO member Ukraine.

Meanwhile, an additional NATO battlegroup is being formed for Slovakia in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which will include 1,500 troops in total.

The battlegroup will include 1,200 foreign troops and a Patriot missile defence system manned by German and Dutch personnel, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Saturday.

NATO-member Slovakia shares a border with Ukraine and does not currently have foreign soldiers stationed on its territory.

NATO pledged to further reinforce its eastern flank after Russia attacked Ukraine this week.

Slovakia will provide 300 soldiers to the NATO battlegroup, he said, taking its total size to 1,500. Slovakia was also in talks on providing troops for the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia, he said.

German soldiers comprise about half of a 1,100-strong NATO battlegroup in Lithuania that includes troops from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway.

French soldiers of the 27th Battalion of Alpine Hunters listen to a speech at French air force base in Istres before their departure to Romania as part of the NATO's military reinforcement following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday

Separately, Britain is reinforcing the British-led NATO battlegroup in Estonia with 800 troops. The UK has also sent Challenger 2 tanks and armoured vehicles of the Royal Welsh battlegroup to the country from Germany.

After these and expected future reinforcements, NATO forces in the Baltic States - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - will almost double and will reach more than 6,000 troops in three battlegroups in each country, Lithuania's Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told Reuters.

The NATO troops in the three countires numbered about 3,400 at the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, the UK has sent HMS Trent and HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, to conduct NATO exercises with Merlin helicopters and RAF P8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean.

Last week, Stoltenberg said NATO will send part of its Response Force and elements of a quickly deployable spearhead unit to the alliance's eastern flank. It's the first time the force has been used to defend NATO allies.

Stoltenberg did not say how many troops would be sent or where they might go, but he did confirm that the move would involve land, sea and air power.

In response to Europe's biggest security crisis in decades, Stoltenberg said: 'We are now deploying the NATO Response Force for the first time in a collective defense context. We speak about thousands of troops. We speak about air and maritime capabilities.'

The NRF can number up to 40,000 troops, but Stoltenberg said that NATO would not be deploying the entire force. Parts of a spearhead unit known in NATO jargon as the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, which is currently led by France, will also be sent.

The announcement came after NATO members, ranging from Russia's neighbor Estonia in the north down around the west of conflict-hit Ukraine to Bulgaria on the Black Sea coast, triggered urgent consultations Thursday about their security amid concerns from the invasion.

'We will continue to take all measures and decisions required to ensure the security and defense of all allies,' the leaders said in a statement. 'We will make all deployments necessary to ensure strong and credible deterrence and defense across the alliance, now and in the future.'

A convoy of British armoured vehicles of the Royal Welsh Battlegroup is on the way to Estonia driving through Liepupe, Latvia, on Friday

A convoy of British armoured vehicles of the Royal Welsh Battlegroup is on the way to Estonia driving through Liepupe, Latvia, on Friday

The world's biggest security organization previously had around 5,000 troops stationed in the Baltic countries  Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania  and Poland, but has significantly beefed up its defenses over the past three months.

Stoltenberg thanked the U.S. and Canada for recent commitments to deploy an extra 7,640 troops, including an armored brigade combat team, artillery units, a naval frigate, and surveillance aircraft. It was not immediately clear whether those troops were part of the NRF deployment.

The NATO chief today said that, despite Russia's threats about nuclear weapons, the alliance sees no need to change its own nuclear weapons alert level.

Stoltenberg spoke following talks on European security with Polish President Andrzej Duda at an air base in Lask, central Poland, where Nato's Polish and US fighter jets F15 and F16 are based.

'We will always do what is needed to protect and defend our allies, but we don't think there is any need now to change the alert levels of Nato's nuclear forces,' Mr Stoltenberg said.

Russia has raised the spectre of nuclear war, reporting on Monday that its land, air and sea nuclear forces were on high alert following President Vladimir Putin's weekend order.

Nato itself has no nuclear weapons, but three of its members do, the United States, Britain and France.

'We strongly believe it's reckless and irresponsible the way Russia is speaking about nuclear weapons,' Mr Stoltenberg said, standing in one of the base's hangars, which has been turned into a conference room with Polish and Nato flags and jets around it.

Mr Stoltenberg stressed that Russia has signed a number of deals agreeing that nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought.

He called on Russia to 'stop the attacks and withdraw all its forces and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts' to end the war.

Government delegations from Ukraine and Russia met for talks in southeastern Belarus on Monday, but the outcome was not immediately clear.

'This is a horrendous, horrific invasion of an innocent country and we see that civilians are killed.

'It's a brutality that has to stop immediately,' Mr Stoltenberg said.

Meanwhile, France said it would deploy jet fighters and other reinforcements to bolster North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces on the alliance's eastern flank.

President Emmanuel Macron ordered four jet fighters, along with roughly 100 air-support staff, to be deployed in Estonia beginning by mid-March, according to a Defense Ministry statement. French jet fighters based in France have also stepped up flights over Baltic states, the statement said.

Mr. Macron has also ordered a spearhead battalion with 500 troops to Romania as part of what the French said was an acceleration of a planned deployment, and 200 additional troops to supplement French forces on the ground in Estonia.

'Russian aggression in Ukraine has created a new situation that necessitates more than ever the need for solidarity among allies,' France's Defense Ministry said.

Some of NATO's 30 member countries are supplying arms, ammunition and other equipment to Ukraine, but NATO as an organization is not. It won't launch any military action in support of Ukraine, which is a close partner but has no prospect of joining.

French soldier seen working in a cargo plane as French troops arrive in Constanta, a Black Sea port, eastern Romania, on Monday

French soldiers are seen leaving a cargo plane as French troops arrive in Constanta, a Black Sea port, eastern Romania, on Monday

The Baltic members, however, have said the West should 'urgently provide Ukrainian people with weapons, ammunition and any other kind of military support to defend itself as well as economic, financial and political assistance and support, humanitarian aid.'

NATO began beefing up its defenses in northeastern Europe after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Recently, some members have also sent troops, aircraft and warships to the Black Sea region, near allies Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.

Short-term, NATO has also activated an emergency planning system to allow commanders to move forces more quickly. Surveillance aircraft have also begun patrols inside allied territory.

Last week, a contingent of American F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters arrived on NATO's eastern flank to fortify allied airspace following Russia's invasion.

On Thursday, a total of six F-35s forward deployed east from Germany to bases in Estonia, Lithuania and Romania, as part of a broader shuffling of troops and equipment announced by President Joe Biden.

Biden has said that the movement is defensive in nature and that the U.S. has 'no intention of fighting Russia', but vowed to defend 'every inch of NATO territory with a full force of American power.' Ukraine is not a member of NATO.

'We are facing a dynamic environment, and the deployment of F-35s to NATO's eastern flank enhances our defensive posture and amplifies the Alliance's interoperability,' said General Jeffrey L. Harrigian, U.S. Air Force in EuropeAir Forces Africa commander, in a statement.

The fighter jets from the 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing had been operating out of Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.

Photos show two of the advanced F-35 fighter jets landing on Thursday at Romania's 86th Air Base, less than 100 miles from where the Danube River forms the border with Ukraine.

As well, an undisclosed number of F-35 fighters landed Thursday afternoon at NATO's air base in Amari, near Estonia's capital Tallinn, Estonian media reported. F-35 fighters were reported to have arrived also at NATO's air base in Lithuania.

It means some 12,000 U.S. troops, total, have deployed or been ordered to deploy to Europe from the United States, and another 2,000 troops already in Europe who have moved closer to NATO's eastern flank.

It brings the total US troop level in Europe to well over 90,000.

Biden announced the movement of U.S. troops and equipment eastward in Europe last Tuesday, saying the forces will assist with border reinforcement on NATO's eastern flank and refugee processing, but will not intervene militarily in Ukraine, where Russia launched an all-out invasion early Thursday.
The unprecedented deluge hammering down on millions across New South Wales is only expected to get worse over the coming days, with flood warnings issued for 11 rivers and thousands forced to flee their homes.

After areas in northern NSW and southern Queensland were devastated by floods and heavy rainfall, Greater Sydney is expected to cop the brunt of the wet weather heading into Wednesday and Thursday.

Those in Sydney's north-west have been warned of potential flooding from the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, with many sandbagging their homes in preparation.

Severe weather warnings for damaging winds and heavy rainfall in Sydney, the South Coast and parts of the Hunter coast were issued on Tuesday afternoon as 200mm of rain was predicted to fall over six hours.

Houses are seen on the banks of an overflowing Clarence River in Grafton, some 130 kms from the New South Wales town of Lismore on March 1

Those in Sydney's north-west have been warned of potential flooding from the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, with many sandbagging their homes in preparation

Commuters have been warned to stay home if they can on Tuesday as heavy rain is expected to hit Sydney (pictured: A woman walking through Sydney)

Thunderstorms with damaging winds and heavy to torrential rain may also lead to flash flooding along the length of the coast from the Hunter down to Bega on the south coast, combined with severe warnings of abnormally high tides and damaging surf.

Premier Dominic Perrottet asked residents to 'show caution' when making their way into the city on Wednesday.

'Obviously we want people to come back to the Sydney CBD but based on the advice from the Bureau (of Meteorology) it's going to be a difficult week in our city as we see those heavy rains come from the north.

'Ultimately right now we say to people right across our city and our state, look after yourself, follow the advice and stay safe.'

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts as much as 120mm of rain, which could lead to flash flooding, may fall across these areas over a six hour period early on Wednesday morning.

A total of 200mm of rainfall is possible in Sydney on Wednesday alone, followed by a further 20 to 45mm on Thursday.

Damaging winds of up to 90km/h are also forecast for the NSW coast from Wednesday while damaging surf conditions and abnormally high tides are also on the horizon for areas south of Forster.

The Warragamba Dam is likely to spill over on Wednesday, having reached 99 per cent capacity on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday night 350,000 NSW residents had been given evacuation orders or warnings, with 1,000 having been rescued.

The deluge hammering down on thousands of residents around New South Wales is only expected to get worse for Sydneysiders over the coming days (pictured floods in Cabarita, northern NSW)

Northern NSW has been battered by heavy rainfall, with Sydney, the Hunter and South Coast now expected to cop the brunt (pictured, volunteers handing out supplies in Fingal on Tuesday)

Damaging winds of up to 90km/h are also forecast for the NSW coast from Wednesday (pictured homes submerged in water in Ballina on Tuesdau)

The Ballina Hospital was forced to evacuate its staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters rapidly rose higher.

Fifty-five patients from the hospital were moved to the Xavier Catholic College where a makeshift emergency department is being set up for any others needing urgent care.

All patients have been transported with the help of NSW Ambulance and SES crews.

'The evacuation is taking place on the advice of the local Police Commander and out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of patients and staff,' Northern NSW Local Health District said.

An almost completely submerged lamp post is seen in Grafton in NSW on Tuesday (pictured)

Ballina Hospital was forced to evacuate its staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters rapidly rose higher

Those in low-lying areas in Ballina and Lennox Head were earlier on Tuesday evening told to leave amid worsening weather conditions.

FLOOD WARNINGS Wilsons River - Major flood warning Clarence River - Major flood warning Tweed River - Minor to major flood warning Orara River - Minor to major flood warning Richmond River - Minor to major flood warning Nepean and Hawkesbury River - Minor to moderate flood warning Manning River - Minor flood warning Bellinger and Kalang Rivers - Minor flood warning Macleay River - Minor flood warning Hastings River - Minor flood warning Nambucca River - Minor flood warning Source: Bureau of Meteorology Advertisement

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet described the downpour as a 'one in 1,000-year' event.

'The worst could be yet to come... the flood rivers remain a real risk to people's lives and we will be doing everything we can to get every person, every family, every business back on their feet as quickly as possible,' Mr Perrottet said.

'I also want to say as well, we know that at the moment this is focused on the north. But very quickly, as we're seeing in metropolitan Sydney now, it will move to the south.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned millions across the length of NSW's east coast that they needed to prepare.

'This rather significant weather system, we will continue to see moving down the east coast of Australia. We will see it come into the Central Coast and Sydney,' he said.

'We are already experiencing elements of that right now, and particularly over the next 24 hours, we will then see that extend further into the South Coast of New South Wales. And we need to be continuing to be preparing ourselves for the impacts in those regions.'

South-east Queensland is set to be smashed by yet more storms, bringing days of damaging large hail and even more heavy rainfall, with flood warnings for creeks and streams between now and the weekend.

The arrival of the system in Sydney comes just a week after the city was smashed by a severe downpour that turned streets into rivers in the inner-west and saw the Parramatta River break its banks.

Sydney and the NSW coast will now bear the brunt of the latest 48-hour weatherbomb explosion (pictured)

More than 300,000 residents across NSW have been given evacuation order or warnings (pictured in Grafton)

The city has a 80 to 95 per cent chance of rain everyday over the next week until at least Tuesday.

It comes as flooded Lismore reports its first death of the crisis - with an 80-year-old woman found dead inside her home about 10.20am.

Earlier on Tuesday harrowing footage showed residents and horses and trapped on a bridge at Woodburn, south of Lismore, after being stranded overnight.

All were later rescued and brought to safety.

South-east Queensland is set to be smashed by yet more storms, bringing days of damaging large hail and even more heavy rainfall

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier described the downpour as a 'one in 1000-year' event and warned Sydney was next in line to cop the brunt of the weather (pictured in Lismore)

A convoy of at least 20 cars and several horses are trapped on a bridge at Woodburn near Lismore in northern NSW




By Lee Hae-rin







Thirteen college students won video contest awards hosted by The Korea Times and the Embassy of India in Korea, Monday. Under the theme of "Diversity and Multiculturalism," the event was held to celebrate India's 75th anniversary of independence.







The Korea Times President-Publisher Oh Young-jin, Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan and India's Deputy Chief of Mission Surinder Bhagat, Kim Sook-ja, an official from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and nine winners joined the event.







In her speech, the Indian envoy underlined the importance and value of diversity and multiculturalism, sharing India's effort to bring its diverse population together in its political and social system.







"With this experience, we have been able to reach the understanding that the strength of a nation relies on the ability to welcome diverse people and culture and allow them to explore and fulfill their potential," she said.







"We hope that this video contest has encouraged some young minds to think about this one shift and embrace it and make it part of their own lives and practice it in the right ways," the ambassador said.







Oh emphasized the values of multiculturalism, introducing the newspaper's efforts to defend these values by holding annual multicultural youth awards with the help of the ministry for 11 years.







"Why are we putting so much focus on diversity? I believe it is not a matter of choice, but a matter of survival," he said.







Do Minh Hanh, a Vietnamese national attending Yonsei University, won the grand prize for her video that portrayed her experience as an international school student and a foreign national in Korea. In her video, Do narrates, "Diversity is about being open; open to accept that we might be different in some sense, yet similar in others."







"Through my video, I wanted to convey my own understanding of what it means to be a diverse society and help raise awareness not only within Korea but internationally as well," said Do in the recorded video of her acceptance speech.







Raj Mouli Jujjavarapu, an Indian national from Kyungpook National University, was awarded the excellence award and Kim Min-sun from Dongduk Women's University won the Commendation Award.







Ten other students won distinguished entry prizes. They are Lee Se-jin from Gachon University; Kim Jae-young from Kookmin University; Song Meiping, a Chinese student at Kyungpook National University; Lee Sung-hee from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology; Yoo Mi-ri from Dongyang University; Choi Jae-yeong from Chungnam National University; and Ko Byung-hyun, Yoo Jae-won, Yoo Ji-eun and Shim Ye-won, all at Sookmyung Women's University.













Below are the presentation videos submitted by the 13 winners of the video contest on diversity and multiculturalism from 2021.


















Hospital doctors should be permitted to work from home as a 999 call handler one day a week to persuade them not to leave, MPs were told today.

Nicola McQueen, chief executive of NHS Professionals  which provides temporary staff to the health service  said plans were urgently needed to protect the 'burnt-out workforce'.

Speaking to the Health and Social Care Committee, she suggested letting staff 'do one day from home'.

They could direct 111 and 999 calls from anywhere, Ms McQueen said.

The NHS was already short of 100,000 nurses, doctors and other medics before the pandemic struck.

Unions say repeated Covid waves have demoralised staff, and that the threat of firing unvaccinated medics  a move No10 has since backtracked on  would have only exacerbated the workforce crisis.

It comes as NHS England today unveiled plans to hire tens of thousands of reservists to help tackle the backlog for routine operations.

Currently, 6.1million people in England are stuck on NHS waiting lists, with the figure expected to double by March 2024.

Critics say it is essential to hire more staff to have any hope of tackling the backlog.

Data from NHS England shows one in nine people in the country were waiting for routine treatment  such as joint replacement and cataract surgery  or diagnostic tests at the end of December

Queues for routine operations are expected to peak in 2024 at around 10.7million in the most pessimistic scenario, modelling from the NHS shows. It is because the health service expects many patients who missed operations to now come forward for care

Grilled by MPs about how to solve the workforce crisis, Ms McQueen said: 'There are some things we can start to do that enable flexible working.'

She highlighted how they were 'inundated' with frontline nurses applying to roles to work on Test and Trace early on in the pandemic.

Nicola McQueen, chief executive officer at NHS Professionals, said hospital doctors should be permitted to work from home as a 999 call handler one day a week to retain staff

Ms McQueen said: 'They got to work from home, they had headsets, we trained them to contact trace and our clinicians loved it.

'Except we didn't want them doing that, we wanted them in our hospitals.

'There is some respite for our workforce if we can get this right, where we can mobilise our workforce out of being in hospitals, five days a week, 12 hours a day, to do one day from home, 111 services, 999 services.

'We need clinicians in this country across the board and I think we can do more to move them around.'

Around 1.3million people currently work for NHS England, roughly 50,000 more than last year.

But the health service still had 40,000 vacancies for nurses before Omicron struck, and 9,000 doctors.

The Health Foundation previously said plans to bring down waiting lists and fully recover after the pandemic will continue to be undermined unless staffing problems were addressed.

NHS launches war on cancer campaign and urges ANYONE with any concerning symptoms to get checked as soon as possible Anyone with concerning symptoms should see their GP immediately, a new NHS cancer campaign urged today. NHS chiefs are aiming to catch 100,000 more cancer cases early every year, after many services were put on standby during the pandemic. About nine in ten people who go for checks for the illness do not have the disease, medics say. But catching cancer early ensures it is easier to treat. Yet two-fifths of Britons would ignore tell-tale warning signs such as unexplained pain, blood in urine and weight loss rather than seeking help. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: 'We want to allay people's fear about cancer and encourage them to get checked without delay. 'We know that many people don't want to burden or bother anyone with their health concerns, but we would always prefer to see you sooner with a cancer that is easier to treat, than later with one that isn't.' Advertisement

NHS England bosses today launched plans to hire thousands of reservists to help the health service, such as by assisting people who are being discharged from hospital or helping with the Covid vaccination rollout.

Britons can register their interest in becoming a reservist through a website being launched today.

No previous experience is needed and full training will be provided. But the health service has encouraged people interested in a career in the NHS or former staff to come forward.

Their local hospitals and NHS services can then call on the bank of extra workers when needed, depending on staff requirements and pressures in their area.

Reservists will be paid in line with the role they are doing and supported by existing staff.

The scheme has already seen 17,000 people sign up across five sites as part of a pilot last year.

Speaking at the annual Nuffield Trust health summit today, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: 'Reservists will help us in our time of need but also help those who want a rewarding career in the health service  the roles are flexible and can fit around your lifestyle.

'The challenges for the NHS are far from over  and as we now pull out all the stops to recover services, we once again need the public's support.

'So if you want to help your community by helping your local NHS  search NHS Reservists today  your NHS needs you.'

Frank Shannon, an NHS reservist from Norwich, has been working two to three shifts per week at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

He helps with the vaccination rollout by preparing vaccine doses before they are injected.

The RAF veteran and qualified nurse said: 'The support has been excellent and well organised, and we have been provided with all the training required through a combination of online modules and practical life support training in person.

'I was delighted to have the opportunity to support wherever I could. It has been very rewarding to be part of the team and hope to be so for some time yet.

'All health care personnel have an inner drive and motivation to help people. I just wanted to do my bit, help out in any way, not let my clinical skills go to waste, and be part of a team again.'

Emma Holmes, a retail worker of 25 years became a reservist after being furloughed, helping with the NHS' vaccination drive at her local vaccine centre.

She said: 'I thought it was a really good opportunity to support with the Covid situation while gaining different skills, and hopefully helping me go through to a different route in my career.

'There were lots of opportunities to help in different roles which meant I could try out different areas in the NHS to find out where my skills were most suited.'
Russia is issuing a stark warning to America not to build up or maintain nuclear capacities or military facilities in former Soviet bloc nations as Congress prepares to pass a bill next week that would send up to $10 billion more in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Moscow's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said U.S. nuclear weapons should have already been returned to American soil from European states like Romania and Poland.

'It is unacceptable for us that U.S. nuclear weapons still remain in a number of European states in contradiction to the basic points of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,' he was quoted by TASS as saying during a video address Tuesday to the Geneva conference on disarmament.

'The bad practice of joint nuclear missions with the participation of non-nuclear NATO states continues. During such missions, the use of nuclear weapons against Russia is being practiced,' Lavrov continued. 'U.S. nuclear weapons must have long been returned home, and the corresponding infrastructure in Europe must have long been eliminated.'

President Biden is poised, according to The New York Times, to take credit during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night for the sweeping global sanctions that hit Russia following its full-scale invasion into Ukraine last week.

His address was supposed to focus on his domestic agenda, especially after he failed to get through Congress his Build Back Better plan, but with the waging conflict between Russia and Ukraine, priorities have shifted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (on screen) said during a video address to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday that U.S. nuclear capabilities need to be removed from European countries

Diplomats and ambassadors walked out as Lavrov's pre-recorded message played and said: 'It is unacceptable for us that U.S. nuclear weapons still remain in a number of European states in contradiction to the basic points of the Non-Proliferation Treaty'

The warning comes as Biden (left) prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night and take credit for the massive global response to Russia invading Ukraine. Biden also said Monday that Americans should not fear nuclear war with Russia after Putin (right) put his country's nuclear forces on high alert

Kyiv endured another night of bombing on Monday before satellite images revealed the huge column of tanks headed for the city, with Putin's men trying to cut off the capital and bomb it into submission

A convoy of Russian tanks, artillery pieces, fighting vehicles and support trucks now stretches all the way from Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv, to the village of Prybirs'k some 40 miles away (part of the convoy is seen, right)

And while Biden has received praise for his response to Russia's invasion, there are many who still say he isn't doing enough to directly punish President Vladimir Putin for ignoring western warnings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emotional appeal Tuesday for his country to be admitted to the European Union as it endures an increasingly bloody onslaught by Russia.

He raised a one-fisted salute and declared 'glory to Ukraine' as the European parliament gave him a long round of applause.

The Ukrainian president addressed parliamentarians in Brussels via video from Kyiv, which is currently facing down a 40-mile convoy of Russian tanks and artillery seemingly intent on surrounding and bombing the city into submission.

Zelensky urged the EU to recognize Ukraine as a member - a move sure to infuriate Putin - saying his nation has 'proved that we are your equals' and it is now time to 'prove that you are at our side'.

Congress is preparing to pass a bill next week sending up to $10 billion in humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine as it continues to face a full-scale attack from Russia. Ukrainian emergency service personnel gather outside City Hall following shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Tuesday, March 1

'Glory to Ukraine': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a one-fisted salute to the European parliament as he makes an impassioned plea to join the bloc as his country faces down an increasingly bloody Russian invasion

The body gave Zelensky a standing ovation. Pictured: EU Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen applauds the end of Zelensky's speech, after he said that Ukrainians were sacrificing their lives for the freedoms that Europe represents and pleaded for his country to be admitted to the European Union

It came as Ukraine claimed that Belarusian troops have now entered the war, as Russia's close ally helps tighten the noose.

'I can no longer say hello or good evening because every day is the last day,' he added. 'Lives are being sacrificed for values, for rights, for freedom, to have the same equality that you enjoy. We will win, I'm sure. I would like to hear you say that Ukraine's choice to be part of Europe is also your choice. We want to be members of the EU. Without you, Ukraine will be alone.'

Putin put Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on high alert on Sunday, but Biden assured on Monday that Americans that they should not be worried about nuclear war.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki later said the White House sees 'no reason' to change its nuclear posture.

'We think provocative rhetoric like this is dangerous, adds to the risk of miscalculation, should be avoided, and we'll not indulge in it,' Psaki said during her daily press briefing.

'We are assessing President Putin's directive and at this time we see no reason to change our own alert levels,' she continued.

Putin reasoned that 'aggressive statements' by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led him to ratchet up his nuclear defenses, which raised concerns that the invasion of Ukraine could intentionally or mistakenly lead to a global nuclear war.

With the March 11 funding deadline quickly approaching, the House and Senate appropriation committees are on track to pass a hugh omnibus spending bill for Fiscal Year 2022 next week that will include billions in aid in Ukraine.

The price tag could reach as high as $10 billion for a mix of humanitarian and military aid, lawmakers revealed.

In classified congressional briefings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, lawmakers were warned about Ukraine's weapons shortage.

Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova met with senators Monday evening to ask for an immediate shipment of more weapons to Kyiv, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

U.S. forces were sent to Romania and Poland  as well as other Baltic states  to help bolster forces in NATO ally countries in the midst of Russia's attack on Ukraine. U.S. Army paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division unload humanitarian goods in Jasionka, Poland on February 25 in preparation for evacuees from Ukraine

'It's no secret that they need more help,' Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told reporters. 'They've got the weapons they need right now, but they're going to run out soon.'

'We've got to get a supplemental passed quickly,' he urged.

Murphy, a senator from Connecticut who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, revealed on Twitter after a 'classified briefing on Ukraine' that the U.S. is working with its allies in order to seize Putin's assets.

'The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putin's inner circle anticipated,' Murphy wrote on Twitter noting that it was just 'a few takeaways that I can share.'

Ge shared a few other nuggets in the Twitter thread, including that Russia has fallen behind on their timeline for invasion due to 'fierce' Ukrainian resistance as well as failure of Moscow's equipment and logistics.

'Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security are pressing hard for Congress to end the continuing resolution and get a budget passed. There is no way for our national security agencies to be nimble enough to support Ukraine if they are operating on the 2020/21 budget,' Murphy added in a follow-up tweet.
A woman was arrest for her alleged role in the shocking hammer attack of a New York City Health Department scientist at a city subway stop after the suspect spent $19 with the victim's credit card.

Denise Alston, 57, of Queens, was arrested Friday night after police said she used Nina Rothschild's credit card a day after the 58-year-old city employee was kicked down the stairs and bashed in the head with a hammer 13 times at the Queens Plaza station in Long Island City.

On Sunday, police had arrest 57-year-old career criminal William Blount, whose criminal record goes back to the 1980s, for the assault, but found Alston in possession of Rothchild's credit cards, store cards and NYC ID.

Alston was charged with criminal possession of stolen property, larceny and identify theft and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Blount - who faces attempted murder, robbery and assault charges - has a lengthy criminal record and had broken his ankles while attempting a prison break in South Carolina after a guard was murdered in 2000, NBC reported.

William Blount, pictured center, was arrested on Sunday in connection to the hammer attack of a New York City Health Department scientist last week. Blount is a career criminal who spent more than a decade in prison for back-to-back crimes in NYC and South Carolina

Pictured: Nina Rothschild, the 58-year-old NYC Department of Health employee who was kicked down the stairs and had her head repeatedly hit a hammer. A se

Blount allegedly kicked Rothchild down the stairs at the Queens Plaza subway station in Long Island City and proceeded to pull out a hammer and attack her

Police said Blount had been arrested multiple times in the 1980s for robberies and drug crimes in New York City and South Carolina.

Records show Blount served three years in prison for attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in Queens and was paroled in March 1990, the New York Daily News reported.

Months later, Blount was arrested for attempted robbery and served two years in jail and was released on June 1993.

Blount went on to attempt another robbery was arrested in 1994, serving six years until he was released, again, in March 2000.

Four months later, the convict went down to South Carolina and broke into a Bojangles restaurant in Richland County with his brother-in-law and kidnapped two employees, forcing them to open the safe, NBC reported.

Blount attempted a prison escape for that sentence on September 17, 2000, after inmates killed a guard as part of a larger jailbreak. He tried to join the escape, but broke both his ankles jumping off the prison roof.

He was quickly caught and charged with conspiracy to escape.

The career criminal, who now uses a cane to walk, did not appear to have another crime on record until his brutal assault on Rothchild last week.

Surveillance footage from outside the station in Queens Plaza, in Long Island City, showed a man, reported to be Blount, walking with a cane as he approached Rothschild, who carefully walked down the stairs to the subway platform last Thursday at 11.22 pm.

Blount reportedly began by kicking her in the back and attempting to knock her over, but when Rothschild stays on her feet and appears to try and slowly flee, he pulls out a hammer, according to authorities.

Police said he then proceeded to bash her in the head 13 times while she struggled, with the final hit knocking her over.

Blount reportedly stole two cellphones, debit cards, credit cards and an unknown amount of money from Rothschild, according to police, who was taken to nearby Weill Cornell Medical in critical condition.

The attack comes just one week after Adams announced his Subway Safety Plan initiative and deployed 1,000 additional officers, as well as teams of health workers, to crack down on rising crime in the subways.

Surveillance footage from outside the station in Queens Plaza, in Long Island City, showed a man, reported to be Blount, walking with a cane

He bashed her head 13 times with the weapon and stole her purse

The suspect walks out slowly from the subway, with both cane and hammer in hand

Police escort Blount, 57, after his arrest on Sunday for allegedly attacking Nina Rothschild, also 57, at a Queens subway station on Thursday

Blount, pictured being taken to the back of a police car, has a half-dozen prior arrests including charges of robbery and criminal possession of a controlled substance

The attack is the latest in a string of stabbings and robberies that have occurred in the past week in New York City's subway system, which serves more than 3 million people daily

Adams said NYPD officers would be deployed on the A, E, 1, 2, N and R lines to ensure public safety.

Both the E and R trains run through the Queens Plaza Station where Thursday night's attack occurred. The station is in the eastern-end of Long Island City, an affluent area home to many young professionals and where Amazon considered opening its second headquarters back in 2019.

An MTA worker at the station told the New York Post he was surprised about the attack in the community.

'Look around, they've done a lot with this area, so it's usually pretty safe,' he said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the new Subway Safety Plan initiative on Friday as a way to crackdown on crime and violence in the city's transit system

Under Adams' plan, officers and service workers would be part of 'End of the Line' teams with officers to make sure the trains are cleared during their final stops.

The health workers would be there to help the mentally ill and guide them to the city's support services, while the officers are directed to enforce laws against laying down, sleeping, outstretching, littering, drug use and aggressive behavior towards riders.

The plan came after a spate of recent crimes committed by homeless individuals, including a break-dancer who was stabbed by a homeless man last Thursday and Michelle Go's murder, where the 40-year-old was pushed beneath a train last month by a homeless man with a history of mental illness.

'Let's be clear on this, [the homeless] are not dangerous,' Adams said. 'The vast majority are not dangerous, but we have to be honest about the number of individuals dealing with mental health crises. They are dangerous to themselves and dangerous to New Yorkers.'

The mayor's plan received support from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who said the state would deliver 600 new psychiatric beds and another 500 beds at shelters in the city to try and provide help for those currently living in the subways, many of whom suffer from severe mental illness.

'We will accomplish what new Yorkers deserve, and that is a safe ride on our subway system while also recognizing the very real humanitarian crisis that has been unfolding before our eyes for far too long.'

The city has deployed an additional 1,000 officers to patrol the subway system starting Friday

Thursday's attack happened at the Queens Plaza Station, which services the E and R lines that were supposed to be enforced better under the Mayor's plan. An MTA worker at the station said he was shocked to learn about the attack because the area is usual safe

But despite their efforts, crime continues to plague the city's transit system, which serves more than 3 million people every day.

New York City subway stabbings and slashings have spiked 29 percent in the last last year, with 182 incidents compared to 141 a year before in 2020.

And 2022 is squaring up to be even worse. So far this year there have been 27 subway attacks on passengers - a 35 percent increase on the 20 reported for the same period of 2021.

One of the latest victims, a Trader Joe's employee named Kevin Young, was repeatedly slashed across the face, hand and behind the ear after accidentally bumping into into a disturbed passenger on February 12.

The incident occurred around 5:45 am at the Union Square subway station on East 14th street as Young tried to step off a southbound Q train on his way to work to begin his 6 am shift.

'Subway crime is out of control,' fumed Young, 36, to the New York Post.

'He's trying to get on the train and I'm trying to get out and after a shoving match he goes for his blade,' Young recalled.

'I tried to defend myself as much as possible. As soon as I held him down, he got his blade and went to work.'

New York City has seen a nearly 50 percent spike in criminal incidents this year when compared to the same span in 2021. Felony assaults have increased by more than 20 percent, while shootings are up by a marked 30 percent

Evelina Rivera, a 30-year-old chef, was struck by a homeless man wielding a metal pole on her way home from her shift on Monday morning

What does Adams's subway safety plan for NYC look like? The mayor's plan lays out how the Adams administration, in partnership with the MTA and other state entities, will confront these concurrent challenges on New York City's subway systems. Investments in people will provide immediate support and protection to New Yorkers, while investments in places like drop-in-centers, safe havens, stabilization beds, and Street Homeless Outreach Wellness vans, as well as policy changes at local, state, and federal levels will provide medium- and long-term solutions. These include: Deploying up to 30 Joint Response Teams that bring together DHS, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYPD, and community-based providers in high-need locations across the city

Training NYPD officers in the city's subway system to enforce the MTA and New York City Transit Authority's rules of conduct in a fair and transparent way

Expanding Behavioral Health Emergency Assistance Response Division 'B-HEARD' teams to six new precincts, more than doubling the precincts covered to 11. These teams will expand on the already-successful pilot of answering non-violent 911 mental health calls with mental health professionals

Incorporating medical services into DHS sites serving individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Expanded DHS Safe Havens and stabilization bed programs will offer on-site physical and behavioral health care to immediately address clients' needs

Immediately improving coordination across government with weekly 'Enhanced Outreach Taskforce' meetings that bring together senior leaders from 13 city and state agencies to address issues quickly

Creating new Drop-in-Centers to provide an immediate pathway for individuals to come indoors, and exploring opportunities to site Drop-in-Centers close to key subway stations to directly transition individuals from trains and platforms to safe spaces

Streamlining the placement process into supportive housing and reducing the amount of paperwork it takes to prove eligibility

Calling on state government to expand psychiatric bed resources and amending Kendra's Law to improve mental health care delivery for New Yorkers on Assisted Outpatient Treatment

Requiring  instead of requesting  everyone to leave the train and the station at the end of the line Advertisement

Young required 25 stitches to close his wounds, and underwent surgery at Bellevue Hospital on Thursday to fix some nerve damage in his left middle finger that he sustained during the attack.

'And I have to get pin plates inserted into my right index finger so the bones could grow back,' he groaned.

His assailant, who has yet to be identified or arrested as of Saturday, was last seen wearing a black jacket, black jeans, black Adidas bag and eyeglasses, police said.

The attack on Young comes just days after a 39-year-old woman was slashed in the forehead by another woman with a boxcutter while traveling on a 5 train at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue.

On Monday, just hours before Adams' safety plan was set to go in effect, one man was attacked with a hatchet and a woman had her nose ring crushed by a homeless man wielding a metal pipe.

The first of the brutal attacks on Monday came at around 12.30 a.m. when Kyle Westby, 42, was on his way home from a late dinner out with his girlfriend when he arrived at the Prospect Heights station and saw two men, one of whom asked 'Why are you staring at me,' the New York Post reports.

'I saw him reach into his jacket and pull out a brown object,' Westby told the Post. 'He swung at me, and I ran away, so I ran up the stairs and thank God the cops were there.

'I said 'Officers, this man swung at me with an ax.' Immediately, they went down and apprehended him.'

Police report they took Robert Griffith, 58, into custody following the attack, and charged him with attempted assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon, saying Griffith also allegedly had a punch dagger and screwdriver.

Hours later, Evelina Rivera, a 30-year-old chef, was struck by a homeless man wielding a metal pole on her way home from her shift.

She was on her way home on a No. 4 train heading to the Bronx at 2.39 a.m. when a homeless man, who had earlier poured honey over himself, asked her and another female passenger: 'Oh would you guys just shut the f*** up?'

'We're like, 'Anyway,' and we keep talking, and he's like 'I'll make you shut up,' she told the Post.

At that point, she said, the man tried to strike the other woman, 'misses her by a millimeter' and instead broke the subway window, as the would-be victim used pepper spray to blind him.

Unable to see, Rivera said, the man started swinging wildly and 'hit me so hard the ball came out of my [septum] piercing. It's crooked.'

Rivera said she was 'about to have a panic attack' following the attack,' and she and the other woman got off at the next stop to report the incident to police.

But when the cops showed up, the Post reports, they patrolled the subway to look for the suspect, who is described as having facial piercings and was last seen wearing all black, but were unable to find him.

Several other New Yorkers were also attacked in vicious slashings over the weekend, with some subway stops roped off by police as blood stained the walls.

In the aftermath, MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said the attacks should not be considered 'normal.'

'People who would prey on New Yorkers riding transit should get the message that it's not going to be tolerated,' he said in a statement to the New York Times, adding they 'underscore the urgent need' for the new safety plan.

A spokesman for the mayor, Fabien Levy, also said that Adams strongly condemned the attacks, noting that they 'shouldn't be subject to sweeping generalizations.'

'We should not conflate such isolated acts of violence on the subway with broad statements about the behavioral and mental health challenges the city is confronting, or the issue of aiding those experiencing homeless that the mayor's plan directly addresses.'
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin has doubled down on his progressive viewpoints, claiming that being tough-on-crime does not work  despite soaring offenses in the city.

The woke prosecutor, who faces a recall election on June 7, claimed his opposition is driven by police who are 'out to get him' and lashed out at billionaire backer of the recall vote William Oberndorf who he said has a vendetta against him.

Speaking to the New York Times, Boudin also falsely stated that the recall signatures weren't verified, despite the election being approved by the San Francisco Department of Elections.

'We have to recognize that the tough-on-crime approach has had lots of opportunities to reduce recidivism rates, and it hasn't worked,' Boudin told the news outlet in an interview.

Boudin spent much of the interview claiming that police are to blame for the city's spike in crime for not making more arrests  despite his own record of only charging suspects in half of all theft cases in 2020, his first year in office.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin has claimed that a tough-on-crime approach does not work to prevent crime  despite soaring offenses in the city

Crimes in San Francisco like larceny theft and rape have surged this year in the week leading to February 27, the SFPD's most recent data, as compared to last year. Overall crime has spiked by 0.5% in the same period

Boudin's parents belonged to left wing militant group the Weather Underground and served decades-long prison sentences for their roles in a 1981 robbery of a Brink's armored car that killed two police officers and a guard.

After his parents' arrests, Boudin was raised by Bill Ayers, an education academic, and Bernardine Dohrn, a lawyer, both of who were former members of the same radical progressive group.

Boudin's opposition to cracking down on rampant crime was evident when he went against Mayor London Breed in December for her response to the Tenderloin neighborhood, which has been long-plagued by drug use and homelessness.

Breed declared a state of emergency in Tenderloin to bolster its police presence, but faced backlash from people like Boudin who claimed increased law enforcement wouldn't improve conditions.

Boudin's opposition to cracking down on rampant crime was evident when he went against Mayor London Breed in December for bolstering police presence in the troubled Tenderloin neighborhood

Boudin claimed the his recall is being driven by dissenters like billionaire backer William Oberndorf, who he said has a vendetta against him

She argued that Boudin does not understand what the residents of Tenderloin are facing because he did not grow up with 'these unfortunately traumatizing experiences in communities where there's not trust with the police, but also there's a desire to be safe.'

Boudin told the New York Times that Breed has an 'incentive' to support the recall because she is responsible for appointing his replacement.

He also accused her of shifting the blame to him for issues like the Tenderloin crisis, though she only spoke out about his opposition to her state of emergency declaration.

'She has the budget of a city and a county combined. The resources are immense, and with those resources come high expectations  When you have that much power, if people are upset, it's convenient to have a place to shift the blame,' he said.

'If you are someone who believes in a tough-on-crime deterrence model of the justice system or public safety, then that model must begin with the police making arrests in a high percentage of cases,' he said.

'With theft in San Francisco, people believe they can get away with it because only 2% of reported thefts result in arrest. We can hang people in the town square, but the most effective thing at deterring crime is certainty of arrest,' Boudin said, adding that it 'has nothing to do with my policies.'

In many theft cases, however, incidents go unreported and suspects are free to go because theft of property worth less than $950 in value was downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor due to the 2014 passage of Proposition 47, a ballot referendum known as the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.

Boudin blamed Walgreens for being targeted by shoplifters, saying that security guards don't apprehend suspects. Above, a security guard is attempting to stop a thief during a January 29th incident

Boudin also claimed that the San Francisco Police Officers Association has a vendetta against him and is one of the major influencers of support for the recall.

'The police union has been out to get me since before Day 1,' he said, referencing fliers funded by the union calling Boudin 'the #1 choice of criminals and gang members.'

'It is a dereliction of duty by those other members who, instead of doing their job well, tell the victims that they can't do anything because they don't like the district attorney.'

Police have reportedly said they don't make arrests in certain cases because they know the district attorney won't prosecute the suspect, not because 'they don't like the district attorney.'

The petition to recall Boudin has garnered 83,000 signatures, but the prosecutor denied that the numbers were accurate when asked by the New York Times.

'It's more complicated. It's a self-reported number of signatures. That number has never been audited or validated,' he claimed, though the San Francisco Department of Elections approves a recall by verifying a sample group of signatures, not each signature, and has approved Boudin's recall.

The district attorney also tried to discredit the signatures by arguing that those who signed were misled by paid professional signature gatherers, despite not citing any evidence that this took place.

Boudin also allegedly mischaracterized an interaction with billionaire recall backer William Oberndorf at a meeting in 2019. 'He said he would support me if I would oppose San Francisco's sanctuary-city policy,' Boudin told the New York Times.

'I said I couldn't do that. He got very angry, and when someone has the kind of money that he has, he can express his anger in a recall context, and that's exactly what he's doing.'

Oberndorf recounted a completely different experience when asked about the meeting by the New York Times, saying that he never suggested any kind of quid pro quo over San Francisco's sanctuary-city policy and his opinions of Boudin.

Former homicide prosecutor Brooke Jenkins said she supported Boudin's efforts to reduce prison sentences and address racial biases, but recently resigned and supported the recall effort because of what she called 'mismanagement' and 'low morale' caused by Boudin

Asked about San Francisco's rampant shoplifting, Boudin claimed it has 'nothing to do with me or my policies' because other cities have similar issues

He also said that the recall is not a 'grass-roots movement' and claimed that backers like Oberndorf and national Republican major donors are tilting the scales against him. Supporters of Boudin's recall range also include some Democrats and former progressive prosecutors from his own office.

Former homicide prosecutor Brooke Jenkins said she supported Boudin's efforts to reduce prison sentences and address racial biases, but recently resigned and supported the recall effort because of what she called 'mismanagement' and 'low morale' caused by Boudin.

'It's my perception that Chesa lacks a desire to actually and effectively prosecute crime, in any fashion. While he ran on a platform of being progressive and reform focused, his methodology to achieving that is simply to release individuals early or to offer very lenient plea deals,' she told the New York Times.

Asked about San Francisco's rampant shoplifting, which Walgreens attributed as the reason for closing five of its Bay Area stores earlier this year, Boudin claimed it has 'nothing to do with me or my policies' because other cities have similar issues.

'The reality is that's a feature of modern American urban life, in large part because of the horrific wealth inequalities, the poverty, the lack of access to housing, the internet marketplaces where people can resell stolen products,' he said.

He then blamed Walgreens for being targeted, saying: 'The major change that has happened when it comes to retail theft in particular is that stores like Walgreens have decided it's not in their interest to have their security detain shoplifters.'

Walgreens policy advises security guards against apprehending shoplifters and risking injury or litigation. Though even if security guards held a shoplifter long enough for police to make an arrest, the suspect would only be charged with a misdemeanor if the amount stolen was less than $950.

James, self-proclaimed' old-school junkie' who moved from Texas to San Francisco because 'it's f*****g easy' to be homeless there, claims he's being paid by the city government to be homeless on the streets, getting $620 in cash per month

Homelessness in the Bay Area has become such a problem people are being urged to give their spare rooms over to the homeless

A woman is slumped over in a wheelchair, preparing to inject a needle into her thigh, at a new 'linkage center' that opened in San Francisco last month, aimed at connecting homeless street addicts with drug rehab facilities

San Francisco's charging rates for weapons-related offenses dropped 10% in Boudin's first year, going from 58% in DA George Gascon's final year to 48%, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

He defended his record by saying that he is more concerned with preventative measures in illegal gun offenses rather than punishing suspects.

He gave one example and said: 'In San Francisco, instead of waiting for the police to make an arrest in homicides involving a ghost gun and punishing the individual that committed the harm, we are suing the ghost-gun companies and asking the courts to prohibit them from shipping their weapons into our community.'

In addition to soaring shoplifting rates, San Francisco has also been plagued by homelessness and rampant, public drug use.

A self-proclaimed' old-school junkie' said earlier this month that he moved from Texas to San Francisco because 'it's f*****g easy' to be homeless there, claiming he's being paid $620 in cash per month by the city government to live on the streets.

'This right now is literally by choice, literally by choice. If we're going to be realistic, they pay you to be homeless here,' James, a homeless man with face tattoos who has been living in San Francisco since June, told Michael Shellenberger, author of 'San Fransicko,' a book about how the city's progressive leaders are worsening homelessness, inequality and crime.

James said it only took one phone call to receive government assistance, including hundreds in cash and food stamps worth approximately $100, and notes that the 'free money' is motivation to remain homeless.

James said the drug crisis in San Francisco has become incredibly 'disgusting,' with dealers providing impure substances to users who then overdose because they take drugs alone.

A new 'linkage center' aimed at connecting homeless street addicts with drug rehab facilities opened in San Francisco last month, but distressing images show an open-air illicit drug consumption site that is now littered with needles and crowded with addicts shooting up in broad daylight.

The center, which opened on January 18, is part of Breed's Tenderloin Emergency Intervention plan introduced in December, which aims to clean up the crime-ravaged downtown neighborhood. When declaring the state of emergency, Breed also pushed San Francisco officers to get aggressive and 'less tolerant of all the bulls*** that has destroyed our city.'
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Oligarchs are sailing their yachts to international safe havens like the Maldives as the West tightens sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine - as Boris Johnson said: 'I think their silence is inexplicable'.

A luxury yacht belonging to a US-sanctioned billionaire reached the Maldives today, according to officials, with more Russian-owned boats reportedly headed to the Indian Ocean archipelago seeking safe haven from possible asset seizures.

Multiple international sanctions have been imposed on Russia in the wake of its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, raising the prospect of confiscation of yachts belonging to its billionaires, several of whom are close to President Vladimir Putin.

The state-run Maldives Ports Limited confirmed that the pleasure craft Clio, holding the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) registration 9312535, dropped anchor near the capital Male on Monday.

The Cayman Islands-registered vessel is owned by aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska, who was sanctioned by the United States in 2018. A total of 20,973 Russians visited the Maldives in January, the largest single group, while Ukrainians were sixth with 7,210.

A CNBC report said at least two other vessels owned by Russian oligarchs were heading to the Maldives, which has no extradition treaty with the United States. Maldives Ports also confirmed to AFP that the superyacht Titan, holding IMO number 1010478 and owned by steel magnate Alexander Abramov, was anchored in Male.

Britain's Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today targeted Russian oligarchs and their opulent yachts by banning all Russian shipping from using UK ports.

Mr Shapps made the move amid concern about a Russian oil tanker scheduled to dock in Orkney on Tuesday.

Boris Johnson was on Tuesday asked what he thought of the failure of most Russian oligarchs to speak out against the war on Ukraine.

In response, he told ITV: 'I think that their silence is inexplicable, and I think that people need to step up and denounce this act of aggression, and those oligarchs who have connections with the Putin regime and who are benefiting from their association with the Russian state, we are going to expose and distrain their assets.'

Vladimir Putin today moved to block foreign companies pulling out of Russia and keep their cash to prop up their imploding war economy after BP and Shell pledged to sell up 15billion ($20bn) of joint ventures following the invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced a presidential order had been signed as Western countries stepped up sanctions, the rouble crashed to an all-time low and Russians queued night and day to pull cash from ATMs amid a run on the banks.

Below, MailOnline examines nine oligarchs and the super-yachts that they own.

These are the locations of yachts owned by major Russian oligarchs based on the latest available information

Roman Abramovich

Net worth: $14.5billion

Yacht(s): Eclipse ($1bn); Solaris ($600m)

Who is he?

Mr Abramovich is most well-known as being the owner of Premier League football club Chelsea.

Mr Abramovich has never held UK citizenship and made his money selling assets purchased from the state when the Soviet Union broke up.

He vehemently denies he is close to the Kremlin or has done anything that would merit sanctions being imposed against him.

Abramovich is most well-known as being the owner of Premier League football club Chelsea. Mr Abramovich has never held UK citizenship and made his money selling assets purchased from the state when the Soviet Union broke up

He arrived at Chelsea in 2003 and transformed the team from outside challengers to a Premier League giant with the help of managers including Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti.

The bulk of Abramovich's UK wealth is to be found in Evraz, a steel and mining giant listed on the London stock market.

As well as a huge property portfolio, he also owns a series of superyachts, including the $600million Solaris - which has a missile detection system - and the $1billion Eclipse.

According to the latest information, Solaris is moored in Barcelona and Eclipse is in the Caribbean.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's $1billion Eclipse is believed to be in the Caribbean. This picture shows it off the coast of Turkey in 2014

Abramovich has a second yacht, Solaris, which cost $600m, and is currently in Barcelona. This photo shows it during early sea trials in Germany

Abramovich announced on Saturday that 'stewardship and care' of Chelsea was being handed over to trustees of the club's charitable foundation.

On Tuesday, an MP claimed that Abramovich was selling his properties in the UK to avoid potential financial sanctions.

Labour's Chris Bryant told the House of Commons: 'I think he [Abramovich] is terrified of being sanctioned, which is why he's already going to sell his home tomorrow, and sell another flat as well.

'My anxiety is that we're taking too long about these things.'

On Monday, Mr Abramovich was named as an unlikely broker in a deal to end the war in Ukraine and reportedly arrived in Belarus to assist in peace talks that ended without resolution.

The Russian-Israeli billionaire is believed to have flown to the eastern European country ahead of the talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials.

His role as a broker in the talks has been confirmed by his spokesman, who claimed the mega-rich businessman had become involved after a request from the Jewish community in Kyiv.

Alexey Mordashov is worth around 14billion, with business interests in tourism, gold mining and engineering

Alexey Mordashov

Net worth: $29.1billion

Yacht(s): Nord ($500million)

Mr Mordashov is worth around 14billion, with business interests in tourism, gold mining and engineering.

In 2016, the son of two steel workers was reported to be Russia's richest man.

Mr Mordashov is the main shareholder and chairman of Severstal, one of Russia's largest steelmakers.

The married father-of-six also owns a stake in tourism business TUI Group and is a Bolshoi Theatre council member.

He also has stakes in gold mining and engineering firms and grew up in Cherepovets, 230 miles north of Moscow.

Mr Mordashov is also known to be a friend of Vladimir Putin, with the two previously pictured together.

On Monday, Mr Mordashov was among oligarchs added to the EU's sanctions blacklist, along with Igor Sechin, head of state oil giant Rosneft, and Nikolay Tokarev, boss of pipeline mammoth Transneft.

Mr Mordashov's $500million superyacht Nord is now moored in the Seychelles in the Caribbean.

Alexey Mordashov is the owner of Nord (pictured), a superyacht which is worth around $500million. Mr Mordashov is the main shareholder and chairman of Severstal, one of Russia's largest steelmakers

Mr Molchanov, 50, owns a controlling stake in LSR Group, which is Russia's largest producer of construction materials

Andrey Molchanov

Net worth: $1.2B

Yacht(s): Aurora ($120m)

Mr Molchanov, 50, owns a controlling stake in LSR Group, which is Russia's largest producer of construction materials.

According to Forbes, his company is also one of Russia's leading real estate developers, with a portfolio of nearly 840million square feet of space.

The billionaire is a native of St Petersburg, where his stepfather worked as a vice governor.

Mr Molchanov's yacht, Aurora, has the same name as the Russian navy ship which played a role in the 1917 October Revolution.

The modern Aurora was built in Germany and delivered to its owner in 2017.

It is now moored in Barcleona.

Mr Molchanov was awarded Russian honour the Order for Merit to the Fatherland after helping to develop St Petersburg.

Mr Molchanov's $120million yacht, Aurora, has the same name as the Russian navy ship which played a role in the 1917 October Revolution

Andrey Kostin

Net worth: $500million approx

Yacht(s): Sea Rhapsody ($65million)

Andrey Kostin is president and chairman of VTB Bank, Russia's second-largest bank, which is controlled by the state and has a London-based subsidiary.

He was named last year by detained Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as someone who should be targeted by Western governments in a bid to curb human-rights abuses by the Russian state.

Mr Kostin, who has close ties to Putin, has previously said that the West is waging an 'economic war' on Russia.

Last month Mr Kostin sailed his superyacht Sea Rhapsody into Barcelona.

Andrey Kostin is president and chairman of VTB Bank, Russia's second-largest bank, which is controlled by the state and has a London-based subsidiary

In 2018, it emerged the Chelsea Flower show had reportedly struggled to find backers, meaning Mr Kostin's firm was been allowed to sponsor a garden.

It was claimed in 2020 that Mr Kostin tried to cover up claims Putin had secretly moved to Sochi during the coronavirus pandemic.

It was reported that the president went so far as to have a replica office built to convince Russians he was still in Moscow.

The Kremlin said a photographed meeting between Putin and VTB Bank head Andrei Kostin on October 29 2020 happened at Novo-Ogaryovo - Putin's state residence outside Moscow - but critics claimed that the encounter actually took place in Sochi.

Alexander Mikheev

Net worth: Unknown

Yacht(s): Lady Anastasia ($7million)

Alexander Mikheev is a former head of the Russian Helicopter Corporation who took over state-owned weapons supplier Rostec six years ago.

On Tuesday, images emerged of a Ukrainian sailor who tried to sink Mr Mikheev's $7million yacht the Lady Anastasia following Russia's invasion of his country.

The 156ft luxury yacht was moored at Pord Adriano in Mallorca when Taras Ostapchuk, 55, opened valves on the vessel because he claimed his boss sells weapons to Putin that are being used to murder and maim his countrymen.

Mr Ostapchuk said he went berserk around midday on Saturday after seeing a helicopter carrying weapons he believes were made by Mr Mikheev's firm attacking an apartment block in Kyiv similar to one where his family live.

Alexander Mikheev is a former head of the Russian Helicopter Corporation who took over state-owned weapons supplier Rostec six years ago

Mr Mikheev owns this $7million yacht the Lady Anastasia. On Tuesday, images emerged of a Ukrainian sailor who tried to sink the vessel

The Lady Anastasia has five luxury cabins (including the onepictured). The damage to the vessel is not yet known

Vagit Alekperov

Net worth: $19.6billion

Yacht(s): Galactica Super Nova ($80million)

Mr Alekperov is the billionaire chairman of Russian energy giant Lukoil.

He rose to his present position from working on an oil rig in the Caspian Sea.

The oligarch set up his firm after taking over three large state-controlled oil fields following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Mr Alekperov owns just under a quarter of Lukoil, which was hit by U.S. sanctions in 2014.

Vagit Alekperov is the billionaire chairman of Russian energy giant Lukoil. He rose to his present position from working on an oil rig in the Caspian Sea

Lukoil is the the third largest company in Russia after state-owned firms Sberbank and Rosneft.

As well as his oil interests, Mr Alekperov co-owns Dutch shipyard Heesen Yachts, which is where his $80million yacht was built in 2016.

According to the New York Post, Mr Alekperov has lost more than $14billion of his personal wealth so far this year, more than any other Russian businessman

Mr Alekperov's yacht, the $80million Super Nova, is moored in Montenegro

Pictured: The Galactica Super Nova $80 million mega-yacht, owned by Russian oil firm CEO Vegit Alekperov

Alexander Abramov

Net worth: $6.1billion

Yacht(s): Titan ($100million)

Mr Abramov is chairman of steel company Evraz, which is part-owned by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

According to Forbes, in 2017 Mr Abramov and Mr Abramovich bought a 24.5 per cent stake in Transcontainer, the largest container railway operator in Russia.

Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Abramov was the head of a research lab.

In 1992, he founded a forerunner to Evraz and made a lot of money exporting metals and coal from the Ural mountains and Siberia.

In 1998, Mr Abramov cheaply bought steel companies that had been hit hard by the Russian financial crisis. They included U.S. firms Claymont Steel and Oregon Steel.

His superyacht, the $100million Titan, is moored in the Maldives.

Alexander Abramov is chairman of steel company Evraz, which is part-owned by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich

Pictured: The Titan mega-yacht, worth $100 million. It is owned by Alexander Abramov, a steel magnate

Oleg Deripaska

Net worth: $3billion

Yacht(s): Queen K ($65million)

Once Russia's richest man, oil tycoon Mr Deripaska came to prominence in the UK when he entertained Labour grandee Lord Mandelson on his yacht in Corfu.

The tycoon  who is close to Mr Putin  quit as a director of Russian energy giant EN+ Group after being targeted by Western sanctions last month.

He owns a house in London's Belgrave Square and is a grandson by marriage to the late leader of the Soviet Union Boris Yeltsin.

Oleg Deripaska came to prominence in the UK when he entertained Labour grandee Lord Mandelson on his yacht in Corfu. Above: Deripaska (left) with fellow oligarch Andrey Kostin

Mr Deripaska's superyacht Clio, which used to be named Queen K, is worth around $65million. It is seen above as Queen K in Bodrum district of Turkey's southwestern province Mugla, Turkey on June 15, 2015

On Tuesday, Mr Deripaska called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.

Along with fellow oligarch Mikhail Fridman, he called for peace talks to take place 'as fast as possible'.

The 54-year-old simply said: 'Peace is very important.'

Mr Deripaska's superyacht Clio, which used to be named Queen K, is worth around $65million. It is now moored in the Maldives.
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Ousted CNN boss Jeff Zucker has been keeping his romance with long-time lover Allison Gollust alive despite the fallout from their 'secret' relationship.

Zucker, 56, and Gollust, 49, have been playing a game of cat and mouse as they pop in and out of blacked-out cars separately to visit their respective homes since they both 'resigned' from CNN, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

DailyMail.com observed the stealthy couple over several days traveling back and forth from their Manhattan apartment buildings for some quality time before finally being spotted together getting into the same SUV.

The sightings come after Zucker stepped down as president of CNN in February for failing to disclose his relationship with Gollust when he was being interviewed as part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo.

Gollust exited her position as CNN's executive vice president and chief marketing officer after 'violating company policy' for 'unethically aiding' Governor Andrew Cuomo by agreeing to a set of questions before his on-air interviews.

Despite the drama, the couple appear to be going strong as Gollust was seen heading to Zucker's place three days in a row last week.

Ousted CNN boss Jeff Zucker, 56, has been keeping his romance with staffer Allison Gollust, 49, alive despite the fallout from their relationship

DailyMail.com spotted the stealthy couple over several days traveling back and forth from their Manhattan homes for some quality time before finally being spotted together getting into the same blacked-out SUV

The sightings come after Zucker stepped down as president of CNN last month for failing to disclose his relationship with Gollust when he was being interviewed as part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo

On Wednesday, Gollust was seen leaving Zucker's home around noon and got some fresh air walking around the Central Park reservoir before getting a taxi and heading back to her Upper East Side apartment

Zucker took a phone call as he visited Magnolia Bakery. Zucker walked to pick up his pastries before returning straight home where Gollust was photographed arriving later that evening

The couple appear to be going to great lengths to keep the relationship lowkey, playing a game of cat and mouse leaving and arriving at their respective homes separately to spend time with each other.

DailyMail.com first spotted Gollust last Tuesday arriving to Zucker's Manhattan home where she spent around four hours.

She then headed back to her apartment around 3pm before meeting up with her beau again around 4pm.

The next day, Gollust was seen leaving Zucker's home at noon and got some fresh air walking around the Central Park reservoir before getting a taxi and heading back to her Upper East Side apartment.

The couple appear nearly inseparable as Gollust was seen leaving Zucker's home for a third day in a row last Thursday.

She wore flared jeans, a black coat and paired it with a black Chanel purse as she got into a taxi.

Zucker and Gollust claim their romance started during the pandemic, but media sources have told DailyMail.com it long predates the pandemic and was an open-secret in the CNN offices.

One source told us 'everyone knew' about the affair and it had been an 'open secret for years.'

It became so much of an issue that Warner Media separated Zucker and Gollust last year, the source claimed.

The couple appear nearly inseparable as Gollust was seen leaving Zucker's home for a third day in a row last Thursday

Gollust wore flared jeans, a black coat and paired it with a Chanel tote as she got into a taxi and headed home after leaving her beau's house

Gollust was seen arriving at Zucker's apartment yet again. She was she was spotted getting out of car with Citarella grocery bags with white flowers sticking out of bag

Zucker is seen arriving to his New York home after running errands. The ex CNN president was wearing a hoodie paired with slippers as he went in to his building

On Monday Gollust spent the day with her two daughters visiting a nail salon and grabbing lunch. Later that evening she headed to Zucker's home. She wore a black puffer coat with a small Chanel bag

Zucker was spotted solo Friday and Saturday as he ran errands.

On Friday Zucker kept it casual in a hoodie and slippers as he went into his apartment building. On Saturday he visited the famous Magnolia Bakery for some treats. Zucker walked to pick up his pastries before returning straight home.

Gollust was seen arriving later that evening.

It wasn't until Monday February 28, that the couple finally stepped out together.

Gollust spent the day with her two daughters and later that evening she headed to Zucker's home.

Around 5.30pm Zucker and Gollust left his home together and stepped into his chauffer-driven Lincoln SUV.

Both previously married, Gollust and Zucker lived in the same apartment building with their respective families, have worked together at NBC and then CNN for more than 20 years, and had what some called an 'uncomfortably cozy' rapport.

'Jeff took Allison to every job he had - after they left NBC, he tried to get her on Katie Couric's show which failed, then he placed her at his friend Governor Cuomo's office, then took her to CNN as soon as he was he got that job all while failing upward along the way,' a source said.

They are both now divorced, and one source told DailyMail.com that their splits were due at least in part to their relationship.

Zucker with his ex-wife Caryn in 2011 (left) and Gollust with her ex-husband Billy Hult (right) in 2008. The pair have known each other and worked together for 20 years, starting at ABC, and media sources say their affair was an 'open secret'

Zucker quit last month as part of the fallout from the firing of former anchor Chris Cuomo, who blew the whistle on his ex-boss' affair in his fight for $18million severance pay he says he is owed.

Chris was fired in December last year after an internal investigation found he had helped his brother Andrew, the former Governor of New York, navigate through a sexual misconduct scandal, while still working as a CNN host.

He is still fighting for $18million - the remainder of his contract - but Zucker had refused to pay out, citing the conflict of interest between Chris' relationship with his brother and his on-air reporting for CNN.

According to Politico, Cuomo's team said it was hypocritical for Zucker to fire Chris for a conflict of interest when he has one of his own in his relationship with Gollust.

'I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn't. I was wrong,' Zucker said in his statement. 'As a result, I am resigning today.'
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into a fake Instagram profile which impersonated a Reclaim These Streets campaigner and shared pornographic images of another woman.

Jamie Klingler was targeted by an unknown person who created a fake Instagram profile which had posted explicit images of an unknown woman purporting to be her.

The images had then been sent to her male followers on her authentic Instagram account, including her father.

The fake account also appeared to link to a porn site called FanCentro, although this turned out to be a fake webpage.

Last month, Miss Klingler reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police, who said at the time that there was no realistic prospect of identifying any suspects and so the crime was closed.

But the force has now decided to launch an investigation into the affair, following a reassessment of the case.

Jamie Klingler was targeted by an unknown person who created a fake Instagram profile which had posted explicit images of an unknown woman purporting to be her. The fake account also appeared to link to a porn site called FanCentro, although this turned out to be a fake webpage

A Met spokesman said: On Tuesday 8 February police received an allegation relating to offensive and indecent images posted on social media. An assessment of the available evidence determined that there was no realistic prospect of identifying any suspects and, as such, the crime was closed.

On Friday 18 February the case was reassessed and an investigation has now been started. The complainant has been made aware of the decision.

Londons Independent Victims Commissioner, Claire Waxman, welcomed the Mets decision to open an investigation.

She said: I am however concerned that it took complaints via social media, pick up from the press, and enquiries from my office for the police to take this action. If we are going to rebuild trust and confidence in the police, victims must be assured that they will receive a positive response and that their complaints will be thoroughly investigated when they report a crime, and not have their reports quickly dismissed.

Its clear from this case, and many others I've been made aware of, that the police are still struggling to fully understand and investigate crimes which are committed online, or have an online element.

Both the police and the CPS need to urgently improve their expertise in this area, as while there are legislative gaps, there are still offences  such as stalking  where they fail to recognise the impact online interactions can have on the victim.

Last month, Miss Klingler reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police, who said at the time that there was no realistic prospect of identifying any suspects and so the crime was closed

Miss Klingler said the case appeared to have fallen into a grey area in the law. As the images were fake, they could not be classed as revenge porn.

She told the i: The law needs to catch up in terms of revenge porn and fraudulent behaviour. There is nothing in the law about misogyny.

The campaigner also set up a Change.org petition to make Instagram prioritise the victims of impersonation, and have fake accounts taken down first and then investigated. The petition has received more than 64,000 signatures.

Reclaim These Streets organised the vigil held in Clapham Common for Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped, raped and murdered by depraved Met cop Wayne Couzens.

Scotland Yard officers clashed with people at the event after the force cancelled the vigil due to Covid restrictions in place at the time.

Reclaim These Streets is currently seeking a judicial review of the forces handling of the incident.
Nuclear engineer Sam Brinton was seen enjoying a relaxing weekend in their Maryland neighborhood amid the buzz surrounding their new role at the Office of Nuclear Energy under the Biden administration.

The 34-year-old scientist, who is the first non-binary person to accept a position in federal government leadership, spent most of the weekend running errands with husband Kevin Rieck near their Rockville home.

Brinton, who lives just outside of Washington, DC, was spotted returning from work Saturday morning, dropping off a rental car before stopping for groceries with their partner.

The pair dressed warmly but casually in puffer jackets and jeans as they picked up some snacks and soft drinks at a local CVS before heading back to their house.

The two were seen stepping out again to walk their dog, Muse, around the neighborhood on Sunday afternoon.

Brinton made headlines in January after proudly announcing on LinkedIn that they had been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Department of Energy.

Nuclear engineer Sam Brinton was seen hitting the road once again on Monday following a low-key weekend at their Rockville, Maryland home

The 34-year-old embraced their science geek side, stepping out in a 'nerdy by nature' graphic t-shirt as they headed to the airport

Brinton, who has a masters degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), wore a colorful zip-up hoodie, red jeans, and sneakers as they loaded a suitcase and handbag to their service car Monday

In addition to being a science nerd, Brinton is also an avid LGBTQ activist and goes by Sister Ray Dee O'Active - a member of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence - a non-profit group of drag queens who dress up as nuns to raise awareness of sexual intolerance and transphobia

An MIT graduate who specializes in nuclear power and energy, Brinton is also an LGBTQ activist who has been open about their advocacy work and unconventional sexual proclivities such as animal role play on social media.

Photos shared online show them wearing American flag heels and a sparkly dress while standing over three people role-playing as dogs.

They are also known to perform as 'Sister Ray Dee O'Active' while participating in a group called the Order of Perpetual Indulgence - a non-profit group of drag queens who dress up as nuns to raise awareness of sexual intolerance and transphobia.

But Brinton dressed down over the weekend, ditching the stilettos and makeup as they spent relaxing, quality time with Rieck and Muse.

As Monday morning came around, they were seen hitting the road once again, headed for the airport with their bags.

Embracing their science geek side this time, Brinton stepped out in a blue graphic tee emblazoned with an image of an atom and the words 'nerdy by nature.'

They matched the shirt with a pair of bright red pants, a colorful patterned zip-up hoodie, and sneakers.

They were alone as they loaded their baggage into a service vehicle.

Brinton has held various roles in the energy field prior to their latest position, and also served as a nuclear waste adviser in the Trump administration, The Washington Examiner reported.

But Brinton appeared to opt for more casual attire over the weekend, ditching the stilettos and makeup as they spent relaxing, quality time with their husband Kevin Rieck (left)

The two stepped out for an afternoon stroll around the neighborhood to walk their dog, Muse

Brinton, who is the first non-binary person to serve in the federal government, has previously spoken about coming out as a middle school student and then being forced to spend two years having conversion therapy

Originally from Iowa, the nuclear engineer now lives in the Maryland-DC area with Rieck. The pair married in 2019

Brinton's past is a colorful one. Born in the 1987, their parents Peggy Jo and Stephen Brinton are Southern Baptists who belong now to the First Baptist Church of Perry, Iowa. The couple have three children - Sam, Rachel and Daniel.

Non-binary Brinton, who goes by they/them pronouns, previously revealed their troubled relationship with their parents, both 57  describing how they were forced to take part in conversion therapy as a teen.

Brinton also recounted how they were told to leave the family home in Perry, Iowa, after coming out to their parents as bisexual for a second time while at college  forcing them to move in with an uncle in New York.

But speaking outside her home last week, Brinton's mom Peggy Jo told DailyMail.com the family difficulties are now in the past and told of her pride in her son's high-powered new job.

She said: 'I home schooled him for quite a few years because I knew he would excel and this is what he's doing. It's just amazing. He started working on [nuclear] a few years ago.'

Peggy Jo added: 'He's said to me before, ''I know you don't understand it'' but I'm like, that's what you do  you do it.'

Earlier on Saturday, the two were seen at their home after returning a rental car

The pair dressed warmly but casually in puffer jackets and jeans as they stepped out to run some errands

Brinton made a pit stop at a gas station to refuel during Saturday's outing

The 34-year-old made headlines in January after proudly announcing online that they had been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition under the Department of Energy

The couple picked up some soft drinks and snacks at a local CVS before heading back home

Brinton, who is the first gender-fluid person to serve in the deputy assistant secretary role, grew up in Sanford, Florida and Perry, Iowa.

In a 2018 op-ed, Brinton told how they first came out as a middle school student and then was forced to spend two years having conversion therapy  a discredited form of counseling that aims to convert gay people to straight. He described it as 'torture.'

As a result, they went on to keep their sexuality hidden through homeschooling and then again while attending Perry High School after the family moved to Iowa in 2002.

Brinton's parents still work at the First Baptist Church in Perry  a small city of just over 8,000 people 30 miles northwest of Des Moines  and continue to live in the modest $166,000 four-bedroom home where Brinton was raised.

There, the stiletto-loving 34-year-old lived a radically different existence from their high-powered lifestyle in Washington, D.C. today.

Samuel Brinton was tapped as deputy assistant secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy by the Biden Administration in January

Non-binary Brinton, 34, has previously told of their troubled relationship with their Southern Baptist parents Stephen and Peggy Jo Brinton (pictured) both 57  describing how they were forced to take part in conversion therapy as a teen

Yearbook photos obtained by DailyMail.com show how young Brinton excelled in technology  winning the award for outstanding automotive tech student in their senior year.

A yearbook photo of Brinton at Perry High School in Iowa

Brinton also spent four years on the school wrestling team and was a cross country runner, as well as an enthusiastic member of the school choir.

They also appeared in several school plays  including The Stuck Pot, which tells the story of how a group of schoolboys established a consolation prize for the boy 'stuck with an awful lemon' for a date at the school prom.

Brinton also appeared in a high school production of Grease and in Quiet Summer  a comedy play about a man who decides to spend his summer trying to become president of the local country club.

They took part in multiple academic decathlons, was a member of the public speaking team and joined the Iowa All-State chorus in their final two years at school.

They also proved popular  photos show Brinton with friends at their school prom in 2006 and taking part in a quiz in a team named Sam's Super Sweets.

This image gained attention, and anti-LGBTQ criticism

In a moving 2018 op-ed in the New York Times, Brinton described how they were put through 'torture' during conversion therapy, writing: 'My parents were Southern Baptist missionaries who believed that the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy could 'cure' my sexuality'

But according to Brinton, the conversion therapy they endured as a middle schooler left scars and it wasn't until college  Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas  that they felt able to come out for the second and final time.

In a moving 2018 op-ed in the New York Times, Brinton described how they were put through 'torture' during conversion therapy, writing: 'My parents were Southern Baptist missionaries who believed that the dangerous and discredited practice of conversion therapy could 'cure' my sexuality.

'For over two years, I sat on a couch and endured emotionally painful sessions with a counselor. I was told that my faith community rejected my sexuality; that I was the abomination we had heard about in Sunday school; that I was the only gay person in the world; that it was inevitable I would get H.I.V. and AIDS.'
No10's scientific advisors have cast doubt over the wisdom of scrapping free Covid lateral flow tests, arguing they take up a tiny fraction of the heavily-publicised 2billion per month figure.

The comments, made to MPs in a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, came as Labour accused Health Secretary Sajid Javid of 'pulling a fast one' on patients over Covid funding.

Free Covid testing is reportedly costing the country 2bn per month, and the price tag was cited by Boris Johnson as a factor in moving to people having to buy their own if they wanted them.

From April 1, most Brits will have to buy lateral flow tests from high street pharmacies for as much a 3 per test, three times what people in France will pay.

The tests, which can cost pennies to produce, were a crucial component of how the UK battled through the Omicron wave, with experts and minsters urging people to take them before going out to meet other people.

Today two SAGE scientists told MPs that the heavily quoted 2bn per month cost for test is actually driven by the more expensive PCR tests, which require lab analysis.

Professor John Edmunds, an infectious disease modelling expert from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and member of SAGE, said cheap lateral flow tests only form a faction of the 2billion per month price tag for providing free testing and should be kept for the nation

Fellow SAGE member, Professor Matt Keeling of University of Warwick and part of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), said lateral flow tests providing a critical way to prevent the infectious meeting the vulnerable and passing Covid on to them

Professor Devi Sridhar who has advised the Scottish Government during the pandemic said she had doubts over the 2bn pound per month figure saying she was unsure why the UK was paying so much for its tests

Free lateral flow tests for all Britons are set to be scrapped in just a few weeks and will only be restricted to a few groups of key workers and vulnerable people

Professor John Edmunds, an infectious disease modelling expert from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and member of SAGE's New and Emerging Respiratory Viruses Technical Advisory Group (NERVTAG), broke down the costs.

'Back at the beginning of January with the Omicron wave, we were testing over 600,000 people a day with PCR tests, that's an enormous number of people,' he said.

Health Secretary accused of 'pulling a fast one' on patients over Covid funding Patients will 'pay the price' for the Health Secretary's 'failed negotiations' with the Treasury to cover ongoing Covid costs, Labour has warned. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told MPs it appeared as if the Health Secretary was 'pulling a fast one' with patients, amid concerns that services could be cut to cover the Covid budget. But Mr Javid hit back, and said the 'living with Covid' plan is 'properly funded' and the costs will be picked up by the Department of Health and Social Care. No10's plan includes scaling back free universal testing from April 1 and instead be focused on the most vulnerable people. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Streeting said: 'The Secretary of State asked the Chancellor for 5 billion to cover essential ongoing Covid costs and he came away with nothing. 'So where will the cuts now fall in the NHS budget?' Mr Javid replied: 'We must all learn to live with Covid. 'The Government has been very clear about that, we set out a very detailed plan, and as infections fall, cases fall and hospitalisation rates are falling with Covid, that means we can now have this type of plan. 'It is a properly funded plan that focuses on vaccines, treatments, targeted testing, and builds in resilience should there be future variants of concern. 'It is right that this plan is funded by the Department, because it's our number one health priority.' But Mr Streeting countered: 'One minute the Secretary of State is asking for 5 billion from the Treasury and the next minute he's found the money within the department. 'Either he was trying to pull a fast one on the Treasury because he had the money he needed, or actually he hasn't got the money he wanted and therefore the cuts are going to fall within existing budgets.' Mr Streeting highlighted a newspaper report which suggested Mr Javid had warned investment in social care could be delayed, there could be fewer elective surgeries and also cuts to the hospital building programme. The Labour frontbencher added: 'So having, I think, not tried to pull a fast one on the Chancellor, is it now the case he's pulling a fast one with patients? And isn't it really the case it's the patients who are going to pay the price for his failed negotiations?' Mr Javid replied: 'He shouldn't believe everything he reads in the press, you'd think he'd know that by now. 'When it comes to funding of our living with Covid plan, it's right that it is the number one priority and continues to be the number one priority of my department to keep this virus at bay and that it is funded by the department.' Mr Javid went on to criticise Labour for voting against legislation which provided extra money to the NHS. From April 1 only limited groups of Britons will be able to get a free LFT or PCR test. These include at-risk groups, such as the over-80s and social care staff, who will able to take a test for free if they have symptoms. Further details about these at-risk groups, and what kind of conditions might be included has not been revealed as yet. No10 has said with the less severe Omicron being dominant and high levels of immunity across the country, 'the value for taxpayers' money is now less clear'. Britons can currently buy the tests for 12.99 at some retailers. Advertisement

'That comes out at about 20million a day being spent on just PCR tests, that's where you can get quite rapidly up to the billions of pounds being spent.

'That's not including those that would go on to be sequenced, which costs about between 60 and 100. About 10 per cent were being sequenced, so the costs quickly rack up.'

He added that in comparison lateral flows, which do not require sequencing and give a result in as little as 15-to-30 minutes, are far cheaper and thus would a fraction of the total bill.

'With lateral flows, at 2 to 3 a test it's much much cheaper,' he said.

The Government has never publicly disclosed how much it paid for the rapid tests but a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Scottish Government last summer revealed it was around 4 per test, excluding VAT.

Lateral flows have become more abundant in the past year so the price may have come down since then.

Fellow SAGE member, Professor Matt Keeling of University of Warwick and part of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), said he wanted to see free lateral flow testing continue.

He said the decision to scrap free tests entirely will affect poor people.

Agreeing with Professor Edmund's breakdown of the cost of testing, Professor Keeling added: 'It's PCR testing that is really expensive, that's the thing that drives the cost up, whereas the lateral flows are relatively cheap.

'We are in a economic squeeze at the moment and that's putting a lot of pressure on people.'

Professor Keeling said LFTs were critical in ensuring infectious people did not pass on Covid to potentially vulnerable individuals, and the UK could manage without the more expensive PCR test in most scenarios.

'The whole problem is infected people meeting susceptibles, any other sort of mixing isn't a problem, and so if you can find out when people are infected, and the only way to that is testing, then you can mitigate some of the worst effects,' he said.

'You could get away with doing lateral flow tests for an awful lot of these situations and just do PCRS if you start seeing a lot of cases in a region.'

Professor Devi Sridhar, an expert in public health at the University of Edinburgh who has advised the Scottish Government during the pandemic, said people who were struggling to pay for food and heating would not have the luxury of choosing to buy an LFT test kit.

'The costs of the tests are going to be too high, whether they are 6 or 2 we know now that the cost of living has gone up in the UK, people are struggling to pay heating and food bills,' she said.

Professor Sridhar said that she had doubts over the 2billion per month figure for testing saying other countries were not paying as much, though she did not cite any examples.

'When I look at other countries that's not how much they are paying for the tests,' she said.

'They shouldn't be costing that much, otherwise I think we are having our own oligarchy happening here as well in terms of who's getting rich off this system.'

The comments came as Labour said patients will 'pay the price' for Mr Javid's 'failed negotiations' with the Treasury to cover Covid recovery costs.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told MPs it appeared as if the Health Secretary was 'pulling a fast one' with patients, amid concerns that services could be cut to cover the Covid budget.

But Mr Javid hit back, and said the 'living with Covid' plan is 'properly funded' and the costs will be picked up by the Department of Health and Social Care.

No10's plan includes scaling back free universal testing from April 1 and instead targeting the most vulnerable people.

Mr Javid had reportedly tried to get 5bn extra to cover free routine testing for NHS staff.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Streeting said: 'The Secretary of State asked the Chancellor for 5bn to cover essential ongoing Covid costs and he came away with nothing.

'So where will the cuts now fall in the NHS budget?' Mr Javid replied: 'We must all learn to live with Covid.

'The Government has been very clear about that, we set out a very detailed plan, and as infections fall, cases fall and hospitalisation rates are falling with Covid, that means we can now have this type of plan.

In France, people can pick up tests at a third of the UK price (around 3), for as little as 1, while in Germany they can cost just 1.80 and Spain's Government has capped them at roughly 2.45. However, the tests - which experts say can cost just pennies to make - are not as cheap everywhere, with Americans paying $10 (7.35)

PCR AND LATERAL FLOW TESTS: THE KEY DIFFERENCES A PCR test can cost upwards of 180 per person, with the swab needing to be processed in a lab. The UK, on the other hand, favours faster tests which are not lab based and give a result within 15 minutes. These rapid coronavirus tests, known as lateral flow tests, are ones that can be done on the spot using portable equipment. They are faster and cheaper than lab-based PCR tests, which the government uses to diagnose people, but are less accurate. Advertisement

'It is a properly funded plan that focuses on vaccines, treatments, targeted testing, and builds in resilience should there be future variants of concern.

'It is right that this plan is funded by the Department, because it's our number one health priority.'

But Mr Streeting added: 'One minute the Secretary of State is asking for 5bn from the Treasury and the next minute he's found the money within the department.

'Either he was trying to pull a fast one on the Treasury because he had the money he needed, or actually he hasn't got the money he wanted and therefore the cuts are going to fall within existing budgets.'

Mr Streeting highlighted a newspaper report which suggested Mr Javid had warned investment in social care could be delayed, there could be fewer elective surgeries and also cuts to the hospital building programme.

The Labour frontbencher added: 'So having, I think, not tried to pull a fast one on the Chancellor, is it now the case he's pulling a fast one with patients? And isn't it really the case it's the patients who are going to pay the price for his failed negotiations?'

Mr Javid replied: 'He shouldn't believe everything he reads in the press, you'd think he'd know that by now.

'When it comes to funding of our living with Covid plan, it's right that it is the number one priority and continues to be the number one priority of my department to keep this virus at bay and that it is funded by the department.'

Mr Javid went on to criticise Labour for voting against legislation which provided extra money to the NHS.

From April 1 only limited groups of Britons will be able to get a free LFT or PCR test.

These include at-risk groups, such as the over-80s and social care staff, who will able to take a test for free if they have symptoms.

Further details about these at-risk groups, and what kind of conditions might be included has not been revealed as yet.

No10 has said with the less severe Omicron being dominant and high levels of immunity across the country, 'the value for taxpayers' money is now less clear'.

Britons can currently buy the tests for 12.99 at some retailers.

PCR tests are more accurate than LFTs and can provide critical genetic information on the variant of the Covid virus the infected person has if sequenced in a lab.

However, LFTs are much cheaper and provide a result in just 15 minutes while a PCR can take days to be processed.

The Department of Health was contacted for comment.
Russia expert Dr. Fiona Hill has issued a dire warning about Russian President Vladimir Putin's willingness to use nuclear weapons as his military seeks to batter Ukraine into submission.

The former star witness of the first Trump impeachment speculates that the Russian strongman has been huddled in the basement of the Kremlin during the pandemic poring over old maps of the already expansive Russian state  with designs on restoring imperial dominion.

'The thing about Putin is, if he has an instrument, he wants to use it. Why have it if you can't?' she said  pointing to his operatives' use of a radioactive polonium and the nerve agent Novochok in assassinations and assassination attempts.

'So if anybody thinks that Putin wouldn't use something that he's got that is unusual and cruel, think again,' she added.

'Every time you think, "No, he wouldn't, would he?" Well, yes, he would,' Hill said in an extensive interview with Politico as the Putin's invasion unfolded.

Dr. Fiona Hill, a Russia expert and former member of the National Security Council, said in an interview that Russian President Putin is willing to use nuclear weapons. She served as a key witness in Donald Trump's first impeachment, where she spoke about a campaign by Trump officials to pressure Ukraine to investigate President Biden's son

'And he wants us to know that, of course. It's not that we should be intimidated and scared. We have to prepare for those contingencies and figure out what is it that we're going to do to head them off,' she said.

Western nations took notice when Putin appeared to reference nuclear weapons during his rambling speech announcing his attack on Ukraine and warning others not to interfere.

'There should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country,' Putin said in his pre-invasion speech last week.

'Basically, what President Putin has said quite explicitly in recent days is that if anybody interferes in Ukraine, they will be met with a response that they've "never had in their history." And he has put Russia's nuclear forces on high alert. So he's making it very clear that nuclear is on the table,' she said.

'Putin's not looking so great, he's been rather puffy-faced. We know that he has complained about having back issues,' said Hill

Hill said Putin wants to establish dominance in the Russian "Imperium"'

This photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, shows a Zircon cruise missile being launched from a Russian navy's frigate during military drills

Hill, a British-born Harvard Ph.D. in Russian history who served on the National Security Council and testified in 2019 about a 'political errand' where Trump officials sought to pressure Ukraine, also warned about Putin's territorial designs.

A number of Russia experts have warned that Putin has long been set on reestablishing some of the old stature and size of the former Soviet Union. But Hill noted that he also may have designs on territory that was part of the earlier Russian empire  including a collection of vassal states who were essentially under Russian control.

'It's reestablishing Russian dominance of what Russia sees as the Russian 'Imperium.' I'm saying this very specifically because the lands of the Soviet Union didn't cover all of the territories that were once part of the Russian Empire. So that should give us pause,' she said.

'Im pretty sure that this is not the last item on Mr. Putins menu, unfortunately. Poland will be targeted, the Baltics will be targeted,' Marek Magierowski, the Polish ambassador to the U.S., told CNN Tuesday.

Hill's warnings were published Monday, on a day when Ukrainian intelligence official said Belarus was preparing to join in Russia's invasion.

'It doesn't mean that he's going to annex all of them and make them part of the Russian Federation like they've done with Crimea. You can establish dominance by marginalizing regional countries, by making sure that their leaders are completely dependent on Moscow, either by Moscow practically appointing them through rigged elections or ensuring they are tethered to Russian economic and political and security networks,' she said. 'You can see this now across the former Soviet space.'

Old maps of the Russian empire, which featured multiple waves of expansion, show modern states such as the Baltic republics under its control.

'I've kind of quipped about this but I also worry about it in all seriousness  that Putin's been down in the archives of the Kremlin during Covid looking through old maps and treaties and all the different borders that Russia has had over the centuries. He's said, repeatedly, that Russian and European borders have changed many times,' she said.

'Putin's view is that borders change, and so the borders of the old Russian imperium are still in play for Moscow to dominate now.'

With western analysts pondering whether Putin is becoming less rational that his calculated reputation, Ukraine may have special appeal to Putin, not only because of its position on the Russian perimeter with the West.

'But amid all this, Ukraine was the country that got away. And what Putin is saying now is that Ukraine doesn't belong to Ukrainians. It belongs to him and the past. He is going to wipe Ukraine off the map, literally, because it doesn't belong on his map of the 'Russian world,' said Hill.

Putin will turn 70 in October, and has in the past timed invasions and military confrontations during critical electoral moments.

In addition to his rambling speech where he cast Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an attempt at 'denazification' despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's jewish roots, Putin has made other puzzling moves, including sitting yards away from his advisors at comically long tables.

Putin also skewered his intelligence chief on camera.

Of Putin's age, Hill said: 'It's old for Russians. And Putin's not looking so great, he's been rather puffy-faced. We know that he has complained about having back issues. Even if it's not something worse than that, it could be that he's taking high doses of steroids, or there may be something else,' speculated Hill. 'There seems to be an urgency for this that may be also driven by personal factors.'

She called on nations and individual companies to suspend all business activity with Russia, saying it was not just democracies who benefit from a rules based system where one country is prohibited from swallowing another.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a meeting of ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, Feb. 26, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-Yonhap





North Korea blamed the United States' "hegemonic policy" for the Ukrainian crisis Monday in its first official statement on Russia's ongoing invasion of the European country.







"The root cause of the Ukraine crisis totally lies in the hegemonic policy of the U.S. and the West, which indulge themselves in high-handedness and arbitrariness towards other countries," the North's Korean Central News Agency quoted an unnamed foreign ministry spokesperson as saying.







The comments came as Washington is rallying allies and partners to impose "devastating costs" on Russia, including its isolation from global financial systems to hold Moscow accountable for the invasion.







The North Korean spokesperson said the U.S. and the West have "systematically undermined the security environment of Europe by becoming more blatant in their attempts to deploy attack weapon system while defiantly pursuing NATO's eastward expansion" despite "Russia's reasonable and just demand to provide it with legal guarantee for security."







The spokesperson also criticized what it calls Washington's "unilateral and double-dealing policy."







North Korea has long demanded the U.S. retract "double standards" and "hostile policy" against its regime, especially after their 2019 Hanoi summit collapsed without a deal.







In Seoul, Russia's top envoy to South Korea, Andrey Kulik, held a press conference and accused the U.S. of using Ukraine as a "tool" to "suppress Russia's development" and warned of consequences facing countries joining anti-Moscow sanctions.







The ambassador expressed regrets over Seoul's decision to join the sanctions regime and said the move will "be of no help" for long-sought three-way cooperative projects involving the two Koreas and Russia. (Yonhap)


A drunk woman was charged with killing her boyfriend's pug after she threw the dog off his seventh floor condo balcony in Florida.

Eric Adeson, 56, said he was left feeling numb after his now ex-girlfriend Shelley Nicole Vaughn, 46, entered his condo at the Regatta Beach Club, in Clearwater Beach, on Sunday and began throwing his things out of the window and hitting him during an argument.

He added that she was drunk and using prescription drugs and smoking marijuana when she attacked him.

Adeson, who is suing Vaughn for $30,000, said she then picked up his three-year-old pug, Bucky, smiled, and then threw him to his death.

'I was screaming I went down and Bucky was lying there in a pool of blood,' Adeson told reporters on Tuesday as he cried.

'I never thought anybody could do that. I never thought anybody would have that in them.'

Vaughn was arrested on Monday and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, criminal mischief and domestic battery. She faces a maximum of up to two years in prison for the latter two charges with fines of $1,000 each, and a maximum fine of $5,000 for the animal cruelty count.

Scroll down for video:

Shelley Nicole Vaughn, 46, was arrested on Monday and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, criminal mischief and domestic battery

Eric Adeson (pictured) said he was left feeling numb after his now ex-girlfriend threw his three-year-old pug off the seventh-floor balcony of his condo

Adeson, of Clearwater Beach, Florida, said he rushed down to hold Bucky (pictured)

The small pug was described as a sweet dog who slept beside Adeson and his puggle

Adeson got Bucky in 2019 to serve as a companion to Sandy, his 13-year-old puggle who was fighting cancer. Adeson said he never expected Sandy to outlive Bucky

Adeson, a math and SAT tutor, told police that Vaughn had been drunk and arguing with him when she grabbed his cellphone and keys and threw them off the balcony.

She then allegedly struck him as he kept asking her to leave before she made a grab for Bucky.

Adeson said he was screaming in shock and pushed her out his apartment as he made a desperate dash downstairs.

'It's like a blur,' Adeson told reporters as he recalled the incident. 'I'm devastated.'

He said he was sobbing as he held his dog in his arms when passersby called the police. Vaughn had allegedly locked her self in her condo, two floors below Adeson's, when officers arrived.

Adeson claimed Vaughn had gotten aggressive and physical with him before, telling the New York Post that she allegedly hit him in September when they were in Atlanta.

'The combination of Xanax, marijuana and alcohol makes her snap,' he said. 'She just goes crazy.'

He added that Vaughn was 'going through a tough time' because her mother was battling cancer.

During the press conference, Adeson broke into tears multiple times as he described Bucky as a sweet pup who was a companion to Adeson's puggle, Sandy, who was going through cancer in 2019.

Vaughn allegedly threw Bucky off the seventh floor of the Regatta Beach Club, in Clearwater Beach, Florida on Sunday

'Never thinking in a million-years that Sandy would survive the cancer and still be alive at 13 and actually outlive Bucky. That's the tragedy of it,' Adeson told Fox 13.

He said Vaughn was 'evil' and that he now filed a restraining order against her because they live in the same building.

Adeson's attorney, Katherine Neal, said in a statement: 'Our client saw this happen, and is absolutely traumatized.

'Several residents of the building witnessed the event as well, and the entire community is extremely upset over what happened.'
Furious Ukrainians have been filmed screaming 'invaders, killers' while blocking an army convoy - as a Russian soldier fires warning shots in the air.

It comes as a second video showed another group of fearless Ukrainians leaping on a Russian military vehicle while waving blue and yellow flags.

The footage emerged as Moscow's forces continued their invasion of the country, where Ukrainian soldiers and citizens alike are putting up a fierce resistance against Vladimir Putins army.

The first video shows at least 30 angry Ukrainians confronting a Russian military convoy made up of at least six vehicles in Melitopol in the country's south, halting the column's advance.

The brave men and women appear undeterred by a machine gun toting Russian who steps out of the 4x4 heading the convoy and threatens them with the weapon before firing in the air.

A second piece of footage from Kupiansk, near Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv, appears to show at least 30 Ukrainians running and jumping on a Russian armoured vehicle - with one man attempting to smash in the windscreen.

The 4x4 appears to push through the crowd, accelerating away from the furious protesters, many of whom are waving Ukrainian flags, and pushing several on to the floor.

The first video shows at least 30 angry Ukrainians confronting a Russian military convoy made up of at least six vehicles in Melitopol in the country's south, halting the column's advance

A second piece of footage from Kupiansk, near Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv, appears to show at least 30 Ukrainians running and jumping on a Russian armoured vehicle - with one man attempting to smash in the windscreen

Footage from Melitupol in southern Ukraine shows more than 40 protesters halting a Russian military convoy with their bare hands - and hurling expletives at the invading soldiers.

Furious Ukrainians can be heard branding the Russians 'invaders' and 'killers' in the video before a gun toting troop fires in the air in a warning for the protesters to leave the road.

But the Ukrainians refuse to back down and instead, the Russian soldier jumps back into his armoured 4x4 vehicle, which is flashing blue lights.

One armoured truck then approaches the Ukrainian protesters in what appears to be an attempt to force them to back down but the fearless citizens hold firm.

Several can be seen in the footage trying to physically push back against the truck as it edges forward, blaring its horn in a bid to make way for the six Z-marked vehicles waiting behind.

The protesters are eventually pushed back by the Russian vehicle, which manages to force them out of the road - though the Ukrainians continue to hurl abuse at Putin's men as they edge forwards.

Furious Ukrainians can be heard branding the Russians 'invaders' and 'killers' in the video before a gun toting troop fires in the air in a warning for the protesters to leave the road

One armoured truck then approaches the Ukrainian protesters in what appears to be an attempt to force them to back down but the fearless citizens hold firm. Several can be seen in the footage trying to physically push back against the truck as it edges forward

A second video shows a group of at least 30 furious Ukrainians attacking what appears to be a lone Russian armoured vehicle in Kupiansk, near Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv in the east of the country.

The protesters run at and jump on the Russian vehicle, which is forced to slow down as angry Ukrainians surround it.

One man appears to jump on the bonnet and windscreen of the vehicle, trying twice to stamp through the glass even as the driver rolls forwards.

The military vehicle pushes through the crowd, many waving Ukrainian flags, and speeds off into the distance.

Several of the protesters appeared to fall on the floor while others were pushed to the side by the vehicle's sudden flight.

Another video emerged on Tuesday from Kupyansk, eastern Ukraine, which shows defiant locals hurling abuse as a Russian tank and armoured vehicle as Moscow's watch on.

A second video shows a group of at least 30 furious Ukrainians attacking what appears to be a lone Russian armoured vehicle in Kupiansk, near Ukraine's second largest city Kharkiv in the east of the country

One man appears to jump on the bonnet and windscreen of the vehicle, trying twice to stamp through the glass even as the driver rolls forwards. The military vehicle pushes through the crowd, many waving Ukrainian flags, and speeds off into the distance

Two brave Ukrainians were last week filmed trying to single-handedly block the advance of a Russian military convoy - in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square's 'tank man' blocking Chinese forces in 1989.

Video of the brave face-off showed a column of Russian tanks passing through a junction in a Ukrainian town.

As the hulking vehicles rumbled through, one man decided to take a stand, heroically climbing on to the front of one of the tanks. It continued forward a few meters, but then came to a halt, blocking the route of those following.

Once the tank was no longer moving, the man can be seen climbing down from the tank and kneeling in the middle of the road, blocking the progress of the Russian convoy.

Recognising the futility of the man's protest, onlookers are seen trying to drag the man away from the tank.

However, defiant in his protest, the man continues to hold on to the front of the tank.

Another brave Ukrainian civilian has been captured on video trying to single-highhandedly block the advance of a Russian military convoy - in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square's 'tank man' blocking Chinese forces in 1989. Pictured: A Ukrainian local kneels in front of a Russian tank as a convoy of military vehicles passed through a town

Video of the brave face-off showed a column of Russian tanks passing through a junction in a Ukrainian town. As the hulking vehicles rumbled through, one man decided to take a stand, heroically climbing on to the front of one of the tanks. It continued forward a few meters, but then came to a halt, blocking the route of those following

The incident came after a similar confrontation went viral on Friday, which saw another man bravely walk into the middle of the road and into the path of another column of Russian military vehicles passing through Ukraine.

The footage, thought to have been filmed in the south of the country close to Crimea, shows the man bravely waving down the convoy in an attempt to block its path.

Some military vehicles in the procession swerve around the man, but others are shown stopping for him, bringing those behind them to a complete stop as well.

The man has since been dubbed 'Tank Man' on social media, and while his identity is now known, his bravery quickly drew praise from others inspired by his protest which has become emblematic of Ukraine's resistance.

FILE - In this June 5, 1989 file photo, a Chinese man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Changan Blvd. in Tiananmen Square. The man was calling for an end to the violence and bloodshed against pro-democracy protesters

A brave Ukrainian citizen has been filmed apparently trying to stop a convoy of Russian Tigr-M fighting vehicles - similar to American Humvees - moving along a highway close to Crimea in scenes reminiscent of Tiananmen Square's 'tank man'

Meanwhile a huge crowd of ordinary Ukrainians were seen massing along a road to block the path of a Russian tank convoy on Sunday.

The footage, said to have been filmed in Koryukivka, a town just miles from the border with Russia, shows dozens - possibly hundreds - of locals walking calmly towards the armoured column.

As the camera pans round, yet more Ukrainians can be seen joining their compatriots in challenging the invaders. Some film, but few raise their voice, with the loudest sound being the rumble of the Russians' engines.

Troops can be seen with their heads sticking out of one of the vehicle's turrets, but they do not appear to react to the locals' challenge.

The footage, said to have been filmed in Koryukivka, a town just miles from the border with Russia, shows dozens - possibly hundreds - of locals walking calmly towards the armoured column
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed that his government will not be placing economic sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.

The leftist leader said Tuesday that his decision was solely based on his administration's preference to maintain a positive image with his counterparts across the globe.

'We are not going to take any sort of economic reprisal because we want to have good relations with all the governments in the world,' Lopez Obrador said Tuesday during his daily presidential press briefing.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stopped short of declaring his government will be imposing economic sanctions on Russia five days after President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to invade Ukraine

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday in the capital city of Kyiv

Mexico said it will continue to allow Russian airlines to offer service to its country while European countries shut off access to their airspace

Lopez Obrador position stands in contrast to the international sanctions imposed on President Vladimir Putin's actions as his military attacked a war-torn Ukraine for a fifth straight day.

The Kremlin has built strong links to various governments in Latin America, especially authoritarian administrations in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

However, its bond with the administration of Lopez Obrador is seen as limited due to the strong U.S.-Mexico relations.

A view of the square outside the damaged local city hall of Kharkiv following an attack by the Russian military on Tuesday

Mothers and children huddle around in the basement of Ohmadyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday

While the Mexican and U.S. economies are deeply intertwined, the president has at times had testy relations with the United States and has criticized U.S. foreign policy.

Lopez Obrador's comments came in response to a question about the interest in Mexico of Russia's second-largest oil producer, Lukoil, and Russian airline Aeroflot.

Lukoil said on Friday it has completed its acquisition of a 50% operator interest in an offshore oil project in Mexico, part of its drive to expand its global reach.

Smoke rises from a building following a blast in the Ukraine capital of Kyiv on Tuesday

An Ukrainian soldier inspects the aftermath of an explosion near a building in the capital of Kyiv on Tuesday

Although the European Union has banned Russian airlines and other Russian-owned airplanes from flying through its airspace, the administration of Lopez Obrador said it would not shut out Aeroflot from providing service to Mexico.

Aeroflot, Azur Air and Norwind Airlines provide direct flights to the resort city of Cancun, which expects to receive 78,434 visitors in 2022, according to Mexican Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco Marques.

Lopez Obrador also criticized what he characterized as the censorship of Russian state media by social media companies.

'I don't agree with the fact that media from Russia or any country is censored,' Lopez Obrador said.

Alphabet Inc's Google barred Russia's state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine.

Mexico on Tuesday also announced it would be providing humanitarian visas to Ukrainian residents.

"The (National Institute of Migration and) the Ministry of the Interior endorses its humanistic vocation before those who enter and transit through Mexican territory, without undermining their migratory, social, political and economic status, with special attention to those who are part of vulnerable groups," the immigration enforcement agency said.

Immigration data shows that 92,831 migrants from Ukraine entered Mexico since 2018. At least 6,050 Ukrainians entered the country in January and 3,835 were registered in February.
The head of the NYPD's hate crimes unit has been reassigned by Mayor Eric Adams after she blamed one victim for filming her attacker, as her division made arrests in fewer than half of all hate incidents that were reported.

Jessica Corey has been reassigned to the firearms and tactics unit after concern over mounting racist attacks on Asians-Americans in New York, a gaffe which saw her blame a victim, and her former department's inability to solve most of them.

'We were too slow in investigating [crimes] as possible hate crimes,' Adams said Monday as he commented on Corey's ouster. 'I wanted a new face there, a new vision.'

Corey joined the NYPD in 1992, and enjoyed a swift rise through its ranks, becoming a sergeant in 2000, lieutenant in 2002, captain in 2006 and deputy inspector in 2013. She remains listed as commander of the hate crimes, and hasn't commented publicly on her career snafu.

The most recent records available show that she earned $167,047 in 2018, and didn't clock any overtime hours.

Pressure mounted on Corey after racially-motivated attacks, especially toward Asian-Americans, skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the virus that caused it originating in China.

Hate crimes were up 96 percent in 2021. But only 219 people were arrested for hate crimes last year, even though there were 524 hate crime complaints.

In comparison, there were 265 hate crime complaints and 93 arrests in 2020, according to the NYPD.

In October, a man spit at Esther Lee, a Korean-American woman, and called her a 'carrier' aboard an A-train in Manhattan - only for Corey to then allegedly berate Lee for filming the incident.

Adams reassigned Inspector Jessica Corey, who led the Hate Crime Task Force, last month. His office has not clarified where she was placed or who would replace her

'We were too slow in investigating [crimes] as possible hate crimes,' NYC Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference Monday. Above, Adams at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday

Only 219 people were arrested for hate crimes last year, though there were 524 such complaints. In 2020, there were 265 complaints and 93 arrests

Asian Americans have experienced a 343 percent increase in hate crimes in 2021 with 133 attacks. Hispanics are also seeing a rise in attacks with eight attacks happening in 2021, compared to one in 2020

'Jessica Corey telling me, "You know you really should not have filmed him, you really should not have taken your phone and started taking footage of him because you probably triggered him,"' Lee said.

Adams reassigned Corey a day after WABC informed him about Lee's experience.

'I don't want a leader in that area that starts off with saying why something is not a possible hate crime,' Adams said at the time.

An NYPD spokesperson added: 'The incident was looked into by the Hate Crime Task Force and both parties were interviewed. A conferral was made with the NYPD's Legal Bureau as well as the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and a legal determination was made that the facts of the case did not meet current hate crime statutes.'

Deputy Inspector Michael King, head of the Special Victims Division, was also reassigned. He was placed in the Patrol Bureau Queens South, according to the NYPD.

Both moves were characterized as routine reshufflings, according to WABC, but Corey's controversial tenure has sparked whispers that her removal was performance-related.

Hate crimes surged by 96 percent in the Big Apple throughout 2021.

Asian hate crimes skyrocketed 343 percent from 2020 to 2021 as the pandemic rattled on, with 133 Asian Americans experiencing terrifying and dangerous experiences of discrimination, according to the data, which was first reported by Fox News.

Hispanic hate crimes were also up a staggering 700 percent last year with a total of eight people being harassed or harmed in 2021, up from one in 2020.

A total of 538 hate crimes occurred throughout 2021, compared to 275 in 2020.

Esther Lee, a Korean-American woman, says Corey tried to pin the blame on her after she was attacked in subway in October

In October, a man spit at Lee and called her a 'carrier' aboard an A train in Manhattan as anti-Asian crime was spiking, driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic

Korean American woman spit on, called a carrier on A train Oct 5 btwn 34/42nd St. Detective refused to include carrier in report. Head of NYPD Hate Crimes told victim it wasnt hate crime. Now a #HateCrime after civilian hate crime review panel recommendation. #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/W0CWjfTx2A  CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) January 8, 2022

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, 48 - who has found himself in hot water after downgrading many crimes and claiming that 'prison is a last resort' - said in January that his office will expand the hate crimes unit, created in 2018, to help address the increase in radically motivated attacks.

'Our [Asian-American and Pacific-Islander] brothers and sisters have been spit upon, coughed at, told to go back home. In my office we are deepening our capacity,' he said.

'We're expanding our hate crimes unit so that we can give these cases the resources that they deserve.'

Manhattan's DA Alvin Bragg, 48, said he was will be partnering with local communities and expand resources to address the increase in hate crimes

Bragg, the first black man to hold his position, said that he would be expanding resources by partnering with local communities to 'strengthen our community ties,' but commended the existing 'small' hate crimes team for having 'great leadership.'

'What I've heard as I've traveled throughout Manhattan is that there's a reluctance to come forward to law enforcement from some communities, and some people are more willing to go forward through a community group,' Bragg said on Friday.

'We are both focusing on building cases and prosecuting cases and [are] also mindful that we might not be hearing about everything that we want to be, so strengthening our community ties as well.'
NHS trusts have been told to firm up their cybersecurity amid fears of a Russian attack in retaliation to Western interference in the war in Ukraine.

Health chiefs have written to hospitals telling them to make it their 'focus' to keep their systems secure and make sure backups are in place.

There have been widespread concerns about the technological resilience of the NHS which only last year stopped using fax machines.

It was famously hacked in 2017 in the WannaCry attack, which brought the whole health service to a standstill for days and cost the UK 92million.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, told a summit today that cyber- security was being brought to the 'forefront' in the wake of the situation in Ukraine.

She added the health service was examining its supply chain resilience in the event of a Kremlin attack here or elsewhere.

Security officials fear the NHS, government and business could be prime targets for Moscow, which has one of the world's most sophisticated cyber capabilities.

Russia is said to be furious at the British decision to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons systems and impose tough sanctions on Vladimir Putin and his cronies.

It comes after it emerged that nearly a dozen trusts paid the Russian government-owned energy supplier Gazprom 4million in the past financial year.

NHS trusts have been told to firm up their cybersecurity amid fears of a Russian attack in retaliation to Western interference in the war in Ukraine (stock)

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, told a summit that cyber- security was being brought to the 'forefront' in the wake of the situation in Ukraine

Ms Pritchard, speaking at the Nuffield Trust Summit Series virtual conference, also revealed the NHS was looking into sending medical supplies to Ukrainian hospitals.

Asked about what the conflict means for the NHS, Ms Pritchard said: 'The first thing is support for our staff who are from the Ukraine.

'But I'm also talking about wider support for all of our staff including anybody from Eastern Europe or Russia.

How Putin could attack the West: Online banks and phone reception could be cut out, nations hit by blackouts and NHS hacked The invasion of Ukraine could see the Kremlin try to knock out UK TV, broadband and phone networks as well as online banking and NHS systems in an all-out cyber-conflict with the West at the dawn of a new Cold War, experts told MailOnline. Vladimir Putin could also try to force internet giants such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp offline - although US sources have said that any major Russian global cyber attack could trigger NATO Article 5 and spark World War Three. Ed Arnold, Research Fellow in European Security at RUSI, the UK's leading defence and security think tank, told MailOnline: 'If cyber activities escalate, businesses and people in the UK can expect disruption of websites, communication platforms, networks and in extremis, UK critical national infrastructure'. Home Secretary Priti Patel has said officials and the security services were on alert for cyber warfare and disinformation campaigns from Moscow. Likely targets would be Government websites and key systems such as those used by the NHS, as well as possible disruption of the UK's mobile and broadband network. The 2017 WannaCry cyber-attack cost the NHS 92million and saw 19,000 appointments cancelled after systems collapsed when ransomware was used to lock down hospitals in England. Analysts from the investment bank Goldman Sachs said a conflict could drive gas prices above the record highs seen last month. Advertisement

'We have had an outpouring of support locally for people whose families might be affected by this or who are worried themselves

'So the more that we can do to provide both practical and emotional support for staff who are affected by this, that's got to be top of mind.

She added: 'Part of what we have been doing is looking at things like whether we have got any sort of flexibility around supplies, which we can make sure that made available to be provided over to the Ukraine, particularly medical supplies that can be used to for casualties.

'That's something that is being done by Government, so (we are) playing a role in that and that as well.'

On cyber security, Ms Pritchard said: 'We have written out to the NHS, a lot of it is just a good practice about what what you should be doing around cybersecurity, but again, this just kind of brings it to the forefront.

'And I think for those organisations who are still just working through some patching and other things, [we're] just encouraging people to make that the focus at the moment.'

A bulletin sent out to NHS trusts today ordered them to 'further strengthen cybersecurity resilience'.

It states: 'Following Russia's further violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the National Cyber Security Centre has called on organisations in the UK to bolster their online defences.

'Further guidance will be issued to NHS technical teams this week, and we ask that leaders support their teams to undertake priority activities to further strengthen cybersecurity resilience.

'NHS leaders should confirm with their local teams that systems are patched and protected, and that immutable backups are in place.

'The National Cyber Security Centre has issued guidance for organisations to take during periods when the cyber threat is heightened.

'Please ensure your organisation is following this guidance.'

It comes after the Health Service Journal reported that at least 11 trusts paid just over 4m to Gazprom in 2021, most of them based in the North West of England.

Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals Foundation Trust paid 1.78m to Gazprom Marketing & Trading Retail Ltd during the 2021-22 financial year.

That was more than triple the amount of any other trust included in the analysis.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust paid the company nearly 470,000 in the same time and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay spent 380,000 on Russian gas.

The analysis relies on trusts publishing their data so the actual number supplied by Gazprom could be higher.

There are a total of 223 trusts in England and the NHS is thought to spend well over 100m a year on gas.

It is unclear if the trusts made the purchases from Gazprom directly or via a national procurement system.
Authorities in the Mexican tourist town of Tulum arrested two Americans with a massive cache of weapons.

Devan Young, 32, and Natalia Baigorri, 25, were taken into custody by transit police agents Saturday.

Mexican network Noticias Televisa reported that authorities identified Young and Baigorri as a couple who are allegedly linked to a string of criminal incidents in the country and also connected to the disappearance of an American individual.

Young, a member of the Erie Indian Moundbuilders Tribal Nation in Arizona, and Baigorri, a resident of Mendocino, California, were traveling in a SUV with license plates from the southern Mexico state of Guerrero and were ordered to stop after coming off the Tulum north exit on Federal highway 307.

Cops inspected their Jeep Compass and discovered two 9mm Glocks and a .22 caliber rifle along with several rounds of ammunition.

Devan Young and Natalia Baigorri were arrested with a massive load of weapons and ammunition during a traffic stop in Tulum, Mexico. Young and Baigotti, both citizens of the United States, have yet to be formally charged

Mexican authorities confiscated two 9mm Glocks and .22 caliber rifle from two Americans in Tulum on Saturday

Weapons confiscated from two Americans in Tulum in Saturday. A spokesperson with Mexico's Office of the Attorney General told DailyMail.com that the two individuals have not been formally charged

Police also confiscated a sensor that detects if security cameras are functioning.

While searching the vehicle, cops found a United States passport of another individual.

Young and Baigorri are being held by Mexicos Office of the Attorney Generals regional station in Cancun.

A spokesperson for the Cancun office told DailyMail.com that Young and Baigorri have yet to be formally charged, but could not say when they are expected to appear in court.

SUV used by two Americans to transport two guns and a rifle in Tulum was seized

The arrests came just a week after two were shot dead and a third was wounded in Tulum.

Authorities believe the attack was connected to feuding criminal organizations battling for the lucrative drug turf in the Caribbean coast resort city.

In January, two Canadian drug dealers were executed inside a luxury resort in the neighboring town of Puerto Morelos.

In late October, a California travel blogger born in India and the other German - were caught in the apparent crossfire of rival drug dealers and killed while dining at a Tulum restaurant.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reacted to the shooting by dispatching nearly 1,500 members of the National Guard to reinforce security in the area.
The Biden administration has quietly warned American companies with large business interests in Russia that their employees there may be taken hostage in retaliation for sanctions.

With the ruble plunging and US and European banks banning all business with Russia while it continues its assault on Ukraine, many American businesses are pulling their money out of the country.

Now, Biden administration officials are also warning those companies that unless they extract staff, they may be arrested or taken hostage, according to unnamed sources cited by NBC on Tuesday.

There are also growing concerns over the fact that both the EU and Russia have now closed their airspace to each other, making it harder for anyone who wants to leave Russia to get out of the country.

Police on patrol in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, 01 March 2022. The world is turning its back on Russia while it continues its assault on Ukraine, putting any Americans who may still be there in an increasingly dangerous position

President Biden has imposed strict economic sanctions on Russia. He has not yet shuttered commercial flights to and from Russia and the US but it is a possibility

It's unclear how many US citizens are currently living in Russia. At the start of the conflict with Russia, there were 23,000 Americans in Ukraine.

A State Department official told DailyMail.com on Tuesday they do not keep numbers of Americans living abroad in any given country.

The US Embassy in Moscow is now allowing staff to leave the country on a voluntary basis as a result of the conflict.

On Sunday, the State Department issued an alert warning all Americans in the country to leave while they could.

'An increasing number of airlines are cancelling flights into and out of Russia, and numerous countries have closed their airspace to Russian airlines.

'U.S. citizens should consider departing Russia immediately via commercial options still available,' it said.

Evelyn Farka, the most senior official for Russia in the Pentagon during the Obama administration, told NBC it is a 'plausible concern' that Americans may be taken hostage or arrested in Moscow or other Russian cities.

There is also the concern that American citizens may be arrested on bogus espionage charges and held in the country in prison, like Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan who are both in Russian prisons.

The State Department has not confirmed how many Americans are currently living in Russia.

The number of ways to get out of Russia is shrinking. EU countries have now ceased commercial flights to and from Russian cities

People line up to buy tickets at Moscow Metro station on Tuesday morning after their payments with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Mastercard were declined as a result of the sanctions

Russia's assault on Ukraine continued on Tuesday with brutal strikes on heavily populated civilian areas like Kharkiv, where the City Hall building was obliterated

Dozens of Americans are fleeing Ukraine on trains, buses and in cars after choosing not to heed warnings from the government about leaving earlier this month.

Biden warned on February 10 that the State Department would not be able to collect people to evacuate them as they did in Afghanistan.

Many did not listen and stayed behind, now find themselves stuck in the conflict zone.

Dozens of European airlines have now canceled all their flights to and from Russia.

President Biden is yet to make that commitment. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that it was a possibility but would affect travel to Asia too.

'There are a lot of flights that U.S. airlines fly over Russia to go to Asia and other parts of the world and we factor in a range of factors,' she said on Monday.

The US has ruled out imposing a no-fly zone on Russian aircraft over Ukraine after a request from Zelensky.

Psaki said it would mean US military planes actively shooting down Russian aircraft and engaging in warfare.
Ukraine's government believes that Russia is preparing a mass disinformation campaign to suggest senior military and political figures have surrendered.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov today said that the campaign will include fake documents and doctored footage to shift the narrative around Russia's thus far unsuccessful attempts to topple Ukraine's top brass.

'To ''confirm'' this fake information, seemingly signed ''documents'', as well as fake, edited videos will be distributed,' Reznikov said in an online statement, before posting a similar message on Twitter.

Reznikov assured that the Ukrainian leadership remains in Kyiv despite the Russian onslaught, declaring: 'No surrender! Only victory!'

It comes as YouTube and Facebook yesterday banned Russian state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik's channels across Europe, after Facebook and Twitter announced over the weekend that it had blocked a set of pro-Russian fake accounts and hacked profiles sharing anti-Ukrainian messages on social media.

The EU has also introduced a ban on RT and Sputnik's channels, and levied targeted sanctions against key individuals thought to be involved in Russia's propaganda machine, including editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya Margarita Simonyan.

Meanwhile, Russia's state communications regulator Roskomnadzor hit out at social media giant Meta - parent company of Facebook and Instagram - and Twitter for being complicit in spreading what it said were fake posts about what it described as Russia's 'special operation' in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov today said that the campaign will include fake documents and doctored footage to shift the narrative around Russia's thus far unsuccessful attempts to topple Ukraine's top brass

It comes as YouTube and Facebook yesterday banned Russian state-owned media outlets RT and Sputnik's channels across Europe

The EU has also levied targeted sanctions against key individuals thought to be involved in Russia's propaganda machine, including editor-in-chief of RT and Rossiya Segodnya Margarita Simonyan (pictured with Putin in 2019)

'To ''confirm'' this fake information, seemingly signed ''documents'', as well as fake, edited videos will be distributed,' Reznikov said in an online statement, before posting a similar message on Twitter (pictured)

Russian state authorities exert great power over the nation's media output, and Putin has spent two decades consolidating his control over the information his citizens are fed.

Two of Russia's main news agencies - TASS and RIA Novosti - are wholly state-owned, while all three of Russia's largest television news channels - Channel One, Russia One and NTV - are either wholly or partially state-owned.

The same is true for international television and news agencies RT and Sputnik, which represent Russia's primary method of distributing news throughout Europe.

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union moved to implement a block on the channels - with RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan singled out as one of Russia's key propagandists.

Google-owned video platform YouTube also implemented an immediate ban on the state-owned channels across Europe - though it may take some time for the block to become fully effective.

The technology giant had previously limited the ability for RT and other Russian channels to make money for advertisements that appear on videos but has extended its sanctions to fully blocking such channels.

Facebook parent company Meta also announced yesterday that it had blocked both media organisations.

The change means RT and Sputnik's pages are not visible on Youtube, Facebook or Instagram in the EU, though they remain visible in the UK for now.

British media regulator Ofcom yesterday began 15 investigations into the 'due impartiality' of RT, but Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned that a blanket ban on the channel would likely lead to the BBC being banned in Russia.

'We want the Russian population to hear the truth about what Putin is doing,' she said.

Over the weekend, Meta said it had also blocked a series of fake profiles and hacked accounts which it said were being controlled by pro-Russian actors.

Meta head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher said that the propaganda campaign aimed to 'seed stories across the internet that Ukraine isn't doing well' by 'pretending to be journalists based in Kyiv.'

'The good news is that neither of these campaigns have been that effective, but we do see these actors trying to target Ukraine at this point,' he said.

Russian authorities meanwhile have scrambled to regain control of the narrative surrounding events in Ukraine amid the sanctions and widespread bans of its media arms.

Russia's Foreign Ministry today said a system should be created to hold western tech giants, including Meta and Google, responsible for 'inciting war', according to Interfax.

Meta head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher (pictured) said the tech giant had taken steps to secure accounts they believe had been hacked by pro-Russian actors

Simonyan published a storm of tweets in which she defended the Russian 'special operation' as a fight for 'the historical right to remain people of a multinational Russia' and sarcastically declared that 'the dream of a liberal Europe has been realised' in response to the EU's removal of RT from the airwaves

Russian state authorities exert great power over the nation's media output, and Putin has spent two decades consolidating his control over the information his citizens are fed. Two of Russia's biggest news agencies - TASS and RIA Novosti are state-owned, while all three of Russia's largest television news channels - Channel One, Russia One and NTV - are either wholly or partially state-owned

Roskomnadzor has in recent days implemented partial restrictions on Facebook and Twitter, and called on the tech behemoths to remove posts it said were giving false information about the extent of Russian losses amid the invasion.

The regulator also accused foreign internet services of discriminating against Russian media in Europe, while refusing to acknowledge that Russian forces were conducting an invasion.

Simonyan herself also published a storm of tweets in which she defended the Russian 'special operation' as a fight for 'the historical right to remain people of a multinational Russia' and sarcastically declared that 'the dream of a liberal Europe has been realised' in response to the EU's removal of RT from the airwaves.

Ruptly, a Russian state-owned news agency affiliated with RT that is based in Berlin, saw several top employees hand in their resignations after they were told on an all-staff call that they must not describe the invasion of Ukraine as such, according to Reuters.

Russia says its military deployment in Ukraine is a 'special operation' and has cautioned local media to use that terminology.

The Kremlin has thus far refused to give details about the casualties its forces have sustained in bitter urban combat with Ukrainian defences.
No10's highly-controversial 'no jab, no job' rule in care homes is being revoked in a fortnight, the Government revealed today.

Nearly 40,000 unvaccinated staff lost their jobs in England in November when the policy came into effect.

Ministers announced their intention to remove the mandate last month pending a consultation.

The consultation's results, published today, showed that 90 per cent of respondents supported revoking the policy, which was originally due to be brought into the NHS too.

Officials said the rule will be dropped in care homes on March 15, but care bosses slammed the Government for being 'too late'.

Tory MPs have called on the Government to bring those who lost their jobs in the care sector back into the fold to help deal with a current staffing crisis in the sector.

The consultation's results, published today, showed that 90 per cent of respondents supported revoking the policy, which was originally also due to be brought into the NHS too (stock of a nurse preparing a dose of AstraZeneca's vaccine)

The Department of Health and Social Care said the decision was made because of the Omicron variant, which is 'intrinsically less severe' and is much better at infecting vaccinated people.

A DHSC spokesperson said: 'We fully recognise the calls for clarity and for quick revocation of the regulations.

'The regulations will come into force on March 15 in order to provide certainty for employers, their staff, patients and people who receive care or support.'

The consultation surveyed 90,000 health and social care professionals and members of the public from February 9 to 16.

Eighty-seven per cent of respondents said they 'strongly' agree the policy should be revoked, with a further 3 per cent also preferring the rule is abandoned.

Some 96 per cent of members of the public said they supported the move to get rid of the policy.

But 7 per cent said they strongly opposed the move, with 2 per cent also not wanting to see the change brought in.

Some 30 per cent of NHS and care home managers said they opposed the rule being revoked.

But DHSC said the overall responses 'showed clearly the strength of feeling about the policy, both through the large number of total responses received and the clear preferences indicated'.

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, told MailOnline: 'The decision to remove vaccination as a condition of employment for residential care staff comes too late for the over 30,000 people who left our services because they did not want to be vaccinated.

'The Government talks endlessly about integrating health and social care, and yet they put this mandate into social care, but not into the NHS.

'In future, anything they do needs to be implemented system-wide because fragmented decision-making has unintended consequences.'
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Previously unseen photographs of people dancing in nightclubs have been published in a book shining a light on London's niche hotspots and the subculture of the late 1990s.

The pictures were taken by photographer Ewen Spencer who would travel up from his home in Brighton each weekend between 1998 and 2001 to capture the images for the style magazine Sleazenation, based in Shoreditch.

The magazine ceased publication in 2003, but during the first lockdown Spencer came across the images while helping his father rescue a digital archive from a hard drive.

The chance encounter inspired him to create a book, and a conversation with his father helped provide the inspiration for its title: While You Were Sleeping.

Speaking to the Guardian, Spencer said: 'His eyes upon it made me realise the significance of it.

'He said to me "When were you doing this?" and I said "While you were sleeping.'

A graduate from the Brighton School of Art, Spencer said he was inspired by German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, who he said captured the experience of Berlin nightlife in '360'.

He said he chose to visit London's niche hotspots rather than the big glossy venues popular in the 90s in order to capture the subculture at that time.

The pictures were taken with a film camera which had just 12 exposures on each, meaning Spencer had to choose his subjects wisely, often choosing people lost in the music or conversation rather than those craving attention.

Looking back at the time, Spencer said what he was doing for Sleazenation more than twenty years ago is what people are doing today with unlimited photos taken on their smartphones and documented on their social media accounts.

Dancer, Queer Nation Sub Station, South Brixton, in 1999. The photographs were given to Sleazenations photographic director, Steve Lazarides, who chose to publish some of them in black and white to capture what it meant to be young and British

Infernos, Clapham High Street, in 1998. Ewen Spencer, a graduate from the Brighton School of Art, said he was inspired by Wolfgang Tillmans, who he said captured the experience of Berlin nightlife in '360'

Round Twentys Holiday Reunion, Prestatyn, in 1999. Spencer said he chose to visit London's niche hotspots rather than the big glossy venues popular in the 90s in order to capture the subculture at that time

Brixton Trance 2, in 2000. Spencer travelled up from his home in Brighton on each weekend between 1998 and 2001 to capture the images for the style magazine Sleazenation, based in Shoreditch

The Cross Coal Drop Yard, in Kings Cross, in 2000. Sleazenation stopped publishing its magazine in 2003, but the photos Spencer took were discovered two decades later

Deep Funk, Madame Jo Jos, Soho, in 1999. A conversation Spencer had with his father when they discovered the images helped provide the inspiration for the book's title: While You Were Sleeping

Pass the Mic, WKD bar, Kentish Town, in 1999. Spencer was inspired to publish the images in a book after his father discovered the images and asked when he was doing that. 'While you were sleeping', he replied

Gumballs, The Cross Coal Drop Yard, in Kings Cross, in 2000. Spencer said he made himself part of the niche nightclub scene in the late 90s to ensure he was photographing something he understood

The Lovers, Sonik Mook Experiment, 333 Old Street, in 1998. Spencer said he had just 12 exposures on each roll of film, meaning he had to choose his subjects wisely, often choosing people lost in the music or conversation rather than those craving attention

DC, Nottingham Rock City. Spencer, looking back on his photos from the 1990s, said what he was doing for Sleazenation more than twenty years ago is what people are doing with their smartphones and social media now
President Moon Jae-in speaks in a speech marking Korea's 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule at the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government, Seoul, March 1. Yonhap





President Moon Jae-in called for Japan to look squarely at history, Tuesday, and show a humble attitude over its wartime past in order for the two countries to overcome historical feuds and move forward for cooperation.







In a speech marking Korea's 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Moon said South Korea remains open to dialogue with Japan to work together on various regional and global issues, such as COVID-19 and supply chains.







South Korea and Japan "should be able to overcome the 'history of a once unfortunate past' and cooperate toward the future," Moon said, describing the two nations as "close neighbors." "To that end, Japan must look squarely at history and be humble before history."







Moon said Japan can become a "trusted nation" only if it "can sympathize with the wounds of the people of its neighboring country."







Diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Tokyo have run deep since 2019, when Japan imposed a set of export restrictions against South Korea in a move seen as economic retaliation for South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms involved in forced labor during Japan's colonial rule.







Japan's recent heritage bid for a controversial mine added to a litany of thorny issues between the two countries, including Japan's claims to Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, its wartime sexual slavery and its planned discharge of tainted nuclear plant water into the ocean.







The latest tussle over the Sado Mine  where as many as 2,000 Koreans were thought to have been mobilized to work against their will  struck a particularly jarring note as it put a damper on Seoul's hitherto unfruitful fence-mending efforts with Tokyo.







Moon's speech came a day after South Korea said it will ban exports of strategic items to Russia and join international sanctions to exclude major Russian financial institutions from a key global payment system to increase pressure over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.







In the speech, Moon expressed concerns about a "new Cold War" and a rising "nation-centrism" to take supremacy by force. The remarks were seen as a veiled condemnation against Russia's military action despite international warnings.







A lesson from the 1919 nationwide uprising is that South Korea should not be swayed by the international order centered on global powers and must have its own power to lead its history, Moon said. (Yonhap)






A Las Vegas judge was blasted for bailing a high-risk registered sex offender who allegedly went on to molesting a 14 year-old boy - with the victim said to have been targeted for being white.

Judge Kalani Hoo set bail for Willie Collins, 42, at just $1,500 last September after Collins was accused of robbery, 8NewsNow reported.

Hoo did so despite being warned that Collins posed a danger to society, and that the convicted predator was a flight risk. Collins was also ordered into house arrest, but appears to have flouted that order to commit his latest alleged crime.

The pervert has prior convictions for child molestation, with one of his victims being a special needs child.

Collins is then said to have struck again on February 24, after abducting a 14 year-old boy who was walking to school.

Collins, who was wearing a GPS ankle monitor, pretended to be armed, then bundled the youngster into an alleyway, where he molested him, it is alleged. The convicted pervert, who is black, is later said to have told cops that he targeted the boy because he was shite.

Collins made his latest court appearance on Friday to face a dozen charges, including sexual assault with a victim under 16, battery with the intent to commit a sexual assault, and kidnapping. He appeared before a different judge, and was finally ordered into custody.

Willie Collins, 42, a homeless career criminal and sex offender, has been charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old Las Vegas boy

Collins, who has a vast criminal history, including a pending armed robbery case, was out of jail after Judge Kalani Hoo (pictured) set his bail at $1,500 last fall, despite his being assessed as high risk

Police said Collins ordered the schoolboy to enter an alley and directed him into a dumpster enclosure, where he sexually assaulted him.

But the 14-year-old fought back and was eventually able to escape and call for help, while Collins fled on foot.

Police who responded to the scene reviewed surveillance video from the area and spotted the suspect with his pants down, revealing the ankle monitor on his leg, reported KTNV.

Investigators subsequently determined that the GPS monitor assigned to Collins following his release on bail last fall had been in the area at the time of the sexual assault.

Collins made his initially court appearance on Friday, a day after his arrest on a dozen charges

Collins was ordered to register as a sex offender after his 2017 conviction for open and gross lewdness, which involved multiple children

Detectives then went to Collins' home, located just a quarter-mile from the crime scene, and arrested him at 12.30pm. No weapons were found in his possession.

Collins is listed on Nevada's sex offender registry stemming from a 2017 conviction on a charge of open and gross lewdness involving multiple children, one of whom had special needs.

His criminal history includes 15 prior arrests and more than a dozen convictions on misdemeanor counts.

In September 2021, Collins was picked up on a charge of robbery with a deadly weapon.

When he appeared before North Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Kalani Hoo in late September for a pre-trial risk assessment hearing, it was stated that Collins is a high-risk offender and a flight risk.

Collins is pictured in some of his old booking photos. His criminal record dates back to 1993

But Judge Hoo set Collins' bail at $1,500 and allowed him to be released on house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor.

DailyMail.com on Tuesday reached out to the court seeking comment on the judge's decision and was awaiting a reply.

In court on Friday, Collins appeared to be in high spirits, greeting the judge presiding over his case with a friendly 'good morning.' As the appearance drew to a close, the suspect thanked the judge, the district attorney and his public defender, adding: 'thank you, everybody here and I love yall.'
A disability activist has slammed a 'creepy stalker' who asked her to set him up with a 'simple-minded and helpless' woman.

Monica Albert Still from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was messaged on Facebook by the unnamed man who snooped through her profile and photos hoping to find disabled and vulnerable women he could target for potential dates.

He brazenly declared his intentions, saying he was providing a 'humanitarian service' to the women.

Monica Albert Still from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has slammed a 'creepy stalker' who asked her to set him up with a 'simple-minded and helpless' woman

She was messaged on Facebook by the unnamed man who snooped through her profile and photos

In other unsettling messages, the man stated his intentions to 'get acquainted' with disabled women he had spotted while searching the 56-year-old's profile and asked her for 'suggestions'.

He also said he had noticed Monica was 'still single' and was a 'very beautiful woman', before saying he wanted to get to know her and suggesting that they 'get involved'.

The retired nurse, who has spina bifida and a lower-leg amputation, claims these messages illustrate a wider problem where 'ableist' people assume disabled people can be taken advantage of in dating.

After realizing he'd been sifting through her profile, Monica reported him numerous times before finally blocking him after he sent her a pornographic photo.

Monica said: 'I work with the Spina Bifida Association, so I get a lot of messages from disabled people.

'I answer messages because sometimes I'm able to help someone.

The retired nurse, who has spina bifida and a lower-leg amputation, claims the messages illustrate a wider problem

He brazenly declared his intentions, saying he was providing a 'humanitarian service' to the women

'But this guy went off on a weird thing about wanting a disabled woman because they're "simple minded" and "helpless", and I was like "no this isn't how this goes".

'When I saw that he was looking for a helpless woman, it just made me think he was looking for somebody he could control.

'When I said no, he said he'd find somebody through my profile. He'd seen my post sharing his messages.

'I ended up blocking him because he started showing me pictures of my Facebook friends.

'He had started going through my profile to find some of these - I don't have my friend list public.

'He was saying "I could date this one". It was a very creepy stalker vibe. I felt so angry that this person thought he had the right to do this.'

Monica, who volunteers with disability rights organisations, is open about her passion for 'disability justice' online and shared the messages to make sure her disabled friends were vigilant about any advances.

Monica said: 'It comes along with this ableism that somebody assumes I would be so desperate for a relationship that this would be okay with me.

Monica, who volunteers with disability rights organisations, is open about her passion for 'disability justice' online

'That worries me, because there might be women who aren't as comfortable with themselves and a guy like this could do a lot of damage.

'Most of my posts are about disability justice and I'm very open about my life - I have spina bifida and I'm a below-the-knee amputee. I think he was aware of that.

'I shared his messages to my friends because it was about ableism and I wanted to warn my disabled friends, so they didn't have to deal with the nonsense I was receiving.

'I didn't want him to talk to any of my friends and say "I'm friends with Monica".

'I reported his account several times, because he shared a pornographic picture with me that I didn't ask for.'

Monica, who has a partner of six years, believes that the messages indicate a wider issue that disabled people face as they try to navigate the dating scene.

Monica said: 'There is such a thing within the disability community as a devotee [a person who is sexually attracted to disability].

Monica, who has a partner of six years, believes that the messages indicate a wider issue that disabled people face

'I'm not sure if that's what he was, because there are people who are looking to have a relationship with a disabled person because that's their thing.

'I've never had a message like this before, and I'm a bit older, I've had a computer since 1982.

'I've been in chat rooms and stuff, but never had anything like this.

'I think this is part of a wider problem, dating with a disability is difficult.

'There are people who assume we're asexual and we don't date and have no sex lives.

'Then there's the opposite side where people think 'oh, if I date somebody who's disabled, I can take advantage of them. I can control them'.

'It's an issue of control, as if the disabled person can't do any better than them.

'I've encountered men like this before.

'They'll assume I'm looking for a care-giver and not somebody to be my partner. I've encountered it and it can make life frustrating.'
Voters in Texas are heading to the polls Tuesday for the first primary of the midterm season, where an AOC-backed progressive will take on Rep. Henry Cuellar and Trump-backed incumbents will face challenges from the right.

At the top of the ticket, Gov. Greg Abbott will likely best two lively right-wing challengers to win a third term. Abbott, who has been endorsed by Trump, has tacked to the right and run an aggressive campaign that included 60 campaign stops throughout the state in the weeks leading up to the primary.

Catering to his right-wing base, Abbott signed the Texas abortion law banning the practice after six weeks, told state agencies to investigate treatment for transgender youth as 'child abuse' and deployed Texas National Guard troops to the southern border.

Abbott, a prolific fundraiser, entered the final days of the primary with $60 million on hand. He's expected to take on Democrat Beto O'Rourke come November, who is haunted by a failed run for the presidency and for Ted Cruz's Senate seat. O'Rourke, who is not facing a challenger on the Democratic side, entered the primary with only $6.8 million on hand.

Abbott is not expected to win with the landslide 90 percent he won in the primary four years ago, and rumors are swirling that some in Trump's orbit encouraged him to yank his endorsement of the governor ahead of the race.

In the attorney general's race, incumbent Ken Paxton will face three heavy-weight challengers - Texas land commissioner George P. Bush of the Bush dynasty, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert and Eva Guzman, a former justice on the Texas Supreme Court.

At the top of the ticket, Gov. Greg Abbott will likely best two lively right-wing challengers to win a third term

In the attorney general's race, incumbent Ken Paxton, above, will face three heavy-weight challengers - Texas land commissioner George P. Bush of the Bush dynasty, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert and Eva Guzman, a former justice on the Texas Supreme Court

Rep. Henry Cuellar, above, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats, faces a formidable challenge from progressive Jessica Cisneros

Cisneros, above, is endorsed by AOC, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders

All three challengers have assailed Paxton for a 2015 securities fraud indictment that he is still fighting. The charges stemmed from his time in the state House when prosecutors said he directed investments to a firm without disclosing he would be compensated for doing so. Paxton denied the charges and had the trial delayed.

Then, in 2020, Paxton was accused by some of his own top aides of bribery and abuse of power

While Paxton won the Trump endorsement, Gohmert got a shoutout at Trump's rally in Texas. A member of the House Freedom Caucus, Gohmert is a staunch supporter of Trump.

Gohmert reportedly posed for a photo with Trump at the rally last month, but Trump's team refused to send it to the congressman because they did not want him to use it in campaign ads, according to the New York Times.

'Louie Gohmert, what a wonderful guy,' Trump told the crowd. 'This is a man who has been a friend of mine from day one.'

And as Bush's family name has diminished in value in the Lonestar State, the land commissioner too has tacked himself to Trump, in his campaign calling to 'finish the Trump wall' and talking about 'massive voter fraud.'

Guzman, meanwhile has attracted establishment conservative and pro-business backing.

While Paxton is still considered the front runner, there is a real chance he could not break the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff race between the top two candidates. The runoff race would be in May.

Paxton's performance will be the litmus test of whether Trump's hold on the party remains steadfast.

And while redistricting in Texas eliminated many of the competitive House seats in the general election, a handful of contested primaries on both sides will be the real test.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress who has been critical of President Biden's handling of immigration policy, will take on progressive Jessica Cisneros, who drew in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a campaign appearance.

Cisneros, a 28-year-old immigration attorney, received a political blessing with an FBI raid on Cuellar's home in the month leading up to the primary. The raid was tied to a criminal investigation with business people from the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan.

It's still not clear whether Cuellar himself is a subject or target of the probe, and he has vowed to cooperate with any investigation.

The nine-term Democrat is co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, an obscure group dedicated to furthering relations with the oil-rich nation on the Caspian Sea.

In that role, Cuellar is known to have met repeatedly with Azerbaijan officials, including the country's ambassador to the US, Elin Suleymanov.

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Azerbaijan has been harshly criticized in the past for bribing foreign officials and diplomats to secure its foreign policy aims and legitimize dubious election results.

The practice is so common in the country that it is known there as 'caviar diplomacy,' but it is unclear whether the FBI is investigating any similar allegations in relation to Cuellar.

And in Texas' 34th district former socialist member of Austin City Council Greg Casar will take on three other Democrats - Rep. Vicente Gonzalez who currently represents Texas' 15th district which now leans Republican under the new redistricting map and state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez.

Both Casar and Cisneros have been endorsed by AOC and Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

The power struggle within the GOP will be on full display in the primary race for retiring Republican Rep. Kevin Brady's seat. A super PAC aligned with Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy has thrown its weight behind Navy SEAL veteran Morgan Luttrell, while a PAC aligned with the House Freedom Caucus has gone all-in for former Cruz aide Christian Collins.
Potential jurors selected for the first trial surrounding the January 6 attacks on the US Capitol grew emotional in court Monday upon being questioned about the events of the day, raising concerns regarding their reliability to serve on the historic case.

'I felt like it was an attack on my home.. It was a very scary time,' one potential juror, with his voice shaking, told the DC court Monday according to CNN.

The juror had been selected along with 33 others to potentially preside over the case of accused Capitol rioter Guy Reffitt, 48.

US District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich excused the candidate - along with nine others - from service, saying he was 'starting from a place where he feels so clearly, visibly impacted from the events', CNN reported.

Meanwhile, 24 others - several of whom said they had followed news coverage of the riots and had strong political opinions regarding the case - made the cut, including a lobbyist who boasts connections to Congress, CNN reported.

Reffitt's case is the first of more than 700 criminal defendants set to go to trial in the coming weeks. He faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of storming the building and taking a semi-automatic handgun onto the Capitol grounds.

Pictured is a courtroom sketch from Monday's proceedings, where potential jurors were questioned about the case surrounding defendant Guy Reffitt (pictured at right in sketch without the mask). One candidate grew emotional when he told Judge Dabney Friedrich of the riots, 'I felt like it was an attack on my home... It was a very scary time,' before being dismissed

Refitt, whose trial was expected to start on Wedesday, made headlines last year after he was accused of threatening to kill his teenage son for reporting his alleged part in the attacks to police.

At the hearing, Friedrich questioned the potential jurors at length about their familiarity with the defendant's case Monday, along with their consumption of media coverage about the attack and their ability to impartially preside over the important case, according to CNN.

Potential jurors that were selected for the trial, the first surrounding the January 6 attacks on the US Capitol (pictured), grew emotional in court Monday upon being questioned about the events of the day, raising concerns regarding their reliability to serve on the historic case

Several who survived the judge's first cut slated to return to court Tuesday said they had followed news coverage of the riots and had strong political opinions regarding the case, but would be able to look at the evidence impartially.

Nearly all said they had never heard of Reffitt, who faces five felony counts for his alleged part in the protests, according to CNN.

The network reported that one prospective juror who met Friedrich's criteria for the first cut identified himself to the court as a lobbyist with close ties to a sitting member of Congress.

Previously a congressional page, the juror said he was still in touch with his former boss, who was not identified, and that he had given tours of the Capitol during his time as a congressional aide.

'I have a lot of reverence' for the building, he told the judge Monday, remaining on the pool.

During proceedings, defendant Guy Reffitt (at left without the mask), who faces 20 years in prison for storming and bringing a handgun into the Capitol, sat silent with his legal team. Prior to Monday, Reffitt's attorney had expressed concerns about the jury's ability to be impartial

Several prospective jurors spoke passionately about their fear during the attack - and their disgust toward its perpetrators.

'Everybody who went in there is already guilty,. They should be prosecuted to the max,' one man who was dismissed from the pool said, according to CNN.

Others flatly proclaimed that they could not be impartial toward Reffitt.

One man, who did not remain in the jury pool, described to the court of how he ventured toward the Capitol amid reports of revelry on January 6.

'I saw it on the news. And it was so close to my apartment, that I wanted to see what was going on,' a DC was reported as saying on the stand, according to CNN.

Judge Friedrich, 54, dismissed nine jurors during the Monday hearing for displaying strong feelings about the Capitol attackers. The judge, however, allowed 24 others who said they had strong political opinions regarding the case onto the next round of cuts, set for Tuesday

One woman who was also dismissed said she worked at the Library of Congress, where she had been stationed during the attack, and described how some of her fellow employees were evacuated from the office and others working from home near the Capitol that day.

Another potential juror who made it on to second round similarly spoke about how he followed news coverage after the attack.

'I live in this city. I wanted to know what happened,' the juror said. according to CNN.

Only a few of the prospective candidates said they did not follow news coverage of the attacks January 6.

Images, like this one, from Jan. 6 show Guy Reffitt wearing a helmet with a camera fastened to the front of it while he allegedly stormed the Capitol. He faces up to 20 years in prison for his alleged part in the attack and bringing a handgun with him onto the Capitol terrace

Reffitt, a member of the far-right, antigovernment organization The Texas Three-Percenters, is also seen in the images wearing a blue jacket and what appears to be a bulletproof vest. His case is the first of more than 700 criminal defendants set to go to trial in the coming weeks

Following Monday's proceedings, the process of seating a jury for the case is more than halfway finished, with prosecutors set to make their opening statement as early as Tuesday.

The situation accentuates concerns that some of the more than 700 federal criminal defendants - who stormed and entered the historic site in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden's presidential election victory - are having about the fairness of scheduled court proceedings.

Prior to Monday's hearing, Reffitt's attorney had expressed concerns about the prospective jury's ability to be impartial.

According to an affidavit obtained by Dallas News, Reffitt told his family that he went to Washington, D.C., to 'to protect the country,' that he brought a gun with him, and that he 'stormed the Capitol'

Despite those calls, however, it looks that following Monday's proceedings, the court this week will be able to assemble enough jurors.

Reffitt, who is a member of the Texas right-wing anti-government group the Three Percenters, is accused of taking a gun to the Capitol, interfering with two police officers outside the building and threatening his children when he returned home.

He is contesting the five felony charges during this week's trial.

Images snapped January 6 near the Capitol show Reffitt wearing a helmet with a camera fastened to the front of it. He's also seen in the images wearing a blue jacket and what appears to be a bulletproof vest.

Vice News reported that he allegedly charged at police officers with such force that they had to fire projectiles and use pepper spray to hold him back.

Reffitt, 48, made headlines in late January following his arrest after he was accused of threatening to kill his teenage son, Jackson (pictured), for calling police

Afterwards, he threatened his own wife and kids, telling them he would shoot them if they turned him to the authorities. However, he was later arrested after his son, Jackson, 19, contacted the FBI.

According to court documents, he told his family, 'If you turn me in, youre a traitor, and you know what happens to traitors Traitors get shot.'

FBI agents found an AR-15 rifle and a pistol during their search of Reffitt's home, according to the affidavit.

After turning his dad in, Jackson was forced to leave his family home and is no longer on speaking terms with his mom, Nicole, and his two sisters, Peyton, 18, and Sarah, 24.

The FBI has made more than 740 arrests in connection to the January 6 insurrection, during which hundreds of supporters of former President Donald Trump attempted to block congressional certification of President Joe Biden's November 2020 election victory

The top charge he faces is obstructing an official proceeding, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, and waits for trial to begin. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges he faces.

In May, prosecutors added new evidence to their case against Reffitt, in the form a recording of a January 10 Zoom meeting between Reffitt and two other Three Percenters.

In the clip, Reffitt allegedly said he helped lead the charge on the Capitol with a .40-caliber pistol at his side, at one point telling a U.S. Capitol Police officer who was firing nonlethal rounds at him, 'Sorry, darling. You better get a bigger damn gun,' ProPublica reported.

Refitt's case is set to begin as soon as jury selection completes this week.
A translator became choked up while covering Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech to the European Parliament as he declared that Ukraine 'is fighting for our land and our freedom'.

The translator, who has not been named, became emotional and his voice broke as he read out Zelensky's words for MSNBC on Tuesday.

He managed to make it through the address but he was forced to pause during Zelensky's speech as he was overcome with emotion.

The President addressed the European Parliament remotely from Kyiv and spoke of the 'tragedy' unfolding after 'five days of full-scale invasion' by Russia.

A translator became choked up while covering Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech to the European Parliament as he declared that Ukraine 'is fighting for our land and our freedom'

As Zelensky began describing how Russian shelling has pounded the Freedom square in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, and killed dozens, the translator became emotional.

He began translating the Ukrainian leader's speech into English, saying: 'Can you imagine, this morning, two cruise missiles hit Freedom Square. Dozens killed. This is the price of freedom.'

The translator's voice then cracked with emotion and he choked out: 'We are fighting just for our land. And for our freedom.'

The man took a deep breath and managed to continue with Zelensky's speech, adding: 'Despite the fact that all of our citizens are now blocked, nobody is going to enter and intervene. Believe you and me, every square, no matter where it is.

'Nobody is going to break us, we are Ukrainians.'

He added: 'We want our children to live. It seems to me that this is fair. Yesterday, 16 children died. And again, President Putin will say this is an operation, and we are beating the military infrastructure. Where are our children? What military factories do they work at? ON which rockets? Maybe they ride in tanks? You killed 16 children!

'We are fighting for our rights  freedom and life  and now we are fighting for survival. And this is our main motivation. But we are also fighting to be equal members of Europe. The EU will be much stronger with us. Without you, Ukraine will be alone.

'Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans, and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory to Ukraine.'

Smoke and flames rise up the side of Kyiv's 1,300ft TV tower after Russia bombed it on Tuesday. The tower remained standing but buildings around it were damaged, with some broadcasts knocked off air

Transcript of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech This morning was a very tragic one for us. Two cruise missiles hit Kharkiv, the city, which is located to the borders of the Russian federation. There were always many Russians there and they were always friend, there were warm relations there. More than 20 universities are there. It's the city that has the largest number of universities in our country. The youth is bright, smart there. The people who gathered there all the time and was gathering there all the time for celebrating all celebrations in the largest square in our country - the Freedom Square. This is the largest square in Europe and that's true. This is called the Freedom Square. Can you imagine, this morning, two cruise missiles hit this Freedom Square. Dozens killed. This is the price of freedom. We're fighting just for our land and for our freedom. Despite the fact that all the cities of our country are now blocked nobody is going to enter and intervene with our freedom and believe you me, every square from today, no matter what it's called, is going to be called Freedom Square, in every city of our country. Nobody's going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians. We want our children to live. It seems to me that this is fair. Yesterday, 16 children died. And again, President Putin will say this is an operation, and we are beating the military infrastructure. Where are our children? What military factories do they work at? ON which rockets? Maybe they ride in tanks? You killed 16 children! We are fighting for our rights  freedom and life  and now we are fighting for survival. And this is our main motivation. But we are also fighting to be equal members of Europe. The EU will be much stronger with us. Without you, Ukraine will be alone. Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans, and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory to Ukraine. Advertisement

On Saturday, a German interpreter has burst into tears while translating a speech by Zelensky.

The journalist, who has not been named, started crying as she read out Zelenskyy's words for Welt.

She made it part-way through the press conference before her words were drowned out by tears through the microphone.

The politician had been giving an update on the precarious position Ukraine was in as Russian troops bang at the door to Kyiv overnight.

Zelensky's address to the European Parliament on Tuesday came as explosions erupted around Kyiv's 1,300ft TV tower this afternoon, just hours after Russia told civilians to evacuate because it was about to begin bombarding 'strategic' targets in the Ukrainian capital.

At least two large blasts were seen near the foot of the tower, around three miles from central Kyiv, around 5.30pm local time. It was not immediately clear whether the tower had been the target of the strikes, or whether they had been targeting nearby buildings. The tower remained standing, but several state broadcasts went off air.

It came shortly after Moscow's ministry of defence said it would be launching strikes into the city targeting Ukraine's security service and intelligence agencies with what it called 'precision munitions'.

That raised fears that Kyiv was about to come under heavy bombardment after the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson were hit by indiscriminate shelling earlier in the day.

A column of Russian artillery units and tanks 40 miles long has been pictured snaking its way towards Kyiv as analysts warned it will likely be tasked with surrounding the city, besieging it and bombing it into submission as Putin resorts to 'medieval' tactics in an attempt to force victory.

Meanwhile Ukraine warned that Belarus had also thrown its own soldiers into the fight with an attack on the north eastern city of Chernihiv.

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II has found Russia increasingly isolated by tough economic sanctions that have thrown its economy its disarray and left the country practically friendless, apart from China and Belarus.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the region's Soviet-era administrative building was hit. Explosions tore through residential areas, and a maternity ward was moved to an underground shelter.

Kharkiv's Freedom Square - Ukraine's largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life for the city - was struck with what was believed to be a missile, in an attack seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasn't just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirits.

Smoke rises around Kyiv's main television tower after several explosions near the base of it on Tuesday afternoon

A partially-destroyed building and burned-out van are seen in the streets in Brovary, near Kyiv, after attacks by Russian forces

A burned-out car and rubble is seen strewn in the streets in Brovary, a city on the outskirts of Kyiv, amid fears the Ukrainian capital is about to come under heavy Russian bombardment

The strike blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive central square, which was piled high with debris and dust. Inside one building, chunks of plaster were scattered, and doors, ripped from their hinges, lay across hallways.

'People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies,' said Yevhen Vasylenko, representative of the Emergency Situations Ministry in Kharkiv region. In addition to the six killed, 20 were wounded in the strike, he said.

Zelenskyy called the attack on Kharkiv's main square 'frank, undisguised terror,' blaming a Russian missile and calling it a war crime. 'This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation,' he said.

In an emotional appeal to the European Parliament later, Zelenskyy said: 'We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are.'

He said 16 children had been killed on Monday, and he mocked Russia's claim that it is going after only military targets.

'Where are the children, what kind of military factories do they work at? What tanks are they going at, launching cruise missiles?' Zelenskyy said.

In a worrying development, Human Rights Watch said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraine's east in recent days. Local residents have also reported the use of the munitions in Kharkiv and the village of Kiyanka, though there was no independent confirmation.

If confirmed, that would represent a worrying new level of brutality in the war and could lead to even further isolation in Russia.

The Kremlin denied Tuesday that it has used such weapons and insisted again that its forces only have struck military targets - despite evidence documented by Associated Press reporters of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals.

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor said earlier this week that he plans to open an investigation into possible war crimes.

Unbowed by Western condemnation, Russian officials upped their threats of escalation, days after raising the specter of a nuclear attack. A top Kremlin official warned that the West's 'economic war' against Russia could turn into a 'real one.'

The first talks Monday between Ukraine and Russia yielded no stop in the fighting, though the two sides agreed to another meeting in the coming days.

Throughout the country, many Ukrainian civilians spent another night huddled in shelters, basements or corridors. More than a half-million people have fled the country, and the U.N. human rights office said it has recorded the deaths of 136 civilians. The real toll is believed to be far higher.
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Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko appears to have indicated Vladimir Putin's forces have plans to invade Moldova.

Putin's war-mongering sidekick addressed security officials today while standing in front of a battle map that seems to show a planned operation from southern Ukraine into its tiny neighbour.

The map also showed proposed battle plans for Russian troops across the country.

It detailed Russian lines of attack heading into Ukraine, some of which have materialised in the first few days of the invasion - such as forces storming towards Kyiv from the north, and towards Kherson from Crimea.

But they also showed off several attacks that have yet to come to pass - with one even appearing to point from the port city of Odessa into Moldova, suggesting Russia plans to march troops into Ukraine's neighbour.

Meanwhile Putin's military has suffered an embarrassing string of defeats while trying to carry out precision strikes on key targets in an apparent effort to win the war quickly and convincingly.

That has raised fears that he is now about to deploy Russian heavy armour and artillery in an attempt to brute-force his way to victory - a strategy that could cause huge civilian casualties.

A 'terrifying' convoy 40 miles long comprised of tanks and artillery is now heading towards the capital Kyiv, apparently in an effort to surround it.

Russian forces began bombarding the city today, striking a TV mast and a nearby Holocaust memorial, after warning citizens to leave or risk being killed.

Several of the city's neighbourhoods are currently under attack, according to local reports. The Kyiv Independent reported at 23:29 local time (21:29GMT) that Russian bombs have struck Vyshneve, a town outside the capital.

It also said the neighbourhoods of Rusanivka, Kurenivka and Boiarka - as well as the area near Kyiv International Airport - were coming under fire. Rusanivka in particular is very central.

It also reported a loud explosion was heard at Bila Tserkva, a city in Kyiv Oblast, when a duel depot was attacked, according to the UNIAN news agency.

The locations of the reported attacks suggest Russian forces are tonight closing in from multiple sides of the capital, particularly from the west.

Alexander Lukashenko has appeared in front of a battle map during a state TV broadcast which appears to detail Russia's attack plans in Ukraine

The map seems to suggest that a force will be sent from the Ukrainian city of Odessa to attack neighbouring Moldova, where Russia already has troops

Moldova: A brief history The Republic of Moldova has changed its colours many times throughout its history, which dates back to the 1350s. In its early state, it was the precursor to what is today Moldova and Romania, and was known as the Principality of Moldavia. The principality was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire from the 1500s until the 19th century. In 1812, the eastern half of the principality - Bessarabia - was annexed by the Russian Empire. Over 100 years later, Bessarabia briefly became independent as the Moldavian Democratic Republic and united with Romania in 1918, but was occupied by the Soviet Union soon after during the Second World War. When the war ended in 1945, it remained in the Soviet Union as the Moldavian SSR, until the USSR dissolved in 1991, at which point the country declared independence and become the Republic of Moldova as it is known today. However, a small strip of Moldovan territory found on the country's easy bank has been under the control of the breakaway government of Transnistria since 1990, which is one of four post-Soviet 'frozen conflict' zones. Advertisement

The map displayed by Lukashenko is split into four sections which align with the command districts of Ukraine's military, showing Russian attacks from Belarus, along Ukraine's eastern border, and from occupied Crimea.

A two-pronged pincer movement is shown targeting Kyiv - an attack that is currently playing out - which forces are also shown heading out of occupied Donetsk and Crimea before linking up at Melitopol, which Russia has captured.

But attacks are also shown hitting the city of Dnipro, which has yet to take place - possibly because the forces assigned to attack it have been held up by fierce resistance in Kharkiv, which is along the route.

Another attack appears to be heading for the city of Cherkasy via the city of Sumy, where Russian forces have also been held up, while a third appears to break off from the Kyiv assault towards Zhytomyr.

Perhaps the most baffling shows troops attacking from the Ukrainian port city of Odessa towards Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova that Russia occupies.

Nicu Popescu, Moldova's deputy prime minister, admitted today that his country is in a 'very risky zone' with the population feeling 'anxiety and fear'. But, he added, he does not expect to be invaded and instead sees the biggest challenge as handling an influx of refugees.

A Ukrainian military official said Belarusian troops joined the war Tuesday in the Chernihiv region in the north, without providing details. But just before that, Lukashenko said his country had no plans to join the fight.

The map also pinpoints what appear to be Ukrainian military infrastructure and missile batteries in locations that were struck by Russian missile strikes on the first day of the invasion.

Lukashenko used the map while speaking to his security council about what he said were Belarusian missile strikes on Ukraine

The map details several attacks that have already taken place, such as a two-pronged assault from Belarus and Russia towards Kyiv (pictured, a Russian convoy heading to Kyiv)

In a clip of the meeting posted online, Lukashenko can also be heard talking about missile strikes launched from Belarusian territory at Ukraine in advance of the main Russian assault.

'Missiles in the Mazyr region hit those [Ukrainian] positions, after which we didn't see them again,' Lukashenko tells his top cabinet.

'Once the Russians began their advance, we no longer saw those positions.

'That's why I say that, yes, there were indeed missile launches from Belarusian territory and have shared honestly which targets we attacked.'

Perhaps worryingly for the direction the war could take from here, the chart also features a map of the US mainland and Canada.

A box on the right-hand side detailing what appear to be military units also features the badge of the US Army Air Cavalry, while below it there is a map of the whole of Europe - perhaps detailing NATO troop positions.

Russia is now six days into its invasion of Ukraine, and the battle does not appear to be going to plan.

Ukraine's military has put up a stronger-than-expected resistance while ordinary civilians have also come out in force to resist 'the occupiers'.

The battle map also shows Russian forces heading through the city of Kharkiv to Dnipro - an attack that may have been held up due to heavy resistance (pictured)

Putin propaganda channel Russia Today WILL disappear from British TV screens Russian state-owned media outlet RT will no longer be available on Sky, the culture secretary has said. Nadine Dorries said the move would mean 'Putin's polluting propaganda machine' would be 'severely restricted' in Britain. In a tweet, Ms Dorries said: 'Shortly, the French satellite which broadcasts Russia Today (RT) in both the EU and UK will be switched off. 'This means RT will no longer be available via Sky. 'Putin's polluting propaganda machine will now have severely restricted access into British homes via our TV screens.' It comes after the video-sharing website YouTube blocked channels linked to RT and Sputnik across Europe, including the UK. The Google-owned platform said the ban was effective immediately though it may take some time for the block to become fully effective. The technology giant had previously limited the ability for RT and other Russian channels to make money from advertisements that appear on videos but has extended its sanctions. 'Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we're blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately,' a statement from Google Europe said. 'It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.' Fellow social media platform Facebook has also blocked access to RT and Sputnik on its platform having previously also limited those channels' ability to make advertising revenue. The change means the pages of the organisations are not visible on Facebook or Instagram in the EU, but for now, they remain visible in the UK. Former UK deputy prime minister, Sir Nick Clegg, who is now vice president of global affairs at Facebook's parent company, Meta, said the firm had been asked by governments to take further action against Russian state-backed media. 'We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state-controlled media,' he said on Twitter on Monday night. 'Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.' Advertisement

Meanwhile, new blasts rocked Kyiv tonight after Russia was slammed as 'barbaric' for bombing a TV tower near the Babyn Yar holocaust memorial in Kyiv on the site of one of the biggest single massacres of Jews during the Holocaust.

According to a British correspondent in the city, a new round of explosions were heard at around 22:50 local time (20:50GMT). 'Sounds of heavy explosions in #Kyiv just now,' journalist Sara Firth tweeted.

Earlier, explosions erupted around the capital's 1,300ft TV tower, built by the ravine where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed by SS troops in two days in 1941 during Adolf Hitler's campaign against the Soviet Union.

At least two large blasts were seen near the foot of the tower, around three miles from central Kyiv, around 5.30pm local time. The first missile struck the TV tower but the second hit the memorial.

At least five people were killed in the latest onslaught which came just hours after Russia told Ukrainian civilians to evacuate because it was about to begin bombarding 'strategic' targets. Footage of the immediate aftermath of the explosions showed bodies in the streets below.

It was not immediately clear whether the tower had been the target of the strikes, or whether they had been targeting nearby buildings. The tower remained standing, but several state broadcasts went off air.

After attack, Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: 'To the world: what is the point of saying 'never again' for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating'

Meanwhile the Ukrainian foreign ministry said: 'Russian troops fired on the TV tower, near the Memorial complex #BabynYar. Russian criminals do not stop at anything in their barbarism. Russia = barbarian.'

It came shortly after Moscow's ministry of defence said it would be launching strikes into the city targeting Ukraine's security service and intelligence agencies with what it called 'precision munitions'.

That raised fears that Kyiv was about to come under heavy bombardment after the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson were hit by indiscriminate shelling earlier in the day.

A column of Russian artillery units and tanks 40 miles long has been pictured snaking its way towards Kyiv as analysts warned it will likely be tasked with surrounding the city, besieging it and bombing it into submission as Putin resorts to 'medieval' tactics in an attempt to force victory.

But the convoy has reportedly stalled as its forces face logistics challenges, including a shortage of food for some units, and Russians appear to be reevaluating how to move forward on the city, a senior U.S. defence official said on Tuesday.

'One reason why things appear to be stalled north of Kyiv is that the Russians themselves are regrouping and rethinking and trying to adjust to the challenges that they've had,' the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said. Another official claimed the Russian advance is 'basically... where it was yesterday'.

Mariupol, in the south, has reportedly come under sustained bombardment by land and air while fighting has also been reported in Kherson and Chernihiv.

Kharkiv, scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the early days of the war, was hit by cluster munitions on Monday before a large cruise missile landed there Tuesday, killing dozens.

President Zelensky has described the attacks as 'war crimes' and called on prosecutors to investigate, with the International Criminal Court at The Hauge already opening a case.

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II has found Russia increasingly isolated by tough economic sanctions that have thrown its economy its disarray and left the country practically friendless, apart from China and Belarus.

Smoke rises around Kyiv's main television tower after several explosions near the base of it on Tuesday afternoon

Footage shows the missile hitting the TV tower during the airstrike which has killed at least five people in the latest Russian attack

Explosions erupted around the capital's 1,300ft TV tower this afternoon, built near the ravine where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed in two days in 1941

The Babyn Yar massacres Babyn Yar is a ravine found in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, and also the site of massacres carried out by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Approximately 33,771 Jews were killed in the first and largest massacre that took place over 80 years ago on 29 to the 30th September, 1941. It came after the Nazis made the decision to kill all Jews in Kyiv, and during Germany's campaign against the Soviet Union. Up until that date, it was considered to be the single largest mass-killing during the Holocaust carried our by Nazi Germany, until the Odessa massacre of more than 50,000 a month later in October 1941. In addition to the thousands of Jewish victims, Soviet prisoners of war, communists, Ukrainian nationalist and Roma were slaughtered at the site. It is estimated that during German occupation, between 100,000 and 150,000 people were killed at Babyn Yar. Pictures from 1941 showed Soviet soldiers were forced by the Nazis to cover the bodies in the mass grave on October 1, while efforts were later made in 1944 to conceal it. Harrowing testimony later revealed that the victims of the September 29 and 30 massacre were ordered to go to the site by 8am, believing they would be resettled. Under threats of beatings, they were ordered to undress and were forced into the ravine where they were killed. One witness said some were killed before they even knew what was happening, while others were made to lie on top of victims who had already been shot, before being killed themselves. After the war, several SS commanders who organised the massacres were put on trial. Paul Blobel, the commander of the SS unit being the massacre, was sentenced to death during Nuremberg Trials. He was hanged on June 7, 1951. Others were convicted in Soviet tribunals and sentenced to death. Due to Soviet Union policies, Jewish commemoration efforts specifically were hindered. It wasn't until after the collapse of the Soviet Union that memorials were built at the site. The memorial is site of pilgrimage for many Jews. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes part in a commemoration ceremony for the victims of Babyn Yar (Babiy Yar), one of the biggest single massacres of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, in Kyiv Ukraine September 29, 2021 Advertisement

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the region's Soviet-era administrative building was hit. Explosions tore through residential areas, and a maternity ward was moved to an underground shelter.

Kharkiv's Freedom Square - Ukraine's largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life for the city - was struck with what was believed to be a missile, in an attack seen by many Ukrainians as brazen evidence that the Russian invasion wasn't just about hitting military targets but also about breaking their spirits.

The strike blew out windows and walls of buildings that ring the massive central square, which was piled high with debris and dust. Inside one building, chunks of plaster were scattered, and doors, ripped from their hinges, lay across hallways.

'People are under the ruins. We have pulled out bodies,' said Yevhen Vasylenko, representative of the Emergency Situations Ministry in Kharkiv region. In addition to the six killed, 20 were wounded in the strike, he said.

Zelenskyy called the attack on Kharkiv's main square 'frank, undisguised terror,' blaming a Russian missile and calling it a war crime. 'This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation,' he said.

In an emotional appeal to the European Parliament later, Zelenskyy said: 'We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are.'

He said 16 children had been killed on Monday, and he mocked Russia's claim that it is going after only military targets.

'Where are the children, what kind of military factories do they work at? What tanks are they going at, launching cruise missiles?' Zelenskyy said.

In a worrying development, Human Rights Watch said it documented a cluster bomb attack outside a hospital in Ukraine's east in recent days. Local residents have also reported the use of the munitions in Kharkiv and the village of Kiyanka, though there was no independent confirmation.

If confirmed, that would represent a worrying new level of brutality in the war and could lead to even further isolation in Russia.

The Kremlin denied Tuesday that it has used such weapons and insisted again that its forces only have struck military targets - despite evidence documented by Associated Press reporters of shelling of homes, schools and hospitals.

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor said earlier this week that he plans to open an investigation into possible war crimes.

Unbowed by Western condemnation, Russian officials upped their threats of escalation, days after raising the specter of a nuclear attack. A top Kremlin official warned that the West's 'economic war' against Russia could turn into a 'real one.'

The first talks Monday between Ukraine and Russia yielded no stop in the fighting, though the two sides agreed to another meeting in the coming days.

Throughout the country, many Ukrainian civilians spent another night huddled in shelters, basements or corridors. More than a half-million people have fled the country, and the U.N. human rights office said it has recorded the deaths of 136 civilians. The real toll is believed to be far higher.

'It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly. This cannot be explained with words,' said Kharkiv resident Ekaterina Babenko, taking shelter in a basement with neighbors for a fifth straight day. 'We have small children, elderly people and frankly speaking it is very frightening.'
A host of UK bars including one owned by a former Dragon's Den entrepreneur have stopped the sale of Russian vodka due to the continuing invasion of Ukraine.

Nightcap Group and Arc Inspirations are among bars that removed vodka and other Russian booze from their venues in a move of solidarity with people in Ukraine.

Former dragon Sarah Willingham, founder of Nightcap, described the move as a 'little thing' the business could do in response to the conflict.

Russia today launched missiles on Kyiv, with explosions erupting around the Ukrainian capital's 1,300ft TV tower this afternoon.

A host of UK bars and hospitality firms have stopped the sale of Russian vodka due to the continuing invasion of Ukraine

Sarah Willingham (left), former Dragon's Den entrepreneur and founder of Nightcap, described the move as a 'little thing' the business could do in response to the conflict

Nightcap runs 27 bars across its London Cocktail Club, Barrio Bars and Adventure Bar Group businesses in London.

Ms Willingham said: 'The devastation in Ukraine is heartbreaking, and I cannot start to comprehend what it must be like for the people of Ukraine.

'It's hard to sit here in our warm safe homes and do nothing.

'We have donated money, but from a business point of view we (the senior team and the staff) wanted to do something, anything, to show our support and so therefore we have removed all Russian vodka and alcohol from our bars across the whole of the Nightcap estate.

'It's a little thing but the more little things we do, the bigger the impact will be.'

Meanwhile, Leeds-based bar owner Arc Inspirations also confirmed it would stop serving Russian vodka.

The bar business said on Twitter: 'To show our support to the people of Ukraine we will no longer be pouring any Russian vodka in any of our bars standwithukraine.'

Elsewhere, the founder of Bundobust, which runs hospitality venues in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, also called on the sector to find alternatives for Russian products.

Marko Husak said on Twitter: 'I've had quite a few messages from my colleagues in the restaurant, bar and beer industries asking if there is anything that they can do to help, so I've suggested that they can help by stop stocking Russian products.'

Two men working at Evel Pie - a popular pizzeria / bar in Las Vegas - decided to dump out all the Russian Vodka that it owned and replace it with Ukrainian Vodka. They are donating all of the proceeds to help the people of Ukraine

The move comes as hundreds of liquor stores and bars across the US and Canada removed Russian vodka from their shelves.

Liquor stores in the provinces of Manitoba and Newfoundland said they were removing Russian spirits, while Ontario, Canada's most populous province, also directed the Liquor Control Board Of Ontario to withdraw all Russian products.

Meanwhile, in the US, videos circulated on social media of bars and liquor stores emptying their Russian vodka and removing bottles from their shelves in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

More than 700 stores across Ontario removed Russian-imported products, which include Stoli Vodka, Russian Standard Original Vodka, Beluga Noble Russian Vodka, and Zyr Vodka.

Smirnoff, while founded in Moscow, is owned and produced by UK company Diageo.
President Joe Biden will target social media companies in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to hold them accountable for their role in children's mental health.

Biden will 'call for action to address social media as mental health harms, especially for youth,' a senior administration official said on a briefing call for reporters Tuesday morning.

'The evidence is mounting that social media plays a systemic role in worsening the mental health of countless young people,' the official said.

But officials wouldn't say if the president will push for penalities on massive companies like Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook.

'The president believes tech companies should be held accountable for for the harms they cause,' the official said but didn't give more details.

Officials also noted that studies show children are behind in math and reading due to school interruptions during the covid pandemic, all of which is affecting their mental health.

President Joe Biden will target social media companies in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to hold them accountable for their role in children's mental health

Officials wouldn't say if the president will push for penalities on massive companies like Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook

A growing percentage of youth in the U.S. live with major depression, reported the non-profit Mental Health America: 15.08% of youth experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, a 1.24% increase from the year before.

And more than 2.5 million youth in the U.S. have severe depression, and multiracial youth are at greatest risk.

In his State of the Union address, Biden will call on Congress to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children and demand technology companies stop collecting personal data on children.

Additionally, Biden will criticize social media platforms for their addictive nature.

'This youth mental health crisis has been accentuated by large social media platforms, which for years have been conducting a national experiment on our children and using their data to keep them clicking - with enormous consequences,' a White House fact sheet noted.

Officials cited one estimate that social media companies can provide advertising firms with 72 million different data points on an average 13-year-old user.

In his State of the Union address President Biden will criticize social media companies for their role in mental health problems among kids

Biden will also outline a larger mental health strategy that includes $700 million investment in programs around training and supporting clinicians. The administration also plans to launch a crisis hotline in July.
A man arrested on suspicion of murder after a mother-of-three was found stabbed to death in her home in one of Britains poshest villages has been released under investigation.

The body of Clair Ablewhite, 47, was found after officers were called to a cottage in Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday.

A postmortem examination revealed she suffered knife wounds in the attack, which is thought to have happened on Friday night or the early hours of Saturday morning.

A 48-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder but has now been released while enquiries continue.

Colston Bassett is based in the picturesque Vale of Belvoir on the Nottinghamshire-Leicestershire border and has a population of around 400. The average house price is around 800,000.

Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin, of Notts Police, has been in close liaison with detectives leading the investigation and kept abreast of all the lines of enquiry.

He said: My instinct and experience tells me that at this stage there is certainly no cause for wider alarm in the community. My thoughts are very much with Clairs family and specially trained officers will continue to work closely with them as the investigation progresses.

The body of Clair Ablewhite was found after officers were called to a cottage in Colston Bassett shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday

Her body was found at her home in Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire early on Saturday

I completely understand how an incident like this will have shocked the local community, which is a very quiet rural area where violent crimes, particularly of this nature, are extremely rare.

But I would like to reassure people that the investigation is moving at pace with a team of experienced detectives following up a number of leads.

As you would expect we have deployed a huge amount of specialist resources into this from Nottinghamshire and the region.

Local residents can expect to see lots of police officers in the area  uniformed officers and detectives.

The investigation is still in its very early stages but there is lots of activity taking place and many lines of enquiry being pursued, including CCTV, forensic examinations and searches and we are speaking to lots of people who are providing very helpful information. All of this is helping us piece together what happened.

ACC Griffin said he believed there may still be people who have not yet come forward who could have information that could help the investigation.

Were you in and around the area on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday?, he said.

If you knew Clair, did she confide in you or share anything that could be relevant? If you have the slightest bit of information, even if you think it might not be relevant, please let us know because we will leave no stone unturned.

In a statement on Monday, Nottinghamshire Police said: The death of a woman at her home in Colston Bassett is being treated as murder, police have confirmed.

Mother-of-three Clair Ablewhite was found dead after officers were called to the property in Hall Lane, shortly before 6.30pm on Saturday.

Police cordon off Hall Lane in Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire on February 26, 2022

A Home Office post-mortem examination has since been carried out and confirmed the 47-year-old suffered stab wounds.

Officers arrested a 48-year-old man on Sunday morning on suspicion of murder in connection with the investigation and he remains in custody as enquiries continue.

Police have been carrying out forensic investigations at the property, as well as house-to-house enquiries and checking CCTV in the area. A cordon is likely to remain in place for some time and officers will be in the area as they continue their investigations and provide reassurance to local residents.

Family liaison officers are working closely with the family and providing support at this difficult time.

Detective Inspector Mel Crutchley of Nottinghamshire Police, who is leading the investigation, added: Our thoughts remain with the family as they deal with the impact of this tragedy. They have been left devastated by her loss.

Our investigation is now in the stages of very carefully and painstakingly building up a picture of what happened before, during and after the murder and as people can probably imagine, this process can take time as the evidence we gather makes things clearer and clearer.

I understand that in a quiet, close-knit community like this it is shocking for an incident like this to happen and people will be talking but I would urge people not to speculate, respect the family and please trust the judicial process to find the truth in due course.

I would also ask anyone who has information that may help the investigation to contact Nottinghamshire Police as soon as possible.

Simon Robinson, leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, said: It is very unusual to see this happen. and we send the womans family our condolences.

Its a shock for this to happen in such a rural area. The woman who died was very well known in the community.

Colston Bassett is the home of traditional Stilton and Shropshire Blue cheeses. Its dairy has been making cheese for over 100 years and is one of only five nationwide that are permitted to name their blue cheese Stilton.

Colston Bassetts pub, the Martins Arms, is a frequent award winner renowned for its fine wine and cuisine.
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Ukrainian-American Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz on Tuesday called on Joe Biden to do more to exercise power against Russia during the 'genocide' in Ukraine and warned he could also have the 'blood' of civilians on his hands.

'This president needs to get his act together and exercise his leadership,' Spartz said as Russia continued closing in on Kyiv and President Biden continued preparations for his first State of the Union tonight.

During a press conference called 'State of the Union in Crisis', Spartz, a Republican from Indiana, said Russians are 'slaughtering' people in Ukraine 'like animals.' She was born in Nosivika, a city 73 miles to the East of Kyiv, in 1978 while Ukraine was still under Soviet rule and emigrated to the U.S. in 2000.

'This is not a war, this is a genocide of the Ukrainian people by a crazy man,' the tearful representative insisted while flanked by members of her party.

Spartz, 43, told Biden that if he doesn't do more to address the crisis in Eastern Europe, the blood of innocent Ukrainians will be on his hands.

She demanded that Biden send more weapons to Ukraine as Congress prepares to pass an omnibus bill next week that would include sending up to $10 billion in more military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Putin's war is targeting civilians and continues to take a terrible toll on Ukraine 's youngest and most vulnerable as 16 children have died and 45 were wounded since last Thursday, with the death toll expected to rise as the assault continues Tuesday.

Russia issued a stark warning to America on Tuesday not to build up or maintain nuclear capacities or military facilities in former Soviet bloc nations as the U.S. and other NATO partner nations sent troops to Eastern Europe amid invasion.

Ukrainian-American GOP Representative Victoria Spartz (pictured) said Joe Biden 'needs to get his act together and exercise his leadership' against Russia to stop the 'genocide' against Ukrainian people

Russia continued its assault on Ukraine Tuesday as the conflict displaces thousands of children in a war that takes aim at civilians and military alike

Spartz walks hand-in-hand with GOP Representatives Elise Stefanik (left) and Stephanie Bice (right) following a press conference dubbed 'State of the Union in Crisis'

Moscow's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said U.S. nuclear weapons should have already been returned to American soil from European states like Romania and Poland.

'It is unacceptable for us that U.S. nuclear weapons still remain in a number of European states in contradiction to the basic points of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,' he was quoted by TASS as saying during a video address Tuesday to the Geneva conference on disarmament.

'The bad practice of joint nuclear missions with the participation of non-nuclear NATO states continues. During such missions, the use of nuclear weapons against Russia is being practiced,' Lavrov continued. 'U.S. nuclear weapons must have long been returned home, and the corresponding infrastructure in Europe must have long been eliminated.'

President Biden is poised, according to The New York Times, to take credit during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night for the sweeping global sanctions that hit Russia following its full-scale invasion into Ukraine last week.

His address was supposed to focus on his domestic agenda, especially after he failed to get through Congress his Build Back Better plan, but with the waging conflict between Russia and Ukraine, priorities have shifted.

Smoke rises around Kyiv's main television tower after several explosions near the base of it on Tuesday afternoon

Footage shows the missile hitting the TV tower during the airstrike which has killed at least five people in the latest Russian attack

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (on screen) said during a video address to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday that U.S. nuclear capabilities need to be removed from European countries

Diplomats and ambassadors walked out as Lavrov's pre-recorded message played and said: 'It is unacceptable for us that U.S. nuclear weapons still remain in a number of European states in contradiction to the basic points of the Non-Proliferation Treaty'

The warning comes as Biden (left) prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night and take credit for the massive global response to Russia invading Ukraine. Biden also said Monday that Americans should not fear nuclear war with Russia after Putin (right) put his country's nuclear forces on high alert

Kyiv endured another night of bombing on Monday before satellite images revealed the huge column of tanks headed for the city, with Putin's men trying to cut off the capital and bomb it into submission

A convoy of Russian tanks, artillery pieces, fighting vehicles and support trucks now stretches all the way from Hostomel, on the outskirts of Kyiv, to the village of Prybirs'k some 40 miles away (part of the convoy is seen, right)

And while Biden has received praise for his response to Russia's invasion, there are many who still say he isn't doing enough to directly punish President Vladimir Putin for ignoring western warnings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emotional appeal Tuesday for his country to be admitted to the European Union as it endures an increasingly bloody onslaught by Russia.

He raised a one-fisted salute and declared 'glory to Ukraine' as the European parliament gave him a long round of applause.

The Ukrainian president addressed parliamentarians in Brussels via video from Kyiv, which is currently facing down a 40-mile convoy of Russian tanks and artillery seemingly intent on surrounding and bombing the city into submission.

Zelensky urged the EU to recognize Ukraine as a member - a move sure to infuriate Putin - saying his nation has 'proved that we are your equals' and it is now time to 'prove that you are at our side'.

Congress is preparing to pass a bill next week sending up to $10 billion in humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine as it continues to face a full-scale attack from Russia. Ukrainian emergency service personnel gather outside City Hall following shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Tuesday, March 1

'Glory to Ukraine': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gives a one-fisted salute to the European parliament as he makes an impassioned plea to join the bloc as his country faces down an increasingly bloody Russian invasion

The body gave Zelensky a standing ovation. Pictured: EU Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen applauds the end of Zelensky's speech, after he said that Ukrainians were sacrificing their lives for the freedoms that Europe represents and pleaded for his country to be admitted to the European Union

It came as Ukraine claimed that Belarusian troops have now entered the war, as Russia's close ally helps tighten the noose.

'I can no longer say hello or good evening because every day is the last day,' he added. 'Lives are being sacrificed for values, for rights, for freedom, to have the same equality that you enjoy. We will win, I'm sure. I would like to hear you say that Ukraine's choice to be part of Europe is also your choice. We want to be members of the EU. Without you, Ukraine will be alone.'

Putin put Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on high alert on Sunday, but Biden assured on Monday that Americans that they should not be worried about nuclear war.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki later said the White House sees 'no reason' to change its nuclear posture.

'We think provocative rhetoric like this is dangerous, adds to the risk of miscalculation, should be avoided, and we'll not indulge in it,' Psaki said during her daily press briefing.

'We are assessing President Putin's directive and at this time we see no reason to change our own alert levels,' she continued.

Putin reasoned that 'aggressive statements' by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) led him to ratchet up his nuclear defenses, which raised concerns that the invasion of Ukraine could intentionally or mistakenly lead to a global nuclear war.

With the March 11 funding deadline quickly approaching, the House and Senate appropriation committees are on track to pass a hugh omnibus spending bill for Fiscal Year 2022 next week that will include billions in aid in Ukraine.

The price tag could reach as high as $10 billion for a mix of humanitarian and military aid, lawmakers revealed.

In classified congressional briefings with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, lawmakers were warned about Ukraine's weapons shortage.

Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova met with senators Monday evening to ask for an immediate shipment of more weapons to Kyiv, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

U.S. forces were sent to Romania and Poland  as well as other Baltic states  to help bolster forces in NATO ally countries in the midst of Russia's attack on Ukraine. U.S. Army paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division unload humanitarian goods in Jasionka, Poland on February 25 in preparation for evacuees from Ukraine

'It's no secret that they need more help,' Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told reporters. 'They've got the weapons they need right now, but they're going to run out soon.'

'We've got to get a supplemental passed quickly,' he urged.

Murphy, a senator from Connecticut who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, revealed on Twitter after a 'classified briefing on Ukraine' that the U.S. is working with its allies in order to seize Putin's assets.

'The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putin's inner circle anticipated,' Murphy wrote on Twitter noting that it was just 'a few takeaways that I can share.'

Ge shared a few other nuggets in the Twitter thread, including that Russia has fallen behind on their timeline for invasion due to 'fierce' Ukrainian resistance as well as failure of Moscow's equipment and logistics.

'Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security are pressing hard for Congress to end the continuing resolution and get a budget passed. There is no way for our national security agencies to be nimble enough to support Ukraine if they are operating on the 2020/21 budget,' Murphy added in a follow-up tweet.




By Brad Curtin





The COVID-19 pandemic has presented difficulties for a lot of people. For stand-up comedian Rowan Crabtree and musical comedy artist Ricky O.I., it has been no different. Both have been teaching English in Korea for a number of years, while working hard on the side to develop their careers in what they love most: comedy. Now, with the pandemic hopefully in its closing stages, both are looking to go home to their home countries to further their comedy careers. But before they go, they'll pay tribute to Korea by hosting two nights of comedy this Friday and Saturday at the

.







Ricky, now a certified artist on Spotify, traces his musical aspirations back to high school in the U.S. when he began playing in a rock band called Brand Name Punk, performing at hundreds of shows, festivals and battle of the bands all across south Florida. However, the roots of his musical comedy style come from elsewhere.







"I was really inspired by memorizing lyrics and jamming to comedy music from the likes of Adam Sandler, Tenacious D, Flight of the Conchords and Lonely Island," he told The Korea Times. Eventually with the breakup of his band in 2017, Ricky headed off to Korea to pursue teaching. After two years, he started to go down the musical comedy path. He connected with Rowan and others in Seoul's stand-up community, and hasn't looked back since.







Rowan, who first began performing stand-up in 2011 back in the U.K., was eventually signed to an agency and toured all over his country. While enjoying his early success, he was inspired to move abroad though, and came to Korea to teach English in 2016. Soon after the move, he began to perform his comedy in Seoul, and eventually became part of the leadership in the community.





He helped to organize an international stand-up comedy festival, but unfortunately it never came to be. "Our hopes of bringing many international acts to Seoul and cementing Korea as a serious contender within the stand-up comedy scene within Asia were dashed by the pandemic," Rowan said.







Despite the setbacks, Rowan, Ricky and others continued working hard on their comedy  writing, performing and workshopping material whenever COVID-19 restrictions would allow  and the community is thriving.







Besides the farewell show, there are a number of regular open mics, showcases and even other upcoming stand-up comedy special events. Kristen Pimley is organizing a Ladies' Night Comedy Show fundraiser event at The Studio HBC, with all female performers raising funds to support single moms in need. The show was supposed to be on March 1 but has been delayed to a later date.







Arthur Minsu is also organizing a show on March 12 called Made in Korea at Phillies in Haebangchon, featuring English-language stand-up only by comedians born in Korea.







Both Rowan and Ricky feel proud to have been part of the development of the community, and are confident it will thrive after they're gone.







"It's inspiring to see what we've achieved here," Rowan said. "Yet I'm really looking forward to heading back to the U.K. and picking up where I left off. I will resume my career performing both as an actor and a comedian."







He intends to use clips from the farewell shows to help get his career back on track after he returns.







Ricky has a similar plan. Currently he has 10 tracks available online, "but nothing compares to a live performance." he quipped. He is planning on using the audio from these farewell shows to mint his first live album. Included in the songs for this endeavor is "Dokdo," his hilarious hit where the audience cheers for all things Korean, and boos an "unmentionable rival."





The two nights of the

are taking place on March 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. at the Funtastic Theater near Samgakji Station on Seoul Metro lines 4 and 6. They will be joined by other stand-up comedians. Tickets are 10,000 won. Find them on

and

for more information and to book tickets.



Brad Curtin is an actor, voice actor, improviser and stand-up comedian based in Seoul. When not spending time in the arts, you may find him doing some rooftop gardening in Haebangchon. He can be contacted on Instagram @brighter_happier
The son of a former police officer accused of strangling six-year-old Rikki Neaves to death admitted a string of offences from the age of 13 at court today - but insisted he did not murder the little boy.

James Watson, 40, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of killing Rikki in 1994 and leaving his naked body posed in a 'star shape' in woodland in Peterborough.

The defendant, who was 13 at the time, was charged with the schoolboy's murder in 2016 after his DNA was found on discarded clothes more than 20 years later.

Watson has claimed he picked up Rikki during a brief encounter in the street with the little boy on the day of his disappearance.

On Tuesday, his lawyer Jennifer Dempster QC asked him: 'Have you ever had sexual interest in children?', to which he replied: 'No, never.'

Ms Dempster went on: 'Did you have anything to do with the murder of Rikki Neave?'

Watson told jurors: 'I wish I could look every one of you 12 times in the eyes.

'But no, I did not kill Rikki Neave, I did not have anything to do with his disappearance.'

Watson was living at a children's home at the time of Rikki's death and was regarded by social services as a 'vulnerable' child.

James Watson (pictured), who would have been 13 at the time, is now 40 and standing trial at the Old Bailey in London charged with six-year-old Rikki Neave's murder, which he denies

He could not stay at home after his father, who had previously been a Cambridgeshire Police officer, was arrested and jailed.

While at a children's home in January 1995, Watson stole track signal detonators that gave off a loud noise, and laid them on a railway line.

Watson said: 'It was fun. It reads worse than I remember it.'

In August 2005, Watson stole uniform items, equipment and car keys from a police station and left in an unmarked car.

Asked to explain it, he said that 'a lot' of his crimes had been to get arrested when his life was not going well.

He added: 'I went to a police station - that is the only place I have been where people ask: ''Are you OK? Are you Alright?'''

His 'warped view' of police was formed from his experience of his father and being taken into care, jurors heard.

'It was the police that took me away so I was very mixed in my emotions in loving the police, but also hating them,' Watson said.

In January 2009, Watson broke into a British Transport Police station and stole items including cuffs and batons before setting fire to the property store and making off on a bicycle.

Watson told jurors: 'I was very angry at the police, the police station bore the brunt of that.'

The defendant was asked about a 2018 conviction for sexual assault on a man who had stayed over.

He said: 'He was effectively sleeping beside me. During the night I reached out my hand, it landed on his stomach and briefly - incredibly briefly - my hand touched his penis. I withdrew it straightaway.

'The next morning I was disgusted with myself.'

Watson's record also included a number of thefts and burglaries.

He said: 'There was a lot of breaking into sheds. There was an amount of burglaries, a lot of cars.

'When I was in the children's home I would go out with other children and steal a car and set fire to it. It was fun at the time.'

With one exception, he had always previously admitted the offences.

He said: 'I wanted them to know it was me. Some of the crime I have done was to get in trouble. I have never lied to the police.'

Earlier Watson denied sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy in his bedroom on 14 April 1993, when he was 12.

Rikki Neave, six, was strangled and posed naked in a star shape in woods near his home in Peterborough back in 1994

Watson was interviewed five days later at Thorpewood police station in Peterborough and denied the allegation.

His barrister Jenni Dempster, QC, asked: 'You denied touching (the boy) but said you had told him to 'shake his penis after going to the toilet'.

'You said you had gone upstairs to fetch some pyjamas and [the five-year-old] went to the toilet and when he had finished had 'dribbled on the carpet'.

'Can you confirm that that is accurate and true?'

Watson replied: 'It is accurate and it is true.'

Prosecutor John Price, QC, today accused Watson of trying to 'wriggle out' of admitting that he sexually assaulted the five-year-old boy 18 months before Rikki's death.

Mr Price alleged that Watson admitted to the offence in a police interview in April 2016, following his arrest.

The prosecutor reminded Watson that he told jurors yesterday of how intimidated he felt during those interviews.

The defendant had said: 'I have a history of police station interviews.

'This was awful. The worst I have ever done not because I was under suspicions of murder awful as in it was intimidating.

'The smallest interview room I have been in. The dock is much bigger.'

Today Watson told the court: 'It was intense, it was scary, it was threatening.'

Mr Price asked: 'Were you threatened?'

Watson replied: 'I was not verbally threatened. I felt threatened just as I find this threatening.'

The prosecutor went on: 'What is happening sir is that the truth that you are telling is being tested. Do you object to that?'

'No,' insisted Watson.

Audio recording from the interview was played and Watson agreed after listening to it that he was treated at all times with 'courtesy and restraint'.

Given the opportunity to withdraw his comments, Watson persisted: 'How I felt about that is never going to change because it has happened already.'

Mr Price said: 'I am going to suggest to you that it is a lie and it is a dishonest attempt by you to explain why in the seventh interview you admitted that sexual assault on [the five-year-old boy].

'Not at all,' Watson replied, 'It has nothing to do with [him].'

The prosecutor went on: 'You said you were two boys playing with each other's penises and now you say that is not true. What you have come up with is the suggestion that what is happening to you is threatening or intimidating...'

Watson responded: 'It is correct to how I felt. I didn't come up with that.

'I didn't say that for anything to do with [the boy] or to be bad to the police or anything.

'My interview was fine...but I still can't change that I felt threatened.'

'Threatened by the truth?' Mr Price asked.

'No,' Watson answered.

Asked if he admitted to the sexual assault in 2016, Watson said no.

'We was just two boys playing with each other's penises,' is what he told police those six years ago.

Watson accepted that he said that but did not accept that it was the truth.

He said did not know why he said it.

Watson told the court: 'So in saying that I would have just been...trying to minimise what happened between me and [the boy].

'Something did happen between me and [him] because it had been spoken about in my family.

'Talking literally word for word here I agree it does say "we was just two boys playing with each other's penises" because that was how I was flippantly trying to minimise it not to talk about it in detail in that room with the police.

'I don't know if we did physically touch each other's penises.'

Minutes later he said: 'I do remember saying this. I just don't know in your spin exactly what you are asking me.'

Mr Price replied: 'Not spin, it is perfectly simple.

'You are now trying to wriggle out of what you admitted to be true six years ago.'

Watson denied this, citing his confusion over what the barrister was asking him.

Mr Price continued: 'Bearing in mind the killer of Rikki Neave stripped his dead body naked and then left him posed you want to get out of the fact that in only the previous year you had sexually assaulted a child of exactly the same age as Rikki.

'That is what is going on isn't it?'

Watson asserted: 'Definitely not at all. In my mind how you link [the boy] and Rikki is beyond me.'

Jurors have heard Watson was on police bail over Rikki's murder in 2016 and living in a hostel as he awaited a charge decision.

In June 2016, he travelled by ferry from Dover to the continent, ending up in Portugal in August of that year before returning to the UK.

Watson said: 'I left the country because of the stress I was under.

'I did not know my immediate future, I had been in a hostel for months and months. I wanted some control back.

'My intention was always to come back and answer to my police bail.'

Wearing a blue shirt and maroon tie, Watson insisted he was not fleeing the country when he left England for Europe.

Jurors heard how there were concerns for his safety in the aftermath of his arrest on suspicion of the murder of Rikki.

Watson, now 40, was charged with Rikki's murder after his DNA was allegedly found on the youngster's discarded clothes

He was put up in a hotel, given a new nameLewis Smithand eventually put up in a bail hostel in Northampton.

Watson said he was 'really quite worried' about his safety, adding that he had 'very very limited' contact with his loved ones.

He said: 'I was advised not to have contact with my family, my friends. Quite isolating.'

He believed that his name had been made public in connection with arrest for Rikki's murder.

'I think it was in the newspaper and had been reported by the media,' he said.

Watson described life after bail as 'very isolating, very confusing, very stressful'.

Conditions of his bail obliged him to return to the police station at a specific date to be either released or charged.

These dates kept getting cancelled and adjourned, jurors heard.

'I had been in the bail hostel for some time,' Watson said.

'Not had any contact with my friends and family and expecting to answer the police bail back at Thorpewood Police Station and to be told what I was going to be charged with.

'It was cancelled the night before.'

When the adjourned date was cancelled in the same fashion, Watson told jurors it made him feel 'pissed off'.

He added: 'Looking forward to answering and then the anxiety of constantly not knowing whether I was going to be charged with murder.

'I was in constant limbo.'

This stress, he said, was the reason he decided to leave the country.

'I left the country because just the stress that I was under. Wanted a change of my immediate situation.

'Didn't know my immediate future. I wanted to control back my life.

'I wanted to do what I wanted to do. My intentions were always to come back and answer the police bail.

A map showing the distance between Rikki's home and the wood where his body was found

'I think it turned out to be months and months and months where I was just hanging on a hook so I decided to make a definite decision.'

The court heard he left with a fellow bail hostel resident via the Dover ferry without a passport.

He had applied for a passport and made a plan with his sister that she would post it to him when he was abroad, it is said.

'I didn't have a plan of going anywhere other than just to go and experience some of Europe,' Watson said.

'France, Holland, Italy, Spain.

'I went to Rotterdam, Amsterdam, France, back up through the Pyrenees and into Portugal.'

Jurors have already heard that he contacted his probation officer in July 2016 to seek help to return to the UK and that he was extradited a month later as a result.

Ms Dempster asked: 'Was there ever an intention at any stage to stay out of the country? Were you ever planning to flee the country?'

'No, never,' the defendant replied.

'My plan was only always to see a bit of Europe with the other resident and to come back and answer my bail.

'It was always my plan to come back.'

Watson, of no fixed address, denies murdering Rikki between 28 and 29 November, 1994.

The trial continues.
A Tory MP has been criticised by Downing Street for travelling to Ukraine against his own Government's advice.

Adam Holloway, a former soldier and MP for Gravesham, Kent, has appeared in television interviews after crossing into the war-struck country from south east Poland.

Speaking to GB News, he described 'extraordinary scenes' of refugees queueing at the border to flee Ukraine.

The 56-year-old, who serves on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, appears to have gone against the Government's own guidance with the Foreign Office advising against all travel to Ukraine.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said he was not aware of Mr Holloway's trip to Ukraine but 'our advice applies to everyone'.

Asked if Mr Holloway should come home, the spokesman said: 'He should certainly not travel to Ukraine.'

Adam Holloway, a former soldier and MP for Gravesham, Kent, has appeared in television interviews after crossing into the war-struck country from south east Poland.

The 56-year-old, who serves on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, appears to have gone against the Government's own guidance with the Foreign Office advising against all travel to Ukraine.

Mr Holloway told the TV channel that he started his day by going to McDonald's near the border which was 'packed with women and children and a few elderly people'.

He continued: 'We then went up the road a couple of miles and I crossed over into Ukraine and then really quite extraordinary scenes of thousands of women and children queuing at the border, men separated, foreign men separated, some of them have been living in these corralled areas in the border posts for four days and nights in the cold.

Mr Holloway then drove east into Ukraine and described seeing 'the mother of all traffic jams', adding: 'It went on for about 20 miles, I mean thousands and thousands and thousands of cars.'

He described volunteers in a children's nursery packing up donated medical supplies into medical kits for soldiers, before he headed to a military conscription site.

Mr Holloway, who has previously worked as an investigative reporter for ITN and ITV, said: 'We went round the corner and there was a place where people volunteer to sign up for the military, and we ran into Ukraine's top concert pianist Igor Grubin.

'It was fascinating talking to him, because so many people are volunteering for the military that they're only taking people with actual military experience, there just aren't enough guns.

'I've only been on the ground for just over 12 hours but it seems to me that these people here are absolutely determined to fight.

'If you look at the moral component of warfare, and as you know I used to be a soldier, that is the decisive thing.

'We can't know what's going to happen over the next few days and months but one thing I can absolutely tell you is that these people here, certainly where I am right now and I think right across Ukraine, it does feel to me as if they're going to fight.'
A highly-regarded music teacher embroiled in a bitter row with a leading private school was sacked after she sent her pupils 'overly-affectionate' emails, a tribunal has heard.

Jo Nicholls told pupils at the 20,000 a year all-girls school they were her 'favourite' and that they had a 'special bond', a hearing was told.

'Inspirational and quite exceptional' Ms Nicholls, who once won a Classic FM competition, also stole sheet music from Putney High School in London to 'sabotage' an upcoming concert.

The Putney High assistant director of music, who served the school for 33 years, had fallen out with bosses over a series of disputes to such an extent the relationship was deemed 'irretrievable', the tribunal heard.

She was initially dismissed for gross misconduct and was due to serve out her notice.

But she was then fired immediately when during her notice period she sent the 'highly inappropriate' emails directly to four girls, telling them 'you know I care about you' and criticising the school.

The highly-praised but 'difficult to manage' teacher tried to sue the school for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination.

Ms Nicholls had been a teacher at Putney High School (pictured) for 33 years when she was sacked following a series of clashes with management. She was dismissed without notice after 'totally inappropriate' emails sent to students came to light

But she has lost her case with the tribunal criticising her for 'blurring the boundary between teacher and student' with her emails.

The hearing in Croydon, south London, was told Ms Nicholls worked at Putney High from September 1986 and was 'held in the highest regard by a very many parents, students and colleagues' and had a 'quite astonishing number of testimonials'.

Employment Judge Daniel Dyal said of her: 'In short, we are left in no doubt that, whatever else, she was widely regarded as an inspirational and quite exceptional teacher.

'She was the sort of teacher that many students would remember fondly for the rest of their lives.

'She herself had a very keen sense of this status - including during her employment.

'She knew that she was extremely valuable to the school and understood that this gave her a certain amount of security and indeed leverage over management.

'At times it gave her the confidence to do things her own way rather than the school's way because she felt sufficiently confident in her position that she could ride-out any 'push-back'.

'We have no doubt that Ms Nicholls was at times very difficult to manage. She could be utterly single-minded. She was prepared to go to disproportionate and unusual lengths to get her way on matters even where, objectively speaking, the matter was a fairly minor one.

'She an employee with significant gravitas, standing and leverage well beyond her position in the formal hierarchy.

'She was widely regarded as someone who was not to be crossed by either peers or managers.'

The tribunal heard Ms Nicholls repeatedly clashed with director of finance and operations, Alistair Gray, who had a military background.

Mr Gray gave Ms Nicholls public dressing downs in front of pupils, told her off for not wearing a lanyard, and castigated her for leaving a small salt shaker and crockery on her desk.

Mr Gray was the subject of a number of complaints from staff but escaped disciplinary action as the school was 'lenient' to him, it was heard.

Tensions between Mr Gray and Ms Nicholls came to a head in July 2018 when he 'chased' her down stairs after she told him she would 'get rid' of him.

Ms Nicholls' relationship with the school soured over her running of its school trips and she was called to a disciplinary hearing in September 2019 on three allegations.

She was accused of breaching safeguarding rules by giving pupils private piano lessons at her home - despite putting on private lessons for years and being open with the school about it.

She was also accused of substituting in her daughter to take a flute exam when a pupil couldn't and over invoice discrepancies relating to a pupil's lessons with her.

Judge Dyal did not view these allegations as serious but the school 'treated (them) with the utmost seriousness' and she was fired for gross misconduct but allowed to serve her notice.

However, in October 2019 she sent inappropriate emails and took home important sheet music, to 'disrupt' a show and 'sabotage' it.

The tribunal report said: 'Having been notified of dismissal, she took home a large amount of sheet music from her office.

'This was music that was needed for various choirs due to sing at open day events scheduled for the following week.'

In one email to two students - who can't be named - she said: 'I want you both to know that I will not let the school destroy the relationship I have built up with you or others I feel close to.

'Please don't try to cover for me... The school have made this mess and there will be knock on effects.

'Keep thoughts in your head that that are definitely more nice people than nasty people in the world. Putney High is full of so many nice kids, and you two are two of the best of these - though not really kids any more.'

In one to another pupil, she said: 'I am sorry about what has happened from the bottom of my heart. You're the only one in your year who knows at the moment.

'You know I care about you and we have a special bond.'

And to another student she wrote: 'I'm ok, but am really quite sad and I am already missing all of you - well not all of the whole school, but the special ones.

'A big hug you and the other special people; you'll know who they are. Miss Nicholls xx'

Following the 'deeply concerning emails' she was fired without notice.

At the tribunal, Ms Nicholls claimed she was unfairly dismissed and that her treatment over the years amounted to sex discrimination and harassment.

However, the panel dismissed her claims.

Judge Dyal said: 'The emails with students were totally inappropriate in parts and indeed evidenced a blurring of boundaries that must exist between teachers and pupils.

'It is not appropriate for a teacher to openly designate certain pupils as their favourites, or to tell the students that they have a special relationship with them or to sign emails with kisses.

'Taking the sheet music was, and was understood to be, a calculated effort to make life difficult for [the school] by sabotaging the musical performances at the open days.

'Although she had significant mitigation for her conduct, on the facts of this case in our view it does not take dismissal outside of the band of reasonable responses.

'The conduct was and remained extremely serious.'

Ms Nicholls brought claims against The Girls' Day School Trust, which runs the school, and Mr Gray, but lost against both.

Ms Nicholls, whose daughters both went to Putney High, now runs a music centre for children in Wimbledon, London.
Russians face 15 years in prison for posting 'fake news' about the Ukraine war under a new law.

State TV in Russia, controlled by the Kremlin, has said the new measure could be discussed in its parliament, the Federal Assembly, during next week.

The news comes as Russian officers detained over 1,000s of people during anti war protests in cities across the country and half of Russians have said they support the war against Ukraine.

Both Russians and Ukrainians also protested the war in Trafalgar Square in London yesterday.

Along with the 'fake news' measure, media reports will only be able to say the amount of Russian miliatary losses that have been 'verified' by Putin's defence ministry, according to the Times.

So far Russia has admitted some of its soldiers have been killed since they began their invasion, which Ukraine estimates totals 5,000 soldiers, but the Kremlin has not issued numbers so far.

Vyacheslav Volodin, Russia's parliamentary speaker, allied with the Russian government, supports the measure.

Vyacheslav Volodin, Russia's parliamentary speaker, and ally of the president, supports a new 'fake news' law targetting people talking about the war in Ukraine

Vasily Piskarev, an MP with the ruling party, controlled by Putin, said: 'These fakes demoralise society and undermine faith in the army and the security services.'

He also said Russia is 'maintaining the peace' in Ukraine and 'disinformation' is being promoted by opposition sites and on social media.

Russia, where there is little to no indepedent free press, has also had Kremlin-controlled State TV pushing fake claims about the war with Ukraine.

According to the BBC's Francis Scarr, Olga Skabeyeva said: 'In Kyiv, the witch hunt is well underway. Ukrainian nationalists are annihilating the locals, and they're doing it extra-judicially

Russia has also moved to block an independent TV channel and a liberal radio station over the 'deliberately false information' about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian media reported on Tuesday.

The prosecutor general ordered Russia's media watchdog to 'restrict access' to the Dozhd TV channel and Ekho Moskvy radio.

Russian talk show host Olga Skabeyeva claimed yesterday Ukrainian nationalists are 'annihilating locals' in a 'witch hunt' after Putin's 'propagandist-in-chief' threatened the West with nuclear destruction in another TV rant.

Known as the 'iron doll of Putin TV', Ms Skabeyeva also made the claim that a civil war has broken out in Ukraine and nationalists are killing their own neighbours.

According to the BBC's Francis Scarr, she said: 'In Kyiv, the witch hunt is well underway. Ukrainian nationalists are annihilating the locals, and they're doing it extra-judicially.

'The civil war in Ukraine is now more than real. People are starting to realise that they don't need to fear Russian soldiers, but their own neighbours who've got hold of weapons.'

Russians and Ukrainians protesting the war in Trafalgar Square in London

Dmitry Kiselev, one of the Kremlin's most venomous TV propagandists, also accused German chancellor Olaf Scholz of 'solidarity with the genocide of today' that Kiselev, parroting Putin, claimed was being perpetrated against Russian-speakers in Ukraine.

The propaganda has led many Russians to be convinced that the conflict was provoked by the West.

There has been no confirmation whether the new fake news law would apply to foreign news agencies.
When asked about his plans for tonight, Rubio's office pointed DailyMail.com to a Newsmax clip from last week in which the Florida senator denounces 'COVID theatre'

Four Democratic lawmakers are skipping the State of the Union address after announcing they tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning, while Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio said they're boycotting the speech over its virus testing requirement.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington and Senator Alex Padilla of California all announced breakthrough virus cases despite being fully vaccinated and boosted.

Rep. Pete Aguilar of California added that he tested positive on Tuesday afternoon.

And less than four hours before Biden's speech, retiring Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida became the latest lawmaker to test positive.

The House of Representatives lifted its mask mandate just days before President Joe Biden's Tuesday evening address to a joint session of Congress.

Attendees are still required to show proof of a negative virus test -- something Rubio said he doesn't 'have time' for.

'I dont have time to go take a COVID test today. I only take a test if Im sick,' Rubio told reporters on Monday, according to HuffPost.

When reached for confirmation Rubio's office pointed DailyMail.com to a tweet the Florida senator shared last week captioned 'I am done with the #Covid theatre' where he also shared a brief Newsmax interview clip.

'It's just a game, so you know what, I'll watch the replays on television, I don't need to sit there and go through all of that just to make them feel good about, you know, how safe they're being and all that,' Rubio said in the video.

'Honestly I'm just tired of all that COVID theater crap.'

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton is also skipping Tuesday evening's event.

Rubio's fellow Florida Senator Rick Scott said he would decide today whether to attend Biden's big speech.

'I havent made a final decision on it,' Scott told radio station News Talk 101, according to Florida Politics.

Security fencing surrounds the US Capitol on the morning of President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address, in Washington, DC on March 1

The fences have been erected 'out of an abundance of caution' according to the Capitol Police

I am done with the #Covid theatre pic.twitter.com/NNHeL4w6Dz  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 24, 2022

Scott, who chairs the Senate's campaign arm, claimed 'nothing good is going to happen' during the president's remarks.

'I dont want to feel so obligated to stand up and say, "Thats a lie." Because thats what you feel like,' he explained.

On the House side, five Republicans said they're boycotting: Rep. Chip Roy of Texas; Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia; Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois; Rep. Bob Good of Virginia; and Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana.

Miller told DailyMail.com she was not attending 'on behalf of American people who were fired' due to COVID vaccine mandates.

'Americans are outraged that Democrats were polling whether or not to lift COVID restrictions and decided to lift the mask mandate right before the State of the Union for Joe Biden's "political optics." I am boycotting the State of the Union on behalf of the American people who were fired because Joe Biden's White House strong-armed private employers to institute illegal vaccine mandates,' Miller said.

News of their boycott was first reported in the Daily Caller.

'Members of Congress should not be subject to COVID-19 tests and social distance when it is not necessary, and the entire nation has ended most, if not all, coronavirus restrictions,' Rosendale told the outlet in a statement.

Roy's office confirmed to DailyMail.com that he will not attend.

Clyde wrote on Twitter: 'I refuse to participate in Democrats political pandemic theater, which is why I will not attend Bidens State of the Union address tonight.'

Meanwhile at least five Democrats are missing out, but not by choice.

Deutch became the latest to announce his positive diagnosis, writing on Twitter shortly after 5:30pm Eastern Time: 'Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I am glad to be vaccinated and boosted, and although I am experiencing mild symptoms, I am still able to work on behalf of my constituents.'

'While I planned to travel to Washington for tonights State of the Union, I will remain home to protect the safety of my community and colleagues until I am fully recovered,' Deutch said.

DelBene wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning: 'I tested positive for COVID-19 today. I am fully vaccinated & boosted. I will be isolating & working remotely. My office remains fully operational for WA-01 constituents.'

Three Democrats tested positive for COVID-19 the morning of Biden's speech to a joint session of Congress. The House of Representatives, whose chamber the president will speak in tonight, lifted its mask mandate just days ago

Aguilar, who announced he tested positive around 1:30 p.m. Eastern, credited the vaccine for his mild illness and said he was 'disappointed' to miss Biden's speech but he was 'looking forward to hearing from POTUS tonight about his vision to build a better America' in a statement posted to Twitter.

Raskin and Padilla both said they tested positive on Monday evening.

The Maryland Democratic representative said he was experiencing 'mild' symptoms and was disappointed to be missing Biden's speech.

'Yesterday I took a COVID-19 test for Members planning to attend the State of the Union Address and tested positive. Having been fully vaccinated, and having received a booster shot, my flu-like symptoms have been pretty mild so far,' Raskin said in a statement.

He said he would continue his work in Congress from home for the next week.

'I am disappointed not to be able to attend President Biden's State of the Union address in person,' Raskin added. But I will follow his speech closely'

'I will be cheering for President Bidens powerful call to the world to continue to reject in every way possible Vladimir Putins illegal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine.'

Senator Alex Padilla (left), Rep. Jamie Raskin (center) and Rep. Suzan DelBene (right) all announced breakthrough infections despite being fully vaccinated and boosted. The State of the Union requires all attendees to show proof of a negative COVID test

Padilla, a freshman senator appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to fill Vice President Kamala Harris' seat, said he showed no COVID symptoms despite testing positive.

'As I do regularly, I tested yesterday for COVID. Late last night, I received a positive test result with a breakthrough case. Im asymptomatic and grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted,' Padilla wrote on Twitter.

'In accordance with CDC guidance, I am isolating and working remotely. I will continue consulting with the Capitols Attending Physician and expect to return soon.'

Fencing has been erected around the United States Capitol as a security measure ahead of the State of the Union address, which Biden will deliver at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Capitol Police said it was done 'out of an abundance of caution' as law enforcement officers make preparations for a possible trucker convoy to disrupt the evening's high-profile events in Washington.

Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger also requested the assistance of the National Guard and ordered several roads to be closed ahead of tonight.
The sole black male juror who served as foreman of the panel that convicted three white men of federal hate crimes in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery marveled at the amount of racial hatred the trio had shown.

Marcus Ransom said he found no signs of remorse in father and son Greg and Travis McMichael, nor in their neighbor, William 'Roddie' Bryan, during the trial last month.

'Just seeing that it was so much hatred that they had, not only for Ahmaud, but to other people of the black race,' Ransom said. 'It was a lot to take in.'

Ransom said the depths of racism displayed in messages exchanged by the trio - previously convicted of Arbery's murder - made him sob.

But the 35-year-old social worker said that the outcome of the case left him feeling hopeful, suggesting that the guilty verdicts signal that while acts of racial violence still occur in the US, 'we're moving in the right direction.'

'Wrong is wrong and right is right,' Ransom told The New York Times in an interview published Tuesday. 'No matter what it is, youve got to have consequences. No one is above laws.'

Scroll down for video

Marcus Ransom (pictured), a social worker, was the sole black male juror on the federal panel that convicted Greg and Travis McMichael, and William 'Roddie' Bryan of hate crimes in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery

Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William Roddy Bryan (L-R) were convicted of federal hate crimes on Tuesday after a jury found they targeted Arbery and shot him in February 2020 because he was black. The men were all convicted of murder last year and are already serving life sentences. The McMichaels will not get parole unless they appeal but Bryan is eligible for parole in 15 years. He has not yet been sentenced for the federal hate crime

Ransom said he was shocked by the graphic video of his shooting death (pictured) that leaked online two months after the slaying

Ransom spent a week serving on the jury in a Brunswick, Georgia, courtroom hearing the hate crimes case in US District Court. Jurors deliberated less than four hours before finding each of the defendants guilty on all counts on February 22.

Arbery, 25, died from a shotgun blast fired by Travis McMichael while he was out running

The McMichaels armed themselves and used a pickup truck to chase Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, after spotting him running in their neighborhood on February 23, 2020.

Bryan joined the pursuit in his own truck and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael blasting Arbery with a shotgun.

Ransom, who lives about three hours from coastal Glynn County where Arbery was murdered and the trial was held, said he was shocked by the graphic video that leaked online two months after the slaying.

Still, he said he did not pay much attention to the case prior to the trial because he had been dealing with the death of his grandmother.

During the trial, federal prosecutors walked the jury through roughly two dozen racist text messages and social media posts, mostly by Travis McMichael and Bryan, in which they referred to black people as 'subhuman' and 'savages.' Ransom said he was not shocked by the racist slurs the men used.

'I've experienced racism on different levels,' he said. 'Ive become numb to it almost.'

But Ransom said he cried when prosecutors showed a video Travis McMichael had shared online that mocked a young black boy dancing.

He also shed tears in the jury box while having to watch police body camera footage of Arbery bleeding on the ground, twitching and gasping, after the shooting. And he wiped tears from his eyes again after the verdicts were read and he was asked to stand in court and confirm them.

Attorney Benjamin Crump holds up the arms of Arbery's parents, Wanda Cooper-Jones and Marcus Arbery, after the guilty verdicts on February 22

Ransom said he was disturbed by the indifference the McMichaels showed Arbery as he was dying in the street, and was stunned that Bryan had joined them to pursue a black man whom Bryan later told police he had never seen before and did not know why he was being chased.

None of the defendants testified at the hate crimes trial. Ransom said he watched each of the three defendants closely during the trial, looking for signs of remorse. He said he found none.

When the case ended and the jury prepared to begin deliberations, Ransom said, the others quickly chose him to serve as foreman.

'No one really voiced exactly why,' he said.

He said deliberations were businesslike. No one argued that the McMichaels or Bryan were innocent, he said, and nobody strongly disagreed that the evidence showed Arbery was chased and killed because he was black - a finding necessary to convict the defendants of hate crimes.

The jury returned the hate crime convictions not quite three months after the McMichaels and Bryan were found guilty of murdering Arbery by a Georgia state court. All three were sentenced to life in prison in the murder case, with no chance of parole for the McMichaels.

US District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood has yet to schedule sentencing in the federal case, where each defendant again faces a potential life sentence.
Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida said Monday that he will not seek reelection in the fall, becoming the 31st House Democrat to announce plans to leave the chamber.

Deutch's exit puts additional pressure on President Joe Biden to avoid a Republican bloodbath in November.

Deutch, who represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties, said in a statement that he has accepted an offer to serve as a CEO for the American Jewish Committee, a New York City-based nonprofit.

Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida said Monday that he will not seek reelection in the fall, becoming the 31st House Democrat to announce plans to leave the chamber

President Joe Biden's party is facing an uphill battle to keep control of Congress, as 31 House Democrats are now retiring

He called it a 'tremendous privilege' to have served in Congress since 2010.

The congressman, 55, said he will continue his work in Washington until Congress recesses for the next election.

He serves as chair on the House Ethics Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism.

He is also a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi praised Deutch's service, saying his 'great integrity and committed leadership' would especially be missed.

She said he would depart the House in October.

'Since his first day in the House, Chairman Ted Deutch has been a devoted champion for his South Florida community, a relentless advocate for the public good and a clarion voice for human rights and justice,' Pelosi said in a statement.

Florida's House and Senate are redrawing the state's congressional maps, a once-a-decade redistricting process following the federal census.

While each proposal makes changes to Deutch's district because of population changes, the new district should remain safely Democratic.

Deutch has strongly pushed for gun control legislation and taken a more active role since 17 students and staff members were killed in a 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, part of his district.

He has led the gun violence prevention task force in Congress.

Earlier this month he urged Biden to use his State of the Union address to talk about gun control measures, including universal background checks.

'Anything we can do to spare one more community - one more family - the pain that we have experienced in Parkland and Coral Springs and South Florida is what we must do,' Deutch said in a statement honoring the victims on Feb. 14, marking four years since the Parkland tragedy. 'The President may want to do more than that. But I want to get something done. We need to start saving lives and preventing more broken hearts.'

Measures to close loopholes in background checks for gun purchases passed in the House last year, but have stalled in the Senate.

On the Republican side, Rep. Fred Keller of Pennsylvania said Monday that he also would not seek reelection, citing new congressional maps that would combine his district with one represented by fellow Republican Rep. Dan Meuser.

Keller, 56, blamed the 'liberal Pennsylvania Supreme Court,' accusing it of overstepping its authority and selecting a map that favors Democrats.

However, the boundaries of his current district and Thompsons current district needed to grow substantially because of shrinking population there.

'Make no mistake, this map - submitted by a national Democrat group - intends to diminish the voices of conservative voters in central and northeast Pennsylvania,' Keller said. 'As I said last week, I am not going to let that happen.'

Keller, who has served in Congress since 2019, is the 14th House Republican to announce he's not seeking reelection. The 31 Democratic House retirees are the most since the 1992 elections, when 41 of them stepped away.
The body parts of a missing woman have been found discovered concealed inside bags at a country park three months after she disappeared, police have confirmed.

Detectives launched a murder enquiry after Ilona Golabek, 27, vanished from her home in Boston, Lincs., on November 9 last year.

Kamil Ranoszek, 40, was arrested two weeks later and was charged with murder. He is currently awaiting trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

Today Lincolnshire Police revealed that suspected human remains were discovered at Witham Way Country Park in the town on February 19.

The body parts of Ilona Golabek, 27, who vanished from her home in Boston, Lincolnshire on November 9 last year, have been found in a nearby country park, murder detectives confirmed today

Officers attended and recovered bones which were later confirmed to be human while specialist teams found other body parts in three other areas of the park.

The remains were sent off for DNA tests to be carried out which have now confirmed they belonged to Ilona.

Detective Inspector Andy McWatt said: 'We have located some body parts concealed in bags in the park since we started searching the area on 19 February.

'We remain in the park and are continuing to search the location. Ilona's family are aware and out our thoughts are with them.

'We are continuing our appeal for witnesses, and we are appealing for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in or around the park to contact us'.

Officers will remain in the park for the remainder of the week while further examinations of the site are carried out.

Officers attended and recovered bones which were later confirmed to be human while specialist teams found other body parts in three other areas of the park. Kamil Ranoszek, 40, is charged with her murder

The force had previously released CCTV images of a woman who matched the description of Ilona but they no longer believe that was her.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn, of East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said at the time: 'Our thoughts are with her family at this very difficult time.

'We arrested Kamil Ranoszek on November 21st on suspicion of murder and he has now been charged.

'The second arrested man, aged 32, has been released under investigation.

'We understand this may be a concern for the people of Boston, and while I am unable to disclose much information at this stage in our investigation, I can say that we believe those involved are known to one another and this is an isolated incident.'

Detectives are still appealing for anyone who might have information to contact the force by calling 101 quoting incident 200 of November 11.

Alternatively call the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit the dedicated portal at https://mipp.police.uk/operation/33EM21C82-PO1.
Ukraine has claimed it destroyed an elite group of Chechen fighters today that were plotting to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, said during a televised address today that the unit 'which came to kill our President, was eliminated'.

Earlier today, Ramzan Kadyrov - the strongman leader of Chechnya - said that Chechens have been killed in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The unit was sent into Ukraine by Kadyrov, who is a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine has claimed it has destroyed an elite group of Chechen fighters that were plotting to assassinate Ukrainian President Zelensky, according to a Kyiv official. Pictured: Servicemen take part in a review of the Chechen Republic's troops and military hardware at the residence of Ramzan Kadyrov, February 25.

Since the Russian invasion began on February 24, there have been fears that president Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured: could be killed by Russian forces. In an address, he even said that he was target number-one for the Kremlin's assassins.

'We are already aware of the special operation that was to be carried out by Kadyrov forces unit,' Danilov said on Ukraine 24 TV channel, The Mirror reported.

'We received the information from representatives of Russia's Federal Security Service who do not want to take part in this bloody war.

'The Kadyrov forces unit, which came to kill our President, was eliminated.'

Danilov said the unit had been split into two groups and its movements were being closely tracked.

He said that one of the two groups came under fire from Ukraine's forces in Hostomel - a north-west suburb of Ukraine's Kyiv capital. The other unit was 'in our sights', he said.

'They were divided in two groups, we were tracking them,' Danilov said on television. 'One group was handled near Hostomel, the other one is in our sights.'

Danilov continued: 'We will not give our President or our country to anyone. This is our land, get out of here.'

Oleksiy Danilov (left), Ukraine's Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council said during a televised address today that the unit 'which came to kill our President, was eliminated'. The unit was sent into Ukraine by Ramzan Kadyrov - the strongman leader of Chechnya, who is staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin

Since the Russian invasion began on February 24, there have been fears that president Zelensky could be killed by Russian forces. In an address, he even said that he was target number-one for the Kremlin's assassins.

'I am target number one, my wife and children are number two,' he said last week.

However, despite the threat to his life, he has continued to project defiance in the face of danger and become the face of Ukraine's resistance.

The 44-year-old has used his eye for modern image management and the skills honed on stage to deliver stirring messages on social media.

On February 25, the day after the outbreak of war, he filmed himself standing in the dark near the presidency building with his advisors, saying 'we are all here' in an attempt to counter disinformation that he had abandoned his post.

'Our military is here. Citizens in society are here. We're all here defending our independence, our country, and it will stay this way,' he said.

Smoke rises around Kyiv's main television tower after several explosions near the base of it on Tuesday afternoon

Kadyrov meanwhile, a former rebel-turned-Kremlin-ally, has given his backing for President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine, sending his notorious fighters to the country. Earlier, he confirmed some of his fighters had been killed.

'Unfortunately, there are already losses among the natives of the Chechen Republic. Two died, six more were injured to varying degrees,' Kadyrov said on Telegram.

Kadyrov, in charge of Russia's Chechnya Republic which he governs de-facto by his own set of rules, has posted videos of Chechen fighters in Ukraine.

On Tuesday, he posted one of a Chechen fighter with Russian tanks rolling by.

Russia has not said how many of its forces have been killed in the invasion, but also admitted losses last week.

Kadyrov said the killed Chechen fighters 'chose to become heroes.'

'Yes, they kill in war and that was their choice of profession,' he said.

He claimed that 'they had an order to minimise losses among the civilian population of Ukraine.'

Russia denies targeting civilian areas, but residential areas are being shelled.

Ukraine says more than 350 civilians have been killed since Putin launched the attack last Thursday.

Moscow has invaded from several directions, including from Belarus, Moscow-annexed Crimea and from territory controlled by east Ukraine's separatists.

It was reported on February 25 that a squad of Chechen special forces 'hunters' had been unleashed in Ukraine to detain or kill a set of specific Ukrainian officials.

Chechen soldiers of the south battalion of the Federal Guard Service are reportedly in a Ukrainian forest with orders to detain or kill Ukrainian officials

Each soldier was reportedly given a special 'deck of cards' with Ukrainian officials' photos and descriptions on them, a Moscow Telegram channel with links to the security establishment reported.

The list is of officials and security officers suspected of 'crimes' by the Russian Investigative Committee, the report added.

The Chechen squad was allegedly given an 'order to kill' if those on the wanted list could not be detained.
Comes after dozens of migrants took advantage of narrow break in bad weather conditions Saturday to make crossing

Border Force detained at least seven boats - with several small children onboard

More migrants battled wet conditions to reach the UK by small boat this afternoon with at least 150 people in total crossing the Channel today.

Border Force detained at least seven boats - with small children among those spotted at the Port of Dover.

The first of this afternoon's arrivals were brought to shore via Border Force cutter Searcher, while a second group were escorted into the UK on board a rib a short while later.

The two groups, which consisted mostly of men, appeared to be suffering as a result of the choppy conditions in the Channel.

As they approached the port they could be seen clutching blankets around their shoulders and heads.

Border Force detained at least seven boats and 150 people trying to cross the English Channel today - with several small children among those spotted at the Port of Dover

The first of this afternoon's arrivals were brought to shore via Border Force cutter Searcher, while a second group were escorted into the UK on board a rib a short while later

Several children were seen amongst the arrivals at Dover this morning and into the afternoon

It comes after more than 100 people, including small children, are thought to have arrived in Kent across five boats this morning.

The first arrivals of the month were escorted to the Port of Dover by the RNLI before sunrise amid heavy fog and rain.

A second group set foot on UK soil on board Border Force cutter Searcher after 8am, with more migrants arriving in HMC Hunter a short while later.

At least two more groups were accompanied to the port by UK officials before midday via Border Force ship Hurricane and ribs - among them were a toddler and young child.

This comes after dozens of migrants were detained by Border Force officials early on Saturday as they took advantage of a narrow break in bad weather conditions to cross reach the UK in inflatable boats.

It comes after more than 100 people, including small children, are thought to have arrived in Kent across five boats this morning

Home Office officials have warned that this year could see more than 65,000 people arrive in the UK by small boat

So far this year 1,341 have made the treacherous crossings in 46 boats

A total of 28,381 migrants crossed the Dover Strait last year - dwarfing the 8,410 who arrived in 2020

It was the first migrant crossing since January 26 due to recent strong winds.

132 people in four boats boats were picked up in freezing conditions in the Channel, according to Home Office figures.

They are thought to have set off in clear skies and calm conditions on Friday night but as they reached the Kent coast, the weather changed with winds picking up making conditions at sea much choppier.

One group, mainly men, were brought in on Border Force cutter Seeker while a second group were picked up by the Border Force vessel Hurricane.

So far this year 1,341 have made the treacherous crossings in 46 boats.

A total of 28,381 migrants crossed the Dover Strait last year - dwarfing the 8,410 who arrived in 2020.

But Home Office officials have warned that this year could see more than 65,000 people arrive in the UK by small boat.
The author and his son at Nakhwa-am overlooking the Geum River in 1989 / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields



By Steven L. Shields



My son was born in Seoul. We moved to the U.S. when he was a few months old, so his first time to get to know Korea firsthand was the summer of his 11th birthday, in 1989. (We deliberately avoided the crowds of the 1988 Olympics). He was young enough to travel at a discount but old enough to understand and appreciate the experience. By then, he was a seasoned traveler; I'd dragged him through England, across Europe, and South Africa two years earlier.



In Korea, we roamed around the essential sites in Seoul. No visit to Korea is complete without seeing a couple of palaces. We rode the cable car up Mount Nam, went up in the tower and took in the still-magnificent 360-degree vista. Namdaemun Market was an eye-opener for my son since there were many things he had never seen before.



I planned a circular route for our down-country trip. Our first stop was Gongju. We wandered through the old national museum and visited King Muryeong's tomb. The tomb site was somewhat distant from the city in those days, and the site was in the early stages of development as a tourist area. We bounced along a country road to get there but then had to walk quite a way back into the city. There we boarded another bus for Buyeo. Since it was early evening, we wandered around town and found a place for dinner.



Bright and early the next day, we took in the national museum (the old building has since been replaced by a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility today) and walked through the forested area of what was once the Baekje Kingdom's principal palace during the kingdom's last decades. Today, the area is forested with scant reminders that the place was once a thriving complex with thousands of people living and working there.



One of the most scenic places in Buyeo is Nakhwa-am (falling flower rock), where it is said hundreds of palace women leaped to their deaths to avoid being raped by the invading Tang (Chinese) army. In its conquest to take the entire Korean Peninsula, the kingdom of Silla had allied with the Tang empire. Today, there is much more to see in Buyeo than in 1989. The town is small, and many sites are easily accessible on foot.



Traveling primarily by "country" or "outside the city" (shi wae) bus, rather than express bus, we wended our way through what is still some lovely countryside. The highways are bigger and more crowded now, but some small towns retain their old-style, laid-back lives. Kilometer after kilometer, the verdant rice fields evoke images of Korea's long agricultural history.



Haein Temple is one of Korea's "Three Jewels" temples. Each temple represents one of the three jewels of Buddhism. Tongdo Temple (between Gyeongju and Busan) represents the Buddha. Songgwang Temple in South Jeolla Province represents the Buddhist community (Sangha). And Haein Temple, not far from Daegu, represents Buddhist teachings (Dharma).



Haein Temple was founded in 802, though none of the original buildings exist. Since 1398, in the early years of the Joseon Kingdom, the temple has housed more than 80,000 carved wooden printing blocks of the Tripitaka Koreana, or Korean Buddhist Canon, the most complete Buddhist scripture in existence. The roads and facilities are now much improved over the barely paved road Chris and I traversed by local bus on our visit.





The author's son, Chris, in the entryway of the Tripitaka Koreana warehouse at Haein Temple / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields



The unique warehouse for the almost 800-year-old printing blocks (carved during the Goryeo Kingdom in the 1200s) is a marvel to see. Access in the old days was less restrictive. When my son and I visited, a kindly monk allowed us to wander through part of the stacks. They also had a sample block that visitors could heft and examine closely. Scholars have examined the blocks and counted more than 52 million Chinese characters. They noted there appear to be no mistakes anywhere to be found. Truly a remarkable treasure.



My all-time favorite place to visit is Gyeongju. I dragged my 11-year-old from the top of the mountain where Seokguram resides, through Bulguk Temple and most other major temple sites in the valley. We visited the Flying Horse Tomb (Cheonmachong) downtown and the national museum (which in those days was one building). The Emile Bell could be rung physically (the current recorded ringing, though necessary to preserve the centuries-old piece, is a poor "second"). Road and transport in Gyeongju are vastly improved today, but it is still possible to use the city buses to travel through the valley.





No visit to Bulguk Temple is complete without this popular shot. Millions of tourists have such a photo. / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields





Our next destination was Beopju Temple, not far from the lovely city of Cheongju. As I have written previously , Beopju Temple is a favorite place to visit. Much older than either Bulguk Temple or Haein Temple, the setting is lovely. The view from the top of the mountain, Mun Jang Dae, is spectacular, but my son was impressed by two items of interest in the temple precinct.



First was the giant rice cooker on display in a small pavilion. He loves rice, and loves Korean food in general, too. The second was the tall golden Maitreya. The current statue was then under construction to replace a much-worn-out concrete statue. A booth near the base of the construction site was set up for donations. My son insisted on contributing as a small way to honor his Korean heritage.





The giant rice cooker at Beopju Temple. It is said that in its heyday, the temple was home to 3,000 monks. / Courtesy of Steven L. Shields/
A Rhode Island man who faked his death and fled to the UK to evade sex and fraud charges - only to be busted in Scotland after nearly dying of COVID - has insisted he is an Englishman called Arthur Knight in a bizarre TV interview.

The suspect - who cops insist is Nicholas Alahverdian, 34 - denied his alleged real identity while dressed in tweed and a baker boy cap - and spoke in a hammy English accent throughout.

'If anyone thinks I am this chap, and have all of these questions, I would love to have them over for a cup of tea,' he told NBC 10. 'But I am not. I am Arthur Knight.'

The man calling himself Knight, who appeared sitting next to his English wife Miranda Knight Brown, then added: 'I have never been to the US in my entire life.'

Claiming he is still recovering from the COVID infection that saw cops track him down and arrest him in a Scottish hospital, he wore an oxygen mask for the bulk of the interview and said he is too weak to walk.

But in a new interview Alahverdian gave while out on bail, he claimed police were mistaken and that he truly is an Englishman named Arthur Knight. He's pictured with wife Miranda

When asked to remove his mask briefly so that the reporter could get a good look at his face, Alahverdian acquiesced and appeared to be a dead ringer for the man wanted for raping an ex-girlfriend in 2008

When asked to remove his mask briefly so that the reporter could get a good look at his face, the man claiming to be Knight acquiesced and appeared to be a dead ringer for the man wanted for raping an ex-girlfriend in 2008.

And Knight also blustered when asked to show his arms, to prove that he didn't have the multiple distinctive tattoos that Alahverdian has.

When asked to expose his arms to prove his tattoo removal scars did not match the markings of Alahverdian, the trickster evaded the question by simply rolling his sleeves up his elbow.

'Absolutely,' he said. 'I will show you that my arm is not tattooed, either.'

The scars in question are believed to mostly on his upper arms, which remained concealed during the interview, claiming exposing his arms further would require 'undoing my oxygen mask.'

Alahverdian also during the interview claimed to have never been to the US, despite using an American phone number while living in England and scamming Canadian food writer and TV star Nafsika Antypas.

Alahverdian - who has assumed several aliases - feigned terminal cancer and faked his own death February 29, 2020 while under investigation for crimes spanning several US states. In an attempt to legitimize the fake death, he wrote and published his own gushing obituary.

But the 34-year-old conman's cover was blown after he was ventilated with a life-threatening case of Covid and placed on a ventilator last year. He was arrested December 13 by Interpol, which used tattoo scars to discover his true identity.

Alahverdian, who was released on bail while awaiting extradition to face a rape charge in Utah, appeared during the interview via Zoom, where he sat next to his wife Miranda.

Nicholas Alahverdian, 34, faked his own death in March 2020 and moved abroad under the aliases Arthur Brown and Arthur Knight to evade sex and fraud charges in the US

He was previously convicted for an unrelated sexual assault during the same year at Sinclair Community College in Ohio.

He's suspected of committing a string of other assaults in both states, as well as Rhode Island, where at least four women filed police reports against him related to alleged incidents in 2010 and 2011.

He was also accused of a $200,000 fraud after allegedly taking out credit cards and loans in his foster mother's husband's name in Ohio.

Antypas previously detailed to DailyMail.com how Alahverdian began scamming her out of about $30,000 US in early 2020, around the time of his purported passing.

Canadian food personality Nafsika Antypas, 44, told DailyMail.com that after Alahverdian's 'death', he moved abroad under the name Arthur Brown and scammed her out of about $30,000US

Antypas, who lives in Montreal, virtually hired Brown as a freelance public relations manager to help grow her eponymous brand, believing he was an international business lawyer with experience working in television.

'I feel really stupid,' she told DailyMail.com this week. 'I knew something was off about him.'

She said she believed him to be living in Dublin, Ireland, at the time of their online introduction. When they spoke on the phone, she said he had a British accent and pronounced stutter.

Rather than deliver on what he promised, Antypas discovered - after paying him $7,500US a month for four months - that the man she knew as Nicholas Brown was a phony who produced no results. When she demanded to see his work, she said he threatened to extort her unless she gave him an additional $55,000US.

Texts, photos and emails Antypas shared with the DailyMail.com show how Alahverdian fabricated two family dogs and a myriad of illnesses - even sending her photos of his 'wife' Miranda in the hospital at one point - in order to avoid doing the work he promised her, based on credentials he never had in the first place.

Antypas sent Alahverdian a text in late April, tell him she needed to see his work in order to keep paying him

He shot back at her, accusing her of being 'patronizing' and claiming to be on the 'brink of massive sales'

He told her that if she did not pay him $70,000 within 'one hour and 17 minutes,' he would set the website live and share the fraud photos

When Antypas ended her business relationship with Alahverdian, he allegedly created a fake website about her, using SEO tricks to make it the top Google hit

When she realized she was being conned and hired a lawyer, Alahverdian fired back with his own legal threats claiming she was the one damaging him.

After demanding she respond within 'one hour and 17 minutes' to settlement negotiations, he then smeared her hard-earned reputation in a brutal revenge campaign branding her a 'fraud.' When she later hired a private investigator to look into Arthur Brown, she realized there was no such man, when even the PI could find no trace of him or his so-called wife.

Alahverdian's dodgy reputation preceded his relationship with Antypas.

He's suspected of committing a string of assaults in Utah, Ohio, and Rhode Island, where at least four women filed police reports against him related to alleged incidents in 2010 and 2011.

He was also accused of a $200,000 fraud after allegedly taking out credit cards and loans in his foster mother's husband's name in Ohio.

Since his fake death was exposed, more stories about his allegedly aggressive behavior toward women have emerged.

This map shows the trail of havoc and alleged criminal behavior carried out by Nicholas Alahverdian across the US

Criminal past of Nicholas Alahverdian Date unknown: Failure to register as a sex offender in Rhode Island. Accused of separate attack which allegedly saw him kidnap and sexually assault a woman Date unknown: Accused of similar abduction and sexual assault attempt in Massachusetts 2008: Convicted of sexual assault in Ohio after an 'encounter' with a fellow student at Sinclair Community College in Dayton. In September 2008, he allegedly raped an ex-girlfriend in Orem, Utah - the allegation that led to his arrest in December 2021. November 2010: Arrested for allegedly assaulting girlfriend in his Rhode Island apartment after they quarreled over a guest's crying child December 2010: A woman called police to report that she went on a dinner date with Alahverdian that turned sour after she rebuffed his advances. He ordered her to give him $200 and took away her phone April 2011: An arrest warrant was issued for Alahverdian for violating a restraining order obtained by his then-wife 2017 : Fraud in Ohio. Former foster mom in same state accused Alahverdian of $200,000 scam which saw him allegedly take out fake credit cards and loans in her husband's name'. Also that year, police in Scotland received a domestic complaint in Essex related to Rossi January 2020: Connects with Canadian businesswoman on an online job board and swindles her out of $30,000US over the course of four months February 2020: Fakes his own death of lymphoma, with unnamed 'widow' claiming Alahverdian had been buried at sea. In July, DNA links him to 2008 sex attack in Orem, Utah - the charge which ultimately led to his discovery in Scotland December 2021: Arrested at hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, while intubated with COVID on suspicion of Utah sex attack January 2022: Set to be extradited back to the US, where Alahverdian is almost certain to face further fraud charges for faking his own death in February 2020 Advertisement

One woman told Pawtucket police that Alahverdian became 'enraged' after she rebuked his advances after a dinner date, according to police reports obtained by the Providence Journal.

While they were convening in his apartment later that night, he became 'enraged' after she rejected his advances and demanded to be compensated for the meal they shared.

After taking away her phone, he drove her to a nearby ATM and instructed her to withdraw $200. She acquiesced because 'she felt she had no choice but to give him the money, in fear of further violence,' the report said.

The night got stranger for the woman when Alahverdian ordered her to sign an agreement - while he videotaped - that said 'she could not pursue legal action and that the money she gave him was for therapy for him due to her violent actions and her sexual addiction.'

Another accuser told police in July 2010 that Alahverdian lured her to his apartment under the guise that she'd be visiting his art studio. Instead, she told cops, he took away her phone and pressed her for sex.

When she refused his advances, he said 'if she left, he would kill himself by stabbing himself in the chest with a knife,' the Journal reported. Alahverdian was taken to hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.

Police returned to his apartment that November on a tip, and said they encountered an 'extremely upset' woman with injuries to both eyes.

The woman told cops that Alahverdian became angry after their dinner guests' child began crying earlier that night, which led to a violent argument.

Alahverdian 'grabbed her and knocked her to the ground and held her down' and 'slapped her on the facial area,' the outlet reported.

He resisted arrest, prompting police to physically carry him out of the apartment and into the cruiser, where he repeatedly smashed his head against the metal bars while screaming 'very loudly'.

He was pepper sprayed by the arresting officers in an effort to get him to stop self-harming.

An arrest warrant was issued for Alahverdian in 2011 for violating a restraining order obtained by his then-wife.

DailyMail.com has requested copies of the arrest reports from the Pawtucket police. It's not clear whether Alahverdian was convicted or served jail time for the allegations.

Last week, a Scottish court heard that since his arrest received media attention, Police Scotland had received 'a complaint of a domestic nature to police in Essex in 2017' in relation to Rossi.

Alahverdian was so cunning that, as a young teenage, he nearly convinced a state representative to adopt him.

Former state representative Brian Coogan, 51, previously told DailyMail.com that he met and was charmed by Alahverdian in 2000, while he was working as a politician and Alahverdian was volunteering as an errand boy at the state house.

Coogan told DailyMail.com that he was initially enamored by the troubled teen - who claimed to be sexually and physically victimized in foster care - and moved to give him a permanent family after Alahverdian 'begged me to adopt him' shortly after they met.

On the day he was in court to begin adoption proceedings, Coogan said he overheard Alahverdian threatening a social worker, saying: 'I'll tell them you abused me, that you hit me.'

A judge later talked Coogan and his wife out of it, warning that he was 'manipulative' and prone to stealing peoples' identities.

Alahverdians's current partner Miranda Knight says she doesn't believe the accusations being leveled against him are true

She described him in the interview as a 'gentleman' who has never frightened her

The charge Alahverdian is awaiting extradition for relates to the rape of a woman in Orem, Utah who he befriended on MySpace in 2008 and later attacked, Utah County District Attorney David Leavitt told DailyMail.com.

During this week's interview, Miranda - believed to be Alahverdian's third wife - defended her husband's character.

'I know my husband inside out,' she said. 'Since my husband and I have been together, he has been a gentleman, he has been kind, he doesn't show any characteristics which frighten me, make me feel uncomfortable.

'To be in this situation is quite bizarre. We're just a normal, average couple with two dogs doing normal things in our lives.'
Texas child welfare agency officials have started investigating parents of transgender children for possible child abuse charges including one of the agencys own employees who has a 16-year-old trans daughter.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott ordered the states Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate reports of 'gender-transitioning procedures,' such as puberty-blocking drugs, last Tuesday.

It came a day after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also a Republican, issued an opinion declaring that such procedures are child abuse under existing Texas law.

One of the agencys employees, who has a transgender daughter, was visited by agency officials on Friday, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the woman, identified as Jane Doe, by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and LGBTQ civil rights group Lambda Legal.

Texas child welfare agency officials have begun investigating parents of transgender children for possible child abuse charges in accordance with an ordered given last week by Governor Greg Abbott

One of the agencys employees, who has a transgender daughter, was among the first to be investigated. Above, a group of health care workers protested the governor's order at the state Capitol building on Tuesday

The employee has since sought legal action in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and LGBTQ civil rights group Lambda Legal

The court filing seeks to block the agencys request for medical records and challenge the constitutionality of the governors order

The employee, who works on the review of reports of abuse and neglect, was placed on administrative leave the day after Abbotts order and has since been asked by agency officials to turn over medical records related to her child, who was identified in the lawsuit as Mary Doe.

The court filing seeks to block the agencys request for medical records and challenge the constitutionality of both the investigation and the governors order.

We are terrified for Marys health and well-being, and for our family, Jane Doe wrote in a declaration filed with the lawsuit. I feel betrayed by my state and the agency for whom I work. Not providing Mary with the medically necessary health care that she needs is not an option for us.

Jane Doe, who refused to voluntarily turn over her daughters medical records, spoke to her supervisor at DFPS the day after Abbott issued his order, the lawsuit reads. It is unclear if she disclosed any information about her transgender child, but that same day she was placed on administrative leave.

The issuance of the Paxton Opinion and the Abbott Letter, along with DFPSs implementation of these, has terrorized the Doe family and inflicted ongoing and irreparable harm, her lawsuit reads.

Mary Doe has long been under the care of Dr. Megan Mooney, a licensed psychologist in Houston who is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit, the document reads.

Mooney diagnosed Mary with gender dysphoria and referred the family to other medical professionals who confirmed the diagnosis, according to the lawsuit.

Transgender advocacy groups protested against the governor's order at the Texas Capitol building on Tuesday

A group of advocates were seen at the protest showing support for transgender children

Gender dysphoria is designated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders as someones "marked incongruence between their experienced or expressed gender and the one they were assigned at birth."

It could lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety, substance use disorders, a negative sense of well-being and poor self-esteem, and an increased risk of self-harm and suicidality, and could be treated with psychiatric support, hormonal therapy and surgical therapy, depending on the individual case and patient needs, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Following Marys diagnosis, her doctors recommended that she be provided with medical care that has included prescription puberty-delaying medication and hormone therapy to initiate puberty consistent with her female gender, the lawsuit reads.

Mary was worried about having to undergo a puberty that would result in permanent physical characteristics not in alignment with her female gender. Jane and John observed how the prospect of beginning this puberty caused Mary significant distress and exacerbated her dysphoria, the lawsuit reads.

Being able to be affirmed as who she is, including through the course of treatment prescribed by her doctors, has brought Mary significant relief and allowed her to thrive, it adds.

Abbott issued the order in a letter on Tuesday to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Abbott wrote in his letter that 'it is already against the law to subject Texas children to a wide variety of elective procedures for gender transitioning, including reassignment surgeries that can cause sterilization, mastectomies, removals of otherwise healthy body parts, and administration of puberty-blocking drugs or supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or estrogen.'

The order requires DFPS to 'conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures.'

The letter notes that doctors, nurses, and teachers are all mandated reporters who must report suspected child abuse, nothing that there are 'criminal penalties for failure to report such child abuse.'

It is unclear if Abbotts order would persist under judicial scrutiny and some Texas prosecutors have already rejected the notion of pursuing child abuse cases against parents, while state agencies have remained largely silent on how they interpret the new guidance.

Legislation has been introduced in over 20 states seeking to ban gender-affirming procedures for teenagers, according to the New York Times. No such bills have made it through their respective legislative sessions, however, including one in Texas seeking to redefine child abuse to include gender-affirming treatment for transgender children.

Last summer, Abbott directed the states protective services agency to investigate whether such medical procedures would constitute child abuse.

Around the same time, the agency bowed to pressure from one of Abbotts Republican primary opponents, Don Huffines, by removing a list of LGBTQ resources and a suicide prevention hotline from its website.

exas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also a Republican, issued an opinion last week declaring that certain transitioning procedures are child abuse under existing Texas law

The move, first reported by the Houston Chronicle, came when Huffines attacked the governor online for promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth.

Adri Perez, policy strategist of the Texas ACLU, accused the governor and attorney general of issuing their statements about transgender children to pander to their party ahead of an upcoming primary election.

No family should have to fear being torn apart because they are supporting their trans child, Perez said in a statement to the New York Times. A week before an election, Gov. Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a partisan political attack that isnt rooted in the needs of families.

Paul Castillo, senior counsel at Lambda Legal, told the New York Times that the two Republicans were joining a politically motivated misinformation campaign with no consideration of medical science and seem determined to criminalize parents seeking to care and provide for their kids.

He added: Gender-affirming care for the treatment of gender dysphoria is medically necessary care, full stop.

The lawsuit quotes a number of child advocacy groups that have spoken out against the governors order, including Prevent Child Abuse America, which said in a statement that providing necessary and adequate medical care to your child is not child abuse.

Therefore, PCA America opposes legislation and laws that would deny healthcare access to any child, regardless of their gender identity. Such laws threaten the safety and security of our nations most vulnerable citizenschildren and youth, the statement adds.

The Biden administration also responded furiously to the Texas order, with a White House spokesperson calling it needless and dangerous.

Conservative officials in Texas and other states across the country should stop inserting themselves into health care decisions that create needless tension between pediatricians and their patients,' White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told the Dallas Morning News.

'No parent should face the agony of a politician standing in the way of accessing life-saving care for their child,' added Jean-Pierre.

Admiral Rachel L. Levine, a transgender woman who is Biden's assistant secretary for health also slammed Abbott's move.

'Our nation's leading pediatricians support evidence-based, gender affirming care for transgender young people. HHS stands with transgender youth and their medical providers,' Levine said in a statement to the Morning News.

The officials moves have been lauded by other Texas groups. Minors are prohibited from purchasing paint, cigarettes, alcohol, or even getting a tattoo. We cannot allow minors or their parents to make life-altering decisions on body-mutilating procedures and irreversible hormonal treatments, Jonathan Covey, policy director for the group Texas Values, told the New York Times last week.

And Abbott's Republican allies in the Texas legislature praised his move. 'This (Paxton) opinion means nothing if it's not enforced,' said Republican state Rep. Matt Schaefer to the Statesman.

'The truth is, though, that we need a special session immediately to address this now that we have the backing of the attorney general's office. We are not going to back down on this  this is a hill we are ready to die on,' he added.
A Pennsylvania man charged with burglary after he allegedly drove nearly 400 miles to the New Hampshire home of a woman he met online, breaking into her home and taking pictures of her while she slept could face more charges.

Mauricio Damian-Guerrero, 20, of Bensalem, was arrested last month after Somersworth police found him climbing out of the woman's attic and onto the roof. Preliminary investigation revealed he had entered the home with the intent to commit theft and invasion of privacy.

Court documents made public Monday and obtained by DailyMail.com revealed the suspect entered the 24-year-old victim's house at least four times and admitted to planning to install a tracking device, which has since been seized by police, to the victim's car in an effort to follow her.

Investigators, while searching his cell phone, discovered multiple video's of the victim sleeping in the nude which they said 'did not appear to be invited'. The footage reportedly focused on the woman's genitalia.

Damian-Guerrero was arrested on February 9 and charged with four counts of burglary. He was released on a $2,500 cash bail last week.

Mauricio Damian-Guerrero, 20, was arrested for burglary last month after he allegedly entered a 24-year-old New Hampshire woman's home four times without her consent. Court documents reveal he videotaped the woman's genitalia while she slept

'He was released with pretty strict bail conditions,' said Deputy Strafford County Attorney Emily Garod told WMUR, noting the suspect is required to wear a GPS tracking bracelet and barred from entering the state of New Hampshire.

'But it is an ongoing concern of ours, the safety of the victim during the pendency of this case, so that is why we asked for him to be held pending trial.'

He is also forbidden from having any contact the victim.

Garod's office told the TV station prosecutors are seeking additional charges against the defendant.

Damian-Guerrero met the victim, who is only identified by the initials R.N., on the internet content subscription service OnlyFans in October 2021.

Damian-Guerrero is accused of driving 354 miles from his Bensalem home to the victim's house in Somersworth. Police say the drive is 6 hours and 15 minutes

Damian-Guerrero (left) met the victim, who is only identified by the initials R.N., on the internet content subscription service OnlyFans in October 2021

According to the court documents, R.N. gave the suspect her address because she wanted him to buy her a new TV and a fireplace. She claims she never wanted to meet in person, but Damian-Guerrero pushed to do so.

He was caught at her home on February 9 at 4.43am after R.N. and her housemate called Somersworth police after hearing someone inside her Highland Street residence.

R.N. told police she had awoken to Damian-Guerrero, who she identified as her stalker, standing in her doorway just before the pair contacted authorities.

She also told police that she had seen Damian-Guerrero drive past her residence before and that he had previously admitted to sleeping in a parking lot outside her old apartment building in Dover, New Hampshire.

The 24-year-old also claimed he FaceTime called her from the outside of her mother's home two hours before police found him on her roof.

It is unclear exactly how many times Damian-Guerrero made the more than six-hour commute to R.N.'s residence, but evidence on his phone indicates he entered the residence at least four times.
A music teacher at Perthshire school who hit teenage girls on the bottoms with drumsticks and groomed a 17-year-old pupil has been removed from the care register.

James Clark, former chief drum and pipes instructor in the Army, was removed from the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) care register on Sunday after being jailed for offences last year.

He was found guilty of common assault, breach of trust and communicating indecency in September last year. He was found sentenced to a year and nine months in prison at Falkirk Sheriff Court in November for the offences.

The 56-year-old, from Edinburgh, assaulted seven teenage girls, aged between 13 to 18, over the course of around eight years whilst working as a drumming tutor.

He was found to have struck two female students on the buttocks on various occasions between 2011 and 2018 whilst employed at a private Perthshire school.

The boarding school drumming instructor was also found to have touched multiple students on their bottoms, cuddled them and made repeated sexual remarks.

Clark was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison after attacking seven girls, aged 13 to 18, following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

James Clark, 56, (Pictured) former chief drum and pipes instructor in the Army, was removed from the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) care register on Sunday after being jailed for offences last year

During an 'illicit affair' with a 17-year-old pupil, activities ranged from kissing in a cupboard to oral sex in the bagpipe store.

In 2019, the girl told her headmaster that Clark had 'abused' her in his car, the band hut, her boarding house, the children's tuck cupboard and the junior common room.

One pupil revealed how she had been left feeling 'violated' by Clark after he 6ft 2in man repeatedly struck her on the bottom and once even bruised her.

She added that Clark 'smacked her on the bum pretty much all the time' during a band trip to Switzerland in 2015.

Another pupil, who was 16 at the time, revealed how Clark told her 'that the two of us should have children together'.

Clark, an assistant housemaster at the private school, was also a registered social service worker which enabled him to work in residential school care accommodation.

Following his conviction, the SSSC decided to remove Clark from the register after finding his fitness to practise was impaired.

Clark (above) was found guilty of common assault by hitting or touching teenage girls backsides and was also convicted of breach of trust by sexual activity with, or directed at, pupils and communicating indecently with a girl

They said: 'You have been convicted of a number of very serious sexual offences involving young people who were in your care at the relevant times.

'Behaving in a sexually abusive manner towards young people in your care is conduct that is fundamentally incompatible with professional registration, and violates fundamental tenets of the social services profession.

'It is behaviour that amounts to a fundamental abuse of trust, which may have caused physical and psychological harm to your victims.'

The SSSC ruled that the former instructor had not shown any insight or regret into his actions, noting that he hadn't apologised to his victims.

On making their decision they said: 'The SSSC considers a removal order is the most appropriate sanction as it is both necessary and justified in the public interest and to maintain the continuing trust and confidence in the social service profession and the SSSC as the regulator of the profession.

Clark was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison after attacking seven girls, aged 13 to 18 following a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court (pictured) last year

'It is the only appropriate sanction in this case.

'While you were entitled to maintain not guilty pleas at trial, after your conviction you have not shown any remorse or insight and have not provided any meaningful comments to the SSSC.

'The behaviour in question involves extremely serious abuses of trust in that you engaged in sexual activity with young people under the age of 18 who you were trusted to provide care and support to in the role that you were registered with the SSSC to carry out.

'There are significant public protection risks associated with your conduct. As noted above, you placed young people in your care at a significant risk of physical and emotional harm.

'The risk of repetition appears to be high. It is necessary to take action in this case to protect the public.'
Three House Republicans rejected hate crimes legislation named after slain black teen Emmett Till in a Monday evening vote.

H.R. 55, dubbed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, passed with an overwhelming 422 'yes' votes in Congress' lower chamber.

The bill aims to make lynching a federal hate crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

The only 'no' votes on the legislation belonged to Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia.

Massie released a statement on Twitter explaining that he voted against the bill over concerns it would impede on states' rights and 'freedom of speech.'

'The Constitution specifies only a handful of federal crimes, and leaves the rest to individual states to prosecute,' Massie wrote on Monday evening. 'This bill expands current federal hate crime laws. A crime is a crime, and all victims deserve equal justice. Adding enhanced penalties for hate tends to endanger other liberties such as freedom of speech.'

The Kentucky lawmaker added, 'Lynching a person is already illegal in every state. Passing this legislation falsely implies that lynching someone does not already constitute criminal activity.'

Reps. Chip Roy of Texas (left), Thomas Massie of Kentucky (center) and Andrew Clyde of Georgia (right) were the only three lawmakers to vote against the antilynching bill

Massie explained in a lengthy Twitter thread that he believed the legislation would impede on states' rights and the first amendment

'The bill creates another federal crime of conspiracy, which Im concerned could be enforced overbroadly on people who are not perpetrators of a crime.'

Roy released a statement calling lynching an 'unspeakably heinous crime' but said H.R. 55 'doesn't have anything to do with' it.

'In fact it creates no new federal offenses. It simply raises the punishment for things that are already federal crimes, including those that are unrelated to lynching  such as gender identity  in an effort to advance a woke agenda under the guise of correcting racial injustice,' Roy said.

The Texas Republican implied lawmakers and the media were not being 'honest' in their portrayal of the legislation.

'Congress and the media should be honest with the American people about what bills do and dont do,' he said.

It's named after Emmett Till, who was just 14 when he was brutally killed by two white men who were acquitted by an all-white jury

'As much as I favor harsher penalties for violent offenders, this is a matter for the states and I will not vote for legislative deception. I will also not support enhancing the power of a federal government that so often abuses it.'

Georgia Rep. Clyde told DailyMail.com the bill 'falsely suggests' lynchings are not already punished.

'Lynching is an evil act of violence that is already against the law at the federal level; it is first-degree murder. Furthermore, my home state of Georgia recently signed hate crime legislation into law this past year,' he said.

'H.R. 55 would create no new federal offense and the current hate crime criminal code already establishes penalties for willful bodily injury to another person. Simply put, we do not need another duplicative federal law. Carving out a separate distinction for lynching may be symbolic, but it falsely suggests that individuals who commit, or attempt to commit, a lynching do not already face criminal charges and consequences. No matter the method or tool used in a horrendous act of violence, all victims of crime deserve equal justice.'

The Emmett Till bill was introduced in early January by longtime Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush.

Rush, who is retiring at the end of this year, is a civil rights activist, pastor and Army veteran who helped found his state's chapter of the Black Panthers. He did it alongside his late friend and Illinois Black Panthers Chair Fred Hampton, who was killed by federal law enforcement in a pre-dawn raid while he slept in his bed.

The legislation overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives on Monday night

'By passing my Emmett Till Antilynching Act, the House has sent a resounding message that our nation is finally reckoning with one of the darkest and most horrific periods of our history, and that we are morally and legally committed to changing course,' Rush said in a statement after the bill's passage.

'I was eight years old when my mother put the photograph of Emmett Tills brutalized body that ran in Jet magazine on our living room coffee table, pointed to it, and said, "this is why I brought my boys out of Albany, Georgia." That photograph shaped my consciousness as a Black man in America, changed the course of my life, and changed our nation.'

Emmett Till was just 14 when he was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of flirting with a white woman.

An all white jury acquitted two men who later confessed to killing the teenager in a magazine interview. They beat and mutilated Till before shooting him in the head and dumping his body in the Tallahatchie River.

After the bill passed on Monday evening, Rush called out the three Republicans who voted against it.

Rep. Bobby Rush, the Illinois Democrat who introduced the bill, took aim at the three nay votes on Monday evening

'Who were the 3 votes against the #AntilynchingAct tonight?' Rush wrote on Twitter.

'Andrew Clyde, GA: Called the 1/6 insurrection a normal tourist visit'

'Thomas Massie, KY: Wrote a bill to allow guns in school zones

Chip Roy, TX: Called lynching an example of justice'

He finished: 'All Republicans. Surprised?'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi celebrated the legislation's passage while mourning Till's 'brutal murder' decades ago.

'Sadly, hateful attacks are not yet a relic of the past: from the scourge of police violence to assaults on houses of worship. That is why the Democratic Congress is hard at work empowering our legal system with more tools to bring perpetrators to justice,' Pelosi said in a statement.

'Any act of bigoted violence is an attack on the most basic promise of American Democracy: "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." House Democrats will not rest until we guarantee these inalienable rights for every American. We now call on the Senate to take immediate action and send this bill to the Presidents desk.'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tore into House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for what she called a 'toothless' statement of condemnation after Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar appeared at white nationalist events.

'McCarthy has been protecting his little KKK Caucus for years with these toothless statements and meetings. It's how he covers for them,' the New York Democrat tweeted Monday night. 'He's now helped them for so long they've escalated their open antisemitism & collaboration w/ white nationalist groups. He's just as culpable,' she added.

Greene was in Orlando, Florida over the weekend to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference, but was also a surprise guest at the America First Political Action Conference, which was organized by white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tore into House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for what she called a 'toothless' statement of condemnation after Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar appeared at white nationalist events

'McCarthy has been protecting his little KKK Caucus for years with these toothless statements and meetings. It's how he covers for them,' the New York Democrat tweeted Monday night, adding that the GOP leader is 'culpable'

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Monday that he would talk to Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar for appearing at white nationalist events, telling CNN Greene's appearance over the weekend was 'appalling and wrong'

Gosar appeared in-person at AFPAC last year and recorded a message for the event this year.

On Monday night McCarthy told CNN it was 'appalling and wrong' that Greene spoke at AFPAC.

'There's no place in our party for any of this,' the California Republican said. 'This is unacceptable.'

McCarthy said he would be meeting with Greene and Gosar.

Greene defended her appearance by saying she didn't know Fuentes - who is also an anti-Semite and Holocaust denier. He attended the 'Unite the Right' white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, which turned deadly.

'I do not know Nick Fuentes. I have never heard him speak, I have never seen a video. I do not know what his views are so I am not aligned with anything that is controversial,' Greene told CBS' Robert Costa at CPAC Sunday. 'I went to his event last night to address his very large following because it's a very young following and it's a generation I'm extremely concerned about.'

At AFPAC the crowd cheered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who's engaging in a deadly attack on Ukraine, and Fuentes complimented the comparisons between Putin and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

'Now they're going on about Russia and Vladimir Putin. They say that's not a good thing,' Fuentes said before Greene came onstage.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was in Orlando, Florida this weekend to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (pictured), but was a surprise guest at the white nationalist confab, the America First Political Action Conference, as well

AOC also said McCarthy 'doesn't want to alienate his base' when he refused to condemn Greene's appearance at the conference for a second day in a row. 'You know what, I commented on that yesterday,' he told a reporter Tuesday

McCarthy pointed out those comments as he condemned Greene's appearance to Punchbowl News.

'She has personally gone to answer this. But I think with that introduction, you should've walked off stage,' McCarthy said.

Instead Greene entered the venue beaming, telling the crowd, 'Well, hello canceled Americans!'

McCarthy was done talking about Greene's appearance by Tuesday.

'You know what, I commented on that yesterday. I understand your job, I understand what you're trying to do, I've already commented on that. We've got a war in Europe that we've not had since World War II,' McCarthy said at a press conference. 'You can take my statement that I've said yesterday and play it one more time.

Ocasio-Cortez criticized that too.

'Doesnt want to alienate his base,' the New York Democrat tweeted.

In November, Gosar was censured and removed from committees by the House for sharing an anime video on Twitter that showed him killing Ocasio-Cortez.

In February 2021, Greene was stripped of her committee assignments as well, for her support on social media of right-wing conspiracy theories and violence against Democrats.
Three suspected members of the Wolverine Watchmen extremist group charged in a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer before the 2020 election were not entrapped by the FBI, a judge ruled on Tuesday.

Joseph Morrison, 27; his 44-year-old father-in-law Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar, 23, will face a tentatively-scheduled pretrial examination in August and trial in September, Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson said during a video conference.

They are accused of providing materials to support terrorist acts, attempting to commit a felony as an associate or member of gang, and gun charges.

They are also accused of aiding six others who are charged in federal court with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, including two men who pleaded guilty and four who are scheduled to stand trial on March 8 in Grand Rapids.

Five more are also charged in state courts.

A federal judge has ruled that Joseph Morrison (left), Pete Musico (center) and Paul Bellar (right) were not entrapped by the FBI into taking part in a thwarted plot to kidnap Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer in 2020

Whitmer became the target of anti-government extremists who were angry over coronavirus policies and restrictions imposed by the governor at the height of the pandemic

'This ruling makes clear these defendants were not pressured by law enforcement into committing these crimes,' Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement.

'These were very serious threats to our elected officials and the public, and the perpetrators of these crimes must be held accountable.'

Investigators have described Morrison, Bellar and Musico as anti-government extremists who were angry over coronavirus policies and restrictions imposed by the governor during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a court affidavit, Musico and Morrison are founding members of the Wolverine Watchmen, which authorities described as 'an anti-government, anti-law enforcement militia group.'

An FBI informant identified Monday in court only as 'Dan' testified about his communications and conversations with the defendants. Defense attorneys said some of their clients' activities were initiated by the informant who was controlled by the FBI.

Wilson said he found no basis for entrapment.

Paul Bellar is seen with a stars and stripes face mask inside the Michigan state capitol in Lansing on April 30. Bellar is one of three founders of the Wolverine Watchmen, which has been described as an anti-government militia

Joe Morrison (far right), Paul Bellar (second right) and Pete Musico (red checked shirt) are pictured during an April 30, 2020, protest against Whitmer's policies

'I just cannot, in reviewing this matter, (see) that the government ... somehow pressured any one of these individuals to participate in anything, or to get in line with this way of thinking,' Wilson said, referring to ideology espoused by the Wolverine Watchmen.

'That was the very reason that we got the confidential informant in the very beginning was as soon as he had joined the group and learned that they were talking about harming police officers and potentially politicians that he contacted the FBI because of his concern out of what potentially could happen.'

Kaleb Franks, 27, pictured with an assault weapon outfitted with a silencer, in February pleaded guilty to kidnapping conspiracy in the plot against Whitmer

'Dan' initially turned down the FBI's request to help, Wilson said.

'They asked him if he would reconsider,' Wilson said. 'He did.'

Last month, Kaleb Franks, 27, one of the six suspects accused of conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, became the second person to plead guilty and agreed to testify against his co-conspirators.

Others include Adam Fox of Potterville, 40 - the alleged ringleader; truck driver Barry Croft of Bear, Delaware, 44; Daniel Harris of Lake Orion, 24; Brandon Caserta of Canton, 33; and Ty Gerard Garbin of Hartland Township, 25.

Garbin was the first of the men to plead guilty to the plot in January of 2021, and has since been the 'star witness' in the trial.

Men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (from top left Kaleb Franks, Brandon Caserta, Adam Fox, bottom left Daniel Harris and Barry Croft) have asked that the case be dismissed due to alleged entrapment by the FBI. Ty Garbin pleaded guilt to the plot, as did Kaleb Franks

Franks in his plea deal denied that those he knew in the case were directed to act by informants.

'The defendant was not entrapped or induced to commit any crimes by these individuals,' Franks wrote in a signed, 19-page agreement.

'The defendant also knows Fox, Croft, Harris and Caserta were not entrapped, based on personal observation and discussions.

'For instance, Fox proposed assaulting the Capitol the first time the defendant met him, which was also the first time Fox met CHS Dan.'

Yet attorneys for the three men have claimed that they were strongly influenced by 'Dan', and have tried to get the case thrown out.

'They were actively training and doing everything,' said Nicholas Somberg, an attorney representing Morrison.

'I think they took advantage of these guys who weren't educated, didn't have the money, were upset with the government and concocted this plot and pushed this whole thing forward and then blamed these three defendants here for providing material support to a plot that didn't exist at the time.'

'Dan' testified that he was trying to de-escalate the group and provide accessibility to the FBI.

Men were seen carrying out supposed tactical training exercise after exiting a PT Cruiser

In October, the US Attorney's Office released video and text messages which prosecutors say is evidence in their case against the six men who face federal conspiracy to kidnap charges against Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Yet Bellar's attorney, Andrew Kirkpatrick, said his client was adamant that 'Dan' was leading them astray.

'If Mr Bellar had not left the state of Michigan on July 27 to go live with his father and go back to school, and he continued on with these individuals, he'd be in federal court sitting right next to them.

'But he's not, because he left and he started realizing the craziness of it.

'I think the record is clear and the I think the recordings are clear,' he said.

The role of 'Dan' has been controversial from the moment the group was arrested.

He joined the group in March 2020.

An army veteran in his mid-30s who was wounded in the Iraq war, he was working at the post office and looking online for ways to practice his military skills.

He came across the Wolverine Watchmen on Facebook, but was alarmed by their plans to target law enforcement and reported them to the local police.

He eventually agreed to become an F.B.I. informant, he said in state court, and was paid about $54,000 over the course of the roughly six-month investigation.

In September 2020, when the group carried out a 'recce' on Whitmer's summer house near Elk Rapids, he was among them, and according to court documents asked: 'Everybody down with what's going on?'

Another man responded: 'If you are not down with the thought of kidnapping, don't sit here.'

Of the dozen men on that nighttime surveillance mission, four of them including 'Dan' were either government informants or undercover F.B.I. agents, according to court documents.

The 'explosives expert' who could topple the bridge leading to Whitmer's home was actually an undercover F.B.I. agent, as was a man in another vehicle.

Dan took over the training exercises, introducing a much higher level of military tactics, defense lawyers said.

In an unusual move, prosecutors have said they will not call to the witness stand three F.B.I. agents with high-profile roles in the investigation.

Authorities said the text messages included images of the conspirators as they carried out surveillance on properties that Whitmer owned

The alleged conspirators shared stories about having been stopped by police and how easy it would be to 'tap' them and get away with it at night

One agent was fired last summer after being charged with domestic violence, while another - who supervised 'Dan' - tried to build a private security consulting firm based in part on some of his work for the F.B.I.

Michael German, a former undercover F.B.I. agent, told The New York Times in January that he disagreed with the tactics, and accused the agency of manufacturing complicated, theatrical scenarios rather than pursuing the more complex task of unearthing actual extremist plots.

German, who is now a fellow at the Liberty & National Security Program of the Brennan Center for Justice, said: 'Rather than focus on those crimes and investigating them, there appears to be more interest in this method of manufacturing plots for the F.B.I. to solve.'

He said that the questions over the role of 'Dan' and other informants was a gift to the defense.

'There is certainly a lot of lumber that this case seems to have given defense attorneys to build a story about what happened,' he said.
One of the lead investigators looking into the disappearance of Suzanne Morphew has said the arrest of her husband for her murder was 'premature,' according to newly-filed court documents.

Suzanne's husband Barry, 53, was arrested last May on suspicion of murder following a year-long search for his wife, Suzanne, 49, who disappeared from their home on Mother's Day 2020. Her body has never been found, but police say she is most likely dead because she has never been heard from since, and her bank accounts have never been used.

Barry denies the charges, and has submitted court documents to dismiss the case for 'outrageous governmental conduct,' claiming that former Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Joseph Cahill himself had said that Barry's was 'premature' just four months ago, in December 2021.

The defense attorneys write in the court documents, obtained by 9 News, that Cahill 'stated the case was not remotely ready for anybody to move the case forward' when he was being interviewed by Internal Affairs on December 2 for accidentally firing his weapon while he was off-duty and at home.

They also claim in the documents, which were unsealed on Tuesday, that Cahill and his partner, Agent Derek Graham, had expressed their concerns about the case to their superiors - but they were ultimately ignored.

And, they claim, the prosecutors withheld 'exculpatory evidence' from the court during the preliminary hearing charging Barry for Suzanne's murder. Further details on what that evidence is have yet to be shared, although defense previously accused prosecutors of omitting DNA evidence from disclosure.

If that evidence had been available at the time, Barry's defense attorneys, Iris Eytan and Hollis Whitson, 'it is certain that probable cause would not have been found.'

Barry Morphew, seen walking into court with his two adult daughters in December, is seeking to get the charges against him overturned, with his lawyers claiming that a former had doubts about his arrest

Morphew is accused of murdering his wife, Suzanne, right, who went missing on Mother's Day in 2020. Her body has never been found

The court documents state that Cahill had repeatedly brought up concerns about Barry Morphew's arrest one year after Suzanne went missing on May 10, 2020.

He reportedly told the Internal Affairs investigator that after putting the case together for a year, he saw an 'erosion of framework' while he was at school and off the case from March through May of 2021, KDVR reports.

The report said that on August 24, 2021, during the preliminary hearing testimony, Cahill claimed he only read nine pages of the Morphew arrest affidavit. At the time, Internal Affairs requested revisions to the affidavit, documents showed.

However, Internal Affairs claimed that multiple requests were made to Cahill for revisions to the affidavit between August 24, 2021 to January 25, 2022.

Then when Cahill and Graham's supervisors, CBI Deputy Director Chris Schaefer and an Agent Kemper spoke with Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze about their concerns, Barry's defense attorneys say, they were ultimately ignored.

'Mr. Cahill stated that Sheriff Spezze did not heed CBI's advice or opinions, and moved forward with Mr. Morphew's arrest,' the court documents released on Tuesday claim.

'Mr. Cahill summed up by saying it "is what it is."'

In a rebuttal to the filing, the prosecution characterized the call for the dismissal of the case and trial as 'utter nonsense,' saying Cahill has been 'thoroughly discredited.'

Prosecutors contend they have produced tens of thousands of pages of discovery and hours of video recordings, and says the defense has 'stopped trying to confer with the People as their last request for discovery was made directly to the Court.'

Morphew was arrested last May - one year after Suzanne went missing

Authorities claim Barry killed Suzanne (pictured) with a dart gun filled with animal tranquilizer

Prosecutors have said Barry had murdered his wife using animal tranquilizer, after investigators found a dart gun near where she went missing.

They claimed that the animal tranquilizer killed Suzanne and that Barry had covered his tracks by disposing of her body - possibly in the remote Garfield Mine - and pointed to his phone being placed in airplane mode repeatedly over the weekend of May 9 and 10 as evidence.

According to court documents, CBI superiors expressed their concerns about Barry's arrest with Chaffee County Sheriff John Spezze, who 'did not heed CBI's advice or opinions'

The prosecution also noted that he had left a Holiday Inn hotel room in Broomfield, Colorado, reeking of chlorine  a development first reported by DailyMail.com in September 2020.

But Barry's defense attorneys claim that when investigators found the dart rifle, it was inoperable and had not been used in a long time.

They have also claimed that investigators intentionally omitted evidence of DNA belonging to an alleged sex offender found in Suzanne Morphew's bike, helmet, car and bedsheets.

Barry's defense lawyers have now subpoenaed the director of the CBI, the deputy director of the CBI and the head of the major crimes unit for the CBI to appear in court this Friday for a motion's hearing before his trial begins on April 28.

They have previously announced they were filing a civil case against 26 individuals associated with the Chaffee Police Department, 11th Judicial District Attorney's Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigations and the FBI for intentionally omitting the evidence.

Barry's defense team previously filed a lawsuit against 26 individuals in the investigation and prosecution of the case, alleging they intentionally with held evidence found at the crime scene

The lawsuit claims investigators and prosecutors withheld evidence of DNA from an alleged sex offender found in Suzanne's property. Pictured, FBI and CBI officials at the scene in 2020

But Cahill's reputation has been called into question in recent months.

He resigned from the CBI in December amid an internal affairs investigation into the accidental discharge of a gun while he was off-duty and in his own home. Cahill sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the hand as a result.

John Camper, the director of the CBI, called Cahill's actions dealing with his service weapon 'careless or imprudent' in the aftermath, and an Internal Affairs memo obtained by 9 News states that Morphew lied to investigators looking into what happened.

'I find that he was intentionally misleading in his statements,' the Internal Affairs document from December 14 reads. 'I am actually more troubled by the lengths he went to in order to support the falsehood.

Eventually, Internal Affairs found that Cahill was attempting to remove a gun light he had bought from his CBI-issued weapon because he was planning to resign from the service that day.

They said he bought a new gun light in an attempt to cover up his lie when he was interviewed by another CBI agent, and before admitting the truth 'Cahill initially lied on four occasions upon being specifically asked when he purchased the new gun light before correction.'
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has admitted soliciting a prostitute after being caught in a sting operation carried out by his own force.

PC Tristan Downing, 38, was arrested by colleagues during an operation in Edmonton, north London, targeting men exploiting sex workers.

The officer, attached to the Central North Basic Command Unit, was subsequently charged last month and pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Downing was ordered to pay a 450 fine, 85 court costs and 45 witness tax to be paid within 14 days.

The court heard he was off-duty at the time of the arrest, before Downing said he was ashamed by his actions.

The officer is currently on restricted duties and a misconduct hearing will now take place following his conviction.

Commander Andy Carter, in charge of policing in Camden and Islington, said: 'We expect the highest standards of behaviour from our officers both on, and off, duty and this officers actions fell way below these expectations.

PC Tristan Downing, attached to the Central North Basic Command Unit, was arrested by colleagues as part of an undercover sting

'He was caught as the result of a proactive operation targeting those who exploit sex workers. The Met is committed to rooting out all officers who break the law or are involved in dishonest or disreputable behaviour.'

In a statement, the Met added: 'We cannot and are not waiting for the findings of ongoing inquiries to begin rebuilding the publics trust and confidence that police officers will protect and respect them. We have already taken a number of significant steps to start real change across the organisation.

'These include two independent reviews, an examination of all current investigations of sexual and domestic abuse allegations against Met employees and an increase in the number of investigators in our professional standards directorate.

'The Met is driven by the values of professionalism, integrity, courage and compassion. We only want the best and will always act when our employees fall below the exemplary standards we and the public expect.'
A version of this article first appeared on Common Sense

A version of this article first appeared on Common Sense

How has Vladimir Putina man ruling a country with an economy smaller than that of Texas, with an average life expectancy 10 years lower than that of Francemanaged to launch an unprovoked full-scale assault on Ukraine?

There is a deep psychological, political and almost civilizational answer to that question: He wants Ukraine to be part of Russia more than the West wants it to be free.

He is willing to risk tremendous loss of life and treasure to get it.

There are serious limits to how much the U.S. and Europe are willing to do militarily.

And Putin knows it.

Missing from that explanation, though, is a story about material reality and basic economicstwo things that Putin seems to understand far better than his counterparts in the free world and especially in Europe.

Putin knows that Europe produces 3.6 million barrels of oil a day but uses 15 million barrels of oil a day.

Putin knows that Europe produces 230 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year but uses 560 billion cubic meters.

He knows that Europe uses 950 million tons of coal a year but produces half that.

The former KGB agent knows Russia produces 11 million barrels of oil per day but only uses 3.4 million.

He knows Russia now produces over 700 billion cubic meters of gas a year but only uses around 400 billion.

The reason Europe didn't have a muscular deterrent threat to prevent Russian aggressionand in fact prevented the U.S. from getting allies to do moreis that it needs Putin's oil and gas. (Above) A boy plays on a swing in front of a damaged residential block hit by an early morning missile strike on February 25, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine

In service to green ideology, they made the perfect the enemy of the goodand of Ukraine. (Above) Demonstrators gather during a global climate strike demonstration in Munich, Germany on September 20, 2019

Russia mines 800 million tons of coal each year but uses 300.

That's how Russia ends up supplying about 20 percent of Europe's oil, 40 percent of its gas, and 20 percent of its coal.

The math is simple. A child could do it.

The reason Europe didn't have a muscular deterrent threat to prevent Russian aggressionand in fact prevented the U.S. from getting allies to do moreis that it needs Putin's oil and gas.

The question is why.

How is it possible that European countries, Germany especially, allowed themselves to become so dependent on an authoritarian country over the 30 years since the end of the Cold War?

Here's how: These countries are in the grips of a delusional ideology that makes them incapable of understanding the hard realities of energy production.

Green ideology insists we don't need nuclear and that we don't need fracking.

It insists that it's just a matter of will and money to switch to all-renewablesand fast.

It insists that we need 'degrowth' of the economy, and that we face looming human 'extinction.' (I would know. I myself was once a true believer.)

John Kerry, the United States' climate envoy, perfectly captured the myopia of this view when he said, in the days before the war, that the Russian invasion of Ukraine 'could have a profound negative impact on the climate, obviously. You have a war, and obviously you're going to have massive emissions consequences to the war. But equally importantly, you're going to lose people's focus.'

But it was the West's focus on healing the planet with 'soft energy' renewables, and moving away from natural gas and nuclear, that allowed Putin to gain a stranglehold over Europe's energy supply.

As the West fell into a hypnotic trance about healing its relationship with nature, averting climate apocalypse and worshiping a teenager named Greta, Vladimir Putin made his moves.

While he expanded nuclear energy at home so Russia could export its precious oil and gas to Europe, Western governments spent their time and energy obsessing over 'carbon footprints,' a term created by an advertising firm working for British Petroleum.

They banned plastic straws because of a 9-year-old Canadian child's science homework.

They paid for hours of 'climate anxiety' therapy.

Europeansled by figures like Greta Thunberg and European Green Party leaders, and supported by Americans like John Kerry (above with Putin in Moscow in 2015) believed that a healthy relationship with the Earth requires making energy scarce.

While Putin expanded Russia's oil production, expanded natural gas production, and then doubled nuclear energy production to allow more exports of its precious gas, Europe, led by Germany, shut down its nuclear power plants, closed gas fields, and refused to develop more through advanced methods like fracking.

The numbers tell the story best.

In 2016, 30 percent of the natural gas consumed by the European Union came from Russia.

In 2018, that figure jumped to 40 percent.

By 2020, it was nearly 44 percent, and by early 2021, it was nearly 47 percent.

For all his fawning over Putin, Donald Trump, back in 2018, defied diplomatic protocol to call out Germany publicly for its dependence on Moscow.

'Germany, as far as I'm concerned, is captive to Russia because it's getting so much of its energy from Russia,' Trump said.

This prompted Germany's then-chancellor, Angela Merkel, who had been widely praised in polite circles for being the last serious leader in the West, to say that her country 'can make our own policies and make our own decisions.'

The result has been the worst global energy crisis since 1973, driving prices for electricity and gasoline higher around the world.

It is a crisis, fundamentally, of inadequate supply. But the scarcity is entirely manufactured.

Europeansled by figures like Greta Thunberg and European Green Party leaders, and supported by Americans like John Kerrybelieved that a healthy relationship with the Earth requires making energy scarce.

By turning to renewables, they would show the world how to live without harming the planet.

But this was a pipe dream.

You can't power a whole grid with solar and wind, because the sun and the wind are inconstant, and currently existing batteries aren't even cheap enough to store large quantities of electricity overnight, much less across whole seasons.

In service to green ideology, they made the perfect the enemy of the goodand of Ukraine.

Take Germany.

Green campaigns have succeeded in destroying German energy independencethey call it Energiewende, or 'energy turnaround'by successfully selling policymakers on a peculiar version of environmentalism.

Green campaigns have succeeded in destroying German energy independencethey call it Energiewende, or 'energy turnaround'by successfully selling policymakers on a peculiar version of environmentalism. (Above) Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel with Putin in Moscow in January 2020

It calls climate change a near-term apocalyptic threat to human survival while turning up its nose at the technologies that can help address climate change most and soonest: nuclear and natural gas.

At the turn of the millennium, Germany's electricity was around 30 percent nuclear-powered.

But Germany has been sacking its reliable, inexpensive nuclear plants. (Thunberg called nuclear power 'extremely dangerous, expensive, and time-consuming' despite the UN's International Panel on Climate Change deeming it necessary and every major scientific review deeming nuclear the safest way to make reliable power.)

By 2020, Germany had reduced its nuclear share from 30 percent to 11 percent.

Then, on the last day of 2021, Germany shut down half of its remaining six nuclear reactors.

The other three are slated for shutdown at the end of this year. (Compare this to next door France, which fulfills 70 percent of its electricity needs with carbon-free nuclear plants.)

Germany has also spent lavishly on weather-dependent renewablesto the tune of $36 billion a yearmainly solar panels and industrial wind turbines.

But those have their problems.

Solar panels have to go somewhere, and a solar plant in Europe needs 400 to 800 times more land than natural gas or nuclear plants to make the same amount of power.

Farmland has to be cut apart to host solar.

And solar energy is getting cheaper these days mainly because Europe's supply of solar panels is produced by slave labor in concentration camps as part of China's genocide against Uighur Muslims.

The upshot here is that you can't spend enough on climate initiatives to fix things if you ignore nuclear and gas.

Between 2015 and 2025, Germany's efforts to green its energy production will have cost $580 billion.

Yet despite this enormous investment, German electricity still costs 50 percent more than nuclear-friendly France's, and generating it produces eight times more carbon emissions per unit.

Plus, Germany is getting over a third of its energy from Russia.

Germany has trapped itself.

It could burn more coal and undermine its commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

Or it could use more natural gas, which generates half the carbon emissions of coal, but at the cost of dependence on imported Russian gas.

Berlin was faced with a choice between unleashing the wrath of Putin on neighboring countries or inviting the wrath of Greta Thunberg.

They chose Putin.

Because of these policy choices, Vladimir Putin could turn off the gas flows to Germany, and quickly threaten Germans' ability to cook or stay warm.

He or his successor will hold this power for every foreseeable winter barring big changes.

It's as if you knew that hackers had stolen your banking details, but you won't change your password.

Berlin was faced with a choice between unleashing the wrath of Putin on neighboring countries or inviting the wrath of Greta Thunberg (above in Milan, Italy in 2021)

This is why Germany successfully begged the incoming Biden administration not to oppose a contentious new gas pipeline from Russia called Nord Stream 2.

This cut against the priorities of green-minded governance: On day one of Biden's presidency, one of the new administration's first acts was to shut down the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. in service to climate ideology.

But Russia's pipeline was too important to get the same treatment given how dependent Germany is on Russian imports. (Once Russia invaded, Germany was finally dragged into nixing Nord Stream 2, for now.)

Naturally, when American sanctions on Russia's biggest banks were finally announced in concert with European allies last week, they specifically exempted energy products so Russia and Europe can keep doing that dirty business.

A few voices called for what would really hit Russia where it hurts: cutting off energy imports.

But what actually happened was that European energy utilities jumped to buy more contracts for the Russian oil and gas that flows through Ukraine.

That's because they have no other good options right now, after green activism's attacks on nuclear and importing fracked gas from America.

There's no current plan for powering Europe that doesn't involve buying from Putin.

We should take Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a wake-up call.

Standing up for Western civilization this time requires cheap, abundant, and reliable energy supplies produced at home or in allied nations.

National security, economic growth, and sustainability requires greater reliance on nuclear and natural gas, and less on solar panels and wind turbines, which make electricity too expensive.

The first and most obvious thing that should be done is for President Biden to call on German Chancellor Scholz to restart the three nuclear reactors that Germany closed in December.

A key step in the right direction came on Sunday when Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck, the economy and climate minister, announced that Germany would at least consider stopping its phaseout of nuclear.

If Germany turns these three on and cancels plans to turn off the three others, those six should produce enough electricity to replace 11 billion cubic meters of natural gas per yearan eighth of Germany's current needs.

Second, we need concerted action led by Biden, Congress, and their Canadian counterparts to significantly expand oil and natural gas output from North America to ensure the energy security of our allies in Europe and Asia.

North America is more energy-rich than anyone dreamed. Yes, it will be more expensive than Russian gas sent by pipeline.

But it would mean Europe could address Putin's war on Ukraine, rather than financing it.

Exporting gas by ship requires special terminals at ports to liquify (by cooling) natural gas; environmentalists oppose these terminals because of their ideological objection to any combustible fuel.

So it's a good sign that Chancellor Sholz announced plans on Sunday to build two of these terminals to receive North American gas, along with announcing major new military spending to counter Russia.

Third, the U.S. must stop shutting down nuclear plants and start building them.

Every country should invest in next-generation nuclear fuel technology while recognizing that the current generation of light-water reactors are our best tool for creating energy at home, with no emissions, right now.

What you've heard about waste is mostly pseudoscience.

Storing used fuel rods is a trivial problem, already solved around the world by keeping them in steel and concrete cans.

The more nuclear power we generate, the less oil and gas we have to burn. And the less the West will have to buy from Russia.

Putin's relentless focus on energy reality has left him in a stronger position than he should ever have been allowed to find himself.

It's not too late for the rest of the West to save the world from tyrannical regimes that have been empowered by our own energy superstitions.

Michael Shellenberger is the best-selling author of San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities (HarperCollins 2021), and Apocalypse Never (HarperCollins 2020)
Kevin Nickolai / Courtesy of Kevin Nickolai



By Jon Dunbar



For Kevin Nickolai, puzzles are one of the basic needs of life.



"Solving puzzles is my oxygen," he told The Korea Times. "I have happy little fireworks shoot off in my brain when I complete them. I'm a gamer through and through. And I'm always on the hunt for new fun games to play. I think we all are."



But he doesn't stop there: he also likes making puzzles of various kinds. "I have a lot more fun making puzzles because I'm just solving it in reverse with my own creative twists," he said. "After a particularly satisfying puzzle design I don't hear the fireworks shoot off, but I do hear a voice say, 'You rascally devil!' I love that voice."



He started out at age 9 back in Saint Louis, Missouri, by making mazes, eventually contributing his mazes to his high school newspaper. "But puzzling really kicked up one day when I was staring at the Periodic Table and I was trying to make an anagram out of different elements," he said. "I started barraging my coworkers with these word puzzles and offered prizes to anyone who could solve them."



Eventually, he published a book containing 74 of his puzzles through his university press, titled "Chaos and Love: 74 of Kevin's Puzzlers."



Then he came up with a new style of puzzle, as seen attached to this article.



"While making crossword puzzles for my coworkers I tried to challenge myself and make perfect word squares," he said. "These are crossword puzzles with no black squares in them. A famous example is the Sator Square which is also palindromic. The problem is that construction of a perfect square gets unwieldy the bigger you get. My solution was to literally cut the corners out of the equation. So instead of a Sator Square, I have more of a Sator Cross. Instead of clues, I wanted to guide the solver with symbols and have some sort of payoff at the end with a coded message."





One of Kevin Nickolai's word puzzles / Courtesy of Kevin Nickolai
Terrifying home security video shows a woman letting out blood-curdling screams while running from an SUV that appears to pursue her across a public park, as cops try to work out if she was abducted.

The Pasadena Police Department shared the chilling recording on Monday on social media, appealing to the public for help in identifying the woman and the driver of the vehicle chasing her.

According to the time stamp seen in the recording, the incident took place just before 10am on Friday.

Police identified the location as Satsuma Park in Pasadena, Texas, which is a suburb of Houston.

Police in Pasadena, Texas, are trying to track down this woman who was last seen on home security video screaming in terror while running away from an SUV in a public park

A gray SUV that appears to be a Ford Escape is seen in the viral video chasing the fleeing woman in Satsuma Park before 10am on Friday

In the video, which as of Tuesday has been viewed more than 20,000 times on Twitter alone, a young woman, who is believed to be in her late teens or 20s, screams in terror while running away from what appears to be a gray Ford Escape.

As the vehicle drives around the park, the woman glances behind her shoulder several times.

The clip ends with the SUV racing across the lawn towards the woman, who lets out a loud shriek off camera.

'I can't get the sound of her screams out of my head,' the owner of the security camera that captured the chase told kHOU11. 'It was so horrible. To see her running and screaming ... you can tell shes terrified trying to get away.'

The camera owner, who did not wish to be identified, said she called the police after watching the video on Friday morning.

Pasadena Police Sgt Raul Granados said officers responded to the scene for a report of a disturbance on Friday, but did not learn of the security video until Monday.

The woman runs through the lawn, screaming, with the SUV behind her. The owner of the camera that caught the incident handed over the footage to the police on Monday

The video ends with the SUV speeding across the lawn towards the woman, who lets out a blood-curdling scream off camera

Police want the public's help in identifying the woman and the driver of this SUV

Three days after the incident, police say they still do not know what happened to the woman in the video, and they are now working to locate her and the driver of the Ford SUV.

'We want to make sure that shes OK first and foremost,' Granados said. 'We heard the scream at the end. We dont know if he hit her with a vehicle. We dont know if she screamed because he stopped and put her in the vehicle.'

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at 713-475-4822 or Pasadena police's main number at 713-477-1221.
A California surf instructor accused of killing his two kids with a spearfishing gun at a Mexico resort told FBI agents after his August arrest he believed he was Neo from The Matrix, a recently filed search warrant reveals.

In an interview with federal agents last summer, Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, who had become obsessed with the alt-right conspiracy group QAnon prior to killing kids Kaleo, 2, and Roxy, ten months, 'discussed time travel, teleportation, [his kids] telling him about babies being placed in fireworks, food, and walls,' the filing states.

According to the warrant filed in US District Court for the District of California February 17, Coleman ranted to agents after confessing to the double murder, saying he was 'either crazy or the only person left on Earth that is a true man.'

Explaining why he killed his two kids, Coleman 'mentioned during the interview that "Q" was actually talking to him' ahead of the murders, the filing states, referring to the eponymous, anonymous online persona that set off the conspiracy movement in 2017.

California surf instructor Matthew Coleman, who confessed to killing his two kids with a spearfishing gun at a Mexico resort because they had 'serpent DNA,' told FBI agents after his August arrest he believed he was Neo from The Matrix, a recently filed search warrant reveals

In an interview with federal agents, Coleman, 40, who had become obsessed with the alt-right conspiracy group QAnon prior to killing kids Kaleo, 2, and Roxy, ten months, 'discussed time travel, teleportation, [his kids] telling him about babies being placed in fireworks, food, and walls,' the filing states. His wife Abby reported them missing days before the double murder

The report then revealed the morning of the murder, 'while he was in Mexico - before killing his children - Coleman laid in bed seeing all the pieces being decoded like "The Matrix"'

The group claims, among other things, that a cabal of cannibalistic Democrats is currently leading a global child sex abuse ring, and offers conspiracies on subjects ranging from vaccines and government, child pornography, and the presidency, which family members say snarled Coleman in the buildup to his crimes.

The recent filing sheds new light on Coleman's downward spiral before the double murder, revealing never-before-seen texts from the the owner of Santa Barbara's Lovewater Surf Co. the morning of the murder to his wife, Abby Coleman, who had reported him and their two kids missing two days earlier, on August 7.

After not returning his wife's texts as to their whereabouts for more than 48 hours, Coleman, while laying in bed with his two kids at City Express Hotel, a Christian resort in Rosarito, Mexico, just after 3 am, sent her a stream of bizarre text offering a glimpse into his shattered mindset, the document reveals

'Hi babe, miss you too,' read one of the texts, sent in the early hours of August 9 - the day of the murder, according to the filing.

'Things have been rough but starting to get some clarity as well. Still confused on a lot of things though and processing through them.

'So many crazy thoughts going through my head right now, hard to explain,' he went on, adding that he was 'getting some clarity through my grandmas [sic] old bibles.'

Coleman admitted to FBI that he murdered his son Kaleo (left), two, and daughter Roxy (right), 10 months, in August.

Coleman, who had told investigators he killed the tots because they had 'serpent DNA,' continued: 'Anyways, was actually still thinking of burning them in case theres [sic] a chip in them or something.

'Going to keep processing through everything and hope to get some answers.'

He then offered his wife of four years an eerie sign-off that seemingly forecasted the horrid acts he would commit late in the day, in the last message he would ever send her.

'Hope all this craziness ends soon. Love you,' Coleman wrote, according to the warrant, before murdering his children just hours later.

The document further revealed that after being apprehended by officers upon his return to the US two days later, Coleman told agents that he had started noticing 'strange coincidences' five or six days before committing the murders.

According to the warrant, Coleman discussed with investigators 'QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories as well as Strong's numbers (an index of every word in the Bible),' before telling them he had experienced 'visions and signs revealed that his wife possessed serpent DNA.'

Coleman lived in Santa Barbara, California with his wife and two kids. He left on August 7 and checked into the City Express Hotel in Rosarito, Mexico. Two days later he was arrested after trying to get back in the US at the San Ysidro Point of Entry for the murder of his two children

He also told investigators that he suspected his spouse was a shapeshifter, 'and had passed it onto his children and that all things were pointing to the idea that his children have corrupted DNA that will spread if something is not done about it.'

The agent who penned the report, Joseph Hamer, noted that 'Coleman explained that he was either crazy or the only person that is left on Earth that is a true man' during the interrogation.

The report then revealed 'that while he was in Mexico - before killing his children - Coleman laid in bed seeing all the pieces being decoded like "The Matrix."'

He told investigators that his true name 'was Neo. M. Coleman' and discussed time travel, teleportation,' and attested that his kids had warned him 'about babies being placed in fireworks, food, and walls.'

Coleman went on to claim that Q - the name of the anonymous account whose 2017 post to image-sharing site 4Chan sparked the QAnon movement- was communicating with him directly, telling agents that he 'eventuallysaw the big picture that he had to kill his children to prevent them from becoming an alien species that would release carnage over the Earth.'

Coleman 'said he knew what he did was wrong, but it was the only course of action that would save the world,' according to the filing.

Border agents arrested Coleman (right) after he tried to cross from Tijuana into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Pictured: Coleman with his wife, Abby (left), and their son Kaleo

During the interview, Coleman demonstrated a series of hand signals he said proved someone was part of the conspiracy and showed their allegiance, according to the warrant.

He said he had scrolled through Instagram and took screenshots of various people making the hand signs, and although he said he no longer used Facebook, he had done a search of a friend's account and saw a picture of him making one of the gestures over his eye.

Coleman told agents that he 'knew that the 'whole thing was a setup' and 'they' were using people' to get him.

When agents spoke to Abby Coleman, she explained that the two of them had been 'researching QAnon' and that Coleman had become 'significantly more paranoid that people around him were involved in a conspiracy.'

She said Coleman 'started doing a lot of research on leaders running 'the church' and found that they may have been part of the conspiracy,' and that he had connected 'the people running "the church" to people in their community and to some of their best friends.'

Coleman told officers that Abby, along with the couple's shared friends, were 'all in on this thing together,' the warrant goes on.

Two days later, Coleman was taken into custody by federal agents at the San Ysidro, California Port of Entry. as he re-entered the country from Mexico.

The day prior, investigators uncovered the remains of his 2-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter, Kaleo and Roxy, found at a ranch in Baja California.

In a subsequent interview with the FBI, Coleman confessed to stabbing Kaleo and Roxy to death with the speargun, saying he disposed of their bloody clothes in a trash bin near Tijuana, according to the warrant.

A friend of Coleman's, identified in the warrant as 'A.M.,' also spoke to the FBI, and confirmed that Coleman had started seeing 'signs' urging him to do things at almost every turn.

There were suspicious Instagram postings by 'musicians, teachers, and friends,' A.M. said Coleman told him, and the people making hand signals in the photos Coleman spotted were 'evil disguised as good.'

Coleman, who is currently detained in federal prison without bail, appeared in court on September 9 for the double homicide. He is set to appear again May 19

During the interview, Coleman showed the interviewing agents several hand signals or signs he said 'were an indication that someone was a part of the conspiracy and showing their allegiance.'

He told officers 'that he scrolled through Instagram and took screenshots of individuals making these hand signals or signs,' according to the filing.

According to the document, 'Coleman showed A.M. a picture from Instagram in which A.M.'s friends were making peace signs, insisting that A.M. was a "loyalist," and "could not see that he was being controlled."

The anonymous friend also told agents of 'a call he'd received from Abby a few hours after Coleman took off for Mexico, asking him to come over to their house.

'When he arrived,' the warrant reveals, Abby showed Coleman's friend 'a picture of him with his friends when he was about 13, "making hand gestures."'

'Based, at least in part, on these hand gestures,' the warrant continues, 'A.M. said that [Abby] accused him of "being in on it," spurring her to chase him out of the Coleman family home.

The search warrant requests permission from a judge for federal agents to peruse Coleman's private Facebook activity, in hopes of learning additional information on the case.

Coleman, who is currently detained in federal prison without bail, is set to appear in court May 19.
A number of Sydney primary schools have implemented a sugar ban for students - with parents warned treats in lunch boxes will be confiscated.

There are concerns young pupils eating excessive amounts of chocolate, lollies, soft drink, and other unhealthy snacks can trigger rapid mood swings and also result in schoolyard disagreements.

But some nutritionists aren't on the same page, stating a ban on sugar-laden food could have a detrimental effect as students will end up craving the snacks even more.

Sydney Montessori School in Gymea, in Sydney's south, have imposed a complete ban on any kind of sugar induced snacks.

'We ask that parents not send lollies, chocolate, sugary snacks, fizzy drinks or anything of this nature to school as they may cause allergic or behavioural reactions, disagreements between the children, or raised sugar levels resulting in mood swings,' their school handbook states.

A number of Sydney primary schools have implemented a sugar ban for students - with parents warned treats will be confiscated (pictured, a heathy children's lunch box)

At some schools - such as the Sydney Montessori School in Gymea, in Sydney's south, sugar of any kind is banned, meaning cans of coke (pictured) are not an option

There are concerns young pupils eating excessive amounts of chocolate, lollies, soft drink and other unhealthy snacks can trigger rapid mood swings and also result in schoolyard disagreements (pictured, a healthy lunch box with tortilla wraps, fruits and vegetables)

'If teachers see children with such items, they may be confiscated.'

In Sydney's west, the Al Noori Muslim School in Greenacre has been sending compliance letters to parents of students 'caught' with unhealthy lunch box options.

At Goulburn South Public in regional NSW, parents have even been requested to avoid sending in cakes on birthdays.

Nutritionist Kristen Beck said the extreme food measures don't always result in children eating healthier.

'If you continually demonise sugary foods, kids just want it more so when they do get access (to them) they get overly excited,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

'I can understand why teachers find sugar problematic, but it needs to be judged in the whole context, especially if the kid is a healthy weight and runs around and does lots of exercise.'

Childhood obesity numbers increased during the pandemic, with almost 25 per cent of children in Australia currently said to be overweight.

Health experts said the solution is simple - less junk food, more water.

Deakin's Global Obesity Centre director Steven Allender said the right habits for children start at home.

'Obesity remains a global problem,' he said.

'Leading by example in front of your own children can result in long-lasting changes in lifestyle habits.'
'This Keystone pipeline -- it would take years for that to have an impact on prices,' Psaki said, adding that there's also a 'range of reasons' Biden's against it

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'barbaric tactics' on Tuesday and insisted that energy sanctions are still 'on the table' if Moscow continues its brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Hours before President Joe Biden's State of the Union address at the US Capitol, Psaki defended his response to Putin's attack in an interview on Fox News.

She would not say the US was prepared to go as far as calling Putin a war criminal but said the administration was 'looking closely' at reports of devastating Russian attacks killing civilians in Ukraine.

Meanwhile Republican calls mount for the president to take action to increase domestic oil and gas production as a way to counter Russian influence on the global economy.

Late last week Russia's autocratic leader ordered an attack on neighboring Ukraine and disparaged its democratically-elected government as 'Nazis' committing 'genocide.' Since then Kyiv has put up an impressive resistance as the Kremlin's land, air and sea assault inches closer to the nation's capital.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia's Monday attack on the city of Kharkiv a 'war crime' and 'state terrorism of the Russian Federation' in a video message recorded Tuesday. Zelensky said Ukraine's second-largest city had 'dozens of victims' after an attack on its Freedom Square.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended President Joe Biden's measures against Russia's invasion of Ukraine hours before the State of the Union

The civilian attack, which reportedly killed three children, occurred against the backdrop of attempted peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

More recently, Ukrainian officials claim an attack on Kyiv on Tuesday afternoon Eastern time hit a Holocaust memorial.

Asked whether the Biden administration shared the view Putin is a war criminal, Psaki said officials have seen a range of reports 'that are horrifying about the use of barbaric tactics whether cluster bombs or other tactics that we've seen that could be classified as a war crime.'

'I don't have any new classification for you from here but we are certainly engaged closely with our partners around the world, the president is and national security team is and we'll be closely watching and assessing that question,' she said.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan announced the Hague would open an investigation into possible war crimes committed in Ukraine on Monday.

Psaki on Tuesday didn't say whether Biden would get the State Department to open its own war crimes probe.

'Again, this is something we would need confirmation of, we would need to assess. Classification of a war crime is obviously a serious -- a serious decision to be made. It goes through lawyers as you noted,' Psaki explained.

An armed man stands by the remains of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 1. Ukrainian officials have said a Russian strike hit a Kyiv Holocaust memorial

'And we would also be working closely with the international community. So I don't have an update on that at this point in time, but there's no question ... that we're seeing barbaric tactics start to be used. That is horrifying, that is troubling and we will certainly be looking closely at it.'

The international community, including the United States, has buried Russia under a mountain of condemnation since the invasion began. A mass walkout of more than 100 diplomats from 40 nations occurred Tuesday during a United Nations speech by Kremlin Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The West has also responded to Putin with a slew of historic economic sanctions, many never levied on an economy the size of Russia's. They include financial blockades on the country's largest banks, central financial institutions, a removal from the SWIFT global banking system and individual sanctions targeting Kremlin officials including Putin himself.

However the sanctions against Russian institutions and individuals have largely avoided targeting its oil and gas industry specifically.

Russia is the second-largest exporter of oil after Saudi Arabia, and is the largest producer of natural gas in the world. The European Union currently relies on Russia for 40 percent of its natural gas. About 60 percent of Russia's oil exports go to Europe.

'I would say the president shares the concern about the impact on gas prices and energy prices for the American people. That's why a range of options remain on the table,' Psaki said Tuesday.

Hours later the US and its 30 fellow International Energy Agency members agreed to release 60 million barrels from their oil reserves to mitigate sky-high prices around the globe.

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall urged Biden to go a step further, introducing legislation on Tuesday that would ban the US from purchasing Russian oil.

'First and foremost, President Biden needs to restart Americas energy production and quit financing Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine by continuing to purchase crude oil from Russia,' Marshall said in a statement.

'Under the previous Administration, our nation was energy independent but President Biden reversed course and turned hostile nations like Russia into Americas gas station.'

Florida Senator Rick Scott, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called on Biden to 'immediately roll-back its failed Green New Deal policies, take action to boost U.S. energy production and independence, and stop the purchase of, oil and other energy resources from Russia.'

Civilians train to throw Molotov cocktails to defend the city, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Zhytomyr, Ukraine

Republican lawmakers are urging Biden to do more to increase the US's fossil fuel output as a way to counter Russia's economic influence

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas demanded that Biden reopen the stalled Keystone XL pipeline, which the president shut down last year over environmental concerns.

'How about we impose those sanctions, but we lift all those restrictions on the production of American oil and gas, so we can start drilling on federal lands again and putting out new leases,' Cotton said last week.

'So we can re-open the Keystone Pipeline, which would bring more oil into America every day from Canada than we import every day from Russia.'

But the Biden administration has little faith such policies would help, Psaki told Fox on Tuesday.

'This Keystone pipeline -- it would take years for that to have an impact on prices. Obviously there are a range of reasons why the president opposes it but it wasn't functioning, isn't functioning. It would take years,' the press secretary said.

'So yes, we all want to take steps to address any raise in gas prices that impacts the American people, but we should be very clear about what policies will help and what policies will not help. And over time we absolutely need to reduce our dependence and something you are seeing European countries take steps to do as well.'
Vice President Kamala Harris laid out the Ukrainian invasion in simple terms on Tuesday, starting with: 'Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia.'

Appearing on The Morning Hustle, the vice president was asked to 'break it down in layman's terms for people who don't understand what's going on and how can this directly affect the people of the United States.'

Harris broke it down: 'Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine so basically that's wrong.'

'It goes against everything that we stand for there are terms that we use we say we respect the sovereignty the territorial integrity of countries, right? their independence. Russia has gone into Ukraine militarily unprovoked, with no justification other than to exercise its power to take over another country.'

Harris said later Tuesday afternoon that she spoke with European leaders on the invasion.

'This afternoon I spoke with European leaders from NATOs eastern flank to discuss our response to Russias invasion of Ukraine and the strength and unity of our Alliance. I made clear we'll continue to support the people of the Ukraine,' she wrote on Twitter.

Sen. Ted Cruz posted a math equation meme mocking Harris' response on Twitter.

Harris was then asked about the differing viewpoints between herself and Biden on sanctions.

'No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening,' Biden last Thursday.

'The purpose of the sanctions has always been and continues to be deterrence,' Harris said on Sunday.

'Some people did question those sanctions because they said that you had a conflicting opinion against President Joe Biden?' the Morning Hustle host asked.

'We had sanctions before the actual invasion, we threatened sanctions to hopefully deter Russia from going in,' the vice president responded.

She compared the strategy of deterrence to disciplining a bad child.

'So you know if you're a parent and you tell your children to do this the punishment is gonna be that right? And we hope that by doing that it will deter our children from doing the wrong thing, right? So that's deterrence, so that's where we started with the sanctions. And when Russia actually went in we are implementing the sanctions.'

Harris has had a front-and-center seat to the White House's handling of Vladimir Putin's invasion, ten days ago flying to Germany for the Munich Security Conference with world leaders to discuss their response if Putin were to invade.

Harris broke it down: 'Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine so basically that's wrong'

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 1

Smoke billows from the TV tower, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine March 1

In her interview with Morning Hustle, she failed to mention that Putin believed that Ukraine had no right to sovereignty, and that as a former KGB operative he for years has publicly mourned the fall of the Soviet Union.

'Modern Ukraine was entirely and fully created by Russia,' Putin said in a rambling address last Monday.

Ukraine was a part of Russia until 1991, when the Ukrainian people voted to leave the Soviet Union and become independent. Putin in 2014 sent in forces to take over Crimea, which was formerly part of Ukraine.

According to a NewsNation poll, 58% of Americans are not confident in Harris' ability to take over as president if needed.

Some observers were not impressed by a 'word salad' news briefing she gave last week after her trip to Munich.

An armed man stands by the remains of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1

Emergency crews respond after a missile landed near Kyiv's TV Tower in Ukrainian capital, Kyiv on March

'I mean, listen guys, we are talking about the potential for war in Europe,' Harris said at the time. 'I mean, let's really take a moment to understand the significance of what we're talking about.'

She continued: 'So our position is for us very clear, which is as a leader as we have been bringing together with allies, working together on our collective and unified position, that we would all not just prefer, we desire, we believe, it is in the best interest of all that there is a diplomatic end to this moment.'

One Biden official told the Washington Post that Harris was sent to the Munich conference to bolster her foreign policy credentials and she was not coordinating with Sec. of State Antony Blinken on the trip.

'The vice president and Secretary Blinken have talked to each other here, but they're pursuing separate schedules and their teams are not closely coordinated,' said the official. 'You could argue it's a divide-and-conquer strategy, but that's far-fetched. The Harris stop is about burnishing her political credentials as a leader in the middle of a crisis.'
A Channel Seven correspondent reporting from Ukraine has told of the 'terrifying' moment he watched a Russian missile hit a TV tower in Kyiv.

Reporter Chris Reason said he was filming on a nearby deserted highway when the missile struck the city's 400m-high main television tower on Tuesday afternoon.

At least five people were killed in the latest onslaught, which came just hours after Russia told Ukrainian civilians to evacuate because it was about to begin bombarding 'strategic' targets.

'It was one of the most extraordinary and terrifying things I've ever seen,' he told Sunrise on Wednesday morning.

Smoke and flames rise up the side of Kyiv's 400m TV tower after Russia bombed it on Tuesday. The tower remained standing but buildings around it were damaged, with some broadcasts knocked off air

Explosions erupted around the capital's 400m TV tower this afternoon, built near the ravine where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed in two days in 1941

Reason said he was filming on a nearby deserted highway when the missile struck the city's 400m-high television tower

'We were doing some filming nearby on a six-lane deserted highway when we heard it and saw it scream through the air and seconds later hit its target.'

He said the missile appeared to strike the tower - which exploded into flames on impact - about 100m off the ground.

The airstrike was one of two large blasts seen near the foot of the tower, with the other hitting the Babyn Yar holocaust memorial which sits on the site of one of the biggest single Jewish massacres during the Holocaust.

The memorial was built by a ravine where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed by SS troops in two days in 1941 during Adolf Hitler's campaign against the Soviet Union.

It was not immediately clear whether the tower had been the target of the strikes, or whether they had been targeting nearby buildings.

The tower remained standing, but buildings around it were damaged and several state broadcasts went off air.

After the latest attack, Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: 'To the world: what is the point of saying "never again" for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating'

Meanwhile the Ukrainian foreign ministry said: 'Russian troops fired on the TV tower, near the Memorial complex #BabynYar. Russian criminals do not stop at anything in their barbarism. Russia = barbarian.'

Moscow's ministry of defence on Tuesday said it would be launching strikes into the city targeting Ukraine's security service and intelligence agencies with what it called 'precision munitions'.

Russia has been slammed as 'barbaric' for bombing the Babyn Yar holocaust memorial in Kyiv on the site of one of the biggest single massacres of Jews during the Holocaust (file image)

Pictured: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy takes part in a commemoration ceremony for the victims of Babyn Yar (Babiy Yar), one of the biggest single massacres of Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, in Kyiv Ukraine September 29, 2021

That raised fears that Kyiv was about to come under heavy bombardment after the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson were hit by indiscriminate shelling earlier in the day.

A column of Russian artillery units and tanks 40 miles long has been pictured snaking its way towards Kyiv as analysts warned it will likely be tasked with surrounding the city, besieging it and bombing it into submission as Putin resorts to 'medieval' tactics in an attempt to force victory.

But the convoy has reportedly stalled as its forces face logistics challenges, including a shortage of food for some units, and Russians appear to be reevaluating how to move forward on the city, a senior U.S. defence official said on Tuesday.
Russian ships have been banned from UK ports, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has announced.

A statement said: 'The ban includes any vessels owned or operated by anyone connected to Russia and authorities will also gain new powers to detain Russian vessels.'

Additional economic measures introduced by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss ban UK individuals and organisations from providing financial services to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, as well as the Ministry of Finance and National Wealth Fund.

Ms Truss said: 'We said Putin and those around him would pay the price for their unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and we are being true to our word.

'The ban on Russian ships from UK ports, and new economic sanctions against key Russian financial institutions including its central bank, in close co-ordination with our allies, will degrade Russia's economy and help make sure Putin loses.

'We stand with Ukraine, its people and its democracy, and will continue to support them diplomatically, economically, politically and defensively.'

The ban on Russian ships came as it was announced a further 80 million in aid is being given to Ukraine from the UK.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: 'We said Putin and those around him would pay the price for their unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and we are being true to our word.'

The latest financial commitment brings the total UK humanitarian aid package for the country to 120 million.

The money is being provided in an effort to save lives, protect vulnerable people in Ukraine and the wider region, and to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said.

Some 40 million was announced last weekend to help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, giving access to basic necessities and medical supplies.

A 100 million economic package of Official Development Assistance funding for Ukraine was announced earlier this month to bolster the economy and reduce its reliance on Russian gas imports.

Both the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Liz Truss said there was a duty to help.

Mr Johnson said: 'With every hour, the passionate desire of the people of Ukraine to defend their country has become more apparent and millions of people around the world have been stirred and moved by their courage.

'The reality is that whatever happens in the coming days or weeks, the Ukrainian people have shown already that their spirit will not be broken, and they will not be subdued.

'We as the international community have a responsibility to do everything we can to help the Ukrainians.'

Ms Truss said: 'We have a moral duty to support Ukrainians affected by Putin's unprovoked aggression. Britain is at the forefront of efforts to supply life-saving humanitarian aid, as well as political, economic and defensive support.

'Our message to the Ukrainian people is simple: we will help you and stand with you in the fight for the freedom and sovereignty of Ukraine.'

Mr Johnson, who on Tuesday was visiting Nato members Poland and Estonia to shore up support for the defence alliance, has ruled out British forces fighting in Ukraine.

Grant Shapps today told UK ports to turn away Russian-linked ships saying they are 'not welcome'

The ban is the latest punishment to hit Vladimir Putin (pictured) after the invasion of Ukraine

Grant Shapps yesterday told UK ports to turn away Russian-linked ships saying they are 'not welcome'.

The Transport Secretary acted after protests that a Moscow-owned tanker was due to dock in Orkney tomorrow.

The NS Champion belongs to shipping company Sovcomflot, a firm that is majority owned by the Russian state, and Orkney Islands Council had said it is powerless to prevent it docking.

Mr Shapps said tonight he has written to all UK ports saying they should deny access to Russian flagged, registered or operated vessels.

He tweeted: 'Today I've written to all UK ports asking them not to provide access to any Russian flagged, registered, owned, controlled, chartered or operated vessels.

'Given Putin's action in #Ukraine I've made clear these vessels are NOT welcome here with prohibiting legislation to follow.'

In his letter to all UK ports, Mr Shapps said the maritime sector 'must play our part' in sanctioning Russia over Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

He wrote: 'Russia's assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign democratic state. The UK Government has been clear there would be massive consequences and a severe cost for any Russian military incursion into Ukraine, and, in co-ordination with our international allies and partners, we are developing an unprecedented package of further sanctions.

'The maritime sector is fundamental to international trade and we must play our part in restricting Russia's economic interests and holding the Russian government to account.

'In these circumstances the Department for Transport does not consider it appropriate for Russian vessels to continue to enter UK ports. From this point onwards, UK ports are asked not to provide access to any ship which they have reason to believe is: Owned, controlled, chartered, or operated by any person connected with Russia owned, controlled, chartered or operated by designated persons flying the Russian flag registered in Russia.

'We will seek to support UK ports in identifying Russian ships within scope of the above and will communicate directly with relevant ports when we identify ships bound for UK ports who fall within scope of the above.

'Further detailed sanctions against Russian shipping are being developed and further details will be shared very shortly.'

Earlier, Nicola Sturgeon waded into the row saying allowing the tanker to dock would send the wrong message to the people of Ukraine.

Earlier, Nicola Sturgeon waded into the row saying allowing the tanker to dock would send the wrong message to the people of Ukraine

'Let me be blunt, I don't want that tanker to dock in Orkney tomorrow, ' Ms Sturgeon told the media during a visit to Aberdeen.

She continued: 'This is an issue that is reserved to the UK Government, this tanker is majority owned by a Russian government-controlled company.

'It would go against, if not the letter, then certainly the spirit of the sanctions and I think it would send the wrong message to people in Ukraine and across the world right now.

'It is a matter for the UK Government. I personally had discussions last night with Grant Shapps, the UK Secretary of State for Transport.

'To be fair to him, he agreed with me about how unacceptable it would be for that tanker to dock as planned, and we're continuing discussions with him and his officials over the course of today.

'Hopefully we can find a way of stopping that happening.'
A juror who helped sentence Scott Peterson to death admitted in court to sending him 17 letters - including one sent from the psychiatric unit - as a court works to decide whether her behavior should see the killer husband retried.

Richelle Nice's participation in Peterson's conviction is at the center of a retrial bid sought by his legal team, who've also contended that she omitted crucial details about her past as a domestic abuse survivor during the jury selection process.

Nice revealed Monday in court that she penned more than a dozen letters to Peterson after she helped convict him, while he was on death row for the murder of his wife Laci and their unborn son, Conner, on December 24, 2002.

'What happened that night Scott?' she wrote in an August 2005 letter. 'What pushed you to the limit, where you felt like you had to kill someone who not only loved you so much, but was carrying a part of you inside of her?'

Nice, who is testifying with impunity, began writing to Peterson after he was exiled to death row. In one missive, written on December 17, 2005 from a mental hospital, she divulged that she suffered a psychiatric breakdown and had been locked in a 'crazy unit.'

'I never knew how much this trial had an impact on me, plus I never had a great life,' she wrote. 'All the pressure just hit me. I think it has been the time of year. Our verdict, Laci and Conner.'

Richelle Nice is pictured outside a California court on February 25. Her behavior during Scott Peterson's trial for murdering his wife could see Peterson granted a retrial

Nice, who received eight replies from Peterson, refuted suggestions during questioning that her infatuation with the case might have signaled bias.

Prosecutor David Harris asked: 'Miss Nice, did you have a bias against Mr. Peterson?'

'Nope,' she replied.

Harris said in a follow-up question: 'Did you decide the case based on just the facts, not preconceived notion?'

'Absolutely,' she said.

Scott Peterson, pictured at the San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City, California on March 1, 2022, is seeking a retrial

He was initially sentenced to death for killing his wife Laci and their unborn son Conner on December 24, 2002

Peterson's lawyers have claimed that Nice, dubbed 'Strawberry Shortcake' because of her dyed red hair, lied ahead of trial in 2014 when responding to a jury selection question about whether she or her associates had ever witnessed or been victimized by a crime.

Peterson was sentenced to death in 2005 for the murders, but was last December re-sentenced to life without parole

Although she was once granted a restraining order against a boyfriend convicted of assaulting her - and claimed to be terrorized while pregnant by her boyfriend's ex girlfriend - she failed to disclose her history in the jury questionnaire.

While grilled on the stand Friday by Peterson's lawyer Pat Harris, Nice claimed that although her boyfriend was convicted of assaulting her, he never actually did.

She said her then-boyfriend Eddie Whiteside called the cops on her in November 2001 after she assaulted him in their bedroom during a fight. When police arrived, she said they noticed a cut on her lip that was caused by her braces and they arrested him for assault.

'Eddie never hit me,' she told court on Friday. 'Now, or any time. Eddie never hit me, so I was not a victim of domestic violence.'

However, Nice did admit during testimony that she failed to disclose being victimized by her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, who slashed his tires, broke into their home and threatened her.

In one letter Nice wrote to Peterson in December 2015 from a psychiatric hospital, she divulged that she suffered a mental breakdown and had been locked in a 'crazy unit. She's pictured on March 16, 2005 in Redwood City, California

Nice, dubbed 'Strawberry Shortcake' because of her bright red hair, told court last Friday that she has never been the victim of a domestic assault despite obtaining a restraining order against a boyfriend convicted of assaulting her. She's pictured outside court on December 13, 2004

Peterson was sentenced to death in 2005 for the 2002 murder of his wife, Laci, and unborn son, Connor. He was last December re-sentenced to life without parole.

Laci vanished from their home in Modesto, California while pregnant on Christmas Eve 2002. Investigators learned that he was secretly dating Amber Frey, who believed him to be a widower during their courtship.

The 27-year-old's corpse was found floating in San Francisco Bay in April 2003, with Connor's fetus found to have been mutilated.

Investigators said Peterson took the bodies from their home and dumped them from his fishing boat.

If he were alive today, Conner would be a 20-year-old man.

While Nice's testimony has now concluded, fellow juror Justin Falconer could testify that Nice talked a lot about Conner, referring to him as 'little man.'

Peterson's attorneys said he would also testify that Nice said she was having financial problems and that they joked about a post-trial book and movie deals.

Peterson's pregnant wife Laci (pictured) vanished on Christmas Eve 2002 and was discovered months later floating in the San Francisco Bay

If Peterson gets a new trial, his lawyers said they can present new evidence that burglars were nearby on the day Laci Peterson disappeared

They said they could also prove that witnesses saw her alive that day, and that her fetus was 'alive for at least another five to six days' based on an examination of the fetal remains

Peterson told his mistress Amber Frey (pictured together) that he was a widower during their courtship. She testified against him during trial

To have his conviction thrown out, Peterson's attorneys must prove to the judge that Nice committed misconduct and did so 'based on a bias toward convicting Scott.'

She said in a sworn declaration last year that she didn't 'feel `victimized the way the law might define that term,' and didnt think the restraining order was a lawsuit.

If Peterson gets a new trial, Harris said they can present new evidence that burglars were nearby on the day Laci Peterson disappeared, that witnesses saw her alive that day, and that her fetus was 'alive for at least another five to six days' based on an examination of the fetal remains.

However, prosecutors said Petersons attorneys have presented no evidence to support their assertions that he deserves a new trial because Nice had a 'darker motive' to be on the jury 'and was in essence a stealth juror.'

Two filmmakers who worked on the post-trial television documentary 'The Murder of Laci Peterson' are to testify that they noticed on Nices wall a photograph of a child wearing pajamas that said 'Little-man.'
A five-year-old boy has been rushed to hospital after he spent a full day smoking a vape at a primary school.

The boy was taken to Geelong Hospital south-west of Melbourne vomiting and coughing on Friday after ingesting the dangerous chemicals from a nicotine vape three weeks ago.

The boy's father said his son had been struggling to breathe since smoking the vape, and gasped and 'vomited three times' before being rushed to the emergency room.

He's now undergoing urgent testing to determine whether he has suffered any long term damage.

A five-year-old boy has been rushed to hospital after he spent a full day smoking a vape (file image)

The boy was taken to hospital vomiting and coughing on Friday after ingesting the dangerous chemicals from a nicotine vape (file image)

The boy is undergoing urgent testing to determine whether he has any long term damage (file image)

The vape belonged to the boy's seven-year-old friend who brought it to their Geelong primary school.

By the end of the day, the vape was completely empty, according to the Herald Sun.

New federal rules came into place last October which banned the sale of nicotine vapes without a prescription.

Fruit-flavoured vapes though are readily accessible and fears are growing children as young as 10 are buying them from their peers in the schoolyard.

Those products can be bought for as little as $20 at most convenience stores and tobacconists, compared to a packet of cigarettes for $50.

The seemingly innocent alternatives often still contain nicotine, which is particularly harmful for young people, Barwon Health emergency department director Dr Belinda Hibble warned.

The father said the friend had encouraged his son to suck on the vape because it tasted like grapes.

'The vape was empty by the time we picked them up from school,' he said. 'The innocence about it is so dangerous.'

Sydney schoolgirl Dakota Stephenson, 15, spent three days on partial ventilation struggling to breathe after taking up vaping

In October, a mother issued a heartbreaking warning after her daughter, 15, took up vaping - only to then be rushed to the ICU with a rare lung illness.

Sydney teenager Dakota Stephenson went to hospital with a high temperature and back pain in September 2020, seven months after she first started vaping with friends at school.

Dakota was diagnosed with hypoxia within hours - meaning her lungs weren't getting enough air - and spent three days on partial ventilation struggling to breathe.

Dakota pictured left. Doctors at Randwick Children's Hospital believe she was suffering from a recently discovered lung condition called EVALI

Her doctors at Randwick Children's Hospital believe she was suffering from a lung condition called EVALI that was first reported in the US in 2019.

EVALI - which stands for e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury - is thought to be caused by vapes containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance also found in marijuana, and the additive vitamin E acetate.

Dakota's mother Natasha Stephenson only found out her daughter had started vaping when she was admitted to hospital.
Scott Morrison coughed into his elbow during a press conference hours before he tested positive to Covid.

The Prime Minister - who is triple jabbed - was filmed spluttering when Defence Minister Peter Dutton was addressing the media shortly after 12.30pm on Tuesday.

Mr Morrison had returned a negative rapid test before the presser where he announced Australia would send missiles to help Ukraine fight off Russia's invasion.

The Prime Minister (pictured) was filmed spluttering when Defence Minister Peter Dutton was addressing the media shortly after 12.30pm

After being seen coughing at a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP has tested positive for COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/S4MHrTV5Zy  Sunrise (@sunriseon7) March 1, 2022

Later that afternoon another rapid test was inconclusive so he took a more sensitive PCR test which came back positive.

Mr Morrison was meant to be attending an event in Sydney to light up the Opera House with Ukraine's colours at 8pm.

At 7.36pm - just 24 minutes before - Mr Morrison's spin doctors told reporters he was pulling out but did not say why.

At 11.24pm the PM explained in a statement on his Facebook page that he had Covid and would be isolating with his daughters and wife Jenny, who have tested negative.

It is not clear where Mr Morrison caught the illness. The Omicron variant, which is dominant in Australia, normally incubates for about three days before symptoms show up.

On Sunday the PM had attended a service at St Andrew's Ukrainian Church in Lidcombe where he met and shook hands with several Ukrainians including 99-year-old Klara Djachenko.

On Sunday Mr Morrison had attended a service at St Andrew's Ukrainian Church in Lidcombe where he met with several Ukrainians including 99-year-old Klara Djachenko (left) whose hand he shook

The statement said Mr Morrison had tested positive to Covid-19 and is 'experiencing flu-like symptoms'.

It went on to say he 'will be recovering over the next week'.

Mr Morrison said he had tested himself daily since Sunday, including on Tuesday morning, 'with all tests returning a negative result'.

'I took a further test this evening after developing a fever late today. The test was inconclusive so I took a PCR test tonight which returned a positive result late this evening,' he said.

Scott Morrison (right) with his wife Jenny (second left) and their daughters. Mr Morrison has tested positive for Covid-19

Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce also contracted Covid-19, while on a visit to Washington DC, late last year.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton tested positive to Covid early in the pandemic.

Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer, who is running for the Senate in Queensland on the United Australia Party ticket, tested positive to Covid and pneumonia last week.

Mr Palmer is unvaccinated and an outspoken opponent of Covid-19 vaccinations.

Scott Morrison's statement on Twitter that he has tested positive for Covid-19

The Prime Minister said he will continue to carry out his responsibilities while in isolation, 'including virtually chairing meetings of the National Security and Expenditure Review Committees of Cabinet'.

He said he would also be focusing on the 'emergency response to the devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales and ensuring we stand with each and every one of the affected communities both now and as the waters eventually recede'.

Mr Morrison also referred to 'our urgent response to the tragedy unfolding in the Ukraine and Russia's senseless aggression'.

He said he would be staying in regular contact with Australia's 'security and intelligence officials and our international partners, as well as working with the Treasurer to finalise the Budget'.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is briefed on the flooding disaster in Queensland and NSW in the National Situation Room at Emergency management Australia in Canberra

Mr Morrison had been expected to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky on Tuesday night, but it is not known if this phone call went ahead, given Mr Morrison's sudden illness.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Prime Minister's office with a number of questions about the situation.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Morrison called Russia 'a pariah state' as he announced a $105million aid package for Ukraine.

Australia will send $70million worth of defensive supplies to Ukraine, the vast majority of which is lethal aid including missiles and bullets to help fend off Russia's invasion.

A further $35million will be sent to provide shelter, food and water for hundreds of thousands of women and children who have become refugees after fleeing the warzone.

Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny light a candle in support of Ukraine during a vigil at St Andrews Ukrainian Church in Sydney on February 27, 2022

'This will be our opening contribution. We expect over time there will be further requests and we will be addressing those as time goes on,' he said.

'We're talking missiles, ammunition, we are talking about supporting them in their defence of their homeland. The overwhelming majority of that will be in the lethal category.'

Is was also announced on Tuesday that Australia will take in thousands of Ukrainian refugees who have escaped their homeland after Russia invaded.

Mr Morrison said he is working on a temporary protection scheme similar to the one deployed during the Kosovo War.

In April 1999, Australia created 'safe haven' visas for about 4,000 Kosovars. Nearly all of them stayed for less than a year and returned home when the war ended.

'We should not make the mistake thinking that every person who is seeking to leave Ukraine does not want to return to their home country,' Mr Morrison said.

Scott Morrison speaks following a service by Reverend Simon Ckuj at St Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church, Lidcombe on February 27, 2022

'I have no doubt hundreds of thousands, if not more, will want to return to their home country.

'That's where their family is, that's where their lives are and we want to ensure that those things are not taken from them.'

Mr Morrison said more than 500,000 Ukrainians have fled their country and 160,000 more are on the move.

Alongside the temporary protection programme, Australia will also offer permanent humanitarian visas to some Ukrainians.

But Mr Morrison said the number of places available will be worked out later because the demand 'is not very clear' at the moment.

'We will address that in partnership with other agencies when we get to that point. And if that requires supplementing our existing program, just like with the Afghanistan program we're currently working on, then we will,' he said.
Cherry blossom trees in full bloom in Jinhae, Changwon, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in this March 29, 2020 photo. The city decided to call off the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, the biggest of its kind in the country, for the second consecutive year amid the pandemic. Yonhap



By Bahk Eun-ji



Provincial areas are still suffering as dozens of cultural events in spring, such as flower festivals, have been canceled across the country for the third consecutive year amid the fast spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.



The governing bodies of affected regions have been hit particularly hard as tourist spending at these events had been their main source for generating public funds.



Yangpyeong County Office, Gyeonggi Province, decided not to hold its Sansuyu and Korean Beef Festival, which was scheduled to be held in early March.



The county office explained that the cancellation was made to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of visitors.



Icheon City Hall in Gyeonggi Province also announced the cancellation of the Sansuyu Flower Festival that had been held every year from the end of March to the beginning of April for the past 20 years.



It has not been decided whether the Azalea Festival held every April in the Goryeosan area of Ganghwa, Incheon, will be held as scheduled this year. Ganghwa County canceled the festival last year due to the spread of COVID-19.





Visitors look at apricot flowers in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province in this March 10, 2021 photo. The festival was canceled for the second consecutive year amid the pandemic. Yonhap



"It is expected that the local economy will suffer due to the cancellation of local festivals again," an official of Gyeonggi Provincial Office.



According to Local Finance Integrated Open System, 523 cultural events and festivals were held by local governments in Korea in 2019 just before COVID-19 broke out.



In particular in 2020, when COVID-19 began to spread throughout the country, the number decreased to 189.



The total amount of direct and indirect investments to promote events and festivals also plummeted to 154.2 billion won ($127 million) from about 500 billion won during the same period.



Official data for last year have not yet been released, but the number is projected to have decreased significantly compared to 2020, considering the ongoing virus situation here.



Local governments are struggling to come up with countermeasures, but it seems difficult to replace the economic effects.



In particular, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Gangwon Province, the biggest ice fishing festival in Korea started in 2003, has been hit hard by its cancellation for a second year.



The ice fishing festival, which is held every January, was so huge that 1.8 million people visited in 2019, just before COVID-19 outbreak, and was so popular that more than 100,000 foreigners visited every year.



More than 200,000 visitors a day used to visit Hwacheon County to experience the event, and the financial effect to the county is estimated to be around 130 billion won. As such, the economic impact on the county has been significant.





This photo shows a number of food products made of Sancheoneo in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, as the county office decided to cancel the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. Yonhap
Former President Donald Trump 'barely knew where Ukraine was,' said his former National Security Advisor John Bolton, as he snapped back at a Newsmax anchor for saying the Trump administration was 'very tough' on Russia.

'In almost every case the sanctions were imposed with Trump complaining about it, saying we were being too hard,' Bolton said in a Monday night interview with Newsmax's Rob Schmitt. 'He once asked John Kelly, the second chief of staff, if Finland were a part of Russia.'

Bolton continued by telling the anchor 'it's not accurate to say that Trump's behavior somehow deterred the Russians.'

Former President Donald Trump 'barely knew where Ukraine was,' said his former National Security Advisor John Bolton (right), as he snapped back at Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt (left) for saying the Trump administration was 'very tough' on Russia

Former President Donald Trump appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday night in Orlando and insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't act up on his watch because he was a 'strong president'

Bolton instead suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't feel his military was ready to mount a widespread invasion of Ukraine.

Schmitt was parroting points Trump made himself Saturday night at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

'I stand as the only president of 21st century on whose watch Russia did not invade,' Trump boasted from the Orlando stage. 'Under Bush, Russia invaded Georgia. Under Obama, Russia took Crimea. Under Biden, Russia invaded Ukraine.'

'The world is always safer when America has a strong president. The world is always in danger with a weak American president,' Trump also argued.

Schmitt argued that the is 'something to be said, though, about the simple fact that there was not aggression during the four years.'

'I mean, you were part of that administration as well and there was not aggression from Russia, and they waited him out, it seems, and made a move,' the anchor offered to Bolton, who since leaving the Trump White House has become a critic of the now ex-president.

Schmitt pointed to Trump's criticism of NATO members in Europe who utilized Russian energy sources.

'I mean, he took a very tough stance against Russia,' Schmitt said. 'I'm surprised you don't think that he would have handled this better than Joe Biden.'

Bolton slapped down Schmitt's assessment that Trump took a tough stance.

'No he didn't,' Bolton said. 'He did not.'

Bolton also told Schmitt that it was inaccurate to say the Trump administration sanctioned Nord Stream 2, the Russian-German pipeline project that was officially canceled last week by the German government in the run-up to Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

'We didn't sanction Nord Stream 2,' Bolton said. 'We should have.'

Schmitt asked Bolton if he believed Trump was 'soft on Russia' trying to push back on the idea that the ex-president was 'Putin's puppy.'

'I don't think he understood what he was doing,' Bolton replied. 'That's my fundamental point. This is not really a policy argument.'

'This is about Trump's lack of any significant historical knowledge, his lack of strategic thinking, and frankly his lack of thinking about pretty much anything other than what benefitted Donald Trump,' the former Trump White House official continued.

'Why was he concerned about Ukraine in the summer of 2019? Because he wanted that DNC server. Why was he concerned about corruption in Ukraine? Because he was looking for an excuse to cover the reason he was refusing to send $250 million of security assistance to the Ukraine,' Bolton added.

Bolton was referring to moves Trump made in 2019 that led to his first impeachment.

House Democrats charged Trump with holding up Congressionally-approved military aid to Ukraine as part of a pressure campaign against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce investigations into Joe and Hunter Biden.

He was acquitted in the Senate, with only one Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney, siding with Democrats, agreeing with one of the articles of impeachment that Trump abused his power.

Schmitt argued that the money to arm Ukraine was sent to the country.

'It was mandated by Congress,' Bolton pointed out. 'He made up the reasons that he did it. He wanted to apply pressure for his own political purposes,' Bolton said of Trump's effort to stop the money from going to Ukraine.

Schmitt said it was unfair to say that there weren't 'intelligent' moves made against Putin during Trump's tenure.

Bolton said he didn't say that.

'My point was that Trump was not fit to be president, he was not competent to be president,' Bolton argued instead.

Schmitt then pointed out that Bolton worked for Trump.

'I did, I did,' the former White House official acknowledged, adding, 'to help protect American national security.'

Trump praised Putin throughout his time in the White House and sided with the Russian leader over American intelligence agencies during the July 2018 Helsinki Summit on Russian election meddling during the 2016 campaign.

In the run-up to the invasion, Trump called Putin 'genius' and 'smart' for the moves he made against Ukraine.

At CPAC Trump leaned into those comments telling the friendly crowd, 'The problem is not that Putin is smart, of course he's smart, but the real problem is that our leaders are dumb.'
The Mail's fund for refugees surged past 2million yesterday  thanks in no small part to a 250,000 donation from a British firm with business partners trapped in Ukraine.

Peak Scientific pledged the astonishing sum as Dame Judi Dench and Sir Michael Palin became the latest big names to back our appeal.

The firm's chief executive Jonathan Golby said: 'This is a huge crisis and the people of Ukraine are in a desperate situation.'

His Glasgow-based company, which makes gas generators for laboratories, has 650 staff in 24 offices around the world.

'We have close business partners in Ukraine, and our hearts go out to them and all the Ukrainian people under siege,' Mr Golby added.

'We do stay in touch with our friends there and of course their businesses have all shut down as everyone just waits with bated breath to see how the next week plays out.

'Whatever we have going on in our day-to-day business here is irrelevant when you think of the families being separated, newborn babies in underground bunkers rather than being in specialist hospital units, and untold suffering.

'We are a family-owned business, and we just hope this 250,000 will help in some way.'

Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi, who has also offered a generous donation, urged others to back the Mail Newspapers crusade to help families caught in the horror.

A woman carries her child as she arrives at the Medyka border crossing after fleeing from the Ukraine on Monday

Oscar-winning Dame Judy Dench, pictured at the Chelsea Flower Show, has backed the campaign

The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are now launching an appeal to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families  mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly  fleeing from Russia's invading armed forces. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of a tyrant will require accommodation, schools and medical support. All donations to the Mail Ukraine Appeal will be distributed to charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Associated Newspapers Account number: 20769512 Sort code: 50-00-00 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Newspapers  Ukraine Appeal' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement

She said yesterday: 'If, like me, you are appalled by the desperate plight of the people of Ukraine, I urge you to get behind this worthwhile appeal and donate as much or as little as you can.'

Immediate help is needed as hundreds of thousands of innocents flee the Kremlin's brutal onslaught.

Aid agencies are mobilising to provide shelter, clothes and food to refugees flooding over the borders in freezing conditions with their children and just a handful of belongings.

This essential work costs money, and there is no time to waste  which is why the Mail launched its appeal within three days of Vladimir Putin's assault on his neighbouring nation.

Monty Python star Palin said: 'This war is outrageous. Please support the Daily Mail's campaign and help the people of Ukraine any way you can.'

Children's TV presenter Konnie Huq also urged people to help, saying: 'This humanitarian crisis will devastate millions.

'Four million people could be displaced, not to mention the death toll that comes with such conflict. Please help and support this Daily Mail campaign.'

Harrowing images from Ukraine have spurred record-breaking generosity, leading our appeal to become the fastest newspaper fundraiser in world history.

Since Sunday morning, readers of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline have sent in more than 1.25million.

At the request of Lord and Lady Rothermere, the Mail's parent company DMGT has donated 500,000.

All this money will go to charities helping those most in need. In the town of Przemysl in Poland, near the main border crossing from Ukraine, exhausted refugees expressed their gratitude to the Mail's readers.

Viktoriya Luchka, a 29-year-old mother-of-one who fled the city of Lviv on Monday, said: 'I am touched and proud that so many of your readers have mobilised so quickly to help Ukraine.

'When it's a public effort, I feel moved with the support people are providing us with. Both the British and Ukrainians stand for common values, for freedom, for human dignity.'

She said her husband, brother and father have all stayed behind in her homeland, where men of fighting age have been ordered to take up arms.

One of Poland's top humanitarian organisations also hailed the Mail's readers yesterday.

Sir Michael Palin (pictured at the National Television Awards 2020 at The O2 Arena) has given his backing to the campaign. He described the war as 'outrageous'

People fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine arrive at a border crossing in Vysne Nemecke, Slovakia, on Tuesday

A woman pictured with a young child as they arrive at a temporary camp in Przemysl, Poland, on Tuesday

Rafal Sakowski, chief rescue coordinator for the Polish Red Cross, said: 'We need to help the Ukrainian people in Poland with food and trying to find a place for them to stay.

The money from the Mail will be very useful to help those fleeing Ukraine, so thank you very much. The British people are very generous.'

Of course, the cash is not just coming from individuals  and yesterday's pledge from Peak Scientific paves the way for other businesses to step forward.

The offer of 250,000 follows the same company's generous donation to the Mail's lockdown campaign to fund laptops for schoolchildren.

One of the firm's gas generators even played a small but important role in the discovery of a Covid jab.

Its machines can produce nitrogen gas  literally out of the air  saving the need for compressed gas bottles.

The nitrogen is then used in mass spectrometers, the devices used to calculate the exact molecular weight of a sample.

One of Peak Scientific's gadgets was duly used by Pfizer's partner BioNTech during the creation of its coronavirus vaccine.
A quad bike has been pictured hanging from the power lines of a regional Queensland town - a terrifying insight into how high the floodwaters peaked.

Shocking images from Gympie, north of the Sunshine Coast, show the all-terrain vehicle hanging from electric wires by its handle bars on Wednesday morning in the aftermath of the severe storms.

The quad bike can be seen perched high above the gate to a home, covered in weeds and debris. A cherry picker was called in by the SES to help remove the vehicle.

The Mary River in nearby Maryborough saw a record peak of 11metres, with water only just starting to recede.

A quad bike has been pictured hanging from the power lines of a regional Queensland town on Wednesday morning

Shocking images from Gympie, north of the Sunshine Coast, show the all-terrain vehicle hanging from electricity wires by its handle bars - with a cherry picker attending to remove it

The Mary River in nearby Maryborough saw a record peak of 11metres which flooded Gympie - with water only just starting to recede

A massive deluge of rain is expected to dump on Sydney and surrounding regions about lunchtime with the Bureau of Meteorology saying the much-anticipated 'rain bomb' has been delayed.

An east coast low is crawling down the coast of New South Wales with evacuations ordered in Ballina, on the far north coast of NSW, with warnings issued for 11 river systems across the state, including Sydney.

But despite previous forecasts of heavy rain, many Sydneysiders woke up to light showers on Wednesday morning.

Meteorologist Jackson Browne said: 'We are still expecting (the storm) to come onto the coast some time today, most likely during the middle of the day.'

Mr Browne said rainfall was expected in such volumes - 120mm over a six hour period - that flash flooding was a possibility between from Sydney down to Bega, on the state's south coast.

Warragamba Dam has already started to spill, which could continue for up to two weeks, WaterNSW has warned.

Large swathes of the NSW coast are bracing for a drenching on Wednesday (pictured Sydneysiders battling the rain on Tuesday)

The much-anticipated but delayed 'rain bomb' is expected to hit Sydney lunchtime Wednesday

'There is a severe weather warning which is current, so that's for rainfall of 80-120mm in a six-hour period so flash flooding is definitely on the cards, through Sydney down to about Bega,' Mr Browne said.

'We have flood warnings from the Hunter right down towards the Victorian border,' he said.

The warning comes after the body of a second elderly woman was found in Lismore overnight.

Police confirmed on Wednesday the body of a woman aged in her 80s was found inside her South Lismore home, hours after another woman's body was found in her home.

The flood crisis in northern NSW continues with thousands of Ballina residents forced to evacuate, including hospital patients.

The entire town is on evacuation alert after the Richmond River burst its banks.

Dangerous weather conditions are expected all the way from south of Newcastle in the Hunter to north of Eden on the South Coast and reach inland as far as the Blue Mountains.

Sydneysiders in low lying areas are on high alert after the Bureau of Meteorology issued flood warnings for the city's west, north-west and south-west on Wednesday morning.

Flood warnings include the Upper Nepean at Menangle, the Hawkesbury River at Richmond at Windsor and the Colo River at Upper Colo.

An initial minor flood warning was also issued for the Georges River at Liverpool and Milperra.

Swathes of northern NSW remain flooded, including the town of Ballina (pictured)

Those in Sydney's north-west have been warned of potential flooding from the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, with many sandbagging their homes in preparation

Warragamba Dam was at 99 per cent capacity and began spilling 3am Wednesday.

The predicted spill rate is 'well below' experienced 12 months ago.

'The spill rate will ultimately be determined by the intensity of the rainfall and the inflow generated,' WaterNSW said.

'Nonetheless downstream river level increases are likely and will also be influenced by the volume of inflows from tributaries downstream of the dam.'

The State Emergency Service (SES) has also warned residents in inner-city Marrickville of potential flash flooding for a second time within a week.

Several roads have been closed due to overnight rain, including Wakehurst Parkway between Narrabeen and Oxford Falls on the northern beaches and Cambridge Avenue at Glenfield in the city's south-west.

There are dangerous surf conditions along the the coast with surfers, swimmers, boaters and rock fishermen urged to stay away.

'River level rises are occurring along the Nepean River at Menangle Bridge where minor flooding is likely Wednesday morning with further rises to the moderate flood level possible Wednesday afternoon,' the bureau.

The Nepean River could reach its minor flood level of 5.2m on Wednesday morning and reach its moderate flood level of 9.2m within hours.

Hawkesbury River could also experience moderate flooding at North Richmond within hours.

Hawkesbury residents are bracing for similar flood devastation experienced 12 months ago.

'We are telling people to put in place their flood plan,' mayor Patrick Conolly told ABC News Breakfast.

'For a lot of people it means livestock needs to be moved, cleaning out your gutters and sandbagging your houses. A lot of people are doing those things. A lot of that is happening around the place.

'No-one has been told to evacuate yet but people in low-lying areas know it wouldn't be unwise to evacuate, if you've got somewhere to go'

Thunderstorms with damaging winds and heavy to torrential rain may also lead to flash flooding along the length of the coast from the Hunter down to Bega on the south coast, combined with severe warnings of abnormally high tides and damaging surf.

Sydneysiders have been urged to stay home and not commute to work.

Patients had to be evacuated from Ballina Hospital late on Tuesday night

'Our number one priority is safety. Motorists should exercise extreme caution and never drive through floodwaters,' Transport for NSW boss Howard Collins said.

'We ask our customers to postpone their journey if possible or to allow plenty of additional travel time. We want to ensure everyone arrives at their destination safely.'

There have been no issues so far with Sydney Trains during the morning commute.

'The system is holding up reasonably well, so people should feel confident to make the journey if they have to,' transport minister David Elliott told 2GB's Ben Fordham.

Premier Dominic Perrottet urged Sydneysiders making their way into the city to show to 'show caution.'

'Obviously we want people to come back to the Sydney CBD but based on the advice from the Bureau (of Meteorology) it's going to be a difficult week in our city as we see those heavy rains come from the north,' he said.

'Ultimately right now we say to people right across our city and our state, look after yourself, follow the advice and stay safe.'

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts as much as 120mm of rain, which could lead to flash flooding, may fall across these areas over a six hour period early on Wednesday morning.

A total of 200mm of rainfall is possible in Sydney on Wednesday alone, followed by a further 20 to 45mm on Thursday.

Damaging winds of up to 90km/h are also forecast for the NSW coast from Wednesday while damaging surf conditions and abnormally high tides are also on the horizon for areas south of Forster.

The Warragamba Dam is likely to spill over on Wednesday, having reached 99 per cent capacity on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday night 350,000 NSW residents had been given evacuation orders or warnings, with 1,000 having been rescued.

The deluge hammering down on thousands of residents around New South Wales is only expected to get worse for Sydneysiders over the coming days (pictured floods in Cabarita, northern NSW)

Northern NSW has been battered by heavy rainfall, with Sydney, the Hunter and South Coast now expected to cop the brunt (pictured, volunteers handing out supplies in Fingal on Tuesday)

The Ballina Hospital was forced to evacuate its staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters rapidly rose higher.

Fifty-five patients from the hospital were moved to the Xavier Catholic College where a makeshift emergency department is being set up for any others needing urgent care.

All patients have been transported with the help of NSW Ambulance and SES crews.

'The evacuation is taking place on the advice of the local Police Commander and out of an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of patients and staff,' Northern NSW Local Health District said.

An almost completely submerged lamp post is seen in Grafton in NSW on Tuesday (pictured)

Ballina Hospital was forced to evacuate its staff and patients to a nearby high school as flood waters rapidly rose higher

Those in low-lying areas in Ballina and Lennox Head were earlier on Tuesday evening told to leave amid worsening weather conditions.

FLOOD WARNINGS Wilsons River - Major flood warning Clarence River - Major flood warning Tweed River - Minor to major flood warning Orara River - Minor to major flood warning Richmond River - Minor to major flood warning Nepean and Hawkesbury River - Minor to moderate flood warning Manning River - Minor flood warning Bellinger and Kalang Rivers - Minor flood warning Macleay River - Minor flood warning Hastings River - Minor flood warning Nambucca River - Minor flood warning Source: Bureau of Meteorology Advertisement

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet described the downpour as a 'one in 1,000-year' event.

'The worst could be yet to come... the flood rivers remain a real risk to people's lives and we will be doing everything we can to get every person, every family, every business back on their feet as quickly as possible,' Mr Perrottet said.

'I also want to say as well, we know that at the moment this is focused on the north. But very quickly, as we're seeing in metropolitan Sydney now, it will move to the south.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned millions across the length of NSW's east coast that they needed to prepare.

'This rather significant weather system, we will continue to see moving down the east coast of Australia. We will see it come into the Central Coast and Sydney,' he said.

'We are already experiencing elements of that right now, and particularly over the next 24 hours, we will then see that extend further into the South Coast of New South Wales. And we need to be continuing to be preparing ourselves for the impacts in those regions.'

South-east Queensland is set to be smashed by yet more storms, bringing days of damaging large hail and even more heavy rainfall, with flood warnings for creeks and streams between now and the weekend.

The arrival of the system in Sydney comes just a week after the city was smashed by a severe downpour that turned streets into rivers in the inner-west and saw the Parramatta River break its banks.

Sydney and the NSW coast will now bear the brunt of the latest 48-hour weatherbomb explosion (pictured)

More than 300,000 residents across NSW have been given evacuation order or warnings (pictured in Grafton)

The city has a 80 to 95 per cent chance of rain everyday over the next week until at least Tuesday.

It comes as flooded Lismore reports its first death of the crisis - with an 80-year-old woman found dead inside her home about 10.20am.

Earlier on Tuesday harrowing footage showed residents and horses and trapped on a bridge at Woodburn, south of Lismore, after being stranded overnight.

All were later rescued and brought to safety.

South-east Queensland is set to be smashed by yet more storms, bringing days of damaging large hail and even more heavy rainfall

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier described the downpour as a 'one in 1000-year' event and warned Sydney was next in line to cop the brunt of the weather (pictured in Lismore)

A convoy of at least 20 cars and several horses are trapped on a bridge at Woodburn near Lismore in northern NSW
Australian police have swooped to free 51 children from the hands of more than 100 alleged paedophiles in a massive international operation to smash their evil network.

Addresses across the country were raided as part of Operation Molto to arrest 117 people over child abuse-related matters and allegedly rescue 51 children from their clutches.

Police video of the arrests revealed buckets of toys and the latest high end video game consoles at the homes of some accused child molesters.

Law enforcement officers, construction workers and truckies were among those caught in the web, according to Australian Federal Police, with ages ranging from 18 to 61.

The Australian arrests were part of the global Operation H which saw a total of 153 children being removed from harm, including 79 in the United Kingdom, 12 in Canada, six in New Zealand, four in the United States and one child in Europe.

Addresses across the country were raided as part of Operation Molto to arrest 117 people and allegedly rescue 51 children from their clutches

Police video of the arrests revealed buckets of toys at the homes of some of the accused child molesters

Law enforcement officers, construction workers and truckies were among those caught in the web, according to Australian Federal Police, with ages ranging from 18 to 61

The operation started in 2019 after intelligence from New Zealand that thousands were using a cloud storage platform to distribute sick child abuse material.

Police from every state and territory in Australia executed 158 search warrants in Australia, charging 117 men with 1248 charges and removing 51 children from harm.

OPERATION MOLTO: STATE-BY-STATE Queensland - 55 alleged offenders facing 466 charges. Sixteen children have been removed from harm in that state. Victoria - 18 alleged offenders facing 370 charges. Eight children have been removed from harm in that state. New South Wales - 17 alleged offenders facing 96 offences. Three children have been removed from harm in that state. South Australia - 12 alleged offenders facing 232 charges. Ten children have been removed from harm in that state. Western Australia - eight alleged offenders facing nine charges, with no children having to be removed from harm in that state. Tasmania - three alleged offenders in facing 54 charges. Two children have been removed from harm in that state. Northern Territory - two alleged offenders facing 16 charges, with no children having to be removed from harm in that jurisdiction. ACT - Three alleged offenders facing 48 charges, with five children removed from harm in that jurisdiction. Advertisement

Horrified officers found some of the accused allegedly had child abuse photographs and video produced by a man arrested in 2015 which was classified as the most abhorrent ever made.

But they are also accused of producing their own child abuse material and then sharing it online.

Victoria Police Cybercrime Division Detective Superintendent Jane Welsh said the number one priority was the rescue and recovery of children from any further harm.

'These types of investigations absolutely remain a priority for police, and on this occasion, to have removed eight children [in Victoria] from further harm is extremely satisfying,' Detective Superintendent Welsh said.

'Victoria Police will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners across Australia and internationally to actively target online predators and to protect children.

'I would urge parents to be vigilant and to proactively have conversations with your children about online safety.

'Children can be groomed in a matter of minutes  it's so important that everyone understands the warning signs of unwanted contact, how to protect your or your family's privacy online, and how to report any suspicious activity.'

Denzil Clark, of Queensland Police, said it was essential to stamp out these evil networks to stop further attacks.

'The possession of child exploitation material is not a victimless crime,' the Crime and Intelligence Command Acting Assistant Commissioner said.

'Anyone involved in possessing or sharing these images continues the cycle of victimisation and abuse of the children depicted in this material.'

Many of those arrested had high end video game consoles like the hard to get Sony PS5

Homes in every state and territory in Australia were raided in Operation Molto

A PlayStation videogame and DVD player are seen next to a TV in this gloomy darkened room

Police seized laptops, storage cards, hard disks and other electronic devices in the raid

Those rescued from the clutches of their abusers would continue to suffer long after the cases go to court, warned Tasmania Police Detective Inspector Craig Joel.

'Once a child is harmed by an online predator, they will be impacted for life,' he said.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale added: 'Viewing, distributing or producing child abuse material is a horrific crime.

'Children are not commodities and the AFP and its partner agencies work around-the-clock to identify and prosecute offenders.

'The success of Operation Molto demonstrates the importance of partnerships for law enforcement, at a national level here in Australia, but also at an international level, with our colleagues in New Zealand and around the world.'

Specialist sniffer dogs were brought in to assist in searches of the properties

Police officers allegedly found sexual paraphernalia by the bedside in at least one home

Police from every state and territory in Australia executed 158 search warrants in Australia, charging 117 men with 1248 charges and removing 51 children from harm

Horrified officers found some of the accused allegedly had child abuse photographs and video produced by a man arrested in 2015 which was classified as the most abhorrent ever made

Tim Houston, Manager Digital Child Exploitation Team for DIA in New Zealand, said the operation, and the prosecutions that would follow, represented a major success in international efforts to dismantle networks that sought to exploit children.

'I commend the ongoing support of our law enforcement partners domestically and across the world for their dedication and hard-work,' he said.

'This operation will have an impact on the global networks that deal in the most horrific and damaging material, and we are extraordinarily proud of the effect it will have on children's lives around the world.'

NSW Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty praised the results of Operation Molto and added: 'This shows what can be achieved when all agencies work together for a good cause  and there's no better cause than protecting our children.'

Police officers will forensically examine countless devices for traces of child abuse material

Gaming accessories like headsets and controllers lay alongside vitamin supplements, water biscuit crackers and a laptop at one home

Alleged offenders were found in possession of multiple phones and USB memory back ups
A baby boy was born in the Ukrainian town of Novovolynsk in the early hours of yesterday morning. Why should that demand even a moment of your attention? Because of the dreadful circumstances in which the child, who has yet to be named, came into this world.

Only days before his birth, war had driven his father and heavily pregnant mother to flee Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

They had reached within a few miles of the Polish frontier when nature  hurried, no doubt, by the stress of their refugee status  overtook them. She went into labour.

And so it was that their son was born  but not in the regular maternity ward of the nearby hospital, but in a makeshift theatre in the unit's bomb shelter basement, a space that is now shared with all other vulnerable patients.

To mark his arrival, the hospital yesterday posted this defiant message on its Facebook page: 'Meet our newborn defender, 3.5kg, 55cms. On the fifth day of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a baby appeared at Novovolynsk hospital for a couple of immigrants from Kyiv.

Kateryna Suharokova holds her newborn son Makar in the basement of a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward and used as a bomb shelter in Mariupol, Ukraine

The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are now launching an appeal to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families  mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly  fleeing from Russia's invading armed forces. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of a tyrant will require accommodation, schools and medical support. All donations to the Mail Ukraine Appeal will be distributed to charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Associated Newspapers Account number: 20769512 Sort code: 50-00-00 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Newspapers  Ukraine Appeal' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement

'Alarm sirens are heard all over Ukraine, in Volyn [the district in which the hospital is located] as well. But life does not end even during the shelling. We wish the baby a peaceful sky.'

Thanks to Vladimir Putin, there are no peaceful skies in Ukraine today. And the country's children  those who were not among the more than 600,000 refugees who had crossed national borders by this evening  are now living a bewildering and largely underground existence in cellars and on metro platforms as air-raid sirens wail.

The intensely moving  and disturbing  photographs on these pages show just that.

In the besieged Black Sea port of Mariupol, Kateryna Suharokova kisses her newborn son Makar in the basement of a maternity hospital converted into a medical ward and used as a bomb shelter. What will happen to them both?

The more heartbreaking image, perhaps, is from a shelter in an orphanage in the city of Kropyvnytskyi.

Many of the children there are sick. A tragic life grown worse. And this is playing out across the country.

In the besieged southern city of Kherson  surrounded by Russian forces which invaded from Crimea  two baby boys have been born in the maternity ward, which has also been moved into the hospital's basement.

In the eastern city of Dnipro, ten babies have been born in one hospital since the start of the invasion.

Are these infants only the first of what could be an entire of generation of Ukrainians to be born either under direct threat of war or as refugees from their homeland?

Imagine what fear drove the Novovolynsk parents, particularly the mother, to take to the roads with no certain destination.

Knowing that hundreds of thousands of others were also fleeing and the route was jammed with traffic, the hotels full, a Russian assault possibly around the next bend.

Novovolynsk lies north of Lviv, 45 miles from Kyiv and only ten miles from the Polish border.

It is a former Soviet mining centre of 50,000 people. It is twinned with Britain's own industrial town of Hartlepool.

It is also only 50 miles from the border with Belarus, whose military were yesterday reported to have joined the invasion.

The National Guard of Ukraine stated: 'This is a shelter in a specialized orphanage in the city of Kropyvnytskyi in Ukraine. All the children there are orphans. Many are sick....'

Dr Oleg Shypelyk, senior physician at the Novovolynsk hospital, told the Mail that staff were responding as best they could to the situation. They would not be cowed.

'We are currently organising a 24/7 creche in the hospital basement,' he said.

'It's for the children of our staff so that their parents can work here around the clock without worrying too much about what is happening back at home.'

But where will these babies be allowed  be safe  to grow up? In their home country of Ukraine? Will there even be an independent Ukraine at the end of this barbaric war? Or will it be Poland or one of the many countries that are now opening their doors to the exodus. Why not Hartlepool?

A picture posted by Novovolynsk Hospital in Novovolynsk, a city in the North West of Ukraine, near to the Polish border, with the message 'children of war'

They have been born into a world stood on its head.

Yesterday afternoon, in a side street of the gorgeous old town of Lviv  a Unesco world heritage site  I came across a queue of civilian men outside a firearms shop. They want to be armed if  or when  the Russian columns come.

Around the corner in Ruska Street, the stained glass windows of the Renaissance Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary have been boarded over to protect them from blasts.

As I write, the mournful howl of the warning siren begins again.

The indefatigable receptionist in our small hotel is banging on doors and shouting: 'Come on! Quick! Get into the basement!'

This is how life begins for an increasing number of new Ukrainians in these catastrophic times.
Russian state-owned media outlet RT will no longer be available on Sky as the government moves to shut down the satellite that broadcasts 'Putin propaganda', the culture secretary has said.

Nadine Dorries said the move would make RT 'severely restricted' in Britain, with the news channel set to disappear from Sky TV in the UK within the next 24 hours.

It comes as media regulator Ofcom yesterday began 15 investigations into the 'due impartiality' of the Russian broadcaster, formerly known as Russia Today.

It is understood the investigations mainly centre on reporting from correspondents on the ground - in places like the Donbas region of Ukraine - rather than the handling of stories by presenters in the studio.

The move, which increases the likelihood of RT losing its UK licence, relates to 15 editions of its hourly news show aired on Sunday.

RT, which has a number of British presenters and reporters, has reportedly referred to the invasion of Ukraine as a 'special military operation'.

Nadine Dorries (pictured) said the move would be 'severely restricted' in Britain, with the channel set to disappear from Sky TV in the UK within the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the video-sharing website YouTube blocked channels linked to RT and Sputnik across Europe, including the UK.

The Google-owned platform said the ban was effective immediately though it may take some time for the block to become fully effective.

In a tweet, Ms Dorries said: 'Shortly, the French satellite which broadcasts Russia Today (RT) in both the EU and UK will be switched off.

'This means RT will no longer be available via Sky.

'Putin's polluting propaganda machine will now have severely restricted access into British homes via our TV screens.'

The technology giant had previously limited the ability for RT and other Russian channels to make money from advertisements that appear on videos but has extended its sanctions.

'Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we're blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately,' a statement from Google Europe said.

RT, which has a number of British presenters and reporters, has reportedly referred to the invasion of Ukraine as a 'special military operation' (file image)

'It'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.'

Fellow social media platform Facebook has also blocked access to RT and Sputnik on its platform having previously also limited those channels' ability to make advertising revenue.

The change means the pages of the organisations are not visible on Facebook or Instagram in the EU, but for now, they remain visible in the UK.

Former UK deputy prime minister, Sir Nick Clegg, who is now vice president of global affairs at Facebook's parent company, Meta, said the firm had been asked by governments to take further action against Russian state-backed media.

'We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state-controlled media,' he said on Twitter on Monday night.

'Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.'

On Sunday, Boris Johnson said the channel had been 'peddling' content that was 'doing a lot of damage to the truth', and called for Ofcom to look at whether it was 'infringing the rules of this country'.
Dozens more Britons have vowed to fly out to help Ukrainians defend their country from the Russian invasion.

Former Army sniper Shane Matthews is among those answering the call to arms from Ukraines president, who urged foreign fighters to help protect his people.

Mr Matthews, who completed multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq, plans to fly out to Poland on Monday before crossing the border and meeting a Ukrainian colonel, who he says has agreed to arm him and others.

The 34-year-old, who served as a Lance Corporal with the 2nd Battalion Princess of Waless Royal Regiment for six years until 2009, aims to head for Kyiv.

Carrying 60kg of donated medical supplies, Mr Matthews will go to the front line to treat wounded Ukrainians, provide training for civilians and, if necessary, fight.

Former Army sniper Shane Matthews is among those answering the call to arms from Ukraines president, who urged foreign fighters to help protect his people

Mr Matthews, from Chichester, West Sussex, said: What Russia has done is disgusting. It is beyond reprehensible. Russian people dont want to be involved. The Russian military doesnt know why theyre there. As far as Im concerned, if you can fight its your duty to fight.

Dozens of volunteers arrived at the Ukrainian embassy in London yesterday hoping to defend the country.

Alex Pickett, from Andover, Hampshire, said: I will do whatever I can in whatever way I can.

The 32-year-old, who works in private security, added: Im non-military, but Im an Englishman. My heart is in the right place and that is the only reason why Im doing this.

Alex Pickett, from Andover, Hampshire, said: I will do whatever I can in whatever way I can

Mr Matthews, from Chichester, West Sussex, said: What Russia has done is disgusting. It is beyond reprehensible'

Oliver Miller, a 29-year-old mechanical engineering student from Chelmsford, Essex, said he is hoping to go out and help somehow, adding: I know Ill kick myself if I dont do anything about this.

Liam Hawkins, 30, also from London, said: I havent slept since this invasion and I just cant stay at home with my babies and my missus and do nothing. Right is right and wrong is wrong... I know its dangerous, people are trying to talk me out of it, but I believe I can make a difference.
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President Joe Biden will use his State of the Union address on Tuesday to say that President Vladimir Putin underestimated NATO and the way the world would rally against his invasion of Ukraine.

He is also expected to announce that the US is closing its air space to Russian aircraft, as the US allies act in concert to further tighten the economic noose around Moscow.

'Putin's war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy,' he will say, according to excerpts released by the White House.

'He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home.

'Putin was wrong. We were ready.'

With the world spotlight on him, Biden will refer to the Russian leader as a dictator and say he is paying the price for his aggression.

'Throughout our history we've learned this lesson  when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving,' he will say according to excerpts released by the White House.

'And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.

'Thats why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War Two. The United States is a member along with 29 other nations.

'It matters. American diplomacy matters.'

With Ukraine battling Russian invaders for the sixth day, Biden will trumpet the united response of allies who have imposed sweeping sanctions and kept arms flowing to Kyiv.

And he is expected to announce a ban on Russian-owned and operated planes entering US airspace.

An order could follow within the next 24 hours, the Wall Street Journal reported, and follows similar prohibitions by European and Canadian authorities.

With the world spotlight on him, President Biden will use his State of the Union speech to refer to the Russian leader as a dictator and say he is paying the price for his aggression, according to excerpts released by the White House

Biden is expect to say of Putin: 'He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready.' And he will trumpet the unity of NATO and other partners

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an interview in his command bunker, during which he demanded that President Joe Biden use his State of the Union address to deliver a strong and 'useful' message about the Russian invasion

Smoke rises around Kyiv's main television tower after several explosions near the base of it on Tuesday afternoon

The annual speech also gives him a chance to speak directly to the American people about how he plans to lead the country out of the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle inflation.

'We have a choice. One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I have a better plan to fight inflation,' part of Biden's speech reads.

'Lower your costs, not your wages.

'Make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation in America.'

White House officials had already teased that part of the speech.

'The president will absolutely use the word inflation tomorrow and he will talk about inflation in his speech of course that is a huge issue on the minds of Americans,' said Press Secretary Jen Psaki a day earlier.

Specifically, Biden will call on Congress to increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $2,000, raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, and create a national paid family-leave program.

But Ukraine will be one of the major themes of the night.

Among First Lady Jill Biden's guests will be Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the US.

Earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged President Joe Biden to deliver a decisive message.

'It's very serious ... I'm not in a movie,' Zelensky, a former comedy actor, said during an interview in his command bunker.

'I'm not iconic, I think Ukraine is iconic ... Ukraine is the heart of Europe, and now I think Europe sees Ukraine is something special for this world. That's why [the] world can't lose this something special.'

He said he wanted a strong and 'useful' message about Russia's invasion of Ukraine from the US president, and later tweeted that he had spoken to Biden by phone.

The White House confirmed their conversation and said they had spoken for more than 30 minutes.

Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova (center) will be a guest of first lady Jill Biden at the State of the Union

There is tight security on Capitol Hill for the State of the Union. Security fences - installed after last year's Jan 6 violence - have been put back in place. The arrival of a trucker protest has heightened concerns of trouble

An armed man stands by the remains of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Russia on Tuesday stepped up shelling of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, pounding civilian targets there

Biden said in a tweet: 'I just spoke with President Zelensky to discuss our continued support for Ukraine - including security assistance and humanitarian aid - as it defends itself against Russian aggression.

'We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact.'

It came after Russia warned civilians to leave the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and explosions erupted around the city's 1,300ft TV tower in the afternoon.

Several of the city's neighborhoods were under attack, according to local reports. The Kyiv Independent reported at 23:29 local time (21:29GMT) that Russian bombs had struck Vyshneve, a town outside the capital.

It also said the residential neighbourhoods of Rusanivka, Kurenivka and Boiarka - as well as the area near Kyiv International Airport - were coming under attack. Rusanivka in particular is very central.

But there was good news for the Ukrainian resistance.

Some Russian soldiers are surrendering without a fight and Vladimir Putin's armored convoy has stalled amid fuel and supply problems, according to a Pentagon official who briefed reporters on Tuesday.

'A lot of these soldiers are conscripts who have never been in combat before,' the official told reporters, according to CNN. 'Some of them, we believe, weren't even told they were gonna be in combat.'

The advance remains 'basicallywhere it was yesterday,' the senior defense official said of the 40-mile armored column that was making its way towards Kyiv. It remains about 17 miles from the city center. The official adding that as well as fuel issues the troops appeared to be running out of food.
Two hideous explosions bookended the day in Kharkiv. The first saw a giant fireball erupt after a cruise missile struck an imposing Soviet-era structure at 8.02am yesterday  engulfing local government offices and devastating a nearby opera house, concert hall and university buildings.

The second, after a horrifying barrage of missiles had rained down for much of the day on the city, saw a massive mushroom of fire detonate last night at a tank training school that contained an ammunition dump.

The shocking morning attack  condemned by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky as a 'war crime'  killed at least ten people and injured 20 more as ceilings collapsed while all the windows were blown out on to the second-largest city square in Europe.

It left a large crater in this celebrated Kharkiv landmark  where just a few weeks ago I watched children happily skating as I spoke to people in a cafe about the threat of war.

Amid the dust, the debris and the devastation lay the dead. Two bodies were side by side on the cobblestones near an abandoned car. One was barefoot; the other, clad in military-style clothing, had a clenched fist.

This latest strike on Ukraine's former capital, which is being battered by a bombardment from Russian forces that have poured over the border less than 30 miles away, was laden with the most grotesque symbolism.

A monitor showing a projectile striking the regional state administration building on Tuesday

For this city centre plaza, where the country's biggest statue of Lenin once stood, was renamed Freedom Square 31 years ago when the nation shook off the shackles of Kremlin rule following the collapse of the Soviet empire.

Now the city's 1.4million population are suffering daily atrocities inflicted by another dictatorial regime in Moscow as Russia ratchets up an assault that yesterday also saw a hospital, school and residential areas shelled.

'This is terror against Ukraine. There were no military targets in the square  nor are they in those residential districts of Kharkiv which come under rocket artillery fire,' said Zelensky.

The Russian-speaking city in eastern Ukraine has suffered six days of bombardment.

After Russian special forces were repelled from an attempt to take the city on Sunday, there are fears their infuriated commanders have resorted to using cluster bombs on residential buildings to spread panic.

'It looks like a horror movie,' said Dmytro Kuzubov, 33, a website editor. 'The Russian occupiers are destroying my hometown, killing civilians. They bring destruction, misery and pain. People hiding in basements and subways have almost forgotten what the sky looks like.'

The subsequent explosion as Kharkiv, Ukraine's former capital, faced a sixth day of bombardment from Russia

Remarkably, a tent encampment on the square filled with volunteers collecting aid for fighters emerged unscathed.

'There were ten people in the tent just a couple of metres from the spot where the missile hit the square. It's a pure miracle they survived,' said Marina Polyakova, who runs the charity.

Olena Znatkova, who fled Luhansk eight years ago with her daughter after Putin stirred up separatists in the area, said food and water supplies were running out fast in the city.

'The bread factory is working but who would deliver the bread? People are hiding in basements so we can't just go out to the store when there are constant shellings,' she said.

'Students are sitting, trapped, in the dormitories without food and water and medical supplies.'

The intensity of the attack demolishes Putin's pretence that he is trying to save his fellow Slavs and brother nation.

'This is not a military operation, but a war that is meant to kill the Ukrainian people,' said Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv's mayor

A view of the square outside the damaged local city hall of Kharkiv after the central square of Ukraine's second city was shelled by advancing Russian forces

One attack earlier this week killed two parents with their three children after they were burned alive in their car.

Another assault slaughtered a family of four who had left their homes in search of water, said the city mayor.

'Kharkiv never experienced such devastating destruction in its modern history  this is horrible,' he said.

Emergency services put out at least 24 fires in and around the city caused by shelling yesterday  including at a hospital in the New Bavaria district named after German migrants who moved there in the 19th century.

There were eight deaths and eight injuries in the area, amid claims that one Russian aircraft was shot down during the attacks on Kharkiv that left 25 confirmed dead yesterday.

City authorities said more than 87 residential buildings were hit.

Other footage from the district showed burning homes. 'The shellings are more intense every day,' said Maksym Bilyk, 26, whom I met weeks ago in a cafe by the square.

A computer expert, he is now spending much of his time in shelters engaged in anti-Russia cyber-warfare efforts.

Ukrainian volunteers carry a victim out of the City Hall building following shelling on Tuesday

Russia's defence minister Sergei Shoigu has denied targeting civilians and said his forces 'take all measures' to spare lives  despite abundant evidence of attacks on residential buildings, kindergartens, schools and hospitals.

In 2014, when Russia last invaded Ukraine, there was an attempt by pro-Moscow rebels to take over Kharkiv in similar style to Donetsk and Luhansk, by occupying government buildings.

But they were repulsed by forces loyal to Kyiv. Speaking damningly about those who had been pro-Moscow, human rights activist Nataliya Zubar said: 'They have now seen anger and hatred towards Russia rise as if from hell.'

Her family has lived in Kharkiv for six generations and she says the city will survive.

'They can destroy the buildings. They can kill all the people. But Kharkiv survived the Second World War; it has survived the great famine; it has survived Stalin's repression. It will survive in memory even if it is destroyed in full now.'

As darkness fell last night, the sky was lit up by another constant barrage. Some families have spent five days in basements and bomb shelters  reduced to living like troglodytes as they hide for hours in a mixture of boredom and fear.

'We're stuck here  we don't know what to do,' said Natasha, who heard yesterday's attack on Freedom Square before rushing to a shelter.

'It's a disaster. We thought it was going to be all sorted out diplomatically.'

Although many have fled, she said it felt dangerous to escape with her family.

'There are trains but you have to reach the station. We are afraid of the alternative, going by car, because we risk being bombarded.'

One who escaped early was Ekaterina Pereverzeva, 27. It took her four days to get to the other side of Ukraine to find safety.

But she finds it impossible to escape the trauma, saying: 'I tried to stay calm but then I looked at the map of the Kharkiv shellings last night and I just lost it.

There is at least one person I know living on each street that was shelled and I don't know if they are dead or alive.'

Ekaterina, who was born in Russia, said she feels fury against the murderous Moscow regime.

'I hate, simply hate, all the Russians that are killing my friends, bombing my city, destroying everything I love,' she said.
These were the heart-rending scenes at a small Polish train station this evening as Ukrainian refugees escaped the horrors of Vladimir Putin's attempt to wipe their country off the map.

The tiny station in Przemysl is more accustomed to passengers who make the short jaunt over the border with Ukraine in ordinary times.

But now it is overwhelmed on a daily basis by thousands looking for a future away from the horrors of war.

Built at the end of the 19th century during the Austrian occupation of this part of Poland, it bustles with refugees from morning to night.

A man waiting for his girlfriend from Ukraine, holds her hand and looks at her through the border fence at the train station in Przemysl

It believes more than 660,000 have now left Ukraine, most heading west across the Polish border to escape the bloodshed.

Ukrainian evacuees Dmytro Stadnyk,36, reunited with his wife Natalia, 27 and son Yegor, 5 at Przemysl Glowny railway station who had just arrived from Ukraine

The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday UKRAINE REFUGEE APPEAL Readers of Mail Newspapers have always shown immense generosity at times of crisis. Calling upon that human spirit, we are now launching an appeal to raise money for refugees from Ukraine. For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families  mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly  fleeing from Russia's invading armed forces. As this tally of misery increases over the coming days and months, these innocent victims of a tyrant will require accommodation, schools and medical support. All donations to the Mail Ukraine Appeal will be distributed to charities and aid organisations providing such essential services. In the name of charity and compassion, we urge all our readers to give swiftly and generously. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Via bank transfer, please use these details: Account name: Associated Newspapers Account number: 20769512 Sort code: 50-00-00 TO MAKE A DONATION VIA CHEQUE Make your cheque payable to 'Mail Newspapers  Ukraine Appeal' and post it to: Mail Newspapers Ukraine Appeal, GFM, 42 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY TO MAKE A DONATION FROM THE US US readers can donate to the appeal via a bank transfer to Associated Newspapers or by sending checks to dailymail.com HQ at 51 Astor Place (9th floor), New York, NY 10003 Advertisement

The mass movement has become what the United Nations is calling the worst refugee crisis since the atrocities of the Second World War.

Queues snake out of the train station as desperate refugees hope to land one of the scarce tickets out of here.

Those who have a seat huddle down with blankets amid the icy temperatures and receive food from local charities. They are the women and children of Ukraine. All men aged between the age of 18 and 60 must stay behind and defend the country.

Lilia Kobylynska, 30, made it here from Kyiv early yesterday with just one bag of possessions and her beloved dog, Sheva.

If the future of Ukraine is uncertain, so is the new life that awaits her. She said: 'I hope to make it to Germany, but I don't know where yet. I am worried that I might struggle with the language.'

Moments later, she scrambled onto one of the packed local trains heading to Krakow.

Most refugees want to stay in Poland, having relatives there. Few talk of heading to Britain. Instead they hold out the hope they will one day be able to return home. Ukrainian children, who are fortunate enough not to understand fully what it is happening, played innocently as the train pulled away from the platform.

There is barely room to stand on the four-hour train journey to Poland's second largest city  home to one of the country's biggest Ukrainian communities.

Viktoriya Luchka, a 29-year-old mother-of-one, cradles her five-month-old daughter, Kvitoslava, as she boards, hoping to reach Austrian capital Vienna eventually.

She lavishes praise on Britain for helping the Ukrainian army over the past seven years.

She said: 'The United Kingdom has supplied us with a lot of military equipment and we are really grateful for this.' Her husband, Mykola, along with her father and brother, have stayed behind in Ukraine. Dmytro Stadnyk, 36, left Ukraine two years ago and has been working in Przemysl as a gym instructor.

His eyes well up as he takes his 29-year-old wife, Natalia, and his five-year-old son into his arms as they arrive from their home city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine.

He told the Daily Mail: 'I fear for my country, but I am relieved that my family are now safe here in Poland.' Ukrainian refugees are waved through passport control as volunteers help distribute food, toys and clothes to those in need.

Ukrainian refugees on the train to Krakow at Przemysl Glowny railway station

A child fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine is visibly upset as she stands outside a tent at a temporary camp in Przemysl, Poland

Couples who have been kept apart by the violence of the past week embrace each other for the first time since the war broke out.

Waclaw Bojarski, a 52-year-old teacher and scout master, is helping to co-ordinate volunteers helping the influx of people arriving in the border town.

He said: 'This is our army against Vladimir Putin.'

Mr Borjarski is also helping to send military kit to Ukrainian soldiers with the help of a Polish entrepreneur.

He is trying to raise money to ship them boots and body armour. He told the Mail: 'They don't need food. They need flak jackets.'
Hong Kong: CE meets Mainland medical experts

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today inspected the first community isolation facility in Tsing Yi and met the Mainlands COVID-19 experts visiting Hong Kong.

Mrs Lam said that with the central authorities staunch support, 2,000 employees working day and night finished the Tsing Yi construction project in about a week.

Completed by a Mainland contractor under the commissioning of the central authorities, the Tsing Yi venue will provide about 3,900 beds for COVID-19 patients with no or mild symptoms and those who need to be isolated.

Separately, the Chief Executive welcomed National Health Commission anti-COVID-19 leading group head Prof Liang Wannian and his team at the Shenzhen Bay Port. She thanked him for coming to Hong Kong, saying that his rich anti-COVID-19 experience would be instrumental to the Hong Kong SAR Governments fight against the severe epidemic.

During an interview at the control point, Mrs Lam told reporters that the details of the compulsory universal testing scheme to be launched next month are being worked out, and Hong Kongs circumstances and the publics views would be taken into account during the process.

She also stressed that as the supplies of food and goods remain normal and air cargo operations continue, the public need not worry. They should stay vigilant and pay attention to the information disseminated by the Government in order to avoid being misled by rumours.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been working closely with the Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities to devise more means to ensure the stable supply of fresh food, vegetables and other goods from the Mainland to Hong Kong, including the Sea Express service launched recently and the transportation of goods by railway being planned for implementation, she added.

Moreover, Mrs Lam met the Mainland medical expert delegation staying in Hong Kong since February 19.

The delegation shared the Mainlands experiences in the configuration and clinical management of isolation facilities and their views about the medical arrangements for treating severely ill patients in the city.

Mrs Lam expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the experts for calling on a number of medical facilities to understand Hong Kongs situation and conducting in-depth discussions on the diagnosis and treatment of cases.

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Mask requirements lifted at NYS schools, U.S. House

Xinhua) 08:45, March 01, 2022

People visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, Feb. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The U.S. House of Representatives is lifting the House floor mask mandate in time for U.S. President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday, "ending a requirement that had allowed some Republicans to express their defiance, but at a personal cost."

NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Mask mandate is being dropped this week at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. and the public schools in New York State, while individual counties and cities with higher transmission rates may still require masks in schools.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance, more than 70 percent of the U.S. population is in a location with low or medium COVID-19 levels, where masking is not necessary unless an individual is at "increased risk" for COVID-19.

A growing number of states -- the majority with Democratic governors -- have announced in recent weeks that they would lift their indoor or school mask mandates, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon and Rhode Island.

A man wearing face mask refuels a cab at a gas station in New York, the United States, Feb. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

STATEWIDE DROP

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Sunday that the statewide mask mandate for schools would be lifted, empowering local officials to assess the need for additional restrictions in their schools.

The decision, which is set to take effect on Wednesday, came in consultation with public health and education officials. The mask mandate had been a vital aid in battling the Omicron surge, said the governor.

The rollbacks came a day after New York announced a statewide seven-day average positivity rate below 2 percent and hospitalizations under 2,000 for the first time since before the Omicron surge. The drop is part of a national decrease in coronavirus cases.

A security guard wearing face mask stands outside a store on Times Square in New York, the United States, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NYC MOVE

New York City was poised to eliminate school mask mandates and vaccine requirements for restaurants, gyms and movie theaters, by March 7, if case numbers remain low, Mayor Eric Adams announced hours after the state made its decision.

"The rollback of pandemic restrictions, which had served as a crucial weapon in the city's battle against the coronavirus, is a milestone that many hope will help to restore a sense of normalcy in the city and boost its economic recovery," reported The New York Times (NYT).

Promising a final decision by Friday, the mayor said that he wanted to give business owners time to adapt -- a nod to the toll that the virus and related restrictions have taken on small businesses, according to the report.

Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2022 shows the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., the United States, Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

HOUSE POLICY

The U.S. House of Representatives is lifting the House floor mask mandate in time for U.S. President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday, "ending a requirement that had allowed some Republicans to express their defiance, but at a personal cost," said NYT.

Congress's attending physician, Brian Monahan, delivered the news on Sunday, saying coronavirus cases had dropped so much in Washington that mask wearing should become optional, not mandatory.

For months now, compliance with the mandate in the Capitol complex has been spotty and partisan. But on the House floor, the House sergeant-at-arms has diligently enforced the mask mandate and reported scofflaws to the House Ethics Committee, according to the report.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
President Biden will not be wearing a mask to the State of the Union, his first time going bare-faced in a crowded indoor space since the White House dropped its mask requirement on Tuesday.

'The president's not going to wear a mask tonight. But it's different depending on the part of the country,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Ahead of President Biden's State of the Union, the Centers for Disease Control altered guidelines Friday to say that masks are no longer needed in low- and medium-risk areas, including Washington, D.C.

The House of Representatives' attending physician declared Sunday that masks were optional, but the White House waited two more days.

Fox News' Bill Hemmer asked Psaki: 'What changed in the science yesterday, Monday, as opposed to a week ago Monday?'

'It wasn't actually yesterday, Bill,' she answered. 'What the CDC did is they put out guidance last Friday that identified recommendations depending on what the hospitalization rates are in your part of the country.

'The president's not going to wear a mask tonight. But it's different depending on the part of the country,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said

Ahead of President Biden's State of the Union, the Centers for Disease Control altered guidelines Friday to say that masks are no longer needed in low- and medium-risk areas, including Washington, D.C.

The State of the Union requires lawmakers to be tested for Covid-19 before attending the address

'We're currently in a part of the country  in Washington, DC  where it's very low, the rates. So  the recommendation is not to wear masks, so we're not wearing masks at the White House.'

But after Covid cases remained low in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced before the CDC's new guidance that the city's mask mandate would end March 1.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC on Tuesday that she would not be wearing a mask to the speech either.

'If I had little children or if I were around little grandchildren, I would because some of them would not be vaccinated,' the California Democrat said.

The State of the Union requires lawmakers to be tested for Covid-19 before attending the address.

Four Democratic lawmakers are skipping out out after they tested positive Tuesday morning, and GOP Sen. Marco Rubio said he would be skipping out on the speech over the testing requirement.

'I dont have time to go take a COVID test today. I only take a test if Im sick,' Rubio told reporters on Monday, according to HuffPost.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton is also skipping Tuesday evening's event.

Rubio's fellow Florida Senator Rick Scott said he would decide today whether to attend Biden's big speech.

'I havent made a final decision on it,' Scott told radio station News Talk 101, according to Florida Politics.

On the House side, five Republicans said they're boycotting: Rep. Chip Roy of Texas; Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia; Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois; Rep. Bob Good of Virginia; and Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana.
Vladimir Putin faces being tried for war crimes, international prosecutors said last night as global revulsion for his atrocities grows.

Lawyers at the International Criminal Court revealed they were preparing for a full inquiry 'as rapidly as possible'.

Boris Johnson said: 'There's no doubt that [Putin] is already using barbaric tactics, bombing civilian areas.

'I have seen the reports about cluster bombs and thermobaric weapons.'

'Everybody involved in the Russian onslaught should understand that all this will be collated in evidence to be used at a future time in what could be proceedings before the International Criminal Court.'

Vladimir Putin faces being tried for war crimes, international prosecutors said last night as global revulsion for his atrocities grows

Speaking during a visit to Poland, yesterday, he added that the Russian president had decided to 'send missiles into tower blocks, to kill children, as we are seeing in increasing numbers'.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab urged Russian commanders to disobey orders that break international law, adding: 'There will be no impunity for war crimes.

'There is a clear determination from the international community to make sure that any war crimes are held to account, whether it is Putin or those around him in Moscow or commanders on the ground.

'They must know that if they carry out those orders, there is a reasonable prospect... that they will end up spending their twilight years behind bars.'

Mr Raab, a former Foreign Office lawyer, previously worked at the ICC in the Netherlands, helping to bring war criminals to trial.

Asked whether Putin might face trial at the ICC, Mr Raab said: 'We will not allow those responsible just to sit it out and wait and hope international attention will move elsewhere.

'We've just shown that with Radovan Karadzic, one of the butchers of the Balkans. He ended up, after years, in the dock in The Hague, and he's now in a British high security prison where he will see out his days.'

The US is also looking at whether Russia has committed war crimes, White House Press secretary Jen Psaki said, citing 'reports that are horrifying about barbaric tactics, whether it's cluster bombs or other tactics we've seen that could be classified as a war crime'.

Lawyers at the International Criminal Court revealed they were preparing for a full inquiry 'as rapidly as possible'. Boris Johnson said: 'There's no doubt that [Putin] is already using barbaric tactics, bombing civilian areas. I have seen the reports about cluster bombs and thermobaric weapons'

Irish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said there was 'indisputable evidence' of war crimes in Ukraine, and Canada is to petition the ICC to act.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: 'Russian forces brutally fired on Kharkiv from jet artillery. It was clearly a war crime.

'Kharkiv is peaceful, there are peaceful residential areas, no military facilities. Dozens of eyewitness accounts prove this is not a single false volley, but deliberate destruction of people.

'The Russians knew where they were shooting.

'There will definitely be an international tribunal for this crime  it's a violation of all conventions. No one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.'

The ICC's chief prosecutor, British lawyer Karim Khan, said he expected a full investigation as soon as possible.

An ICC report published just over a year ago found 'conduct constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity' relating to Russian acts in Ukraine since 2013.

'There is a reasonable basis to believe war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in relation to events assessed during the preliminary examination,' he said.

'Given the expansion of the conflict, it is my intention that this investigation will encompass any new alleged crimes.'
A man who was under a restraining order and not supposed to have a gun fatally shot his three daughters, aged nine, ten and 13, a chaperone and himself during a supervised visit with the girls at a Sacramento church, officials said Tuesday.

Investigators were trying to piece together the father's motive and how he got the weapon used in the shooting that occurred at about 5 p.m. Monday.

Under California state law, David Fidel Mora-Rojas, 39, was not supposed to have a gun because of the restraining order against him from his wife and was on a supervised visit with his three children at the church on Monday afternoon.

Police have identified the chaperone and fourth victim as Nathaniel Kong, a 59-year-old executive with the church who had served with that restraining order.

At the time of the killings, Mora was out on bail after being arrested last week on several charges, including assaulting a police officer.

Court documents paint a disturbing picture of verbal and physical abuse inflicted by Mora on his estranged girlfriend, who is the mother of their three daughters, one of whom would have turned 11 on Wednesday.

Mora 'is a very jealous person,' the woman wrote in her request for the restraining order. 'He threatened to kill me if he ever caught me cheating.'

She said he told her he hadn't killed her 'because he would not know where to go with the children.' In the filing, she said he might flee to Mexico, where he had family.

'I am scared and nervous. I am afraid (Mora) is going to hurt me. I do not want to return home,' wrote the woman, whose name was withheld because she is an abuse victim.

The horrific attack started at around 5.10pm on Monday when officers were called to the 'The Church in Sacramento' in the Arden Mall area of the city, reported ABC10.

The shooting happened in the main room of the small church. Emergency services were alerted after an employee at the church who was upstairs heard gunshots and called 911.

David Fidel Mora-Rojas, 39, was not supposed to have a gun because of the restraining order against him from his wife and was on a supervised visit with his three children at the church on Monday afternoon

A huge police presence built up outside the church where the shooting took place

Multiple people were killed in a shooting on Monday at a church near the California capital of Sacramento, CBS13 television reported, citing the Sacramento Metro Fire department

A large police presence could be seen gathered outside the church in the Arden-Arcade area

Police vehicle could be seen positioned outside of the church early on Monday evening

Residents watch police activity following a shooting at a church in Sacramento, California

People look over a fence towards a church following a shooting in Sacramento

Police block off Ethan Way and Wyda Way after a shooting at the Church in Sacramento

A father killed four, shooting three of his children before killing himself at the church in Sacramento

A sheriff's deputy puts up crime scene tape following the shooting

A police officer can be seen putting up crime scene tape following the shooting on Monday

A five-year order was imposed May 19. It stipulated Mora only have supervised visits with his daughters for up to four hours per week with a mutually agreed-upon chaperone. He also was required to take anger management courses.

Authorities have not disclosed what type of weapon was used.

Mora, who also was identified as David Fidel Mora Rojas in court papers, was taken into custody for a mental health evaluation last April 17, and nine days later a temporary restraining order was granted.

His legal troubles continued recently, as Mora-Rojas was arrested in Merced County on DUI charges by CHP Los Banos on Feb. 22, 2022.

He was booked into the Merced County Jail on charges of DUI Alcohol, Driving Under the Influence with a Blood Alcohol over .08, Battery Against a Peace Officer, Obstructing / Resists Public Officer, and Battery on a Peace Officer with Injury.

He was bailed out on Feb. 24.

Sgt. Rod Grassman from the city's sheriff's office said he did not know if the family members belonged to the the church, which sits on a mostly residential block near a commercial area east of downtown Sacramento, CBS13 reported.

It wasn't immediately known how many people were at the church or if there were any services or activities at the time of the shooting.

Investigators believe the shooting happened during a supervised visit for the father inside the church with the children and a chaperone who also was killed.

The church is known to hold Bible study classes for children and teens, although none were scheduled for Monday.

The three girls went to Bannon Creek Elementary School and Leroy Greene Academy in the Natomas Unified School District, which issued a statement.

'There are very few words that can give comfort right now for this unspeakable tragedy,' the district said Tuesday. 'There will be a range of emotions from our students and staff, particularly at the schools where the students attended.'

So far, a possible motive for the shooting had not been released but the sheriff's office said it was a case of domestic violence.

Police officers investigate the scene of a shooting at the church

Police investigate a shooting at the Church in Sacramento near Wyda Way and Ethan Way in Sacramento on Monday

Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies stand by police tape that blocks the street leading to a church where a shooting occurred with multiple victims, in Sacramento on Monday

Neighbors Samantha Sanchez and Nick Martinez watch as police officers investigate the scene of a shooting at The Church in Sacramento

Sgt. Rod Grassman from the city's police force also confirmed there was a fifth person killed, however it is unclear if that person was also a family member

'Another senseless act of gun violence in America  this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating,' said California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

'Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities. We are working closely with local law enforcement.

'Our thoughts are with the community, parishioners, and all those impacted by this horrific event.'

The Mayor of Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg, also tweeted about the incident on Monday night.

'This is an unspeakable tragedy. It happens too often, and tonight it happened in our backyard. First thoughts are with the victims and their families. Same to the first responders who have to confront such a horrible scene.'

The shooting took place at a church on the outskirts of the California state capital in the Arden Mall area of the city (pictured, file photo)

'Another senseless act of gun violence in America  this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating,' said California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement

The Mayor of Sacramento, Darrell Steinberg, also tweeted about the tragedy on Monday night

BREAKING NEWS: @sacsheriff deputies responding to a shooting a church on Wyda Way in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood. There is a massive sheriff and police presence there right now. @van_tieu is on the scene and photojournalist Miguel Cano pic.twitter.com/VFBCNfe76z  Madison Wade (@madisoncwade) March 1, 2022

It wasn't known what connection Mora might have had to the church, which is in a residential area. Neighbors said the shooting occurred quickly and police swarmed the area.

Sandi Davis said she was taking her dog outside when she heard a gunshot. She immediately let go of the leash and dropped to the ground to protect herself.

Yadira Ortega, who lives across the street from the church, said she heard gunfire while sitting in her car after returning home from picking up takeout dinner for her family. She was with her 9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son. Ortega said there were multiple shots, then a pause before a final shot.

Ortega said she knows little about The Church in Sacramento other than it's busy on Sundays but mostly quiet during the week.

A man who emerged from the church several times to talk to reporters outside said the church is made up of multiple buildings, including a living space where he and several other members live.

The man, who only gave his name as Alfredo, said he was in the churchs main building when the shooting happened and that neighbors called police because he did not have a phone.

Ana DeJesus, right, is comforted by her daughter, Lizbeth DeJesus after placing a teddy bear and flowers on a memorial

Ana DeJesus, right, places a teddy bear on a growing memorial at The Church in Sacramento, Calif.

Flowers are seen outside the The Church in Sacramento Tuesday

The entrance to the parking lot at The Church in Sacramento, Calif., is shown on Tuesday, March 1

A teddy bear, balloons and flowers are among the items left at growing memorial at The Church

He declined to provide more details, saying church elders planned to issue a statement later.

On Tuesday morning, a small memorial with flowers, balloons, stuffed animals, a candle and a piece of paper that read 'Prayers for peace, may your souls rest' was set up outside the church.

Faith Whitmore, chief executive of the Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center that provides services to victims of domestic abuse, said the girls' mother sought help through the agency last April. A case manager and an attorney worked with her to obtain the restraining order.

'She came in, she needed crisis intervention, she needed resources, she needed help,' said Whitmore, who did not work directly with the woman.

Whitmore said their organization will now push for their other clients to have visits supervised by professionals, and they plan to seek out funding to cover the costs.

Joyce Bilyeu, deputy director of the center, also did not work directly with the woman. She spoke generally about supervised visitations, saying the specifics can vary widely.

Sometimes, a victim will request that a pastor or grandparent be the chaperone in their home or church, she said. Other victims seek professional supervision with a trained mediator in a safe location close to law enforcement, but that option can be costly, Bilyeu said.

Bilyeu said visits in places like churches can give victims a false sense of security.

'Generally a lot of people think a church is a safe place,' she said. But 'theres no metal detectors in a church.'

A restraining order, while a typical part of the process in domestic violence cases, should not be considered a solution or deterrent to abuse, she said.

'It is not a shield of armor,' Bilyeu said.
A Tory MP has used parliamentary privilege to accuse amoral British law firms of working for Vladimir Putins henchmen.

Bob Seely told the House of Commons the UK legal system had been corrupted by money from kleptocrats.

He accused lawyers of working on behalf of oligarchs to undermine freedom of speech and silence the Press.

It is a very serious situation that our legal systems have become so corrupted, he said before listing four lawyers he claimed were working with Putins allies.

Mr Seely named Harbottle & Lewis solicitor John Kelly, CMS media lawyer Geraldine Proudler, barrister Hugh Tomlinson QC, and Carter-Ruck partner Nigel Tait.

Youve got to wonder about the reputations that these people are going to end up with in a few years, he added.

Maybe they are really lovely people but maybe their amorality is going to begin to bite their reputations in a way that will be unfortunate.

'How on earth have we allowed this to happen?

Why have we got to a situation in our free society where we have kleptocrats and criminals and oligarchs intimidating a free media?

MP Bob Seely used parliamentary privilege to accuse amoral British law firms of working for Vladimir Putins henchmen at the House of Commons on Tuesday

We have a coalition not of the willing but of the woeful: Putins henchmen teaming up with amoral lawyers.

'These firms set up a one-stop corruption shop to offer a form of legalised intimidation, to silence their rivals but also journalists and authors  and an unregulated private eye business which is collecting kompromat [compromising material] on people in this country.

Mr Seely, the member for the Isle of Wight, said he had been told many large firms did not carry out proper client checks.

Labour former minister Dame Margaret Hodge also used parliamentary privilege to read out the names of ten Russian oligarchs from a list of 105 she said should be sanctioned.

Boris Johnson yesterday said there was more to do on sanctioning Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. He said the West needed to target its access to payment systems, its biggest bank and the assets of regime cronies.

Speaking in Poland, he declared: Theres genuine amazement and dismay in Russia about what has happened already but there is more to be done.

There could be more severing of sporting links and cracking down on the billionaires associated with Vladimir Putin, he added.

Ministers yesterday announced further sanctions against Russian banks. Cabinet Office minister Michael Ellis told MPs: Russian banks clear no less than 146billion of sterling payments into and out of the United Kingdoms financial system every year.

'Without the ability to make payments in sterling, designated banks will not be able to pay for trade in sterling, they will not be able to invest in the United Kingdom, they will not be able to access the UKs financial markets.

Conservative former Cabinet minister David Davis told the Commons: It shouldnt have taken a war for us to start rooting out dirty Russian money in the UK.

'But we are where we are and we must not wait any longer.

British Gas owner Centrica yesterday announced it would exit its gas supply agreements with Russian firms.

'In addition, the first tranche of sanctions against Belarusian individuals and organisations was revealed by ministers in response to the role the country is playing in Russias invasion.'
A harrowing helicopter rescue has been called off by Australian soldiers after they were struck by a TV aerial during a dramatic rooftop rescue.

Footage shows an Australian Defence Force crew member attempt to winch to safety one of two men stranded on a rooftop in Bungawalbin, south-west of Woodburn in NSW on Tuesday afternoon.

But the rescue mission took a dangerous turn after strong winds caused the pair to crash into an overhead television aerial.

A rescue mission was swiftly aborted on Tuesday afternoon after a soldier struck a TV aerial while attempting to winch a man to safety in Bungawalbin, south-west of Woodburn in NSW (pictured)

The pair were safely lowered back onto the roof top after strong winds hindered the dramatic floodwater rescue (pictured)

AUSTRALIAN WEATHER CRISIS: THE LATEST Prime Minister Scott Morrison has branded the floods enveloping Brisbane and north-eastern NSW a 'weather bomb'

200mm of rain is expected to hit Sydney over six hours on Tuesday afternoon, with forecasters predicting the effects of the storm to be hit about 6pm

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says 1,000 rescues have taken place in the state over the past 24 hours

The Army has been involved in harrowing helicopter rescues from the roofs of houses across central and northern NSW

Dozens of Brisbane suburbs have been inundated again with floodwaters as the Brisbane River peaked once more this mornin g Advertisement

The frantic soldier signaled air crew to swiftly abandon the operation before the men were lowered back onto the roof.

Moments earlier, another soldier was forced to cling to a small boat during a similar rescue attempt of a woman from the same property.

It reportedly took 45 minutes for the woman to be whisked to safety, before the remaining men were rescued in separate operations.

A 'one-in-a-thousand-year rain bomb' that flooded southeast Queensland and northern NSW has prompted thousands of dramatic rescues across the regions in last 24 hours.

The storm, which is barreling towards Sydney, will bring downpours of up to 200mm over just six hours on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in the wake of a flooding catastrophe in the state's north and in Queensland, where eight lives have already been lost.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged Australians who live in Sydney and the NSW Central Coast to prepare for the storm.

'This rather significant weather system, we will continue to see moving down the east coast of Australia. We will see it come into the Central Coast and Sydney,' he said.

'We are already experiencing elements of that right now, and particularly over the next 24 hours, we will then see that extend further into the south coast of NSW.

It came moments after another soldier was forced to cling to a small boat during a similar rescue attempt of a woman from the same property (pictured)

A huge cleanup is underway for residents in Lismore who can reach their homes

'And we need to be continuing to be preparing ourselves for the impacts in those regions.'

More than 1,000 residents have already been rescued across NSW, Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Tuesday.

A further 40,000 people have been ordered to evacuate - mostly near flood-prone Lismore - and a further 300,000 NSW residents have been warned to get ready to flee their homes.

Nine people are unaccounted for in Lismore alone and a massive clean up operation is underway in Brisbane after the river burst its banks and flooded more than 100 suburbs.

Aerial footage showed a convoy of at least 20 cars and several horses trapped on a bridge at Woodburn, south of Lismore, on Tuesday morning as they tried to flee the town.

Floodwaters have ravaged homes across Lismore as locals begin the mammoth cleanup on Tuesday

Lismore residents are pictured dressed in gumboots as they prepare to cleanup the damage left over from floodwaters

A woman is pictured hosing down her floorboards after floodwater inundated her home in Lismore

Mr Perrottet described the floods as a one-in-1,000-year natural disaster.

'The expectation of the flood waters peaking is now above 16m in Lismore and for context the previous record was just a tick over 12m in 1954,' he told ABC Radio.

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said more fatalities were expected.

'I think that it is unrealistic that a disaster of this magnitude will mean that there are no lives lost,' she told reporters.

Mr Perrottet said the cleanup 'and getting communities back on their feet will take weeks, months and years'.

'There's still difficult times to go.'

'The situation is distressing for many and will affect more. The ultimate focus now is saving lives and getting people to safety.'

Locals in Ballina, about 30km from Lismore, have been ordered to evacuate.

A convoy of at least 20 cars and several horses are trapped on a bridge at Woodburn near Lismore in northern NSW

A Ballina resident and his dog anxiously wait on the roof of their home waiting for help to arrive

'If you are under an evacuation order please evacuate immediately unless it is not safe to do so,' the SES said.

'Do not go through dangerous floodwater to get out. Move to higher ground where possible.'

The Bureau of Meteorology said the weather system that fuelled the floods was heading south.

A severe weather warning was issued for coastal areas from the Central Coast to the South Coast, including Sydney.

Wind gusts of up to 125 km/h wind gusts are predicted and the possibility of up to 200mm of rain over six hours from Tuesday night.

More than 1,000 residents have already been rescued across NSW. Pictured is Woodburn underwater

A flock of cattle are surrounded by floodwaters in Tumblegum in far northern NSW

The State Emergency Service put out a flood watch for the whole Sydney region, with the worst predicted for areas around the Upper Nepean River.

'People in Sydney and across the South Coast have time. The time to prepare is now,' Ms Cooke said.

Things in northern NSW were not going to get better 'for a little while', she said.

Sydneysiders have been urged to stay home amid warnings from authorities of commuter chaos on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the wild weather.

Communities from the NSW mid north coast to as far the south coast are bracing for the deluge, with more 'unprecedented' weather to lash the state.

'A number of forecast models suggest that a low pressure system could deepen over the Tasman Sea from Tuesday and approach the central NSW coast on Wednesday,' Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said.

'This will be a system to watch in the coming days as it could bring more severe weather in eastern Australia.'

The high rainfall could lead to dangerous conditions in Sydney and the NSW south coast, along with coastal erosion.

'We're likely to see this kind of rainfall potentially lead to again flash and riverine flooding for many of our rivers, creeks and catchments,' BoM forecaster Dean Narramore said.

A number of forecast models suggest that a low pressure system could deepen over the Tasman Sea from Tuesday and approach the central NSW coast on Wednesday. This will be a system to watch in the coming days as it could bring more severe weather in eastern Australia. pic.twitter.com/5KRkwCDlRv  Ben Domensino (@Ben_Domensino) February 28, 2022

Thousands of Lismore residents remain stranded with the Wilson River not expected to fall below major flood levels until Wednesday

Lismore residents woke up on Tuesday morning to find most of the city still underwater

Heavy and severe winds are also forecast from Newcastle, through Greater Sydney and south to Bega.

'These damaging winds could be enough to bring down trees and power lines,' Mr Narramore added.

Flash flooding is a 'big concern' for SES crews in Sydney's west, the north and parts of NSW's south coast.

'Localised flooding is the biggest concern for us, that's when flood rescues occur  we're also watching for any riverine flooding too, particularly around Menangle,' spokesman Phil Campbell said.

Tuesday's weather forecast Sydney: 23C Possible heavy falls. Becoming windy. 40-70mm rain Lismore: 29C, 50 per cent of showers Brisbane: 33C, Partly cloudy, 20 per cent of showers Advertisement

'There is also flooding expected in Shoalhaven, and parts of Sydney's west which are prone to it. We will also have crews stationed in Taren Point, Wolli Creek, and on the Northern Beaches near Avalon  all the usual suspects are (expected to flood).'

'But the real concern is going to be on Wednesday, commuter roads flood as they are expected to  if the rain does intensify, it'll be difficult commute for people tomorrow, people should consider working from home if they can.'

NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York warned of further widespread damage.

'There will be storms. There will be trees down. There will be roof damage. There will be power breakages,' she said.

'But I ask the community to be patient, because we will be doing rescue operations first and prioritising that over property damage.

'We're working closely with the bureau in relation to our preparations for the Central Coast, the metropolitan area, the South Coast and into the mountain ranges as well towards the Southern Highlands and southern district.'

NSW SES has made a record-breaking number of flood rescues in the past 24 hours, and has responded to almost 950 desperate calls for help across northern NSW.

The city of Lismore remains cut off, where more than 1,000 stranded residents are trapped or waiting to be rescued on Tuesday morning, according to local mayor Steve Krieg.

The wild weather that has lashed Lismore (pictured) is making its way down the NSW coast

It's estimated around 1,000 Lismore residents still needed rescuing on Tuesday

More than 4,000 rescues were conducted is Lismore on Monday with civilians pitching in help relieve the emergency demand on emergency services.

'There were civilian water craft out and about, kayaks, jet skis and fishing boats all lending a hand and I know that goes against every protocol but with the sheer volume of people that need saving and rescuing, it is great to see a community like Lismore come together and help each other out,' Mr Krieg told the Today show on Tuesday.

Lismore residents will have to wait until Wednesday before the Wilson River falls below major flood levels.

Around 300,000 residents are currently subject to evacuation warnings.

'My message to those people is please prepare to leave at very short notice,' Ms Cooke told 2GB.

'Please have your bag packed, please have your supplies  your mobile phone and a charger to charge it.'

'Our attention at the moment is firmly on saving lives and keeping people safe,'

This aerial shot shows much of Lismore still underwater on Tuesday morning

The Mary River at Maryborough (pictured underwater on Monday) is expected to peak on Tuesday morning

Residents in the nearby town Ballina in low lying areas were urged to immediately evacuate to higher ground on Tuesday morning.

Ballina mayor Sharon Cadwallader says the town is bracing for a one-in-500-year flood amid fears up to 7,000 homes will be inundated with water.

Residents in South Ballina were told it's already too late to leave.

'You should immediately move to the highest safe place now, such as higher ground or inside a sturdy multi-storey building to upper levels as high above water levels as possible,' NSW SES posted.

'Do not leave your location unless it is safe to do so.'

Around 150km south of Ballina, the town of Grafton is also under threat with a major flood warning for the Clarence River and a major to moderate warning for the Orara River at Glenreagh and Coutts Crossing.

Disaster assistance is now available in 17 local government areas in response to severe storms and flooding.

They include Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Glen Innes Severn, Hornsby, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Nambucca, Port Macquarie/Hastings, Richmond, Tenterfield, The Hills and Tweed.

Many Brisbane suburbs remained underwater on Tuesday morning (pictured, a flooded road in Milton)

South-east Queensland residents are also bracing more heavy rain and flooding with dam releases and heavy rain on the way.

The Brisbane River is expected to rise to 3.7m at 9am on Tuesday after peaking at 3.85m on Monday.

The Logan River was set to exceed the record 2017 flood level of 20.50m when tropical cyclone Debbie hit while Mary River at Maryborough could also reach a peak of 10.5m

More than 1200 homes across Brisbane were still without electricity on Monday night after the city copped 795mm in the last seven days, its wettest week since records began in 1840.

Emergency services are monitoring a crane on a pontoon that broke free of its moorings near the Story Bridge on Monday afternoon.

Queensland Rail's southeast services and Brisbane River ferries remain suspended with a limited bus service available.

Gold Coast beaches remain closed on Tuesday while some schools in Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Lockyer Valley will reopen.

It comes as the weather crisis heads further south with very high winds and flooding forecast to hit Sydney in the next 48 hours.

An ominous map of Queensland and northern NSW (pictured) has revealed the regions hardest hit by the incessant deluge as residents fight to keep their heads above water

The rain fell in record-breaking numbers in northern NSW in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday, with 775mm of rain in Dunoon, 537mm in Nimbin, 520mm in Mullumbimby and in 467mm Lismore.

Sydney is predicted to get up to 90mm of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, while further south, Kiama is forecast to get up to 80mm on Tuesday and 150mm on Wednesday.

The Batemans Bay region will be inundated with similar levels on Wednesday and Thursday.

The huge geographic spread of the floods is stretching emergency resources. Ms York said the SES resisted sending more people to northern NSW to ensure there was capacity down south when needed.

As the low moves south on Tuesday, communities from the NSW Mid North Coast to the South Coast are bracing for what is coming

More than one metre of #rain has fallen across parts of southeast #QLD and northeast #NSW over the past week. What caused the record-breaking rain? Here's a look at some of the influences that have come into play.



More at https://t.co/wb88a6VLBo pic.twitter.com/cSx6vk76pK  Weatherzone (@weatherzone) February 28, 2022

She added the rain coming to Sydney is unlikely to be as heavy as the storms up north, but could still lead to flash flooding.

'That is affected by the amount of saturation that's in the land at the moment that there is no way for the water to run as it falls onto the ground, which will cause flash flooding and that's a very dangerous situation for any motorists.'

Schools will remain closed in Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast on Tuesday, and trains are expected to stay offline for several days.

The Brisbane River peaked at 3.85m at 8am on Monday, the highest level seen since the devastating floods of 2011 - with authorities warning residents of 140 suburbs.

Intense episodes of wild weather will remain a worrying reality prompted by climate change, scientists say.

'Over the past decades we have already seen an increase in the number and intensity of extreme rainfall events and we are expecting this trend to continue into the future,' said Dr Nina Ridder, a research associate at UNSW Climate Change Research Centre.
Before-and-after photos of a Lismore McDonald's outlet show why the flooding crisis in NSW's north is so unprecedented.

All that remained visible of the northern NSW town's McDonald's outlet as of Tuesday were its golden arches, after record-breaking 16m high waters smashed the town.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has described the flood as a 'one-in-a-thousand year' disaster.

An 80-year-old woman was found dead in her home on Tuesday - the first victim in NSW - while eight others remain unaccounted for.

Up north, in Brisbane, a further eight people lost their lives in the floods. An east coast low is now barrelling toward Sydney.

Only McDonald's iconic golden arches were still visible as the fast food restaurant was inundated by raging floodwaters on Monday

This is what the McDonald's store in Lismore NSW looked like before raging 'one-in-a-hundred year' floodwaters raged through the town on Monday

Harrowing aerial vision shows a convoy of at least 20 cars and five horses trapped on a bridge at Woodburn, south of Lismore, on Tuesday morning after becoming stranded overnight.

They all have since been rescued and made it to safety.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said residents of Sydney need to prepare. "This rather significant weather system, we will continue to see moving down the east coast of Australia. We will see it come into the Central Coast and Sydney.

'We are already experiencing elements of that right now, and particularly over the next 24 hours, we will then see that extend further into the South Coast of New South Wales. And we need to be continuing to be preparing ourselves for the impacts in those regions.'

A convoy of at least 20 cars and several horses are trapped on a bridge at Woodburn near Lismore in northern NSW

A Ballina resident and his dog anxiously wait on the roof of their home waiting for help to arrive

AUSTRALIAN WEATHER CRISIS: THE LATEST Lismore has reported its first death of the flooding crisis

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has branded the floods enveloping Brisbane and north-eastern NSW a 'weather bomb'

200mm of rain is expected to hit Sydney over six hours on Tuesday afternoon, with forecasters predicting the effects of the storm to be hit about 6pm

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says 1,000 rescues have taken place in the state over the past 24 hours

The Navy has been involved in harrowing helicopter rescues from the roofs of houses across central and northern NSW

Dozens of Brisbane suburbs have been inundated again with floodwaters as the Brisbane River peaked once more this mornin g Advertisement

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet described the floods a one-in-1000-year natural disaster, adding he expects waters to peak at about 16metres in Lismore. The previous record was just a tick of 12 metres in 1954.

Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said more fatalities were expected.

'I think that it is unrealistic that a disaster of this magnitude will mean that there are no lives lost,' she said.

Mr Perrottet said the clean-up 'and getting communities back on their feet will take weeks, months and years'.

'There's still difficult times to go,' he said.

'The situation is distressing for many and will affect more. The ultimate focus now is saving lives and getting people to safety.'

Locals in Ballina, about 30km west of Lismore, have been ordered to evacuate.

'If you are under an evacuation order please evacuate immediately unless it is not safe to do so,' an SES spokesman said.

'Do not go through dangerous floodwater to get out. Move to higher ground where possible.'

The Bureau of Meteorology said the weather system which fuelled the floods was now heading south.

A severe weather warning was issued for coastal areas from the Central Coast to the South Coast, including Sydney.

Wind gusts of up to 125 km/h wind gusts are predicted and the possibility of up to 200mm of rain over six hours from Tuesday night.

A severe thunderstorm warning for heavy rainfall is already in place for parts of the NSW Central West Slopes and Plains and the Riverina, which could lead to flash flooding on Tuesday afternoon.

More than 1,000 residents have already been rescued across NSW. Pictured is Woodburn underwater

A flock of cattle are surrounded by floodwaters in Tumblegum in far northern NSW

Lismore locals spent Tuesday making a start on the massive clean up as they wait for floodwaters to recede

Nine people remain unaccounted for in the Lismore floods (pictured on Tuesday)

The State Emergency Service put out a flood watch for the whole Sydney region, with the worst predicted for areas around the Upper Nepean River.

'People in Sydney and across the South Coast have time. The time to prepare is now,' Ms Cooke said.

Things in northern NSW were not going to get better 'for a little while', she said.

Sydneysiders have been urged to stay home amid warnings from authorities of commuter chaos on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the wild weather.

Communities from the NSW mid north coast to as far the south coast are bracing for the deluge, with more 'unprecedented' weather to lash the state.

'A number of forecast models suggest that a low pressure system could deepen over the Tasman Sea from Tuesday and approach the central NSW coast on Wednesday,' Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said.

'This will be a system to watch in the coming days as it could bring more severe weather in eastern Australia.'

The high rainfall could lead to dangerous conditions in Sydney and the NSW south coast, along with coastal erosion.

'We're likely to see this kind of rainfall potentially lead to again flash and riverine flooding for many of our rivers, creeks and catchments,' BoM forecaster Dean Narramore said.

Heavy and severe winds are also forecast from Newcastle, through Greater Sydney and south to Bega.

'These damaging winds could be enough to bring down trees and power lines,' Mr Narramore added.

A number of forecast models suggest that a low pressure system could deepen over the Tasman Sea from Tuesday and approach the central NSW coast on Wednesday. This will be a system to watch in the coming days as it could bring more severe weather in eastern Australia. pic.twitter.com/5KRkwCDlRv  Ben Domensino (@Ben_Domensino) February 28, 2022

Thousands of Lismore residents remain stranded with the Wilson River not expected to fall below major flood levels until Wednesday

Lismore residents woke up on Tuesday morning to find most of the city still underwater

Flash flooding is a 'big concern' for SES crews in Sydney's west, the north and parts of NSW's south coast.

'Localised flooding is the biggest concern for us, that's when flood rescues occur  we're also watching for any riverine flooding too, particularly around Menangle,' spokesman Phil Campbell said.

Tuesday's weather forecast Sydney: 23C Possible heavy falls. Becoming windy. 40-70mm rain Lismore: 29C, 50 per cent of showers Brisbane: 33C, Partly cloudy, 20 per cent of showers Advertisement

'There is also flooding expected in Shoalhaven, and parts of Sydney's west which are prone to it. We will also have crews stationed in Taren Point, Wolli Creek, and on the Northern Beaches near Avalon  all the usual suspects are (expected to flood).

'But the real concern is going to be on Wednesday, commuter roads flood as they are expected to  if the rain does intensify, it'll be difficult commute for people tomorrow, people should consider working from home if they can.'

NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York warned of further widespread damage.

'There will be storms. There will be trees down. There will be roof damage. There will be power breakages,' she said.

'But I ask the community to be patient, because we will be doing rescue operations first and prioritising that over property damage.

'We're working closely with the bureau in relation to our preparations for the Central Coast, the metropolitan area, the South Coast and into the mountain ranges as well towards the Southern Highlands and southern district.'

NSW SES has made a record-breaking number of flood rescues in the past 24 hours, and has responded to almost 950 desperate calls for help across northern NSW.

The wild weather that has lashed Lismore (pictured) is making its way down the NSW coast

It's estimated around 1,000 Lismore residents still needed rescuing on Tuesday

More than 4,000 rescues were conducted in Lismore on Monday with civilians pitching in help relieve the emergency demand on emergency services.

'There were civilian water craft out and about, kayaks, jet skis and fishing boats all lending a hand and I know that goes against every protocol but with the sheer volume of people that need saving and rescuing, it is great to see a community like Lismore come together and help each other out,' Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told the Today show on Tuesday.

Lismore residents will have to wait until Wednesday before the Wilson River falls below major flood levels.

This aerial shot shows much of Lismore still underwater on Tuesday morning

The Mary River at Maryborough (pictured underwater on Monday) is expected to peak on Tuesday morning

The town of Grafton is also under threat with a major flood warning for the Clarence River and a major to moderate warning for the Orara River at Glenreagh and Coutts Crossing.

Disaster assistance is now available in 17 local government areas in response to severe storms and flooding.

They include Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Glen Innes Severn, Hornsby, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Nambucca, Port Macquarie/Hastings, Richmond, Tenterfield, The Hills and Tweed.

Many Brisbane suburbs remained underwater on Tuesday morning (pictured, a flooded road in Milton)

An ominous map of Queensland and northern NSW (pictured) has revealed the regions hardest hit by the incessant deluge as residents fight to keep their heads above water

As the low moves south on Tuesday, communities from the NSW Mid North Coast to the South Coast are bracing for what is coming

More than one metre of #rain has fallen across parts of southeast #QLD and northeast #NSW over the past week. What caused the record-breaking rain? Here's a look at some of the influences that have come into play.



More at https://t.co/wb88a6VLBo pic.twitter.com/cSx6vk76pK  Weatherzone (@weatherzone) February 28, 2022

Schools will remain closed in Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast on Tuesday, and trains are expected to stay offline for several days.

Intense episodes of wild weather will remain a worrying reality prompted by climate change, scientists say.

'Over the past decades we have already seen an increase in the number and intensity of extreme rainfall events and we are expecting this trend to continue into the future,' said Dr Nina Ridder, a research associate at UNSW Climate Change Research Centre.
A man charged with the gruesome stabbing murder of a young graduate has taken a step closer to avoiding a jail sentence after obtaining a 'second opinion' that has deemed him mentally unfit to stand trial.

Luay Nader Sako, 36, of Roxburgh Park, last year pleaded not guilty to the brutal stabbing murder of Celeste Manno in anticipation of securing an assessment from a forensic psychiatrist that supported an assertion he was not capable of committing the crime due to his poor mental health.

Daily Mail Australia revealed in October the alleged killer's first attempt failed after a doctor made an 'inconclusive assessment' of his mental state.

Celeste Manno, 23, was allegedly murdered in her Melbourne home in November 2020

Luay Sako, 35, handed himself in to local police hours after Ms Manno's death and was taken to hospital under police guard, and was charged with murder

Celeste Manno had been in the prime of life when she was stabbed to death in her own bed

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne heard Sako had succeeded in his bid for a more conclusive medical option after high-profile forensic psychiatrist Dr Andrew Carroll came to his rescue.

In a 30-page report, Dr Carroll found Sako was not only unfit to stand trial over the alleged murder, but would remain that way for at least the next year.

The court heard the psychiatrist, who examined the fitness of Bourke Street killer James 'Dimitrious' Gargasoulas, claimed Sako's was a 'complicated situation'.

Crown prosecutor Patrick Bourke was unable to say whether Dr Carroll's claims would be contested, but suggested it would likely seek yet another opinion of its own.

If contested, the matter could go to trial to assess whether a jury agreed with the diagnosis.

If agreed by the Crown, Sako will be placed into a mental health facility until he is deemed well enough by forensic doctors to be released back into the community.

Many killers dealt with this way are released back into the community in secret within years.

The assessment will come as a cruel blow to the family of Ms Manno.

Sako allegedly smashed through his former colleague's window at her family home in Mernda, in Melbourne's northeast, before repeatedly stabbing her with a knife as she lay in bed in November 2020.

He then allegedly fled over a fence that was left stained with blood.

Sako handed himself in to local police hours later and was taken to hospital under police guard and treated for a hand injury that required surgery.

Ms Manno was Sako's team leader at a Serco call centre before he was fired from the role

Heartbroken mum Aggie Di Mauro pictured with her beloved daughter

MUM'S PAIN AT STABBING DEATH OF DAUGHTER AT HOME Celeste Manno's mum Aggie Di Mauro wonders if there was more she could have done to save her from being killed. Ms Di Mauro has contemplated whether she could have prevented her daughter's death if Ms Manno had slept in her bed or if the family had purchased a guard dog. The mum has since fought to toughen stalking laws, saying 'I thought we were safe at home'. She wants to see violent perpetrators tracked with GPS monitoring and has met with Victorian State Attorney General Jill Hennessy as part of her campaign. Ms Hennessy said the government would do everything they could to end violence against women and support them to feel safe. 'I cannot begin to understand the pain her family and friends are feeling,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Advertisement

In October last year, Sako's barrister Sam Norton, of Stary Norton Halphen, told the Supreme Court of Victoria his client's initial medical assessment was inconclusive.

'This is a very complex situation in terms of Mr Sako's mental health,' he said.

'That assessor has indicated that in his opinion a further opinion ought to be obtained.'

Mr Norton told the court he hoped Victorian Legal Aid would finance not only Dr Carroll's services, but his own.

At Sako's first court hearing in November - one of many he refused to attend in person - the court heard Sako had no mental health issues and was not on any medication at the time his 23-year old victim was allegedly killed.

Sako had been freed to live in the community at the time of the alleged murder after being charged with breaching a restraining order.

Ms Manno was Sako's team leader at a Serco call centre in South Morang and comforted him when he left the company a year earlier.

Sako's family was devastated by his arrest and said they didn't know much about what he had been doing at the time.

He had been unemployed and living at his parent's house.

There was an outpouring of grief over the shocking death of Ms Manno, who was supposed to be celebrating her birthday that week.

Ms Manno's boyfriend Chris Ridsdale was among many family and friends who mourned the beloved young woman in the days after her death.

Ms Manno is pictured with her partner, Chris Ridsdale, who had been looking forward to celebrating her birthday the week she was killed

Pictured: The crime scene in Mernda where Ms Manno was found dead

'She was supposed to be having Christmas with our family. Her family. Her mother. Her brothers,' he said at the time.

Mr Ridsdale revealed her excitement to upload the first photo of them as a couple to her social media profiles.

'We took this picture on Saturday this week,' he wrote.

'We talked and joked about how this would be the first picture of us together on her social media and she was so excited to share it with everyone.

'I was told, very clearly, that this was to be my new profile picture.'

Mr Ridsdale said he rarely uses his social media accounts, but uploaded it on as a special tribute Ms Manno.

'Now it seems like the best thing I can do for her. To show everyone how much she meant to me and how beautiful she was,' he said.

Ms Manno's father, Tony Manno, said the justice system had let his girl down.

'It let my daughter down,' he said. 'And it's gotta be changed. It won't bring her back but it has to be changed.'

Jayden Manno expressed similar concerns over Victoria's revolving door justice system.

'It's harrowing. Such a senseless act,' Jayden said.

'It should never have happened to our family, not to anyone's family. This can't happen.'

Sako will return to court later this month.

There has been an outpouring of grief for Ms Manno
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Ukraine has accused Russian of launching cluster and vacuum bomb attacks as part of a terrifying offensive, with the country's president claiming that Vladimir Putin's actions amounted to war crimes.

But just what are vacuum bombs, how do they work and what happens to innocent civilians caught in their wake?

Vacuum bombs  also known as thermobaric weapons  are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed, and are banned under the Geneva Conventions.

The high-powered explosive weapons, which use the atmosphere itself as part of the explosion, are capable of vaporising bodies, crushing internal organs and reducing cities to rubble, causing huge loss of life.

There has been no official confirmation that vacuum bombs have been used in the conflict in Ukraine, but footage from the country has shown thermobaric rocket launchers on Russia's TOS-1 vehicles.

Ukraine's ambassador to the US accused Putin's forces of using a banned thermobaric bomb on the capital of Kyiv overnight.

Footage has also emerged of the use of cluster bombs, which are banned by an international treaty called the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).

Cluster bombs, a type of explosive weapon which scatters 'bomblets' over an area. Russians are now using banned cluster munitions against civilian areas in Kharkiv, experts and activists have warned.

Cluster munitions were also to destroy a school in Okhtyrka, activist group Amnesty said, in which three people including a child were killed.

Thermobaric explosives apply the principles underlying accidental unconfined vapor cloud explosions, just like those that plagued British flour mills in the 19th century. The weaponry initially releases an aerosol consisting of very fine particles, such as metal, flammable dusts or chemical droplets. An ignition source then ignites the cloud of particles and their rapid combustion causes an explosion and a vacuum in the surrounding vicinity

Ukraine has accused Russian of launching cluster and vacuum bomb attacks as part of a terrifying offensive, with the country's president claiming that Vladimir Putin's actions amounted to war crimes

The science behind vacuum bombs Thermobaric weapons - also known as vacuum bombs - are high-powered explosive that use the atmosphere itself as part of the explosion. They are among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever developed. The bomb works by using oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, making it far deadlier than a conventional weapon. A thermobaric bomb dropped by the US on Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 weighed 21,600 pounds and left a crater more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) wide after it exploded six feet above the ground. Thermobaric weapons were developed by both the US and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. In September 2007, Russia detonated the largest thermobaric weapon ever made, which created an explosion equivalent to 39.9 tons. Last week, it emerged that Russia may use the weapons if their assault in Ukraine became bogged down. A western official said: 'My fear would be that if they don't meet their timescale and objectives they would be indiscriminate in their use of violence. 'They don't adhere to the same principles of necessity and proportionality and rule of law that Western forces do.' Advertisement

Thermobaric weapons were developed by both the US and the Soviet Union in the 1960s.

In September 2007, Russia detonated the largest thermobaric weapon ever made, which created an explosion equivalent to 39.9 tons.

The US version of the weapon reportedly costs more than $16 million each.

A vacuum bomb, or thermobaric weapon, sucks in oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive and is capable of vaporizing human bodies.

The bomb works by using oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, making it far deadlier than a conventional weapon.

Thermobaric explosives apply the principles underlying accidental unconfined vapor cloud explosions, just like those that plagued British flour mills in the 19th century.

The weaponry initially releases an aerosol consisting of very fine particles, such as metal, flammable dusts or chemical droplets.

According to the Journal of Military and Veterans' Health, this cloud flows around objects and into cavities and structures, and may penetrate small openings, such as openings in buildings, bunkers and engine bays of armoured vehicles.

An ignition source then ignites the cloud of particles and their rapid combustion causes and explosion and a vacuum in the surrounding vicinity.

According to reports, Russia is already using a thermobaric rocket system called TOS-1 Buratino, also referred to as a flamethrower.

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, told reporters after meeting with members of the US Congress that Russia had used a vacuum bomb.

A thermobaric bomb dropped by the US on Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 weighed 21,600 pounds and left a crater more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) wide after it exploded six feet above the ground

A thermobaric bomb explosion during the Caucasus 2016 strategic drills at Opuk range of Russia's Southern Military District

Thermobaric weapons were developed by both the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Here, a thermobaric bomb explosion during the Caucasus 2016 strategic drills at Opuk range of Russia's Southern Military District

Thermobaric explosives apply the principles underlying accidental unconfined vapor cloud explosions, just like those that plagued British flour mills in the 19th century. Pictured, a volley heavy surface-to-surface missile system with thermobaric weapons in an undisclosed location

'They used the vacuum bomb today,' Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers. 'The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large.'

There has been no official confirmation that thermobaric weapons have been used in the conflict in Ukraine, although CNN reported that one of its teams had spotted a Russian thermobaric multiple rocket launcher near the Ukrainian border.

According to reports, Russia is already using a thermobaric rocket system called TOS-1 Buratino, also referred to as a flamethrower.

A thermobaric bomb dropped by the US on Taliban in Afghanistan in 2017 weighed 21,600 pounds and left a crater more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) wide after it exploded six feet above the ground.

The russian army has deployed the TOS-1 heavy flamethrower which shoots thermobaric rockets, the was South of Belgorod. pic.twitter.com/XCxMI3bNB3  Frederik Pleitgen (@fpleitgenCNN) February 26, 2022

The TOS-1 Buratino multiple rocket launcher, pictured here in June 2020 during Moscow's Victory Day military parade, is believed to have been deployed in Ukraine

On September 11, 2007, Russia announced to the world that it had successfully tested the world's most powerful nonnuclear bomb.The FOAB, according to RT, is a thermobaric bomb

What do vacuum bombs do to the human body? According to the Journal of Military and Veterans' Health, vacuum bombs affect organs where there is a tissue interface of varying densities, such as the lungs, bowel and inner ear. 'It predominandy affects the pulmonary, cardiovascular, auditory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems,' it says. 'General treatment is based on airway; breathing and circulation assessment, in conjunction with oxygen therapy. Prophylactic antibiotics and tetanus vaccine should be considered.' In terms of the pulmonary system, when the blast wave hits, a stress wave causes damage, particularly at the lobes, along the ribs on the side of the blast, mediastinum and alveoli, and, may rupture the more rigid bronchioles. The alveoli, if ruptured, leak fluid into the lungs, which could lead to complete filling or 'shock lung' or 'blast lung'. The cardiovascular system may be affected by an air embolus in the heart or coronary arteries or by diffuse damage to the myocardium - the muscular tissue of the heart. As for auditory damage, the eardrum is ruptured, with mild hearing loss. In more severe cases, the membrane could disintegrate and the ossicles (three bones in either middle ear) dislocate, requiring surgical intervention. In the worst cases, the inner ear is damaged producing 'sensori-neural' deafness and disabling pain, nausea and balance problems. Source: Journal of Military and Veterans' Health Advertisement

General Sir Richard Barrons, a former head of the UK's joint forces command, had said on Sunday that it remained unclear whether Putin would order his troops to use the weapons.

He added that the consequences would be devastating.

'Unleashing thermobaric weapons and the mass concentrated use of heavy artillery will cause the indiscriminate, unnecessary and unwarranted slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people,' he told the Mail on Sunday.

'The thing we have never known  and nobody knows  is the intent behind this, because nobody understands what is in Putin's mind.'

Vacuum bombs can have devastating effects for anyone nearby when they are detonated.

Those on the fringe are likely to suffer many internal, invisible injuries, including crushed organs, severe concussions and possibly blindness.

According to the Journal of Military and Veterans' Health, they affect organs where there is a tissue interface of varying densities, such as the lungs, bowel and inner ear.

'It predominandy affects the pulmonary, cardiovascular, auditory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems,' it says.

'General treatment is based on airway; breathing and circulation assessment, in conjunction with oxygen therapy. Prophylactic antibiotics and tetanus vaccine should be considered.'

In terms of the pulmonary system, when the blast wave hits, a stress wave causes damage, particularly at the lobes, along the ribs on the side of the blast, mediastinum and alveoli, and, may rupture the more rigid bronchioles.

The alveoli, if ruptured, leak fluid into the lungs, which could lead to complete filling or 'shock lung' or 'blast lung'.

The cardiovascular system may be affected by an air embolus in the heart or coronary arteries or by diffuse damage to the myocardium - the muscular tissue of the heart.

As for auditory damage, the eardrum is ruptured, with mild hearing loss. In more severe cases, the membrane could disintegrate and the ossicles (three bones in either middle ear) dislocate, requiring surgical intervention.

In the worst cases, the inner ear is damaged producing 'sensori-neural' deafness and disabling pain, nausea and balance problems.
NASA is exploring ways to keep the International Space Station operational in low Earth orbit without Russian help to maintain the spacecraft's propulsion.

It comes after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, prompting a spate of sanctions from the US, including restricting cooperation with its space industry.

Last week, the head of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, warned the US against introducing sanctions against its space program, threatening to stop maintenance that could see the 500 ton ISS fall out of orbit on to the US.

Russian cargo spaceships manage propulsion on the station, and keep it in orbit 253 miles above the Earth. Without their regular adjustments, it would fall back to Earth.

NASA says it is exploring ways to keep it in orbit without Russian help, including using commercial cargo vehicles from SpaceX and Northrup Grumman.

However, the US space agency says it doesn't see any immediate signs of Moscow withdrawing from the international orbital collaboration.

The International Space Station (ISS) is seen on a monitor after a Soyuz MS-20 space craft undocked from the ISS, starting the landing of the International space crew including Japanese space tourists

Kathy Lueders, who heads the agency's human spaceflight program, said operations on the research platform were proceeding 'nominally' and 'we're not getting any indications at a working level that our counterparts are not committed.'

'That said, we always look for how do we get more operational flexibility and our cargo providers are looking at how do we add different capabilities,' she continued.

While the US side of the ISS supplies power and life support, Russia is responsible for propulsion and keeping the station in its orbit, over 250 miles above the planet.

It does this by using docked Progress spacecraft to periodically give the station a boost to maintain its altitude, and stop it falling back to the Earth.

Rogozin raised the prospect of pulling out of the partnership in response to US sanctions, warning that without the Progress spacecraft, the 400 ton structure would fall back to Earth without any indication of where it might lands.

NASA is exploring ways to keep the International Space Station operational in low Earth orbit without Russian help to maintain propulsion

Russia is building its own space station Russia announced in 2020 that it could withdraw from the International Space Station as early as 2025 and launch its own facility. Dmitry Rogozin, chief of the Russian space agency said work has already begun on the first module of a new station, although that could be attached to the ISS if the international facility is still in operation when it is completed in 2025. A top Kremlin official warned that 'disaster' was looming for the ISS, putting the lives of crew members at risk due to its age - by 2025 is will be 27 years old and was originally designed to last between 15 and 30 years, according to NASA. Russia has shared images and video of the first module that will make up a core part of its new hi-tech orbital base, which is expected to include a tourist hotel. NASA has since confirmed plans to de-orbit the ISS in 2031, switching to using commercial stations instead. Russia hasn't revealed its future plans, which could change dramatically after it invaded Ukraine on Wednesday. Advertisement

Lueders said: 'Northrop Grumman has been offering up a reboost capability, and you know, our SpaceX folks are looking at can we have additional capability.'

The last Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo vessel that arrived at the ISS on February 21 was the first to boast a capacity to 'reboost' the outpost without Russian help.

On Friday, SpaceX boss Elon Musk tweeted his company's logo in response to Rogozin's rhetorical question about who would save the ISS.

But Lueders stressed that such plans were a contingency measure only, adding 'It would be very difficult for us to be operating on our own -- ISS is an international partnership that was created...with joint dependencies,' she said.

'As a team, we are looking at where we may have operational flexibilities, but... it would be a sad day for international operations if we can't continue to peacefully operate in space,' she concluded.

A symbol of post Cold War detente, the ISS has been continuously habited for more than 21 years and has weathered past geopolitical storms, notably Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, with space exploded from sanctions at the time.

But some observers believe the invasion of Ukraine could hasten the demise of US-Russian space cooperation.

Currently, seven astronauts  four from the US, two from Russia and one from Germany  are on the ISS.

Rogozin has said that US sanctions could 'destroy our cooperation' and said the research platform would plummet to the Earth without his nation's help.

'If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling on US or European territory?' said Rogozin  while noting that the station doesn't fly over much of Russia.

However, one space expert said this was unlikely, considering Roscosmos has Russian personnel on board.

'Nobody wants to put the lives of astronauts and cosmonauts in danger by political maneuvering,' John Logsdon, a professor and space analyst at George Washington University.

Last week, the head of the Russian space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, warned the US against introducing sanctions against its space program, threatening to stop maintenance that could see the 500 ton ISS fall out of orbit on to the US

The ISS is a collaboration between the US and Russia, as founding partners, along with Canada, the European Space Agency and Japan.

It is split into two main sections, the Russian and US orbital segments, and they depend on each other for operational survival.

'The Russian segment can't function without the electricity on the American side, and the American side can't function without the propulsion systems that are on the Russian side,' former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman told CNN.

'So you can't do an amicable divorce. You can't do a conscious uncoupling.'

NASA said in a statement soon after the conflict started, that there were no changes planned to the cooperation between Russia and the US on the ISS, but appear to have begun looking at contingencies, in case the situation further escalates.

It isn't just the US looking at contingency operations when it comes to working with Russia in space. The European Space Agency has postponed its ExoMars rover launch, likely until at least 2024 as it was scheduled to go up on a Russian rocket.

In a statement posted to its website, ESA said it is 'assessing the consequences on each of our ongoing programmes' that are being conducted in cooperation with Roscosmos, while condemning Russia's actions.

'We deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the war in Ukraine,' ESA said.

'We are giving absolute priority to taking proper decisions, not only for the sake of our workforce involved in the programmes, but in full respect of our European values, which have always fundamentally shaped our approach to international cooperation.'
A group of three businessmen and a former NASA astronaut shouldn't be considered 'tourists' when they undertake their $55m-a-ticket flight to the ISS, according to the firm taking them because they'll be performing experiments while in orbit.

American real estate investor Larry Connor, Canadian businessman Mark Pathy, and Israeli former fighter pilot and entrepreneur Eytan Stibbe are paying to stay on the ISS, and will be joined by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria.

The widely reported ticket price for the three business magnates is $55 million each, a figure that hasn't been disputed by Axiom Space, the company managing the trip.

Lopez-Alegria, commander of the Ax-1 missithankon, said: 'We are not space tourists. I think there's an important role for space tourism, but it is not what Axiom is about.'

They will be the first commercially funded crew to visit the ISS, when they launch from the Kennedy Space Center on March 30 aboard a SpaceX Dragon.

Left to Right: Axiom Space Ax-1 Pilot Larry Connor, Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, Mission Specialist Mark Pathy, Mission Specialist Eytan Stibbe

The crew of Ax-1 will fly a SpaceX Dragon to the International Space Station

The quartet will carry out 26 experiments in the microgravity environment of the the orbital laboratory, which is about 250 miles above the surface of the Earth.

The experiments are in areas including heart and stem cell research, as well as a technology demonstration for a self-assembling spacecraft.

Lopez-Alegria said: 'My crewmates have worked very hard....they're busy people and they've taken a lot of time out of their lives to focus on this, and it's definitely not a vacation for them.'

The crew have been training at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, and other NASA facilities, since August 2021.

This training has allowed them to become familiar with the ISS systems, scientific facilities on board and emergency procedures.

As well as training with NASA, the four have been working with the European Space Agency (ESA) and SpaceX at its Hawthorne, California facility.

Axiom Space, the private space company developing its own module for the ISS, will operate the trip, including managing and running ground control for the four commercial astronauts

MEET WEALTHY TRIO THAT FUNDED THE AX-1 MISSION AND WILL FLY TO THE ISS IN MARCH Three wealthy investors will spend ten days in space, including a week on the International Space Station. They are: Larry Connor Larry Connor, 72, will be the Ax-1 mission pilot for the trip. Connor was born in 1950 in Albany, New York, and graduated from Ohio University in 1972. The investor founded his first firm, the Orlando Computer Corp in 1982. He then founded the Connor Group, a real estate investment firm, in 1992, which has grown to become a $3.5 billion business. Married to wife Christine since 1981, he has three children and leveraged his success with the Connor Group to found a children's charity. Connor is no stranger to adventure, having explored the Challenger Deep and the Sirena Deep in the Mariana Trench, beneath the Pacific Ocean. While on the station, he will carry out projects on behalf of the Mayo Clinic that could provide data on space travels impact on senescent cells. Mark Pathy Mark Pathy, 52, will be a mission specialist on the Ax-1 flight. Canadian born, he is a child of immigrants, his mother from the Netherlands and father born in Egypt to Hungarian parents. He graduated with honours from the University of Toronto in 1993 and achieved a masters in 1998. Pathy is the President of Mavrik Corp, a privately-owned investment, and financing company based in Montreal. Married to wife Jessica, Pathy has raised money for multiple good causes through the Pathy Family Foundation. He is said to have spent most of his life avoiding the spotlight, saying during the announcement of his spaceflight: 'If I could do this trip in anonymity I would'. The investor is also member of the board and Executive Committee of the Montreal Childrens Hospital Foundation, and supporter of climate change protection efforts. He will work with six Canadian universities, as well as two startups on 'proof of concept' ideas while in orbit. This includes the worlds first in-space demonstration of two-way holoportation  a mixed reality app for special lenses that receives two-way 3D projections as a hologram to communicate between users remotely. Eytan Stibbe Eytan Stibbe, 64, will be a mission specialist for the Ax-1 mission. Born in Haifa, Israel, he spent the first seven years of his life in the US before returning to Israel with his family. He is a 'social impact investor', philanthropist and former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot. Stibbe served from 1976 until 1984, but continued to serve as a reservist until 2012, obtaining the rank of Colonel. The former fighter ace has been married to Ora Etrog Stibbe since 1985, a psychotherapist. They have three children  Amit, Shir and Yoav  and four grandchildren. Stibbe is the founding partner of Vital Capital impact investment fund, established in 2010 with the aim of improving the situations of underserved populations in developing countries. He founded social benefit company Anatta with his wife, supporting social and education initiatives. The philanthropist also sits on the board of the Ramon Foundation, started by Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, and will carry out experiments for them while in orbit. During his mission, he will facilitate scientific experiments and will conduct educational and artistic activities to connect the younger generation in Israel and around the globe on the values of peace, innovation, and social responsibility. Advertisement

The SpaceX training has allowed them to become familiar with the operation of the Crew Dragon capsule, that will take them to the station and back.

NASA started working with the Axiom mission operations team on simulations in December, to get a feel for how the first all civilian crew on the ISS would operate.

This work allowed ground control for NASA and Axiom to familiarize themselves 'with the dynamic phases of the private astronauts' flight to and from the space station.'

The mission comes in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and rising tensions between the US and Russia over the ISS.

NASA recently announced it was considering ways it could manage and operate the space station alone, without Russia providing propulsion to keep it in orbit.

Most of the crew's activities will take place in the US segment of the ISS, although Lopez-Alegria said they 'would like to go visit' the Russian section.

However, this would require a safety escort, as they're not trained on the Russian systems - some of which are older than the US modules.

Spanish-American, Lopez-Alegria flew to space four times for NASA before retiring, and has since taken up the role of vice president, and mission commander at Axiom - where is working with paying crew on space missions.

It isn't clear exactly what the objectives of the four AX-1 crew will be, as the final proposals won't be approved until closer to flight, NASA confirmed.

Axiom previously revealed a microgravity research portfolio the Ax-1 crew intends to undertake in orbit, in partnership with a variety of organizations on Earth.

'The goal for the Ax-1 crew is to set a standard for all future private astronaut missions in terms of our preparation and professionalism,' Lopez-Alegria said.

'As the commander, I am proud of the work these crew members have put in to be ready to conduct meaningful work on the International Space Station and glad to see them meet the standards required of all astronauts flying to station since Expedition 1 - the first crew launch to the ISS in November 2000.

'Ax-1 is focused on a huge amount of science and outreach activities, and we look forward now to finalizing that flight program.'

Axiom has also revealed that the astronauts will be taking technology built by Israeli company, Aleph Farms, to the station.

This technology involves turning cells taken from a cow into raw meat by growing the cells and turning them into muscle, fat and other components.

'Aleph's general goal is to be able to provide nutritious, tasty, sustainable food anywhere, anytime,' said Zvika Tamari, the head of space research, adding that ' stretching that to its limit is the ability to also provide nutrition in space.'

In terms of outreach, an ancient coin minted by Jewish rebels revolting against the Romans 1,900 years ago will accompany former Israeli pilot Etan Stibbe to the ISS.

Stibbe, 63, is one of three men who paid $55 million each to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for Axiom's first privately crewed mission.

The coin comes from the Bar Kokhba revolt, which took place from 132 to 136 AD and was the final of three Jewish-Roman wars that first began when Romans took control of Jerusalem in 63 AD.

It bears etchings of a palm tree on one side and a vine leaf with the inscription 'Year Two of the liberty of Israel' on the other.'

The company has partnered for a total of four missions with SpaceX, and NASA has already approved in principle the second of these, known as Ax-2.

Axiom sees the voyages as the first steps of a grander goal in the commercialization of low Earth orbit - a shift NASA supports.

The firm plans to build its own private space station. The first module is due to launch in September 2024, president and CEO Michael Suffredini said.

The plan is for it to initially be attached to the ISS, before eventually flying autonomously when the latter retires and is deorbited sometime after 2030.

For more than 21 years, NASA has supported a continuous U.S. human presence in low-Earth orbit aboard the space station.

'The agency's goal is to enable a strong, commercial marketplace in low-Earth orbit with private industry where NASA is one of many customers,' a spokesperson said.

A group of three businessmen and a former NASA astronaut shouldn't be considered 'tourists' when they become they travel to the ISS, according to the firm taking them, as they have been training as astronauts, and will carry out experiments and tasks while on the station

'This strategy will provide services the government needs at a lower cost, enabling the agency to focus on its Artemis missions to the Moon in preparation for Mars while continuing to use low-Earth orbit as a training and proving ground for those deep space missions.'

The ISS isn't a stranger to commercial visitors, with the first paying astronaut, Dennis Tito, docking with the station in April 2001 on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Last year, Russia also sent private crews to the ISS, though these included active cosmonauts to fly the spacecraft, so wasn't entirely privately funded and operated.

The first mission was to shoot a film, while the second involved a Japanese billionaire and his assistant.

Axiom is in discussions with a production company over filming a Hollywood movie on the space station, that is expected to star Tom Cruise, and is working with a British firm on a film studio, that would be docked to its own ISS module.
Russian residents stage a rally in front of Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno District, Seoul, Sunday, protesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Yonhap



Protests held in Korea lambasting Russian leader



By Lee Hyo-jin



Anti-government protests in Russia are rare, as the authoritarian regime does not tolerate expression of dissent against the Kremlin. However, President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has immediately provoked strong backlash among Russian citizens.



Mass demonstrations erupted across Russia over the weekend, where people protested against what the Russian government called a "special military operation" aimed at the "denazification and demilitarization" of its neighboring country.



Joining their brave actions were Russian residents in Korea, who staged an anti-war rally in front of Bosingak Pavilion in Seoul, Sunday.



Only 20 people were scheduled to take part in the event, but to the surprise of the rally's organizers, over 100 Russians gathered, holding placards reading, "We say no to the war," "Stand with Ukraine" and "Stop Russian Aggressor Adolf Putin  Hands off Ukraine."



"This is the first demonstration I've ever participated in in my life. I couldn't just sit and do nothing while innocent people are dying because of my country," said a Russian student living in Seoul.





A participant of an anti-war rally organized by Russian residents holds a placard reading, "I am a Russian and I oppose the war." Yonhap



She spoke on condition of anonymity as Russian citizens were warned by their government recently that "negative comments" about Putin's invasion of Ukraine would be treated as "treason."



"It is unacceptable to launch an attack on another sovereign state and use nuclear threats in the 21st century. I'm ashamed of my country and I can't help but feel responsible for the actions of our government. But at the same time, we are the victims of Putin's war, too," she said, explaining that a wide range of sanctions imposed by Western countries are already affecting daily life for Russian citizens.




NASA's crewed mission to put the first woman on the surface of the moon is likely to be pushed back again, with NASA regulators saying it is unlikely before 2026.

While in the White House, President Donald Trump pushed NASA to return to the moon by 2024, but that slipped to 2025 last year, and will probably split again.

Speaking at the House space subcommittee hearing on the Artemis program, NASA's Inspector General Paul Martin, outlined details of his review into the mission.





Reviewing data from NASA, he discovered that each Artemis mission would cost at least $4.1 billion - and that is just the cost of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule, that will ferry the astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit.





Mr Martin said: 'We estimate NASA will spend $53 billion on Artemis from 2021 to 2025, moreover we found the first four Artemis missions will cost $4.1 billion per launch, a price tag that strikes us as unsustainable.'

NASA says it will be able to launch Artemis III, the first crewed mission to land on the lunar surface since 1972, in 2025, with the first uncrewed mission launching in May.

When asked to define the purpose of Artemis, NASA Associate Administrator, Jim Free, said it was all about landing astronauts on Mars and getting them back safely.

NASA's crewed mission to put the first woman on the surface of the moon has been pushed back again, with the space agency saying it is unlikely before 2026

Before NASA can return humans to the surface of the moon, it will carry out two missions to orbit the moon, the first without, and the second with a crew.

Artemis 1, will be the first in NASA's new generation of moon missions, which itself has been hit by a number of delays, mostly linked to the giant SLS rocket.

It won't launch until at least the end of May, and could slip into June, according to the space agency. It was originally due to launch at the end of last year.

The subcommittee was aiming to understand how Artemis was operating, and whether NASA was managing its budget effectively.

Artemis is the largest crewed mission project for NASA since the Apollo missions, that saw twelve astronauts step foot on the surface of the moon.

Although NASA first announced Artemis program in December 2017, work started on the SLS rocket and Orion capsule in 2011.

Billions of pounds of research and development investment has gone into these two projects, as well as further funding for the SpaceX Starship lunar lander and the lunar gateway space station - all designed to make moon travel sustainable.

Speaking at the House space subcommittee hearing on the Artemis program, NASA's Inspector General Paul Martin, outlined details of his review into the mission, including the Orion capsule (pictured) and SLS megarocket

NASA'S SPACE LAUNCH SYSTEM ROCKET IS THE LARGEST EVER MADE AND WILL LET HUMANS EXPLORE THE SOLAR SYSTEM Space Launch System, or SLS, is a launch vehicle that NASA hopes will take its astronauts back to the moon and beyond. The rocket will have an initial lift configuration, set to launch in the early-2020's, followed by an upgraded 'evolved lift capability' that can carry heavier payloads. Space Launch System Initial Lift Capability - Maiden flight: Mid-2020's - Height: 311 feet (98 metres) - Lift: 70 metric tons - Weight: 2.5 million kilograms (5.5 million lbs) Space Launch System Evolved Lift Capability - Maiden flight: Unknown - Height: 384 feet (117 metres) - Lift: 130 metric tons - Weight: 2.9 million kilograms (6.5 million lbs) Advertisement

The subcommittee hearing was an opportunity for Mr Martin to present his report into Artemis, including findings from seven audit reports over the past two years.

'Apart from its cost, NASA's initial three Artemis missions face varying degrees of technical risk that will push launch schedules from months to years past hte agencies goals,' Mr Martin predicted.

The first of these, Artemis I, will launch by July this year, although that has already been pushed back multiple times - the latest to allow for a wet dress rehearsal.

Artemis II, which will see a crew of astronauts orbit the moon and return to Earth, NASA is facing delays because of plans to re-use Orion components from Artemis I, so is suffering a knock on of those initial delays.

'For Artemis III, given the time needed to develop and test a human landing system, and NASA's next generation space suits, we estimate the date for a crewed lunar landing likely will slip to 2026 at the earliest,' Mr Martin said.

He also expressed concern over a lack of transparency from NASA over Artemis, citing the fact it isn't defined as a formal program under agency policies.

This means there is no need for NASA to provide a full lifecycle cost estimate for the entire program, and instead published rough cost estimates up to 2025, excluding $25 billion set aside for key activities beyond Artemis III.

'We project that NASA will spend $93 billion on the Artemis efforts from 2012 through to 2025,' Mr Martin said, adding that without NASA publishing accurate costs of current and future Artemis missions, it will be harder for congress and the administration to make decisions over future funding needs.

'To its credit, NASA is taking steps to help reduce costs and accelerate Artemis mission schedule, including modifying procurement and program management practices,' Mr Martin added.

This included leveraging commercial capabilities from firms like SpaceX, to develop the Human Lander System based on Starship.

'As NASA moves forward it must accellerate these efforts, to make Artemis programs more affordable, otherwise relying on a single use rocket systems will inhibit, if not derail, NASA's ability to sustain its long term exploration goals to the moon and Mars,' he explained.

Mr Martin also said that part of the problem facing NASA, in terms of the cost of SLS and sustainability, came from contracts with commercial partners that favored the partner, specifically highlighting Boeing's management of SLS.

Reviewing data from NASA, he discovered that each Artemis mission would cost at least $4.1 billion - and that is just the cost of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule, that will ferry the astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit

Adding that NASA would need to improve its contracts, if the program was to become sustainable in the future.

Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Daniel Dumbacher, a former NASA program manager, told the committee space exploration is 'risky business' but needs to move more rapidly.

NASA is going to miss its moon landing target date by 'several YEARS,' watchdog report says A report from NASA's inspector general said the U.S. space agency will miss its target for landing humans on the moon in late 2024 by 'several years,' just days after it pushed back its initial target date to 2025, citing cost overruns and lawsuits. 'Given the time needed to develop and fully test the HLS and new spacesuits, we project NASA will exceed its current timetable for landing humans on the Moon in late 2024 by several years,' the IG wrote in its report. The report also notes that NASA is not properly estimating all costs for the Artemis program and could spend as much as $93 billion between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2025, when taking into account the $25 billion needed for missions beyond Artemis III. 'Without capturing, accurately reporting, and reducing the cost of future [Space Launch System]/Orion missions, the Agency will face significant challenges to sustaining its Artemis program in its current configuration,' the report added. Advertisement

He said a 'clear strategy and process, a clear systems engineering approach, a greater tolerance for risk, and development and growth of a talented workforce' were essential features in allowing NASA and commercial partners to achieve the goals set out for returning to the moon, and on to Mars.

When quizzed about the goal of Artemis, and whether NASA has a clear strategy, Associate Administrator for NASA's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, Jim Free, said the goal was Mars.

'For me it is very simple, our ultimate goal is putting people on Mars. It is getting two people to Mars, on the surface for 30 days, and getting them back safely.

'Everything we do should be driven by that on the moon. That is how long we need to stay on the moon so we prove the systems out that we need to understand from a partial gravity environment, and is what we use as everything driving how we define our architecture on the moon.'

He said the Artemis program setup, through to Artemis III, will be responsible for tracking the hardware through development, and bringing it all together.'

Mr Free said Covid had an impact on the running of Artemis, particularly in the supply chain, with the level of impact unlikely to be clear for some time.

'From a supply chain perspective, we still are trying to understand that. We've had impacts before Covid, particularly around the demand for space components and the complexity of those components. From a Covid impact, I think it is TBD.

'You've heard of issues around chips, but for us it is around valves and tanks, issues we have to figure out in weeks and months ahead as we put our next budget together.'

When asked to define the purpose of Artemis, NASA Associate Administrator, Jim Free, said it was all about landing astronauts on Mars and getting them back safely

Mr Martin explained that the long lead times for NASA projects was likely causing the complexity in determining the level of impact.

Legal challenges, from Jeff Bezos suing NASA over awarding the lander contract to SpaceX, was also a major factor in the delay, he added.

Not everyone speaking at the committee hearing were as pessimistic as Mr Martin, when it came to the date of the next human landing on the moon slipping to 2026.

Mr Free was confident the 2025 date was still possible, and Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel chair Patricia Sanders agreed.

William Russell, from the US Government Accountability Office, said 2025 'is not impossible, but seems improbably,' predicting a 2026 launch.

Finally Mr Dumbacher said it could slip as far as 2027, although admitted 2025 was still within the realm of possibility.
Cristiano Ronaldo's playing time at Manchester United could be dramatically reduced if the Old Trafford side are successful in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen.

The 22-year-old has impressed for Napoli this season having scored 11 goals in 22 appearances despite missing two months of action due to a cheekbone injury.

Since returning to the side in January, the Nigerian scored two goals in six appearances and is reportedly on Ralf Rangnick's radar.

Manchester United have targeted Napoli's Victor Osimhen as a Cristiano Ronaldo replacement

According to Rai Sport journalist Ciro Venerato, the 22-year-old is Uniteds primary target to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer but Napoli wants at least 84m for the youngster.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford last summer and despite hitting the ground running, his form has dried up and he has scored just once in his last 10 games.

The Portuguese superstar is under contract until 2023 but is on 480k-a-week, making him the best-paid Premier League player.

Ronaldo's form has dramatically dropped but Napoli want 84m for the Nigerian young striker

He is also 37 making him 15 years older than Osimhen so it is easy to see why Rangnick is interested in the Nigerian.

Despite Ronaldo's slump in form, he remains the top goalscorer at United this season on 15 goals.

Bruno Fernandes is in second on nine while Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have only scored a combined nine.
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A brand-new cable car attraction is set to open in Paris by 2025.

Billed as the longest cable car system in France, the 'Cable 1' project will stretch for 4.5km (2.7 miles) between the areas of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and Creteil in the southeastern suburbs of the French capital.

Recently released renderings offer a look at the project, which is being constructed with an investment of over 111million (132million) - not including the price of the cabins.

A brand-new cable car attraction - 'Cable 1' - is set to open in the southeastern suburbs of Paris by 2025. It's anticipated that it will be a hugely popular addition to the French capital - an estimated 11,000 people will hop on to the cable cars (shown here in a rendering) daily

The rendering above shows one of the 'Cable 1' stops in the Limeil-Brevannes area

The cable car system will stretch for 4.5km (2.7miles), linking the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges area and Pointe du Lac in Creteil (shown above in a rendering)

A rendering of the Emile Zola cable car station in Valenton. The new system is being constructed with an investment of over 111million (132million) - not including the price of the cabins

Planning for the project first got underway in 2016 and, according to Le Parisien, construction on the new cable car system will begin later this year.

How high will it go? Passengers will rise between 25m (82ft) and 40m (131ft) in the air as 'Cable 1' soars over the suburbs.

It's anticipated to be a hugely popular addition to the city - an estimated 11,000 people will hop on to the cable cars daily, with each comfortable and secure cabin accommodating 10 passengers.

In total, it will take around 18 minutes for passengers to travel from the first stop to the last and the system will be able to ferry around 1,600 passengers per hour, with just 30 seconds between each cabin at peak times.

Passengers will rise between 25m (82ft) and 40m (131ft) in the air as 'Cable 1' soars over the suburbs. The above rendering shows the station at Bois Matar in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges - one terminus on the route

It will take around 18 minutes for travellers to travel from the first stop to the last, with room for 10 passengers in each cabin

Each station will be just one-storey, making it 100 per cent accessible for all passengers

In order to construct the new system, 33 white pylons will be installed throughout the suburbs, designed to blend harmoniously into their surroundings.

The development aims to connect Parisians that live in the suburbs of the city by opening them up to the Metro and bus routes.

There will be five stops on the cable car system, with the terminus at Pointe du Lac in Creteil a short distance from Metro line 8.

A rendering shows the exterior of Emile Zola station. There will be five stops on the cable car system

A rendering of the cable car station at Emile Combes. In order to construct the new system, 33 white pylons will be installed throughout the suburbs, designed to blend harmoniously into their surroundings

The above rendering shows Bois Matar station. The French transport company Ile-de-France Mobilites and the architecture studio Atelier Schall are leading the project

Temps Durables and Emile Combes in Limeil-Brevannes, and Emile Zola in Valenton and Bois Matar in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges make up the other stops on the journey.

Each station will be just one-storey, making it 100 per cent accessible for all passengers.

The French transport company Ile-de-France Mobilites and the architecture studio Atelier Schall are taking the helm with the project. They will collaborate with cable car manufacturer Doppelmayr France and the Spie Batignolles and Egis Rail construction firms.

Though it's a first for Paris, this won't be France's only metropolitan cable car system - there are already similar projects in place in Grenoble and Brest.

For more information visit www.cable1.iledefrance-mobilites.fr.
Kim Bodnia has said that women make violence 'funnier' as he discussed the feminist stance of Killing Eve.

The actor, 56, stars as Konstantin in the BBC series opposite Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri and Jodie Comer as assassin Villanelle.

Speaking to Radio Times, the TV star said the series has provided a new way of 'showing women' on screen which he thinks is more 'interesting'.

Candid: Kim Bodnia has said that women make violence 'funnier' as he discussed the feminist stance of Killing Eve

He said: 'It seems as if women can do a lot of things that men just can't do. Not because we are better, or worse, but because women are just interested in it.

'Violence, for example. Women make it funnier. With men, it always ends up too violent, or unresolved in some way.'

Kim also told how his character Konstantin was not supposed to be the series regular he is today.

The character, who is the Moscow-based boss of Villanelle, was originally set to be killed off in episode four of the first season.

Role: The actor, 56, stars as Konstantin in the BBC series opposite Sandra Oh (right) as Eve Polastri and Jodie Comer (left) as assassin Villanelle

But Kim said he had long conversations with executive producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge and it was decided the character would stick around.

Originally meant to be a baddie, Kim explained: 'He is surrounded by women as the main actors. So he could have the opportunity to be a more flexible character, show a greater range of emotions.'

Interview: The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now

The fourth and final season of Killing Eve is currently airing.

Speaking on This Morning last year, Jodie told hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield how she was about to shoot the last two episodes.

Jodie said that she hopes the show will end on a 'good and satisfying' note for viewers while not completely ruling out doing a film based on the series.

She said: 'It's very surreal, we are just about to start filming the last 2 episodes. We want to end on a good note and on a satisfying note for the audience. It's been a huge part of all our lives.

'I feel emotional even thinking about it. I want to take a clapper board with me when we wrap up!'

'It will be great to end in a way as if you go on and on with a series the quality can fade, but it will be hard to not see those people every day.'

The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now.
Rumours shock jock Alan Jones may be headed to 2SM have been slapped down after months of speculation.

Any attempt to join the station would be impossible for Jones, 80, due to contractual reasons, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

A restrictive exit clause in the radio veteran's contract with former employer 2GB allegedly prevents him from hosting a show on any rival network before 12pm.

Looking for work: Rumours of a move to 2SM for Alan Jones (pictured) have been slapped down after months of speculation. Any attempt to join the station would be impossible for Jones due to his exit contract with 2GB, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday

The news comes after FM radio giant Kyle Sandilands told listeners of The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday: 'Word in radio land is that he [Jones] is joining 2SM.'

Rumours about Jones possibly moving to 2SM began soon after he appeared on the station during John Laws' breakfast show in July 2021.

On-air rivals for 30 years, Jones and Laws joked and told listeners they were friends.

At one point Laws, 85, jokingly asked Jones whether he wanted a job.

Industry gossip: The news comes after FM radio giant Kyle Sandilands (pictured) told listeners of The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday: 'Word in radio land is that he [Jones] is joining 2SM'

Jones replied: 'Put a bit of paper in front of me, you know what its like, its the same old rules isnt it?'

Later Laws suggested they work as a team, to which Jones responded: 'Why not?'

'We could set the world on fire, you and me,' Laws then said.

Old rivals: Rumours about Jones (right) possibly moving to 2SM began soon after he appeared on the station during John Laws' (left) breakfast show in July 2021

Jones hosted a popular breakfast show on 2GB for 18 years before leaving in 2020.

At the time, the millionaire Sydney broadcaster told listeners he was quitting due to ill health.

His departure came in the wake of controversy over comments he had made about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Jones later apologised for his remarks after sponsors briefly boycotted the Macquarie Network, then owners of 2GB.

In 2021, Jones lost his spot on Sky News Australia when his contract wasn't renewed.
Brooke Blurton is proudly waving the flag for the bisexual community at Mardi Gras.

And the former Bachelorette, 27, flaunted her sensational figure on Monday as she danced around her home in a figure-hugging bodysuit.

Brooke, who recently split from ex-boyfriend Darvid Garayeli, carried the pride flag while performing a sexy routine down the stairs.

Got the moves: Bisexual Bachelorette Brooke Blurton, 27, (pictured) showcased her sexy dance moves in a figure-hugging bodysuit as she celebrated Mardi Gras week on Monday

Brooke wore a pair of white heels for the sizzling performance, opted for minimal makeup, and styled her brunette hair loosely.

'Walking into Mardi Gras like...' she captioned the clip.

Brooke will likely attend Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade this week, which celebrates and recognises sexual minorities.

Wowsers! Brooke, who recently split from ex-boyfriend Darvid Garayeli, carried the pride flag while performing a sexy routine down the stairs

It comes after her break-up with ex Darvid, her winning suitor on The Bachelorette.

In an interview with NITV's The Point last month, Brooke claimed Darvid, 27, wanted to 'humiliate' her when he announced on Instagram they'd parted ways.

Brooke said she'd been blindsided by his decision to go public with their 'private' split, and said she was 'in a very vulnerable place' when it happened.

Celebration: Brooke will likely attend Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade this week, which celebrates and recognises sexual minorities

'It's a lot of pressure and I had no choice in any part of it going public, I would have preferred not to but it did,' she said.

'I feel like it was just to humiliate me, to have one over me, and what else did I have to do?'

'I was silenced. I was defenceless. I just had to cop it. And that's exactly what I did.'

Ouch: In a recent interview with NITV's The Point, The Bachelorette star claimed Darvid, 27, wanted to 'humiliate' her when he made a public announcement about their split in January

Darvid stunned Brooke and Bachelorette fans alike when he announced their split on Instagram in early January.

'Starting off the New Year with an end to a chapter and hopefully the beginning of another,' he began.

'Unfortunately Brooke and I have parted ways. Whilst we both genuinely thought we were each other's person, things change and that's okay.'

Betrayed: Brooke, 27, said she'd been blindsided by Darvid's decision to go public with their 'private' breakup, and said she was 'in a very vulnerable place' when it happened

Following Darvid's announcement, Brooke shared a post to Instagram admitting she was 'surprised' he'd shared the news with fans.

'Hey beautiful people before my phone blows up. I just want to say right now I'm finding this really quite overwhelming and just as surprising to me as you guys,' she began.

'I just woke up to the news. It was definitely agreed to part ways. I just wanted to do it privately, amicably and respectfully.'

Explanation: 'I feel like it was just to humiliate me, to have one over me, and what else did I have to do?' she insisted

She continued: 'This is not how and what I expected to be doing right now so as you can imagine, this is all a lot.

'You will all have your judgements and have your say but there is a lot going on in my world and D's of course. So I again just ask you be kind, we are human.'

She ended her post by asking the public to 'respect some part of some what "privacy" we do have right now' and said she'd be 'tuning out' of social media.
Simone Holtznagel left SAS Australia after a week on the gruelling show.

And following her exit on Monday's episode, the 28-year-old model reflected on her journey in the Special Forces selection course.

'Welp. Thanks for the memories SAS,' she began a lengthy post on Instagram.

Memories: Following her week-long stint on SAS Australia, model Simone Holtznagel, 28, shared a post on Instagram reflecting on her journey in the Special Forces selection course

'To the DS [Directing Staff], thank you for not giving up on me when my anxiety caused me give up on myself,' she added.

'In the all the moments when I wanted to VW [voluntarily withdraw], you saw in me what I could no longer see in myself...

'Each of you pushed me in ways that I didn't know I needed in those moments of weakness and self-doubt and gave me rational and (sometimes) harsh words that helped me overcome whatever was in front of me in that moment.'

Simone went on to say the experience was well worth the effort.

Grateful: 'To the DS [Directing Staff], thank you for not giving up on me when my anxiety caused me give up on myself,' she wrote. Pictured with Chief Instructor Ant Middleton

Simone's post was flooded with supportive comments from fans and fellow recruits.

'You should be so proud of yourself - you broke down a lot of barriers and really hung there. Hold your head high,' Barry Hall, 45, wrote.

'You were incredible. You should be so proud!' Anna Heinrich, 35, added.

Riana Crehan, 34, said: 'You are the absolute best. Love you. You smashed it.'

Supportive words: Simone's post was flooded with comments from fans and fellow recruits

Chief Instructor Ant Middleton also responded to her post, commenting: 'Amazing woman Nothing but love and positivity sent your way.'

To speak to a Lifeline Crisis Supporter, phone 13 11 14 or visit Lifeline.org.au

SAS Australia continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven and 7Plus
Alessandra Ambrosio and her boyfriend Richard Lee took a romantic walk while vacationing in St. Barts on Thursday.

The 40-year-old Brazilian model stunned in a lavender string bikini as she walked hand-in-hand with her fellow model boyfriend.

Richard was seen wearing board shorts and a black t-shirt as he carried a brown bag along the Caribbean coast.

Happy couple: Alessandra Ambrosio and her boyfriend Richard Lee took a romantic walk while vacationing in St. Barts on Thursday

Alessandra took a dip into the crystal clear ocean as she had a huge smile on her face and played in the shallow waters.

The mother-of-two has been updating her nearly 11 million Instagram followers of her vacation with her Richard and her nine-year-old son Noah.

On Sunday, Alessandra posted a few pictures of herself in a tiny, string orange bikini as she relaxed on the beaches with the crystal clear Caribbean ocean behind her.

'Un petit bout de paradis Ive missed u #stbarth #favoritespotonearth,' Alessandra captioned her post.

Brazilian beauty: The 40-year-old Brazilian model stunned in a lavender string bikini as she walked hand-in-hand with her fellow model boyfriend

Enjoying vacation: The mother-of-two has been updating her nearly 11 million Instagram followers of her vacation with her Richard and her nine-year-old son Noah

Feeling the water: Alessandra took a dip into the crystal clear ocean as she had a huge smile on her face and played in the shallow waters

The first half of her message is in French, which translates to 'a little piece of paradise'.

The mother-of-two paired a large sunhat with orange glasses to protect her ageless face from the sun. Alessandra had a drink in her hand as she posed for the camera on a turquoise beach towel.

On her Instagram story, Alessandra shared some more bikini snaps with her nearly 11 million followers.

On Sunday, Alessandra uploaded a few selfies in a burnt-orange bikini while she took a dip in the ocean.

In St. Barts: Ambrosio is enjoying her Caribbean getaway with her boyfriend Richard Lee and her nine year-old son Noah

Relaxing: On Sunday, Alessandra posted a few pictures of herself in a tiny, string orange bikini as she relaxed on the beaches with the crystal clear Caribbean ocean behind her

'New @galfloripa coming out soon...' she captioned the images, promoting her swimwear line.

The supermodel's minimal bikini was part of her Gal Floripa line that she co-founded with her sister Aline Ambrosio and best friend Gisele Coria in 2019.

'Growing up in Brazil, Gisele, Aline and I spent most of our summers together by the beach, immersed in the natural beauty of Florianopolis, known as 'The Magic Island', and spending almost every moment of the day in our swimwear,' Ambrosio reveals on her Gal Floripa webpage, adding, 'It makes sense that swimwear became like a second skin.'

Taking a dip: On Sunday, Alessandra uploaded a few selfies in a burnt-orange bikini while she took a dip in the ocean

Missing from the documented family fun was Ambrosio's daughter Anja Mazur, 13.

She shares her two children with her ex-fiance Jamie Mazur, whom she dated from 2005 to 2018.

Ambrosio and her current partner Lee have been romantically linked for one year, after they were first spotted canoodling in February 2021.

They have since been captured vacationing together several times, most recently in her native Brazil around the new year.
Plastic surgery-obsessed social media star Mary Magdalene has claimed she was assaulted at an airport recently.

The 25-year-old, who boasts 'the world's fattest vagina' and size-5000cc breast implants, alleged on Instagram she was groped by a 'butch lesbian' from airport security, who singled her out due to her voluptuous appearance.

'I started crying,' the American model said. 'She was literally laughing, making me take my top off and then began groping me.'

Violated: Plastic surgery-obsessed social media star Mary Magdalene (pictured) has claimed she was assaulted at an airport recently

Mary said she told the security guard to stop touching her, before another female guard nearby intervened and told the woman to stop, too.

'Just because someone looks sexual does not give you the right to assault them!' she continued.

'It was a butch lesbian. The majority of the time I get assaulted it's by women. So sick!

'Say what the f**k you want about me but don't f**king touch me! Very sick world we live in. People think it's okay to just touch strangers' breasts without consent!'

'I started crying': The model alleged on Instagram she was groped by a 'butch lesbian' from airport security, who singled her out due to her voluptuous appearance

'Absolutely disgusting sick people! But because I look how I do people will say I'm asking for it,' she added.

'That logic is so mentally deranged. If you think like that, please seek help.'

Mary then posted a response from a female Instagram follower, who victim-blamed her over the incident.

'Lmao. You look weird so people will act weird towards you, which is very normal. You are the problem,' the troll wrote.

Hands off! 'She was literally laughing, making me take my top off and then began groping me,' a distraught Mary said on Instagram

'Oh yeah, because I love getting assaulted by men!' Mary responded sarcastically.

'See how sick people are? But if I dress like a nun only then assault is wrong. Girl, bye,' she added.

Mary became a social media sensation in 2018 after she almost died during an operation to enlarge her vagina.

'I almost died during [the] procedure. I had to get two blood transfusions. The doctor said I was losing so much blood, and turning very pale. He thought I was going to die,' she previously told The Sun.

Plastic: Mary became a social media sensation in 2018 after she almost died during an operation to enlarge her vagina

Her vagina isn't the only enlarged part of her body, with Mary also sporting extreme butt and breast implants.

Her implants are currently 5000cc, but she has expanders in her chest to keep her breasts growing bigger.

The heavily tattooed model had her first procedure done at the age of 21, when she was working as a stripper.

Curves: Her vagina isn't the only enlarged part of her body, with Mary also sporting extreme butt and breast implants

Over the years, her surgeries have included a brow lift, fat transfers, multiple nose and boob jobs, veneers, liposuction, butt injections and three Brazilian butt lifts.

Earlier this month, she had a fourth nose job to create a 'Barbie nose', along with cat-eye surgery and eyebrow implants.

She also had her teeth filed down to get porcelain veneers.

Before and after: Over the years, her surgeries have included a brow lift, fat transfers, multiple nose and boob jobs, veneers, liposuction, butt injections and three Brazilian butt lifts

The model had her recent surgeries done in Europe after American doctors refused to continue operating on her.

Mary, who grew up as a devout Christian, previously had more than one million followers on TikTok before her account was deleted for violating content guidelines.

She now works as an OnlyFans performer and professional artist, selling colourful self portraits online to fans and art lovers.
She announced she was expecting her first child last month.

And Chloe Crowhurst took to Instagram on Monday to show off her pregnancy curves in a black bikini set.

The Love Island star, 27, cradled her blossoming baby bump as she posed for a selfie during a spa weekend at Champneys Spas with her friends.

Mother-to-be: Chloe Crowhurst took to Instagram on Monday to show off her pregnancy curves in a black bikini set

Chloe captioned the shot: 'Just about ready to pop! Had the loveliest weekend with the girls at @champneysspas. Relaxing, massages, lots of food and wonderful company in a beautiful location.'

She allowed her loose blonde curls to cascade down her shoulders and opted for a full palette of makeup.

Chloe later took to her Stories to share a photo taken in the bathroom and penned: 'Had a lovely weekend with the girlies, who knew relaxing could be so tiring!'

Bumping along! The Love Island star, 27, cradled her blossoming baby bump as she posed for a selfie during a spa weekend at Champneys Spas with her friends

It comes after Chloe spoke out on why she decided to keep her pregnancy private, revealing she had been placed under specialist care after suffering three miscarriages prior.

The television personality surprised fans when she announced she was expecting her first child - a baby girl - in January, after keeping her relationship off social media.

Speaking on FUBAR Radio on Thursday, Chloe spoke for the first time about boyfriend, photographer David Houghton and her secret miscarriage heartache

Secret heartache: Chloe has revealed she kept her pregnancy private up until recently because she 'had three miscarriages' and was 'under specialist care at first'

Chloe said: 'With my pregnancy, I didnt announce it for quite a long time, just because Ive had very bad experiences in the past with pregnancies and stuff like that.

'Ive had three miscarriages before, so I was under quite specialist care at first. It wasnt something I wanted to advertise and cause stress upon.'

The reality star stated shes feeling surprisingly calm about giving birth: 'Im not actually worried about it. I dont know why because Im not really a chilled person, but since being pregnant Im very chill.'
President Moon Jae-in speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement at the National Memorial for the Provisional Korean Government in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap



Calling Japan a close neighbor, president reveals hope for thaw in bilateral ties



By Nam Hyun-woo



President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that the door remains open for dialogue with Japan.



He made the comments during a speech to commemorate the anniversary of an independence movement against Japan's forced occupation of Korea from 1910-1945, as bilateral relations remain at one of the lowest points since the two countries formed diplomatic ties in 1965.



"Cooperation between Korea and Japan is the responsibility of the current generation for the sake of future generations," Moon said at a ceremony marking the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.



The President made similar remarks last year and the year before as chilly relations between Seoul and Tokyo have continued, hampering economic and security cooperation between the neighboring countries to counter North Korea's missile threats.



"In this time of many difficulties, Korea and Japan  close neighbors  must be able to overcome the history of the once unfortunate past and cooperate for the future."



Moon added that he hopes Japan will take a lead role as an advanced country, but also, that the country "faces its history and is humble before it."



"Japan will become a trustworthy country only when it is able to empathize with the wounds of the people of neighboring countries, which are sometimes exacerbated by a once unfortunate past," Moon said. "My administration will always keep the door open for dialogue to join forces not only for regional peace and prosperity, but also for responding to global challenges  ranging from COVID-19 and the climate crisis, to the supply chain crisis and the new economic order."



Relations between Seoul and Tokyo sank to a new low in recent years after Japan restricted exports of key industrial materials to South Korea in apparent retaliation against a 2018 Korean Supreme Court ruling that awarded compensation to laborers forced to work for a Japanese company during World War II.



Although the export restrictions themselves did not pose serious damage to the South Korean economy, the icy relations have been impeding security cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington to counter North Korea's increasing missile threats and nuclear programs.



Against this backdrop, Moon has been using a strategy of handling historical issues and practical cooperation separately. As his presidency nears its end, the words of Moon's March 1 Independence Movement Day speech this year appear to show a continuation of this strategy without major changes in policy direction.





President Moon Jae-in speaks during a ceremony to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement at the National Memorial for the Provisional Korean Government in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap



Moon also reiterated the necessity of Seoul's commitment to inter-Korean peace.



"Peace on the Korean Peninsula is a must for us to become stronger," Moon said, adding that there was no South or North Korea during the time of the March 1 Independence Movement. "The Korean War and the history of division we have suffered since then have taught us that only dialogue  not confrontation and hostility  can bring peace."



"If we do not lose our determination  just as we dreamed of turning the PyeongChang Winter Olympics into a Peace Olympics amid the dark clouds of war  it is certainly possible to bring denuclearization and permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy."



During the speech, Moon also noted the importance of national strength, in an apparent reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



"State-centered nationalism, which seeks to gain hegemony by force, is also raising its head again. Concerns over a new Cold War are on the rise as well," Moon said. The lesson that the spirit of the March 1 Independence Movement gives us today is that we should have the power to lead our history without being pushed around by an international order centered on powerful countries."



The ceremony was held at the newly established National Memorial for the Provisional Korean Government in Seodaemun District, Seoul. In 2017, Moon had promised to build this national memorial and visited the building of the Provisional Republic of Korea Government in Chongqing.



"The March 1 Independence Movement and the Provisional Republic of Korea Government are a great legacy passed on to us by our forebears," Moon said. "Remembering and honoring the history of our democratic republic will make our democratic republic of today stronger," he said.




Australian journalist Sarah Williamson has hit back at conspiracy theorists who claim Russia's invasion of Ukraine is fake.

The 31-year-old, who is reporting live from the ground in Ukraine for conservative U.S. news network Newsmax, hit back at naysayers on Instagram on Monday.

'I've seen people try and say there's no war going on. "False flags". How true is this statement?' one of her followers asked during a Q&A.

Reporter: Australian journalist Sarah Williamson (pictured) has hit back at conspiracy theorists who claim Russia's invasion of Ukraine is fake

Sarah fired back: 'Of course there is a war going on. With my own eyes I have [seen] the buildings that have been destroyed.

'I see, and come in contact with, the military constantly. And today I saw a dead body shot up in a car on the side of the road.'

She added: 'That's a pretty good indication of war.'

Another follower asked Sarah if the conflict was 'really as bad as the pictures on the news and Instagram'.

'Pictures don't lie,' Sarah responded.

Response: The 31-year-old, who is reporting live from the ground in Ukraine for conservative U.S. news network Newsmax, hit back at naysayers on Instagram on Monday

'Pictures don't lie': Another follower asked Sarah if the conflict was 'really as bad as the pictures on the news and Instagram'

The Melbourne journalist has been wowing American viewers since she joined the right-wing populist Newsmax network last year.

Following a live broadcast from Kyiv last week, viewers flocked to social media to praise her professionalism.

'Wow, she needs to be on prime time,' wrote one, while another commented: 'Love your reporting, Sarah. Your stunning beauty goes hand in hand with your intellect!'

'Great job, Sarah, keep it up! And may I say, you look simply amazing,' wrote a third.

Hitting back: 'Of course there is a war going on. With my own eyes I have [seen] the buildings that have been destroyed,' she wrote on Instagram

The Aussie reporter has become quite the breakout star over at Newsmax thanks to her good looks and impeccable reporting.

She's often flooded with comments on social media after her segments air, with many viewers saying she deserves more airtime.

Sarah recently left Israeli news channel i24 News and relocated to New York City to begin working for the conservative network.

Popular: The Aussie reporter has become quite the breakout star over at Newsmax thanks to her good looks and impeccable reporting

The journalist announced her big career move in September, telling her thousands of followers she was leaving Tel Aviv for NYC.

Newsmax is known for its right-wing perspective and has gained popularity in recent years due to its unwavering support of former president Donald Trump.

Sarah, a political science graduate who previously worked for Channel Nine in Australia, first went viral last year while covering the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Jackie Woodburne says Neighbours will leave a 'massive gap' in television.

The 66-year-old actress - who had played the iconic role of teacher Susan Kennedy since 1994 - has hailed the cancellation of the classic soap opera the 'loss of an icon'.

In an interview with Studio 10, she said: 'It doesn't matter how aware you are of the fans that watch the show and how much they enjoy it; but this week, it's like a floodgate has opened and I've received the most beautiful messages from people.

End of an era: Jackie Woodburne, right, said Neighbours will leave a 'massive gap' in television and appeared to confirm there is no chance in saving the soap during an interview with Studio 10. She is pictured here with Margot Robbie

'People are really going to miss the show and it's going to leave a massive gap in the landscape of not just Australian television but internationally and specifically in the UK as well.

'It's the end of an era, it's the loss of an icon and we will never ever see a show like Neighbours again.'

UK's Channel 5 acquired the rights to the soap in 2008.

However, the broadcaster recently announced that it will stop airing Neighbours.

Over: UK's Channel 5 acquired the rights to the soap in 2008. However, the broadcaster recently announced that it will stop airing Neighbours'. Jackie is pictured here with her co-star Alan Fletcher

From this summer, the network planning to focus on 'original UK drama' instead.

The UK broadcaster largely funded the production costs because it was not commercially viable for Australian broadcaster Network 10 to fund the Freemantle Media-produced show alone.

However, a Network 10 spokesperson recently said: 'As outlined in the email to Neighbours cast and crew, it is our intention to continue our association with Neighbours if another broadcast partner comes forward.

'Network 10 has an ongoing commitment to the show, the cast and crew and is hopeful that Fremantle will find a new production partner. We will provide further updates as they become available.'
Olivia Palermo cut a stylish figure as she attended the Ferrari show during Paris Fashion Week on Monday.

The socialite, 35, wowed as she donned a vibrant colorblocked turtleneck and white skirt alongside her husband Johannes Huebl, 44, at the event.

Posing for photos against the Ferrari red backdrop, Olivia looked stunning in the stylish ensemble as she displayed her incredible fashion sense.

Vibrant: Olivia Palermo, 35, cut a stylish figure in a colorblocked turtleneck and leather shirt with her husband Johannes Huebl at Ferrari's Paris Fashion Week show on Monday

She tucked the long sleeved knitted jumper into her leather skirt that wrapped around her tiny waist.

To complete her look she slipped into a pair of knee high lace up boots to add an element of edge to her chic look.

Olivia wore her blonde locked pulled back into a sleek low bun and opted for a stunning rich brown eyeshadow with a pop of red lipstick.

Striking: Posing for photos against the Ferrari red backdrop, Olivia looked stunning in the stylish ensemble as she displayed her incredible fashion sense

Model Johannes, donned a black knitted jumper with a pair of chino trousers as he layered over a charcoal jacquard jacket.

To finish off his outfit he added a pair a white leather Gucci trainers and slipped a pair of sunglasses into the neck of his sweater for the ultimate laidback look.

Olivia met the German model through friends at a Manhattan film screening while she was still attending The New School back in 2008, they married in 2014.

Stylish: Also in attendance was Italian journalist and fashion icon Anna Dello Russo, 59, who put on an incredible display in a skintight catsuit

Chic: Elsewhere, fashion blogger Jessica Wang, 30, who posed up a storm in a cropped jacket and relaxed trousers with a Ferrari logo emblazoned belt

Fashion forward: She added a pop of colour to her look with a slick of yellow nail polish

Perched on the front row at the event was Vogue editor Anna Wintour who sat alongside, Ferrari chairman John Elkann, his wife Lavinia and daughter Vita.

Also in attendance was Italian journalist and fashion icon Anna Dello Russo, 59, who put on an incredible display in a skintight catsuit.

She layered a bright red boucle jacket with gold buttons over the lycra one piece and completed her look with some black and gold heels.

Elsewhere, fashion blogger Jessica Wang, 30, who posed up a storm in a cropped jacket and relaxed trousers with a Ferrari logo emblazoned belt.
Katie Holmes bundled up against the cold as she ran errands in Manhattan on Monday.

The actress, 43, stepped out in a long brown coat over a purple dress that fell all the way down to her white shoes.

She slung a large red bag from Blick Art Materials over her shoulder and accessorized with large square-rimmed sunglasses and a beige face covering that she pulled down around her neck.

Keeping warm: Katie Holmes bundled up against the cold as she ran errands in Manhattan on Monday

The Batman Begins star also carried a black bag with her as she made her way through the busy New York streets.

Her appearance on the New York City streets came just a couple weeks after she attended the Tory Burch show during New York Fashion Week.

The Dawson's Creek star, 43, looked sophisticated in a lengthy white coat, which she paired with a classic Tory Burch purse.

The actress elevated her elegant look with black stockings and black sandals with unique crystal heels.

Fashionable outfit: The actress, 43, stepped out in a long brown coat over a purple dress that fell all the way down to her white shoes

Gone shopping: She slung a large red bag from Blick Art Materials over her shoulders and accessorized with large square-rimmed sunglasses

Inside the event she removed her chic coat, revealing an oversized brown dress underneath, which had buttons going all the way down and was cinched at the ankles.

On top of her public appearances, the star has a number of upcoming film and television projects on the way as well.

She recently completed filming on an untitled Fox television movie in which she will play a FBI special agent.

Subtle: Holmes recently attended the Tory Burch fashion show in an oversized brown dress underneath, which had buttons going all the way down and was cinched at the ankles

Keeping busy: Holmes has multiple films coming out including Rare Objects which she's currently in the process of filming

Another one of her untitled projects, set for release later this year, is currently in post-production while she's in the process of filming the movie Rare Objects.

The movie is based on the novel about a young woman who tries to rebuild her life by working in an antiques store.

Holmes will serve as the lead actress and director. She also co-wrote the script along with Phaedon A. Papadopoulos and the novel's author Kathleen Tessaro.

In addition to being a movie star, Holmes is also hard at work as a full-time mother to her daughter Suri, 15, who she shares with her ex-husband Tom Cruise.

Dawson's Creek is available only on Stan in Australia.
Cate Blanchett stole the show when she stepped onto the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Oscar-winning actress, 52, showed off her flawless physique in a figure-hugging black gown by Armani - but one detail really caught fans' attention.

While the dress featured a plunging neckline that drew attention to Cate's decolletage, it was her tiny waist that drove the conversation on social media.

What a waist! Fans have gone wild over Cate Blanchett's tiny waist after she walked the SAG Awards red carpet in LA on Sunday in a figure-hugging Armani dress with a plunging neckline

Instagram fan accounts were flooded with comments about how good Cate looked.

'A jaw dropping dress on you,' one fan gushed, while another added, 'No words - shes perfect.'

A third said: 'That's one hell of a body... dress is nice too.'

Many fans commented hourglass emojis in reference to the Blue Jasmine star's incredible figure.

Fan love: Instagram fan accounts were flooded with comments about how good Cate looked

Speechless: 'A jaw dropping dress on you,' one gushed, while another added, 'No words.' Many fans commented hourglass emojis in reference to the Blue Jasmine star's incredible figure

Cate's Armani dress featured a risque neckline, embellished with large stones to draw attention to her bust, and was cinched in at the waist to highlight her slender midsection.

Jewels by Italian fine jeweler Pomellato, including diamond and emerald drop earrings and several cocktail rings, complemented her outfit.

The Elizabeth actress opted for a smokey eye and nude lip combination for her makeup, and her blonde locks were styled in soft waves courtesy of celebrity hairstylist Robert Vetica.

Stunning: Cate's Armani dress featured a risque neckline, embellished with large stones to draw attention to her bust

Hitting the mark: Cate is known for her impeccable sense of style and she didn't disappoint

Silhouette: Her gown was cinched in at the waist to highlight the actress' slender midsection

It comes after Cate received the Honorary Cesar award during the 47th Cesar Film Awards Ceremony in Paris on Friday.

She became emotional as she took to the stage to accept the award.

In her early 50s, Cate is the second-youngest recipient of the prize, which is the highest honour presented by the prestigious Film at Lincoln Center, one of the major arts organisations in the U.S.

The perfect fit! Cate's gown fit the Oscar winner like a glove

Flawless: The Elizabeth star opted for a smokey eye and nude lip combination for her makeup, and her blonde locks were styled in soft waves

Best dressed? Cate's gown was one of her best red carpet looks to date

The award, which was founded in 1972 and is named after Charlie Chaplin, is given to recognise the career and contribution of artists who left their mark on the medium.

The prize has been awarded 47 times. Previous winners include Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, Robert de Niro and Tom Hanks.

Cate has worked tirelessly for the last 25 years racking up dozens of credits in theatre, film and television.

A regular on the global awards circuit, Cate has received major prizes from all over the world, including two Oscars, three BAFTAs, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, an Order of Australia, and in France a Chevalier, for her contribution to the arts.
Just days before the critically-acclaimed After Yang debuts in theaters and streaming on Showtime, Colin Farrell reunited with his co-stars and director.

The 45-year-old Irish actor hit the red carpet with co-stars Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, And Just Like That... star Sarita Choudhury and director Kogonada at a special screening at Village East Cinema in New York City on Monday.

The film is slated for release in theaters through A24 and on streaming through Showtime starting March 4.

Stepping out: The 45-year-old Irish actor hit the red carpet with co-stars Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, Sarita Choudhury and director Kogonada at a special screening at Village East Cinema in New York City on Monday

Farrell stepped out in a turquoise turtleneck under a matching suit coat and pants for the screening.

The actor sported the early makings of a mustache and goatee for the screening in the Big Apple.

He completed his look for the red carpet event with black dress shoes.

Colin's look: Farrell stepped out in a turquoise turtleneck under a matching suit coat and pants for the screening

He was joined by Sarita Choudhury, who was most recently seen in HBO's Sex and the City spin-off And Just Like That...

The actress wore an off-shoulder black tube maxi dress, along with stylish black pumps for the event.

She completed her look with a small black leather clutch.

Sarita: He was joined by Sarita Choudhury, who was most recently seen in HBO's Sex and the City spin-off And Just Like That...

Sarita's look: The actress wore an off-shoulder black tube maxi dress, along with stylish black pumps for the event

10-year-old Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja also hit the red carpet with a stylish white and gold top, fluffy white skirt, black leggins and white boots.

Actor Daniel K. Isaac was also in attendance, wearing a tie-less black-on-black suit for the event.

Author Alexander Weinstein, whose short story Saying Goodbye to Yang served as the basis for the film, also stepped out with a tie-less suit.

Malea: 10-year-old Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja also hit the red carpet with a stylish white and gold top, fluffy white skirt, black leggins and white boots

Daniel's look: Actor Daniel K. Isaac was also in attendance, wearing a tie-less black-on-black suit for the event

Author: Author Alexander Weinstein, whose short story Saying Goodbye to Yang served as the basis for the film, also stepped out with a tie-less suit

The film is set in a world where robotic children are purchased to serve as babysitters for young kids.

The story follows a family (Farrell, Jodie Foster-Smith, Tjandrawidjaja) who try to save their robotic babysitter Yang (Justin H. Min) after he becomes unresponsive.

The film also stars Clifton Collins Jr., Haley Lu Richardson, Orlagh Cassidy and Richie Coster, with Kogonada (Columbus) writing the adapted screenplay and directing.

Family: The story follows a family (Farrell, Jodie Foster-Smith, Tjandrawidjaja) who try to save their robotic babysitter Yang (Justin H. Min) after he becomes unresponsive
Jennifer Garner was the picture of glamour as she attended the New York City premiere of her upcoming Netflix film The Adam Project.

The 49-year-old actress looked phenomenal in a sleeveless black dress with a modest side slit.

Jennifer wore her dark locks off her face for the event and stunned as she posed for photos on the step-and-repeat's blue carpet.

Night out: Jennifer Garner was the picture of glamour as she attended the New York City premiere of her upcoming Netflix film The Adam Project

The mother-of-three wowed in the halter-style number, which cinched at the waist, highlighting her trim figure.

Garner kept the look minimalistic, opting for understated diamond drop earrings, a diamond Vacheron Constantin watch, and a ring.

The longtime performer rounded out the formal attire with a pair of pointed-toe black heels with two straps - one stone-studded and one black.

On point fashion: The 49-year-old actress looked phenomenal in a sleeveless black dress with a modest side slit, which she wore with dazzling heels and a Vacheron Constantin watch

Jennifer wore her dark locks in a chic updo for the event and stunned as she posed for photos on the step-and-repeat's blue carpet

The Alias alum's chocolate-colored locks were styled in a textured look and arranged in a coiffed updo.

Her makeup was expertly-applied, accentuating her eyes with fluttery lashes and finishing with a pink lipstick.

The Texas-born star wore a vampy burgundy manicure on her nails, adding a look of polished sophistication to her getup.

Colleagues: Jen's dress had side pockets, which she used as she tucked her hand into one while posing with her costar Zoe Saldana

As she arrived to the event Jennifer bundled up in a long black trench coat, before shedding the layer for photos.

Jen's dress had side pockets, which she used as she tucked her hand into one while posing with her costar Zoe Saldana.

Zoe matched Jennifer in an all black ensemble and a bold makeup look that consisted of a pink eyeshadow palette.

Keeping warm: As she arrived to the event Jennifer bundled up in a long black trench coat, before shedding the layer for photos

The 13 Going on 30 actress was joined at the premiere by her other costars Mark Ruffalo, Ryan Reynolds, and Walker Scobell.

The cast rubbed elbows with each other, as well as The Adam Project director Shawn Levy and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

In the film Jennifer plays Ellie Reed, mother to Ryan's character and the movie's namesake, Adam.

Team: The cast rubbed elbows with each other, as well as The Adam Project director Shawn Levy and Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos; L-R Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Shawn Levy, Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Jennifer Garner and Ted Sarandos

The Adam Project is a science-fiction film that sees an older man go back in time to team up with his younger self and confront his dad's death.

It will come to Netflix on March 11. Taking to Instagram on Monday Jennifer said, 'Can't wait for everyone to see this film in 11 days!'

Before the premiere on Monday night, the cast stopped by media outlets to promote the film.
Zoe Kravitz appears to have confirmed longstanding rumors that her version of Catwoman is bisexual in her upcoming film The Batman.

The 33-year-old actress admitted that she 'interpreted' the character as being part of the LGBTQ community in an interview with Australia's Pedestrian.tv that was published Monday.

While Kravitz's character appears to have an emotional entanglement with the eponymous Caped Crusader (played by Robert Pattinson), she may have had female lovers as well.

New direction? Zoe Kravtiz, 33, said she 'interpreted' her character Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman) as being bisexual in her new film The Batwoman, according to an interview published Monday by Pedestrian.tv; seen February 23 in London

The Batman features an early scene with Zoe's character Selina Kyle in which she returns to her apartment and calls out for her female friend Anika, calling her 'baby' in the process, suggesting they have a romantic relationship.

Although her possible romance with another woman is only hinted at, her attraction for Bruce Wayne/Batman is explicit, as the two kiss later in the film.

She also muddles her status by referring to Anika as a 'friend' while speaking with Pattinson's character.

Zoe admitted that she took the earlier scene to mean that Selina was bisexual, even if it wasn't explicitly stated as such.

Hinting: In an early scene, Selina (Kravitz) goes to her apartment and calls out for another woman named Anika, calling her 'baby,' possibly suggesting they had an intimate relationship; still from The Batman

Mixed messages: She's also seen kissing Batman later, and she then refers to Anika as a 'friend'; still from The Batman

'Thats definitely the way I interpreted that, that they had some kind of romantic relationship,' she said.

After the interviewer shared her excitement at seeing a bisexual Catwoman on screen, the Big Little Lies actress added, 'I agree!'

But the film's director, Matt Reeves, was more equivocal when it came to the question of Selina Kyle's sexuality.

'[The film is] very true to the character of Selina Kyle. Shes not yet Catwoman, but all the elements of how shes going to become Catwoman are there,' he explained.

Agreed: Asked if Catwoman was bisexual, Zoe replied: 'Thats definitely the way I interpreted that, that they had some kind of romantic relationship'; seen in September in NYC

'And in terms of her relationship with Anika, I spoke to Zoe very early on and one of the things she said which I loved was that: "Shes drawn to strays because she was a stray and so she really wants to care for these strays because she doesnt want to be that way anymore and Anika is like a stray and she loves her. She actually represents this connection that she has to her mother who she lost, who was a stray anymore."'

The Cloverfield director clarified that the character wasn't explicitly meant to be bisexual, but he was open to that fan interpretation.

'So I dont think we meant to go directly in that way, but you can interpret it that way for sure. She has an intimacy with that character and its a tremendous and deep caring for that character, more so than a sexual thing, but there was meant to be quite an intimate relationship between them.'

Walking it back: But director Matt Reeves was more equivocal and said Catwoman wasn't supposed to be explicitly bisexual, though it was open to fan interpretation; (LR) Dylan Clark, Andy Serkis, Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright and Matt Reeves

The Batman is just the latest superhero film to include hints at LGBTQ characters, though many fans have derided past movies for refusing to include more fully developed queer stars.

Avengers: Endgame was mocked by some fans after the film was advertised as having Marvel's first openly gay character, though the character in question turned out to be minor character with only seconds on screen who referenced his husband at a support group attended by Captain America (Chris Evans).

The character was played by one of the film's directors, Joe Russo, who isn't gay himself, which also irked some fans.

Tessa Thompson is also believed to be playing her character Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok and its followups as bisexual, but a scene explicitly confirming her sexuality was cut.

Major studios like Disney/Marvel and Warner Bros. may be hesitant to include more explicit LGBTQ characters for fear of offending some fans or getting the films banned in more culturally conservative countries.

A pattern: Previous superhero films including Avengers: Endgame and Thor: Ragnarok have been mocked for featuring hints of LGBTQ characters while refusing to make their sexuality explicit; Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth seen in Thor: Ragnarok

The question of whether Catwoman is bisexual in The Batman doesn't seem to have concerned most reviewers, as the film currently boasts an impressive 87 percent fresh rating from critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes.

Although some advance viewers complained that the film is four minutes shy of three hours  with credits included  and others have derided its dark visual style, the noir-influenced tone has appealed to many critics.

Vulture's Bilge Ebiri commended The Batman's dark tone, which he said was appropriate as Batman is the 'saddest of heroes.'

NPR critic Glen Weldon saluted the film for ignoring some of the cliched features of Batman films by skipping the death of Bruce Wayne's parents.

Slate's Dana Stevens noted the 'emotional power' of how The Batman made its title character a 'Hamlet-like heir unable to move past the primal shock of his parents murder,' and she also praised Zoe as a welcome respite from a parade of male antagonists.

Big fans: The question of whether Catwoman is bisexual in The Batman doesn't seem to have concerned most reviewers, as the film currently boasts an impressive 87 percent fresh rating from critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes
Madonna and comedian Sandra Bernhard were best friends in the '80s and '90s, before dramatically falling out in 1992.

And now one of Sandra's closest friends, designer and TV personality Isaac Mizrahi, has revealed his own version of what he believes is behind the Roseanne star's feud with the Queen of Pop.

Speaking to the Hot Takes & Deep Dives podcast, Isaac claimed it was Madonna's relationship with Sandra's then-girlfriend Ingrid Casares that tore the pair apart.

Speaking out: Sandra Bernhard's (right) best friend, designer and TV personality Isaac Mizrahi (left), has shared his theory on Sandra's falling out with former best pal Madonna in the '90s

'I wasn't sure what Madonna was up to with Sandra,' Isaac said while reflecting on meeting Madonna for the first time in the early '90s.

'I know that Madonna is pansexual... and I guess I couldn't tell what was going on between them.

'I couldn't tell if they were having an affair or whether Madonna was after Sandra's girlfriend, who was beautiful, this girl called Ingrid.'

Nightclub owner Ingrid became a minor media staple in the '90s thanks to her circle of celebrity pals, which not only included Madonna and Sandra, but also Donald Trump, Tommy Mottola, and many other A-listers of that era.

Flashback: Madonna and comedian Sandra (pictured together circa 1988) were best friends in the '80s and the early '90s, before dramatically falling out in 1992

Ingrid previously claimed Sandra fell out with Madonna because she wasn't asked to be in the pop star's infamous Sex book, but Isaac believes that's not the case.

'That's not true,' he claimed. 'The truth is Sandra was betrayed because Madonna had an affair with Ingrid.'

He also said Sandra 'couldn't care less' about Madonna's X-rated Sex book and had no desire to be in it.

'None of us really thought much of that book,' he sniffed. 'That book was, you know, a little bit forced, a little bit contrived.'

Trouble: Speaking to the Hot Takes & Deep Dives podcast, Isaac claimed it was Madonna's relationship with Sandra's (left) then-girlfriend Ingrid Casares (right) that tore the pair apart

'The truth was, Madonna and Ingrid had a thing and Ingrid was dating Sandra at the time and that's what hurt Sandra. Not the book,' he claimed.

He added: 'I think Madonna has a different idea of what it means to have sex with somebody, what it means to be in a relationship with somebody.

'I don't think she thought she was doing anything terrible. She was just responding to an erotic...'

Isaac also repeated his claims about Madonna and Ingrid's relationship on an episode of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live last week.

His version: 'The truth was, Madonna and Ingrid had a thing and Ingrid was dating Sandra at the time and that's what hurt Sandra,' claimed Isaac (pictured with Sandra in February 2016)

Rumours surrounding Sandra and Madonna's falling out have swirled for years, but the exact cause of their rift has never been confirmed because each party has a different version of events.

Several reports over the years have said Sandra and Ingrid split prior to Ingrid's relationship with Madonna, which caused some jealousy on Sandra's part.

Back in December, Sandra opened up about the demise of her friendship with the Material Girl during an interview with Hot Takes & Deep Dives.

The 66-year-old took a thinly veiled swipe at her former BFF and said she didn't enjoy the intense fame that came with their friendship.

Unique: 'I think Madonna has a different idea of what it means to have sex with somebody, what it means to be in a relationship with somebody,' Isaac said of Madonna (pictured)

Mystery: Rumours surrounding Sandra and Madonna's falling out have swirled for years, but the exact cause of their rift has never been confirmed because each party has a different version of events (pictured together in 1991)

'I didn't really like that level of visibility and having to work it constantly,' she explained.

'We all as performers work it to a certain degree, but I'm a very improvisational person, on stage and in my life, and I don't like being tied down in having to be a certain way for my image,' she continued.

'What I tried to impart in our friendship is, "I'm really your friend, I'm not just somebody that's passing through."

'And I guess for a while we had a real friendship, but it's hard for somebody like her. She doesn't really want somebody around who reflects too much of who she is.'

The comedian then added cryptically: 'Therefore, her relationships just don't last.'

Her truth: Sandra opened up about the end of her friendship with Madonna in an interview with the Hot Takes and Deep Dives podcast back in December

After the interview made headlines, Ingrid took to Twitter to rubbish Sandra's version of events, stating the Sex book was the reason for Sandra's falling out with Madonna.

'What a liar!! @SandraBernhard!' she tweeted on Christmas Eve.

'She wasnt asked to be in the Sex book and got pi**ed. (Like the girl who didnt get picked on the dodgeball team in high school and still holds a resentment). Madonna has had the same friends for over 30 years!'

Honest: 'I guess for a while we had a real friendship, but it's hard for somebody like her. She doesn't really want somebody around who reflects too much of who she is,' Sandra said

Firing back: Ingrid rubbished Sandra's claims in a tweet in December, claiming the comedian was jealous that she was snubbed from Madonna's Sex book

Madonna's estranged brother Christopher Ciccone has previously said his sister's only true friend throughout her life was Ingrid.

'She was never really a "buddy",' he told the Dallas Voice in 2008. 'Her only real buddy was Ingrid.'

Sandra and Madonna became fast friends in the late '80s, and were even rumoured to be lovers at one point.

They famously appeared together on a 1988 episode of Late Night with David Letterman, which is widely considered one of the most iconic late-night TV interviews ever.

Sandra was also featured in Madonna's 1991 documentary Truth or Dare, but their friendship seemingly imploded shortly after its release.
Anderson Cooper is enjoying his time off with his kids.

The CNN personality, 54, appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan on Friday with photos in which his older son Wyatt Morgan, 22 months, received a haircut at a local barbershop he frequents.

The New York City native told the show's Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, 'It's his big second haircut. We took him for the first haircut - this is Eric at neighborhood barbers, which is where I get my haircut too.'

The latest: Anderson Cooper, 54, appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan on Friday with photos in which his older son Wyatt Morgan, 22 months, received a haircut at a local barbershop he frequents

Cooper said that the haircut 'started off a little rocky,' as 'Wyatt was a little concerned,' but his mood brightened when he received a lollipop.

Ripa responded, 'If there's a lollipop involved, I could have gotten my kids to rob a bank - I'm not kidding - there's a magical quality to them.'

Cooper, who welcomed his second son Sebastian Luke earlier this month with ex Benjamin Maisani, said he's been refreshed after taking time off from his cable news job to tend to his sons.

'It's great to be able to come home and decompress,' Cooper said. 'Obviously my kids are asleep but I've taken the last couple of weeks off, it's the longest I've been off, almost three weeks. I've never taken three weeks off before and it's just been so amazing.'

Cooper said that the haircut 'started off a little rocky,' as 'Wyatt was a little concerned,' but his mood brightened when he received a lollipop

The New York City native told the show's Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, 'It's his big second haircut'

Cooper went into detail on how he's been able to spend time with his children during his time off.

'Every night to be able to feed Wyatt and give him his milk, he falls asleep on my chest and there's nothing better,' the veteran newsman said. 'I'm usually on the air at nighttime. I miss all the bedtimes.

'So weekends I can do it, but to be able to do it for three weeks in a row, it's just the greatest. Nothing better.'

Cooper welcomed his second son Sebastian Luke earlier this month with ex Benjamin Maisani

The journalist said he's been refreshed after taking time off from his cable news job to tend to his sons

Cooper said in the appearance that his two sons 'seem to be getting along really well' in the early going

Cooper said in the appearance that his two sons 'seem to be getting along really well' in the early going.

'I mean, "Getting along well" - Sebastian sleeps. He can't say Sebastian yet, he calls him Luke. So every morning he wants to go say, "Good morning, Luke."'

Cooper in April of 2020 announced the birth of his son Wyatt in a segment on CNN.

'As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I'm grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son's birth,' Cooper said at the time. 'He is sweet, and soft and healthy and I am beyond happy.'
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, does the "manse" (cheer) gesture of the March 1 Independence Movement, with two Korean national flags in his hands, during a campaign activity in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps



Lee likens Yoon to Japan's right-wingers; Yoon hits back accusing DPK candidate of treason



By Kwon Mee-yoo



The two leading presidential candidates tried to discredit each other's policies on Korea-Japan relations, Tuesday, as the day marks the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement.



Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said he wouldn't allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to enter Korea under any circumstances, noting that Japan does not regret its past invasions of Korea.



"I will take a respectable path for the patriotic martyrs who pursued independence for Korea and for the people of Korea," he said during a televised speech on the 103th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement on KBS, Tuesday.



Lee's remarks targeted his rival, main opposition People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol.



Lee said that Yoon's perceptions of diplomacy and security are flawed, adding that he was stunned when he heard Yoon's remarks that he would allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to enter Korea.



"It is unbelievable that a presidential candidate of Korea could make such careless remarks. He shouldn't have said that even if it was a slip of the tongue," Lee said.



During a TV debate last Friday, minor progressive Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung asked Yoon if he would be willing to proceed with forming a trilateral military alliance among South Korea, the United States and Japan, if he gets elected. Yoon replied that Sim was presenting a hypothetical situation, and so he did not think it was the time to think about it. When Sim kept pressuring him to answer if he would consider forming a trilateral military alliance, which would allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces on Korean soil, Yoon evaded the question but stopped short of saying that he would allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to enter Korea. But the DPK took advantage of Yoon's unclear stance, accusing the PPP candidate of siding with Japan's far right.



Lee also condemned Yoon's "preemptive strike" remarks. "His idea of additional THAAD deployment is unrealistic and unnecessary... The North Korean variables in the past elections are appearing in the form of an additional THAAD system."











Yoon Suk-yeol, the main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate, pays tribute to independence movement activists at the Seoul National Cemetery, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
Clayton Echard eliminated Serene Russell after meeting her family on Monday's episode of The Bachelor on ABC as the field narrowed to the final three.

The 26-year-old elementary school teacher from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sent home during a rose ceremony by Clayton, a 28-year-old medical sales rep from Eureka, Missouri.

Clayton during the rose ceremony offered roses that were gladly accepted by Susie Evans, 28, a wedding videographer from Poquoson, Virginia; Gabriella 'Gabby' Windey, 30, a nurse from O'Fallon, Illinois; and Rachel Recchia, 25, a flight instructor from Clermont, Florida.

Rose ceremony: Clayton Echard eliminated Serene Russell after meeting her family on Monday's episode of The Bachelor on ABC as the field narrowed to the final three

Serene was left empty-handed after show host Jesse Palmer, 43, noted that Clayton was down to his final rose, which went to Rachel.

'Can I walk you out?,' Clayton asked Serene who earlier shared that she had fallen in love with him.

Serene agreed to be walked out by Clayton who told her once they were outside that he was sorry.

'Can I ask you, like, what it was? Because you said you had no reservations about me. Was it just, like, what I said to you and you just, like, couldn't feel it back or?,' Serene asked referencing her declaration that she loved him during her hometown date.

Going home: The 26-year-old elementary school teacher from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sent home during a rose ceremony by Clayton, a 28-year-old medical sales rep from Eureka, Missouri

'No, it wasn't that at all. It wasn't something you said that, like, changed it, it just came down to I had to look back and reflect and say, ''Where do I stand with my heart?'' And I just have stronger connections,' Clayton told her.

'All right,' Serene said.

Clayton thanked her again and Serene got into a vehicle and was driven away.

Good question: 'Can I ask you, like, what it was? Because you said you had no reservations about me. Was it just, like, what I said to you and you just, like, couldn't feel it back or?,' Serene asked referencing her declaration that she loved him during her hometown date

Final hug: Clayton thanked her again and Serene got into a vehicle and was driven away

'I'm shocked. Confused. I literally told the man I was falling in love with him and in love with him. And if that doesn't do something for him then, like, there's nothing I can do,' Serene said.

'It sucks, it really does. And I wish it were different. Clayton was able to break down my walls. But, like, I gave it my all. So I can feel myself closing back up, and that's why I have, like, nothing else to say to him,' she added.

Serene earlier during her hometown date in Oklahoma City introduced Clayton to her mother Sherri, brother Roland and best friend Melanie.

Totally shocked: 'I'm shocked. Confused. I literally told the man I was falling in love with him and in love with him. And if that doesn't do something for him then, like, there's nothing I can do,' Serene said

Hometown date: Serene earlier during her hometown date in Oklahoma City introduced Clayton to her mother Sherri, brother Roland and best friend Melanie

'It's been at least 10 years since I've introduced somebody to my family, which is crazy to think about. But yeah, I'm ready for it. I'm excited,' Serene said before introducing Clayton.

Serene told her loves ones how she opened up to Clayton about the recent deaths of her grandmother and cousin and they were surprised that she displayed such vulnerability.

'The fact that she told you about that is huge, because that's still an open wound for her, for sure. So that lets me know that she sees something special in you,' Roland told Clayton.

Open wounds: 'The fact that she told you about that is huge, because that's still an open wound for her, for sure. So that lets me know that she sees something special in you,' Roland told Clayton

He also urged Clayton to be 'really careful' with Serene because she's 'really fragile'.

Roland also asked Clayton the big question, 'So, do you love her?'

'Um, to tell you the truth, like, I haven't told anybody that I'm in love with them. I'm not there yet,' Clayton admitted.

Serene meanwhile was telling her mother Sherri about their relationship.

Catching up: Serene meanwhile was telling her mother Sherri about their relationship

'I told him I was falling in love with him. And I definitely am. And when I told him that, by the way, he was like, his face lit up like a little kid,' Serene told her mom.

Roland later spoke with Serene and said that he didn't want her to get hurt.

'The real truth of it is as, like, more feelings grow, like, things get scarier. Yeah, it could be, like, what if I fall? But to me, it's like, what if I fly? I'm so here for it,' Serene said.

Good times: Clayton and Serene beamed and her family noticed that she was happy

'That's what scares me is that you're here for it. You ain't scared of nothing,' Roland told his sister.

Serene after Clayton met her family felt even more comfortable with him and said she was in love with him.

Clayton during the two-hour episode also went on hometown dates with Susie, Gabby and Rachel.

Final three: Clayton during the rose ceremony offered roses that were gladly accepted by Susie Evans, 28, a wedding videographer from Poquoson, Virginia; Gabriella 'Gabby' Windey, 30, a nurse from O'Fallon, Illinois; and Rachel Recchia, 25, a flight instructor from Clermont, Florida

They all told Clayton that they either loved him or had fallen in love with him, but he did not reciprocate.

Susie shared her love for judo with Clayton during her hometown date and was determined to find out if he enjoyed being choked.

Clayton met her father who has a close relationship with Susie.

Judo time: Susie shared her love for judo with Clayton during her hometown date and was determined to find out if he enjoyed being choked

Close bond: Clayton met her father who has a close relationship with Susie

Gabby's father could not meet Clayton due to his longtime girlfriend suffering from cancer and contact being limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.

She got emotional when her father made a surprise visit and held signs with supportive messages for her.

Rachel warned Clayton that her father Tony would be tough on him and he sat with his arms crossed after being introduced to him.

Held signs: Gabby's father could not meet Clayton due to his longtime girlfriend suffering from cancer and contact being limited due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he surprised her with signs

Clayton did not gain approval from Tony to marry his daughter because he wanted to hear from Rachel first if that's what she wanted.

Rachel later told her father that she was in love with Clayton and Tony gave him an approving pat on the arm as he left.

The Bachelor will return next week on ABC with the Women Tell All episode on Monday followed by the Fantasy Suites episode on Tuesday.
Karlie Kloss looked every inch the fashionista as she arrived at the Off-White Womenswear Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show on Monday, as part of Paris Fashion Week.

The model, 29, sported an edgy all-orange ensemble, featuring a long coat, bright orange pants, and a zip-up top.

She was joined by husband Joshua Kushner, 36, who looked casual cool in a navy jacket, black jeans, and white and red Nike sneakers.

Edgy: Karlie Kloss, 29, looked every inch the fashionista as she arrived at the Off-White show on Monday, as part of Paris Fashion Week, with her husband Joshua Kushner, 36

The runway star - born Karlie Elizabeth Kloss - added even more edge to her attire with a pair of sturdy black boots.

As for jewelry, the beauty - who is of German, Danish, and Polish ancestry - kept things simple, sporting a delicate pair of gold earrings.

Her glam for the night consisted of light brown eyeshadow, a gently illuminating pink blush, a few brushes of black mascara and a touch of pink lipstick.

Orange you glad to see me? The model sported an edgy all-orange ensemble, featuring a long coat, bright orange pants, and a zip-up top

Her dark blonde tresses were parted in the middle and worn down straight in a sleek hairstyle.

The couple - who have been married since October 2018 - tenderly held hands as they entered the Parisian venue.

Monday's event was the first Off-White runway show since the death of the label's founder Virgil Abloh in November.

Later in the night the beauty took the runway in a purple and white printed top with a cut out at the centre and a matching hat.

Sturdy: The runway star added even more edge to her attire with a pair of sturdy black boots

Sleek: Her dark blonde tresses were parted in the middle and worn down straight in a sleek hairstyle

The model also wore a mauve layered skirt with a pleated detail along with a pair of white trainers.

Karlie welcomed her first child, son Levi Joseph, with Kushner on March 11, 2021.

The couple were first linked in 2012, getting engaged in 2018 and married in October of that same year. They renewed their vows at a second ceremony in Wyoming in June 2019.

Joshua's older brother is Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, the daughter of former President Donald Trump.

Sensational: Later in the night the beauty took the runway in a purple and white printed top with a cut out at the centre and a matching hat.
Elyse Knowles is lending a helping hand to those affected by Australia's devastating floods.

The Block star, 29, took to Instagram on Monday to announce she was heading out to Lismore with a boat to rescue stranded locals.

She also provided her phone number and asked anyone requiring help to contact her 'ASAP'.

Pitching in: Elyse Knowles (pictured) is lending a helping hand to locals affected by Australia's devastating floods

The model then shared a photo of her and her fiance Josh Barker preparing their vehicle to hit the road for the rescue mission.

Their one-year-old son Sunny watched on from his stroller.

Elyse also posted videos of the couple driving their truck through flood water.

A subsequent post advised, 'If your phone is running out of battery and you need rescuing please change your voicemail to your address and current situation'.

SOS: The Block star, 29, took to Instagram on Monday to announce she was 'heading out to Lismore with a boat' to rescue stranded locals

About 340,000 residents in northern NSW are now under evacuation orders or warnings as unprecedented flooding leaves hundreds unaccounted for in the regional town of Lismore.

The flood crisis has engulfed the northeastern part of the state, with major flood warnings in place for the Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Brunswick, Bellinger and Clarence rivers.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning NSW is in for more thunderstorms, heavy rain and damaging winds on Tuesday evening as extreme weather moves south.

A family affair: She then showed her fiance Josh Barker preparing their vehicle to hit the road for the rescue mission

In February 2021, Elyse announced that she had been been engaged to her long-term partner Josh for weeks.

She captioned the emotional photo with the date the pair were engaged - January 17, 2021 - almost a month prior.

It wasn't long after that the couple welcomed Sunny.

Tips: A subsequent post advised, 'If your phone is running out of battery and you need rescuing please change your voicemail to your address and current situation'

Elyse chronicled Sunny's first birthday celebrations this week on Instagram when the model posed a montage of intimate family photos.

She wrote: 'Our little boy is ONE! Our ray of sunshine, our rock, our everything.

'You make us so proud to be your mummy and daddy. Thank you for being ours,' she went on.

'You came out very twisty. We can't wait to watch you grow into a little dude Lots of love mum and dad xx'.

The series of images showed mum and bub enjoying tender moments together shortly after his birth.
Paul Bettany addressed a disturbing text message between himself and Johnny Depp in a new interview with The Times of London.

The 50-year-old WandaVision star called his text conversations with Depp 'embarrassing,' and described the libel case that the 58-year-old Pirates Of The Caribbean actor launched against his ex-wife Amber Heard, 35, as 'a very surreal moment.'

Bettany also claimed that his more jovial responses to Depp's violent messages were due to falling out of touch with his former friend once he got married to Heard.

Looking back: Paul Bettany, 50, has said he is embarrassed about his controversial 2013 text messages with his friend Johnny Depp in a new interview with The Times of London; seen in 2019

The Beautiful Mind actor said he 'didnt know Johnny when he was married to' the Aquaman actress.

'I knew him before. But we hadnt spoken for years. During the marriage I didnt know them. So I wasnt around for any of that,' he explained.

Despite his statement, the text messages were sent prior to Depp and Heard's marriage, though it was years after they had started dating.

'We live in a world without context,' he added, referencing reports of his connection to Depp that emerged during the libel suit.

'I know how this works. Anything that you say is oxygen for a fire,' he continued. 'And theres just no f***ing fire.

Falling apart: The Beautiful Mind actor said he 'didnt know Johnny when he was married to' the Aquaman actress. Depp suggested they 'burn' his then girlfriend Heard, before offering to 'f***' her corpse to 'make sure shes dead'; seen in 2014 in London

'The only real way to deal with this elegantly is to say: Im not sure theres anybody who has [a smartphone] that would feel comfortable having a team of lawyers scour their private text messages.'

Depp reportedly wrote 'Lets burn Amber!!!' in a tweet to Bettany sent in 2013.

'Having thought it through I dont think we should burn Amber  shes delightful company and easy on the eye, plus Im not sure shes a witch,' the English actor reportedly replied. 'We could of course try the English course of action in these predicaments  we do a drowning test. Thoughts?'

Depp reportedly escalated the messages into more disturbing, graphic territory, replying, 'Lets drown her before we burn her!!! I will f*** her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure shes dead.'

In December, Bettany said anything he had to say about Depp and Heard would 'just pour fuel on the fire' in an interview with The Independent

Bettany previously addressed the conversation in an interview with The Independent from December, though he was reticent to discuss it.

'I think thats a really difficult subject to talk about and I think that I just pour fuel on the fire,' he said.

Although a publicist tried to give the actor an out, he continued speaking about having years-old communications with Depp made public in the court case.

'It was very strange. It was a strange moment What was strange about it was you suddenly have one of the most scabrous newspapers in London and their lawyers pouring through your texts for the last 10 years,' he wrote. Can you imagine what it would be like, honestly, to have a bunch of lawyers go through every one of your emails and texts for 10 years? All I can tell you was that it was an unpleasant feeling.'

In his latest interview, The Times noted that Depp claimed in court that he and Bettany had drank alcohol and consumed drugs together.

Losing case: Depp was suing The Sun for libel after it ran a 2018 headline in which it called him a 'wife beater,' though an English court later ruled against him; seen in 2011

Depp was suing The Sun for libel after it ran a 2018 headline in which it called him a 'wife beater.'

Heard said that the Dead Man star had physically abused her during their marriage, though Depp denied her claims and instead said he had been abused by her, which she subsequently denied.

The two actors met during the filming of their 2011 movie The Rum Diary and began dating shortly afterward. They got married in a civil ceremony in February 2015.

But the union was short-lived, and Heard filed for divorce in May of 2016.

In November 2020, the High Court of Justice for England and Wales ruled against Depp, determining that the majority of the violent incidents of abuse that Heard had described were 'substantially true.'

After the ruling, Depp left the Harry Potter spin-off franchise Fantastic Beasts, where he was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.

Depp's appeal was rejected in March 2021.

Never-ending litigation: Depp is also suing Heard for defamation for a Washington Post op-ed she wrote about leaving an abusive relationship. The case is scheduled to go to trial in April; seen in 2016

Depp continued to find legal avenues in the US, as he sued Heard in Virginia in 2019 for writing an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018 in which she addressed leaving an abusive relationship, though Depp's name wasn't used.

The suit is currently set to go to trial in April.

Heard followed up by countersuing her ex-husband in 2020 over claims that he had led a campaign to try to get her fired from the Aquaman franchise and some of her sponsorships.
She recently quit Married at First Sight following a very messy break-up from her on-screen husband Anthony Cincotta.

But Selin Mengu didn't appear to have a care in the world on Sunday when she stepped out for a lunch date with her co-star Al Perkins' sister Leah in Sydney.

The genetically blessed duo couldn't stop smiling as they sauntered over to Franca Brasserie in Potts Point, with Selin, 33, opting for a sexy ensemble consisting of leather trousers and a striped shirt.

What break-up? Married at First Sight star Selin Mengu (left) didn't appear to have a care in the world on Sunday, as she stepped out for a lunch date with her co-star Al Perkins' sister Leah (right) in Sydney

Selin only did one button up on the oversized top, flashing her toned stomach as she linked arms with her new pal.

She wore hints of beige makeup to accentuate her striking features, and styled her hair in beach waves.

Meanwhile, Leah - who made a cameo appearance on MAFS during her brother Al's wedding to Samantha Moitzi - ensured all eyes were on her in a slinky minidress.

The influencer, who has 200,000 Instagram followers, complimented the skintight number with a pair of beige stilettos and a white handbag.

She tied her hair into a high ponytail for the outing.

All smiles: The genetically blessed duo couldn't stop smiling as they sauntered to Franca Brasserie in Potts Point, with Selin, 33, opting for a sexy ensemble consisting of leather trousers and an oversized shirt

Stunner: Meanwhile, Leah - who made a cameo appearance on MAFS during her brother Al's wedding to Samantha Moitzi - ensured all eyes were on her in a slinky beige minidress

It comes after Selin and Anthony officially ended their relationship at the commitment ceremony on Sunday, following their dramatic fight at last week's dinner party.

'I need that spark in my life, I need that flare, I need that excitement. I need to be able to connect with somebody and I'm just not feeling that,' Anthony said.

'I was actually smiling today at spending time with my one true love, my daughter, so I wrote leave,' he added.

Selin then revealed her decision to leave the experiment, telling the relationship experts: 'The one thing I didn't want to do is lead him on.

Over: Selin and Anthony Cincotta officially ended their relationship at the commitment ceremony on Sunday, following their dramatic fight at last week's dinner party

'We stayed on to try and see what this was, but I feel I wouldn't keep going for something I don't feel a spark for, so I'm done.'

It came after tensions boiled over between the couple in spectacular fashion at last Wednesday's dinner party.

Yelling at each other across the table, jaws dropped when Selin revealed Anthony had sent her an invoice for $16.75 after he bought her a McDonald's meal.

When she demanded to know what Anthony was giving her in the relationship, her husband replied he was buying her coffees and dinner.

'I'm done!' Selin then revealed her decision to leave the experiment, telling the relationship experts: 'The one thing I didn't want to do is lead him on'

Bickering: It came after tensions boiled over between the couple in spectacular fashion at last Wednesday's dinner party

Selin then said that while Anthony had fetched her 'McDonald's in the rain' once, it came with strings attached.

'You sent me that goddamn receipt!' she seethed, leaving the other couples stunned.

'$16.75. You sent me the receipt and your account details!'

'You asked for the receipt!' countered Anthony, before telling Selin she was 'clutching onto straws' by outing him for being cheap.

Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine and 9Now
She has been working hard after joining the cast of Neighbours earlier this year.

And Tammin Sursok appeared exhausted as she filmed scenes alongside Rebekah Elmaloglou in Melbourne on Monday.

The 38-year-old actress was unable to stop herself from yawning in between scenes during takes on a bridge in Southbank.

Tiring work: Tammin Sursok (right) appeared tired as she filmed scenes for Neighbours alongside Rebekah Elmaloglou (left) in Melbourne on Monday

At one stage, the former Home and Away star decided she needed to rest, sitting on the ground as she checked her phone.

Tammin sipped from a takeaway cup of coffee in an effort to keep herself awake in between scenes.

She appeared engrossed in her phone as she waited for the show's crew to set up the next shot.

The Pretty Little Liars star was dressed in business attire, stepping out in a black miniskirt, which was paired with a matching black blazer.

Struggling to stay awake: The 38-year-old actress was unable to stop herself from yawning in between scenes as they filmed on a bridge in Southbank

Taking a seat: At one stage, the former Home and Away star decided she needed to rest, sitting on the ground as she checked her phone

Think pink: Tammin was joined by Rebekah, 48, who was dressed in a magenta shift dress, which she wore under a black coat

She wore a white satin camisole top underneath and carried a large black handbag on the crook of her elbow.

Her long brunette hair was styled in loose waves, and she injected some colour into her monochrome ensemble with a pop of pink lipstick.

In between scenes, Tammin swapped out her black handbag for what appeared to be her own brown designer tote.

Caffeine fix: Tammin sipped from a takeaway cup of coffee in an effort to keep herself awake in between scenes

Calling it in: She appeared engrossed in her phone as she waited for the show's crew to set up the next shot

In black and white: She wore a white satin camisole top underneath and carried a large black handbag on the crook of her elbow

She also slipped on a pair of pink-rimmed reading glasses and carried a white folder.

Tammin was joined by Rebekah, 48, who was dressed in a magenta shift dress, which she wore under a black coat.

She carried a beige and black handbag, and like Tammin, sipped a takeaway coffee in between scenes.

Personal belongings: In between scenes, Tammin swapped out her black handbag for what appeared to be her own brown designer tote

Mirror, mirror: At one stage, Tammin checked her reflection in a compact mirror as Rebekah smiled alongside her

Up in the air: According to a report by TV Tonight last month, production was brought to a halt on the long-running soap and cast were called into a meeting

Comfort first: They appeared to have been filming close-up shots, with both Tammin and Rebekah opting for casual and comfortable footwear

They appeared to have been filming close-up shots, with both Tammin and Rebekah opting for casual and comfortable footwear.

Rebekah wore red and white striped slides, while Tammin donned teal-coloured loafers.

At one stage, Tammin checked her reflection in a compact mirror as Rebekah smiled alongside her.

Fancy footwear: Rebekah wore red and white striped slides, while Tammin donned teal-coloured loafers

'As outlined in the email to Neighbours cast and crew, it is our intention to continue our association with Neighbours if another broadcast partner comes forward,' a spokesperson for Network 10 told TV Tonight

All made up: Tammin touched up her makeup as a series of crew members watched on, chatting with her as she kept focus on her face

She touched up her makeup as a series of crew members watched on, chatting with her as she kept focus on her face.

The two actresses stood alongside each other as they filmed on the bridge, with a boom operator holding a microphone above them.

They appeared to rehearse in between scenes, with Rebekah holding a script in front of her with her lines highlighted.

Specs appeal: She also slipped on a pair of pink-rimmed reading glasses and carried a white folder in between takes

Practice makes perfect: They appeared to rehearse in between scenes, with Rebekah holding a script in front of her with her lines highlighted

Reading lines: Tammin was also spotted leafing through a script during a break from filming, peering down at the white papers in her hand

Tammin was also spotted leafing through a script during a break from filming, peering down at the white papers in her hand.

Reports emerged last month that Neighbours' future is in jeopardy after British broadcaster Channel 5 announced it would no longer air the show.

According to a report by TV Tonight at the time, production was brought to a halt on the long-running soap and cast were called into a meeting.

Pretty in pink: Her long brunette hair was styled in loose waves, and she injected some colour into her monochrome ensemble with a pop of pink lipstick

Mic'd up: The two actresses stood alongside each other as they filmed on the bridge, with a boom operator holding a microphone above them

Taking in the view: Rebekah carried a beige and black handbag, and like Tammin, sipped a takeaway coffee in between scenes

'As outlined in the email to Neighbours cast and crew, it is our intention to continue our association with Neighbours if another broadcast partner comes forward,' a spokesperson for Network 10 told TV Tonight.

'Network 10 has an ongoing commitment to the show, the cast and crew and is hopeful that Fremantle will find a new production partner. We will provide further updates as they become available.'

In a statement to Digital Spy last month, a spokesperson for Channel 5 said the network was focused on 'increasing our investment in original UK drama'.

Taking a step back: In a statement to Digital Spy last month, a spokesperson for Channel 5 said the network was focused on 'increasing our investment in original UK drama'

Coming to an end: Fremantle Media executive producer Jason Herbison said the show would be 'rested', according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald

'Our audience remains steady and Channel 10 would love the show to continue if we could find another broadcast partner to replace Channel 5,' Herbison said in an email to staff last month

Meanwhile, Fremantle Media executive producer Jason Herbison said the show would be 'rested', according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald.

'Our audience remains steady and Channel 10 would love the show to continue if we could find another broadcast partner to replace Channel 5,' Herbison said in an email to staff last month.

'These discussions are ongoing, however, there is no new broadcaster at the moment and production must end, effectively resting the show.'
While the deadly conflict in Ukraine rages on, three Hollywood studios have cancelled upcoming movie releases in Russia.

Warner Bros. announced on Monday that it was cancelling its Russian release of The Batman originally slated for March 2, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Walt Disney Company also issued a statement revealing they are cancelling all of their upcoming theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red, originally slated for release in Russia on March 10.

Canceled: Warner Bros. announced on Monday that it was cancelling its Russian release of The Batman originally slated for March 2, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Russia: No Red: The Walt Disney Company also issued a statement revealing they are cancelling all of their upcoming theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red, originally slated for release in Russia on March 10

Sony Pictures also issued a statement that it was cancelling Morbius' release in Russia, originally slated for March 24, along with other future releases.

Warner Bros.' statement read, 'In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia.

'We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy,' the Warner statement concluded.

No Morbius: Sony Pictures also issued a statement that it was cancelling Morbius' release in Russia, originally slated for March 24, along with other future releases

Disney released a statement on Monday afternoon, which read, 'Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar.'

'We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees,' the Disney statement concluded.

Sony's statement began, 'Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis unfolding in that region, we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius.'

Unprovoked: Disney released a statement on Monday afternoon, which read, 'Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar'

Future: 'We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees,' the Disney statement concluded

'Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly,' Sony's statement concluded.

Other upcoming Sony movies which could have Russian releases canceled include Father Stu (April 13) with Mark Wahlberg and Bullet Train (July 15) starring Brad Pitt.

Disney releases that could be affected include a pair of Marvel sequels, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (May 6) and Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8), along with the animated Lightyear (June 17).

Bullet: Other upcoming Sony movies which could have Russian releases canceled include Father Stu (April 13) with Mark Wahlberg and Bullet Train (July 15) starring Brad Pitt

While Warner Bros. didn't commit to halting or pausing other Russian releases, it will next be releasing Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (April 15), DC League of Super Pets (May 20) and Elvis (June 24).

Russia typically isn't a robust international market, but superhero fare like The Batman does do well there.

Spider-Man: No Way Home pulled in $44 million from Russia while Venom: Let There Be Carnage earned $32 million, the biggest international market for the film.
They announced their engagement back in January.

And Ron Perlman, 71, showed he was still madly in love with his fiancee Allison Dunbar, 49, when he couldn't keep his hands off her as they hit the red carpet for the fifth annual Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards.

The lovebirds both look effortlessly elegant in matching black outfits as they arrived at the Avalon nightclub in Hollywood on Monday evening.

Loved-up: Ron Pelrman, 71, couldn't keep his hands off his actress fiancee Allison Dunbar, 49, at the fifth annual HCA Film Awards in Hollywood on Monday

Allison looked gorgeous in a voluminous black satin dress with a plunging neckline.

The outfit included a thick black bow tied over her bust that drooped down to her knees, and the long skirt reached to the ground.

She wore her long blond locks in delicate waves cascading down her shoulders, and she accessorized with a sequin-covered black clutch.

Ron looked dashing in a classic black suit with a charcoal tie and a white suit.

Back in black: Allison looked gorgeous in a voluminous black satin dress with a plunging neckline. The outfit included a thick black bow tied over her bust that drooped down to her knees, and the long skirt reached to the ground

Timeless: Ron looked dashing in a classic black suit with a charcoal tie and a white suit

The Hellboy star had his short white hair styled in spikes and sported a mustache for the award ceremony.

While on the red carpet, Ron also caught up with Nicolas Cage, with whom he costarred in the critically reviled 2011 horrorfantasy film Season Of The Witch.

Perlman is featured in one of this year's HCA nominees, Nightmare Alley, which is directed by his longtime friend and collaborator Guillermo del Toro, who helmed the first two Hellboy films that he starred in.

Del Toro is nominated in the best director category, and the film is also nominated for Best Production Design for its noirish evocation of the late 1930s and '40s.

Costars: While on the red carpet, Ron also caught up with Nicolas Cage, with whom he costarred in the critically reviled 2011 horrorfantasy film Season Of The Witch

On screen: Perlman is featured in one of this year's HCA nominees, Nightmare Alley, which is directed by his longtime friend and collaborator Guillermo del Toro, who helmed the first two Hellboy films

Perlman's association with del Toro goes all the way back to the Mexican auteurs first film, Cronos, in which he was the only American cast member.

The actor has a smaller part in the neo-noir thriller Nightmare Alley as one of the members of a traveling carnival.

Perlman and his bride-to-be Dunbar have been together since 2019 and were first spotted together just days after he split from his ex-wife Opal Stone, whom he had been married to for 38 years.

Perlman and Dunbar had previously starred in the Crackle series StartUp in 2018, prior to the start of their relationship.

He and Opal were married from 1981 until their surprise split in May 2019.

They share share two children together, daughter Blake, 37, and son Brandon, 31, who creates music under the stage name Delroy Edwards.

Perlman filed for divorce in November 2019, and the actor was grated a 'bifurcation,' which declared him legally 'single' and free to marry Dunbar, even while his divorce proceedings with Stone continue.

There is no indication when Perlman and Dunbar plan on tying the knot quite yet, or when the actor's divorce may be finalized.

They go way back: Perlman's association with del Toro goes all the way back to the Mexican auteurs first film, Cronos, in which he was the only American cast member
Former Married At First Sight star Mishel Karen has been making a lucrative living doing hardcore porn on OnlyFans.

And this week, the 51-year-old grandmother teased one of her raciest scenes to date.

In a tweet, Mishel previewed a video that she dubbed a 'girls sleepover', which appeared to be a lesbian threesome.

Pushing the limits: Former Married At First Sight star Mishel Karen (pictured) has starred in a lesbian threesome after launching a porn career to pay the bills

A photo of the scene showed Mishel in bed with two other amateur porn stars, with one cupping the MAFS star's breasts over her bra.

'Want to know what is new on my OnlyFans?' Mishel captioned it.

'Come check out my 'Girls Sleepover' video. Us girls get up to mischief when @aussiebarbie07 and @mollyrosexx sleep over.'

The mother of two has been earning more than $20,000 a month performing hardcore porn on OnlyFans.

More the merrier? In a tweet, the 51-year-old grandmother previewed a video that she dubbed a 'girls sleepover', which appeared to be a lesbian threesome

Despite finding fame and fortune with her new adult venture, there's a heartbreaking reason behind Mishel's move into the porn industry.

The former reality star was suspended without pay from her old job after refusing to comply with Covid vaccine mandates.

'I have earned a really nice amount of money to help us through this difficult time. Well, at least I can pay my new mortgage for a few months,' she recently told Daily Mail Australia.

Mishel, who used to work as a policy trainer in the police force, recently became a grandmother after her son Sam welcomed a baby boy with his girlfriend.

Cashed up: The mother of two has been earning more than $20,000 a month performing hardcore porn on OnlyFans

She's also a doting mum to daughter Eva, who featured on a few episodes of Married At First Sight and now works as a curve model in Brisbane.

Mishel, a mum of two and grandmother of one, is older than most of her OnlyFans contemporaries at 51, and is known for performing hardcore acts other models aren't prepared to do.

She's performed a variety of X-rated acts on the site, including using toys and filming lesbian porn scenes with another woman.

'I just don't want my children to have to struggle to pay bills': The 51-year-old has said that she's doing porn to provide for her family (pictured with daughter Eva and son Sam)

Family first: Mishel, who used to work as a policy trainer in the police force, recently became a grandmother after her son Sam welcomed a baby boy with his girlfriend

Mishel also sells her used socks and panties on the website, and performs bizarre custom requests for fans.

She previously revealed her most-requested sex act from her subscribers was 'oral sex' and that she was once asked to perform an extreme and unhygienic fetish act while doing a handstand, which she refused.

The Macedonian stunner shot to fame on Married At First Sight's seventh season in 2020.

The ninth season of the reality series is currently airing on Channel Nine.
Rebel Wilson is certainly known to live the high life.

And the Senior Year actress jetted off Mexico with a slew of pals to party at the One and Only Pamilla resort on Tuesday.

In a series of Instagram posts, Rebel, who celebrates turning 42 on March 2, showed herself first boarding a private jet to the pricey Mexican resort.

High life! Rebel Wilson (pictured) flew to Mexico via private jet to stay at the AUD $1,800 (USD $1,300) per night One and Only Pamilla resort for her birthday on Tuesday

Ocean front rooms can cost upwards of AUD $1,800 (USD $1,300) per night at the stunning destination.

'Spending my one and only birthday this year at One and Only Palmilla,' Rebel captioned the three photos.

Rebel, who has lost an incredible 35kg (77lbs), showed off her slender curves in a tailored green blazer along with a white cap which had the hotel's logo on it.

Glamazon: Rebel, who has lost an incredible 35kg (77lbs), showed off her slender curves in a tailored green blazer along with a white cap which had the hotel's logo on it

Birthday vacation: 'Spending my one and only birthday this year at One and Only Palmilla,' Rebel captioned the photos

Elsewhere, she posted video showing her drive to the resort, during which she and her friends enjoyed a number of drinks.

The star also shared a number of images showing the ocean view from her luxurious hotel room.

In a series of Instagram Stories shared on Saturday, the Pitch Perfect star filmed her pals, including actor Hugh Sheridan, 36, on a private jet.

Party! In a series of Instagram Stories shared on Saturday, the Pitch Perfect star filmed her pals, including actor Hugh Sheridan on a private jet

'Just going on a little trip for the weekend!' Rebel said humbly in one the clips, before filming her view out the window

Cool gang: She also posed alongside her friends inside the plane, as well as on the staircase before they took off

'Just going on a little trip for the weekend!' Rebel said humbly in one the clips, before filming her view out the window.

She also posed alongside her friends inside the plane, as well as on the staircase before they took off.

In his own posts from the day, Australian star Hugh revealed that the group had made an early start on celebrating Rebel's birthday.
Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, left, holds hands with New Wave Party's Kim Dong-yeon before their meeting in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap



Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), is on course to merge campaigns with Kim Dong-yeon, the presidential nominee of the minor New Wave Party, after the two agreed on policy coalitions Tuesday, a move that will help Lee's chances in the March 9 election against his rival Yoon Suk-yeol.



Lee and Kim reached an agreement on policy coalitions and operation of a joint government following their meeting in Seoul, which observers see as a de-facto candidacy merger.



"We agreed to create politics of unity, a government of unity and people's Cabinet with all political powers who care about people and this country," Lee said.






The family of Naya Rivera and her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey have come to a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit with Ventura County, California in connection with the Glee star's death in 2020.

Dorsey, 38, initially filed the suit against the county in November of 2020 for their son Josey, six, about four months after Rivera died at the age of 33 on July 8, 2020 in an accidental drowning while she was out on a pontoon boat ride with Josey in Lake Piru, California.

'Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru,' the family's lawyer Amjad M. Khan of Brown Neri Smith & Khan said in a statement, The Blast reported Monday. 'Though the tragic loss of Josey's mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy.'

The latest: The family of Naya Rivera's family and her ex-husband Ryan Dorsey have come to a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit with Ventura County, California in connection with the Glee star's death in 2020. The late star was snapped in November of 2019 in LA

In the suit, Rivera's family and Dorsey said the county, as well as United Water Conservation District and Parks and Recreation Management, did not adequately warn people of the dangers involved in boating and swimming in the area.

Rivera's family said that the pontoon boat the Step Up: High Water actress had rented did not have the proper safety equipment onboard, such as a floatation or lifesaver device, rope or anchor to ensure swimmers could stay linked to their boat.

Authorities in Ventura County responded in court docs saying that Rivera 'declined to wear' a life vest she was offered 'by Parks Management Companys boat rental agent,' who subsequently 'put the vest in the rental boat.'

Lawyers for Rivera's family described the series of events that led to the Hollywood beauty's tragic death.

Rivera's family said that the pontoon boat the Step Up: High Water actress had rented did not have the proper safety equipment onboard

Rivera died at the age of 33 on July 8, 2020 in an accidental drowning while she was out on a pontoon boat ride with Josey in Lake Piru, California

Dorsey, 38, initially filed the suit against the county in November of 2020 for their son Josey, six. The former couple was snapped in January of 2016 in LA

'While Naya and Josey were swimming, the boat started to be carried away - likely by the current and wind, which gusted up to 21 miles per hour that afternoon,' Rivera's family's legal team said in court docs. 'Josey, who was closer, managed to get back on the boat by his own volition and braced himself on the boat, which was rocking back and forth forcefully in the current and wind.

'Josey knew Naya was still in the water and heard her cry, "Help! Help!" in her struggle to get back to the boat and avoid drowning ... Josey yelled for help and cried alone in the boat until he was found more than an hour later by a PMC boat leasing agent.'

In the suit, Rivera's family's legal team said that Lake Piru's 'deadly history' included the deaths of at least 26 other people.

The late actress was seen with her son Josey at a film screening in February of 2019 in LA

Dorsey took to Instagram last fall to celebrate Josey's sixth birthday

Rivera's family asked for funeral costs and damages for Josey, citing that he had 'suffered substantial economic and non-economic damages as a result of Nayas death, including financial support that Naya would have contributed to' him.

The settlement - of which terms were confidential - 'is subject to approval by the Ventura Superior Court on March 16,' attorneys for Rivera's family said.

The star initially disappeared July 8, 2020 and her body was recovered July 13. Her funeral took place July 24, 2020.

Dorsey, who was wed to Rivera from 2014 to 2018, took to Instagram in January to mark what would have been her 35th birthday.

'Made the visit today to see you, to spend some time,' he said. 'Up the hill I went, memories flashing through my mind as I drive. Approaching where you rest, bouquet of daisies and baby breath. Trying to hold it together, feeling all I feel, eyes getting wet still can't believe it's real

'Nobody knowswhy. Why you had to leave us behind. I hope it gets easier as time goes by, but forever is forever, and I'll never know why. Able to finally look at a couple videos today, I guess you can say I'm doing betterbut better is just a better word for forever sad, this s*** is unbelievable forever.'
Chris 'Willow' Wilson has been identified as the man killed in a helicopter crash in a remote part of West Arnhem Land on Monday.

The 34-year-old star of National Geographic's Outback Wrangler leaves behind his wife Danielle and the couple's sons, Ted and Austin.

A statement issued on Tuesday from The Fordham Company, which produces the factual series, spoke of the 'heartbreak' suffered by show's cast and crew, including host Matt Wright.

Loss: Chris 'Willow' Wilson (pictured) has been identified as the man killed in a helicopter crash in a remote part of West Arnhem Land on Monday

'Matt Wright, his family and team are absolutely devastated by the tragic accident yesterday in Arnhem Land,' it read.

'[They] are heartbroken by the loss of their best friend and highly respected colleague Chris 'Willow' Wilson'.

'Matt Wright and his team are assisting authorities with their investigations as to what caused this awful incident.'

Host Matt Wright said in his own statement: 'Our love and thoughts are with Chris' wife Danielle and two little boys Ted and Austin as well as the families and friends of Chris and Seb during this incredibly tough time'.

Family: The 34-year-old star of National Geographic's Outback Wrangler leaves behind his wife Danielle and the couple's sons, Ted and Austin

Tragic: A statement issued on Tuesday from The Fordham Company, which produces the factual series, spoke of the 'heartbreak' suffered by show's cast and crew

Northern Territory personality David Connolly, who manages the Tipperary Group of Stations, also added a tribute on social media.

'Willow was a born and bred Territorian and drove and chased and caught most things possible,' he wrote.

'We lost a great man and a good friend in Chris 'Willow' Wilson yesterday in a Heli accident. Our thoughts are with his young family.'

Outback Wrangler, which ceased production in 2019, followed the work of helicopter pilot and animal catcher Matt Wright and his adventurous life in the Australian outback.

Statement: 'Matt Wright, his family and team are absolutely devastated by the tragic accident yesterday in Arnhem Land,' it read. Host Matt Wright is pictured right

Outback Wrangler launched in 2015 and screens in more than 90 countries around the world.

Wilson, described as a 'crocodile wrangler' and 'outback adventurer', lent his skills to the program, including filming episodes aboard in Indonesia.

Northern Territory police confirmed on Monday that a 34-year-old man was killed and a 28-year-old man was seriously injured in the accident.

'The survivor, a 28-year-old man, was transported to Royal Darwin Hospital,' Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said.

Police were advised of the crash shortly before 11am and dispatched the nearest officers at Goulburn Island to attend the location on King River, several hours away by boat.

CareFlight also dispatched a rescue helicopter, and the Australian Rescue Coordination Centre, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and NT WorkSafe were also advised.

Host Matt Wright said in his own statement: 'Our love and thoughts are with Chris' wife Danielle and two little boys Ted and Austin as well as the families and friends of Chris and Seb during this incredibly tough time'

Authorities reached the site on Monday afternoon.

The survivor was transported to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Investigations into the crash are under way.
Debra Lawrance paid tribute to her husband Dennis Coard as they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary together.

In a post on Instagram on Tuesday, the 65-year-old actress gave her husband a sweet shoutout after they met and fell in love on the set of Home and Away.

She also shared a sweet selfie with Dennis, 71, who wrapped a loving arm around his wife's shoulders as they posed together.

Milestone: Debra Lawrance paid tribute to her husband Dennis Coard as they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary together

'Thirty years ago today (on February 29th) this beautiful man and I were married in Avalon,' the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child actress began.

'This is us grabbing a delicious celebratory dinner at @theeuropeanmelbourne between Part One and Part Two of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in 2020 - our official anniversary date.'

She then proceeded to heap praise on her husband, listing all the qualities she loves about him.

'Thirty years ago today (on February 29th) this beautiful man and I were married in Avalon,' the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child actress began

Real-life romance: In a post on Instagram on Tuesday, the 65-year-old actress gave her husband a sweet shoutout after they met and fell in love on the set of Home and Away

'My gratitude knows no bounds. Dennis is the kindest, most generous person I know... a truly wonderful father...' she continued.

'Add hardworking, supportive, hilariously funny and extremely attractive and you start to see why we've managed to travel through the last three decades together.'

She added: 'Happy Anniversary dearest Dennis. Much love and heartfelt thanks for agreeing to be the father of our two beautiful children.'

'My gratitude knows no bounds. Dennis is the kindest, most generous person I know... a truly wonderful father...' she continued

'If I didn't have a steady job, I don't think I would have had children. I met Dennis, we have two great children, and he's a brilliant father,' she told Woman's Day. Pictured with their children

In a 2011 interview with Woman's Day magazine, Debra spoke about meeting Dennis, revealing she'd 'flirted with him and there was chemistry'.

'Home And Away gave me my life,' she added.

'If I didn't have a steady job, I don't think I would have had children. I met Dennis, we have two great children, and he's a brilliant father.'
Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner appeared happier than ever in the latest trailer of their upcoming reality series, which hits Hulu and a Disney+ on April 14.

Upon learning of Travis Barker's plans to propose to Kourtney Kardashian in October, the 42-year-old reality star's siblings squealed in excitement.

'Guys, it's happening,' momager Kris Jenner cheerfully told daughter Khloe over the phone, who immediately let out an enthusiastic shriek.

Excited: Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner appeared happier than ever in the latest trailer of their upcoming reality series, which hits Hulu on April 14

Upon hearing the news, Kendall replied with a happy scream while grinning from ear-to-ear.

Later in the preview, fans got a glimpse of the newly-engaged couple as they were surprised with champagne by their closest friends and family.

'Surprise!' Kylie Jenner called out as Kourtney and Barker join a room full of their loved ones just hours after announcing their betrothal to the world.

Surprise! Later in the clip, fans get a glimpse of the newly-engaged couple as they are surprised with champagne by their closest friends and family

The Poosh founder, 42, can be seen accepting a glass of bubbly with a smile before locking lips with her husband-to-be.

After celebrating her sister's engagement, Kim, can be seen getting out of a limo in a pink Balenciaga outfit that she wore to host Saturday Night Live in mid-October.

Meanwhile, Khloe appeared to hitting a number of glamorous work events, but made no mention her ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson's love child.

'Surprise!' Kylie Jenner calls out as Kourtney and Barker join a room full of their loved ones just hours after announcing their betrothal to the world

Doing great! Despite a year of radical transformations' in their love lives, Kim Kardashian seemed thrilled to celebrate her sister's engagement

Massive opportunity: After celebrating her sister's engagement, Kim, can be seen getting out of a limo in a pink Balenciaga outfit that she wore to host Saturday Night Live in mid-October

'Over the last year, we've seen such transformations from all of us,' Kris can be heard saying.

Although the exact content of the show hasn't been spelled out, there's plenty going on in all of the stars' lives from which to draw storylines.

2021 proved to be an eventful year for the family with Kim filing for divorce from Kanye West, Kylie revealing a second pregnancy, and Khloe weathering drama with her on-again, off-again beau.

Pushing through: Meanwhile, Khloe appeared to hitting a number of glamorous work events, but made no mention her ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson's love child

'Over the last year, we've seen such transformations from all of us,' Kris can be heard saying

Odd: In an interesting phone conversation, someone can be heard asking Kim: 'Oh my God. Are you dying? Are you dying? I'm dying'

Furthermore, Kourtney became engaged to Barker after the two spent the year sharing public displays of affection, and Kim made her SNL hosting debut.

Additionally, Kendall launched her 818 Tequila brand and celebrated her first anniversary with Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker over the summer.

The end of the year was marked by a somber period, as Kylie's partner Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival was struck by tragedy when ten people perished at the event.

'To us!' Khloe says as she gives a toast in a black and white tracksuit

Just getting started: It appears Barker will be heavily featured in the Hulu series

In in the first trailer, released last Monday, Kim hilariously poked fun at her many engagements at sister Kourtney's engagement party.

At Kourtney and Barker's engagement party, the mom-of-four joked about her complicated love life as their mom shed happy tears.

'This makes me so happy,' Kris gushed over dinner with loved ones after her future son-in-law popped the question to her eldest at sunset on a beach.

Big year for the model: In 2021, Kendall launched her 818 Tequila brand and celebrated her first anniversary with Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker over the summer

Fabulous as ever: Other moments in the 26-second teaser included Kendall driving Kylie around and Khloe laughing as a woman styled her hair

This prompted Kim, who has been married three times, to quip: 'She's never had a reaction like that for me and it's happened a few times.'

Barker made several cameos in the preview, indicating he will be a fixture on the new show.

The clip featured flashes of Kourtney looking smitten as she watched him play the drums and him sitting across from Khloe Kardashian and on-again, off-again beau, Tristan Thompson, at a lunch with his bride-to-be's family.

Staying busy: The trailer comes just over a year after the Kardashian-Jenners finished filming for the 20th and final season of their long-running reality series Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Later, Kim could been seen leaving her SNL hosting debut in a a stylish hot pink outfit.

Other moments in the 26-second teaser included Kendall driving Kylie around and Khloe laughing as a woman styled her hair.

The trailer comes just over a year after the Kardashian-Jenners finished filming for the 20th and final season of their long-running reality series Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
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Kristen Stewart couldn't contain her excitement as she accepted Best Actress for her spot-on portrayal of Princess Diana in Pablo Larrain's Spencer at the fifth annual Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards on Monday.

'I took more joy into my body doing this than anything. Its been a long run, I f**king appreciate this, seriously,' she told the audience while putting on a dazzling display in a burgundy sequined gown, which highlighted her toned figure.

After expressing her gratitude, the 31-year-old Oscar nominee talked about the 'wild storm' of landing her role-of-a-lifetime and how the People's Princess as a 'human being and figure' was so 'completely alone' all the time.

Grateful: Kristen Stewart couldn't contain her excitement as she accepted Best Actress for her spot-on portrayal of Princess Diana in Pablo Larrain's Spencer at the fifth annual Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards on Monday

Big gig: Stewart earned the honor for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Spencer (right)

'I could never have made this movie by myself, and that's every movie, but this one, really,' she concluded. 'I was so accompanied. This is so cool, I can't believe we get to do this.'

The Hollywood Critics Association is a film critic organization based in Los Angeles and founded in 2016 as they honor achievement in film every year.

Less than 24 hours after taking her first Screen Actors Guild award for her role as Anita in West Side Story, Ariana DeBose accepted another prize in front of her peers at the Avalon Hollywood & Bardot in Los Angeles.

The triple-threat looked flawless in a chic all-black ensemble as she took the stage to accept the trophy for Best Supporting Actress.

'I took more joy into my body doing this than anything. Its been a long run, I f**king appreciate this, seriously,' she told the audience while putting on a dazzling display in a burgundy sequined gown, which highlighted her toned figure

Beaming: The Twilight star was beaming after taking the stage to accept her prize

Reflective: After expressing her gratitude, the 31-year-old Oscar nominee talked about the 'wild storm' of landing her role-of-a-lifetime and how the People's Princess as a 'human being and figure' was so 'completely alone' all the time

Winner: Stewart accepts the Best Actress Award for her film Spencer, which was released in November

Abs-olutely fabulous: Kristen bared her midriff in a ruby red sequined two piece number

Good times: She put on a fun pose for the cameras backstage after her crowning moment

Gorgeous: She posed for stunning portraits with her shiny new trophy

Wow: Less than 24 hours after taking her first Screen Actors Guild award for her role as Anita in West Side Story, Ariana DeBose accepted another prize in front of her peers at the Avalon Hollywood & Bardot in Los Angeles

A round of applause! The triple-threat looked flawless in a chic all-black ensemble as she took the stage to accept the trophy for Best Supporting Actress

No surprise! Andrew Garfield was also among the honorees to take home one of the night's biggest awards as he accepted the prize for Best Actor for his leading role as Jonathan Larson in 'tick, tick...BOOM!

Dynamic duo: Big winners Stewart and Garfield posed for a snap together

Dapper: Garfield looked dapper in a portrait as he was honored for his portrayal of Jonathan Larson in 'tick, tick...BOOM!

Hollywood Critics Association Awards 2022 WINNERS Best Picture  CODA Best Actor  Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick  Boom! Best Actress  Kristen Stewart, Spencer Best Supporting Actor  Troy Kotsur, CODA Best Supporting Actress  Ariana DeBose, West Side Story Best Cast Ensemble  Belfast Best Director *Tie*  Denis Villeneuve, Dune and Jane Campion, The Power of The Dog Best Original Screenplay  Fran Kranz, Mass Best Adapted Screenplay  Sian Heder, CODA Best Animated or VFX Performance  Stephanie Beatriz, Encanto Best Action Film  The Harder They Fall Best Animated Film  The Mitchells vs. The Machines Best Comedy or Musical  Tick, Tick  Boom! Best Documentary  Summer of Soul Best Horror  Last Night in Soho Best Indie Film  Pig Best International Film  Drive My Car Best First Feature  Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tick, Tick  Boom! Best Short Film  Us Again Best Score  Hans Zimmer, Dune Best Original Song  Be Alive, King Richard Best Cinematography  Greig Fraser, Dune Best Production Design  Tamara Deverell, Nightmare Alley Best Film Editing  Paul Machliss, Last Night in Soho Best Stunts  Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings Best Costume Design  Jenny Beavan, Cruella Best Hair & Makeup  Justin Raleigh, Linda Dowds, and Stephanie Ingram, The Eyes of Tammy Faye Best Visual Effects  Brian Connor, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, and Tristan Myles, Dune Honorary Awards Acting Achievement Award  Nicolas Cage Artisan Achievement Award  Greig Fraser Artisan on the Rise  Alice Brooks Excellence in Artistry  Kenneth Branagh Filmmaker on the Rise  Natalie Morales Filmmaking Achievement Award  Guillermo del Toro Game Changer Award  Simu Liu Inspire Award  Aunjanue Ellis International Icon Award  Javier Bardem Newcomer Award  Jude Hill Spotlight Award  The Cast of CODA Star on the Rise  Saniyya Sidney Advertisement

She won honor over Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), Caitriona Balfe (Belfast), Marlee Matlin (CODA) and Ruth Negga (Passing Netflix).

Meanwhile, Javier Bardem, who lost Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role to Will Smith at the SAG Awards, was victorious in his category tonight.

Looking pleasantly surprised, the Being the Ricardos actor smiled as he held onto his golden statue with a proud smile across his face.

Andrew Garfield was also among the honorees to take home one of the night's biggest awards as he accepted the prize for Best Actor for his leading role as Jonathan Larson in 'tick, tick...BOOM!

Astounding: Marlee Matlin, Daniel Durant, Eugenio Derbez, Sian Heder, and Emilia Jones accepted the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for CODA

An honor: Nicolas Cage accepts the Best Actor Award for Pig

Passionate: The actor starred in the 2021 drama film, written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, about a truffle forager whose beloved truffle-finding pig is stolen

Range: Cage kept a straight face before smiling with his new trophy in portraits

Winner: Denis Villeneuve accepts the Best Director Award for Dune

More to come: Natalie Morales, best known as Lucy on Parks and Recreation, accepts the Filmmaker On The Rise Award

Pretty in pink: Saniyya Sidney, who stars as a young Venus Williams in the 2021 film King Richard, got emotional as she took the stage in a beautiful patterned dress

During his speech, the Spiderman actor even gushed about getting to be at the event with some of his heroes, which included Stewart.

While Nicolas Cage received the Acting Achievement Award, acclaimed Mexican director Guillermo del Toro took home the Filmmaking Achievement Award.

Meanwhile, Natalie Morales, best known as Lucy on Parks and Recreation, accepts the Filmmaker On The Rise Award

A legend: Acclaimed Mexican director Guillermo del Toro took home the Filmmaking Achievement Award

A big deal: The Academy Award-winning director and screenwriter is known for films such as Hellboy, Pacific Rim, The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak, Pan's Labyrinth

Another night for the books: Lin-Manuel Miranda accepts the Best First Feature Award for 'tick, tick...BOOM!

Just getting started: Jude Hill accepted the Newcomer Award while dressed up in a cobalt blue suit with a matching bow tie

Already a pro: The 11-year-old Northern Irish child star is known for his lead role in Kenneth Branagh's film Belfast

Saniyya Sidney, who stars as a young Venus Williams in the 2021 film King Richard, got emotional as she took the stage in a beautiful patterned dress.

For her big night, she wore a patterned pink dress, hoop earrings and her brown tresses in a sleek ponytail.

Winners later posed for professional photographs with their statues.

Sweet: Stewart clapped for other honorees as they night went on

Mingling: Stewart was seen chatting away with a friend at her table

Radiant: Stewart was dressed to win in her eye-catching sequined two-piece dress

Captivated: Kristen kept her attention on the stage during the gala

Celebrating: Cage looked handsome in a blue pinstriped suit

Big smile: Cage appeared to be enjoying the drinks and food during the star-studded dinner

Irish: Belfast stars Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan pictured on stage

DeBose took a handful of photos with her HCA Award, in which she stared directly in the camera with the statue slightly in front of her face.

Bardem also made sure to get a snap of himself following his big win.

CODA's Troy Kotsur, who recently made history as the first deaf actor to win a SAG Award, tipped his black hat in one photo, before planting a kiss on his trophy in another.

Unique: DeBose took a handful of photos with her HCA Award, in which she stared directly in the camera with the statue slightly in front of her face

Feeling good! Winners later posed for professional photographs with their statues

Lots to smile about: Bardem also made sure to get a snap of himself following his big win

Class act: CODA's Troy Kotsur, who recently made history as the first deaf actor to win a SAG Award, tipped his black hat in one photo

Content: Later, he planted a kiss on his HCA Award

Charming: Jamie Dornan looked handsome as he posed for a portrait

Ahead of their Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture win, the cast of CODA looked stylish on the red carpet.

Marlee Matlin, Emilia Jones, Daniel Durant, Eugenio Derbez, and Troy Kotsur all showcased their fashionable flare on the red carpet.

Emilia, 20, looked stunning in a glittering gold mini dress with matching strappy heels.

Not to be outdone fellow Oscar favorites from the cast of Belfast also hit the red carpet including Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, and Kenneth Branagh.

Trailblazing: Ahead of their Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture win, the cast of CODA looked stylish on the red carpet, as they are seen from left to right; Daniel Durant, Eugenio Derbez, Marlee Matlin, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur and writer-filmmaker Sian Heder

Golden girl: Emilia, 20, looked stunning in a glittering gold mini dress with matching strappy heels

Man of the hour: Troy looked handsome just a day after he became the first ever deaf actor to win an individual SAG Award

Icon: Marlee was in good spirits as she donned a black double breasted coat with white buttons and matching trousers

Oscar favorites: Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Kenneth Branagh and Ciaran Hinds (seen from left to right) represented their critically acclaimed film Belfast

Looking great: Dornan an Balfe looked amazing at the gathering

Action men: Ron Perlman and Nicholas Cage posed for a snap together

Wow factor: Alexandra Shipp (left) and Stephanie Beatriz stunned in sexy black numbers

Looking ace: Demi Singleton (Left) and Saniyya Sidney (Right) who play tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard were seen at the gala

Back in black: Kaitlyn Dever (Left) and Yaya DaCosta donned fashionable black looks

Just the two of us: Alessandra Rosaldo and Eugenio Derbez posed for a snap
The much-anticipated release of The Batman is just days away, with Robert Pattison set to play the iconic vigilante.

But EastEnders fans are set to be surprised by the appearance of a soap icon, as Alex Ferns stars in the film as disgruntled Commissioner Pete Savage.

The actor, 53, who played the abusive Trevor Morgan on the soap from 2000 to 2002, looks unrecognisable in the film as he plays the superior to James Gordon who is far-from impressed that he's joined forces with a vigilante.

Who is that? Former EastEnders villain Alex Ferns, 53, is set to make a surprise appearance as Commissioner Pete Savage in The Batman

Alex will play the Gotham policeman Savage who is leading the operation to find the culprit behind a string of murders.

Reluctantly the GCPD have joined forces with The Batman, who by the film's opening has been fighting crime for two years.

His role may come as a surprise to many soap fans, 20 years after he played the villainous Trevor, who became known as the 'most hated character in soap' thanks to his abuse of wife Little Mo Slater.

Sinister: The actor is best known for his role as the abusive Trevor Morgan on the soap, who tormented his wife Little Mo before she killed him with an iron

After months of abusing and tormenting his wife, Trevor finally got his comeuppance when he was killed by Mo with an iron.

Alex previously made headlines when he made a small appearance in Sky Atlantic's thrilling five-part drama Chernobyl, based on the nuclear disaster of the same name.

He made his debut in the show as grisly crew chief of the miners Glukhov, and stunned viewers by going fully nude for the scene, when his character and crew stripped off whilst digging underneath the Chernobyl nuclear reactor so that a cooling mechanism could by used to cool it.

Transformed: Alex previously made headlines when he made a small appearance in Sky Atlantic's thrilling five-part drama Chernobyl, based on the nuclear disaster of the same name

Viewers then witness to full frontal nudity, as Alex's character stepped out to speak with chemical engineer Valery Legasov, (Jared Harris) and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers Boris Shcherbina (Stellan Skarsgard) in the nude.

The Batman is finally set for nationwide release in the UK on Friday, March 4, and has been delayed multiple times due to the Covid pandemic.

Alongside starring Robert as the titular hero, Zoe Kravitz appears as Selina Kyle/ Catwoman, while Colin Farrell is unrecognisable as crime lord Oswald 'Oz' Cobblepot / Penguin.

TV favourite: Alongside starring in EastEnders, Alex (pictured in 2019) also had a role in the BBC Scotland soap River City

It's nearly time! The Batman is finally set for nationwide release in the UK on Friday, March 4, and has been delayed multiple times due to the Covid pandemic

Paul Dano also stars as Edward Nashton / Riddler, while Jeffrey Wright plays the role of Jim Gordon.

As critics shared their reviews for the film, some criticised for its 'overlong' runtime of nearly three hours and its characters 'bland' performances, while others were somewhat impressed, simply describing it as a 'good film'

While theatregoers will have to wait until Friday to judge the action for themselves, they have been warned that some scenes could be a challenge to see due to the extensive rainfall in the movie.

Shots showing rain showers take up over a third of the running time of the movie, appearing on screens for 62 minutes and 40 seconds of the screen time of the three hour running time.

The Batman will be released in cinemas on March 4.
Cameron Merchant stepped out solo on Tuesday to attend the Greatest Butcher Cooking Event in Sydney.

The former Married at First Sight star, 38, went along without his wife, Jules Robinson, 39.

Also attending was Bachelorette star Elly Miles, 27, who turned heads in a fitted brown top that showed off lots of cleavage.

Cooked: Cameron Merchant (pictured) stepped out solo on Tuesday to attend the Greatest Butcher Cooking Event in Sydney

She added a pair of distressed blue jeans to the ensemble as well as a simple gold necklace.

The beauty had her blonde hair pulled off her face and opted for a soft makeup look with bronzed highlights.

Elly and Cameron enjoyed meat dishes prepared during a cooking class on the day, with the blonde star also indulging in a glass of wine.

Solo: The former Married at First Sight star went along without his wife, Jules Robinson

Star power: Also attending was Bachelorette star Elly Miles (right)

A look: She turned heads in a fitted brown top that showed off lots of cleavage

The outing comes after Cameron slammed the reality show that gave him a wife and family.

Cameron found love with Jules Robinson on Married At First Sight, and the pair are now happily married.

Speaking on Jana Hocking's Kinda Sorta Dating podcast on Friday, the pair criticised one of the show's most notorious relationship 'challenges'.

Lessons: Elly and Cameron enjoyed meat dishes prepared during a cooking class on the day

Details: Elly beamed as she enjoyed a glass of wine along with her meal

New tricks: Cameron filmed the lesson for his social media

The task in question requires the participants to rank every other person from their season in order of physical attractiveness.

'They didn't have that on our series,' Cameron said.

'You tell me, how does that help a relationship other than a million viewers out there going, "Gosh this is good [television], this is a car crash waiting to happen'"?'

All aboard! The group posed for a fun photo at the end of the event

'They found a formula and they ran with it,' he added with a laugh.

Jules and Cameron met on season six of MAFS, which was filmed in late 2018 and aired in early 2019.

They were legally married in November 2019 and now have a son together.
She was nominated for a HCA Award Emilia Jones for her role as Ruby Rossi in coming of age comedy drama film CODA.

And less than 24 hours after attending the SAG Awards, Emilia Jones hit the red carpet at the fifth annual Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Monday night.

The 20-year-old daughter of Aled Jones posed up a storm in a gold sequin high-neck dress which she paired with an oversized sand blazer draped over her shoulders.

Busy: Less than 24 hours after attending the SAG Awards, Emilia Jones hit another red carpet at the fifth annual Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards in Los Angeles on Monday

Glitzy: The 20-year-old daughter of Aled Jones posed up a storm in a gold sequin high-neck dress

The actress showed off her slender pegs in a pair of strappy gold heels while she accessorised her glamorous attire with a simple selection of silver rings.

Emilia flaunted her natural good looks with a bronzed palette of make-up and a slick of coral lipstick and she wore her brunette tresses in a straight sleek bob.

She joined an array of A-list stars as she attended the HCA Film Awards at the Avalon Hollywood & Bardot in Los Angeles.

Emilia appeared to be in excellent spirits as she attended her second award ceremony in 24 hours - having picked up nominations at both the SAG Awards and the HCA Film Awards for her role as Ruby Rossi in CODA.

Chic: The actress paired her glamorous attire with an oversized sand blazer draped over her shoulders

Stunning: The actress showed off her slender pegs in a pair of strappy gold heels while she accessorised her glamorous attire with a simple selection of silver rings

Joyful: Emilia appeared to be in excellent spirits as she attended her second award ceremony in two days - having picked up nominations at both for her role in CODA

2021 HCA Film Awards winners Best Picture Da 5 Bloods Judas and The Black Messiah Minari Nomadland One Night in Miami Promising Young Woman - WINNER Soul Sound of Metal The Father The Trial of the Chicago 7 Top prize: Promising Young Woman earned the top prize of the evening, the award for Best Picture Best Actor Anthony Hopkins - The Father Chadwick Boseman - Ma Raineys Black Bottom Delroy Lindo - Da 5 Bloods - WINNER Kingsley Ben-Adir - One Night in Miami Riz Ahmed - Sound of Metal Best Actress Carey Mulligan - Promising Young Woman - WINNER Elisabeth Moss - The Invisible Man Frances McDormand - Nomadland Vanessa Kirby - Pieces of a Woman Viola Davis - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Zendaya - Malcolm & Marie Best Supporting Actor Bo Burnham - Promising Young Woman Chadwick Boseman - Da 5 Bloods Daniel Kaluuya - Judas and the Black Messiah Leslie Odom Jr. - One Night in Miami... Paul Raci - Sound of Metal - WINNER Best Actor: Delroy Lindo earned the Best Actor gong for his role in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods Best Supporting Actress Amanda Seyfried - Mank Ellen Burstyn - Pieces of a Woman Glenn Close - Hillbilly Elegy Olivia Colman - The Father Yuh-Jung Youn - Minari - WINNER Best Animated or VFX Performance Ben Schwartz - Sonic the Hedgehog - WINNER Cathy Ang - Over the Moon Honor Kneafsey - Wolfwalkers Jamie Foxx - Soul Tina Fey - Soul Best Male Director Darius Marder - Sound of Metal - WINNER David Fincher - Mank Lee Isaac Chung - Minari Shaka King - Judas and the Black Messiah Spike Lee - Da 5 Bloods Best Adapted Screenplay: The Regina King-directed feature One Night In Miami took home Best Adapted Screenplay, which was penned by Kemp Powers Best Female Director Chloe Zhao - Nomadland - WINNER Eliza Hittman - Never Rarely Sometimes Always Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman Regina King - One Night In Miami Sofia Coppola - On the Rocks Best Original Screenplay Aaron Sorkin - The Trial of The Chicago 7 Abraham Marder & Darius Marder - Sound of Metal Andy Siara - Palm Springs Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman - WINNER Lee Isaac Chung - Minari Best Adapted Screenplay Chloe Zhao - Nomadland Florian Zeller - The Father Jonathan Raymond & Kelly Reichardt - First Cow Kemp Powers - One Night in Miami - WINNER Ruben Santiago-Hudson - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Best Cast Ensemble Da 5 Bloods - WINNER Ma Rainey's Black Bottom One Night in Miami Promising Young Woman The Prom The Trial of the Chicago 7 Best First Feature Channing Godfrey Peoples - Miss Juneteenth Darius Marder - Sound of Metal Emerald Fennell - Promising Young Woman - WINNER Radha Blank - The 40-Year-Old Version Regina King - One Night In Miami Raking them in: Promising Young Woman would go on to snag the Best Actress, Best First Feature, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress awards of the night Best Animated Film Onward Over The Moon Soul The Croods: A New Age Wolfwalkers - WINNER Best International Film Another Round Bacurau I'm No Longer Here La Llorona - WINNER Two of Us Best Documentary All In: The Fight For Democracy - WINNER (TIE) Boys State Class Action Park - WINNER (TIE) Dick Johnson is Dead Time Best Action Bad Boys for Life Birds of Prey - WINNER Extraction Tenet The Old Guard Best Score: Disney Pixar's stunning animated flick Soul walked away with the award for Best Score, which was conducted by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Best Blockbuster Birds of Prey - WINNER Sonic the Hedgehog Tenet The Old Guard Wonder Woman 1984 Best Comedy/Musical Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga On the Rocks Palm Springs - WINNER The Personal History of David Copperfield The Prom Best Horror Freaky His House Host Relic The Invisible Man - WINNER Best Indie Film Black Bear First Cow Minari - WINNER Miss Juneteenth Palm Springs Best Horror: The modern retelling of The Invisible Man, starring Elizabeth Moss, took home Best Horror and Best Visual Effects Best Short Film Burrow Canvas Cops And Robbers If Anything Happens, I Love You The Heart Still Hums - WINNER Best Cinematography Erik Messerschmidt - Mank Dariusz Wolski - News of The World Joshua James Richards - Nomadland - WINNER Hoyte van Hoytema - Tenet Martin Ruhe - The Midnight Sky Best Stunts Birds of Prey - WINNER Extraction Tenet The Old Guard Wonder Woman 1984 Best Score Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Mank Emile Mosseri - Minari James Newton Howard - News of The World Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Soul - WINNER Alexandre Desplat - The Midnight Sky Countless: Birds Of Prey got the recognition it deserved as it earned the awards for Best Stunts, Best Blockbuster. and Best Action Best Original Song Husavik (My Hometown) - Eurovision Song Contest - WINNER Rocket to the Moon - Over the Moon Speak Now - One Night in Miami Turntables - All In: The Fight for Democracy Wear Your Crown - The Prom Best Hair & Makeup Deborah La Mia Denaver and Adruitha Lee - Birds of Prey Eryn Krueger, Mekash Patricia Dehaney, and Matthew Mungle - Hillbilly Elegy Kimberley Spiteri, Colleen LaBaff, Gigi Williams, and Michelle Audrina Kim - Mank Matiki Anoff, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Larry M. Cherry, Sian Richards, Deidra Dixon and Jamika Wilson - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - WINNER Angela Wells and Daniel Curet - Promising Young Woman Best Costume Design Erin Benach - Birds of Prey Alexandra Byrne - Emma Trish Summerville - Mank Ann Roth - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Suzie Harman - The Personal History of David Copperfield - WINNER Best Cinematography: Nomadland, which features a stellar performance by Frances McDormand, was recognized for its cinematography Best Production Design Kave Quinn - Emma Donald Graham Burt - Mank - WINNER Mark Ricker - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Cristina Casali - The Personal History of David Copperfield Jamie Walker McCall - The Prom Best Film Editing Chloe Zhao - Nomadland Frederic Thoraval - Promising Young Woman Yorgos Lamprinos - The Father Andy Canny - The Invisible Man Alan Baumgarten - The Trial of the Chicago 7 - WINNER Best Visual Effects Kevin Souls and Thrain Shadbolt - Birds of Prey Ged Wright - Sonic the Hedgehog Andrew Jackson - Tenet Jonathan Dearing - The Invisible Man - WINNER Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, Dave Watkins, and Max Solomon - The Midnight Sky Advertisement

Other CODA cast members up for nominations included Troy Kotsur for Best Supporting Actor, Marlee Matlin for Best Supporting Actress and Sian Heder for Best Director, while the drama itself was nominated in an array of other categories.

The much-anticipated HCA film awards ceremony saw Kristen Stewart take the prize for Best Actress for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Pablo Larrain's Spencer.

Meanwhile, Ariana DeBose accepted a prize for her role as Anita in West Side Story, less than 24 hours after winning her first ever SAC award.

Other winners included Andrew Garfield, who accepted the prize for Best Actor for his role as Jonathan Larson in tick, tick...BOOM!, and Nicolas Cage, who received the Acting Achievement Award.

Sparkling: The star showed off her sensational sense of style as she graced the red carpet in her show-stopping attire, making sure all eyes were on her

Big night: Other CODA cast members also up for nominations included Troy Kotsur for Best Supporting Actor (pictured with Emilia on the red carpet)

Excitement: Emilia also caught up with her CODA co-star Daniel Durant on the red carpet on Monday evening

The Hollywood Critics Association is a film critic organization based in Los Angeles and founded in 2016 as they honor achievement in film every year.

It has been a busy week for Emilia after she was also nominated for a SAG Award for her much-praised role in CODA.

Less than 24 hours before the HCA Awards, she stepped on to the red carpet at The 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

The star wore a stunning one shouldered gown with crystal embellishment with a sheer overlay.

Cast: CODA's Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Emilia Jones and Sian Heder attend the fifth Annual HCA Film Awards

Nomination: Emilia attended her second award ceremony in 24 hours - having picked up nominations at the SAG Awards and the HCA Film Awards for her role as Ruby Rossi in CODA

Stunning: Just one day earlier, Emilia put on a elegant display in a sheer embellished gown at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles

The actress looked sensational in the chic ensemble with a thigh-high side split as she posed up a storm.

Emilia wore her brunette locks in a soft tousled hair style with a centre parting and curtain bangs.

She opted for a soft makeup palette with smoked out brown eyeshadow and a matte nude lipstick to complete her look.

Emilia was up for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for the role in CODA alongside her co-stars Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo.

Pretty: Emilia wore her brunette locks in a soft tousled hair style with a centre parting and curtain bangs

Gorgeous: Founded in 1952, the awards recognize outstanding performances in movie and prime time television

Happy: Emilia posed up a storm at the awards alongside Lady Gaga (far left) and Marlee Matlin

London-born Emilia made her professional stage debut in the musical Shrek at the age of eight, with the show's star Amanda Holden watching over her like a benevolent fairy godmother.

In December 2018, she landed her big break when it was announced that she was cast as Kinsey Locke, one of the main characters in the Netflix fantasy drama series Locke & Key.

Now, she's generating a buzz with her critically-acclaimed performance in Indie hit CODA.

Not only did the teenager have to master American Sign Language (ASL) and an American accent for the role, she also had to skipper a fishing boat  and take singing lessons.

Her efforts paid off, after she recently won the Verified Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Onscreen performance.

Famous family: Emilia's father Aled found fame as a gifted boy soprano and later as a TV presenter, recording artist and concert performer (pictured in 2015 with mum Claire and brother Lucas)

Vogue has hailed the actress as '2022s Breakout Star to Watch'. Her incredible talents run in the family; her father happens to be Aled Jones, who found fame as a gifted boy soprano and later as a TV presenter, recording artist and concert performer.

Emilia never considered a career in singing like her dad, previously telling the DailyMail's Baz Bamigmoye: 'My heart was always in acting.'

She explained: 'My mum is quite shy but I don't think she would ever give up on anything. She was in the circus when she was younger. She did the trapeze  she had to be strong to do that.

'And my dad worked from an early age. We have that in common.'
The Batman has more than an hour of rainy scenes, with Gotham City deluged in a staggering 62minutes and 40 seconds of rain.

With weather that could rival what the U.K faced in Storm Eunice, one third of the three-hour film is shot in wet weather.

As critics panned Robert Pattinson's take on the iconic superhero as 'gloomy', the constant showers in the fictional city no doubt add to the depressing atmosphere.

Washout: The Batman has more than an hour of rainy scenes, with Gotham City deluged in a staggering 62minutes and 40 seconds of rain

The film, which was shot in various locations around the U.K including Liverpool, Lewesden and Glasgow, even has 2 and a half minutes of rain falling indoors.

Due for release on March 4, theatregoers will have to be prepared to sit through the three-hour film, which has been described as 'overly-long' by reviewers.

Rather than being an origin story, the film, directed by Matt Reeves, begins with Batman having been in the job for just over a year.

Gloomy: With weather that could rival what the U.K faced in Storm Eunice, one third of the three-hour film was shot in wet weather

The release, based on the DC Comics superhero sees Batman pursue The Riddler in his second year of crime fighting, uncovering corruption that is connected to his own family in the investigation, forcing him to make new allies to bring the supervillain to justice.

An all-star cast sees Robert star as Batman while Zoe Kravitz appears as Selina Kyle, or Catwoman.

Also appearing is Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Gotham City crimelord Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Colin Farrell as Penguin.

Reviewed: The Batman has been branded both 'self-important' and 'tiresome' in a mixed bag of reviews of the hotly anticipated Matt Reeves-directed blockbuster

However, while the film was criticized for its 'overlong' runtime of nearly three hours and its characters 'bland' performances, others were somewhat impressed, simply describing it as a 'good film'.

The New York Post's Johnny Oleksinski questioned why the film was even being made at all.

'Theres an unshakable feeling here of Whats the point?

'Director Matt Reeves downer movie embraces the realism of The Dark Knight  the opposite of Tim Burtons purple-hazed funhouse  only without the payoff of excellent writing and acting.

'Whereas previous iterations hid their crimefighting alter ego by being charming, tuxedo-clad socialites at parties, Pattinsons billionaire Bruce is a brooding recluse who stays home all the time and whom many residents havent seen since he was a little boy.

Zoe Kravitzs Catwoman 'gets the most interaction with Batman' and 'has a woke moment describing Gotham society as 'rich, privileged white people.'

Oleksinski describes the film as an 'old-school mystery' which takes views through a 'banal story'.

'With not much to sink his fangs into, Pattinson is wasted here. Normally, hes an electric, funny and unpredictable actor  but thats the opposite of Batman, who hides by necessity. He doesnt act conflicted, determined or scared  he just seems bored.'

Roger Friedman of Showbiz411 says the film 'brings David Fincher-Like darkness to a young, goth Bruce Wayne and a woke Catwoman.'

Pattinson's Batman 'does more for Bruce Wayne than it has in the past. And he needs it: Reeves imagines Bruce as a disaffected Kurt Cobain with dark circles under his eyes and nary a comb in sight.

Kravitzs Catwoman 'gets the most interaction with Batman' and 'has a woke moment describing Gotham society as 'rich, privileged white people.'

Star-studded: An all-star cast sees Robert Pattinson star as Batman while Zoe Kravitz appears as Selina Kyle, or Catwoman

Writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, Mick LaSalle describes Robbert Pattinson's performance as 'stiff'.

'Bruce Wayne is a mopey sort of guy who really should wash his hair more often... If you eliminate from The Batman the good-versus-evil struggle, the only grounding point of focus can be on Bruce Wayne/Batmans internal conflict, his woundedness, his confusion, his desire to do good.

'But no, as written by Reeves and his collaborators and as played by Pattinson, hes just a big stiff. His performance doesnt suggest depths, but an actors cramped understanding, hammered over and over for three hours.'

'Gloomy': Robert Pattinson is pictured in a scene from The Batman

'It is tremendously designed, visually spectacular with great set pieces and juddering, sternum-shivering impacts coming at you out of the darkness.'

Writing for the Associated Press, Jake Coyle sees The Batman film as having found its dark tone and then wallowing in it.

'There is surprisingly little suspense because the film struggles to find more than one note (powerful though it is) to strike. Pattinson's Bruce Wayne is just as downbeat and grave as his Batman ... He has abandoned nearly all social engagement, instead tortuously writing a diary to document the horrors he witnesses nightly. Pretty much since Adam West put on the cape and cowl, Batman has steadily grown darker. But Pattinsons despondent Dark Knight takes the cake.'

'OK, but does Batman, like, kick some butt, too? What about the Batmobile? Its not all just a seedy slog through the Gotham sewer, is it? Well, almost,' Coyle adds noting that the plot is structured as a detective story and makes for a 'distinctive work separate from previous movie iterations of the character.'

'The Batman is dark, no doubt about it. Even darker than the already dark Christopher Nolandirected trilogy,' writes Bilge Ebiri at Vulture. 'You might have thought Batman couldnt get any darker, but youd be wrong.

'This is a Batman movie reimagined as a grisly serial-killer film, only this time its not just the serial killer who looms in the shadows, watching his prey and waiting to pounce; the hero does, too.

Ebiri highlights some positives including car chases and fight scenes.

'Reeves sustains the tense mood throughout, and the procedural elements are mostly absorbing. The action keeps with the austere, grim mood. One nighttime car chase, shot through the blur of heavy rainfall and the delirious dance of car lights reflected in windows, takes your breath away. The fights are often shot in long takes that emphasize both the impressive stunt work and the sheer difficulty of being Batman. And as with the Nolan films, the directorial sensibility matches the form.'

It's a view echoed by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian who gave the film three stars a wrote the 'gloomy reboot' was 'overly' and felt 'like a serial killer chiller such as Saw.'

He said the start was 'intriguing', comparing it to a serial killer chiller such as Saw that promises a mystery plot 'for a time'.

'For a time it promises a mystery plot relating to the theme of municipal corruption which is so important to the Batman franchise, and holds out hope of an unmasking with a satisfying narrative resolution. But not really.

'The film is overlong; the Riddlers puzzles arent particularly ingenious or even important to the story and theres a pretty feeble non-ending. The ending is tiresome and shark-jumping in the extreme, with faux-apocalyptic scenes which work better in less solemn superhero adventures.'

Writing for the Associated Press , Jake Coyle sees The Batman film as having found its dark tone and then wallowing in it

Bradshaw praised Zoe Kravitz in the role of Selina Kyle, or Catwoman, writing that her 'superpower is charisma' and said that Jeffrey Wright and John Turturro both put in good performances.

He wrote: 'The ending is tiresome and shark-jumping in the extreme, with faux-apocalyptic scenes which work better in less solemn superhero adventures, and an exasperating non-revelation whose significance is teased for the next film.

'Inevitably, night falls on the latest Batman iteration with the cloudy sense that  of course  nothing has really been at stake. A classy turn from Pattinson, however, as the crime fighter with an injured soul.'

Bradshaw does reserve some praise for the overall look of the production.

Empire's John Nugent gave the movie four stars and wrote: 'Matt Reeves arrival in the Bat-verse is a gripping, beautifully shot, neo-noir take on an age-old character.

'Though not a totally radical refit of the Nolan/Snyder era, it establishes a Gotham City we would keenly want a return visit to.'

He said the director's approach was 'evolution rather than revolution' and so Pattinson's Bruce Wayne was very different from previous portrayals.

'Where Christian Bale and Ben Affleck embraced the macho side of the character, Pattinson looks like a boyish vampire, his skin tone only a shade warmer than in Twilight,' he wrote

'His is the first screen Batman to be fully seen wearing the eyeshadow... In the suit hes methodical and muscular; out of it, hes racked with insecurity and self-doubt. A repeated needle drop of Nirvanas Something In The Way confirms it: this is emo-Bats.'

The Batman: What the critics said 'The moody self-importance... tries to bludgeon the audience into submission and to distract them from how derivative nearly everything on screen is... 'Pattinson, who has delivered so many thrilling turns recently, struggles to elevate his antihero beyond a pouty emo brat.' - The Times critic Kevin Maher Rating: 'The ending is tiresome and shark-jumping in the extreme, with faux-apocalyptic scenes which work better in less solemn superhero adventures, and an exasperating non-revelation whose significance is teased for the next film. 'Inevitably, night falls on the latest Batman iteration with the cloudy sense that  of course  nothing has really been at stake. A classy turn from Pattinson, however, as the crime fighter with an injured soul.' - The Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw Rating: 'Where Christian Bale and Ben Affleck embraced the macho side of the character, Pattinson looks like a boyish vampire, his skin tone only a shade warmer than in Twilight. 'His is the first screen Batman to be fully seen wearing the eyeshadow... In the suit hes methodical and muscular; out of it, hes racked with insecurity and self-doubt. A repeated needle drop of Nirvanas Something In The Way confirms it: this is emo-Bats.' - Empire critic John Nugent Rating: 'The Batman is a very good Batman film. To think of it as anything more only leads fo delusion or disappointment.' The Independent critic Clarisse Loughrey Rating: 'Pattinson and Kravitz together generate more sensual charge than entire franchises have been known to muster... '(The film brings) a deep bench of tremendous character performances that add enthralling colour and intrigue to the winding underworld mystery plot.' - The Telegraph critic Robbie Collin Rating: Advertisement

Tension: This year's release, based on the DC Comics superhero sees Batman pursue The Riddler in his second year of crime fighting

The Telegraph's Robbie Collin gave the flick a full five stars, saying Pattinson and Kravitz 'generate an astonishing sensual charge in a brilliant addition to the Batman canon that refuses to behave like a blockbuster'.

While he claims the film has no 'star turn' as 'the film doesnt have room for one', telling movie fans to 'dispel all thoughts of Jim Carreys Lycra-sheathed flamboyance (as the Riddler) in Batman Forever', he insists the set up brings 'a deep bench of tremendous character performances that add enthralling colour and intrigue to the winding underworld mystery plot'.

He added that 'Pattinson and Kravitz together generate more sensual charge than entire franchises have been known to muster'.

Caution: The hotly-anticipated comic book film is said to have a running time of two hours and 55 minutes

Kevin Maher of The Times gave the film two stars, lamenting it for its near three-hour length and 'moody self-importance' that 'tries to bludgeon the audience into submission and to distract them from how derivative nearly everything on screen is'.

He seemed equally unimpressed with the star performances, writing that 'Pattinson, who has delivered so many thrilling turns recently, struggles to elevate his antihero beyond a pouty emo brat'.

However, he praised Colin Farrell in the 'underused' role of the Penguin for 'having a blast throughout'.

Mixed bag: While the film was criticised for its 'overlong' runtime of nearly three hours and its characters 'bland' performances, others were somewhat impressed

The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey gave the movie four stars and wrote: 'The Batman is a very good Batman film. To think of it as anything more only leads to delusion or disappointment'.

She pitched the flick between Christopher Nolan's and Tim Burton's, saying Reeves' version has 'one foot in our reality, and the other planted in a Gothic noir aesthetic and comics'.

Clarisse stated that the film seems more 'intimate' than other Batman films but insisted it did not need nearly three hours to tell the story of a 'relatively simple story of its heros moral awakening'.

She concluded: 'The Batman has risen  but it might be pushing its luck if it decides to return.'

The Batman will be released in cinemas on March 4.

When you stretch a narrative arc you end up with a flat line, but there's still plenty to relish: BRIAN VINER reviews The Batman for the Daily Mail

Rating:

Those of us old enough to remember Adam Wests Batman in the Sixties TV series, complete with pop-art Pow! and Thwack! graphics, have since seen the Caped Crusader fly a long way - although not necessarily in the right direction.

George Clooney, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck are among the stars who have subsequently played the scourge of the Gotham City underworld, and now, in the latest big-budget reboot of the DC Comics franchise, The Batman, its the turn of British actor Robert Pattinson.

Hes perfectly fine both as billionaire Bruce Wayne and his crime-busting alter ego, although the extravagant length of this movie, at just a Zzzzz! under three hours, made me decidedly nostalgic for the caped capers of Batman and his sidekick Robin in the long-ago telly version.

Just when you think the storys all done theres an unwanted added 20 per cent, almost as if The Batman had been crossed with the VAT man.

When you stretch a narrative arc you end up with a flat line, but there's still plenty to relish: BRIAN VINER reviews The Batman

Director Matt Reeves, who took a whole 36 minutes less to resolve The War for The Planet of the Apes (2017), evidently decided that this time he needed to stretch his narrative arc.

After all, the illustrious likes of Christopher Nolan and Tim Burton have already made widely-acclaimed Batman films, so how better to create an even bigger impact - Ker-pow! - than with one that cinema audiences might remember for a nasty onset of cramp?

The shame of it is that theres a cracking movie of little more than two hours fighting - biff! - to get out of the near three-hour running-time. Unfortunately, when you stretch a narrative arc, or indeed any arc, you end up with a flat line. So it is here.

I enjoyed the films two parallel stories - one in which Batman tangles with the Gotham City mob led by Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and another in which he tries to identify a serial killer known only as the Riddler (Paul Dano) - but they both end up flat-lining long before the 176 minutes are up.

Pattinson plays Bruce as a dour, tormented young man, still uncomfortably in thrall to his spiky mentor and father-substitute Alfred (Andy Serkis), and basically too floppy-haired and miserable for anyone to put two and two together and connect him with the masked vigilante who keeps swooping down every time a bat motif appears, illuminated in the night sky.

The basic premise of this doggedly cheerless film is that Batman isnt yet a fully-fledged crime-fighter. Hes still finding his feet - not easy in that beefy tunic - and so falls into an alliance with a sexy but embittered waitress, Selina (Zoe Kravitz). She works at the sleazy nightclub run by a scarred mobster called Oswald Cobblepot (an unrecognisable Colin Farrell), and although all comic-book enthusiasts know him better as The Penguin and her as Catwoman, the implication is that those nicknames, even more than Batman, have yet to be earned.

Theres a striking dearth of humour throughout but a pleasing wink to the audience when Oswald, his feet bound together, is forced to waddle like a certain flightless aquatic bird.

Tormented: Pattinson plays Bruce as a dour, tormented young man, still uncomfortably in thrall to his spiky mentor and father-substitute Alfred

Meanwhile, a sadistic psycho is brutally knocking off the high and mighty but irredeemably corrupt of Gotham City, starting with the mayor (Rupert Penry-Jones). He leaves a creepy riddle at every murder scene, one of many reasons why The Batman feels more like a psychological film noir than a superhero movie, borrowing almost as conspicuously from the likes of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Seven (1995) as it does from its most obvious influence, Nolans The Dark Knight trilogy.

But where The Dark Knight (2008) had an unsurpassable baddie in Heath Ledgers Joker, this film creates a problem for itself by keeping its principal fiend from us (brilliant as Dano is) almost until the end. Another self-inflicted issue is Batmans voice, a kind of monotone whisper. When he says of the crime-ridden metropolis that maybe its beyond saving, I heard it as maybe its Beyonce, which seemed like a truly startling guess as to the identity of the killer.

Still, once your ears get attuned, and your eyes too, for that matter, since daylight hardly ever encroaches, there is plenty to relish in The Batman. Theres oodles of atmosphere, and for those familiar with the great city of Liverpool, the bonus of realising that it is Gothams stunt double. But none of that can mitigate the challenge to the bladder when - eeek! - you realise that youve been in there over two and a half hours, with 25 minutes still to go.

The Batman opens in cinemas on Friday
She's never shied away from showing off her impressive figure.

And Kourtney Kardashian set pulses racing once again as she slipped into a sexy brown bikini for a fun throwback snap to promote her Poosh lifestyle brand.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, 42, shared the snap of herself posing on a surfboard floating in the ocean, hours after being seen leaving filming for Jimmy Kimmel Live with fiance Travis Barker.

Wow! Kourtney Kardashian, 42, set pulses racing once again as she slipped into a sexy brown bikini for a fun throwback snap to promote her Poosh lifestyle brand

Kourtney highlighted her incredible figure in the plunging brown bikini top and matching bottoms as she relaxed in the ocean.

The snap appeared to have been taken during one of her recent getaways, with a luxurious yacht in full view behind her.

Kourtney used the image to promote a piece on the website for her lifestyle brand Poosh, titled Healthy People Do These 10 Things Differently.

Heading out: It comes as the star was seen leaving a recording for Jimmy Kimmel Live with her husband-to-be Travis Barker

It comes as the star was seen leaving a recording for Jimmy Kimmel's show with her husband-to-be Travis.

The mother-of-three covered up in an oversized hoodie, while hitmaker Travis put his full tattooed physique on display by going shirtless after the recording.

Kourtney and Travis turned their longtime friendship into a romance last year, after keeping things strictly platonic for over a decade.

And on Thursday, the musician penned a tweet urging his 1.5 million followers to 'find something beautiful and fight like hell for it.'

Low-key: The mother-of-three covered up in an oversized hoodie, while hitmaker Travis put his full tattooed physique on display by going shirtless after the recording

Love is in the air: Kourtney and Travis turned their longtime friendship into a romance last year, after keeping things strictly platonic for over a decade

The post did not go unnoticed by his other half, who quickly reposted his love not on her Instagram Story with a red heart emoji for her fans to see.

Earlier this month, sources close to the couple revealed the lovebirds may be saying 'I do' in just a few short months.

'It's going to be some time this year and could even be as soon as this spring,' the insider told Us Weekly. 'They're so ready to be husband and wife. They couldn't be more in love.'

Rumours: Earlier this month, sources close to Kourtney (pictured) and Scott revealed the lovebirds may be saying 'I do' in just a few short months.

The couple reportedly hope to keep the particulars of their imminent nuptials a secret until then.

Fans, however, can expect a 'fairy tale' wedding which involves the duo's respective children. The ceremony may also be be filmed for the world.

'[Kourtney] doesn't want any details of her wedding getting out as she wants it to be a surprise to guests,' the insider said. 'It's going to be a fairy tale wedding for sure, though.'

Kourtney has been busy working on her family's upcoming Hulu series, and earlier this month posted a sneak peek of the program.

The beauty posted a photo of her laptop playing a segment of the Hulu show that appeared to include footsteps on a sandy beach. The image was likely from the filming of Travis' ocean side proposal to Kourtney in Montecito, California, in October.

Kourtney and Travis shocked fans when they confirmed their romance via an Instagram post in February 2021.

It came after weeks of speculation that the two had began dating after years of being in each other's lives as neighbours.
By Ricardo Hausmann





CAMBRIDGE  As I write, Russia's army has entered Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. It is clear now that the threat of sanctions did not dissuade Russian President Vladimir Putin from launching his invasion. But making good on the threat can still play two other roles: Sanctions can limit Russia's capacity to project power by weakening its economy, and they can create a precedent that might influence Putin's future behavior vis-a-vis other countries such as Georgia, Moldova, and the Baltic states.



One reason why the threat of sanctions might not have prevented war is that Russia did not regard them as credible. If imposing a sanction is costly, the political will to do so may be weak or evaporate over time. For example, Western consumers are already upset at the high energy costs. An embargo on Russian oil will reduce the global energy supply and send prices even higher, potentially triggering a backlash against the policy.



That may be why Western countries have not imposed it, opting instead for financial sanctions that have, so far, been underwhelming. After all, arguably the most significant sanction to date  the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would have delivered Russian natural gas directly to Germany  will strain Europe's already tight natural gas market.



Sanctions are more effective and credible if they impose large costs on the intended target but entail small costs or even benefits for those imposing them. Finding such sanctions is easier said than done, as the Nord Stream 2 project shows. So, what instruments does the West have in its arsenal?



One that has received surprisingly little attention is punitive taxes on Russian oil and gas. At first sight, imposing a tax on a good must increase its price, making energy even more expensive for Western consumers. Right? Wrong!



At issue is something called tax incidence analysis, which is taught in basic microeconomics courses. A tax on a good, such as Russian oil, will affect both supply and demand, changing the good's price. How much the price changes, and who bears the cost of the tax, depends on how sensitive both supply and demand are to the tax, or what economists call elasticity. The more elastic the demand, the more the producer bears the cost of the tax because consumers have more options. The more inelastic the supply, the more the producer  again  bears the tax, because it has fewer options.



Fortunately, this is precisely the situation the West now confronts. Demand for Russian oil is highly elastic, because consumers do not really care if the oil they use comes from Russia, the Gulf, or somewhere else. They are unwilling to pay more for Russian oil if other oil with similar properties is available. Hence, the price of Russian oil after tax is pinned down by the market price of all other oil.



At the same time, the supply of Russian oil is very inelastic, meaning that large changes in the price to the producer do not induce changes in supply. Here, the numbers are staggering. According to the Russian energy group Rosneft's financial statements for 2021, the firm's upstream operating costs are $2.70 per barrel. Likewise, Rystad Energy, a business-intelligence company, estimates the total variable cost of production of Russian oil (excluding taxes and capital costs) at $5.67 per barrel.



Put differently, even if the oil price fell to $6 per barrel (it's above $100 now), it would still be in Rosneft's interest to keep pumping: Supply is truly inelastic in the short run. Obviously, under those conditions, it would not be profitable to invest in maintaining or expanding production capacity, and oil output would gradually decline  as it always does because of exhaustion and loss of pressure. But this will take time, and by then, others may move in to take over Russia's market share.



In other words, given very high demand elasticity and very low short-term supply elasticity, a tax on Russian oil would be paid essentially by Russia. Instead of being costly for the world, imposing such a tax would actually be profitable. A punitive global tax on Russian oil  at a rate of, say, 90 percent, or $90 per barrel  could extract and transfer to the world some $300 billion per year from Putin's war chest, or about 20 percent of Russia's 2021 GDP. And it would be infinitely more convenient than an embargo on Russian oil, which would enrich other producers and impoverish consumers.



This logic also applies to Nord Stream 2. A tax equal to 90 percent of the European Union's natural gas price, which is currently around 90 ($101) per megawatt-hour, would keep Russian gas in the market but expropriate the rent.



But how feasible would a 90 percent world tax on Russian oil be? In 2019, 55 percent of Russia's exports of mineral fuels (including oil, natural gas, and coal) went to the EU, while a further 13 percent went to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Turkey. China got only 18 percent. If all these countries except China agreed to tax Russian oil at 90 percent, Russia would try to sell all its oil to China. But this would put China in a strong negotiating position. In such a scenario, it would be in China's interest to impose the tax, because such an instrument would extract the rent that it would otherwise have to pay to Russia.



In short, a punitive tax on Russian oil would both significantly weaken Russia and benefit consuming countries, making it more credible and sustainable than an embargo. The idea deserves considerably more attention that it has received.





Ricardo Hausmann, a former minister of planning of Venezuela and former chief economist at the Inter-American Development Bank, is a professor at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and Director of the Harvard Growth Lab. This article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


Kristen Stewart pulled out all the stops for her big night at the fifth annual Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards on Monday.

The actress, 31, won one of the night's biggest accolades, Best Actress, and chose a chic burgundy two-piece ensemble for the evening ceremony.

Kristen showed some skin in the sequin crop top and matching skirt for the event held at Avalon Hollywood.

Winning look: Kristen Stewart pulled out all the stops for her big night at the fifth annual Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards on Monday

Kristen flashed a glimpse of her impressive abs as she posed in her shimmering ensemble, which featured a slinky full-length skirt and form-fitting crop top.

She styled her dyed blonde locks into loose waves and completed her look with a dash of glam makeup.

Kristen couldn't contain her excitement as she accepted Best Actress for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Pablo Larrain's Spencer at the ceremony.

Abs-olutely fabulous: The actress, 31, won one of the night's biggest accolades, Best Actress, and chose a chic burgundy two-piece ensemble for the evening ceremony

Gorgeous: She posed for stunning portraits backstage with her shiny new trophy

'I took more joy into my body doing this than anything. Its been a long run, I f**king appreciate this, seriously,' she told the audience.

After expressing her gratitude, the 31-year-old Oscar nominee talked about the 'wild storm' of landing her role-of-a-lifetime and how the People's Princess as a 'human being and figure' was so 'completely alone' all the time.

'I could never have made this movie by myself, and that's every movie, but this one, really,' she concluded. 'I was so accompanied. This is so cool, I can't believe we get to do this.'

Big gig: Stewart earned the honor for her portrayal of Princess Diana in Spencer (right)

Beaming: The Twilight star was beaming after taking the stage to accept her prize

Winner: Stewart has picked up a string of accolades for the movie which was released in November 2021

Reflective: After expressing her gratitude, the 31-year-old Oscar nominee talked about the 'wild storm' of landing her role-of-a-lifetime

Joy: 'I took more joy into my body doing this than anything. Its been a long run, I f**king appreciate this, seriously,' she told the audience

The Hollywood Critics Association is a film critic organization based in Los Angeles and founded in 2016 as they honor achievement in film every year.

Dune led the evening with four awards, including a Best Director tie between Denis Villeneuve and Power of the Dog's Jane Campion.

The Oscar contender also picked up Best Score for Hans Zimmer, Best Cinematography for Greig Fraser and Best Visual Effects for Brian Connor, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert and Tristan Myles.

Dynamic duo: Big winners Stewart and Best Actor winner Andrew Garfield posed for a snap together backstage

Looking fab: She styled her dyed blonde locks into loose waves and completed her look with a dash of glam makeup

Sitting pretty: Kristen sat with her team as she watched the other awards being handed out

Ready for her closeup: Kristen applauded as she enjoying the evening ceremony
Pharrell Williams and his family joined the stars gathering to watch late Virgil Abloh's final Off-White collection hit the catwalk during Paris Fashion Week on Monday.

The rapper, 48, was joined by his wife Helen Lasichanh and 12-year-old son Rocket in what was a rare family public appearance.

Pharrell and his model wife, 41, tied the knot in 2013, have four children together including Rocket, and a set of three-year-old triplets they welcomed in January 2017 whose names have still not been revealed.

Entrance: Pharrell Williams and his family joined the stars gathering to watch late Virgil Abloh's final Off-White collection hit the catwalk during Paris Fashion Week on Monday

Firmly making his arrival at the star-studded event, the producer looked dapper in a khaki belted cotton-blend trench coat with a prominent pocket on its sleeve.

Sticking with the neutral tones, Pharrell donned a pair of cream wide leg trousers.

Making sure to make a statement on the night, the musician matched the look with a pair of black hand-painted shoes from the brand. They were adorned with 'special events' in white font.

Family outing: The rapper, 48, was joined by his wife Helen Lasichanh and 12-year-old son Rocket in what was a rare family public appearance

Close: Pharrell and his model wife, 41, tied the knot in 2013, have four children together including Rocket, but only brought their eldest to the star-studded event

Stylish: Firmly making his arrival to the show, the producer looked dapper in a khaki belted cotton-blend trench coat with a prominent pocket on its sleeve

Pharrell also rocked a pair of diamond clad funky sunglasses.

Meanwhile, his designer wife Helen looked stunning in a grey asymmetrical pant suit.

Keeping it classy, she added a basic black top which she tucked into her trousers while adding some height with a pair of black patent ankle boots.

She wore her dark tresses in curly waves while wearing a radiant palette of makeup.

Their son Rocket, looked super cool during his rare public appearance as he donned a black and white varsity jacket, baggy jeans and a pair of chunky black trainers.

Peace: The musician rocked a pair of diamond clad funky sunglasses

Handy: The producer and entrepreneur looked dapper in a khaki belted cotton-blend trench coat with a prominent pocket on its sleeve



In 2014, Pharrell told Oprah Winfrey the backstory and meaning of his son's name.

'In the same way the Indians named their children behind a force or animal or element, we named him after a man-made machine that was meant to go up, meant to ascend,' he explained.

'Metaphorically it was because it was because of Stevie Wonder's 'Rocket Love,' Elton John's 'Rocket Man' and Herbie Hancock's 'Rockit'  all of my favorite musicians.'

Top models: The Off-White show opened with the fashion icon's ready-to-wear collection before 28 couture looks hit the runway (Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber)

Trendy: Joan Smalls donned a black sleeveless top with a 'SNITCHIN' print while Karen Elson sported a black suit

Virgil created the collection before he tragically passed away in November aged 41 after a two year battle with a rare and aggressive form of cancer named cardiac angiosarcoma.

The designer founded the Milan-based brand back in 2012 and served as the chief executive officer.

The Off-White show opened with the fashion icon's ready-to-wear collection before 28 couture looks hit the runway.

Bella Hadid opened the couture show with sister Gigi following up the rear.

Supermodels Cindy, Naomi, Helena Christensen also took to the catwalk to pay homage to Vigil's fashion genius.

In memory: The Abloh family sat front row to watch Virgil's final Off-White collection hit the catwalk for Paris Fashion Week on Monday (pictured Shannon with children Gray and Lowe)

Model Kendall Jenner ensured all eyes were on her as she took to the runway wearing a skintight black mini dress that highlighted her jaw-dropping figure.

The garment had 'Little Black Dress' written across the side in white print while Kendall also sported a black cap with horns.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star added height to her frame with a pair of black leather boots while she also sported matching gloves.

Bella cut a glamorous figure for her turn on the catwalk, wearing a white off the shoulder gown with a dramatic train.
Sean Penn has revealed he has walked miles to the Polish border as he films a VICE documentary on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The actor, 61, said both he and his film crew decided to abandon their car and pursue on foot after seeing the thousands of Ukrainian residents fleeing for safety, with queues stretching for miles.

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Sean described how cars were filled with women and children, with their only possession of value being the vehicle they were travelling in.

Fleeing: Sean Penn has revealed he has walked miles to the Polish border as he films a VICE documentary on Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Harrowing scenes: The actor, 61, said both he and his film crew decided to abandon their car and pursue on foot after seeing the thousands of Ukrainian residents fleeing for safety

Sharing a picture dragging a taped up suitcase, Sean wrote: 'Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road.

'Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value.'

Sean has been filming the documentary about the escalating tension in Ukraine since November last year.

Listening: Sean has been filming the documentary about the escalating tension in Ukraine since November last year, pictured with President Volodymyr Zelensky last week

Taking action: Sean travelled to Ukraine in November to film the documentary before jetting to Kyiv last week to document the invasion

It comes after Sean called President Vladmir Putin 's war on Ukraine a 'brutal mistake'.

He wrote over the weekend: 'Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesnt relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind. President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle.'

He added: 'Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.'

Honest: It comes after Sean called President Vladimir Putin 's war on Ukraine a 'brutal mistake' on Twitter over the weekend

Penn flew into the capital of Ukraine last week, Kyiv, and was seen sitting front and center at a government press briefing mere hours into the invasion as he represented VICE for a documentary being filmed about the war, which Putin deemed a 'special military operation.'

The documentary is a VICE Studios production, 'in association with VICE World News and Endeavor Content,' according to a spokesman for the media group.

In a translated Facebook post, the Ukrainian government said it was grateful for Sean being there and he was lauded as being more courageous than Western leaders.

He added: 'Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost'

On deck: Penn flew into the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, last week and was seen sitting front and center at a government press briefing mere hours into the invasion

In action: The documentary -which has been in the works for months and has focused on the rising tensions in the region- is a VICE Studios production

'An American actor and filmmaker, Oscar winner Sean Penn arrived to Ukraine,' the statement read.

'The director specially came to Kyiv to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia's invasion of our country.

'Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty.

'This morning the director visited the Office of the President and visited the press briefing of the advisor of the head of the Office of the Head of State Mikhail Podolak and the Vice Prime Minister - the Minister of the Reintegration of temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine Irina Vere uk.

Doing his best: Their conversation was muted but Zelensky, a former comedian and actor himself, wrote in a caption: 'The more people know about the war in the Ukraine'

'He spoke to journalists, to our military, saw how we defend our country.

'Sean Penn demonstrates the courage that many others, especially western politicians lack.'

He then met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, who posted a video of their meeting on his Instagram account.

Their conversation was muted but Zelensky, a former comedian and actor himself, wrote in a caption: 'The more people know about the war in the Ukraine, the higher the likelihood of stopping Russia!'

Ukraine's president has accused Russia of war crimes after Vladimir Putin's forces launched what were believed to be cluster and vacuum bomb attacks in an attempt to turn the tide of a conflict that they have so-far been losing.

In a late night address directed at Russia, Volodymyr said there would 'definitely be an international tribunal' for what he said was a 'violation of all conventions' and added that 'no one in the world will forgive you for killing peaceful Ukrainian people.' Prosecutors at The Hague say they intend to open a probe 'as soon as possible.'

Zelensky spoke after what appeared to be a cluster bomb attack on the city of Kharkiv on Monday which killed at least 11 people and wounded scores more, and after Ukraine's ambassador to the US accused Putin's forces of using a banned thermobaric bomb on the capital of Kyiv overnight.

The bombardment of Kharkiv continued Tuesday morning with a rocket landing just in front of the civilian public administration building, destroying the road outside and blowing the windows out of the building itself.

Footage from inside shows the building was heavily damaged, with ceilings collapsing and rubble strewn around.
Kanye West's new love interest Chaney Jones has given her 282k Instagram followers a treat, posing naked for her latest social media update.

The Instagram model, who is the spitting image of Kanye's estranged wife Kim Kardashian, 41, covered her modesty with her long black hair extensions as she snapped photos in the mirror on Monday.

The new pics were shared hours after Chaney, 24, shared her first public selfie with Kanye, 44, as their romance continues to heat up.

Baring all: Kanye West's new love interest Chaney Jones has given her 282k Instagram followers a treat, posing naked for her latest social media update

Chaney crouched on the floor for one pic, letting her hair fall over her chest as she pouted for the camera.

The other snap saw the model standing, concealing her nudity with an arm across her chest.

Hours before, Chaney shared a snap of herself on her Instagram Stories, posing with Kanye and adding a black heart emoji.

Kanye and Chaney were first linked together in early February, when they were seen smiling and laughing at Soho House in Malibu.

Daring: The Instagram model, who is the spitting image of Kanye's estranged wife Kim Kardashian, 41, covered her modesty with her long black hair extensions as she snapped photos in the mirror

They were pictured at the exclusive spot while he was still involved with actress Julia Fox.

Kanye and Julia dated for six weeks before splitting in early February.

In the latest development in their divorce, Kim begged a judge to declare her single and revealed she had been suffering 'emotional distress' from Kanye's social media antics.

Yet despite her tirades, Kim is still focused on amicably co-parenting her four children with Kanye.

Instagram official: Hours before, Chaney shared a snap of herself on her Instagram Stories, posing with Kanye and adding a black heart emoji

'Her ultimate wish at the end of the day is to have a healthy co-parenting relationship with Kanye and she will continue to make every effort to move things in that direction,' a source close to the star told DailyMail.com on Thursday.

Kim, 41, filed for divorce from Kanye after nearly seven years of marriage last February. They share daughters North, eight, Chicago, four, and sons Saint, six, and Psalm, two.

The insider noted that Kim is 'concerned' about Kanye continuing to air their private matters on Instagram.

'Kim is concerned about how public everything has been with his social posts and how this will ultimately affect the kids one day when they grow up and might see all of this,' the insider explained.

The way they were: In the latest development in their divorce, Kim begged a judge to declare her single and revealed she had been suffering 'emotional distress' from Kanye's social media antics; pictured February 2020

'At the end of the day, no matter how challenging things are between them she always wants the kids to view Kanye in the best light and have the best relationship with him. She was incredibly close to her father growing up and only wants that for her own kids.'

As for herself, Kim is coping with the stress caused by her divorce by immersing herself in work and family.

'She is trying their best to stay strong, calm and positive, focusing on her kids and staying busy with her work. She has an incredible support system of family and a small circle of friends around her,' another source close to Kim tells DailyMail.com.

Kim recently filed new legal documents informing a judge of her strong 'desire to be divorced.'

Her desire: In new documents obtained by TMZ , Kim stated, 'I very much desire to be divorced'

In new documents obtained by TMZ, Kim stated, 'I very much desire to be divorced.'

She told a judge she had requested Kanye keep their separation private 'but he has not done so'.

'Kanye has been putting a lot of misinformation regarding our private matters and co-parenting on social media which has created emotional distress,' she says in the new documents.

The drama between Kardashian and West has been playing out publicly on social media in recent weeks, where the rapper has been posting screenshots of text messages sent to him from his ex and gone to war with her new boyfriend Pete Davidson.
Rochelle and Marvin Humes were every inch the picture perfect couple as they prepared to enjoy a date night in loved-up Instagram snaps on Monday.

Showing off her slim figure, the presenter sported a black satin mini dress with a leg slit from ASOS as she cosied up to her husband in the images.

Rochelle layered the look with a white shirt, accessorising with a mini crochet-style bag and a pair of Prada rubber sandals.

Adorable! Rochelle and Marvin Humes donned co-ordinating monochrome outfits in a picture posted to Rochelle's Instagram on Monday

Rochelle pulled her wavy brunette tresses into a top knot, with some curls down to frame her face.

She accessorised with a gold 'M' necklace, alongside complementing rings and bangles.

Meanwhile, Marvin looked suave in an all-black ensemble - which featured a pair of black trousers and a shirt with cargo-style pocket detailing.

Chic! Showing off her slim figure, the presenter sported a black satin mini dress with a leg slit from ASOS as she posed in front of her mirror ahead of the date night

He sported a pair of yellow and blue high-top trainers as he stood behind his wife for the snap.

Rochelle posted the pictures to her 2.2 million followers before enjoying a date night with her husband, captioning: 'Him, always...'

The This Morning presenter has been married to presenter and JLS star Marvin since 2012.

In the details: she accessorised with a gold 'M' necklace, alongside complementing rings and bangles

The pair share their two daughters: eight-year-old Alaia-Mai and four-year-old Valentina Raine, and son son Blake, 17 months.

Marvin and Rochelle are back in the UK, after enjoying a family getaway to Dubai during half-term.

The couple stayed at luxurious five-star Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort & Spa in Dubai with their three children for the sun-soaked holiday.

Sun-kissed: Marvin and Rochelle recently returned to the UK, after enjoying a family getaway to Dubai during half-term
Martha Kalifatidis has revealed one of her fiance Michael Brunelli's private toilet habits.

In an Instagram Stories video shared on Tuesday, the former Married at First Sight star complained that her 31-year-old beau skips the loo roll.

'He never uses toilet paper when he pees,' she said in the clip, which had an amusing filter applied to her face and voice.

Confession: Martha Kalifatidis (right) has revealed one of her fiance Michael Brunelli's (left) private toilet habits. In an Instagram Stories video shared on Tuesday, the former Married at First Sight star complained that her 31-year-old beau skips the loo roll

'Yuck,' she added, while nestling her feet in Michael's crotch, adding, 'I don't know why'.

In his caption on the video, the personal trainer confessed that he does indeed prefer the 'shake don't wipe' method.

It comes just weeks after it was reported that Martha and Michael will televise their real-life nuptials, after their MAFS wedding was watched by over a million Aussies.

Loo-nacy: 'He never uses toilet paper when he pees,' she said in the clip, which had an amusing filter applied to her face and voice. 'Yuck,' she added

Private business: In his caption on the video, the personal trainer confessed that he does indeed prefer the 'shake don't wipe' method

According to Woman's Day, the couple have been inundated with offers from networks to film a TV special, after becoming engaged.

'They were hoping to do a wedding special on a free-to-air channel and they've been overwhelmed by all of the interest,' a source told the magazine.

'There's a bidding war going on to televise what they think will be the wedding of the year.'

Happy news: Martha and Michael delighted Married at First Sight fans in December when they announced their engagement

Bling! The influencer said her engagement ring is priced 'close to $100,000'

Martha and Michael delighted Married at First Sight fans in December when they announced their engagement.

During an appearance on the KIIS FM Will & Woody radio show, Martha revealed the eye-watering cost of her stunning diamond engagement ring.

The influencer, who 'wed' Michael on the 2019 season of Married At First Sight, said the bling is priced 'close to $100,000'.
Adrian Dunbar was spotted on the set of his upcoming police drama, Ridley, on Tuesday.

The 63-year-old actor, no stranger to a fast-paced role owing to his portrayal of Superintendent Ted Hastings in BBC's Line Of Duty, cut a laidback figure in a leather jacket and jeans while hitting the streets of Manchester.

While the on-set snaps were predominantly shot outside, there was one moment where Adrian was captured browsing a record shop before selecting a vinyl.

Shooting: Adrian Dunbar cut a laid-back figure in Manchester on Tuesday as he was spotted on the set of his upcoming police drama Ridley

In other filming stills, Adrian maintained a sombre expression, but did, in another shot, grin at the camera while donning a pair of glasses.

It was reported in January that the first scenes of the year had been filmed in Lancashire.

The Irish actor will play Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who is retiring from the police after years of dedicated service.

New project: The Irish actor will play Detective Inspector Alex Ridley, who is retiring from the police after years of dedicated service

Role: The on-set snaps were predominantly shot outside, while Adrian maintained a sombre expression

His replacement is DI Carol Farman, played by Bronagh Waugh, a former protegee whom Ridley mentored for many years and is now in charge of investigations.

When he's enlisted by Carol as a police consultant on a complex and compelling murder case, the investigation takes a dark and unexpected turn.

Turning to her old mentor for support, Carol is keen to access Ridleys unique insight into crime-solving which has served them so well in the past, prompting him to revive their partnership.

Intriguing: There was one moment where Adrian was captured browsing a record shop before selecting a vinyl

Filming: In another photo, Adrian grinned at the cameras while donning a pair of glasses

The upcoming show follows Adrian's enormous success in writer Jed Mercurio's hit Line Of Duty, where he won accolades for his role as hot-headed Ted.

Filming will take place at various locations across Northern England with a cast that also includes Terence Maynard as DCI Paul Goodwin, George Bukhari as DC Darren Lakhan and Georgie Glen as pathologist Dr Wendy Newstone.

Confirming work on the four two-hour long shows, Adrian previously said: 'Ridley has begun shooting and we really couldnt be off to a better start.

Confirming work on the four two-hour long shows, Adrian previously said: 'Ridley has begun shooting and we really couldnt be off to a better start'

'Despite the wintry weather, everything from cast and crew right down to the catering is excellent.

'Bronagh Waugh has stepped into her characters shoes seamlessly and we have been joined by some great actors with more to come.'

Co-creator Jonathan Fisher, who also serves as Executive Producer on the new show, added: Its a real thrill for filming to be underway with such a top-rate cast starring alongside Adrian Dunbar and led by a superb production team.

'We cant wait to share this absorbing new detective series with our audience.'

Ridley has been commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill, with Drama Commissioner, Chloe Tucker overseeing production of the drama from the channels perspective.

An official release date is yet to be formally announced.
Katie Price and fiance Carl Woods enjoyed the sights and sounds of bustling Bangkok on Monday evening after jetting to Thailand for a romantic minibreak.

The couple were hand in hand as they made the most of a night out in the sprawling city, famed for its wild, vibrant club scene, following their long-haul flight from England.

However the debauchery of its notorious Kao San Road - a popular tourist trap - was dismissed in favour of a quiet moonlit stroll close to the grounds of their luxury hotel.

Good times: Katie Price and fiance Carl Woods enjoyed the sights and sounds of bustling Bangkok on Monday evening after jetting to Thailand for a romantic minibreak

With Bangkok's balmy weather in mind, Katie opted for a form-fitting sleeveless top that inevitably drew attention to her physique as she walked alongside her fiance.

The former glamour model, 43, added to her look with a floral patterned miniskirt, while white trainers and ankle socks rounded things off.

Joining Katie, Carl, 32, looked equally relaxed in a casual grey T-shirt, over which he draped a smart Louis Vuitton shoulder bag.

New arrivals: The couple were hand in hand as they made the most of a night out in the sprawling city, famed for its wild, vibrant club scene, following their flight from England

Peaceful: However the debauchery of its notorious Kao San Road - a popular tourist trap - was dismissed in favour of a quiet moonlit stroll close to the grounds of their luxury hotel

Low-key look: With Bangkok's balmy weather in mind, Katie opted for a form-fitting sleeveless top that inevitably drew attention to her physique as she walked alongside her fiance

The holiday comes after Katie underwent an eye and brow lift at a clinic in Belgium in January, before cutting off her bandages prematurely because they were 'driving her nuts'.

Discussing her recent tweaks during an early morning interview with breakfast show Lorraine, the mother-of-five claimed that she has no plans to stop going under the knife, despite her ailing mother Amy objecting to it.

She said: 'I had a brow lift and my mum was like, "what are you doing that for?" I said "mum, Im in my 40s and I had my whole career natural except my boobs and Im going to have surgery."

Smitten: Katie couldn't take her eyes off Carl as they walked hand in hand during their appearance in Bangkok

Here we go: Katie's cosmetically enhanced assets were evident (L) as she walked alongside Carl, who carried a smart Louis Vuitton shoulder bag (R)

Seasonal style: Katie added to her look with a floral patterned miniskirt, while white trainers and ankle socks rounded things off

'Im in my 40s so why not? Everyone knows Im gonna do it and everyone picks on me for it but Ill try these things. Theres so many people who have these tweaks and say "Im natural". Are you joking?'

Katie's latest enhancements followed a trip to Turkey, where she underwent full body liposuction, eye and lip lifts, liposuction under her chin, and had fat injected into her bum.

Katie also revealed plans to have a baby with fiance Carl - despite his recent charge for using 'threatening and abusive behaviour' towards her.

Dressing down: Joining Katie, Carl looked equally relaxed in a grey T-shirt and loose fitting black shorts

Busy girl: The holiday comes after Katie underwent an eye and brow lift at a clinic in Belgium in January, before cutting off her bandages prematurely because they were 'driving her nuts'

Carl issued a public denial on Instagram last week over claims of abuse and accused others of creating a 'storyline' - insisting they only had an argument in public.

Katie made no reference to the charges but insisted the pair were stronger than ever as she detailed their plans to expand their family.

She explained: 'We're doing the IVF route, it's weird because even though I feel young, each cycle you have you lose eggs and obviously I'm 44 this year.

'We're having to do IVF and we are doing it. I can't wait to have more kids, I've been with Carl for two years, unfortunately for him I broke my feet a month into our relationship, so he became my carer.'

Katie is already mother to eldest child Harvey, 19, with Dwight Yorke; son Junior, 16, and daughter Princess, 14, with Peter Andre and son Jett, eight, and daughter Bunny, seven, with her ex Kieran Hayler.
Her estranged husband Kanye West has been spending time with Chaney Jones, an Instagram model and a Kim Kardashian clone in Miami.

And Kim Kardashian has been focusing on their four children, as seen in her latest Instagram post.

The 41-year-old entrepreneur shared a snap of son Psalm, two, and daughter Chicago, four, posing on a mini motorcycle, with the caption: 'Morning ride.'

Doting mother: Her estranged husband Kanye West has been spending time with Chaney Jones, an Instagram model and a Kim Kardashian clone in Miami. And Kim Kardashian has been focusing on their four children, as seen in her latest Instagram post

Psalm and Chicago both looked adorable while posing for the snap, matching in all black outfits.

Kim and Kanye share four children together: Psalm, Chicago and North, eight, and Saint, six.

Kim filed for divorce from Kanye, 44, after nearly seven years of marriage last February.

The mother of four is in a relationship with actor and SNL star Pete Davidson, after they were first linked in October following her appearance on the show as a host.

Family oriented: The 41-year-old entrepreneur shared a snap of son Psalm, two, and daughter Chicago, four, posing on a mini motorcycle, with the caption: 'morning ride'

On Monday, Kim shared a series of snaps of herself from her trip to Milan Fashion Week.

The brunette beauty wowed in a snakeskin bandeau top with matching trousers, adding a duster coat and her signature gloves and small framed sunglasses.

The stunner posed up a storm in the stylish look, with her hair pulled back into a bun; she captioned it as 'just like magic.'

Meanwhile, Kanye and Kim K clone Chaney, 24, seen sharing a PDA moment as they hugged in the lobby of their hotel in Miami on Monday following lunch.

Just hours earlier, Chaney shared a snap of herself posing with Kanye to her Instagram stories, adding a black heart emoji.

'Just like magic': On Monday, Kim shared a series of snaps of herself from her trip to Milan Fashion Week

Kanye's current muse: Meanwhile, Kanye and Kim K clone Chaney seen sharing a PDA moment as they hugged in the lobby of their hotel in Miami on Monday following lunch

The Instagram life: Just hours earlier, Chaney shared a snap of herself posing with Kanye to her Instagram stories, adding a black heart emoji

Kanye and Chaney were first linked together in early February, when they were seen smiling and laughing at Soho House in Malibu.

They were pictured at the exclusive spot while he was still involved with actress Julia Fox.

Kanye and Julia dated for six weeks before splitting in early February.

Kanye grinned ear to ear as he was caught flirting with the influencer, who bears a resemblance to his estranged wife, as they leaned against the balcony of the venue during the early February meet-up.

Last week, the duo partied the night away in Miami together at ZZ Club, where they stayed there until 3:30 am.

In the latest development in their divorce, Kim begged a judge to declare her single and revealed she had been suffering 'emotional distress' from Kanye's social media antics.

Former flames: Kim, 41, filed for divorce from Kanye after nearly seven years of marriage last February; pictured in February 2020

Yet despite her tirades, Kim is still focused on amicably co-parenting her four children with Kanye.

'Her ultimate wish at the end of the day is to have a healthy co-parenting relationship with Kanye and she will continue to make every effort to move things in that direction,' a source close to the star told DailyMail.com on Thursday.

The insider noted that Kim is 'concerned' about Kanye continuing to air their private matters on Instagram.

'Kim is concerned about how public everything has been with his social posts and how this will ultimately affect the kids one day when they grow up and might see all of this,' the insider explained.

'At the end of the day, no matter how challenging things are between them she always wants the kids to view Kanye in the best light and have the best relationship with him. She was incredibly close to her father growing up and only wants that for her own kids.'

As for herself, Kim is coping with the stress caused by her divorce by immersing herself in work and family.

Work: As for herself, Kim is coping with the stress caused by her divorce by immersing herself in work and family; pictured in a Skims campaign

'She is trying their best to stay strong, calm and positive, focusing on her kids and staying busy with her work. She has an incredible support system of family and a small circle of friends around her,' another source close to Kim tells DailyMail.com.

Kim recently filed new legal documents informing a judge of her strong 'desire to be divorced.'

In new documents obtained by TMZ, Kim stated, 'I very much desire to be divorced.'

She told a judge she had requested Kanye keep their separation private 'but he has not done so'.

'Kanye has been putting a lot of misinformation regarding our private matters and co-parenting on social media which has created emotional distress,' she says in the new documents.

The drama between Kardashian and West has been playing out publicly on social media in recent weeks, where the rapper has been posting screenshots of text messages sent to him from his ex and gone to war with her new boyfriend Pete, 28.
Newly engaged model Romee Strijd put on a leggy display as she arrived at the Dior Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday.

The former Victoria's Secret Model, 26, wore a nude pinafore-style dress layered over a white sleeveless shirt from Christian Dior, with the brand's distinctive initials stitched into the material.

She paired her outfit with cream Dior ankle boots, which also featured a black stamp on the heel.

Gorgeous! Newly engaged model Romee Strijd put on a leggy display as she arrived at the Dior Paris Fashion Week show on Tuesday

Romee accessorised with some gold bangles, while clutching a pair of black sunglasses. She also donned a grey Dior saddle bag over her shoulder.

She beamed for the camera as her blonde tresses fell loose, in a tousled wave - featuring an ashy root with a golden money piece.

She posted snaps to her 7.2 million followers as she got ready for the show - after enjoying a Parisian breakfast, which included a range of pastries, baguettes and avocado toast.

What a rock! Romee's fashion week appearance comes after she announced her engagement to model and businessman Laurens Van Leeuwen in January

Chic: Cristian Dior initials were stitched in the material of Romee's couture outfit

Gorgeous! The former Victoria's Secret Model donned a nude pinafore-style dress, layered over a white sleeveless shirt

Details: Romee accessorised with some gold bangles and a pair of black sunglasses. She also donned a grey Dior saddle bag over her shoulder

Stars such as Rihanna and Anya Taylor-Joy also attended Dior's A/W show alongside Romee.

Rihanna showcased her growing baby bump in a racy ensemble - featuring a mesh, frilled dress with leather boots and a long leather coat.

Meanwhile, Anya went for a completely different look as she donned a sequin patterned midi dress, with black court heels and a complementing coat resting on her shoulders.

Show prep: Romee shared some snaps before the show with pal Pauline

Famous faces: Stars such as Rihanna and Anya Taylor-Joy also attended Dior's A/W show alongside Romee

Monochrome: Rihanna opted for a deep red lip for the gothic look, contrasting with white nail polish

Clean cut: Anya wore a hairband in her sleek blonde locks, with a bright makeup look

Romee's fashion week appearance comes after she announced her engagement to model and businessman Laurens Van Leeuwen in January.

The 26-year-old beauty said yes as her partner popped the question during a trip to Switzerland with a huge solitaire diamond ring.

The pair share 16-month-old daughter Mint and have been together for 12 years.

Congrats! The 26-year-old beauty said yes as her partner popped the question during a trip to Switzerland with a huge solitaire diamond ring

Happy family: The pair share 16-month-old daughter Mint and have been together for 12 years
Putin hit for escalating war with dangerous threat



Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to escalate tensions further by putting his nuclear forces on high alert Sunday after invading Ukraine last week. His move has raised fears about a nuclear war although U.S. President Joe Biden played down Putin's threat of nuclear mobilization. Yet no one can totally rule out the possibility of such a threat turning into action.



We express grave concerns about Putin's reference to the use of his nuclear arsenal. The Russian leader has drawn strong international condemnation for launching full-scale attacks on Ukraine, a democratic country which gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The world should neither tolerate Russia's invasion nor its nuclear threat.



Putin already hinted at using nuclear weapons. Announcing the start of the invasion Thursday, he said Russia's response to any country that stood in its way would carry "consequences that you have never encountered in your history." He added that Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear-armed states in the world.



Given his hawkish remarks, we cannot and should not take his nuclear threat lightly. Russia has the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads estimated at around 6,000. Putin's insinuation of nuclear mobilization was reckless and irresponsible. He was apparently trying to intimidate not only Ukraine but also the U.S. and its Western allies and partners in a bid to turn the situation to Russia's advantage.



In fact, Russia is facing strong economic and financial sanctions over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. More than anything else, the international community cut major Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), the global messaging system connecting some 11,000 financial institutions in nearly 200 countries around the world.



Russia has so far failed to win a quick victory in the war due to strong resistance from Ukrainian forces and civilians. It has also faced mounting anti-war and anti-Russia movements around the world. In this situation, Putin was certainly seeking to enhance its bargaining power just before negotiations with Ukraine which ended with no tangible results Monday. He also might have wanted to weaken the U.S.-led international front against Russia by spreading fears about a nuclear war.



Putin should realize that his invasion and nuclear blackmail are tantamount to a provocation against the world. He must stop his dangerous attempt to destroy a democratic country and the free world. His aim is to overthrow the pro-Western Ukraine government and set up a pro-Moscow regime. The world should step up its efforts against Russia to safeguard freedom, democracy, peace and security.



Putin's nuclear threat should not send the wrong signal to some countries, including North Korea, which are developing nuclear weapons. There are growing fears that the Kim Jong-un regime would never give up its nuclear arsenal on the belief that Ukraine might have avoided an invasion if it had not abandoned nuclear weapons in return for security guarantees and economic aid. The world should prove that the North cannot ensure its survival with nuclear armament. It needs to make more efforts to prod Pyongyang to move toward denuclearization and peace.


A stalker was reportedly arrested at Cindy Crawford's doorstep after flying from the UK to tell her about a 'child' they had together.

Authorities told TMZ that a man was lurking around one of Cindy's California properties when security members found him 'banging on 'the door and windows.'

The suspect, who flew thousands of miles to see Crawford, was trying to get 'Cindy's attention' to tell her about 'the kid' he said they had together.

Scary: A stalker was reportedly arrested at Cindy Crawford's doorstep after flying from the UK to tell her about a 'child' they had together; seen in 2018

Cindy was not home at the time and law enforcement officials arrested the man for 'felony stalking.'

It's unclear if the man has previously tried contacting Crawford or any of her family members before.

DailyMail.com contacted Crawford's representatives for comment.

Family forever: The 56-year-old supermodel has two children  daughter Kaia, 20, and son Presley, 22  with her husband, Rande Gerber; seen in 2017

True love: Gerber, the founder of Casamigos Tequila, and Crawford were married in the Bahamas in 1998, and will celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary in May; seen in 2018

The 56-year-old supermodel has two children  daughter Kaia, 20, and son Presley, 22  with her husband, Rande Gerber.

Gerber and Crawford were married in the Bahamas in 1998, and will celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary in May.

Just last week, Cindy offered her younger self some advice to mark her birthday, reminding her that 'life is a blessing.'

Throwback: The mother-of-two also appeared on Instagram to share a throwback image of her as a little girl ahead of her birthday

'Life is a blessing!' Cindy imparted some wisdom that she would have shared with her younger self in a candid caption

She wrote on Instagram: 'On the eve of another birthday, looking back at little Cindy and thinking about what I would tell her.

'I would tell her to be kinder to herself, to treat herself the way she treats her friends. I would tell her everyone feels nervous in new situations and sometimes you just have to fake it 'til you make it.

'I would tell her not to be afraid to make a fool of herself - dance, sing, etc more - even if she isn't good at it. Laugh as much as possible.

'Risk showing her true self to people she loves - the payoff is worth it. Practice gratitude. Keep growing and learning and becoming  life is a blessing!'

Cindy began ruling the runways in the 80s and 90s, and has been featured on the cover of every major fashion magazine in addition to posing completely nude for Playboy in 1988.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy has reached Poland.

The Dancing With The Stars pro has been documenting his journey fleeing his native country after the Russian invasion.

The star, who also revealed he was arrested in Kyiv, revealed that after a long 'claustrophobic' and 'traumatizing' train ride with women and children out of the war torn country.

Maksim, 42, shared a detailed account of his trek to Warsaw, Poland, revealing he was starting his train journey on Monday after he got arrested in Kyiv. The father of one arrived to Warsaw after 31 hours of no sleep.

The latest: Maksim Chmerkovskiy has reached Poland. The Dancing With The Stars pro has been documenting his journey fleeing his native country after the Russian invasion

He took to his Instagram stories explaining that they stopped to change the wheels off the train on their trek to Poland.

'I'm at a station about 20, 30, 40, I don't actually know where I'm at but like 30 minutes before the Polish border, they stopped to change wheels on the train, I can't make this up and let us out... for fresh air and I went to the bathroom and now we're going back and this is the train,' as he showed train and the crowds.

'So now that I see it, there's... yesterday I didn't see it it was night I had no idea where we were... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 cars about 130-something people each and one cart that is all sicker kids and people... its not as packed but all the others are packed to the brink.

Maks said it was a stop about 'thirty minutes from the Polish border' as he walked to the bathroom.

Dancing With The Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy timeline in Ukraine FEBRUARY 2 Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who was born in Ukraine but became a US citizen in 2019, flies to Kyiv with plans to stay for a 'few months' film a new Ukrainian show called World of Dance. FEBRUARY 6 The Dancing With The Stars pro, 42, begins filming as a judge on the panel and declares he's 'really happy to be back in Ukraine'. FEBRUARY 24 Maksim shares a tearful clip from Kyiv saying 'I want to go back home' and says he is 'about to go into a bomb shelter because s**t's going down'. His wife Peta Murgatroyd, with whom he has a five-year-old son Shai, pleads for his safe return and asks for prayers. She admits: 'My pain is overwhelming and I'm struggling. Please pray that he has a swift, safe exit.' FEBRUARY 25 He shares another clip filmed in Kyiv and tells fans he is 'safe' but the situation is 'pretty die' and that the 'whole country is being called to go to war. I don't know the answer, I just want the shooting to stop.' FEBRUARY 26 He calls out his former DWTS partner Kirstie Alley for tweeting she doesn't know what's 'real' and 'fake' about Russia invading his home country. He noted: 'No one needs your prayer if you don't know what's real or fake.' FEBRUARY 27 Petra admits she's going through 'hell' but thanks fans for their kindness and support, revealing strangers made her cookies to offer comfort. Maks commented on her post, writing: 'I love you and Ill see you soon! Save me a cookie.' FEBRUARY 28 Maks reveals he was arrested in Kyiv but doesn't reveal why. He said the 'streets are crazy' and the arrest was 'probably the least traumatizing moment' but noted it was a 'reality check.' He reveals he plan to flee, noting 'I'm going to try and make my way out. I'm going to start making my way towards the border. I have options. Just a little nervous but I think it's going to be alright. I know its' going to be okay.' He later boards a train heading to Warsaw alongside women and children, calling the journey 'claustrophobic.' MARCH 1 The dancing pro reaches Warsaw, Poland after 31 hours of no sleep on his 'traumatizing' train ride women and children fleeing Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The star thanks the 'amazing Polish people.' MARCH 2 Maks boards a plane in Warsaw heading to Los Angeles. He is greeted at the airport by his wife Peta Murgatroyd in an emotional reunion. MARCH 4 In his first interview since fleeing Ukraine, Maks tells GMA that feels 'guilty' for leaving the war-torn country and is dealing with bouts of crying in the wake of the traumatic experience. He also revealed the reason that he was arrested in Kyiv was for breaking curfew. Emotional: Maksim, pictured on February 24, shared a tearful clip from Kyiv and said 'I want to go back home' and says he is 'about to go into a bomb shelter because s**t's going down' Advertisement

Made it: The star, who also revealed he was arrested in Kyiv, revealed that after a long 'claustrophobic' and 'traumatizing' train ride with women and children out of the war torn country

Speaking out: Maksim, 42, shared a detailed account of his trek to Warsaw, Poland, revealing he was starting his train journey on Monday after he got arrested in Kyiv. The father of one arrived to Warsaw after 31 hours of no sleep

His reality: 'I'm at a station about 20, 30, 40, I don't actually know where I'm at but like 30 minutes before the Polish border, they stopped to change wheels on the train, I can't make this up and let us out... for fresh air and I went to the bathroom and now we're going back and this is the train,' as he showed train and the crowds

He said there's about 130 people on each of the five cars on the train, noting that one cart is only for sick children and people so its not as packed as the other four.

The star then showed off the poor conditions of the bathroom he was forced to use during the train stop.

After his arrival to Poland, Maks revealed he's been running on 31 hours no sleep.

He took a moment to thank the Polish people: 'I absolutely have to say this: Polish people are amazing!!!! Thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart and soul,' adding a prayer sign, heart and hands in the air emoji.

Maksim followed it up with footage from people showing Ukrainians allegedly stealing a tank from the Russian army.

Gratitude: He took a moment to thank the Polish people: 'I absolutely have to say this: Polish people are amazing!!!! Thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart and soul,' adding a prayer sign, heart and hands in the air emoji

He also posted stories showing expired food the Russian army allegedly issued their militia, with the date of 2015.

Maks later wrote: 'Russian state propaganda machine will say my last post is fake. Fundamentally flawed way of governing humans by using propaganda (lies) and fear. Benn there, done that... emigrated.'

Maksim lives in California with wife Peta Murgatroyd and their son Shai, five; the dancing pro was born in Ukraine but immigrated to New York with his parents and brother Val in 1994, where they became US citizens.

His words: He also posted stories showing expired food the Russian army allegedly issued their militia, with the date of 2015

Speaking to his followers: He was sharing information about the journey as he headed to the bathroom

Bathroom: The star then showed off the poor conditions of the bathroom he was forced to use during the train stop

He also posted a woman shouting in Ukrainian from her window as the Russian army bombed residential buildings, and not the military structures they have been claiming is their focus.

Another clip showed children making camouflage nets to help in their battle, and another was of an elderly woman with graphic injuries, with her foot blown off.

The Ukrainian star updated followers in series of social media posts on Monday, detailing his 'traumatizing' attempt to get out of the country amid the Russian invasion.

Chmerkovskiy, who has been in Kyiv working as a judge on the Ukrainian version of World of Dance, had planned on staying in his native land when the fighting first broke out, however, after he got a 'reality check' by being arrested he decided to flee.

The country announced last week that men of fighting age - between 18-60 - were prohibited from leaving Ukraine but since Maks holds a U.S. passport, he is exempt from the mandate.

Real life: Another clip showed children making camouflage nets to help in their battle, and another was of an elderly woman with graphic injuries, with her foot blown off

Monday updates: Chmerkovskiy, who has been in Kyiv working as a judge on the Ukrainian version of World of Dance, had planned on staying in his native land when the fighting first broke out, however, after he got a 'reality check' by being arrested he decided to flee

'I made it on the train. We're heading to Warsaw (hopefully). Train to Lviv was not an option,' the choreographer penned. 'The situation at the train station is insane. AT first it feels manageable, but it get A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train.'

'Long story but all I can say now is that I'm a big man with nothing but a backpack it's TRAUMATIZING,' he continued. 'Currently I'm in a cabin with 4 adults and 7 kids (ages 2-11) which is usually only occupied by maximum of 3 people.'

Maksim revealed that the train car that he's currently traveling in is outfitted for roughly 30 riders but refugees were told they needed to fit 135 people inside.

'Walkways are packed. People everywhere. It's sweaty and claustrophobic,' he said. Photos from a train station in illustrate the reality star's situation. Thousands of people were seen bundled up in freezing temperatures standing practically on top of one another as they attempted to get a train out of the country.

Refugees: Chmerkovskiy, who has been in Kyiv working as a judge on the Ukrainian version of World of Dance, had planned on staying in his native land when the fighting first broke out, however, after he got a 'reality check' by being arrested he decided to flee

One of the lucky ones: Ukraine announced last week that men of fighting age - between 18-60 - were prohibited from leaving Ukraine but since Maks holds a U.S. passport, he is exempt from the mandate

Fighting-aged men are prohibited from leaving Ukraine under a new mandate so the trains are filled primarily with women and children.

Back in the 1990s, Maksim and his family emigrated to the United States and thus he holds a U.S. passport, allowing him the rare opportunity to flee for safety.

'What finally broke me is when I was watching an eight-ish year old boy, hysterically crying and not wanting to let go of his father,' he wrote in a heartbreaking post on Instagram. 'Verbatim: "if you stay I want to stay too because if they kill you I won't be able to help".'

His wife, Peta Murgatroyd, shared his post on her social media feed saying she was 'so f**king proud' of her husband for helping out the refugee children.

Maks' decision to finally leave Kyiv came after he was arrested while in the capital city amid the Russian military assault.

Terrifying: Thousands of people were seen bundled up in freezing temperatures standing practically on top of one another as they attempted to get a train out of the country (Pictured: Evacuation train in Kyiv)

Getting out: Thousands of Ukrainian residents waiting for hours to board trains into neighboring countries as Russian forces continue to shell cities across the country (Pictured: Lviv train station)

'The streets are crazy,' he said. 'At one point I got arrested but again all good, promise. That was probably the least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned, but for me, it was just a reality check.'

'I'm going to try and make my way out. I'm going to start making my way towards the border. I have options.' Adding: 'Just a little nervous but I think it's going to be alright. I know it's going to be okay.

Maksim posted graphic videos to his stories and grid throughout Ukraine, as the star says he's tried and stressed out after seeing innocent people being killed.

He said on Sunday: 'I'm in a very safe place but this is nuts and I think everybody is going through a lot of emotions and i think it's time I expose mine in a more personal manner.

'This is a war. This is a crazy situation. It's insane and I'm losing my final little things. This is not a cry for help. I'm a big boy. I can handle myself.. but I'm starting to not be able to just sort of keep my head.'

Support: His wife, Peta Murgatroyd, shared his post on her social media feed saying she was 'so f**king proud' of her husband for helping out the refugee children

'The reality is, I just want to go home. I'm just hoping for a safe ending to it all.'

His wife Peta, 35, took to Instagram on Sunday with an emotional message in which she shared that an empathetic group of strangers had made a kind gesture to her amid the absence of Maksim.

'Although I'm going through hell right now and I want it all to end[there] is light that shines through the darkness,' said Murgatroyd, who is mother to five-year-old son Shai with Chmerkovskiy, who she wed in July of 2017.

Murgatroyd, an alum of Dancing With the Stars, remains at the family's home in California amid the uncertain time. She said that strangers baked her cookies 'and proudly brought them to [her] door.

'They stood there with smiles so wide. Let me repeat  strangers, whom I don't talk to thought that they should get in their kitchen and bake me cookies,' she said. 'They also took it upon themselves to google if I was allergic to anything, just to make sure they weren't hurting me.'

The latest: Maksim Chmerkovskiy revealed he was arrested while in Kyiv, Ukraine but called it the 'least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned

Chmerkovskiy has also provided frequent social media updates amid the conflict, as he said Thursday he had not attempted to leave the country due to safety concerns around the border of Poland. The professional dancer said he felt his odds for departure from the Ukraine were helped in having an American passport.

Chmerkovskiy added that the conflict had taken an emotional toll on him, as he said he 'will never be the same' in the wake of the invasion.

'This is stressful and Im getting old feelings back, like Ive done this before,' he said Thursday. 'This does feel like the way it was when and why we left in the 90s. Like my old PTSD Ive finally fixed is coming back.'

On Sunday, Chmerkovskiy took to Instagram Stories with a number of messages, urging people in the dance community in European countries to help take care of refugees if they were able to. He shared a number of links to resources to help people exit safely amid the ongoing military conflict.

Chmerkovskiy also wrote, 'Russia needs a revolution!!! Russian people are being lied to!!! Russians! Wake up! It will take you generations to get over this and generations of people around the world will never forgive you!!!'

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to put nuclear weapons on enhanced alert for 'special regime of combat duty' amid heightened tensions with Europe and the United States following the invasion.

Putin cited aggression toward Russia from NATO as well as economic sanctions and moves shutting down Russian banking institutions using the banking system SWIFT.

The U.N. Security Council is slated to hold an emergency meeting regarding the invasion Monday.
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Toni Garrn, Iris Law and Elle Macpherson commanded attention on Tuesday afternoon as they flaunted their fashion credentials ahead of the prestigious Dior show during Paris Fashion Week.

The trio of models were not afraid to present their sartorial uniqueness as they prepared for the luxury fashion house's Womenswear Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show.

German model Toni, 29, looked sensational in a skater-inspired black dress, which boasted mesh detailing and a flowy skirt.

Here come the girls: (From L-R) Toni Garrn, Iris Law and Elle Macpherson took Paris by storm on Tuesday as they arrived for the prestigious Dior event during Fashion Week

The blonde beauty left her hair loose and in a middle parting, while ensuring her makeup was effortlessly applied.

In terms of footwear, the runway star kept things comfortable and added a chic handbag to carry her belongings.

Elsewhere, Iris, 21, who is fresh from Milan's Fashion Week, displayed her edgy blonde buzz cut alongside a fun netted pinafore, a crisp white shirt and tie as she made her way into the fashion show.

Classy: German model Toni, 29, looked sensational in a skater-inspired black dress, which boasted mesh detailing and a flowy skirt

Glowing: Toni ensured her makeup was effortlessly applied

Statement: Meanwhile, Iris, 21, who is fresh from Milan's Fashion Week, displayed her edgy blonde buzz cut alongside a fun netted pinafore

Pose: Iris also donned a crisp white shirt and tie as she made her way into the fashion show

Classy: Meanwhile long-time supermodel Elle, 57, wrapped up in a black trench coat and long leather boots

Stealing the show: In her classically chic style, Elle threw on a pair of statement shades, occasionally taking them off to fully show off her radiant face

The netted pinafore was complemented by socks of the same style, which she slipped into small heels.

Meanwhile long-time supermodel Elle, 57, wrapped up in a black trench coat and long leather boots, which were laced the entire length.

In her classically chic style, Elle threw on a pair of statement shades, occasionally taking them off to fully show off her radiant face.

Wow: Newly engaged model Romee Strijd put on a leggy display as she arrived at the Dior Paris Fashion Week show

All smiles: The former Victoria's Secret Model, 26, wore a nude pinafore-style dress layered over a white sleeveless shirt from Christian Dior

Looking smart: In an homage to the re-emergence of society following the Covid pandemic, many of the catwalk's biggest looks included chic dresses, smart blazers and flowing skirts

Newly engaged model Romee Strijd put on a leggy display as she arrived at the Dior Paris Fashion Week show.

The former Victoria's Secret Model, 26, wore a nude pinafore-style dress layered over a white sleeveless shirt from Christian Dior, with the brand's distinctive initials stitched into the material.

She paired her outfit with cream Dior ankle boots, which also featured a black stamp on the heel.
Her husband was born in Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv.

And Motsi Mabuse, 40, has admitted her fears that she'll never see husband Evgenij Voznyuk's hometown after it was attacked by Russian forces.

The professional dancer revealed on Twitter that they'd booked flights to visit Kharkiv back in 2020, but had to postpone it because of lockdown.

Sadness: Motsi Mabuse, 40, has admitted her fears that she'll never see husband Evgenij Voznyuk's hometown after it was attacked by Russian forces (Pictured together in 2018)

Please let this stop! The professional dancer revealed on Twitter that they'd booked flights to visit Kharkiv back in 2020, but had to postpone it because of lockdown

On Monday, Motsi tweeted: '2020 we booked our flights to spend Easter in Kharkiv and return a day before my birthday, because of lockdown we cancelled the trip.

'2021 we were still on lockdown! 2022 seems I will never see the town my husband was born. He wanted to show me his motherland! #Kharkiv.

'Hopefully one day!! Another day filled with horror! Please let this stop.'

Russia stepped up shelling of Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, and pounded several civilian buildings. More than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were reportedly killed when Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city of about 50,000 people between Kharkiv and Kyiv.

Awful: Russia stepped up shelling of Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, and pounded several civilian buildings (Rescuers are seen in a building damaged by a missile in Kharkiv)

On Tuesday, sharing a video of a Russian airstrike hitting Kharkiv's iconic Freedom Square, Motsi wrote: 'I am just speechless!!!!!!!!!!!'

Later in the day, she returned and tweeted: 'Stop saying Ukraine people are inspiring !!!!! It's not inspiring seeing woman and children suffer!!! It's sad' alongside a quote from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 44.

His quote read: 'Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go.

'Do prove that you are indeed Europeans, and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory be to Ukraine.'

Speechless: On Tuesday, Motsi shared a video of a Russian airstrike hitting Kharkiv's iconic Freedom Square

It comes after Motsi updated concerned fans on the welfare of her husband's parents, who last week she revealed were stranded in Ukraine.

The Strictly Come Dancing judge wrote on Twitter that she and her Ukrainian husband were 'in contact' with her in-laws but there is 'nothing they can do.'

Motsi's Saturday afternoon update read: 'We are contact with them ! The spend more than half the day yesterday in the bunkers !!!

'In Kharkiv there are heavy battles so we can't get to them ! At the moment there is nothing we can do . We did try to get them earlier in Germany.'

Devastated: Later in the day, she returned and tweeted: 'Stop saying Ukraine people are inspiring !!!!! It's not inspiring seeing woman and children suffer!!! It's sad'

On Instagram later in the day, the South African-German dancer shared a harrowing image of her mother-in-law in the bunker.

'My mother last few days, they have spent most of their time in the basement! It is winter cold, no heating.

'They tried to buy food but we're not capable to get anything. We are in contact every few hours . They will sleep there tonight,' she explained.

Tough: It comes after Motsi updated concerned fans on the welfare of her husband's parents, who last week she revealed were stranded in Ukraine (Her mother-in-law in a bunker)

Thought-provoking: Motsi used her Instagram Story to share an impassioned message

In another impassioned post shared to her Story, Motsi wrote: 'The question why didn't they leave earlier is not relevant and innocent children & people are suffering for what ??? They have build their homes , their lives.

'They have to build and again it's being destroyed for what ???? Is this what peace looks like ? Is this your Putin bring peace?'

She continued on a still-poignant note: 'Every night we sleep not knowing what the news will be the next day !!!!! But to receive a call at 05:00 hearing a mother cry filled with fear telling us she loves us is nothing I wish apon anyone.

'Thank you to all who have taken time to write, I am trying to not make this about me, I am in conflict as to how much I will open my private life but I know many Ukrainian people and it's personal. It's family.'

Update: The Strictly Come Dancing judge, 40, wrote on Twitter that she and her Ukrainian husband were 'in contact' with her in-laws but there is 'nothing they can do'

Last week, Motsi revealed her husband's parents were unable to reach the Polish border, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.

The Strictly star took to Twitter to say she was 'heartbroken' after she had spoken to her 'crying' mother-in-law who has 'no possibility' of fleeing to Poland.

A fearful Motsi wrote: 'It's heartbreaking hearing my mother in law crying this morning, afraid and there absolutely nothing we can do! Just Sad honestly.'

'Our parents have been told to go outside and to switch off water &gas ! They have no possibility to get to the polish border.'

She had previously tweeted: 'This cannot be happening!!!!!!!!!!!' and asked for 'prayers for Ukraine and the world'.

Motsi and Evgenij married in 2017 and share a daughter whose name has never been publicly revealed.
Hulk Hogan had to buy his ex-wife a car under the terms of their divorce.

The 68-year-old wrestling legend revealed on Monday that his 11-year marriage to Jennifer McDaniel has ended, with it later being confirmed they parted ways last year, and now new details have emerged about the agreement the former couple made when they officially split.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, the Suburban Commando actor was ordered to buy Jennifer a new car within 45 days and guarantee she has to make zero payments on the purchase, while the former WWE star got to keep the vehicle they had shared during their marriage.

Let's hope it was cheap: Hulk Hogan had to buy his ex-wife a car under the terms of their divorce. Seen in 2010

Did he get her a Rolls? Hulk reportedly owns a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, a black Chevy Caprice, and a 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cud. He also had at one time a Rolls-Royce, Hummers, and 1952 Ford F1 truck

He certainly likes his cars.

Hulk reportedly owns a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, 1968 Dodge Charger R/T, a black Chevy Caprice, and a 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cud.

He also had at one time a Rolls-Royce, Hummers, and 1952 Ford F1 truck.

Hulk got to keep his mansion in Clearwater, Florida, while his ex-wife took on another property which they had bought together in Palm Isle.

The paperwork confirms the grappler paid Jennifer a one-off lump sum but the amount wasn't disclosed, and the pair agreed a non-disparagement clause, which prevents them both from talking about the relationship without the other's consent.

Jennifer responded to the petition the same day her former spouse filed it in October, and their divorce was finalized by the end of the year.

Terms: The 68-year-old wrestling legend revealed on Monday that his 11-year marriage to Jennifer McDaniel has ended, with it later being confirmed they parted ways last year, and now new details have emerged about the agreement. Seen in 2012

He is done! The star said in this tweet that he was 'officially divorced'

Hulk took to Twitter to tell fans that he and Jennifer have 'officially divorced' after he had been spotted with another woman on his social media.

He wrote: 'Yo Maniacs just for the record, the Facebook and Instagram posts are of me and my girlfriend Sky, I am officially divorced, sorry I thought everyone already knew,love my Maniacs4Life.'

The former 'Hogan Knows Best' star first met make-up artist Jennifer, 48, back in 2008 and they dated for two years before tying the knot in 2010.

Hulk - who was also married to Linda Hogan from 1983 until 2007 and has Brooke, 33, and Nick, 31, with her - had been spotted in bars with Sky during recent months and doing karaoke together at his Hogan's Hangout establishment in Clearwater.
Molly-Mae Hague set pulses racing as she showed off her toned figure while on a work trip in Mexico.

The 22-year-old former Love Island star posed in a pair of white bikini bottoms and an oversized Nike T-shirt in the picture shared on Instagram on Tuesday.

The beauty kept her signature blonde locks up in a bun, as she looked out onto the ocean.

Toned: Molly-Mae Hague set pulses racing as she showed off her toned figure while on a work trip in Mexico

Molly shared the picture to her 6.2 million followers, captioning: 'Fallin into your ocean eyes' (sic)

The Influencer and Creative Director is currently in Tulum, Mexico for a work trip as she shoots a campaign.

She revealed that she was 'filming something very special' to her fans through Instagram on Tuesday.

Busy: The influencer and Creative Director is currently in Tulum, Mexico for a work trip as she shoots a campaign

During her trip, she has also been sharing snaps of the beautiful Mexican scenery, alongside her bikini-clad content.

However, Molly took to Instagram on Monday to reveal her 'guilt' for posting content during the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

Reaching out to fans via her story, Molly admitted she felt it was 'impossible' to go on with life as normal.

Unsure: Molly took to Instagram on Monday to reveal her 'guilt' for posting content during the ongoing Ukraine crisis

Fan feedback: despite Molly's guilt, 69% of her fans voted for her to continue to post as normal, as she shared a number of messages she had received

Sunrise: During her trip, she has also been sharing snaps of the beautiful Mexican scenery, alongside bikini content

She created a poll, in which she asked fans whether they thought she should continue posting updated about her life - or whether she should take a break from social media.

Despite Molly's guilt, 69% of her fans voted for her to continue to post as normal, as she shared a number of messages she had received.

Many of her followers described her content as light relief, offering reassurance for Molly to continue posting.

The influencer also offered her support in the series of stories, writing: 'My DM's are always open, I really want to find other ways I can continue using my platform to raise awareness.'
Kanye West is set to challenge his prenuptial agreement with Kim Kardashian in an apparent attempt to scuttle her efforts to have herself declared single.

The 44-year-old rapper's lawyers have filed legal documents arguing that all prenuptial agreements signed in California after 2002 are presumed to be invalid, TMZ reported on Tuesday.

Kardashian, 41, will be asking a judge to declare her legally single on Wednesday, March 2, the outlet reported.

Delay tactic: Lawyers for Kanye West, 44, filed documents claiming all prenuptial agreements signed after 2002  including his agreement with Kim Kardashian, 41  are invalid, TMZ reported Tuesday; West and Kardashian seen in 2020

'California premarital agreements entered on or after January 1, 2002, are presumptively invalid,' West's lawyers claimed in his filing. 'The presumption of invalidity exists until rebutted at trial or the parties ratify the agreement. We are in the early stages of the case so no ratification has occurred.'

However, West has not previously claimed that his agreement with Kardashian is invalid.

According to the outlet, California's law requires one of the spouses to challenge the prenuptial agreement for it to be presumed invalid, but the Monster rapper has not yet done so.

If he were to do so, he would need to prove that the agreement was 'unconscionable,' meaning that it was too one-sided, or that either party didn't agree to it voluntarily.

Missing pieces: However, West has not previously claimed that his agreement with Kardashian is invalid. The law requires one party to challenge the document, which West hasn't yet done

TMZ notes that West had a lawyer representing him when he signed the prenuptial agreement, suggesting that his signature wasn't involuntary.

The document is also expected to help him retain much of the massive fortune he amassed during his marriage to Kardashian, which comes from several hit albums and his lucrative fashion deals.

West ex previously filed documents claiming that his recent social media posts have been riddled with 'misinformation,' and she claimed their attacks on her and her boyfriend Pete Davidson have caused her 'emotional distress.'

'I believe that the court terminating our marital status will help Kanye to accept that our marital relationship is over and to move forward on a better path which will assist us in peacefully co-parenting our children,' Kardashian wrote in documents filed on February 23, according to Rolling Stone.

Mixed messages: The rapper filed to have Kardashian's complaints about his social media posts ruled inadmissible, claiming she hadn't proved he wrote them, but he previously posted on Instagram that his account was 'not hacked'

Kardashian is using her estranged husband's social media posts as an argument for speeding up her transition to single status, but West's attorneys said she would need to prove he had personally written the posts, though they didn't appear to explicitly deny that he had written them in their own filings.

'Kim claims she read something online allegedly by Kanye and characterizes the posts in her declaration as misinformation. The social media posts are not attached to the declaration. Kim needed to offer the social media posts into evidence, and show that the posts were written by Kanye,' his lawyers wrote, adding that Kardashian's claims amount to 'double hearsay.'

Although West's attorneys appear to be raising doubts about whether he's responsible for posts on his social media account, he seems to have taken steps in his posts to cast himself as their author.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, the hitmaker shared a photo of himself holding up a yellow notepad that read, 'My account is not hacked,' and the date, ' 2 13 22.'

The posts caption featured the recognizable breathless all-capitals style that many of West's recent posts have adhered to.

Distanced: Sources claimed to TMZ that the musician and fashion designer has not been working closely with his legal team; seen in January in NYC

'MY ACCOUNT IS NOT HACKED,' the post repeated int he caption, before noting that West would be taking his children to Sunday Service, followed by the Super Bowl.

He also included a not to SNL Weekend Update anchor Michael Che offering to pay him double 'WHATEVER THEY PAYING YOU' to get him away from cast member Pete Davidson.

Sources claimed to TMZ that the musician and fashion designer has not been working closely with his legal team.

Instead, he made it clear that he didn't want to divorce Kardashian, but left it up to his attorneys to craft a legal strategy for him.

Source also said it's unlikely that he'll appear in court for the hearing on Wednesday.

Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021, and the couple initially seemed to be on the same page, but in recent weeks West has taken to attacking her boyfriend on social media.

Unrelenting: Kardashian 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'

He has also repeatedly posted text conversations that appear to be with his estranged wife, including one conversation in which she appeared to write, 'Why can't you keep any of our conversations private ???'

'Cause I got a text from my favorite person in the world,' he allegedly replied. 'I'm your number one fan. Why wouldn't I tell everyone!!!!'

Kardashian doesn't appear to have any desire to slow down her divorce, but her ex has shared multiple times in public that he hopes to win her back.
The Late Show host Stephen Colbert's wife of 28 years - Evelyn 'Evie' McGee - praised him for still making fans laugh while 'we've all been on the verge of tears' - calling him TV's 'grief counselor.'

'The hard part of it is, he's trying to make people laugh. It's a comedy show, but he's always been an emotional person,' the 58-year-old daughter of politician Joseph McGee explained in the spring men's fashion edition of WSJ. Magazine, which hits newsstands March 12.

'We've all been on the verge of tears, frankly, a lot. I kind of feel sometimes that Stephen has become a grief counselor for people in real time on television. He didn't seek that task out, and it's hard. But that, I think, is his act of love.'

TV's 'grief counselor': The Late Show host Stephen Colbert's wife of 28 years - Evelyn 'Evie' McGee - praised him for still making fans laugh while 'we've all been on the verge of tears' (pictured in 2019)

The D.C.-born, South Carolina-raised 57-year-old discussed his unexpected transformation from a macho political satirist on Comedy Central to TV's favorite soulful grief counselor on CBS.

'We often realize we love something as we're losing it,' Stephen told the mag.

'Many things were lost in the last five years: standards, morals, a shared reality, a shared civic engagement, a lot of friends. And Covid, of course, gave it all a special, piquant little zazz.'

Many have related to Colbert due to the unbearable losses in his family - his father James and two brothers Peter and Paul died in a 1974 plane crash followed by the 2013 death of his mother Lorna at age 92.

The 58-year-old daughter of politician Joseph McGee told WSJ. Magazine: 'The hard part of it is, he's trying to make people laugh. It's a comedy show, but he's always been an emotional person. We've all been on the verge of tears, frankly, a lot'

Evie continued: 'I kind of feel sometimes that Stephen has become a grief counselor for people in real time on television. He didn't seek that task out, and it's hard. But that, I think, is his act of love' (pictured June 14)

Man of faith: The D.C.-born, South Carolina-raised 57-year-old discussed his unexpected transformation from a macho political satirist on Comedy Central to TV's favorite soulful grief counselor on CBS

Stephen told the mag: 'Many things were lost in the last five years: standards, morals, a shared reality, a shared civic engagement, a lot of friends. And Covid, of course, gave it all a special, piquant little zazz'

For instance, two-time Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield felt comfortable enough with The Daily Show alum on the November 22nd episode of Late Show to discuss the 2019 death of his mother Lynn from pancreatic cancer.

'The openness and ownership that he has with seemingly culturally taboo subjects, such as grief, allows his guests permission to be in contact and reveal those aspects of their own selves and experiences,' the 38-year-old Englishman wrote in an email.

'In turn, the audience gets to have a genuine, deep, and connected experience. So the show feels like an act of service to people. I think Stephen would have made a great priest.'

Stephen had originally envisioned that his time in the late night talk show circuit would be sillier but it ultimately 'did not match the moment we became part of.'

'We often realize we love something as we're losing it': Many have related to Colbert due to the unbearable losses in his family - his father James and two brothers Peter and Paul died in a 1974 plane crash followed by the 2013 death of his mother Lorna at age 92

'I think Stephen would have made a great priest': For instance, two-time Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield (L) felt comfortable enough with The Daily Show alum on the November 22nd episode of Late Show to discuss the 2019 death of his mother Lynn

The 38-year-old Englishman (pictured Sunday) said: 'The openness and ownership that he has with seemingly culturally taboo subjects, such as grief, allows his guests permission to be in contact and reveal those aspects of their own selves and experiences. In turn, the audience gets to have a genuine, deep, and connected experience. So the show feels like an act of service to people'

'I thought I could lay down my sword and shield down by the riverside, because that's the part of the old gig I didn't particularly like - anybody thinking, "Hey, what you do is important!"' Colbert said.

'Because that is antithetical to being as silly as you possibly can, and I really love being dumb.'

Instead, the 10-time Emmy winner's talk show has become more about love, which he admitted 'sounds a little pretentious.'

Quoting the poet E.E. Cummings - whose father was also killed in a crash - Stephen said: '"Love is the every only god / who spoke this earth so glad and big." So, why would you talk about anything else?'

'I really love being dumb': Stephen had originally envisioned that his time in the late night talk show circuit would be sillier but it ultimately 'did not match the moment we became part of' (pictured February 25)

'Why would you talk about anything else?' Instead, Colbert's talk show has become more about love, which he admitted 'sounds a little pretentious' (pictured February 22)

'I know that it's hard for him': The Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste (R, pictured February 1) revealed that the 10-time Emmy winner feels a bit burdened by his newfound title of 'light bearer in a dark time'

The Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste revealed that Colbert feels a bit burdened by his newfound title of 'light bearer in a dark time.'

'I know that it's hard for him, so we have a lot of private moments where it just naturally goes to that place,' the 35-year-old Oscar-winning composer told the mag.

'Because my role on the show is to really bring that sense of vibrance and uplift.'

The 35-year-old Oscar-winning composer (pictured June 14) told the mag: 'We have a lot of private moments where it just naturally goes to that place, because my role on the show is to really bring that sense of vibrance and uplift'

Dapper: Stephen glammed up for the spread with help from stylist Antoni Axereas, hairstylist Jenna Robinson, and make-up artist Jesse Lindholm

'After the State of the Union!' On Tuesday, Colbert will feature Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and musical guest Big Thief on The Late Show

And with all the gaslighting going on in the deeply divided political sphere, the two-time Grammy winner - who coined the term 'truthiness' - said he's 'here to say every night that you're not crazy. It's crazy to say you're crazy.'

Stephen glammed up for the spread with help from stylist Antoni Axereas, hairstylist Jenna Robinson, and make-up artist Jesse Lindholm.

Following President Joe Biden's State of the Union on Tuesday, Colbert will feature Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and musical guest Big Thief on The Late Show.
Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic 'regretfully' listed their holiday home in Noosa, Queensland, for sale last week.

And it seems the property is already attracting plenty of interest from buyers.

The home is located on a street where millionaires and politicians spend their holidays, which means it will likely sell at the higher end of its price guide, or even exceed expectations, reports realestate.com.au.

0n the market: Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic's (pictured) $3.6million holiday home on Noosa's millionaire's row has already attracted plenty of interest from buyers

The home, which goes under the hammer on March 24, is predicted to draw plenty of offers before its auction date.

Karl, 47, confirmed the listing of the $3.6million property on Saturday, revealing he and Jasmine weren't using it enough to justify ownership.

'The reality though is I can't get away from work in Sydney nearly enough and the logistics of coming in and out of Queensland have been challenging,' the Today show host told The Courier Mail.

Ritzy: The home is located on a street where millionaires and politicians spend their holidays, which means it will likely sell at the higher end of its price guide, or even exceed expectations

'Eventually we will come back to Noosa when we have more time. If we can afford it. It's the best beach community anywhere,' he added.

Karl said the couple had lovingly renovated the home to suit their needs.

'We've added a teenage retreat, a bathroom and a wine cellar. It's a really beautiful slice of Sunshine Beach paradise,' he said.

The property overlooks Sunshine Beach and has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a three-car garage and a swimming pool.

Offers: The home, which goes under the hammer on March 24, is predicted to draw plenty of offers before its auction date. (The Stefanovics are pictured on April 4, 2018, in Sydney)

There is a spacious living room that connects to an outdoor entertaining area with beach views.

All four bedrooms have water views, while the master bedroom also has a large ensuite with a bath and a double-vanity sink.

The swimming pool has a waterfall feature and see-through glass, which means the beach is always in sight, even when underwater.

The house is just 200 metres away from the dog-friendly Sunshine Beach, where the couple can walk their pooch, Chance the Yapper.

Listed: Karl, 47, confirmed the listing of the $3.6million property on Saturday, revealing he and Jasmine weren't using it enough to justify ownership

Luxury living: The home features a spacious lounge room (pictured) that connects to an outdoor entertaining area with views of Sunshine Beach

The house was last listed for sale in July 2019, and purchased by the Stefanovics for $3.6million in 2020.

Karl and Jasmine have strong links to Queensland and often celebrate important holidays with their families in Noosa.

Karl studied journalism in the Sunshine State and started his career in Rockhampton. Meanwhile, Jasmine's family still lives in Brisbane.
Amelia Gray is clearly enjoying every moment of Milan Fashion Week as she took to Instagram with a sexy snap revealing her bare chest with strategically placed black bars to at least salvage the photo from strict social media sharing guidelines.

The 20-year-old supermodel had a feeling her reality star mother, Lisa Rinna, would catch a glimpse of the sultry photo as she captioned the shot: 'Sorry mom!'

But there seemed to be no harm, no foul over the photograph shared to Amelia's one million followers as the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star chimed in on the comment section: 'Ha! Love you.'

Living the dream: Amelia Gray is clearly enjoying every moment of Milan Fashion Week as she took to Instagram with a sexy snap revealing her bare chest with strategically placed black bars to at least salvage the photo from strict social media sharing guidelines

Amelia stood on a balcony wearing a sheer dress with a pair of black briefs which sat high atop her hips as she held on to a railing for the snap.

She stayed warm underneath a black leather Aya Muse trench coat, and tagged Your Friends Vintage in the shot taken while in Paris, France.

Hamlin's long brunette hair was worn parted down the middle with tendrils cascading across her back, and she wore a pair of thick silver frames with mirrored lenses.

Choices: The 20-year-old supermodel had a feeling her reality star mother, Lisa Rinna, would catch a glimpse of the sultry photo as she captioned the shot: 'Sorry mom!'

Bold and beautiful: She shared a glimpse of a bubble gum pink latex Versace ensemble in a tagged shot where she credited makeup guru Pat Mcgrath for her expert glam

Amelia's skyrocketed to fame as an in-demand supermodel, and has enjoyed the sights and sounds of Europe after walking in multiple shows during Milan Fashion Week.

She shared a glimpse of a bubble gum pink latex Versace ensemble in a tagged shot where she credited makeup guru Pat Mcgrath for her expert glam.

Hamlin split from ex Scott Disick in September after dating for nearly a year and has since enjoyed the single life.

Stunner: Amelia's skyrocketed to fame as an in-demand supermodel, and has enjoyed the sights and sounds of Europe after walking in multiple shows during Milan Fashion Week

Gorgeous: She added a towering pair of black platform heels to complete her ensemble

Scott, who shares three children with ex Kourtney Kardashian, was rumored to be in a relationship with Brooklyn Beckham's ex-girlfriend Hana Cross.

But he seems to have moved on now with a Kardashian look-alike, Holly Scarfone, as the couple has been spotted together recently in Malibu.

Kourtney, on the other hand, has certainly moved on as she became engaged to Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker in October.
By Troy Stangarone





If there was ever any illusion that Russia didn't intend to invade Ukraine, that is gone now. Russian troops have entered into Ukraine with the clear intent to remove its democratically elected government. While Ukraine may seem a world away from the Korean Peninsula, what happens on the plains of Eastern Europe will reverberate all of the way to Korea.



Since the end of World War II, the world has worked to put in place institutions such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization in order to maintain the peace, allow for negotiated solutions to disputes, and for commerce to remain uninterrupted. Russia's actions in Ukraine will strain those institutions and norms, if not break them in a way that reshapes how states interact with each other  and not for the better.



For this reason alone South Korea's signal that it will support sanctions in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine is important. It is in the interest of members of the international community to defend international law and their own innate interest not to allow norms of military force or economic coercion outside of international rules to take hold as a means for settling disputes.



However, as with the United States and its allies in Europe, the deeper reality is that once this crisis ends Russia will still remain a nuclear-armed state that nations must deal with, even if Moscow faces years of isolation. In this context, sanctions are a balance between ensuring that Russia pays a price for its use of military force to deter other states that would do so, but also in not eliminating the prospect for any cooperation with Russia. Nevertheless, part of that calculation also relates to the factors that drove Russia's actions  its claim of threats to its security.



In this area, much of the focus has been on Russia's argument that Ukraine's potential membership of NATO was unacceptable. Throughout the crisis Putin has continued to emphasize his grievances with NATO's expansion towards Russia's border and what he perceives to be a threat from Ukraine's mere existence if it is not in Russia's orbit. At times, Putin has gone so far as to suggest that Ukraine is a fictional state that only has the right to exist as part of Russia.



In his speech to the Russian people, Putin again emphasized that he believed "it is only a matter of time" before Ukraine would join NATO. He also tried to justify his actions as working to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. He remarked that "If Ukraine acquires weapons of mass destruction, the situation in the world and in Europe will drastically change, especially for us, for Russia." He went on to state that "We cannot but react to this real danger, all the more so since, let me repeat, Ukraine's Western patrons may help it acquire these weapons to create yet another threat to our country."



Of course, Putin failed to note that the former Communist bloc states that have joined NATO did so to ensure that Russia would never again occupy them, something that remains a concern due to Russia's invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, now twice, since the end of the Cold War. Putin also failed to mention that, unlike North Korea, Ukraine had no intention of developing weapons of mass destruction, but gave them up under assurances by Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom that its territorial sovereignty would be protected.



Sanctions are important for reinforcing the norms of the U.N. Charter that borders are not changed through force, but for also reinforcing that states should be able to choose their own foreign policy.



South Korea has announced that it will join the ban on some Russian banks in the SWIFT banking system and export controls on strategic materials, but similar to many European countries, economic interests will play a factor in sanctions development and energy sanctions are unlikely.



One key component of any package would be export controls on hi-technology products. South Korea's decision to enforce U.S. and EU export controls is key to limiting Moscow's access to high-tech products but it could include autonomous controls on these materials. Seoul should also consider autonomous sanctions on Russia in other areas. These could also include financial sanctions, prohibition on imports such as vodka or similar items to many European countries as well as a refusal to engage in sporting events with Russia. Even small sanctions help to send a signal to Moscow that it needs to reverse course or face greater isolation.



Sanctions on Russia are also likely to have little effect on talks with North Korea. Pyongyang will take note of how little security assurances mattered for defending Ukraine and cling tighter to its nuclear weapons, though it may not say this as Russia remains a conduit for North Korean sanctions evasion. With Russia likely to be isolated diplomatically in the short to medium term, there is no positive role that Putin could play on the Korean Peninsula.



Ultimately, if Russia is able to remove the government of a sovereign nation with little consequence, the world will move closer to a new order that might allow powerful states to do as they wish and international law and norms become increasingly irrelevant. That is an outcome that is in the interest of only Russia and perhaps a few other countries. In the short term, sanctions on Russia will have an impact on South Korean firms, but deeper issues are at play.





Troy Stangarone (ts@keia.org) is the senior director of congressional affairs and trade at the Korea Economic Institute.


The Batman may well have opened to lukewarm reviews, but Liam Gallagher's two sons were happy to roll with it as they attended a screening on Tuesday evening.

Gene and Lennon Gallagher were in attendance at London's Picturehouse Central, where a preview of the new DC epic - featuring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader - was being held.

With former Oasis star Liam nowhere in sight, the pair were keen to cast a beady eye on the latest brooding addition to the popular franchise, despite many reviewers branding it a total disappointment.

Here they come: The Batman may well have opened to lukewarm reviews, but Liam Gallagher's sons Gene (L) and Lennon (R) were happy to roll with it at a screening on Tuesday

Posing for photos on the red carpet, Lennon, 22 - Liam's son with first wife Patsy Kensit - looked somewhat bleary-eyed as he nursed a can of craft beer while standing alongside his younger brother.

The young model was dressed down in a loose fitting black T-shirt and matching leather jacket, teamed with grey chinos and battered Adidas Gazelle trainers.

Musician Gene, 20 - Liam's son with his second wife, All Saints star Nicole Appleton - looked equally relaxed in a plaid coat and jeans as he sipped from a can of Camden Hells lager.

Some might shhhhay: Posing for photos on the red carpet at London's Picturehouse Central, Lennon, 22 - Liam's son with first wife Patsy Kensit - looked somewhat bleary-eyed at

Super-tonic: Meanwhile musician Gene - Liam's son with his second wife, All Saints star Nicole Appleton - clutched a can of Camden Hells lager while greeting photographers

Low-key: Gene looked relaxed in a plaid coat and jeans as he posed for photos on the red carpet

Proud father: As well as Gene and Lennon, Liam is father to daughter Molly Moorish

Critics have panned Robert Pattinson's take on iconic superhero Batman as 'gloomy', with the constant rainstorms in fictional Gotham City no doubt adding to the depressing atmosphere.

The film, which was shot in various locations around the U.K including Liverpool, Lewesden and Glasgow, even has two and a half minutes of rain falling indoors.

Due for release on March 4, theatregoers will have to be prepared to sit through the three-hour film, which has been described as 'overly-long' by reviewers.

Casually chic: Also in attendance at the screening were Miquita Oliver (left) and Jessie Ware

Delightful duo: Miquita cosied up for snaps alongside Reggie Yates ahead of watching the film

Loving life: Love Island's Joe Garratt seemed in high spirits as he made his way into the cinema

The release, based on the DC Comics superhero sees Batman pursue The Riddler in his second year of crime fighting, uncovering corruption that is connected to his own family in the investigation, forcing him to make new allies to bring the supervillain to justice.

An all-star cast sees Robert star as Batman while Zoe Kravitz appears as Selina Kyle, or Catwoman.

Also appearing is Paul Dano as Edward Nashton / Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, John Turturro as Gotham City crimelord Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth and Colin Farrell as Penguin.

Washout: The Batman has more than an hour of rainy scenes, with Gotham City deluged in a staggering 62minutes and 40 seconds of rain
Aussie influencers have been up in arms over a new law allegedly prohibiting them from promoting certain health and skincare products online.

But most will still be able to earn money from health and beauty brands, provided they make one adjustment to their sponsored posts, a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

They can still promote therapeutic goods with their social media followers, the TGA explained, but they just can't offer any personal testimonials.

Overblown: Aussie influencers have been up in arms over a new law allegedly prohibiting them from promoting certain health and skincare products. Pictured: Abbie Chatfield

'Businesses can continue to engage influencers in their marketing strategies, if the influencer does not provide a personal account of their experience,' said the TGA.

The simple workaround means influencers can broadly endorse therapeutic goods, so long as they don't claim to have personally found them effective.

The TGA added that 'before and after pictures are also likely to be a testimonial'.

The changes were made because 'personal testimonials can be inappropriately persuasive to a vulnerable audience who are seeking products for their health and sometimes very serious health conditions'.

Livelihood intact: Most influencers will still be able to earn money from health and beauty brands, provided they make one adjustment to their sponsored posts, a TGA spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. Pictured: Ruby Tuesday Matthews

The TGA also addressed the issue of sunscreen being included in the list of products influencers are now prohibited from promoting.

Bachelor star Laura Byrne had been particularly vocal in her criticism of its inclusion in the list of 'banned' items.

However, the TGA spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'If an influencer was paid by a sunscreen company to be pictured holding that product, without any personal testimony, that would be an endorsement and permitted under the Code.'

Easy fix: 'Businesses can continue to engage influencers in their marketing strategies, if the influencer does not provide a personal account of their experience,' said the TGA. Pictured: influencer Laura Byrne

When asked if an influencer could circumvent the rules banning personal endorsements by obtaining a medical qualification in skincare, the TGA said this wasn't possible.

'There is not a qualification or accreditation that someone could obtain, for example a skincare qualification, that would vary the rules in the Code. This is because under the Code health professionals are not permitted to publicly endorse therapeutic goods in advertising,' said the governing body.

The new rules came into effect on January 1, 2022.

Up in arms: Former Bachelor star Byrne had been particularly vocal in her criticism of sunscreen's inclusion in the list of 'banned' products

WAG Sarita Holland, 39, was one of many influencers to lash out at the new rules, telling the Herald Sun the regulations on sponsored posts '[take] the mickey out of the general public' by insulting their intelligence.

'People can make up their own minds and this is in a way inferring that people are dumb,' said the wife of former Collingwood and Fremantle player Brodie Holland.

Influencer manager Genevieve Day of Day Management added that the new rules put undue responsibility on influencers as opposed to brands.

'I wish the same emphasis was on the brands making the claims as the influencers promoting it,' Ms Day said.

Desperate: WAG Sarita Holland, 39, (pictured) told the Herald Sun the regulations on sponsored posts '[take] the mickey out of the general public' by insulting their intelligence

Rationale: 'People can make up their own minds and this is in a way inferring that people are dumb,' said the wife of ex-Collingwood and Fremantle player Brodie Holland (both pictured)

Ruby Tuesday Matthews also spoke out against the rules.

The 27-year-old shared an article about the TGA regulations on Instagram on Sunday, alongside her opinion on the subject.

'Whilst I completely agree the need for more regulation, structure (rules) and accountability by brands and influencers within these industries, it makes me sad to think how many great small businesses/start ups this will affect,' she wrote.

Anger: Matthews was another influencer who spoke out against the new rules

'It also blows my mind that we are targeting health and wellness brands encouraging a healthy lifestyle but not alcohol or junk food,' Ruby added.

The influencer is known to endorse a number of 'wellness' and beauty brands online.

Just last month she endorsed Krumbled Foods, which is touted as a 'functional beauty snack' with five 'clinically proven anti-ageing ingredients'.

She has also spruiked Nutra Organics, a superfoods brand, revealing she likes their bone broth and miso ramen chicken.

Having her say: 'Whilst I completely agree the need for more regulation, structure (rules) and accountability by brands and influencers within these industries, it makes me sad to think how many great small businesses/start ups this will affect,' she wrote

Ruby has likewise thrown her support behind The Daily Co. skincare, which offers 'clean cosmeceuticals', and ran a giveaway featuring the company.

On Saturday, The Australian reported influencers are being banned from receiving benefits to spruik health products.

The new Therapeutic Goods Administration advertising code only allows influencers to promote products if they receive nothing in return.

It applies to sunscreens, protein powers, vitamins, supplements, skincare, medicines and skin lightning products.
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Her husband Maksim Chmerkovskiy reached Poland on Tuesday after fleeing his war-torn native Ukraine amid Russia's invasion.

Once he arrived safely at a hotel, he took to Instagram where he shared a lengthy video of himself talking to his followers, in which he needed he would need 'a lot of therapy' and admitted he feels 'guilty' for having escaped.

And hours after he made it out of Ukraine, his wife Peta Murgatroyd - with whom he shares five-year-old son Shai - was spotted in her first sighting since Maks' terrifying ordeal.

The Dancing With The Stars pro, 35, put on a brave face as she stepped out in Malibu, and at one point, put her hand over her mouth for a somber moment.

Somber moment: Her husband Maksim Chmerkovskiy reached Poland on Tuesday after fleeing his war-torn native Ukraine amid Russia's invasion. And hours after he made it out of Ukraine, Peta Murgatroyd was spotted in her first sighting since Maks' terrifying ordeal

Candid: Once he arrived safely at a hotel, he took to Instagram where he shared a lengthy video of himself talking to his followers, in which he needed he would need 'a lot of therapy' and admitted he feels 'guilty' for having escaped

Peta was seen sitting at an outdoor table with a woman; she cut a casual figure in sweats, opting to go makeup free and pulling her blonde hair back.

The mother of one was seen looking serious and somber while looking at her phone with her friend.

It is unclear what they were looking at or if it was a Facetime call but at one point Peta covered up her eyes and laughed for a brief lighter moment.

Peta was seen heading inside the grocery store as well with her pal after their coffee outing.

The New Zealand-born star remained at her and Maks' California home with their son Shai, sharing on Instagram her anguish.

Brave: The Dancing With The Stars pro put on a brave face as she stepped out in Malibu, and at one point. put her hand over her mouth for a somber moment

Terrifying ordeal: 'I'm scared, I'm confused, I'm terrified' confessed Maksim

Focus: Peta looked somber during most of the outing, holding her phone up for her and her friend

Heavy: The star looked grim at one point as she took a sip of her beverage amid a very stressful time in her life after Maks was stuck in war-torn Ukraine

Trying to keep busy: Peta was seen heading inside the grocery store as well with her pal after their coffee outing

Meanwhile, in a lengthy video shared to Instagram, Maksim said: 'I'm scared, I'm confused, I'm terrified and I just lived through some s*** that I'm going to need a lot of therapy for.

'But I know this  it's us little guys against the big guy. I don't care how big [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is. I don't care how mean he is. When we're together, I can see what can happen. We can have a little guy finally win and it will be a joint effort and after that, we can figure out how to make sure that there's never again one f****** person, one man, who can do whatever he's doing.'

Currently, a mobilisation order reportedly stops men aged 18-60 from leaving Ukraine so it is unclear how Maksim was allowed to do so, and the dancer admitted the experience of getting to Poland was "like out of a movie".

He said: 'When the train car got packed and packed and it kept getting more and more packed, I was like, hold on. I'm thinking to myself there's no air. There's no way that we can travel [this way].'

And Maxim - who stood at the back of the train so others more in need could have a seat - admitted he feels 'guilty' for having escaped the war-stricken region.

Taking it easy: It is unclear what they were looking at but at one point Peta covered up her eyes and laughed

Keeping casual: Peta wore a light blue and white sweater with gray sweats, adding fluffy shoes and a Prada handbag

Brief: The pretty star shared a small smile as she showed her friend her phone

He said: 'I thought about it, my guilt. I started to think about this and I came up with this analogy: In '94, I was put up for adoption and I got adopted by a beautiful, young, vibrant, exciting, forward-thinking country and I fell in love and I left Ukraine in '94 [as] a sad, sad person because I felt like I was getting unrooted. ... I was in this new country.

'But I turned around and said, "You know what? This is what I'm going to do." The 14-year-old Maks, with his family and all the love and support that he had, did stuff and here we are."

Maksim explained how he had 'reconnected' with his native country after years of living in the US and had a 'very f****** hard time' leaving this week.

He said: 'I'm having a horrible time. I'm having very mixed emotions. I have my friends there, my friends in [the] frontline. ... I can't hear from some of the people. I can't get in touch with them. I don't know if they're dead.'

Running errands: Peta seen with her pal on Tuesday morning in Malibu

A quick smile: Peta's friend made her laugh for a brief moment during their outing together

Keeping strong: The New Zealand-born star remained at her and Maks' California home with their son Shai, sharing on Instagram her anguish

On Sunday, Peta thanked everyone for their support in an emotional Instagram post, revealing that received freshly baked cookies from strangers.

The kind gesture touched the star, who said she was 'going through hell right now' awaiting her husband's return.

Maksim has been documenting his journey fleeing his native country after the Russian invasion; The father of one finally arrived to Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday after 31 hours of no sleep.

Maks called his train ride 'claustrophobic' and 'traumatizing,' filled with women and children fleeing the war torn country.

He shared a detailed account of his trek to Warsaw, Poland, revealing he was starting his train journey on Monday after he got arrested in Kyiv.

A brief smile: Peta had a somber look on her face for most of the outing, however she did manage a smile while looking at her phone. It is unclear if she was on a Facetime call

Keeping a low profile: The star did some errands with her friend in the beach city

Errands run: The duo seen out together

Somber: The star seen out Tuesday

'I cannot wait to be with you again': Peta also shared video of a lit lavender candle sitting beside a family photo

Dancing With The Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy timeline in Ukraine FEBRUARY 2 Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who was born in Ukraine but became a US citizen in 2019, flies to Kyiv with plans to stay for a 'few months' film a new Ukrainian show called World of Dance. FEBRUARY 6 The Dancing With The Stars pro, 42, begins filming as a judge on the panel and declares he's 'really happy to be back in Ukraine'. FEBRUARY 24 Maksim shares a tearful clip from Kyiv saying 'I want to go back home' and says he is 'about to go into a bomb shelter because s**t's going down'. His wife Peta Murgatroyd, with whom he has a five-year-old son Shai, pleads for his safe return and asks for prayers. She admits: 'My pain is overwhelming and I'm struggling. Please pray that he has a swift, safe exit.' FEBRUARY 25 He shares another clip filmed in Kyiv and tells fans he is 'safe' but the situation is 'pretty die' and that the 'whole country is being called to go to war. I don't know the answer, I just want the shooting to stop.' FEBRUARY 26 He calls out his former DWTS partner Kirstie Alley for tweeting she doesn't know what's 'real' and 'fake' about Russia invading his home country. He noted: 'No one needs your prayer if you don't know what's real or fake.' FEBRUARY 27 Petra admits she's going through 'hell' but thanks fans for their kindness and support, revealing strangers made her cookies to offer comfort. Maks commented on her post, writing: 'I love you and Ill see you soon! Save me a cookie.' FEBRUARY 28 Maks reveals he was arrested in Kyiv but doesn't reveal why. He said the 'streets are crazy' and the arrest was 'probably the least traumatizing moment' but noted it was a 'reality check.' He reveals he plan to flee, noting 'I'm going to try and make my way out. I'm going to start making my way towards the border. I have options. Just a little nervous but I think it's going to be alright. I know its' going to be okay.' He later boards a train heading to Warsaw alongside women and children, calling the journey 'claustrophobic.' MARCH 1 The dancing pro reaches Warsaw, Poland after 31 hours of no sleep on his 'traumatizing' train ride women and children fleeing Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The star thanks the 'amazing Polish people.' MARCH 2 Maks boards a plane in Warsaw heading to Los Angeles. He is greeted at the airport by his wife Peta Murgatroyd in an emotional reunion. MARCH 4 In his first interview since fleeing Ukraine, Maks tells GMA that feels 'guilty' for leaving the war-torn country and is dealing with bouts of crying in the wake of the traumatic experience. He also revealed the reason that he was arrested in Kyiv was for breaking curfew. Emotional: Maksim, pictured on February 24, shared a tearful clip from Kyiv and said 'I want to go back home' and says he is 'about to go into a bomb shelter because s**t's going down' Advertisement

Hours after his arrival to Warsaw, Maks did an Instagram live from his hotel room, thanking everyone for their support and help along the way.

'This is nine pm [local time] so this is my 36th hour of being awake. It's not an exaggeration. I woke up at 9 am... I don't even know... two days ago... yesterday or whatever. I boarded the train to Warsaw last second at whatever... and it took off. We started driving at 7:30/7:20 something like that. And I got to the Warsaw central train station at exactly 6:30 so it was about a 23 hour trip from Kyiv to Warsaw.'

'And right now it's 36 hours since I've been awake. I have a lot of details about this trip. I'm not going to talk about this right now. But I want to say a couple of things. I have a lot to unpack, it's going to take a very long time and the number one priority right now is the fact that the war is just heating up right now. I keep seeing reports and they are going to get worse.'

'I'm telling you, some of the images... and I'm going to say forgive me for posting it, but at the same time, I want to. It has to come out. We've become so sterile with the way we accept news. "Oh, that's too graphic, oh I can't believe they showed that on TV." Well I can't believe you see that on the street. I can't believe that people walking by today, a couple of hours ago, got hit by a rocket and its incinerated the entire family. A mom, dad and two kids. And I have that video. And I have that image. I have that in my head as something that as something that also happened. Right? And it is so close.'

Newest update: Hours after his arrival to Warsaw, Maks did an Instagram live from his hotel room, thanking everyone for their support and help along the way

'And it is so real. And it is so traumatic. And it's so crazy. It's not right. I want to say a lot but I promise this isn't the time for me. It's not a good time. I won't be able to express myself. I'm already tearing up and choking and it's not right. I just want to say what I want to say. So the unpacking comes later. Please, as you can see, what has started as a usual for Putin campaign, to take over the government, just pop it... whatever in place. And to extend his regime. Has turned into a David and Goliath of just massive proportions.'

'It's the reality. David and Goliath in reality. And the little guy... you know, I've always had this analogy in my head, I feel like I'm in high school again in Brooklyn. I feel like I'm in a hallway and I feel like I'm watching a little kid get beat up by a big kid and all of the little kids. And this kid happens to be like extra big. All of us are passing by. We think it's wrong but we can't just jump in and that's the reality of life and that's how it happens because we are all so terrified by the big kid, we don't want want to get punched in the face as an innocent bystander or "Hey, stop that!" And then also get beat up.'

'So what happens is we stay and watch... we stand and we watch and you know what we see? We see the little kid get bloody nose, a black eye, get punched and punched repeatedly, and then something happens. And the little kid does something. And maybe the big kid falls down. Or we see that there's a change. And that's the human reaction where everybody joins in. I don't care if its wrong, I don't care if its not the way it should be, but whenever you feel ready to join in, you have to join in. This is a communal situation. We live in a place today... a planet to me looks like a communal living space... in all USSR, we had families bunk and live together and share a kitchen. You're not strangers then.'

Speaking out: 'This is nine pm [local time] so this is my 36th hour of being awake. It's not an exaggeration. I woke up at 9 am... I don't even know... two days ago... yesterday or whatever. I boarded the train to Warsaw last second at whatever... and it took off. We started driving at 7:30/7:20 something like that. And I got to the Warsaw central train station at exactly 6:30 so it was about a 23 hour trip from Kyiv to Warsaw'

'You're people that share the same air. Same space. Russia and Ukraine, they have to wear... if you noticed watching the reports, Russians have a white band around their arm, Ukraine has a yellow band. There are different other bands within both sides that signify other things. You know why they have to have bands? Because they look the same. Because it's the same person. It's a cousin, a brother... it's not even a cousin, it's a brother.'

'Two brothers fighting. Moscow and Russia as it is, and this is the history lesson that whatever his name is omitted, because it started a 100 something years ago. But the reality is that Russian came out of Kyiv'ruse... it was originally Kyiv... Kyiv was the place. It was the capital and then the group of people relocated. And they found Moscow. And the reason why they found Moscow is because they kept getting attacked by outside invaders. Genghis Khan. Ottoman Empire. Whatever. Alexander Great. It's not a history lesson.'

'But the reality is, that that was a strategic move. To move Moscow inward, North, inland. And to leave Ukraine as a buffer for attackers. So whenever someone is attacking Russia, they got to go through Ukraine. By the time they get to Russia, Russian forces will be ready. And that's the mindset of this nut job maniac that is running the show. He's insane. Because he's trying to build this empire based on old traditions. We don't live in that world anymore. We don't buy a house and build a f****g moat around it with a drawbridge. This isn't medieval times. You don't buffer your country from an invasion. It's 2022. If somebody wants to do something global, they can use a satellite dish. What's the point of buffering? You got rockets that fly insane territories. You have weapons that do stupid stuff. And you can see it today from these images.'

Maksim went on to say that Putin is 'exterminating' people by trying to throw everything at Ukraine, adding that the country will stand.

'We lived through so much down time... so much uncertainty.. I don't mean the pandemic and the previous state of the world... we're still all divided and nonsense among us.. but look how united we are over Ukraine. The world. It's the most beautiful thing ever. And it took a war us to get together at this level.'

He added that he has 'lived through some s**t that I'm going to need a lot of therapy for.'

From the heart: Maksim went on to say that Putin is 'exterminating' people by trying to throw everything at Ukraine, adding that the country will stand

The latest: Maksim has been documenting his journey fleeing his native country after the Russian invasion. The father of one finally arrived to Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday after 31 hours of no sleep

Family: Maks and Peta, who married in 2017, are parents to five-year-old son Shai

He took to his Instagram stories explaining that they stopped to change the wheels off the train on their trek to Poland.

'I'm at a station about 20, 30, 40, I don't actually know where I'm at but like 30 minutes before the Polish border, they stopped to change wheels on the train, I can't make this up and let us out... for fresh air and I went to the bathroom and now we're going back and this is the train,' as he showed train and the crowds.

'So now that I see it, there's... yesterday I didn't see it it was night I had no idea where we were... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 cars about 130-something people each and one cart that is all sicker kids and people... its not as packed but all the others are packed to the brink.

Maks said it was a stop about 'thirty minutes from the Polish border' as he walked to the bathroom.

Made it: The star, who also revealed he was arrested in Kyiv, revealed that after a long 'claustrophobic' and 'traumatizing' train ride with women and children out of the war torn country

Speaking out: Maksim, 42, shared a detailed account of his trek to Warsaw, Poland, revealing he was starting his train journey on Monday after he got arrested in Kyiv. The father of one arrived to Warsaw after 31 hours of no sleep

His reality: 'I'm at a station about 20, 30, 40, I don't actually know where I'm at but like 30 minutes before the Polish border, they stopped to change wheels on the train, I can't make this up and let us out... for fresh air and I went to the bathroom and now we're going back and this is the train,' as he showed train and the crowds

He said there's about 130 people on each of the five cars on the train, noting that one cart is only for sick children and people so its not as packed as the other four.

The star then showed off the poor conditions of the bathroom he was forced to use during the train stop.

After his arrival to Poland, Maks revealed he's been running on 31 hours no sleep.

He took a moment to thank the Polish people: 'I absolutely have to say this: Polish people are amazing!!!! Thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart and soul,' adding a prayer sign, heart and hands in the air emoji.

Maksim followed it up with footage from people showing Ukrainians allegedly stealing a tank from the Russian army.

Gratitude: He took a moment to thank the Polish people: 'I absolutely have to say this: Polish people are amazing!!!! Thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart and soul,' adding a prayer sign, heart and hands in the air emoji

He also posted stories showing expired food the Russian army allegedly issued their militia, with the date of 2015.

Maks later wrote: 'Russian state propaganda machine will say my last post is fake. Fundamentally flawed way of governing humans by using propaganda (lies) and fear. Benn there, done that... emigrated.'

Maksim lives in California with wife Peta and their son Shai, five; the dancing pro was born in Ukraine but immigrated to New York with his parents and brother Val in 1994, where they became US citizens.

His words: He also posted stories showing expired food the Russian army allegedly issued their militia, with the date of 2015

Speaking to his followers: He was sharing information about the journey as he headed to the bathroom

Bathroom: The star then showed off the poor conditions of the bathroom he was forced to use during the train stop

He also posted a woman shouting in Ukrainian from her window as the Russian army bombed residential buildings, and not the military structures they have been claiming is their focus.

Another clip showed children making camouflage nets to help in their battle, and another was of an elderly woman with graphic injuries, with her foot blown off.

The Ukrainian star updated followers in series of social media posts on Monday, detailing his 'traumatizing' attempt to get out of the country amid the Russian invasion.

Chmerkovskiy, who has been in Kyiv working as a judge on the Ukrainian version of World of Dance, had planned on staying in his native land when the fighting first broke out, however, after he got a 'reality check' by being arrested he decided to flee.

The country announced last week that men of fighting age - between 18-60 - were prohibited from leaving Ukraine but since Maks holds a U.S. passport, he is exempt from the mandate.

Real life: Another clip showed children making camouflage nets to help in their battle, and another was of an elderly woman with graphic injuries, with her foot blown off

Monday updates: Chmerkovskiy, who has been in Kyiv working as a judge on the Ukrainian version of World of Dance, had planned on staying in his native land when the fighting first broke out, however, after he got a 'reality check' by being arrested he decided to flee

'I made it on the train. We're heading to Warsaw (hopefully). Train to Lviv was not an option,' the choreographer penned. 'The situation at the train station is insane. AT first it feels manageable, but it get A LOT worse when it comes time to actually board the train.'

'Long story but all I can say now is that I'm a big man with nothing but a backpack it's TRAUMATIZING,' he continued. 'Currently I'm in a cabin with 4 adults and 7 kids (ages 2-11) which is usually only occupied by maximum of 3 people.'

Maksim revealed that the train car that he was traveling on was outfitted for roughly 30 riders but refugees were told they needed to fit 135 people inside.

'Walkways are packed. People everywhere. It's sweaty and claustrophobic,' he said. Photos from a train station in illustrate the reality star's situation. Thousands of people were seen bundled up in freezing temperatures standing practically on top of one another as they attempted to get a train out of the country.

Refugees: Chmerkovskiy, who has been in Kyiv working as a judge on the Ukrainian version of World of Dance, had planned on staying in his native land when the fighting first broke out, however, after he got a 'reality check' by being arrested he decided to flee

One of the lucky ones: Ukraine announced last week that men of fighting age - between 18-60 - were prohibited from leaving Ukraine but since Maks holds a U.S. passport, he is exempt from the mandate

Fighting-aged men are prohibited from leaving Ukraine under a new mandate so the trains are filled primarily with women and children.

Back in the 1990s, Maksim and his family emigrated to the United States and thus he holds a U.S. passport, allowing him the rare opportunity to flee for safety.

'What finally broke me is when I was watching an eight-ish year old boy, hysterically crying and not wanting to let go of his father,' he wrote in a heartbreaking post on Instagram. 'Verbatim: "if you stay I want to stay too because if they kill you I won't be able to help".'

His wife, Peta, shared his post on her social media feed saying she was 'so f**king proud' of her husband for helping out the refugee children.

Maks' decision to finally leave Kyiv came after he was arrested while in the capital city amid the Russian military assault.

Terrifying: Thousands of people were seen bundled up in freezing temperatures standing practically on top of one another as they attempted to get a train out of the country (Pictured: Evacuation train in Kyiv)

Getting out: Thousands of Ukrainian residents waiting for hours to board trains into neighboring countries as Russian forces continue to shell cities across the country (Pictured: Lviv train station)

'The streets are crazy,' he said. 'At one point I got arrested but again all good, promise. That was probably the least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned, but for me, it was just a reality check.'

'I'm going to try and make my way out. I'm going to start making my way towards the border. I have options.' Adding: 'Just a little nervous but I think it's going to be alright. I know it's going to be okay.

Maksim posted graphic videos to his stories and grid throughout Ukraine, as the star says he's tried and stressed out after seeing innocent people being killed.

He said on Sunday: 'I'm in a very safe place but this is nuts and I think everybody is going through a lot of emotions and i think it's time I expose mine in a more personal manner.

'This is a war. This is a crazy situation. It's insane and I'm losing my final little things. This is not a cry for help. I'm a big boy. I can handle myself.. but I'm starting to not be able to just sort of keep my head.'

Support: His wife, Peta Murgatroyd, shared his post on her social media feed saying she was 'so f**king proud' of her husband for helping out the refugee children

'The reality is, I just want to go home. I'm just hoping for a safe ending to it all.'

His wife Peta took to Instagram on Sunday with an emotional message in which she shared that an empathetic group of strangers had made a kind gesture to her amid the absence of Maksim.

'Although I'm going through hell right now and I want it all to end[there] is light that shines through the darkness,' said Murgatroyd, who is mother to five-year-old son Shai with Chmerkovskiy, who she wed in July of 2017.

Murgatroyd, an alum of Dancing With the Stars, remains at the family's home in California amid the uncertain time. She said that strangers baked her cookies 'and proudly brought them to [her] door.

'They stood there with smiles so wide. Let me repeat  strangers, whom I don't talk to thought that they should get in their kitchen and bake me cookies,' she said. 'They also took it upon themselves to google if I was allergic to anything, just to make sure they weren't hurting me.'

The latest: Maksim Chmerkovskiy revealed he was arrested while in Kyiv, Ukraine but called it the 'least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned

Chmerkovskiy has also provided frequent social media updates amid the conflict, as he said Thursday he had not attempted to leave the country due to safety concerns around the border of Poland. The professional dancer said he felt his odds for departure from the Ukraine were helped in having an American passport.

Chmerkovskiy added that the conflict had taken an emotional toll on him, as he said he 'will never be the same' in the wake of the invasion.

'This is stressful and Im getting old feelings back, like Ive done this before,' he said Thursday. 'This does feel like the way it was when and why we left in the 90s. Like my old PTSD Ive finally fixed is coming back.'

On Sunday, Chmerkovskiy took to Instagram Stories with a number of messages, urging people in the dance community in European countries to help take care of refugees if they were able to. He shared a number of links to resources to help people exit safely amid the ongoing military conflict.

Chmerkovskiy also wrote, 'Russia needs a revolution!!! Russian people are being lied to!!! Russians! Wake up! It will take you generations to get over this and generations of people around the world will never forgive you!!!'

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to put nuclear weapons on enhanced alert for 'special regime of combat duty' amid heightened tensions with Europe and the United States following the invasion.

Putin cited aggression toward Russia from NATO as well as economic sanctions and moves shutting down Russian banking institutions using the banking system SWIFT.

The U.N. Security Council is slated to hold an emergency meeting regarding the invasion Monday.
Russia officially began the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Ukraine has so far been able to defend its capital Kyiv and the government of Ukraine from falling. But the war and its impact have not been limited to just the two countries, but rather the world over has been forced to pick a side.

But where do Ukraines neighbours stand amid the war, so close to home and so close to their own interests?

Who are Ukraine's neighbours and where do they stand in the war with Russia? Illustration: Seemon/DailyO

FIRST, THE GEOPOLITICS OF THE REGION

Ukraine, a former Soviet Union region, is the second largest country in Europe only after Russia (which spans across Europe and Asia both). Ukraine shares its borders with 7 other countries:

Russia to its east and northeast

Belarus to the north

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west

Moldova and Romania to its south.

Ukraine shares the largest border area with Russia at 2,063 km including sea boundaries. Of course the dynamic is changing fast with the current Russian occupation and the standing occupation of Crimea.

WHERE DO UKRAINE'S NEIGHBOURS STAND IN THE WAR WITH RUSSIA?

WITH RUSSIA

1. Belarus: Ukraines northern neighbour who also shares its border with Russia, has become an ally of Moscow in the invasion of Ukraine. While Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the country is not taking part in Ukraines invasion, his governments actions seemed to say otherwise.

#Makei: ?? doesnt dodge responsibility as some sources are trying to say. We are ready to make our own contribution to the resolution of the crisis. We are ready to participate in the relevant process if it is acceptable & if we are asked to in order to secure a positive result pic.twitter.com/rarbwfJoBj  Belarus MFA ?? (@BelarusMFA) February 28, 2022

Belarus is a long-time ally of Russia and just before the invasion, the two allies held military exercises. Belarus also allowed Russian troops inside its country and near its border with Ukraine, allowing them to enter Ukraine from the north, the closest route to the capital city of Kyiv.

The Russians are currently advancing towards the capital Kyiv. On its way, Russia also seized Chernobyl, the site of the worlds biggest nuclear disaster. However, Ukrainian forces have been able to keep Kyiv from falling so far.

Now, reports suggest that Belarus is preparing to send its soldiers to join the Russian troops alongside its invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, talks are also underway between Ukraine and Russia at the Belarus border, the venue arranged by the Belarusian authorities.

For its role, Belarus has also been hit by sanctions.

WITH UKRAINE

2. Poland: Ukraines neighbour to the west, Poland, is a European Union country and a NATO member. Poland has been bracing for the influx of refugees from Ukraine. It has set up 9 reception centres on its border with Ukraine. Poland claims that it has been the first country to help Ukraine.

Attack civilians, inflict suffering on women and children, undermine democratic freedom: that is Putins policy. We're fighting it on every front. Today I spoke about humanitarian aid with EEA ambassadors in Poland and fighting RU disinformation with Google CEO @sundarpichai. pic.twitter.com/rWGwKWFwlm  Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) February 28, 2022

The Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has slammed Russia for attacking civilians, inflicting suffering on women and children and undermining democratic freedom. So far, Poland says over 2,00,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in their country. Indias evacuation efforts of its nationals are also being undertaken from Poland and other neighbouring countries.

3. Slovakia: Ukraines western neighbour is also an EU country and a member of NATO. Slovakia has allowed entry to fleeing Ukrainians even without any travel documents. Other than allowing refugees inside the country, Slovakia is also providing military aid to Ukraine by supplying it with artillery ammunition and fuel worth 11 million Euros. Slovakia has also been vocal about supporting Ukraines plea to join the European Union on an immediate basis.

4. Romania: The southern neighbour, also a part of the EU and NATO, has been supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia. Romania is allowing entry to Ukrainian refugees and also sending military aid. Recently, Romania sent a 3 million Euro military aid consisting of fuel, bulletproof vests, combat helmets, ammunition, food, water and medicines to Ukraine.

Romania?? fully supports the integration of Ukraine??, as well as of the Republic of Moldova?? and Georgia??, with the European Union??. The place of these partners of the EU is within the European family, and Romania will do its best for this to become reality.  Klaus Iohannis (@KlausIohannis) March 1, 2022

WITH UKRAINE, BUT...

5. Hungary: Another western neighbour, Hungary is also part of the EU and NATO. Hungary has also opened up a humanitarian aid corridor to help to flee Ukrainians, but the country has expressed its unhappiness over the situation to Russia saying, It has to adjust everything.

PM Orban: We also had to decide whether to allow arms shipments to pass through the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. We decided not to let such shipments through pic.twitter.com/uyKfUfFj6y  Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) February 28, 2022

Unlike other NATO members, Hungary has said that it will not be a part of the war and will not send Ukraine any lethal military weapon or allow the transit of any lethal weapons through its territory. Other than that, Hungary has deployed an unspecified number of military personnel at its border with Ukraine for security purposes and also for aid matters.

NEUTRAL

6. Moldova: Moldova, a former Soviet country, is also accepting Ukrainian refugees fleeing war. So far, some 26,000 Ukrainians have reached Moldova.

A powerful image, Republic of Moldova ?? President @sandumaiamd hugging an arriving refugee from Ukraine at the border. We are stronger together and we have a collective moral imperative to maintain peace @UN_Spokesperson @Refugees pic.twitter.com/I8BxXyW0UP  Simon Springett (@sspringett1) February 27, 2022

The country closed its airspace to the world on February 24, 2022 when the invasion began and also announced a state of emergency in the country. Moldova remains a neutral country in the conflict so far. However, even Moldova has expressed interest in the past in joining the European Union.




A grain terminal operated by POSCO International in Ukraine Courtesy of POSCO International
The 51st Annual Spring Powwow, organized by First Nations @ UW in April, marked the events post-pandemic return. Drawing both Indigenous people and nonnatives from across the country, the powwow is one of the largest student-run events on campus and has been an important event for Pacific N
For decades, I have studied economic development, specifically urban redevelopment. I am intrigued by communities making a comeback. Various policies and approaches can revitalize vast projects and neighborhoods. But often an ugly side to economic development is corruption. The recent federal and journalistic investigations into school construction work around Connecticut demonstrate the importance of accountability.

West Havens AAIS Corp. has received a majority of contracts for work on state buildings over the last few years. Interestingly, a former officer of the company had pleaded guilty, in 2001, to fraud in a case connected to the first administration of Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, who was convicted in 2003 and served time in prison on corruption charges. Recently, Hearst Connecticuts Dan Haar did a story on AAISs selection for a school job in Bridgeport.

Federal investigators are now centering their attention on school construction grants overseen by Konstantinos Kosta Diamantis because he headed the states Office of School Construction Grants and Review and was also a deputy budget director until last year. (Diamantis told Haar he had nothing to do with Bridgeports selection of AAIS for the school job.)

Allegations of patronage involving Diamantis daughter were first broken last year by Hartford Courant investigative columnist Kevin Rennie (who had even earlier said that Diamantis appointment at the Office of Policy and Management raised eyebrows). Much investigative legwork on other problems then came from such outlets as CT Mirror and Hearst CT, including Haars recent column.

What should be notable are allegations of a state agency steering contracts. What looks like preferential treatment and urging public officials to use contractors on preapproved lists instead of encouraging open bidding suggests a possible seedy side to the business. But this is hardly new.

Entering into contracts, especially with the public sector, has been the lifeblood for various construction firms. Competitive contract bidding helps keep costs down, but monitoring who is getting contracts and who is giving them is a necessity.

Unfortunately, much of the negotiating and connectivity between construction firms and public officials goes largely unnoticed. And this is not unique to Connecticut. In fact, this has been a pattern in the tristate area because these projects are significant and costly.

I have researched and been a part of redevelopment initiatives. From serving on the New Haven City Plan Commission to being a downtown Jersey City community board president, Ive been intrigued to see how municipalities differ in their economic development approaches. I also studied, in Newark, how mayoral administrations faced corruption charges because of preferred contracts for specific developers.

Corruption can happen for several reasons. State oversight can be difficult. And state and local officials often rely on federal investigators to uncover problems. But federal investigators are often stretched because they have so many investigations to carry out with little staff across so many municipalities and states.

Observers ask what more can be done to address such stuff. Agencies at the state and local levels need the staff and resources to prevent it. But they rarely have the funding and enforcement power to do so.

It comes down to outside scrutiny. Journalists play a key role in reporting suspicious activity in Connecticut government, and this school construction contract episode is a reminder why local media are so critical. They are on the ground, they understand the connections, and they can explain the complexities.

Ultimately, it comes down to citizens doing due diligence. We need to observe whats taking place and participate accordingly. From attending hearings to voter participation, these small actions remind officials that were following them and advancing needed policy reforms to prevent wrongdoing.

Jonathan L. Wharton is associate dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies and teaches political science at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.
Thank you for reading!

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Ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, front row center, bumps fists with French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman David-Pierre Jalicon, during an event at the Conrad Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap



By Park Jae-hyuk



Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, told representatives of foreign firms in Korea on Tuesday that he supports economic sanctions against Russia, despite the possibility of the measures affecting Korean companies adversely.



"Although Korea has been close to Russia economically and geographically, the government should join the international community in imposing sanctions against Russia, which has harmed the global market economy and violated the U.N. Charter," he said. "The government should join the sanctions, but at the same time, it needs delicate handling for problems related to the safety and profits of Korean companies and Korean nationals overseas."



Lee made the remarks during an event, hosted jointly by the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) and the Korea-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) to hear his views on global trade and investment, as well as on challenges of economic and social policy, green growth and innovation in the post-pandemic era.



The event was attended by more than 100 representatives of foreign and Korean companies, as well as diplomats from the European Union, France, Germany and Australia.



The presidential candidate, who apologized for describing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently as a "novice politician" and blaming him for Russia's invasion, started his keynote speech with a condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.



"First of all, I hope for an immediate end to the war, which is taking lives, property and peaceful everyday life away from the people," he said. "I respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territory, and strongly condemn Russia's invasion."



In addition, Lee proposed his "10 New Economic Strategies" to expand foreign investment, promising to support small- and medium-sized enterprises here and ease unreasonable regulations on foreign firms.



"The biggest mission for Korea's next president is to turn the crisis into an opportunity and revitalize the economy," he said. "Foreign investment is contributing tremendously to Korea's economic growth and job creation."



FKCCI Chairman David-Pierre Jalicon said in his speech that foreign firms still face issues regarding market access and trade, although he believes there is a promising partnership between Korea and France in the digital, green and healthcare sectors.



KGCCI Chairperson Park Hyun-nam said that foreign companies are convinced that much can be done in the coming years to strengthen business cooperation and links with Korea, mentioning a recent survey which showed that being active in the Korean market has become more important for 62 percent of European companies doing business here.


Indian nationals, evacuated from war-torn Ukraine, upon their arrival at Kerala House, in Navi Mumbai. (Photo: PTI)

Kochi: As many as 36 students hailing from Kerala arrived from Ukraine on Monday evening and 25 of them left for Kochi and the rest for Thiruvananthapuram.

The Kerala government tweeted on Tuesday, "Kerala students update: Among 36 students arrived from Ukraine to Delhi yesterday evening, 25 left for kochi by Vistara UK 883 at 5.35 (arrival 8.45) and 11 left for Trivandrum by Vistara UK 895 at 8.10 (arrival 11.25)."

These students were brought back under 'Operation Ganga'.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday advised its nationals to leave the capital city Kyiv "urgently today" amid the deteriorating security situation due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

"Advisory to Indians in Kyiv: All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," the Indian embassy in Ukraine tweeted.

A special evacuation flight will depart from New Delhi to Kosice, Slovakia today to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju will be on-board the flight, travelling as a special envoy of the Indian Government to oversee the evacuation.

The SpiceJet flight is scheduled to depart at 3:30 PM from New Delhi and is scheduled to arrive in Kosice, Slovakia at 7:50 PM IST.
Investments continue to pour into Chittoor district, giving the much-needed stimulus for industrial development in the border district. (Representational Photo: DC)

TIRUPATI: Despite the beating that the economy has taken on account of the Covid-19 pandemic-induced crisis, investments continue to pour into Chittoor district, giving the much-needed stimulus for industrial development in the border district.

Attending a meeting of industrial exports incentives committee, officials at the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) and the District Industries Centre (DIC) announced that 20 medium industries would be set up in the district, while 171 units including small-scale industries are in the pipeline.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, DIC general manager E. Pratap said, There are 177 major and mega projects in the district with an investment of Rs 24,000 crore which are providing 84,000 jobs. In addition to them, there are 9,271 MSMEs with about Rs 7,000-crore investments, providing 1.17 lakh jobs."

Now, the DIC has cleared around 260 applications through the single desk system and of the twenty newly-coming up medium industries, five were reserved for the SC/ST beneficiaries. "Proposals from 20 medium industries to set up plants have been approved and they are expected to generate employment for 6,841 people", the DIC GM added.

The APIIC and the DIC want to improve on this ecosystem with supply chain links, technology repository, regulatory reforms, and a pipeline of entrepreneurs.

Spread over 15,359 sq. km and having a population of 41.70 lakh, Chittoor has 72.36 per cent literacy rate and the district's domestic product value was estimated to be around $4.96 billion, having industrial infrastructure, especially for IT, automobiles, and food processing units.

In AP, the district ranks first in mango, milk and tomato production, second in sericulture and fourth in poultry products. It leads in sectors like agro and food processing, electronics, textiles, automobiles and auto components, and heavy engineering.

Over the past few years, the district has been witnessing a decent growth in exports with its proximity to cities like Bengaluru, Chennai and the Krishnapatnam port, and having multiple channels of connectivity like road, rail, and air links, DIC officials said.

According to the DIC, in addition to the auto clusters, a world-class automotive supplier's manufacturing centre on a PPP basis dedicated to auto component manufacturers is in the pipeline and an inland container depot to be set up soon in the district. The industries wing also has plans to develop an ultra-mega food park in Kuppam with state-of-art infrastructure and there are proposals to set up a mango development board at Tirupati and a banana development board as well.
Haveri: No one from the Indian Embassy reached out to stranded Indian students in Kharkiv in Ukraine, where a Karnataka native pursuing medicine was killed in shelling amid a Russian military offensive, the victim's father alleged on Tuesday.

Naveen Shekargouda from the district was killed when he stepped out of his bunker to exchange currency and fetch some food, his uncle Ujjanagouda claimed.

Shekaragouda's residence in Chalageri in this district slipped into gloom upon receiving the news of their child killed in the faraway European nation, with a large number of people thronging the house to console the bereaved family.

Shekaragouda complained that no one from the Indian embassy reached the students stuck in Kharkiv, which is witnessing hostilities. His family members said Naveen was in the fourth year of his course in the Kharkiv medical college.

Ujjanagouda said Naveen along with others from Karnataka was stuck in a bunker in Kharkiv. He had gone out in the morning to exchange currency and to fetch some food when he was caught shelling happened, in which he was killed instantaneously.

On Tuesday when he rang up his father, Naveen said there was no food and water in the bunker, Ujjanagouda stated.

Learning about the tragedy, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called up Shekaragouda over phone and expressed his sorrow.

Bommai assured Shekaragouda he would make every effort to bring back his son's body to India. He also told him that he is touch with the officials in the external affairs ministry.

The bereaved father told Bommai that Naveen had called him in the morning as well. Daily the son used to ring him up at least two to three times, he told the Chief Minister.
Vijayawada: Union minister for external affairs S Jaishankar has written to all chief ministers. assuring them all help with regard to evacuation of students and other Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine to safety.

The Union minister noted on Monday that the state governments would be getting anxious inquiries from the families of students and other Indian nationals who were still in Ukraine and added that his ministry has set up a helpline for the public. The toll free number is: 1800118797/+91 11-23012113/23014104/23017905.

The ministry has also set up separate helplines in our embassies depending on which order the person concerned is moving towards.

Romania:+40 732 124309/771 632567/745 161631/740 528123.

Poland:+48 225400000/795850877/792712511.

Hungary:+36 308517373/13257742/13257743.

Slovakia:+421 252631377/252962916/951697560.

The Union minister said that if there were any particular concerns or information, the CMs were free to contact his office directly at the email or via the WhatsApp Nos. +91 9871288796 or +91 102229322.

He also said that the ministry was taking cognisance of all the enquiries and information and promised that all such enquiries would be attended to by a team of MEA representatives on the ground.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court is likely to pronounce on Wednesday its verdict on Malayalam news channel MediaOne's appeal against a single judge order upholding the Centre's decision to stop its telecast by not renewing its licence.

Besides the channel, appeals were also moved by some of its employees, including its Editor, as well the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) whose pleas against the Centre's decision were also rejected by the single judge on February 8.

According to the cause list uploaded on the high court website, it will pronounce the verdict in all three appeals on Wednesday.

Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd, which operates MediaOne, had claimed in its appeal that it has been "victimised" for fair and genuine news reporting.

It had contended that the reason -- of threat to national security -- cited by the Centre to justify the ban, was only a "ruse" and "without any basis". It had also argued that no fresh security clearance was required under the relevant provisions of the uplinking and downlinking guidelines for renewal of license.

Senior advocate Jaju Babu, who represented the channel's editor, other employees and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), had argued before the court that the ban on the channel was imposed without hearing it first as is required under the relevant rules.

Babu had also contended before the bench that freedom of press, freedom of speech and expression and the right to livelihood, provided under the Constitution, have been violated by the Centre's decision of January 31.

The Centre, on the other hand, had argued that where national security was concerned, reasons for denial of security clearance need not be provided and principles of natural justice -- like giving a hearing, do not apply.

It had also told the bench that as per the uplinking and downlinking guidelines, security clearance was mandatory even for renewal of license.

The single judge had said the denial of security clearance to MediaOne by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was "justified" based on the inputs received from intelligence agencies.

The single judge came to that conclusion after perusing the files produced by MHA.

The court had also said that according to the downlinking guidelines, even at the time of considering renewal of permission, security clearance was mandatory.

This was not the first time the channel has faced such a bar on its operation.

MediaOne, along with another Malayalam News channel, Asianet, was briefly suspended for 48 hours over their coverage of communal violence in Delhi in 2020, with the official orders saying they covered the violence in a manner that "highlighted the attack on places of worship and siding towards a particular community".
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday and briefed him on various issues, including the Ukraine crisis, official sources said.

The government has launched "Operation Ganga" to evacuate Indian citizens, mostly students, from Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia.

Sources said Modi briefed Kovind on the crisis and his government's efforts to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the country.

The government had on Monday decided to send four ministers to several neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation exercise.
China urges Japan to act prudently on Taiwan question

Xinhua) 08:49, March 01, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that Taiwan is China's internal affair and has nothing to do with Japan, urging the Japanese side to act prudently on the Taiwan question and stop making provocations.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks when asked to comment on recent remarks by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe concerning Taiwan.

Wang said recently, certain Japanese politicians have been making wild talks repeatedly on the Taiwan question and irresponsible remarks about China's internal affairs. "China is firmly opposed to this."

Wang said Japan committed countless crimes during its aggression against China and the colonial rule in Taiwan for half a century, and thus bears grave historical responsibilities to the Chinese people. "During the Second World War, Japan was defeated and Taiwan returned to the motherland. But some forces in Japan still covet Taiwan. They fail to face up to and reflect upon Japan's track record of belligerence, unhinged aggression and expansion, and brutal colonialism and enslavement. Worse still, they attempt to exploit and hype up the situation in the neighborhood for a military breakthrough."

Japanese politicians recently made absurd remarks about Taiwan, and even wild comments that openly violate its own Three Non-Nuclear Principles and the obligations of a party to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). Besides, by raising nuclear sharing with the U.S., Japan has fully exposed the dangerous tendency that militarism still lingers in the country, Wang noted.

"Taiwan is China's internal affair and has nothing to do with Japan," Wang said, adding "we strongly urge the Japanese side to have a deep reflection on the history, earnestly abide by the principles stipulated in the four political documents between China and Japan and its commitments made so far, act prudently on the Taiwan question and stop making provocations."

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Samsung Electronics flagship Galaxy S22 / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



By Kim Hyun-bin



Samsung Electronics sales stands to face a great loss in sales as strengthening U.S. sanctions could block exports of its smartphones to Russia, according to company officials and industry analysts Tuesday. If the Biden administration decides to regulate smartphone technologies like those used in semiconductors and aerospace parts, the Korean company will face an uncertain business future in Russia, where more than 30 million phones were sold in 2021.



Such business risks have emerged since the Moon Jae-in administration was late to enter the U.S.-led sanctions against Russia, and Korean firms are expected to pay a hefty price for the delay. Due to the measures, there are concerns that not only semiconductors, which are Korea's largest export item, but also smartphones may not be able to cross Russian borders without prior approval from the U.S. government.



Korea is the only U.S. ally subject to the Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) regulation due to the Korean government's late response to U.S. calls for Russia sanctions. The European Union, Japan, the U.K., Canada and New Zealand, which announced sanctions against Russia together with the U.S. at the beginning of the crisis, did not fall under the FDPR regulation. Korea is subject to the regulation along with China and India.



According to the FDPR, countries that have used U.S. technology and software in 57 items and technologies, including semiconductors, information and communications, sensors, lasers and aerospace, can only export those products to Russia after obtaining permission from the U.S. Department of Commerce.



It has not been decided whether or not to regulate smartphones. However, industry officials believe that since the latest smartphones are equipped with semiconductors and cutting-edge mobile applications there is a possibility they could be considered as strategic items.



If restricted, it will become difficult for Samsung Electronics to access the Russian smartphone market. Samsung phones accounted for a major portion of the total smartphone sales in the Russian market last year.



According to industry officials, Samsung Electronics is preparing for the worst-case scenario in which smartphones, its main export product, cannot enter Russia. The country's leading conglomerate has been collecting information about the possibility of additional economic sanctions to be imposed on Russia.



"We are waiting for the U.S. Department of Commerce to make an announcement on the detailed items to be restricted. We are monitoring the situation closely now," a Samsung Electronics official said.



Samsung Electronics introduced a new series of smartphones including its flagship Galaxy S22 to major Russian markets in early February, and it would come as a devastating blow if the U.S. Department of Commerce bans exports of the devices that utilize U.S. technologies.



On Feb. 24 (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and announced sanctions against Russia, including export controls and blockades of large banks. The export controls include the FDPR.



Samsung Electronics has already experienced the bitterness of the FDPR. In 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump exercised FDPR on exports of Korean semiconductors, targeting Huawei in China. This resulted in Huawei dropping off the list of Samsung Electronics' top 5 customers.


PR/Ambassador of India to United Nations TS Tirumurti speaks during the UNSC meeting, in New York. (PTI Photo)

United Nations: India voiced concern over the urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine and told the UN Security Council that apart from evacuating its own citizens, New Delhi stands ready to help those from neighbouring and developing countries stranded in Ukraine and in need of assistance.

There is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine. In such times of conflict, India attaches the highest priority to safety and well-being of civilians, in particular women, children and elderly. We are of the view that core principles of humanitarian assistance should be fully honoured, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said at the Security Council meeting Monday on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

Tirumurti voiced deep concern for the safety and security of thousands of Indian citizens, including students, stranded in Ukraine.

Our evacuation efforts have been adversely impacted by the developments on ground at the border crossings, Tirumurti said.

Underlining that the safety of Indian nationals is of paramount importance to the Indian Government, Tirumurti told the Council that senior Ministers from the Government of India are being deployed as Special Envoys to Ukraine's neighbouring countries.

We thank them for their cooperation at this difficult time. We stand ready to help those from neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting that reviewed ongoing efforts to bring back Indians from Ukraine.

India has decided to send four senior ministers as the prime minister's special envoys to Ukraine's neighbouring countries to oversee the evacuation of Indians.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi that Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs & Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will go to Hungary, Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will oversee the evacuation process in Romania and Moldova, Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju will travel to Slovakia and Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation General (retd) V K Singh is leaving for Poland.

Tirumurti said that taking into account the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine, the Indian government has also decided to provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines and these are expected to be dispatched Tuesday.

India on Monday decided to send relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation along its bordering areas arising out of tens of thousands of people attempting to flee the Russian invasion.

Tirumurti told the Council that India remains deeply concerned at the unfolding developments in Ukraine, where the situation continues to deteriorate.

Our considered call for immediate cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities is an urgent imperative, Tirumurti said, reiterating that there is no other option but to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, as the only way ahead.

He underlined that Modi has advocated strongly for the immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities in his recent conversations with the Russian and Ukrainian leadership.

We welcome their commencement of direct talks. We reiterate our conviction that differences can only be bridged through sustained dialogue and diplomacy.

In his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Modi reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue, and expressed New Delhi's willingness to contribute in any way towards peace efforts.

In the telephonic call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue.

He appealed for an immediate cessation of violence, and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.

India also underlined that all member states have agreed on the principles in UN Charter, international law and on the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

Tirumurti said India notes the appointment by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres of Amin Awad of Sudan as United Nations Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, to lead the coordination of all UN efforts, including the humanitarian response, on both sides of the contact line.

We support and welcome the UN's efforts in this direction.

France requested the meeting of the 15-nation Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

The Council meeting was running parallel to a rare emergency special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly on Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
Last week, the students had approached the Deputy Director of Pre University requesting to postpone the examination till the High Court gave its final judgment. (Representational image: PTI)

Mangaluru: Three girl students of the pre-university Womens college at Udupi, who came to the institution wearing hijab, were not allowed to attend the science practical examination. The college principal denied entry quoting the Karnataka High Court's interim order.

The three girls were among the students who had approached the High Court seeking permission to wear Hijab inside the class.

Last week, the students had approached the Deputy Director of Pre University requesting to postpone the examination till the High Court gave its final judgment. The request was turned down and the exams were held as per the schedule on Monday.

Today was the final practical exam. We had completed the record books and reached the college to attend the practical exam. It was so disheartening when our principal threatened us saying Youve five minutes to leave, if u dont, I will file a police complaint, Almas, one of the students, tweeted.

Since they were stopped by the principal from entering the class, the girls returned home.

College sources said that the Principal tried to convince the students to remove their Hijab and attend the examination to which the girls did not agree.

Meanwhile, the Principal clarified that he spoke to the students about the High Court interim order and the need to follow it. The girls, however, opted to return home.
In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under Operational Ganga, PM Modi has called for the IAF to join the exercise. (Twitter)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive against that country, sources said on Tuesday.

The IAF is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of Operation Ganga from Tuesday, they said.

Till now, only private Indian carriers were evacuating Indians from Romania and Hungary, countries with land borders with Ukraine on the western side, as the Ukrainian airspace had been shut since February 24.

India began evacuation of around 14,000 of its stranded citizens on February 26.

In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under Operational Ganga, PM Modi has called for the IAF to join the exercise, the sources said.

Leveraging the capacities of the IAF will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame, they noted.

The large C-17 aircraft will also help deliver humanitarian aid to war-hit Ukraine more efficiently, they mentioned.

Taking into account the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine, Ambassador of India to United Nations, T S Tirumurti, on Monday, had said that India has decided to provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines to Ukraine, which is expected to be despatched tomorrow.

Tirumurti made these remarks at the UNSC meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. He said that there is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine.

PM Modi briefs President Kovind on Ukraine crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday and briefed him on various issues, including the Ukraine crisis, official sources said. Sources said Modi briefed Kovind on the crisis and his government's efforts to bring back the Indian citizens stranded in the country.

Meanwhile, An Air India Express flight carrying 182 Indians nationals from war-torn Ukraine landed in Mumbai from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday morning, an airline spokesperson said.

The AI Express flight IX-1202 from Bucharest via Kuwait touched down the runway at 7.40 am, he said.

This is the second evacuation flight operated to Mumbai from Bucharest to bring back Indians from war-hit Ukraine since February 27.
Changes in migrant rules in Kuwait have forced a section of Indian workers to return to their homes. (Representational Photo: AFP)

HYDERABAD: Changes in migrant rules in Kuwait have forced a section of Indian workers to return to their homes. As per new guidelines, the non-graduate migrants who completed 60 years of age cannot remain in Kuwait. They must return to their native places.

Around 1.75 lakh people from Telangana state have been working in oil companies, construction companies, malls and other organisations in Kuwait. Of these, around 30,000 persons may return from Kuwait on this basis.

The foreign ministry of Kuwait had decided to repatriate these people from December 2020. There was mixed opinion on the decision and a fear was aired that Kuwait will lose its professional workforce. Hence, the authorities gave exemptions in the migrant rules.

Earlier, the authorities had said migrants who attained the 60 years of age could renew their visas in Kuwait itself if they paid 250 dinars (`60,000). This came as a relief to the migrant workers. Now, the changed migrant rules forced them to leave Kuwait. Migrant workers will reach India from March onwards.
Earlier, responding to similar PILs questioning the legality of the guidelines fixed for selecting candidates to the posts of member secretary and chairperson of the board, the state high court, too, had ruled that the state government cannot decide to appoint only an officer from the IAS or IFoS to these posts. (Representational Image/ PTI)

A division bench of the Telangana high court has agreed to hear a plea filed by a social worker seeking directions to the state government to remove IAS officer Neetu Kumari Prasad from the post of member secretary, Telangana Pollution Control Board, for allegedly not possessing the mandatory qualifications in subjects of environment, forests and science, which are statutory requirements according to the Supreme Court.

Earlier, responding to similar PILs questioning the legality of the guidelines fixed for selecting candidates to the posts of member secretary and chairperson of the board, the state high court, too, had ruled that the state government cannot decide to appoint only an officer from the IAS or IFoS to these posts. Further, the court had pointed out that appointing IAS or IFoS officers would affect the functioning of the board since the government would transfer these officers frequently whereas the post of member secretary requires a minimum tenure of two to three years.

Babu watchers say that, given the Supreme Courts directive and the high courts earlier ruling, it is unlikely that the current petition challenging Mr Prasads appointment will have a different outcome.

Commerce babus set to work on ambitious export target

Indias flagging exports have necessitated the restructuring of the department of commerce. Sources have told DKB that at a recent meeting with senior officials, commerce minister Piyush Goyal highlighted the need to revamp the department to take advantage of opportunities in global trade due to the rapid growth of services and disruptive potential of climate change. The minister has given secretary B.V.R. Subrahmanyam and his team an ambitious target of facilitating exports worth $2 trillion by 2027.

Those aware of these developments say that after the revamp the directorate general of foreign trade and other organisations in the ministry that promote investment and trade will be given a freer hand to achieve the export targets. They also see a stronger role of overseas missions in trade promotion and market intelligence.

Apparently, Mr Goyal has also indicated that a dedicated trade remedies review committee of specialists will be created, which will also include the ministry of finance and line ministries to ensure transparency in investigation outcomes. Clearly, this is yet another push to strengthen Brand India and Mr Subrahmanyam and his colleagues have their work cut out.

Gujarat tightens screws on corrupt cops, officers

Besides the recent avalanche of scams that have been unearthed in Gujarat, the state chief minister Bhupendra Patel faces another problem. Of late there have been several allegations of bribery and corruption against police officers. Most recently, there have been allegations of bribery against the police commissioner of Rajkot, Manoj Agarwal. The complainant is reportedly a BJP MLA, and thus cannot be overlooked.

Sources have informed DKB that the Patel government has received several named and anonymous complaints alleging extortion and misuse of the land grabbing law by cops. Apparently, it is becoming a serious issue, and not just in Rajkot. Now the government is believed to be preparing guidelines to keep police officers away from cases where land deals are involved. Among the new rules will be an instruction that police officials cannot take up an investigation of any complaint in a land matter without the governments permission. The government is planning to set up a high-powered committee to investigate all major allegations of corruption in land matters against senior IPS and IAS officers. The government will consider the recommendations of the panel and take necessary action.

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The debate on electoral reforms focuses almost entirely on the funding of political parties and expenses incurred in campaigning as if just taking care of these will ensure the cleaning up of the nations polity. We are as usual barking up the wrong tree. Funding is a problem, but its the lesser of the problems. The question of inner party democracy and the constitutional functioning of political parties almost never figures in any discussion. We never seem to consider whether many of our parties are in fact political parties or just disorganised assemblies driven by primitive impulses.

When Rajiv Gandhi introduced the anti-defection bill in Parliament soon after his huge 1984 electoral victory, Madhu Dandavate welcomed it, exclaiming in the Lok Sabha that he felt he was hearing the voice of Jawaharlal Nehru again! He soon realised the bill was only meant to keep the party under the jackboots of a coterie. It prompted him to append his name to a petition challenging the law. His switch provoked many to acidly comment the poor man thought he was hearing Nehrus voice when in fact it was that of Indira Gandhi!

He justified it by saying it was not the right time to oppose the bill then as public sentiment was in favour. Only Chandra She-khar and Madhu Limaye had the vision and courage to attack the bill for what it was  an attempt to institutionalise the illegitimate power of undemocratically installed party leaderships over the peoples elected representatives. The original bill was then somewhat modified to distinguish between a split and a defection, though it didnt address the main reasons for opposing the bill.

Unlike some others, Indias Constitution doesnt recognise the institution of political parties. Its the same in other serious and major democracies. The term political party doesnt appear even once in any of them. Political parties are therefore extra or non-constitutional arrangements to organise people on the basis of shared ideas, interests or philosophies. Members of Parliament or legislatures are the peoples representatives. That they are or arent members of a political party is only incidental. The elected members are meant to represent and protect the interests those who elect them and not that of a handful of leaders.

It follows that if a representative defies a party whip, the most the party must be allowed to do is remove the member from the party. Expulsion of the member from the House can only be the right of the House or the people. Each time that power is invoked it must be for a specific reason, such as receiving a bribe, that may be seen as unbecoming of a member, or bringing disrespect to the institution. In India, we dont give people the right of recall, possibly as it's not practical. Even if a mechanism and a set of conditionalities is codified to set the process of recall into action, who among the present crop of MPs would be willing to legislate this?

The argument that most members are elected because of the party has some validity, but only if its a properly constituted and functioning party. If the political party is to be incorporated in our Constitution as a constitutional institution, it must first be so legislated. Besides a few parties like the BJP and the CPI(M), which have a somewhat strained system of inner democracy assured by intermittent party elections, and passably collective decision-making, most other parties are very poor examples of democracy at work. We know how the Congress conducts its elections or takes decisions by deferring them to the high command. Leaders like the Badals, Thackeray, Lalu Yadav, KCR, Stalin, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati consider these niceties to be sheer hypocrisy, and dont have even a single-page constitution to legitimise the workings of their outfits. Yet these fuhrers have the authority and legitimacy to issue diktats or whips to suit their private interests and whims. Remember how a nominated Congress president, Sitaram Kesri, issued a directive to the CPPs elected leader, P.V. Narasimha Rao, ordering him to send his resignation within 24 hours. Consider the implications. A leader chosen by elected representatives is dismissed by a handpicked courtiers coup?

There are other implications to consider as well. What if a member of a party promising people the nationalisation of all property is directed to vote for a rich mans dream budget? Suppose the member was to vote as per the partys commitment to the people and not as per the convenience of its leaders? Who is more important? The people who elect them or the people who select them for party tickets? The argument that if members arent restrained by law, anarchy will prevail, may have some validity to it. This can be met by ensuring whips are restricted to confidence votes alone, with the rider that representatives voting against a whip must seek the peoples confidence within a stipulated period, say six months. To deny a ministership to a defecting member is silly as it implies that a ministership is somehow a reward to enjoy, and not a call to service or recognition of ability. Not all ministers are corrupt. Also, all this hair-splitting about what percentage constitutes a defection is equally silly.

That the Election Commission recognises these parties and recognises their leaders authority is a matter of shame and evidence of its utter helplessness, indifference or ignorance, or all these basic issues. To give the anti-defection laws even the thinnest veneer of political and philosophical legitimacy, it is first essential that inner-party workings conform to the letter and spirit of democracy. Par-ties have shown they are incapable of doing this by themselves. The EC had earlier made some noises in this regard. But adding to the cacophony isn't enough. It must speak out loudly and insist Parliament empowers it to oversee regular party elections and their compliance with the provisions of their constitutions. Thats why Narendra Modi has placed flunkies there.

State funding of parties has often been discussed as another solution. But can we allow the State to fund all these parties, which dont have any inner-party democracy or democratic structures, most with husband-and-wife high commands, if not father-son or mother-son high commands? No Indian party has anything like fair and free inner-party elections. Giving them state funding will only enable public money to serve private purposes. With our democracy now preferring cobbled-up coalitions to single-party dominance, the issue of defections will always loom large. But will anyone now speak up? Of course not. Kissa kursi ka hai!
Nellore: A team of scientists from different units of ISRO used S-band radio signals from Mangalyaan, the Indian Mars orbiter, to study the solar corona  the layer of the Sun that extends millions of kilometres into space  and located the area of the sun where the temperature rises abruptly.

The scientists utilised the solar conjunction event, when the Earth and Mars are on the opposite sides of the Sun, that occurred in May-June 2015 for the study. The Sun's activity was low at that time.

During conjunction events, which happens once in two years for Mars, the radio signals from Mangalyaan pass through the solar corona  about 10 solar radii or about 69,57,000 km from the centre of the Sun. This provides scientists a unique opportunity to study solar dynamics. Each solar radii is about 6,95,700 km.

The scientists involved in the study were from Space Physics Laboratory of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram; Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad; and ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru.

The results were published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society by the authors of the study Richa N. Jain, R.K. Choudhary, Anil Bhardwaj, Umang Parikh, Bijoy K. Dai, and Roopa M.V.

According to the study, the scientists found that the transition of solar wind  charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun  from slower speeds to higher velocities (technically sub-alfvenic to super-alfvenic flow) occurs in a region that is 10 to 15 times the solar radii (69.6 lakh km to about 104.4 lakh km) from the centre of the Sun.

The Suns surface is a few thousand degree Kelvin (a unit of measurement of temperature, like the Celsius) while in the outer atmosphere, the solar corona, the temperature rises to several million degrees Kelvin. Why this happens is not known.

It is important to study the corona since it passes through the interplanetary spaces, and affects the near-Earth space environment through a phenomenon known as space weather.

The Mangalyaan radio signals that crossed through the plasma (ionised medium) in the solar corona during the conjunction event experienced dispersive effects. The turbulence was recorded at the Indian Deep Space Network for Mangalyaan, at Isrtrac (Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network).

Analysing the signals, the scientists reported that they obtained coronal turbulence spectrum at between four and 20 solar radii (27.8 lakh km to 139.1 lakh km from the centre of the Sun. This is the region where the solar wind primarily gets accelerated.

The scientists found that the turbulence power spectrum at a smaller distance from the Suns centre  of less than 10 solar radii  had flattened at shorter frequencies, which corresponds to the solar wind acceleration region.

For larger distances from the Suns centre  more than 10 solar radii  the curve becomes much steeper. The scientists reported that this finding is consistent with theoretical models of solar wind turbulence.

The scientists said the finding was also supported by the first direct observation of solar corona by the Parker Probe, Nasa's first-ever mission to "touch the Sun, recently.

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US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global Inc will continue to block accounts and transactions of Russian clients targeted by sanctions, but it stopped short of banning all users from the country.

"At this time, we will not institute a blanket ban on all Coinbase transactions involving Russian addresses," a Coinbase spokesperson said.

Binance, the world's biggest crypto exchange, has also said it would not freeze all Russian accounts, after Ukraine requested major crypto exchanges for a complete ban.

Western countries including the United States and Britain have imposed sweeping financial sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, with major Russian banks shut out of the SWIFT international payments system.

Trading volumes between the Russian rouble and the Tether cryptocurrency spiked sharply on Monday, indicating rising interest in crypto among Russians after the Western sanctions took a toll on the local currency.

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The increase in OPEC's oil output in February exceeded the rise planned under a deal with allies for the first time since September, a Reuters survey found, as higher Saudi Arabian and Iraqi supply combined with fewer outages in smaller producers.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pumped 28.39 million barrels per day (bpd) in February, the survey found, up 420,000 bpd from the previous month and above the 254,000 bpd increase called for under the supply deal.

OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, are gradually relaxing 2020 output cuts as demand recovers from the pandemic. OPEC+ meets on Wednesday and is expected to confirm previously agreed plans despite the surge in oil prices to a seven-year high above $105 a barrel after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Also Read | Oil market hits 2014 peak on Ukraine crisis

"It looks like sticking to the plan," an OPEC+ delegate said of Wednesday's meeting, adding that Russia's action in Ukraine had not so far affected the functioning of OPEC+.

Saudi Arabia's cabinet reaffirmed on Tuesday its commitment to the OPEC+ agreement.

The deal calls for a 400,000 bpd increase in February from all OPEC+ members, of which 254,000 bpd is shared by the 10 OPEC producers the agreement covers. Output undershot the pledged hikes from October to January, according to Reuters surveys.

While the 10 OPEC members raised output by more than this in February, they are still pumping less than called for under the deal. OPEC compliance with pledged cuts was 136 per cent, the survey found, versus 132 per cent in January.

Saudi, Iraq boost

The biggest rise in February of 90,000 bpd came from Saudi Arabia, OPEC's top producer, the survey found.

No. 2 OPEC producer Iraq managed to boost exports, despite some field shutdowns. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait followed through on their higher quotas, and Nigerian output edged higher after recovering from outages.

Output also rose in each of the three producers exempt from making output cuts under the OPEC+ deal, the survey found.

Iran has been shipping more oil to China in recent months and pumped an extra 60,000 bpd in February. The rise comes amid talks between Tehran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal.

Libya boosted output although bad weather still hampered shipments, the survey found, while Venezuelan production rose.

Production fell or did not increase in Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, the survey found, in many cases owing to a lack of capacity to produce more.

The Reuters survey aims to track supply to the market. It is based on shipping data provided by external sources, Refinitiv Eikon flows data, information from tanker trackers such as Petro-Logistics, as well as information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consultants.

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A fortnight after Tata Sons announced his appointment, former Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci on Tuesday said he has declined the offer to be the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India as it was not "feasible or honourable" to take up the position when "some sections of Indian media" was attempting to picturise it in "undesirable colours".

Ayci's statement comes days after RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch urging the Narendra Modi government not to give security clearance to his appointment and media reporting that the Tata Son's move could run into trouble due to his links with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Pakistan.

For any foreign national to be CEO or Chief Financial Officer in the aviation industry, the company needs to get a security clearance from

On February 14, Tata Sons had announced Ayci's appointment to the top post of Air India, which was privatised by the Modi government. Ayci was to take over on April one after security clearance.

"Since the announcement, I have been carefully following news in some sections of the Indian media attempting to colour my appointment with undesirable colours. As a business leader who has always prioritised professional credo and more importantly, the happiness and well being of my family above all else, I have come to the conclusion that it would not be a feasible or an honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of such a narrative," he said.

He said he remains grateful to the Tata Group and its chairman N Chandrasekaran for extending to him the honour and the opportunity to lead Air India.

"However, at a recent meeting with Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Group, I regretfully informed him and I wish to inform the public, as well, that I will decline the position. It is with a heavy heart that I make this decision...," he said, wishing Air India and the Tata Group "every success".

"I will continue my career by pursuing alternative opportunities with the objective of creating value and building world-class businesses," Ayci added.

Sources said Ayci was chosen by the Tatas after a three-month search with the help of a headhunting firm.

The government had handed over Air India to the Tatas on January 27, a little over three months after the salt-to-software conglomerate was announced as the winner of the bid. The Tatas acquired debt-laden state-run Air India by offering Rs 18,000 crore.

Last week, Swadeshi Jagran Manch Co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan had said that the government should not give its permission to Ayci's appointment keeping in view national security.

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Rescue workers and residents search for victims in an area affected by landslides in Petropolis, Brazil, Feb. 16. AP-Yonhap





Scientists have long been warning that extreme weather would cause calamity in the future. But in South America  which in just the last month has had deadly landslides in Brazil, wildfires in Argentine wetlands and flooding in the Amazon so severe it ruined harvests  that future is already here.







In just three hours on Feb. 15, the city of Petropolis, nestled in the forested mountains above Rio de Janeiro, received over 10 inches of rainfall  more than ever registered in a single day since the authorities began keeping records in 1932. The ensuing landslides swallowed the lives of more than 200 people, and left nearly 1,000 homeless.







A report published Monday by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) corroborates what many on the ground are witnessing with their own eyes. Global warming is altering the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as El Nino and La Nina, the natural heating and cooling of parts of the Pacific that alters weather patterns around the globe. These events have also become more difficult to predict, causing additional damage, the report said.







''Climate change is projected to convert existing risks in the region into severe key risks,'' the report said.







Until 2020, there was plenty of water, swamps, stagnant lakes and lagoons in Argentina's Ibera Wetlands, one of the largest such ecosystems in the world. But an historic drought of the Parana River dried much of it out; its waters are in the lowest level since 1944. Since January it has been the stage of raging fires.







And this week, 70 percent of the remote city of Jordao in Brazil's Amazon rainforest was submerged by the overflow of two rivers. It has shattered the lives of thousands of people in the region, including in 32 indigenous communities.







Central and South America is the second most urbanized region in the world after North America with 81 percent of its population residing within cities. In this context, forests are playing a vital role to stabilize local climates and to help the world meet the ambitious temperature goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement, experts say.







An aerial view of area that was consumed by a man-made fire to clear land near Novo Progresso in Para State, Brazil, Aug. 18, 2020. AP-Yonhap





The entire Amazon rainforest stores between 150 and 200 billion tons of carbon in the vegetation and soil, according to Carlos Nobre, a prominent Brazilian climate scientist who has studied the biome for several decades.







''It's a huge reservoir,'' Nobre told The Associated Press in a phone interview. ''If you lose the forest, this carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, goes into the atmosphere. It is very important to maintain the forest.''







But most governments across the region have failed to heed the IPCC's warnings and stop the destruction. Many South American leaders have remained silent about illegal logging and mining activities in sensitive regions. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has gone further, outright encouraging it both with his words and by weakening environmental agencies and regulation.







Even in Colombia, where President Ivan Duque has attempted to rein in illegal logging, a recent increase in forest fires led more than 150 international academics and activists last week to send a letter urging the government to take a more aggressive stance.







Indeed, local prosecutors and police have said the region is more and more dependent on activists for preservation, either to prevent deforestation that leads to drastic changes in climate or to deal with the consequences of environmental degradation.







Flames from a forest fire in Paraje Villegas, Rio Negro Province, 70 kilometers south of Bariloche, Argentina, are seen in this file photograph taken Dec. 29, 2021. AFP-Yonhap





Alejandra Boloqui, 54, manages a private natural reserve in Argentina's Ibera Wetlands, and has been helping firefighters wage their desperate fight against the flames. Last week, she recorded a scene on her phone that overwhelmed her with sadness: a dozen alligators fleeing the flames and walking down a dirt track in search of water.







''When I started filming them, I cried. I felt they were saying to me: 'I've been left without a home, I'm leaving,''' Boloqui told the AP. ''It got my attention seeing so many alligators moving together during the day. ... They are very slow reptiles who move at night to avoid heat.''







They, along with many other animals, found temporary refuge in a nearby lagoon that had dried up due to lack of rain and has since been artificially refilled with solar water pumps.







Local authorities attributed the fires to the burning of pastures for cattle ranching, which has been prohibited since December. IPCC experts stress in the report that droughts lay the groundwork for blazes that spread rapidly.







Brazil's south and southeast regions last year faced their worst droughts in nine decades, raising the specter of possible power rationing given the grid's dependence on hydroelectric plants. Simultaneously, in Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon, rivers swelled to levels unseen in over a century of record-keeping, flooding streets and houses and affecting some 450,000 people in the region.







This week, with most of the Amazonian city of Jordao plunged underwater, Indigenous leader and forest guard Josias Kaxinawa is working to bring any support he can to dozens of communities. He spent all day Wednesday rescuing people and their belongings using his small boat equipped with an outboard motor.







The Jordao and Tarauaca rivers join during the rainy season, which Kaxinawa and his neighbors didn't expect for several more weeks. But this time, unlike last year, showers arrived not just too early, but also brutally, he told the AP.







''We are living our worst moment. Flood, rains, winds. Climate change is creating more problems for us. We are losing a lot of stuff, boats, household appliances, every crop we grew last year,'' Kaxinawa said by phone from Jordao, adding he had never had seen so much rain in his area. ''We worry about the future,'' he said.







He added that the small city's agricultural production is ''virtually all destroyed.''







A slide is pictured behind members of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) during a news conference on the Special Report on Climate Change and Land after IPCC's 50th session in Geneva, Switzerland, Aug. 8, 2019. Reuters-Yonhap





This jibes with the IPCC report, which says changes in the timing and magnitude of precipitation along with extreme temperatures are impacting agricultural production across Central and South America.







''Impacts on rural livelihoods and food security, particularly for small and medium-sized farmers and Indigenous Peoples in the mountains, are projected to worsen,'' the report read.







Acre state's government said at least 76 families, most of them indigenous, have lost their homes in Jordao and the surrounding area, and are now living in a local shelter. But Mayor Naudo Ribeiro admitted the count was underestimated.







''This was too fast, there's no way to prepare when it happens like this,'' Ribeiro told local media.







More than 3,400 kilometers (2,100 miles) away in Petropolis, the Brazilian city ravaged by landslides last week, Mayor Rubens Bomtempo provided journalists with a similar comment just days before.







''This was totally unpredictable,'' Bomtempo said. ''No one could predict rain as hard as this.''







The IPCC report suggests events like these will continue to shake the region. (AP)






In Punjab Assembly Election 2022, Ghanaur Assembly Constituency (AC No. 113) in Patiala district goes to polls on February 14, 2022.

Punjab Election Result 2022: Ghanaur Assembly constituency result will be declared on March 10, 2022.

In Punjab Assembly Election 2017, INC candidate Thekedar Madan Lal Jalalpur won Ghanaur constituency seat securing 65,965 votes, beating SAD candidate Harpreet Kaur Mukhmailpur by a margin of 36,557 votes. In 2017, the total voters in Ghanaur constituency were 1,55,927. Of that, 1,24,650 voters cast their ballot visiting polling booths or exercising their voting franchise through postal ballots.

Use the map below to get the latest updates, winners and losers in Ghanaur assembly constituency.
In Punjab Assembly Election 2022, Ludhiana South Assembly Constituency (AC No. 61) in Ludhiana district goes to polls on February 14, 2022.

Punjab Election Result 2022: Ludhiana South Assembly constituency result will be declared on March 10, 2022.

In Punjab Assembly Election 2017, LIP candidate Balvinder Singh Bains won Ludhiana South constituency seat securing 53,955 votes, beating INC candidate Bhupinder Singh Sidhu by a margin of 30,917 votes. In 2017, the total voters in Ludhiana South constituency were 1,49,582. Of that, 1,00,769 voters cast their ballot visiting polling booths or exercising their voting franchise through postal ballots.

Use the map below to get the latest updates, winners and losers in Ludhiana South assembly constituency.
In Punjab Assembly Election 2022, Payal Assembly Constituency (AC No. 67) in Ludhiana district goes to polls on February 14, 2022.

Punjab Election Result 2022: Payal Assembly constituency result will be declared on March 10, 2022.

In Punjab Assembly Election 2017, INC candidate Lakhvir Singh Lakha won Payal constituency seat securing 57,776 votes, beating AAP candidate Gurpreet Singh Lapran by a margin of 21,496 votes. In 2017, the total voters in Payal constituency were 1,59,662. Of that, 1,30,744 voters cast their ballot visiting polling booths or exercising their voting franchise through postal ballots.

Use the map below to get the latest updates, winners and losers in Payal assembly constituency.
In Punjab Assembly Election 2022, Raikot Assembly Constituency (AC No. 69) in Ludhiana district goes to polls on February 14, 2022.

Punjab Election Result 2022: Raikot Assembly constituency result will be declared on March 10, 2022.

In Punjab Assembly Election 2017, AAP candidate Jagtar Singh Jagga Hissowal won Raikot constituency seat securing 48,245 votes, beating INC candidate Amar Singh by a margin of 10,614 votes. In 2017, the total voters in Raikot constituency were 1,50,418. Of that, 1,17,046 voters cast their ballot visiting polling booths or exercising their voting franchise through postal ballots.

Use the map below to get the latest updates, winners and losers in Raikot assembly constituency.
With the desertion of some leaders throwing up new challenges for the BJP in the Gorakhpur region, thousands of village-level workers of RSS have fanned out in 62 assembly constituencies urging people to exercise their franchise to ensure the party does not suffer due to the splitting of votes.

In 2017, the BJP had won 44 of the 62 assembly seats in the 10 districts of the Gorakhpur region, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has considerable influence, while the SP and the BSP got seven each, and Congress and an Independent one each.

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which was then allying with the BJP, and Apna Dal (Sonelal) had also won one seat each in this area.

However, this time the SBSP, led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, an influential leader of the backward classes in Purvanchal and the first to quit the post of minister in the Yogi Adityanath government, has allied with the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Also Read | Akhilesh Yadav doesnt have the strength to stop BJP, says Owaisi

Also, the then minister's Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan resigned and switched to the SP just before the elections. They are now contesting from Fazilnagar in Kushinagar and Ghosi seat in Mau, respectively, on SP ticket.

With changed political equations, there is apprehension about the splitting of votes among most backward castes Rajbhar, Maurya-Kushwaha and Chauhan (Nonia) fraternity, according to political analysts.

About 15,000 'Gram Pramukhs (or village heads) of the RSS, ideological fountainhead of the BJP, are out on the ground with their groups in a bid to keep voters together in the region, which goes to polls in the last two phases of elections in the state.

Over 240 village heads in each assembly constituency are active with their teams (groups of 5-10 people) to ensure the victory of BJP candidates, although RSS functionaries say the exercise  'Janjagran Abhiyan' -- is for voter awareness.

Also Read | Yogi Adityanath sitting pretty but BJP may not repeat performance in Gorakhpur

In UP, the BJP has divided its organisational structure into six parts -- West Zone, Braj, Kanpur-Bundelkhand, Awadh, Kashi and the Gorakhpur region.

The Gorakhpur region comprises 10 districts of Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Deoria, Kushinagar, Basti, Sant Kabirnagar, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Ballia and Mau and has a total of 62 assembly constituencies.

The activities of RSS village heads and their teams have increased on the 27,647 booths in the region.

During the RSS' 'Prabhat Shakha', the volunteers are making people aware about increasing voter turnout. In the morning we take out Prabhat Pheri in the wards after the Shakha and also distribute leaflets among them, RSS' Mau Nagar Prachar Pramukh Dr Madhukar Anand told PTI.

Also Read -- UP polls: How diminished are BJP's returns after phase five

However, he added that the group works for the nation and not for any party.

The leaflets being distributed by Lok Jagran Manch in the Goraksha Province appeals to voters to carefully choose if they want to vote for someone who stood in favour of building a Ram temple or those who talked about building a mosque or a hospital instead of a temple.

The leaflets also mention issues like the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, casteism in government jobs and removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.

On the role of RSS in the elections, its Provincial Pracharak Subhash said the Election Commission makes efforts to increase voter turnout and the Sangh was doing public awareness for that.

Also Read | UP polls seem to be of 'chhalia' versus Ballia: Akhilesh

The 'janjagran abhiyan' is aimed at public awareness and when people go to vote, they should evaluate the work of governments during their tenure, consider all parameters to form a good government and select good people, Subhash told PTI.

Subhash said that about 15,000 RSS village heads have been engaged in this public awareness campaign and apart from this, more people of the organisation are involved.

The alliance of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and other smaller parties is also weighing on the mind of the BJP and its supporters.

According to sources, RSS field pracharak Anil held a coordination meeting with the BJP at 'Rajasthan Bhawan' in Mau on Sunday to chalk out a victory strategy for candidates of the saffron party.

During the Ram Mandir construction fund collection campaign, RSS had made 'Gram Pramukhs' in all the villages and in this election they are active in booth-wise campaigning by forming 'Gram Pramukh' teams, a worker involved in the meeting told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Also Read | Battle for UP: BSP rebels pose problems for BSP

Earlier, BJP's National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh held a meeting of the Assembly Election Steering Committee with an RSS functionary in Dohrighat.

Gorakhpur is the home turf of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is contesting assembly polls for the first time.

The SP has intensified the mobilisation of Muslims and backward classes in the region, political observers say.

Don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau who is lodged in Banda jail and has been targeted by top BJP leaders during poll campaigns, has fielded son Abbas Ansari from the seat in the SP alliance.

While RSS has upped its campaign, the BJP has entrusted the responsibility of the region to Bihar's Rajya Sabha member Vivek Thakur, making him co-in-charge of the assembly elections.

In an interaction with PTI, Thakur, who is constantly on the ground activating the booth presidents of the party, exuded confidence that BJP will perform better than it did in 2017.

According to observers, the region has over 50 per cent backward castes voters and 20 per cent Scheduled Castes.

Apart from Brahmins and Kshatriyas, Kayasthas are also present in almost all the districts. Muslim voters to influence about 15 assembly constituencies including Mau, Azamgarh and Padrauna.

Mau-based political observer Vinay Jaiswal said RSS and BJP office-bearers are asking voters to consider the development and future of UP '' while voting.

Majority voters who were split on grounds of caste have been united by the RSS under the umbrella of 'Hindutva'. RSS groups are also trying to pacify any voter who is unhappy with the BJP candidate in their area, Jaiswal said.

The sixth and seventh phase of UP polls is scheduled for March 3 and March 7 respectively.

Election results would be declared on March 10.

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Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) insiders have started conceding that the ruling party's tally is bound to fall in the current election compared to where it stood in 2017. The big question is whether the numbers could come so drastically down that it will give way to its key rival, the Samajwadi Party (SP).

The BJP and SP agree the battle is brutal. Just as it is not easy for the BJP to retain its all-time high 2017 tally of 312 in the 403-member UP assembly, so is it no mean task for the SP to swing an increase from its low count of 47 (in 2017) to the majority mark of 202 to form the government in Lucknow.

"You can only come down after climbing Mount Everest," the BJP's state general secretary Vijay Pathak said. He is, however, confident. "It could turn out to be a tight finish, but we will form the government." According to Pathak, "Yogi Adotyanath will break the old jinx that no chief minister of the state has ever repeated a term in office."

Also Read | BJP faces tough battle in eastern Uttar Pradesh as OBC votes dwindle

Chief Minister Adityanath has proclaimed this vociferously during the poll campaign even as it is widely believed there is anti-incumbency against his government. However, the anti-incumbency is perceived to be not so much against the BJP as it is against Adityanath. There is a view that it would have been easier for the BJP to sail through if it had fought exclusively on prime minister Narendra Modi's face.

No wonder after the fifth phase concluded on February 27, with 292 seats having already polled, UP is busy debating whether the BJP will rewrite history or the SP will decide the political destiny of the country's most populous state. It is, therefore, no surprise that Modi has finally decided to camp in Varanasi for three days to try and turn the tide now.

The SP's visibly rising response at the ground level might be a pleasant surprise to its leader, former chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, who was perhaps some months back not that hopeful of putting up a fight against the might of the BJP. But what appears apparent is the jolt that the BJP seems to be getting with every election phase. It has brought to the fore the desperation of its top leaders, which could be discerned from their changing utterances over the past few weeks.

Also Read -- In Ayodhya and elsewhere in UP, desertion in BJP's Dalit-OBC support

The BJP did play its masterstrokes  the Hindutva card to stoke the Hindu-Muslim divide; Ayodhya temple to impress its Hindu vote bank; free rations to win the poor and its half-truth narratives on law and order or women's security. To top it all, the party's battery of star campaigners led by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi left no stone unturned to throw a super challenge to Akhilesh Yadav, who had to run his campaign single-handedly for the first time in his political career.

Yet, there is little doubt that from the early stages of the poll campaign, with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary alongside him in West UP to the ongoing final phases in East UP, the SP chief has grown in stature, maturity and confidence.

The BJP's strategy to stir the communal divide in West UP failed because of the overriding effect of the year-long farmers' movement that brought the earlier warring Jats and Muslims under a common umbrella. The ploy failed even in central UP and Avadh regions. So the BJP sought to play up the "law and order", and "women security" issues, which they alleged were under serious threat during the previous SP regime. Although he began a tad late in the day, Akhilesh Yadav aggressively countered the two issues and was joined by SP Rajya Sabha MP, Hindi movies actor Jaya Bachchan, and his wife, former Lok Sabha MP, Dimple Yadav.

Also Read | In UP, women voters hold the cards, and political parties know it

The BJP did its best to switch its focus on "free rations" in the poverty-ridden Purvanchal region of UP, where it hopes to turn the tide that seems to have gone against it in the previous four phases. But here, the saffron brigade found a formidable wall built by Akhilesh Yadav through the multiple alliances he successfully stitched with smaller non-Yadav OBC groups. Significantly, some of these very non-Yadav OBCs were wooed by Modi right from 2014, and they paid rich political dividends to the BJP in 2017 and 2019. But Adityanath's blatant pro-Thakur attitude left several leaders of these very non-Yadav OBCs disillusioned with the party.

The exit of three prominent OBC ministers  Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and Dharam Singh Saini  from the Adityanath cabinet and their instant entry into the SP at the beginning of the elections dealt the BJP its most significant blow. Along with the three, as many as a dozen BJP MLAs also switched parties to the SP. This force of non-Yadav OBCs has added much strength to the SP in the heavily caste-oriented politics of the Purvanchal region, where the battle began in the fifth phase.

The remaining two phases of polling, primarily limited to this region, are unlikely to enable the BJP any giant leap without which it may lag in the final race to power.
Actor Harsh Chhaya, who played the fierce 'Papaji' in the web series Undekhi, says that he is excited about its upcoming second season as it shows his character in a new light.

"The character is still the same person but the other part of his life will also be shown this time. It is always exciting to return to something that worked. The excitement during the shoot was as high as it was back in the first season," he told DH.

Undekhi, which premiered on SonyLiv in 2020, was set in Manali and revolved around what happens when a policeman from West Bengal tries to track down those responsible for two gruesome murders. It received rave reviews for its chilling screenplay and hard-hitting theme. Undekhi 2 takes the story forward and is likely to be more gripping than the first season. Surya Sharma and Dibyendu Bhattacharya reprise their roles from the first season. Meiyang Chang and Nandish Sandhu are new additions to the cast.

Chhaya had a good time working on the show as it features a young team.

"The best part about working with a young crowd is that these people keep you on your toes. The atmosphere was light (fun)," said the actor.

OTT has emerged as a force to reckon with in India over the past few years. Sacred Games, which premiered in 2018, is widely regarded as a gamechanger in this regard. Shows such as Mirzapur and Jamtara garnered attention, emerging as the choice of those familiar with the Hindi heartland. The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown in 2020 benefitted the digital space as productions such as Illegal, The Gone Game, Scam 1992 and The Raikar Case found wide patronage.

"The thing here is that a show has a finite duration and does not go on," said Chhaya

It remains to be seen whether Undekhi 2 adds a new dimension to the 'OTT revolution' when it releases on March 4.
By Jeffrey Veidlinger for The Conversation

Russian President Vladimir Putin justifies his war on Ukraine as a peacekeeping mission, a denazification of the country.

In his address to the Russian people on Feb. 24, 2022, Putin said the purpose was to protect people who had been subjected to bullying and genocide  for the last eight years. And for this we will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

The victims of the genocide claimed by Putin are Russian speakers; the Nazis he referenced are the elected representatives of the Ukrainian people. While Ukraines new language laws have upset some minorities, independent news media have uncovered no evidence of genocide against Russian speakers.

In fact, as the historian Timothy Snyder has pointed out, Russian speakers have more freedom in Ukraine than they have in Russia, where Putins authoritarian government routinely suppresses political dissent. And while far right groups have been growing in Ukraine, their electoral power is limited.

As the author of a recently published book on anti-Jewish violence in Ukraine and a historian of the Holocaust, I know why the accusations of Nazism and genocide have resonance in Ukraine. But I also understand that despite episodic violence, Ukrainian history offers a model of tolerance and democratic government.

Also read: Govt asks Indians to leave Kyiv immediately

Ukraines Jewish leadership

First, it is worth pointing out that Ukraine today is a vibrant, pluralistic democracy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky won a five-year term in the 2019 presidential election with a landslide majority, defeating 39 candidates.

His Servant of the People party then swept the parliamentary elections in July 2019, winning 254 seats in the 450-seat chamber, becoming the first majority government in the history of the modern Ukrainian state. Zelensky was well-known as a comedian and star of the popular sitcom Servant of the People, from which his partys name was derived.

The fact that Zelensky is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor and was raised in what he told The Times of Israel was an ordinary Soviet Jewish family was barely noted during the election. Nobody cares. Nobody asks about it, he remarked in the same interview. Nor did Ukrainians seem to mind that the prime minister at the time of Zelenskys election, Volodymyr Groysman, also had a Jewish background.

For a brief period of time, Ukraine was the only state outside of Israel to have both a Jewish head of state and a Jewish head of government. How could I be a Nazi? Zelensky asked in a public address after the Russian invasion began. Explain it to my grandfather.

Also read: India to ship record wheat as Ukraine crisis upends trade flows

The pogroms against Jews

Sporadic episodes of violence against Jews, or pogroms, began well before the Holocaust. In 1881, for instance, after the assassination of Tsar Alexander II, ordinary churchgoers, laborers, railway workers and soldiers attacked Jewish-owned shops, mills and canteens, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Jews in what was then considered the south of Russia, but is now Ukraine. During another wave of violence following the Revolution of 1905, workers, peasants and soldiers, egged on by Russian right-wing paramilitary groups, murdered 5,000 Jews in the region.

During the unrest that followed the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, about 100,000 Jews died as a result of attacks perpetrated against them by soldiers fighting to restore a united Russia, as well as by the armies of the newly established Ukrainian and Polish states.

Finally, during the Second World War, German soldiers murdered 1.5 million Jews in the areas that are now Ukraine, often with the collaboration of Ukrainian militias established in the diaspora and with the help of local auxiliary police. The role of ethnic Ukrainians in the Holocaust remains contentious in Ukraine today, where nationalist heroes who collaborated with the Nazis continue to be honored.

Yet at the same time, millions of non-Jewish Ukrainians lost their lives under the Nazis or were exploited as slave laborers. The occupiers treated Ukrainian lands as little more than Lebensraum, living space for ethnic Germans.

Also read: Russia's isolation intensifies as Ukraine fighting rages

A pluralistic state

Forgotten in this history is the period between 1917 and 1919 when an independent Ukrainian state offered a different model of multiculturalism and pluralism. The Ukrainian state that declared its independence from Russia in the aftermath of the 1917 Revolutions, envisioned a Ukraine for all ethnicities and religious groups living within its territory.

One of its first acts was passing the Law on National Autonomy in January 1918, which allowed each of the major ethnic minority groups  Russians, Jews, and Poles  broad autonomous rights, including the right to use their own language.

The cabinet included a Secretariat of National Affairs, with vice-secretariats for Russians, Jews and Poles, and, briefly in 1919, even a Ministry of Jewish Affairs. The legislative body, as well, included proportional representation from each of the national minorities. The state issued declarations and currency printed in four languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and Yiddish.

Also Read | Isolated Russia defends Ukraine war at UN General Assembly

However, this state, hailed by Jews around the world as a model for the new nation-states then emerging in eastern and central Europe, never managed to hold the capital for more than a few months at a time. By April of 1919, the government was being run from a moving train and could barely claim more land than the tracks beneath it.

From its inauguration in January 1918, Ukraine found itself enmeshed in a bloody war on multiple fronts. The Soviet Red Army attacked it from the east, while Moscow sought to ignite Bolshevik revolutions throughout Ukraine. A Russian White Army led by officers from the old tsarist army attacked from the south, hoping to reestablish a version of the Russian Empire. From the west, the army of the newly established Polish Republic attacked with the goal of restoring historic Polands borders.

At the same time, a range of insurgent fighters and anarchists formed militias to seize land for themselves. In the midst of this chaos, the dream of a pluralistic state devolved into inter-ethnic violence.

In March 1921, the war ended with the Treaty of Riga, incorporating much of the territory claimed by the independent Ukrainian state into the Soviet Union.

Putins selective telling of the past exaggerates the legacy of Nazism in Ukraine while ignoring the states historic struggle for pluralism and democracy. There is a good reason for this: he fears democracy more than he fears Nazism.

(The author is with the University of Michigan)

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If Russian President Vladimir Putin achieves his goal of ousting the government in Kyiv, the humanitarian and rights crises in Ukraine "will only get worse", the top US diplomat warned Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned the UN Human Rights Council that Russia's "premeditated, unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine" was creating a dire human rights and humanitarian crisis there.

In a pre-recorded video, he also questioned whether Russia should be allowed to hold onto its seat on the Geneva-based council after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. He said Moscow's "violations of international humanitarian law mount by the hour", with Russian strikes "hitting schools, hospitals and residential buildings", and destroying critical infrastructure.

Also Read -- Russia steps up attacks on Ukrainian cities

"Civilian buses, cars, and even ambulances have been shelled," he said, slamming the "monstrous rocket strike that hit an apartment complex" in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv on Monday.

More than 350 civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion began, including 16 children, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Nearly 680,000 people have already fled abroad, the UN refugee agency said, estimating that a million people are displaced within Ukraine.

Blinken warned that "if President Putin succeeds in his stated goal of toppling Ukraine's democratically-elected government, the human rights and humanitarian crises will only get worse". He pointed to the situation on the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

There, he charged, "Russia's occupation has come with extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention, the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, and the brutal repression of dissent.

"The Kremlin is also ramping up its repression within Russia," Blinken warned. He said that "even before the invasion, it was shuttering human rights organisations and harassing, poisoning, and imprisoning anti-corruption activists and political opponents".

Also Read -- Russian column bears down on Kyiv, more rockets hit centre of Kharkiv

And since the invasion began just six days ago, "authorities reportedly have detained thousands of Russians peacefully protesting the invasions, as well as journalists covering the demonstrations", he added.

The top US diplomat called on the council to "send a united message that President Putin should unconditionally stop this unprovoked attack... and immediately withdraw Russian forces from Ukraine". He also demanded "steps to hold the perpetrators accountable".

Blinken voiced outrage that a member of the top UN rights body would carry out such a "flagrant assault on Ukraine's sovereignty.

"One can reasonably ask whether a UN member state that tries to take over another UN member state, while committing horrific human rights abuses and causing massive humanitarian suffering, should be allowed to remain on this council," he said.

Suspending one of the council's 47 members requires a majority vote in the UN General Assembly in New York, something that has only happened once before, with Libya in 2011.

Also Read -- Not being allowed to board train from Kharkiv: Indian students

Earlier Tuesday, diplomats from a wide range of countries staged a walkout from the rights council as a video statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov played.

They followed Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko out of the room and gathered around a large Ukrainian flag to show their support for the Ukrainian people.

In his speech before a nearly empty room, Lavrov meanwhile blamed Kyiv for the crisis, accusing Ukraine's government of pursuing "a course of aggressive derusification" and increasing "criminal actions". He also slammed the West for the "unilateral illegitimate sanctions" imposed on his country, blaming them for preventing him from travelling to Geneva in person as planned and thus "evading the direct honest face-to-face dialogue they clearly fear."

The broad and massive sanctions, he said, show that "the West has clearly lost control of itself in its desire to vent its anger on Russia and has gone to the extent of destroying all the institutions and rules it has created."

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Ukraine said Tuesday eight people had been killed in a Russian air strike on a residential building in the eastern city of Kharkiv, where Russian missiles destroyed an administrative building earlier.

"As a result of an air strike... eight people were killed and six injured in Kharkiv," Ukraine's emergency service said. Rescue workers had recovered two people alive from the debris, they added.

Also Read -- Russia steps up attacks on Ukrainian cities

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city and located close to the Russian border, has witnessed fierce fighting between the Ukrainian army and Russian troops, which last week launched an invasion of its neighbour.

On Tuesday morning, Ukraine said Russian forces had fired on its local administration building and central square with missiles, killing at least 10 people and wounding 20.

Russian shelling killed at least 11 civilians in the city on Monday.

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People walk by a damaged vehicle and an armored car at a checkpoint outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap



Like much of the world, Arabs were stunned by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but shock quickly gave way to indignation over media commentary seen by many as racist against people from the Middle East.



"This isn't a place  with all due respect, you know  like Iraq or Afghanistan that has seen conflict raging for decades," said Charlie D'Agata of US network CBS News.



"This is a relatively civilized, relatively European  I have to choose those words carefully too  city where you wouldn't expect that or hope it is going to happen."



A day later, after much online furore, D'Agata apologized for his "poor choice of words."



This was just one of many remarks on reputable media outlets drawing a line between the conflict unfolding in Ukraine and those in other parts of the world.



But Arabs were quick to point out the double standard, noting that while the toll of war may be similar in the respective conflicts, the media treatment is not.



Many also drew a comparison between Europe's welcoming of Ukrainian refugees and the influx of Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans, which was declared a "migrant crisis."



Political scientist Ziad Majed said that, while there was "magnificent solidarity" from the world over the Ukraine conflict, it also revealed a "shocking distinction."



The discrepancies in media treatment revealed the "dehumanization of refugees from the Middle East," said Majed, a professor at the American University of Paris.



"When we hear some commentators speaking about 'people like us', this suggests that those coming from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan or Africa are not (like them)."



'Racist coverage'



The Qatari channel Al Jazeera English was also not immune to the controversy.



"These are not, obviously, refugees trying to get away from areas in the Middle East that are still in a big state of war," said one of its anchors.



"They look like any European family that you would live next door to."



The network later issued an apology, describing the remarks as "insensitive and irresponsible."



Salem Barahmeh, director of the pro-Palestinian platform Rabet, was quick to point out seeming discrepancies in the commentary.



"First we discover that international law still exists. Refugees are welcome depending where they come from. Resistance to occupation is not only legitimate but a right," he wrote on Twitter.



The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists' Association condemned "examples of racist news coverage that ascribes more importance to some victims of war than others."



"This type of commentary reflects the pervasive mentality in Western journalism of normalising tragedy in parts of the world such as the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Latin America."



'Civilized'



For Syrians, the disparity in media treatment is particularly striking as Russia launched a bloody intervention to prop up Bashar al-Assad's regime more than six years ago.



Before the war in Ukraine, Majed said, Syrian territory served as a "laboratory" for the Russian army, on which it "tested its arsenal and tactics."



Journalist Philippe Corbe referenced that conflict when he spoke about the Ukraine refugee flow on French broadcaster BFM TV.



"We are not talking about Syrians fleeing the bombardment of the Syrian regime, supported by Vladimir Putin," he said.



"We are talking about Europeans who are leaving in their cars, that look like our cars... and who are just trying to save their lives."



Contacted by AFP, the broadcaster said Corbe's remarks were "clumsy but taken out of context... (and) led to the mistaken belief that he was defending a position opposite to the one he wanted to emphasize, and he regrets this."



Some Arabs have poked fun at what they see as double standards.



A popular meme shows a scene from US sitcom Family Guy, where the main character stands behind a skin tone chart with a line in the middle that indicates who is considered "civilized" and "uncivilized."



But for others, the issue is no laughing matter.



AdeelaOfficial, an Instagram account dedicated to offering humorous commentary on celebrity news, took a break from the jokes to decry media "racism."



"The Western media claims to protect human rights and defend democracy, when in reality it is ignorant, racist and cannot see beyond its own nose," it charged.



Majed said that "we can understand that the Ukrainians are Europeans and that the memory of war in Europe can revive a lot of emotions."



But he argued that the discourse also illustrates an extreme shift to the right in public debate, saying that "certain political elites don't have any problem expressing themselves as though racist speech has now been permitted." (AFP)


Keerthana is on a train to Rakhiv, a city located on the western side of Ukraine. Her destination is Romania. The train had just reached Ivano-Frankivsk.

"It is packed," Keerthana told DH.

A medical student in Kyiv, Keerthana has been surviving on chips and water on the 19-hour journey from Kyiv. All through the journey, she has been on her feet like many other Indian students.

On the train, there are around 190 to 200 Indian students. "We are just hoping to reach any safe border," she said.

On Monday, some students, including Keerthana, had sent SOS messages saying they were not allowed to board the train at Kyiv.

Read | Govt asks Indians to leave Kyiv immediately

"Yesterday we were told by the embassy that we will be shifted safely if we reach the station. So we packed our bags and reached the station in the morning. We changed three platforms at the station and finally while we were trying to get into the train, we were pushed out and most of us fell down. We tried boarding three trains, but only Ukrainians were allowed to board,'' she said on Monday.

Around 4.15 on Monday evening, they were finally allowed to board a train. "We hope we will have a safer welcome at the borders," she said.

As the battle in Kharkiv intensifies, Sreehari, a medical student, who had been surviving in the bunker with rationed food and water along with other students, continues to be in Kharkiv.

"We are planning to travel to the western border by taking any train," he told DH on Tuesday.

"Evacuation via Belgorod (Russia) will be the easiest route," said his uncle whose daughter is also in Kharkiv. "Hope it works out."

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The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he plans to open an investigation as rapidly as possible into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement that the investigation will look at alleged crimes committed before the Russian invasion, but added that given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine.

The court already has conducted a preliminary probe into crimes linked to the violent suppression of pro-European protests in Kyiv in 2013-2014 by a pro-Russian Ukrainian administration and allegations of crimes in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and eastern Ukraine, where Russia has backed rebels since 2014.

In December 2020, then-ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the probe uncovered indications that a broad range of conduct constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity within the jurisdiction of the Court have been committed in Ukraine.

Also read: Over 5 lakh refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia waged war

However, the court's prosecutors had not yet sought permission from judges to open a full-scale investigation.

Khan says he now wants to open the investigation envisaged by his predecessor and broaden it to include crimes committed in fighting since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week.

Khan said he would continue to monitor developments in Ukraine, where there have been reports of civilian casualties, and he called for "restraint and strict adherence to the applicable rules of international humanitarian law.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet says her office has confirmed that 102 civilians, including seven children, have been killed in the Russian invasion and 304 others wounded in Ukraine since Thursday.

She cautioned that the tally was likely a vast undercount.

Also read: Russia's attack slowing down? Not so fast, experts say

Neither Russia nor Ukraine is among the court's 123 member states, but Ukraine has accepted the court's jurisdiction, which empowers Khan to investigate.

Khan has told his team to explore how to preserve evidence of crimes and said that the next step is to seek authorisation from the court's judges to open an investigation.

However, he added that the process would be speeded up if a member nation of the court were to ask for an investigation in what is known as a referral.

That would allow us to actively and immediately proceed with the (prosecution) Office's independent and objective investigations, Khan said.

He said he also would seek support from the court's member states and the international community to fund the investigation.

I will be calling for additional budgetary support, for voluntary contributions to support all our situations, and for the loan of gratis personnel, he said.

The importance and urgency of our mission is too serious to be held hostage to lack of means.
Facing deepening isolation on the world stage, Russia faced a crucial test of support Monday as the 193 members of the UN General Assembly held an extraordinary debate on a resolution condemning Moscow's "unprovoked armed aggression" in Ukraine.

During the rare emergency special session -- just the 11th the Assembly has held in the United Nations' 77-year history -- Russia defended its decision to invade its neighbor as member state after member state made a plea for peace.

"The fighting in Ukraine must stop," warned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, after the session began with a minute of silence for the victims of the conflict.

"Enough is enough. Soldiers need to move back to their barracks. Leaders need to move to peace. Civilians must be protected," he pleaded.

Also read: Centre exempts Ukraine evacuees from Covid protocols

More than 100 countries were expected to speak as the global body decides if it will support the resolution that demands Russia immediately withdraws its troops from Ukraine.

The resolution is non-binding but will serve as marker of how isolated Russia is.

A vote may not come until Tuesday. Its authors hope they may exceed 100 votes in favor -- though countries including Syria, China, Cuba and India are expected to either support Russia or abstain.

It will be seen as a barometer of democracy in a world where autocratic sentiment has been on the rise, diplomats said, pointing to such regimes in Myanmar, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, Nicaragua -- and, of course, Russia.

"If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive. Have no illusions," said Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, imploring countries to support the resolution.

"We can save Ukraine, save the United Nations, save democracy and defend the values we believe in," he added.

Follow live Ukraine-Russia crisis updates here

Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia reiterated Moscow's stance -- flatly rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies -- that its military operation was launched to protect residents of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.

"The hostilities were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents," he said from the podium.

"Russia is seeking to end this war," he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Moscow has pleaded "self-defense" under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

But that has been roundly rejected by Western countries and the UN, which accuse Moscow of violating Article 2 of the Charter, requiring its members to refrain from the threat or use of force to resolve a crisis.

Addressing the General Assembly, British ambassador Barbara Woodward said countries "must stand together to defend the rules and enforce the accountability that we have built together."

"If we do not stand up for them now, then the safety of every nation's borders and independence are at risk," she said.

The move to hold the emergency session was sparked by Russia on Friday using its veto to block a Security Council resolution that condemned Moscow's invasion and called for the immediate withdrawal of its troops.

Explained | Can NATO or UN send troops to help Ukraine amid Russia invasion?

Russia voted against the resolution, but it did not have veto power to derail the referral of the war to the General Assembly, allowed under a 1950 resolution called "Uniting for Peace."

It allows for members of the Security Council to seize the General Assembly for a special session if the five permanent members -- Russia, the United States, Britain, France and China -- fail to agree to act together to maintain peace.

There is no right of veto at the General Assembly, which held a similar vote in 2014 condemning Russia's seizure of Crimea and obtained 100 votes in support.

Separately Monday, the Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, where up to seven million people are expected to flee the fighting.

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The Ukrainian special forces commander inspected the remains of a bridge his teams had blown up at the gates of Kyiv and explained his strategy for fighting Russian "saboteurs".

"We have our agents living with the locals," Spear unit commander Viktor Chelovan said.

"If strangers come into our villages, people send us signals, call us, and we go out and take care of these saboteurs."

A fear of Russians disguised as locals is gradually gripping Ukraine.

Also Read | India summons Russia, Ukraine envoys after student killed in Kharkiv

It crept into Kyiv when Russian paratroopers dropped into a local airfield on the northwestern edge of the city in the first hours of their invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.

The precise number of who landed -- or who survived the Ukrainian counter-offensive -- is unclear.

But residents of the neighbouring village of Irpin have been reporting strange things in their woods ever since.

"We have people who look like locals shooting at other locals," said Irpin resident Andriy Levanchuk.

The 39-year-old financial adviser was using a perilous-looking crossing made of pipes and wires to get to the other side of the small but surprisingly rapid Irpin River.

Also Read | Indian embassy did not reach out to students stuck in Ukraine, alleges father of boy killed in shelling

The regular bridge above him was blown up by Ukrainian forces to halt the Russian advance.

"These are Russian paratroopers who hide in the woods, enter people's apartments, take their clothes, change and try to walk around in civilian clothes," Levanchuk said.

Military analysts believe Levanchuk's hunch about strangers in the woods might be right.

Mykola Beleskov of Kyiv's National Institute for Strategic Studies said Russia was "employing special forces of different kinds en masse" to try and capture the Ukrainian capital.

"They are trying to combine airstrikes, artillery and infiltration commandos, who basically provide support for a very gradual advance," he said.

Also read | Russia to continue Ukraine operation until goals achieved, says minister

The Russian advance on the historic city seemed imminent when the paratroopers arrived.

But Ukrainian forces put up stiff resistance at the city's northern entrance and then recaptured the airfield.

They then started blowing up bridges and setting up barricades across the city to stall the invasion by any means possible.

Kyiv residents such as 19-year-old student Ibrahim Shelia further took matters into their own hands.

Shelia and his friends began digging a trench in front of their building to lob Molotov cocktails at the Russian tanks.

Also Read | Russia warns Kyiv residents ahead of attacks on intel sites

Yet they also decided to keep a close eye out for people who look like they do not belong.

"The other day, with my guys, we stopped a car that some local people had tipped us off about," Shelia said a few minutes before Kyiv entered its nightly curfew -- another measure aimed at better fighting intruders.

"There were four people inside with two maps of Ukraine, two laptops and every one had two Ukrainian passports: the first was the new version, the second the old one," he said.

"We immediately called the police. Everyone was arrested and taken away."

The mayor of Irpin also said his men had picked up some Russians after a tip from one of the local villagers.

Also Read | The Azov Sea, symbolic prize of Russia-Ukraine war

"Of course there are saboteurs," mayor Oleksandr Markushin said while inspecting the remains of his town's main bridge.

A few policemen nearby argued about how long it might take to repair their town's crossing to Kyiv once the war ends.

But the commander of the special forces had no time for idle chitchat and tried to steer the conversation toward the threat at hand.

"There are three types of saboteurs," he said.

"There are the Russian special forces and GRU (military intelligence) planted here before the war. Their main job was to assist the Russian invasion," he said.

Follow live Ukraine-Russia crisis updates here

Chelovan said the second group was sent in "to destabilise daily life" with various attacks.

"The third group are intelligence agents whose only goal is to kill various Ukrainian leaders," said the commander.

A group of volunteer soldiers were trying to manoeuvre a new shipment of Kalashnikovs across the makeshift river crossing as he spoke.

"But most importantly, they are trying to kill the leaders of the people's resistance movement," Chelovan said.

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Queen Elizabeth II held two virtual audiences on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace said, after she was forced to cancel engagements last week due to Covid.

Concerns have mounted for the 95-year-old monarch's health since she tested positive on February 20, overshadowing the start of her record-breaking 70th year on the throne.

But a palace statement indicated she was now well enough to hold engagements, hosting the new ambassadors of Andorra and Chad from her home at Windsor Castle.

The Queen last week cancelled similar scheduled engagements with new ambassadors as she was suffering from what were described as "mild" Covid symptoms.

A diplomatic reception she was also due to attend on Wednesday this week was cancelled on the advice of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Buckingham Palace has said it will not give a running commentary on the head of state's health, but confirmation she is undertaking duties again will be seen as a positive.

She was forced to slow down on medical advice after spending a night in hospital following unspecified tests in October last year.

She has rarely been seen in public since.

The Queen became the first monarch in British history to reign for 70 years on February 6, and public celebrations are planned to mark the event in early June.

Senior members of the royal family are due to visit eight of the 14 Commonwealth countries outside the UK where she is also queen and head of state in the coming weeks.

Her grandson Prince William and his wife Catherine are due to tour Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas in a visit likely to be keenly watched for republican sentiment.

Barbados became the world's newest republic in November last year, ending its three centuries of association with the UK and the queen as head of state.

Both main political parties in Jamaica back the idea of becoming a republic, and could be spurred into emulating their Caribbean counterparts, royal experts say.

The Platinum Jubilee year has also been overshadowed by the Queen's second son, Prince Andrew, who settled a US civil case for sexual assault.

Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, is meanwhile under scrutiny after police in London announced a probe into "cash for honours" claims connected to one his charities.

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Russia's foreign minister told a Geneva disarmament meeting on Tuesday that Kyiv has been seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, calling this a real danger that it needed to prevent.

"Ukraine still has Soviet technologies and the means of delivery of such weapons," Sergei Lavrov told the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament in a pre-recorded address. "We cannot fail to respond to this real danger."

He delivered the speech to a thin crowd since many diplomats including France and Britain staged a walk-out to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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They stood in a circle outside the meeting for the duration of Lavrov's speech, holding a Ukrainian flag. Lavrov was supposed to attend the session in person but the visit was cancelled, with Russia accusing unidentified EU states of blocking his flight path.

At the same meeting, Ukraine's foreign minister accused Russia of war crimes through its shelling of his country and called for a special meeting to address Russian aggression and weapons of mass destruction.

Earlier in the session, the president organised a minute of silence for the victims of fighting in Ukraine.

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Russian troops and pro-Moscow rebels have linked up in a key region along the Azov Sea coast in eastern Ukraine, a defence ministry spokesman said Tuesday, on the sixth day of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian troops annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and have used the region to launch attacks since Thursday when Moscow began its invasion.

The rebels had "joined the military units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which took control of the regions of Ukraine along the coast of the Sea of Azov," Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.

Pro-Kremlin separatist fighters in east Ukraine have been pushing west as part of the offensive. A defence official in the Donetsk breakaway region earlier Tuesday said forces intended to surround a key port city separating the annexed peninsula and rebel territory.

Electricity has been cut off in the key southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol on the Azov Sea following attacks from advancing Russian forces, the head of the region Pavlo Kyrylenko said earlier in the day.

Konashenkov said that on Tuesday, "the Russian army carried out strikes with long-range high-precision weapons from the sea," without specifying the targeted area.

He said that "two airfields and three air defence radars were hit" in Ukraine, adding that no civilian infrastructure was targeted.

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Kharkiv region head Oleg Synegubov said on Tuesday that Russian missile attacks hit the centre of Ukraine's second-largest city, including residential areas and the regional administration building, as Moscow started day six of its invasion.

Synegubov said Russia launched GRAD and cruise missiles on Kharkiv but that the city defence was holding. "Such attacks are genocide of the Ukrainian people, a war crime against the civilian population!" he said.

Russia is waging war in violation of international humanitarian law. Kills civilians, destroys civilian infrastructure. Russias main target is large cities that now fired at by its missiles. Kharkiv, Administration building pic.twitter.com/BJgyNnDp1h  MFA of Ukraine  (@MFA_Ukraine) March 1, 2022

Wearing a flak jacket and a helmet, Synegubov said in a video posted on social media on Tuesday morning that it was too early to know the number of casualties.

He shared a video showing Kharkiv regional administration building being hit by a missile and exploding.

Dmytro Kulebam, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, tweeted "Barbaric Russian missile strikes on the central Freedom Square and residential districts of Kharkiv. Putin is unable to break Ukraine down. He commits more war crimes out of fury, murders innocent civilians. The world can and must do more. INCREASE PRESSURE, ISOLATE RUSSIA FULLY!"

Barbaric Russian missile strikes on the central Freedom Square and residential districts of Kharkiv. Putin is unable to break Ukraine down. He commits more war crimes out of fury, murders innocent civilians. The world can and must do more. INCREASE PRESSURE, ISOLATE RUSSIA FULLY! pic.twitter.com/tN4VHF1A9n  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 1, 2022

Reuters was not immediately able to verify that video independently.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a special operation that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbour's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.
The Russian army may have advanced less fast than planned in five days of war in Ukraine, but experts on Monday warned against jumping to conclusions from the apparent slowdown.

The army is preparing strikes on Ukraine's capital Kyiv and other cities and, at the same time, trying to link together its attack forces in the south of the country.

Both strategies are certain to put many more civilians in harm's way.

The US defence department has said that Russia was "frustrated" by stiff Ukrainian resistance, saying half of Moscow's troops previously massed at the border were now inside Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Russian soldiers to lay down their arms, telling them to "just save your lives".

But experts say the Russian war effort is far from running out of steam.

Also read: Ukraine's EU dream: The long road to Brussels

"They're not bogged down," said Olivier Kempf, head of La Vigie, a strategy consultancy.

"This is war, so there are difficulties. They may have logistics issues. But regardless of what we're told, they are making progress," he told AFP. "Only in video games do you conquer a country in two days."

Russia's overall superiority, especially in the skies, gives it "a significant degree of freedom of movement across the country", said Nick Brown at Janes, a British defence intelligence service.

"Satellite imagery of long columns of vehicles in the open suggests that they remain confident of their own positions and Ukraine's inability to roll them up," he said.

Battles are raging in southern Ukraine where Russian troops have pushed forward from Crimea, with now a gap of only a few dozen kilometres (miles) left between the Russian army's southwestern and southeastern flanks.

Ukrainian forces are fighting hard to prevent a link-up of the two Russian attack wings, which experts say would be a game changer.

The strategic port cities of Odessa to the west and Mariupol -- still held by Ukraine -- in the east are the region's prime targets for Russia.

A fall of Mariupol "would allow territorial continuity between the Rostov-on-Don region and Crimea", said one French military source, who declined to be named.

This would give Russia an opportunity to "absorb or annex" Ukraine's entire east, the source said.

Also read: Ukraine talks yield no breakthrough as Russians close in

Russia could also engage in a pincer movement against Ukrainian forces in the breakaway Donbas region -- even if it could be a challenge to "seize, hold and dominate the territory that they have covered to ensure their own security", Brown cautioned.

Civilian casualties have remained contained at several hundred on the Ukrainian side, and Russia has told Kyiv residents that they are free to leave the city to the south.

Moscow has also accused Ukraine of using civilians as human shields.

"Ukraine is not like Syria for the Russians," said one European diplomatic source. "It's much more difficult for them to justify carpet-bombing."

Aware that many Russians have friends and family in Ukraine, Putin deliberately labelled the leadership in Kyiv "Nazis", the source said, because "Russians don't start out by thinking of Ukrainians as enemies".

The call to the population to leave Kyiv may well prepare the ground for more intense air strikes on the capital, the French military source said.

In Kharkiv, meanwhile, Russian troops are firing rockets in the intense struggle for Ukraine's second-biggest city, the source said.

"That means that the Russians are hitting hard, and more and more indiscriminately," the source said. "The coming days will be much tougher."

This view was shared elsewhere, with one security source telling AFP that a second Russian attack wave was "imminent".

"They are preparing something truly massive," added a diplomatic source.
President Vladimir Putin's order to place Russia's strategic forces on high alert has served as a stark reminder that he commands what experts agree is the world's biggest nuclear arsenal.

Here is a snapshot of Russia's nuclear capabilities, and how a strike might be launched.

Russia owns the greatest number of nuclear warheads of any country, although the United States has more deployed, or immediately usable, warheads.

The SIPRI peace research institute in Stockholm has counted 6,255 Russian warheads against 5,550 for the US. China follows far behind with 350 and France with 290.

These figures, although widely accepted, are nevertheless estimates, notably because not all nuclear-capable weapons systems actually carry nuclear warheads.

Also read: Ukraine talks yield no breakthrough as Russians close in

According to the Nobel peace prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Russia spent $8.0 billion in 2020 on the building and maintenance of its nuclear arsenal.

The Russian constitution gives the president control over nuclear weapons, but the transmission of any order to use them, and the authentification of that order, also involve the defence minister and the armed forces' chief-of-staff.

How such a scenario would play out exactly "we don't know", said Pavel Podvig, a Russian independent military expert.

The two subordinates have "no right to veto, but there is still some kind of deliberation process," he said, adding: "It's not like there is a button on the president's table, there is a procedure."

Even if a nuclear strike order should come down, there is still the question of whether the armed forces would comply.

"They are not mad and they are not sectarians," said Pavel Luzin, a Russian military expert based in Moscow at Riddle, a think tank.

Many Russian government officials may well agree with western analysts who say that Russia would have much more to lose than to gain if it unleashed nuclear war.

"I personally don't think the Russian military elite will cheer at the idea of limited nuclear use in or about Ukraine," tweeted Kristin Ven Bruusgaard at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation.

"But who will break the news to Putin that this may in fact not work?", she added.

Putin in 2020 adopted a doctrine for the possible use of nuclear weapons, experts Hans Kristensen and Matt Korda recalled in last week's issue of the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists".

According to the doctrine, there are four acceptable justifications for going nuclear: A ballistic missile attack against Russia or an ally, the use of a nuclear weapon by an enemy, an attack on a Russian nuclear weapons site, or any attack threatening the existence of the state.

They quoted Putin as saying that Russia -- which claims it has modernised close to 90 percent of its nuclear arsenal -- could never allow itself to "stand idle" in the face of potential enemies.

"You stop for one second and you start falling behind immediately," they quoted Putin as saying.

They added that Russian thinking may already have gone beyond the published doctrine.

"For example, officials explicitly threatened to use nuclear weapons against ballistic missile defense facilities, and in regional scenarios that do not threaten Russia's survival or involve attacks with weapons of mass destruction," they said.

"The real doctrine," they added, "goes beyond basic deterrence and toward regional war fighting strategies, or even weapons aimed at causing terror."
Ukrainians get ready to board a bus to Poland at Lviv bus main station in western Ukraine, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap



Western sanctions will never make Russia change its position on Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.



Responding to a barrage of Western sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "They are counting on forcing us to change our position. This is out of the question."



Peskov told reporters that President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on a first round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials on Monday but it was too early to judge the outcome.



There were no plans for talks between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he said, adding that Moscow still recognized Zelenskiy as Ukraine's leader.



Zelenskiy, he said, could prevent further casualties if he gave the command to lay down arms.



Ukraine has refused to surrender and its forces have put up strong resistance to Russia's assault from the north, east and south, which Moscow describes as a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" the country  a justification dismissed by Kyiv and the West as war propaganda.



Peskov dismissed allegations of Russian strikes on civilian targets and the use of cluster bombs and vacuum bombs as fakes.



He categorically denied that Russia had committed war crimes.



Ukraine says large numbers of civilians have been killed.



Peskov said, without providing evidence, that Ukrainian nationalist groups were using people as human shields.



Peskov declined to comment on whether the Kremlin considers the capital Kyiv to be under the control of Nazis, referring the question to the Russian military. (Reuters)


Last Wednesday, a few hours before Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine, alarms went off inside Microsofts Threat Intelligence Center, warning of a never-before-seen piece of wiper malware that appeared aimed at the countrys government ministries and financial institutions.

Within three hours, Microsoft threw itself into the middle of a ground war in Europe  from 5,500 miles away. The threat center, north of Seattle, had been on high alert, and it quickly picked apart the malware, named it FoxBlade and notified Ukraines top cyberdefense authority. Within three hours, Microsofts virus detection systems had been updated to block the code, which erases  wipes  data on computers in a network.

Follow live updates on Russia-Ukraine crisis here

Then Tom Burt, the senior Microsoft executive who oversees the companys effort to counter major cyberattacks, contacted Anne Neuberger, the White Houses deputy national security adviser for cyber- and emerging technologies. Neuberger asked if Microsoft would consider sharing details of the code with the Baltics, Poland and other European nations, out of fear that the malware would spread beyond Ukraines borders, crippling the military alliance or hitting West European banks.

Before midnight in Washington, Neuberger had made introductions  and Microsoft had begun playing the role that Ford Motor Co. did in World War II, when the company converted automobile production lines to make Sherman tanks.

After years of discussions in Washington and in tech circles about the need for public-private partnerships to combat destructive cyberattacks, the war in Ukraine is stress-testing the system. The White House, armed with intelligence from the National Security Agency and United States Cyber Command, is overseeing classified briefings on Russias cyberoffensive plans. Even if US intelligence agencies picked up on the kind of crippling cyberattacks that someone  presumably Russian intelligence agencies or hackers  threw at Ukraines government, they do not have the infrastructure to move that fast to block them.

Also Read | Who are the Anonymous group and why they are censoring Russian state media

We are a company and not a government or a country, Brad Smith, Microsofts president, noted in a blog post issued by the company Monday, describing the threats it was seeing. But the role it is playing, he made clear, is not a neutral one. He wrote about constant and close coordination with the Ukrainian government, as well as federal officials, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

Ive never seen it work quite this way, or nearly this fast, Burt said. We are doing in hours now what, even a few years ago, would have taken weeks or months.

The intelligence is flowing in many directions.

Company executives, some newly armed with security clearances, are joining secure calls to hear an array of briefings organized by the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, along with British authorities, among others. But much of the actionable intelligence is being found by companies like Microsoft and Google, which can see what is flowing across their vast networks.

Also Read | Cyberwarfare and countries involved: Ukraine among 3 most affected by Russian cyber activity

President Joe Bidens aides often note that it was a private firm  Mandiant  that found the SolarWinds attack 15 months ago, in which one of Russias most cybersavvy intelligence agencies, the SVR, infiltrated network management software used by thousands of US government agencies and private businesses. That gave the Russian government unfettered access.

Such attacks have given Russia a reputation as one of the most aggressive, and skilled, cyberpowers. But the surprise of recent days is that Russias activity in that realm has been more muted than expected, researchers said.

Most early tabletop exercises about a Russian invasion started with overwhelming cyberattacks, taking out the internet in Ukraine and perhaps the power grid. So far, that hasnt happened.

Many people are quite surprised that there isnt significant integration of cyberattacks into the overall campaign that Russia is undertaking in Ukraine, said Shane Huntley, director of Googles threat analysis group. This is mostly business as normal as to the levels of Russian targeting.

Huntley said Google regularly observes some Russian attempts to hack accounts of people in Ukraine. The normal level is actually never zero, he said. But those attempts have not markedly increased in the past several days, as Russia has invaded Ukraine.

We have seen some Russian activity targeting Ukraine; it just hasnt been the big sets, said Ben Read, a director at the security firm Mandiant.

It is not clear to US or European officials why Russia held off.

Also Read | Ukrainian govt websites hit by cyberattacks amid Russia's military operation

It could be that they tried but defenses were stronger than they anticipated, or that the Russians wanted to reduce the risk of attacking civilian infrastructure, so that a puppet government they installed would not struggle to rule the country.

But US officials said a massive cyberattack by Russia on Ukraine  or beyond, in retaliation for the economic and technology sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe  is hardly off the table. Some speculate that just as Moscow steps up its indiscriminate bombing, it will seek to cause as much economic disruption as it can muster.

The longer and more effectively the Ukrainian resistance holds out against Russias army, the more Moscow could be tempted to begin using the armada of Russian cyberforces, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, said last week.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, disclosed Sunday that it had discovered hackers taking over accounts belonging to Ukrainian military officials and public figures. The hackers tried to use their access to these accounts to spread disinformation, posting videos that purported to show the Ukrainian military surrendering. Meta responded by locking down the accounts and alerting the users who had been targeted.

Twitter said it had found signs that hackers attempted to compromise accounts on its platform, and YouTube said it had removed five channels that posted videos used in the disinformation campaign.

Also Read | Ukraine under 'continuous' cyberattack: Kyiv

Meta executives said the Facebook hackers were affiliated with a group known as Ghostwriter, which security researchers believe to be associated with Belarus.

Ghostwriter is known for its strategy of hacking public figures email accounts, then using that access to compromise their social media accounts as well. The group has been heavily active in Ukraine during the past two months, said Read, who researches the group.

While US officials do not assess any direct threat to the United States from stepped-up Russian cyberoperations, that calculation could change.

US and European sanctions are biting harder than expected. Warner said that Russia could respond with either direct cyberattacks against NATO countries or, more likely, in effect unleashing all of the Russian cybercriminals on ransomware attacks at a massive level that still allows them some deniability of responsibility.

Russian ransomware criminal groups conducted a devastating series of attacks in the US last year against hospitals, a meat-processing company and most notably, the company that operates gasoline pipelines along the East Coast. While Russia has taken steps to rein in those groups in recent months  after months of meetings between Neuberger and her Russian counterpart, Moscow conducted some high-profile arrests in January  it could easily reverse its crackdown efforts.

But Biden has stepped up his warnings to Russia against any sort of cyberattack on the United States.

If Russia pursues cyberattacks against our companies, our critical infrastructure, we are prepared to respond, Biden said Thursday.

It was the third time Biden had issued such a warning since winning the election. While any Russian attack on the US seems like it would be a reckless escalation, Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif., who leads the House Intelligence Committee, noted that Putins decision-making so far has proved poor.

Theres a risk that whatever cybertools Russia uses in Ukraine dont stay in Ukraine, he said last week. Weve seen this before, where malware directed to a certain target gets released in the wild and then takes on a life of its own. So we could be the victim of Russian malware that has gone beyond its intended target.

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With Ukraine pleading to be allowed to join the European Union as Russia invades, we look at the bloc's history of expansion and its crowded waiting room.

The European bloc, which began with six countries in 1957, has expanded several times with some of the most geopolitically sensitive additions coming since 1995.

That year Austria, Sweden and Finland joined, giving the bloc a border with Russia for the first time.

Then in an historic 2004 expansion, the EU embraced eight former communist countries including Poland, the Baltic states, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, as well the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Malta.

In 2007 former Eastern Bloc stalwarts Bulgaria and Romania also joined, followed by Croatia in 2013.

Then in 2016 came the shock of the Brexit referendum when the United Kingdom narrowly voted to leave. The acrimonious divorce was finalised in 2020.

The EU now has 27 members.

Also read: Zelenskyyy signs formal request to join the European Union

Four western Balkan countries are officially candidates for membership, but have been in the EU's waiting room for several years.

North Macedonia has been waiting since 2005, Montenegro since 2010, Serbia since 2012 and Albania since 2014.

"We are one European family... and I'm deeply convinced we share the same destiny," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told them in October.

Turkey, a candidate since 1999, finally launched membership negotiations in 2005.

But its relationship with the EU degenerated from 2013 and has never recovered from a harsh crackdown by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his opponents after a failed coup in 2016.

In 2019 EU governments declared the talks dead.

Two other members of the former Yugoslavia -- Bosnia and Kosovo -- are considered as potential candidates, but do not yet meet the EU's criteria for membership.

Brussels launched an Eastern Partnership with a raft of former Soviet republics in 2009 including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

It held out closer economic and political relations in exchange for reforms.

Also read: Russia's nuclear force, the world's biggest

Some of these countries, notably Ukraine and Georgia, consider the accords as a stepping stone to full membership, but have been offered no guarantees by EU leaders.

Authoritarian Belarus suspended its participation last year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked for "immediate" membership of the EU on Monday.

However, EU membership is a long and complicated process, and negotiations generally take several years.

While it took just four years to admit Finland, the three Baltic ex-Soviet republics went through nine years of talks and reforms.

The first step to membership is being recognised as a candidate country. Then lengthy negotiations start, during which it has to prove that it meets the EU's democratic, economic and political standards.

Stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, respect of human rights and minorities and a viable market economy are musts.

Zelenskyy called for a new "special procedure" to speed up Ukraine's membership, saying "I'm sure it's fair. I'm sure it's possible."
Ukrainians arriving into the European Union on Tuesday described their frantic journeys to the border after leaving behind husbands and fathers to fight a Russian invasion and escaping their homes to the sound of shelling.

As a massive Russian convoy rumbles toward the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the United Nations said more than 500,000 refugees had fled to neighbouring countries since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he has called "a special military operation" last Thursday.

At the Hungarian border crossing Tiszabecs, a young mother cradled a baby in her arms as she and her son recounted watching rockets stream through the air before they drove for four days from the capital Kyiv.

Read more: Zelenskyy says Russian shelling of Kharkiv a 'war crime'

"I saw war, I saw rockets," said 15-year-old Ivan, who looked exhausted and pale after the journey. The family, whose father stayed behind to fight, travelled in two cars carrying Ivan's three sisters, two aunts and grandmother.

New arrivals continued to pour across central European border crossings, with news of fierce fighting, civilian deaths and the massive Russian convoy stoking worries of those fleeing the war.

Across central Europe, authorities set up makeshift reception centres in tents where people could get medical aid and process asylum papers, while thousands of volunteers have driven to the borders with donations of food, blankets and clothes.

Most of the refugees escaping the war have crossed into the European Union from borders in eastern Poland, Slovakia and Hungary and in northern and northeastern Romania.

Poland, whose Ukrainian community of around 1 million is the region's largest, has welcomed a big chunk of the arrivals. The Polish Border Guard said that over 377,400 people had so far entered from Ukraine , with around 24,000 arriving on Tuesday since 7 am local time.

At the Medyka crossing, Poland's busiest along its roughly 500-kilometre (310 miles) border with Ukraine, people huddled around a bonfire in freezing temperatures as they waited for buses to take them to reception centres. Discarded bottles, clothes and other items littered the road, and a few hundred people gathered near a local grocery store.

Also at the crossing was Ibrahima Sory Keita, who had arrived in Meliptopol three weeks ago from Guinea to begin studies.

Cities under siege across Ukraine are home to tens of thousands of African students studying medicine, engineering and military affairs. Thousands of Indian students are also trying to flee.

Keita and a few friends raced to the border when fighting broke out, walking the final 45 kilometres on foot.

"Everything hurts right now," he said after crossing the border. "I haven't had a chance to lie down for 4 days. I am shaking (from cold) and I need to sleep in a warm place."

Some refugees were met by family members already working in the European Union who waited at the many border crossings, while local residents and officials across the region offered apartments and set up reception centres for temporary lodging.

Hungarian police reported that more than 60,000 people have arrived in the country since the Russian invasion while nearly 90,000 have entered Romania.

At some border crossing, queues on the Ukrainian side stretched back for kilometres.

At the Budapest train station a newly-arrived Ukrainian man in his 60s met by volunteer workers worried about his sons who stayed behind in Kyiv and wondered whether he would ever return to his home.

"I think this war will be very long in time," said Amir, who did not want to give his last name. "I left my house, my car, all of my profit in my life, I left all. We have nothing now."

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By Anton Oleinik for The Conversation

Ukrainian resistance to Russias invasion has been fierce since Vladimir Putin attacked the country, raising questions about whether he would be able to rule Ukrainians as he pleases if he is ultimately successful in winning the war in military terms.

There are good reasons to believe that he would not. Even if victorious, Putin wont be able to achieve what he wants because to ultimately win, he will need to govern a country conquered against its will.

How well a country is governed depends on its culture  more precisely, on how compatible its culture is with the model of the government put in place.

The late American political scientist Harry Eckstein, an expert in political culture, once argued that governments perform well if their authority patterns are similar to the authority patterns of the governed society.

Also read: Putin stripped of taekwondo black belt over Ukraine invasion

In stable democracies, all organisations  including households  have some elements of democratic rule. Conversely, in autocracies, power tends to be centralised at all levels of social organisation. The father of the nation, a popular concept in Russia, is expected to act very much like the father of a family.

Power distance

The concept of power distance, originally proposed by the late Dutch social psychologist Geert Hofstede, helps measure to what extent inequality in the distribution of power is socially accepted.

The bigger the value of the power distance index, the more inequality is accepted, although Hofstede was interested mostly in the distribution of power within companies.

An in-depth comparative study of the perception of power conducted in Russia and Ukraine in 2015-16 shows Ukrainians and Russians regard power differently. The value of power distance index is 100.9 in Ukraine compared to 110.7 in Russia. Educated and well-off Ukrainians have a particularly low tolerance for inequality in the distribution of power.

Putins potential rule in Ukraine is therefore problematic because it would not match the model of power that Ukrainians are prepared to accept. Suspicion and rejection of autocratic power is deeply rooted in Ukrainian culture.

Also read: Ukraine crisis to test RBI inflation goal

The impact of the Cossacks

Ukraines most renowned historian, Mykhailo Hrushevsky, considers the Cossacks of the 15th and 16th centuries the predecessors of modern-day Ukraine.

The Cossacks  border militia hired by the Polish and Russian governments to protect against raids by the Tatars  had a reputation for being trouble-makers for any rulers, including the Poles, the Tatars and the Russians. Hrushevsky described the Cossacks as people knowing no authority over them. Even the Poles, who had their own problems with the concept of centralised power, called the Cossacks unruly.

Cossack military leaders, or starshina, were elected and easily replaceable. After a military loss, the Cossacks usually gathered and elected a new leader. No one among them possessed power permanently and with no strings attached.

Does the Cossack heritage still influence Ukraines culture, at least as far as the perception of power and those who possess it are concerned? The fierce resistance Ukrainian forces are showing against their Russian invaders suggest it might.

Ukrainian national culture was suppressed during the Soviet Union era and denigrated by Russia. That could explain Putins allegations that Ukrainians are ruled by nationalists and neo-Nazis.

Elements of Cossack culture were revived during the mass protests in 2013-14 against the former Ukrainian presidents efforts to replicate Putins style of governance. The protesters organised their tent camp in the centre of Kyiv along the organisational and spatial lines of Cossack military camps.

War creates nations

War often serves a trigger for the revival of a nations consciousness. British historical sociologist Anthony D Smith, an authority on nations and nationalism who died in 2016, wrote that warfare is one of the most powerful factors in the creation of both nations and ethnic communities in every period of history.

The 2014-15 military confrontation in eastern Ukraine and Crimea had precisely this effect. Todays full-fledged war waged by Putin will hardly be an exception. It will likely lead to an outcome clearly unanticipated by Putin  the further rejection by Ukrainians of autocratic rule.

If one placed Ukraine and Russia on a continuum from anarchy to autocracy, Ukraine would be closer to anarchy whereas Russia is an autocracy. Russia has always been a power-centred society where all key decisions are expected to be taken by a few  ideally, by one.

The alignment of Putins rule with the perception of power rooted in Russian culture explains its exemplary stability, at least so far  mass protests against the Ukrainian invasion in several Russian cities suggest growing dissent. Nonetheless, Russia and Ukraine appear to be almost perfect opposites, reducing the chance that Ukraine could be governed in a friendly manner by Putins Russia even if it wins the war.

The war in Ukraine confirms that power is about force in the Russian mindset. For Putin to transfer that mentality to Ukrainians would be a very difficult, if not impossible task.

(The author is from Memorial University of Newfoundland)

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After an Indian Student died in Ukraine, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that the government needs a strategic plan to evacuate stranded Indians. He also offered condolences on the demise of the student.

Gandhi tweeted, "Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious."

Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 1, 2022

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family."

Also Read | Opposition steps up attack on Modi govt over Ukraine evacuation after student's killing

He also said: "We convey our deepest condolences to the family."

India's foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage of the Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones.

"Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," Bagchi said.

Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of the second largest city Kharkiv on Tuesday damaging various installations over there.

The Russian troops have also surrounded Ukraine capital city Kiev on Tuesday and asked civilians to leave the city on the urgent note.

"All civilians in the city can freely leave the Ukrainian capital along the Kiev-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

Immediately thereafter, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked the stranded nationals to leave Kiev immediately by any means.

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The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday asked the stranded nationals to leave Kyiv immediately by any means as fighting has reached the Ukrainian capital city.

"All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," Indian embassy said in an advisory.

It is stated that Russian troops have reached Kyiv streets and aerial attacks are to begin.

Early this morning, the embassy stated that the 400 students housed near the embassy since February 24 have successfully left Kyiv by train through Mission's efforts.

"Ensured movement of more than 1,000 Indian students from Kyiv towards Western borders," the embassy had stated.

Also read: Indian student in Ukraine killed in Kharkiv shelling

However, a few students were left in Kyiv.

Now the embassy directed all Indian citizens to leave the city on an urgent basis.

On Monday, the Indian embassy in Ukraine had informed stranded nationals that weekend curfew had been lifted in Kyiv and advised them to move towards the railway station.

"All students are advised to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western parts," said the embassy in a statement adding that for students stranded on the left side of Dnipro, there are metros and buses functioning which can be used to move to the train station for onward movement.

Ukraine Railways is putting special trains for evacuations.

"We sincerely request all Indian nationals/students to remain calm, peaceful and united," the embassy stated.

A large crowd can be expected at the railway stations, therefore, it is advised that all Indian students remain patient, composed and especially not to exhibit aggressive behaviours while at the railway stations.

The embassy stated that stranded citizens could expect delays in trains' schedule, even cancellation at times and long queues.

Indian students are requested to carry their passports, sufficient cash, ready to eat meals, easy accessible winter clothing and only essential items, to ensure easy mobility.

"Be mindful of your belongings at all times," the embassy stated.

After the advisory, many students left Kyiv through trains.

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India has decided to send humanitarian assistance to Ukraine even as it once again tacitly sent out a message to Russia by expressing regret at the United Nations Security Council over the deteriorating situation in the East European nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told officials during a meeting in the evening that the first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on the borders of the country should be dispatched on Tuesday. He also once again expressed 'anguish' at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

There is no other choice, but to return back to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, New Delhi's envoy to the UN, T S Tirumurti, said, even as India once again abstained from voting at the Security Council on a procedural resolution to convene a rare emergency special session of the General Assembly of the international organisation on Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

He reiterated New Delhi's call for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to hostilities, thus nudging Moscow to stop military operations against the East European nation.

Follow live Ukraine-Russia crisis updates here

New Delhi has also decided to send humanitarian assistance to war-torn Ukraine, which has been resisting an invasion by Russia since February 24. Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), told journalists on Monday that the Government of India would send medicines and other essentials to the East European nation following a request Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla received from Kyiv's envoy to New Delhi, Igor Polikha, for humanitarian assistance.

Polikha earlier on the day told journalists that he had conveyed Ukraine's request for humanitarian assistance from India during a meeting on Sunday.

New Delhi has been cautiously avoiding siding with the US and other Western nations on the issue of Russia's military build-up around Ukraine. It has been calling for resolving the crisis through diplomacy and dialogue. After President Vladimir Putin ordered launch of the military offensives against Ukraine, India subtly changed tone and tacitly conveyed its disapproval to Russia. But New Delhi's decades-old friendly ties with Moscow stopped it from directly condemning Russia for invasion of Ukraine.

Not only India, but China and the United Arab Emirates also abstained from voting on the latest resolution at the UN Security Council early on Sunday. It was of course opposed by Russia, but finally adopted by the council, with 11 members  three permanent members and eight non-permanent members  voting in support of it. India is currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council.

Also Read | Do sanctions ever work? Could they stop Russias invasion of Ukraine?

The resolution adopted by the Security Council cleared the way for the UN General Assembly to hold an emergency session  for the 11th time since 1950  to discuss Russia's offensive against Ukraine.

Since the draft text of the resolution calling for the UN General Assembly session was procedural, Russia  a permanent member like China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States  could not exercise veto, like it did to block a Security Council resolution a couple of days ago.

India, China and the UAE had also abstained from voting on the resolution, which had not been adopted by the Security Council on February 25.

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India on Tuesday summoned the envoys of Russia and Ukraine after a medical student from Karnataka was killed in shelling by Russian Army in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine.

Naveen, a resident of Haveri in Karnataka, was killed near a grocery store when he was preparing to make an attempt to leave Kharkiv, which has been witnessing intense fight between Russian and Ukrainian forces for Lviv.

India's envoys to Russia and Ukraine, Pawan Kapoor and Partha Sathpathy, have also taken up the matter with their respective governments, demanding safe passage for the stranded Indians.

With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, tweeted. We convey our deepest condolences to the family.

Shringla called in Russias newly-appointed ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, and the deputy ambassador, Roman Babushkin, to his office in South Block soon after news of Naveens death arrived in New Delhi.

India conveyed to Russia and Ukraine that the deteriorating situation in Kharkiv was a matter of grave concern for the government.

A source in New Delhi said that the Embassy of India in Moscow had already stationed a team of officials at Belgorod, a town close to Russias border with Ukraine. It had been tasked to make arrangements for evacuation of citizens of Indians from Kharkiv and other places in war-torn eastern Ukraine through Russia. The evacuation route however could not be opened so far due to intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in and around Kharkiv and nearby cities, said the source.

The Foreign Secretary also called in Kyivs envoy to New Delhi, Igor Polikha, to request assistance from the Ukrainian government in evacuation of citizens of India.

Polikha had on Monday said that the Ukrainian government was trying its best to help citizens of India stranded in the war-torn East European nation, but only Russian President Vladimir Putin could ensure their safety by withdrawing his invading army and stopping the war.

India has a large number of citizens  mostly students  stranded in Kharkiv, Sumy and other places in eastern, south-eastern and north-eastern Ukraine  the areas, which have been witnessing intense fighting ever since the launch of military operations by Russia early on February 24.

New Delhi has been able to start evacuation of Indians from western Ukraine through neighbouring Romania, Poland, Slovak Republic and Hungary and is trying to do the same with Poland. But it has not been able to help the Indians in eastern Ukraine  even as many of them have already spent three days in bunkers and underground metro stations, which are being used as shelters amid bombing by Russia.

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India has decided to send humanitarian assistance to Ukraine even as it once again tacitly sent out a message to Russia by expressing regret at the United Nations Security Council over the deteriorating situation in the East European nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told officials during a meeting in the evening that the first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine should be dispatched on Tuesday. He also again expressed anguish at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

There is no other choice, but to return back to the path of diplomacy and dialogue, New Delhis envoy to the UN, T S Tirumurti, said, even as India once again abstained from voting at the Security Council on a procedural resolution to convene a rare emergency special session of the General Assembly of the international organisation on Russias aggression against Ukraine.

Also read: SBI stops handling trade with sanctioned Russian entities

He reiterated New Delhis call for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to hostilities, thus nudging Moscow to stop military operations against Ukraine.

New Delhi has also decided to send humanitarian assistance to war-torn Ukraine, which has been resisting an invasion by Russia since February 24. Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), told journalists on Monday that the Government of India would send medicines and other essentials to the East European nation following a request Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla received from Kyivs envoy to New Delhi, Igor Polikha, for humanitarian assistance.

Polikha told journalists that he had conveyed Ukraines request for humanitarian assistance from India during a meeting on Sunday.

New Delhi has been cautiously avoiding siding with the US and other western nations on the issue of Russias military build-up around Ukraine. It has been calling for resolving the crisis through diplomacy and dialogue.

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Elderly men wearing face masks take a rest on a street in Hong Kong, Feb. 26. AP-Yonhap





The number of births in Hong Kong hit a record low last year, falling below 40,000 for the first time in more than five decades, with experts warning of wide-reaching implications for the city's aging population.



They said the trend would result in shrinking enrolment at every level of education, eventually affecting manpower supply in future.



The early education sector was already feeling the effects, with seven kindergartens closing by the end of the current academic year. A spokesman for the Education Bureau said one of the kindergartens would merge with another school.



Latest data from the Census and Statistics Department showed that only 38,684 babies were born last year, sliding 8 percent from 2020. That not only marked the seventh consecutive year of decline, but also the lowest point since official figures became available in 1966.



Chow Wai-chun, president of the Early Childhood Educators Association, said there was little chance of the birthrate improving until the Covid-19 pandemic ended.



She said the current situation was worse than in 2003, when the SARS epidemic hit the city. There were 47,687 babies that year, only slightly lower than 48,119 in 2002.





Pedestrians walk past a government public notice banner for the National Security Law in Hong Kong in this file photo taken July 15, 2020. AFP-Yonhap



Compounding the situation was the ongoing wave of emigration sparked by Beijing's imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 and its tightening grip on the city's political affairs.



The Post reported last December that Hong Kong's primary and secondary schools lost about 6,200 students in the first four months after the summer holidays, according to official data. Most were likely to have withdrawn to migrate with their families.



Chow said: "We used to handle withdrawal applications when the second term ended, but now we're receiving applications every month, something not seen in the past."



With fewer babies born, kindergartens paying high rents for their campuses faced a greater risk of closing down, she noted.



The birthrate might turn around if the government increased tax allowances for newborn babies and children, Chow argued. It might also help if the current half-day subsidy to cover kindergarten fees was changed to a whole-day subsidy, to ease the burden on working parents.



Population expert Paul Yip Siu-fai has sounded the alarm over the birth numbers for years now, and especially since 2020, when Hong Kong began recording more deaths than births. Official figures showed about 8,700 more deaths than births in 2020, widening by almost 50 percent to 12,900 more deaths last year.



"The lowest number of births last year only deepened the situation the year before but going below 40,000 is really low," said Yip, chair professor in social work and social administration at the University of Hong Kong and a former adviser to the government on population issues.



He did not expect the city's birth numbers to be promising in the next three years and said the prolonged pandemic also discouraged couples from having babies.



Agreeing that the wave of emigration had worsened the baby situation, he said: "The people who moved out from Hong Kong last year were mainly young couples and professionals and therefore the downward trend is going to continue."



Yip said the pandemic had also resulted in a drop in the number of Hong Kongers marrying mainland Chinese, who prefer having a baby soon after marriage.





Children accompanied with their parents wearing face masks line up to receive China's Sinovac COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine at a community vaccination center in Hong Kong, Feb. 27. AP-Yonhap



The number of all marriages in Hong Kong fell from about 44,000 in 2019 to almost 28,000 in 2020, before slipping further to a record low of 27,000 last year. Cross-border marriages, with either partner from the mainland, plummeted from 13,262 in 2019 to 3,266 in 2020.



Yip warned that the declining number of births would have a domino effect  first affecting kindergartens, then primary and secondary schools and universities, before ultimately hitting the labor force.



For several years early this century, Hong Kong's baby numbers received a big boost from mainland Chinese women who chose to give birth in the city as their children could then enjoy the benefits of being residents.



Thanks largely to them, births in Hong Kong shot up between 2005 and 2012, peaking at about 95,000 babies in 2011.



But there were growing complaints that Hong Kong women were finding it hard to book hospital beds to give birth, and concerns that the mainlanders' children would put pressure on the city's health care, education and welfare services.



Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying put a stop to mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong from 2013, unless they were married to residents. The move was reflected in the baby data right away, with the number of births plunging from 91,343 in 2012 to 57,623 in 2013.



Four years later, the pro-Beijing think tank Hong Kong Vision Project, led by former Legislative Council President Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, called for the ban to be scrapped, estimating that the city would benefit by having 25,000 more babies a year. The government rejected the suggestion.





People queue on a street for COVID-19 test kits in Hong Kong's Sham Shui Po area, Feb. 27, as yet another record high number of new infections were recorded in the city. AFP-Yonhap
The war on Ukraine claimed an Indian youths life on Tuesday as a 21-year-old medical student from Haveri district in Karnataka was killed in Russian shelling in Kharkiv city. According to officials from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC) -- the nodal agency coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs for the safe evacuation of Karnataka students -- the deceased, Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, was killed during early morning shelling by Russian forces.

Naveen was a fourth-year student of the Kharkiv National Medical University in Kharkiv. He went out to buy food and was in a queue in front of a grocery store, when he was killed, apparently as a result shelling by Russian Armed Forces targeting an administrative building in the city.

Also read | Russia to continue Ukraine operation until goals achieved, says minister

A local woman picked up his mobile phone and conveyed to his friends that he had been killed and his body had been taken to the morgue of the Kharkiv National Medical University. Sudden blast in city centre Kharkiv with casualties. We lost an Indian student who was nearby & (and) was in queue to buy food stuffs, Pooja Praharaj, a student coordinator, tweeted from Kharkiv.

With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) March 1, 2022

She also posted a video of an explosion in the city.

Kharkiv has been witnessing intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces over the past few days.

Naveen, a native of Chalageri in Haveri district died during the shelling. His friends revealed that he had ventured out of the bunker to visit a nearby store to buy essentials, said Manoj Rajan, Nodal Officer and Commissioner, KSNDMC.

Even as the state government led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was making efforts by coordinating with the MEA for the safe evacuation of Kannadiga students, Rajan appealed to students not to lose courage and stay safely in the bunkers.

It (the death) is a matter of grief. But we would like to tell all the other parents to have courage. We will put all our efforts to safely bring our students back.

Bommai and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Naveens father Shekar and offered condolences to the family.

Also read | 55 Karnataka students have returned safely so far under Operation Ganga

Rajan also explained that the state government has been making all possible arrangements to bring Naveens body back and said Bommai has personally spoken to the External Affairs minister and is in constant touch with embassy officials through the MEA to bring Naveens body home soon. In New Delhi, the envoys of Moscow and Kyiv to New Delhi were summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs and asked to urgently ensure safe passage for all Indians.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla told journalists in New Delhi late in the evening that the Government of India was in touch with local authorities and would try to bring back his mortal remains.

Modi had yet another meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other senior officials to review the progress of Operation Ganga, which was launched to evacuate the citizens of India from war-torn Ukraine. He expressed anguish over death of Naveen and also spoke to the deceased students father Shekarappa Gyanagouda.

Though the Modi government has been evacuating citizens of India from western Ukraine through neighbouring Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovak Republic, it could not yet help nearly 4,000  mostly students  stranded in Kharkiv, Sumy and other eastern cities of the country, due to intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Its been 6 (six) days we are begging our Indian govt (Government) @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar to help us, they didnt even make a single move. Today one died, tomorrow 100 and day after 1000. Are you waiting to take our 4000 bodies by your evacuation plan? Praharaj, herself a medical graduate, posted on Twitter, drawing attention of the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister to the plight of the Indians, spending days and nights in bunkers and other shelters.

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Uzaif Rabbani is spending his days in a bunker in Ukraine's Kharkiv amid a fierce Russian offensive, hoping for evacuation, but as the fourth-year medical student waits, he like many from India, is worried if he will ever be able to complete his education.

However, government officials said a meeting will soon be held to discuss the issue with all stakeholders, keeping in view the extraordinary situation in Ukraine. The matter will be looked into "sympathetically", they said.

Rabbani's situation is shared by many Indian students enrolled in medical courses in institutes in the war-torn country.

Also Read: Not being allowed to board train from Kharkiv: Indian students

"I have to complete four years to get my medical degree. Once I am evacuated, I will have to think of what happens next. I hope the government allows a special provision to migrate to any Indian college and continue my education there," Rabbani told PTI over phone from Kharkiv, where a student from Karnataka was killed in shelling on Tuesday morning.

Though his daughter is back home from Ukraine, Nidhi Yadav's father worries whether she will be able to resume her studies in Kiev.

"I don't know what will happen next. I took a huge loan to send her to Ukraine in hope that she will become a doctor, but now things have worsened. There is no clarity on whether the situation will return to normal, whether she will be able to resume her education, will she have to explore other options here," the father of the first-year medical student said.

The new rules of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate regulations state that MBBS aspirants can take up to 10 years to complete the programme.

They also state that besides the minimum course work tenure of 4.5 years, candidates need to intern for two years, including 12 months in the foreign medical institute where they are studying and another year of supervised internship in India.

The MBBS programme in Ukraine lasts for six years, and being much affordable in comparison to that in private medical colleges in India, it is a popular choice among Indian students.

"As of now, there are no norms and regulations under the National Medical Commission to accommodate medical students, who were studying abroad and had to return to India midway, in Indian medical colleges in between an academic session," a health ministry official told PTI, on the condition of anonymity.

"However, keeping in view such extraordinary situations, the Indian government will look into the matter sympathetically. A meeting to discuss this issue with all stakeholders is likely to take place soon," he said.

Sahil, a medical student at the Poltava State Medical University in Ukraine, is one of those who has returned after spending four years there.

"Getting out of a war zone was the first thing on my mind but what happens next? I hope the government gives us some clarity on this and our years of effort and money doesn't go waste," he said.

Also Read: Study medicine in India, not smaller foreign nations, PM Modi says amid Ukraine crisis

Depleting food stock and long queues for water are adding to the trauma of stranded Indian students in the war-hit nation, while they await evacuation amid reports of some being roughed up by security personnel and spending freezing nights out in the open.

As Indian and Ukrainian authorities on Monday described the situation as "complex" and "very difficult" in terms of evacuation of people, the students, joined by their parents, appealed to the Indian government to expedite efforts to evacuate them.

Russia launched its attack on Ukraine last Thursday.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, it said a total of 1,396 Indians were brought back home in six flights as part of the evacuation mission and the total number of Indians who have left Ukraine since India issued the first advisory earlier this month is around 8,000.

An estimated 20,000 Indian nationals, mainly medical students, reside in Ukraine.

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Against the backdrop of a recent meeting with political strategist Prashant Kishor and ongoing efforts to bring together different parties against the BJP's alleged anti-people policies, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday left for Delhi.

Rao left for Delhi on a visit, an official release said. However, it did not provide further details. It is expected that Rao may confer with leaders of like-minded parties during his stay in the national capital. The TRS chief is likely to meet Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday. He is also likely to call on leaders of other national parties.

Also read: Ready to shed last drop of blood for country's sake: Chandrasekhar Rao

Rao's visit comes against the backdrop of a meeting here with Kishor during the last couple of days and also his recent meetings with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai.

Rao, 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.

Addressing a public meeting in Siddipet district on February 23, Rao had said he is moving in the direction of influencing national politics and that he would use all his abilities to set the things right in the country, "even by shedding the last drop of blood".

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Rally around to defeat the BJP and protect the founding principles of the nation was the loud and clear message sent out by leaders, at an event led in Chennai on Monday by DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, to like-minded parties across the country.

After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi released the DMK chief's autobiography in Tamil, 'Ungalil Oruvan,' (One among you, the first part), Stalin in his address made an appeal to parties across the nation to come together.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Bihar leader of opposition, Tejashwi Yadav and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah participated.

"I wish to make an appeal, not just to the leaders on this stage, but to everyone who believes in secular values. Our Indian Union is facing a big threat from divisive forces. We all need to come together to defeat them and protect the founding principles of India," the TN CM said.

Also read: M K Stalin wants Constitution to be amended to grant 'more powers' to states

Stalin who would turn 69 on March 1, thanked all leaders taking part in the event and said he had always dedicated himself to public life and assured that he would remain so forever.

The message of the event also made it clear that the DMK is poised to make concerted attempts to work towards a larger role for the party and its chief Stalin as well at the national level, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Stalin lauded Rahul Gandhi for his recent "BJP can never ever rule over the people of Tamil Nadu," comment and said that it showed that the Congress leader has imbibed the 'Dravidian model' principle. It includes inclusive growth, social justice and more powers to states.

The Constitution should be amended to give more powers to states and for that the Congress, Left parties and all regional parties should lend their support, Stalin said. The TN Chief Minister said the rights of people belonging to a state also were usurped as rights of states were being taken away one by one and all parties have realised this.

The DMK's slogan of 'Manilathil Suyatchi, Mathiyil Kootatchi,' has now become a pan Indian slogan and this was echoed by Gandhi in Parliament, he said. The slogan could be roughly translated as autonomy for states and a share in power at the Centre as well for regional parties.

Also read: When Sonia Gandhi did a Google search to find out Stalins age

States being deprived of their powers including in the domain of finance should be halted, the DMK chief said and wanted parties across India to join forces and work together. Pinarayi Vijayan also hit out at the BJP and underscored the unity mantra to defend democracy.

He lauded Stalin for standing up in 'defense of federalism,' whenever it came under attack. When the rights and powers of states are sought to be trampled upon, Stalin stood unflinchingly to secure them, the Kerala CM said.

When India's different cultures, languages and faiths are belittled and sidelined, Stalin had always been unequivocal in championing such causes. Such is his deep sense of commitment to pluralism, federalism, secularism and constitution, Vijayan said.

"We are in times when we should stand united for them, and in defense of our democracy. Only then can we ensure that the communal and authoritarian powers that hold sway in our country today, give way to the progressive, secular and democratic powers that ought to hold sway, if India is to remain free and fair, for all its citizens," the Kerala CM said.

Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Modi for trying to impose his 'ideas' on the people of Tamil Nadu. When he does not understand that Tamil Nadu is not mere two words, and that it is a 3,000 year old civilisation, then he insults the state and the country also, he claimed. Modi merely stating that he respected Tamil people would not suffice.

"When the people of TN repeatedly ask you and want to talk to you about NEET and you don't answer them, what type of respect is that," the Congress MP demanded to know.

He also hit out at the BJP-led Centre over abrogation of Article 370 that revoked the special status for Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 and said it was a move that has not happened ever before in the country.

National Conference top leader Omar Abdullah too called upon like-minded secular parties to join forces to take on the BJP and continue the 'struggle' against steps taken by the Centre like the abrogation of Article 370.

Tejashwi Yadav said the nation witnessed attacks on the Constitutional values like freedom equality and justice and more so on social justice. While history shall name the perpetrators of such attacks it shall also not spare others if we "do not fight, resist collectively."

He further said, "let us go back from here with this solemn resolve and pledge."

He also batted for caste based census and redetermine the ceiling of reservation on the lines of the 69 per cent quota in Tamil Nadu.

Pointing to 'sufferings' including that of his father Lalu Prasad Yadav who fought for social justice even now, one of the reasons for such suffering is that important independent institutions are compromised and pressurised to function for political ends.

"Particularly, the collegium based judiciary absolutely lacks comprehensive social representation and diversity."

Several parties committed to social justice are keen to fight for reservation in judiciary but it is time to come on streets and make sure that it happens soon, he said.
Indigenous Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit, which dominated the militancy landscape in Kashmir for three decades, has now been relegated to number three as Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have taken centre stage in the Valley now.

Out of 168 active militants in Kashmir at the beginning of this year, 82 belonged to the LeT, followed by 41 with the Jaish, 38 with Hizbul, four with The Resistance Front (TRF), and three belonging to the Al-Badr outfit, sources told DH.

Founded in early 1990, the Hizbul quickly came under the control of Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir and played an important role to evolve the narrative of the Kashmir conflict from nationalism to jihad. The Hizbul was supported, since its inception, by the Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to counter the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a nationalist and nominally secular group that seeks independence of Kashmir from both India and Pakistan.

In 2020, reports started emerging that the Hizbul cadres in Pakistan were not being provided adequate training, weapons and ammunition, thus allowing major fallout between its chief Syed Salahuddin and the ISI.

Unconfirmed reports had emerged in the same year that Hizbul chief was attacked in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir at the behest of the ISI. After a 1991 merger with Tehreek-e-Jihad-e-Islami (TJI), which was backed by Jamaat, the Hizbul gained significant military might and its strength had reached about 10000 fighters, a senior police officer said.

By the mid-1990s, the Hizbul was the sole militant group operating in the valley, he said. However, afterwards, the ISI started sending Pakistan and Afghan militants to Kashmir to keep control over the insurgency. But despite that, the Hizbul was regarded as one of the most influential outfits involved in the Kashmir conflict.

When new-age militancy surfaced with Burhan Wani as an icon, Hizbul again came to limelight. However, after the killing of Burhan in 2016, as most of its commanders, including Riyaz Naikoo were eliminated by security forces, the Hizbul started to lose steam. It also fell from the ISIs favour, he revealed.

The Hizbul leadership in PoK believe that ISI may have planned to attack Salahuddin in a bid to send a strong signal to other outfit cadres to toe their line, the officer added.

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21-year-old Swathi, a medical graduate at a university in Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv, stood hours together at a railway station to board a train to reach the border from where she hoped to be evacuated by officials from the Indian Government.

Swathi (name changed) was terrified after she heard the death of Naveen, another medical student who hailed from Karnataka, while he was in a grocery line in Kharkiv on Tuesday morning. I am standing here for hours together. The train has come, and they are not allowing Indians to board the train. There is a huge crowd at the station, but none of us has so far been allowed to enter the train, she said in a voice message.

Also read | Indian embassy did not reach out to students stuck in Ukraine, alleges father of boy killed in shelling

The medical graduate is among thousands of Indian students stranded in Ukraine due to the war. While 2,000 persons have been evacuated so far, the remaining are still stuck  some of them have sought refuge in bunkers while others are making their own arrangements to travel to the border where they can reach out to Indian authorities.

In a video sent by a group of students who hail from Madurai, Coimbatore, and Chennai, they said all they hear from inside their bunker is the sound of explosions.

We were stuck inside a bunker for two days and we stepped out only today to buy essential supplies. Though the queue outside a store was long, we thought of taking a chance and stood in the line. Within minutes, we heard explosions and we ran to safety. Being here is just unsafe and we hope to be evacuated as early as possible, one of the girls said.

Also Read | India summons Russia, Ukraine envoys after student killed in Kharkiv

Another girl added that the situation was getting difficult for them as they are not even able to get sanitary napkins. We are at least in a bunker but some of our friends are stuck inside metro stations where they do not have water and food, she added.

However, Selvan, another medical student, told DH that he has been evacuated and is currently in Romania from where he is expected to be flown to India at the earliest.

Luckily, our group was evacuated. We came to the border on our own and then Indian Embassy officials brought us to Romania. Hopefully, we will leave Romania on Wednesday, he said. He added that he heard from his friends that Indian students are not being allowed to board trains and are attacked.

Another teary-eyed woman student sent a video in which she sought to know whether they came all the way to Ukraine to die. We are all inside a bunker in Kharkiv. We have already run out of food and water. We have not been able to reach Indian authorities. We make a fervent appeal to the authorities to evacuate us. We came here to study, not to die, the student, who did not wish to be named, said.

She also said universities did not allow Indian students to leave the premises till Russian forces began bombing Ukraine. We just want to get out of Ukraine, she added.

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Condoling the death of an Indian student in Ukraine's Kharkiv during ongoing Russian invasion, the Opposition on Tuesday stepped up attack on the Narendra Modi government over evacuation from the war-hit country, with the Congress saying the dispensation does "only photo ops, no action".

Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he has received the "tragic news" of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine.

Also Read | Indian student in Ukraine killed in Kharkiv shelling: MEA

"My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, the Government of India needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious," he tweeted.

Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 1, 2022

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted on the killing of Naveen SG, "our deepest condolences to the family of a student from Karnataka, who has been shot dead."

Also read | Russia to continue Ukraine operation until goals achieved, says minister

"This is the tragedy where - BJP government has no evacuation plan; Modi government has abandoned our young; Prahlad Joshi decries and insults our students in Ukraine; Only photo ops, no action."

Our deepest condolences to family of Student from #Karnataka ,who has been shot dead. This is the tragedy where -

 BJP Govt has no evacuation plan;

 Modi Govt has abandoned our young;

 Prahlad Joshi decries & insults our students in #Ukraine ;

 Only Photo Ops, no action. https://t.co/JXwYGFWeuH  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 1, 2022

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had said that 90% of Indians who study MBBS abroad fail to clear qualifying exams here.

In another tweet, Surjewala asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi what he would say to the family who lost their child due to the "insensitivity of your government".

"Between 20000 thousand Indians life is in danger every moment and you are engaged in doing all this?" Surjewala said tagging a media report about Modi's election campaign.

Our deepest condolences to family of Student from #Karnataka ,who has been shot dead. This is the tragedy where -

 BJP Govt has no evacuation plan;

 Modi Govt has abandoned our young;

 Prahlad Joshi decries & insults our students in #Ukraine ;

 Only Photo Ops, no action. https://t.co/JXwYGFWeuH  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) March 1, 2022

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury described Naveen's death as tragic loss of life. "Deepest condolences. Urge the Government of India to further step up efforts to urgently ensure evacuation of all Indians. Further loss of young lives caught in crossfire must be prevented," he tweeted.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described Naveen's death as "very sad". "My deepest condolences to their families. May God give them courage in this time of sorrow. I request the government to make every effort to bring back all our students as soon as possible," she tweeted.

Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "this is an awful tragedy. My heart goes out to the family of the victim and the anxious families of all those still stuck in Ukraine. We must do everything possible to get them home."

This is an awful tragedy. My heart goes out to the family of the victim and the anxious families of all those still stuck in Ukraine. We must do everything possible to get them home. https://t.co/nmwAu9jL6F  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 1, 2022

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The Covid-19 year 2020-21 saw people filing less RTI queries seeking information from central and union territory offices, showing an overall decline of 2.94% though ministries and offices linked to pandemic related work like Health, Labour and Home registering an overwhelming increase.

The Annual Report 2020-21 of the Central Information Commission showed that 13,33,802 RTIs have filed with public authorities -- a decline of 40,513 from 13,74,315 in 2019-20 when the record number of queries were filed in a fiscal since the enforcement of the transparency law in 2005.

According to transparency activist Venkatesh Nayak, the number of RTI queries to central offices barring Union Territory administration will be 12.08 lakh and if one takes this into account, the decrease would be only 2.48%.

Also Read | Over 1.59 lakh RTI applications filed online in 8 years, 11,376 by women: Personnel ministry

"This is significant in itself, that the pandemic did not prove to be a dampener. Instead, people continued to seek information from various Ministries much like before," he said.

An analysis of the annual report by Nayak showed that the Ministry of Finance recorded the sharpest fall of 21,657 from 1,92,204 to 1,70,547 RTI queries followed by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs by 20,269 from 83,602 to 63,333.

On the contrary, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare witnessed a 79.09% rise in RTI queries -- from 33,738 to 60,423. Besides Health, the ministries directly linked to pandemic related work like the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Labour and Employment also saw a substantial rise in RTI queries

Also Read | SC notice to Centre on mandatory compliance of RTI law

The Ministry of Labour and Employment saw a 46.90% rise -- from 80,978 to 1,18,957 -- while the MHA saw a 33.36% rise -- 44,453 to 59,286.

The public authorities which huge rise in RTI queries also include the Ministry of Steel (149.40%), Ministry of Textiles (54.64%), Ministry of External Affairs (48.11%), Ministry of Rural Development (41.18%), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (39.61%) and Ministry of Civil Aviation (33.94%),

"What is interesting from the above figures is that both line Ministries which were involved in coordinating relief efforts like Health, Labour, Home and several ministries looking after infrastructure reported a hike," Nayak said.

Also Read | Karnataka: 50% drop in RTI case hearings, pending cases breach 30,000-mark

The annual report also showed that 3,48,410 RTI applications were pending from 2019-20 at the beginning of 2020-21, which is 12.35% higher than the backlog figure of 3,10,110 reported in 2019-20 pending from 2018-29.

The Ministry of Defence has the highest backlog with 1,19,474 RTIs -- Indian Army accounted for the bulk at 1,07,601 RTIs pending from 2019-20 at the start of the pandemic year. "Interestingly a similar figure is mentioned for the backlog for the previous year i.e, pending from 2018-29 raising doubts as to whether or not the 2020-21 figure is accurate," Nayak said.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development came second with 62,682 pending cases in 2020-21 much higher than 50,887 reported in 2019-20.

Also read: Mahiti Kanaja, an endeavour to enhance Right to Information

"The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions which is the nodal agency for implementing the RTI Act across the Central Government reported a more than four-fold increase in pendency of RTI applications in 2020-21 at 5,589. It was only 1,915 at the start of 2029-20," Nayak said.

"The increasing backlog RTIs across several ministries and public authorities is a major cause for concern as they appear to have been pending from much before the onset of the first phase of the pandemic. The CIC has not bothered to address this issue in the narrative portion of its annual report," Nayak added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive against that country, sources said on Tuesday.

The IAF is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of Operation Ganga from Tuesday, they said.

The sources said the IAF is keeping its aircraft on standby to launch the evacuation operation at short notice.

In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under Operational Ganga, Modi has called for the IAF to join the exercise, the sources said.

Leveraging the capacities of the IAF will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame, they noted.

The large C-17 aircraft will also help deliver humanitarian aid to war-hit Ukraine more efficiently, they said.

C-17 is IAF's largest transport aircraft and it has the capacity to carry approximately 300 passengers in it during a humanitarian relief mission.

Track updates on Russia, Ukraine here

Till now, only private Indian carriers have been evacuating Indians from Romania and Hungary, countries with land borders with Ukraine on the western side, as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24.

India began evacuation of around 14,000 of its stranded citizens on February 26.

In a statement on Tuesday, the IAF said it is geared up for any requirements of evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine.

Indians are travelling by road to Ukraine's borders with Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland etc, from where they are being taken by the Indian government officials to the airports for the evacuation flights.

The Indian Embassy in Ukraine on Twitter advised all Indian nationals -- including students -- to leave Kyiv urgently on Friday itself, preferably by available trains or through any other means available.

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India has said that it was deeply concerned over the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and reiterated its call for an immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities, saying all differences can only be bridged through honest, sincere and sustained dialogue.

Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told a rare emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine convened on Monday that New Delhi is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals still stranded in Ukraine.

"India is deeply concerned that the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate. We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities, Tirumurti said.

Follow Russia-Ukraine crisis live updates here

"My government firmly believes that there is no other choice but to return to the path of diplomacy, he said.

Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advocated this strongly in his recent conversations with the leadership of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, Tirumurti said, "We reiterate our firm conviction that all differences can only be bridged through honest, sincere and sustained dialogue.

He said there is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine.

India is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals who are still stranded in Ukraine. The safety and security of Indian nationals, including a large number of students, remains our top priority, he said.

He noted that the complex and uncertain situation at the border crossings is adversely impacting the uninterrupted and predictable movement of people.

This important humanitarian necessity must be immediately addressed, he said.

Also Read | Isolated Russia defends Ukraine war at UN General Assembly

India on Monday decided to send relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation along its bordering areas arising out of tens of thousands of people attempting to flee the Russian invasion.

India thanked all neighbouring countries of Ukraine who have opened their borders for Indian citizens and given all facilities to Indian missions and their personnel to evacuate Indian nationals to their homeland.

"We stand ready to help those from our neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance, he said.

In his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Modi reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of violence and a return to dialogue and expressed Indias willingness to contribute in any way towards peace efforts.

In the telephonic call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Modi said his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue.

Also Read | India to send relief supplies to Ukraine on March 1

He appealed for an immediate cessation of violence and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.

The 193-member UN General Assembly convened the rare and unprecedented emergency special session on Russias aggression against Ukraine Monday after the 15-nation Security Council voted Sunday on a resolution to refer the crisis to the most representative body of the world organisation.

India had abstained on the resolution, along with China and the UAE while Russia voted against and 11 Council members in favour. It was the second time in as many days that India abstained on a Security Council resolution on Ukraine.

India had on Friday abstained on a UN Security Council resolution by the US that deplores in the strongest terms Russias aggression" against Ukraine.

India, China and the UAE abstained on the resolution, which received 11 votes in favour by Albania, Brazil, France, Gabon, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, United Kingdom and the United States. The resolution on Friday was blocked since permanent member Russia, and President of the Security Council for the month of February used its veto. This led to a procedural resolution in the Council to refer the matter to an emergency special session of the General Assembly.

President of the 76th session of the General Assembly Abdulla Shahid presided over the unprecedented session, only the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950.

With the adoption of the UNSC resolution Sunday, it was for the first time in 40 years that the Council decided to call for an emergency special session in the General Assembly.

Following the debate in the session, the General Assembly is expected to vote on a resolution that would condemn Russias aggression against Ukraine.

While a UNSC resolution condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine would have been legally binding and General Assembly resolutions are not, voting in the 193-member UN body is symbolic of world opinion on the crisis and carry political weight as they represent the will of the entire UN membership.

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China's digital currency, known as the e-yuan, has undergone several pilot programs, including at the Winter Olympics. South China Morning Post Simon Song



Despite tech crackdown, experts say China's fintech sector looks to remain competitive



By Kim Bo-eun



HONG KONG  China carved out a lead in fintech services over the past decade, with big tech firms having taken the lead on the back of deregulated government policies and surging public demand for electronic payment options.



As a result, the world's second-largest economy is largely cashless, and mobile payments via private-sector platforms are ubiquitous in commerce.



Meanwhile, Beijing has been rolling out a central bank digital currency that has undergone several pilot programs throughout the country, including being used by foreign visitors during the recent Winter Olympics.



And China has become a magnet for fintech investments, with the total growing from $900 million in the second half of 2020 to more than $1.3 billion in the first half of 2021, according to an analysis by accounting firm KPMG.



However, uncertainties have arisen as Beijing stepped up its crackdowns on big tech companies such as Alibaba, particularly in the past year, but analysts expect China's fintech sector to remain competitive.



In China, mobile payments are not only used by the relatively tech-savvy urban population, but also increasingly by people in rural areas.



Data from audit firm Ernst & Young, published in June, showed that mainland China had the highest penetration rate of fintech services among major economies, at 87 percent, according to its 2019 index.



The rate was about 67 percent in Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea.



China also leads in terms of small and medium-sized enterprises adopting fintech services, among major and emerging economies.



Experts attribute this, for the most part, to China's economy skipping the credit card phase between cash and digital payments.



"China has all the ingredients for high fintech penetration: network infrastructure, high smartphone penetration, and an analogue financial system that provided poor service, allowing it to leapfrog to purely digital payments on smartphones," said Martin Chorzempa, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.



Richard Turrin, author of Cashless: China's Digital Currency Revolution, said China's high penetration of fintech services resulted from the central bank's decision to allow big tech companies Alibaba and Tencent to enter the payment space in 2014.



"The People's Bank of China correctly decided that China needed to further digitize its financial system, and that big tech could do this better than the banks. This resulted in Alipay and WeChat Pay launching in 2014 and fundamentally changing payment in China," he said.





Shanghai is considered one of the world's top fintech centers. gettyimagesbank
The US has discussed its concerns with India in the aftermath of its abstaining from the United Nations Security Council vote censuring Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, according to State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

Asked at his daily briefing on Monday about India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining from the Council vote, Price said, "We have regular engagement with our Indian partners. We have regular engagement with our Emirati partners. We have regular engagement with our European allies and our European partners. So at every level in multiple fora we have had discussions about this."

Also read: SBI stops handling trade with sanctioned Russian entities

"Of course we have a very close relationship with India. We have discussed our concerns, our shared concerns," Price said.

Earlier when another reporter tried to get Price to speak specifically about countries that did not vote for the resolution or co-sponsor it, he skirted the question focusing instead on the support it got: "We are comfortable, we are heartened, we are gratified by the fact that the world, the international community, has stood up to speak loudly and clearly in defense of Ukraine's sovereignty, its independence, its territorial integrity."

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An Air India Express flight carrying 182 Indian nationals evacuated from war-torn Ukraine landed here from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday morning, an airline spokesperson said.

Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane received them at the Mumbai airport, the spokesperson said.

The AI Express flight IX-1202 from Bucharest via Kuwait touched down the runway at 7:40 am, he said.

Read more: PM Modi calls on Indian Air Force to join Ukraine evacuation efforts

An aircraft to bring back Indian nationals from Ukraine had left from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for Bucharest on Monday. This is the second evacuation flight operated to Mumbai from Bucharest to bring back Indians from war-hit Ukraine since February 27.

The Air India Express is the international budget arm of Air India, which is now owned by the Tata Group.

On Saturday, the Air India had operated the first chartered flight to CSMIA from Bucharest with 219 Indian evacuees from Ukraine. India began the evacuation of its citizens from Romania and Hungary - western neighbours of Ukraine - on Saturday after Russia launched a military offensive there.

Around 14,000 Indians, mainly college students, were stranded in Ukraine.
As the Covid-19 situation eased, the Maharashtra government has opened tourist spots and is currently hosting 20 mini festivals covering various aspects of attractions in the state.

With a slogan you name it, we have it, the Maharashtra governments Directorate of Tourism (DoT) is aggressively promoting the state - as national and international borders opened for tourists.

During the last two years, the hospitality and travel industry suffered badly due to Covid-19.

From February 18-20, the DoT hosted a grape festival in Junnar in Pune district. Surrounded by the Malshej Ghats, Junnar is also the base for visiting many forts, including the famous Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

All the remaining ones will be held in March - and these include Nandur Bird Festival in Nashik, Vengurla (Sagareshwar) Mahatsov in Sindhudurg, Fishing Village Paryatan Mahotsav, Vengurla, Shrivardhan Paryatan Mahotsav in Raigad, Katalshilp Paryatan Mahotsav in Ratnagiri, Wai Mahatsov in Satara, Panhala Mahotsav in Kolhapur, Ramtek Mahatsov in Nagpur, Bodalkasa Bird Festival in Gondia, Bordharan Mango Festival and others.

Through these mini festivals, apart from promoting these districts, Maharashtra Tourism is also creating opportunities for the locals to earn an extra income, DoT officials said.

Road shows will be conducted in nine cities/states starting from March 7.

Guide-training programs are also being conducted at 14 destinations.

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He (M K Stalin) should write another book on how he manages to look so young, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi complimenting the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on his fitness after releasing the formers autobiography here.

Wishing Stalin, who turns 69 on Tuesday, a very happy birthday, Gandhi told him to eat properly the cake tomorrow as he has trimmed down a lot. These are some of the lighter moments at the book release event which turned into an anti-BJP conclave with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former J & K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and RJDs Tejashwi Yadav criticising the attempts to dilute principles of federalism.

Beginning his speech by complimenting Stalin for being fit and looking young, Gandhi recalled a conversation between him and his mother Sonia Gandhi on Sunday on the DMK chiefs age.

My mother told me yesterday that March 1 is Stalin jis birthday. She has sent a letter to him. I asked her do you know how old Stalin ji is? She said no and I replied he is going to be 69 years old. My mother said it is impossible. When I asked how old you think he is, my mother told me he must be 60, Gandhi told the meeting.

After a while, Gandhi said, his mother did a Google search on Stalins age. She googles these days. And she messaged me saying you are right. I dont know whether he has written about this in his book. If not, he has to write another book on how he manages to look so young, Gandhi said.

Also read: M K Stalin wants Constitution to be amended to grant 'more powers' to states

Besides attacking the BJP on a host of issues, the Congress MP turned emotional when he referred to his speech in Parliament early this month in which he spoke about Tamil Nadu. Gandhi said he realised that he had mentioned Tamil Nadu several times in his speech only when a journalist asked him the reason.

I replied to the journalist I did because I am a Tamil. I thought about why I uttered those words while driving back home. I told myself you were not born in Tamil Nadu, and you don't speak Tamil. Why did I say so? Because my blood is mixed with your soil, Gandhi said recalling his fathers assassination here.

It was a sad experience for me losing my father. Very difficult experience but also an experience I learnt from. And so, I realised that I do have the right to call myself Tamil," Gandhi said. He also spoke about India being a Union of States and asked where a state comes from. It starts from the land, from the land, comes the people, from the people comes the voice, from the voice comes the language, from a language, comes the culture, from the culture, comes the history, and from our history comes our state," he said.

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Indias abstention on a UN Security Council resolution that deplored in the strongest terms Russias aggression on Ukraine does not come as a surprise. New Delhi abstained from two previous resolutions relating to the Ukraine crisis; the first being a procedural vote, and the second against Russian President Vladimir Putins decree recognising the independence of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Indias abstention was irrelevant to the outcome of the vote. As in the case of all UNSC resolutions condemning aggression by a permanent member, this one too was vetoed; Russia vetoed the resolution. Indias decision to abstain stems from its longstanding friendship with Moscow. There is its military dependence on Russia, too, as a large part of its weaponry and military platforms are of Russian origin. At a time when tensions between India and China are running high and the possibility of an armed conflict along our disputed border looms, India is apprehensive of the implications of criticising Russia for Indias military preparedness vis-a-vis China.

While India continues to abstain in the UNSC, there are small but significant changes in its position, which is increasingly nuanced, as Delhi takes into full account Russias egregious violations. Earlier, India had mentioned the legitimate security interests of parties, which had given its position a pro-Russia tilt. In his statement, Indias Permanent Representative at the UN, T S Trimurti stressed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and dialogue as the only answer to settling disputes. The non-violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of another country is not just a UN principle but one that India is committed to, has upheld robustly, and which it has raised repeatedly in its own context when its neighbours have acted aggressively. While Indias own vulnerabilities may be restricting the positions it takes in the UNSC, there is much it can do through quiet diplomacy and push Russia and Ukraine to the talks table using its close relations with both countries.

Thousands of Indian students are trapped in Ukraine and the government is focused now on bringing them home. Simultaneously, it should step up support for people in the warzone. India must also be ready and willing to adapt to changing circumstances. Putins order putting Russian nuclear forces on alert has qualitatively changed the scenario, given that US and NATO forces would likely feel the need to react to it, and there is always a danger of catastrophic miscalculation in nuclearised conflict environments. While Delhi has taken a finely balanced position, it must be ready to shift its stance should the situation on the ground worsen.
Is communal cleaving still the weapon of choice for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win an election?

The poll process underway in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur suggests so, as does the 'build up' going on in states due for polls next - Gujarat in December 2022 and Karnataka mid-2023.

What is common between Gujarat and Karnataka? Both are BJP ruled states, and both are currently the 'staging' areas for the cleaving forays in the election-bound states.

Emanating from Karnataka, 'hijab' has hogged headlines nationwide, while in Gujarat, civic bodies targeting street food carts selling non-vegetarian fare made news in November. Similarly, if the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist in Shivamogga, Karnataka, this month was a "jihadist conspiracy" by an "Islamist" organisation which led to statewide protests by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), so was an inter-religion shooting and death in Dhandhuka town in Gujarat in January, a trigger for similar Gujarat-wide demonstrations by sister outfits of the Sangh Parivar.

Interspersed are many incidents that include charges of conversion against The Missionaries of Charity, Vadodara, and numerous Muslims for similar activities towards their faith. Cops routinely 'unearth' links to subversive organisations, ensuring headlines. Conversion to Hinduism is labelled 'home-coming' while from it to another faith, an offence. Discriminatory use of the Disturbed Areas Act, the anti-love jihad laws enacted in 2003, amended in 2021 with some of its sections struck down by the Gujarat High Court subsequently, keeps the judiciary busy and the news pages occupied.

Also Read -- UP polls: How diminished are BJP's returns after phase five

Is it a mere coincidence that in an era of over-arching media reach, these two states, which themselves will be going to polls soon, were witnessing communally cleaving follow-up of events in the run-up to as well as during the present elections? Uttarakhand, part of the current poll process, already had a hate-spewing 'Dharma Sansad' at Haridwar last December.

If the BJP is a radically altered outfit today and has enjoyed its longest-ever continuous stint in power at the Centre, the credit goes singularly to Narendra Modi. But it was Gujarat that nurtured this one time Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak on deputation to the BJP, who had never even contested a panchayat election before he was appointed chief minister. It assented to his leadership with a record 13 year plus stint and saw him off as prime minister in 2014. He, in turn, cradled Amit Shah, who, past his ordeal behind bars, is the country's Home Minister today. Much of what is being implemented countrywide was experimented with in Gujarat and evolved as the Gujarat Model. And that includes the theory of 'how to influence people and win elections' through a cut, cleave and conjoin process.

Karnataka remains the uneasy but the only BJP gateway to the South. The BJP is stuck at the gates where the pendulum has been oscillating between the Congress, the Janata Dal and itself. The 2018 Vidhan Sabha elections saw the BJP secure the highest seats but stood outnumbered by the Congress-JD combined tally, so did what it is now best doing - poaching through muscle, might and money. It thus has a government there. Elsewhere, Puducherry is a sleight of the hand which will slip the day BJP loses its central perch. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana remain distant dreams.

The March 10, 2022 results to Uttar Pradesh and four other states are a critically vital barometer to test the prime minister's timbre for the all-important 2024 Indian election orchestra. But more importantly, it will prove how many strings of Modi's mandolin stand soiled by over-use. A quarter-century of ruling Gujarat and a quarter of this quarter in the national saddle, the Narendra Modi-led BJP has yet to develop a surefire solution other than this incendiary mix.

Appointed Gujarat chief minister in 2001, Modi first evolved this poll potion in the aftermath of the Godhra train carnage and the communal violence that followed, leaving over a thousand people dead, predominantly minority community members.

The polarising experiment began with his statewide Gujarat Gaurav yatra of 2002 and has been a constant part of the BJP poll battle plans in election after election in Gujarat thereon. After Modi's elevation to lead India, its national replication began post the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. His backroom boys have worked out numerous permutations and combinations of this nationally destructive but electorally productive theme.

Nevertheless, what was once a potent force multiplier, no longer seems to carry the element of surprise in poll warfare. At least, that is what appears to be the biggest takeaway from the frenzied poll campaigning underway in Uttar Pradesh so far. Its overuse seems to have made it predictable, even jaded, allowing the opposition to devise effective counter-measures as the Akhilesh Yadav-Jayant Chaudhary combine has done in Western Uttar Pradesh where the BJP had swept the region in the 2017 elections through pure polarisation after the communal violence of Muzaffarnagar.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's desperate cleaving effort when he initiated his door to door campaign with a visit to the displaced Hindus of Kairana or Chief minister Yogi Adityanath's 80-20 per cent talk hinting at the Muslim minority and alluding to the opposition siding with terrorist elements remain some of many cogent examples. Interspersed are recorded and reported speeches of his party MLAs threatening to turn beards into chotis and skull caps into tilaks, even seeking disenfranchisement of Muslims.

The prime minister wasn't found wanting either. Addressing a rally in Kanpur Dehat, he charged the opposition with preventing Hindu consolidation. "Is this democracy? You are openly saying you want to divide Hindu votes. Then whose votes are you trying to gather," he questioned. The intention of all these remarks is evident, and the Election Commission's response expectedly juiceless, a far cry from the times of chief election commissioner (CEC) T N Seshan, who made the most powerful of politicians shiver in their boots.

Gujarat has been termed the laboratory of political experiments from the times of the Mahatma to Modi. Ironically, it was then chief minister Narendra Modi's Gujarat Gaurav Yatra of 2002 where hawking of hatred was turned into a fused art of obfuscation. His speeches would be littered with references to "Miyan Musharaff", though the identified target was minorities. The speeches carried references galore to "hum panch, hamare pachees" or the one which said, "Should we run relief camps? Open child producing centres?"

Modi's own police intelligence chief R B Sreekumar wanted polls postponed and was sidelined. The then CEC, James Michael Lyngdoh, was pronounced with an extended drawl to underline his Christian identity and linkage to "Italian' Sonia Gandhi" and her Congress party's conspiracy to defame Gujarat. The elections that followed in a polarised Gujarat provided him with a steamroller majority and a confirmed conviction that the formula works, so the unhindered replication to this day.

And so, when hate hangs heavy, be sure, it is election time in present-day India.

(The writer is a veteran Ahmedabad-based journalist.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH .

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A six-time legislator, Revenue Minister R Ashoka is widely seen as number two in Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommais cabinet. Ashoka talks to Bharath Joshi on some policy reforms, the upcoming Bengaluru civic polls, and the 2023 Assembly showdown. Excerpts:

You oversaw a contentious reform that allowed non-agriculturists to own farmlands. Has this met its objective of attracting youngsters to agriculture?

Yes, people are heading to the villages. Some 12-13 lakh acres of land were not under cultivation. This is due to many reasons, such as people migrating to cities. When an educated person returns to ones village, he or she also brings knowledge. Due to Covid, many returned to their villages and took up agriculture. Of them, 2-3% haven't returned to the cities. The law was necessary when it was made all those years ago. Unauthorised sale of agricultural land was happening anyway, causing losses worth crores in stamp duties to the government. Now, the government will get revenue. Also, this will attract industries that were going to Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. They can get land wherever they want.

What about land conversion?

In Bengaluru, land conversion for non-agricultural purposes takes 4-5 months. In other places, it is 1-2 months. This is leading to corruption and delays that are torturing people. We want to simplify this. Conversion orders should be issued within 1-2 days. We will get people to file an affidavit saying their land is not in violation of any law. If any illegality is found, the conversion order is revoked, and money forfeited. This will deter people from submitting bogus documents.

You said once that the land mafia is so powerful that even the government cant control them.

Our laws are like that. If there's a lake encroachment and we move to recover (it), a stay order is brought immediately. To have that cleared, it takes many years. The land-grabbers hire expensive lawyers whereas our attorneys get just Rs 5,000-10,000. I've requested the CM to give us a separate litigation team. Now, were winning just 10% of cases. If we have our own legal team, we can win 60-70%.

When will the BBMP elections be held?

We wanted to hold elections in December. But it didnt happen then. Theres a case already before the Supreme Court. Based on whatever order comes, we will hold the elections. The government's intention is to hold the polls as soon as possible, keeping in mind the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Parliament elections.

Is the BJP afraid of facing elections in Bengaluru?

No, we're not. Delimitation of wards is being done to set right a huge disparity. There's no hidden agenda. In some city wards, the population is 22,000. Elsewhere, it is as high as 1.5 lakh. This led to disparity in allocation of funds. Also, councillors faced difficulty in managing such huge wards.

Your own MLAs seem wary of Congress momentum, especially DK Shivakumars.

Normally, the Opposition becomes active a year before elections. Theres nothing special about this. However, the BJP started preparation before Congress. We are in government. We want to go to polls on the development plank and thats our focus.

What do you think will be the issues for 2023 polls? Or, would you say itll be an issue-less election?

No election happens without an issue. Karnataka, especially. We won an election once solely on the issue of 'a broken promise'. Our party faced elections with Hindutva and Ayodhya as the plank. Now, there's the hijab issue.

Will the hijab issue be a plus for the BJP?

I don't know. We don't have a 'plus or minus' mindset. But it will be a major issue after having made headlines globally.

So, the hijab issue coupled with the Shivamogga violence gives the BJP a Hindutva narrative for 2023.

That's how the current atmosphere is. If an election happens today, we will win a majority easily. Congress' divided stand [on hijab] and the infighting between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah...we will sweep the election.

Was the hijab controversy needed at all?

When six Muslim girls started protesting, within one hour, foreign media picked it up even before local media. This makes it clear that there are foreign hands involved. It looks like a fallout of the fight between the Congress and PFI. The PFI wants to take Congress out of the equation. The PFI has started winning some local body polls, which has emboldened them to take on bigger political issues. The PFI will be a big threat to the Congress. In the previous Assembly session, Congress raised KS Eshwarappas issue (saffron flag) to prevent the hijab controversy from coming up. Siddaramaiah wanted hijab to be discussed, but Shivakumar did not, keeping Hindu votes in mind. They're confused.

Isn't it wrong to drag students into a political fight? The Bommai-led BJP government may have to bear this cross.

Such issues concerning students shouldnt have been raised. But you see, nobody is wearing saffron stoles now whereas the hijab continues to be worn. Clearly, we can understand that there are organisations working behind the scenes.

Could there be attempts within the BJP to destabilise Bommai by raking up controversies despite his disapproval?

Those trying to destabilise Bommai are mad. The high command has already put such things to rest. Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself in Davangere said Bommai is the CM who will lead the party into the next election.

That hasnt stopped the bickering.

So, if such things are continuing, then people are mad. There's no question of changing Bommai. No party, especially BJP, will do that so close to an election. Everything is under control now. Everyone is supportive of Bommai.

It is said that Bommai's inexperience shows sometimes.

He comes from a family where his father was CM and a central minister. Bommai, too, has been a legislator multiple times and a minister in the past. Bommai is intelligent in that he knows how to handle people without creating confusion. He is treating everybody in a balanced way.
By Michelle Goldberg

I met Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and the chief editor of UkraineWorld, an English-language news site, in Kyiv in 2019. Id gone there to report on how Ukrainians felt about Donald Trumps attempts to extort their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and on the American rights demonisation of Ukrainians whod worked against corruption.

Yermolenko spoke, then, of Ukraine as a front line in the global battle between democracy and authoritarianism, with Europe on one side and Vladimir Putins Russia on the other  and the role of the United States under Trump confusing and ambiguous.

Its about whether democracy, rule of law, are spreading farther to the east, he said of the conflict over Ukraines future. Its a long story how it spread to Eastern Europe  first it was Eastern Europe, Central Europe, then there was Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova. We hope it will someday reach Russia.

Also Read  Isolated Russia defends Ukraine war at UN General Assembly

But it was possible that the ideological tide would go the other way. There is a new authoritarianism going westward, said Yermolenko. In this view, the fate of Ukraines nascent democracy was a sort of weather vane for the world.

I spoke to Yermolenko again Sunday, as Russian troops besieged his country. The spirit is very strong, he said. There is no fatalism, no willingness to negotiate on Russias terms. There is decisiveness. Ukrainian self-defence, he said, was chiefly a matter of patriotism, of people defending their home and way of life against a cruel foreign power. But he also saw it as part of the great ideological contest wed discussed 2 1/2 years ago.

There is a strong feeling that if Ukraine wins  and Im sure it wins  that can bring the end of both Putins and Lukashenkos regimes, he said, referring to Alexander Lukashenko, the strongman president of Belarus, who is reportedly preparing to send troops to Ukraine to fight alongside Russia.

His confidence amazed me, but it appears to be widely shared across the country: According to a recent poll, 70 per cent of Ukrainians outside of Russian-occupied territories think they will prevail against Russia. Oleksandra Ustinova, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament who is in Washington working on diplomatic outreach, said that Putin thought he could easily seize control of her country. Ukrainians have proved that were not going to go down, and we do believe that we will win this war, she said.

Also Read  FIFA and UEFA suspend Russia from all competitions until further notice

I have no idea if shes right, though obviously, I hope she is. Russia appears to have stumbled in the opening days of the invasion, but Ukraines army is still enormously overmatched, and Putin has the power to rain hell on the country. The Ukrainians stalwart faith in their ability to resist Russia, however, is an important political fact, one that people who predicted a quick Russian victory didnt fully account for. Its a faith that has stirred much of the world to unite against Russia, reinvigorating a liberal internationalism that until recently seemed spent and flaccid.

As inspiring as Ukrainian determination has been, its perhaps not that surprising. Anyone whos visited Kyiv in recent years could see how much pride people took in the 2014 revolution that forced Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-backed kleptocratic president, to flee to Russia. In Kyivs Independence Square, a monument to the revolution included photos, mounted on giant copper-colored plinths, of demonstrators burning tires to repel a crackdown and getting ready to pelt the riot police with cobblestones. Nearby, a vendor sold toilet paper with Putins face on it.

Not all Ukrainians welcomed the revolution  Yanukovych had a real base of support in the countrys south and east. But there was a culture of reverence for citizens whod stood up to Russian domination.

Also Read  Ukraine talks yield no breakthrough as Russians close in

Ukraine has had two revolutions in less than two decades; there was also the Orange Revolution, which erupted after Yanukovych was accused of trying to steal the election in 2004. Nataliya Gumenyuk, a Ukrainian journalist and author of Lost Island: Tales From the Occupied Crimea, told me these revolutions have instilled in Ukrainians a strong sense of their own agency. Ukraine has a positive case of toppling a dictator, doing something that used to be unthinkable, she said, speaking from Kyiv in the middle of the night.

She noted that Zelenskyy has directly appealed to the public in Russia and Belarus. We seriously believe that if people, independent people, stand up, they can force their leaders to bend. Because with us its like that, she said.

This means that even if a democratic Ukraine wasnt an existential threat to Putin before, it is now, since its survival would mean his humiliation. In 2019, I was intrigued by how earnestly Ukrainians I met spoke of liberal democracy. Perhaps theyd won it so recently that they hadnt had time to grow cynical. Their idealism has turned out to be a powerful weapon. Theyve shown older democracies what it means to fight for their own putative values, leading to an almost ecstatic global outpouring of support.

The odds remain against the Ukrainians. But their conviction has given them a chance.

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A group of researchers is proposing that Tyrannosaurus, the most famous of all dinosaurs and the ultimate apex predator, actually includes three species and not just the single T. rex, based on thighbone and tooth variations among dozens of its fossils.

T. rex, meaning "tyrant lizard king," has been the sole species of the genus Tyrannosaurus recognized since the dinosaur was first described in 1905. A genus is a broader grouping of related organisms than a species.

A team of three researchers led by Baltimore-based independent palaeontologist and paleoartist Gregory Paul on Monday said variations they spotted in an examination of about three dozen Tyrannosaurus fossils warranted the recognition of two additional species: T. imperator, meaning "tyrant lizard emperor," and T. regina, meaning "tyrant lizard queen."

"After over a century of all specimens being placed into one species without the issue being carefully examined, the first and only analysis finds that the variation in Tyrannosaurus is beyond the norms for dinosaurs, and is distributed over time in a manner that indicates that Darwinian speciation from one (species) to two new species had occurred before the final dinosaur extinction cut off further evolution," Paul said.

Tyrannosaurus prowled western North America during the Cretaceous Period at the twilight of the dinosaur age before an asteroid struck Mexico's Yucatan peninsula 66 million years ago, dooming the dinosaurs.

Paul and his colleagues cited differences in the robustness - some larger and others more lightly built - of the thighbone or femur, and differences in the number of the small teeth at the lower jaw tip among the examined fossils.

"It is a concern that this will be controversial because of the charismatic status of T. rex, but on the other hand the study would not be getting so much attention otherwise," said Paul, whose study was published in the journal Evolutionary Biology.

Paul was correct about the controversy. Some palaeontologists not part of the study disagreed with its conclusions.

"Ultimately, to me, this variation is very minor and not indicative of meaningful biological separation of distinct species that can be defined based on clear, explicit, consistent differences," University of Edinburgh palaeontologist Steve Brusatte said.

"It's hard to define a species, even for animals today, and these fossils have no genetic evidence that can test whether there were truly separate populations. Until I see much stronger evidence, these are all still T. rex to me, and that's what I'll be calling them," Brusatte added.

Paul did not rule out that differences among individuals or differences between Tyrannosaurus males and females were at play, but called this unlikely.

Tyrannosaurus had a massive head and tremendous bite strength walked on two strong legs and had puny arms with just two fingers. Perhaps the largest-known Tyrannosaurus is a specimen named Sue at the Field Museum in Chicago, at 40-1/2 feet (12.3-meters) long and an estimated 9 tons. The new study concluded that Sue is not a T. rex but rather a T. imperator.

The scale of the differences among the three proposed Tyrannosaurus species, Paul said, is akin to the differences between a lion - scientific name Panthera leo - and a tiger, scientific name Panthera tigris. Lions and tigers are members of the same genus, Panthera, but have enough differences that they are recognized as separate species.

Palaeontologist Thomas Carr of Carthage College in Wisconsin, whose 2020 study of variation https://peerj.com/articles/9192 in T. rex found no evidence of multiple species, also differed with the new study.

"Perhaps most damning is the fact that the authors were unable to refer several excellent skulls to any of the three species," Carr said. "If their species are valid, then more than just two features should identify them: nearly every detail - especially in the head - should be different."

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The students satellite, which will be designed by the government school kids in the state, has been named after late actor Puneeth Rajkumar.

The state government is selecting over 100 students from 20 government schools to design the students satellite to be launched by September. Higher Education and Science and Technology Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan announced this in Bengaluru on Monday during the inauguration of an event to mark National Science Day.

The Department of Science and Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Technological Congress Association (ITCA) for the implementation of the project.

This will be one among the 75 satellites to be launched in the country to celebrate 75 years of independence.

Also read: 12-km stretch of ORR to be named after actor Puneeth Rajkumar

The ground station of the project will be set up at the premises of the government Pre-University college in Malleshwaram and the schools and students for this project have been selected based on their performance in various competitions.

The proposed satellite will weigh 1.5 kg and the project cost will be Rs 1.90 crore, said the minister.

The classes regarding the design of satellites will commence from April 22 and students will also get online and offline introductory programmes and also web links for the required content. As part of the project, the students will be visiting various scientific institutions located in Bengaluru, and interact with scientists. MP D V Sadananda Gowda, Prof S Ayyappan chairman Karnataka Science and Technological Academy and others were present.

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A woman wearing a face mask looks at shelves of rice as residents worry about a shortage of food, at a market in Hong Kong, Feb. 28. AP-Yonhap





Hong Kong residents stripped supermarket shelves bare Tuesday as panic buying set in following mixed messaging from the government over whether it plans to impose a lockdown this month.







Uncertainty over COVID-19 rules has sent the city's residents flocking to supermarkets, chemists and vegetable stores to stock up, leaving shelves empty across the city.







Photos circulating on social media showed people had trouble finding a variety of items including meat, vegetables, frozen foods, noodles, paracetamol and testing kits.







The financial hub is currently in the grips of its worst coronavirus outbreak, registering tens of thousands of new cases each day, overwhelming hospitals and shattering the city's zero-COVID strategy.







Authorities plan to test all 7.4 million residents this month and isolate all infections either at home or in a series of camps that are still being constructed with the help of mainland China.







City leader Carrie Lam had initially ruled out a mainland style lockdown where people are confined to their homes during the testing period.







But on Monday, health chief Sophia Chan confirmed it was still on the table, a day after a senior Chinese health official described it as the best option.







On Tuesday multiple pro-government Hong Kong media citing official sources also said authorities were looking at a variety of lockdown options for the test period.







One of the most densely populated cities on earth, Hong Kong's supermarkets have limited backroom storage space and saw waves of panic buying at the start of the pandemic two years ago.







The vast majority of its food is imported from mainland China and the current supply crunch has been worsened by cross border truckers getting infected by the high transmissible Omicron variant.







More than 190,000 infections have been recorded in the last two months compared to just 12,000 for the rest of the pandemic.







The government released a statement late Monday saying food supplies remained constant and that there was no need for panic buying.







But analysts said uncertainty and distrust were fuelling consumer habits. "We have so many questions but all answers are 'to be confirmed'," Chan Ka-lok, an international politics scholar at Baptist University, wrote on social media.







"Rush to buy and stock up, let the people decide how to live their life."







Tom Grundy, editor of the Hong Kong Free Press news website, described the latest panic buying as "a massive failure of gov't communications." "Rules changing every few days, u-turns, botched stats, poor data disclosure," he wrote on Twitter.







Faith in government assurances is low in Hong Kong, where authorities have carried out a two year crackdown on dissent after huge democracy protests. The decision to mass test residents was also itself a policy u-turn  Lam had previously ruled out such a step before backing it last month. (AFP)






Writer K Bhairavamurthy (77) died due to age-related illness at a private hospital in Mysuru on Monday night.

Bhairavamurthy served at the Maharajas Evening College in Mysuru for 36 years and retired as a professor. A resident of Vidyaranyapuram in Mysuru, he was born at Santhekasalagere village under Kothatti hobli in Mandya taluk on May 30, 1945 to K N Krishnamurthy and Gowramma.

After his primary education in his native place, he did his BA from Maharajas College, MA in Kannada Studies Centre from Manasagangotri campus of University of Mysore (UoM) and joined the Maharajas Evening College in 1969.

During his college days, he was inspired by his teachers De Javaregowda, C P Krishnakumar and H Tipperudraswamy. He has penned over 3,000 'vachanas' and over 400 newspaper columns on various issues, mainly literature. He wrote poetry, childrens literature, limericks, criticism, social issues, and other genres.

He has edited over 15 books, including felicitation volumes. 'Shivamaya' and 'Akshaya' are two felicitation books on him. 'Bhairava Deepti', a collection of 300 limericks on Bhairavamurthy, is expected to be released shortly.

He was once the president of the Mandya District Kannada Literary Meet (Mandya Jilla Kannada Sahitya Sammelana).

He is survived by his son Manoj, a software professional in the USA.

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Dear Madam,

I am a PU student. I would like to study nanotechnology for my post-graduation abroad. Please suggest which branch in engineering I should opt for at the undergraduate level. Also, what are the career prospects for nanotechnology?

Rishabh

Dear Rishabh,

Nanotechnology engineering programmes use principles from biology, chemistry, electronics, and quantum physics. To be able to pursue your Masters in nanotechnology, you need to complete your Bachelors degree in any one of these fields: Physics, math, electrical engineering, materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, biomedical, biotechnology, electronics, life sciences etc.

Career options could be in areas of biotechnology, agriculture, food, genetics, space research, aviation and aerospace engineering companies, defence companies, electronic and electrical companies, medicine, manufacturing industries, universities, research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies. Nanotechnology is one of the fastest-growing industry sectors worldwide with tremendous potential and is offered as a specialisation in most of the top universities across the world.

Dear Madam,

I am studying MBBS, I would like to pursue a masters degree in medicine abroad. Can you please recommend some good universities which are recognised by the medical council of India? Can I come and practice back in India?

Dhyan

Dear Dhyan,

After MBBS, I would suggest you go to the UK for your masters. To study in UK you need to write the IELTS exam which is a very simple English language test. To be able to practice in UK, you have to write the PLAB exam. While most universities accept an MBBS for an MRes, MPhil or MSc in an area of specialisation, some universities ask for two years clinical experience. Some of the best UK Universities for masters in medicine are Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, Kings College, Liverpool University, Glasgow University, Newcastle, Anglia Ruskin, Queen Mary and Edinburgh. To pursue your studies in US or Canada, you need to take the MCAT and USMLE exams. You could also consider an MD or PhD in areas such as cancer biology, cardiovascular biology, neuropharmacology and structural biology, immunology, microbiology etc among others. Admission would be based on your previous academic performance, graduate record examination score (general test), letters of recommendation and interviews with members of the department. The best medical schools in the US are Harvard, MIT, Dartmouth University, Duke University, John Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania and University of Southern California. In Canada, I would recommend McGill, University of Toronto and University of British Columbia. You can certainly come back to India and practice if you study at a reputed university.

Dear Madam,

I want to do a masters in biotechnology in a university abroad. I have no idea where to start. Could you tell me what I should consider before making the decision to study abroad? How do I choose a university?

Devaki

Dear Devaki,

First decide on the country you want to go to. If it is the UK, take the IELTS academic test. If it is the US, Canada, or European countries like Germany, Netherlands or Sweden, please take the GRE too. Keep in mind the reputation of the university: pick a university that is known for its quality of education, faculty, research facilities, student satisfaction and placement opportunities. While most universities will offer most subjects, choose the one that offers what you want. Also, pick a university that is reasonably priced and offers merit based scholarships and financial assistance. Some countries allow you to work for 20 hours per week during weekdays and 40 hours per week during weekends and holidays. With your study visa, you are expected to stay in their country until the completion of your course after which you are given a limited time depending on the country to find yourself a job. Some countries offer two to three years post-study work visas. The duration of your course matters too and will vary from country to country. For instance, most masters programmes are for a duration of one year in UK while they take two years in the US, Canada and some other countries. The shorter the duration, the lesser you spend. You not only save on your tuition fee for one year but also on your living expenses.

Most universities in the UK and Canada offer a placement year with your course. This increases the duration of the course by one year and hence a longer study visa, you get a paid placement and there is no tuition fee (for the placement year. This option not only gives you hands-on work experience in a global environment but also allows you additional time to network with potential employers. Location, weather, campus size, facilities like resource centres, sports, clubs, housing options both on-campus and off-campus are other aspects you should consider.
A Coleraine man who sent emails to news outlets making 'false and scurrilous' allegations about a former co-worker has come within a 'hair's breadth' of going to prison, a court has heard.

Geoffrey Brian Moffett, of Redwood Park, Coleraine, appeared at Coleraine Magistrates Court last week and entered guilty pleas to two charges of improper use of public communications.

The injured party was present in court as 34-year-old Moffett appeared in the dock in relation to the charges, which dated back to offences committed between October 9 and October 12 2020.

The court heard how the injured party's wife was made aware of an email sent to a number of news outlets about her husband, who was seriously ill in hospital at the time.

The email made claims of a 'scurrilous and totally unfounded' nature about her husband.

Police seized a copy of the email, which had been sent from a Gmail address bearing a woman's name and made an application to trace the origins of the email.

After taking statements from the news outlets to which the email was sent, they discovered the original had been sent on October 10 2020, with a reply received on October 11.

The defendant, who runs the Causeway Coast Community website and social media networks, had responded to the reply from the news outlet which asked questions relating to the original email.

The internet provider address was traced to the defendant, and Moffett was interviewed about the offending on February 4 2021.

During interview, he stated that he had used the email address, and told police he sometimes used fake email addresses in his line of IT work.

Geoffrey Brian Moffett.

He explained he knew the injured party as they had worked together in the past, but had 'had issues' and were no longer working together.

When asked if he had sent the email on October 10, he said he had done so 'accidentally' and that he had meant to send it to a friend.

He said he did not compose the original email and could not say who had sent to him. Police said they did not believe his account as the news outlets had received two replies from the defendant.

Moffett could not explain how the replies had occurred, telling police he had received an email from an unknown source and accidentally sent it to the news outlets.

Defence for Moffett said the defendant had made it clear he had sent the email accidentally and had not sent it to the injured party.

Judge King indicated that the 'to and fro' of emails belied Moffett's suggestion that he had sent the email in error.

Defence conceded that Moffett had been the 'author of his own downfall', but drew the judge's attention to references showing 'how much Mr Moffett does in his community'.

He told the court he spreads police pleas for information regularly and would be up to 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning at weekends to promote community material.

Judge King said anyone who is involved in social media had to be aware of the potential 'devastating' impact it can have on those negatively affected by it.

He drew the defendant's attention to cases highlighted in the media of younger people who suffer cyber bullying and go on to self-harm.

In this day and age, there is nobody  especially with your business background  who can claim ignorance of the damage and danger of online activity, he told Moffett.

There is always the danger of the recipient of the false, scurrilous and outrageous allegations being the subject of adverse community attention.

Judge King said the defendant had placed the injured party's reputation, family life and physical safety in danger with his 'completely obnoxious' allegations.

He said the potential for harm to a completely innocent member of the community meant that the custody threshold had been crossed.

Stressing that Moffett's guilty plea was an acknowledgement that the allegations he made were 'completely false', he sentenced the defendant to a period of four month's imprisonment, suspended for a period of three years.

A restraining order was also imposed on Moffett, prohibiting him from contacting, or encouraging others to contact the injured party for three years.

I am so appalled at the potential damage you could have caused, you came within a hair's breadth of prison today, Judge King told the defendant.
Statement by Ambassador Kelly at the UNSC Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in Ukraine

Statement

Mr. President,

I would like to thank Under Secretary General Griffiths and High Commissioner Grandi for their sobering briefings and urgent calls to action today.

The Russian Federations unprovoked and unjustified further invasion of Ukraine continues to visit death and destruction upon the country and its people, inflicting enormous hardship and suffering. Ireland stands in unwavering solidarity with the people of Ukraine. They have shown extraordinary courage and resilience.

This fresh onslaught comes on the heels of eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine, which had already displaced over 1.4 million people who relied on assistance to meet their daily needs. The Russian Federations invasion has created a humanitarian catastrophe, compounding the suffering of millions with a rapidly rising toll of internally displaced persons and refugees in need of humanitarian assistance. Millions of people in Ukraine are grappling with the humanitarian consequences of a war not of their making. Innocent civilians, including children, are paying the terrible price of conflict.

In Kharkiv, Kherson, and elsewhere, we have seen significant damage to essential infrastructure. This damage has left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and water. It has deprived them of vital medical facilities, transportation services, and means of communications. This is unacceptable.

Mr President,

The parties to the conflict must comply with international humanitarian law, including the obligation to attack only military objectives, the prohibitions against indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, and the obligation to take all feasible precautions in attack. Ireland is gravely concerned by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, which carries a particular risk of causing civilian harm in violation of these fundamental legal obligations.

We are particularly concerned by reports today of indiscriminate Russian attacks and shelling in Kharkiv, causing death and destruction amongst the civilian population.

The use of prohibited cluster munitions by Russian forces has been reported. If confirmed, this is a further damning indictment of its military aggression. Cluster munitions are by nature indiscriminate and we condemn all use of these weapons in all circumstances.

Ireland urges against attacks on infrastructure and installations including nuclear power plants. Such attacks would have profound effects on the health of millions and render the surrounding environment uninhabitable for generations to come.

Any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of international law, including the principles of the United Nations Charter, Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and the IAEA Statute. We also expresses our great concern at the deployment of weapons and armaments, or conducting missile strikes directly from the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.

Mr President,

The Russian Federation must protect all civilians in Ukraine. We recall its obligations to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law.

The safety of all humanitarian and medical workers must be ensured. Humanitarians must not be prevented from ensuring principled assistance is delivered where it is most needed, when it is most needed.

Ireland and its EU partners are providing significant humanitarian support and we stand ready to do more.

We commend our EU partners and Moldova for their generosity and solidarity in providing shelter to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the war. They are deserving of our support in providing timely humanitarian assistance, especially to the most vulnerable  the elderly, the young and the sick.

We appeal to all countries in the region to keep their borders open to all of those seeking safety and protection. Ireland is already providing humanitarian support, including core funding to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, as well as announcing a 10 million humanitarian package in recent days.

When conflicts rage, unpredictable, even barely conceivable outcomes can become all too real. Threats to unleash forces that cannot be controlled, including threats of nuclear weapons are utterly unacceptable. Ireland has long argued that nuclear weapons offer no security. Their use would cause devastation in the region and beyond, bringing a new blight on humanity for generations to come.

That is not a prospect that any of us should be willing to contemplate.

Mr. President, we urge the Russian Federation to immediately cease hostilities, unconditionally withdraw from the entire territory of Ukraine, and refrain from further threats or the use of force of any kind against Ukraine or any other Member State.

In sum, we urge Russia to turn away from war and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy. This is the right path, and the time to take it is now, before any more lives are ruined or lost.

Thank you.

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OxygenOS will use the ColorOS codebase under the hood.

OnePlus had announced it will be merging its OxygenOS and its sister concern Oppos ColorOS for an unnamed Unified OS. This was all part of its OnePlus 2.0 vision and something tech media started calling as Oppofication of OnePlus and OxygenOS. There was a lot of backlash from the OnePlus community and the larger tech media and Android fans. Well, probably owing to the mounting pressure from these social groups, the company has decided to call off its plans for this Unified OS. In other words, OxygenOS and ColorOS will retain their individuality, even though the internal codebase between the two OSes will be the same.

Now, thats a major development, albeit a bit nebulous, not gonna lie. So, lets try to read into what OnePlus has disclosed recently.

OxygenOS 13: What to expect

At a recent media roundtable, OnePlus c-suite said, Our software philosophy for Oxygen OS has always been to offer users a light and clean experience that is close to stock Android and oriented towards usage globally. With Oxygen OS 13, we want to deliver an experience that long-time OnePlus users will be familiar with while ensuring it upholds hallmarks of Oxygen OS, like a fast and smooth experience, burdenless design, and ease of use. Oxygen OS 13 will retain its unique visual design and a range of exclusive customization features.

Now, there are a few mixed signals here. As in, on one hand, they are talking about going back to their vanilla Android roots but also plans of continuing the customization features. Now, we are not sure if they are referring to the core OxygenOS features like Shelf, or the new thingies like the ColorOS launcher.

Also, one other thing that we came to know is the involvement of Google in the cooking of this new software. However, whether this is just the usual role it plays in guiding Android updates, we aren't sure. We will have to wait and see how this would materialize.

For more news, buying guides, features, reviews, and everything else tech-related, keep reading Digit.in.
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By STAN CHOE and ALEX VEIGA

AP Business Writers

NEW YORK (AP)  Markets quivered Monday amid worries about how high oil prices will go and how badly the global economy will get hit after the U.S. and allies upped the financial pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Stocks swung up and down several times, leaving the major indexes mixed. Investors herded into bonds in search of safety, pushing yields sharply lower, and the value of the Russian ruble plunged to a record low.





. . .
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By JOCELYN GECKER and ADAM BEAM

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif.  Schoolchildren in California, Oregon and Washington will no longer be required to wear masks as part of new indoor mask policies the Democratic governors of all three states announced jointly on Monday.

With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the West, California, Oregon and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance, the governors said in a statement.





. . .
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  A 54-year-old man died after he fell into a newly excavated trench and was buried beneath mud and debris at a suburban Indianapolis construction site, authorities said.

Workers with HIS Contractors told first responders the man was standing on the edge of a trench that was 6 feet wide and 40 feet long Sunday afternoon when the ground gave way.





. . .
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SEATTLE  An apartment building at 4529 44th Ave. S.W. sold last month for almost $4.2 million, according to King County records.

The seller was 1405 State Street Investors LLC, which acquired the property in 2017 for about $3.6 million.





. . .
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Duncan, OK (73533)

Today

Thunderstorms likely - a few may become strong. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 62F. Winds SE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely - a few may become strong. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 62F. Winds SE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
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

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Independent Councillor Maeve Yore, a member of the HSE Louth Disability Forum, welcomed the news that a new respite house is due to be opened by the end of April in Dundalk, that will provide 4bed/7night/48week respite, to a greater group of people availing of respite including those with complex needs.

Cllr Yore attended a meeting on Monday with HSE management and Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Anne Rabbitte, where she highlighted with Minister Rabbitte, the lack of communication and information from the HSE to those availing of respite, the staff of Struthan House, the residents of Ashbrook and the Louth HSE Disability Forum Members.

She asked the HSE Management who attended the meeting whether the staff from Struthan House will be offered the opportunity to redeploy to the new respite facility and the reply received was if staff were willing, had a preference all options would be explored.

The Independent Councillor queried whether a busy housing estate was suitable for the person who now resides in Struthan and urged the Minister and the HSE to provide every possible suitable support and service to help them on their path to recovery.

Councillor Yore requested that Minister Rabbitte met with respite users as her predecessor Finian McGrath had and the Minister agreed too stating she hopes to be back in Louth for the opening.

After the meeting Councillor Yore introduced the Minister to Struthan staff members and John Morgan, an advocate for people with disabilities, who also sought clarification from the Minister in relation to their employment options. Mr Morgan highlighted to the Minister that Staff and those who avail of respite are like family and want to continue building on that excellent relationship.

Cllr Yore also took the opportunity to raise with the Minister, what she called the apparent inaction and lack of ownership of successive Governments, to bring before the Courts those responsible for the sexual abuse of people with Intellectual disabilities across residential care and foster settings in Ireland and highlighted the anger, frustration and disgust felt by families of people with Disabilities in Ireland.
Workers who have spent over 15 years working at National Pen in Dundalk and are now facing redundancy, are said to be very disappointed, following the final redundancy offer made to them by the company.

Around 100 workers are facing redundancy over the coming months as the company, owned by parent company Cimpress plc, moves part of its operation to the Czech Republic. The final offer made to workers by management last week, is for statutory redundancy, along with 1.65 weeks pay for each year worked up to 15 years, and 0.65 of a weeks pay for every year worked over 15.

The offer was revealed to the Dundalk Democrat by Louth TD, Ruairi O Murchu who said the workers, particularly those with over 15 years loyalty to the firm, were very disappointed. The Sinn Fein TD hit out at Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, who said following National Pens redundancy announcement last month that the company would offer an attractive redundancy package, but this was, Deputy O Murchu said, an ugly offer.

Deputy O Murchu said that the workers representatives had engaged with management at all stages and had hoped for a more generous offer, particularly as the company is in a robust financial position and the move to the Czech Republic would save millions of euro every year.

The past number of weeks have been very stressful for the employees, said Deputy O Murchu, with intensive negotiations going on with management on two days each week. He continued, Ultimately, the offer was made last week and there is widespread disappointment at what is on the table, particularly in light of the fact that Tanaiste Leo Varadkar had assured them that the offer from the company would be attractive.

However, the ex-gratia payment, which is paid on top of the two weeks statutory redundancy, is anything but attractive. Just over half a week for each year over 15 years service is very, very disappointing. The local TD added, there are around 60% of the workers are in the position where they have over 15 years of loyalty, working hard to bring the company to the position it is in now, and half a week is all that is offered to them.
Communities in Louth are being called on to register for National Spring Clean 2022, Irelands largest and longest anti-litter campaign, to help make a tangible impact on the environment. National Spring Clean is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Mars Wrigley Ireland.

In 2021 2,500 Louth volunteers participated in organised clean-ups to show their support to the National Spring Clean. The National Spring Clean traditionally takes part in the month of April. For the past 23 years 85,000 clean-ups have been organised with volunteers dedicating a total of 12 million hours to remove around 42,000 tonnes of litter across the country.

National Spring Clean 2021 was the biggest and the longest campaign so far, taking place between March and August, and despite the current situation and restrictions at the start of the year, 5,543 groups registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the country and collected an estimated 3,000 tonnes of litter around Ireland. This year, building on the success of previous years, the hope is to make the National Spring Clean campaign the biggest yet.

The National Spring Clean is also an opportunity for volunteers to take local actions to make a change at a global scale. Over the last couple of years, the National Spring Clean has also been trying to raise awareness about the link between litter and climate change  the biggest environmental challenge of our time  and highlight how combined local actions can have a global effect.

Our consumption patterns and how we dispose and treat our waste has a substantial impact on the levels of emissions of several greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change.

National Spring Clean, Chairperson, Michael John OMahony, commented: We have all been through some unprecedented times over the last two years. We all became more aware than ever before of our local areas. Participants continued to undertake great work for National Spring Clean in family bubbles or as individuals during these times. However, we can now look forward to working together again as larger groups and communities and celebrate the success together.

The National Spring Clean programme is inviting people to visit the website at www.nationalspringclean.org to request a free clean-up kit.

While waiting for the National Spring Clean to officially kick off, the programme is also inviting communities around Ireland to join other initiatives. For example, volunteers are invited to take part in the #2minutestreetclean campaign and join the conversation on social media (details in the editors note).

Furthermore, to celebrate Womens Day, the National Spring Clean programme will be sharing on social media stories of women who have made a positive impact on our environment and is calling people in county Louth to share their own stories about women volunteers.
Carlingford Heritage Centre have announced an afternoon of street theatre due to take place at The Tholsel Gate, Carlingford, Co.Louth on 12th March: Performance times:11 am. 12:30 pm & 2pm. ( Weather permitting)

The theme of our event is bullying and exclusion.

Through workshops with primary and secondary schools we will explore history, heritage, and exclusion.

The event will present an exhibition of children's stories based on our theme of bullying and exclusion and inclusion in Carlingford Heritage Centre.

This project is part of the St. Patricks Festival.

We were lucky enough to be one of ten recipients of a Tiktok sponsored fund.

The audience will experience a fun interactive piece of immersive street theatre!

Where they will be transported back in time to 1422, to experience Medieval Carlingford.

Walk down memory lane in Ireland's Ancient East, to explore the sights, and scenes of an Anglo-Norman town and experience the harsh times of living under the Statutes of Kilkenny.

Will you make it through the Tholsel gate? Get your Free ticket online: www.carlingfordheritagecentre.com
Dundalk Institute of Technology have been shortlisted in conjunction with Louth LEADER Partnership for an AONTAS STAR 2022 Award.

AONTAS is an organisation whose core mission is to support and transform lives through adult learning and their Annual Awards are a celebration of this objective.

DkIT were shortlisted for both their Pathways & Headstart Programmes that are a collaboration between Dundalk Institute of Technology and Louth LEADER Partnership through funding received under the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP).

The programme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and administered by the Louth Local Community Development Committee.

The programmes aim is to provide access routes into Third Level Education for groups that have previously struggled to gain entry or assistance to Higher Education.

Johdi Quinn (DkIT Pathways & Headstart Co-ordinator and Community Development and Spanish Lecturer) said:

The biggest impact for me is that learners who are now studying at DkIT are telling me that going to college was beyond their wildest dreams before they did Pathways and Headstart.

We have reached people and communities who have always thought that education wasnt for them. But its not just about people returning to education.

I believe it has given people confidence, resilience, the courage to dream again and more than anything, hope.

These supportive courses have run for the last 5 years and offer a clearly defined route starting with a 14-week Third-Level taster programme which includes 3 modules from DkIT;

Psychology, Community Development and Creative Media.

The Pathways Programme is delivered on an outreach basis in participants own community venues. It is intended for community members to build their confidence and get a feeling of what college would be like in a safe and non-intimidating space.

The follow-on programme, Headstart, is aimed at those with an interest in pursuing Higher Education and comprises of a 9- week exploration of study skills, including, academic writing, presentation skills, group work, time management, learning to learn, career guidance and assignment feedback.

Maeve Harkin (Social Inclusion Manager with Louth LEADER Partnerships SICAP Programme) said:

Our collaborative Back to Education access courses with DkIT have supported people living in socially disadvantaged communities, unemployed people, one-parent families, ethnic minorities, refugees and asylum seekers, people with disabilities, people with mental health issues and people on low incomes.

The focus and mission of these programmes is to build self-confidence and remove as many obstacles as possible to allow access to life changing education for all.

The number of Pathways graduates over the 5-year life span has totalled 142 and to date we are delighted to report that 58 people have graduated from the Headstart Programme.

DkIT are thrilled that Headstart graduates are in all 4 years of their DkIT Degrees including programmes such as Social Care, Community Youth Work, Arts, Audio & Music Production, Creative Media, Hospitality Management, General Nursing and Mental Health Nursing. Many graduates have also secured employment because of having completed both programmes.
Lawyers acting for Lisa Smith, a former Irish soldier who denies membership of Islamic State, are objecting to evidence that allegedly shows Facebook messages between the accused and various people including a convicted terrorist.

Ms Smith (40) from Dundalk, Co Louth is on trial at the Special Criminal Court where she has pleaded not not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019.

She has also pleaded not not guilty to financing terrorism by sending 800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015.

During legal argument before the three-judge, non-jury court, Detective Sergeant Carrie O'Connor told prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC that she received a warrant in December 2019 for access to Facebook messages dating back as far as 2013.

She said she believed Ms Smith had been in contact with various known people including John Georgelas, an American convert to Islam who was wanted in the United States to face charges of providing support for a terrorist organisation and conspiring to support a terrorist organisation.

Georgelas is believed to have died fighting for Isis.

The detective also believed Ms Smith had used Facebook to communicate with an Australian man named Robert Edward Cerantonio who pleaded guilty in Australia in 2016 to taking part in preparations for an incursion into the Philippines to promote hostile activities.

Michael O'Higgins SC, for Ms Smith, will submit arguments objecting to the evidence contained in the Facebook messages tomorrow Wednesday.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt is presiding with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne.
It's just a month away until a group of people from Louth and Meath are to climb Slieve Foy in north Louth, for two men suffering from Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and to help raise funds to support Research Motor Neurone at Trinity College Dublin, where they are working on better understanding the causes of MND.

Paula Lavin, Senior Manager of St Colmcilles Ladies GFC and teacher in Colaiste Ris, along with Cllr Maeve Yore and Garda Lisa Smith, are calling on the people of Louth and Meath to come out and climb the saddle of Slieve Foy for Sean Woods and Roy Taylor on Saturday 2 April.

Sean Woods and Roy Taylor are both living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and are well-known figures within the community of Louth and further afield. Sean Woods is known for his brilliance as a mechanic for over forty years and is much loved in motor racing circles. The Dundalk man is an accomplished racing driver and former team owner, a role in which he was equally as successful.

Roy Taylor is no stranger to the limelight either, having represented Ireland in the Eurovision song contest in 1988 with his band Jump the Gun. He also released the song, My New Dream with his son Terence, which reached number one in the iTunes charts in Ireland. The song was aimed at raising awareness for MND and funds to aid research into the condition.

Paula told the Dundalk Democrat that there are around 30 to 40 people in the Louth/Meath/North East with MND. She explains that funds raised from the climb will go to support Research Motor Neurone at Trinity College Dublin, where they are working on better understanding the causes of MND; finding better ways to diagnose patients more quickly, and more effectively; and delivering new effective treatments.

Paula says that a new, prestigious research programme called Precision  ALS, fronted by Professor Orla Hardiman at Trinity College, will now focus on delivering these goals as an end to MND is sought, once and for all. She adds that with the publics amazing support, we will be able to fund this world class research.

One day soon, we will be able to get the right drug to the right patient at the right time and give much needed hope to those suffering from MND and their families.

Lisa, wife of Roy Taylor says of MND that, its a life changing disease, it can only be described as a horror story from hell.

It changes life completely not only for the sufferer, but also for the entire family. Every minute of every day is consumed by the incredible pain and suffering it causes. For the sufferer there is unimaginable pain being trapped in a body that doesnt function anymore, and for their loved one the deepest sadness and stress knowing with all the help you can give, this disease keeps pushing you further, she adds

Paula says that it is Sean and Roys wish that all funds from this event go directly into research.

We hope we can achieve this by selling 500 tickets at 20 each, and raise 10k for Research Motor Neurone. All tickets are available online: sean-roy-climb-for-rmn.eventbrite.ie

A committee of Paula Lavin, Cllr Maeve Yore and Garda Lisa Mc Cabe has been set up to organise the event and Paula says that great work has been done already to ensure this day is a success for all involved.

Jock Mc Ardle has also got involved and is a great addition, for he is an experienced guide and will be out with all his crew on the day leading us in the right direction, says Paula. Thanks to all those who have registered and donated to the event so far, and to Seamus at Anchor Tours who will provide free shuttle buses on the day, and to Richard and Jamie at print express for their kind donations of free posters, she adds.

Cllr Maeve Yore also adds that the families want to thank the HSE for their ongoing support and are overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of their local community and friends. "They want to also acknowledge with gratitude the help of Garda Lisa McCabe, Carlingford Garda Station; Jock McArdle and his Leaders; Louth Civil Defence; and the Order of Malta in volunteering for this Research Motor Neurone Fundraising Walk on behalf of Sean and Roy.

Paula ends by asking that people and their communities sign up and register for the event. Whether you end up going on the day or not, please buy a ticket as we all can make a difference here, she asks. "This climb is about awareness of Research Motor Neurone, no level of fitness is required so lets come together on Saturday April 2nd and make this a memorable day for Sean, Roy and their families.
The Government has hailed the 20 billion euro national service plan budget as the largest ever, as senior officials warned that urgent reforms were still at the mercy of Covid-19 uncertainties.

The National Service Plan, published on Tuesday, pledges to cut waiting lists and continue Ireland on the path to universal healthcare.

But Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Paul Reid admitted that reaching the targets would pose a challenge to a health system buffeted by the pandemic and still experiencing recruitment difficulties.



HSE chief executive Paul Reid said measures contained in the plan posed a challenge to the health service

On Tuesday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: This is the largest financial allocation ever received by the health and social care services and it comes at a time when we are continuing to deliver reforms and improvements based on the recommendations of the Slaintecare report towards the delivery of universal healthcare.

Mr Donnelly pledged that the plan would improve outcomes for people who need to engage with our public health service, continue to see capacity increased, build on the reforms and improve timely access.

Under the plan, it is hoped the maximum time a patient will need to wait for a hospital consultant will be cut to 18 months by the end of 2022.

With promises of an extra 210,000 inpatient and daycare procedures, the plan also pledges a further 297 acute beds, as well as nearly 20 more critical care beds.

It comes amid plans to recruit an extra 5,500 to 10,000 staff.

Mr Reid said: We will build on what happened in the past two years, in terms of increasing capacity in the community services, so particularly for older persons.



Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the plan would improve outcomes for people who need to engage with our public health service

He pointed to new specialist teams on chronic health management, as well as more primary care services in the community.

He said the plan has continued the investment in the community services to give people treatment outside of an acute hospital system.

Along with that, some further investment in our acute hospital system for increased bed capacity and ICU capacity, he added.

Discussing the plans to cut Irelands lengthy waiting lists, he described the plan as containing targeted measures.

But he admitted that the measures contained in the plan posed a challenge to the health service.

The risks are obvious in terms of some of the challenges around recruitment and some of the challenges around Covid that we can never fully predict, he said.

But thats the plan that weve set out to mitigate some of those risks and address priorities, Mr Reid told reporters during an online briefing.

Every day we get out of bed, were all uncomfortable because you never know what challenges health brings on any given day.

I think the nature of our service plan each year, theres obvious risks in it. The last two years we were dealing with the risk of Covid and we are still living with the impact of Covid this year.

But theres no doubt, across the whole of healthcare, the demands that come at us in terms of demographics that were experiencing, that cant be predicted but we know are going to increase, do put daily, weekly and annual pressures on our health service.

Ultimately, every aspect of the service plan is always challenging. We said we aim to mitigate many risks on an ongoing basis.

The plan also contained pledges to improve mental health services in Ireland, with the promise of the opening later this year of the new 110-bed National Forensic Mental Health Service in Portrane, Co Dublin.



Mr Reid said there were uncertainties around future vaccination programmes

Theres a promise of three new teams and cafes to open for mental health patients by the end of the year.

Yet questions remain about what level of Covid-19 infrastructure will be required as part of the plan.

On Tuesday, Mr Reid said that the extent of testing, tracing and public health infrastructure to remain in place was yet to be decided.

He said: Theres two uncertainties around all of that. Number one  will there be an annual booster programme for vaccinations and when might that kick in? Or is it a targeted vaccination programme around vulnerable groups?

That was something we dont have confirmation on just now, the HSE boss added.

Mr Reid added that the HSE was working on moving to a transitioning environment, which he said would be followed by a shift towards a system that was both sustainable but could shift immediately to an emergency model.

He promised further clarity on the next steps in the coming weeks, but warned: We werent match ready in terms of pandemic workforce capacity and capability.

We did scale the scale-up very well and scale up very well at pace, but we need to go into the next important phase knowing that we can keep some capacity and capability.

Mr Reid rejected the idea that the reforms and the healthcare targets were contingent on the HSE recruiting a sufficient number of staff  a recurring issue in Ireland.

Were a high-dependency-on-people service. Thats the reality of the health services, he said.

Many of the targets do relate to recruitment. However, its not a like-for-like correlation, if you dont get 10,000 well, heres what falls off in proportion.

Some impact more than others, he said.

We have to recruit 9,500 people just to stand still.
Claremont, NH (03743)

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Cambodia police say blood-slave case faked

By ZHAO RUINAN (China Daily) 08:49, March 01, 2022

The so-called blood slave case, in which a Chinese national had been reported to be detained illegally in Cambodia and had large quantities of blood taken from him, was fabricated, the Chinese embassy in Cambodia said on Monday, quoting local police.

The Cambodian police informed the embassy of the preliminary results of an investigation and issued a police notice saying that the case was fabricated, the embassy said in a message on its WeChat account. On Feb 12, a hospital in Phnom Penh reported to the embassy that a Chinese man was admitted in a critical condition due to large quantities of blood having been drawn from him.

The man was duped by a false job advertisement and was coerced by criminals into being smuggled into Cambodia, before he was illegally detained and had large quantities of his blood drawn, media reports earlier said.

According to local police cited by the embassy, that's not the case. Li Yayuanlun, the Chinese national in question, was smuggled into the country, had a serious liver disease and later contacted a local social organization for help, the police said.

But three people then assisted Li for different purposes to make and publicize the lie that Li had been detained illegally and had blood drawn from him multiple times, the police said, without giving more details.

Cambodian police said they will transfer the case to Cambodian judicial authorities.

The Chinese embassy said that it is still highly concerned about the case and will keep following up on it, protect the legitimate rights and interests of relevant parties under the legal framework of China and Cambodia, and support and cooperate with local law enforcement authorities.

The Chinese embassy also called on Chinese in Cambodia to abide by the laws of both countries and said they must not fabricate rumors and deceive the public.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has agreed with a management proposal to take steps in responding to the Russian-led invasion in Ukraine.

They voted in large numbers to ask Governors to approve firm action against both Russia and Belarus.

If approved by the Governors, the access of Russia and Belarus to EBRD finance and expertise would be suspended open-endedly.

Governors will have thirty days to vote on this resolution under Article 8.3 of the Articles Establishing the Bank, the constitution of the EBRD, which makes provision for the suspension of access by a member to Bank resources in 'exceptional circumstances'.

To pass the resolution under Article 8.3 requires the support of a majority of not less than two thirds of the Governors, representing not less than three fourths of the total voting power of members.

Separately, the EBRD is also exploring, in cooperation with our partners, an emergency financing package for the region. Included could be liquidity support for the private and public sector, and municipalities affected by an influx of refugees.

It would be a tangible symbol of support for Ukraine and other Countries of Operations caught up in the crisis.

The Bank has made clear its condemnation of the invasion and its unwavering support for Ukraine.
A 42-YEAR-old woman who carried out an aggravated burglary while armed with a knife was so delusional at the time she believed she was at home and she screamed at others to get out.

Garda Anthony Garvey said he responded to the call to an apartment at Lancaster Quay off Western Road in Cork city.

I was informed that a female entered with a knife. Rosemarie OSullivan was present. She was shouting and acting in an erratic manner.

A window of the apartment was damaged and there was broken glass on the floor. She was not invited to the property, Garda Garvey said.

Rosemarie OSullivan, of Ballybough Road, Dublin, and otherwise of no fixed address faced sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Prosecution barrister Dermot Sheehan put it to the guard: When you met her she was patently unwell and was dealt with under the Mental Health Act. She has been in prison or the Central Mental Hospital since that date  March 9, 2020.

Garda Garvey agreed with that suggestion.

Defence senior counsel Ray Boland said: She was under the delusion that it was her apartment and she was telling people who were legitimately living there to get out, telling them to get out, that it was her property and of course it was not.

Mr Boland said that after a long period at the Central Mental Hospital it was found that she was fit to plead. As soon as this finding was made she pleaded guilty to the aggravated burglary.

In effect she has served more than two years in respect of this matter, if we take the CMH to be custody, which it basically is, Mr Boland said. More recently she has been remanded in prison custody.

Judge Dara Hayes said: It is in her interests to have the matter put back for a probation report and I will remand her in custody for that purpose. The judge put the matter back until April 25.
Radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear plant spiked above control levels, Ukraine warned on Friday.

The announcement came the day after Russian forces captured the infamous plant on Thursday during the countrys invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported Thursday.

The control levels of gamma radiation dose rate in the Exclusion zone were exceeded, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine said in a statement early Friday reported by The Washington Post.

Data from the automated radiation monitoring system of the exclusion zone, which is available online, indicate that the control levels of gamma radiation dose rate (red dots) have been exceeded at a significant number of observation points. pic.twitter.com/G4WEGgkMcT  Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (@ua_parliament) February 25, 2022

The nuclear facilities and other facilities at the site were not damaged, the statement said. Instead, the raised levels likely had to do with the military presence itself.

Experts of the Ecocenter connect this with disturbance of the top layer of soil from movement of a large number of radio heavy military machinery through the Exclusion zone and increase of air pollution, an updated statement from the inspectorate said.

Chernobyl was the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history in 1986 when explosions and fires at the plant let a radioactive cloud loose over parts of Europe, The Washington Post explained. Contaminated soil and other fallout remains at the so-called Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a 1,000-square mile stretch of forest surrounding the doomed plant. The plant itself is around 62 miles from Kyiv, according to Reuters.

Readings close to the reactor on Thursday rose by about 20 times, from the standard three microsieverts per hour to 65, BBC News reported.

If the dose rates recorded correspond to real values, the situation is extremely worrying, French nuclear watchdog CRIIRAD told Reuters. However, the group said it was conducting its own research, and that the higher readings could have many causes, including interference from cyberattacks.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the public was not in danger because of the higher readings.

Sheffield University nuclear materials expert professor Claire Corkhill agreed that the spike was likely caused by the movement of military vehicles kicking up radiation.

These buildings are designed for containment, to keep radioactive materials inside, but theyre not necessarily armoured: theyre not designed to operate in a war zone, Corkhill told BBC News.

However, she thought a new nuclear disaster at the site was extremely unlikely. Instead, a greater danger is posed by fighting near Ukraines working nuclear power plants.

Chernobyl is inside a large exclusion zone, and the uninhabited space would mitigate the consequences of a second nuclear accident there. Ukraines other reactors are not similarly isolated, James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote. Moreover, much of the fuel in these other reactors is substantially more radioactive than the fuel at Chernobyl. To put it simply, nuclear power plants are not designed for war zones.

CRIIRAD said the country could enhance safety by shutting down working reactors, but this is difficult because Ukraine gets 50 percent of its power from nuclear energy, according to Reuters.

Ukraine told IAEA Friday that its reactors were working safely and securely, BBC News reported.
In another example of how the climate crisis is impacting Australian wildlife, the animal emblem of its capital territory will be listed as a threatened species.

Australias Environment Minister Sussan Ley emailed Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti to tell her that the gang-gang cockatoo should be reclassified as endangered according to the threatened species list, as Australias ABC News reported.

Gang-gangs are a much-loved species in Canberra, and so, obviously, we are saddened by the announcement, Vassarotti told ABC News. But we do welcome the announcement because what this does, is it provides us with the opportunity to increase focus on the species and it means that we will be able to work with other jurisdictions in terms of understanding what the health of this species is.

Gang-gang cockatoos are a small cockatoo that lives only in southeastern Australia, according to eBird. They are gray-green in color, but the males have bright red heads and fluffy crests. Their call sounds like a squeaky door hinge. They are especially popular in Australias capital of Canberra, where they frequent both suburban backyards and nature reserves, The Guardian reported.

The bird is just one Australian species whose conservation status had to be reconsidered after the extreme bushfires of 2019 and 2020. Most famously, koalas were listed as an endangered species last month after the bushfires precipitated their decline. Overall, their numbers had fallen by about half between 2001 and 2021.

Gang-gang cockatoos were also struggling before the bushfires impacted 36 percent of the species range.

We think that they were declining before the fires already as a result of climate change-related factors, professor Sarah Legge told ABC News in August 2021. Were quite sure that the bird has declined possibly by as much as 69 percent.

Legge sat on the Threatened Species Scientific Committee that recommended the bird be considered endangered.

The 2019 and 2020 wildfires really brought this bird to the attention of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee but it was in decline even prior to the fires, and the fires sort of made it worse, she told ABC News this week.

Scientists think the fires caused the birds population to decline a further 21 percent, The Guardian reported. And the rising temperatures and increased fire risk caused by climate change are likely to threaten their habitat in the future as well. Their new status will mean developments that could impact them will need to be considered by the government.

With climate change only going to make things harder for this cold-climate bird, the government needs to step in and better protect this amazing bird and the native forests that provide essential nesting hollows in old growth trees, BirdLifes urban bird project manager Holly Parsons told The Guardian.




Malaysia opens subsidy applications for poultry farmers

Malaysia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries has opened subsidy applications for poultry farmers until June 5, 2022, Bernama Malaysia reported.

The ministry said the subsidy rate is MYR 0.60 (~US$0.14; MYR 1 = US$0.24) per kg for poultry farmers and MYR 0.05 (~US$0.012) for eggs grades A, B, and C.

MYR 528.52 million (~US$126 million) has been allocated for the subsidies that aims to benefit 2,255 breeders. Payment will be channelled directly to the farmers' accounts through Agrobank.

The ministry said the subsidy will ease farmers' burdens especially for rising feed costs, which accounts for 70% of production costs. Other costs include logistics, labour, utilities and medicines.

The ministry hopes the government's intervention will be able stabilise supply and ensure consumers can purchase chicken and eggs at an affordable price.

Farmers can apply for the subsidies at any Department of Veterinary Services office, or visit the Department of Veterinary Services website to download the form and application guidelines.

- Bernama Malaysia
Effingham, IL (62401)

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When I was growing up, if the Peru Tigers lost to the Marion Giants or the Logansport Berries, we accepted the verdict on the court. Those who didnt were labeled poor sports or bad losers.
Chief Minister visits Isle of Man Ferry Terminal to see progress

Progress is continuing on the construction of the Isle of Man Ferry Terminal in Liverpool.

The Chief Minister and Infrastructure Minister made a recent visit to assess progress and meet the teams delivering the project.

Crucially, the visit was an opportunity to understand fully the work undertaken to date, and what is required to ensure completion next year.

Alfred Cannan said he looked forward to further visible progress being made over the coming months as things really start to take shape.
Chief Minister sets out support for those fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Chief Minister has announced support for the people of Ukraine as well as setting out further action against Russia.

Alfred Cannan MHK said: The Isle of Man Government condemns the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and deplores the ongoing military invasion of Ukraine.

I want to make it clear that the Isle of Man Government stands unreservedly in support of our friends in Ukraine. Their courage and resolve in the face of the advancing Russian forces has been remarkable.

We also stand full-square with the actions by world leaders to bring sanctions against Russia and we will ensure that sanctions are enforced whenever they are requested.

Funding for refugees

Making a statement in the House of Keys, the Chief Minister said that half a million pounds (500,000) is being made available to support those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. The government is currently in discussions with the Disasters Emergency Committee which is expected to launch an appeal in the coming days to support Ukrainian refugees. Alternatively, the funding may instead be made available to UN agencies working in the region.

Closure of Islands ports and airspace

In his statement, the Chief Minister made clear that the Isle of Mans airspace and ports have now been closed to Russian aircraft and vessels until further notice.

Visa applications

The Isle of Man is mirroring the UKs approach in relaxing visa rules to support family members of British nationals who usually live in Ukraine. It means immediate family members are able to apply for a free family migration visa.

A dedicated email address for those who need urgent support and guidance is available at UkraineGuidance@gov.im.

The UK government has indicated this visa pathway is the first step in a wider range of measures to support those fleeing conflict. The Chief Minister said that the government will monitor the situation closely and if there are opportunities for the Isle of Man Government to offer additional support, it will do so.

Sanctions

On sanctions, the Chief Minister made it clear that the Isle of Man mirrors UK sanctions, including those recently introduced against Russia. This means that when a person or body is added to the UK sanctions list that person or body is automatically subject to equivalent measures in the Island.

If, or when, the UK widens its sanctions  for example, in respect of trade with Russia  the Isle of Man Government will work to ensure that the Island has the same measures in place as quickly as possible.

Work is underway to understand any Isle of Man links to Russian persons and entities, and the impact possible further UK sanctions measures may have. This includes  but is not limited to  the Islands aircraft, shipping and general registries.

The Chief Minister added: We will work to ensure that we are not a weak link in international pressure on the Putin regime. We will continue to play our part in international efforts to bring about peace and support those affected by the conflict.


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Athens, AL (35611)

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Major crypto exchanges including Coinbase and Binance are refusing a request by Ukraine to freeze all Russian accounts, saying that doing so would harm civilians and be counter to their ideals. "To unilaterally decide to ban peoples access to their crypto would fly in the face of the reason why crypto exists, a Binance spokesperson told CNBC.

In a tweet, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov asked major crypto exchanges to freeze all Russian and Belarus accounts, not just the accounts of sanctioned oligarchs. "It's crucial to freeze not only the addresses linked to Russian and Belarusian politicians, but also to sabotage ordinary users," he said.

Such a move would be in line with US and European Union sanctions against Russian banks and leadership designed to cripple the nation's economy. However, freezing crypto holdings could directly impact regular Russian citizens.

Coinbase said it's already sanctioning any persons or entities in Russia as required by law, but won't go any further. "A unilateral and total ban would punish ordinary Russian citizens who are enduring historic currency destabilization as a result of their governments aggression against a democratic neighbor," it told Motherboard. Binance similarly stated that it wouldn't "unilaterally freeze millions of innocent users accounts."

Binance, on the flip side, said it has committed to donate at least $10 million in humanitarian aide to Ukraine and launched a fundraiser with the goal of raising $20 million. The company is also currently under investigation by the US government for alleged money laundering and insider trading.

Other exchanges including KuCoin also said they wouldn't go beyond anything required by law. Kraken exchange CEO Jesse Powell said that such a move would violate the company's "libertarian values."

One exception is Dmarket, a Ukraine-based platform that allows people to trade NFTs and virtual in-game items. The company said in a tweet that it had cut "all relationships with Russia and Belarus due to the invasion of Ukraine."
Toyota has reportedly halted vehicle production at all its plants in Japan following a cyberattack against a major supplier, Nikkei has reported. "Due to a system failure at a domestic supplier (Kojima Industries Corporation), we have decided to suspend the operation of 28 lines at 14 plants in Japan on Tuesday, March 1st," Toyota wrote on its global website.

Kojima supplies both exterior and interior parts, including components used in its air-conditioning system and steering wheel. The parts weren't affected but Kojima was reportedly unable to communicate with Toyota or monitor production. The issue affected Toyota's "just in time" manufacturing system that requires parts be delivered just before they're installed so they don't have to be stocked.

Toyota didn't mention a cyberattack on its website, but Kojima confirmed the issue. "It is true that we have been hit by some kind of cyberattack. We are still confirming the damage and we are hurrying to respond, with the top priority of resuming Toyota's production system as soon as possible," a Kojima official told Nikkei.

Two other Toyota partners were reportedly hit, including truck manufacturer Hino Motors and Daihatsu Motor. The origins of the cyberattack, type of malware and other details have not been revealed. Toyota didn't say when it expects to restart the manufacturing lines, but the Japanese government is reportedly involved in the investigation.
The American Council of the Blind, National Disability Rights Network, National Federation of the Blind and more than 170 other disability organizations signed a letter published today, calling for the Department of Justice to finalize rules for online accessibility. According to the letter, the rulemaking process began in 2010 "under Titles II and III of the ADA" but was withdrawn in 2017. Last year, US representative Ted Budd (R-NC) led the re-introduction of a bill proposing an Online Accessibility Act, which was initially introduced in October 2020.

In today's letter, addressed to assistant attorney general Kristen Clarke, the signees urged "the Department of Justice to maintain this rulemaking process as a priority and finalize a rule by the end of the current administration." It states that while the DoJ has held that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) includes websites and other technologies critical to accessing a business' services, it has "failed to define when and how they should be accessible."

Director of advocacy and government affairs for the American Council of the Blind Clark Rachfal told Engadget that at the moment, the DoJ enforces accessibility online "on a case-by-case basis."

"This is equivalent to enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act for the physical build environment by going door-to-door along main street," he said. The signatories of this letter want the DOJ to create enforceable accessibility standards "to ensure equal access to telehealth, distance learning, remote work, and online commerce for all people with disabilities," he added.

Efforts to come up with these rules have ebbed and flowed. The letter noted that "In 2018, the Department reconfirmed its position that the ADA applies to the internet but never completed rulemakings that were begun in 2010 under Titles II and III of the ADA and withdrawn in 2017."

The result is an online world where people with disabilities struggle to get their needs met. According to WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind), about 97 percent of the 1 million pages evaluated had WCAG 2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) failures. These issues ranged from using low contrast text and missing form input labels to empty buttons and missing alt text for images.

zlikovec via Getty Images

"The absence of digital accessibility regulations in the intervening time period has resulted in persistent exclusion of people with disabilities from digital spaces covered by the ADA," the letter notes. It also highlights issues like "persistent barriers in telehealth accessibility," particularly for deaf users. While there haven't been quantitative studies on intersectional disabilities and how they relate to online accessibility, the letter states "anecdotal reports suggest that the vast majority of DeafBlind people are completely unable to utilize telehealth as it currently exists."

An American Foundation for the Blind study that's cited in the letter found that almost 60 percent of educators surveyed in Fall 2020 reported "their blind and low vision students could not access one or more of the digital learning tools they were expected to use in class."

As the world increasingly lives and conducts business online, it's crucial that the digital world is accessible by design. The letter points out that "These findings are neither exhaustive of all website-related issues nor comprehensive of the entire disability community." There's a lot of work and research still to be done.

"The disability community is large and diverse, facing access issues that continue to grow and evolve with the ever-changing landscape of websites and applications." Having a set of rules in place will help enable clearer communication and implementation of the tools that will make websites (and apps) accessible to all.
You didn't think Disney+ would only offer Marvel's Netflix shows in Canada, did you? Sure enough, Disney+ has confirmed it will carry Daredevil, Jessica Jones and other former Netflix exclusives in the US starting March 16th. Agents of SHIELD will be available, too. As you might imagine, though, Disney isn't about to release that decidedly darker content without a heads-up to parents used to more family-friendly material  it's going to make everyone reconsider their content settings.

The first time you use Disney+ from March 16th onward, you'll be asked to update your parental controls. You'll have the option of setting per-profile content rating levels, PIN codes for more mature accounts and "Kid-Proof Exit" questions for child profiles. You'll remain at the usual TV-14 rating if you stick with the existing settings. The service has used strategies like this in places like Africa, Europe and the Middle East, but is now expanding that approach to the US.

Disney wasn't shy about the reasons for bringing the Netflix shows to Disney+ instead of Hulu, where mature shows are more expected. It "made the most logical sense" to serve Marvel fans by streaming more content in one place and reach a "broader audience," the company said. The parental controls will help Disney+ preserve both its trust and its reputation.

The Marvel productions were slated to leave Netflix as of today (March 1st). Disney telegraphed its attention for years, warning as early as 2017 that it would drop Netflix in favor of its own services. Netflix cancelled all of its Marvel shows by 2019, and Disney has given former Netflix characters limited roles in Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The US additions reflect the careful balance Disney+ has tried to strike since launch. While it's eager to maintain the stereotypically clean Disney image, it's also determined to attract subscribers drawn to content that doesn't quite fit that mold, whether it's Star's wider selection in some countries or exceptions like Hamilton. This latest expansion appears to continue the strategy  Disney+ isn't about to sacrifice viewers to avoid an inconsistency between the Netflix productions and its 'safer' Marvel fare.
Facebook is taking new steps to curb the influence of Russian state media outlets on its platform. The company, which has already blocked access to RT and Sputnik within the European Union and Ukraine, now says it will demote all Russian state media across Facebook and Instagram around the world.

Calling the move unprecedented, Metas president of Global Affairs Nick Clegg, said the company was making Russian state media harder to find on Facebook and Instagram. We are demoting content from Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts for Russian state controlled media outlets, Clegg said during a call with reporters. We have also begun to demote posts that contain links to Russian state controlled media websites on Facebook over the past few days.

While Facebook has in the past down-ranked certain types of content, like vaccine misinformation, its unusual for the company to demote a wide swath of content entirely. RT in particular is prolific on social media, and has millions of followers on Facebook alone. On the call, Clegg called the move unprecedented, and noted that Meta has received requests from a number of governments to suppress Russian state media. So far, the company has only blocked the pages entirely in the European Union  following a ban from lawmakers  and inside of Ukraine.

Facebook

In addition to demoting content, Clegg said Facebook will also add labels to all links to Russian state media websites that are shared on its platforms in order to provide more information to people before they share them or to let them know that they lead to state controlled media websites. Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts controlled by state media will also have labels.

The labels, which are expected to roll out in the coming days, will appear on any link to Russian state media and will warn that Facebook believes the publisher is "partially or wholly under the editorial control of the Russian government." Facebook's head os Security Policy Nathaniel Gleicher added that the company will be on the lookout for new websites or links created to evade the policy.

Facebooks latest update comes after several days of crackdowns on Russian state media from major tech companies. Twitter has also added new labels to state media outlets, and taken steps to reduce their visibility on its platform. TikTok has also blocked access to the content within the EU, and Microsoft has removed Russian state media from many of its platforms as well.

Clegg also confirmed that the companys services are being throttled within Russia, a move the countrys regulators announced after Facebook declined to stop fact-checking state media accounts. We see the effect most particularly on video and other multimedia content  the degradation of the service is definitely discernible, he said.

Facebook has also enabled its "lock profile" tool for users in Russia and Ukraine, a step that locks down privacy settings and hides friends lists and prevents profile photos from being downloaded. Clegg said the company was also making "encrypted onto-to-one chats available on Instagram for all adults" in the countries. Instagram users there will also see notifications alerting them they can enable encryption in the app's messaging feature.
Finnish software outfit Jolla has announced that it is attempting to disentangle itself from the Russian state interests that hold a significant stake in its business. Samuli Simojoki, current chair of Jollas board, posted (in Finnish) on LinkedIn, saying that Jolla is currently 45-percent owned by Rostelecom. The Russian telecommunications giant is itself 45-percent owned by the Russian government, and so while its not a majority stake, it is significant. Simojoki added that Jolla has been actively driving down its Russian business through 2021 and, at this point, does not make any money from the nation. But, until it can find a way of buying Rostelecom out, or somehow otherwise arranging a separation, the thorny issue remains.

Jollas Chairman of the Board, Samuli Simojoki, opens Jollas current situation on LinkedIn. Original text in Finnish. https://t.co/osRqeeDNQ0  Jolla (@JollaHQ) March 1, 2022

Those with short memories might not recall that Jolla was the company that rose from the ashes of Nokias homegrown smartphone OS, MeeGo. Jolla, itself formed by former Nokia engineers, developed MeeGo into Sailfish, which was intended to offer a second alternative to Android in the then-burgeoning mobile world. After a not-too-successful attempt at launching its own handset in 2013, Sailfish pivoted to supporting Android devices as a replacement operating system for those tired of Google. By early 2015, having failed to make much of a dent in the world with that strategy, Jolla received positive overtures from the Russian government.

Russias interest in Sailfish was, broadly speaking, part of a trend back then reflecting a wariness on behalf of other major nations of western technology. Both China and Russia, concerned that computers, tablets, smartphones and industrial applications were becoming entirely dependent on American-owned hardware and software, looked for alternative platforms to adopt. In late 2016, the Russian government approved Sailfish as a platform that could be used by government departments and officials. It subsequently signed similar deals in China and Latin America, where Jolla licensed its source code to a local partner. This was sufficient to help it avoid a second bankruptcy, although its financial woes have always been an issue.

Its not clear, and we have emailed Jolla for further comment, what this will mean for Jollas future as a standalone business. In his LinkedIn post, Simojoki said that the company has received plenty of positive interest from European companies, but they will only sign up after Rostelecoms stake is gone. That, for now, leaves the company stuck in something of a Catch-22.
Netflix isn't bowing to Russian pressure to carry state-owned TV channels. The streaming service confirmed to Variety that it wouldn't carry the 20 free state channels required under a Russian law, including Channel One, NTV and Spa. The company has "no plans" to offer the programming in light of the "current situation," a spokesperson said  that is, it's not about to support Russian state media while the country invades Ukraine.

The law, known in the country as the Vitrina TV law, requires audiovisual services with more than 100,000 subscribers to carry the channels. National regulator Roskomnadzor labeled Netflix as one of those services in December. The measure has yet to be enforced, but there have been concerns Netflix would soon have to comply.

We've asked Netflix what it might do if the law takes effect. It might not be afraid to withdraw from Russia, however. Netflix only localized its service roughly a year ago, and it doesn't have employees in the country. It only started work on its first Russian original (an adaptation of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina) in May 2021, and a source for The Wall Street Journal claims Netflix has fewer than 1 million Russian subscribers. This may be more of a symbolic move than a major sacrifice.

Nonetheless, it adds to a growing technology industry backlash to Russian state media. Companies like Meta, Microsoft and Google have heavily restricted Russian outlets like RT and Sputnik due to a European Union ban and general policies against disinformation. Western tech firms aren't willing to spread Russia's official message after the invasion of Ukraine, and they're increasingly unafraid of retaliation from Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness informs the public that the administration of the Covid-19 Vaccine (Pfizer Vaccine) which is scheduled at the Paul Octave Wiehe Auditorium, Reduit will now be re-scheduled to Raised Plaza, University of Mauritius from Wednesday 02 to Saturday 05 March 2022 from 09 00 hrs to 15 00 hrs in alphabetical order.

A to F  Monday and Thursday

G to N  Tuesday and Friday

O to Z  Wednesday and Saturday

The vaccination programme will resume normally at the Paul Octave Wiehe Auditorium, Reduit as from Monday 07 March 2022.

All those persons wishing to get vaccinated are kindly requested to bring their National Identity Card and their vaccination card along with them for the administration of the Booster Dose.

Adolescents aged 12  17 years, attending the Vaccination Centre for their First Dose of Pfizer vaccine should bring along their recent birth certificate and should be accompanied by their parents.

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Reddit has made r/Russia harder to find and stumble across in a move meant to minimize misinformation on the website. It has added the group to the list of "quarantined subreddits," which means it won't show up in search and recommendations, as well as in non-subscription-based feeds. Also, anyone who loads an r/Russia URL it will go through a portal where they'll have explicitly agree to visit the subreddit before seeing its content. Those who do choose to visit will see a warning at the top of the page that says "This Community contains a high volume of information not supported by credible sources."

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According to Mashable, the Russia subreddit mostly contained posts that justified or supported the country's invasion of Ukraine. Some accused Ukraine of being the one to spread misinformation, and some reportedly likened Ukrainian soldiers to Nazis. While there were some verifiable posts in the group, it also had a lot of content that could be quickly debunked. "We are clear in our policies that moderators and users may not attempt to manipulate and interfere with the conversations or communities on our platform," a Reddit spokesperson told the publication.

Over the past few days, a number of tech companies have blocked access to Russian state-owned media in Europe following the EU's decision to ban them so they could "no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war." Facebook restricted access to RT's and Sputnik's pages across EU territories in addition to blocking them in Ukraine. Microsoft banned them from its ad network and de-ranked them in Bing search results. YouTube blocked access to their channels across Europe, and even TikTok made their accounts inaccessible within the EU.
Mobile World Congress, best known for phones, next-gen mobile networks and everything related is having a laptop moment. Sure, Honor revealed its latest high-end phone, with the full-fat Android experience, but a lot of the headline devices have been laptops or hybrids or two-in-ones. Thats true of Samsung (Galaxy Book 2 Pro), Huawei (laptops, tablets and a hybrid) and now, Lenovo. Its revealed its first ThinkPad running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip  the processor family usually used in smartphones. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chip is made for these kinds of devices.

Its got some exciting specs: 5G support built-in, a heady 28 hours of battery life and a red ThinkPad tracker nub. Well wait on a full review to decide whether it lives up to the full ThinkPadTrackPad experience, but the wait wont be long: The ThinkPad X13s is slated to go on sale sometime in May, starting at $1,100.

 Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

The next OnePlus phone can fully charge in 15 minutes

Qualcomm's X70 5G modem has an AI processor to improve signal strength

Panasonic will start making Tesla's higher-capacity EV batteries by March 2024

ASUS Zephyrus G14 review: Still a solid 14-inch gaming laptop

Lenovo's latest tablets include a Windows 11 detachable

Lenovo's new ThinkPad X1 Extreme runs on 12th-gen Intel chips

Crypto exchanges refuse to freeze all Russian accounts as Ukraine requested

But when can I buy one?

Honor

The once-Huawei subsidiary is, unlike its former owner, able to combine high-specced devices with, thankfully, all the Android and Google features we demand. Its latest flagship family, the Magic 4 and Magic 4 Pro are, once again, stylish, competitively priced phones with some notable tricks. Honors Eye of Muse-branded camera setup (dont ask) features two 50-megapixel cameras on both phones, with the Pro packing a 64-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3.5x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. (The vanilla Magic 4 gets a more humble 8MP periscope camera.)

The Magic 4 Pro also gets a direct time-of-flight (DTOF) sensor to help with focusing and improving image quality. The Magic 4 Pro will cost 1,099 ($1,230) in Europe when it launches. The Magic 4 will cost 899 ($1,006).

Continue reading.

Both are available now.

LG is once again updating its CineBeam 4K projectors, and the upgrades are good news if you tend to watch during the day. Both the HU715Q Ultra Short Throw laser projector and the HU710P laser-LED hybrid promise better daytime viewing, with a new auto-brightness feature on the HU715Q. The HU710Ps move to a wheel-free hybrid offers brighter overall pictures than its predecessor. LG is already shipping both CineBeam projectors , starting at $2,499 for the HU710P and $2,999 for the HU715Q.

Continue reading.

The country has also dropped US involvement in a Venus probe.

Russia is cutting some of its cooperation with international space programs in response to sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine. Roscosmos is "suspending" cooperation with European partners on launches from the Guiana Space Centre in retaliation for EU sanctions. The Russian space agency also announced it's pulling staff from the French Guiana-based Spaceport.

Continue reading.

The device will also stick with OxygenOS instead of shifting to a unified OS.

While most OnePlus phones had been available globally before "reaching" China, that wasn't the case with the OnePlus 10 Pro, which has so far been China-exclusive since its January launch. That's about to change. The company announced at MWC that its latest flagship phone will finally head to the US, Europe and India "by the end of March."

Continue reading.

Adam Mosseri says there aren't enough people using iPads to justify fast-tracking an app.

Godong via Getty Images

It's been more than 11 years since Instagram launched, and there's still no native iPad app. According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, that's not going to change any time soon. In a series of tweets between Mosseri and prolific tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, Mosseri said there weren't enough iPad users to justify making a dedicated app.

Continue reading.
TikTok has joined Facebook in blocking access to two Russian state media outlets in the European Union. Sputnik and RT are no longer able to post to audiences within the EU, and their pages and content will no longer be accessible to users in the bloc, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed.

TikToks move comes as Facebook , Twitter, YouTube and Microsoft have also cracked down on the outlets, which have large followings on social media platforms. Facebook also said Monday that it was blocking access to the publications, and Twitter said it would label all tweets from Russian state media accounts.Those actions come after a broader order from EU officials to ban RT and Sputnik.
Uber hopes to accelerate a planned sale of its remaining holdings in Yandex.Taxi, the Russian-owned ride-hailing platform, reported The New York Times. Uber owns a 29% stake in the service, which was roughly equivalent to $800 million at the end of 2021. While speeding up the sale is directly in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, Uber has been looking to exit the Russian market for a while. Last year Uber announced it would sell its stake of Yandexs autonomous vehicle and food delivery divisions back to the Russian internet company for a total of $1 billion. In the wake of Mondays decision, three Uber executives resigned from the board of Yandex.Taxi.

In light of recent events, we are actively looking for opportunities to accelerate the sale of our remaining holdings and, in the meantime, will remove our executives from the board of the joint venture, Uber said in a statement to the Times.

The decision aligns with similar moves made by private US companies like Google, Apple, Meta, Netflix and others to cut ties with Russia in light of its invasion of Ukraine. It will also mark the end of what has been a very rocky ride for Uber in Russia, since it first launched in the country in 2014. The ride-hailing and food delivery market in Russia was already dominated by Yandex.Taxi, which is partly owned by Russias largest tech company, Yandex. Both companies entered in a $3.7 billion dollar deal in 2017, with Uber owning 37 percent of Yandex.Taxi. Customers in Russia can use either the Yandex or Uber app to hail a ride.

Concerns that Yandex.Taxi is illegally harvesting user data prompted Lithuanias transport and economy minister on Monday to ask Google and Apple to remove the app from their respective app stores, citing national security concerns. Back in 2018, the head of Lithuanias cybersecurity center noted that the Yandex.Taxi app requests access to your camera, microphone and local data network, and urged locals not to use the platform. Yandex has denied the allegations and stated that the app complies with EU data regulations.
Weather Alert

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM CDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be 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 6 AM CDT this 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. Low-water crossings may be flooded. Extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers are possible. * 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 will last much of Wednesday night before ending Thursday morning. Storm total amounts of 2 to 5 inches are expected. Given recent rainfall, these additional amounts may cause flooding. - 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. &&
Most people try to do good most of the time. That good, however, is not always met with the desired or anticipated response.

As the old adage goes, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Hollywood's elite definitely do not sit above the truth of this phrase. In fact, often, celebrities activate this saying in a much larger way than any layperson would be able to. As the world goes through its highs and its lows, the most famous among us will often try to help - and frequently, it does not work.

Here are eight times that celebrities really tried to help, but it simply did not go as planed.

1. AnnaLynne McCord Poem

Dear Mister President Vladimir Putin pic.twitter.com/LbDFBHVWJf  AnnaLynne McCord (@IAMannalynnemcc) February 24, 2022

In light of Russia's attack on Ukraine, AnnaLynne McCord posted a video of herself reciting a poem in which she states she wishes she had been Putin's mother, had shown him life, and had, therefore, been able to prevent the current crisis the world is in right now.

Others on the web sprung on the post, criticising her for both ill-timing and for propegating the problematic narrative that men's actions are women's responsibility. Yikes.

2. Gal Gadot 'Imagine' Cover

The star of Death on the Nile, Red Notice, and Wonder Woman had a bunch of different celebrities record themselves singing "Imagine" in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The video was edited together. The goal of the video was to show everyone that the world was united. However, the song just didn't hit the right note.

Gadot has since apologized for it, saying, "It wasn't the right timing, and it wasn't the right thing. It was in poor taste. All pure intentions, but sometimes you don't hit the bull's eye, right?"

3. Kylie Jenner Pepsi Commercial

I mean, we all remember this one, right? For those that need a quick catch-up, here's the moral of the story: suggesting through a commercial that you can solve racial relations with a can of soda is not a great plan.

4. Kanye West During the Hurricane Katrina Benefit

I feel like a lot of the things that Kanye West does could go on this list, but this is a throwback which needs no explanation. You just have to watch this one.

5. Michael Jackson Hanging His Baby Over the Balcony

Michael Jackson was just trying to show his baby to the world, but I feel like any parenting book or even basic common sense would dictate that maybe you shouldn't dangle a baby off of the balcony of a multi-story building for any length of time. There are several reasons one should not do this, namely that HUMANS OFTEN DROP THINGS!

6. Zac Efron Martin Luther King Jr. Day Post



I am a MASSIVE Zac Efron fan, but this...was not great. He took to Instagram to post for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He captioned the photo: "I'm greatful for a couple things today: Martin Luther King Jr. & 10 million followers on IG."

Yeah...that's bad. Like, really bad. The actor later apologize for the, "completely insensitive," post. The original post has since been taken down, but the apology post is still there!

7. Katy Perry 'Roar'

A whole neighborhood in Italy is singing Roar by Katy Perry while theyre on lockdown and self-quarantined. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/QCehrWHWg5  j (@suddenlyistan_) March 14, 2020

We know that in the earlier days of the pandemic, people in Italy were going outside on their balconies to sing together. Katy Perry was especially moved by a video of everyone singing Roar. She reposted the video with the caption, "You cannot break the human spirit. We are one in this."

However, what she didn't know was that this video had been edited to make it sound like everyone was singing Roar. They were not. Awww, Katy!

8. Burger King UK

We hear you. We got our initial tweet wrong and were sorry. Our aim was to draw attention to the fact that only 20% of professional chefs in UK kitchens are women and to help change that by awarding culinary scholarships. We will do better next time.  Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) March 8, 2021

*sighs*

I mean...they were...trying?

In the UK, it was pointed out that only 20% of chefs are women. The company said, "We're on a mission to change the gender ratio in the restaurant industry by empowering female employees with the opportunity to pursue a culinary career." They even announced plans to start a scholarship program for female employees who want to work towards becoming a chef.

While this all sounds like an incredible step in the right direction, the company, in order to promote the program, tweeted out "Women Belong in the kitchen."

....................DID NO ONE READ THIS TO ANYONE FIRST?

Everyone is flawed. Most of the time, the worst things we see are actually just good intentions that went awry. However, it is pretty funny to look back on them now!
There's an intriguing reason why Golda Rosheuvel's portrayal of Queen Charlotte on Bridgerton was almost too believable - as if she's part of such world in real life. According to her, she is.

Rosheuvel claimed in an interview with Tatler that her mother was close with the Royal family, which made it easy for her to step into her character's shoes. To be precise, beautiful and expensive heels.

She said she did not have to do much study because she was already familiar with the society in which this figure existed. She added that It was her mother's world and this makes it easy for her to play a queen.

"Every time I dress up as Queen Charlotte, I pay homage to my mother," the actress continued. "Before the war, they had butlers; their world was very public school. My grandfather was the headmaster of Colet Court [St Paul's prep school], my great-uncle was Bishop of Barbados, later Archbishop of Jamaica, and when my mother visited him there, she had dinner with Princess Margaret," she added.

The Regency Era drama returns to Netflix for season two on March 25 and fans can certainly see how regal she is once more.

READ NOW: With A Big Win At SAG For 'King Richard,' Will Smith Thanks Everyone Who Made It Possible, Including Denzel Washington.

The Shonda Rhimes-produced series will focus on Lord Anthony Bridgerton's [Jonathan Bailey] quest for love and, of course, lots of hot scenes this season.

Meanwhile, another cast member of the famous program, Nicola Coughlan, discusses what viewers may anticipate from the show's future season.

The actor was frank about everything during her most recent BBC Radio 2 interview with Claudia Winkleman, especially about what fans can expect of her character.

"We see how she gets away with the things that she gets away with. And for me, it was so much fun because in series one she's a shy, retiring wallflower, and then series two you go, 'oh, she's got all this new stuff going on' and it was extremely fun to film," she shared of her character.

Naturally, Netflix chose to surprise the show's fans on Valentine's Day with a sneak peek at the newest season of "Bridgerton." It certainly made people impatient for March 25 to roll around.

It begins with a voiceover by Julie Andrews, who is known as the voice for "Lady Whistledown."

"Dearest gentle reader," she asks. "Did you miss me?"

Some fans would have certainly uttered yes in their minds while watching the trailer.

READ ALSO: Legendary Actor Samuel L. Jackson Takes Joe Rogan To Task On The Context Of Using The N-Word.
The continuing nationwide cooling of the coronavirus pandemic prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ease its mask guidance, now recommending them only in areas of high risk, with some exceptions.

In areas where the COVID-19 risk is high, the CDC is still recommending people to wear masks indoors. The new recommendations do not change federal mask mandates on public transportation and inside bus stations, train stations or airports.

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To give people better guidance on COVID precautions they should take, the CDC has also unveiled a new tool. The COVID-19 Community Levels guide is a variation on a previous tool that showed virus transmission levels for each of the nations 3,200 counties, but did not weigh other factors such as hospital capacity and recent COVID-19 hospital admissions.

The new tool takes both factors into account, resulting in many more counties falling into low and medium categories where indoor masking is recommended only for high-risk people.

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The map above, based on the most recent data, shows that only 15 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties are classified as having high COVID-19 community levels where indoor masking is still recommended. Those counties have a combined population of about 830,000 people, or 6.5% of the states total.

Another 35 counties with more than 8 million people, or 63% of the states population  including both Lehigh and Northampton counties  are in the medium classification.

Lehigh County has substantial virus transmission and Northampton County has high transmission, but hospital utilization and admissions are low enough that the current level of disease is not considered a threat to health care systems or a rise in serious illness.

The final 17 counties, with 3.9 million people, or 30% of Pennsylvanias population, are in the low COVID-19 community level, meaning the CDC suggests simply keeping up with recommended vaccinations, getting tested if symptomatic and taking stricter precautions if in close contact with someone who has active virus.

The CDC explains its rationale for the new tool on its web site: With current high levels of vaccination and high levels of population immunity from both vaccination and infections, the risk of medically significant disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 is greatly reduced for most people. At the same time, we know that some people and communities, such as our oldest citizens, people who are immunocompromised, and people with disabilities, are at higher risk for serious illness and face challenging decisions navigating a world with COVID-19.

The shifting emphasis from preventing infection to preventing hospitalizations and deaths coincides with a similar announcement from the state Health Departments Friday that it is transitioning away from pandemic precautions and focusing on increasing vaccinations and shoring up beleaguered health care infrastructure.
Johnny Depp's name conquered the internet again after "Fantastic Beasts 3" dropped its new trailer and poster.

"Fantastic Beasts 3," officially titled "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," earned attention after the franchise released its latest posters and trailer.

On Monday, Warner Bros. hyped fans again with a trailer focusing on the characters' return to Hogwarts and a closer look at Mads Mikkelsen's Gellert Grindelwald. The three-minute clip showed the untold backstory of Dumbledore before showing familiar "Harry Potter" locations, including the Room of Requirement.

While the new marketing materials unveiled what to expect in the upcoming flick, #JusticeForJohnnyDepp outshined it and took over Twitter's trending list again.

Some fans still could not accept the fact that Depp has already been replaced, especially since they continuously fight for the actor's rights. As the franchise moved forward with Mikkelsen, Deppheads reminded everyone of the things Depp deserves.



One said, "This is b*******!!! People can say whatever they want, but Johnny Depp will always be Grindelwald, and he did absolutely NOTHING to lose this role... #JohnnyDepp #JusticeForJohnnyDepp."

"Last time a Fantastic Beasts trailer dropped, it was Johnny Depp who trended. This time, we have a new trailer AND film poster: Guess what happens? #JusticeForJohnnyDepp," another wrote.

The hashtag keeps on resurfacing whenever an update related to Depp's former movies becomes available, and it was not the first time #JusticeForJohnnyDepp appeared.

#JusticeForJohnnyDepp: Fans Want Best For Actor

Before the recent "Fantastic Beasts" trailer and poster release, the same hashtag trended when Amber Heard scored a major role in "In The Fire."

Variety confirmed that the "Aquaman" star would appear in the supernatural thriller film and that the recording would be held in Italy. The principal photography, meanwhile, happened on February 21.

READ ALSO: Prince Charles Replaced? Prince William Prepares For New Royal Title As Future King

Because of this, fans could not help but question the development since Depp lost his major roles after losing the libel case against The Sun.

But amid all these, Depp still found hope as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic previously awarded him a medal of honor for his "outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world."

He might also reclaim his glory through a potential Oscar nod for "Minamata."

READ MORE: 'Rust' Crew Member Shares Update After Suffering Spider Bite on Film's Set
The Ukrainian people deserve EU membership, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a defiant and emotional address on Saturday (26 February), as at least 150,000 citizens of the country undergoing a Russian invasion are reported to have sought refuge in neighboring Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Intense fighting over the weekend appeared to stem some of the Russian advance towards the capital, Kyiv, after another night of explosions and gunfire, with reports of hundreds of casualties in the fighting. Ukrainian forces are battling Russian troops on the streets of Ukraines second largest city Kharkiv, according to local officials. The advance came after missiles rained down overnight (26-27 February), prompting the authorities to urge its 1.4 million residents to stay indoors. Ukrainians fighting to fend off Russian forces closing in on Kyiv are asking for weapons shipments including anti-tank weapons, as EU countries showed signs they are willing to cut themselves off from Russia financially.

Meanwhile, in what is widely hailed as a historic reversal in Berlins long standing policy of never sending weapons to the conflict zone, Germany said it will supply Ukraine with 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles from Bundeswehr stocks so it can defend itself against Russian aggression. The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point. It is our duty to do our best to support Ukraine in defending itself against Putins invading army, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday. The Ukrainian president welcomed Germanys decision. Before Saturdays turnaround, senior Ukrainian officials had been complaining bitterly for weeks about Berlins refusal to allow arms shipments to bolster Ukraines defenses. The details of Ukraines requests to NATO are classified so as not to expose gaps in Kyivs military capabilities  but they reportedly include anti-tank and anti-aircraft rockets, small arms and ammunition. The Dutch government also announced it will send 50 Panzerfaust-3 anti-tank weapons and 400 rockets to Ukraine. The Netherlands is also jointly considering with Germany sending a Patriot air defense system to a NATO battle group in Slovakia.

The EU, US and UK also finally reached an agreement Saturday to cut selected Russian banks out of the SWIFT global payment system and also to impose restrictive measures on Russias Central Bank. The measures were announced jointly and mark a major escalation of sanctions targeting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. All of these measures will significantly harm Putins ability to finance his war and they will have a severely eroding impact on his economy, she said. Putin embarked on a path aiming to destroy Ukraine, but what he is also doing in fact is destroying the future of his own country. This comes after the former Polish Polish President of the EU Council, Donald Tusk, broke with normal diplomatic niceties on Friday (25 February) and launched a blistering attack on Germany, Hungary and Italy, saying they have disgraced themselves, voicing his disgust at the pretend strength of overnight European sanctions on Russia. You should be ashamed of yourselves for the rest of your lives that you left us all alone at this moment to face Russian aggression, Ukraines former ambassador to the EU, Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, lambasted the EU leaders who added to these voices. Yesterday I evacuated my family from the city and if anything was to happen to them, you should feel ashamed for the rest of your lives, he added, voicing raw emotion.

Faced with what could be the biggest inflow of refugees in its history as a result of fighting in Ukraine, the EU still seems reluctant to go into its highest response mode to accommodate what could potentially be millions of frightened and hungry people. At least 150,000 people have so far fled Ukraine into Poland and other neighboring countries, some having walked many miles through the night while others fled by train, car or bus, forming lines kilometers long at border crossings. Those arriving were primarily women, children and the elderly after the Ukrainian president prohibited men of military age from 18 to 60 from leaving. Meanwhile, thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Europe, and all around the world over the weekend to protest against Russias invasion of Ukraine. In Georgia, a country that was the victim of a Russian invasion in 2008, some 30,000 people turned out in the capital Tbilisi. In Tallinn and Helsinki, several thousand people congregated at several anti-war protests, while at the Place de la Republique in Paris, several hundred demonstrators chanted Putin assassin, Putin terrorist. In Rome, thousands of people marched in a torchlight procession to the Colosseum, carrying banners with slogans such as Putin, assassin!, Yes to peace, no to war, Banish Swifts Russia.
U.S. President Joe Biden will send a delegation of former senior defense and security officials to Taiwan on Monday, a senior official of his administration said, a sign of support for the island claimed by China after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The visit, led by one-time chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, comes at a time when Taiwan has stepped up its alert level, wary of China taking advantage of a distracted West to move against it.

Beijing claims the democratically governed island as its own and has vowed to bring it under Chinese control, by force if necessary.

Mullen, a retired Navy admiral who served as the top U.S. military officer under former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, will be accompanied by Meghan O'Sullivan, a former deputy national security advisor under Bush, and Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense under Obama, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Two former National Security Council senior directors for Asia, Mike Green and Evan Medeiros, will also make the trip, which is intended to "demonstrate our continued robust support for Taiwan," the official told Reuters.

The delegation is expected to arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon and stay until Wednesday evening, during which time they plan to meet Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng and other senior officials.

Taiwan's presidential office confirmed the visit and meeting with Tsai, saying that its timing during the Ukraine crisis showed Taiwan-U.S. ties were "rock solid".

The U.S. official declined to say whether the timing of the visit was influenced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Taiwan said last week that former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who served under former President Donald Trump, would visit from March 2-5 and meet Tsai.

The Biden administration has declined to comment on Pompeo's visit, calling him a private citizen.

Referring to the delegation led by Mullen, the senior administration official said: "The selection of these five individuals sends an important signal about the bipartisan U.S. commitment to Taiwan and its democracy, and demonstrates that the Biden administration's broader commitment to Taiwan remains rock solid."

The official added that Washington would regard "any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific."

"The United States will maintain the capacity to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people of Taiwan," the official said.

Mullen's delegation marks the first public visit of a group of former officials to Taiwan at Biden's behest since April 2021, when former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd and former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg traveled there and met with Tsai, who Beijing accuses of seeking independence. read more

The latest trip comes days after a U.S. warship sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, the waterway between China and Taiwan. The U.S. military described its passage as routine but Beijing said it was "provocative." read more

The White House on Sunday called on China to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. read more

But Beijing has largely steered clear of criticizing Moscow after Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's leader Xi Jinping announced an enhanced strategic partnership aimed at countering U.S. influence just weeks before the invasion.

Under long-standing U.S. policy, Washington has only unofficial relations with Taipei and recognizes Beijing diplomatically. However, U.S. law requires it to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and the Biden administration has vowed to continue Trump's and Pompeo's policy of stepping up engagement with the island.

Russia's attack on Ukraine has given added impetus to a growing debate about the longstanding and controversial U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity," under which Washington refuses to say explicitly whether it will defend Taiwan militarily in the event of Chinese attack.

Some U.S. lawmakers, including the Democratic chairman of the influential House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff, have urged greater clarity about the U.S. "obligation" to defend Taiwan amid stepped up Chinese military pressure, but proponents of existing policy say this could worsen the risk of conflict.

China's ambassador to Washington said in January the two super powers could end up in a military conflict if Washington encourages Taiwan's independence.

source:reuters.com
Commentary From Crisis Management Expert Edward Segal, Author of the Award- Winning Book "Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies " (Nicholas Brealey)

There are other things that employees would rather do than attend virtual or in-person meetings. Going to a doctor's appointment leads the list at 58%, followed by sitting in traffic (25%) and performing jury duty (17%). That's according to a new survey of U.S. workers by Deputy, a meeting scheduling software company.

Leading The Pack

Although the average time spent each week in meetings last year was 4.48 hours, the survey found that the actual time varied by the states where the meetings were held.

Georgia reported spending the most time, averaging 8.39 hours in work meetings per week.

Massachusetts came in second with 7.67 hours per week.

Kentucky and Maine rounded out the top five spots at 6.14 and 6.00 hours per week respectively.

The states that reported spending the fewest hours per week in a meeting were Nebraska (2.84), Texas (2.49) and Nevada (2.28).

Deputy surveyed a total of 3,280 respondents, including 2,280 workers across the U.S. with questions pertaining to work meetings and related to the associated stress, duration and preferences, and a supplemental survey of 1,000 respondents. This study ran for two weeks in November 2021 and has a margin of error of 1.8%.

Military Efficiency

Deputy said the industry that claimed to spend the least amount of time per meeting was the military 100.0% of respondents said meetings averaged 15 minutes or less.

Those in agriculture also don't spend much time in an average meeting, either. Actually, 70.0% said they spent less than an hour.

Beating them, though, were food service workers, 80.0% of which said they spend no more than 30 minutes per meeting.

Nearly 45% of legal services workers reported that their meetings can easily last from one to two hours, and a third of law enforcement employees said their average meeting can last over two hours.

Stressful Meetings

Deputy noted that, "Unfortunately, the stress of meetings is real. For many, the dread related to attending work meetings wasn't just whether or not the meeting was interesting, or how much work was being interrupted. It was actually heavily due to timing, performance anxiety, and social anxiety."

Americans said these were their top five work meeting stressors:

Preparing reports (28.6%)

Delivering bad news (23.8%)

Participating in discussion (23.7%)

Scheduling (13.7%)

Making it on time (10.4%)

Meeting Bloat

According to Financial Times, "As employees complain about burnout and grapple with navigating hybrid (a mix of remote and office) work, some employers are trying to cut back on meeting bloat.

"Microsoft reported a 150% t rise in the amount of time an average U.S. worker spent on its Teams platform between September 2019 and September 2020, with a slight uptick the following year. The number of meetings per person also rose, as did meetings outside conventional 9-5 office hours, leading the tech company to conclude that more people have settled into a longer workday."

Commuting To Work

As much as people would rather do something else than go to meetings, an earlier survey found they also had other preferences than commuting to work.

According to a report released in December by RingCentral, 40% would rather clean their toilet at home than commute to their brick-and-mortar or other pre-pandemic workplace.

Commuting notwithstanding, U.S. workers put other tasks ahead of going to the office full time. More than half of Americans (52%) said they would prefer to wash dishes, visit the dentist (33%), do taxes (30%) or host in-laws (27%). A third said they would leave their jobs if they were forced to return to their offices.

Gunjan Aggarwal is RingCentral's executive vice president and chief people officer. She observed that, "Although there is a push to get folks back in the office, if organizations are not careful and rock the boat beyond what is acceptable to their employee base, employees are likely to leave their organizations in drovesleading to a massive talent deficit.

"There is no doubt that the future of work will be hybrid but what's becoming clear is that employees will have a bigger say, than ever before, on what that flexibility and hybrid work means to them and suits their needs. It's important to listen to them and have an open dialogue," she advised.

###
El Paso, TXRichard Sones, author of The Covenant Names of God, won an Bronze Medal Illumination Book Award in the Digital Media Category. The Illumination Book Awards are designed to 'shine a light' on the best of these new titles written and published with a Christian worldview. A portion of the Illumination Awards entry fees are donated to a worthy charitable organization each year.

An Army Chaplain for 28 years, including tours in Germany, Iraq, and Afghanistan, Sones holds a Master's degree in Divinity from Southwestern Seminary. He currently serves as pastor of a small church and chaplain at a major medical center. His seminary background, Army leadership training, and pastoral teaching experience have shaped him into a teacher with a knack for making complicated biblical themes easy to understand. The Covenant Names of God displays both his academic ability and pastoral heart, explaining intricate details of the biblical text in simple ways that clarify and help the reader understand why it matters.

Each Covenant has a name, such as 'Jehovah Nissi: The Lord is My Banner' or 'Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Our Provider,' which are taken apart by Sones to explain Hebrew and Greek translations and reveal the true meaning. Even though the chronology might bounce around a bit, it is all for a solid reason as one journeys through the wonder, tragedy and majesty of humanity's spiritual progression.

In The Covenant Names of God one learns that each Covenant name reveals "an aspect of who He is" and another a simple fact: "I am the God sanctifying you, I am the God consecrating you." Through the prophets the people were told their duty, with failure meaning a stern reminder to never "forget how powerfully God broke the yoke of their Egyptian masters and delivered them."

Watch The Covenant Names of God book trailer at https://bit.ly/CovenantNamesOfGodTrailer





"Over the past 40 years, I have come across lists and short descriptions of the covenant names but couldn't find anything in-depth," relates Sones. "I decided to explore each name, using exegesis of the original Hebrew and Greek, which led to insights that I felt needed to be shared by writing a thorough and detailed book about the meaning and significance of covenant and the names associated with it."

"Sharing stories from the Bible like a master story weaver, Sones makes the covenant names understandableEach name is thoroughly discussed with not only biblical references, but also illustrated by Sone's inimitable gift for relating current times and experiences to enhance understanding. This is a completely fascinating book by a fine scholar and humanitarian." Grady Harp, Amazon Top 50 Hall of Fame Reviewer, 5-Stars

In this book, you'll find instructional and inspirational teaching about:

Covenants, specifically God's covenant with Israel and with believers through Jesus

The meaning and origin of Jehovah as God's name and its connection to covenant

The eight other biblical Jehovah names and the background stories in which they are found

Deep insight drawn from the meanings of these names and application to the reader's spiritual life

How the use of these Old Testament names and themes continues in the New Testament

God's unwavering compassion and faithfulness to his people

Old Testament descriptions and predictions of Jesus as divine, clarifying passages in the New Testament concerning his resurrection

"We, in our finite minds, take a while to begin to comprehend who God is," says Sones. "A baby Christian hardly knows God at all. They know of his goodness and forgiveness but not much beyond that. We see a pattern in studying the covenant names that as God has revealed himself in covenant -- knowing as we do that God does not change -- that Jesus is all that God is. I wrote this book to teach and help people understand God better and provide the awareness to deepen their relationship with him."

"In a way, this book is a self-help book on the most fundamental level," says Sones. "I hope that by learning more about God's covenant names, readers will understand that God is there, is and has always been reaching out to us, is aware of every aspect of our life (good and bad), and is in the business of making us whole and successful."

The Covenant Names of God (ebook) $7.60, ISBN: 979-8456206817, (Paperback) $13.49, 2021, 153 pages, available at Amazon.

Richard Sones, the son of an Army Signal Corps officer, was born in El Paso, TX and spent his childhood living in many locations around the world. He graduated from Southwestern Seminary with a Master's of Divinity and eventually served as a U.S. Army chaplain for nearly 28 years. His childhood experiences and his own deployments have given him deep knowledge and appreciation of a variety of people, customs, and cultures.

Having retired from the Army, he continues to minister as pastor of a Baptist church and chaplain at El Paso's Del Sol Medical Center. Happily married for more than 40 years, Richard is a proud father of four grown children and grandfather to several grandchildren. He and his wife reside just outside El Paso, TX, where he raises chickens, plays guitar, and builds things in his wood shop.

Media Contact: For a review copy of The Covenant Names of God or to arrange an interview with Richard Sones, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on twitter @abookpublicist
A San Antonio man who admitted to scamming investors out of more than $600,000 received an 18-month federal prison sentence Tuesday.

Edward C. Wagner, 60, also must serve three years of supervised release and pay just under $77,000 in restitution to victims.

Wagner reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in October, admitting to one count of wire fraud in connection with the investment scheme and one count of tax evasion. He must pay almost $1.1 million in taxes and penalties to the Internal Revenue Service, or any lesser amount he and the agency agree to, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez said in delivering the sentence.

A federal grand jury had indicted Wagner almost three years ago on 11 counts of wire fraud, six counts of tax evasion and two counts of money laundering. All but two of the counts were dropped under the plea agreement.

Wagner raised money from investors by promoting pharmaceutical-related companies  Pharmacogenetics, EcoChem, Leaf24 and Nutrecs.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio businessman who defrauded Houston oil company, Texas bank sentenced to 15 months in prison

He presented the companies as actual operating businesses, but he never took the necessary steps to get any of the ventures off the ground, the plea agreement stated. They never engaged in any significant business operations and they didnt have any physical locations other than Wagners residence.

This was intentional deception to investors, Rodriguez said.

Wagners lawyer, Molly Lizbeth Roth, asked that he be sentenced to a long term of probation, meet with the IRS to resolve the unpaid taxes and perform community service.

Wagner told the judge he has a very nice job related to the roll out of a Medicare expansion program, adding that whether he kept the job depended on the outcome of the court proceeding. The job would allow him to make restitution to his victims and the IRS, he said.

My concern is for my family, Wagner said before expressing remorse for his crimes. I want to make sure theyre all right.

Prosecutor William Harris opposed Roths request, asking the judge to sentence Wagner to 30 months  the low end of the sentencing guidelines.

Time after time after time after time after time, Mr. Wagner presents business opportunities to people, Harris said. He then converts the money to his own use. Minimal (work) has been done to ever try and make these profit-generating ventures. Hes done it previously and skated prosecution. This time he got caught up in prosecution.

Wagner instructed investors to wire money to bank accounts he controlled, and then spent it for his own personal use, the plea agreement said.

He was initially very communicative with the victims, including sending them lulling emails about the imminent success of the business, the document added. That would morph into excuses, and ultimately a cessation of communication.

All of Wagners victims lived outside of Texas and wired money to banks in Texas, resulting in the wire fraud charges.

The one count of wire fraud that Wagner pleaded guilty to involved an investor  identified as only BW  who wired $160,000 to EcoChems Chase Bank account in 2014. It was the single largest investment from any individual, according to the indictment.

SA Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox

Not all of Wagners victims apparently sought restitution. For that reason, hes only required to make a combined $76,733 in restitution to three victims.

Wagner never reported any of the income he received from investors to the IRS. He didnt file income taxes for himself or any of the four companies.

An audit of Wagner and his wife found they had more than $2.8 million in taxable income from 2007 through 2010. They were assessed more than $1 million in taxes, penalties and interest. More than $1.4 million of the taxable income and $744,000 of the unpaid taxes and penalties were attributed to Wagner.

Wagner took steps to hide his income, using nominee accounts, dealing extensively in cash and cashiers checks, and avoiding making financial records, the plea agreement said.

Rodriguez sentenced Wagner to 18 months in prison on each count, to run concurrently. Wagner must report for prison by Sept. 1.

pdanner@express-news.net
Toyota and other U.S. automakers saw a downturn in sales in February amid persistent hiccups in production  including a cyberattack that forced Toyota to shut down all of its Japanese factories earlier this week.

Toyotas San Antonio-built Tundra pickup was a bright spot for the Japanese automaker, with sales of the full-size truck 15 percent higher than a year ago. Toyota has accelerated production of the new 2022 model after winding down production of its old version last fall.

On ExpressNews.com: Production of new Sequoia, Tundra comes to South Side, marking a new era for Toyota in San Antonio

Toyota dealers sold 6,731 Tundras in February, the best sales month for the truck since October. Toyota plans to start building the Sequoia full-size SUV in San Antonio this summer, but hasnt start yet. The company sold just more than 100 Sequoia models last month.

Overall, Toyotas North American sales fell 11 percent in February compared with the same month a year ago, in line with the sales downturn felt throughout the industry, according to data from Cox Automotive.

The omicron wave of COVID has receded and economic activity is picking up as a result. But retail vehicle sales have been disappointing in February, said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist with Cox.

Problems such as coronavirus outbreaks and shortages of semiconductors have translated to lower output at Toyotas factories so far this year.

In Japan, Toyotas factories saw a 32 percent decline in output in January. Earlier this week, a cyberattack on one of Toyotas parts suppliers affected production at all of Toyotas 14 Japanese factories before it said operations would resume Wednesday. Japans prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said the country was investigating whether Russia was involved in the attack.

In the U.S., Toyotas production in January fell 18 percent from the same month last year.

The production cuts hit the companys plant on the South Side, where Toyota slashed production in half in late January because of COVID-19 cases and parts shortages.

Similar issues have plagued other automakers and a trucker-led blockade of a key trade passage on the U.S.-Canada border hit domestic car producers last month.

Overall, the inventory of new cars for sales in the U.S. was 1.08 million as of Jan. 31  a 60 percent decline from a year earlier, when there were nearly 2.7 million new vehicles on dealers lots, according to Cox.

But car shoppers got some relief last month, when the price paid for a new vehicle fell to $46,400. The average price was slightly lower than December, when the average price paid for a new vehicle in the U.S. surged past $47,000 for the first time.

Before January, the price for a new car had increased for nine consecutive months.

On ExpressNews.com: Toyota cuts San Antonio production in half in response to COVID-19 cases, supply shortages

Smoke also attributed part of the sales decline last month to this years abnormal tax return season. Just 17 percent of projected tax refunds had been issued as of Feb. 18, when closer to 40 percent of refunds have usually been distributed by that date, Cox reported.

On the flip side, the average refund issued has been higher so far this year, suggesting auto sales may pick up in March when consumers are more flush with cash, Smoke said.

Tax refunds will come, he said. So were expecting a very strong tax refund season, its just going to start in March this year rather than February.

diego.mendoza-moyers@

express-news.net
University Health will close its COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Wonderland of the Americas this week amid a decline in demand, officials announced Tuesday.

The mall vaccination center will cease operations at 6 p.m. Friday after 14 months of giving shots. While its been open, the vaccination center has administered more than 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

As of Monday, 75.2 percent of Bexar County residents who are 5 or older  about 1.4 million people  are fully vaccinated, while 92.2 percent have received at least one dose.

We appreciate our incredible Wonderland staff who have served with great skill and compassion, University Health officials said in a statement. We also want to thank everyone in the community who came to the mall and rolled up their sleeves to protect themselves, their families and those around them.

On ExpressNews.com: Its a terrible, terrible idea: Planning a COVID-19 party in San Antonio?

The recent spikes in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations that accompanied the emergence of the omicron variant  and followed the winter holidays  has passed, with the numbers trending downward since late January, according to data from the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

On Tuesday, Metro Health reported 253 new COVID-19 cases and 318 COVID-19-positive patients in area hospitals  down from nearly 9,000 new cases reported on Jan. 17 and more than 1,300 hospitalizations on Jan. 26. The seven-day moving average of new daily cases  209 on Tuesday  has fallen in each of the last 15 days and in 31 of the past 32 days.

University Healths pharmacies will continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines, including booster doses. Hours and locations may be found at universityhealthsystem.com/Health-Wellness/Coronavirus-COVID19/Vaccine.

In a similar but unrelated move, Community Labs has closed the COVID-19 testing site at Divine Providence Catholic Church, 5667 Old Pearsall Road, citing a decline in testing numbers, according to a joint news release from Community Labs and the city of San Antonio.

Community Labs has two locations remaining in operation: one at Wonderland of the Americas and one at the Alamo Colleges District Support Operations Building, 2222 N. Alamo St. Both are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Two testing sites are available in the vicinity of the one that Community Labs closed: one at Edgewood Square, 1135 S. General McMullen Drive, open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday; and one at the Salvation Army at 3802 SW Military Drive, open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

More than 25 no-cost COVID-19 testing sites remain open, according to the joint news release; they can be found at covid19.sanantonio.gov.

jbeltran@express-news.net
After being turned on to the Beatles when their dad, Tejano star Emilio Navaira, took them to see a screening of A Hard Days Night, Diego and Emilio Navaira IV started collecting the Fab Fours albums.

Instead of buying all the records at once, we would do one at a time and learn the whole thing with acoustics and kind of sing through them, said Emilio Navaira IV, 32, who plays with his brother in the Tex-Mex band The Last Bandoleros.

It was something they did for themselves, he said. They have never covered Beatles songs for an audience.

That changes Monday, when the Navaira brothers form half of the band that will play all the songs from the Beatles iconic 1967 album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band alongside the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio Philharmonic. The concert is part of YOSAs Classic Albums Live series, in which musicians have played such albums as Princes Purple Rain and Radioheads OK Computer.

On ExpressNews.com: Striking SA Symphony musicians play first concert since September

YOSA Presents Sgt. Peppers Live When: 8 p.m. Monday Where: Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditoriu Circle. Tickets: $22-50-$60, tobincenter.org See More Collapse

The other half of the band is Joe Reyes, who currently plays with Buttercup, Demitasse and Mitch Webb and the Swindles; and Chris Maddin, who made a name for himself fronting the indie group Blowing Trees.

I think of it like all-stars of San Antonio indie music, said Troy Peters, YOSAs music director. And for me, I just think its kind of cool to have several of these musicians be folks who grew up steeped in Mexican American culture and Tejano music, but are also 100 percent fluent with the language of the Beatles and that confluence of cultures, which is what this city is all about.

Like the Navaira brothers, Reyes first got to know some of the Beatles music as a kid, though his introduction to it didnt come from John, Paul, George and Ringo themselves. Reyes family had a copy of The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits, a 1964 novelty album that included high-pitched takes on such tunes as Please Please Me, All My Loving and Twist and Shout.

I was like, huh. I bet these songs sound pretty good if we could ever find the real guys, Reyes, 58, recalled. I was around 5 or 6 when Help was shown on CBS or something, and I was transfixed, not just by the sound but by how they looked, how they hung out, they were friends, they were this little gang and they were cute, and I was like, this is exactly what I want in life!

By the time Im 10, I think my cousin and I have collected all the records, so were just sitting around listening to them, singing along.

Nicholas Hunt /Getty Images

Mondays concert marks the second time that YOSA has dipped into the Beatles discography for the Classic Albums series. The young musicians joined forces with several San Antonio bands to play Abbey Road in 2016.

For that concert, Buttercup played Something, joined by Emilio Navaira IV on drums. Reyes expects playing the Sgt. Pepper concert to be just as special, even on songs that dont prominently feature the band.

Shes Leaving Home doesnt really have the band in it, he said. But I cant wait to hear it and us doing the refrains together, its just going to be magic, I know it. Because weve had these magical feelings before with YOSA.

When Buttercup performed Something, at the very end, I played that little guitar lick that George plays, and I swear, Im not a very ostentatious player, but by the end, the neck of my guitar just started going up. And it just buoyed up with the sound and oh, my God, its special.

Peters had planned to focus on a different artist this time around, but the band he had hoped to work with on the concert had a scheduling conflict and had to bow out. Peters still wanted to do an album concert, and a return to the Beatles seemed like a no-brainer, especially since Peter Jacksons documentary The Beatles: Get Back came out in November, shining a renewed spotlight on the band.

In the pantheon of Beatles albums, Sgt. Pepper is special. Its a concept album that blends a range of styles, including music hall, rock and traditional Indian music. It also was the first album the band made after they decided they wouldnt tour any more, which gave them the time and the freedom to experiment.

On ExpressNews.com: Polka king Alex Meixners move to New Braunfels may be transformative

Peters, 52, said that Sgt. Pepper was the first album he owned, a gift from a neighbor when he was 13. Part of the experience of the album was the distinctive cover, in which the band appeared in the guise of the Lonely Hearts Club Band front and center in a sea of cultural figures. Some were readily recognizable, such as Hollywood legends Mae West, Shirley Temple and W.C. Fields. Some were not, including 19th century yoga guru Sri Lahiri Mahasaya, American sculptor H.C. Westermann and German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Its pre-internet, so you couldnt just go on Google and figure out who everybody was, Peters said. You had to go get a book out of the library.

Navaira first heard Sgt. Pepper on CD, and he remembers listening to it over and over in his moms Windstar. Its an album hes bought several times over the years, snapping it up in different formats and with different mixes, included the 2017 remastered edition. His little Sgt. Pepper library has come in handy as they rehearse for the concert.

Last night, we were going over Lovely Rita and we were trying to figure out some harmony parts and we couldnt hear in one of the mixes, so luckily, theres another mix we went to, and boom, you could hear it, he said.

One of the things that strikes Peters about the album now is that it didnt produce a lot of hits, though it is one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Part of why this is so special is that it is like going to this weird, hilarious, charming theater event  it feels like a musical, Peters said. It feels like a story. I cant put my finger on what the story is, but its got a musical theater vibe. Its so many different styles, and so it has this thing of feeling like it encompasses the whole world.

Billy Calzada /San Antonio Express-News

Its perfect for the kind of show we do, of what happens if you put a rock band and an orchestra together. We can explore all these different colors and sounds, and this album has so many colors and sounds baked into it.

Theres also a special energy in the concert series.

The orchestra, its not just any orchestra. Its 16-, 17-, 18-year-old kids who are literally falling in love with this music at the same age that Joe and Emilio and Diego and I fell in love with this music, Peters said. Theyre going on that same journey.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN

YOSAs Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band concert is at 8 p.m. Monday in the H-E-B Performance Hall of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle. Tickets range from $22.50 to $60 at tobincenter.org.
Pennsylvania LGBTQ+ residents are being encouraged to fill out a biannual health needs survey.

The 2022 PA LGBTQ Health Needs Assessment, led by the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, aims to evaluate health needs, disparities and barriers to care affecting LGBTQ+ residents, according to the centers spokesperson, Stephen Jiwanmall.

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[ As the push for full legal protection continues, Pennsylvania finds itself in the middle of the pack nationally in LGBTQ acceptance, protection ]

The goal of this survey is to gather information to better understand the health status and health care experience of you and your community, according to the surveys description. We will summarize the results so your feedback can be used to start conversations, inspire action and bring attention to community needs.

The survey, funded by the state Department of Health and open to residents 13 and older, is available in English and Spanish. The deadline to participate is March 21.

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All responses are kept confidential, and participants will not be asked for their name, address or phone number, according to the surveys description.

The last assessment, released in 2020, included 6,582 respondents from 64 of the states 67 counties, ranging in age from 8 to 92 years old.

The survey showed that LGBTQ people in northeast Pennsylvania  including the Lehigh Valley  had a number of high-risk factors that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list as increasing the severity of COVID-19, namely, cigarette and alcohol use. And in some categories, people in the region engaged in high-risk activities more than people in the rest of the state.

[ Pennsylvania LGBTQ survey shows health issues that also increase coronavirus risk ]

The survey was launched by Adrian Shanker, the founder and executive director of the center, who said it has the largest and most consequential state-level LGBTQ health data in the nation. Shanker is resigning from the center at the end of March, leaving the area for the West Coast.

First piloted in 2015, the assessment will be disseminated to LGBTQ+ community leaders, public health professionals, healthcare providers and policymakers to ensure that programs, practices and policies that support LGBTQ+ health are implemented throughout the state of Pennsylvania, according to the centers website.

For more information, go to bradburysullivancenter.org.

Morning Call reporter Molly Bilinski can be reached at mbilinski@mcall.com.
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Update, March 2

In two videos posted on Instagram Wednesday, Laika Cheesecake and Espresso owner Anna Afanasieva said her dessert shop raised $72,405 in three days to help support the Ukrainian army following Russia's invasion of the country.

She said the total includes every dollar spent at the shop and another $25,000 in donations. The money will be donated to Ukraine's army, Afanasieva said.

"We are still accepting donations and we are still gonna keep doing that until the war ends," she said in one of the videos.

Original, Feb. 28

Cheesecake has emerged as an unlikely hero in San Antonio, becoming a rallying point for support of Ukraine as that nation of 44 million people enters its second week of war with invading Russian forces.

Over the weekend, Laika Cheesecake & Espresso, a petite dessert shop tucked into an Alamo Heights shopping center, became ground zero for San Antonios efforts to support military and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Ukraine native Anna Afanasieva, who co-owns Laika with her husband, Viktor Krizma, announced Thursday on Instagram that the business would donate all of its weekend profits to support the Ukrainian army.

Many innocent lives are being affected- including personal friends and family, the post read. This donation will go to help secure not only our friends and family but an entire peaceful country being confronted with needless violence.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

San Antonio got the message. Throngs of customers queued up in lines that stretched half a block around the building Friday through Sunday, many waiting two hours or more to make a purchase. Laika sold out well ahead of its closing time each day, although most would-be customers who were denied sweet treats still donated money.

On ExpressNews.com: Ukrainian community rallies to support home country with downtown demonstration

Weve sold over 1,500 cheesecakes today alone, Laika employee Melissa Jiang said Sunday evening. It was long after the stores supply was exhausted, but about two dozen people still remained in line to donate money. The support of San Antonio has been amazing.

A manager at Laika said Monday afternoon that proceeds and donated funds were still being calculated, and a total would be announced by the end of the week.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

Nicole Dufault and her daughter were among the many who weathered the long line Sunday but were unable to secure a cheesecake. So they came back Monday morning, queuing up with almost two dozen others 20 minutes before the shop opened to make a donation and finally get a sweet taste of cheesecake.

My fiance is in the military. He heard about this and said it would be a good way to show support, Dufault said.

Also in line Monday was Chloe Akers, whose fiance trains military working dogs at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Early on we saw news coverage of the Ukrainian military parading with their working dogs, and it really hit home, Akers said. I wanted to do my part.

Laika employee Ricardo Perez hefted 300 pounds of cream cheese into the bakerys refrigerators Monday morning but warned the supply would last only for a day or two at the current rate of sales. He said Laikas owners have scrambled to find alternative sources for cream cheese as demand ramps up amid a U.S. shortage.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

A cyber attack in October against Schreiber Foods, the nations largest cheese manufacturer, shut down production for several days. Combined with lingering supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, the schmear shortage has been felt by businesses and consumers alike, who are frequently faced with empty shelves in the dairy department of their grocery stores.

But while San Antonio showed up to support this local business, some residents have called for a boycott of another.

The war in Ukraine has brought different challenges to Web House Cafe & Bar owner Mischka Timofayev.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios best barbecue plate deal has two Russian side dishes at Beacon Hill restaurant Web House Cafe & Bar

Timofayev, who moved to the United States from his native Moscow in 1996, said he started receiving vague threats and calls for a boycott of his Beacon Hill business via social media messages over the weekend. Web House, which he opened in 2006, is mostly a neighborhood bar with the usual pub grub, but Timofayev serves a number of Russian dishes, including pelmeni, vareniki and borscht.

Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer

Timofayev believes most of the threats are coming from prankster kids with fake accounts, but he is concerned by increasingly anti-Russian sentiment in Texas. On Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted a request that Texas restaurants, bars and retailers remove Russian products from their shelves.

Donate to Ukrainian military and humanitarian efforts Want to donate to military and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine? Here are the two groups Laika Cheesecake & Espresso is supporting. Come Back Alive Foundation: This organization raises money to support the Ukrainian military. More at comebackalive.in.ua. United Help Ukraine: This nonprofit is donating money, food and medical supplies to Ukrainians affected by the war with Russia. More at unitedhelpukraine.org. See More Collapse

Im kind of surprised by what Abbott did, Timofayev said. All these dishes come from all over. My Russian mixed veggie salad is the same salad they make in Georgia. Its the same salad in Poland. And its the same salad in Ukraine.

Timofayev said he has no plans to pull the Russian vodka or beer from his bar or the Russian dishes from his menu. But he does plan to follow through on installing several community pantry shelves in Beacon Hill-area businesses to provide free food for those in need  an effort in the works for months.

Ive been (in the U.S.) for 26 years. Im more concentrated on the community, he said. There are lots of people in need right here.

pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen

Express-News staff writer Malak Silmi contributed to this story.
Catholic leaders are trying to stop the scheduled April 27 execution of a Hispanic mother convicted of capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter.

The Catholic Mobilizing Network, a national organization opposed to the death penalty, is partnering with the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops in urging Gov. Greg Abbott and the the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant mercy to Melissa Lucio, who they said has a strong claim of innocence. The groups are also urging people to take part in a letter-writing campaign.

Lucio was charged with capital murder in the 2007 death of her then-youngest daughter, Mariah, at the familys Harlingen home. She was pregnant with twins at the time. Lucio, a 52-year-old mother of 14, would be the first Latina put to death in Texas in the modern era and the first woman in nearly a decade in the state.

ALSO READ: Melissa Lucio could be the first Latina executed in Texas.

The Catholic network said that Lucio was convicted of killing her daughter despite significant evidence suggesting her death wasnt a homicide, but rather an accidental head injury sustained in a fall down rickety stairs. She was convicted of capital murder in 2008 after turning down a plea offer that carried a 30-year prison term, saying she was innocent.

Denise Cathey, MBI / Associated Press

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops said in a statement that Lucio was sentenced to die by a flawed process with no evidence and no witnesses. They said the sentence was based instead on a coerced, passive admission of guilt given after a rigorous interrogation on the night of her daughters death, suggesting that it was a false confession.

Death is not the answer to death. One tragedy is not somehow made better by killing someone else, said the Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores, the bishop of Brownsville, in a statement. Justice is not suddenly restored because another person dies (and) executing Melissa (Lucio) will not bring peace to her surviving children.

Several family members spoke in Houston on Feb. 18 as part of a statewide tour to promote a 2020 Hulu documentary, The State of Texas vs. Melissa, that makes a case that the state is on the brink of executing an innocent woman.

Lucios family is divided over her culpability in Mariahs death, with two of her daughters saying that the mother abused and neglected the child and is responsible for her death.

ALSO READ: Mother sentenced to death for toddlers fatal beating

Miguel Roberts, MBI / Associated Press

Mariahs cause of death was determined to be blunt force head trauma. According to court records, the physician who attended to Mariah when she was transported to an emergency room declared that the girl had signs of severe physical abuse, including bruises in various stages of healing covering her body and bite marks on her back. She also had one of her arms broken weeks before her death and was missing patches of hair where it had been pulled out by the roots.

Lucio and her defense have insisted that Mariahs death was accidental.

We are created in Gods image and as such we must commit to protecting every human being and caring for their soul, said Austin Bishop Joe S. Vasquez. People of goodwill understand that an act of violence cannot be overcome with another act of violence.

People interested in signing the petition can find it on the Catholic Mobilizing Network website.

olivia.tallet@chron.com
CASTLE HILLS  A 300-unit apartment complex proposed for the city with a population of nearly 4,500 has residents worrying about the traffic it would bring and the citys participation in the project.

Residents voiced concerns and questions about the project, Lofts at Castle Hills, during a recent special meeting of the Castle Hills City Council.

At the meeting, officials from Vaquero Multifamily Inc., the project developer, presented their plans for the proposed $63 million, multifamily apartment complex. It would include 300 residential units within a four-story building, a parking garage containing 451 spaces, and amenities on a 4.7-acre tract bounded by Northwest Military Highway, Winston Lane and Lockhill-Selma Road.

The project also would add sidewalks and lighting along Winston Lane and Lockhill-Selma Road. There would be a main entrance into the complex, off Winston Lane, with a secondary entrance for emergency vehicles.

Vaquero is requesting that the city create a public facility corporation, or PFC, as part of the project. State law gives cities the right to create PFCs for public facilities, including housing, with a ruling from the Texas Attorney Generals Office requiring independent authority for a city to participate in housing through a PFC.

The development  which would be financed, owned and operated by the PFC  would be managed by a third-party firm, said Jarrad Thierath, Vaquero senior vice president.

As part of the project, the developer would be granted a 75-year tax abatement from the city. Thierath said the property tax abatement would be needed for the project to obtain debt and equity financing.

In turn, Thierath said Vaquero would pay Castle Hills 25 percent of the taxes that would have been assessed on the property if it would have been on the citys tax rolls, about $250,000 a year.

Establishing a PFC for the project would provide much needed workforce housing for Castle Hills and the surrounding area, Thierath said. The hope is to draw middle-class workers like firefighters, nurses and recent college graduates.

Vaquero said half the units would be set aside for residents earning 80 percent of the areas median income. The complex would include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, averaging 800 square feet. One-bedroom units would rent for $1,100 to $1,585. Two- and three-bedroom units would rent for $1,725 and $2,100, respectively.

By creating a PFC, City Council would have considerable control over the development of the project, including being able to review the project plans and financing, said Jim Plummer, an attorney with Bracewell law firm, which represents the city.

Plummer said the developer would be responsible for raising the money for the project, as no city funds would be going into it.

Besides owning the project, the PFC would enter into a 75-year lease with Vaquero, Plummer said. At the end of the lease, the city would own the complex. He said the city could terminate the lease if, for example, the developer failed to maintain the complex.

Residents concerns

At the special meeting held Feb. 22, resident Robert Wynn said he was concerned the small city, with 4,480 residents, wouldnt be able to handle the financial fallout should the city have to enforce the lease and litigate it.

To say the city is going to become a landlord makes me nervous, Wynn said. The risk is not worth it.

Wynns wife, Kim, said having only one main entrance into the multifamily residential complex  which would have a parking garage with 451 spaces  would cause traffic congestion, leading some drivers to look at alternate routes through surrounding neighborhoods.

I cant believe whoever is developing this planned one entrance, Kim Wynn said. Thats going to be such a nightmare.

According to a traffic impact analysis conducted at the site by Kimley-Horn, an engineering consulting firm, a multifamily complex would generate less traffic than if the site were to become a commercial or medical office development.

Amy Avery of Kimley-Horn said additional data collected from three residential streets  South Winston, West Castle and Fox Hall lanes  will be included in the traffic study.

The site is zoned as a general business district, so Vaquero has filed for a special use permit from the city.

Such applications must go before the citys zoning commission, which offers a recommendation for the City Council: Approve the request or deny it. City Council then holds a public hearing before making its decision.

Vaquero President Scott Brymer said the project will benefit Castle Hills economically and bring in a diverse workforce.

Youre really going to have great residents here, Brymer said. It will provide a solid neighbor for you all. I think its going to activate your retailers.

City Manager Ryan Rapelye said the project is still in the feasibility stage, and the city will release a timeline of the steps that will be needed for the project to be approved.

A second townhall meeting on the project will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Castle Hills City Hall, 209 Lemonwood Drive.

ddekunder@express-news.net
San Antonio police are investigating a deadly shooting that happened early Tuesday morning in the Medical Center area.

Police said they responded to reports of a shooting in the 5500 block of Fredericksburg Road at around 1:40 a.m. to find an individual suffering from a gunshot wound in a parking lot. The street where the incident happened is filled with mostly apartment complexes and some medical facilities.

On ExpressNews.com: Man in critical condition after argument at downtown bus stop ends in shooting

The individual was taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Police did not divulge many details about the incident and have not identified a suspect.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
A former employee of contractor Booz Allen Hamilton pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy for helping a San Antonio man rig lucrative contracts for Air Force flight simulators that allowed her company to collect tens of millions of dollars for work it did not do.

Karen Paulsen, 57, is among a handful of co-defendants charged with Keith Seguin, a civilian who worked for 28 years with the 502nd Trainer Development Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

Paulsen, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from England now living in Ohio, admitted that she was instrumental in Seguin using Booz Allen Hamilton to steer contracts to a fledgling company in the Washington, D.C., area called QuantaDyn Corp. In turn, a QuantaDyn principal provided more than $1.5 million in kickbacks to Seguin, who expected to collect much more in bribes before the scheme was discovered.

Ive looked back at my actions and realized they were inappropriate and wrong, Paulsen told U.S. District Judge Fred Biery.

Paulsen faces up to five years in prison, a $25,000 fine and more than $8 million in restitution when Biery sentences her in October.

Seguin, 55, is awaiting sentencing after he pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud conspiracy and other charges. He admitted he conspired with contractor David Bolduc Jr., Paulsen and others to rig contracts so QuantaDyn, which Bolduc co-owned, would land much of the work and give Seguin bribes.

The kickback scheme, which began in 2006 and continued after Seguin retired in 2017 from the government and went to work at QuantaDyn, is the largest military graft case to come out of San Antonio in more than a decade.

Seguin ensured Booz Allen Hamilton and its subsidiary would be the prime contractor on lucrative contracts, but made it so that it would subcontract the work to QuantaDyn. As the prime contractor, Booz Allen Hamilton and its subsidiary earned millions of dollars in profits even though it did not do any of the end products, technology or services, a summary of facts filed in court states.

Booz Allen Hamilton spokeswoman Jessica Klenk said the company has zero tolerance for violations of law or procurement rules. This wrongdoing violated the companys ethics policies and supported corrupt individuals conspiring to defraud the government for their own gain.

A five-year contract that Seguin rigged was awarded to Booz Allen Hamilton for more than $413 million in 2013, according to the factual summary. Seguin had estimated it would have a ceiling $495 million over five years. By 2019, when the feds learned of the cheating, the government had paid more than $440 million to Booz Allen Hamilton, and QuantaDyn had collected nearly $100 million for its subcontract work.

Seguin leaked a confidential bid proposal from a competitor to Paulsen and her supervisor, John Hancock, who were based at some of Booz Allen Hamiltons offices in Ohio. The pair used the information to help ensure that Booz Allen Hamilton would be the prime contractor and be in a position to subcontract the work to QuantaDyn, records show.

Seguin also gave them and QuantaDyn confidential budget information from the government, which enabled Paulsen and Hancock to maximize the profits that Booz Allen Hamilton could make in the deal and so they could formulate bids that were unlikely to be challenged or rejected by the government, the summary said.

Seguin sent some of the leaked information to Paulsens personal email account. Paulsen told Biery that Hancock instructed her to receive it and use it in their proposals.

Seguin and Bolduc also gave inflated quotes to Booz Allen Hamilton that would take into account bribes he would pay Seguin.

When Booz Allen Hamilton bid on the 2013 contract, its proposal was more than $58 million higher than its nearest competitor, Biery said, reading from the factual summary.

So Competitor 1 is playing by the rules, and come in at (a certain) level, Biery said. But Prime Contractor B, using this inside information, is able to ... get this contract, and $58 million in excess. 

After landing the $413 million contract, Paulsen emailed Hancock and said they should go to a local tavern in Ohio to celebrate over a beer.

In October 2020, QuantaDyns majority owner, William Dunn Jr., entered a guilty plea on behalf of the company to charges that it participated in the graft. Biery sentenced QuantaDyn to five years probation, and the company agreed to pay a $6.3 million fine and $37 million in restitution.

Bolduc, Hancock and a man accused of helping Seguin launder his bribes, Rubens Wilson Fiuza Lima of Atlanta, await trial.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
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A 36-year-old man pleaded guilty to murder Monday, drawing a 50-year prison sentence for a Feb. 21, 2020, killing in a deal with prosecutors that dropped charges stemming from his subsequent shooting at police.

Greg Anthony Delgado, then 34, exchanged gunfire with the San Antonio police officers who were pursuing him after finding a body in a crashed truck he had abandoned in the 200 block of Darby Boulevard, just off U.S. 90 southwest of downtown.

The body was later identified as 35-year-old Luis Guerrero, a friend of Delgados who died from a gunshot to the abdomen that morning, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office.

Delgado methodically responded guilty to more than a dozen charges read by 226th District Judge Velia Meza, including aggravated assault of a public servant, attempted capital murder of a police officer, use of a deadly weapon in prison and felon in possession of a handgun.

In return for a guilty plea and no chance of appealing the case, the heavily tattooed felon will do five decades in prison.

The two men had known each other for several years, and their altercation came as Delgado was attempting to rob Guerrero, the district attorneys office said.

Guerreros sister, Belkis Guerrero, in her victim impact statement delivered in front of Delgado on Monday, tearfully told him he had taken the life of an uncle, brother, friend and only son.

You have left us with a forever heartache that will never go away, she said. I truly hope you use this time in prison to influence other young men to do better in life.

On the day of the incident, witnesses who heard the pickup crash ran outside to find Delgado attempting to take several items from the vehicle.

Delgado told one witness, I need to hide these, before running away, a San Antonio police report stated. Police caught up with him moments later on the other side of U.S. 90 near Brady Boulevard.

Police said Delgado began firing at officer Gabrial Sanchez, who had driven up while he was running, and two bullets struck the patrol vehicle. Sanchez fired back, but Delgado fled once more.

SAPD called for its EAGLE helicopter to search for Delgado, who later aimed his weapon at officer Michael Oliva before other officers subdued him.

Delgado was taken into custody in the back yard of a residence near Waze and Lansing. Police at the time said Delgado had one weapon on him and that they believed he had a second one that he dropped while fleeing, though it was unclear if it was ever recovered.

bselcraig@express-news.net
John Raoux /Associated Press

A Texas company pleaded guilty to fraud last week, having been accused of delivering potentially tainted rocket fuel to NASA and the Department of Defense for contracts involving rocket launches, including ones by SpaceX, the Department of Justice said.

On Feb. 23, corporate representatives Gary Monteau and Brant Charpiot from Anahuac Transport Inc. entered the plea, agreeing to a two-year ban from federal government contracting and forfeiting more than $250,000 in gross proceeds traceable to the fraud, officials said.
A 2-year-old girl who was critically wounded in a shooting this month has died from her injuries.

Julez Emily Gonzalez, who had been in the hospital after being shot in the face on Feb. 18, was pronounced dead Sunday night, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office.

Family members have identified her as Juelz Gonzalez in a GoFundMe campaign organized to raise money for her funeral.

Her cause and manner of death remain pending as of Monday, officials said.

On Feb. 18, San Antonio police were told that Juelz had shot herself at a home around 7:55 p.m. in the 100 block of Dublin Avenue, a police report states.

On ExpressNews.com: Police report two overnight shootings, one involving a toddler

When officers arrived, they found Juelz and her mother at the home. The mothers boyfriend left the home before officers arrived, according to the report.

Police said they attempted to find him and that a firearm was found outside the home.

Juelz was taken to University Hospital with life threatening injuries, police said. Doctors attempted to treat the gunshot wound to her head up until her death this weekend, her family said. She was a month shy of her third birthday.

Her father told KENS 5 that she was an organ donor.

Police have not released additional details of the shooting, nor have they said whether anyone will face charges as a result of the incident as of Monday.

jbeltran@express-news.net

Staff writer Taylor Pettaway contributed to this report.
A local bar and grill is joining hundreds of establishments across the country in boycotting Russian products.

Gary Skinner, owner of Conroy's Bar & Grill in Stone Oak and Conroy's Irish Pub in Boerne, said he made the decision in support of Ukraine and its people after Russia invaded the country last Thursday in what has been one of the biggest attacks on a European nation since World War II.

"It's not right what Russia is doing," the 55-year-old said. "We decided to go through every liquor at both of our restaurants to get rid of any items that are affiliated with Russia."

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio rallies to support Ukraine through cheesecake at Laika Cheesecake & Espresso

He said the bars pulled all of the Stoli Vodka they had from the shelves because the alcohol is owned by a Russian company. In a statement to CNN Business, Stoli Group said it "unequivocally condemns the military action in Ukraine and stands ready to support the Ukrainian people, our teams and partners."

According to a report by USA Today, most vodka brands imported into the United States aren't Russian, although some may have "Russian-sounding" names.

Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted on Thursday that "Texas stands with Ukraine." He said that he asked the members of the Texas Restaurant Association, Texas Package Stores Association and all Texas retailers to "voluntarily" remove Russian products from their stores.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine both ordered their state agencies to halt the sales of some Russian products and vodka, according to Axios.

To further support Ukraine, Skinner said his establishments will donate $5 from every pizza they sell until the end of the year to Ukraine. They have not chosen a specific fund yet, but Skinner said it's important to do this.

Skinner also shared several Facebook posts urging other restaurant owners to join in on the boycotts.

"I'm usually not a vocal person, but I felt like I needed to say something," he said.

Malak.Silmi@express-news.net
University Health has acquired a minority stake in three San Antonio rehabilitation hospitals, which could expand options for patients discharged from the hospital who need long-term care for recovery.

Through a joint venture with PAM Health, University Healths inpatient rehabilitation footprint will expand from one location inside University Hospital to three specialized rehabilitation hospitals: a 35-bed facility in the South Texas Medical Center, a facility on Interstate 35 near Live Oak and another off Texas 151.

Bexar County Hospital Districts board of managers, during a meeting in July, authorized staff to move forward with the deal, University Health spokeswoman Elizabeth Allen said.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio long-term acute care hospital changes ownership

On Jan. 13, a subsidiary of University Health paid $16.7 million for a 31.03 percent interest in Post Acute Medical at San Antonio LLC, which comes with representation on its board.

Under terms of the agreement, PAM Health will continue to manage day-to-day operations of PAM Health Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital of San Antonio, PAM Health Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital Westover Hills, and PAM Health Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital Northeast San Antonio.

Eight inpatient beds will remain in University Hospitals Reeves Rehabilitation Center for patients who are ready to begin rehab but require additional acute care services.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio specialty hospital to close

This agreement  enables us to offer our patients more options and, at the same time, to open up more medical and surgical beds within the hospital to address continually increasing demand, said George Hernandez, University Health president and CEO. If patients need inpatient rehabilitation but not in-hospital care, they now have more choices closer to home.

Hernandez said the agreement also connects University Health with Warm Springs, a long-trusted, familiar name in the community.

PAM Health  based in Enola, Pa.  provides health care services in 17 states through more than 70 long-term acute care hospitals and inpatient medical rehabilitation hospitals, as well as wound care clinics and outpatient therapy locations.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
Michelle Kott, Bethlehem Police Departments newest and first woman police chief, stands in front of the memorial for fallen Bethlehem police officers Wednesday. Council voted on her approval at their virtual meeting Tuesday night. (Rick Kintzel/The Morning Call)

Bethlehem police Chief Michelle Kott was the virtual Hometown Hero guest of U.S. Rep. Susan Wild for President Joe Bidens State of the Union address.

Kott became Bethlehems first female police chief in 2020. She joined the department in 2004 after graduating from DeSales University with a degree in criminal justice.

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In a news release Tuesday, Wild said Kott is an inspiration for young girls looking to pursue a career in law enforcement.

Chief Michelle Kott has been an exemplary local leader  dedicating her career and work to the safety and well-being of the people of Bethlehem, Wild said. She has met the challenges of our community with empathy and compassion and has worked tirelessly to connect the police force to the people they protect.

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Only members of Congress were invited to attend Bidens address in person, so Kott was not in Washington for the speech.

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During a Tuesday afternoon news conference with Wild, Kott said she hoped to hear Biden discuss public safety issues and mental health. She said Bethlehem police officers suffered an incredible loss last year when officer Matthew Ragusa died by suicide, and wants to see more mental health resources allocated to police and other first responders.

[ FROM 2021: GoFundMe started for family of Bethlehem police officer who died July 4 ]

The organizational and occupational stress that is put on all of our front-line workers has been extremely difficult, and its something we as a nation have to invest in, Kott said. We have to invest in our mental health and wellness.

Kott said the police department has seen more resignations and retirements recently than in the past because officers are burned out. She said she plans to form a health and wellness committee to better address officers mental health.

Wild said she is impressed with Kotts emphasis on community policing as chief, and said that police departments in the Lehigh Valley have not seen some of the real crises weve seen across the country.

As a former lawyer and now as a politician, I can tell you the good guys get lumped in with the few bad ones, Wild said.

Wild told Kott to reach out to her office should she need help with federal funding for police initiatives.

Morning Call reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at 610-820-6681 and liweber@mcall.com.
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Veterans dont hold back their true thoughts and feelings when it comes to taking care of sisters and brothers in arms.

That adage rang true last week, when Donald M. Remy, deputy secretary of veterans affairs, met with about 25 area veterans and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg at the Wounded Warrior Projects office near I-10 and De Zavala Road.

On the day before the largest European conflict since World War II exploded with Russias invasion of Ukraine, the group sat at a U-shaped table under a large sign with the words I command my future and peppered Remy with wide-ranging questions about how the U.S. cares for its veterans.

On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: As invasion looms, lessons go unlearned

The full effects of war take years to comprehend, let alone care for. Our nation tends to forget this lesson after each military intervention.

The conversation with Remy quickly focused on one such long-term and complicated impact of military service  toxic exposure injuries and the ways forward for thousands of vets suffering from these ailments.

Exposure to hazardous materials during military service is linked to dozens of health conditions  including cancers, cardiovascular, neurological and gastrointestinal problems, chronic pain and unexplained symptoms  and, as it did with the problems caused by Vietnam-era Agent Orange, it has taken the government years to start acknowledging the links.

Remy, an Army vet who came to the VA after serving as the NCAAs chief operating and legal officer, said toxic exposure and mental health care have most of the agencys attention.

On ExpressNews.com: Just like Agent Orange: Vets exposed to burn pits face slew of health issues. The Supreme Court is taking notice.

The topic has Congress attention, too.

A scaled-down bill addressing toxic exposure, known as the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, passed unanimously in the Senate on Feb. 16. A House bill called Honoring Our Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxics Act is expected to go to vote soon. House Republicans, however, have argued its too costly.

Advocates say even if the House bill passes, theres much work to do.

For Kenny Sutton, an ex-Air Force combat weatherman, the topic is personal. The former airman, who was among the first U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003, has survived two bouts with cancer over the last few years and was diagnosed with leukemia four months ago.

When I look at whats happening on Capitol Hill, what I dont see is the VA advocacy, said the 46-year-old who left the military in 2005. I feel greater advocacy from Jon (expletive) Stewart.

On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: An Air Force senior general just got candid about mental health in the military

Stewart, the comedian whos done much to help 9/11 first responders, is also a powerful voice lobbying Congress to do more to support the estimated 3.5 million vets exposed to toxins during their military service.

Im the tip of the iceberg, Sutton said. Hundreds of thousands came after me. I might be the first wave.

Along the way, hes met other vets whove missed out on critical months of treatment due to the slow-moving VA bureaucracy.

Somebody couldnt get their (expletive) together and get them the best medication and the best treatment possible, he said. Its terrifying. I want to survive.

Remy acknowledged the slow pace of change and said hes seen progress in his time at the department.

Were working like hell to get there, he said. We recognize that there are people getting sick and people dying, while theyre (expletive) waiting  excuse my French  for the solutions.

On ExpressNews.com: Lingle: Vets unaccompanied, yet theyre not alone

For Marine veteran Tim Jensen, chief strategy officer at the San Antonio-based patriotic apparel brand Grunt Style, health impacts from toxic exposure have plagued him and at least 40 others from his battalion, which fought in Iraqs Triangle of Death southwest of Baghdad in 2004 and 2005.

Jensen, whos also the president of the nonprofit Grunt Style Foundation, is another leading voice in the fight to create new laws and support for vets enduring the ravages of toxins and pollutants.

When it comes to the livelihood and the lives of our brothers and sisters, theres absolutely no time for waiting, the 43-year-old said.

Beside being the right thing to do, taking care of vets is critical in maintaining an all-volunteer military, according to Jensen, because the kids are watching.

Remy fielded each question with empathy and acknowledged that the tough conversation didnt surprise him.

I dont want the benefit of the doubt, but I want you to hold us accountable, he said. If you let us know how we as your VA can do better  we can respond to that.

You can bet that the veteran community will do all it can to hold the VA accountable. The real challenge will be getting Congress to pass comprehensive laws to care for all veterans.

brandon.lingle@express-news.net
February was Black History Month, a time for remembering. Alas, the 2022 edition has been so dreadful that it is worth forgetting.

I blame white folks. Having always run the show in America, white people are finally feeling othered  and they dont like it. So they spoiled the celebration. A lot of white Americans are tired of anything that is seen as accommodating to Black people.

The newest target is Black History Month.

Since Im neither Black nor white, I can see clearly when one of Americas primary colors trashes a party intended for the other. Having 20/20 vision on racial issues is one of the benefits of being Hispanic American.

I chose the phrase Hispanic American to rankle both the right and the left, neither of which cares for the modifier. Some conservatives try to bully me into calling myself a plain ol American. Meanwhile, some liberals despise the word Hispanic because it was coined by the administration of Republican President Richard Nixon.

In 1976, another Republican president, Gerald Ford, decreed Black History Month a national observance. In celebrating Black History Month, Ford said in his official message, we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.

But in 2022, many Republicans are fine with neglect. GOP-controlled legislatures in several states are worried that snowflake-ish white students might feel awkward sitting through lectures about slavery, lynchings and rapes, systemic racism, discrimination and violence against Black people. So lawmakers actually passed restrictions on what can, and cannot, be taught during Black History Month.

I remember when Republicans used to support local control in education.

As someone who majored in U.S. history in college, I spent years studying America  blemishes and all. Back then, we just called it truth. I bet it never occurred to my professors to encase students in bubble wrap.

While America is not perfect, she is so much stronger than those who want to sanitize history believe her to be.

Another thing that marred Black History Month this year is the continued mistreatment of African Americans.

On Feb. 2, Minneapolis police killed a Black man, Amir Locke. The 22-year-old was lying on the couch, under a blanket, when he was shot seconds after SWAT officers burst into his apartment to serve a no-knock warrant intended for someone else. Video footage from an officers bodycam shows that Locke was holding a gun, but its not clear if the young man realized it was police officers and not armed intruders who busted into his residence.

On Feb. 15, New York City Mayor Eric Adams caused a stir in the Big Apple when he claimed that a press corps made up mostly of white liberals was covering him unfairly because they cant relate to a Black man. Much of the New York media snidely dismissed Adams criticism as a rant. The New York Post Editorial Board twisted the whole episode into a soft pretzel: On top of everything else, Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday insulted the Black members of the city press corps by claiming theyd go easy on him. Adams did no such thing. He merely demanded better from the same media that often demands better from him and other elected officials.

On Feb. 18, in Brooklyn Center, Minn., near Minneapolis, former police officer Kim Potter  who was convicted by a jury of first- and second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting 20-year-old African American Daunte Wright in April 2021 after she said she mistook her gun for a Taser  was sentenced to just two years in prison. Potter, who is White, could get supervised release in 16 months.

On Feb. 22, three White men convicted in state court of chasing and killing 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020 outside Brunswick, Ga., were found guilty of committing federal hate crimes. The tragic story suggests that, in some respects, America hasnt come nearly as far as it likes to think.

Lastly, before the month was over, on Feb. 25, President Joe Biden nominated the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court. The historic event has been tainted by the snarky accusation, from assorted White men in politics and media, that Biden is making an affirmative action pick to a body that, ironically, is expected, later this year, to end affirmative action.

Thank goodness February is the shortest month. Cmon, March. Save us.
During a news conference in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin evoked the Lone Star State to defend his countrys annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. What, he said, like Mexico and the U.S. never had territorial disputes? Who did California used to belong to? And Texas?

Although few people question that Texas is part of the United States, Putin said that most countries still recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine.

Texas comes up in the Kremlin more often than one might expect (last years frozen wind turbines, for example). Texans are grappling with urgent problems close to home, so why should we care about Russias invasion of Ukraine? For one, Putins actions, unprecedented since World War II, have broader implications that should concern all of us. And though geographically distant, this war will have concrete impacts on Texans. The most obvious example is that many Texans are Ukrainian, or have Ukrainian ties, and have asked for support.

This war is an escalation from Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the partial occupation of eastern Ukraine it has maintained, though denied, ever since. After massing an estimated 190,000 troops around three sides of Ukraine, Putin moved to recognize Russian-backed separatist regions  the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics  and green-lit military action abroad. And now, Russia has brought a full-fledged war of aggression to the European continent.

One of Putins main justifications for military action should give us particular pause. In an hourlong speech recently, he made a factually inaccurate historical argument, claiming that Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin invented Ukraine and that the country has no right to exist within its internationally recognized borders. Russian state media have aired maps of Ukraine cut into pieces labeled as gifts from Russian czars and Soviet rulers.

But hes wrong. Ukraine has its own rich national history that dates back more than 1,100 years. It has its own language, culture and traditions, not to mention its own national security interests. In his speech, Putin expressed bitterness that Ukrainians in recent years have toppled statues of Lenin in avowed acts of decommunization. He then issued what was clearly intended as a threat to Ukraines territorial integrity: You want decommunization? Very well, this suits us just fine. But why stop halfway? We are ready to show what real decommunizations would mean for Ukraine.

If Putin truly believes this version of history, and there are many indications that he does, then he sees the annexation of further Ukrainian territory as the correction of a historical wrong. Under that rationale, Spain, France and Mexico would be justified in launching wars to reclaim Texas. To most, this proposition sounds absurd. And it is. But as residents of a state whose iconography commemorates a history of sovereignty under six different flags, Texans are in a unique position to appreciate the grim implications of its logic.

Ukrainians are facing this distorted logic backed by the full force of the Russian military. Texans should be appalled that a world leader is weaponizing false historical grievances to deny self-determination to the people of an independent country. Putin is trying to use this narrative to sell this war  mostly to his own people but also to the international community. We must reject that it has any basis in reality. There is much for us to read and learn from to help us in that endeavor.

It is too soon to say how or when this war will end. There is a significant bipartisan consensus behind strong sanctions against Russia, although they are unlikely to change the situation on the ground. In reality, there is not much most of us can practically do. But we can and must educate ourselves so that no one can ever use the abuse of history as justification for bloodshed.

Rebecca Adeline Johnston is a doctoral candidate in the Department of History at the University of Texas at Austin.
More openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer candidates are on the Texas primary ballot than ever before, according to a new report from the LGBTQ Victory Fund, a group that trains, supports and advocates for queer candidates.

According to the Victory Fund, there are 54 openly LGBTQ candidates running for public office in the Lone Star State, nearly double the number in 2020, when 28 candidates ran for office.

On ExpressNews.com: Voter Guide: What to know for the Texas primary election

The increase comes as anti-LGBTQ laws and proposals have advanced in the Lone Star State. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a nonbinding legal opinion, stating certain gender-affirming care for children, such as gender reassignment surgery and puberty-blocking medications, constitutes child abuse under the law.

On ExpressNews.com: 2022 Texas Primary Election Results

Gov. Greg Abbott followed the letter by directing state agencies to conduct prompt and thorough investigations into the use of gender-affirming care for transgender youth. He said doctors, nurses and teachers must report instances of child abuse and that the law provides criminal penalties for failing to report them.

Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker  now the Victory Funds president and CEO  said Tuesdays election was pivotal in protecting LGBTQ rights in Texas.

I am deeply concerned about the onslaught of attacks on LGBTQ people, and especially trans people, here in Texas, Parker said. However, I remain optimistic and inspired by the qualified out LGBTQ candidates running to represent our community and stand up against this hate.

On ExpressNews.com: South Texas judge dismisses $20M lawsuit against SpaceX after fatal crash near Boca Chica facility

There are 31 openly LGBTQ elected officials in Texas, six of whom serve in the Texas state legislature, according to the Victory Fund.

With 20 openly LGBTQ people running for state House and Senate seats this cycle, LGBTQ representation in the Texas state legislature could more than double this year, the organization said.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
Mail ballot usage during early voting has dropped precipitously since 2018, with tens of thousands of voters  especially Republicans  ditching the forms after two years of the GOPs baseless claims that absentee voting facilitates fraud.

By the end of early voting on Friday, about 76,000 mail ballots had been processed in Texas 15 most populous counties, representing .7 percent of registered voters there. Four years ago, the total was 126,000  about 1.3 percent of voters in those counties. (The Secretary of State does not provide statewide early voting totals for the 2018 election.)

Its a roughly 40 percent drop in raw numbers, but the gap grows wider when considering that Texas has added roughly 2 million people to its voter rolls since 2018  nearly 1.4 million of them in the most populous counties.

The drop-off is most dramatic among Republicans, whose party has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, that state-approved expansions of mail ballots during the pandemic led to widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

I think that you have a whole bunch of Republican primary voters that have taken that to heart and decided, Well, I think Im going to either vote early in person or wait until Election Day so that I can make sure that nothing happens to my mail-in ballot, said Derek Ryan, a GOP elections analyst based in Austin.

During the last midterm primary election in 2018, more than 67,000 Republicans in the states most populous counties filled out a mail ballot by the close of early voting. This year, the total is just more than 27,000.

While mail ballot usage has also dipped slightly on the Democratic side, those differences are more easily attributable to difficulties with Texas new voting law, said Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. Nearly 50,000 Democratic voters in those counties have cast an absentee ballot this year, compared to 59,000 in 2018.

The sweeping voting legislation made it more difficult to vote absentee, he said, by instituting extra ID requirements for mail-in ballots and the applications for them. Thousands of voters have been thrown off by the additional mandate, either forgetting to add their ID or writing down one that doesnt match what their local elections office has on file.

BACKGROUND: Mail ballot rejection rates still high as Texas early voting kicks off

The confusion has led to record rejection rates for both ballots and applications ahead of the March 1 primary election. By the time the application deadline passed on Feb. 18, Dallas County had rejected about 15.7 percent of all forms, the majority of them for a missing or incorrect ID. In Travis County, the rejection rate was 9 percent.

Now, county officials are dealing with the same problem for the actual ballots, which must be submitted by Tuesday. As of Friday, 30 percent of mail ballots were rejected over the new ID law in Harris County. In Dallas, it was 27 percent.

Political experts say the troubles stem from the lack of a state-led education campaign on the new ID requirements. Local elections officials and nonprofit groups have attempted to fill the gaps, but I just dont think theres been enough time or resources in order to overcome some of the ambiguities in the law, said Renee Cross, the senior director of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.

We have a lot of new election laws in place without a lot of voter outreach, she said. Specifically, on the vote-by-mail aspect, I think anybody that glanced at the news last fall may have known that there was discussion about all these changes. I dont know that the state government really went all-out in educating the public about how these changes are going to be implemented.

Even if the Secretary of States office wanted to roll out a more robust education campaign, the Texas Legislature hasnt funded such an effort, Jones added. Plus, given GOP reluctance to use the method, any education effort would help Democrats to a greater extent than Republicans, he said.

Still, early voting turnout was almost exactly on par with 2018 totals in the states most populous counties. That year, 8.93 percent of registered voters cast ballots in-person or by mail during the early voting period. State data show that number at 8.95 percent this year.

Statewide, roughly 9.6 percent of Texas 17.2 million registered voters have cast a ballot so far. More than 1 million of them voted in the Republican Primary, and another 630,000 voted for Democrats. Almost 120,000 Texans have voted by mail.

Some expected turnout to increase this year just because people are getting more engaged and more energized about politics in general, said Ryan, the elections analyst. That doesnt seem to be the case so far.

In the 2018 primary elections, about 17.2 percent of voters turned out overall. If the numbers stay on trend, Texas can expect another 1.3 million people to cast a ballot by Tuesday.

cayla.harris@express-news.net
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Three civil rights groups are swinging back at Gov. Greg Abbotts latest offensive against transgender children with a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Republican incumbent accusing him of inflicting terror and anxiety among vulnerable children through discrimination and harassment.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Meet the Houston 8-year-old standing up to Abbott, for trans kids, at Biden's State of the Union

The suit follows Abbotts edict, the week before a contentious primary election, stating that parents who allow their teenagers to seek gender-affirming care should be investigated as child abusers.

The Travis County civil rights case was brought on behalf of a state employee who was put on leave from her job and had investigators show up at her home because she and her husband are supporting their 16-year-old daughters care for gender dysphoria. The suit targets the governor as well as the mothers employer, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, seeking to halt the agency from treating parents as abusive if they support gender-affirming medical care for their teens.

The suit also targets the protective services commissioner, Jaime Masters.

A state judge set a hearing for an injunction in the case for Wednesday morning.

The issue of penalizing parents and medical providers who help teenagers access interventions that are considered best practices by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Texas Pediatric Society came up in four back-to-back legislative sessions. Each time, families of transgender children rallied, carpooled and missed school to testify in Austin about their own experiences and pleaded with lawmakers to vote down laws targeting their basic rights. In each session, the bills were defeated.

On HoustonChronicle.com: 'I finally feel right in my body': Houston kids confront anti-trans legislation that targets them

But Abbott, who faced a primary challenge Tuesday, issued a nonbinding legal opinion last week through his attorney general, Ken Paxton, stating that the agency charged with protecting children will pursue child abuse investigations against adults who help their teenagers navigate the lengthy process of seeking access to puberty blockers and hormones through their doctors. Paxton issued a previous opinion labeling gender-affirming care as genital mutilation, an allegation experts have repeatedly highlighted as inaccurate.

No state in the country considers it a crime for a parent to provide medically recommended treatment for gender dysphoria, according to the lawsuit.

The family of the 16-year-old says the governors legal directives were improper and violated the Texas Administrative Procedures Act, the separation of powers requirements of the Texas Constitution and the constitutional rights of transgender youth and their parents.

No family should have to fear being torn apart because they are supporting their trans child, Adri Perez, policy and advocacy strategist at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement, calling Abbott and Paxtons declaration a partisan political attack that isnt rooted in the needs of families, the evidence from doctors and the expertise from child welfare professionals.

Families with trans kids in Texas have been under attack for too long, the statement said. Gender-affirming health care saved my life, and other trans Texans should be able to access medically necessary, lifesaving care.

The ACLU of Texas brought the action along with Lambda Legal and the national ACLU.

The governors spokesperson and the spokesperson for the DFPS commissioner did not respond to requests for comment.

Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday joined other local leaders who have opposed the edicts, including Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and District Attorney Kim Ogg. Turner announced that he opposed officials taking punitive measures that could endanger transgender children.

In Houston, we dont bully our transgender neighbors, we watch them make history like Municipal Judge Phyllis Frye, he said, referring to a well-known transgender attorney and jurist.

The stigma the governor and attorney general work to create is part of the reason the late TransGriot journalist and activist Monica Roberts had too many stories of violence faced by trans women of color to report, the mayor said in a statement.

The unnamed plaintiffs in the lawsuit said that after the mother was put on leave, an investigator visited their house. The family has filed the lawsuit anonymously.

Also suing the governor and DFPS is Megan Mooney, a Houston psychologist who treats children with gender dysphoria. She is a mandatory reporter and does not want to comply with the governors legal opinion because she believes it would harm her clients and violate her ethical obligations as a professional counselor.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com
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MIDDLETOWN  The cause of a Route 66 motel blaze that displaced about 20 people staying at the winter shelter Saturday afternoon is still under investigation.

No one was injured in the blaze at the Wesley Inn & Suites, 988 Washington St., fire officials said.

When crews arrived just after 4 p.m., heavy fire was coming from the rear of the building, Middletown Fire Battalion Chief Drew France said Saturday. One room had extensive fire damage and those surrounding it suffered extensive smoke damage, he said.

Power to the building was shut off and the front area was condemned, according to Acting Health Director Kevin Elak, whose department helps coordinate the shelter that is operational until the end of March.

The Columbus House of New Haven, which has housed people at its winter shelter at the motel for two years, moved the individuals to the Eddy Shelter at 1 LaBella Circle, on the grounds of Connecticut Valley Hospital, Elak said.

A couple with two children were relocated to an undamaged room at the back of the motel, and the American Red Cross helped another couple with monetary assistance and supplies, he added.

St. Vincent dePaul Middletown Executive Director Maryellen Shuckerow and her staff dropped off toilet paper, blankets, food and other items, Elak said. Everybody has been pitching in, he said.

The Columbus House is accepting donations of all types, including mens clothing and coats, in medium and large sizes; womens apparel, including undergarments and feminine products; and hair products, toilet paper, blankets, pillows, disinfectant spray, gift cards, snacks, water, juice and more.

Middletown Planning and Zoning Board Commissioner Shanay Fulton, the residential supervisor at The Connection, posted a video Monday on her Facebook page detailing other needs, such as prepared food and water bottles.

There is also a need for bedding, and gift cards to supermarkets, coffee shops and other businesses, she said.

Please support Columbus House in any way you can, Fulton said. Were working to make sure they all have a home to go to.

The plan is to eventually send people back to the Wesley Inn when it reopens, Fulton said.

Westfield Fire District Deputy Fire Marshal Scott Kotowski said Monday morning that the investigation is ongoing.

Hearst Media Connecticut reporter Adam Hushin contributed to this report.
A man who caused a crash that killed a 5-year-old girl on the Pennsylvania Turnpikes Northeast Extension pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment Monday, authorities said.

Evan Griffiths, 46, of Pittston, Luzerne County, was texting before the June 20, 2019, crash that killed Esther Park, 5, of Montgomery County, and injured her parents and two siblings in Lower Milford Township, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martins office said in a news release.

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An investigation determined Griffiths was driving a delivery box truck southbound in the left lane and failed to slow down for stalled traffic in front of him. He rear-ended the Park familys car, which then hit a pickup truck that flipped on its side and hit an SUV and tractor-trailer. Esther Park died on scene.

The 4 p.m. chain-reaction crash at milepost 46.4, between the Lehigh Valley and Quakertown exits, also injured 12 people including Chiho Park, the senior pastor at Philadelphia Korean Methodist Church in Upper Dublin Township, his wife, Suhee Park, and their two surviving children.

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Witnesses told police Griffiths was driving erratically before the crash. An analysis of two cellphones he had showed he was using the phones to send and receive text messages minutes before the crash.

The Parks at the time described their daughter as a bright and happy child who had just finished kindergarten and was excited about losing a tooth. A GoFundMe started for the family raised nearly $22,000. Griffiths is awaiting sentencing.

Morning Call reporter Andrew Scott can be reached at 610-820-6508 or ascott@mcall.com.
Growing up in the 1980s, my early impression of international affairs was formed through the lens of the Cold War. Films such as The Day After Testament and War Games portended the potential for a cataclysmic end to the struggle between Western Democracy and Soviet Communism. The specter of nuclear war was real and the implausibility of MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) was a powerful incentive to avoid conflict. The Cold War also had an important corollary effect acting as a ballast for our national political parties. It provided a common ground on which Republicans and Democrats could stand together, no matter their other political differences.

From Harry Truman to George H.W. Bush, whatever differences Republicans and Democrats had (and there were many), they were united when it came to prosecuting the strategy of containment and fighting the Cold War. The existence of a powerful and dangerous adversary, prevented both political parties from drifting too far apart, because each had a shared stake in ensuring we prevailed in this epic struggle. For 45 years the Cold War was a common thread of red and blue, woven through the fabric of our democracy. The vacuum created by the absence of this shared sense of purpose is a contributing factor to the divisiveness we see in our national government today. Perhaps with the actions of Russia in Ukraine, that may now change for the better.

Russias brazen assault on Ukraine has captured the focus of the world. For perspective, the last time Ukraine was invaded was by Germany in 1941. How did we get here? One can make a cogent argument that since the end of the Cold War, American foreign policy has suffered from a lack of focus, which has led it adrift. Following the Cold War, the absence of an common adversary led to a sense of complacency that the western, democratic model that had prevailed would continue to do so.

In the 1990s, the West invested heavily in the former Soviet satellite states, hoping to provide assistance to the fledgling democracies. However, in the first decade of the new century, our foreign policy became driven by the events of 9/11, with mostly questionable long-term results. Since then, we have seen a feckless foreign policy during the Obama years followed by the chaotic impulsiveness of the Trump administration. Now, on the heels of a mismanaged withdrawal from Afghanistan, our potential adversaries feel emboldened and view Western democracies (led by America) as being in precipitous decline. From a U.S. perspective, what makes the current state of the world so daunting is that while we deal with an emboldened Russia, lurching to expand and recapture its former empire, China looms in the distance.

Alas, all hope is not lost. The silver lining to all of this is that perhaps this realization will provide Republicans and Democrats with a reason around which to coalesce and find sustainable common ground. Party politics certainly continued throughout the Cold War, but the bipartisan consensus with regard to its prosecution was something that both sides could agree on. In its absence, our political discourse broke down.

In 1940, when Winston Churchill was named prime minister, as Great Britain stood on the precipice of facing Hitlers war machine alone, he saw the wisdom in forming a coalition government. Churchill, a Conservative Tory, brought liberal leaders from the Labour Party such as Clement Attlee into his government, and also included members of his own party who had supported appeasement with Germany (Chamberlain and Lord Halifax). These were men with whom Churchill had had great political disagreements, but, when faced with an implacable foe they worked together with the best interests of their country, not their political party at heart.

Although the threat to America is not as acute as what Churchill and his coalition government faced in 1940, we can hope that the events in Ukraine, and the growing geopolitical uncertainty of the moment will act as a wakeup call to both of our national political parties. Now is the time for our leaders to make their best effort to put national interests above party politics. Let us hope that if anything good is to come from the present autocratic threats to Western democracy it serves as a unifying moment for Republicans and Democrats. Our own history teaches us there is no better motivation for finding common ground than that of a shared existential threat to our and our allies way of life.

Dan Quigley is a Greenwich resident.
State departments of agriculture in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are urging poultry owners to step up biosecurity after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in several states in January and February.

The recent cases are in states including Indiana, Michigan, Virginia, Kentucky and New York, in wild birds, commercial flocks and backyard flocks. The virus doesnt appear to be spreading from farm to farm, and is likely coming from wild birds, officials said. While no cases have been found in Ohio, West Virginia or Pennsylvania so far, all three states are at risk.

We are just as susceptible to wild birds here as any other state along those migratory flyways, Dennis Summers, Ohios state veterinarian, told Farm and Dairy. Were a really big poultry state, so were really monitoring and being extra vigilant.

Avian influenza

HPAI is a type of bird flu that is very contagious among poultry and often fatal to chickens. The U.S. has had outbreaks of it in the past, including a major one in 2015 that cost the industry a total of about $2 billion and saw many states shut down poultry shows at fairs and other events that year.

While bird flu can infect humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Feb. 14 human infections are rare and no human cases of these viruses have been detected in the U.S. The CDC said the general public health risk remains low.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, warning signs of avian influenza include sudden increase in bird deaths without any clinical signs, lack of energy and appetite, decrease in egg production, soft- or thin-shelled or misshapen eggs, swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles and hocks, purple discoloration of the wattles, comb and legs, gasping for air, coughing, sneezing or nasal discharge, stumbling or falling down and diarrhea. Bird owners in Ohio who suspect highly pathogenic avian influenza in their flock should call the department of agricultures animal health division at 614-728-6220. In Pennsylvania, contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics at 717-772-2852 or ra-ahds@pa.gov. In West Virginia, contact the animal health division at 304-558-2214. For more information about biosecurity and avian influenza, visit aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/defend-the-flock-program.

Spread

Cases so far have been popping up in different areas, with no clear farm-to-farm spread between them. That means systems put in place to test sick birds, and to depopulate flocks that test positive, are working, Summers said.

I remain hopefully optimistic in Pennsylvania, said Kevin Brightbill, Pennsylvanias state veterinarian. Were always hoping for the best, but planning for the worst.

It also means the disease is likely spreading when wild birds land on or fly over property with domestic poultry on it. Brightbill said one of the biggest risks on farms is fecal material from wild waterfowl. The virus can spread through both direct contact and indirect contact  through surfaces infected birds have touched, infected feces and the air.

Thats our concern, said Crescent Gallagher, communications director for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. That potentially this disease just drops out of the sky.

Response

An outbreak of HPAI could have serious consequences. Ohio is the No. 2 table egg producing state. In West Virginia, poultry is the top agricultural commodity. Pennsylvania has a $7.1 billion poultry industry and ranks eighth in the nation for poultry and egg sales. And even outside of commercial operations, many people have backyard flocks or 4-H poultry projects.

Anybody in Ohio could have backyard operations, Summers said. Theyre just as susceptible.

While larger poultry and egg farmers are typically connected with industry groups and hear a lot of information about avian influenza, some with backyard chickens or 4-H projects might not be as in the know, Summers said.

State agriculture departments are working with extension and poultry industry groups to encourage biosecurity and make sure poultry owners know what to watch for. Jim Chakeres, executive vice president for the Ohio Poultry Association, said biosecurity is an important first line of defense for small and large poultry flocks alike.

Its a very concerning time for poultry farmers, he added. But, yet, were going to continue to do what we do, and do our best.

Biosecurity can include things as simple as washing hands, using disposable boot covers, limiting and keeping track of visitors and documenting where feed comes from. Its important for poultry farms at any time, but now that there are HPAI cases in the U.S., its time for poultry owners to start enhancing biosecurity, Chakeres said.

Bird owners should also keep their flocks away from wild birds. State animal health officials are encouraging poultry owners to keep their birds indoors, if possible.

If you can keep birds in the barn right now, thats the right thing to do, Chakeres said.

Monitoring

Its also important for bird owners to closely monitor their animals health. Anyone who sees signs of avian influenza in their poultry should contact their department of agriculture to report possible sick birds. That allows the department to test and quarantine, and depopulate flocks that test positive.

For several months now, state and national officials have been watching for HPAI as it circulated in Europe and Canada. The Ohio Department of Agriculture has increased its testing capacity for avian influenza, both so it can do more testing in the state, and so it can help adjacent states if necessary, Summers said. Pennsylvania has also been preparing its diagnostic lab in case it needs to do more testing.

Events

In 2015, poultry were not allowed at fairs in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and many other states, due to an outbreak at the time.

Gallagher said shutting down events is on West Virginias radar if there are more cases in the U.S., but right now, things havent gotten that far yet. For now, Ohio is not considering shutting down shows or limiting poultry movement, Summers said.

Were letting the system do its job  theres no justification yet to engage in conversations about further restrictions within Ohio for poultry movement, he said. Currently since cases found so far in other states are not linked, it looks like the system is working. If that system fails to work  then you start talking about further restrictions.

If the disease becomes more prevalent, especially in states bordering Ohio or in Ohio, the department might consider those types of restrictions.

Brightbill said its still too early to know what things will look like in the summer, and Pennsylvania would think seriously about how to handle things like poultry shows if the virus is found in the state. Since the virus is likely spreading through migratory birds, he anticipates the risk continuing through at least the end of April, and likely into the summer.
Government focus on food security should be of 'critical importance' in times of war, Copa and Cogeca has said following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Copa and Cogeca, the EU farmers' organisation, said the European farming community was watching the worsening conflict with 'deep sorrow'.

At last week's Copa and Cogeca Praesidia meetings, members expressed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people, with particular thoughts going to farmers there.

Russians and Ukrainians are key international agricultural exporters. Ukraine is the EU's fourth biggest external food supplier and provides the EU with a quarter of its cereal and vegetable oil imports, including nearly half of its maize.

Copa and Cogeca said in a statement: "Our solidarity doesnt stop at words, Copa and Cogeca will put in place concrete actions in the coming days and weeks following the evolution of the conflict."

In times of war, the group said the focus on food security becomes 'of critical importance', and that it was 'essential' to take steps to ensure that food supplies continued reaching those most affected, in the Ukraine and globally.

As the invasion enters its sixth day, the co-op pointed out that the destabilisation of Ukraine by Russian forces had already triggered important global consequences.

"While the issue of energy supply is now clearly on everyone's mind and lips, agriculture is just as strategically important," Copa and Cogeca's statement added.

"For the EUs farming community, which has demonstrated both a key role and resilience during the pandemic, this crisis comes on top of the Covid one and the sharp price increases of all major agricultural inputs in recent months."

The EU farmers' group added that in order to keep a strong and peaceful Europe, safeguarding food security and supply chains was 'fundamental'.

"In the coming days and weeks, while primarily focusing on the ongoing conflict resolution, the EU decisions makers must also consider its impact on key economic sectors.

"European agriculture is a central pillar of our strategic autonomy. EU decision makers must act decisively and swiftly to preserve it," the cooperative said.
HMRC has backtracked over changes to rules on the use of red diesel which threatened the continuation of ploughing matches and charity tractor runs.

The legislation change, which was set to be introduced by the Treasury from 1 April, would have forbid the use of red diesel in vehicles for such purposes.

In his 2020 Budget speech, Rishi Sunak said the government would abolish the red diesel exemption for most sectors as it 'funds pollution'.

However, the Chancellor announced that it would be retained solely for agriculture, a strict definition which excluded ploughing matches or charity tractor runs.

The announcement was part of wider measures to ensure the UK reaches its net zero ambitions by 2050.

But organisers of ploughing matches and tractor runs had raised fears for the continued existence of their events due to the move.

Now the government has confirmed it will back down over the changes following pressure by farming industry groups.

SNP MP for Gordon Richard Thomson welcomed the decision, calling it a 'humiliating climbdown' for the government.

This is excellent news for the organisers and participants in ploughing matches and other activities affected by the original ruling," he said.

"In reality things should never have got to this stage because we have been here before in 2008 when the UK government was forced to back down over a threat to agricultural shows using red diesel.

It seems no lessons were learned from that time and a lot of needless concern has been caused to event organisers which was entirely avoidable."

He added: "Not to mention the costs involved as UK government now needs to go back and clarify the regulations being used by HMRC."

In 2008, the government tried to ban the use of red diesel in tractors which were being used to help with setting up agricultural shows but relented under pressure.
The UK has signed a trade deal with New Zealand which could increase bilateral trade by 60% by eliminating tariffs, but the NFU has warned there is 'extremely little' in the agreement that will be of benefit to farmers.

The UK-New Zealand trade relationship was worth 2.3 billion in 2020 and is now expected to increase by almost 60%, according to the government.

The trade minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the free trade agreement (FTA) would add 800m to the British economy over the next ten years.

This deal will slash red tape, remove all tariffs and make it easier for our services companies to set up and prosper in New Zealand," she added.

Our trade with New Zealand will soar, benefiting businesses and consumers throughout the UK and helping level up the whole country."

The deal takes the same approach as the UK-Australia FTA, finalised in December 2021, in eliminating tariffs for agricultural products.

Even for sensitive sectors like beef and lamb, dairy and horticulture, in time there will be no limit to the amount of goods New Zealand can export to the UK.

Farming groups fear that this will open the doors to potentially significant extra volumes of imported food, whether or not produced to the UK's own standards, while securing little in return for British producers.

NFU President Minette Batters responded to the UK-New Zealand trade deal by saying there was 'extremely little of benefit to British farmers'.

"This deal today shows I was right to be concerned," she said, "The government is now asking British farmers to go toe-to-toe with some of the most export-orientated farmers in the world.

I have consistently pointed out that the real risk to UK farmers from the governments approach to trade deals is not the individual deals themselves but the cumulative impact of each deal when added together."

She added: "UK farm businesses face significantly higher costs of production than farmers in New Zealand, and margins are likely to tighten further in the face of rising input costs, higher energy bills and labour shortages."

NFU Cymru also expressed concern, warning that the deal would grant 'generous' tariff free UK market access for NZ producers, whilst securing 'virtually zero reciprocal benefits' for Wales farmers.

The union's president, Aled Jones said: I see very little in this deal to benefit Welsh farmers and there are significant downside risks for the red meat and dairy sectors, both of which characterise traditional Welsh family farming.

This latest deal with New Zealand closely mirrors the UK/Australia deal, confirming the precedent which we feared had been set, leading to full tariff liberalisation across a range of sectors over the next few years."

Mr Jones called for Wales-specific impact assessments for FTAs, as Welsh farming and rural communities could be among the most affected by them.

"It is only through such an impact assessment that we can fully understand the impact of these deals on Welsh farming, rural communities, our culture and language and how some of the adverse impacts can potentially be mitigated."

Environmental and animal welfare groups have also criticised the deal as they fear it sends a signal to others that the UK is willing to sign away its higher welfare standards.

The RSPCA highlighted that without a built-in conditional tariff system giving preference to imports produced to high welfare standards, a 'dangerous precedent' had been set for future FTAs.

Conditional liberalisation allows tariff reductions on imports from overseas produced to the UKs standards, but keeps tariffs high on imports of products with low welfare standards.

Including that mechanism in international trade agreements would allow the government to meet its promises to maintain animal welfare standards, the RSPCA explained.

The charity's chief executive, Chris Sherwood said: Government has once again failed to build in a mechanism to ensure that any food imports are of an equivalent or higher welfare standard than our own.

"Failing to draw this line in the sand sends a message to other countries that we are willing to accept cheaper, lower standard imports for the sake of a deal.
A Welsh farming family have today hosted Prince William and Kate Middleton on their farm near Abergavenny as part of St David's Day celebrations.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Pant Farm, located in Llanvetherine, Monmouthshire, home of farmers Gary and Jess Yeomans and their family.

The family showcased PGI Welsh Black beef and goats cheese production, both of which are produced on the Yeomans farm.

They have built up the goat herd after securing a local goat cheese contract and now milk 600 goats, supplying Abergavenny Fine Foods.

The Yeomans also have Welsh Black beef cattle and have recently added a holiday let to the business.

They have taken part in agri-environment schemes and are moving towards more regenerative practices where sustainability is key.

The farm employs one full time member of staff and four part-time relief milkers as well as relying on a host of local businesses to help with the running of the farm.

Gary is a former NFU Cymru County Chairman and Jess is a previous winner of the NFU Cymru Wales Woman Farmer of the Year Award.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Pant Farm, located in Llanvetherine, Monmouthshire

Gary said his family was 'honoured' to have hosted the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the farm during St David's Day celebrations.

"It was a pleasure to be able to show them around the stock and discuss with them the issues we are currently facing as farmers here in Wales," he said.

"Farming is at the heart of rural communities all over Wales, and the support we give to and receive from local businesses in the area all mean we can continue producing high quality, affordable food."

He added: "Without the services and expertise of these wider businesses, I would not be able to maximise efficiency on this farm.

Without our staff, we would not be able to devote time and energy to all we do for food production and the environment to such a high standard."

David Edwards, NFU Cymru County Chairman for Monmouthshire, said Pant Farm was a 'perfect example' of a Welsh family farm.

"Seeing Pant Farm championing its very own PGI Welsh Black beef and goats cheese that is manufactured in Abergavenny, illustrates the perfect supply chain that is fully functional.

"It is really important that the primary food producers are treated fairly so this works all the way through to the consumer whilst ensuring provenance is championed.
AHDB has analysed what the newly announced UK and New Zealand free trade agreement means for British agriculture.

A 'far-reaching' free trade agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and the UK has been finalised, according to the Department of International Trade (DIT).

It is the latest deal signed by the UK following Brexit, and will end tariffs on goods between the two countries.

Sarah Baker, AHDB's senior strategic insight manager, looks at what it means for British farming sectors.

In headline news, this has seen NZ agree to eliminate all tariffs on UK products entering the country from day 1 of the agreement entering into force.

In return, the UK has agreed to eliminate 96.7% of tariffs for NZ products entering the UK from day 1.

Importantly, the exceptions are the UKs sensitive agricultural products, including beef, sheepmeat and cheese. For these products, a transitional tariff rate quota (TRQ) will be applied.

For beef, tariffs will be eliminated over a period of ten years. During this time, a TRQ of 12,000 MT in year 1, rising in equal increments to a TRQ of 38,820 MT in year 10, will be applied.

Any product exceeding the TRQ will be subject to the World Trade Organisations (WTO) most favoured nation tariff rate (MFN).

Between years 11 and 15, a product-specific safeguard will be in place, limiting beef imports into the UK to 43,056MT in year 11 and rising in equal increments to 60,000 MT in year 15.

Any product exceeding this safeguard will be subject to a 20% tariff. This safeguard will be removed after year 15, at which time beef trade will be fully liberalised.

For sheepmeat, the UK will liberalise trade after 20 years. As for beef, a transitional TRQ starting at 35,000 MT for years one to four, rising to a TRQ of 50,000 MT for years five to 15 will be implemented.

Any product exceeding these quantities in any given year will be subject to WTO MFN tariffs. This TRQ is for any given year and will only be triggered once the WTO country-specific TRQ of 114,000 t has been filled by 90%.

Between years 16 and 20 a product specific safeguard will be in place, as for beef, meaning the UK sheepmeat sector will have some protection for 20 years, after which trade will be fully liberalised.

Again, the TRQs have been expressed in volume terms, not carcase weight equivalent (CWE) which is an important consideration for the UK market, in particular for the beef sector.

In the dairy sector, butter tariffs will be eliminated over five years in six equal reductions. The transitional quota will open at 7,000 MT and increase in equal instalments to 15,000MT in year five.

Similarly, cheese will become tariff free over five years, with the transitional quota starting at 24,000 MT and rising in equal instalments to 48,000 MT by year five.

Trade in both butter and cheese will be fully liberalised by year six onwards.

There is no recognition of products of geographical indication (GIs) within the FTA, but there is a commitment that if NZ were to implement such a scheme domestically, that the UK would also benefit from similar protection.

Like the Australian FTA, rules of origin (RoO) are designed to facilitate trade between the two parties and make is easier for traders and customs authorities to prove country of origin.

For agricultural products, country of origin will be determined by change of tariff classification and specific processing rules, reflecting where the majority of the processing has taken place.

There will also be a 15 percent tolerance threshold for non-originating materials by value.

New Zealand and the UK already benefit from a world-leading sanitary agreement that recognises the equivalence of sanitary measures maintained by both countries for the protection of public and animal health.

The FTA will build on this, alongside each countrys WTO commitments. Importantly there is a commitment that sets out the understanding that low-risk food products within the scope of the chapter will not require health certification, other than for phytosanitary purposes.

The agreement also includes a commitment to enhance cooperation on antimicrobial resistance.

On animal welfare, there is a non-regression and non-derogation clause not to weaken animal welfare for farmed animals in order to encourage trade.

There is recognition that New Zealand and the UKs farming practices are substantively different, but each country accords a high priority to animal welfare in those practices and that the different systems provide comparable outcomes.

The agreement also stipulates that NZ will not seek any further market access that may result from the UKs accession to CPTPP.

Next steps will require scrutiny of the agreement by the Trade and Agriculture Commission for a three-month period, then scrutiny by government and select committees before the process of ratification is triggered.

This is likely to take until the middle of 2023 to allow time for the necessary legislation to be in place ahead of ratification of the deal.
The UK Pig Industry Welfare Training platform has launched today, with the first module focusing on the moving and handling of pigs.

Everyone involved in the care, moving, and handling of pigs on farm needs to complete the training by 31 August 2022 as part of Red Tractor standards.

Upon successful completion of the training, a certificate will be issued that can be saved for Red Tractor audits and on PigPro, the industrys online training record.

The moving and handling module takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete, though delegates will be able to pause and save their progress as they go along.

The course is the first module to be released on the platform, with further subjects likely to be released over future years.

Georgina McDowell, technical manager for pigs at Red Tractor said: Having a professional workforce across UK farms underpins everything that we stand for.

"Ultimately this training is about reassuring consumers that Red Tractor pork has been farmed with care.

We have long required producers to maintain training records, but this platform represents a step forward in terms of providing a unified and consistent standard of pig care across the industry.

Rob Beckett, a pig producer from Yorkshire who has been involved in testing the training with his team, said the feedback received from farmers had all been positive.

"Every one of them has admitted that they have learnt something, including a couple who have more than 25 years experience in the industry.

"And they have all said that the software is straightforward to navigate and is laid out in a simple format.

There will be a 10 fee per person per year to complete the training, which will fund the upkeep of the website and any revisions required to the course in the future.

However, the cost has been waived for the first 8,000 people who register or for the first six months (whichever is reached first) post-launch.

Zoe Davies, National Pig Association (NPA) chief executive, said the module was a critical part of demonstrating that high standards were being met by pig keepers.

"We know we have many competent stockpeople out there who know exactly what they are doing, and for them, it will be a way of reassuring their supply chain, customers and the public that pigs are being treated in the way they would expect.

The online training was developed by AHDB, Red Tractor, the NPA, the Pig Veterinary Society, the Pig Health and Welfare Council, and pig producers.
Parsons, KS (67357)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 52F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
Allentown taxpayers could take a big hit if city officials dont fix a mistake they made last month.

On Feb. 16, City Council passed a law that will restrict competition for the citys largest construction projects. Less competition never is good.

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If fewer firms are eligible to bid, prices could rise. The bill could have cost taxpayers nearly $900,000 if it had been in place in recent years.

The deceptively named Responsible Contractor ordinance is nothing more than the all-Democratic council pushing the national Democratic pro-union agenda.

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Mayor Matt Tuerk was asked last week to veto it.

Instead, he returned the legislation to council without his signature and suggested it be amended. Council is expected to consider an amended version on Wednesday, though the problematic part would remain. If council does not approve new legislation, the previously approved bill would take effect in about a month.

Tuerk, a Democrat, should have vetoed the legislation.

It will not be good for Allentown taxpayers. It will not be fair for construction companies that have a rich history of partnering with the city to complete important work.

The bad part of the ordinance is that it requires contractors to have a formal apprenticeship program to be eligible to bid on jobs of more than $100,000. Most contractors that have those programs are union shops.

The law implies that companies without apprenticeships  non-union companies  arent responsible, dont have well-trained employees and dont perform safe, quality work.

Thats insulting.

Apprenticeships are important. The construction industry needs more manpower, and apprenticeships are a great path into a profession that pays family-sustaining wages.

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But they should not be a condition of doing big jobs for a government, in Allentown or elsewhere. Thats going to expose taxpayers to additional costs. Their money may not go as far.

The price of five recent construction projects in Allentown would have risen by about $883,000 in total if this law had been in place when they were bid, according to data presented to council. Those projects included the Second Street bridge, sidewalk work and demolition of the Irving Pool.

Sadly, there was little discussion about cost during the public meeting where council approved the law.

Debates about the value of unions, apprenticeships and workforce development dominated.

Councilman Joshua Siegel, one of the ordinances sponsors, said the city had a moral obligation to use city tax dollars to stand with workers, to stand with workforce investment.

If were not going to stand with workers, especially in a working-class city, then we have no business being up here.

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If that sounded like a campaign speech, it was. Siegel is running for state representative this year. Need that union vote!

Job training and creation programs are important. But not at the expense of city taxpayers. There already are federal and state programs that fund them.

Supporters said that by contracting with firms that have apprenticeships, the city would be investing in its residents.

Its unrealistic to believe that every company that would land a contract under the ordinance would be based in Allentown and have a workforce primarily of city residents.

Many companies and workers would hail from elsewhere. They probably would spend some money while working in town. But theyd take the bulk of their wages home with them.

[ New Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk is already doing something better than his predecessors ]

Supporters pointed out that other local governments, including Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties, have similar responsible contractor laws. One has been proposed in Bethlehem.

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Federal courts have ruled they are legal, dismissing a lawsuit that challenged Northampton Countys law.

I wasnt able to find much recent analysis of how these laws have impacted costs. A study of projects in Indiana and Illinois in 2018 and 2019 found negligible differences. Building projects cost slightly less on average in locations with the law in place; road and highway projects cost slightly more on average.

Allentown should have requested data for every project done in Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties to see if costs were affected.

The limited local data is a cause for concern, at a time when Allentown will be starting a lot of construction projects as funding becomes available from the federal infrastructure bill.

Not all of City Council liked the idea. It squeaked by with a 4-3 vote. Council members Cynthia Mota, Candida Affa and Daryl Hendricks asked for a delay to do a cost analysis, but lost that fight.

They voted against the legislation. Siegel, co-sponsor Ed Zucal, Ce-Ce Gerlach and Natalie Santos voted for it.

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Last week, the Allentown Parking Authority asked Tuerk to veto the ordinance, which also applies to the authority and other independent city government agencies.

The authority cited grave impacts on its projects because of limited competition for the work. The Allentown Economic Development Corp. also has raised concerns with the mayor.

In response, Siegel and Zucal intend to ask council to vote on an amended version of the legislation Wednesday. It would exempt independent city authorities and agencies from the requirements, The Morning Calls Lindsay Weber reported Friday.

If its bad for them, its bad for the city, too.

Morning Call columnist Paul Muschick can be reached at 610-820-6582 or paul.muschick@mcall.com

[ Thank you, Mayor Tuerk, for ticketing lazy bums who dont shovel their Allentown sidewalks ]
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Recently, Bill White wrote a column in which he eloquently condemned greed and selfishness as undermining the public good. Who can disagree that selfishness is bad and the public good is, well, good?

Alas, people have been self-interested since our ancestors roamed the Serengeti many thousands of years ago. Were not likely to stamp out selfishness. The trick is to embrace institutions that channel self-interest in ways that enhance the public good.

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Here are two related ways to control the bad effects of selfishness: 1) Rely on the market to produce most goods and services, and 2) limit the role of government in our lives.

First with respect to markets: Economists often hear the criticism that because we believe in markets, were elevating greed  even the particularly detestable corporate greed  over the public good.

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Anthony O'Brien (HUBWILLSON / CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Michael Douglas portrayed Wall Street titan Gordon Gekko in the movie 'Wall Street' (1987). Douglas won an Academy Award for uttering the line that summed up the late Reagan era: 'Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.' (Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox)

Its certainly true that Adam Smith, the granddaddy of economics, wrote in The Wealth of Nations that: It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.

But Smith also wrote a second, much less well known, book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, in which he discussed what makes for a virtuous life. In that book, he wrote that: The wise and virtuous man is at all times willing that his own private interest should be sacrificed to the public interest.

A contradiction? No.

In The Wealth of Nations, Smith wasnt advocating that people be self-interested; he was recognizing that in practice most people are more selfish than they are benevolent. One of Smiths key insights was the market channels individual selfishness in ways that work for the public good.

What keeps the selfish baker from charging high prices and using inferior ingredients? Competition from other bakers. Thats the beauty of the market: Dont like what one firm is selling? Go buy from a competitor.

Competition disciplines firms much more thoroughly then even the most intrusive government bureaucrats ever could.

The market allows us the freedom to choose; the government restricts that freedom. Bill White thinks its selfish of parents to oppose their kids being taught critical race theory or being forced to wear masks in school. I would say the teachers unions and the local pols who kowtow to them have been the selfish ones. Persisting with remote learning did terrible damage to disadvantaged kids.

Maybe Bill Whites right about how the schools should be run, or maybe Im right. With the government running the schools, parents are forced to abide by policies they may strongly disagree with.

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Each year, Pennsylvania spends about $19,000 per pupil on public schools. If we gave that money to parents to spend on whatever schools they liked, we would inject much-needed competition into the school system. We would also drain the acrimony from education policy because parents could send their kids to schools run the way the parents would like.

Think of it this way: Suppose only the government sold cars and the cars all had to be the same model. Can you imagine the fights over whether that model should be gas or electric, or whether it should have all the latest safety gizmos, however expensive they made the car?

We avoid those conflicts by relying on the market to provide a variety of cars that fit consumers differing tastes and incomes. Theres no good reason we cant also let the market provide education.

Politicians and bureaucrats are, regrettably, at least as selfish as businesspeople. But unlike businesspeople, the selfishness of bureaucrats is unchecked by competition.

As such, were better off when government activity occurs at the local level. Policy preferences are different in Allentown than in Manhattan or rural Georgia. The Allentown City Council is in a better position to respond to the views of local voters than is the federal government. And its easier for voters to keep an eye on local politicians.

The Founding Fathers knew the desire to accumulate political power is itself a type of greed and, if left unchecked, politicians would continually expand the powers of the federal government. Thats why they included the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

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That is, the federal government has only those powers expressly granted to it in the Constitution.

Over the years, self-interested politicians flouted the Tenth Amendment and extended the reach of the federal government into nearly every aspect of our lives.

The courts could lower the temperature on political debates by enforcing the Tenth Amendment, which would allow more political decisions to be made at the local level.

Anthony OBrien is a professor emeritus of economics at Lehigh University. Views expressed are of the author, not the university.
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Swastika Mukherjee can be said to be controversys favourite child. The Bengali film industry is known for people who have danced to a distant drum and Swastika is one such person. Her affairs are as much talked about as her bold choice in roles. Hindi viewers know her through her femme fatale role in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) and the hit series Paatal Lok (2020). Shes a natural in front of the camera and is known to get under the skin of complicated characters with consummate ease. She calls herself an uncomplicated person in real life though and looks upon herself as a person who just goes with the flow. Shes also a single mother and has successfully balanced motherhood and career. Excerpts from a crackling interview with the fiery actress

What are your Filmfare memories like?

Full of nostalgia because we have grown up watching Filmfare Awards. It has been a special part of our lives. Whenever it was telecast, we, me my family and friends, used to look forward to watching it. We got to know about new kinds of hairstyles, makeup, clothes and jewellery. And the focus was on specific people like Rekha ji, Sridevi ji and Madhuri Dixit, all the icons of our time. I have two Black Ladies with me. Unfortunately, I was shooting abroad and wasnt able to collect the first one in person.

What did you feel when you realised you had won the Best Actor award for Shaheb Bibi Golaam?

It was in 2017. I was shooting for a Marathi film in Budapest. I knew the award function was happening that day. Id told everyone that if my phone were to ring or if some message was coming in, to make sure it reached me. I didnt check my phone for half an hour because I was in the shot and then when I checked the phone, there were so many notifications. So I understood that people were calling me to inform me that Id won.

The characters you have played have been dark, and have been melancholic. How much of you is there in the characters that you play?

As an actor, you give a lot to characters and you also take back something. You are living somebody elses life at a stretch and you are giving so much of your emotions. I just keep going back and thinking why dont I know whats going on with their lives now. I mean I want to know what happened to them after the film ended. So, just at odd hours, they come into my thoughts and I am like did she stay back? Did she leave? Is she living a better life? Is she happy? It sounds kind of crazy

Give us a specific instance.

I would definitely like to mention a film called Asamapta. It was on Netflix and the character I played was that of a housewife. Her name was Tuki and she was in a troubled phase with her marriage and she was not able to pull out from life. While she was not able to live with that man, she was not able to leave him either. Even when the film ended, she was in that space where she didnt know what to do. Ive just thought about her a lot and I was really hoping that she leaves but I couldnt convince the writer and the director to make the film my way. And the same happened with Paatal Lok also. I kept asking Sudip (Sharma, creator) that if we do season 2, are you bringing the characters back? I would just love to see Dolly having a dog creche and I dont want to see her staying with her husband.

So the complexities of the characters stay with you?

Im a no jhanjhat person. I dont like complexities. I am not a complicated human being at all. Im straightforward with what I speak and what I think and how I live my life but I think as an actor, I really love going to those areas in my mind and living in those phases. This melancholy and their sadness stays with me. I think we all have our own dark places and we dont want to revisit them at any point of time. For actors I think, its kind of a blessing that we can use everything that is going on in our mind space. We put it all into characters and just make them come alive. And give performances that people will remember.

What are the pros and cons of being a single mother, who is also an actor?

Its unfortunate that if your relationships dont work out, they fall under the bracket of controversy. If youve fallen in love with somebody and it has not materialised into something more substantial like marriage, then as per society, you are doomed. And then it falls under the controversy category, which I feel is pretty funny. We just think a single parent matlab it has to be a woman. Whereas there are so many single dads around as well. And if youre an actress on top of that, its just too much khichdi. You get written about in the media and you think your child is going to read that and you hope she sees the reality and not believe in whats being fed by the media. I fall into the your mom is very cool category. So, you know, I have managed, I have sailed through.

Do you feel societys stereotypes have straight-jacketed actors?

(Laughs) I have stopped giving, you know the word I want to use but wont use. Because that will again be a problem na. A woman using cuss words is not taken lightly by our society. I dont think people can differentiate between the reel and the real and its not possible to be vocal about everything or project every bit of your life and lifestyle. But thanks to social media, I think perceptions have changed a bit.

I hope theyll change more because so much of our personal space and lives are on Instagram. Before social media happened, I experienced this. I did a film called Take One, where I played an actor, a single mother and also a widow and she was an alcoholic. It was a pretty dark film. And the poster really made a lot of noise. So all that was happening and my relatives called my mother up and told her that she is so miserable, she drinks from the morning, why arent you taking care of her? And that was one of the few times that my mom actually lost it and she was so angry with me for not doing lighthearted stuff. She didnt talk to me for some days and she said that I am not going to go and watch this film and I am not going to go watch any film which gets an A certificate. She said you should give it a break and do some childrens film.

Do you feel that the industry is more judgemental of you than the outside world?

I dont think so. See if people love to gossip, they will do it. You are doing something for fun, you are joking or some khichdi youve heard somewhere, in a fun space, its fine. But targeting someone and then making a mountain of a molehill is problematic. The camaraderie is there, so you know, things have changed. People nowadays, if they are really fans and followers, they keep a track of your life and your work. They can understand what can be gossip and what can be the truth and what can be something that is completely over the top.

What did the pandemic teach you?

I lost my father in March 2020 and the lockdown started in March itself. I was in Mumbai during the entire lockdown. But my daughter Anwesha was also there so thankfully, we were together and then Paatal Lok, Dil Bechara and Black Widows happened. Tasher Ghawr too was released, which was talked about so much by the critics. So workwise, it has been quite a big year for me, but loss-wise also quite a pathetic year. The pandemic has taught me to be more grounded and humble and not make a big deal out of either your success or your failure. I have learnt how to cook, I am a pro at washing dishes, I can actually take it up as a profession. Jab kuch nahi rahega, I can do that. I am completely in love with washing dishes, jharhu, pocha, bartan, and cooking. All those experiences nourish you as an actor because the more you experience good, bad and the ugly, in my head Im always like let me store it, I am going to use it somewhere.
-Pre-roll equipment installation complete, preparing product launch,

-Revenue ramps up, operating costs decline for the nine-month period.

Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2022) - Radient Technologies Inc. (TSXV: RTI) ("Radient" or the "Company"), a commercial manufacturer of diverse, novel, and high-quality cannabis extracts and packaged products, reports its financial results for the third quarter ended December 31, 2021.

Recent key achievements:

Completed the acquisition of Tunaaaaroom Xtracts Inc. ("TRX"), for the development and sales of premium cannabis products, which are now sold through provincially licensed retailers in seven Canadian provinces and territories;

Announced partnership agreement with All Good Collective Corp. ("All Good") to produce unique cannabis pre-roll products;

Successfully completed first phase build out of the 10 million unit cannabis pre-roll production facility and the Company expects to introduce its brand of pre-roll products in March 2022;

Completed a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $1,252,843 and completed shares for debt settlement of $281,500;

Received from Health Canada a dried cannabis sales licence and sale for medical purposes licence, allowing the Company to offer a comprehensive suite of cannabis products.

Revenue for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2021, was $1,576,616 and $3,422,985, which compares to $1,811,476 and $1,956,613 respectively in the same period in the prior year, representing a 75% increase in nine-month revenue.

Gross Profit also increased to $522,920 for the nine months ended December 31, 2021, which compares to $310,259 in the same period in the prior year.

In keeping with the Company's restructuring plan, operating expenses continued to decline, decreasing by 46% to $6,336,872 for the nine months ended December 31, 2021, which compares to $11,684,470 in the same period in the prior year. Cash used in operating activities was significantly reduced to $596,753 for the nine months ended December 31, 2021, which compares to $6,229,690 in the same period in the prior year.

Management Commentary

Radient continues to execute on its restructuring plan, which is bringing in new partnerships and developing new business lines to position the Company as a meaningful player in the cannabis industry.

Radient recently completed the acquisition of TRX, which is the Company's most significant acquisition to date and is expected to enable significant revenue growth for the Company. Radient has worked together with the TRX principals for over a year on the development and sales of premium cannabis products, which are now sold through provincially licensed retailers in seven Canadian provinces and territories. In conjunction with the TRX acquisition the TRX principals are now working for the benefit of Radient, and the Company is optimistic on this future potential.

Radient recently announced a partnership agreement with All Good to produce unique cannabis pre-roll products, to design and supply a modular-designed assembly and packaging facility to produce cannabis pre-roll products. The facility will operate in Radient's existing Edmonton II licenced plant, and first phase installation has been completed. All Good has designed the facility to scale production capacity to at least 10 million cannabis pre-roll units (1 million packages) per month once full-scale modular build out is reached, and All Good has already secured the supply of the equipment required to reach full-scale build out.

Radient now plans to produce and sell cannabis pre-roll products to licenced retailers in Canada. The pre-roll design parameters include a cigarette-style cylinder format and craft grown, terpene rich, high THC, non-irradiated cannabis. Pre-roll units will be packaged in a high quality 10-unit humidity protected box and will be marketed to discerning cannabis users. Staffing for the pre-roll production facility is in place and initial pre-roll production and sales to licenced retailers is expected in subsequent quarters.

Radient recently received from Health Canada an amendment to its Standard Processing Licence for the sale of dried and fresh cannabis products to authorized cannabis retailers and Sale for Medical Purposes licence holders. The Company has also received from Health Canada a Sale for Medical Purposes licence, allowing the Company to supply and sell cannabis products to patients who hold prescriptions from authorized healthcare providers. These licence amendments represent a significant milestone for the Company and allow the Company to expand its offerings and bring quality craft dried and fresh cannabis to the regulated market. With these licence approvals, the Company is now able to sell high-quality products to the entire Canadian cannabis market for both medical and non-medical use.

Complete details of the Company's financial and operating results are available under the Company's profile at www.SEDAR.com.

About Radient

Radient Technologies is a commercial manufacturer of diverse, novel and high-quality cannabis extracts and packaged products. Radient develops specialty products and ingredients that contain a broad range of cannabinoid and terpene profiles while meeting the highest standards of quality and safety. Radient is focused on innovation with expertise in formulations and technologies offering unique solutions in the cannabis and wellness space. RadientInc.com

Contact Information:

Harry Kaura, CEO & Director

ir@radientinc.com

Ph: 780 465 1318

Forward Looking Information:

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the growth of the Company's business operations. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Radient, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; risks associated with operation in the cannabis sector; and other risks inherent in the cannabis industry. Although Radient has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Radient does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115157
Gross Revenue of US$5.05 Million and Cash Cost of US$1,810/Oz

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2022for full financial results).

President and CEO Cathy Zhai commented, "I am glad that the second quarter progressed the Selinsing Flotation Plant Project to 37% completion and awarded all major equipment suppliers and construction contractors successfully. Purchase orders for major long lead items of equipment were issued, and fabrication of the flotation cell went well, and the civil work has completed the earth work. We stay on schedule anticipating the dry commissioning completion by June 2022. At the Murchison Gold Project, the Phase 1 drill program assays were highly encouraging and highlighted a new high-grade mineralization at the Junction Target in an area where there is significant room to extend mineralization with further drill programs. The Murchison Phase 2 drilling program commenced targeting down dip and down plunge of known high grade deposits aimed at testing the potential expansion of the underground resource."

Second Quarter Highlights:

Murchison Phase 1 drilling results confirm discovery of new high-grade mineralization at the Junction Target;

Murchison Phase 2 drilling started with 2,918 meters (12 RC holes) drilled;

Peranggih RC drilling and channel sampling confirms the extension of oxide mineralization and potential supplies to the mill;

Selinsing Flotation Plant Project is progressing as planned with 37% completion to date;

Selinsing Gold Mine's Q2 production impacted by heavy monsoon rains: 1,683oz of gold produced in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: 2,963oz); 2,873 ounces ("oz") of gold sold for $5.05 million in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: 3,754oz for $6.84million); Average quarterly gold price realized at $1,828/oz in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $1,889/oz); Cash cost per ounce sold was $1,810/oz in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $1,103/oz); Gross margin decreased by 106% to negative $0.15 million in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $2.69 million); All-in sustaining cost ("AISC") increased to $2,146/oz in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $1,501/oz) (section 15 "Non-IFRS Performance Measures" of Q2 Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A").





Second Quarter and Six Months Production and Financial Highlights

Three months ended

December31, Six months ended

December 31, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Production Ore mined (t) 85,209 112,073 160,181 193,649 Ore processed (t) 1,770,975 963,863 3,713,309 2,022,019 Average mill feed grade (g/t) 129,000 152,836 285,611 319,268 Processing recovery rate (%) 0.56 0.89 0.55 0.94 Gold recovery (oz) 63 % 58 % 64 % 61 % Gold production (1) (oz) 1,683 2,963 2,726 6,467 Gold sold (oz) 2,873 3,754 4,296 6,854 Three months ended

December 31, Six months ended

December 31, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Financial (expressed in thousands of US$) $ $ $ $ Revenue 5,046 6,835 7,429 12,754 Gross margin from mining operations (153 ) 2,694 195 5,753 Income before other items (2,124 ) 1,159 (2,879 ) 3,102 Net loss (2,502 ) (649 ) (3,769 ) (511 ) Cash flows (used in) provided by operations (4,023 ) 796 (4,000 ) 1,543 Working capital 38,605 20,384 38,605 20,384 Loss per share - basic and diluted (US$/share) (0.01 ) (0.00 ) (0.01 ) (0.00 ) Other US$/oz US$/oz US$/oz US$/oz Average realized gold price per ounce sold (2) 1,828 1,889 1,823 1,899 Cash cost per ounce sold: Mining 728 365 660 323 Processing 897 552 838 520 Royalties 164 172 165 168 Operations, net of silver recovery 21 14 20 10 Total cash cost per ounce sold 1,810 1,103 1,683 1,021 By-product silver recovery 0 1 0 1 Operation expenses 0 40 11 26 Corporate expenses 9 6 7 7 Accretion of asset retirement obligation 13 9 16 10 Exploration and evaluation expenditures 47 19 35 16 Sustaining capital expenditures 267 323 361 219 Total all-in sustaining costs per ounce sold 2,146 1,501 2,114 1,300

(1) Defined as good delivery gold bullion according to London Bullion Market Association ("LBMA"), net of gold dore in transit and refinery adjustment.

(2) Monument realized US$1,828/oz for the three months ended December 31, 2021 which excludes gold prepaid delivered of 723oz for comparison purposes.

(3) Total cash cost per ounce includes production costs such as mining, processing, tailing facility maintenance and camp administration, royalties and operating costs such as storage, temporary mine production closure, community development cost and property fees, net of by-product credits. Cash cost excludes amortization, depletion, accretion expenses, idle production costs, capital costs, exploration costs and corporate administration costs. Readers should refer to section 15 "Non-GAAP Performance Measures" of Q2 MD&A.

(4) All-in sustaining cost per ounce includes total cash costs and adds sustaining capital expenditures, corporate administrative expenses for the Selinsing Gold Mine including share-based compensation, exploration and evaluation costs, and accretion of asset retirement obligations. Certain other cash expenditures, including tax payments and acquisition costs, are not included. Readers should refer to section 15 "Non-GAAP Performance Measures" of Q2 MD&A.

Q2 FY2022 Production Analysis

Q2 FY2022 gold production was 1,683oz, a 43% decrease as compared to 2,963oz for Q2 FY2021. The decrease resulted from heavy rain and a large quantity of super low-grade ore being fed into the mill although gold recovery was slightly higher.

Q2 FY2022 ore processed decreased to 129,000t from 152,836t for Q2 FY2021. The decreased mill feed was mainly due to less oxide ore and old tailings being fed into plant.

Average mill feed grade was 0.56g/t Au in Q2 FY2022 as compared to 0.89g/t Au of Q2 FY2021. Q2 FY2022 processing recovery rate increased to 63.2% from 58.4% for Q2 FY2021. The slight increase in processing recovery rate was mainly due to significant increase in Peranggih oxide materials being processed.

Q2 FY2022 cash cost per ounce increased by 64% to $1,810/oz from $1,103/oz for Q2 FY2021. This increase was primarily due to a significant reduction in the mill feed grade from 0.89g/t Au to 0.56g/t Au and significantly more low-grade leachable sulphide ore and low-grade Peranggih materials being processed.

Ore stockpile has reduced mainly as a result of lower mining rate primarily due to heavy rain in both Selinsing pit and Peranggih pit especially towards to the end of the quarter.



Q2 FY2022 Financial Analysis

Q2 FY2022 gold sales generated revenue was $5.05 million as compared to $6.84 million from Q2 FY2021. Gold sales revenue was derived from the sale of 2,150oz (Q2 FY2021: 3,050oz) of gold at an average realized gold price of $1,828 per ounce (Q2 FY2021: $1,889 per ounce) and the delivery of 723oz (Q2 FY2021: 704 oz at $1,525 per ounce gold equivalent) in fulfilling gold prepaid sale obligations.

Q2 FY2022 total production costs increased by 26% to $5.20 million as compared to $4.14 million from Q1 FY2021. Cash cost per ounce increased by 64% to $1,810/oz as compared to $1,103/oz of the same period last year. The increase was attributable to a 45% decrease in the mill feed grade from 0.89g/t to 0.56g/t, heavy rain, offset by an increase in recovery to 63.2% (Q2 FY2021: 58.4%), as a result of processing significantly more leachable sulphide ore and other low grade ores.

Gross margin for Q2 FY2022 was negative $0.15 million before operation expenses and non-cash amortization and accretion. That represented an 106% decrease as compared to $2.69million from Q2 FY2021. The decrease in gross margin was attributable to significant lower grade ore feed, much lower volume of gold sold, and increased cash costs.

Net loss for Q2 FY2022 was $2.50 million, or ($0.01) per share as compared to net loss of $0.65 million or ($0.00) per share from Q2 FY2021. The net loss was mainly caused by lower operating margins impacted by heavy rain.

Cash and cash equivalents balance as at December 31, 2021 was $27.79 million, a decrease of $10.83 million from the balance at June 30, 2021 of $38.62 million due to $4 million used in operation activities, $5.5 million development cost in Selinsing including $3.8 million spent in sulphide project development, and $1.3 million spent in Murchison exploration and maintenance activities . As at December 31, 2021, the Company had positive working capital of $38.61 million as compared to that at June 30, 2021 of $48.54 million.



Development

Selinsing Gold Mine

The Sulphide project development comprises the Stage 1 Flotation plant project and Stage 2 BIOX leaching plant. The flotation plant construction includes project management, project validation, flotation design and engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning. Mine development included upgrading of tailing storage facilities, pit push backs, and river diversion. The flotation plant is expected to be completed by June 2022 with an estimated cost of up to $20 million. As of December 31, 2021, 37% of overall project has been completed.

During Q2 FY2022 Mincore Pty Ltd. ("Mincore") completed the detailed engineering design of the flotation plant. Equipment specifications and data sheets were completed, and material take-offs and bills of material were issued for concrete, structural steel, piping, valves and electric cables instrumentation. All civil and structural, mechanical and piping drawings were issued for construction. Purchase orders for major long lead items of equipment were sent to the selected manufacturers. During the quarter the construction contract has been awarded to Seong Henng Engineering Works Sdn Bhd, an experienced Malaysian contractor which carried out the Selinsing Oxide Plant construction over 10 years ago.

During Q2 FY2022, R&D work produced the sample of flotation concentrate for pressure filtration testwork by the filter press supplier McLanahan. It is also achieved a key milestone that the pilot plant was successfully commissioned into operation, comprised ball mill and classifier, rougher / scavenger flotation cells and three stages of cleaner flotation. Samples of flotation concentrate was produced and a sample of this was sent to McLanahan for filter press testwork. Antimony leaching tests was carried out to support gold concentrates marketing effort.

The Tail Storage Facility expansion progressed 91.9% as of December 31, 2021, reached the 537m RL, which provides adequate capacity till May 2023.

Murchison Gold Project

No mine development was planned during the second quarter of fiscal year 2022, with the focus on exploration at Murchison. Murchison Project development is put on hold. The processing plant and other facilities are under care and maintenance and in good condition. Site accommodations and catering are fully functional to host administrative, exploration and mining activities.

Exploration Progress

Malaysia

Peranggih is currently the focus for identifying additional mineable material to extend production from the oxide plant at Selinsing. In the Phase 1 and 2 Reverse Circulation ("RC") drilling programs at Peranggih approximately 70% of holes have hit gold mineralization above an oxide cut-off (>0.35g/t Au) at less than 50m below the surface, defining a mineralized zone 830m long and 60m wide. Exploration in the second quarter of FY2022 comprised of 396 channel samples, which tested extensions to known mineralization at Peranggih, where follow-up RC drilling is planned in Q3 FY2022, and a new prospect at Mentique, where further mapping and sampling are to be undertaken.

Western Australia

At the Murchison Gold Project, the Phase 1 RC and Air Core ("AC") drill program completion was announced and comprised 3,465m in 46 RC holes and 10,484m in 349 AC holes, which were designed to test new targets away from known resources. All assays from the Phase 1 drilling were received in January 2022, subsequent to the end of the second quarter, and significant intercepts include 5m at 1.53 g/t Au from 31m (21BNRC037), 2m at 0.81 g/t Au from 111m and 3m at 1.91 g/t Au from 119m (21BNRC038) and 2m at 1.56 g/t Au from 60m and 2m at 3.70g/t Au from 106m (21BNRC039) at Munro Bore, 8m at 0.97g/t Au from 5m (21BNRC008) and 7m at 0.82g/t Au from 18m (21BNRC026) at FLC2, and 3m at 10.2g/t Au from 22m (21BNAC213) at the newly discovered Junction Target.

A Phase 2 RC and diamond drilling (DD) program commenced in November 2021, and a total of 2,918m in 12 RC holes were completed during the second quarter of FY2022, testing for extensions to known mineralization and resources at the NOA1, NOA2, NOA78 and Alliance target areas. 1,406 RC samples from the Phase 2 drilling were dispatched to ALS Geochemistry in Perth during the quarter. DD drilling was rearranged and postponed to March 2022 due to availability of the drill rigs. The Phase 2 drilling program is expected to be completed by the end of March 2022.

About Monument

Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY, FSE: D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that 100% owns and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia and the Murchison Gold Project in the Murchison area of Western Australia. It has 20% interest in Tuckanarra Gold Project jointly owned with Odyssey Gold Ltd in the same region. The Company employs approximately 200 people in both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities.

Cathy Zhai, President and CEO

Monument Mining Limited

Suite 1580 -1100 Melville Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com or contact:

Richard Cushing, MMY Vancouver T: +1-604-638-1661 x102 rcushing@monumentmining.com

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information about Monument, its business and future plans ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future events that are not historical facts and include the Company's plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and certain other factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities; foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument; assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Company's projects; assumptions regarding the future price of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of development and exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Deal deepens iCapital's relationship with one of the fastest growing Asian private banks and accelerates fintech firm's growth across the APAC region

iCapital,1 the leading global fintech platform driving access and efficiency in alternative investing for the asset and wealth management industries, today announced that iCapital has acquired Bank of Singapore's in-house private market feeder fund platform. With the deal, iCapital takes over the management and operation of the bank's private market feeder funds while Bank of Singapore retains client servicing responsibilities.

Following the close of the transaction, iCapital services approximately US$114 billion in global private assets, of which more than US$27 billion are from international investors (non-US Domestic), across more than 940 funds.

The deal builds on a long-standing partnership between the two companies. Bank of Singapore previously tapped iCapital to build out a technology and feeder fund solution to offer the bank's advisors a seamless, intuitive platform for selecting private market investments for inclusion in client portfolios including private equity, private credit, and real assets.

"This transaction is the culmination of a highly collaborative relationship with iCapital," said Leong Guan Lim, Global Head of Products at Bank of Singapore. "By partnering with the iCapital team on the management of our private market feeder funds business, we can ensure that our relationship managers and their clients have access to the industry's leading technology and education offerings within the private market investing space."

"We are excited to forge a deeper relationship with Bank of Singapore as we expand our offering to a growing base of clients and investors throughout Asia," said Lawrence Calcano, Chairman and CEO of iCapital. "Our team works tirelessly to evolve with the investor demands of the international marketplace and we are grateful for the support of Bank of Singapore as we work together to further our mission."

Bank of Singapore will continue to source and monitor private market investments for its clients and provide ongoing advice to its clients on private market investments within a diversified investment strategy. iCapital will become the provider of custom private market funds for the bank's high-net-worth clients.

As part of the transaction, the bank's wealth managers also gain access to AltsEdge, the comprehensive educational platform sponsored by the iCapital Foundation and CAIA, designed to help wealth managers better understand alternative investments and how they can leverage them to improve client outcomes. The program consists of ten guided modules covering the private markets, various types of strategies and product structures and portfolio construction.

Asia is expected to grow its ultra-high-net-worth-investor (UHNWI) population by close to 40 percent over the next five years, significantly above the global average of 27 percent2, and interest in alternative investments by Asian UHNWIs has steadily increased in recent years.

"This deal is a key milestone in iCapital's expansion strategy in APAC and attests to our ability to be a partner of choice for Wealth Managers as they make private markets a strategic priority and a more accessible component of a diversified portfolio," said Marco Bizzozero, Head of International at iCapital. "Bank of Singapore is a recognized leader, and this partnership strengthens iCapital's leadership in providing the global wealth management community with a best-in-class digital experience when accessing the private markets."

The transaction with Bank of Singapore was completed on February 28, 2022.

About iCapital

Founded in 2013 in NYC, iCapital is the leading global fintech company powering the world's alternative investment marketplace. It has transformed the way the wealth management, banking, and asset management industries facilitate access to private markets investments for their high-net-worth clients by providing intuitive, end-to-end technology and service solutions. Wealth management firms use iCapital's solutions to provide clients with quality funds at lower minimums and simplified digital workflows. Asset managers, RIAs and banks leverage iCapital's technology to streamline and scale their alternative investments operational infrastructure. Additionally, the iCapital 'flagship' platform offers wealth advisors and their high-net-worth clients access to a curated menu of private equity, private credit, hedge funds, structured notes, and other alternative investments to help meet their investing needs for return and diversification. iCapital's research and diligence team offers robust analysis alongside the firm's extensive suite of advisor education, compliance, portfolio management, and portfolio analytics tools and services. iCapital was recognized on the Forbes FinTech 50 list in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the Forbes America's Best Startup Employers in 2021, and MMI/Barron's Industry Awards as Solutions Provider of the Year in 2020 and 2021. As of January 31, 2022, iCapital services $112 billion in global client assets, of which more than $25 billion are from international investors (non-US Domestic), across more than 940 funds. Employing more than 750 people globally, iCapital is headquartered in NYC and has offices in Zurich, London, Lisbon, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Toronto.

For additional information, please visit the iCapital website at www.icapitalnetwork.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/icapital-network-inc Twitter: @icapitalnetwork

See disclosures here.

About Bank of Singapore

Bank of Singapore is the dedicated private banking subsidiary of OCBC Bank. It has a strong Aa1 credit rating from Moody's and offers a unique value proposition as a safe Singapore-registered private bank.

It operates on an open-architecture product platform and has strong research capabilities, especially in emerging market research, to help its clients make the right decisions for fixed income, equities and money market investments as well as portfolio management, trust and insurance services. Over the years, it has built Managed Investments capabilities and premium trust and advisory services, supported by one of the largest research teams in Asia.

Beyond private banking services, clients of Bank of Singapore have access to personal and business banking services, as well as investment opportunities offered by OCBC Bank or its subsidiaries.

It is able to leverage OCBC Bank's commercial banking capabilities to extend its clients a broad array of consumer and corporate banking, corporate finance and treasury services across the OCBC Bank's regional and international network.

Bank of Singapore serves high net worth individuals and wealthy families in its key markets of Southeast Asia, Greater China, Philippines, India Sub-Continent and other International markets. Headquartered in Singapore, Bank of Singapore has branches in Hong Kong and Dubai International Financial Centre, with a representative office in Manila. It offers wealth management services in the European Economic Area under the BOS Wealth Management Europe brand name. In Malaysia, it serves its clients through BOS Wealth Management Malaysia.

Its strong performance has won it numerous industry recognitions. Bank of Singapore was most recently named the Best Private Bank for Digital Innovation and Services by Asian Private Banker and Best Asia-based Private Bank Active in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by WealthBriefing in 2021.

For more information, please visit www.bankofsingapore.com.

___________________________

1 Institutional Capital Network, Inc., and its affiliates including iCapital Securities LLC (together, "iCapital Network" or "iCapital")

2 Knight Frank 2021 Wealth Report

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220228006092/en/

Contacts:

iCapital Media

Asia

Marylene Guernier

icapital@secnewgate.hk

+852 5225 7820

North America

Emma Murphy

+1 347-968-6800

icapital@neibartgroup.com

Switzerland

Tanja Kocher

tanja.kocher@holisticom.ch

+41 31 311 43 48

United Kingdom

Gabriel Huntley

icapital@headlandconsultancy.com

+44 (0)7890 626 099
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2022) - Earl Resources Limited (TSXV: ERL.H) ("Earl Resources"), further to its press release dated November 26, 2021, announces that, it has entered into certain Definitive Agreements (as defined herein) in respect of Earl Resources' proposed "Change of Business" (the "Proposed COB") as such term is defined in TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") Policy 5.2 ("Policy 5.2").

The Definitive Agreements

Sierra Leone Transaction

On February 25, 2022, Earl Resources entered into a deed of assignment with Rewilding Maforki Ltd. ("RML") and Aristeus Projects Limited ("APL") (the "Sierra Leone COB Agreement") and a prepayment agreement with RML and APL (the "Sierra Leone Prepayment Agreement"), whereby Earl Resources will acquire by assignment 51% of carbon credits to be generated by RML from its planned project being developed on approximately 25,000 hectares of land with the Maforki Chiefdom in Sierra Leone located at the Malal, Rokon, Gbonkohyeni and Maforay communities (together referred to as the "Maforki Project"), for aggregate consideration consisting of 7,500,000 common shares of Earl Resources ("Earl Shares") issuable at a deemed value of $0.45 per Earl Share (which implies a consideration in the amount of $3,375,000). Pursuant to the Sierra Leone COB Agreement and for further consideration of the assignment of the future carbon credits, Earl Resources has also entered into the Sierra Leone Prepayment Agreement pursuant to which it will advance aggregate funds of up to USD $750,000 to RML in order to assist RML in the initial setup works and costs associated with the Maforki Project together with funding EcoSecurities baseline and PDD reports required in assessing project viability. Earl Resources, in its discretion, may also make one or more further advances for aggregate funds of up to USD $350,000 to RML to further the Maforki Project. RML is in the process of completing the land title formalities over 25,000 ha of land in Sierra Leone designated for re-wilding.

The Sierra Leone Transaction constitutes an Arm's Length Transaction pursuant to the policies of the TSXV and no new Control Person will be created upon completion of the Sierra Leone Transaction. Further information regarding RML, APL and the Sierra Leone Transaction are set out in Earl Resources' press release dated November 26, 2021. Copies of the Sierra Leone COB Agreement and Sierra Leone Prepayment Agreement are available for review under Earl Resource's profile at www.sedar.com.

Guyana Transaction

On February 25, 2022, Earl Resources entered into a share purchase agreement with Pomeroon Trading (Holdings) Ltd. ("PTHL") and certain minority shareholders of PTHL (the "Guyana COB Agreement") that together hold the majority of the issued shares of PTHL (the "PTHL Shares") and concurrently issued an offer to purchase to all of the other shareholders of PTHL (the "Guyana Short Offers to Purchase"), to purchase, in the aggregate, up to 887,703 PTHL Shares, in exchange for the issuance of that number of Earl Shares equal to an aggregate price of USD$3,550,812, at a price per Earl Share of CAD$0.45. In addition, Earl Resources agreed to concurrently subscribe for an additional 187,000 PTHL Shares for cash, at an implied price per PTHL Share of USD$4.00 (providing for an aggregate subscription price of USD$748,000), which, with the aforementioned purchase of PTHL Shares, is expected to result in Earl Resources holding (upon closing) a circa. 60% ownership interest in PTHL. The Guyana COB Agreement also provides that Earl Resources shall commit for a period of 12 months following closing of the transactions pursuant to the Guyana COB Agreement, that subject to PTHL initiating one or more qualifying carbon credit project(s) (to the satisfaction of Earl Resources), Earl Resources will make an offer to all remaining shareholders of PTHL to acquire all of their PTHL Shares at a price to be agreed, accepting that the consideration to be paid pursuant to any such acquisition shall be settled through the issuance of additional Earl Shares (at a price calculated as the 30 day volume weighted average price of the Earl Shares and subject to approval of the TSXV) unless otherwise mutually agreed between Earl Resources and a remaining PTHL shareholder.

The Guyana Transaction is considered a Related Party Transaction on the basis that Mr. Ford Nicholson, a director and insider of the Corporation, owns 16,667 PTHL Shares representing 1.7% of the PTHL Shares. However, due to the minimal holdings of PTHL Shares by Mr. Ford Nicholson (among other things), the Guyana Transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. No new Control Person will be created upon completion of the Guyana Transaction.

Further information regarding PTHL and the Guyana Transaction are set out in Earl Resources' press release dated November 26, 2021. Copies of the Guyana COB Agreement and Guyana Short Offers to Purchase are available for review under Earl Resource's profile at www.sedar.com.

Yucatan Transaction

Earl Resources previously announced on November 26, 2021 that it entered into an assignment agreement with Compania Mexicana de Captacion de Carbono ("CMCC") (the "Yucatan COB Agreement") to acquire all of CMCC's rights and interests under a consulting services agreement dated May 11, 2021 between CMCC and the Government of the State of Yucatan, Mexico (the "Yucatan Contract"), as well as that it entered into an agreement with CMCC dated November 25, 2021 wherein CCMC assigned a certain commission to Earl Resources (the "Commission Agreement").

Further information regarding CMCC and the Yucatan Transaction are set out in Earl Resources' press release dated November 26, 2021. The Yucatan Transaction constitutes an Arm's Length Transaction pursuant to the policies of the TSXV and no new Control Person will be created upon completion of the Yucatan Transaction. Copies of the Yucatan COB Agreement, Yucatan Contract and Commission Agreement are available for review under Earl Resource's profile at www.sedar.com.

Proposed COB

It is intended that the Proposed COB will constitute Earl Resources' "reactivation" under the policies of the TSXV and that upon completion of the Proposed COB ("Closing") and satisfaction of all conditions of the TSXV, Earl Resources will have its listing transferred from the NEX board of the TSXV ("NEX") to the TSXV.

It is anticipated that Earl Resources will carry on the business of developing validated and verified carbon credits from afforestation and reforestation of degraded land areas for sale into international voluntary carbon markets (the "Business") and will meet the Tier 2 Initial Listing Requirements for an Industrial Issuer, such that Earl Resources will be graduated from the NEX to the TSXV. In connection with the Closing, it is anticipated that Earl Resources will change its name to "Klimat X Development Inc.", or such other name as the directors of Earl Resources may chose (subject to applicable regulatory approvals and approval of the TSXV), in order to more accurately reflect its operations and the Business.

Completion of the Proposed COB is subject to a number of conditions, including the conditions to closing set forth in the Sierra Leone COB Agreement, the Sierra Leone Prepayment Agreement, the Yucatan COB Agreement, the Commission Agreement, the Guyana COB Agreement and the Guyana Short Offers to Purchase (collectively, the "Definitive Agreements") and acceptance by the TSXV. There can be no assurance the Proposed COB will be completed as proposed or at all.

"The timely execution of definitive agreements with our partners represents a big and foundational step forward. I believe it was Henry Ford who said 'Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.' The carbon credit industry is evolving and the foundation of it is grounded in a social contract amongst people with a shared ambition of improving the environment around the world. People are what will determine success. Success in our pursuits will impact people, for generations to come. People matter. period." - said Dr. James Tansey, the proposed incoming CEO of Earl Resources upon the Closing.

Shares for Debt Settlement

In connection with the Proposed COB, Earl Resources intends to settle certain outstanding accounts payable in the aggregate amount of CAD$153,415 (the "Debt") owing to certain consultants of the Corporation ("Consultants") through the issuance of 340,922 common shares of Earl Resources (the "Settlement Shares"), at a deemed price of CAD$0.45 per Settlement Share (the "Shares for Debt Transaction").

The Debt was accrued pursuant to certain consultant services agreements (the "Consulting Agreements") entered into: (i) between the Corporation and 1LS Consulting, for aggregate consulting services payable to 1LS Consulting of CAD$50,000; (ii) between the Corporation and Park Energy Law UK Ltd., for aggregate consulting services payable to Park Energy Law UK Ltd. of USD$50,000; (iii) between the Corporation and Guy Bertin, for aggregate consulting services payable to 1LS Consulting of CAD$25,000; and (iv) between the Corporation and Clarus Securities Inc., for aggregate consulting services payable to Clarus Securities Inc. of CAD$225,000.

No new control person of the Corporation will be created pursuant to the Shares for Debt Transaction and the Shares for Debt Transaction is an arm's length transaction within the policies of the TSXV. All Settlement Shares will be subject to a four-month and one-day hold period from the date of issuance, being the date of closing of the Proposed COB.

Final approval of the Shares for Debt Transaction remains subject to approval of the TSXV.

Trading Halt

In accordance with Policy 5.2, the Common Shares of Earl Resources are currently halted from trading and are expected to remain halted pending the requirements of Section 2.5 of Policy 5.2 being met.

Additional Information

For further information:

Earl Resources Limited

Christopher Colborne

Suite 390, 1050 Homer Street

Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 2W9

Phone: 1-778-373-3736

Reader Advisory

Completion of the Proposed Transactions is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and if applicable, disinterested shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Proposed Transactions cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transactions will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Earl Resources should be considered highly speculative. The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Transactions and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "will", "estimates", "believes", "intends" "expects" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward looking statements and information concerning: the approval of the assignment of the Yucatan Contract by the applicable governmental authorities; the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Definitive Agreements; the proposed change of name of Earl Resources; and that the Proposed COB will constitute the "reactivation" of Earl Resources under the policies of the TSXV. Earl Resources cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, assumptions and expectations, many of which are beyond the control of Earl Resources, including expectations and assumptions concerning Earl Resources, the Proposed Transactions, the timely receipt of all required TSXV and regulatory approvals and exemptions (as applicable) and the satisfaction of other closing conditions in accordance with the terms of the Definitive Agreements. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Earl Resources. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Earl Resources does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by securities law.

THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED OR EXEMPT THEREFROM.

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/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

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Mainland medical experts arrive in Hong Kong in fighting COVID-19

Xinhua) 08:56, March 01, 2022

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel are welcomed by Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), upon arrival at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

HONG KONG, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The third team of mainland health experts and personnel arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday to work with the HKSAR government in fighting the latest COVID-19 outbreak.

The team consists of five experts, with Liang Wannian, head of the COVID-19 response expert panel under China's National Health Commission (NHC), as the team leader.

The experts will give advice and share their experiences with clinical medical experts in Hong Kong on critical care of COVID-19 patients and ways to reduce the number of infections and mortality rate of the epidemic.

Liang said that the team will maintain close contact with their Hong Kong counterparts and share their experiences in combating the epidemic.

The expert delegation was welcomed by the HKSAR's Chief Executive Carrie Lam and officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR upon their arrival at the Shenzhen Bay Port on Monday afternoon.

"I hope that macro-viewed advice from the new team of experts will build a solid foundation for Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work," Lam said, noting that suggestions from the previous two mainland medical teams have already been adopted in Hong Kong's daily anti-epidemic work.

The first and second teams of medical experts from the mainland have arrived in Hong Kong on Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, respectively, to aid the HKSAR in curbing the COVID-19 epidemic.

The two groups of medical experts have exchanged views with relevant departments of the HKSAR government and medical workers. They conducted field visits to communities, isolation facilities, medical institutions and some other organizations, and learned about the treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild and severe symptoms.

Hong Kong reported 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday, official data showed.

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel depart for Hong Kong from Shenzhen Bay Port, south China, Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel arrive at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port, Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel are welcomed by Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), upon arrival at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel depart for Hong Kong from Shenzhen Bay Port, south China, Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel are welcomed by Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), upon arrival at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - The manufacturing sector in China moved back into expansion territory in February, the latest survey from Caixin showed on Tuesday with a manufacturing PMI score of 50.4. That's up from 49.1 and it moves above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. Supporting the higher headline index reading was a renewed increase in total new business placed with Chinese goods producers. Though modest, the rate of new order growth was the quickest seen for eight months, with a number of firms commenting on a relative improvement in market conditions and firmer customer demand. The increase in total sales was despite a further drop in new export business, which was often linked to the pandemic and difficulties in shipping items to clients. The improvement in overall demand conditions helped to drive a fresh increase in output in February. Production has now risen in three of the past four months, though the latest expansion was only slight. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
TOKYO, Mar 1, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Limited today announced the following new graduate recruitment plans for fiscal 2023, as well as its mid-career recruitment plans for fiscal 2022.For its new graduate recruitment plan for fiscal 2023, Fujitsu plans to hire approx. 750 new graduates as in the previous year. In fiscal 2022, Fujitsu plans to further increase the number of career recruits without specifying a target number. In doing so, Fujitsu aims to acquire talent to drive the five technology sectors to support Fujitsu's seven "Key Focus Areas" within the Uvance brand, as well as realize Fujitsu's Purpose to "make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation."Fujitsu will continue to conduct year-round recruitment, accepting applications from final-year university and graduate students, as well as those that have already graduated throughout the year.Under its job-based human resources management system, Fujitsu will recruit global talent to assign the right people to the right jobs. In addition, Fujitsu will offer appropriate compensation (including individual compensation) based on the level of responsibility and expertise.The Fujitsu Group aims to be a company in which talented, passionate people with a strong sense of purpose can contribute to the resolution of issues facing society and customers on a global scale, and all employees can continue to take on challenges and grow toward the realization of their own purpose.Moreover, Fujitsu will conduct fair recruitment in accordance with the "Request for Employment and Recruitment Activity for University Students who are Graduating in FY2022" issued by the Japanese government.(1) Key Focus Areas :Based on its vision of society in the year 2030, Fujitsu formulated seven Key Focus Areas that are comprised of the four cross-industry areas ("Vertical Areas") "Sustainable Manufacturing," "Consumer Experience," "Healthy Living," "Trusted Society," and the three technology platforms ("Horizontal Areas") "Digital Shifts," "Business Applications," and "Hybrid IT," based on Fujitsu's vision of society in the year 2030(2) Key Technologies :Fujitsu's technology strategy centers on five technology areas: "Computing," "Network," "AI," "Data & Security," and "Converging Technologies."About FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 126,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$34 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
SHENZHEN, China, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, today has released a series of new 5G products and solutions at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The new products and solutions showcase ZTE's great commitment to building the simplest 5G network with energy efficiency, boosting the digital transformation of the industries with all-in-one private network and operating the complex network with ease.

ZTE's UniSite NEO, among the new solutions, is the industry's simplest site solution. Powered by the integrated radio unit OmniUBR Series, it is capable of reducing the radio units from 18 to 5, and supporting a 6-band 3-sector site with only 5 units, thus significantly decreasing site rental cost by up to 57% and delivering 40% lower power consumption.

Also, ZTE has updated its 5G RAN portfolio with the new-generation Massive MIMO product series. It includes 32TR and 64TR AAUs, up to 192 antenna elements and 320 watt, and introduces the industry's lightest Massive MIMO product weighing 9kg for high traffic site with limited space. ZTE's full scenario product portfolio update wraps up the radio network enhancement and improves the ROI for its operators.

At MWC 2022, ZTE presents an all-in-one 5G private network solution based on the new model of 5G network as a service. This is a one-stop order-to-service package with the pre-integrated software and hardware, as well as converged 4G and 5G networks. The package has the tailor-made network features to empower the digital society.

ZTE introduces three major types of 5G private network, including the compact cabinet for smart factories with dozens of enterprise applications to be launched on the cloud, single server i5GC for comprehensive campus where applications are more diversified and data security and self-service are mandatory, and embedded MEC for a very limited equipment room and simple application scenarios.

In additon, ZTE has launched VMAX, the accelerator of digital transformation at MWC 2022, to satisfy the increasing complexity of the network O&M, which is regarded as one of the biggest issues for operators.ZTE's VMAX can help improve customer experiences, reduce costs and enhance operating performance.

VMAX is a part of uSmartNet, ZTE's Autonomous Network solution, and changes single-domain operation into all-domain and end-to-end perspective providing One-stop Insight. When network errors occur, VMAX supports cross-domain service self-healing. It gets to the root cause of service problem and customer complaint in minutes with more than 80% location accuracy and efficiency increase by 30%.

In addition, VMAX can interpret the service intent, output network planning suggestion accurately with minimal intervention. Meanwhile, it provides end-to-end security for different scenarios to protect personal privacy.

"Performance enhancement, boundary extension and efficiency improvement are three keys to ZTE's '5G Growing' strategy," said Zhang Wanchun, SVP of ZTE Corporation. "ZTE hopes to work together with its industry partners to build the simplest and strongest public network, the tailored private network and the smartest business network."

Click for the full version of ZTE 2022 new launch:

https://topicsen.zte.com.cn/Online-Events/5G_Growing_Part.html

Media Contacts:

Margaret Ma

ZTE Corporation

Tel: +86 755 26775189

Email: ma.gaili@zte.com.cn
Amway is a global entrepreneur-led health and wellness company that has been recognized multiple times by Frost & Sullivan for its outstanding and disruptive products in numerous industries

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Mar.1 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the Asia-Pacific home water treatment (HWT) industry, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Amway with the 2021 Competitive Strategy Leadership Award for its sustainable, cost-effective, and cutting-edge products that dramatically improve accessibility to clean water. Amway is a well-known leader in the HWT industry in the region, having been recognized a dozen times in various ways by Frost & Sullivan for its outstanding work. The company regularly implements innovative marketing strategies to meet evolving customer needs with a strong focus on improving the customer experience.

The company stands out from its competitors by delivering innovative and environmentally sustainable filtered water products and services that increase its dominance in the HWT industry. Amway addresses the growing demand for filtered water in the region with its leading product, eSpring, which comprises an innovating and visionary home water purification system that improves clean water accessibility and decreases water bottle consumption.

"Amway sets itself apart in the market with eSpring by capitalizing on its robust brand reputation and 20 years of experience and research and development. It is one of the top-selling brands of home water purification systems in the Asia-Pacific region and the world with more than 6.2 million units sold in 48 countries and territories," said Iqra Azam, best practices research analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Every eSpring unit accommodates the equivalent of 10,000 500-milliliter water bottles, decreasing plastic water bottle use on a large scale."

Despite the challenging times that the pandemic brought to the HWT industry, Amway successfully modified its marketing strategy by offering significant discounts on individual products and strengthening its digital presence and social networks. It enabled the company to reach more customers and solidify its customer-centric approach to provide optimal customer experiences based on the exhaustive analysis of feedback.

In addition, Amway's advanced HWT with carbon filter and ultralight technology significantly reduces the environmental footprint while providing clean, fresh-tasting water at home with the highest standard of the industry. As a result, the company is expected to steadily grow with new products and solutions for its already established consumer base in the Asia-Pacific region.

"The eSpring unit's distinctive features make it appealing to customers. Its high-quality filtration system has a 0.2-micron filter that can remove almost 140 contaminants, such as organic and inorganic compounds, pesticides, industrial chemicals, fine particles, and biological hazards," noted Azam. "Frost & Sullivan recognizes Amway for significantly contributing to the environment through its innovative and comprehensive product."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has leveraged competitive intelligence to successfully execute a strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning, and customer satisfaction.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Kala Mani. S.

Phone: +603-2023 2037

Email: kala.manis@frost.com

About Amway

Amway is an entrepreneur-led health and wellness company based in Ada, Michigan. It is committed to helping people live better, healthier lives - across more than 100 markets worldwide. According to Forbes?magazine, it is among the Top 50 privately held, family-owned companies in the United States. Top-selling brands for Amway are Nutrilite, Artistry?and XS?energy drinks - all sold exclusively by entrepreneurs who are known as Amway Business Owners. Amway is the No. 1 direct selling business in the world, according to the 2021 Direct Selling News Global 100. For company news, visit www.amwayglobal.com/newsroom.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1756529/Frost_Sullivan_2021_Award_Amway.jpg




New Delhi, India, Mar 1, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Honda India Power Products Limited (HIPP), a leading manufacturer of power products in India, successfully crossed 5 million units accumulated production milestone in February 2022. HIPP has been consistently introducing latest technology prouducts with global standards and bringing joy to its customers since 1985. The company has been a trusted partner in progress for its valued customers in line with its vision of "Empower People, To Do Better".HIPP launched its first product namely Portable Generator Model EM650 manufactured at its Rudrapur factory in 1988. Buoyed by a strong demand from the customers, the company soon launched other well differentiated Generator models catering to the varying demands from a vast and well diversified market. HIPP made foray into the export markets in 1989 and its products were very well received in the competitive overseas markets. After having enlightened lives of many customers in domestic and overseas markets, HIPP made foray into agriculture by starting production of Engine range in 1991 followed by Water Pump range in 1992. Farmers across India immensely appreciated portable, reliable, and efficient Engines and Water Pumps meeting their timely irrigation, spraying and mechanisation needs. In the year 1995, HIPP established its second manufacturing plant at Puducherry to meet the ever-growing demand. HIPP undertook a major reconsolidation exercise in 2000 and amalgamated its production plants into its present "State-of-the-art" manufacturing facility at Greater Noida thereby achieving economies of scale while pursuing its mission of "Helping people get things done" by manufacturing products that have successfully established themselves as a benchmark for their performance and quality.Takahiro Ueda, Chairman & Management Director, President & CEO, Honda India Power Products Limited said, "We were able to reach 5 million production units thanks to the support and the cooperation of all the people in India and the local society. Our suppliers and partners stood by us and believed in our common vision - delivering continuously even in acute times such as pandemic and I am grateful for their efforts all along. Our network of dealers, channel partners played excellent role as our extended arms in providing 3S - Sales, Service and Spare Parts support ensuring delightful experience of our customers all along. HIPP will continue to contribute to India and its society as a company that is expected to exist".About Honda India Power Products LimitedHIPP is one of the first Japanese companies to enter the Indian market in 1985 and thereby contribute to strengthen economic relations between India and Japan. Since inception, the company has been providing innovative, eco-friendly & best-in-class products to its customers across India in the field of power backup, agriculture & construction.As a conscious corporate, the company has participated in community development programs and helped create employment opportunities at its Greater Noida factory. HIPP has regularly supported disaster relief operations across various regions of India, including recently, extending assistance for combating the Covid-19 pandemic.Source: HondaCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.




ZERVIATE (cetirizine ophthalmic solution), 0.24 % was non-inferior to comparator emedastine di fumarate ophthalmic solution, 0.05% A llergic conjunctivitis market in China worth almost $0.5 billion by 2030

March 1st, 2022 - release at 7:30 am CET

Sophia Antipolis, France



Nicox SA (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, COX), an international ophthalmology company, today announced positive results in a Chinese Phase 3 clinical trial of ZERVIATE (cetirizine ophthalmic solution), 0.24%, run by its Chinese partner, Ocumension Therapeutics. ZERVIATE was compared to emedastine difumarate ophthalmic solution, 0.05%, an antihistamine marketed under the brand name EMADINE. ZERVIATE was found to be non-inferior to emedastine difumarate in the primary efficacy endpoint of change from baseline in the itching score in the 24 hours prior to the Day 14 visit. ZERVIATE was safe and well-tolerated with no difference in the proportion of patients with adverse events compared to emedastine difumarate. This clinical trial is required for Ocumension to be able to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for approval to commercialize ZERVIATE in China.







"The successful completion of this clinical trial is an important step towards commercialization of ZERVIATE in China and we congratulate our partner, Ocumension, on its swift execution. Ocumension is able to use Nicox'sdata previously generated on ZERVIATE in the United States, supplemented with this clinical trial, to support their application for approval of ZERVIATE" said Gavin Spencer, Chief Business Officer of Nicox."We look forward to seeing ZERVIATE on the market in China, as well as the territories in the Far East where Ocumension has licensed the rights, and we continue to collaborate with our other partners to obtain approval for ZERVIATE in multiple geographies."







ZERVIATE is the first and only eye drop formulation of the antihistamine cetirizine, the active ingredient in ZYRTEC, and is currently commercialized in the U.S. for ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. The prescription market for allergic conjunctivitis products in China is expected to grow to almost $0.5 billion by 2030.



Clinical Trial Design



This was a randomized, observer-masked, Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ZERVIATE (cetirizine ophthalmic solution), 0.24% dosed twice daily compared to emedastine difumarate ophthalmic solution, 0.05% dosed twice daily in Chinese patients with allergic conjunctivitis. The treatment period was 14 days and the primary efficacy endpoint was a non-inferiority analysis of the change from baseline in the itching score within the 24 hours prior to the Day 14 visit. A total of 296 patients were randomized across multiple clinical sites in China.



ZERVIATE Partnerships



ZERVIATE is exclusively licensed to Ocumension Therapeutics for development and commercialization in the Chinese and the majority of the Southeast Asian markets. Nicox may potentially receive sales milestones of up to US$17.2 million together with royalties of between 5% and 9% of net sales of ZERVIATE by Ocumension. ZERVIATE is commercialized in the U.S. by our exclusive U.S. partner Eyevance Pharmaceuticals, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd of Japan, and is also exclusively licensed to Samil Pharmaceutical in South Korea, to ITROM Pharmaceutical Group in certain Gulf and Arab markets, and to Laboratorios Grin in Mexico.




1 March 2022

XP Power Limited

("XP Power", "the Group" or "the Company")

Board Changes

XP Power announces that James Peters, Chair of the Board, has informed the Group of his intention to retire from the Board at the conclusion of the Company's AGM in April 2023, at which point he will have completed 35 years of service with the Group and its predecessor companies.

James will be succeeded as Chair at that time by Jamie Pike who is being appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director, and designate chair, with immediate effect.

Jamie brings a wealth of relevant experience to the Board having held the role of a chief executive and chair at a number of mid and large cap public companies. Following an early career in strategy and management consulting at Bain & Company, he joined Burmah Castrol in 1991, becoming Chief Executive of Burmah Castrol Chemicals, before leading the buy-out of Foseco in 2001 and its subsequent IPO in 2005. Jamie has been Chair of the Board of Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc since 2018, having joined the Board in 2014. He has previously held the role of Chair at Cobham, RPC Group, Ibstock and Tyman. Jamie is a Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.

James Peters, Chair said:

"After more than three decades with the Group, I believe the time is now right to begin the process of handing over the role of Chair to a successor who will steer the Board through XP Power's next phase of growth. Jamie is a highly experienced Board Chair, having had operational and board level experience across the industrial products and services, energy and manufacturing sectors, and I am confident he will make a significant contribution to the Board and to the Group's future success."

Jamie Pike said:

"XP Power is a high quality business with a bright future ahead of it and I'm delighted to be joining the Board at this exciting time in its development."

There are no other disclosures to be made pursuant to Listing Rule 9.6.13.

Enquiries:

XP Power

Gavin Griggs, Chief Executive Officer +44 (0)118 984 5515

Oskar Zahn, Chief Financial Officer +44 (0)118 984 5515

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Kevin Smith/Jos Bieneman +44 (0)207 638 9571

Note to editors

XP Power designs and manufactures power convertors, the essential hardware component in every piece of electrical equipment that converts power from the electricity grid into the right form for equipment to function.

XP Power has invested in research and development and its own manufacturing facilities in China, Vietnam and North America, to develop a range of tailored products based on its own intellectual property that provide its customers with significantly improved functionality and efficiency.

Headquartered in Singapore and listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange since 2000, XP Power is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. XP Power serves a global blue-chip customer base from 29 locations in Europe, North America, and Asia.

For further information, please visit xppower.com
NOTIFICATION OF TOTAL VOTING RIGHTS AND CAPITAL IN THE COMPANY

WOKINGHAM, UK / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Ferguson PLC (The Company) in accordance with DTR 5.6.1, the Company hereby notifies the following:

The Company's issued share capital as of February 28, 2022, consisted of 232,171,182 ordinary shares of 10 pence each ("Ordinary Shares"), of which 13,490,257 Ordinary Shares were held in treasury as at the date of this disclosure. The voting rights of treasury shares are automatically suspended.

Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company is 218,680,925. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which to determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and the Company's Articles of Association.

Enquiries:

Graham Middlemiss, Group Company Secretary

(0118 927 3800)

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: Ferguson PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690807/Ferguson-PLC-Announces-Total-Voting-Rights
ZURICH (dpa-AFX) - Swiss Life Holding AG (SZLMY.PK), a Swiss life insurance provider, on Tuesday posted a rise in earnings for the fiscal 2021, helped by an increase in fee income. For the financial year 2021, the company reported an increase in net profit by 20 percent, to CHF 1.25 billion, where as adjusted earnings from operations moved up by 15 percent, to CHF 1.81 billion, compared with the fiscal 2020. Fee income of the company was registered at CHF2.29 billion as against CHF1.95 billion, on year-on-year basis. Premiums were reported at CHF 20.2 billion in 2021, roughly at the previous year's level of CHF 20 billion. For 2021, the company said it will propose a dividend of CHF25 per share, to be distributed on April 28. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Evotec AG (EVTCY.PK), a German drug discovery and development company, Tuesday said that it has entered into a collaboration with the University of Bristol or UoB to expand molecular patient database in the field of kidney diseases with a focus on nephrotic syndrome. The company noted that the nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms like proteinuria and oedema that indicate kidneys are not working properly. Diagnosis remains challenging and current treatment regimens are mostly symptomatic. Under the collaboration, Evotec receives access to longitudinal samples from an international cohort which includes several hundreds of patients from Asia, India and Africa linked to anonymised clinical records. Evotec will analyse the samples using its proprietary multi-omics platform EVOpanOmics. Evotec and the UoB will leverage Evotec's data analytics and prediction platform EVOpanHunter to jointly identify key drivers of nephrotic syndrome disease progression, potential molecular targets for intervention as well as molecular markers for diagnosis. Cord Dohrmann, Chief Scientific Officer of Evotec, said, 'This unusual longitudinal study of nephrotic syndrome patients provides a unique basis to identify molecular markers for proper diagnosis as well novel molecular targets to develop disease-modifying therapeutics.' Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
The University of Montanas removal of the mask mandate in February was seen by many as a symbolic end to the COVID-19 pandemic thats ravaged campus for the last two years. But the struggle  and the resilience  weve seen at UM over these years wasnt for nothing. Weve learned what it me


HOLZMINDEN (dpa-AFX) - Symrise AG (SYIEY.PK), a German maker of flavors and fragrances, on Tuesday posted a sharp rise in earnings for the fiscal 2021, amidst a recovery in sales, driven by the waning impact of Covid-19 pandemic.



For the fiscal 2021, the Holzminden-headquartered firm reported a net profit of 374.9 million euros or 2.74 euros per share, compared with 306.9 million euros or 2.27 euros per share, reported for the financial year 2020.



German firm posted a pre-tax income of 516.2 million euros as against 423.6 million euros, on year-on-year basis. EBIT of the firm was also moved up by 14.7 percent, to 559 million euros.



For the 12-month period, Symrise registered its EBITDA at 813.6 million euros, compared with 742.1 million euros, reported for the fiscal 2020.



For the fiscal 2021, the company has proposed an increased dividend of 1.02 per share.



For 2021, the Group reported a rise in sales by 8.7 percent, to 3.82 billion euros, compared with the previous year.



Looking ahead, for the fiscal 2022, Symrise expects report its sales growth to be in the range of 5 percent -7 percent, with an EBITDA margin of around 21 percent.







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XIAMEN, China, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Yeastar (www.yeastar.com), the world's leading provider of Unified Communications solutions and Digital Workplace innovator, today reveals its new brand positioning with the new tagline "Digital Value, Delivered". From an updated mission statement to an enriched portfolio, Yeastar is looking to develop itself as a trusted provider for digital transformation in a broader sense.

The new tagline is grounded in the understanding that digital transformation does not have to be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Yeastar believes that the key to a straightforward digital future is the right technology, which should be easily accessible, open and integrated, and future-proof, regardless of particular challenges and needs of every business.

With a portfolio ranging from unified communications to workplace scheduling and hybrid workplace, Yeastar makes it a mission to remove the barriers to a connected and collaborative digital workplace. Through its easy-to-adopt, easy-to-use, and easy-to-manage solutions, Yeastar is geared to embark its customers on an easy and pleasant digital transformation journey.

"For over a decade, we have strengthened our business across lines of business, partnership, global presence, and our people. Now is a pivotal moment for us to step up as a stronger brand," said Prince Cai, Vice President of Yeastar. "At Yeastar, we are value-driven and focus on delivering real results. This 'Digital Value, Delivered' campaign signals our ambition to play as the backbone for our customers through digital transformation and our dedication to creating shared success with our partners."

There will be a live stream at 9:00 a.m. (GMT) on April 1, 2022, Yeastar's 16th anniversary, featuring the story behind Yeastar's new tagline and why the digital value matters to every business and channel player.

To learn more about Yeastar's refreshed brand positioning, visit its website for details.

About Yeastar

Yeastar helps businesses realize digital values by making communications and workplace solutions easily accessible from ownership and adoption to daily usage and management. Yeastar has established itself as a leading provider of UC solutions with a global partner network and over 350,000 customers worldwide. Committed to delivering the right technology to value-oriented businesses, Yeastar offers products and services for UC&C, workplace scheduling, and hybrid workplace to enable them to win in the modern digital world. For more information about Yeastar or to become a Yeastar partner, please visit https://www.yeastar.com/.

Aviva Li

+86-592-5503309

marketing@yeastar.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1312520/Yeastar_Logo.jpg
The World's Largest and Most Trusted Software Marketplace Also Recognizes Foxit as a Top Global Seller

FREMONT, Calif., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Foxit, a leading provider of innovative PDF products and services, helping knowledge workers to increase their productivity and do more with documents, announced Foxit PDF Editor has been named to G2's 2022 Best Software Awards , placing 4th on the Top Office Products list and was also included on the Top Global Sellers list. Foxit PDF Editor was selected based on the solution's focus on innovation, affordability and security. G2 , operating a marketplace used by 60 million software buyers, is the online destination for businesses to reach their potential through software technology.

"We are honored to be recognized by G2 as a leader in the Office Products and Top Global Seller categories," said Frank Kettenstock, Chief Marketing Officer at Foxit. "This recognition acts as further validation and proof that Foxit PDF Editor is delivering unmatched flexibility, seamless integration and lower costs to help current and future customers take charge of their document processes."

"Simply put, G2 is where you go for software," said Godard Abel, co-founder and CEO, G2. "Our annual Best Software List aims to guide buyers on their purchasing decisions, knowing they can trust in the credibility and objectivity of our scoring algorithms. We applaud those companies named to our 2022 list, as they've earned the satisfaction among their customers as well as an impressive market presence."

The top 100 software sellers are ranked based on a combination of Satisfaction and Market Presence scores for each seller, and the top 100 products are ranked based on reviews across all categories they are a part of. To be included in one of G2's Software Sellers or Software Products "Best Of" lists, a software seller or product must receive at least 50 approved and published reviews during the 2021 calendar year. Scores reflect only data from reviews submitted during this evaluation period.

Foxit PDF Editor allows users to create awesome PDFs with powerful yet easy workflows across desktop, mobile, and cloud - whether at the office, home, or on the go. Foxit PDF Editor provides a cost-effective solution for business professionals to work securely with PDF documents and forms. It provides a full featured platform to view, create, edit, collaborate, share, secure, organize, export, OCR, and sign PDF documents. Integration with Foxit eSign makes eSigning documents even easier.

Foxit PDF Editor provides unmatched benefits and features to users, including:

Quickly and easily update your own PDF documents

Integration with Foxit eSign to:

Create, edit and sign legally binding documents without leaving their PDF editor



Easily collect signatures from multiple contacts and manage an eSignature workflow

Export PDF to popular file formats

Manipulate PDF files and pages

Annotate, share, and collaborate with PDF

Create PDF docs, forms, and portfolios

Protect the information in your confidential documents

Document accessibility through assistive technology

To learn more about Foxit PDF Editor, please visit: https://www.foxit.com/pdf-editor/

About G2

G2 is the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace, helping more than 60 million people every year make smarter software decisions based on authentic peer reviews. Thousands of companies partner with G2 to build their reputation, manage their software spend, and grow their business -- including Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoom, Adobe and more. For more information, visit www.g2.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn .

About Foxit

Foxit is a leading provider of innovative PDF products and services, helping knowledge workers to increase their productivity and do more with documents. Foxit addresses the needs of three distinct market segments. For End-User Productivity, Foxit delivers easy to use desktop software, mobile apps, and cloud services to make knowledge workers more productive. Foxit's Developer Solutions enable developers to incorporate powerful PDF technology into their applications. For Enterprise Automation, Foxit provides server software for large scale PDF document management and data capture.

Foxit has over 650 million users and has sold to over 425,000 customers, ranging from SMBs to global enterprises, located in more than 200 countries. The company has offices all over the world, including locations in the US, Asia, Europe, and Australia. For more information, please visit https://foxit.com.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXV:CCE)(FSE:D7H0)(OTCQX:CMRZF) (the "Company" or "Commerce") is pleased to announce assay results received for the final two (2) holes completed at the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit ("Ashram Deposit") as part of the 2021 drill program. The field program, completed in July-August 2021 in support of the Ashram Project's Prefeasibility Study, included twelve (12) drill holes totaling 2,814 m focused on resource infill within the planned open-pit shell. Results for the first ten (10) drill holes were announced December 22nd, 2021, and January 17 and February 7, 2022 (Table 1 and Figure 1) with the results for the final two (2) drill holes reported herein. Highlights include:

1.82% rare earth oxide ("REO") over 225.4 m (EC21-192), including, 2.07% REO over 129.5 m

1.71% REO over 147.8 m (EC21-189), including, 2.14% REO over 60.5 m



The primary objective of the 2021 drill program at Ashram was to improve the confidence of the mineral resource (inferred -> indicated -> measured) in support of an updated mineral resource estimate to be completed as part of the ongoing Prefeasibility Study, which will also determine the initial mineral reserve estimate for the Ashram Project. Based on the drilling to date, the Company anticipates a large portion of Ashram's current inferred and indicated resources will be converted to indicated and measured resources.

Company President Chris Grove states "We are excited to finally have all of these drill results returned to us, as they are excellent and are indicative of the huge and well mineralized deposit that the Ashram is. With the REE industry being more focused on monazite dominant mineralogy, as the Ashram is, we look forward to releasing more results from the other programs that are currently underway."

Both drill holes (EC21-189 and 192) were collared in the south-central portions of the deposit, and intersected grades consistent with previous drilling, remaining mineralized over their entire length. Strong NdPr distributions (i.e. % of Nd+Pr oxide of the total REO) continue to be returned in excess of 20-21%, including drill hole EC21-192 with 129.5 m of 2.07% REO at an NdPr distribution of 21.5%. Core sample assays for all twelve (12) drill holes completed during the 2021 drill program have now been received, with grade over width and corresponding NdPr oxide distributions presented in Table 1, and drill hole highlights and locations presented in Figure 1.

Table 1: 2021 assay results for infill drill holes at the Ashram Deposit

As the Ashram Deposit is known to continue for more than 600 m in depth, and remains open, the 2021 drill holes were ended at pre-determined depths below the anticipated pit shell, and therefore, most holes completed as part of the infill drilling at Ashram ended in mineralization.

The results of the 2021 drill program continue to highlight the size of the Ashram Deposit as well as continuity of the REE mineralization, extending from surface to considerable depth. The Company is planning to complete an approximate 2,500 m drill program this summer at Ashram and will focus on continued infill to improve the confidence of the mineral resource (inferred -> indicated -> measured), as well as on the southern portion of the deposit where limited drilling has been completed by comparison and the deposit remains open.

The Company notes that it carried out its field programs while adhering to all federal, provincial, and regional restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company successfully navigated the process to obtain authorization to enter Nunavik, and no cases of COVID-19 were documented relating to its 2021 mineral exploration programs. Mineral exploration has been recognized as an essential service in Canada and the Province of Quebec.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QAQC)

A quality assurance / quality control protocol following industry best practices was incorporated into the program and included systematic insertion of quartz blanks and certified reference materials into sample batches, as well as collection of quarter-core duplicates, at a rate of approximately 5%. Drill holes were sampled from top to bottom and shipped to Activation Laboratories in Ancaster, ON, for analysis.

Lab analysis included major oxides and multi-element, including the rare earth elements, by ICP-OES/MS following a lithium borate fusion (package 8-REE) and fluorine by Fusion Specific Ion Electrode-ISE (Code 4F-F). Standard drill core sample preparation was completed and comprised of crushing to 80% passing 10 mesh, followed by a 250 g riffle split and pulverizing to 95% passing 105  (package RX1).

Figure 1: 2021 drill assay highlights - Ashram Deposit

About the Ashram Deposit

The Ashram Deposit ranks as one of the largest REE (and fluorspar) deposits globally, consisting of a monazite dominated, single mineralized body outcropping at surface, and has a footprint approximately 600 m along strike, over 300 m across, and 600 m deep, remaining open in several directions. The deposit hosts a measured resource of 1.6 million tonnes (Mt) at 1.77% rare earth oxide (REO) and 3.8% F, an indicated resource of 27.7 Mt at 1.90% REO and 2.9% F, and an inferred resource of 219.8 Mt at 1.88% REO and 2.2% F, at a cut-off grade of 1.25% REO (Effective Date July 5th, 2012). Note, mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the Mineral Resources will be converted into Mineral Reserves.

NI 43-101 Disclosure

Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., a Permit holder with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and 'Qualified Person' as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

About Commerce Resources Corp.

Commerce Resources Corp. is a junior mineral resource company focused on the development of the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit located in Quebec, Canada. The Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally, with a specific focus on being a long-term supplier of mixed rare earth carbonate and/or NdPr oxide to the global market. The Ashram Deposit is characterized by simple rare earth (monazite, bastnaesite, xenotime) and gangue (carbonates) mineralogy, a large tonnage resource at favourable grade, and has demonstrated the production of high-grade (>45% REO) mineral concentrates at high recovery (>70%) in line with active global producers. In addition to being one of the largest rare earth deposits globally, Ashram is also one of the largest fluorspar deposits globally and has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets.

For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.commerceresources.com or email info@commerceresources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

COMMERCE RESOURCES CORP.

" Chris Grove "

Chris Grove

President and Director

Tel: 604.484.2700

Email: cgrove@commerceresources.com

Web: https://www.commerceresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which includes any information about activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include that we expect to complete an updated mineral resource estimate and a prefeasibility study for the Ashram Project, that we anticipate that certain of Ashram's inferred and indicated resources will be converted to indicate and measured resources; that an open-pit shell is planned for the Ashram Project; and that the Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include: that we may not be able to fully finance any additional exploration on the Ashram Project; that even if we are able raise capital, costs for exploration activities may increase such that we may not have sufficient funds to pay for such exploration or processing activities; the timing and content of any future work programs; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumptions based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that, with further test work, may not be comparable; testing of our process may not prove successful and even if such tests are successful, the economic and other outcomes may not be as expected; the availability of labour and equipment to undertake future exploration work and testing activities; the required permits to build and operate the envisaged open-pit shell may not be obtained in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all; and despite the current expected viability of the Ashram Project, conditions changing such that even if metals or minerals are discovered on the Ashram Project, the project may not be commercially viable; The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Commerce Resources Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690806/Commerce-Resources-Intersects-207-REO-over-1295-m-at-the-Ashram-REE-Fluorspar-Deposit-Quebec
THE HAGUE (dpa-AFX) - Shell plc (SHEL) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Sinead Gorman as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective April 1, 2022 in place of Jessica Uhl who would be stepping down from her role as CFO on March 31. The company said, 'Jessica was a key architect of recent strategic changes, including the simplification of the company's share structure and the relocation of the corporate headquarters, along with the roles of chief executive officer and chief financial officer, from The Netherlands to the UK. However, due to family circumstances a long-term relocation to the UK is not sustainable, and therefore she will step down from her role.' The new finance chief Sinead is currently Executive Vice President, Finance in Shell's global Upstream business. Since joining Shell in 1999, she has held several increasingly senior finance roles in all Shell's major businesses, in Europe, North America and latterly globally. Jessica would be available to assist Sinead and the Board with transition until June 30, 2022, after which she would be leaving the group. Shares of Shell plc closed Monday's trading at $52.10, down $0.29 or 0.55 percent from previous close. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Cross River Ventures Corp. (CSE: CRVC) (OTCQB: CSRVF) (FSE: C6R) (the "Company") is pleased to report that two diamond drill rigs have been mobilized to the Company's 12,000-hecatre McVicar Gold Project, located in northwestern Ontario, Canada.

Crews have been on site over the last two weeks preparing the McVicar Camp, an exploration drill camp located along kilometer 125 of the Cat Lake Winter Road, in Northern Ontario, approximately 150 km east of Red Lake, and 80 km west of Pickle Lake.

The McVicar gold project is situated in the Superior Province of northern Ontario, Canada. The greenstone belts within the Superior Province contain some of the largest economic gold deposits in the world. McVicar encompasses the geologically significant structural components of the Lang Lake greenstone belt (see Figure 1 below), an underexplored belt located approximately 40 km north of the historic Golden Patricia Mine (619,796 oz at 15.2 g/t Au)*.

Cross River Ventures has initiated a planned 5,000-meter diamond drill program at McVicar, designed to test the Altered Zone and Bear Head Trend, two of several gold target zones on the property. Diamond drilling will be conducted by Major Drilling utilizing two Duralite 1000N Fly configuration diamond drill rigs. Drilling will commence shortly with two rigs focused on the Altered Zone (Target 2, Figure 2) and conclude with both drill rigs in the Bear Head Trend (Target 1, Figure 2).

"After conducting a methodical, detailed exploration approach at McVicar over the last year the technical team has identified several priority drill targets. We're excited to begin drilling and move project development forward in a meaningful way," said CEO, Alex Klenman. "This round of exploration drilling will build on historical drill intercepts at the Altered Zone, where we intend to drill test along strike, down-dip and down-plunge gold targets."

"In addition to the Altered Zone target, we're also conducting a maiden drill program at the newly discovered 700-meter long Bear Head gold trend, where surface sampling recently returned assay values up to 19.75 grams-per-tonne gold. McVicar is large, it's extensive, and is full of favorable geology, historic occurrences, and multiple target zones. It's exciting to begin drilling our flagship project," continued Mr. Klenman.

About The Altered Zone

The Altered Zone is a complex zone of deformation and intense alteration composed of sheared mafic volcanics, abundant green mica, intermediate intrusive rocks, massive to semi-massive quartz, and a quartz-carbonate-sericite schist.

New geologic modelling by Cross River in 2021 utilizes historic drilling data and suggests that the high-grade gold bearing structure continues at depth, coincident with lithologic breaks and a broader damage zone corridor characterized by an intense hydrothermal alteration overprint. The gold bearing structure at the Altered Zone is open in all directions. The upcoming drill program is designed to test the gold grade and continuity of the structure along strike, down-dip, and down-plunge. The program and will also test for new high-grade gold shoots at several locations along the broader Altered Zone structural trend.

About The Bear Head Trend

Cross River Ventures field crews discovered the Bear Head Trend during the summer 2021 fieldwork. It is located approximately 600 meters south of the historic Chellow Vein at the southern contact between mafic volcanics and granite along the Bear Head Fault Zone (Figure 1). This geological environment is considered prospective for Archean greenstone gold deposits and contains favorable structural and lithological sites for gold deposition.

The Bear Head Trend is an undrilled, minimum 700m, high-grade gold corridor that is nested within a WNW trending multi-km braided damage zone structure. Key samples collected in 2021 include sheared and silicified mafic metavolcanic rocks with 1-10cm wide smoky blue quartz veins which returned gold values of 19.75 grams-per-tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") and 1.415 g/t Au (News Release October 5th, 2021) .

About the McVicar Project

Cross River's McVicar Gold Project is a district-scale (approximately 12,000 hectares) gold exploration project that contains gold prospective structure and host rocks that transect the entire Lang Lake greenstone belt, located in the Patricia Mining Division, approximately 150 km east of Red Lake, and 80 km west of Pickle Lake, in NW Ontario, Canada.

The McVicar project covers all the major fertile structural and lithostratigraphic elements of the greenstone belt, which is bound to the south by the major NW trending Bear Head Fault zone (within which the historic Golden Patricia Mine is situated).

Historic drilling at McVicar Lake in the Altered and North Flexure Zones include:

6.46 g/t Au over 10.09 m including 29.86 g/t Au over 1.86 meters i

5.5 g/t Au over 3.6 m including 12.2 g/t Au over 0.98 metersii

The McVicar Lake claims also host the Chellow Vein zone, which is a narrow quartz vein that consists of smoky grey to white quartz mineralized with minor pyrite and visible gold. The vein system yielded high grade gold at surface including grab samplesiii that assayed 827.4 g/t Au and 578.1 g/t Auiv.

The 2022 winter drill program is fully funded, and the Company has received all relevant permits.





Figure 1: McVicar Gold Project, location of nearby deposits and historical mines, NW Ontario

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7276/115196_e2ba42f6c41f1ae1_002full.jpg





Figure 2: Drill target zones, winter 2022 drill program, McVicar Gold Project, NW Ontario

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7276/115196_e2ba42f6c41f1ae1_003full.jpg

Qualified Person

Daniel MacNeil, P.Geo., M.Sc., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, reviewed, and approved the technical content disclosed in this press release. Historical assay results contained in this press release were not verified by the Company. However, the historical reports referenced were authored by experienced geoscientists and copies of laboratory assay sheets were commonly inserted in the reports.

About Cross River Ventures

Cross River is a gold exploration company focused on the development of top tier exploration properties located in emerging Greenstone Districts of NW Ontario, Canada. The Company controls a 28,000-ha, multiple project portfolio with highly prospective ground in and among prolific, gold bearing greenstone belts. Cross River's common shares trade in Canada under the symbol "CRVC" on the CSE, and in the US under the symbol "CSRVF" on the OTCQB. Please visit www.crossriverventures.com for more information.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

CROSS RIVER VENTURES CORP.

Alex Klenman

CEO

604-227-6610

aklenman@crossriverventures.com

www.crossriverventures.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the Canadian Securities Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

*https://www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/mdi/data/records/MDI52O06SE00005.html

i McKay D.B, 2004. Report on the 2003 Overburden Stripping, Geologic Mapping and Sampling Program conducted on the McVicar Lake Property: Continuum Resources Ltd and Prospector Consolidated Resources Inc. www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/afri/data/imaging/52O11SW2003/52O11SW2003.pdf

ii McKay D.B, 2004. Report on the 2003 Overburden Stripping, Geologic Mapping and Sampling Program conducted on the McVicar Lake Property: Continuum Resources Ltd and Prospector Consolidated Resources Inc. www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca/mndmfiles/afri/data/imaging/52O11SW2003/52O11SW2003.pdf

iii Grab samples are selective by nature and may not represent the true grade or style of mineralization across the property.

iv Waldie C.J. Report of Diamond Drilling McVicar Lake Area Patricia Mining Division: BHP Minerals Canada Ltd.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115196
Dawex Data Exchange technology contributes to fostering a more sustainable and efficient European agriculture.

Dawex, the leading technology company for data exchange, data marketplace and data hub, has been at the forefront of innovation and value creation by facilitating data circulation. This is illustrated by the selection of its customer Agdatahub, a European operator of consent and data exchange platform, as one of the seven Gaia-X lighthouse European pilot projects, aiming at creating a data exchange platform built on transparency, trust, and openness. With the arrival of two new regulations, the Data Governance Act and the Data Act, Europe is once again demonstrating its leadership in driving impactful data strategic initiatives.

Technological innovations are transforming the daily lives of farmers as they capitalize on the digital tools and data-driven applications. The generated data hold powerful information that are extremely valuable for the whole agriculture ecosystem. Relying on Dawex Data Exchange technology, Agdatahub accelerates the flow of these data between the different players in the agriculture sector and the agri-food chain.

"Agriculture has been identified by Gaia-X as a priority sector to engage in. Its ambition is to create the next generation of trusted data infrastructures to strengthen the ability to access, share and exchange data securely and confidently." says Laurent Lafaye, Dawex co-CEO. "As a Day-1 member, Dawex has been engaged in Gaia-X initiatives. Seeing Agdatahub appointed by Gaia-X as one of the seven lighthouse projects demonstrates the alignment of Dawex Data Exchange technology with the Gaia-X vision."

Dawex Data Exchange Platform technology powers a safe, compliant data circulation thanks to a trusted and secure environment enabling economic stakeholders to source, distribute and exchange data. Dawex Data hubs, Data Marketplaces and Data Exchange Platforms contribute to improving productivity and efficiency, mitigating risks, fostering innovation and maximizing the value of data.

"Agdatahub acts in support of a sustainable and efficient European agriculture by facilitating access to agriculture data thanks to Dawex technology, and empowering farmers to take back control of the use of their data." says Sebastien Picardat, Agdatahub CEO. "Being appointed as one of the European pilot projects by Gaia-X is a great honor and highlights our continued commitment to supporting the EU agri-environmental transition for the benefit of farmers and consumers."

"The agriculture revolution requires harnessing the power of data exchange in order to build a stronger and more sustainable agriculture. By selecting Agdatahub as one of their lighthouse projects, Gaia-X reinforces the benefits of building strong cross-border, cross-sector data ecosystems." says Fabrice Tocco, co-CEO at Dawex. "Thanks to Dawex Data Exchange technology, Agdatahub contributes to solving the economic and environmental challenges of the sector by harnessing the power of data circulation."

About Dawex

Dawex is the leading technology company for data exchange, data marketplace and data hub. Dawex mission is to facilitate and accelerate secure data circulation between economic stakeholders, institutions and private organizations, contributing to the development of the data economy. Awarded Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, Dawex is a member of Gaia-X and a co-founding member of the Data Exchange Association. Created in 2015, Dawex has offices in France and Canada, expanding business operations to Asia, North America and the Middle East.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220228006273/en/

Contacts:

Press contact:

Isabelle Joulot

press@dawex.com
01 March 2022

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank /ISIN TBD

Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement

Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg (contact: Torsten Zittlau; telephone: +49 711 74640) hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014).

Securities

Issuer: Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank

(AAA (S&P), Aaa (Moody's), AAA (Fitch)) Guarantor(s) (if any): Federal Republic of Germany Aggregate nominal amount: EUR Benchmark Description: []% March-2027 EUR BMK, Reg S Bearer Bonds,

TEFRA C, New Global note

listing: Luxembourg Green Exchange, Regulated Market Offer price: [XX.XXX] Other offer terms: NA

Stabilisation:

Stabilisation Manager(s): Danske Bank, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE, J.P. Morgan and LBBW Stabilisation period expected to start on: 01 March 2022 Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over?allotment facility: The Stabilisation Manager(s) may over?allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law Stabilisation trading venue(s): Over the counter (OTC)

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over?allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time. Any stabilisation action or over?allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

If and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation") (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State.

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States.
JAGGAER has announced the immediate appointment of Justin-Sadler-Smith as its new Senior Vice President Sales, Europe.

The company simultaneously announced the departure of Mario Messuri, who has given the company more than 20 years of service, most recently as SVP Sales, Southern Europe. He will be replaced as Regional Vice President in Italy by Fabrizio Fassone, who joins from SAP. In a further appointment to JAGGAER's European leadership team, Jyoti Mangar joins as Director, Partner Alliance Management.

JAGGAER CEO Jim Bureau commented, "Justin did a phenomenal job of stabilizing, maturing and growing Northern Europe throughout 2021, all the time guided by his laser focus on customer success. Under his watch, we have added some outstanding people to the organization, effective processes and disciplines have been put in place, and we achieved significant revenue growth, including some major sales wins. His consistent approach and strong leadership have given me the confidence to appoint Justin our leader across the entire continent of Europe."

Justin Sadler-Smith said, "The opportunities for JAGGAER in Europe are infinite. Customers and prospective customers have warmed to our vision of Autonomous Commerce, which makes me very excited to be working with organizations across the continent to deliver successful solutions to their procurement challenges."

Commenting on Mario Messuri's contribution to JAGGAER's growth in Italy and Southern Europe, Jim Bureau said, "On behalf of all of JAGGAER and specifically the Italian team, I would personally like to thank Mario for all his years of service. Thanks to his leadership and mentorship, we acquired more than 240 customers in Italy alone. In 2021 Mario also supported business development in France and Spain. Mario has been helping Justin and his team to ensure a smooth transition. We wish him all the best as he pursues his own business interests."

Fabrizio Fassone joins as Regional Vice President, Italy, from SAP where he was Head of Intelligent Spend Management for Italy and Greece. He previously occupied leadership positions with Microsoft and worked with IBM early in his career.

Jyoti Mangar will start at JAGGAER on March 1. She joins from Basware, where she led professional services and customer success for Central Europe. Jyoti previously worked for consultants PWC, KPMG and IBM in a variety of procurement technology and engagement roles.

"Europe is a vitally important continent for JAGGAER now and in the future, which is why we have taken action to strengthen the leadership team. Many of our clients there are technologically advanced and will be at the center of the Autonomous Commerce revolution that we are now leading," Bureau concluded.

About JAGGAER: Procurement Simplified

JAGGAER is leading the Autonomous Commerce revolution, a self-governing B2B commerce experience between buyers, suppliers, things (IoT) and partners. Over $500 billion worth of goods flow frictionlessly through our Enterprise Commerce Network every year. Leveraging AI and machine learning, our intelligent procurement solutions provide enterprise buyers and suppliers smart-match recommendations that align buyer needs with supplier capabilities. Our solutions autonomously execute many of the repetitive, behind-the-scenes tasks required to facilitate enterprise commerce. We are Networked, Intelligent, Comprehensive and Extensible. We are over 1,100 employees strong, all focused on customer success.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005118/en/

Contacts:

Joey Lai Head of Corporate Marketing

t +447583 001200 e jlai@jaggaer.com

Jaggaer.com
SINGAPORE, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Singapore Exchange (SGX) has taken a strategic stake in HeveaConnect (HC) on 3 March 2021. SGX as the provider of the global pricing benchmark for natural rubber, aims to strengthen its role as a price discovery centre through collaborating with HC to provide pricing granularity of various grades and origins of rubber traded in the physical market, by publishing basis indices over the SICOM benchmark .

Trade Data Governance and Independence

Transactions on the HC Platform are bilateral and provides assurance to users that their confidential trade data is only accessible to the two parties of the transaction. SGX also provides market neutrality by providing confidentiality, guardianship and performs a custodian role by being the sole and independent owner of trade data on HC .

As the sole owner of trade data on the HC Platform, SGX will maintain the complete set of trade data on the HC Platform for a minimum of 7 years as per the SGX's data retention policy. HC will transfer all trade data to SGX on a daily basis, and this data will be available on the HC Platform for a limited period of 13 months for the purpose of allowing participants to complete transactions and review their own historical data before it is entirely removed from the HC Platform. Parties outside of the trade and other HC shareholders will not have access to the trade data. While the data exists on the HC Platform, access to this data by HC staff is strictly limited to authorised persons, and any such access is logged.

HC will undertake an independent security audit annually to ensure that the systems, controls, and agreed processes in protecting data while it remains on the HC Platform are robust and in compliance with the data-related agreement with SGX. HC is also in the process of obtaining the internationally recognised ISO 27001 certification for information security management and is expected to complete this process by end of Q2 2022.

Trade Index Creation

SGX, as the provider of the global pricing benchmark for natural rubber, will work with the industry to provide greater transparency of robust pricing for various grades and origins of rubber. The digitalisation drive through the use of HC's trading platform allows participants to express their physical rubber trading views reflecting prevailing physical prices and market conditions. The aim of the indices is to enable granularity in rubber pricing that is integral to the management of basis risks in physical rubber trading.

SGX is working closely with HC to explore the creation of pricing indices based off the benchmark SICOM prices to reflect a range of origins and grades of rubber. Broadly, the index methodology will incorporate data from anonymised trades registered on the HC Platform that cannot be reverse-engineered to a specific participant or trade. SGX will publicly release the methodology alongside the publication of the indices.

For the index to be robust and fit for purpose, a diverse range of participants along the rubber value chain, coupled with acceptable levels of transacted volume will be needed to provide an accurate and representative reflection of market prices. The price index may allow players to gain insights to market pricing and to more accurately price long-term contracts (LTCs).

Background

HeveaConnect (HC) is a Singapore-based technology provider founded in 2018 with the aim to digitalise the natural rubber supply chain while providing data-backed services for the industry. HC pioneers a sustainability dashboard, providing the global marketplace with transparency through vital data on supply chain flows. HC provides a full suite of solutions for the natural rubber industry that include factory management systems, traceability solutions, smallholder educational content and a secure B2B platform for the trading of physical rubber. Through its suite of solutions and data integrated from its users, customers are able to link key information regarding quality, traceability and sustainability to the physical rubber that is traded on the platform. The data-backed rubber generated through this process allows users of the platform to access the information up to the individual lot level.

As of end 2021, 15 unique participants comprising of producers, traders and consumers have transacted over 450,000 MT of natural rubber of Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai origin on the platform. This group includes seven of the top 15 tiremakers in the world and three of the top five Indonesian rubber exporters.

https://heveaconnect.com/sgx-to-develop-price-index-for-physical-natural-rubber-with-heveaconnect-platform/
WOKINGHAM, UK / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Ferguson plc will issue its second quarter and half year results for the three and six months to January 31, 2022 on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. The results will be available on the Company's website, www.fergusonplc.com , from 0700hrs GMT/0300hrs ET, following release to the London Stock Exchange.

A video webcast of the analyst and investor presentation will be broadcast from 1100hrs GMT/0700hrs ET on the day via the Company's website. You can register for the webcast at www.fergusonplc.com.

For further information please contact:

Ferguson plc

Brian Lantz, Vice President IR and Communications

Pete Kennedy, Director of Investor Relations

Mobile:

Mobile:

+1 224 285 2410

+1 757 603 0111 Media Enquiries

Mike Ward, Head of Corporate Communications

Nina Coad, David Litterick (Brunswick)

Jonathan Doorley (Brunswick)

Mobile:

Tel:

Tel:

+44 (0) 7894 417060

+44 (0) 20 7404 5959

+1 (917) 459 0419

Notes to editors

Ferguson is a $23B value-added distributor in North America providing expertise, solutions, and products from infrastructure, plumbing and appliances to HVAC, fire, fabrication and more. We make our customers' complex projects simple, successful and sustainable. Ferguson plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:FERG) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:FERG) and the company is in the FTSE 100 index of listed companies. For more information, please visit www.fergusonplc.com or follow us on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/ferguson-enterprises .

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: Ferguson PLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690811/Ferguson-PLC-Announces-Notice-of-Results
Largest ever I&T Career Expo and three-track skills training programmes set to meet surging demand for tech talent as opportunities multiply for local and global talent

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) presents T2 the city's first ever Innovation Tech x Talent month to showcase the fast-growing wealth of I&T opportunities emerging from the city's vibrant innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem. HKSTP is scaling up the mission for talent as demand reaches new levels with more startups than ever setting up in Hong Kong and continued funding into the I&T sector.

As a debut event, the T2 month-long talent drive features the city's largest ever I&T Career Expo with over 2,800 career opportunities from over 270 tech companies. Combined with an expanded programme across three key tracks, namely "Deep Tech Training", "Innovative Thinking Workshops and Idea Pitching" and "Upskilling Series (Fintech)", the talent drive promises new career paths for local and global talent at all stages of their careers, professionals from other sectors, as well young students from all backgrounds.

Albert Wong, CEO at HKSTP said: "HKSTP is committed to propelling Hong Kong I&T into a global force and is prioritising talent as the city's most critical innovation imperative. With our partners, we are creating a wealth of opportunities for local and global technology specialists to entrepreneurs, investors to seasoned industry experts, to cement the city's status as global magnet for diverse talent from all sectors and backgrounds. Over the past five years, we have witnessed a rapid growth in the total number and amount of fundings attracted by park companies, indicating a growing appetite to invest in local I&T startups. The surging interest and growth in I&T is proof of the sector's growing importance and its appeal as an in-demand career path for today and tomorrow."

In its 20th year of driving innovation for Hong Kong, HKSTP has helped forge a thriving fast-growing I&T ecosystem which has seen 68.5% growth in startups in the city between 2017 and 2021, according to government research. This dramatic growth has sparked an urgent demand for the required talent to realise the city's innovation vision.

The T2 series of activities enables promising talent to realise their full potential with an array of possible career paths and future skills training, capturing the unparalleled regional I&T opportunities ahead. The growing status of I&T has established the sector as a key pillar of the new economy and provides a platform for diverse talents from all backgrounds to bring together different minds to make the biggest differences in the future.

T2 Hong Kong's Innovation Tech x Talent Month Highlights:

Hong Kong I&T Career Expo 2022 (10 16 March 2022)

Register for the week-long T2 Hong Kong I&T Career Expo 2022 a highlight of the city's first-ever Innovation Tech x Talent Month (T2) and connect with fellow innovators, industry leaders, and career opportunities.

Deep Tech Training (12, 19 26 March 2022)

T2 Deep Tech Training (DTT) offers a series of industry-recognised training to equip you with hands-on Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning skills. Outstanding participants will be entitled internship and work opportunities at HKSTP's partner companies.

Innovative Thinking Workshops and Idea Pitching (11 18 March 2022)

Join our Innovative Thinking Workshops Idea Pitching to achieve the long-term goal of Carbon Net-Zero or promote SilverCare in the community using innovation and technology (I&T) to win up to HK$10,000 cash prizes.

Upskilling Series (Fintech)

18 March 2022: The Evolution of Credit Risk Management in HK the GBA

Learn how to use alternative data from experienced speaker to upskill FinTech knowledge.

14 April 2022: Demystifying NFT Metaverse The Business Opportunities and Challenges

Seasoned industry leader will give an introduction of NFT and Metaverse in business language with an elaboration on potential business application and challenges that draw everyone interest.

For registration and more information about T2, please visit: https://bit.ly/3JSN1uq

T2's event details are subject to change as indicated by updates on the HKSTP website.

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has for 20 continuous years committed to building up Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub to propel success for local and global pioneers today and tomorrow. HKSTP has established a thriving I&T ecosystem that is home to three unicorns and Hong Kong's leading R&D hub with over 11,000 research professionals and over 1,000 technology companies focused on healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech and smart city technologies.

Established in 2001, we attract and nurture talent, accelerate and commercialise innovation and technology for entrepreneurs on their journey of growth in Hong Kong, to the Greater Bay Area, Asia and beyond. Our growing innovation ecosystem is built around our key locations of the Hong Kong Science Park in Shatin, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong and three modern InnoParks in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. The three InnoParks are realizing a vision of re-industrialisation for Hong Kong. The goal is sectors like advanced manufacturing, electronics and biotechnology are being reimagined for a new generation of industry.

Through our infrastructure, services, expertise and network of partnerships, HKSTP will help establish innovation and technology as a pillar of growth for Hong Kong, while reinforcing Hong Kong's international I&T hub status as a launchpad for global growth at the heart of the GBA innovation powerhouse.

More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005598/en/

Contacts:

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Julia Cheung

Tel: +852 2629 6891

Email: julia.cheung@hkstp.org

Edelman Public Relations

Christina Sin

Tel: +852 3756 8626 6685 1075

Email: Christina.Sin@edelman.com Edelmanhkstppr@edelman.com
Premium online brokerage ThinkMarkets is officially entering the Japanese FX trading market with an innovative offering specifically tailored for the local market.

LONDON and TOKYO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After celebrating its ten-year anniversary as a multi asset online trading firm, ThinkMarkets continues to excite traders worldwide with yet another new milestone. The award-winning premium online brokerage is officially launching trading in Japan via its proprietary mobile app ThinkTrader.

With an existing user-base in Japan that has been using the ThinkTrader app for charting and analysis, the firm's foray into the world's largest FX market can play a transformative role for the local industry. Earlier this year, ThinkMarkets announced the acquisition of a Japanese financial services entity, awarding the firm with a license to operate in Japan by the Japanese Financial Services Agency (JFSA).

With over 500,000 downloads worldwide, the ThinkTrader app, enables ThinkMarkets' clients to use powerful analytics on mobile and tablet devices. The official launch in Japan marks yet another achievement for the rapidly growing globally regulated online brokerage firm. The milestone sets out ThinkMarkets as one of the very few international brokers to attempt penetrating the largest retail FX market in the world by volume.

"Our trading app ThinkTrader is a unique proposition for the Japanese market. With its streamlined user interface, sophisticated charting capabilities and ultrafast execution speeds, we are confident we will meet the high expectations of clients in Japan." Commented CEO and co-founder, Nauman Anees.

"Coupled with our exceptional customer support, our proprietary technology enables us to scale our offering into new markets quickly and efficiently. We couldn't be more excited to welcome new our new clients in Japan to the ThinkMarkets trading family" added Mr. Anees.

ThinkMarkets Japanese office CEO, Koike Kazuhiro, added: "We are very proud to start our business in the Japanese market, which has one of the most rigorous and well-regulated financial systems in the world. I hope that we can contribute to the revitalization of the Japanese capital market by leveraging the strengths of our group."

About ThinkMarkets

ThinkMarkets is a premium, multi-asset, online brokerage established in 2010 with offices in London, Melbourne, and Tokyo and hubs in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and South Africa. As a regulated company, ThinkMarkets operates with several financial licenses around the globe and delivers some of the industry's most recognized trading solutions, including its award-winning platform, ThinkTrader. ThinkMarkets provides quick and easy access to a wide range of markets including forex, equities, CFDs on equities, cryptocurrencies, commodities, indices, futures and more. For more information please visit: https://www.thinkmarkets.com/jp

Contact

Victor Golovtchenko

+44 20 3514 2374

pr@thinkmarkets.com
PRESS RELEASE

La Garde (France), March 1st 2022

CIOA announces a 165 million euro financing to accelerate its development

CIOA Group, an engineering and development company, announces a 165m financing from Landes Finance, a financing and investment company based in Montreal, Canada.

This is a partially convertible bond with a 10-year maturity, an early redemption clause, a 4.5% coupon and a 2-year grace period.

This funding will allow the CIOA Group to:

Expand and promote its sales and marketing efforts,

To develop housing programmes in France, French overseas departments and Africa (individual and collective houses with its off-site building process) and residential leisure parks (to accommodate its Tiny Houses),

To deploy a network of house-builders, to offer quality, low-carbon, affordable homes.

Develop innovative and scalable business applications to diversify its SaaS offerings,

Organize a network of licensees to distribute its business solutions on the domestic and international markets.

With these combined devices, CIOA Group is aiming for a turnover of 100 millions euros within 48 months.

 We are enthusiastic about the idea of strengthening the industrial tool and enabling CIOA to provide increased support to its new licensees, both in France and internationally. With its new production facilities, the BATIR subsidiary will be able to manufacture low-carbon buildings up to R+10 and serve the institutional markets .

 In addition to meeting the group's financial needs, this new tailor-made financing provided by Landes Finance will enable us to accelerate our growth and take a significant place in the field of collaborative development ;  Thank you to the LANDES FINANCE team for taking the time to understand the efficiency of CIOA's atypical model  declared Mr. Lionel LUCIDE, General Manager of the CIOA Group.







ABOUT US

About Landes Finance

Landes Finance (dba JD Euroway) is an international investment and finance company based in Canada, with assets under management in excess of USD 2 billion as at 30 March 2021. Founded in 2000, the company works closely with its clients to provide them with tailored, alternative and innovative financing to support their current and future capital needs.

Landes Finance focuses on an opportunistic, value-driven and risk-controlled approach to financing in the areas of credit, debt-equity, real assets, special situations and equity. The company is a source of private funds for public and private companies and focuses on long-term value creation through active and collaborative partnerships."

For more information on Landes Finance, visit: www.landesfinance.ca



About CIOA :

Founded in 1994, CIOA is a business engineering group listed on Euronext ACESS (MLCIO) that develops an original system for pooling professional resources to provide its members - public and private organisations of all sizes and sectors - with innovative solutions to adapt to disruptions, create value and carry out complex projects.

To recruit and support users for its platform, CIOA runs a network of co-developers - service providers and value-added resellers - who provide intellectual and non-intellectual services to members and assist them in their use of the open access resources, to :

Doing business internationally,

Integrate digital into their business strategies,

Industrialising production processes,

Carrying out unitary real estate projects or volume building programs.

The CIOA platform is unique in meeting the key needs of our changing society:

Increasing the resilience of economic operators

Create diverse work opportunities and a motivating environment for the self-employed,

Builds residential, recreational, professional, economical and low-carbon buildings everywhere

For more information on the CIOA Group, please visit: www.cioa.com

GROUPE CIOA

106, impasse Edouard Branly - 83130 LA GARDE - FRANCE

Tel: 33(0)4 94 14 12 40 - Email: presse@cioa.com

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Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
KYOTO, Japan, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art will offer visitors a unique museum experience in Kyoto by planning the following lineup for fiscal year 2022.

Held in the main building, Ornate Meiji Period Art: Shining Kyoto Artists of the Imperial Court (provisional title) introduces nineteen Imperial Court artists with ties to Kyoto with a focus on the Meiji Period.

The Imperial Court artist system was established in 1890 by the Ministry of the Imperial Household to honor and protect outstanding artists and craftsmen. In addition to encouraging art, the purpose behind the system's establishment was to help painters and craftspeople facing hardship after losing the protection of the shogunate and other fiefdoms following the Meiji Restoration, while also preserving their exceptional skills. The Imperial Court artists were bestowed the highest honor and authority in the art world of their time, and many artists with ties to Kyoto were selected to join the system throughout its duration until 1944. Visitors are invited to experience the skill and beauty of Meiji Period Kyoto through masterpieces that have been celebrated as the greatest of their kind.

Higashiyama Cube, a new building for contemporary art exhibitions, presents Visionaries (provisional title) under the supervision of Kawakami Noriko, who has been researching and speculating in the field of design. This exhibition will focus on the proposals and expressions of about twenty up-and-coming artists and designers who boldly transcend the status quo to present new perspectives.

The Museum Collection currently consists of approximately 3,800 works of Kyoto modern art which includes masterpieces representative of Japanese painting made by Kyoto artists between the Meiji and Showa periods, making it one of the leading collections of such works in Japan. Newly built at the time of the Museum's renewal, the Collection Room will introduce masterpieces by popular artists representative of Kyoto and feature exhibits on various themes to provide visitors with a full experience of the fascination of Kyoto art.

Since the first year of the Museum's renewal opening, The Triangle -- its newly created space -- has introduced new talents centered on artists associated with Kyoto, providing an opportunity for citizens and visitors to experience contemporary art. In 2022, three emerging artists Hikosaka Toshiaki, Fujita Sae, Yahata Aki will be introduced.

For events other than exhibitions organized by the Museum, please refer to the press release.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1755641/image.jpg
Research explores 21 cutting-edge concepts, such as conscious aircraft, trajectory based operations, artificial intelligence and digital trust technology, set to define future of aviation

LONDON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With a rebound in air travel now underway, a new report published today by Cranfield University and Inmarsat highlights the critical role that digital connectivity will play in accelerating aviation's long-term recovery. Titled 'Why the future of aviation starts with connectivity', the study offers insights and direction for key aviation stakeholders and governments as they reconsider their priorities for the industry's future. This will be fuelled largely by a monumental shift in passenger behaviour and expectations following the pandemic, as well as increased consumer awareness of their impact on the climate.

The report highlights a number of transformative changes ahead for the aviation industry and examines how airlines can take advantage of the enormous opportunities created as a result.

As part of their research, experts from Cranfield University have developed a Digital Connectivity Timeline, which outlines when 21 of the industry's most critical technological innovations can be expected to reach adoption. It focuses on three distinct timeframes: five years (technologies at advanced stages of development and in some cases are being piloted by organisations ahead of market adoption), between five to ten years (technologies under early development with potential to be trialled in some sectors), and beyond the next decade (concepts under consideration for product or service offering development).

These technologies will enable a range of innovative concepts to make their way onto aircraft and airspace, helping to define the future of aviation while leading to important step changes in passenger experience and sustainability efforts. Amongst the concepts explored are:

How the 'Conscious Aircraft' uses sensing and communication technologies to create an integrated aircraft health, maintenance, and performance management system that is capable of a fully aware state, with the ability to either take or suggest appropriate action. For example, it can accurately predict the health of aircraft components and automatically reconfigure them to optimise their lifecycle. In addition, it can sense changes in the external environment, like weather or a volcanic ash cloud. With the reduced need for planned maintenance, as well as anticipating the potential for component failures, maintenance costs would be cut by an estimated 30%.

How the 'Connected Journey' will enhance a passenger's experience with more efficient and personalised wayfinding through airports, more intelligent and response baggage tracking, real-time updates on flight disruptions, and seamless high-speed inflight connectivity.

How Trajectory Based Operations are a critical step towards the future management of air traffic, allowing more efficient traffic sequencing and routine deployment of so-called fuel efficient 'green descents' to airport terminal areas.

How Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital trust technologies have enormous potential to be applied across all aviation sectors. AI can provide intelligent advice on aircraft management issues and make informed decisions under pressure - when there is the need to make a diversion, for example - with camera-based traffic detection, or helping crew to anticipate and prevent critical situations. Machine Learning (ML) can improve accuracy of any application involving optimisation, from sensor calibration to fuel tank checks to icing detection.

The report also examines how the complexity and interoperability of future ecosystems are significant challenges for technology providers, regulators and airlines alike.

Philippe Carette, President of Inmarsat Aviation, said: "Our new report with Cranfield University has considered how the role of digital connectivity, in all its forms, can enable and accelerate meeting the rapidly changing needs of air travellers and of the aviation sector itself. It has identified specific challenges and opportunities that, if addressed, will have a direct beneficial effect on the sector's resilience, its contribution to reducing climate change, and to new customer service offerings that will enhance passengers' willingness to travel in the post-pandemic world.

"Harnessing the technological innovations explored in this report will be nothing short of revolutionary for our industry, and at Inmarsat, we can't wait to play our part in bringing them to life through our global connectivity and world-leading ORCHESTRA network of networks."

Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor, Cranfield University: "While this is a time of great challenge for the aviation industry, reports such as this one show the path that technology can put us on towards a brighter and more sustainable future. 'Digital aviation' and the foundation of connectivity needs to stop being just a concept of tomorrow, and become the reality of today. This report sets out the many technological possibilities and what can be achieved in the short to medium term. What is needed now is for us all to redouble our efforts to make them a reality."

The full report, executive summary and Digital Connectivity Timeline are available here.

Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, recently unveiled plans for ORCHESTRA, the communications network of the future, which will bring existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites together with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) and terrestrial 5G to form an integrated, high-performance solution, unmatched by any existing or planned competitor offering. ORCHESTRA allows capacity to be boosted in high-density areas such as at airports, eliminating congested network 'hot spots' and ensuring the connectivity needs of aviation customers continue to be met well into the future, with capacity scaled directly to match their requirements.

ABOUT INMARSAT

Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the world's most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsat's long-established global distribution network includes not only the world's leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.

The company has an unrivalled track record of operating the world's most reliable global mobile satellite telecommunications networks, sustaining business and mission critical safety & operational applications for more than 40 years. It is also a major driving force behind technological innovation in mobile satellite communications, sustaining its leadership through a substantial investment and a powerful network of technology and manufacturing partners.

Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government, Aviation and Enterprise satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high-quality partner to its customers across the globe.

For further information, follow us: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram.
"Amrop and JM Search can now say their coverage, scale and depth of expertise rivals the largest corporate executive search firms in the world." Annika Farin, Amrop Chairperson

HAMBURG, Germany and NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In February 2021, global search company Amrop and USA-based firm JM Search formed an exclusive strategic alliance allowing both companies to expand their offerings and respective global reach to their clients. A year into the partnership, this model has shown itself to be a great success and both organizations are committed to further strengthen their relationship.

Amrop, which was established in 1977, has grown into one of the largest leadership advisory consultancies in the world, with 65 offices in 53 countries. JM Search was the ideal partner, with its more than 40-year track record as a top-tier independent U.S. executive search firm, with clients spanning every major market in North America.

Since being formed in 1980 by John Marshall, JM Search has grown organically to include over 130 employees. The team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors. JM Search clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses, and publicly held companies across North America. Through the partnership with Amrop, JM Search is now also able to offer global search capabilities to its clients.

"A global partnership was overdue for us," says Marshall, who acts as CEO, "especially given the growing number of clients that operate businesses in multiple geographies."

For Amrop, the increased focus on the U.S. market offers its own opportunities, says the company's Chair Annika Farin. She highlights how both firms bring an entrepreneurial spirit to the market. "This makes the partnership a truly alternative choice for clients, with an offering that holds depth and is delivered with quality," Farin says.

"The ability to assess talent and make the right recommendations to our clients comes down to an in-depth knowledge of our markets and the context of each placement, and our teams being able to work together fluidly on the same assignment" says Farin. "We're able to help each other achieve more than what would have been possible alone."

Marshall agrees: "Through our partnership with Amrop, we have been able to solve client challenges in multiple regions, which is additional value that we can bring to our services. And we have been able to connect our regional networks between more than a dozen private-equity funds in a coordinated, global manner."

Together, the two organizations maintain the independent edge they have both forged in their markets, while expanding their reach and deepening their specialist expertise and skills. The result is a comprehensive suite of talent sourcing that prides itself on speed and agility, and the ability to view talent through both a hyper-local and visionary global lens. This affords the opportunity for more rigorous searches for highly attractive leaders.

Amrop GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS

The Amrop Partnership SCRL

Rue Abbe Cuypers 3

1040 Brussels, Belgium

T. +32 471 733 825

E. contact@amrop.com

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BARCELONA, Spain, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022, Huawei commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a study about the autonomous driving network thought leadership paper - "Building Leading Digital Business Competitiveness with A Highly Autonomous Driven Data Center Network (DCN)". The paper discusses how enterprise data centers are transforming to modern cloud data centers represented by "multi-cloud and hybrid deployment", while DCNs are shifting from Level 3 to Level 4. The paper urges automation growth, along with suggesting ways enterprise data center networks can evolve towards a higher level of autonomy.

Forrester surveyed IT leaders and technical decision-makers of 197 large and midsize enterprises/organizations worldwide on the current status, challenges, and transformation goals of their data center networks.

New Technologies and Business Models Drive Data Center Networks Towards High Autonomy

According to the paper, 61.9% of enterprises are building data centers using private and hybrid clouds. Data centers deployed on the cloud provide enterprises with on-demand self-service, ubiquitous access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measurable standard service capabilities. All this demands highly autonomous driving networks. At the same time, increasingly fierce market competition and fast business model innovation pose more stringent requirements on service continuity and real-time performance. These rising business demands also require more autonomy for fast network deployment and service provisioning, as well as to guarantee service continuity and prevent business interruptions.

Increasingly Complex Networks and Outdated Network Facilities and Technologies Are Key Challenges on the Way to Autonomous Driving Networks

After self-assessment, 64% of the surveyed enterprises believe that their data centers are in the L3 phase - conditional autonomous driving network. Technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and SDN help data center networks improve automation and intelligent O&M. However, enterprises still face many challenges in automatic deployment and implementation. Especially, the construction and O&M phases still heavily rely on experts' advice and employee skills, which is inefficient and error-prone.

In fact, most enterprises rely on vendors' solutions (covering automated implementation plans, processes, and related tools) to achieve a certain degree of automation for the single-cloud and single-DC network. As enterprise data centers develop rapidly, multi-DC, multi-cloud, and heterogeneous networks are becoming the new norm, exponentially increasing network complexity. As a result, the existing solutions, tools, and skills cannot meet the requirements.

Data centers are not built in one go. 50.8% of the surveyed enterprises said that they still utilize many old networks and devices while expanding and building their data center infrastructure. However, traditional network architecture is not flexible and evolves slowly. As such, it's hard to automate older networks. This signals another key issue - finding ways to rebuild outdated infrastructure and technologies to protect past investments.

Best Practices and Partnerships Can Accelerate Evolution

Forrester suggests that enterprises formulate clear data center network automation goals and evolution paths based on their current status and strategies. They can also learn from industry best practices. Network automation involves all aspects of technology - including network devices, hybrid cloud architecture, and automation - so it is difficult for enterprises to accomplish by themselves. The solution is to draw on the strengths of partners to accelerate automation, staying ahead of the competition.

Huawei CloudFabric 3.0 Comes Top in L3.5 Autonomous Driving Data Center Networks

Recently, Tolly Group - a global provider of testing and third-party validation and certification services - compared Huawei CloudFabric 3.0 Hyper-Converged Data Center Network Solution and a mainstream data center SDN solution. The report rated Huawei's solution with 3.51 points - far higher than the 2.8 points received by the mainstream solution. It is also the only L3.5 data center autonomous driving network solution that has been verified by Tolly.

Huawei CloudFabric 3.0 Hyper-Converged Data Center Network Solution provides full-lifecycle automation and intelligent O&M capabilities for data center networks. It draws on several innovative technologies, such as the open programmability framework, service orchestration platform, digital twin, and knowledge graph. These allow Huawei CloudFabric 3.0 to centrally manage multi-DC, multi-cloud, heterogeneous networks, provision services in seconds, perform simulation and verification, as well as locate faults between applications and networks. The solution facilitates agile service innovation and enables real-time service provisioning. Huawei CloudFabric 3.0 has been widely used across industries such as finance, government, large enterprises, and carriers, accelerating enterprises' digital transformation and helping customers achieve business success.

MWC Barcelona 2022 runs from February 28 to March 3 in Barcelona, Spain. Huawei showcases its products and solutions at stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1. Together with global operators, industry professionals, and opinion leaders, we dive into topics such as industry trends, GUIDE for the future, and green development to envision the future of digital networks. For more information, please visit: https://e.huawei.com/en/events/huawei-enterprise-mwc-2022

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Yieldstreet Joins Spotify, VICE, and Phillips as Participating Sponsors Opens April 9, 2022 at RXR's Starrett-Lehigh Building, the NYC Landmark in West Chelsea

NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The family of Jean-Michel Basquiat has announced that tickets for Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure are on sale beginning today, February 28th. Tickets can be purchased at the exhibition website, https://kingpleasure.basquiat.com/ .The highly anticipated exhibition will feature over 200 never before and rarely seen paintings, drawings, ephemera and artifacts to give an intimate and multidimensional portrait of Jean-Michel that can only be told by his family. All of the work comes from the family's collection with the vast majority never having been exhibited previously. Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure also features recreations of his NYC artist studio on Great Jones St. and the Michael Todd VIP Room of NYC's iconic Palladium nightclub for which Jean-Michel created two paintings. Opening April 9th, the exhibition will span over 15,000-square-feet at RXR's Starrett-Lehigh Building .

Leading New York-based alternative investment platform Yieldstreet has joined as a participating sponsor for the exhibition. Yieldstreet is committed to democratizing access to investing in art and provides investors with exclusive private market opportunities including their recently launched "The Artists of Harlem" fund. Yieldstreet joins Spotify , VICE , and Phillips as a participating sponsor of Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure.

Renowned design brand Arper will outfit the exhibition space to recreate the original feeling of the Michael Todd VIP Room at the Palladium.

The family commissioned internationally acclaimed architect David Adjayeto be the exhibition's designer. The exhibition's identity has been created by Abbott Miller of visionary design firm Pentagram . Rizzoli Electa will release the accompanying book, also titled Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure, to coincide with the exhibition. The book was authored by Jean-Michel's sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux and his stepmother Nora Fitzpatrick.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure is divided into the following themes:

1960 - INTRODUCTION- This section of the exhibition introduces audiences to Jean-Michel, his family and his heritage with several self-portraits on display.

KINGS COUNTY- This section provides an overview of Jean-Michel's childhood in Brooklyn and Puerto Rico. It will include an environmental evocation of Jean-Michel's childhood home, ephemera and works by Jean-Michel including newsletters from City-as-School, sketchbooks, personal notes and effects, home movies, interviews with family members, early drawings and sculptures.

WORLD FAMOUS- This section details Jean-Michel's meteoric early success and includes paintings and other ephemera.

IDEAL- 57 Great Jones Street Studio (August 1983)Studio Recreation- Jean-Michel's Great Jones Street studio will be recreated and include paintings, drawings, sketches, personal effects, his furniture, bicycle (his main method of transportation since he had trouble catching a cab), and his videotape and book collections.

ART GALLERY- This section will consist of several thematically arranged galleries with approximately 100 paintings and drawings. All works are owned by the Estate and most of them have never been seen before.

PALLADIUM- In 1985, Jean-Michel created two paintings, Nu-Nile and Untitled, for iconic NYC nightclub Palladium's VIP area, the Michael Todd Room. The exhibition will recreate this space including video and soundtrack.

PLACE JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT- This gallery will contain oral histories from members of Jean-Michel's family and a close circle of friends as well as posthumous awards and exhibitions.

Tickets for Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure are on sale now

Purchase tickets here .

Media Contact for Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure:

Felice Ecker: felice@girlieaction.com

Aleix Martinez: aleix@girlieaction.com

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Company to Refocus Sales Efforts from National Roofing Segments to Address Significant Near-Term EV Charging Opportunity; Sales Run Rate Expected to Exceed $400 Million Annually After Closing Announced Acquisitions

LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Solar Integrated Roofing Corp. (OTC PINK:SIRC), an integrated, single-source solar power, roofing systems installation and EV charging company, today announced a strategic shift towards prioritizing its over $30 million electric vehicle (EV) charging project pipeline and $20.2 million EV charging project backlog given the immense near-term revenue opportunity, better aligning with the Company's planned corporate name change to 'SolarEV'.

In conjunction with the strategy shift and to bolster its national EV charging business line, Solar Integrated Roofing has signed an LOI for an acquisition of three complementary Los Angeles-based EV charging installers with over $100 million of contracts in their sales pipeline.

"Electric vehicle charging is the next massive opportunity in our market, and this calculated alignment of our near-term focus will help to position SIRC as a clear national player in the space," said David Massey, Chief Executive Officer of Solar Integrated Roofing. "The expanding EV charging market is being driven by the rapid the adoption of electric vehicles nationwide - for example, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts there will be 7.5 million EVs on American roads by 2025.

"To meet this expected surge in demand, just last week the Biden administration announced a plan to allocate $5.0 billion to states to fund electric vehicle chargers over five years as part of the bipartisan infrastructure package. This creates an absolutely immense opportunity for our family of companies nationwide. Grand View Research reports that the U.S electric vehicle charging infrastructure market size will increase from $2.1 billion in 2020 to $28.4 billion in 2028, a compound annual growth rate of 38.9%. With our proven success in solar, the EV charging market is opening the door for our company to capture dual-industry, synergistic avenues of growth.

"We are currently leveraging our vast network of nationwide installers to ramp sales efforts and capitalize on the exponential increase in demand. As of today, we have over $20.2 million in EV charging projects in our backlog with a further $30 million in the pipeline. I expect to further grow this through a recent LOI to acquire three complementary Los Angeles-based EV charging installers with over $100 million of contracts in their sales pipeline and the potential for significant additional growth in the quarters to come. After we close our announced acquisitions, I believe our sales run rate is likely to exceed $400 million annually.

"These strategic shifts, paired with our planned rebranding to 'SolarEV', better reflects our increased emphasis on solar and EV charging, with a tempered focus on roofing. We expect this corporate name change to take effect upon FINRA approval, for which we have already applied. I look forward to sharing our accomplishments in these exciting new markets in the months to come, as we continue to strive to create sustainable value for our shareholders and their communities," concluded Massey.

Closing of any potential acquisition is subject to final due diligence, negotiation and execution of a definitive purchase agreement and all necessary approvals.

About Solar Integrated Roofing Corp.

Solar Integrated Roofing Corp. (OTC:SIRC), is an integrated, single-source solar power, roofing systems installation and EV charging company specializing in commercial and residential properties throughout the United States. The Company serves communities by delivering the best experience through constant innovation & legacy-focused leadership. The Company's broad array of solutions include sales and installation of solar energy systems, battery backup and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to roofing, HVAC and related electrical contracting work. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.solarintegratedroofing.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements made in this press release which are not historical facts contain certain forward-looking statements; as such term is defined in the Private Security Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning potential developments affecting the business, prospects, financial condition and other aspects of the company to which this release pertains. The actual results of the specific items described in this release, and the company's operations generally, may differ materially from what is projected in such forward-looking statements. Although such statements are based upon the best judgments of management of the company as of the date of this release, significant deviations in magnitude, timing and other factors may result from business risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the company's dependence on third parties, general market and economic conditions, technical factors, the availability of outside capital, receipt of revenues and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the company. The company disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in any forward-looking statement. This press release shall not be deemed a general solicitation.

Investor Relations Contact:

Lucas A. Zimmerman

Director

MZ North America

Main: 949-259-4987

SIRC@mzgroup.us

www.mzgroup.us

SOURCE: Solar Integrated Roof Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690595/Solar-Integrated-Roofing-Corp-to-Form-Dominant-Player-in-EV-Charging-Market-with-Planned-Acquisition-of-Charging-Installer-with-100-Million-Order-Pipeline-Buoyed-by-5-Billion-in-Federal-Stimulus
The strategic cooperation will help support sustainable cryptocurrency growth in South-East Asia, and create opportunities for future partnerships in the region

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MX Global Sdn. Bhd. (MX Global) today announced an equity investment into the company from Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem. In addition, MX Global also landed another investment for Redeemable Convertible Preference Shares (RCPS) into the company by Cuscapi Berhad, a pioneer digital business solutions provider in Malaysia.

These new capital injections will allow MX Global, a licensed fintech company, to build brand awareness, hire more high-quality talent and develop new features within Malaysia's regulatory framework.

MX Global is one of the four Recognized Market Operator-Digital Asset Exchange (RMO-DAX) that has been granted full approval by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) in July 2021 and complies with the standards and practices to uphold investor protection in conducting safe and secure trading of cryptocurrencies in the country. MX Global offers solutions for users to store and trade cryptocurrencies under compliant and safe cyber-security environments including a regulated local cryptocurrency exchange at www.mxglobal.com.my.

CEO of MX Global, Dato' Fadzli Shah said, "MX Global aspires to be the preferred liquidity platform for digital asset or cryptocurrency investors and token issuers locally and internationally. The cooperation of Binance will not only support us in achieving this goal but should also provide the most capital-efficient opportunity for us to align and compete with other global players in the industry. We will continue building a safe, easy and real digital asset ecosystem for our customers."

With this initial effort to support sustainable growth in the cryptocurrency market in Southeast Asia, Binance hopes to work with regional and local partners to drive further collaborations.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Founder and CEO of Binance, said, "We see potential in Malaysia given its respected and innovative crypto and blockchain community. We believe that partnering with MX Global will be a springboard to new opportunities, both in Malaysia and the region as a whole as well as across the entire crypto and blockchain ecosystem."

Speaking on the investment from Cuscapi Berhad, Dato' Fadzli Shah expressed his excitement in working together with the major digital business solutions provider that holds an extensive list of well-known clients.

"I believe that this cooperation will not only expand the potential services that MX Global can offer in the future, but it will also allow the company to innovate and revolutionize the payment system in Malaysia," commented Dato' Fadzli Shah.

Cuscapi Berhad Executive Chairman, Datuk Jayakumar Panneer Selvam stated, "this historic collaboration between digital assets and payment systems will create integration and synergy that will bring together the high potential of the use of cryptocurrency to conduct commerce. With blockchain and smart contracts being increasingly incorporated into our lives, the potential for this will be massive."

The strategic cooperation further demonstrates the continuous growth and development of the digital assets industry, which will bolster the cryptocurrency market in Malaysia and South-East Asia. The investments from two major players, Binance and Cuscapi Berhad, will allow MX Global to venture into a much bigger clientele pool. This will also no doubt propel MX Global to become the major player in the industry.

ABOUT MX GLOBAL

MX Global is a Kuala Lumpur-based fintech company with a mission to create a highly accessible and secure cryptocurrency trading platform that allows merchants, consumers, and traders to transact cryptocurrencies. MX Global envisions the MX Global trading platform to be the preferred liquidity platform for cryptocurrency investors and token issuers in Malaysia.

In light of the demand for cryptocurrencies, MX Global has created a user-friendly platform for users to begin trading in Bitcoin and Ethereum. MX Global offers end-to-end solutions in storing, buying and selling cryptocurrencies within its exchange and MX Global's compliance management system reflects strong integration of cyber-security controls, giving you peace of mind.

Aside from that, MX Global has also appointed leading professional advisory and legal firms to provide support in the areas of advisory, legal, compliance, business operations and risk management design to continuously strive to be the leading example of best practices in the industry.

ABOUT BINANCE

Binance is the world's leading blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider with a financial product suite that includes the largest digital asset exchange by volume. Trusted by millions worldwide, the Binance platform is dedicated to increasing the freedom of money for users and features an unmatched portfolio of crypto products and offerings, including trading and finance, education, data and research, social good, investment and incubation, decentralisation and infrastructure solutions, and more. For more information, visit: https://www.binance.com

ABOUT CUSCAPI BERHAD

Cuscapi Berhad is a public listed company on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange.

Established in 1978 as DTS (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Cuscapi is recognized as a pioneer supplier in digital business solutions in Malaysia. It was listed on the ACE Market in 2004 and changed its name to Datascan Berhad and subsequently in 2007 to Cuscapi Berhad, as a public company.

Cuscapi offers business management solutions, information technology security solutions, consulting services and contact center outsourcing services for businesses across a variety of industries, including retail, hospitality, automotive, telecommunications, finance and public services.

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HONG KONG, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd. ("CPIC" or the "Company"; Stock Code: 2601.HK, 601601.SH, CPIC.LSE) recently informed that China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission officially approved the application of China Pacific Insurance to establish CPIC Technology Co., Ltd. ("CPIC Technology") on 21 January, 2022, marking that CPIC Technology became one of the first approved technology subsidiaries focusing on rendering information technology services to insurance groups after the promulgation of the Administrative Measures for the Supervision of Insurance Group Companies.

In the context of insurance industry digitalisation, technology has become a new battlefield of changes and competitions for insurance industry as technology is gradually interacting with the industry in all aspects. As a top insurance company, CPIC always regards technology as the core element to drive business development, and regards shaping the future-oriented technology advantage as the inevitable requirement to achieve high-quality development. In July 2020, the board of directors of CPIC resolved to push forward the establishment of CPIC Technology as a significant strategic decision on "Strengthen Technology", a component of CPIC Transformation 2.0. During its subsequent trial running for more than one year, CPIC Technology developed a data lake for universal business-related data across CPIC for the first time as a part of its efforts to create data governance system, and it extended its presence to several regions by relocating Luojing Data Centre for "second-level response time for 100 million-level user base, and real-time computing for full data", putting Greater Bay Area Science and Technology Innovation Centre into operation, and advancing the progress of Wuhan R&D Centre. It has successively entered into market-oriented technological cooperation projects with the Group and its subsidiaries, further improving the technology governance system of CPIC. The company has received aggregate 15 copyright patents from National Copyright Administration of China, and more than 20 domestic and foreign industry awards for its digital product matrix represented by Intelligent Platform for Compliance, Intelligent Contract Review, Family, and AI Open Platform, and for its self-developed "Cat" series automatic test platform, which has been selected as the top ten technological achievements in digital transformation of state-owned enterprises.

CPIC establishes CPIC Technology to respond to the new requirements of industry development, and open up a new track for the insurance industry. CPIC Technology will provide new momentum for high-quality development of CPIC, bringing about new advantages for CPIC.

Responding to the New Requirements of Industry Development. China's insurance market is in a critical stage of development with shifting cycles and reshaping of growth engines. CPIC Technology will actively respond to the developing requirements set out in Guiding Opinions on the Digital Transformation of the Banking and Insurance Industry and China'sInsurance Technology 14th Five-Year Development Plan. It will focus on top-level design, strengthen overall planning, give full play to the role of new strategic entity, so as to help CPIC maintain its strategic focus on protection-oriented products, support the construction of the financial technology industry, improve the quality and efficiency in serving the real economy, and strengthen the ability to serve the society and people's wellbeing.

Opening New Development Paths in Insurance Technology. Nowadays, with the accelerated evolution of a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation, CPIC Technology will implement cutting-edge technology research and technological engineering projects, overcome the challenges and grasp the opportunities in the new era of technological development, and focus on independent research and development, data services, platform collaboration, innovation transformation, and other long-term develop of technology capability. Also, it will promote innovative breakthroughs in key technology fields such as blockchain platforms, trusted computing platforms, big data risk control platforms, AI service capabilities, and IoT solutions, and continue to put efforts into "big health", "big data", "big regions" and "metaverse" and other key areas, to promote the core transformation from "digital" to "digital intelligence", and boost the business transformation and upgrading and conversion.

Becoming a New Driver for High-quality Development. In the critical year of further promoting the "14th Five-Year Plan" and CPIC's new 30-year development, as the main force of CPIC's technology empowerment, CPIC Technology will promote CPIC to establish technology capabilities that match CPIC's industry status, and enhance the display of technological empowerment, to empower the management and CPIC to give full play to the advantages of the system and mechanism and the role of the platform window, in order to promote the deep integration of business and technology, cultivate new momentum for high-quality business development with technology, and make insurance technology a powerful driver of high-quality development of our group on its new journey.

In the future, CPIC Technology's mission will be "achieving growth in insurance business using technology and creating value with expertise", with the vision of "becoming a leader of the new era of insurance technology", and adhere to "be open-minded to innovation, be customer-oriented, efficiently promoting new strategies, creating synergy and symbiosis, and emphasis on steady growth and systematisation", it will serve the main business, empower the main business, and play a greater role in promoting the development of China's insurance industry.

About China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co., Ltd

China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co. Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "CPIC", or the "Company"; Stock Code: 2601.HK, 601601.SH, CPIC.LSE) is an insurance holding company incorporated on the basis of China Pacific Insurance Company, which was established on May 13, 1991. It is a leading insurance group headquartered in Shanghai, which is the first insurance group simultaneously listed on Shanghai, Hong Kong and London Stock Exchanges. CPIC is a leading comprehensive insurance group; the Company provides a broad range of risk solutions, financial planning and asset management services to over 100 million customers via its nationwide network of distribution and diversified services platforms.

This press release is distributed by Wonderful Sky Financial Group for China Pacific Insurance (Group) Co. Ltd.

For further information, please contact:

Wonderful Sky Financial Group Holdings Limited

Ms. Skye Shum / Cecilia Xiong

Tel: (852) 3970 2199 / (852) 3641 1300

Fax: (852) 3102 0210

Email: CPIC@wsfg.hk
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Pancontinental Resources Corporation (TSXV: PUC) (OTCQB: PUCCF) ("Pancon" or the "Company") will be presenting at the Red Cloud's Very Pre-PDAC Mining Showcase that will be held virtually from March 2 - 4, 2022.

Layton Croft, President and CEO, will be presenting live on Thursday, March 3rd at 11:20 am ET. Layton will discuss the recently refreshed data-driven Discovery Model for Pancon's flagship Brewer Gold and Copper project.

For more information and/or to register for the conference, please visit: https://redcloudfs.com/prepdac2022/.

About Pancon

Pancontinental Resources Corp. (TSXV: PUC) (OTCQB: PUCCF), or Pancon, is a Canadian junior mining company exploring the rich, underexplored Carolina Slate Belt in the southeastern USA. In January 2020, Pancon won the exclusive right to explore and purchase the former Brewer Gold Mine property, with an option period through October 2023. Between 1987-1995, Brewer produced 178,000 ounces of oxide gold from open pits that extended to 65-meter depths, where gold (Au) and copper (Cu) sulphides were exposed but could not be processed by the oxide heap leach operation. Pancon's 100%-owned, 1,960-acre Jefferson Gold Project nearly completely surrounds the 1,000-acre Brewer property. The Brewer-Jefferson area of interest, in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, is 12 kilometers along trend from the producing Haile Gold Mine, which produced 190,000 ounces of gold in 2021 (www.oceanagold.com). Brewer is a large, epithermal, high sulphidation gold-copper system driven by a sub-volcanic intrusive, possibly connected to a large copper-gold porphyry system at depth.

For further information, please contact:

Jeanny So, External Relations Manager

E: info@panconresources.com

T: +1.647.202.0994

For additional information please visit our new website at http://www.panconresources.com/ and our Twitter feed: @PanconResources.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/114868
OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Molson Coors Beverage Co. (TAP) announced Tuesday it is set to invest $85 million to enable Coors Light to begin the transition to fully recyclable and sustainably sourced cardboard-wrap carriers later this year. Coors Light will eliminate plastic rings from packaging globally, where Molson Coors owns brewing operations, and is set to become the largest beer brand in North America to move away from plastic rings. The Molson Coors investment will upgrade packaging machinery, which will also allow the company's entire North American portfolio of brands to advance to cardboard wrap carriers by the end of 2025. In total, the move by Molson Coors will save 1.7 million pounds of plastic waste annually. In 2021, Molson Coors removed plastic rings across all major brands sold in the U.K., including Coors and Carling. It now commits to eliminate plastic rings entirely. Coors Light will debut the new packaging at the 'Plastic-Free Future Mart by Coors Light,' a super sustainable pop-up concept store in NYC. The Plastic-Free Future Mart will be open* March 2 to 6 and is located at 603 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY to adults 21+. The 'Plastic Free Future Mart by Coors Light' will model as inspiration and a vision for a world with no single-use plastics. The Coors Light announcement today pushes Molson Coors closer to its goal of ensuring packaging is 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable, and consumer-facing plastic packaging is made from at least 30% recycled content by the end of 2025. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
GOTO GLOBAL SIGNS STRATEGIC INVESTMENT AGREEMENT WITH AUTOMOTIVE MOBILITY GROUP ASTARA

GoTo Global, an international multimodal shared mobility company, today announced that it has signed a strategic investment agreement with the global mobility group, ASTARA. This investment comes as part of a pre-IPO Round and will see ASTARA invest $5 million in the company. This follows an investment of $6M that could raised from its existing investors.

GoTo, which currently operates in Israel, Germany, Spain and Malta, offers users an array of vehicles including cars, bikes, electric scooters and mopeds via a single app. To date, GoTo's 5,800 vehicles have been accessed by over 450,000 users, with nearly 3 million rides and $22 million in revenues reported in 2021.

ASTARA is one of the largest automotive mobility groups in the world, present in three continents, 16 countries, with over 200,000 vehicle sales per year and hitting an annual turnover in 2021 of 4 billion. Having international expertise and a broad understanding of the mobility sector, ASTARA delivers innovative tailor-made solutions for every brand and market by addressing major technology shifts and the changing mobility needs, where customers can access any kind of affordable and sustainable transport solutions. It offers a diversified portfolio of mobility products and services as ownership, subscription, B2B/B2C, and new digital channels.

This investment is part of the Pre-IPO round which GoTo Global is raising following its announcement of a planned merger with NeraTech Media, a company traded at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

ASTARA will join an international group of existing shareholders: DBSI Group, led by Yossi Ben Shalom via Shagrir (Israel); Adam Neumann's family office Nazare Capital Management (US); the Ungar Family, one of Israel's leading automotive importers; DQuadrat Equity Partner (Germany); IBB Ventures (Germany); and Bonventure (Germany).

"Today is big step on our journey to making shared multimodal mobility accessible to all," comments Gil Laser, CEO of GoTo Global. "The arrival of a group with the scale, experience, and track record of ASTARA as an investor in GoTo really demonstrates that we are on the right road. Automotive players are acknowledging the changing needs and wants of users and are looking to be part of this change. At GoTo we continue to evolve our offering, allowing more and more users to access the right vehicle at the right time be it a car, a moped or a bike or kickscooter. This investment brings us closer to completing our planned merger and to converting GoTo into a public company."

"It is with great satisfaction that ASTARA signs a strategic investment agreement with a leading company like GoTo," comments Jorge Navea, CEO of ASTARA. "It will undoubtedly increase the scope of our business in today's highly competitive market. With the contribution of our extensive experience in digital transformation and the new mobility ecosystem, we are attached to drive long-term growth."

Last October, GoTo Global acquired Emmy, the leading German moped sharing company, present in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, with over 300,000 users and 3,000 mopeds. Following the completion of the merger with Neratech, GoTo Global plans to bring its multimodal offering to these German cities adding cars and micromobility vehicles to the mix and increasing its B2B activity alongside other innovative product solutions.

About GoTo Global:

Founded in 2008 in Israel, GoTo Global is the world's leading provider of multimodal mobility services. The company offers users access to shared mobility solutions through its proprietary technology-driven application that enables them to reserve cars, mopeds, scooters, and bikes. The company currently operates in Israel, Germany, Malta and Spain, powering millions of trips via a fleet of thousands of diverse assets.

About ASTARA:

ASTARA is one of the largest automotive and mobility services groups in the world, with presence in three continents, 16 countries, with a turnover of 4 billion in 2021 and over 200,000 vehicle sales last year. Astara is present in Spain, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Philippines, representing 30 car brands. Astara provides a distribution and mobility ecosystem, encompassing all markets in which the group operates, including all options of ownership, subscription, use, and connectivity that bring along the latest technology.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005640/en/

Contacts:

GoTo Global:

Liliya Miringof, CMO

liliyami@gotoglobal.com



Astara:

Belen Valero, Brand and Communications Manager

belen.valero.a@astara.com
LITTLETON, CO / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Ur-Energy Inc. (NYSE American:URG)(TSX:URE) (the "Company" or "Ur-Energy") announces that Jeffrey T. Klenda, the Company's Chairman, CEO and President is resigning as chief executive officer, effective on March 1, 2022. John W. Cash, the Company's current Vice President Regulatory Affairs, has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer and has been appointed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors effective on the same date. Mr. Klenda will remain as Chairman and President at this time.

Mr. Klenda is a co-founder of Ur-Energy and has led the Company since its inception, to public listings in Canada (TSX, 2005) and the United States (NYSE American, 2008), the acquisition of the Company's flagship Lost Creek Project through to its first eight years of production operations and bringing the Shirley Basin project back onto the ISR map where it premiered in situ uranium recovery nearly 60 years ago. After nearly two decades at the helm of Ur-Energy, Mr. Klenda has decided for personal reasons to step back from the day-to-day chief executive role, while continuing to serve as the Company's Chairman and President. The Company anticipates that Mr. Klenda's continuing role as Chairman and President will provide a valuable transition period and will conclude with his retirement following the Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held in June 2022. At that time, Mr. Cash will also assume the role of President of the Company.

Thomas Parker, the Lead Independent Director of the Company, said, "Our Board, and I personally, would like to express our sincere gratitude to Jeff for his leadership in building and sustaining our Company. His tireless efforts have placed Ur-Energy in its leadership role in the uranium recovery industry. Jeff has built and led a management team, including his successor John Cash, which guided us to production operations at Lost Creek and the full permitting of our Shirley Basin Project, which stands construction ready."

Mr. Cash joined Ur-Energy in 2007 and has led the permitting and licensure of both the Lost Creek and Shirley Basin uranium mines, while managing the environmental, health and safety ("EHS") and geology departments and contributing to the development and growth of the Company. Mr. Cash was appointed as Vice President Regulatory Affairs in 2011. During his tenure with Ur-Energy, Mr. Cash has gained a well-deserved reputation for developing impactful solutions for industry related to water management, EPA aquifer exemptions, technical design, and environmental matters. He is a respected industry leader and has served as a past president of the Uranium Producers of America.

Mr. Cash said, "I wish to thank Mr. Klenda and the Board of Directors for the confidence they have placed in me, and I commit to continue working for every success of the Company and to ensure their confidence is well placed. Over the past 14 years I have consistently found that Ur-Energy's management and staff are exceptional, and I am excited to continue working with them to advance the Company in my new role. Our operating Lost Creek mine, licensed at 2.2 million pounds per year, has proven to be a prolific producer and we are actively installing wells and the next header house to facilitate a quick ramp up as market conditions continue to improve and for when our go-decision is made. Ur-Energy is staffed with miners, from top to bottom, and we are excited about the future of our Company and our industry."

Mr. Cash has nearly 30 years of diverse experience in the uranium industry, from which he has acquired broad-reaching expertise in exploration, EHS including radiation safety, regulatory and legislative affairs, and uranium recovery operations, as well as extensive management experience. Prior to joining Ur-Energy, Mr. Cash worked for established uranium mining companies, including BHP, Rio Algom Mining, and Crow Butte Resources, a subsidiary of Cameco, in various roles in mineral exploration, as Operations Superintendent and EHS Manager. As Operations Superintendent, Mr. Cash managed all aspects of wellfield production and plant processing at the 800,000 lbs. U3O8 per year Crow Butte ISR facility. Mr. Cash is a Fellow of the inaugural World Nuclear Summer Institute. Mr. Cash received B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Mr. Klenda said of Mr. Cash, "We believe that John is the leadership of the future: for our industry, our Company and our shareholders. He is widely known and well respected for his industry knowledge and integrity. John brings vision, ingenuity and pragmatism to our challenging yet exciting industry which is critical to our nation's security and economic and climate future. I couldn't be more pleased and confident to be passing the reigns of our Company to his capable guiding hand."

"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Board, my executive management team and our long-serving staff, all of whom are so dedicated to Ur-Energy. I am confident that the commitment they have demonstrated to produce the many achievements of our Company to date will continue and, with John in his new roles, Ur-Energy will continue to grow and be successful. I thank each of you for your dedication and service to Ur-Energy."

About Ur-Energy

Ur-Energy is a uranium mining company operating the Lost Creek in-situ recovery uranium facility in south-central Wyoming. We have produced, packaged, and shipped approximately 2.6 million pounds U3O8 from Lost Creek since the commencement of operations. Ur-Energy now has all major permits and authorizations to begin construction at Shirley Basin, the Company's second in situ recovery uranium facility in Wyoming and is in the process of obtaining remaining amendments to Lost Creek authorizations for expansion of Lost Creek. Ur-Energy is engaged in uranium mining, recovery and processing activities, including the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties in the United States. The primary trading market for Ur-Energy's common shares is on the NYSE American under the symbol "URG." Ur-Energy's common shares also trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "URE." Ur-Energy's corporate office is located in Littleton, Colorado and its registered office is located in Ottawa, Ontario.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

John W. Cash, Chief Executive Officer

866-981-4588 (ext. 303)

John.Cash@Ur-Energy.com

SOURCE: Ur-Energy Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690837/Ur-Energy-Announces-Senior-Leadership-Changes
VANCOUVER, BC / A CCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Graphite One Inc. (TSXV:GPH)(OTCQX:GPHOF) ("Graphite One" or the "Company") announces that W. Alan Ahlgren, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, is retiring after 7 years with the Company. Gordon Jang has been appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer by the Board of Directors while the Company seeks a permanent replacement. Mr. Ahlgren will continue on with the Company in a consulting role to assist with the transition.

"Alan has made an immense contribution to the Company. We thank him for his years of dedication, guidance and friendship and wish him well in his retirement. The Company is fortunate to retain Gordon Jang to step in on an interim basis. He brings significant experience and expertise. We also appreciate that Alan has agreed to assist with the transition for an extended period."

Gordon Jang, CPA, CMA has over 25 years of experience in senior management roles with mid-to-large mining companies. He brings a wealth of expertise in capital markets, M&A, SOX compliance, external financial reporting, corporate restructuring, cost analysis and process improvements. Mr. Jang was previously the Vice-President of Finance and Accounting at Fortuna Silver Mines, and prior to that, has held senior positions at Augusta Resources, Lundin Mining and Pan American Silver.

About Graphite One Inc.

GRAPHITE ONE INC. (GPH:TSX-V; GPHOF:OTCQB) continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the "Project"), whereby the Company could potentially become an American producer of high grade anode materials that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and manufacture high grade anode materials primarily for the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery market. As set forth in the Company's Preliminary Economic Assessment, potential graphite mineralization mined from the Company's Graphite Creek Property, is expected to be processed into concentrate at a graphite processing plant. The proposed processing plant would be located on the Graphite Creek Property situated on the Seward Peninsula about 60 kilometers north of Nome, Alaska. Graphite anodes and other value-added graphite products would be manufactured from the concentrate and other materials at the Company's proposed advanced graphite materials manufacturing facility, the location of which is the subject of further study and analysis. The Company intends to make a production decision on the Project once a feasibility study is completed.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Anthony Huston" (signed)

For more information on Graphite One Inc., please visit the Company's website, www.GraphiteOneInc.com or contact:

Anthony Huston

CEO, President & Director

Tel: (604) 889-4251

Email: AHuston@GraphiteOneInc.com

Investor Relations Contact

Tel: (604) 684-6730

GPH@kincommunications.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including those related to the timing and completion of the anticipated Pre-Feasibility Study, future production, establishment of a processing plant and a graphite manufacturing plant, and events or developments that the Company intends, expects, plans, or proposes are forward-looking statements Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "proposes", "expects", or "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "intends", "assumes", "believes", "indicates" or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The Company cautions that there is no certainty that tests of the Company's material will be successful or that such tests will result in the development of successful products. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: Graphite One Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690786/Graphite-One-CFO-Retires-Interim-CFO-Appointed
Highlands Ranch, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Foremost Lithium Resource & Technology Ltd. (CSE: FAT) (OTCQB: FRRSF) (FSE: F0R0) (WKN: A3DCC8) ("Foremost" or the "Company") (www.foremostlithium.com), is pleased to report initial data from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, ("UAV") magnetic survey over the Jean Lake property first announced on December 9th, 2021. Jean Lake is the 100% owned 1,002-hectare (2,476-acre) property which connects with Snow Lake Lithium's Thompson Brothers lithium project within the Snow Lake pegmatite field (Snow Lake, Manitoba, Canada). Images from EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc. ("EarthEx") magnetic data identified several highly prospective targets which correlate with the previously identified Beryl pegmatite dykes (B and B-2) which assayed between 3.89% - 5.17% Li2O. The locations of the B and B-2 Beryl pegmatite dykes are annotated with the magnetic data in Figure 1. The black lines are the preliminary interpretation of the magnetic low lineaments from a Centre for Exploration Targeting ("CET") analysis and overly the magnetic "low" picks layer. The coincidence of the trends of magnetic lows with the Beryl pegmatites and their extension along a trend recognized for its association with high-grade lithium pegmatites is highly encouraging.

Figure 1 - Magnetic image covering the Jean Lake project. The blue square is 500m by 500m to provide a sense of scale. The gap in the image is due to the location of Hydroelectric power lines crossing the property. Location B (orange circle) assayed 3.89% Li2O; and Location B2 (red circle) assayed 5.17% Li2O.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4689/115225_foremostenhanced1.jpg

Figure 2 builds upon Figure 1 now showing Snow Lake Lithium's Sherritt Gordon (SG) claims with an overlay of their disclosed magnetic survey results from February 15th, 2020. The data are of the same resolution and were both acquired and processed by EarthEx. There is a noticeable correlation between magnetic lows observed on both properties. There is a prospective "Lithium Lane" which connects the known pegmatite dykes and interpreted lineaments on both properties.

Figure 2 - Foremost Lithium's Jean Lake magnetic survey results with overlays of Snow Lake Lithium and 1911 Gold's land positions. Also included are the preliminary results from Snow Lake's magnetic survey over their SG claims.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4689/115225_foremostenhanced2.jpg

Lindsay Bottomer, Co-founder and Geoscience Advisor of Foremost states: "The Jean Lake results are tremendous with regards to the trends of magnetic lows. They correspond with the locations of the B and B-2 Beryl pegmatites on Jean Lake and are on trend with the Sherritt Gordon and Grass River pegmatites on Snow Lake Lithium's ground. One can now see several high-quality drill targets. There are two domains identified by the Jean Lake survey. The magnetic lows in the northern sector of the property that correspond to pegmatites and potential pegmatites and the southern/southwest sector which documents the magnetic highs that correspond to our gold assays and to the magnetic anomalies being drilled by 1911 Gold Corp on their ground to the west of Foremost."

Scott Taylor, President and CEO of Foremost Lithium states: "It is encouraging to see a regional thesis of a prospective Snow Lake "Lithium Lane" emerging from the data. We will continue to advance this prospective Lithium Lane thesis in similar fashion as Frontier Lithium's Electric Avenue, a premium lithium mineral district located in Northern Ontario. Further, we look forward to building a de-risked pipeline of high value drill targets at Jean Lake so we can drill in the Winter of 2022 and deliver more resource and enterprise value for our shareholders."

Technical information contained in the press release has been approved by the Company's Co-Founder and Geoscience Advisor, Lindsay Bottomer, P.Geo, who is a "Qualified Person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc.

EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc is a Manitoba company, founded in 2014 in Selkirk, Manitoba. The President and Chief Geophysicist, Daniel Card, P.Geo, RPGeo, holds a BSc. Hons degree from the University of Manitoba (2007). EarthEx is highly specialized in geophysical prospecting for hard-rock minerals, and works with cutting edge technologies and data analysis methodology. Since its inception in 2014, EarthEx has quickly become a household name in the Canadian mineral exploration industry, with rapid and continued growth expected in the coming years.

About Foremost Lithium Resource & Technology Ltd.

Foremost Lithium is an energy technology company focused and committed to become one of the first North American Companies to produce high quality battery-grade lithium hydroxide. Lithium hydroxide is a strategic battery mineral mainly consumed in the production of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Lithium based batteries power the daily use of consumer electronics, enable electrification of the transportation sector, and provide stationary grid storage, critical to developing a clean-energy economy. The Company is prudently and systematically exploring and building tonnage on its four lithium properties, Jean Lake, Grass River, and Zoro located in Snow Lake, Manitoba, and Hidden Lake in the Northwest Territories. Foremost Lithium also holds assets in precious commodities with its Winston Gold/Silver Project in New Mexico, USA.

For further information please contact:

Scott Taylor

President and CEO

Foremost Lithium Resource &Technology Ltd.

Email: scott.taylor@foremostlithium.com

Phone: +1 (604) 330-8067

Twitter: @lithiumlane

Follow us and contact us on social media:

Twitter: @foremostlithium

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/company/foremost-lithium-resource-technology/mycompany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForemostLithium

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Foremost within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Foremost provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct, and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to market conditions, exploration findings, results, and recommendations, as well as those risks and uncertainties identified and reported in Foremost's public filings under Foremost's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Foremost has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Foremost disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as lithium as result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115225
SEOUL, March 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged Japan Tuesday to squarely face the colonial history, saying the door remained open to dialogue between the two countries.

"(South) Korea and Japan, close neighbors, must be able to overcome the history of the once unfortunate past and cooperate for the future," Moon said in a speech marking the 103rd anniversary of Korea's 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

Diplomatic ties between Seoul and Tokyo have soured since 2019, when Japan imposed export restrictions on South Korea in apparent retaliation against the South Korean court rulings that ordered some Japanese firms to give compensation to South Korean victims who were forced by the Imperial Japan into hard labor.

Japan has refused to acknowledge the forced sexual slavery of Korean women during the colonization of the Korean Peninsula, repeating its territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost Dokdo islets, called Takeshima in Japan.

"Japan will become a trustworthy country only when it is able to empathize with the wounds of the people of neighboring countries, which are sometimes exacerbated by a once unfortunate past," Moon said.

"My administration will always keep the door open for dialogue to join forces not only for regional peace and prosperity but also in responding to global challenges that range from the COVID-19 and the climate crisis to the supply chain crisis and the new economic order," Moon added. 
EP Global Opportunities Trust plc (the "Company")

Total Voting Rights

Following the completion of the tender offer, and in conformity with Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1, the issued share capital and voting rights of the Company as at 28 February 2022 were as follows:

Class of share Total number of shares in circulation Number of voting rights attached to each share Total number of voting rights of shares in circulation Number of shares held in treasury (carrying no voting rights attached until issued) Total number of shares in issue Ordinary 1p Shares 29,222,180 1 29,222,180 35,287,462 64,509,642

The above total voting rights figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine whether they are required to notify their interest in EP Global Opportunities Trust plc under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

1 March 2022

LEI: 2138005T5CT5ITZ7ZX58

Enquiries:

Kenneth Greig

Franklin Templeton Investment Trust Management Limited

Tel: 0131 270 3800

The Company's registered office address is:

27-31 Melville Street

Edinburgh

EH3 7JF
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - (Adds Outlook) International Game Technology PLC (IGT) on Tuesday said it expects first-quarter revenue to be in the range of $1 billion- $1.1 billion. The consensus estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters stands at $1.04 billion. Further, the company reaffirmed its full-year revenue outlook of $4.1 billion-$4.3 billion. Analysts' expectation stands at $4.21 billion. Below are the fourth-quarter earnings highlights for International Game Technology Earnings: $19 million in Q4 vs. -$242 million in the same period last year. EPS: $0.09 in Q4 vs. -$1.18 in the same period last year. Revenue: $1.05 billion in Q4 vs. $0.89 billion in the same period last year. -Guidance : Next quarter revenue guidance: $1.0 - $1.1 Bln Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Company reaffirms its commitment to transparent reporting standards, annual verification, and other quality measures to reach more investors.

DOVER, DE / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Hero Technologies (OTC PINK:HENC; Twitter: @heroicmindtech), an early-stage cannabis company focused on a vertically integrated business model, today announced that it has applied to the OTC Markets Group to list its common stock on the OTCQB marketplace. OTCQB is the mid-tier OTC equity market for U.S. stocks, less speculative than Pink Sheets, designed primarily for early-stage developing companies. To qualify for the OTCQB, companies must meet reporting standards, undergo annual verification and certification, meet a $0.01 bid test, and have a public float in excess of 10% of the total shares outstanding, with at least 50 beneficial shareholders, each owning at least 100 shares.

The OTCQB marketplace is run through OTC Link, an inter-dealer quotation and trading system registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a broker-dealer and as an alternative trading system. Accordingly, OTCQB-listed companies must report to a U.S. regulator, such as the SEC, and follow standards for transparency.

"As we continue reporting on the progress of our company and engage in marketing and stock awareness campaigns, it is essential that our shareholders and other investors understand that we are committed to sharing information transparently," said Hero Technologies' CEO, Gina Serkasevich. "We fully embrace our obligation as a public company to provide accurate, timely disclosures of any information that could affect the trading market for our common stock."

The company expects to engage several entities, individuals, and influencers to post on social media sites such as Twitter, Stocktwits, GETTR, and Facebook and to post videos on YouTube, as well as post information regarding the company on stock forums such as Investor's Hub, also known as iHub, and in chat rooms or chat platforms such as Discord and Telegram. The company also expects to hire newsletters and media groups that will disseminate emails or text messages.

"For example," continued Serkasevich, "we will keep investors closely aware of further developments in the Michigan cannabis market, where our subsidiary, BlackBox Systems and Technologies LLC, has received pre-qualification approval for a license to produce both recreational and medicinal cannabis. Michigan is one of the fastest-growing cannabis markets in the U.S., with monthly sales approaching $150 million, so it represents a significant opportunity for potential growth for our company."

OTCQB rules about public availability of current information reflect the OTC Markets Group's core principal of transparent disclosure. An OTCQB-listed company is expected to release quickly and publicly any information likely to materially affect the market for its securities. Company management also has the responsibility to dispel misinformation that results in unusual market activity. In addition, an OTCQB company must ensure that any marketing or promotion of its stock reflects accurate information, without misleading or speculative "hype," and that it clearly discloses its relationships with marketers and promoters.

"Hero Technologies will abide strictly by the accuracy and transparency rules required of all OTCQB companies as we conduct any stock awareness campaigns through investor relations firms and on various communication channels, such as InvestorsHub, Discord, Telegram, Twitter, and email," said Serkasevich.

About Hero Technologies

Hero Technologies Inc. is a cannabis company working toward a vertically-integrated business model. The company owns a majority stake in BlackBox Systems and Technologies LLC, an aeroponic cannabis cultivation system that provides optimal growing conditions to enhance photosynthesis and cultivation of large flowering plants, creating increased harvest efficiencies. The company's strategic business plan includes cannabis genetic engineering, farmland for both medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, production licenses, distribution licenses, consumer packaging, and retail and dispensary operations that make the company a multi-state operator (MSO).

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include: management plans relating to the proposed project; the expected timing of the completion of the proposed project; the ability to complete the proposed project; any statements of the plans and objectives of management for future operations, products or services, including the execution of plans proposed project; any statements of expectation or belief; projections related to certain financial metrics; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "outlook," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would" and other similar words and expressions or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Neither Hero Technologies Inc. nor its holding company or subsidiaries assumes any duty and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements. Because forward-looking statements, by their nature, are uncertain or assumptive to varying degrees, actual results or future events could differ, possibly materially, from those that Hero Technologies Inc., its holding company or subsidiaries anticipated in the forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from historical performance.

Hero Technologies Contact:

Ms. Gina Serkasevich, CEO

(302) 538-4165 | info@herotechnologiesinc.com

SOURCE: Hero Technologies Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690791/Hero-Technologies-Applies-for-OTCQB-Market-Status-for-Its-Common-Stock-Expects-to-Engage-New-Groups-for-Investor-Relations-and-Company-Awareness
19.9 Metres 0.7% Ni, 0.61% Cu, 0.04% Co, 0.81gPd, 0.39g Pt

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Power Nickel Inc. (the "Company" or "Power Nickel") (TSX-V:PNPN) (OTCQB:CMETF) (FSE:IVVI) and Critical Elements Lithium Corporation ("Critical Elements") (TSX-V:CRE) (OTCQX:CRECF) (FSE:F12) are pleased to announce initial results have been received from its recent drill program at its "NISK" Nickel Sulphate project near James Bay. These initial drill results confirm the presence of high-grade Nickel Mineralization in the north-eastern portion of the Nisk Main mineralized lens. Compared to the historical results, the results obtained also suggest that, within this portion of the Nisk Main lens, higher grade mineralization extends by an additional 150 m at depth and to the northeast.

Hole ID UTM E UTM N Length (m) Azimuth () Dip () From (m) To (m) Length (m) Ni (%) Cu (%) Co (%) Pd (g/t) Pt (g/t) PN-21-001 459784 5728538 303 264 170 Pending PN-21-002 459626 5728600 308 396 160 Pending PN-21-003A 459691 5728576 309 333 161 Pending PN-21-004 459913 5728703 305 360 163 Pending PN-21-005 459998 5728721 306 325.5 164 272.8 292.7 19.9 0.7 0.61 0.04 0.81 0.39 PN-21-006 460100 5728782 308 399 160 374.3 384 9.7 0.77 0.38 0.04 0.79 0.06 PN-21-007 460216 5728802 315 318 161 294.2 312 17.8 0.36 0.1 0.02 0.38 0.08 Including 296.9 302.3 5.4 0.57 0.17 0.03 0.8 0.06

This is the first of two press releases presenting the results of the 2021 drilling campaign. The illustration below details the current location of drill holes covered in this release and also the remaining drill holes which are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

"We are very excited to begin to deliver our initial drill results at Nisk. The results showcase Nisk's potential to have a commercial high-grade Nickel Sulphate deposit. Our objectives in this initial drill program conducted by Power Nickel were to conduct enough drilling to allow us to establish a new NI 43-101 compliant resource to confirm and replace the historical resource, and to extend the known Nickel mineralization. We believe we have established the latter and expect to be able to deliver a NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate in Q2", commented Power Nickel's CEO Terry Lynch.

The existing resource estimates at the Nisk project are of historic nature and the Company's geology team has not completed sufficient work to confirm a NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource. Therefore, caution is appropriate since these historic estimates cannot, and should not be relied on. For merely informational purposes see Table 1.

Table -1: Historical Resource Estimate figures for respective confidence categories at the NISK-1 deposit, After RSW Inc 2009: Resource Estimate for the NISK-1 Deposit, Lac Levac Property, Nemiscau, Quebec.

The information regarding the NISK-1 deposit was derived from the technical report titled "Resource Estimate for the NISK-1 Deposit, Lac Levac Property, Nemiscau, Quebec" dated December 2009. The key assumptions, parameters and methods used to prepare the mineral resource estimates described above are set out in the technical report.

The 3D geological model developed by 3DGeo Solution Inc. ("3DGS") identified a prospective set of targets that the Company feels will give the best potential to expand the Nisk historical deposit. The Image below is a view of the mineralization projected from the surface at the area we refer to as Nisk Main.

"Nisk has four distinct target areas covering over 7 Kilometres of strike length. Our focus this round was on the Nisk Main target. Historically we know globally these types of deposits typically have multiple pods. We are encouraged by what we see on Nisk Main and feel we can continue to build commercial tonnage there but we are also looking forward to exploring Nisk West and the two wildcat targets in subsequent drilling in Q2", commented Power Nickel's CEO Terry Lynch.

ABOUT NISK

Nisk is located south of James Bay as illustrated in the area map below. This region is the site of a number of mining projects and improving infrastructure.

Nisk has historically had some very high-grade Nickel intercepts as shown below. The Grade-Thickness iso-contours are representative of the nickel distribution only.

Analysis and QAQC Procedures

All samples were submitted to and analyzed at ALS Global (ALS), an independent commercial laboratory located in Val D'Or, Quebec for both the sample preparation and assaying. ALS is a commercial laboratory independent of Power Nickel with no interest in the Project. ALS is an ISO 9001 and 17025 certified and accredited laboratory. Samples submitted through ALS are run through standard preparation methods and analyzed using ME-ICP61a (33 element Suite; 0.4g sample; Intermediate Level Four Acid Digestion) and PGM-ICP27 (Pt, Pd, and Au; 30g fire assay and ICP-AES Finish) methods. ALS also undertake their own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration.

Power Nickel's QA/QC program includes the regular insertion of CRM standards, duplicates, and blanks into the sample stream with a stringent review of all results. Historic holes were assayed by various accredited laboratories.

About Power Nickel Inc.

Power Nickel is a Canadian junior exploration company focusing on high-potential copper, gold and battery metal prospects in Canada and Chile.

On February 1, 2021, Power Nickel (then called Chilean Metals) completed the acquisition of its option to acquire up to 80% of the Nisk project from Critical Elements Lithium Corp. (TSX-V:CRE)

The NISK property comprises a large land position (20 kilometers of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts. Power Nickel, formerly Chilean Metals is focused on confirming and expanding its current high-grade nickel-copper PGE mineralization historical resource by preparing a new Mineral Resource Estimate in accordance with NI 43-101, identifying additional high-grade mineralization, and developing a process to potentially produce nickel sulphates responsibly for batteries to be used in the electric vehicles industry.

Power Nickel (then called Chilean Metals) announced on June 8th, 2021 that an agreement has been made to complete the 100% acquisition of its Golden Ivan project in the heart of the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle has reported mineral resources (past production and current resources) in a total of 67 million ounces of gold, 569 million ounces of silver, and 27 billion pounds of copper. This property hosts two known mineral showings (gold ore and magee), and a portion of the past-producing Silverado mine, which was reportedly exploited between 1921 and 1939. These mineral showings are described to be Polymetallic veins that contain quantities of silver, lead, zinc, plus/minus gold, and plus/minus copper.

Power Nickel is the 100-per-cent owner of five properties comprising over 50,000 acres strategically located in the prolific iron-oxide-copper-gold belt of northern Chile. It also owns a 3-per-cent NSR royalty interest on any future production from the Copaquire copper-molybdenum deposit, recently sold to a subsidiary of Teck resources Inc. Under the terms of the sale agreement, Teck has the right to acquire one-third of the 3-per-cent NSR for $3-million at any time. The Copaquire property borders Teck's producing Quebrada Blanca copper mine in Chile's first region.

About Critical Elements Lithium Corporation

Critical Elements aspires to become a large, responsible supplier of lithium to the flourishing electric vehicle and energy storage system industries. To this end, Critical Elements is advancing the wholly owned, high purity Rose lithium project in Quebec. Rose is the Corporation's first lithium project to be advanced within a land portfolio of over 700 square kilometers. In 2017, the Corporation completed a feasibility study on Rose for the production of spodumene concentrate. The internal rate of return for the Project is estimated at 34.9% after tax, with a net present value estimated at C$726 million at an 8% discount rate. In the Corporation's view, Quebec is strategically well-positioned for US and EU markets and boasts good infrastructure including a low-cost, low-carbon power grid featuring 93% hydroelectricity. The project has received approval from the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the recommendation of the Joint Assessment Committee, comprised of representatives from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Cree Nation Government; The Corporation is working to obtain similar approval under the Quebec environmental assessment process. The Corporation also has a good, formalized relationship with the Cree Nation.

For further information on Power Nickel Inc., please contact:

Mr. Terry Lynch, CEO

647-448-8044

For further information, readers are encouraged to contact:

Power Nickel Inc.

The Canadian Venture Building

82 Richmond St East, Suite 202

Toronto, ON

For further information on Critical Elements, please contact:

Patrick Laperriere

Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development

514-817-1119

plaperriere@cecorp.ca

www.cecorp.ca

or Jean-Sebastien Lavallee,

P. Geo. Chief Executive Officer

819-354-5146

jslavallee@cecorp.ca

www.cecorp.ca

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Terry Lynch & CEO terry@powernickel.com

Qualified Person

Kenneth Williamson, Geo (OGQ #1490), M.Sc., Senior Consulting Geologist, and Matthew DeGasperis, Geo (OGQ #2261), B.Sc., Consulting Geologist, from 3DGeo Solution Inc. are the independent qualified persons pursuant to the requirements of NI 43-101, and have reviewed and approved the technical content of this press release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

This news release may contain certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that PNPN expects to occur, including details related to the proposed spin-out transactions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding current and future exploration programs, activities, and results. Although PNPN believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration success, continued availability of capital and financing, inability to obtain required regulatory or governmental approvals, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Power Nickel Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690835/Power-Nickel-Extends-Mineralization-at-Nisk-and-Continues-Preparation-for-an-Updated-NI-43-101-Mineral-Resource-Estimate
LONDON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Brandessence Market Research, The On-Board Charger Market size reached USD 1800.83 Million in 2020. The Cryptocurrency Mining Market is growing at robust CAGR of 15.8%, and reach size of USD 6001.91 Million by end of Forecast 2027.

The on-board charger market growth has been aided by the fact that there is a growing movement to adopt electric technologies which is a major boost to the fight against climate change. The on-board chargers which are being deployed in order to ease the pressure on petrol vehicles and make sure that charging infrastructure is being made available to people so they are comfortable in changing over to the electric vehicles. Many electric vehicles such as Nissan Leaf have also committed to using this on-board charger in their vehicles. Further, there are other on-board charger forecast report which suggest that there is going to be a fast increase in the adoption as companies such as Shell have also been working on the use of the charger.

Get Sample of Report@ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/1412

Scope of The On-Board Charger Market Report:

On-board charger market is a market that is expected to register a significant amount of growth in the coming years. The biggest reason for this growth has to be the fact that electric vehicle demand is increasing and the public charging station cost of chargers is extremely high. The chargers which are there near workplaces, malls, and highways are going to be subjected to the commercial electric rates which are a lot higher than the rates for residential electricity. This has therefore led to a situation where people are looking for a solution through which they can charge their electric vehicles through on-board chargers and that is leading the growth juggernaut of the global on-board charger market. The on-board charger is a device which is used in the electric vehicle to charge its traction battery. This is done by the conversion of AC input that is received from grid to the DC input which is required for charging batteries. The increasing number of charging stations, both private and public, is among the biggest factors which is driving the global market growth. The AC level 1 product has the ability to be plugged in any of the ordinary outlets of power.

Key Players for On-Board Charger:

The following companies have been doing their best to get a sizable market share in the on-board charger market:

Panasonic

Lear Corporation

Anoma

Exide Technologies

Flextronics International

HindlePower

Jackson Electronics

Lester Electrical

Minwa Electronics

Accutronics

Minn Kota

Delphi

NOCO

Mando

Market Trends of on-board charger market

This is a charger which has been seeing a greater demand in the users as this does not require any further electric work; this can minimize the cost of installation as a whole. Further, the approvals which have been received for AC level 2 stations is another major reason why the market growth is being accentuated. The use of silicon carbide technology in semiconductors has increased in magnitude and this provides a higher power density. The efficiency rate is going to be close to perfect. A lot of companies are therefore now increasing their focus on the provision of efficient chargers and also providing a high level of power. The effect of that has been extremely positive on the opportunities which the market is seeing in terms of growth. The on-board charger market trends also are seeing a 22kW charger as a new trend that is being built. This as a charger has been developed with many companies who are sharing their technologies which has been another positive trend for the global market.

Get Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestMethodology/PostId/1412

In terms of segmentation, the segmentation is done on the basis of power output. In this segment, the fastest growing sub-segment is going to be the segment of less than 11 kW. Most of the electric vehicles are expected to have specifications of 6 to 11 kW on-board chargers in the recent future. Studies suggest that almost all the cars are going to be in the same category. This is a change from the 3kW to 5kW range and will be implemented rather soon. The coming days are going to show us the benefits of the less than 11kW charger types. On the basis of vehicle type, the segmentation is going to be dominated by passenger car. With many major vehicle manufacturers now opting for electric vehicle technology, the adoption of electric vehicles is also increasing among the people. People are also trying to reduce their carbon footprint on the world and reduce the consumption of fuel.

Global On-Board Charger Market Segmentation:

By Product Type:

Lower than 3 kilowatts

3 - 3.7 kilowatts

Higher than 3.7 kilowatts

By Application:

Electric Vehicles

Boats

Electric vehicles are therefore a better alternative which people are resorting to and many other companies are now making the move from conventional cars to electric vehicles. They have been further aided by the electric vehicle policies of governments which are in favor of betterment of the environment. Among the key on-board charger developments, the adoption of electric vehicles in the public vehicles has been helping in the development. Segmenting the global on-board charger market in terms of propulsion type, we see that the BEV segment has been the prominent one in the market which has been accounting for a larger portion of revenue. The battery electric vehicle takes place where the propulsion is provided by a plug-in battery.

The region which has dominated the global market has been the Asia Pacific region which has been accounting for over a third of the share. This has been aided primarily because of the government efforts which have been taking place. The regions such as China and India have been making sure that laws are passed in favor of the electric vehicle policies, that is, the process of compliance with the environmental laws. The chargers which are on-board in models such as Tesla in China are really driving the global market.

Get Purchase of this Report: https://brandessenceresearch.com/Checkout?report_id=1412

Reginal Analysis:

North America is expected to dominate the global on-board charger market with the highest market share in terms of profits in the overall market owing to the increasing adoption of onboard chargers in this region. The U.S. has been adopting onboard chargers with a power output between 3 to 3.7 kilowatts (kW). Now, the EV manufacturers are moving towards onboard chargers with a power output greater than 6.6 kW to reduce charging time.

Among the countries which are growing, the European countries are expected to drive their growth as the European Union and a lot of governments have been making their efforts for the expansion of the offerings of electric vehicles which has been the biggest driver of on-board charger market. As per the recent expectations, companies like BMW have been planning to electrify most of the offerings it has by the end of this decade. That will surely be a big market driver.

On Special Requirement On-Board Charger Market Report is also available for below region:

North America

U.S, Canada

Europe

Germany, France,U.K., Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherland, Turkey, Switzerland, Belgium, Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

South_Korea, Japan, China, India, Australia, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Rest Of APAC

Latin America

Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Rest of Latin America

Middle East and Africa

Saudi Arabia , UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest Of MEA

Get Full Access of all Report: https://brandessenceresearch.com/technology-and-media/d-scanner-markethttps://brandessenceresearch.com/automotive-and-transport/on-board-charger-market-share

Related Reports At Bellow:

EV Charger Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Vehicle Type (Charger Electric Vehicle (BEV), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV)), By End User (Residential, Commercial), By Charging Type (On-Board Chargers, Off-Board Chargers) Based On Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2028

Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Market to hit $135.90 Billion by 2028

by 2028 Radiopharmaceuticals Market to hit USD 8832.7 Mn to 2028

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NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Pfizer Inc. (PFE) said Tuesday that the CLOVER trial, a pivotal Phase 3 study evaluating its Clostridioides difficile vaccine candidate (PF-06425090) in the prevention of C. difficile infection, did not meet its pre-specified primary endpoint of prevention of primary C. difficile infection. According to the company, Initial analyses of two protocol defined secondary endpoints indicated a highly favorable benefit in reducing C. difficile infection severity and 100% vaccine efficacy in preventing medically attended C. difficile infection. Safety reviews indicated that the investigational vaccine was safe and well tolerated. Pfizer noted that it will further evaluate data from the trial and determine next steps for its C. difficile vaccine program. The company plans to submit for presentation of the Phase 3 CLOVER trial results, including all secondary endpoints, at a future medical congress and for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. CLOVER enrolled approximately 17,500 adults, 50 years and older. The study was expected to accrue 66 cases of CDI within two years of the primary vaccination series. Due to significant operational challenges created in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, the final analysis was performed at 42 cases within four years after agreement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to amend the protocol. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Russia attacked Ukraine's second biggest city of Kharkiv near the Russian border Tuesday.



A missile sent by its forces hit the regional government's headquarters in Freedom Square, causing a huge explosion. There are conflicting reports about civilian casualties.



Ukraine's President Zelensky condemned the bombing of Kharkiv as a war crime and said civilians were being deliberately targeted.



'We call on all countries of the world to respond immediately and effectively to this criminal tactic of the aggressor and to declare that Russia is committing state terrorism. We demand full responsibility for terrorists in international courts,' he said in a Facebook message Tuesday.



Russia is continuing its relentless attack on major Ukrainian cities despite the UN General Assembly's call for an immediate ceasefire and full return to diplomacy and dialogue.



Satellite images show a massive convoy of Russian military vehicles is closing in on Kyiv, media outlets reported. The Pentagon says the move is to capture Kyiv.



How the Russians plan to capture Kyiv once the convoy reaches its destination is unknown right now, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said during a media briefing.



'Whether it's encirclement, or bombardment, or street-to-street fighting, I mean, I just don't think we have that level of dexterity now to give you that kind of detail in terms of Russian planning,' he told reporters.



Addressing a rare emergency session of the General Assembly, Russia's permanent representative Vasily Nebenzya said Russia doesn't intend to occupy Kiev. 'The purpose of this special operation is to protect people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years. For this, it is necessary to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine,' he told the 163-nation body in New York Monday.



On the same day, nearly 5 hours-long talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border returned no palpable results but the two sides agreed to hold another round of talks 'in the near future.'



More than half a million refugees have fled Ukraine during Russia's invasion, the UN said Monday.



In a video message posted to Facebook, Ukrainian defense spokesperson claimed that more than 5,700 Russian troops have been killed and more than 200 others were taken into custody.



The official also claimed that 198 Russian tanks, 29 planes, 846 armored vehicles and 29 helicopters were destroyed in stiff resistance offered by Ukrainian forces in the six-days-old war.



The Moscow Stock Exchange will remain closed on Tuesday after the value of the ruble plunged. Western sanctions have crippled the Russian economy, and long queues have formed at banks as people desperately try to access their money.







Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - (Adds Outlook) Perrigo Company plc (PRGO) on Tuesday said it expects adjusted EPS in the range of $2.10 to $2.30 for 2022, that is below the Street view. Further, the company sees net sales to grow 3.5% to 4.5% for the year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $2.67 per share. The consensus estimate for revenue growth stands at 8.5%. Below are the fourth-quarter earnings highlights of the company: Earnings: $32.1 million in Q4 vs. -$52.2 million in the same period last year. EPS: $0.24 in Q4 vs. -$0.39 in the same period last year. Excluding items, Perrigo Company plc reported adjusted earnings of $82.0 million or $0.60 per share for the period. Revenue: $1.10 billion in Q4 vs. $1.05 billion in the same period last year. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Sassy Resources Corporation ("Sassy" or the "Company") (CSE:SASY)(FSE:4E7)(OTCQB:SSYRF) is pleased to announce that diamond drilling has commenced at the Highrock Uranium Project in the Key Lake region of Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. Sassy signed a staged option agreement with Forum Energy Metals ("Forum") in January 2022 under which Sassy may acquire up to a 100% interest in Highrock (refer to Sassy news releases February 10, January 24 and January 6, 2022).

Sassy is funding the 2022 diamond drill program while Forum is acting as project operator. The Highrock Uranium Project is located just south and on trend of Cameco's Key Lake mine and mill site where over 200 million pounds of uranium was produced at an average grade of 2.3% U3O8 during Key Lake's mine life. The 2022 exploration is focused on the discovery of basement hosted mineralization similar to NexGen's Arrow deposit and Cameco's Eagle Point mine.

Gravity surveys previously conducted by Forum at Highrock identified numerous gravity lows along a 10-kilometre-long graphitic conductor. These may be zones of alteration associated with uranium mineral deposits. Eight widely spaced drill holes by Forum in 2016 tested only six kilometres of the conductor while four kilometres at the southern end of the property remain untested as well as the strongest gravity low at the north end of the project. Zones of chloritization, bleaching, elevated boron and other pathfinder elements in the north and central areas of the conductor were detected by this initial drill campaign.

Mr. Mark Scott, Sassy Resources CEO, commented: "We're very excited to give Sassy shareholders exposure to the uranium sector and a project in the follow-up drilling stage that offers strong discovery potential. Highrock also provides a seasonal complement to Sassy's Foremore Gold-Silver Project in Northwest B.C.'s prolific Eskay Camp.

Mr. Mark Scott continued, "The release of 2021 diamond drilling results from the Company's Westmore Discovery Zone at Foremore is imminent. Meanwhile, the public listing of spinout Gander Gold Corporation, with its eight highly prospective exploration projects in the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, is expected in March while MAX Power Mining Corporation, to which Sassy optioned its Nicobat claims in Northwestern Ontario, started trading on the CSE February 16. The Sassy shareholder value proposition is stronger than ever and we are very pleased with the manner in which we have positioned the Company for exploration success, year-round news flow, financial strength and market capitalization growth."

2022 Highrock Drill Program

Initial drilling will focus on the North target immediately south of Cameco's Key Lake mine claim boundary. Only one drill hole in 2016 (DDH HR-08) tested the south end of a very strong gravity low where the main conductor trends to the northeast. Weak alteration along a strong conductor was encountered in this hole, plus elevated uranium (8 ppm), vanadium (442 ppm), copper (421ppm), nickel (125 ppm), lead (46 ppm) and boron (116 ppm). Over one kilometre of this conductive trend and gravity anomaly to the northeast will be drilled (Figure 2).

Targets have also been identified in the central and south areas of the property from DDH HR-06 to HR-07 and continuing four kilometres further to the southwest border of the property. Drill target selection will be refined as the program progresses until spring breakup or until the $1 million budget is spent under terms of the Sassy option agreement.

Figure 1: Highrock Project Location Map. The Highrock Project is located just south of the Key Lake uranium deposit along the graphitic conductive trend that hosts Key Lake.

Figure 2: Gravity Survey, Historic Drill Hole Locations and Conductor on the Highrock Project. Gravity lows are shown in blue, the EM conductor is in red. The first target area is the combination of the conductor and strong gravity low (north of HR-08) at the north end of the property, bordering Cameco's Key Lake mine project.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Ian Fraser, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration for Sassy Resources. Mr. Fraser is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information contained herein under National Instrument 43-101 standards.

Subscribe for Updates

Visit SassyResources.com and sign up for news alerts to stay informed as exploration continues year-round.

About Sassy Resources Corporation

Sassy Resources is an exploration stage resource company currently engaged in the identification, acquisition and exploration of high-grade precious metal, base metal and uranium projects in North America. Its focus is the Foremore Project located in the Eskay Camp, Liard Mining Division, in the heart of Northwest B.C.'s prolific Golden Triangle, the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt where Sassy is one of the district's largest landowners, and the recently acquired Highrock Uranium Project in the Key Lake region of Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Investors are cautioned that, except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained in this document includes "forward looking information", with respect to a performance expectation for Sassy Resources Corporation. Such forward looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections formulated using assumptions believed to be reasonable and involving a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such factors include, without limitation, fluctuations in foreign exchange markets, the price of commodities in both the cash market and futures market, changes in legislation, taxation, controls and regulation of national and local governments and political and economic developments in Canada and other countries where Sassy carries out or may carry out business in the future, the availability of future business opportunities and the ability to successfully integrate acquisitions or operational difficulties related to technical activities of mining and reclamation, the speculative nature of exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks obtaining necessary licenses and permits, reducing the quantity or grade of reserves, adverse changes in credit ratings, and the challenge of title. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update publicly or revise forward looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Some of the results reported are historical and may not have been verified by the Company.

Contact Info:

Mark Scott

Chief Executive Officer & Director

info@sassyresources.ca

Terry Bramhall

Sassy Resources - Corporate Communications/IR

1.604.833.6999 (mobile)

1.604.675.9985 (office)

terry.bramhall@sassyresources.ca

In Europe:

Michael Adams

Managing Director - Star Finance GmbH

info@star-finance.eu

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Sassy Resources Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690782/Sassy-Commences-Diamond-Drilling-at-Highrock-Uranium-Project-in-Saskatchewan
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) ("Forum" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced drilling at the Highrock Uranium Project (Figure 1). Forum is the Operator of the drill program under option to and funded by Sassy Resources Corporation (see News Release dated January 6, 2022). The property is located just south and on trend of Cameco's Key Lake mine and mill site where over 200 million pounds of uranium was produced at an average grade of 2.3% U3O8 during its mine life. The exploration will focus on the discovery of basement hosted mineralization similar to NexGen's Arrow deposit and Cameco's Eagle Point mine.

Gravity surveys conducted by Forum at Highrock identified numerous gravity lows along a 10 kilometre long graphitic conductor: these may be zones of alteration associated with uranium mineral deposits. Eight widely spaced drillholes by Forum in 2016 tested only six kilometres of the conductor while four kilometres at the southern end of the property remain untested as well as the strongest gravity low at the north end of the project. Zones of chloritization, bleaching, elevated boron and other pathfinder elements in the north and central areas of the conductor were detected by this initial drill campaign (see Forum News Release dated June 1, 2016).

2022 Drill Program

Initial drilling will focus on the North target immediately south of Cameco's Key Lake mine claim boundary. Only one drillhole in 2016 (DDH HR-08) tested the south end of a very strong gravity low where the main conductor trends to the northeast. Weak alteration along a strong conductor was encountered in this hole, plus elevated uranium (8ppm), vanadium (442ppm), copper (421ppm), nickel (125ppm), lead (46ppm) and boron (116ppm). Over one kilometre of this conductive trend and gravity anomaly to the northeast will be drilled (Figure 2).

Targets have also been identified in the central and south areas of the property from DDH HR-06 to HR-07 and continuing four kilometres further to the southwest border of the property. Drill target selection will be determined as the program progresses until spring breakup or until the $1 million budget is spent under terms of the Sassy Option Agreement.







Figure 1 Highrock Project Location Map. The Highrock project is located just south of the Key Lake uranium deposit along the graphitic conductive trend that hosts Key Lake.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/115171_a99a35cf040db83c_003full.jpg







FIGURE 2: Gravity Survey, Historic Drill Hole Locations and Conductor on the Highrock Project.Gravity lows are shown in blue, the EM conductor is in red. The first target area is the combination of the conductor and strong gravity low (north of HR-08) at the north end of the property, bordering Cameco's Key Lake mine project.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4908/115171_a99a35cf040db83c_004full.jpg

Ken Wheatley, P.Geo., Forum's Vice President, Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

About Forum Energy Metals

Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is a diversified energy metal company with uranium, copper, nickel, and cobalt projects in Saskatchewan, Canada's Number One Rated mining province for exploration and development, a strategic uranium land position in Nunavut and a strategic cobalt land position in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. For further information: www.forumenergymetals.com

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Forum's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the historical data, the work expenditure commitments; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund future exploration or development programs; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; changes commodity prices, litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or an inability to obtain permits required in connection with maintaining or advancing its exploration projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo.

President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO

mazur@forumenergymetals.com

Tel: 604-630-1585

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115171
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday China is going to provide emergency food aid to countries affected by drought in the Horn of Africa.

Wang made the announcement during his telephone conversation with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisaid Muse Ali.

To help Somalia and other countries in the Horn of Africa cope with drought, China will provide a batch of emergency food aid to Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Djibouti, he said, adding that the aid is another practical action taken by the Chinese side to implement the "Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa."

Wang noted that China put forward this outlook at the beginning of the year to support regional countries, as their own masters, in jointly tackling the triple challenges of security, development and governance, and achieve lasting peace, stability, development and prosperity.

In order to strengthen communication and coordination with relevant countries, and jointly push forward the implementation of the outlook, China appointed a special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs last week and now announces the emergency food aid to relevant countries in the Horn of Africa, Wang said.

He added that the Chinese side is taking concrete actions to implement the outlook and support the development of the Horn of Africa. 
Global Risk Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of a diverse range of P&C claims adjusting, complex/large loss and environmental risk management solutions, has continued its growth by announcing that two of the Middle East's most respected companies have joined its Global Partners Network: Elsheikh Elite Experts andUrgent Loss Adjusters.

These partnerships will see Elsheikh and Urgent work closely with GRS' Middle East regional head office based in Dubai. The move follows GRS' partnership announced in January with the Spanish firm, Addvalora, which has an extensive Latin American presence and a strong presence in the Middle East, with successful operations in Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Cairo-based Elsheikh Elite Experts becomes a GRS partner as it builds its global presence to enhance its ability to deliver expert regional response capabilities on complex risks. The announcement comes as Egypt undergoes a period of investment and rapid construction, with Elsheikh Elite Experts having built a reputation in construction and engineering.

Bahrain-based Urgent Loss Adjusters ("Urgent LA") also becomes a GRS Network Partner. It offers a complete loss adjusting service in Bahrain, an important regional hub for financial services. Urgent LA specializes in adjusting property, liability, and engineering claims plus inland and marine claims and appraisal of real estate properties, forensic engineering and forensic accounting.

Adam Humphrey, CEO of GRS International, welcomed Elsheikh Elite Experts and Urgent LA to the network, adding that the timing could not have been better for the loss adjusters' clients across the region. He said: "The Egyptian market has been growing in scale for many of our international clients, and we are delighted to be able to welcome Ahmed and the Elsheikh Elite Experts to our Global Partner Network. Egypt is delivering on a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure development initiative called Egypt Vision 2030, including constructing a new capital city. This has seen both local and international insurers working with construction firms from across the globe on various projects."

Ahmed Elsheikh, CEO of Elsheikh Elite Experts, said: "Egypt is currently experiencing a period of prosperity and renaissance due to political stability, which is reflected in the economic recovery. The state is currently carrying out many mega projects in infrastructure, roads and means of transportation, and new urban communities. The mega-project boom has led to significant growth in engineering insurance and other insurance lines, property, accidents and liabilities. This has led to a growing need for the expertise of international companies that provide expert services to insurance companies in the field of loss adjusting. Our partnership aims to engage this expertise to enrich this kind of service required by the local insurance market. This agreement marks an important stage in the growth of Elsheikh Elite Experts. We are committed to providing the market with such expertise. The agreement places us in a strong position to handle the claims of our local clients."

Adam also commented that"The addition of Bahrain through our partnership with Urgent LA is key to servicing this market and expanding our regional capabilities. We choose our partners carefully as we seek to ensure that we have a shared vision for delivering the experience required for complex claims and putting clients at the heart of everything we do. GRS fosters strong personal connections with all its Network Partners to give clients confidence that they are working with empowered, passionate and experienced claims professionals, wherever we operate."

Urgent LA's Managing Director, Aqeel Dhaif, said: "We are very excited to partner with GRS in Bahrain as we can offer local and regional market assistance and a high level of professional adjusting services through our collaboration. Working with Jim Pittman and his team in Dubai will build close working relationships with highly experienced specialist adjusting businesses that have deep knowledge of local markets throughout the Middle East."

Finally, Jim Pittman, GRS' Regional Director based in our Dubai hub, added that: "We are delighted to be working with Ahmed and Aqeel and their teams. They bring extensive experience in energy, construction, and other technical risks and already have strong and established relationships with insurers that work with the Egyptian and Bahrain markets. Our partnership will enable GRS to be able to support our clients should any claims or major losses arise."

About Global Risk Solutions

Global Risk Solutions, Inc., enables corporate and insurance industry clients to respond to property casualty claims, natural catastrophes, and environmental pollution events quickly and effectively by delivering people, process, and technology to manage risk and contain cost. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, with global reach and offices located in London, Dubai and throughout the USA, we offer a diverse range of claims adjusting and environmental risk management services. For more information, visit www.globalrisksolutions.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005121/en/

Contacts:

MEDIA CONTACT:

Adam Humphrey

CEO

GRS International

+44 7545 166210

ahumphrey@globalrisksolutions.com
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / AurCrest Gold Inc. (the "Company" or "AurCrest") (TSX:AGO) is pleased to announce that Big Tree Carbon Corp. ("BigTree"), the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, has assisted Agoke Development Limited Partnership ("ADLP") in the authoring of an ADLP business plan for submission to the Ontario government to secure renewal of a management license for the Ogoki Forest management unit. Big Tree, in furtherance of its business arrangement with ADPL, has provided, amongst other input, a letter of support to develop the Carbon Offsetting as a segment of the forest management and revenue generation. This is the first time ADLP has proposed including Carbon Offsetting as a component of their business plan.

Big Tree entered into an arrangement with ADLP in November of 2021 (see press release dated November 8, 2021).

Big Tree has together with ADLP (representing a business venture of the Aroland, Eabametoong, and Marten Falls First Nations) advanced the process to recognize and develop the inherent benefit of modern forest management and utilization of the sequestration benefits of the Great Boreal Forest. This plan will be in keeping with more traditional Anishinaabe understanding of healthy forest management practices and will develop this exciting new segment of the forest resource management business.

ABOUT AURCREST GOLD INC.

AurCrest is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties. AurCrest has a portfolio of properties in Ontario, which include the Richardson Lake, Ranger Lake and Bridget Lake gold properties.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

AurCrest Gold Inc.

Christopher Angeconeb

President and C.E.O.

(807) 737-5353

christopherangeconeb@gmail.com

Ian Brodie-Brown

Director of Business Development

(416) 844-9969

bigtree007@icloud.com

Forward Looking Statement:

Some of the statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization and resources, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various risks. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of mineral commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in mineral exploration, risks associated with development, construction and mining operations, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events may differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. AurCrest undertakes no obligation to update such forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: AurCrest Gold Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690864/AurCrests-Subsidiary-Big-Tree-Carbon-Assists-ADLP-with-Development-of-Carbon-Offsetting-as-Part-of-Forest-Management-Plan
Record high revenue of $2,452,540, +32% over the previous quarter

Opened new outpatient clinic located in downtown Salt Lake City

Strong pipeline of clinical trials for psychedelics and mental health treatments

In January 2022, successfully closed the acquisition of an Arizona-based mental health practice, adding two additional clinics, and closed a $5,000,000 institutional private placement

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Novamind Inc. (CNSX:NM)(OTCQB:NVMDF)(FSE:HN2) ("Novamind" or the "Company"), a leading mental health company specialized in psychedelic medicine, reported its financial results for the three and six months ended December 31, 2021 ("Fiscal Q2 2022"). All results are reported under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise specified.

Novamind CEO, Yaron Conforti, commented, "We're pleased to report record high revenue this quarter driven by continued revenue growth from existing and new clinics. Novamind is focused on providing clinical research services to leading drug developers, meeting patient demand by delivering innovative, evidence-based mental healthcare and bringing to market new treatment programs such as Psychedelic Palliative Care by Novamind and Frontline KAP."

Fiscal Q2 2022 Operating Highlights and Subsequent Events

Announced a strategic investment and advisory agreement with Bienstar Wellness to develop Latin America's first network of integrative mental health clinics

Unveiled a new clinic design concept to accommodate the unique requirements of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy

Opened a new outpatient clinic located in downtown Salt Lake City, specialized in integrative behavioural health and services for adults with substance use disorders

In January 2022, closed the acquisition of Arizona-based Foundations for Change, a mental health practice specialized in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with two clinic locations in the Phoenix area

Enrolled final cohorts and advanced to final stages of the Frontline KAP clinical pilot, a candidate for commercialization at Novamind's clinics

Appointed Prakash Gowd, MBA, BSc Pharm, C Dir as Chief Operating Officer

Contracted to provide clinical research services for the following clinical trials: A phase I clinical trial examining ketamine-assisted therapy combined with Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement therapy to treat opioid use disorder, led by investigator Eric Garland, PhD at the University of Utah A phase II clinical trial investigating ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for adults with life-threatening illness, sponsored by the Ketamine Research Foundation A phase II clinical trial investigating an antidepressant medication for adults with major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, sponsored by Alto Neuroscience



Fiscal Q2 2022 Financial Highlights

Total revenue of $2,452,540, +32% over the previous quarter

Total working capital of $3,141,437 to fund operations

Subsequent to quarter-end, closed a $5,000,000 private placement with an institutional investor on January 26, 2022

The following table presents selected financial information from Novamind's reviewed condensed interim financial statements for the three and six months ended December 31, 2021. The following information should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, which are available under Novamind's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.



Three Months Ended December 31, 2021 ($) Three Months Ended

December 31, 2020 ($) Revenue 2,452,540 1,288,828 Cost of services 1,973,201 701,447 Gross margin 479,339 587,381

Operating expenses 3,391,988 2,945,953 Other income (Expense) RTO transaction cost (1,379,144 ) Foreign exchange (32,338 ) (19,551 ) Unrealized (loss) gain of marketable securities and convertible debentures (315,212 ) 156,694 Realized gain on settlement of convertible debenture Realized gain on disposition of marketable securities Interest income 32,339

Loss before income taxes (3,260,199 ) (3,568,234 ) Income tax recovery (11,000 ) (351 ) Foreign currency translation adjustment (27,768 ) (126,606 ) Net loss and comprehensive loss for the period (3,276,967 ) (3,694,489 ) Basic and diluted net loss per share (0.08 ) (0.11 )

As at December 31, 2021 As at June 30, 2021 Cash 2,732,503 5,426,286 Total current assets 5,161,844 11,003,449 Total non-current assets 8,964,610 6,147,819 Total assets 14,126,454 17,151,268 Total current liabilities 2,020,407 1,322,018 Total non-current liabilities 5,207,793 3,568,668 Total liabilities 7,228,200 4,890,686

About Novamind

Novamind is a leading mental health company enabling safe access to psychedelic medicine through a network of clinics and clinical research sites. Novamind provides ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and other novel treatments through its network of integrative mental health clinics and operates a full-service contract research organization specialized in clinical trials and evidence-based research for psychedelic medicine. For more information on how Novamind is enhancing mental wellness and guiding people through their entire healing journey, visit novamind.ca.

Contact Information

Yaron Conforti, CEO and Director

Telephone: +1 (647) 953 9512

Samantha DeLenardo, VP, Communications

Email: media@novamind.ca

Investor Relations

Email: IR@novamind.ca



Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations including the risks detailed from time to time in the Company's public disclosure. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable laws.

SOURCE: Novamind Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690813/Novamind-Reports-Fiscal-Q2-2022-Financial-Results-and-Operating-Highlights
Multiagent and multichannel support are now the new norm of modern-day communications and business activity

MEDELLIN, COLOMBIA / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / B2Chat is building the most intuitive and robust communication channel to connect with its customers. In this, the company intends to leverage the power of live agents and artificial intelligence-enabled interfaces.

Pamela Richter, the Cofounder of B2Chat said, "Communication is the binding pillar for customer service and retention". She reckons that timely and effective communication forms the basis for rendering quality services. In this regard, the platform shall resolve the perennial whine among the customer community, which is time-consuming and wasteful back-and-forth messaging.

In sharpening the saw of communications, B2Chat implements a multi-chat, multi-agent platform. Using this unified portal, messages coming from the varied avenues get consolidated. These include IMs, social media and webchat. Effectively, a one-stop-shop for engaging in effective communication.

From left to right: B2Chat Founders: Jaime Gutierrez, Victor Saldarriaga, Pedro Jaramillo, Pamela Richter

The unique selling proposition is B2Chat provides a series of prebuilt chatbots that integrate seamlessly with the customers' preferred messaging channel. This serves two purposes. Number one is personalization. Number two - self-service experience for answering FAQs, creating support tickets and launching surveys and questionnaires. Additionally, B2Chat helps companies increase sales by bringing them closer to their customers. It does so by leveraging IMs, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook primarily. The strongest suits for B2Chat are its onboarding, setup, support, infrastructure and system.

Delving deeper, enterprises can fulfil the following:

Sell: The timely and effective chatbots reduce delays. In this way, enterprises can stay on top of sales and conversions opportunities

Centralize: Communication now gets redirected to a single place. No longer do companies need to log into each platform.

Automate: Be it ratings, answering FAQs, or sending greetings or farewells, the system does it automatically

Optimize: The platform enables enterprises to export advanced performance reports and statistics. The data is streamlined and easy to understand. Corporations can now make well-informed decisions and improve operational strategies. Here, businesses can audit and assess their teams' performances in real-time.

Route: Chats get rerouted to the appropriate departments and personnel. This saves ample time by eliminating the need to transfer calls. And the best part? Enterprises can now monitor and analyze the conversations of all their agents in real-time.

Streamline: In this, predetermined messaging helps save valuable time for businesses and customers alike.

Effective communication is the most integral factor in running a business. Businesses do not happen in a vacuum. They occur from resolving customer queries and issues. In this stead, Cofounder and CEO Jamie Gutierrez states, "Your business bottom line is as good as your customer satisfaction levels". Seamless and uninterrupted communication is the stairway to success. No matter how pronounced the product or service is, if it does not solve the customers' problems in time, your business will lose goodwill and reputation.

B2Chat thrives upon capturing the most direct point of contact between business and customers. B2Chat is also working on a robust infrastructure that captures data that can get deployed in analytics. This analytical lens of businesses covers areas such as customer discovery, satisfaction assessment, understanding of the customer journey, detection of malice and fraud. And lastly, user experience.

The business objective of B2Chat is to become a holistic and sophisticated communication medium between businesses and brands.

About B2Chat

B2Chat excels in automating sales processes with plug-n play bots. As for specialties, B2Chat renders eCommerce Bots, FAQ Bots, IM, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and SMS Chat. Long story short, B2Chat puts forth a multichannel and omnichannel communication interface for enterprises and customers.

The communication and messaging systems align with the hyper-connected business ecosystem of today. Customers prefer communicating via instant messaging. And that's where B2Chat delivers by making communications controlled and professional.

Contact Details:

Name: Pamela Richter

Title: Cofounder

Company: B2Chat.io

Email: pamela@b2chat.io

SOURCE: B2Chat

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690460/B2CHAT-Becomes-the-Change-Agent-For-Online-Commerce-Selling-in-Latin-America-And-Expansion-To-Other-Countries
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Sparta Commercial Services, Inc. (OTC PINK:SRCO) ("Sparta" or "the Company") announces that the Town of Candor, North Carolina has again turned to Sparta to obtain the equipment their town needs. The Company has funded multiple contracts for the Town of Candor, who has utilized the Company's Municipal Finance Program 11 separate times since 2014, for a variety of essential-use equipment such as police cruisers, fire equipment, industrial vacuums, and maintenance equipment.

Candor is one of twenty North Carolina jurisdictions that has used Sparta's Municipal Lease Program, including the cities of Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro.

Tammy Kellis, Town Clerk and Finance Officer of the Town of Candor, said, "Working with Sparta's municipal department is a very smooth process, which is why we continue to look to Sparta when we source our options. We would highly recommend Sparta to any municipality looking to finance their essential equipment."

Sparta's Municipal Program gives jurisdictions greater flexibility with their budgeting and allocation, allowing their tax revenues to go further. Enabling municipal and government agencies to spread the cost of high-ticket equipment over time, rather than having to pay the full amount up-front, Sparta is able to work with jurisdictions of all sizes to maximize their budgets.

Anthony Havens, Sparta's CEO, says "Being able to help municipalities with a program that continues to fit their needs is very gratifying." Havens continues, "We look forward to offering our services to the Town of Candor for years to come."

About Sparta Commercial Services Inc.

Sparta Commercial Services, Inc., ( www.spartacommercial.com ), was founded in 2004 and is the parent company of three subsidiaries: iMobile Solutions, Inc., New World Health Brands, Inc. and Sparta Crypto, Inc., offering a variety of products and services.

Sparta's Municipal Financing Division ( www.spartamunicipal.com ) offers and administers a specialized municipal financing program for local and state agencies with jurisdictions seeking a better way to finance their growing essential equipment needs such as police motorcycles and cruisers, EMS equipment and busses, and any type of equipment a municipality requires.

iMobile Solutions, Inc., via its iMobileApp product ( www.imobileapp.com ), develops and services custom mobile apps for a wide range of businesses including restaurants, liquor stores, racetracks, and clubs; as well as vehicle dealerships including Harley-Davidson and John Deere. Other mobile communications products offered include website design, development, hosting and SEO services, and a text messaging and alert service.

Other products offerings of iMobile Solutions, Inc. include comprehensive vehicle title history reports for motorcycles (www.cyclechex.com), recreational vehicles (www.rvchex.com) and heavy duty trucks (www.truckchex.com). The reports have been purchased in all 50 states and 61 other countries, and viewed by potential customers in over 125 countries.

New World Health Brands, Inc. offers offer a full array of wellness products such as supplements including Zinc, Magnesium, Boron, Iodine, Beetroot Extract, and more on its B to C website ( www.newworldhealthbrands.com ) as well as hemp-derived CBD products that include oils, topicals, capsules, tablets, and pet tinctures ( www.newworldhealthcbd.com ).

Sparta Crypto, Inc. has products in development and will announce as they are formally launched.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are valid only as of today and we disclaim any obligation to update this information. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to potential future losses, competition, financing and commercial agreements and strategic alliances, seasonality, potential fluctuations in operating results and rate of growth, management of potential growth, system interruption, consumer and industry trends, limited operating history, and government regulation. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved. Further information regarding these and other risks is described from time to time in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available on its website at: http://www.sec.gov.

Company Contact:

Sandra L. Ahman

Corporate Secretary

Sparta Commercial Services, Inc.

sandy@spartacommercial.com

SOURCE: Sparta Commercial Services, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690799/Candor-NC-Returns-to-Sparta-Commercial-For-Its-Equipment-Needs
Klondike Gold Drills 3.36 g/t Au over 21.3 meters at Stander Zone

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Klondike Gold Corp. (TSX.V:KG; FRA:LBDP; OTCQB:KDKGF) ("Klondike Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to report results of 2021 Phase 3 diamond drilling at its Klondike District Property, located in the Dawson Mining District, Yukon, Canada.

Highlights from Phase 3 Stander Zone drilling include:

3.36 g/t Au over 21.34 meters from 32.0 meters to 53.34 meters within 1.55 g/t Au over 48 meters from 32.0 meters to 80.0 meters in EC21-424

1.57 g/t Au over 26.0 meters from 70.0 meters to 96.0 meters within 0.61 g/t Au over 73.14 meters from 22.86 meters to 96.0 meters in EC21-425

Gold intersections in EC21-424 and EC21-425 are the furthest southeast to date at the Stander Zone, which remains open in all directions.

In 2021 the Company's geology team made key advances in understanding local controls to gold mineralization, with Phase 2 (Lone Star Zone) and now Phase 3 (Stander Zone) drilling assays yielding positive outcomes as result.

The Company is receiving final assays from the Company's Phase 3 and Phase 4 2021 drill programs which concluded in October. The full Phase 3 results are reported here and Phase 4 will be forthcoming in the days ahead.

Results continue to show the Stander Zone discovery hosts significant near-surface gold mineralization which is expandable and remains open in all directions.

Upcoming corporate milestones include near-term completion and release of a Geology technical report followed thereafter in 2022 by completion of a mineral resource at Lone Star Zone.

Peter Tallman, Klondike Gold's CEO states "The Company is well positioned to rapidly advance the Lone Star Zone as one among a number of 'pipeline' targets within our district-spanning 586 square kilometer claim package that has excellent access to existing highway, power, communications, commercial airport and town infrastructure."

STANDER ZONE PHASE 3 DRILLING

The Phase 3 drill program targeted the Stander Zone in two subareas; the "main" and "east", separated by ~2,500 meters along strike. Twenty (20) holes totalling 2,651 meters were completed divided equally between the two. See Figure 1 for Stander Zone "main" drill hole locations, Figure 2 for Stander Zone "east" drill hole locations, and Table 1 for significant assay results.

The Phase 3 drill program was an equivalent test at Stander Zone targeting across strike for potential persistence of gold-bearing sheeted veins and disseminations similar to their disposition at Lone Star Zone. Mineralization at Stander Zone, like at Lone Star Zone, is comprised of gold-bearing sheeted veins and disseminations with highest gold grades found where sheeted veins are concentrated. Work in 2021 at Lone Star Zone recognized across-strike persistence of gold veining which greatly expanded the Zone's mineralized envelope and size potential, as shown by Phase 2 drilling results (see NR May 26, 2021 and September 27, 2021).

These latest significant positive results at the Stander Zone demonstrate continuity of mineralization across strike, and along strike into new areas. Nearly all Phase 3 holes in both subareas of the Stander Zone intersected broad intervals of 0.15 g/t Au to 0.60 g/t Au gold mineralization considered to be a mineralized halo around the central core of intense quartz veining and higher-grade gold deposition at the core of the Zone.

Table 1: 2021 Stander Zone (Phase 3) Significant Results:

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Grade (g/t Au) Length (m) Subarea EC21-414 112.00 115.00 0.83 3.00 main EC21-414 152.00 169.00 0.15 17.00 main EC21-416 47.75 64.00 0.43 16.25 main EC21-416 47.75 100.50 0.17 52.75 main EC21-417 18.00 31.00 0.28 13.00 main EC21-418 26.00 35.00 0.29 9.00 main EC21-419 55.50 56.00 12.59 0.50 main EC21-420 17.00 18.00 1.22 1.00 main EC21-421 67.00 87.00 0.18 20.00 main EC21-422 1.52 8.00 1.35 6.48 main EC21-423 71.00 77.00 0.60 6.00 main EC21-423 71.00 92.00 0.32 21.00 east EC21-424 32.00 80.00 1.55 48.00 east including 32.00 53.34 3.36 21.34 east EC21-425 22.86 96.00 0.61 73.14 east including 70.00 96.00 1.57 26.00 east EC21-426 110.80 123.00 0.31 12.20 east EC21-427 16.00 23.00 0.84 7.00 east EC21-427 86.00 117.00 0.21 31.00 east EC21-428 4.57 13.00 0.59 8.43 east EC21-428 110.00 111.00 5.02 1.00 east EC21-430 6.90 43.00 0.31 36.10 east EC21-430 117.00 147.00 0.33 30.00 east EC21-431 66.00 111.00 0.21 45.00 east EC21-432 8.50 50.50 0.14 42.00 east

Figure 1: Phase 3 drill holes at the Stander Zone 'main' subarea.

Figure 2: Phase 3 drill holes at the Stander Zone 'east' subarea.

EXPLORATION UPDATE

Phase 4 drilling testing along the Eldorado Fault in Eldorado Creek. A total of 13 holes were completed testing various targets. Results will be forthcoming in the days ahead.

Klondike Gold contracted GeoCloud Analytics of Melbourne, Australia to complete a detailed re-interpretation of the 2019 LiDAR survey data (see NR September 23, 2021). The work is in progress with the goal of completing re-interpretation of the dataset covering the entirety of the Company's claims prior to the 2022 field season.

SRK Consulting of Toronto is preparing a NI 43-101 Technical Report summarizing geology and exploration on the Company's Klondike District Project. The report is nearing completion and will be released when received.

Klondike Gold has filed a placer mining permit for renewal of its Upper Eldorado Creek operation, and a quartz exploration permit for renewal of exploration activities in the southeast end of the Company's Klondike District Property.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Klondike Gold Corp will be participating in the following upcoming events:

Red Cloud Pre-PDAC Mining Showcase - March 3 to March 4, 2022 (online)

Metals Investor Forum - March 10 to March 11, 2022

Vancouver Resource Investment Conference - May 16 to May 17, 2022

All events are subject to change.

2021 ASSAY PROTOCOLS

All 2021 drill holes referenced in this release produced NTW (5.71 cm dia.) drill core. Assay samples from drill core are cut using a diamond saw. Half the core sample interval is bagged, tagged, and sealed; the other half is returned to the core box with a corresponding tag retained for reference. Two gold reference standards, two blank samples (a coarse and a fine), and a coarse sample duplicate per 100 samples, are routinely inserted as part of Klondike Gold's quality assurance / quality control ("QA/QC") program, independent of and additional to the laboratory QA/QC program.

Sample bags are aggregated into rice bags, sealed, and submitted by Klondike Gold personnel to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories ("BV Labs") preparation facility in Whitehorse, YT with chemical analysis of sample pulps completed in Vancouver, British Columbia. Bureau Veritas Labs is an accredited ISO 9001:2008 full-service commercial laboratory.

At BV Labs each drill core sample is crushed to 80% passing 2 mm size. A 500 g subsample is pulverized to >85% passing -75 microns size (200 mesh; code PRP70-500). All samples of 500 g are sieved to 106 microns (140 mesh) for "metallic screen" assaying. The +140 mesh fraction is weighed and assayed for gold by fire assay ("FA") fusion with a gravimetric finish (code FS631). A 30 g subsample of the -140 mesh fraction is assayed for gold by fire assay ("FA") fusion with an atomic absorption ("AA") finish (code FA430). All over-limit results in excess of 10 ppm (10 g/t) for both silver and gold are re-assayed using a 30 g subsample and assayed by FA with a gravimetric finish (code FA530-Au/Ag). Total gold grade is then calculated using a weighted average of the plus and minus fraction assay results.

QUALIFIED PERSONS REVIEW

The technical and scientific information contained within this news release has been reviewed and approved by Peter Tallman, P.Geo., President of Klondike Gold Corp. and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy. Detailed technical information, specifications, analytical information and procedures can be found on the Company's website.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Klondike Gold continues to take proactive measures to protect the health and safety of our local host community, our contractors and our employees from COVID 19. Exploration activities in 2021 continue to have additional safety measures in place, following and exceeding all the recommendations made by the Yukon's Chief Medical Officer.

ABOUT KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.

Klondike Gold Corp. is a Vancouver based gold exploration company advancing its 100%-owned Klondike District Gold Project located at Dawson City, Yukon Territory, one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world. The Klondike District Gold Project targets gold associated with district scale orogenic faults along the 55-kilometer length of the famous Klondike Goldfields placer district. To date, multi-kilometer gold mineralization has been identified at both the Lone Star Zone and Stander Zone, among other targets. The Company is focused on exploration and development of its 586 square kilometer property accessible by scheduled airline and government-maintained roads located on the outskirts of Dawson City, YT within the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation traditional territory.

ON BEHALF OF KLONDIKE GOLD CORP.

"Peter Tallman"

President and CEO

(604) 609-6138

E-mail: info@klondikegoldcorp.com

Website: www.klondikegoldcorp.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

"This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Klondike in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Klondike's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon.

Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. Klondike disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required."

SOURCE: Klondike Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690800/Klondike-Gold-Drills-336-GT-Au-Over-213-Meters-at-Stander-Zone
Ann Arbor SPARK and Detroit Regional Partnership Providing Business Development and Talent Assistance to Accelerate Growth

ADASTEC has chosen to locate its U.S. headquarters at the SPARK Central Innovation Center as the company looks for a permanent location in the region. ADASTEC chose Ann Arbor because of the incredible amount of mobility innovation happening here and the support for future growth available throughout its robust tech ecosystem.

"Having a permanent headquarter location here in the Ann Arbor region is a benefit to ADASTEC because of its proximity to U-M and MSU," explained Ann Arbor SPARK's director of mobility programs, Komal Doshi. "The company's future growth is dependent on access to business development opportunities and finding talent, so there's no better place than Ann Arbor for it to grow its roots. What's particularly exciting for our ecosystem here is that ADASTEC joins a growing list of foreign companies that recognize the assets this region offers and want to be part of it all."

ADASTEC CEO Dr. Ali Peker added, "We believe that Michigan is one of the best locations to be for mobility and automotive industry. There are excellent opportunities in Michigan as economic development corporations, associations, and chambers. Michiganders greet us warmly at all times and have always supported us without any expectations. We are happy to be in Ann Arbor and to take our place in the heart of the automotive industry innovations."

ADASTEC has developed flowride.ai, a SAE Level-4 automated driving software platform for commercial vehicles. The company has deployed a test of its technology on Michigan State University's (MSU) campus in East Lansing, made possible through a collaboration with the state of Michigan and bus manufacturer Karsan. MSU will officially deploy the bus after completing intense on-campus testing and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration validation of the bus, route and infrastructure.

Ann Arbor SPARK and its partners at the Detroit Regional Partnership have also connected ADASTEC to University of Michigan's Mcity Tech Lab Program where a four-member student team will be working with them to create a sensor fusion architecture for enhanced perception in adverse weather conditions. Their work will also incorporate new and existing multiple sensors designed to improve safety and the overall capabilities of the autonomous bus in all environments.

ADASTEC is also planning to leverage testing and validation opportunities through the American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti, Mich. and capture the performance of the system in different scenarios. Ann Arbor SPARK, the Detroit Regional Partnership, and ADASTEC are aggressively pursuing additional partnerships to help further the company's operations in the region.

Ann Arbor SPARK will host ADASTEC at the virtual A2Mobility Tech Meetup on April 21, where they will share more about their technology and their growth plans. The company currently has five employees locally with plans to double their team here in the next year.

About Ann Arbor SPARK

Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is advancing the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction and retention. The organization identifies and meets the needs of business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners. For more information, please call (734) 761-9317 or visit www.AnnArborUSA.org.

About ADASTEC

ADASTEC delivers SAE Level-4 Automated Driving Software Platform for commercial vehicles to enable OEMs to develop modern, automated, shared, and connected commercial vehicles. ADASTEC flowride.ai SAE Level-4 Automated Driving Software Platform integrated buses are on public roads in 5 countries in Europe North America.

flowride.ai is designed with the fusion of different high-precision sensors available in the global market and complies with safety standards and regulations.

ADASTEC has technology and operation offices in the US plus an R&D and EU Operations office in Turkey. For more information, visit www.adastec.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005257/en/

Contacts:

Ann Arbor SPARK

Jenn Cornell Queen, 734-765-0174

jenn@jenncornell.com
- Increase in use of security-based products, rise in awareness, unique and easy-to-use technology, low battery requirements, increase in adoption of cloud-based mobile application, and device efficiency drive the growth of the global smart locks market.

PORTLAND, Ore., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Smart Locks Market by Product Type (Deadbolts, Lever Handles, Padlocks, and Others), Technology (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and End User (Residential and Commercial) Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030." According to the report, the global smart locks industry was pegged at $2.36 billion in 2020, and is expected to reach $14.97 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 20.1% from 2021 to 2030.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Increase in use of security-based products, rise in awareness, unique and easy-to-use technology, low battery requirements, increase in adoption of cloud-based mobile application, and device efficiency drive the growth of the global smart locks market. On the contrary, high initial cost and fear of privacy intrusion impede the growth of the market. However, geographic expansion of businesses and rapid changing business model are anticipated to pave the way for multiple opportunities in the industry.

Download Report Sample (171 Pages PDF with Insights) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2261

COVID-19 scenario

Increase in adoption of smart locks during the pandemic affected the global smart locks market positively. Commercial and government sectors have adopted smart locks to overcome concerns regarding safety and security of the public and enterprises.

As the world is getting back to normalcy, organizations are focusing on advanced technology such as machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and cloud computing across residential and commercial sectors to perform contactless operations. This is expected to boost the demand for smart locks in the market.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the smart locks market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/2261

The deadbolts segment to dominate by 2030

By product, the deadbolts segment accounted for more thanhalf of the global smart locks market share in 2020, and is anticipated to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is owing to the increase in the need to address connectivity, which compels various users to adopt smart deadbolt locks. The padlocks segment, however, would showcase the fastest CAGR of 21.3% by 2030. The report also includes an analysis of lever handles segments.

The Wi-Fi segment held the lion's share in 2020

Based on technology, the Wi-Fi segment held the lion's share in 2020, contributing to more than three-fifths of the global smart locks market, and is expected to continue its lead during the forecast period. Advanced and reliable features of Wi-Fi-enabled systems such as a locking mechanism in the door which can be activated and deactivated automatically by smartphone using Wi-Fi technology within a specific range. This factor isexpected to drive the growth of this segment. However, Bluetooth segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR of 20.7% by 2030. This is attributed due to rise in awareness, reduction in costs of installing smart locks, low battery requirements, and device efficiency which accelerates the adoption of Bluetooth-enabled smart locks.

North America to lead the trail in terms of revenue

By geography, North America garnered the major share in 2020, contributing to more than two-fifths of the global smart locks industry. This is attributed to increase penetration of IoT, rise in trend for smart homes, and rise in real estate, and hospitality areas. Simultaneously, the Asia-Pacific region would manifest the fastest CAGR of 21.8% throughout the estimated period. This is owing to the increase in use of the internet, growing security concerns in government offices & research centers, and rise in construction activities in India and China which are likely to expand the smart locks market growth at the fastest rate.

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Leading market players

Honeywell International Inc.

Schlage

UniKey Technologies

August Home

Samsung SDS Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporations

SALTO Systems

HAVEN Lock, Inc.

SPECTRUM BRANDS, INC.

VIVINT, INC.

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Hostilities overseas, Canadian trucker protests accelerating the pace of potential orders.

Additional growth prospects through pending OEM engagements.

Company launches international sales and marketing program.

Company files FY 2022 Q1 financials.

Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - KWESST Micro Systems Inc. (TSXV: KWE) (OTCQB: KWEMF) ("KWESST" or "the Company") today provided a comprehensive corporate update on progress and developments, including a stronger outlook for Company products in the face of a changing operating environment.

Operating environment

"In the past days and weeks, we've witnessed a fundamental re-set in the operating environment," said David Luxton, Executive Chairman of KWESST. "Hostilities overseas and the spread of trucker protests domestically are accelerating requests and potential orders for virtually all products and services across our three business segments." The Company said it expects this re-set to be enduring, with long-term effects and increased demand for the kind of next-generation tactical systems KWESST provides.

Three business segments





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Non-lethal

The immediate effect of events like the trucker protests has been a pronounced increase in demand by law enforcement agencies for non-lethal equipment. As announced February 22, the Company's ARWEN TM anti-riot equipment was used at the trucker protest in Ottawa, Canada to help bring a safe conclusion to the incident. The Company is now processing numerous quote requests for replenishment and expansion of anti-riot equipment.

The Company's new non-lethal PARA OPSTM unveiled at the 2022 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Jan 18-21, will see first production samples commencing mid-March for customer demonstrations and evaluations,

and full production commencing by late summer through outsourced third-party contractors with facilities in the U.S. and Canada. As well, in order to accelerate the time to market for its PARA OPS products and begin taking orders, KWESST has initiated an interim self-classification process in parallel with a formal classification application to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with outside assistance from expert professionals.

Digitization

Following the establishment of KWESST's Center of Excellence for digitization of soldier systems , several OEMs initiated discussions with KWESST for other requirements, including integration of systems for military as well as public security applications. Some of these discussions are at an advanced stage, with announcements expected in the near future.

These discussions are in addition to the already announced signing of a master professional services agreement with General Dynamics General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada ("GDMS") to support the development of digitization solutions for future Canadian land C4ISR programs under Strong, Secure, Engaged: Canada's defence policy, with government procurements estimated at $3-billion to $5-billion over five years. Under the master agreement with an initial order estimated at approximately $1 million, KWESST will assist in the development of an initial prototype system that networks soldiers with information from various sources in real time, including location of friendly forces and adversaries, and facilitates more effective, coordinated fire.

Recent articles in military magazines on the future of soldier digitization and KWESST's capabilities can be found here:

https://canadianarmytoday.com/collaborative-app/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mKecZ4Omrl1qgjLZJomukBmoP48v6DlE/view?usp=sharing

Counter-Threat

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has been a major recent catalyst for KWESST's PhantomTM electronic decoy, with several pending requests and price quotations to fill Urgent Operational Requirements ("UOR") for NATO forces. The level of interest and the urgency encourages the Company to believe that it is highly likely it could receive NATO country orders throughout its 2022 fiscal year and beyond.

This is in addition to the decision by General Dynamics Land Systems ("GDLS") to select PhantomTM for a new vehicle program submission to the U.S. military as announced on November 12, 2021. Over the next 15 months, the KWESST engineering team will be working in close collaboration with GDLS to support readying a prototype vehicle with Phantom on board for trials by its U.S. military customer in the first part of 2023. The Phantom capability will be designed to meet evolving electro-magnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) tactics, techniques and procedures to be employed by vehicle operators in an RF contested environment.

Should GDLS be the successful bidder for the planned follow-on production program, and include the Phantom, the potential value to KWESST could be USD $40-million or more, depending on the number of Phantom units per vehicle.

Hostilities are creating similar interest in the Company's Battlefield Laser Defense System ("BLDS") that detects and locates lasers, including weaponized lasers, with first orders from two overseas NATO countries pending.

Domestic protests have intensified law enforcement requirements for Counter-UAS ("CUAS") against drones used by protesters. The Company is currently in discussions with potential industry partners and customers to partner and adapt its confidential GhostNet TM system for domestic public security requirements.

Expanded OEM engagement

As stated on many occasions, a key part of KWESST's go-to-market plan is to partner with major defense contractors, as it has done with GDMS and GDLS. Similar agreements are in progress with other OEMs that KWESST believes could result in expansion into other products and markets internationally. The first such announcements are expected early in our third quarter starting April 1st, 2022.

International market development

With the easing of pandemic travel restrictions, the defense industry is resuming trade shows, and KWESST is once again able to exhibit and meet with customers, OEMs and international sales representatives. This includes the following major international events for 2022: World Defense, Riyadh Saudi Arabia 6-9 March; UK Security & Policing Farnham, UK 15-17 March; SOFIC Special Operations Expo, Tampa FL 16-19 May; CANSEC, Ottawa 1-2 June; Eurosatory, Paris 13-17 June; AUSA, Washington DC 10-12 Oct; and SOFEX, Amman, Jordan 31 Oct-31-4 Nov. In conjunction, the Company is launching an outreach program to its extensive network of international sales reps and agents, commencing March 2022.

New web site, videos

The Company said it expects to launch a new web site by mid-March and meanwhile has posted some short product video clips here:

Phantom Tactical Electro-Magnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO)

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kwesst_phantom-tactical-electro-magnetic-spectrum-activity-6899745578998472704-PKII

Battlefield Laser Detection Systems

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kwesst_battlefield-laser-detection-systems-activity-6902651213670612992-es4L

More videos will follow so that customers and investors have the benefit of visualizing what KWESST means with its promise of "Next-Generation Tactical Systems".

Filing of Fiscal 2022 Q1 financials

The Company reported that it has filed its financial statements for its first quarter period ending 31 December, 2021 and those are available at www.sedar.com

About PARA OPS

The patent-pending PARA OPS technology is a breakthrough in non-lethal systems. It combines the reliability of a cartridge with a polymer projectile in a low-energy self-stabilizing configuration for accuracy. There is no gunpowder, compressed air or CO2. Projectiles come in a choice of payloads appropriate to the mission, whether personal defense, public order or realistic tactical simulation. Cartridges fire from a low-cost dedicated launcher that can look like a firearm, a TV remote control, a flashlight, or any hybrid or custom design. Launchers fire only PARA OPS cartridges and will not accept live ammunition. Projectile payloads include incapacitating pepper powder, inert colored powder for training, and solid slugs for practice or pain compliance.

About KWESST

KWESST develops and commercializes breakthrough next-generation tactical systems that meet the requirements of security forces and personal defense for overmatch capability against adversaries. The company's current portfolio of unique proprietary offerings include its unique non-lethal Low Energy Cartridge (LEC) system with application across all segments of the non-lethal market, including law enforcement and personal defence. KWESST is also engaged in the digitization of tactical forces for shared situational awareness and targeting with its signature TASCSTM (Tactical Awareness and Situational Control System) for real-time awareness and targeting information from any source (including drones) streamed directly to users' smart devices and weapons. Other KWESST products include counter-measures against threats such as drones, lasers and electronic detection. These include the autonomous GreyGhostTM soldier-portable micro drone missile system that defends against small hostile drones including swarms using high-speed kinetic impact; a Ground Laser Defence system to counter the emerging threat of weaponized lasers against personnel and the PhantomTM electronic battlefield decoy system to mask the electromagnetic signature of friendly forces with decoy signatures at false locations to deceive and confuse adversaries. These systems can operate stand-alone or integrate seamlessly with OEM products and battlefield management systems. The Company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with operations in Stafford, VA and representative offices in London, UK and Abu Dhabi, UAE. KWESST trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol KWE and on the U.S. OTCQB under the symbol KWEMF.

Contact: Jason Frame, Investor Relations: frame@kwesst.com

For more information, please visit https://kwesst.com/

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. KWESST disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115210
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Minaurum Gold, Inc (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) ("Minaurum") is pleased to announce it has returned high-grade silver intercepts from the final Phase II holes drilled in 2021 at its flagship Alamos silver project in Sonora, Mexico. In 2021, Minaurum drilled 9,386.50 m in 22 holes focusing on sizable step-outs at the Ana, Europa, San Jose, Alessandra, Cotera, and Minas Nuevas vein zones. The best results obtained in the Minas Nuevas, Cotera and San Jose vein zones are as follows.

Highlights include:

Minas Nuevas vein zone

Hole AL21-099 returned 9.90 m @ 609 g/t Ag; including 0.90 m @ 1,145 g/t Ag, 0.50 m @ 2,260 g/t Ag, and 0.50 m @ 2,360 g/t Ag

Cotera vein zone

Hole AL21-094 returned 1.05 m @ 411 g/t Ag and 2.66% Zn; and 0.95 m @ 763 g/t Ag and 2.14% Cu; and 0.30 m @ 2,310 g/t Ag and 6.52% Cu

San Jose vein zone

Hole AL21-091 returned 21.70 m @ 93 g/t Ag; including 4.85 m @ 159 g/t Ag

including Hole AL21-092A returned 7.35 m @ 184 g/t Ag; including 4.05 m @ 289 g/t Ag

"Our Phase II drill program of aggressive step-outs has yielded high-grade silver results at the Cotera, Minas Nuevas and San Jose veins, significantly expanding the known mineralized footprint of each target," stated Darrell Rader, Minaurum President and CEO. "We are now planning to transition to more closely-spaced drilling as we advance the Alamos project. We will be providing an update shortly on our plans for 2022."

Figure 1. Alamos project vein zones and drill-hole collars. Click on image to enlarge.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/115128_5a658c1ae4b76bf7_003full.jpg

Minas Nuevas vein zone

Minas Nuevas consists of a group of veins located in the NE of the Alamos concession block. In its northern-most section, the vein bends sharply to the northwest encompassing the Zambona vein, where historical records and reports indicate that mine workings followed a northwest-plunging silver shoot. Holes AL21-098 and -099 are the first ever holes to test the Zambona vein zone (Figures 2 and 3).

Hole AL21-099 intersected strong silver mineralization of 609 g/t Ag over 9.90 m, including 0.90 m @ 1,145 g/t Ag, 0.50 m @ 2,260 g/t Ag, and 0.50 m @ 2,360 g/t Ag, intersecting the shoot near the NW-most extent of the workings, leaving prospective ground further to the northwest along strike and down-plunge. Hole AL21-098 intersected several metres of quartz-carbonate veining with trace silver mineralization in the hanging wall of the fault contact with granodiorite, and appears to have been drilled underneath the silver shoot. Highlights of Minas Nuevas vein zone drilling are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Highlights of hole AL21-099, Minas Nuevas vein zone.

Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Ag g/t Au g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % AL21-099 185.60 196.50 9.90 609 0.01 0.18 0.27 0.47 including 187.15 188.05 0.90 1145 0.05 0.12 1.23 2.48 and 189.10 195.50 6.40 753 0.03 0.23 0.2 0.27 which includes 192.20 192.70 0.50 2260 0.03 0.24 0.47 0.54 and 195.00 195.50 0.50 2360 0.03 0.2 0.3 0.54

Figure 2. Minas Nuevas zone, showing Minaurum drilling and intercepts. Click on image to enlarge.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/115128_5a658c1ae4b76bf7_004full.jpg

Figure 3. Cross section of holes AL21-098 and AL21-099. Click on image to enlarge.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/115128_5a658c1ae4b76bf7_005full.jpg

San Jose Vein zone

Stepping out to the north from previous drilling, hole AL21-091 intersected a wide zone of 21.90 m @ 93 g/t Ag in the highest part of the hole (Figures 4 and 5). Hole AL21-092A expanded the vein zone 250 m to the southwest of -091 (Figures 4 and 5), intersecting continuous silver mineralization of 7.35 m @ 184 g/t Ag including 1.30 m @ 649 g/t Ag (Figure 5). Mineralization in both intercepts occurs in fractured and veined andesite immediately above the fault contact with granodiorite. Highlights of San Jose vein zone drilling are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Highlights of holes AL21-089, -091, -092A, and -092, San Jose vein zone.

Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Ag g/t Au g/t Cu% Pb % Zn % AL21-089 98.00 108.70 10.70 50 0.004 0.03 0.06 0.14 including 99.45 101.05 1.60 124 0.02 0.09 0.19 0.48 AL21-091 40.25 61.95 21.70 93 0.01 0.1 0.19 0.24 including 46.05 53.65 7.60 135 0.02 0.18 0.38 0.38 which includes 48.80 53.65 4.85 159 0.02 0.22 0.44 0.41 AL21-092A 131.50 138.85 7.35 184 0.02 0.22 0.21 0.27 including 131.90 135.95 4.05 289 0.03 0.38 0.34 0.43 which includes 133.65 134.70 1.05 746 0.06 0.99 0.92 0.93 AL21-092 130.90 136.45 5.55 148 0.02 0.15 0.2 0.49 including 130.90 134.65 3.75 196 0.02 0.17 0.15 0.35 which includes 132.70 133.40 0.70 321 0.03 0.23 0.13 0.79

Figure 4. Northern part of San Jose zone. Click on image to enlarge.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

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Figure 5. San Jose cross section showing holes AL21-092 and AL21-092A. Click image to enlarge.



To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3455/115128_5a658c1ae4b76bf7_007full.jpg

Cotera Vein Zone

The north-south-striking, steeply dipping Cotera zone extends for a kilometre to the north and 300 m to the south of the drilled area. Holes AL21-094 and -095 cut the Cotera zone approximately 80 metres south of Hole AL19-035 intercept (Figures 6 and 7). AL21-094 intersected high-grade silver and copper of 0.30 m @ 2,310 g/t Ag and 6.52% Cu within an interval of 2.10 m @ 360 g/t Ag and 1.00% Cu and 2.95 m @ 232 g/t Ag, including 1.05 m @ 411 g/t. Hole AL21-095, drilled from the same pad as AL21-094, cut intervals of anomalous base metals and silver mineralization.

Approximately 80 m to the north of the AL19-035 intercept, hole AL21-096 drilled two mineralized intervals of 2.40 m @ 115 g/t Ag including 0.45 m @ 399 g/t Ag; and 1.50 m @ 106 g/t Ag including 0.60 m @ 212 g/t Ag. Highlights of Cotera vein zone drilling are presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Highlights of holes AL21-094, -095, and -096, Cotera vein zone.

Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Ag g/t Au g/t Cu % Pb % Zn % AL21-094 146.35 155.50 9.15 101 0.01 0.12 0.13 0.46 including 151.65 154.60 2.95 232 0.02 0.16 0.27 1.15 which includes 151.65 152.70 1.05 411 0.02 0.22 0.36 2.66 219.25 220.20 0.95 763 0.25 2.14 0.24 0.25 including 219.90 220.20 0.30 2310 0.43 6.52 0.12 0.37 AL21-095 206.00 206.25 0.25 18 0.001 0.53 0.03 0.2 264.75 265.90 1.15 25 0.02 0 0.05 0.08 316.60 317.05 0.45 12 0.01 0 1.33 0.12 AL21-096 190.70 193.10 2.40 115 0.01 0.14 0.28 0.49 including 192.65 193.10 0.45 399 0.02 0.53 0.93 1.69 269.60 271.10 1.50 106 0.19 0.18 2.31 0.69 including 270.50 271.10 0.60 212 0.24 0.39 4.32 0.90

Figure 6. Plan map of the Cotera vein zone, showing geology and drilling. Click on image to enlarge.



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Figure 7. Cross section of holes AL21-094 and AL21-095, Cotera zone. Click on image to enlarge.



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Alessandra Skarn and Vein Zone

Hole AL21-090 was drilled to cut the up-dip projection of the mineralized zone cut by hole AL21-085 (see News Release dated November 9, 2021) and intersected 13.50 m with an average grade of 0.28% Cu. Drilled approximately 250 m up-dip of the AL21-085, the hole indicates that the grade and width of mineralization increases at depth at the target area.

Holes AL21-093 and AL21-097 were aimed to intersect the mineralized zone about 125 and 250 m north of the AL21-085 intercept, and at approximately the same elevation. These holes returned anomalous mineralization with the zone remaining open at depth and along strike.

Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV: MGG) (OTCQX: MMRGF) (FSE: 78M) is a Mexico-focused explorer concentrating on the high-grade Alamos silver project in southern Sonora. With a property portfolio encompassing multiple additional district-scale projects, Minaurum is managed by one of the strongest technical and finance teams in Mexico. Minaurum's goal is to continue its founders' legacy of creating shareholder value by making district-scale mineral discoveries and executing accretive mining transactions. For more information, please visit our website at www.minaurum.com and follow us on YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Darrell A. Rader"

Darrell A. Rader

President and CEO

For more information, please contact:

Sunny Pannu - Investor Relations and Corporate Development Manager

(778) 330 0994 or via email at pannu@minaurum.com

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

2710 - 200 Granville Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4

Telephone 778 330-0994

www.minaurum.com

info@minaurum.com

Stephen R. Maynard, Vice President of Exploration of Minaurum and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, reviewed and verified the assay data, and has approved the disclosure in this News Release. Historical data reported in this news release has not been verified.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, Minaurum has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on Minaurum' s current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Minaurum. Although Minaurum considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Minaurum does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control: Preparation and assaying of drilling samples from Minaurum's Alamos project are done with strict adherence to a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) protocol. Core samples are sawed in half and then bagged in a secure facility near the site, and then shipped by a licensed courier to ALS Minerals' preparation facility in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. ALS prepares the samples, crushing them to 70% less than 2mm, splitting off 250g, and pulverizing the split to more than 85% passing 75 microns. The resulting sample pulps are prepared in Hermosillo, and then shipped to Vancouver for chemical analysis by ALS Minerals. In Vancouver, the pulps are analyzed for gold by fire assay and ICP/AES on a 50-gram charge. In addition, analyses are done for a 48- element suite using 4-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Samples with silver values greater than 100 g/t; and copper, lead, or zinc values greater than 10,000 ppm (1%) are re-analyzed using 4-acid digestion and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS).

Quality-control (QC) samples are inserted in the sample stream every 20 samples, and thus represent 5% of the total samples. QC samples include standards, blanks, and duplicate samples. Standards are pulps that have been prepared by a third-party laboratory; they have gold, silver, and base-metal values that are established by an extensive analytical process in which several commercial labs (including ALS Minerals) participate. Standards test the calibration of the analytical equipment. Blanks are rock material known from prior sampling to contain less than 0.005 ppm gold; they test the sample preparation procedure for cross-sample contamination. In the case of duplicates, the sample interval is cut in half, and then quartered. The first quarter is the original sample, the second becomes the duplicate. Duplicate samples provide a test of the reproducibility of assays in the same drilled interval. When final assays are received, QC sample results are inspected for deviation from accepted values. To date, QC sample analytical results have fallen in acceptable ranges on the Alamos project.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115128
Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attends the opening meeting of the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, March 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee convened in Beijing on Tuesday to prepare for the upcoming annual session of the top political advisory body.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended Tuesday's opening meeting of the 20th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee.

A decision to convene the fifth session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee starting from March 4 in Beijing was reviewed and adopted at the meeting. The decision also included a proposed agenda for the annual session.

The session heard explanations on the drafting of the work report of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee and a report on how the Standing Committee has handled proposals put forward by political advisors, among others.

It also heard reports on the work of the special committees of the CPPCC National Committee and reports on the political advisory body's personnel issues. Enditem
Highlights:

Teuton Resources Corp. (TSXV: TUO), the project generator behind the approximately $560 million Treaty Creek project, has agreed to subscribe for a $600,000 private placement ("PP") in Sanatana.

The PP will consist of 4,000,000 units priced at $0.15 per unit comprising one share and one-half of a share purchase warrant exercisable at $0.20 for two years.

The evaluation of Oweegee and the investment by Teuton provides a strong endorsement of Sanatana's Oweegee Dome project.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Sanatana Resources Inc. (TSXV: STA) ("Sanatana" or the "Company") is pleased to report that Teuton Resources Corp. ("Teuton") has agreed to purchase 4,000,000 units of the Company for $600,000 and priced at $0.15 per unit. Each unit will consist of one share and one-half of a share purchase warrant, each full warrant exercisable at $0.20 for two years. The funds will be used for upcoming drilling and exploration of Sanatana's Oweegee Dome project scheduled to start in June 2022.

Peter Miles, CEO, stated, "We are extremely pleased to welcome Teuton, headed by Dino Cremonese, as an important Sanatana shareholder. Dino has over 40 years of exploration experience in the Golden Triangle of BC and notably Teuton is the project generator for Tudor Gold's Treaty Creek project (located approximately 40 kms west of Oweegee) with a combined market capitalization in excess of $560,000,000. We are confident that Dino's demonstrated knowledge, leadership and experience in vetting Golden Triangle projects, combined with Teuton's investment in Sanatana, provide a strong endorsement of Sanatana's Oweegee Dome project."

Dino Cremonese, President and CEO of Teuton, commented: "This investment was made because of the merit of Sanatana's Oweegee Dome property located east of Highway 37 and north of Meziadin Lake in the Golden Triangle region of northwestern British Columbia. The Oweegee Dome property is similar to Teuton's Treaty Creek property in that both are very large and host extensive gossans indicating pervasive hydrothermal activity. When I first staked Treaty Creek in 1984, the general consensus was that it was a separate system from the Sulphurets region to the south, an area now controlled by Seabridge Gold's KSM property (host to some of the largest reserves of copper and gold in the world) and the Brucejack property (recently acquired by Newcrest for $3.5 billion from owner Pretium Resources). Although five different companies optioned Treaty Creek from 1990 to 2007, it was not until the sixth optionee, Tudor Gold, took on the property and hired Ken Konkin in 2019 that its promise was realized. A re-interpretation of geology and a re-orientation of drilling led to a maiden resource of 19.4 million gold equiv. ounces in early 2021*. The main deposit, the Goldstorm, is still being explored for further expansion and three satellite zones hold promise for further resources to be developed. One might say that the Oweegee Dome property is at an earlier stage of its evolution, nevertheless, the new mineralized zones discovered in surface outcrop in 2021 do suggest potential for the discovery of a future porphyry copper-gold deposit. The property is scheduled for drilling at the beginning of the 2022 field season and Teuton's private placement investment insures it will have a substantial stake in this venture."

*815.7 million tonnes grading 0.74 g/t gold equiv. at a 0.30 g/t gold equiv. cut-off. For detailed results refer to the Teuton news release dated March 9, 2021, available on SEDAR.

Closing of the PP is subject to prescribed conditions, including, without limitations, approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.The securities to be issued under the PP will be offered by way of private placement pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws. Securities issued under the PP will be subject to a four-month hold period which will expire four months and one day from the date of closing of the PP. Teuton may be an insider of Sanatana after closing of the PP.

About the Oweegee Dome Project

In July 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with ArcWest Exploration Inc. ("ArcWest") to option up to 80% of ArcWest's 31,077-hectre Oweegee Dome porphyry copper-gold project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle. The Oweegee Dome project is situated 45 km east of Seabridge Gold Corp's KSM-Iron Cap porphyry Cu-Au project. The agreement is subject to TSX-V approval.

The Company can earn an initial 60% interest in the Oweegee Dome project by funding, over a four-year period, cumulative exploration expenditures of $6,600,000 and by making staged cash and share payments totaling $500,000 and 2,000,000 shares, respectively. Upon completion of the first option and receipt of the initial interest notice from Sanatana, Sanatana will have a 60-day period to elect to earn an additional 20% interest, for an aggregate 80% interest, or form a joint venture.

The technical information in this news release was prepared under the supervision of Buddy Doyle B.App Sc Geology, MAUSIMM. Mr. Doyle is a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has reviewed and approved the technical information disclosed in this news release.

About the Company

Sanatana Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on high-impact properties in Canada. With an award-winning technical team and experienced management and board of directors, Sanatana is based in Vancouver and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: STA).

SANATANA RESOURCES INC.

(signed) "Peter Miles "



Peter Miles

Chief Executive Officer

For additional information on the Company, please contact Mr. Peter Miles, Chief Executive Officer at (604) 408-6680 or email investor@sanatanaresources.com .

To be added to the email distribution list, please email ir@sanatanaresources.com with "Sanatana" in the subject line.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "intends", "is expected", "potential", "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond Sanatana's control. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115191
SHENZHEN, China, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, today has announced the release of a carbon neutrality white paper and a green end-to-end future-oriented solution GreenPilot at the MWC 2022, strengthening its commitment to carbon reduction to accelerate progress towards the sustainable development goals.

Jointly released by ZTE and Frost & Sullivan, a research & consulting firm, the white paper Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: The Transformative Role of Digitalization illustrates the climate changes ahead and the global commitment to carbon reduction. It also explores the decarbonization impact of digital technologies in four sectors of telecommunications, electricity, transportation, and manufacturing, with a focus on telecommunications for its excellence and potential in creating a transformational acceleration of decarbonization efforts.

To cope with climate challenges, ZTE adds GreenPilot to its green solution portfolio to help reduce mobile network energy consumption to make green networks.

"The newly-released GreenPilot solution is applicable for various scenarios, offering full-process energy-saving solutions to maximize the energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions," said Ms. Chen Zhiping, Vice President at ZTE. "GreenPilot incorporates solutions of RuralPilot, SolarMaster, SmartLi, PowerPilot and GreenDC, which are designed to satisfy requirements of different scenarios."

ZTE RuralPilot: Featuring Lego design, ZTE RuralPilot can be assembled, detached and expanded easily. All the devices are installed on the pole, making transportation and construction easier, thereby leading to a decrease of the engineering cost by 50%. Moreover, solar panels and intelligent lithium batteries provide 100% clean power supply without mains and diesel generator electricity. And as the total power consumption of a site can be controlled within 150 Watts, the power consumption can be reduced by 59% and the CAPEX by 35%.

Featuring Lego design, ZTE RuralPilot can be assembled, detached and expanded easily. All the devices are installed on the pole, making transportation and construction easier, thereby leading to a decrease of the engineering cost by 50%. Moreover, solar panels and intelligent lithium batteries provide 100% clean power supply without mains and diesel generator electricity. And as the total power consumption of a site can be controlled within 150 Watts, the power consumption can be reduced by 59% and the CAPEX by 35%. SolarMaster: ZTE SolarMaster supports a smooth upgrade to solar power with innovative technologies, and maximizes the solar power conversion efficiency while increasing the power generation efficiency by over 10%.

ZTE SolarMaster supports a smooth upgrade to solar power with innovative technologies, and maximizes the solar power conversion efficiency while increasing the power generation efficiency by over 10%. SmartLi: ZTE SmartLi battery solution allows the direct hybrid use of intelligent lithium batteries and legacy batteries, to achieve smooth capacity expansion and protect existing site investment. In the AAU remote power supply scenario, Voltage Boosting function of SmartLi can reduce the cable loss, saving 30% additional mains electricity cost. Thanks to this function, the battery capacity can be released by 100%. In this way, site power storage system CAPEX can be saved greatly.

ZTE SmartLi battery solution allows the direct hybrid use of intelligent lithium batteries and legacy batteries, to achieve smooth capacity expansion and protect existing site investment. In the AAU remote power supply scenario, Voltage Boosting function of SmartLi can reduce the cable loss, saving 30% additional mains electricity cost. Thanks to this function, the battery capacity can be released by 100%. In this way, site power storage system CAPEX can be saved greatly. PowerPilot : Based on AI and big data, ZTE PowerPilot2.0 solution, the most important part of GreenPilot, can dynamically match network resources through real-time monitoring and load prediction. Without affecting user experiences, the power consumption is reduced by shutting down redundant resources to save power intelligently. The overall network power consumption is reduced by more than 30%.

: Based on AI and big data, ZTE PowerPilot2.0 solution, the most important part of GreenPilot, can dynamically match network resources through real-time monitoring and load prediction. Without affecting user experiences, the power consumption is reduced by shutting down redundant resources to save power intelligently. The overall network power consumption is reduced by more than 30%. GreenDC: ZTE GreenDC solution employs innovative technologies in aspects of air conditioner, power distribution, and management and control to achieve power saving and emission reduction. In China , ZTE has worked closely with Tencent to deploy the prefabricated fully-modular data center. By applying multiple power saving technologies on a large scale, the power consumption is reduced by 30%, and PUE is reduced to 1.25.

ZTE has just been rewarded with the 2022 Global Telecom DC Power Product Leadership Award, according to the Frost & Sullivan's assessment of the global telecom DC power industry, in recognition of the company's highly efficient, modular, intelligent and green telecom power solutions addressing the current customer pain points and evolving future 5G requirements.

ZTE has always been taking "green and low carbon" as one of the company's core strategies. To date, ZTE has deployed more than 500 green innovation patents. Moving forward, the company will keep strengthening its research efforts to achieve breakthroughs in key technologies, expecting to build a zero-carbon society together with its global partners.

Click here to download the white paper:

Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: The Transformative Role of Digitalization

https://res-www.zte.com.cn/mediares/zte/Files/PDF/white_book/202203011424.pdf

Media Contact:

Margaret Ma

ZTE Corporation

Tel: +86 755 26775189

Email: ma.gaili@zte.com.cn
New Categories for 2022 Recognize Thought Leadership

FAIRFAX, Va., March 01, 2022and sales awards, were announced today. Stevie Award winners will be celebrated during a virtual awards ceremony on May 11.



The complete list of Stevie Winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations in 51 nations were considered in this year's competition. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals on eight specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 90 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; more than 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services, solution providers, and organizations' and individuals' response to the COVID-19 pandemic. New categories this year honor excellence in thought leadership in customer service and sales.

IBM of Armonk, NY USA and DP DHL, worldwide both won 11 Gold Stevie Awards, the most of any organization in the competition. Other Stevie winners with three of more Golds include Sales Partnerships, Inc., Broomfield, CO USA (eight), ValueSelling Associates, Carlsbad, CA USA (six), HP, Inc. Boise, ID USA (four), The Biz Dojo Inc, Calgary, Canada (four), UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburgh, PA USA (four), Allianz Services Pvt Ltd, Kerala, India (three), Nutrisystem, Fort Washington, PA USA (three), TransPerfect, New York, NY USA (three), and Voya Financial, Chandler, AZ USA (three).

Winners of two Gold Stevie Awards include Contact Lens King Inc., Chaplain, NY USA; Datasite, Minneapolis, MN USA; Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Empolis Group, Kaiserslautern, Germany; Future Generali India Insurance Company Ltd., Mumbai, India; Michael Kors, New York, NY USA; Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA USA; Municipality and Planning Department, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Optima Tax Relief, LLC, Santa Ana, CA USA; POWERHOME SOLAR, Mooresville, NC USA; PowerSchool Group LLC, Folsom, CA USA; Ruby, Portland, OR USA; SAP, Newtown Square, PA USA; Sber, Moscow, Russia; SoftPro, Raleigh, NC USA; Spinnaker Support, Greenwood Village, CO USA; Support Services Group, Lewis Center, OH USA; Talkdesk, San Francisco, CA USA; Templeton & Partners, London, United Kingdom; VakifBank, Istanbul, Turkey; and VMware, Palo Alto, CA USA.

Other organizations winning a combination of four or more Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Awards include Abrigo, Austin, TX USA; Arise Virtual Solutions, Miramar, FL USA; Blackhawk Network, Pleasanton CA USA; CarrefourSA, Istanbul, Turkey; Clubspeed, Irvine, CA USA; EFG Companies, Irving, TX USA; Element Electronics, Winnsboro, SC USA; HireVue, South Jordan, UT USA; Intuit, Mississauga, Ontario Canada; Nuance Communications, Boston, MA USA; OpenGov, San Jose, CA USA; Optum Eden Prairie, MN USA; Princess Polly, Los Angeles CA USA; Pushpay, Redmond, WA USA; QNB Finansbank, Istanbul, Turkey; RAIN Group, Boston, MA USA; Toco Warranty, Los Angeles, CA USA; TTEC, Englewood, CO USA; Visualize, Birmingham, MI USA; VIZIO Inc., Irvine, CA USA; and WNS (Holdings) Limited, Mumbai, India.

The 10 most-honored organizations in the competition will receive Grand Stevie Award trophies. Those winners will be announced the week of March 14.

Beginning today through April 1, the public may vote for their favorite providers of customer service in the People's Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service, an annual feature of the awards. Voting is open at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com. Winners of the People's Choice Stevie Awards in multiple industries will be announced the week of April 4.

One category in the awards will continue to accept entries through March 11. It is the Sales Partnerships Award for Ethics in Sales, which will recognize organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry. Entry requirements for this category are outlined at https://stevieawards.com/sales/nominate-2022-sales-partnerships-ethics-sales-award.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of the 16th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc., Thought Leadership Leverage, and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

Marketing Contact:

Nina Moore

Nina@StevieAwards.com

+1 (703) 547-8389

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8a7c18c-40b4-4999-9a72-ee6afaecb74d
The No. 2 beer brand in the U.S.1 expands its Mexican beer portfolio to bring more Chelada offerings and test three new beverages

CHICAGO, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Modelo announced today the introduction of new product offerings, including expansions on their popular flavor-forward Cheladas and new test offerings such as a premium light beer, Modelo Oro. As the No. 2 beer brand in the U.S.1, Modelo Especial is bolstering its leadership in the high-end beverage category with an expanded portfolio that addresses the flavors and varieties fans look for in an authentic Mexican beer brand.



The new offerings include:

Modelo Chelada Naranja Picosa - available nationally

Modelo Chelada Limon y Sal, 12 oz. 12-pack - available nationally

Modelo Oro - available in Charlotte, NC; Fresno, CA and Houston, TX

Modelo Cantarito-Style Cerveza - available in Atlanta, GA; San Diego, CA and Arizona

Modelo Ranch Water - available in Texas and New Mexico



"In addition to being the No. 2 beer brand in the country1, Modelo Especial is the best-selling beer in nine key markets throughout the U.S.2, with plenty of room to grow. While we will continue to drive our flagship offering, we hope these innovations will continue our momentum and bring new opportunities for drinkers to enjoy Modelo products," said Greg Gallagher, Vice President of Brand Marketing, Modelo. "We are the No. 1 line-up of Cheladas in the U.S.1 and the brand driving all category growth3, so we are committed to investing in new flavorful options and delivering sizes that consumers want."

Available nationally, the brand is releasing a 12oz 12-pack of the popular Modelo Chelada Limon y Sal flavor to make it easier to share when celebrating the Fighting Spirit with friends. The newest, vibrant flavor in the Chelada lineup is Modelo Chelada Naranja Picosa - a fun and zesty blend of refreshing flavors including orange, lime, salt, and a hint of spice.

Modelo's innovations will bolster the brand's continued growth, as evidenced by its sales: as of January 2022, Modelo is the No. 1 growth beer brand, up 13 percent in extra sales compared to the same period in 20214.

"When developing our regional product innovations, we aimed to test new offerings that consumers are asking for in key markets - with the authenticity that only Modelo can bring," said Saul Trejo, Senior Brand Manager, Modelo. "We know that consumers are increasingly reaching for lighter, more premium sessionable offerings5, so we developed Modelo Oro, a light cerveza that seals in Modelo's golden flavor. Meanwhile Modelo Cantarito-Style Cerveza is inspired by the vibrant cantarito cocktail from Jalisco, Mexico - a drink to celebrate the strong Mexican culture and heritage we see throughout the U.S."

Modelo's new premium light beer offering is Modelo Oro, a time-crafted and premium light beer with an exceptionally smooth, crisp clean finish. Modelo Ranch Water is a crisp spiked sparkling water crafted with real flavor and Mexican ingredients - with a splash of real Mexican lime juice and a hint of 100% blue agave. Modelo Cantarito-Style Cerveza is a light lager made with a hint of real grapefruit, orange and lime juices.

For more information on these innovations and other Casa Modelo products, visit www.modelousa.com.

1 IRi Last 52 Weeks Ending 01.02.22, Dollar Sales

2 2021 IRi Dollar Sales Total MULO + C

3 IRi, Total US MULO + C, $ sales, L52 weeks ending 1-2-22

4 IRi Total US MULO + C, CBI FY22 ending 2.13.22

5 Modelo Chelada Multi-Pack Assessment & Qual Validation Research 2019

ABOUT MODELO

Born in 1925 in the small town of Tacuba, Mexico, Modelo has been bringing distinctive high-quality beer to people ever since, including Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and a flavorful lineup of Modelo Cheladas. Modelo Especial is a golden, full-flavored Pilsner-style Lager with a clean, crisp finish. As the #1 imported beer in the U.S., Modelo Especial recently surpassed 150MM cases sold in 2021. The Modelo family of beers are exclusively brewed, imported and marketed for the U.S. by Constellation Brands.

Media Contact:

Stephanie McGuane

Stephanie.mcguane@cbrands.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9beb31df-02db-48ea-a0af-3d04d40687fe

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/aaf19497-fac6-4ed4-95a5-6a380a5d301b

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/52aa45bb-5588-47b3-b97a-6673b0b8ebbe

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/872b3592-dfdf-4c10-94a7-084e09fd3645

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a3518bc8-7a02-424d-8d93-742c548b1b91
U.S. Bank announced today that it will leverage Sustainalytics, a Morningstar Company and a leading global provider of ESG research and ratings, to offer environmental, social and governance (ESG) data solutions to U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (GFS) clients where independent ESG analytics and reporting services are required.

With this relationship, clients will have access to a wide range of market standard-based sustainable investment datapoints applicable to their portfolio. U.S. Bank has integrated Sustainalytics' research and ratings to support portfolio analysis which enables regulatory compliance solutions and investor and financial reporting capabilities to address emerging regulatory and investor reporting demands. The sustainable investment data integration will also include a depositary oversight solution: U.S. Bank will use Sustainalytics' ESG research and ratings to ensure qualifying EU depositary clients are compliant with Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) requirements.

"New regulatory requirements often introduce a level of uncertainty on how to address the requirements," said Breda Sullivan, U.S. Bank head of Depositary Services Europe. "U.S. Bank brings a wealth of resources and industry expertise that not every fund service provider can claim. We're excited to work with Sustainalytics to offer this new level of customized oversight to clients with sustainable investment strategies."

Sustainalytics has a team of more than 500 in-house research analysts dedicated to producing its ESG research and ratings. In addition, the company relies on public disclosures and artificial intelligence to mine and report on meta-datasets. The resulting data library accessible to U.S. Bank clients provides coverage on approximately 15,000 companies and is structured in a manner that allows GFS to extend this data to bonds and derivatives issued by the companies in scope.

Global Fund Services joins U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, which already utilizes Sustainalytics to implement ESG investing strategies.

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, along with U.S. Bank Global Corporate Trust and Custody and U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, comprise the Investment Services division, which holds $9.5 trillion in assets under custody and administration as of Dec. 31, 2021. U.S. Bank offers Investment Services solutions from three European locations in Ireland, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit usbank.com/investmentservices.

About U.S. Bank

U.S. Bancorp, with nearly 70,000 employees and $573 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2021, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association. The Minneapolis-based company serves millions of customers locally, nationally and globally through a diversified mix of businesses: Consumer and Business Banking; Payment Services; Corporate Commercial Banking; and Wealth Management and Investment Services. The company has been recognized for its approach to digital innovation, social responsibility, and customer service, including being named one of the 2021 World's Most Ethical Companies and Fortune's most admired superregional bank. Learn more at usbank.com/about.

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bank, N. A. Custody and lending services are offered by U.S. Bank, N.A.

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (Ireland) Limited is registered in Ireland, Company Number 413707. Registered Office at 24 26 City Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland. Directors: Linda Gorman, Brett Meili (USA), Joe Neuberger (USA), Padraic O'Connor, Rose Clear, Christine Waldron (USA). U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (Ireland) Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (Guernsey) Limited is licensed under the Protection of Investors Law (Bailiwick of Guernsey), 1987, as amended by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission to conduct controlled investment business in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Directors: Richard Bray, Wayne Bulpitt, Brett Meili, David Sload.

U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l. is registered in Luxembourg with RCS number B238278 and Registered Office: Floor 3, K2 Ballade, 4, rue Albert Borschette, L-1246 Luxembourg. Directors: Michael Renner, Hugh Sheridan, David Sload, Christine Waldron. U.S. Bank Global Fund Services (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l. is authorised and regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier.

Elavon Financial Services DAC, trading as U.S. Bank Depositary Services, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and is registered in Ireland with the Companies Registration Office Reg. No. 418442. The registered office is Block F1, Cherrywood Business Park, Cherrywood, Dublin 18, Ireland D18 W2X7.

U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, Inc. is a registered investment adviser, a direct subsidiary of U.S. Bank National Association and an indirect subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp. U.S. Bank is not responsible for and does not guarantee the products, services, or performance of U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, Inc.

Investment products and services are:

NOT A DEPOSIT NOT FDIC INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NOT BANK GUARANTEED NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

U.S. Bank does not guarantee products, services or performance of its affiliates and third-party providers

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005550/en/

Contacts:

Kimberly Mikrot, U.S. Bank Public Affairs Communications

kimberly.mikrot@usbank.com 612.206.2553
CHEYENNE, WY / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Marketing Worldwide Corporation, (OTC PINK:MWWC), 'the Company', is pleased announce its newest partnership with Doxed, LLC, the creators of the $DOX (BEP20/ BSC) token.

DOX and $MWWC Partnership:

Marketing Worldwide Corporation ('MWWC'), has partnered with Doxed, LLC., a Florida corporation. The Doxed team have developed and successfully launched the $DOXed token; this token is on the Binance Smart Chain, the same standard that the Minosis $MNS Token will be launched on in the near future.

'MWWC' has acquired a significant stake in the Liquidity Pool of $DOX, which will remain restricted for a period of 6 months, per the partnership agreement that was executed; at the end of the restriction period, Doxed, LLC. will have the first right of refusal to purchase the liquidity pool tokens back from Marketing Worldwide at market value. The Liquidity Pool tokens have already been transferred into a secure wallet as of today's press release; and are held in trust by the CEO, Jason Schlenk.

"Some of the more popular tokens currently available; such as, $SHIB, SAITAMA, TARP, SHIBNOBI and TERAREUM have seen increases of over 320,000% in value over the past year and a half. If $DOX is as successful as the company believes it can be, the Liquidity Pool could be worth tens of millions of dollars to over a hundred million dollars in a short period of time," stated CEO Jason Schlenk.

$DOX Token:

More information regarding the DOX Token can be found on their website at www.doxedtoken.com, or from their official Twitter account @DoxedOfficial_. The $DOX tokenomics are as follows:

1% Burn - currently the 'DEAD' wallet address has 9.3618% removed from the circulating supply.

1% Reflection - rewards from every transaction to token holders as a bonus.

2% Marketing - for future advertising, influence and public involvement; this includes, giveaways and random burn events.

1% Development - to maintain ongoing support and resources for updating and enhancement of the entire ecosystem.

2% Liquidity - allowing buy and sell transactions to execute, providing confidence and legitimacy for investors.

2% Give-back wallet - Every time this wallet triggers at 5 BNB, a random selection of 5 wallet holders will receive 1 BNB each until the proceeds are exhausted. This wallet can trigger multiple times a day depending on volume.

Doxed token can be viewed on the BSCSCAN network at the link below:

https://bscscan.com/token/0xEDA3eB7A5494443beb800cD4cc70388228CEe84e

What is the Doxed Token Utility?:

Doxed is a BSC/ BEP20 token focusing on security and identity verification through their web-based platform. A token development team would utilize the DOX system through the proprietary "KYD" ( K now Y our D eveloper) protocol. The "KYD" process will factcheck data provided by a developer (or development team) and issue a $DOX KYD/NFT Stamp of approval; which can offer a higher level of transparency for investors to confirm that a project has been vetted. As a result, this type of validation could decrease the investors exposure to scam projects or "rug pulls" (A 'rug pull', is the elimination of all liquidity in a project that removes the ability for investors to sell, hence rendering the token worthless).

What Exchange is DOX on?:

'MWWC' and DOXED are proud to announce that $DOX has officially been listed on the SAFEMOON (https://safemoon.net/) exchange, making it the first major exchange for the DOX token since its inception.

Follow the link below to the SAFEMOON exchange:

https://swap.safemoon.net/#/swap?inputCurrency=0x8076C74C5e3F5852037F31Ff0093Eeb8c8ADd8D3&outputCurrency=0x42981d0bfbAf196529376EE702F2a9Eb9092fcB5

Follow $DOX on Telegram: https://t.me/Doxed_Token

Follow $DOX on Discord: https://discord.gg/K7H2frq7

Contact Information

Twitter: @MWWCOfficial

Email: LetsConnect@marketingworldwide.co

Website: www.marketingworldwide.co

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The words 'believe,' 'may,' 'estimate,' 'continue,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'should,' 'plan,' 'could,' 'target,' 'potential,' 'is likely,' 'will,' 'expect' and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Some or all of the results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not be achieved. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE: Marketing Worldwide Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690868/Marketing-Worldwide-Corporation-Completes-NEW-Strategic-Partnership-with-DOXed-LLC
Registration for purchases started at 9 a.m. (Japan local time) on Monday, February 21, 2022

Press conference held at Museo Ferrari at 8 a.m. (Japan local time) on Monday, February 21

The archive video of the press conference is available on the RENASCENCE YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHnn2iShaac

RADIOBOOK Co., Ltd., a company based in Tokyo, Japan which has several businesses based on the philosophy of "recycle, reuse, repair, respect, rebranding," launched the RENASCENCE project in cooperation with Scuderia Ferrari. Materials used at Scuderia Ferrari will be reused and transformed into art products through traditional Japanese craftsmanship.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005163/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

In conjunction with the announcement of the project at a press conference that was held at 8:00 AM (JST) on February 21 (Monday), registration began at 9 a.m. (Japan local time) on February 21, 2022 for the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind art products that transform the Scuderia Ferrari DNA using traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Fans are encouraged to follow this exciting project as it unfolds around the world.

What is RENASCENCE?

The brand concept for RENASCENCE is "reborn". Materials that carry on traditions and history will be reborn as one-of-a-kind art products, bringing new value. Materials from Scuderia Ferrari, which would otherwise be thrown away, will continue to carry on the DNA while being transformed into art products by fusing traditional Japanese craftsmanship.





The brand concept for RENASCENCE is "reborn". Materials that carry on traditions and history will be reborn as one-of-a-kind art products, bringing new value. Materials from Scuderia Ferrari, which would otherwise be thrown away, will continue to carry on the DNA while being transformed into art products by fusing traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Project background and concept

In the official partnership contract, which was signed in 2020 with Scuderia Ferrari, the two companies agreed to focus their attention on reuse products as part of their sustainable actions. Upon learning about the large volume of waste materials that result every year during their visit to the Scuderia Ferrari head office, RADIOBOOK suggested the idea for the RENASCENCE project, combining the materials with traditional Japanese culture to transform them into art products. RADIOBOOK has adopted a corporate philosophy to "create a world where everyone does only what they want to do," and by utilizing revitalized components through RENASCENCE, there is great hope that it will become a world-class brand much like the small automotive brands in Italy.





In the official partnership contract, which was signed in 2020 with Scuderia Ferrari, the two companies agreed to focus their attention on reuse products as part of their sustainable actions. Upon learning about the large volume of waste materials that result every year during their visit to the Scuderia Ferrari head office, RADIOBOOK suggested the idea for the RENASCENCE project, combining the materials with traditional Japanese culture to transform them into art products. RADIOBOOK has adopted a corporate philosophy to "create a world where everyone does only what they want to do," and by utilizing revitalized components through RENASCENCE, there is great hope that it will become a world-class brand much like the small automotive brands in Italy. How to register

Registration opened: 1 a.m. (Japan local time) on Monday, February 21, 2022 8 a.m. (Italy local time) on Monday, February 21, 2022 Website URL: https://renascence.jp/ How to purchase: Please register at the above site

Details of the Art Products

Each art product has been carefully developed on the concept of "tactile feeling," which means "to be able to sense by touching". For instance when using the keyboard, there is a distinct sensation of pressing down on the key which is achieved by fusing the unique characteristics of the Scuderia Ferrari materials with traditional Japanese culture. The products are finished using Wajima-nuri lacquer, one of the most popular lacquerware techniques in Japan and feature motifs such as "Patapata", a traditional Japanese toy, or car engine, integrating the cultures and traditions of Italy and Japan as art products.



In the first stage, practical art products such as iPhone cases and cardholders will be developed based on the key words of "renaissance and rejuvenation." Highly skilled artisans carefully create each piece by hand, making every art product precious and unique. Each item becomes more unique with use, and the subtle changes can be enjoyed over the years.

Attache Case (Hard)

This attache case is designed to last a lifetime. A clean and simple shape is elegantly integrated with delicate details created through the finest Japanese craftsmanship. This is the first time ever that traditional Japanese Wajima-nuri lacquerware techniques have been combined with Scuderia Ferrari's materials. This piece is a strong expression of the Scuderia Ferrari message subtle and yet elegant down to the finest detail.

Model: 1 type Color: 2 colors Surface: Wajima (lacquer) coating Price: 7,000,000 yen (tax included) Quantity: red 50/black 50 (made to order)

iPhone Case (Frame/Engine)

Frame: The design consists only of three-dimensional surfaces that seem to encompass a Scuderia Ferrari. The frame has been coated with red lacquer to give your mobile phone a beautiful and sophisticated appearance. Engine: Bold styling has been used to attach a plate that gives the impression of Scuderia Ferrari engine components. The metal frame has been coated with black lacquer. The contrast of the polished plate and black lacquer create a contemporary and delicate design.

Model: 2 types Color: 2 colors Surface: Wajima (lacquer) coating Price: 1,000,000 yen (tax included) Quantity: red 250/black 250 (made to order)

Business Card Holder (Slide/Flip)

Slide: Conceived to give the feeling of drawing a sword from its sheath, the design creates a premium feeling by covering the entire piece with a deep matte red lacquer. Flip: The stylish function allows one to open the card holder with a swift single hand movement. The top and bottom surfaces have been carefully shaved and hand polished to create a plate with a rouge pattern. Lacquer has been painstakingly applied by a lacquerware craftsman. The feeling and sound given off when it is opened and closed convey the wonder of a hand-crafted piece.

Model: 2 types Color: 2 colors Surface: Wajima (lacquer) coating Price: 500,000 yen (tax included) Quantity: red 250/black 250 (made to order)

Money Clip (Fun/Flip/Ortho)

Fun: This piece was designed with a view to simultaneously expressing fun, surprise and luxury. The intent of the design is to create a product for daily use that imparts a beautiful and simple sense of luxury. Flip: Part of the Flip lineup of business card holder products. Designed to ensure that the motion and sound give off a sense of luxury. As with the business card holder Flip, the top and bottom rouge plates have been carefully shaven and processed with precision by hand by craftsmen. Ortho: The simple design was achieved with polished materials layered multiple times in the Wajima-nuri lacquerware tradition to give it a deep texture. Simple and yet finely crafted down to the last detail at every stage of production.

Model: 3 types Color: 2 colors Surface: Wajima (lacquer) coating Price: 500,000 yen (tax included) Quantity: red 250/black 250 (made to order)

Comments by RENASCENCE Creative Director/RADIOBOOK CEO YUGO

"I am extremely pleased to be able to announce RENASCENCE to everyone in the world," said RADIOBOOK CEO Yugo Itagaki. I send my gratitude and respect to all of the people who participated in this project, including Scuderia Ferrari, which provided the materials that prompted this project, the designers who created the wonderful designs, the artisans who delicately handcrafted the products using Wajima-nuri, plus many others."



"When I saw the Scuderia Ferrari materials, which prompted us to start the project, I was excited about the huge potential," Itagaki continued. Based on the spirit of mottainai (not letting things go to waste), a unique Japanese way of thinking, and the idea of "creating a world where everyone does only what they want to do," i.e., "changing unneeded objects into needed objects," I continued to think about how wonderful it would be to be able to utilize these materials and transform them into something that would be appreciated. This led to us creating these wonderful products combining the cultures of Italy and Japan. RENASCENCE is only just getting started. This announcement is just a starting point for our ongoing efforts to turn art products that some may want into items that everyone wants."





"I am extremely pleased to be able to announce RENASCENCE to everyone in the world," said RADIOBOOK CEO Yugo Itagaki. I send my gratitude and respect to all of the people who participated in this project, including Scuderia Ferrari, which provided the materials that prompted this project, the designers who created the wonderful designs, the artisans who delicately handcrafted the products using Wajima-nuri, plus many others." "When I saw the Scuderia Ferrari materials, which prompted us to start the project, I was excited about the huge potential," Itagaki continued. Based on the spirit of (not letting things go to waste), a unique Japanese way of thinking, and the idea of "creating a world where everyone does only what they want to do," i.e., "changing unneeded objects into needed objects," I continued to think about how wonderful it would be to be able to utilize these materials and transform them into something that would be appreciated. This led to us creating these wonderful products combining the cultures of Italy and Japan. RENASCENCE is only just getting started. This announcement is just a starting point for our ongoing efforts to turn art products that some may want into items that everyone wants." Logo Concept

The silver "RENASCENCE" letters have been overlaid in gold with the letters for "RENASCENCE" which have been turned upside down and inverted. The silver letters are the "face" and is a symbol of the products which are a physical expression of Shindate's goals for the project. The silver exudes a chiseled sense of sophistication that is sharp and encompasses a sense of fulfillment and pride. The inverted gold overlay expresses the materials of Scuderia Ferrari that are reborn in these products. It represents the background of the art products which are reborn. The brilliance of gold is said to sooth the hearts of people symbolizing vitality and rebirth overlaid with the brand concept of rebuild and revive. By integrating these two colors Shindate created a design that expresses the very essence of the brand's value as the reincarnation of the reusable materials of Scuderia Ferrari, which until now had been discarded, into stylish art products.



The letter "S" has been curated to resemble a vertical infinity sign (8). This is meant as a symbol of the infinite value of these art products and the infinite cycle of using reusable materials.





The silver "RENASCENCE" letters have been overlaid in gold with the letters for "RENASCENCE" which have been turned upside down and inverted. The silver letters are the "face" and is a symbol of the products which are a physical expression of Shindate's goals for the project. The silver exudes a chiseled sense of sophistication that is sharp and encompasses a sense of fulfillment and pride. The inverted gold overlay expresses the materials of Scuderia Ferrari that are reborn in these products. It represents the background of the art products which are reborn. The brilliance of gold is said to sooth the hearts of people symbolizing vitality and rebirth overlaid with the brand concept of rebuild and revive. By integrating these two colors Shindate created a design that expresses the very essence of the brand's value as the reincarnation of the reusable materials of Scuderia Ferrari, which until now had been discarded, into stylish art products. The letter "S" has been curated to resemble a vertical infinity sign (8). This is meant as a symbol of the infinite value of these art products and the infinite cycle of using reusable materials. Press Conference Overview

Event Name: Press Conference in Maranello Date and Time: 24:00 to 25:00 on Sunday, February 20, 2022 (Italy time) 08:00 to 09:00 on Monday, February 21, 2022 (Japan time) Broadcast Method: Broadcast via YouTube Live from project's YouTube channel Viewing URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHnn2iShaac (Archived video now available.) Presenters: MC Federica Masolin Creative Director YUGO Product Designer Akio Shindate Advisor Hiroyuki journalist Mario Miyakawa

Website and Social Media for the New Project

Website: https://renascence.jp/ Facebook: Renascence (https://www.facebook.com/Renascence-103580705572926) Twitter: @renascence_jp (https://twitter.com/renascence_jp) Instagram: @renascence_jp (https://www.instagram.com/renascence_jp/) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtMXuDM2P75SZZV_dSKrHZw

About RADIOBOOK Co., Ltd.

Founded in 2014, RADIOBOOK is a business focused on focuses on smart on-demand services businesses which undertake including the purchases, sales, repairs, rentals, and data erasure of mobile devices such as smartphones, etc. in bulk. It is also involved in branding business and community management, and in March 2020, Shintaro Tabata, who had served as an executive officer at Livedoor, LINE, ZOZO" and Takashi Maeda, who had served as a design team leader in the PR department at Nintendo PR department before becoming independent, joined the company. In May 2021, Hiroyuki, the founder of 2channel, joined the company as an advisor. In 2020, the company became the only official partnership for Scuderia Ferrari in Japan. RADIOBOOK is made up of professionals with backgrounds across a variety of fields who develop new business.

Company name: RADIOBOOK Co., Ltd.

Address: Shibuya South Building 7F, 3-21-11, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Established: July 1, 2014

Capital: 20.1 million yen

Officer: Representative Director/CEO Yugo Itagaki

Website: https://radiobook.co.jp/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005163/en/

Contacts:

Inquiries concerning this press release

RADIOBOOK PR

Mayuko Hachisuka

Office E-mail: release@radiobook.co.jp
In a first-of-its-kind move for the tech industry, abillion rewards it's members for contributing to its growth and success through shares in the company

NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- abillion, the fastest growing platform designed to help people and businesses be more sustainable, is disrupting the concept of ownership and handing shares in the company to its members. This is a first in the social media and technology industry.

Since 2018, abillion has run a unique and successful rewards program. Every time an abillion member chooses to eat or shop sustainably and shares their experiences on the abillion app, abillion credits them US$1. Members cannot withdraw the funds from their wallet but are able to use the credits to donate to any of the 60 plus non-profit organizations supported by the company. The company supports animal welfare projects from Argentina to Australia, and international organizations like Sea Shepherd and One Tree Planted. Through this program, abillion has donated over US$1.4 million. The program creates a direct link between consumer choices and the impact of those choices on the natural environment.

Through the new abillion community equity program, members can now use their donation credits to own a stake in abillion. Each dollar will convert to a dollar's worth of shares when the company goes public.

Founder & CEO Vikas Garg says, "We're uniquely positioned as a social media and technology company that's built around shared values that extend beyond our staff and offices and embody the values of our members. As a community built around a mission, we want to break the mold of Silicon Valley founders that own and control companies without bearing any responsibility to their users and society at large. Companies like Facebook and Twitter take no responsibility for the damage their platforms have done, from spreading hate, violence and misinformation to helping dictators and disrupting elections."

Members will now see an "abillion Community Equity" badge alongside the 60 plus charities the company supports. To participate in the equity program, abillion members click on the icon and allocate credits to ownership. In doing so, they are promised the amount in shares upon the company's IPO. The company will not impose any limitations on how much of the company it's members can own.

abillion was founded by Garg, a former hedge fund manager, in 2017, with the app launching in 2018. Garg has raised a total of US$17 million to fund the company, including a US$10m Series A in December 2021. The abillion app has been downloaded by over a million people in 166 countries. The app helps its members choose sustainable options when they eat or shop, and the company has donated US$1.4 million to sustainability and social impact projects worldwide since its launch. In 2022, abillion will be launching the world's first peer-to-peer marketplace fostering entrepreneurship in sustainability on a global scale.

For images of abillion in use and a portrait of CEO & Founder Vikas Garg , here .

For media enquiries, please send an email to:

pr@abillion.com

Our Mission: Through technology, we are connecting and helping people live, shop and eat more sustainably.

Website: www.abillion.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1693437/Abillion_Logo.jpg
CHICAGO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "Mass Notification Systems Market by Component (Solutions & Services), Type (In-Building, Distributed Recipient), Application (Public Alert & Warning, Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery), Deployment Mode, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market for Mass Notification System is projected to grow from USD 10.8 billion in 2021 to USD 27.3 billion by 2026; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.4 % during 2021-2026.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Mass Notification Systems Market"

273 - Tables

69 - Figures

299 - Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=1248

MNS is designed to deliver crucial information to a group of people. Owing to the increasing number of disasters and emergency situations, such as health crisis, natural calamities (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and tornados) or other threats, including terrorist activities, public shootings, and bombings, the deployment of MNS solutions and services is becoming crucial. As emergencies happen at any time, anywhere, the best solution is to be proactive. Having a complete crisis communication solution such as MNS in place, ensures whatever situations may arise, organizations can reach out to panicked masses and help in the ongoing rescue and relief operations. These systems, being a subset of emergency communication systems, and a vital means of communications used to alert the masses before, during, or after an emergency or incident, act as a key bridging component in reaching out to panicked masses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight on facility safety once again. Organizations cannot afford further disruptions but need to put the well-being of the people that use their facilities at the forefront of their plans. New guidelines and recommendations are being announced on a daily basis, which requires flexibility so that facilities can reopen safely. Doing so requires strong communication that helps keep everyone on the same page about new expectations, processes, and procedures. Every facility has distinct needs, but without the right tools in place, organizations' leaders may be putting their people and facilities at risk. This is the reason that various facilities are turning to MNS during this pandemic to help send messages that reach all stakeholders with timely updates. As facilities reopen, it is important to be able to send health and safety alerts and reminders to reduce the risk of spreading the disease. MNS can connect to the technology that various organizations already have in place to add value to the existing investments. IP phones, IP speakers, desktop computers, and digital signage are among the devices that can be used to communicate with people within a facility. MNS can be used to connect to these devices and activate them simultaneously to share messages that reach everyone with text and audio alerts. The more channels that an organization uses, the more likely it is that everyone within a facility receives the message.

The MNS market is expected to gain growth opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic era. As several organizations face the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to offer quick and mass communication with updates and guidelines has gained momentum. Governments across the world realize the importance of broadcasting health and safety information messages that reach people on-premises or mobile devices. Several enterprises are adopting MNS solutions to share critical information to resources in a timely manner. As some organizations are still operating remotely, they often utilize MNS to connect with remote workers through SMSs, push notifications, emails, as well as recorded audio messages helping the organizations to keep a check on the health of their employees. There has been a mandate in Ontario, Canada wherein MNS help companies collect information related to COVID-19 symptoms before returning to the workplace. In the state of California, US, employers are utilizing MNS to alert potentially COVID-19 exposed employees and others who have been working in the same shift. These are some important factors that are expected to drive the growth of the MNS market post-COVID-19 era. Subway was able to test millions of customers using their digital channels, identifying opportunities to grow their remote ordering revenue at a pace to exceed a half-million dollars in the first year.

The services segment to hold higher CAGR during the forecast period

Based on components, The solutions segment is expected to hold a larger market share in 2021, while the services segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the need for determining the time and cost required to install the solution that requires fully managed mass notification services. Enterprises are becoming more aware of the benefits of a robust emergency and disaster management plan. Most organizations are inclined to adopt the services of MNS as they are not prone to hardware failures, and are reliable, robust, and scalable.

Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=1248

The in-building type segment holds the largest market size during the forecast period

Based on Type, the in-building type segment is estimated to hold the largest market share in 2021. The in-building emergency communications system can function as a voice evacuation, mass notification, paging, and background music system. In-building mass notification system provides full control of building notification appliances such as loudspeakers and strobes. The distributed recipient segment is expected to have the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increasing need to send alert messages to end-users (recipients) via multiple delivery methods.

The business continuity and disaster recovery application segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period,

Based on applications, the business continuity and disaster recovery application segment is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, due to the demand for MNS solutions by business continuity and management teams of SMEs or large enterprises to help conduct business as usual. Mass notification systems offer business continuity management workflows that automatically send targeted notifications and engage the right teams when an incident occurs.

The on-premises segment is to hold a larger market size during the forecast period

Based on Deployment mode, the market size of the on-premises segment is estimated to have larger market share in 2021 whereas the cloud segment is expected to have a higher CAGR during the forecast period. The cloud technology benefits of easy deployment and minimal capital requirement facilitates the adoption of the cloud deployment mode. The increasing demand for scalable, easy to use, and cost-effective mass notification system solutions is expected to accelerate the growth of the cloud segment in the MNS market. Moreover, cloud-based mass notification solutions enable business operations to improve employee productivity and save OPEX. Hence, the deployment of the cloud-based deployment mode is gaining traction.

The large enterprises segment is estimated to hold a larger market share during the forecast period

The large enterprises segment is estimated to hold a larger market share in 2021. The growth of the segment is due to the increased competition in large enterprises from budding SMEs. Large enterprises need complex and highly scalable security systems and services as compared to SMEs. These customers operate across multiple locations in different geographies; hence, they require a solution, which offers elevated integration capabilities and is capable of large-scale seamless integration of security operations. The SMEs segment is projected to register a higher CAGR during the forecast period due to the rising demand to automate voice broadcasts, text messaging, and email communications to allow the authorities to communicate with people during emergencies.

The education segment is estimated to hold a larger market share during the forecast period

The education segment is expected to hold the largest market share in 2021. The growth is attributed to increased adoption of mass notification systems to handle any emergency in the campus and alert students, faculty, and staff in any scenario with speed and ease and manage the situation with responses and reporting. The transportation and logistics segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. As this sector is prone to threats such as terror activities, plane hijacks, smuggling, weather-related situations, and accidents, it is very crucial to have reliable and integrated MNS solutions for the transportation sector.

Speak to Analyst: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=1248

North America to hold the largest market share during the forecast period

North America is expected to hold the largest market share in 2021 and APAC is expected to hold the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The increased awareness of MNS after the 9/11 terrorist attack and occurrences of campus shootouts are the major factors driving the MNS adoption across North America. The growth in APAC is attributed to the acceptance of mass notification technologies by end users present in the region, due to dynamic environmental conditions. The demand for cloud-based mass notification solutions by business enterprises is expected to enhance their product offerings in APAC.

Key players offering Mass Notification Systems Market. The major vendors covered Siemens (Germany), Everbridge (US), Honeywell (US), Eaton (Irelands), Motorola Solutions (US), Blackboard (US), IBM (US), Google (US), BlackBerry (Canada), Johnson Controls (US), Singlewire Software (US), Rave Mobile Safety (US), American Signal Corporation (ASC) (US), ATI Systems (US), Regroup Mass Notification (US), AlertMedia (US), KONEXUS (US), CrisisGo (US), Netpresenter (Netherlands), Omnilert (US), Ruvna (US), F24 (Germany), Alertus (US), Mircom (Canada), Iluminar (US), Omingo (US), Klaxon Technologies (UK), OnSolve(US), Crises Control(UK), Voyent Alert! (Canada), and Squadcast (US).

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A sailboat puts out of bay amid rain in Sydney, Australia, on March 1, 2022. The torrential rainfall, which began in the nation's most populous city Sydney last week and has since moved north into southern Queensland, has already claimed eight lives and seen thousands stranded. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

SYDNEY, March 1 (Xinhua) -- As Australia's east coast experiences some of its worst rainfall and flooding in recorded history, scientists have flagged the extreme weather may be the nation's new reality amid climate change.

The torrential rainfall, which began in the nation's most populous city Sydney last week and has since moved north into southern Queensland, has already claimed eight lives and seen thousands stranded.

Local resident from one of the worst hit towns, Lismore in northern New South Wales (NSW), Harvey Nelson told Xinhua that people across his town have been stranded on roofs and unable to contact emergency services due to a backlog of requests.

"Every year we get warned and told to evacuate and it's never been this bad," said Nelson. "Even people who have never had floods are now being caught."

The Bureau of Meteorology recorded that the Wilsons River, which runs through Lismore, rose to a historical high of 14.4 meters on Monday afternoon. The second worst flood event saw the river reach 12.3 meters in 1954.

A rain gauge near the town registered a staggering 775 mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning.

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg told local news outlet ABC on Monday that as many as 1,000 people could still be trapped and awaiting rescue in the town, with around 400 calls for help yet to be answered.

Kimberley Reid, PhD researcher from the University of Melbourne's School of Earth Sciences, told Xinhua that the catastrophic downpour is the result of a build-up of "atmospheric rivers".

"An 'atmospheric river' is just a region of really strong moisture transport. It's like a highway of moisture," said Reid.

When the "river" hits a low-pressure system, it is lifted into the air before dumping huge amounts of water in a short period of time; the longer the moisture has been building, the more water that is released.

Reid said another important factor when it comes to assessing flooding is the amount of moisture in the soil.

Australia's uncharacteristically wet summer due to a La Nina weather event in the Pacific Ocean has meant that soil has been unable to absorb any more rainfall, further exacerbating flash flooding.

"Since October last year, southeast Queensland has had above average soil moisture. So, when these heavy rains come in, all that rainfall just goes on to the surface," said Reid.

She added that these weather events may become up to 80 percent more likely by the end of the century if global warming is not curbed, citing the common approximation that the atmosphere can hold 7 percent more water vapor for every degree of temperature increase.

"Climate change is really affecting how much moisture the atmosphere can hold, and there is a lot more uncertainty regarding the setup of the weather system," said Reid.

Expert in urban design and planning, Professor Elizabeth Mossop from the University of Technology Sydney, told Xinhua that as climate change increases the frequency and severity of severe weather, Australia would need to treat the mitigation of floods as part of its "business as usual" and not just a one-off disaster.

"Where we are doing new development, we have to do that in such a way that we are not going to aggravate or make the flood conditions even worse," she noted.

She said this would likely mean building houses away from flood plains and using less concrete in areas where soil is needed to soak up flood waters. She added that the most important thing was controlling the flow of water, and redirecting it away from humans.

"We need more green space, more floodable space around these major drainage areas, so that the water can rise without causing damage," Mossop said.

She said that while it was important to provide immediate help to people impacted by the floods, it was also important to provide ongoing, direct support through existing community programs.

According to her, displacement amid floods is one of the most damaging things socially, because people lose their networks and they lose their social support.

"People are often worried about sandbags, and rebuilding houses and things like that, but the social and psychological impacts are often incredibly important," she added. 

People walk past the Sydney Opera House amid rain in Sydney, Australia, on March 1, 2022. The torrential rainfall, which began in the nation's most populous city Sydney last week and has since moved north into southern Queensland, has already claimed eight lives and seen thousands stranded. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

People walk amid rain in Sydney, Australia, on March 1, 2022. The torrential rainfall, which began in the nation's most populous city Sydney last week and has since moved north into southern Queensland, has already claimed eight lives and seen thousands stranded. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

A woman walks amid rain in Sydney, Australia, on March 1, 2022. The torrential rainfall, which began in the nation's most populous city Sydney last week and has since moved north into southern Queensland, has already claimed eight lives and seen thousands stranded. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

A man walks amid rain in Sydney, Australia, on March 1, 2022. The torrential rainfall, which began in the nation's most populous city Sydney last week and has since moved north into southern Queensland, has already claimed eight lives and seen thousands stranded. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

The Sydney Opera House is seen amid rain in Sydney, Australia, on March 1, 2022. The torrential rainfall, which began in the nation's most populous city Sydney last week and has since moved north into southern Queensland, has already claimed eight lives and seen thousands stranded. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)
Joining forces with Shift 4 allows both companies to expand their services and provide global merchants a complete offering and a multi-dimensional processing experience unlike any other.

Finaro (formerly Credorax), global cross-border payment provider and fully licensed bank empowering international commerce through brilliantly simple payment solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Shift4 for its acquisition in a deal worth $575 M USD. The combined offering of both companies creates complimentary synergy of a global payments powerhouse with significant card-present and card-not-present expertise across a range of verticals serving large, complex merchants with unique solutions. Together, Finaro and Shift4 will be better positioned to provide merchants with the best-in-class global omni-channel payment solution and stand alongside some of the biggest players in the payments industry, including Adyen, Nuvei and WorldPay.

"This acquisition underscores our aggressive efforts to deliver a unified commerce experience across the world. This deal clearly shows our ability to support existing transformational and global customers like SpaceX Starlink St. Jude Children's Research Hospital," said Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman.

Finaro will provide the global infrastructure and cutting-edge technology needed to drive Shift4's international ambitions to deliver a unified commerce experience. By integrating Finaro's capabilities, Shift4 will be able to expand the company's current services around the world, including its next-generation SkyTab POS solution, Shift4Shop eCommerce platform, and VenueNext stadium offering. Shift4 also has more than 425 software integrations and over 200,000 merchant customers, many of which have a multinational presence and provide immediate international opportunities that can now be unlocked as a result of this acquisition.

"This acquisition emphasizes that we have accomplished what we set out to achieve building reliable payment processing capabilities that are truly limitless in reach and scale. Being able to apply this technology to SpaceX's Starlink program and others similar in scope, while also offering our merchants and partners around the world a broader range of products and services, is the realization of this goal in the most concrete manner, and we are thrilled to join the Shift 4 team," said Igal Rotem, CEO, Finaro.

For additional information on this acquisition, please visit the presentations section of Shift4's Investor Relations website here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005870/en/

Contacts:

Jenna Walker

07591 382 856

Jenna@skyparlour.com
GURNEE, IL / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Brightrock Gold Corp. (OTC Markets:BRGC) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Red Beryl Mining Company, Inc. to obtain 100% ownership of the "Midnight Owl Mine", previously known as "The Lithium King Mine", located approximately 13 miles east of Wickenburg, Arizona.

Mr. Mac Shahsavar President of the Company is quoted in saying, "that the execution of this acquisition agreement allows for a completely new corporate vision and direction for Brightrock Gold Corp., while remaining in the mining and exploration industry, with the corporate goal of becoming a 100% domestically sourced and focused Lithium mining company."

The Midnight Owl Mine, Deposit 10027532 in the Mineral Resource Data System of the USGS is a 20.66 acre claim and past producer in Yavapai County, Arizona.

Past Production records with the USGS indicate high grade Lithium and Beryllium recovery from this site. According to the USGS, reserves are still present at this location and are expected to be deeper than the previously mined ore.

The consideration for this property is 30,000,000 restricted common shares and no cash consideration to be paid. Transfer of ownership of this property is expected to be completed and recorded under the Brightrock Gold corporate name within the next 90 days.

Historical References :

https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/show-mrds.php?dep_id=10027532

https://tucson.com/news/local/mine-tales-midnight-owl-mine-known-for-its-lithium-deposits/article_0fd23987-3763-55a6-b3da-af2bc9ac03a5.html

Contact:

BrightRock Gold Corporation

Phone 866-600-5444

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements relate to future events, including our ability to raise capital, or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, please see our filings with the OTC Markets Group Inc. Our public filings with the OTC Markets Group Inc are available from commercial document retrieval services and at the website maintained by the OTC Markets at https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/BRGC/disclosure

SOURCE: BrightRock Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690898/Brightrock-Gold-Corp-Announces-Acquisition-Agreement-with-Red-Beryl-Mining-Company-Inc
Jointly organized by the World Water Council and the Senegalese government, the 9th edition of the World Water Forum will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from March 21 to 26, 2022 with the theme "Water Security for Peace and Development". This is the first time that this international event will be held in sub-Saharan Africa.

Conceived as a catalyst for engagement and action, the World Water Forum aims to strengthen the world's capacity to respond to contemporary water-related challenges. This 9th edition of the event is structured around four priorities: water security and sanitation; water for rural development; cooperation; "Tools and Means" including the crucial issues of financing, governance, knowledge management and innovation.

Dubbed the "Forum of Answers", the 9th World Water Forum aims to achieve meaningful results and solutions for communities around the world. It will bring together a high-level audience from all continents, including representatives of international and non-governmental organizations, major corporations, humanitarian foundations and associations, researchers and academics, and politicians.

The 9th World Water Forum is also intended to be a platform of expression for all stakeholders (including women's groups, youth, farmers, herders and fishermen) and will thus contribute to the qualitative transformation of people's daily lives and to the improvement of the performance of productive sectors.

"We are very proud to bring together governments, the private sector and civil society organizations to strengthen the implementation of actions needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals" said Abdoulaye Sene, the Executive Secretary of the 9th World Water Forum.

To participate in the Forum: https://signup.worldwaterforum.org/en/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005821/en/

Contacts:

Press contact

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kd@35nord.com

+33(0)628342562
Virtual Care and Remote Monitoring Leader Cloud DX sign new contracts, contract renewals, and delivers industry firsts, making Q1 a record-setting quarter

News in Summary

Cloud DX books over $1.2 Million in new contracts and renewals so far in Q1

Multiple 3 rd party surveys show patient satisfaction with Cloud DX at over 95%

First contract under the Canada-wide Medtronic partnership is signed in Ontario

KITCHENER, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Cloud DX (TSXV:CDX) (OTC:CDXFF), Cloud DX, digital health innovator delivering leading Virtual Care and Remote Monitoring solutions across North America, is pleased to share an update on its partnerships, new contracts, and contract renewals. Cloud DX's recently signed partnerships with Medtronic Canada, Prizm Media, and Maxwell Telecare and have provided opportunities to accelerate deployments of its chronic care management and post-surgical patient monitoring programs in North America.

As of March 1, 2022, Cloud DX has booked $1.2 Million CAD in new business, notably including its first Medtronic partner contract for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) therapy support at St. Mary's General Hospital. This past month's success also includes a new contract with another Pulmonary Rehabilitation program in Canada, a renewal and expansion of a Canadian provincial/territorial remote patient monitoring contract for 24 months, the launch of an innovative new critical illness benefit with Equitable Life (a first in Canadian insurance) , and a new primary care Remote Monitoring contract with a large clinic in Massachusetts, USA1. This revenue will flow in 2022 and 2023 with a majority flowing this year due to purchases of new Connected Health kits.

On the company's traction, Cloud DX lead independent board director Brad Miller, commented: "In 2021, Cloud DX set the basis, through contracts and partnership agreements, to grow aggressively in 2022. Patients and healthcare staff alike love virtual care with Cloud DX's Connected Health. Expertise in deployment, innovation, and outstanding customer service are all key reasons why Cloud DX continues to secure exclusive partnerships with leaders such as Medtronic Canada and Equitable Life. With the traction achieved so far in 2022, this quarter is shaping into a record quarter for the company. With remote patient monitoring set to grow to over 70M patients by 2025, Cloud DX expects continuing and accelerating growth in 2022."

Cloud DX currently has access to over 2 million patients and projects to approach positive cash flow once approximately 10,000 patients are enrolled.

The second tranche of the company's previously announced Convertible Debenture Brokered Private Placement is currently open. Term sheets are available upon request, please email: investor.relations@CloudDX.com .

Footnotes: Cloud DX and Medtronic announced their contract with St. Mary's General Hospital on February 23, 2022. Equitable Life of Canada and Cloud DX announced their partnership and Critical Illness benefit on February 14, 2022. Cloud Dx announced their contract with an Ontario Pulmonary Rehabilitation clinic on December 21, 2021. Cloud DX signed a contract with a clinic in Massachusetts, USA in February 2022.

About Cloud DX

Accelerating virtual healthcare, Cloud DX is on a mission to make healthcare better for everyone. Our Connected Health TM remote patient monitoring platform is used by healthcare enterprises and care teams across North America to virtually manage chronic disease, enable aging in place, and deliver hospital-quality post-surgical care in the home. Our partners achieve better healthcare and patient outcomes, reduce the need for hospitalization or re-admission, and reduce healthcare delivery costs through more efficient use of resources. Cloud DX is a winner of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, a 2021 Edison Award winner, a Fast Company "World Changing Idea" finalist, and one of "Canada's Ten Most Prominent Telehealth Providers. In 2021, Cloud DX became an exclusive partner to Medtronic Canada.

Cloud DX Investor Site https://ir.clouddx.com/overview/default.aspx

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Social Links

Twitter https://twitter.com/CloudDX

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/clouddxinc/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloud-dx/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cloud.dx/

For media inquiries please contact:

Janine Scott

Marketing Lead

888-543-0944

janine.scott@CloudDX.com

For investor inquiries please contact:

Jay Bedard

Cloud DX Investor Relations

647-881-8418

jay.bedard@CloudDX.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. In particular, this news release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning the Offering, including the expected proceeds, the expected closing date, and the use of the net proceeds, as well as management's objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions.

Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, information concerning the closing of the Offering, the receipt of approval from the TSX Venture Exchange, the use of proceeds and the Company's marketing and research and development strategies and the expected benefits thereof.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.

The securities of the Company have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " U.S. Securities Act ") or any U.S. state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an available exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there by any sale of the securities referenced in this press release, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

SOURCE: Cloud DX Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690916/Cloud-DX-Provides-Update-on-Contracts-Partnerships-and-Virtual-Care-Platform-Deployments-so-Far-in-2022
Now known as Convera, the business had a record year of $170 billion in global payments volume is poised for further growth under new ownership

Goldfinch Partners LLC and The Baupost Group, LLC announced they reached a major milestone today with its initial closing in the acquisition of Western Union Business Solutions (WUBS) for $910 million. WUBS, which will be renamed Convera as a new standalone B2B global payments company, had a record 2021 with over 20 percent revenue growth and payments volume of $170 billion. Patrick Gauthier, who was most recently the Global Head of Amazon Pay, will serve as Convera's CEO.

Mr. Gauthier commented: "At Convera, our purpose is to make global payments so easy that every business around the world can grow with confidence. Convera combines the agility of a fintech with the scale, sophistication, and breadth of capabilities of a global financial institution. We intend to bring innovation, value, and exceptional service to our customers with focused investments in our product offerings, technology, and people."

Convera is the largest non-bank fintech in global B2B payments and makes cross-border money transfers simple and stress-free, allowing its customers to scale globally with ease. The business has an exceptional global reach with capabilities in 140+ currencies across 200+ countries and territories, and 60+ global banking partners. Convera's customers include more than 30,000 small and medium-sized businesses, educational institutions, financial institutions, law firms and NGOs.

"We are excited to reach this important milestone in Convera's next chapter", said Bill McNichols, managing partner and co-founder of Goldfinch Partners. "We're especially excited to be bringing Patrick on board, who we have known and admired for years. We have full confidence in his ability to further position Convera for significant growth, with its unparalleled scale, diverse and loyal customer base, and breadth of solutions."

Convera will add several veteran fintech professionals to its leadership team with experience at companies including Amazon, BCG, BCG Digital Ventures, PayPal and Visa. These include Jodi Krause (Chief People Officer), Dharmesh Syal (Chief Technology Officer), Jody Visser (Chief Transformation Officer) and Drew Weinstein (Chief Commercial Officer). They are joining the existing WUBS leadership team including Michel Foricher (Head of Operations), Andrew Summerill (Chief Financial Officer) and Tristan van der Vijver (Chief Compliance and Risk Officer).

"We believe that investment in Convera's talent, technology and product will help accelerate the company's leading position in an attractive and growing end-market," said Ryan Duffy, managing director, The Baupost Group. "We are thrilled to be a part of Convera's evolution, as it enhances the experience for employees, customers and partners."

Mr Gauthier paid tribute to the work of this team: "Our main focus over the past few months has been to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for our customers and our employees. I would like to particularly thank the WUBS and Western Union employees who have worked so hard to get us to this milestone. While today is an important day for Convera, we look to the future with renewed ambition."

As previously announced, the transaction is closing in two stages, with the second closing, representing the business that is operated through Western Union International Bank in the European Union and the United Kingdom, expected later this year, subject to receipt of regulatory licenses and approvals.

About Patrick Gauthier:

Patrick Gauthier is the Chief Executive Officer of Convera. Patrick is a long-time fintech specialist with senior leadership roles at Amazon, PayPal and Visa along with early and mid-stage payments and eCommerce startups, where he has developed high performance teams and built high growth businesses. Patrick is a recognized thought leader on the future of commerce and payments, with recurring appearances on CNBC, as well as leading industry trades and conferences. He has held positions on the board of directors of multiple venture backed startups in mobile, security, ecommerce and identity domains. Patrick lives in Seattle, Washington and holds a master's degree in Computer Science from Telecom SudParis in France.

About Goldfinch Partners:

Headquartered in Seattle, and with investment professionals in the Bay Area and New York City, Goldfinch Partners is a financial sponsor with approximately $1 billion of committed equity invested in software and technology-enabled services businesses against the broad theme of digital transformation across industry verticals. Launched in 2018, Goldfinch investment professionals have decades of experience investing and serving in senior operating roles at leading global companies. Founders Sean Collins (formerly of BCG) and Bill McNichols (formerly of Starbucks and Vulcan Capital) have worked and invested together since 2015, and with the Investment Team, have led over $100 billion in aggregate transactions.

About The Baupost Group, LLC:

The Baupost Group is a Boston-based investment manager with a long-term, collaborative approach. Since 1982, the firm has been thoughtfully stewarding and compounding capital on behalf of families, foundations and endowments, as well as employees who collectively are the firm's largest client. Today Baupost manages roughly $29 billion.

With a broad and flexible charter, and depth of experience across all asset classes and market environments, Baupost is strongly positioned to evaluate and pursue longer-duration and highly complex opportunities, and to structure transactions flexibly to meet the requirements of sellers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005856/en/

Contacts:

Sarah Meade

sarah@150bond.com
50 Best, the organization behind The World's 50 Best Bars, launches brand-new list and awards program in North America for the first time

NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 50 Best will be landing in North America with a list for the first time in its history, with the launch of North America's 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier. The awards will be held in New York City on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 and the launch of North America's 50 Best Bars will mark the first time since 2016 that 50 Best unveils a new bars list and awards program.

Mark Sansom, Content Editor for 50 Best, says: "We couldn't be more excited to launch a new 50 Best list in North America. The bar scene and extensive talent across this region sets the tone for the rest of the world and we are confident that this new list will be a vital addition to the local and international bar landscape as bar-goers plan their next cocktail-led adventures."

This launch marks a critical step in 50 Best's drive to put the spotlight on superb existing and up-and-coming bar talent in specific regions, showcasing the subtlety and complexity of bar craft from around the world. The inaugural North America's 50 Best Bars awards ceremony and unveiling of the list provides a unique opportunity to unite bartenders, bar owners, cocktail aficionados and drinks media from all over the region, while also promoting the strength and diversity of the region's bar scene to a global audience.

The awards ceremony brings together the best bartending talent from the region, with a live countdown of the list, culminating in the first-ever announcement of North America's Best Bar, sponsored by Perrier. The live awards ceremony on June 7, 2022 will be preceded by a number of special award announcements and a number of unique award announcements will also take place on the evening itself.

The inaugural ranking for North America's 50 Best Bars will reflect the best bar experiences based on the votes of more than 250 gender-balanced voters, made up of anonymous North American bar industry experts from the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Bars cannot apply to be on the list and no sponsors have any influence on the list. Further information on how the voting works is available here.

Media centre access:

https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/

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CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / ApartmentAdvisor (www.apartmentadvisor.com), the apartment search platform, today revealed its list of Best Foodie Cities, with Louisville, KY, Albuquerque, NM, and Tulsa, OK earning the top three spots. The list highlights cities with culinary offerings that rival better-known food capitals, but with budget-friendly rent prices that allow for more frequent dining out.

The company's top ten picks were determined by a variety of factors, including the number of restaurants per capita with at least a four-star rating on Yelp, diversity of cuisine, and access to food halls or specialty markets. In addition, ApartmentAdvisor editors factored rent prices, targeting cities with a median rent to median income ratio of 25% or lower to accommodate a dining out budget.

Top Ten Best Foodie Cities for Renters:

Louisville, KY Albuquerque, NM Tulsa, OK Portland, OR Columbus, OH Kansas City, MO Indianapolis, IN Virginia Beach, VA Jacksonville, FL Raleigh, NC

More information on each of these cities and their exciting food scenes can be found in the Best Foodie Cities report.

"Living in a city with a vibrant food scene can be amazing, but not when your rent expenses are too high to enjoy it," said Adeeva Fritz, Editorial Director at ApartmentAdvisor. "With our Best Foodie Cities list, we've identified cities where both the culinary offerings and rent prices are equally appetizing for the average renter. Even if you don't consider yourself a bona fide foodie, these places are worth checking out."

Louisville, KY earned the number one spot on the list and was lauded by ApartmentAdvisor for its extensive dining options ranging from award-winning fine dining to delightful cozy-casual restaurants. And while many local chefs offer a modern take on Southern cooking, editors noted that there's no shortage of globally inspired menus to choose from, providing food enthusiasts ample opportunity to explore new tastes. Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Louisville averages around $760 per month.

Albuquerque, NM, second on the list, was celebrated for a local food and dining culture shaped by Native American, Mexican, and Spanish influences. Resident foodies enjoy plentiful options for the very best New Mexican fare as well as other globally-inspired cuisine, contributing to a vibrant, diverse culinary landscape. The average rent price for a 1-bedroom apartment in Albuquerque is $800 per month.

Tulsa, OK, in third place, was called out for its burgeoning food scene that is being fueled by a new generation of creative chefs and restauranteurs, many taking advantage of the region's agrarian bounty to inform their modern menus. Tulsa's iconic BBQ and steakhouses still endure too, providing local foodies with a wide range of choices both familiar and new. The average price for a 1-bedroom apartment in Tulsa averages $761 per month.

Methodology

To determine the list of Best Foodie Cities, ApartmentAdvisor editors evaluated hundreds of cities by the following criteria: the number of restaurants per capita with at least a four-star rating on Yelp, diversity of restaurant cuisine, access to food halls and specialty markets, the proximity of dining options to popular rental neighborhoods, and median rent prices as compared to median household incomes for each city. ApartmentAdvisor used data from the US Census Bureau, Yelp, and its proprietary rent price data in its analysis.

About ApartmentAdvisor?

ApartmentAdvisor (www.apartmentadvisor.com) helps renters easily find the right apartment. The platform combines rigorous rent price analytics and neighborhood insights, empowering renters with a more transparent way to compare prices, features, and locations of available apartments.?

ApartmentAdvisor was founded in 2020 by a team of founders and engineers from TripAdvisor and CarGurus, including Langley Steinert (co-founder of TripAdvisor and founder and executive chairman at CarGurus); Tom Gilmore (founder and CEO of VacationHomeRentals, sold to TripAdvisor); Josh Arnold (engineering at TripAdvisor and director of data science for MineralTree); and Oliver Chrzan (former chief technology officer at CarGurus). The company is based in Cambridge, MA.?

?PR Contact:

?Amy Mueller

617-216-2900 ?

pr@apartmentadvisor.com

https://www.apartmentadvisor.com/

SOURCE: ApartmentAdvisor

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Expanded Vision and Business Offering, New Leadership Team and Strategic Fintech Partnerships Set the Foundation to Lead the Commercial Digital Banking Industry

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Grasshopper , the client-first digital business bank, today announced the relaunch of its digital banking platform to meet the shifting demands of small businesses and innovators across the country. With needs unmet by the traditional banking system, small businesses are eager to find services and technology that will help them grow. Grasshopper has the capabilities to help these businesses exceed their potential and is set to lead in the innovation economy by building tools specifically designed for small businesses, startups and the venture community.

The revamped management team is led by former Radius Bank CEO, Mike Butler, and the bank has entered into new lines of business and developed partnerships with industry-leading fintech companies. All of this has been done as a way to expand Grasshopper's mission of providing a superior digital banking experience for the business and innovation economy. The new direction is buoyed by substantial growth over the past year with total loans increasing by 19 percent, total deposits increasing by 75 percent and total assets increasing by 32 percent.

"Grasshopper is in its best position yet to help small businesses address the key challenge of taking advantage of digital tools to control their finances and deliver value to their customers," said Mike Butler, CEO of Grasshopper. "The past two years have underscored the fact that the small business market has been traditionally underserved by banks, causing many business owners to seek digital solutions to fit their needs - a trend that will continue beyond the pandemic. As serving small businesses is core to our business, and with our leadership and technology, we are uniquely positioned to solve this problem."

Beginning with Butler's hiring in May 2021, Grasshopper has strategically expanded on its mission to serve new businesses and the innovation economy. Grasshopper is unveiling several new technologies today, all developed by examining client pain points and working inward to develop innovative solutions. These technologies include:

BaaS APIs - An application programming interface (API) layer for both direct use and in conjunction with a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform for fintechs.

- An application programming interface (API) layer for both direct use and in conjunction with a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform for fintechs. New technology - Digital deposit account opening, online and mobile banking platforms for small business and venture clients, and a new core banking system were implemented to allow for scalable growth and provide flexibility with the new API tools.

- Digital deposit account opening, online and mobile banking platforms for small business and venture clients, and a new core banking system were implemented to allow for scalable growth and provide flexibility with the new API tools. Innovator Business Checking - A new digital checking account with a Visa debit card designed for startups and small businesses.

- A new digital checking account with a Visa debit card designed for startups and small businesses. Redesigned website - Grasshopper's new public website and client-facing online and mobile banking platforms; access it here .

Following Butler's hire as CEO, Grasshopper set into motion a strategy of broadening its range of clients. The digital bank now operates in the fields of the tech and innovation economy, small and midsize business (SMB), fintechs via a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and Commercial API Banking platform, with additional solutions for SBA, commercial real estate and yacht lending.

Key hires and promotions to deploy this strategy include:

Chris Tremont as Chief Digital Officer to lead SMB, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), product, marketing and client services.

Stephanie Dunn as Head of SBA Lending.

Arthur Birenbaum as Head of Commercial Real Estate.

Jeremy Shure and Barbara Fleming remain Co-Heads of Technology Banking, working closely with venture capital, private equity and their portfolio companies.

Jim Velez as Head of Yacht Lending.

Mike Lenahan as Chief Financial Officer to lead finance, accounting and operations.

Pete Chapman as Chief Technology Officer to lead technology and product management.

Grant Skeens as Chief Risk Officer to lead credit, risk, information security and compliance.

Lynn Gibson being promoted to Head of Human Resources to lead all employee recruitment, retention and engagement efforts.

"Expanding into new business lines required us to bring in experts in each field, as well as proven leaders to oversee our daily operations," said Butler. "Great people make great companies, and in line with our goal of operating like a tech company with a banking charter, we've established a team that understands technology in addition to banking - a critical benefit for our clients. Whether it's small business, tech banking, or anything in between, our clients can be confident that they're being guided by experienced leaders with deep knowledge of their industry and the challenges they're facing."

Grasshopper has also engaged in strategic partnerships with a number of industry-leading fintechs, including FIS , Treasury Prime , Narmi , Alloy , Hummingbird and Autobooks to provide a best-in-class banking experience for its clients across all lines of business. These partnerships play a critical role in rounding out the Grasshopper product line, and ensuring that unique solutions exist for any problem a client may present.

Butler added: "Grasshopper's new leadership, technology and partnerships have the bank well positioned to reassert itself at the forefront of the business-to-business digital banking field. Each addition to Grasshopper's platform was designed with clients in mind - to meet the needs of a new generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders who require a nimble and forward-thinking banking partner to match their ambitions."

About Grasshopper Bank

With total assets of approximately $300 million, Grasshopper is a client-first digital bank serving founders, their companies, and the investors supporting them across the innovation economy. Grasshopper replaces the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to banking with a suite of products and services tailored to specific industries, and a passionate team of experts with deep expertise in their fields. Grasshopper's banking solutions cover small business, venture-backed companies, fintech-focused Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and commercial API banking platforms, SBA lending, commercial real estate lending, and yacht financing. Headquartered in New York City, the bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and is an Equal Housing/Equal Opportunity Lender. For more information, visit the bank's website at www.grasshopper.bank or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Media Contact:

Stephen Sumner, Caliber Corporate Advisers

stephen@calibercorporateadvisers.com

845.489.0612

SOURCE: Grasshopper

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690797/Grasshopper-Relaunches-with-New-Leadership-and-Technology-to-Address-Increasing-Demand-from-Underserved-Small-Businesses
TORONTO, March 01, 2022, today announced the acquisition of Century Logistics, a longstanding third-party logistics provider based in Suffolk, UK.



"We welcome Century Logistics to the Metro Supply Chain team. Century's wide capabilities and customer-focused culture complement Metro Supply Chain's strengths as a strategic supply chain solutions partner to some of the world's fastest-growing and most reputable brands," explains Martin Graham, Group President of Metro Supply Chain. "This acquisition deepens our operations in the UK and Europe and broadens our service offerings for UK-based customers looking to expand into the United States or Canada."

For decades, Century Logistics has been integral to helping local and multinational consumer packaged goods brands scale through warehousing, co-packing, ecommerce fulfillment, product repairs and product returns. Managing seven distribution sites, Century Logistics is strategically located along the A14 corridor between the bustling Golden Triangle and the port of Felixstowe, the UK's biggest and busiest container port.

"Since opening our first commercial warehouse in 1998, Century Logistics' driving focus has been to invest where our customers need us most, which, in recent years, has meant supporting their significant ecommerce growth," says Stephen Basey-Fisher, founder and chairman of Century Logistics. "We're thrilled to join Metro Supply Chain and be able to offer customers here and abroad a true end-to-end, harmonized experience that will delight their consumers wherever and whenever they shop."

Metro Supply Chain has been operating in the UK since 2016 when it acquired Evolution Time Critical, a premium provider of 24-hour emergency logistics for companies around the world, with offices in Derby, UK, the United States, Portugal, Germany and China. In 2021, the company expanded operations to include five facilities in Wales dedicated to defence sector logistics. With the acquisition of Century Logistics, Metro Supply Chain manages more than 12 million square feet in over 80 distribution centres across North America and Europe.

"Century Logistics founders Stephen and Ann Basey-Fisher have built an impressive customer-focused operation and we are excited to welcome the full Century team to Metro Supply Chain," says Chiko Nanji, founder and CEO of Metro Supply Chain. "We look forward to providing greater synergies and opportunities for our UK-based customers who are looking to grow their operations in new geographies and capabilities."

About Metro Supply Chain

Metro Supply Chain is a strategic supply chain solutions partner for some of the world's fastest growing and most recognizable organizations. Managing more than 12 million square feet in over 80 sites across North America and Europe with a team of 6,000, it is the largest privately-owned supply chain solutions company based in Canada. For more than 40 years, Metro Supply Chain's scale, wide capabilities and entrepreneurial structure has enabled it to meet its customers' most challenging supply chain needs, including the creation of complex e-commerce fulfillment and last-mile delivery networks.?

About Century Logistics

Based in Suffolk, United Kingdom, Century Logistics provides consumer packaged goods companies with everything from warehousing and co-packing services to ecommerce fulfillment, product repairs and returns management. It operates seven facilities strategically located between the UK's Golden Triangle and busy port of Felixstowe.

For more information, contact:

Alison Wood, Head of Marketing and Communications

awood@metroscg.com

Tel: +1 437 332-4361
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Champion Bear Resources Ltd. (TSXV: CBA) ("Champion Bear" or the "Company") announces today the resignation of BDO Canada LLP (the "Former Auditor") as auditor of the Company and the appointment of Kenway Mack Slusarchuk Stewart LLP (the "Successor Auditor") of Calgary, Alberta as auditor for the Company effective February 23, 2022 until the close of the next annual general meeting of the shareholders of the Company.

There were no reservations in the Former Auditor's reports in connection with the financial statements of the Company since the Former Auditor's appointment; and any periods subsequent for which an audit report was issued and preceding the effective date of expiry of the Former Auditor's term of office.

The Company confirms that there have been no reportable events as defined in the National Instrument 51-102 and, in its opinion, there are no reportable events pending.

The Company and the Board of Directors would like to extend their thanks to BDO Canada LLP for their auditing services to date.

About Champion Bear

Champion Bear is a mineral exploration company focused exclusively on the historically prospective regions of Ontario. The Company's primary targets are platinum group metals, precious metals, and polymetallic base metals deposits. The Company has assembled a large land position in the Dryden and Sudbury areas, totaling over 16,000 hectares. Additional information about Champion Bear can be found on the Company's website at www.championbear.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For further information, please contact: Richard D. Kantor, Chairman and President of Champion Bear at phone: (403) 229-9522.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115243
HANOI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam attracted an estimated foreign investment of nearly 5 billion U.S. dollars in the first two months of this year, down 8.5 percent year on year, according to the country's General Statistics Office on Tuesday.

Specifically, Vietnam licensed 183 new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with total registered capital of 631.8 million U.S. dollars, up 45.2 percent in quantity but down 80.9 percent in capital year on year.

Among countries and regions with newly licensed investment projects in Vietnam in the period, Singapore was the largest source of registered capital with 222.8 million U.S. dollars, accounting for 35.3 percent of the total, followed by China's Hong Kong with 112.7 million U.S. dollars, accounting for 17.8 percent, said the office.

During the period, Vietnam also saw 142 operational FDI projects raise capital by 3.59 billion U.S. dollars in total, up 123.8 percent year on year.

Between January and February, disbursed FDI capital totaled 2.68 billion U.S. dollars, up 7.2 percent year on year, with 75.4 percent for the processing and manufacturing sector.

In 2021, Vietnam attracted a total foreign investment of 31.15 billion U.S. dollars, up 9.2 percent on a yearly basis, according to the office. 
Strong performance improvements as foundation for the Group OneESI 2024 strategic plan for higher growth and profitability

Full year revenues at 136.6m: +4.6% YoY at constant exchange rate (cer), +3.0% at current exchange rate, at the top end of the Group's shared guidance (133.5m to 136.5m)

Doubling Adjusted EBIT 1 margin from 4.5% to 9.6%

Healthy financial situation Gearing improved from 28.4% in 2020 to 17.2% in 2021

Regulatory News:

ESI Group, Rungis, France, (ISIN Code: FR0004110310, Symbol: ESI) (Paris:ESI), today releases its sales and results for the full year 2021 (period from January 1st to December 31st) approved by the Board of Directors on February 28th, 2022.

Cristel de Rouvray, Chief Executive Officer of ESI Group, comments: "In 2021 we successfully steered our company through a governance change, announced our redefining 3-year strategic plan and demonstrated considerable performance improvements. We reignited growth and more than doubled our Adjusted EBIT margin. On this excellent foundation we now enter the 1st year of our "OneESI 2024 focus to grow" plan. Across the globe, all our stakeholders are now experiencing the early benefits of this significant change in our ability to focus and drive results. I am confident in our ability to deliver our communicated multi-year objectives and long-term value to our shareholders by repositioning our Group."

2021, a foundational year for ESI Group

2021 results show that ESI Group continues delivering on its commitments. FY21 marks the first significant improvement in profitability, the result of actions initiated over a year ago while reigniting growth.

ESI Group generated revenues at the top end of the range communicated to the market (between 133.5m and 136.5m) at 136.6m in 2021, up 4.6% at constant exchange rate (cer). For licenses, repeat business (Renewals Add-ons) grew by 3.7% (cer) to 99.1m and new business grew by 8.6% (cer). For services, consulting activity revenues increased by 9.6% cer at 24.8m. Q4 revenues amounted to 30.6m (vs 29.9m in 2020), up 2.2% cer, for an H2 growth of 5.8% cer.

The geographical breakdown of full-year revenues showed that all regions grew: the EMEA region +4.5% (cer), Asia +2.7% (cer) and the Americas +10% (cer). Asia and Americas were negatively impacted by Forex (-3.5% for Asia and -3.7% for Americas).

In 2021, led by a renewed leadership team, ESI Group embarked on its 3-year strategic plan "OneESI 24 Focus to grow" (more info HERE) by initiating parallel and complementary projects aiming to transform its operating model and practices. The Group continued investing in talent, in its offerings, and its products within a healthy run-rate framework to help drive cost reductions (headcount 6%, costs to adjusted Ebit -2,3%). The growth of the topline of 4,0m, combined with costs reduction, led to an increase in Adjusted EBIT1 of 6,9m.

Gross margin rate increased to 75.3% vs 74.5% in 2020 due to higher licensing and consulting gross margins. In 2021, staff costs decreased to 91.3 m vs 93.4m last year. The Group reduced its headcount as announced during its 2021 Investor's conference from 1,217 (end of December 2020) to 1,144 (end of December 2021).

Impact of strategic plan on figures: Restructuring impact

To increase its competitiveness, ESI implemented a transformation of its management and a reduction in headcount in the various regions of the Group in accordance with the legal rules applicable to each of them. ESI also decided to disengage from non-core software development projects or non-strategic research projects outside the Group's three offerings.

The impacts of this restructuring and transforming plan are estimated to costs 27.6m, in line with plan, comprising mainly:

Provisions for reduction in headcount already notified: 6.7m (Cash impact). This is in line with the headcount reduction that the Group announced to the market. The Group is passed the mid-point and on track to complete this initiative by end of December 2022.

Impairment of intangibles as related to products services deemed non-core: 20.7m (no cash impact)

Financial highlights

(m) 12/31/2021

12m2 12/31/2020

12m Change Change

Constant exchange

rate (cer) Revenue 136.6 132.6 +3.0% +4.6% Licenses 111.4 109.2 +2.0% +3.7% Services 25.2 23.4 +8.0% +9.2% Gross margin 102.9 98.7 +4.2% +6.0% % revenue 75.3% 74.5% Adjusted EBIT3 12.7 5.8 +120% +134.1% Adjusted EBIT margin4 9.6% 4.5% Restructuring costs -27.6 EBIT -16.4 4,0 Net result -18.5 1.4 % revenue -13.5% 1.1% Cash 30.3 22.5 +35%

A healthy financial situation

In 2021, ESI Group demonstrated its capacity to improve its financial situation. ESI Group controlled its costs, reduced its debt (from 24.9m in 2020 to 12.5m in 2021) and significantly improved its gearing (net debt5/Equity) from 28.4% in 2020 to 17.2% in 2021.

The Group has significantly increased its cash position end of year from 22.5m to 30.3m thanks to a substantial free cash flow6 of 10.9m.

All teams mobilized to deliver on OneESI 2024 plan

The Group is confident in its strategic plan:

Industry continues to accelerate the transformation of their production to a faster, more profitable, and more environmentally friendly model. The pandemic has accelerated this process and shifting from physical to virtual test and prototypes became a priority.

ESI Group's core offering packaging focuses on product performance simulation, smart manufacturing process simulation and human workflows simulation. As announced during its strategic plan presentation, the Group is redeploying significant software development resources and innovation efforts on offer priorities.

In that context, ESI's solutions are mission-critical for its customer base.

ESI's customers continuously give credits to ESI's added value: Ford Leverages Virtual Prototyping to Propel Lightweighting Capabilities to the Next Level HERE SEAT S.A. Technical Center and ESI Group set new car development standards towards 100% digital with the brand-new CUPRA Formentor HERE Volvo Trucks unleashes the possibilities of Virtual Prototyping for optimizing acoustic performance HERE Kone anticipates elevator breakdowns and optimizes product design using Digital Twins for predictive/ prescriptive maintenance HERE

To align with best practices, the Group is working to re-align its pricing practices. This critical workstream will impact the Group's performance more visibly in FY23 and beyond.

As in the past two years, a proactive cost control policy has been implemented. Many of the restructuring costs have been charged to the year 2021 without reducing the R&D costs. There will certainly be more investments to support growth, but the foundations are solid with clear strategy of focus.

Forward-looking statement

Q1 FY22 perspectives excluding special projects

Q1 FY22 Growth excl. forex 4% 6%

Long-term perspectives

At constant exchange rate 2022 2023 2024 Revenue (excluding special

projects7 4% 6% 6% 8% 7% 9% Adjusted EBIT8 10% 12% 15% 17% 20% 22%

The Group will organize an investor's conference in early Fall 2022 and will give an update on the plan and extend its guidance to 2025.

These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those related to the COVID-19 virus and associated further economic and market disruptions; further adverse changes or fluctuations in the global economy; further adverse fluctuations in our industry, foreign exchange fluctuations, changes in the current global trade regulatory environment; fluctuations in customer demands and markets; fluctuations in demand for our products including orders from our large customers; cyber-attacks; expense overruns; and adverse effects of price changes or effective tax rates. The company directs readers to its Universal Registration Document Chapter 3 presenting the risks associated with the company's future performance.

Upcoming events

Q1 revenues May 2 nd , 2022

, 2022 Annual General Meeting June 28th, 2022

About ESI Group

Founded in 1973, ESI Group envisions a world where Industry commits to bold outcomes, addressing high stakes concerns environmental impact, safety comfort for consumers and workers, adaptable and sustainable business models. ESI provides reliable and customized solutions anchored on predictive physics modeling and virtual prototyping expertise to allow industries to make the right decisions at the right time, while managing their complexity. Acting principally in automotive land transportation, aerospace, defense naval and heavy industry, ESI is present in more than 20 countries, employs 1200 people around the world and reported 2021 sales of 136.6 million. ESI is headquartered in France and is listed on compartment B of Euronext Paris.

For further information, go to www.esi-group.com.

APPENDIX ADJUSTED EBIT

The Board of Directors of ESI Group reviewed and closed, on February 28, 2022, the Group's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. Audit procedures performed by the Group statutory auditors are being finalized.

Adjusted EBIT definition: operational income (EBIT) adjusted for:

Stock-based compensation expenses,

Acquisition, integration and restructuring charges,

Impairment amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions (including goodwill and revalued assets),

The application of IFRS 16 (leases),

and other special items not related to current operations.

Adjusted EBIT has been presented for the 1st time during Strategic plan presentation on Oct 5th, 2021.

Adjusted EBIT margin is calculated on revenue excluding special projects. It is not only existing for financial communication. It's not a change of accounting method in IFRS P&L in FY21.

m 2021 2020 EBIT -16.4 4.0 application of IFRS 16 -0.5 -0.3 restructuring charges 27.6 0.0 stock-based compensation expenses 0.9 0.8 impairment amortization of intangible assets related to acquisitions 1.3 1.2 other non-recurring items -0.2 0.0 Adjusted EBIT 12.7 5.8 In of revenue excluding Special projects 9.6% 4.5%

Disclaimer: Adjusted EBIT and Adjusted EBIT are non-GAAP indicators used by the management to monitor performance, as presented in the strategic 3-year plan. They do not represent a substitute to GAAP indicators.

1 Adjusted EBIT is a non-GAAP indicator based on EBIT (IFRS). Adjusted EBIT corresponds to EBIT before stock-based compensation expenses, restructuring charges, impairment and amortization of intangibles related to acquisition, IFRS 16 standard on leases and other non-recurring items.

Adjusted EBIT margin is calculated based on revenue excluding special projects (public grant for R&D projects).

2 Ongoing audit of 2021 financial statements

3 Adjusted EBIT is a non-GAAP indicator based on EBIT (IFRS). Adjusted EBIT corresponds to EBIT before stock-based compensation expenses, restructuring charges, impairment and amortization of intangibles related to acquisition, IFRS 16 standard on leases and other non-recurring items.

4 Adjusted EBIT margin is calculated based on revenue excluding special projects (public grant for R&D projects).

5 Gross financial debt retreated from available cash

6 Free cash flow is composed of net cash margin generated from operating activities, change in working capital and capital expenditures

7 For the 3-year plan, the growth of revenue excludes special projects (public grant for R&D projects)

8 Adjusted EBIT is a non-GAAP indicator based on EBIT (IFRS). Adjusted EBIT corresponds to EBIT before stock-based compensation expenses, restructuring charges, impairment and amortization of intangibles related to acquisition, IFRS 16 standard on leases and other non-recurring items.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005900/en/

Contacts:

ESI Group

Florence Barre

investors@esi-group.com

+33 1 49 78 28 28

Verbatee Press Shareholder Relations

JJerome Goaer, j.goaer@verbatee.com, +33 6 61 61 79 34

Aline Besselievre, a.besselievre@verbatee.com, +33 6 61 85 10 05
HBM Healthcare Investments AG / Key word(s): Monthly Figures

Key Figures 28.02.2022



01.03.2022 / 17:46



in CHF Performance in % 28.02.2022 MTD FYTD CYTD NAV 299.50 -3.6 0.9 -10.9 Share Price 288.00 -2.5 -9.6 -15.0 Total Net Assets (in million) 2'084 HBM Healthcare Investments AG Bundesplatz 1 CH-6300 Zug - Switzerland Tel. +41 41 710 75 77 Fax +41 41 710 75 78 E-Mail: hbm@hbmhealthcare.com Web: www.hbmhealthcare.com Wenn Sie keine Mitteilungen von HBM Healthcare Investments mehr wunschen, konnen Sie diese hier abbestellen. Should you wish to unsubscribe from all HBM Healthcare Investments news, please unsubscribe here. Disclaimer: This message may contain confidential or privileged Information and is intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are hereby notified that you must not use, copy, disclose or take any action based on this message or information herein. If you have received this message by error, please advise the sender immediately and delete this message. The publication is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or subscribe for securities. Past performance is not a reliable indicator or guarantee of future results, prices of shares and the income from them may fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the amount originally invested. The investor must be aware of the investment risk and personal risk ability. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources HBM considers to be reliable. HBM cannot guarantee the adequacy, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of or be held responsible or liable for errors of fact regarding such data and information obtained from third parties, and this data may change with market conditions. If the email looks unformatted, please use this alternative link.

End of Media Release


The Prize has selected nine outstanding scholars and practitioners of history to receive $300,000 each

TEL AVIV, Israel, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dan David Prize, the world's largest history prize, announced its first cohort of winners, which includes a historian who investigates the environmental impact of big business, a researcher who uncovers Jewish hiding places during the Holocaust and the founder of a mobile museum of African heritage.

The Prize recognizes early and mid-career scholars and practitioners who illuminate the human past in bold and creative ways, and awards nine winners $300,000 each to help further their work.

The 2022 winners are listed below.

Mirjam Brusius , A cultural historian who studies visual and material culture in global and colonial contexts

, A cultural historian who studies visual and material culture in global and colonial contexts Bart Elmore , An environmental historian who investigates global capitalism and its impact on the environment

, An environmental historian who investigates global capitalism and its impact on the environment Tyrone Freeman , A historian of philanthropy who looks at the long story of African-American community giving

, A historian of philanthropy who looks at the long story of African-American community giving Verena Krebs , A historian of medieval Ethiopia who studies cross-cultural interactions between Africa and Europe

, A historian of medieval who studies cross-cultural interactions between and Efthymia Nikita , A bioarchaeologist using human skeletal remains to explore questions of demography and migration

, A bioarchaeologist using human skeletal remains to explore questions of demography and migration Nana Oforiatta Ayim , A curator and art historian whose work centers African narratives in museums and heritage

, A curator and art historian whose work centers African narratives in museums and heritage Kristina Richardson , A historian of the medieval Islamic world and the Romani people in the pre-modern Middle East

, A historian of the medieval Islamic world and the Romani people in the pre-modern Natalia Romik , A public historian and architect who works to preserve and commemorate lost Jewish lives in Eastern Europe

, A public historian and architect who works to preserve and commemorate lost Jewish lives in Kimberly Welch , A legal historian who studies the roles of Black litigants and moneylenders in the Antebellum South

The recently redesigned prize attracted hundreds of nominations and the nine winners were chosen following a rigorous selection process. The Prize is endowed by the Dan David Foundation and headquartered at Tel Aviv University.

"We live in a world in which the humanities, and particularly history, are devalued, even as it remains clear that only by deepening our knowledge of the past we can gain a better understanding of the present," said Ariel David, board member of the Prize. "For this reason we have chosen to focus on supporting emerging scholars and practitioners, within and beyond the academy, at a stage in their career when the Prize can make a bigger impact."

The winners will be honored at the Dan David Prize Award Ceremony in Tel Aviv in May. To learn more, visit www.dandavidprize.org.

CONTACT: DanDavidPrize@berlinrosen.com
Press Release

Nokia adds Liquid Cooling technology to latest AirScale Base Station portfolio outlining commitment to sustainability MWC22

Nokia's unique Liquid Cooling baseband solution is now commercially available in latest Nokia AirScale product line-up

AT&T is piloting the solution in a live customer trial in Philadelphia, U.S

Liquid Cooling technology underlines Nokia's commitment to sustainability and combatting climate change

1 March 2022

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced the commercial availability of its innovative Liquid Cooling AirScale portfolio. Nokia's first-of-its-kind solution is designed to make radio networks more sustainable and cost-efficient by reducing the energy required to cool a base station.Cooling system energy consumption can be reduced up to 90 percent and base station CO2 emissions up to 80 percent compared to traditional active air-cooling systems1. The move supports Nokia's ambitions to have the most energy-efficient, zero-emission 5G product portfolio in the industry. Commercial products will be available from Q3 2022. Nokia also announced that AT&T is piloting the solution in a live network trial in Philadelphia, U.S.

Nokia's liquid-cooled AirScale baseband solution can accommodate any liquid-cooled common or capacity plug-in unit and supports all radio access technologies from 2G to 5G. It supports the reduction of base station-related CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent. Nokia's Liquid Cooling solution is also almost completely silent and maintenance-free making it ideal for apartment buildings, whereas more traditional air-cooling systems are typically noisy and require regular maintenance. Liquid is much more efficient in the transmission and transfer of heat. Nokia's solution carries the captured waste heat produced by the base station during operation. This can then be circulated and reused for other purposes, for example, it can be redirected to a building's heating system for free, at a price, or even traded.

Nokia is committed to leading the decarbonization of the telecommunications industry and helping other industries and communities to decarbonize and dematerialize through digitalization. Digitalization is critical for making industries more sustainable resulting in less waste, more resource-efficient, and more productive. Nokia has set a science-based target to reduce its emissions by 50 percent by 2030 across its value chain, including its operations, products in use, logistics, and final assembly supplier factories. Nokia has also been increasing its share of renewable electricity and is committed to reaching 100 percent by 2025.

Experience Liquid Cooling at MWC22 Barcelona

At MWC22, Nokia will showcase how its products and services can reduce CO2 emissions and the cost of energy and help its customers to take control of their sustainability targets. Nokia will demonstrate its AirScale Radios with energy-efficient software features as well as its ?Liquid-cooled AirScale Baseband and Wavence microwave radio energy innovations.

Joe Taylor, VP Implementation, Provisioning & Optimization at AT&T, said: "AT&T is committed to tackling climate change, enhancing the efficiency of our network, and reducing our operational carbon footprint. We're pleased to work with Nokia as we take a more sustainable path and to trial its liquid-cooled base station in our network. We firmly believe that sustainability is one of the biggest factors impacting the world right now and is a key differentiator in business. We're eager to continue aligning with like-minded, innovative companies like Nokia that are developing ground-breaking solutions to combat climate change."

Daryl Schoolar, Research Director at IDC, said: "Controlling total cost of network ownership remains an important priority for mobile operators. A significant portion of that total cost of ownership comes from operating expenses. Network solutions that can lower those operating expenses, which includes cost of energy, are certainly welcomed by mobile operators. Also, if those solutions can help an operator achieve its green energy goals, that is just another added plus."

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: "There is no green without digital and the commercial availability of Nokia's liquid cooling technology across our AirScale portfolio highlights our commitment to leading the industry to become more sustainable through digitalization. Our innovative, game-changing solution reduces energy consumption, costs, and carbon emissions and helps mobile operators become more environmentally responsible. 5G networks and technologies will play a critical role in making other industries more sustainable and we must all play our part to minimize our footprint and accelerate the use of green electricity."

Notes to Editors

1.) Figures based on Nokia pilots across several networks

Resources:

Nokia Zero Emission

Nokia Sustainability

Nokia and Elisa see sustainability leap in world-first 5G liquid cooling deployment

Nokia's sustainability report highlights a 1.5-degree climate commitment

Nokia calls for accelerated digitalization and green energy uptake, sets sights on 100% green electricity by 2025

Nokia joins RE100 as part of target to move to 100% renewable electricity by 2025

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a trusted partner for critical networks, we are committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. We create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable, and inclusive world.

Media Inquiries:

Nokia

Communications


Notice of an Ordinary General Meeting

and an Extraordinary General Meeting

to be held on 31 March 2022

The Annual Ordinary General Meeting of Econocom Group SE will be held on 31 March 2022 to approve the financial statements for the financial year which ended on 31 December 2021.

The agenda also includes a proposal to appoint Mr Laurent Roudil as Director. He would be appointed for a four-year-term, ending immediately after the Ordinary General Meeting of 2026. Considering the executive management powers granted to him, Mr. Laurent Roudil would become Executive Managing Director of Econocom Group SE.

The Extraordinary General Meeting will follow the annual Ordinary General Meeting on 31 March 2022.

The Board of Directors proposes to such Meeting to proceed with a reimbursement of the issue premium, considered as paid-up capital, including the treasury shares held by Econocom Group SE, by debit from the non-distributable "issue premium" account, for an amount of 0.14 euro per outstanding share existing at the date of the coupon detachment.

The coupon detachment entitling to the reimbursement of the issue premium will take place at the end of a two-month period starting on the date of publication of this resolution in the Belgian State Gazette. Payment shall occur after coupon detachment.

All information and documents in relation to the Extraordinary General Meeting will be available on the website (https://www.econocom.com/en/investors/general-meetings) or upon request at the Company's headquarters.

In view of the health crisis and related measured to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the board of directors encourages shareholders to participle in the Meetings (i) by voting by correspondence, or (ii) by giving a proxy to a person designated by the board of directors in accordance with the rules set out in this notice.

Security holders who have completed the necessary formalities for participating to the Meetings and who have expressed their wish to attend the Meetings will be notified of the precise procedures for holding the Meetings in due course.

Depending on the evolution of the health situation and the applicable rules in the coming weeks, the Company reserves itself the right to modify these participation modalities through a press release and on the Company's website.

ABOUT ECONOCOM

As a digital general contractor, Econocom conceives, finances and facilitates the digital transformation of large firms and public organizations. With 49 years' experience, it is the only market player offering versatile expertise through a combination of project financing, equipment distribution and digital services. The group operates in 16 countries, with over 8,200 employees, and generated 2,505m in revenues in 2021. Econocom is listed on Euronext in Brussels, on the BEL Mid and Family Business indexes. FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.econocom.com

Follow us Twitter

Investor and shareholder relations contact:

nathalie.etzenbach-huguenin@econocom.com

Press relations contact: david.molins@econocom.com

Agency contact:

info@capvalue.fr +33 1 80 81 50 01



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Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

1 March 2022

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 13,672 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 822.00p per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 1,060,621; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 223,930,682.

The figure of 223,930,682 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
With more than half of phase two funds committed, Burford crosses historic milestone in cumulative commitments to promote diversity in law

GUERNSEY / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Burford Capital-the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law-today announces that it has crossed a significant milestone in its groundbreaking initiative designed to increase diversity in the business of law, with more than $100 million in cumulative Equity Project commitments made to back commercial litigation and arbitration led by female and racially diverse lawyers.

The Equity Project earmarks legal finance capital to promote diversity by giving historically underrepresented lawyers an edge as they pursue leadership positions in significant commercial litigations and arbitrations. The Equity Project also augments companies' ESG and DEI initiatives by providing incentives for the firms that represent them to appoint historically underrepresented lawyers and to award them origination credit.

The Equity Project first launched in October 2018 with $50 million earmarked to back commercial matters led by women. After having committed more than that amount by December 2020, Burford announced an expansion of The Equity Project in October 2021, earmarking a further $100 million, broadening The Equity Project's mission to promote both racial and gender diversity in law, and pledging to contribute a portion of its profits from successfully resolved phase two Equity Project matters to organizations that promote development for female and racially diverse lawyers on its clients' behalf.

As of February 28, with more than half of phase two funds committed, Burford has now made more than $100 million in cumulative commitments to Equity Project matters.

Matters funded to date in this phase of The Equity Project include contract disputes, antitrust, federal statutory, IP/patent and treaty arbitration matters, with female and racially diverse litigators in leadership roles (first or second chair) as well as women-owned firms. Clients include large corporations and large litigation boutiques.

Aviva Will, Co-COO of Burford Capital and leader of The Equity Project initiative, said: "We are delighted by the overwhelming response to phase two of The Equity Project, particularly from corporate clients, and that's reflected in the fact that we have crossed this significant milestone in a short period of time. The Equity Project is core to Burford's culture and a part of our daily work, and we look forward to committing the remaining funding soon."

David Perla, Co-COO of Burford Capital, said: "I'm very pleased to see the rapid commitment of our capital in phase two of The Equity Project. As the industry leader, we recognize that we may be the only commercial legal finance company with the resources to make such a significant financial commitment to increasing diversity in law. We are aware of our unique position and take seriously the significant impact Burford can have on the legal market in all the work we do."

The Equity Project is supported by 26 Champions from leading companies, law firms and organizations. A list of Champions and more information about The Equity Project can be found on Burford's website.

Contact:

David Helfenbein

Vice President, Public Relations

dhelfenbein@burfordcapital.com, +1 212 235 6824

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE:BUR), and it works with companies and law firms around the world from its principal offices in New York, London, Chicago, Washington, DC, Singapore and Sydney.

For more information, please visit www.burfordcapital.com.

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any ordinary shares or other securities of Burford.

This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: Burford Capital Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690936/Burford-Capital--100m-Equity-Project-Commitments
Regulatory News:

During Elior Group's (Paris:ELIOR) Board of Directors meeting on March 1, 2022, Philippe Guillemot resigned for personal reasons from his position as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

The Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Bernard Gault, an independent director for the past four years, as interim Chief Executive Officer, pending the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer.

Gilles Cojan, Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated: "The Board acknowledges Philippe Guillemot's decision and appreciates his contribution over the past four years, during a particularly challenging environment for the past two years. The Board would like to thank Bernard Gault for his commitment to Elior's strategic plan. Together, with the strength of Elior's decentralized organization in each of our countries, and the support of our customers, employees and all stakeholders, we will raise to the challenges as we exit the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bernard Gault, interim CEO, stated "I know I can trust Elior's excellent teams, and I am fully committed to ensuring the continued development of a first-class company that I have known for a long time and to which I am very attached.

The Board of Directors is now composed of ten members, 50% of whom are independent, and includes five women. The nomination and remuneration committees are merged during the interim period.

Bernard Gault is the founding partner of the investment firm Barville Co, founded in 2016, and co-founder of the financial advisory and asset management firm Perella Weinberg Partners, formed in 2006. He began his career in 1982 at Compagnie Financiere de Suez before joining Morgan Stanley in 1988, where he was a Managing Director until 2006. He is a graduate of Centrale Paris and of the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. Bernard Gault has been an independent director of Elior Group since March 9, 2018.

In accordance with the AFEP-MEDEF and AMF recommendations, it is specified that no severance, non-competition or other compensation is due or paid to Philippe Guillemot on the occasion of his departure. He also loses all rights to all of his long-term compensation packages that were awarded to him. For 2021-2022, only his fixed compensation has been paid pro rata temporis.

Elior will host a conference call at 2:30pm Paris time. Details will be provided tomorrow via Elior's website, https://www.eliorgroup.com/finance/finance-hub

About Elior Group

Founded in 1991, Elior Group has grown into one of the world's leading operators in contract catering and support services and has become a benchmark player in the business industry, education, health welfare and leisure markets.

With strong positions in 5 countries, the Group generated 3.690 billion in revenue in fiscal 2020-2021.

Our 99,000 employees feed over 3.6 million people on a daily basis in 22,700 restaurants on three continents, and offer services on 2,400 sites in France.

Innovation and social responsibility are at the core of our business model. Elior Group has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2004, reaching the GC Advanced Level in 2015.

For further information please visit our website http://www.eliorgroup.com or follow us on Twitter at @Elior_GroupFR

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301006020/en/

Contacts:

Press contact

Anne-Laure Descleves anne-laure.descleves@eliorgroup.com +33 (0) 1 71 06 70 61

Investor relations

Kimberly Stewart, kimberly.stewart@eliorgroup.com +33 (0)1 71 06 70 13
1 March 2022

Rightmove plc

Share buy-back programme

Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares

Rightmove plc ('Rightmove') announces that today it purchased 136,711of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 665.061p. The highest price paid per share was 665.400p and the lowest price paid per share was 661.200p. Rightmove purchased these shares through UBS AG London Branch.

The number of shares purchased represented 0.0161% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled.

Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 459,512,559 ordinary shares.

The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 847,061,049. Rightmove holds 12,480,472 shares in treasury.

In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the "UK MAR"), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by UBS AG London Branch on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme.

Contact: Michelle Palmer, Assistant Company Secretary CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk

Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions
Recent sanctions against Russia's banking and political community necessitate thorough screening of all cross-border financial transactions by international businesses

BOSTON, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TIS, a global leader in enterprise B2B payments, today announced a new initiative to help international businesses mitigate the impact of recent sanctions levied against Russia's banking community and political elite.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the political leadership of many NATO, European, and North American nations have agreed upon and implemented unprecedented sanctions against selected Russian individuals, businesses, and the financial infrastructure of the country. In addition, some Russian financial institutions will be excluded from the global SWIFT network, making cross-border financial transactions with these selected banks impossible through the SWIFT channel.

In order to maintain compliance with these new restrictions, businesses that operate internationally are not permitted to conduct business or participate in financial operations with any of the sanctioned parties, which includes the Russian Central Bank, Sberbank, VTB, Otkritie, among others.

While the sanctions list is evolving, businesses and individuals are also restricted from transacting with prominent Russian leaders and oligarchs, many of whom have had their foreign assets frozen.

"What is happening in Ukraine is difficult and heartbreaking on a humanitarian level. As we all try to determine how we can best support the people of Ukraine, we have also been asked by our customers for guidance on the rapidly evolving situation. As an international business, the complexity and evolving nature of sanctions coupled with the responsibility to remain compliant is creating a new set of challenges that need to be met. We want to communicate that we will support our customers while also providing free advisory services to other businesses who may have questions or concerns surrounding sanction screening." - Erik Masing, CEO

TIS Sanction Screening:

TIS Sanction Screening assists in preventing accidental payment to a sanctioned party by businesses, and covers six global sanction lists, including OFAC and sanction lists from the United Nations, European Union and United Kingdom. The sanction lists are updated automatically by TIS daily and on demand.

Through TIS Sanction Screening, TIS aims to support its customers through this uncertain and complex time by offering Sanction Screening for free to its customers through Q2 2022.

TIS and SWIFT:

TIS's SWIFT connectivity channel will automatically manage the implications resulting from the exclusion of Russian banks from SWIFT and will assist organizations with identifying impacted transactions.

TIS recognizes the gravity and complexity of the situation for many involved parties and aims to support global organizations through these difficult times.

Customers have been encouraged to contact TIS with any questions or concerns regarding compliance implications, or in case of specific failed transactions.

TIS also offers organizations that are not current customers the opportunity to discuss best practices with our team of payments experts and will look to assist organizations as they navigate this uncertain global payments environment.

For more information, please click HERE.

About TIS:

TIS is reimagining the world of enterprise payments through a cloud-based platform uniquely designed to help global organizations optimize outbound payments. Corporations, banks, and business vendors leverage TIS to transform how they connect global accounts, collaborate on payment processes, execute outbound payments, analyze cash flow and compliance data, and improve critical outbound payment functions. The TIS corporate payments SaaS solution helps businesses improve operational efficiency, lower risk, manage liquidity, gain a strategic advantage -and ultimately achieve enterprise payment optimization.

Visit us for more information at: www.tispayments.com

Contact:

Jennifer Knutel, VP Marketing

+1 978-875-2085

jennifer.knutel@tispayments.com

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Attachment
A principal public prosecutor with the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA) yesterday appeared in court on allegations of unscrupulously preparing and facilitating bail application for an armed robber resulting in the court releasing him on two occasions.

Henry Mugove Muringani appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with criminal abuse of office and alternatively defeating the course of justice.

Muringani, who is represented by lawyer Mr Moses Nyatsoma, was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje, who remanded him in custody to today for continuation of bail application.

He is accused of preparing a bail application for suspected armed robber Tatenda Tawanda Mutengo, who was being charged with armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The State led by Mr Lancelot Mutsokoti opposed to granting of Muringanis bail saying he was likely to commit similar offences.

Mr Mutsokoti called the investigating officer Detective Assistant Inspector Simbarashe Maruziva to testify in opposing bail for Muringani.

Det Asst Insp Maruziva told the court that they established that Muringani had prepared other bail applications, which are already on the roll at High Court, for seven other suspects.

He said they were in possession of copies of bail applications that Muringani had prepared.

It is the States case that on December 20 last year detectives from CID Homicide arrested Mutengo, who had been on the run for armed robbery.

Upon arrest Mutengo was found in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Mutengo was then taken court on the following day where he was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

On January 17 this year, Mutengo applied for bail at the High Court and his application was dismissed.

The court heard that Mutengo while in remand prison heard that there was someone from the NPA, who was assisting suspects facing armed robbery and other serious crimes to get bail.

On January 29 this year, Mutengo was visited by his uncle at Chikurubi Maximum prison where he gave him a note with his CRB and Muringanis contact.

Mutengo allegedly instructed his uncle Eliah Tatenda Murenzvi to call Muringani and hand him the note.

Muringani allegedly promised Murenzvi that his nephew would be freed on bail and asked him to meet at Whitehouse Shops in Harare where he demanded US$500 facilitation fees.

Murenzvi is said to have paid the money in instalments of US$20, US$380 and US$100.

On February 6, Muringani allegedly called Murenzvi to meet him at Whitehouse to collect papers, which he was supposed to hand over to Mutengo to use during his bail application.

The bail hearing was heard on February 8, according to the State.

It is said that Muringani altered the armed robbery charge to attempted murder with CRB 12195/21 which related to Mutengos unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition charge.

Mutengo then appeared at the High Court, as a self-actor, using papers that had been prepared by Muringani.

He then allegedly defended his bail application using the altered documents and was granted $5 000 bail coupled with other reporting conditions.

It is said that the other CRB 12196/21 relating to armed robbery charge was not captured on the bail release order resulting in him failing to be released from prison.

On February 17, Muringani allegedly facilitated another bail application using CRB 12196/21 while using rape charges.

He allegedly charged US$200 facilitation fees.

The court heard that on February 20, Muringani phoned Murenzvi and gave him bail application papers which he delivered to Mutengo.

Mutengo went to apply for bail February 23 and was released on $10 000 bail.

Detectives got wind of Muringanis acts and went to arrest him on February 26 and police retrieved communication between him and Murenzvi and other prison inmates relatives whom he had assisted.

Mutengo also appeared before the same court facing allegations of defeating the course of justice.

He is expected back in court today for bail application. Herald
Regulatory News:

Latecoere (Paris:LAT) shareholders are invited to attend the Combined Shareholders' Meeting to be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. at the Company's registered office 135 rue de Periole 31500 Toulouse (France).

However, in view of the uncertainties resulting from the context of COVID-19, the Company may have to modify the arrangements for this Combined Shareholders' Meeting, depending on health and/or legal requirements. In this context, the Company invites its shareholders to vote by mail and to consult regularly the Company's website www.latecoere.aero.

The information and documents referred to in Article R. 22-10-23 of the French Commercial Code, including the notice of meeting published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires (BALO) No.19 of February 14, 2022, and the terms and conditions of participation and voting at this meeting, are available on the Latecoere website under the heading "Finance", section "Regulated information", "Documents relating to the General Meeting" at www.latecoere.aero.

These documents are also available to shareholders under the legal and regulatory conditions at Latecoere's registered office.

A notice of meeting will soon be published in the BALO.

_________________________________________________________________________________

About Latecoere:

As a leading partner of the world's major aerospace manufacturers serving the aerospace industry with innovative solutions for a sustainable world, Latecoere is active in all segments of the aeronautics industry (commercial, regional, business, and military aircraft), in two areas of activity:

Aerostructures (46% of turnover): fuselage sections and doors,

Interconnection Systems (54% of turnover): wiring, electrical furniture and on-board equipment.

As of December 31, 2020, the Group employed 4 764 people in 14 different countries. Latecoere, a French limited company capitalised at 132,745,925 divided into 530,983,700 shares with a par value of 0.25, is listed on Euronext Paris Compartment B, ISIN Codes: FR0000032278 Reuters: LAEP.PA Bloomberg: LAT.FP.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005768/en/

Contacts:

Taddeo

Antoine Denry Investor Relations

+33 (0)6 18 07 83 27

Marie Gesquiere Media Relations

+33 (0)6 26 48 97 98

teamlatecoere@taddeo.fr
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE/ March 1, 2022 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with Silver Bullet Mines, Callinex Mines, Baroyeca, and Cardiol Therapeutics on their latest news.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

Silver Bullet Mines (TSXV:SBMI) breaks into the historic Treasure Room

Silver Bullet Mines has entered the "Treasure Room", a historical zone at its Buckeye Silver Mine near Globe, Arizona that hasn't been mined since 1873. The company will spend approximately three weeks undertaking timbering and other structural safety measures. The company's on-site mill will be operational in time to begin processing material from the Treasure Room. Director and VP Capital Markets Peter Clausi spoke with Shoran Devi about the exciting discovery.

For the full interview with Peter Clausi and to learn more about Silver Bullet Mines' discovery, click here.

Callinex Mines (TSXV:CNX) announces additional drilling results from the Rainbow Deposit

Callinex Mines (CNX) is pleased to announce additional results from the 2021 exploration campaign at the Rainbow Deposit. The Rainbow is located at the 100 percent owned Pine Bay Project in Flin Flon, Manitoba and The project hosts a volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit with significant gold, copper and zinc mineralization. Max Porterfield, President and CEO of Callinex Mines sat down with Shoran Devi to highlight the results.

For the full interview with Max Porterfield and to learn more about Callinex Mines' results, click here.

Baroyeca (TSXV:BGS) receives assays from the Atocha Project in Tolima, Colombia

Baroyeca (BGS) has received assay results from additional drill holes at the Atocha Project in Tolima, Colombia. Information obtained from the first 13 holes drilled at La Ye will be applied to additional targets in other areas of the Atocha property. CEO Raul Sanabria sat down with Shoran Devi to highlight the results.

For the full interview with Raul Sanabria and to learn more about Baroyeca's results, click here.

Cardiol Therapeutics (TSX:CDRL) receives clearance to expedite enrollment in the LANCER trial

Cardiol Therapeutics (CDRL) has received clearance from the FDA and regulatory agencies in Brazil and Mexico to modify the inclusion criteria for the LANCER trial. The amendments will broaden the population of patients eligible for enrollment in the trial LANCER is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CardiolRx. Cardiol CEO David Elsley sat down with Shoran Devi to discuss the news.

For the full interview with David Elsley and to learn more about Cardiol Therapeutics' news, click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

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SOURCE: The Market Herald

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690974/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-Interviews-with-Silver-Bullet-Mines-Callinex-Mines-Baroyeca-and-Cardiol-Therapeutics
Penang, Malaysia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Duesenberg Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: DUSYF) (the "Company" or "Duesenberg"), an OTCQB-listed issuer, announced today that on February 24, 2022, the Company closed a private placement financing by issuing 2,511,962 shares of its common stock (the "Shares") at a price of USD$0.20 per Share for total proceeds of USD$502,392.40 (the "Financing"). The Shares were issued pursuant to the provisions of Regulation S of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act") to the person who is not a resident of the United States and is otherwise not a "U.S. Person" as that term is defined in Rule 902(k) of Regulation S of the Act.

The proceeds of the Financing will be used to support development of Duesenberg Electric and Heritage Vehicles, as well as for day-to-day operations.

On February 24, 2022, the Company entered into debt settlement agreements with Mr. Lim Hun Beng, the Company's CEO, President and the majority shareholder, and Mr. Ong See Ming, the Company's director, (together referred to here as the "Debt Holders "), to convert a total of $132,628 owed to the Debt Holders into 663,140 restricted Shares of the Company at $0.20 per share.

The securities issued pursuant to the debt settlement agreements have not been registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless an exemption from such registration is available.

In addition, on February 24, 2022, the Board of Directors of the Company resolved to issue to Mr. Chee Wai Hong and Mr. Barth, Carl Jurgen, the Company's directors, a total of 240,000 Shares (120,000 Shares each), as fully paid and non-assessable. The Shares were issued in recognition of the services provided to the Company by Mr. Chee and Mr. Barth. The Board of Directors also approved the issuance of 150,000 Shares to an arms-length party for services provided. The Shares will not be registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless an exemption from such registration is available.

For additional information regarding the Financing, debt settlements and the Shares issued for services please refer to the Current Report on Form 8-K the Company filed with the SEC on March 1, 2022.

The above does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's securities in the United States. The securities have not been registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless an exemption from such registration is available.

About Duesenberg Technologies Inc.

Duesenberg Technologies Inc. was established out of the collective ambition of investors experienced in the online business and marketing. Our goal was to help entrepreneurs and businesses turn their own ideas and visions into successful companies. The Company's business strategy relies heavily on environmentally friendly technologies. Duesenberg Technologies' goal is to be climate neutral across its full value chain, in line with the goals set by the Paris Agreement. The Company is committed to energy resiliency through Development in Energy Transition Goal. This strategy identifies an immediate and urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help mitigate the effects of climate change, reduce energy use, and improve air quality. The Company is posed to play a vital role in supporting all three of these objectives by reducing the environmental impact through manufacturing a new type of luxury electric vehicles.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Lim, Hun Beng (Joe), President

CONTACT INFORMATION

Duesenberg Technologies Inc.

+1-236-304-0299

contactus@duesenbergtech.com

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals and research and development of an Electric Vehicle. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for the Company as described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings, which are available at www.SEC.gov. We seek safe harbour.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115283


NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - A new study has revealed that Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech's Covid vaccine did not offer children between 5 and 11 years any protection during the Omicron wave in New York.



The New York State Department of Health found that the effectiveness of Pfizer's vaccine against Covid infection fell to 12 percent from 68 percent among kids of that age group during the omicron surge from December 13 till Jan 24. The safety net against hospitalization dropped from 100 percent to 48 percent during the period.



The study has not gone through any peer review and due to the public health urgency of the pandemic, scientists have been publishing their study results without any such review.



The public health officials' team, which conducted the study said that the drop in vaccine efficiency can be attributed to the low dosage received by children aged between 5 and 11 years. Kids in this age group are given two 10-microgram shots, while children aged 12 to 17 receive 30-microgram shots.



The researchers also compared 11 and 12-year-olds during the weekend ended January 30. They found the vaccine effectiveness went down to 1% for the low-dosage group but offered 67 percent protection to the group with higher dose.



The study report said, 'Given rapid loss of protection against infections, these results highlight the continued importance of layered protections, including mask wearing, for children to prevent infection and transmission.'



For children between 12 to 17 years old, vaccine effectiveness against infection dropped from 66 percent to 51 percent from December through the end of January. Protection against hospitalization dropped from 85% to 73% for teenagers during the same period.



The data comes as New York plans to end its school mask mandate by March 7, with California doing the same four days later. State governments are lifting mandates and restrictions as Covid infections declined after the Omicron wave in December and January The US saw a spike in hospitalizations of children with Covid during the omicron wave.







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PFIZER-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / Fortitude Gold Corporation (OTCQB:FTCO) (the "Company") today reported its year-end 2021 results including record gold production, net income of $17.9 million, or $0.75 per share, and a strong balance sheet including $40 million cash and no debt. The Company confirmed both its previously announced 2021 annual production of 46,459 gold ounces, which exceeded the initial 2021 gold production target by 16%, and its 2022 Production Outlook targeting 40,000 ounces of gold (a range of 36,000 to 40,000 ounces). The Production Outlook assumes no disruptions from the COVID-19 global pandemic or unforeseen operational challenges. The Company also filed its year-end 2021 S-K 1300 Technical Report Summary of Isabella Pearl Mine Reserves and Resources. In addition to the updated Reserves and Resources, the Company disclosed an estimated 30,755 recoverable gold ounces on the heap leach pad at December 31, 2021. Reconciliation of ore tonnes mined to date has shown higher grades of gold in the Isabella Pearl Mine compared to the reserve model which has resulted in an increased mine life now of over 3 years at the current 40,000 annual gold ounce run rate. The Company is also aggressively moving its Golden Mile property forward towards a development decision that could extend the Company's gold production an additional 3 1/3 years for a combined 7-year mine life through 2028. Fortitude Gold is a gold producer, developer, and explorer with operations in Nevada, U.S.A. offering investors exposure to both gold production and dividend yield.

2021 ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS

$0.75 net income per share;

$17.9 million net income;

$40.0 million cash balance at December 31, 2021;

$82.1 million net sales;

46,459 annual gold production;

3.76 grams per tonne average gold grade mined;

$76.0 million working capital;

$40.6 million mine gross profit;

$24.7 million cash flows from operating activities;

$705 total all-in sustaining cost per ounce;

Updated 2021 Reserves and Resources; and

Initial Golden Mile mineral resource added to Company's gold ounces

"Management of Fortitude Gold delivered strong operational results beating our increased annual gold outlook with record production, delivered strong financial results increasing cash to $40 million and delivered strong shareholder value distributing monthly dividends and outperforming our market peers," stated Fortitude Gold CEO and President, Mr. Jason Reid. "The Company exceeded its initial 2021 gold production guidance by 16% while boosting year-over-year gold production by more than 56%. Operations delivered over 46,000 gold ounces a low all-in sustaining cost of $705 per ounce. With $82.1 million in net sales, $17.9 million in net income, and a cash balance increase of $12.2 million to $40 million, the Company is in a very strong financial position with no debt. In April we initiated a monthly dividend and subsequently increased the dividend twice to its current $0.48 per share paid monthly at $0.04 per share. Our Isabella Pearl open pit mine overperformed with a mined average gold grade of 3.76 grams per tonne gold."

Mr. Reid stated, "In January of 2021 we estimated the Isabella Pearl Mine would be depleted by mid-2024; however, between the higher grades coming from the tonnes mine to date, the updated Reserve and Resources, and 30,755 gold ounces awaiting recovery on the heap leach pad, we have extended our mine life estimate at the current run rate of 40,000 gold ounces beyond the end of full year 2024. We also target the same production profile and to be able to continue at least the same dividend per share from a second mine at Golden Mile, that we are aggressively moving forwards towards a development decision and eventual production."

Mr. Reid continued, "For 2022 we have a clear vision of where we are going and expect Fortitude Gold to generate record free cash flow as we transition into the open pit phase two by the second quarter of this year, allowing access to higher grade ore while moving significantly less waste rock. We also expect to heavily invest in exploration and continue to move our Golden Mile property towards a development decision and construction to be paid for with our strong treasury. Fortitude Gold remains a unique investment in the precious metal space offering investors exposure to gold production, district scale exploration potential in arguably the premier mining jurisdictions in the world, Nevada, U.S.A., and a very attractive dividend yield, currently at over 7.5%. During 2021, we transcended being just a gold equity, separating Fortitude from our peers in the junior gold space, by providing our shareholders a substantial yield and attractive monthly dividend income."

2021 Overview

For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company sold 45,891 gold ounces at a total cash cost of $587 per gold ounce, and a realized 2021 average sales price for gold of $1,795 per ounce. The Company recorded revenues of $82.1 million, and net income of $17.9 million, or $0.75 per share.

The calculation of our cash cost per ounce contained in this press release is a non-GAAP financial measure. Please see "Management's Discussion and Analysis and Results of Operations" contained in the Company's recently filed Form 10-K for a complete discussion and reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures.

The following Production Statistics table summarize certain information about our operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:



Year ended December 31,

2021 2020 Ore mined Ore (tonnes) 598,345 643,518 Gold grade (g/t) 3.76 2.42 Low-grade stockpile Ore (tonnes) 8,600 160,739 Gold grade (g/t) 0.33 0.52 Pre-strip waste - 1,346,316 Waste (tonnes) 7,159,740 4,930,262 Metal production (before payable metal deductions)(1) Gold (ozs.) 46,459 29,479 Silver (ozs.) 44,553 28,359

The difference between what we report as "metal production" and "metal sold" is attributable to the difference between the quantities of metals contained in the dore we produce versus the portion of those metals actually paid for according to the terms of our sales contracts. Differences can also arise from inventory changes incidental to shipping schedules, or variances in ore grades and recoveries which impact the amount of metals contained in dore produced and sold.

The following Sales Statistics table summarizes certain information about our operations for years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

Year ended December 31, 2021 2020 Metal sold Gold (ozs.) 45,891 29,929 Silver (ozs.) 43,189 29,129 Average metal prices realized (1) Gold ($per oz.) 1,795 1,813 Silver ($per oz.) 24.74 21.12 Precious metal gold equivalent ounces sold Gold Ounces 45,891 29,929 Gold Equivalent Ounces from Silver 595 339 46,486 30,268 Total cash cost before by-product credits per gold ounce sold $ 610 $ 949 Total cash cost after by-product credits per gold ounce sold $ 587 $ 928 Total all-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold $ 705 $ 952

Average metal prices realized vary from the market metal prices due to final settlement adjustments from our provisional invoices when they are settled. Our average metal prices realized will therefore differ from the market average metal prices in most cases.

Year-End 2021 S-K 1300 Technical Report Summary

The Company filed its 2021 year-end S-K Technical Report Summary pursuant to Item 1300 of SEC Regulation S-K for the Isabella Pearl mine. Year-end 2021 proven and probable reserves at the Isabella Pearl Mine totaled 908,800 tonnes grading 3.75 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, or 109,700 gold ounces. In addition, the Company reported high-grade stockpile reserves of 14,000 tonnes grading 10.09 g/t gold and low-grade stockpile reserves of 435,000 tonnes grading 0.53 g/t gold.

As of December 31, 2021, our estimate of Proven and Probable ("P&P") reserves, all of which pertain to the Isabella Pearl Mine, were:



Gold Silver Precious

Metal

Gold

Equivalent Gold Silver Precious

Metal

Gold

Equivalent Description Tonnes g/t g/t g/t Ounces Ounces Ounces Isabella Pearl Mine Proven 483,300 5.26 47 5.89 81,800 733,100 91,600 Probable 425,500 2.04 16 2.26 27,900 221,000 30,900 Proven and Probable Total 908,800 3.75 33 4.19 109,700 954,100 122,500 High-Grade Stockpile 14,000 10.09 88 11.26 4,500 39,600 5,000 Low-Grade Stockpile 435,000 0.53 5 0.59 7,300 63,900 8,200 Isabella Pearl Mine Total 1,357,800 2.78 24 3.11 121,500 1,057,600 135,700

Notes to the 2021 P&P reserves:

Metal prices used for P&P reserves were $1,738 per ounce of gold and $23.22 per ounce of silver. These prices reflect the consensus 2022-2024 average prices for gold and silver (CIBC Global Mining Group, Analyst Consensus Commodity Price Forecasts, November 30, 2021). Precious metal gold equivalent is 74.85:1 determined by taking gold ounces produced or sold, plus silver ounces produced or sold converted to precious metal gold equivalent ounces using the gold to silver average price ratio for the period. For the Isabella Pearl Mine, the quantities of material within the designed pits were calculated using a cutoff grade of 0.33 Au g/t. Mining, processing, energy, administrative and smelting/refining costs were based on 2021 actual costs for the Isabella Pearl Mine. Metallurgical gold recovery assumptions used for the Isabella Pearl Mine were 81% for all ore which is currently being crushed. These recoveries reflect predicted average recoveries from metallurgical test programs. Isabella Pearl P&P reserves are diluted and factored for expected mining recovery. Figures in tables are rounded to reflect estimate precision and small differences generated by rounding are not material estimates.

The new SEC S-K Technical Report Summary now allows for disclosure of mineral resource estimates (exclusive of mineral reserves). Year-end 2021 mineral resource estimates for the Isabella Pearl mine totaled 446,600 tonnes grading 1.26 g/t gold, or 18,100 gold ounces in the oxide measured and indicated category, and 259,400 tonnes grading 1.30 g/t gold, or 10,900 gold ounces in the oxide inferred category.

As of December 31, 2021, our Mineral Resource estimate (exclusive of Mineral Reserves), all of which pertain to the Isabella Pearl Mine, were:





Gold Silver Precious

Metal

Gold

Equivalent Gold Silver Precious

Metal

Gold

Equivalent Description Tonnes g/t g/t g/t Ounces Ounces Ounces Measured and Indicated Resources







Isabella Pearl Mine Oxide Measured 89,000 2.38 55 3.11 6,800 157,600 8,900 Indicated 357,600 0.99 9 1.10 11,300 96,200 12,600 Measured and Indicated Oxide Total Sulfide 446,600 1.26 18 1.50 18,100 253,800 21,500 Measured 110,600 4.98 57 3.11 17,700 180,100 20,100 Indicated 40,800 3.79 48 1.10 5,000 62,700 5,800 Measured and Indicated Sulfide Total 151,400 4.66 50 5.32 22,700 242,800 25,900 Isabella Pearl Mine Measured and Indicated Total 598,000 2.12 26 2.47 40,800 496,600 47,400 Inferred Resources Isabella Pearl Mine Oxide Inferred 259,400 1.30 12 1.46 10,900 102,800 12,300 Sulfide Inferred 28,800 3.77 56 4.52 3,500 51,600 4,200 Isabella Pearl Mine Inferred Total 288,200 1.55 17 1.78 14,400 154,400 16,500

Notes to the 2021 Mineral Resources:

Reported at cutoffs of 0.33 g/t Au for Isabella Pearl Mine Oxide and 2.0 g/t Au for Isabella Pearl Mine Sulfide. Whole block diluted estimates are reported within an optimized pit shell. Mineral Resources do not have demonstrated economic viability. Totals may not sum exactly due to rounding. Mineral resources reported are exclusive of mineral reserves.

The Company also disclosed in the S-K 1300 Technical Report Summary that in addition to the reserves, resources and various ore stockpiles, it estimates the eventual recovery of 30,755 gold ounces from crushed ore already placed on the heap leach pad.

The Qualified Persons ("QP") who prepared this report are specialists in the fields of geology, exploration, and Mineral Resources and Reserves estimation and classification. The following individuals, by virtue of their education, experience and professional association, are considered QPs for this report and are members in good standing of appropriate professional institutions. The QPs are consultants, independent of FGC. The qualified persons who prepared this report are Donald E. Hulse, P.E., SME-RM, Christopher Emanuel, SME-RM, and Ian H. Crundwell, P. Geo.

The Year-End 2021 S-K 1300 Technical Report Summary will be available on the Company's website in the near future.

Projects Update

Fortitude Gold successfully ramped up gold production to targeted levels at its Isabella Pearl Mine in 2021. The Company is targeting 40,000 ounces of gold (a range of 36,000 to 40,000 gold ounces) during the 2022 production year, assuming no disruptions from the COVID-19 global pandemic or unforeseen operational challenges.

In July 2021, the Company received permits to expand the Isabella Pearl heap leach pad and pad construction was completed in December 2021. The expanded heap leach pad can now accommodate additional ore reserve tonnes defined during exploration drill campaigns in 2019 and 2020. The newly permitted area for pad expansion is larger than the recently completed phase two expansion heap leach pad, so the Company may expand the pad further in the future if needed under the existing permits. The Company began placing ore on the new heap leach pad in February 2022.

The Company began the permitting process in 2021 to connect the Isabella Pearl Mine to the electrical power grid, a shift that is expected to reduce energy costs by approximately $80,000 per month once complete. The capital cost to switch from diesel power generation to the electric grid is budgeted at approximately $1.6 million and is expected to be completed in 2022, subject to NV Energy timeframes.

In November 2021, the Company announced its maiden resource estimate for its Golden Mile Property in Mineral County, Nevada. The Company's Initial Assessment Technical Report Summary on Golden Mile estimates in-situ ounces consisting of 78,500 Indicated gold ounces at 1.13 g/t and 84,500 Inferred gold ounces at 1.10 g/t. The mineralization at Golden Mile remains open along strike and at depth, and the current resource is confined solely to patented claims. Company management is moving towards a development decision and eventual production based on this initial project resource and is currently finalizing estimates for project capital expenditures, sustaining project capital, as well as overall project economics. In January of 2022 the Company filed its Plan of Operations with the Bureau of Land Management, the first step in permitting the Golden Mile project. The Company targets an official board level development decision for Golden Mile in the first half of 2022 based off the project's initial resource.

Exploration Program

The 2021 exploration drill programs focused on targets along the Isabella Pearl Mineralized trend, completed its initial drill campaign on its East Camp Douglas property and delineated an initial resource at Golden Mile. During 2021, the Company acquired 100% interest in a prospective property in west central Nevada called Ripper. Ripper has high-grade gold surface samples in a favorable geologic setting for a potential open pit heap leach operation. Ripper becomes the sixth property in the Company's portfolio. In 2022, the Company anticipates spending approximately $5.7 million for exploration activities at its Nevada Mining Unit. Exploration expenses may be modified depending on drill rig and crew availability, exploration results, metal market conditions and available capital. The primary focus in 2022 for exploration drill programs include testing targets along the mineralized trend and structural corridor where our Isabella Pearl mine is located, planned delineation and expansion drilling of the known mineralized zones at Golden Mile and exploration drilling at our County Line and East Camp Douglas properties.

See Accompanying Tables

The following information summarizes the results of operations for Fortitude Gold Corporation for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, its financial condition at December 31, 2021 and 2020, and its cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020. The summary data as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 is derived from its audited financial statements contained in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, but do not include the footnotes and other information that is included in the complete financial statements. Readers are urged to review the Company's Form 10-K in its entirety, which can be found on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

The calculation of its cash cost before by-product credits per gold ounce sold, total cash cost after by-product credits per gold ounce sold and total all-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold contained in this press release are non-GAAP financial measures. Please see "Management's Discussion and Analysis and Results of Operations" contained in the Company's most recent Form 10-K for a complete discussion and reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures.

FORTITUDE GOLD CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

December 31, December 31, 2021 2020 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 40,017 $ 27,774 Accounts receivable 238 145 Inventories 37,550 23,051 Prepaid taxes 1,289 - Prepaid expenses and other current assets 2,228 1,962 Total current assets 81,322 52,932 Property, plant and mine development, net 37,226 50,990 Operating lease assets, net 463 6,198 Deferred tax assets 509 959 Other non-current assets 2,909 1,946 Total assets $ 122,429 $ 113,025 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 2,127 $ 1,715 Loans payable, current 87 665 Finance lease liabilities, current 23 398 Operating lease liabilities, current 463 6,198 Mining taxes payable 1,699 1,001 Other current liabilities 912 1,092 Total current liabilities 5,311 11,069 Asset retirement obligations 4,725 3,844 Loans payable, long-term 30 117 Finance lease liabilities, long-term 15 27 Total liabilities 10,081 15,057 Shareholders' equity: Preferred stock - $0.01 par value, 20,000,000 shares authorized and nil outstanding at December 31, 2021 and nil shares authorized and outstanding at December 31, 2020 - - Common stock - $0.01 par value, 200,000,000 shares authorized and 23,961,208 shares outstanding at December 31, 2021 and 21,211,208 shares outstanding at December 31, 2020 240 212 Additional paid-in capital 103,476 99,682 Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) 8,632 (1,926 ) Total shareholders' equity 112,348 97,968 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 122,429 $ 113,025

FORTITUDE GOLD CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

(U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)

Year ended December 31, 2021 2020 Sales, net $ 82,109 $ 53,967 Mine cost of sales: Production costs 26,661 27,495 Depreciation and amortization 14,728 10,241 Reclamation and remediation 156 48 Total mine cost of sales 41,545 37,784 Mine gross profit 40,564 16,183 Costs and expenses: General and administrative expenses 11,443 2,882 Exploration expenses 5,396 2,648 Other expense, net 190 233 Total costs and expenses 17,029 5,763 Income before income and mining taxes 23,535 10,420 Mining and income tax expense 5,669 203 Net income $ 17,866 $ 10,217 Net income per common share: Basic $ 0.75 $ 0.48 Diluted $ 0.74 $ 0.48 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 23,875,631 21,211,208 Diluted 24,108,365 21,211,208

FORTITUDE GOLD CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020

(U.S. dollars in thousands)

Year ended December 31, 2021 2020 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 17,866 $ 10,217 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 14,859 10,377 Stock-based compensation 3,405 - Deferred taxes 450 (959 ) Reclamation and remediation accretion 156 48 Other operating adjustments (303 ) - Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable (93 ) (145 ) Inventories (10,866 ) (2,300 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets (266 ) (1,643 ) Other non-current assets 19 (2,085 ) Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities 29 (1,508 ) Income and mining taxes payable (591 ) 1,001 Net cash provided by operating activities 24,665 13,003 Cash flows from investing activities: Capital expenditures (4,546 ) (6,488 ) Net cash used in investing activities (4,546 ) (6,488 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Contributions from GRC - 21,711 Dividends paid (7,308 ) - Issuance of common stock 500 - Repayment of loans payable (665 ) (879 ) Repayment of capital leases (403 ) (439 ) Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities (7,876 ) 20,393 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 12,243 26,908 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 27,774 866 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 40,017 $ 27,774 Supplemental Cash Flow Information Interest expense paid $ 26 $ 86 Income and mining taxes paid $ 5,893 $ - Non-cash investing and financing activities: Change in capital expenditures in accounts payable $ 503 $ (1,544 ) Change in estimate for asset retirement costs $ 794 $ 1,159 Stock contributed from Parent $ - $ 100 Equipment purchased under finance lease $ 16 $ - Right-of-Use assets acquired through operating lease $ 1,820 $ 7,265

About Fortitude Gold Corporation

Fortitude Gold is a U.S. based gold producer targeting projects with low operating costs, high margins, and strong returns on capital. The Company's strategy is to grow organically, remain debt-free and distribute substantial dividends. The Company's Nevada Mining Unit consists of five high-grade gold properties located in the Walker Lane Mineral Belt and a sixth high-grade gold property in west central Nevada. The Isabella Pearl gold mine, located on the Isabella Pearl mineralized trend, is currently in production. Nevada, U.S.A. is among the world's premier mining friendly jurisdictions.

Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. If you are risk-averse you should NOT buy shares in Fortitude Gold Corp. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding the Company's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to the Company on the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.

Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, the scope, duration, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mining operations, Company employees, and supply chains as well as the scope, duration and impact of government action aimed at mitigating the pandemic may cause future actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Also, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate.

Contact:

Greg Patterson

719-717-9825

greg.patterson@fortitudegold.com

www.Fortitudegold.com

SOURCE: Fortitude Gold Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/690939/Fortitude-Gold-Reports-2021-Record-Gold-Production-075-Net-Income-Per-Share-And-40-Million-Cash
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Britannia Life Sciences Inc. (CSE: BLAB) ("Britannia" or the "Company") is pleased to provide its unaudited financial results for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2021. These filings and additional information regarding Britannia are available for review on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All amounts are Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

Q3 2022 Highlights:

The Company reports Adjusted EBITDA of$2.9m for the nine-month period ended December 31, 2021.

On November 12, 2021, Britannia completed its transaction with Rise Life Science Corp ("RISE"). RISE has changed its name to Britannia Life Sciences Inc. and continues as the reporting issuer (BLAB: CSE).

The transaction with RISE has been accounted for as a reverse takeover ("RTO") by Britannia, such that these condensed interim consolidated financial statements reflect the accounts of Britannia acquiring RISE. As a result, the comparative information for prior periods provided in the financial statements represents the results of Britannia Bud Holdings Co. ("BBCH"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Britannia, and is therefore not directly comparable to current periods.

In the nine-month period ended December 31, 2021, Britannia made principal and interest payments of $3.4m on the note representing amounts due to the vendors (the "Sellers' Loan") of Advanced Development & Safety Laboratory Limited ("ADSL"), Britannia's largest operating subsidiary.

"Britannia is pleased to present its first set of financial results as a public company, after the successful completion of the reverse takeover transaction with RISE. We are grateful for the ongoing support from our shareholders as well as the vendors and our advisors, as we finalize our debt refinancing."

On behalf of the Board

Sarah Zilik, CFO

Operational Update:

As of March 1st, 2022, the Company has made a number of productive operational developments:

On January 17th 2022, Britannia entered into a supply agreement to import CBD Isolate and Distillate for the UK market. The company has begun to negotiate supply agreements with licensed producers of other cannabinoid products, including CBG, CBC, and THC.

On February 22nd, 2022 Britannia launched its first CBD consumer trial with the objective of establishing the efficacy of using CBD as an active ingredient in products stimulating hair growth.

Britannia is actively seeking acquisitions to expand its operational footprint and also evaluating opportunities to expand its range of services.

The Company continues to expand its industry coverage, recently executing service contracts with material customers in the household goods and household accessories industries.

"Britannia is pleased with the continued momentum of its growth initiatives. We look forward to expanding our services and geographic presence throughout 2022, to deliver meaningful shareholder value."

On behalf of the Board

Peter Shippen, CEO

Subsequent Events:

Subsequent to the end of the quarter, Britannia executed a term sheet for a 5,000,000 loan facility with an external lender (the "Loan Facility"). The proceeds of the Loan Facility will be used to repay the remaining Sellers' Loan in full and to fund the acquisition of an additional 10% of ADSL's share capital. The Company expects to close the Loan Facility before its year-end of March 31, 2022.

About Britannia Life Sciences Inc.

Britannia Life Sciences Inc. is a global platform offering an integrated suite of services to assist companies along their product development journey. Britannia's services, including product formulations, safety assessments, analytical and microbiological testing, global compliance and consumer evaluations are offered to companies ranging from multinationals to startups particularly in the cosmetics, food and wellness industries. Britannia has garnered significant expertise in the development and regulatory approval of topical and edible cannabis products, including preparation and support for novel food authorizations.

Britannia's head office is located at 120 Adelaide Street West, Suite 2400, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 1T1.

For further information contact:

Britannia Life Sciences Inc.

Email: investors@britannia.life

Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

(Unaudited)

As at



December 31, 2021



March 31, 2021





$



$

Assets













Current assets:













Cash



1,533,778



828,321

Accounts receivable



1,723,018



1,686,152

Prepaid expenses



90,830



-

Total current assets



3,347,626



2,514,473











Non-current assets:









Property and equipment



612,722



702,684

Goodwill and intangible assets



17,479,369



18,234,344

Total non-current assets



18,092,091



18,937,028













Total assets



21,439,717



21,451,501











Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity









Current liabilities:









Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

3,415,040



2,031,506

Interest payable



-



163,076

Current portion of lease liability



49,663



42,906

Director's loan



-



225,000

Sellers' loan



4,978,182



7,726,776

Total current liabilities



8,442,885



10,189,264











Non-current liabilities:









Lease liability



151,394



188,173

Convertible notes



-



2,363,154

Embedded derivative



-



2,982,172

Warrant liability



645,705



543,124

Put option liability



1,677,592



2,435,100

Other debt



126,284



-

Deferred income taxes



76,677



87,904

Total non-current liabilities



2,679,652



8,599,627













Total liabilities



11,122,537



18,788,891











Shareholders' equity:









Share capital



16,492,175



441,204

Contributed surplus



157,101



157,101

Non-controlling interest



3,975,388



2,864,935

Warrant reserve



1,272,445



-

Options reserve



149,622



-

Accumulated other comprehensive loss



(846,586 )

(61,579 ) Deficit



(10,882,965 )

(739,051 ) Total shareholders' equity



10,317,180



2,662,610











Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

21,439,717



21,451,501

Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) and Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(Unaudited)







Three months



Nine months

Periods ended December 31,



2021



2020



2021



2020





$



$



$



$





























Product sales and other income



1,658,611



-



5,553,178



-





















Cost of sales



434,221



-



1,297,410



-

Gross Margin



1,224,390



-



4,255,768



-



















Expenses

















Selling, general and administration



453,548



84,821



1,905,864



245,034

Finance



279,326



-



1,047,908



-

Share-based compensation



149,622







149,622











882,496



84,821



3,103,394



245,034

Income (loss) from operations



341,894



(84,821 )

1,152,374



(245,034 )



















Other income (expense)

















Change in fair value of embedded derivative



236,201



-



598,722



-

Foreign currency translation gain (loss)



39,263



-



167,152



-

Change in fair value of put option liability



211,895



-



757,507



-

Change in fair value of warrant liability



(78,953 )

-



55,842



-

Accretion expense



(237,422 )

-



(1,077,164 )

-

Listing fees



(9,933,566 )

-



(9,933,566 )

-







(9,762,582 )

-



(9,431,507 )

-





















Loss before income taxes



(9,420,688 )

(84,821 )

(8,279,133 )

(245,034 )



















Provision for (recovery of) income taxes

















Current income taxes



232,152



-



728,315



-

Deferred income taxes



(3,807 )

-



(9,227 )

-

Total income taxes



228,345



-



719,088



-





















Net loss



(9,649,033 )

(84,821 )

(8,998,221 )

(245,034 )



















Other comprehensive income (loss)

















Currency translation differences



34,319



11,848



(820,247 )

25

Comprehensive loss for the period



(9,614,714 )

(72,973 )

(9,818,468 )

(245,009 )



















Net income (loss) for the period attributable to:

















Non-controlling interest



317,898



-



1,145,693



-

Equity shareholders of the Company



(9,966,931 )

(84,821 )

(10,143,914 )

(245,034 ) Total



(9,649,033 )

(84,821 )

(8,998,221 )

(244,855 )

Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)





For the nine

months ended

December 31, 2021



For the nine

months ended

December 31, 2020



$



$ OPERATING ACTIVITIES













Net Income (loss)

(8,998,221 )

(245,034 )

Adjustments for items not involving cash











Depreciation and amortization

143,581



-





Non-cash listing fees

10,078,561



-





Share-based compensation

149,622



-





Interest on lease liability

26,767



-





Foreign currency translation gain

(415,650 )

(25 )



Change in fair value of embedded derivative

(598,722 )

-





Change in fair value of put liability

(757,507 )

-





Change in fair of warrant liability

(55,842 )

-





Accretion expense

1,077,164



-





Deferred income tax

(9,227 )

-





Allocation to non-controlling interest

1,110,453



-







1,750,979



(245,059 )













Changes in non-cash working capital items









Accounts receivable

52,181



393



Prepaid expenses

(84,020 )

-



Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

788,420



(107,789 )

Total changes in non-cash working capital items

756,581



(107,396 )













NET CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

2,507,560



(352,455 )













INVESTING ACTIVITIES









Cash acquired on reverse takeover

741,032







Purchase of equipment

(73,162 )

-

NET CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

667,870



-













FINANCING ACTIVITIES









Proceeds on issuance of convertible debt

1,628,855



-



Director's loan

-



225,000



Share issuance costs

-



(777 )

Principal and interest payment on Sellers' loan

(3,439,102 )





Costs incurred related to reverse takeover

(596,037 )





Lease payments

(57,217 )

-

NET CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

(2,463,501 )

224,223













Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(6,472 )

-













Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

705,457



(128,232 ) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

828,321



140,894













Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

1,533,778



12,662

Adjusted EBITDA (Non-IFRS Financial Measurement)

Adjusted EBITDA represents net loss or income adjusted to exclude amortization, depreciation, interest expense and finance costs, foreign exchange gains and losses, income tax expense, listing expense and other charges. Other expenses consist primarily of other income and expenses related to the accounting treatment for the Britannia convertible debenture financing and adjustments in the fair value of certain liabilities.

Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized, defined or standardized measure under IFRS. The Company's definition of Adjusted EBITDA will likely differ from that used by other companies and therefore comparability may be limited. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered a substitute for or in isolation from measures prepared in accordance with IFRS. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's financial statements and disclosures in their entirety and are cautioned not to put undue reliance on non-IFRS measures and view them in conjunction with the most comparable IFRS financial measures. The Company has reconciled Adjusted EBITDA to the most comparable IFRS financial measure as follows:





For the three months ended December 31,



For the nine months ended December 31,



2021



2020



2021



2020





$



$



$



$

























Loss before income taxes

(9,420,688 )

84,821



(8,279,133 )

(245,034 ) Finance expense

279,326



-



1,047,908



-

Share based compensation expense

149,622



-



149,622



-

Depreciation and amortization

53,106



-



143,581



-

Foreign exchange loss (gain)

(39,263 )

-



(167,152 )

-

Listing expense

9,933,566



-



9.933.566



-

Other expenses

(131,721 )

-



115,433



-

Adjusted EBITDA

823,948



(84,821 )

2,943,825



(245,034 )

Forward Looking Information

This press release may contain certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation regarding Britannia and its business. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected" "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts". "estimates", "believes" or intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could, "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Britannia assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

For a detailed description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's filings statement available on SEDAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115296
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - SPARQ Corp. (TSXV: SPRQ) (formerly MJ Innovation Capital Corp.) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Arul Shanmugasundaram to the Company's board of directors (the "Board").

Dr. Arul Shanmugasundaram is currently the Executive Director of Ayana Renewable Power Private Limited, India, where he is responsible for business development, technology and asset management functions. Previously, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Tata Power Solar Systems and lead the EPC for utility scale, rooftops and pumps projects. In the nearly one decade at Tata group, he was part of the leadership team that transformed Tata Power Solar from revenues of US$100 million to US$450 million. Dr. Shanmugasundaram started his career at Applied Materials in Silicon Valley for 15 years where he was involved in the development and launch of several new products and process controls. Dr. Shanmugasundaram has a Bachelor degree from Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and Master and Doctorate degrees from Cornell University. He has more than 40 US patents and several international publications.

"We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Shanmugasundaram to the Board at this pivotal time in the Company's growth," said Dr. Praveen Jain, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

The Company has granted Dr. Shanmugasundaram options to purchase up to 275,000 common shares pursuant to the Company's stock option plan. Each option is exercisable at $0.50 per share for a period of five years from the date of grant, subject to certain vesting provisions.

Dr. Shanmugasundaram's appointment is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

ABOUT SPARQ

SPARQ's head office is located at 945 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 0E9. SPARQ originated from the advanced research conducted at ePOWER, the Centre for Energy and Power Electronics Research at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. SPARQ was founded at Queen's University in 2009 by Canada Research Chair in Power Electronics, Dr. Praveen Jain, Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Royal Society of Canada.

SPARQ designs and manufactures next generation single-phase microinverters for residential and commercial solar electric applications. SPARQ has developed a proprietary photovoltaic ("PV") solution called the Quad; the Quad inverter optimizes four PV modules with a single microinverter, simplifying design and installation, and lowering cost for solar power installations when compared to existing market offerings.

Neither the TSXV nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please contact:

SPARQ Corp.

Dr. Praveen Jain

Chief Executive Officer

Email: pjain@sparqsys.com

Tel: 343.477.1158

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115269
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / New Destiny Mining Corp. (TSXV:NED), (the "Company" or "NED") announces that it has been advised that pursuant to the Exchange's review of the Company's financial statements and disclosure documents, it has determined that the Company does not meet Tier 2 Continued Listing Requirements ("CLR") relating to the requirements of working capital and activity.

In December 2021 and February 2022, the Company responded to the Exchanges notice and advised that the Company was in good standing regarding its option agreement to acquire 100% of the Treasure Mountain Silver Property near Hope, BC. From 2017 to 2021 the Company has incurred approximately $650,000 in property exploration expenses, however in the year 2021 the Company did not spend the minimum expenditures of $50,000 required pursuant to the Exchange Policy 2.5 which is the reason the Company does not meet Tier 2 CLR with regards to the activity criteria. The project is currently fully permitted and ready for drilling and trenching. Archeology reports and environmental studies were completed in 2019. An exploration plan for the project has been completed with a budget of approximately $200,000 and a tentative start date to begin work at the beginning of June 2022. The field work will entail trenching, rock sampling and drilling, and is scheduled to take approximately 45 days. In December of 2021 the Company completed a $80,000 flow through private placement for continued exploration on the Treasure Mountain Silver property. The Company will endeavour over the next 2 months to raise an additional $300,000 to meet its working capital obligations and fund it's 2022 exploration program at the Treasure Mountain project.

The Exchange has requested that the Company issue a press release updating its progress towards meeting Tier 2 CLR. The Exchange has advised New Destiny Mining Corp. that it will continue to monitor the Company's future financial statements to ensure it meets Tier 2 CLR, until such time, the notice to transfer to NEX will be withdrawn.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Al Beaton"

Director

604-488-3900

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, the Company's information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Such statements include statements regarding the completion of the proposed transactions. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved), and variations of such words, and similar expressions are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statement are necessarily based upon several factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of gold and other metals, anticipated costs and the ability to achieve goals, and the Company will be able to obtain required licenses and permits. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks including that resource exploration and development is a speculative business; that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; fluctuating prices of metals; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; operating hazards and risks; and competition. There can be no assurance that economic resources will be discovered or developed. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, the loss of key directors, employees, advisors or consultants, equipment failures, litigation, competition, fees charged by service providers and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

SOURCE: New Destiny Mining Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/691016/New-Destiny-Mining-Corp-Corporate-Update
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Big Ridge Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRAU) (OTCQB: ALVLF) ("Big Ridge") announces the closing of the sale of its 100% owned Ontario mining properties to Caprock Mining Corp. ("Caprock") pursuant to a sale agreement dated March 11, 2021. As consideration, Caprock issued a total of 10,000,000 common shares (the "Caprock Shares") to Big Ridge from treasury at a deemed price of $0.10 per Caprock Share for aggregate deemed consideration of $1,000,000.

Immediately prior to closing of this transaction, Big Ridge did not own or control any Caprock Shares. Following closing, Big Ridge owns 10,000,000 Caprock Shares, representing approximately 24.77% of the issued and outstanding share capital of Caprock. These Caprock Shares were issued under a prospectus exemption and are also subject to an escrow agreement providing for a three-year escrow, and become free-trading according to the following schedule:

Date Number of shares June 29, 2022* 1,000,000 July 26, 2022 1,500,000 January 26, 2023 1,500,000 July 26, 2023 1,500,000 January 26, 2024 1,500,000 July 26, 2024 1,500,000 January 26, 2025 1,500,000

*Released from escrow upon issuance, but subject to a hold period of four months and one day under applicable securities laws.

Big Ridge will continue to monitor the business, prospects, financial condition and potential capital requirements of Caprock. Depending on its evaluation of these and other factors Big Ridge may from time to time in the future increase or decrease its direct or indirect ownership, control or direction over the Common Shares or other securities of Caprock through market transactions, private agreements, subscriptions from treasury or otherwise, and may from time to time engage in discussions with, or make proposals to, Caprock or other third parties regarding any of the matters listed in paragraphs (a) through (k) of Item 5 of Form NI 62-103F1 - Required Disclosure under the Early Warning Requirements of the Canadian Securities Administrators.

About Big Ridge Gold Corp.

Big Ridge Gold Corp. is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and experienced team of officers and directors. The Company is committed to the development of advanced stage mining projects using industry best practices combined with strong social license from our local communities. Big Ridge owns a 100% interest in the highly prospective Oxford Gold Project located in Manitoba and the Destiny Gold Project in Quebec. Big Ridge is the operator of the Hope Brook Gold Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador.

For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at www.bigridgegold.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

For further information, including a copy of the corresponding report filed with Canadian securities regulators, please visit www.sedar.com or contact:

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

BIG RIDGE GOLD CORP.

18 King St. East, Suite 1400

Toronto, ON, M5C 1C4

Tel: 416-540-5480

Email: Mike@bigridgegold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events, and include, without limitation, statements with respect to Big Ridge's intentions with respect to Caprock's shares. All forward-looking statements are based on Big Ridge's and its employees' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Big Ridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Big Ridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115309
TSX and OTCQX: MPVD

TORONTO and NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. ("Mountain Province" or the "Company") (TSX: MPVD) (OTCQX: MPVD) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a supply agreement with one of the world's largest and most respected jewellery retailers, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (Chow Tai Fook). Under the terms of the supply agreement with Chow Tai Fook, Mountain Province will provide a select range of diamonds over a one-year, renewable term.

The Company also announces today the results of its most recent diamond sale which closed on February 25, 2022 in Antwerp, Belgium. Total sales of 322,547 carats were achieved for total proceeds of $52.7 million (US$41.4 million) resulting in an average value of $163 per carat (US$128 per carat). Adjusting for mix of goods sold, this result represents a run-of-mine price of $160 per carat (US$126 per carat), a new high-water mark for the Company since the inception of sales of Gahcho Kue goods, and which incorporates a 13% indicative market price increase relative to the Company's first sale of the year which closed on January 21, 2022.

Reid Mackie, the Company's Vice President & Head of Diamond Sales and Marketing, commented:

"We are extremely proud to announce the formalisation of a supply agreement with Chow Tai Fook. This is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with a recognised industry leader, known for its discerning approach to diamond sourcing, unwavering focus on production excellence, and extensive retail network across Asia and the United States. Mountain Province looks forward to building a strong and successful relationship with Chow Tai Fook.

We are also pleased with the results from our February diamond sale. We achieved a new price milestone and saw strong demand in the market for our unique profile of Canadian origin diamonds."

About Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.

Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine located in Canada'sNorthwest Territories. The Gahcho Kue Joint Venture property consists of several kimberlites that are actively being mined, developed, and explored for future development. The Company also controls 107,373 hectares of highly prospective mineral claims and leases surrounding the Gahcho Kue Mine that include an Indicated mineral resource for the Kelvin kimberlite and Inferred mineral resources for the Faraday kimberlites. Kelvin is estimated to contain 13.62 million carats (Mct) in 8.50 million tonnes (Mt) at a grade of 1.60 carats/tonne and value of US$63/carat. Faraday 2 is estimated to contain 5.45Mct in 2.07Mt at a grade of 2.63 carats/tonne and value of US$140/ct. Faraday 1-3 is estimated to contain 1.90Mct in 1.87Mt at a grade of 1.04 carats/tonne and value of US$75/carat. All resource estimations are based on a 1mm diamond size bottom cut-off.

For further information on Mountain Province Diamonds and to receive news releases by email, visit the Company's website at www.mountainprovince.com.

Qualified Person

The disclosure in this news release of scientific and technical information regarding Mountain Province's mineral properties has been reviewed and approved by Tom E. McCandless, Ph.D., P.Geo., and Matthew MacPhail, P.Eng, MBA, both employees of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. and Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, operational hazards, including possible disruption due to pandemic such as COVID-19, its impact on travel, self-isolation protocols and business and operations, estimated production and mine life of the project of Mountain Province; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; the future price of diamonds; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the ability to manage debt; capital expenditures; the ability to obtain permits for operations; liquidity; tax rates; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Mountain Province, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be", "potential" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Mountain Province and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include the development of operation hazards which could arise in relation to COVID-19, including, but not limited to protocols which may be adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and any impact of such protocols on Mountain Province's business and operations, variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, changes in project parameters, mine sequencing; production rates; cash flow; risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; supply of, and demand for, diamonds; fluctuating commodity prices and currency exchange rates, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated.

These factors are discussed in greater detail in Mountain Province's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Mountain Province cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Mountain Province believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release.

Although Mountain Province has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Mountain Province undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered as the property is developed. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Further, Mountain Province may make changes to its business plans that could affect its results. The principal assets of Mountain Province are administered pursuant to a joint venture under which Mountain Province is not the operator. Mountain Province is exposed to actions taken or omissions made by the operator within its prerogative and/or determinations made by the joint venture under its terms. Such actions or omissions may impact the future performance of Mountain Province. Under its current note and revolving credit facilities Mountain Province is subject to certain limitations on its ability to pay dividends on common stock. The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of Mountain Province's Board of Directors, subject to the limitations under the Company's debt facilities, and will depend on Mountain Province's financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.

Mark Wall, President and CEO, 161 Bay Street, Suite 1410, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S1, Phone: (416) 361-3562, E-mail: info@mountainprovince.com; Matthew MacPhail, Chief Technical Officer, 161 Bay Street, Suite 1410, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S1, Phone: (416) 361-3562, E-mail: info@mountainprovince.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1757452/Mountain_Province_Diamonds_Inc__Mountain_Province_Diamonds_Annou.jpg
Hosting U.S. nuclear weapons "completely unacceptable": Japan's PM

Xinhua) 08:57, March 01, 2022

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a press conference at prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 4, 2021. (Toru Hanai/Pool via Xinhua)

"It is unacceptable given our country's stance of maintaining the three non-nuclear principles," Kishida said.

TOKYO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday said it is completely "unacceptable" for Japan to make a nuclear sharing deal with the United States, spurning the notion of Japan hosting U.S. nuclear weapons.

After a call by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a day earlier to discuss the option of nuclear sharing, Kishida said in parliament, "it is unacceptable given our country's stance of maintaining the three non-nuclear principles."

Japan has abided by its three principles of not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear arms on its territory, with the principles inspired by the devastating atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.

Paper lanterns float in the river at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, Aug. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)

Kishida, whose constituency is in Hiroshima, is a proponent of non-nuclear proliferation and has vocally made his hope for a world free of nuclear weapons known.

On a TV program on Sunday about Japan's security environment as it relates to Russia's military moves in Ukraine, Abe was quoted as saying that "it is necessary to understand how the world's security is maintained. We should not put a taboo on discussions about the reality we face."

The former prime minister, who heads the largest faction of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, added, "as a country that experienced atomic bombings, we must uphold the goal of abolishing nuclear weapons."

Under their nuclear sharing arrangements, some non-nuclear members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization host U.S. nuclear weapons.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
A ZIMBABWE Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) investigating officer in the matter of former Public Service minister Petronella Kagonye on Tuesday said there was insufficient evidence against her in one of her cases of fraud.

Kagonye, who is represented by Rungano Mahuni, is being accused of swindling Shingiriro Housing Co-operative of some money after promising to deliver residential stands.

But Zacc officer Gilbert Manyore said he had encountered a challenge in investigating another count of fraud as an unnamed bookkeeper was outside the country.

He said the availability of the bookkeeper was critical in the investigations. The officer also said the documents of the co-operative were not enough.

Kagonye, who was facing three counts of fraud had, one case withdrawn after witnesses claimed that they were coerced to lie against the former minister.

She also faces charges of converting government computers to own use. Manyore, however, failed to state the number of computers received by Kagonye.

The defence filed a notice for discharge at the close of the State case. Magistrate Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro will deliver her ruling on March 18.

The ex-minister is also being accused of converting US$18 000 meant for residential stands for a housing co-operative to personal use, a charge she denies. Newsday
Standard Bariatrics, Inc., Cincinnati, OH-based leader in the bariatric surgery medical device field, closed a $35m Series B funding round.

The launch of the Titan SGS surgical stapler completed the final milestones needed to realize the second of two tranches. The company received the remaining $9m in funds to accelerate commercialization efforts.

Standard Bariatrics is supported through early investment from Queen City Angels and CincyTech, Series A lead investors RiverVest, Hatteras Venture Partners and Emergent Medical Partners, and Series B investors U.S. Venture Partners (USVP) and River Cities Capital.

Standard Bariatrics is a surgical procedure company focused on the innovative development and commercialization of medical devices.

The Titan SGS surgical stapler design received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April 2021, allowing it to be used in bariatric surgery requiring the creation of sleeve pouch anatomy (sleeve gastrectomy). The completion of a 62-patient study supported the submission.

The design ensures more consistent staple formation across the entire 23-centimeter cutline for improved staple-line strength and fewer malformed staples than competitive staplers that offer short cartridges for more general surgical use. Following FDA clearance, it was first used clinically in August 2021 and sales recently reached approximately $3 million. Since then, Titan SGS has been used in over 1600 clinical cases performed in more than 35 hospital facilities across 12 states. The community of bariatric surgeons using Titan SGS is growing as they share their clinical experiences with the device.

FinSMEs

28/02/2022
Sitting Left to right: Nadav Eichler, CTO; Danny Farin, executive chairman; Oren Dror, CEO. Standing: Dr. Rotem Sivan-Hoffman, Medical Director; Dr. Shmuel Raz Photographer: Shani Nahmias  Studio Koteret

CVAid Medical, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based digital health company, raised $4M in funding.

The round was led by Rad Biomed investment fund with participation form Philips, Sanara Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and accelerate its business reach.

Led by CEO Oren Dror, CVAid Medical has developed a platform based on artificial intelligence for diagnosing and treating cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs, or strokes). The system allows medical teams to perform a neurological examination based on a video recording and recording of the patients voice using a smartphone, and to process the image and voice data sent to its cloud server. Using algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) developed in house, the technology enables analysis of the data in real time, and comparison with the medical records stored by the company. This provides the triage clinician with a tool for immediate diagnosis, with a high degree of accuracy, of whether the patient has had a stroke and definition of its severity.

In addition, analysis of the data also gives the clinician a set of tools for making quick decisions regarding the actions required to treat the stroke, improving the speed and quality of providing treatment.

The platform also allows non-professional staff, such as in retirement homes, nursing homes, or family members, to film the patient when there is fear of a stroke  and in the event of a positive diagnosis, to perform a rapid evacuation process and put the medical staff on alert. This enables remote diagnosis, control and management of patients suspected of suffering a stroke at a very early stage, and coordination of the evacuation and transfer of the patient to the appropriate medical center, as well as preparing and readying the medical staff in advance immediately upon arrival of the ambulance to the hospital.

To date, the company has conducted clinical trials at a number of hospitals in Israel and Europe, and examined hundreds of patients.

CVAid Medical was established in 2018 by CEO Oren Dror, Executive Chairman Danny Farin, CTO Nadav Eichler, Dr. Rotem Sivan-Hoffman, senior physician and director of the radiology department at Meir Medical Center, and Dr. Shmuel Raz, a scientist and inventor.

FinSMEs

01/03/2022
Mizar, a Warsaw, Poland-based trading platform provider, raised $3M in Seed funding.

The round was led by Nexo, with participation from Huobi Ventures, KuCoin Ventures, Gate Labs, MEXC, WOO Ventures, Spark Digital Capital, Shima Capital, Stakely VC, Evolve Capital, Kairon Labs, AU21 Capital, Tenzor Capital, NFT Tech, David Post, and Dean Thomas.

The company intends to use the funds to further develop and increase the reach of their smart trading tools.



Led by CEO Francesco Ciuci, Mizar is a trading platform where traders can search for strategies to securely allocate capital or get access to a wide range of trading tools to put their assets in motion. The companys smart trading tools require no prior trading knowledge.

As Mizar continues to grow their product, they focus on strengthening their current core community and partnerships, while simultaneously continuing to add high-quality talents to their team.

FinSMEs

01/03/2022
Payhawk co-founders Konstantin Djengozov CFO (left), Hristo Borisov, CEO (center), Boyko Karadzhov CTO (right)

Payhawk, a London, UK-based payment and expense solution provider, raised $100M in Series B funding at a valuation of $1bn.

The round, which extends Payhawks Series B round to $215m, was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation Sprints Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, HubSpot Ventures and Jigsaw VC.

The company intends to use the funds to further grow its product team, double down on its efforts to build enterprise features, and expand the sales and marketing team for new market penetration in 2022. The capital will be used to further grow Payhawks product team by adding 60 additional senior software engineers in Sofia, add new features like mileage tracking and per diem, and expand existing features for enterprise customers, including Oracle Netsuite integration, Subscription Management and Budgets.

Founded in 2018 by Hristo Borisov and Boyko Karadzhov and later joined by Konstantin Dzhengozov, Payhawk is a financial platform that combines expense management, payments and invoice management in one solution and works as a one-stop-shop for finance teams. Its customer base consists of a mix of fast-growing and mature multinational companies like LuxAir, Lotto24, Viking Life, Gtmhub, Flink, MacPaw and By Miles.

The company has offices in Sofia, Bulgaria, Berlin, Germany and Barcelona, Spain, and is set to open offices in Amsterdam and Paris in March, and in New York in September.

FinSMEs

01/03/2022
New York City students and educators reacted with a mix of anxiety and relief to news that Mayor Adams is likely to scrap a school mask mandate in less than a week.

Word of Adams promise to make masks optional in city schools starting Monday, March 7, barring a surge in cases, spread quickly among kids and teachers returning from mid-winter break Monday.

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Teachers line up their students before entering PS 179 elementary school in Kensington, Brooklyn. (Mark Lennihan/AP)

I think its a good signnot just for the masks but what the mask symbolizes in the world and how hard the past few years have been, said Joaquin Garcia-Klossner, a freshman at Brooklyn Technical High School. Its kind of like the light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Other city students were less enthusiastic.

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If you really think about it, its kind of like letting COVID win, said Elijah Chapman, a sophomore at Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School.

Chapman said he heard some classmates saying we finally [dont] have to worry about these masks bothering us, but took a different view. Theyre saving our lives, he said.

Gov. Hochul cited rapidly falling COVID-19 case numbers, and specifically pediatric cases  which have dropped to their lowest point since last July  in her decision to end the statewide mandate on Wednesday.

The expiration of the statewide mandate shifts the decision about face-coverings to individual districts.

The New York Archdiocese, which oversees Catholic schools in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, announced Monday that students can shed masks starting Wednesday. The diocese had previously promised to lift the mask mandate as soon as the state gave the go-ahead,

Students sport masks as they arrive for class in the Bronx. (John Minchillo/AP)

Many districts across Westchester and Long Island said they would make masks optional starting Wednesday, though other district leaders said they needed more time to decide.

Adams, who has been broadcasting his desire to scale back COVID-19 restrictions for days, said Sunday that the city would evaluate the results of student coronavirus tests this week and make a final decision Friday. But he expected to lift the mandate next week.

He vowed schools will protect the rights of kids who choose to continued wearing masks.

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Were continuing to say to parents if you dont want your child to remove his or her mask, you can allow them to keep it on, he said. Were not going to have bullying. Were not going to be treating children differently. So were giving parents that option.

Mayor Adams has vowed that students will be able to continue wearing masks if they wish. (GREGG VIGLIOTTI/for New York Daily News)

City teachers, like students and parents, are still deeply split over the mask requirements.

Liat Olenick, a pre-K teacher in Brooklyn, called lifting the mandate premature.

I understand people are tired of the pandemic and I am too but that doesnt make it go away, she said.

Olenick pointed to the fact that just 59% of city students ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with some schools recording vaccination rates as low as 12%, according to recently-released city data. She called for a sustained effort to increase student vaccination rates before removing the mask rule.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

Michael Frank, a history teacher at the High School for Environmental Studies in Hells Kitchen, said he thinks lifting the mask requirement is a good move.

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Frank said hes looking forward to no longer have to cover his mouth while delivering lectures  but beyond that, is excited to help kids reacclimate to a sense of normalcy.

Michael Mulgrew, the president of the United Federation of Teachers, said that the union believes were now at the point where we can start loosening restrictions.

He said the UFT is pushing the DOE to make high-quality masks available for educators who want to continue wearing face-coverings, and for clear policies that dont force teachers or principals to mediate mask disputes.

Some students said theyll take their cues on whether to continue wearing masks in school from their classmates and teachers.

I think kids are going to see what other kids are doing I feel like thats what Im going to do, said Victoria Shulman, a Brooklyn Tech freshman. See who takes their mask off and whether teachers are encouraging it or not or if the schools encouraging it.

With Michael Gartland
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A duo of scheming wine aficionados turned their passion for Ports into a Ponzi scheme, tricking investors into giving them nearly $100 million backed by fancy bottles that didnt actually exist, prosecutors said Tuesday.

The accused vino villains  Stephen Burton, 57, and James Wellesley, 55  created a company, Bordeaux Cellars, in 2011 that claimed to connect high-net worth individuals who had pricey wine collections but were in need of quick cash with investors who would give them loans.

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The loans were supposedly secured by the value of the wines in the business possession.

The cash-strapped loan receivers who were liquid in liquor would receive the money from investors through Bordeaux Cellars and then pay off the loan with interest over a 12-month period.

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But in reality neither the loan recipients nor their wine collections existed, prosecutors claimed. Instead, between 2017 and 2019, Bordeaux Cellars merely paid fake interest to the investors using the $99.4 million they got from them, the feds said. Bordeaux Cellars had thousands fewer bottles of wine in its custody than the loan documents reflected, prosecutors said.

They also did not have bottles of wine specifically referred to in loan documents, the feds said.

The duo was indicted in Brooklyn Federal Court on Tuesday. Some of their alleged victims are based in the New York area.

These defendants duped investors by offering them an intoxicating investment opportunity collateralized by valuable bottles of fine wine that turned out to be too good to be true, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

The scheme went undetected until the company ceased making payments to investors in February 2019, prosecutors said.

Wellesley was arrested on Feb. 4 in England while Burton is on the lam. Both are U.K. citizens.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

Both are charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering and face up to 20 years in prison.

I have been a passionate fine wine lover for most of my life. Having received a case of 1961 Latour for my 21st (which I still have!) my private collection has grown to over 5,000 cases today, Burton, a Stanford Business School graduate, claims on his LinkedIn profile.

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In a 2013 interview, Burton claimed the business helped rich people who could not get traditional loans because of bad credit or other issues with banks.

Its proving a point that over here the banks are not lending at the moment, or if they are lending, compliance is very difficult, he told CNBC.

Burton and Wellesley traveled to the United States, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom to promote Bordeaux Cellars.

Burton said the idea for Bordeaux Cellars came to him when he read an article after the 2008 financial crash about rich people selling their fancy car collections.

There was a picture showing a garage filled with Ferrari, Lamborghini, and many of those expensive cars for sale at low prices. Looking at that, I thought how about wine collection? There is value in it that could bring liquidity to people who are in immediate need of cash. And they do not have to sell the wines; they can get a loan with wines as collateral, he told the interviewer.
Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below.
These community newsletters are open to all; you do not need to be a member to sign up. (Although we hope you do join us!)
Eligibility



This call is open to Indigenous visual artists, or artist teams, who are 18 years of age or older and are residents of Washington state, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon or Wyoming. The selected artists must be able to provide a tax identification number or social security number.

Artists who work in a variety of visual media will be considered. Examples of media include, but are not limited to, traditional art, digital art, collage, graphic art and textiles.

Fred Hutch and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance employees and staff are not eligible to apply at this time.



Final Exhibit Format

One piece will be commissioned by the selected artist (or artist team) and will be translated into a high-quality digital file and featured in various print and digital forms. Additionally, the artist and artwork will be featured on fredhutch.org and across our various social platforms. The final forms of the artwork include:

A large 18-by-14-foot mesh banner on top of the Fred Hutch Yale building. This location faces a high-traffic roadway at Valley St and N. Yale Ave. in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle

A 6-by-10-foot flag flown on campus

Digital and print signage across our campus

In educational materials the Hutch shares with the community



Final Artwork Criteria

Artists are encouraged to consider the criteria for the final commissioned artwork as they prepare their artist submission:



Relevent to your community

The final artwork should visually convey the themes, emotions, expressions, history, culture, and aspirations of your community as represented through your experience and the dialogues held throughout this program. Relevent to the themes of this program

The final artwork should honor and affirm the humanity and equal human dignity of people who have been marginalized and excluded. Suitable for large public display

The final artwork artwork should work well at a large scale and be suitable for all ages.



Selection Process

The Fred Hutch Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has intentionally created selection committees who will:

Advise on requirements of the artist submission process

Review application submissions

Select the final artist, or artist team, and guide the final creative pieces of art to be displayed on the Fred Hutch campus and shared with our broader community

Each artist selection panel consists of representatives from the Fred Hutch Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; the Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortiums Office of Community Outreach & Engagement; Fred Hutch Government & Community Relations; Fred Hutch Communications & Marketing; and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

The selected artist or artist team will receive $5,000 for their work and participation in the program. Artists are expected to cover the cost of materials associated with the creation of the piece. Fred Hutch will cover the cost of final production.





Timeline

April 3, 11:59 p.m. PDT: Artist call closes.

Artist call closes. Mid-April: Finalists are notified and interview with selection committee.

Finalists are notified and interview with selection committee. Late April: Final artist is notified.

Final artist is notified. August - September: Artist develops commissioned piece and engages in the dialogue portion of the program. Note: Artists are encouraged but not required to engage in the Dialogue portion of the program leading up to their commission period.

Artist develops commissioned piece and engages in the dialogue portion of the program. Note: Artists are encouraged but not required to engage in the Dialogue portion of the program leading up to their commission period. October 10, 2022: On-campus signage is unveiled.

On-campus signage is unveiled. February 2023: Commissioned piece is archived for future rotation.

Artists are encouraged, but not required, to participate in dialogue with the Hutch until the programs anticipated close in 2024.



How to Apply

There is no fee for entry. Eligible artists interested in this program must prepare and submit the following:

Statement of interest

Please explain your interest in the program and, if relevant, your connection to Fred Hutch and our mission. Please limit your response to 2500 characters. Artist statement

Please share a brief artist bio, including your personal commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Please limit your response to 1500 characters. 3-5 pieces of work

These pieces can be submitted in these formats: .jpg, .pdf, .png. The size of the files should not exceed 25MB.

Please label your files in this format: lastname-firstname-title-medium-yearcreated.





Submissions for Indigenous artists are due Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.


Gainesville, TX (76240)

Today

Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 3 to 5 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms - some may contain locally heavy rain, especially this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 3 to 5 inches of rain expected.
A homeless man accused in a vicious Queens subway hammer attack of a research scientist is no stranger to the criminal justice system, with four prison convictions and an attempted escape from behind bars, police sources said Monday.

William Blount, 57, was charged Sunday with attempted murder for allegedly ambushing Nina Rothschild last Thursday night inside a Queens Plaza subway station, and striking her 13 times in the head with a hammer before robbing her tote bag.

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Rothschild, also 57, is a research scientist with the city Health Department. She suffered a fractured skull in the unprovoked beatdown and is recovering at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell.

Blount was arrested after a woman was caught using Rothschilds stolen credit card, and she picked the man who gave her the card out of a photo array, according to prosecutors.

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A New York City Department of Health research scientist was attacked with a hammer in a caught-on-camera mugging at a Queens subway station. (NYPD / DCPI)

Blount, who was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court Monday, has four arrests in the city dating to a petty larceny case in the 1980s. Three arrests in Queens resulted in state prison sentences.

Records show Blount did three years for drugs and was paroled March 1, 1990, then served two years for attempted robbery and was conditionally released June 20, 1993. He then served six years for robbery and was conditionally released again, on March 23, 2000.

At that point, Blount apparently headed to South Carolina, where less than four months later, on July 1, 2000, he and his brother-in-law were busted for breaking into a Bojangles restaurant in Richland County, S.C., and forcing two workers to open up a safe, according to records.

Police released an image of a suspected mugger who authorities said attacked woman on subway stairs with a hammer. (NYPD)

That September, Blount was one of eight inmates charged with trying to escape a detention center. According to a published report, Blount jumped from a roof, broke both ankles and was quickly arrested.

Four of the other inmates were charged with murdering a correction officer during the attempted escape.

It wasnt immediately clear when Blount, who was convicted of armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and gun possession in the restaurant incident, was released from prison in South Carolina.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Blount found himself back on the radar of investigators when a woman used the victims Chase card to make a $19 purchase at a Queens strip mall on Friday, the night after the hammer assault, according to a criminal complaint.

Police arrested the woman, Denise Alston, 57, and she also had Rothschilds Macys rewards card, Talbots credit card and a NYC identification card, all tucked into the victims wallet, the complaint alleges.

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She told detectives she got the card from someone named William, and on Saturday, she picked Blounts face out of a photo array.

Cops learned that Blount bragged to an uncle after the attack, I just did a lick. I needed to get some things, the complaint alleges. A lick is slang for a successful theft.

When police arrested Blount, he was wearing the same blue jeans and black jacket he was seen wearing on the surveillance video.

This was a brutal, gratuitous attack, Queens D.A. Melinda Katz said Monday. The subways are too integral to the lifeblood of our City for riders to be terrorized when using them. The violence has to stop.

Judge Edwin Novillo ordered Blount held without bail until his next appearance Thursday.
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Burn season has officially started in Linn County and is set to run through June 15, according to a news release from the Albany Fire Department.

However, burn season is subject to change depending on current fire conditions.

The Linn County Fire Defense Board will monitor and administer any changes to burn season. The board asks that Linn County residents follow Oregon Department of Environmental Quality open and agricultural burning guidelines. Anyone with questions can contact the Linn County Burn Line at 541-451-1904.

According to the news release, unless there is an immediate threat to life or property, burn complaints will be reported to DEQ at 1-888-997-7888, not the Linn County Sheriffs Office.

Last year, the Lebanon Fire District responded to 144 burn complaint calls, according to the news release. Of these, 93 were unauthorized burns. AFD responded to 136 calls related to burn complaints.

Reporting nonemergency burn calls to DEQ instead of law enforcement will lessen the burden to emergency systems in the area, according to AFD.

For more information, go to the Linn County Fire Defense Board website at www.linncountyfiredefense.com.

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As the need for emergency crisis response grows, an intervention program is taking root locally. At the halfway point of the pilot, officials say some success can already be seen.

Known as CORE, the Crisis Outreach Response and Engage team is currently composed of Corvallis police Officer Trevor Anderson and mental health professional Alyssa Giesbrecht of the Health Department. CORE launched this past summer and aims to resolve tense situations without jail or the emergency room by drawing on crisis-intervention techniques.

COREs mission focuses on collaboration between law enforcement and mental health to provide trauma-informed care to those experiencing a mental health crisis while ensuring the safety of responders, the person in crisis and the community. One goal is reducing repeated calls for service regarding the same individuals.

Its been six months since the Corvallis Police Department and the Benton County Health Department teamed up on the crisis intervention pilot program. Last week, city officials were briefed on the yearlong programs progress, and the county is slated for an update at its meeting Tuesday, March 1.

At the Feb. 22 City Council meeting, CPD Chief Nick Hurley said crisis response is more than a buzzword  its a real issue locally and nationally. Calling himself and Dannielle Brown, county behavioral health deputy director, a dynamic duo, Hurley applauded the partnership between the police and the Health Department.

We wanted to be really thoughtful about how we were responding, who we were responding to, and how we were engaging with people in the community, Brown said at the meeting. While also supporting community members that felt like they were unsafe.

Giesbrecht comes from Benton County Behavioral Health. Along with her experience in mental health, she has a criminal justice bachelors degree and a counseling masters degree.

Anderson is a longtime law enforcement professional who coordinates crisis intervention training and teaches crisis response at the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training.

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During the past four years, Corvallis PD calls for service involving or related to mental health increased significantly from 951 in 2018 to 1,512 in 2021, according to Hurley. From July to December 2021, the department responded to 777 calls with a mental health aspect, 268 of which were reviewed by CORE for opportunities to offer assistance.

Hurley said of the 268 mental health calls reviewed, 55% were resolved on scene with services or resources provided. He said 26% of people refused services or resources, and 14% couldnt be located. Only 3% were taken to the hospital and 1% were arrested, according to Hurley.

I think part of the challenge with mental health services is they really are voluntary by nature, Brown said. Even when someone rises to the level of harming themselves or someone else and gets placed on a hold of any version, they still have the capacity to refuse care and treatment.

With only two team members, CORE is not the primary responder to calls for service. However, Hurley said CORE responded to 27% of mental health calls in its first six months. He added Corvallis police officers are well-versed in crisis intervention training already, calling CORE a new resource for diverting people in crisis from jail or the hospital.

The CORE team has the ability to spend more time on a call for service, specific to the individual, and theyre not attached to the radio for calls for service, Hurley said. They have done a lot of warm handoffs to other groups and been able to share time with the person  sometimes thats all thats needed.

Answering a question about the potential role of Benton Countys planned crisis center, Brown said that future piece of the local system would fill a crucial gap. She said in many cases, law enforcement takes people in crisis to the hospital because there are no other options. The crisis center will be a possible intermediary.

Our goal is to keep people out of the hospital who dont need to be in the hospital, Brown said.

Hurley said CPD is working toward having all of its officers trained for crisis intervention. To date, he said 130 officers in the region have attended the training, including 66% of CPD officers who are certified in Crisis Intervention Training, which is a 40-hour mental health crisis response program.

Hurley added CPD is working on a grant for an advanced crisis de-escalation training the agency will be hosting on behalf of Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. He said its the first run of the new model, which is designed for those who already completed basic CIT.

I think were seeing a difference nationally when officers have the training and the understanding of why we do something different, Hurley said.

Cody Mann covers Benton County and the cities of Corvallis and Philomath. He can be contacted at 541-812-6113 or Cody.Mann@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter via @News_Mann_.

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In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission on Monday, Feb. 28 directed operators of the state's independently owned liquor stores to stop selling all Russian manufactured distilled spirits.

Meanwhile, the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission has sequestered the remaining supply of Russian spirits in its Portland warehouse.

The following Russian manufactured liquor products below are no longer available for purchase:

Russian standard vodka, Gold vodka, standard with 2-shot

Beluga Gold Line vodka

Hammer + Sickle vodka

Beluga Noble vodka and Noble Celebration

Jewel of Russia Classic, Jewel of Russia Ultra and Ultra Black

Jewel of Russia Ultra and Ultra Black Imperia vodka

Mamont vodka

ZYR Russian vodka

Forty Degrees Russian

Green Mark vodka

Kutscova Russian vodka

Russian Ice vodka

St. Petersburg Russian vodka

Across the state, about 5,000 bottles of Russian-made liquor are currently for sale in 281 liquor stores, according to a news release. More than 6,200 bottles remain in the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission warehouse distribution center.

Effective immediately, liquor stores have started removing all bottles of Russian-made liquor from their store shelves, and the Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission has stopped fulfilling orders for those products from its warehouse, the news release states.

Customers will not be able to fulfill special orders, the release adds.

The actions of the Russian Government are not the actions of the Russian people," Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement. "We value our Russian community here in Oregon, and many Russian families are being impacted by this conflict.

The commission noted that consumers can still find all other brands of vodka, including brands that look Russian but are not purchased from Russian distilleries, for sale in Oregon liquor stores.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald.

The OLCC understands that there are times when we must respond to a higher calling in the interest of humanity, and this is a but a small step the OLCC and the State of Oregon can take, Paul Rosenbaum, chair of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said in a statement.

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Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Harlem gang lord Alberto Alpo Martinez wasnt executed for his betrayal of fellow drug dealers  he got shot because he drove like a jerk, the Daily News has learned.

Accused gunman Shakeem Parker, 27, nursed a monthslong grudge against the well-known kingpin following a road rage confrontation over the summer, according to an NYPD source with knowledge of the case. Martinez, who had a habit of aggressively driving close to pedestrians, struck Parker with his motorcycle, the source said.

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Parker, who was on foot at the time of the minor crash, was still seething about the incident on Halloween at around 3:20 a.m. when he saw Martinez drive by in a red Dodge Ram pickup truck in Harlem, according to the source.

Alberto Alpo Martinez was shot dead Halloween morning in Harlem. (Handout)

Theres no indication that this was anything other than a crime of opportunity, said the source.

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Martinezs wild past as a gangster-turned-cooperator had nothing to do with his demise, the source said. Martinez had daringly flouted the rules of the witness protection program by returning to his old stomping grounds, where many Harlem residents had not forgotten his testimony against underlings to avoid a life sentence.

The source added that in his final moments, Martinez, 55, tossed bags of heroin out of his truck, a sign that he was not quietly living life under a new identity as Abraham Rodriguez, of Lewiston, Maine.

Parker was so bitter that he kept pictures of Martinez and crime scene photos from news reports on his phone, prosecutors said.

The motive for the slaying was almost disappointing given Martinezs history, the source said. The drug dealer was so famous that the rapper Camron portrayed him in the 2002 film, Paid in Full.

Its just unfortunate, said Thomas Abbenante, Martinezs lawyer when he was a cooperating witness in the 1990s. What can you say about a situation like this? I dont think he should have been in Harlem in the first place. I am very sorry for him and his son.

Police investigate Martinez's red Dodge RAM pickup truck after his fatal shooting. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

Investigators were able to track Martinez and Parkers movements prior to the shooting.

Martinez had been partying that night at the Legends Lounge nearby, prosecutors said.

Parker, who is known as Boonkie, visited a deli in Harlem at 2:49 a.m., where he met up with his brother. He was captured on surveillance video chatting with friends before happening to notice Martinez driving by in the truck, the source said.

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It looks like they were standing there in front, like, There he is, the source said.

Parker fired three shots into the drivers side window of the truck, turned away, and then turned back and fired twice more, prosecutor Jung Park said at the suspects arraignment Friday.

Bullets struck Martinezs arm, with one driving into his chest, piercing his heart.

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Photos show Martinezs bullet-riddled pickup truck with five bullet holes in the window.

Martinez lurched forward, throwing packets of heroin out of the window as he drove before crashing into another car and falling unconscious on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. near W. 145th St., the police source said.

He leaves a string of heroin packages behind, a few feet apart, as if presumably he knows, Im shot, the cops are going to come, I dont want to be caught with all that heroin, the source said.

The crime scene was strewn with .40 caliber shell casings.

The motorist in the car struck by Martinez called 911, sources said.

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Cops and medics tried to revive Martinez, but he died just after reaching Harlem Hospital.

Authorities initially struggled to confirm Martinezs identity. His truck had temporary Texas plates that could not be traced, and he was carrying a Maine drivers license identifying him as Abraham Rodriguez.

An informant tipped off a detective that the victim was actually Martinez. A fingerprint check confirmed his identity.

By then, word had got around Harlem. The afternoon following the shooting, The News came upon residents drinking champagne and celebrating the snitchs end.

Cops ruled out drugs as a motive after examining Parkers movements hours prior to the killing, the source said.

Detectives reviewed Parkers cell phone and found it matched his movements on the night of Martinezs murder, Park said in court.

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Cops with the Manhattan North public safety team arrested Parker on Nov. 6 after catching him with a loaded gun hidden in his jacket about 11:30 p.m. at Seventh Ave. and W. 149th St., not far from where Martinez was killed, according to a criminal complaint. Parker was charged with gun possession.

Taken to the 32nd Precinct stationhouse, Parker clammed up and asked for a lawyer. At one point, Parker asked a cop why he was being an as---le, court records show.

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Parker was held on $1 million cash bond while authorities tried to link him to the murder. A Manhattan grand jury indicted Parker for Martinezs murder Feb. 7, but he refused to appear for the court hearing. Prosecutors then obtained an order forcing his appearance.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Parker was remanded to Rikers Island on Friday after pleading not guilty to murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Parker also faces a separate gun charge stemming from a Feb. 16, 2020, arrest in upper Manhattan after cops spotted him with a pistol in his waistband, according to a criminal complaint.

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His lawyer, Robert Harold of Legal Aid, declined comment.

Hes a good kid from the neighborhood. Theyre just trying to put dirt on his name, a family friend of Parkers said.

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Four owners who preserved their properties through the Land Conservancy of Adams County (LCAC) are to be honored during the organizations annual meeting.

The free online event is set for 7 p.m. March 10.

To attend, members and anyone interested in learning about the LCAC and local rural land conservation must register in advance through the conservancys website, PreserveAdams.org.

In 2021, the organization worked with four local landowners to preserve 278 acres of Adams County farmland, woodland, open spaces, and freshwater streams. Since its founding in 1995, the conservancy has partnered with Adams County landowners to preserve 12,198 acres, according to the release.

The owners worked with LCAC to protect their land by crafting conservation easements, which are voluntary legal agreements attached to the property deed that spell out the kind and amount of development the landowner wishes to allow on his or her property now and in the future, the release reads.

Also during the annual meeting, LCAC Land Conservation Coordinator Sarah Kipp is to offer a presentation about the organizations work over the past year.

Other plans include a trivia contest focusing on some of our local sponsors with prizes in the form of $50 gift certificates from area restaurants and markets, including Hollabaugh Bros., Food 101, Shultzs Deli, the Appalachian Brewing Company, and more, according to the release.

The annual meeting will kick off a period traditionally recognized by the Adams County Commissioners as Land Conservancy Month, according to the release.

The month is to end with the LCACs 25th annual Art Auction. An art show is to begin at 5 p.m. April 1 at the Adams County Arts Councils Arts Education Center at 125 South Washington St. in Gettysburg. The auction is to be online again this year, with bidding to open the week of April 10 and close April 24 at BiddingOwl.com/LCAC, according to the release.

LCAC is an accredited, member-supported nonprofit land trust that works to preserve the rural lands and character of Adams County, according to the release. Information is available at PreserveAdams.org or 717-334-2828.
Braden Manning, Gettysburg baseball: Braden went 9-for-13 with 2 doubles, 2 triples and 7 RBI over 4 games. He also struck out 11 batters in a win over South Western.

Amy Anderson, Delone Catholic softball: Amy went 5-for-12 with 6 RBI, 3 runs scored and a triple over 3 games. She also struck out 17 batters and went 2-1 in those games.

Parker Sanders, Bermudian Springs Tennis: Parker won 3 matches on his way to a fourth-place finish in the YAIAA Class 2A Singles Tournament.

Andrew Koons, Fairfield baseball: Andrew went 5-for-11 with 8 RBI, 4 runs scored and 2 home runs over 3 games, including a grand slam. He was also the winning pitcher against Biglerville.

Ben Angstadt, Biglerville baseball: Ben went 8-for-17 with 7 RBI, 4 runs scored, a double and a home run over 4 games for the Canners.

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Gillette, WY (82718)

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 37F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 37F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
A New Jersey man accused of murder in a Hells Kitchen lounge stabbing was brought back to the city Monday, police said.

Kegwin Clarke, 26, was busted Feb. 5 in Bayonne, where he lives, police said. He was charged with murder, assault and weapons possession in the Jan. 29 shooting of Miles Gibson, 22, at the Harbor New York City Rooftop Terrace & Lounge on W. 46th St. near 11th Ave.

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Clarke bolted from the bloody scene, but police sources said detectives tracked him on video to New Jersey, where they learned his name and location. He was extradited Monday.

Miles Gibson, 22, was fatally shot inside the Harbor NYC Rooftop Terrace & Lounge on W. 46th St. near 11th Ave. in Manhattan on Jan. 29. (Google)

According to police, Clarke and Gibson had gotten into an argument at the Hells Kitchen bar, and Clarke allegedly stabbed Gibson in the back. Police said the men had no previous contact with one another.

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The victim was out on $500,000 bail while awaiting trial for a Nov. 30, 2019, Bronx slaying in which he and an accomplice were accused of fatally shooting Oliver Askia, 26, during a clash outside Krystal Bar & Lounge on University Ave. near Featherbed Lane in Morris Heights.
CENTREVILLE, Va., Feb. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN) will feature capabilities critical to the U.S. Air Forces evolving mission requirements at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium on March 2-4, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. The company will highlight its all-domain command and control solutions, electronic warfare and laser neutralization systems that keep deployed airmen safe, and revolutionary solutions that advance the Air Forces joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) vision.

Parsons has supported the Air Force for decades in conflicts worldwide by protecting global airbases from incoming threats, delivering actionable intelligence to defend global interests, and eliminating weapons of mass destruction. The companys capabilities and products accelerate the decision chain by rapidly collecting and distributing actionable intelligence and connecting the all-domain battlespace through advanced software and data fusion.

The company will highlight:

C2Core: Battle-tested command and control for air, space, cyber, and all-domain applications. Parsons C2Core suite of products enables operators across domains to assess, plan, and execute faster and more accurately than ever before: https://www.parsons.com/products/c2core/

Transformation of data from aggregate to actionable in support of near-real-time decision making  an asset critical to mission success and staying one step ahead of the enemy.

National technical data management for the warfighter, using automated processing rules to support theater-specific information requirements.

ZEUS Recovery of Airbase Denied by Ordnance (RADBO): Laser Neutralization System offering critical force protection in any operational theater: https://www.parsons.com/products/zeus/

Best-in-class joint all-domain command and control solutions  delivering maximum value and capability to the Department of Defense: https://www.parsons.com/markets/jadc2/

Parsons digital engineering framework, including model-based systems engineering in a model-driven, simulation-based environment.

Increased capacity for satellite operations through OrbitXchange, offering customers a commercial antenna service in a cyber secure cloud environment, partnering with globally distributed commercial antennas. https://www.parsons.com/products/orbitxchange/



With four decades of support to the Department of Defense and Federal Agencies, Parsons combines proven experience with innovative technology to face the toughest and most critical challenges with the smartest solutions  delivering value and mission success to our customers.

Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and critical infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cybersecurity, missile defense, space, connected infrastructure, and smart cities. Please visit parsons.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook to learn how were making an impact.

Media Contact:

Crystalyn Koch

+ 1 719.309.7304

Crystalyn.Koch@parsons.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Dave Spille

+ 1 571.655.8264

Dave.Spille@parsons.com
Pune, India, Feb. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global statcom market size is likely to gain momentum backed by increasing demand for renewable energy and technological advancements in electronics, automation, and robotics. Fortune Business Insights, publish this information, in its latest report, titled  Statcom Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Low voltage STATCOM (less than 20 Mvar), Medium voltage STATCOM (20  100 Mvar), High voltage STATCOM (greater than 100 Mvar)), By End-User (Power Transmission & Distribution, Mining, Steel Manufacturing, Automobile Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Others) Others and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026.

Request to Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/statcom-market-102160

The emergence of COVID-19 has brought the world to a standstill. We understand that this health crisis has brought an unprecedented impact on businesses across industries. However, this too shall pass. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly contagious disease. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. Overall, almost every sector is anticipated to be impacted by the pandemic.

We are taking continuous efforts to help your business sustain and grow during COVID-19 pandemics. Based on our experience and expertise, we will offer you an impact analysis of coronavirus outbreak across industries to help you prepare for the future.

Satcom stands for the static synchronous compensator. An electronic device, Statcom involves use of force-commutated devices such as GTO and IGBT to regulate the reactive power flow through a powerful network. In addition to this, it increases the stability of power network largely. Furthermore, it efficiently supports electrical networks in improving poor power factor and poor voltage regulation. Moreover, statcoms are primarily used in heavy industries, large power sub stations, and long-distance transmission systems that face constant problems of voltage stability. Adoption of technology to improve renewable energy systems is expected to propel the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Click here to get the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this Market.



Please Visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/statcom-market-102160

What does the Report Offer?



The market report offers a detailed assessment of the various market drivers and restraints, opportunities, and challenges that the market will face during the projected horizon. Furthermore, the report provides comprehensive research into the regional developments of the market, affecting the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, the report includes information sourced from advice of expert professionals from the industry by our research analyst using several research methodologies for the market. The competitive landscape offers further detailed insights into the strategies such as product launches, partnerships, merger and acquisitions, and collaborations adopted by the companies to maintain the market stronghold between 2019 and 2026.

Drivers and Restraints:

Product Innovations to Bode Well for Growth

In December 2019, GE Renewable Energy, a leading grid solutions provider, created history by energizing the Bolney substation. The substation is a part of three substations believed to be the largest Statcom scheme for Europe. Fabrice Jullien, Global FACTS Business Leader for GE Grid Solutions business, says The improved network stability that is furnished by GES statcom solution forges confidence in customers to plan or integrate more renewable energy in their grids. At National Grids Bolney substation, the solution is expected to propel HVDC interconnection reliability along with resilience for fault occurrences. Furthermore, it will support the European Unions strategy for achieving a competitive edge and better integration of European energy market place globally. Product innovations along with increasing demand for renewable energy is expected to drive the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Ask For Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/statcom-market-102160

Regional Analysis:



Increasing Investment for Renewable Sector in North America to Aid Growth

Among the regions, North America is expected to remain dominant during the forecast period. This is ascribable to factors such as increasing investment in the renewable energy sector from countries such as the US, and Canada. Furthermore, presence of steel manufacturing and oil & gas companies in North America will contribute to the growth of the market during the projected horizon. Europe, on the other hand, will register promising growth during the forecast period. This is attributable to factors such as the adoption of technological advancements in manufacturing sectors and the growing demand for renewable energy in the region between 2019 and 2026.

Competitive Landscape:

Procuring Orders for Product Development to Fuel Demand

In November 2019, AMSC, a leading energy solutions provider, received orders worth $20 million for the D-VAR STATCOM system from the renewable energy sector in the U.S. The D-VAR systems provide able voltage regulation by responding dynamically to fluctuating load conditions and further successfully connects the wind power plants to the electric grid. According to Daniel P. McGahn, Chairman, CEO OF AMSC, the new D-VAR systems will strengthen the companys backlog and extend the grid visibility into fiscal 2020. Adoption of strategies such as expansion of product offering, and product development by the companies to cement market presence and gain maximum statcom market revenue will surge the demand for the market during the forecast period.

Inquire Before Buying: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/statcom-market-102160

Companies Proliferating in the Satcom Market :

GE

ABB

Ingeteam S.A.

Siemens

Toshiba Corporation

S&C Electric Company

Schneider Electric

Jema Energy

CG Power

Industrial Solutions Limited

Mitsubishi Electric

Pre Book - Statcom Market: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/102160

Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Industrial Gases Market Size, Share and COVID-19 impact Analysis, By Gas Type (Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen, Argon, and Others), By Application (Packaging, Coolant, Carbonation, Cryogenic, Cutting & Welding, Laboratory, Air Separation, and Others), By End User (Metallurgy, Healthcare, Chemical, Food and Beverages, Oil & Gas, Power, Pulp and Paper, Electronics, Water Treatment, Mining, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2021-2028

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About Us:

Fortune Business Insights delivers accurate data and innovative corporate analysis, helping organizations of all sizes make appropriate decisions. We tailor novel solutions for our clients, assisting them to address various challenges distinct to their businesses. Our aim is to empower them with holistic market intelligence, providing a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

Contact Us:

Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd.

9th Floor, Icon Tower,

Baner - Mahalunge Road,

Baner, Pune-411045, Maharashtra, India.

Phone:

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Email:  sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortune-business-insights
JOHANNESBURG, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VALR, a cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in South Africa, today announced that it has raised $50 million (over R750 million) in Africa's largest ever crypto funding round. This values the company at $240 million (R3.7 billion).

VALR's oversubscribed Series B equity funding round was led by Pantera Capital with participation from Alameda Research, Cadenza, CMT Digital, Coinbase Ventures, Distributed Global, GSR, Third Prime, Avon Ventures, a venture capital fund affiliated with the parent company of Fidelity Investments, along with existing investors Bittrex and 4Di Capital, and others.

VALR offers its customers the ability to safely buy, sell and store Bitcoin and 60 other cryptocurrenciesthe widest selection of any platform in Africaat some of the lowest fees in the world. VALR has processed over $7.5 billion (R115 billion) in trading volume since its launch in 2019 and now serves over 250,000 retail customers and 500 institutional clients from across the globe.

The proceeds of the raise will be used primarily to expand across Africa and into other emerging markets such as India, and to bring more products and services to its growing base of global customers. VALR is also hiring extensively across all areas of its team.

"Society's financial tools should unite us, not divide us. That's why I'm very excited that VALR is helping to build a financial system that recognizes the oneness of the human race. There is no longer any room for doubt regarding the impact crypto assets are having on our global financial system," says Farzam Ehsani, VALR CEO and co-founder. "We already help VALR's customers enter this new world of crypto from the traditional financial system using their USD or ZAR, and I'm very excited that this round of funding will allow us to serve so many more across Africa and the world."

VALR has seen its valuation grow by more than 10X since it raised its $3.4 million Series A round of funding in July 2020.

"Pantera is extremely excited to be leading the Series B round for VALR, as we believe that Africa's future is bright for the adoption of cryptocurrencies for both asset diversification and payments," says Paul Veradittakit, Partner at Pantera Capital. "VALR brings an amazing product and service to onboard both retail customers and institutions."

"We're very impressed with what VALR has built for retail and institutional traders over the past few years," says Kumar Dandapani, Founder and Managing Partner at Cadenza Capital Management. "VALR is extremely well-positioned to emerge as an enduring financial institution that provides its clients asset allocation abilities in crypto and other global markets."

VALR plans to onboard many more institutions from the traditional financial system, including the largest banks, insurers and hedge funds, to assist them with the infrastructure needed to enter the crypto asset market.

"The world is on the precipice of huge financial change. Crypto assets will become more and more pivotal to all our lives. VALR is here to help bridge our customers from the old financial system to the new. Whether you're an individual or an institution, we look forward to serving you," Ehsani concludes.

ENDS

About VALR

VALR is a digital-asset platform headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, that allows customers to buy, sell, store and transfer Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies seamlessly and securely. It offers a vast selection of digital assets. VALR's mission is to help build a financial system that recognizes the oneness of humanity. Learn more at www.VALR.com.

Press Contacts:

VALR - press@valr.com

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Image 1: Farzam Ehsani, CEO & co-founder of VALR.com





Farzam Ehsani, CEO & co-founder of VALR.com









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Central, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Central, Hong Kong -

Maple Tree Counselling, a boutique counselling and therapy practice, offers psychotherapy services focusing on individuals, one-on-one therapy for adults and teenagers, group therapy for adults and teenagers, and corporate counselling and wellness. Therapy is delivered in person in the heart of Central or online via video call. More about this can be found on https://www.mapletreecounselling.com

Individual therapy includes one-on-one counselling for clients suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, grief and loss, addiction, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, codependency, divorce, IVF and infertility, covid-related struggles, and more. Group therapy is for counselling of small groups and peer support for various kinds of groups, such as LGBTQ+, grief, mens mental health, caregivers, menopause, divorce, parents and teenagers, fertility issues, Dungeons and Dragons game therapy and more. Corporate counselling and wellness is for group workshops and employee assistance targeting various issues, including burnout prevention, anxiety and stress reduction, employee retention, cross-cultural sensitivity, mindfulness, mental health first aid, productivity and performance, psychoeducation and more.

Counselling and psychotherapy are usually applied interchangeably and refer to talk therapy with the goal of helping clients develop a better understanding of themselves and facilitate change for improvement. Shorter terms of therapy may also be used to focus on specific immediate issues and well-being. The counsellors at Maple Tree Counselling are all trained and experienced in several evidence-based psychotherapies. These evidence-based therapies used include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT); Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT); Schema Therapy; Psychodynamic Therapy; Narrative Therapy; and Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT). More about these therapy approaches can be gleaned from https://www.mapletreecounselling.com/therapy-approaches

In ACT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, the psychotherapy sessions are designed to teach clients to accept what is beyond their control and instead focus on committed actions for achieving a more meaningful existence. Clients realize that negative thoughts and feelings cant be avoided, but they can establish a healthy space between themselves and any unwanted experiences through the use of targeted cognitive and behavioural techniques, such as mindfulness. Clients are able to develop psychological flexibility that enables them to remain present during hard times.

The CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, sessions are focused on the connections between emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and physical sensations. Clients learn to identify the presence of any unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that usually lead to troubling emotions and symptoms. This is an active form of psychotherapy where clients are encouraged to practice their skills in between sessions.

MBCT or mindfulness-based psychotherapy employs a combination of mindfulness practices and cognitive methods. Breathing and meditation exercises are also used to relieve overwhelming emotions and help calm down the nervous system. Clients learn to accept and observe what is happening, including adverse events, without judgement. MBCT is often used to interrupt automatic stress responses and break cycles of depression and anxiety.

Schema therapy integrates the elements of psychodynamic therapy and CBT with the goal of helping clients modify their long-standing maladaptive behaviour and thought patterns. Schemas are deep, self-defeating belief systems that usually originate in childhood causing certain behaviours throughout a persons life. The sessions are focused on replacing schemas with healthier behavioural patterns to meet emotional needs, such as finding self-worth and nurturing relationships.

In the psychodynamic therapy sessions, there is an in-depth exploration of how past emotions and experiences affect current behaviours, relationships, and decision-making. This kind of therapy is based on the concept that a better understanding of the past will provide more clarity and encourage healthy behaviours for the future.

Founded in 2022, Maple Tree Counselling is a boutique counselling and therapy practice in Hong Kong with a vision of providing assistance to individuals to prosper and provide them with a caring, empathic and safe space where they can explore lifes challenges and opportunities to heal and grow. Their team of counsellors are a diverse and multicultural group with extensive life experience and worldwide accreditation and qualifications. The operation of the practice is guided by the key professional values of ongoing professional development, expert individual and group supervision, and absolute confidentiality. Therapy is delivered in person in the heart of Central, Hong Kong or online via video call and can be provided in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese.

Those who are interested in learning more about the counselling and therapy practice can check out the Maple Tree Counselling website at https://www.mapletreecounselling.com/about-us/, or contact them on the phone or through email.

###

For more information about Maple Tree Counselling, contact the company here:



Maple Tree Counselling

Anjali Nihalchand

+852 6375 6098

info@mapletreecounselling.com

27th floor, World Wide House, 19 Des Voeux Rd Central, Central, Hong Kong
Beverly Hills , March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In this recent interview with Adam Torres, Tehron Jaqui Bush talks about his book, Drawn to Leadership, and Stizo Collection, his clothing brand.

Listen to the full interview of Tehron Jaqui Bush with Adam Torres on the Mission Matters Innovation Podcast.

What mission matters to you?

Bush says he believes that when a community joins together and works hard, it can empower everyone. As for his clothing companys mission: We recognize and we trust our fabrics, labels and fabric brand with you, whom collectively understands love, provision, and optimacy are successive and Godly, he says.

How did you start your journey as an entrepreneur and writer?

Buss had a strong and respected point of view, which added to group conversations and group work, he recalls. It made me feel like someone could appreciate a shared message contributed by me.

He says his first book, From My Mind, From My Voice, was a challenge for him, but that it also allowed him to shed light on contemporary topics and share philosophies from a Christian point of view. For his second book, he says he wanted to focus on a topic thats relevant today, hence the subject of leadership. Leadership is like a craft in my life, he says. Everyone can adopt leadership skills.

As for entrepreneurship, Bush says he was influenced by fashion at a young age and used to brainstorm about it with his best friend in high school, which led to the creation of his clothing brand, Stizo Collection. h says he knew he wanted to be a writer in 12th grade, when his English Honors teacher sowed the seeds of the basics of writing. As an African-American Christian, I alway

What inspired you to write a new book?

I was always drawn to leadership, Bush says. I had all the tools in my toolbox since the time I was pursuing my education. As he puts it, Drawn to Leadership traces his development from a place of passive leadership to one of formal leadership.

What is your writing process like?

Bush says he considers writing to be a gift from God; when he writes, he wants to feel that connection. While drafting a manuscript, he notes that he likes to walk away from it from time to time, to gain perspective to channel back into his written work.

Another crucial element in writing, he says, is to be clear about the message you wish to communicate. Once you are clear about it, the story fills itself, and everything comes together like a puzzle, he advises. As for his own growth as a writer between his first and second book, he says of his latest effort, I am now able to organize and focus on my ideas a little better.

What can readers expect from your book, Drawn to Leadership?

Drawn to Leadership explores how good and strong leaders can be resourceful to the community. He stresses the value of incorporating honesty, fairness, and responsibility into any leadership style. He says that marketing anything should do good, not just look good, and stresses the importance of being responsible and thoughtful about how an organization can truly help the community.

Tell us more about Stizo Collection.

Stizo Collection, a Christian clothing brand founded in 2008, is dedicated to selling organic products in the Christian clothing industry. We set ourselves apart because we offer commemorative and symbolic products that reinforce our branding, to make Stizo a collection of American luxury, Bush explains.

Social responsibility is a key ingredient of his formula, he says, mentioning that a part customers can choose up to four donor levels, supplementing the purchase of merchandise with a gift to the National Association for Gifted Childrens annual fund.

Whats next for you?

Bush says hes busy ramping up online marketing for his upcoming book, Drawn to Leadership, and as for Stizo Collection, he says the team is looking to increase organizational equity as it grows.

To learn more, visit Stizo Collection online.

Media Communications

Inquiries: adamtorres@missionmatters.com

Publicist for Adam Torres and Mission Matters Media KISS PR Brand Story PressWire

Brand Publicity Partners KissPR.com



KISS PR Digital PR & Marketing powers the Mission Matters Business podcast with brand storytelling. T: 972.437.8942

Media Contact az@kisspr.com

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Sydney, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies:

Suvo Strategic Minerals Ltd (ASX:SUV) has completed a maiden JORC-compliant kaolinised granite resource for its producing Pittong Operations in Victoria, returning 3.74 million indicated tonnes and 1.97 million inferred tonnes for a total of 5.69 million tonnes. Click here

Lake Resources NL (ASX:LKE, OTCQB:LLKKF) is buoyed by new research from Orior Capital that says the company offers "incredible value and is in pole position to benefit from the start of the lithium "super-cycle". Click here

Queensland Pacific Metals Ltd (ASX:QPM) traded higher on entering into a binding supply agreement with Societe Le Nickel (SLN), a subsidiary of Eramet group, for the supply of 1 million wet metric tonnes of nickel ore per annum from New Caledonia. Click here

KGL Resources Ltd (ASX:KGL) has recapped its 2021 exploration program and results from the Jervois Copper Project in the Northern Territory. Click here

Pantoro Ltd (ASX:PNR) continues to demonstrate large zones of platinum group elements (PGE) and nickel mineralisation in results of a drilling program completed late last year on the prospective Lamboo deposit within the Halls Creek Project in Western Australia. Click here

Antilles Gold Ltd (ASX:AAU, OTCQB:ANTMF)s Los Llanos Project in Cuba will act as an incubator for mining projects that may follow the near-term development of the La Demajagua gold/silver mine. Click here

Blue Star Helium Ltd (ASX:BNL, OTC:BSNLF) continues to make strong progress at the fully owned maiden helium exploration well, Enterprise 16#1, in Las Animas County, Colorado. Click here

Valor Resources Ltd (ASX:VAL) is planning a 5,000-metre diamond drill program targeting multiple induced polarisation (IP) and geophysical targets at the Picha Project in Peru, especially a large IP anomaly with potential to host a porphyry copper system. Click here

Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) will collaborate with leading European research organisations to advance its Ivittut Project in Greenalnd. Click here

White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM, OTCQX:WRMCF) has intersected notable gold mineralisation from drilling at Dickenson South target within the Morning Star underground gold mine in Victoria, Australia, indicating there may be strong potential for an additional mining area within the underground complex. Click here

Hiremii Ltd (ASX:HMI) has outlined strong revenue growth in a half year report to December 31, 2021, that details financial and business highlights. Click here

Alice Queen Ltd (ASX:AQX) has kickstarted drilling at the first target generated during a Dipole Dipole Induced Polarisation (DDIP) survey at Horn Island Gold Project in Queenslands Torres Strait. Click here

Danakali Ltd (ASX:DNK, LSE:DNK, OTC:SBMSF) has appointed Greg MacPherson as chief financial officer, effective immediately. Click here

Hartshead Resources NL (ASX:HHR) is progressing activity at Seaward Licence P2607 in the Southern Gas Basin.on the United Kingdom continental shelf. Click here

PNX Metals Ltd (ASX:PNX) will divest the non-core Moline project in the Northern Territory to Sovereign Metallurgical Pty Ltd for total consideration of up to $3.0 million. Click here

Buru Energy Ltd (ASX:BRU)s Rafael 1 well in the Canning Basin in northwest Western Australia has had a successful initial flow test with gas flows to the surface. Click here

Golden Rim Resources Ltd (ASX:GMR) has encountered more oxide gold during exploratory drilling at its Kada Gold Project in Guinea. Click here

Piedmont Lithium Inc (ASX:PLL, NASDAQ:PLL, XETRA:) has unveiled two senior management changes following the decision by its chief operating officer David Klanecky to take up a position with another company. Click here

Newfield Resources Ltd (ASX:NWF) is moving closer to production as it progresses work on its Tongo diamond mine development in Sierra Leone. Click here

Matador Mining Ltd (ASX:MZZ, OTCQX:MZZMF) has received better than expected mineral intercepts in resource infill drilling at the Window Glass Hill (WGH) resource within the Cape Ray Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada, confirming grade continuity and demonstrating the robustness of the companys resource model. Click here

Sipa Resources Ltd (ASX:SRI) is encouraged by early indications from its first-ever drill program at the 100% owned Skeleton Rocks Project in the Western Australian Goldfields with highly prospected greenstones intersected. Click here

AuTECO Minerals Ltd (ASX:AUT, OTC:MNXMF) recently increased its resource at Pickle Crow by 514,000 ounces to 2.23 million ounces at 7.8 g/t (inferred), easily beating Canaccord Genuity (TSX:CF, LSE:CF)s expectation of ~2 million ounces. Click here

About Proactive

Proactive is a unique tech-enabled platform providing companies globally with a comprehensive investor engagement solution across their business lifecycle.

With six offices on three continents, Proactive works with innovative growth companies quoted on the worlds major stock exchanges, helping executives to engage intelligently with investors.

In 2020, Proactive featured in 809 million search results, our content was viewed over 165 million times and our readers spent over 10 million hours on our websites. Proactive has produced over 300,000 articles and 20,000 executive interviews since it was established in 2006.

For more information on how Proactive can help you make a difference, email us at action@proactiveinvestors.com
New York, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boyden, a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 75 offices in over 45 countries, is delighted to welcome the team from FPIA Partners, top performing asset management specialists in executive search.

Trina D. Gordon, President & CEO of Boyden shares, The addition of our New York team is a cornerstone of our global growth strategy that emphasizes deep sector expertise in this key market and across the firm. Their premier position in financial services, both nationally and internationally, allows us to significantly expand our capabilities in serving clients. Importantly, their values and client/candidate integrity are a seamless fit within our global partnership.

The team of six, Dominic Freud, Stephan Pizenberg, Sowbagya Gokulram, Jeremy Hardisty, Veronica Moran and Jessica Rodriguez join Boydens global financial services practice delivering executive search in asset management, fintech, global equities and private equity in financial centers worldwide.

We are delighted to join Boyden, broadening our services to deliver functional and country leaders as well as investment specialists to clients, explains Dominic Freud, Managing Partner, Boyden New York. We are distinctive in the market in having long-term, senior investment careers with leading financial institutions. This means we have long term relationships as well as significant institutional and market intelligence. We speak our candidates language, we have walked in the shoes of our candidates and clients and we are keen to leverage our collective resources for them both.

The asset management industry is evolving in keeping with global trends and its investor demographic, adds Stephan Pizenberg. As global citizens ourselves, we are committed to helping our clients to achieve their diversity and environmental, social and governance goals, as well as maintaining our own ethical standards in nurturing an equitable society.

FPIA Partners was established 10 years ago, becoming the number one franchise in its specialist area and one of the leading teams in asset management. Co-founder Dominic Freud held leadership roles at Oppenheimer, SLS Capital, Societe Generale, (then) Paribas, Sheppards & Chase and James Capel. Co-founder Jeremy Hardisty held leadership roles at UBS and Royal Bank of Scotland, Co-founder Stephan Pizenberg held leadership roles at Societe Generale and (then) Paribas. Through their focus on excellence, they achieve retention rates significantly above industry average; 98% first year and 91% five year retention.

About Boyden

Boyden is a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 75 offices in over 45 countries. Our global reach enables us to serve client needs anywhere they conduct business. We connect great companies with great leaders through executive search, interim management and leadership consulting solutions. Boyden is ranked amongst the top companies on Forbes Americas Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2021. For further information, visit www.boyden.com.

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English Finnish

Press Release

1 March 2022, 10:00 am

eQ has launched its second residential property fund - eQ Finnish Residential Fund II. The fund has raised 27 MEUR in the first closing held on February 18, 2022, enabling close to 100 MEUR investment capacity. Investment activities have started and fund raising will continue in the spring. The target commitment size for the fund is similar to the first eQ Finnish Residential Fund 100 MEUR, which enables over 300 MEUR in investments.

eQ Finnish Residential Fund II will invest in residential real estate in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, in Tampere and in Turku. The fund targets complete residential buildings and aims to manage approximately 1,500 rental units in total. The fund is restricted to professional investors only in a closed end fund structure.

Tero Estovirta, Head of Real Estate Investments at eQ, comments:

eQs first residential fund, launched in 2020 is now fully invested and five buildings have already been completed. The now launched eQ Finnish Residential Fund II has a good pipeline of projects and investment activities have commenced immediately upon first closing. The fund will hold its next closing on April 29, 2022.

In residential we focus more on building and developing than in our other funds. With higher leverage, this model works best in a closed end fund structure. eQ is one of the largest property investors in Finland. Our transaction volume was 850 MEUR in 2021. As our business grows, we have grown our team to 15 real estate professionals.

Helsinki 1 March 2022

eQ Asset Management Ltd

Further information:

Tero Estovirta, Head of Real Estate Investments, eQ Asset Management Ltd, +358 50 593 6194, tero.estovirta@eQ.fi

eQ Group is a Finnish group of companies specialising in asset management and corporate finance business. eQ Asset Management offers a wide range of asset management services (including private equity funds and real estate asset management) for institutions and individuals. The assets managed by the Group total approximately EUR 11.6 billion. Advium Corporate Finance, which is part of the Group, offers services related to mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions and equity capital markets.

eQ Finnish Residential Fund II is a feeder fund to the master fund Oivat Kaupunkikodit II Ky that is engaged in the actual residential investment activities. Neither fund is a real estate fund within the meaning of the Finnish Act on Real Estate Investment Funds nor are they subject to investment restrictions of the Act.

More information about the Group is available on our website at www.eQ.fi.
Pune, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Baby Products Market size is expected to gain momentum owing to the rising urbanization and spending capacity during the forecast period. This information is published in this latest report, titled,  Global Baby Products Market, 2022-2027 . Baby Products will boost market expansion by raising awareness about baby nutrition and hygiene in metropolitan areas. Government programs and schemes aimed at improving child health are also projected to boost Baby Products market growth. In the forecast future, technological advancements in packaging and Baby Products will generate new prospects that will benefit the growth of the Baby Products market.

List of Key Players Profiled in the Global Market for Baby Products:

Procter & Gamble Company

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

Johnson & Johnson Plc.

Unilever Plc.

Nestle S. A.

Abbott Nutrition

Get a Sample PDF of report @

https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample/19602394?utm_source=GV

COVID-19 Impact-

COVID-19 had a mixed impact on the sales of baby care items. During the pandemic, the baby care items market was driven by large-scale purchases of diapers and baby food. However, in some regions, such as India, where baby care goods were not considered an essential commodity, distribution of these products was impeded.

Asia Pacific is expected to hold the largest Global Baby Products Market share during the forecast period. The two major drivers to regional market growth are China and India. As the region's population grows significantly in the near future, demand for infant personal care products is expected to rise in Asia Pacific.

Have a query before purchasing this report 

https://proficientmarketinsights.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/19602394?utm_source=GV

Segment by Type

Cosmetic & Toiletries

Baby Food

Baby Safety & Convenience

Segment by Application

0-3 Months

3-6 Months

6-9 Months

9-12 Months

12-18 Months

18-24 Months

Producers have been forced to focus on product differentiation, innovation, and a cost-effective pricing structure as a result of intense competition. Therefore, corporations have been spending in R&D to maintain market share and achieve long-term growth.

Johnson & Johnson Private Limited said in February 2019 that it had resumed production of baby powder in India after gaining a clean chit from the government over the asbestos lawsuit. The corporation would be able to grow manufacturing in India thanks to the regulatory green light.

Buy this report (Price 2900 USD for a single-user license)

https://proficientmarketinsights.com/purchase/19602394?utm_source=GV

Detailed TOC of Global Baby Products Market Outlook 2022

1 Baby Products Market Overview

1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Baby Products

1.2 Baby Products Segment by Type

1.2.1 Global Baby Products Sales Growth Rate Comparison by Type (2021-2027)

1.2.2 Cosmetic & Toiletries

1.2.3 Baby Food

1.2.4 Baby Safety & Convenience

1.3 Baby Products Segment by Application

1.3.1 Global Baby Products Sales Comparison by Application: (2021-2027)

1.3.2 0-3 Months

1.3.3 3-6 Months

1.3.4 6-9 Months

1.3.5 9-12 Months

1.3.6 12-18 Months

1.3.7 18-24 Months

1.4 Global Baby Products Market Size Estimates and Forecasts

1.4.1 Global Baby Products Revenue 2016-2027

1.4.2 Global Baby Products Sales 2016-2027

1.4.3 Baby Products Market Size by Region: 2016 Versus 2021 Versus 2027

2 Baby Products Market Competition by Manufacturers

2.1 Global Baby Products Sales Market Share by Manufacturers (2016-2021)

2.2 Global Baby Products Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2016-2021)

2.3 Global Baby Products Average Price by Manufacturers (2016-2021)

2.4 Manufacturers Baby Products Manufacturing Sites, Area Served, Product Type

2.5 Baby Products Market Competitive Situation and Trends

2.5.1 Baby Products Market Concentration Rate

2.5.2 The Global Top 5 and Top 10 Largest Baby Products Players Market Share by Revenue

2.5.3 Global Baby Products Market Share by Company Type (Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3)

2.6 Manufacturers Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans

3 Baby Products Retrospective Market Scenario by Region

3.1 Global Baby Products Retrospective Market Scenario in Sales by Region: 2016-2021

3.2 Global Baby Products Retrospective Market Scenario in Revenue by Region: 2016-2021

3.3 North America Baby Products Market Facts & Figures by Country

3.3.1 North America Baby Products Sales by Country

3.3.2 North America Baby Products Revenue by Country

3.3.3 U.S.

3.3.4 Canada

3.4 Europe Baby Products Market Facts & Figures by Country

3.4.1 Europe Baby Products Sales by Country

3.4.2 Europe Baby Products Revenue by Country

3.4.3 Germany

3.4.4 France

3.4.5 U.K.

3.4.6 Italy

3.4.7 Russia

3.5 Asia Pacific Baby Products Market Facts & Figures by Region

3.5.1 Asia Pacific Baby Products Sales by Region

3.5.2 Asia Pacific Baby Products Revenue by Region

3.5.3 China

3.5.4 Japan

3.5.5 South Korea

3.5.6 India

3.5.7 Australia

3.5.8 Taiwan

3.5.9 Indonesia

3.5.10 Thailand

3.5.11 Malaysia

3.5.12 Philippines

3.5.13 Vietnam

3.6 Latin America Baby Products Market Facts & Figures by Country

3.6.1 Latin America Baby Products Sales by Country

3.6.2 Latin America Baby Products Revenue by Country

3.6.3 Mexico

3.6.4 Brazil

3.6.5 Argentina

3.7 Middle East and Africa Baby Products Market Facts & Figures by Country

3.7.1 Middle East and Africa Baby Products Sales by Country

3.7.2 Middle East and Africa Baby Products Revenue by Country

3.7.3 Turkey

3.7.4 Saudi Arabia

3.7.5 U.A.E

4 Global Baby Products Historic Market Analysis by Type

4.1 Global Baby Products Sales Market Share by Type (2016-2021)

4.2 Global Baby Products Revenue Market Share by Type (2016-2021)

4.3 Global Baby Products Price by Type (2016-2021)

Continued

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New York, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Canned Meat Market By Distribution Channel, By Meat type, By Regional Outlook, Industry Analysis Report and Forecast, 2021 - 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06240973/?utm_source=GNW

There are various types of meat that come in the packaged can such as chicken, pork, fish, rabbit, and beef, etc. Canned meat consists of diverse seasoned and cooked meats, minced meat, grounded meat, and pureed meat.



The canned meat products are processed through heat which eliminates all the microorganisms along with the bacteria that exist on the meat before processing and then seal packed into cans or other containers. The size of the container totally depends on the amount of meat it is supposed to carry.



Canned meat items are majorly processed through retort cooking. Retort cooking is a process in which the low acid food items, which are fragile toward microbial organisms, are heated hermetically or completely airtight, intending to increase the expiry duration of the product. The retort cookers are utilized at a pressure ranging from 12 psi to 15 psi.



In addition, the release of retort pouches for packaging the canned meat food items is a new trend that is becoming an alternate of the metal cans which are traditionally used containers for preserving the food items. Retort pouches are flexible containers that are laminated with multiple layers which comprises endurance toward high temperature and pressure processing. These pouches prevent moisture and harmful gases to come in contact with the meat kept inside. These pouches are witnessing high demand due to their cost-efficiency and low weight.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted the businesses, governments, and lives of the common people in a brutal way wherein nobody could predict what comes next. In addition, the pandemic brought the world to a state where the administration of all the countries had to impose lockdown. Due to the government protocols, various industries had to shut down complete or some business operations. COVID-19 turned the tables for various industries across the world and even impacted a few robust companies of the market.



Due to the global lockdown, the import and export activities of all the goods including the canned meat items were completely paused. It caused a significant downfall to companies and vendors that were operating in the market. All the means of distribution of the canned meat products were closed which caused a great reduction in the supply of canned meat.



Market Growth Factors:



Extended shelf-life of the preserved canned meat



The canned meat during the preservation is processed under a complex procedure to offer the best possible quality to the consumer when they open the seal of the container. Containers that are used for carrying the canned meat are packed air-tight with the purpose to restrict the moisture to enter the container and damaging the food. The complicated procedure of packaging and sealing the meat into containers provides an extended store life to the product within the container. In some cases, such as canning of processed raw beef, the life of the preserved product can be extended for 2-5 years.



Rising number of commercial meat food-based chains and restaurants



A huge number of restaurants and meat food franchises are entering the market nowadays. Also, a lot of the current market players such as KFC, chick-fil-a, Wendys, and Louisiana kitchen are catering to the needs of a large number of consumers of canned meat products. The restaurants and outlets of numerous franchises witness a significant demand for processed preserved meat products. This high demand is a result of their requirements of the bulk of meat to immediately serve or deliver it to their customers on orders. These brands and restaurants buy huge stocks of canned meat and store them in their pantries with the purpose to store it for a long duration.



Market Restraining Factors:



Frequently increasing vegan population



Canned meat is a good source of healthy vitamins, minerals, and other essentials for the mental and physical development of a person. On the other hand, canned meat plays a major role in promoting animal cruelty. A huge number of animals get slaughtered and packed to be served on the plates of the customers. The awareness toward animal cruelty is constantly increasing which is instigating the emergence of a new trend named veganism. In veganism, a person boycotts all the products that are attained through animal abuse.



Distribution Channel Outlook



Based on Distribution channel, Canned meat market is segregated into Supermarket & Hypermarket, Specialty Store, Online, and Others. In 2020, the supermarket and hypermarket segment held the maximum revenue share of the canned meat market and is expected to showcase the similar trend during the forecast years. Supermarkets and hypermarkets are the major distributors of canned meat. Hypermarkets and supermarkets offer a broad range of canned meat products to their customers at a single stop.



Meat Type Outlook



Based on the Type, Canned meat market is segmented in Beef, Seafood, Poultry, Pork, and Others. The poultry meat segment held the highest revenue share of the canned meat market in 2020 and would continue to show the similar trend even during the forecasting period. The poultry food refers to the meat items that are achieved by poultry farms such as chicken. Poultry meat items are high in protein as well as they are highly demanded meat items due to the variety they offer in terms of recipes.



Regional Outlook



Based on the Region, Canned meat market is analyzed across North America, Europe, APAC, and LAMEA. In 2020, North America emerged as the leading region of the overall canned meat market and would display the same kind of trend over the forecasting period. This is attributed to the significant scale of developments across the region toward the food processing and preservation sector. Moreover, the increasing number of people with poultry farms as a medium of their livelihood would further expedite the supply of canned meat food across the region.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Hormel Foods Corporation, Bolton Group S.r.l, Survivalcave, Inc., Fujian Zishan Group Co., Ltd., Meat Maniac, Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd., Key Food Stores Co-Operative, Inc., Conagra Brands, Inc. (Libbys Canned Meat), Campbell Soup Company, and Vion Holding N.V.



Strategies deployed in Canned Meat Market



Aug-2021: Bolton Group took over Wild Planet Foods, a leader in the sustainable canned meat market of the US. With this acquisition, the company aimed to strengthen its portfolio in international development and sustainability.



Feb-2021: Vion Food Group completed its acquisition of Adriaens, a Belgium-based beef utility. Through this acquisition, the company aimed to form a robust supply chain to ensure quality and transparency in the beef market. Moreover, this acquisition would accelerate Vions position across the Western European market, Germany, and the Netherlands.



Sep-2020: Conagra Brands rolled out canned soups, the first canned soup made with plant-based meat. Under this launch, the company released a broad line of vegan soups comprising Plant-Based Bef & Vegetable, Plant-Based Chickn Noodl, Plant-Based Chickn & Rice, Plant-Based Sausge Gumbo, and Plant-Based Minestrone & Sausge in stores.



Jul-2019: Bolton Group acquired Tri Marine, a USA-based tuna company. Through this acquisition, the company aimed to offer the best-quality sustainably caught tuna. Moreover, the company would increase its focus on sustaining Tri marines legacy in the industry.



Jul-2018: Hormel Foods launched canned chili, a canned meat product made with 100% angus beef, and hence expanded its meat product portfolio. Through this expansion, the company aimed to offer canned chili which includes tender chunks, rumbled with a combination of various spices. The product would be available with or without beans and does not have artificial ingredients, preservatives, and other fillers. Furthermore, the company made improvements in ingredients, comprising bigger vegetables to fulfill the demand of its customers.



Nov-2017: Hormel Foods took over Columbus Manufacturing, an authentic, premium deli meat, and salami company, from Chicago-based Arbor Investments. Through this acquisition, the company aimed to strengthen its offerings of total deli solutions. Moreover, the company would focus on improving its other brands including Jennie-O, Di Lusso, Applegate, and Hormel.



Scope of the Study



Market Segments covered in the Report:



By Distribution Channel



 Supermarket & Hypermarket



 Specialty Store



 Online



 Other



By Meat Type



 Poultry



 Beef



 Sea Food



 Pork



 Others



By Geography



 North America



o US



o Canada



o Mexico



o Rest of North America



 Europe



o Germany



o UK



o France



o Russia



o Spain



o Italy



o Rest of Europe



 Asia Pacific



o China



o Japan



o India



o South Korea



o Singapore



o Malaysia



o Rest of Asia Pacific



 LAMEA



o Brazil



o Argentina



o UAE



o Saudi Arabia



o South Africa



o Nigeria



o Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled



 Hormel Foods Corporation



 Bolton Group S.r.l



 Survivalcave, Inc.



 Fujian Zishan Group Co., Ltd.



 Meat Maniac



 Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd.



 Key Food Stores Co-Operative, Inc.



 Conagra Brands, Inc. (Libbys Canned Meat)



 Campbell Soup Company



 Vion Holding N.V.



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 Exhaustive coverage



 Highest number of market tables and figures



 Subscription based model available



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ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________
An NYPD police officer faced a departmental trial Tuesday for allegedly working as unpaid security for Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone alongside members of the far right Oath Keepers militia.

The disciplinary proceeding against Officer Salvatore Greco pits free speech against a rule barring cops from hanging out with convicted felons.

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Greco faces a range of charges for associating with Stone from July 2019 through March 2021, in particular in Washington, D.C., during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

To make their case against Greco, NYPD prosecutors said they will submit a recorded statement from Joshua James, an Oath Keeper from Alabama facing federal charges of seditious conspiracy in connection with the D.C. riot.

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Joshua James told us how he and Sal Greco worked security for Stone on Jan. 5 and 6, NYPD prosecutor Samuel Yee told Assistant Deputy Trials Commissioner Paul Gamble. [James] said Greco had nothing to do with the insurrection.

Salvatore Greco (@NYPDChiefofDept / Twitter)

Greco attended Stones February 2020 sentencing to 40 months in prison for lying to Congress  and their friendship continued well after that. The cop is also charged with evading investigators questions and associating with Stones friend Manhattan Madam Kristin Davis, who was convicted of prostitution-related activities and selling prescription drugs.

Greco had a penchant for right-wing social media posts, once promoting the untrue theory that it was actually Antifa that stormed the Capitol. He previously slammed tyrannical government leaders, and liked a photo of the judge in Stones case next to crosshairs.

James was supposed to testify in person, but the terms of his bail in the federal case bar him from leaving Alabama or communicating via video link, Yee said.

Greco and James were linked via Venmo accounts, the Daily News previously reported. But phone records obtained by NYPD investigators show the relationship was more extensive than previously known. James and Greco communicated by phone and text 49 times, according to Yee. One phone call from Greco to James lasted 6 minutes and 15 seconds, Yee said.

Greco carried a gun as he worked uncompensated security for Stone and Davis during the Jan. 6 riot, and was with Stones Oath Keepers security team that included James, Yee said.

James has pleaded not guilty to storming the Capitol with fellow Oath Keepers while sporting tactical gear and using military-style formations.

Yee also alleged Greco had repeated contacts with the Proud Boys, another right wing group. And he was evasive under police questioning.

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He showed an unwillingness to answer questions, even simple ones, Yee said.

Protesters supporting then-President Donald Trump gather near the east front door of the U.S. Capitol after groups breached the building's security on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Grecos lawyer Stuart London countered that Greco merely picked Stone up at the airport and took him to the Willard hotel, then accompanied him on various outings to the mall and even to get his hair cut. Greco didnt leave the hotel during the riot, he said.

The evidence will show that Officer Greco was friendly with Roger Stone and Kristin Davis, and there was no doubt he was considered part of the family, London said. He was not security. There was no contract and no pay.

The Washington Post reported in October that the Willard hotel became a command center for members of Trumps inner circle who were plotting to undermine President Bidens election victory.

Dressed in a blue suit, pocket square and tie, his black hair slicked back and his ponytail tied in a knot, Greco appeared solemn throughout Tuesdays hearing.

London said the NYPDs case has no meat on the bone. He contended Greco has rights to his political views. His friendships and mere association or presence was not proof of misconduct, London said, adding that Greco met James just once in person.

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Officer Greco is a New York City police officer and he understands the difference in terms of politicizing his job, London said.

Roger Stone (Julio Cortez/AP)

London added that Mayor Adams talks about being friends with people who have criminal convictions. He has dinner with them, and it doesnt make him a bad mayor. As a matter of fact, Eric Adams will probably do a good job for the city.

Trump commuted Stones sentence in July 2020 and then pardoned him that December.

After the riot, someone sent an anonymous letter to the Internal Affairs Bureau about Greco. He was formally interviewed in 2021 on Jan. 25 and March 22. Charges were filed against him on April 19, 2021  something the department didnt reveal publicly until 10 months later on Feb. 3.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

The Greco case may be the NYPDs first disciplinary proceeding in which a presidential pardon figures into the disciplinary calculus. The pardon in many ways eradicates the conviction, London argued. Officer Greco believed once [Stone] was pardoned he was no longer a criminal and criminal association would not apply.

The trial was unexpectedly adjourned after the judge overseeing the case fell ill. It was unclear when the proceeding would resume.

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For his part, Stone questioned in a text to The News why he was never interviewed about Greco.

Supporters of then-President Donald Trump protest inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (bstirton/Getty Images)

How very odd that in their almost two-year investigation I was never contacted nor was my attorney, the political trickster wrote. If you want to know what Sal Greco did you would think that they would simply ask me.
Alteration zone tracked over 800 meters in the K-Zone

Extensive hydrothermal hematite alteration over 100m thick in hole EP-035

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP. (Azincourt or the Company) (TSX.V: AAZ, OTCQB: AZURF), is pleased to provide an update on the ongoing 2022 exploration program at the East Preston uranium project, located in the western Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Drilling at the East Preston Project commenced on January 24th, and to date, 3,208 meters has been completed in 13 drill holes. Despite a period of extreme cold weather and its associated problems, two drill rigs are operational on the project. Ten drill holes are complete, one was abandoned, and two are in progress on the G- and K- Zones. Initial progress was reported in a previous press release dated February 14th, 2022.

Drilling continues on the northeast trending G-Zone (Figure 3) where eight holes have been completed and one hole is in progress. Extensive alteration and evidence of east-west cross-cutting structures have been intersected along the southern portion of the zone. EP0030 shows the best alteration on the G-Zone, with an extensive interval of hydrothermal hematite alteration and significant evidence for a steep east-west fault cross-cutting the main northeast trending structure and graphitic lithologies. Additional drilling will be undertaken to evaluate the significance of this alteration and associated cross cutting structure.

On the north-south trending K-Zone (Figure 2), two holes have been completed and one is in progress, with one hole lost in a sand filled fault zone at the north end of the zone. Drilling on the K-Zone has intersected extensive hydrothermal hematite alteration in all holes, indicating this alteration zone is at least 800 meters long. Drill hole EP0035 intersected an extensive zone of hydrothermal hematite more than 100 meters thick. Within this zone localized elevated radioactivity identified from both hand-held scintillometers and a downhole gamma probe was also encountered. Analysis of samples from this zone will be sent to the lab to evaluate the significance of the elevated radioactivity in this area. Additional drilling is underway to evaluate the significance of this alteration zone and to follow-up the elevated radioactivity identified.

The Company considers the drilling results to date to be significant, as major uranium discoveries in the Athabasca Basin such as McArthur River, Key Lake, and Millennium were primarily the result of drill testing of strong alteration zones related to conductor features. The identification of strong alteration zones is an important and meaningful step in locating key areas along the conductor trends where more attention is required.

As a consequence of the promising developments many holes have been drilled considerably deeper (to get through alteration and structure intersected) than initially planned and additional holes are being drilled to follow up key results. This means that while the planned overall meterage is expected to be achieved, fewer total holes may be completed and not all zones targeted for this program may be evaluated.

We are very excited by the results coming in so far said VP, Exploration, Trevor Perkins. Both the G- and K-Zones are responding incredibly well, and the team is very excited by what they are seeing in the core. The results show that there is still a good deal of work to be completed in these areas and I cant wait to see what the follow-up drilling reveals, continued Mr. Perkins.

Finding this broad zone of strong alteration is a significant development, said president and CEO, Alex Klenman. Alteration features are a crucial guide to locating uranium mineralization. Given what we know about alteration zones and their relationship to some very well-known discoveries, finding this at East Preston is certainly an encouraging development. We will continue to focus on the K-Zone for the time being to get a better idea of the extent of the alteration and the type and level of mineralization present, continued Mr. Klenman.

The first shipment of core samples from the current drill program is scheduled to be delivered later this week to the SRC Geoanalytical Lab in Saskatoon. The Company expects to receive full suite assay results in early April. Results will be reported once received, reviewed, and verified.

About the Winter 2021-2022 Drill Program

TerraLogic Exploration Inc. is executing the winter 2022 diamond drilling program under the guidance and supervision of Azincourts Vice President, Exploration, Trevor Perkins, P.Geo, and Jarrod Brown, M.Sc., P.Geo, Chief Geologist and Project Manager with TerraLogic Exploration. The program is planned for approximately 6,000m of drilling in 30-35 drill holes. Drilling is focused on the A-G and K-H-Q trends, after having commenced in the G-Zone where the 2021 drill program ended. The program continues to evaluate the G-Zone and the K-H-Q trend (Figure 2).

East Preston Targets

The primary target area for the 2022 program continues to be the conductive corridors from the A-Zone through to the G-Zone (A-G Trend) and the K-Zone through to the H and Q-Zones (K-H-Q Trend) (Figures 1 and 2). The selection of these trends is based on a compilation of results from the 2018 through 2020 ground-based EM and gravity surveys, property wide VTEM and magnetic surveys, and the 2019 through 2021 drill programs, the 2020 HLEM survey indicates multiple prospective conductors and structural complexity along these corridors.

The 2019-2021 drilling programs on the A-G Trend confirmed that geophysical conductors comprise structurally disrupted zones that are host to accumulations of graphite, sulphides, and carbonates. Anomalous radioactivity has been demonstrated to exist within these structurally disrupted conductor zones. The 2022 drilling program will target similar structurally disrupted zones prioritized on the presence and strength of corresponding electromagnetic, magnetic and gravity geophysical anomalies.

Permitting and Community Engagement

Permits are in place to complete all the planned work through the winter of 2022. Azincourt Energy continues to be engaged in regular meetings with the Clearwater River Dene Nation and other rights holders to ensure that concerns of the local communities are addressed. Azincourt looks forward to a continued close working relationship with CRDN and other rights holders to ensure that any potential impacts and concerns are addressed and that the communities can benefit from activities in the area through support of local business, employment opportunities, and sponsorship of select community programs and initiatives. Several members of the Clearwater River Dene Nation are directly employed on site or provide support and services to keep the camp and program running.

Figure 1: Target corridors at the East Preston Uranium Project, Western Athabasca Basin Saskatchewan

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f63bd5d-c106-46ba-b325-55e098237ecd

Figure 2: 2022 Drill progress and Target areas at the East Preston Uranium Project

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c863bda2-7df0-4b95-a578-5e49c75316d0



Figure 3: Project Location  Western Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cda88075-9a0e-4430-a34d-2d27ae2785c8

About East Preston

Azincourt controls a majority >70% interest in the 25,000+ hectare East Preston project as part of a joint venture agreement with Skyharbour Resources (TSX.V: SYH), and Dixie Gold. Three prospective conductive, low magnetic signature corridors have been discovered on the property. The three distinct corridors have a total strike length of over 25 km, each with multiple EM conductor trends identified. Ground prospecting and sampling work completed to date has identified outcrop, soil, biogeochemical and radon anomalies, which are key pathfinder elements for unconformity uranium deposit discovery.

The East Preston Project has multiple long linear conductors with flexural changes in orientation and offset breaks in the vicinity of interpreted fault lineaments  classic targets for basement-hosted unconformity uranium deposits. These are not just simple basement conductors; they are clearly upgraded/enhanced prospectivity targets because of the structural complexity.

The targets are basement-hosted unconformity related uranium deposits similar to NexGens Arrow deposit and Camecos Eagle Point mine. East Preston is near the southern edge of the western Athabasca Basin, where targets are in a near surface environment without Athabasca sandstone cover  therefore they are relatively shallow targets but can have great depth extent when discovered. The project ground is located along a parallel conductive trend between the PLS-Arrow trend and Camecos Centennial deposit (Virgin River-Dufferin Lake trend).

Debt Settlement Revision

The Company also announces that it has revised the terms of the agreement with an arms-length creditor, announced on January 13, 2022, in which the Company proposed to settle outstanding indebtedness totaling $250,000. The Company will now settle the indebtedness through the issuance of 4,166,666 common shares at a deemed price of $0.06 per share. The indebtedness relates to professional services rendered to the Company. The shares issued in connection with the settlement will be subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by C. Trevor Perkins, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration of Azincourt Energy, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Azincourt Energy Corp.

Azincourt Energy is a Canadian-based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration, and development of alternative energy/fuel projects, including uranium, lithium, and other critical clean energy elements. The Company is currently active at its joint venture East Preston uranium project in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Escalera Group uranium-lithium project located on the Picotani Plateau in southeastern Peru.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP.

Alex Klenman

Alex Klenman, President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release includes forward-looking statements, including forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Azincourt. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information represents managements best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially.

For further information please contact:

Alex Klenman, President & CEO

Tel: 604-638-8063

info@azincourtenergy.com

Azincourt Energy Corp.

1430  800 West Pender Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 2V6

www.azincourtenergy.com




Dublin, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Medical Power Supply Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global medical power supply market reached a value of US$ 1.47 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 2.18 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.30% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Medical power supply refers to the equipment used for delivering current to medical devices. They are used with conductors and electronic components to provide isolation between the alternating current (AC) input, internal high voltage systems and the direct current (DC) output. Some of the commonly used medical power supply systems include enclosed, open frame, external, configurable, U-bracket and encapsulated devices. They utilize reinforced insulation materials and AC-DC and DC-DC power supplies. They are used in diagnostic, medical monitoring, home patient care, dental and surgical equipment. These devices reduce electromagnetic interference and minimize the risks of electric shocks and current leakages. As a result, they are widely used in diagnostic centers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories.



Medical Power Supply Market Trends:

Significant growth in the medical industry across the globe is one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the market. Moreover, rising concerns regarding patient safety is providing a thrust to the market growth. With the increasing adoption of portable, smaller and lightweight medical equipment, healthcare organizations are widely utilizing medical power supply systems to provide effective care to the patient.

Additionally, due to the onset of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, medical power supply systems are being extensively used to operate advanced equipment, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT scan, electrocardiograph (ECG) and multiparameter patient monitoring devices. In line with this, the increasing preference for in-home patient care among the masses is also contributing to the market growth. Other factors, including the widespread adoption of data centers to maintain electronic health records (EHRs), along with extensive improvements in the healthcare infrastructure, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth.



Key Market Segmentation:

The publisher provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global medical power supply market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. Our report has categorized the market based on type, converter type and application.



Breakup by Type:

Open Frame Power Supply

Enclosed Power Supply

Adapter Power Supply

Converters

Breakup by Converter Type:

AC-DC Power Supply

DC-DC Power Supply

Breakup by Application:

Diagnostic, Imaging and Monitoring Equipment

Surgical Equipment

Home Medical Equipment

Others

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Advanced Energy Industries Inc., Cosel Co. Ltd., CUI Inc., Delta Electronics Inc., FRIWO Geratebau GmbH, GlobTek Inc., MEAN WELL Enterprises Co. Ltd., SL Power Electronics Corp., SynQor Inc., TDK-Lambda Corporation (TDK Corporation), Wall Industries Inc. (Continental Resources Inc.) and XP Power.



Key Questions Answered in this Report:

How has the global medical power supply market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global medical power supply market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the converter type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global medical power supply market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Medical Power Supply Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Open Frame Power Supply

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Enclosed Power Supply

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Adapter Power Supply

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Converters

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Converter Type

7.1 AC-DC Power Supply

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 DC-DC Power Supply

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Application

8.1 Diagnostic, Imaging and Monitoring Equipment

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Surgical Equipment

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Home Medical Equipment

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Others

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Advanced Energy Industries Inc.

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Cosel Co. Ltd.

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 Financials

14.3.3 CUI Inc.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Delta Electronics Inc.

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 FRIWO Geratebau GmbH

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6 GlobTek Inc.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 MEAN WELL Enterprises Co. Ltd.

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 SL Power Electronics Corp.

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9 SynQor Inc.

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 TDK-Lambda Corporation (TDK Corporation)

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11 Wall Industries Inc. (Continental Resources Inc.)

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12 XP Power

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1qeko

Attachment
Dublin, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Remote Patient Monitoring Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global remote patient monitoring market reached a value of US$ 1.1 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 2.7 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 16.1% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



The global remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a subset of telehealth that utilizes digital technologies to collect medical and other forms of data about the patient outside the healthcare setting. This data generally comprises weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, blood oxygen levels, heart rate and electrocardiograms, which are transmitted to healthcare providers using a telehealth computer system and software that can be installed on a computer, smartphone and tablet. RPM aids health professionals in monitoring the condition and improving the quality of care given to patients from anywhere around the world.



One of the leading factors driving the RPM market is the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. On account of the highly infectious nature of the virus, healthcare providers across the globe are utilizing RPM services for monitoring patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 and providing hospital-based care on a timely basis. This will aid in freeing up hospital resources for treating existing and more critical patients.

Additionally, the rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, in confluence with the growing geriatric population, which is more susceptible to chronic conditions, represents another key factor fueling the RPM market growth. In addition to this, improving healthcare infrastructure and rapid advancements in wireless technologies, along with the increasing penetration of smartphones, are shifting healthcare services from clinic-centric to patient-centric delivery models, such as RPM. This is escalating the demand for RPM systems across the globe. Other than this, several key players are offering RPM that allows real-time video interaction between the patient and the healthcare provider. They are also introducing product innovations, which are projected to drive the market in the upcoming years. For instance, Dexcom, Inc., a US-based medical device company, launched a G6 CGM device, which is a small sensor that measures glucose levels and sends the data wirelessly to a display device through a transmitter.



Key Market Segmentation:

The publisher provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global remote patient monitoring market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. Our report has categorized the market based on device type, application and end-use.



Breakup by Device Type:

Blood Pressure Monitor

Glucose Monitor

Heart Rate Monitor

Pulse Oximeters

Respiratory Monitor

Others

Breakup by Application:

Cancer Treatment

Cardiovascular Diseases Treatment and Monitoring

Diabetes Treatment

Sleep Disorder Treatment

Weight Management and Fitness Monitoring

Others

Breakup by End-Use:

Hospitals and Clinics

Homecare Settings

Others

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Abbott Laboratories, AMD Global Telemedicine Inc., BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, Boston Scientific Corporation, Dexcom, Inc., GE Healthcare Inc. (Danaher Corporation), Honeywell International Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic Inc., Nihon Kohden Corporation, OSI Systems Inc., Roche Holding AG, etc.



Key Questions Answered in this Report

1. What is the market size for global remote patient monitoring market?

2. What is the global remote patient monitoring market growth?

3. What are the global remote patient monitoring market drivers?

4. What are the key industry trends in the global remote patient monitoring market?

5. What is the impact of COVID-19 on the global remote patient monitoring market?

6. What is the global remote patient monitoring market breakup by device type?

7. What is the global remote patient monitoring market breakup by application?

8. What is the global remote patient monitoring market breakup by end use?

9. What are the major regions in the global remote patient monitoring market?

10. Who are the key companies/players in the global remote patient monitoring market?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Device Type

6.1 Blood Pressure Monitor

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Glucose Monitor

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Heart Rate Monitor

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Pulse Oximeters

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Respiratory Monitor

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast

6.6 Others

6.6.1 Market Trends

6.6.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Application

7.1 Cancer Treatment

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Cardiovascular Diseases Treatment and Monitoring

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Diabetes Treatment

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Sleep Disorder Treatment

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Weight Management and Fitness Monitoring

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 Others

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End-Use

8.1 Hospitals and Clinics

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Homecare Settings

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Others

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Indicators



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Abbott Laboratories

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 AMD Global Telemedicine Inc.

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3.3 Financials

14.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.4 Boston Scientific Corporation

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 Dexcom Inc.

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 GE Healthcare Inc. (Danaher Corporation)

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Honeywell International Inc.

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 Koninklijke Philips N.V.

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 Financials

14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 Medtronic Inc.

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 Nihon Kohden Corporation

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.11 OSI Systems Inc.

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11.3 Financials

14.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.12 Roche Holding AG

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7g9wr6

Attachment
LOS ANGELES, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foothills Exploration, Inc. (OTC: FTXP), including its direct and indirect subsidiaries, ("Foothills," or the "Company"), an oil and gas exploration company, is pleased to provide an operations update.



Illinois Basin

Rework operations have commenced on the Charles Bland #2 for stimulation operation targeting the Upper McClosky Lime and Aux Vases formation. The workover operations in the Cinse area encompass a total of 3 wells for acid stimulation procedures to increase production. The wells involved are the Charles Bland #1, Charles Bland #2, and the Johnson Trust #3.

The Bland #1 and Johnson Trust #3 will be stimulated by acidizing the Lower McClosky, Middle McClosky and Aux Vases formations. These rework operations are expected to add 10-15 barrels of oil per day of gross production to the properties overall production profile. Estimated payback for these rework operations is 90 days. These marginal well improvements are the most cost-effective way of adding production.

On February 28th the Company through its direct subsidiary Anaconda Energy, LLC, entered into a participation agreement with Benchmark Properties, Ltd., for 50% working interest to stimulate and workover the Mark Heat #4 well, located in Jasper County, Illinois.

Rockies and Mid-Continent Expansion

The return-to-production and well stimulation program has been extremely successful so far and as such the Company plans to continue to aggressively seek similar partnerships with other established operators in the Rockies and midcontinent, where the Company can provide its expertise and capital in exchange for up to 75% working interest in the properties and wells. These types of rework operations significantly reduce the Companys cost of production acquisition.

The Company has two strategic partnership agreements to pursue lands and return-to-production opportunities in the Illinois and Williston basins. The Company is also now targeting marginal and stripper well production to optimize in Oklahoma and seeking similar underdeveloped and underexploited properties with upside potential.

Oklahoma

The Company, through its direct subsidiary, Anaconda Energy, LLC, recently entered in to a letter of intent with LBM53, LLC to explore return-to-production opportunities in Southern Oklahoma. The parties plan to jointly acquire leases with or without producing wells and engage in workover operations to return to production, optimize and/or stimulate existing wells on the acquired leaseholds. The initial agreement covers rework operations on 3 leases: Harley, Hutchinson, and Isaac. The projected production from these work-over operations is estimated to be up to 25 barrels of oil per day with payback expected in than 180 days.

About the Company

Foothills Exploration, Inc. (FTXP or the Company), is an oil and gas exploration and development company focused on delivering the energy needs of today and tomorrow. The Companys strategy is to build a balanced portfolio of assets through two core initiatives. The first initiative is to generate high-impact oil and gas exploration projects. The second is to invest in hydrogen and geothermal projects for a low carbon future through its New Energy Ventures division by identifying areas where the Company can contribute to a viable, realistic, and balanced future energy mix. For additional information please visit the Companys website at www.foothillspetro.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions we made based on management's experience, perception of historical trends and technical analyses, current conditions, capital plans, drilling plans, production expectations, our ability to raise adequate additional capital, or enter into other financing arrangements to support our acquisition, development and drilling activities, anticipated future developments, and other factors believed to be appropriate and reasonable by management. When used in this release, words such as "will," possible, "potential," "believe," "estimate," "intend," "expect," "may," "should," "anticipate," "could," "plan," "predict," "project," "profile," "model," "strategy," "future" or their negatives or the statements that include these words or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. In particular, statements, express or implied, concerning our future operating results and returns or our ability to acquire or develop proven or probable reserves, our ability to replace or increase reserves, increase production, or generate income or cash flows are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. While forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, whether actual results and developments will meet our expectations and predictions depend on a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results, performance, and financial condition to differ materially from our expectations. As a result, no assurance can be given that these assumptions are accurate or that any of these expectations will be achieved (in full or at all) or will prove to have been correct. We have had sporadic and limited revenue and our securities are subject to considerable risk. Investors are cautioned to review FTXPs filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of risk and other factors that affect our business. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future development or otherwise, except as may be required by law. The Company intends that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Investor Contact

Christopher Jarvis

EVP of Finance

(800) 204-5510

ir@foothillspetro.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nabati Foods Global Inc. ( CSE: MEAL ) ( FSE:7UW ) (Nabati Foods or the Company), a plant-based food technology company offering whole, natural, plant-based foods for health conscious consumers, is providing the following operations update:



Nabati Plant Eggz, its proprietary, plant-based liquid egg alternative, are now available at select Costco locations in Ontario and Quebec.

Executed a national distribution agreement in Canada, partnering with Sysco to better serve foodservice establishments.

We are excited to introduce more people to our products and to be working closely with such respected grocery brands and distributors, said Ahmad Yehya, COO. We are ready and able to scale to meet the growing demand for our products, said Michael Aucoin, Interim CEO.

As previously announced, Nabati had reached certain milestones/achievements:

On January 10, 2022, announced that Nabatis Chick'n Burger named the best plant-based burger by Eat This, Not That!'s fifth annual Food Awards.

On February 14, 2022, announced that Nabati has attained Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS) certification for meeting the Global Standard for Food Safety at its Edmonton manufacturing facility. The certification recognizes that Nabati Foods meets the highest level of food safety standards and is a safe global supplier of plant-based products.

Additionally, over the past year, Nabati had signed several new contracts to expand distribution of its products globally including:

COBs Bread Bakery utilizing Nabati Cheeze as a key ingredient in COBS Breads plant-based Mini Pizzas.

Nabati Cheeze is available at Mucho Burrito locations across Canada.

Walmart.com has listed Nabati Dessertz dairy-free cheesecakes and Nabati Plant Eggz for sale throughout the United States.

Nabati Plant Eggz, are available at all Whole Foods locations throughout British Columbia and Ontario.

Nabati Plant Eggz are available at 231 Sobeys and IGA grocery stores across Quebec.

Nabati Cheeze shreds, both cheddar and mozzarella style, are available at Petes Fresh Market stores. Petes Fresh Market has been an established grocery chain in the Chicago area for over 50 years and stocks a wide range of gluten free and organic products.

Nabati Plant Eggz are now for sale in 28 Metro grocery locations in Quebec. Metro is the third largest grocery retailer in Canada.

Nabati Plant Eggz and Nabati Cheeze are now for sale in 189 The Grocery Outlet locations across California.

Vejii has listed Nabati Dessertz dairy-free cheesecakes and plant-based meats for sale in Canada and has listed its entire product line in the U.S. including its plant-based Nabati Cheeze and Nabati Plant Eggz.

Leading eCommerce retailer Plant X is now carrying Nabati Plant Eggz and Nabati Cheeze shreds on its platform.

Nabati Plant Eggz are available in all Quality Foods locations across British Columbia.

Nanum Foods, a distributor based in South Korea has signed on to distribute Nabati Plant Eggz and Nabati Dessertz dairy-free cheesecakes under the brand ITABAN in Vietnam and South Korea.

GTFO It's Vegan, a leading eCommerce retailer has listed Nabati Cheeze shreds, Nabati Plant Eggz, and Nabati Foods' plant-based Chick'n and F'sh Burgers on its platform.

KeHE, a major natural organic grocery distributor, distributes Nabati Cheese, plant-based meats and Nabati Dessertz dairy-free cheesecakes to 433 stores in the United States.

Satau-Taze, a trusted supplier to health food and grocery stores distributes Nabati Plant Eggz in Quebec.



All Nabati Foods products are kosher, vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

Find Nabati Foods products at a location near you here: https://www.nabati.ca/a/store-locator

About Nabati Foods Global Inc.

Nabati Foods Global Inc. is the owner of Nabati Foods Inc. (Nabati Foods), a family-founded food technology company offering whole, natural, plant-based, gluten, and soy-free foods for health-conscious consumers. Nabati Foods was founded in 2014 and has four signature product lines including dairy-free cheesecakes, cheese alternatives, plant-based meats, and a plant-based liquid egg alternative. Nabati Foods products are distributed throughout Canada, the U.S., and internationally through eCommerce, grocery, foodservice, and industrial channels. Learn more: https://invest.nabatifoods.com/

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Michael Aucoin

Interim CEO

For investor or media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Greg Foofat

Director, Investor Relations

Email: ir@nabatifoods.com

Telephone: 780-800-6624

Find Nabati on Social Media: on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of Nabati in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws. Accordingly, the securities may not be offered or sold within the U.S. or to U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, or pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. The use of any of the words expect, anticipate, continue, estimate, objective, may, will, project, should, believe, plans, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements concerning the Companys general business plans. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Factors that could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Final Prospectus, and the schedules attached thereto, that are available on the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable laws.
NEW YORK, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alberto Lopez-Valenzuela, CEO and founder of stakeholder intelligence firm alva, is named as one of 2022's 25 most influential people in communications technology by PRWeek.

PRWeek launched its Dashboard 25 in 2020. It is a prestigious annual list of the primary movers, shakers and innovators in the communication tech space. It celebrates visionaries and risk-takers driving the PR industry forward, from media monitoring services, newswires, private equity, social media management, in-house client teams and PR agencies.

Entrepreneur Alberto Lopez-Valenzuela founded alva in 2010 - a stakeholder intelligence firm that combines AI with sector analysts to provide public companies with an intelligence solution that encompasses ESG, risk, reputation and media profiles. The platform uses natural language processing to analyze millions of pieces of content daily from over 500,000 publications across 100 languages and 150 countries.

Alberto is also the author of The Connecting Leader. The book examines how corporate leaders connect businesses with society, especially in this age of hyper-transparency, interconnectivity and media anarchy.

Thanks to Alberto's vision of Stakeholder Intelligence and its potential value to the communications sector, alva helps more than 100 blue-chip companies directly and via partnerships with strategic consultancy firms. Stakeholder Intelligence informs the way these companies communicate and deliver more sustainable success.

Alberto Lopez-Valenzuela commented: "I am deeply honored to feature in the prestigious PRWeek Dashboard 25. It is a privilege to stand beside the other honorees on the list.

"I believe that 2022 will be a game-changing year, not just for alva but for the whole communications technology space. The relationship between business and society is changing rapidly. Business is expected to do more than generate profit - it must be a force for good. That means the communications challenges for business are also transforming. This is being driven by stakeholders, whose impact spells the difference between success and failure. Business can no longer simply broadcast communications to its audiences - it needs to engage with empathy, be authentic, and be transparent.

"Our technology and platform enable us to deliver the most up-to-date and accurate insights for companies, and we believe this will be a real growth year for alva as more firms see the importance and value of this crucial information when it comes to enhancing and protecting their reputations."

alva is now in the process of expanding its offerings. In July 2021, the company announced a new partnership with Ballast Research and Hamilton Place Strategies, which will generate an integrated business intelligence platform and consulting services that combine primary research, reputational findings, advisory services and monitoring capabilities.

alva has also won recognition from the Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards and the AI & Machine Learning Awards in 2021 for its technology.

Contact:

Matt Cartmell

Carta Communications

matt.cartmell@cartacomms.com

+44(0)7930485333

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Brooklyn, New York, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brooklyn-based hair care brand amika announces the debut of Love All Your Hair Days, its latest campaign launching today that emphasizes individuality, self-expression and the power of great hair transforming the everyday. The brand partnered with RXM Creative, a Brooklyn-based agency for concept and production. Love All Your Hair Days will launch with 360 digital marketing and advertising initiatives, as well as OOH with a series of static and video billboards in Los Angelesa first for the brand outside of its native New York City. Love All Your Hair Days follows amikas 2020 All Hair Is Welcome campaign, which amplified the brands prevailing values of celebrating inclusion, diversity and friendship.

Love All Your Hair Days launches with bold videos and imagery featuring a diverse collective of personalities. The campaign aims to convey a relatable approach to the emotional aspect of hair care and styling as it spotlights individuals paired with messaging of a relatable hair day scenario. One concept shares the message 3 Days No Wash Hair Day, citing the brands award-winning Perk Up Dry Shampoo, while another references amikas planet-friendly mission toward sustainabilityemployed by its partnership with TerraCycle, use of 90%+ post-consumer recycled materials in its packaging, and sustainably sourced ingredients that are always cruelty-free.

What inspired us to create this campaign was amikas wide range of products, the overwhelming reviews coming from their community and their commitment to inclusion and diversity. The insight was simple: we all have great hair days once in a blue moon, but with the right care, we can learn to love all our hair days. says Andrea Erali, Senior Art Director at RXM Creative.

The campaign was shot on film by photographer/director Anisha Sisodia in tandem with director of photography Steven Mastorelli. Some of the featured talent includes model and disability advocate Bri Scalesse, 26, as well as Elizabeth Sweetheart, 74, known as the Green Lady of Brooklyn, among many other unique individuals.

Love All Your Hair Days carries on amikas fierce commitment to inclusivity, representing people of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities and more. The name amika means friend, and like a friend, our products are straightforward and dependable, while also being fun, shares Vita Raykhman, creative director for amika. Both the brand and Love All Your Hair Days are so relatablethere are no unattainable ideals. The campaign empowers people to have fun and accept their hair, no matter what sort of hair day they are having.

The introduction of Love All Your Hair Days underscores amikas commitment to its digital-first strategyaccelerating its investment and efforts behind brand awareness and acquisition. During the second half of 2021, the brand doubled its marketing team as it focuses on digital marketing expansion. amika additionally contracted Assembly, the global omnichannel media agency, as the brands new agency of record to lead its integrated media efforts. "Love All Your Hair Days will be the first campaign in partnership with Assembly.



"As a digitally-driven brand, we're excited to amplify our brand awareness through our brand equity campaign, supported by digital-first paid acquisition, to share with consumers not only our incredible product range, but also continue towards our purposeprogressing the beauty industry to make a positive impact on people and the planet, says Chelsea Riggs, amikas Brand President. Our Love All Your Hair Days campaign aligns with the explosive growth happening in prestige hair care right now, with over 90% of consumers planning to purchase some type of hair product in the next six months according to NPD.

To meet its customers where they're consuming content, amikas digital strategy leans heavily into TikTok, where the brand saw over 500% growth in impressions in the last year. This includes plans for its first paid TikTok campaign to support the March 2022 launch of limited-edition Jumbo Perk Up Dry Shampoo. The jumbo, which is 38% larger than its full-size counterpart, will launch in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Perk Up Dry Shampoo, amikas bestselling product. To coincide with the launch, amika will introduce a comprehensive digital marketing strategy centering around the #perksofperkupa 360 approach to sharing the benefits of this beloved product. Additional strategy support includes the brands largest influencer and media seeding to date, as well as broad sampling efforts with Influenster and Conde Nast.

About amika

A friend to hair, hairstylists, to her, him, them and you.The name amika means friend in the language Esperanto & represents our belief in the power of community and the beauty of diversity. Straight out of Brooklyn, where creativity and hustle are a way of life, were a collective of creatives, hairstylists, chemists, and product enthusiasts. We only make products that make us proud. 10 collections for every hair type, texture and style. Visit www.loveamika.com for more information, and follow @amika on Instagram.

About RXM Creative

RXM Creative is an award-winning creative agency based in Brooklyn working with brands such as Ray-Ban, Under Armour, Harrys, Tabasco and Loro Piana. It was founded in 2013 by Raul Mandru & Mihai Botarel, two 360i veterans with over 17 years experience in major agency networks. Starting off as a social media agency focused on branded content, RXM expanded as a reliable strategic partner, launching integrated global campaigns and having their work recognized in international festivals like Clio, Webby's and Cannes. www.rxmcreative.com

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New York, NY, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Sophie Jacobi-Parisi has joined the firms nationally recognized Matrimonial & Family Law practice group as a partner in the New York office, which continues to strategically expand with talented attorneys across key areas of law. Sophie focuses her practice on a wide range of matrimonial and family law matters, with notable experience in navigating complex custody cases. Prior to joining Blank Rome, Sophie was a partner at Warshaw Burstein LLP.

Sophie is a well-known and respected family law attorney who serves as a steadfast advocate for her clients and utilizes her significant legal experience to skillfully counsel on divorce and custody proceedings, said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Romes Managing Partner and CEO. Sophie is an excellent addition to our East Coast team of matrimonial and family law attorneys and growing New York office, which recently welcomed Leslie Marlow, Hank Gracin, and Patrick Egan, a respected corporate and securities law team, as well as leading real estate and hospitality partners, Christy L. Reuter and Sonia Kaur Bain.

Sophies practice focuses on helping families going through separations as well as divorces with a particular emphasis on navigating complex custody cases. For example, Sophie has in-depth experience navigating custody matters involving children with special needs, including Individualized Education Programs. She also has litigation and trial experience in New Yorks Family and Supreme Courts and frequently negotiates prenuptial, separation, and settlement agreements.

The marriage, divorce, and child custody landscape is changing drastically in this modern age as new social and economic issues continue to arise, said Brett S. Ward, Partner and Co-Chair of the firms Matrimonial & Family Law practice group. Sophies strong legal talent and fresh perspective will complement our national practice as we rise to meet these multifaceted challenges and further support the high-level service that we provide to our clients on both coasts.

As a thought leader, Sophie is often called upon to speak at events, author articles, and appear as a guest on podcasts to share her knowledge of matrimonial law and related issues, including how to have a healthy and transparent marriage, raise children, negotiate pre- and post-nuptial agreements, and undergo a divorce.

I am excited to join Blank Rome, which has a stellar client network, broad service offerings, and an equally impressive matrimonial practice, all of which are integral to my growing practice, added Sophie. It is a privilege to be in the company of so many skilled practitioners in the matrimonial space who also share a dedication to this type of work, and I look forward to growing my practice in New York as well as Connecticut and collaborating with the firms West Coast matrimonial and family law team based in Los Angeles to accomplish great successes for our clients and their families.

Sophie serves as a co-chair and executive committee member of the New York State Bar Association, Family Law Section. She previously served as a member of the board of directors of Promise Project, a nonprofit organization associated with Columbia University that supports and works with underserved children with learning disabilities. She started her career as a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice, where she represented children in legal proceedings in the Bronx Family Court.

Sophie earned her J.D. from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, her M.A. from the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work, and her B.A. from Bucknell University.

Since January 1, 2022, Blank Rome has welcomed the following leading partners across its U.S. offices, enhancing the firms services and capabilities throughout its various practices:

About Blank Rome

Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 13 offices and more than 600 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Romes culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com.

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SALISBURY, N.C., March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During March, Food Lion customers can once again help the omnichannel grocer fight hunger in their community while shopping in-store or online through Food Lion To Go. For every bag of specially marked Food Lion oranges purchased from March 2  22, 2022, Food Lion Feeds will help provide five meals* to local Feeding America member food banks. Additionally, customers can make a cash donation of any amount at the register to support Feeding America and local food banks. In 2021, the Food Lion Feeds Orange Bag campaign provided 1 million meals to neighbors in need across Food Lions 10-state footprint.

The total amount donated to each local food bank will be based on the number of eligible bagged oranges sold in each food banks service area, along with customer donations at the register.

For the fourth year in a row, Food Lion Feeds is partnering with customers to support our neighbors in need through the annual Orange Bag campaign, said Kevin Durkee, Manager, Food Lion Feeds, Food Lion. Every orange bag purchase helps support local food banks and nourishes customers in the towns and cities Food Lion serves.

Since 2014, Food Lion Feeds has provided more than 900 million meals to neighbors in need. The company has committed to providing 1.5 billion meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2025. Part of this commitment includes hosting retail campaigns, like the Orange Bag, as well as providing meals through the 20-year-old Food Lion Food Rescue program where near-date fresh produce and pantry staples are donated to a network of local feeding agencies.

Hunger is an issue in every county of our country. Feeding America is thankful to Food Lion and its customers for continuing to support communities facing hunger through the Food Lion Feeds Orange Bag initiative, said Lauren Biedron, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Feeding America. Over the years, the campaign has helped to provide millions of meals to families in need in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions.

For more information on Food Lion Feeds, visit www.foodlion.com/feeds.

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks. Through the Orange Bag campaign, $0.50 (monetary equivalent of 5 meals) from each bag purchased will be donated to Feeding America and member food banks. Food Lion guarantees a minimum donation of $100,000 (monetary equivalent of 1 million meals.) from March 2  22, 2022. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com/feeds.

About Food Lion

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 82,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 900 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com or job applicants may visit www.foodlion.com/careers.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter

CONTACTS:

Food Lion Media Relations

704-245-3317

publicrelationsteam@foodlion.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6986f36f-fd3a-4af7-ab8e-fd694162b022
NEW YORK, NY -, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Berkeley College announces the launch of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management degree program through the Colleges Larry L. Luing School of Business in Manhattan, NY. The program, approved by the New York State Board of Regents and Middle States Commission on Higher Education, will be Berkeley Colleges first graduate program in New York State. It will be offered on-site at the Midtown Manhattan campus in the spring 2022 semester, which begins on April 25. The program will be conducted online, and through hybrid modalities at a future date.

The Berkeley College MBA in Management program prepares students for leadership positions through a specialized curriculum with optional concentrations in Financial Management, Human Resources Management, Healthcare Management, and Supply Chain Management.

The MBA program is designed to prepare students for management growth in high-demand fields through a flexible approach that meets the needs of working professionals, said Diane Recinos, EdD, Interim President of Berkeley College. One of our primary objectives is to accelerate pathways to career advancement for current students, alumni and prospective students, Recinos added.

We are delighted that the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has approved Berkeley College, New York to exceed its institutional mission to offer the Master of Business Administration in Management degree at our New York City campus, said Marsha A. Pollard, PhD, Provost, Berkeley College. This program approval is a testament to the caliber of the Berkeley College faculty, who are responsive and reflective educators and industry experts within their respective fields.

New York City is getting back to work and Berkeley Colleges MBA in Management program is arriving at the right time to help professionals take advantage of the New York renaissance, said Joseph Scuralli, DPS, Dean of the Larry L. Luing School of Business.

On-site classes in the MBA program will begin on April 25 at Berkeley Colleges Midtown Manhattan campus located at 3 East 43rd Street.

The Berkeley College MBA in Management supports New York States emphasis on diversity and inclusion in the workforce and economy through its mission of empowering diverse graduate students who are traditionally underrepresented in middle management and upper management, to move up the career ladder.

Berkeley Colleges MBA in Management has been offered at the Colleges Woodland Park, NJ, campus since fall 2015 and online since spring 2016.

The New York State Board of Regents approved Berkeley Colleges application to offer the MBA program in New York State on January 10, 2022. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education issued its approval of this program in February 2022.

For more information on the Berkeley College MBA program, visit: https://berkeleycollege.edu/academics/graduate-degree-program/index.html

Read about Berkeley College MBA Highlights in the News Archives:

Two years after entering into a Corporate Learning Partnership (CLP) with Berkeley College, 20 Affinity Federal Credit Union employees have earned their Master of Business Administration in Management degrees from the Colleges Larry L. Luing School of Business: https://bit.ly/3r3TJ92

Affinity Federal Credit Union partners with Berkeley College to offer its employees an MBA program: https://youtu.be/m94kjhhBtbA

Students from the first Berkeley College MBA graduating class share their experiences: https://youtu.be/aWYgqjcNk-k

About Berkeley College

Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Masters, Bachelors, and Associates degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers continuing education programs to enhance career credentials.

Berkeley College has campuses in Midtown Manhattan, NY, and in Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,000 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelors Programs and among the Best Online Bachelors Programs for Veterans, for nine consecutive years. U.S. News & World Report name Berkeley College (NJ) one of the Best Regional Colleges in the North in its 2022 and 2021 editions of the Best Colleges Survey. In 2021 Berkeley College (NJ) was also recognized for the first time as a Top Performer on Social Mobility among colleges in the region. The website address is http://www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.

The mission of Berkeley College is to empower students to achieve lifelong success in dynamic careers.

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A pair of suspects accused of murdering a Seattle woman during a 2020 visit to Texas were discovered hiding out in Cambodia, months after they cut their GPS ankle trackers while out on bond.

Nina Marano, 50, and her wife, 58-year-old Lisa Dykes were arrested in April 2021 in connection with the death of 23-year-old Marisela Botello-Valadez. She was last seen alive in Dallas on Oct. 4, 2020. She was in the area to visit a friend and went out to several nightclubs alone before her disappearance, according to investigators.

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Police in Dallas on Monday confirmed both suspects have again been taken into custody by the FBI, WFAA reported. No further details were released.

Lisa Dykes and Nina Marano (Dallas County Sheriff's Office)

Botello-Valadezs body was discovered in a wooded area in Wilmer on March 24, 2021.

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Authorities arrested the couple a month, later alongside a third suspect, Charles Anthony Beltran. Traces of the victims blood was discovered inside a home Dykes and Marano shared with Beltran, according to investigators.

Both Marano and Dykes were released on house arrest after posting $500,000 bond, but disappeared on Christmas Day, shortly after they cut off their ankle monitors. Authorities launched a widespread manhunt for the couple after they could not contact them on Dec. 27.

Beltran remains behind bars on $500,000 bond.
Dallas, Texas, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puration, Inc. (OTC Pink: PURA) today announced the company is on track to seal-the-deal on their first partnership in the $1.2 billion Asia Pacific hemp region .

We are making steady progress and improving the certainty of closing, said Brian Shibley, CEO of PURA in regard to the hemp partnership in the Asia Pacific region currently under development.

PURA has introduced its Farmersville Hemp Brand strategy to usher industrial hemp solutions into the market.

Part of the Farmersville Hemp Brand strategy is targeted at disrupting the $600 billion global lumber market .

The Asia Pacific partnership is part of the companys plan to disrupt the lumber market.

Hemp is a textile and lumber industry disruptor. Hemp fiber is an alternative to cotton and traditional construction lumber that in fact has many characteristics superior to cotton and traditional lumber before considering the environmental benefits of using hemp. Hemp grows faster than cotton and hard wood forests, uses less water and absorbs more carbon. Hemp can be used in the production of bioplastics and has even been tested for use in supercapacitors which hold the potential to outperform batteries and do so with far less detriment to the environment.

PURA has initiated construction on a facility in Farmersville, Texas where the company will conduct consultative education customized for each corporate customer to hands on demonstrate how hemp can be utilized to improve the efficiency of existing products and services and meet 2050 sustainability targets.

The facility will be constructed using hemp composite construction materials as a first step in PURAs strategy to begin disrupting the lumber industry.

PURA will soon be releasing design details on the facility.

Read the companys latest comprehensive update on PURAs Farmersville Hemp Brand rollout .

For more information on Puration, visit http://www.purationinc.com

Disclaimer:

This News Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from any these statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any those forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this news release. None of such forward-looking statements should be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the objectives and plans set forth in this News Release will be achieved or be executed.
Vancouver, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading Asian food delivery app Fantuan Delivery has announced its launch in Australia, kicking off its operation in Sydney and Melbourne.

Starting March 1st, Australian foodies will be able to enjoy fast and convenient delivery and pickup services through the Fantuan Delivery App, available on Android and iOS. Fantuan Delivery will initially be available in CBD, Boxhill in Melbourne, and Eastwood in Sydney, with plans to rapidly expand to other areas in the following months. To celebrate its launch, Fantuan Delivery will be offering $8 off on the first eight orders. Users will also be able to unlock 30 percent discount coupons for all restaurants on Fantuan Deliverys platform throughout March. Fantuan Deliverys user-friendly platform and advanced order fulfillment system ensure rapid delivery and exceptional customer experience.

Fantuan Delivery has always placed exceptional quality and customer experience at the forefront. Having established an expansive presence in North America, were now in the optimal position to enter the Australian market and allocate significant investments to the market said Randy Wu, Founder and CEO of Fantuan Delivery.

The launch in Australia is a milestone for Fantuan Deliverys global expansion. Founded in 2014, Fantuan Delivery has footprints in over 40 cities across North America. Fantuan Delivery partners with more than 10,000 couriers to deliver a variety of dishes to your door. In addition, the Fantuan Delivery app now offers services in English in the U.S. and Canada to increase accessibility for local food lovers.

Having achieved a nearly 200 percent YoY growth in 2021, Fantuan Delivery is now a leading food delivery platform in the Asian food segment in the U.S. and Canada. Furthermore, Fantuan Deliverys series B funding round in January and series C funding round in December concluded in rousing success.

Upon launch in Australia, Fantuan Delivery customers will be able to select from over 300 stores and restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne. The service is ready to expand to more cities in Australia in the near future.

Australia has always been a hot spot for multicultural cuisine, especially for Asian restaurants. Research agency Roy Morgan has shown that Chinese food remains the most popular choice for food delivery. According to Roy Morgan, food delivery services thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, over 5 million Australians chose food delivery, leading to a 40 percent annual growth rate. Amid stringent social distancing measures, Fantuan Delivery provides no-contact delivery to ensure the safety of customers and carriers.

About Fantuan

Fantuan was founded in Vancouver, Canada, in 2014, currently operating in major cities across Canada, the United States, and Australia. With the mission of "life made easier", Fantuan is a technology company that provides a one-stop platform providing services such as food delivery, fresh grocery, and more. As one of the world's leading life-service platforms, Fantuan enables users to easily access the richness of resources in their neighborhood and the city. Fantuan's cutting-edge technology closely connects business owners with customers and provides convenient, innovative, and efficient services to make people's lives easier.

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GARRISON, N.Y., March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement will host their Atonement Franciscan Assembly, March 7-11, at Graymoor, their motherhouse in Garrison, N.Y., convening experts in ecumenical, pastoral and social ministries and members of their global religious community to discuss the future of the Society of the Atonement and its charism of "At-One-Ment." The assembly comes in response to Pope Francis' call for a "Synod on Synodality," a two-year process of listening and dialogue exploring the life and the mission of the Catholic Church, and it will culminate with a formal presentation of the meeting's conclusions to His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, for submission to the Office of the Synod at the Vatican in Rome.

"The Atonement Franciscan Assembly will celebrate the Friars, Sisters, Tertiaries and lay collaborators that form the Society of the Atonement and embody our charism of 'At-One-Ment' by bringing hope, healing and harmony to the world," said V. Rev. Father Brian F. Terry, SA, Minister General of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. "It is also our community's response to the Holy Father's call for synods 'allowing people to talk so that the wisdom of God will come forth,' and we welcome the many respected leaders in our core areas of ministry that will join with us to contemplate our future and who God is calling us to be."

The Future of Ecumenical Ministry, March 7-8

Servant of God Father Paul Wattson, SA, and Mother Lurana White, SA, founded the Society of the Atonement in 1898 to help bring about "At-One-Ment" - the reconciliation of Christians and their churches and unity in fulfillment of Jesus' prayer "that all may be one" - and have been called New York's own Francis and Clare for their efforts. In January 1908, they observed the first Church Unity Octave, now celebrated annually as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity by Christians worldwide. Today the Friars continue to promote Christian unity and interreligious dialogue through their global ministries, which include Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute in New York City and Centro Pro Unione in Rome.

An ecumenical worship service will herald the start of the assembly on Monday, March 7, at 4 p.m., and on Tuesday, March 8, the work of the assembly will begin by exploring the future of the Society's ecumenical ministry. The day will feature a keynote address from Father David Couturier, OFM Cap., a noted Franciscan scholar and author and Dean of the School of Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure University. A panel discussion will follow, led by Aaron Hollander, Ph.D., Associate Director of Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute and Vice President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists. Panelists will include Father Walter Kedjierski, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; Margaret Rose, Deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations, The Episcopal Church; and Nathan Smith, Director of Catholic-Evangelical Relations at Glenmary Home Missioners.

The Future of Social Ministry, March 9

The morning of Wednesday, March 9, will focus on the future of the Society's social ministry in the area of addiction treatment and recovery, in particular the role of spirituality, innovative treatment models, critical gaps in treatment and the role and impact of community-based agencies. The discussion will be co-moderated by James Schiller, Ph.D., Executive Director of St. Christopher's Inn, the Society's addiction recovery ministry at Graymoor, and Connie Wille, Chief Executive Officer of Champlain Valley Family Center. Panelists include Robert A. Kent, General Counsel of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; John A. Darin, President and CEO of NADAP (National Association for Drug Abuse Problems); Wilfredo Morel, Vice President of Immigrant Health at Sun River Health; and Tom Caracciola, Housing Program Supervisor at Champlain Valley Family Center.

The Future of Pastoral Ministry, March 9

The afternoon of March 9 will focus on the future of the Society's pastoral ministry and will begin with a message from Father James Mallon, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, founder of the Divine Renovation Ministry and author of the best-selling book Divine Renovation: Bringing Your Parish from Maintenance to Mission. The session will feature a forum led by Andrew D'Angelo, Executive Director of the Holy Mountain Franciscan Retreat Center at Graymoor. Panelists will include Deacon Thomas Rich, TSA, Vocation Director of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement; Joy Pellegrino, Spiritual Director and Art Therapist at the Holy Mountain Franciscan Retreat Center; and Brother Paul Roach, a professed Tertiary candidate in the Society of the Atonement, who ministers at the Chapel of Our Savior, the Friars' parish in Brockton, Mass.

The Future and Formation, March 10

On Thursday, March 10, Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., former President of St. Bonaventure University and a noted scholar on Franciscan history and spirituality, will give a keynote address on formation and the future of religious life. A panel discussion will follow, led by Deacon Thomas Rich, TSA, Vocation Director of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, and Paul Lipowski, Ed.D., Vice President and Special Advisor of the Partners in Franciscan Ministries.

Statement and Presentation of the "Mind of the Meeting" to Cardinal Dolan, March 11

On Friday, March 11, the "mind of the meeting" - the fruit of the week's discussion and reflection - will be presented to His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, for submission to the Office of the Synod at the Vatican in Rome on behalf of the Archdiocese of New York. The assembly then will conclude with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Dolan.

The 2022 Atonement Franciscan Assembly will take place at Our Lady of the Atonement Chapel, also known as Pilgrim Hall, located on the 400-acre campus of Graymoor in Garrison, N.Y. To register, please visit atonementfriars.org/2022-atonement-franciscan-assembly.

About the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement

The Franciscan Friars of the Atonement are a Catholic religious community dedicated to bringing reconciliation and healing to a broken world by living, embracing and fostering the Franciscan spirit of "At-One-Ment" unity with God, others and self - while seeking to promote dialogue among Christians and all people of faith. Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, Servant of God Father Paul Wattson, SA, founded the Friars of the Atonement in 1898 to walk as brothers alongside those in need of God's love and healing. We do this through ministries like St. Christopher's Inn, Do Not Fear to Hope HIV/AIDS Support Group, the Holy Mountain Franciscan Retreat Center and various ecumenical centers and parish ministries throughout the world. His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, opened Father Paul's cause for canonization on Sept. 22, 2015, in New York City. More at atonementfriars.org.

Contact: Jonathan Hotz

Director of Communications

(845) 424-2122

jhotz@atonementfriars.org

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Image 1: Atonement Franciscan Assembly









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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Toronto, ON, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadians concerned about political divisions will find solace in season five of TVO Original series Political Blind Date. Premiering on TVO Tuesdays starting March 15, 2022 at 9 pm ET and streaming across Canada on TVO.org, YouTube and smart TV services like Apple TV and Roku, the final season of this innovative TVO series demonstrates the value and necessity of building bridges in hard times.

Political Blind Date bridges partisan differences, creating memorable, human moments of understanding on the issues that matter most to people, says John Ferri, VP of Programming and Content at TVO. We are very proud of the impact made by this show over five incredible seasons. The topics covered in this season not only reflect the concerns of the day, but also chart a path forward during this challenging moment in history.

"We are so proud of this series and the dialogue it has fostered around the important issues impacting Ontarians and Canadians every day, says Tom Powers, creator and executive producer. This final season on TVO is no different, and we look forward to exploring a new host of relevant and timely topics through a uniquely Canadian lens.

New and longtime viewers alike will make fresh discoveries in this season of debate, diversity and understanding. These six episodes of Political Blind Date feature discussions between leaders from multiple levels of government and a spectrum of political parties.

A typical date starts with two politicians getting to know each other before heading out to explore the issue of the day. Each participant chooses where they will take the other and keeps it a secret. TVO Original Political Blind Date balances light-hearted fun and heated exchanges to help humanize political discourse, while also providing an outlet for viewers who want to see past partisan divisions and build something together.

"The conversations we dive into this season are some of our most meaningful yet and we know viewers will find something they can relate to, no matter what side of the issue they stand on," adds Mark Johnston, executive producer, director and writer.

"Now more than ever, it's so important that we understand each other as human beings first and come together to tackle these issues, and not each other, says Amanda Handy, producer and executive producer.

Season 5 of TVO Original Political Blind Date includes the following episodes, airing weekly:

March 15  Systemic Racism

Liberal MP Greg Fergus and Toronto City Councillor Michael Thompson delve into possible ways to tackle anti-Black racism. From organizations encouraging Black Canadians to seek public office, to federal government programs providing financial assistance to Black-owned businesses, Fergus and Thompson debate their visions on how to address systemic racism.



March 22  Veterans

Conservative MP John Brassard and Liberal MP Darrell Samson discuss the state of veteran affairs in Canada. Brassard takes Samson to meet veterans in Barrie who are fighting for their claims to be resolved due to a significant backlog. In Nova Scotia, Samson takes Brassard to talk to former service members and families who have benefited from the Liberal governments latest programs to help veterans.



March 29  The Real History of Canada

Sol Mamakwa, Member of the Kingfisher First Nation and NDP MPP (Kiiwetinoong, Ontario), and Kingston City Councillor Jeff McLaren speak about what to do with the statues and symbols of some of Canadas early political leaders whose policies harmed Indigenous Peoples. McClaren is opposed to removing Sir John A. Macdonalds statue but is in favour of telling a more complete history. Mamakwa takes McClaren to Sioux Lookout to meet Indigenous leaders who have a different perspective about how to remember Canadas real history.



April 5  The Future of Unionism

Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton and UNIFOR president Jerry Dias examine the state of labour relations in Ontario and the future of unions in Canada. In London, McNaughton takes Dias to visit people who are benefitting from training programs and initiatives supported by the provincial government to fill thousands of vacancies in the skilled trade sector. Dias takes McNaughton to meet workers from the retail and long-term care industries who face wage freezes and have no guaranteed sick days under new legislation in Ontario.



April 12  Homelessness

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter (who was homeless for 14 years) discuss solutions to the growing homelessness crisis in their cities and across Canada. Carter takes Brown to Oshawa to examine solutions that include an integrated health care and social services hub for the homeless, and a micro-home prototype made from storage containers. In Brampton, Brown demonstrates the power of large, diverse cities to harness faith communities to help combat homelessness and poverty.



April 19  The Opioid Crisis

Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis reunite to debate what needs to be done to address the opioid drug crisis in Canada. Erskine-Smith believes that the government needs to legalize and regulate all illicit drugs, since a poisoned supply laced with the synthetic opioid fentanyl is killing thousands of unsuspecting drug users. Garnett Genuis believes that the threat of criminal charges may encourage those with substance use disorders to seek treatment services and recovery, and that these services need to be expanded across Canada.

Watch season five of TVO Original series Political Blind Date on Tuesdays, starting March 15 at 9 pm ET on TVO and streaming on TVO.org, YouTube and smart TV channels. Stay current on the latest TVO documentary news and insights by signing up for the new TVO Docs Newsletter at TVO.org/newsletters.

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ABOUT TVO

TVO inspires learning that changes lives and enriches communities. Founded in 1970, we are a globally recognized digital learning organization that engages Ontarians of all ages with inclusive experiences and diverse perspectives. Through video, audio, games, courses, newsletters and articles, were investing in the transformative potential of education for everyone. Funded primarily by the Province of Ontario, TVO is a registered charity supported by thousands of sponsors and donors. For more information, visit TVO.org and TVOkids.com.

TVO streaming channels:

LG: TVO, TVOkids

Apple TV: TVO, TVOkids

Amazon Fire TV: TVO, TVOkids

Roku: TVO, TVOkids

Android: TVOkids

ABOUT OPEN DOOR CO.

Open Door Co. is in the business of producing, distributing and acquiring Content That Matters for broadcasters that include HBO, A&E, Sundance, CBC/Doc, TVO, Bell Media, Corus/Shaw, SVT, SBS, NHK and Discovery, among others. Credits include TVO Original Margin of Error, feature documentary Cracked Not Broken for HBO, Black Nation for SVT, Pure Intentions for CBC documentary and docuseries Intervention Canada (67x1) for A&E and Blue Ant Media. Visit: OpenDoorCo.com.



ABOUT NOMAD FILMS

Nomad Films develops and produces documentary programming for film and television that focuses on a wide range of compelling stories about social and political change, science, the environment, and the arts. We are passionate about social-political films. Known for its international treaty co-production work, Nomad has successfully produced films such as the award-winning In the Shadow of a Saint (CBC, BBC, IKON, and SBS Australia). Director/Writer/Executive Producer Mark Johnston is the Founder of Nomad Films which is run by his partner Amanda Handy. Thirty years in the documentary business, Mark and Amanda have worked in a producer or director capacity on over ninety films. Visit NomadFilms.ca.

Media:

Sonya William

Manager, Brand and Content Activation

TVO

swilliam@tvo.org

Stephanie Perron

Unit Publicist

BAE Communications

steph@baecommunications.ca

Social:

twitter.com/Political_BD

twitter.com/tvodocs

facebook.com/PoliticalBlindDate

facebook.com/tvodocs

instagram.com/political_bd

#DebateWithoutHate
HONOLULU, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Embassy Suites by Hilton Oahu Kapolei has partnered with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) and Legacy Carbon LLC to provide its guests with a carbon neutral guest experience that is uniquely Hawaiian. Through the planting and sponsorship of Hawaiian Legacy Trees, guests will enjoy their Embassy Suites experience knowing that they have left no carbon footprint in the islands.



The entire guest stay is carbon neutral through the planting and electronic tracking of more than 550,000 native and endemic Hawaiian trees. This Gold Standard Certified carbon project has produced some of the highest-quality carbon offsets in the world and is the first Gold Standard certified reforestation project in North America and the only certified carbon project of any kind in the state of Hawaii. A recently released video by tree planting partners, HEI Foundations Project Footprint, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtQEsUAwWIQ provides a better perspective of how big this forest has grown in just a few years.

It is so important that we malama the aina and this partnership has helped our guests to connect to the land and the culture of Hawaii, said Reid Yoshida, General Manager of Embassy Suites. Guests now have the opportunity to become part of Hawaiis rich cultural history by giving back to the islands and planting their own Legacy Tree. Perhaps the greatest memento of their visit to Hawaii wont be what they take with them, but what they leave behinda living legacy. We see an unmistakable trend in the hospitality industry to support this movement. Perhaps one day, we will all be able to say that when you stay in Hawaii, the only footprints you leave will be on the beach.

HLRI has already planted more than 1,200 acres of forest (endemic koa, ohia, milo, kou, wiliwili, sandalwood, and other species) in the first-of-its-kind Hawaiian Legacy Forest that will sequester more than a quarter million tons of CO2 over the next 50 years. Each tree is RFID geo-tagged and can be individually tracked throughout its lifetime by the tree sponsor on HLRIs TreeTracker.

Often, it is the small changes enacted by many which have the greatest impact. Together, with the help of many individuals and organizations, we have created a new economic engine, which restores forests, creates permanent green jobs, is carbon negative, and supports the Hawaiian culture, said Jeff Dunster, Executive Director of HLRI. Embassy Suites is setting an example for the hospitality industry and showing us how people can use the power of business and innovation to solve real world problems and create solutions that are extremely effective in real world application.

About HLRI: Through state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies, HLRI works with landowners and conservation partners to establish and preserve economically viable and sustainable endemic Hawaiian forests, protect endangered species, sequester carbon, and recharge watersheds. HLRIs Legacy Trees are sponsored by businesses and individuals, with a portion of proceeds donated to other charities worldwide. For more, visit LegacyTrees.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Teddi Anderson

President, TLC PR

(808) 535-9099

teddi@tlcpr.com




Springfield, Mo., March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Feb. 28, 2022, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden, EdD, sent out a national statement declaring March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, urging the public to get screened. The statement comes just in time as Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC), the nations leading advocacy organization, kicks off a month filled with colorectal cancer awareness activities. All month long, Fight CRC advocates will be pushing for more colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, more awareness, more funding, and more research.

March 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host their annual Colon Cancer Awareness Night. In partnership with Fight CRC, the evening aims to bring awareness to and support the fight against colon and rectal cancers.

March 2, Colorado advocates will gather at the Denver Capitol to celebrate recent legislative successes and press lawmakers for more.

March 13-18, Fight CRC will host United in Blue, the first-ever installation spotlighting CRC on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. More than 27,000 flags will be installed, representing people under the age of 50 projected to be diagnosed with CRC in 2030.

March 16, 9am to 12pm EST, Fight CRC will host a rally on the National Mall with members of Congress, leaders in the CRC community, survivors, and advocates.

March 17, advocates from across the country will attend Call-on Congress, both virtually and in person. They will be urging members of Congress to require the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop a strategic action plan for CRC, create a Colorectal Cancer Research Program within the Department of Defense (DoD), increase funding for CRC screening, and increase funding for CRC research.

Throughout the month of March, Fight CRC ambassador stories will be featured by local media, putting a face to the disease.

We relentlessly raise awareness each March, but this year its different because there are even more lives at stake if we dont act now, said Fight CRC President Anjee Davis. We need scientists, healthcare providers, and patient organizations to push for more research. The data compels us to find a way to chart a new course because young lives are counting on us to find answers.

Throughout the entire month of March, Fight CRC will share stories of survivors, caregivers, and loved ones on their blog, social media channels, and podcast, and ask advocates to post #StrongArmSelfie(s) on social media; for each #StrongArmSelfie, $1 is donated to the cause.

The 2022 March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign is sponsored by Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi-Sankyo, Einstein Medical Center, Exact Sciences, Genentech, Guardant Health, Intuitive, Merck, Natera, No-Shave November, Seagen, and Taiho Oncology. Join the fight at FightCRC.org.
Santa Clara, CA and Kyoto, Japan, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ROHM Semiconductor today announced that it has developed a new digital-to-analog converter IC (DAC), BD34352EKV, and corresponding evaluation board, BD34352EKV-EVK-001, supporting playback of high-resolution sound sources in high-fidelity audio equipment. Designed to maximally extract and convert high resolution digital audio data to analog audio signals, audio DAC chips are one of the most important components for determining the quality in audio equipment.

Leveraging 50 years of expertise in developing audio ICs has allowed ROHM to establish sound quality design technology capable of extracting the full amount of information from sound sources and offer products that deliver superior sound quality, including sound processor and power management ICs. Among these is the BD34301EKV, the flagship DAC chip of ROHMs MUS-IC series which has been highly evaluated for its sound quality since its release in February 2021. The BD34301EKV continues to see worldwide adoption; however, to meet the growing demand from manufacturers for a DAC chip that can be used in a wider range of audio equipment, ROHM developed the BD34352EKV.

The new BD34352EKV DAC chip is specially tuned to powerfully express the energy of sound sources while maintaining the natural flat sound characteristics of ROHMs DAC chip design concept. At the same time, an advanced digital filter is included  the same as used for the BD34301EKV. This leads to superior numerical performance (S/N ratio: 126dB, THD+N: -112dB) of the DAC chip, making it ideal for high-end audio equipment. In addition, the BD34352EKV features pin compatibility with the BD34301EKV. It has the same customizable filter as the BD34301EKV. This enables different sound quality tunings for each audio device, reducing development load while contributing to the creation of ideal sound sought by audio manufacturers.

DAC Chip BD34352EKV Availability

Pricing: $16/unit (samples, excluding tax)

Availability: Now (samples and mass production)

Evaluation Board Information

Sales Launch Date: February 2022

Evaluation Board Part No: BD34352EKV-EVK-001

Online Distributors: Digi-Key, Mouser, and Farnell

Support Page:

https://www.rohm.com/products/audio-video/audio-converters/audio-dacs/bd34352ekv-product#evaluationBoard

MUS-IC: ROHMs Highest Grade of Audio ICs

Created by combining the sound quality design technology with ROHMs company mission of quality first, vertically integrated production system, and contribution to the musical culture, MUS-IC (official name: ROHM Musical Device MUS-IC) is an audio device brand that represents the ultimate IC solutions developed by ROHMs team of experienced and dedicated engineers.

For more information, please visit ROHMs Musical Device MUS-IC web page: https://www.rohm.com/mus-ic/

* MUS-IC is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd.

ROHMs Contribution to Music Culture

ROHM has contributed to popularizing and developing music cultures centering on classic music for more than 30 years with the Rohm Music Foundation. As for scholarship assistance, ROHM supported 507 young musicians through November 2021. "Rohm Music Friends" are active around the world, have won prizes in international competitions, and served as principal orchestra players.

ROHM also organizes the Kyoto International Music Students Festival to promote international exchange among young musicians and the ROHM Music Seminar to foster professional musicians. The company also offers financial support for music-related performances, research and more. In addition, ROHM hosts and cooperates for concerts and operas, supporting the comprehensive theatre ROHM Theatre Kyoto representing Japan.

For more information, visit www.rohm.com.

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Irvine, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Origence, a CU Direct brand, a leader in lending technology solutions, today announced that it had delivered a record amount in credit union loans through its lending platforms in 2021.

Credit unions funded 2.2 million loans through the Origence Lending 360 and CUDL lending platforms, generating a record $57.4 billion in credit union loans in 2021, surpassing the companys record $43.5 billion in loans funded in 2020. The company has grown from nine shareholders in 1998 to 115 shareholders in 2021.

The CUDL auto lending network helped credit unions fund a record $46.9 billion in auto loans in 2021, while CUDL credit unions, as an aggregate, were the largest auto lender in the nation in 2021, experiencing 13 percent loan growth according to data from AutoCount. The CUDL Network expanded to include 16,000 auto dealers nationwide in 2021.

Origence signed new agreements with 38 credit unions in 2021. At years end, 1,157 credit unions, serving 64 million members were utilizing Origences industry-leading lending technology solutions, including its CUDL and Lending 360 lending platforms, Origence marketing automation platform, and AutoSMART auto shopping program.

Credit unions continue to demonstrate their ability to excel at member service efficiency to compete and win in the lending marketplace, said Tony Boutelle, president and CEO of Origence. Our commitment to the success of our credit union partners and their members remains front and center. We remain focused on delivering innovative lending technology that helps our credit union partners make more loans and create a better member experience.

# # #

About Origence

Origence, a CU Direct brand, provides lending technology that elevates the origination experience to increase loan volume, create efficiencies, and grow accounts. With Origence, financial institutions can originate consumer and indirect loans with greater levels of productivity and increased scale, while also delivering a convenient and personalized borrower experience. Solutions also include marketing automation, auto shopping, outsourced loan processing, and more. Origence is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, visit www.origence.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
A Florida man has been charged with murder after he fatally shot his girlfriend at a gun range as part of what he said was a botched suicide pact.

The deadly incident unfolded at the Hot Shot Shooting Range in Holly Hill on Oct. 7, police said. That afternoon, Alec Almanzar fatally shot Ayadalis Chalas with a 9 mm Glock handgun he rented at the facility, Holly Hill police Lt. Chris Yates told The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

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Basically, they just put their heads together and he shot into her head, Yates said. The bullet went through her head into his head.

Surveillance video from inside the shooting range shows the couple requesting a pair of targets and then receiving eye and ear protection before asking for a box of ammunition and heading to the shooting lanes. Once there, Almanzar can be seen loading the gun and then firing at each of the targets a single time.

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Alec Almanzar (Volusia County Division of Corrections)

Police said Almanzar then stood alongside Chalas, positioning himself so the right side of his head was touching his girlfriends. He pulled the trigger, but the weapon misfired. He shot off three more rounds at the targets before again shooting Chalas in the head as it was pressed against his own.

The round went through Chalas head and then entered into the right side of Almanzars head, police said.

When first responders arrived on the scene, she was already dead. A suicide note has not been found, though Chalas did seem to hint at the tragic event in a social media post.

Thank you for all those who were in my life I will never forget you guys, it read. I appreciate those who checked on me you dont have to worry about us anymore we are going to a safe place away from this world we love you all.

Almanzar was hospitalized after the shooting and then stayed with family in New York in the weeks following his release in December. He has since been extradited back to Florida.

They knew that the charges were coming down, Yates told the newspaper. Now he is back in our custody and will be facing the charges.
Gov. Charlie Baker, center, and state Senate President Karen Spilka, left, both said Monday that the state will do what it can to aid Ukrainian refugees. House Speaker Ron Mariano is at right.
Troopers lead a man through the Ashburton Park entrance and down a State House corridor Tuesday afternoon. The State Police said two people were arrested after trying to rush past the security checkpoint.
Actor Kather Sei, who has credits on several television and Netflix shows, has been charged with providing fentanyl-laced pills that resulted in a fatal overdose.

The 36-year-old performer, whose real name is Mucktarr Kather Sei, was arrested on Saturday in Los Angeles. He was arraigned Monday on charges including one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances resulting in death, and one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, according to a press release from the Justice Department.

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Mirela Mimi Todorova was also charged in connection with the case, according to the Los Angeles Times. She was taken into custody on charges of intent to distribute cocaine and ecstasy from last year. The 33-year-old suspect is accused of running a drug ring in Los Angeles, using Sei and several others as delivery drivers to distribute her counterfeit oxycodone pills.

According to prosecutors, Todorova provided Sei keys to her apartment so that he could access the drug stash while she was in Mexico. On Nov. 15 and 16, 2020, the victim, identified as 37-year-old Ray Mascolo, reached out to the dealers seeking drugs.

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Kather Sei

His parents are Bruno and Kyara Mascolo, co-founders of Bed Head hair care products. He was listed in Todorovas phone as Ray Client Rich Kid and had been struggling with addiction for years.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Sei allegedly delivered pills laced with fentanyl that caused the mans fatal overdose in his Beverly Hills home, according to documents obtained by People.

Prior to Mascolos death, several customers expressed concern about the pills allegedly provided by Todorova and Sei.

Yo mimi the oxys are dirty, one person wrote.

Authorities were able to connect Mascolos fatal overdose to the pair of suspects after his parents were interviewed by DEA agents, who also seized his phones. Unaware hed died, Todorova continued to text the victim and offer him drugs, according to authorities.

Investigators were ultimately able to track her cell phone and she was arrested at a gas station.

If convicted, both Sei and Todorova face 20 years to life in prison.

Sei, an actor, has appeared on shows like S.W.A.T and Netflixs Lucifer.
Alan Permane argues that Alpine is on the right track. The British sporting director states that there are enough leads towards the second week of testing in Bahrain. He even states that a lap time of Fernando Alonso at the Barcelona circuit is comparable to what Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen did.

Permane told Autosport.com that he doesn't want to sound like he's making excuses, but according to the top executive Alpine is in a pretty good position. He does not want to suggest that the French formation will immediately beat top teams such as Mercedes and Red Bull Racing, but there is at least some confidence within Alpine.

Alonso comparable to Verstappen

On Friday morning Alonso came to a 1:21.242. That time is an sich not very impressive to call, because it went over two seconds faster during the test week by other teams, but still there is optimism. According to Permane, Alonso's time was comparable to what Max Verstappen was doing at the time. The only difference is that Verstappen was driving with DRS and Alonso was not.

Read more Ecclestone would let Russia GP go ahead even without Verstappen

Alpine took a good look at Alonso's and Verstappen's GPS using FIA systems and it showed that the data was almost identical. Verstappen was only faster on the straights, but that makes sense since Alonso was driving without an open rear wing. However, how much this says about the proportions in three weeks is unknown.

How good is Alpine?

It is known that Red Bull did not show everything during the first three test days in Spain. At Alpine, however, they are very pleased with the steps made. Where it will take the team from Viry in 2022 remains to be seen. Craig Scarborough, the Formula 1 tech expert, for example, let it be known that he was not impressed at all by Alpine's A522. Does Alpine know that Red Bull has been sandbagging?
There are an awful lot of circuits that could replace the Russian Grand Prix on paper, but judging by the rumour mill, it looks like it will be a battle between Portimao and a circuit in the Middle East.

The usually very well-informed De Telegraaf reported on Tuesday afternoon that Formula 1 is likely to travel to the Middle East, but Paulo Pinheiro hopes to put a stop to that with Portimao.

Read more Verstappen's girlfriend organises fundraiser for Ukrainians

Portimao in talks

The circuit director tells the Correio da Manha that talks are being held with the pinnacle of motorsport. "We are in talks with the organization of F1 to organize the replacement race," he said. According to Pinheiro, ultimately "logistical issues" are going to be the deciding factor.

A week after the weekend in which the Russian GP was to take place (September 23-25), the race is already being held at Singapore. To get all the cargo from Portugal to Singapore within just over half a week is going to be very difficult. To advance the Grand Prix one week to 16-18 September does not seem an option because then we would have four GP's in a row.

Still more candidates?

Surprisingly the Portuguese newspaper names Germany and Turkey as places where the Portuguese Grand Prix competes.
Chinese, ROK FMs hold video meeting on bilateral ties

Xinhua) 08:59, March 01, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds a video meeting with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday held a video meeting with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong.

Noting this year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK, Wang said China and the ROK should uphold and revisit the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties and jointly plan for the future development of bilateral relations.

China wishes the general election of the ROK to go smoothly and hopes that the relations between the two countries will achieve a steady transition after the election and continuously advance to a higher level, Wang said.

China appreciates the efforts made by the ROK to promote the peace process on the Korean Peninsula and is willing to continue to provide assistance within its capacity, Wang said.

Wang added China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the ROK on the Korean Peninsula affairs.

Chung Eui-yong said the ROK appreciates and believes that China will continue to play a significant and constructive role on the Korean Peninsula issue.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
A Maryland man shared a heartbreaking story about two panhandlers killing his wife after the pair spent a joyous evening at a relatives birthday party. Now, hell spend the rest of his life in prison for her murder.

Keith Smith, 55, was sentenced Monday to life in prison plus three years for the 2018 stabbing death of his wife, Jacquelyn Smith.

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Just after midnight on Dec. 1, 2018, Smith brought his wife, an engineer at an Army facility to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was pronounced dead from multiple stab wounds, according to prosecutors. Her death was ruled a homicide by sharp force injuries, five stab wounds to the chest and one to the arm.

In Smiths telling, he and his wife were driving home with his daughter, Valeria, when they saw a Black woman panhandling while holding a baby. Smith claimed he stopped and the woman approached the front passenger side window, through which Jacquelyn handed her $10. Thats when, Smith told police, a man walked up and asked if he could thank Jacquelyn, then stabbed her repeatedly, grabbed her necklace and wallet and fled on foot with the woman.

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Keith Smith (AP)

But as investigators dug in, Smiths story fell apart as he and Valeria told detectives a different story and cell phone data placed the incident in a different part of town, a quiet corner where panhandlers were unlikely to be found.

While tapping Smiths phones, detectives found two calls he made trying to book one-way plane tickets to Cuba and Canada, which he was unable to do without a U.S. passport. He also asked about traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands without a passport and searched online about going to Mexico or Jamaica.

Eventually, detectives figured out the true story, later confirmed by Valeria Smith during the trial: Smith drove them to the park with Jacquelyn asleep in the front passenger seat, then stabbed her. Prosecutors alleged that it was an insurance scam.

Smith was found guilty of first-degree murder in December.

Keith Smith will now justly serve a life sentence in prison for violently stabbing his wife to death and then creating an elaborate cover-up plan to cowardly blame panhandlers for his horrific attack. Today, the public can rest assured that justice was served in a case that manipulated the hearts and minds of our country, States Attorney Marilyn Mosby said in a statement Monday.

I applaud my Assistant States Attorney Shaundria Hanna for her skillful prosecution of an exceedingly hard-fought case. Her around-the-clock preparation during the weeks leading up to the trial, and close-knit collaboration with BPD, ensured Mr. Smith deservedly spends the rest of his natural life in prison for his heinous and reprehensible actions. My victim advocates will continue to support Ms. Jacquelyn Smiths family as they mourn the devastating loss of their loved one.

Valeria Smith was sentenced to five years in prison in December after pleading guilty to acting as an accessory by ditching Jacquelyns purse at a bus stop to make the panhandler story more believable.
A Wisconsin school superintendent who allegedly confined six students in a school bathroom and forced them to strip to their underwear to search for vapes has been charged with false imprisonment.

Suring Superintendent Kelly Casper, 51, was arrested Monday for the Jan. 18 searches, according to online jail records.

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All six girls, all between 15 and 17, told detectives a similar story: Casper told them to get undressed in the Suring High School bathroom, then checked their legs, bottoms and bras. Two of the girls were allowed to keep their leggings on because they said they werent wearing underwear, according to the criminal complaint.

The school nurse, who started at her job that day and helped in the search, said Casper told each student that they were better than this and making bad choices and that she really cared about them.

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(Shutterstock)

Oconto County District Attorney Edward Burke Jr. initially declined to press charges, saying that the incident did not constitute strip searches by law, but then changed his mind.

Upon their review, the state found that Casper lacked legal authority to confine the students in a small restroom in the school complex, he said in a statement Monday. The state also found that the students did not consent to being confined, nor were they given the opportunity to leave or contact their parents.

If convicted, Casper faces up to six years in prison on each charge.

The Suring School District has scheduled a public meeting for Wednesday.
CoFlow Jet, LLC, an engineering and technology company specializing in active flow control using coflow jet (CFJ) technology for aerospace applications, has entered a Joint Ownership Agreement (JOA) with NASA to commercialize the deflected slip-stream (DSS) technology enabled by co-flow jet flow control.

Jointly developed between NASA and CoFlow Jet, LLC., the technology would allow aircraft to take-off vertically, hover, smoothly transition to cruise and land vertically without using tiltrotors, tiltwings, or lift plus configuration. This would substantially simplify the vehicle system, reduce weight, increase range, save energy, and decrease noise.

It would also combine vertical and short takeoff-landing (V/STOL), which facilitates aircraft to operate vertically within confined urban settings and further saves energy where there is a short runway space.

The basic concept of the proposed co-flow jet airfoil developed by the company is an active-flow control airfoil actuated by micro-compressors embedded inside the airfoil. A small amount of mass flow is drawn into the airfoil at the trailing edge, pressurized by the micro-compressor actuators and then injected near the leading edge tangential to the main flow. The result is a high lift system that can achieve a super-lift co-efficient at extremely low energy expenditure.





Source: CoFlow Jet

We are developing advanced fully electric vertical and short takeoff and landing (eV/STOL) vehicles using DSS enabled by CFJ, which will make urban transportation and eCommerce economically viable. Tiltrotors, tiltwings, and lift plus may soon be part of history. Such a vehicle could also be used on Mars as it could generate nearly 10 times higher cruise lift coefficient compared to existing fixed wing aircraft, making it the most effective vehicle not only here on Earth but also on Mars where the air density is one-hundredth that of earth. Dr. Gecheng Zha, CEO of CoFlow Jet, and professor at the University of Miami





Concept vehicle. The vehicle is shown above hovering with its flaps pointing downward and its propellers facing forward. The airflow from the propellers is turned vertically downward (see right inset) converting the entire thrust from the propellers to vertical lift. Unlike most of the current VTOL vehicles, the lift is generated without rotating the propellers upward. The 90 degree turn in the airflow is enabled by the coflow jet micro-compressors embedded in the flaps of all four wings (see left inset).

Once airborne, the flaps are rotated to align flush with the wings to provide smooth cruise flight.





The figure above hows the tandem wing tailless eV/STOL vehicle at cruise. The figure is a simulated Mach contour plot from a NSF-funded project using the companys high order scheme CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software.





The picture above shows the micro-compressors embedded inside a CFJ wing that was recently tested in a DARPA funded wind tunnel experiment.

Overall a CFJ-enabled vehicle would enjoy high safety, long range, high efficiency, and low noise. Currently, the eV/STOL air vehicle preliminary design is complete and the company is seeking investors to join them in prototype manufacturing and flight demonstration. Morgan Stanley projects the eVTOL market to be $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050.
The Board of Shell announced its intention to exit its joint ventures with Gazprom and related entities, including its 27.5% stake in the Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas facility, its 50% stake in the Salym Petroleum Development and the Gydan energy venture. Shell also intends to end its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security. Our decision to exit is one we take with conviction. We cannotand we will notstand by. Our immediate focus is the safety of our people in Ukraine and supporting our people in Russia. In discussion with governments around the world, we will also work through the detailed business implications, including the importance of secure energy supplies to Europe and other markets, in compliance with relevant sanctions. Shells CEO, Ben van Beurden

Shells staff in Ukraine and other countries has been working together to manage the companys response to the crisis locally. Shell will also work with aid partners and humanitarian agencies to help in the relief effort.

At the end of 2021, Shell had around $3 billion in non-current assets in these ventures in Russia. The decision to start the process of exiting joint ventures with Gazprom and related entities will impact the book value of Shells Russia assets and lead to impairments.
California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, described his colleagues speaking at a white nationalist conference appalling and wrong on Monday.

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar have been criticized for several days after speaking at the America First Political Action Conference in Orlando. The event was organized by white-nationalist firebrand Nick Fuentes, a prominent attendee of the deadly 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville.

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Greene spoke at the event in person. Gosar, who attended the event last year, spoke in a prerecorded video, according to reports.

Prior to Greenes speech, Fuentes led a crowd in some pro-Putin chanting.

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Now theyre going on about Russia and Vladimir Putin is Hitler  they say thats not a good thing, Fuentes said.

According to CNN, McCarthy said that introduction should have clued Greene into what was happening, if her claims of not knowing Fuentes background is accurate.

House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks, Thursday, Jan., 20, 2022, during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

With that introduction, you should have walked off stage, McCarthy said. The party should not be associated, any time, any place, with somebody who is anti-Semitic.

Greene defended herself to CBS News on Sunday, describing the attacks against her as identity politics and an attempt to cancel her.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

In the past, Greene has described the deadly 2018 Parkland school shooting as a hoax and compared measures to slow the spread of coronavirus to the Holocaust.

McCarthys comments echoed ones made earlier Monday by Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Theres no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism, the Kentucky senator said in a statement.

Utah Sen Mitt Romney was even more direct in his assessment of Greene and Gosar.

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Morons. I have morons on my team, Romney said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union.

Theres no place in either political party for this white nationalism or racism. Its simply wrong, the Republican senator added.

The two House members are becoming increasingly isolated in the GOP, according to Politico.
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The founder of the worlds largest hedge fund has been closely following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and his concerns are likely shared by many of his counterparts in the Connecticut investment community.

Westport-based Bridgewater Associates founder and co-chief investment officer Ray Dalios commentary on the war suggests that a large number of investors are examining the impact of sanctions imposed on Russia and other economic repercussions of the invasion. But how the fallout from the conflict will affect investment firms such as Bridgewater will depend heavily on their respective strategies.

The sanctions that have been announced so far have been designed to minimize economic harm to Europe and (the) U.S. and not hit Russia hard enough to cause big retaliations  e.g., they have not yet curbed Russian energy exports or removed Russias access to the SWIFT network. In other words, thus far the economic war has not been very costly to NATO countries, Dalio wrote in a LinkedIn post. If these are the only responses, they wont have significant effects on the markets and Russia will likely eventually gain control of Ukraine by paying the price of tolerably painful sanctions.

At the NATO/Russia level, this war will be more like a negotiated exchange than an out-of-control war, so it wont disrupt much of anything beyond Ukraine and Russia, Dalio added. He noted, however, that the more the war extends beyond these boundaries, the more significant its impacts will be on other things, including the markets.

Dalio did not comment in the post on how he thought Bridgewaters assets under management, whose total ranks No. 1 among hedge funds, would be affected by the markets response to the war. Bridgewater manages about $150 billion in assets for institutional investors, including public and corporate pension funds, university endowments, charitable foundations, foreign governments and central banks.

A message left for a Bridgewater spokesperson inquiring about the firms investment strategy in response to war-related developments such as sanctions was not immediately returned.

Among other Connecticut-based investment firms contacted by Hearst Connecticut Media, Greenwich-based AQR Capital declined to comment, while Stamfords Point72 did not immediately return a message.

Investment firms positions related to oil-and-gas holdings and foreign-exchange markets could produce major gains, depending on how they anticipated the wars economic impact, according to some experts.

Increased uncertainty, variability and gyrations can benefit a hedge fund, which is able to forecast and anticipate. They dont make money in stable markets because there isnt much to anticipate, Lawrence J. White, a professor of economics at New York University, said in an interview. I can imagine a hedge fund saying, I hate all the human costs and turmoil, but this is an environment where I can make money.

Having dealt with the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and numerous other global crises in earlier years, investment firms are accustomed to turbulent markets.

Last year, the world's 20 best-performing hedge funds set a record by earning more than $65 billion for clients, Reuters reported in January. Bridgewater bounced back after losses in 2020 by recording a $5.7 billion gain in 2021, according to data cited by Reuters.

At the same time, some financial-services advocates said they had more pressing concerns about the war than investment returns.

Im concerned about the Ukraine situation from a humanitarian standpoint and from the standpoint that dangerous authoritarian regimes should not be allowed to bully and invade their neighbors, especially peaceful democracies, Connecticut Hedge Fund Association President Bruce McGuire said. Am I concerned for hedge funds  no, not really.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
The campaign over the states need for affordable housing and the power of mostly white suburban enclaves in one of the countrys most-segregated states was renewed in the General Assembly on Tuesday, when lawmakers heard public testimony on a variety of bills, including legislation that would allow housing authorities to purchase properties in adjacent towns.

During an afternoon-long virtual hearing of the legislative Housing Committee, property owners and managers said that state regulations are hurting them and costing them money, while tenants warned that they are becoming victims at a time when landlords can force out those who pay lower rents because the owners can bring in new tenants wholl pay sharply higher amounts.

And in reviving last years battle over persuading suburbs to site more-affordable dwellings, Alexis Harrison of Fairfield, who won election last year to the Fairfield Town Plan and Zoning Commission, warned lawmakers to leave alone towns that want to maintain their local character.

Our zoning commission has been very committed to creating affordable housing and has consistently worked to encourage more diversity of housing stock, said Harrison, who as a member of the group CT169 Strong successfully defeated legislative attempts last year to force towns to build more-dense, affordable housing units.

Basically, we want to avoid using a blunt instrument in order to achieve a laudable goal, Harrison said. Helping seniors, the disadvantaged and the disabled state residents is a very good thing. But unduly burdening landlords could result in decreased rental stock, which would diminish the goal: providing a diverse housing stock to all.

Harrison spoke against legislation that would force towns of more than 14,000 residents to create fair rent commissions. Generally rent control in cities has not been successful at providing lower rents to the broader community, Harrison said during the virtual hearing.

On the expansion of housing authorities to develop affordable dwellings outside their local boundaries, Harrison said This would further erode the local control of each zoning commission in making permanent decisions in the best interests of individual towns. It would end up both regionalizing and politicizing what is inherently a local job, making permanent decisions in governing the land use within each municipality.

But Karen Dubois-Walton, president of the Elm City Communities/The Housing Authority of New Haven, said that allowing agencies like hers to purchase and develop affordable properties in neighboring towns would be an important way to allow more people to live in high-quality, affordable and market-rate dwellings.

Housing authorities, as originally contemplated, were not in the business of development, and the laws on the books, currently, in Connecticut reflect the original housing authorities, not necessarily the housing authorities of today, Dubois-Walton said. Out of necessity, we have moved away from your old-style public housing into becoming much-more developers of mixed-income, mixed-finance type of communities.

She said current laws limit housing authorities to work only within the borders of their municipalities. At the same time, we all know, and this committee has been really great at looking at the issues of the lack of affordable housing in our community and trying to find pathways to expand that, she said. I believe this bill is a no-nonsense, easy opportunity to add another tool to our box about how we can create affordable housing.

Kathy Flaherty, executive director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, a non-profit agency that offers representation to low-income adults with serious mental health conditions, said in submitted testimony that while state law allows for towns and cities to create fair rent commissions, only 25 municipalities have them.

We have observed significant rent increases that has made finding new housing extraordinarily difficult for tenants who need to relocate, even tenants who are fortunate enough to have a rental subsidy; many landlords are asking for rents above the fair market rents set by HUD or the Department of Housing, Flaherty wrote. Increasing the number of fair rent commissions around the state would enable more tenants in more towns to have a way to challenge unfair rent increases.

The committee deadline is March 17.

State Sen. Rick Lopes, D-New Britain, co-chairman, said the goal this session is to assure housing stability.

A persons ability to work, go to school, or provide for their loved ones is all at risk if they are facing the possibility of losing their home or are unable to find long-term housing, Lopes said in a statement before the hearing. We have a chance to take a bold step forward in addressing housing loss and homelessness, which impacts cities and towns across Connecticut. Even more, we can affirm that every person should be afforded the security and stability that comes from having a home.

State Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, vice chairman of the committee, said combating homelessness in particular is a laudable goal for the panel. I have championed this cause for years because I know it will have a transformative effect on how we experience and consider housing in Connecticut and beyond, Anwar, a physician, said in a joint statement with Lopes. Homelessness is not a personal issue but a societal one, and we must respond to it the same way we respond to other crises, with a targeted and thorough response.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
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GREENWICH  More than 200 people came to Greenwich Town Hall Tuesday afternoon to rally in support for Ukraine and urge swift action to stop the fighting after the Russian attack began last week.

Attendees waved the Ukraine national flag, held up signs, sang the national anthem and shouted Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes! in the the Ukrainian language. State and local leaders at the rally pledged their support to the embattled eastern European nation locked in a deadly conflict with Russian armed forces.

The rally-goers said they felt an obligation to provide humanitarian assistance and public support for Ukraine.

I cant be there, so this is the least I can do, said Tania Priatka, a Cos Cob resident of Ukrainian ancestry. We need to be giving them a voice when theyre fighting for their lives.

George Lencyk said the events unfolding in Ukraine would have an impact far beyond the region where the fighting has taken place.

Its so important that we stop Russian aggression now, he said, and prevent the possibility of Russian aggression spreading. A Stamford resident, he said he was happy to take part in a rally in southern Connecticut to provide a visible show of solidarity.

We can show support here, and they can see it there, he said. Like others, Lencyk said the U.S. and Europe should be doing more to isolate Russia and impose severe penalties.

Greater urgency in bringing the conflict to an end was crucial, said Iryna Lencik, a sister-in-law of George Lencyk, since every hour brought more death and destruction to Ukraine.

The situation is dire. We are trying to do everything we can. Its urgent. We need to act immediately, said Lencyk, a Stamford resident.

Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo called on the public to donate to Ukrainian relief organizations.

Anything you can do to help these people will be greatly appreciated, he said. And when you go to sleep at night, remember what theyre going though in Ukraine, not knowing what tomorrow is going to bring.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., joined the group via teleconference. He spoke of his visit to Ukraine six weeks ago, and how he came away impressed with what he saw.

I knew they were determined and courageous, Blumenthal said. And they are giving the world a lesson in courage and conviction.

Blumenthal spoke of the efforts in Washington, D.C., to impose crippling sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle, as well to force penalties on the Russian state, noting we need to do more.

The senator earned loud applause when he called Putin a thug and in effect, a war criminal.

An organizer of the local demonstration, Dr. Inna Lazar of Greenwich, said of the assault on Ukraine, It is escalating. Ukraine needs us, and I know we can do it.

Tears came to her eyes as she described the notes and messages she has been receiving from family members there.

Another organizer, Greenwich resident and former Miss Connecticut Olga Litvinenko, said, The situation has been devastating, and were asking, what can we do?

She also urged participants to provide humanitarian assistance.

Organizers said the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America; Revived Soldiers Ukraine; and Razom were reputable organizations providing assistance.
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Authorities in Minnesota are investigating a house explosion that killed a 20-year-old college student who was dog-sitting.

Kailey Mach, who attended Augsburg University and dreamed of being a kindergarten teacher, was found dead in the basement of a home in rural Lexington Township after police received a call of a house fire and explosion. They arrived to find not much more than a smoking pit, with Machs body in it. The dogs died, too.

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Kailey Mach (Facebook)

Homeowner Aric Holicky and his family were away when police responded to a report at 11:25 p.m. Saturday of an explosion and fire in the township, 6 miles northeast of Le Center, in southern Minnesota.

The Le Center Fire Department and sheriffs office deputies determined that the house had collapsed from the explosion, then caught fire.

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After the fire was extinguished, Fire Department Personal located the deceased body of a female subject in the basement, Le Sueur County Sheriff Brett Mason said in a statement Sunday. Her body was removed from the scene and transported to the Ramsey County Medical Examiners Office in St. Paul for an Autopsy and positive identification.

Family identified the woman as Mach, and her uncle, Tim Siebsen, told KARE-TV that his niece had planned to teach kindergarten.

She worked so hard to be a teacher; she was going to graduate almost a year early, Siebsen told KARE, adding that she worked as a preschool aide in her district. She was so loved by all of her kiddos. She was so loved by anyone that met her. She did all this while taking more than a full-time class load at Augsburg.

Proud of her Czech heritage, Mach also loved to dance, her friend Shelby told KARE.

She always talked about how she was going to change the world by teaching the next generation, Shelby said. She didnt care if she was having a bad day, if you told her you were upset she wouldnt rest until she got you to smile.

Friends and family described Mach as someone who saw the good in everyone, according to WCCO-TV.

The Augsburg University community is deeply saddened by Kaileys tragic passing this weekend, Machs school said in a statement obtained by KARE. We offer our profound condolences to her family, friends, professors, classmates, and all who were close to her.
The Guam Contractors Licensing Board Tuesday motioned to rescind two previous actions taken by Cecil Buddy Orsini, resigned board executive director, but the board still faces unresolved issues about the licensing of government contractors.

The Office of Public Accountability last month found that Orsini was involved in fraud in a dispute between two companies over a contract to deliver a baggage handling system for the Guam International Airport Authority. The airport awarded the project to Menzies Aviation.

Competitor JMI-Edison, a local equipment supplier, argued Menzies didnt have a license with the Contractors Board and brought the matter to the OPA. Orsini on Dec. 22, 2021, issued a findings and decisions document supporting JMI.

But Public Auditor Benjamin J. Cruz dismissed JMIs appeal because Orsinis document was a verbatim copy of a document sent to Orsini by JMI president Ed Ilao. The document was issued without the approval of the Contractors Board, the OPA found.

JMI filed a lawsuit against the airport, Menzies and the OPA over the dismissed award protest. According to a letter sent by JMIs attorney to the Contractors Board, the documents Ilao sent to Orsini were based upon publicly available templates used by the (Contractors Board) in the past on other matters.

Cruz dismissed a separate case over a project to install Wi-Fi in schools, in part because of another findings and decisions document issued by Orsini. The document affirmed G4S Security Systems claim that Technologies for Tomorrow, awarded the Wi-Fi project by the Guam Department of Education, didnt have a license from the Contractors Board.

The findings and decisions, as I understand, relate to two and possibly more (cases), because Im not certain exactly how many of these decisions were issued by Mr. Orsini, said Assistant Attorney General Thomas Keeler, the boards counsel. In any event, those items should have been presented to the board for action, not taken independently by him.

Board Vice Chair Bernard Benavente agreed with Keeler.

It was brought up in several board meetings that if there is an issue that comes about and (were) unsure what to do, its best to bring it up to the board. ... I guess that was not the case, Benavente said.

Board members voted unanimously to rescind both documents.

No license

The question of whether a government contractor needed a license from the Contractors Board remains unresolved.

Keeler said the board needed to address whether it had ever formally adopted the need for specialty contractors licenses, the issues raised with both Technologies for Tomorrow and Menzies. Department of Public Works Director Vince Arriola, who sits on the board, said it was his understanding that Menzies has been contracted with the airport since 2015.

According to Contractors Board investigators, there had been a review of the boards records prior to Orsini issuing both findings and decisions documents. It was discovered that Technologies for Tomorrow and Menzies didnt have licenses with the board. The Office of the Attorney General was notified of that, investigator supervisor Nida Bailey said.

A big part of the issue is the label findings and decisions, Arriola told Bailey. Its got to be just findings. Because the decision hasnt been made by the board.

Technologies for Tomorrow and Menzies also had the right to an appeal of the boards findings, Keeler said.
The Guam Department of Education asked the Legislature to waive requirements for 180 instructional days and service learning for this school year.

By law, at the end of each school year, 180 days of instructional time must be completed and each student must complete 75 hours of service learning. Both are graduation requirements.

When schools went into cohort learning, Guam DOE calculated students lost 24 instructional days, and service-learning opportunities were limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. Service-learning requirementa usually are met by volunteering at nonprofit organizations and events

We just dont want it to be a formal hindrance to graduation if they dont meet the full 75 hours, Fernandez told senators Tuesday. For the past couple of years, it hasnt been easy to offer those types of opportunities outside of school. If schools or organizations are shut down, we cant endorse students to go out and we take responsibility for students who show up for those activities outside of school.

Juniors and seniors are already exempt from the 75-hour requirement. The waiver hasnt been not extended to freshmen and sophomores.

Although schools have returned to five days of face-to-face instruction, Fernandez said waivers will give the department more flexibility.

Very difficult

According to high school principals, students are doing service-learning activities within their schools. Parents are still hesitant about having their children go to different parts of the community to earn service-learning hours.

The teachers are working hard to accommodate and make it easier, but its very difficult at this point. Were struggling to meet those expectations at this point, said Southern High Principal Michael Meno.

Though no formal decision has been made yet, senators had concerns about how the education department will address the loss of instructional time and if its necessary to waive the service-learning requirement.

As policymakers, as administrators, certainly as board members, we want to know that every effort has been made and that we dont use it as a reason as to why were not maximizing the opportunity, said Sen. Joanne Brown. I am a little concerned about the fact that DOE cannot make the adjusts needed, especially when I see private schools, I see charter schools, able to do that.

Sen. Amanda Shelton said whether the waivers are absolutely necessary, 24 days of instructional time has been lost and needs to be addressed.

Were happy that students are feeling that they are still receiving the education that they are entitled to and their teachers are doing an excellent job. Hats off to them and thank them for all of that service, she said. But we want to ensure that no one is left behind in this process and that we are doing what we need to do on our end.
Guam should begin receiving its $11.9 million share of an opioid settlement with pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson this summer, according to a news release from the Office of the Attorney General.

Final approval of the $26 billion agreement was announced Monday, Attorney General Leevin Camacho said.

Defendants Johnson & Johnson and the nations three major pharmaceutical distributors  Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen  will start releasing funds to a national administrator on April 2.

We are delivering on our commitment to secure more resources to address Guams drug problem, Camacho stated in the release. Through yet another historic settlement, we will receive $11.9 million to help our people who are struggling with opioid use disorder and co-occurring disorders.

The agreement marks the culmination of three years of negotiations to resolve more than 4,000 claims of state and local governments across the United States and its territories. It is the second-largest multistate agreement in U.S. and Guam history, second only to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

A total of 52 states and territories have signed on to the agreement. Last year, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed the Opioid Prevention and Treatment Act into law, which set up an opioid recovery trust fund to receive settlement proceeds.

Camacho previously announced that Guam would receive $280,000 from a settlement with consulting firm McKinsey & Company for its role in helping Purdue Pharma and other opioid companies promote their drugs.

In addition to paying settlement proceeds, Cardinal, McKesson and AmerisourceBergen must:

Establish a centralized independent clearinghouse to provide all three distributors and state regulators with aggregated data and analytics about where drugs are going and how often, eliminating blind spots in the current systems used by distributors.

Use data-driven systems to detect suspicious opioid orders from customer pharmacies.

Terminate customer pharmacies ability to receive shipments, and report those companies to state regulators, when they show certain signs of diversion.

Prohibit shipping of and report suspicious opioid orders.

Prohibit sales staff from influencing decisions related to identifying suspicious opioid orders.

Require senior corporate officials to engage in regular oversight of anti-diversion efforts.

Johnson & Johnson must:
A man found sleeping in a bus with a shotgun was charged in connection with a stolen van.

On Sunday a reported stolen van led officers to John Michael Aquiningoc, who was sleeping in a bus nearby, according to a magistrates complaint filed in the Superior Court of Guam.

Aquiningoc was sleeping beside a woman, and on the other side of him was a shotgun, the complaint stated.

The woman said they were asleep when Aquiningocs friend asked if he could park the stolen van on the property. When Aquiningoc asked his friend if the van was stolen, the friend said he didnt know, according to the complaint.

Aquiningoc allowed the van to be parked on his property, and his friend said hed be back later to paint it, the complaint stated.

Aquiningoc told police he knew he would be blamed if the van turned out to be stolen. He also admitted to possessing the shotgun without a firearms ID or registering the weapon, the complaint stated.

Aquiningoc was charged with:

Theft by receiving as a second-degree felony.

Possession of a firearm without a firearm identification card as a third-degree felony.

Possession of an unregistered firearm as a third-degree felony.

2019

Aquiningoc was charged with drug possession in 2019 after being pulled over for an inoperable rear license plate lamp, according PDN files.

When officers asked for Aquiningocs license, they observed a wooden buttstock of a rifle wedged between the drivers seat and the center console. Aquiningoc said he did not have a firearms license and the gun was a .22 caliber rifle, PDN files state.

Methamphetamine, a digital scale and another rifle with different types of ammo was found in the car.
Bay Zhang was getting ready to go to sleep last Wednesday night when he got a call from an unknown number.

So they were saying, Hey are you the owner of Oriental Kitchen? and I said yes. They replied, Just letting you know your restaurant is on fire, said Zhang.

After the phone call, Zhang tried to check the security cameras on his phone, but they werent working. He drove to the restaurant.

I was just kind of collapsed, said Zhang. He said it makes him uncomfortable thinking about it.

Investigation

After the fire and explosion, the Guam Fire Department launched an investigation at first light Thursday morning. Almost a week later, Zhang still doesnt know what happened.

He said he was brought in for questioning.

So theyre asking what happened and for my closing procedure. But I told them for the past however many years, we were closing the same procedure, as we do every single day. Even on that day, it was not any different, Zhang said.

So we also dont know whats going on.

In addition to not knowing about the investigation, Zhang has had to deal with the other obligations that come with running a business.

Its crazy. ... Not just only emotionally, but as the owner, I have so many obligations. Were processing our last payroll for staff who worked the week before, but unfortunately most of our time cards were burned in the fire, Zhang said.

Next steps

Although he doesnt know the cause of the fire, Zhang said GFD has concluded its investigation and should be releasing results shortly.

GFD spokesman firefighter Kevin Reilly said the investigation hasnt wrapped up yet.

The owner does not dictate whether the case remains open or closed, Reilly said. Our investigators are looking into a few more evidentiary items and will release their findings when complete, hopefully by the end of the week.

In the meantime, Zhang has gotten clearance to demolish the building and determine what he wants to do next with the restaurant, which has been a landmark in Mangilao.

Weve been in the community ... for almost 40 years, so I believe our people here, in their heart, they have a place for Oriental Kitchen. Otherwise we wouldnt (have) survived until now, Zhang said. But at this moment I dont know, because were still grappling with all the things and even if we were to come back, its going to be different.
Find out where and how you can get mAb therapy and vaccines and testing for COVID-19 this week, based on information provided by Joint Information Center.
Jon Fernandez, Guam Department of Education superintendent, attends a walk-through of Pedro C. Lujan Elementary School April 27, 2021. The Department of Education is requesting a waiver of the 180-day instruction requirement and the service-learning requirement.
The family of the late Glee star Naya Rivera has settled a wrongful death lawsuit over the actress tragic drowning in a Southern California lake nearly two years ago.

Attorney Amjad Khan, who represents Riveras estate and her 6-year-old, Josey, told the Daily News Tuesday that all parties have entered into a global settlement and that Josey will receive just compensation for having to endure the drowning of his beloved mother at Lake Piru.

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The Grammy-nominated singer and actress was reported missing on July 8, 2020, after she took her then-4-year-old son on a boat ride at Lake Piru in the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, Calif.

Her body was discovered five days later. An autopsy ruled the cause of death as an accidental drowning.

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In November 2020, Riveras ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey filed a lawsuit against Ventura County on behalf of their son claiming that her death was preventable. Ventura County, its Parks and Recreation Management department and the United Water Conservation District were named as defendants in the suit, which alleged both wrongful death and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Naya Rivera (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images)

The lawsuit stated that the rented boat lacked proper safety equipment in compliance with U.S. Coast Guard safety standards, citing Lake Pirus deadly history and the lack of proper signage of its strong currents, low visibility, high winds, changing water depths, underwater caves, ledges and drop-offs, or the trees, brush and other debris that congest its waters due to the vastly changing water levels and winds.

The boat was not equipped with a safely accessible ladder, adequate rope, an anchor, a radio or any security mechanisms to prevent swimmers from being separated from their boats, nor any flotation or lifesaving devices, the complaint stated.

According to Khan, Though the tragic loss of Joseys mother can never truly be overcome, we are very pleased that the monetary settlement will significantly assist Josey with his life beyond this tragedy.




Haiti - Insecurity : The Administrator of RTVC and his wife kidnapped





Radio Television Caraibes (RTVC) is again the target of kidnappings, a few days after the release of the host of the program SOS solitude Caelle Edmond, https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35977-haiti-news-zapping.html kidnapped for the second time on February 6.



Monday between around 10:00 a.m., armed individuals in a black vehicle kidnapped under threat, at the corner of Marcelin and Waag streets, in downtown Port-au-Prince, Marc Theagene the Administrator of RTVC and his wife.



It is not known until now the conditions of the kidnappers for the release of the two hostages.



S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Diaspora Covid-19 : Daily Bulletin #711





GLOBAL SITUATION 2019-2022:

Epidemiological situation:



Tuesday March 1, 2022 the number of people infected worldwide with the Covid-19 coronavirus and its variants since the start of the pandemic (March 11, 2020) amounts to 437,378,113 cases (+1,365,204 in 24 hours ), the day before (+1,334,797)



Number of infected countries: 224



*Healings: 368,896,531 people have been cured of Covid-19 worldwide (+2,320,080 in 24 hours), the day before (+1,385,817)

*Deaths: 5,975,797 people died of Covid-19 worldwide (+7,464 in 24 hours), the day before (+3,545)

*Active cases (less deaths and recoveries) in the world is currently 62,505,785 cases (-962,340 in 24 hours), the day before (-476,352)



Average cure rate in the world: 84.34% (+)



Average mortality rate in the world: 1.36% (=)



World: Number of daily confirmed cases



(Day-1)



Vaccination: 10.80 billion doses of vaccine injected (+20 million doses injected in 24 hours. Updated March 1, 2022 (latest data available).



HAITI:

Epidemiological situation:

Warning: The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) did not make available after February 24, 2022 daily data on the Covid-19 situation in Haiti. Accordingly, the data below on the situation in Haiti are the latest available.



According to the Ministry of Public Health, +6 new in 48 hours of Covid-19 and its variants have been confirmed in Haiti as of February 24, 2022 (latest partial data available) for a total of 30,342 confirmed cases throughout the national territory (48.7% women and 51.3% men), since the first case (March 19, 2020 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html ). Previous update (+37 cases on February 22, 2022).



Heals: 25,210 (+4)



Cure rate: 83.08% (=)



Deaths: 820 deaths (+0)



Death rate: 2.70% (=)



5th Wave (Omicron Dominant):

Total of the 5th wave (starting December 27, 2021) amounts to 4,341 confirmed cases and 54 deaths



Haiti: Active Cases Trend: (less recoveries and deaths)





(Day-1)



Screening since the start of the pandemic: 179,117 tests (+646 in 48 hours) since March 19, 2020, latest data available. Note that the very small number of people screened every day at the national level out of a population estimated at 11.6 million citizens, does not statistically allow us to make a representative estimate of the situation in Haiti, which translates into a < B>number of daily confirmed cases largely underestimated.



TOP 5 of the most affected municipalities in the West (2022):

Delmas: 725 (+2); Petion-ville 612 (+0); Port-au-Prince 404 (+0); Tabarre 278 (+0); Cross-Bouquets 224 (+0)



Confirmed cases by department (2022 / 2021 / 2020):

West: 2022: 2,486 cases; (2021: 9.890); (2020: 6,945 cases)

North: 2022: 261 cases; (2021: 664); (2020: 677 cases)

Center: 2022: 211 cases; (2021: 1.001); (2020: 508 cases)

Artibonitis: 2022: 162 cases; (2021: 855); (2020: 593 cases)

Northeast: 2022: 147 cases; (2021: 404); (2020: 314 cases)

Southeast: 2022: 229 cases; (2021: 768); (2020: 274 cases)

South: 2022: 211 cases; (2021: 891); (2020: 262 cases)

North West: 2022: 241 cases; (2021: 383); (2020: 229 cases)

Grand'Anse: 2022: 136 cases; (2021: 861); (2020: 176 cases)

Nippes: 2022: 33 cases; (2021: 249) (2020: 149 cases)



Cumulative deaths by department (2022-2021):

West: 292 deaths (2020: 104 deaths)

North: 53 deaths (2020: 34 deaths)

Center: 74 deaths (2020: 13 deaths)

Artibonite: 39 deaths (2020: 39 deaths)

North East: 7 deaths (2020: 6 deaths)

South: 51 deaths (2020: 6 deaths)

Southeast: 14 deaths (2020: 9 deaths)

North West: 15 deaths (2020: 12 deaths)

Grand'Anse: 7 deaths (2020: 13 deaths)

Nippes: 27 deaths (2020: 5 deaths)



Distribution of deaths by age (since the start of the epidemic):

0-9 years: 15 deaths

10-19 years: 10 deaths

20-29 years: 29 deaths

30-39 years: 54 deaths

40-49 years: 78 deaths

50-59 years: 133 deaths

60-69 years: 186 deaths

70-79 years: 181 deaths

80 years and over: 134 deaths



Vaccination:

150,734 Haitians (1.29% of the population) +920 in 24 hours have received a 1st dose of vaccine since July 16, 2021, date of the first injection through 149 open vaccination centers https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35051-haiti-covid-19-list-of-149-vaccination-centers-open-in-the-country.html and 100,126 Haitians are fully vaccinated (2 doses, 0.86% of the population) +889 in 24h. Update February 15, 2022 latest information available (source MSPP).



List of 149 vaccination centers open in Haiti (and times) by department:

(updated October 20, 2021, latest information available)

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35051-haiti-covid-19-list-of-149-vaccination-centers-open-in-the-country.html



DIASPORA:

Epidemiological situation:



USA:

*Cases since the first case (February 29, 2020): 80,647,343 cases (+79,586 in 24 hours), the day before (+7,464)

*Healings: 53,500,262 healings (+307,272 in 24 hours), the day before (+155,945)

National Cure Rate: 66.33% (+)

*Deaths: 975,150 deaths (+2,031 in 24 hours), the day before (+189)

National mortality rate: 1.20% (=)

*Active cases (minus deaths and recoveries): 26,171,931 (-229,717 in 24 hours), the day before (-148,670)

Tests: 950,519,402 last data available.



USA: Number of daily confirmed cases





(Day-1)



Vaccination: 553.39 million doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, the date of the first injection in the United States (+340,000 doses in 24 hours). Update March 1, 2022 (latest data available).



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC:

Confirmed cases since March 1, 2020: 574,556 cases (+485 in 48 hours) the day before (+295 in 24 hours). First case (March 1, 2020)

Healings: 568,322 healings (+291 in 48 hours), the day before (+282 in 24 hours)

National Cure Rate: 98.99% (+)

Deaths: 4,368 deaths (+0 in 48 hours), the day before (+0 in 24 hours)

Death rate: 0.76% (=)

Positive rate over 4 epidemiological weeks: 5.4% (-)

Active cases: (excluding deaths and recoveries) 1,866 cases (+194 in 48 hours) the day before (+10 in 24 hours)



Dominican Republic: Trend of active cases: (minus recoveries and deaths)





(Day-1)



TOP 5 Provinces with the most new cases in the last 24 hours:

National District: +66 new cases in 48 hours (-22 in 48 hours)

La Altagraia: +57 new cases in 48 hours ()

Santo Domingo: +44 new cases in 48 hours (-43 in 48 hours)

Puerto Plata: + 31 new cases in 48 hours ()

Santiago: +28 new cases in 48 hours (-2 in 48 hours)



Tests (since the 1st case): 3,115,197 tests (+12,109 in 48), the day before (+7,179)



Vaccination: 15.26 million doses of vaccine injected since February 16, 2021, date of the first injection in the Dominican Republic (+10,000 doses injected in 24 hours). Update February 27, 2022 (latest data available).



QUEBEC:



Confirmed cases since the first case (February 27, 2020): 921,981 (+3,160 in 72 hours), previous (+1,542 in 24 hours)

Healings: 893,780 people (+7,059 in 72 hours), previous (+2,298 in 24 hours)

Cure rate: 96.94% (+)

Deaths: 13,982 deaths (+27 in 72 hours), previous (+24 in 24 hours)

Death rate: 1.51% (=)

Active cases: (excluding death and recovery) 18,145 cases (-3,926 in 72 hours), previous (-780 in 24 hours)



Quebec: Confirmed case trend:







Test: 16,703,680 people tested since the first case (+45,000 in 72 hours)



Vaccination: 18,422,302 doses of vaccine injected since December 14, 2020, date of the first injection (+40,040 doses in 72 hours), latest data available - MSSS as of February 28, 2022)



FRANCE:

*Confirmed cases since the first case (January 24, 2020): 22,702,815 cases (+56,083 cases in 24 hours), previous (+42,600)

*Healings: 20,901,272 healings (+280,960 in 24h), previous (+45,925)

National Cure Rate: 92.06% (=)

Deaths: 138,367 deaths (+232 in 24 hours), previous (+76)

Death rate: 0.60% (=)

Active Cases: 1,663,176 (-221,784 in 24h), previous (-3,401)

Test: 246,629,975 (last data available February 27, 2022)



France: Trend of active cases: (minus recoveries and deaths)





(day-1)



Vaccination: 140.87 million doses of vaccine injected since December 27, 2020, date of the first injection in France (+90,000 doses injected in 24 hours. Update March 1, 2022 (latest data available)



Previous bulletin : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36070-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-710.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30319-haiti-health-origin-of-the-first-2-cases-of-covid-19-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30165-haiti-flash-first-case-of-covid-19-in-the-dominican-republic.html





HL/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2022/02/28

On February 28th the agency Clumped Projects announced that the entertainer Jung Hyung-don, who is represented by the agency, has contracted COVID-19. Jung Hyung-don is only the latest celebrity to have been hit by the virus as South Korean cases have exploded in recent weeks. Like many of his fellows, Jung Hyung-don was vaccinated and also had taken a booster shot to protect against the disease.

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The news capped off a bad month for Jung Hyung-don. His mother had died this past February 14th and on February 23rd he had to announce plans to turn himself into police after posting a video online showing him using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. Jung Hyung-don is best known for his work in variety shows. His most recent appearance in a scripted television drama was a cameo in "Please Don't Date Him" last year.

Written by William Schwartz
Quincy, IL (62301)

Today

A few showers early becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

A few showers early becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Nevada State Police are investigating after two men accosted Gov. Steve Sisolak and his wife in a Las Vegas restaurant Sunday evening, getting in his face and hurling taunts, expletives and anti-government rhetoric in a rant caught on cellphone video.

Democrat Sisolak, who is running for reelection, characterized the incident as racist threats against himself and his wife, Kathy, who was born in Ely, Nev., and is of Chinese heritage.

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Taking credit for the attack was Justin Andersch, who calls himself a digital creator as he promotes far-right, anti-government conspiracy theories on his blog, Cannabis and Combat, local media reported.

The encounter lasted more than a minute and started when a man wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with Cannabis and Combat rose from a table approached Sisolak for a photo. After they posed together, the man turned around and started cursing, according to cellphone video posted online. At some point another man joined him.

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Steve Sisolak and wife Kathy were the subject of verbal abuse. (Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Keep Memory Ali)

We should string you up on a lamp post. You are running into a patriot now, one of them shouted, while another noted that they were at the restaurant without security.

The men followed the governor and his wife all the way out to the parking lot, where their daughter Ashley was arriving for the dinner the three had planned together.

Because your daughters with you, Im going to leave you alone now, the man who had followed them said, turning away.

State police are investigating the incident.

Sisolak released an official statement through spokeswoman Meghin Delaney, which noted that greeting constituents in public is one of his favorite job duties.

He is deeply disappointed in how this incident unfolded, particularly with the language used to talk about First Lady Kathy Sisolaks heritage, the statement said. We can disagree about the issues, but the personal attacks and threats are unwarranted, unwelcome and unbecoming behavior for Nevadans.

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He emphasized that he represents all Nevadans, whether they agree with him or not.

The encounter took place at Lindo Michoacan, just west of the Las Vegas Strip, and owner Javier Barajas said the men were immediately booted.

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In the 32 years Ive been in business, Ive never once told any client to get out of here, " Barajas told the Las Vegas Sun. Regardless of your political stance, I believe everyone should be treated with respect. People are allowed to disagree. With everything going on in the world right now, we should all strive to be better Nevadans and respect one another.

Restaurant manager Ninfa Magana said she had witnessed the shocking encounter, as had numerous families with children in the crowded restaurant.

It was something very shocking to see and witness, Magana told The Associated Press. We respect everyones opinion. He was with his family, and they attacked him. I felt so bad for everyone who witnessed that.

A former prosecutor said a case could certainly be made for criminal harassment.

Based upon my review of the video, it appears the individuals threats to Governor Sisolak rise to the level of criminal conduct, former Clark County District Attorney David Roger told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, since the harassment statute prohibits a person from threatening to cause bodily injury to a person if the victim reasonably believes that the threat will be carried out.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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We couldnt help but notice the number of articles in recent editions of this news
After midnight on Monday-Tuesday, Damascus government forces fired rocket shells on areas in Kfar Ta'al in western Aleppo countryside, and Al-Fatera, Flayfel, Sfuhin and Benen in Jabal al-Zawiya in southern Idlib countryside, without information about casualties, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

SOHR had documented the day before yesterday, the killing of 2 people and wounding of 2 others, as a result of missile shelling carried out by Damascus government forces on Afas village, east of Idlib, where there are bases and points of Turkish occupation army within the so-called "De-escalation" zone.

Sh-S

ANHA
Henderson, NC (27536)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
The Department of Justice argued Tuesday that a Capitol rioter who stormed the building while out on bail on attempted murder charges should remain in custody until his trial.

Matthew Beddingfield, of North Carolina, was photographed and appeared in videos of the Jan. 6 insurrection and was quickly identified by social media users. He allegedly used a flagpole as a weapon and threw it at police officers before he entered the Capitol.

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The Statement of Facts supporting the arrest warrant for Matthew Jason Beddingfield on charges stemming from last year's riot at the U.S. Capitol, is seen. (Jon Elswick/AP)

He was arrested last month in North Carolina. At the time of the riot, he was out on bail after shooting a 17-year-old boy at a Walmart parking lot. He later pleaded guilty to felonious assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflicting serious injury, and was sentenced to 24 months probation.

The Justice Departments court filing also outlines Beddingfields white nationalist social media posts which included praise for Adolf Hitler.

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According to earlier FBI statements, Beddingfield appeared to make a gesture that is commonly associated with the Nazis during the insurrection.

In the DOJs latest public filings, Beddingfields alleged views are made even clearer.

Violent insurrectionists loyal to then President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021. (John Minchillo/AP)

Hispanic, Native American and LGBTQ+ communities while glorifying white supremacist figures, beliefs, language, and ideologies, the filing states. Beddingfield unabashedly expresses his wish that members of those groups meet a violent end and in others he expresses a desire to inflict said violence or death on the same.

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Beddingfields cellphone had images associated with the Nazis, including swastikas, SS symbols, Hitler memes, and other anti-Semitic, anti-Black, and anti-LGBTQ+ memes and caricatures.

Beddingfield harassed others on social media with slurs and pro-Nazi phrases, according to the memo.

Id like to reclaim America and it is fine if a few of my peoples enemies are hurt in the process, Beddingfield wrote in one post.

The only tragedy that happened was that Hitler didnt finish the job, he wrote in another.

Following his arrest in February, FBI agents who searched the Beddingfield home later found ammunition, four long guns and four hand guns.

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There is a connection in Beddingfields white supremacist views and the physical manifestations thereof and his violent acts, the DOJ wrote, arguing Beddingfield should remain in detention.

A hearing for Beddingfield is scheduled for March 10.
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Five people are dead after a man shot his three children and another person, and then killed himself in a church in Sacramento Monday evening, according to police.

Police responded to the gunfire reports just after 5 p.m. and arrived at the church to find five people dead, including the gunman. The victims included three girls aged 9, 10 and 13, Sgt. Rod Grassmann with the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said in a briefing.

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The gunman had been estranged from his childrens mother, who had a restraining order against him, Sheriff Scott Jones said.

The alleged shooter was identified as David Fidel Mora-Rojas, 39, reported KXTV-TV.

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Law enforcement vehicles from several agencies block a street near the scene of a shooting in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

Grassmann said the shooting happened in a room off the main sanctuary and the shots were heard by a worker upstairs, one of various people who were in the building. The employee left the building and called 911, he said. He was not sure of the genders of the victims and said their relationship to the church was still being investigated.

A Sacramento Police officer stands behind police tape blocking the street near the scene of a shooting in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

The sheriffs office is calling the shooting a domestic violence-related incident.

Officers from the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office and the California Highway Patrol descended on the scene at the church on Wyda Way in Arden-Arcade, a community on the edge of Sacramento, KXTV reported.

Authorities also appealed to the public for information.

BREAKING NEWS: @sacsheriff deputies responding to a shooting a church on Wyda Way in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood. There is a massive sheriff and police presence there right now. @van_tieu is on the scene and photojournalist Miguel Cano pic.twitter.com/VFBCNfe76z  Madison Wade (@madisoncwade) March 1, 2022

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Twitter: Another senseless act of gun violence in America  this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating.

With News Wire Services
Greenville, TX (75401)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we've all known individuals who have done more than their share to help their neighbors and communities with food, comfort, care, companionship and dozens of other needs. If you know of such a person, you can nominate them to be featured in our upcoming H
Vladimir Putin may want to invest in a pair of suspenders because hes losing his belts.

World Taekwondo announced Monday that it was rescinding an honorary ninth-degree black belt it bestowed upon the Russian president nearly a decade ago.

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World Taekwondo Federation President Choue Chung-won, left, gives an honorary taekwondo black belt and uniform to Russian President Vladimir Putin at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, South Korea, in 2013. (Alexei Nikolsky/AP)

World Taekwondo strongly condemns the brutal attacks on innocent lives in Ukraine, which go against the World Taekwondo vision of Peace is More Precious than Triumph and the World Taekwondo values of respect and tolerance, the martial arts organization wrote on its social media Monday.

That news came one day after the International Judo Federation announced the suspension of Putins status as its honorary president and ambassador. Last week, that federation cancelled its 2022 Grand Slam, which was to have began in Kazan, Russia, on May 20.

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World Taekwondo strongly condemns the brutal attacks on innocent lives in Ukraine, which go against the World Taekwondo vision of Peace is More Precious than Triumph and the World Taekwondo values of respect and tolerance.#PeaceIsMorePreciousThanTriumphhttps://t.co/nVTdxDdl2I  World Taekwondo (@worldtaekwondo) February 28, 2022

The Russian president still holds a blackbelt in Judo and an 8th dan black belt in in the kyokushin-kan form of karate from Russias Kyokushin-kan International Honbu.

Aikido expert and Putin pal Steven Seagal told Fox News Digital Monday that he sees Russians and Ukrainians as one family and hopes the warring nations will come to a positive, peaceful resolution.

When Seagal became a Russian citizen in 2016, Putin personally handed him his new passport. The Under Siege actor approved of Putins 2014 annexation of Crimea and praised the former KGB agent as one of the greatest world leaders.

Putins unprovoked attack on Ukraine rolled into its sixth day of bloodshed Tuesday as civilian and military casualties continue to rise.
You may not need proof of vaccination to eat inside a New York City restaurant, but Mayor Adams said Monday youll still need it to work.

During a news conference in the Bronx, Adams vowed to keep in place requirements that public and private employees be vaccinated for COVID  despite his earlier announcement that restaurant and bar patrons will soon no longer have to provide proof of vaccination status.

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The Key to NYC requirements surrounding restaurants, bars, and gyms are set to expire on March 7 under Adams most recent COVID-related directive.

On Monday, Adams was asked to provide the scientific underpinning behind ending that Key to NYC requirement while keeping in place the vaccine mandates. He responded that he wants to continue the trend toward the citys primary COVID goal: encouraging New Yorkers to get vaccinated.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams spoke inside NeON, in the South Bronx, New York on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (GREGG VIGLIOTTI/for New York Daily News)

When we talk about the employee mandates, it is imperative for the businesses to continue to create a safe environment for their employees, he said during an unrelated news conference in the Bronx. When I sat down with the doctors  because Ive always stated were going to go based on the science  they were clear. They said, Eric, we could remove the Key to NYC that allowed gyms, restaurants, and others, but we need to keep in place the mandate for those who are in professional [settings], employees or workers. And that includes city workers as well.

Hizzoner also suggested he isnt concerned about the spread of COVID from tourists traveling from out of town once restaurant requirements are lifted, predicting that testing requirements outside the city will do the trick despite lower vax rates in other parts of the country.

[ NYC to end school mask mandate, proof of vaccination at indoor venues as soon as March 7: Mayor Adams ]

The March 7 lifting of requirements is partly due to low COVID positivity rates and high vaccination rates in the Big Apple. But vaccination rates in other parts of the U.S. and worldwide lag behind New Yorks.

When asked how the city will account for tourists once the lifting of requirements takes effect, Adams cited the provision in some foreign countries that travelers be tested before boarding flights.

We want tourism back. Tourism is a major economic boost for us, the mayor said. Many people are leaving their countries to get on airlines, and they have to be tested or vaccinated upon boarding those airlines.

Such rules dont exist as blanket policy in the U.S., though. When asked specifically about the COVID travel requirements in other American cities, Adams didnt specify which ones he believes have strong requirements, saying only that many do.

Many of these locales have good rules in place that will ensure that we are not being reckless, but were being responsible, he said.
Feature: Zimbabwean students chase their dreams by learning Chinese

Xinhua) 09:01, March 01, 2022

HARARE, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- For 18-year-old Nyasha Silver Kusedyo, a Chinese language learner, to master the language, dedication is not just enough, a certain level of "craziness" is also needed.

"When my teacher found out that I was struggling in learning Chinese, she actually advised that to learn Chinese, to understand Chinese, you actually have to be a bit crazy, to understand the tones, the culture, whatever, you have to change your thinking," he told Xinhua.

Kusedyo, an intermediate Chinese language learner at Zimgro Language Consultancy in Harare, is one of many young Zimbabweans chasing their dreams by learning Chinese.

But for many students, the learning process can be daunting. Unlike local Zimbabwean languages which use the phonetic Latin alphabet, Chinese is composed of pictograms and semi-phonetic ideograms.

Prosper Marindiko, another Chinese language learner at Zimgro, believes that motivation is an important factor in determining one's success in the long and often tedious process of learning a second language as an adult.

"Sometimes it gets so frustrating trying to learn the language because you think I have mastered this word, then when you meet a Chinese (person) out there you try to say the word, they totally don't understand you," he said.

Kusedyo, who recently finished high school, said his dream of becoming an entrepreneur keeps him soldering on.

"I am learning Chinese so that I can actually gain a competitive advantage in the entrepreneurship pool, basically in any kind of business, mainly bridging China and Zimbabwe," he said.

Della Makina, a Translation and Interpretation graduate, also believes that learning Chinese is a pathway towards achieving her dreams.

"By learning Chinese, I dream that one day I will be one of the UN interpreters because Chinese is one of the UN languages, so I want to be one of the interpreters from Zimbabwe," she said.

Tawanda Zimhindo, founder of Zimgro Language Consultancy and Chinese lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe Confucius Institute, is helping Chinese language learners achieve their dreams.

"I have a great passion for teaching the Chinese language. I always assist my students out of my personal will, and when I do it, I do it out of my heart, and I feel it's my obligation as a teacher to assist them," he said.

Last year Zimhindo was recognized as one of the best 20 Chinese language teachers worldwide by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), a non-profit educational institution for international Chinese language education affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education.

As a passionate teacher, Zimhindo knows best how to motivate his students.

"The trick is on making the classes interesting. As a teacher, you have to understand your students. You have to know them well. Above all, you have to create a relationship with the students. It has to be a family," he remarked.

Zimhindo said learning Chinese has become popular among youngsters in Zimbabwe as they seek to be more competitive in the job market.

Chinese investments have seen a large number of Chinese nationals moving to the country, thereby increasing interaction between Zimbabweans and the Chinese.

"The reason why I am learning Chinese is because at work we interact a lot with the Chinese, and usually we have some misunderstandings just because of the language barrier," said Mandiriko.

In Zimbabwe, China has become a competitive study destination, surpassing some traditional English-speaking destinations. Given China's status as a manufacturing giant, the Asian country is also the most preferred destination for traders and business people.

"Initially what motivated me to learn Chinese was the good economic relationship between Zimbabwe and China," said Rebokile Setoboli, an Economics graduate from the University of Zimbabwe.

Due to the lack of people who can speak both Chinese and local languages, there is a huge demand for those with Chinese language skills.

Chinese translators with a good command of the language can earn more than 500 U.S. dollars a month, a huge amount considering that public servants such as teachers are currently earning less than 250 dollars a month.

Setoboli, who is now a Chinese teacher at Zimgro, said knowing Chinese opens doors to vast job opportunities.

"Studying Chinese has a lot of opportunities here in Zimbabwe. And for me one of the opportunities it has given me is that I am teaching Chinese right now," she said.

While learning Chinese is arguably a formidable task, technology and the internet is making it less difficult to learn the language, even for those with no opportunities to interact with native speakers of the language.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
New York Citys police pension fund began the process of divesting from its Russian investments Tuesday after its trustees approved what amounts to yet another sanction against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The funds trustees voted to instruct city Comptroller Brad Lander to execute the divestment from any companies the U.S. has identified as financing, supporting or enabling Russian leader Vladimir Putins regime.

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Lander, who, as comptroller, oversees the citys pension funds, said Tuesday he hopes the funds divestment will accelerate an end to aggression and a swift resolution that saves lives.

New Yorkers, including current and retired police officers, stand in solidarity with Ukraine and are proud to play a role in contributing to cutting President Putin and his enablers off from global financial markets, Lander said.

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Detectives Endowment Association Inc President Paul DiGiacomo (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

The funds trustees include Lander, Mayor Adams, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, PBA President Patrick Lynch, and Detectives Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo.

As a union comprised of every race, religion and creed who strongly believe in and protect democracy, we will do whatever we can to aide Ukraine, DiGiacomo said.

As of Feb. 25, the New York City Police Pension Fund held $42.2 million in Russian securities. The fund has more than 85,000 members and retirees, and is one of the largest city retirement funds in the U.S.

This is not about penalizing the Russian people, but about holding President Putin and his government accountable, Adams said in a written statement. Our administration is committed to standing with Ukrainians and refugees here and abroad while doing all we can to advance peace.

Compared to other sanctions the U.S. and Europe have leveraged against Russia, $42.2 million is a relatively small amount. Those much bigger sanctions bar Americans and people within the European Union from trading with Russias central bank and other banking restrictions aimed at blocking billions of dollars in Russian financial reserves held in banks across the globe.

The police pension fund probably wont be the only New York City pension to get in on the act of punishing Russia, though.

According to a spokeswoman from Landers office, the citys four other pension funds will meet later this month. Lander plans to propose divestment from Russian assets to all four.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has rejected a push for Florida to sell investments in Russian-owned companies in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.

The Republican governor pushed back after state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the Sunshine States top elected Democrat, called on the state move to divest itself of assets tied to Russia.

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The letter lacks necessary clarity, said Christine Pushaw, a spokeswoman for DeSantis.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (John Raoux/AP)

She also claimed confusion over Frieds demand that the state moves to seize real estate owned by Russian oligarchs.

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To the extent, Russian citizens purchase South Florida real estate, for example, that has nothing to do with the state of Florida investing in or divesting from a list of Russian-headquartered entities, Pushaw said.

DeSantis and two allies, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General Ashley Moody control the State Board of Administration. The SBA manages an estimated $195 billion in state-owned holdings, including about $300 million in Russian-based entities.

Even as he rebuffed the calls from Fried and a similar call from fellow GOP Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) for tougher action, DeSantis portrayed himself as urging a hard line against Russian strongman Vladimir Putin.

DeSantis called on President Biden to take steps to expand U.S. energy production, suggesting that would hurt oil-producing Russia, although he did not elaborate.

Hit (Putin) where it counts, DeSantis said in his first public remarks about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The problem .... with Biden is that he has stepped on the neck of our domestic energy here in the United States.

Since the shocking invasion, DeSantis had failed to mention the Russian invasion in the first few days. He was silent on the topic at his high-profile speech at the CPAC convention last week, even though he denounced China and even U.S. allies Canada and Australia in it.

[ DeSantis keeps quiet on Russian invasion of Ukraine in CPAC speech ]

He appears to be isolated among governors from both parties and across the political spectrum in refusing to take any concrete actions against Russia.

Democrats and Republicans alike have taken steps like refusing to sell Russian-made alcohol in state-run liquor stores to protest Putins invasion.

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A potential 2024 White House hopeful, DeSantis may be wary of getting too far ahead of former President Trump, who has praised Putin as very savvy and a genius.

DeSantis finished a solid second to Trump in a presidential straw poll of CPAC attendees, the latest sign of his rising political star on the right-wing of American politics.
Luxury hotel brand, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has confirmed the reopening of its newly extended all-suite sustainable resort The Pavilions Anana Krabi in Thailand from 1 March 2022, following the addition of 20 brand new Pool Access Suites. First opened in February 2021 on the southern west coast of Thailand's famous Phang Nga Bay, the 79-suite ecological resort puts sustainability, nature and wellbeing centre stage, from the on-site permaculture 'farm' supplying its kitchens to silken swimming pools of uniquely mineral-rich water sourced from the neighbouring limestone mountains - now directly accessible from the new 68sqm Pool Access Suites - the resort is truly rooted in its destination.

Framed by views of the towering green-clad limestone cliffs and serene forest valleys of Krabi, the 10- ground floor and 10-first floor Pool Access Suites are peaceful oases centred around a shared lava stone pool, just a few short steps away via private terrace or private balcony and spiral staircase respectively. Featuring king size beds; 57" LED TVs; espresso machines; and complimentary arrival minibar and wifi, the contemporary new rooms are a luxurious addition to the all-suite hotel's range of accommodation. The 32sqm Thai Studios, 34sqm Spa Studios and spacious 55sqm Spa Suites all benefit from private outdoor space from which to soak up the verdant surroundings; whilst the Family & Friends rooms, with their two-plus-two queens and bunkbeds configuration, provide a versatile retreat for families or groups of friends.

The resort has also added a new restaurant, Botanica, specialising in Thai and Indian cuisine whilst continuing its healthy emphasis on plant-based cuisine. All ingredients are sourced from local artisan producers or the resort's on-site organic permaculture plantation, 'The Farm'. Powered by the regenerative principles of composting and water conservation, this one acre 'art farm' and oyster mushroom nursery provides a memorable, sustainable farm-to-fork experience. Alfresco dining overlooking the main 35-metre lava stone infinity pool is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, whilst up on the roof the iconic ANANA Sky Lounge serves up sundowners and magical sunset chilling, with green-hued, 360-degree views of the mountains and forests of Aonang and the Andaman Sea beyond.

The Asana Spa by The Pavilions meanwhile invites guests to 'Revive, Refresh and Restore' through naturally inspired wellness experiences, including carefully balanced hot and cold treatments in the Himalayan Salt Spa; a yoga shala set amidst the permaculture farm; open air gym; panoramic outdoor sauna; and a herbal steam room. Therapies and treatments blend traditional Thai healing techniques with organic essential Thai oils and herbs to create a unique all-natural spa experience.

The Pavilions Anana Krabi offers three Curated Journeys - The Pavilions' signature brand experiences - and a range of bespoke excursions and activities designed to celebrate the resort's unique natural environment. Memorable ways to discover the destination include exploring the local mangroves by solar-powered longtail boat; visiting Aonang's only ethical elephant sanctuary; and biking or hiking the challenging 3.7km trail up Khao Ngon Nak National Park's Dragon Crest Mountain to witness one of Thailand's most epic viewpoints. Guests also benefit from privileged access to the nearby private Aqua Beach Club, offering watersports; beach weddings and events; and authentic local Thai cuisine.

With the reopening of The Pavilions Anana Krabi, The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts now has a total of 10 owned or managed hotels and resorts in operation across Asia and Europe, with a further three in the pipeline.

Hotel website
The Wayfarer DTLA, a Pacifica Hotels property, is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Carl Hubbard as General Manager of the flagship boutique hotel. Hubbard will lead and oversee all departments within the hotel including the property's restaurants.

Hubbard began his career at the iconic Chateau Marmont Hotel where he served as Hotel Manager for many years. He then became General Manager at Sunset Beach Hotel & Restaurant, before taking on the dual role of General Manager and Corporate Director of Operations at Paligroup Management. Following that, Hubbard helmed the Standard, Hollywood as General Manager, before most recently joining Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood, where he oversaw the portfolio as Regional Director.
Dr. Jennifer Cronin, President, Wharf Hotels announced her resignation yesterday, effective 30 April 2022, to return to Australia. Her successor is Mr. Thomas Salg who has served in the role of Wharf Hotels, Vice President Operations for four years.

During Dr. Cronin's eight years with the group, starting as Vice President Sales & Marketing, her remit was to strengthen the foundation of Marco Polo Hotels, and introduce an additional and luxury brand - Niccolo Hotels. Having completed this assignment, Wharf Hotels has now built a solid framework for future growth and is poised for expansion.

As the global travel sector prepares to emerge from its most challenging period in living history, and after more than 20 years working in Asia's gateway cities, Dr. Cronin believes that the timing is right for a seamless transition to the next chapter in Wharf Hotels management evolution. She stated, "Together with an inspiring group of hoteliers across our group, we have punched above our weight and built an organisation by adopting best practices that are comparable with larger international hotel groups. At the heart of Wharf Hotels are dynamic, hard-working and passionate leaders who have prepared their hotels for the post-pandemic travel environment, and will most certainly be ahead of the curve. I could not be more proud of their efforts especially over the past two years and I am confident that the long term future is bright for travel and tourism."

On her successor, Dr Cronin said, "Thomas has clearly demonstrated his commitment, leadership and professionalism since joining Marco Polo Hotels in 2013 as General Manager, Marco Polo Shenzhen, followed by Area General Manager of Marco Polo Hotels Hong Kong, before becoming Vice President Operations in 2017. I am confident that Thomas will further strengthen the group's solid foundation, as well as strategically drive new initiatives and developments for the hotel management company, while rebuilding the hotel's priority business streams."
The Jekyll Island Club Resort is proud to welcome Steve Grainger as Director of Finance. Grainger brings more than 20 years of success in planning and executing strategic financial and operational initiatives for hospitality and real estate development organizations.

Grainger started in the hospitality industry as a bellman and subsequently worked his way up through Operations in Rooms and Food & Beverage for several years before joining Hilton Corporation in Accounting. After joining Orient-Express Hotels in 1995, he served as Director of Finance for North America. Since then, Grainger has worked in multiple corporate roles for various development companies building and purchasing hotels, including roles as COO and Senior Vice President of Finance for a resort developer in Florida. Grainger most recently served as Corporate Controller for CUSA LLC, a third party property management company in Kennesaw, Ga. A highly analytical leader with an aptitude for aligning tactics with long-term financial strategies, Grainger will oversee the finance department at the Jekyll Island Club Resort, while strategizing and identifying solutions.
Bram Gallagher is an Economist for CBRE Hotels' Americas Research. He maintains performance forecasting models for 60 major U.S. hotel markets, performs consulting work for a destination marketing organization, creates tools for hotel developers, and examines the effects natural disasters have on hotel occupancy. His background in statistical modeling and understanding of how markets operate have allowed him to reveal powerful, new insight into the future of the lodging industry. Mr. Gallagher has worked as a professor at Middle Tennessee State University and Berry College. He left Academia for a research position in the lodging industry in 2015 to better learn how economics is practiced. Mr. Gallagher can be contacted at 404-812-5189 or [email protected]
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for American unity on Tuesday in his first floor speech since Russia invaded Ukraine, and condemned the brutality and sheer evil of President Vladimir Putins bloody war on his democratic neighbor.

Divisions within the United States or amongst our allies will only strengthen Vladimir Putin, and strengthen his resolve, Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned as Russia escalated its attacks despite global condemnation and unprecedented Western sanctions. We must be united in this moment.

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Schumer is working to fulfill a White House request for $6.4 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine, a nation of 44 million people that has staged a resolute defense against Russian aggression. Schumer expects bipartisan support, said his spokesman, Angelo Roefaro.

But in his appeal in the Senate, Schumer sought to shore up cross-aisle support for Ukraine, invoking the bipartisan reaction that followed the Sept. 11 attacks two decades ago.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Americans banded together, Democrat and Republican, to defend our nation and our democracy, Schumer said. Today, as democracy faces its greatest crisis in Europe since the end of the Cold War, we must likewise band together in support of our friends in Ukraine.

He urged Republicans as well as Democrats to work with Senate leadership and the Biden administration to stay unified with a strong aid package.

And he praised President Biden, whose predictions last month about the Russian assault of Ukraine proved prescient, and who worked closely with Americas European allies to line up sanctions on Russia.

Our unity has precisely been our greatest asset in resisting Putins aggression  from unity amongst the American people, in solidarity with Ukraine, to Americas unity with our European allies, Schumer said.

Schumer made his appeal as the Russian invasion, which is apparently several days behind schedule, took an even darker tenor on its sixth day.

The main square of Kharkiv, a Ukrainian metropolis of more than 1 million people, was decimated by a deadly missile strike on Tuesday morning. And in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, Russian strikes damaged a 1,263-foot-tall TV tower and a Holocaust memorial, according to authorities.

Russian forces are evidently starting to engage in siege tactics, Schumer said. Civilian casualties, tragically, are mounting.
BANGKOK, THAILAND - More than 500 delegates, including many of Thai tourism and hospitalitys most senior figures, came together at the 11th Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF 2022) on 1st March 2022, with the aim of charting a strong and sustainable path out of the global pandemic.

TTF 2022, Thailands largest annual tourism and hospitality event, taking place as the industry grapples with an unprecedented period of crisis, opportunity, threat and disruption, ran under the theme #ThaiTourismUnited and kicked off with the Thailand Tourism Leadership Summit, which saw influential CEOs set out their joint vision for the future and jointly sign the Thailand Tourism Pledge.

Together, these leaders committed to forging a new strategic direction for Thailand, including placing tourism at the forefront of the national economy, putting the service sector back to work, achieving sustainable growth, and making international visitors feel safe and secure. The Thailand Tourism Pledge will lay the foundations upon which Thai tourism can be rebuilt from the ground up, following the devastation of the global pandemic.

Key to the discussion and among the excitement of the opportunity to create a better tourism future for Thailand, was a clear call by all leaders that it was time the country fully opened up. See opening remarks on the Thailand Tourism Pledge here: https://youtu.be/ZA25RC_EXyw.

Ms. Proudputh Liptapanlop, Executive Director of Proud Group, which owns numerous tourism assets including two InterContinental branded hotels in Hua Hin and Phuket, said: In Thailand we need to open up. We need everyone to understand that we need to open up the country for their good and for the benefit of the country.

Mr. Bill Heinecke, Chairman/Founder Minor International, added: If we dont open up we cant be competitive. Currently the rules are just too complicated. We are not even 10% of where we were pre-Covid and Thailand will not reach its target of 10 million arrivals in 2022. We are falling behind. We are not even keeping up with our neighbours.

Theres no choice anymore, commented Marisa Sukosol, President of Thailand Hotels Association. Thailand must open up and stop Test & Go. In fact, it must Let It Go! We need to move our mentality from a pandemic to an endemic.

TTF 2022 kicked off with a series of addresses, debates and discussions to help attendees devise strategies to survive and thrive in the post-pandemic era. Jesper Palmqvist, STRs Area Director for Asia Pacific, presented the latest critical data, while Clarence Tan of Hilton and Charles Blocker, CEO of IC Partners, discussed Why Hotel Operators Must Change, Jakkrapong Chinkrathok, CEO & founder of Find Folk, focused on environmental issues with his Green Thailand session, and Wimintra Raj, Editor-in-Chief at Hotel Intel, went Behind the Mask to discuss new travel experiences. Other hot topics on the quickfire agenda included cryptocurrencies, hybrid spaces, hotel transactions and more.

Mr. Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks, concluded: The reason we are here in-person is that this is where it starts. Travelling again starts today. We have to open the country and be competitive with Vietnam and the Maldives and put our service sector back to work.

(from left) Bill Heinecke, Chairman/Founder Minor International; Proudputh Liptapanlop, Executive Director, Proud Group; Marisa Sukosol, President of the Thailand Hotel Association. Photo by C9 Hotelworks Ltd.

TTF 2022 was hosted in compliance with all necessary health and safety regulations. The host venue, Conrad Bangkok, is SHA+ certified and all attendees will be required show proof of two vaccinations.

For more information, please visit www.thailandtourismforum.com.

About C9 Hotelworks

C9 Hotelworks is led by founder and Managing Director Bill Barnett, who brings over 35 years' experience in the Asian hospitality and real estate sectors. Prior to founding C9 in 2003, Bill held senior executive roles in hotel operations, development and asset management. He is considered to be a leading global authority on hotel residences, and has sat at almost every seat around the hospitality and real estate table. Bill promotes industry insight through regular conference presentations at key events and contributes to numerous industry publications. For more information contact www.c9hotelworks.com.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: XHR) ("Xenia" or the "Company") today announced it has agreed to acquire the 346-key W Nashville for a purchase price of $328.7 million or $950,000 per key.

"We are thrilled to have reached an agreement to acquire W Nashville, an outstanding newly constructed luxury lifestyle hotel located in the desirable Gulch neighborhood in the heart of Nashville," commented Marcel Verbaas, Xenia's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The addition of W Nashville will mark the 14th property acquired since our listing on the NYSE in 2015 and aligns perfectly with our strategy of owning a portfolio of uniquely positioned premium hotels and resorts located in Top 25 markets and key leisure destinations that we expect to drive superior earnings growth. W Nashville is extremely well-designed and perfectly situated to attract year-round leisure, corporate and group demand."

"We are excited about the earnings potential for W Nashville given its unique attributes, its status as one of the premier hotels in Nashville, the strong outlook for the market, and our belief that we are in the early stages of a multi-year recovery in demand for luxury lodging."

Having opened in October 2021, the 14-story W Nashville features:

six food and beverage venues including two destination restaurants by Chef Andrew Carmellini, as well as rooftop and pool bars,

18,000 square feet of differentiated indoor meeting and pre-function space with state-of-the-art technology to attract the most discerning groups,

26,000 square feet of finished outdoor space, including a rooftop with 360-degree views, a 10,000 square foot pool deck, and terraces contiguous with meeting, food and beverage and event spaces,

six street level entrances to maximize accessibility and revenue generation across its multiple venues,

60 suites, more than any other luxury hotel in the market, representing over 17% of keys, providing for the ability to capture premium leisure and corporate demand, and

200 parking spaces

Nashville is one of the most dynamic growth markets in the country and economic activity has accelerated in the last 18 months, as more companies increase their presence in the market. W Nashville's location in the LEED-certified Gulch neighborhood is proximate to booming corporate demand from sectors such as healthcare, the music recording industry, technology, finance, education, and consulting firms. Nashville CBD/West End has been one of the strongest performing lodging markets over the past few decades, with a RevPAR CAGR of 5.4% between 1987-2019 and 8.7% between 2009-2019, and demand has rebounded strongly after the initial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We look forward to deepening our relationship with Marriott International by acquiring our first W-branded property just as the W brand is being evolved and refreshed. This asset will be our 14th Marriott-affiliated hotel across six luxury and upper upscale brands in the Marriott brand family" continued Mr. Verbaas. "We expect W Nashville to be immediately accretive to our portfolio, as reflected by indicators such as RevPAR and Hotel EBITDA/key, and believe it will be one of our top performing assets over the years ahead. We expect W Nashville to generate between $25 million and $30 million of Hotel EBITDA upon stabilization."

The Company expects to close the transaction by the end of the first quarter and fund the acquisition with available cash. The completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

Please refer to the Company's March 2022 Investor Presentation at www.xeniareit.com for additional information and images.

About Xenia Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
Imagine a couple who wants to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in Carmel, California. Both have been busy with work and family; they realize they have a limited window to get away.

Looking to book so close to their stay date, they know that such a milestone celebration in a place with high demand is going to be costly. OTA websites are showing almost everything as sold out, however, and the few available rooms are either out of town and/or well into the four figures (for a couple of nights stay at ultra-premium resorts).

Websites for their three preferred properties (by customer ratings + proximity to quaint and hilly downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea) confirm their worst fears. Indeed, even a two-night weekday stay isnt going to happen at any of them. Two hotels display sold out, but the third one has contact hotel for availability.

Aware that OTAs have the knack of overstating bookings and underreporting availability (Hurry! One room left at this price!), the couple heads to the third hotels website, hoping for a glimmer of light. Indeed they have no regular rooms showing, but they do have an Anniversary special package still available, if the couple would consider a three-night stay. Although pricey, it does include a resort credit for spa, food, and a bottle of wine through a winery partner in Carmel Valley, a 15-minute drive from the hotel.

An extra night. And it will be their most expensive stay in a long time, but its still a fraction of the cost of paying thousands for a couple of nights of luxury down the coast. They quickly book and celebrate that they scored the last possible deal based on their criteria.

Who made out the best?

While our happy couple has scored a great room in a period of high demand, on short notice, how did our three properties fare? Lets take a look.

P1 (denial): sell to 100% capacity; 0 rooms left to sell as of last week. ADR for two denial dates: $425

P2 (denial): sell to 100% capacity, 0 rooms left to sell as of three months ago. ADR for two denial dates: $395

P3 (booked): target 90% capacity, booking limit set at 80% until a week before arrival, when a promotional inventory of premium suites in a package deal is released and then quickly sells out. ADR for two stay dates (after factoring in last-minute premium bookings): $600 - PLUS they get the third night at $600 as well.

By holding inventory until their competitors had sold out, P3 was able to secure a higher rated booking (plus an extra less compressed night), while P1 and P2 sold out at $425 and $395 ADRs, respectively.

The resort credit is a great tactic to further monetize guest value. Not only is P3 getting the customer at a price that boosts their profit margin AND delights customers that are running out of options, but theyre also able to acquaint new guests with their restaurant and additional services. Dont forget the partner winery - if that bottle of wine is memorable, the happy couple might just make the short trip to Carmel Valley to buy more, and check out some areas they usually dont get to. This is an additional win for everyone:

P3: They get premium wines at a discounted price from the winery, helping boost profits and delighting guests.

Winery: They get additional traffic from Carmel-by-the-Sea and other local areas, with guests already excited about the wine they have in their rooms.

Guests: They get to visit an area they dont usually see, taste (and possibly buy) some great wines theyve experienced at the hotel, and keep finding amazing places to visit for future celebrations.

Occupancy and labor force

One detail about P3 that you may have noticed is that even in periods of high demand, theyre holding occupancy rates below 100%, at 80% (floating based on their RMS strategies + algorithms), and then flexing as high as 90% for last-minute bookings.

By saving highly profitable bookings for that +/- 10% window, P3 is out-earning their competitors by a good margin, and saving on labor costs during the new normal where finding good, local talent is harder than ever. They could opt for full occupancy all the time and find creative ways to staff and clean rooms, but the team is already stretched, and P3s unwavering commitment to customer service AND their staff helps maintain their high standard on review sites. During high demand periods (where 90% occupancy is desired), staff that work extra hours are paid at a much higher rate for those hours, which doesnt impact hotel profits as much as you might think - remember, their rates for those days more than cover the incremental labor costs.

Theres more than meets the eye here, however, in terms of how P3 maintains a strong competitive edge in ADR. In our next RMS Re-think series, were going to introduce a concept that is well known in banking, insurance, and other industries, but we havent talked about much in hospitality - and its a potential hidden goldmine for hotels that understand how to harness its power. Cant wait that long? Download the series here: https://www.duettocloud.com/special-reports/key-revenue-success-decision-management

About Duetto

Duetto delivers a suite of cloud applications to simplify hospitality revenue decisions and allow hoteliers to work smarter, increasing organizational efficiency, revenue, and profitability. The unique combination of hospitality experience and technology leadership drives Duetto to look for innovative solutions to industry challenges. The software as a service platform allows hotels and casino resorts to leverage real-time dynamic data sources and actionable insights into pricing and demand across the enterprise. More than 4,000 hotel and casino resort properties in more than 60 countries have partnered to use Duetto's applications, which include GameChanger for pricing, ScoreBoard for intelligent reporting, and BlockBuster for contracted-business optimization. Duetto is backed by investors Warburg Pincus, Icon Ventures, Accel Partners, Battery Ventures, and Spectrum 28. In January 2022, Duetto was voted as the Best Revenue Management System in the HotelTechAwards 2022.

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C9 Hotelworks is led by founder and Managing Director Bill Barnett, who brings over 30 years' experience in the Asian hospitality and real estate sectors. Prior to founding C9 in 2003, Bill held senior executive roles in hotel operations, development and asset management. He is considered to be a leading global authority on hotel residences, and has sat at almost every seat around the hospitality and real estate table. Bill promotes industry insight through regular conference presentations at key events and contributes to numerous industry publications.
builds, develops and markets innovative lifestyle residences and hotels, introducing new concepts and reinventing industry standards. The boutique hotel was invented in 1984 by visionary Ian Schrager and his longtime partner and friend Steve Rubell. His formative 25+ year career revolutionized and impacted both nightlife (Studio 54 and Palladium) and hospitality (Morgans, Royalton, Paramount, Hudson, Mondrian, Delano, Shore Club, Clift, St. Martin's Lane, Sanderson and Gramercy Park Hotel). He was the largest private hotelier in New York until he sold his company. Schrager's recent projects include the transformation of the fabled Gramercy Park Hotel in New York, residential projects 50 Gramercy Park North in collaboration with world-renowned architect John Pawson, and 40 Bond in collaboration with Pritzker Prize winning architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron. He is now, for the fourth time in his career, starting all over again by launching a new hotel company, SCHRAGER HOTELS. This new company will include two new hotel brands, one luxury lifestyle brand and one that will be reasonably priced. Both new brands will be rolled out in 24 international gateway cities around the world with the first opening in Chicago in 2011.
The single biggest opportunity in digital marketing for hotels in 2022 is hospitality's old friend Google!

STR just released some troubling data, clearly showing that marketing spending in U.S. hospitality during the pandemic shrank significantly compared to 2019, dropping to as low as 50% in 2020 and rebounding slightly to 54% in 2021 of the pre-pandemic level. Equally troublesome is the drop in payroll (wages and benefits) to hotel sales and marketing staff throughout the pandemic, ending 2021 at 58% of the 2019 levels.

Marketing spending in Europe and APAC is even worse than in North America.

With all the lingering repercussions in hospitality from the pandemic, I do not expect hoteliers, all of a sudden, to double their marketing spend in 2022. I believe hospitality's old friend Google is the single biggest opportunity in digital marketing this year, and here is why:

Fish where the fish are: Today the average travel consumer spends almost 7 hours on digital media a day vs 19 minutes on print media (newspapers and magazines). Overall consumers spend more time with digital media than with TV, radio and print media combined (Hootsuite). So forget about spending your precious marketing dollars on print brochures and collateral, print ads, direct snail mail, etc. Google controls 91.42% global search engine market share (January 2022, Hootsuite) Google now owns the travel consumer and has become the shepherd of the digital customer journey by positioning itself at and making money in the form of referral, CPC, CPM, CPA and CPS fees from each of the five phases of the Digital Customer Journey: Dreaming, Planning, Booking, Experiencing and Sharing Phases. Google has become a fully integrated advertising ecosystem, where all advertising formats are intertwined and work in concert. User engagements in the upper funnel (SEO, content marketing, YouTube TrueView, Gmail Ads, etc.) influences conversions in the lower funnel (Google Ads, Google Hotel Ads, Google Display Network, RLSA, Customer Match, etc.), and a campaign in one advertising format directly influences the results from all other formats.

So what should smart hotel marketers do in 2022 with their limited budgets?

Overhaul your website SEO

Google has frequently stated that it is using more than 200 major ranking "signals" with many thousands of sub-signals and variations. Make sure your website features unique, relevant and editorial-level copy that is significantly different than the one you have used in the property descriptions on the OTAs, travel guides and directories, etc. and is fully optimized for the three main SEO categories: on-page SEO, inbound linking, technical SEO. Make sure your SEO agency can handle very complex Google-specific technical SEO requirements including automated schema markup, Google Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), Google Sitemap XML, Google Search Console dashboard management, etc.

Improve your website download speed

Make sure the download speed of your website on mobile devices is below 2.5 seconds to avoid your site being penalized by Google and reduce its bounce and abandonment rates. Google's Core Web Vitals now uses a load speed of under 2.5 seconds as one of the primary measurements of indexing a website, stricter requirement from the 3 second benchmark just a few years back.

Invest in content marketing

Content marketing elevates your hotel website importance in the eyes of Google via the inbound links and citations it creates. An equally important benefit of content marketing is that it engages and entices the travel consumer in the Dreaming and Planning Phases and creates ready-to-book customers for the Booking Phase.

Content marketing is neither new nor free and has ways been an integral part of the digital marketer's toolbox. All segments of content marketing cost marketing dollars since someone has to create the content and creative, set up and manage the campaigns, monitor analytics and prepare reports: SEO, website content, social media posts, corporate group B2B marketing initiatives via LinkedIn, PR, blog articles and posts, white papers, webinars, case studies, influencer marketing, panel discussion participations, award and new amenity/service announcements, etc. Naturally, content marketing, when done well, could be cheaper than performance marketing like paid search, metasearch and paid media. When done well, content marketing is much cheaper than performance marketing.

Update your Google Business Profile (GBP)

Google Business Profile is free an easy-to-use tool to manage your property's online presence across Google, including Search and Maps that helps customers find your hotel and help you tell them your story. Make sure your GBP is fully optimized and updated, including your property information, amenity and services descriptions, business hours, your COVID preparedness and cleanliness programs, hotel images and videos, etc.

GBP p,SHS another important to,e - it serves as the management dashboard for Google Reviews, where you can monitor and respond to customer reviews.

Google now has more hotel customer reviews than all of the review and OTA websites combined! GBP directly influences travelers in the Planning Phase and creates powerful word-of-mouth effect in the Sharing Phase.

Google Hotel Ads (GHA)

GHA is Google's metasearch marketing format, which offers two distinct marketing opportunities: free GHA listings and sponsored/paid listings that provide better visibility, both featuring the property ARI (Availability, Rates, Inventory). Make sure you work through your CRS or Channel Manager provider to join the free GHA listings. If your property is in a competitive location, join Google's paid GHA program as well, which uses the pay-per-stay model. Google launched this program understanding well that a) hoteliers do not have much advertising dollars and b) travel consumers often cancel their hotel reservations due to the volatile COVID-19 situation.

Google Ads (GA)

Launch hotel-branded keyword terms GA campaign to target past guests in the short-haul and drive-in feeder markets, and level the playing field with the OTAs who are indiscriminately bidding in your branded keywords. Your past guests already know your hotel brand name, they know your hotel product, all you need to do now is to convince them that your property is safe to stay at and that you have packages and promotions that address their current needs.

Google Ads is perfect as a deal closer ad format to convert past guests as well as new customers already exposed to GDN ads and for customers who know exactly where they want to stay.

Google Display Network (GDN)

Launch a GDN Retargeting campaign, which will help communicate your property's value proposition to users who have visited your website and are already familiar with your product, offerings and location. GDN Retargeting serves as a great reservation abandonment recovery and brand reminder tool.

Based on your budget, launch a GDN Targeting campaign, focusing on your most important short-haul and drive-in feeder markets. GDN offers great targeting capabilities: Location, Keywords, Audiences, Similar Users, etc.

GDN Targeting is the perfect solution to expand your hotel marketing reach and attract new customers from your important feeder markets.
Midway, the Houston-based developer behind CityCentre, GreenStreet and East River, is setting its sights on a roughly 68-acre property in the west Houston after buying the former ConocoPhillips office property from Howard Hughes.

Houston real estate heavyweight Howard Hughes sold the 1.3 million square foot campus for $25 million on Dec. 22, according to a Feb.28 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Howard Hughes reported a $7.4 million loss on the sale, according to its earnings.

Howard Hughes described the property as a roughly 63-acre campus, although deed records show the company sold nearly 68 acres to Midway.

The acqusition gives Midway a stronger foothold in the growing west Houston. The vacant office property on North Dairy Ashford is located about 3.5 miles west of its upscale mixed-use development CityCentre and 17 miles west of downtown Houston.

In line with Midways track record of developing uniquely transformational real estate projects, plans are underway to create a sustainable environment, connecting and energizing the area through innovative design. Additional details will be announced at a later date, a Midway spokesman said in an email.

Its not clear how quickly Midway could move to redevelop the site. The real estate developer previously held onto a large tract in Houstons East End for about five years before finally breaking ground on the 150-acre East River mixed-use development in 2021.

The North Dairy Ashford campus formerly housed the offices for oil exploration and production company ConocoPhillips, which relocated its offices across Interstate 10. ConocoPhillips then the sold its former offices to Occidental Petroleum in 2019 for $90 million, or about $72.86 per a square foot, according to commercial real estate data firm CoStar.

Occidental had planned to renovate and relocate its headquarters to the 17-building campus, but its plans changed after it bought Anadarko Petroleum for $38 billion in 2019.

Instead of moving to the Energy Corridor campus, Occidental opted to maintain its longtime home in Greenway Plaza in addition to keeping a portion of Anadarkos former office space in The Woodlands through a sale-leaseback with Howard Hughes.

Occidental sold two office towers in The Woodlands plus the 17-building former ConocoPhillips campus to Howard Hughes for $565 million in December 2019. Occidental then leased back 808,000 square feet at the tower located at 1201 Lake Robbins Drive.

Howard Hughes never intended to hold onto the Energy Corridor campus and immediately began marketing it for sale, enlisting real estate brokerage CBRE for the effort.

Built between 1984 and 2007, the campus encompasses 17, three-story buildings with interconnecting walkways and bridges, nine acres of lakes and 24 acres of extensive landscaping. The campus did not flood during Hurricane Harvey, according to marketing materials from CBRE.

Former owners poured more than $170 million in capital improvements have been invested in the campus since 2007, according to CBRE marketing materials. A $78 million wellness center and reception building was completed in 2007 and in 2016, a $42 million Central Plant was built, according to CBRE.

The campus also has a 6-level parking garage plus additional parking to accommodate more than 3,100 vehicles, according to CBREs marketing materials.

The appraised value of the campus has stumbled by about $40 million since 2019, settling at roughly $47 million in appraised value last year, according to Harris County records.

Strong year ahead for Howard Hughes master-planned communities

The West Houston campus sale was part of Howard Hughes ongoing effort to shed what it considers to be non-core properties. Last year, Howard Hughes also sold three hotels in The Woodlands for $252 million, even as it continues to invest heavily in expanding its interest in The Woodlands with new medical office building construction and other projects.



Overall, Howard Hughes posted profits of $56.1 million last year compared to a loss of $26.1 million when the pandemic hit in 2020.



A recovering retail sector and strong residential housing market has helped to Howard Hughes revenues once again. As demand for houses in its Houston and Las Vegas-area communities soared, Howard Hughes saw earnings from land sales in its master-planned communities jump by a record 51 percent in 2021.



"Lot supply is at all-time lows in the Houston and Las Vegas regions while demand continues to accelerate due to the influx of residents leaving high-density cities. This imbalance leaves [Howard Hughes Corp.] well-positioned to continue its delivery of strong land sales in 2022, said David OReilly, Howard Hughes CEO in a statement.



New home sales within its communities  a leading indicator of future land sales  increased to 2,761 homes in 2021, eclipsing a record year seen in 2020.



One of its busiest communities for sales in Bridgeland, the Cypress-area community that also ranked 15th in the nation for best selling master-planned community in 2021 by the consultancy RCLCO.



Howard Hughes is building off demand for homes in Bridgeland with additional apartment construction and a new single-family for rent community.



"Our performance over the past year is a clear indication that the walkable, amenity-rich communities we are creating are where today's families and educated workforce want to live, work, and play, and where leading corporations want to locate. All of our segments met or exceeded guidance for the full year, and we expect this momentum to carry into 2022 due to the strong market dynamics that exist in our communities, OReilly said.
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Its heartening to know that in an age where complex and perfectly groomed foods get all the social media love, something as simple as a baked potato, a corn dog and a caramel apple can create powerful memories. And be considered the top foods at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

RodeoHoustons 2022 Gold Buckle Food Awards proved to be a showcase for these beloved midway treats and other deep-fried, sugar-dusted, stuffed and sauced goodies. The Gold Buckle awards program, recognizing the best carnival food at the rodeo, was judged Tuesday minting a new season of gut-busting, take-no-prisoners rodeo fare.

Harlons BBQ, a longtime Houston and rodeo favorite, found itself in the winners circle again this year, taking first place for Classic Fair Food for its monster-size baked potato choked with chopped brisket, ribs, sausage and turkey and drizzled with barbecue sauce.

People love a baked potato when they come to the rodeo, said Harlons owner Candace Brooks who added that parents Harlon and Alfreddie Brooks were the first black barbecue owners featured at the rodeo in 1989.

Im very proud of my parents and this business and serving the community, she said.

Other first-place winners included a deep-fried jambalaya roll, a berry-flavored caramel apple, a toasty funnel cake (it was lit on fire for the judges), bacon macaroni and cheese egg roll, and red velvet cupcake.

There were six award categories this year as the Gold Buckle process was streamlined from years past. Instead of judges evaluating as many as 60 samples, only 18 dishes were presented: the top three from each six categories. Those contenders were the top vote-getters from a new social media outreach involving public interaction on carnival food before the rodeo began.

We wanted to bring the public into it and make them feel part of the process, said Brooks Bradford, chairman of the commercial exhibits committee that oversees the rodeos retail and food vendors. It helped generate buzz.

The new process also helped weed out some of the more questionable and outrageous carnival foods that were part of Gold Buckle in years past. Gone were foods such as scorpion- and worm-topped pizza, pickles coated with Flamin Hot Cheetos, unicorn floats, and Cheetos cotton candy. While those foods may have captured intense social media attention, some were not exactly the foods that were classic midway fare.

Which brings us back to the simple pleasures of something like a candy apple, baked potato, or a funnel cake. And those, folks, are what won this years Gold Buckle Foodie Awards.

The 2022 Gold Buckle Foodie Awards Winners

Best Fried Food

1st: Deep Fried Jambalaya Roll (Cajun Cowboy)

2nd: Funnel Cake Monte Cristo Basket (Sills concessions)

3rd: Chicken Tender Basket (Holmes Smokehouse)

Best Food on a Stick

1st: The Berry Racer Caramel Apple (Munch-oes Bakery)

2nd: Beef K-Bob on a Stick (Saltgrass Steak House)

3rd: The Spice Corn Dog (CornDog with No Name)

Classic Fair Food

1st: Harlons All Meat Stuffed Potato (Harlons BBQ)

2nd: Pulled Pork Baked Potato (Saltgrass Steak House)

3rd: Brisket Cheese Fries (Spring Country Kitchen)

Most Creative Food

1st: The Bonfire Funnel Cake (CornDog with No Name)

2nd: Harlons Stuffed Turkey Leg (Harlons BBQ)

3rd: Steak Salad (Saltgrass Steak House)

Best New Flavor

1st: Bacon Mac & Cheese Egg Roll (The Finer Diner)

2nd: Brisket Bacon Melt (Spring Country Kitchen)

3rd: Island Slaw (Island Noodles)

Best Dessert

1st: Fried Red Velvet Cupcake (Sills Funnel Cakes)

2nd: Chocolate Turtle Cookie Sandwich (Munch-oes Bakery)

3rd: The Yellow Rose Funnel Cake (CornDog with No Name)

greg.morago@chron.com
How you wear your hat  the size of the brim, the shape of the creases and the height of the crown  says a lot about who you are.

A cowboy hat lets everyone know youre Western. Its the crowning glory to a Western outfit, said Rick Bishop, whose Western Tradition boots, hats and accessories will be for sale in NRG Center at the 2022 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. If Im outside, Ive got a hat on. Living in Wyoming, at that elevation, the sun is pretty harsh.

Hes one of dozens of vendors inside NRG Center  as well as a handful more in NRG Arena  selling everything from saltwater taffy to Western-style clothing and accessories, chandeliers made of animal antlers, embroidered pillows, cars, trucks and even mattresses.

For 43 years, Bishop and his staff have been preparing hats for rodeogoers, shaping them to each buyers head, then adding creases or indentations in the crown and sides, and finishing them off with decorative hatbands or other accessories. The hats sell for $200 to $795.

Bishop explained that a Cattlemans-style hat has a center crease and two indentations in the side and crown, while a buckaroo hat is more basic, with a round top. Ask for a Cool Hand Luke and youll get a hat with a square front rim and collar crown.

Bull riders and bareback riders have their own styles, too, and if youre good at reading hat shapes, youll know who they are just by looking at their hats, Bishop said.

Rodeo is about Western activities such as calf-roping, barrel racing, bull riding and showing animals, but its also a big site for commerce, with vendors setting up booths the past several days, hoping for a better year than they had in 2020. That year, the rodeo was canceled after just eight days because of the coronavirus pandemic, which in the same month shut down much of America, with workers shifting to home-based offices and children attending school via laptops.

Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor

The 2021 event was completely canceled, with COVID-19 still raging. So Bishop and other vendors are hoping for a good run this year.

Paul Hotzes Houston-based Paris Texas shop will have a booth, mostly selling novelty T-shirts with sayings such as El Jefe, Folsom Prison and Mama Tried. Crystal Cummings is back with all kinds of casual Western wear for women at her Accessorize In Style space, and Mark Hollars Sombero Brands cowboy hat and boot shop expects to be busy there, too.

Hats are our claim to fame, but just about anything you need in the horse industry, we can provide. If we dont have it, we can have it made, Hollar said.

His Sombero Brands is based in Brenham, but hes been bringing his Rod Patrick boots and custom, made-to-measure shirts and custom saddles and tack to the rodeo each year since February 2006, just a couple of months after going into business.

Hollars booth is in NRG Arena, closer to the cutting horse shows, but he said his clientele knows exactly where to find him.

People who come over here are the cowboys and cowgirls who come over here to get a cowboy hat. Im not knocking anybody else, but (shoppers) are not going to go wrong coming to this side, Hollar said of his out-of-the-way location. When you walk away, youve got what you need to take care of your hat. They come with a lifetime of friendly service, and well never charge to clean and reshape it.

You don't have to limit yourself to just looking for silver jewelry or cowboy hats and boots in the shopping area at NRG Center. At his Karma Living booth, Leo Kraidelman sells heavily embroidered chairs, benches and pillows in lively colors and at reasonable prices. If you dont need anything that big, you can buy tea towels or cosmetics bags with the image of Frida Kahlo.

Kraidelman said the pillows are handmade in India and beaded belts are made in Peru. If you miss him at the rodeo, youll be able to catch him at the Arbors and Venue during the spring antique shows in Round Top in late March and early April.

Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor Michael Wyke / Contributor

Raymond Woodrows Creekside Country Enterprises doesnt sell anything off the floor at his small booth space in NRG Center, but he has plenty of examples of antler chandeliers and mirrors framed with antlers for inspiration.

All of his work is custom made, using any kind of antlers  elk, moose, white deer or mule deer  you want on any object you can come up with, he said.

And over the weekend, Jenni Wheeler and her daughter, Lexi, were setting up their family business, Crafty Canine. She does shows around the city and this is her 16th year at Houstons rodeo.

Youll find Western-style dog accessories, mostly leashes and collars, but the Wheelers do get out a few things for cats, because at every show, someone inevitably asks for it.

diane.cowen@chron.com
Courtesy of Thames & Hudson

Louis Cartiers fascination with Islamic arts, especially Persian geometric shapes, motifs and color combinations, is celebrated in Cartier and Islamic Art (Thames & Hudson; $70; 320 pages), on sale April 12.

It accompanies a major exhibition that recently finished at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and will reopen May 14-Sept. 18 at the Dallas Museum of Art. The book dives into the Cartier family history, but it also shows the influence of Islamic art and decorative objects on the Cartier brothers. The pattern in a ceramic tile could become an earring or brooch, the flourish of an elaborate drawing in a wallcovering could translate to a beautifully decorated cigarette case or pen box.

Thames & Hudson

William Morris, By Anna Mason

Perhaps no other designer and maker has had the profound impact on British culture as William Morris, creator of the still popular Strawberry Thief and other floral and botanical patterns for textiles. Morris was a pioneer of the Arts and Crafts Movement in England, designing furniture, stained glass and interior decor, democratizing art along the way.

Now, hes the subject of a new book, William Morris, (Thames & Hudson; $75; 432 pages), that marks the 125th anniversary of his death while examining his creations in painstaking detail.

V&A Sourcebook of Pattern and Ornament, by Amelia Calver

Thames & Hudson

In the more than a century and a half it has existed, Londons Victoria & Albert Museum has cultivated one of the best collections of pattern and ornament  two themes that date to the beginning of time  in the world.

V&A Sourcebook of Pattern and Ornament, (Thames & Hudson; $50; 400 pages) is organized into four categories, Plants, Animals, Earth and the Universe and Abstract Patterns and looks at how they can evolve from one generation to the next, including ceramics and clothing to furniture, textiles, jewelry and art.

A Life in Pattern, by Anna Spiro

Courtesy of Thames & Hudson

Australian designer Anna Spiros new book, A Life in Pattern (Thames & Hudson; $60; 256 pages), is a devotion to maximalism and creating rooms with color palettes that run both deep and wide. There are pages of gorgeous studies in calm blue and white and others with vivid combinations.

Fans of mix-and-match style will enjoy this book, and others might be inspired to try changing it up just a little. Spiro writes of her experience decorating Halcyon House, a beachside hotel in New South Wales, and her own inspirations, then lets the photos of her many finished projects prompt you to dream in color, too.

Julia Morgan: An Intimate Biography of the Trailblazing Architect, by Victoria Kastner

Chronicle Books

Back when women could barely get into architecture schools, let alone get a job after they graduated, Californian architect Julia Morgan blazed a trail as she designed some 700 structures in her 50-year career. Morgan certainly had talent and drive; she also had a fortuitous meeting and friendship with Phoebe Apperson Hearst when Morgan was a student and Hearst was a benefactor at the University of California at Berkeley. Hearst introduced Morgan to her son, William Randolph Hearst for whom she designed several homes, including the famed Hearst Castle, which took nearly 30 years to complete. This biography (Chronicle Books; $32.50; 240 pages) shows the brilliant mark that Morgan made on the countrys architecture before her death in 1957 at the age of 85.

Homes for Nomads: Interiors of the Well-Travelled, by Thijs Demeulemeester

Lanoo Publishers

Homes for Nomads (Lanoo Publishers; $55; 208 pages) combines the work of Belgian journalist Thijs Demeulemeester and photographer Jan Verlinde and visits 19 chic homes in Belgium. Theyre a mix of new and old, traditional and contemporary, and every single one is filled with furniture, art and accessories that represent the planet as a whole. They might also inspire you to purchase something interesting on your next trip  and find a place for it in your own home.
Ukraine continued its determined defense against the Russian invasion Monday, enduring intense rocket attacks on its second-largest city as a 40-mile convoy of tanks closed in on the capital Kyiv, and leaders in Washington sought to calm concerns generated by the Kremlins nerve-rattling nuclear threats.

The fifth day of Russias ruthless war on its neighbor began with long-shot hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough, but an hours-long meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegates near the border with Belarus appeared fruitless.

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President Vladimir Putin of Russia has shown little interest in changing course despite the ferocious resistance his soldiers have faced from Ukrainians, and widespread Western condemnation. Sanctions from the U.S. and Europe have decimated the Russian economy, tanked its currency and emptied the countrys ATMs as Russians rush to shore up their pocketbooks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (SERGEI GUNEYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin has responded by ratcheting up his rhetoric  hinting at nuclear war  while his troops wage an increasingly violent assault on Ukraine, a democratic nation that declared independence 30 years ago after the fall of the Soviet Union.

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Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city after Kyiv, faced intense shelling on Monday. The sky above the city of more than 1 million people transformed into a sea of smoke. A factory was reduced to rubble.

Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, said dozens of people died and hundreds were wounded in Kharkiv. Igor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, said a family with three children burned to death in their auto.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, said the attack on the city was clearly a war crime.

A member of the Ukrainian territorial defense directs cars in a traffic jam ahead of a military checkpoint outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (VADIM GHIRDA/AP)

In a video address late Monday, the Ukrainian president declined to give details about talks held earlier between Ukrainian and Russian representatives, adding that Kyiv was not prepared to make concessions when one side is hitting each other with rocket artillery.

Overall, at least 352 Ukrainian civilians including 14 children had died in the war through Sunday, according to the Ukrainian government. The conflict, Europes largest since World War II, has unleashed a refugee crisis, and some 520,000 people have fled Ukraine, according to the UN.

Russias invasion plans seem to have already been delayed by several days, with troops bottlenecked and the key capital city of Kyiv presenting fierce opposition.

Ukrainian soldiers take positions on a bridge inside the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25, 2022. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Still, the million-strong Russian army has Ukraine vastly out-gunned, and the U.S. and other Western powers have ruled out sending their own troops into the chaos, fearing a third world war. A convoy of Russian military vehicles stretches some 40 miles outside Kyiv, CNN reported.

Russia has sent about three-quarters of the troops its massed around Ukraine this winter, according to estimates, indicating that more than 100,000 Russian soldiers are now within their neighbors borders.

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It is not clear how far Putin is willing to go to seize Ukraine, and he has shocked analysts by dragging his country into a war that threatens to level the Russian economy and produce mass protest in Moscow.

President Biden, who warned of the invasion for weeks and has marshaled crippling economic sanctions, has pledged to turn Putin into a pariah on the world stage.

Concerns about Putins state of mind have increased with each perplexing claim the 69-year-old makes  including a pledge to complete the denazification of Ukraine, which is led by a Jewish president  and with each hint of atomic Armageddon he dispenses.

On Sunday, Putin ordered Russias nuclear forces into special alert, apparently in response to the U.K. governments since-shelved support of Britons traveling to Ukraine to fight the Russians. The U.S. responded to the Russian escalation by mostly ignoring it, and did not heighten its own nuclear alert.

Putin has spent most of the pandemic entirely isolated, and he sat down at the other end of an extremely long table opposite his defense minister as he ordered the nuclear escalation on Sunday. He also sat a comically long distance from President Emmanuel Macron of France during a last-ditch diplomatic meeting before the war.

Though Putins behavior and speeches have grown increasingly unhinged in the eyes of the West, his mindset has been the subject of Western concern for years. In 2014, Germanys then-chancellor, Angela Merkel, was said to have told President Barack Obama that Putin was in another world during a phone call.

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Some have also suggested that Putin may be deliberately creating an impression of madness to deter American interference in his bid to snatch Ukraine, which he has long hungered to return to Russias control.

Asked Monday if Americans should be worried about the possibility of nuclear warfare, Biden responded with a single word, No, without elaborating. Biden also brushed off an implied nuclear threat from Putin last week as he delivered a tough-talking speech reminiscent of the Cold War, saying he had no idea what the Russian president was threatening.

And earlier this month, Biden responded to Russian nuclear drills by stressing that he did not think Putin was remotely contemplating using nuclear weapons.

I do think hes focused on trying to convince the world that he has the ability to change the dynamics in Europe  in a way that he cannot, Biden said 10 days ago, before the war began.

Ukrainian police gesture during an airstrike alarm outside the railway station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (VADIM GHIRDA/AP)

At the UN on Monday, Canadas ambassador, Bob Rae, demanded that Putin stop the war and end his frightening threats. Take your finger away from the nuclear button, Rae said. And never put it back for as long as you live.

John Kirby, the Pentagons press secretary, said Monday that he could not confirm a Kremlin claim that staffing has been increased at Russian nuclear sites. Were reviewing and analyzing that announcement, Kirby said.

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Matthew Bunn, a nuclear expert and professor at Harvard Universitys school of government, said that the White House is right to respond calmly, and that the nuclear threat will remain low as long as the conflict does not spill into a broader European war.

But Bunn said the situation should be a wakeup call, noting that the U.S. and Russia avoided a nuclear conflict during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 by sheer luck.

I think Putin is rattling his nuclear saber to deter the West from intervening not because he actually intends to use nuclear weapons any time soon, Bunn said. But he cautioned: This war will create a deep-freeze in Russia-Western relations.

That intense hostility itself carries risk of conflict over the long haul, Bunn added, and will make it more difficult to reduce the dangers.
Boots, bandannas, bolos and hats get modern-day updates by Texan-friendly female designers with a distinct point of view and a fondness for heritage pieces. Here, timeless accessories for Rodeo season and beyond.

Teressa Foglia

Malibu-based self-trained milliner Teressa Foglia says she quickly noticed that Houston women wear her bespoke hats in a way that is distinct from clients at her shops in Laguna Beach, New Yorks Nolita, Palm Beach and elsewhere.

With confidence, Foglia says. Texans favor tall crowns, stiff brims and a lot of color, she says  and they position their hats with authority, super straight on their forehead, not tilted back.

Men and women on the coasts might need to be convinced that hats are part of an everyday wardrobe, she says  Texans step up for another one to add to their collection. We realized there was a really unique taste for hats here and our clients were creating some of the coolest designs weve made.

It was wildly-successful pop-ups at Katia boutique and La Colombe dOr Hotel, followed by chance encounters with vacationing Houstonians at her Malibu atelier, that convinced Foglia that Houston was the right place for her first Texas store.

The River Oaks District boutique opened its doors in January with the most minimalist design of all her shops, she says, of the bone-white walls, wood furniture plucked from Round Top, and fine art by her life partner and business partner Tyler Hays Wild displayed behind stacks of hat boxes.

Available in dusty pinks, deep blues, mustards and a range of neutrals, beaver fur hats that are ready to wear out the door might be adorned with hand-stitched flower petals, artfully-splattered inkblots, patterns of constellations on the underbrim, feathers or frayed silk bands.

But most men and women spend time in the store, changing out the vintage silk scarf each hat is lined with, adding charms or a wood-burned personal mantra, switching grosgrain ribbon to build a new band, or watching staff wield a blowtorch for additional distressing.

A customer might bring in an Hermes scarf that was her grandmothers to become the hat lining  They get to take the scarf with them every day, Foglia says  or a locket or other heirloom. Other very heartfelt requests include hand-embroidery of lyrics from a poem, the wings of a bird, or an Astros flag.

Once at a pop-up at Rancho Pillow in Round Top, a customer asked for the words Mama tried.

Custom additions continue with a cowhide or leather underbrim  this other element of luxury, Foglia says  or initials or an important date on the sweatband.

From-scratch hats take about six weeks, beginning with raw felt blocking in Foglias Brooklyn studio, brim cutting on a rounding jack, and other Old World practicing. When theyre not in person at a shop for custom design, Foliga or Wild will consult via video.

The River Oaks District boutique stocks a limited amount of Dallas-based hand-lasted Miron Crosby boots and fine jewelry from a Los Angeles designer, along with rotating brand pop-ups such as custom suiting out of Nashville.

Foglia is working on special-edition Rodeo hats using pink-spotted leathers, cowhides, metallic leathers, fringe and lots of sparkle.

Texas hospitality might have already worked on her  the couple is shopping for an apartment to use as a pied-a-terre.

Straw hats starting at $600; felt hats start at $1,350. River Oaks District, 4444 Westheimer, Ste. E135; teressafoglia.com

Fraulein Boots

Fraulein Boots / Fraulein Boots

Reared in Kingwood attending the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the Astroworld, sisters Margaret Walker and Sarah Caruth are now residents of San Antonio, where they frequent that citys rodeo, preferring the seats where you get dirt in your beer, Walker says.

Every year at the rodeo, the pair says strangers stop to complement their vintage boots from collections theyve culled from garage sales and eBay.

It was the pandemic and a joint midlife crisis, Caruth laughs, that ultimately inspired them to launch Fraulein Boots, their new collection inspired by those hard-to-find 60s and 70s era styles.

With five styles anchoring their debut collection, Walker and Caruth say each was selected for timeless detailing, such as butterflies, daisies and other boots designs they call iconic.

Designed with comfort in mind, the boots are handmade by venerable bootmaker Rios of Mercedes. At the first Zoom meeting that patched them into Rios staff in the Valley, We thought we were interviewing them, and they were definitely interviewing us, says Caruth.

Accepted as a client, the pair visited the factory to select leathers before passing sketches back and forth to finalize the designs.

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The deep turquoise San Antonio Rose adorned with white blooms is a showstopper, Walker says. For another, they chose honey brown, a versatile color of the 1970s they say is rarely seen in todays boots. Ankle-height versions answer the call for an everyday boot. One day they might incorporate a thunderbird as they grow their brand.

Theyll return to Round Top in the spring with the collection, which they say was well-received this winter at holiday markets at Houston country clubs.

Boots are really having a moment, theyre not just for rodeo anymore, says Walker. Western wear is not going away anytime soon  and its appeal extends to customers far beyond Texas, theyve learned.

The brand is named for the favorite country-western song of their father, who died when the sisters were adolescents. While they were considering more than a dozen other brand names, Walker heard the 1950s tune on the radio and called her sister to say she had found their new companys name. Serendipitous, says Caruth.

$750-$850, frauleinboots.com

Gather Goods

Gather Goods / Gather Goods

It was stomping through fields in Round Top that Fort Worth-based Megan Clifton first scoured for vintage sterling silver bolos to add to her Southwestern-inspired collection of statement jewelry, Gather Goods.

Clifton shines and cleans the bolos before changing out the cords to bright turquoise, clementine, mustard, fucshia or pale pink  more modern, a little bit of a fresher look, says Clifton of the one-of-a-kind pieces.

Canvassing small Texas towns, with a few friends keeping an eye out for her, Clifton says shes particularly delighted when she unearths a thunderbird bolo accented with real turquoise or a Zuni bird made of mosaic glass.

The hunt is just as much fun as the gather, if you will.

Clifton launched her brand in 2019 with fetish bird necklaces inspired by a sentimental strand she received after the passing of her grandmother, an Albuquerque resident with a memorable collection of squash blossom necklaces and other turquoise jewelry.

Gather Goods / Gather Goods Gather Goods / Gather Goods Gather Goods / Gather Goods Gather Goods / Gather Goods Megan Clifton's Gather Goods is a Southwestern-inspired collection of statement jewelry. / Gather Goods

Those are the types of pieces Clifton says her peers are drawn to, but with a more attainable price point.

For her updated spin on the past-era accessory  a fetish animal is a Native American carving believed to have a special power  Clifton hand-strings vintage birds with brightly-colored beads made from melted vinyl records that she sources from Ghana.

At pop-ups, like ones she held recently in Fort Worth and Houston in conjunction with the rodeos, customers sometimes tell her, I just dont know if Im a bolo person.

Clifton replies that one can wear a bolo like a necklace, with shorts and a T-shirt, a dress or with anything.

Its not just zip it up to your top button that you remember your grandpa wearing, she laughs. They just needed an update

Limited selection of African bead jewelry available at Kind Collective, 1020 Studewood. Fetish bird necklaces, $98; bolos, $158-$188; gathergoodsatx.com

Arloom

Arloom / Arloom

Rich in hand embroidery, no two snap bandannas from Wimberley-based Arloom are alike.

The bandannas, backed in microsuede, are fashioned using scraps from the vintage huipil blouses that Arloom re-sews and re-cuts to make into more modern silhouettes.

Huipil blouses are traditionally worn by women in Guatemala, where Arloom employs artisans to help source the blouses  which have been collected by families and traded for years at markets, causing a soft, well-worn effect  then to hand-dye, repair and re-make the blouses.

Theyre beautiful, says Arlooms founder Robin Hewes, who travels to South America to hand-select each garment.

Arloom / Arloom Arloom / Arloom Arloom / Arloom No two snap bandannas from Wimberley-based Arloom are alike. / Arloom

If theres a tear, the team might cover it with embroidered flowers or birds or put our little spin on them, she says.

Arloom launched in 2012 with leather goods framed with the same textiles. In recent years, Hewes has shifted focus to the blouses and now, using the excess elaborate textiles, the bandannas  a fun take on a traditional accessory, she says.

Her collection is available at her teeny little shop in Wimberley, each season in Round Top at The Arbors and at Marburger Farms, and at Houston pop-ups at boutiques such as Abejas and Frock Shop.

Her customers treat the reimagined vintage huipil blouses like an everyday top, she says. The people that get it can see it as this art piece really unique and not everybodys going to have it.

Huipil blouses, $158-198; Snap bandannas, $118; arloom.com.

Sissy Light

Sissy Light / Sissy Light

In Round Top everyone calls me Sissy, at home everyone calls me Kristin, says Uvalde-based Kristin Light, the designer behind hat brand Sissy Light.

Sissy is her husbands nickname for her, and their ranching-and-Rodeo lifestyle has heavily influenced the hats she sells at Round Top, where Light is a fixture.

Along with designing The Frenchie boutique hotel and other interiors projects in Round Top, Light has manned a seasonal hat shop inside Bader Ranch since 2015, where she has amassed a cult following  first for her curation of designer labels such as Lola Hats, now for her very own designs.

During last falls Round Top show, Light launched her first collection of her own designs, simultaneous with an e-commerce site.

It took about two years to perfect the crown and the fit of her hats, handmade in Ecuador of toquilla straw and free of over-embellishment, which is very different from everyone else, Light says.

Sissy Light / Sissy Light Sissy Light / Sissy Light Sissy Light / Sissy Light Uvalde-based Kristin Light, the designer behind hat brand Sissy Light, is a fixture at Round Top. 16 of 17 Uvalde-based Kristin Light, the designer behind hat brand Sissy Light, is a fixture at Round Top. / Sissy Light

Fit and function has been the root of all of the styles, says Light of the versatile, year-round hats in modern shapes with clean lines.

At each show, designers such as HGTVs Kim Wolfe make Sissy Light, housed inside Bader Ranchs open-air style barn filled with European antiques, a perennial stop.

Fall was a record-breaking show. They came back for more and sent all their friends, she says of long-time customers who, this time, were shopping her own silhouettes.

Moving forward, Light will launch her seasonal collections with each of the three major shows in Round Top, where Light and her team clock about 17 days straight each time.

I dont want to miss anyone. she says, and I like to style everyone, too, when they come in

Round Top has been the center of the brand from the get-go, says Light, adding that her collection fits as well on a California beach vacation as in city life and back home on her ranch, where her husband works cattle and the family farms.

Im not the most Western person, laughs Light, who studied at Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, but I feel like we live that lifestyle, and its really influenced a lot of the design.

This spring in Round Top, Light will unveil straw, botanical-shaped earrings that speak to her breezy-cool aesthetic, all the more reason to stay awhile at Bader Ranch for the chef-driven pop-up restaurant and Airstreams offering cocktails.

I think the big appeal is its wide, open spaces, the hayfield. People come to watch the sunset. and they just dont leave.

$225-$245 at Sissy Light inside Bader Ranch during seasonal shows, 470 S. Washington, Round Top; sissylight.com
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The Alzheimers Foundation of America is hitting the road  and Texas is the second stop on a national tour.

The Educating America Tour was launched five years ago and recently completed its outreach to all 50 states.

Now, were continuing on with this initiative, said foundation president and CEO Charles Fuschillo Jr. We have 10 dates scheduled throughout this year.

In Texas, a virtual Alzheimers conference, free and open to the public, is scheduled March 9.

The event is designed to be educational, giving participants the opportunity to learn from health experts and caregivers.

George Perry will present Alzheimers Disease: In Search of a Cure, an overview of the disease, update on research and clinical trials and prospects for the future.

Perry is professor of biology and the Semmes Foundation Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is a member of the Foundations Medical, Scientific and Memory Screening Advisory Board.

Educating America Tour What: Virtual Alzheimer's conference When: 10 a.m.-12:45 p.m. March 9 Details: Free and open to the public. To register, visit alzfdn.org/tour. See More Collapse

Another key presenter will be Laura Novak, an occupational therapist specializing in gerontology. She serves as assistant professor, Department of Occupational Therapy at UT Health San Antonio.

Her talk, Navigating Challenging Behaviors Associated With Dementia, will give caregivers insight into underlying causes of dementia. She will offer targeted strategies to navigate challenging behaviors.

Catherine Stansbury, a social worker and therapist with Divine Mercy Counseling in Austin, will lead Healing Trauma in Caregivers of Persons With Advanced Dementia.

Her discussion will focus on Alzheimers effects on caregivers. She will focus on trauma therapy and how to support the brains natural healing process.

The conference will include a photo slideshow, presented by retired nurse practitioner Carmen Davailus, founder and president of Doggies for Dementia Foundation.

Fuschillo said that 400,000 people are currently living with Alzheimers in Texas.

In the absence of a cure, that number is expected to increase 25 to 30 percent in just three years, he said. Thats almost half a million, 490,000, by 2025. Thats right around the corner.

The Alzheimers Foundation of America funds research for better treatment and a cure. The nonprofit also provides support, services and education.

We were founded by a caregiver, Fuschillo said.

Bert Brodsky was caring for his mother, Anne, who lived with Alzheimers for more than a decade.

He had no place to turn for guidance and support, Fuschillo said. He wanted to make sure no one had to go on this journey alone.

After establishing the organization in 2002, he continues to serve as board chairman.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Alzheimers Foundation of America. The organization provides a national toll-free helpline, staffed by licensed social workers. There is also a web chat feature, available in more than 90 languages.

The foundation also offers a screening program and dementia care training for healthcare professionals.

After receiving an Alzheimers diagnosis, life is never the same, Fuschillo said. We want to make sure people know our services are out there.

The virtual conference is one way to spread awareness, he added. Since the pandemic, the event has become virtual.

Our attendance and participation has increased three to four times what it was in person, he said.

Everyone is welcome to attend, Fuschillo added, from caregivers to members of the general public who simply want to learn more about Alzheimers.

Connecting individuals with useful, practical information and support can be beneficial now  and help them prepare for the future.

Deborah Banerjee, bureau chief of the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Research for Effectiveness at the Houston Health Department, pointed to rising numbers of Alzheimers diagnoses in Harris County.

Recent data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that 12.4 percent of the Medicare population in the county has been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease or dementia.

The toll that Alzheimers is taking on our community is soaring, Banerjee said.

In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the age-adjusted death rate in Harris County in the 2012-2014 period was 17.1 deaths per 100,000 population among those with Alzheimers disease and dementia, which nearly doubled to 30.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2017 to 2019.

In a 2019 report on disparities from the Houston Health Department, Alzheimers is listed as the fifth-leading cause of death in Harris County, after heart disease, cancer, stroke and accidents. It is also the only disease that affects females more than males.

The report also states that after age 65, the likelihood of developing the disease doubles every five years, making the risk nearly 50 percent after age 85.

This increasing impact represents a growing need to help residents recognize Alzheimers symptoms and inform them of how to best manage their illness, including available treatments that slow the progression of the illness, Banerjee said.

She added, It also results in a critical need to raise awareness among caregivers about the skills they will need to adequately support their loved ones and the care challenges they will likely face.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based writer.
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March 4

Houston Port Authority topic at chamber lunch

The Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce presents its First Friday Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on March 4 at Lone Star College-Tomball Beckendorf Conference Center. This months guest speaker is Houston Port Authority Community Relations Manager Garret Berg. Admission is $20.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Lone Star College students earn scholarships with essays

Bergs position at the port authority focuses on the maritime industry and stakeholder engagement near and within the Houston region.

Lone Star College-Tomball Beckendorf Conference Center is located at 30555 Tomball Parkway. Learn more at www.tomballchamber.org.

LAs Tab Benoit performs two nights at Dosey Doe

Blues guitarist Tab Benoit will perform two nights at 8:30 p.m. on March 4-5 at Dosey Doe The Big Barn. Alistair Greene opens at 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $88 and includes a three-course meal served until 7:30 p.m.

The southern Louisiana based artist performs with a simple set up: a Fender Telecaster Thinline, a cord, a mic and an amp. He is also the founder of the group Voice for the Wetlands, which advocates and raises money for Louisianas coastal preservation.

Dosey Doe The Big Barn is located at 25911 I-45 North in The Woodlands. Learn more at www.doseydoe.com or call 281-367-3774.

Quilt show returns to Berry Center

The Tri-County Quilt Guild presents a quilt show March 4-5 at The Berry Center in CyFair. Admission is $10 at the door, and the event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 4 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 5.

More than 200 unique quilts will be on display and various vendors will participate. More than 60 gift baskets will be part of the tin can raffle and club members will sell gently used sewing and quilting items.

The Berry Center is located at 8877 Barker Cypress Road in Cypress. Learn more at www.tricountyquiltguild.org.

March 5

Runkind meets weekly to run, give back

Runkind is a family-friendly running club which meets in parks throughout The Woodlands, Tomball and Magnolia every Saturday including March 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Burroughs Park in Tomball.

Following a run and walk, the group travels to The Wheel Kitchen in Tomball at around 9:45 a.m. to participate in a service project with the Stronger to Serve organization.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Sam Houston Trail Riders welcomed in Tomball on way to Houston Rodeo

Burroughs Park is located at 9738 Hufsmith Road in Tomball. Learn more at www.facebook.com/strongertoserve.

Farmers Market held weekly in Tomball

The Tomball Farmers Market is open each Saturday including March 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The market was created by farmers more than 10 years ago and is still operated by local farmers  but also features vendors offering baked goods, desserts, raw juices, handcrafted jewelry, local coffee and wine. The market is the largest year-round weekly farmers market in Harris County.

Learn more at www.tomballfarmersmarket.org.

March 6

Church offers blood drive

Messiah Lutheran Church in Cypress presents a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on March 6 in the fellowship hall.

The church also offers regular Sunday worship times at 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and an education lesson for kids who have completed kindergarten through the sixth grade at 9:15 a.m.

Messiah Lutheran Church is located at 11522 Telge Road. Learn more at www.commitforlife.org or email hughesguyz@aol.com.

March 10

Vince King performs tribute to Elvis

Houston performing artist Vince King will pay tribute to Elvis Presley at 7 p.m. on March 10 at Main Street Crossing in Tomball. Tickets start at $27.

King, who grew up in Fort Bend County and who frequently performs as Elvis Presley, has a commanding stage presence and a faithful delivery. As Elvis Presley, King will perform Suspicious Minds, Power of My Love and Thats All Right Mama.

Main Street Crossing is located at 111 W. Main Street in Tomball. Learn more at https://www.reverbnation.com/venue/mainstreetcrossing or call 281-290-0431.

Weekend lineup of events feature young artists

Young Texas Artists presents the 2022 YTA Fine Arts Weekend March 10-13 at various locations in Conroe. Tickets start at $100.

The weekend includes a Bach, Beethoven & Barbecue dinner at the Crighton Theatre Grand Pavilion at 5 p.m. on March 12, a Concert of Classics featuring YTA Finalists at 7:30 p.m. on March 12 at Crighton Theatre, a Fine Arts Show at 1 p.m. on March 11 at 202 Main Street, a contemporary dance showcase at 2 p.m. on March 11 at 202 Main Street and a Young Texas Poets Showcase at 3:30 p.m. on March 13 at Red Brick Tavern.

Crighton Theatre is located at 234 N. Main Street in Conroe. Learn more at www.ytamc.com.

March 12

Classic, custom car swap meet at Traders Village

Jason Earhart Productions presents the 33rd Annual Auto Swap Meet at Traders Village March 12-13. Admission is free. Parking is $5.

Vendors and car enthusiasts will participate in selling and showing off custom, classic and unique car parts, accessories and more.

Traders Village is located at 7979 N. Eldridge Road in Houston. Learn more at www.tradersvillage.com.

March 13

Art studio gives tours every month

The Bella Bottega art studio in Magnolia presents its monthly Champagne and Chocolate Art Gala from 1 to 4 p.m. on March 13. Admission is free.

Once a month the art studio opens its doors to the public to see the collaborative working artist studio with 8 studios. Works will be for sale, demonstrations will be given and champagne and chocolate will be offered.

The Bella Bottega is located at 903 Honea Egypt Road in Magnolia. Learn more at www.thebellabottega.com.

Bridgeland market open this Sunday

Bridgeland Farmers Market is every second and fourth Sunday of the month including March 13 from 10:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Cypress.

Local food producers and artisans are offering fresh gulf shrimp, pasta, vegetables and fruit, grass fed meats, handcrafted jewelry and candles, soaps and lotion and more. The event is produced by Your Neighborhood Farmers Market, which produces similar events at eleven different Houston-area locations.

Bridgeland Farmers Market is located at 10519 Fry Road in Cypress. Learn more at www.ynfma.org.

March 15

CyFair business group meets for breakfast

The BNI CyFair Business Connectors group will host a Cy-Fair business networking meeting for young professionals at 9 a.m. on March 15 at The Toasted Yolk Cafe in Cypress.

Currently, there are 13 members in the BNI CyFair Business Connectors group, a part of the international BNI organization which aims to increase members networking skills and referral opportunities.

The Toasted Yolk Cafe in Cypress is located at 27008 Northwest Freeway Suite 100. Learn more at www.bnihouston.com.

Entertainment roundup is a weekly feature compiled by freelance writer Brandon Moeller. Send entertainment submissions to Brandon at moellerbrandon@gmail.com .
FBI

James Smith will serve as the special agent in charge of the FBI's field office in Houston, the federal agency announced Monday.

Smith  who recently worked in Washington, D.C., at the agencys headquarters as the associate deputy directors chief of staff  began his time with the FBI in the mid-2000s when he was a special agent at the field office in Los Angeles, according to an FBI release.
Catholic leaders are trying to stop the scheduled April 27 execution of a Hispanic mother convicted of capital murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter.

The Catholic Mobilizing Network, a national organization opposed to the death penalty, is partnering with the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops in urging Gov. Greg Abbott and the the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant mercy to Melissa Lucio, who they said has a strong claim of innocence. The groups are also urging people to take part in a letter-writing campaign.

Lucio was charged with capital murder in the 2007 death of her then-youngest daughter, Mariah, at the familys Harlingen home. She was pregnant with twins at the time. Lucio, a 52-year-old mother of 14, would be the first Latina put to death in Texas in the modern era and the first woman in nearly a decade in the state.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Melissa Lucio could be the first Latina executed in Texas.

The Catholic network said that Lucio was convicted of killing her daughter despite significant evidence suggesting her death wasnt a homicide, but rather an accidental head injury sustained in a fall down rickety stairs. She was convicted of capital murder in 2008 after turning down a plea offer that carried a 30-year prison term, saying she was innocent.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops said in a statement that Lucio was sentenced to die by a flawed process with no evidence and no witnesses. They said the sentence was based instead on a coerced, passive admission of guilt given after a rigorous interrogation on the night of her daughters death, suggesting that it was a false confession.

Death is not the answer to death. One tragedy is not somehow made better by killing someone else, said the Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores, the bishop of Brownsville, in a statement. Justice is not suddenly restored because another person dies (and) executing Melissa (Lucio) will not bring peace to her surviving children.

Several family members spoke in Houston on Feb. 18 as part of a statewide tour to promote a 2020 Hulu documentary, The State of Texas vs. Melissa, that makes a case that the state is on the brink of executing an innocent woman.

Lucios family is divided over her culpability in Mariahs death, with two of her daughters saying that the mother abused and neglected the child and is responsible for her death.

Related: Mother sentenced to death for toddlers fatal beating

Mariahs cause of death was determined to be blunt force head trauma. According to court records, the physician who attended to Mariah when she was transported to an emergency room declared that the girl had signs of severe physical abuse, including bruises in various stages of healing covering her body and bite marks on her back. She also had one of her arms broken weeks before her death and was missing patches of hair where it had been pulled out by the roots.

Lucio and her defense have insisted that Mariahs death was accidental.

We are created in Gods image and as such we must commit to protecting every human being and caring for their soul, said Austin Bishop Joe S. Vasquez. People of goodwill understand that an act of violence cannot be overcome with another act of violence.

People interested in signing the petition can find it on the Catholic Mobilizing Network website.

olivia.tallet@chron.com
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Dozens of people gathered Monday night in the Galleria-area to show their support for Ukraine, holding up or wearing flags for the country and chanting opposition to the war.

Members of the group called out chants such as stop Putin, stop the war or peace for Ukraine at the corner of Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road, where drivers of passing cars honked .

Russia last week invaded the neighboring European country, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to flee Ukraine as the deadly conflict wages. For now, Ukraine has been able to hold onto its control over critical cities, including its capital of Kyiv, the Associated Press reported Monday.

On HoustonChronicle.com: What will Russia's invasion in Ukraine mean for Houston?

The European Union and others, including the United States, have lodged sanctions aimed at Russia in response to the invasion.

I spoke today with Allies and partners to discuss Russias unprovoked war on Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter Monday. We are continuing our support for the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and affirmed our readiness to keep imposing severe costs on Russia if they do not de-escalate.

Vanda Sovinska, a 16-year-old exchange student from Ukraine who attends high school in League City, said her family lives in the suburbs of Kyiv. She came out to support her country and raise awareness of the war.

Sovinska said her friends from Ukraine recently texted her, and she called her mom and woke her up at night to tell her there were explosions. Then her mom heard them, she said. The teenage student said shes been feeling anxiety because she doesnt know what will happen next.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston Ukrainians monitor news, fear for friends and family following Russian invasion

Another protest attendee, 63-year-old Houston resident Liudmyla Vereshchagina, said her daughter and grandson are living in Kyiv. She said she wanted people to know the truth: Russia was the aggressor, and Putin was the number one aggressor in the world, she said.

Her country needs help and protection, she later said, adding that Ukrainians are brave and special people.

We are winning. We will win, Vereshchagina said, saying she believed it from the bottom of her heart.

Protesters are expected to gather again Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Post Oak Boulevard and Westheimer Road.

Editor's note: This correction reflects Vanda Sovinska on Tuesday clarified that friends from Ukraine texted her after which she called her mother and awakened her mother to tell her about the explosions.

leah.brennan@chron.com
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Donna Casasanta picked through the brush in an overgrown patch of woods in northeast Harris County, looking.

The 80-year-old mother had spent 40 years wondering. She had traveled 980 miles, driven with her grown children for three days from her home in Florida, to be here.

Casasanta is not as sturdy as she once was. Navigating through the brush and brambles wouldnt have been difficult 40 years ago, but now she walks with a cane.

But she needed to reach the spot where police finally found her sons body, a small piece of land next to Wallisville Road in northeast Harris County. The spot was sprinkled with palmettos, fallen trees, and a bed of leaves that crunched and rustled at every step.

She needed to see it.

Forty-two years ago, her son, Harold Dean Clouse and his young wife, Tina Gail Linn, moved to Texas from New Smyrna, Fla.

Hed been promised a job building houses, a job that would help him provide for Tina and their infant daughter, Hollie Marie.

They exchanged letters all throughout 1980, but that October, Dean stopped writing.

COLD CASE: After 40 years, a murdered Houston couple has finally been identified. Where is their missing baby?

As the months passed, Casasanta became more and more worried. What had happened to her son?

Now Playing: Harold Dean Clouse and his wife, Tina Gail Linn, were murdered in late 1980 or early 1981. Their bodies were discovered in a wooded patch of land in northeast Harris County in January, 1981, but not identified until late last year. Family members traveled from across the U.S. to visit the site where the bodies were discovered and then pay their respects at the cemetery where they are buried. Video: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

The only clue she had was an anonymous call, a few months after his disappearance, from people who claimed to have found the couples car in California. Three women dressed in white robes drove it back to Casasanta, telling her Dean had joined a cult, renounced his worldly possessions, and wanted nothing to do with his family or his past.

Months turned to years, years to decades. Worry turned to panic, then that faded to grief. The questions never ceased, however.

For years, when she met new people, she occasionally spoke of her other children, but she tried to avoid mentioning Dean.

I just didnt want to bring all that pain up, she said Tuesday. Id be upset for days.

Unbeknownst to Casasanta or her family, police discovered a pair of mangled, badly decomposed bodies off Wallisville Road in early 1981. They belonged to a young man, beaten to death, and a woman, who was strangled. Both were 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall and had "beautiful teeth," a forensic investigator told the Chronicle in a subsequent article from 2011. It would take four decades for the bodies to be identified, aided by the detective work of two genetic genealogists.

In October, Casasanta got a phone call  a genealogist was looking for her. She listened as her daughter told her that they finally knew what had happened to Dean, that he and Tina had been murdered; that authorities had had found their bodies years ago; that Hollies body was never found.

On Sunday, Casasanta and her children departed from Florida in a rented RV. With them also was Les Linn, Tinas brother.

They drove first to Baton Rouge, then on to Houston.

It was the first time theyd all been together for decades, a moment of bittersweet reckoning overshadowed by the mission of their trip.

We knew this would be a hard day, Casasanta said.

As she picked through the brush, a family member on each arm, she couldnt help but wonder about the day Dean died.

UNSOLVED: DNA testing puts cold cases in the spotlight. But in Houston, hundreds of the dead remain unidentified.

What had this area looked like, 40 years ago? What was her son thinking that day? Was he already dead when his murderers brought him to this patch of land?

Even now, she could hardly believe it was true, could hardly believe Dean wasnt about to turn the corner, and tell her Here I am!

He was a searcher, a rascal, a bit of a vagabond. She laughed, recalling him disappearing for a week at a time, then calling her from an airport, asking her to send flight money. She remembered a birthday party attended by deputies and police officers she knew from her work at a restaurant  and their surprise at seeing a full-grown marijuana plant in her living room. Dean had left it asking her to take care of it.

I had no idea!, she protested. I gave him hell for that.

She remembered chewing him out when, one day, he had picked up his little sisters from school  only to stop for a hitchhiker on the way home.

Mom, theyre just down on their luck! he protested.

Now, she cant help but wonder if maybe a similar encounter in Texas led to his death.

Plummeting clearance rates: Houston's rate of unsolved murders is soaring. Experts say the police department is to blame.

Tess Welch, Deans younger sister, thought of the terror her brother and Tina must have felt during those last moments.

Amid the brush, Donna embraced her daughters  Tess, Cheryl and Debbie, and her son, Chris  and wept.

Being there brought it all back, said Linn, Tinas brother.

They certainly didnt deserve to go like this, he said, voice catching. This is almost too raw, too much information.

After a few minutes, they filed out of the woods, back onto the muddy track and out to the road.

They had one more stop to make: a trip to the paupers cemetery.

It sits on Oates Road, on a desolate stretch dotted with trucking yards, radiator repair shops and other industrial businesses.

The sun was bright; the sky clear.

They found the graves in Section G, amid recently mowed grass turned brown beneath bare-limbed live oaks.

The graves were side by side, each marked with a small, green, plastic flag.

Amid the unmarked rows, the families embraced once again.

Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The family of Tina Gail Linn and her husband Harold Dean Clouse mourn at their Houston gravesite. (Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer) The family of Tina Gail Linn and her husband Harold Dean Clouse mourn at their Houston gravesite. (Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer)

It was hard standing out there, grieving again the fact theyd never gotten to say goodbye. Forty years later, Donna has grown old, Les has sprouted gray hair and a full beard, but memories of Dean and Tina bring them back to 1980, when the couple were still 21 and 17, a young couple with an infant baby.

I still cant believe it, said Chris Casasanta, Deans younger brother, before sadness overcame him. 

Id like to know a lot more, he said.

We all do, Linn said.

The emotions rolled in waves, moments of grief and togetherness, relief and pain.

I hope they know were here, said Linn.

They sang a hymn and prayed together.

Casasanta thought of the promise shed made, after Dean went missing  that shed do everything she could to find out what happened to him; to Hollie, and to figure out who visited this crime upon them.

She took comfort knowing that with Clouse and Linn identified, the Harris County Sheriffs Office has assigned a new investigator to the case. She hoped that they might yet find her granddaughter.

Theyd planned to bring flowers to the unmarked graves, but the delivery hadnt arrived in time. They had a marker, which theyd brought with them from Florida, but were told they couldnt leave it at the gravesite.

As they stood by the graves, they wondered about bringing the bodies back to Florida, or moving them to another memorial.

There would be time to think about that in the future. But one thing was certain, Linn said.

They definitely need to stay together, he said. No matter what.

st.john.smith@chron.com
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Four months after the deadly Astroworld Festival, lawyers on Tuesday morning packed a Harris County civil courtroom as the first step in consolidating lawsuits involving the deaths of 10 concertgoers and injuries of scores more.

The appearance marked the first time lawyers for some of the plaintiffs and defendants had set foot in a courtroom as a collective for the Astroworld case since the Nov. 5 tragedy, when nearly a dozen concert-goers, including children, died from compression asphyxia as a crowd surge pushed people together at the NRG Park festival.

Our first cattle call is how Houston personal injury lawyer Brent Coon described the hearing  an attempt to organize how the more than 300 lawsuits tied to the deadly show will proceed through the courts.

Of the more than 2,500 plaintiffs, most are survivors from the concert but also include employees who worked the event and families of those killed.

Some lawyers were ushered into an overflow room as the ceremonial courtroom reached capacity.

The Board of Judges of the Civil Trial Division of the Harris County District Courts decided in December to consolidate the suits into one filing, with 11th District Court Judge Kristen Hawkins tapped to oversee the proceedings. The civil judge in February issued a gag order preventing the parties involved from discussing the case outside of what happens in open court and relevant motions.

She said the case should be tried in the courtroom and not social media.

Coon, who last year requested the consolidation, expressed hopes that Hawkins lightens the gag order in the coming months.

Its a case of public import, he said, adding that the litigation will determine what happened at the concert and what needs to happen for future live performances.

The meeting identified lawyer Jason Itkin to speak for the plaintiffs in the mass of lawsuits, and Neal Manne for the defendants  which include Live Nation, rapper and headliner Travis Scott, Scoremore and others responsible for planning and promoting the annual event.

More than two dozen defendants have yet to respond to the litigation, Coon said, adding that the next gathering in four weeks will likely be crowded with more lawyers.

Among the motions that Hawkins may face is sensitivity regarding the autopsy reports and how theyre shared into the public record. The reviews by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences are being withheld pending the completion of the Houston Police Departments probe for possible criminality. That investigation continues.

The family of the youngest victim, 9-year-old Ezra Blount, sat alongside civil rights attorney Ben Crump in the courtroom. He had Ezras father stand up in the courtroom.

The majority of the victims in this tragedy were African American, Crump said. I am concerned as I look at the room  There seems to be not much representation of those African American voices.

The judge was well aware and noted that plaintiffs have the right to choose their counsel, she said.

That has not gone unnoticed by the court, Hawkins said. The lawyers do not look like the people who they are representing.

I ask everyone to be mindful of that as we move forward, she continued.

The 10 killed in the concert chaos include: Mirza Baig, 27; Rodolfo Pena, 23; Madison Dubiski, 23; Bharti Shahani, 22; Franco Patino, 21; Jacob Jurinek, 20; John Hilgert, 14; Axel Acosta, 21; and Brianna Rodriguez, 16.

Shahani and the youngest victim, Ezra, died days after the concert. More than 300 people were injured during the show, and 25 others were taken to hospitals.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

twitter.com/nkhensley
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Justice Department launched one of the largest and most complex criminal investigations in its history after a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol over a year ago. Now its time for a jury to hear some of the governments evidence about the unparalleled attack on American democracy.

Violent insurrectionists, loyal to then-President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021. (John Minchillo/AP)

The first trial for one of the hundreds of Capitol riot prosecutions begins this week, with jury selection started Monday in the case against Guy Wesley Reffitt. The Texas man is charged with bringing a gun onto Capitol grounds, interfering with police officers guarding the building, and threatening his teenage children if they reported him to authorities. Jurors could hear attorneys opening statements as soon as Tuesday.

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Reffitts trial may be a bellwether for many other Capitol riot cases. A conviction would give prosecutors more leverage in plea talks with rioters facing the most serious charges. An acquittal may lead others to wait for their own day in court.

Reffitt truly is the canary in the coal mine, said Gregg Sofer, a former federal prosecutor who served as U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas from October 2020 to February 2021.

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This artist sketch depicts Guy Wesley Reffitt, joined by his lawyer William Welch, right, in Federal Court, in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (Dana Verkourteren/AP)

Itll really be interesting to see how strong a case the government has and whether or not theyre relying on evidence that, when pushed and tested, stands up. Its going to have a huge impact going forward, added Sofer, now a partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell.

Reffitt is a member of a militia-style group called the Texas Three Percenters, according to prosecutors. The Three Percenters militia movement refers to the myth that only 3% of Americans fought in the Revolutionary War against the British.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Reffitt was armed with a handgun in a holster on his waist, carrying zip-tie handcuffs and wearing body armor and a helmet equipped with a video camera when he and others charged at police officers on the west side of the Capitol, according to prosecutors.

This action caused the police line guarding the building to retreat closer to the building itself; soon after this, law enforcement was overwhelmed, and rioters flooded the building, prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Reffitt retreated only after an officer pepper-sprayed him in the face, prosecutors said.

This artist sketch depicts Judge Dabney Friedrich looking out from the bench during jury selection for Guy Wesley Reffitt, joined by his lawyer William Welch, top right, in Federal Court, in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (Dana Verkourteren/AP)

Prosecutors believe Reffitt took at least two firearms with him to Washington: an AR-15 rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol. When FBI agents searched Reffitts home in Wylie, Texas, they found a handgun in a holster on a nightstand in the defendants bedroom. Prosecutors say photos and video of Reffitt during the riot show a handgun holster on his right hip, with what appears to be a silver object inside the holster.

On the morning of Jan. 6, Reffitt said he planned to do the recon and then come back for weapons hot and sent messages about meeting at a rendezvous point, according to prosecutors.

These messages, along with the weapons that Reffitt carried and the gear he wore, make clear that the defendant did not come to D.C. with the intention to engage in peaceful activity, prosecutors wrote.

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The siege resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer. The Justice Department says more than 235 rioters have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, injuring over 100 officers. Rioters caused over $1 million in damage to the Capitol.

The Justice Department says its investigation has generated an unprecedented volume of evidence, with hundreds of thousands of documents and thousands of hours of videos to share with defense attorneys. Shared files total more than nine terabytes of information and would take over 100 days to view, the department says.

More than 750 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Over 200 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors carrying a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment. More than 100 riot defendants have been sentenced. And at least 90 others have trial dates this year.

Philadelphia-based defense attorney Justin Danilewitz, who was a federal prosecutor in New Jersey from 2012 to 2017, said a conviction in Reffitts case may lead to a flurry of guilty pleas by other riot defendants.

And that can benefit defendants on occasion because its better than the alternative if the alternative is a conviction following a trial, Danilewitz added.

An acquittal could inspire other defendants to dig in their heels and either push for a better plea offer from prosecutors or gamble a trial of their own, he said.

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Defense attorney William Welch has said there is no evidence that Reffitt damaged property, used force or physically harmed anybody. In a May 2021 court filing, Welch said none of the videos or photos shows a gun in Reffitts possession at the Capitol.

In fact, neither of the police officers interviewed by the government said anything about a firearm, he wrote.

Reffitt has been jailed since his arrest in Texas less than a week after the riot. He faces five counts: obstruction of an official proceeding, being unlawfully present on Capitol grounds while armed with a firearm, transporting firearms during a civil disorder, interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, and obstruction of justice.

The obstructing justice charge stems from threats that he allegedly made against his son, then 18, and daughter, then 16, after returning home from Washington. Reffett told his children to choose a side or die and said they would be traitors if they reported him to law enforcement, prosecutors said.

He predicted future political violence in statements both to his family and to fellow militia members, bragged to fellow militia members about his involvement in the riot, recruited other rioters into the militia, and ordered bear spray and riot shields to his home to prepare for further violence, prosecutors wrote.

Messages recovered from Reffitts cellphone indicate he planned to join an armed insurrection on Jan. 6 and intended to occupy the Capitol, prosecutors said.

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We had thousands of weapons and fired no rounds yet showed numbers. The next time we will not be so cordial, he wrote, according to prosecutors.

Presiding over Reffitts trial is U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2017. Friedrich already has sentenced nine rioters who pleaded guilty.

Jury selection is scheduled to resume Tuesday. The judge said she hopes to impanel a jury to hear opening statements later in the day.

Prosecutors expect to call about a dozen witnesses, including three Capitol police officers who interacted with Reffitt and an officer who was in charge of the U.S. Capitol Police command center.

Jurors will see videos that captured Reffitts confrontation with police. Prosecutors also have audio recordings of Reffitt talking about the riot inside his home after returning home.

We made a point. That was a historic day, Refffitt said during one of the recorded conversations, according to prosecutors. And guess what? Im not done yet. I got a lot more to do. Thats the beginning.
I met Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and the chief editor of UkraineWorld, an English-language news site, in Kyiv in 2019. Id gone there to report on how Ukrainians felt about Donald Trumps attempts to extort their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and on the American rights demonization of Ukrainians whod worked against corruption. Yermolenko spoke, then, of Ukraine as a front line in the global battle between democracy and authoritarianism, with Europe on one side and Vladimir Putins Russia on the other  and the role of the United States under Trump confusing and ambiguous.

Its about whether democracy, rule of law, are spreading farther to the east, he said of the conflict over Ukraines future. Its a long story how it spread to Eastern Europe  first it was Eastern Europe, Central Europe, then there was Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova. We hope it will someday reach Russia. But it was possible that the ideological tide would go the other way. There is a new authoritarianism going westward, said Yermolenko. In this view, the fate of Ukraines nascent democracy was a sort of weather vane for the world.

I spoke to Yermolenko again Sunday, as Russian troops besieged his country. The spirit is very strong, he said. There is no fatalism, no willingness to negotiate on Russias terms. There is decisiveness. Ukrainian self-defense, he said, was chiefly a matter of patriotism, of people defending their home and way of life against a cruel foreign power. But he also saw it as part of the great ideological contest wed discussed 2 1/2 years ago.

There is a strong feeling that if Ukraine wins  and Im sure it wins  that can bring the end of both Putins and Lukashenkos regimes, he said, referring to Alexander Lukashenko, the strongman president of Belarus, who is reportedly preparing to send troops to Ukraine to fight alongside Russia.

His confidence amazed me, but it appears to be widely shared across the country: According to a recent poll, 70 percent of Ukrainians outside of Russian-occupied territories think they will prevail against Russia. Oleksandra Ustinova, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament who is in Washington working on diplomatic outreach, said that Putin thought he could easily seize control of her country. Ukrainians have proved that were not going to go down, and we do believe that we will win this war, she said.

I have no idea if shes right, though obviously I hope she is. Russia appears to have stumbled in the opening days of the invasion, but Ukraines army is still enormously overmatched, and Putin has the power to rain hell on the country. The Ukrainians stalwart faith in their ability to resist Russia, however, is an important political fact, one that people who predicted a quick Russian victory didnt fully account for. Its a faith that has stirred much of the world to unite against Russia, reinvigorating a liberal internationalism that until recently seemed spent and flaccid.

As inspiring as Ukrainian determination has been, its perhaps not that surprising. Anyone whos visited Kyiv in recent years could see how much pride people took in the 2014 revolution that forced Viktor Yanukovych, the Kremlin-backed kleptocratic president, to flee to Russia. In Kyivs Independence Square, a monument to the revolution included photos, mounted on giant copper-colored plinths, of demonstrators burning tires to repel a crackdown and getting ready to pelt the riot police with cobblestones. Nearby, a vendor sold toilet paper with Putins face on it.

Not all Ukrainians welcomed the revolution  Yanukovych had a real base of support in the countrys south and east. But there was a culture of reverence for citizens whod stood up to Russian domination.

Ukraine has had two revolutions in less than two decades; there was also the Orange Revolution, which erupted after Yanukovych was accused of trying to steal the election in 2004. Nataliya Gumenyuk, a Ukrainian journalist and author of Lost Island: Tales From the Occupied Crimea, told me these revolutions have instilled in Ukrainians a strong sense of their own agency. Ukraine has a positive case of toppling a dictator, doing something that used to be unthinkable, she said, speaking from Kyiv in the middle of the night.

She noted that Zelenskyy has directly appealed to the public in Russia and Belarus. We seriously believe that if people, independent people, stand up, they can force their leaders to bend. Because with us its like that, she said.

This means that even if a democratic Ukraine wasnt an existential threat to Putin before, it is now, since its survival would mean his humiliation. In 2019, I was intrigued by how earnestly Ukrainians I met spoke of liberal democracy. Perhaps theyd won it so recently that they hadnt had time to grow cynical. Their idealism has turned out to be a powerful weapon. Theyve shown older democracies what it means to fight for their own putative values, leading to an almost ecstatic global outpouring of support.

The odds remain against the Ukrainians. But their conviction has given them a chance.

Michelle Goldberg is a columnist for the New York Times.
Tuesdays primary elections include many high-profile statewide offices, congressional campaigns and legislative contests, but Harris County voters also will vote in a slew of local races.

They include nominations for county judge, a pair of county commissioners, administrative offices such as the county clerk and treasurer, and dozens of judicial posts.

LOCAL AND STATE RACES: 2022 Texas Voter Guide

In November, Democrats will seek to maintain their grip on countywide offices and potentially pick up another seat on the five-member Commissioners Court, where the Democratic majority redrew precinct maps to advantage their party. Republicans hope a favorable midterm environment nationally will help them flip some of those local seats.

Republicans outvoted Democrats in the early voting period, a departure from recent cycles. About 106,000 people have cast ballots in the Republican primaries, compared to 96,000 for Democrats.

Democratic enthusiasm is lower than it was in 2020 and 2018, so that drop-off might hurt down-ballot Democrats who need that enthusiasm, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston.

LIVE UPDATES: 2022 Texas Primary Election Results

The marquee local races feature a crowded field eager to challenge County Judge Lina Hidalgo  nine Republicans and five fellow Democrats  and a hotly contested open primary for Democrats in Precinct 4, the newly blue-leaning seat on Commissioners Court.

Here is what you need to know:

When are the polls open?

The polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where can I vote?

There are 375 voting sites in the county, which has a list and interactive map of the locations on its elections administration website, harrisvotes.com.

Voters can cast their ballots at any polling location.

What do I need to bring?

Voters must bring photo identification. The seven acceptable forms of photo ID are a Texas drivers license, Texas identification card, Texas election certificate, Texas handgun license, U.S. military identification card, U.S. passport or U.S. citizenship certificate containing you photograph.

The ID is acceptable as long as it has not been expired for more than four years. For voters over 70, it does not matter how long the ID has been expired.

Residents who do not possess one of the qualifying IDs can submit a so-called reasonable impediment form at the polls if they bring another supporting document to confirm their identity, such as a voter registration certificate, current utility bill or bank statement.

On HoustonChronicle.com: 40% fewer mail ballots cast in Texas early voting amid confusion, delays caused by new law

Can I still register to vote?

No, the registration deadline to vote in the primary elections has passed. Residents still can register for the runoffs, though.

When no candidate in a race gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers proceed to a runoff. Those runoff elections will be May 24, and the deadline to register to vote in them is April 25. You can vote in the runoffs even if you did not vote in the initial primary elections.

Who is on the ballot?

The general Republican and Democratic ballots are available online. Voters also can pull their personalized sample ballots on the countys website, as well.

Texas is an open primary state, meaning voters do not register under a party. Voters select the party for which they would like to vote at the polls. You cannot switch parties for the runoffs in May.

County Judge

Nine GOP candidates have trained their eyes on Hidalgo, who will have to beat five Democrats before proceeding to the general election in November.

Hidalgos primary opponents include Erica Davis, the former chief of staff for the Precinct 1 Constables Office; real estate broker AR Hassan; photographer Georgia Provost; Maria Garcia; and attorney Kevin Howard.

On the GOP side, the crowded field includes attorney Vidal Martinez, former Army Capt. Alexandra del Moral Mealer, Humble Independent School District board president Martina Lemond Dixon, and Randy Kubosh, the brother of Houston City Councilman Michael Kubosh, along with Oscar Gonzales, George Harry Zoes, Robert Dorris, Warren Howell and HQ Bolanos.

The Republican side is interesting, that should be pretty telling, Rottinhaus said. Can Republicans find a candidate who can appeal to moderate voters in Harris County?

County commissioners

Seven Democrats are vying for the opportunity to flip a newly-drawn precinct on Commissioners Court.

They include former state Rep. Gina Calanni, County Court at Law Judge Lesley Briones, former Harris County elections staffer Benjamin Chou, Clarence Miller, Ann Williams, Sandra Pelmore, and Jeff Stauber.

That should be a hot race, in part because whoever wins that is going to be in a good position to win in November, Rottinghaus said.

Commissioner Jack Cagle, the incumbent, is unopposed on the Republican side. A more congested field of Republicans is running in Precinct 2, which until 2018 was a GOP stronghold.

Jack Morman, Richard Vega, Daniel N. Jason, Jerry Mouton, and John Manlove are running for the chance to take on incumbent Democratic Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who faces two opponents  George Risner and Gary Harrison  in his own primary.

PAY TO PLAY: Harris County commissioners hide where their campaign cash comes from: Donors they award no-bid contracts

County administration

Three incumbent administrators  District Clerk Marilyn Burgess, County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and Treasurer Dylan Osborne  are seeking re-election to their posts. Burgess and Osborne each drew one opponent in the primaries: Desiree Broadnax and Carla Wyatt, respectively.

Two Republicans are running unopposed in the primaries to try to take back their previous jobs. Stan Stanart, a former county clerk, and Chris Daniel, former district clerk, are once again running for those posts.

The GOP treasurer race includes two candidates, Eric Dick and Kyle Scott.

Judicial elections

About three dozen district state judges, two dozen county judges and six justices of the peace also are on the ballot.

Democrats have swept these posts in the last few cycles. All but three of the races feature an unopposed candidate on the GOP side.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
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Sunny Bryant can do tricks on her roller skates, crochet and play violin, and if she could be famous for something, she would like it to be for her jokes.

Why was 6 afraid of 7? shell ask you. Because 7 8 9.

But at least for now, the 8-year-old is better known as an utterly upbeat and outspoken advocate for equality and justice for transgender children like herself. She took multiple trips with her mother to Austin to address lawmakers during the repeatedly extended Texas legislative session.

More from Gabrielle Banks: In election day showdown, family of trans Texas teen suing Abbott, DFPS over governor's directive

On Tuesday, the Houston third-grader squealed when she was introduced by name during a session of U.S. House of Representatives and was very happy the topic of trans kids came up when she and her family virtually attended the State of the Union as honored guests of U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia.

The Houston Democrat, who represents the area where Sunny and her family live, said such young leaders inspire us all. Garcia said she was proud to invite Sunny to attend what is generally considered the presidents most important speech of the year. The congresswoman told the Houston Chronicle, Even through politically-charged attacks on Texas trans youth by Governor Greg Abbott, she remains a bright and strong voice for Houston children.

Abbott, a Republican incumbent battling conservative primary challengers, has made it clear amid a series of formal opinions by Attorney General Ken Paxton that he thinks parents who support gender-affirming care for transgender children should be treated as child abusers. Paxtons non-binding opinion last week followed multiple failed attempts by Republicans state lawmakers to pass measures that would punish parents and health care providers who support gender-affirming care for transgender children.

Although medical associations support such interventions, the governor has said he considers it child abuse to allow transgender children access to medicine that slows the onset of puberty or hormone treatments that help older children develop into bodies that match their identities. Abbott and Paxton both refer to these parents as supporting genital mutilation, a notion many experts in LGBT health care have said indicates a gross misunderstanding of what medical procedures are actually offered to children.

On HoustonChronicle.com: 'I finally feel right in my body': Houston kids confront anti-trans legislation that targets them

Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Sunny and her family are among a group of families around the state who have spent hours trekking back and forth to the state capitol to share their stories about why they want to be free to grow up as the people they know themselves to be. And to play on teams with kids of their true gender. For kids Sunnys age, transitions are about new clothes and pronouns, not medical interventions.

Adri Perez, a policy and advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Texas, said some of the outspoken transgender children have spent most of their childhood going to Austin to try and defend their humanity.

These discussions are especially trying for parents who support their childrens transition and want to protect them from harm, Perez said. One of the most terrifying things about attacking parents who love and support trans youth is by attacking those parents youre attacking trans youth.

We are disgusted and distraught that our governor and attorney general have chosen to attack Texas children and their loving families, said Sunnys mom, Rebekah Bryant. Many families like ours are in a panic, suddenly feeling unsafe in our homes and scrambling to know our legal rights.

She said not only parents but teachers, doctors, and friends who are mandated reporters feel that they could be targeted or lose their licenses.

Many families have made plans to leave the state, but Rebekah said her family plans to stay and fight.

Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Avoiding pronouns

Sunny, a self-proclaimed chatterbox, was early to hit developmental milestones, her mother Rebekah said. Assigned male at birth, Sunny talked before she could walk, and by 18 months she was speaking in full sentences, Rebekah recalled.

When she was four, Sunny asked her mom as she was unbuckling her seatbelt, Why did you make me a boy? I wanted to be a girl.

Rebekah, now a scene shop supervisor for the Alley Theater, was surprised. She explained it was just biology. Neither parent had contemplated having a transgender child.

Sunnys father Chet asked his 4-year-old if she thought there were things girls could do that boys couldnt. Wear girls clothes, the child said.

Rebekah showed her images of Jaden Smith and Brad Pitt in dresses. The kid broke into an ear-to-ear smile, Rebekah said. She took her child that week to buy a dress: Sunny picked a white sleeveless one with pineapples on it. The dress put her at ease. But she only wore it to sleep.

Sunnys father thought it was just a phase. His eldest loved to act and being a girl seemed like a part the kid was trying out.

Chet was a former Navy submariner who had grown up in a conservative town in South Carolina where people said racist things and flew Confederate flags and used epithets when they talked about gay people. Hed strayed far from that world. He wanted to raise his two sons differently, to be a different kind of dad than his own father had been.

The question about really being a girl kept coming up. Sunny didnt know what pronouns were, her mom said, but she articulated at 4 she wanted her parents to call her her not him. Rebekah switched.

The Bryants found an online support group, since there was none they could find in the conservative town they were living in at the time, in Australia. They found a pediatrician who provided some concrete feedback: she seemed happy as a girl.

From Erica Grieder: Targeting trans kids, again? Harris County has other priorities

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.

The child suggested to her parents she go by the name Rainbow. No, they said. Rainbow Dash? No. Sunny? Yes, great, they said. Chet was happy shed found a name they all could agree on. Rebekah privately cried over a sink full of dishes. Her child would no longer have her grandfathers name. She cried at night thinking about whether Sunny would find a partner, whether her partner would hurt her. Or a stranger or police officer would lash out.

Chet also cried when he thought about his child being transgender. He avoided using any pronouns for months. That was a big step to start using those pronouns, he said.

Sunnys little brother Bodhi didnt think anything of it. The long-haired boy told the people at the next table at a sushi restaurant that his sister was transgender. His parents explained that was Sunnys information to share.

When the family moved from Australia to Houston, the kids in kindergarten didnt know Sunny had ever been anyone but Sunny. Rebekah, a seventh generation Texan, was happy to be back. But as Sunny grew up, Rebekah was horrified to learn some state leaders were directing their ire at families like theirs.

Many people in Houston had their back. After Sunny missed school to testify in Austin, Rebekah got supportive calls from several classmates parents saying they had no idea what Sunny had been through and they were amazed at how courageous she was. Teachers and administrators at her school offered to make calls to legislators.

During the Austin trips, Sunny developed friendships with other transgender kids.

Sunny, of course, is far more than a transgender girl.

I always tell people its the least interesting thing about her, Rebekah said.

She loves Sponge Bob and waffles. She loves the Magic Treehouse books and the Wimpy Kid series. She paints canvases, does Mad Libs and worships Lady Gaga. She also imagines what it would be like to live in the future, with flying cars and robots.

In her own imaginary trip through time, she pictures people of different races and backgrounds, boys and girls, LGBT people and everyone would all be treated equally.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com
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Three civil rights groups are swinging back at Gov. Greg Abbotts latest offensive against transgender children with a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Republican incumbent accusing him of inflicting terror and anxiety among vulnerable children through discrimination and harassment.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Meet the Houston 8-year-old standing up to Abbott, for trans kids, at Biden's State of the Union

The suit follows Abbotts edict, the week before a contentious primary election, stating that parents who allow their teenagers to seek gender-affirming care should be investigated as child abusers.

The Travis County civil rights case was brought on behalf of a state employee who was put on leave from her job and had investigators show up at her home because she and her husband are supporting their 16-year-old daughters care for gender dysphoria. The suit targets the governor as well as the mothers employer, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, seeking to halt the agency from treating parents as abusive if they support gender-affirming medical care for their teens.

The suit also targets the protective services commissioner, Jaime Masters.

A state judge set a hearing for an injunction in the case for Wednesday morning.

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.

The issue of penalizing parents and medical providers who help teenagers access interventions that are considered best practices by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Texas Pediatric Society came up in four back-to-back legislative sessions. Each time, families of transgender children rallied, carpooled and missed school to testify in Austin about their own experiences and pleaded with lawmakers to vote down laws targeting their basic rights. In each session, the bills were defeated.

On HoustonChronicle.com: 'I finally feel right in my body': Houston kids confront anti-trans legislation that targets them

But Abbott, who faced a primary challenge Tuesday, issued a nonbinding legal opinion last week through his attorney general, Ken Paxton, stating that the agency charged with protecting children will pursue child abuse investigations against adults who help their teenagers navigate the lengthy process of seeking access to puberty blockers and hormones through their doctors. Paxton issued a previous opinion labeling gender-affirming care as genital mutilation, an allegation experts have repeatedly highlighted as inaccurate.

No state in the country considers it a crime for a parent to provide medically recommended treatment for gender dysphoria, according to the lawsuit.

The family of the 16-year-old says the governors legal directives were improper and violated the Texas Administrative Procedures Act, the separation of powers requirements of the Texas Constitution and the constitutional rights of transgender youth and their parents.

No family should have to fear being torn apart because they are supporting their trans child, Adri Perez, policy and advocacy strategist at the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement, calling Abbott and Paxtons declaration a partisan political attack that isnt rooted in the needs of families, the evidence from doctors and the expertise from child welfare professionals.

Families with trans kids in Texas have been under attack for too long, the statement said. Gender-affirming health care saved my life, and other trans Texans should be able to access medically necessary, lifesaving care.

The ACLU of Texas brought the action along with Lambda Legal and the national ACLU.

The governors spokesperson and the spokesperson for the DFPS commissioner did not respond to requests for comment.

Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday joined other local leaders who have opposed the edicts, including Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and District Attorney Kim Ogg. Turner announced that he opposed officials taking punitive measures that could endanger transgender children.

In Houston, we dont bully our transgender neighbors, we watch them make history like Municipal Judge Phyllis Frye, he said, referring to a well-known transgender attorney and jurist.

The stigma the governor and attorney general work to create is part of the reason the late TransGriot journalist and activist Monica Roberts had too many stories of violence faced by trans women of color to report, the mayor said in a statement.

The unnamed plaintiffs in the lawsuit said that after the mother was put on leave, an investigator visited their house. The family has filed the lawsuit anonymously.

Also suing the governor and DFPS is Megan Mooney, a Houston psychologist who treats children with gender dysphoria. She is a mandatory reporter and does not want to comply with the governors legal opinion because she believes it would harm her clients and violate her ethical obligations as a professional counselor.

gabrielle.banks@chron.com
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After two busy years, two participants were sworn in as court appointed special advocates for Children, or CASA, in St. Croix County.

With leadership from various individuals, the past few years have been a whirlwind of meetings, paperwork and passion.

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, Yvonne Larsen and Dawn Lane took an oath with Judge Scott R. Needham with a promise to fulfill the role of an advocate. Neeham and his fellow St. Croix County Judge R. Michael Waterman were essential in establishing CASA of St. Croix County.

Get involved or donate to CASA of St. Croix Visit the website, casastcroix.org/, for more information. Call, 715-245-9773, or email, dhaider@casastcroix.org, Executive Director Dustin Haider if youd like to donate.

CASA is a national nonprofit, present in 49 out of 50 states, that brings qualified and compassionate adults into a childs life, particularly children facing the court system. This adult fights and protects the safety of the child, while simultaneously providing them with a continual, reliable relationship.

The Wisconsin Court Appointed Special Advocates Association champions the needs of abused and neglected children by providing trained volunteers who advocate for the childs best interest in court, Wisconsin CASA states.

Children who have a CASA volunteer in their corner are shown to be more likely to pass school classes, have a plan for permanency and will spend less time in foster care.

There are seemingly no downsides. The positive impact on children explains itself.

Its also a financial investment. One year of CASA advocacy costs less than one month of foster care.

In April 2018, Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill allocating funding for Wisconsin CASA to expand.

As it expands, CASA needs more volunteers. Each advocate in St. Croix County is paired with just one child, fostering the commitment to their wellbeing.

There are just a few requirements to become an advocate. Advocates must:

Be 21 years of age or older.

Pass a criminal background check.

Participate in 30 hours of training.

Dedicate one hour a week to the child an advocate is paired with.

As an advocate, you have the opportunity to change a child's life, President of the CASA of St. Croix County Corporation and Chair of the Board Roy Sjoberg said.

Right now, more than 90 children in St. Croix County are in need of a court-appointed advocate. Because of Larsen and Lane, two children will be provided one.

Larsen was determined, not only to be an advocate with CASA, but to be the first volunteer.

Two years ago, she caught wind of an attempt to bring CASA to St. Croix County.

She joined the board of directors and attended every meeting. Larsen had just one stipulation. The minute the organization began recruiting and training volunteers, she would step down from the board.

Since its not allowed for a board member to be an advocate, Larsen chose the work with children over the organizational leadership of CASA.

I grew up in a family with generational alcoholism, Larsen said. Knowing the feeling of being alone as a child, Larsen has dedicated much of her life to advocating for children.

After spending hours reading and on training calls, Larsen and Lane were sworn in.

I feel well prepared to serve as an advocate, Larsen said, though she admits she has areas of strength and areas shell continue to work on. Part of the advocate program ensures accessibility to training each year, which is individualized to the advocates points of potential growth.

There are about six more advocates in the program with the intention of finishing training and beginning to work with children. With a goal of having 50-60 advocates, CASA of St. Croix County could use your help to serve the greatest number of children.

CASA of St. Croix County Executive Director Dustin Haider will continue to train new volunteers and organize the program.

Im kind of trying to work myself out of a job, Haider joked.

He and the rest of the CASA volunteers are on their way to making significant changes in the lives of children in the county.
Heavy rains brought record flooding to the east coast of Australia Monday, plunging part of the city of Brisbane underwater and leaving at least nine people dead.

Queensland police said one of the fatalities was a man, and his dog, who had become trapped in his car after driving into floodwater. Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland, where of the fatalities have occurred. The other death occurred in New South Wales.

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In this photo provided by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, water floods streets and houses in Maryborough, Australia, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP)

Emergency crews made more than 130 swift-water rescues in 24 hours, Queensland officials said.

Floating through Milton. Usually one of Brisbanes busiest thoroughfares on a Monday morning. @ACurrentAffair9 #bneflood pic.twitter.com/knu13fvOE2  Pippa Bradshaw (@pippabradshaw) February 27, 2022

Rescuers are still searching for a man in his 70s who was sailing on the Brisbane River when he fell overboard.

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At least two other men are missing as well.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

According to the city of Brisbane, more than 15,000 buildings were at least partially flooded.

People use a small boat to travel through flood water in Lismore, Australia, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (Jason O'Brien/AP)

Queensland transport minister Mark Bailey said major roads were close and train and ferry services was halted.

Were going to have localized flooding in a lot of areas for a couple of days yet, Bailey said.

In nearby Lismore, in neighboring New South Wales, 15,000 were evacuated as the rain continued to pummel the region.

Annastacia Palaszczuk, the premier of Queensland, described the flooding as a rain bomb.

Its just coming down in buckets, she said at a news conference. Its not a waterfall, its like waves of water just coming down.

With News Wire Services
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Indie Spotlight: CCS Rights Management

Global independent music company ccs rights management provides exceptional administration and creative services for artists, songwriters, producers, publishers, labels, film/tv production and media companies, brands, and more.

CCS Rights Management posted by A2IM.

CCS Rights Management is a global independent music company with exceptional administration and creative services tailored to the needs of artists, songwriters, producers, publishers and record labels, as well as film/TV production and media companies, production music libraries, corporate brands and more. Founded in 2011 by industry veteran Jodie Ferneyhough, the fast-growing international company is dedicated to empowering the entrepreneurial music sector by maximizing income, developing and nurturing talent, and providing innovative creative opportunities that impact.

A leader in rights administration.

CCS provides robust rights administration by an experienced team with the highest level of expertise and deep relationships around the globe. It offers accurate, transparent and efficient rights administration, royalty collections of every revenue stream plus quarterly reporting. CCS administers over 150,000 copyrights. Additionally, it is the sub-publisher for many leading independents such as Angry Mob Music, Kassner Music Publishing, Galileo Music, Alondra Music, and Bardis Music Company, to name a few.

We partner with major international production companies, studios, music libraries, and brands to monetize the ownership of music catalogs.

CCS is well-known for its ability to monetize and add value to music catalogs and their musical and audiovisual intellectual properties. The company represents the hugely successful Spin Master Ltd., administering ancillary rights worldwide for numerous productions airing in 190 countries, most notably the PAW Patrol and Abby Hatcherfranchises. Other production company partners include Blue Ant Media, Aircraft Pictures, and the award-winning Schitts Creek series. CCS also represents the library music of award-winning production house ScoreKeepers with music by Emmy Award-winning composers and emerging indie artists with all genres, moods, and instrumentations represented.

Daytripper Music Publishing: A Creator-first approach. Home to artists and songwriters creating music with impact.

CCS international creative roster features award-winning and up-and-coming artists, songwriters, producers from around the world in all genres. Its new Daytripper Music Publishing division is musically agnostic and focuses on a creator-first approach, specializing in discovery and development, and fostering great talent with the best creative, marketing, synch, and administration. The diverse roster includes CARYS, Hill Kourkoutis, Tribe Friday, Featurette, POESY, Nuela Charles, Yukon Blonde, Laurent Bourque, Mikhail Laxton, Olivia Wendel, Laureli, and Daniel Blake.

While expanding further into the U.S. and territories abroad, Daytripper has formed joint venture partnerships with legendary KCRW radio host, global tastemaker, and two-time Grammy-nominated music supervisor Chris Douridas, as well as Made with Pencil Crayons, the publishing division of Canadian label Unfit Records which has a roster featuring the Grammy-nominated Telmary Y Habanasana, Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Battle of Santiago, among others. Visit our website: daytrippersongs.com

CCS Neighbouring Rights: Experienced. Deep relationships. Direct Collections. Maximum Income.

As the only Canadian-based company providing neighbouring rights services, CCS is uniquely positioned to collect royalties and remunerate record labels and recording artists for their public performances on sound recordings. With over than 40 clients including rising superstar artist Tate McRae and Rezz, CCS Neighbouring Rights division is managed by Lee-Anne Wielonda, one of the most respected neighbouring rights executives with well-established relationships worldwide. The division is unparalleled in finding new income from radio performances, digital income, and other sources. By uniquely going direct to collect from rights organizations in 30+ territories, CCS delivers more income with lower costs by taking out multiple layers of fees from among the maze of societies. With the recent changes to Canadian law, many labels and artists in the U.S. are also now entitled to neighbouring rights income from the territory.

Our Team

Pictured (L to R): Jordan Howard, A&R/Creative Director; Casey Grace, Publishing and Artist Coordinator; Lee-Anne Wielonda, Neighbouring Rights Manager; Jodie Ferneyhough, Founder and President of CCS; and Diana Medeiros, Sync Manager. Not pictured: Katharine Perak, Copyright and Royalty Director and Abbey Donnelly, Copyright and Royalty Coordinator.Learn More

About A2IM:

A2IM is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization headquartered in New York City that exists to support and strengthen the independent recorded music sector. Membership currently includes a broad coalition of more than 700 Independently-owned American music labels. A2IM represents these independently owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. In doing so, it supports a key segment of Americas creative class that represents Americas diverse musical cultural heritage. Billboard Magazine identified the Independent music label sector as 37.32 percent of the music industrys U.S. recorded music sales market in 2016 based on copyright ownership, making Independent labels collectively the largest music industry sector.

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North Adams Administrator Taking Job in Fairhaven

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The city's administrative officer has been offered a post in the eastern end of the state.

The Fairhaven Select Board on Monday night voted unanimously to appoint Angeline Lopes Ellison its town administrator with a start date of March 23 and an annual salary of $163,000.

Lopes Ellison has been with the city just over a year. She started in North Adams in mid-November of 2020 , replacing Michael Canales, who became town administrator in Stockbridge.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said she was aware that Lopes Ellison had been named the finalist in Fairhaven and had wished her luck. The mayor said Fairhaven is closer to where she now resides and that Lopes Ellison told her she had family in that area.

Macksey said she could not start any hiring process because, as of Monday afternoon, she only knew that Lopes Ellison was in the process of negotiating a contract so nothing had been settled yet.

"I don't have a resignation," she said, but added she had started to transition some of her responsibilities with the hiring of Katherine Eade, the city's former administrative officer, as interim airport manager.

"There's a lot going on here," Macksey said. "So depending on what happens with the Angie, I needed to at least get that component taken care of."

The Fairhaven board voted to appoint Lopes Ellison and then voted on the contract, "subject to the final approval by labor counsel."

Lopes Ellison previously had been town manager of Uxbridge and town administrator of Blandford. She also had been a dean of student affairs for the University of Massachusetts at Boston and assistant dean at Framingham University.

Fairhaven offered her the job on Feb. 10 at the conclusion of her interview and after two other finalists had dropped out. There were 39 applicants for the post.

The town of more than 16,000 on Buzzard's Bay has been seeking a new administrator for the past year. This was the third attempt after the first search ended in controversy and the second also saw two of three finalists withdraw. The board determined to grant Lopes Ellison an interview rather than start over again.

This search apparently caused some consternation. Chair Robert J. Espindola said it had been brought to his attention that one of the finalists had withdrawn his candidacy after being told by someone at Town Hall that the "Select Board was looking for a candidate of a certain gender, not theirs."

"I know my criteria for the next town administrator was about finding the best candidate for the town without bias or discrimination of any sort," he said, a point that was echoed by fellow board members Stasia Powers and Keith Silvia.

"It's unfair to Ms. Ellison if anyone thinks that that's why she got the job, that's absolutely false. And it's not fair to her. ...

"Even when she was the last one standing, we all felt comfortable enough to make a very, very lucrative offer to her."


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It never made sense for an indoor mask mandate for schoolchildren to outlive an indoor mask mandate for adults. Kids are far less likely than adults to be seriously harmed by COVID, and  all other things being equal  masks make things a bit harder on teachers and kids alike, straining the ability of children (particularly those with special needs) to learn and connect socially and emotionally.

No, face coverings arent some kind of terrible scourge, as some grinding a reflexively anti-mask ax insist. They are effective, and have an important role to play in a serious public health crisis. The point is that, when the viral climate is safe enough for adults to be nakedfaced, its definitely safe enough for the kids.

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Given that New York City is way, way, way down from its most recent COVID peak, Mayor Adams is right that nows the time to loosen things up. Hospitalizations from the virus averaged just 30 per day over the past seven days. The Centers for Disease Controls new community COVID assessment tool renders all five boroughs low risk. COVID remains a public health threat here but, seeing the forest for the trees, were out of this patch of woods.

There may come a time when another version of this virus or a new virus altogether spreads and masks become essential again for adults and kids alike, or just for adults. So too, there may come a time when immunity wanes, a new variant rages and its essential to get vaccination rates back up  arguing for a return to rules that allow only New Yorkers whove had their shots to eat in restaurants or go to movie theaters.

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But anyone who supports such restrictions when necessary should support easing them when unnecessary. Otherwise, those who purport to follow science will beclown themselves and public trust will be shredded.

Moms and dads: You can keep sending your son or daughter to school in a mask, but you cant continue to make everyone else do it.
President Biden will address the nation Tuesday night, laying out his vision for the future amid Russias bloody invasion of its neighbor. With death and destruction mounting across Ukraine, Biden will understandably focus his State of the Union address on Moscows unprovoked attack and U.S. efforts to counter the threat it poses to the United States and its allies in Europe.

This is a security emergency. Its a humanitarian emergency. It must be addressed with the greatest of urgency.

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And yet, even as he confronts Russian aggression abroad, touts his first-year achievements at home and calls for renewed unity in an election year, Biden must make good on his promise to take the boldest action possible to fight the climate crisis.

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks during the "Accelerating Clean Technology Innovation and Deployment" event at the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit, Nov. 2, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Evan Vucci/AP)

The state of the union depends on it  as does the fate of hundreds of millions across this country and around the world.

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A landmark United Nations report released Monday documents the mounting toll inflicted on people, ecosystems and critical infrastructure by rising seas, loss of croplands, species collapse, deadly heat waves and raging wildfires, storms and floods.

The report shows that the climate crisis is forcing millions of people from their homes, stunting social progress, curbing economic growth, putting crops, livestock and clean water at growing risk and threatening to overwhelm the capacity of nations to cope. Its speeding species collapse and damaging coral reefs, forests and other essential habitats.

This is a high-definition map of global misery, as reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN body responsible for assessing climate science.

It shows that the climate crisis is inflicting rising costs and mounting dangers on people worldwide. And those suffering most are the low-income populations  as many as 3.6 billion people  on the jagged frontlines of climate hazard and harm.

The consequences are ripping through frontline communities so fast that they threaten to derail progress on the Sustainable Development Goals the United States and every other UN member adopted just seven years ago.

Those goals reflect the kind of world every nation has committed to creating, by, for example, ending extreme poverty and hunger, seeing to it that people, everywhere, have access to clean water, a quality education and the right to live free from fear and violence.

Climate change is threatening our ability to care for each other as fellow human beings.

The United States has the opportunity, and the responsibility, to take immediate action to address this crisis. For Biden, this, too, is a moment to lead.

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Hes called for $550 billion in strategic investment, over the next ten years, to help speed the shift away from the fossil fuels that are driving climate change and toward cleaner, smarter ways to power our future.

Already passed by the House, this investment, if enacted by the Senate, will include powerful tax incentives to help us get more clean power from the wind and sun. It will help make electric cars  new and used  more affordable for middle-class and lower-income families. It will boost energy efficiency. All of this, along with strong carbon pollution rules, will help cut household energy costs by $500 a year, on average.

The package includes funding to help expand clean energy in low-income communities and areas traditionally dependent on fossil fuel production. It will strengthen the economy, creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs across the country, in states as varied as Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and West Virginia. And it will be paid for by making sure profitable corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share.

This is strategic investment we cant afford not to make.

Climate change and fossil fuels production and use inflict a staggering $820 billion in health costs on the United States each year. That doesnt include the damage from floods, storms, wildfires and other disasters related to extreme weather and climate change that cost the country $145 billion in 2021 alone and killed nearly 700 people nationwide.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

These natural disasters further compound existing vulnerabilities and inequities experienced by businesses owned by women, veterans and people of color. Bidens plan calls for making sure at least 40% of the benefits of national clean energy investment accrue to disadvantaged communities, a good and necessary start toward addressing systemic environmental injustice.

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The investments Biden has called for are critical to meeting his goal of cutting carbon pollution and other climate-wrecking greenhouse gases 50-52%, compared to 2005 levels, by 2030.

Getting there will also require new and ambitious carbon pollution standards at the federal, state and local levels. And it will mean making sure every branch of the federal government is part of the climate fix, and not the problem.

The world has become a more dangerous place in the wake of Russias aggression. We wont make it safer by increasing our dependence on fossil fuels  at home or abroad.

As the climate assault tightens its grip worldwide, acting now to cut carbon pollution will help to foster a more peaceful and equitable world where people everywhere are healthier, more prosperous and more secure.

Thats what the United States is called to do. Were counting on Biden to lead.

Bapna is president and CEO of NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Name: Johanna Baum

Company: Strategic Security Solutions (S3) Consulting

Job Title: CEO and Founder

Location: Georgia, USA

Johanna Baum, CPA, CISA has over 25 years of advisory experience in IGA, Security, and eGRC. She is the founder and CEO of Strategic Security Solutions (S3) focused on providing professional services expertise related to programmatic Cyber initiatives. Baum is a recognised expert and is an active influencer in the Cyber community. She serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Accounting/InfoSys Department, several technology vendor advisory boards, Ambassador/Mentor for SPJ Capital, and a mentor for multiple Entrepreneur and Women in Leadership Organizations.

What was the most valuable piece of career advice that you received? Trust your instincts. By nature, I overanalyse everything. Every. Little. Thing. Learning to truly understand my own patterns and trust my gut was an extremely valuable lesson. Its not always a quick trigger - it might involve a lot of detailed analysis or require a trusted advisor to walk through scenarios to truly solidify my position. Setting boundaries and trusting my instincts has proven to guide me through many tough times where others didnt fare so well.

What was the worst piece of business advice that you received? Quit. Women dont belong in technology. A safer or more family-oriented career might suit me because of my gender. Sadly, I have heard it all but Im stubborn. I used these pieces of bad advice to fuel the start of an organisation that is the antithesis of standard industry Tech Consulting.

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in IT/tech? Take every opportunity to learn and grow from experiences presented to you. Each experience can and will serve a purpose. Find mentors - those relationships will be critical to your overall success.

Did you always want to work in IT/tech? No! Working in IT was not even on my radar when I initially joined the working world.I was fascinated with computers but wasnt quite sure how to parlay that into a career. I began my career in public accounting, however, I was constantly told that I didnt fit the traditional accountant mould. I was a boundary pusher then and I still am.

What was your first job in IT/tech? I started my career in the IS audit group for a public accounting firm. I was one of the first employees in the group and the firm didnt have much expertise in the space yet so I was able to expand quickly. I truly wanted to move into strategic technical consulting, so I started building relationships in other areas of the business to exit quickly. At the time, consulting firms didnt recruit accountants, although our skills are prime for the career, so my first consulting role was selling myself and it took some strong convincing!

What are some common misconceptions about working in IT/tech? You must be highly technical to be successful. There are many paths to success in technology and not all of them start or end in coding! You can still make a profound impact in IT even when your hands arent writing the code. Non-techies, rejoice! Theres still vast space for you to thrive.

What tips would you give to someone aiming for a c-level position? Watch, listen, learn, and find mentors! Throughout my career, I sought out those that were high performers or executing at a level I wanted to emulate. I found them at every step of the journey so I could see how to make the transition and level up. As I climbed, I continued to seek out new mentors or amazing individuals to learn from. If youre chasing a goal without visualising what success looks like at every pit-stop, its really hard to get to the end successfully, or have the tools to operate once you get there.

Every single step on the journey hones the skills necessary to execute. Pay respect to the journey, the mentors, and the lessons as you make the climb. Youll also have an army of advocates cheering you on your way.

What are your career ambitions and have you reached them yet? I wouldn't say I have reached them yet because my career ambitions are always evolving! Through my years in accounting, then consulting, to finally founding S3, my ambitions have always focused on strategy. I love to solve problems and reframe business issues to develop solutions that combine technology and operations. Because the digital age is constantly evolving, with more consumers prioritising speed over security, there will always be new problems and opportunities to create solutions. Within cybersecurity you can never be content with your current defenses, and I think that mentality translates to my personal and career ambitions. Aside from business and technology, I will always be passionate about women mentorship, especially in STEM, and it will always be a driving force in my life.

Do you have a good work life balance in your current role? I dont think anyone has found the perfect work-life balance, but if they have found nirvana, they can call me!

All things considered; I do have reasonable harmony. While I can continuously be found working off hours early or very late in the evening, I am able to take a step back frequently. I prioritise my children and focus our quality time on the activities that are meaningful to us. I also take time to incorporate exercise into my daily routine, taking care of my health is vital in taking care of everything else. That might sound rosy, but its a constant internal battle of the single working parent. Its extremely difficult.

What, if anything, would you change about the route your career path has taken? Hindsight is always 20:20. If I had a mulligan, I might have more fun along the way! I was extremely driven and while I enjoyed the journey, I could have certainly taken more opportunities to play. Otherwise...nothing! Even the setbacks have contributed to where I am today. We would all love to change something, but the butterfly effect changes the entire outcome.

Which would you recommend: A coding bootcamp or a computer science degree? Ive seen amazing candidates that are self-taught and those that have prestigious university degrees. From my perspective, any way you can land the knowledge, exposure, practice, and experience is worthwhile. The experience may be different but serves the candidate, nonetheless.

How important are specific certifications? I may have multiple degrees, certifications, and licenses, but that is the path my education and diversions took me on. Based on your specific goals and position, certifications may be extremely beneficial. Review the industry expectation for your desired position and goals. Is it mandatory? Does it provide extra monetary potential? Promotion potential? Credibility within the community?

What are the three skills or abilities you look for in prospective candidates? Intellectual curiosity, attention to detail, and collaborative spirit. They are so critical to us, they are our core values and we ask questions to attempt to determine if each candidate embodies them or will end up as a resume in the circular file.

What would put you off a candidate? Lack of respect, failure to research the position/organisation/interviewer, and apathy or lack of interest in the opportunity. All of which seem logical but are consistent failure points with many candidates! If you dont have interest in the opportunity, dont apply! Neither party should waste their time.

What are the most common mistakes made by candidates in an interview? How can those mistakes be avoided? Similar to the comment above, many candidates have no idea about the interviewer or the organisation where they are applying. Research your interviewer and the company. If you dont have the ambition to know who youre talking to, I have little faith youll be ambitious in your role. A little research goes a long way to revealing your interest and showcasing your skills alignment with the organisation.

Do you think it is better to have technical or business skills  or a mix of both? Both! There are many successful individuals with extremely strong skills on one side of the coin or the other, but the ability to navigate and effectively communicate through both technical and business terrain is where many leaders emerge. It will become increasingly important to understand the drivers and value behind each set of skills as you advance, and both are critical to success. Where you have weaknesses, make sure you have trusted team members and leaders to supplement your skills.
Umesh Shrestha, editor of Nepal Fact Check, was summoned and harassed by officers from Nepal Police's Cyber Bureau after publishing a report on the dissemination of fake news regarding the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact fund. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and its Nepal affiliate, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), condemn the arbitrary harassment of journalists for their work and call for an investigation into the incident.

According to a blog post published by Shrestha, on February 22, officials from the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau in Kathmandu summoned Shrestha under the pretense of a 'discussion' . Upon his arrival on February 23, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pradin Tamrakar harassed him and accused him of spreading misinformation regarding the MCC fund, a United States subsidised fund aimed at improving infrastructure in Nepal.

Shrestha, who is the founder of independent blog MySansar and an editor of Nepal Fact Check, a platform that investigates the content of Nepali media for false or misleading information, alleged that DSP Tamrakar threatened him with arrest.

According to Shresthas blog, the journalist was summoned by the Cyber Bureau following an article he published which documented a number of YouTube channels, news sites, and social media users in Nepal who spread misinformation regarding the MCC fund. The report also suggested measures to curb the spread of fake news.

It is unfortunate that police harassed me even without knowing the content of my article. They asked me who provided the authority to write such an article. They treated me like a criminal. They were not ready to listen to me. They even threatened me with an arrest and tried to snatch my mobile phone when I tried making a call seeking help, Shrestha said.

Shrestha was eventually released from the Bureau on February 23 after a one and half hour inquiry.

The MCC, an United States grant signed in September 2017 aimed at enhancing infrastructure in Nepal including electricity transmission lines and railroads, fell into recent controversy following multiple interpretations of some the agreements provisions.

According to the FNJ, a total of 32 cases of harassment and threatening of journalists from both state and non-state actors were documented in 2021.

FNJ General Secretary, Roshan Puri, said: The polices summons, harassment and threatening of a journalist without knowing the core content of the article is an absolute violation of freedom of the press and expression. FNJ urges authorities to respect the constitutionally enshrined rights of journalists.

The IFJ said: The Nepali authorities unjustified summoning of Umesh Shrestha is concerning and indicates police incompetence in dealing with fake news and misinformation. The IFJ calls for an investigation into the incident and urges the Nepali government to ensure media workers are free from harassment and detainment for carrying out their professional duties.
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Scaling is difficult for any company. But when your business is primed for Covid-19, growth can be as viral as the disease.

That's the case for Cue Health, a San Diego-based health care technology company that develops portable diagnostic tests for institutional and at-home use. Founded in 2010, the company's main product, a molecular Covid-19 test, is now the go-to option for Google, Salesforce, the NBA, MLB, Netflix, NASA, and other organizations. The product boasts the speed of rapid antigen tests with the lab-quality accuracy of PCR tests, the company says, meaning it can detect both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, including the Omicron variant, in just 20 minutes.

Cue's tests work by targeting a region of the nucleocapsid gene ("N gene") that is highly conserved, which the company says allows the test's accuracy to remain unaffected by the mutations in the Covid-19 variants. Cue's product was also built to be modular and flexible to adapt to future care offerings that will work with the Cue Reader.

Cue's overnight success was a decade in the making. Co-founder and CEO Ayub Khattak was inspired to start Cue during the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak in spring of 2009. The CDC estimates that from April 2009 to April 2010, there were approximately 60.8 million cases. Khattak realized that if customers could test themselves using at-home diagnostics, and communicate those results to a doctor through an app, individuals could be diagnosed faster, get proper care, and reduce the potential spread of infection.

"All these people were flooding into emergency rooms and urgent cares, where they'd have to fight 100 other people to be seen and given a diagnosis," Khattak remembers. "People should be able to find out this information easily at home, especially those without symptoms."

He was thinking about this problem when he met co-founder Clint Sever, a product designer and his neighbor in Santa Monica, at the time where they were both finishing up school. Something immediately clicked.

They procured more than $1 million in seed funding for research and development and continued to raise funds over the years: $7.5 million in Series A in 2014, over $45 million in Series B in 2018, and a $100 million Series C in 2020. By the time Covid-19 hit, they were almost done developing the product. Cue had just started its clinical study to test for the flu, which the company was conducting in partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (Barda), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services office responsible for procuring and developing medical countermeasures.

Cue's Covid-19 test was given emergency use authorization (EAU) for professional use in June 2020. That year, the company generated approximately $23 million in revenue, including $15.4 million from product sales. It then became the first molecular test to win EAU on March 5, 2021, from the Food and Drug Administration for at-home and over-the-counter use without a prescription. The company reported preliminary full year 2021 revenue of $613 million to $618 million. While the company has not yet publicly reported its outlook for 2022, Cue has delivered millions of tests to date, which are being used in schools, nursing homes, correctional facilities, hospitals, community health clinics, and private companies.

"Businesses around the globe are looking for the best ways for their employees, customers, and partners to get together, safely," Bret Taylor, co-CEO of Salesforce, said in a press release about the company's partnership with Cue. "Testing is the path forward, and Safety Cloud (a subset of Salesforce that helps with Covid-19 testing and health and safety protocols) enables organizations of all types to take the complexity out of events, and bring people together again with confidence."

The test's boosted accuracy and speed come at a cost. The test reader alone is $249, and the tests cost $65. The company also offers two subscription tiers that range from $39.99 to $74.99 that include 10 or 20 test cartridges, respectively (and discounts on additional ones), free same- or next-day delivery, and a discount on the reader device. That compares with the BinaxNOW Covid-19 Antigen Self Test, which costs $23.99, and the Ellume Covid-19 Home Test, which costs $38.99. While equally as fast as Cue's, other antigen tests aren't as accurate, and some have been recalled over the past year for false positives and inaccurate results.

Ramping up and expanding out

Cue went public last September, with a valuation of nearly $2.3 billion. But as the pandemic has waned, not to mention stocks in general, the company's market cap has retreated to a recent $1.22 billion.

Khattak attributes the company's success in part to the development of its supply chain, which Cue created from scratch, a move necessary for the more integrated product it wanted to create. The company had to develop a more complex manufacturing and product design, making its own enzymes and primers and cartridge assembly -- processes he says that are commonly outsourced.

"We developed a whole network here in the U.S., so that we could have a protected, domestic supply chain," says Khattak. "We embraced a much larger scope than most younger companies from the start, and now it's a huge advantage." Cue currently has roughly 1,600 employees and eight facilities nationally.

Cue was never designed around a single disease, and continuing success will mean diversifying as the pandemic transitions to an endemic. The global Covid-19 diagnostics market is projected to drop from $20.05 billion in 2021 to $9.20 billion by 2028, according to a study by Fortune Business Insights. Khattak says while Cue will continue to provide Covid-19 tests, especially as more variants pop up, the goal is to offer an easy testing solution for a variety of illnesses. This entails more products and services across categories such as respiratory health, sexual health, cardiac and metabolic health, and chronic disease management.
When there isnt a global catastrophe hanging over it, the State of the Union is typically an opportunity for a president to do two things in front of a very large audience: tout his administrations accomplishments and make big, bold promises for the year ahead.

Unfortunately for President Biden, this is not the time to do either of those things.

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For one, on a practical level, Biden doesnt have too many domestic policy wins to tout, not ones that most Americans can see or feel anyway. Nor is he able to make big promises for an agenda thats been stymied by members of his own party, fellow Democrats who have no apparent plans of changing course.

Instead, Biden should acknowledge the real pain many Americans are feeling right now  pain at the pump, at the grocery store, and still due to COVID. He should encourage Congress to come up with important legislative solutions, which is, after all, their job.

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President Joe Biden (Patrick Semansky/AP)

But the most important thing Biden can do tonight, with both the world watching and American audiences in mind, is draw a correlation between whats happening in Ukraine and whats happening here in America.

And theres no denying it: Russian President Vladimir Putins war of aggression in Ukraine is mirrored by an unwieldy, unsolved, in fact growing problem in the United States.

Fascism is winning.

Putins war for Ukraine isnt just a land grab. It isnt just about territory, resources or money. Its about suppressing, defeating and extinguishing democracy altogether.

That idea, unimaginably, has already won hearts and minds in America  the hearts and minds of people I used to know.

These are people who used to fetishize Ronald Reagan for standing up to Russia; once, they sent out memes of the former president riding a dinosaur, carrying a machine gun and a rocket launcher.

These are people who believed there was no greater enemy of democracy than fascism, the kind we saw during WWII and thats creeping back now in populist presidencies and dictatorships all over the world.

These are people who call themselves Republicans, conservatives even, and pound their chests for freedom and the flag.

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And yet, these people now support a former president who declared Putins hostile move on a democratic nation to be genius.

They flock to a news outlet where the most popular host flippantly said he was rooting for Russia.

They insist Putins violent invasion pales in comparison to wokeness in America.

And according to new polls, they believe Biden is somehow worse than Putin.

How did we go from Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall, to Putin is a genius in just a few short decades?

Donald Trump, the Republican Party and right-wing media manipulated and misled millions and millions of American voters, convincing them not only to believe lies about an election, conspiracy theories about a pandemic and smears about opposing political leaders, but to abandon long-held orthodoxies about what democracy, patriotism and America mean and stand for.

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Some of them were convinced to violently break into the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overthrow a democratic election. They are now being told not just to vote Republican but that they need to destroy the Democratic Party as an institution.

Theyre supporting autocratic and fascist solutions to non-existent problems, solutions like book bans and voter suppression. Theyre actively looking for ways to thwart the will of voters, to make elections untrustworthy or even irrelevant, a hallmark of fascist regimes.

This all pleases no one more than Putin, who desperately wanted Trump to win the presidency and encouraged him to sow seeds of distrust in government. He knew how to turn a populist wave in America into a political advantage for Russia, and he played Trump like the insecure, narcissistic fool that he is.

Now, years later, as Putins tanks roll into a sovereign nation with a democratically elected president, his hard work has paid off: Trump and his supporters parrot Russian talking points and blame the U.S. for Putins war.

With the world watching America and tonights State of the Union address, Biden must make these correlations clear to remind everyone that Putins war on democracy isnt just happening over there.

He must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand up for democracy everywhere, and nowhere more importantly than here at home, where authoritarianism and fascism are winning  and no tanks were needed.

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Sometimes the smartest way to deal with extreme aggression is to keep calm and say nothing. That emotional intelligence was on full display this week in President Joe Biden's non-response to Russian president Vladimir Putin's order to transfer its nuclear arsenal to "a special mode of combat duty." Biden stayed silent in the face of the most overt threat of a nuclear attack to the United States or its allies since the Cold War. To some, that might look like weakness. In fact, it was true leadership.

If you're like most leaders, when a malevolent bully issues an open threat, your first instinct is to react swiftly and decisively. The president of the United States might respond by announcing an equivalent increase in our own nuclear readiness. Former president Donald Trump once responded to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's nuclear testing by saying that "they would be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."

There are lots of situations when a quick show of force like that is exactly the right thing to do. But leaders with real emotional intelligence also recognize that sometimes, anything you say will make matters worse, and your best option is to say nothing at all. Here's why this is one of those times.

1. The less I say, the crazier you sound.

Have you ever watched an argument where one person yelled, screamed, jumped up and down, and threatened violence, and the other person just stood and faced them without reacting at all? Which of the two seemed more reasonable to you? Who seemed most in command of the situation?

If the United States, or any Western nation, responded to Putin's threats of nuclear war with threats of their own, it would give those threats more legitimacy. And, it would confirm that nuclear war between the two great nuclear superpowers would be a reasonable result of the current conflict in Ukraine. Instead, Biden's silence just underscores how irrational Putin is being in both words and actions.

2. Sometimes it's better to let others do the talking.

Taking a seat and letting others speak up can be challenging for most leaders. But there are many times when that's the most effective approach. Biden's low profile thus far has left the spotlight to others, particularly Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, who has become an international symbol of resolve and bravery. It also makes it clear that--despite Putin's repeated claims that Ukraine is a puppet of the United States--this is truly a European conflict, and European voices should be heard.

Biden, who is well aware that the office of president comes with an outsize megaphone, has let those who work for him speak for his administration. For example, on January 3, less than two months ago, the five nuclear states issued a joint declaration that said this in part:

We affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.

The nations that signed this statement included the United States, France, the U.K., China -- and Russia. Biden must have been sorely tempted to point out this flip-flop himself, but instead, that reminder came from an unnamed defense department source. If Biden had said it, he would in essence be calling Putin a liar. That would escalate the war of words even further.

3. Smart leaders focus on facts, not rhetoric.

Biden's non-response has also given the world plenty of time to ask what Putin's threats actually mean, exactly. If you haven't watched the video of Putin giving the order, it's well worth the 48 seconds of your time. The first thing you'll notice is that it's clearly intended as a made-for-TV moment, with the generals sitting off to the side as Putin faces the camera to give the order. The second thing you'll notice is that he says the nuclear alert is a response to sanctions and "aggressive statements" from Western leaders, as opposed to any immediate military threat.

What you might not notice, unless you're an expert in geopolitics, is that the wording he uses is "deliberately ambiguous," as one analyst put it. It's been translated as a command to put Russia's nuclear arsenal in "a special mode of combat duty." No one seems to know what that phrase means beyond the obvious intention to make nuclear weapons readier than they were before.

Whatever Russia actually does with its nuclear weapons, the U.S., and many other nations, will almost certainly get a bird's-eye view from the many satellites that surround the Earth. Defense experts note that all these observers know exactly what standard readiness exercises look like, and will immediately recognize anything that deviates from that norm.
Your workplace doesn't exist in a vacuum. Amid global tragedy, anxiety and other emotions are bound to trickle (or even flood) in--and that's OK.

The current crisis in Ukraine may be a particularly triggering event for employees, especially those with connections to the country or wider region. Even if you don't know exactly the right thing to say, you should at least broadcast your support, says Melissa Doman, organizational psychologist and the author of Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work. It's not just the right thing to do; it also fosters a psychologically safe work environment where individuals are positioned to succeed, adds Doman.

"To not have a discussion about potential fluctuations of the organ that is literally required to do your job--your brain--is complete and utter nonsense," she says. "I don't see how people can function in today's world of work without having some modicum of discussion about mental health."

It doesn't have to be a hard discussion, Doman says, and leaders don't have to provide all the answers to a highly uncertain situation. Here are four ways to ensure employees feel supported in a tumultuous time.

1. Acknowledge what's happening

Even if current events, like the crisis in Ukraine, don't seem to impact your business, you should still be open to talking about them. A simple acknowledgement is the sympathetic thing to do. Doman recommends a statement along these lines: "We're conscious of the fact that this might be impacting people in different ways throughout our company, and we want you to know that it's OK to talk about this."

2. Start a conversation

In times of unrest, you may feel pressure to have all the answers, and that can lead to silence and inaction. But it's better to admit you don't know everything than to stay silent, Doman says: "We look to our leaders for permission because they sit in a position of authority and influence."

Ultimately, this creates a space for conversation. That way, employees can feel comfortable to voice any of their concerns (especially if they are personally affected by the crisis), and so that the doors are opened for action--if employees want to band together to raise money for a charitable organization, for instance.

3. Create an environment of self-advocacy

While you should try creating a workplace where employees feel comfortable advocating for their needs, it's OK to set boundaries. It's not your job to "bubble wrap" workers, Doman says. That said, employee-employer trust is something that's built over time, and when employees see that their leaders have a history of responding positively to their concerns, they're more likely to speak up, says Angie Balfour, chief people officer of the Lehi, Utah, small business communication platform Weave. "It's everyday actions where you build trust, and you see that your managers really care about you as a person." This kind of "people-first" environment that Weave has cultivated recently enabled the company to assist an employee whose family has been directly impacted by the crisis in Ukraine.

4. Do what you can to help
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Mahashivratri is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals celebrated in honour of Lord Shiva. Devotees who worship Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati eagerly wait for Mahashivratri. This festival is celebrated on the occasion of the marriage of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati.

This year Mahashivratri is being celebrated today and millions of devotees around the country shall be keep a fast and offers prayers in the temple. The noise of Om Namah Shivaya and Har Har Mahadev resonates in every temple and every house.

Devotees of Lord Shiva who assembled at temples across the nation on the auspicious occasion offered prayers to Lord Shiva. Here are some pictures:
Russia seems to be unstoppable despite international sanctions and protests across the world. Its forces may begin an all out attacks on Kiev any time. Meanwhile, people are gathering in many parts of the world to register their protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Even a section of Russian are clearly not happy with what President Vladimir Putin is up to. They are protesting, despite threats, against what they feel in unjust violence against a sovereign neighbouring country. A group of people supporting Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has called for civil disobedience as a way to protest.

EPA/BBC

"Putin declared war on Ukraine and is trying to make everyone think that Ukraine was attacked by Russia, that is, by all of us. But that's not right," Reuters cited what Navalny team wrote on its Twitter account.

"We must show that we do not support the war. We call on Russians to show civil disobedience. Do not be silent."

Who Is Alexei Navalny?

Navalny is an anti-corruption activist who is considered to be the most prominent opponent of Vladimir Putin in Russia. He was jailed in 2021 when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he was recovering from what was said to be poisoning him with a nerve agent in Siberia. His supporters alleged that the Russian authorities want him dead because of his anti-Putin activism. Government however denied all the allegations.

Navalny has millions of Russian followers on social media, mostly millennials. In his videos and posts, Navalny calls Putin's party "crooks and thieves". He believes that Putin is running a feudal state in Russia and is on the way to once again become a Tsarist state.

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Russian authorities have branded his organisation as "extremist".

He was given a jail term in February 2021. The European Court of Human Rights, however, said that he should be freed immediately because of the risk to his life, but Russia rejected the decision.

According to a BBC report, Navalny went on hunger strike, protesting that authorities at the penal colony in Vladimir, 100km (60 miles) east of Moscow, were refusing to give him proper treatment for leg and back problems.



What is civil disobedience?

John Rawl, in his book, A Theory of Justice defines civil disobedience as a public, non-violent and conscientious breach of law undertaken with the aim of bringing about a change in laws or government policies.

People who engage in civil disobedience operate at the boundary of fidelity to law, have general respect for their regime, and are willing to accept the legal consequences of their actions, as evidence of their fidelity to the rule of law.

Civil disobedience, given its place at the boundary of fidelity to law, is said on this view to fall between legal protest, on the one hand, and conscientious refusal, uncivil disobedience, militant protest, organised forcible resistance, and revolutionary action, on the other hand.



AFP

Mahatma Gandhi, who professed non-violence in all circumstances used civil disobedience or non cooperation against the British rule in India quite effectively. Gandhi called it Satyagrah and asked his followers to continue striving with their demands in a non violent manner.

Navalny's supporters in Russia clearly know that the might of a state can't be taken on with violence and if there is any possible way to garner international support against the brutality of the state, it is non violent non cooperation.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.








The universe is full of unexplainable coincides, and this incident is an example of the same - a man had placed an online order from a restaurant but accidentally put in the wrong address.

Unsplash

Sha Davis took to Facebook to share this experience he had with the delivery man who was on his way to deliver his order. According to his post, which has now gone viral, he had ordered some food and later realised that he had forgotten to change his address.

He posted a screenshot of the chat on the social media platform with the food delivery man who was out to deliver his food to the address that he previously lived at. The screenshot shows Davis explaining to the driver that he longer lives in Iowa, where his address was saved as. To make up for his mistake, and wasting the delivery driver's time, he then asked the driver to take the food with him and enjoy it since he couldn't.

In the screenshot, we can see the driver thanking Davis and revealing an emotional angle to the story. The chat shows Davis saying, So I forgot to change my address on my chipotle app so I told the driver to keep it because the old address is back in Iowa. I was deadass mad at first but after reading this Im happy this happened!

The viral post showed the driver's response which read, "Umm..Ok thanks."

"I wanted to thank you again. It's my brother's birthday today and he is laid to rest not far from where you had me take this delivery," he said. "I'm having lunch with him today because of you. You have no idea how much that means to me, I truly appreciate it," the delivery driver's response read.

The post has been shared 86,000 times, and people took to the comments section to express how heartwarming the story was.

"Love this! Never know whats going on in people lives. Just beautiful!" wrote one user.



Another commented, "This pierced my heart."

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BharatPe founder and managing editor Ashneer Grover resigned from his position today after he lost an arbitration that he had filed against the company. This decision came after his wife Madhuri Jain was terminated from the company.

So, where did it all go wrong? What series of events led to this? Let's find out.

Twitter

On February 4, reports emerged that an independent audit of BharatPe ordered by its board had found evidence of fraudulent transactions in recruitment and payments to non-existent vendors. Hours later, a letter the companys embattled cofounder Ashneer Grover sent to the board, in which he asked for CEO Suhail Sameers ouster, was leaked.

Grover went on voluntary leave until the end of March over an audio clip posted online in early January in which he allegedly abused and threatened a Kotak Mahindra Bank employee after missing out on Nykaas initial public offering last year. According to Grover, the clip is fake.



On January 9, Grover and his wife Madhuri sent a legal notice to Kotak Mahindra Bank on Oct 31, 2021, for failing to provide financing in Nykaas IPO. The bank says it will take appropriate legal action against Grover over the contents of the audio clip.



Business Standard

After the legal notice, on January 17, an email exchange between Grover and Sequoia Indias Harshjit Sethi from August 2020 surfaces, in which the BharatPe cofounder allegedly used expletives over the course of the conversation. A few days later on January 19, Grover goes on 'voluntary' leave.

On January 29, the board announces an independent audit of BharatPe's internal processes and systems. The next day on January 30, Grover says he expects an amicable resolution with the board, even as he hires a Delhi-based law firm amid mounting pressure on him to leave the company permanently.

On February 4, reports emerged that a preliminary audit report, dated Jan 24, found evidence of fraudulent transactions in recruitment and payments to non-existent vendors. Hours after this news, it is revealed that Grover had written to board members on February 2 to remove CEO Suhail Sameer from the board.

On February 10, Madhuri, controller at BharatPe, writes to Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), questioning the consulting firm about recent media leaks. In her letter, she also questions the manner in which a probe into alleged irregularities at the fintech firm is being conducted. Her letter emphasizes that she was considering legal action against the firm, and has demanded an internal investigation on how the contents of the probe undertaken by A&M were allegedly leaked.



On February 11, BharatPe chief executive Suhail Sameer tells employees that findings of an ongoing governance review of the Delhi-based firm will be shared with the board in a couple of weeks while assuring them that the fintech firm has sufficient funds to tide over the crisis. Sameer also said that the company is under constant scrutiny and spotlight and what is being written is nothing but unsubstantiated rumours, in an attempt to assuage widespread concerns among the employees.

According to a report by ET, Grover sought protection from any future action against him as part of his settlement. He also filed an arbitration plea in Singapore, in order to protect his 9.5% stake in the company.

Outlook India

He wrote to the board, informing it of an alleged expletive-laden communication between himself and group product head Bhavik Koladiya that took place in the presence of board chairman Rajnish Kumar, who is a former chairman of SBI.

On February 23, the company terminates Madhuri Jain as the companys controller on charges of misappropriating funds. Jain had been in charge of BharatPes finances since October 2018.

Kumar responded to Grovers allegations and said they would have no impact on his reputation or the companys.

Ashneer is being immature. There will be no impact of this on the company or myself. Everyone knows my credibility and these comments won't change that, he said.

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A British student has travelled to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion and is prepared to lose a "limb or two". Miles Routledge, who had to be evacuated from Afghanistan when the Taliban seized control of Kabul last year, has now made the trip down to Ukraine.

Twitter/@real_lord_miles

Routledge, a self-confessed 'disaster tourist', said he began his trip to the war-torn country on Friday, February 25, less than a day after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Daily Star reported.



He entered Ukraine via the last train from Poland and claims his documents were not checked, instantly being allowed entry to the country.



"If I want to be cynical, I'm quite religious, I'm a Catholic if I die, hopefully, I'll go to heaven and if I'm wrong and it's blackness, that's not my issue anymore. If that doesn't happen and I'm alive, that's good stuff, if I lose a limb or two I can claim benefits, I guess," he told Daily Star, from a bomb shelter underneath a hotel.



Refresher: Last week when I was in Donetsk, Ukraine, I befriended some soldiers, got a free uniform, wore a Putin mask yelling at the Russians and went to an abandoned old airforce base pic.twitter.com/QSca5nPueS  Lord Miles Routledge (@real_lord_miles) February 25, 2022

Routledge claims he was worried ahead of his visit to the European war zone as he wasn't sure he would be allowed to enter the country.



"I got worried they wouldn't let me in, there was a rumour that any male may be forcefully conscripted, so I thought I'd be thrown into the army. If something went wrong and I landed in Ukraine and suddenly everything popped off at once, that would have been the worst-case scenario," he said.



He went on to explain the situation in the country, saying: "I've seen a dog with basically half its head missing but that was in the northern bit when I went exploring. I'm not sure what happened there, if something had popped off or if it was Russian soldiers."

Stopped and interrogated by Ukrainian forces, took photos of me and my passport. The press badge worked lol pic.twitter.com/n0h6XSt4vf  Lord Miles Routledge (@real_lord_miles) February 28, 2022

Despite finding shelter in a hotel, he says: "The streets are completely empty, you only get the occasional person, there's a curfew of 5pm, so it's very difficult, it's the first curfew through till Monday so people are not too sure what to make of it."

"People are being very friendly in the shelter, they're transporting mattresses around, people are handing out water, it's very nice, very good people," he continued.



Routledge has set up online donation websites and said he will use the funds raised to help locals get supplies. He also claims there are veterans setting up field hospitals in safe houses in case the city becomes completely occupied.



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A Ukrainian sailor in Spain was arrested and later released for partially sinking a yacht owned by a Russian tycoon, in protest over the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine.

Taras Ostapchuk, 55, was taken into custody on Saturday in Mallorca after he allegedly opened several valves to intentionally flood the yacht named the Lady Anastasia, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.

yachtharbour.com

The vessel is owned by Alexander Mikheev, who is the CEO of Rosoboronexport, the weapons export arm of Russia's state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec. According to the brief biography on the company's website, Mikheev was formerly head of defense contractor JSC Russian Helicopters.



When the Civil Guard turned up to arrest him, the man is reported to have been waiting by the boat, telling authorities: I don't regret anything I've done and I would do it again', adding: 'My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people."



Russian Helicopters

His actions led to him being arrested, but he was later released on bail.



All Ukrainian citizens must be defenders of our fatherland because it is being subject to Russian aggression, he told the Associated Press after being released from detention and just before boarding a flight to the Polish capital, Warsaw.



We must stop this war, Ostapchuk said.

FleetMon

He said he was going to fight for his country.



"I'm going to fight. As soon as I reach the first Ukrainian city I will look for a military commander and ask him if they need me. I told myself: 'Why do I need a job if I have my country. I had a good job as a head mechanic on the boat and a good salary but I am going to fight for my nation." he was quoted as saying by Spanish media.

"I am not going to lose my country. I am not a hero, I'm a middle-aged man, but I have a lot of experience as a mechanic. I've never held a weapon but if necessary I will. Why not," he added.



Meanwhile, more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, Associated Press reported.

This follows Moscows shelling of Ukraines second-largest city on Monday, rocking a residential neighbourhood, as Russian troops closed in on the capital, Kyiv, as talks aimed at stopping the fighting yielded only an agreement to keep talking.

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Woodbridge, VA (22192)

Today

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 55F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 55F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
During his term, former Mayor de Blasio repeatedly ignored science and justice. We watched NYCs infrastructure crumble from extreme flooding. We heard our calls for racial justice fall on deaf ears as the city increased the NYPDs budget. We saw the city let systemic racism play out in full force as our Black and Brown communities bore the most risk as essential workers denied proper protections and through an unequal access to vaccination sites.

A new mayor sits in City Hall now, but nothing has changed. The election of Eric Adams has only further emphasized the need to organize for science-based policies. While Adams campaigned on following the science, his poor policies regarding COVID-19 have shown that he has no intention to do so. He has ignored the guidance of scientists, despite our deep toolbox of layered protections against the virus. Instead of leading the biggest school system in the country with an eye to increasing equity, the Adams administration has only exacerbated injustice.

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The damage that Adams has done is evident from the stories of students, teachers and staff in our schools. Adams has championed a resistance to remote-learning despite the risks of forcing students, staff and faculty into crowded, poorly ventilated classrooms. His plan, Stay safe, stay open, had dramatic consequences as roughly 134,000 students and 39,000 staff have contracted the virus over the course of the delta and omicron waves  a staggering number that could have been mitigated. By not providing sufficient infrastructure to support safety in schools, Adams has subjected an estimated 200,000 students to major educational disruptions, as teacher shortages and empty classrooms have ravaged the school system.

Throughout the pandemic, teacher dropout and negativity towards the profession of education reached an all-time high, with the National Education Association citing that three out of 10 educators felt that the pandemic made them more likely to leave their jobs. When pressed about the idea of a remote option, Adams belittled the severity of the problem, stating we cannot feed into the hysteria. Students walked out last month demanding safety in their schools, and parents and educators have been organizing as well.

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Adams has done no better for both public and private city employees. He has called on employers to demand a return to office despite a growing movement towards flexible work policies and has ignored calls for a remote option from city workers. His beloved NYPD have walked the subway platforms maskless, and he plans to increase their presence. Over the weekend, Adams announced his plans to soon remove many of these critical protections from infection, namely a removal of the citywide Key to NYC, requiring proof of vaccination for entry to many indoor spaces. Gov. Hochul made a similar decision to lift the statewide mask mandate in schools this week.

As science advocates, we cannot sit idly by as our leadership fails to leverage the expertise of trained scientists to design and implement equitable policies that prioritize the well-being of New Yorkers. Masks and mask mandates work. Remote learning and flexible work policies work. All of these policies work  when we take the time and money to invest in creating and supporting their infrastructure.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

We call on Adams to listen to the demands of students, teachers and school staff to support remote learning, provide students with necessary equipment for equitable remote learning, increase ventilation in schools, and improve the transparency of data.

He should implement a citywide mask mandate in response to Hochuls preemptive lift on the statewide mask mandate.

He should maintain a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public and private employees and continue to require proof of vaccination for use of indoor spaces.

And he should support remote work policies for both public and private employees in the city.

While omicron cases are decreasing in NYC, we must prepare for another surge, and long-term, for future pandemics. Scientists warn that pandemics like COVID-19 will only increase in frequency and severity as the globe continues to warm. The primary source of pandemic pathogens is from zoonoses  transmission events between animal species and humans. Rising tides, global temperatures, frequent wildfires and rapid deforestation will only disrupt local ecosystems, increasing the frequency of human contact with other species.

We call on the scientific community of the city to join us in the fight for evidence-based policies to protect our communities. We must hold Adams accountable for the promises he has made to NYC, for now and for the future. We must fight to use science as a tool for justice, regardless of who is in office.

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Acklin is a viral immunologist pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is the co-chair of March for Science NYC. Shearer is a Ph.D. candidate in nutritional and metabolic biology at Columbia University and a programming director of March for Science NYC. Sapit is a software engineer and the creative director of March for Science NYC. Paredes is a STEM educator and co-chair of March for Science NYC.
A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed by demonstrators who were tear-gassed by Richmond police during a protest in June 2020.

Six people who were among a crowd protesting at the former Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee monument alleged that their constitutional rights were violated and that the unleashing of chemical irritants on them amounted to assault and battery and gross negligence by the police officers. The demonstration in Richmond was part of a wave of nightly protests held around the country after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch quoted attorney Andrew Bodoh as saying that his clients reached an agreement with the city earlier this month. Bodoh said the agreement opens the same possibility for others who were also at the protest. He said he could not release the terms of the confidential settlement.

With this settlement, we are now positioned to take on the claims of other protesters who were in Lee Circle at the time the police officers engaged the crowd, Bodoh said. We expect the city to offer fair and prompt settlements to these individuals in order to avoid the expenses of additional lawsuits against the city.

Thousands of people, including families with children, were in the crowd on June 1, 2020. The tear-gassing happened about 20 minutes ahead of an 8 p.m. curfew.

The police department tweeted an apology nearly two hours later, describing the gassing as an unwarranted action. Mayor Levar Stoney and Police Chief William Smith, who resigned days later, apologized the next day and promised to discipline the officers.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Law Enforcement Civil Unrest
Global insurance intermediary Howden Group Holdings has agreed to acquire a major Italian insurance broker, Assiteca.

Howden plans to acquire 86.965% of the outstanding share capital of Assiteca S.p.A. held by Assitecas founder, Luciano Lucca, and Chaise S.p.A., a company 100%-owned indirectly by Tikehau Growth Equity fund.

Howden said the total price is equal to approximately 208.7 million and values each share of the company at 5.624. Howden said it will pay the total price in cash in a single payment at closing, which is expected to occur around May 2022.

Assiteca is the largest Italian-headquartered broker with 750 employees operating across 19 cities in Italy, as well as operations in Spain and Switzerland, with a turnover of brokerage commissions of approximately 90 million, according to the announcement

Howden Group is headquartered in the UK and has operations in 45 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the U.S. and Latin America. With 10,500 employees, 1.4 billion in revenues and more than $17 billion premiums managed it is one of the largest international insurance intermediary groups in the world.

Howden said Assiteca is highly complementary to Howdens existing broking business in Italy and the partnership will create a major force in the Italian broking market as well as further opportunities for all employees. The transaction will combine Assitecas regional and mid-market business with Howdens international and larger corporate accounts, specialty segments and reinsurance.

Europe, and Italy in particular, has been a focus for investment for Howden, with the recent completion of the acquisitions of Andrea Scagliarini S.p.A. in July 2021 and Tower S.p.A. in January 2022.

Upon completion of the transaction, various members of Assitecas management will retain key positions in the management of the Assitecas. In particular, Luciano Lucca will remain as chairman of the board of directors, Gabriele Giacoma will remain as chief executive officer, and Nicola Girelli will remain as finance director.

The transaction will result in the delisting of Assiteca shares from the Euronext Growth Milan market.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies
A number of big investors on Monday filed to end their lawsuits against Allianz after a settlement was reached over their losses in a multibillion-dollar trading debacle at the German asset managers funds arm.

The move marks an important milestone in the downfall of the $15 billion Structured Alpha funds, a saga that has dogged the German insurer and asset manager for two years.

But it isnt over yet. Allianz is still bracing for the outcome of U.S. regulatory investigations by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Allianz said earlier this month that it had settled with a number of investors, but didnt provide details about who. At the time, it said that it set aside 3.7 billion euros ($4.15 billion) to deal with the lawsuits and investigations.

The sum pushed Allianz into a fourth-quarter loss and resulted in a cut in pay for its chief executive and other board members.

Mondays filings in a New York court were from pension funds for various Blue Cross and Blue Shield entities and Raytheon Technologies Corp

The filings and Sean Gallagher, a lawyer for some of the plaintiffs with the firm Bartlit Beck, didnt disclose financial details.

We are happy to say that we reached a settlement with Allianz, which is good for our clients, he said.

The Allianz funds used complex options strategies to generate returns but when the coronavirus pandemic sent stock markets into a tailspin in February and March 2020, they plummeted in value, in some cases by 80% or more.

Investors in the funds, which were predominantly U.S. public pension funds, then sued Allianz for a total of $6 billion in damages.

In their lawsuits, investors alleged Allianz had strayed from its stated investment strategy of hedging to limit potential losses.

Other pension funds that invested in the funds included those for laborers in Alaska, teachers in Arkansas and subway workers in New York.

Allianz declined to comment.

($1 = 0.8920 euro)

(Reporting by Tom Sims and Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)

Topics Lawsuits Profit Loss Allianz
Illinois is expected to receive $760 million as part of a settlement with pharmaceutical distributors sued for their role in the opioid crisis, the state attorney general announced Feb. 25.

Attorney General Kwame Raouls office said the states share of a $26 billion opioid settlement agreement is the result of three years of talks.

The majority of the states award will be used for programs around the state aimed at prevention and recovery from opioid addiction. Money is expected to begin flowing to states and local governments as soon as April.

Raouls office said nearly all Illinois counties have signed onto the agreement, along with 104 municipalities. Individual payments for those local governments will be determined by a state panel, which will consider population, overdose deaths, opioid usage rates and the amount of opioids shipped to a region.

I am committed to ensuring the money we secured through the settlement is distributed equitably to fund critical recovery and treatment programs in the counties and municipalities with the most urgent need, Raoul said in a statement.

Most of the money is required to be used to address the nations opioid addiction and overdose epidemic, which has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths over the last two decades. The crisis has deepened during the coronavirus pandemic, with U.S. opioid-related deaths reaching a high of more than 76,000 in the 12 months that ended in April 2021, largely because of the spread of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Illinois
Conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday appeared skeptical of the federal governments authority to issue sweeping regulations to reduce carbon emissions from power plants in a case that could undermine President Joe Bidens plans to tackle climate change.

The court, whose 6-3 conservative majority has shown wariness toward broad federal agency actions, was weighing the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing coal- and gas-fired power plants under the landmark Clean Air Act.

Although some justices questioned the EPAs power in an abstract sense, it remained unclear how they would rule, as lawyers representing the EPA and power companies pushed back against a decision that would prevent the agency from issuing any regulation that went outside the fenceline  meaning beyond restrictions on individual plants.

An eventual ruling restricting the EPAs authority could hamstring the administrations ability to curb the power sectors emissions  representing about a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gases. The United States, behind only China in greenhouse gas emissions, is a pivotal player in efforts to combat climate change on a global basis.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito indicated that any broad assertion of authority sought by the EPA would constitute a major question that under court precedent requires Congress to have expressly authorized it.

You are claiming that the interpretation gives you the authority to set industrial policy and energy policy and balance such things as jobs, economic impact, the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change as well as costs, Alito told U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, representing Bidens administration.

The Supreme Court is reviewing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuits 2021 decision striking down Republican former President Donald Trumps Affordable Clean Energy rule. That regulation would have imposed limits on a Clean Air Act provision called Section 111 that provides the EPA authority to regulate emissions from existing power plants.

The United Nations earlier in the day released a 3,675-page report urging global action to combat climate change. Outside the Supreme Court, a small group of demonstrators carried signs reading Protect the Clean Air Act.

The case was pursued by Republican-led states led by coal producer West Virginia. Other challengers include coal companies and coal-friendly industry groups. Coal is among the most greenhouse gas-intensive fuels.

Democratic-led states and major power companies including Consolidated Edison Inc., Exelon Corp., and PG&E Corp. sided with Bidens administration, as did the Edison Electric Institute, an investor-owned utility trade group.

During the argument, their lawyer Beth Brinkmann, stressed the value of flexibility that would allow for some outside the fenceline regulation, including authorization of emissions trading between plants.

That argument seemed to draw some interest from the bench, including conservative Justice Clarence Thomas.

I dont know how you can draw such clean distinctions, Thomas told Yaakov Roth, a lawyer representing coal companies.

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan said that inside the fenceline regulations can be just as onerous on coal plants as a more industry-wide rule.

Reform can be very small or can be catastrophic. There are inside the fence technological fixes that could drive the entire coal industry out of business tomorrow, and an outside the fence rule could be very small, or it could be very large, Kagan said.

The rule proposed by Trump, a supporter of the U.S. coal industry who also questioned climate change science, was meant to supplant Democratic former President Barack Obamas Clean Power Plan mandating major reductions in carbon emissions from the power industry.

The Supreme Court blocked Clean Power Plan implementation in 2016 without ruling on its lawfulness.

Coal-aligned groups want the justices to rule that Bidens administration cannot take a sweeping approach to regulating carbon emissions under Section 111. Such a decision would prevent the EPA from enforcing industry-wide changes, limiting it to actions targeting individual plants.

That would be a blow for the administration, which wants the U.S. power sector decarbonized by 2035. If Bidens administration loses the case, Congress would need to pass new legislation for the government to impose sweeping climate-related regulations  unlikely given congressional divisions.

Prelogar said the EPA will unveil a proposed new regulation by the end of the year, which would likely come after the Supreme Courts ruling  expected by the end of June.

Topics Legislation USA Climate Change Pollution
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition by a Massachusetts Christian college seeking a religious ministerial exception to help it avoid a discrimination lawsuit brought by a professor denied a promotion.

However, the denial of certiorari, due to a procedural matter, was sympathetic to Gordon College and left the door open for it to come back to the high court if it loses at trial in Massachusetts.

The ministerial exception protects churches and other religious institutions from discrimination claims in the selection of employees who play certain key roles.

Gordon College requires all of its faculty to sign a Christian statement of faith. The schools handbook also states that the most important task of the Christian educator is the integration of faith and learning.

Margaret DeWeese-Boyd was hired as a faculty member in Gordon Colleges department of social work in 1998. DeWeese-Boyds employment application acknowledged personal agreement with Gordons Statement of Faith, stated her Christian beliefs, described her pilgrimage as a Christian, [and] explained how her Christian commitment affected her scholarship, according to the court. In 2009, when DeWeese-Boyd applied for tenure, she submitted a paper that discussed her integration of the Christian faith into her work.

In 2016, when DeWeese-Boyd applied for promotion to full professor, she explained that she thought the work of integration required pursuing scholarship that is faithful to the mandates of Scripture, the vocational call of Christ, and the dictates of conscience. Student evaluations, also included in the 2016 application, stated that she did a great job of connecting class materials with Christian faith.

Gordon College denied her a promotion, citing lack of scholarly productivity, among other things. DeWeese-Boyd sued, alleging that the college had actually denied her a promotion because of her vocal opposition to [the colleges] policies and practices regarding individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

The parties sought summary judgment on whether the ministerial exception barred DeWeese-Boyds claims. The trial court ruled in favor of DeWeese-Boyd, and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court later affirmed that the ministerial exception did not shield the college in this case because it found DeWeese-Boyd did not qualify as a minister under the U.S. Supreme Courts decisions.

The state court reasoned that DeWeese-Boyd did not undergo formal religious training, pray with her students, participate in or lead religious services, take her students to chapel services, or teach a religious curriculum. Though the court recognized that she was required to integrate the Christian faith into her teaching, scholarship, and advising, the court reasoned that this integrated teaching was different in kind from religious instruction.

After the states highest court found it was not entitled to avoid trial, Gordon College petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court.

In his statement of denial of certiorari, Associate Justice Samuel Alito criticized the Massachusetts high court for its understanding of the ministerial exception.

That conclusion reflects a troubling and narrow view of religious education, Alito wrote. What many faiths conceive of as religious education includes much more than instruction in explicitly religious doctrine or theology.

Citing a brief supporting the college, Alioto added that many religious schools ask their teachers to show students how to view the world through a faith-based lens, even when teaching nominally secular subjects.

Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney-Barrett joined in Alitos statement.

The high court denied certiorari because it said ruling before the state trial was completed would complicate the review. But in an appropriate future case, this Court may be required to resolve this important question of religious liberty, Alito wrote.

Also, the statement notes that if Gordon College loses and DeWeese-Boyd prevails in the trial court, there is nothing that would preclude Gordon [College] from appealing at that time, including seeking review in this Court when the decision is actually final.

Topics Lawsuits USA Massachusetts Education Training Development Universities
Brokerage Hub International and insurtech Bold Penguin have agreed to acquire digital agency Insureon Holdings.

Chicago-based Insureon calls itself the top independent marketplace for online delivery of small-business insurance. It was one of the original insurtechs launched to serve small businessowners who wanted to buy coverage online.

Pending the closings of two separate transactions, Hub, also based in Chicago, will acquire the Insureon digital insurance agency and brand. Bold Penguin will acquire the Insureon technology platform. Hub said it will then enter into an enterprise agreement with Columbus, Ohio-based Bold Penguin to license Insureons technology platform.

Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

Hub was No. 1 on Insurance Journals list of Top 100 Independent Property/Casualty Agencies in 2021. Insureon is also on the list at No. 80. Annually, Insureon has 350,000 customers in 50 states, and has broad insurance-company partners serving the U.S. small business market.

Marc Cohen, Hub president and CEO, said the acquisition substantially increases the scale and depth of Hubs digital capabilities.

The addition of Insureon and our partnership with Bold Penguin  leaders in insurtech innovation  not only strengthens our unique market position but accelerates our digital capabilities, Cohen continued, in a statement. The one constant in our ever-changing climate is that customers want choice. We are positioned to deliver omnichannel solutions that will continue to evolve and keep pace with our clients needs. This is just the beginning.

Beyond the Portal: P/C Carriers Vie to Create Better Agency Digital Experiences

Insureon CEO Dan Kazan will join both companies. He said: By combining Insureons leading technology, Hubs investment and pulse on customer expectations, and Bold Penguins commitment to serving small businesses, we are helping to create the future of the small commercial marketplace.

Jeff Kroeger, chief commercial officer at Insureon, will join Hub along with the digital agency and front-end ecommerce technology and product teams. Last year during a podcast, Kroeger told Insurance Journal that the market size for online sales of small business could grow to $12 billion by the end of 2025.

Hub said Insureons digital agency will enable the broker to service its association and affinity group clients more efficiently and expand its network to develop and distribute insurance products in collaboration with carriers.

At Hub, the Insureon operations will be part of Hub holding company Specialty Program Group. The team will report to SPG CEO Chris Treanor.

Bold Penguin, a subsidiary of American Family Insurance, will acquire Insureons cloud-based technology platform with 24/7 monitoring and flexible API integration to connect to carriers. Bold Penguin will continue to serve Insureons enterprise software and SaaS clients, expanding Bold Penguins depth of products, carriers, and clients. Insureons platform technology, carrier integration and enterprise/SaaS teams will join Bold Penguin.

We have a tremendous future together delivering a digitally transformative experience for Hubs clients and prospects as we leverage Insureons innovative solutions to extend the market-leading capabilities of Bold Penguins commercial insurance exchange, said Ben Clarke, chief data officer and co-founder of Bold Penguin.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Tech
Russia's nuclear triad put on high alert: defense ministry

Xinhua) 09:01, March 01, 2022

Photo taken on Feb. 19, 2022 shows a view of the Russian-Belarusian exercises, dubbed Allied Resolve 2022, in Belarus. (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)

MOSCOW, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin on Monday that the country's nuclear deterrence forces have begun combat duty with reinforced staff.

Shoigu informed Putin that "the duty shifts of control units of the strategic rocket forces, the Northern and Pacific fleets, and the long-range aviation command have started to carry out the combat duty with increased capacity," Russia's RIA Novosti news agency cited the ministry as reporting.

Putin ordered the country's deterrence forces to be placed on "a special mode of combat duty" in a Sunday meeting with top defense officials.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
The late Robert M. Morgenthau was a legendary prosecutor. He served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and Manhattan district attorney for 34 years. Fiercely independent and dedicated to the public interest, he relished high-profile cases and did not shrink from prosecuting public officials or well-heeled business figures, even when the illegality was not so flagrant.

It appears that, over many years, former President Trump knowingly submitted false financial statements to banks and insurers to induce them to lend. But Alvin Bragg, the newly elected Manhattan DA, seems to have put the brakes on the case against Trump for financial fraud. Last week, Braggs two top prosecutors on the case, Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne, abruptly resigned as they seemingly saw Braggs action to be contrary to the public interest. Pomerantz and Dunne, both of whom have impeccable reputations, had been investigating Trump for some time.

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Based only on what has come out in the press (and doubtless more evidence was available to the grand jury), there appears enough of a case against Trump to take him to trial. The valuations Trump placed on business assets for purposes of obtaining bank loans were grossly inflated, and varied widely from valuations he placed on the same assets in tax returns.

New Yorks larceny law requires deprivation of property, and some cases say that the deprivation must be permanent. This would indicate that intent to repay a fraudulently induced loan might be a defense. There is no way, however, that Trump could repay all or some of his loans. In fact, he has a record of fleecing his creditors, suppliers and even his lawyers. In Atlantic City, his casinos went bankrupt six times. Protesting that he had an intent to repay will ring hollow when his history has been to roll over the loans without paying down principal.

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Although the penal law provision regarding scheme to defraud might cover fraudulent inducement of a loan, the issue is legally complicated. New York does not have an analog to the federal law which makes it a crime to submit a knowingly false financial statement or an overvaluation of property to influence action by a bank or insurance company. Intent to repay would not be a defense. Nevertheless, Bragg should have let a jury wrestle with that one.

A criminal fraud case is like a mosaic; the full picture is more important than the individual tiles. The fact that we have a decade of false financial statements in itself may be quite sufficient to convince a jury that Trump had actual knowledge of the falsity of the financial statements and deliberately sought to defraud his lenders.

As the iconic Judge Learned Hand put it: the cumulation of instances, each explicable only by extreme credulity or professional inexpertness, may have a probative force immensely greater than any one of them alone.

The key badge of fraud is that Trumps long-time accountants, the Mazars Group, pulled their opinions on the Trump financials, and said that, despite the elaborate boilerplate disclaimers, they should no longer be relied upon. Would the banks have made the loans had they known that the financials were false, and could not be relied upon? Auditors do not pull their opinions on 10 years of financial statements unless they have a real issue.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Auditors normally do not render an opinion covering financial statements unless they receive a representation letter from the client that the financials are presented fairly, and are true and correct. It is not clear that Trump personally signed such a letter to Mazars, since he is known not to leave his fingerprints on anything. But it is inconceivable that his employees would have signed the letters unless Trump directed them to do it.

In the celebrated Rothko case in the 1980s, the stock book of the Marlborough Gallery was doctored to backdate Rothko painting sales. Frank Lloyd, owner of the gallery, tried to shift the blame to underlings who physically altered the records. Morgenthau prosecuted Lloyd for uttering false records, and he was convicted after a jury trial.

Bragg may have hesitated because of the problem of proving Trumps criminal intent. Trumps convicted lawyer Michael Cohen testified before Congress that Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposesand deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes, but this may not have been enough. Cohen was not viewed by Bill Barrs Justice Department as a reliable witness. Bragg should not have been equally skeptical.

But, to prove criminal intent, you dont need Michael Cohen or anyone else on the inside to say Trump knew everything. That is gathered from all the facts and circumstances. There is evidence of all the similar acts of Trumps lying in sworn statements or in statements filed with government agencies, and that would have independent probative force.

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Unlike in the Jan. 6 or Georgia cases, Trump has no credible counter-attack against the New York case by claiming his political enemies are out to get him. Anyway, it was Bob Morgenthau who famously said: A man is not immune from prosecution just because a [prosecutor] happens not to like him.

I do not know Bragg, and ascribe no improper motive to him. But I do know that Bob Morgenthau would most certainly have indicted Trump on the publicly known facts.

Zirin is a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. He was appointed by Robert M. Morgenthau.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a district courts denial of class certification to a group of Louisiana GEICO customers who allege the insurers proprietary valuation system violated state law.

Plaintiffs Eric Prudhomme and Elvin Jack failed to show want of commonality, adequacy, and predominance among the proposed class, the district court said.

In rejecting the appellants proposed class, the district court questioned whether the appellants theory of liability would benefit all members of the class. The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure require that the representative parties in a class-action will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.

Indeed, a portion of the proposed class members received payments above (that is, benefitted from) the allegedly unlawful valuation, summarized Circuit Judges Carolyn Dineen King, Gregg J. Costa and Don R. Willett. This undermined Appellants class-wide theory of liability and thereby doomed adequacy. 

Topics Lawsuits Louisiana
A rescue bill that aims to cut losses and litigation expenses for Florida property insurers passed a state Senate committee Monday, its last stop before a floor vote in the full Senate.

But with just 11 days remaining in the 2022 session, and significant differences between Senate and House measures, its far from certain that SB 1728 will make it into the law books. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 18-2 on Monday to approve the bill, which insurance industry advocates have said is the best hope to stem losses from aggressive roofing contractors and a continuing surge of lawsuits over claims  and to help prevent more carriers from becoming insolvent and raising premiums.

Weve got to get our arms around this problem. Its costing our constituents sums that most of them cannot afford to pay, said Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, the sponsor of SB 1728.

The meeting came a few days after regulators announced that St. Johns Insurance Co. had become insolvent. Six other Florida carriers have announced they will stop writing new business or non-renew some policies.

The debate in the committee meeting Monday focused largely on a section of the bill that would allow more policies to cover the actual cash value of roofs when they are damaged, as opposed to full-replacement value now required for most policies. The measure also would let insurers offer policies with deductibles just for roofs, up to 2% of the policy limits.

After the deductible is paid, the homeowner would receive full-replacement value for the roof, Boyd explained.

Sen. Daryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, objected to the idea that homeowners would have to pay thousands to meet a deductible before they could see any insurance benefits paid to a contractor. But the committee voted down his amendment.

Hollywood, Florida, attorney Hillary Cassel testified that the bill provides full replacement value for roofs only when damaged by named hurricanes. She suggested allowing that coverage for tornado and other storms. Boyd said that if a home is hit by a tornado, it will likely suffer heavy losses.

If its more than 50% damaged, thats a total loss and it will get full replacement, he said.

Cassel, whose firm represents policyholders, also said the bill does not outline insurers responsibilities. Homeowners could face months-long delays before they see any payout on policies, she said.

Others urged swift action on the bill.

Were probably in a property insurance crisis larger than weve seen since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, said Gary Guzzo, a lobbyist for Floridian Partners and a former state insurance regulator.

He noted that previous Legislatures have made statutory changes that have resulted in significant improvements in the insurance field, including lowered workers compensation costs after 2003 changes, and reduced losses after sinkhole insurance reforms in 2016. Guzzo told lawmakers they can save the day again with SB 1728.

A similar bill in the House, HB 1307, has made its way through two House committees and is awaiting a vote on the floor. But that measure differs from SB 1728 in some key areas, and its not clear if the two chambers would be able to iron out differences before the session ends.

Florida law limits the session to 60 days, which will make March 11 the final day.

Also Monday, the Appropriations Committee approved SB 1874, which would require insurance agencies to notify customers ahead of time when an agency is to be closed; and it would reduce penalties for small businesses for workers compensation violations.

The panel also passed SB 1292, which increases penalties on unlicensed public adjusters who violate the law, among other provisions.

Top photo: Lobbyist Gary Guzzo at Mondays Senate committee hearing.

Topics Legislation Florida
The latest climate report from the UN has been described as "an atlas of human suffering".

Here are answers to some key questions about the report.

What is the report?

It is the second part of a global assessment of climate science by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the sixth such assessment the UN body has conducted, with the most recent one back in 2013/14.

This second report looks at the impacts of and vulnerabilities to climate change, and adaptation to global warming.

The first part, labelled a "code red for humanity" when it was published last August, examined the physical basis of climate change, and a third part will set out solutions to the crisis when it is published later this year.

What is the IPCC?

It is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established in 1988 to provide political leaders with scientific assessments on climate change, to help them make policy. Some 195 countries are members of the IPCC.

There always seems to be another climate report coming out. What is different about this one?

The IPCC reports are an assessment of all the available science on climate change.

This latest study references more than 34,000 published papers and has involved 270 authors from around the world, who have received tens of thousands of comments on earlier drafts from scientists and governments.

Most importantly, the 35-page summary of the report has been subject to a line-by-line approval process involving scientists and representatives of the 195 governments before it is published - which has taken place online over the last two weeks.

That means that governments have signed off on the findings.

What does the report say?

It says climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health, with around 3.3-3.6 billion people living in situations where they are highly vulnerable to global warming.

Human-induced climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme events, has caused widespread adverse impacts to people and nature, including death, physical and mental health impacts, and damage to livelihoods, infrastructure and habitats.

Some of these impacts are irreversible, as humans and nature are pushed beyond their ability to adapt, with glaciers melting, permafrost thawing and species going extinct. There will be "unavoidable increases" in many climate hazards in the next two decades.

Read More Children will have to emit 10 times less than grandparents to meet climate targets

Keeping temperature rises to close to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels will substantially reduce the losses and damages caused by climate change compared to higher temperatures, but does not eliminate all dangers.

The report warns that any further delay in concerted global action to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changes will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.

What impact will it have?

While the first part of the assessment came out in the run-up to the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, which aimed - and just about managed - to keep limiting global warming to 1.5C within reach, this one lands just over 100 days after the talks concluded.

It might be hoped the new findings keep up the pressure on governments, who agreed to take more action to cut emissions this year, and increase climate finance and the focus on helping countries adapt to the crisis, as part of the Glasgow Pact agreed at the talks.

Cop26 President Alok Sharma has said there is hope, with a window of opportunity in the crucial next decade to "cut emissions, adapt to a more dangerous climate and build for a secure and clean future which turns the commitments made at Cop26 into transformative action".

However, the report has landed just days after the world was plunged into a geopolitical crisis with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This had immediate impacts for the IPCC's approval process, as the Ukrainian team had to warn on Thursday morning that they might not be able to continue as they were not sure they would have electricity, internet and safety.

On an international scale, there is a danger that governments are once again, as with Covid-19, focused on a crisis other than climate change and unable to work in concert to fix a problem that requires action from everyone, together.
A Ukrainian team in Ireland has developed interactive maps with real-time information for emergency services across the embattled country.

The team of five are constantly updating the maps with data on services such as blood centre locations, metro shelters and emergency trains to evacuate the elderly and children from the country.

Vladislav Zhdanko is one of the small team working in an international IT company with an office based in Dublin who are monitoring services on an ongoing basis and updating the detailed maps region-by-region.

Vladislav (27) is originally from Zaporizhzhia and has been living in Navan, Co. Meath, for the last 13 years. "My company, which can't be named, has been very good in accommodating us to provide this interactive assistance for people in Ukraine," he said.

"There are five of us originally from Ukraine who are constantly monitoring the official Government websites and updating the maps accordingly region-by-region.

At present, there is a huge need for blood in the country so we are inputting all blood donation centres on the map with contact information and directions.

"Information on metro stations providing shelter and emergency trains running to evacuate the elderly and children are also uploaded and changed as we get details.

"It's just one way that we can help our country. I still have my elderly grandparents, my aunt, my dad and a lot of friends over there. We are trying to persuade my grandparents who are 73 and 70 to leave for a safer place but they don't think they will be able for the long journey.

Vladislav Zhdanko is one of the small team working in an international IT company with an office based in Dublin who are monitoring services on an ongoing basis. Photo: Seamus Farrelly

"There have been three explosions near the airport in my city and my auntie, who I'm in contact with, said the sky was orange from all the bombing last night.

"Some of the shelters are hard to find in the dark because all the lights in the city are turned off and some are in terrible condition and not safe at all so my relations are hoping to find somewhere else to go to."
There can be no Irish neutrality in relation to Ukraine. There can be no constructive abstention from the fight to stop Vladimir Putin.

If it cannot be argued that a country such as Ireland can take a case-by-case attitude to neutrality (and that argument has never been made effectively), then our policy of military neutrality must end.

We must be prepared to do whatever is asked of us, to send whatever is needed, to help Ukraine and to seek to defeat Putin in whatever way is necessary. We must be ready to join whatever alliance is necessary.

Because there is only one choice now. There is evil in the world, and no country can absolve itself from the struggle against it. If it isnt stopped, it can only spread.

Of course, were a small country, and we dont have an awful lot in the way of military resources. But whatever we have, we have to be prepared to give.

Since Hitler, the world has never faced an autocratic tyrant with so malign a set of intentions. And Hitler didnt have the unthinkable weaponry that Putin has at his command. If the world  including us  isnt resolved to stand against it, there is no future.

Russian president Vladimir Putin. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Just so theres no misunderstanding  I dont believe its enough for us to say that while we remain aloof from any military alliance, we are, of course, on the side of democracy. That might have cut it once, but its no longer enough.

My late father hated violence of any kind. As a proud Irishman, he never argued against his countrys policy of neutrality in the Second World War. But he also believed that everyone had a moral duty where Hitler was concerned. So he joined the British Army for the duration of the war.

Like him, I have always hated war and violence, even the thought of it. Right now, I think of children terrified in the face of bombs, families being torn apart by this war, fathers leaving their families at borders and going back to be killed or injured in the defence of their freedoms.

Every time I think of them, I think of my daughters and my grandchildren. What if it were them? How would they cope? How much pain can people endure?

But apart from a hatred of violence, Im also someone who always believed in Irish neutrality. In the 1990s, I was one of a group of people who worked hard to see it written into Irelands first, and so far only, white paper on foreign policy. To make it official government policy.

Neutrality was written into the document as the cornerstone of our security policy and a core value of our foreign policy. In some of the later referenda on European treaties, we went further. We put language into our Constitution, in Article 29, saying that we would not join a European common defence agreement.

I look at some of the sentences in that white paper now, that I was so proud of at the time, and I can only wonder at how woefully inadequate they are in the face of evil: Successive Irish governments have taken the view that in the event of a major international or European conflict, the security of the State could best be preserved by the adoption of an attitude of neutrality.

And: Neutrality represents an attitude of impartiality adopted by a state towards the participants in a conflict and recognised as such by the belligerents.

If we had said at the time that, in the event of an authoritarian dictator willing to go to war with much smaller neighbours in pursuit of selfish and ego-driven purposes, we could best preserve our security by turning our backs  and if necessary being ready to surrender all our values  it would have been just as meaningful.

We must change our position. For as long as a dictator like Putin is allowed to hold sway and to use any fascistic tactic he chooses, we have to be ready to join whatever alliance is necessary to defeat him.

We see already that there are elements in the US willing to turn a blind eye to Putins wanton cruelty. Rather than confronting his evil, theyd prefer to attack and undermine their own president. They are led, of course, by the charlatan Donald Trump, who spent every day of his presidency  when he wasnt trying to blackmail and bully the president of Ukraine  behaving like a complete lickspittle to Putin.

Nobody  and it should never be forgotten  did more to empower and enable Putin than Trump did.

US president Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit, Friday, July 7, 2017, in Hamburg. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP

At the same time nobody else, it seems, believes that it is right at this time to go to war in Ukraine  to send troops to fight on the ground  because nobody can predict where such escalation would bring us. Even without escalation, Putin is willing to drop dark hints and suggestions about the deployment of nuclear weapons.

But Finland shares a border with Russia that is more than 1,000km long; Estonia and Latvia have long Russian borders; Lithuania has Russian territory to the south and is completely surrounded to its east by Belarus, now firmly established as little more than a large Russian military base; Poland too has Belarus as its next-door neighbour.

If Ukraine is subjugated and itself becomes a base for further Russian expansion its immediately neighbouring states include Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania  all with land borders to Ukraine.

With the exception of little Moldova  perhaps the poorest country in Europe  all of these ancient nations are part of the EU. As are we.

A threat to one of them is a threat to all of us. We cannot ever again say, if one of them is attacked: What a terrible shame. But you do understand, dont you, that were neutral. Those days are over.

In the months and years ahead, we must be prepared to accept responsibility for at least our share of the humanitarian tasks that will accumulate from this terrible war. The support that families will need will be immense, the rebuilding may well take years. In some ways, though, thats the easy bit.

The harder bit is sanctions and protest. We need to be proactive  if, for example, Aughinish Alumina needs to be taken into State ownership and out of the hands of a Russian oligarch; we cannot hesitate.

If no one else is prepared to name Putin as a war criminal, and demand that he be investigated by the International Criminal Court, we must. If others do it, we must support them. We need to do whatever we can to ensure no safe havens for Putin and his henchmen.

Of course, we should be suspending diplomatic relations with Russia and sending the ambassador home. Anyone who saw Sergei Lavrovs interview with David McCullough on RTE saw only a liar and a propagandist brilliantly exposed for what he was.

The hardest part might yet be to come. It may ultimately be necessary for Ireland to be part of something that will confront this madness with arms.

I never in my life thought I would say this, but if it happens, we cannot shy away.
A senior Russian official has launched a new stark warning over its sanctions against his country for its war in Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev, a deputy head of Russias Security Council, was retorting to a comment by French finance minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday that the European Union was going to unleash an all-out economic and financial war against Russia.
Burma Myanmar Junta Jails Ousted NLD Chief Minister for 21 Years Over Alleged Corruption

Ousted Sagaing Region's Chief Minister Dr. Myint Naing.

A junta court sentenced Sagaing Regions ousted chief minister, Dr. Myitn Naing, on Monday to a further 21 years in prison in addition to an earlier sentence of two years.

The 71-year-old was convicted by the junta court on seven charges of alleged corruption which each carried three years under Article 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law.

The junta accused the chief minister, who gained in popularity while in office, of accepting gifts, mismanaging government tenders and failing to collect taxes from gold mining companies, which lost government revenue.

The junta previously sentenced him to two years imprisonment in December under alleged incitement charges for issuing statements calling the public to resist the regime.

The central executive committee member of the National League for Democracy (NLD) has been detained in Monywa Prison since shortly after the February coup.

He is in good health. We are not sure yet whether he will appeal to the court, a court source said.

Dr. Myint Naing won seats at the 1990, 2015 and 2020 general elections and in the 2012 by-elections and became Sagaing chief minister in 2016 under the NLD-led government which was toppled by the military coup.

Of the 14 state and regional chief ministers appointed by the NLD, 13 were detained on Feb. 1, 2021, and are still in military custody, prison or under house arrest. The Chin State chief minister was reported to have fled across the border into India.

Almost all the chief ministers have been charged under Article 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law and face tough jail terms. Many of them also face other charges.

Yangon Region chief minister U Phyo Min Thein is the only one who has not been hit with any legal charges by the junta.

Karen State chief minister Daw Nan Khin Htwe Myint was sentenced to 80 years in prison on corruption and incitement charges, which was halved on February 12.

Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the detained Mandalay chief minister and NLD deputy chairman, was sentenced for allegedly breaching COVID-19 rules and incitement.



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Burma Russia-Ukraine Crisis Prompts Myanmar Junta Emergency Meeting

Coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing (right) and Russian deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin during the latter's visit to Naypyitaw in March 2021.

Myanmars military regime held an emergency meeting on the Russia-Ukraine crisis in the capital Naypyitaw on February 26, to discuss how the conflict in Eastern Europe might affect Myanmar, sources told The Irrawaddy.

At the meeting, the regime assumed that Myanmar faces the risk of invasion by its neighbor China, just as Ukraine has been invaded by its neighbor Russia.

While the junta is convinced that Beijing would not invade Myanmar in normal times, it is concerned that the superpower would take matters into its own hand if and when Myanmars military is incapable of protecting Chinese interests in the country. The regime believes that Chinese investments are increasingly being targeted by resistance groups.

Beijing has numerous existing and planned projects in Myanmar including an oil and gas pipelines project, which is thus far the biggest Chinese project in the country.

The project spans nearly 800 kilometers, comprising twin pipelines running in parallel from the port of Kyaukphyu in western Myanmars Rakhine State through Magwe and Mandalay regions and northern Shan State before entering Chinas Yunnan Province.

China is also working to establish the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, which is part of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative. The estimated 1,700 kilometre-long corridor will connect Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, to Mandalay, Yangon and the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone in Rakhine.

Beijing also has influence over ethnic armed groups based in Shan State.

Last month, an off-take station of the China-backed oil and gas pipelines in Mandalay Regions Natogyi Township was damaged when a resistance group attacked regime forces guarding the facility.

China has urged Myanmars parallel National Unity Government to ensure its resistance movement does not harm Chinese investments in Myanmar, following a January attack on electricity pylons supplying the China-backed Tagaung Taung nickel-processing plant in Sagaing Regions Tigyaing Township.

At the February 26 meeting, the regime decided to tighten security at the sites of Chinas special interests in Myanmar, including along the oil and gas pipelines, a source who asked for anonymity told The Irrawaddy.

Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Regime spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun has told the Voice of America radio network that the junta supports the invasion.

Number one is that Russia has worked to consolidate its sovereignty. I think this is the right thing to do. Number two is to show the world that Russia is a world power, the regime spokesman was quoted by VOA as saying.

On February 25, China, along with India and the United Arab Emirates, abstained in a vote on a United Nations draft resolution condemning Russias attack on Ukraine.

Russia, which is one of the largest arms suppliers to the Myanmar military, is now facing sanctions from Western countries because of its invasion.

The European Union has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft since Sunday. The United States, European allies and Canada agreed on Saturday to remove key Russian banks from the interbank messaging system, SWIFT, meaning targeted Russian banks will not be able to communicate securely with banks beyond its borders.

As a result, the Russian ruble has fallen significantly against the US dollar.

Myanmar generals who have bank accounts in Russia and Myanmar cronies who act as intermediaries between Russian arms manufacturers and the military regime are extremely concerned about the latest developments in Russia, sources told The Irrawaddy.



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Thabye Aye village burns. / Supplied

Two Sagaing Region villagers were killed by a junta airstrike and an arson attack on Monday in one of Myanmars resistance strongholds.

Villagers said the air raid on Thabye Aye village was launched by four military helicopters in the morning before soldiers were dropped to torch the village which has nearly 200 houses.

A villager riding away on a motorcycle was hit in the head. An elderly person was trapped in the fire, a resident told The Irrawaddy.

He said nearly 150 houses were burned by the troops.

Earlier regime forces killed at least nine people during a raid on nearby Chin Pone village and detained over 80 primary schoolchildren as potential human shields for 36 hours. The troops then moved to Thabye Aye by helicopter.

Yoma Peoples Defense Force said about 60 soldiers were deployed in the village from two helicopters and are stationed at the village monastery.

Before the soldiers were deployed, the helicopters dropped bombs and there was also a fighter jet in the sky, said a resistance fighter.

He said attempts to shoot the helicopters with homemade weapons were unsuccessful.

Thabye Aye villagers took up arms to fight the regime last year when troops came to arrest the villages abbot for alleged anti-junta activism. Villagers fought them with hunting rifles, killing three troops and leading to seven arrests.

Junta forces have burned at least 4,571 civilian homes across Myanmar since last years coup, including 2,567 in Sagaing Region alone, according to the independent research group Data for Myanmar.



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Commentary Myanmars Min Aung Hlaing, Russias Putin and Their Ilk Must Not Prevail

Myanmar coup leader Min Aung Hlaing inspects troops during the Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw in March 2017. / AFP via Myawady

The generals who have engaged in brutal atrocities and applied a scorched earth strategy in Myanmar will surely be following the news from Ukraine closely. The immediate question that arises is, do they want Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invading army to succeed? Perhaps.

As the invasion of Ukraine was beginning, Myanmar, a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), sounded decidedly out of step with the rest of the world when a spokesperson for Myanmars military council voiced support for Putins aggression, offering two reasons.

No. 1 is that Russia has worked to consolidate its sovereignty, he said. I think this is the right thing to do. No. 2 is to show the world that Russia is a world power.

Of course, this is garbage. The juntas quick show of support for Russias aggression is hardly surprising; Russia is a major supplier of military hardware to the regime, and enhanced military-to-military ties have been cemented since the coup.

Moscow sent a high-level military delegation led by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to Myanmar two weeks before last years coup. Moscow knew of the coup in advance and promised to supply arms, training, hardware and surveillance technology to the regime.

Since the coup, the two sides have exchanged numerous visits. Indeed, the relationship has grown worryingly warm. However, this Russia-Myanmar friendship doesnt include the Myanmar people.

For their part, the oppressed people of Myanmar loathe both Russia and China, and whoever else supports the regime.

On March 27 last year, the regime celebrated Armed Forces Day, which historically has marked the day the people took up arms against the occupying Japanese in the 1940s. On the same day, the regimes forces slaughtered more than 100 people across the country, making it the bloodiest single day since the generals seized power less than two months earlier. By that point, the international community including most Western nations had long since condemned the military regime, but Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin chose to travel to Naypyitaw to attend the 76th annual Armed Forces Day commemorations.

Soon citizens, farmers, schoolteachers and children were bearing the brunt as Russian-made jet fighters and helicopters were deployed to drop bombs and fire missiles and machine guns at them. Many have died since the regime launched a brutal war against its own people.

Not only Russian but also Chinese-made weapons have killed many innocent people in Myanmar. They, too, are implicated in the post-coup human tragedy in Myanmar.

Like Putin and his army, Min Aung Hlaing and his soldiers behave like foreign invaders, but they do so in their own country. The regime faces strong resistance, encountering many form of protest as well as armed rebellion across the country.

A year after attempting to stage a coup, the Myanmar regime still does not control the country or the people.

Did Min Aung Hlaing underestimate the Myanmar people?

Since Russia launched its invasion, Ukraines people have displayed great bravery. This has been well noted in the international community; the reaction from the West has been tough and Russia is being cut out of the global financial system.

Both Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Putin have underestimated the people they seek to subdue, and the resistance to their aggression. Should Putin fail to assert control over Ukraine, Min Aung Hlaings grand strategy of bringing Russia into Myanmars political landscape after the takeover will seem as delusional as his coup plan itself.

He must be worried. Days after the invasion of Ukraine, after the spokesman expressed the regimes stance in support of Moscow, top brass in Myanmar held a meeting to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and its impact on and consequences for Myanmar. The generals are worried about the Wests financial sanctionsMyanmars arms dealers have bank accounts in Russiaand the supply of hardware will slow. Since the coup, the West, including the US and the EU, has imposed stiff sanctions on the Myanmar military, state-owned companies and business cronies of the regime, but more needs to be done.

At the meeting, it is understood that the generals were also curious about Chinas position on Russias invasion of Ukraine. Details are sketchy but it seems they were mostly interested in Chinas strategic goals, and how theyand future China-Myanmar relationsmight be impacted if Russia botches its invasion of Ukraine.

In its public pronouncements, the Chinese government has urged all sides to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine.

Since the military takeover in Myanmar on Feb. 1, China has repeatedly insisted that the armed forces seizure of power from the democratically elected government is Myanmars internal affair, including at the UN Security Council (UNSC) and at Human Rights Council meetings. The Myanmar people dislike China and its stance toward the coup, just as they dislike Russia for the same reason. Since the coup, China has faced massive anti-China protests in Myanmar and boycotts of Chinese products.

China-backed factories in Myanmar have been torched and threats against China-backed gas pipelines issued. Beijing has voiced serious concern over the security of its pipelines; anti-junta groups in Myanmar have countered by saying that whether or not they are blown up is an internal affair, mocking Chinas own rationale for blocking other nations attempts at the UN to condemn the military takeover.

In the meantime, the generals are likely to beef up security for Chinese interests and projects in Myanmar, and Min Aung Hlaing will do whatever is necessary to accommodate both Russia and China. At the end of the day, his aim is to rule the country with his blood-soaked hands, and he will make friends with either Russia or China in order to achieve this.

There is some pride at stake for Min Aung Hlaing in Putins invasion of Ukraine: The general wants to show the people of Myanmar, and especially his opponents, that his allies are winners. If things go badly for Putin, the Myanmar people will feel vindicated and Min Aung Hlaing and his hardline thugs will feel they have attached themselves to the losing side.

Since the coup, Myanmar has quickly descended into chaos. As the human and economic costs of the long and bloody coup attempt mount it will only become more difficult for the regime to exert control and consolidate its grip on the country.

Min Aung Hlaings regime sees Myanmars citizens as enemies; therefore, its coup has failed. Lacking legitimacy, the regime in Myanmar today is a pariah. If murderer-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and his military are allowed to win, the Myanmar people will forever remain slaves, subject to tyranny.

Dark days lie ahead for both Ukraine and Myanmar. The resistance in Ukraine has already earned the admiration of the entire world, just as the efforts of Myanmars various resistance forces, including groups engaged in armed rebellion, have surprised many at home and abroad.

Knowing they would be fired upon, a group of Ukrainian soldiers guarding a military facility on Snake Island in the Black Sea told a Russian warship to go fuck yourself. In Myanmar last year, protesters, faced with rows of soldiers and tanks, exclaimed: Fuck the coup!

We cannot allow Min Aung Hlaing or Putin to succeed, or let one feel vindication in the success of the other.



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Actor Ned Eisenberg, known for playing Detective Hauser in HBOs Mare of Easttown and defense attorney Roger Kressler in Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has died after a two-year, private battle with cancer. He was 65.

His wife, Patricia Eisenberg, confirmed to TMZ that her husband had died over the weekend of two types of cancer, bile duct cancer and melanoma of the eye.

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Ned Eisenberg attends "Rocket To The Moon" Opening Night - After Party at Out Hotel on February 23, 2015 in New York City. (Rob Kim/Getty Images)

As Ned would say, he was attacked by two very rare assassins  cholangiocarcinoma and ocular melanoma, Patricia Eisenberg told TMZ. Over the course of two years, he bravely fought the cancers in private while continuing to work in show business to ensure that his medical coverage paid for himself and his family.

While he was a fixture on the small screen in the two prominent series, Eisenberg also appeared in Million Dollar Baby as Sally Mendoza, the first manager of Hilary Swanks character Maggie Fitzgerald. The 2004 movie won best picture at the Oscars. He also played photographer Joe Rosenthal in Flags of Our Fathers, in 2006.

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Numerous other roles followed, including his 24 episodes of Law & Order: SVU from 1999-2019. He also played Lou Rabinowitz, the manager on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

His early career was on the stage, The Hollywood Reporter noted. And on television he guested in series including Elementary, Bull, The Good Wife, Madam Secretary, 30Rock and numerous others.
Guest Column The 60th Anniversary of the Myanmar Militarys First Coup is a Sad and Singular Occasion

General Ne Win, the leader of the 1958 and 1962 military coups.

Sixty years is considered an auspicious life cycle in many countries in East Asia. After weathering five rounds of 12 zodiac signs, one enters a state of revered age, with the social respect and wisdom those advanced years are supposed to bestow. It is a happy event.

On March 2, Myanmar may commemorate, but not celebrate, the 60th anniversary of the 1962 military coup that brought the Myanmar military into power it has never relinquished. The completion of that life cycle is supposed to be a celebratory event. On this occasion it is not. Through direct rule by decree, by inventing three political parties under its authority, by writing a constitution and then coercing its acceptance, by empowering itself through legal procedures under the 2008 constitution, and by manipulating electoral results, the military has remained in effective control over those societal elements it regards as essential to its interests. On the cusp of its 60th anniversary, it extended its domination through last years disastrous February 1 coup. The perpetuation of its influence and authority, however much disputed by the populace, will continue, forcing the state into further decline.

Six decades of military control, three generations, may set some sort of sad regional or world record for military-controlled governance. When not enforcing its self-determined mandate by direct authority, it founded three political parties to do its bidding: the Burma Socialist Programme Party, the National Unity Party, and the Union Solidarity and Development Party. None of them had even the semblance of democratic authority. All had very substantial active duty or retired military personnel in positions not only of leadership but among the ranks as well.

The year 1962, however, was not the origin of military power in Burma. It came with independence in 1948 and countering ethnic and political rebellions. The first constitutional coup in 1958, in which the military took power with the forced approval of the civilian government that was facing civil war within the ruling party, lasted 18 months. It was autocratic in its control but generally well-regarded, as it stemmed political and economic decline. At the close of that period, the military stepped down and allowed free elections in which its favored party lost, and U Nu ruled for about two years until the 1962 coup. That may be a unique instance of military-induced unmanaged elections.

But military rule does not mean stasis. Deterioration of the state began shortly after the 1962 coup when the Burmese Way to Socialism failed, as did a 1988 peoples revolution against the military. Even the military, while in control, from about 2010 began to realize the need for change and reform, and the efforts by President and former general U Thein Sein were well received both domestically and internationally. He did little, however, to placate ethnic minority rebellions and calls for a federal administrative structure, but progress was evident including broader rights for its citizens and the sharing of some power in 2016 with the elected opposition, the civilian-led National League for Democracy (NLD).

The international media has called attention to the recent worldwide waves of military coups, especially in Africa, citing Myanmar as one of a group. But to attribute Myanmars fourth coup in 2021, following those of 1958, 1962 and 1988, as simply an example of a worldwide trend is to misunderstand the nature of the internal problems facing the state. History tempers and shapes current dilemmas and requires analysis. Myanmar has unique issues that must be addressed.

Ethnically diverse Myanmar has been held together by the military tenaciously, and often crudely and unthinkingly, trying to control the country against the vociferous tendencies of various ethnic peoples with justified beliefs that they have been maltreated and denigrated by the ethnic Bamar majority government. The articulated primary objective of the military has always been national unity. Yet their inept actions have weakened the chance of achieving the very goals that it set for the state. There is no indication that they have changed their approach.

Ironically, the present coup has forced the NLD civilian opposition that won the November 2020 elections to expand what observers regard as their previous reluctance to pursue federal minority power. Its National Unity Government has brought more ethnic representation into its tentative opposition organization, but even if it were to assume power, how much of that would remain is questionable.

Although the military has promised a return to multi-party politics in 2023, most observers believe that whatever electoral system evolves, it will be manipulated, and whatever parties are permitted to run, it will not be a true democratic state; the military will assure that its control would continue to protect its, and what it regards as the states, interests. Elections alone do not a democracy make.

Foreign observers should recognize that the amelioration or solution to Myanmars governance problems will not come from external interventions. Humanitarian aid should be forthcoming at this dire time. But they should understand that this coup has historical roots that will affect the future, and whatever that future may be, the military will play some important role. But the Burmese peoples, including the military, must ensure that this role is appropriate for a modern state in which the people and their rights are the basis on which government and authority must be built.

David I. Steinberg is distinguished professor of Asian studies emeritus, Georgetown University. He was resident in Burma during the first and second military coups.

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Trinity, TX (77320)

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Trinity, TX (77320)

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Ithaca, NY (14850)

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The Commonwealth Bank of Australia shows the highest customer satisfaction levels for branch visits and internet banking when used on app on a mobile phone or tablet among the big four banks, according to the Roy Morgan Satisfaction with Banking Channels Report.

The report also revealed that mobile banking and internet banking as the service channels with highest customer satisfaction.

As of December 2021, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) recorded the highest customer satisfaction across three of the service channels including mobile banking (90.8%), internet banking (87.8%) and branch banking (83.5%). The CBA had customer satisfaction of 76.3% for phone banking.

There was little to split with their three competitors: Australia and New Zealand Bank came in second overall with 89.2% (mobile), 86.6% (internet), 83.2% (branch) and 76.6% (phone).

Westpac followed with 87.9% (mobile), 86.1% (internet), 82.1% (branch) and the highest of the big four for phone banking (79.4%).

NAB rounded out the big four with 89.8% (mobile), 86.5% (internet), 81.5% (branch) and 77.3% (phone).

Mobile banking (via a mobile or tablet app) proved to be the banking channel with the highest customer satisfaction, with an average rating among the big four banks of 89.4%.

Internet banking, which is visiting a banks website, received the second highest average satisfaction rating with 86.8%. Branch banking followed with 82.6%, and phone banking, which involves calling the bank directly, came in fourth with 77.4%.

Mobile banking has now overtaken internet banking as the most used banking service channel.

The high customer satisfaction for mobile banking is good news as it is the preferred method for customers to access their banking accounts  overtaking usage of internet banking for the first time during 2021.

Nearly two-thirds of Australians, 63.6%, now use mobile banking apps on a mobile phone or tablet to access their bank accounts, up seven percentage points on a year ago.

Internet banking, which is conducting banking through an institutions website, remains as the second most used channel with a bare majority of 50.3% using this service, but down 9.1% points on a year ago.

Visiting a branch is clearly the third preferred service channel used by 47.4% of people, down 6.2 percentage points on a year ago while phone banking is used by only 22.8% of people, virtually unchanged on a year ago.

Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine says mobile banking apps continue to grow in popularity. Customer satisfaction is over 2.5 percentage points higher for mobile banking apps than any other service channel.

For the first time in 2021 more Australians used a mobile banking app: 63.6% (up seven percentage points on 2020) than internet banking: 50.3% (down 9.1 percentage points), to conduct their banking  a swing of 16.1 percentage points on a year earlier. The rise of mobile banking apps is also coming at the expense of visiting a branch  which fell 6.2 percentage points to 47.4%, Levine says.

The good news for the big four banks is that customer satisfaction with mobile banking apps is higher for customers of the big four banks (89.4%) than the industry average for all banks (89%)  the only banking service channel the big four banks have an advantage.

The higher customer satisfaction ratings of the automated banking channels give an extra incentive to banks and other financial services firms to increasingly move as many of their services online as possible, Levine adds.

An added benefit for the banks of moving customers online is the reduced labour costs associated with these frictionless banking channels and its easy to see why the trends of recent years are set to continue with even greater technological integration and less face-to-face interaction with staff in an increasingly connected world, Levine concludes.
Rod Sims: "Now is the time to consider whether further reforms are needed to supplement the important tools in Australias competition and consumer law..."

Australia's consumer watchdog is seeking input from consumers, businesses and others as it examines legislative options to address the dominance of digital platforms.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said a discussion paper, released on the same day, looked at possible ways of tackling issues in social media, search app marketplaces, online retail and ad technology.

Last year, news media laws drafted by the ACCC were put in place so that big digital firms could negotiate monetary deals with media organisations. While some organisations have reached agreement on payment, others  SBS and The Conversation are two prominent examples  have not been able to reach satisfactory deals.

Commenting on the call for input, ACCC chairman Rod Sims said: The upcoming fifth report will mark the halfway point of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry. Now is the time to consider whether further reforms are needed to supplement the important tools in Australias competition and consumer law to maintain a vibrant digital economy that drives innovation and enhances productivity.

There is momentum building internationally, with authorities and lawmakers around the world taking action to address the competition and consumer harms arising on digital platforms.

These platforms hold powerful positions in the economy and society and can often dictate terms to businesses that use their services. This in turn can harm consumers and the small businesses that rely on them, including through higher prices, greater use of personal data, reduced choice, less innovation or lower quality products.

The discussion paper lists measures that could form part of a new regulatory setup to increase competition and increase consumer welfare.

Since the ACCC began examining digital platform services in 2017, large digital platforms such as Google, Apple and Meta (Facebook's parent company) have continued to grow and expand their impact and influence on the economy and our day-to-day lives, Sims said.

It is clear that large digital platforms are often protected by high barriers to entry and expansion, and in some cases, they have become gatekeepers, acting as critical intermediaries between businesses and consumers, and controlling access to consumers.

We are looking at whether we need additional laws or reform to make the online environment fairer for businesses and safer for consumers."
It's all over the news - Tasmania is experiencing severe Internet problems via fixed and mobile internet, and while the island state isn't completely cut off, there are definitely major issues.

7.01pm UPDATE:

One final update  all services have now been restored.

6.58pm UPDATE:

Thanks to the work of our teams on the ground, restoration is progressing well and were beginning to see services come back online across Tasmania.



We expect all services to be back shortly.

Previous updates and original story:

5.16pm UPDATE from a Telstra spokesperson:

Work is progressing to restore fixed and mobile services in Tasmania, following third party cuts to our two main cables between the mainland and the state.



We have crews at the separate sites to repair the cable and get traffic back online.



There was massive damage to the cable in Melbourne caused by third party civil works . The team is in the process of hauling and connecting nearly one kilometre of fibre. We anticipate services starting to come back online early this evening.



There is an impact to ADSL and nbn internet services, some free to air TV and radio stations and mobile data services are quite congested.

Triple Zero calls can continue to be made and were prioritising voice calls.



Our network across the Bass Strait is configured with multiple redundancies, with the two main links providing back up for each other, and a third smaller link being available for priority traffic (such as Triple Zero and voice) on the very rare chance both main links go down. Unfortunately this is what has occurred.

Original story continues:

According to the TasNetworks Facebook page, "We are experiencing a major statewide internet outage caused by upstream provider issues. TasNetworks external website has been impacted and is currently unavailable as a result. For major outage information, please stay up-to-date via our Facebook page. Thanks for your patience while this issue is investigated.

"Update: 2.25pm: Services are now being progressively restored across the state. Some connectivity is back, but some ISPs are still down, so some customers will still not be able to access our external website. Please stay up-to-date on outages via Facebook and we will advise when our external website is fully accessible."

The TasNetworks home page is also down, as it is hosted in Tasmania, which is, of course, largely offline.

iTWire has reached out to NBN Co, and while they've acknowledged via Twitter "We are aware of an outage in Tasmania, which may be impacting some of our services. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information", there no additional information from them yet at time of publication.

Initially, a Telstra spokesperson supplied the following info:

We are urgently investigating an issue impacting Telstra mobile and fixed connectivity in Tasmania.

We believe it is the result of two separate cable cuts on the main routes into Tasmania.

One cable has been cut during civil works and the other cable is fairly remote and techs have just arrived on site to assess the impact.

There is an impact to fixed and mobile data, some voice calls will be getting through and there is no impact to Triple Zero services.

We are urgently working to resolve the issue and assessing restoration times.

Well provide further updates as soon as we can.

The cables in question are the undersea cables that connect Tasmia to the mainland, but the cable cuts have occured on land, not in the Bass Strait, so we can't blame rogue Russian submarines or other undersea activity for this outage.

The Telstra spokesperson also noted to me there are three cables going to Tasmania, of which two are now down, with that single cable carrying all the traffic that can get through, and of course, it is saturated with traffic, and thus slow.

The Downdetector site shows lots of people listing NBN outages in Tassie.
Being Multicultural is Not a Luxury: A Strategy for Teaching and Learning in a Racist Society
Ralph Ahn, a longtime movie actor who later had a standout recurring role on the sitcom New Girl, has died at age 95.

The film and TV performer died last Saturday, Variety reported, citing the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles.

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Ahn appeared on seven episodes of New Girl as the character Tran, who rarely spoke but was a friend and confidant of Jake Johnsons Nick Miller.

Tran only had two lines over the course of series, once calling Nick a huge baby and another time telling the character Russell to drive.

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Jake Johnson and Ralph Ahn (right) on "New Girl." (FOX/FOX Image Collection via Getty I)

Johnson, 43, mourned the loss of Ahn in an Instagram post Monday, calling the actor was so much fun to work with.

He gave so much with literally no lines, Johnson said. I loved when he was on set. I was always expecting to somehow work with him again. Condolences to his family/friends.

Zooey Deschanel, who played the lead character of Jessica Day on New Girl, commented on Johnsons post, Noooooo.

Fellow New Girl actor Lamorne Morris also paid tribute to Ahn.

Always the funniest scenes in the episode, Morris wrote on Instagram. This man lived a lot of life, keep his friends and family in yall thoughts and prayers.

Ahns acting career began during the 1950s and spanned more than six decades, with roles in movies such as 1963s The Hook starring Kirk Douglas and the John Travolta-led Eyes of an Angel in 1991.

His TV gigs included appearances on Golden Girls in the late 1980s and Gilmore Girls during the mid-2000s.
Compiling reviews from IMDb and Metacritic, Stacker composed a list of the 50 best space movies of all time, from classic hits to new releases. Click for more.
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

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Queen Elizabeth is back in action.

The British monarch took part in a pair of virtual engagements on Tuesday for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19 more than a week ago.

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The 95-year-old queen canceled multiple virtual audiences last week following her coronavirus diagnosis. She spoke with Chad and Andorra ambassadors on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace said.

Queen Elizabeth is fully vaccinated and has received a booster shot against the virus. The palace confirmed last month that her positive test came on Feb. 20.

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Queen Elizabeth takes part in a virtual call on Tuesday. (WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Her Majesty is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, Buckingham Palace said. She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines.

In an update two days later, the palace confirmed the Queen was still dealing with mild symptoms. She most recently canceled virtual engagements last Thursday.

Her eldest son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, had COVID-19 earlier in February.

Queen Elizabeth was believed to have seen the 73-year-old Charles, who is next in line for the British throne, a few days before he got the virus.

Earlier last month, the queen celebrated the 70th anniversary of her reign, which began following the death of her father in 1952.

Queen Elizabeth was hospitalized for one night last October for what were described as preliminary investigations, with doctors encouraging her to rest following her release.

With News Wire Services




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Johnson City, TN (37604)

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Vanessa Williams is heading back to Broadway.

The former Miss America will take on the role of first lady of the United States in a new comedy this spring.

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Vanessa Williams (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive by Selina Fillinger is a female-centric farce about a White House public relations scandal and the circle of women including Williams as his wife  who rally round the president.

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A derogatory comment, a summit gone awry, an anal abscess  its a bad day at the White House, the logline for the show reads.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Williams, 58, has described the play as a raucously wild comedy with some kick-ass girl power. The Bronx-born entertainers previous Broadway shows include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Into the Woods and The Trip to Bountiful.

Directed by five-time Tony winner Susan Stroman, POTUS marks Fillingers Broadway debut. The 28-year-old Los Angeles-based playwrights previous work Something Clean had its world premiere at Roundabout Underground in New York City, and she was the 2019 recipient of the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Award.

I hope the show offers joy, folly, and the strength to keep fighting at a time when the world needs all three, she said in a statement.

Stroman, who helmed hit Broadway productions of The Producers, Show Boat and Oklahoma, said Selinas wickedly funny satire questions how complicit we really are in the woes of the world  and what would happen if we simply stood back instead of continuing to empower the leaders who got us to where we are in the first place.

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Rounding out the all-female cast are Broadway newcomers Rachel Dratch of Saturday Night Live, Julianne Hough and comedian Suzy Nakamura, along with Tony winner Julie White (The Little Dog Laughed), recent Tony nominee Lilli Cooper (for Tootsie) and Lea DeLaria of Orange is the New Black.

POTUS begins performances at the Shubert Theatre on April 14 and is scheduled for a limited engagement through Aug. 14.
Joplin, MO (64801)

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Showers and thundershowers this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. Low 54F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

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A judge sentenced three former correctional officers on Tuesday after they violated an incarcerated persons civil rights during an assault, according to the Department of Justice.

Coty Michael Wiltgen, Ethan Burkett and William Shackelford were previously correctional officers at the Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex in Jasper near the border between Florida and Georgia. Wiltgen, of Live Oak, and Shackelford, of Valdosta, Ga., pleaded guilty in June 2021 to the violations. Burkett, also from Valdosta, pleaded guilty in July 2021. Court documents said all three men were on duty on March 3, 2020, when they attacked an incarcerated person who was handcuffed and lying on the floor.

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The assault happened after the victim, while chasing another incarcerated person, pushed Burkett off his path. After pushing Burkett, the victim walked away but Wiltgen sprayed him with pepper spray. The victim laid down on the floor, offering no resistance while Wiltgen cuffed him.

Wiltgen and Shackelford escorted the cooperative and compliant victim outside of the facility and outside of the cameras viewpoint, according to the DOJ.

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They made the handcuffed victim fall on the ground, and Wiltgen kicked him in the face 15 times, the DOJ reported. He also used a racial epithet and spat on the victim. Shackelford put a knee in the victims back to keep him from moving and hit him twice. Burkett joined the assault later, striking the victim twice with an open hand before punching the victim.

The victim was screaming during the assault before Wiltgen kicked him in the face and rendered him unconscious.

Wiltgen received 37 months in prison for the assault and two years of supervised release. Burkett received 31 months and one year of supervised release. Shackelford received 25 months and one year of supervised release.
The past two years have been challenging ones, to put it lightly. Making it through is an accomplishment in itself. But if you reflect on how the pandemic pushed you to evolve, you might uncover some lessons that could help improve your life and career going forward.

"The pandemic was an inflection point for everyone, and reflection is good for growth no matter where you are in your career," said Annie M. Yoder, CPA/CFF, principal at Rea & Associates Inc., a public accounting firm with offices throughout Ohio. "We can learn from the past, including the last two years, and change our behavior to have more fulfilling careers and impact those around us."

Regardless of how long the pandemic lasts, it's worthwhile to take a moment to pinpoint how you have grown or adapted to the difficulties it brought about. Here, accounting professionals consider how they plan to apply what they learned to improve their personal and professional lives.

YOU'RE MORE ADAPTABLE THAN YOU THOUGHT

Times of crisis tend to test our limits, and this pandemic has surprised many of us with how adaptable we can be.

"Sometimes you have to be pushed against a wall to really figure out how much power you have," said Bridget Kaigler, CPA, CGMA, president at Bringing Leadership Back LLC, a leadership consulting firm based in Baton Rouge, La. "We are stronger than we think, and we have so many talents and gifts we didn't even realize we possessed."

Many accounting and finance professionals have had to make a rapid shift to remote work, figure out how to present and network virtually, and balance the increased demands of their personal and professional lives. Take a moment to acknowledge that you survived a very difficult couple of years and consider how you can build on that adaptability going forward.

Charles E. Davis, CPA, CGMA, Ph.D., professor of accounting at Baylor University in Texas, recommends making a habit of stepping outside of your comfort zone, even during times of "normalcy." For example, you could volunteer to be involved in the implementation of a new program or system at work, raise your hand to lead a project, or request a stretch assignment outside your normal scope  anything that takes a bit of courage and forces you to become more adaptable.

BUSINESS AS USUAL MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BEST WAY

During times of relative calm, we are less likely to challenge assumptions or question whether our current processes could be improved, according to Davis. The pandemic has made many things worse, but it has also revealed a few advantages to remote and flexible work that might be worth carrying over into a post-pandemic workplace.

Kaigler and Yoder pointed out that remote or hybrid workplaces can allow organizations to access a larger talent pool and client base, reduce travel and rental costs, increase autonomy for employees, and allow for more seamless work/life integration.

"Things don't have to be the same as they were pre-pandemic," Kaigler said. "Use this to your advantage, and create something that is going to benefit everyone."

As organizations consider how they want to operate post-pandemic, Kaigler recommends gathering input from all levels of the organization and deciding which aspects of remote and in-person work to keep or discard.

"Let's throw all of the ideas out there  nothing is too far-fetched," she said. "This is a great opportunity to reduce your turnover and not only retain your employees, but make sure they're happy."

THE PROFESSION IS EVOLVING FASTER THAN EVER

The pandemic accelerated change for the accounting profession, simultaneously highlighting the importance of technological innovation and advisory services, according to Yoder.

"For public accounting, what impacts our clients ultimately impacts firms," she said. "We were all forced to implement technology at a faster rate, as well as analyze our processes, procedures, and systems to ensure they were effective in a remote/hybrid environment. The pandemic also continued to separate those that are investing in innovation from those that are not."

At the same time, clients increasingly turned to practitioners for support throughout the pandemic, as they navigated emergency relief funding, tax changes, and economic uncertainty.

"Accountants were well positioned to help clients through the pandemic, including supporting them through the multiple layers of funding and credits," Yoder said. "The pandemic confirmed that trust is imperative to our profession and, in many cases, helped practitioners build deeper levels of trust with their clients."

Kaigler recommends firms and practitioners embrace cloud-based storage, automation, and other technologies so they can concentrate on value-added services, such as helping clients make smart business decisions, mitigate risk, and navigate change.

IT COULD BE TIME TO REASSESS YOUR PRIORITIES

On a more holistic level, the pandemic has forced many of us to rethink our priorities and the way we live our lives.

"In certain ways we have had to rediscover our basic values, what we want in life, what makes us happy, and how we relate to our loved ones," said Georg Kell, chairman of the board at Arabesque, an Anglo-German investment management firm, and founding director of the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. "Cultivating your inner core is very helpful and gives you the backbone, the stability, and strength you need."

Kaigler recommends setting aside time for a "discovery session," which can involve reflecting on your current strengths and weaknesses, your values, the things you enjoy doing, and which direction you want your career path to go in the coming years. After this discovery session, she advises putting together a road map with "mile markers" in order to figure out the next step you need to take to align your career path with your passions, values, and priorities.

During this time of reflection, you might realize that you simply don't have the bandwidth to continue doing everything that's on your plate, and you may have to opt out of a few things to focus on what matters most to you. For example, Kaigler decided to let go of some of her board appointments, not because she didn't believe in their missions but because she simply didn't have the time.

"There are some things I just had to let go of because I just didn't have the time to devote to [them] anymore," Kaigler said. "I think the virus made us reassess our priorities and gave a lot of people the 'out' they needed to align their purpose with their careers."

VULNERABILITY AND EMPATHY ARE STRENGTHS, NOT WEAKNESSES

Although many of us experienced increased isolation over the course of the pandemic, we also caught unvarnished glimpses into the lives of our colleagues and clients and, perhaps, connected with them on a deeper level than before.

"Our profession tends to be very analytical, and that's OK, but to connect with people you have to be vulnerable in some way," Yoder said. "You have to be willing to say, 'I don't know,' or 'This is where I failed,' and that's often not easy, but I think vulnerability allows the folks around us to relate and connect with us, which ultimately builds trust."

Yoder argued that the ability to empathize with others and a willingness to express vulnerability are positive traits that we should continue to develop beyond the pandemic. She recommends making an effort to reach out and help colleagues more often, and, when someone asks how you're doing, consider being a bit more honest and admitting when you're having a difficult time.

"The past two years affirmed that we are in a people business, and skills such as trust, empathy, clarity in communication, and connection are needed in crisis and moving forward," Yoder said.

About the author

Hannah Pitstick is a freelance writer based in Pennsylvania. To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Andrew Adamek at Andrew.Adamek@aicpa-cima.com .

AICPA RESOURCES

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" How CPAs and Employers Can Support Mental Health ," JofA, Nov. 1, 2021

" The Pandemic Pushed Us Forward. Let's Keep Evolving ," CPA Insider, April 26, 2021

" Promoting Resilience Helps Firms and People in Turbulent Times ," JofA, Aug. 20, 2020

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Imagine boarding a flight from Orlando to Los Angeles and instead of languishing on the plane for five and half hours, you arrive in about an hour, ready to enjoy the palm trees on the Pacific Coast six times faster. That may be decades away but the hypersonic propulsion technology that could make it possible is currently being developed in a University of Central Florida lab.

UCF has been researching hypersonic propulsion for six years, funded by $7.86 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Air Force, and other sources. A team of 33 students led by four faculty researchers is exploring and experimenting with this new technology.

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Hypersonic propulsion aims to send a yet-to-be-designed aircraft out of the atmosphere to travel at hypersonic speed, which is about six times faster than the speed of a commercial airplane. But this research goes beyond commercial travel and has become a competitive field among developed nations, said Subith Vasu, a professor in UCFs department of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Russia is working on it, China is working on it, and then other countries in the European Union, Japan, India, he said. It is very difficult, so nobody really has a real hypersonic vehicle. Some people claim that they have but it is only pretending they do because there are a lot of technical challenges.

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One of those challenges could be the effect of rain droplets on a vehicle traveling at hypersonic speeds, and its become a focus of study for the researchers.

Michael Kinzel, project co-investigator and assistant professor in UCFs department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said that every time speed is doubled, the impact force from a raindrop quadruples. With hypersonic speed, they are going six times faster. Researchers are trying to figure out how to design a vehicle that can withstand that kind of pressure as it travels through the rain.

You can imagine the loads we have to worry about with rain, he said. When we do some real quick calcs, each raindrop actually has a load that is equivalent to the weight of an elephant.

UCF students Nicolas Berube (left) and Sydney Briggs (right) working with the detonation tube model on Thursday, February 10, 2022. Both are working with Subith Vasu on raindrop effect research for hypersonic propulsion. (Daniela Vivas Labrador / Orlando Sentinel)

Research assistant Reed Forehand found his passion for the hypersonic field during his undergraduate study. Now, he is working with Kinzel on an Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded project to help advance the countrys knowledge in this area.

This project kind of fell onto my lap actually, Forehand said. I had done previous research into multiphase flows, and shock waves, and hypersonics, so all of that kind of combined together and led me to being able to take on this project and being a good candidate for it.

Together they are challenging the U.S. Navys hypothesis of raindrops instantly boiling due to the high temperatures of the hypersonic vehicle, Kinzel said. In fact, other research at UCF focuses on designing high-temperature coatings and materials.

Yet so far the rain droplets research shows boiling is a relatively slow process, and hypersonic speed does not allow enough time for it. Meanwhile, cavitation is a fast enough mechanism. This phenomenon happens when the waters pressure is lowered below the vapor pressure of the liquid in movement, acting as an alternate and quicker boiling mechanism.

Water can cavitate, said Vasu, research lead co-investigator for this study. These are kind of like microexplosions that will happen because of how the fluid moves and when that happens, it can cause significant physical damage because it is like a real explosion, so it can actually dent steel and so on.

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Vasu emphasized that everything about this topic is new.

This kind of vehicle did not exist before, Vasu said. Flying at that speed is new, and even if you were able to fly, how do you deal with water droplets?

Kinzel said the applicant pool was full of prospective students like Forehand for this research assistant position.

I think a lot of UCF students are really engaged in hypersonic vehicle design and research, Kinzel said.

UCF students interest in this topic could be attributed to associate professor of engineering Kareem Ahmeds journey in the field. Ahmed has been researching hypersonic propulsion for over six years at the university.

It started with passion. From a young age, I was fascinated with speed, and the only way to get you there is propulsion, that engine that propels you from one point to another, Ahmed said.

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Last year, during the pandemic, UCFs hypersonic propulsion project won a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense. Since 2016, the group has received about $6 million.

Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. >

It was exhilarating, Ahmed said. Now we are accelerating towards developing an engine prototype for the Department of Defense.

Ahmeds success and achievements are also offering a unique experience to 16 students who work with him, like UCF mechanical engineering graduate student Adam Kotler.

This was a very exciting new hypersonics project that came in and we needed all hands on deck for this and I was very fortunate to be selected to work on this, Kotler said. This is an opportunity for me to make a name for myself in academia and also to prepare myself for the industry, to be one of the leading experts in this particular type of hypersonic propulsion after I leave UCF.

Vasu said the main goal of hypersonic research overall is commercial travel, but that still is about 100 years away. Yet the progress and promise of the research are attracting more students to work in this field after finishing their undergraduate degrees.

Sydney Briggs, a UCF graduate student in mechanical engineering, started working with Vasu a year ago and said the recent Air Force funding gave her that feeling of a major breakthrough.

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It is something that definitely feels important like we are actually doing something that is valuable, she said. There is still so much we dont know, but there is a lot we have learned along the way.

This story is part of a partnership between the Orlando Sentinel and UCFs Nicholson School of Communication and Media.
International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said Monday he was launching an investigation on the situation in Ukraine following Russias invasion.

Today I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible, Khan said in a statement.

I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine since 2014, he said.

Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine.

Khan had said last week that The Hague-based court had received many queries with respect to the crime of aggression but could not exercise jurisdiction over this alleged crime as neither Russia nor Ukraine were signatories to ICCs founding Rome Statute.
The UK government warned Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commanders in Ukraine could face prosecution for war crimes, as indiscriminate shelling hit one city under invasion.

The shelling of Kharkiv has destroyed a school and, according to its mayor, killed at least 11 civilians.

The front pages of British newspapers carried photographs of two young girls killed by Russian attacks in Ukraine and the words of a doctor as he tried to save one of them: Show this to Putin.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, a former war crimes prosecutor, said Britain and its allies would wait as long as it takes to bring any violators to heel, pointing to the 1990s wars in the former Yugoslavia.

Thats why were making it clear both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow, on the ground in Ukraine, that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war, he told Sky News.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague said Monday it was investigating after finding a reasonable basis to suspect alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine since Russia seized the Crimea peninsula in 2014.

For Putin, Russian generals and soldiers, theres a very real risk that theyll end up in the dock of a court in The Hague, Raab added on BBC television.

If and when the ICC decides to take action, Im sure the UK and allies will want to support them practically, logistically.

Amnesty International said Russian cluster bombs hit a preschool in northeastern Ukraine last Friday that was being used to shelter civilians, killing three people including a child.

Amnesty chief Agnes Callamard said the stomach-turning attack in the town of Okhtyrka should be investigated as a war crime.
JUSTICE INFO: We remember that during the Russian aggression in 2008, Georgia took action before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and that only the ECHR ended up giving a ruling, many years later. Is this really useful for a state in the situation of Ukraine?

FREDERIC MEGRET: I think that there is a historic opportunity to assert the prohibition of the use of force. There are also differences from Georgia, and from the invasion of Crimea in 2014. In Ukraine, it seems that we are indeed in what is, potentially, the invasion of a state as a whole. This new situation implies that we must rise to the occasion and learn from the mistakes of past legal strategies.

The Georgian application was based on the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the International Court of Justice got away with a procedural dodge. Ukraine, on the other hand, based its application on a separate claim, which is a violation of the Genocide Convention. It suggests that there may be something genocidal about the invasion of Russia, which in itself at this stage does not make much sense. What is interesting, however, is that it says Russia is violating the Genocide Convention by alleging without proof that genocide was committed in eastern Ukraine. This would allow the ICJ to consider the aggression as such.

Why not file a complaint against the aggression directly?

This is because neither Ukraine nor Russia recognizes the ICJs compulsory jurisdiction. So you have to go looking for so-called arbitration clauses in, if you like, the mess of international law. Ideally, it would have been possible to invoke the United Nations Charter and have a trial on what seems to be the central issue, the commission of a crime of aggression. But one does not always have a choice of tools. The Genocide Convention has the merit of being ratified by both Ukraine and Russia and of opening up a judicial path that would otherwise be lacking.

The ICJ immediately recognized that it has jurisdiction. What can Ukraine hope for?

The ICJ can initially pronounce so-called provisional measures, ordering the parties to cease any action that might impede the resolution of the dispute [as in the case of Myanmar in 2020]. But we must look at the substantive issue at stake. The Ukrainian request is a bit like a defamation suit, in the sense that Ukraine is suing Russia, but the purpose of the suit is partly to defend itself from the accusations. It is Ukraine that will have to prove its innocence.

This would confirm that the justification of the Russian attack is non-existent. The ICJ could also go as far as underlining the prohibition of the use of force in international relations. At best, this will probably not go any further. And no one is under any illusion that this could stop the Russian forces in their tracks. But Ukraine is playing a long-term game and it is a question of reinforcing its legitimacy and being on the right side of the law and history.

Ukraine has submitted its application against Russia to the ICJ. Russia must be held accountable for manipulating the notion of genocide to justify aggression. We request an urgent decision ordering Russia to cease military activity now and expect trials to start next week.    (@ZelenskyyUa) February 27, 2022

On what other legal grounds can Ukraine act?

Aggression is above all a violation of human rights. Of course it is the sovereignty of Ukraine that is violated, but it is also the rights of all Ukrainians.

This human rights angle is powerful. For this, there is the European Convention on Human Rights, thus the possibility of an appeal in Strasbourg, before the European Court of Human Rights. This application has not yet been filed, but there is no reason to believe that Ukraine will not try its luck, especially since it is a plaintiff in no less than four cases already before the ECHR against Russia.

A fundamental question remains very disturbing: In 2022, despite the whole arsenal of international law, is there no possible condemnation if one State invades another?

In reality, the condemnation exists. It is the condemnation of dozens of states that have unanimously and unambiguously condemned Russias action, and that are expressing a legal judgment. They are subjects and actors of international law, basing their action on the rule of law, speaking out in real time and condemning Russia. This is very important, and it is very effective. The judgment of the peers is immediate and it is without appeal.

It can be seen as a gradation. We start with the judgment of the peers, then come the judgment of the institutions and eventually a full judicial judgment.

But the supreme institution, the United Nations, seems to be blocked.

Certainly in the Security Council. Russia can use, once again, its veto right, which I recall is due to the role that the Soviet Union played in the resistance to the Nazi regime. Its seat in the Security Council was won with great suffering. But using its veto power has a political cost: it shows you as taking advantage of a privilege.

That means one can call on the UN General Assembly, which has jurisdiction over peace and security, especially when the Security Council is paralyzed. It could very well adopt resolutions condemning Russia, and this with stratospheric majorities, which would nevertheless show that there is a central, institutionalized and solemn responsibility, beyond the condemnations of all the foreign ministries.

What can we expect from the UN Human Rights Council, which is meeting this week in Geneva?

In the international system, there is a taboo against attacking another state. What you do at home, even if it is very serious, many look the other way. To attack a sovereign state, however, is to attack a population and somewhere the shield [the state] that allows the protection of human rights on a territory. In this case, it is not certain that the States that normally serve as automatic supporters of Russia are as eager to do so. So yes, we can imagine a condemnation at the Human Rights Council.

If one reads the [1945] Nuremberg judgment carefully, one realizes that the Allies understood that crimes against peace were an inescapable part of the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Germans, that there was a strong correlation between the Reichs project of discrimination and the project of external aggression.

In reality, today, who is on the side of the genocidal logic? Basically, it is Russia, which  by claiming that its Russian-speaking minorities cannot live in peace and security outside Russian sovereignty  has committed itself to a logic of expulsion of Ukrainians in the Donbass and invasion. This is an old logic of the 20th century, strongly correlated with the desire to create ethnically homogeneous states.

Yet the crime of aggression, newly included in the Rome Statute, is not applicable to the situation, according to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan who has just announced his decision, on Monday 28 February, to open an investigation into the situation in Ukraine.

Yes. There is really nothing to do. Because it is necessary that both states, the attacking state and the state attacked, are parties to the Rome Statute. For other crimes under international law, it is sufficient that the crimes were committed on the territory of a State Party or a State that has recognized the jurisdiction of the Court. This is the case of Ukraine. The conditions are much more restrictive for the crime of aggression than for other crimes.

For other crimes under international law, it is sufficient that the crimes were committed on the territory of a State Party to the Rome Statute or which has recognised the Courts jurisdiction on an ad hoc basis. Ukraine fits the second scenario as it has recognised it twice, in 2014 and 2015, and the second time without time limit. This gives the ICC prosecutor jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly acts of genocide.

So which jurisdiction could make the most effective decision in this case?

Each one allows you to look at what is going on in a different way. The ICJ is the place to make a high-profile argument about Russias responsibility for what it is doing. The problem, as we have seen, is that Ukraine is forced to do this through the back door. The International Criminal Court is the place to go for convictions for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is not [for] aggression. Here there is a risk of focusing on the effects of the use of force, but not on the use of force itself. The European Court of Human Rights is a regional court. We are in a regional story with a whole range of rights that could be violated. If I had to choose, it would be the one to go to.
Ukraines ambassador and diplomats from a wide number of countries staged a walkout on Tuesday as Russias foreign minister addressed the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

The diplomats stood up and left the room when Sergei Lavrovs pre-recorded video message began to play, in protest at Moscows invasion of Ukraine, according to an AFP journalist in the room.

Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko was among the numerous diplomats who filed out as the video began playing, leaving the room almost empty.

Outside they gathered in front of a Ukrainian flag and broke into strong applause that could be heard in the chamber where Lavrovs speech continued, with only a handful of ambassadors from countries including Yemen, Syria, Venezuela and Tunisia remaining to hear him.

It is important to show a gesture of solidarity with our Ukrainian friends, said French ambassador Yann Hwang.

Russias top diplomat had been scheduled to go to Geneva to address both the UN-linked disarmament body and the UN Human Rights Council in person Tuesday, but cancelled at the last minute, with Moscow blaming anti-Russian sanctions imposed by EU countries.

Russia has become an international pariah since launching a full-scale invasion six days ago.

Russian indiscriminate attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure are war crimes and violations of the Rome Statute, Ukraines foreign minister told the disarmament meeting before Lavrov spoke.

Russian aggression is a global threat, he warned, insisting that the response too must be global.

In his speech, Lavrov blamed Kyiv for the crisis, warning it was trying to assemble nuclear weapons.

I can assure you, Russia as a responsible member of the international community is taking all necessary measures to prevent the emergence of nuclear weapons and related technologies in Ukraine, he said.
Numerous diplomats walked out on Tuesday when Russias foreign minister addressed the UN Human Rights Council, after a similar boycott of his speech at the nearby Conference on Disarmament.

The diplomats filed out of the room when Sergei Lavrovs pre-recorded video message began to play, in protest against Moscows invasion of Ukraine, according to an AFP journalist in the room.

Thank you very much for this wonderful show of support to Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence, Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko, who led the walkout, told the crowd gathered around a large Ukrainian flag outside the chamber.

Any invasion constitutes a violation of human rights massive violations and civilian losses, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said.

It is important that the Human Rights Council shows with this walkout that it is united with Ukraine and with the people of Ukraine.

The fresh walkout came less than an hour after diplomats all but emptied a nearby room at the UNs European headquarters in Geneva when Lavrovs video speech aired to the Conference on Disarmament, a body created in 1979 to try to stem the Cold War arms race.

Outside that chamber, diplomats also gathered in front of a Ukrainian flag and applauded loudly.

The applause could be heard in the chamber where Lavrovs speech continued, with only a handful of ambassadors from countries including Yemen, Syria, Venezuela and Tunisia there to hear it.

 War crimes 

Russias top diplomat had been scheduled to come to Geneva to address both the UN-linked disarmament body and the UN Human Rights Council in person on Tuesday.

But he cancelled at the last minute, with Moscow blaming anti-Russian sanctions imposed by EU countries.

Russia has become an international pariah since it launched a full-scale invasion six days ago, with its forces killing dozens on the streets of Ukraines cities and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee.

The morning meeting of the disarmament conference kicked off with a minute of silence for the victims in Ukraine.

Russian indiscriminate attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure are war crimes and violations of the Rome Statute, Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told the meeting.

The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court.

Russian aggression is a global threat, Kuleba warned. The response too must be global.

He said Ukraine had called for a special plenary meeting on the crisis at the Conference for Disarmament but it remained unclear whether this would go ahead.

Kyiv meanwhile succeeded on Monday to secure support for an urgent debate at the UN human rights council later this week. It will seek the creation of a high-level investigation into violations committed in the conflict, dating back to Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014.

In his speech at the Conference on Disarmament, Lavrov meanwhile blamed Kyiv for the crisis and said Ukraine was trying to assemble nuclear weapons.

I can assure you, Russia as a responsible member of the international community is taking all necessary measures to prevent the emergence of nuclear weapons and related technologies in Ukraine, he said.
Russian shelling on Ukraines second largest city Kharkiv killed at least 10 people and left many more injured on Tuesday, emergency services said.

The attack targeted the citys central square and the main administration building.

At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 were injured, the regional emergency services said in a statement, adding that 10 people had been discovered alive under rubble as rescue workers cleared debris.

It added that stairwells and corridors of the main administration building on the central square were completely destroyed.

Video released by the emergency services showed rescue workers in hard hats carrying an injured person from the building on a stretcher and the floors of the building strewn with bricks, with natural light pouring in from the wrecked roof.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier described the attack on the city of 1.4 million people near Russias border as a war crime.
Kyiv has filed an application before the UNs top International Court of Justice at The Hague, accusing Russia of planning acts of genocide in Ukraine as the invasion reaches a sixth day.

At the International Criminal Court, also in The Hague, chief prosecutor Karim Khan has launched an investigation, saying: There is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed.

Here are five key questions about Russia, Ukraine and international law:

 Has Russia broken international law? 

Yes. Russia has broken article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which forbids the use of force internationally, said Geoff Gordon, senior researcher at the Hague-based Asser Institute for International and European Law.

The use of Russian military force is not unfamiliar in Ukraine, added British-based international law professor Philippe Sands.

One of the differences between before and today is that rules exist to protect us from such actions, reflected in the Charter of the United Nations, the closest thing we have to an international constitution, Sands wrote in the Financial Times.

It is the Charters most significant commitments that Mr. Putin has shredded, said Sands.

 Which courts can try Ukraine-related cases? 

Ukraine has applied to bring a case to the ICJ, which certainly will hear arguments over jurisdiction, said Gordon.

National courts may also try cases related to the violation of international law, he added.

Russia may also be brought before the European Court of Human Rights for human rights violations.

The International Criminal Court is empowered to investigate war crimes committed by individuals on the territory of the Ukraine.

Ukraine is not a member, but in 2014 accepted the jurisdiction of the Court.

Russia, however withdrew from the ICC, so the court will only be able to reach Russians if they are arrested on the territory of a state that respects the jurisdiction of the court.

 Can individuals be held accountable? 

Yes. The ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the worlds worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Individuals could also be tried in national courts.

However, not even the ICC can prosecute the crime of aggression  the attack of one state on another planned by a political or military leader  if that country did not ratify the courts Rome Statute, which neither Russia nor Ukraine has done.

Sands however suggested setting up a dedicated international criminal tribunal focusing on Russian crimes of aggression in regards to Ukraine.

 What happens next? 

The Hague-based ICJ  which rules in disputes between countries  will first decide whether it has jurisdiction to hear the substance of the case.

I would bet that well see hearings in the next couple weeks, and a decision within a couple weeks thereafter  or maybe a quicker timeline given the level of this emergency, said Cecily Rose, an assistant professor of public international law at Leiden University.

At the ICC, should its judges agree the court has jurisdiction and evidence in support, an investigation could lead to chief prosecutor Khan issuing indictments and prosecution.

However, the ICC process could be speeded up should a member state refer the case to the court, thereby bypassing the need to obtain the judges permission.

 What effect will it have? 

Experts agree the question is difficult to answer.

The ICJ, whose decisions are final and cannot be appealed lacks a classic enforcement mechanism to make its judgments effective, said Gordon.

Similarly, the ICC does not have its own police force and relies on member states to make arrests.

On the other hand, we are seeing the mobilisation of a number of more or less coordinated mechanisms designed to punish Russia for waging an illegal war, Gordon said.

This included economic sanctions, travel restrictions, and the cancellation of sporting events.

A judgment by the ICJ might play a role in any such actions in the future, whether as part of a specific legal argument or a public argument about legitimacy, said Gordon.
The UK government warned Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commanders in Ukraine could face prosecution for war crimes, comparing the sickening onslaught to the darkest days of the Yugoslav conflicts.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russias bombardment of Ukraines second city Kharkiv was absolutely sickening and reminiscent of massacres of civilians in Sarajevo in the 1990s, vowing that Western sanctions would remain for as long as it takes.

It has that feel to me of an atrocity deliberately committed against a civilian centre, he told journalists during a visit to a NATO base in Estonia.

Two shellings of a marketplace during the siege of Sarajevo in 1994 killed over 100 civilians, one of the bloodiest days in the Bosnian War following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.

Moscow on Tuesday intensified its six-day offensive against Ukraine, killing at least 18 civilians with missiles and artillery strikes in Kharkiv alone.

Visiting Poland earlier, Johnson had condemned Putins barbaric, indiscriminate tactics as the civilian death toll around the country rose.

He said Russia had underestimated the passionate desire of Ukraines people to defend themselves, as well as the unity and resolve of the West and of the rest of the world.

And we will keep up the economic pressure, he said, after Britain on Tuesday joined the European Union and United States in sanctioning Russias biggest lender Sberbank.

The move came after the government on Monday said it would freeze the UK assets of all Russian banks and ordered British ports to turn away Russian ships.

It is plainly already having a dramatic effect, Johnson said, with the Russian ruble and stock market in freefall, and customers queueing to withdraw their savings from banks.

We are ready to intensify and to keep going for as long as it takes.

 Cluster bombs 

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, a former war crimes prosecutor, also recalled the Yugoslav conflicts, saying Britain and its allies would be patient in bringing any violators to heel.

Thats why were making it clear both to Putin but also to commanders in Moscow, on the ground in Ukraine, that they will be held accountable for any violations of the laws of war, he told Sky News.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague said Monday it was investigating after finding a reasonable basis to suspect alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine since Russia seized the Crimea peninsula in 2014.

For Putin, Russian generals and soldiers, theres a very real risk that theyll end up in the dock of a court in The Hague, Raab added on BBC television.

Amnesty International said Russian cluster bombs hit a pre-school in northeastern Ukraine last Friday that was being used to shelter civilians, killing three people including a child.

Agnes Callamard, who heads the global rights monitor, said the stomach-turning attack in the town of Okhtyrka should be investigated as a war crime.

With hundreds of thousands fleeing the violence, the UK said it would relax its immigration requirements for Ukrainians, after criticism it was not going far enough to accommodate refugees.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said some 100,000 Ukrainians could enter the country for 12 months as a result of changes to criteria for close family members.

All applicants will still, however, have to pass security checks, she added, given that Russian troops are seeking to infiltrate and merge with Ukrainian forces.

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An Indian student was killed on Tuesday in shelling in Ukraine, New Delhi said, as it urged Moscow and Kyiv to secure safe passage for around 12,000 of its stranded nationals.

With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter.

He added that the foreign secretary  the ministrys top civil servant  was calling in the Russian and Ukrainian ambassadors to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones.

Kharkiv, Ukraines second city, has been a target for Russian forces since President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of the eastern European country last week.

On Tuesday, the central square of the city near the Russian border was shelled by advancing forces who hit the building of the local administration, regional governor Oleg Sinegubov said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the shelling as a war crime, adding in a video statement: This is state terrorism on the part of Russia.

But Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla did not criticise Russia.

Naming the student as Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, he told reporters: From what we understand from his friends, he had come out to buy some groceries, he was at a shop in a line when he was hit, I dont know how.

The circumstances are not absolutely clear, he added. It is a conflict zone and its a very unfortunate situation.

In the southern Indian state of Karnataka, the students father pleaded to Indian authorities and representatives in Ukraine: Bring back my sons dead body.

Before Russias invasion, there were around 20,000 Indians in Ukraine. Around 8,000 have since managed to leave the country, of whom some 1,400 have been flown back to India, according to officials.

According to Indian media, some Indian students are being prevented from crossing into neighbouring countries, with border guards reportedly refusing to let them pass and demanding money.

Aruj Raj, a student in Kharkiv, told the Hindustan Times that he had been in a hostel bunker with 400 other Indian students since Thursday.

There is so much bombing happening outside, he said. We can see street fighting through our windows.

The city is still under curfew. It is impossible for us to step outside. We hardly have anything left to eat or drink.

New Delhi has long walked a tightrope in its relations with Moscow and the West, while getting most of its arms from Russia. Last week it abstained in a vote on the UN Security Council resolution deploring Russias aggression.

burs-stu/slb/sst
Floridians dont often expect their elected leaders to rise above partisanship, in part because they know its unlikely to happen. But as the U.S. Senate considers the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, Floridians should demand that senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio deal with her nomination fairly and honestly  and that they hold their fellow senators to the same standard.

It wont be easy. President Joe Biden announced Jacksons nomination during the opening days of CPAC, the annual event that has evolved into a four-day tent revival for the radical wing of the Republican Party that still appears to be firmly in the grip of former President Donald Trump and his acolytes. Conference attendees quickly turned the nomination into red meat to sharpen their knives on, flinging muddy innuendos and making barely veiled appeals to racism. One common theme insists that Biden only chose Jackson for her race and gender  ignoring her exceptional qualifications to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.

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Jackson, who grew up in Miami, will certainly make history on the high court  but not only as the first Black female ever to serve. Her reputation for thoughtful, insightful legal analysis defies the liberal firebrand tag that some politicians are already seeking to brand her with. And her qualifications are unique and valuable, making her well-suited to evaluate the big questions before the court.

Several media outlets have pointed out that she would also be the first ex-public defender to serve on the nations high court. That sets her apart from the courts current members, most of whom worked as prosecutors before being named to the bench. Her nomination doesnt mean she will be soft on defendants; in fact, her record at the trial and appellate level has been remarkably balanced, and her reputation is that of a jurist who seeks to build consensus while respecting the reality that laws have boundaries that the judiciary is obligated to follow.

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Her background does give her knowledge that has been in short supply on the bench  and thats important, because public defenders are often the first line of defense for rights that many of us take for granted. Unfortunately, many of the attacks on Jackson have come from the kinds of cases she handled as a public defender, including her representation of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Its disheartening to hear prominent members of the GOP  who certainly know better  acting as if Jackson somehow endorsed her clients actions.

Leaders can also expect the kind of Im-rubber-youre-glue innuendo meant to smear Jacksons reputation without context  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already ventured into that territory: I also understand Judge Jackson was the favored choice of far-left dark money groups  that have spent years attacking the legitimacy and structure of the Court itself, he said in a statement  ignoring the likelihood that Jacksons nomination is almost certain to trigger floods of clandestine cash from both ends of the political spectrum.

Rubio and Scott  who have watched dark-money drama play out in Florida legislative races  should urge their fellow senators to rise above such political chicanery. They may not have supported Browns confirmation, in June, to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. (Scott voted no; Rubio was one of three senators who did not vote.) But they should insist that her nomination be evaluated on Browns record, and her answers to questions about the law  not on rumors, innuendo and outright falsehoods. And Floridians should make it clear thats what they expect.

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio, Jay Reddick and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com.
The International Court of Justice said Tuesday it would hold hearings on March 7 and 8 over the war in Ukraine as fighting intensifies.

The International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will hold public hearings in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 March 2022,, the court said in a statement.

More than 660,000 people have already fled abroad, the UN refugee agency said, estimating that a million people are displaced within ex-Soviet Ukraine, which has a population of 44 million.

The UN said that up to four million refugees may need help in the coming months and 12 million more will need assistance within the country.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan already announced he was launching an investigation on the situation in Ukraine following Russias invasion.

I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine since 2014, Khan said in a statement Monday.

Russia has defied international bans, boycotts and sanctions to press ahead with an offensive it says is aimed at defending Ukraines Russian speakers and toppling the leadership.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) enforces the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the nations fundamental labor law that guarantees most private-sector workers the right to organize and the right to collective bargaining. Years of static funding has undermined the Boards ability to fulfill its statutory mission, to the detriment of workers and the economy. The chronic under-resourcing of the Board has created challenges in its enforcement capacity amid the surge of union interestand unfair labor practices. As Congress debates upcoming budget and spending legislation , it is critical that lawmakers boost NLRB funding to protect workers well-being.

NLRB funding has remained flat

The Boards staffing level has not kept up with the growth in the national private-sector workforce. The number of full-time employees at the NLRB dropped by nearly 31% from 1,789 to 1,320 between 2006 and 2019. During the same period, the number of covered workers per NLRB staff increased by 50%, from one full-time employee per 74,809 workers to one full-time employee per 112,201 workers, as shown in the figure below. Further, staffing levels at regional offices, which typically handle the intake of complaints filed by workers, dropped by 33% between 2010 and 2019.

The National Labor Relations Board is now responsible for far more workers than it was a decade ago : Number of private-sector workers per NLRB full-time employee, 20062019 Fiscal year Private-sector workers per NLRB full-time employee 2006 74809 2007 78292 2008 82804 2009 80784 2010 78321 2011 77076 2012 80303 2013 83888 2014 84853 2015 87896 2016 92969 2017 98064 2018 110790 2019 112201 Chart Data Download data The data below can be saved or copied directly into Excel. The data underlying the figure. Source: EPI calculations from the National Labor Relations Boards data on full-time employees from 20062019 and Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data on the total number of employees covered by unemployment insurance programs in the United States from 20062019.

These cuts have put a strain on the remaining staff, forcing them to stretch already-thin resources. According to the Government Accountability Officeonly about one-third of employees agree that the Board has sufficient resources, while nearly half admit to having an unreasonable workload. Although Congress has mandated the Board to address this understaffing, it has failed to allocate adequate resources to do so and has instead allowed funding to remain flat since 2014. Congresss continued reliance on continuing resolutions in place of annual appropriations prevents the Board from backfilling staffing needs that predate the previous fiscal year. Further, funding levels have not kept up with inflation in the last decade, which translates to an effective 20% funding cut.

NLRB officials associate this decline in staffing with a decrease in case numbers; this decline in cases has been further attributed to to a hostile environment for organizing unions and filing unfair labor practice charges created by the previous administration. In sharp contrast, the Biden administration has publicly supported collective bargaining efforts and touted the benefits of unions.

Collective action is crucial and must be protected

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the NLRBs mandate of protecting workers fundamental right to collective action is as important as ever. We have seen a surge in protests by workers fighting for basic rights, better working conditions, personal protective equipment, and better pay . Where workers have been able to act collectively and through their union, they have been able to secure enhanced safety measures, additional premium pay, and paid sick time.

Workers are recognizing the critical role that unions play in securing workplace rights, and they are banding together to establish unions in major employers like Starbucks and Amazon as well as independent bookstores and college campuses. NLRB petitions for union elections have shot up by more than 30% so far in 2022. This, in turn, requires the Board to allocate more resources toward addressing these petitions and ensuring fair and timely representation proceedings.

Still, there is a significant mismatch in the number of workers who want to join unions and those who are represented by one. A recent survey showed that a large and growing number of workers want union representation, with nearly 50% of workers polled saying they would vote to create a union in their workplace tomorrow if they could. However, the share of workers represented by unions has declined.

The decline in union membership comes amid sustained attacks on unionization efforts. Our research has shown that employers are charged with violating federal law in 41.5% of all union election campaigns, and one out of five union election campaigns involves a charge that a worker was illegally fired for union activity. Consequently, union elections today are characterized by employer intimidation and in no way reflect the democratic process guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act.

For example, Starbucks organizers have accused the company of retaliation by firing workers for their unionization efforts, and Amazon unlawfully interfered in a union vote in its Bessemer, Alabama warehouse. In both instances, the NLRB played a critical role in protecting workers rights to collective action and in identifying employees unlawful actions. However, many employers continue to pursue creative and heavy-handed tactics both legal and illegalto threaten and intimidate their workers in the hopes of stopping them from exercising their right to collective bargaining. More robust funding will be needed to remedy these attacks on the NLRA, combat illegal and unfair workplace practices, and strengthen the NLRBs investigative and enforcement abilities.

Despite challenges, the NLRB continues to deliver results

Despite limited resources, NLRB staff have worked to improve performance and deliver results. In 2021, the Board recovered $56 millionor 44% more than the previous yearon behalf of workers whose rights were violated, and worked to increase reinstatement offers by 545%. The NLRB also reduced the median age of pending cases by 15%.

In order to build on this momentum and continue to protect the nations fundamental labor law, it is critical that Congress allocate adequate resources to the NLRB. Congress must move beyond flat funding for the Board, which has undermined its enforcement capabilities. Instead, the Board requires greater funding in order to meet the challenges and complexities of todays workforce.
Wabaunsee County, KS (KCTV)  Shawn Parcells was scheduled to be sentenced for criminal charges of felony theft and criminal desecration in Wabaunsee County, KS this morning, but he was a no-show at the county courthouse.

Parcells faces numerous county, state and federal charges for his autopsy work. Prosecutors say he lacks the credentials to perform them and even pretended to be a doctor in some cases. Hes been the focus of more than a dozen KCTV5 investigative reports.

But while people waiting for proceedings at the Wabaunsee County courthouse, Parcells sat in federal custody for violating the terms of his bond.

Among those waiting this morning was Roger Boltz. He lost his wife, Melody, seven years ago. At the time, Parcells worked for the county. An autopsy was order, but never completed.

Im tired of it, you know, Roger Boltz told us. Hes a sleazeball and a liar. Thats just the way it is.

Boltz calls the entire process frustrating, starting with Parcells lab. Parcells allowed KCTV5 inside the lab three years ago. He thought it would help prove his lab was a legitimate business.

But Roger Boltz wasnt convinced.

I thought, Dr. Jekyll- Hyde type of guy, you know? said Boltz. It was like Frankensteins laboratory. Stuff in jars. People in the back room laying on tables. You know, this ought to be the first clue right here that youre not legitimate, you know.

Boltz has watched as charges piled up against Parcells.

Parcells is expected to plead guilty to 10 federal charges later in March. And those Consumer Protection Act violations in Kansas involve 82 consumers. After his lab was shut down, all the samples Parcells had collected were returned to families.

Boltz believes Parcells doesnt understand the trauma hes caused families.

Every time he walks in the courtroom, he wants to wave (at us), said Boltz. Who both look at each other, like Are you serious?

Information KCTV5 uncovered was shocking and heartbreaking. Family after family told us they would never get answers.

At one point, Shawn Parcells even sat down with us to try to explain his actions.

I tell people all the time I almost became a neurosurgeon, Parcells told us in 2019. That doesnt mean Im a doctor. That doesnt mean that I was in medical school. I really did almost do that.

Copyright 2022 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Things just get more intense in the second half of the riveting legal drama "Juvenile Justice." Apart from its entertaining and informative elements, it takes viewers to resonate with the drama's characters.

Keep on reading to know what happened to Kim Hye Soo, Kim Moo Yeol and Lee Sung Min in "Juvenile Justice" episode 6 to 10.

'Juvenile Justice' Episode 6: To Protect Family and Honor

In episode 6, Shim Eun Seok tries to ignore her past, even when it visited her right in front of her doorstep.

On the other hand, Kang Won Jung is torn between protecting his name and pushing forward to achieve his lifelong goals.

His son, Sin U (Kim Joon Ho), who is involved in the Moonkwang High School Exam Paper Leak Case attempts to take the easy way out.

It doesn't take long for Shim Eun Seok to find out the truth.

'Juvenile Justice' Episode 7: The Beginning and the End

Episode 7 depicts the end of an era. However, an end is just the beginning for some.

After digging deeper into the Moonkwang High School Exam Paper Leak Case, Shim Eun Seok provides evidentiary support to back up her accusations against Kang Won Jung.

The episode also reveals Cha Tae Joo and Kang Won Jung's affiliation in the past. In addition to that, it was also revealed how the latter worked hard to change the law to protect juveniles from society, which pushed Kang Won Jung to step down from the court and run for the upcoming elections.

Kang Won Jung's son, on the other hand, confesses about his involvement in the exam paper leak case.

At the end of the episode, Yeonhwa District Court welcomes Na Geun Hee (Lee Jung Eun), the new presiding judge.

'Juvenile Justice' Episode 8: Is Justice Served?

Shim Eun Seok and Cha Tae Joo don't seem to get along well with the new presiding judge Na Geun Hee.

In episode 8, Kwak Do Seok (Song Deok Ho), a juvenile who had been sent to a reformatory by Cha Tae Joo, along with four juveniles gets involved in a car accident.

It was then revealed that Kwak Do Seok has been beaten up and bullied for over a long time by the same juveniles he thought of as friends.

While he suffers from bruises and powerful impact from the accident that led him to a vegetative state, the other four juveniles were set free from the microscopic eyes of the law.

The ruling was made by the presiding judge, who believes in closing a case quickly rather than looking into them deeper.

Meanwhile, a new cold case messes with Shim Eun Seok's mind and well-being.

'Juvenile Justice' Episode 9: The Past Haunts Shim Eun Seok Down

The ninth episode highlights Shim Eun Seok's weakness, breaking down the walls she'd built around her.

Yeonhwa District Court is shaken by a gang rape case that's assigned to Cha Tae Joo. However, Shim Eun Seok is adamant to handle the case despite her hatred for juveniles.

After convincing the presiding judge, Shim Eun Seok faces Hwang In Jun, a young boy who's involved in the new rape case. Little did everyone know, he and Shim Eun Seok had a dark history.

The episode ends as it reveals that Shim Eun Seok isn't just a judge; she was a mother who lost her son to manslaughter by the same boy standing trial before her.

'Juvenile Justice' Episode 10: Shim Eun Seok Ends Things With Conviction

In episode 10, the juveniles who were the reason behind Shim Eun Seok's son's death stand before her. However, due to her relations to the accused, Shim Eun Seok was subject to recusal.

Shim Eun Seok convinces Na Geun Hee to do the right thing after questioning her principles as a presiding judge.

Moreover, Shim Eun Seok began her own investigation and teamed up with the police. Because of this, substantial evidence was provided.

Hwang In Jun and Baek Do Hyeon, along with their accomplices, were given just ruling at the court, closing the cold gang rape case and many other crimes.

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: 'Pachinko' Teaser: Lee Min Ho, Youn Yuh Jung's New Drama Unveils Cinematic Trailer

At home, Shim Eun Seok cries her heart out for her poor son whose life was taken so soon. After five long years, she gathers all the courage to start anew.

She still detests juvenile offenders the most, but she has rational, lawful and just convictions that make her a true agent of the law.

"Juvenile Justice" depicts that every grave conduct has its own equal consequences, regardless of gender, family background and age, and how the law protects and helps the victims.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
Romance series "Queen In Hyun's Man," starring Yoo In Na and Ji Hyun Woo, is a classic K-drama that captured the viewers' hearts during its run in 2012. As it turns ten years this year, let us know where the cast is now!

Yoo In Na

After she starred in "Queen In Hyun's Man," Yoo In Na appeared in "My Love From the Star," alongside Jun Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun, in 2013 and worked with Namgoong Min and 2014 series "My Secret Hotel."

She became known for her role in the phenomenal K-Drama "Goblin" in 2016 where she was partnered with Lee Dong Wook. Since many enjoyed their chemistry, they reunited again for a drama where they were finally the main cast.

Yoo In Na recently appeared in JTBC's "Snowdrop" along with Jung Hae In and BLACKPINK's Jisoo.

The actress also starred in the 2021 movie "New Year Blues."

Since she just finished a drama, Yoo In Na is on hiatus and is expected to return to primetime soon.

Ji Hyun Woo

He currently appears in KBS' drama "Young Lady and Gentleman." It is one of the highest series in the said broadcasting station.

Due to its popularity, Ji Hyun Woo gained more recognition from the audience. He won the Daesang and Best Couple Award alongside on screen partner Lee Se Hee at the 2021 KBS Drama Awards.

Ji Hyun Woo is also active in acting every year. He is open to new roles and other opportunities to showcase and enhance his skills.

Kim Jin Woo

He is a brilliant actor who already graced the weekdays and weekend primetime with his numerous drama roles.

After "Queen In Hyun's Man," Kim Jin Woo received new offers to star in "The Birth of a Family" in 2013, "My Lovely Girl" in 2014, "Just Between Lovers," "Left-Handed Wife," and more. His most recent drama was "Graceful Family" in 2019.

Kim Jin Woo also keeps in touch with his fans and updates them about his personal life, where he spends most of his free time with family.

Ga Deuk Hi

She played the character of Jo Soo Gyung. Like her drama co-stars, Ga Deuk Hi also had a simultaneous career opportunity through the years.

Some of the dramas she appeared in were in "The King's Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang," "My Blooming Days," "My Sweet Family," "Person Who Gives Happiness," "The Bride of Habaek," and "My Unfamiliar Family."

'Queen In Hyun's Man' Synopsis

tvN's fantasy-romance series tells the story of a noble man Kim Bong Do (Ji Hyun Woo) from the Joseon Dynasty, which is approximately 300 years ago. Due to an unexpected twist of fate, he happens to travel through time and ends up in present day Seoul. He then meets Choi Hee Jin (Yoo In Na), an actress who has been trying hard to maintain her career, and develop a romantic relationship.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Yoo In Na Successfully Delivers Impressive Acting in 'Snowdrop' With BLACKPINK Jisoo, Jung Hae In

For more Korean drama and celebrity updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Shai Collins wrote this. Kdramastars owns this article.
Ahn Hyo Seop, Kim Sejeong, Kim Min Gyu and Seol In Ah's much awaited rom-com drama "A Business Proposal" finally released its pilot episode!

In episode 1, Ahn Hyo Seop goes on a blind date with Kim Sejeong, and becomes eager to marry her. Read to know more!

'A Business Proposal' Episode 1: Shin Ha Ri Goes to Another Blind Date

Shin Ha Ri (Kim Sejeong) finds herself going on another blind date in place of Jin Young Seo (Seol In Ah) in order to scare away her best friend's new prospect.

With her complete transformation, Ha Ri is confident in driving the new date away after she mastered all the things men hate in women and relationships.

Kang Tae Mu Grants His Grandfather's Only Wish

GoFood's new president Kang Tae Mu (Ahn Hyo Seop) returns to South Korea after his trip abroad. He's a good-looking gentleman who doesn't intend to date and only thinks about work.

When his grandfather created a list of eligible bachelorette for him to date, he immediately disagreed.

However, Tae Mu with a wife and children is the only thing that his grandfather wishes to see while he's alive.

To appease his old man, Tae Mu agrees to meet one of his candidates and get to know her better.

Tae Mu and Young Seo, in the form of Ha Ri, finally meet for the first time.

Shin Ha Ri and Kang Tae Mu's First Romantic Meeting

Ha Ri couldn't believe her eyes when her company's new president sat across from her as her "blind date."

Ha Ri and Young Seo already had a concrete plan on her to scare away all the men presented to the young heiress.

Acting as Young Seo, Ha Ri would display callousness and rude manners in front of her date. She would also sometimes pretend to be possessed by an evil spirit.

Unfortunately, these wouldn't work on Tae Mu. Because the man prefers women who are honest, he didn't mind Ha Ri's endless TMI bombs.

Thinking it was a success, Ha Ri and Young Seo celebrate after driving another prospective husband. Their celebration is cut short after Young Seo receives a call from her father. Ha Ri prays she wouldn't run into Tae Mu at work.

Kang Tae Mu Eagerly Wants to Marry Shin Ha Ri

Tae Mu finally thinks of a solution in order to grant his old grandfather's wish. Because he isn't interested in dating, he'd marry Young Seo, who's Ha Ri in real life, in order to solve his problem.

Tae Mu and Ha Ri once again meet up to talk about their upcoming marriage, but because of her pretense, Ha Ri turned down Tae Mu's offer without second thoughts.

To make things work for the both of them, Tae Mu suggests going on 10 dates to get to know one another more.

On the other hand, Young Seo falls for Cha Sung Hoon (Kim Min Gyu) at first sight.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
HB 1355/SB 1808 is among the most controversial bills this legislative session. It creates economic hardship and legal liability for transportation businesses bringing immigrants into Florida.

The bill forms part of a series of anti-immigrant measures by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies. Proponents of these efforts have one thing in common: a minimal understanding of the complex body of immigration laws, regulations, and policies. Any way this proposed law is implemented will violate the U.S. Constitution. Yet, despite confusion and uncertainty surrounding the laws meaning and consequences, the House and Senate versions are on their way to the floor.

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Mark Prada is the co-founder of Prada Urizar, PLLC. John Patrick Pratt is a Partner at Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A. - Original Credit: Courtesy photos (Courtesy photo)

HB 1355/SB 1808 will prohibit businesses that transport unauthorized aliens into Florida from contracting with local or state government agencies. However, the majority of legislators during the committee hearings failed to accept that unauthorized alien is a legal term with a legal definition contained in immigration law.

Undocumented persons cannot board flights without REAL IDs anyway. So, what is the true issue? This proposed bill impacts millions of people who have permission from the federal government to be in the U.S., but bill sponsors dont seem to care. Legislators heard ad nauseam that the definition of unauthorized alien in the original bill text is found in immigration laws covering employment authorization.

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Their solution  an amendment incorporating all federal immigration laws into the bill to avoid analyzing who is unlawfully present, although that term requires a nuanced understanding of immigration regulations. This mess leaves transportation companies with no clear way to decipher who can travel to Florida and avoid violating this poorly written proposed law.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

Transportation companies will need to become immigration law experts to grant or deny service to dozens of categories of people prohibited from traveling to Florida, even though the federal law gives them permission to be here.

For example, Afghan evacuees, unaccompanied children, family members of active U.S. military servicemembers, asylum-seekers, trafficking victims, and TPS holders could be prevented from boarding a plane to Florida. Another interpretation of the bill deems tourists who cannot get work authorization to be unauthorized aliens, even with a valid visa and in valid status.

Alarmingly, this bill will absolutely impact unaccompanied children. The bill sponsors wrongly believe children are protected by the proposed amendment. Unaccompanied children are placed in removal proceedings and can be deported despite protections under the Flores Settlement Agreement, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, and other federal laws. HB 1355/SB 1808 places these children squarely within the bills definition of unauthorized alien due to the maze of statutes and regulations governing their admissibility in federal immigration law.

The purpose of HB 1355/SB 1808 is clear  to prevent children escaping wars and abuse from being in Florida. SB 1808/HB 1355 follows anti-immigrant administrative efforts targeting unaccompanied children seeking refuge in the U.S. The governor and the Department of Children and Families have characterized these children as a danger to Florida to justify eliminating licenses for agencies caring for them (EO 221-223; Rule 65C-9.004). The bill sponsors falsely claimed these children would not be harmed by the bill and then rejected every amendment explicitly exempting them. The net result is that these children will never reach the many faith-based organizations dedicated to placing them with family, such as Bethany Christian Services and Catholic Charities.

According to Republican legislators, these measures are necessary to stop flights taking place under the cover of darkness, on which immigrant children, like those who may soon arrive from Ukraine, are transported to be reunited with their families or taken to child-care agencies. These alleged secret flights are a false narrative. For over 20 years, under both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations, these flights have been well-documented, and require flight-plans complying with federal aviation laws.

Ultimately, the consequences of SB 1808/HB 1355 will harm commerce and the integrity of federal immigration laws. If every state implements similar legislation, we will have 50 formulations of immigration laws with disastrous outcomes. Passengers will need to ensure they have no layovers in Florida and Uber drivers who cross the Florida border will be de facto ICE officials determining the immigration status of their customers. This is unconstitutional, would result in serious costs, and is simply absurd.

Mark Prada is the co-founder of Prada Urizar, PLLC. He is the First Vice President for South Florida Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). John Patrick Pratt is a Partner at Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt, P.A. He served in the Board of Governors of AILA National from 2017-2020 and President of AILA South Florida from 2010-2011.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. A Ukrainian government official tells CNN that Ukrainian intelligence indicates Belarusian "readiness to maybe participate directly" in the invasion of Ukraine, "in addition to allowing Russians to use their territory as well as letting them cross the border."
The United States has asked 12 Russian United Nations diplomats to leave the US, accusing them of "espionage activities."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to put Russia's deterrence forces, which includes nuclear arms, on high alert are part of a wider pattern of unprovoked escalation and "manufactured threats" from the Kremlin.
Psychiatric nurses were only able to accompany Kelowna police to about one-third of the 3,100 calls last year where the suspect was believed to be suffering mental health problems, RCMP Supt. Kara Triance told city councillors on Monday.
Utility companies in the state of Florida are at it again, and your health is at risk.

State Sen. Jennifer Bradley filed Senate Bill 1024 late last year, which press reports show was written by the largest power company in the state, Florida Power and Light. SB 1024  along with companion House Bill 741  face only a few steps left to pass. If Florida utilities are successful, SB 1024 would essentially end the only solar-friendly policy the Sunshine State has: net metering.

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Shauna Junco, a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases practicing in Orlando, is a member of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action. - Original Credit: Courtesy photo (Courtesy photo)

Net metering allows electricity customers to generate power with rooftop solar and receive a credit for any excess solar power they dont use, which is sent back through the power lines directly to neighbors. Because of this excess solar power provided to the grid, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less pollution is created.

Florida voters rejected a similar attack on net metering in 2016 by voting down constitutional ballot initiative Amendment 1, which was promoted with over $26 million, primarily from utility companies. In writing SB 1024, utilities in Florida are going around voters, to the detriment of our health and our wallets.

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I stand with health-care clinicians across the state who strongly oppose SB 1024 which, if passed, will result in increased air pollution in Florida. It is well established that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels causes heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and multiple other diseases, making fossil fuel combustion the fourth leading cause of avoidable death worldwide for both men and women, according to the Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet in 2019.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

One study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that the burning of fossil fuels causes approximately 200,000 deaths in the U.S. every year, making it one of the highest causes of avoidable deaths here. These estimates of pollutions effects on mortality are likely an underestimate as we are learning more with each new study. For example, a recent study by the Harvard Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment also found an association between long-term exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 mortality.

Burning fossil fuels is also the main driver of climate change. The changing climate is negatively impacting human health in Florida and, unless we act, will worsen. This is truly an all-hands-on-deck situation to avoid the worst implications of a warming world.

Net metering decreases air pollution and slows down climate change. Children, seniors, pregnant women, those below the poverty line, and minorities are all disproportionately affected by pollution, and thus stand to benefit the most from the rapid deployment of rooftop solar. That said, air pollution and climate change affect all of us, and so rooftop solar benefits us all.

Net metering and rooftop solar also save everyone money. While prices for solar systems dropped dramatically in the last decade, prices for methane gas burned at power plants are sky-high. Currently, Floridians spend close to the equivalent of two-thirds of our states budget  around $60 billion annually  on fossil fuels imported from outside the state. Imagine what would happen to our states economy if Floridians could keep that money in their pockets by reaping the benefits of renewable energy. To get there, we need solar-friendly policies like net metering, which has helped lead to the creation of 40,000 solar jobs in Florida. These same jobs are now at risk should SB 1024 pass.

All of Floridas big power companies just got massive rate increases, and are passing on billions of dollars in additional costs for fossil gas to Floridians because they invested in expensive power plants fueled by polluting fossil fuels instead of promoting policies to advance renewables. Now they are doubling down to prevent Floridians from being able to choose whether to implement solar on our own rooftops.

How can you help? Tell your state representatives to put the interests of Florida citizens health front and center by protecting solar, and please tell them before its too late.

Shauna Junco, a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases practicing in Orlando, is a member of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action.
Hate crime legislation will be filed in memory of two victims who were killed at the Kroger parking lot in Jeffersontown. (AP photo)
Ketchikan, AK (99901)

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Timothy Hoff is a professor of management and author of Searching for the Family Doctor: Primary Care on the Brink. Copyright 2022. Published with permission of Johns Hopkins University Press.

There is a fight going on for the soul of not only American health care but health care everywhere. Primary care and family medicine are at the center of this struggle, the essence of which is the unresolved tension between two different goals. One goal is a fair, empathic, and highly relational care delivery system, built around primary care and trusting relationships between doctors and patients. Another goal is a more efficient, convenient, and highly transactional care delivery system, impersonal and built on algorithms, health care corporations, and technology. The former needs family doctors to succeed. The latter probably does not, relying instead on business thinking, scale, cheap labor, and technology.

Make no mistake, this is an escalating war with combatants joining both sides. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated it by providing further rationales for minimizing the imperfect equation of using humans in health care delivery and embracing the transition to technological solutions instead. One combatant fighting on the side of relational primary care and the role of doctors, particularly general doctors, is the specialty of family medicine. For over fifty years, it has been selling us the idea that a comprehensive physician who can manage care and who sees all patients as unique, whole individuals has immense value.

One important thing the specialty of family medicine has been effective at doing over five decades is using the image of the comprehensive family doctor to draw in medical students and young physicians. Compared to other medical specialties, it has always had a large number self-select into it who convince themselves that family practice is the right way to be a physician, and a great career choice for helping society.

These true believers have given family practice hope. They have been the frontline foot soldiers seeking to spread the comprehensive doctor mantra. Many have owned practices. Many have stayed in the same community seeing the same patients for years. They face challenges now. Their army has been battered and whittled down in numbers as the surrounding health care system grows hostile to their interests. The job of a family medicine true believer is getting harder. Yet, as these true believers go, so goes the specialtys vision of itself as something truly unique in medicine.

Orrin is a family medicine true believer. He has been one throughout this decades-long career. Hes worn out from the hard work of trying to remain co-owner of a small, independent practice not yet swallowed up by one of the larger hospital-based corporations looming in his geographic area; worn out from trying to meet all the demands of insurance companies, the government, and his patients; worn out from trying to make ends meet in a reimbursement world where seeing more patients quicker determines how much one can get paid as a family doctor.

He comes across as a bit scared of the future, and quietly upset about how the existing health care system has gone out of its way to take out small guys like him. He is a true believer because he has stayed put in one community for over three decades. He has had the same patients for years, is friends with many of those patients, and has done a lot of varied and complex work.

Owen is Orrins son, and he has followed in his fathers footsteps. He is a new partner in his fathers practice. Being a partner means he has had to invest money and take a salary cut as he builds his own panel of patients. He is in his early thirties, only a few years removed from his residency. Owen was immersed in the small-town physician experience growing up and watching his dad. He is a younger true believer, and that carries with it unique burdens compared to his father.

He is taking personal, financial, and professional risks most other family doctors his age choose not to take, risks most family doctors of any age seem not to be taking anymore. He owes a couple hundred thousand dollars for his medical training. In other words, a mortgage for a house he does not have. He is only a few years removed from residency. He earns $120,000 a year, well below the mean salary for a family doctor, because right now he only eats what he kills as a newly minted practice partner. He has experienced a highly concentrated dose of the things his father has increasingly dealt with in his workthe struggle and uphill battle to be a comprehensive family physician in a small independently owned practice.

There are other family doctors I spoke with that, while not business owners, are still trying to be true believers and comprehensive physicians while working for someone else. It is also not easy for them. Most family doctors now work as employees. More are joining the employee ranks each daynarrowing their scope of work, reducing their autonomy, adopting a nine-to-five mentality, and avoiding long-term relationships with patients. It moves them further away from the generalist physician definition.

Overall, the health system in the United States is still not tilting its axes in favor of either primary care or family doctor. What is worse, family doctors as a collective are more balkanized and less cohesive than ever. There is a sense among those in the field that something is not right about the specialty. Some feel there is a bait-and-switch aspect to becoming a family doctor. It ends up being something much different than what they were initially told. Others feel it is an impossible job to do well. The ask is too big for them. Still others believe sincerely in the ideal definition of the role, that of the generalist or comprehensive doctor, but find themselves working too hard or sacrificing too much to get it done. They find other niche-oriented ways to convince themselves they are doing true family medicine work. Family doctors everywhere are searching out more sustainable career paths for themselves, leading to so much career variety that the very label family doctor starts losing its preferred connotation.

Timothy Hoff is a professor of management and author of Searching for the Family Doctor: Primary Care on the Brink.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
UN rights body to hold emergency debate on Ukraine situation

Xinhua) 09:02, March 01, 2022

This image grabbed from a screen shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking via a video at the opening of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2022. The ongoing 49th session of the UNHRC has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week. (Xinhua)

GENEVA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week.

The decision was made following a roll-call vote of 29 votes in favor, five against and 13 abstentions.

At the opening of the session, Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), said via video link that the escalation of "military operations" by Russia in Ukraine was leading to escalating human rights violations.

The Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine is continuing its work and UN humanitarian agencies will step up their operations in the country, said the UN chief.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet told the session that during the period from Thursday morning to Sunday night, her office had recorded 406 civilian casualties, namely 102 deaths and 304 injured.

The 49th session of the UNHRC, which kicked off on Monday, will last until April 1.

This image grabbed from a screen shows UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking via a video at the opening of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2022. The ongoing 49th session of the UNHRC has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week. (Xinhua)

This image grabbed from a screen shows Yevheniia Filipenko, permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Office in Geneva, speaking at the opening of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2022. The ongoing 49th session of the UNHRC has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week. (Xinhua)

This image grabbed from a screen shows Federico Villegas, president of UN Human Rights Council, announcing the voting results on an emergency debate at the opening of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2022. The ongoing 49th session of the UNHRC has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week. (Xinhua)

This image grabbed from a screen shows Gennady Gatilov, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, speaking at the opening of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2022. The ongoing 49th session of the UNHRC has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week. (Xinhua)

This image grabbed from a screen shows UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet speaking at the opening of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2022. The ongoing 49th session of the UNHRC has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week. (Xinhua)

This image grabbed from a screen shows delegates attending the opening of the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), held at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 28, 2022. The ongoing 49th session of the UNHRC has decided to hold an emergency debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutchs announcement Monday that he wouldnt seek re-election has set off a scramble among politicians in Broward and Palm Beach counties who might succeed him.

The calculations are changing rapidly. Broward County Commissioner Mark Bogen, who said Monday afternoon he was considering a candidacy, said Tuesday afternoon he would run for re-election instead.

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Im happy staying as a county commissioner. Its not the right time for me, he said.

One political strategist said it would be a free-for-all  a very different scenario than in 2010, when Deutch was elected.

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He was the clear successor to then-U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, whose retirement announcement was timed as part of a plan with Deutch announcing his candidacy.

Thats not the case with Deutchs decision to leave office. He said Monday he would take over Oct. 1 as CEO of the American Jewish Committee.

[ RELATED: Second Republican, George Moraitis, may run for congressional seat Democrat Ted Deutch is vacating ]

The potential candidates all have a range of pluses and minuses. Several have shown they share a key attribute: an ability to raise money for an expensive campaign.

Among the leading potential candidates:

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Nov. 23, 2021, announces his appointment of Democrat Jared Moskowitz to the Broward County Commission. Moskowitz's wife, Leah, and children Sam, 8, and Max, 5, accompany him. Moskowitz is seen as an all-but-certain candidate for Congress after U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch announced he won't seek re-election in 2022. (Susan Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Jared Moskowitz: He is currently serving as an appointed member of the Broward County Commission, for a term that ends with the November election. Hes a former director of the state Emergency Management Agency, a former state representative from northwest Broward, and a former Parkland city commissioner.

Moskowitz is all but certain to run, but didnt say so on Monday. Today is about Ted. So I dont want to say too much because at the end of the day it really is about Ted, Moskowitz said. This just broke. Ive got to obviously get with my family. There are decisions that have to be made and Ill be making my announcement in coming days.

[ RELATED: Congressman Ted Deutch will resign and not seek re-election. Hes becoming CEO of major Jewish organization. ]

One thing that could rankle some in his party: the man who appointed Moskowitz as emergency chief in 2019 and to the County Commission in 2021 is Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is despised by many Democratic voters.

There is a bittersweet note for Moskowitz running. He and his late father, Mike Moskowitz, had talked over a decade [about my] running when Ted was finished. And I was hoping my Dad and I could do this together.

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Mike Moskowitz, a prominent lawyer-lobbyist, former Broward state Democratic committeeman and major party fundraiser, died in January of pancreatic cancer. The reason Moskowitz left his previous job as state emergency chief was so he could spend time with his father during his illness.

Broward Mayor Mark Bogen discusses Hurricane Dorian with reporters at the Broward Emergency Operations Center on Sept. 2, 2019. Bogen considered a candidacy for Congress, to replace U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, who isn't seeking re-election in 2022, but opted not to run. (Anthony Man / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Gary Farmer: A state senator, Farmer represents a Broward district in Tallahassee. Asked if hes considering running, Farmer responded via text: Yes, I am giving it strong consideration.

Farmer is facing a challenging re-election campaign because the state Senate redistricting maps  which have passed and are awaiting approval form the Florida Supreme Court  significantly change the boundaries of the current district he represents, likely forcing him into a primary with one or two other incumbent senators.

State Sen. Gary Farmer is considering a candidacy to succeed Congressman Ted Deutch, who isn't running for re-election in 2022. (Steve Cannon/AP)

Dean Trantalis: The Fort Lauderdale mayor said via text, It would be an honor to follow in the footsteps of Congressman Deutch and I will soon make a decision.

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Trantalis, the most prominent LGBT elected official in Broward or Palm Beach counties, could raise money from the national LGBT community.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

Several people whose names came up as potential candidates among political insiders on Monday said they werent running:

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book of Plantation is not considering a run for Congress. She intends to run for re-election in November and looks forward to leading the Senate Democratic caucus in the state Senate for another two years, said aide Claire VanSusteren.

State Sen. Tina Polsky, whose Broward-Palm Beach County district includes territory Deutch represents, said via text she was extremely grateful for the calls she received Monday encouraging her to run. But I fully intend to run for and remain in the Florida Senate as I still have much here to do.

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, said he would not run for Congress. I am honored by the outreach today, but Ive made a life decision that my career and my life and my future is not in politics. I will be continuing to hold people accountable, but not running for anything.

Guttenberg said there are other really terrific people, and I look forward to supporting one of them.

He has been a supporter of Moskowitz, a Stoneman Douglas graduate who was the state representative from Parkland at the time of the massacre. Asked if he was referring to a possible Moskowitz candidacy, Guttenberg said, I need to let him speak for himself. But Ill leave it at this: Hes a really dear friend and I think the world of him.

Deutch said he didnt expect hed endorse any of the candidates.

Republicans

Even though the district is likely to lean Democratic even after boundaries are redrawn for this years election, Republicans are considering running.

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Possible candidates:

State Rep. Chip LaMarca of Lighthouse Point, a former Broward County Commissioner, former Lighthouse Point commissioner, and former Broward Republican Party chairman. We all see what has happened to discourse in D.C. If Eileen and I decide that we want to take this journey for the people of Florida, I would be the only candidate that actually has a proven record of working across the aisle and finding solutions for every Floridian, he said. Eileen LaMarca is his wife.

Former state Rep. George Moraitis of Fort Lauderdale and former Broward Republican Party chairman. He is definitely, strongly considering running. I wasnt planning to run against Ted. When ever an incumbent goes into another line of work, theres an opportunity for people in the other party to give a fresh look at it, and perhaps bring over some voters who have voted Democratic.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @browardpolitics
At least 20 individuals and organizations connected with former state Sen. Frank Artiles, who is accused of bribing a friend to run as an independent candidate in a South Florida state senate race in 2020, are asking a judge to shield texts, emails and other files held on Artiless laptops from public view.

The files, obtained by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office, typically would become public, as state law requires when prosecutors provide evidence to a defendants attorneys during a criminal case.

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But Artiles attorneys objected to their public release, saying the communications arent related to the states case against their client and would violate the right to privacy of people Artiles interacted with personally and professionally.

The judge overseeing the case agreed in January that people whose messages and personal information were found on Artiles computers should have the chance to object to the public release of those files, setting a March 1 deadline for objections to be submitted.

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The Miami-Dade Circuit Court provided the written requests for confidentiality to the Orlando Sentinel on Monday, but the names of most of the people and organizations objecting to the public release of their files were redacted.

A nonprofit organization called Lets Preserve the American Dream has also objected to the public release of bank records, collected as part of the states case against Artiles, that would reveal its donors. The dark-money group, which has close ties to big business industry lobbying firm Associated Industries of Florida, is also under investigation for potential violations of elections and campaign finance laws.

Circuit Judge Ariana Fajardo Orshan is scheduled to rule on the requests from Lets Preserve the American Dream and others who objected to the release of their files during a hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Attorneys representing the Sentinel and other media organizations have argued the documents should be available to the public.

Artiles has been accused of paying a friend nearly $45,000 to file as an independent candidate in a South Florida Senate race in 2020 to siphon votes from his Democratic opponent. Though Alex Rodriguez did no campaigning, he received more than 6,000 votes, while Republican Ileana Garcia defeated Jose Javier Rodriguez by 32 votes.

The South Florida election was one of three key state Senate races that year  including one in Central Florida won by Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur of Sanford  in which so-called ghost candidates filed to run as independents but did no campaigning.

Two political committees that received all of their funding from a dark money nonprofit called Grow United sent ads promoting the independent candidates, portraying them as progressives in an apparent attempt to undermine the Democrats in those races. Lets Preserve the American Dream gave Grow United funding that was used to pay for the ads.

Artiles attorneys argued that other documents, including Artiles bank and phone records, should also be withheld from the public, but Fajardo Orshan ruled that redacted versions of those documents should be released.

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One of the organizations that objected to the release of its records that was identified in a public court filing is Rogar Management and Consulting, for whom Artiles is registered to lobby.

Rogars work includes open-bid projects for the Florida Department of Transportation, according to the written objection submitted to the court. The company is registered to Javier Rodriguez of Miami.

Attorneys representing Rogar said the files on Artiles computers have no relevance either to election activity generally or to the specific conduct that is the subject of this case, with the possible exception of an email forwarding a flier for a fundraising reception supporting the candidacy of Esteban Bovo, who ran for Miami-Dade mayor in 2020.

But others who objected to the public release of their communications with Artiles werent identified. One person, who described themselves as a retired U.S. Navy officer and professor, attached to their objection copies of contracts signed in March and August of 2020 for budget consulting and marketing consulting with Atlas Consultants, Artiles consulting firm.

I do not want unwanted scrutiny or media attention for any issue the museum has no involvement in, they wrote in an email to Fajardo Orshans judicial assistant. The name of the museum was redacted from the email and the contracts, which stipulated Artiles should be paid $7,500 per month.

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Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

Atlas Consultants has a key role in the states case against Artiles. The State Attorneys Office has subpoenaed bank records, tax documents and communications from the firm. During the same period Artiles is accused of bribing Alex Rodriguez, Lets Preserve the American Dream was paying Artiles $5,000 per month for consulting services through Atlas Consultants.

Artiles also was paid by Data Targeting, a top GOP consulting firm, through Atlas.

Several of the people who requested that their messages not be disclosed noted they served in the U.S. Marine Corps with Artiles, whose Florida House of Representatives page says he was a sergeant from 1998 to 2006.

I currently hold a high position in a local police department, one such requestor wrote to Orshans assistant. My family or I do not want unwanted scrutiny or media attention for any issue I have no involvement in.

They added that they believed Artiles should have a fair trial free from public view and inquiries from the media that involves his friends, family and veteran comrades, and noted their request to shield their communications with Artiles from public disclosure involves my familys reputation and mine.

anmartin@orlandosentinel.com

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Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified the person to whom Rogar Management and Consulting is registered. The company is registered to Javier Rodriguez of Miami.
Looking to update your home? Watch the KHQ Spring Home Design Guide featuring the areas top home improvement businesses on Sat, May 7 at 4:30pm on KHQ. And click here to win a $500 VISA gift card, courtesy of our presenting partner - VPC Electric!
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Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

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Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
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Kilkenny Archaeological Societys recent online lecture by Dr Ciaran Wallace, Deputy Director of Beyond2022, has yielded a very interesting and rare document in Co Kilkenny.

Beyond2022 is an all-island and international collaborative research project working to create a virtual reconstruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland, which was destroyed, with the Four Courts on the same campus, in the opening engagement of the Civil War on June 30th, 1922. The Record Treasury at the Public Record Office of Ireland stored seven centuries of Irish records dating back to the time of the Normans. National census documents from the 19th century were a particular loss.

Inistioge resident, Carmel Cummins, was aware of the existence of an copy of the 1831 Census for the area, based on the Tighe estate, the original of which had been lost in the 1922 fire. In 2021, as a heritage project on behalf of Inistioge Tidy Towns, Carmel had worked with Daphne Coad, the owner of the document, and Declan Macauley, Executive Librarian, to have it digitised by Kilkenny County Library Local Studies, with a view to making it available online.

After Januarys KAS lecture Carmel enquired as to making it known to the Virtual Treasury and was introduced to Dr Brian Gurrin, census expert. Brian was very excited to hear about the document and visited City Library in Kilkenny last week, to examine and photograph it.

He explained, This is a transcription of the 1831 Census of the Tighe Estate in Inistioge. The estate must have put in a request to the Public Records Office to get a copy and this is what was provided to them. It looks to me as if the transcription was made on an original Census book that the enumerators would have received to conduct the 1831 Census. That being the case, this is the only surviving 1831 Census Book. It is a really, really exciting discovery. Its remarkable that it survived in the condition it has.

Daphne Coad, owner of this rare document, told him about its provenance , This document came into my hands though my late father who was a Land Agent in the area from 1900 to about 1960. This was found among papers when he passed away. It has been sitting in a drawer in my house, with only a few outings in the last 50 years. Im delighted that people who know about it are now able to look at it. It has gone up in my estimation!

Ann Tierney, President of Kilkenny Archaeological Society, was equally excited about the discovery How great is it that Daphne and Carmel, and the people of Inistioge have seen the value of this and have preserved it, and made it available. Its so important because there were others like this throughout the country, and they have been lost.

Brian expanded on what it reveals, This Census has got an enormous amount of information about the families in the area, breaking them down by occupation, household structure, family structure, religion. Its a remarkable document and the best surviving transcript from the 1831 Census to exist, as far as I know. Well do some image processing on the images, look into transcription and if time permits, wed like to make it available, in time for the launch of the Virtual Treasury on June 30 this year.

Carmel Cummins noted,  These centenary years have encouraged us to reflect on the events leading to, and surrounding, the foundation of the State. In Inistioge, Woodstock House was the base for the Auxiliaries in the southeast during the War of Independence, the house was burned during the Civil War. Its a dark history but that Inistioge is able to offer this phoenix census to Beyond 2022, one of the most positive, exciting and creative projects emerging from the centenary years, is a joy.

Read more about Beyond2022, the Virtual Treasury: www.beyond2022.ie
The United Nations nuclear watchdog says missiles have hit a radioactive waste disposal site in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

In a statement late last night (Sunday February 27), International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Grossi said Ukrainian authorities informed his office about the overnight strike, but there are no reports of damage to the buildings or indications of a release of radioactive material.

He said his agency expects to soon receive the results of on-site radioactive monitoring.

The report came a day after an electrical transformer at a similar disposal facility in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was damaged.

Such facilities typically hold low-level radioactive materials such as waste from hospitals and industry, but Mr Grossi said the two incidents highlight a very real risk.

He said if the sites are damaged there could be potentially severe consequences for human health and the environment.

It comes as Russian troops drew closer to the Ukrainian capital whose mayor warned the city was encircled, and President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces to be put on high alert

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on Sunday, after a gruelling night of Russian attacks on the outskirts of the city, mayor Vitali Klitschko was silent for several seconds when asked if there were plans to evacuate civilians if Russian troops managed to take Kyiv.

We cant do that, because all ways are blocked, he finally said.

Right now we are encircled.

Meanwhile, in the port city of Mariupol, Ukrainians are trying to fend off a Russian advance.

An ambulance raced into a city hospital on Sunday, carrying a six-year-old girl who was mortally injured in Russian shelling.

She was pale. Her brown hair was pulled back with a rubber band. Her bloody pyjama pants were decorated with cartoon unicorns. She was brought in with her wounded father, his head bloodied and bandaged.

A medical team pumped her chest, fighting desperately to revive her. Her mother stood outside the ambulance, weeping.

Take her out! Take her out! We can make it! a hospital worker shouted, pushing a gurney to the ambulance.

The girl was raced inside and doctors and nurses huddled around her. One gave her an injection. Another tried to revive her with a defibrillator. A nurse wept.

A doctor in blue medical scrubs, pumping oxygen into her, looked straight at the camera of an Associated Press video journalist who had been allowed inside.

Show this to Putin, he said angrily. The eyes of this child, and crying doctors.

The girl, whose name was not immediately known, could not be saved. The doctor reached gently over her face to close her eyes.

Her body was left alone in the room, covered by her brightly coloured polyester jacket, now spattered with blood.

Earlier, Mr Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces to be put on high alert in response to what he called aggressive statements by leading Nato powers.

The order to put Russias nuclear weapons in an increased state of readiness for launch raised fears that the crisis could boil over into nuclear warfare, whether by design or miscalculation.

Amid the mounting tensions, Ukraine announced that a delegation would meet with Russian officials for talks.

But the Kremlins ultimate intentions towards Ukraine  and what steps might be enough to satisfy Moscow  remained unclear.

Hours after Mr Putins announcement, the top official in the European Union said the 27-nation bloc will close its airspace to Russian airlines and fund the purchase of weapons for Ukraine and ban some pro-Kremlin media outlets, she said.

Street fighting also broke out in Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, and strategic ports in the countrys south came under pressure from the invading forces.
Micheal Martin branded Vladimir Putin a bully and a thug in the Dail today, accusing him of war crimes following his "Unprovoked and unjustifiable war" on Ukraine.

The Taoiseach said Ireland must be very generous in helping Ukrainian refugees fleeing the fighting.

He also told the Dail Putin has fundamentally altered the multilateral rules-based order since the end of the Cold War.



Taoiseach Micheal Martin meets people attending a demonstration outside Leinster House in Dublin to protest the Russian invasion of their country

No one in this House or anywhere else should be under any illusions about the seriousness of the situation that Europe and the world faces right now this afternoon, Mr Martin said.

Vladimir Putin, a bully and a thug, has unleashed an unprovoked and unjustifiable war on the people of Ukraine, committing war crimes in the process  as we are witnessing.

As (Ukrainian ) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy said, most movingly to the European Parliament this morning, every day now in Ukraine is someones last day.

I was very struck by both the contribution he made there and indeed to the European heads of state last Thursday at the EU council.

He added: The biggest challenge facing us as a country, I believe, is that we must be very, very generous in terms of the refugee crisis that will undoubtedly flow as a result of this war.

It will be beyond anything that weve comprehended before. Ive said to my colleagues in government and to the departments: we must put to one side what we might have considered to be the norms in terms of responding in a humanitarian way to the plight of the Ukrainian people.

I believe Putin has fundamentally altered the multilateral rules-based order that characterized international behaviour since the end of the cold war, its that fundamental.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald condemned unreservedly the Russian invasion and offered Ukrainians her partys total and unwavering solidarity at this deeply disturbing and traumatic time for their country.

The invasion of Ukraine is a criminal affront to the world. Ireland understands the impact of occupation and imperialist aggression and we must use our seat on the UN Security Council to be a voice for peace, justice and freedom, says Sinn Fein President @MaryLouMcDonald pic.twitter.com/0h0l10M57S  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) March 1, 2022

She said the invasion is a criminal affront to the civilized world and a threat to the peace and security of people everywhere.

She added: The Irish people have been appalled at the heart-breaking scenes of civilians being killed, being injured and fleeing their homes for their lives.

We are united in our condemnation of the actions of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Any attempt by Putin or his regime to justify his actions as a response to NATO are without foundation and are merely a means of distraction from his own culpability.

Co-leader of the Social Democrats Catherine Murphy said Ireland has been slow to act against the Russians in the past.



Flowers and candles at a vigil outside the Ukrainian embassy in Dublin over the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Referring to a Government decision to block planning permission for an extension to the Russian Embassy in 2020, she added: It has long been reported in relation to the Russian Embassy in Dublin, which have been used as a base for espionage operations across Europe.

This was confirmed when the Government used legislation to block a proposed expansion of the Embassy on security grounds in 2020.

Yesterday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney suggested that the Russian diplomats or some operatives that are in Ireland, who may not be diplomats, could be expelled in coming days.

Can you confirm to the House whether this means that the Government have identified spies among the Russian embassy staff that are about to be expelled?

Mr Martin did not directly answer, instead saying no country is proposing to expel any Russian ambassador.

Our view is that it is important, from a practical point of view, in looking after our citizens, either in Russia or Ukraine, that we keep our channels open, he said.

We have a limited presence in the embassy in Moscow  six individuals in total  and they have a fundamental function to look after Irish citizens in Russia and also to articulate our views, and to keep abreast of whats happening within that jurisdiction, and different jurisdictions.
TALLAHASSEE  Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected the Biden Administrations request to send the state National Guard to the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

DeSantis tweeted the announcement Monday morning but gave no reason for the decision.

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Last week, the Biden Administration requested the assistance of State National Guards to deploy to Washington D.C. I have rejected this request  there will be no @FLGuard sent to D.C. for Bidens State of the Union, the tweet read.

The president and DeSantis have clashed repeatedly over COVID restrictions, immigration and other issues. At a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, DeSantis claimed Biden hates Florida.

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As a result, the Florida National Guard will not be a part of the hundreds of members who were activated as part of a request from the D.C. Emergency Management Agency to provide traffic control and enhanced security in anticipation of the protests surrounding President Joe Bidens speech.

Guard members will not carry firearms or take part in law enforcement or domestic-surveillance activities, the Pentagon said.

While there are no specific or credible threats related to Bidens speech, law enforcement officials are taking no chances following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when a violent mob caught Washington by surprise and successfully stormed the U.S. Capitol, briefly disrupting the certification of Bidens 2020 presidential victory.

Since then, the U.S. Capitol Police has beefed up security for planned protests in the area.

And this time, officials are also preparing for trucker convoys that are planning protests against pandemic restrictions beginning this week, though officials arent concerned about serious security issues with the possible protests.
TALLAHASSEE  Florida is evaluating its investments in Russian companies as governors in other states seek to cut financial ties with the country over its invasion of Ukraine.

Gov. Ron DeSantis hasnt publicly called for Florida to halt investments and business with Russia.

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U.S. and international sanctions are far more consequential than state actions, but governors and state lawmakers across the country say they want to show solidarity with Ukraine and add to the financial pressure Russia is facing.

Floridas $195 billion in assets include about $300 million in holdings in Russian-domiciled investments, said Dennis MacKee, a spokesman for the State Board of Administration, which manages state retirement funds.

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Florida will comply with applicable laws and any sanctions required by the U.S. government, he said.

We are in discussions with our managers and in the process of evaluating the ever-evolving regulatory and economic landscape regarding any holdings in Russia and will adjust our holdings accordingly, MacKee said in a prepared statement.

DeSantis said Monday the United States should hit Russian President Vladimir Putin where it counts by establishing energy independence, while not addressing what he is doing at the state level.

If you want to hit him, hit him at the gas pump. Hit him with energy, DeSantis told reporters Monday in Vero Beach. He called Putin an authoritarian gas station attendant with some legacy nuclear weapons and praised Ukrainian resistance in his first public remarks on the crisis since Russia launched its invasion Thursday.

Russia exports a small amount of petroleum products to the United States, and America sells six times as much oil worldwide, according to a report in Forbes.

Sanctions are under the purview of the federal government, spokeswoman Christina Pushaw said in an email Monday when asked whether DeSantis supports ending state investments with Russian firms.

DeSantis has called for Florida to pull its investments in response to other world events.

In December, DeSantis vowed to take on Communist China and asked for a review of the states investments in Chinese companies. Hes also called for the state to stop investing in Ben & Jerrys parent company over its decision to stop selling ice cream in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem.

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DeSantis is one of three trustees overseeing the State Board of Administration, along with Floridas Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General Ashley Moody.

Patronis is receiving updates on federal sanctions and how they could affect investments, spokesman Frank Collins III said in a prepared statement, suggesting that politics might be playing a role in questioning the states investments.

The CFO believes that Putin is an evil dictator and that he will reap what he sows, Collins said. The CFO also believes that when buildings are being bombed, families are being killed, the international geopolitical order is being disrupted, and a humanitarian crisis is unfolding before our very eyes, now may not be the right time for clever hot takes.

Kylie Mason, a spokeswoman for Moody, said the State Board of Administration is evaluating investments and referred questions to that agency.

Democrats running for governor are urging DeSantis to be more forceful.

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried sent a letter to DeSantis, Patronis and Moody and urged them to immediately divest from Russian-back entities.

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It is imperative that we not only speak out against these attacks on democracy but that we ensure Florida taxpayer dollars are not propping up the autocratic regime in Russia, Fried wrote.

State Sen. Annette Taddeo, another Democrat running for governor, said shell draft legislation to require the state to divest its Russian holdings.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday in Orlando, DeSantis blasted COVID restrictions that he described as authoritarian rule in Canada and Australia, both strong U.S. allies, but he did not mention Russia.

On Monday, DeSantis criticized President Joe Bidens domestic energy policy, saying Biden should reactivate the Keystone pipeline and allow oil drilling on public lands.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

In the past, DeSantis has opposed oil drilling off Floridas coast, an issue that has riled both Democrats and Republican politicians in Florida.

Elsewhere, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order preventing her state from doing business or investing in any Russian entities. She said New York is prepared to welcome Ukrainian refugees. The governors of Virginia, Colorado and Georgia moved to block Russia from doing business with their states.

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Governors in Utah, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania ordered government-run liquor stores to remove Russian-made vodka.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked retailers and restaurants to voluntarily remove all Russian products from their shelves.

Texas stands with Ukraine, he wrote in a tweet.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

sswisher@orlandosentinel.com
TALLAHASSEE  The Florida Senate is poised to consider a measure that would prohibit school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grade levels, as one Republican called on lawmakers to soften the bill when it is heard on the Senate floor.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill (HB 1557) in a 12-8 vote along almost straight party lines. Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, voted with Democrats against the measure.

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The House passed the bill last week in a 69-47 vote, with six Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

The bill says classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through third-grade.

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For higher grade levels, the proposal calls for such instruction to be age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate as determined by state academic standards.

The committee approved the bill after rejecting a change proposed by Brandes. The change sought to prohibit school instruction on human sexuality or sexual activity in kindergarten through third grade, rather than lessons on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Florida Sen. Jeff Brandes, center, watches during a legislative session, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

The measure, dubbed dont say gay by detractors, has drawn heavy opposition from groups that have repeatedly argued it singles out LGBTQ people. Dozens of people spoke in opposition to the bill Monday during an at-times tense committee meeting.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

I am deeply concerned about the mental health and the physical health of the adolescents and kids that could be affected by this. I do agree that conversations should be age-appropriate, but I do not agree that we should be adopting into law any discriminatory language that would single out specific people, said Joseph Knoll, CEO of SPEKTRUM Health, an Orlando clinic that serves LGBTQ people.

The measure also aims to prevent school districts from adopting policies that could prohibit school district personnel from notifying a parent about his or her students mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being or changes to a students services.

Opponents of the bill also have argued that the changes would remove schools and teachers as a lifeline for vulnerable LGBTQ students.

But Senate bill sponsor Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, argued that children are not wards of the state and that parents should have control over decisions that impact their kids.

We are moving, and have been moving, in a direction of empowerment of parents. That theyre supposed to be in charge, Baxley said.

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After the panel rejected his amendment, Brandes again petitioned his colleagues to consider revising the measure when it reaches the Senate floor.

Can we find a way to modify the language in such a way that our neighbors in this room dont feel harmed? I have to believe the answer to that question is yes. The language could be broadened, Brandes said.
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TALLAHASSEE  Legislation named in honor of a slain Orlando college student that seeks to improve apartment safety is now ready for final votes.

The Florida Senate is set to pass Miyas Law on Wednesday, state Sen. Linda Stewart said. The legislation is named for Miya Marcano, who police say was murdered by a maintenance worker who had a key to her apartment.

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I am hopeful that we may soon carry this important legislation across the finish line in these final weeks of session, the Orlando Democrat said. The passage of this bill would represent a major win for the safety of all tenants.

[ RELATED: Miya Marcanos death heaps scrutiny on apartment safety ]

If the Senate approves, Miyas Law would head to the House, where it has met more resistance.

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The Senate version would require landlords with five or more units to conduct a national background check on employees and maintain a log of keys.

Senators are expected to amend the bill to limit background checks to criminal offenses committed within the past five years, Stewart said.

It also would require landlords to provide 24-hour notice, instead of 12 hours, for non-emergency maintenance and repairs.

Yma Scarbriel, mother of Miya Marcano, attends her daughter's funeral service on Thursday Oct. 14, 2021 at Cooper City Church of God in Cooper City, Fl. Marcano, a 19-year-old college sophomore from Pembroke Pines, was found murdered in a wooded area near her apartment complex in Orlando on Oct. 2. (Susan Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

The Houses version of Miyas Law is different.

It doesnt mandate background checks. Instead, apartment complexes catering to students would be required to notify tenants of their background check procedures. That requirement would apply to landlords with 15 or more units who market to students or have at least 60% of their tenants enrolled in a university or college.

Landlords would need to notify tenants whether they do background checks and also post a list of employees and contractors that have access to units.

Marcano, a 19-year-old student at Valencia College, was reported missing on Sept. 24 from her apartment at Arden Villas. Police suspect 27-year-old Armando Caballero, an Arden Villas maintenance worker, killed her and dumped her body.

Caballero was found dead by suicide at a Seminole County apartment complex just days before Marcanos body was discovered.

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State lawmakers are scheduled to wrap up their 60-day legislative session on March 11.

sswisher@orlandosentinel.com
William Woods University has placed one of its student's academic responsibilities on hold as she reports on Russia's invasion while stationed in Ukraine's capital city. Asami Terajima is a student at WWU but is currently working as a reporter for The Kyiv Independent.
This school was destroyed as a result of a fight not far from Kharkiv's city center on February 28.
The "People's Convoy" is one of the several trucker-led protests happening across the country right now. They claim their freedoms are being run over by COVID-19 mandates and mitigations. All of these truckers are working to make their way to Washington D.C. by this weekend.
The thousands of Central Florida residents who have received letters asking them to update their voter registrations for the first time in 16 years will still be able to cast ballots even if they dont respond, county elections supervisors say.

But they would need to update their registration information if they want to make any changes to their registrations in the future, including switching parties or signing up to vote by mail.

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This does not affect their ability to vote in person, either early voting or Election Day, said Lake County elections supervisor Alan Hays. It only affects them if they want to make any changes.

The new ID requirements are part of last years election law pushed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republicans in the Legislature.

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New Florida voters have already been required since 2006 to provide either their drivers license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering.

But anyone who registered before 2006 had been grandfathered in. They werent required to update their registration with that information, even if they made any other changes to their registration in the past 17 years.

Youre talking about people that [registered] before the Florida voter registration system was even put in place, said Chris Anderson, the Seminole County elections supervisor.

Now, though, that grandfather clause has ended, and longtime Florida voters are being asked to eventually provide that ID information as well.

Its another layer of security, so that we cant have some prankster calling and saying, Change my address to so and so, or, change my party, Hays said. This is just to protect the integrity of that voters record in our documents.

In Lake County, about 11,000 letters went out asking county voters who hadnt provided their ID information to fill out the state voter registration application form, available online at registertovoteflorida.gov or at the county elections office.

There is no online way to update the information. The form has to be returned to the office either by mail or in person.

So far, Hays said, about 5,000 have complied and another 6,000 have yet to do it.

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We would like for the voters to be proactive and give us that number now, Hays said. And we will protect that number. And when they do want to make any changes, it will be a smooth process.

In Orange County, supervisor Bill Cowles has sent out about 13,000 letters to voters, and he included copies of the state voter registration application forms in the same envelopes.

Whether downloaded from the state or county website or received in the mail, affected voters must return the form, Cowles said.

It has to be written, Cowles said. And it has to be on that Florida voter registration application. Thats why we included an application in the letter so that they didnt have to go search for it. You can mail the form back, you can hand-deliver the form back. But we have to have that form.

In Osceola County, 4,500 voters are affected by the changes, said Kari Ewalt, the community relations manager for the county elections office. But many of those affected voters are resisting the change, she said.

There are some people we heard from that really just dont want to provide that information to us, Ewalt said. They dont feel comfortable giving it to us. It was interesting to hear the phone calls.

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In the end, she said, If you still live in the same house, are the same party, the names are the same, and you dont want to change anything, you never have to provide it to us. You just arent going to be able to request a mail ballot. But if you need to change anything, youre going to have to provide it.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

Seminole County has about 7,500 voters affected, Anderson said. Anderson chose not to inform all of those voters by letter, instead choosing to wait until a voter wants to make any changes and requesting the updated ID info at that point.

I just made the call to say, You know what, lets just not do it right now, Anderson said. If those people come in, or if they want to request a mail ballot, were going to get that information anyway. Otherwise, those folks can just continue to vote [as normal].

Supervisors were happy, however, that another proposed change in the new election law being debated this year has been dropped.

A provision would have required anyone voting by mail to provide either their drivers license number or last four Social Security digits on a separate envelope, every time they voted, starting in 2024. But that was scrapped, for now.

Hays said he told lawmakers that it was a very bad idea.

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The latest version doesnt kill the idea entirely but instead directs the state to work with local supervisors.

And I think thats by far the best option for now, Hays said. So well just have to see how it rolls out.
Russia's Ambassador to U.N. Vassily Nebenzia addresses an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly called to consider a resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine at United Nations headquarters in New York, Feb. 28. EPA-Yonhap





Encountering deepening global isolation, Russia faced urgent calls Monday to end its "unprovoked" and "unjustified" assault on Ukraine as the U.N. General Assembly's 193 members held an extraordinary debate on the invasion of the ex-Soviet state.







During the rare emergency special session, just the 11th the Assembly has held in its history, Russia defended its decision to invade its neighbor as nation after nation urged peace from the podium.







On the sidelines, the United States said it was expelling from the country 12 "intelligence operatives" at Russia's United Nations mission for "engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security."







Inside the General Assembly hall, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, pleaded: "The fighting in Ukraine must stop. Enough is enough."







Representatives of more than 100 countries are expected to speak over three days as the global body decides if it will support a resolution that demands Russia immediately withdraws its troops from Ukraine.







A vote is expected Wednesday, and it must reach a two-thirds threshold to pass. The resolution is non-binding but will serve as a marker of how isolated Russia is.







Its authors hope they may exceed 100 votes in favor  though countries including Syria, China, Cuba and India are expected to either support Russia or abstain.







"We do not feel isolated," Russia's U.N. ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters.







He reiterated Moscow's stance, flatly rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies, that its military operation was launched to protect residents of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.







"The hostilities were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents," he said during his address.







The vote is also being seen as a barometer of democracy in a world where autocratic sentiment has been on the rise, diplomats said, pointing to such regimes in Myanmar, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, Nicaragua  and of course Russia.







"If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive. Have no illusions," said Ukraine's ambassador to the U.N., Sergiy Kyslytsya.







Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya addresses the emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Feb. 28. AP-Yonhap








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An Ashley man did not report any injuries after the van he was driving hit a pothole and left the roadway in the 200 block of C.R. 35 just after 5 p.m. Monday. Police said the van was a total loss.
NMIXX has now beaten Kep1er's record for highest first-week sales on Hanteo for a Korean female artist in 2022.

Learn how many copies the new JYP girl group has sold.

NMIXX Overtakes Kep1er as Korean Female Act with Highest First-Week Sales in 2022

On March 1, Hanteo Chart announced that NMIXX's "AD MARE" had sold an impressive total of 227,399 copies in the first week of its release (Feb. 22 to 28), marking a promising start for a rookie girl group.

On the first day of sales, the debut single album sold 20,300 copies. The highest daily sale figure was recorded on the fourth day (Feb. 25) when a whopping 138,526 copies were sold.

The album's second-highest daily sale amount was on the seventh day (Feb. 28) when an additional 60,758 copies were sold.

With over 227,000 copies, NMIXX's "AD MARE" now has the highest first-week sales on Hanteo of any Korean female artist that released albums this 2022. They overtook the previous record of 206,554 copies sold by Kep1er with their debut mini-album "FIRST IMPACT."

What's more, NMIXX has broken Kep1er's record for the second-highest first-week sales of any girl group debut album in Hanteo history (bested only by aespa with "Savage").

Only four other girl groups have ever successfully surpassed 100,000 first-week sales with their debut album: BLACKPINK ("SQUARE UP" - 102,001 copies), aespa ("Savage" - 276,877 copies), Kep1er ("FIRST IMPACT" - 206,569 copies), and IVE ("ELEVEN" - 152,229 copies).

Further, NMIXX's "AD MARE" now falls at No. 11 on the list of highest first-week sales by a K-pop girl group album overall and lands at No. 97 on Top 100 first-week sales of K-pop albums of all time.

The debut single album of the new JYP girl group initially went on sale as a limited edition "Blind Package" in July of last year for a total of 10 days. The agency advertised the package as an exclusive item ahead of releasing details about its new girl group.

It can be recalled that a total of 61,667 pre-orders for the "Blind Package" were tallied from July 16 to 25.

Meanwhile, NMIXX will hold a debut showcase called "New Frontier: AD MARE" later today, March 1, at 8 p.m. KST.

NMIXX's Debut Song 'O.O' Enters Spotify Daily Charts in Various Countries

In other news, the title track of NMIXX's "AD MARE," titled "O.O," is also showing great popularity on Spotify.

On Feb. 27, the debut song was charting in 10 different countries around the world, eight of which where it ranked inside the top 100. "O.O" ranked No. 30 in South Korea, No. 51 both in Singapore and Malaysia, No. 62 in Thailand, No. 75 in Indonesia, No. 81 in the Philippines, No. 86 in Vietnam, and No. 95 in Taiwan.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: NMIXX Kyujin Draws Attention for Having Similar Features as These Two JYP Artists

While it was charting at No. 101 in Hong Kong, the "MIXX POP" genre song placed No. 104 in Japan.

When it comes to streams, NMIXX's "O.O" has more than 3.1 million streams as of Feb. 27. The B-side song "TANK," meanwhile, has over 1.6 million streams.

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Mhaliya Scott
Jackson is gaining attention after a stranger shared their experience with the idol taking care of their baby.

Keep on reading to know more.

GOT7 Jackson Spotted Playing and Taking Care of a Stranger's Baby During Travel

Recently on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, one user took to the platform to share an experience they had when meeting with GOT7's Chinese member, Jackson, in a high-speed train heading from Beijing to Wuxi in China.

According to the user who shared the experience back on February 25, they were traveling with their son by train and had an assigned seat that was in front of Jackson, who was accompanied by his assistant and a guitarist.

"When I carried my son up on the high-speed train, my seat was in front of Jackson's. I thought I was really lucky when I saw him and that there were three handsome men (Jackson, his assistant, and guitarist)," the Weibo user said.

They continued to share how their son was only less than two years old, and that he was very mischievous and kept wanting to go play with Jackson, and his assistant.

"At first, I was worried that my son would bother them, but they were very nice and were not bothered at all," they said.

They continued to talk about how Jackson and his assistant played and took care of their son, "Whenever my son went to Jackson, he would play along with him every time, shared his nuts with him, and played the prying fingers game with him. I felt really apologetic because Jackson looked like he was busy, because throughout the entire trip from Beijing to Wuxi, he didn't stop working."

GOT7 Praised for Work Ethic and Consideration

They added that Jackson's assistant and guitarist were resting while the GOT7 member himself was on the phone talking about work.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'I just need to be better': GOT7 Jackson Worries Many Following Cryptic Posts

The Weibo user then proceeded to praise Jackson for his work ethics and how considerate he was.

"Sometime later, when most of the passengers were asleep in the carriage, he walked to the section where the carriage connects to talk on the phone. Because of his absolute earnestness towards his work, I believe that Jackson is a very upright artist, and isn't someone who is two-faced with a fake persona," they concluded.

After hearing about how Jackson treated the young boy, numerous fans could not help but have their hearts warmed at the idol's kind and caring nature. Some have even commented how he is setting the standard for others!

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Robyn Joan
A ULA Atlas-V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., carrying a GOES-T weather satellite, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the next-gen satellite will provide advanced meteorological forecasting through 2036 as a part of NOAAs $11.7 billion GOES satellite program. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel)

An Atlas V rocket roared off the launch pad Tuesday afternoon from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying an advanced weather satellite high above the Earth.

The rocket successfully lifted off at 4:38 p.m. out of Space Launch Complex 41 blazing a fiery tail through mostly clear and blue skies and marking the second ULA Atlas launch of the year, the 149th flight in United Launch Alliance history and the 92nd overall for that companys workhorse rocket.

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The payload atop the 196-foot tall rocket was the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or GOES-T  the culmination of multiple organizations laboring over the next generation of weather predictions.

We do a number of missions here and launch a number of spacecrafts, but this is the one that will most protect lives on Earth. Especially in the U.S. and provide value to so many for its weather forecasts and fire forecasts, said Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASAs associate administrator for the science mission directorate.

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GOES-Ts launch comes on the heels of a record-breaking year for weather disasters observed in the U.S. Last year, the nation experienced 20 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The record puts 2021 in second place for the most disasters in a calendar year behind 2020.

The NOAA is hoping the GOES-T satellite will be able to give Americans more life-saving information in a climate changing world. The GOES-T satellite is the third in the GOES-R series of four advanced weather satellites, costing a total of $11.7 billion. GOES-T will move to a geostationary position over the western hemisphere where it will collect data on Pacific hurricanes, atmospheric rivers, severe lightning, mudslides, floods and wildfires. The satellite will monitor weather phenomena in the western half of the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America and surrounding Pacific Ocean waters.

At launch, Atlas Vs core stage and its four solid rocket boosters produced more than 2.25 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Almost 2 minutes later, the boosters were jettisoned. Nearly 5 minutes after liftoff, one of Atlas three Centaur engines began thrusting the rocket through the atmosphere.

Once it separates from Atlas third Centaur engine over the eastern hemisphere, GOES-T will begin its journey into geosynchronous orbit over the western hemisphere where it is planned to operate 22,300 miles above the Earth.

The 11,500 pound, school bus-sized satellite is a collaborative effort by NASA, the NOAA, ULA, L3Harris and Lockheed Martin.

At the heart of GOES-T is a powerful camera known as the Advanced Baseline Imager; also known as the ABI, which offers more embedded data at higher resolution taken in quicker intervals than previous generations of GOES satellites.

GOES-Ts predecessor, GOES-17, experienced degradation in its ABI due to a thermal disruption blocking a flow of coolant. Despite technical issues, GOES-17 is still providing scientists with 90% of potential data, only missing some infrared channels during certain times of the year and certain times of night, said Dan Lindsey, a GOES-R program scientist with the NOAA.

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Once GOES-T moves into orbit, it will take on the moniker GOES-18.

GOES-18 will have a 100% functioning ABI. We wont have any outages, he said.

After GOES-T takes its place, GOES-17 will move into orbit storage, roughly above Colorado, between GOES west and GOES east, Lindsey said.

That way if we have future problems with 16 or 18, GOES-17 is sitting there and ready to back up any outages that may happen, he said.

On Friday, Lindsey and a panel of scientists held a press conference discussing GOES-18s technological advancements allowing it to deliver 60 times more imagery than the previous generation. Among its many tools, the ABI has16 different kinds of spectral bands including two visible channels, four near-infrared channels, and 10 infrared channels. The previous generation of GOES could only view five different bands.

The new ABI is so powerful, one ABI image would require 60 4K televisions to show the picture in full resolution, said Daniel Gall, the ABI chief systems engineer at L3Harris Technologies. GOES-18 will be capturing storm and climate data every 30 seconds and putting it into the hands of meteorologists, 30 seconds after its taken.

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Collectively, all of GOES-Ts tools should help meteorologists get a better idea of what weather dangers lie ahead, said NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad.

If you have multiple views of the planet you have a much better idea of when hurricanes are forming, where theyre forming, how intense they are, Spinrad said. Having these multiple ways of looking at the Earth gives us a lot more information for these critical forecasts to save lives, protect property and protect the American public from natural phenomena.

Once in geosynchronous orbit over the western United States, GOES-T will be renamed GOES-18, taking over monitoring duties of GOES-17 sometime in early 2023. (United Launch Alliance)

While GOES-18 will be stationed over western America and studying weather phenomena in the Pacific, the U.S. East Coast will still benefit, as most weather starts in the west and makes its way east, said James Yoe, chief administrator of the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation.

The exception being African hurricanes, Yoe said. We measure conditions over the west today and those are the weather systems that will impact downstream (eastern) weather several days or a week later.

In addition to the new ABI, GOES-Ts utility belt of tools include a geostationary lightning mapper, a particle flux sensor, a solar irradiance monitor and a magnetometer. The latter three tools would give scientists an extra eye in monitoring solar storms that could potentially harm Earths power grids.

These data, along with the five other instruments on board the spacecraft, are sent out to users, also  provided by L3Harris  combined with the ground systems three-and-a-half terabytes worth of data are processed every day, Gall said.

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GOES-T will spend the majority of the year getting ready to become operational. In October, NOAA scientists will take operational reins. It should start sending images by 2023, by which point it would be known as GOES-18. From there, scientists hope the satellite will provide data for agencies and models all over the world until the 2030s when a new generation is planned to take over.

In the meantime, weather researchers and meteorologists are looking forward to the advance strides in weather data that will be aiding Americans next year, said Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore, who gushed with excitement over the GOES-T launch in a video aired by NASA.

Meteorologists and weather anchors, like me, across the country depend on GOES data to bring you your daily weather forecasts but also to keep you and first responders safe during severe weather events. Accurate and timely forecasts are crucial, and thats not possible without satellites like this one, Cantore said. God speed GOES-T.

Jpedersen@orlandosentinel.com

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(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) On Friday, the CDC released a new set of metrics for communities to decide what local prevention steps should be taken, like wearing masks.

Counties across the U.S. are categorized as Low, Medium or High risk that are determined by the number of hospitalizations, and new COVID-19 cases in the area.

According to the CDC, Buchanan County falls into the high transmission risk, so we asked the St. Joseph Health Department what that means for residents here.

So it's still recommended that people get vaccinated, it's still recommended that if people are immunocompromised, or in high risk, or live with somebody, or have regular contact with somebody who's at high risk, that you wear a mask around them, and that they wear a mask as well. So they're not completely taking masks away, Theyre still recommended for some people," Debra Bradley, Director of the St. Joseph Health Department said.

Bradley added that while there are no community-wide mask mandates, there are some businesses who have chosen to require masks indoors.

For more information about the new CDC guidelines, click the link below.
FILE: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The governor has told agencies to review whether the state has any business contracts with Russia as he condemned its war with Ukraine. (Photo by KATV)
(The Center Square)  Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is leading a coalition of 25 states in opposition to a proposed federal rule to ban natural gas transport by rail car, arguing the decision drives up energy costs and threatens national security.

Landry wrote a letter to Tristan Brown, acting administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), targeting a rule proposed by the Biden administration in November that would suspend authorization to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail tank cars.

The authorization, granted in a final rule in August 2020, permits specifically designed tank cars to transport LNG, but the proposed rule in November would negate that permission over concerns about increased greenhouse gases, worker safety, environmental risks and environmental justice.

"Biden's war on energy is a war on America's poor and working-class," Landry said Monday. "It is high time the Biden Administration to put America first. Biden's environmental virtue-signaling is burdening American families and jeopardizing the safety and security of our homeland."

The attorneys general argued the proposed rule creates regulatory uncertainty, chills capital investment in the special tank cars and negatively affects national security and energy costs for consumers. The Biden administrations focus on greenhouse gas emissions also is an attenuated and speculative concern untethered to the scope of PHMSAs regulatory purpose, the letter read.

The letter argued the Russian invasion of Ukraine demonstrates why it is important for the U.S. to maintain energy independence.

Current geopolitical events involving Russias unprovoked attack on Ukraine show with painful clarity the need for the United States to maintain its energy independence through multiple distribution points throughout our country, the letter read. The agency should not move forward with suspension of a rule that serves that important objective.

The attorneys general cite the countrys reliance on natural gas, which currently generates 41% of electricity in the U.S., as well as figures that show significant decreases in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years.

The growth in U.S. gas production is a geopolitical and economic asset, contributing to our national and global energy security, according to the letter.

The proposed rule to halt LNG by rail stems from Bidens Executive Order 13990, directing federal agencies to review Trump administration era rules to suspend or rescind over conflicts with the new administrations focus on environmental justice and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The letter noted the proposed rule prevents LNG by rail until at least June 30, 2024, without providing the detailed justification and reasoned explanation of new facts required by law to change PHMSA rules.

Attorneys general likened PHMSAs proposed rule to similar executive actions to halt new oil and gas leases that are hurting Louisiana and other states, and argued the PHMSA ignored evidence of LNG by rails positive impacts on the environment.

The letter pointed to LNG prices that have increased 61% since Biden took office  a cost to American households of about $1,000 more in energy costs than last year  and how the administrations restrictions on oil and gas will continue to hurt U.S. consumers while benefiting Russia.

"President Biden has made it clear he will do anything to destroy American energy," Landry said. "Once again, 24 of my colleagues and I are pushing back against Biden's senseless and short-minded stance. The American economy and way of life hinge on affordable and reliable energy sources; I will continue fighting to defend both."

The letter was signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Montana, Alaska, Nebraska, Arizona, New Hampshire, Arkansas, Ohio, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina, Idaho, South Dakota, Indiana, Texas, Kansas, Utah, Kentucky, Virginia, Mississippi, West Virginia, Missouri and Wyoming.
Official voyages have begun for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Walt Disney Worlds two-day, two-night immersion experience. As many people have noted, this is not a cheap ticket. Customers will spend thousands of dollars to mingle with interplanetary species and get involved in intrigue pitting the First Order against the Resistance and their allied camps. On Halcyon, considered a luxury liner starship, there also is fine dining, a lounge, lightsaber training and other shipboard activities.

For Earthlings who commit to Starcruising, there are preflight preparations  some free, some inexpensive  that can be made to increase bang-for-buck ratios. They arent required moves, but they can put future travelers in the right mindset and relieve some of the What just happened? syndrome.

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Starcruiser passengers Datapads to scan containers in the cargo hold of the Halcyon. The app also holds the day's itineraries and messages from characters and crew. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Get to know Play Disney

Much of the onboard activity is steered via the Star Wars: Datapad located on the Play Disney smartphone app, which is used for other Disney games. Its available before boarding. Key information about the aforementioned intrigue is relayed there as well as the individualized itineraries, which are frequently updated.

Downloading and fooling around on the app is a worthy familiarization idea, especially if theres time and the access to try it out on activities at Star Wars: Galaxys Edge, the land within Disneys Hollywood Studios theme park (and site of the excursion out of Starcruiser.)

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Sublight Lounge is on Deck 6, just off the atrium, on Halcyon, the luxury liner that's the centerpiece of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Whats up, Deck?

The Halcyon is presented as a 13-deck vessel, but visitors only use four decks. Once visitors take the launch pod from the ground-level terminal up onto the ship, they exit onto Deck 6, home of the atrium, bridge, Sublight Lounge, the Chandrila Collection store and service desk.

Decks 5 and 7 are exclusively cabins for passengers.

Deck 4 includes the dining room, lightsaber training pod, the climate simulator (translation: fresh air), engineering room, cargo hold, more cabins and the transport dock, where travelers go to be taken to Batuu for the Galaxys Edge excursion.

Decks 4 through 7 are connected by a staircase and elevators.

Graphics aboard Halcyon indicate that Deck 8 is the atrium mezzanine and crew quarters, and although characters and crew use those stairs, customers do not.

Other alleged decks of interest: Escape pods, trash compactors and creature holding bays on 2, upper airlock and crew turbolifts on 12 and comms deck and navigation deck on 13, which doesnt sound lucky.

Cruise director Lenka Mok (left) talks with First Order Lieutenant Harman Croy in the atrium during a Halcyon voyage that's part of the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Walt Disney World. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Face time

Among the Starcruiser crowd are familiar Star Wars characters (Hello, Chewbacca) and lesser-known types, including some developed for the Disney World project. Their bios have been sprinkled about and that background can enhance the experience.

On a November post on the official Disney Parks Blog, the public learned that cruise director Lenka Mok is optimistic and has a joyful soul; Sammie the mechanic is eager to prove himself; First Order Lt. Harman Croy is ambitious and intimidating and SK-620, an astromech, is devoted to Lenka and Captain Riyola Keevan, who is described as cool under pressure.

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Since then, more info has been distributed by Disney, including that Gaya is a singing superstar (and Twilek); her manager Raithe Kole is a rule bender; and aspiring musician Sandro is trying to get Gayas attention.

Theres also going to be a comic book series dubbed Halcyon Legacy. The first issue includes some Starcruiser names and sights, including the D3-09 droid, Keevan, the hyperspace compass, scenes from the atrium and windows out to space shaped like todays cabin views. (Theres also a flashback to 265 years earlier, so theres a lot of ground to cover.)

Costumes are encouraged for children and adults during Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Layers for players

Theme Park Rangers Weekly The latest happenings at Disney, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld and other Central Florida attractions. >

Theres an onboard store off the atrium with official Halcyon gear, but clothes from the home planet are OK, too. Packing basics and layers, especially scarves and tunics, is a way to get into the spirit. Brown vests remain a Han Solo classic.

Sensible shoes are recommended. The adventure includes standing on hard surfaces, the climbing of stairsand lurking about, plus theme park time.

More traditional souvenir fare  such as T-shirts with STARCRUISER on them  are sold after checkout, outside at the terminal, back on Earth, if you will.

The description of the hyperspace compass on display in the atrium of Halcyon is presented in aurebesh. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

Brush up your aurebesh

Signs aboard Halcyon are most typically presented in aurebesh, the Star Wars type of code directly from English. Its not an actual language. Some areas dont have an English translation at all, and while the app features a translator, it didnt work on everything during the media preview.

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Hunting down an aurebesh guide on the internet and saving it to the phone would be helpful. One might print it out on paper, which is old-school, but, hey, its a long time ago, right?

More vital info  such as RESTROOMS  are presented in a stylized aurebesh-ish looking font for English thats more recognizable. And EXIT signs are in standard USA format as the fire marshal has a very long arm of law in this Star Wars story.

Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theme park news? Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters or the Theme Park Rangers podcast at orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-podcast.
Have a news tip or would like to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@kvoa.com.
Walworth County officials are hosting two public involvement meetings to discuss the revised Park and Open Space Plan.

Developed in coordination with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, the five-year plan addresses all aspects of outdoor planning, including preservation, restoration and recreation.

The public involvement meetings will take place:

from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., March 3 at Lake Geneva City Hall, council chambers, 626 Geneva St., Lake Geneva

from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., March 8 at Walworth County Public Works, Conference Room 117, W4097 County Rd. NN, Elkhorn

We know the Countys open spaces and parks are really important to our residents, Matthew Mortwedt, Walworth County deputy director, asset management, said in a news release. We want to ensure that everyone who is interested in doing so has the opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns, and questions about the revised Park and Open Space Plan.

The purpose of the countys Park and Open Space Plan is to protect existing natural resources and guide the acquisition and development of lands and facilities needed to meet the outdoor recreation needs of current and future residents. Key proposals from the revised plan include:

The protection of a total of 77,999 acres of open space lands, or about 21 percent of Walworth County, through a combination of public or nonprofit conservation organization ownership or the application of protective zoning.

The preservation of eight new critical species habitat sites through protective ownership: Mallard Habitat Area, Turtle Creek Wetland, Sheridan Springs Road Habitat Area, Clover Valley State Wildlife Area, Scout Road Tract, Ebner Woods, Section 28 Wetlands, and Lake Beulah Woodlands.

The acquisition and development by Walworth County of a new, major county park, about 100 acres, in the southwestern or west-central portion of the county.

The maintenance and expansion of the five current major county parks. The county would acquire additional lands and develop new facilities at Price Park Conservancy and Natureland Park, and develop new facilities at White River County Park. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would continue to maintain Whitewater Lake Recreation Area and acquire lands at Big Foot Beach State Park.

Feedback from the public involvement meetings will be incorporated into the final plan revision before being formally presented for adoption by the Walworth County Park Committee and the Board of Supervisors. The plan will tentatively go before the Park Committee for approval at its April meeting, followed by final approval by the County Board of Supervisors in May.

A draft of the Walworth County Park and Open Space Plan is available on the Walworth County Public Works website. Registration is not required to attend. People who want to submit comments remotely may contact Matthew Mortwedt, deputy director, asset management, at mmortwedt@co.walworth.wi.us or 262-741-3725.
Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gablemans GOP-ordered review of the 2020 election is set to be made public Tuesday, according to Gablemans team.

Gablemans eight-month review of the 2020 election has been marred by a slew of legal challenges to multiple subpoenas issued by the former justice, who previously declared without evidence that the election had been stolen. The review, for which Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has allocated $676,000 in taxpayer money, was originally planned to be completed last fall but failed to meet several deadlines, which Republican leaders attributed to ongoing court battles.

Gableman staffer Zak Niemierowicz told The Associated Press that the final report will be provided to Vos and the state Assemblys elections committee on Tuesday. A staffer for Rep. Janel Brandtjen, chairperson of the Assembly committee, said the report is expected to be released to the public.

Vos office did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Vos spokesperson Angela Joyce told The Associated Press that Gableman, not Vos, would release the report.

The Assemblys GOP-led Committee on Campaigns and Elections is scheduled to hear testimony from Gableman on Tuesday. The committee will also hear from Erick Kaardal, a Republican attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society who has challenged the use of private election grants provided to the states five largest cities to help administer last years election during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Much of Gablemans review has focused on election grants provided to Wisconsin cities by the Chicago-based Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)  funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg  to help administer the 2020 election. Republicans, including Gableman, have targeted CTCL funds as unfairly increasing turnout in the Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine.

Court rulings have found nothing illegal about the more than $10 million in grants CTCL distributed to about 214 municipalities in 39 of Wisconsins 72 counties, including many solidly won by Trump. Nor did CTCL turn down grant requests from any of the Wisconsin municipalities that made them.

Legislative action

The Republican-controlled Legislature last week sent a package of election bills to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is all but certain to veto most, if not all, of them. The proposals would give the Legislature more control over guidance issued by the Wisconsin Elections Commission, limit which absentee voters could claim indefinitely confined status and allow lawmakers to cut funding for the state Elections Commission when its deemed not to have complied with state election laws.

Another bill added late in the Assemblys final session would allow election officials to begin counting absentee ballots on the Monday before an election, but Democratic lawmakers ultimately opposed the measure because it also shortened the window that clerks have to send out absentee ballots for federal races.

Republicans have touted the measures as an effort to clean up election processes in the state following a report last year from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau that found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election but made several recommendations for improvements. President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by close to 21,000 votes in the battleground state.

Democratic legislators, Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul have lambasted the Gableman review as a waste of taxpayer dollars and an attempt to undermine faith in state elections.

Republican scrutiny of the 2020 election continues to grow as part of a nationwide GOP effort to make changes to election procedures following baseless claims by some Republicans, including Trump, of widespread fraud in the presidential election.

Vos had planned to use Gablemans report to craft election-related legislation leading up to the 2022 midterms, but the Assembly held its final session of the year last week. Vos said future bills will be drafted but that obstruction had slowed the election reviews progress.

Subpoenas, lawsuits

Gableman has previously demanded documents, interviews or both with the mayors of Wisconsins five largest cities, the states top elections official, the chair of the state Elections Commission and members of Evers administration, as well as two companies that make vote-counting systems, Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems.

Attorneys for Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software told Gableman in January the organization would not comply with the subpoena, which they called a quintessential fishing expedition.

In mid-February, Gableman withdrew his subpoena seeking emails and financial documents from immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera Action.

He also called for several officials, including Racine Mayor Cory Mason and Wisconsin Elections Commission chair Ann Jacobs, to be jailed for refusing to sit for the behind-closed-doors interviews for which they have been subpoenaed.

In December, Gableman demanded that Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway be jailed. He later rescinded the demand, only to reinstate the demand last week.

There are also three pending lawsuits related to liberal watchdog group American Oversights public records requests to Vos and Gableman for documents related to the election review. Vos last week asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up one of the cases.

Gableman made a baseless claim at a pro-Donald Trump rally in 2020 that the election in Wisconsin had been stolen by bureaucrats, and he has met with and hired people for his investigation who formerly worked for Trump and espoused conspiracy theories about the election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Most Venerable Maha Sangha,

Other Religious Dignitaries,

Hon. Prime Minister,

Hon. Speaker,

Hon. Chief Justice,

Hon. Leader of the Opposition,

Hon. Ministers and Hon Governors,

Hon. State Ministers,

Hon. Members of Parliament,

Ambassadors and High Commissioners,

Secretary to the President and all Government Officials,

Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army,

Commander of the Navy, Commander of the Air Force and Inspector General of Police,

Director General of the Civil Security Department,

Distinguished Guests,

War Heroes,

All Sri Lankan Brothers and Sisters,

Beloved Children,

Throughout history, people of various nations have struggled, fought and made great sacrifices for their right to live as dignified citizens in a free country.

In Sri Lanka too, Great Kings such as Dutugemunu, Walagamba, Maha Parakumba, Vijayabahu and Parakumba the Sixth fought against foreign invaders at various periods during a 2,500 year history, liberated the country from foreigners and united it.

It is now 74 years since our country finally gained freedom from 450 years of European colonial rule. Even after independence, we had to fight for nearly three decades against an attempt to divide this country through terrorism.

Today Sri Lanka is a free, sovereign, democratic country. We are its proud citizens.

I take this opportunity to pay tribute to all patriots who dedicated themselves to gain full freedom for our country facing various obstacles throughout the history, and continue to secure the freedom so gained.

Every Sri Lankan citizen, irrespective of any community or religion, has the right to live freely and safely anywhere in the country today. There is freedom to practice the religion of their choice. There is freedom to hold independent opinions and express ideas. There is full media freedom in the country. Sri Lankan citizens have the freedom to elect their representatives through a fully democratic mechanism, and for those interested, to engage in the political process and governance.

This is a cause for joy and pride for all of us.

As people of a free and democratic country, all of us have rights as well as responsibilities.

The greatest benefit from freedom is when everyone fulfils their duty to the country. It is not appropriate to speak of rights only, whilst forgetting responsibilities.

The freedom of a country is most meaningful when it is strong in social, political and economic spheres. As much as a government, the people too have the right to actively contribute towards this.

When steering the country in the right direction, we know that the support of each and every person in the country cannot be expected. We are not ready to abandon our plans for the countrys future prosperity by looking upon those who will not change. Our objective is to do what is right by the country, and not to please everyone.

We can make our way forward successful only with a positive attitude that looks optimistically towards the future. We can surmount the challenges we meet only if we dedicate ourselves to a victorious journey.

Pessimists do not change the world. They do not even have the capacity for it. Those who habitually criticize without proposing a solution to a problem do not have a vision for the future.

A nations leader has to constantly face many difficulties, calamities, problems and challenges. Leading a team towards a vision is not easy. Changing the existing ways, no matter how good the intention is not easy either. On certain matters, both local and foreign forces organise against us. Sometimes it may seem that everything that happens around you is conspiring against you.

What the people expect from leaders is to manage all these crises and take the country forward, but not to escape from problems. We have the positive mindset needed for that. I am always ready to provide the necessary leadership to overcome any challenge facing the country.

The world has been changed, and will be changed by those people with positive ideas, who dream of a future with optimism and strive to make it a reality. We see this throughout the history.

Social progress in all developed nations has been possible due to the positive thoughts of their leaders and the people.

Our own kings in the past built vast stupas such as Ruwanweliseya, Jethavanaramaya and Abhayagiriya in this same positive attitude. We had an excellent irrigation technology that created Minneriya Tank, Kala Wewa, Parakrama Samudraya and Yoda Ela. Cities such as Sigiriya still mesmerize the world. Sri Lanka was a famed naval hub in the ancient world. If we were able to accomplish such feats then, we ought to be able to compete with the world in the future as well.

The most important criterion for this is the belief in ourselves.

Difficult times do not last forever. People of great resolve are needed to face difficult times. Anyone who demoralizes another is not doing any good to the society at this moment. Therefore all of us have an enormous responsibility to build a positive attitude in the country to face these crises successfully. We have faced critical problems in the recent history as well, and found solutions. When pessimists maintained that terrorism could never be defeated in war, brave military leaders like General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and General Vijaya Wimalaratne instilled the positive attitude in their men that terrorism can in fact be defeated. Later, under the right political leadership, we were able to vanquish terrorism in as little as 3  years because we had belief in our own capabilities.None of the crises we experience today are long-term problems. We can find solutions to them with an optimistic approach. There is a role that each of us can play to expedite this process. We must all endeavour to do our utmost for the country by fulfilling our responsibilities in a proper manner. We realized early on that the only solution to control of Covid-19 pandemic was vaccination. Hence we have been able to provide both vaccine doses to over 85% of the targeted population, control the disease and resume normal community life. By now, all vaccine doses required to administer the booster to the people have been imported to Sri Lanka. Rather than go back many years into the past searching for reasons for the economic problems that the country faces today, what is more relevant is to find both short and long-term solutions for such. This is what we as a government is focused on. We need to improve all three sectors of agriculture, industry and services in order to strengthen the economy of Sri Lanka. Special attention must be paid on ways and means to enhance export revenue whilst encouraging local production. While our national policies are very clear on this stance, there should be more active participation in all sectors in implementing them.

Investment is an essential factor in the development process of our country. While the government is constantly working to encourage investments, we need both local investments as well as foreign investments. Foreign investment is especially important for large scale projects, industries requiring modern technological know-how and new ventures that open up global market opportunities for us. People need to be more vigilant of those who attempt to propagate incorrect public opinion against foreign investments, based on political motives.

We cannot accelerate economic development without encouraging entrepreneurship and removing obstacles faced by entrepreneurs. We have a responsibility to be more respectful and friendly to entrepreneurs who start their own businesses amidst various vulnerabilities and provide employment and income opportunities for others as well. Government officials should fully understand the contribution of entrepreneurs to the countrys development and provide all assistance they require expeditiously within the legal framework. By preventing major delays in business registration and investment approvals, we can mobilize the entire economic process in the country.

A number of education reforms are taking place in the country to create a more productive citizen. Every child completing school education must strive to develop a skill or industry that can contribute to the countrys economic process. One must try to enhance knowledge in the chosen sector and also acquire professional qualifications if possible. In this manner, you have the opportunity to directly contribute to the countrys economic process.

The people who shed their sweat in farmlands, factories and workplaces make an active contribution to the countrys economy. I pay my respects to all of them.

Expatriate Sri Lankans who provide foreign exchange to the country are a major resource to us. We have not forgotten how they came forward for the country in the recent past and supported us making great sacrifices. We greatly appreciate their regular contribution to energize our economy. I invite all expatriate Sri Lankans to invest in their homeland. This will enable you to continue to actively contribute to building the future of the country.

If we are to win over the challenges before us and accomplish our future goals successfully, then all of us have to make a change. We all have to make some sacrifices towards it. As the President of the country, I am ready to set the necessary example for it. I am already doing this to the best of my ability. I ask all Ministers, Parliamentarians and other politicians to act in an exemplary manner for the country at all times. If you set this example to the people, then the majority of the people will follow you.

Forces against a national leadership that values our indigenousness and protects the countrys sovereignty are subtly misleading the people through various false propaganda. I urge the people of this country to always act prudently. No one can mislead the people if they make inquiries based on fact, ascertain the truth and make decisions.

I have pledged as the Head of State to always protect the freedom won for the future generations, and to safeguard the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of this country. We will always abide by that pledge.

Cultural freedom is important to all communities. We consider it our prime responsibility to preserve our thousands of years of indigenous traditions and customs, values and identity. Steps have been taken to preserve and develop places of archaeological value that have been subject to various threats and destroyed in the recent past.

We are a nation that safeguards the rule of law and respects international conventions. Although some parties have attempted to make various allegations against Sri Lanka for narrow motives, the government has not condoned any type of human rights violations, and will not leave room for such incidents in future either.

Under no circumstances shall we allow extremism to raise its head in this country. Today we have secured national security as promised by the government to the people.

The people have given the opportunity for the current government to implement the Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour Policy Statement presented by us.

There have been no changes in the policy framework we presented in regard to identified priorities such as green agriculture, promotion of renewable energy use, education reforms compatible with the modern world, encouragement of local entrepreneurship, export diversification and value addition, and promotion of technology use for a new leap in the economy.

We are committed to achieving the basic goals of a productive citizen, a happy family, a disciplined, virtuous society and a prosperous country.

I was given the leadership of the country at a very difficult time. In the last two years we have had to find solutions to a number of unanticipated problems. Despite all these difficulties, our government was able to carry out many development activities.

All the plans required for the sustainable development of the country, during my remaining tenure are being implemented. No matter what the obstacles are, if the majority of the people in our country are optimistic about the future and give their due contribution, we will be able to achieve those goals.

I heartily invite all patriotic Sri Lankans to unite to build a proud nation that has achieved the true meaning of freedom.

I thank you all.

Theruvan Saranai.

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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch used his stage time to express solidarity with Ukraine after being honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday. He said, "I can't speak today at this amazing moment in my life, on this extraordinary platform, without acknowledging the obvious of what's happening in Ukraine and to show my support for the people of Ukraine, my support for the people of Russia who are opposing the Kleptocracy and the idiocy of their rulers to try and halt the progression of this atrocity." Benedict Cumberbatch Dedicates His Hollywood Walk of Fame Star to Late Sister Tracy Peacock.

The 'Sherlock' star also urged people to do their bit for Ukraine in whatever way they can, Variety reported. He continued, "But it's more now for all of us to do than just have thoughts and prayers. We need to act, we need to go on to embassy websites, we need to see what we can do as citizens of the world, citizens of Europe and people who want a better place and a better outcome for this horrendous moment for these people with children, with families who are struggling to survive as rockets rain down on their cities." Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Teaser Featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen Leaked on Social Media Post Spider-Man: No Way Home Release.

"We can't stand back anymore. This is no longer a time for avarice or sloth or inactiveness or ineptitude. We need to act, and there are things you can do.You can support organizations. You can support those who help refugees on the ground. You can support human rights organizations. You can pressure your politicians, your bank, your industries to recognize anything that you can do to help. It is possible, so I urge people to do that on this day," Benedict emphasized.

For the unversed, last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences they have never seen."

(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], March 1 (ANI/NewsVoir): Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, the World's No. 1 Air Hostess Training Institute again made history today. At the 13th International Conference cum Awards - Civil Aviation & Cargo - 2022 organised by ASSOCHAM on Monday, February 28, 2022 at Hotel Le Meridien, New-Delhi, Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training received the prestigious award for the 'Best Air Hostess Training Institute - 2021'.

The award was handed over by the Honourable Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M Scindia to KS Kohli, Founder & Non-Executive Chairman, Frankfinn Group.

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Some of the other winners were Delhi International Airport Limited for Best International Airport, SpiceJet for Best Cargo Carrier, Airbus for Best Aviation Company, and more. Also gracing the occasion were Ajay Singh, VP, SpiceJet, Vinay Dubey, Founder and MD, Akasa Air, Salil Gupte, President, Boeing, K Narayan Rao, Chairman, ASSOCHAM, India, and other important dignitaries from industry & media.

The Award is instituted to acknowledge and honour the selected organisations who have worked incessantly and have taken leadership in their services and quality achievements. This award is in recognition of the best quality training being provided by the Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training through its Institutes spread Pan India including the smaller cities.

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Quality Training & Excellent Placements Track Record has always been the hallmark for Frankfinn. Earlier the award of 'Best Air Hostess Training Institute' has been awarded to Frankfinn for nine years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and in 2019), which is the testimony of Frankfinn's Quality Training delivery and Highest Placements Track record.

Frankfinn has also been awarded the Gold Award for 'Best Higher Vocational Institute for Skill Development' in 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019, received the 'Best Aviation Training Institute' award in 2021 and received the 'Best Institute in Placement' award in 2022. Frankfinn is an approved Training Partner of NSDC & THSC. Frankfinn has also received the award for the 'Best Training Partner for 2017- 2018' & '2018-19' from the Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC).

Pioneers in Air Hostess training, Frankfinn provides Skill training to aspirants for jobs of Air Hostesses, Flight Stewards and Ground Hostesses, Air Ticketing Executives and Guest Relation Executives, Front Office Executives in Hotels, Travel Industry and Customer Service Industries, empowering them with world-class opportunities across India and the world.

Frankfinn has tied up with Air India for detailed Cabin Service Familiarisation for its students. At the end of this training, Frankfinn students receive a co-branded certificate from Air India.

Frankfinn students have touched the pinnacle of success and have an excellent track record of its placements across Domestic Airlines, International Airlines, Hospitality, Travel and Customer Service Industry.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 1 (ANI/NewsVoir): The students and staff of International Village School (IVS) celebrated International Week 2022 to honour global cultures through cuisine, language appreciation, geography and attire.

International Village School is one of the top IGCSE schools in Chennai. The academic institution provides an outstanding international educational experience to students from near and far. The prime objective is to shape students into global citizens and future leaders by sharpening their intellect, character, and overall wellbeing. The school imparts the International Baccalaureate syllabus in a world-class ambience, thereby making it one of the best and famous schools in Chennai.

Also Read | Washington is Expected to Lean on Major Chinese Companies to Join U.S.-led Sanctions   Latest Tweet by Bloomberg.

The International Village School recently celebrated International Week 2022. The student and staff communities enjoyed and benefited from a week full of fun and informative events. The International Week unified the international and domestic students and showcased their diversely rich cultures.

"At IVS, the International Week celebrations allowed our students to learn about and embrace the various cultures on campus. Being an International School, we at IVS believe in embedding a truly international perspective that embraces a global community. This week-long celebration of the international community was an ideal platform for students to broaden their perspective and knowledge," said a spokesperson for IVS.

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When questioned about the students' participation in International Week 2022, the spokesperson said, "We had planned many fun activities and games. Our itinerary included an art competition, cooking demos, trivia and cultural food dish videos, and many more activities. We had also arranged informative sessions with senior alumni. It was a great opportunity for our students to interact with seniors and gain useful information. Our students and staff had been eagerly looking forward to International Week 2022. They had been preparing and planning events with much fanfare. Students participated with full enthusiasm and made it a week to cherish and remember for a lifetime," the spokesperson concluded.

The International Week 2022 celebrations also provided IVS students and teachers a break from the usual school routine. It gave them invaluable exposure to various cultural differences and global resources. It also helped foster a sense of community and camaraderie among students.

International Village School is one of the few IB schools in Chennai that boasts of a truly international teaching community. The school has an elite team of hand-picked, highly qualified professionals from diverse global communities. The school is a member of the IB World Schools. The educational approach at IVS is student-centred, holistic, and inquiry-based, which puts it at par with international educational institutions.

International Village School is a world-class academic institution that prepares students with global perspectives and cross-cultural understanding. The school is located in a calm and serene locality in Chennai and shares its boundary with over a hundred acres of pristine bird sanctuary. As a top school with an IB framework, IVS imparts well-rounded education to students from kindergarten to higher secondary.

For more details, please swing by here: www.internationalvillage.org.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

(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], March 1 (ANI): Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said that he is constantly in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and so far 24 students of Uttarakhand have been evacuated from Ukraine.

"We are constantly in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs. So far 24 students of Uttarakhand have been evacuated from Ukraine. We are trying to bring all Indian students back to India I have also met parents of many students in my area," said Dhami during his visit to Delhi.

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He further said that the stranded students of Uttarakhand are more than 200 in Ukraine.

"I have come to Delhi only in relation to these students that they should be brought back safely. I will contact all the officials and ministers I need to meet in this regard," he said.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Father of Naveen Shekarappa, Who Died in Shelling in Ukraine.

The Chief Minister said that he had have talked with students in Ukraine, "They are reaching neighbouring countries and we are doing arrangements to bring them from there," he added.

Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the eighth flight carrying 216 stranded Indian nationals has departed from Hungary's capital Budapest for New Delhi while the ninth flight carrying 218 Indians took off from the Romanian capital Bucharest for New Delhi as part of Operation Ganga.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while presiding over a high-level meeting over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine. Government sources on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will be travelling to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.

The union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India as part of the mission. (ANI)

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Gorakhpur (UP), Mar 1 (PTI) Former Uttar Pradesh Minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who is fighting the state assembly elections from Fazilnagar constituency in the Kushinagar district after quitting the BJP, on Tuesday accused the saffron party workers of attacking his convoy during electioneering.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Father of Naveen Shekarappa, Who Died in Shelling in Ukraine.

Maurya's daughter Sanghmitra Maurya who is a BJP MP too supported her father's allegation as the Samajwadi Party condemned the alleged attack by power-protected miscreants.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav too condemned the attack and vowed to "reduce the BJP to zero in the remaining two phases of the elections".

Also Read | Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai Reaches Out to Family of Indian Student Naveen Shekharappa Killed in Ukraine.

Maurya alleged that the BJP workers, armed with lathis and stones attacked his convoy near Vishupura Khanwa Patti village in Fazilnagar assembly constituency during his roadshow, injuring many of his workers and damaging several vehicles.

He said his driver's ear got damaged in the attack.

The former minister said he escaped unharmed as he was sitting in a different vehicle which managed to get past the miscreants' mob.

"The attack was the part of a planned conspiracy. The BJP people attacked us armed with sticks, arms and stones in a systematic manner, Maurya said.

My driver's ear got damaged. Many vehicles were damaged and hundreds of our workers were beaten up. I was sitting in another vehicle, hence it moved ahead," he said.

Fazilnagar constituency goes to the polls on March 3 during the sixth phase of the seven-phase UP assembly elections and Tuesday was the last day for the campaigning.

Sanghmitra Maurya who, sources say, has been campaigning for her father for the last three to four days, too supported his allegation.

The damaged vehicles are proof of the attack. Not only this. When I was coming to Fazilnagar after hearing about the attack, the BJP workers surrounded my car too even though I am a BJP MP," she said, accusing the BJP candidate of being behind the attack.

She also appealed to the people of the constituency to vote for her father.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the attack.

He said in a tweet, "The attack on Swami Prasad Mauryaji is a very condemnable act of the people who are losing.

This attack is similar to the attack on the workers and the leaders of every party of the SP alliance. Together we will answer this by reducing the BJP to zero in the remaining two phases. It is meaningless to expect any action from this government," he added.

Condemning the attack, the Samajwadi Party too said in a tweet, "Battered by the unprecedented public support to the SP, the attack on the convoy of the dalit-backward leader, former minister Swami Prasad Maurya by power-protected miscreants in Fazilnagaris highly condemnable and sad! The Election Commission should take action and get the attackers arrested. People will answer with their votes. "PTI CORR SAB NAV

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New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): In a step towards digital enhancement, Delhi Police launched its revamped website, Anubhuti-QR Code Based Feedback System, and e-Chittha portal on Monday.

Speaking at the occasion, Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said these three initiatives have added a new dimension in the digitization and modernization of the Delhi Police. The maximum utilization of technology with an objective to improve the service delivery system and ensure the safety and security of people is essential in the present environment.

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According to Delhi Police, Anubhuti - Feedback Management System will establish two-way communication with the public and improve the police working through the analysis of feedback received. It is a paperless feedback system. The citizens visiting the police station have to scan the QR code of the police station and mark the feedback responses. The response database will be utilized to analyse and take corrective steps for improvement in the police-public interface. The identity of the user will not be disclosed.

Asthana said e-Chittha is the backbone of duty deployment. Implementation of e-Chittha will not only ensure optimal use of manpower resources but also increase efficiency and transparency in working. Thus, the staff will get sufficient time for family and their own health and wellbeing and would work with more zeal and enthusiasm.

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The merging of PCR into districts has resulted in the availability of more manpower and patrol vehicles at beat and Police stations. For the optimal use of resources and manpower, the need for a digital duty roster was emphasized. Further, separation of law and order and investigation at all police stations had also necessitated equal distribution of work to bring about the desired results. The e-Chittha has been operative in all 178 territorial police stations from Monday. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
China releases information on new lunar samples

Xinhua) 09:08, March 01, 2022

The lunar samples No. 001 brought back by China's Chang'e-5 probe is displayed at the National Museum of China in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has released the information on the fourth batch of lunar samples brought back by the country's Chang'e-5 mission, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Monday.

Public users can log on to the website of China's Lunar and Deep Space Exploration (www.clep.org.cn) to view information related to the new samples and submit applications for research.

The Chang'e-5 probe returned to Earth on Dec. 17, 2020, retrieving a total of 1,731 grams of lunar samples, mainly rocks and soil from the moon's surface.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 1 (ANI): The Divisional Administration Kashmir on Tuesday established a helpline for stranded residents or students of Kashmir in Ukraine to provide them assistance from the government.

According to the administration, the concerned and their family members can contact on phone numbers---01942457312 and 01942473135 in case of any help from the government.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Father of Naveen Shekarappa, Who Died in Shelling in Ukraine.

India has been ramping up its efforts to evacuate Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine.

The government has deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals.

Also Read | Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai Reaches Out to Family of Indian Student Naveen Shekharappa Killed in Ukraine.

"Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania, Kiren Rijiju to Slovak Republic, Hardeep Puri to Hungary, VK Singh to Poland... to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process," the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Monday.

The union government has also launched "Operation Ganga" to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. (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, Mar 1 (PTI) Farmer leaders on Tuesday welcomed the Delhi government's move to withdraw cases lodged against farmers during the anti-farm law stir and urged the Centre to fulfil other promises too, including the formation of a committee on MSP.

They said the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM)  an umbrella body of 40 farm unions  will hold a meeting in Delhi on March 14 to decide the future course of action if the remaining promises made to the farmers by the Centre are not met.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Father of Naveen Shekarappa, Who Died in Shelling in Ukraine.

Farmer leader and SKM core committee member Shiv Kumar Kakka hailed Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and the city government for withdrawing cases lodged against farmers during the movement.

"It is a good move, and we thank the Delhi government and the L-G for this effort. This move has given us hope that other promises such as formation of a committee on MSP will also be met," Kakka told PTI.

Also Read | Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai Reaches Out to Family of Indian Student Naveen Shekharappa Killed in Ukraine.

He demanded that the Centre should also issue instructions to other state governments such as Madhya Pradesh to withdraw cases lodged against farmers during the movement.

The Delhi government has approved the withdrawal of 17 cases registered during the anti-farm law stir, including one involving last year's Republic Day violence, a senior official said on Tuesday.

He said the file related to the cases was sent by Lt Governor Anil Baijal's office to Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain on January 31.

It was approved by Jain and sent to the Chief Minister's Office on February 25. The CMO sent the file to the L-G office on February 28 and it was approved the same day, the officer said.

Kakka said other promises made by the central government to the farmers are still not met.

The Centre is yet to act on its promise of forming a committee on MSP, granting compensation to farmers who died during the stir and others, he said.

"We are waiting for elections to get over, and then on March 14, the SKM will hold a meeting to pressure the central government to fulfil other promises as well. Future course of the action will also be decided in the meeting," Kakka added.

Another farmer leader and SKM member Abhimanyu Kohar said withdrawing cases lodged against farmers was a welcome step.

"Though it came a little late but it is a commendable move. This will help in bridging the trust deficit between the government and the farmers," Kohar said.

He said the Centre should also make efforts to consider other demands of the farmers which include a legal guarantee on MSP, land for a memorial for farmers and expulsion of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni from the Cabinet.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, laid siege at Delhi borders in November 2020 demanding that the Centre withdraw the three farm laws. The protest ended in December 2021 after the Narendra Modi government withdrew the farm laws.

The protesting farmers had refused to clear the protest sites as they demanded the withdrawal of cases lodged against them, legal guarantee on MSP, and a compensation to the kin of farmers who died during the course of the protest among others.

The Centre, on December 9 last year, agreed to consider their other demands, and after that, the SKM announced the suspension of its agitation.

The farmers had started leaving for home from December 11, 2021.

(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, Mar 1 (PTI) Devising their own strategems to get out of Kyiv, about 100 Indian students stranded at the train station split into groups of 10 to board a train from the Ukrainian capital to city of Lviv where they would be safer, one of the students said on Tuesday.

We realised no one is going to come to help us and it is up to us now, 20-year-old Ashna Pandita told PTI over the phone as the train took them to the western city of Ukraine, about 80 km from the Poland border, where the fighting has been relatively less.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Father of Naveen Shekarappa, Who Died in Shelling in Ukraine.

We split into smaller groups and somehow managed to board the train," she added a day after the students from Taras Shevchenko National Medical University in Kyiv managed to escape from the back gate of their hostel and reach the Vokzal station, the capital's main train hub. Though they responded to an advisory from the Indian mission asking all students to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western part", the students alleged that officials had failed to provide any transportation to shift them to a safer location. The advisory said Ukrainian railways is putting up special trains for evacuation" but the reality on ground was quite different, Ashna and her brother Ansh, who studies in the same college, said. The twins are from Ghaziabad.

The group of 100 odd youths, including many women, were not allowed to board a train and Ukrainian guards thrashed some of them, they alleged.

Also Read | Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai Reaches Out to Family of Indian Student Naveen Shekharappa Killed in Ukraine.

After they were pushed away from many trains, the students split into smaller groups and somehow managed to get on to the train to Lviv, where the officials of many embassies are stationed.

The train was crowded and they could manage only standing space during the nine-hour journey. At least let us reach Kyiv, Ashna said tearfully, recounting their struggles to reach the station from a city that had run out of food and cash in ATMs and then the many hurdles to get on to a train.

Left to their own devices, the students said they would either try to cross over to Poland or to the Hungary border, about 570 km from Lviv.

On Monday, the train station was teeming with people. The Indian students sat huddled together, holding a large tricolour aloft so they could be recognised in the crowd and also so no one from the group gets lost. The students had also issued a video appeal. "Indian embassy, we request you to evacuate us as soon as possible," Ansh Pandita said in the video as his friends looked on. Ashna, too, sent videos to family and friends at home. One showed a train with closed doors and shuttered windows.

"This train didn't let us in. They closed the door on our faces. They pushed us out," she said. In another, students can be seen being pushed and chased away by guards. Back home in Ghaziabad, Ansh and Ashna's parents Anil and Sunita are frantic with worry.

"My children are suffering. They have nothing to eat and the irony is that we can't do anything sitting here other than to appeal to the government to bring everyone back," Sunita said. Their worries have escalated after an Indian student from Karnataka was killed in shelling in Kharkiv city on Tuesday morning.

"With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," the External Affairs Ministry said.

The government is sending four Union ministers as the prime minister's envoys to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova to oversee the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine through its border crossings with these countries.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 1 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday arrested one terrorist associate from the Santnagar area of Srinagar.

Ten magazines of AK-47 rifle and other ammunition have been recovered from him.

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Further investigation is underway. (ANI)

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 1 (ANI): Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik on Tuesday approached the Bombay High Court seeking to quash a money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Malik in his plea says his arrest was illegal and has sought to be released immediately.

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The ED has also summoned Faraz Malik, son of Nawab Malik in the case.

Earlier, Malik's brother Kaptan Malik was also been summoned by the agency.

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Malik has been remanded to ED custody till March 3. He was sent to ED custody for seven days by a court in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case.

Earlier in February, the ED conducted raids at the residence of Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case.

Searches were carried out by the ED at several places linked to people associated with the underworld in Mumbai, informed sources said.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded the resignation of the State Minister but the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA-- comprising Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP) government has rejected the demand for Nawab Malik's resignation. (ANI)

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Mumbai, Mar 1 (PTI) LIC Mutual Fund has appointed T S Ramakrishnan as its managing director and chief executive, succeeding Dinesh Pangtey.

Ramakrishnan has over 34 years of experience at LIC and its subsidiaries/associate companies.

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He joined LIC Mutual Fund in April 2021.

At LIC, he was the regional manager for the pension group and scheme at south central zone in Hyderabad and senior divisional manager in charge in Delhi region.

Also Read | Tesla Offers Free EV Charging in Several Countries Around Ukraine Following Russian Invasion: Report.

Before joining LIC Mutual Fund, Ramakrishnan was the regional manager for western region at LIC Housing Finance. ******* SaaS-based training platform Engg Online raises USD 3.5 mn from angel investors Mumbai: SaaS-based training platform Engg Online has secured equity financing of around USD 3.5 million (around Rs 26 crore) in a pre-series-A round led by HNIs, professionals, and founders.

Engg Online is an incubate of the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of IIT-Bombay.

The city-based company said it will use the funds towards manpower, content development, delivery, and infrastructure required for the expansion of operations.

The SaaS-based platform for tutors/trainers has a pedagogy of experiential learning using augmented reality and virtual reality.

The group of investors includes Madhu Kela, Paresh Shah, Ketan Sheth, Arun Nahar, Kirti Doshi, Sanjay Dangi, P S Jayakumar, among others. ********* Govt invites applications for National Startup Awards

New Delhi: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on Tuesday said it has launched the third edition of the National Startup Awards 2022.

The awards will acknowledge startups and enablers that have been instrumental in revolutionising the development story of India, it said.

The awards will be given in 17 sectors, classified into 50 sub-sectors.

The sectors include agriculture, construction, drinking water, energy, and FinTech, among others.

The applications for the awards are open till March 15.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kyiv [Ukraine], March 1 (ANI): At least 10 people were killed and 35 others were injured after a rocket hit Ukraine's second-biggest city Kharkiv on Tuesday, according to Kyiv's Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko.

"Freedom Square was hit by a cruise missile. There was a second hit by a similar rocket that hit the building after the rescuers arrived (in 5-7 minutes). One-third of the administration building fell," Herashchenko said in a post on Telegram, according to CNN.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Missile Damages Regional Govt Building in Ukraines Kharkiv (Watch Video).

Ukrainian State Emergency Services also confirmed the death toll in a social media post today.

"Rescuers are working on the scene. The stairs and partial corridors on all floors are completely destroyed," the post read further.

Also Read | Naveen Shekharappa, Indian Student From Karnataka, Killed in Shelling in Ukraines Kharkiv.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today denied the reports of attacking infrastructure, residential areas in Ukraine.

"During the course of the special operation, Russian troops do not carry out any strikes on civilian infrastructure facilities and on a residential complex. This is out of the question. We are talking only about the demilitarization of Ukraine and military facilities. We must not forget that in a large number of cases, we are talking about the fire of nationalist groups that use living objects as a shield," Peskov said, according to Sputnik. (ANI)

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Jerusalem, Mar 1 (AP) Israeli police fired stun grenades, rubber bullets and wastewater canons Monday to disperse Palestinian stone-throwers at a gate to Jerusalem's Old City, a frequent flashpoint from which tensions rapidly escalated in the past.

Palestinian medics said 33 Palestinians were injured, including an 11-year-old girl hit in the face by a stun grenade. Police detained 20 Palestinians and said four police officers were also hurt.

Also Read | 'Russia Putting Nuclear Forces on High Alert Chilling Development', Says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The confrontation erupted at the Damascus Gate as large crowds streamed through the arched passage toward the Old City's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest shrine. Worshippers marked what Muslim faithful believe is Prophet Mohammad's ascension to heaven.

It was not immediately clear what sparked Monday's clashes. The area around the Damascus Gate has been a scene of confrontations in the past, including during last year's holy month of Ramadan when devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian Towns Authorise Officers To Shoot Looters on the Spot.

At the time, police prevented Palestinians from gathering at Damascus Gate after breaking their daily fast, as was customary. Nightly clashes erupted, with tensions rapidly spreading and triggering a two-week war between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.

Ramadan, a time of heightened religious fervour, is to start this year at the beginning of April.

Muslim religious officers administering the Al-Aqsa Mosque area estimated that about 90,000 worshippers attended Monday's holiday.

The raised platform is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, site of their biblical temple. The compound's Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray.

The Old City is located in east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, along with the West Bank. Some 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the two areas. The Palestinians seek both areas as parts of a future independent state. (AP)

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Taipei (Taiwan), Mar 1 (AP) A delegation of former US defence officials is visiting Taiwan this week in a sign of stepped-up communication between the sides amid the looming threat from China.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen is leading the five-person delegation that is due to arrive later Tuesday and is scheduled to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials during the two-day visit.

Also Read | Google Turns Off Maps' Live Traffic Data in Ukraine to Protect Users Amid Russian Invasion.

Separately, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was due to arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday. Pompeo, who also formerly led the Central Intelligence Agency, will also meet with Tsai and address a forum prior to his departure Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Former secretary of state Pompeo's visit displays fully US bipartisan backing for its rock solid' support" for Taiwan, the ministry said.

Also Read | Vacuum Bomb Used by Russia in Ukraine? Heres All About The Explosive That Has Allegedly Been Used by Russian Forces.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has drawn fresh attention to China's threat to use force to annex self-governing democratic Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.

Circumstances are very different, however: Taiwan lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) across the turbulent Taiwan Strait from mainland China and enjoys strong support from the U.S., which is legally bound to ensure the island can defend itself and treat all threats to it as matters of grave concern."

China has been sending military aircraft into Taiwan's air defence identification zone on a near-daily basis, and on Saturday, its Defense Ministry protested as provocative the passage of the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson through the Taiwan Strait.

The Strait is in international waters and the U.S. Navy said the ship's passage demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."

China routinely protests U.S. contacts with Taiwan's government and in November, announced that its military conducted air and naval readiness patrols in the direction of the Taiwan Strait after five U.S. lawmakers met with Tsai on a surprise one-day visit.

President Joe Biden has followed his predecessors in stepping up contacts between Taiwan and both serving and retired administration officials, along with selling defensive military equipment.

The other members of Mullen's delegation are former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy, former White House Deputy National Security Adviser Meghan O'Sullivan, former Senior Director for Asia at the White House National Security Council Michael Green, and Evan Medeiros, former senior director of Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council. (AP)

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New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): India on Tuesday sent the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine through Poland, informed Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

The consignment comprised medicines, medical equipment and other relief material.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Troops Attacking Only Military Targets, Claims Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Mentioning humanitarian assistance to Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian Government, Shringla said, "A flight left this morning having the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine through Poland. The consignment comprised of medicines, medical equipment and other relief materials."

"Another flight tomorrow will carry the second consignment also through Poland and besides medicines, a number of other items are also there for humanitarian use in Ukraine," he said in a special briefing on 'Operation Ganga' to bring back Indian citizens from the conflict zone of Ukraine by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Military Warns To Hit Facilities in Kyiv, Asks Civilians To Leave.

As per MEA sources, two tonnes of humanitarian aid including tents, blankets, surgical gloves, protective eye gear, water storage tanks, sleeping mats, tarpaulin and medicines have been sent to Ukraine today.

The meeting began with an expression of deep regret and condolences on the tragic death of Naveen Shekharappa, an Indian student who was studying at Kharkiv National Medical University

"Earlier this afternoon I separately called in the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine. I reiterated strongly our demand for urgent safe passage for all Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in the conflict area," said Shringla.

He also informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yesterday spoken to his counterparts from the Slovak Republic and Romania to seek their assistance in continued support to our evacuation efforts.

"Yesterday PM Modi talked to the Slovak Republic Prime Minister Eduard Heger and Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca and also spoke to the President of Poland Andrzej Duda to seek their assistance in the evacuation of Indians from the conflict zones," said Shringla.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting to review the efforts to bring back stranded Indians in Ukraine.

The meeting is being attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and senior officials.

"PM Modi has also received calls. This happened as we were at the meeting, from the President of France Emmanuel Macron and the President of the European Union Commission, Charles Michel. We are certainly reaching out diplomatically to all concerned to ensure the safety, security and protection of our citizens in Ukraine," said the Foreign Secretary.

Detailing about the evacuation process, Shringla said that the ministry has examined every possible option for safe passage, adding that he had emphasized to both Russian and Ukrainian officials the importance of providing a corridor to enable Indian citizens to get out of the conflict zone.

"Earlier this afternoon I separately called in the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine. I reiterated strongly our demand for urgent safe passage for all Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in the conflict area," said Shringla. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - The international network, Environment and Development in the Third World (ENDA Tiers Monde), has called for a better involvement of the gender concept in the implementation of Africa's 2030 and 2063 agendas
Jerusalem, Mar 1 (AP) A Palestinian militant died early Tuesday during clashes with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, a few hours after Israeli police dispersed Palestinian stone-throwers at a gate to Jerusalem's Old City that has been a frequent flashpoint for rapidly escalating tensions.

The Islamic Jihad group said Abdullah al-Hossari was killed during clashes that erupted when Israeli special forces entered Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank. The Health Ministry said another man was seriously wounded.

Also Read | 'Russia Putting Nuclear Forces on High Alert Chilling Development', Says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which often carries out nighttime incursions into areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority to arrested wanted Palestinians or demolish homes of militants involved in attacks against Israel.

Local Palestinian media said the dead man was a member of the Jenin Brigade, a newly formed group affiliated with Islamic Jihad. In August, Israel released al-Hossari from its custody after 26 months.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian Towns Authorise Officers To Shoot Looters on the Spot.

Islamic Jihad is a pro-Iran Palestinian group. Its top political leaders are based in Syria and Lebanon, with some prominent officials in Gaza, where it is the second largest armed group after Gaza's ruling Hamas'.

In Jerusalem on Monday, Israeli police fired stun grenades, rubber bullets and wastewater cannons to disperse stone-throwers.

Palestinian medics said 33 Palestinians were injured, including an 11-year-old girl hit in the face by a stun grenade. Police detained 20 Palestinians and said four police officers were also hurt.

The confrontation erupted at the Damascus Gate as large crowds streamed through the arched passage toward the Old City's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest shrine.

Worshippers marked what Muslim faithful believe is Prophet Mohammad's ascension to heaven.

It was not immediately clear what sparked Monday's clashes. The area around the Damascus Gate has been a scene of confrontations in the past, including during last year's holy month of Ramadan when devout Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

At the time, police prevented Palestinians from gathering at Damascus Gate after breaking their daily fast, as was customary.

Nightly clashes erupted, with tensions rapidly spreading and triggering a two-week war between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers. Ramadan, a time of heightened religious fervour, is to start this year at the beginning of April.

Muslim religious officers administering the Al-Aqsa Mosque area estimated that about 90,000 worshippers attended Monday's holiday. The raised platform is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, site of their biblical temple. The compound's Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray.

The Old City is located in east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, along with the West Bank.

Some 700,000 Israeli settlers live in the two areas. The Palestinians seek both areas as parts of a future independent state. (AP) VM

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Tel Aviv [Israel], March 1 (ANI/Sputnik): The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Monday confirmed that Israeli national Roman Brodsky had been killed in Ukraine while driving to the border with Moldova.

"His car, which was a part of a convoy on its way to the Moldovan border, came under fire resulting in his death," the statement read.

Also Read | 'Russia Putting Nuclear Forces on High Alert Chilling Development', Says UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The ministry added that it remained in touch with the deceased's wife who was staying in Ukraine with her children. The ministry also added that Brodsky's parents have already been informed of his death.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett expressed his condolences to Brodsky's family and added that Israel continues "to do everything possible to help the Israelis return home."

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian Towns Authorise Officers To Shoot Looters on the Spot.

On Thursday, Russia launched a special operation in Ukraine, acting in response to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics against the intensifying aggression of Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation was targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only, stressing that the civilian population is not in danger. Since then, hostilities have been taking place on the territory of Ukraine and the breakaway republics. (ANI/Sputnik)

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Baltimore, Mar 1 (AP) A 68-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 41 years for the murder of his daughter, whose dismembered remains were left at a dumpster.

Malik Samartaney, previously known as Lawrence Banks, was convicted in October of second-degree murder and unauthorised disposal of a body in the May 2019 slaying of Dominique Foster. Prosecutors said the Baltimore man killed his 43-year-old daughter after expressing outrage at her drug addiction, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Also Read | Instagram, YouTube Block Russian News Outlets RT and Sputnik Across Europe.

Circuit Judge Jennifer Schiffer handed down the maximum punishments, saying it's unfathomable to think of how Foster suffered.

When she got into her father's van that day, she had no way of knowing that she would end up in pieces in a shopping cart, Schiffer said.

Also Read | Pakistan Sees Major Surge in Offences Against Women in 2021, Says Report.

Defense lawyer Deborah Levi presented a theory that Foster may have been killed by members of the notorious street gang MS-13. Levi said her client maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.

Some of Foster's remains were found stuffed inside trash bags in a shopping cart after a suspicious package was reported near a dumpster, but her head, hands and feet were never found.

Police couldn't link Samartaney to the crime with DNA evidence or a murder weapon.

Prosecutors based their case largely on circumstantial evidence, such as Samartaney's ex-fiancee's testimony of having an unusually hard time reaching him the day Foster was killed.

Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Stock focused on Samartaney's violent history. He had two previous murder convictions, pleading guilty in the 1990s to killing a friend and no contest to killing his teenage son. He received simultaneous 20-year prison sentences, and was released in 2002.

Samartaney also was convicted of assault after throwing Foster, then just 7 months old, through a glass door during an argument with her mother in 1975.

Samartaney asked the judge for mercy, saying that he had promised God after his son's death that he wouldn't kill again.

Your honour, I'm very sorry for the death of my daughter, but I did not do that, Samartaney said.

I dream every night that I find the person who would do that.

Victim impact statements describe Foster as a loving mother, grandmother and sister.

Your honour, I'm asking for the longest sentence possible, Foster's daughter wrote in her statement. I ask this not for revenge but for everyone's safety.

(AP)

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Naypyidaw [Myanmar], March 1 (ANI): Myanmar's military has extended its ceasefire agreements with ethnic armed groups until the end of 2022, local media reported on Tuesday.

The nationwide ceasefire agreement was initiated in October 2015, Xinhua news agency reported.

Also Read | Warner Bros Halts The Batman Release in Russia Due to the Country's Military Operation in Ukraine.

The military extended the ceasefire to boost the peace process in the country and to enable effective efforts to combat COVID-19 nationwide, the statement released by the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services on Monday.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the State Administration Council, had earlier announced the decision during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Nay Pyi Taw in January, the statement said.

Also Read | Google Turns Off Maps' Live Traffic Data in Ukraine to Protect Users Amid Russian Invasion.

The military had announced extending the suspension of military operations 20 times from December 21, 2018, till February 28 this year, it said.

Last week, the UN independent expert said that weapons exports to the military rulers in Myanmar by the UN Member States must stop.

In a report to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews insisted that these arms had been used against civilians.

He also called for the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session to vote on a resolution to ban this trade.

"It should be incontrovertible that weapons used to kill civilians should no longer be transferred to Myanmar. These transfers truly shock the conscience," Andrews said in a statement. (ANI)

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Tallinn [Estonia], March 1 (ANI): NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Tapa Military Base in Estonia to meet the soldiers that are defending Estonia and the alliance.

"These soldiers are keeping our nations safe and free. And we owe them a debt of gratitude. Thank you to Estonia for hosting our battlegroup so well. And being such a staunch NATO ally," said NATO chief.

Also Read | Pakistan Sees Major Surge in Offences Against Women in 2021, Says Report.

Talking of the NATO deterrence, he emphasized, "Allies are imposing severe costs on Russia through sanctions. We are increasing NATO presence across the Alliance, to deter and defend. And we are stepping up our support to help Ukraine defend itself."

He thanked Boris Johnson for doubling UK's contribution over the last few weeks, with more British troops sent to Estonia.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: France Pledges To Wage Total Economic and Financial War on Russia.

"NATO Allies are sending Ukraine anti-tank weapons, air-defence missiles, and ammunition. Allies are also providing millions of euros worth of financial help and humanitarian aid. I commend Estonia and the United Kingdom for the assistance you are providing to Ukraine," he added.

Stoltenberg condemned Russia saying, "The people of Ukraine are fighting bravely against a brutal and unprovoked Russian invasion. We utterly condemn the Kremlin's war."

Talking of the increased NATO defensive presence he said, "In the air, on land, and at sea. With over 100 jets at high alert operating from 30 different locations. And over 120 ships from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean."

Reiterating NATO's commitment to Article 5 Stoltenberg said, "The UK, the US, and other Allies are deploying thousands more troops to the eastern part of the Alliance. For the first time in our history, we are deploying the NATO Response Force. Because there must be no doubt, no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding. Our commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty is iron-clad. We will protect and defend every inch of NATO territory. Credible deterrence prevents conflict and preserves peace."

He stressed that NATO is a defensive force saying, "NATO is a defensive Alliance. We do not seek conflict with Russia. Our message to President Putin is: stop the war, pull out all your forces from Ukraine, and engage in good faith in diplomatic efforts. The world stands with Ukraine in calling for peace."

Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas talked of Ukraine's will to fight against Russia and said, "I think we underestimate the Ukrainians' motivation and will to protect their cities. Of course, we also know that the forces are not really equal. So one is to really conquer the cities and the other one is to keep those cities under control. So I think there is going to be a lot of resistance from Ukrainians."

"I think what we have seen is that all Ukrainians have really surprised everybody by their motivation to fight for their country, to fight for freedom," she added.

Echoing the same sentiments, UK PM Boris Johnson said, "With every day that goes by, as they watch the heroism of the Ukrainian resistance and they see what is happening in Ukraine, and they see episodes like the shedding, like the missile in Kharkiv and the destruction of civilian populations. I think peoples' stomachs are being turned by what is happening and they are seeing that it is necessary to stand up against Russian aggression to support the Ukrainians and to endorse our strategy, which is that President Putin must not be allowed to succeed, he must fail in Ukraine." (ANI)

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Bucharest (Romania) [India], March 1 (ANI): The Indian embassy in Romania on Tuesday said that no visa is required for Indian students sheltered here to exit Bucharest by special flights.

Taking to Twitter, the embassy has said that it has getting queries from the students evacuated from Ukraine that they may not be able to leave after some days due to visa requirements.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Missile Damages Regional Govt Building in Ukraines Kharkiv (Watch Video).

"We have received queries from Indian students evacuated from Ukraine and presently in shelters in Romania that they may not be able to leave after some days due to visa requirements. We want to assure that no visa is required to exit Romania by special flights," the embassy said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the seventh flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of Operation Ganga on Tuesday.

Also Read | Naveen Shekharappa, Indian Student From Karnataka, Killed in Shelling in Ukraines Kharkiv.

Union Minister Narayan Rane received the evacuated Indian nationals at the Mumbai airport.

Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the eighth flight carrying 216 stranded Indian nationals has departed from Hungary's capital Budapest for New Delhi while the ninth flight carrying 218 Indians took off from the Romanian capital Bucharest for New Delhi as part of Operation Ganga.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while presiding over a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

This was the second high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister during the day over the prevailing situation in Ukraine. Government sources on Monday said that the 'Special Envoys' including Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will be travelling to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.

The union government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India as part of the mission. (ANI)

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Kabul [Afghanistan], March 1 (ANI): Taliban, as part of its home search operations have detained several civilians close to the former security forces in recent days in Daykundi province and are asking for weapons.

According to sources of Reporterly, Afghanistan's online portal, these people are detained and tortured in prison after a search of their homes.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Missile Damages Regional Govt Building in Ukraines Kharkiv (Watch Video).

Taliban is using force and witnesses say that it is looking for weapons, military vehicles, equipment and former government officials.

Taking to Twitter, Reporterly says, "Afghanistan International reported that #Taliban house to house searches in #Kabul has increased and there were reports of the use of force during the searches. Witnesses say Taliban are looking for weapons, military vehicles, equipment and former government officials."

Also Read | Naveen Shekharappa, Indian Student From Karnataka, Killed in Shelling in Ukraines Kharkiv.

The portal's sources confirmed the reports of detention of several civilians close to the former security forces.

This comes as the Taliban have launched comprehensive home search operations in Kabul since last week. The move has been widely criticized in the media and on social media platforms by the citizens, journalists, and civil society members watching Afghanistan from outside. (ANI)

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Ankara, Mar 1 (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for an immediate cease-fire between the Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Our call to both Russia and Ukraine is: let the firing stop as soon as possible, let Russia and Ukraine make a beautiful contribution to peace, Erdogan said Tuesday during a joint news conference with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, on Tuesday.

Also Read | Instagram, YouTube Block Russian News Outlets RT and Sputnik Across Europe.

The Turkish leader said on Turkey welcomes overtures by European Union officials toward Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an application to join the bloc.

He however, urged the EU to show the same sensitivity toward Turkey.

Also Read | Pakistan Sees Major Surge in Offences Against Women in 2021, Says Report.

The country is a candidate to join the EU but its accession talks have been stalled over a number of issues, including the country's democratic backtracking.

Are you going to bring Turkey's (application) on the agenda when someone declares war on it and attacks? Erdogan said.

Erdogan reiterated that Turkey, which has the second largest army within the alliance, supports NATO's expansion. (AP)

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State government officials welcomed the students arriving from Ukraine under Operation Ganga at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad

New Delhi [India], March 1 (ANI): State government officials welcomed students arriving from Ukraine under 'Operation Ganga' at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Over the last few days, Indian nationals are being evacuated on flights from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania, countries which share borders with Ukraine. The students are being facilitated to reach their homes from the airports by the respective state governments

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War Updates: Indian Embassy Urges Citizens to Leave Kyiv Immediately; Battles Rage for Ukraine's Cities.

The Union government has launched 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India, SpiceJet and Indigo as part of the 'Operation Ganga' mission.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presiding over a high-level meeting over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Leave Kyiv Urgently by Any Means, Says Indian Embassy in Ukraine to Stranded Students.

Four Union Ministers were also deputed to the neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate evacuations of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.

On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India has evacuated over 8,000 nationals since the initial advisories were issued by the country.

Earlier today, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya received Indian nationals who arrived by a special Indigo evacuation flight from Hungary.

"Many of your friends are still stuck in Ukraine, tell them that efforts are being made to bring them back home. Efforts will continue till all of them are brought back," he said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, March 1: The West is preparing further restrictive measures against Moscow, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, US Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said after a classified briefing from US President Joe Biden's top national security officials on the Ukraine situation.

"The U.S. and allies are coordinating to not only freeze the assets of Putin and his oligarch allies, but to seize those assets as well. This is likely a further step than Putin's inner circle anticipated," Murphy said on Twitter on Monday.

He claimed that "Russians have fallen behind their timeline" in what concerns the special military operation in Ukraine and were preparing to "cut off Kiev in the next several weeks." Americans Should Not Worry About Nuclear War, Says US President Joe Biden.

The White House has asked Congress to allocate $6.4 billion to assist Kiev in its ongoing conflict with Russia. The funds could be attached to a broader government spending package expected to pass next week.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that he told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call that Kiev needs more weapons amid Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine and is also insisting on further restrictions against Moscow.

On Sunday, G7 foreign ministers discussed with Kuleba further steps to support Kiev, including in cybersecurity and the fight against disinformation, and expressed their commitment to increasing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The ministers once again condemned Russia's operation in Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of all troops.

Western nations have increased sanctions pressure on Russia after it launched a military operation in Ukraine following requests for help from the people's republics in Donbas. The Russian Defense Ministry has said that the operation is targeting the military infrastructure of Ukraine only and that the civilian population is not in danger.

Moscow says it has no plans to occupy Ukraine and that the purpose of its operation is to save the civilian population from genocide and liberate the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), including through the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

On Sunday, EU Foreign Ministers agreed to supply 450 million euros ($500 million) worth of arms to the Kiev forces. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters after a virtual EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting late on Sunday that the aid would also include 50 million euros for non-lethal supplies, such as fuel and protective equipment, and the EU was also going to provide fighter jets to Kiev. Google Turns Off Maps Live Traffic Data in Ukraine to Protect Users Amid Russian Invasion.

The US, Canada and Australia have also approved lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine. On Friday, the Biden administration unlocked a $350 million package of military assistance to Kiev, including more Javelin anti-tank missiles.

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Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The answers to some of the worlds most pressing problems are rooted in human rights, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed on Monday
New York [US], March 1 (ANI): The United States on Monday expelled 12 Russian diplomats charging them with "engaging in espionage activities".

"The US has informed the Russian Mission that we are beginning the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the US by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security," said Olivia Dalton, spokeswoman for the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War Updates: Indian Embassy Urges Citizens to Leave Kyiv Immediately; Battles Rage for Ukraine's Cities.

The diplomats have been given time until March 7 to leave the US. Russia's United Nations (UN) ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, reportedly said that Russia could reply to the expulsions with a "tit for tat" move, the New York Times reported.

"It's not our choice," he added. "We didn't initiate it."

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Leave Kyiv Urgently by Any Means, Says Indian Embassy in Ukraine to Stranded Students.

The development comes after Russia expelled the US's Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) earlier this month ahead of the conflict in Ukraine.

Earlier in December, Russia had ordered all US Embassy staff that had been in the country for more than three years to leave after the US removed privileges for 27 Russian diplomats and their families after imposing a three-year timeline for diplomats, The Hill reported.

The expulsions of diplomats from both sides come amidst the high tensions between Russia and the Western countries, over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is presently holding a special session on the conflict in Ukraine. (ANI)

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Washington, Mar 1 (PTI) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday spoke with Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during which the top American diplomat discussed Russia's attack on Ukraine and the importance of respecting the UN Charter's principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

During the telephonic call Blinken also emphasised on the strong diplomatic ties between Nepal and the US.

Also Read | Instagram, YouTube Block Russian News Outlets RT and Sputnik Across Europe.

"US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Prime Minister Deuba during which the top American diplomat discussed Russia attack on Ukraine and the importance of respecting the UN Charter's principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of states," said an official statement.

Blinken highlighted that this year marks 75 years of the United States and Nepal's diplomatic relations.

Also Read | Pakistan Sees Major Surge in Offences Against Women in 2021, Says Report.

He highlighted that this marks 75 years of the United States and Nepal's diplomatic relations and noted that Nepal's decision to move forward with the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) would allow the electricity transmission and roads project to create jobs, infrastructure, and improve the lives of the Nepali people," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a readout of the call.

Blinken agreed to strengthen efforts to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic and work toward addressing the climate crisis, Price said.

Nepal's Parliament last week ratified the contentious US-funded USD 500 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact along with an Interpretive Declaration a day ahead of the February 28 deadline set by Washington, ending months of debates, protests and polarisation in the Himalayan nation.

The MCC is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the US Congress in 2004. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID. Nepal's political parties were sharply divided on whether to accept the US grant assistance under the MCC agreement.

The MCC also dragged Nepal into a geopolitical game, with Beijing taking a jibe at Washington for providing a "gift" to Nepal with an ultimatum, for a second time in a week, firstly warning the US against using coercive diplomacy in Nepal.

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Mumbai, March 1: Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 23 in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering case involving underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim, has moved to the Bombay High Court against his arrest.

Malik in his plea has urged the Court to quash the PMLA case lodged by the central probe agency. He has also mentioned his plea that his arrest was illegal and sought to be released immediately.

Malik is in the ED custody till March 3. The ED had on February 18 arrested Dawood's brother Iqbal Kaskar in the matter. Salim Qureshi, an aide of Chhota Shakeel, was also interrogated in the matter. Maha Minister Nawab Malik Moves HC for Quashing of ED Case, Says His Arrest Illegal.

On February 3 the NIA had received an information that Dawood Ibrahim was raising terror funds and was working with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaeda (AQ). He was controlling criminal activities in India through his close aides.

The ED filed a PMLA case against Dawood. Another case was lodged against his brother Iqbal Kaskar, Iqbal Mirchi and 19 others. Later both the cases were merged by the ED.

The Central probe agency conducted nine raids and recovered incriminating documents from the premises of Dawood's aides. Chhota Shakeel's relative Salim Fruit told the probe agency that in 2006 he met Chhota Shakeel three to four times during his Pakistan visit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2022 11:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Maha Shivaratri is the annual festival honours Lord Shiva and is celebrated on the Chaturdashi Tithi in the dark phase of Magha month. Maha Shivaratri 2022 will be celebrated on March 1 and is sure to be filled with great festivities and observances. People often observe the stringent Maha Shivaratri fast, visit Shiv temples and offer flowers, milk and prayers to Lord Shiva. As we prepare to celebrate Maha Shivaratri 2022, here is everything you need to know about this celebration, Maha Shivaratri 2022 Date, How to celebrate Maha Shivaratri and its significance. Maha Shivratri 2022 Dos And Donts: From Vrat Rituals & Bhog to Mahamrityunjaya Mantra & Temple Visits, Auspicious Things to Do for Good Luck by Pleasing Lord Shiva.

When is Maha Shivaratri 2022?

Maha Shivaratri 2022 will be celebrated on March 1. This observance falls towards the end of winter and the beginning of spring every year. While each month has a Shivratri festival, Maha Shivaratri is considered to be the most important and biggest celebration of the year. Maha Shivratri is observed on the Krishan Paksha Chaturdashi of Magha month. Maha Shivratri 2022 Chaturdashi Tithi Begins at 03:16 AM on Mar 01, 2022, and will go on till 01:00 AM on Mar 02, 2022.

Maha Shivaratri 2022 Puja Timings

On the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri, people often observe a stringent fast and stay up all night praying to Lord Shiva and singing songs and aartis to appease him. The most important Puja to be conducted during Maha Shivratri is the Nishita Kaal Puja.

Nishita Kaal Puja Time - 12:26 AM to 01:00 AM, Mar 02

Ratri First Prahar Puja Time - 06:44 PM to 09:47 PM

Ratri Second Prahar Puja Time - 09:47 PM to 12:51 AM, Mar 02

Ratri Third Prahar Puja Time - 12:51 AM to 03:54 AM, Mar 02

Ratri Fourth Prahar Puja Time - 03:54 AM to 06:57 AM, Mar 02

How to Celebrate Maha Shivratri

Maha Shivratri celebrations are filled with various rituals and traditions. In addition to observing the stringent Maha Shivratri fast and staying up all night singing songs and aartis of Lord Shiva, devotees also visit popular Shiva temples on this day. Many people believe that showing Lord Shiva with milk on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri will help them appease Lord Shiva. The 12 Jyotirlings across India are often flooded with devotees annually on Maha Shivratri. Maha Shivratri celebration also differs in different parts of the country. In Kashmir Shaivism, the festival is called Har-Ratri or phonetically simpler Haerath or Herath by Shiva devotees of the Kashmir region.

It is interesting to note that in addition to grand celebrations in India, Maha Shivratri is also observed in various other parts of the world. In Nepal, it is a national holiday, and devotees often visit various well-known Shiva temples on this day. Hindus in various other parts of the world also celebrate Shivratri with great enthusiasm. Heres wishing everyone a Happy Maha Shivratri 2022.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2022 10:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Russian troops in Ukraine are attacking only military targets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday, commenting on the news that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, would launch a probe into possible war crimes in Ukraine, RT reported.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday that British troops would not engage against Russian forces in Ukraine, and that recent military reinforcements were taking place within the territories of NATO members. The measures are simply defensive and have been a part of NATO for over 70 years, he said in Estonia, where more British troops are deployed.

Check Tweet:

"We will not fight Russian forces in Ukraine," reports Reuters quoting British PM Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/50jbLSzhiH  ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2022

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OnePlus, the Chinese phone maker, reportedly announced at MWC 2022 event that it will launch the OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone in India and global markets this month. Though the company has not revealed the exact date of the launch, reports have claimed that it might debut by the end of March 2022. The Chinese phone maker also revealed that it plans to launch the most affordable smartphone in India and Europe later this year. OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G First Online Sale Today in India at 12 Noon, Check Offers Here.

In addition to this, OnePlus is also working on a smartphone that will support 150W SuperVOOC fast charging support. The device is likely to be launched by the second quarter of 2022. The 150W SuperVOOC fast charging technology will be developed by the Oppo Research Institute. The company claims that the upcoming charging technology will charge a 4,500mAh battery from 1 percent to 50 percent in just five minutes.

Moreover, the company will introduce a new retail model in the Indian market that will allow customers to order a product online and let them pick it up at retail stores. With the help of this new retail model, OnePlus aims to deliver the products to its Indian customers faster.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2022 11:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, March 1: The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday asked the stranded nationals to leave Kyiv immediately by any means as fighting has reached the Ukrainian capital city.

"All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," Indian embassy said in an advisory.

It is stated that Russian troops have reached Kyiv streets and aerial attacks are to begin. Early this morning, the embassy stated that the 400 students housed near the embassy since February 24 have successfully left Kyiv by train through Mission's efforts.

"Ensured movement of more than 1,000 Indian students from Kyiv towards Western borders," the embassy had stated. However, a few students were left in Kyiv. Now the embassy directed all Indian citizens to leave the city on an urgent basis. Indian Embassy in Ukraine Asks Citizens to Leave Kyiv Urgently As Conflict Escalates.

On Monday, the Indian embassy in Ukraine had informed stranded nationals that weekend curfew had been lifted in Kyiv and advised them to move towards the railway station.

"All students are advised to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western parts," said the embassy in a statement adding that for students stranded on the left side of Dnipro, there are metros and buses functioning which can be used to move to the train station for onward movement. Ukraine Railways is putting special trains for evacuations.

"We sincerely request all Indian nationals/students to remain calm, peaceful and united," the embassy stated. A large crowd can be expected at the railway stations, therefore, it is advised that all Indian students remain patient, composed and especially not to exhibit aggressive behaviours while at the railway stations. The embassy stated that stranded citizens could expect delays in trains' schedule, even cancellation at times and long queues. Russia-Ukraine War: Canada to Ban Import of Russian Crude Oil, Says PM Justin Trudeau.

Indian students are requested to carry their passports, sufficient cash, ready to eat meals, easy accessible winter clothing and only essential items, to ensure easy mobility. "Be mindful of your belongings at all times," the embassy stated. After the advisory, many students left Kyiv through trains.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2022 12:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, March 1: A Russian military convoy travelling towards the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has grown from being 17 miles long earlier on Monday to 40 miles, a satellite company has said, Daily Mail reported.

Maxar Technologies, a private US satellite company, also said additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units were seen in southern Belarus, less than 20 miles north of the Ukraine border.

Maxar said the convoy stretches from the Antonov airbase, 17 miles north of Kyiv's city center, to just north of the Ukrainian town of Pribyrsk. Pribyrsk is closer to the Ukraine-Belarus border and the failed nuclear reactor at Chernobyl than to Kyiv. On Sunday, Maxar had measured the convoy -- then near Ivankiv, Ukraine -- at roughly 3.5 miles long, Daily Mail reported. Russia-Ukraine War: US Coordinating with Allies to Seize Vladimir Putin's Assets, Says Senator Chris Murphy.

US intelligence officials told members of Congress on Monday that they expect a second overwhelming wave of attacks to engulf Kyiv. Two people told CNN that the briefing detailed how they expect the sheer numbers of Russian troops to flatten the Ukrainian resistance, the report said.

Another source told the channel that Russia was likely to lay siege to Kyiv, and predicted ugly scenes of urban warfare, Daily Mail reported. The line of vehicles is so extensive that it was not entirely captured in Monday's satellite imagery. In some areas, the vehicles are two to three rows deep.

It was not clear whether all vehicles in the convoy were headed for the same final destination, or whether the military forces would split up and encircle the capital. US intelligence believes around 75 per cent of Russian forces positioned on the borders with Ukraine are now inside the country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2022 12:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
California school mask mandate will no longer be required for children as California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the end of mask mandates, along with governors of Oregon and Washington.

The mask mandate will be turned into a recommendation instead of a requirement at most indoor places in California and at schools on March 12, regardless of vaccination status, according to The Press Democrat News report.

However, federal mask requirements will still apply in high-risk indoor settings such as public transportation, airport, and taxis.

California Playbook writer for POLITICO Jeremy B. White tweeted about the new developments in the COVID-19 mask mandate, while also mentioning that the school mask rule ends the same day as the midterm candidate filing deadline.

BREAKING: California's school mask mandate ends March 11.



Unvaccinated people no longer need to mask inside starting tomorrow.



In both cases, masks still recommended.



BTW: Highlighting the political stakes, school mask rule ends same day as midterm candidate filing deadline.  Jeremy B. White (@JeremyBWhite) February 28, 2022

Almost two years ago, California was the first state to announce a shutdown with stay-at-home orders in March 2020. The state's move was soon followed by other states.

READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits 2022: Schedule of March Benefits in California, EBT Cardholders Gets New Online Options

California School Mask Mandate

California officials highlighted that masks will be strongly recommended. However, it will no longer be required.

Mostly, the mask recommendation will be covering unvaccinated individuals in most indoor settings starting Tuesday.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, California's health, and human services secretary, said that today is an important date for California, with the decision driven by data and the science, according to the Los Angeles Times report. He added during a press briefing that the new guidance may "be received with some trepidation."

Ghaly said that they are acknowledging and giving communities time and space to make decisions based on thoughtful listening.

Lara Korte of The Sacramento Bee said that the parent-led group CA Parent Power thinks the March 12 date "is too late for schools to unmask."

Parent group @CAParentPower says the March 12 date is too late for schools to unmask.



"The statewide indoor mask mandate was lifted on February 15th, so it defies reason that California students have to wait an additional month to remove their masks if they choose."  Lara Korte (@lara_korte) February 28, 2022

The state's largest school system, Los Angeles Unified, will have to require masking at least through the end of the current school year, with its teacher union agreement in mind. However, district officials could bring the matter back to negotiations if they wish.

Author Steve Hilton tweeted that Santa Clara County public health director Sara Cody is extending the mask mandate despite California deciding to drop the requirement.

Santa Clara County public health director Sara Cody imposed the nation's first lockdown. now she's EXTENDING her mask mandate even though California dropped it



we're sick and tired of these unaccountable bureaucrats' unjustified, anti-science corona law. NEVER AGAIN   steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) February 22, 2022

Newsom said in a statement that California continues to adjust its policies based on the latest data and science while applying what they have learned over the past two years.

The California governor added that people cannot predict the future of the virus, but said that the state is better prepared for it and will continue to take measures founded by science, according to an ABC 7 News report.

COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in California

Last month, the state of California announced Sen. Richard Pan's introduction of a bill that would supersede Newsom's student COVID-19 vaccine mandate by removing the personal belief exemption, according to a Cal Matters news release.

The bill will require all children in kindergarten to 12th grade to get the shot by Jan. 1, 2023, with only students with rare medical exemptions could be excluded.

Lawmakers are also weighing introducing bills that would remove religious exemptions for health care workers and require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter almost all public spaces such as workplaces, schools, malls, museums, and restaurants.

California has given 71.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with 27.8 million being fully vaccinated and 70.4 percent of the population being fully vaccinated.

READ MORE: California Gov. Gavin Newsom OKs New Bill Allowing Residents to Sue Gun Makers, Citing Texas Abortion Law As Its Blueprint

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: California's School Mask Mandate To Be Lifted - from CBS Los Angeles






Lome, Togo (PANA) - Lome will host a summit on cybersecurity from 23-24 March, PANA learned on Tuesday from official sources in the Togolese capital
President Joe Biden and the White House assured on Monday that Americans should not worry about a nuclear war emerging amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Biden made his comments when he was asked during a White House briefing if the U.S. citizens should be concerned about a nuclear war breaking out, Reuters reported.

However, the U.S. chief executive blatantly answered "no" to the question raised at the end of the briefing.

Pres. Joe Biden's comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin placed his country's nuclear deterrent on high alert on Sunday as tension in the west escalates after they attacked Ukraine, per The Daily Mail.

The move from Russia was confirmed by its defense ministry on Monday to Interfax News Agency, claiming that their nuclear missile forces and Northern and Pacific fleets were placed on "enhanced combat duty," following the orders from President Putin, per Reuters.

READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden's Administration Handed China Intelligence on Russia's Invasion; China Told Russia the U.S. Intel: Report

White House Sees 'No Reason' to Change U.S. Nuclear Alert Level: Jen Psaki

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki seconded what President Joe Biden said about the nuclear war, as the U.S. has not yet changed its nuclear alert level despite Russia's move with their nuclear weapons.

Psaki underscored that they see "no reasons" to change U.S. alert levels at this time, adding that they are still "assessing President Putin's directive" as of the moment.

"We think provocative rhetoric like this is dangerous adds to the risk of miscalculation, should be avoided, and we'll not indulge in it," Psaki underscored.

Psaki also stressed that the U.S. and the other 30 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have no "appetite or desire" in having a conflict with Russia.

Meanwhile, an unnamed White House official also informed Reuters on Monday that the United States and Russia have "long agreed" that the use of nuclear weapons has "devastating consequences."

The concerns about the nuclear war eruption came after President Putin agreed on peace talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

On Monday, Defense Department Spokesperson John Kirby said that Putin dispatched 120,000 to 160,000 troops amassed at the border to deploy to Ukraine, aside from putting his country's nuclear weapons on "enhanced combat duty."

DSA Calls on U.S. to Leave NATO

Pres. Joe Biden's assurance about a nuclear war not happening came days after the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) called on the United States to withdraw from NATO amid the Russia Ukraine conflict.

"DSA reaffirms our calls for the US to withdraw from NATO and to end the imperialist, expansionism that set the stage for this conflict," DSA said in a statement, per New York Post.

DSA also pointed out that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will not be concluded by a war of "further intervention," adding that the tension needs an "anti-war response," including de-escalation, international cooperation, and opposition to unilateral coercive measures, per The Daily Mail.

Several politicians reacted to DSA's statement, demanding the U.S. to retract its alliance with NATO countries.

Staten Island Democratic Congressman Max Rose said in a tweet that he was "concerned" about DSA's plea.

Now is the time to double down on our alliances, particularly NATO, to send economic and military aid to Ukraine, and to comprehensively punish Russia with crippling and unprecedented sanctions.  Max Rose (@MaxRose4NY) February 27, 2022

"Now is the time to double down on our alliances, particularly NATO, to send economic and military aid to Ukraine," Rose noted, adding that Russia should be "comprehensively punished" with "crippling and unprecedented sanctions."

Well said, @MaxRose4NY! I adamantly oppose the DSA's statement calling on the US to leave NATO.



We must stand by NATO, stand with Ukraine, and stand up against Putin's bullying. https://t.co/L4GPiTEZo3  Tom Suozzi (@Tom_Suozzi) February 27, 2022

Meanwhile, Long Island Representative Tom Suozzi seconded Rose's statement saying that he "adamantly" oppose the DSA's plea.

READ NEXT: Bill Barr Slams Donald Trump in His New Book; Questions the Former President's Leadership, Credibility

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Russia-Ukraine conflict: Biden says he won't start another World War - From Global News
Mexican drug cartels have found a new source for procuring their new weapons from Central America as Mexico continues its effort on its lawsuit against top U.S. gun manufacturers.

A Sinaloa Cartel insider said that cartels are increasingly sourcing their weapons from Central America, adding that recent attempts by the Mexican government to stop the illegal routing of firearms to the country from the U.S. are "somewhat" affecting his business and cartel's ability to arm themselves, according to a Business Insider report.

The trafficker, known as El Guero, said that the government's actions are "slowing down our job." However, the Sinaloa Cartel insider said that they have not stopped at all.

The insider then said that they are finding new ways, such as the route from Central America.

El Guero said that it is now more common for sicarios or hitmen to use the Galil ACE, which is an Israeli rifle that is manufactured in Colombia.

Sicarios were associated with using foreign-made weapons such as the AK-47 and M16.

El Guero said that the Galil is not the best one, but that it does the job. The weapon is also known as the official arms for Mexican and Colombian law enforcement.

The cartel member said that they still get requests for AK-47s.

Meanwhile, Galil is the only rifle in Mexico that is not officially restricted to use by the army, which means that it is not automatically illegal to own one.

READ NEXT: El Chapo's Wife Emma Coronel Aispuro Moved to Texas Prison to Serve out Rest of Sentence for Taking Part in Sinaloa Cartel's Operation

Mexican Drug Cartels' Weapon Source

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2016 noted that 70 percent of guns seized in Mexico and traced by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives came from the U.S., from year 2009 to 2014.

The GAO noted that many guns are trafficked as different weapon parts that are put together once they are in Mexico, which made guns much more difficult to track, sometimes impossible, according to a Vox News report.

Groups such as the Jalisco Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel are arming themselves with military-grade weapons as shown in their propaganda videos.

A Washington Post report in 2020 noted that roughly 2.5 million illegal American guns have crossed the border in the past decade based on a Mexican government study.

Mexican officials are now pinning the blame on the U.S., saying it is America's failure to stop the flow of .50 caliber rifles across the border.

Mexico's Lawsuit Against Top U.S. Gun Manufacturers

Last August, Mexico filed a lawsuit claiming that the U.S. gun manufacturers undermined its strict gun laws by designing, marketing, and distributing military-style assault weapons in ways "they knew would arm drug cartels," drive up murder rates, as well as extortions, and kidnappings, according to a U.S. News report.

The companies argued that Mexico has failed to establish its harms were attributed to them and that a U.S. law protected gun makers from lawsuits over their product's misuse.

The companies were referring to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

Other defendants of the case include Beretta USA, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Colt's Manufacturing Co., and Glock Inc.

READ MORE: Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador 'New Era' of Politics, Family Scandal and Wealth

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Illegal firearms flowing into Mexico are made in the U.S. - from CGTN America






Authorities from Mexico started searching for bodies on Monday after reports of as many as 17 people who attended a wake in the Michoacan state were gunned down by an unknown Mexican drug cartel on Sunday.

According to Reuters, the shooting occurred in the town of San Jose de Gracia, a town located around 200 kilometers west of Morelia, the capital of Michoacan, Mexico.

Michoacan's Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) said that they sent a team composed of the National Guard and Mexican Army personnel upon receiving the reports of the shooting incident, per The Daily Mail.

However, authorities from the prosecutor's office noted that they only found bullet casings and cleaning materials, and the bodies were not found, BBC reported.

Local officials mentioned that as many as 17 people were gunned down by unknown cartel members, but the prosecutor's office has not yet confirmed any deaths.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Jalisco Cartel, Los Mezcales Cartel Engage in Bloody Spree That Saw Human Remains Left in Garbage Bag

Mexico Shooting: Probe Underway After 17 Reportedly Gunned Down by Mexican Drug Cartel

The investigation for the reported shooting in Mexico was also underway on Monday, aside from the search of the possible victims of the unknown members of the Mexican drug cartel in Michoacan state.

Forensic experts added that the scene appeared to "have just been cleaned" before their arrival, but the bullet casing they found, indicate that a shooting had taken place. Furthermore, the authorities also discovered two cars and a motorcycle with multiple bullet holes, BBC noted.

In addition, the Michoacan Chief Prosecutor's Office (FGE) said that the cleaning products were found inside a bag saying "site had recently been washed," per Reuters.

Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday urged the public to lengthen the patience as the FGE continue their investigation in "unearthing" the facts surrounding the shooting incident.

"We still don't have information," Lopez Obrador said during his daily morning press conference on Monday.

The Mexican president also expressed his hopes, saying that the alleged number of deaths during "was not true."

As of date, it is still unclear which Mexican drug cartel was responsible for the shooting.

However, The Daily Mail noted that the incident took place in an area where the Nueva Familia Michoacana gang, Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), and elements of the Knights Templar Cartel, carry out their illegal activities and engage in turf wars.

Mexico Shooting: Video Shows Fatal Incident that Reportedly Killed Wake Goers in Michoacan

The investigation and search for possible victims of the shooting came after a video surfaced online, showing the fatal incident involving the unknown Mexican Drug Cartel.

According to reports, the video showed the moment where the drug cartel pulled around 17 people from a wake in Michoacan, Mexico, and lined them up against the wall with their hands above their heads.

The video, which was recorded from a high vantage point, also showed several gunmen pointing their rifles at the mourners until the gunfire erupted.

Reuters noted that the video also showed the same spot on the street, however, the mourners can no longer be seen and there is only dust and smoke is rising in the air.

It is not the first time that mourners were taken as victims by Mexican drug cartels. BBC mentioned that earlier this month, at least nine mourners were killed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The said wake was for a man who had died in prison.

READ NEXT: Gulf Cartel Boss 'El Contador' Arrested in Mexico Near Texas Border, Warnings of Possible Retaliation From Members Issued

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Horrifying moment Mexican drug cartel thugs pull mourners from a wake - From The Daily Mail
Richelle Nice, one of the 12 jurors who convicted Scott Peterson in 2004, broke down in tears on the witness stand Monday while being grilled over whether she profited from the infamous murder case and purposely lied on a questionnaire to become a juror.

In their demand for a new trial, the New York Post reported that defense lawyers claimed that Nice has been biased against Peterson and lied to get on the jury.

Nice wrote several prison letters to Peterson while in San Quentin State Prison in California as a death row inmate. She also has co-written a book about the case with other jurors.

On her second day on the stand at San Mateo Superior Court in California, Nice became emotional when Peterson's lawyer, Pat Harris, asked her about one of the 17 letters she wrote to the convicted killer.

In that letter, Harris noted that Nice said she was upset that "others got rich" after the trial. However, it was not clear who the "others" were.

When asked about her alleged profiteering, Nice said: "I didn't get rich!" Two journalists, who covered the trial, reportedly wrote the book, and Nice noted that her participation was limited to answering the journalists' questions, and she has never read the book.

Nice's attorney, Geoff Carr, admitted that his client was sorry she sent those letters to Peterson, adding that Nice regretted doing that, ABC 7 News reported.

Nice then confirmed that she did write Peterson a letter, asking him "why men cheat," and told him about a boyfriend she had who had cheated on her.

Harris then probed Nice about her ex-boyfriends who cheated on her with other women. Nice said she punched the father of her children after she found out he was cheating.

Harris then told the judge that "Miss Nice seemed to be obsessed with Connor... Now, from her testimony about her ex cheating on her, this appears to be yet another thing that Miss Nice was obsessed (with)," Kron4 reported.

When Stanislaus County Chief Deputy District Attorney Dave Harris asked her why she started writing letters to Peterson, Nice said her therapist suggested it.

Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager noted that Nice was traumatized from seeing grisly evidence shown during Peterson's trial.

According to Mercury News, the exchange of letters with Nice, which were copied into court files, appeared to begin about six months after the trial ended, and Peterson wrote back eight times.

After some letters were printed in a magazine article, Peterson reportedly stopped responding to Nice's letters. Nice has denied selling those letters to "People" magazine.

READ NEXT: Scott Peterson Retrial Battle: Defense Attorneys Start Grilling Juror Richelle Nice Who Denies Bias During 2004 Trial

Scott Peterson Retrial Hearing

Last Friday, Richelle Nice maintained that she was not biased and did not lie about her past to become a juror on the case.

Nice testified that she had never been a victim of domestic violence as she was the one who had been the aggressor in a fight with her ex-boyfriend a couple of years ago before she even filled out a jury questionnaire and was picked to become a juror.

Nice is accused of "prejudicial misconduct" for not disclosing that she was the victim of domestic violence and had sought a restraining order in 2000 for fears that her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend would be a threat to her unborn baby.

Peterson's lawyers claimed that Nice had kept the details of her personal life that could have been a conflict during his initial trial.

Nice testified under a grant of immunity from prosecutors so she could testify on the stand without fear of self-incrimination after she had threatened to plead the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions.

In seeking a restraining order against her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend while she was pregnant in 2000, Nice wrote that she "really fears for her unborn child" due to threats from the woman.

Nice on Friday tried to clarify that her fears were about the potential for a fight that could result in losing her child and not a "genuine fear" that someone would actually hurt her child with any specific intent aimed toward the kid.

"She didn't threaten my baby," Nice noted, referring to her former boyfriend's ex-girlfriend.

On the other hand, Peterson's lawyers said the 2000 case is relevant to whether Nice was accurate when she filled out the juror questionnaire.

Peterson's lawyers questioned Nice about stating "no" in the questionnaire whether she had "ever been involved in a lawsuit."

They reminded her that the 2000 matter, in technicality, was a lawsuit. The former juror said she did not know her request for a protection order qualified as a lawsuit, and she "made amends" with the woman she accused and dropped her appeal.

In sworn testimony on Friday and Monday, Nice insisted that she was truthful on the jury questionnaire despite answering improperly.

Scott Peterson Murder Case

Scott Peterson was first convicted in 2004 of first-degree murder concerning his wife and of second-degree murder of their unborn son, Conner. He was sentenced to death in 2005.

The 49-year-old suspect remained on death row until 2020, when the California Supreme Court had overturned his death sentence after finding that Peterson's jury was improperly screened for bias against the death penalty.

In its ruling, the California Supreme Court said a judge would decide the matter in San Mateo County Superior Court.

Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo now has the authority to overturn the suspect's conviction and grant him a retrial. She will reportedly base her decision on testimony from several witnesses at the hearing.

After the conclusion of the hearing, the judge will have 90 days to decide if she will grant Peterson's request for a new trial.

Peterson was arrested in La Jolla, California on April 18, 2003 - the same day the two decomposed bodies washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay were identified as Laci Peterson and Conner.

Investigators discovered that Peterson was having an affair with massage therapist Amber Frey at the time of his wife's disappearance.

Frey told investigators that Scott Peterson told her that he was not married, and she admitted that they had a romantic relationship. Prosecutors argued that the affair was Peterson's motive to kill his wife, allowing him to be with Frey.

READ MORE: Scott Peterson Retrial Update: Here Are the Key Witnesses Who Have Been Called to Testify at Evidentiary Hearing

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WATCH: Scott Peterson's Retrial Hearing Continues Monday - From CBS Sacramento






Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement after Joe President Biden announced his nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, following Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement at the end of this term: "Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is extremely qualified, with a strong record of being evenhanded and fair. I am proud to support her to be our next Supreme Court Justice."

READ NEXT: Sen. Martin Heinrich Statement on Russian Invasion of Ukraine

"As a well-respected public servant, Judge Jackson has authored hundreds of legal opinions addressing everything from national security and government transparency to civil rights. She has over ten years of experience on the federal bench and, before that, practicing law in the criminal justice system. Judge Jackson has received bipartisan support in the Senate confirmation process three times, and is the first nominee with significant defense experience since Thurgood Marshall.

"Filling this vacancy on the Supreme Court comes at a pivotal moment for our country, with fundamental constitutional rights and freedoms on the line. I take my duty to consider President Biden's nominee very seriously and I hope all of my colleagues in the Senate will too."

Read the White House's biography for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson by clicking here.

About Martin Heinrich

Elected in 2012, Martin Heinrich is a United States Senator for New Mexico. Heinrich serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources, Armed Services, Intelligence, and Joint Economic Committees. He is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

READ MORE: Sen. Martin Heinrich Offers Well Wishes to Sen. Ben Ray Lujan Who Suffered a Stroke
A father killed his three children and another person before he committed suicide inside a church in California on Monday, authorities said.

Fox News reported that the shooting incident happened at around 5 p.m. at a church in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood of Sacramento.

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office said David Fidel Mora-Rojas shot his three daughters, ages 9, 10 and 13, and their chaperone before he killed himself during a supervised visit.

Police noted that other congregants or church employees were also on the scene when the shooting took place. The Independent reported that officials did not disclose the fourth victim's identity.

Sgt. Rod Grassmann of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office told Associated Press that an employee of The Church In Sacramento called 911 after hearing the gunshots.

READ NEXT: California School Mask Mandate: When Will Mask Requirements Officially End?

California Church Shooting: Victims Dead on the Scene

Officers from the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, and the California Highway Patrol were reportedly on the scene of the shooting. A SWAT team was also present.

Officers said the shooting was contained inside a church. However, details about how many were present in the church were not specified.

Authorities said those killed were pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators believe the incident was domestic violence-related. Grassmann noted that the type of gun used in the shooting was still not known at this time.

According to reports, the father was estranged from the children's mother, who had a restraining order against him. Police said they would send a chaplain to deliver the news once the mother was located.

According to its online calendar on its website, The Church In Sacramento has no listed events for Monday. Authorities still did not know if the family members belonged to the church.

Several officials commented after the shooting inside the church in California. In a tweet, California Governor Gavin Newsom called the incident a "senseless act of gun violence."

"Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and their communities," Newsom said, adding that they are working "closely" with local law enforcement.

Another senseless act of gun violence in America - this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating.



Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities.



We are working closely with local law enforcement.  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 1, 2022

Sacramento Councilman Eric Guerra called the incident a "mass casualty shooting event." Guerra warned the public to be on "alert while in the area as local law enforcement responds."

Please be aware and on the look out. Local law enforcement are responding to a mass casualty shooting event in the county at a church on 2041 Wyda way. Please be alert while in the area as local law enforcement responds.   Eric Guerra (@EricZGuerra) March 1, 2022

Another Murder-Suicide Incident in California

Late last month, a man and a woman were found dead inside a home located on the 400 block of East E Street in Benicia, California, Times Herald reported.

According to the Solano County Coroners Office and the Benicia Police Department, Thomas Hartnett, 55, shot Gina Downing, 54, and killed her instantly. Four minutes later, Hartnett shot himself in the head. The case remains under investigation.

This murder-suicide incident marked the first homicide for Benicia in more than a decade.

READ MORE: Mexico Shooting: Search for Bodies Underway After Reports of 17 People from Michoacan State Were Gunned Down by Mexican Drug Cartel

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Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: 5 Dead After Shooting at Church in Arden-Arcade - From ABC 10
The government of Mexico on Monday demanded an "ample and expedited" investigation into the killing of three Mexican nationals in Arizona.

The Hill reported that the bodies of two men and one teen boy were found in an empty lot near a residential neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona on February 20 with apparent signs of trauma.

Mexico Condemns Deaths of 3 Mexican Nationals in Arizona

In a statement, Mexico's Foreign Ministry has condemned the deaths of Abimael Jimenez Morenos, 16, Isauro Martinez Dominguez, 21, and Herminio Perez Ramirez, 28, which Phoenix Police is investigating as homicides.

Phoenix Police and the Mexican consulate said the three victims were originally from Mexico's southern state of Oaxaca.

According to Phoenix Police Sgt. Philip Krynsky, the investigation remains active. The Consulate of Mexico in Phoenix was already in contact with the victims' families to assist them in repatriating the bodies to Mexico.

Police said the cause of death and if the deaths were related have yet to be determined.

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Phoenix Residents Admit Concerns After Deaths of 3 Mexican Nationals

According to KTAR, police were called about an injured person in a vacant lot near 99th Avenue and Mobile Lane in Phoenix, Arizona at around 1:35 p.m. on February 20.

Officers discovered the remains of the three Mexican nationals when they arrived and said they bore "obvious signs of trauma."

The incident alarmed residents in the area, who admitted to being concerned. Only one street separates the field, where the remains were found, to a subdivision where many families reside with small children.

Resident George Zak told ABC15 Tuesday that they moved to Phoenix's Estrella Village for the view, and it used to be a really quiet place.

He walked the ABC15 crew along a dirt path to the area where investigators discovered the bodies of three men. However, he did not want to get too close, saying that this "kind of stuff just kind of gets to you."

Another resident, Ray Castaneda, also told the outlet that it was a scary situation since they live in a family community.

"We have a lot of children playing in the area and, all of a sudden less than 100 feet away, finding bodies is kind of scary," he noted. Castaneda continued that his family would now be looking into buying and installing security cameras.

Officers previously spoke to residents in the area and told them that the homicide was not connected to the neighborhood, Arizona's Family reported. Homeowners' Associations president Sue Smith expressed relief after hearing it.

"It's scary, no one wants this to happen around their community," Smith said. "I'm thankful it didn't have anything to do with our community specifically."

The Phoenix Police Department asked anyone with information to contact them or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS/480-TESTIGO.

READ MORE: Ukraine Vice PM Asks Elon Musk for Starlink Help Amid Russia Crisis, SpaceX Boss Gives Perfect Response!

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Teenager, 2 Men Found Dead in Vacant Phoenix Lot, Police Say - From Fox 10 Phoenix
On February 28, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a seminal report presenting the most comprehensive scientific overview to date of the climate impacts that communities around the world are suffering, due to the ongoing exploitation of fossil fuels.

READ NEXT: 350.org Urges Senate to Confirm Biden's Slate of Federal Reserve Nominees

May Boeve, Executive Director of 350.org, said: "This IPCC report proves the cause of the problem; fossil fuels did this. But there is also good news, we know precisely how to reclaim our futures from the fossil fuel industry: by pushing financial institutions to cut off funding, and closing the doors for Big Oil. Now is the time to support community-led solutions that are sprouting up the world over."

The IPCC's findings, signed off by 195 governments, will show that the most marginalized and vulnerable people are already being hit hardest by a range of devastating climate impacts from wildfires to flooding.

In response, 350.org and climate activists around the world are taking action to reclaim their future by launching a series of offline and online actions to keep fossil fuels in the ground and build a sustainable future for all.

Climate Actions

Climate actions begin on February 27 and run until March 25 with a global climate strike organized by Fridays for Future. These actions will include*:

Indonesia : campaigners will paint a mural outside of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) with the message #FossilFuelsDidThis and images of climate impacts caused by BNI financing of Fossil Fuel projects

: campaigners will paint a mural outside of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) with the message #FossilFuelsDidThis and images of climate impacts caused by BNI financing of Fossil Fuel projects Africa : across many African countries activists will hold actions to highlight the need for urgency on adaptation and mitigation against climate change. Key targeted actions will include governments, financial institutions and the fossil fuel industry, and will call for a just transition away from fossil fuels.

: across many African countries activists will hold actions to highlight the need for urgency on adaptation and mitigation against climate change. Key targeted actions will include governments, financial institutions and the fossil fuel industry, and will call for a just transition away from fossil fuels. Brazil : students and environmental activists will challenge the fossil fuel lobby by marching to demand climate action in the capital city of the state that is in the heart of the country's coal extraction region.

: students and environmental activists will challenge the fossil fuel lobby by marching to demand climate action in the capital city of the state that is in the heart of the country's coal extraction region. Pacific : Pacific Climate Warriors are building "Solar TekPaks", providing emergency energy to communities across the region.

: Pacific Climate Warriors are building "Solar TekPaks", providing emergency energy to communities across the region. Germany : climate activists will stage actions targeting Deutsche Bank, putting a spotlight on the bank's financing of fossil fuel projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, and 'presenting' the bank with the IPCC report.

: climate activists will stage actions targeting Deutsche Bank, putting a spotlight on the bank's financing of fossil fuel projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, and 'presenting' the bank with the IPCC report. France : there will be a march for Climate Justice with Ugandan campaigners targeting TotalEnergies and their support for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.

: there will be a march for Climate Justice with Ugandan campaigners targeting TotalEnergies and their support for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Canada : a Day of Action for a Just Transition Act will highlight the urgent need for this Act as first pledged by Justin Trudeau three years ago, to support workers as we accelerate the shift to away from fossil fuels.

: a Day of Action for a Just Transition Act will highlight the urgent need for this Act as first pledged by Justin Trudeau three years ago, to support workers as we accelerate the shift to away from fossil fuels. U.S.: Online social media actions using hashtag #fossilfuelsdidthis.

Online social media actions using hashtag #fossilfuelsdidthis. Online:

Launch of the International People's platform for Climate Justice (IPCJ) - a space to gather and highlight stories of resistance and people powered solutions in the face of climate impacts (launching 2nd of March).

Series of webinars to build and strengthen the movement targeting Deutsche Bank and its continued financing of destructive fossil fuel projects around the world, like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.

Online actions to build power for the cross-regional climate coalition tackling TotalEnergies and its support for fossil fuel projects like fracking in Vaca Muerta (Argentina) and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.

Across the Globe 350.org is helping to build a movement to tackle dirty fossil fuel financiers like Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, Mitsubishi UFG, or Standard Chartered that continue to fund projects like the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline and fracking in Vaca Muerta, Argentina.

READ MORE: 350.org Responds to Powell Confirmation Hearing, Climate Stress Tests
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A powerful new Gay Pride street mural has been unveiled in a Laois town.

The mural depicts a fist holding a multicoloured flag to depict solidarity and strength for the LGBT community, and was painted by Portarlington based graffiti artist ADW.

Installed to mark the first birthday of the Midlands LGBT+ Project support group, it is located in Portlaoise on the gable end of a launderette in Lyster Square, at the entrance to Meehan Court.

It was officially unveiled on Monday, February 28 by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman.

"I was delighted to visit Portlaoise to officially unveil a stunning mural in celebration of the first year of the Midlands LGBT+ Project. I want to congratulate the work of the Midlands LGBT+ Project over the past 12 months in supporting members of the LGBT+ community through the pandemic.

"My Department is supporting the expansion of the Project into Offaly and Kildare, and Im delighted that many more people will be able to enjoy the welcoming sense of belonging and acceptance that is encouraged by the Midlands LGBT+ Project," the Green Party Minister said.

Christina Fitzharris is the Coordinator of the Midlands LGBT+ Project.

There is no doubt that this service is vital to support isolated LGBT+ people in the Midlands and this mural is a beautiful depiction of how strong and proud we are of our LGBT+ Community in Laois, she said.

The Youth Work Ireland Laois Regional Director is Clive Davis.

We are delighted to see a visual representation of the LGBT+ Community within Laois and we are so proud of The Midlands

LGBT+ Project for the work they have done to maximise awareness within the region since their inception last year, Clive said.

ADW's stunning large scale artwork is popping up all over Laois with other works commissioned including the 'into the West' mural in Portarlington, and a huge community mural in Rathdowney.

Midlands LGBT+ Project is helping to reduce isolation among LGBT+ people in the Midlands. It was established in February 2021 as a support and advocacy service for LGBT+ people in Laois and has grown in that time from one support group to almost ten monthly groups and over 100 service users in Laois, Offaly and Kildare.

Minister O'Gorman's Green Party colleague, Minister Pippa Hackett also attended the launch.

"On what is such a positive day for the Midlands LGBT+ community, collaboration was very much at the centre of the celebrations. We were told that today is about collaboration within a community, and for people who have for too long experienced isolation and exclusion, it is so important to have a place like Midlands LGBT+. It is clear that this project is changing lives for the better," she said.

The mural was funded by Healthy Ireland Laois to promote LGBT+ awareness and visibility. Emma OConnor is the Healthy Laois Coordinator.

The Healthy Ireland Framework introduces a vision where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing to their full potential, where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society and is everyones responsibility. This Mural captures this vision and as the Healthy Laois Co-Ordinator I welcome the opportunity to be involved in this Project, she said.

Laois County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Conor Bergin visited the mural.

I welcome this important health and wellbeing initiative, that supports our local LGBT+ citizens. One of the key objectives of the Healthy Laois Plan is that all people are supported to develop and maintain their mental and physical health. Art and especially public art has an important role to play in supporting positive mental health. Mural art can be the first point of contact for someone who is struggling. It is important that we value it and I am delighted to support

this initiative, he said.

Joe Thompson was there on behalf of Laois Local Community Development Committee.

Since Healthy Laois commenced in 2018, actions have been devised to target specific and diverse groups in the promotion of health and physical activity. This Mural is the result of working with our local LGBT+ Citizens and key service providers and I congratulate all involved, he said.
Russian media sites appeared to have been hacked in a cyber attack by Anonymous, with a message warning readers of certain death for troops in Ukraine.

The home page for Fontanka, a news outlet based in St Petersburg, was replaced with text reading Putin makes us lie and urging citizens to stop this madness.

The apparent attack also temporarily brought down other sites including state-owned news agency Tass and daily newspaper Kommersant.

Fontanka and Tass were running normally again shortly after midday while Kommersant appeared to remain offline.

The message on Fontaka read in full: Dear citizens. We urge you to stop this madness, do not send your sons and husbands to certain death. Putin makes us lie and puts us in danger.

We were isolated from the whole world, they stopped buying oil and gas. In a few years we will live like in North Korea. What is it for us?

To put Putin in the textbooks? This is not our war, lets stop it! This message will be deleted, and some of us will be fired or even jailed. But we cant take it anymore.

Indifferent journalists of Russia.

It bore the mark of Anonymous, the activist collective known for cyber attacks against some governments and corporations.

It came after a post on the groups Twitter page declared cyber war against the Russian government following its invasion of Ukraine.

Other posts on Saturday evening announced the collective had taken down the Russian government website and hacked Russian state TV to broadcast the reality of what is happening in Ukraine.
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A referendum on inserting a right to housing into the Constitution could be held next year, the housing minister has said.

Darragh OBrien said that it is important to hold a referendum as it would underpin peoples housing rights.

It comes as members of the Housing Commission held their first in-person meeting on Tuesday.

John OConnor, chairman of the commission, said it has established a referendum subcommittee to consider the constitutional issues and to propose appropriate wording which would be put to the public.

Minister @DarraghOBrienTD met with @HouCommission this morning and has welcomed the establishment of a subcommittee to consider constitutional issues and propose appropriate wording to be put to the people in a referendum.  Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage (@DeptHousingIRL) March 1, 2022

The commission has been given a budget of 700,000.

The subcommittee is chaired by Alibhe ONeill, a barrister and constitutional expert, and include members Patricia King, the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Pat Doyle, the chief executive of the Peter McVerry Trust and former chief justice Frank Clarke, among others.

The Commission aims to submit its proposals on a referendum by the end of the year.

Mr OBrien said that the commission is undertaking important work.

Weve appointed, in my view, a very diverse commission, and people with lots of experience in different areas of housing, he added.

This was a key commitment in the Programme for Government.

I want this government to be the one that looks longer term on housing.

Were dealing with the short and medium term issues around affordability, homelessness, and social housing through Housing For All, but we need to look further about what should a stable housing sector in Ireland look like.

How it should serve its people, and how we should look at the regulations and the laws that underpin it.

A very important step forward that the Commission has taken is to establish the subcommittee to look at the referendum on housing.

As someone who was involved in the negotiations on the Programme for Government, a key commitment there is that this government will hold a referendum on housing.

Under the chairpersonship of Alibhe, with a very good subcommittee, the Commission is going to work through our options and report back to government before the end of the year.

Mr OConnor said: The Commission on housing is looking at the future of housing and creating a long term, sustainable housing housing system.

Twelve members have been appointed to the commission and they have an independent mandate to look at what we need to do.

Welcome to the The Housing Commission In this video our Chair @JohnOConnr introduces who we are and what we aim to achieve Visit our website to learn more https://t.co/aCVUxWZNMThttps://t.co/5da6SNhhBJ@DeptHousingIRL @merrionstreet#HousingCommission #HousingIreland  The Housing Commission (@HouCommission) March 1, 2022

Housing is a home for people and a place where people take part in their community and we really need a sustainable system where we have affordable housing, both for renting and purchasing.

Everybody in society can be part of our society and have affordable homes.

The Commission will be looking at the long-term housing system in the country and how do we get to that sustainable system.

One thing we announced is the setting up of a subcommittee on the referendum on housing in relation to housing rights.

Mr OConnor said inserting a constitutional right to housing puts an obligation on politicians to address the rights of Irish people, and Governments are held accountable to meeting those rights.

It doesnt mean that people will get keys in the morning and everybody is to be provided with a home, but it means theres an actual obligation for us to do that, he added.
Ireland can become a significant player in global hydrogen energy, a German official has told an Oireachtas committee.

However, politicians also heard that the country could not afford to miss climate targets if it wanted to meet this potential.

The Oireachtas Environment and Climate Action Committee met today (Tuesday March 1) to discuss the future of energy policy in Ireland, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine raises serious questions about the supply of oil and gas in Europe.

The conflict was referenced at the opening of the committee, as Kate Dempsey from the Irish-German Hydrogen Council warned: Only last week conflict raised the cost of oil to over $105 a barrel.

The energy crisis is worsening not just environmentally but economically and socially.

Politicians heard of the major potential for a future German-Irish partnership on sustainable energy, particularly in the growing green hydrogen industry.

Green hydrogen is an energy source generated using renewable or low-carbon means.

Dr Stefan Kaufmann, from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, told TDs and senators that his recent visit to Ireland proved to him that the country has the potential to be a significant player in the world of hydrogen.

Pointing to the energy potential from Irelands position on the edge of the Atlantic, he said: It is my belief that hydrogen could herald a new era of German-Irish partnership in the energy sector.

As an island nation, one of Irelands greatest challenges is delivering the excess hydrogen it will produce to markets in mainland Europe.

My department is currently preparing a proposal to conduct a study in partnership with Ireland on an end-to-end study on delivering Irish green hydrogen from Irelands producers to German ports or the European mainland. 

Last year, three new hydrogen-powered zero emissions buses were launched by the Government.

It was the first scheme of its kind in Ireland.

Yet the committee also heard that it could not be guaranteed that Ireland would reach its ambitious carbon targets.

Noel Cunniffe, from Wind Energy Ireland, warned: Our Climate Action Plan targets are at serious risk.

We must cut our carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes per annum by 2030. We cannot  I say again  we cannot achieve this without 5,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy connected to the system. 

He said that the problem was not the lack of projects being developed.

We have the projects. We have the investment. We have the teams who can deliver.

But he said that politicians needed to focus on delivery.

We are losing time. We can and will develop offshore wind farms. But whether we will develop enough to meet our 5,000 megawatt target by 2030, and to cut carbon emissions in the power sector to under two million tonnes, depends on what our political leaders  both in Government and in Opposition  do next.

Dr James Carton, an expert in sustainable energy and hydrogen at Dublin City University, called for a new hydrogen strategy.

Decarbonising can support rural & coastal development and jobs, it can enhance our energy security and keep our homes warm and cities clean. To accelerate and achieve the full potential of Irelands offshore wind resource we need green hydrogen sooner rather than later, he said.

Jim Dollard, from ESB, said he was speaking as a generator of electricity.

He agreed that Ireland has a rare opportunity to create a global offshore wind industry.

Seizing this opportunity, he said, could be transformational.

The capability to create and store green hydrogen is a critical step in delivering a net zero society  the ability to store clean energy from renewables which can be used when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining.

It has the potential to also create a domestic and export green hydrogen industry.

In seizing this opportunity, it will require a series of concerted actions from the wider energy industry and the state both now and progressively over the coming decade.

Politicians also heard repeated concerns about whether the Irish planning system was capable of coping with applications for off-shore wind farms.

The committee heard that people have been left waiting nearly two years for a survey of off-shore sites.

Justin Moran, the Director of External Affairs at Wind Energy Ireland, told the committee: We are not going to deliver the on-shore projects, the off-shore projects, we are not going to deliver the green hydrogen projects, unless we have a planning system that enables us to do so.

It takes about 18 to 24 months just to get a survey licence, just to carry out surveys for environmental data and research that I can use to put together a planning permission. The equivalent in Britain is about 18 to 24 weeks.

Mr Dollard also told politicians that the moment is ripe to invest in the industry, with no country clearly leading the field in hydrogen.

He also said warned that Scotland will be a key competitor for Ireland, with both natural and industrial advantages.

But he said: I think we have a vast resource off the west and south coast. That is a huge competitive position for us.

Adding to this, Mr Carton said that Germany and the Netherlands would be countries that Ireland should aspire to in terms of a hydrogen strategy.

But he warned that, amid all the talk of exports, that the Irish economy should focus on the domestic market first.

First and foremost, we need to think of export as something that we can do, we should build up to, we should develop our strategy to enable that, but we need to decarbonise our economy and our industry first.
Registrations are now open for National Spring Clean 2022, calling all communities in county Laois to register for Irelands largest and longest anti-litter campaign and make a tangible impact on our environment.

National Spring Clean is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Mars Wrigley Ireland.

The National Spring Clean traditionally takes part in the month of April. For the past 23 years 85,000 clean-ups have been organised with volunteers dedicating a total of 12 million hours to remove around 42,000 tonnes of litter across the country. National Spring Clean 2021 was the biggest and the longest campaign so far, taking place between March and August, and despite the current situation and restrictions at the start of the year, 5,543 groups registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the country and collected an estimated 3,000 tonnes of litter around Ireland.

In 2021 700 Laois volunteers participated in organised clean-ups to show their support to the National Spring Clean.

This year, building on the success of previous years, the hope is to make the National Spring Clean campaign the biggest yet.

The National Spring Clean programme is inviting people to visit the website at www.nationalspringclean.org to request a free clean-up kit.

While waiting for the National Spring Clean to officially kick off, the programme is also inviting communities around Ireland to join other initiatives. For example, volunteers are invited to take part in the #2minutestreetclean campaign and join the conversation on social media (details in the editors note). Furthermore, to celebrate Womens Day, the National Spring Clean programme will be sharing on social media stories of women who have made a positive impact on our environment and is calling people in county Laois to share their own stories about women volunteers.

The National Spring Clean is also an opportunity for volunteers to take local actions to make a change at a global scale. As a matter of fact, over the last couple of years, the National Spring Clean has also been trying to raise awareness about another crucial issue: the link between litter and climate change  the biggest environmental challenge of our time  and highlight how combined local actions can have a global effect. Our consumption patterns and how we dispose and treat our waste has a substantial impact on the levels of emissions of several greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, said:

An Taisces National Spring Clean is a real testament to the work of volunteers all over the country. These volunteers continue to organise local clean-ups every year. The past two years have proven difficult because of the necessary Covid restrictions, but this year represents a real opportunity for people to get together and help clean up our countryside. I would urge people to get involved and I would like to acknowledge the key role played by An Taisce in overseeing the campaign. My Department will continue to provide support to the campaign and I look forward to the many events that will be held countrywide.

National Spring Clean, Chairperson, Michael John OMahony, commented:

We have all been through some unprecedented times over the last two years. We all became more aware than ever before of our local areas. Participants continued to undertake great work for National Spring Clean in family bubbles or as individuals during these times. However, we can now look forward to working together again as larger groups and communities and celebrate the success together.

Mars Wrigley Ireland Corporate Affairs Manager, Nicola Forde stated:

Mars Wrigley Ireland are delighted to once again support National Spring Clean 2022. We have been working on litter reduction in Ireland for over fifteen years and while great progress has been made in that time there is a need for constant vigilance to ensure old habits dont return. National Spring Clean is a great way to raise awareness and reinforce positive behaviours.

ABOUT NATIONAL SPRING CLEAN

The National Spring Clean campaign Ireland is largest and longest running anti-litter campaign. It is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce and sponsored by the Mars Wrigley Company. It is supported by Local Authorities who help co-ordinate clean-up activities for communities within their counties and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Local authorities also provide for the disposal of all rubbish and waste materials collected.

Over the past 23 years, through the National Spring Clean:

Over 85,000 clean-ups have been organised

42,000 tonnes of litter have been removed

12 million hours of work have been put in by volunteers

What we can do outside the month of April

While the National Spring Clean usually runs through the month of April, please remember that personal actions throughout the year are very important too. Here are some choices we can make daily to make a positive change:

When you are out for a walk, visiting a park or a beach, do a quick #2minutestreetclean or a #2minutebeachclean

Avoid single-use plastic when possible, by choosing more sustainable alternatives, such as reusable bottles and coffee cups, cotton bags, metal straws, etc

Avoid single-use plastic when possible, by choosing more sustainable alternatives, such as reusable bottles and coffee cups, cotton bags, metal straws, etc Dont litter and if a bin is overflowing, keep your waste until you find a waste to dispose of it properly

If you cant reduce or reuse, recycle; know where and how to recycle all types of waste.

Recent statistics show that, in Ireland, discarded cigarette butts make up for 60% of litter on the streets. Always bin your butt!

Make sure to bin your chewing gum when youre done to avoid a 150 gum littering fine and keep our streets clean!

More on SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: @ NationalSpringClean

Twitter: @NationalSpringC

Instagram: @nationalspringclean

YouTube: National Spring Clean

HASHTAGS

#SpringClean22 #2minutestreetclean
A collection of Top 25 Dementia Books, as compiled by Irelands librarians is being made available in libraries across Laois.

The development of the specially curated selection offers a range of perspectives on life with the disease and follows on a need identified by people with dementia and their loved ones for greater information and support. It has been created in partnership with colleagues from the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, Dublin (DSIDC).

Through an initiative of the Healthy Ireland at Your Library programme, and supported by the Dementia: Understand Together campaign, led by the HSE, the books are now available in libraries across Laois, including Abbeyleix, Ballylinan, Borris-in-Ossory, Durrow, Mountmellick, Mountrath, Portarlington, Portlaoise, Rathdowney and Stradbally.

The collection features an eclectic mix of titles on the subject of dementia, from slowing the onset of the disease to ways to improve our brain health, from first-hand accounts of people living with dementia to ways to improve life through nutrition, music, the arts, and more.

The introduction of the collection has been supported by the delivery of dementia awareness training. The training, delivered by the DSIDC, provided information on the different types of dementia and their symptoms. It also gave information and advice on creating a supportive environment and how best to assist and communicate with the person with dementia when visiting the library.

On behalf of public libraries, Colette Byrne, Chair of the Libraries Development Committee of the Local Government Management Agency, said: We are delighted to announce details of this list of Top 25 Dementia Books which we hope readers will find both useful and engaging. It wasnt easy to settle on our final 25 and, with new books arriving all the time, we will continue to review and add to our listing as appropriate. These books speak to the experiences not only of doctors, psychologists, carers, but, most importantly, of people with dementia. We look forward to sharing our insights on the different books and to pointing readers in the right direction of the most suitable titles depending on the particular interest they might have.

Its all part of the Healthy Ireland at Your Library programme which is about providing enhanced health and well-being book collections, and a range of programmes and events, to support people in managing their own health.

For Fiona Foley, National Co-ordinator, Dementia: Understand Together in the Communities, libraries offer a key resource in supporting people with dementia to live full and active lives: If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that we are social creatures and that social interaction is a vital part of our health and well-being. It is no different for people with dementia. Unfortunately, people with the condition may experience stigma and retreat from social interaction as a result of this.

"This can lead to isolation and feelings of loneliness for the person with dementia, their families and supporters. While this predates the pandemic, it is nowadays a feeling that we can all perhaps relate to. That is why this new initiative by Irelands libraries is so fantastic in extending a warm welcome to people with dementia to their local library as part of an inclusive community, and in providing training to staff to make the service as supportive and accessible as possible.

Finding out as much as possible about dementia, the supports available, the importance of staying socially active and keeping your brain exercised, can all help your health, well-being, and quality of life. The development of this Top 25 Dementia Book listing offers people who want to find out more about dementia a treasure trove of insights and suggestions, she said.

If you or a loved one is worried about symptoms of dementia, you can speak to a dementia adviser at The Alzheimer Society of Ireland on Freefone 1800 341 341 (Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm). For details of the Top 25 Dementia Books, as well as information on supports available, including a county-by-county service-finder, visit www.understandtogether.ie.

There is an estimated 962 people living with dementia in Laois and each year more than 11,000 people develop the disease across the country  thats around 30 people every day.

Approximately 64,000 people are living with dementia in Ireland today and this number is expected to more than double to over 150,000 by 2045. There are many forms of dementia, with the most common being Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia, mixed Alzheimers disease/vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and Lewy body disease.

Top 25 Dementia Books, as collated by Irelands Librarians and DSIDC

100 Days to a Younger Brain by Dr Sabina Brennan: features details of 100 programmes aimed at improving brain health, including information needed to empower you to make informed choices every day about your sleeping, eating and lifestyle habits.

A Pocket Guide to Understanding Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias by Dr James Warner and Dr Nori Graham: this book helps to demystify these conditions and gives practical advice on how those with dementia and those supporting them can be better placed to cope.

Adaptive Interaction and Dementia by Dr Maggie Ellis and Prof. Arlene Astell: how non-verbal techniques can help the person with dementia to remain in touch with the social world.

And Still the Music Plays  Stories of People with Dementia, by Graham Stokes: featuring 22 compelling stories, this book draws on his memories of people with dementia whom he has met in his work as a clinical psychologist to bring us all a greater understanding of the condition and why some behave in the way that they do.

The Caregiver's Encyclopedia by Muriel R Gillick: provides the reader with all of the information needed to take the best care of the person you support, from making major medical decisions to making sure you don't burn out.

Communication Skills for Effective Dementia Care by Ian A. James and Laura Gibbons: this insightful book teaches the skills needed by healthcare staff in their day-to-day interactions with people with dementia and their families.

Contented Dementia by Oliver James: features a ground-breaking and practical method for supporting the person with dementia that will allow them to maintain the highest possible quality of life by creating links between past memories and the routine activities of daily life in the present.

Coping with Mild Cognitive Impairment by Mary Jordan: offers strategies for concerned individuals to help slow the onset of dementia with self-help measures such as memory aids, health and lifestyle changes, activities, therapies and technological aids.

Creative Engagement  A Handbook of Activities for People with Dementia by Rachael Wonderlin with Geri M Lotze: an activity book to help caregivers improve the quality of life of people who have dementia with dozens of creative, hands-on ways to engage with people living with cognitive loss.

Dancing with Dementia: My Story of Living Positively with Dementia by Christine Bryden: this book offers a vivid account of the author's experiences of living with dementia, and is a thoughtful exploration of how dementia challenges our ideas of personal identity and of the process of self-discovery it can bring about. Christine is also author of Who Will I be when I Die? which offers rare first-hand insights into how it feels to gradually lose the ability to undertake tasks most people take for granted.

Dear Alzheimer's: A Diary of Living with Dementia by Keith Oliver: the author tells his story of Alzheimers disease through a diary format, giving an unparalleled insight into what day-to-day life with dementia is like, and how he continues to live a full life since diagnosis.

Dementia Essentials by Jan Hall: written by a carer, this is a practical, realistic and reassuring guide to help you and the person with dementia on the journey ahead with lots of essential advice, personal insights and helpful strategies.

Dementia Reconsidered, Revisited  The Person Still Comes First by Tom Kitwood: this book brings to a new generation the insight and vision of the author and highlights the importance of the person behind the dementia thereby acknowledging the rights of people with dementia and their family care-givers.

Dementia, Sex and Wellbeing by Danuta Lipinska: this book offers a unique model for person-centred conversations about sex and sexuality that we have not seen before.

Dementia: Everything Your Doctor Doesn't Have Time to Tell You by Dr Matt Piccaver: this book helps the reader to understand what happens to the brain when it develops Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia and what the treatment possibilities are. It also covers such practicalities as driving and making your home safe.

Dementia: Support for Family and Friends by Dave Pulsford and Rachel Thompson: this book explores how dementia unfolds and explains not only how it will affect the person, but also those around them, and how best to offer support and where to get professional and informal assistance.

Finding the Light in Dementia by Jane M Mullins: this essential self-help book explains common changes that can occur in those living with dementia. By offering valuable approaches, tips and suggestions, the reader can learn to care for, and maintain, a connection with the individual with dementia.

I'm Still Here  A New Philosophy of Alzheimers Care by John Zeisel: focuses on how to maintain a connection with individuals with Alzheimers disease using their retained abilities such as their understanding of music, art, their facial expressions and touch.

Life at Home for People with a Dementia by Ruth Bartlett and Tula Brannelly: this book provides an evidence-based and readable account of how to improve life at home for people with dementia and their families.

Living Well with Dementia through Music edited by Catherine Richards: this accessible guide embraces ways in which music can enhance the daily lives of those with dementia and how this can extend to inspire dance, movement, poetry and imagery.

Practical Nutrition and Hydration for Dementia-Friendly Mealtimes by Lee Martin: this research-informed book explains how to make the most of mealtimes, increasing nutritional intake, social contact and food enjoyment.

The Creative Arts in Dementia Care by Jill Hayes with Sarah Povey: this resource details the use of meditation, singing, movement and storytelling for groups or individuals, outlining the underpinning therapeutic benefits and offering practical examples of how they can be used.

Understanding Behaviour in Dementia that Challenges by Ian Andrew James and Louisa Jackman: this book provides theory and practical guidance on the assessment and treatment of behaviours that challenge in dementia, with a particular emphasis on non-pharmacological approaches.

What Dementia Teaches Us About Love by Nicci Gerrard: this truthful, humane book is filled with stories, both moving and optimistic, from those living with dementia to those planning the end of life, from the scientists unlocking the mysteries of the brain to the therapists using art and music to enrich the lives of people with dementia.

Young Onset Dementia by Hilda Hayo, Alison Ward & Jacqueline Parkes: explores the experiences of people living with a diagnosis of young onset dementia. Key issues are considered, including at-risk groups, work and dealing with potential loss of employment, changes in personal and family relationships, readjusting life expectations and plans, and the potential social isolation.

About the HSEs Dementia: Understand Together campaign

The Dementia: Understand Together campaign is a public support, awareness and information campaign that aims to inspire people from all sections of society to stand together with the 500,000 Irish people whose families have been affected by dementia. Led by the HSE in partnership with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Age Friendly Ireland, Age and Opportunity, and the Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, it is one of six key priorities of the Irish National Dementia Strategy. Dementia: Understand Together is now supported by over 40 partner organisations across Ireland, including in the retail, transport, banking, health, voluntary and community sectors. These organisations, together with over 400 community champions from all over Ireland, are leading the way in creating communities that actively embrace and include those living with dementia and their families.
Tusla is seeking foster parents in County Kildare to care for vulnerable children and teenagers.

The appeal follows just after the Child and Family Agency launched its National Fostering Week for 2022.

Gerry Murphy, a Kildare resident and experienced foster parent, spoke to the Leinster Leader to discuss why foster care is so important.

The 62-year-old, who is originally from Santry but lives in Naas, was first asked to consider fostering children by his wife some 22 years ago.

"My wife wanted to give something back; she has so much love and empathy in her that way," he explained.

Gerry added that while he was initially was reluctant, especially as their own children were younger at the time, he eventually came around to the idea.

"I just never thought of fostering children, but I knew that my wife could handle anything," he added.

LIASING WITH TUSLA

Commenting on his relationship with Tusla over the years, he described it as mostly positive: "Weve had certain differences about whats in the best interest for the child in foster care; after all, were the ones who are with the child 24/7.

"However, the thing you must always remember is that the child is the most important part, as their future is at stake."

Gerry also revealed that he meets regularly with different foster families, for both social events and workshops, and that he and his wife have taken in different age groups and from different cultural backgrounds.

He elaborated: "You get to love the kids... you build up a relationship with them, and they become part of your family, I still keep in touch with many of them.

"I dont think theres anything better than helping them build their confidence and self-esteem up, and to give them the security of a good home... you feel like you have made a difference.

"After all, from day one, you are sussing that kid out, and theyre sussing you out, and a lot of the time, kids from difficult backgrounds have been so used to a different way of life.

"Kindness doesnt always come first to them, kindness is as hard to accept as abuse, in that sense, so you have to flip it," he explained.

"You do get attached with the kids, and you do miss them when they go: it can be hard, especially for young children."

He relayed one touching story of fostering two young brothers who hoarded items, ranging from jewellery to slices of bread and biscuits.

It later turned out that the two boys wanted to give them as gifts to their mother for the next time they would see her.

"I remember bringing the two boys to Dublin Zoo, and they were covered in the jewellery... they were like Mr T!" he said.

ADVICE

As for advice he would give those considering into taking up foster care, Gerry said: "Youve got to want to do it, and try to get as much information about it as you can, and talk it over with your partner.

"At the end of the day, the social worker can only do so much, you have to know how properly deal with a crisis.

He continued: "You also have to introduce your children to the concept, too... some cases didnt work out positively, but on the most part it was, and many times weve been told that we have made these children more tolerant and empathetic people.

"Its about using your head and your heart... if you are a couple who have time and empathy and love to give, youre perfect for it, but I will add, go in with your eyes open.

"Dont think it will be a stroll in the park, because it can be challenging, but I can tell you one thing, I have learned from it as a person, and so has my wife and children."

He concluded: "When the foster children grow up and become successful and fulfilled people in their own right... I cant think of anything better, I really cant."

TUSLA PERSPECTIVE

Sean Edmunds, a social worker with Tusla for the Kildare and West Wicklow area (KE/WW) based in Naas, also spoke to the Leader, and appealed for people 'who have time and space' to help vulnerable children and teenagers.

He explained: "We have referrals every week; some stay for short periods of time, others stay for longer periods of time.

"However, the emphasis right now is on finding foster parents for teenagers, especially those who are at risk of potentially becoming homeless."

Sean also said that Tusla is open to same-sex couples and those from different ethnic backgrounds as foster parents.

Sean Edmunds of Tusla said that the foster parents the organisation has are fantastic  but they need more of them

He explained: "Tusla is looking for safe, loving homes; its not about having a 'traditional' nuclear family."

Sean also revealed that Tuslas Kildare and West Wicklow region has three support teams, in addition to an out of hours service.

There are around 120 foster parents in Kildare, with a total of 4,000 foster parents and 5,500 children and teenagers in foster care nationwide.

MORE PARENTS NEEDED

Commenting on the Fostering Week, which took place last week, Sean said: "The foster parents that we have at Tusla fantastic, but we need more of them.

"We are struggling to find foster parents, and there is a general increase across the board, especially for babies and teenagers.

He continued: Training can be arranged for those who wish to foster children or teens with disabilities.

"I would also advice those interested to seek supports wherever necessary from the three support teams.

"Seek as much information as possible, talk to fellow foster parents and to the KE/WW team."

He added: "Thankfully, we have had lots of positive cases and great correspondence between foster parents and social workers.

"What matters is providing that warmth in your heart and the space in your home in order to make these children and teenagers feel secure."

Sean echoed Gerrys sentiments of the importance of the foster childs welfare, saying: "A good foster parent will always put the child first."

"It always makes me happy to see a foster child smile and succeed in life," he concluded.

Further information about fostering children and teenagers with Tusla can be found by visit tusla.ie.

In addition, you can also freephone1800 226 771 or email tusla.fostering@tusla.ie.
A man protested outside Gael-Cholaiste Chill Dara in Naas on Monday, claiming that the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) owes him over 87,000.

Niall Healy started protesting outside the school at 5am on Monday, February 28, holding a sign that said he was engaged in a 'peaceful protest'.

He is the managing director of NHC Construction Ltd, which he said specialises in educational and healthcare fit out works working across Ireland for ETBs, Boards of management, OPW, the HSE and the Department of Education.

Mr Healy claims that the KWETB owes him a total of 87,311 for works involving ventilation, flooring and drainage that his company completed at the building occupied by Gael-Cholaiste Chill Dara in summer 2020.

Gael-Cholaiste Chill Dara is located in the former St Patrick's Community College building on the Limerick Road in Naas, and is under the patronage of An Foras Patrunachta. However, KWETB, under whose patronage St Patrick's operated, was responsible for contracting the works on the building.

In a statement, a Gael-Cholaiste Chill Dara representative emphasised: "It is important to note, however, that Gael-Cholaiste Chill Dara is an independent school under the patronage of An Foras Patrunachta and is only the current occupier of the building having been sited there by the Department of Education. The school has absolutely no links with KWETB, is not the contractee, is not a party regarding the payment process and indeed enjoys a positive relationship with the builder in question."

Mr Healy was paid a sum of 143,569 in October 2020 on his first claim to the KWETB concerning the project, although this was over 8,600 less than the amount he had invoiced for on that occasion.

The Tipperary native went on to say that the works were substantially complete after the Halloween break of 2020, with the remaining small items cleared in January 2021.

He continued: "The school has never missed a day over our works since or during the construction period.

Mr Healy also criticised the KWETBs system in terms of payment: "Your works should be certified within 10 days of a claim, and it should be paid 10 days afterwards under a short, formal contract, but they just ignore the contract on a continuous basis.

"I have told the KWETB in writing that I have no issue in going back to the school to amend any issues, but I wont do it when I am owed nearly 90,000."

As for further actions he is taking, Mr Healy said that he has been in touch with his solicitor regarding the issue, in addition to his local TD, Mattie McGrath.

CONCILIATOR APPOINTED

When contacted by the Leinster Leader regarding the allegations, the KWETB issued the following statement: "A dispute has arisen with a contractor in relation to works carried out at Gael-Cholaiste Chill Dara.

"As both parties are not in agreement, in line with Section 15 of the Short Public Works Contract dealing with disputes, a suitably qualified conciliator is being appointed to work to support the resolution of the issue with both parties," the organisation added.
Residents in Sallins are being asked to support a petition calling on Kildare County Council to provide more burial spaces in the town.

The issue was raised a year ago by local councillor Carmel Kelly, who expressed concern about the impending lack of space.

Where our loved ones are buried is a sensitive, personal and highly emotional decision. We Irish are admired for how we deal with death, funerals and burials. A funeral with a burial service allows us to mourn the loss of a loved one and get closure. Afterwards, visiting the grave of a loved one often affords comfort and peace that cannot be got anywhere else.

That is why in Ireland, you will find graveyards in every village and town, they are local, they are within walking distance; visiting the grave is sacrosanct and in better weather people love to be able to walk to visit the graveyard, said Cllr Kelly.

Read more Kildare news

The online petition, which is supported by written versions placed in local businesses, calls for the existing cemetery at Bodenstown to be expanded.

However there are a number of options that could be explored.

Planning permission exists for a privately developed cemetery on land adjacent to the existing one.Amendoeira Developments, which is associated with local businessman Seamus McCarthy got permission to develop a cemetery comprising 1,448 plots adjoining the side of Bodenstown Church and Graveyard.

It includes permission for 30 car park spaces, an overflow parking area with gates, a new entrance for vehicles, a maintenance yard, on a 3.75 acre site.



Another option could be to use a portion of the lands that have been acquired for the development of sporting and recreation facilities in Sallins and up to 25 acres could be available here.



And another option would be for KCC to attempt to purchase land in the area adjacent to the Bodenstown burial place.

In the meantime KCC is exploring the possibility of creating some 15 burial places in the existing cemetery by removing a number of trees.

However according to Cllr Kelly this could be problematic because approval would need to be forthcoming form a number of agencies for this to proceed.

Right now it is full and there is no more room apart from those holding family plots. We are at an impasse and it is a very difficult citation for families or individuals who wish to be buried there, said Cllr Kelly.

Cllr Bill Clear says he is genuinely shocked that weve ended up in this situation.

He said it is a basic human right for people to be allowed to be buried in their local community so people have a nearby place to visit their deceased relatives and friends.

He added: We need to get this sorted and Im confident we will get this resolved in a positive way. Kildare County Council are working hard to ensure that this happens.
Investigations are continuing into the savage attack on a lone unarmed garda at Blacklion, Co Cavan in the early hours of Monday morning, February 28.



It is understood from Garda and local sources that the 29-year-old Garda was on patrol and just after 2am came upon a suspicious vehicle. He followed the vehicle and it stopped.

Gardai believe one of the occupants of the car had a gun, the Garda was beaten and doused in petrol along with his patrol car.

Locals say a farmer may have disturbed the activity by shining lamps in the direction of the noise, but this has yet to be confirmed.

The Garda was found on a road beside Loughan House prison in a quiet park area known as White Fathers cave.

The Garda did call for back up but could not give exact details, a location Garda AVPLS system was used to find injured member.

The Armed Response Unit and gardai responded, but they came from the district headquarters in Cavan Town, some 60kms away - Blacklion lies on the edge of a very large Cavan Garda District. Blacklion previously came under the Manorhamilton Sligo/ Leitrim District.



The Garda was rushed to Sligo Hospital and his injuries were treated, it is understood he has since been released to recover at home.

The area outside of Loughan House was sealed off for forensics Monday.



Chief Superintendent McGovern, Cavan Monaghan Garda Division said, The exact motive for this attack is yet to be determined but it is extremely concerning that a member of An Garda Siochana appears to have been targeted and doused in some form of accelerant, the exact intent of this attack is unknown at this time.

They have appealed for information from the public and would like to speak to any person driving on the N16, Cavan, passing Loughan House Prison, or the R206 and R207 at their junction with the N16, between 7pm Sunday 27th February 2022 and 3am Monday 28th February 2022, Call Cavan Garda Station on (049) 4368800, the Garda Confidential Phone Number 1800 666 111 or contact any Garda Station.

The incident has raised serious concerns about rural policing and the risks faced by gardai patrolling alone in rural areas, which is common.

Response



Leitrim TD Martin Kenny and Sinn Fein Spokesperson for Justice expressed his outrage at the incident. He stated, This is very sinister and alarming for the police service working in rural areas, often alone.

I have called for more resources and front line Gardai for rural areas, to protect the community and for the overall safety of the Gardai themselves.



Local Fianna Fail Councillor John Paul Feeley said the community was in shock at this attack and despite the proximity of the prison, the area sees rarely any trouble.

He said the garda was well liked in the area and wished him a speedy recovery. He said Gardai often work alone in the locality which sits on the border with Northern Ireland, and this practice should be looked at for the future.



Garda Representative Association representative James Morrisroe said: Unfortunately this horrific and vicious assault once again highlights the dangers faced by our membership while on duty on a daily basis.

In recent years we have seen increases in the number of assaults and the viciousness of such attacks. The circumstances of this incident are disturbing and highlight the need to protect the gardai that society relies on to keep them safe.

The injured garda, 29-year-old Padraig Scott from Tulsk, Co Roscommon is understood to have been released form hospital and recovering at home.

Tulsk GAA

Tulsk GAA has described Padraig as a "highly valued and highly respected member " of their club. He captained the club's intermediate team to win the Roscommon County title in 2019. His club wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in action for Tulsk in the weeks ahead.

For updates on this story keep an eye on www.leitrimobserver.ie
Registrations are now open for National Spring Clean 2022, calling all communities in county Leitrim to register for Irelands largest and longest anti-litter campaign and make a tangible impact on our environment.

National Spring Clean is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Mars Wrigley Ireland.

The National Spring Clean traditionally takes part in the month of April. For the past 23 years 85,000 clean-ups have been organised with volunteers dedicating a total of 12 million hours to remove around 42,000 tonnes of litter across the country. National Spring Clean 2021 was the biggest and the longest campaign so far, taking place between March and August, and despite the current situation and restrictions at the start of the year, 5,543 groups registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the country and collected an estimated 3,000 tonnes of litter around Ireland.

In 2021 600 Leitrim volunteers participated in organised clean-ups to show their support to the National Spring Clean. This year, building on the success of previous years, the hope is to make the National Spring Clean campaign the biggest yet.

The National Spring Clean is also an opportunity for volunteers to take local actions to make a change at a global scale. As a matter of fact, over the last couple of years, the National Spring Clean has also been trying to raise awareness about another crucial issue: the link between litter and climate change  the biggest environmental challenge of our time  and highlight how combined local actions can have a global effect. Our consumption patterns and how we dispose and treat our waste has a substantial impact on the levels of emissions of several greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, said: An Taisces National Spring Clean is a real testament to the work of volunteers all over the country. These volunteers continue to organise local clean-ups every year. The past two years have proven difficult because of the necessary Covid restrictions, but this year represents a real opportunity for people to get together and help clean up our countryside. I would urge people to get involved and I would like to acknowledge the key role played by An Taisce in overseeing the campaign. My Department will continue to provide support to the campaign and I look forward to the many events that will be held countrywide.

National Spring Clean, Chairperson, Michael John OMahony, commented: We have all been through some unprecedented times over the last two years. We all became more aware than ever before of our local areas. Participants continued to undertake great work for National Spring Clean in family bubbles or as individuals during these times. However, we can now look forward to working together again as larger groups and communities and celebrate the success together.

Mars Wrigley Ireland Corporate Affairs Manager, Nicola Forde stated: Mars Wrigley Ireland are delighted to once again support National Spring Clean 2022. We have been working on litter reduction in Ireland for over fifteen years and while great progress has been made in that time there is a need for constant vigilance to ensure old habits dont return. National Spring Clean is a great way to raise awareness and reinforce positive behaviours.

The National Spring Clean programme is inviting people to visit the website at www.nationalspringclean.org to request a free clean-up kit.

While waiting for the National Spring Clean to officially kick off, the programme is also inviting communities around Ireland to join other initiatives. For example, volunteers are invited to take part in the #2minutestreetclean campaign and join the conversation on social media (details in the editors note). Furthermore, to celebrate Womens Day, the National Spring Clean programme will be sharing on social media stories of women who have made a positive impact on our environment and is calling people in county Leitrim to share their own stories about women volunteers.
Volunteers collecting supplies for shipping to Ukraine have praised the generosity of the public in Ireland.

Dale Johnson is among those helping co-ordinate the collection effort in Dublin.

He said that they are struggling to keep up with the large amount of donations of food, medical supplies and bed linen in recent days.

Working out of Donnybrook Bikes in Dublin, Mr Johnson has been busy organising donations for Ukrainian refugees.

The shop is owned by a Ukrainian family working with Green Speed delivery service, who are transporting the goods to Poland and on to Kyiv.

One shipment of donations from the Irish public has already arrived in the Ukrainian capital.

We filled four or five cars on that first delivery, Mr Johnson said.

The shop filled up again and we had to look for somewhere to empty the goods and now we are looking for more storage.

We filled a few more cars. Its been a great support from everyone. Loads of people are bringing food for babies, nappies, medical supplies, bed linens, and stuff like that.

When you fill up the car it doesnt make a difference because the donations are coming as fast as filling up the cars.

There is a list online of what the Ukrainians need. They said they have enough clothing at the moment but they need the miscellaneous items which is stuff like batteries, power banks, and bed linens.

They really need medical supplies because that stuff is hard to get your hands on.

If you find that stuff in your house, they are in real need of that.

The collection effort has been repeated right across Ireland in dozens of locations.
THE LIMERICK Literary Festival have announced the winner of the 7th annual Kate OBrien Award.

The award is given to the best novel or short story collection by an Irish female writer and comes with a 2000 prize.

This year's winner is Una Mannion who was given the award for her tender and compelling novel A Crooked Tree.

Other works that were shortlisted for the award include: Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin, The End of the World is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy, Mother Mother by Annie Macmanus, Holding her Breath by Eimear Ryan and Boys Dont Cry by Fiona Scarlett.

The winner was decided by judges Marie Hackett, Vivienne McKechnie, Grainne OBrien, Donal Ryan and Niall MacMonagle.

The annual Limerick Literary Festival usually takes place at the end of February however it has now been moved to June 18 and 19 in the hope it will be able to be held in person.

The festival, formerly known as The Kate OBrien Weekend, began in 1984 to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of the Limerick-born author.

The event continues to celebrate her life and works while attracting prominent participants from all over the world.
LIMERICK locals are rallying their support for Ukraine as several collection points for supplies destined to the war-torn sovereign state are being established across the county and city.

One campaign, launched in Limerick city by three Polish friends working on High Street, has enlisted the help of both UL and the Mayor, as well as linking up with local pharmaceutical companies.

Anna Mazeika, one of the chief organisers, told the Limerick Leader: Weve had a huge response, its absolutely brilliant to see the people of Limerick getting their hands on this.

Her Help for Ukraine campaign has now organised three collection days at the Old Cleeves Factory in Limerick city, taking place on March 1, 2, 3 and 4, from 5pm to 7pm each evening.

She is calling for medical supplies only, which will be transported to the Ukrainian-Polish border and then onto the Medical Battalion Hospitals and other similar units, to be distributed as required.

A personal friend of Jarek the Polish soldier, Anna stressed that transparency and trust were key factors in ensuring that the people of Limericks provisions will reach the front line in Ukraine.

Anna and Jarek previously linked up for a similar transport in 2014, during the Russian annexation of Crimea.

Our transport is leaving on Saturday and will reach its destination on Monday at noon. It goes to the organisation that looks after Ukraines hospitals, she stated.

Power banks, walkie-talkies, dressing items, medical supplies and painkillers are the main items required. Food and clothes will not be accepted at this collection, sha has confirmed.

Further afield, in Abbeyfeale, one local shop owner has linked up with a collection point in Killarney, also organised by a Polish man, Pawel Rosa, who is working and living locally.

An Siopa Milsean in Abbeyfeale, is one of several County Limerick collection points. Noreen Cotter and colleagues will be distributing these items to Killarney, where they will be shipped by container to Ukrainian refugees who have moved across the border into Poland.

Already, Noreen Cotter has said that Limerick people are desperate to help.

The amount of stuff that people have dropped into us is extraordinary, she told the Limerick Leader from her Main Street shopfront.

Blankets, nappies and even money, from those who do not have the time to buy something to help, have been left into the store. Collections will continue indefinitely as the war wages on, she said.

People feel at a loss as to what to do to help the situation in Ukraine, but any donations made, will make a difference, Noreen added.

The French community, in addition to many others in Limerick, are also rallying around support for Ukraine, through a collection point established at No 7 Pery Square.

Collections will take place this Tuesday to Friday, from 9.30am to 2pm and from 5pm to 6.30pm.
A SPECIAL non-political vigil is to be held in City Hall to mark the humanitarian crisis as war wages on in Ukraine.

Local representatives in Limericks Labour Party have organised the event, which will feature several keynote figures, and will be attended by Ukrainian nationals living within the county.

I will be speaking at this non-political #VigilForUkraine tomorrow along with members of the local Ukrainian community being led by @ElenaSecas a native of Moldova a neighbouring country.



Let's stand for peace. Let's stand for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/1FGw4GxOkr February 28, 2022

The vigil, which takes place Tuesday March 1 at 7pm was organised as an effort to stand with the people of Ukraine.

Labour Party representative Cllr Conor Sheehan called Putin a despot, who refuses to accept the statehood of Ukraine.

It is incumbent upon us as democrats to take a stand against this evil act of imperialism and offer our support to the Ukrainian community in Limerick.

We are asking people to attend this vigil and to join us in stating our unequivocal opposition to this violence, he voiced.

A special full meeting of Limerick City and County Council has also been organised by the party for Thursday, March 3.

The vigil will be led by local representative Cllr Elena Secas, a national of Moldova, which neighbours Ukraine. She has been liaising with the Ukrainian community in Limerick.

We have decided to call a special meeting so say that we can stand together as one Council in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and that we reject President Putins illegal attack, she said.
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British energy giant Shell PLC became the latest big Western company to sever ties with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, saying it would pull back from joint projects in the country and quit its role financing the now-halted Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Shells decision Monday came a day after BP PLC said it would exit its nearly 20% stake in Russian oil producer Rosneft, under pressure from the U.K. government, and as international condemnation of Russia increasingly strained its economy.

The moves are part of a broader re-evaluation by Western companies of their businesses in Russia, with some curtailing their operations there or deciding to leave entirely, following the attack on Ukraine and escalating sanctions by the West.

Elsewhere Monday, Norwegian energy company Equinor ASA said it would exit its Russian investments, Daimler Truck Holding AG said it would stop sending components to its Russian joint-venture partner, and Volvo Car AB said it would halt business in Russia. Separately, Renault SA shut down a factory near Moscow because it cant get enough parts, and Volkswagen AGs Audi brand paused sales of cars already in Russia to adjust for the drop in the ruble.

The retrenchments are a dramatic change from a few decades ago when the fall of the Soviet Union made Russia a promising new market for Western businesses. Big energy companies, car makers and brewers, among others, have set down deep roots in Russia, expanding their operations there and buying or partnering with local businesses in an effort to tap millions of new consumers, as well as vast natural resources.

Now, following the aggression in Ukraineand the retaliatory measures by the Westcompanies operating in Russia are grappling with new challenges spanning logistics to reputation. Still, it isnt clear how permanent any move away from Russia might be. If the geopolitical and sanctions situation evolves, companies thinking about disengaging from Russia might, too. Sanctions against Russian individuals and banks, for now, are set to make it much harder for international companies to operate there, lawyers said.

It is going to be incredibly difficult with regulatory restrictions, and regulatory uncertainty, because the sanctions are changing rapidly," said David Savage, head of financial crime at London-based law firm Stewarts Law LLP.

Rachel Alpert, a partner at law firm Jenner & Block, said Western companies would now need to check whether export controls used to curtail Russias access to technology dont affect anything they bring into the country. They also would have to ensure any individual or businesses they deal with arent sanctioned, she said, adding that sanctions against banks would likely make it harder to pay suppliers and workers.

Shells decision to pull back from its role in a consortium of five Western energy companies financing Nord Stream 2 marks a major symbolic decision against a project that has sparked controversy since inception. The U.S. last week said it would impose sanctions on the pipelines construction company, following Germanys announcement that it wouldnt proceed with certifying the pipeline for use.

Shell and its financing partners each agreed in 2017 to lend up to 950 million (around $1 billion) to fund the pipeline. Nord Stream 2 AG, the Switzerland-based company behind the project, is owned by Russias Gazprom PJSC. The operating company didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Shell said it would also exit other joint ventures with Gazprom, including its 27.5% stake in an offshore gas project in Russias far east that supplies around 4% of the worlds liquefied-natural gas market. Shell said it has around $3 billion in non-current assets in its Russian ventures and that it expects to book impairments.

The London-listed company said it was prompted to act by Russias offensive. We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security," Shells chief executive, Ben van Beurden, said.

BP relies on Rosneft for roughly one-third of its oil-and-gas production and faces a potential financial hit of as much as $25 billion on the move. It isnt yet clear how BP will exit its stake. BP said Chief Executive Bernard Looney and former CEO Bob Dudley resigned from Rosnefts board. BP shares closed down 4% in London on Monday.

Other energy companies are also pulling back from Russia. Equinor, which is majority owned by the Norwegian state, said it would stop new investments in Russia and start exiting its joint ventures there. In the current situation, we regard our position as untenable," said CEO Anders Opedal.

Separately, Norways huge sovereign-wealth fund said it would divest its Russian holdings. Norges Bank Investment Management, the arm of the Norwegian central bank that operates the $1.3 trillion fund, is freezing investments in Russia while it works on a plan to divest from the Russian market.

Aside from energy, Russia has also become a big market for Western automotive companies. Daimler Truck said Monday that it would suspend deliveries of components to its Russian partner Kamaz.

In view of the events of the last few days, we have decided to discontinue our business activities in Russia with immediate effect until further notice," Daimler Truck CEO Martin Daum said.

Daimler AG in December split into Daimler Truck and car maker Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Mercedes holds the companys 15% stake in Kamaz.

Daimler Trucks decision to suspend its business in Russia comes after media reports that it was providing components to Kamaz that could be used to produce armored military vehicles. Mr. Daum dismissed the reports, saying the components were strictly civilian.

Asked whether Mercedes could look to divest the stake in Kamaz altogether, a spokeswoman said: In the light of current events, it is of course now necessary to reassess business activities. This is currently happeningin close consultation with German authorities."

Volvo Car and truck maker Volvo AB both said Monday that they would halt business in Russia until further notice. The Swedish car brand said its decision was based on the potential risks associated with trading material with Russia, including the sanctions imposed by the EU and U.S." The truck maker, which isnt connected to the car brand, cited a similar rationale.

Other car companies flagged different complications Monday. Volkswagen said its luxury car unit Audi has stopped selling cars that are already with dealers in Russia so it can adjust the price of the vehicles to reflect the decline in the value of the ruble. A VW spokesman declined to comment on the companys future in Russia more broadly.

Renault said it was shutting its plant near Moscow this week due to logistics issues stemming from Western measures against Russia. The country has become one of the French car makers largest markets after it struck a 2014 deal to take a controlling stakealongside its partner Nissan Motor Co.in AvtoVAZ, the former state-owned Lada manufacturer.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia was seen by auto makers as a potential gold mine. By 2015, new car sales there had risen to about 2.8 million vehicles, nearly as big as the German market. But since then, Russias political and economic woes after its first invasion of Crimea in 2014 have led the market to decline steadily.

Last year, about 1.67 million new cars were sold in Russia, according to Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management. He said Russian automotive exportsvehicles and partshad a total value of $3.3 billion before the pandemic, compared with $20 billion for imports.

Other large western companies with sizable footprints in Russia include Carlsberg A/S. The Danish brewer generates around 10% of its sales in Russia, where it operates several breweries and has about 8,400 staff. The company said it was staying in Russia and that while it was difficult to estimate the full consequences of sanctions at this point, it expected the local nature of its production, suppliers and customers to limit their direct impact.

Another with a big presence in Russia is Frances Danone SA, which said it was monitoring the situation and taking action to ensure the safety of its employees, as well as business continuity. The yogurt maker employs about 8,000 people in Russia at more than a dozen sites, mostly making products for the local market.

Some sanctions may not apply to Western companies Russian incorporated subsidiaries, which could, for instance, pay wages into staffs accounts in sanctioned banks, said Ross Denton who heads the international trade team at U.K.-based law firm Ashurst LLP.
MUMBAI : Tata Sons Ltd is faced with a fresh crisis at Air India Ltd, with the airlines newly appointed chief executive turning down the role before even taking charge.

Ilker Ayci, former chairman of Turkish Airlines, cited political controversies, in a statement, for declining the assignment. His decision leaves the new owner of Air India with the fresh challenge of hunting for a new leader of the recently privatized airline.

Known as a turnaround expert, Aycis appointment, announced soon after Tata Sons took over Air India in January, sparked hopes of fast recovery of the airline grappling with an ageing aircraft fleet, mounting debt and several legacy issues arising from its workers unions.

But just a fortnight into his appointment, Ayci declined to take up the role on Tuesday. His decision may hurt Tatas ambition to quickly turn around Air Indias fortunes and help the company regain the market share it ceded to rivals.

Aycis appointment faced opposition from certain political corners due to his association with allegedly questionable entities in his past avatar as Turkeys flag carrier chief. A right-wing group close to the Bharatiya Janata Party asked the government to block the appointment, citing Aycis previous political connections in Turkey.

The economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideologue of the BJP, demanded background checks for Ayci before he assumed charge at Air India since Ayci before the stint at Turkish Airlines was an adviser to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan when he was the mayor of Istanbul in the mid- 1990s.

Erdogan, a close Pakistan ally, had earlier raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the United Nations, leading to strong objections from the Indian government.

I have come to the conclusion that it would not be feasible or an honourable decision to accept the position in the shadow of such a narrative," Ayci said in his statement.

Tata Sons declined to comment on the development.

Ayci, who led Turkish Airlines for over six years from 2015, was to assume charge of Air India from 1 April. However, the appointment was pending regulatory approvals.

His selection announced on 14 February by Tata Sons ushered in a ray of hope for Air Indias employees and thousands of flyers.

At the time, Ayci said his ambition was to make Air India one of the best airlines in the world".

If he accepted the role, Ayci would have faced the monumental task of reviving a legacy-laden, cash-strapped and ageing carrier.

Tata took control of Indias flag carrier for $2.4 billion in January, ending decades of attempts by the government to privatize the airline to stop the flow of public money to run the airline.

Losing Ayci could be a setback for both the government and the Tata groups common dream to see Air India back in form to compete with the glamour of other private carriers and protect its market share. This is especially true because of how Ayci reversed the fortunes for Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines struggled like many other carriers in the first year of the coronavirus outbreak, with air traffic revenues vanishing due to a global lockdown.

Ayci helped Turkish Airlines recover quickly by reducing staff costs and capitalizing on the thriving air freight business.

Bloomberg contributed to the copy.
Netflix Inc. said it has no plans to add any Russian channels to its service in Russia despite a regulation that would require the streaming giant to carry several state-run broadcasters.

Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service," a Netflix spokesman said Monday, referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine. The spokesman declined to comment on whether it had informed Russian authorities that it wouldnt be adding the channels.

Netflix, which launched in Russia just over a year ago, was told in December that it would have to comply with a new rule requiring the company to distribute as many as 20 local news, sports and entertainment channels, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The law applies to all audio and visual services available in Russia that reach more than 100,000 subscribers. Netflix is the only international programmer that has enough subscribers to require compliance with the rule, the person said.

Netflix doesnt disclose subscriber numbers in specific countries, but it has under one million customers in Russia, the person familiar with the matter said.

Russian state-run media outlets have sought to advance President Vladimir Putins narrative that Ukraine is an aggressor that threatens Russia and have presented disinformation to support those claims. The Russian channels have adhered to the Kremlins line that its military action isnt striking civilian targets and have played up the argument that Ukraine could revive its nuclear arsenal, a point meant to convey that Russia is acting out of self-defense.

On Saturday, Russias communications regulator ordered the removal of reports from media that describe Moscows attack on Ukraine as an assault, invasion or declaration of war," or face being fined or blocked.

The rapidly unfolding events in Ukraine are forcing many companies to make quick calculations on whether to curtail their business operations in Russia. Netflix has no plans to shut down its service in Russia, the person familiar with the matter said.

Elsewhere in the entertainment business, Warner Bros. said late Monday that it wouldnt release its much-anticipated new movie The Batman" in Russia as planned for later this week. Walt Disney Co. said it wouldnt release its latest Pixar movie Turning Red" in Russia.

From energy to autos to sports, companies have been pulling back on Russian ventures. BP PLC said it would exit its nearly 20% stake in Russian oil producer Rosneft. Norwegian energy giant Equinor ASA said it would exit its Russian investments. Daimler Truck Holding AG said it would stop sending components to its Russian joint-venture partner. Formula One canceled the 2022 Russian Grand Prix.

For Netflix, Russia is one of many markets where it is aggressively seeking to expand its footprint. With its growth in the U.S. peaking, the streaming giant is investing heavily in content and distribution abroad, particularly as it faces greater competition from rivals such as Walt Disney Co.s Disney+ and AT&T Inc.s HBOMax. Netflixs presence in Russia is still relatively small. It has no offices or full-time employees in the country, the person familiar with the matter said.

Of Netflixs 8.3 million subscriber additions in the fourth quarter of 2021, some 3.5 million came from Europe, the Middle East and Africathe grouping where the company currently accounts for its Russia business. In the U.S. and Canada, Netflix added 1.2 million subscribers. Netflix had 222 million subscribers globally at the end of 2021.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been granted permission to question former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh , in connection with the 100 crore alleged extortion case, by a special court, according to news agency ANI report.

The former state home minister is facing probe by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) for corruption and money laundering. He is currently lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai.

Deshmukh was taken into custody after hours of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 2 November, 2021.

The ED launched a probe against Deshmukh after the CBI registered an FIR against him on 21 April, 2021 on the charges of corruption.

The ED alleged that Deshmukh, while serving as Maharashtra home minister, collected 4.70 crore from various bars and restaurants in Mumbai through then police officer Sachin Waze.

Allegedly, the money was laundered and channelized to Nagpur-based Shri Sai Shikshan Sanstha, an education trust controlled by Deshmukh's family, as per the financial investigation agency.

The CBI filed its case after former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh wrote an explosive letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray stating that Deshmukh had directed two police officials to collect 100 crore monthly from bars and restaurants operating in Mumbai.

In the same case, the ED arrested Deshmukh's two aides- Sanjeev Palande (additional collector rank official who was working as Deshmukh's private secretary) and Kundan Shinde (Deshmukh's personal assistant).
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
The Ukraine-Russia war intensified on Tuesday, after the talks between the two nations at Belarus on Monday was inconclusive. On Tuesday Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, defying mounting global pressure that saw a war crimes probe opened against Moscow, sanctions smash its economy and FIFA ban it from the World Cup.

In an interesting incidence of rebellion, a Ukrainian man Taras Ostapchuk, 55, was arrested for attempting to sink his Russian boss' $7.7 million luxury super yacht in Spain in protest over the Kremlins invasion, according to a news report in New York Post.

The 55-year old man was taken into custody in Mallorca. He had allegedly opened several valves to intentionally flood the 156-foot-long vessel, the news report stated.

He told the judge he didnt regret his actions and would do it again."

The superyacht belongs to a Alexander Mijeev, the CEO of Russian military weapons company, Rosoboronexport. The superyacht is called Lady Anastasia.

I watched the news about the war. There was a video of a helicopter attack on a building in Kyiv. The armaments used are produced by the yacht owners company. They were attacking innocents," Ostapchuk said as he faced court.

He mentioned that he was spurred to sabotage the vessel when he watched in news that Russia had invaded Ukraine and dozens lost their lives to it.

The article also mentioned that Ostapchuk said, My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people", when the Mallorca police arrived to arrest him.

The yacht reportedly suffered severe damage to its engine room.

Ostapchuk expressed his intention to return to his Ukraine to help fight the war against Russians.

Im going to fight. As soon as I reach the first Ukrainian city I will look for a military commander and ask him if they need me," Ostapchuk told the local outlet.

I told myself: Why do I need a job if I have my country. I had a good job as a head mechanic on the boat and a good salary but I am going to fight for my nation. I am not going to lose my country. I am not a hero, Im a middle-aged man, but I have a lot of experience as a mechanic."

Ive never held a weapon but if necessary I will. Why not!"

Ostapchuk, who had worked on the yacht as a mechanic for a decade, was later released from custody and has since left Spain.
Russias central bank has raised its key policy rate from 9.5% to 20%. We had to increase rates to compensate citizens for increased inflationary risks, explained Russias central bank governor Elvira Nabuillina. Russia has imposed controls on residents moving capital out of the country. All this has implications within Russia and not a great deal outside the country in the short term. Rouble-denominated exports would be less cheap than these would be in the absence of measures to prop up the rouble. Kalashnikovs, wheat and Aluminium are notable Russian exports besides gas and oil, and their export price goes south as the rouble falls. Higher interest rates in Russia will prevent their prices from plummeting and Russian supplies flooding world markets.

Certain features of the financial sanctions imposed on Russia need to be understood. Unlike in the case of sanctions against Iran, for example, there are no secondary sanctions with regard to Russia. While certain banks and other entities have been sanctioned, no sanctions have been announced against entities that transact with these sanctioned entities. What this means is that the sanctioned entities will have difficulty transacting with foreign entities directly and would have to transact through Russian banks that have not been sanctioned or cut off from Swift, the financial messaging platform for interbank fund transfers.

What explains the absence of secondary sanctions? A soft corner in Western hearts towards Russia prevents them from hardening themselves against Russians the way they had hardened against the people of Iran and against all those who used to buy Iranian oil, such as India and China? Reverberations of former US President Donald Trumps admiring description of President Putins special military operation against Ukraine as genius? The reason is fairly straightforward.

Europe cannot do without Russian gas, except by inflicting extreme pain on itself and the global economy. It sources 40% of its gas imports from Russia. Removing all Russian banks from the worlds dollar networks would make it impossible for Europe to pay for the gas they buy from Russia. That would result in the cessation of the gas flows into Europe through multiple pipelines. Europe could try to replace Russian gas with gas from elsewhere in the world. That means not just mopping up all the gas traded in spot markets and ratcheting up the price of gas for all consumers across the globe but also expanding the capacity for liquefaction and regasification of natural gas worldwide. Such capacity cannot be added in a jiffy. All gas reserves would have to be used up to avoid shortages, and prices would zoom.

Secondary sanctions on entities that transact with sanctioned entities would have the self-same effect. The sanctioned Russian banks would route their international financial transactions through the few Russian banks that still stay within Swift to receive payments from Europe, and if secondary sanctions are announced, these banks would also face sanctions, and then Europeans would be unable to pay for the gas they source from Russia, the gas flows would cease, gas prices would shoot through the roof all over the world.

Even if just one Russian bank remains within the Swift framework, all export and import transactions can occur through that unsanctioned bank. Money is fungible. It will move around and find the unblocked outlet when most outlets are blocked.

Freezing the assets of the Russian central bank and Russias sovereign wealth fund has more serious consequences. Russia would not use its assets held in the West or Japan to prop up the rouble domestically. However, it would not be a herculean task to borrow some funds in dollars from friend China, whose forex reserves, at $3.25 trillion, exceed the GDP of France or Britain. Moreover, China could make advance payments for stepped up gas supplies.

Raising domestic interest rates is meant to deter resident Russians from taking money out of their bank accounts and deter capital flight. It will, of course, impede Russian economic growth if interest rates remain high. A swift end to the war is the best way out for Russia and the global economy.

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A C-section, or Caesarean section (also spelled Cesarean section), is a type of surgery used to deliver a baby . The baby is surgically removed through an incision in the mother's abdomen and then a second incision in the uterus.

Nearly one third of pregnant women in the United States gave birth by Caesarean section in 2020, according to the most recent birth statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . Worldwide, 21 percent of babies are born by C-section, but in around 1990 only 7 percent were delivered this way, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) .

These increased rates of Caesarean deliveries have been linked with a variety of different factors from rising rates of obesity and diabetes to multiple births and increased maternal age, according to the BBC .

Other reasons for high C-section rates include the use of epidurals and techniques that induce labor , which may cause complications that could result in the need to perform a surgical delivery, according to the Journal of Perinatal Education .

Although Caesarean births can be life saving for both mother and baby, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has expressed concern that C-section deliveries might be overused, and they have recommended ways to reduce the national rate.

C-sections usually leave a horizontal scar about 48 inches (1020cm) long. (Image credit: Getty Images)

These new guidelines call for allowing most women with low-risk pregnancies to spend more time in the first-stage of labor, as well as encouraging women to avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy (a larger baby may be harder to safely pass through a woman's pelvis.)

The key to reducing high C-section rates in the United States is preventing unnecessary first C-sections, said Dr. Allison Bryant, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

These days, the majority of women who have delivered their first baby by C-section will wind up having a repeat C-section somewhere down the road, she said.

A woman who has already had a C section for a previous birth may be advised to do so again if they have another baby, according to the National Health Service UK ( NHS) website. However, studies have found that women who have had C-sections and attempt to deliver their next children vaginally, which researchers call a VBAC ( vaginal birth after Caesarean ), may have a relatively low rate of complications afterward, such as needing blood transfusions or unplanned hysterectomies, compared with women who scheduled a C-section.

It's important to understand why one-third of American babies are being delivered by Caesarean, Bryant said. We need to figure out which babies really need to be delivered by C-section to protect their health and which of these surgeries may be unnecessary, she explained.

One way to possibly reduce C-section rates in this country is to educate women about the benefits of vaginal delivery, Bryant said.

The following information will explain what is involved in a C-section, and how a woman may feel before, during and after this surgery.

Before surgery

To prepare for the operation, an IV will be placed in a woman's arm or hand to give her the fluids and medications she'll need during surgery. Her abdomen will be washed and her pubic hair may be clipped or trimmed.

A catheter (tube) is placed into a woman's bladder to remove urine , and it will remain there for 12-18 hours after the surgery, according to the NHS.

Women are usually given regional anesthesia , either an epidural block or a spinal block, which both numb the lower half of her body but will allow the mother to be awake when her baby is born. This tends to be safer than general anesthesia, where a woman would be totally asleep during the delivery, Bryant said.

How a C-section is done

Regional anesthesia allows mothers to remain conscious during a caesarean birth. (Image credit: Getty Images)

The obstetrician will use a knife to make a horizontal incision in the skin and the abdominal wall, usually along the bikini line, meaning that it's low enough down on the pelvis that it would be covered up by underwear or a bikini bottom, Bryant said. Some women may get a vertical, or up-and-down cut, she said.

After the abdomen is opened, an incision is made in the uterus. Typically, a side-to-side (horizontal) cut is made, which ruptures the amniotic sac surrounding the baby, Bryant said. Once this protective membrane is ruptured, the baby is removed from the uterus, the umbilical cord is cut , and the placenta is removed. The baby is examined then given back to the mother for skin-to-skin contact.

Bryant explained that the cut made to a woman's uterine wall is an important one because the way this uterine scar heals can affect her ability to have a vaginal birth in the future.

Once the delivery and afterbirth are completed, the cuts made to the mother's uterus are repaired with stitches, which will eventually dissolve under the skin, according to the Research Journal of Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Technology . The abdominal skin is closed with stitches or with staples, which will be removed before a woman leaves the hospital.

A woman typically spends 60 to 120 minutes in the operating room for a C-section, depending upon whether any complications arise during the delivery, Bryant said. After the surgery, a woman will be taken to the hospital's maternity ward to recover.

Recovering from a C-section

After a C-section , a woman may spend between 2 to 4 days in the hospital, but it may take her up to 6 weeks to feel more like herself again, Bryant said.

Her abdomen will feel sore from the surgery and the skin and nerves in this area will need time to heal. Women will be given pain medications to take the edge off any post-surgical pain, and most women use these medications for about 2 weeks afterward, Bryant said.

A woman may also experience bleeding for about 4 to 6 weeks after a surgical birth. She is also advised to not have sex for a few weeks after her C-section and to also avoid strenuous activities, such as lifting heavy objects, according to the Victoria State Government Department of Health .

Additional resources

You can read more about C-sections and related studies at the National Library of Medicine website . For answers to some commonly-asked questions about C-sections, read this document from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist .

Bibliography

"Epidurals: Do They or Dont They Increase Cesareans?". The Journal of Perinatal Education (2015). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4718011 .

"Safe Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery". American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2019). https://www.acog.org/clinical
While tonsil stones may seem like a bad medical hoax, they can be a real problem. Tonsil stones, also known as tonsilloliths or tonsilliths, are benign accumulations of bacteria and debris in the crypts of some people's tonsils. Though this problem may cause discomfort, it is not dangerous and is usually easily treatable.

Causes

The tonsils are part of a protection system that keeps foreign objects from slipping into the lungs . They are also lymph nodes that filter for bacteria and viruses while producing white blood cells and antibodies , according to the Mayo Clinic. Objects such as food, dirt and other particles can get stuck in the groves on the surface of the tonsils. The grooves, called crypts, also collect old cells and bacteria.

The body's white blood cells proceed to attack the foreign objects stuck in the tonsils. When the white blood cells are finished, hard particles remain on the tonsils. Most people simply swallow what is left behind and never know that it was there in the first place. If the particles are lodged into the crypts, though, the particles will continue to grow. These growing objects are tonsil stones, which are also called tonsil calculi, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

According to a study published by the journal OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery , tonsil stones are more alive than actual stones. Researchers found that tonsils stones are a living biofilm that breathes oxygen. A biofilm is a collection of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and protists, that form a robust layer.

According to Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician and author, tonsil stones are most common in teens and those with large tonsils. Those with poor dental hygiene may also experience tonsil stones.

Symptoms

According to Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician and author, tonsil stones are most common in teens and those with large tonsils. Those with poor dental hygiene may also experience tonsil stones.

People with throat stones can also feel like they have something stuck in their throats, according to Dr. Erich P. Voigt, an associate professor of otolaryngology at NYU-Langone Medical Center. Other symptoms can include chronic, mild sore throat and reoccurring tonsillitis.

Tonsil stones can often be seen in the mirror. The tonsils won't seem smooth. "Instead, they look like prunes, with crevices where bacteria can accumulate," said Chetan Kaher, a dentist in London.

Typically, tonsil stones can be seen as white, yellow or grey nodes on the tonsils. This isn't always the case, though. Many tonsil stones aren't visible because they are burrowed down inside of the tonsil, said Dr. Ileana Showalter, an otolaryngologist at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Tonsil stones can grow to 1 to 2 millimeters across. But they can be up to 1 centimeters across, according to the Australian Government Department of Health.

A tonsil stone in a patients mouth. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Treatment

One of most common treatments to cure tonsil stones is simply scraping them off with a toothbrush. If that doesn't work, there are several other at-home options which are recommended by the Cleveland Clinic. "Gargling with salt water can help dislodge them. Using a cotton swab to express them from the little small cavities that are visible is another option," said Showalter. A water flossing device such as a Waterpik can also be used to power wash the debris out of the tonsils.

Sometimes the tonsil stones are so deeply embedded that they cannot be removed at home. In this case, an ear, nose and throat specialist can often remove the stones. If a person gets tonsil stones often, then the patient and doctor may discuss removing the tonsils.

"A last resort cure of this problem is tonsillectomy. However, this surgery carries risks of anesthesia, pain and bleeding, as well as other risks, thus a decision of this type must be balanced by a risk/benefit discussion," said Voigt.

Prevention

Preventing the formation of tonsil stones is as simple as good dental hygiene. The Mayo Clinic suggests brushing teeth and tongue after meals, at bedtime and first thing in the morning. Flossing teeth daily can also help by cleaning out bacteria. Voigt also suggested gargling daily suing commercial gargles, or a homemade solution of hydrogen peroxide and water. The Mayo Clinic advises against using a mouthwash that contains alcohol.

Additional resources

Check out the Mayo Clinic's s elf-care steps may help prevent tonsil stones from returning and The American Academy of Otolaryngology's webpage " Tonsils and Adenoids Patient Health Information ", for advise on tonsil stones.

Bibliography

Paul Stoodley, et al, "Tonsillolith: not just a stone but a living biofilm", Otolaryngology, Volume 141, September 2009.

Matthew Ferguson, et al, "Halitosis and the Tonsils: A Review of Management", Otolaryngology, Volume 151, August 2014, https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599814544881

Balaji Babu, et al, "Tonsillolith: A Panoramic Radiograph Presentation", Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, Volume 7, October 2013.

"Surgical treatments for tonsil stones", NHS: Kent and Medway Policy Recommendation and Guidance Committee, March 2020.
On the eve of Election Day, Rep. Henry Cuellar announced that he will be bringing one of the areas foremost medical leaders to President Joe Bidens State of the Union Address to Congress Tuesday.

Cuellar announed that Dr. Ricardo Ricky Cigarroa will be his his Hometown Hero virtual guest for the event. He said that Cigarroas presence would be an important way to honor the people of Texas-28 and uplift their stories.

Our country has made tremendous strides this past year thanks to the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Law. However, we could not have succeeded without the help of our hometown heroes, Cuellar said. For this years State of the Union Address, I wanted to highlight one of the millions of hardworking Americans whose perseverance in the face of adversity fueled our nations historic recovery.

People like Dr. Cigarroa are the true heroes behind Americas progress over the past year. I am proud to uplift him as my virtual guest to the State of the Union Address.

Cigarroa was one of the citys outspoken voices during the pandemic, bringing information regarding COVID-19 to the public consistently.

Cigarroa rallied against incorrect information, such as stating significant cases early in the pandemic were from Laredo Medical Center workers after original reports stated those cases were not high. He also criticized the state government in January of 2021  during the height of the third wave  as Laredo led the nation in average daily cases over a previous two-week period, stating the city government, state officials and governor were failing us in a big way due to a lack of assistance being sent to the area and precautionary measures not being allowed to be utilized.

Cigarroa spoke frequently to the public through videos on Facebook through the Laredo Contra COVID 19 Facebook page run by his daughter, now District VIII Councilmember Alyssa Cigarroa. The page was considered by many as the foremost location to stay up to date on COVID news locally.

Cigarroa was also heralded for his frequent home visits to locals residences during the height of the pandemic and prior to the COVID vaccine, leading to Texas Monthly labeling him the Dr. Fauci of South Texas. He struggled with his own battle with COVID in July 2020, later receiving treatment in San Antonio before beating the disease.

Thank you to Congressman Cuellar for this honor, Cigarroa said. I am humbled by the gesture and will continue to serve our community as we recover from the pandemic.

Cigarroa, however, is in the midst of a legal battle as Doctors Hospital and the Laredo Physicians Group filed on Oct. 29 an anticompetitive conduct lawsuit against Dr. Ricardo Cigarroa, The Cigarroa Heart and Vascular Institute, Laredo Medical Center and more. The complaint alleged that Cigarroa has the city in a cardiology stranglehold and is unwilling to let go. Cigarroa has denied any wrongdoing.

Considering the allegations, it is interesting that Cuellar is choosing to honor Cigarroa on Election Day when he is also facing potential legal problems. The FBI raided Cuellars home and office in January reportedly over ties to Azerbaijan. The congressman  who has represented the area since 2004  also denied any wrongdoing.
With the March primary election landing on Tuesday, Webb County citizens will have the chance to vote for their representatives for the following years. Many have already done so during the early voting period, but it is still a far cry from the approximately 267,114 county residents.

As Tuesday is the last day to vote for the upcoming elections, each voter will be required to visit their precinct to vote. There are 59 precincts, and by law voters will have to find the one they are registered to and vote there. They can find their respective precinct through the county elections office website.

So far, only 15,020 local citizens have voted, over 90% of which voted with Democratic ballots. According to Jose Luis Castillo, Webb County Elections Administrator, the turnout started out slow at the beginning of the early voting period.

One of the early benefits of early voting is that one can vote wherever, but for Election Day, they will be limited to one location. Castillo said these are usually close to ones residence.

It picked up after a while, but he noted that the challenge during this election period was short time given for implementing the new Texas changes, some of which were approved in December. One of these changes was the addition of surveillance cameras at ballot sites.

Ten indoor mini-dome cameras were installed wherever ballots are as mandated by the state, Castillo said. During a February Commissioners Court meeting, he admitted that the county was in violation of the mandate as the cameras were supposed to be installed by the time it received the first mail-in ballot. This measure was mandated for all counties with populations over 100,000.

Castillo said that making the changes necessary in an approximate three-to-four-month period proved to be frustrating, but it is done. Now those curious or interested in monitoring the election process can go through the Webb County Election Office website and find a livestream of the ballots on the left side tabs.

As previously reported, the Senate Bill 1 states that it works to improve election integrity and security by preventing fraud in the conduct of elections, increasing criminal penalties, creating criminal offenses and providing civil penalties.

One offense the bill adds is if a person serving in an official election capacity knowingly prevents a poll watcher from observing an activity that the official knows they are entitled to observe. This could be by obstructing their view or distancing the watcher to a point where it is not effective.

Castillo also clarified that the use of only ballot markers should not deter anyone from voting, specifically those that prefer to vote using paper ballots.

Its a different system, but your vote is on a paper ballot; at the end of the day, there is a paper ballot. Now you are not marking it, you have a machine that marks it for you. But at the end of the day, you grab the ballot, you verify it and then you submit it for it to count, Castillo said.

He said that he understands that there is a little hesitancy in using a type of computer system or machine, but he sees the systems not as computers but as ballot markers. This distinction, he said, means that voters have a clean ballot to turn in and reduces the risk of accidental errors or mark ups on the ballot.

Any marks that would throw your ballot out, Castillo said. In the past, there were a lot of pencil marks all over the ballot, and if the tabulator read one of those marks that wasnt supposed to be there in a certain location or close to a barcode, it would spit out your ballot, recheck it and then we would have to manually confirm and try to decide sometimes what the voter intent was.

This system it makes it basically safe-proof or fail-proof, where your ballot will count without anyone having to touch your ballot, try to decipher or determine voter intent.

And in the case where some may be hesitant due to the perhaps their perceived complications with using a computer system, Castillo ensured that the machines are simple to navigate, and their touch screens should make it as easy as using a smart phone.

Appointed in Fall 2021, Castillo said that he feels confident about the upcoming election and has fully reviewed the system to make sure they are secure, but he believes that they are more secure than the older system.

As for future election dates, Castillo encouraged all mail-in qualified voters to add both drivers license number and the last four numbers of their social security numbers to the ballot. While he acknowledged that the mail-in ballot states can states a voter can add one or the other, Castillo said that there may be cases where the Secretary of State Records only has one of the two recorded and if the voter inserts the number that is missing, the mail-in ballot will not be verified.

That is why I am asking to fill out both numbers, he said. On the next election, Ive asked my staff that everything that is required to be fill, to highlight on the forms or envelope, so if anything is highlighted, dont ignore it, just fill it out.

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The U.S. Border Patrol announced that a felony sex offender was recently arrested.

The USBP stated Friday evening that Laredo South Station agents were patrolling the border when the individual was discovered among a group of six undocumented individuals.

The man was identified as Moises Loyola-Garcia during the intake process.

A 45-year-old citizen of Mexico, Loyola-Garcia had a prior felony conviction back in August of 2012 for Sexual Assault 2nd Degree out of Bentonville, Arkansas. He received a 10-year sentence.

USBP stated that he will be prosecuted for immigration violations and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

US Border Patrol Laredo Sector agents work diligently to prevent dangerous criminals from illegally entering our country, the USBP said in a statement. Border security is essential to increase the safety of our country, and our communities. Significant arrests such as these reflect the tremendous efforts being made to keep criminals from entering our country illegally.
Early voting in Webb County concluded this weekend with one major party having a significant advantage in total ballots filed.

The Webb County Elections Administration announced that a total of 15,020 ballots were filed by local residents. And of those, over 90% were Democratic ballots.

Overall, a total of 13,551 Democratic ballots were filed during the early voting period, including 7,001 over Week 1 and 6,550 in Week 2. Republican ballots featured 680 filed during Week 1 and 789 in Week 2.

Early voting consisted of seven different sites: Billy Hall Jr. Administrative Building; Finley Elementary School; Laredo Fire Department Administrative Center; City Hall Annex Building; McKendrick, Ochoa, Salinas Library; and Mobile Branches 1 and 2.

Of those seven sites, Democratic ballots accounted for more than 90% of the ballots filed at four of them including Mobile Branch 1 (96.1%); McKendrick, Ochoa, Salinas Library (95.4%); Billy Hall Jr. Administrative Building (92.9%) and Mobile Branch 2 (91.5%). Republican ballots topped over 10% of the total ballots filed at three sites including the Laredo Fire Department Administrative Center (14.5%), Finley Elementary School (13.7%) and the City Hall Annex Building (11.9%).

In total, the Laredo Fire Department was the primary voting site with nearly 32% of Webb County's early voting ballots filed there. That includes nearly half of the filed Republican ballots (47.6%), while 30.3% of the total Democratic ballots were filed in that location.

Democrats also took advantage of mailing in their ballots at a significantly higher rate than their Republican counterparts. A total of 604 Democratic ballots were mailed in during Webb County's early voting period as opposed to just 15 Republican ballots.

The official number of early voting ballots filed is down from this time two years ago. Ahead of the 2020 primary elections, a total of 20,253 people cast a ballot. This accounted for 15.2% of the area's roughly 133,000 voters who were registered at the time.

Similar to that last election, Laredo's congressional seat will have its longtime incumbent tested as Rep. Henry Cuellar -- who has been in the position since 2004 -- is facing off against Jessica Cisneros, who gave him a run for the spot in 2020 getting 48.2% of the vote. Tannya Benavides also joins the race on the Democrats side. Cuellar also faces potential legal issues currently after the FBI raided his home and office in January reportedly over ties to Azerbaijan. The congressman denied any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Republicans' low early voting turnout may come as a surprise with a staggering seven individuals running in the primary election for the right to face the Dems' representative in November's general election. That's a significant jump, as 2020 and 2016 saw only one Republican run while none ran in both 2018 and 2014. The lone candidate in 2020 was Sandra Whitten -- who took 39% of the vote in the general election then refused to concede citing "reports of fraud" -- who returns to the race in 2022. She will face off against Ed Cabrera, Steven Fowler, Cassy Garcia, Eric Hohman, Rolando Rodriguez and Willie Vasquez Ng for the nomination.

Other major races feature incumbent State Rep. Richard Pena Raymond set to take on Jorge "JD" Delgado for the Democratic nomination with Republican Joe Brennan running unopposed; State Board of Education, District 1 incumbent Melissa N. Ortega challenging two fellow Democrats in Laura Marquez and Omar Yanar while two Republicans square off for their nomination in Michael "Travis" Stevens and Lani Popp; and the Webb County Republican Party Chair being decided between current leader Luis Felipe De La Garza Jr. and Xavier Cantu.
TPWD

Brodey Davis, an angler from Oklahoma, recently caught one of the largest Texas ShareLunkers largemouth bass in the past 30 years while fishing on O.H. Ivie Lake on February 24.

His bass weighed 17.06 pounds, making it the seventh largest in the program in Texas history and the new pending lake record for O.H. Ivie, according to the Toyota ShareLunker program with Texas Parks and Wildlife. The last largest bass caught in Texas was set in 1992 when Barry StClair reeled in an 18.18 pounds bass from Lake Fork.
Heres what the Ohio contingent had to say at CPAC
In the Midlands area, which includes Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath there are currently 305 children in foster care.

This week, February 21 - 27, is Tusla National Fostering Week 2022.

Now in its third year, the campaign focuses on the need to recruit carers for older children in communities across Ireland.

Foster carers play a critical role in the child protection system and ultimately a key role in the wellbeing of young people.

A local placement will ensure a young person can maintain important connections with their friends, sports, school, and community, and reach their full potential.

Speaking at the launch of Tusla National Fostering Week 2022 Kate Duggan, National Director of Services and Integration, Tusla said: Tusla foster carers provide a safe, secure and stable home environment for the most vulnerable in our society.

Right now, there are children and young people in your community who may need a safe place to live. A local placement will ensure they can maintain connections with their friends, sports, school and community. If you have been considering fostering, we would urge you to have another think about the positive difference you would make in the life of children and young people in your community.

Tusla Care Leaver, Shannon Joyce said: I first went into relative foster care with my younger brother and sister when I was seven years old. I stayed with my family until summer 2021. My whole experience of foster care has been a rollercoaster to say the least. I've met so many people and heard so many stories throughout the years. I wouldn't change a thing! I'm so happy that I can take all the experiences I have had and all the lessons I have learned and use them to be the best role model and mentor I can be for the young people I teach. Fostering can be an amazingly positive experience for the carers, and children. If its something you are feeling drawn to you can learn more about it on fostering.ie

Catherine Bond, CEO, Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA) said: The Irish Foster Care Association is delighted to support Tuslas National Fostering Week.

"Fostering provides a loving and stable environment in which a child or young person can reach their full potential. The transition to foster care can be challenging for any child, but older children and teenagers are at a particularly important time in their development.

"An increase in local foster carers across Ireland will enable a young person to maintain their connections with their friends, sports, school and community, all of which provide comfort in difficult times. We would encourage anyone thinking about fostering to get in touch and learn more.

Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, Roderic O'Gorman TD said: I would encourage anyone who is considering becoming a foster carer to contact Tusla on the details provided and to make that first step in improving the wellbeing and happiness of some of our most vulnerable children.

To find out more about becoming a foster carer, see fostering.ie, call freephone 1800 226 771 or email tusla.fostering@tusla.ie.
Young Roscommon and Longford farmers have three options available to them by which they can complete their Green Cert.

All three options lead to similar results and benefits for the Young Trained Farmer.



Two of these three options will be available locally in the Roscommon/ Longford Teagasc Unit this Spring and Autumn and the third option can be accessed from our two nearest Agricultural Colleges, i.e. Mountbellew, Co. Galway and Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan.

Which Green Cert Option is best for me?

The three options are outlined below starting with the choices most suitable to a young school leaver, right up to the choices facing aspiring students in their thirties, forties and beyond.

The most important thing to remember is that there is a route for everyone and the Education staff in the Roscommon / Longford Teagasc Unit are always available to guide you in your choices.

Green Cert Route 1

This option is offered on a full time basis in Agricultural colleges. Students must be 17 years of age or over on 1st January following entry to the course. This course is most suitable for school leavers and it would be desirable but not essential to have completed the Leaving Cert cycle in secondary school. The course runs over two years with a combination of formal course work and a period of practical learning experience. This course is also suitable for young people seeking employment on farms.

Applications can be made directly to the Colleges or by using the online application via www.teagasc.ie. If applying online you can apply for a number of colleges using the preference system. There is a Means Tested Teagasc Grant Scheme associated with this option, for more information on this, check directly with the College in question.

Green Cert Route 2

This option is called The Teagasc Part Time Green Cert and will on offer in the Roscommon / Longford Teagasc Unit this autumn 2022 applicants must be over 23 years of age when starting this course, there is no upper age limit applicable.

It is desirable but not essential to have completed the Leaving Cert cycle in secondary school. Students must have access to a working farm including the financial details of the same farm. The course duration will be approximately 2 years on a part time basis, generally 1 day per week from September to April.

The course work is split between practical / skills training and classroom sessions.

The course consists of a range of modules such as Farm Business, Principles of Agriculture, Farm Safety, Farm Enterprise Production, Safe Use of Pesticides etc.

Students interested in taking Green Cert Route 2 should contact Therese Hilliard in the Longford Teagasc Office (043-3341021) to put their name on the expression of interest list.

Green Cert Route 3

This option is called The Teagasc Distance Education Green Cert (for Non-Agricultural Award Holders). This option will also be available in the Roscommon / Longford Teagasc Unit commencing on May 6th 2022.

Applicants for this course must have obtained a Level 6 or higher major award in a non agricultural discipline. In recent years, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics, nurses and engineers have all been able to avail of this express option. This part time option extends over a period of 15-18 months incorporating at least 27 contact days, roughly 2 per month.

The course work covered is the same as that in Route 1 and 2 above, the main difference is that Green Cert Route 3 students will be doing a fast forwardtype of course.

The shorter time span for this Route is based on the assumption that students with previous college experience are capable of working on their own initiative to meet the tighter deadlines. Students interested in taking Green Cert Route 3 should contact Caitriona Corcoran or Catherine Divilly in the Roscommon Teagasc Office (090-6626166) for an application pack as soon as possible.

What benefit is the Green Cert to Young Farmers?

The Teagasc Green Cert is well known as the course many people starting up in farming complete. While young people are not prohibited from entering farming without it or its equivalent, there are a number of attractive benefits that can be obtained by the young trained farmer. So what are these benefits and why is there such a demand for the Teagasc Green Cert?

There are Educational Requirements for certain Department of Agriculture and Revenue Schemes; more often than not these Schemes will be of financial benefit to the young trained farmer. Some of these schemes are outlined below.

 Revenue  Stamp Duty Relief

 Revenue  Agricultural Stock Relief

 DAFM  New  Entrant in a Registered Farm Partnership.

 DAFM  TAMS Scheme (60% grant)

 DAFM  National Reserve

 DAFM  Young Farmers Scheme (25% top up)

The QQI Level 6 Specific Purpose Certificate in Farm Administration (Teagasc Green Cert) is the minimum requirement for all of the above schemes. The DAFM trend in recent years requires applicants to have the course completed at the time of application for the various incentives. With a new CAP package presently being negotiated in Brussels for 2023, it would be a shrewd move for young farmers to start planning their training now so they will be in a position to maximise their benefits under whatever CAP 2023 has to offer this cohort.
Registrations are now open for National Spring Clean 2022, calling all communities in county Longford to register for Irelands largest and longest anti-litter campaign and make a tangible impact on our environment.

National Spring Clean is operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Local Authorities and supported by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Mars Wrigley Ireland.

Mercy Ballymahon scoops top European award for digital education practices Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, has become one of the first schools in Europe to achieve European Digital Schools Awards status.

The National Spring Clean traditionally takes part in the month of April. For the past 23 years 85,000 clean-ups have been organised with volunteers dedicating a total of 12 million hours to remove around 42,000 tonnes of litter across the country.

National Spring Clean 2021 was the biggest and the longest campaign so far, taking place between March and August, and despite the current situation and restrictions at the start of the year, 5,543 groups registered to carry out clean-ups throughout the country and collected an estimated 3,000 tonnes of litter around Ireland.

In 2021 900 Longford volunteers participated in organised clean-ups to show their support to the National Spring Clean.

This year, building on the success of previous years, the hope is to make the National Spring Clean campaign the biggest yet.

The National Spring Clean is also an opportunity for volunteers to take local actions to make a change at a global scale. As a matter of fact, over the last couple of years, the National Spring Clean has also been trying to raise awareness about another crucial issue: the link between litter and climate change  the biggest environmental challenge of our time  and highlight how combined local actions can have a global effect. Our consumption patterns and how we dispose and treat our waste has a substantial impact on the levels of emissions of several greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change.

Longford entries sought for .IE Digital Town Awards People and towns across Longford are being called on to enter the annual .IE Digital Town Awards 2022, an initiative of .IE, the managers of Irelands trusted online .ie address which celebrate the digital achievements of local towns and citizens across the country.

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, said: An Taisces National Spring Clean is a real testament to the work of volunteers all over the country. These volunteers continue to organise local clean-ups every year. The past two years have proven difficult because of the necessary Covid restrictions, but this year represents a real opportunity for people to get together and help clean up our countryside. I would urge people to get involved and I would like to acknowledge the key role played by An Taisce in overseeing the campaign. My Department will continue to provide support to the campaign and I look forward to the many events that will be held countrywide.

National Spring Clean, Chairperson, Michael John OMahony, commented: We have all been through some unprecedented times over the last two years. We all became more aware than ever before of our local areas. Participants continued to undertake great work for National Spring Clean in family bubbles or as individuals during these times. However, we can now look forward to working together again as larger groups and communities and celebrate the success together.

Mars Wrigley Ireland Corporate Affairs Manager, Nicola Forde stated: Mars Wrigley Ireland are delighted to once again support National Spring Clean 2022. We have been working on litter reduction in Ireland for over fifteen years and while great progress has been made in that time there is a need for constant vigilance to ensure old habits dont return. National Spring Clean is a great way to raise awareness and reinforce positive behaviours.

The National Spring Clean programme is inviting people to visit the website at www.nationalspringclean.org to request a free clean-up kit.

While waiting for the National Spring Clean to officially kick off, the programme is also inviting communities around Ireland to join other initiatives. For example, volunteers are invited to take part in the #2minutestreetclean campaign and join the conversation on social media (details in the editors note). Furthermore, to celebrate Womens Day, the National Spring Clean programme will be sharing on social media stories of women who have made a positive impact on our environment and is calling people in county Longford to share their own stories about women volunteers.
Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, has become one of the first schools in Europe to achieve European Digital Schools Awards status.

Launched last year, the Digital Schools Awards European programme was created to encourage and recognise innovation, collaboration and skills development in digital technology amongst schools.

It is backed by the European Commissions Erasmus+ programme, national government bodies and leading technology companies led by HP.

Only 90 secondary schools across the continent were selected to take part in the initiative which is being piloted in five European countries namely Ireland, Lithuania, Scotland, Serbia and Slovenia and it is the first of its kind to be available across the continent.

Mercy Ballymahon is among the first schools in Ireland to receive the award which recognises and celebrates best practice in digital education.

The school was awarded for its excellence in the areas of Leadership, Collaboration and Networking, Infrastructure and Equipment, Continuing Professional Development, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, Student Digital Competence and the digital self-reflection tool SELFIE.

The school has also been invited to be a mentor school in the areas of Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Student Digital Competence specifically.

To achieve European Digital Schools status, the Longford based school had to demonstrate strong leadership in digital education and provide sufficient access to resources and infrastructure.

Their school culture, professional development strategies and teaching practices were also assessed as part of the submission.

The European Digital Schools Awards requires schools to use the European Commissions SELFIE self-reflection tool to assess their digital learning and teaching practices and identify areas where improvements can be made.

As part of the programme, teachers were given access to expert support and resources to help them develop their digital curriculum and ensure pupils are given the skills they need to navigate the modern world.

The European Digital Schools Awards programme also intends to open up dialogue across borders and create a growing community of digitally competent schools, where teachers can share learnings from different education systems.

Ms Josephine Donohue, Principal at Mercy Ballymahon said: To be one of the first schools in Europe to receive this award is such an achievement, and our whole school community is very excited by it.

Both our teachers and students have worked incredibly hard to develop and embed digital learning into the curriculum.

Ensuring that our students have access to the equipment, resources and support to develop their skills and literacy in this area has been top of our agenda for the last ten years, but the European Digital Schools Award programme has given us the momentum to drive forward new strategies.

"I thank our parents and guardians who have supported our initiatives over the years. A special thanks to our Board of Management for their support and confidence in our digital curriculum.

"I thank our Digital team of Gary Kenny deputy principal, Fiona Noone, Michaela McGovern and Ryan Jones who have worked tirelessly to achieve the Digital Schools Award.

The European Digital Schools Award has opened up channels for collaboration, both within our school community and with counterparts in other countries, and we have built close working relationships with educational professionals across Europe.

We are very proud of the achievements of our school, and we will continue to share best practices with our friends across the continent.

Anna Doody from Digital Schools Awards said: We know that schools across Europe have taken great strides in recent years to integrate digital practices into their teaching, and one of the most important and valuable aspects of the European Digital Schools Awards is the ability to network with counterparts in other parts of the world.

By connecting schools, we hope to bring attention to innovations happening elsewhere in the continent and encourage collaboration by opening more channels for knowledge sharing across borders.

To find out more, schools are encouraged to visit awards4selfie.eu
Two Irish MEPS have voted against a European Parliament resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Mick Wallace and Clare Daly have today (Tuesday March 1) released a statement explaining their reasoning for voting against the resolution.

Both members of the European Parliament posted the statement and accompanying caption through their Twitter pages, stating: "Our position on today's Resolution on Russian aggression against Ukraine, and why we must vote against. There is no military solution. No to Russia's war in Ukraine; no to military escalation on the European continent. Dialogue and peace is the only way forward..."

In the joint statement, they condemned Russia's act of aggression against Ukraine, as well as his use of a nuclear deterrent, which they stated could lead to "runaway nuclear escalation" with fatal consequences for all life on the planet.

They called this the sole responsibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, they expressed disagreement with aspects of the resolution put forward, stating: "The resolution also calls to accelerate the provision of military equipment and weapons to Ukraine, to strengthen NATO's forward presence, to dramatically increase defence spending, and to activate European common and joint defence efforts."

They also mentioned what they called the opportunistic call for opening the European energy market to fracked American liquified natural gas.

They stated: "We are now asked to vote on the text as a whole, which includes these provisions. We are opposed to war, and we are opposed to this resolution."

Mr Wallace and Ms Daly received mass criticism on Twitter for their decision, with one person stating, "Dialogue and peace is all well and good to hope for, but what happens if Russia don't want to stop??" and another saying, "You must be living in another world".

Although they appeared to receive very little support from Irish social media users, one person stated, "Respect to you and Mick for your integrity, standing for peace is the only human response, thank you."

Our position on today's Resolution on Russian aggression against Ukraine, and why we must vote against.



There is no military solution. No to Russia's war in Ukraine; no to military escalation on the European continent. Dialogue and peace is the only way forward... pic.twitter.com/oKzKsBv2mt  Mick Wallace (@wallacemick) March 1, 2022

According to the text of the motion - which contains a total of 46 calls and demands - the European Parliament reiterates that NATO is the "foundation of collective defence" for member states who are NATO allies.

It also welcomes the unity between the EU, NATO and other "likeminded democratic partners in facing the Russian aggression".

However, the text also makes mention of an underlining need to "increase its collective deterrence posture, preparedness and resilience", as well as to strengthen NATO's enhanced forward presence in EU member states "geographically closest to the Russian aggressor and to the conflict".

It also calls for common military exercises to be launched and the need for the EU, NATO and international partners to "step up" their cybersecurity assistance to Ukraine.

Six mentions of gas are made in the document, with calls for the import of the "most important" Russian export goods (including oil and gas) to be restricted.

The resolution included a call to "significantly reduce energy dependence, in particular on Russian gas, oil and coal, by, inter alia, diversifying energy sources, including expanding liquefied natural gas terminals and supply routes, unbundling gas storage, and increasing energy efficiency and the speed of the clean energy transition".

It also encourages the use of "all possible gas depositories" but does not recommend any particular company or country.

Today the EU and Ukraine are already closer than ever.



There is still a long path ahead. We have to end this war. And we should talk about the next steps.



But nobody can doubt that a people that stands up so bravely for our European values belongs in our European family. pic.twitter.com/AeZBy0gvw5  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 1, 2022

The vote follows an impassioned plea from Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who opened the parliamentary discussion with a request to accelerate Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

He stated, "We are fighting for our rights, for our freedom, for our lives, and now we are fighting for our survival."

Update 1/3/22 5:01pm:

The resolution has passed with 637 votes in favour, 13 against and 26 abstentions.
Local News, Business & Finance

By Chris Boyle Published: March 01 2022

Located at 1000 Park Boulevard, Once Bitten Donuts is co-owned by Catherine Logozzo of Oceanside and her sister-in-law Claire.

When it comes to a tasty bit of confectionary goodness, few treats stand up to the popularity of the good ol donut. And an eatery in Massapequa Park, NY  Once Bitten Donuts  has really gotten local residents talking  and eating  since opening their doors for business in October 2020.

Located at 1000 Park Boulevard, Once Bitten Donuts is co-owned by Catherine Logozzo of Oceanside and her sister-in-law Claire, and while both come from families with extensive backgrounds in the restaurant and food industries, neither had direct experience in retail baking up until that point.

The two had previously co-owned a children's party place in Great Neck called Pump It Up, Catherine said, but had since sold it and were looking to move on to other endeavors.

That's how we came to owning a donut shop...we were taking note of all the different desserts that people were bringing in for parties at Pump It Up, and decided that would be a great way to go, she said. We were both into the banking and desserts, and we felt that donuts were something that we could make unique and have something different that other places didn't have.

Not having a background specifically in donuts, Catherine said that it took lots and lots of practice to get their unique and successful formula right.

We dove in, she said. We're self-taught, but again we both come from food backgrounds so it's kind of second nature to us. We just got in there and did our thing, to be honest, and everything just seemed to click.

What didnt click, unfortunately, was their timing; Catherine and her sister-in-law first leased the Massapequa Park establishment in January of 2020 with plans to be opened by Mother's Day. However, the COVID-19 pandemic ended up having other ideas.

We started construction and then sat and looked at an empty store for several months during the lockdown until construction opened up once again, she said. We really got stuck in the middle of COVID, but thankfully our landlord was very understanding and worked with us. Thank goodness for that.

Once lockdown measures eased, construction was allowed to resume and Once Bitten Donuts finally opened their doors in October 2020; however, Catherine noted that it was nonetheless quite unnerving opening a small, independent business in the middle of a once-in-a-century pandemic.

In one word, it was scary. We were caught in a spot where we had already gutted our store and had an empty shell, so we didn't really have a choice, she said. We knew we had to follow through with our process, but there was so much uncertainty surrounding the investment. It was very challenging, challenging to find workers, performing health checks on them every time they came in for a shift...everything seems a little bit easier now, but at the time it was chaotic.

However, when Once Bitten Donuts finally opened, Catherine said that the surrounding community came out in droves to support them.

This town is so wonderful. Everybody was so welcoming and so supportive, she said. We were shocked at the response on our opening day, when we literally had a line of people down the blockwe sold out our entire stock twice in one day. It was great. But since then, now we're waiting for more of the pandemic-related restrictions to be lifted so more people can go back to work. Since we're located right by the Massapequa Park train station, and so many people are working from home instead of commuting into the city, things were a little slower right now than they normally would be.

What sets the fare at Once Bitten Donuts apart from competition, Catherine said, is hard work, a personal touch, and delicious homemade taste.

Our donuts are cooked fresh each and every day, and we offer a variety of both cake and yeast-based donuts, whereas most places only offer one or the other, she said. And we really try to satisfy everyone's palate. Our number one seller is our Devil Made Me Do It donut, which is a chocolate cake donut with brownies, chocolate, fudge...if you're a chocolate lover, that's the donut for you. Another one of our top-sellers is our Sour Cream Old-Fashioned glazed donut, which happens to be my personal favorite.

We make donuts with all sorts of crazy toppings, but we make all of the classic favorites as well, Catherine added.

One especially exciting aspect of opening Once Bitten Donuts, Catherine said, is that it's already in the process of expanding, with a second location slated to open in a few months.

We actually took on some partners and we have a second location opening up in Red Bank, New Jersey, she said. Right now they're expecting to be opening up in March...everything will be the same donut-wise, but their shop is going to be a little bit bigger and they're also going to have an ice cream shop inside as well.

As far as opening up a second location on Long Island at some point in the future, Catherine noted that it's something that she and her sister-in-law regularly think about.

Once Bitten Donuts is also available for catering jobs, pumping out scrumptious custom donuts for any occasion at all, be it a wedding, birthday party, anniversary, or any other occasion.

We do all sorts of custom donuts for parties for any occasion, Catherine said. Birthday parties, bridal showers, gender reveal celebrations, anything at all.
South Africa: Pension fund of former Public Works Chief inspector frozen

The Special Tribunal has granted an order freezing the pension benefits of former Department of Public Works and Infrastructure chief works inspector, Clive Charlton.

According to Special Investigating Unit (SIU) spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, the order is related to alleged wrongdoing on the part of Charlton, where allegedly fraudulent contractor invoices were paid out  leading to financial losses for the department.

Kganyago said Charlton was responsible for verifying invoices and supporting documents as they carried a 20% mark-up to be paid to the contractor.

Between 2014 and 2018, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) had appointed NECS [Electrical Consulting] as a service provider to render electrical maintenance and repair services in respect of buildings owned by the [department].

NECS allegedly submitted various falsified/and or fraudulent supplier invoices to the DPWI and overcharged the DPWI, for which it suffered financial losses to the value of R510 042.60.

The SIU investigation revealed that Mr. Charlton allegedly failed to perform his duties with due diligence and failed to verify with the subcontractors whether invoices were correct and authentic, Kganyago said on Tuesday.

The Special Tribunal order interdicts the Government Employee Pension Fund from paying out at least R510 000 in benefits due to Charlton.

The order will operate as an interim interdict, pending the final determination of an action to be instituted by the SIU in the Special Tribunal against Mr. Charlton and NECS Electrical Consulting (NECS) within 30 days, Kganyago said.

He explained that the corruption busting unit applies for freezing orders to ensure that the State is able to recover any monies lost through corrupt or fraudulent activities in government departments.

The SIU applies for preservation orders to freeze assets, bank accounts and pension benefits early in its investigations when it identifies evidence pointing to wrongdoing against officials and service providers. This is to ensure that implicated parties do not dissipate assets and make it difficult for the SIU to recover financial losses suffered by the State when the matter is finalised, Kganyago said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong puts on united front against worst COVID-19 wave

Xinhua) 09:09, March 01, 2022

People wearing face masks walk in Tsuen Wan, south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2022. Hong Kong recorded 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday. In the past week, 117,033 confirmed cases were recorded, bringing the total number of cases since the latest wave began on Dec. 30 last year to 158,683, which is 12 times the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong in the previous two years. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

HONG KONG, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Winning the battle against the raging fifth wave of COVID-19 infections has become the most answered rallying cry in Hong Kong, which shows unprecedented unity to weather the trying times, all for one and one for all.

The global financial hub recorded 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday. In the past week, 117,033 confirmed cases were recorded, bringing the total number of cases since the latest wave began on Dec. 30 last year to 158,683, which is 12 times the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong in the previous two years.

As the epidemic situation has been rapidly escalating in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and various sectors of Hong Kong are racing against time.

HKSAR GOV'T TAKES UP MAIN RESPONSIBILITY

The HKSAR government, which shoulders the main responsibility in taking measures necessary to contain the epidemic, is making concerted and all-out efforts.

In a video speech to Hong Kong's 7.5 million residents, HKSAR Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Monday that the HKSAR government will continue to mobilize all the manpower and resources it can and take all necessary measures against the epidemic.

The chief executive has directed HKSAR government departments to pull together against COVID-19. "At this critical time, all bureaux and departments, regardless of their purview, shall continue to work in concert to take up and undertake their assigned operations and tasks, bringing into full play the whole-of-government spirit to fight the epidemic," said Lam during a virtual meeting attended by over 100 officials of the HKSAR government on Feb. 23.

As an important force in the fight against the epidemic, the work of the civil service is of paramount importance. Secretary for the Civil Service of the HKSAR government Patrick Nip said the civil service team must do their best to meet the challenge with determination.

The HKSAR government will step up its efforts in response to the epidemic and work with medical staff, chambers of commerce, and the general public, among others, to unite and organize a solid team to fight the epidemic in pursuit of the goal of "dynamic zero infection," he said in a blog urging action of the civil service team.

VARIOUS SECTORS JOIN BATTLE

Representatives of Hong Kong's industrial, commercial, cultural, real estate, social organizations, and various sectors have expressed their full support for Hong Kong's fight against the epidemic.

At a meeting to leverage cross-sector resources on Feb. 18, a slew of anti-epidemic measures was rolled out. Local businesses and Chinese-funded enterprises pledge to vacate hotels for quarantine needs, some shopping malls and office buildings will set aside space for vaccination stations, while others donate land use to build isolation and medical facilities.

Over the past few days, these initiatives are being implemented one after another. Sun Hung Kai Properties has lent two sites in Yuen Long and San Tin to the HKSAR government for the construction of isolation and treatment facilities, which are expected to provide about 8,000 to 10,000 beds.

Donations are also pouring in. The Hong Kong Jockey Club announced that it had allocated an additional 100 million Hong Kong dollars (about 12.8 million U.S. dollars) to its anti-epidemic fund to support the Hong Kong community to deal with the latest resurgence.

Chinese enterprises in Hong Kong are doing their best to ensure food and other necessities supply to the region. For example, China Resources Vanguard (Hong Kong) is ensuring a stable supply and price of vegetables by all means, putting the business costs on the back burner. Sinopec (Hong Kong) set up green channels dozens of gas stations to provide customized services for an anti-epidemic fleet of 300 taxis, and other dedicated vehicles in Hong Kong.

"Now Hong Kong's only enemy is the virus, and all sectors of Hong Kong are in full combat mode," said John Lee, the chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR government. "The whole community is determined to win the war against the epidemic."

MILLIONS-STRONG FORCE

Hong Kong's over 7 million residents are helping each other, radiating warmth amid the epidemic gloom.

Joseph Chan, a leader of two local volunteer groups, said in the first place, he had worries that his team members would be scared and that no one would want to keep coming out to volunteer amid the raging epidemic.

But when he sent tasks to the volunteer chat group, the enthusiasm of the volunteers swept away his concerns, helping hands always outnumber assignment needs.

A volunteer group named "18-District Anti-epidemic Team," referring to HKSAR's 18 administrative divisions, has attracted more than 2,000 people to sign up not long after its establishment. They started operations in all districts, distributing masks, hand sanitizers, rapid test kits and traditional Chinese medicines.

Retirees are also actively engaged. More than 1,000 retired members of the disciplined forces are reportedly supporting the front line in the fifth wave.

"As a member of Hong Kong, I love Hong Kong profoundly as my home," said a volunteer. "It is the duty of every Hong Kong person to fight against the epidemic."

People wearing face masks walk in Tsuen Wan, south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2022. Hong Kong recorded 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday. In the past week, 117,033 confirmed cases were recorded, bringing the total number of cases since the latest wave began on Dec. 30 last year to 158,683, which is 12 times the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong in the previous two years. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

People wearing face masks walk in Tsuen Wan, south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2022. Hong Kong recorded 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday. In the past week, 117,033 confirmed cases were recorded, bringing the total number of cases since the latest wave began on Dec. 30 last year to 158,683, which is 12 times the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong in the previous two years. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

People wearing face masks are seen in Tsuen Wan, south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2022. Hong Kong recorded 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday. In the past week, 117,033 confirmed cases were recorded, bringing the total number of cases since the latest wave began on Dec. 30 last year to 158,683, which is 12 times the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong in the previous two years. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

People wearing face masks walk in Tsuen Wan, south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2022. Hong Kong recorded 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday. In the past week, 117,033 confirmed cases were recorded, bringing the total number of cases since the latest wave began on Dec. 30 last year to 158,683, which is 12 times the total number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong in the previous two years. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on various issues, including the situation in Ukraine.

According to the government sources, Modi updated him about the government's efforts to evacuate Indian nationals from the war-torn country under the recently launched 'Operation Ganga'.

He also updated him that over 1,600 Indian students have been evacuated from Ukraine till this morning as the seventh Air India Express flight landed in Mumbai with 182 Indians, mostly students, who departed from Budapest (Hungary) at midnight Monday.

Modi further updated him that he had directed the Ministry of External Affairs officials to make proper arrangements for the students who will be coming to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania till they depart for India.

Detailing the initiatives, the Prime Minister also apprised the President that four senior Cabinet Ministers are departing to the neighbouring countries Poland, Hungary Slovakia and Romania as his 'Special Envoy' to oversee the evacuation mission and with the visit of four senior ministers to various nations will energise the evacuation efforts, the sources said.

He also updated Kovind that India will extend help to people from the neighbouring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine under India's motto of the world being one family.

The first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on Ukraine's borders would be dispatched Tuesday, the Prime Minister informed the President.

Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring the situation and he has already chaired three high-level meetings till Monday evening.

The Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is leaving for Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen VK Singh (Retd) will be going to Poland to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals.
NEW YORK, March 1 (Reuters) - Two British men have been charged by federal prosecutors in New York with defrauding people into investing nearly $100 million in loans supposedly backed by an inventory of expensive wine that did not actually exist.

According to a grand jury indictment announced on Tuesday, Stephen Burton and James Wellesley induced people to invest in loans supposedly brokered by their company Bordeaux Cellars and collateralized by wine they stored for wealthy collectors.

Bordeaux Cellars allegedly had custody of thousands fewer wines than loan documents reflected, including wine from Domaine de la Romanee-Conti in Burgundy and Chateau Lafleur in Bordeaux, court papers showed.

Prosecutors said Burton and Wellesley both used multiple aliases, and used loan proceeds to make fraudulent interest payments to investors or for personal expenses, in a scheme running from June 2017 to February 2019.

"These defendants duped investors by offering them an intoxicating investment opportunity collateralized by valuable bottles of fine wine that turned out to be too good to be true," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace in Brooklyn said in a statement.

Burton, 55, and Wellesley, 57, were each charged with wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, and could face up to 20 years in prison.

Lawyers for the defendants could not immediately be identified. Wellesley was arrested on Feb. 4 in the United Kingdom, and Burton is a fugitive, prosecutors said. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Will Dunham)
LondonMetric Property PLC - invests in distribution and long-income properties across UK - announces three grocery lettings across its long income and retail park assets in Ashford, Totton and Tonbridge.

At Ashford, LondonMetric has signed a new 25 year lease with Lidl on the form 32,000 square feet Hitchcock & King unit, at a rent of GBP600,000 per annum.

At Totton, Southampton, company agrees with Lidl to extend its representation to 21,000 square feet on a new 20 year lease at a rent of GBP300,000 per annum.

Finally at Tonbridge, LondonMetric lets a 14,000 square feet unit to Food Warehouse on a new 15-year lease at a rent of GBP300,000 per annum.

Current stock price: 256.20 pence

12-month change: up 18%

By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Scholium Group PLC - London-based rare books, arts and collectibles - Promotes Bernard Shapero to chief executive officer and board director. Shapero is founder & managing director of Shapero Rare Books Ltd, the core trading division of Scholium. Also hires Philip Tansey to be part-time chief financial officer, replacing the retiring Peter Floyd. Tansey was CFO of brokers WH Ireland and Panmure Gordon. Both appointments are effective from Tuesday. David Harland remains chair, having taken on the role back in November, replacing Jasper Allen.

Current stock price: 38.21 pence

12-month change: up 7.6%

By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
XP Power Ltd - FTSE-250 listed Singapore-based maker of power controllers - Revenue is up 33% year-on-year to GBP343.4 million in 2021, from GBP258.0 million. Profit before tax dropped 20% to GBP28.4 million from GBP35.7 million in 2020. Adjusted pretax profit is GBP43.8 million, down 1% year-on-year from GBP46.0 million, with the key adjusting item being an ongoing legal case in North America. Gross margin decreases by 210 basis points to 45%, due to increased freight costs and higher production costs at Vietnamese factory due to Covid.

Declares final dividend of 36.0p, unchanged from the prior year. Total dividend is up 27% to 94.0p from 74.0p in 2020. Order book at December 31 is at a record high of GBP217.0 million, up from GBP124.1 million a year before.

"The clear highlight of the year was our record order book which underlines the strength of demand for XP Power's products. Revenues were above those achieved for 2020 and we delivered robust profitability and strong cash conversion despite the difficult global backdrop," said Chair James Peters.

Peters announces he will resign after company's annual general meeting in April 2023. Jamie Pike succeeds him, and is appointed as chair designate and non-executive director. Pike has been chair at Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLC since 2019.

Current stock price: 4,040.00 pence, down 6.9% on Tuesday

12-month change: down 25%

By Elizabeth Winter; elizabethwinter@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Sharecast News) - London stocks were set to edge lower at the open on Tuesday as the crisis in Ukraine continues to weigh on sentiment.

The FTSE 100 was called to open around 19 points lower at 7,439.00.

Swissquote senior analyst Ipek Ozkardeskay said: "Just a week ago, we were living in a united world, where there were tensions. But now, the world is divided between the Russians and the rest. The economic implications are as severe as the real world impacts and the risk appetite is limited.

"Yesterday's talks in Belarus between the Ukrainian and Russian committees were overshadowed by the intensifying military fight in Ukraine. Putin, who seems frustrated with the Ukrainian resistance, and the Westerns sanctions imposed sanctions to the West on his turn by closing its airspace to 36 countries and banning its residents from transferring hard currency abroad.

"The direct implication of Russian sanctions was a surge in cryptocurrency prices, and especially Bitcoin. The coin, which was moving along with the risk assets less than a couple of days ago is now The Asset that Russians and Ukrainians rely on to get their funds out of the traditional system which has become very hostile to them. It is reported that Bitcoin purchases using Rubles and Hryvnias soared as Russia imposed sanctions on its citizens."

In UK corporate news, Abrdn's annual profit rose as the asset manager posted higher full-year revenue for the first time since the it was formed from a merger in 2017. Adjusted operating profit for the year to the end of December rose 47% to 323m as revenue increased to 1.52bn from 1.43bn. Pre-tax profit under IFRS accounting rules rose to 1.12bn from 838m.

Net outflows were 3.2bn compared with 12.3bn a year earlier. Abrdn kept its annual dividend unchanged at 14.6p a share.

GlaxoSmithKline said the European Medicines Agency has accepted a marketing authorisation application (MAA) for its daprodustat treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The MAA includes positive data from the ASCEND Phase III clinical trial programme, which included five pivotal studies assessing the efficacy and safety of daprodustat for the treatment of anaemia across the course of CKD.

Critical power control solutions manufacturer XP Power saw reported profits slump in 2021 despite improved order intake and a modest uptick in revenues. XP Power said full-year operating profits had fallen 21% to 29.7m and pre-tax profits had sunk 20% to 28.4m as a 210 basis point decrease in gross margins to 45.1% offset a 33% improvement in order intake 343.4m and 3% revenue growth to 240.3m.
BEIRUT, March 1 (Reuters) - A London court has ordered two Lebanese banks to pay a depositor $4 million of his money locked in Lebanon's crippled banking system by informal capital controls in place since a financial meltdown in 2019, the first such ruling in Britain.

The High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, ordered Bank Audi and SGBL to make the payments, amounting to about $1.1 million and $2.9 million respectively, to claimant Vatche Manoukian by March 4, a copy of the ruling seen by Reuters said.

"Bank Audi will abide by the ruling of the British court," a Bank Audi official told Reuters.

SGBL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lebanon's financial system collapsed in 2019 after years of unsustainable financial policies, corruption and waste. Banks imposed tight controls on accounts, including a de facto ban on withdrawals of dollar-denominated deposits and limits on withdrawals in local currency.

These controls were never formalised with legislation and have been challenged in local and international courts, with mixed results.

A UK court in December ruled in favour of a Lebanese bank in a case brought by a depositor, considering the bank had discharged its debt to the plaintiff by issuing checks for the value of his deposits.

Many Lebanese banks have resorted to discharging dollar-denominated funds via banker's cheques which cannot be cashed out in dollars and are instead sold on the market at about a quarter of their value.

Just a week prior, a French court had ruled in favour of a saver residing in France in a case she brought against a bank which had also issued checks for her account balance, saying the unilateral move by the bank, opposed by the claimant, meant the bank had not fulfilled its obligations. (Reporting by Timour Azhari and Tom Perry Editing by Mark Potter)
Groundbreaking document paved way for normalization of Sino-US relations

Cui Tiankai, 70, the longest-serving Chinese ambassador to the United States, little knew 50 years ago the extent to which US President Richard Nixons ice-breaking trip to China would affect the world in coming decades.

The same applied to Cuis thoughts on the China-US joint communique, also known as the Shanghai Communique, which was issued during the visit.

When Nixon arrived in Beijing on Feb 21, 1972, Cui was working as a tractor driver in a rural area of Heilongjiang province, helping grow wheat and soybeans.

It was big news for us that the president of the United States was coming to China. We had a sense that something might happen and that there could be some changes in the relations between China and the United States, but we did not know exactly what those changes might be, Cui said.

We were certainly not aware of the broader, more fundamental changes, that might be taking place in the world. We were certainly not aware of the changes that would affect our personal lives in the coming decades.

The senior diplomat engaged with three US administrations during his time in Washington as ambassador from April 2013 to June last year, and watched as Sino-US relations plunged to historical lows, marred by a trade war, escalating tensions and a highly politicized pandemic.

The Shanghai Communique was something new in diplomacy, as the two countries agreed to state different views in the same document. As a political document signed by two sovereign states, it should be honored and implemented, Cui added.

However, there are very dangerous things coming up, he said, and over the years, there has been a clear violation by the US of the letter and spirit of the Shanghai Communique, causing concern for China.

With a view to working toward the normalization of joint relations, the Shanghai Communique was issued by China and the US hours before Nixon ended his week-long China visit on Feb 28, 1972.

Together with the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the Joint Communique on Arms Sales to Taiwan, the Shanghai Communique constitutes the foundation for the development of China-US relations.

The US acknowledges in the Shanghai Communique that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Straits maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China. The Taiwan question has been the most sensitive in China-US relations.

China and the US also acknowledged their differences in the Shanghai Communique, but agreed on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, including non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.
Throughout the last five years, I set out in an attempt to pay heed to Womens History Month by researching the lives of some of the lesser known women from Manistees past  women whose names were not as locally well-known as people like the Ramsdells or the Filers are today.

As the museum is filled with photo after photo of people who we dont know much about  but are a part of the countys history  I thought it might be interesting to pick a random album or folder, flip through it and with my index finger land on the first photograph of a woman that it willed and attempt to write an article about that woman employing the museums various research resources.

So with that in mind, I am continuing that same process once again this year. For this first article in the sixth volume of the series, I picked a folder from the museums collection titled, Vault Files - N and picked out a photograph of Matilda Nelson.

Whenever one attempts to research an individual it often helps if the last name of said person is somewhat less commonplace. Many times this will, in essence, provide one with a quicker and more easygoing search.

To this end, when a visitor comes into the museum and wants to search through our genealogy files, I will, of course, ask them what the name of the person is that they are looking for. Most times the name can be found without too much of a hassle but there are times when the researcher replies with something like, John Smith.

After hearing this name  or something similarly commonplace  I attempt to keep my composure, but if a thought balloon were to, by chance, escape from my mind it would probably illustrate me burying my head into my hands.

Regardless, something similar happened to me last week when attempting to figure out an individual to write about for this particular series of articles. As I picked out the aforementioned photo of Matilda Nelson and read her handwritten name and the year 1899 on the back of the photo, my line of thinking was, Even though her last name is somewhat common in Manistee, this shouldnt be too difficult This of course, led me to our genealogy files where I came across not one, not two, but three different Matilda Nelsons.

Making the search for information about the Matilda Nelson from the photo a little more challenging is the spelling of the first name, as it is often spelled Matilda or Mathilda and there are times when names are documented incorrectly leading to extra confusion.

While a theory  but not an exact confirmation  can be formed as to who the Matilda Nelson is in the accompanying photo, I will list the information of each Matilda Nelson found in the museums files and explain said possible theory.

Matilda Nelson #1  Dated 1899, the accompanying photo shows what looks to be a teenage Matilda Nelson with the surname Nelson being her maiden name as she presumably hadnt married at the time the photo was taken. In addition, a card showing cemetery information shows that a Matilda Nelson was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in 1951. Along with the date of her death, Oct. 27, 1951 the headstone also tells her birthdate, April 28, 1886. This would line up with her age as being roughly 13 at the time the photo was taken.

Further information on a Miss Matilda Nelson can be found in an issue of the Manistee News Advocate from Dec., 1914. The brief mention is as follows:

Miss Matilda Nelson, kindergarten teacher of the Third Ward School, entertained the kindergarten teachers of the different buildings at the Congregational church supper Tuesday evening.

The only other reference to a Miss Matilda Nelson found in the museums files is a very brief death notice published in the News Advocate on November 2, 1951:

Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Hanson, 341 Fourth St., have received word of the death of Miss Matilda Nelson of Baltimore, Maryland. Miss Nelson was a former resident of Manistee and taught kindergarten here  recently had been employed at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Internment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery.

So taking into account that this Matilda Nelson was never married, she would presumably have to be the Matilda Nelson from the photo as her name seemingly never changed and in her death notice, she was still referred to as a Miss.

Mathilda Nelson #2  Records show that the second Mathilda Nelson (maiden name Peterson) was born in Sweden in 1863 and arrived in the United States when she was 12 years old. She married Nicholas Nelson and resided in Ludington for several decades. In 1931, she moved from Ludington to Manistee and made her home with her son at 309 Third St. where she passed away at the age of 90. She was later laid to rest in Lakeview Cemetery in Ludington. At the time of her death she was survived by three daughters, three sons, 14 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren.

While she may not be the Matilda Nelson pictured in the photograph, she does have an interesting connection to the first Matilda Nelson mentioned in this article in that she passed away on Oct. 25, 1951, just two days before Matilda Nelson #1 passed away.

File graphic

Mathilda Nelson #3  The third Matilda Nelson was also born in Sweden and arrived in Manistee in 1904. Listed as the wife of George Nelson, she was a homemaker and was a member of the Mission Covenant Church and of the church Ladies Aid Society. She passed away at the age of 60 on Jan. 29, 1943 at her home located at 320 River St.

With the third Matilda Nelson not arriving in Manistee until 1904, the timeline of when the photo was taken doesnt match up thus taking her out of the running as the Matilda Nelson.

So, with all of this brought to light, the question somewhat remains is the woman pictured in this photo one of the previously mentioned Matilda Nelsons  signs point to Matilda Nelson #1  or could it be yet another Matilda Nelson that the museum does not have any information about. Unless someone comes forth with another theory or yet another Matilda Nelson, well never really fully know. One thing is for certain: attempting to find out information on who the pictured Matilda Nelson is, is still a lot less complicated than attempting to figure out information on a John Smith.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has condoled the death of Naveen Gyangoudar, an Indian student who was killed in Ukraine's Kharkiv on Tuesday morning.

Naveen hails from Haveri in Karnataka, and is the first Indian casualty of the deadly face-off between Ukraine and Russia.

The Chief Minister called up Naveen's father, Shekhar Gouda and consoled him. Terming the development as a real tragedy, the Chief Minister assured the family of all support for bringing back Naveen's mortal remains to India. He said that the state government is following up on the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs.

Recounting his son's last phone call to him earlier Tuesday morning, an emotional Shekhar Gouda said that Naveen used to telephone him at least two or three times a day.

Naveen was studying in Ukraine for the last 4 years. According to family sources, the tragedy occurred when he went out to have his breakfast.
Mankatos City Council coalesced around this proposed new ward map Monday night.

Current council members live in the proposed new Ward 1 (Karen Foreman), Ward 2 (Dennis Dieken), Ward 4 (Jenn Melby-Kelley) and Ward 5 (Jessica Hatanpa and Mark Frost). No incumbents live in proposed Ward 3. The wards in place for the past decade are shown in the inset map on the upper left.
Roman Abramovich has reportedly accepted Ukraine's offer to participate in peace talks and try to bring an end to Russia's invasion of the neighbouring country.

Many eyebrows were raised after the Russian businessman announced his decision to step down from his duties in charge of Chelsea, following Vladimir Putin's decision to launch a military operation in Ukraine.

According to Jewish News, Ukraine made contact with Abramovich to ask him to mediate in their bid to negotiate a peaceful settlement with Russia.

"I can confirm that the Ukrainian side have been trying to find someone in Russian willing to help them in finding a peaceful resolution," said a spokesperson for the Russian billionaire.

"They are connected to Mr Abramovich through the Jewish community and reached out to him for help. Mr Abramovich has been trying to mobilise support for a peaceful resolution ever since.

"Although Mr Abramovich's influence is limited, he is the only one who responded and taken it upon himself to try. If this will have an impact or not, I don't know, but I am in contact with [Ukraine president Volodymyr] Zelenskiy's staff myself, and know that they are grateful for his genuine efforts."
The conflict in Ukraine is continuing this Tuesday, with several Russian attacks having taken place over the course of Monday night. Monday was a big day in terms of sanctions against Russia and more developments are expected this Tuesday, so we'll keep you up to date on this live blog with all the latest news from Kyiv and from across Ukraine.

Russia Ukraine Live Blog

06:45 GMT/ 00:45 CST: Despite all the bombings, Ukraine remains in power.

Despite all the bombs dropped all over the country, Ukraine remains in of the entire nation. Russian trs have attempted to take over through various means but they haven't succeeded yet.

Good morning from Ukraine

We're still standing! ? Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) March 2, 2022

06:18 GMT/ 00:18 CST: Russia drops a vacuum bomb in the city of Kharkov.

A vacuum bomb that turns night into day is dropped in the city of Kharvkov, it's a vacuum bomb, one of the most lethal in the world just below a nuclear bomb. The images are terrifying.

It was a blow to the tank school in Kharkov



Vacuum bomb - the most powerful non-nuclear...



01.03.2022#Kharkivpic.twitter.com/KlwIPPiOWZ ? _ua (@vladyslava111) March 2, 2022

06:06 GMT/ 00:06 CST: Air Raid Sirens go off on multiple cities in Ukraine.

Right after the speech from Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin started ordering more missile strikes and shelling throughout the entire country of Ukraine. Kyiv, Dnipro, Chernihiv, Poltava and Sumy all get warnings.

The Times cartoon after just 6 days of Putin's Ukraine War pic.twitter.com/YrWZRQzcFS ? Business Ukraine mag (@Biz_Ukraine_Mag) March 1, 2022

05:58 GMT/ 23:58 CST: Russians hit the memorial to the massacre at Babi Yar

During last night's bombardments, the Russians hit the site outside Kyiv where the Nazis massacred most of Kyiv's Jewish population in WW2.

The Russians have hit the memorial to the massacre at Babi Yar. The site outside Kyiv where the Nazis massacred most of Kyiv's Jewish population in WW2. Pics of new memorial taken there in January. pic.twitter.com/zvtWVJdvmH ? Eleanor Beardsley (@ElBeardsley) March 2, 2022

05:50 GMT/ 23:50 CST: Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA grateful after receiving an ovation during Biden's SOTU address

Oksana Markarova said it was a "historic honor to accept rounds of applauds" during theState of the Union.

Historic honor to accept rounds of applauds at US President's #SOTU to people, military and President @ZelenskyyUa. I am deeply grateful to @POTUS, @FLOTUS and all Americans for strong support. Ukraine stood up to evil and the whole civilized world needs to #StopPutin now https://t.co/vkgO4TbG88 ? Oksana Markarova (@OMarkarova) March 2, 2022

05:45 GMT/ 23:45 CST: Images after overnights' bombardment at Kharkiv

Kharkiv, after the overnights bombardment. https://t.co/KueAINjVTI ? Gregor Martin (@Guderian_Xaba) March 2, 2022

05:40 GMT/ 23:40 CST: Drones in Kyiv recreate "Russian warship, go f*ck yourself"

Drones in Kyiv recreate now-proverbial answer of Ukrainian border guards on Zmiyinyi Island after Russians sent surrender request before bombing it.

"Russian warship, go f*ck yourself"



Drones in Kyiv recreate now-proverbial answer of Ukrainian border guards on Zmiyinyi Island after Russians sent surrender request before bombing it.



Monument is "Mother Motherland," commemorates resistance to Nazis in WWII, faces Moscow pic.twitter.com/d53THrB2df ? Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) March 2, 2022

05:23 GMT/ 23:23 CST: Bank if Russia decided not to resume trading today at the Moscow Stock Exchange

Bank of #Russia decided not to resume trading today at the Moscow Stock Exchange. ? Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) March 2, 2022

05:05 GMT/ 2305 CST: The U.S. Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russian oligarchs

.@POTUS: "The U.S. Department of Justice is assembling a dedicated task force to go after the crimes of Russian oligarchs. We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets." pic.twitter.com/IgtLBWGVDz ? The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 2, 2022

04:34 GMT/22:34 CST: The International Court of Justice will hold public hearings on Crimes of Genocide in Russia's war in Ukraine

The International Court of Justice will hold public hearings on Crimes of Genocide in Russia's war in Ukraine.#StopRussia#RussiaInvadedUkraine ? Stratcom Centre UA (@StratcomCentre) March 1, 2022

03:45 GMT/ 21:45 CST: Russian Colonel Viktor Isaikin died on a military assignment

Artem Zdunov, who heads Russias Mordovian Republic, reported the death of Russian Colonel Viktor Isaikin.



Zdunov said that Colonel Isaikin was sent to Ukraine on a "military assignment." ? The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 2, 2022

03: 40 GMT/ 21:40 CST: US has closed its airspace to Russian airlines

US has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft https://t.co/6zG4k0A0IA ? Olga Lautman (@OlgaNYC1211) March 2, 2022

03:32 GMT/ 21: 32 CST: Vladimir Putin signs decree to prohibiting Russians from leaving the country with more than $10,000 in foreign currency

Vladimir Putin signs decree to prohibiting Russians from leaving the country with more than $10,000 in foreign currency.



The move follows the sanctions the U.S. and allies have imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. ? The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 2, 2022

03: 26 GMT/ 21:26 CST: Geolocation of video showing massive explosion at or near Chuhuiv Airbase

02:20 GMT/ 20:20 CST: Joe Biden said US troops won't engage in Ukraine

Joe Biden said US troops won't be part of the war happening in Ukraine. However, he sent US troops to protect NATO allied countries.

02:16 GMT/ 20:16: Russian opposition figures ask to exclude Russia from INTERPOL

Russian opposition figures ask to exclude Russia from INTERPOLhttps://t.co/SRZc0IacFs ? Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) March 2, 2022

02:11 GMT/ 20:11 CST: Joe Biden says: Putin "miscalculated" his invasion and sub estimated the Ukrainian people

Joe Biden invited Ukranian ambassador in the US to his State if the Union speech.

01:50 GMT/ 19:50 CST: Biden addresses Russia's invasion during SOTU

Joe Biden will address the Russian invasion at the State of the Union address.

WATCH LIVE

01:12 GMT/ 19:12 CST: Russian column accumulating in the direction of Melitopol was destroyed

According to european Zaporizhia, 200 technical vehicles of the invaders were smashed by Ukrainian artillery.

According to (European Zaporizhia) a Russian column accumulating in the direction of Melitopol was destroyed. Near Vasylivka, on the east bank of the Dnipro River, about 200 technical vehicles of the invaders were smashed by Ukrainian artillery. pic.twitter.com/kfHBCGgkaY ? Michael MacKay (@mhmck) March 2, 2022

00:35 GMT/ 18:35 CST: Belarussian army is put on alert - it is expected to join Russian invaders for war against Ukraine

According to Ukranian Defense Ministry, the Belarussian army is expected to join Russian invaders in Ukraine.

They concentrated armed forces, supplies, and ammo in close proximity to Ukraine's state border.

Belarussian army is put on alert - it is expected to join Russian invaders for war against Ukraine, says Defense Ministry in Kyiv. Infantry, rangers, aircraft, supplies of food and ammunition - all concentrated in close proximity to Ukraines state border: Baranovichi, Pinsk. ? Ivan Verstyuk (@VerstyukIvan) March 2, 2022

00:12 GMT/ 18:12 CST: UK closes ports to ships from Russia and extends financial sanctions

UK closes ports to ships from Russia and extends financial sanctions. Faces when Russians read the news pic.twitter.com/UEEuWKFB8M ? Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) March 2, 2022

23:40 GMT / 17:40 CST: Missile hits maternity clinic in Kiev

A maternity clinic in Kiev was hit by a missile, according to a social media post by the head of the Adonis maternity clinic, Vitaliy Gyrin.

"A missile hit the maternity clinic. There was a lot of damage, but the building is standing. Everyone has been evacuated," Gyrin wrote on his Facebook page.

23:30 GMT / 17:30 CST: Missile attack on Zhitomir and Kiev leaves at least two dead

The city of Zhitomir, northwest of Kiev, has come under missile attack, leaving at least two dead, three injured, damage to 10 homes, three of them set on fire, and broken glass at a nearby hospital, according to Ukrainian emergency services.

Bombs have also hit several neighborhoods in Kiev and its suburbs, especially the one surrounding the capital's international airport, according to The Kyiv Independent.

22:50 GMT / 16:50 CST: Biden to accuse Putin of 'premeditated and unprovoked' invasion of Ukraine

President Joe Biden in his first State of the Union address tonight will strongly single out Russian President Vladimir Putin for a "premeditated and unprovoked" war, according to excerpts released by the White House.

"He rejected attempts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO would not respond, and he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready," some excerpts read.

Tomorrow at 9 PM ET, @POTUS will speak directly to the American people about the historic progress weve made, the work that lies ahead, and his optimism for the future.



Watch the State of the Union live on @WhiteHouse and @POTUS social media or visit https://t.co/NBwmb75mb3. ? The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 28, 2022

22:30 GMT / 16:30 CST: Donors pledge $1.5 billion for Ukraine

Different organizations and countries have pledged the UN $1.5 billion to immediately support the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine.

"This is one of the fastest and most generous responses to an urgent humanitarian request received to date," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

21:50 GMT / 15:50 CST: Two Ukrainian footballers die in combat

The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) has announced the death of two Ukrainian players as a result of Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

Vitalii Sapylo (21) and Dmytro Martynenko (25) lost their lives in combat. Sapylo was part of Karpaty Lviv's youth team and, as his club has made public, died last Friday.

Martynenko, who played for FC Gostomel, died after Russian bombs hit his home during one of the attacks.

21:20 GMT / 15:20 CST: Apple also reacts against Russia

Renowned technology brand Apple has announced the suspension of online sales of its products to Russia.

This stance by the U.S. company comes after Mykhailo Fedorov, deputy prime minister of Ukraine, sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook requesting to reduce the supply of products and services in Russia.

In addition, Apple announced the removal of state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik from its App Store in other countries.

Apple confirms it has paused all product sales in Russia.



RT News and Sputnik News apps also no longer available outside Russia pic.twitter.com/5E1lXC8ffs ? Ian Sherr (@iansherr) March 1, 2022

21:10 GMT / 15:10 CST: Gazprom subsidiary company declares bankruptcy

Collateral damage from the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to mount. Now Nord Stream 2 AG, a company owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom filed for bankruptcy, according to the Ministry of Economy in Zug, the Swiss city where it is based.

Nord Stream 2 AG, which was in charge of building and operating the gas pipeline bearing the same name, could no longer afford to make payments.

20:20 GMT / 14:20 CST: EU excludes Russian banks from SWIFT system

At the request of the European Union, a total of seven Russian banks will be suspended from the SWIFT interbank communications system, according to Bloomberg.

The excluded banks are VTB, Rossiya, Otkritie, Novikombank, Promsvyazbank, Sovcombank and VEB, although Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, and Gazprombank, related to gas giant Gazprom, were not included.

The SWIFT platform connects more than 11,000 organizations (financial and non-financial) in more than 200 countries.

19:40 GMT / 13:40 CST: Zelenskyy condemns attack on Holocaust memorial

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned in a social media post the destruction of a Holocaust memorial during the Russian attack on a TV antenna.

"To the world: what is the point of saying never again for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating..." Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

The death toll from this attack would have amounted to at least 8 victims.

To the world: what is the point of saying never again for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating... ? (@ZelenskyyUa) March 1, 2022

19:00 GMT / 13:00 CST: International Court of Justice calls for hearing

A hearing has been convened for March 7-8 by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which will focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The court is expected to expand on the charges of genocide against Russia carried out on Ukrainian territory.

17:00 GMT / 11:00 CST: What is the 'Z' on Russian army vehicles?

A letter 'Z' is displayed on tanks, trucks and other army vehicles of the Russian army, which at times appears framed within rectangles and even triangles, although no official explanation has been given.

One of the hypotheses is that they serve to avoid 'friendly fire' between other Russian combat vehicles, as the Russian and Ukrainian tanks are of the same model.

Read the full story here.

16:00 GMT / 10:00 CST: Share prices fall

Share prices across Europe and the US fell drastically on Tuesday as an extended consequence of the war in Ukraine. US, Europe and UK markets have plummeted amid fears about the wider impact of the conflict.

15:30 GMT / 09:30 CST: Snake Island soldiers may still be alive

A group of Ukrainian soldiers who were feared dead after their defiant response to a Russian warship may still be alive, according to Ukrainian officials.

The soldiers rose to fame last week after a Russian warship had told them to surrender on the first day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.

A group of Ukrainian border guards were stationed on Snake Island, in the Black Sea south of Odessa, when a Russian warship ordered them to surrender under threat of attack.



Their response: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."



They held their ground. All 13 were killed. pic.twitter.com/GMRsXQRSX0 ? Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) February 25, 2022

"We sincerely hope that the boys will return home as soon as possible and the information received at the time of the attack on the death will not be confirmed," read a statement by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

The statement went on to add that, according to media reports in Russia, the captured soldiers were sent to Sevastopol, a city in Crimea.

14:45 GMT / 08:45 CST: Explosions in Kyiv

Following the reports of an imminent attack on Kyiv, explosions have been heard in the capital city. Air raid sirens have now sounded, with people rushing to their nearest shelter.

Explosion heard in Kyiv.



Air raid sirens went off a minute later, reminding residents to head to the nearest shelter. ? The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 1, 2022

14:30 GMT / 08:30 CST: Russia Today to be blacked out in Europe

It is expected that Russia Today's European broadcasts will be blacked out this Tuesday evening. The channel distributing the signal is based in Luxembourg and has been finalising the details that would allow it to legally cut the signal.

14:10 GMT / 08:10 CST: More talks scheduled for Wednesday

According to the Russian state news agency Tass, a second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine's leaders has been scheduled for Wednesday. They already met for negotiations near the Belarus-Ukraine border on Monday, but without much progress.

13:50 GMT / 07:50 CST: Russia defence ministry warns Kyiv residents to leave their homes

Russia's defence ministry has announced that it will launch an imminent attack on buildings in the centre of Kyiv and has urged local residents to leave the area. "In order to thwart informational attacks against Russia, [Russian forces] will strike technological objects of the SBU and the 72nd Main PSO Center in Kiev," a statement from the Russian defence ministry started. "We urge Ukrainian citizens involved by Ukrainian nationalists in provocations against Russia, as well as Kiev residents living near relay stations, to leave their homes."

13:30 GMT / 07:30 CST: Ursula von der Leyen speaks

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, has spoken about the situation in Ukraine. "This is a watershed moment for our union," she said. "We cannot take our security and the protection of people for granted. We have to stand up for it. Ukraine is facing the darkest hour. At the same time, the Ukrainian people are holding up the torch of freedom for all of us, they are showing immense courage. They are defending their lives, but they are also fighting for universal values and they are willing to die for them. President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people are our true inspiration."

13:10 GMT / 07:10 CST: Diplomats stage walk-out at the UN Human Rights Council

As Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov started to speak to the UN Human Rights Council, diplomats from several countries walked out of the room. Ukrainian ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko thanked colleagues for this gesture.

HRC members walk out once Lavrov's video began to play in the session of the Council. Enough of exposure to the deranged lunacy of war criminals. We will listen to you at International Tribunal for War Crimes of Putin's Regime pic.twitter.com/neDqBYccxk ? Sergiy Kyslytsya (@SergiyKyslytsya) March 1, 2022

12:40 GMT / 06:40 CST: Zelenskiy speaks to the EU parliament

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken to the EU parliament and urged European leaders to support Ukraine. "Nobody is going to enter and intervene with our freedom and country, nobody is going to break us, we are strong, we are Ukrainians," he said. "Prove that you are with us. Prove that you will not let us go. Prove that you indeed are Europeans and that life will win over death, and light will win over darkness."

12:10 GMT / 06:10 CST: Zelensky labels Russia a "terrorist state"

Following the Russian attack on the main square in Kharkiv, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken and he has said that Russia is now "a terrorist state".

Zelensky calls it exactly like it is after Russian shelling devastates central Kharkiv. He describes the attack as a terrorist act and says Russia is a terrorist state. pic.twitter.com/qX7AuLPZtQ ? Tim OBrien (@TimOBrien) March 1, 2022

11:50 GMT / 05:50 CST: An update from United Nations human rights office

The United Nations human rights office has provided an update on casualties, stating that at least 136 civilians have been killed, including 13 children, and 400 civilians have been injured since Russia started its invasion.

11:30 GMT / 05:30 CST: Investigation into possible war crimes

Karim Khan, a prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC) in The Hague, has announced that they will look into possible war crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

11:00 GMT / 05:00 CST: Russia insist sanctions won't work

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Western sanctions won't make Russia change its position on Ukraine. Even though several countries have tried to hit Russia economically and politically, they are continuing with their invasion of Ukraine.

10:30 GMT / 04:30 CST: Boris Johnson hits out at "barbaric" tactics

Boris Johnson has held a press conference in Warsaw alongside Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki. "It is clear Putin is prepared to use barbaric and indiscriminate tactics against innocent civilians to bomb tower blocks, to send missiles into tower blocks to kill children," Johnson said during his speech.

10:05 GMT / 04:05 CST: Belarusian troops enter Ukraine

According to the Ukrainian parliament, via the Kyiv Independent, Belarusian soldiers have crossed into Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast to join Russia in its invasion of the country.

Belarusian troops have entered Ukraine.



According to parliament, Belarusian troops have entered Ukraine's Chernihiv Oblast to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine. ? The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 1, 2022

09:50 GMT / 03:50 CST: Separatists aim to encircle Mariupol

Denis Pushilin, a Donetsk separatist leader, is aiming for his forces to encircle the port of Mariupol by the end of this Tuesday. "That is today's task," he has said in a television interview. Mariupol is in the south-east of Ukraine.

09:20 GMT / 03:20 CST: Russian forces hit Independence Square in Kharkiv

Independence Square in central Kharkiv has reportedly been hit by a blast from Russian forces. The State Emergency Service is also reporting that six people have been injured, including one child.

Russian forces have struck Independence Square in central Kharkiv with a powerful explosion.



According to a video of the event, the blast detonated right in front of the headquarters of the Kharkiv Oblast government.



Video: Ukraine NOW/Telegram pic.twitter.com/poZjYcjRjD ? The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 1, 2022

08:35 GMT / 02:35 CST: Russian convoy approaches Kyiv

Satellite images show that a large Russian military convoy is north of Kyiv and advancing to the capital. When the images were captured by Maxar, the convoy was said to be around 60km away from Kyiv.

Maxar/AFP

08:00 GMT / 02:00 CST: Boris Johnson prepares to fly out

UK prime minister will fly out to meet other leaders in in Poland and Estonia this Tuesday, as well as to spend time with British troops in the region. "We speak with one voice when we say Putin must fail," Johnson said ahead of the trip.

07:15 GMT / 01:15 CST: Russian forces enter Kherson

There were reports during the night of the city of Kherson being surrounded by Russian troops, while video footage has also emerged showing Russian soldiers marching through the Kherson streets early this morning.

A video shared by the UNIAN news agency on Telegram shows dozens of Russian soldiers walking though streets of Kherson early on March 1. ? The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 1, 2022

06:45 GMT / 00:45 CST: At least 70 Ukrainian soldiers killed

Monday night was a tough one for the Ukrainian army, as at least 70 soldiers were killed when Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, according to the head of Sumy Regional State Administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi.
What steps does Ukraine still have to take to join the EU and NATO?

What steps does Ukraine still have to take to join the EU and NATO?

Ukraine is relying on help from the European Union and NATO in order to fend off the Russian invasion of the country. They have received aid from the European Peace Fund, but president Volodymyr Zelensky is taking the next step and has signed a petition to become a member of the EU, but it's a process that can't be done quickly

Firstly, there are requirements drawn up by the EU for any country that wants to be part of it. The 27 EU-member countries must unanimously agree to allow Ukraine to join, which is likely to be the case given the situation in Ukraine.

Once the application for membership has been signed, it goes to the Commission, which must give its approval. The European Council then have a vote and it's only then when Ukraine can officially become a member of the EU. It's a process which will take at least 12 months.

However, the European Parliament will ask in an extraordinary plenary session to speed up this process.

"Ukraine is s one of our own and we want them in the EU," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

What EU requirements must Ukraine meet?

In short, Ukraine must demonstrate to the EU that it is a strong democracy, with a powerful economy, in order to meet the expectations set by the organisation.

All these aspects are studied according to the Copenhagen criteria, which encompass aspects of democracy, economy and politics.

Ukraine must guarantee stable institutions to maintain democracy, a healthy economy capable of meeting the EU's requests and to obey EU laws and obligations.

Up to seven countries are waiting to join the EU

Another problem for Ukraine is there is a waiting list to join the EU. These countries are split into two groups: potential candidates and accession candidates.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are in the potential candidates group, whilst Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Montenegro are in the accession category.

Ukraine's poor economic capacity, due to the conflict, puts them in a difficult position, so Zelensky's government may be an EU membership candidate but the process can only be sped up at the request of the European Council.

Will Ukraine join NATO?

To be part of the 30-member NATO, you have to be invited so a candidate country will receive an action plan that it must comply with. Ukraine received this invitation in 2008, but it came to nothing.

In its previous attempt to join NATO, Ukraine was more aligned with Russia's policies, but that has changed over the last decade. However, NATO is an organisation that defends its member countries and Ukraine might not contribute as much in this sense.
After an Indian Student died in Ukraine, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that the government needs a strategic plan to evacuate stranded Indians. He also offered condolences on the demise of the student.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious."

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family."

He also said: "We convey our deepest condolences to the family."

India's foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage of the Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones.

"Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," Bagchi said.

Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of the second largest city Kharkiv on Tuesday damaging various installations over there.

The Russian troops have also surrounded Ukraine capital city Kiev on Tuesday and asked civilians to leave the city on the urgent note.

"All civilians in the city can freely leave the Ukrainian capital along the Kiev-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

Immediately thereafter, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked the stranded nationals to leave Kiev immediately by any means.
Weather Alert

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be 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...Through Thursday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Main-stem river flooding is expected in several locations. Extensive low land flooding will be likely in some areas, especially where the heavier rain has already occurred. Many low-water crossings will likely become flooded. Area creeks and streams are already running high and will likely flood with more heavy rain. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Additional rounds of thunderstorms with very heavy rain are expected this evening through the overnight hours. 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 Thursday afternoon. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor the latest forecast and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action quickly should flooding develop. Be especially cautious while driving at night. Do not drive through water of unknown depth. &&
The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday asked the stranded nationals to leave Kyiv immediately by any means as fighting has reached the Ukrainian capital city.

"All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," Indian embassy said in an advisory.

It is stated that Russian troops have reached Kyiv streets and aerial attacks are to begin.

Early this morning, the embassy stated that the 400 students housed near the embassy since February 24 have successfully left Kyiv by train through Mission's efforts.

"Ensured movement of more than 1,000 Indian students from Kyiv towards Western borders," the embassy had stated.

However, a few students were left in Kyiv.

Now the embassy directed all Indian citizens to leave the city on an urgent basis.

On Monday, the Indian embassy in Ukraine had informed stranded nationals that weekend curfew had been lifted in Kyiv and advised them to move towards the railway station.

"All students are advised to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western parts," said the embassy in a statement adding that for students stranded on the left side of Dnipro, there are metros and buses functioning which can be used to move to the train station for onward movement.

Ukraine Railways is putting special trains for evacuations.

"We sincerely request all Indian nationals/students to remain calm, peaceful and united," the embassy stated.

A large crowd can be expected at the railway stations, therefore, it is advised that all Indian students remain patient, composed and especially not to exhibit aggressive behaviours while at the railway stations.

The embassy stated that stranded citizens could expect delays in trains' schedule, even cancellation at times and long queues.

Indian students are requested to carry their passports, sufficient cash, ready to eat meals, easy accessible winter clothing and only essential items, to ensure easy mobility.

"Be mindful of your belongings at all times," the embassy stated.

After the advisory, many students left Kyiv through trains.
An Indian student was killed in Ukraine's Kharkiv on Tuesday morning in shelling as the war between Russia and Ukraine reached big cities' streets.

India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family."

He also said: "We convey our deepest condolences to the family."

India's foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage for the Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones.

"Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," Bagchi said.

Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of the second largest city Kharkiv on Tuesday damaging various installations over there.

The Russian troops have also surrounded Ukraine capital city Kyiv on Tuesday and asked civilians to leave the city on the urgent note.

"All civilians in the city can freely leave the Ukrainian capital along the Kyiv-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

Immediately thereafter, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked the stranded nationals to leave Kyiv immediately by any means.

"All Indian nationals, including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," Indian Embassy said in an advisory.
Moscow continues to recognise Volodymyr Zelensky as the legitimate President of Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The Ukrainian leader "could order troops to lay down arms, and there would be no casualties", he suggested, RT reported.

Asked about the post-invasion status of Ukraine and what Russia would expect from its future elections, Peskov said the issue had nothing to do with the Russian government.

"The Kremlin cannot play a role in holding elections in Ukraine. It's a foreign country," he said.

Peskov lamented Western attempts to put pressure on Russia over its attack on Ukraine, claiming that the US had induced on its European allies Washington's long-held taste for illegal restrictions.

The practice "spread through Europe like an infection", he remarked, RT reported.

Moscow will not submit to pressure, he said, adding that Russia perceived the retaliatory policies to be temporary.

"With time, leaders will arise in the EU, who will have a broad vision and realise that they need to be developing together with our nation. We will be working with that potential in mind," he said.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES

February 28th ,2022

UNITED NATIONS CHILDRENS FUND (UNICEF)

Wishes to invite you to submit a proposal for

LRPS-2022-9173244 Conducting a comprehensive Joint Education Needs Assessment (JENA) in conflict-affected areas in DRC

Offers should be sent by:

E-mail to: rdctenders@unicef.org

IMPORTANT  ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

The reference LRPS-2022-9173244 must be indicated in the offer in accordance with the instructions provided in this document. The Request for Proposal for Services (RFPS) Form on page 2 must be used when replying to this RFPS. Offers must be received at the above E-mail by latest 10:00 hours (GMT) on Thursday, March 22nd, 2022. Offers received after the stipulated date and time will be invalidated.

It is important that you read all the provisions of the RFPS, to ensure that you understand UNICEFs requirements and can submit an offer in compliance with them. Note that failure to provide compliant offers may result in invalidation of your bid.

Tenderers are invited to confirm their intention to participate by e-mail to rdcinfoprocurement@unicef.org to enable sharing any information/clarifications/amendment to tender documents. Clarifications will also be posted on the UNICEF DRC website at the following link: https://www.unicef.org/drcongo/agir/devenir-fournisseur,

UNICEF will not be held responsible for misplaced of submission that have not followed the instructions given

01. Click here to download the complete document - PDF format

02. Click here to download the Annex - MS Word
Using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Victor M. Blanco 4-m Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, astronomers have captured this image of the grand design spiral galaxy NGC 1566.

NGC 1566 is located approximately 70 million light-years away in the constellation of Dorado.

Colloquially nicknamed the Spanish Dancer, this grand-design spiral galaxy was discovered on May 28, 1826 by the Scottish astronomer James Dunlop.

Two spiral arms of NGC 1566 appear to wind around the galactic core, just like the arms of a dancer as they spin around and around in a furious twirl.

NGC 1566 is home to stars at all stages of stellar evolution, said Dr. Janice Lee, an astronomer with Gemini Observatory and NOIRLab, and her colleagues.

In this image, the bright blue color that outlines the arms of the galaxy arises from young, brightly burning stars. Darker spots within these arms are dust lanes.

The arms are rich in gas, and form large-scale areas that provide the perfect environment for new stars to form.

Closer to the center of the galaxy are cooler, older stars and dust, all evident by the redder color in the image.

At the center of NGC 1566 lies a supermassive black hole whose mass is estimated to be nearly 13 million solar masses.

The distinct and highly luminous nucleus of the galaxy is known as an active galactic nucleus, the astronomers said.

The light from the nucleus changes on timescales of only hundreds of days, making its exact classification difficult for us.

NGC 1566 is the brightest member of the Dorado Group, a loose group comprised of at least 46 galaxies.

NGC 1566 itself is so dominant that it has its own group, the NGC 1566 Group, the researchers said.

The commanding role of this galaxy in the Dorado Group has made it a key target for scientists aiming to determine the distance to the group itself, thereby improving our understanding of large-scale structures within the Universe.
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Patient preferences for overnight stays;

Surgeon preferences for overnight stays;

Late scheduling on theatre lists;

Distances between patient home and hospital;

Inadequate outpatient or primary care support;

Lack of adequate social support;

Private hospital-insurer financial arrangements; and,

Lack of access to an appropriate day surgery facility.

Media Release

"The same-day inguinal hernia repair rate rose from 22.4% in 2004-05 to 24.6% in 2017-18," they reported. "By way of comparison, it increased in New Zealand from 42.7% to 46.5%, and in the United Kingdom from 45.8% to 67.8%.""We found that 23.1% of inguinal hernia repair procedures in Australia during 2000-19 were same-day procedures. The recent RACS 70-80% target was realised only for patients under 15 years of age who underwent unilateral repair."The benefits of same-day repair include out-of-pocket savings for patients, lower risk of procedure cancellation because of unavailable inpatient beds, lower risk of hospital infections, better patient-rated outcomes, better surgeon outcomes through standardized care, improved patient flow and resource allocation, and reduced cost to the health care system.Of the 875,111 hospital admissions (783,623, 89.5% for male patients) for correcting inguinal hernia, 202,018 (23.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 23.0%-23.2%) were same-day procedures; the rates were higher for unilateral repair (24.4%; 95% CI, 24.3%-24.5%), for female patients (28.6%; 95% CI, 28.3%-28.9%), and for patients under 15 years of age (69.5%; 95% CI, 69.2%-69.9%). The same-day hernia repair rate increased from 20.0% (95% CI, 19.6%-20.3%) in 2000-01 to 25.1% (95% CI, 24.7%-25.5%) in 2018-2019; for unilateral repairs it increased from 20.1% (95% CI, 19.7%-20.5%) to 26.7% (95% CI, 26.2%-27.1%), but the ratio for bilateral repairs remained unchanged (2000-2001: 19.2%; 95% CI, 18.2%-20.2%; 2018-19: 19.6%; 95% CI, 18.8%-20.3%). The rate decreased with the patient's age and exceeded 70% for patients under 15 years of age who underwent unilateral repair.The same-day inguinal hernia repair rate rose from 22.4% (22.0%-22.8%) in 2004-2005 to 24.6% (24.2%-25.0%) in 2017-18. By way of comparison, it increased in New Zealand from 42.7% (41.6%-43.9%) to 46.5% (45.4%-47.6%), and in the United Kingdom from 45.8% (45.5%-46.2%) to 67.8% (67.5%-68.2%). The mean rate for this period was substantially lower in Australia (23.3%; 23.2%-23.4%) than in New Zealand (46.1%; 45.7%-46.4%) or the United Kingdom (58.9%; 58.8%-60.0%). In New Zealand, the same-day rate was lower in private (41.8%; 41.2%-42.3%) than in public hospitals (47.8%; 47.5%-48.2%).It was found that 23.1% of inguinal hernia repair procedures in Australia in 2000-2019 were done in a same-day procedures. The latest RACS target of 70%-80% was realized only in patients under 15 years of age who were unilaterally repaired. Contrary to relatively stable, low rates in Australia, same-day rates were also higher in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The rise in the United Kingdom is partly explained by the fact that National Health Service Hospitals have received 200-250 (approximately $358-$447) for a same-day inguinal hernia repair procedure since the 1990s. Higher rates in New Zealand suggest that restrictions on same-day procedures may be related more to variations in surgical practice than to the health care system (public or private hospital).Most people who have a inguinal hernia repair in Australia may have multiple explanations for staying inpatient. The patient's report after same-day surgery is as good as the effects after staying overnight, but other factors may usually be a barrier to granting this option. Increasing the rates of same-day inguinal hernia repair involves the complex intervention of pre- and post-operative decisions by hospitals, surgeons and patients.Mills and colleagues listed some perceived barriers to same-day repair as:"Patient-reported outcomes following same-day surgery are at least as good as those after overnight stays, but other factors may be barriers to routinely providing this option," they concluded."Increasing same-day inguinal hernia repair rates will consequently involve a complex interplay of pre- and post-operative decisions by hospitals, surgeons, and patients."This study was supported by a Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and also formed a part of Joanna Mills' doctoral research at the Sydney Medical School. The authors received a project grant funding from the HCF Research Foundation and they acknowledge the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare for providing the hospital admissions data.The study was also granted exemption from formal ethics review by the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee.Source: Medindia
Soon after the trailer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was dropped online, fans and pop culture nerds around the world had gone crazy wondering if the voice that they heard for a few seconds was actually of Sir Patrick Stewart who played the iconic Professor X in the X-Men film series.

It has been reported that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will feature around 25 different superhero cameos. This includes the X-Men, Fantastic Four and an Iron Man variant played by Tom Cruise.

And the trailer teased Patrick Stewarts Professor Xs return. However, in the interviews for Season Two of his series Star Trek: Picard, the legendary actor kept playing coy.

 20th Century Studios

But, recently, it seems like he finally confirmed his return to the fan-favourite character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Or rather, he was tricked into confirming.



It so happened that in an interview with Jake Hamilton for his YouTube channel Jakes Takes, he asked Sir Patrick Stewart a hypothetical What If? question about Professor Xs potential meeting with Doctor Strange and how will he react.

Stewart replied, Professor X would be extraordinarily cautious and watchful, and perhaps feel a little insecure. Because there is something that is potentially dangerous about this man. I think that would put Professor Xavier on guard.

When further asked about his reaction on hearing a voice in the trailer that says, We should tell him the truth. that fans think is his.

He replied, I had my phone turned off as it happened, so I didn't hear anything. It wasn't until the next morning when I woke up and looked at my phone and found that I had been bombarded with responses. My PR people had sent me reactions that they had detailed and passed onto me. I actually didn't recognize my own voice. It sounded different. Whether I had a cold or something at the time, I don't know. I was astonished  and all they saw was the back of my shoulder and I think my earlobe, nothing else  that there would have been so many connections made. But it pleased me [to see the reactions].

 20th Century Studios

Check out the interview below:



 Marvel Studios

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is slated for a May 6 release.


Love, hate, spite, all are heavy emotions, but one that Ive realized is greater than any and all of them, is patriotism.

People say that the kind of possessiveness you feel for your family is unparalleled, and it might also be true. But when it comes to ones home country and their motherland, then nothing - not even the slight chance of being convicted gets in the way of defending it.

Recently, a Ukrainian sailor was reportedly arrested by the police for trying to sink his Russian bosss luxury yacht, in light of recent events and developments between the two nations.

 istock

Ever since Russia declared an invasion into Ukraine, the world has been witnessing what can quite easily turn into a potential World War, as some concerned people are saying.



As citizens of Ukraine unite and pick up arms to defend themselves against Russian soldiers, a Ukrainian sailor miles in Spain, felt the need to protect his country right from where he was.

And he did so by choosing to sink a 156-foot yacht that belongs to Alexander Mijeev, the CEO of Rosoboronexport, for he alleged that his boss was a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people.

A Ukrainian sailor in Mallorca opened the valves & "partially sank" a 7m yacht belonging to the director of Russia's arms exporter.

After he explained it was in retaliation for Russian missile strikes on Kyiv, a judge released him pending trial. https://t.co/yCYkOEY6Mw pic.twitter.com/aOgwaAxLng  Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) February 27, 2022

Yacht Lady Anastasia belonged to Alexander whose company exports Russian defence products like weapons, ships, tanks and fighting vehicles.

Mr Ostapchuk, the Ukrainian sailor claimed, I watched the news about the war. There was a video of a helicopter attack on a building in Kyiv. The armaments used are produced by the yacht owner's company. They were attacking innocents."

 Twitter

And that is what, according to him, drove him to open valves in the engine room of the yacht in an attempt to flood it and support his country in times of need.



I don't regret anything I've done and I would do it again," said Mr Ostapchuk.

He was not just a sailor. He was the chief engineer of the vessel and a Ukrainian National. He opened all of the sea cocks, opened that fuel valves in order to contaminate the fuel with water and flood the engines. pic.twitter.com/8FPVCmgOfc  Paul J Pinel (@AbscanJ) February 28, 2022

He was subsequently arrested by Spain's Civil Guard on Saturday and appeared in court on Sunday where he admitted to not having regretted his actions.

After the attempt to sink the $7.7 million yacht, Mr Ostapchuk is currently out on bail and plans on going to Ukraine to join the fight against Russia.
One of the easiest ways to tell whether a picture is from India or not, would be to check for two things - chaos and traffic.

As long as there is some sort of a rush in the pictures, whether it is in terms of people crowding in a market or cars crowding on a road to the point that it creates hour-long traffic jams, one could safely assume that it would be an Indian road.

However, much to everyones surprise, and especially, Anand Mahindras, things are changing.

 Twitter

Recently a Twitter user shared an uncanny and rare picture of a road from one of the Indian cities and guess what? There was not even a single person trying to scoot their vehicle from the sidelines or cross over a red light.



I have seen this kind of discipline only in Mizoram. There are no fancy cars, no big egos, no road rage, no honking and no        .... no one is in a tearing hurry...there is calm and serenity all around... pic.twitter.com/ZAkXNNcES4  Sandeep Ahlawat (@SandyAhlawat89) March 1, 2022

User Sandy Ahlawat took to the microblogging site just a few hours ago to share a picture from Mizoram where people were actually following traffic rules, and honestly, more than a rare sight, it was a pleasant one.

He wrote in the caption, I have seen this kind of discipline only in Mizoram. There are no fancy cars, no big egos, no road rage, no honking and no        .... no one is in a tearing hurry...there is calm and serenity all around

I have seen this kind of discipline only in Mizoram. There are no fancy cars, no big egos, no road rage, no honking and no        .... no one is in a tearing hurry...there is calm and serenity all around... pic.twitter.com/ZAkXNNcES4  Sandeep Ahlawat (@SandyAhlawat89) March 1, 2022

And acknowledging it was industrialist Anand Mahindra who agreed with the user and he wrote, What a terrific pic; Not even one vehicle straying over the road marker. Inspirational, with a strong message: its up to US to improve the quality of our lives. Play by the rules A big shoutout to Mizoram.

With not even a foot out of line, it was indeed something to applaud, for in a country where the population is increasing by the second, to see that people are beginning to resort to the rules is but a great step forward.

Beach road , Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh pic.twitter.com/h6DhhVGGJh  Nitish Gupta (@Palukurinitish) March 1, 2022

For the first time seeing such traffic discipline in India. Bows to the people of Mizoram. Hope this propagates everywhere in our country.  iVeeRaM (@iVeeRaM) March 1, 2022

Experienced the same in Meghalaya too..  Sumit Garg (@sumit_garg_) March 1, 2022

In Assam too trafic is discplined  Rakesh Tiwari (@RakeshT92440168) March 1, 2022

Uttarakhand also pic.twitter.com/Enic5CpvpZ  Arjun Bir Sahi (@arjunbirsahi) March 1, 2022

Several other users then ended up sharing similar pictures from their cities, where too, people were all in line, with no sign of road rage or accidents.

One user even wrote, For the first time seeing such traffic discipline in India. Bows to the people of Mizoram. Hope this propagates everywhere in our country. And we wholeheartedly hope for the same!
Meridian, MS (39302)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 67F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 67F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Instead of reacting like rogue states, Bangladesh handled the US sanction on RAB professionally with much emphasis on diplomatic maneuvers.

by Emilia Fernandez

On December 10, 2021, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Bangladeshs elite paramilitary force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and seven of its current and former officialsaccusing of human rights abuses and abductions. Even though US-Bangladesh has been enjoying a cozy relationship since the birth of Bangladesh, this sudden human-rights related sanctions have raised concern in the South Asian Nation especially as it has been imposed "unilaterally" without any "prior information".

Sanction, an instrument of foreign policy, can be used to create pressure on a state or non-state actor to influence those decisions and actions that are being perceived as threatening to security or violating international behavioral conducts. The US government normally slaps sanction, using it as a carrot and stick policy,on those countries that US thinks as enemies, e.g., rogue states, and threatening to its national interest or to coerce the target to do something. As Bangladesh is neither a rogue state nor a threat to the US interest, the recent US sanction on Bangladesh, one of the most trusted US allies in South Asia, surprised the political analysts across the world.

Generally, when the US imposes sanctions, the opponent states react in way that worsen the situation further. As a friendly country, how Bangladesh responded to the US sanction deserves analysis since it will help to understand how the US ally reacts to such sanctions compared to that of the US enemies.

The Bangladeshs Responses

Initially, Bangladesh followed the diplomatic way to communicate with the US government to explain its stance against the allegations. Diplomatic efforts, on the part of Bangladesh, was mainly focused on convincing the US government by conveying the message that Bangladesh has been misrepresented by vested groups. This is how Bangladesh differentiated itself from other countries on which the US has imposed sanctions so far. For example- the North Korea fires fresh missiles in response to US sanctions. Instead of accepting the criticism, the rogue states just react negatively against any sanctions. But Bangladesh showed positive attitude and welcomed constructive suggestions from the US government.

In response to human rights violations, the Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh has established ahuman rights cell under the United Nations (UN) to look into human rights issues and abuses with required importance and attention.Besides, the cell will present the facts and figures of the human rights situation of Bangladesh before the international community by analyzing the situation properly. As it has been established under the UN, it can be expected that the situation will be monitored properly and the real data will be presented.

According to Bangladesh government, theyhave alreadysent data on the country human rights situation and its progress in rescuing the people, who allegedly fell victim to enforced disappearances. The law enforcing agencies of Bangladesh have also rescued several people which was also mentioned in the report. It was also mentioned that government is working relentlessly to find the whereabouts of the rest of the people.

The US Reactions

Gregory W Meeks, the chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and an influential US Congressman, in one of his speeches, delivered at fundraising luncheon function in New York, said that there is no plan of the USA to impose further sanctions against security forces of Bangladesh.Also, Meeks hinted about certain vested groups who are strongly lobbying with the Biden Administration for slapping further sanctions against more Bangladeshi officers and politicians. Though he clearly mentioned that he supports the Biden administrations stance onRAB, he also made it clear that wholesale sanction against Bangladesh is currently unwarranted by the US government.

The April 4, 2022 will mark the golden jubilee of US-Bangladesh relations. In order to celebrate the 50 years of the establishment of their diplomatic ties, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken invited Bangladeshs Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen to Washington. This also indicates that the Biden administration has taken Bangladeshs responsesto the US sanction in a positive light. And, the relations of these two countries still intact and friendly as before.

Instead of reacting like rogue states, Bangladesh handled the US sanction on RAB professionally with much emphasis on diplomatic maneuvers. The crisis may be resolved soon, but Bangladesh should decode the hidden motive of Washington behind such sanction. What does the US actually expect from Bangladesh? TheQuadrilateral Security Dialogue(QUAD), a strategic security dialogue between the United States, India, Japan and Australia, may be a relevant issue to be considered in this context. May be, the US is trying to create pressure on Bangladesh to join its Indo-Pacific military pact to contain China.Probably, Biden administration may slap more sanctions, in future, if Bangladesh fails to meet the US expectation on Indo-pacific which is to join the QUAD.

Bangladeshs economy is now at take-off stage with its potential of graduating from LDC by 2026 and has an aspiration to be a developed economy by 2041. Considering Bangladeshs economic conditions, the global powers should not involve the country into any geopolitical tug-of-war. Neither Bangladesh can ignore the US and India nor China considering the current global geopolitical situation. Also, it does not comply with Bangladeshs balancing foreign policy which emphasizes on Friendship Towards All, Malice Towards None. Now, Bangladesh has to ensure neutrality and strike a fine diplomatic balance among the major global powers for its development discourse. Otherwise, the country is going to face more sanctions which will worsen the US-Bangladesh relations and will ultimately push Bangladesh towards the strategic orbits of China.

Writers Bio: Emilia Fernandez, a security and political analyst with a particular focus on South Asian geopolitics, is a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland. She can be reached at: emiliafernandez.ul@gmail.com
Buildings across Europe and the United States are turning their spotlights to blue and gold in solidarity with Ukraine as the country battles an invading Russian Army.

Last week, New York Citys Empire State Building, Paris Eiffel Tower, the London Eye in England, the Colosseum in Rome and everything from state capitols to convention centers across the United States were going blue and gold, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Locally, Daviess Judge-Executive Al Mattingly said the courthouse here will be lighted blue and gold in a show of local solidarity.

He said blue and gold filters will be put over the spotlights that shine on the courthouse at night to create the effect.

The city is considering turning the lights on the Glover H. Cary Bridge downtown to blue and gold to show solidarity as well.

City Manager Nate Pagan said Monday that an announcement will likely be made at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 1.

The battle was continuing to rage in Ukraine on Monday.

And the United Nations said that more than 500,000 refugees have fled the country since fighting began last week.

The colors in the Ukrainian flag are said to represent the blue skies and the yellow wheat fields that characterize the country.

Keith Lawrence, 270-691-7301, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com
Owensboro Transit System will include a bus route into MidAmerica Airpark when it upgrades bus routes in the near future.

OTS Director Pamela Canary said officials are preparing an action plan based on recommendations from the Florida firm of Tindale Oliver, which studied the transit system last year.

The citys closest bus route stops near the Airpark property. Canary said the Tindale Oliver study recommended the route be extended into the industrial park.

After the route study, the routes that are proposed would actually go into the Airpark, Canary said.

When asked if the closest stop to the Airpark was used by workers, Canary said OTS statistics show the three to five people use the stop daily on the average weekday.

We make an assumption based on the hours they are riding that they are working at the Airpark, Canary said.

More riders might use the service once the bus line is extended into the Airpark, she said.

The transit system is currently creating an action plan based on the Tindale study. Along with adding the Airpark property to the bus line, the study recommended changing some routes to make bus service more efficient for riders in the Kentucky 54 area, by keeping buses servicing the area on a 45-minute schedule.

The survey also recommended adding transfer points, so people could switch buses without having to ride all the way to the bus terminal downtown.

We are in the first stage of implementation,and that is coming up with an action plan on how to implement the changes, Canary said.

At a Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting last week, Candance Castlen Brake, president and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, said the Airpark needs bus service through the second shift, so people working nights could ride the bus home.

Canary said the Tinsdale Oliver study recommended buses run later, so buses would be doing their final pickups of the evening at 8 p.m.

The study recommended the city continue not providing bus services on Sundays.

Operating until 8 p.m. would be much different from what we are doing right now, Canary said. When asked the feasibility of running through second shift hours, Canary said staffing would be an issue.

The problem is we are short drivers and are constantly looking for additional drivers, she said. If we extend our hours, that means more drivers.

James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse
The reason for the uncertainty was that market participants did not know which direction prices would be heading  up or down.

Some believed that prices would increase because the conflict...
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MIDDLETOWN  Police are investigating a letter allegedly containing death threats and racist language that was mailed to the Middletown Public Schools superintendent.

Middletown Police Lt. Brian Hubbs said Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner, who has been on leave from his job since mid-October, filed a police report Thursday night.

Hubbs declined to provide information about the case because its an ongoing investigation.

Since no charges have been filed, Hearst Connecticut Media Group is withholding the identity of the person whose name and signature appeared on the cover letter to the packet mailed to Conner.

Phone and email messages to the person have not been returned.

Michael Conners wife, Viviana Conner, said her husband is unable to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct by top school district administrators. Conner remains out of work on paid leave.

The call for the school investigation came after unions representing district employees asked for city assistance in dealing with allegations of harassment, intimidation and retaliation.

Viviana Conner said her husband is innocent until proven guilty in the schools investigation.

Yes, racism [exists] in Middletown, Michael Conner wrote on Twitter Friday morning, and included four screenshots of the letter that his wife Viviana Conner said consisted of more than 15 pages.

Hearst Connecticut Media has only seen the four pages posted on Twitter. The Conners have not provided the rest of the documents they said they received.

On Twitter, the superintendent included a picture of the cover letter, which had the persons name at the top and signature at the bottom. The letter was dated Jan. 28, but Viviana Conner said the family received it Thursday.

Viviana Conner described the material as racist, hateful and threatening.

She believes media coverage of the school board probe has emboldened and enabled the individual.

In the screenshots Conner posted, the individual highlighted passages, including the beginning lyrics to Simon & Garfunkels Sounds of Silence.

Hello darkness, my old friend / Ive come to talk with you again, the letter reads, quoting the song.

The other pages Conner posted include what the writer said are inspirational quotes by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

I apologize for having to send this to your home address. But rumor has it that you are spending very little time at Hunting Hill Avenue, the letter reads, referencing the location of the school districts central office. Quite amusing how the tables have turned!

Mayor Ben Florsheim posted about the incident Monday afternoon on his Facebook page, saying the correspondence contained language and references that were interpreted as threatening and hateful.

Florsheim said police are investigating the origin and intent of the mailing.

While I cannot comment on the status of that investigation while it is ongoing, I want to reassure this community, as I have assured all parties involved, that we are taking this matter extremely seriously. I have full confidence in the investigative process underway by the Middletown police department and the states attorney, which will determine the appropriate next steps as a criminal matter, Florsheim said.

Police Chief Erik Costa, the mayor and members of the Middletown Ministerial Alliance have met to discuss the letter, the investigation, and the path forward  not just as a criminal matter, but as a community matter as well, the mayor added.

Middletown does not tolerate any signs of hate, intimidation, harassment or attempts at the same: When we have problems, we solve them through collaboration. Our residents, our public servants, and anyone who visits our city all have a right to feel safe and secure, he wrote on Facebook.

We arent as ignorant to believe racism and biases dont live in our community, but, at the first sign, we will work to address them, thanks to the many strong leaders and partners working to make Middletown a better place, Florsheim said.

Since the school investigation began, Viviana Conner said, she and her husband have reserved comment, but this has gotten way out of hand.

Weve been very quiet, but I cant live like this.  I deserve to be protected like everybody else, she said. [The person] crossed the line by somehow finding our home address and mailing it to our home.

She and her husband can handle criticism, however, she added, upsetting their son goes too far.

When you put somebodys child at risk.  You can throw tomatoes at me and my husband  were fine, were grownups  well wipe it off. Dont cross the line.  That is unacceptable, Viviana Conner said.

She said the person has sent previous letters to her husband, but the latest communication was extremely different in tone and context and how in depth this gentleman went into, and what he wanted our family to go through.

He made an analogy of a slow death like cancer, Viviana Conner said.

I was truly saddened to hear about your ongoing health issues, the person wrote in the letter. As a cancer survivor myself, I know first-hand the value of ones health. Obviously, my cancer was not as severe as yours. How could one overcome such hurdles of size, color and power? Its no wonder you needed to take a leave of absence.

The person highlighted in yellow Kings words dealing with prophecy of his assassination to analyze how Mikes going to die  and us, Viviana Conner said. That is not OK. It should have never gone this far.

Viviana Conner said shes hopeful police will make an arrest.

We gave ourselves for four years to this community  both of us. .. To be harassed, death threats, racism  it hasnt ended, she said. Theres no shame in it. Its almost like theyre proud that they sent the packet and were living in fear.
The well known fact is that is that Hitler lost the war after this gamble in Russia. And will the same fate happen to Putin also ?

by N.S.Venkataraman

There is a general perception around the world that Putin invaded Ukraine , expecting that Ukraine would surrender in a day or two unable to withstand his powerful army. Obviously, Putin must have expected that before USA and other NATO countries could react to his invasion, he could finish the job and then face the criticism and opposition from others suitably. But, this has not happened .

Putin is now in an awkward situation , as Ukraine has stood against his onslaught with tremendous determination, with millions of people around the world applauding Ukraine and in equal measure condemning Putin.

What is even more embarrassing for Putin is that his own countrymen are not supporting the war, as is clearly evident from the protests by the Russian citizens who eloquently shout no war at Putins face. The mass protest has not been toned down, inspite of the warning issued by Putin to the protesters and arresting the protesters.

Looking at Putins adventure in Ukraine, one is reminded about Hitlers historic mistake in invading Russia during the II world war. Hitler expected that his forces could enter Russia in a very quick time and his troops advanced into Russia for sometime. Later on, the Russian forces defended the territory with determination to the utter surprise of Hitler and Hitler lost heavily in the process. Putins gamble in Ukraine is almost similar to the gamble by Hitler against Russia in II World war.

The well known fact is that is that Hitler lost the war after this gamble in Russia. And will the same fate happen to Putin also ?

People around the world are extremely angry at Putin for his merciless bombing of Ukraine , a comparatively small country and destroying the buildings and infrastructure facilities , killing innocent people and forcing more than half a million women, children and aged people to run away from Ukraine to take refuge in other countries. Putin started the war and he now stands as a villain in the eyes of the world.

While it is a fact that USA and NATO countries do not want to send the forces to Ukraine to save Ukraine from Russias invasion, their voice of support to Ukraine in this hour of crisis the sanctions against Russia and so many other measures keep the morale of the Ukranians high. At the same time, have left the entire Russian country is facing a humiliating condition as it is being despised by people almost all over the world

Speaking in German parliament, German chancellor correctly said that this is Putins war and not a war waged by Russian people. Certainly, millions of Russians living in Russia will appreciate this statement of German Chancellor.

Of course, the world should always be striving to achieve peaceful conditions , even if it would not be happening. Now that peace talks have inevitably started between Ukraine and Russia . Given the world pressure on Putin and his unpopularity in Russia due to his war decision , possibly Putin would try to stop the war with some face saving formula that he would strive to make Ukraine agree during the peace talks.

Whatever may happen, certainly the Ukraine as a country would remain and people of Ukraine has gained huge respect around the world for their determination to defend the country and the President of Ukraine would be hailed for the dignity with which he faced the attack from Russia and his moving and convincing appeal for support to other countries.

To the extent that Ukraine and its President would gain acclaim in the world forum, Putin would lose his image and remain condemned as a man who brought enormous havoc to a neighbouring country and killed innocent people.

In the history, Putin would get the same place as Hitler and would remain as an example as to how a leader of a country should not be.

It is now upto the citizens of Russia to rebuild the image of the country and how they would do would be watched keenly around the world.
SEYMOUR  A wrong-way driver was charged with driving while intoxicated on Route 8 in Seymour early Saturday morning, according to state police.

The arrest came around the same time that two separate fatal crashes involving wrong-way drivers on Interstate 84 in Hartford and Interstate 91 in Meriden killed six people.

State police were dispatched about 3 a.m. Saturday to Route 8 on reports of a wrong-way driver on the southbound lanes near Exit 20. When they arrived, Seymour Police had stopped the car on the Exit 22 entrance ramp, state police said in a press release Saturday morning.

Police noticed the driver, identified as 54-year-old Manchester resident Michael Brown, appeared to have glassy and bloodshot eyes. Police also said they could smell alcohol on his breath as he spoke, according to state police.

Troopers administered field sobriety tests which Brown failed to perform to standard, police said.

Brown was charged with operating under the influence, driving the wrong way on a divided highway and failure to carry a license.

He was released on a $1,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court in Derby on March 18.

Fatal wrong-way crashes have increased across highways nationwide in recent years. However, from 2015 to 2018, Connecticut saw a decline, according to an AAA analysis using data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administrations Fatality Analysis Reporting System.

Between 2010 to 2014, the state had 29 fatal wrong-way crashes, and 20 wrong-way crashes from 2015 to 2018, the analysis stated.

AAAs study found that alcohol impairment was the single most significant factor in the majority of wrong-way driving crashes, according to Fran Mayko, a spokeswoman for AAA Northeast. The study said alcohol played a role in 60 percent of the crashes where drivers had a blood alcohol concentration over the .08 legal limit.

The study also identified advanced age and driving without a passenger as prime causes of fatalities in wrong-way crashes.
NEW BRITAIN  What do you do when you or a loved one cant get through a day without help? Its a problem most families face sooner or later, and its a thorny one.

One option is to have an adult child move in with the care recipient or vice versa, so that theres always someone on hand to run errands and provide companionship.

But, sometimes, a move isnt feasible. Another choice is a retirement home that provides services on site, but moving out of ones own home and into an institution can be a hard sell.

In-home caregiving can be a perfect middle ground. For an average of $25 per hour, you can hire a caregiver to provide aid in the care recipients own home.

Caregivers can provide a wide range of services. Some people only need help with errands that require heavy lifting, while others need aid with daily activities, such as bathing and dressing, or medical care.

What are the types of caregivers, and how do you find one who is qualified?

Skilled care and custodial care

If you need caretakers to change an IV or a catheter, you will have to hire someone with a medical license. Look for the words skilled care or home health care. If you dont need any assistance that requires medical training, you need custodial care, home care, personal care or attendant care.

These attendants will help the individual with activities of daily living, known in the trade as ADLs, like cooking, cleaning, bathing and dressing.

Types of licenses

It is best to find a licensed caregiver. A home health aide license is a qualification for a custodial caregiver; however, HHAs cannot perform clinical tasks, but can manage a patients medication and help with activities of daily living.

A certified nursing assistant, who reports to a nurse, is qualified to care for a patient who is ill, even if the patient needs to go to a hospital or other medical facility. CNAs are qualified to change wound dressings and help patients by bathing them or changing sheets.

Companion care

Most caregivers, whether medical or custodial, are purely professional with their patients. However, a companions duties include socializing with the care recipient. For some elderly people who feel isolated in the home, a few hours a week spent chatting or playing cards with a companion can feel essential.

When it comes to choosing a caregiver, there are plenty of decisions to make. However, knowing the right terminology can make the choice as painless as possible.

Some consider hiring a caregiver under the table. We recommend against this practice. You could be liable if they get injured (and your homeowners insurance probably will not cover the claim) or could be liable for unemployment benefits if they are terminated.

We have worked with many agencies in the state and can refer you to a quality agency.

Robert A. Scalise Jr. is an elder law attorney at Ericson, Scalise & Mangan in New Britain. For information, visit esmlaw.com.
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A highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in wild ducks in Connecticut during routine surveillance, according to officials.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said its biologists and United States Department of Agriculture staff detected the presence of the bird flu in mallards and continue to monitor the situation.

The routine wild bird surveillance program helps serve as the states early-warning system, reducing the risks of spread to poultry producers, DEEP said.

DEEP said wild bird can be infected with the virus and show no signs of illness. As they migrate, they can then spread the disease to new areas.

A backyard flock of pet chickens in New Yorks Suffolk County were detected with the flu on Feb. 19. Following that discovery, some health experts in Connecticut expressed concerns with the strain being found so close to the state.

In the past five years, low pathogenic avian influenza has been found in Connecticut three times, according to the state Department of Agriculture website.

The state agency urged any residents who own chicken or other game birds to be aware of the situation and report anything out of the ordinary, DEEP said. Among the signs of avian flu are depression, decreased food and water consumption, decreased egg production, soft or misshapen eggs and any respiratory signs like coughing or sneezing.

Anyone who suspects poultry might have died from unknown causes is asked to contact the state veterinarian at 860-713-2505 or ctstate.vet@ct.gov.
ORANGE  State Reps. Kathy Kennedy (R-119) and Charles Ferraro (R-117) last week hosted a successful blood drive at the High Plains Community Center in Orange facilitated by the American Red Cross.

Both legislators also participated as blood donors.

I want to thank everyone that attended Wednesdays blood drive, Kennedy said. With all the slots for blood donors being pre-filled weeks in advance, it was great to see so many members of our community band together for this life-saving cause.

The legislators spent the afternoon at the drive, each donating a pint of blood. According to the American Red Cross, blood donations help accident victims and burn survivors, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and people who are battling cancer.

We are so grateful that this strong community effort resulted in such an impactful amount of blood donated to the American Red Cross, Ferraro said. Thank you to everyone who attended the drive, and we encourage anyone who is able to donate blood themselves. It helps tremendously during this blood shortage.

According to Peter Boucher, the accounts manager for the Red Cross and the legislators liaison, the Orange Blood Drive collected 29 pints of blood from 35 donors. Donors were asked to register in advance for a scheduled appointment, which helped ensure the health and safety precautions being taken by the Red Cross throughout the event.

The Red Cross reports that every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of blood with the organization in continual need of blood donations.

According to the American Red Cross, blood donations can help cancer patients, trauma patients, sickle cell patients, burn patients and patients with chronic diseases. Donations can also be separated into components, which can help more than one person.

Due to a national blood shortage, both legislators voted last year in favor of a new law to allow 16-year-olds, with parental consent, donate their blood to voluntary blood donation programs.

Most healthy individuals can donate blood every 56 days. In order to be eligible to give, the donor must be at least 16 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health. Donors are also encouraged to eat a well-balanced meal and drink a lot of fluids prior to donating.

For more information on blood donation, visit redcrossblood.org.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to heighten the alert status of his nuclear forces has raised fears in the U.S. that the war in Ukraine could lead to a devastating miscalculation, as well as spurred debate over the United States' own nuclear policies.

As of Monday morning, U.S. officials said they had seen no sign that Putin's order has been followed by significant changes in the Russian nuclear posture.

But officials and nuclear nonproliferation advocates alike are still warning that Putin's announcement is a dangerous escalation in the war he started last week in Ukraine.

Read Next: Most Military Hospitals Now Offering Free Home COVID-19 Tests

"It's my judgment that Putin's publicly announced statement that he was raising the alert levels yesterday was designed more to reinforce his earlier threats against those who might seek to intervene in his invasion against Ukraine from doing so, rather than to actually raise the alert levels to the point where they might actually be used," Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, told Military.com in a phone interview.

"Nonetheless, it's an extremely irresponsible and risky move that I think increases the risk of miscalculation and an escalation," Kimball added.

In a televised statement Sunday, Putin ordered his military leadership to put nuclear deterrent forces on a "special regime of combat duty" in response to "aggressive statements" from the West and escalating sanctions that are increasingly choking off Russia's economy.

"I order the minister of defense and the chief of the general staff to transfer the deterrence forces of the Russian army to a special mode of combat duty," Putin said in a meeting with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

But Putin's phrasing has confounded analysts, with a senior U.S. defense official telling reporters Monday the Pentagon is still working to decipher exactly what he meant.

"It's not a term of art in what we understand to be Russian doctrine," the official said. "So that's why we're still analyzing it and reviewing it to try to understand what exactly it means."

The announcement, which came amid what western officials have described as Russian frustration at stronger-than-expected Ukrainian resistance and Moscow's own military logistics failures, was widely interpreted as putting Russian nuclear forces on high alert.

Following Putin's order, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that more troops have been added to the command posts of all of Russia's nuclear forces, according to The Associated Press.

In the meantime, the United States has seen no major movements following Putin's statement.

"I don't believe we've seen anything specific as a result of the direction that he gave, at least not yet, in terms of appreciable or noticeable muscle movements," the senior defense official told reporters.

Asked Monday whether Americans should be worried about nuclear war, President Joe Biden responded simply, "No."

Russian strategic forces are always on alert, making it unclear what has fundamentally changed, said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.

"The core of the announcement is saber-rattling to scare the West and get some concessions," Kristensen told Military.com in a phone interview.

Should Russia move its mobile long-range nuclear missiles out of their bases and hide them around the country, send out significantly more ballistic missile submarines than normal or increase the activities of its bomber fleet, that would signal that Putin's announcement was more than rhetorical, Kristensen added.

While it is unclear what concrete actions Russia will take now, Putin's announcement appears unprecedented in the post-Cold War era, with experts pointing to the U.S. military raising its alert level in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War as the most recent historical comparison.

Amid the current crisis, the Biden administration has not raised the U.S. military's alert status, with the senior defense official saying that "we remained comfortable and confident in our own strategic deterrence posture."

That stance has earned praise from arms control advocates who say it is the right move to avoid further raising temperatures unnecessarily.

"To their credit, the United States has not responded in kind," Kristensen said. "On the contrary, DoD [Department of Defense] has been very, very cool-headed and clear. ... They don't have to take the bait."

The Cold War-style nuclear escalation over Ukraine comes as the United States is reviewing its own nuclear policies.

The Biden administration has been working on a Nuclear Posture Review, a formal document outlining American nuclear policy drafted by each new administration, that has been expected to impose at least some limits on the U.S. nuclear arsenal, including possibly canceling Trump administration plans for a sea-launched cruise missile or changing U.S. policy to declare the "sole purpose" of nuclear weapons is deterrence.

Republicans who were already critical of any plans to curtail U.S. nuclear might have seized on Putin's announcement Sunday to bolster their arguments.

"Reports that Putin has placed Russia's nuclear forces on higher alert is a stark reminder of why we need a strong, effective deterrent to meet the growing threats facing the U.S. and our allies," Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., tweeted Sunday. "The upcoming Nuclear Posture Review cannot ignore this reality."

But arms control advocates say the dangers of the current situation show more restraint is needed in nuclear policy.

"We do not want to commit the same egregious fouls that Vladimir Putin is committing here, including threatening the first use of nuclear weapons in the conflict," Kimball said.

Russian military doctrine calls for using nuclear weapons only when the existence of the state is at risk.

Still, with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine going worse than it expected, Russia hawks in Congress are warning that a desperate Putin could pull the trigger.

"Now the economy is in shambles & the military is being humiliated & his only tools to reestablish power balance with the West is cyber & nukes," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, tweeted Monday.

Experts also warn that Russian nuclear doctrine is vague enough that Putin could respond to a nonnuclear threat to his rule -- such as sanctions cratering the Russian economy -- with a nuclear answer.

"There are some scenarios in which you can imagine, not just this invasion of Ukraine, but some scenarios in which he might seriously consider so-called limited use in a conflict that threatens the existence of the Russian state," Kimball said, "which he, of course, probably interprets as him."

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

Related: Ukraine Slows Russian Advance Under Shadow of Nuclear Threat
Russia's invasion of Ukraine was not even a week old, and the lesson to many in the U.S. and the West was already crystal clear -- the NATO alliance must be strengthened even further after a major expansion over the past two decades failed to deter conflict.

"We have to lean in and get greater purpose and focus," Heather Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a nonpartisan think tank, testified to a Senate panel on Tuesday. "Now Europe understands the stakes. Its own freedoms and security are at stake as well as ours."

NATO has admitted more than a dozen new members since 1999, including Poland, Romania and the Baltic states, which border Ukraine and Russia. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has not been deterred by the alliance expansion east, and instead has spent that time destabilizing Ukraine and finally invading last week, in what he said is a bid to keep it from joining the alliance.

Read Next: Captured Russian Troops Call Home While Filmed by Ukrainian Officials, Raising Geneva Convention Questions

Now, NATO could continue to expand in ways unthinkable before Putin's invasion, analysts say, such as granting membership to Sweden and Finland, which would put another NATO member along Putin's border.

The seismic shift in countries interest and commitment to NATO comes only a couple of years after commentators were questioning its survival during the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Trump sought a close relationship with Putin, questioned the value of the alliance throughout his one-term presidency and accused other member nations of not pulling their weight in defense spending. He also, according to several aides, repeatedly toyed with withdrawing from the alliance altogether. He also delayed aid to Ukraine in actions that led to his first impeachment.

But Russias invasion of Ukraine has kicked off a dramatic departure from any disinterest and doubt. Putin has "renewed the sense of purpose, which is that Russia is aggressive," James Goldgeier, professor in the School of International Service at the American University in Washington, D.C., said in an interview.

All indications point to the post-World War II alliance being re-energized by Ukraine after the long-running tensions with Putin's Russia finally exploded into the largest European war in generations and member states banded together on the sidelines over the past week to send security aid and condemnations.

"I feel like the West is having a moment here, and NATO is having a moment," Christopher Skaluba, the director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, told Military.com. "It feels like Ukraine has lit something that's reminding us why we have these organizations in the first place and how important they are."

With grievances dating back to the Cold War and a chip on his shoulder for the U.S. and Europes handling of the demise of the Soviet Union, Putin had set about elevating Russia to something resembling its Cold War glory in the 2000s.

The alliance continued to expand as Putin consolidated power and in 2008 began talking about adding Ukraine, a move vehemently opposed by the Kremlin.

In 2014, the Moscow-backed president of Ukraine was deposed in a coup, and Putin reacted by backing a separatist war in its ethnically Russia eastern Donbas region, while also annexing its Crimea peninsula, a strategic area on the Black Sea.

At the time, the alliance was growing but was also adrift, Goldgeier said.

"Absent Putin's actions since 2014, with the first invasion of Ukraine, NATO would have totally lost its sense of purpose. It would have been more divided," he said. "I think the United States would have probably lost a lot of interest in it."

The alliance called the Crimea annexation illegal and illegitimate, and allies reacted with a series of sanctions on Russia in 2014, including restrictions on access to Western financial institutions for its state-owned banking, defense and energy industry; on high-tech oil exploration and production equipment; and on exports of military and dual-use goods, according to NATO.

Dual-use goods are products and technology that can be used for both peaceful and military ends. One common example is rocket technology - utilized for both the launch of peaceful satellites as well as warheads.

The sanctions caused a drop in oil prices and a devaluation of Russias currency, according to a NATO analysis a year later, but had relatively negligible effects on Russias economy as a whole and seemingly did not dissuade Putin from future action.

But last months invasion has triggered a much more dramatic response from NATO, with some caveats. President Joe Biden and NATO members repeatedly made clear they would not send military forces into Ukraine, a non-member that is not part of the mutual defense Article 5 clause that deems an attack on any alliance member an attack on all.

Despite weeks of underscoring historic unity, NATO was unable to convince Putin to turn back before the invasion. The alliance has since activated the NATO Response Force, an elite multi-national military force that includes the U.S., for the first time in the wake of the invasion, and has continued to send security aid into Ukraine to help with its fight. Member Germany lifted a ban on sending arms to war zones and said it will contribute Stinger missiles and anti-tank weapons.

In an address to the nation at the start of Putin's invasion, Biden said that "the good news is NATO is more united and more determined than ever." The U.S. was a founding member of the alliance in 1949 in a move to counter the former Soviet Union, and has been a linchpin as the world's remaining superpower after the Cold War.

Public movements toward NATO membership have grown in both Finland, which shares a border with Russia, and Sweden in recent days, according to press reports from Europe. The two countries have been close allies of the alliance but had avoided seeking membership before the Ukraine crisis, appearing to be reversing course in a stunning development amid the Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

Kosovo also requested a fast track to NATO membership and a permanent U.S. military base following the invasion, according to Reuters.

"I actually think there's a very good chance we could see NATO expansion this year," Skaluba said.

Russia had pushed more than 80% of the 175,000 troops massed at Ukraine's borders into the country by Tuesday as intense fighting and bombing continued, according to a senior defense official. Russian forces had fired more than 400 ballistic missiles, with reports and videos emerging of indiscriminate bombing with cluster munitions and the presence of thermobaric vacuum weapons that could be dangerous to civilians.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky maintained control of the countrys capital city, Kyiv, while Ukraines military was fighting back and still had control of the airspace in some parts of the country. The Russian advance on Kyiv had stalled, at least temporarily, amid a shortage of fuel and food for its troops, the defense official said.

In 2018, Ukraine changed its constitution to include its hopes of joining the NATO alliance, according to Ambassador Oksana Markarova. The majority of Ukrainians -- 62% -- supported the move.

That government's future is now deeply in doubt, and it remains unclear what Putin may do if his invasion overcomes fierce resistance from the Ukrainians.

"Priority No. 1 is to defend the country," Markarova told reporters in Washington, D.C. "I hope that we soon will win, that peace will return to the country, and then we will return to the discussions of so many strategic issues and items on the agenda, including the NATO membership."

-- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Russia-Ukraine War: Russia Steps Up Attack on Ukraine Cities
Several demoralized Russian troops captured in Ukraine were allowed to call home over the weekend to tell their families they were safe and profess confusion about why they were sent to war.

"Mama and Papa, I didn't want to come here. They forced me to," a Russian soldier said in videos purporting to show the phone calls that were taken by Ukraine's Interior Ministry and posted on YouTube. Videos and stills of captured or surrendered Russian troops also were posted on the Ukrainian Security Service's Facebook page.

The posting of the videos showing captured Russian troops raised questions about whether Ukraine had violated Article 13 of the Geneva Conventions, calling for the protection of prisoners of war "against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity."

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The captured Russian soldiers, and any Ukrainians captured by the Russians, were entitled to humane treatment and protections under the law of war and the Geneva Conventions, said Gary Solis, a Vietnam veteran, retired Marine judge advocate general and author of the book, "The Law of Armed Conflict."

"It's a violation" of Geneva to post the videos, but not what would be considered a "grave breach" to be taken up by a war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Solis said.

"Anybody who is captured is a prisoner of war" and must be shielded from abuse and provided medical treatment as a lawful combatant, he added. "Clearly, the Russians who were captured were wearing uniforms."

He compared what the Ukrainians had done more to a misdemeanor than a felony, and also noted that there was a positive humanitarian aspect of the videos in showing "proof of life" to the families of the captured troops.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has made no mention of Ukrainian actions since Russia invaded last week, but on Monday, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said in a press release that he planned to begin an investigation "as rapidly as possible" into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia tied to the bombing and shelling of civilian buildings.

In English subtitles added to one video by Ukrainian authorities, another Russian soldier tried to explain his plight to his mother: "Hello, hello, Mom? Hi, did you recognize me? I am in the territory of Ukraine. I've been taken captive but I'm alright."

In addition to the videos of soldiers calling home, the Interior Ministry showed off-camera interrogators questioning the troops who mostly appeared to be unharmed and speaking freely, but some had cuts and bruises on their faces.

One soldier appeared under sheets in what was either an aid station or hospital bed and said "I got here not knowing" what the mission was, according to the Ukrainian translation. "I didn't imagine what will happen here. There was no need to come here."

He said "our convoy got under fire" and now "my legs are broken." He had a wife and two children back in Russia, the soldier said, and "I pray to God to recover."

A common theme among the soldiers was that they were conscripts, with little concept of why they were sent into Ukraine and-or what their mission was once they crossed the border.

One Russian soldier said: "We came here under the pretext of doing military exercises. We were not planning to make war on Ukraine. I am alive and healthy as a captive, and my message is to stop the war in Ukraine. It is nonsense; people are dying."

Ukrainian officials gave no overall figure for how many Russian troops may have been captured, but Ukraine's Interior Ministry reported Tuesday that 5,710 Russian troops had been killed since the Feb. 24 invasion began.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov declined Sunday to give numbers on how many Russian troops had been killed or captured but said more Ukrainians than Russians had been killed, Russia's Tass news agency reported.

"There are dead and wounded among our comrades," Konashenkov said without giving any figures, but added that Ukraine's losses were "many times" more than Russia's -- again without giving specifics.

Although they may not be wearing uniforms, the civilians would be considered lawful combatants so long as they were wearing a sign or symbol of their allegiance, and simply carrying a weapon would qualify as such a sign, Solis said.

Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com

Related: Russia-Ukraine War: What to Know on Day 6 of Russian Assault
TAIPEI, Taiwan  A delegation of former U.S. defense officials arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday in a sign of stepped-up communication between the sides amid a looming threat from China.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen is leading the five-person delegation that is to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials during the two-day visit. They were greeted at Taipei's Songshan Airport by Taiwanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, who bumped elbows with the group members.

Tsai's office said the delegation had been appointed by U.S. President Joe Biden and the visit would permit an in-depth exchange of views on Taiwan-U.S. cooperation issues in various fields."

Taiwan hopes the sides will continue to deepen the steady development of Taiwan-U.S. relations, continue to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, and continue to jointly contribute to global peace and prosperity," it said in a statement.

Separately, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday. Pompeo, who earlier led the Central Intelligence Agency, will also meet with Tsai and address a forum, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Former Secretary of State Pompeo's visit displays fully U.S. bipartisan backing for its rock solid' support" for Taiwan, the ministry said.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has drawn fresh attention to China's threat to use force to annex self-governing democratic Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.

Circumstances are very different, however. Taiwan lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) across the Taiwan Strait from mainland China and enjoys strong support from the U.S., which is legally bound to ensure the island can defend itself and to treat all threats to it as matters of grave concern."

China has not condemned Russia's war against Ukraine and its criticism of sanctions leveled against Moscow is widely seen as a sign of commitment to the two countries' mutual defiance of Washington and the West, despite Beijing's longstanding defense of the principle of national sovereignty.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin dismissed the U.S. delegations visit, saying it was futile for the U.S. to send anyone to demonstrate its so-called support for Taiwan.

Wang told a daily briefing that China urges the U.S. to honor past communiques signed with China, stop all forms of official exchange with Taiwan, and handle Taiwan-related issues with caution so as to avoid further serious damage to the overall situation of China-U.S. relations.

China has been sending military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone on a near-daily basis, and on Saturday, its Defense Ministry protested as provocative the passage of the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson through the Taiwan Strait.

The strait is in international waters and the U.S. Navy said the ships passage demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."

China routinely protests U.S. contacts with Taiwan's government and announced in November that its military conducted air and naval readiness patrols in the direction of the Taiwan Strait after five U.S. lawmakers met with Tsai on an unannounced one-day visit.

Biden has followed his predecessors in stepping up contacts between Taiwan and both serving and retired administration officials, along with selling it military equipment.

The other members of Mullen's delegation are former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy, former White House Deputy National Security Adviser Meghan OSullivan, former Senior Director for Asia at the White House National Security Council Michael Green, and Evan Medeiros, former senior director of Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council.

___

Associated Press writer Huizhong Wu contributed to this report.
Oregon National Guardsmen can now have some university fees and book costs covered through an addition to the states tuition assistance program.

The Oregon National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program was established in 2018, with the new benefits taking effect Jan. 1.

"This opened up an opportunity to fill in the (tuition) gap, the amount not covered by federal tuition assistance every year," said Ann Browning, education services specialist for the Oregon Army National Guard. "And it also opened up a benefit to airmen that they didnt have before, for funding college courses and degrees."

Browning said if a soldier attends a state university or certificate program, they can get the best bang for their buck by applying for the program.

Guardsmen would first use the federal tuition assistance available to them, and if eligible, state tuition assistance would help cover some fees and book costs associated with their education.

Airmen can apply for state tuition assistance, and depending on the degree or certificate program they choose, it could cover most of their tuition, fees and a book allowance.

To be eligible for the program, an applicant must:

Complete military basic training;

Be a member of the Oregon National Guard in good standing;

Not have already received a bachelors degree or higher;

Be currently drilling and attending all scheduled unit training;

Not be in default on any federal Title IV loan or owe a refund on federal Title IV funds previously disbursed;

Be enrolled and have a minimum 2.0 GPA in an eligible degree or certificate program.

Master Sgt. Jeremy A. Box, enlisted personnel manager for the Oregon Army National Guard, said that in addition to helping pay for civilian education, the military wants to award the work with administrative points that translate into promotion points. Those points, he said, are based on coursework.

He tells soldiers that the Army is putting even more of an emphasis on higher education, and how it can increase job performance.

"The promotion points are just icing on the cake," Box said.

Depending on the rank the soldier hopes to be promote to, Box said it can make a big difference.

"I mean if you have an opportunity to take care of 25% of your administrative points by way of civilian education, why not?" he said.

With the rollout of the new Integrated Personnel Pay System-Army, which now allows searches for specific skills or degrees, Box said a degree or certificate can make candidates stand out if a commander wants to use the system to look for a special skill set in filling a vacancy.

"It makes you more competitive, it keeps you leaning forward into your career and overall it makes for a successful mission as a whole," Box said.

The Oregon National Guard State Tuition Assistance program accepts applications per term, with the 2022 spring term application deadline on February 28.

For more information or to apply for tuition assistance, visit the Oregon student aid website.

Read the original article on ReserveNationalGuard.com
Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its sixth day on Tuesday, with a huge convoy of Russian tanks and armored vehicles on a road to the capital, Kyiv, and fighting intensifying there and in other big cities.

Russia shelled several key sites in Kyiv and in the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv, killing at least 11 people and wounding dozens of others, Ukrainian officials said. Among the sites hit were Kyiv's main TV tower and holocaust memorial.

Although Ukrainian forces still control Kharkiv and the coastal cities of Kherson and Mariupol, all three are encircled, according to the U.K. Ministry of Defense.

Here are key things to know about the conflict.

What's Happening In Ukraine's Major Cities?

Russian shelling struck central Kharkiv's Freedom Square just after sunrise Tuesday, badly damaging a regional administration building and other structures, and killing at least six people and wounding dozens of others, Ukrainian officials said.

It was the first time the Russian military hit the center of the city of 1.5 million people, though shells have been hitting residential neighborhoods for days.

This handout photo released by Ukrainian Emergency Service shows emergency service personnel inspecting the damage inside the City Hall building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed a Russian missile and called the attack a war crime: "It's frank, undisguised terror. ... Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget."

Hours later, Russian shelling struck Kyiv's main TV tower and holocaust memorial, killing five people and injuring five others, according to Ukrainian officials. The blast knocked TV broadcasts off the air for a short time.

Where Is That Massive Russian Convoy?

The Russian military convoy threatening Kyiv and its nearly 3 million residents is far bigger than initially thought, with satellite images showing it occupying much of a 40-mile (64-kilometer) stretch of road north of the capital.

The convoy was no more than 17 miles (25 kilometers) from the city center on Monday, according to satellite imagery from the Maxar company.

What's the Battle Like in Ukraine's Southern Front?

Kyiv's outgunned but determined troops have slowed Russia's advance and held onto the capital and other key cities. The overall death toll from the fighting remains unclear, but the attacks have taken a toll.

Russian strikes on Mariupol, a key southern port on the Azov Sea, seriously wounded several people. Separatist forces in Donetsk said they have established two corridors for the evacuation of civilians from Mariupol, which suggests that a large attack on the city could be imminent.

Russian forces have blocked the port city of Kherson, according to Ukrainian officials. And Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka over the weekend, killing more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers, the head of the region wrote on Telegram.

U.N. humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said Tuesday that shelling and bombing have damaged pipes, electricity lines and basic services in Ukraine, and that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian families are without drinking water.

What Does Putin Want and How Are NATO Allies Reacting?

Day 6 of the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II found Russia increasingly isolated. Western officials believe Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to overthrow Ukraine's government and replace it with a compliant regime, reviving Moscow's Cold War-era influence.

The United States and European Union have levied sanctions on Russia's biggest banks and its elite, frozen the assets of the country's Central Bank located outside the country, and excluded its financial institutions from the SWIFT bank messaging system  but have largely allowed its oil and natural gas to continue to flow freely to the rest of the world.

Sanctions experts expect Russia to try to mitigate the impact of the financial penalties by relying on energy sales and leaning on the country's reserves in gold and Chinese currency. Putin also is expected to move funds through smaller banks and accounts of elite families not covered by the sanctions, deal in cryptocurrency and rely on Russia's relationship with China.

With Russia playing such an outsized role in global energy markets as the third-largest oil producer, the International Energy Agency's 31 member countries agreed Tuesday to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves  half of that from the United States  "to send a strong message to oil markets" that supplies won't fall short due to the invasion.

Canada's foreign minister, Melanie Joly, said Tuesday that her country will refer Russia to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes over the Ukraine invasion. The move will speed up an investigation by the court's top prosecutor.

How Many People Have Fled Ukraine?

The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that about 660,000 people have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries since the invasion began. Agency spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said "at this rate, the situation looks set to become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century."

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, has said the U.N. expects the total to reach 4 million in the coming weeks. Poland has seen the most refugees, with Hungary, Romania and Moldova also accepting tens of thousands. Germany's national train company issued a special free ticket for Ukrainian refugees to reach relatives.

What's Happening to the Russian Economy?

Sanctions are "going to cause the Russian economy to collapse," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told France Info radio on Tuesday. Nations have blocked some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system and are restricting Russia's use of its massive foreign currency reserves.

Russia's central bank has taken drastic steps to prop up the plunging ruble, but foreign investment is flooding out of the country.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Tuesday that the government had readied measures to temporarily restrict foreign investors from divesting Russian assets, saying the step would help them make "a considered decision" rather than succumb to political pressure of sanctions.

Oil companies such as BP and Shell have pulled out of their stakes in Russian energy ventures. Norwegian Oil and Gas, an association for oil and supplier companies in the world's third-largest natural gas exporter, followed suit Tuesday by suspending two Russian companies. And the French energy conglomerate TotalEnergies said it wouldn't fund any new projects in Russia, but it stopped short of abandoning its holdings there.

The world's biggest shipping company, A.P. Moller-Maersk, announced that all new bookings to and from Russia "will be temporarily suspended, with exception of foodstuffs, medical and humanitarian supplies." Britain and Canada closed ports to Russian ships.

How Else Is Russia Being Punished?

A day after its teams were suspended from all international hockey and soccer matches, including qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, Russia was barred from competing in international ice skating, skiing, basketball, track and some tennis events.

The decisions by the various sports' organizing bodies follow the International Olympic Committee's request to keep Russian athletes out of their events.

The International Skating Union's decision to ban athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus means Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova and 15-year-old teammate Kamila Valieva, who was the focus of a still-unresolved doping dispute at last month's Winter Olympics, will be excluded from this month's world figure skating championships in France.

The backlash also intensified in the entertainment world, as the Cannes Film Festival said no Russian delegations would be welcome this year and the Venice festival announced free screenings of a film about the 2014 conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

The announcements came on the heels of other high-profile protests in the arts, including Hollywood's decision to pull films scheduled for release in Russia.

The European Broadcasting Union announced last week that Russia wouldn't be allowed to enter an act for this year's Eurovision Song Contest. On Tuesday, it emerged that the 2016 winner of the contest, Ukrainian singer Jamala, fled Ukraine for Turkey with her two children.

What Happened at the United Nations?

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the U.N.'s top human rights body to hold Russia accountable for the invasion.

In recorded remarks delivered to the Human Rights Council, the top U.S. diplomat also urged it to send a message to Putin that he should unconditionally stop the "unprovoked attack" and withdraw his forces from Ukraine.

The comments came as the U.S. returned to its seat at the council, which was abandoned under President Donald Trump, who alleged that the 47-member-state body was too accepting of autocratic governments and too biased against Israel.

Meanwhile, the U.N.'s the 193-nation General Assembly met Tuesday for a second day of speeches about the war. More than 110 member states signed up to speak. The assembly, which allows no vetoes, is expected to vote later in the week on a resolution coordinated by EU envoys, working with Ukraine.

The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, demands that Russia immediately stop using force against Ukraine and withdraw all troops.
Chinese FM calls for bringing China-U.S. ties back on right track

Xinhua) 09:10, March 01, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Key consensus reached by Chinese and U.S. presidents last November should be implemented to bring the China-U.S. relations back on the right track at an early date, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

Wang made the remarks in a video speech at a gathering held online and offline to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the issuance of the Shanghai Communique, a historic document that became the political foundation for China and the United States to establish diplomatic ties.

During the virtual meeting with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in November, President Xi Jinping put forward the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, clarifying the framework for future development of China-U.S. relations. President Biden responded positively, Wang said.

Wang also mentioned the remarks made by Biden that the United States does not seek a "new Cold War," does not seek to change China's system, does not support "Taiwan independence," and has no intention to have a conflict with China. Biden had also said the revitalization of the U.S. alliances is not anti-China.

The important consensus reached by the two heads of state is not only a continuation of historical experience, but also development and innovation that conform to the trend of the times, Wang said.

He called on the U.S. side to adhere to the one-China principle and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.

He also called for mutual respect in keeping the correct direction of bilateral ties, and adherence to the principle of win-win cooperation to promote the development and prosperity of the two countries.

The two countries should shoulder their respective responsibilities as major countries and provide the international community with more public goods, Wang said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
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01.03.2022 LISTEN

Ghanaian afrobeats sensation Kelvynboy has launched his name in the good books of African music as he made an appearance on the Nigerian platform Glitch Africa.

Kelvynboy will be listed amongst a list of Ghanaian artistes who have gone to give electrifying live renditions of their current jams.

In a recent series of videos on social media, Kelvynboy as part of his tour in the West African country has had some conversations with the platform and climaxed it with a splendid live performance of his chart-breaking jam, 'Down Flat'.

'Down Flat' continues to amass numbers on the various streaming platforms in the country, battling strongly against Camidoh's 'Sugarcane' and Akwaboah's 'Obiaa'.

Interestingly Kelvynboy appears a tough fellow as he is able to project his career strongly despite being held by the Ghana Police Service for allegedly subjecting his baby mama to assault.
Born again Christian Moesha Bodoung has taken to social media to profusely ask Ghanaian lawyer, TV host, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Sandra Ankobiah for forgiveness for the lies she spewed about her in the past.

Perhaps to demonstrate her new personality after she recently 'encountered' Jesus Christ and became a new creature as Christian folks would say, Moesha begged Sandra for falsely accusing her of having a drug addict boyfriend locked up in jail in the past.

Moesha then went ahead to bless her by prophetically telling her she would become a lawyer of international repute and help free innocent prisoners in Ghana.

See below for the post;

"Sandra Im very sorry for telling people that you had a boyfriend that was in jail for drugs and I also heard it from people and I never said it to make you look bad, everyone talks about everyone in our industry, and I know youve also spoken about me and laughed at my fake designers and I know you love me because God brought you into my life and you will marry my uncle and you two will love each other and No one will ever cheat on their partners and I will pray for God to protect your marriage and God will provide for you and my uncle. You will go back to being a lawyer and you will defend prisoners and I will take people out of jail with the help of God Almighty and I will help many prostitutes to find a job and they will love us because we both date men for money and I will defend you because you are my in-law."

Watch video below:
The Ashanti Regional Vice Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Garages (GNAG) Mr Luqman Nuhu Mohammed Apeadu has said the only alternative measure to youth employment is to bring the Garages Association and the District Assemblies together to find lasting ways of creating jobs.

Speaking to this reporter in an interview, Luqman who also doubles as the Managing Director of Luqman Engineering Services & Training Centre disclosed that Garages Association has job opportunities government can tap in to tackle the unemployment situation in the country.

To archive this agenda, Luqman Apeadu said government must task the District Assemblies and the Association to collaborate to recruit the youth into an apprenticeship where they would be gainfully employed after their apprenticeship programme.

According to the chairman, the deal must also ensure that the government pay some stipends as monthly allowances to the youth apprentices to encourage them in their training.

Luqman further stressed the need for the government to also support the master artisans with logistics to train the youth.

After the training, both financial and equipment support should be made available on credit to the successful youth apprentices to enable them set up their own workshops.

The chairman cited Suame Magazine in Kumasi where many experienced artisans manufacture Cocoa cracking machines, machines for cutting and dressing birds, drilling machines, tomatoes preservation machines among others.

He emphasised that the youth can be recruited to be trained at the Suame Magazine.
In their quest to ensure that young women compete favorably with their male counterparts in vocational skills training, the Association of Vulcanizers, Ghana has signed a partnership deal with the Canadian University to provide vocational skills to young women to become independent.

Speaking in an interview, both the National Organizer Mr Robert Aryertey and the Ashanti Regional Treasurer Mr Poku respectively noted that the deal will tackle the unemployment situation in the country.

To achieve the agenda, Aryertey who also doubles as the Managing Director of Aryetey Alignment Company in Kumasi said the Association is currently embarking on expansion exercise at the national level.

He indicated that for now aside the National headquarters in Accra, Ashanti, Western and Brong Ahafo Regional branches have been established whilst plans are far advanced to open the Northern Regional branch before the end of March next month.

Mr Aryetey hinted that apart from the Canadian University, the Association also collaborates with National Road Safety Authority, National Small Scale On Business & Industry (NSSBI) among others to assist the outfit in programs, seminars, and workshops for members.

He hinted that the Association has also collaborated with two foreign firms to supply it with vulcanizing equipment on a credit basis to members.

He entreated non-registered vulcanizers to join the association to enable them benefit from the Association.
Common sense dictates that gas prices are poised to rise in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The biggest questions seem to be how high and how fast? And can U.S. oil producers ramp up production fast enough to head off a disastrous ripple effect?

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The two major indicators that traders watch  prices of Brent oil, the global benchmark, and prices of West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark  rose following Russias advance into Ukraine and President Vladimir Putins Sunday announcement that he was activating his countrys nuclear defense forces in response to aggressive statements by Western leaders.

[ RELATED: Gas prices projected to stay high through 2022. Now can we blame Biden? ]

Since the invasion began, crude oil prices have hovered around $100 a barrel. By Tuesday afternoon, WTI crude was trading close to $103 a barrel and Brent remained over $104.

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And prices at the pump  known for jumping sharply overnight when looming hurricanes boost demand or threaten Gulf Coast refineries  were up a modest 2 cents a gallon in Florida on Monday, to an average $3.52, compared to a week ago, according to travel club AAAs weekly gas price update.

Gas prices passing the $4 mark at a Valero gas station on Palmetto Park in Boca Raton on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. With gas prices already at heights not seen since 2015, analysts warned consumers to brace themselves for continued pain at the pump as prices are propelled by a perfect storm of heightened spring demand and threats to global supply thanks to the invasion of Russia, a major oil producer, into its neighbor Ukraine. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

But that could change in a flash if Putin decides to cut off or sharply reduce the 10 million barrels a day that Russia, the worlds second largest oil producer, sends to the global market in response to harsh financial sanctions imposed on his country by nations aligned with Ukraine.

So far, fears of a Russian oil disruption have not come to pass. But no one knows what the countrys president has up his sleeve, or what steps the world might be willing to take in its effort to further isolate the dictator.

I have no idea what theyre capable of at this point, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at the gas price comparison website GasBuddy.com. As soon as theres a physical disruption, the skys the limit.

De Haan said crude prices could jump $25 to $50 a barrel if the worst situation is realized.

Teresa Spaulding, of Deerfield Beach, fills up her SUV at a Mobil gas station on Glades Road in Boca Raton on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. " I just filled up for $66, it used to be less than $50," says Spaulding. With gas prices already at heights not seen since 2015, analysts warned consumers to brace themselves for continued pain at the pump as prices are propelled by a perfect storm of heightened spring demand and threats to global supply thanks to the invasion of Russia, a major oil producer, into its neighbor Ukraine. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Other players and factors

The way the world reacts to the crisis will affect prices at the pump.

Prices are headed up regardless, as OPEC+ nations and North American drillers stick to their resolve to keep prices high by keeping production restrained.

While Russia is not known to have threatened to cut off oil and gas sales  cash generated from those sales are likely needed more than ever to fund its war effort  analysts arent ruling out any act of revenge for sanctions imposed by the West.

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The decision could be made for Russia, particularly if it commits atrocities. Some leaders have called for boycotting Russian energy to deprive the nation of that needed income.

Polands prime minister asked Germany to shut down a key natural gas pipeline supplying abut a third of Germanys natural gas imports. The energy company that runs the pipeline rejected that call, but Germany has agreed to stop construction of a second pipeline.

Meanwhile, some shippers and traders are shunning Russias oil, in part over solidarity with Ukraine but also out of confusion over how they could be affected by economic sanctions in place against Russia. BP cancelled purchase of a 60,000-ton cargo of fuel oil planned for March 6, while BP and fellow energy giant Shell announced that they cancelled joint ventures with oil and gas companies owned by the Russian government.

Even in normal years, prices shoot up in the spring as U.S. drivers hit the road for spring vacations and gas refiners switch to more expensive summer blends that contain more additives, produce fewer emissions, and evaporate at higher temperatures.

De Haan sees a good chance that per-gallon gas prices will hit $4 in Florida and nationwide by April or May. The last time that happened was summer 2008, and some economists say the spike contributed to the stock market crash and Great Recession that year.

AAA spokesman Michael Jenkins says motorists should expect a significant increase if crude oil prices stay perched near $100.

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If oil lands at $95 a barrel for a sustained period of time, drivers could expect to see a 15-cent jump at the pump, he said. If U.S. oil reaches $100 a barrel, the total increase would be more like 25-30 cents per gallon.

Policy and Ramifications

Meanwhile, during Tuesdays State of the Union address, President Biden announced that the U.S. and 30 other countries will release 60 million barrels of oil from reserves, in an effort to increase supply and lower fuel costs. 30 million of those barrels will come from U.S. reserves. He made similar moves in November, when surging oil prices sent gas prices above $3 a gallon before Thanksgiving. Prices came down then, but that coincided with alarm about the fast-spreading omicron variant. Experts differ as to how much influence presidents can have over oil prices.

[ RELATED: The truth about gasoline: Does the brand you buy really make a difference? ]

Additionally, some Republican politicians are using the Ukraine crisis as an opportunity to demand that President Biden reverse his Inauguration Day decision to halt expansion of the 1,200-mile Keystone XL pipeline between Alberta, Canada and Steele City, Nebraska. The pipeline, when complete, was projected to move 830,000 barrels a day from the Canadian oil sands to refineries along the Gulf Coast.

Yet, the Keytstone XL Pipeline wasnt scheduled to open until 2023, and even if it was open now, it would not be needed to move the current amount of oil being produced in Canada, De Haan said.

In October, Canadian pipeline company Enbridge doubled capacity of its Line 3 pipeline from Edmonton, Albert to the American Midwest, but is only operating at three-fourths of its 760,000-a-day capacity, De Haan said. In other words, at current production levels, it wouldnt matter whether or not Keystone XL existed.

The U.S. and Canada has all the pipeline capacity it needs, De Haan said. Pipelines dont matter; the proof is how much youre producing.

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[ RELATED: Your FPL bill helps fund charging stations for 58,000 electric vehicle owners. Two lawmakers say it shouldnt ]

The pandemic and lower production

When the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global quarantine two years ago, oil consumption dropped so quickly that the price of oil fell into negative territory. Oil companies had to pay third parties to store excess product.

That led to a rapid shutdown in production. President Trump, trying to protect domestic producers, threatened to withdraw U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia if it did not cut its output. The number of active oil and gas rigs in the U.S., which had already been falling from a 2018 peak of 1,083, rapidly declined from 792 in March 2020 to 244 that August.

Despite resumed demand in 2021, domestic producers were slow to reactive idled rigs  possibly seeing little upside in expansion amid the Biden administrations policy of weaning the nation off of fossil fuels, De Haan said last year.

As of Feb. 25, just 650 rigs are in operation. De Haan in October said criticism of Biden for not lifting a ban on new oil and gas drilling permits on federal lands misses the point that producers still have hundreds of existing rigs that could be reopened.

In addition, the oil and gas industry holds more than 9,600 approved permits that are available to drill, and not being used as of November. The Bureau of Land Management approved more than 5,000 drilling permits during the 2021 fiscal year, and more than 4,400 were still being processed, according to a November bureau report. The bureau manages 37,496 oil and gas leases comprising nearly 96,100 wells.

U.S domestic oil production, currently 11.6 million barrels a day, still trails its 2018 peak of 12.3 million barrels a day.

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Production is expected to increase to 11.97 barrels a day by the end of 2022 and to finally exceed the 2018 peak by reaching 12.6 barrels a day in 2023, according to a February estimate by the U.S. Energy Information Institute.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
The Islamic Research Institute at Nima in Accra and other Muslim organisations over the weekend honoured Mr Ahmad Abdul- Fattah, a Saudi Arabian teacher for his outstanding service to the Nima Islamic Research Institute.

This followed the completion of his four years of dedicated service to Ghana as part of the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Educations programme to help boost education in Ghana and other parts of Africa.

At the colourful occasion, Ahmed Abdul Fattahe was decorated with parting gifts with a local costume amidst showering of praises for his humanitarian interventions which had led to the construction of wells and bore-holes in many needy villages and communities across the country.

Mr Abdul-Fattah in his speech thanked the management of Islamic Research Institute for the wonderful hospitality that depicted the overall kindness to reflect the Ghanaian culture.

Identifying the religious pluralism in the Ghanaian community and the outstanding peaceful coexistence between adherents of the Islamic faith and the Christian Faith, Mr Abdul-Fattah urged the congregation, more particularly the students of the Islamic Research Institute, to play the role of ambassadors of peace and beacons of the beautiful teachings of Islam which preaches tolerance, respect of other non-Islamic faiths and eschew violence.

He also expressed his profound gratitude to the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Ghana, Mr Meshal Alrogi and the Embassy for facilitating his stay in Ghana and for that matter, a successful duty he was able to discharge in Ghana.

On his part, Mr Alrogi thanked the rank and file of the Islamic Research Institute for organising a befitting farewell party for the Saudi Teacher.

He touted the bilateral relationship between his country and Ghana, stating that both friendly States have long standing cooperation in many fields for the good of their people.

The Ambassador said teaching mission was one of such outstanding areas of cooperation between the two countries.

The National Imam of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaah, Sheikh Umar Ibrahim, praised the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its immense support towards education in Africa.

He recounted how he was warmly received by the government of Saudi Arabia during one of his study tours to Saudi Arabia in 1959 at the Darul-Hadith Institute in the Holy City of Madina.

Other members of the Saudi teaching mission in the Islamic Research Institute such as Dr. Sualah Al-Alawi, Supervisor, Sheikh Ibrahim Muhammad Ashaamikh, Deputy supervisor and Sheikh Faris Asiri expressed their profound thanks to the government of Ghana, the Saudi Embassy, the management of the institute and wish their outgoing colleague a success in all his endeavors.

Since 1998, the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Ministry of Education, sends a mission consisting of four teachers to help the teaching Staff of the Islamic Research Institute in Nima, Accra.

The Saudi teachers among other things coordinate humanitarian donations for the benefit of the needy communities and citizens of Ghana.
The OPEC+ cartel of top oil producers at their monthly meeting on Wednesday are likely to be powerless to rein in prices, which have soared above $100 after member Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

With some members failing to meet their monthly production quotas, the group is not expected to be able to control the wild swings in oil prices, analysts say.

"Only Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and maybe Kuwait would be able to increase production in the short-term," Tamas Varga from PVM Energy told AFP.

But group leader Saudi Arabia reiterated at the start of this year its policy of strict adherence to the terms of OPEC+ agreements and the quotas agreed in them.

It confirmed its commitment to the OPEC+ agreement with Russia on Sunday, according to the Saudi Press Agency, as Moscow faces international criticism over the Ukraine conflict.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron "affirmed the kingdom's keenness on the stability and balance of oil markets and the kingdom's commitment to the OPEC+ agreement," the agency added.

Underinvestment, instability

While Saudi Arabia is seen as the kingpin of the 13 OPEC member states, Russia is the major player among the 10 other countries that make up OPEC+.

The 23 countries will gather via teleconference on Wednesday, facing prices not seen since 2014.

They will aim to live up to their mission of "stabilisation of oil markets", particularly at this time of "extreme oil price volatility", according to Stephen Brennock, analyst at PVM Energy.

Between December and January, OPEC members boosted their production by 64,000 barrels per day (bpd), reaching a total of some 27,981 million bpd, according to the organisation's last monthly report.

But this is far below the target of a 400,000-bpd increase that the group has been aiming for since May 2021, when it embarked on a gradual re-opening of the taps to accompany the global economic recovery after the shock of the first waves of Covid-19.

"Covid has hit African economies the hardest and Nigeria and Angola have struggled to keep up investment in infrastructure with both existing and new wells," Edward Moya, analyst at Oanda, told AFP.

"Years of underinvestment and political instability have lent themselves to severely limited spare capacity in the likes of Nigeria, Angola, and Libya," according to analyst Han Tan from Exinity.

OPEC's latest report says that Congo and Equatorial Guinea produced much less than expected in January.

Since May 2021, the level of crude produced by OPEC members has been just shy of 750,000 bpd under the authorised limit.

According to Carsten Fritsch, quoted in an analysis from Commerzbank, the gap will only widen unless Saudi Arabia and other countries with spare capacity step in with increased production.

Iranian production 'unlocked'?

"Right now, there is seemingly no desire to ease market conditions either, with producers capitalising on high prices which they don't deem to be overly harmful for the economy after years of very low prices," Craig Erlam at Oanda told AFP.

Wednesday's meeting also takes place at a key moment for negotiations to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal which are widely expected to come to a head in a matter of days.

The deal provided sanctions relief for Tehran in return for strict curbs on its nuclear programme but has been disintegrating since former US president Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, including on Iran's oil exports.

If an agreement were to be found and could "unlock the Iranian exports in the coming weeks, that would add some 800,000 barrels of extra supply per day," Ipek Ozkardeskaya, analyst at the Swissquote bank, told AFP.

That would greatly increase the amount of crude on global markets and act as a considerable brake on price rises.
Nigeria, South Africa and other African governments scrambled on Monday to help their nationals escape the Russian invasion in Ukraine as reports emerged of racist and unfair treatment of their citizens at border crossings.

African nationals, many of them students, are among hundreds of thousands of people trying to flee into Poland and other neighbours.

Nigeria on Monday urged border officials in Ukraine and elsewhere to treat its citizens equally.

"There have been unfortunate reports of Ukrainian police and security personnel refusing to allow Nigerians to board buses and trains heading towards the Ukraine-Poland border," said presidential advisor Garba Shehu in a statement.

"In one video widely circulating on social media, a Nigerian mother with her young baby was filmed being physically forced to give up her seat to another person."

He said there are also reports of Polish officials refusing Nigerian citizens entry into Poland from Ukraine.

"It is paramount that everyone is treated with dignity and without favour," said Shehu.

A group of South Africans, mostly students, have been stuck at the Ukrainian-Polish border, the country's foreign ministry spokesman, Clayson Monyela, said on Twitter.

The South African ambassador to Warsaw was at the site trying to get them through, according to Monyela who on Sunday had said Africans were being "treated badly" at the Polish-Ukraine border.

Poland's ambassador to Nigeria Joanna Tarnawska dismissed claims of unfair treatment.

"Everybody receives equal treatment. I can assure you that I have reports that already some Nigerian nationals have crossed the border into Poland," she told local media.

She said Nigerians could stay for 15 days. Even invalid documents were being accepted to cross the border and Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, she added.

The Ukrainian embassy in Nigeria could not immediately be reached for comments.

'Kept outside'

Some Nigerians who made it across the borders described frightening journeys in the dark to reach traffic-packed frontiers where they were made to wait as officials gave priority to Ukrainian women and children.

Stephanie Agekameh, a medical student now in Poland, said officials at the Medyka border crossing were responding first to Ukrainians.

"One of the officers came and told us it's harder for us foreigners because they have to get in touch with our government in different countries," she said by text message.

Speaking from Korczowa in Poland, Nigerian managerial sciences student Agantem Moshe, said Ukrainian police had pushed Africans out of the way to make way for women and children.

"From the Polish side it was smooth, they were professionals. In Ukraine, they kept us outside in the cold," he said.

The UN said that more than half a million refugees from Ukraine had so far crossed into neighbouring countries.

Nigeria's embassies in Bucharest said it had received 130 Nigerians from Ukraine. Another 74 were accounted for in Budapest, where another 200 were expected on Monday, the foreign ministry said.

Another 52 had arrived in Warsaw with another 23 being processed.

"We assure Nigerians that all hands are on deck and arrangements are being put in place to effectively evacuate our citizens in safety and dignity," Nigerian official Gabriel Aduda said in a statement.

Ghana's government said it would meet with parents of students stuck in Ukraine on Tuesday and sent embassy officials to border points to help.

Ivory Coast, which according to state media has 500 nationals in Ukraine, said it was also making arrangements for their evacuation.

Kenya's foreign affairs ministry said 201 citizens were in the country, most of them students.

It said last week all Kenyans were safe and accounted for but that some were stuck at the Polish border because of visa restrictions.

Nigerian accountant Lukmon Busari was relieved his son, a fourth-year medical student, was already out after waiting for a day on the Polish border.

"Initially they didn't allow them to move as they gave priority to Ukrainians, to women and children. Eventually they allowed them into Poland," Busari told AFP by telephone.

"According to him, the Polish authorities did a marvellous job. He left on Thursday and got to the border on Thursday night, and he got into Poland on Friday."

His son was currently resting in Poland before coming home.

"We are seeing how we can clear a flight for him to come back to Nigeria."
The Russian Defence Ministry said it had switched the country's deterrence forces to enhanced combat alert on Monday, despite Russian and Ukrainian delegations beginning their peace talks at the Belarusian border.

Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, informed Russian President, Vladimir Putin, strategic missile forces, the Northern and Pacific Fleets and the long-range air forces had all been placed on high alert in response to aggressive statements by NATO.

Russia has faced a barrage of unprecedented international sanctions and an outpouring of support for Ukraine since Putin launched an invasion of that country on Thursday.

On Sunday, Putin already raised the prospect of a nuclear escalation with the West over Ukraine, when he ordered the country's "deterrent weapons" be put on special alert.

The Russian delegation to the peace talks is led by the Kremlin's special envoy, Vladimir Medinsky, while the Ukrainian side is led by Davyd Arakhamia, who leads President Zelensky's Servant of the People party in the Ukrainian parliament.

Medinsky stressed that Moscow was serious about reaching an agreement, while a statement from the Ukrainian delegation said: "The key issue in the negotiations is the immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from the territory of Ukraine."

Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said it was regrettable that "these negotiations did not start 24 hours ago, although the opportunity was there," according to state news agency TASS.

As negotiations got underway, the Russian offensive on Ukraine's capital city Kiev continued on Monday, the Ukrainian military said.

In the north of the city, the Russian army was attempting to build a pontoon bridge to cross the Irpin River, the Ukrainian military's General Staff said on Facebook. There was also another unsuccessful attempt to take the city of Irpin, just outside Kiev, they said.

Russian news agency Interfax reported that Russian troops, advanced from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson towards the city of Mykolaiv.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian state communications service, said in a post on Telegram that a missile had hit a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, near the border with Belarus.

Ukraine's state energy company Energoatom, dismissed claims by Russia that its troops had taken control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as fake news. "Currently, all four nuclear power plants are under the control of Ukraine and are operating normally."

Details of the military developments could not be independently verified.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry has reported 352 civilian deaths, including 14 children since Russia began its attack in the early hours of Thursday.

A further 1,684 people, including 116 children, were reportedly wounded as of Sunday night, according to ministry figures.

Ukraine's military said the "loss" of Russian personnel now stood at around 4,500 soldiers, and that Russian helicopters, tanks and other military vehicles had been destroyed.

While Russia conceded that there have been deaths among its ranks during the fighting in Ukraine, it has not given a death toll.

Western powers have responded with tough sanctions on Moscow, and US President Joe Biden was due to speak to allies and partners by telephone to discuss the latest developments in the crisis on Monday.

Russia would counter Western sanctions in kind, the Kremlin said on Monday, following the closure of European Union airspace to all Russian aircraft.

EU countries and other Western states have announced numerous sanctions on Moscow, including the exclusion of multiple Russian banks from the SWIFT financial transfer system.

"These are severe sanctions. They are problematic, but Russia has the necessary potential to compensate for the damage caused by the sanctions," Peskov said, accusing the EU of taking a "hostile course" against Russia.

Peskov also warned that supplies of weapons, equipment and ammunition from EU states, including Germany, were further destabilizing the situation in Ukraine.

This does not help to restore order in the country, Peskov stressed, adding that Russia felt vindicated in its actions in Ukraine.

GNA
MTN Group today unveiled its evolved visual identity , articulating the context behind the logo many have seen since 16 February 2022.

It is just the second brand overhaul since the Group was founded in 1994. Back in 2004, the changes made to the brand resulted in MTN taking ownership of the colour yellow that is now synonymous with MTN.

Importantly it also helped to elevate the brand to where it is today, recognised as the most valuable in Africa.

The brand is an extension and visual representation of the Groups refreshed strategy, dubbed Ambition 2025 and premised on Leading digital solutions for Africas progress. Through the delivery of this strategy, MTN aims to accelerate growth by building the largest and most valuable platform businesses and driving its industry leading connectivity operations.

Africa is a continent with enormous opportunity and energy, says MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita. We want to play our part in harnessing her potential and supporting her progress by driving digital and financial inclusion. It is a well-known fact that the youth are central to achieving this potential. Whilst we remain focussed on all our customers and stakeholders, our brand evolution demonstrates an enhanced focus on the youth.

The new brand identity is modern, simple, bold, and digitally dynamic. It kicks off with a provocative and simple question, What are we doing today? With a clear and concise brand strategy that Opportunity + Energy = Progress, MTN understands that to truly unlock the full benefits and potential of the digital world people require a combination of drive, progressive thinking, and the right tools.

This rebrand highlights MTNs commitment to continuously evolve and explore innovative initiatives that provide value to all our stakeholders. A pioneer of progress from the beginning, MTN looks to drive this progress further through action and doing. In delivering its vision, MTN aims to drive a positive shift in Africa and harness the continents boundless opportunity.

Africa is never still. True progress can only be realised by doing, says Bernice Samuels, MTN Group Executive for Marketing. It is off this insight that we launch our new positioning by challenging, celebrating and providing tools for doers because when individuals, communities and countries progress, so too does Africa.
Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, has rubbished arguments suggesting that the e-levy is the cure to Ghanas economic challenges.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Adongo said, it is greed that has brought us here.

The MPs comments came after President Akufo-Addo said passing the e-levy would be in the interest of the public.

Mr. Adongo said the President has lost the moral right to make such a call because he has not demonstrated commitment to protecting the public purse.

How can e-levy stop the President from flying in chartered jets and wasting public funds How does the e-levy stop Ken Ofori-Atta from using Databank to borrow for the state and collect fees on account of that?

Mr. Adongo feels a lack of prudence from the government remains Ghanas main challenge.

If you have these people with this level of appetite for expenditure, how can GHS6.9 billion solve our problems?

Ken must withdraw his company for us to have the confidence that we are all in the boat together but we cannot be tightening our belt and they loosing their belt, he added.

Mr. Adongo further said the government needed to be honest about the state of the economy.

The economy is already gone. If they want us to have a solution, there has to be a national consensus, and they must begin to understand that Ghana belongs to all of us and that they are at their wits end, he said.

---citinewsroom
Global Security for Africa Research and Good Governance [GLOSARGG] has described as insensitive government's determination to impose the E-Levy on the Ghanaian taxpayer.

The E-Levy seeks to impose a 1.75% levy on some electronic transactions: mobile money transfers done between accounts on the same Electronic Money Issuers (EMI), Mobile money transfers from accounts on one EMI to a recipient on another EMI, Transfers from bank accounts to mobile money accounts (either directly, GIP debit, bank cards or another scheme), Transfers from mobile money accounts to bank accounts (either directly, GIP debit, bank cards or another scheme) and Bank transfers originating from a bank account belonging to an individual.

But the introduction of the bill has met stiff opposition from the opposition, who argue it will further compound the hardships of the ordinary Ghanaian.

The government, however, insist that E-levy is a must to expand the tax base for sustained development and reduce debt burden.

GLOSARGG, on the other hand holds the view that any government that adheres to the principles of good governance should listen to the cry of its citizens in the midst of crises as the world is experiencing currently vis-a-vis the covid-19 pandemic in order to take measures to lessen their plights and not to increase their agony.

GLOSARGG in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary, Francis Ahovi, said the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government has little or no respect for accountability, proper consultation of stakeholders on policies, consensus building and toleration of diversified but constructive views.

GLOSARGG noted that the lack of accountability on the part of the government is a demotivation for well-minded citizens to continue paying heavy taxes since they do not see, feel nor told the value of the taxes they are paying.

We from the Global Security for Africa Research and Good Governance wish to unequivocally state that any government that do not account, consult, build consensus nor tolerate discerning views of its citizens is synonymous to insensitive and bad government distanced from democracy, the statement said.

To get the economy back on track, GLOSARGG has suggested that the government must reduce the profligate spending and retrieve monies from wrong pockets, the President must sack and punish the unproductive and corrupt appointees from his government and also to invest heavily in agriculture, security and education sectors among others.

---Classfmonline.com
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo has lambasted the ruling government over its inability to find an alternative source of revenue following the rejection of the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).

According to him, the Akufo-Addo led government after failing to settle on an alternative for the past four months is simply a useless government.

"You have a president and a Minister, you presented a budget to the people for four months. You claim that the pillar of your budget is 6.9 billion E-Levy. The people say they cannot pay E-Levy. Within four months you are unable to find alternative financing sources to plug this gap.

You must obviously be a useless government to the people of Ghana for you to be struggling in four months in fact the Minister for Finance keeps talking down on his own economy, thereby scaring away investors and scaring anybody who still has the slightest hope in our Ghanaian economy, Isaac Adongo told Citi News on Monday evening.

The Bolgatanga Central MP further shared the view that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has been reckless in utterances made concerning the state of the countrys economy.

He said contrary to the fear that the economy will soon collapse, the fact is that the economy has already collapsed under the current government.

I have never seen a Minister of Finance as reckless as Ken Ofori-Atta. The economy is gone, Isaac Adongo said while adding, They failed, they dont have the capacity, they must begin to use the men of Ghana to solve the problems.
GCB Bank PLC has donated an amount of GHc100,000.00 to the Appiatse Support Fund established to support the victims and rebuilding efforts of the Appiatse community.

The donation was made by Mr John Adamah, Head of Retail Banking and Mr Kojo Kwarteng, Head of Corporate Affairs Department on behalf of the Management of GCB.

Mr Adamah described the Appiatse explosion as pathetic and stated that GCB Bank has three branches from Tarkwa to the Bogoso area and as a responsible corporate citizen, the Bank could not look on unconcerned.

He added that apart from being chosen as one of the banks to receive donations for the Appiatse Support Fund, GCB Bank has also deployed other resources including communication materials to encourage Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians to donate towards the rebuilding of the community.

Dr Joyce Aryee, Chairperson of the Appiatse Support Fund, who received the cheques, expressed delight at the donation by GCB Bank.

She thanked the Board and Management of the Bank for demonstrating love towards the Appiatse community and the people of Ghana.

She reiterated that the committee and the government would use the reconstruction of Appiatse to promote green, sustainable and environmentally friendly township ideas which will soon serve as a model for building townships in the country.
Some constituency executive hopefuls of the ruling New Patriotic Party in Yendi in the Northern Region, have warned against alleged attempts by some party bigwigs to control the election in some 37 newly created polling stations.

According to the group, nomination forms have not been made available to interested parties for the new polling stations.

They have also alleged the hoarding of the forms by some party members.

Addressing the press, the secretary for the concerned constituency executives hopefuls, Mohammed Kpermsin, called on the current executives of the party to be transparent with the process.

It was unanimously agreed that the 110 polling stations that we have were not going to hold any elections, but maintained. With the remaining 37 polling stations, we have no idea when and where the forms will be issued.

We are warning the committee that its failure to update us on what will happen to the outstanding 37 polling stations will incur our wrath.

There have been disagreements in the NPP after some party members accused executives of giving preferential treatment in the distribution of the forms for the polling station elections in some constituencies.

In other parts of the country, party members are also protesting a decision by the executives to sell out the forms to them after some big-wigs in the NPP announced that they had paid for the forms.

The polling station elections have been scheduled for March 24-25, 2020. There has been malcontent in multiple constituencies over claims some party executives are hoarding nomination forms.

The confusion started in Manhyia North, where an executive had to seek refuge in a police station after being hounded by some supporters.

These tensions have prompted the National Executive Committee of the NPP to meet on the matter.

The NPP has said it will investigate the issues leading to the chaos in the distribution of forms in parts of the country.

---Citi Newsroom
Live flies landed on onions, cockroaches crawled on kitchen floor mats and raw sewage seeped into the kitchen at four South Florida restaurants temporarily ordered shut last week by state inspectors.

The restaurants forced to close were La Granja in North Miami Beach, McKennas Place in Palm Springs, Bistro 1001 inside the Marriott West Palm Beach hotel and a Churchs Chicken in Miami.

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The South Florida Sun Sentinel highlights restaurant inspections in Broward and Palm Beach counties from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. We cull through hundreds of restaurant and bar inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for high-priority violations, like improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.

[ FULL DATABASE: See Florida restaurant inspection reports from the last 30 days ]

Sun Sentinel readers can browse full Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade county reports on our state inspection map, updated weekly (usually Monday) with fresh data pulled from the Florida DBPR website.

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Any restaurant that fails inspections must stay closed until it passes a follow-up state inspection. If you spotted a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR here. (But dont contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesnt inspect restaurants.)

La Granja, North Miami Beach

1901 NE 163rd St.

Ordered shut: Feb. 23, reopened Feb. 24

Why: 15 violations (six high priority), led by 24 live flies on top of rotten vegetable debris sitting beneath a reach-in cooler, on top of the onions located in a container on the kitchen storage shelf, and landing on the rear kitchen walls. The state next spotted two live cockroaches crawling between the plastic panel and the wall located in the back area of the kitchen, and on the wall in the storage room. Inspectors also red-flagged multiple unsanitary issues, including in-use tongs stored on [stove handle] between uses, a hole in the wall next to a customer bathroom, and a package of raw chicken sitting on the floor of the walk-in cooler. The state let the chain restaurant reopen Feb. 24 after discovering a pair of minor problems.

McKennas Place, Palm Springs

4068 Forest Hill Blvd.

Ordered shut: Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, reopened Feb. 24

Why: Inspectors found 11 violations (two high priority), such as five live flies flying around the beer keg handles inside the kitchen, and six live cockroaches crawling between the holes of the [floor] mat on the kitchen cook line and between the gaskets of the reach-in cooler in the kitchen. Inspectors also spotted seven dead roaches in the same areas, as well as between the ice machine and reach-in freezer. They also found seven dead insects, rodents, or other pests trapped inside pest-control devices, along with objectionable odors in the kitchen, prep area and bar. The state closed the restaurant again Feb. 24 after its second inspection revealed more cockroaches, but finally let McKennas reopen Feb. 24 after finding a handful of minor issues.

Bistro 1001, West Palm Beach

1001 Okeechobee Blvd. (inside Marriott West Palm Beach hotel)

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Ordered shut: Feb. 22 and Feb. 23, reopened Feb. 23

Why: Five violations (two high priority), including 19 live cockroaches coming from underneath one of the reach-in coolers on the [kitchens] cook line, from inside the reach-in-cooler near the ovens, and crawling near the server station. Inspectors also spotted four dead roaches around the reach-in coolers at the bar. Even more live roaches prompted inspectors to close 1001 Bistro again on Feb. 23, but the hotel restaurant reopened Feb. 23 once a third inspection found no new issues.

Churchs Chicken, Miami

2101 NW 79th St.

Ordered shut: Feb. 22, reopened Feb. 23

Why: Nine violations (two high priority), led by this unsanitary mess: raw sewage on ground, seeping into the kitchens prep area through a heavily soiled, grease-covered floor drain. Inspectors also found sewage/wastewater backing up through sinks in the restroom, as well as sewage water in the parking lot. The states second inspection on Feb. 23 found more sewage backups, but let the fast-food restaurant reopen.

[ RELATED: South Florida restaurants: Now open, coming soon and closed | PHOTOS ]
The ruling New Patriotic Partys election of polling station executives and electoral area coordinators in the New Juaben South Constituency have taken place in the Ashanti Region despite an injunction secured by some aggrieved members against the process.

Some members of the party in the constituency last week secured an injunction against the election.

The four plaintiffs, Jalil Ibn Tahir, Amoh Jonas, Ako George, and Mable Asantewaa Aikins, who accused the executives of a deliberate attempt not to make the nomination forms available to all aspirants, claim that the executives are rather selling the forms to their favorite aspirants.

In a Citi News interview, the Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Micheal Kofi Okyere Baafi, said none of the executives has been served with the supposed injunction.

Nobody has received any summons or injunction from any court, so I have no idea of any injunction whatsoever.

There have been disagreements in the NPP after some party members accused executives of giving preferential treatment in the distribution of the forms for the polling station elections in some constituencies.

In other parts of the country, party members are also protesting a decision by the executives to sell out the forms to them after some big-wigs in the NPP announced that they had paid for the forms.

The polling station elections have been scheduled for March 24-25, 2020. There has been malcontent in multiple constituencies over claims some party executives are hoarding nomination forms.

The confusion started in Manhyia North, where an executive had to seek refuge in a police station after being hounded by some supporters.

These tensions have prompted the National Executive Committee of the NPP to meet on the matter.

The NPP has said it will investigate the issues leading to the chaos in the distribution of forms in parts of the country.

---Citi Newsroom
Alhaji Inussah Fuseini says the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta can be charged for causing financial loss to the state over his unilateral decision to collapse toll booths across the country.

According to the former MP for Tamale Central, Mr Amoako Atta cannot extricate himself from the charges of causing financial loss to the state.

Ill be surprised if the revenue loss at the toll booth is not raised in the Auditor-Generals report for 2021. This must definitely be raised in the report of the Auditor-General, he said.

Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM hosted by Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on Tuesday, February 23, 2022, Mr Fuseini noted that the roads and highways ministers decision was illegal because the decision to collapse the toll booths must be taken by Parliament and not the sector minister.

This is so because the Road Fund Act for the promulgation of charges of toll was passed by Parliament, he stressed adding It is the reason the finance minister during the 2022 budget statement to Parliament said toll booths will be removed if the budget is passed. The Finance Minister did not say it will be removed immediately.

According to him, the budget read in Parliament was not for 2021 but for the year 2022 and the funds from the road tolls have been accounted for in the 2021 budget of the Ministry of Roads and Highways.

The former legislator who is a lawyer by profession explained that it was wrong for the Minister to go ahead and remove the toll booths when the 2022 budget had not been approved by Parliament.

He stressed that the decision to remove the toll booths ought to have been taken to Parliament but the Minister failed on that score.

He said the Minister is a possible candidate for a criminal prosecution, adding that, criminal prosecutions have no time limit, maintaining that, it can be done after the New Patriotic Party has been voted out of government

---Classfmonline.com
The Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, Prof Raymond Atuguba, has said Ghana may be ripe for a coup unless government acts quickly.

His assessment, he noted, partly stems from a doctoral research conducted on why some coups succeed and others do not, using Ghana as a case study.

The government has acknowledged there is no money, thus, an urgent need to pass the e-levy to expand the tax base for sustained development and reduce the debt burden.

At a forum organised by Solidare Ghana, Prof Atuguba said: My current assessment that Ghana may be ripe for a coup partly springs from the knowledge I gained from accompanying my friend through part of his doctoral research on this topic.

It does not help matters if we consider Samuel Huntingtons thesis on the snowballing effect of coups in the sub-region and the closeness of recent coups to home.

He, thus, urged the Minister of National Security, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, to have a conversation with his friend at the War College, who conducted the study to avert same.

Prof Atuguba explained further that a big part of why certain coups succeed and others fail is the economy.

What is the state of Ghanas economy today? At the level of the most irreducible idiomaticity, Ghana is broke; your nation is radically broke  so broke the Speaker of Parliament has publicly warned that we may not be able to pay the salaries of public sector workers in some three months unless a miracle happens, he stated.

Prof Atuguba added: The minister of finance has waded in, in very fine and polished English.

Quoting the finance minister, Prof Atuguba said, he (Mr Ofori-Atta) said: The legitimate reality is that theres no money.

In his view, at least, the finance minister has confessed to us that "there are some illegitimate realities".

---Classfmonline.com
01.03.2022 LISTEN

Mr. Andrew Kwame Pianim, a renowned Economist, says Ghana needs to impose external tariffs on the importation of sugar to protect domestic production.

He said it was the only way to make domestic production of sugar competitive as other countries had their raw materials subsidised.

Mr Pianim said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency following the announcement by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that the Komenda Sugar Factory in the Central Region would be operationalised by April, this year.

He said a tariff of about 30 to 35 per cent on importation of sugar would protect local production.

The Economist also said it was important for local manufacturers to be allowed to import sugar if Komenda was unable to meet local demand.

There must be a way for the local manufacturer to be given the right to import additional sugar but it means that the extra money they make on it should be shared with the State Treasury, he stated.

Mr Pianim also said it was important for the factory to sell the produce through the established importers in Ghana to avert any tension between the local manufacturers and importers in the country.

We should make sure that we sell it through the established importers in Ghana so the factory is still the wholesaler and then the Ghana Union of Traders Association members will not be trying to import or smuggle sugar into the country to compete with it. Give them the distribution rights so you don't substitute them out of the business, Mr. Pianim said.

He commended the President's decision to operationalise the factory and said, this decision is the first step as the factory's capacity is not enough to meet local demand. The next step is to step up production to meet the whole local demand.

We should also have an eye on export to ECOWAS and other African countries who import sugar for domestic use and for confectionaries, he added.

The Komenda Sugar factory was established in 1964 to boost local production of sugar and to reduce importation.

The factory became defunct in the early 1990s due to poor management and technical issues.

It was, however, revamped by former President John Dramani Mahama in 2016 with a loan facility of 35 million dollars from the Indian EXIM Bank.

Despite the rehabilitation in 2016, the facility is yet to commence commercial production, with President Akufo-Addo administration describing the reconstruction as overvalued to the tune of US$ 12 million.

GNA
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has justified the partys decision to petition the Commonwealth Secretariat to investigate allegations of human rights abuses under the Akufo-Addo government.

According to Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, their concerns are premised on the fact that the actions of the Akufo-Addo government in recent times could severely impair democracy in the country.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, he said the government of Akufo-Addo government must be called to order.

This government is not respecting the right to life, right to a fair trial, nor right to express ones self, he claimed.

The NDC has petitioned thus Commonwealth Secretariat to investigate and subsequently sanction the current administration over what the party calls bad governance and abuse of human rights.

Since assuming the reins of power in 2016, the message of physical violence against political opponents that Nana Addo preached and championed before the 2016 general elections has turned into structural, institutional and systematic forms of violence in the form of human rights violations, harassment, and political persecutions against members and supporters of the NDC, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, NDC General Secretary said.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia in explaining the rationale behind the petition said the commonwealth must come and advise the government [And] the government should respond to the Commonwealth. That is why we are requesting that they send a team to come and investigate the claims that we are making, he stated.

According to him, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth participated in an election stakeholder meeting where there were several agreements towards ensuring peaceful elections in the country but the Akufo-Addo government has failed to take action on the points agreed upon at the meeting.

We agreed on certain things following that meeting, and we prepared some proposals for electoral reforms on that [Now] Our fears are that if the issues are not addressed, 2024 elections will be worse than 2020, he noted.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia said the NDC believes that given the influence the Commonwealth has on Ghana it was wise to write to them to remind them that things [they hear about Ghana] are not as they think they are, he said.

---citinewsroom
01.03.2022 LISTEN

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the General Legal Counsel of allowing itself to be used by the current government to persecute persons who are critical of the Akufo-Addo administration.

According to the party, some of its lawyers who have criticized or commented on some rulings by judges are also being victimized, adding that the current administration is abusing power.

General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said it is good governance practice to criticize the product of state institutions in order to improve their work. In some cases, attempts to improve court rulings in Ghana have landed some of our lawyers into trouble with the General legal Council.

The General Legal Council is, unfortunately, is being misused to persecute and silent voices that are critical to the sitting government, he added.

NDC petitions Commonwealth Secretariat to probe human rights abuses under NPP Gov't

Already, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has petitioned the Commonwealth Secretariat to investigate and subsequently sanction the current administration over what the party calls bad governance and abuse of human rights.

At a press briefing on Monday, February 28, 2022, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the petition is to draw the attention of the international body to instances of abuse of the judiciary, political persecutions, and abuse of human rights.

Since assuming the reins of power in 2016, the message of physical violence against political opponents that Nana Addo preached and championed before the 2016 general elections has turned into structural, institutional and systematic forms of violence in the form of human rights violations, harassment, and political persecutions against members and supporters of the NDC, he said.

---citinewsroom
01.03.2022 LISTEN

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, has ordered commercial motorcycle riders [Okada riders] operating at the Madina-Zongo Junction to relocate to allow for free flow of traffic.

This comes after the removal of unlawful structures and traders from the enclave following a clean-up exercise under the Operation Clean Your Frontage initiative.

Speaking to the commercial motorcycle riders after the exercise, Henry Quartey asked them to move from the area before Friday, March 4, 2022.

I don't want it to seem as though I am taking away your livelihoods, but there should be a free flow of traffic. The MCE will find you a place and I would urge all of you to adhere to him so that you can be grouped together for your customers to come to you, not the way you have scattered around here. I would involve the police if you fail to comply he warned.

He also urged the Madina Divisional Police Command to ensure commercial drivers do not park indiscriminately along the highway after a lane was offered close to the Bohye market at Madina for them to offload and pick up passengers.

Moves taken since assuming office

Henry Quartey since assuming office under his ' 'Let's Make Accra Work' campaign, has undertaken several initiatives to provide lasting solutions to everyday challenges in the region, with the view to transform the national capital.

He has supervised the removal of unauthorized traders along some major streets, the pulling down of unauthorized structures, and carried out decongestion exercises and other sanitation drives aimed at ridding the capital of fifth.

Although these initiatives have won him the admiration of some Ghanaians, the Minister believes the totality of these efforts should not be viewed as political vindictiveness.

---citinewsroom
01.03.2022 LISTEN

Ghana and Korea both gained independence from colonial oppressors in the month of March. A symbolic month for the two countries.

In the year 1919, right after the Paris Peace Conference, (in this conference, president Wilson proclaimed self-determination) many Korean patriots thought that independence is not far from fetch. During this period, Korean students studying in Tokyo published a statement demanding freedom from colonial rule at the time of heightened tensions.

March 1st marked the new Movement that brought about liberation for the people of Korea.

The March 1st Movement, also known as the Sam-il (meaning 3-1) Movement (In Korean language:  ); this was a protest movement by Korean people and students calling for total independence from Japan amid fierce protest which forced assimilation into the Japanese way of life.

At the time, thirty-three (33) Korean cultural and religious leaders issued a proclamation which received boosting support by thousands of students and civilians in Seoul the capital city.

It was archived, that, there were over 1000 demonstrations in many other cities concurrently.

These Korean protesters were brutally suppressed in the heat of the demonstration, in the observation of Korean historian Park Eun-sik, it was reported that about 7,500 were killed and 16,000 were wounded, and 46,000 were also arrested.

Folks, as you read on, bear in mind, that, these brutal circumstances were among the earliest public displays of Korean resistance during their colonial rule by Japan from 1910 to 1945.

Significantly, the event occurred on March 1, 1919, hence the movement's name, literally meaning 3-1 "Three-One Movement" or "March First Movement" in Korean. It is also sometimes referred to as the "Man-se" Demonstrations (written in Korean as  or Manse Undong in English).

As many people in Korea take break from work, school and other activities just to commemorate the day; this day is more than just a national holiday. In fact, the March 1st Independence Movement was a turning point in Korean history. It birthed a nationwide civil protest or an independence movement against colonial oppression by Japan.

Fast forward, it eventually led to the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, hence, Korea broke the chains of Japanese colonial oppression.

On this day, from the shores of Ghana (a country that shares in colonial oppression history) we wish the Korean people a happy and prosperous life and may this never happen again.

Patriotic Regards!

Zinleri Richard, a Ghanaian residing in the Republic of Korea.
Communication team member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Nana Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah (Nana Kay), says he prefers a media landscape in Ghana that is diverse in its reportage to one that is uninformed in its work as exist in countries saddled with dictatorship, stressing that the Akufo-Addo administration will not engage in media buying.

He has reminded journalists to always fact-check their stories before publication.

He said by doing that, they would be paying attention to the fundamentals of journalism and put a stop to the growing spate of misinformation, particularly in the digital media.

According to him, he is very encouraged by the continuing vibrancy and diversity of the Ghanaian media in the nation and that the open and diverse media is the very foundation of our democratic open society.

Nana Kay noted that he will hesitate to accept any situation that looks for uniformity in the media.

It is the reason I cannot agree that there is a culture of silence in Ghana because the government is committed to the culture of free media in Ghana, Nana Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah (Nana Kay) exclusively told Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Accra-based Original FM 91.9

Like the other estates of the realm that advocate for and genuinely deserve investments to improve the quality of output, so too does the media require relevant, timely, sustained investment to improve the quality of its output," he stated.

However, he said the Akufo-Addo government is rather bent on promoting free media.

He added that in many instances, fake news on social media was also published in mainstream media without due diligence, a development he described as worrying.

In most instances, misinformation on digital media gets migrated onto mainstream media. The end effect is that when journalists put misinformation in mainstream media without doing the necessary background checks, trust in the media and journalism gradually goes down.

We should go back to the rudiments of journalism and not allow competition and the desire to break the news first to rule us all the time, he further advised.
Amid reports that some Ghanaians in Ukraine are turning down evacuation options from government, the Foreign Affairs Minister has urged them not to miss the opportunity to leave the distressed European nation.

In a meeting with relatives of Ghanaian nationals in Ukraine, Shirley Ayorkor-Botchwey urged relatives of Ghanaians in and around Ukraine to encourage them to take advantage of this evacuation exercise to return to Ghana.

Ghana has been mainly concerned with the plight of students who were in Ukraine when it was invaded by Russia.

The Minister indicated that about 527 Ghanaian nationals had crossed the Ukrainian border to various European countries.

With the closure of Ukraines airspace, the options available to Ghanaians have been countries such as Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

My Ministry, therefore, collaborated with the Ghana Diplomatic Missions in Bern in Switzerland, Prague in the Czech Republic, Ankara, Turkey, and the Vatican, Holy See, Ghana's Honorary Consuls in Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Ghanaian communities and students' unions in Poland, Hungary and Romania as well as religious groups to facilitate the evacuation of our nationals after being conveyed from Ukraine by road to the closest borders of the European Countries mentioned earlier, she explained.

We are all gratified to learn that over 500 of our citizens have made it safely across various European borders to safety. We share in your anxieties and pray for the safe return of all our compatriots to Ghana.

The government believes there were about 1,200 Ghanaians in Ukraine with 945 of them being students registered with the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Ukraine.

According to the Minister, 49 Ghanaians, including one child, have moved to the Czech Republic, 25 Ghanaians are in Slovakia, 134 Ghanaians in Romania, 81 in Poland, and 221 in Hungary.

The Government of Ghana is ready to evacuate all the five hundred and twenty-seven (527) of our citizens in a coordinated manner, the Minister assured.

Seventeen Ghanaians who were evacuated from Ukraine touched down at the Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday morning.

Two other batches from Romania in different groups of 70 and 64, respectively, are expected to arrive later this week, she added.

I wish to reiterate that the government has put in place the necessary package to facilitate transportation, accommodation, feeding, medical support, etc. to ease any burden on our compatriots.

---citinewsroom
HALLANDALE BEACH  Daniel Rosemond collected no severance pay when he was fired from his $180,400-a-year job as city manager of Hallandale Beach in December 2016.

But on Friday, a Broward County jury awarded him $4.4 million in damages after determining he was the victim of wrongful termination. His lawyer says the amount is exactly what Rosemond asked for down to the penny  and 48 times more than the $92,000 severance pay he would have collected in December 2016 had he not been fired for alleged misconduct.

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Mr. Rosemond was absolutely wronged and the jury saw it, said Brian Lerner, his attorney. They ruled there was retaliation.

The amount in damages takes into account the pain and suffering Rosemond endured in the years since he was fired, his attorney said.

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He lost friends, Lerner said. He lost family. His colleagues and his career were taken away from him on Dec. 28, 2016. The only thing he was left with was the love of his wife and his two daughters.

Rosemond, 57, has since moved to California with his family and is no longer working in government.

Its something that scars you, he said of his termination and the fallout that came afterward.

Hallandale Beach commissioners fired City Manager Daniel Rosemond on Dec. 28, 2016 in a 3-2 vote. On Friday, Rosemond won a jury award of $4.4 million after filing a wrongful termination lawsuit. (Sun Sentinel)

Lerner says Rosemond was forced to find work outside government because of the stigma of being fired with cause.

Then-commissioner Keith London insisted Rosemond be fired with cause because hed used a city credit card to buy an airline ticket for his daughter and awarded a contract that exceeded the city managers $25,000 spending limit.

Lerner says Rosemond took a business trip to Seattle in 2015 when he was deputy city manager and used his city credit card to buy both tickets only after getting permission from his boss, the city manager. He later reimbursed the city.

Rosemond would have collected five months of severance pay had he been fired without cause.

Day in court

The 3-2 vote to fire him came on Dec. 28, 2016 during a special hearing in which Rosemonds personal attorneys were given the chance to plead his case.

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Mayor Joy Cooper, one of the no votes in firing Rosemond that night, argued it might cost the city a fortune down the road.

Commissioner Michele Lazarow, one of the three yes votes, had this retort: If Mr. Rosemond is being wrongly accused, then he should have his day in court.

[ RELATED: Fired city manager sues Hallandale Beach ]

Within a month of being fired, Rosemond filed a wrongful termination lawsuit.

He applied for other jobs but ran into brick wall after brick wall, his attorney said.

Dan could not get a job, Lerner said. He applied for more than 40 jobs all over the country and could not get hired because of the stigma of being accused of stealing. He had to sell his house and move into his daughters apartment in California to survive.

When the verdict was read on Friday, Rosemond says both he and his wife broke down into tears.

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It was surreal, he said Monday. There was a lot of raw emotion after the verdict was read. I tried to console my wife. Then I broke down.

Taking the stand

During the trial, Rosemond took the stand, testifying over the course of four days. London, Lazarow and Lima-Taub were also called to the stand. But in the end, the jury sided with Rosemond.

The jury came back with a verdict in an hour and 10 minutes, Lerner said. And they awarded what we asked down to the penny.

On Monday, Lazarow said she was stunned by the verdict.

We are going to seek appeal, she said. We have strong grounds for appeal and we intend to do so.

If Hallandale Beach were to cut a check tomorrow, it would have to come out of emergency reserves. Thats because the city is self-insured, a city official said.

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Rosemond wont be getting the money anytime soon because of Hallandale Beachs plans to appeal.

Nothing will be final until all the appeals have been exhausted, City Attorney Jennifer Merino said. It could take years.

[ RELATED: Hallandale suspends city manager; he vows to fight to clear his name ]

The city could end up paying Rosemonds legal fees, too. That will be decided by a judge at a later hearing.

Lerner said his clients legal fees would likely hit seven figures.

Rosemond served as city manager from January through December 2016.

He was fired three days after Christmas when Lazarow joined Commissioners Keith London and Anabella Lima-Taub in voting for his ouster.

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London, who is no longer on the commission, said he was shocked by the astronomical amount of Rosemonds win.

Oh my God, London said. You never know what a jury is going to do.

The taxpayers of Hallandale Beach may be on the hook for $4.4 million in damages awarded to former City Manager Daniel Rosemond. But the powers that be at City Hall say they plan to appeal. (Sun Sentinel File Photo/Courtesy)

He wants his name back

On Monday, London said he regrets nothing.

[ RELATED: It's been a revolving door of city managers at Hallandale Beach. The newest one wants to change that. ]

Cooper defended Rosemond on the night he was fired. But on Monday, she said she supported the citys plan to appeal.

While I did not support the firing of City Manager Rosemond, as mayor I will support protecting our taxpayer dollars, Cooper said via text.

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Rosemond, intent on putting the past behind him, is now working in real estate and started a nonprofit to develop affordable housing.

He just wants his name back, his attorney said. And this is the first step to getting it back. And hopefully he can rebuild his life.

On Monday, Rosemond was still processing his win.

He had one word to describe how hes feeling now: Vindicated.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan
01.03.2022 LISTEN

The Supreme Court will on May 4 give judgment in the case challenging the payment of monthly allowance to spouses of the President and the Vice President.

There was a huge debate and anger in Ghana when Parliament voted mid-last year on an amendment to the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee to give wives of the President and Vice-President almost $47,000 during the tenure of their husbands in office.

The proposed amount was calculated to be equal to the salary of a Cabinet Minister. Many Ghanaians spoke up against the development, compared to what was popularly described as deteriorating economic conditions of the ordinary man.

Subsequently, two Members of Parliament; Rockson Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor (South Dayi), Dr. Clement Apak (Builsa South), and a private citizen, Frederick Nii Commey, took the matter to the Supreme Court for pronouncement.

They argue that the Prof. Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee overstepped its bounds when it made recommendations in respect of salaries, allowances payable, facilities, and privileges not just limited to Article 71 office holders under the 1992 Constitution, but also extended to spouses of the President and Vice President, as well as spouses of former Presidents and Vice Presidents.

Their lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, insists that the 1st and 2nd Ladies are not Article 71 Office Holders and to that extent prays the Supreme Court to declare those portions of the Committee's report relating to them as unconstitutional, as such, null, void, and of no effect.

In his written submission to the Court, Nii Kpakpo Samoa maintains that extending courtesies including the payment of allowances to 1st and 2nd Ladies whether past or present remains purely humanitarian and without any legal basis.
The Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim has said the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will not beg the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to offer the government expertise in resuscitating the economy.

As a party, we cant be begging the NPP to help them, he said.

He noted that the NDC as a party, we have the men to help the NPP out of the economic distress it has put itself in as a result of reckless spending.

The Deputy Minority Chief Whip and NDC's Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda Constituency in the Bono East region said these on Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

He stated that the pomposity being exhibited by the NPP's leadership will not help the party out of the current situation.

He mocked that not too long ago the NPP led by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was all over touting themselves as better managers of the economy and NDC bad managers of the economy.

What has happened in no time that the NPP is begging NDC for the passage of the controversial E-levy? He quizzed.

He noted that this is the reason former president John Dramani Mahama suggested a national dialogue on economic resuscitation where experts from both sides of the political divide will meet to propound ideas for reviving the economy.

This national dialogue would have openly addressed the NPP's economic situation. As leaders, we have asked the leadership of the NPP to cut expenditure and we enumerated the areas that have to be cut but it has fallen on deaf ears, he bemoaned.

---Classfmonline.com
Ukraine has filed a lawsuit against Russia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' highest court, invoking the convention against genocide.

Ukraine announced the move late Sunday, saying Russia had "falsely claimed" that genocide was being committed in the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in order to justify an invasion. Ukraine "emphatically" denies the allegations, the indictment states.

The court is now expected to declare in emergency proceedings that "Russia has no legal basis" for its military action in and against Ukraine. A date for a hearing has not yet been set.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier announced the lawsuit via Twitter.

In the indictment, Ukraine also accuses Russia of "planning acts of genocide in Ukraine" and "intentionally killing or seriously injuring people of Ukrainian nationality." The court is expected to order immediate measures to prevent the violation of the rights of Ukraine and its citizens.

Court proceedings before the ICJ are usually lengthy. However, in the case of an urgent application, a hearing can be scheduled within a few weeks.

A case against Russia is already underway before the UN court. Ukraine had accused the country of occupying the Crimean Peninsula, as well as funding pro-Russian separatists in its eastern region of Donbass and supplying them with weapons.

The function of the International Court of Justice is to settle conflicts between states peacefully, and its judgements are binding.

However, the court has no means of forcing a losing state to implement its ruling, though it can appeal to the UN Security Council if its ruling is ignored.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague meanwhile will launch an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, chief prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday.

"I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the Situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible," Khan said in a statement.

Khan said after reviewing a preliminary examination of the situation he was "satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine" in events preceding Russia's invasion.

"Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my Office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine," he added in a statement.

Ukraine is not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC but the country has accepted the court's jurisdiction to try war crimes and crimes against humanity on its territory, according to the prosecutor. Russia does not recognize the court.

The prosecutor must now get judicial approval for the investigation.

Lithuania had announced earlier in the day that it intended to request the ICC open an investigation into the matter, with Lithuanian Justice Minister Evelina Dobrovolska specifically naming Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for their roles in the decision-making process over the war.

GNA
The US government has rejected calls to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying it would be a step towards a direct conflict between the US and Russia.

"The president has been very clear that he is not intending to send US troops to fight a war with Russia," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said Monday.

"And I think what's important to note here is that is essentially what this would be a step toward because a no-fly zone would require implementation," Psaki said.

"It would require deploying US military to enforce which would be a direct conflict, a potentially direct conflict, and potentially war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of."

---GNA
The Ukrainian army said it had shot down several Russian fighter planes as Russian's invasion of its neighbour country entered its sixth day on Tuesday.

Five Russian fighter planes and a helicopter were shot down during aerial attacks on Monday, the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper and the Ukrainian air force reported.

The information could not be independently verified.

The planes were reportedly shot down during aerial attacks on the cities of Vasylkiv and Brovary in the area surrounding Kiev, and a cruise missile and a helicopter were shot down near Kiev.

Ukrainian warplanes reportedly fired missiles and bombs at Russian tanks and troops near Kiev and close to the city of Zhytomyr. Bombs were reportedly dropped in the northern region of Chernihiv and the southern Ukrainian city of Berdyansk, which is currently under Russian control.

Meanwhile, satellite imagery shows a convoy of Russian military vehicles estimated to be 64 kilometres long is heading towards the Ukrainian capital Kiev, Ukrainian news agency UNIAN reported.

More than 100 civilians have already died during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the UN. Ukraine's government puts the civilian toll at more than 150.

GNA
The entire mining town of Obuasi went agog as hundreds of people from all walks of life trooped to the Zongo Play Grounds, to join in the celebration of this years Damba festival.

The event was organised by the Dagomba youth group based in Obuasi.

There was a display of rich culture from the various Northern Regional tribes at the festival which commemorates the birth of Prophet Mohammed. It was also to signify unity, cooperation and coexistence amongst the people.

The two-day celebration was under the theme "Harnessing our Cultural Diversity for Job and Wealth Creation". It had in attendance Nana Akua Dwom II, Queenmother of Edubiase, Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Hon ElijahAdansi-Bonah, Chiefs from various tribes as well as religious leaders.

The Chairman of the Dagomba Youth Association, Shaban Ibn Bawa in his speech said the celebration of the Damba festival dates back to the 18th Century during the reign of Naa Zanjina.

He emphasized that the festival was mostly celebrated by the Dagombas but has now spread to other stratified Northern tribes like Mamprusi, Gonja and Wala.

He advised that Dagombas and other Northern tribes should use occasions like the Damba festival to unite and co-exist peacefully since the festival symbolises the unity of the Mole-Dagban and all the sons and daughters of Naa Gbewaa.

Touching on the theme for the celebration "Harnessing our Cultural Diversity for Job and Wealth Creation", Mr. Bawa said the Youth should strive to acquire entrepreneurial skills which will guarantee them a secured future other than adopting the "get rich quickly syndrome".

DAMBA SHOULD UNITE ALL TRIBES

The Queen Mother of the Edubiase Traditional Council Nana Akua Dwom II who graced the occasion with the Dompoase Kontihene, Nana Bosompim Kitikyi Appenteng extolled the Damba festival and praised the organisers for assembling most of the tribes in Ghana to exhibit their culture.

She emphasized that the only panacea to Ghana's development is for the people to accommodate or tolerate other tribes. She said " the mere fact that we are here should tell everyone that, with unity of purpose and tolerant for divergent views and other culture, Ghana will develop beyond what we are seeing now".

THE NEED FOR THE ZONGO YOUTH TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION

A founder of the Dagomba Youth Association in Obuasi, Masawudu Arabia called for the need for Zongo Youth to prioritize higher education. He said " gone are the days when youth from Zongo were associated with all manner of crimes but the time has come for us to prove to the world that people from Zongo value the essence of formal education.

He reiterated the call for peaceful co-existence. He said peace is an enabler to enhance development and that all must give peace a chance. He urged the people to do away with division, because that would retard development in the area.

The Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive, Elijah Adansi-Bonah pledged governments preparedness to be innovative in reducing poverty among residents.

THE DAMBA FESTIVAL

The Damba festival is celebrated by the chiefs and peoples of the Northern, Savanna, North East and Upper West Regions of Ghana. The name Damba in Dagbani, Damma in Mampruli and Jingbenti in Waali.

The festival is celebrated in the Dagomba lunar month of Damba, corresponding to the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabia al-Awwal. Damba is celebrated to mark the birth and naming of the Holy prophet, Muhammad, but the actual content of the celebration is a glorification of the chieftaincy, not specific Islamic motifs. The Damba is also celebrated among the Gonjas of the Savanna region. The Gonjas normally have a specific month of which they celebrate the festival. The festival is categorized into three sessions; the Somo Damba, the Naa Damba and the Belkulsi.

The festival starts on the 10th day of the month of Damba with the Somo Damba, followed by the Naa Kings Damba on the 17th day, with the bielkulsi, which is the climax of the celebration, coming off on the 18th of the month of Damba. Within this period, prayers are offered to ancestors, drumming and dancing, families pay visits to friends and exchange gifts.
Communication team member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Nana Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah (Nana Kay), has said industrialization remains a priority of the government for job creation, especially for the youth.

This industrialization transformation, Nana Kay says, will be done through a ten-point comprehensive and integrated programme.

He has, therefore, called on investors to collaborate effectively with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to implement the governments comprehensive transformation agenda.

He said the industrialization drive would also open up trade opportunities, including the exportation of made-in-Ghana products.

We in Ghana must look forward to more substantial investment in our manufacturing sector for us to realise our potential as a regional manufacturing hub in Africa, Nana Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah (Nana Kay) exclusively told Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Accra-based Original FM 91.9

Promoting local enterprises is the only guarantee for sustainable growth of the economy, creating jobs and building a prosperous Ghana.

He further said the government was also working closely with Parliament, which the President and Ministry of Trade is willing and capable of designing the right legislative and regulatory measures necessary to attract investment in key strategic sectors of the economy.
01.03.2022 LISTEN

A delegation from the Concerned Zongo Youth Group has paid a courtesy call on the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Henry Quartey at the Regional Coordinating Council.

The visit was to inform the Minister about a week-long programme being organized by the group in some of the Zongo Communities in Accra as part of preparations for the upcoming Ramadan fasting.

Among the activities to be undertaken includes, Health Walk, engagement with Zongo youth to deliberate on issues affecting their progress and development of Zongos, how the youth will prepare their minds toward the Ramada fasting, career development, and the need to live in peace with others in the Ghanaian society.

The delegation was made up of the Zongo Chief of Adabraka, Sarki, Alhaji Abdul Mumin Bagigah, Sempe Muslim Akwashongtse, Nii Adotey Odaawulu I who doubles as Sarkin Talban of Greater Accra Hausa Chief, Alhaji Issaka Nii Nertey Nettey, Sarkin Yaaki of Fulani communities in Greater Accra, Ibrahim Danbaki Habib, Falakin Masarautan Hausawa Ankara Murtala Alhassan Balambala and the President of the group, Issah Sani.

Issah Sani who led the delegation briefed the Minister on the group's previous activities, targets and agenda for this year's Annual Ramadan Health- Walk and other events.

He asked the Regional Minister to partner with the group to bring the message of "Operation Keep Your Frontage Clean" to the masses, especially the Zongo communities.

On his part, the Sempe Muslim Akwashongtse and the Sarkin Talba of the Greater Accra Hausa Chief, Nii Adotey Odaawulu I, commended the Regional Minister for his great job and encouraged him to do more for the development of the Ga State.

He added that the Concerned Zongo Youth will support him to achieve his targets of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

The Sempe Muslim Akwashongtse who has been at the forefront of sanitation sensitization in his community stated that the time has come for all to join hands to educate the masses on the rippling effects of dirt and the need to live in a clean and hygienic environment.

According to him, if care is not taken, traders in Accra will wake up one day and begin to sell right in front of people's houses quoting the old adage "cleanliness is next Goodliness.

The Regional Minister Hon Henry Quartey commended the members of the Concerned Zongo Youth Group for their efforts at improving the living standards of the people within the Zongo communities.

He further commended them for their love for others and seeing to the spiritual and social needs of their people.
The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT), have said any further delay in the payment of salaries of its members for the month of February will put a huge financial burden on their members.

According to the President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, the government is yet to salaries for the month of February.

This is in spite of the fact that the government had scheduled to pay February salaries by the 25th of this month. Theres anxiety among many public sector workers over the delay, particularly at a time when the government is said to be struggling with its finances.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra today, Tuesday, the President of NAGRAT, Angel Carbonu, questioned the delay and asked the government to come clean on plans to remedy the situation.

'We would have expected that even without prompting from the leadership of the various workers unions, the government itself would have initiated some great news to lessen the effect of this economic hardship on the Ghanaian worker, especially when there have not been any upward adjustments.

Defending why the unions boycotted the labour conference despite an invitation from the government, Angel Carbonu noted that the forum was not the appropriate platform to address the myriad of unresolved issues they have tabled before the government.

We do not see the need to attend a Labour conference that does not alleviate our plight in any way.

Gov't may not be able to pay salaries from next 3 months  Bagbin cautions

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin , recently disclosed that government may not be able to pay salaries for the next three months. Making the revelation on the floor of the Parliament, the Speaker called on MPs to show leadership in these difficult times.

This is not to discourage the committee from doing their work. If something is not done within the next three months, the government may not be able to pay salaries.

But a Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. John Kumah , has debunked the Speaker of Parliament's assertion that government may not be able to honor its salary obligations from the next three months.

 Citi Newsroom
The Hague based International Criminal Court is launching a query on "the situation in Ukraine" after it received allegations of war crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine.

"Today I wish to announce that I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, as rapidly as possible," International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement.

"I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine" since 2014, he added.

"Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine."

Khan had said last week that The Hague-based court had received many queries "with respect to the crime of aggression" but could not exercise "jurisdiction over this alleged crime" as neither Russia nor Ukraine were signatories to ICC's founding Rome Statute.

"I will continue to closely follow developments on the ground in Ukraine, and again call for restraint and strict adherence to the applicable rules of international humanitarian law," he said on Monday.

Ukraine had in 2014 and in 2015 recognised the ICC's competence to probe alleged crimes during and after the fall of pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych and after the Russian invasion of Crimea, he added.

What are war crimes?

According to the United Nations' Office of Genocide Prevention and and the Responsability to Protect (OGPRP,) the concept of war crimes was first codified under the 1899 and 1907 The Hague Conventions, which focus on the prohibition to warring parties to use certain means and methods of warfare, the 1864 and 1949 Geneva Conventions, which mainly focus on the treatment of prisoners of war and civilians, and others. However there is "no one single document in international law that codifies all war crimes," according to the OGPRP.

Currently 123 state parties recognize the Rome Statute. Apart from the Ukraine and Russia, the US, China and India are among the world's major countries that do not recognize the ICC and only 17 out of the EU's 27 member states underwrote the legitimacy of the court.

'Barbaric, indiscriminate' tactics

The UK government warned Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commanders in Ukraine could face prosecution for war crimes and that Western sanctions would remain "for as long as it takes".

On a visit to Poland, Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned Putin's "barbaric, indiscriminate" tactics against Ukrainian civilians, after shelling hit one city.

The attack on Kharkiv has destroyed a school and, according to its mayor, killed at least 11 civilians.

Meanwhile, negotiators from Ukraine and Russia ended a first round of talks with no clear breakthrough. Both sides agree to conduct a second round of negotiations "soon".

In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russia's Vladimir Putin reiterated demands that there is a "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine. He also demands the West recognise Russia's claim to annexed Crimea.

(With agencies)
WILTON MANORS  A man was hospitalized Tuesday after an explosion and fire in a Wilton Manors apartment that was being renovated, officials said.

The explosion occurred about 11 a.m. in a second-floor unit in the Manor Grove Village apartment complex on Northeast 19th Court, according to Stephen Gollan, battalion chief for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.

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Firefighters found a man who was burned when they went to the apartment to put out the fire. He was treated and taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was in serious but stable condition.

One man was hospitalized in serious but stable condition Tuesday after an explosion and fire in his Wilton Manors apartment, officials said. (Joe Cavaretta)

Gollan said the apartment was being remodeled and it appears to be a construction accident involving an aerosol without proper ventilation. There was also an air compressor that was being used to spray the aerosol.

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That compressor, along with not having proper ventilation, contributed to the accident, Gollan said.

The hospitalized mans unit is the only one thats uninhabitable.
01.03.2022 LISTEN

I have come across a lame, ignorant statement from one of the communicators of the NPP accusing the NPP of drinking car battery water instead of tea before voting for the speaker.

It's a Shane that in this 21st century, the people who claim to be the educated elite in Ghana still find it difficult to understand how democracy operates. That the MP's though voted on the ticket of the party are in parliament to represent the interest of the people and not solely their party.

He must also clear the smug of his face and understand that the people of Ghana through their MP's are making a statement on how they feel about Nana Addo's first term as president. Indeed, it was a clear message to the NPP and the NDC on how the people of Ghana want to be governed.

Indeed, there was no better person to be elected as a speaker than Hon. A.S.K Bagbin. It is obvious now in this hung parliament why MP's voted Hon. Bagbin as speaker and why we have a hung parliament.

It is in the interest of the NPP to choose consensus rather than the arrogant posture that they have always portrayed and stop attacking the personality of one of the finest speaker of parliament that Ghana has had.

Indeed, we must all be reminded that it is only the ignorant or the failed who resorts to insults to drive make a point.

Hon. NAMURU.
Modernghana News can report that the first batch of Ghanaian students being evacuated from Ukraine has safely arrived in the country.

It can be recalled that on Monday morning, your most trusted online portal reported that decisive efforts were being made by Ghanas Ministry in charge of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to get Ghanaians in the troubled European country to safety.

The move by the government was announced by the sector minister Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway.

I am pleased to inform you that, a good number, over 220 of our compatriots have exited Ukraine and should be with us in Ghana soon, and we are earnestly facilitating the safe return of a lot more.

24 have arrived in Bucharest, Romania, and our officer on the ground is procuring tickets for them to leave tomorrow Monday en route to Accra, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway told journalists at a press briefing on Sunday.

Following the frantic efforts, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has managed to successfully bring home the first batch of students from Ukraine.

Sources have confirmed that the batch of 17 students arrived at the Kotoka International Airport early in the morning welcomed by officials from the Ministry of Affairs and Regional Integration.

The government assures that it remains committed and will continue working to ensure all Ghanaians find safety.
Since February 18th, thousands of civilians have been evacuated from Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia following Ukraines intensified shelling of these territories, which have been under fire since the 2014 US backed coup.

The White House hysteria is more revealing than ever. The Anglo-Saxons need a war at any cost. Provocation, misinformation and threats are a favourite method of solving their own problems. The American military-political machine is ready to steamroll through peoples lives again. - Maria Zakharova, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry

In the Caribbean we have a saying, monkey know what limb to jump on. Or at least, monkey should know. Usually this is the case with the US Empire and its criminal creature, NATO (North Atlantic Tribes Organization). They pick on countries that cannot stand up to them in terms of military might. But this time, not so. They met their match in the Russian Federation, when Vladimir Putin called their bluff.

US President, Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, have been talking big over the past months. But it was all bluff. On the other hand, President Vladimir Putin was not bluffing. The Russian people know only too well what it means to have fascists at their door. The then Soviet Union led the fight against Nazi Germany and on February 24th, 2022, Russia was forced to take military action again against Anglo-Saxon fascists at its door, this time, Ukrainian neo-fascist militias, such as the Azov Battalion, and other extreme right-wing elements in the Ukrainian military. Since the 2014 coup in Ukraine, orchestrated by the US and backed by its NATO allies, Russia has withstood provocation after provocation, but the war mongers are restless, in desperate need of a war, and their reckless actions forced Russia into a position where it had no choice but to take action.

The Azov Battalion and the Fascist International

The far-right Azov Battalion, which has its genesis in the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. Throughout the Cold War and up to today, US imperialism and the intelligence agencies of other Western imperial powers provided financial and other support to the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and later to its offshoot, the Azov Battalion. Membership of the various fascist groups in the Ukraine is estimated to be over 600,000. Volodymyr Zelenskys government, which describes itself as centrist, has been infiltrated at all levels, including the State security apparatus, by these fascist organizations. Moscow is well aware of this and the very real danger it poses, not only to Russia, but to Europe and the world. Already the fascists in Ukraine are saying they will sabotage any peace talks. These fascist groups constitute an international body with branches and supporters in many countries, including Hungary, Poland, Germany, France, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the US, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela, where they have been at the forefront of the attempt to destabilize and overthrow the Maduro government, infiltrating a number of political formations such as Democratic Action and Popular Will that are part of what is known as the Unitary Platform. They even have a presence in countries as far away as Australia and New Zealand. In fact, it the White supremacist who slaughtered 51 Muslims in the 2019 terrorist attack in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, was connected to a branch of this international neo-Nazi formation.

Another US Backed Coup

Back in 2014, the US orchestrated a pseudo revolution in the Ukraine, which they called the Revolution of Dignity. Through violent street protests, they overthrew the democratically elected government of Victor Yanukovych. Prior to this coup, war-monger, John McCain had visited the Ukraine and addressed large crowds, instigating them against the Moscow-friendly government led by Yanukovych. Neo-Nazis from across Europe and the US journeyed to Ukraine to train and fight alongside the Azov Battalion and other far-right paramilitary formations. All the while, Victoria Nuland, point person for the pseudo Revolution of Dignity during Obamas presidency, and now Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs in the Biden administration, boasted about spending 5 billion USD on the Ukraine project. Under her guidance, Ukraine was flooded with NGOs, training and social programmes geared at spreading anti-Moscow sentiment. In a leaked telephone conversation between Victoria Nuland and then US Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, on February 6th, 2014, eleven days prior to the US orchestrated coup, the transcript of which can be found online, Nuland and Pyatt openly discuss who will be in the new Ukraine government. All of this on Russias border. Imagine if Russia had done the same in Canada or Mexico.

The United States Fascist Friends

The US and their intelligence agencies have a long track record of recruiting, coopting and working with fascists. Bradley W. Hart, in his well-researched book, Hitlers American Friends: The Third Reichs Supporters in the United States wrote, General Motors had a German division of its own and manufactured aircraft parts for the Luftwaffe. In an article in The Guardian (25/09/2004), Ben Aris and Duncan Campbell exposed George Bush Snrs father, US Senator Prescott Bushs extensive financial dealings with Nazi Germany. And when Nazi Germany collapsed, the CIA recruited as many Nazi intelligence operatives as they could, settling most of them in South America, in Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. The US utilized these fascists throughout the years to undermine and destabilize progressive and revolutionary regimes, via the front organizations they created. The US Embassy in Bolivia worked closely with the infamous Klaus Barbie, known as the Butcher of Lyon. Barbie was given the rank of colonel in the Bolivian Army and boasted about leading the team that targeted and tracked down Che Guevara.

Zelensky Facilitates Programme of Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide

On February 24th, in a further act of provocation, Kiev escalated their eight year war against the Peoples Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. These republics declared their autonomy following the 2014 coup, refusing to live under the anti-Russian, pro-NATO regime of Volodymyr Zelensky, who although described as a centrist has allowed ethnic Russians in these territories to be targeted and attacked by various neo-fascist militias, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties and deaths. Zelensky stands accused of facilitating a programme of ethnic cleansing and genocide. The people of Eastern Ukraine, the Donbas region, where Donetsk and Luhansk are situated, are Russian speaking and want to be a part of the Russian Federation. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was a founding member of the Soviet Union in 1922, and so Russia and Ukraine were part of the same country once. Zelensky, with the tacit support of his Anglo-Saxon handlers, had no intention of implementing the Minsk Agreement, which contains a blueprint for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the Ukraine situation and is supported by the breakaway territories and Russia. He, along with his Western allies, were intent on only one thing, provoking a conflict with Russia.

In a televised address on February 24th, President Putin announced that in response to an appeal from leaders in the Donbass Republics (Donetsk and Luhansk), he had taken a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect the people in these territories "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." Thousands of refugees from Donetsk and Luhansk poured across the Russian border. The labelling of this as an invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a misnomer. Putin has been very clear that Russia has no interest in occupying Ukraine. However, he is adamant about preventing NATOs expansion to countries sharing a border with Russia for obvious reasons. How can Russia allow a hostile war machine such as NATO to deploy weapons of mass destruction including ballistic missile on its border? Can we imagine Russia deploying nuclear weapons and missiles in a country that shares a border with the US or in what the US refers to as their backyard? This is exactly what sparked the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962.

NATO  the North Atlantic Tribes Lethal War Machine

NATO was formed in 1949, ostensibly as a deterrent to Soviet and Communist expansion into Western Europe. The Soviet Bloc formed the Warsaw Pact as a counter to NATOs military complex. When the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc were dissolved, the Warsaw Pact was disbanded. The Reagan administration promised Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand into Eastern Europe. Many years later, in an interview in the German newspaper Bild, Gorbachev declared that Moscow had been tricked. He said, "Many people in the West were secretly rubbing their hands and felt something like a flush of victory -- including those who had promised that they would will not move one centimeter further east. As we now know, NATO did move east, right up to Russias border, which has brought us to the current conflict. Instead of disbanding, since its alleged reason-for-being no longer existed, NATO morphed into an aggressive and destructive leviathan, armed with the most sophisticated weapons known to humankind. Commanded by the US Empire, NATO now engages in wars worldwide, with the aim of increasing and reinforcing Anglo-Saxon dominance, and is responsible for the wanton destruction of countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya and the death of literally millions of civilians. They have expanded as far into Eastern Europe as they can, and are now trying to complete the encirclement of Russia, leaving Russia in a situation where it would not be able to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty. This is understandably unacceptable to Russia under any circumstance, but especially in the current political environment where the anti-Russian hysteria is being whipped up to levels reminiscent of the Cold War era.

Follow the Money and Resources

It is important to note that US foreign policy shaper, Zbigniew Brzezinski, in his book titled, The Grand Chessboard wrote, A power that dominates Eurasia would control two thirds of the worlds three most advanced and economically productive regions. A mere glance at the map also suggests that control over Eurasia would almost automatically entail Africas subordinationabout 75% of the worlds people live in Eurasia, and most of the worlds physical wealth is there as well, both in its enterprise and underneath its soil. Eurasia accounts for 60 percent of the worlds GNP and about threefourths of the worlds known energy resources.

Renowned Bilderberg Group researcher, Daniel Estulin, points out that human history has always shown that controlling the heart of Eurasia was the key to controlling the entire known world.

World War Already Raging

One of many absurd ideas that has taken hold in a world governed by White supremacy is that the world is only at war when Anglo-Saxons launch offensives in Europe. Even now, as every step of this current European dispute is followed around the globe with rapt attention, once again the headlines are screaming about the prospect of World War III.

On the same day as the Russians went to the aid of the Donbas Republics, and finally took action against the neo-fascists embedded in Ukraine, the US bombed Somalia via AFRICOM, and US surrogate, Saudi Arabia, bombed Yemen, killing more women and children. Not to be left out of the action, the racist and criminal entity known as Israel attacked Syria. If you live in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Syria, or Yemen, you know you have been, and continue to be in a protracted world war. And those are just some of the hotspots. We can look back at Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, the former Yugoslavia and the list goes on. And all this was and is orchestrated, fueled and perpetuated by Anglo-US and its Anglo-Saxon allies, the very same forces that are provoking Russia. Of the 248 armed conflicts that occurred in 153 regions across the world from 1945 to 2001, 201 were initiated by the US, accounting for 81% of the total number.

In truth, the entire Global South is in a state of permanent war and holocaust. Those of us who reside in the Global South, in the trenches of this dirty war, know that we have been in a relentless world war for as long as we can remember. The US has built an entire economy dependent on arms sales  a military industrial complex. For this reason, they must continue to manufacture wars and unrest, because weapons of mass destruction, their main export, do not sell well in a world of peaceful co-existence. But it is more complex than just economics. Fact is, the Anglo-Saxon tribes have been at war ever since they first emerged in Europe. They have mastered the art and technology of warfare in a way that no other people ever have. They are the quintessential warlords, despite the fact that they love to attribute this term to non-European leaders, especially Africans. There is no civilization on the face of this earth that has waged war more relentlessly and permanently than the Anglo-Saxon tribes. This is not opinion, it is an indisputable historical fact.

European Tribal Wars

There was the Hundred-Years War (13371453), a European tribal war primarily between the French and the English, with various other European tribes supporting either side. This war claimed the lives of an estimated 3.5 million people. Then, there was the Thirty Years War (16181848) involving the majority of European nations. Military historians estimate the death-toll to be at least 8 million. Then there was so-called World War I and World War II, both European wars, in which the colonized were pressed into fighting alongside the various North Atlantic Tribes. Sadly today, too many of us are still defending or fighting on the side of the various North Atlantic Tribes, furthering the aims of the Empire, and in the process, subjugating and destroying our own people.

Russians Know this Enemy

The Russians are experienced when it comes to fighting Western Europes most notorious fascists. An accurate reading of history shows us that it was the Soviets who led the defeat of Nazi Germany. It is estimated that they lost more than 26 million citizens. The Soviets did not reveal the true extent of their losses at the time, since they could not afford to expose any weaknesses due to the prevailing anti-Soviet sentiment. Before the dust had settled, the Anglo-Saxon devils, Churchill and Chamberlain, met in secret to figure out a way that they could extend the war in order to destroy the Soviet Union. It is said that they abandoned their plan because they realized that they could not get their soldiers to turn on Soviet soldiers, since they had just fought alongside the Red Army and witnessed their incredible courage and the huge sacrifice they had made to rid Europe of Hitlers onslaught.

Fast Forward to Ukraine, 2022, and the Information War

If you know this history, then you will know that Vladimir Putin was not bluffing when he warned that any interference from other countries would lead to "consequences you have never seen in history. Finally, someone stood up to the arrogance and hypocrisy of the global hegemon. And of course, the internet is ablaze with confusion from those who dont know, those who should know better, and those with a pro-imperialist agenda, who are deliberately spreading disinformation.

The two sides to every story narrative is being pushed, along with empty slogans such as No to all wars and military aggression and No to Putin, No to war. Thanks to the corporate media and the Silicon Valley cheerleaders for US imperialism, in many quarters, Zelensky and the Azov Battalion are being hailed as heroes, while Russian TV is banned. Those who are falling for these false narratives need to do their research or shut up. Such positions on the situation in Ukraine are simply not grounded in concrete reality. They lack rigorous historical analysis and perpetuate a total misunderstanding of the dynamics at work. As I write this article, footage is circulating showing Ukrainian army personnel refusing to allow African students in Ukraine onto the trains and buses evacuating civilians. There are reports of African, Asian and Caribbean citizens facing discrimination and in some cases violent attacks by members of the Ukrainian armed forces who are refusing to allow them to join the queues at the Ukraine/Polish border, and if they do manage to join keep pushing them to the back of the queue.

Many are afraid of calling a spade a spade. Neo-colonial regimes in the Global South dare not challenge the imperial hegemon. They are after all, simply managing their respective countries on behalf of the imperialists and this entails toeing the imperialist line and regurgitating their lies. For example, here in Guyana, both the Government and the official parliamentary opposition have adopted the US-NATO line, despite the fact that many of them know it is a lie. I cant remember a time when they agreed on anything, but sure enough they agree on this, bullied into taking a position that completely negates the reality. They maybe in office but they have no power. Our political formation, Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP) may not be in office, but we have more power than all the tongue-tied politicians who occupy a space in our national assembly. Our power lies in our ability to speak the truth. CARCOM too has found it necessary to back the Anglo-Saxon version of events, despite so many in its ranks knowing better. Such is the control exercised and fear of retribution perpetrated by the Empire. Even as I am writing this article people are warning me about the fact that airing the views contained here will have serious consequences. This is the way the hegemon holds the world to ransom.

Thousands rally against 39;illegitimate govt39;, raise Russian flags in eastern Ukraine mdash; RT World News

Protesters hold a banner reading "Donetsk region with Russia" and a placard reading "South-east against fascism" during a rally in the industrial Ukrainian city of Donetsk on March 1, 2014. (AFP Photo/Alexander Khudoteply)  AFP

The Demise of Anglo-Saxon Global Domination

Those who are trying to equate Putin and Russia with the US and NATO on an equal footing, in terms of level of threat to world peace, either do not know the facts or are engaging in vulgar political opportunism, intellectual dishonesty and crude historical revisionism. Many, including neo-colonial regimes, liberal pundits, neo-Trotskyites, some ivory tower Marxists and social democrats are spreading this disinformation and creating mass confusion. There are multiple battlefronts open to those who are ready to join the global resistance to the US Empire and its NATO allies. One strategic battlefront is the battle of ideas. We must raise our voices wherever we are, thereby challenging the cleverly orchestrated deceptive agenda of the Empire. Theirs was once a dominant narrative, however it is surely crumbling as more and more people wake up to their games and lies. The battle to resist and finally end Anglo-Saxon global domination/White Supremacy has been raging ever since it raised its ugly head. All Empires fall and the US Empire and its Western allies are no exception. We are at a very critical historical juncture in the battle to rid ourselves of the Western/Anglo-Saxon scourge on this earth  there is no turning back and it is clear that the ushering in of a new era cannot be stopped. This is why it is very important for us as Africans to be clear about what is actually taking place and understand the history, characteristics, and agendas of the various players. NATO is an illegitimate entity and must be forced to disband.

Argentinian political analyst, Adrian Salbuchi, points out In recent timesRussia is increasingly acting on Western hegemonic ambitions, notably in Syria and Iran. In November 2011 and February 2012, Russia vetoed two US/UK/French sponsored UN Resolutions against Syria, which if passed, would have had the same devastating effect on Syria as UN Resolution1973 had on LibyaRussia has dispatched credible dissuasive military forces to counteract NATOs militarization of the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean.

Russia in Africa

In addition, Russia, dating back to the days of the Soviet Union and before, has assisted liberation struggles throughout Africa. As far back as 1895, it was Russia that provided Ethiopia with weapons during the first Italian-Ethiopian war. During the Soviet era, they provided assistance, including funding, thousands of scholarships and military training to numerous African liberation movements. This was done at a time when the US and its Western allies were supporting the racist Anglo-Saxon Boers during the Apartheid era. Presently, Russia is assisting Mali in its just struggle to root out heretical, pseudo-Islamic groups causing havoc in the Sahel. These groups, such as ISIS, Boko Haram, and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, are aided and abetted by the US, Israel and their allies. NATO has used these fake jihadists as foot soldiers in many of its wars to overthrow non-compliant regimes, and is now using them to create mayhem on the continent and justify AFRICOMs presence throughout Africa. Mali has expelled the French because they finally realized that the French are not serious about assisting them in their war with the various so-called jihadist groups and that their presence in Mali is simply to further Frances economic interests. They have appealed to the Russians for assistance, after witnessing the way in which Russian forces contributed tremendously to the flushing out of the bogus Jihadists in Syria, and Russia has answered Malis call. In fact, Vladimir Putin himself, in his capacity as a Soviet military advisor, spent four years (1973-77) in Tanzania training African freedom fighters from various liberation movements.

As Pan-African historian, Walter Rodney pointed out, Slavic Russia did not participate in the trade of captured Africans to build their country. Neither did they colonize countries in Africa or other parts of the Global South. The invasion, destruction and colonization of Africa, the Americas and the Caribbean was fundamentally an Anglo-Saxon/West European imperial project and still is.

Third from left Vladimir Putin, beside him is Mozambique freedom fighter, Samora Machel, and beside him is Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwes current president. Putin spent 4 years (1973-77) in Tanzania training African freedom fighters.

Activism and Organization are the Anchor for Ideas

To all the purists, who remain in observer/commentator positions at their keyboards, let me quote revolutionary Pan-Africanist, Kwame Ture, who warned us over and over again about having these conversations with anyone who is not active, on the ground, in an organization. Why? Because they are out of necessity living in their heads. Activism and organization are the anchor for ideas. I am not negating the downside and contradictions that arise with all superpowers, of course there are many. I was deeply disappointed with both Russia and Chinas response or lack of response to the Libyan crisis and the way they allowed the US and NATO to destroy the Libyan Jamahiriya. Libyas destruction was a huge blow to the Pan-African movement, however, as a revolutionary I cannot allow this grave era on their part to influence my ability to make an accurate analysis of the current situation. If as revolutionaries we allowed disappointments to prevent us from taking principled positions, all resistance would have ceased a long time ago. What I am saying is that if we are genuinely interested in ending White supremacy, to be more specific, Anglo-Saxon global domination and terrorism, then given the challenges facing us, we must recognize that all superpowers are not the same. To see them as all the same is not only simplistic, but is actually completely removed from both the historical and unfolding reality before us. I know for certain that Muammar Qaddafi, regardless of Russias misjudgment regarding NATOs invasion of Libya, would most definitely want us, as revolutionary Pan-Africanists, to stand by Russia and against NATO at this time.

In fact, the destruction of Africas most prosperous nation-state, the Libyan Jamahiriya, in 2011 clearly demonstrated that complete non-alignment, although ideologically sound and ideal, is not advisable in the current global political environment. Russia has given oxygen to progressive and revolutionary oriented regimes, helping them to survive the hostility of the Anglo-Saxon bullies. Truth is that without Russias timely intervention, Syria would have suffered the same fate as Libya. We live and learn many painful lessons in this struggle. It is only through organization and activism on the ground, wherever we are, that we can effectively resist, and in the process learn about and gain an understanding of the real world. In this way, we advance our struggles. Thankfully, the dynamics are shifting and the Ukrainian crisis has accelerated this shift, because it has shown the weakness of the US Empire and its NATO allies. As Mao Zedong said decades ago, the US Empire is a paper tiger.

February 21st, 2022: The Ukrainian army bombs Donetsk city, Photo: Twitter/@LondonLoveBiz

Hypocrisy and Doublespeak

European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, described Russias defense of these republics as a barbaric" attack on an independent country. According to Stoltenberg, Russia is threatening the stability in Europe and the whole of the international peace order. International peace order? Did we miss something?

Von der Leyen said in a recent outburst that Russia and China are seeking to replace the existing international rules and that they prefer the rule of the strongest to the rule of law, preferring intimidation instead of self-determination. And war is peace, slavery is freedom and ignorance is strength Ms. Von der Leyen. In a clear act of doublespeak, she attributes the rule of the strongest mindset, and a preference for intimidation instead of a respect for self-determination to Russia and China, when in fact, it is her very own EU who backs NATOs enforcement of such values.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky was left with egg on his face as the saying goes. Having been led down a rabbit hole by the US and their allies, Zelensky found himself asking, is no one going to fight alongside Ukraine? As I write this article, Russia is neutralizing Ukrainian fascists, and the liberation of the independent territories of Donetsk and Luhansk from the Ukrainian neo-fascists, after an eight year war, is well under way.

The ratcheting up of the Ukraine situation by political morons Joe Biden and Boris Johnson has served to strengthen the relationship between Russia and China which can only escalate the already disintegrating Anglo-Saxon Empire. Putin and the Russian Federation have exposed these imperialists as the bullies, hypocrites and criminals they are.

Those of us who are forced to confront the harsh realities of the global political landscape will always be mired in contradictions. Whatever the contradictions we face we must heed Mao Zedongs now famous guidelines concerning the correct handling of contradictions, that is, recognizing the important difference between primary and secondary contradictions. The primary contradiction here is between Western Anglo-Saxon imperialism and domination of the globe and those nations who refuse to accept their hegemony. The battle to extinguish Anglo-Saxon supremacy and domination of this planet is at fever pitch. The question for each of us is: what side of history will we find ourselves on?

Gerald A. Perreira is a writer, educator, theologian and political activist. He is chairperson of Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP) based in Guyana and an executive member of the Caribbean Pan African Network (CPAN). He lived in the Libyan Jamahiriya for many years and was a founding member of the World Mathaba, based in Tripoli, Libya. He can be reached at [email protected] .
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has said government will soon take its hands off Ghanaians living in Ukraine who are unwilling to return home.

This follows the refusal of some Ghanaians living in Ukraine to return home despite efforts by the government to evacuate them at no cost.

Speaking at a press conference held in Accra on Tuesday, 1 March 2022, to update parents of Ghanaian students caught in the Russian-Ukraine conflict on the efforts made by the government to evacuate them from that country, the minister noted that some persons are not willing to return home.

As [of] 5 PM on [the] 28th of February, an estimated number of 527 Ghanaian nationals have crossed the Ukrainian border to various neighbouring countries and they will soon be with us in Ghana, as long as they are willing to be evacuated; it will be at no cost to them.

I say that because there are some who have indicated that they do not wish to come back home, the Minister stated.

She added: So, after a couple of days, they will be on their own because the government cannot cover those people forever.

Meanwhile, some 16 Ghanaian students in Ukraine arrived in Accra Tuesday morning, 1 March 2022, at the Kotoka International Airport.

They came via Qatar Airways.

One other student was reported to be on a different airline en route to Ghana.

The students were welcomed at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, and her deputy Mr Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong.

Mr Ampratwum-Sarpong told the media: The government has made plans to evacuate every student or every Ghanaian who is prepared and ready to come home.

He said the government has liaised very well with Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines and we have agreed that any Ghanaian who has crossed to any of these countries where they do fly, will be flown home within the next couple of days.

It is important that we all do remember them in our prayers that the Good Lord will deliver them safely to a safe shelter and eventually back home to Ghana.

To the students, he said: I welcome you home. Come and enjoy your stay back home and we are sure in the next couple of days, hopefully, Russia will stop this aggression and it will be possible for you to go back and continue your education.

Source: classfmonline.com
Attorney General Godfred Dame has said a recent petition by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the Commonwealth Secretariat is just an attempt to evade the claws of justice.

In the petition signed by General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Ghanas biggest opposition party said: Since assuming the reins of power in 2016, the message of physical violence against political opponents that Nana Addo preached and championed before the 2016 general elections has turned into structural, institutional and systematic forms of violence in the form of human rights violations, harassment, and political persecutions against members and supporters of the NDC,

Mr Dame, who is also the Minister of Justice, however, told journalists on Tuesday, 1 March 2022: I find it [petition] to be very hypocritical and misleading.

He explained: All the government has sought to do is that the NDC and its officers are brought to book.

I will not be deterred at all in my quest to ensure that there is accountability for the people of Ghana, he vowed.

He noted that the cases that we have investigated and the actions we have filed in court are on account of solid evidence that we have unearthed through painstaking investigation.

I can cite the incident of Alfred Woyome, pointing out: All this recourse to the tribunal is an attempt to get the NDC to run away from justice [because] their claims are unjustified.

I do not think we must pay too much attention to it, he added.

To him, It is a clear attempt to undermine the administration of justice in the court and an attempt to interfere with the sound administration of justice.

As far as I know, no foreign entity can influence or interfere with the courts of justice in the country, he averred.

As far as I am concerned, all this attempt by the NDC is an attempt to infringe the sovereignty of Ghana.

Classfmonline.com
Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya Sarah Adwoa Safo has told Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu not to call her on the phone again, First Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu has revealed.

The Bekwai MP told Kumasi-based Pure FM in an interview that the Majority Leader reported to him that the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection told him to get in touch only via text messaging.

The Majority Leader communicated with her often but he told me the last time that she said he shouldnt call again but send messages instead, which she responds to, Mr Osei-Owusu said.

It recently come to light that Adwoa Safo was flown into Ghana on a private jet by the government of Ghana, through an arrangement spearheaded by Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare, just so she could take part in the botched controversial e-levy vote in parliament which was scheduled to have taken place in the dying embers of last year.

Apart from the flight, the Chief of Staff also transferred some GHS120,000 into the bank account of the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection as part of measures to coax her to take part in the parliamentary proceedings concerning the e-levy.

These revelations were made by Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong on Tuesday, 22 February 2022 on Accra-based Asaase Radio as the maverick MP responded to some criticisms thrown at the Akufo-Addo administration and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) by party stalwart Dr Richard Amoako Baah, in connection with calls by some prominent party figures to have Ms Safos seat declared vacant due to her protracted absence from parliament.

Yesterday, I read  I dont know how far it is true  [that] Dr Amoako Baah was saying that President Akufo-Addo has not treated Adwoa Safo well, the party has not treated Adwoa Safo well. I respect Dr Amoako Baah very well, so, I want to inform him quietly and nicely; Ill not insult, Ill not do anything but let him know that there are fine gentlemen and women in the party that have made several efforts to talk to Adwoa. First is the President himself. I dont know why he has a soft spot for Adwoa Safo. Two, its the Chief of Staff; three is Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and myself, Mr Agyapong began.

Dr Amoako Baah, the treatment Adwoa Safo is giving to NPP today; if you think if Adwoa Safos seat is declared vacant, we are going to lose, weve already lost because the woman is in the name of NPP but she doesnt come to parliament.

Now let me tell you; the true sons and daughters of NPP and how we think: NPP doesnt belong to my family, its not an inheritance; we all, collectively believe in one ideology and joined the party, so, one person cannot impose his or her will on the party that, this is the only thing that will make me join the party or do what you want me to do. It is completely wrong.

Mr Agyapong, who has two children with Adwoa Safo continued: I did surgery, I was recovering; I spoke to the Chief of Staff and she said: Look, rest before you come. This same woman who said I should rest, made the call through Hon Asiamah that: Look, theres e-levy going on and we have a problem and we need you although I said you should rest, we need your vote.

I flew first-class with Emirates but Hon. Asiamah, because they needed me, said: Look, we are going to hire a private jet to come and pick you, people, up  Adwoa Safo, myself, Hon Henry Quartey and Hon Amoako-Attah. What I said to the minister is: Please, I dont want my name anywhere; you [give me] any flight because mine was going to be Monday and they needed the vote on Friday so the Thursday, I said, any flight you get for me, Ill come; I dont want any private jet.

Quartey drove from Philadelphia  Dr Amoako Baah should listen carefully [about] all the efforts everybody has made, the commitment that weve all made  Henry Quartey drove from Philadephia to New York, Kennedy Airport; Hon Amoako-Attah flew from Minnesota to New York, Airport; I drove from New Jersey to New York. Adwoa [was in] Boston  Dr Amoako Baah, what do you know  Adwoa Safo refused to come. And NPP people should listen carefully.

Adwoa Safo, they hired a private jet to bring the woman here and when she came she refused to come to parliament. She refused to come to parliament.

The Chief of Staff, after buying the ticket and flying her in, had to take a motorcade to Adwoas house; she [Chief of Staff] stood behind her [Adwoa Safos] gate for 30 minutes. What kind of rudeness is that? Before she opened [the gate]. The Chief of Staff was made to sit at her [Adwoa Safos] living room for 35 minutes. When she [Adwoa Safo finally] came [to parliament], Bagbin was tired, hes sick, he cant wait. If you cant get your numbers, so be it and we couldnt vote. Going back [to the USA], she [Adwoa Safo] was demanding another private jet. Excuse me. Dr Amoako Baah, Im sorry. You dont know what has transpired.

They forced me to call Adwoa Safo; I placed a call through my daughter; 13 times, she [Adwoa Safo] refused to talk to me. What do you want us to do again?

A chief has travelled to where she is just to convince her; she refused to come. If we lose [Dome] Kwabenya seat, weve already lost. By her behaviour, weve lost. So, if there is a by-election and we lose, we dont lose anything. Case closed.

I applaud Dokua. Dokua had given birth and after two weeks, she left the baby to come here; the second one, she came. Adwoa says no and now look at her conditions: demanding to be made a deputy majority leader and the announcement of the removal of Alexander Afenyo-Markin from that position.

I had gone to Chief of Staffs office to plead on behalf of Adwoa; she said, my brother, please dont go there. If you are saying A, B, C, D, Ive just spoken to her: these are her demands. So, I said, well, Ive done my part.

Ive kids with her but its gotten to this point. This is purely politically. I think shes wrong. She should rather apologise to the party. They should stop begging her.

Adwoa Safo; Chief of Staff called me, I went there. She [Chief of Staff] said now this is what she [Adwoa Safo] is saying; I swear on my mothers grave; Chief of Staff gave me GHS120,000, deposited in Adwoa Safos Fidelity Bank account. I put the money there in her Fidelity [Bank] account. Ask her PA if what Im saying is not the truth. The way Adwoa is treating the party, its clearly showing that we are in opposition and this should not be tolerated at all.

 Classfmonline.com
Mr. Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West Constituency, has underlined the determination of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to work hard for victory in the 2024 general election.

He said the party was not going to be complacent and that they would work with zeal and unity of purpose to break the eight-year jinx, the situation where none of the political parties had held on to political power beyond eight years running.

Mr. Ahenkorah, who was a former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, expressed optimism that Ghanaian voters would return the party to government.

Speaking at a programme in Tema, he said the government's signature social interventions had and continued to impact the lives of many people in the country and they would want these life-changing interventions to be sustained.

These interventions must be protected, and any change of government would put them in jeopardy.

He made a reference to the free Senior High School (SHS) and said the benefits had been tremendous.

It's the responsibility of every Ghanaian to protect the state, a working political party whose governance architecture is in the interest of the nation must be allowed to continue after two terms even when there is the change of its presidential candidate.

Mr. Ahenkorah explained that the economy was doing well until COVID-19 pandemic struck and he said everything was being done to get the economy back on track and working again.

GNA
Hon. John Ampontuah Kumah, Deputy Minister for Finance, has described as untrue claims that the government may not be able to pay salaries of public workers in the coming months.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin said last week on the floor of Parliament that information available to him suggested that the government might not be able to pay public workers in the next three months if critical decisions were not taken.

However, Mr Kumah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu, has refuted the claims in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi.

He said the government had been able to pay workers during the height of the covid-19 pandemic and would continue to honour its obligations to public workers.

It is not true, even when the COVID-19 hit the country, and we were struggling as a country, we still managed to pay all public workers on time, he said.

In January this year, workers were paid on time, we are hopeful that February will also be paid on time, so the workers should not fear, he assured.

According to him, the Speaker of Parliament made a genuine call to all MP's that they must move Parliament beyond partisanship and support the government's domestic revenue mobilization programmes, especially the e-levy.

I think the Speaker made a very genuine call on all Members of Parliament to move Parliament beyond partisanship and support the government's domestic revenue mobilization programmes, especially the e-levy so that we do not create very difficult financial constraints for the government, he said.

The Deputy Minister was optimistic that the economic situation would not deteriorate to the point where the government would be unable to pay public workers.

GNA
From its historical origins as a fishing village and the site of a pepper farm , to today's bustling metropolis, Lagos has evolved into a complex agglomeration of people, settlements and vested interests.

As the economic powerhouse of Nigeria and West Africa, Lagos is projected to become the most populous city in Africa within the next 50 years. Reaching a population of 100 million from 15 million today. If recent waves of migration are anything to go by - from those seeking economic opportunities or escaping the climate crisis and insurgency in other parts of Nigeria - the projections may be underestimated .

Governing a city like Lagos is not a job for the fainthearted. It's a city that is always growing , and with deep-seated socioeconomic inequalities.

We are part of the African Cities Research Consortium , a new initiative committed to addressing critical challenges in 13 cities in sub-Saharan Africa. Our recent publication sheds some light on the complexities of Lagos and why managing the city is a challenge in itself.

Governance struggles

Lagos faces many challenges; some are critical to understanding why metropolitan governance is so difficult.

Firstly, the geographical definition of what constitutes Lagos has become nebulous over time. The city's urban land area continually spreads to absorb adjoining state, and now even national, boundaries .

This means that it is difficult to gain accurate data for short and long-term planning policies.

Secondly, the city's governance structures  from local to state level  are unclear and don't necessarily align in the ways expected. The local government system is essentially an appendage of the state government. It lacks autonomy as well as the technical and fiscal capacity required to perform its constitutional functions .

Power dynamics

Lagos bears the historical legacy of having been Nigeria's longest established capital city. It started as a protectorate under the British colonial government and became capital of the colony and later of the independent Nigeria. It withstood the subsequent military coups, remaining the capital up until the movement of the federal capital territory to Abuja in 1991.

Despite losing its administrative capital status, Lagos remains by far Nigeria's preeminent economic powerhouse. The city's economy more than quadruples its nearest rivals - across Nigeria and elsewhere in West Africa - in productivity, capital and infrastructure.

Its historical status and ongoing economic power provide the background for the city's uneasy, and often tense, relationship with the national government which is where the power, revenue and resourcing decisions are located.

Furthermore, Lagos has a history of different political parties controlling different levels of government  those that run the state, and those that run the nation. As a result, policies and fiduciary allocations are often lost between conflicting governance systems.

The local government system is severely incapacitated. Instead, informal governance institutions have immense influence on everyday life in the city .

Inequality and informality

For the average Lagosian, these conditions result in a lived experience which delivers poorly on infrastructure and quality of life. Yet the city remains one of the most expensive places in Africa to live in.

The poor residents of Lagos live in sprawling informal settlements within the city core, or create new ones at the peripheral areas . The rest can be found in several gated communities that span the city. In both instances, self-governance is common .

Taxation from local to state level is poorly managed. Basic services, such as primary healthcare and public education, are under-resourced.

There's an intricate web of informal governance systems that hold sway at the local levels. This results in a class of powerbrokers who oversee the provision of infrastructure in the city. Very few people or groups have the agency to engage with these gatekeepers to development.

Marginalised youth

Additionally, Lagos is a city of marginalised young people. The average age in Nigeria is 18.1 years. But many young citizens are not in education, employment or training . In Lagos, as in other cities, young people are confronted with poor governance, unemployment or underemployment, police brutality and a high cost of living.

The frustration of these young Lagos residents is visceral. Frustration-aggression and relative deprivation theories suggest that individuals turn aggressive when there are impediments to their route to success in life, especially when material basic needs are not met. The #EndSARS protests that paralysed the city for days in October 2020, ending in bloodshed, showed what can happen when such frustration plays out in the streets.

The government's inability to investigate what actually went on, and attribute blame, has further added to the underlying tensions in the city.

People power

In all of these challenges, certain things are clear: the immense potential of the Lagos economy, the hope in the hearts of migrants that Lagos offers opportunities for a better future, and the community driven city-making practices of residents.

Our research at the African Cities Research Consortium seeks to investigate how these factors interact with complex governance frameworks. By doing this, we aim to identify which structures have been able to successfully navigate the complex layers of Lagos governance. In particular the local structures which support and deliver physical and social infrastructure for communities.

From these analyses, we hope to examine how bottom-up systems in Lagos - and ultimately in cities across Africa - can be better supported to deliver development and infrastructural change in a challenging and complex landscape.

Taibat Lawanson receives funding from GCRF/ UKRI  ARUA Research Excellence Call and The Research council of Norway

Ola Uduku does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Ola Uduku, Professor, University of Liverpool And

Taibat Lawanson, Professor, University of Lagos
Hippos are very vocal animals, exchanging signals like the wheeze honk. But not much is known about what these sounds mean. Two researchers found themselves thinking about this in Mozambique  where they were initially studying crocodiles.

Hippos are quite territorial and aggressive  and fast-moving. So the researchers kept a fair distance away as they conducted their experiment . They recorded hippo noises and played them back to the animals, watching to see how the hippos behaved. If the call came from an unknown hippo in a different social group, the response appeared to be aggressive. If the call was one they recognised, they were less inclined to be aggressive.

One way hippos show aggression is to spray dung.

The meaning of hippo sounds is useful to know for conservation efforts. Hippos and humans sometimes come into conflict and need to be moved for their own survival. Before relocating them, conservation managers could play them the sounds of the hippos they will be meeting in their new location, to familiarise them.

In this episode of Pasha, Nicolas Mathevon, professor in animal behaviour and bioacoustics at the University of Saint-Etienne, and Paulo Fonseca, professor in acoustic communication at the University of Lisbon, take us through their experiences of listening to hippos in Mozambique.

Photo Specie Hippopotamus amphibius family of Hippopotamidae. by PACO COMO, found on Shutterstock

Music Happy African Village by John Bartmann, found on FreeMusicArchive.org licensed under CC0 1 .

African Moon by John Bartmann, found on FreeMusicArchive.org licensed under CC0 1 .

The researchers would like to thank the Maputo special reserve for allowing them to do the research on the property.

By Ozayr Patel, Digital Editor
The 75-year-old driver who crashed into a crowded Miami Beach sidewalk cafe where a man died and eight others were injured will likely not face criminal charges, according to authorities.

Miami Beach Police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez on Monday told the Miami Herald there were no signs that the driver was impaired. This comes as authorities provided new details about the dinnertime crash Thursday night that police say was the result of a failed parallel parking attempt in front of Call Me Gaby, 22 Washington Ave.

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[ RELATED: Crowd rushes to rescue child, man from under car in fatal crash into Miami Beach restaurant ]

Additionally, the names of those involved were released. Regitze Tauber Gamble, of Pinecrest, suddenly accelerated in reverse, drove over a curb, hit a parked Toyota Rav4, before striking a table with five diners and nearby pedestrians, a traffic report reveals. Gambles beige 1990 Bentley Turbo R then took down a traffic sign and hit a tree before coming to a rest.

Gary Prince, a 67-year-old man from Miami Beach, died at Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center. Eight others  two more than originally reported  were injured, according to the report.

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Go to Herald.com for the full report.
Inequality polarises societies and makes them less inclined to act for the common good. - Source: Getty Images Stock photo

01.03.2022 LISTEN

There have been a lot of discussions on the urgency of climate change. But it's universally accepted that the steps that have been agreed to stop global warming are too little too late .

Why is this?

We argue that inequality is part of the answer as to why there is little action.

On the one hand, inequality polarises societies and makes them less prone to act. On the other hand, inequality results in elites capturing the power of action and being less inclined to give up their privileges.

The reduction of inequality is crucial not only from an ethical point of view, but also because it will allow us to tackle climate change.

However, if we want to reduce inequalities, we need to recognise that a different kind of growth is needed. And that it has to be intertwined with the actions to curb climate change and adapt to its impacts.

The challenge is that what we know about such sustainable development is framed within the contexts of high-income countries. But how does this translate in African countries?

Inequality and climate are intertwined

We are growing increasingly aware that the patterns of growth and development in the world are not sustainable, either from the climate, or the social perspective (and this was true even before the COVID-19 pandemic).

The recent data from the World Inequality Report show the historical CO2 emissions linked to the development paths from 1850 to 2020 have considerably shrunk the remaining emission-budget which would allow us to stay under 1.5 or even under 2 from now until 2050 (see below). Historical emissions vs. remaining carbon budget. World Inequality Report 2022

What the graph also tells us is a story of inequality: inequality of CO2 emissions and inequality of development.

With the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, this situation has only worsened as it is estimated that it between 119 and 124 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty .

So, in assessing our current state, the World Inequality Report concurs with the Oxfam Davos report, titled this year Inequality kills, as they both show a significant increase of inequality in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Oxfam's report shows staggering facts on how, because of COVID-19, the wealth of the 10 richest men has doubled, while the incomes of 99% of humanity are worse off. A recent Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development survey also shows that people are increasingly concerned with this rise in income disparities.

And we know that poverty would decrease even more if inequality was lower .

It is the extractivist type of growth that led to this situation of increased inequality both between and within countries, and also led to unsustainability from the climate perspective. Aaron Ntonsi and Armand Thusi, residents of the Big House settlement near Komati Power Station - Komati, Mpumalanga. Daylin Paul

Going back to old ways is a bad idea

Voices have started to rise on how the fallout from the COVID pandemic could be a window of opportunity to rebuild differently, to redefine solidarity, social values and prosperity.

A number of influential commentators, such as Nicholas Stern , ex-chief economist of the World Bank and of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and lead author of the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change , have seen this moment as an opportunity to put more sustainable social and economic processes in place too by linking these social and economic changes to more climate friendly production and consumption patterns.

For a short period, it seemed that many agreed. But now that recovery strategies are being implemented, it is being seen as imperative to restart growth as it was before, despite the fact that it is commonly acknowledged that it was an unsustainable growth path.

This disjuncture between where inequality, COVID and the climate emergency took us and the seeming amnesia of this business as usual approach is perplexing.

Of course it is imperative that economies get going again. But, single-minded attention to restarting growth once more rests on the view that this growth will trickle down to include all in society and will lower inequality. But we know that this is not true .

A different approach

If existing growth processes do not trickle down and exclude potentially productive sections of the population from participating in the economy, then a starting point for thinking about what it might mean to build back differently should be a detailed interrogation in each country context of the multidimensional inequalities that restrict inclusion. Economists Dani Rodrik and Stefanie Stantcheva provide a useful framework to use (see below). Policy matrix proposed by S. Stantcheva and D. Rodrik.

Each of these dimensions needs to be considered together. In this framework there is an insistence on the need to consider economic and social policies jointly and in an integrated way.

Moreover, the required policy combinations differ for those who fall in the bottom, middle and top income classes of a society. Therefore the extent and nature of current inequalities are central to evaluating and planning growth policies that benefit everyone.

These policies need to be based on a detailed understanding of the way inequalities empower  or constrain  possibilities.

South Africa serves as a good example . Its very high inequality sees the bottom half of population sharing only 8.5% of the total income (while the richest 10% concentrate 52% of total income) . The main reason for this lies in the fact that the bottom-income group, which represents almost half of the country's population, is largely delinked from the labour market. This is due to the intersection of different types of inequalities, ranging from spatial, racial to wealth and assets.

Growth has to focus on enhancing the productivity of this bottom-income group. For this to happen social and infrastructure spending are key investments. Inclusive growth cannot happen without them.

Investing in people is not only crucial for socioeconomic sustainability, but also for climate sustainability. The Yellow vests movement in France was only a glimpse into why the ecological transition needs to be backed by social policies, but there is growing awareness of the looming risks.

Some options

When thinking around the role of inequality reduction in the fight against climate change, a couple of channels stand out. The most obvious one is the enormous gap in emissions between the poorest and the richest. Oxfam estimated that 20 of the richest billionaires emit, on average, as much as 8,000 times more carbon than the billion poorest people .

But the distorting impact of inequalities on climate change goes beyond inequalities of emissions. Inequality polarises societies and makes them less inclined to act for the common good. This is particularly problematic for effecting socially optimal change as inequality results into elites capturing the power of action and being less prone to give up their privileges, which are often linked to the current non-inclusive and unsustainable structures of production and consumption.

Reducing inequalities allows us to shift from the gridlock of only talking to the established elite. In turn, this will facilitate climate action and open up the possibility of doing things differently.

Murray Leibbrandt receives research funding from the National Research Foundation of South Africa, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, The Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research.

Anda David does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Murray Leibbrandt, NRF Chair in Poverty and Inequality Research; Director of the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town and UNU-WIDER Non-Resident Senior Research Fellow., University of Cape Town And

Anda David, Senior researcher, Agence francaise de developpement (AFD)
Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame

01.03.2022 LISTEN

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame has shared that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of being hypocrites in the decision to drag the government before the Commonwealth of Nations.

The opposition NDC in a petition to the Commonwealth Secretariat on February 23, 2022, accused the ruling government of human rights violations, criminal persecution, and harassment of its members.

Speaking to journalists in Accra on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, Godfred Dame who is not tickled by the move says the opposition party has no case and cannot justify the allegations made against the Akufo-Addo government.

I find it to be very hypocritical and misleading. All the government has sought to do is that the NDC and its officers are brought to book. I will not be deterred at all in my quest to ensure that there is accountability for the people of Ghana. The cases that we have investigated and the actions we have filed in court are on account of solid evidence that we have unearthed through painstaking investigation.

I can cite the incident of Alfred Woyome All this recourse to the tribunal is an attempt to get the NDC to run away from justice [because] their claims are unjustified. I do not think we must pay too much attention to it, Godfred Dame told journalists.

He further notes that the latest move by the NDC is just a plot to undermine the current administration of justice and interfere in the delivery of justice in the country.

Mr. Dame said, It is a clear attempt to undermine the administration of justice in the court and an attempt to interfere with the sound administration of justice. As far as I know, no foreign entity can influence or interfere with the courts of justice in the country. As far as I am concerned, all this attempt by the NDC is an attempt to infringe on the sovereignty of Ghana.

From the copy of the NDC petition available to Modernghana News, the NDC cites the cases of the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-elections where NDCs candidate was attacked plus the arrest of National chairman Ofosu Ampofo, and the legal suit against Casiel Ato Forson as examples.

The NDC while insisting that the actions of President Akufo-Addo's government create conditions that threaten Ghana's political stability and further erode the country's democratic values, asked the Commonwealth of Nations to have an interest.

The NDC among other things wants the Commonwealth of Nations to use its office to closely follow the political and human rights situation in Ghana since the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy, and fundamental freedoms is a core value of the Commonwealth.

The main opposition party also wants the Common Secretariat to engage with a broad range of actors, including government officials, political parties, representatives of civil society, to respect, promote protect human rights in Ghana and call upon the government of Ghana to put a stop to these persecution, harassments, threats, and killings of supporters and members of the NDC.
The European Union has poured cold water on a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for "immediate" membership to the bloc despite strong support from eastern EU states.

EU officials stressed that the adherence procedure takes years, dampening Ukraine's hopes that suddenly becoming part of the European club could help it better weather the Russian invasion and speed up military, financial and political support.

Several officials walked back a comment by European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen that appeared to hold out the prospect of Ukraine being admitted.

"They are one of us and we want them in," she told Euronews in an interview on Sunday, after emphasising existing EU-Ukraine cooperation.

Zelensky seized upon that on Monday to appeal to the European Union "for the immediate accession of Ukraine via a new special procedure".

"Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing. I'm sure it's fair. I'm sure it's possible."

Ukraine's bid has received strong support from member states in eastern Europe.

"Russian aggression"

"Today, when the Ukrainians heroically defend themselves against Russian aggression it's high time to welcome Ukraine into the EU community," Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau tweeted on Monday.

"Poland will provide all necessary assistance to Ukraine's accession process," he said.

The presidents of eight eastern European countries also signed a letter saying that "Ukraine deserves the perspective of EU accession".

They urged EU members to "enable EU institutions to take steps towards an immediate granting of the status of an EU candidate country to Ukraine, and to start the process of accession talks".

Aspirants wanting to join the bloc typically face a long and complex process that often requires major reforms to reach EU standards.

They also have to prove that their finances are heading in a direction that will allow them to adopt the euro.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that any bid for membership could take "a lot of years".

Von der Leyen's spokesman, Eric Mamer, walked back her comments, telling journalists that the EU chief meant that Ukraine "is a European country and we want them in, meaning Europe in general".

EU 'sensitivities'

The European Commission said that, in any case, it can only negotiate with hopeful candidate countries on the basis of a mandate from the EU's 27 member states -- something it has not received for Ukraine.

"At the end of the day, this is a debate at the highest political level, for the (European) Council," where the member states take decisions, said a commission spokeswoman, Ana Pisonero.

The president of the European Council, Charles Michel, told a group of journalists that there were already longstanding disagreements among EU countries on enlarging the bloc.

"There are different opinions and sensitivities within the EU on enlargement," he told a group of journalists.

The European Union, created by six nations under a different name in 1957, has expanded in four waves over the past three decades. After Britain's exit from the bloc in 2020, it counts 27 member states.

There are currently five countries that are candidates to join: Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania, but their bids have been stuck in limbo for years.

The last country to join the EU was Croatia, which was admitted in 2013, after nearly a decade of negotiations and reforms.

(With AFP)
Member of Parliament for Lawra, Bede Ziedeng has appealed for more flight schedules to Wa instead of the usual three times a week by a commercial airline, Passion Air.

Even though the MP commended the Minister of Transport, Mr. Ofori Asiamah for his relentless efforts in ensuring operationalization of commercial airlines at the Wa Airport after its rehabilitation, he was of the view that increasing the three times flight in a week will help solve the demands from passengers.

Mr Ziedeng had filed a question in October 2021, trying to find out from the Minister of Transport, why the Wa Airport was no longer being patronised by commercial airlines as in the case of Kumasi and Tamale Airports.

The Minister of Transport in answering the question, said the rehabilitation of the Wa airport was completed in 2019 and this paved way for Africa World Airlines (AWA) to start operations in 2019 but said some flights had to be suspended due to some safety concerns relating to the flight approach path coupled with the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

He added that the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority conducted series of Obstacles Limitation Surface (OLS) Standards that define the limits to which objects may penetrate the airspace of an airport and based on that it was realized that some masts were penetrating the OLS surfaces, thus, breaching the required standards.

He assured the House that to remedy the above breach, the Ministry together with key stakeholders took the necessary measures to have all the masts removed by their respective owners as well as other trees since 19th July 2021.

"Mr. Speaker, airlines can safely operate into Wa airport without any significant safety hazards on the approach. Passion Air commenced operations to Wa airport in December, 2021 and operates three weekly flights to Wa the Minister stated.

Mr Ziedeng commended the Minister for his hard work but appealed for commercial flights to Wa throughout the whole week instead of the three times scheduled.

---Classfmonline.com
A freelance journalist, Sacut Amenga-Etego, was on Tuesday re-arrested by National Security shortly after the Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court freed him.

He was picked up on Friday after National Security operatives detected that he had filmed the courtroom during a live trial.

Her Ladyship, Lydia Osei Marfo, subsequently ordered his detention and the surrender of his phone and passwords to enable investigation into his conduct. Alarmed by the Freelancer's conduct, Her Ladyship described it as a threat to the Court if not the country at large

The National Security operatives reported to Her Ladyship on Tuesday, their findings. Seeing the report and attached annexures, Her Ladyship said she purposed to cause Sacut to read a bit of what he had said on his WhatsApp page against me as a person, but for the respect I have for my learned friends who have come on his behalf, I will not let him read it.

Her Ladyship, however, captured excerpts of Sacut's WhatsApp Communication concerning Her Ladyship. The WhatsApp chats to an unidentified recipient as quoted by the Court are as follows:

Judge is clearly against the state prosecutor. In another, he went like, but she is biased against the foreigners. Then he went ahead, she is using the fact that they are foreigners, hopefully she does not oppose bail application.

Then another which I find as interesting is she is a small girl; she is granting bail, she also refuses them bail, of course on the basis of being foreigners, she is a bitch, among others.

A further request by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to retain his phone, and for access to the said phone to enable further investigations, was turned down by the Court.

For purposes of the exercise, we are doing today, I am unable to grant the request. However, the investigators know the right process to have these gadgets investigated. In the interim, however, those phones can be kept for the next five days after which if they have not approached any Court for an order to extract information thereon, the same should be given back to the owner.

I have not cited Sacut for any contempt of the Court. I have no desire to do so, although he has bruised my ego. I will hereby discharge him to go out of my Court as a free man. I am very grateful to his lawyers as well for the respect they have given to this Court, Her Ladyship, Lydia Osei Marfo, ruled.

Arrest of journalists

Within three weeks, four journalists and activists have been arrested by the police, often for allegations they made on radio or on social media, which according to the police are false.

The arrested persons include; Accra FM's Bobie Ansah, Power FM's Oheneba Boamah Bennie, and the Executive Director of the Alliance For Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson who were all slapped with the charge of publication of false news and offensive conduct.

Many stakeholders have condemned these arrests. The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, added his voice to growing concerns over the arrest of journalists in recent times.

He says detaining journalists over allegations of false publications and misreporting is archaic and must not be entertained. For the Speaker, such incidents are not criminal matters, but civil.

---citinewsroom
Alban Bagbin has said he won the Speaker slot because even though he is a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), he has very good friends in the governing New Patriotic Party.

Speaking at a meeting with the Council of State, the former Nadowli Kaleo MP said it was important that parliament is seen as the essence of Ghanas democracy.

Democracy is about parliament; its not about the executive, its not about the judiciary, he said.

Why do I say so? The practice of what we call 'culture of democracy' should be seen and felt on the floor of parliament and that is why, sometimes, we say its the bastion of democracy, he explained.

If theres a coup, its parliament that suffers, he noted.

The judiciary will always be there, there will always be an executive arm and because of the absence of parliament, too many Ghanaians dont understand what parliament is and what the work of an MP is, he observed.

Using himself as an example, Mr Bagbin said: Ive gone through it from 1993 up to date. Ive seen some of the challenges. I identified some but when I really took over, then the weight came on me.

I see myself, even though Im a member of the NDC, throughout my practice, I havent been a fanatic of party politics, the Speaker told the Council of State members, adding: Ive always breached across the political divide and Ive very good friends on the other side of the political divide and that is how come I won.

I couldnt have won without the support of members from the other side and, so, youd hear me saying that at the end of the day, I dont expect either party to praise me.

You also heard me say that in the performance of my functions, I will be impartial but that doesnt mean I will be neutral and this is what I learnt from my father, the late Rt Hon Peter Ala Adjetey, he said.

Its a ruling which is in the Hansard. So, [with] any matter that comes before the house, I cannot be neutral because I have interest in it but in performing my duty as Speaker, I have to be impartial. Those are the differences. People dont understand , Mr Bagbin clarified.

I cannot sit as a Speaker and see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, he declared.

That will be abdicating my role as a statesman, as one of the leaders of the country, he noted.

So, I have an interest in whatever comes to the floor and whether it is against the left or against the right, I will say it. That is what Im committed to. Thats why I said that at the end of the day, I dont expect either party to praise me because I may hurt both.

---Classfmonline.com
A Deputy Minister for Finance has refuted assertions that the country is broke.

According to the Deputy Minister, Ghana cannot be termed as broke, stemming from the countrys assets.

Mr. John Kumah refuted the assertion by some economists that the country is broke and cannot afford the payment of salaries for some public sector workers in the next three months.

He noted that the statement attributed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin that the government maybe not be able to pay salaries for the next three months was a mere expression of concern.

It was a call for MPs to live up to the expectation of Ghanaians in the wake of the passage of the controversial E-levy, he said.

He stressed that as a country we cannot be termed as broke with all these valuable assets.

He assured all public sector workers that the government has the capacity to pay salaries.

Mr Kumah called on Ghanaians to support the passage of the E-levy to further support the governments efforts in building the nation.

The Deputy Finance Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Ejisu Constituency in the Ashanti Region said these on Accra-based Asempa FM on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

---Classfmonline.com
Ghana is embarking on an ambitious afforestation drive to plant some 20 million trees this year as part of wider efforts to restore lost forest cover and to join the global climate change fight.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who announced this in Accra on Tuesday when he launched the second edition of the Green Ghana Project, said the government was stepping up efforts to reduce deforestation and restore degraded landscape across the country to guarantee our survival.

He said the forest was a major resource required for the socio-economic development of the country and we must make concerted efforts to protect our forest for the benefit of current and future Generations.

The President last year launched the Green Ghana Project as an aggressive response to the climate change emergency, and to restore degraded landscape occasioned by illegal mining.

Some seven million trees were planted nationwide during the exercise, which was led by the President, who planted a Moringa tree at the Jubilee House in commemoration of the 2021 Green Ghana Day on June 11.

This year, the Day is to be observed on Friday, June 10.

Half of this year's target of 20 million trees seedlings will be planted within degraded forest reserves across the country.

Tree seedlings to be planted include native timber species, shade trees, multipurpose leguminous, ornamental and fruit trees.

President Akufo-Addo noted that apart from their economic benefits, the forest was necessary for the survival of the human race and the planet, especially as the world combatted the climate crisis.

He regretted the rampant exploitation of forest reserves across the world, and called for rigorous coordinated efforts to protect the forest for posterity.

President Akufo-Addo emphasised that Article 41(k) of the country's Constitution imposed a duty on every citizen to protect and safeguard the environment and urged Ghanaians to consider the tree planting exercise as one of the ways of fulfilling that constitutional obligation.

"This noble venture ought to be funded and executed through our collective efforts, and, as much as possible, without burdening the public treasury. We can do it and I call on all Ghanaians and residents of Ghana to contribute in diverse ways in this Godly endeavour," he said.

The President observed that "with just eight years to achieve the goals we set for ourselves in the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change continues to derail our efforts, by impacting the fundamentals required to achieve the Goals."

No poverty, Zero Hunger, Good health, Gender equality, Clean water, Affordable and clean energy, Reduced inequalities, Responsible consumption and production, Life on land, and Life below water, are all being negatively impacted by climate change," he stated.

"A greener future is necessary for the survival of our planet, and we must do all we can to bequeath to future generations, a greener, better planet," he said, and appealed to all Ghanaians and foreign residents to commit to the restoration of the nation's ecosystem by planting at least a tree on Friday, June 10, 2022.

GNA
ASA Savings and Loans Company Limited has donated some items to the Dzorwulu Special School in Accra.

The food items donated include bags of rice, sugar, flour, maize, beans, cooking oil, palm oil, boxes of indomie, assorted rinks, as well as packs of water.

In addition, the company donated some stationery items, provisions and toiletries to support the school.

According to Emmanuel Osae Addo who is ASA Savings and Loans Area Manager for Newtown, this is the companys way of giving back to society.

The purpose of the donation forms part of Asa Savings and Loans Corporate Social Responsibility in giving back to the society. The children from Dzorwulu Special School need our love, care, and especially our support to develop and grow well into the society, he said after handing over the items to the school.

Emmanuel Osae Addo further stressed that ASA Savings and Loans remains committed to helping the poor and needy through its CSR programmes across the country.

Having taken receipt of the items, Assistant Head Master of the Dzorwulu Special School, Moses Affran thanked ASA Savings and Loans for the kind gesture and asked for Gods blessings for the company.

On behalf of the management of the school, we thank you very much for the benevolence shown to the kids of the school, and may the Almighty God bless the management and staffs of Asa Savings and Loans Ltd.

Just a few weeks ago, ASA Savings and Loans has made similar donations to the victims of the Appiatse explosion and Christ Faith Foster Home.

These are just part of several donations being made by the company as part of its CSR activities across other operational areas in the country.
A first group of Ghanaian students evacuated from Ukraine arrived home on Tuesday as African governments stepped up efforts to extract stranded citizens following the Russian invasion.

Nigeria plans to start using chartered planes to evacuate hundreds of its citizens on Wednesday from Poland, Romania and Hungary, where they have fled the conflict.

More than 660,000 people have fled Ukraine while around one million people are internally displaced, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Nigeria's government and the African Union (AU) on Monday condemned reports that Africans had been mistreated and in some cases denied the right to cross Ukraine's borders to safety.

Looking cheerful after finally reaching the capital Accra, the first group of Ghanaian students said they wanted to get back together with their families after the difficult journey.

Ghanaian officials said the 17 students were the first batch of over 500 students expected to be brought home. They arrived on commercial flights paid by the government.

"I was afraid for my life, that is why I decided to leave. Some cities were being bombed close to my place and I spoke to my parents who asked that I should leave," Priscilla Adjai, one of the students, told AFP in the capital Accra.

"It has not been easy but thank God we managed to move out and have finally made it to Ghana."

Fellow student, Esther Edze, said her group had been helped by the Church of Pentecost to leave Ukraine and meet up with Ghanaian diplomats on the other side of the border.

"It's not an experience I would wish for anyone," Edze said.

Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said 527 Ghanaians had crossed the Ukrainian border to various European countries and would soon be evacuated if they wanted.

Ukraine hosts around 16,000 African students, and many of their countries have embassies in Moscow or other cities but not Kyiv, which complicates the situation, Liubov Abravitova, Ukraine's ambassador to South Africa, told AFP.

'Not moving an inch'

Nigeria's minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said there were plans to start evacuating more than 1,500 Nigerians from countries neighbouring Ukraine from Wednesday.

There are about 5,600 Nigerian students in Ukraine and maybe a total of 8,000 Nigerian citizens in the country, the minister said.

He said he had spoken to Ukrainian and Polish officials to get assurances that Nigerians would not be stopped from crossing the border.

African Union leaders on Monday voiced concern at the reports of mistreatment of Africans trying to flee the conflict, saying such conduct would be "shockingly racist".

Poland's ambassador to Nigeria had earlier said all people crossing the frontier from Ukraine get equal treatment.

But some Africans and other foreigners at the Ukraine-Poland border said they were still struggling to get across.

Several African students said they had been bypassed to allow Ukrainians to cross over the frontier first.

"It is stuck, nobody is telling us anything. They call 20 people there to let them pass, but we are still there, we are not moving an inch," said Ghanaian student Richard Adjei Kusi at the Polish border.

"If you look at the queue, our friends, some of them have been here for more than four days now."

Governments from South Africa to DR Congo have been making preparations to help their citizens who have crossed Ukraine's borders into other nations.

Senegal's secretary of state for citizens abroad, Moise Sarr, said more than 20 Senegalese had crossed into Poland and were being looked after by the embassy in Warsaw.

Sarr also said a dozen African embassies had "pooled their resources and efforts" to improve support for African nationals in Ukraine.
BOCA RATON  A battle over building homes on the beach is heating up with a developer filing yet another lawsuit  this time centering on a fight over public records.

The legal clash has lasted many years in Boca Raton, hinging on whether Delray Beach-based Azure Development can build on valuable land at 2500 and 2600 N. Ocean Blvd., a site situated along the citys stretch of beaches that is largely untouched, free of the high-rises seen in many other coastal communities across the region.

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The city and neighbors say the beach should belong to the public, not a small number of private landowners and condo dwellers. But the developer argues it has the right to build, now accusing the city of withholding records that could help its case.

For over 15 years, through a pattern of bureaucratic abuse, the City has successfully delayed, denied and outspent all applicants seeking to develop the 2500 and 2600 Properties, Azure says in its newly filed lawsuit. These administrative efforts are part of the Citys effort to illegally take the properties or to force a sale of the 2500 and 2600 Properties to the City at far less than fair value.

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A demand for housing

With a huge influx of new residents to the region in the past two years and real estate dwindling, real estate experts says the main way to build is up. But building near the beaches can be a contentious endeavor, with disputes surfacing in communities such as Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hillsboro Beach and Hollywood.

An empty beach lot is seen at 2500 N. Ocean Blvd. in Boca Raton on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

In Boca Raton, the battle started in 2018 when Azure presented plans to the city to build two buildings  a duplex and a large home  on a site east of State Road A1A owned by Natural Lands LLC since 2017, according to property records.

The developer was seeking a change to zoning regulations in a place where development was largely prohibited since 2016.

Drawing opposition

Some neighbors and environmentalists opposed Azures proposal, worried about the idea of such buildings rising as well as how it could hurt plants and the habitat for sea turtles and other animals.

The city initially approved the request for the home in 2015. But following a recommendation from its Environmental Advisory Board, the city rejected it and then, along with the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Parks District, tried to buy and preserve the land for public use later that year.

A debate ensued between the city and the Beach and Parks District, an independent taxing agency separate from the city, on how they would acquire the two sites Azure wanted to develop. Ultimately, the land remained in private hands, but the city continued to oppose Azures attempts to develop the land.

Turning to the courts

In 2019, the company sued the city, saying the city had deprived the company of its right to build on its land. Azure argued that the City Council cut the developers presentation on its proposal short and voted unanimously against its request.

Joanne OConnor, a lawyer representing Azure, referred questions to Robert Sweetapple, another attorney representing the developer. Sweetapple couldnt be reached for comment, but years ago had said the city is not going to wear this client out.

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That lawsuit is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, a new lawsuit was filed Feb. 18, with Azure this time accusing the city of refusing to provide public records in 2019. That year, the developer requested emails, text messages, social media messages and other communications involving City Council members, members of an environmental panel and other people.

Azure says some records were released after the city denied having them. It contends a city advisory board member deleted text messages.

It wants the city to produce records and a review IT records of city-owned and privately-owned devices of past and present city officials. It has asked the court to declare the citys alleged failure to provide records unlawful.

Little more than conjecture

The city has denied any wrongdoing, including any violation of public records laws. As it defends itself, it argued that Azure and its lawyers have submitted dozens of vague and broadly worded categories of records.

In response to the initial legal case, the city said it had already turned over tens of thousands of pages of records and still was working to fulfill open requests.

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Lawyers representing the city said the developer wasnt clear about what it was looking for, which made it difficult for them to search for records. The city accused Azure and its attorneys of continuing to pursue legal action based on little more than conjecture and conspiracy theories. The advisory board member who was accused of deleting texts said she wasnt told to preserve them until she was subpoenaed, court records show.

Anne Marie Connolly, a city spokeswoman, said the city will defend itself against the newest lawsuit, but declined to comment further.

Austen Erblat can be reached at aerblat@sunsentinel.com, 954-599-8709 or on Twitter @AustenErblat.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has advised Ghanaians in Ukraine against rejection evacuation back home to stay in Europe.

Amidst the efforts being made by the government through the Foreign Affairs Ministry to bring back home Ghanaians, especially students stranded in the troubled European country, there are some that are unwilling to return home.

Speaking during an engagement with some of the parents of Ghanaian students in Ukraine on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey cautioned that Europe may not be safe at the moment, and hence deciding to stay instead of returning to Ghana is not the best decision.

For those of them who think that this is an opportunity for them to enter into Europe, Europe is not safe not because there is war extends to Europe but the immigration services are very alert and the last thing we want is for any student or any Ghanaian entering into a country only to be arrested, the Minister for Foreign Affairs shared.

Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey continued, At least what government is doing which is to offer to bring them back is with the greatest respect to parents and families at least taking some burden off you so that in the future when things calm down and life return to normal you can send your children back.

The Minister further expressed gratitude to missions and consuls in Europe for working closely with her Ministry to ensure the safety of Ghanaians.

Early today, some 17 Ghanaian students who were in Ukraine when the attack by Russia started safely arrived in Ghana.

The government through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is working around the clock to evacuate more Ghanaians back home.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 1st March 2022, launched the 2022 edition of Green Ghana Day, with a commitment to planting some twenty million trees this year, as part of governments aggressive afforestation and reforestation programme.

Speaking at the event held at the Accra International Conference Centre, President Akufo-Addo stated that even though the target of the maiden edition of Green Ghana Day, held last year, was some 5 million trees, a total of 7 million trees were planted.

I am informed that most of these trees are doing very well, and this encourages us to continue with the project, and to do even more. This year, we have raised our target, and we have committed to plant, at least, twenty million (20,000,000) trees. This requires that we mobilise the entire population to ensure that each Ghanaian and each foreigner, that is every resident in Ghana, plants, at least, one tree, he said.

Describing the countrys forests as one of the most important natural resources required for our nations socio-economic development, the President noted that regrettably, across the world, the exploitation of forest resources has been very rampant, leading to a substantial decline in the worlds forest cover.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), between 1990 and 2020, the world lost some one hundred and seventy-eight million hectares (178,000,000 ha) of forests, almost the size of Libya.

With just eight (8) years to attain the goals set in the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the President stated that climate change continues to derail our efforts, by impacting the fundamentals required to achieve the goals.

He continued, Eradication of poverty, zero hunger, good health, gender equality, clean water, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production, life on land and life below water are all being negatively impacted by climate change.

To ensure that everybody participates in the exercise, President Akufo-Addo stated that, based on expert advice, particularly from the Forestry Commission and the Ghana Meteorological Agency, designated, Friday, 10th June 2022, as the 2022 Edition of Green Ghana Day.

He, thus, encouraged all Ghanaians to go out to plant, and encourage our families and friends to do same.

On that day, we should all make a commitment to leave a legacy for future generations through the planting of trees. And, on that day, we should all commit to nurture the trees we plant to maturity, he added.

Citing Article 41(k) of the Constitution of the Republic, he said this imposes a duty on every citizen to protect and safeguard the environment.

This project is one of the ways of fulfilling this constitutional obligation, and we must all make it a point to participate in this national exercise. This noble venture ought to be funded and executed through our joint efforts, and, as much as possible, without burdening the public treasury. We can do it, and I call on all Ghanaians and residents of Ghana to contribute in diverse ways to this welcome and worthy endeavour, he added.
The CEO of Salt Media GH presented a series of untapped potential for growth and expansion for these Turkish businesses.

Meeting billionaire Mehmet Ali Atiker and his son, Omake Atiker, Mr Ohene Kwame Frimpong expressed great admiration and respect for the Atiker family.

Mehmet Ali Atiker is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Atiker Group of Companies, one of the successful business gurus in the world.

Baba Mehmet Ali Atiker is also head of one of the most powerful brand families in the business world.

With Ghana labelled as one of the safest havens for global investors seeking to reach the African Market, the West African country has in recent years provided a business-friendly environment that has attracted several global institutions to set up regional offices and businesses in the country.

The government through several institutions like the Ghana Free Zones Authority has also shown commitment towards welcoming investors who will, in turn, create jobs to meet the increasing demand for jobs and bolster the economy.

President Akufo-Addo on a working visit to Germany last year called for investment in some of its social intervention policies such as One District, One Factory, One Village, One Dam, Planting for Food and Jobs among others.

I am sure youve heard of some of my governments flagship policies i.e. One District, One Factory, One Village, One Dam, and the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs which I commend to you. There are other areas you can invest in such as water, health, housing, road and rail infrastructure, transport, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, petroleum and gas., President Akufo-Addo said in Dusseldorf at the 75th-anniversary celebrations of North Rhine-Westphalia.

In light of this, Business Mogul, Ohene Kwame Frimpong has called on some of the wealthiest Turkish investors to consider the many ripe investment opportunities in Ghana in their next line of business.
Residents of Kojokura, one of the communities where the yellow fever disease was first discovered in the West Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region, have become ambassadors for yellow fever vaccination as they direct and lead others to go for the vaccine.

They said they considered this a national duty and their contribution to keeping their neighbours and friends safe from the disease as well as ensuring that they (neighbours and friends) did not suffer what befell them in October, last year when the disease broke out in their community.

A visit to this community showed that the yellow card given to those vaccinated against the yellow fever disease, was now a form of an identity card as most residents proudly displayed it to show their vaccination status.

This came to light when a team of officials from the West Gonja Municipal Directorate of Health and United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) visited the area, a nomadic community, to learn about how residents were doing after taking part in the first phase of the yellow fever vaccination campaign in December, 2021.

Madam Amina Salifu, a 35-year-old resident, whose four-year-old daughter recovered from the yellow fever disease at the West Gonja Municipal Hospital, said the about four weeks that her daughter spent at the hospital being treated for the disease were very distressful moments for her family.

She thanked God for saving her daughter and expressed gratitude to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and partners including the UNICEF for their support to vaccinate all qualified residents of the area (Kojokura).

Mr Osman Abu, an opinion leader at Kojokura said We do not want yellow fever in our community again. We have all embraced the yellow fever vaccine and we have been vaccinated. Now, when anybody comes to our community and he or she is not vaccinated, we direct and lead him or her to go for the vaccine.

Mr Adamu Musah, a resident said he and his wife and children took the yellow fever vaccine adding We feel good. The vaccine is safe. Everybody should go for it.

Miss Gertrude Yentumi, West Gonja Municipal Director of Health said the outbreak in the Municipality in October, 2021 was devastating as 18 lives were lost in the Municipality alone hence We want to do everything to ensure that it does not happen again.

Miss Yentumi praised the residents of Kojokura for embracing the vaccine as well as supporting efforts to vaccinate others, who were yet to be reached.

Mr Bhanu Pathak, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Tamale was happy that nomadic communities were reached as part of the vaccination campaign adding it was also encouraging that since the vaccination in the community, no new cases of the disease were recorded in the area.

Meanwhile, the GHS with support from partners including the UNICEF on Saturday, February 26, began the second phase of the yellow fever vaccination campaign across 28 districts in nine regions of the country where suspected cases of the disease have been recorded.

As part of the five day-long campaign, which ends on March 02, persons aged nine months old to 60 years old (with the exception of pregnant women) are being injected with the yellow fever vaccine to keep them safe from the disease.

The regions include Savannah, Ashanti, Greater Accra, Oti, Northern, Upper West, Bono, and Bono East.

After the first phase of the vaccination campaign, it was realised that pockets of the disease still existed, and some new communities also started recording cases hence the second phase of the vaccination campaign.

Yellow fever is a disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, and the infection can cause serious illness and death.

Symptoms include fever, yellowing of the eyes, dark urine, bleeding (from the nose, ear, mouth and other parts of the body), chills, general body aches, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and weakness, shock and failure of many organs.

In October, 2021 the Savannah Region reported suspected cases of yellow fever, and the cases were confirmed positive for yellow fever by the National Public Health Reference Laboratory and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

Samples sent to Institut Pasteur Dakar (IPD) were also confirmed positive for yellow fever.

The outbreak is now widespread, with 13 out of 16 regions of the country including Savannah, Upper West, Bono and Bono East confirming cases and over 40 people dying from the disease.

As at February 22, 2021 the total suspected cases of the disease stood at 852, confirmed cases by immunoglobulin stood at 137, and confirmed cases by PCR from IPD (Dakar) stood at 70.

UNICEF, a partner in the vaccination campaign, has deployed four teams to the Savannah, Upper West, Bono and Bono East Regions to monitor the exercise.

The UNICEF is working with the GHS' Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) providing technical assistance and financial support to help build the capacity of health staff, provide the needed vaccines and logistics and also support the EPI in community mobilisation and sensitisation efforts.

Additionally, UNICEF is providing technical assistance during the vaccination campaign and working with the GHS to strengthen cold chain systems in diverse ways including the supply of ultra-low temperature fridges to the GHS.
01.03.2022 LISTEN

A former Attorney General under the Rawlings administration, Dr Obed Asamoah has described as childish persons who are calling for military takeover.

He said these persons are unaware that the consequences of coups are nondiscriminatory and that they themselves are at risk.

Speaking in an interview with TV3s Roland Walker on Tuesday March 1, Dr Obed Asamoah explained that the soldiers who overthrow a constitutionally elected government will always revenge against persons they had bone to pick with.

If for example, he said, someone was fighting with a military officer over a woman, that person will be targeted if there is coup and be eliminated.

This fix Ghana elements, some of them are openly calling for military takeover. Those people are childish. When coup happens the power that is wielded by the soldiers immediately after the coup is not discriminatory, they look at it in personal terms.

If for example you have crossed some military officer in traffic and he is annoyed with you he is coming to shoot you in the confusion of the revolution.

Or maybe, you have been fighting with him over some girlfriend, in the confusion he will shoot you. So the consequences can be non-discriminatory, they can affect the very people who are asking for that, he said.

He further indicated that it is not automatic that a military government will solve the problems facing the people for which they are calling for a revolution.

The other thing is you can have a military government that will be completely inefficient, he added.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has also expressed concerns about commentaries on coups among some Ghanaians in the country lately.

He noted that if coup happens, it is Parliament that will suffer not the judiciary or the executive.

Speaking during a meeting with Council of State members on Tuesday March 1, he said If there is coup, it is parliament that suffers , judiciary will always be there, there will always be an executive arm and because of that absence of parliament many Ghanaians don't understand what parliament is.

I have gone through it from 1993 up to date, I have seen some of the challenges, I have identified some. When I took over as Speaker then the weight came on me.

I see myself, even though I am a member of the NDC, throughout my practice I have not been a fanatic of party politics. I have always preached across the political divide.

---3news.com
01.03.2022 LISTEN

Managing Editor of the Custodian Newspaper, Awudu Mahama, has chastised the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin for constantly dismissing decisions taken by his 1st Deputy in his absence.

Awudu Mahama disappointed with the Speakers actions stated, What is going on in between the Speaker and his 1st vice in Parliament is not good for democracy. It is true the Speaker has unconventional ways of doing things and I sometimes ask if it is good or not. He changed the entrance the Speaker uses to walk into the house, he changed his dress code to represent the Ghanaian culture. He wears African prints to parliament and thats a good thing but what happens between him and the 1st Deputy Speaker is not a good thing.

According to him, Speaker Bagbin using every opportunity to criticize and overturn the decisions of his 1st Deputy is unfair.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Wednesday took on his first deputy, Joseph Osei-Owusu over the latters decision to dismiss a private members motion seeking to probe the governments COVID-19 expenditure.

According to him, such actions are illegal and offensive and must not reoccur, especially when he had already admitted the motion.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu has denied claims that he overturned a ruling by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to admit a private members motion seeking to probe the governments COVID-19 expenditure.

According to him, the speaker did not rule on the motion. He said at the time the speaker was exiting the chair, an objection was raised against the motion, which required that the arguments from both sides be listened to, and a decision given, which he did in favour of those against the motion.

He said the recent comment by Alban Bagbin on his conduct sets a dangerous path for Ghanas democracy.

To say that my ruling is offensive, illegal or unconstitutional because he would have ruled differently is, in my view, a rather dangerous approach to democracy.

Siding with Joe Wise and his response to the Speaker, Awudu Mahama who has served as a Parliamentary Correspondent added, as a Speaker, you can accept a motion and anyone can also raise an objection. And accepting a motion is not even a ruling in the first place.

Speaking on the Editors Take Edition of the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun, he asserted that there is the need for an argument to either accept a motion or not, and the Speaker is supposed to make the decision after the debate so if the person presiding (1st Speaker) decides on the matter after the debate, then you cant say your decision has been overruled.

---happyghana.com
Management of Ayalolo Transport System is championing the introduction of the contraflow system to remain competitive.

Head of Operations, Charles Annan told e.TV Ghanas Sammy Eshun that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system has every infrastructure ready except road infrastructure to function effectively.

According to him, the dedication of a lane or giving the buses priority on existing lanes will go a long way to appeal to the Ghanaian community.

Focusing on road priority, the best way for them to stay competitive and increase their demand, Charles Annan proposed the introduction of the contraflow system on Ghanaian roads, a privilege to be enjoyed by Ayalolo buses only.

A contraflow system is where traffic is directed in the opposite direction than it would normally flow. The clue is in the name with contra meaning against and flow meaning the movement of traffic. Youll often find temporary contraflow systems when theres roadworks, but they can also be permanent.

He indicated that the introduction of the contraflow system will see Ayalolo buses driving traffic free in the morning and evenings, whilst other commercial buses and private cars endure the traffic situation. Using the Adenta Road as an example he stated, In the mornings the cars coming from Adenta to the city center sit in traffic jams for long periods but with the introduction of the contraflow system, Ayalolo buses heading to the city center will rather have a single lane dedicated to them on the stretch meant for cars moving towards Adenta. This way they will travel traffic free to the city center towards the oncoming traffic.

With this move, the Head of Operations at Ayalolo argues that Ghanaians upon seeing the buses move freely without sitting in traffic jams will eventually park their cars at home and join the buses.

Explaining to Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show why this plan has not been implemented yet, he revealed the nature of roads in Ghana have made the progress slow. The concept is not really something new but with the way we have numerous intersections on our roads, we need to engage in intensive educational campaigns first and put in place proper plans to prevent disasters.

Aayololo is a Bus Rapid Transit System, was inaugurated on the 25th of November 2016, in Ghana which is operational in Accra the Capital.

Bus Rapid Transit system are special because particular lines are dedicated for the buses which allows them to move faster through traffic, along their routes.

---happyghana.com
I have been heading the Maharashtra Railway Police for nearly a year now. It has been quite a large playfieldabout 5,000 workforcefor small experimentations in policing. The Railway police could do with a better reputation on their professionalism and commuter assistance. Some small interventions are, however, yielding positive signs of change.

Getting superintendents of police (SPs) and other senior officers to closely monitor serious crime investigations through a system of progress reports. A major deficit in railway police performance was the poor quality of investigations that happened and the poor rate of detection and apprehending of criminals in robbery/theft cases. Railway crimes are as mobile as the trains on which they occur and, if swift action is not initiated immediately after the crime has taken place, the evidence which could be got from co-passengers/train staff and train vendors is lost.

The supervision by senior officers over the investigations being done at the police stations was, however, sorely lacking. I decided to take railway crime work back to the basics. All serious crimes of robbery, murders, crimes against women and children were brought under a system of special report cases to be monitored by all supervisory officers from the deputy SP (DySP) up to me.

Under this system, it took a lot of effort to get the system rollingevery month I receive from the SPs and commissioner of police (CP), who are the unit heads, the progress reports on compliance of initial instructions on all these cases till such time as they complete investigations.

An interesting observation was the clearly visible improving detection rate and apprehending of criminals and the recovery of stolen property. I think this improving quality of professional work will show on the morale of the railway police and their self-image as this professional capability gets further consolidated.

Encouraging display of humaneness by the policemen deployed on railway stations.

Railway stations and trains are used by a large part of the Indian population especially the poorer and middle classes. Mumbai alone has around 8 million daily commuter traffic. But the railway police have always been suspect in their eyes.

We started a programme called Beyond the Call of Duty wherein acts of humaneness and rendering of help by the railway police to railway users was specially acknowledged by us as police leaders, and handsomely rewarded from government funds at specially held police conferences.

It was not only personally rewarding for me to see the acts of compassion as well as the bravery of our policemen and women, but I could see that it was extremely motivating for the junior policemen and women to do more such compassionate acts since now that was being appreciated by their police leaders.

I feel it may not after all be too difficult a task to change police organisational culture!! Just create the right role models for others to emulate.

WhatsApp as a medium for creating a vision/direction for railway policing and for peer review of performance of police chiefs.

I think this is a great communication medium to get consensus for and then to focus the work of police chiefs, towards the desired goals. For railway policing, we focused on the two above-mentioned performances. And each units individual successes were celebrated and appreciated in this peer group. All it needed was an unwavering guiding hand to stay the course, which I think I could provide.

In India, we have the extraordinary capability at the middle management police leadership levelbut it is only a potential capability unless it is put to the task of change and reforms.

(Dr Pradnya Saravade, an officer from the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre, is additional director general of Railway Police in Maharashtra)
Faulty biometric scanners at PDS shops have led to commotion across the state of Tamil Nadu with consumers finding it tough to procure their ration material despite standing in queues for long hours.

In several PDS shops in the state, the biometric scanners turn faulty and heated arguments take place with the staff of these fair price shops. Many ration cardholders said that the government should intervene immediately to make the functioning of the ration shops smooth and to repair the faulty biometric meters.

Santhanavally, a resident of Chepauk in Chennai while speaking to IANS said: "At the PDS shop from where I buy my monthly ration, the biometric facility is always faulty leading to me coming back home empty-handed. If you are transferring your data into a technology-driven environment, then it is your responsibility to ensure a smooth functioning of that technology."

She also said that in the ration shop, the biometric scanner does not work ten days a month resulting in large queues in the shop.

Usha Rani, a PDS cardholder from Kovilpatti Street, Ward 13, Erode while speaking to IANS said: "The biometric scanners in my PDS shop do not function properly and only on occasions it works. I went to the shop to buy my ration after completing my household chores at 11.30 a.m but realised that the biometric scanner was not verifying the impression of my thumb. So was the case with several other consumers who were standing in queue. I waited there for long but the staff said that server was not working and again I went the next day, still it was not working. This makes situation difficult for us as we are purely dependent on the ration being supplied through the PDS shops for our living."

Even though this issue persists across the state, the salesmen refuse to provide ration through the old billing system which was working properly.

M.R. Gopalswamy, a resident of Kanniyakumari while speaking to IANS, said: "The ration shops should also have the billing system as a standby when the biometric scanners are not working. The staff refuses to provide us ration through the old billing system if the biometric scanners fail and every month the scanners work only for five to seven days. Heated arguments and occasionally physical confrontations also occur at the ration shops due to this biometric scanner. Government must immediately take steps to correct this."

When contacted, a senior officer with the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies department told IANS: "Yes it is true that the biometric scanners don't work properly but it is maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and we have communicated to them on the difficulties being faced at the PDS shops on this. The alternate arrangement of the old billing system may be tried as a standby but such a decision has not been taken at the higher level. We will correct these discrepancies soon."

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
The independent directors of Shriram Transport Finance Company Ltd (STFC) and Shriram City Union Finance Ltd (SCUF), the two listed companies of the Chennai-based Shriram group, with a cumulative asset size of approximately US$20bn (billion), themselves under the scanner in recommending a corporate restructuring scheme that raises many fundamental questions.

Shriram group, largely based in Chennai, having a dominant presence in a wide spectrum of financial services and being one of the largest lenders in the domain of commercial vehicles, has a very complicated ownership structure and is seeking to reorganise the group in what would qualify as one of the most convoluted corporate restructuring exercises.

Shriram Financial Ventures Chennai P Ltd (SFVCPL), Shrilekha Business Consultancy P ltd (SBCPL) and Shriram Capital Ltd (SCL) are unlisted and each has one significant external investor, respectively, being Sanlam group, Piramal Enterprises Ltd and TPG India Investments II Inc Mauritius and form the axis around which the group holding structure is built.

Investors like Sanlam of South Africa, and Piramals, who have recently been having their share of the limelight for the takeover of Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process. TPG India Mauritius, a PE outfit, had shaken hands with the Shriram group at various points in time to gain a strategic foothold in the group. They co-invested in the various private limited group holding companies and needed an exit which was not possible unless they swapped their investments with the shares of the listed entity.

It is essentially to facilitate this that a composite and complex scheme, which has different limbs, has been conceived and is the subject matter of the analysis herein.

The picture of the group structure and the composition of the shareholding in each of the companies is presented graphically.

Shriram Group Structure:

The various steps involved in the exercise under consideration are as follows. SBCPL first merges with SCL. After this, the shareholding that SCL gets in SFVCPL is cancelled for the given reason that SCL becomes a subsidiary of SFVCPL upon the merger and, under Section 19 of the Companies Act, 2013, a subsidiary cannot hold the shares of its parent. This view may be contentious but, on the surface, this action may not materially affect the outcome as this gets factored in the valuation of the shares.

After this, various ventures of SCL which are pre-existing, like its investment in life insurance, non-life insurance and other ancillary financial ventures, are demerged (hived off) into three resulting entities respectively for life insurance, non-life insurance and the rest.

With the above step accomplished, SCL has just two investmentsone in STFC and the other, in SCUF. The next step planned is to merge SCL into STFC.

And, finally, SCUF is merged into STFC. The ultimate picture emerges with approximately the following shareholding pattern in STFC.

The audit committee and the independent directors of both the listed companies have approved the scheme and an illustrative extract of the recommendation is given.

The Audit Committee noted that the Shriram Group management is of the view that re-organizing the Group's businesses by way of the proposed Scheme will aid in simplifying the holding structures and layers in the group which will help to focus on the evolving business strategies with a focused approach as is required for a particular line of business in a conglomerated entity having multiple businesses. The Shriram Group further believes that the proposed Scheme will help in facilitating further investment opportunities from strategic investors/financial investors depending on the particular business interests and risk appetite and also will help in achieving restructuring for shareholders of various group companies, in a manner which will unlock value for them. The proposed Scheme is expected to provide other intangible benefits that the Shriram Group has built over decades various businesses and exploit the synergies in the Group interests and risk perceptions.

The proposal in the Scheme to amalgamate SCUF with STFC, will also serve to be highly beneficial to all the stakeholders, by bringing together the capabilities and the presence of the Group in the categories of transport finance, and retail finance, and in the process create a larger financial lending entity with both these businesses combined, widen the range of services and products offered to customers and the resulting benefits of scale and synergies of operation. This proposed merger will further consolidate the leadership position of STFC in the 'Commercial Vehicle' market.

Interestingly, the independent directors of both the companies used almost the same language to approve this, thereby giving credence to the existence of clairvoyance which has been in the news since the advent of the Himalayan yogi!

In an exercise like this, the only germane consideration can be the interest of the members (essentially non-promoter holders) of that particular company. The IDs of a company should not be keeping extraneous interests (logakshemam!) to evaluate this.

There are two components to this reorganisation. The first component is the merger of SBCPl into SCL and the demerger of SCL shareholdings of the non-listed companies in insurance. SCL, stripped of all assets other than STFC and SCUF shareholdings, is sought to be merged into STFC.

This is entirely to help Piramal (SBPCL) and TPG (SCL) get their shares swapped for STFC shares.

Shriram group private needs are not apparent as little is known about the ownership pattern of the group beyond the fact that a trust controls all the investments.

R Thiagarajan, founder of the Shriram group, has been often referred to in the press as the group chairman and the spokesperson, but his name is not visible in any of the public documents nor does he figure as a director in any of the private companies or as a trustee in the trust!

This seems akin to a few of the more illustrious cases in the country of a past chairman or a founder calling the shots from behind the curtains.

The chairman is not listed as KMP (key managerial personnel) or as a related party or as a promoter in any of the filings. Imagine if some compensation is paid to him or his relatives or to a company in which he is interested, it may not get picked up in any of the disclosures. All this may be perfectly legal and there is no insinuation of any violation in this comment.

What value and benefits have the IDs of SCUF and STFC seen accruing to the non-promoter shareholders out of the consolidation exercise in the first part? The two listed companies are capable of raising resources with no constraint and have been doing it respectively for about five decades in the case of STFC and about 30-odd years in the other case. The shareholding structure of the promoter company(ies) has little to do with the fortunes of the listed entities. This point is not laboured as the extract given above can be read and understood even by a layman as being grossly inadequate as an explanation.

It is quite important for the non-promoter shareholders to have clarity whether, in the event of any tax liability arising due to the restructuring, especially the demerger of the various investments in SCL, the promoters would indemnify the listed entity(ies)?

Equally, it looks unreasonable to have the listed entity bear the huge cost of the exercise, being the stamp duty and legal fees. The IDs report is silent on this.

The second leg of merging SCUF into STFC is not only far reaching but highly questionable as well. An exercise of such a magnitude cannot escape a microscopic detailing of the relative merits and demerits, alternatives evaluated and abandoned.

Blowing the common refrain that size provides synergy, etc, does serious injustice to the task assigned to IDs to independently evaluate the merits of the proposal.

These two entities are behemoths in their own right and the information given in the table below, along with two other similar companies headquartered in Chennai, may give an insight into various aspects of the business and the critical dissimilarities in the business models pursued by each entity.

It is not necessary that dissimilarity has to be explained as chalk and cheese only. It can be even between parmesan and parmigiana, which any connoisseur will smell and distinguish!

Both STFC and SCUF have long histories and the whisper on synergy has never surfaced any time before and seems a new discovery!

SCUF and STFC are considered as widely different by NBFC experts I spoke with and some were aghast that these two companies are being combined.

Without further labouring the point, is it impertinent to ask if the IDs are acting on the prompting of some disembodied voice whispering in their ears?

To wrap up this discussion, the low discounting for the two companies is a possible reflection of the market perception of the group. The quantum of related-party transactions is perhaps one reason. There are very many of them.

The most obnoxious is the payment of brand licence charges which has leapt magically in 2020-21 to Rs174 crore in STFC and Rs63 crore in SCUF, both showing a jump of almost 100% over that in the preceding year. The recipient is a private company, SVSL, whose details may be beyond public consumption and nobody knows how much this company spends on brand building to justify this payment.

A practice which, when Tatas put into practice, was felt to be an abusive way of taking money from publicly held companies into private hands!

Very surprisingly, the proxy advisory firms who have been vehemently opposing excessive managerial compensation have not spotted this issue!

Is Shriram serving a strange soup, sour, salty and sweet? Market should settle this issue, finally, how palatable it is!

Diogenes, the cynic, was the one walking the streets of Athens in broad daylight with a lantern in hand, purportedly looking for an honest man! He didnt leave his record behind of how many he saw, if at all.

He would have needed a searchlight, if he was looking for independent directors who put their foot down when confronted with untenable proposals clothed as if they are in the interest of non-promoter shareholders!
It had all the trappings of a Christian revival where the devout bowed their heads as they recited the Lords Prayer. Some were moved to tears as their new friend, an ardent anti-masker, lay on the ground leading her faithful followers in prayer and calling for mercy. Over and over for a solid 10 minutes.

But there were no tents and stage lights for this revival; instead, there was a very patient judge, multiple bailiffs and some 30 supporters of Cindy Falco-DiCorrado, a Boynton Beach woman who was arrested in January 2021 for causing a ruckus at a West Boca bagel shop when she shouted at customers and employees about their rights to stay mask-free.

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When Falco-DiCorrado refused to leave the Einstein Bros. Bagels, police were called and arrested her on misdemeanor trespassing and resisting arrest charges.

A jury found Falco-DiCorrado guilty of the charges on Feb. 10. In court Monday for her sentencing hearing, Falco-DiCorrado, who represented herself, was told she faced one year in jail, one year of probation and fines beyond court costs.

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[ RELATED: Boynton Beach mayoral candidate is found guilty in anti-mask dispute in West Boca ]

Cindy Dicorrando of Boynton Beach led prayers during her sentencing on Monday on trespassing and resisting arrest charges. She had refused to wear a mask in January 2021 at a Boca Raton bagel restaurant, leading to her arrest. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The possibilities of punishment didnt move the 63-year-old defendant to accept responsibility for her actions, but rather appeared to set off courtroom outbursts that included her speaking in tongues.

I dont understand why I am here, Falco-DiCorrado began telling judge Ashley Zuckerman. ... I hear you, but I dont understand.

The judge told Falco-DiCorrado that through the yearlong case, she has been told multiple times how it was that she got to this point.

[ RELATED: Woman who refuses to wear mask arrested in West Boca ]

In the end, the judge merely said she knew of no legal standing where she could throw out the verdict but that Falco-DiCorrado would not be going to jail or be placed on probation. The judge withheld adjudication, and told Falco-DiCorrado she would have to pay standard court costs, but no fines.

Cindy Dicorrando lays prone on the courtroom floor to pray during her sentencing trial on Monday on trespassing and resisting arrest charges. Courthouse spectators joined her in the prayers. She had refused to wear a mask at a Boca Raton bagel restaurant in January 2021, leading to her arrest. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

After the verdict, someone yelled, Halleluiah.

Falco-DiCorrados supporters rushed from the courtroom to greet Falco-DiCorrado as she exited as a free woman. Falco-DiCorrado said she was going to appeal the judges decision.

Nearly half of Falco-DiCorrados supporters spoke on Falco-DiCorrados behalf, with nearly every one of them saying they have known Falco-DiCorrado for the past year or so.

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Falco-DiCorrado, who is running for mayor of Boynton Beach in the March 8 general election, was the public face of the anti-mask movement and her South Florida actions drew national attention. Falco-DiCorrado called the pandemic a scamdemic.

Eileen Kelley can be reached at 772-925-9193 or ekelley@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @ reporterkell.

[ RELATED: Twisted Sisters Dee Snider slams Florida anti-maskers in pro-Ukraine tweet ]
MISSOULA -- The masks are coming off in colleges and grade schools across Missoula.

This comes after the CDC offered new guidance regarding masks last week.

As of Monday, masks become optional in Missoula County Public Schools.

5th Grade Teacher at Chief Charlo Elementary School, Tiffany Hobbs, said it was the first time she's seen her students faces in nearly two years.

"It's the expressions. You can see the expressions on their faces while I'm teaching, while they're interacting with kids, and it really makes my heart happy," Hobbs said.

She said it did take some time for everyone to adjust to the change.

"If anything, it was like this weird anxious feeling when they walked in, you could just tell. Some of them even walked in with masks, and just looked around like 'okay what are other kids doing? What are the teachers doing?' Then some more masks came off and then there was even a couple that even just put them on," she said.

Masks are now a recommendation in MCPS schools, but federal rules still require them to be worn on buses and other forms of transportation.

MCPS Communications Specialist, Tyler Christensen, said students will be treated equally whether or not they wear a mask.

"I know a lot of students are going to be excited about not having to wear a mask in the classroom anymore, but some students are going to continue to wear them for a variety of reasons and we want to make sure everybody feels comfortable with their choice," Christensen said.

Hobbs said she's already told her students that it doesn't matter what they decide, but in her own house, there's definitely some excitement."

"My seven-year-old woke up this morning [and] she goes 'guess what I'm not taking to school? My mask!"

Over at the University of Montana, masks are currently required in classrooms and teaching labs but starting Thursday, the mandate will become a recommendation, following guidance recently released to Montana campuses by the Office of the Commissioner of higher education.
The Colombian scientist became a companion to an elderly South Florida woman when she wasnt allowed to work in the medical field because she wasnt a citizen. The 86-year-old woman thought a marriage to her son would help her caretaker get the green card she needed.

But Roberto Colon had hoped for a real marriage  until he saw his mothers bank accounts had been depleted, he believed, by the caretaker, his defense attorney told a jury Monday. Colon also learned his mother co-signed for a car for the caretaker and that his mothers home was about to go on the market.

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On Feb. 18, 2021, just weeks after the sham marriage, Colon snapped, killing his wife after a confrontation at his home and burying her in his backyard, his lawyer Dustin Johnson said during opening statements in the 68-year-olds first-degree murder trial in the death of Mary Stella Gomez Mullet, the caretaker.

[ RELATED: She forged a dream for a better life in U.S. Then she was found murdered  buried in a backyard. ]

Defendant Roberto Colon, on trial for first-degree murder, appears in Palm Beach County court with his attorney Stephen Arbuzow on Monday. Colon is accused of killing his wife, Mary Stella Gomez Mullet, whose remains were found in the backyard of his Boynton Beach home in 2021. (Susan Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Johnson told the jury Gomez attacked her husband first. In that moment, he reacted. He inadvertently killed [Gomez]. She snapped at him. He snapped back and in an instant  the snap of a finger  she was dead.

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Assistant State Attorney Lauren Godden Burke said that, based on a tip, police in Boynton Beach went to Colons home and headed to the backyard where they unearthed Gomezs headless torso.

Weeds poked through the spaces between the bricks of Colons paved patio except for in one large area, a keen-eyed investigator noticed.

Maria Stella Gomez Mulett's body was found in the backyard of a Boynton Beach home. (COURTESY MARGARITA ARAUJO)

A metal probed easily slid into the dirt. Pulling the probe from the freshly churned ground, a distinctive smell permeated the air.

Its unclear whether Gomezs head has ever been recovered.

The trial is expected take all week.

Eileen Kelley can be reached at 772-925-9193 or ekelley@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @reporterkell.

[ RELATED: They cant put ... Humpty Dumpty back together again, husband said of wifes body found buried in backyard, according to police ]
Estevan Tamez loves small-town living. He was born and raised in Fort Stockton and is happy that he has found a career serving and protecting the citizens of the town he loves.

In July 2021, Tamez graduated from the Midland College Police Academy at the Williams Regional Technical Training Center (WRTTC) in Fort Stockton. Approximately four months ago, he began working for the Fort Stockton Police Department.

Before deciding on a career in law enforcement, I worked in the oilfield, Tamez said. It was hard work, lots of travel. There were many times when I would work until late at night on a rig and then have to be in Midland early the next morning. I also suffered several layoffs. The pay was good, but there was never any job security.

Tamez also held various other jobs, including working for a solar farm, just west of Fort Stockton, working for Auto Zone and then working for Halliburton in Odessa.

I didnt like living in Odessa, he said. I much prefer a smaller town. When I left Halliburton, I was ready for a career change, but I wasnt sure what it would be. All I knew is that I wanted a career that was stable and where I could make a difference.

In August 2019, two incidences occurred in West Texas that convinced Tamez he should pursue a career in law enforcement  the mass shooting in El Paso and the mass shooting in Odessa.

I remember thinking that those shootings were very close to home, Tamez explained. What if something like that happened in Fort Stockton. I want to be able to protect the people I love from harm and help make our community a safer place.

He said that he was also encouraged to pursue a career in law enforcement by people in his church, his parents, sister and other members of his family, as well as a friend who was a marine. The only resistance he had was from his wife who was concerned about the dangers police face and the growing negative feelings toward police. However, she eventually relented when she saw how passionate Tamez was about realizing this career goal.

Thankfully in Fort Stockton, people are very respectful toward the police force, Tamez said. People who dont even know me will thank me for serving our community. That really makes me feel important and motivates me.

During the police academy training, we not only learned essential law enforcement skills, but also learned how to deal with people and talk to people. I think that was probably one of the most essential training tools I received. Good communication skills are extremely important for police officers.

Tamez said that one of the things he likes most about his job is the variety in routine.

You never know what the next shift will bring, he said. I would definitely recommend going through the police academy to young people and to those like me who want to change careers.

I love my hometown, and I love being a member of the Fort Stockton Police Department!

--

Rebecca Bell is the executive director for Institutional Advancement at Midland College
To spend $120,000 on a federal lobbyist or not  that is the question that was tabled for one more meeting Monday.

A majority of the Commissioners Court gave The Normandy Group two weeks to come to Midland and convince county leaders their services are needed for $10,000 a month.

At least two members dont see why it should continue. Scott Ramsey and Robin Donnelly were ready to end the contract Monday during a regular meeting of the Commissioners Court. However, Randy Prude, Luis Sanchez and County Judge Terry Johnson were not ready to end the relationship with the lobbyist.

There were doubts among the court members of the benefits that the county  and Midland County taxpayers  received for their investment.

Ramsey said lobbying isnt helping Midland right now, saying a freshman Republican (or just a Republican) in a Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives doesnt have power. He also said so much of the funds are block-granted to the state and asked the members of the court, Why arent we working on the state level to get funds here?

Donnelly commented that the current environment requires commissioners to be more active in attempting to get money at the state level. He pointed to the example of Don Evans, chairman of the Permian Strategic Partnership, successfully lobbying to get more road funding from the Texas Transportation Commission.

Donnelly said the other option is finding grant writers to benefit the county on issues like water delivery to the county or funding indigent defense.

Neither Prude, Sanchez nor Johnson really went out of their way to attempt to make an argument for keeping the Normandy Group under contract, but all three believed the group, led by former Congressman Henry Bonilla, deserved the opportunity to come before the court and make its case.

A letter to commissioners stated the groups work for the county, has included: interpreting how changing federal policies affect the county; identifying new and existing federal funding opportunities that align with county priorities; and establishing relationships with key federal agencies and other federal officials, and other non-federal entities that may align with the countys objectives.

The letter included legislative successes, congressional outreach and forthcoming 2022 activity.

County Attorney Russell Malm told the court that either party can terminate agreement on 30 days notice.

During a part of the conversation, Johnson asked Ramsey, Why didnt he bring this up three months ago?

Ramsey reminded the county judge, that the agreement with the Normandy Group was made in March of 2021 and that leaders agreed to give it a year.

Johnson then said, I want them to come before us.

Sanchez added, That would be the fairest thing to do.

Ramsey went along with tabling the item, reminding the court that the cost is basically $10,000 every time it is tabled.
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Today, Midland voters go to the polls and decide on primary elections for county and state candidates. More high-profile races inside Midland County are on the Republican side and that probably explains an even more lopsided GOP turnout when it comes to in-person voting. The Midland County Elections Office reported nearly 92 percent of in-person voters during the early voting period were Republicans.

The races on the ballot will include primaries for both parties at the top of the tickets. Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto ORourke appear to be favorites to win their respective parties nomination for governor. The Republicans even have a contested primary for its Railroad Commission nominee. Sarah Togner, Tom Slocum Jr. and Dawayne Tipton are challenging incumbent Wayne Christian. Marvin Sarge Summers also is on the ballot. Summers passed away in a car crash inside Midland County. The GOP primary for the board that oversees oil and gas in the state has not always been kind to GOP incumbents. Ask Victor Carrillo and Ryan Sitton.

Lastly, countywide races include Republican primary contests for county judge, two other Commissioners Court seats and two judge positions.

The county reported Election Day voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and those residents registered to vote can cast a ballot at any of 15 voting centers across the county, including the Midland County Annex, both county libraries, 10 different churches, Cogdell Learning Center and Odessa Country Club.

Here are some other things to know on Election Day.

Turnover on the Commissioners Court is rare

And turnover caused by an election defeat in a primary is even more rare. The last county commissioner to lose a primary election was Democrat Juluis L. Brooks in the Democratic Party primary in 2008. Luis Sanchez defeated Brooks and has remained in that seat since.

In 2004, Brooks had knocked off fellow Democrat and officeholder Josie Ramirez for the partys nomination.

Since 2008 no incumbent has lost a primary election, and no Republican incumbent has lost a primary election going back to at least 2004.

Turnout by precinct

The precinct with the highest turnout during early voting was 204 (north of Loop 250 and just west of Big Spring Street) with 608 total votes, including 581 Republican votes. Next was Precinct 207, which is basically the area around Racquet Club (south of Wadley, west of Big Spring Street, east of Garfield and north of Scharbauer Drive). There were 452 votes (423 GOP). Those are two high turnout precincts that will be key in the race between Robin Donnelly and Jeff Somers for county commissioner.

Other higher turnout precincts are 411 (Greathouse and Green Tree) with 424 votes (410 GOP), 403 in central Midland with 413 votes (392 GOP) and 404 (around Trinity School of Midland) with 400 votes (376 GOP). Those will be territories Randy Prude, Dianne Anderson and Charles Hall are fighting over.

Whos spending what

County judges race

Jonna Smoot reports having raised $80,375 in campaign finance reports turned in thus far. Her opponent Terry Johnson has raised $48,350. In terms of money spent, Smoot leads $71,942 to $64,263. Smoot has $18,562 in cash available. Johnson has $936.37. In terms of the principal amount of all outstanding loans as of the last day of the reporting period, Johnson has $50,439 going back to his first campaign in 2016. Smoot reported $10,000.

Precinct 2 race

Jeff Somers reported spending more than $101,473 through campaign finance reports turned into the Elections Office. He reported having raised $38,975 in political expenditures. Somers told the Reporter-Telegram on Monday that $60,000 have been personal funds and/or funds loaned the campaign. Donnelly reported raising $9,350, spending $16,714 and $3,000 in loans.

Precinct 4 race

In the three-person race, Dianne Anderson has raised $12,656 -- nearly more than double the other two candidates combined. Prude reported expenditures of $11,252  nearly more than the other candidates combined -- and $10,000 in outstanding loans (compared to $5,000 from Hall and $2,859 from Anderson).

Turnout

Midland County voters are on pace for the highest turnout of any primary election going back to at least 2006. The Midland County Elections Office reported the 8,584 in-person voters during the early voting period were more than the turnout from any other early voting period during primary elections in non-presidential years.

Turnout in Primary elections

(inside Midland County)

Early Voting Total

2022 8,584* -

2018 7,590 14,731

2014 8,023 14,046

2010 5,787 13,515

2006 3,708 6,817

*indicates 449 mailed-in votes not included in total.

From the Elections County Administrators Office

Curbside voting is available on Election Day. Please notify an election worker by having someone assist you or by calling the Elections Office at 432-688-4890.

On Election Day only, voters can hand-carry their marked ballots to the main office at the Midland County Annex. Each voter must bring their own ballot and have ID.

Mail-in ballot helpful hints

Ballots mailed must be postmarked with a March 1 date on it and received in the office by March 3.

The ballot envelope requires information that matches what the Elections Office has on file. A person must put their drivers license number or last four digits of their social security number on a specifically marked place on the flap of the envelope. If the information that is part of application doesnt match what the Elections Office has on file, the applicant will be sent a rejection letter.

We are working with this law, Elections Administrator Carolyn Graves said of the recent changes to ballots by mail made during the most recent session of the Texas Legislature. But we are doing everything we can possibly do to make sure their ballot will count.

Ballot-by-mail issues

The Midland County Elections Office reported Monday that 190 of the 554 mailed-in ballots received were rejected.

Of those rejected, Elections Office workers spoke to 66 people to work toward fixing their respective ballots and left a message with 28 people. There were 25 rejected as no contact information was provided and 61 still needing to be reached.

As of 12:30 p.m. Monday, 35 ballots were fixed and 11 had been returned to the early voting ballot board.

If we can reach the voter by phone or email, they have until March 8 to come in and cure the ballot. We are doing our best to reach all the voters, Graves said.

Odds and ends
A Trump supporter who vandalized a gay pride streetscape in Delray Beach pleaded guilty Tuesday to reckless driving and criminal mischief.

Alexander Jerich, of Lake Worth Beach, used a pickup truck to burn tire marks across a rainbow-flagged intersection downtown June 14, an event captured on a video that went viral.

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The video shows the intersection damaged by a pickup truck with a blue all aboard the Trump train flag, part of a group of vehicles that had participated in a birthday rally for President Trump.

[ RELATED: Trump birthday reveler accused of defacing LGBTQ intersection with pickup ]

The criminal mischief charge is a third-degree felony that carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. The reckless driving charge is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year. A sentencing date has not been set in Palm Beach County circuit court.

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Jerichs attorney, Robert Pasch, said his client has consistently expressed his deepest remorse for what occurred.

Alexs public silence thus far should in no way be construed as a lack of remorse, Pasch said in a written statement. Our courts advise clients charged with an offense to not speak about their case until their case is resolved. Today Alex entered a plea in open court.

Alex would like to once again express his deepest remorse to the LGBTQ community and hopes that todays resolution helps those hurt by his actions to move towards healing.

***UPDATE: I've read that Delray Beach PD ID'd and arrested the person*** I thought Trumpers were for "law and order"? Apparently that's not the case.... This Pride crosswalk was only a couple days old in Delray Beach before this person FLYING THEIR TRUMP FLAG decided to deface it. The hypocrisy is boundless. (I did not take this video) Posted by Jim Kovalsky on Thursday, June 17, 2021

By pleading guilty, Jerich has avoided a very public trial for the hate crime he committed, said Rand Hoch, a retired judge who serves as president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council. It would have been impossible for Jerich to avoid being found guity in light of the video that captured his crime.

The intersection of Northeast First Street and Northeast Second had been painted in rainbow colors as part of a celebration of Pride Month, an international recognition of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

The city of Delray Beach is also seeking compensation from Jerich for the damage.

David Fleshler can be reached at dfleshler@sunsentinel.com and 954-356-4535.
Muskogee, OK (74401)

Today

Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 63F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 63F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
China to replenish pork reserves to stabilize market

Xinhua) 09:14, March 01, 2022

Citizens buy pork at a market in east China's Shanghai, Feb. 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top economic planner announced Monday to stockpile pork, the country's staple meat, to replenish state reserves, as an index monitoring pork prices has dropped below a warning level.

The index, the national average of pork prices against grain prices, came in at 4.98 to 1 between Feb. 21 and 25, falling below the warning level of 5 to 1, said the National Development and Reform Commission.

According to a work plan for stabilizing the pork market, China has introduced a three-level early-warning system to raise the alarm for excessive ups and downs in hog prices.

The commission said it would work with relevant authorities to immediately start the stockpiling work for state reserves and guide local governments to purchase pork.

Stockpiling work has begun in provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Chongqing. Other areas will start the work soon, according to the commission.

Livestock farms and households are advised to make reasonable decisions for production and operation to maintain the stability of hog production capacity.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Climate change has already changed places like Florida permanently and irreversibly  affecting coral reefs, leading to higher property values and increasing inequality for vulnerable populations in the state, according to a new global report from the worlds top scientists.

The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a livable future, says the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, released on Monday.

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The nearly 2,000-page report had a global focus, but Florida was repeatedly used as an example of a place where the impacts of climate change were already being felt, both economically and environmentally.

[ RELATED: Sea-level rise becoming a hazard for suburban South Florida neighborhoods far from ocean ]

The report specifically mentions Florida multiple times, including:

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Tidal flooding worsened by sea rise has led to almost $500 million in lost real estate value from 2005 to 2016 in Miami-Dade alone, and it is likely that coastal flood risks in the region beyond 2050 will increase without adaptation to climate change.

Miami-Dades efforts to raise roads and build stormwater pumps have raised property values, leading to inequality for vulnerable populations

Floridians could be forced to retreat from the coast as sea levels rise

Floridas coral reefs are bleaching and dying as temperatures rise

As coral reefs die, Florida could lose up to $55 billion in reef-related tourism money by 2100

Harmful algal blooms along Floridas west coast spurred by climate change led to massive economic losses

Those impacts arent news to residents of the Sunshine State. Repeated studies, many cited in this report, outline a future of more days where its too hot to safely work outside and sunny days where high tide alone causes street and home flooding.

Attempts to fix the problem by installing new stormwater pumps and raising roads and buildings may have actually made inequality worse by raising property values in Miami-Dade, research cited in the report showed. It was one of the global reports key examples of maladaptation, when efforts to address climate change backfire by raising greenhouse gas emissions or making life harder for vulnerable people.

Natalia Brown, the climate justice program manager for Catalyst Miami, said the report made clear that the people most at risk from climate are not those who caused it, and it is also compounded by a history of segregation and racism.

Youre not experiencing racist housing policy in a silo from climate change, she said. Many of these vulnerable communities are experiencing climate change and theyre carrying this historic legacy of environmental racism and redlining and distrust in government.

The year 2019 saw one of the worst king-tide seasons in memory  and sea-level rise accelerating  in South Florida. (JOE CAVARETTA / Sun Sentinel/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Preparing for sea rise is expensive

Adapting to it all is doable, but pricey. Florida has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars raising roads, homes and seawalls to defend against the incoming threats, but the report noted that at a certain point, there isnt enough money or technology to keep everywhere in the world habitable.

The report specifically mentions Florida as a place where people will likely have to move away from the coast as sea levels rise and make some neighborhoods and cities uninhabitable.

Sea level rise is expected to lead to the displacement of communities along coastal zones, such as in Florida in the USA, the report said.

The city of Miami recently scored more than $100 million in federal and state grants for projects to install flood pumps, raise roads and improve drainage in areas threatened by sea level rise. Shelby Buso, the chief resilience officer for the city of Miami, called that funding the tip of the iceberg for Miamis climate needs. Just preventing the worst flooding for the next few decades could cost more than $4 billion, according to the citys stormwater master plan.

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[ RELATED: Miles of Florida roads face major problem from sea rise. Is state moving fast enough? ]

Buso said she appreciated that the report explicitly called for more investment in flood prevention and said shes hopeful it will lead to more money for needy coastal cities like Miami.

When we have this many experts at the table telling us this is an urgent need, that that will likely spur some motivation to actually change the way we are planning for and adapting to climate change, she said.

The IPCC report doesnt name a single event or global temperature that would tip the planet into an unsurvivable condition. Instead, it says that some ecosystems around the world, like coral reefs, have reached a dangerous point.

The rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt, the report said.

An alligator floats in an algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee near the Pahokee Marina on April 26, 2021. Similar algae blooms in the lake in 2016 and 2018 led to red tides on both Florida coasts when water is released from the lake in anticipation of hurricane season. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

If the planet reached 2 degrees Celsius (about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) of global warming above pre-industrial levels, up to 99% of the worlds coral reefs will be lost, according to research cited in the report. But even under the best-case scenario, where the world stays under 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, 95% of coral reefs will be lost.

The world is currently at 1.09 degrees and an IPCC report issued last year suggested it could hit 1.5 degrees by 2040.

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The recreation value of coral reef tourism in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii is expected to decrease by 90% by mid-century, under some climate models, the report read.

Although the future of corals appears dire with continued warming, scientists like Andrew Baker, a professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami, say theres plenty of ongoing research that provides a sense of hope for the future of reefs.

Baker said Florida is a world leader in research on restoring coral reefs. Scientists are working on ways to keep reefs alive by interbreeding, experimenting with a form of probiotics to strengthen them and moving corals from warmer parts of the Caribbean into Florida waters to seed a more resilient generation of corals.

The assumption that all corals are going to die because of climate change kind of sucks the air out of that conversation, he said. Its a sobering time for coral reefs, but its also kind of an exciting time from a research perspective. We have everything to play for and nows the time to take action if we want to save these corals.

An egret hunts for fish in an algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee near the Pahokee Marina on April 26, 2021. Similar algae blooms in the lake in 2016 and 2018 led to red tides on both Florida coasts when water is released from the lake in anticipation of hurricane season. (Joe Cavaretta / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

This is the second of three IPCC reports in this cycle. The first, released in August, focused on the physical science of climate change. This report, which was a collaboration between more than 270 scientists from 67 countries reviewing 34,000 scientific papers, was about how climate change impacts people and the planet, as well as solutions. The third report, due in April, is about stopping emissions of greenhouse gasses.

Lowering greenhouse gas emissions still key

In a fiery speech, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the report an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership. He railed against fossil fuels, the main source of climate change-causing greenhouse gasses, and urged the world to stop burning them immediately.

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This abdication of leadership is criminal, he said. The worlds biggest polluters are guilty of arson on our only home.

But just because some parts of the world are irreversibly harmed doesnt mean the planet is beyond saving, the report said.

A focused, well-financed push to help the world adapt to climate change  as well as an equal push to stop burning fossil fuels as fast as possible  could lessen the horrors for humanity in store with unbridled global warming.

Miami-Dade Countys sea level rise strategy, which calls for building higher and farther away from water, was described in the global report as an example of a community with a clear-eyed look at the risks of climate change.

Floridas government has recently committed nearly $500 million to local governments around the state to help them adapt to rising seas and temperatures, although none of that cash goes toward helping lower greenhouse gas emissions.

We simultaneously need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to reduce the impacts of climate change ... and we have a very limited amount of time to do this, said Adelle Thomas, a researcher at the University of the Bahamas and a lead author on the IPCC report.

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This story was produced in partnership with the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a multi-newsroom initiative founded by the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, WLRN Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.
School buses line up outside Woodrow Wilson Senior High School as students return to in-person classes in Los Angeles, California on Aug. 30, 2021.
Five dead as man kills three children and himself in California church
MAGA Mall President Ronald Solomon sells merchandise to Regina Grier at his vendor booth at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 26, 2022.
Police arrested a man who was asked to leave a Southwest Airlines flight trying to take off from Orlando International Airport last week after witnesses said he tried to get other passengers to take off their face masks.

Chad Breaux, 43, or River Ridge, Louisiana was arrested by officers with the Orlando Police Department responding to a call about a disturbance ahead of Flight 2419 to New Orleans at around 3 p.m. Thursday.

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Crew members said Breaux was acting strange and began yelling at other passengers saying at one point, If you were a man, you would not be wearing a mask, according to the OPD arrest report.

Breaux was reportedly not complying with the airlines face mask requirement of wearing it at all times during the flight including during boarding and disembarking the plane.

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The arrest report said that as officers were voluntarily escorting the arrestee off the flight he became irate and aggressive toward the officers.

The report stated one officer had to shove Breaux back with an open hand because they felt Breaux was going to strike. After getting off the plan, Breaux continued to yell profanities towards these officers and the passengers who were standing by, the report said, once again announcing, If you are a man or woman, you would not wear a mask.

The report said Breaux become more angry and aggressive and poked an officer in their right shoulder, and then approached another officer who said they felt threatened.

Breaux was then placed under arrest and charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, assault on an LEO and disorderly conduct. . Bond was set at $2,750.
Horry County Schools officials will consider spending $6.6 million for portable classrooms to address the district's growing student population.

We never want to build an elementary school again [with a capacity] below 1,200," said HCS Chief of Support Services Daryl Brown. "We learned our lesson with River Oaks Elementary School [ROES]."

HCS Director of Planning Joe Burch said the district will need 36 modular classrooms and two restroom sections for the 2022-23 school year. Eight modulars would be placed at Myrtle Beach High School while another eight would go to Carolina Forest High School. Four would be set up at Carolina Forest Elementary School with eight at both River Oaks and Waccamaw elementary schools.

Burch hesitated before showing the facilities committee the price tag, saying it was due to the sticker shock of materials costs, which have risen significantly.

The $6.6 million figure includes the set-up and installation of the classrooms, site work, removal and contingencies. A lease option could be available that would include the same items but come in with a $4.5-5 million price tag.

Some money was already set aside for modulars but the district must discuss this new price increase before going further.

The district owns 88 modular classrooms already, including 10 restroom sections, and all of them are in use.

More than 50 of the school-owned modulars are in use at three schools: Carolina Forest Elementary, Ocean Bay Elementary and River Oaks Elementary.

If new schools open in the Carolina Forest area as anticipated in the next five years, those modulars would then be available for relocation, district officials said.

District 10 board member and facilities committee chairman Neil James asked for an updated list of school capacities before their next meeting after Burch said that there are currently over 1,200 students at River Oaks Elementary.

The school is built to hold 850 students.
There will be no charges filed against the South Carolina Highway Patrol master trooper who shot and killed Tristan Vereen on Sept. 11, 2021.

Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardsons letter to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Special Agent Michael Gifford says Master Trooper Whitney B. Benton was justified when he shot Vereen, a 33-year-old father who lived in Longs, and confirmed that the reason for the initial stop was a cracked windshield.

In conclusion, it is the opinion of this Office that Trooper Benton did not violate the laws of the State of South Carolina and as such, criminal charges against this officer are not supported by the evidence you found through this investigation," Richardsons letter states.

SLED routinely investigates officer-involved shootings, and the solicitors office is responsible for making charging decisions. Richardsons letter summarizes SLEDs investigation and lays out his justification for declining to bring charges.

After watching video of the vehicle pursuit and the shooting, University of South Carolina law professor Seth Stoughton said in previous interview with MyHorryNews.com that he believed criminal charges were unlikely, but noted the possibility for civil remedy remains.

The events leading up to the shooting began when Benton attempted a traffic stop on Vereen at the intersection of S.C. Highway 22 and S.C. Highway 905, according to solicitors office. After the shooting, Vereens family alleged the stop was for a cracked windshield, but neither the solicitors office nor the state Department of Public Safety would confirm that at the time.

As Vereen family asks for justice, policing expert raises issues with fatal shooting A policing expert from the University of South Carolina law school has raised questions about the fatal shooting of Tristan Vereen in Horry County on Sept. 11.

Audio included with the dashcam video obtained by MyHorryNews.com didnt include any recording of Benton telling dispatchers why he attempted to stop Vereen, or why he began pursuing him.

Benton was at a stop sign the end of the Highway 905 exit ramp from Highway 22 when Vereen drove by at 3:47 p.m. Benton hit his lights and attempted the stop after observing several large cracks in the windshield, according to the letter, which cited a South Carolina law making it unlawful to operate a vehicle which is in an unsafe condition.
It should have been a stepping stone to the American Dream  a rental home in a perfect neighborhood at a perfect price.

It turned into a nightmare.

The rental property was real. The person who siphoned hundreds of dollars through fake deposits and security payments wasnt the owner, though.

The Federal Trade Commission has seen variations of the scheme for years. But as the housing market becomes more constricted, what commonly has been a big-city scam is hitting smaller communities.

Including here.

At least twice in the past month, Morgan County residents have told law enforcement authorities that they were conned by people representing themselves as the owners of rental properties.

The stories are similar, and the common denominator often is a connection first made through social media.

In one, a woman reached out to the person listed as the owner of a rental property in Jacksonville. The "owner" said a $450 security deposit and a $50 processing fee were needed and had to be sent through a payment app. After the money was transferred, the listing  and the supposed owner  were gone.

So was the money.

Police tried to track down the seller, but the search led down a lengthy trail of listings, phone numbers and email addresses that eventually went cold.

In the second case, a woman answered a Facebook listing for a house for rent in Jacksonville. She sent about $750 in pre-paid Visa cards as a deposit to a man posing as the landlord.

The result was the same.

Rental schemes are a growing problem online, according to the Federal Trade Commission, but just part of the $770 million in losses involving social media fraud that more than 95,000 people reported to the agency in 2021.

Social media-initiated scams "represent a stunning 18-fold increase over 2017 reported losses," according to the commission.

While reports are rising for every age group, those 18 to 39 "were more than twice as likely as older adults to report losing money to these scams in 2021," the Federal Trade Commission reports.

Romance schemes and shopping scams still account for the majority of online fraud. Rental scams are an up-and-coming problem, though, according to the Better Business Bureau.

"Property owners regularly report to BBB that people show up thinking they have a place to stay because they paid money up front and signed an agreement, only to learn that they have been a victim of this cruel scam," according to the watchdog agency.

The FBI Internet Crime Report handled about 11,000 complaints nationwide about rental and real estate frauds in 2019.

There are two common schemes: phantom rentals, which are listings for properties that aren't for rent or don't exist; and hijacked ads, in which con artists use real listings with fake contact details, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Apartment List estimates that as many as many as 43% of online searchers encounter a bogus listing. A survey commissioned by the company determined 85% of the time the ads were ignored, but those who fell prey had a median loss of $400, with about a third being taken for more than $1,000.

Insurance company Allstate says those looking for rental properties should be wary of unusually low rent, not provide upfront money without seeing a property in person  and especially not through apps or gift cards  be leery of high-pressure efforts to get payment and be suspicious about being unable to see the property.
KANE  A Jerseyville man was seriously injured Monday when his motorcycle and a car collided on U.S. 67.

Winfried Tasker, 53, of Jerseyville was flown to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to Illinois State Police.
Amid pictures of the new war in Ukraine, the U.S. is anticipating photos of truck convoys in the Washington, D.C., area, protesting many issues including vaccine mandates. Ukraines democracy is under assault just as in the U.S., we are seeing democracy in action: people organizing to use their voices.

But its complicated. Things always are in a democracy. Convoy organizers announced participation of thousands, but trucker reality  a need to work and the in-progress lifting of mandates  is sapping those numbers. Some outside interests are supporting the convoys for their own political reasons, eroding protest credibility. But most importantly, the organizers have promised to remain peaceful.

This moment conjures thoughts of Tractorcade. In 1978, after a catastrophic collapse of American agricultural prices, thousands of farmers from across the U.S. drove their tractors to the capitol. They were asking for pricing parity policy to enable farmers to earn a fair wage, and for country-of-origin labeling to promote American produce.

Like the current truck convoys, Tractorcade, too, was complicated. The tractors snarled traffic, caused disruptions, and angered Washingtonians.

But in time the seeds the farmers planted through voice and action sprouted, and those in power began to listen. Small economic and political changes began to take place. Every day, we were given a folder and it contained a senator and congressman, notes Don Kimbrell, a farmer who drove his tractor from the Texas Panhandle to D.C., in an interview with AgWeb. Wed go right to those offices and ask to be heard. Some gave us an ear and some didnt.

The civic story widened. A blizzard paralyzed the capitol, and the farmers used their tractors to dig Washington out. To express gratitude, Washingtonians invited farmers to their homes for dinner. The seed of change now expanded their field and people heard the message and offered their voice and help.

Recalling the impetus for Tractorcade, David Senter, an American Agricultural Movement founder, said When you have desperate men losing family land or watching their childrens future slip away, they can turn to violence really fast. Instead, the American Agricultural Movement gave farmers an outlet and they knew they werent alone  otherwise American agriculture was going to see bloodshed.

Looking now at the trucker convoys, we see the heightened political tensions and polarizing narratives accompanying them.

What was offered by American leadership in 1978  the will to listen, learn, request, and respond to those gravely impacted by the price collapse  needs to be offered today. Therefore, on Feb. 17, the Trust Network, a collaborative body of leading national, regional and local leaders focused on peace building, social justice, and democratic engagement, called for our current political and economic leaders to:

 Acknowledge the legitimate grievances associated with the return of the economy since the pandemic.

 Acknowledge truckers contributions to society and the economy.

 Acknowledge that these times of a continuing pandemic and ongoing need to balance public health concerns with commercial and individual livelihoods has brought about changes that, while intending to be helpful, have had unintended consequences.

 Ensure that the true voice of the trucking industry is being heard and not drowned out by the destructive behavior of some using the situation for individual gain; destructive violence is an unacceptable violation of the law and will not be tolerated.

As opposed to the crushing of democratic will now being attempted in Ukraine, we must and should seek ways to seed constructive social conversation. We should plant seeds of listening and learning, hearing and helping, recognizing and recalibrating.

In doing so, well embrace this moment for democracy.

D.G. Mawn is president of the National Association for Community Mediation and CEO of Intuitive Synergies. Madhawa Palihatihiya is a researcher, lecturer and practitioner in conflict resolution, and senior fellow at the UMass Boston Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development. Prabha Sankaranyaran is president and CEO of Mediators Beyond Borders International. The three convened the Trust Network in 2020 as the first national civilian early warning, early response platform for political violence.
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutchs announcement Monday that he wouldnt seek re-election has set off a scramble among politicians in Broward and Palm Beach counties who might succeed him.

The calculations are changing rapidly. Broward County Commissioner Mark Bogen, who said Monday afternoon he was considering a candidacy, said Tuesday afternoon he would run for re-election instead.

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Im happy staying as a county commissioner. Its not the right time for me, he said.

One political strategist said it would be a free-for-all  a very different scenario than in 2010, when Deutch was elected.

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He was the clear successor to then-U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, whose retirement announcement was timed as part of a plan with Deutch announcing his candidacy.

Thats not the case with Deutchs decision to leave office. He said Monday he would take over Oct. 1 as CEO of the American Jewish Committee.

[ RELATED: Second Republican, George Moraitis, may run for congressional seat Democrat Ted Deutch is vacating ]

The potential candidates all have a range of pluses and minuses. Several have shown they share a key attribute: an ability to raise money for an expensive campaign.

Among the leading potential candidates:

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Nov. 23, 2021, announces his appointment of Democrat Jared Moskowitz to the Broward County Commission. Moskowitz's wife, Leah, and children Sam, 8, and Max, 5, accompany him. Moskowitz is seen as an all-but-certain candidate for Congress after U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch announced he won't seek re-election in 2022. (Susan Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Jared Moskowitz: He is currently serving as an appointed member of the Broward County Commission, for a term that ends with the November election. Hes a former director of the state Emergency Management Agency, a former state representative from northwest Broward, and a former Parkland city commissioner.

Moskowitz is all but certain to run, but didnt say so on Monday. Today is about Ted. So I dont want to say too much because at the end of the day it really is about Ted, Moskowitz said. This just broke. Ive got to obviously get with my family. There are decisions that have to be made and Ill be making my announcement in coming days.

[ RELATED: Congressman Ted Deutch will resign and not seek re-election. Hes becoming CEO of major Jewish organization. ]

One thing that could rankle some in his party: the man who appointed Moskowitz as emergency chief in 2019 and to the County Commission in 2021 is Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is despised by many Democratic voters.

There is a bittersweet note for Moskowitz running. He and his late father, Mike Moskowitz, had talked over a decade [about my] running when Ted was finished. And I was hoping my Dad and I could do this together.

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Mike Moskowitz, a prominent lawyer-lobbyist, former Broward state Democratic committeeman and major party fundraiser, died in January of pancreatic cancer. The reason Moskowitz left his previous job as state emergency chief was so he could spend time with his father during his illness.

Broward Mayor Mark Bogen discusses Hurricane Dorian with reporters at the Broward Emergency Operations Center on Sept. 2, 2019. Bogen considered a candidacy for Congress, to replace U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, who isn't seeking re-election in 2022, but opted not to run. (Anthony Man / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Gary Farmer: A state senator, Farmer represents a Broward district in Tallahassee. Asked if hes considering running, Farmer responded via text: Yes, I am giving it strong consideration.

Farmer is facing a challenging re-election campaign because the state Senate redistricting maps  which have passed and are awaiting approval form the Florida Supreme Court  significantly change the boundaries of the current district he represents, likely forcing him into a primary with one or two other incumbent senators.

State Sen. Gary Farmer is considering a candidacy to succeed Congressman Ted Deutch, who isn't running for re-election in 2022. (Steve Cannon/AP)

Dean Trantalis: The Fort Lauderdale mayor said via text, It would be an honor to follow in the footsteps of Congressman Deutch and I will soon make a decision.

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Trantalis, the most prominent LGBT elected official in Broward or Palm Beach counties, could raise money from the national LGBT community.

Several people whose names came up as potential candidates among political insiders on Monday said they werent running:

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book of Plantation is not considering a run for Congress. She intends to run for re-election in November and looks forward to leading the Senate Democratic caucus in the state Senate for another two years, said aide Claire VanSusteren.

State Sen. Tina Polsky, whose Broward-Palm Beach County district includes territory Deutch represents, said via text she was extremely grateful for the calls she received Monday encouraging her to run. But I fully intend to run for and remain in the Florida Senate as I still have much here to do.

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, said he would not run for Congress. I am honored by the outreach today, but Ive made a life decision that my career and my life and my future is not in politics. I will be continuing to hold people accountable, but not running for anything.

Guttenberg said there are other really terrific people, and I look forward to supporting one of them.

He has been a supporter of Moskowitz, a Stoneman Douglas graduate who was the state representative from Parkland at the time of the massacre. Asked if he was referring to a possible Moskowitz candidacy, Guttenberg said, I need to let him speak for himself. But Ill leave it at this: Hes a really dear friend and I think the world of him.

Deutch said he didnt expect hed endorse any of the candidates.

Republicans

Even though the district is likely to lean Democratic even after boundaries are redrawn for this years election, Republicans are considering running.

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Possible candidates:

State Rep. Chip LaMarca of Lighthouse Point, a former Broward County Commissioner, former Lighthouse Point commissioner, and former Broward Republican Party chairman. We all see what has happened to discourse in D.C. If Eileen and I decide that we want to take this journey for the people of Florida, I would be the only candidate that actually has a proven record of working across the aisle and finding solutions for every Floridian, he said. Eileen LaMarca is his wife.

Former state Rep. George Moraitis of Fort Lauderdale and former Broward Republican Party chairman. He is definitely, strongly considering running. I wasnt planning to run against Ted. When ever an incumbent goes into another line of work, theres an opportunity for people in the other party to give a fresh look at it, and perhaps bring over some voters who have voted Democratic.

Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @browardpolitics
Microphone and US Flag View Photo

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) spoke about what he believes to be the real State of the Union ahead of tonights State of the Union Address by President Joe Biden.

McCarthy was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

On Tuesday, March 1, President Joe Biden will deliver what he believes to be the state of the Union. But what he and the Democrats think is the state of the Union is remarkably out of touch.

The American people know the truth. They see the rising crime across the country, the fentanyl streaming across the southern border. Many are losing their financial security because theyre being forced to pay more for groceries, gas, hotels, and just about everything else, and they lament the losses Americas children have incurred as a result of institutional failures.

House Republicans are listening to the real challenges Americans across the country are facing and are striving to see where we can make life a little bit easier for them  not harder.

Republicans are proud of this country and we stand with the men and women who continue to protect, serve, and care for their families and communities every day. Below is the real state of the Union, told by the American people who know it best. Here are their stories:

Ann Dorn of St. Louis, Missouri

I am the widow of retired captain David Dorn, who was murdered June 2nd, 2020 during the George Floyd riots here in St. Louis while protecting his friends businessDavid would be very disappointed in our government right now for not supporting, and for disrespecting our first responders the way they have. Criminals have not been held accountable for committing violent crimes in our cities.

Sheriff Michelle Cook of Clay County, Florida

Im a 30-year law enforcement veteranI know for a fact that almost one million men and women put on a badge every single day and go out and protect and serve their communities. We dont need to defund the police, we dont need to reimagine the police. We need to support our first responders.

Matt Stayner of Los Angeles, California

My family and I live in Los Angeles, California  the most beautiful state in the unionHowever, my city of Los Angeles is suffering largely due to failed policies and decisions of our elected leaders.

Unfortunately, my family was impacted, as my son was stabbed on a metro subway from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica by a homeless man. And my car was stolen from our home. Fortunately, the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff came to our rescue, and my son was not injured and my car was found and returned.

Judge Dale Carruthers of Terrell County, Texas

The Biden Administrations open border policy is a man-made crisis, exposing America to an unprecedented level of criminal activityThe county I represent, having 91 miles of border frontage, has experienced tremendous property damage due to immigrants illegally trespassing and causing property damage to fences and water lines.

Sheriff Richard Jones of Butler County, Ohio

Ive been the sheriff here in Butler County, Ohio for 17 years. Ive been in law enforcement for 45 yearsThe fentanyl that is coming across the border is unbelievable. Its pouring into our country. Its coming in disguised as baby aspirinsThe drug cartel is killing us every day.

Brandon Budlong, President of National Border Patrol Council Local 2724

Im the president of the National Border Patrol Council Local 2724, covering the states of New York and Pennsylvania. My officers and I have witnessed the largest explosion in illegal immigration in our nations history. Resources are at a breaking point and the safety and security of the American public is being put at huge risk. It is apparent the Biden administration is willing to put politics ahead of what is best for our citizens by pandering to his open border base.

Doug Landers of Glasgow, Kentucky

I own and operate four steakhouse restaurants in south central KentuckyWe have tremendous labor problems in our restaurants and across the whole countrySecondly, we have tremendous supply chain issues. Many of the problems we face with products are that they dont show up at all or many times they show up as the wrong productLastly, pricing problems. Many of our items have gone up 30-40%.

Jason Davenport of Bakersfield, California

Right now were faced as farmers with the challenge of feeding this great nationtransportation is nowhere to be found, fuel costs are rising with no end in sight, and then the necessary inputs we need for fuel  not just fuel, but fertilizer, chemicals, equipment, parts and supplies, everything we need to keep the farm running is nowhere to be found. It takes 12 months right now to get a tractor. To get a pickup truck, its going to take 6-7 months. Labor is a serious challenge right now. The guys on our farm you know, they cant work from home.

Addison George of Naperville, Illinois

Hi, my name is Addison George. Im a 17-year-old junior at Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinoi and I havent had a normal year of high school yet. If Im lucky, I might get a normal senior yearOf course, adults in my community have been going to bars, restaurants and sporting events normally even before I was able to step into a classroom two days a week.

What I really wish is that the adults forcing these restrictions on kids and only kids would come and spend a day with us. Listen to us about how this is impacting our mental health. About how this is increasing drug and alcohol use. Not once has any leader in my state taken the time to understand how these restrictions are hurting us. Two years is a very long time and for some kids, the damage done will be permanent. Why are we the lowest priority, despite being the lowest risk?

Hillary Lacomb of Covington, Louisiana

I have two young girls who are both in the school systemBeing that it was my daughters first year in kindergarten in the public school system, the fact that she has to wear a mask and that she thinks its normal really, really bothered meBecause we dont live in fear. We live our lives. We live in a free nation, where we make choicesIts not right and its not fair to our next generation coming up.

Melisa Nichols of Wichita Falls, Texas

Im a former nurse for the United Regional Health Care System. I worked at United Regional for a year and a half before being terminated on January 7thThis was devastating. I lost everything for making my own medical decisions after working with Covid-19 patients for over a year and a half. These politicians and hospital administrators have no idea what its like to lose everything you worked for just for the right to make your own medical choices.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard each weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on KVML Radio.

President Bidens State of the Union Address will be broadcast tonight beginning at 6 PM on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Sacramento, CA  Californias Senate Majority Leader is pushing forward legislation to divest state government from all Russian assets immediately.

Democrat Mike McGuire announces that the bill has wide bipartisan support. It comes in response to the Russian attacks against Ukraine. McGuire estimates that California has over $1-billion in Russian investments, with most of it tied to pension funds.

McGuire says, We all must mobilize to stop Russia in its tracks. California has unique and remarkable economic power in this circumstance. As the fifth-largest economy in the world, we must use this power for good.

The White House has also announced economic sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
Plainview Police Department

The Plainview Police Department was among 15 area law enforcement agencies recognized for their work to end crimes against children.

The FBI Dallas Division recognized individuals from these agencies during a special ceremony last week in Lubbock.
An open letter to the Florida Legislature:

I am a 65-year-old-retired judge in Chicago married to a wonderful man who has also had a successful career. We are at that point in our lives when we will spend our winters in a warmer climate. We are young and healthy enough to travel for years. It was always our intent to spend much time in Florida. My parents were snowbirds who visited every year and I never felt uncomfortable spending time in Florida.

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Unfortunately, that has changed dramatically. The political climate makes us feel unwelcome to say the least. Being older, the refusal to take COVID-19 seriously was concerning. Why would older Americans want to visit a state where the governor and Legislature prevent the use of COVID mitigating factors? People at risk of illness and death arent going to travel to a state that invites the spread of a deadly disease.

Now Florida has declared war on the LGBTQ community. The Dont Say Gay bill (HB 1557) is a step backward in civil rights, tolerance and equality. This heinous proposal could have been written off as the work of one or two intolerant legislators, but it has the support of your governor.

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If the goal is to marginalize LGBTQ youth, youve done it. What better way to tell gay youth that you are immoral, abnormal and sick than to enshrine it in state law? How better to increase teen suicide and mental health issues than to prevent educators from openly discussing the differences that make us the great nation that we are? Maybe you think this strengthens you politically or you think, stupidly, that if we suppress it, it will go away.

We arent going away. We never will. There are many people like me, LGBTQ people and their allies. We are strong. We have the ability to make decisions. We have lots of disposable income.

Why in Gods name would we consider spending one dollar in a state that enshrines its homophobic views in law? We may not be able to vote in Florida with ballots, but we can vote with our dollars. You can be sure that next year, my husband and I will be wintering in Palm Springs, California where we are welcome. We are not the only ones. You might want to consider this before passing your shortsighted laws. We might not change your minds philosophically, but money talks.

Stuart Katz, Evanston, Ill.

The writer, who retired in 2019, was an associate judge on the Cook Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois.

A column hits home

Re: When Democrats vote Republican, Floridians always lose | Steve Bousquet

A heartfelt Bravo! to Steve Bousquet for outing the South Florida Democrats who voted yes on the renters choice bill. His column strikes home (no pun intended) on many levels for voters and renters (disadvantaged or not). He is so right: Democratic representatives who voted for this bill should recognize and rebuff an antisocial scam when they see one.

[ RELATED: Predatory tactics against tenants disguised as 'renter's choice' | Editorial ]

Though not everyone reads their local paper of record, its unfortunate that the bill (HB 537) was made notorious only in a pair of editorials. As a public advocate, the Sun Sentinel could have made it front page news in an article describing the bill and its consequences. That could have raised many more eyebrows among the public, and perhaps more fully informed the Democrats who (mistakenly?) voted for it.

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Still, I thank Mr. Bousquet for his continued efforts against this legal wizardry that affects all Floridians.

Allan Lester, Wilton Manors

Dan Daley disappoints

Im in complete agreement with Steve Bousquets column. This renters choice scam will surely become no choice and it will not eliminate security deposits on rental apartments. I can see this idea being extended to other rental contracts in the future.

I was sorry to see that Rep. Dan Daley, my legislator in Coral Springs, supported this Republican-sponsored bill. Dan, I hope they will repay you by supporting of one of your bills, but dont count on it. We have to chalk this vote up to a rookie mistake on a learning curve that appears to be steep.

John Ohanian, Coral Springs
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Estee Lauder said it has terminated veteran executive John Demsey, days after placing him on leave over a social-media post that included a racial slur and a reference to the coronavirus.

Demsey, who is executive group president and oversees brands such as Clinique and Mac, will leave the company effective this week, Estee Lauder said in a statement Monday.
This article, Elon Musk Warns of Russian Attacks on Donated Starlink Internet Hubs in Ukraine, originally appeared on CNET.com.

SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service is active in Ukraine and more terminals are being sent as invading Russian troops disrupt internet access, according to CEO Elon Musk.

At the same time, Musk urged people in Ukraine using the Starlink systems to be cautious because the "probability of being targeted is high." On Thursday, he cautioned people to turn on the devices only when needed and to place antenna as far away from people as possible. Musk added that light camouflage could be placed over antenna to help avoid visual detection.

Satellite signals can reportedly be used to geolocate and target people.

Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2022

Musk's donations were in response to a plea last week from a senior Ukrainian government official to provide Starlink stations to the country.

"While you try to colonize Mars -- Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space -- Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand," tweeted Mykhailo Fedorov, the vice prime minister of Ukraine and minister of digital transformation.

@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars  Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space  Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.  Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 26, 2022

A batch of Starlink stations arrived in Ukraine in a truck Monday, according to a tweet by Fedorov, who expressed his appreciation to Musk.

Starlink is the company's growing network of private, orbital satellites that aims to provide internet connections to anyone on the planet. The prototype satellites were launched into orbit in 2018 and the company has since deployed nearly 2,000 Starlink satellites into orbit across dozens of successful launches.

The satellite-based service provides an alternative to land-based systems that can often be difficult to deploy in remote areas or are otherwise vulnerable to interruption by natural disaster or, in this case, war.

Late Friday, Musk cited free speech concerns in tweeting that Starlink wouldn't block Russian news sources.
Courtesy, Nick Monroe/Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill did not play during Saturday's game against the Brooklyn Nets, but he still had a standout appearance for San Antonio fans. The former Spurs player sported a nod to Hills and Dales, a popular San Antonio bar, in his game day outfit.

Photos taken by Bucks Director of Content Nick Monroe show Hill in the team tunnel wearing a street wear ensemble pulled together with a Hills and Dales-branded letterman jacket. San Antonio bar owner Justin Vitek tells MySA that he and the athlete have been "good friends" Hill played for the Spurs from 2008 to 2011.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine urged the European Union on Monday to grant his country immediate accession to the bloc in response to Russias invasion.

In a passionate speech aimed at rallying Ukrainians to continue to defend their country and encouraging further international support, he thanked EU countries that have decided to supply arms to Ukraine over the past few days and said he had spoken to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, to urge her to take even stronger steps.

We appeal to the European Union for Ukraines immediate accession under a new special procedure, Zelenskyy said in a video broadcast from the capital, Kyiv. Our goal is to stand alongside all Europeans and, most importantly, to stand on their level.

The EU wants Ukraine to join the bloc over time, von der Leyen said in an interview with Euronews on Saturday, although she gave no indication of timing.

Ukraine took a first step to joining the EU in early 2014, but progress toward accession has been slow. Kyivs turn toward the EU and the West has angered President Vladimir Putin of Russia and has helped fuel a conflict involving Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskyy also said that 4,500 Russian soldiers had died since the country invaded last Thursday, although the claim could not be independently verified. Ukrainian children were among the victims of Russian shelling, he said, with 16 killed and 45 wounded. But he added that the fighting had shown the strength of Ukraines people, who had experienced as much carnage in the last few days as other nations have seen in decades.

We stand firm, Zelenskyy said. Europeans are aware that our soldiers are fighting for our country and, consequently, for the whole of Europe.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Texas Rep. Chip Roy was among three congressmen who voted against an anti-lynching Monday, February 28, because it only served the "woke agenda." Roy, along with House representatives Andrew S. Clyde of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voted against HR 55, also known as the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act, MSN reports.

All three are GOP congressman. The bill still passed by 422 votes to three.

The bill amends Section 249 of Title 18 of the United States Code and makes lynching a federal hate crime. It also raises the punishment for anyone found guilty to up to 30 years in prison. That punishment also applies to kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, killing, and attempts to commit said crimes.

RELATED: Texas Democrats demand Chip Roy resign after reference to lynching during House hearing

Roy released a statement Tuesday, March 1, saying that he voted against the bill because it doesn't make lynching a federal crime. He says the bill also raises the punishment for acts that are already crimes.

"It simply raises the punishment for things that are already federal crimes, including those that are unrelated to lynching  such as gender identity  in an effort to advance a woke agenda under the guise of correcting racial injustice," Roy says in the statement.

It's unclear what Roy is referring to when he says "gender identity." While Section 249 of Title 18 does say that offenses committed because of gender identity constitute a hate crime, HR 55 makes no specific mention of gender identity.

MySA reached out to Roy's office for clarification.

Voting Day: Bexar County polling locations for March 1 primary

Massie somewhat echoed Roy's sentiment, saying on Twitter that Congress names few offenses as federal crimes, while the rest are left up to the state. Lynching is illegal in Texas, as well as all states in the U.S. He also says that increasing the penalty for "hate" endangers freedom of speech.

Emmett Till was lynched and murdered by two white men in Mississippi in 1955 after he was accused of whistling at a white woman, according to an entry on Till from the Library of Congress. They were later acquitted by an all-white jury. A photo of Till's brutalized body was published on the cover of JET magazine.

HR 55 was introduced by Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush. In a statement, Rush remembers his mother putting that issue of JET on their living room table and saying, "This is why I brought my boys out of Albany, Georgia."

Lynching in Texas, a project led by Sam Houston State University, has over 700 Texas lynching records on file.
Yves here. Sadly this suggestion for a resolution to the Ukraine conflict is too sensible, and too far from what the US would entertain, to ever get done. Sadly the West has gone into retribution mode, which means unless/until Russia established conclusive facts on the ground, coming to terms will be seen as being weak.

CODEPINK and other peace organizations are planning a global day of action for Sunday, March 6. See www.peaceinukraine.org

By Medea Benjamin, cofounder of CODEPINK for Peace, and author of several books, including Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran



CODEPINK strongly condemns Russias invasion of Ukraine, where over 350,000 civilians have fled the country in fear of explosive weapons and missile attacks, while remaining residents from eastern to western Ukraine seek refuge in underground subways and bomb shelters. As an international peace organization, we call for an immediate ceasefire, negotiations without preconditions, withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, an end to NATO expansion and a return to the negotiating table to address the security interests of all stakeholders. We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people under vicious attack and with the thousands of courageous Russian anti-war activists risking arrest and imprisonment to protest in the streets of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

There is no military solution to the conflict over Ukraine, a country caught in the crossfire between the United States and Russia, the worlds two most heavily armed nuclear nations. While we denounce Putins reckless veiled threat to launch nuclear weapons against NATO countries, we also recognize the United States government is culpable in the proliferation and deployment of nuclear weapons, and must reverse course on its decision to pursue nuclear rearmament and instead advance verifiable agreements for global nuclear disarmament.

In condemning Putins invasion of a sovereign country, the shelling of a Ukrainian hospital, the tanks closing in on kyiv, we understand the U.S. has played a major role in exacerbating this conflict, facilitating a 2014 coup to overthrow the democratically elected leader of Ukraine and breaking promises not to expand NATO into Eastern Europe, where offensive missiles in Romania and Poland could reach Russia in minutes.

Though some will argue NATO is a defensive alliance of 30 countries, we view NATO as a threat to world peace with its military encirclement of Russia and support for U.S. military aggression in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, where an estimated million died under a rain of bombs and millions more were displaced. NATOs aggressive stance on China, another nuclear-armed nation, also threatens world peace and efforts to unite in the face of existential climate catastrophe.

In advance of the NATO summit in June, CODEPINK calls for an international security agreement to protect the interests of all Europeans to remain free from war and occupation. Such an agreement should have been forged after the fall of the Soviet Union and dissolution of the Warsaw Pact; instead the U.S. and NATO sought further militarization in a continuance of the Cold War that spawned multiple hot wars, from Korea to Vietnam.

To prevent further fighting in Ukraine, to stop the loss of life, bloodshed and grave environmental degradation from the bombing of munitions plants, let us return to the 2015 Minsk II agreement that established a blueprint for peace and an end to the civil war rocking eastern Ukraine. Ukraine should be a neutral country; its incorporation into NATO should be off the table as a starting point for diplomacy.

During this perilous time, when further military escalation could trigger a Chernobyl radioactive meltdown or push us to the brink of nuclear annihilation, we urge President Biden and Congress to stop the flow of weapons to Ukraine, offer humanitarian assistance and safe refuge instead, renew lapsed arms control treaties (Anti-Ballistic Missile, Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces, Open Skies) the U.S. abandoned with Russia, and reject the imposition of massive sanctions that will harm the Russian people who, like us, want peace and security.

Blanket sanctions on the entire Russian economy could spread economic and environmental hardship to Europe and potentially the global community with energy price hikes that may reduce energy consumption in the short term but prompt more oil drilling and lethal burning of fossil fuels in the long term.

In solidarity with anti-war protesters in Russia and across Europe, we call on the worlds peace-loving people, including conscripted front-line soldiers, to join us in a massive unified response to say:

No to War in Ukraine; Yes to Negotiations and Peace.
Florida politicians are obsessed with gay and transgender people in the worst possible way.

Every year or so, Republicans in the Legislature come up with some new way to try to degrade, demonize or discriminate against LGBTQ families.

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Theyve tried to use bathrooms, youth sports, adoption laws  and now attempts to censor classroom discussions that might upset anyone who doesnt like the idea of a kid having two mommies.

This obsession with gay families isnt normal. Nor are these the issues most Floridians  even many sensible conservatives  care about.

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But the politicians who chum the waters of intolerance with their relentless crusades against gay families are re-elected year after year, thanks partly to donations from companies that claim to support diversity.

Walt Disney World is a prime example. The parks preach inclusion in their marketing campaigns. But Disney has given money to every single sponsor and co-sponsor of this years infamous Dont Say Gay bill.

Disney knows who these people are. The Senate sponsor, Ocala Republican Dennis Baxley, has backed anti-gay legislation for years  including laws to prevent gay couples from adopting kids who otherwise wouldnt have a family at all. Baxley once compared kids who live with same-sex parents to kids raised by alcoholics and abusers and later said: Im not phobic, but I simply cant affirm homosexuality.

The very next year Disney cut Baxley a campaign check. And another after that. And yet another last year.

So the park puts out the rainbow Mickeys during Gay Days while also cutting checks to the politicians hellbent on dehumanizing those same park guests.

Disney isnt alone. The Number-crunchers at the Popular Information news site tracked donations by Florida entities that cite equality as a core value and found many funneled big bucks to politicians who back this bill  including more than $100,000 from Florida Realtors and Publix; $75,000 from Anheuser-Busch, $34,000 from Duke Energy and $28,000 from Comcast.

These companies love celebrating pride  where they at when it comes to the #DontSayGay bill? https://t.co/D8t9gmqe5C  Rep. Anna V. Eskamani  (@AnnaForFlorida) February 22, 2022

Lets be clear: These companies have every right to donate to whomever they want. But you also have a right to know about it  and to know that, in other states, businesses have used the political power they purchase to effectively neuter culture wars.

I emailed Disney World President Jeff Vahle to ask why his company keeps funding the politicians who lead anti-gay crusades. Vahle didnt respond.

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Neither did Mark Wilson, head of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Compare that to North Carolina, where corporations actually stood up for equality and led the beat-back of that states infamous bathroom bill. The CEO of Duke Energy led the repeal-and-replace campaign.

Here in Florida, Duke Energy funds the politicians waging the culture wars and just sits back in gratitude when they get permission to jack up costs for solar customers.

Orlando Democrat State Rep. Anna Eskamani said the companies priorities are clear: The business lobby seems more focused on securing tax breaks  than living up to their so-called corporate values of inclusivity.

Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, still hopes some of Floridas business leaders will step up and speak out before the bill before heads to the Senate next week, saying companies that preach inclusion have an opportunity to walk the talk.

The bill itself, House Bill 1557, is a trainwreck. Not just based on anyones personal values, but based on pure linguistics and legal flaws. It uses nebulous and subjective phrases like reasonably prudent person to set standards and bans classroom discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels without clearly defining what those levels are.

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Anyone who tells you this bill applies only to kindergarten-through-third-grade either hasnt read the bill, doesnt understand it or is just lying to you. The bills own sponsor admitted the attempt to censor discussions isnt just limited to those grades because right after the bill mentions those specific grades it goes on to say or any time such a discussion could be deemed not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate. More nebulous language.

Rep. @josephbharding acknowledges that his bill is not limited to K-3 because the "or" clause extends it to K-12 education. pic.twitter.com/8VVR0AILX6  Equality Florida (@equalityfl) February 17, 2022

Then theres the convoluted section that raises the possibility of teachers telling parents a student might be gay against the students wishes. A group of pediatricians from Orlando and Tampa found that prospect so troubling, considering LGBTQ teens are more at risk of suicide attempts, that they wrote Gov. Ron DeSantis last week, pleading with him to understand how dangerous they consider the bill.

Finally, the bill contemplates a host of retaliatory actions, saying upset parents might be entitled to a special magistrate and laying groundwork for unhappy parents to sue school boards for unspecified damages.

Keep in mind: Nothing in this education bill actually helps kids get an education. Theres nothing to ensure that math or science is taught; only that a parent can sue someone if they think a teacher said or did something they dont like.

This bill is such a divisive mess, it prompted something rarely seen in Tallahassee  a defection among several Republican legislators. Seven put-off GOP House members voted against Dont Say Gay, including former Orlando school teacher Rene Plasencia.

A handful of local business groups have also raised objections. Tim Giuliani, the head of the Orlando Economic Partnership, sent a note to his members saying: Unfortunately, several bills currently being discussed in front of the Florida Legislature do not adhere to the same values we hold as a community. And at Visit Orlando, CEO Cassandra Matej stressed the importance of inclusion, saying: Anything that would jeopardize that would be a huge concern for Visit Orlando and have negative impacts on the industry.

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Both execs seemed careful not to be too specific. But Giuliani knows first-hand the economic damage bills like this can do, since he led the chamber in Raleigh, North Carolina when businesses began boycotting the state after the Legislature tried to turn bathrooms into lightning rods.

Jeff Vahle, President, Walt Disney World Resort (Photo: Business Wire)

For the most part, though, Florida businesses seem content to not only accept another round of attacks on gay families but to fund the attackers.

I dont know Disney President Jeff Vahle. But I can buy that he truly believes in inclusion and can even envision a scenario where he asks one of his companys 38 legislative lobbyists why Disney is backing a guy like Baxley. And that lobbyist essentially responding: I know it stinks, boss. But if we want to keep getting incentive deals and legislative favors, we need to keep guys like Baxley in office  even if it means were funding a little bigotry.

Maybe the company has decided thats an acceptable trade-off. I dont know for sure. What I do know, though, is that companies like Disney make choices.

And they have chosen to fund the politicians who push these divisive, discriminatory laws year after year. And when you do something like that, you bear responsibility for it  no matter how many rainbow flags you fly.

smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com
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(Natural News) A team at Imperial College London looked at the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) data from 21 countries and found that more than five million children have lost a parent or a caregiver due to the disease.

Around 5.2 million children under 18 suffered the death of a parent or grandparent to the virus by October 2021, with fathers accounting for three-quarters of the deaths. Two-thirds of bereaved children were between the ages of 10 and 17, while one in seven were under the age of four.

At least 10,000 children in England and Wales lost a parent or a primary caregiver during the pandemic, and another in 140,000 in the U.S., as per 2021 estimates. Further, the team counted excess deaths  or the number of deaths above than what is normally expected before the pandemic  to account for the fatalities not picked up by testing.

The number of young people who have suffered caregiver deaths was based on the United Nations household composition data, where they used mathematical modeling to extrapolate their findings for global estimates. (Related: America has been hypnotized by fear of COVID-19, creating a society gripped by mass formation psychosis.)

An estimated 3.3 million children got orphaned in the first 20 months of the pandemic, and another 1.8 million lost a grandparent or an adult caregiver in their home. Researchers also calculated the ages of the children affected by the parent or caregiver loss based on annual birth data.

The number of children affected by parent and caregiver loss also varied from 2,400 in Germany to over 1.9 million in India. However, the rate of children who lost a parent was highest in Peru, where eight in one thousand were affected, followed by South Africa, with seven in one thousand affected.

The authors noted that their findings are based on modeling, so it doesnt measure the actual number of children affected. They stressed that future pandemic responses should include monitoring systems to determine how many children have lost parents to better track their needs and provide support.

Dr. Juliette Unwin, the lead author of the study, believes that the teams modeling is still likely an underestimate: The World Health Organization estimated COVID deaths in Africa to be 10 times higher than the reported levels, which leads to the studys estimates to be drastically underestimated.

Neglect is awful for the brain

Neglect is awful for the brain, said Charles Nelson, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. He said the wiring of the brain goes awry when there is nobody who is a reliable source of attention, affection and simulation. The result can also lead to long-term mental and emotional problems. (Related: Study finds that teen depression increases risk of violence  so they should all be treated with more drugs that cause violence instead?)

Most of what scientists know about parental bonding and the brain comes from studies of children in Romanian orphanages in the 1980s and 1990s when there were over 100,000 children in government institutions. It was clear that many of them had stunted growth and a range of mental and emotional problems. Odd behaviors, delayed language and a range of other symptoms also suggested problems with brain development.

As the children grew older, the researchers studied the anatomy of their brains and found that there was a reduction of gray matter. In other words, according to Nelson, their brains were actually physically smaller. It was not from anything simple such as malnutrition, either. It was the kind of deprivation similar to a lack of a parent, or someone who acted like one.

In the current COVID situation, the researchers said the children who lose a caregiver at a young age are more likely to experience poverty, exploitation and mental health problems, with some more at risk of falling into gangs and violent extremism.

Unwin added that real-time updated data also suggested the true totals reach over 6.7 million children as of January 2022. While our current study looked at estimates through October 2021, the pandemic is still raging worldwide, which means COVID-related orphanhood will also continue to surge, she said.

Dr. Susan Hillis, lead author and adviser to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the findings show one child orphaned or with one less caregiver with every reported COVID death. That is the equivalent of one child every six seconds facing a heightened risk of lifelong adversity unless given appropriate support in time.

More related stories:

Lets demand a recount of COVID deaths.

STUDY: Areas with mask mandates seeing highest number of covid deaths.

Ethical issues raised as Pfizer conducts COVID-19 vaccine trials on orphans.

FDA declares biological war on children with final sacrifice of the innocent.

YOU are the business model: Moderna says never-ending booster shots needed to eliminate covid.

Watch the video below to learn about the CDCs subtle manipulation of the COVID death numbers.

This video is from The Big Logic channel on Brighteon.com.

Follow Pandemic.news for more updates related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TheLancet.com

NPR.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, Feb. 25, issued new guidelines for areas with dwindling Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

The move involved updating metrics that determine a U.S. countys COVID-19 transmission levels. Those that fall under high and substantial transmission would be urged to wear face masks indoors, while those with moderate or low transmission levels would not be encouraged to mask up.

Following the move, the number of counties categorized under high and substantial transmission levels have dropped substantially. However, it remains unclear how the CDCs decision will impact Americans who are still required to comply with mask mandates. Before issuing the new guidelines, the CDC recommends indoor masking in areas with high and substantial COVID-19 transmission  with 95 percent of counties classified in either of the two.

According to the Daily Mail, the CDCs decision comes as the omicron variant has changed the nature of COVID-19 in the United States. The now-dominant strain first identified in South Africa is highly infectious, yet causes mild symptoms in infected individuals.

Nevertheless, the CDCs new recommendations do not supersede the existing mask requirements on public transportation and transport hubs such as airports, train stations and bus stations. It also does not supersede its recommendations for people with COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for the disease to mask up.

Anybody is certainly welcome to wear a mask at any time if they feel safer wearing a mask. We want to make sure our hospitals are OK and people are not coming in with severe diseases. Anyone can go to the CDC website, find out the volume of disease in their community and make that decision, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a news briefing. (Related: If masks really work, why is the CDC about to drop its nationwide mask guideline?)

CDC always a step behind

Despite the CDCs guidance, state and local leaders are in charge of deciding if they will require face masks for residents. Prior to the public health agencys move, almost every state has decided to lift masks mandates. Forty-nine states  with the exception of Hawaii  have either dropped indoor mask mandates in public, if not relaxing them or announcing their repeal at a later time.

Republican states have rescinded all COVID-19 restrictions, and have even banned leaders at the county and city levels from mandating face masks and vaccine passports. On the other hand, Democratic states have taken a more cautious approach.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled back the states indoor mask mandate for vaccinated Californians in mid-February. The Democratic governors decision lined up with his declaration of COVID-19 being endemic  facilitating a return to normal. However, Newsom left options for city and county officials to reapply mandates at their own discretion.

On the other hand, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced new recommendations on Feb. 24 that went against the public health agencys guidance. The Republican governors guidelines, aptly called Buck the CDC, advised against wearing face masks. DeSantis gained popularity for going against the grain and eschewing COVID-19 restrictions.

Epidemiologist Andrew Noymer of the University of California, Irvine said the CDCs move would not make much practical difference for now, given that many Americans already eschewed face coverings. There will be more waves of COVID, and so I think it makes sense to give people a break from masking. If we have continual masking orders, they might become a total joke by the time we really need them again, he elaborated.

More related stories:

Can we trust the Dem reversal of masks and mandates?

Woke corporations ignore CDC; will still require customers to wear masks.

CDC mulls pushing Americans to wear masks, even though there arent many available.

Watch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denouncing the CDCs guidance on masks below.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

Head over to CDC.news for more stories about the public health agencys guidance on face masks.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

RepublicWorld.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Former President Donald Trump recently warned that China will definitely invade Taiwan following Russias attack on Ukraine.

Lisa Haven of The Restricted Republic expounded on the former presidents warning. Trump is seizing up this opportunity to issue a dire warning to the American people  a warning that I myself have given quite a few times, and a warning that we should all take to heart and take seriously because so much is at stake, she said.

Trump issued this warning during an interview on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, conducted at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The former president said he was absolutely sure Chinese President Xi Jinping will strike Taiwan.

Theyre waiting [until] after the [Winter] Olympics. Now the Olympics [have] ended, and look at your stopwatch, right? This would never have happened if [I was] there. Not with me, they wouldnt have, Trump said.

What Trump is saying here is that Hey, look, Biden is very weak. Hes not showing any power whatsoever. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin isnt afraid of him, and neither is Xi. [Biden is] a weak person, he is weak to the core and hes running the U.S.,' Haven commented. (Related: Biden ratioed for feckless responses to bold Russian moves to build up forces along the border with Ukraine.)

Therefore, its safe to say [that] according to Donald Trump  he believes that the invasion of Taiwan is imminent and could happen sometime soon because nobody sees Biden as a real leader here in the United States. Obviously, hes got some issues that we should be seeking the 25th Amendment about. He cant even keep a sentence together.

Johnson: Ukraine invasion has worldwide repercussions

Haven also cited another article by the Post regarding British Prime Minister Boris Johnson talking about the Ukraine invasion. According to the piece, Johnson warned the U.K.s allies on Feb. 19 that Russias intrusion of Ukraine will echo around the world unless Western nations act.

If Ukraine is endangered, the shock will echo around the world  and those echoes will be heard in East Asia [and] Taiwan. People would draw the [conclusions] that aggression pays and that might is right. We should not underestimate the gravity of this moment and what is at stake, the British leader said during the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Johnson remarked that following his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, they left no doubt that the economic and political shock would be felt on the far side of the world. He continued: After a generation of freedom, were now staring at a generation of bloodshed and misery.

According to Johnson, no one really knows what Putin has really planned for Ukraine  but the omens are grim. Therefore, he urged the U.K. and other nations to stand together.

Whatever happens in the next few days and weeks, we cannot allow European countries to be blackmailed by Russia. We cannot allow the threat of Russian aggression to change the security architecture of Europe. We cannot permit a new Yalta or a new division of our continent into spheres of influence, he said.

Haven said: What [Johnson] is saying is [that] if there isnt enough resistance  sanction-wise or whatever  against Russia, then Chinas going to be like They didnt do much, [the] U.S. didnt do very much [so] Im going to seize this opportunity to go after Taiwan. I think its a real possibility.

More related stories:

Biden regime blames Russia-Ukraine conflict for rising inflation, deflecting from the many decades of corrupt monetary policy that actually caused it.

Oksana Davyda Romero tells Ann Vandersteel: Putin, Russia not ready for open war against Ukraine  Brighteon.TV.

Biden and his war hawks clamor for war with Russia; Ukraine tells him to STOP WARMONGERING and calm down.

Russias red line: Moscow not about to allow Ukraine to join NATO as World War III hangs in the balance.

Watch Lisa Haven talk about former President Donald Trumps warning below.

This video is from the Lisa Haven channel on Brighteon.com.

Head over to WWIII.news for more stories about potential military activity by Russia and China.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

NYPost.com 1

NYPost.com 2
(Natural News) The narrative that government and public health officials only did what they thought was best for Americans during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is crumbling due to the weight of the evidence.

Ben Bartree, writing for the Daily Bell, noted that the narrative regarding the COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates is starting to change.

Government and public health officials used to claim that the lockdowns and mandates were, among other things, necessary and supported by science. Now, they are trying to change the narrative.

Now as their COVID narrative crumbles before their eyes, the near-term PR goal of [Dr. Anthony Fauci] and the whole lockdown crew is to convince you, Joe Public, that their murderous COVID lockdowns and vax mandates all just sort of happened so fast in the fog of war, wrote Bartree.

He added that the narrative public health officials like Fauci are trying to float this time is that they acted in good faith and scrambled the best way they knew how to protect their flocks from the dreaded coronavirus.

The lies widely propagated by Fauci, other public health officials, government officials and the mainstream media have had devastating consequences for billions of people around the world.

Science does not support pandemic restrictions

Multiple studies and reviews have already been conducted to figure out if the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions like lockdowns and mandates were effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus or at preventing deaths. None of those studies have come to the conclusion that the restrictions are effective.

One review conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University came to this very conclusion. They wrote: We find no evidence that lockdowns, school closures, border closures and limiting gatherings have had a noticeable effect on COVID-19 mortality.

Lockdowns in the United States and Europe during the early phase of the pandemic in 2020 only reduced COVID-19 mortality by about 0.2 percent.

The review added there may be evidence that limited masking and very limited closures of certain businesses might have an effect on the spread of COVID-19, but the researchers noted there are very few studies arguing this and their conclusions are very limited to certain conditions.

What the researchers were certain of is that the lockdowns had devastating effects on the economy and that they led to the development of more social concerns.

They have contributed to reducing economic activity, raising unemployment, reducing schooling, causing political unrest, contributing to domestic violence and undermining liberal democracy, wrote the researchers. Such a standard benefit-cost calculation leads to a strong conclusion: Lockdowns should be rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument.

Bartree himself commented that the lockdowns may have killed more people with lockdown-induced starvation than the coronavirus itself.

Martin Kulldorff and Jay Bhattacharya, professors of medicine at Harvard University and Stanford University, respectively, published an opinion piece last year pointing out that politicians, journalists, academics and public health officials are wrong to try and pass blame onto the public for the failure of COVID-19 lockdowns.

With so many COVID deaths, it is obvious that lockdown strategies failed to protect the old, they wrote. Lockdowns have, nevertheless, generated enormous collateral damage across all ages. (Related: With the COVID con the biggest act of murderous psychological warfare upon Americans in history, those who launched the attack MUST BE held accountable, not praised for ending it.)

Kulldorff and Bhattacharya noted that the blame game for the failure of COVID-19 restrictions and mandates is now in full swing, as the scientists, politicians and media personalities that fully supported them are now claiming the reason they did not work is that people did not comply with the rules sufficiently.

But blaming the public is disingenuous, wrote Kulldorff and Bhattacharya. Never in human history has the population sacrificed so much to comply with public health mandates.

More related stories:

The plandemic is imploding and the rats who committed crimes against humanity are panicking.

Attorney Thomas Renz says prosecutions are coming for the covid plandemic masterminds who committed crimes against humanity.

Peoples Court to prosecute WEF-controlled globalists who used the pandemic to commit crimes against humanity.

Sen. Rand Paul: Democrats push for more pandemic restrictions is BRINGING AMERICANS TOGETHER to oppose those measures.

International criminal grand jury investigation finds that globalists psychopaths used covid to commit crimes against humanity.

Watch this episode of Brighteon Conversations as lawyer Thomas Renz tells Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, that prosecutions are coming for the COVID-19 plandemic masterminds who committed crimes against humanity.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

Follow Pandemic.news for more news related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources include:

BlacklistedNews.com

TheDailyBell.com

Sites.Krieger.JHU.edu [PDF]

WashingtonTimes.com

DailySceptic.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) President Joe Bidens extension of the national emergency due to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic runs counter to the prevailing situation and stinks of a hidden agenda.

Dr. Robert Malone, known as the architect of the mRNA vaccine technology, expressed this opinion as he called for an immediate end to the emergency powers first granted to then-President Donald Trump on March 20, 2020 and would continue in effect beyond March 1, 2022 as per a recent White House statement.

There is no medical emergency, and [therefore] there is no medical justification for this [extension], Malone told award-winning anchor Kristi Leigh during a February 24 podcast interview shown on Brighteon.com.

They must have some other agenda. And I can only speculate what that might be, said Malone, who represents over 17,000 physicians and scientists from all over the world as head of the International Alliance of Physicians and Medical Scientists. But from a medical standpoint, there is no justification for continuing these emergency powers.

Besides, Malone stressed, the government is using the Emergency Powers Act to suspend key aspects of the Constitution and the peoples rights.

To bolster his argument that the national emergency is over, Malone cited statements by Bill Gates, who has donated $10 billion to vaccines research and development, asserting in December that at some point next year [2022], COVID-19 will become an endemic in most places.

COVID can be treated more like seasonal flu

Gates then tweeted on Jan. 12: Once omicron goes through a country then the rest of the year should see far fewer cases so COVID can be treated more like seasonal flu.

Malone backed Gates observation.

We are literally all vaccinated through infection and our natural immunity. I dont think theres hardly a person left in the United States that hasnt either been infected with omicron, one of the prior variants or been vaccinated. The emergency is over, Malone told Leigh. Omicron is not delta; it is not alpha. The people that seem to be at most risks for omicron are the people that are vaccinated. So this has just got to stop.

Although views against the vaccines are rarely, if ever, covered by mainstream media, Leigh and Malone noted that the New York Times came out with an article on February 21 headlined The C.D.C. Isnt Publishing Portions of the COVID Data it Collects. (Related: CDC hides COVID data from the public in order to whitewash dishonest COVID narrative.)

For Malone, however, the NYT still found a way to bury the issue by having it publicized on Presidents Day.

You know, fascinating strategy in terms of the info wars aspect here. The New York Times (NYT) dropped this on Presidents Day. So thats an even better way to bury a lead than it is to drop it on Friday night. Everybodys off celebrating Presidents Day, I guess, and, and not paying attention to the news. So thats when they decided to disclose this bomb, this truth bomb.

Malone also observed there were Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists interviewed in the background, but none of them are willing to give their names.

CDC has been hiding a large amount of data

This means, Malone surmised, that the CDC has been hiding a large amount of data throughout this outbreak.

Upon scrutiny, it turns out the CDC completely cut out all data on booster efficacy, or risks in those aged 18 to 49.

They just decided not to disclose these data arbitrarily. They decided to disclose the data for the elderly, and the young, but not for the critical block of 18 to 49, Malone stressed.

According to a CDC spokeswoman, the agency was concerned that the data would be misrepresented, pointing out that it was incomplete and not verified.

For Leigh, what the NYT did is so disrespectful to audiences, basically saying the audience is too stupid to figure it out.

While Leigh looked at it through the lens of journalism, Malone looked at it through the lens of his profession as a pathologist and physician.

The public should feel dissed because the CDC is overtly acting in a political sphere, by basically, fraudulently deleting access to data because of the political implications. Thats propaganda. And its scientific fraud, Malone said.

But as a physician, and as a scientist, what this means is that public health decisions are being made with insufficient data, with edited data thats being spun. And so you cant have good public health policy.

Malone believes legal consequences are in order for whats being done to the American public and because we are talking about lives here.

Justifying his decision to extend the national emergency, Biden stressed the U.S. remains the worlds second worst-hit country in terms of confirmed cases with over 80 million. According to the US Health Ministry, over 51 million have recovered, and 958,300 have died.

The latest data from the CDC, however, showed declines in the number of COVID cases and deaths last week. From an average number of 120,761 cases, its now down to 75,208 for a 37.7 percent drop. From 2,063 daily deaths, the number went down to 1,674 for an 18.8 percent drop.

Also, most of the states are easing their restrictions and mandates. No wonder, Malone is certain Biden has a hidden intention in the national emergency extension.

More related stories:

Biden using national emergency to allow corrupt feds to rig the 2022 midterm elections.

President Biden to extend COVID-19 national emergency status.

Trudeau and Biden EXTENDED national emergencies too create PERMANENT state of emergency for never-ending suspension of civil rights.

Watch the video below of Kristi Leighs full interview with Dr. Robert Malone.

This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Business-Standard.com

AA.com

CNBC.com

NewYorkTimes.com
(Natural News) After its smear-filled coverage of the Canadian truckers protest over anti-vaccine mandates, now shuttered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus authoritarian government, The New York Times is stoking fears of similar protests in the United States and New Zealand.

(Article by Clay Waters republished from NewsBusters.org)

A Truck Caravan With Far-Right Links Heads to Washington, D.C., Shawn Hubler and Alan Feuer reported from California for Thursdays edition. Typically, the reporters characterized right-leaning protests as conspiratorial, not organic. The American truckers certainly didnt get the soft Black Lives Matter treatment for their own protest:

Though it was billed as a grass-roots, nonpartisan event intended to oppose government Covid-19 mandates, a trucker demonstration that left California for Washington, D.C., on Wednesday appeared to be tightly aligned with far-right organizations and activists. Many of those behind the demonstration, which was planned as an American version of the past months chaotic Canadian protest, have connections to the violent attack on the Capitol in January 2021, or supported the lie that fraud in the 2020 presidential election was to blame for Donald J. Trumps loss. (.) An American trucker protest has been discussed for at least a month on social media and right-wing news outlets, inspired by the one that crossed Canada, demanding an end to a mandate requiring truckers crossing the U.S.-Canada border to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

This was typical Times guilt by association:

Yet another group, the American Foundation for Civil Liberties and Freedom, which is raising money for the truckers, hosted an event in Los Angeles last summer at which participants promoted baseless claims that there were widespread irregularities in the presidential voting results in Michigan.

Times reporter Pete McKenzie got into the act from New Zealand. The online headline deck revealed the hysterical slant:

New Zealand Protest, an Echo of Canadas, Digs In and Turns Ugly An occupation in the capital demonstrates the dangerous influence that American disinformation is having on otherwise stable democracies.

Apparently, protests destabilize democracies when theyre against Democrats (click expand):

The antigovernment protests that jolted Canada have been quashed. But 9,000 miles away, in the capital of another Western democracy largely unaccustomed to violent tears in the social fabric, an occupation on the grounds of Parliament has entrenched itself and turned increasingly ominous. Hundreds of demonstrators opposed to New Zealands Covid-19 vaccine mandate are in their third week of encampment in Wellington, erecting tents, illegally parking vehicles and establishing communal kitchens and toilets in a deliberate echo of the Canadian siege. Initially, the New Zealand occupation had a carnival atmosphere, with a popcorn stand and a doughnut truck and a number of children brought in by their parents. In recent days, however, after the police moved to evict some protesters, the demonstration has grown more violent.

Anti-government protests are no longer noble at The Times, but dangerous, at least when they target left-wing governments overseas:

While the protesters represent a tiny minority of New Zealanders, the division is notable in a country that has been lauded for its highly effective response to Covid-19. The escalating words and violence, experts say, demonstrate the dangerous influence that exported American disinformation is having on otherwise stable democracies around the world.

Read more at: NewsBusters.org
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(Natural News) Matrixxx Grooove co-hosts Jeffrey Pedersen and Shannon Townsend told their viewers that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing for the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia has no plans to occupy the Ukrainian territories after announcing that a special operation had been launched to defend the Donetsk and Lohansk Peoples Republic from Ukrainian aggression operations. Their ultimate goal is to protect the people who have been subjected for eight years to genocide by the Kiev regime, Townsend said during the February 24 episode of their program on Brighteon.TV, a free speech streaming platform that supports many different points of view.

In a recent state address, Putin said that Moscow would embark on a demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine and hand over to justice those who committed atrocities against civilians.

Russia not planning to occupy territories of Ukraine

That is insinuating that we are going to get those who committed atrocities. The Russian president noted, however, that Moscow harbors no far-reaching plans to take over the whole territory of Ukraine, said Townsend. He mentioned that there is a discrepancy between what the people of Ukraine want and what the Deep State in America wants.

Townsend added that Putin is also fighting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which has been attempting to encroach on Russian territory. (Related: Biden and his war hawks clamor for war with Russia; Ukraine tells him to STOP WARMONGERING and calm down.)

Pedersen agreed with Townsends statements. He said that Russia hopes to cleanse Ukraine of Nazis or supporters of national socialism like the Bidens and Obamas, who are now trying to take the narrative off the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

Meanwhile, Putin said that Moscow had no choice but to invade Ukraine in order to ensure Russias security. What was happening left us with no choice, the Russian president said during a televised meeting. Putin mentioned in the past that the eastward expansion of NATO poses a danger to Russias national security, alluding to the organization as an instrument of U.S. foreign policy.

Russias decision to invade Ukraine was met with condemnation from nations around the globe.

NATO leaders led by its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a virtual meeting on Friday, Feb. 25, called on Russia to stop its senseless war, immediately cease its assault, withdraw all its forces from Ukraine, turn back to the path of dialogue and turn away from aggression.

CIA training neo-Nazis in Ukraine

Pedersen cited a feature story of a news magazine website about the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) breeding Nazi terrorists in Ukraine.

He said that since 2015 the CIA has been training neo-Nazis who are said to be inspiring far-right terrorists across the world. He also mentioned that Congress passed a spending bill that featured millions of dollars worth of economic and military support for Ukraine in 2015.

Pedersen added that these neo-Nazis are also meeting with NATO, and these are the people that Ukraine and Russia are trying to get rid of.

More related stories:

Russia-Ukraine crisis will put even more strain on the global food supply, driving up prices of wheat and corn around the world.

Biden regime blames Russia-Ukraine conflict for rising inflation, deflecting from the many decades of corrupt monetary policy that actually caused it.

Ominous signs of impending Russian invasion: Half-dozen landing ships leave Baltic Sea to enter Mediterranean as blood, medical supplies arrive.

Russias red line: Moscow not about to allow Ukraine to join NATO as World War III hangs in the balance.

Watch the full Feb. 24 episode of Matrixxx Grooove with Jeff and Shady below. You can catch Matrixxx Grooove with Jeff and Shady every Thursday at 12-1 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

Follow WWIII.news to know more about Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

i24News.tv

NATO.int
(Natural News) Tens of thousands of truckers in the United States who were inspired by the Freedom Convoys in Canada are on the roll to Washington, D.C. to protest an end to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions and mandates.

Freedom Convoy U.S.A. is organizing a protest in the National Mall on March 1 in time for Bidens State of the Union address.

Freedom Convoy U.S.A. organizer and leader Kyle Sefcik recently put out a direct message to President Joe Biden urging him to end the mandates and explaining eloquently that the Freedom Convoy is going to be a peaceful demonstration.

We are very organized and our routes are public, he said in his video message to the president. I even pulled a permit for the National Mall to be respectful. I just want to be as transparent as possible from the start so theres no confusion.

We are coming peacefully and were going to do this lawfully and constitutionally, added Sefcik, a small business owner from Maryland.

Sefcik said he is doing everything he can to be transparent about the Freedom Convoys plans so that nobody tries to twist and lie about who the organization represents and what they want to achieve.

We just want government overreach to end, he said. On behalf of Freedom Convoy U.S.A. 2022, we are asking you to end the state of emergency and the mandates once and for all.

He warned Biden that the world saw what happened in Canada and is watching what he plans to do with the health freedom protesters in America. (Related: Were UN troops used as Canadian cops during Trudeaus authoritarian response to the Freedom Convoy?)

So we are leaving the choice to you. The decision is in your hands, said Sefcik. This whole convoy, this whole assembly on the National Mall, it doesnt even have to happen if you just end things now, and we can get on with our lives.

Freedom Convoy U.S.A. prepared to peacefully protest until the mandates end

In an interview with television host and producer Del Bigtree on his show The HighWire, Sefcik explained that he is going to great lengths to make sure nobody willfully mischaracterizes the Freedom Convoy.

I just got out of a two-hour meeting with the Capitol Police, with the Metropolitan Police, with the National Park Service, with the United States Park Police. I mean, its 13 different people in a meeting, and Im just telling you guys straight from the source of whos pulling this permit and doing all this organizing. This is what it is, said Sefcik.

Im working directly with D.C., all these different police departments and parks so that we do it right, so while other people post all this  lets be honest, crap and lies  were gonna keep doing what were doing and updating people along the process so everybody knows that we are doing this peacefully, constitutionally, he continued.

Sefcik said around 38,000 truckers from all over the country have already signed up to be part of the convoy and many are already on their way to the nations capital. These protesters could disrupt vital trucking corridors in Maryland and Northern Virginia during their protest and that he and the truckers are prepared to keep protesting until the mandates end.

During his interview with Bigtree, Sefcik implored people to study the Constitution and know your rights, your God-given rights.

The reason were at where were at in the United States right now [is that] so many people got away from the Constitution, he said. The United States Constitution and each state, you have your own constitution. Make sure you guys know this thing.

Sefcik also asked people to read the Bible and develop a relationship with God. Get in the Word, get in the Bible. Our country is founded under the one true God, lets put God back in the government, back in our lives.

Freedom Convoy U.S.A. is one of several American grassroots organizations inspired by the trucker protest in Canada. Other groups, including the American Truckers Freedom Fund and the Peoples Convoy have also organized convoy protests to arrive in Washington, D.C.

More related stories:

Mayor of Ottawa declares vehicles stolen by authorities during Trudeaus Freedom Convoy crackdown will be sold to cover costs.

Canadian government freezes single moms bank account after she donated $50 to the Freedom Convoy.

Canadian police threatened to arrest journalists covering Trudeaus Freedom Convoy crackdown.

Canadian cyberterrorist takes credit for hacking GiveSendGo and doxxing thousands of Freedom Convoy donors.

Watch this episode of The HighWire with Del Bigtree as he interviews organizer and leader of the Freedom Convoy U.S.A. Kyle Sefcik regarding the upcoming demonstration involving tens of thousands of truckers in Washington, D.C.

This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

Find more COVID-related news at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Breitbart.com

DailyCaller.com
(Natural News) As Russias invasion of Ukraine rages on, several major American gas and oil industry groups are urging the Biden administration to boost the production of domestic energy.

Last week, the price of oil surpassed $100 per barrel, a milestone that hasnt been seen in nearly eight years, in response to Russias offensive against Ukraine. This has a major influence on gas prices for fossil fuel companies, and the American Petroleum Institutes President and CEO, Mike Sommers, said that its time to focus on American energy leadership.

The API is one of the nations biggest gas and oil industry groups, representing roughly 600 energy firms. After condemning the invasion, Sommers noted the crucial role that U.S. oil and natural gas producers play in supporting European allies with access to affordable and dependable energy.

He added: With both geopolitical tensions and energy costs rising, American energy leadership can serve as a stabilizing force while strengthening global energy security. Our industry is committed to working with the administration to do everything possible to minimize any impacts on U.S. consumers while supporting our allies overseas.

Meanwhile, another industry group, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) also emphasized the importance of strengthening domestic production to help America and its allies.

IPAA COO Jeff Eshelman said: The United States has shown its global energy dominance over the past decade. Unfortunately, this has been threatened by the current Administrations policies against domestic natural gas and oil production.

He added that producing natural gas and oil at home means America wont need to depend on oil imports from unfriendly countries. He also said that upping our domestic energy production could provide freedom from hostile nations for people around the world.

Biden immediately went to work fighting fossil fuels when he got into office. He has halted the Keystone XL oil pipeline, abandoned an Alaskan oil drilling project and taken steps to ban new drilling leases for federal land. He has also made it more difficult for utilities to get natural gas projects approved.

Unfortunately, for most of 2021, Russia provided more oil to America than any country except for Canada. Federal projections show the U.S moving from being a net exporter of total energy in 2019 and a net oil exporter in 2020 to a net importer of crude oil this year thanks to Bidens policies.

Gas prices already rising

The effects are already being felt at the pump, with the price of gas rising to $3.61 on Monday, which is 8 cents over the average of $3.532 a week earlier and 90 cents more than the average of $2.71 noted a year ago. In California, drivers are paying the nations highest prices for gas at an average of $4.827.

West Texas intermediate crude rose to $99.10 per barrel and international standard Brent crude hit a seven-year high of over $104 per barrel.

With more than 70 percent of American retail goods being transported by truck, the rising gas prices will raise the costs of numerous products for consumers. In addition, sustained high oil prices can impact the prices of many goods thanks to the use of petroleum byproducts for plastic packaging and labels.

Biden excludes Russian energy from sanctions

Biden chose to preserve access to Russian energy when announcing sanctions against Russia, which means Russian oil and natural gas will continue to flow freely for now. However, many believe that excluding an industry that is so essential to the Russian economy from sanctions doesnt send the right message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa) said that leaving oil and gas out of the sanctions will not stop Putin from additional aggression.

The administration is intentionally leaving the biggest industry in Russias economy virtually untouched, he said. The sanctions imposed on Russian banks, while welcome, may not isolate the Russian financial system from international activity. Thats why the U.S. should impose crippling sanctions on Russias oil and gas sector.

Sources for this article include:

WND.com

DailyMail.co.uk

MarketWatch.com
(Natural News) When we shared yesterday that all interested observers should be very wary of the information from media sources around Ukraine, there was a reason for that. Question everything. Take nothing at face value.

(Article by Sundance republished from TheConservativeTreehouse.com)

If you have never experienced the propaganda push surrounding war, the totality of the inbound bullsh*t can be destabilizing, overwhelming and unnerving. Its one of the reasons why CTH doesnt share immediate information. Everyone has an agenda.

Everything we are seeing in U.S. media surrounding U.S. interests in Ukraine is a massive propaganda operation with the headquarters in the U.S. State Department and U.S. intelligence community. The sense of sympathy you are feeling is part of an intentionally manipulative operation from within this DC matrix. The images, pictures, videos, speeches, soundbites and the cinematography broadcast by U.S. corporate media are all purposefully intended to create a very specific outlook within the American people toward the issues in Ukraine. The leftist United Nations, and the leftist U.S State Dept, will work together on this just like they have done in the prior examples (Ukraine 1.0, Libya, Egypt, etc.).

It is very easy to become a victim of psychological warfare intended to manipulate our opinions.

The neocons, war promoting agents working on behalf of the UniParty and the collective globalist interests, are all united in their effort.

Unfortunately, almost everything being transmitted from corporate news into our psyche is part of a battle for your mind. The goal is to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is why people who are familiar with these types of tactics often tap-out when the drumbeats get loudest.

The White House, which means the total globalist effort, tipped their hand earlier last week when they defined strategic power and their outlook toward winning the battle for the mind. Everything is about writing a script, creating a narrative, building a better story, where the globalists are the heroes. In essence, the strategic power battle is for your mind

Ultimately, the goal of our sanctions is to make this a strategic failure for Russia; and lets define a little bit of what that means. Strategic success in the 21st century is not about a physical land grab of territory; thats what Putin has done.

In this century, strategic power is increasingly measured and exercised by economic strength, by technological sophistication and your story  who you are, what your values are; can you attract ideas and talent and goodwill? And on each of those measures, this will be a failure for Russia.

Everything in modern warfare is storytelling.

Question all of it.

The stories of the 13 guards on an island telling the Russian naval ship to fuck off yeah, it was a lie (turns out they surrendered). The Ghost of Kyiv pilot, the lady with the sunflower seeds etc., now all recognized as lies and propaganda. And do not expect it to stop, because it wont. Thus, the nature of warfare for your mind.

Read more at: TheConservativeTreehouse.com
(Natural News) I have been warning the West should not mess with Putin. It is so obvious that the West has made the same fatal mistake as that of Rome. It has weakened its economy with COVID and it is so obsessed with trying to force Russia and China to comply with their Climate Change directives set out by the UN, that they have lost sight of the fact that there is no qualified leadership in any of the major countries and they have weakened their entire military establishment demanding vaccines or you are out.

(Article by Martin Armstrong republished from ArmstrongEconomics.com)

Even during the debate between Biden and Trump, he actually admitted he would stop Fracking on Federal Land, and said he was going to end the oil industry in addition to joining the UNs Paris accord to force China to comply which confirms everything I have been getting from sources that the Globalists needed to remove Trump to use American power against China and Russia. Now here we are and make no mistake about it  this is all for climate change.

If there was ever a PERFECT time for World War III  this is it.

I have been warning that if China and Russia combined, the West will be defeated. Reliable sources have confirmed that China has entered into a friendly relationship with North Korea for mutual benefit. North Korea has one of the largest armies since 2018 it stands at 1,469,000.00. North Korea has been also demonized by the West so they too have a grudge match that has never been settled. With rising shortages of food, the North has never been the breadbasket of Korea and that also provides an incentive to join a triumvirate against the West with Russia and China. Cyclically, North Korea could even start its aggression by January 2023 at the latest.

Additionally, Putin has just dramatically just upped the stakes ordering Russian nuclear deterrent forces put on high alert today because of the boasting of the West and the aggressive statements by leading NATO powers. Lost in all of this is the fact that Putin has also made a direct threat to Europe that if Sweden and Finland join NATO there will be detrimental military and political consequences. Sweden has closed its air space to all Russian flights.

Putin is playing chess while the rest of the world was playing checkers. When America wages war, they seek to destroy all the infrastructure, take down the power grid, and destroy the water supply. US troops then move in as more of a mop-up operation. The West is judging Putin by the same way the US wages war and they are so wrong. Putin is not using that strategy of a video game for he wants to take Ukraine intact for it also has the richest land in the world for food production  hence Stalin stole all the food and killed 7 million by starvation.

Putin is NOT backing away from resistance, he is encircling it the classic way war is traditionally fought  you laid siege to the city by surrounding it, and starvation forces their surrender. That often takes time, but you then have the city and the people. You do not raze it to the ground and kill everyone. Anyone who has studied ancient war strategies should see what Putin is doing and the Western press is either deliberately putting out propaganda, or they are complete idiots.

Putin seeks to install a new government with minimal casualties to civilians. Every dead civilian creates a blood enemy of their survivors. But the US way means it then costs billions in aid to rebuild what they destroyed  i.e. Iraq. Putin is NOT using that strategy and the Western press is judging him by American standards of destroying everything and winning in a few days.

Putin is not seeking to destroy the Ukrainian Army. He wants to capture it and once a new government is installed, they will then become allies. This is the very strategy of Alexander the Great. He conquered the known world, but those who were once his enemy joined his army. In Babylon, he defeated Darius III but he left the infrastructure intact and he installed Persian satraps (governors) who poured what would have been Dariuss taxes into Alexanders coffers. This is the strategy of Putin  not to obliterate his enemy and then pour billions in to restore it. Putin has wiped out the air force and owns the skies over Ukraine. He could annihilate the country in less than 3 days, but he is not doing that to the Wests befuddlement.

Moreover, the real concern is that Putin has NOT sent in his hard-core troops. Only about 30% of the troops on the border were sent into Ukraine. The majority of the troops are there to take Europe if they are foolish enough to walk into this mess. Putin is obviously playing chess and he is very good at it while Biden has to change his diapers. Putins reputation until this moment has always been as a shrewd ex-KGB man. He understood the Obama game of putting a pipeline through Syria to cut off Russian gas to Europe. He moved decisively into Syria and then escalated forces there shutting down Obamas strategy. Assad refused it and this has been the entire pretend reason why the Obama Administration wanted to invade Syria. The reason for the refusal was to protect the interests of Assads long-time ally, Russia, which is Europes biggest natural gas supplier based upon all the data.

Clearly, Obama has targeted Russia from the outset. There was a meeting between Obama and Putin at the United Nations where Putin tried to get Obama to side with Syria against ISIS. Obama rejected the proposal. So when Russian forces entered Syria on the ECM turning point to the day, it was an ominous event. Russia was not only backing the Assad regime, but it was also backing the Iranian pipeline.

However, Ukraine has also been used as a pawn against Putin just as NATO has constantly moved eastward ever closer to Russia. Kyiv has been so corrupt that few are willing to blame anyone other than Putin. Ukraine has failed as a pawn and despite promises the US would support it, it did not send military troops. More broadly, the use of Ukraine has been at the expense of the European security architecture that America spent 75 years building and maintaining. Why do you think Putin has now put his defensive nukes on standby?

Zelensky has been handing our AK47s to civilians. Zelensky is telling residents to make Molotov cocktails and firebombs to help fight back in Kyiv as Russian forces close in on the capital city. This is insane and he clearly wants to use dead civilians for dramatic footage. This is outrageous for civilians who are not trained with such weapons and would then be easily killed by professional soldiers. Putin is fully aware of what Zelensky is doing and he somehow hopes that dramatic footage will force Europe and America to send in troops.

Additionally, Zelensky has done what Sadam Husein was doing. Putting heavy weapons surrounded by civilians. This is also intended to ensure that as many civilians are killed once more to paint the Russians as evil. Putin knows this and so far he has adopted the siege strategy. The internet is NOT down in Ukraine. We have people there and I personally have friends in Kyiv.

So while the Western Press is demonizing Putun and Russians, they are indeed just playing checkers and are not opening their eyes. Just as Sparta attacked Athens and turned to the Great enemy Persia for support, Putin has the backing of China and nobody seems to be bothered by the sudden turn of China to embrace North Korea. Hello! Our press is so corrupt that they cannot see past their nose. There is something much larger in play here and they better wake up.

We are preparing a Special Report on the view of our computer with respect to war and how it is unfolding globally. We will let everyone know when it is ready next week.

Read more at: ArmstrongEconomics.com
(Natural News) Through its Young Global Leaders program, the World Economic Forum has been instrumental in shaping a world order that undermines all democratic principles. For several decades, this program has nurtured compliant leaders acting as WEF agents in governments around the world. The consequences are far-reaching and may turn out to be devastating for humanity.

(Article republished from HelenasTales.Weebly.com)

I have to say then I mention names like Mrs Merkel, even Vladimir Putin and so on they all have been Young Global Leaders of The World Economic Forum. But what we are really proud of now with the young generation like Prime Minister Trudeau, President of Argentina and so on, is that we penetrate the cabinets It is true in Argentina and it is true in France now  Klaus Schwab

Watch below:

?In 1992, Klaus Schwab and World Economic Forum launched a program initially called Global Leaders of Tomorrow. In 2004, this program was turned into the Forum for Young Global Leaders (which I cover in my book The Global Coup DEtat)  a 5-year program of indoctrination into WEFs principles and goals.

The aim was  and is  to find suitable future leaders for the emerging global society. The program has since its inception included politicians, business leaders, royalty, journalists, performers and other cultural influencers who have excelled in their fields but have not yet turned 40 years of age (originally 43 in order to include Angela Merkel).

It has since grown into an extensive global network of dedicated leaders with enormous resources and influence, all working to implement the technocratic plans of the World Economic Forum in their respective nations and fields.

The network creates a force for worldwide influence through the combination of the individual skills and resources of its members.

As Klaus Schwab says in the introductory quote, it has become very successful. Already in the first year, 1992, a number of highly influential candidates were elected. Among 200 selected were global profiles such as Angela Merkel, Tony Blair, Nicolas Sarkozy, Billy Boy, Bono, Richard Branson (Virgin), Jorma Ollila (Shell Oil), and Jose Manuel Barroso (President of the European Commission 20042014). [1]

Another Global Leader of Tomorrow 2000 was Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, a journalist and author who was previously managing director of Thomson Reuters and deputy editor of the Financial Times. She is also a board member of the World Economic Forum.

As Foreign Minister, she led and successfully concluded the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. In November, 2019, Ms. Freeland was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. In this capacity, she led Canadas united response to the COVID-19 pandemic. (World Economic Forum) [2]

More Examples Of Influential Young Global Leaders [3]:

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway

Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark

Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, Netherlands

Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador for Saudi-Arabia in USA

Jacinda Arden, Prime Minister, New Zeeland

Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister, Belgium

Emmanuel Macron, President, France

Sanna Marin, Prime Minister, Finland

Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President, Costa Rica

Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia

Shauna Aminath, Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Maldives

Ida Auken, MP, former Minister of Environment, Denmark (author to the infamous article Welcome To 2030: I Own Nothing, Have No Privacy And Life Has Never Been Better)

Annalena Baerbock, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Leader of Alliance 90/Die Grunen, Germany

Kamissa Camara, Minister of the Digital Economy and Planning, Mali

Ugyen Dorji, Minister of Domestic Affairs, Bhutan

Martin Guzman, Minister of Finance, Argentina

Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Minister of Energy, Pakistan

Paula Ingabire, Minister of Information and communications technology and Innovation, Rwanda

Ronald Lamola, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, South Africa

Birgitta Ohlson, Minister for European Union Affairs 20102014, Sweden

Mona Sahlin, Party Leader of the Social Democrats 20072011, Sweden

Stav Shaffir, Leader of the Green Party, Israel

Vera Daves de Sousa, Minister of Finance, Angola

Leonardo Di Caprio, actor and Climate Activist

Mattias Klum, photographer and Environmentalist, Sweden

Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba

Larry Page, Founder of Google

Ricken Patel, Founder of Avaaz

Jimmy Wale, Founder of Wikipedia

Jacob Wallenberg, Chairman of Investor

Niklas Zennstrom, Founder of Skype

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder of Facebook

The purpose from the beginning has been to identify and advance a future-oriented global agenda, focusing on issues at the intersection of the public and private sectors.

PublicPrivate Partnerships is one of the cornerstones of the World Economic Forum philosophy. That is, a merger between state and large companies (also known as corporativism) with the aim of solving global problems in a more effective way. The choice of leaders clearly reflects this aspiration.

The Young Global Leaders group was initially instructed to identify the major challenges of the 21st century. These included peace, the environment, education, technology and health  areas which these upcoming leaders could exploit politically, economically, and culturally in the new millennium.

Partners for Global Leaders of Tomorrow in 2000 were large global companies such as The Coca Cola Company, Ernst & Young, Volkswagen, and BP Amoco. These could contribute to the agenda by playing an active role in developing and implementing the concept of the GLT project. The partners can therefore actively participate in the development of GLT programs; representatives of the partner companies as well as their guests are invited to GLT meetings ..  Since the Global Leaders of Tomorrow was turned into Young Global Leaders 2004, partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, and JPMorganChase (with alumni from the program) have also participated as sponsors.

The ultimate consequence of both publicprivate partnerships and these target areas is the creation of a largely fascist social contract in which the individual has become subordinated to these powerful interests. Noble goals of creating a better world have also been kidnapped. This is especially evident in the context of the partnership between the WEF and the UN and the implementation of the global goals (Agenda 2030) through the application of the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This means that the democratic principles and division of power of the 20th century have largely been completely undermined and instead replaced by a new global class that shapes our common future based on their own interests. This has led to a de facto privatisation of both national governments and international organisations, where lobbyists are no longer kept in the lobby but have moved into the seat of power, shaping policies directly affecting our lives. What this means has become particularly evident since the pandemic was declared in March 2020.

In addition, leading multinational investment management corporations such as BlackRock, led by the World Economic Forums own Larry Fink, have constantly moved their positions forward.

German economist and journalist Ernst Wolff believes that many of the national leaders included in the Young Global Leader program have been selected for their willingness to carry out the tough agenda of lockdowns in recent years without asking any questions, and that their impending failure (as evidenced by in a growing dissatisfaction of the masses) will be used as an excuse to create a new form of Global Government where the old nation states become largely obsolete. A new global digital currency with Universal Basic Income (UBI) can then be gradually introduced to replace our doomed monetary system. [4]

This conclusion partly coincides with my own. It is also supported by Paul Raskins scenarios from The Great Transition Initiative on how a totalitarian New Earth Order is established, to be replaced in the long run by a global democratic government (Earth Federation) with a World Constitution. [5]

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the catastrophic failure of an every-country-for-itself approach to public health, and national economic interests, rather than global needs, continue to dominate discussions of climate policy, paving the path toward climate chaos.

Under the tricameral World Parliament come the four main agencies of the Earth Federation government: the World Supreme Court system, the World Executive, the World Enforcement System, and the World Ombudsman. [6]  Glen T. Martin, The Earth Constitution

The vision is that a peaceful and harmonious world in balance is created through the establishment of a World Federation with a World Parliament, World Government and a World Court. These are ideas that have long circulated in Club of Rome and closely connected New Age circles. The question is how such a new global system of power would escape the fate of being kidnapped by the same interests that created our current corrupt and failing system? This is in view of those who support projects such as The Great Transition (initiated with start-up capital from Steven Rockefeller). What is happening is rather a method of taking us to their ultimate solution in the form of a global technocratic control system.

However, it is highly unlikely that this plan will succeed. Awareness is spreading like wildfire and the panic of the elite increases as their narrative crumbles and people become more and more immune to the propaganda. Hence all the inquisitors and fact checkers who diligently gatekeep the narrative and help steer public opinion in the right direction. They are surely to be trusted since, for example, David Roy Thomson, Chairman of the Thomson Reuters Corporation, is an alumni of Global Leaders of Tomorrow, class of 1993.

It is now time to take control of our own destinies and to avoid falling into new traps.

Reference: Pharos.stiftelsen-pharos.org / References:

Thanks to investigative journalist Cory Morningstar for the clip that inspired this blog article. Follow her blog Wrong Kind of Green.

[1] World Economic Forum, GLT Class of 1993.pdf

[2] World Economic Forum, Chrystia Freeland

[3] World Economic Forum, Young Global Leaders Community (searchable list over YGL alumni)

[4] Michael Lord, Exposed: Klaus Schwabs School For Covid Dictators, Plan for Great Reset, RAIR Foundation, November 10, 2021

[5] Paul Raskin, Journey to Earthland: The Great Transition to Planetary Civilization.pdf, Tellus Institute, Boston, 2016

[6] Glen T. Martin, The Great Transition Requires the Earth Constitution, Great Transition Initiative, November 2021

Read more at: HelenasTales.Weebly.com
(Natural News) Fake president Joe Biden is really proud of the fact that he imposed new energy sanctions on Russia in response to President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine. However, these sanctions pale in comparison to the ones Biden has imposed on American oil.

Economist Stephen Moore spoke with Dana Loesch about how Bidens apparent strategy is to cripple not Russias but Americas ability to produce its own oil. Whoever is pulling the Resident-in-Chiefs puppet strings is actually fighting against the interests of the United States.

Essentially what Bidens strategy is that its okay for Russia to produce oil but its not okay for America, Moore is quoted as saying  watch below:

Biden has effectively sanctioned American oil more than Russian oil! Essentially what Bidens strategy is that its okay for Russia to produce oil but its not okay for America, @StephenMoore tells @DLoesch. pic.twitter.com/vRn9q1KoLn  The First (@TheFirstonTV) February 26, 2022

Moore is a former economic advisor to the Trump administration. He says that what Biden is doing is a serious national security issue as it is crippling the countrys access to energy.

In the speech, what Biden didnt do was talk about any kind of sanctions that would be related to the primary way that the Russians fund their military operations, which is through the oil and gas money, Moore explained.

What I had hoped that Joe Biden would say, what he should have said, is, Look, I made a mistake. We should have been producing as much oil and gas as we could. We should have built the pipeline, I shouldnt have discontinued it, and were going to do that now  thats what he should have said.

Bidens sanctions against Russia dont really affect its energy markets, which is what Wall Street wanted

Bidens sanctions on Russia seem to affect everything but the energy markets, which Moore thinks is a mistake.

Wall Street and the Biden administration were sort of the same side of this, Moore lamented.

Loesch responded to this by stating that Bidens sanctions on U.S. energy production are more extreme than the ones he imposed on Russia. Biden is now talking about launching cyberattacks against Russia.

Russia, by the way, gets 40 percent of its gross domestic product from oil and gas, Moore further explained. And the man who owns those oil fields, Moore contends, is none other than Putin.

Biden is going to make Putin the richest person in the world, Moore said. You can tell Im frustrated because none of these policies make any sense. And I guarantee you, having worked for Donald Trump, this is exactly the opposite of what Trump would have done.

Trump would have basically said, drill baby drill, were going to use our oil, our gas, our coal, our hydropower, were going to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals so we can be exporting it to Germany and France and Spain and Italy so theyre not dependent on Russias.

When it comes to energy policy and national security policy, Moore said, Biden seems to be making every misstep  or perhaps it is all intentional?

The interesting thing about all this is that while he was president, Trump actually had more sanctions in place on Russia than Biden currently does amid the Ukraine situation.

The first two years of Trumps presidency, CNN and all the media and all the Democrats were Russian collusion, Russian collusion as if Trump was in the hip pocket of Putin, Moore said.

It turns out that the person who is in the hip pocket of Putin is Biden, because everything Biden is doing is benefitting Putin.

More related news can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources include:

NewsThud.com

Twitter.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) California dropped Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) mask mandates in schools throughout the state. It also allowed those unvaccinated against COVID-19 to go mask-less in indoor settings.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Feb. 28 that effective March 12, the Golden State will no longer require face masks in schools and child care facilities. He added that instead of requiring face coverings, California will just strongly recommend their use in classrooms. Newsoms lifting of mask mandates for schools and child care facilities followed his decision to lift the states universal indoor mask mandate in early February 2022, the Sacramento Bee reported.

In addition, the California government lifted the indoor mask mandate for unvaccinated Californians on the same day. Prior to this, the state required those who have not been injected with the COVID-19 vaccine to mask up indoors. But beginning March 1  masks will be recommended, but not required for unvaccinated individuals in most public indoor settings.

However, the repeal of mask mandates in California is not absolute. They are still required for all individuals in settings with high risk of COVID-19 transmission. These include public transportation, homeless shelters, emergency shelters, health care facilities, long-term care facilities and correctional facilities. Local jurisdictions will be able to require more stringent policies at their call.

Newsom said in a statement: California continues to adjust our policies based on the latest data and science, applying what weve learned over the past two years to guide our response to the pandemic. Masks are an effective tool to minimize [the] spread of the virus and future variants, especially when transmission rates are high. We cannot predict the future of the virus, but we are better prepared for it and will continue to take measures rooted in science to keep California moving forward.

Californias move to lift mask mandates coincides with that of its West Coast neighbors Oregon and Washington. The Beaver State is set to drop indoor mask mandates in schools on March 12. The Evergreen State will lift indoor mask requirements at the same date, and will then rescind mask mandates in schools on March 21.

Some schools eschewed mask mandates before Newsoms announcement

As of writing, the three West Coast states are among the 13 states with mask mandates in classrooms still in place. The continued mandates have drawn ire from conservatives and some parent groups. A number of school districts in California dropped the mandates ahead of Newsoms Feb. 28 announcement.

California Small School Districts Association (SSDA) Executive Director Tim Taylor said most schools in the states rural districts have decided to stop punishing students who refuse to mask up. SSDA represents 600 school districts and charter schools in the Golden State.

A lot of districts throughout the state are loosening up and just trying to get through the next two weeks. Parents are getting upset and saying Everything is maskless except schools,' Taylor told KRON 4.

Aside from the rural schools part of SSDA, Roseville Joint Union High School District (RJUHSD) has also made face coverings optional for all its students. The school district serves 12,000 students at nine schools in Placer County, located east of the state capital Sacramento.

Rosevilles school board passed a resolution on Feb. 10 putting an end to mask mandates for students. RJUHSD Superintendent John Becker wrote a letter to families and staff members about the decision, citing the need to protect students physical, social and emotional health as a main factor.

He quoted school board president, Scott Huber, in the letter: We are aware of the growing mental health concerns of our young people, and we are taking the initiative to allow students and families to decide which option is best for them.

More related stories:

COVID-19 masks make you sick so the MASK NAZIS are all in for enforcing them in California stores.

PA school district apologizes for incident involving teacher taping mask to students face.

California reinstates mask mandates in indoor public spaces even for the vaccinated.

Mask mandate issued in California County where 9 in 10 residents are vaccinated.

Colorado Springs student forced to have mask TAPED to her face while at school.

Watch the video of students from a California school walking out in protest of mask mandates below.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

Visit HealthFreedom.news for more stories about California and other states lifting COVID-19 mask mandates.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

SacBee.com

KRON4.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Congress has dropped Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) mask mandates ahead of President Joe Bidens State of the Union Address. The move follows the new guidance issued by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding face coverings on Feb. 25.

Rear Adm. Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician for Congress and the Supreme Court, rescinded the legislatures mask mandate on Feb. 27. He cited the CDCs new system that classified Washington, D.C. as a green level area for the move. Under the public health agencys new rules, green level areas are considered low risk for the spread of COVID-19.

Individuals may choose to mask at any time, but it is no longer a requirement, Monahans announcement stated. He also mentioned that this voluntary masking would also apply to Bidens State of the Union Address scheduled on March 1. KN95 or N95 mask wearing is no longer required and mask wear is now an individual choice option.

Monahans edict appeared to be a complete reversal from an earlier announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). She echoed initial guidelines from House Sergeant-at-Arms William Walker first issued in early February 2021. According to Pelosi, attendees violating social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines during Bidens address would result in the attendees removal. (Related: White House reinstitutes COVID-19 mask mandate for federal buildings, even for fully vaccinated people.)

Despite the relaxed mask-wearing requirements, some COVID-19 measures remain in place. Everyone attending the State of the Union Address will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing prior to entering the chamber. Furthermore, people with symptoms, a positive [COVID-19] test [result] or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a properly fitted, high-quality filtration mask.

I think youre going to see it look much more like a normal state of the union [address] than the presidents joint address. Its going to look like the most normal thing people have seen in Washington, [D.C.] in a long time, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said.

GOP politicians denounce lifting of mask mandates as political theater

According to an earlier report by the Daily Mail, the CDCs decision to revise mask guidelines  which Monahan based his edict on  came amid the B11529 omicron strain changing the nature of COVID-19 in the United States. First identified in South Africa, the more infectious variant that has become the most dominant in the U.S. causes only mild symptoms in infected individuals.

Anybody is certainly welcome to wear a mask at any time, if they feel safer wearing a mask. We want to make sure our hospitals are OK and people are not coming in with severe disease. Anyone can go to the CDC website, find out the volume of disease in their community and make that decision, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a news briefing about the new guidelines.

Mandatory face coverings have been required in Capitol Hill for the entire two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. These had also been an issue of contention in the legislature, with some Republican lawmakers racking up huge fines for violating mask mandates on the floor. Given these, GOP legislators have denounced the relaxing of measures as political theater designed to make Bidens address look good.

At least two GOP legislators took to social media to decry the move. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) wrote a tweet denouncing the House speaker, who is also a Californian. And just like that, Pelosi cancels her pointless mask mandate in Congress so Biden can do the same in his speech. Nobody is buying this, he tweeted.

Nevada State Rep. Jim Wheeler echoed Issas sentiment. He tweeted: So Pelosi lifted the mask mandate in Congress one day before the presidents [address.] Aint (political) science wonderful?

More related stories:

CDC recommendation to bring back mask mandates spurs intense backlash.

Biden wants to enact a federal a mask mandate immediately after inauguration.

Governments left and right just wont stop tyrannizing people with mask mandates.

Watch David Knight of The David Knight Show talking about House Speaker Nancy Pelosis mask mandates for legislators below.

This video is from The David Knight Show channel on Brighteon.com.

Pandemic.news has more stories about COVID-19 mask mandates on Capitol Hill.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk 1

DailyMail.co.uk 2

OANN.com

Twitter.com 1

Twitter.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Lets connect the dots between John Durham, Russiagate, the FBI, and Hillary Clinton. They strongly suggest the Clinton campaign ran a sophisticated, multi-prong coordinated intelligence operation against Trump with either the active or tacit support of the FBI.

(Article by Peter Van Buren republished from SpectatorWorld.com)

In the case of prong one, the dossier, the Clinton campaign hired MI6 intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The hiring was through its law firm, Perkins Coie, which hired Fusion GPS, which hired Steele to hide the funding source. The use of the law firm as a cutout allowed Hillary to deny that shed funded the dossier, and the media to claim for a year or more that it was actually the Republicans themselves who paid for it. This also set up the distracting he said/she said cover that Clinton would use throughout the operation.

Once they had hired Steele, the Clinton campaign itself fed lies to Steele. Steele used credibility to hide the non-credibility of his pushed sources. They were taken seriously only because Steele was taken seriously, albeit only because he was paid by Clinton to do so. You could not achieve much putting a thug like Igor Danchenko on CNN. This is known as embellishing your sources.

Here are some of Steeles sources and connections. See if they connect any dots: one of Steeles key sources is Igor Danchenko, now indicted by Durham. Steele was introduced to Danchenko by Fiona Hill. Hill would go on to play a key role driving the Ukraine-related impeachment of Donald Trump.

When Danchenko did not make up stuff himself, he was spoon-fed lies by Charles Dolan, a long-time Clinton hack (it was Fiona Hill who introduced Dolan to Danchenko). Dolan had close ties not only to the Clintons but to the Russians as well; he did PR work for the Russian government and was registered as a foreign agent for Russia.

Dolan also fed bogus info to Olga Galkina, another Russian who fed info to Danchenko for inclusion in the dossier. Galkina expected Dolan to get her a job in the Hillary administration.

Steele then took his dossier down two tracks. He used his role as a former FBI informant to push the info deep into the Bureau to help trigger the Crossfire Hurricane investigation which would ultimately feed the Mueller Report. When cracks in Steeles dossier appeared early on, they were taken care of.

For example, one of the Trump staffers Steele accused of being a Russian agent, Carter Page, was actually a CIA agent. Yet when the FBI sought a FISA warrant, the Bureau deleted his association with CIA from the application. Special Counsel Robert Durham prosecuted the man who did that, Kevin Clinesmith, who was found guilty, albeit years after the warrant was issued.

Steele was worth his weight in gold to Clinton: he got the FBI to launch a full-spectrum investigation that included eavesdropping, use of a honey pot dangle, and foreign agents, all of which led to three years of Mueller.

Steeles second track was the media. Steele set himself up as a source to compliant press outlets about the dossier without revealing to them that he was the author of the dossier. This information loop made it appear that a second entity was confirming the contents of the dossier, when in fact it was Steele surreptitiously confirming himself.

Its an old spy trick, becoming your own corroborating source. In intelligence work, for the receiver of information, this is known as cross-contamination, an amateur error the FBI seemed okay with. The scam also generated cover for all the politicians and intelligence operatives. They could go to their bosses and say the New York Times had found a source that confirms what theyd been hearing from Steele.

Every element of the dossier job is present in prong two of the broader operation, Clintons electronic spying on Trump. As with the dossier, it begins with the statement that Trump is connected to Russia and the job is to create something plausible enough to confirm that connection. A cutout was again used to fund things, in this case Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann and again the firm Perkins Coie.

Sussmann, with the lure of a big job in the Hillary administration, recruited Rodney Jaffe, a tech guy whose company Neustar obtained a contract with the Obama administration to provide DNS servers to the White House. That got the whole op inside the Executive Office. Joffe also had connections deep into the DNS research community, and used them to gain access to DNS data from Trump Tower and other properties (see what you can do with DNS data).

Though the DNS data results were no more credible than the dossier, Sussmann follows Steeles playbook. Sussmann first takes his story, as an anonymous source, to the New York Times in late August 2016. He then goes to the FBI and CIA on September 16, 2016, misrepresents himself as not working for the Clinton campaign (he is currently under Durham indictment for that) and pitches them the same story that Trump and the Russian Alfa Bank have set up some sort of backdoor communications. Sussmann later adds another unproven tale, that Russian smartphones were connecting regularly with the White House.

The Alfa story then made the press in October 2016 when Slate wrote that an anonymous benevolent posse of computer scientists spurred by a sense of shared idealism had discovered data showing secret communications between Trump and Alfa. Even after the FBI had largely abandoned the investigation as fruitless, in October 2018, the New Yorker revived it, attributing the story to anonymous self-appointed guardians of the Internet.

The source for the latter article was Joffe, who did not disclose that he was working with Sussmann, who was working with Fusion GPS, who was working for Clinton. That no Alfa connection was ever found is irrelevant; the story that Trump was running with the Russians was headlines for months. Despite knowing it was not true as the ultimate source of the false info, Hillary herself pushed it.

There will be more. But what is clear even at this point is that the Clinton campaign used textbook modern espionage techniques to build a wholly false narrative about Trump and the Russians. It deployed this campaign against Trump the candidate and still got beaten. Clinton then kept it alive, in part with the FBI and Crossfire Hurricane as a proxy, even after Trump took office. Was that simple vengeance? Or part of some even more elaborate campaign to somehow end with Hillary in the Oval Office?

We also know the FBI was likely either in on the conspiracy or at best a willful idiot alongside it. Signs that the dossier was garbage appeared early, and even the slightest investigative efforts by the FBI would have revealed how weak Steeles sources and methods were, and that Steele was being paid by Clinton. Indeed, when the FBI found one crack, that Carter Page was an American CIA agent, they simply covered it up.

The same with Sussmann and his DNS data. It would have been obvious that White House DNS data could have only come from inside the White House, yet there are no signs the FBI questioned how Sussmann, supposedly a private citizen, came to possess it. And was the FBI really unable to determine that Sussmann was paid by Clinton? It is chilling to remember that FBI agents and illicit lovers Peter Strzok and Lisa Page exchanged texts: Page: Trumps not ever going to become president, right? Strzok: No. No hes not. Well stop it.

The fact pattern that John Durham is methodically establishing shows what James Comey and Andrew McCabe likely knew from day one, that the Steele dossier was politically-driven nonsense created at the behest of the Clinton campaign, said Kevin Brock, the FBIs former intelligence chief. And yet they knowingly ran with its false information.

We may now know why Robert Mueller walked so close to the edge of indictment and backed off. If his indictments failed under court scrutiny, the conspiracy would have been exposed. Beyond Clinton and Trump, Mueller was protecting someone in his beloved FBI. This goes deep.

Read more at: SpectatorWorld.com
Pictured from the left: Dr. Marc Smith, Co-founder and director of Social Media Research Foundation; Dr. Chuck Wallington, Executive Vice President and Chief of Marketing and Communications Officer for Cone Health; Nakia Stephens, Award-winning screenwriter and independent filmmaker
(Natural News) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found that Pfizers Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine can significantly increases the risk of myocarditis. This affects 12 to 15-year-olds the worst.

Data from the Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System (VAERS) show that male children in that age range have an over 133 times greater risk for myocarditis compared to the rest of the population. Thats equivalent to a 13,300 percent higher risk of developing the condition.

Myocarditis causes the inflammation of the heart muscles and reduces its ability to pump blood, causing rapid or abnormal heart rhythms. It eventually weakens the heart so the rest of the body doesnt get enough blood, leading to a stroke or a heart attack.

The study, which looked at 1,626 cases of myocarditis, showed that the Pfizer vaccine poses the highest risk, with 105.9 cases per million doses after the second vaccine for males aged 16 to 17 and 70.7 cases per million doses after the second shot in the 12 to 15 age group.

The 18 to 24 male age group also saw higher rates of myocarditis, with 52.43 cases per million doses for Pfizer, and 56.31 cases per million doses for Moderna. (Related: Getting jabbed with Pfizers covid shot increases teenage boys risk of heart inflammation by 1,330%.)

There is also a higher risk of myocarditis for females, with 6.35 cases per million doses after the second Pfizer shot in the 12 to 15 age group and 10.98 cases per million doses after the second shot in the 16 to 17 age group. A higher risk of myocarditis is also seen in the 18 to 24 age group with 4.21 cases per million doses after the second Pfizer shot, and 6.87 cases per million doses for the Moderna shot.

For older individuals, the CDC and FDA found that there is an increased risk, both male and female, for those up to the age of 49, while individuals 50 and above show little to no risk of developing myocarditis compared to the expected background rate.

Data also showed that the risk of myocarditis following Pfizer vaccination increases by 7,800 percent for males aged 16 to 17, and 2,879 percent for males aged 18 to 24.

The risk of myocarditis following Moderna injections, on the other hand, increases by at least 3,099 percent from males aged 16 to 24 and 1,568 percent for the 25 to 29 age group.

Multiple studies show similar results

Multiple studies have found that there are even greater COVID vaccine-related heart inflammation risks for young men. In November 2021, a study from Hong Kong estimated that one in 2,680 boys between 12 and 17 develop the condition within two weeks of their second Pfizer dose.

Israeli researchers also put the risk at one in 6,600 for Pfizer-vaccinated boys aged 16 to 19. This study reported an 81 percent hospitalization rate for myocarditis cases with a death rate of nearly one percent.

Another study from the United Kingdom also found that the risk of myocarditis in men under 40 is several times higher than average after mRNA vaccinations and that the post-vaccine heart inflammation may be more lethal than other forms of the disease. (Related: College student reportedly DIES of Pfizer vaccine-related myocarditis after being forced to take it to go to school.)

Even individuals with mild cases can experience long-term problems, including greater risk of getting heart attacks later in life. The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology advise patients to refrain from participating in sporting activities for three to six months after getting myocarditis while deferring further mRNA-based COVID vaccines.

The COVID vaccines have also been linked to other serious conditions such as the Guillain Barre Syndrome and the development of blood clots.

More related stories:

Not convinced that covid vaccines cause myocarditis? See the CDC corruption details for yourself in this new JAMA paper.

UNKNOWN RISK: Pfizer admits more studies are needed on myocarditis risk linked to COVID vaccines for kids.

Government whistleblowers warn about rises in miscarriages and cancer since the introduction of COVID vaccines.

Pfizer TV and radio ads warn the world about serious heart problems, like atrial fibrillation, but leave out the MAIN CAUSE  their COVID vaccines.

Study: Myocarditis rates much higher in Moderna-vaccinated people than government claims.

Watch the video below to know more data linking mRNA vaccines with myocarditis.

This video is from the Data Dumper channel on Brighteon.com.

Follow Pandemic.news for more updates related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

DailyExpose.uk

LifeSiteNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A board member at German insurance provider BKK ProVita said that the number of people experiencing Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine side effects is much higher than what is being reported officially by the German federal agency and medical regulatory body, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI).

Andreas Schofbeck, who analyzed the data of millions of insured people, said it shows an alarm signal for the sheer number of injuries that are occurring in people who take the jabs.

The figures determined need to be checked for plausibility, he said. The numbers that resulted from our analysis are very far away from the publicly announced numbers. It would be ethically wrong not to talk about it.

The Munich-based insurer, Schofbeck added, has been following the matter carefully ever since it was discovered by case management at the company that jab side effects are increasing dramatically.

German publication WELT reported that the joint data pool of all BKK health insurance funds was used according to the diagnosis codes T88.0 (post-vaccination infection/sepsis post-vaccination), T88.1 (other post-vaccination complications, skin rash post-vaccination), Y59.9 (complications due to Vaccines or biologically active substances) and U12.9 (Adverse reactions to the use of COVID?19 vaccines).

COVID-injected BKK policyholders have collectively made at least 400,000 visits to the doctor for their jab injuries

From the beginning of 2021 to the middle of the third quarter, a shocking 216,695 policyholders at BKK alone were treated for COVID injection adverse events. Excluded from this were 7,665 cases of complications resulting from other vaccines.

It is important to note here that injuries caused to BKK policyholders by all other vaccines combined was less than four percent of the number of injuries caused just by COVID injections. This just goes to show how substantially more damaging COVID injections are compared to every other injection on the market.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these figures do not account for multiple injuries caused by the same injection. They all assume just one injury per patient, which means the true number of jab injuries is likely much, much higher. Life insurance giant OneAmerica is also reporting a 40 percent uptick in deaths since Fauci Flu jabs were introduced.

The data also only covers 10.9 million policyholders over a period of just seven-and-a-half months. The covid jab campaign has been alive and well in Germany for more than 14 months and the total number of vaccinated people is over 61.4 million.

Our analysis shows that we are dealing with a clear understanding, said Schofbeck.

According to our calculations, we consider 400,000 visits to the doctor by our policyholders because of vaccination complications to be realistic to this day. Extrapolated to the total population, this value would be three million.

In Schofbecks view, underreporting could be a factor of doctor being paid to not report injection side effects. Another thing could be that many of them are just lazy, seeing as how it is a very time-consuming process.

Its simply impossible to report everything, he said. One thing is clear: the people felt so bad that they went to the doctor.

In a letter to PEI President Paul Cichutek dated Feb. 21, 2022, Schofbeck explained that the data he compiled is easily validated and other insurance companies would probably come up with similar figures were they to conduct a similar analysis.

Extrapolated to the number of vaccinated people in Germany, this means that around 4-5 percent of the vaccinated people were in medical treatment because of vaccination side effects, Schofbeck noted in that same letter.

Chinese virus injections are injuring and killing millions. To keep up with the latest, visit ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources include:

UncoverDC.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Reverend Marty Grisham of LoudMouth Prayer discussed with host Dr. John Diamond the need to pull down strongholds of the enemy in America during the February 22 episode of America Unhinged on Brighteon.TV.

Grisham told Diamond the Holy Spirit moved upon him and told him to study about strongholds in the Holy Bible. He said he looked up and studied everything in Gods word that concerns pulling down strongholds.

The LoudMouth Prayer minister noted that some people say taking down a stronghold means pulling down or displacing the spiritual demonic principalities and powers so that they would no longer be able to affect a city, region or nation, but he said that the Word of God doesnt mean that.

He mentioned the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament and said the Prophet Daniel never interacted with the principality or the Prince of Persia that kept Gods angel coming to him for 21 days.

Strongholds are wrong mindsets that need to be pulled down

Grisham then moved to the New Testament and said the strongholds that the Apostle Paul was talking to the Corinthians about were mindsets  the wrong thinking and wrong imaginations  that they need to pull down. He added the Lord took him into a vision of the throne of Satan, which has a force field at the bottom.

The reverend from Oklahoma said he knew it was a stronghold, a mindset, a way of thinking that came out of Satans throne. He related that the Holy Spirit told him it was a stronghold that says Christians should not be in politics and government.

The theologian and America Unhinged host agreed with Grisham, saying the mind of America has been detached from reality. Diamond said there are strongholds in America that will not let truth in, and those need to be pulled down. He added that Americans need to take a mental inventory of what they believe and compare it to what God says. (Related: Mike Spaulding tells John Diamond America has been turned on its head in nearly every fashion  Brighteon.TV.)

And if it doesnt compare and line up with what God says, its a stronghold and it needs to be torn down, Diamond said.

Diamond said that the key to every victory in life for Christians is to take down strongholds in their minds, which he said has been put there by the world, the devil and the Church. He added that people can understand the truth as well as authority.

Church is supposed to be militant

The theologian and speaker pointed out that Christians need to have the full armor of God and that the most important offensive weapon of a believer is the sword of the Spirit.

Diamond mentioned that the pulpits now are full of people who do not understand warfare and people who dont ever hear that the Church is supposed to be militant.

The Church is supposed to be on the offensive, pushing back darkness, not with guns, not with planes, not with violence. Christ never did that. But we are also not to retreat. And were also not to compromise, he explained.

The Brighteon.TV host added that Americans need to be waging war in their cities, especially those cities that have been taken over by the spirit of the antichrist.

Grisham, a fully devoted follower of Christ committed to telling the world about Him, said politics is where the Christians can come in and begin to implement the biblical way that government should be ruling the nation. The LoudMouth Prayer minister said the Lord also showed him more strongholds aside from the governments and educational institutions.

He said the Lord asked him what scripture appears in his mind when it comes to parents raising their children.

The Broken Arrow-based minister mentioned Proverbs 22:6 and stressed that training a child is the responsibility of the parents and not the government.

And it never said the state or the government knows best, especially one that has taken prayer and the Bible out of schools. And so what happens is the Bible gives us the absolute of what Gods thought is concerning education. So the parents are to train their children, Grisham emphasized.

And then Satan takes that scripture warps it, he twists it and he turns it into the government knows best  [i.e.,] the state should run the education system and they know better than we do, they know better than the parents do. That is not how this works. The Bible says parents should train up their children.

More related stories:

America Unhinged: Dr. John Diamond talks about salt and light with coach Dave Daubenmire  Brighteon.TV.

Pastor Todd Coconato tells Doug Billings: The Great Awakening is happening RIGHT NOW in America  Brighteon.TV.

John Diamond, Jeffrey Prather and Eric Nepute explore their God-given missions  Brighteon.TV.

Watch the full Feb. 22 episode of America Unhinged with Dr. John Diamond below. You can catch new episodes of the program from Monday to Friday at 9-10 a.m. on Brighteon.TV.

Follow Awakening.news to know more about the spiritual awakening that is happening in America.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

LoudMouthPrayer.org
(Natural News) Analyzing the current dynamics of the pre-planned world war crisis now unfolding in Ukraine, it looks like cyber war is going to be the globalists next move against humanity.

With the covid narrative having collapsed  and with vaccines now widely rejected by the informed public  the next phase of the globalist war is escalating to a planned lights out scenario. This will involve deep state-run cyber attacks on financial institutions, telecommunications and the power grid, all to be blamed on Russia.

These attacks are designed to achieve what the vaccines were originally hoped to achieve: Large-scale depopulation of western nations and the collapse of the United States of America as a sovereign entity.

The contrived war with Russia was a necessary step in the narrative to blame Russia for the deep state cyber attacks on America, of course.

This means the cyber attacks are probably very close. It also means that we all need to be especially prepared for cyber-related takedowns in the context of our own preparedness.

Audit your reliance on internet services and the power grid

In todays Situation Update podcast (below), I urge people to audit their own reliance on cloud computing services and internet systems as well as the power grid. Far too many people require the internet to function in order to be able to:

Enter their own homes (smart home door locks, which are an incredibly stupid idea)

Operate their electric vehicles (Tesla)

Engage in financial transactions (they have no cash) to buy anything

In addition, the power grid is obviously necessary for all these things and much more:

Run heating or air conditioning systems that make your home livable

Municipal water supply

Cell tower operations

Cooking food

The winning strategy in dealing with all this is to create off-grid redundant systems for each of the key areas for survival such as food, water, shelter, self-defense, emergency communications, emergency medicine and so on.

This means going super low-tech, which is why I have been strongly advocating the use of low-tech, non-electric systems. Start thinking like the Amish, in other words. The Amish had it right the whole time.

How will you cook food, flush the toilet, filter water or contact loved ones when the grid is down and the banks dont work?

Those who wish to survive whats coming need to think seriously about how theyre going to cover the basic necessities without a functioning power grid or banking system. While outages wont be everywhere or permanent, we should all expect intermittent or regional outages of unknown duration. In a worst-case scenario, some systems could stay down for months.

If you conduct an honest evaluation of the risks and the solutions to all this, you quickly realize that cities are death traps. They are simply not survivable in a cyber war takedown scenario. Thus, getting out of the cities is critical for survival. (The social order in Americas cities will collapse within hours of a grid-down scenario.)

Even then, surviving in rural areas requires planning and practice so that you are familiar with how to run the off-grid systems you need to operate in order to survive. Did you know you can build a rocket stove out of cinder blocks? You only need 4 blocks. See this video:

Think about low-tech or alternative tech solutions for survival. Satellite phones work even when the local cell towers dont function, for example. Solar generators allow you to gather enough power to charge flashlights, mobile phones and even laptop computers.

A collapse of the prescription medicine supply chain means its smart to reduce your reliance on prescription medications because they may simply not be available. You can actually grow your own medicines via sprouting or hydroponic grow systems.

Growing food can be done rather easily using off-grid, non-electric, non-circulating hydroponic systems. Ive filmed a video on my own grow bin systems (using the Kratky method) that you can see here:

Search Brighteon.com for kratky or hydroponics to see a lot more videos on this subject.

Todays Situation Update podcast focuses on low-tech, off-grid solutions for food, shelter, communications, security, financial interactions and much more. Listen here and learn how to survive the cyber war takedown of America:

Brighteon.com/bca6f33c-36b3-4f62-9635-2eb4a424e539

Find more information-packaged podcasts each day, along with special reports and emergency updates, at:

https://www.brighteon.com/channels/HRreport

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(Natural News) European countries that have veered away from coal in favor of renewables are now susceptible to electricity price shocks with the continents main natural gas supplier being at war with Ukraine.

Apart from Poland, all member-nations of the European Union (EU) have vowed to attain net-zero emissions by 2050. To attain this, the EU has started eliminating coal power and sped up the intake of wind, which has risen almost twenty-fold from 20 terawatt-hour (TWh) to 400 TWh over the past 10 years.

The EU has also started to take out nuclear energy over environmental concerns, placing more pressure on wind power to reach the regions carbon dioxide-free energy targets.

However, irregular forms of power generation like wind and solar, which rely completely on weather and daylight, do not guarantee that power demands are met consistently. (Related: Experts warn of downsides of renewable energy: Increased mining activity, pollution, economic uncertainty.)

To address this by way of the renewables path, energy storage is needed  namely through batteries or huge pumped hydro systems. But unlike wind, the uptake of energy storage has not sustained the same rate.

This means that in times when wind and solar output went down, Europe depended heavily on liquefied natural gas (LNG) to bolster capacity. And because of this, LNGs distribution of the electricity mix has increased twofold over the past 25 years.

Almost 40 percent of this natural gas came from Russia, which is achieved through four main passageway: Nord Stream through the Baltic Sea, TurkStream through Turkey, Yamal through Poland and a lot through Ukraine.

Russia could switch off gas pipelines to Europe

A ghost of doubt now hovers over Europe with some assuming Russia would not try to switch off the gas pipelines crucial to the continents renewables-rich grid.

French energy giant TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne said he thinks Russias intervention with the gas supply to Europe is highly improbable.

I am convinced the Russians dont want to use gas as a weapon in the dispute, Pouyanne stated at the International Energy Week conference.

LNG operations, according to Pouyanne, had not been impacted by the conflict up to now.

Gazprom, Russias majority-state owned gas company, supported the sentiment, explaining that gas exports have continued without disruption during the conflict and in accordance with Europes need.

However, problems are cooking as Russia holds the power to send shockwaves throughout Europes gas and electricity markets.

Europe, the U.S. and other nations around the world, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, have imposed sanctions against Russia, which included stopping the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline running parallel to its precursor in the Baltic Sea.

Dmitri Medvedev, former Russian president and deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, warned Europeans that they could expect prices to double as a consequence of the Nord Stream 2 suspension.

Europe and the U.K. were also coming off an energy crisis last year. Gas and electricity prices soared as cold weather and a lack of wind forced the coalition to import more LNG for power and heating.

At the time, Russia was accused of initiating price shocks by intentionally failing to meet increased demand for gas. Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the allegation.

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, currently the minister of state for Energy Affairs of Qatar, stressed that in the event of Russia sealing the flow of gas, no country would be capable of helping Europe quickly to make up for the shortage.

Russia [provides] I think 30 to 40 percent of the supply to Europe. There is no single country that can replace that kind of volume. Most of the LNG are tied to long-term contracts and destinations that are very clear. So, to replace that sum of volume that quickly is almost impossible, Kaabi informed reporters at a gas conference in Doha.

Meanwhile, climate experts said that the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could mean better investment in clean energy throughout Europe.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stopped on Thursday, Feb. 24, the approval of the project which was designed to carry more Russian gas to Germany after the Kremlin acknowledged two breakaway regions in Ukraine.

Construction on the project was finished in September 2021 at a cost of $11.12 billion, but it has yet to receive the required European regulatory approval to allow its operator Gazprom to turn on the oil pumps.

According to Suzana Carp, executive director of climate campaign group Carbon-Free Europe, the German governments decision to halt the project could trigger larger investment in renewable energy and zero-carbon fuels throughout Europe and decrease their reliance on Russian gas.

The alternative to importing fossil fuels is the building up of autonomous energy sources at a national and EU level. I also think it will advance hydrogen projects and other zero-carbon fuels. The mentality has started to shift. Its no longer business as usual. Well see a move towards renewable, nuclear and zero-carbon fuels that gives Europe the autonomy it needs, Carp said.

More related articles:

Kamala Harris wants to export Californias disastrous renewable energy model to the entire country.

Green energy flop is costing Europeans big time: Prices spiking amid shortages as winters cold hits.

Rising gas prices to hit $7 a gallon if crude oil cost spikes and tension between Russia and Ukraine escalates.

Watch the video below to know how Michael Moores documentary has exposed green energy as a fraud.

This video is from the Free4eva Media channel on Brighteon.com.

Follow Power.news to learn more about renewable energy.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

GCO.gov.qa

News.Yahoo.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A report published online this week claims that Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of western neighbor, Ukraine, on Thursday is providing the World Economic Forum with a one-time opportunity to launch a cyber pandemic that would literally change the global financial system with the push of a button.

According to the Strange Sounds website:

In July 2020, [WEF founder] Klaus Schwab warned the world of a devastating and comprehensive cyber-attack that would ruin the financial system (goodbye deposits, pensions, mutual funds, insurance policies), utilities (goodbye water, gas, electricity), transportation (goodbye planes, air traffic control, smart cars, traffic lights, freight ships, trains, etc), education, healthcare, industry, correctional facilities, the internet itself and pretty much everything that most people in developed countries take for granted.

Those concerns then led the WEF to launch Event 201-type LARPs known as CyberPolygon, which were held in 2020 and 2021 and are expected to be held again sometime this year.

The report goes on to note that in December 2020, Russians hacked SolarWinds and FireEye, which penetrated government agencies in scores of countries including the United States and allowed the attackers to obtain some of the best hacking tools as well as backdoors into all of the companies that were clients of the two cybersecurity firms. Those clients included nearly all Fortune 500 companies, many major municipalities and government agencies.

The following year, Russians along with Chinese hackers as well as the Anonymous collective hacked into a major pipeline and several companies including JBS Foods, Accellion, Kaseya, Molson Coors, Epik DNS and even Microsoft. In December, members of the Collective StrengtH  which includes the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Thailand and the Netherlands  worked in conjunction with the Bank for International Settlements, the International Monetary Fund, and World Bank to simulate the effects of a hugely debilitating cyber attack on the global financial system.

Then, earlier this month, the Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo was hacked as well, with donors to the Canadian Freedom Convoy truckers and their supporters made public in an attack that definitely benefitted the tyrannical government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

But all said, the same people who conducted these hacks didnt bother to find out the contents of Ghislaine Maxwells black book(s) or investigate any other issue that has been dangerous to our democracy including the contentious U.S. elections or even leak the trial data that the FDA and Pfizer are trying to hide from humans for another 75 years, Strange Sounds noted further in its report.

And now, all of a sudden, Anonymous is back after Russia invaded Ukraine, to declare cyber war against Moscow, as reported by Australias ABC News:

Hacker collective Anonymous has disabled several Russian government websites including the state-controlled Russia Today news service.

Hackers identifying with the Anonymous collective announced they had launched cyber operations that briefly took down RT.com, as well as the websites of the Kremlin, the Russian government and the Russian defence ministry websites.

The Strange Sounds writer noted: I am not a betting man but after seeing the EVENT 201 LARP become a reality a mere 2 months after it was concluded, my instincts tell me that this cyber escalation will provide the perfect cover to unleash a true cyber pandemic thatll be blamed on The Russians.

Whats the fastest way to ensure that Youll own nothing and be happy becomes a reality? Destroy ALL financial wealth that is not physical. Yes, cryptocurrencies are not immune as their value is ZERO when the exchanges, custodians, and even [the] internet are not working, the post continued.

Are the Schwab-run masters of the universe set to use the current major power conflict as the means of impoverishing the planet so they can rule over it? This assessment lays out that distinct possibility.

Sources include:

StrangeSounds.org

ABC.net.au
(Natural News) The Biden regime along with numerous European nations have imposed crippling financial penalties on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. But are these penalties really doing anything?

Russias removal from the SWIFT financial system, for instance, could be a meaningless move as SWIFT appears to already be on the way out.

Blockchain startup Ripple Inc. is rapidly replacing SWIFT, as is the Chinese Alternative Global Payment Systems (CIPS). Growing competition, in other words, is already rendering SWIFT obsolete.

SWIFT could be nearing its end as Russian banks have now joined Chinas Alternative Global Payments Systems (CIPS), reported Cryptocurrency Newsroom (CN) back in November of last year.

The Russian government has received sanctions from the U.S. via SWIFT, which has led them to look for other alternatives for conducting cross-border transactions such as cryptocurrencies.

Russias removal from SWIFT was reported almost as a victory, as it will now allow banks in Russia to run their finances through China. (Related: The Biden regime is now threatening cyberattacks against Russia over Ukraine invasion.)

As a first step towards moving away from the USD, Russia has stepped up its gold buying process over the past ten years, CN added. The introduction of the CIPS, which is already considered a Chinese SWIFT, is an indication that Russia has abandoned a dollar-denominated financial transaction.

The introduction of CIPS by Russian banks should make transactions between Russia and China very easy, while also encouraging other countries to adopt the system.

It turns out that Russia has also been developing its own alternative payment system called SPFS (System for Transfer of Financial Messages). It was built following earlier U.S. threats against Russia that indicated removal from SWIFT was imminent.

It has already won over 500 participants, including large Russian companies and financial institutions, CN further revealed.

Russia doesnt need SWIFT, which was already on the way out before the Ukraine invasion

Then we have Ripple, one of the leading companies in the crypto and blockchain sector. The goal of Ripple is to use blockchain technology to revolutionize the cross-border payment space in order to facilitate faster transactions that cost nothing.

The release of corresponding products such as xRapid that aim to improve transactions between banks while reducing transfer fees further suggests that SWIFT is already obsolete and not really worth anything to Russia anymore anyway.

The sanctions imposed by SWIFT on countries like Russia and Venezuela have pushed these countries to find alternatives, especially when it comes to cryptocurrencies, CN says. Venezuela is now one of the most popular cryptocurrency-friendly countries in the world.

If or when SWIFT as the dominant cross-border payments system is overturned, it could signal the end of the US dollar as the worlds currency. If Ripple replaced SWIFT, XRP would be massively adopted, while the Chinese yuan would become the number one fiat currency denominator if CIPS becomes the main cross-border payment platform.

Not too long ago, Putin took Russia entirely off the worldwide grid to make sure it would remain functional without connection to the rest of the world, noted a reader at Natural News about how Russia is already prepared for that scenario, too.

It worked. Checkmate.

Another reader wrote that this new controlled world war is clearly being engineered by the fine folks at the World Economic Forum.

The rationing biometric vaccine card is ready for takeoff, this same person added about how the Ukraine invasion is simply the next phase of the plandemic, which involves deconstructing the current world order and replacing it with a new world order.

Check out the new FDA captain. Hes all in when it comes to the wearable / implantable transhuman 4th industrial revolution.

More related news can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

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Researchers revealed that a critically endangered bird could be given a fighting chance by saving 7% of Tasmania's natural forests from logging.

The case was made in a proposal that ecologists and environmentalists believe could slow the rapid loss of the swift parrot, a migratory bird that experts predict will become extinct in ten years unless something is done.

Monitoring the World's Fastest Parrot

It's difficult to keep track of the world's quickest parrot. It spends the winter in Victoria and New South Wales before nesting in different sections of Tasmania each summer, depending on where the blue gum, its major food source, is blossoming.

However, no one can deny that the number of fast parrots has decreased. According to a CSIRO-issued birds population guide published in December, the population is at 750, down from over 2,000 a decade ago.

According to The Guardian, the loss of huge, hollow-bearing trees required for breeding is the principal cause, according to a new analysis issued by BirdLife Australia, the Wilderness Society, and the Tasmanian nonprofit the Tree Projects.

While the parrot confronts additional risks such as sugar glider predation and rising bushfire risk as a result of the climate crisis, habitat loss from logging remains the "number one" concern, according to Dr Jennifer Sanger, a forest ecologist with Tree Projects.

Also Read: Secrets of Ancient Parrot Mummies Unearthed in Atacama Desert

Threats Facing Swift Parrot

The Tasmanian Liberal administration claims to have found a solution to the declining birds population. It announced a strategy called the public authority management agreement in late 2020, under which it vowed to protect 9,300 hectares of southern woods from logging, as per Pehal News.

According to the paper On the Edge of Extinction, 69 percent of the newly set aside territory was previously exempt from logging, either owing to operational difficulties or because sections of it were already in reserves.

In practice, the new policy would halt logging in just 2,900 hectares, leaving other areas with mature trees that the fast parrot depends on open to the forestry sector. All rapid parrot foresting and nesting habitat on Tasmanian public property should be safeguarded, according to scientific advice to the government.

Requirements for Swift Parrot Protection Plan

According to the report, a rapid parrot preservation strategy would only require the industry to give up 7% of the forest area on state territory that is now available for logging. It would safeguard 40,000 hectares of mature forest and 20,000 hectares of regrowing forest, both of which might supply future habitat.

It claims this may be accomplished by listening to the board of Sustainable Timber Tasmania, a state-owned forestry company, which advised the state government in 2016 that logging was not profitable if it had to reach a legal quota of 137,000 cubic metres of sawlogs per year. It was proposed that this be reduced to 96,000 cubic metres, a 30% reduction in timber supply.

Guy Barnett, the state's resources minister, rejected the industrial group's request. After decades of struggle, the Liberal state government was elected in 2014 on a promise of terminating a Labor-Greens "peace pact" between business and environmentalists and growing native forests to promote jobs in remote towns.

The report's authors argue that the quota should be abolished totally, but that lowering it to the amount proposed by Sustainable Timber Tasmania might be sufficient to stabilize parrot populations. It would also benefit other species, according to Sanger, and keep a considerable amount of carbon locked up in the state's mature wet eucalyptus forests.

Related Article: Parrots in New Zealand that Escaped from Owners Now Pose as Threat to Native Species

For more news, updates about parrots and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Humpback whales will be removed from Australia's threatened-species list after a strong recovery was determined by the government's independent scientific panel on vulnerable species.

The species was nearly extinct due to whaling. However, since the 1980s, when the practice was largely phased out, the population has exploded.

However, conservationists caution that the creatures continue to face significant dangers such as pollution and climate change while their numbers have recovered, according to ABC.

Sussan Ley, the Environment Minister, said the adjustment was made after the independent Threatened Species Scientific Committee advised her that the humpback whale population had grown strong enough to be removed from the list.

"They looked at concerns like climate change and krill fisheries, as well as all of the other factors that affect the species' population patterns," she explained.

Related Article: Florida Manatees are Starving to Death Despite Feeding Efforts

Potential Threats to Humpback Whales

Despite being delisted, the species is still protected in Australian seas under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act since it is a migratory species and a cetacean, according to Ms. Ley.

It is illegal to kill, harm, take, trade, maintain, relocate, or meddle with a humpback because of its protected status.

The delisting, according to Macquarie University marine biologist Vanessa Pirotta, could help focus more attention - and funding - on whale species that haven't recovered as well as others.

"There's been this impetus to celebrate the conservation of these creatures, but also to reassess their classification in terms of protection," said Dr. Pirotta.

They will continue to monitor these populations with caution, allowing us to focus our conservation dollars on other species like the southern right whale.

Dr. Pirotta cautioned, however, that the delisting did not mean authorities could rest since whales face a variety of risks, including climate change.

"Ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, acoustic pollution, marine pollution, and, of course, climate change are some of the problems that whales face internationally," she said.

Climate change is huge because it affects where these animals move, where their prey is distributed, and, regrettably, a drop in sea ice implies a reduction in Antarctic krill habitat, which is one of these humpback whales populations' essential food supplies.

Maintaining Caution

It's a mixed bag because you have a rebounding whale population, which is fantastic. Still, we also need to be cautiously hopeful and continue to watch this population in the future.

Last year, when the Department of the Interior was considering removing humpback whales from the endangered species list, several conservationists expressed worries that it was too soon.

Nicola Beynon, the campaign director for Humane Society International, was one of them, warning that delisting the whales was short-sighted owing to the significant threat presented by climate change.

Ms. Beynon said, "The resurgence of humpback whales that travel up and down the Australian coast is something to celebrate."

She believes that a more cautious approach would have been preferable to delist the whales entirely and that the government should reconsider how the listing system works.

Also Read: Is the Population of Endangered Fin Whales Finally Recovering?

For more animal related news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
The start of the new month, according to AccuWeather meteorologists, will bring notable shifts in the weather across the Rockies and Plains.

February is renowned for being a frigid month in the United States, but some areas in its core pushed it to the next level this year. From the Rockies and Four Corners area to the southern and central Plains, average temperatures for the month were 2 to 6 degrees below normal until February 26. Temperatures in Denver were 4.6 degrees Fahrenheit below average, while temperatures in Dallas were 5.6 degrees Fahrenheit below average.

"A springlike run of warmth is in store for regions from Denver to St. Louis after a period of considerably below-average temperatures in late February," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.

Temperature measurements began to improve over the weekend, recovering from last week's deficits of up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But there's a larger warmup coming up.

Change in Temperature

Temperatures are expected to return to normal in areas like Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Oklahoma City on Monday, with peak warmth approaching Wednesday or Thursday.

Temperature variations of more than 10 degrees are forecast as far north as Rapid City, South Dakota, and Omaha, Nebraska; however, the most dramatic temperature anomalies, up to 20 to 30 degrees above normal, are expected in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

"By Wednesday afternoon, temperatures in cities like Kansas City and Oklahoma City should be in the middle 70s," Buckingham said. This is around 25 degrees above usual for early March in Kansas City. Temperatures like these are more typical of late April than the first days of meteorological spring.

Related Article: Extreme Weather Caused by Climate Change Will Drastically Impact Disease Transmission



Warming Weather

The same high pressure that will aid in the warming of the sun will also bring an extended period of dry weather to the central United States.

"An extended period of dry weather is predicted to raise wildfire worries throughout areas of Oklahoma and Kansas around midweek," Buckingham cautioned. "Brisk temperatures and low relative humidity levels will add to excellent circumstances for wildfire activity."

Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado, will be under severe or exceptional drought by the end of February, and the dry trend will further worsen the situation.

Shifting Weather Patterns

According to NOAA, the weather pattern is predicted to shift as the week draws close. By the weekend, the jet stream is expected to shift southward, bringing the next major storm to the region.

Next weekend, the conflict of warm air over the central United States and the entry of fresh cold air is expected to produce anything from snow and ice to severe thunderstorms.

The late-week storm's path will determine the specific location of the fiercest storms. Still, experts are now spotlighting regions of the southern and central Plains as the most likely targets for severe weather.

The region from southeastern Kansas to eastern Texas is most likely to have all of the atmospheric conditions for severe weather to develop. The intense temperature contrast and ample moisture, which is predicted to be flooding up from the Gulf of Mexico, are two such components.

Spring Pattern

A pattern like this reminds me of spring when similar elements and the possibility of severe thunderstorms are more common in locations across the central and southern United States.

Also Read: California Cools Down After Experiencing a Period of Intense Heat

For more news about the environment , don't forget to follow Nature World News!
MBABANE - Sounds that will soothe your soul.

The country music queen Cleopatra Methula popularly known as Misses Roses left country music lovers in awe as she hosted a listening session at the 23:28 Lounge. The intimate setting allowed fun lovers to communicate with the award winning artist. She rendered her latest projects including the song titled I am a fighter. One of the songs that took attendees on an emotional journey was dubbed Lord please help us restore love. They were seen captured in the moment and some taking videos. Speaking to one of the country music lovers Nokwethu Masina, she expressed her excitement.

Great

She said she had a great time and the venue was also perfect. The venue suited the show. I had a great time, he said. The Lutsandvo Lwakho hitmaker also expressed her gratitude and thanked the people who supported her. It is worth noting that Methula has bagged multiple nominations in the annual Texas Sounds International Country Music awards, becoming one of few female country musicians from Africa to achieve such a feat. She has been nominated for Song of the Year for her 2021 hit single Im a fighter; Country Artist of the Year; and Songwriter of the Year. Some of the nominees included LYIA META from Malaysia; Ingvar Olsen from Norway, Gareth James from South Africa, Steve Rogers from Kenya, The Wild Horses from Spain, Chris Buck Band from Canada, Sophie Hanson from Sweden, among many others.
Hundreds of little white fishing boats dot the dark blue seas off the coast of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico every morning. The majority of the crews, many of whom have been fishing for decades, use traditional tactics, such as utilizing nets to catch enormous quantities of fish, which slowly asphyxiate once out of the water.

However, a handful of fishermen are experimenting with a technique that originated in Japan years ago. According to The Guardian, it's a fish-slaughtering procedure that mimics the ike jime process, based on a fundamental scientific principle: the less pain the fish endures, the fresher the flesh remains.

Ike Jime

Even before the fish is taken out of the water, Ike jime begins. It is based on manipulation, temperature, and cleanliness, which are rarely considered. Fish are caught with hooks rather than nets and are always taken out of the water alive to be thrown back in if they aren't big enough, according to the Michelin Guide.

After the fish has been captured, the brain is usually separated from the spinal cord using a tiny knife. The fish is placed in chilled water after it has been paralyzed so that 80 percent to 90 percent of its blood has been drained from its body. This is a crucial stage, according to experts, because it is the blood that has the notably fishy flavor that adds to the product's short shelf life.

The guys in Veracruz who have begun to use ike jime-influenced techniques are members of the Nuestra Pesca initiative, an artisanal fishing group founded by Erik Guerrero, a chef. Guerrero resigned his position as a senior chef at Pujol, a well-known restaurant in Mexico City, in 2015 to return to his state and create his restaurant. However, when he realized that the quality of the seafood he was obtaining was only good for a few days, he began looking into how he might buy and distribute it himself.

Related Article: Cartels are Turning Into Illegal Wildlife Trade



Compared to Commercial Fishing

Unlike large-scale industrial fishing, which prioritizes number above quality, ike jime is a time-consuming, hands-on technique requiring a reduced fishing fleet. Fishers in Veracruz used to capture fish in big nets, but today those who work with Nuestra Pesca catch fewer fish and scrutinize each one with a highly sharp wire - a gadget that has replaced the traditional knife.

If it passes Nuestra Pesca's inspection, they imitate ike jime by cutting a quick incision beneath its fins and draining its blood.

In addition, Guerrero's crew can catch less fish by using ike jime instead of industrial fishing. They follow many of the same concepts as the farm-to-table movement, such as only eating fish that are in season and avoiding the larger, apex species that keep ocean ecosystems in checks, such as sharks, marlins, swordfish, and others.

It has not been simple to persuade traditional fishing communities to convert from a strategy that supports large output to one that takes what is required.

"Fishermen weren't used to doing it this way," says Guerrero, who started with one boat and now has over 100 men under his command. He had to persuade each one to convert and show ike jime's, merit - something that does not happen immediately "when you have three or four generations who have done things a specific way."

He expresses sympathy for his sailors, citing the difficulty many had when switching from net to hook. They used to capture dozens of fish at once, but today they might only catch one or two fish in 12 hours.

"If the product weren't fantastic, it wouldn't succeed," he adds.

Charging Extra

Nuestra Pesca can also continue business since they can charge more for a kilo of ike jime fish than they could for catches made with their old methods.

Nuestra Pesca has teamed up with academics from Veracruz University's fish and marine sciences institute to assess the long-term impacts of such a change in fishing tactics. "It's not the only site in the world that does this, but it's a fascinating case study," says one of the researchers, Dr. Leo Ortiz-Lozano, who specializes in coastal zone management and conservation.

He had no idea that ike jime was practiced on fish other than tuna outside of Japan until Nuestra Pesca. "It's truly our favorite project," he says now, referring to how it has been transformed in Mexico.

Respectful Execution

Ortiz-Lozano appreciates how treating fish with more respect is altering resource usage. He claims that everything is interconnected.

"Normally, fish are not regarded under animal rights standards," he explains, "but this is demonstrating respect to the person." "If fisherman performs well, the environment benefits, and the consumer benefits as well."

Also Read: Real Extent of Overfishing: How this Disruptive Behavior Can Cause Irreversible Destruction

For more news update about Environmental Action, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
An environmental expert from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science pinpointed remnants of historic undersea mudslides and related storm surge in the Gulf of Aqaba, a branch of the Red Sea; that must represent as a precaution to several Middle Eastern countries.

Disastrous Effect of the 500-Year-Old Landslide in The Red Sea

The Red Sea hides a tremendous geomorphologic pressure that might endanger populations along Egypt's and Saudi Arabia's coasts. Director of the Institute of Aquatic Seismology and researcher, Sam Purkis, attended four weeks onboard the OceanXplorer exploration ship in the vicinity, as per Science Alert.

Purkis saw a striking breach in the seafloor while climbing from 3,000 feet on a remotely operated expedition with a colleague. The discovery was surprising, but nothing unusual for the Red Sea, which was developed 30 million years ago by the split of the African and Arabian subduction zone.

Subsequent investigation found this was the result of an underwater collapse, which most probably caused 10-meter-high surges to strike the Egyptian peninsula some 500 years ago.

If the landmass slides another 100 meters, the tsunami that impact Sharm might reach 35 meters in height. If the ground slides another 50 meters in the coming years, the Egyptian tourist metropolis Sharm El Sheikh, that is positioned marginally to the south-west, would bear the brunt of the consequences, according to simulations. It's hardly surprising that written documents overlooked the underwater catastrophe that generated a seismic wave centuries ago.

According to researchers, a 20-meter-high storm surge, for example, might profoundly imperil Egypt's and Saudi Arabia's fast growing urban shoreline. This made the nation particularly vulnerable to seismic events, but the finding of a subsurface collapse shows that there are additional tsunami-triggering factors at work which experts previously neglecting.

While Purkis explained that only a slight vibration in the erroneous area and the entire barrier might break, resulting in a considerably greater inundation than transpired 500 years ago. Just several moments later, the Saudi shoreline on the opposite end of the sea would be hit, but with significantly lesser surges.

Also read: Residents of Britain Forced to Leave Due to Massive Sinkhole Caused by Storm Eunice





Egypt and Saudi Arabia Could Suffer Tsunami Surges

Apparently just dropping 30 meters (100 feet), the avalanche that happened thousands of years earlier enabled tremendous surges to pound the coast in moments.

Furthermore, the study expedition that found this undersea collapse was strongly endorsed by a corporation that is building the Saudi Arabian shoreline. Gradient collapses near the Red Sea shoreline might be particularly risky in gaps or even other tight channels, where a tsunami can swiftly reach impact with hardly notice.

While experts argues that those areas of Egypt and Saudi Arabia that are quickly modernizing have specific threats that have not heretofore been identified, but they must be in order to avert a potential tragedy. As striking element in all models is how the hydrographic of the Peninsula restricts and controls the storm surge. Little further north, in Mousa Bay, the surges might surpass 45 meters and hit the shoreline in less than 3 minutes.

The Red Sea is a coastal fault, which implies it is expanding outward as the earth's continental plates that surround it move progressively. The broad and diverse steam to the north enables the evanescent waves to advance unrestricted up the Gulf of Aqaba.

Not only was occurrence not denoted by a seismic event, but the coastal region where Sharm now settles was only an infrequent premise for sailors during the moment, which indicates handful individuals saw the storms. In just a moment the waves colliding on the seaside here might rise significantly as 21 meters.

The ability to forecast when these storm surges would hit might preserve existences and property; under the disastrous situation, scientists claim the surges might exceed 15 meters in height.

Also read: Spill From Deepwater Horizon Disaster Endangers Dolphins




The gang-gang cockatoo or gang-gang birds will be officially placed under the threatened species list, according to the Australian government.

This came after a population decline of the gang-gang cockatoos due to the widespread bushfires across Australia in 2019 and 2020.

The bushfires or wildfires of 2019 and 2020 affected swathes of agricultural and forest lands in multiple states across Australia, including New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.

It affected not only humans but also the natural habitats and ecosystems of animals.

The fires led to extreme economic repercussions for Australia as they also damaged multiple properties, including agricultural lands, commercial properties, houses, and buildings.

The cause of the fire is linked with climate change with almost two decades in the making.

Threatened Species List

The gang-gang cockatoo birds will be placed under the threatened species after Sussan Ley, the Australian minister of environment, approved the recommendation by the scientific committee to place the birds into the list and be protected in line with the environmental laws of Australia.

In 2021, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee recommended cockatoos be placed on the list and proposed a national recovery plan for the birds.

The Australian Capital Territory government accepted the recommendation and conservation efforts are underway, as per Canberra Times.

Once thriving in their habitats in rural Australia, the cockatoos' population decreased after the bushfires or wildfires wreak havoc across Australia between September 2019 and February 2020.

The birds are also known to be the so-called animal symbol of Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory.

Under the threatened species list, the cockatoos and other animals belonging to this category will be given priority in terms of protection, repopulation, and conservation efforts with the aim of bringing back their population enough in safe numbers and away from extinction.

Also read: Australia Wildfires Were So Devastating it Emitted as Much Smoke as a Volcanic Eruption

The 2019-2020 Bushfires

According to the Australian Parliament House (APH), the wildfires between September 2019 and February 2020, also known as the '2019-2020 bushfires,' were responsible for the killing of 33 people and deaths of more than a billion animals nationwide.

It also destroyed thousands of properties.

The 2019-2020 bushfires affected multiple natural habitats and killed several species of birds, mammals, reptiles, frogs, and other fish species.

The gang-gang cockatoo birds are just one of the many animals that were ravaged by the fire, which led to a displacement of animals, including koalas and kangaroos.

Also called the 'Black Summer,' the 2019-2020 bushfires are the most severe natural phenomenon of wildfires in the modern history of Australia.

The incident had cost economic damage of more than $100 billion Australian dollars, as estimated by AccuWeather.

A Brand New Start

The placement of the gang-gangs under the threatened species list will be the first step towards the national recovery of the population of not only the said bird species but also the other animals that survived the Black Summer.

The bushfire season of Australia spans throughout the year, especially between August and May.

Still picking up from the wildfire incidents, Australia has provided a series of emergency and recovery measures for people and animals since then.

Related article: Australia Battle Bushfires in West as Floods Impact the Country's East
In an online repost, it seems that our furry friends, enjoy jamming themselves inside containers or any tiny areas they have access to.

Which circulate different speculations and quarries regarding the matter. Exactly how do some of our furry pals behave in this manner and what is it about crates that cats find particularly appealing?

Cats in Tight Places

According to Gabriella Smith, a doctorate scholar in experimental animal intelligence at the College of Veterinary Sciences in Vienna, the response stems from a simple mammalian need.

Smith explained to Live Science that what experts presently know and recognize is that the conduct gives a type satisfaction to our cat. From an adaptive viewpoint, this sounds logical, because lateral tension is soothing. This feeling of warmth is extremely important in tense events, like whenever a stray cat is transferred within for the first period.

While Dutch researchers discovered in 2019 research issued in the publication PLOS One that the capacity to conceal was critical in decreasing the anxiety degrees of kittens who already had recently moved into the area at a rescue center.

The non-invasive Cat-Stress-Score, which analyzes daily anxiety of depression in kittens largely dependent on body shape, voice conduct, as well as intensity of physical exercise, was used by the research groups to start measuring the cats' anxiety elevations.

When the kittens were stripped of safe place, the researchers showed that they will always overturn around their waste containers to stay hidden directly beneath things. Cats' fascination in containers goes all the way much further than three-dimensional constructions.

In 2021, Smith sponsored a foreign national scientific research article, simply means that she urged the general population and their pet cats as well to make a significant contribution to the laboratory exercise.

The systematic review, published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, investigated regardless of whether kittens will lie down from the inside of the Kanizsa contour, which is basically a rectangular shape formed by taped-off outer edges on the pool deck. Kanizsa contour, with the exception of boxes, has no door frames, looking to make it two visually pleasing.

"The 2D investigation, for example, is an investigation of their perceptual cognitive processes and boundary perceived importance," Smith told the media.

In alternative sense, kittens are so fond of containers that they will sit in a 2D replica.

Also read: Space Rock That Fell off a Dog Kennel's Wooden House Goes for Auction





The Feeling of Satisfaction: Cats in Boxes

How precisely does these behaviors help kittens? According to yetanother notion, it allows them to dodge potentially perilous circumstances.

Out of a genetic basis explanation, that seems reasonable because one will not want to stumble against some elements, first one would not want to tumble over a ledge, second one wants to recognize whenever two objects have distinct hue strengths.

Some other possibility, however has hardly yet evaluation empirically proven, is that cats prefer boxes since they are opportunistic feeders. Furthermore, just like any cat lover will tell you, domestic cats prefer to hide in containers, ledges, and just practically anywhere raised platform until jumping up on an unwitting stuffed animal, or people.

"If we're having fun, my cat will conceal under anything so she can strike," Smith explained.

"This stands to reason when we consider of 3D structures, but its far less clear why it applies to anything 2D on the ground."

Our housebound cats were not the only ones that enjoy crates. Big cats, such as pumas, lions, and tigers, also love lounging in and interacting with containers of various shapes and dimensions, as per wildlife sanctuary investigations.

Also read: Following the Death of Companion, Dogs Shows Grieving Behavior According To Study




Aidan Ricketts' house in north Lismore had never flooded before, but he awoke to water pouring in before daybreak. However, Ricketts, who owns a 4.5-meter boat, was able to secure his own home before going to help those in the adjacent streets. He carried 16 people and five pets to safety on Monday.

Losing His House

In a report in Reuters, Rickets said his elevated house is above the one-in-a-hundred-year flood criterion.

"We expected to wake up to high water all around us and then go aid others." "I had the tinnie tied up outside, but by 5 a.m., the water was flowing in the house, so we simply went out and rescued other people regardless," he continued.

As he was evacuating his own family of six, Ricketts claimed he could see others needing help.

"Neighbors were sitting on roofs as we left," he added, "and we heard individuals in a roof cavity attempting to knock the tin off their roof and get out."

Related Article: Seven Dead as 'Rain Bomb' Unleashes Intense Flashfloods in Australia

Picking Up Neighbors

They went over after hearing the thumping. To get out, they were trying to angle-grind and hammer the tin off the roof. We assisted them in ripping the tin off, and then another boat arrived; they were unharmed.

"I can't recall how many I saved, but at least 16 from North Lismore." I took them over the river to Hindmarsh Street, the start of a hill that leads up to Goonellabah. That's where we've made our home."

Ricketts said he couldn't know how many individuals were stuck in their houses on Tuesday because of the floodwaters.

"It's tremendous since these floods are at least two meters higher than anything we've ever seen; therefore, anybody who was certain that their home would not be swamped would have stayed." I dragged one man from his residence into our boat. He was standing in four feet of water.

According to Ricketts, the deluge was "above any records or experiences of floods," according to Ricketts.

"I don't believe any of the services' modeling was even built to accommodate this," he added. "It appears to be part of that remarkable combination of extreme weather occurrences that we are witnessing throughout the planet all the time."

Other Town Heroes

Ricketts isn't the only hero in town. After heading out at 4 a.m., Vincent Marychurch and Jeff Harris told the ABC they had rescued 25 people in their tinnie.

In the 48 hours after the harsh weather hit the northern rivers, Ricketts claimed he had scarcely slept.

Pushing Forward

On Monday afternoon, Ricketts took a break and debated whether or not to continue rescue. He said that his boat had 50 horsepower and could navigate the currents.

He said he only had one offsider in the boat since body space is limited, and only the driver and the person in the front can fit.

"We brought five dogs, as well as couples and people." Because it's still pouring, I had to keep bailing the boat."

Also Read: Storm Anxiety: How to Handle Extreme Weather Phobias During Hurricane Season

For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Michelle Troconiss attorney has filed an appeal of a judges decision to deny him access to a transcript from Jennifer and Fotis Dulos divorce proceedings.

Jennifer Dulos disappeared on May 24, 2019, just days after a hearing was halted in her contentious two-year divorce from Fotis Dulos.

Attorney Jon Schoenhorn was seeking a transcript of the proceeding in his defense of Troconis, one of two people charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the disappearance and death of Jennifer Dulos.

Schoenhorn sued Melodie Moss, a state Judicial Branch court reporter, to get a copy of the transcript that he claims was improperly sealed without a hearing. The divorce hearing focused on a family court psychological evaluation report on the Dulos family.

Schoenhorn contended in his lawsuit against Moss that the judge improperly sealed the proceedings, including the report and any transcripts without a hearing.

Superior Court Judge David Sheriden dismissed Schoenhorns writ of mandamus, which sought to require Moss to provide a copy of the transcript in December. At the time, Sheriden called Schoenhorns request an impermissible collateral attack on the sealing order imposed by Family Court Judge Judge Donna Heller.

Schoenhorn is now asking the state Appellate Court to consider whether Sheriden erred in his decision. Schoenhorn is also asking the Appellate Court to consider if Sheriden also was mistaken in his decision regarding a part of the transcript that was released in documents by the Office of the Attorney General, which represented Moss in the proceedings.

Schoenhorn declined to comment on the appeal, which was filed Feb. 4. In court documents requesting the appeal, Schoenhorn pointed out the state Supreme Court has previously ruled that filing a writ of mandamus is the proper action to challenge the refusal of a court reporter to provide a transcript.

As a matter of constitutional law and public policy, that (Sheridens ruling) appears to be an error that not only impacts the Supreme Courts previous ruling but also future efforts by trial judges to hide even unlawful conduct from public scrutiny, Schoenhorn said.

Fotis Dulos, Troconis former boyfriend, died on Jan. 30, 2020, about three weeks after he was charged with the murder of his estranged wife. Troconis and Kent Mawhinney are the remaining defendants in the criminal case.

Mawhinney, who has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, has opted to take his case to trial. Troconis, who has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution charges, is still in pretrial proceedings.

Schoenhorn was given the report on the findings of a Dulos family psychological evaluation about a month after he requested the transcript in 2021, but pressed on with the related case on the grounds the transcripts should be public records. The findings of the family psychological report have never been publicly released and remain sealed during the criminal proceedings against Troconis and Mawhinney.

Schoenhorn claimed in the writ that Heller improperly closed the courtroom to the public during a two-day hearing on the Dulos divorce that took place on May 14 and May 17, 2019 by not providing advance notice and a hearing on the closure.

But the attorney generals office, representing Moss, contends that Heller, who was overseeing the Dulos divorce and child custody proceedings, verbally sealed the hearing that included the psychological report and any transcripts.

Fotis and Jennifer Dulos were embroiled in a contentious two-year divorce and custody battle when she disappeared. In the months proceeding, Heller had required Fotis Dulos to see the couples five children during limited court supervised visits.

The hearing on the psychological report was never completed after the psychiatrist who did the evaluation, Dr. Stephen Herman, refused to continue to testify.

Police said they believe Fotis Dulos was lying in wait for his estranged wife to return home from dropping off their children at school the morning of May 24, 2019, according to arrest warrants.

Police said Jennifer Dulos was attacked in her garage and is presumed dead based on the blood and other evidence they found, arrest warrants state. While her remains have never been found, the states chief medical examiner said she would not have survived the attack without immediate medical attention.

The night of the disappearance, investigators said they believed Fotis Dulos and Troconis were captured on Hartford surveillance footage making a series of stops, the arrest warrant shows. Fotis Dulos was seen dumping bags, some of which were later recovered and contained his estranged wifes blood and clothing, investigators wrote in the warrant.

Police said they also found Jennifer Dulos blood on the seat of a pickup truck, which belonged to one of Fotis Dulos employees, that they believe was used the day of the crime, the arrest warrants read.

Troconis will appear during a virtual court date on March 29 in the criminal cases. No court date has been set for Schoenhorns appeal.
By Charlie Severance-Medaris | July 2021

A QUICK LOOK INTO IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY

Many states are seeing positive developments with certain infectious disease rates. For instance, the annual number of new HIV diagnoses decreased by 7% from 2014 to 2018. Unfortunately, at the same time, many states have seen significant increases in the rate of new cases of other infectious diseases.

Since 2015, rates of new chlamydia infections have risen 19%, gonorrhea by 56% and syphilis by 74%. This includes a 279% increase in cases of congenital syphilis, which occurs when syphilis infection is passed from a mother to the fetus during pregnancy. In the same time frame, rates of hepatitis A infection increased by an unprecedented 1,325% due in large part to outbreaks reported in 31 states among people who use drugs and people experiencing homelessness. Rates of new hepatitis B and C infections are rising as well.

These infections are not affecting all communities equally. For instance, 39.1% of new congenital syphilis cases occurred among infants with Black mothers and 31.5% occurred among infants with Hispanic mothers in 2018. The same year, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men accounted for 69% of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States. A lower percentage of Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual men have discussed PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medicine people at risk for HIV can take to prevent getting HIV, with a health care provider or have used PrEP within the past year.

In addition to the toll these diseases can have on individuals, treatment is costly for states. The average lifetime treatment cost of a person with HIV is $501,000 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The estimated cost of providing health care services to people living with hepatitis C in the United States is $15 billion annually and recent hepatitis A outbreaks have cost states at least $270 million since 2016.

The good news is that these infections, and their associated treatment costs, are preventable. Improving access to screening services, vaccines and medications like PrEP, as well as other strategies like employing comprehensive syringe services programs, can prevent further spread of these infections and address health disparities.

State Action

Many people with a communicable infection are unaware of their status. For instance, an estimated 15% of people with HIV do not have a diagnosis and 40% of new infections are transmitted by people unaware of their status. Routine screening, at least once per year for high-risk groups, can lead to early detection and greatly reduce risk of transmission.

States are supporting increased screening in various ways. West Virginias statutes stipulate that health care providers should recommend routine HIV testing and that high-risk patients should be encouraged to undergo HIV testing at least annually. Connecticut requires private insurers to cover screening for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HPV, hepatitis B and syphilis. Kentucky requires pregnant women to receive hepatitis C testing. Texas requires syphilis testing in the first and third trimester, and as of 2019, at delivery. Texas also created the Newborn Screening Preservation Account to help cover the costs of expanded testing.

DYK? Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medicine people at risk for HIV can take to reduce the risk of getting HIV by 99%.

New congenital syphilis infections have increased 279% since 2014.

More than 75% of patients at high risk for HIV who saw a care provider in the last year werent offered an HIV test and that routine testing can lead to earlier care and reduce the risk of transmission.

Increasing access to prevention medications can also reduce new infections. PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by 99%, and by 74% among people who inject drugs. California and Colorado authorize pharmacists to dispense PrEP without a prescription from a doctor. Georgia created a three-year pilot program in 2019 to provide PrEP financial assistance. Washington requires the Department of Health to increase awareness about financial support for PrEP. New Mexico appropriated $107,000 in 2019 to improve awareness of PrEP and its benefits among health care professionals.

Comprehensive syringe service programs (SSPs), sometimes referred to as syringe or needle exchanges, also provide screening for infectious diseases, referrals to treatment for infections and substance use disorders, vaccinations for hepatitis A and B and access to PrEP. SSP use is associated with a 50% decrease in the risk of HIV transmission and individuals who use SSPs are more than three times as likely as non-users to stop injecting drugs.

Additional Resources Preventing Infectious Diseases Caused by Injecting Drugs (Legisbrief)

Rise in Congenital Syphilis Cases Concerns State Legislators (Blog)

Report Highlights Strategies to Prevent High Treatment Costs, Tackle Infectious Disease (Blog)

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men (CDC)

Syringe Service Programs (CDC)

Kentucky allows county health departments to operate SSPs that test for infectious diseases and provide hepatitis A and B vaccinations. Florida allows county commissions to authorize SSPs that can refer individuals to substance use disorder treatment and for screening and treatment of infectious diseases. Minnesota provided a grant of $367,000 to the Rural Aids Action Network to support syringe exchange services in rural parts of the state. Georgia encourages SSPs to include harm reduction counseling.

Federal Action

The federal government supports state efforts to prevent and mitigate infectious diseases. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 permits funds from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support SSPs with the exception that funds may not be used to purchase syringes. States can work with the CDC to allow for the use of federal funds to support SSPs. Currently, 44 states and DC, one tribal nation and one territory are permitted to redirect federal resources to support SSPs. Additionally, the CDC has many informational resources for SSPs, including a technical package of effective design strategies and a summary of SSP effectiveness and safety.

HHS launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative in 2019. This plan aims to diagnose new HIV cases quickly and connect individuals to treatment. To achieve maximum impact, the CDC is focusing resources on communities most affected by HIVmore than 50% of new HIV diagnoses occurred in only 50 localities. Additionally, HHS launched the Ready, Set, PrEP program to provide free PrEP HIV-prevention medications to thousands of people living in the United States, including tribal lands and territories.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced Tuesday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the US government agency will auction off spectrum in the 2.5GHz band in July for use in 5G networks, paving the way for telecom companies to further expand their midband holdings.

The 2.5GHz auction represents the pending sale of what Rosenworcel called the biggest swath of contiguous midband spectrum we have available below 3GHz, and will be followed by a further auction of midband spectrum in the 3.1GHz-3.45GHz range.

The FCC has had plans for this auction in the works for more than a year, having first sought public comment in January of 2021. The auction will cover roughly 200MHz of spectrum, and will be sold on a per-county basis, according to the earlier request for comment.

The incumbent users in the band represent a unique challenge for the FCC, according to IDC research manager Jason Leigh. Some of this spectrum has been allotted to users of the Educational Broadband Service, which was sold to educational institutions and gives them the rights to those airwaves in a 35-mile radius around a fixed point.

The challenge  is that [the licenses] are not uniform, Leigh said. Evaluating the value and population coverage for each license is going to be tricky for bidders.

Leigh said that it appears the FCC will let EBS users keep their existing licenses or lease them out as they see fit.

The auction will be the latest in a series that has seen the FCC sell off large chunks of midband spectrum  generally defined as being between 1GHz and 6GHz  for the purposes of accelerating 5G deployment in the US. The last such auction, whose bidding phase concluded in November, took in nearly $22 billion in exchange for spectrum in the 3.45GHz band.

While most of 5Gs most show-stopping capabilities will be achieved through the use of higher frequencies in the so-called millimeter wave bands above 24GHz, mid-band spectrum allows for much wider coverage per access point, since lower-frequency radio waves propagate much more easily over distance. The trade-off is that, because theres much less spectrum available for 5G use in those lower bands, theres less available space for the wide channels that allow for very high throughput.

Hence, the midband is often referred to as the Goldilocks zone for 5G, as it strikes a balance between signal range and channel availability, and helps explain both why the FCC has pushed to make more of it available and why the carriers have paid so much for the rights to that spectrum. The C-band auction, which sold spectrum in the 3.7GHz range and closed in early 2021, took in nearly $81 billion.
Newburyport, MA (01950)

Today

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
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Commentary: Private prison system reveals huge defect in U.S. democracy

Xinhua) 09:17, March 01, 2022

Cartoon: Profitability of U.S. private prisons. (Xinhua)

"That's how you treated slaves." -- Appalling records of what has happened and is happening in hundreds of private prisons across the United States have revealed a corrupt judicial system and national government, which can hardly be corrected.

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Correctional institutions are meant to uphold justice. However, in the United States, the suffering of those in for-profit jails makes them a testament to the country's long track record of human rights violations.

Appalling records of what has happened and is happening in hundreds of private prisons across the United States have revealed a corrupt judicial system and national government, which can hardly be corrected.

Private prisons were founded in the 1980s to make up for bed shortages in federal and state prisons. Profit-oriented companies soon found loopholes to turn the facilities into a cash cow.

In the past 40 years, these prisons were notorious for a kids-for-cash scandal, pay-to-stay program, political donations, uncontrollable violence and exploitation of prison labor, and have been denounced as "an absolute hellhole."

In 2011, a Pennsylvania judge was convicted of throwing out thousands of juvenile convictions while taking kickbacks from owners and builders of private prisons. That kids-for-cash scandal involved over 2,000 juveniles.

Compared with federal and state prisons, private ones are more violent and dangerous. U.S. reporter Shane Bauer has unveiled such untold darkness in his book American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment.

A fact rarely known to the public is that incarcerated labor is often exploited. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, prison laborers in over 40 states have been used to make hand sanitizer and protective equipment with hourly wages far below a minimum level, and even without their own protective equipment to reduce infectious risks in prison lockdowns.

"That's how you treated slaves," said a prisoner in an audio link posted on Twitter and shared by Restore Justice, a criminal justice reform organization.

Protesters dressed as detainees of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp rally to demand the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp outside the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 11, 2018. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

"We have tacitly agreed to slave labor, upon which we all benefit," said Megan French-Marcelin, director of campaigns at Worth Rises, which works to end profiteering in the prison system.

Yet despite the scandals, private prisons continue to be lucrative. The main three companies running over 200 private prisons in America, namely CoreCivic, the Geo Group and Management and Training Corporation, have reported a total annual profit of close to 5 billion U.S. dollars.

As an old saying goes, "when money talks, there are few interruptions." Both U.S. judges and politicians at federal and state levels may have facilitated prison profits. The name list of those receiving funds from private prison companies includes both Republicans and Democrats.

The prison bed profiteers have blurred the function of jails as a means of rehabilitation. Instead, they are inclined to hold prisoners longer behind bars and even throw the innocent inside in a brazen violation of human rights.

People take part in the "March to Abolish ICE" protest in New York, the United States, June 29, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

When the Joe Biden administration moved to close problematic private prisons, the companies created a new market out of immigrants. Winning contracts from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and state governments provide a windfall to keep detention centers open.

According to a CNN report released in November 2021, since Biden took office, the White House has approved over 888 million dollars in direct payments to CoreCivic, the GEO Group and their subsidiaries. Most of the spending came from ICE.

Why are private prison companies so powerful? The Justice Policy Institute has revealed in a report that for-profit prison companies primarily use three strategies to influence policy: lobbying, direct campaign contributions, and building relationships, networks, and associations.

These strategies are in fact habitual tricks that businesses use to collude with politicians in the United States and epitomize U.S. money politics, an incurable systematic defect.

As long as that defect persists, the slave-like conditions in U.S. private prisons will endure.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
MBABANE  On Friday, five Eswatini Law and Custom marriages were declared to be dissolved by the High Court.

The applicants had approached the court seeking orders that the marriages be declared to have been dissolved and the marriage certificates be expunged from the register of the registrar of births, marriages and deaths. The applications were heard by Acting Judge Justice Mavuso. One of applicants was a businesswoman who is based in Cape Town in the Republic of South Africa. She told the court that before she left for Cape Town, her husband assaulted her in the face for about two hours in order to make her unattractive to men. *Nomalanga informed the court that one child, who is seven years old, was born of the marriage which was solemnised on February 8, 2016. She stated that shortly after getting married, they moved in together at a rented flat in Mbabane, where they lived as husband and wife. Nomalanga told the court that they started experiencing marital problems in the same year and her husband, *Musa, began abusing her physically, emotionally and psychologically. She submitted that Musa made false accusations against her to the effect that she was having extra- marital affairs with different men.

Cousins

In the same year of their marriage, according to Nomalanga, her husband went through her WhatsApp messages on her mobile phone. He noticed that I had been chatting with one of my cousins. My cousin had used cordial words like dear and love in the messages he had sent. The first respondent (Musa) saw red after reading the messages, Nomalanga submitted. She said Musa confronted her and demanded answers regarding the messages. Nomalanga said before she could provide answers, Musa slapped her across the face several times. This was the beginning of the physical abuse I suffered at the hands of the first respondent. From then onwards, the first respondent had reduced me into his punching bag. On numerous times he would assault me with fists and sticks and I would sustain injuries, she added. She said she would often pack her belongings and go to her parental home, which is also in Mbabane, a stones throw from their rented flat. When her parents summoned Musa to enquire as to why he ill-treated her, she said he apologised and they would reconcile and she would go back to their flat.

The cycle would repeat itself over and over again. Nomalanga said while working in a salon at Sidwashini in April 2019, her supervisor sent her to purchase stock from a supplier and along the way she got a lift from a certain motorist who played music in the vehicle. She informed the court that she accidentally dialled Musas number and when he answered, he heard the music in the background and I was not hearing and responding to the phone. Upon returning to the salon, her colleagues told her that her livid husband had been there looking for her.

When I got back in the house in the evening, he started accusing me of infidelity. He told me that I had made the phone call on purpose to merely spite him and show off that I was now in a relationship with someone who owned a car. As I was trying to explain to him what had happened, he slapped me across my face so hard that I almost fell. As if that was not enough, he took a big stick and started assaulting me all over the body. He hit me with the stick even on my head and mouth. He told me that he wanted to cause serious injuries on my face so that men could lose interest in me. The intense beating took about two hours, she narrated.

Nomalanga said she sustained severe injuries and for a couple of weeks, she could neither sleep nor eat properly. During the assault, according to the applicant, Musa kept making death threats. She said he told her that he would kill her and she packed her belongings and left for her parental home. In July 2019, said Nomalanga, her husband brought another woman to the flat and they were engaged to be married, not long after she had left. They are sleeping in the same bed I was sleeping with him in. They had a baby in 2020. Nomalanga said she moved to Cape Town in pursuit of a better life and now runs a business in the beauty industry. Realising that their marriage existed only on paper, she suggested to her husband that they involved their families to formally nullify it. She said Musa was happy about the suggestion and both families met on September 25 last year.

Families

Early this year, she told the court, their families approached the royal kraal to report that the marriage had run its course and it could no longer be saved. Nomalanga then filed an application at the High Court for an order to endorse the decision of the families and the royal kraal that the marriage had been properly dissolved and to direct the registrar of births, marriages and deaths to cancel its entry in her records. Judge Mavuso granted the order. In another matter, a man of Lomahasha filed for divorce from his wife whom he found in his house with other men on different occasions. *Thabo said he once filed a missing persons report with the police when she disappeared from home, leaving their four minor children, including a baby who was a few months old, on their own. He said nobody knew where she had disappeared to. Thabani said he and *Sonto were married in September 2009 in terms of Eswatini Law and Custom and they established their marital home at Lomahasha. He told the court that cracks began to show in 2015 when he caught his wife with another man in the flat he occupied at his workplace. He said Sonto told him that it did not mean anything and immediately apologised and said it would not happen again. Although I told her to leave, after a meeting of both our families in May 2015, I forgave her and took her back with open arms. Our agreement was that she would no longer stay with me at the company house but she would move back to our marital home. Unfortunately, having come back to our matrimonial home in June 2016, the first respondent (Sonto) disappeared from our home for four days, leaving behind our three children with baby who was only a few months old.

The situation escalated to the point that I had to file a missing person report at the police station. She promised to change her ways after the police and her family spoke to her upon her return, said Thabani. He told the court that one day, he came to their matrimonial home unannounced and found Sonto with another man in their house. This was the last straw, he said.

Thabo said their families met and tried to find a solution and they agreed to end the marriage. The families, according to Thabo, also met at the royal kraal and the marriage was declared dissolved. He approached the High Court for an order to expunge the marriage entry from the register of the registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths. Judge Mavuso issued the order.

In yet another matter, Judge Mavuso also ordered the expunging of a marriage after the woman told the court that their union had not been peaceful and resulted in many conflicts.

In another matter, a woman told the court that her marriage with her husband was no longer sweet and peaceful, as a result she was no longer interest in it. The court ordered that its entry be expunged from the records of the Births, Marriages and Deaths registrar.
MBABANE  We are safe and we were able to get accommodation and food in Romania.

This was said by a student from Eswatini, who successfully made it into Romania on Saturday after travelling for several hours from Ukraine. When asked about their plans to return home, the student, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the Eswatini government had told them that it would assist them with funds for flight tickets. He said they were informed that parents needed to buy the tickets and government would then refund them when the students got to Eswatini. We still have a lot of questions about what will happen if our parents do not have the money right now. We are still waiting for responses from our representatives about the plan going forward, the student said said.

Tickets

She said at the moment, they were trying their best to get as much rest as possible following that they would have to take COVID-19 tests. She said it would also be selfish for parents who could afford the plane tickets to expect government to pay for them as government had already done a lot for them so far. The minister has worked so much, which we greatly appreciate. She is still working tirelessly to get all of us together, which is not easy to do, she added. In her twitter page, one of the students, Vukile Dlamini, said parents at home and all over the world were concerned and wondered how they were. We are traumatised physiologically, emotionally and physically. We have finally crossed over to the Romanian border but it was very traumatic. After we left our city, we drove for hours, she said. In an interview with a student currently studying in Cyprus, which is 1 484 kilometres from Ukraine, he said they were still safe and there was no reason to panic and head back home yet. Everything is still normal and we hope the situation does not escalate and affect us as well, he said.

Ashamed

In a recent report on Sky News, some of the Russian nationals said they were ashamed to be Russian as they felt the invasion was unnecessary. We pray and hope the Ukraine people will one day forgive us, said the Russian citizen. According to the Study In Ukraine website, a large number of students study in Ukraine because it is cheaper to pursue medical education there. It is also that the degrees obtained in Ukraine are recognised across the world, including by the World Health Organisation (WHO), European Council and other global bodies. Furthermore, there are chances of permanent residence and settlement in Europe after completion of the study programme in Ukraine. This reporter also tried to reach out to some of the students who according to their colleagues were still in Ukraine, but none of them had responded at the time this article went to print yesterday. In a previous report, some of the students had mentioned that the network had been slow, which could be a contributing factor for the delayed responses. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Thuli Dladla said they were still working on arrangements for plane tickets, adding that no child would be left behind. Government will make sure that all the children who want to come back home do so without fail, said the minister.
As school districts around the state drop masking requirements, the Urbana District 116 School Board voted at Tuesday nights meeting to keep its masking requirement, at least through Spring Break.
Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
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."
MBABANE  Police investigations have reportedly revealed that, Zwelibanzi Simelane, who allegedly killed her lover, Nhlangano NERCHA Manager Sharon Neves, controlled her in every aspect of her life and assaulted her often.

This was disclosed by the investigator of the case, Detective Constable Ndlangamandla, in his opposing affidavit. Simelane has filed an urgent bail application where he denies to have committed the offence. His bail application is being met with resistance by the Crown. In his opposing papers, Ndlangamandla informed the court that investigations revealed that Simelane sometimes took Nevess car keys and left her stranded. Our investigations further revealed that on the night of the untimely death, the deceased wanted to sleep at her friends place as she did not feel safe being around Simelane, submitted the investigator. He also narrated to the court that the deceased was found face down on the floor with blood oozing from the body.



Bruises

In fact, blood was everywhere in the house. There was blood on the floor and near the fridge. The deceaseds face had bruises and her head was swollen at the back. Her neck also had bruises and discoloration, submitted the investigator. The police officer submitted that the manner in which the offence happened induced a sense of shock and outrage not only in the community of Nhlangano but in the country as a whole. Ndlangamandla contended that Simelanes safety might be jeopardised if released on bail. The investigator further highlighted to the court that Simelane pretended to be shocked like the rest of the family members who were called to the scene of crime. According to the investigator, Simelane reported to the police that he found Neves dead in her house. His demeanour was amazing as he was very calm the entire time as we worked at the scene, submitted the investigator.



Ndlangamandla submitted that Nevess death caused a media frenzy and the social networks were abuzz with the news that Simelane was the prime suspect and even arrested for same. The police officer said many women organisations were up in arms over the brutal killing of one of their own in such a cold fashion and at the time when they were fighting to end gender-based violence. If Simelane is released on bail, it would certainly cause public disorder and even endanger the safety and well-being of Simelane, argued the police officer.

He told the court that it was without doubt that Neves was a peoples person and was adored by many, mostly her family and friends. Ndlangamandla argued that it would be careless and even suicidal to release Simelane on bail at such an early stage of the incident. It was further the investigators argument that the family was still reeling from the broil death of their loved one. I wish to state that releasing the applicant out on bail would cause anarchy and chaos even more unnecessary crimes which could be easily prevented by keeping Simelane in custody, he argued. In his application for bail, Simelane claimed that he was a sickly person who needed constant medical attention. The investigator, in his opposing affidavit informed the court that the countrys Correctional facilities were equipped to deal with any ailments that might affect inmates. It is not an issue that Simelane may well have suffered from the cryptococcal meningitis at some point in his life. I submit that doctors were, however, able to help in 2013 because nine years later, he never suffered from it again, contended Detective Constable Ndlangamandla. He also brought it to the attention of the court that the Correctional officers do take sick inmates to the government hospitals to see specialist doctors should they need to and this has never been an issue.

Arrested

The accused was arrested on February 9, 2022 by Nhlangano police. He was accused of unlawfully and intentionally killing Neves by assaulting her with a blunt object on the body.

In his bail application, he stated that he was confident that he would be acquitted when the matter went to trial. I deny any such wrongdoing and I am also surprised. I have full confidence in that I will be acquitted when the matter is tried, said Simelane. Accoridng to Simelane, he suffered from a disease that affected his brain such that it caused him headaches and blurred his vision. He alleged that he had been to a number of health facilities in and outside Eswatini. Simelane told the court that he was once admitted to hospital for the same sickness in February 2013. In 2013, according to Simelane, he was then funded by Phalala Fund to conduct an operation in his head in the Republic of South Africa at Health Share Hospital.
On Tuesdays, well introduce the kids who make up Year 6 of High School Confidential (Fridays in The News-Gazette). Next up: Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley senior Emily Hood
Ethan Simmons is a reporter at The News-Gazette covering the University of Illinois. His email is esimmons@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@ethancsimmons).
Longview, TX (75601)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* describes the incidence of breakthrough infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) after vaccination with one of the nucleic acid or viral vector vaccines. This real-world study, using Big Data to produce its analysis, shows the key trends in the immune response following vaccination, depending on whether an effective dose of the vaccine was obtained and the time elapsed since vaccination.

Study: SARS-CoV-2 Infection Breakthrough Among the Non-Vaccinated and Vaccinated: A Real World Evidence study based on Big Data. Image Credit: Stefano Garau / Shutterstock.com

Introduction

In Italy, several vaccines received authorization in the struggle to contain the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including the two messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and CX-024414 (Moderna), as well as two adenovirus vector vaccines including ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Oxford-AstraZeneca) and Ad26.COV2-S (Johnson & Johnson). Since their approval, over 56% of the Italian population has been covered by vaccination.

The current study studies vaccination coverage among people who had nasopharyngeal swabs showed symptoms of COVID-19 or were hospitalized. The researchers then compared the incidence of each between vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals and analyzed the trends of each over time.

All swabs were tested using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) testing for four genes including RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), spike (S) gene, nucleocapsid (N) gene, and the envelope (E) gene. The cycle threshold for a positive test was set as over 30. All four genes had to be positive for a fully positive test.

Symptoms like shortness of breath, sore throat, a runny nose, headache, severe fatigue, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, or itchy red lesions on the fingers and/or toes, were considered suggestive of COVID-19 if present two weeks before or after a positive PCR test.

The researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the data after identifying those with and without effective vaccination, as well as for those who were unvaccinated.

Study findings

The study took place from March 8, 2021, to October 31, 2021, in the Campania region of Italy. Over 2.5 million swabs were obtained from adults during this period.

Of the total number of COVID-19-positive adults, 82% were non-vaccinated and 15% vaccinated. Overall, the prevalence of COVID-19 among the fully vaccinated people in Campania with 15 or more days between the second dose and the positive test was 0.33%.

Segmented linear regression models

Among the vaccinated in this study, 7.5% tested positive within 15 days of the second dose or had received only a single vaccine dose. Almost the same number had received the second dose of the vaccine 15 or more days before testing positive.

About half the positive tests were in those aged up to 40 years, with about 30% and 16% being in the 40-60-year age group and 6-80 year age group, respectively. About 3% were in those older than 80 years.

Percentage of COVID-19 positive patients stratified by number of months after vaccination with effective dose and stratified by age groups

Less than 3% were hospitalized and 0.1% were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), with almost 84% of the hospitalized individuals being non-vaccinated as compared to 6% who had received the second dose 15 or more days before they became sick. Over 90% of ICU patients were unvaccinated, with less than 2% effectively vaccinated.

Severe COVID-19 occurred in 482 individuals, of which almost 90% were unvaccinated. Of the remaining individuals who experienced severe COVID-19, 7.5% had received only one vaccine dose or were within 15 days of the second dose. Only 3% of these individuals had been effectively vaccinated.

Critical disease was recorded in 57 subjects, of whom 83% were unvaccinated, 11% ineffectively vaccinated, and 7% effectively vaccinated.

Males were at a 70% greater risk for hospitalization or ICU admission, while elderly people over 60 years had 29-34 times higher odds of having to be hospitalized or admitted to the ICU.

Ineffective vaccination, that is, having received only a single dose or two doses less than 15 days prior, was associated with a four-fold higher risk as compared to a seven-fold higher risk for the unvaccinated.

The waning of immunity was obvious at five and nine months from the second dose. Similarly, about half of the breakthrough infections occurred in individuals younger than 80 years, with over 40% occurring in individuals over the age of 80 years at six months after vaccination.

When classified by type of vaccine, breakthrough infections with the J&J vaccine occurred within a month of the second dose. Conversely, about half of the reported breakthrough infections occurred 4-6 months after receiving a second dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) adenovirus vector vaccine.

Percentage of COVID-19 positive patients stratified by number of months after vaccination with effective dose and stratified by age groups and stratified by vaccine type

With the Moderna vaccine, half of the patients tested positive for COVID-19 from four months onward, and 90% tested positive by nine months from the second dose. Finally, over a third of breakthrough infections with the Pfizer vaccine occurred at 4-5 months, with over two-thirds occurring by eight months.

Implications

A surveillance approach based on the use of integrated BIG Data system offer a precise and real analysis with low incidence of errors in the categorization of subjects.

The results of this Campania study show a strong protective effect of two doses of an mRNA or adenovirus vaccine vector against SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and ICU admission. Overall, 0.33% of the vaccinated population tested positive for COVID-19 as compared to 7% of people in this study, most of whom were asymptomatic.

The study findings suggest that test positivity increases with the time from the second dose, peaking at five months, with most tests being asymptomatic. While mRNA and the AZ viral vector vaccines show comparable initial effectiveness, the AZ vaccine appears to decline in its efficacy at a more rapid rate after four months. In contrast, the J&J vaccine effectiveness declines at one month.

Notwithstanding the waning of immunity, the results show that vaccination still reduces the severity of disease and the risk of severe hospitalization after infection. However, effective vaccination may not prevent viral transmission, as a percentage of vaccinated people may continue to be infected, with or without symptoms.

In Italy, almost 95% of infections by the end of July 2021 were caused by the Delta variant, which is resistant to vaccine-induced antibodies at low titers. In the absence of universal vaccination, vaccine antibody escape could lead to the emergence of newer SARS-CoV-2 variants that may altogether escape host immunity.

Breakthrough infections occur with a breakpoint between 5th and 7th month after vaccination. Such infections are often asymptomatic and may pose a risk to vulnerable populations.

Antivirals may be urgently needed to counter this trend. Meanwhile, additional boosters may help fill the gap.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the effect of changes in the abdominal well-being and physique on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Previous studies have reported debilitating effects of COVID-19 on cardiac, respiratory, renal, liver, and pancreatic health. However, it is uncertain whether these effects occur primarily due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection or secondary to drugs, systemic inflammation, aging, mechanical ventilator use, or prolonged inactivity. Diagnostic imaging methods such as computed tomography (CT) ultrasound (USG) have been used to study COVID-19 features. However, organ-wise delineation of fat content and its effect on COVID-19 severity using MRI has been limited.

Study: Abdominal Imaging Associates Body Composition with COVID-19 Severity. TaMaNKunG | Shutterstock

About the study

The researchers conducted a prospective study to compare MRI images of COVID-19 patients to pre-pandemic MRI images of the United Kingdom Blood Bank (UKBB) longitudinal study performed after February 2021.

MRI scans of 1,800 individuals were obtained from UKBB and compared to post-COVID-19 MRI scans of 967 cases and 913 controls. The individuals were matched for age, sex, ethnicity, baseline scan date, and imaging centers. All the study participants resided within 60 kilometers of the imaging centers in Newcastle, Reading, and Stockport.

Along with the MRI images, demographic data including the sex, height, age, blood pressure, ethnicity, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio, Townsend deprivation index, and diagnosis rate of common diseases were obtained.

COVID-19 severity was determined using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes U071and U071.1. Hospitalized patients diagnosed with pneumonia or who were mechanically ventilated were also included under the severe COVID-19 category. Reported deaths due to COVID-19 were considered a severity outcome for pre-pandemic data. In addition to the matched cases and controls, 140 individuals were included in the study based on the severity analysis of the UKBB data.

Single slice MRI images, T1-weighted (T1W) pancreatic volume, and 3D segmentation data were obtained. The images were processed with convolutional neural networks (CNN) to generate the following image-derived phenotypes (IDPs): volumes of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT), iliopsoas muscles, lungs, kidneys, liver, spleen, and pancreas. Proton density fat fraction (PDFF) values and the iron content of the pancreas and liver were also assessed.

A random forest classifier model was designed incorporating demographic data (age, height, sex, BMI) and IDPs of visceral fat, liver fat, and iliopsoas muscle volume to determine whether machine learning could be used to classify and predict COVID-19 severity.

Neck-to-knee UK Biobank MRI acquisition of a COVID-19 study participant and 3D renderings of image-derived phenotypes obtained after image preprocessing and segmentation pipelines for that same participant. 3D segmentations: Liver (yellow), lungs (blue), spleen (purple), kidneys (green), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (white), visceral adipose tissue (orange transparent), iliopsoas muscles (pink), pancreas (red).

Results and discussion

Only 4% of the 967 study participants had severe SARS-CoV-2 disease, of which 72% were males. Based on data analysis by the forest classifier model, the authors predicted that 5.3% of the pre-COVID imaging population would have severe COVID-19.

Increased age, BMI, waist/hip ratio, blood pressure, smoking, and the male gender were associated with the severe COVID-19. Individuals with diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), myocardial infarction (MI), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and Type 2 diabetes were more prone to severe COVID-19.

A reduction in the volumes of lungs and iliopsoas muscle along with an increase in the liver and VAT volume was associated with COVID-19 severity. Elevated liver PDFF also contributed to COVID-19 disease severity. However, VAT volume most significantly contributed to COVID-19 severity.

Males may be more susceptible to severe COVID-19 than women due to higher visceral fat accumulation in men. Elevated VAT may be associated with COVID-19 severity due to increased levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2) in visceral fat. Higher ACE2 levels increase the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, contributing to the cytokine-storm observed in COVID-19.

LAT levels may contribute to COVID-19 severity due to resultant increase in cytokine production and reduction in Vitamin D levels. In addition, LAT could also enhance viral replication due to the increased presence of ACE2 receptors. Elevated adipose content could facilitate higher intracellular utilization of lipids, increasing viral propagation.

Conclusion

The study findings demonstrated that although IDPs of liver fat, visceral fat, and muscle volume were prognostic indicators of COVID-19 severity, visceral fat was the most useful biomarker. Abdominal MRI imaging along with classifier models, could enable the identification of high-risk patients.

COVID-19 treatment strategies could be modified accordingly to provide the most appropriate therapeutic regimens to patients prone to severe disease. In addition, obese male smokers with comorbidities were most prone to severe COVID-19 based on the findings and must practice the highest level of care against COVID-19.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers demonstrated the potent neutralizing ability of a polyclonal equine antibody (Ab), FBR-002, against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs), including Omicron.

Study: Potent Neutralizing Activity of Polyclonal Equine Antibodies against Omicron SARS-CoV-2. Image Credit: SergeyBitos / Shutterstock.com

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in more than 436 million cases and over 5.95 million deaths globally to date, leading to substantial socio-economic repercussions. The active transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has led to the emergence of heavily mutated SARS-CoV-2 VOC like Omicron with high transmissibility, which poses a challenge to public health management methods to limit the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, apart from high transmissibility, the recently emerged Omicron variant exhibits substantial immune evasion from neutralizing responses induced by COVID-19 vaccinations or natural infections relative to the previous SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

Several potent monoclonal Abs (mAbs) have been given emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the SARS-CoV-2 treatment. Nonetheless, almost all of these mAbs were ineffective against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant due to its high number of mutations compared to the existing variants.

FBR-002 consists of purified polyclonal equine fragments with two antigen-binding regions (F(ab)2) targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and is considered an efficient and safe therapy against SARS-CoV-2 compared to polyclonal humanized anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies or convalescent plasma therapy. However, in-depth information about FBR-002 is not yet available.

About the study

In the present research, the scientists performed an in vitro assessment of a clinical-grade product of polyclonal F(ab)2 immunoglobulin (Ig) fragments from Fabentech, named FBR-002 against the SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. Equine hyperimmune plasma was procured following the hyper immunization of three healthy French trotter horses with SARS-CoV-2 S protein. The purification of pooled horse plasma through 1) anion-exchange chromatography, 2) hydrolysis of whole Igs, and 3) pasteurization resulted in highly purified F(ab)2 fragments.

The team evaluated the activity of FBR-002 against SARS-CoV-1, Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV), and SARS-CoV-2 D614G, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron, Mu, Kappa, Iota, and Epsilon variants using baby hamster kidney cells (BHK-21) and African Green Monkey Cell Line (VeroE6). The neutralizing activity of FBR-002 was determined using a SARS-CoV-2-pseudotyped recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-luciferase (rVSV-luc) system. Additionally, the rVSV-luc pseudotypes of VSV and Ebola virus (EBOV) served as controls.

SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing activity curves for FBR-002 against SARS-CoV-2 VoC: reference D614G, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron, Mu, Kappa, Iota, Epsilon, SARS-CoV-1, MERS, EBOV and VSV. Neutralizing activity curves are presented using nonlinear regression model fit with settings for log inhibitor vs normalized response curve by GraphPad Prism V8.

Study findings

The results demonstrate that the FBR-002 has significant neutralization potency against the SARS-CoV-2 variants evaluated. Neutralization titers of FBR-002 against all SARS-CoV-2 variants tested varied between 105 and 106 IU/mL and reached more than 200,000 IU/mL for most SARS-CoV-2 VOCs assessed.

The highest reduction in neutralizing titers of FBR-002 was against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant relative to the SARS-CoV-2 ancestral D614G sequence. However, the neutralization titer of FBR-002 against Omicron was 111,403 UI/mL, which was two-to-three orders of magnitude higher than that generally achieved by the SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccination or vaccinating COVID-19-recovered individuals. These inferences were probably due to the presence of high titers of a repertoire of antibodies directed towards conserved epitopes in diverse locations of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein.

Nevertheless, the neutralization titer of FBR-002 against SARS-CoV-1 was much lower than SARS-CoV-2 and was at 13,232 IU/mL. Further, FBR-002 exhibited no measurable neutralization potency against the EBOV, VSV, or MERS-CoV.

Conclusions

The study findings suggest that the FBR-002 exhibited substantial neutralization potency against all the SARS-CoV-2 variants assessed, including the Omicron. The exceptionally high neutralization breadth of FBR-002 observed in the study was probably because of the high titers of a repertoire of antibodies aiming at conserved epitopes in various sites of the SARS-CoV-2 S, such as the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD).

The study indicates that potency and breadth are two significant attributes of a high-titer polyclonal preparation that might be very useful in targeting an evolving agent like SARS-CoV-2. This observation is of prime significance in light of the high transmission levels of the heavily mutated variants like Omicron, even in highly vaccinated populations.

Besides, FBR-002 also demonstrated neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-1, responsible for the SARS epidemic of 2002-2003, although the activity was lower than that against the SARS-CoV-2. In short, the study supports the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 equine polyclonal F(ab')2 antibodies as a new therapeutic approach against COVID-19.

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The first time 11-year-old Levi McAllister had a tooth pulled, he screamed, kicked, and struggled so much that his mom had to hold him down.

So when Levi returned to Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry in January to get two more teeth pulled, dental hygienist Barb Kucera had a surprise for him: a friendly yellow Labrador retriever named Atkins.

"Would you like Atkins to lie on your lap?" she asked.

Levi nodded, and Kucera helped Atkins hop into the dental chair and rest her head on a pillow on Levi's chest. As Levi stroked the soft fur on Atkins' ears, the dentist numbed Levi's mouth and eased out two of his teeth.

"The dog made me feel happy and calm," Levi said.

Across the country, a growing number of dentists are bringing in four-legged staff members to reduce stress for both children and adults  typically at no additional cost to patients. Dental patients at a practice in Green Bay, Wisconsin, can cuddle with a cockapoo named Charlie, for instance, while those at a practice in Nashville, Tennessee, visit with PeeWee, a French bulldog. In Cornelius, North Carolina, Whalen Dentistry advertises that a goldendoodle named Beamer will "make any appointment a little lessRUFF!"

Yet the proliferation of dental dogs highlights a surprising lack of regulation. In most states, nothing prevents a dentist from bringing in an untrained pet and calling it a comfort or therapy dog, possibly putting patients at risk for an infection or a dog attack. Patients with allergies or a fear of dogs might also have concerns.

In North Carolina, complaints from patients concerned about sanitation and safety prompted state regulators to approve a rule allowing only certain types of highly trained dogs in dental exam rooms. It took effect in June 2021 and is thought to be the first regulation of its kind nationwide.

As many as 1 in 3 Americans experience dental anxiety and fear. For them, a visit to the dentist can be terrifying, and research indicates dogs can help. A small study published in the journal Animals found that patients with a fear of the dentist who had a dog lie on their laps during treatment experienced a decrease in their stress and blood pressure levels.

Other research shows animals in health care facilities can reduce the perception of pain and boost patients' moods.

The Americans with Disabilities Act allows people with disabilities to bring a service dog into health care facilities, including dental clinics. Such animals do not pose a significant risk of transmitting infection in a dentist's office, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners published an initial rule that would have allowed only service dogs for patients with disabilities in dental exam rooms, effectively banning "rehabilitative facility dogs" like Atkins. In response, dog lovers and dental patients flooded the board with emails, said Bobby White, the board's CEO and legal counsel.

The board then proposed also allowing facility dogs in dental offices.

Facility dogs get the same intense training as service dogs but learn tasks to help many people, rather than just one, said Kyria Henry Whisenhunt. She's the executive director and founder of Paws4people Foundation, the North Carolina-based nonprofit that trained Atkins and three other dental dogs in the state.

Facility dogs are trained to work in specific professional environments, Whisenhunt said. For instance, Atkins had to be desensitized to sounds such as the screech of the dentist's drill. The dog also had to practice laying her head on a patient's lap and staying still while a dentist works.

Other facility dogs work with professionals in special education, physical and occupational therapy, and mental health care.

The new North Carolina regulation defines a "certified facility dog" as one trained in a program accredited by an organization that promotes training standards for assistance dogs, such as Assistance Dogs International or Animal Assisted Intervention International. It also requires the dog's handler to be trained and certified.

"Our whole goal was to make sure the dogs are safe," White said. "There's a lot of difference between a facility dog that has special training and a person who goes on the internet, buys a vest, and puts it on a Chihuahua."

The Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State searched laws and regulations in all 50 states for KHN and found that only Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia specifically prohibit animals (except for service animals) in dental facilities. Center attorney Rebecca Wisch found no other guidelines related to dogs in a dental office. "I think the NC regulation is unique," she said in an email.

Dr. James Sparks, an Oklahoma dentist who is president of the American Association of Dental Boards, said he wasn't aware of any similar laws. He added that he personally would never bring an animal into his practice. "I can't take the chance of a dog jumping up while I do work," he said.

Atkins, who is 6 years old, received 600 hours of training from Paws4people. She and Kucera then trained together for an additional 50 hours. There was no charge for Kucera to get Atkins, but she had to commit to raise $10,000 for the foundation. Although Atkins lives with Kucera, she is owned by Paws4people.

On the days Atkins works at Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry, a sign in the reception area alerts patients that a dog is on duty. If someone has allergies or a fear of dogs, the staff puts Atkins in her kennel in a back room.

For the youngest patients, Atkins jumps into the dental chair and models behavior. She gets her own clip-on napkin and holds her mouth open while Kucera checks her teeth with a mirror.

When patients want Atkins in their laps, Kucera uses a disposable drape to create a barrier between the patient's clothing and the dog so the patient doesn't go home covered with dog hair. She said that she's never had a problem with Atkins disturbing a dentist's work and that many families request the pooch for every appointment.

Levi said that's his plan, too. "It's just really helpful," he said. "Everyone should have one."
A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server assessed the waning efficacy of the BioNTech/Pfizer BNT162b2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant of concern (VOC).

Various studies have demonstrated the waning effectiveness of the short-term immunity induced by two doses of the BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. Reports of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections have further necessitated the administration of a third (booster) dose of the mRNA vaccine. However, the extent and duration of vaccine-induced protection need extensive research.

About the study

The present study performed a retrospective analysis to examine the correlation between breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infections and the period passed since administering a booster dose.

The study involved individuals 16 years and older who received a minimum of two BNT162b2 vaccine doses by 1 August 2021, excluding individuals with a COVID-19-positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The team obtained demographic data including gender, age, residential socioeconomic geographical statistical area (GSA), and comorbidities and COVID-19-related data, including dates of administration of vaccines, related hospitalizations, SARS-CoV-2 PCR results, and related mortality reports. The study participants were classified into different groups, representing varying periods post-vaccination.

Two SARS-CoV-2-related outcomes were evaluated: 1) the number of breakthrough infections, defined as COVID-19-positive reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay performed seven days or more after the latest vaccine dose, and 2) the manifestation of severe disease, defined as either COVID-19-related hospitalization or related death.

All the participants were matched 1:1 based on their gender, age, GSA, week of PCR-testing, and month of receipt of second vaccine dose. The study involved a test-negative case-control design with COVID-19 cases defined as patients with a PCR-positive result or with severe SARS-CoV-2 manifestation. At the same time, controls were PCR-negative individuals with neither a positive-PCR test nor related hospitalization of their matched patient nor whose PCR test was not performed since the fourth vaccine dose administration, if any.

The team also performed three additional analyses, including a sensitivity analysis that assessed the occurrence of breakthrough infections caused by booster vaccines. This second sensitivity analysis eliminated potential selectivity bias of excluding PCR tests of early vaccinees and repeated performance of the main analysis with a different reference group to evaluate the marginal effectiveness of the booster vaccine as compared to the second dose.

Results

The study results showed that 546,924 SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were collected from 389,265 participants from 1 January to 21 January 2022. In the follow-up period, 101,737 booster breakthrough infections and 482 breakthrough infections causing hospitalizations and deaths were observed.

Among the participants who received the third dose in August and December 2021, the team found 30,870 and 1082 breakthrough infections, 208 and 4 related hospitalizations, and 9 and zero deaths, respectively. Patients administered with only two vaccine doses had 16,938 infections and 122 related hospitalizations.

A total of 110,918 cases and controls were matched in the 1:1 ratio to analyze breakthrough infections, while 562 cases and controls were matched for severe COVID-19 analysis. Among participants vaccinated in December 2021, vaccine effectiveness (VE) was 53.4%, with a subsequent decline of 35.7% for participants vaccinated in November 2021 and 16.5% for those vaccinated in October 2021.

The sensitivity analyses resulted in an estimated VE similar to that in the main analysis. The third additional analysis involved 128,854 individuals for the analysis of breakthrough infections and 722 persons for the analysis of severe COVID-19 occurrences. Among these, the marginal effectiveness of the booster dose administered in December 2021 was 59.4%, with the effectiveness reducing from 72.2% to 54.5% three and five months after booster vaccination, respectively.

Conclusion

The test-negative case-control study found a significant decrease in VE in each subsequent month post-booster dose vaccination, while the marginal protection induced by the third dose compared to the second dose was less significant over months after receipt of the booster dose.

Moreover, a time-dependent waning of VE with an initial increase in efficacy was observed more notably after the booster dose than the second dose. The researchers believe that the present study is crucial to prompt discussions regarding COVID-19 vaccination policies to develop booster doses and their administration.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
During a Feb. 10 speech about lowering health care costs, President Joe Biden made a sweeping declaration that Americans would no longer need to worry about surprise medical bills.

"No more surprise billing. No more," said Biden. "Millions of hardworking Americans will no longer have to worry about unexpected medical bills."

Biden was referring to a bipartisan law, the No Surprises Act, that was passed by Congress during the Trump administration in late 2020 and took effect on Jan. 1, 2022. The law is supposed to protect consumers from often-expensive out-of-network medical bills.

The president offered this example of the kinds of bills the law would prevent: "If your health care plan did not cover a particular doctor but you didn't even know he was being consulted and you get an extra bill for $2,000-$5,000  they can't do that anymore."

Still, Biden exaggerated when he said there would be no more surprise billing. He had a point that the new law would provide newfound protection against certain charges for millions of people, but his statement went further than what the law accomplishes.

We decided to dig in and find out how far the law goes to prevent unexpected medical costs.

Surprise bills and the No Surprises Act, explained

The No Surprises Act primarily protects consumers against certain types of medical bills: those received by patients for care at an out-of-network facility  specifically, a hospital, a hospital outpatient department, or an ambulatory surgery center; or from an out-of-network medical provider whom patients did not get to choose. The act also protects patients from "surprise" bills from an out-of-network air ambulance transport. Out of network means the doctor doesn't take your medical insurance or isn't included on the list of approved providers in your insurance network.

The federal government estimates that the law will apply to about 10 million surprise bills a year. They are often associated with emergency care provided when patients must go to the closest medical facility and can't check the network status of the facility or emergency room physicians. They also may stem from nonemergency hospitalizations or surgeries at an in-network facility that involve a provider, such as an anesthesiologist or radiologist, who is out of network and bills separately.

Before the law, patients could be left on the hook for charges much higher than their insurer's in-network negotiated rate because their health plan might pay only part of the bill or deny the claim completely.

Trying to get any portion of an out-of-network bill covered often required lots of paperwork and phone time with insurance providers, and consumers were sometimes still left with a big bill.

However, with the No Surprises Act, consumers are shielded from these out-of-network bills. Insurance companies are required to cover the out-of-network claims, paying providers the rate they pay for the service when it is delivered by an in-network provider or facility and leaving consumers responsible for only the in-network cost sharing. Finally, the new law created an arbitration process that kicks in if the insurer and provider dispute the payment rates and takes the consumer out of the negotiation.

"So if the new law works well, patients should not only save money, they could be relieved of some complicated claims-filing paperwork," said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow for health reform and private insurance at KFF.

A few caveats

Although the No Surprises Act is relatively comprehensive for out-of-network bills, some notable exceptions could result in large bills for consumers, said Loren Adler, associate director of the University of Southern California-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy.

One glaring omission is that charges associated with using a ground ambulance to get to a hospital in an emergency are not covered. A 2021 Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker analysis found that half of emergency ground-ambulance rides resulted in an out-of-network charge for those with private health insurance.

It's also important to note that politicians often use the term "surprise bills" as shorthand for out-of-network bills. Certain large medical bills that consumers receive for in-network care may be "surprising" to them, but, technically, they won't fit under the No Surprises Act if they're not an out-of-network bill.

"There are certainly plenty of things that are surprises in the medical system," said Adler. "Such as people don't realize they have a deductible, and that's a surprise. Or your insurance company denies a claim, and that's a surprise."

This can be confusing to consumers who receive a bill that has nothing to do with what the No Surprises Act was designed to address. For instance, consumers can still be subject to huge fees because of hospital overcharges or insurer mistakes, as shown in many stories in the KHN Bill of the Month series.

Still, the four health policy experts we consulted told us that Biden's statement was mostly accurate.

"My general reaction is that it's broadly correct," said Benedic Ippolito, a senior fellow and health care expert at the American Enterprise Institute. "But it's not quite true to say that there are bills that you don't need to worry about anymore."

Consumers should still beware

There are a couple of other sticking points in the No Surprises Act that could mean patients still end up with a large or surprising medical bill.

Currently, the interim final rule implementing the No Surprises Act leaves some medical facilities  including urgent care centers, birthing centers, hospice, addiction treatment facilities, and nursing homes  off the list of places covered by the law.

One other issue: Facilities can ask patients to sign a prior written consent that waives their rights under the No Surprises Act in certain situations; this allows patients to be charged out-of-network prices for procedures. Medical providers are not allowed to ask patients to sign the form for emergency care or for services in which the patient doesn't choose the doctor.

"That's not to say that there is absolutely zero risk," said Matthew Fiedler, a fellow with the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy. "Probably the scenario I am most worried about is post-stabilization care following emergency care."

Fiedler said that could mean an out-of-network facility would be able to charge a patient at out-of-network rates if it received the prior written consent and showed that the patient could have traveled to an in-network facility; or, perhaps, for certain services in which the patient doesn't choose the doctor.

Even in those cases, the provider would have to get patients to sign a form they may not understand in which they waive their rights and put themselves at risk of getting an out-of-network bill they weren't expecting. "That's not impossible, but I think it's probably also not trivial," Fiedler said. "So, all things considered, I think we are talking about really unusual scenarios."

Even so, it's important for consumers to be aware that while the No Surprises Act will protect them from most out-of-network bills, they could still receive other types of surprising bills because the U.S. has such a complex health care system. While effective, the law is not infallible.

Our ruling

Biden declared that because of the No Surprises Act, which took effect in January, millions of Americans will no longer have to worry about unexpected medical bills. It's estimated the law will protect against 10 million surprise bills a year.

Although it's true that consumers are now shielded from many out-of-network bills, which are often termed "surprise bills" by lawmakers, patients still could end up with other types of large and unexpected medical bills. Biden's statement is a bit too general and sweeping and needs clarification and additional context.

We rate this claim Mostly True.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers evaluated the immune responses induced by the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

Study: Impact of Omicron variant on the response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in multiple myeloma . Image Credit: David A Litman/Shutterstock

MM is a hematological malignancy marked by impaired cellular and humoral responses. Hence, the probability of viral and bacterial infections in these patients is high. MM patients demonstrate lower immune responses to vaccination because of their immunodeficient state. However, the cellular and humoral responses against the SARS-CoV-2 spikes (S) triggered by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in MM patients and individuals with premalignant monoclonal gammopathies, like smoldering myeloma (SMM) and monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS), are not yet understood.

About the study

In the present study, the researchers assessed the cellular and humoral immune responses to two doses of mRNA-based Pfizer (BNT162b2) vaccine and heterologous boost with Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, Gamma, Delta, Beta, and Alpha VOCs. The study was conducted in a cohort of 40 patients with MM, SMM, and MGUS in the Parma Hospital, in Italy from February 25 to July 23, 2021. The newly diagnosed MM (MMD) patients had received the first line of MM therapy, whereas MM patients with the relapsed-refractory disease (MMR) underwent the second-line therapy.

The peripheral blood (PB) samples were collected before the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, 142 days after the second Pfizer vaccine dose, and 142 days following the booster vaccination with the Moderna vaccine. The team quantified SARS-CoV-2 S-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses among the MM, SMM, and MGUS patients.

Further, neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers and humoral responses like SARS-CoV-2 S immunoglobulin (IgG) Abs against vaccine homologous S and the Ss of the five SARS-CoV-2 VOCs among the study cohorts were also quantified. In a subset of 16 booster-vaccinated MM patients, including MMR and MMD, SARS-CoV-2 S-specific immune responses, specifically on the neutralizing capacity against the SARS-CoV-2 Ss, were analyzed.

Results

The results show that individuals with MMR developed lower neutralizing titers and S-specific Ab levels against SARS-CoV-2 following the two-dose Pfizer vaccination relative to SMM, MMD, and MGUS patients. All SARS-CoV-2 VOCs studied, mainly the Omicron variant, demonstrated substantial detrimental influence on the neutralizing capacity of vaccine-induced Abs in MMR, MMD, and SMM patients vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine. Nonetheless, no statistically significant relationship between humoral immunity and the age of the patients was observed.

In addition, MM patients had fewer S-specific tumor necrosing factor- (TNF-)- and interferon- (IFN-)-producing cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and S-specific interleukin-2 (IL-2)-producing CD4+ T cells than MGUS patients. The IL-2-producing CD4+ T cells were substantially lower in MMR, MMD, and SMM patients relative to the MGUS patients, whereas TNF-- and IFN--producing CD4+ T cells were comparable among these cohorts.

However, the mRNA-1273 booster vaccination enhanced the SARS-CoV-2 S-specific cellular and humoral immune responses in MMD patients and most individuals with MMR. The MMD patients exhibited a substantial increase in the NAb titers against almost all SARS-CoV-2 variants analyzed following the Moderna booster dose. In contrast, individuals with MMR had lower neutralizing capacity towards Omicron even after the heterologous booster vaccination, indicating this population was still prone to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection and clinically significant COVID-19.

Conclusions

According to the authors, this is the first study estimating the negative effect of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant on the neutralizing capacity of the COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibodies in SMM and MM patients following two doses of mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The study findings suggest that individuals with monoclonal gammopathies exhibit variable humoral and cellular immune responses to COVID-19 vaccination. Substantially lower immune responses were observed in MMR patients who received at least two lines of MM treatment relative to MGUS patients.

Furthermore, the heterologous SARS-CoV-2 mRNA booster vaccination with Moderna vaccine enhanced the humoral immunity against all SARS-CoV-2-Ss evaluated in the study among the MMD patients. Nevertheless, this effect was only partly observed in MMR patients, suggesting their risk of developing clinically relevant SARS-CoV-2 disease even after receiving a booster vaccination.

Collectively, the study emphasizes the significance of careful monitoring of three-dose vaccinated MM patients for COVID-19 in the light of heavily mutated variants like Omicron. Further, it highlights the need for SARS-CoV-2 preventive measures and devising additional prophylactic strategies like a fourth vaccine dose for MM patients, particularly those receiving several lines of MM therapy.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
LOBAMBA - Another day, another loan!

A report for a loan of around E500 million that will facilitate an increase in the Rural Development Fund (RDF) was yesterday tabled and passed by Members of Parliament (MPs) within an hour at the House of Assembly. While this week the focus is on portfolio committee debates of annual reports for the various ministries, MPs showed up for what was termed an extraordinary sitting, which was held between 1pm and 2pm. During the sitting, Finance Portfolio Committee Chairperson MP Marwick Khumalo tabled the Report on the African Development Bank (Support for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth Phase 1) Bill No.3 of 2022. In the report, it was stated that the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, had informed the portfolio committee that the development objective of the general budget support programme was to accelerate Eswatinis Post-COVID-19 Recovery Programmes through improved economic governance and investments climate for enhanced social protection and inclusive economic growth.

Programme

It is contained in the report that the programme will support governments efforts to restore macro-economic stability, strengthen public financial management (PFM) reforms and boost domestic revenue through increased private sector participation, hence improving livelihoods and enhancing socio-economic protection. It is stated that the loan shall be payable over a period of 34 equal and consecutive semi-annual instalments after a grace period of three years. It is provided that the borrower shall pay to the lender a front-end fee equal to one quarter of one per cent (0.25 per cent) of the loan. There shall also be a commitment charge equal to one quarter of one per cent per annum on the undisturbed loan balance, which shall accrue 60 days after the date of the loan agreement. In the report, details of the implications the loan will have on the countrys debt stock were detailed.

It was mentioned that as at the end of December 31, 2021, preliminary debt figures indicated that total public debt stood at E27.76 billion, which was an equivalent of E38.77 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). The debt stock figures, it was stated, excluded arrears and contingent liabilities.

Equivalent

Contracting the new loan of USD 36 million equivalent to E540 million at the prevailing exchange rate, will increase the total debt stock to E28.30 billion, which is equivalent to about 39.53 per cent of GDP, reads the report in part. It was stated that there were six external loans that were fully repaid during the annual year of 2021, which meant that government had done well in its debt obligations, hence the new loan would not add too much pressure on the expenditure when repayments kicked in. Explaining further was Khumalo, who stated that the reason to table the report with urgency was because currently, Parliament was busy with issues of the national budget and allocations. Khumalo said the loan would be the one to fund some of the allocations.

A portion of the allocations is the one we are talking about. So if it passes, it means that when the financial year starts in April, the money will be available, he said.

The Lobamba Lomdzala MP highlighted that they did engage extensively with the minister and stakeholders whereby a concern was raised that the country had too many loans.

The good thing is that the minister assured us in terms of taking loans to finance the budget, the country has turned the corner. He assured that this is one of the last loans that the country will take to finance a budget, he said. Khumalo said the interest was also low, which was positive for the country. He said the minister had also assured them that the loan was one of the funds that would be used to finance the RDF. We have told the minister about the concerns raised regarding the RDF. We ended up agreeing that at least E3.5 million for each constituency will do. Even though the minister raised concerns, we reached a consensus, Khumalo said and this was welcomed with giggles from his colleagues.

Meanwhile, the MPs also passed the Report on the Ministry of Finance Sessional Committee on the Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2022, Bill No.5 of 2022.
The current health of a population can be measured by life expectancy (LE). Increasing mortality within a population results in a decline in LE, while LE increases with a decrease in mortality. During the second half of the 20th century, significant increases in LE were observed in most countries. However, many of the more affluent countries experienced a slowing of LE improvement at the turn of the 21st century, before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The COVID-19 crisis created a mortality shock, leading to LE decreases in 2020 unprecedented in high-income nations today. While data constraints have prevented in-depth evaluations in low-to-middle-income nations, accumulating evidence suggests that losses in low-to-middle-income countries, such as India and Latin America, are considerably worse. Only a few nations, notably Norway, Denmark, females in Finland, New Zealand, and Australia, did not see LE drop in 2020.

In a recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv*, researchers investigated LE in 29 countries, including most European countries, Chile, and the USA, in 2021. The authors utilized data on all-cause mortality from the Short-Term Fluctuations Database (STMF). Decomposition techniques were used to describe which age groups and to what extent registered COVID-19 deaths contributed to recent trends and decreases in LE.

The authors compared the current global life expectancy decline and duration to notable mortality shocks in the twentieth century. The findings are broken down into three categories: females, males, and the entire population. They also look into the relationship between changes in life expectancy and vaccination uptake. These findings estimate COVID-19's death load in 2021 and contribute to the discussion of current changes in life expectancy from a global viewpoint.

LE changes since 2019

Thirteen of the 29 nations studied saw LE recover from 2020 losses, while eleven observed losses continue. In the United States, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, LE stayed at the same low levels as in 2020, showing a persistent increase in mortality. Bulgaria, with record compound LE losses in 2020 and 2021, and Switzerland, with a record LE bounce-back, are at the extremes. Only three countries studied experienced no loss of LE in 2020, Finland, Denmark, and Norway, with Norway showing a significantly increased LE in 2021, compared to 2019.

In 2020, Bulgaria saw a 17.8-month drop in LE. This significant fall was exacerbated by a 24.6-month drop underneath the 2020 level in 2021, giving the country a net LE loss of 42.4 months since 2019. Bulgaria is the most extreme case among the nine previously Eastern Bloc countries. Every one of these countries, apart from Slovenia, experienced compound LE losses in 2021. Estonia had the third-highest LE losses in 2021 but virtually no losses in 2020. Chile and Greece both saw significant cumulative losses.

In all the studied countries in 2021, COVID-19-related deaths account for the LE decrease. Greece and the Netherlands were exceptions because more than half the deaths contributing to LE decline were not related to COVID-19. Individuals of the age group 60-79 contributed more towards the decline in LE in most countries, apart from Germany and Scotland.

LE deficit by vaccine uptake

In all nations, increased vaccination rates until October 2021 were linked to lower LE deficits in 2021. Eastern Europe, particularly Bulgaria, which had reduced vaccination uptake, had higher LE deficits, but other Central and Western European countries had the reverse problem. When evaluating the contributions of the age groups 60 and 60+ to the LE decline in 2021, the trend in the association was similar, while the strength of the association varied. Vaccination uptake was found to be more closely linked to LE decline in those aged 60 and up.

There is a likely complicated relationship between vaccination uptake and LE losses, as evidenced by notable anomalies. Compared to nations with similar average vaccination rates, such as the Netherlands or Switzerland, the United States had a much greater LE decline among individuals younger than 60 years.

The data highlighted Chile and Slovakia as nations with unusually substantial LE decline for people aged 60 and over, considering their vaccine rates. Some of these disparities could be explained by finer specifics of vaccination roll-out timing and age prioritizing, as well as relationships among vaccine uptake and adherence with non-pharmaceutical measures.

Implications

The influence of the pandemic on population health began to diverge in 2021. Some countries observed bounce-backs from a declining LE due to pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical measures, while others experienced a sustain in LE decline. Despite repeated mortality crises in the twentieth century, life expectancy continued to rise worldwide in the medium and long term, particularly in the second half of the century. While the COVID-19 pandemic has been the most significant global mortality shock since World War II, the long-term effects on LE are not yet fully determined.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
An international research team from universities including Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, the University of Padua and the University of Udine in Italy, and the University of Vienna, Austria, has developed a new theoretical model to better assess the risks of spreading viruses such as Covid-19 - with and without a face mask. The results show how the standard 'safe' distance of two meters does not always apply but varies greatly depending on a range of environmental factors, and that face masks can indeed play a crucial role.

Image credit: Chalmers tekniska hogskola | Synatix on Unsplash

The current recommendations and understanding around the transmission of respiratory infectious diseases are often based on a diagram developed by the American scientist William Firth Wells in 1934. But this model is very simplified and does not account for the true complexity of transmission.

Now, in the new study Modelling the direct virus exposure risk associated with respiratory events, the researchers developed a more advanced model to show that it is possible to more efficiently calculate the direct risk of spreading Covid infection by including a number of factors, such as interpersonal distance, temperature, humidity levels, viral load and type of exhalation. They also managed to demonstrate how these risks change with and without a face mask.

The study revealed, for example, that a person talking without a face mask can spread infected droplets one meter away. Should the same person cough, the drops can be spread up to three meters and if the person sneezes, the spread distance can be up to seven meters. But using a face mask, the risk of spreading the infection decreases significantly.

"If you wear a surgical mask or an FFP2 mask, the risk of infection is reduced to such an extent that it is practically negligible - even if you're only standing one meter away from an infected person," explains Gaetano Sardina, Associate Professor of Fluid Mechanics at the Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences at Chalmers University of Technology, who is one of the researchers behind the study.

In the study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the researchers tested the new model using data from recent numerical experiments on droplet emissions. This allowed them to take several factors into account and quantify the risk of infection, with and without a face mask.

Size a factor in droplet behavior

Viruses, such as SARS-COV-2, are spread from an infected individual to other susceptible individuals through virus-filled droplets that are released when talking, coughing, or sneezing. Droplets emitted from the salivary glands are sprayed out through the exhaled air. Once out of the mouth, these drops can either evaporate, settle or remain floating. Larger and heavier droplets tend to fall in a ballistic motion before evaporating, while smaller droplets behave like aerosols that spray and remain airborne.

The results show that a surgical face mask and, to an even greater extent, an FFP2 mask provide excellent protection that significantly reduces the risk of infection. Provided that the face mask is worn correctly, the risk of infection is negligible even at distances as short as one meter, regardless of environmental conditions and if the person is talking, coughing or sneezing.

Next step - a study on airborne spread

With this study complete, the research team is now already working on a new study aiming to explore the airborne spread of the disease.

The published study addresses direct droplet transmission of Covid - another important transmission path is the indirect and airborne route in poorly ventilated rooms. We are currently working on this aspect and our preliminary results show the effectiveness of face masks in also preventing the airborne spread of the disease." Gaetano Sardina, Associate Professor of Fluid Mechanics, Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology

The international study was led by the University of Padua, Italy, and conducted in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Udine, Italy, and the University of Vienna, Austria. The scientific article was written by Jietuo Wang, Federico Dalla Barba, Alessio Roccon, Gaetano Sardina, Alfredo Soldati and Francesco Picano.
Yes, we are all exhausted by the covid pandemic. Flummoxed by the constantly shifting science and guidelines. Worried about a succession of scary new variants, each with its own name, like hurricanes.

But a sizable minority  nearly 17 million U.S. residents, including me  has its own special quandary. Our initial vaccine was Johnson & Johnson, which was just one shot, and that has many of us confused. Are we fully vaccinated, even with a booster, or should we get a third shot to catch up with the 92 million vaccinees who got two doses of Pfizer or Moderna early on and have since been boosted? Since J&J has largely disappeared from the public eye, actionable information is in scarce supply  not to mention that the guidance is constantly shifting, for everybody.

On April 4, 2021, I dutifully traveled across Los Angeles to line up for my J&J shot at a mass vaccination site. Like many of my J&J brethren, I was following the advice of public health officials to take the first available vaccine.

At the time, J&J was kind of a cool newcomer among covid-19 vaccines. The protection it provided against illness, though apparently less than that afforded by the so-called messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, seemed sufficient to ward off serious illness.

And while those vaccines required two shots, J&J was billed as "one and done"  a big advantage for people with needle phobia and for transient populations, including farmworkers, people living in homelessness, and inmates in county jails. Its easy storage requirements, compared with the deep freeze needed to handle the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, also made it a good choice for remote rural populations.

But just days after I got my shot, the reputation of J&J entered what would prove to be a disastrous tailspin, with news of the vaccine's link to a rare but potentially deadly blood clotting disorder. That prompted federal health officials to hit the pause button on it, only to clear it 10 days later and then reverse course in December by recommending the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines over J&J's, mainly because of studies that intensified the blood clot concern.

In the interim, J&J was plagued by production snafus and concerns about its vaccine's efficacy. Research showed a disproportionate share of breakthrough infections among J&J vaccinees during a covid surge on Cape Cod last summer. State data from California covering most of 2021 paints a similar picture, not only for infections but also for hospitalizations and deaths.

With J&J seemingly destined to be a benchwarmer among covid vaccines in the U.S., it often has been left out of public discourse and guidance on covid.

"Very little J&J vaccine is currently being used, which is part of the reason that people don't talk about it very much anymore," says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

When the Biden administration first recommended boosters in August, it initially excluded J&J vaccinees, citing a lag in the data.

No wonder the citizens of J&J Nation have been feeling a bit like neglected stepchildren.

"I wish I had chosen something that more people had received so I could get more information," says Leah Justman, a 39-year-old resident of Los Angeles, who preferred the J&J shot last April because she was breastfeeding her newborn baby at the time, was nervous about the new mRNA technology, and thought J&J was "more similar to getting a regular vaccine."

Now, she says, she feels as if there's a bit of a stigma attached to being a J&Jer: "When I go to restaurants or show that I'm vaccinated, people are like, 'Oh my God, you got J&J.' It's almost like a joke, where people think, 'Thank God I didn't get it.'"

In December, Justman got the half-dose Moderna booster recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That leaves her behind the curve compared with Moderna and Pfizer recipients who received two full doses initially and a booster later on. She worries about how long she will be protected and what her next move should be.

There appears to be a growing consensus in scientific circles that one shot of J&J was never enough and that it could account for the lower efficacy compared with the mRNA vaccines.

"A lot of us believe it should have been a two-dose vaccine all along," says Bradley Pollock, associate dean for public health sciences at the UC Davis School of Medicine. In coming months, he says, "it is entirely possible that they're going to say a three-dose schedule is full vaccination."

That got me thinking about whether I am fully vaccinated. Factoring in the half-dose Moderna booster I received in late October, I'm still behind those who've had three Pfizer or Moderna shots.

I've spoken to several J&J vaccinees who, thinking similar thoughts, sought a second booster even though the current federal guideline for J&J vaccinees calls for just one mRNA booster, two months or more after the initial vaccination.

I recently went online to book an appointment for a second Moderna booster. On my first try, I got a message from the pharmacy saying I wasn't eligible. A second pharmacy allowed me to book a slot, but I canceled at the last minute after receiving dissuasive emails (albeit mild ones) from two of my expert sources.

"It's not as quantitative as you're making it out to be," wrote Dr. George Rutherford, a professor of epidemiology at UCSF. The J&J and mRNA vaccines work differently, he said, "so it's not like one J&J plus one Moderna equals 1.5 Pfizer doses. I don't think it will make you sick, but I'd just sit tight. Omicron is going away."

New research suggests that as few as two covid shots could be enough to protect most people from serious illness and death for many months, or even years.

If you are among the nearly 17 million J&J people and have had a booster, consider standing pat like I finally did. But if you haven't had a booster yet, do so ASAP. It seems clear, or at least as clear as anything can be where covid is concerned, that if you are vaccinated and boosted, your risk of developing severe illness is very low.

New federal guidance allows for a second booster if your immune system is compromised by, for example, cancer treatment, HIV, or an organ transplant. If you're not immunocompromised but are worried about weak protection, you can try to persuade a pharmacist or the staffers at a vaccination site to give you another shot. It won't be easy, but it's possible. Or talk to your doctor, who may be willing to prescribe one.

Now that I've spent most of this column pointing out the problems with the J&J vaccine, it's only fair that I say a few positive things about it.

First, even though it appears to be less effective than the Pfizer and Moderna shots, the J&J vaccine still provides a high degree of protection against serious illness and is vastly preferable to no vaccine. J&J, which is cheaper than the mRNA vaccines and easier to transport, also has a critical role to play in low-income countries with large rural populations and poor transportation infrastructure.

Even in the United States, where use of the J&J shot has declined sharply, it's helpful to have the vaccine in stock. It's a good alternative for those who are anxious about the mRNA shots and would otherwise not get vaccinated.

And it's always possible that demand for it could return. The mRNA vaccines carry a risk of heart inflammation for young men, a side effect that appears to be short term in most cases. But if future studies show it can lead to permanent damage or even death, "that would make the J&J vaccine potentially at least as attractive, if not more attractive," says Dr. Walter Orenstein, a professor of epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta.

The vaccines are still new, many clinical trials have yet to yield unambiguous results, and every new variant throws doubt on data collected when a different strain was dominant.

"It may turn out to be true that three doses or two doses and a variant-focused booster are going to turn out to be best. We don't know yet," says Dr. Gregory Poland, director and founder of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group in Rochester, Minnesota. "And the way things have been going, we will barely be getting the answers to those questions, and more time will have passed, and a new variant will arrive."

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
Bedford, UK | 01st March 2022  MIP Diagnostics, a UK nanotechnology business has secured increased investment of its previous round of funding, totalling 7.3M. The joint investment comes from Mercia Asset Management, Calculus Capital, Downing Ventures and BGF, along with an original angel investor.

Bedfordshire based MIP Diagnostics is the market leader in Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) technology. The business has developed and patented a novel design and development process to make nanoMIPs; nano-scale molecularly imprinted polymers that act as synthetic antibodies. They are ideally positioned for use in diagnostic devices such as biosensors and other next generation IVD tests. nanoMIPs offer significant differentiators over traditional antibodies, namely due to their extremely robust nature coupled with best-in-class sensitivity and selectivity. They are exceptionally stable in harsh conditions and fluctuating temperatures, enabling reliable, next generation testing in various clinical settings and global environments.

Following the first tranche of investment in June 2020, MIP Diagnostics has now completed its second tranche, which was oversubscribed by an impressive 112%. By rapidly achieving strategic milestones, developing its technology, securing commercial agreements with blue chip customers, and building excitement in the industry, the joint investment has now reached 7.3M.

Stephane Argivier, CEO at MIP Diagnostics said of the investment,

We are delighted that our investors have emphatically and unanimously backed our vision to become leaders in next generation affinity reagents following the achievement of the key milestones we set together 18 months ago. We will continue to bring highly talented and experienced people to the business at all levels to accelerate our growth. This will be delivered by completing the industrialisation of our technology in targeted applications and bringing exciting new products to market to address unmet needs with high performance customer-centric solutions, which in turn will drive market adoption.

Jim Reid, Chairman at MIP Diagnostics said of the investment,

When all of a companys major investors increase their positions in the company, in a round which was highly oversubscribed, you know you are doing something right. At MIP Diagnostics we have not only delivered on our plans but developed a world class team and a clear vision for the future which will see the business take the next steps to becoming the industry leader in novel affinity reagents which will tranform the diagnostic industry.

Mark Payton, CEO at Mercia Asset Management said,

As a founding investor in this University of Leicester spin out, its an ongoing privilege to activiely support MIP Diagnostics on its growth journey in building a platform with remarkable potential to bring next generation detection and sensor products to market - faster and more cost-effectively than its biologic equivalents.

Allie Lindsay, Calculus Capital, said,

We are delighted to be increasing our stake in MIP at a point where they have made significant technical progress which they are converting into an exciting commercial proposition."

Will Brooks, Investment Director at Downing Ventures remarked,

Downing is please to follow on our investment in MIP Diagnostics. we see the potential and scope for molecularly imprinted polymers in the testing and diagnostic industries only growing, and the technology at MIP is leading the field.

Nathan Heath, investor at BGF said,
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* server, researchers assessed the immunogenicity of the self-developed recombinant adenovirus vector (rAd5) vaccine on macaques. They evaluated the efficacy of three candidate vaccines, ED88, ED90, and ED94, to select the most appropriate one for future development.

Study: Mucosal Immunization of Cynomolgus Macaques with Adenoviral Vector Vaccine Elicits Neutralizing Nasal and Serum Antibody to Several SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Image Credit: FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock

The rAd5 mucosal vaccine platform developed in this study has been formulated as a dried tablet to be delivered orally along with a glass of water. The vaccine has been administered to over 500 human subjects so far and has been found to elicit potent cellular and humoral immune responses to the expressed antigen and is also well tolerated.

The rapid emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) has led to global vaccine development efforts. Vaccines provide passive immunity by giving rise to serological antibodies or immunoglobulins (Ig) such as IgG and IgA. The comparative effectiveness of vaccines must be assessed to accelerate the development and clinical translation of the most potent vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Although vaccines have reduced disease severity, novel immune strategies are required to boost host immunity and decrease viral transmission. Mucosal vaccines generate secretory immunoglobulin-A (SIgA) in the nasal secretions. SIgA neutralizes the viral antigens at the portal of entry and site of initial inoculation of SARS-CoV-2, preventing viral dissemination in the host. To this end, the authors believe that the rAd5 vaccine they developed could be a potential therapeutic agent against COVID-19.

About the study

The researchers compared the immunogenic potential of three candidate vaccines to generate IgG and IgA against the proteins of several VOCs (e.g., Alpha, Gamma, Wuhan, Delta, and Beta). ED90 contained the viral spike (S) protein only, whereas ED88 contained the S and nucleocapsid (N) proteins effective against the Beta or Wuhan strains. The ED94 vaccine contained only Beta-specific S protein. The Wuhan S specific-vector vaccine was tested on macaques after proven efficacious and well-tolerated in hamsters and mice in Phase 1 trials.

Five groups of crab-eating macaques were immunized with the rAd5 vaccine containing S protein transgenes from either Wuhan (ED90) or beta (ED94) lineages or a blend of Wuhan S and N proteins (ED88). Four groups were vaccinated via the intranasal route with ED90 or ED94 vaccines. One group was immunized intramuscularly, followed by an intranasal ED88 booster dose. Post-vaccination, nasal swabs and serum samples were collected from all the groups.

Plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNT) were performed to evaluate IgG and IgA antibody function. Viral titers were also obtained from the serum samples. Additionally, the team investigated whether the Wuhan and Delta S-specific nasal SIgA could inhibit viral protein binding with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors of the host using viral neutralization tests.

Immunogenicity study design for assessing of mucosal delivery of potential rAd5 vaccine candidates. (A) Illustration of rAd5 vector candidates. (B) Study timeline for prime-boost vaccine administration and serum and nasal swab sample collection. (C) Vaccine candidates evaluated for immunogenicity in cynomolgus macaques.

Results and discussion

Within two weeks of single vaccination with ED90, the immunized animals had a three-fold increase in S- and RBD-specific IgG against several SARS-CoV-2 strains: Wuhan, beta, delta, alpha, and gamma. ED94 was highly immunogenic against the beta and gamma VOCs. Animals immunized with ED88 demonstrated a moderate increase in anti-S protein IgG responses. ED90 vaccination generated serum IgA specific to Wuhan, alpha, delta, and gamma VOCs but in lesser quantity than IgG. ED94 generated the highest beta-specific IgA immune responses. Antibodies against N were not detected with ED88 vaccination.

The ED90 vaccine also generated the highest serum IgG and IgA and neutralization activity against the delta strain. Neutralizing antibodies were generated within a month in all macaques in the ED90 group. In contrast, only half of the animals generated humoral immune responses two months post ED88 vaccination. The highest percentage of inhibition between ACE-2 and S protein was detected in the nasal mucosa of animals immunized with ED90 on day 58.

The rAd5 vaccine generated the most robust humoral immune protection with serum IgG and IgA against all VOCs with two ED90 doses. IgA was found to have higher neutralization activity than IgG, and no adverse events were reported in any group post-vaccination.

Immunization with ED90 increases neutralizing antibodies in nasal samples to both Wuhan and delta by D58 post-vaccination. percent inhibition of ACE2 binding in nasal samples to full length S protein A) Wuhan (B) delta variant (B.1.617.2) assessed by SVNT assay on D58. Data normalized to percent inhibition on D-1, SEM (n = 4).

Conclusion

The study findings showed that the double dose ED90 vaccination regimen was most potent in generating cross-reactive serum IgG and mucosal IgA against multiple VOCs. Thus, the researchers chose ED90 for further clinical research and development.

The rAd5 vaccine with two doses of ED90 generated high titers of binding and neutralizing SIgA antibodies against several VOCs in the nasal mucosa, a first by any vaccine. This vaccine was found to inhibit Wuhan-specific SARS-CoV-2 entry as well as decrease delta S-mediated viral transmission. Based on the study findings, the authors believe that mucosal vaccinations may provide enhanced protection against COVID-19.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server assessed the impact of social isolation and loneliness during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive influx of patients into physical and mental health care facilities. Implementing national and regional lockdowns early in the pandemic to limit the spread of severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) gradually led to adverse effects on public mental health due to increased social isolation. The absence of a social buffering effect due to the pandemic could amplify psychosocial issues with possible long-term physical and psychological health consequences.

For instance, loneliness, defined as the subjective state of feeling alone, is a public health concern in modern communities with increasing social isolation and anonymity. Contrastingly, social isolation is the objective state of lacking (social) relationships and being alone. According to some studies, social isolation and loneliness are associated significantly with mental and physical health indices such as depression, psychosocial stress, generalized anxiety, a common obstructive pulmonary disorder, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality. Moreover, studies have found an association of loneliness with neuroendocrine factors (cortisol levels).

The social buffering hypothesis indicates that (social) relationships might improve both mental and physical health. Romantic relationships are intense and emotionally supportive interactions fulfil intimate needs and attachment. Such interactions with a companion could alleviate pain, stress, and psychological distress and influence immunity, the healing process, and mortality rates. Besides, single individuals have higher cortisol levels than couples, indicating that romantic relationships could decrease cortisol levels.

The study

The current study assessed relationship status and living situation during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown as (potential) moderators for trait and state loneliness. The association between relationship status and trait loneliness was investigated. State loneliness and diurnal cortisol levels were assessed using the ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approach. Relationship status and living situation were thought to impact state loneliness and cortisol levels.

Participants were eligible if they volunteered and were over 18 years and fluent in German. The volunteers were required to complete online questionnaires. Loneliness scores were quantified using a German version of the 20-item University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale. Participants were asked to provide salivary samples for estimating cortisol levels at six different time points for two consecutive days  after waking up, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 2.5 hours, 8 hours post-wake-up, and immediately before sleeping. A short version of partnerschaftsfragebogen (PFB) was used to assess relationship quality.

Findings

About 1,483 individuals consented to participate, and 1,054 volunteers completed the online questionnaires. Participants had an average loneliness score of 38.95, people in relationships and married people had the lowest loneliness scores (mean or M = 34.2). About 247 participants were included in the EMA study with salivary sampling. The mean loneliness score of EMA study subjects was 27.36. Couples living together had the lowest loneliness score of 21.42, while singles living alone had a higher score (M = 39.29).

Relationship status had a significant effect on mean cortisol levels. The mean cortisol levels were consistently higher in singles than people living with a partner. Body mass index (BMI) was correlated with cortisol levels, while the living situation had no significant correlation. Association between relationship status and momentary (state) loneliness had a substantial effect, while the association between state loneliness and living situation was insignificant. People living alone had higher state loneliness scores than those living with others (partners), and the interaction between relationship quality and living situation was insignificant.

Conclusion

The present research assessed the association of structural and psychological factors with loneliness and cortisol levels during COVID-19 lockdown. Consistent with previous findings, the authors found that an affectionate relationship or living with a partner could be protective against loneliness and cortisol levels (neuroendocrine stress responses). Trait loneliness was the highest in divorced or widowed individuals than singles indicating that the loss of partner or romantic support was associated with loneliness. Relationship quality did not moderate the association between loneliness and living situations.

The observations made in the study highlight the protective effect of living together regardless of relationship quality during the COVID-19 lockdown. Arguably, females reported higher trait loneliness levels than males, adding to the mounting evidence that females are at a higher risk for loneliness.

Notably, the current evaluations were made without baseline parameters (controls) such as pre-COVID-19 lockdown analysis of cortisol levels and loneliness. Therefore, these findings are representative only of the COVID-19 lockdown period.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the United Kingdom (UK) conducted a retrospective study on a cohort of patients in England with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) positive test results.

They aimed to determine the relative risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced mortality following SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection (B.1.1.539/BA.1) as compared to SARS-CoV-2 Delta infection (B.1.617.2) using death registration data.

The Omicron variant, including its sublineages BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3, has been reported to be more transmissible than the Delta variant. With the rapid emergence of Omicron variants, there is an urgent need to quantify the risk of COVID-19 deaths relative to other SARS-CoV-2 variants for healthcare requirements that will support the COVID-19 pandemic response planning.

Study design

In the current study, the researchers collected data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Public Health Data Asset (PHDA) that combined the mortality records, 2011 census, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), General Practice Extraction Service (GPES), trace data, National Health Service (NHS) and from National Immunisation Management Service (NIMS).

The study population included 1,035,163 individuals living in England who had a positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test between 1 December 2021 and 31 December 2021, when SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants were co-circulating, with a rare circulation of the Omicron BA.2 variant.

COVID-19 death as identified by the International classification of disease- 10 (ICD-10) code mentioned on the death certificate was used as the primary outcome. The SARS-CoV-2 variant type detected as trace PCR positive tests were the exposure of interest.

Overall characteristics of the study population were summarized and stratified according to the type of variant using continuous variables mean and percentage of categorical variables. The authors used a regression model specific to Cox proportional hazard to determine the hazard ratio of mortality induced by COVID-19 for Omicron- and Delta-infected individuals.

They used four models:

Model 1 - sequentially adjusted for sex, age, the status of vaccination, and, former infection;

Model 2 - additionally adjusted for calendar time;

Model 3  with additional socio-economic features; and

Model 4 - for pre-existing health features.

Findings

The researchers observed that out of the studied population, 78.6% had Omicron infection, and 21.4% had Delta infection, which covered 36.7% of all positive COVID-19 tests in England in December 2021. In individuals with Omicron infection, there were 128 deaths attributable to COVID-19 and 53 deaths not attributable to COVID-19, while in Delta infection, the numbers were 189 and 28 deaths, respectively. For Omicron infection, the meantime from positive report to COVID-19-induced death was 13 days, while for Delta, it was 16 days.

In a fully adjusted model (Model 4) for Omicron infection, the risk of death due to COVID-19 was 67% lower than Delta infection. For the minimally adjusted model (Model 1), this risk was 78% lower for Omicron than Delta. In contrast, for Models 2 and 3, no relative difference was observed between Omicron and Delta infection mortality.

For Omicron and Delta infection, a higher reduction in COVID-19-induced mortality was observed for individuals under 18-59 years [hazard ratio (HR) =0.13] and 60-69 years (HR=0.14) of age as compared to the age group of 70 years and above (HR=0.45). A more pronounced reduction in mortality risk due to COVID-19 was observed in males [(HR=0.25, 95% confidence interval (CI)] as compared to the females (HR=0.44, 95% CI).

The team noted that regardless of the age, administration with SARS-CoV-2 booster vaccination reduced the risk of mortality more in Omicron infection relative to Delta as compared to those who have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Interestingly, the authors observed that for all age groups, the COVID-19-induced mortality risk was lower in Omicron infection than Delta regardless of the number of comorbidities.

Conclusion

The findings of the study illustrated a lower risk of hospitalizations and deaths with Omicron-driven COVID-19 infection as compared to that by Delta. The study was the first that assessed cause-specific COVID-19 deaths through death certification to capture COVID-19-related deaths accurately.

Notably, the relative risk of COVID-19 deaths following Omicron versus Delta infection was lower in younger individuals and the female population. The study also highlighted the importance of the COVID-19 booster vaccination program as there was a more pronounced reduction in the risk of deaths involving COVID-19 in the population who have received a booster dose.

However, the authors have warranted the need to investigate the long-term outcome of infections like long COVID-19 prevalence following Omicron infection compared to Delta apart from the mortality metric assessed in this study.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, scientists from a Swedish University assessed olfactory loss and dysfunction among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients to objectively characterize it as a symptom of COVID-19. The study ascertains olfactory dysfunction as a predictive symptom of COVID-19.

To curb the spread of any infection, detecting early symptoms of a disease is essential. It is an important tool that helps reduce infectious diseases. In COVID-19 patients, cold and cough were outlined as early symptoms for monitoring non-hospitalized patients. However, with more than half the COVID-19-positive population reporting a loss of smell or reduced sense of smell, olfactory dysfunction soon surfaced as a symptom of interest.

According to a study by Hannum et.al, 2021 and Gerkin et.al, 2021,

nearly 50% of the individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection report complete loss of olfaction function and an additional 10-20% report reduced olfactory sensitivity.



With a high number of individuals with COVID-19 reporting reduced or loss of smell, olfactory dysfunction is a high probability symptom of COVID-19 compared to other early symptoms. This hypothesis has been so far only anecdotal, and studies lacked objective measures to support this.



About the study

In the present study, scientists from Sweden examined longitudinal data from a web-based interface that allows individuals to test their sense of smell. The assessment involved individuals logging into the interface and rating the intensity of the smell of select household odors, along with the reporting of other symptoms and results from potential COVID-19 tests.



At the beginning of the pandemic, about 5,000 individuals living in Sweden registered for this online assessment. These individuals were provided an online tool, a web-based data registry platform called smelltracker.org. The data for the study was obtained in a 10-month timeframe starting from April 2020 to February 2021. The participants were filtered to have 205 COVID-19-positive individuals and 156 pseudo-randomly matched control individuals without a positive COVID-19 test.



For the olfactory assessment, five items were chosen from a list of 71 everyday household items. During each assessment, the odors were rated for their intensity and pleasantness. Also, patients were asked to record any other symptoms that they were experiencing at the time, including cough, fever, shortness of breath, and other COVID-19-related symptoms. The data were collected both prior to and after taking the COVID-19 test, which helped hypothesize whether olfactory dysfunction occurs even before other COVID-19-related symptoms appeared.



Results

The study aimed to find out if odor perception was reduced before testing positive for COVID-19. The results showed that on average the group that tested COVID-19-positive showed a decline in the intensity of the odor six days prior to the test result date. This confirmed that a decline in odor perception is an early indicator of COVID-19.



The study also looked at the correlation between olfactory dysfunction and the onset of other early COVID-19 symptoms. It was observed that the impairment of olfactory function aligned with the progression of other symptoms of COVID-19.



Further, the researchers tested to see if the onset of odor intensity decline happened before the occurrence of non-odor-related symptoms. The findings showed that while odor intensity declined six days before the day of the test result, other initial symptoms like runny nose, aches, and sore throat also appeared around the same time. Fever was also one of the early symptoms but started only three days before the test result date. The study found that the highest balanced accuracy was 70% for olfactory dysfunction, followed by 69% for a runny nose.



Conclusion

The findings illustrate that olfactory dysfunction is an early sign of COVID-19. However, the symptom does not appear earlier than other symptoms during disease progression. This study objectively establishes that olfactory dysfunction demonstrates the highest COVID-19 predictability. This also corroborates with other studies where odor decline was measured subjectively.



Since the decline of odor intensity was also reported before the COVID-19 test results of the individuals, this helped to eliminate any bias in reporting based on the test results. This has clearly shown that olfactory dysfunction is an early sign as well as a common COVID-19 symptom. However, the study doesnt factor in the delays from the date of infection to the date of testing.



The results also show that olfactory dysfunction seems to be a reliable indicator of COVID-19 only for the initial strains of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).



Since the testing time of the study participants spanned over a year, it wasnt possible to determine what proportions of SARS-CoV-2 variants being monitored (VBMs) dominated the tested samples. It is still undetermined whether olfactory dysfunction is also an early indicator of COVID-19 for the Delta and Omicron VBMs.



*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The zine "MoodRing" features the artwork and writing from local teens. The launch party will be held at the Carnegie Center this Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m.
MBABANE - Parents of pupils and minors who were arrested and convicted during the political unrest in the country, as well as SNAT, want the High Court to set aside the arrests.

According to a report that was compiled by the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration/ Integrity, during the political unrest in the country, a total of 44 young people were arrested and they consisted of 13 children (0-18 years); 31 young persons (19-24). Some of the parents who are applicants in the matter are George Tubalibi Vilakati, Zwelithini Selby Simelane, Happiness Nonjabulo Myeni, Phineas Mzilase Sambo and the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT). In their application, the parents averred that the arrests and convictions of the minors were irregular. It was further their contention that the procedure that was taken by the police in effecting the arrests, which led to some convictions, was wrong in view of the Childrens Protection and Welfare Act No.6 of 2012. Respondents in the matter are the national commissioner (NATCOM) of police, deputy prime minister (DPM), the director of public prosecutions (DPP), the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration/ Integrity and the attorney general (AG).

Protests

The parents submitted that it was common cause that around June 2021, the Kingdom of Eswatini experienced unprecedented mass protests action, the result of which, inter alia, was mass murder of people allegedly by security forces, looting of goods and burning of infrastructure. The applicants (parents) narrated to the court that, following the said events, a number of people were arrested and most of them were charged for contravening certain provisions of the Public Order Act No.12 of 2017. They brought it to the attention of the court that their children were arrested and detained in various detention centres. According to the applicants, when effecting the arrests, the police allegedly failed to comply with the provisions of the Childrens Protection and Welfare Act No.6 of 2021, in that there were no assessments of the children as envisaged by Section 80 and 81 of the Act. Section 80 of the Act provides that an assessment is effected by a social worker and may take place at the magistrates court, the office of the Department of Social Welfare, a private house, police station or any other suitable place identified by the social worker concerned.

The purpose of the assessment, according to the Act, is to among other things, establish the probable age of the child, establish the prospects of the child being able to be diverted by a social worker, provide information to support recommendations to the prosecutor and the inquiry magistrate regarding the release of the child into the care of a parent or guardian or placement in place of safety. In case of children below the minimum age of prosecutions, the assessment is meant to establish what measures, if any, need to be taken. The Act continues to stipulate that if a police officer is uncertain about the exact age of a person suspected of having committed an offence, but has no reason to believe that the age of that person would render that person subject to prosecutions under the Act, he shall take such person to a social worker for assessment into the age within periods prescribed under or, if a social worker is not readily available, to a medical officer. We humbly submit further that on their first appearance, their rights were not explained to them as the court mero muto (on its own accord) remanded them in custody.

Detention

This was tantamount to detention without trial. Eventually they were released on bail and some have since been convicted, submitted the applicants. It was also their argument that this again made the procedure of the trials following the unlawful arrests a sham and, therefore, any subsequent orders or findings were liable to be set aside or reviewed. It is our submission that the arrests, detention and subsequent hearings were constitutionally void in that it affronted the constitutionally guaranteed and protected right to a fair hearing in terms of Section 21 of the Constitution, argued the parents. They went on to tell the court that the respondents allegedly failed to protect their children as envisaged in Section 29 of the Constitution.

Part of the aforementioned section states that, a child shall not be subjected to abuse or torture or other cruel inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment subject to lawful and moderate chastisement for purposes of correction.

The application submitted that while children could still be arrested and detained, the correct procedure ought to be followed in view of the rights of the children. According to the applicants in this case, procedure was allegedly flouted. We have been advised and verily believe that the purpose of the arrest according to the law is for the child to be brought before a preliminary inquiry. It is our submission that there was no preliminary inquiry and no social assessment done by the social worker, neither were parents or guardians present during such assessment, alleged the aggrieved parents. In their application, the parents also highlighted to the court that during their childrens first appearance before magistrates, the presiding officers allegedly failed to make such preliminary enquiries.

Failed

The applicants alleged that the court failed to take into account the fact that once a minor was accused of being in conflict with the law and was presented before the court, it (court) took characteristics of being a Childrens Court. Some of the parents who are applicants in the matter are those of the five pupils who were charged for allegedly contravening the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2008. They were among other charges alleged to have encouraged pupils to riot at Shewula. They also stand accused of having had a hand in the burning of Shewula Police Post.
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(Newser)  Update: A former sheriff's deputy in California has pleaded guilty to stealing from the homes of dead people. Steve Hortz, a 12-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriffs Department, found the body of a man who died of natural causes at a Yorba Linda home in July 2020 before returning multiple times to steal thousands of dollars' worth of items, per the Los Angeles Times. Investigators said he also tried to make thousands of dollars' worth of purchases using three credit cards he stole from the Yorba Linda home of a dead woman in August 2020. Hortz pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony second-degree burglary, felony grand theft of a firearm, and several misdemeanors. He faces 120 days in jail and two years of probation. Our original story from September 2020 follows:

A Southern California man's work uniform may have initially helped him pull off a crime, but not ultimately. Steve Hortz, a deputy who's been with the Orange County Sheriff's Department for 12 years, was arrested Thursday after being accused of breaking into a home he'd reported to earlier this summer. Sheriff's officials say a man in his 70s died of apparent natural causes at the Yorba Linda residence, and Hortz responded to a call about that death on July 20, per NBC News and KTLA. Then, on July 27, Hortz returned to the unoccupied home wearing his deputy garb and broke in through the back; it's not clear if he took anything during that visit, per a sheriff's office release. Officials say Hortz then made two more mid-August visits while dressed in street clothes and stole multiple items.

He was busted after an attorney for the deceased man's estate showed up Wednesday at the sheriff's office, with a complaint of missing items from the home as well as security footage showing Hortz breaking in, officials say. Hortz is accused of taking ceiling fans, a rifle case, a couple of safes, and other unspecified items. In a statement, Sheriff Don Barnes calls Hortz's alleged actions "inexcusable and intolerable" and "a violation of public trust." Per CBS Los Angeles, Hortz has been booked into the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of burglary, with a $20,000 bond. A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office says Hortz is currently on paid administrative leave, though the possibility of that shifting to unpaid leave is being examined. Officials say they're also looking into previous calls responded to by Hortz to see if anything similar happened in those cases. (Read more burglary stories.)
(Newser)  What appeared to be a friendly selfie request of Nevada's governor turned into a profane, threatening situation Sunday at a Las Vegas restaurant. Nevada State Police are investigating the confrontation that began just after Gov. Steve Sisolak; his wife, Kathy; and a daughter arrived at Lindo Michoacan in Summerlin, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The verbal assault, which was recorded on cellphone video, included racial slurs hurled at Kathy Sisolak, who is a first-generation Chinese American born and raised in the state.

A man in the restaurant approached the governor, appearing to want a selfie with him, before launching a tirade laced with profanities. "I cant tell you what a piece of ... you are," the man began. Sisolak answered, "Sorry to hear that," then began walking away. At least two men followed the Sisolaks as they left the restaurant, screaming threats on the way. They became more threatening, pointing out that Sisolak didn't have a security officer with him. "We should string you up by a lamppost right now," the second man said, per the Hill. The man shown in the video approaching Sisolak was identified as Justin Andersch, per the Review-Journal, who has a website and podcast that advocate far-right, anti-government conspiracy theories. He took credit in a podcast Monday, per the Las Vegas Sun.

Greeting constituents with a handshake or selfie "is one of the governor's favorite parts of his job," a Sisolak aide said, per KTNV. The governor expressed disappointment at Sunday's encounter, though, "particularly with the language used to talk about First Lady Kathy Sisolak's heritage." The Democratic attorney general condemned the assault. But the Nevada Republican Party's chairman, after saying there's no place for such behavior, raised Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters' urging of supporters to confront Trump officials in 2018 over border policy. And Joey Gilbert, a GOP candidate for governor, posted on Facebook: "Hell no I do not condemn it. You earned it Steve." (Read more Steve Sisolak stories.)
(Newser)  President Biden welcomed Black leaders to the White House on Monday for a jovial Black History Month celebration, where he called on Congress to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court and pass voting rights bills. "I know progress can be slow and frustrating," Biden said. "But I also know what's possible if we work together, if we keep the faith, if we rememberchanges and charges that are passed down to us." About 150 people gathered in the East Room, the AP reports. Members of Biden's Cabinet who are Black and other administration officials stood onstage as Biden called on each by name to express his gratitude.

Biden said he was happy to have the event in-person; the coronavirus outbreak prevented the event last year. He was joined by first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who said that the group was gathered at a time when America's democratic principles have come under threat as Ukraine is attacked by Russia. "Black History Month was established to teach the history that too often has not been taughtthe history of black excellence and leadership in America," Harris said. "And we are clear: Black history is American history. It is living, breathing history.

Biden was introduced by Cateo Hilton, a high schooler who mentors younger students in Washington and will attend Delaware State Universitynews that prompted a standing ovation from the president, who grew up in Delaware. The gathering including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, state and local elected officials, the Rev. Al Sharpton, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

(Read more Black History Month stories.)
(Newser)  US officials accused 12 Russian diplomats at the United Nations of "espionage activities" on Monday and asked them to leave the country. The US said the expulsions had been in the works for months, long before Russia invaded Ukraine, CNN reports. But Vassily Nebenzia, Russian ambassador to the UN, labeled the American explanation "not satisfactory." In a press conference, Nebenzia referred to the move as "another hostile action" and said, "This is sad news and again another demonstration of gross disrespect to the host country agreement."

At the White House, per CBS News, press secretary Jen Psaki answered, "I think the hostile act is committing espionage activities on our own soil." A spokeswoman for the US mission to the UN had said 12 intelligence operatives "abused their privileges of residency in the United States by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security." Ambassador Richard Mills, US deputy representative, made the announcement during a Security Council meeting.

Nebenzia said he didn't know the names of the 12 Russians being expelled yet but said US officials said they're supposed to leave by March 7. "They just visited the Russian Mission and gave us a note prescribing us to do what they demand," he said. The US expelled the No. 2 diplomat at the Russian Embassy last week, an answer to Russia's expulsion of the second-highest US diplomat at the US embassy in Moscow earlier. Asked Monday if Russia would respond similarly to the UN expulsions, per the AP, Nebenzia said, "That's not for me to decide but in the diplomatic practice, thats a normal thing." (Read more US-Russia relations stories.)
(Newser)  As Russian forces closed in on Ukraine's capital Monday, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague said he was launching an investigation of possible war crimes in the 5-day-old conflict. Karim Khan said he had told his team to "explore all evidence preservation opportunities," the Guardian reports. Ukraine is not an ICC member, but it has granted jurisdiction to the court, Khan said. The alleged war crimesfor which there appears to be ample evidenceinclude the indiscriminate use of cluster munitions and attacks on residential buildings in cities including Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city. Shelling of Kharkiv intensified Monday, and authorities said at least seven people had been killed and dozens injured, the AP reports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that shelling had been stepped up during talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials, which ended without a major breakthrough. "Synchronizing of the shelling with the negotiating process was obvious," Zelensky said in a video address late Monday. The AP reports that as talks wrapped up, blasts could be heard in Kyiv and a massive 17-mile convoy of Russian tanks and other vehicles was less than 20 miles from the capital, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies.

In his address, Zelensky accused Russia of committing a war crime in Kharkiv, the BBC reports. "Dozens of eyewitness accounts prove that this is not a single false volley, but a deliberate destruction of people," he said of the artillery attacks. He said that starting Tuesday, visa-free travel will be granted to any foreigners who want to come to Ukraine and help repel the Russian invasion. (Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  Schoolchildren in California, Oregon, and Washington will no longer be required to wear masks as part of new indoor mask policies the Democratic governors of all three states announced jointly on Monday. "With declining case rates and hospitalizations across the West, California, Oregon, and Washington are moving together to update their masking guidance," the governors said in a statement. There are more than 7.5 million school-age children across the three states. The new guidance will make face coverings a recommendation rather than a requirement at most indoor places in California starting Tuesday and at schools on March 12, regardless of vaccination status, the AP reports. In Washington and Oregon, all the requirements will lift on March 12.

Federal mask requirements will still apply in high-risk indoor settings such as public transportation, airports, and taxis. Rules for other high-risk indoor settings could also vary by state. The milestone, two years in the making, comes as much of the country relaxes public health orders, including school mask mandates, in an effort to restore normalcy and boost economic recovery. The changes reflect a growing sense that the virus is not going away and Americans need to learn to live with it. Earlier this month, California became the first state to formally shift to an endemic approach to the coronavirus with Gov. Gavin Newsoms announcement of a plan that emphasizes prevention and quick reaction to outbreaks over mandated masking and business shutdowns.

Newsom has come under growing pressure from Republicans and other critics to ease the school mandate, which has increasingly become a polarizing issue among parents in California. While many parents still support wearing masks in schools, others have questioned why it's necessary when they are no longer required to do so in supermarkets and elsewhere. On Feb. 15 California ended an indoor mask requirement for vaccinated people, but at that time left the rule in place for the unvaccinated and for schoolchildren. Starting Tuesday in California, masks will no longer be required but strongly recommended" for unvaccinated individuals in most indoor settings. The same shift will apply to K-12 schools and child care facilities starting March 12, the statement said. (New York's school mask mandate will be lifted on Thursday.)
(Newser)  A Wassily Kandinsky painting sold by a Jewish couple as they fled the Netherlands during the World War II Nazi invasion has now been returned to the couple's heirs. The Russian artist's "Painting With Houses," a 1909 work, had been held in Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum since 1940 when the museum director acquired it for the city of Amsterdam at auction, the New York Times reports. "As a city, we bear a great responsibility for dealing with the indescribable suffering and injustice inflicted on the Jewish population in the Second World War," a deputy mayor of Amsterdam says in a statement. "To the extent that anything can be restored, we as a society have a moral duty to act accordingly."

The heirs of Robert Lewenstein and Irma Klein have been working to see the painting returned for years; though the museum previously acknowledged the sale may have been "involuntary," it argued that it should be allowed to keep itand the Dutch Restitutions Commission decided in its favor in 2018, noting that while the claimant, Klein's heir, "has no special bond with" the work, it held "a significant place" in the museum's collection. A Dutch court upheld that decision, but the heirs came together to appeal the ruling last year, Artnet reported at the time. Last summer, the mayor of Amsterdam began discussions to return the painting to the family, and the City Council ultimately approved the decision. (Read more Amsterdam stories.)
(Newser)  In an essay in the Guardian, author Yuval Noah Harari argues that Vladimir Putin already has lost the Ukraine war. It may seem like an odd sentiment given that Russian forces appear to be on the brink of mounting a powerful offensive that could very well leave the capital and other major cities under Russian control. Doesn't matter, writes Harari, author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. "As the Americans learned in Iraq and the Soviets learned in Afghanistan, it is much easier to conquer a country than to hold it," he writes. And what is becoming increasingly clear is that Russia will never conquer the Ukrainian people, who are "resisting with all their heart" and "winning the admiration of the entire world."

The Russian leader surely thought Ukraine's government would cave immediately and allow Moscow to set up a puppet regime. But "with each passing day, it is becoming clearer that Putin's gamble is failing." Putin grew up in an age when stories of Russian bravery in the face of German atrocities proliferated and became lore. Now, similar stories are proliferating, but with Putin "in the role of Hitler." Harari warns that the conflict could last years, though a lengthy duration will not change the fact that Ukrainians have no interest in living "under a new Russian empire. The main question left open is how long it will take for this message to penetrate the Kremlins thick walls." (Read his full essay.)
(Newser)  More than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, the head of the region wrote on Telegram. Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble, the AP reports. In a later Facebook post, he said many Russian soldiers and some local residents also were killed during the fighting on Sunday. The report could not immediately be confirmed.

Meanwhile, satellite photos show a convoy of Russian forces north of Ukraine's capital stretching for 40 miles. The vast convoy of armored vehicles, tanks, artillery, and support vehicles was 17 miles from the center of Kyiv and stretched for about 40 miles, according to satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies. The Maxar photos also showed deployments of ground forces and ground attack helicopter units in southern Belarus. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also says Russian troops have intensified shelling of Ukraine, calling it an effort to force his government into making concessions during talks held Monday.

In a video address late Monday, Zelensky says that the talks were taking place against the backdrop of bombing and shelling of our territory, our cities. Synchronizing of the shelling with the negotiating process was obvious. I believe Russia is trying to put pressure (on Ukraine) with this simple method. The president gave no details about the hours-long talks themselves. But he says Ukraine is not prepared to make concessions when one side is hitting each other with rocket artillery. Zelensky says that Kyiv, the capital, remains a key goal for the Russians and that Russian forces have also shelled the city of Kharkiv with rocket artillery.

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  A man shot and killed his three daughters, their chaperone, and himself during a supervised visit with the girls Monday at a church in Sacramento, Calif., authorities said. Deputies responding to reports of gunfire around 5pm found five people dead, including the shooter, at the church in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood, said Sgt. Rod Grassmann with the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office. The victims included three girls ages 9, 10, and 13, the AP reports. The shooter was estranged from his daughters' mother, who had a restraining order against him, Sheriff Scott Jones said. Investigators believe the shooting happened during a supervised visit with the children and that the fourth victim was their chaperone, Jones said.

The shooter's name wasn't immediately released, but officials said he was 39 years old. An employee of The Church In Sacramento heard the gunshots and called 911, Grassmann said. Sheriff's officials are investigating it as a domestic violence incident, he said. Officials didn't know if the family members belonged to the church, which sits on a mostly residential block near a commercial area east of downtown Sacramento. The Church In Sacramento caters to English, Chinese, and Spanish worshippers, according to its website. No events for Monday were listed on its online calendar. Gov. Gavin Newsom said his office was working with local law enforcement.

(Read more California stories.)
(Newser)  Michael Spressler thought he'd cracked a molar after biting into a raw clam at his favorite South Jersey restaurant. "But then when I poked it out into the palm of my hand, it was a perfectly round white pearl." That pearl might just cover the cost of his meal at the Lobster House in Cape May and then some. At 8.83 millimeters, it could be worth as much as $100,000, NJ.com reports, though it has yet to be appraised. Spressler, 58, considers it his lucky day as the chance of finding a pearl in a clam is reportedly 1 in 10,000. "I've been eating clams all my life. This is the first time this ever happened to me," Spressler tells NJ.com. And it happened to be a special occasion. Spressler and his wife, Maria, say their dinner last month marked the 34th anniversary of their first visit to the restaurant in 1987.

Spressler almost always orders a dozen clams on the half shell as his appetizer. "He's eaten dozens and dozens of clams and we've never found anything like that so it was pretty exciting," Maria tells KYW. "It's like a once in a lifetime event." Michael Spressler says he was "down to the 12th one and when I picked it up on the fork it looked kinda heavy, but I didn't think nothing of it." He then felt a small, hard item in his mouth. Maria hopes to have the pearl made into a piece of jewelry "but I've got to get it appraised first," says her husband. "It could be worth thousands." Meanwhile, they've inspired one longtime restaurant employee to try more seafood. "I've never had raw clams or oysters, but since somebody found something I may have to give it a shot," Sarah Stadnicar tells NJ.com. (Read more pearls stories.)
(Newser)  Marjorie Taylor Greene has already received a slap on the wrist from the chairwoman of the RNC for her appearance Friday at a white nationalist conference. Now, the Georgia congresswomanand fellow GOPer Rep. Paul Gosar, of Arizona, who appeared virtually at the America First Political Action Conferenceare on the receiving end of a rebuke from additional prominent names in their party. The Hill notes that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, "who is banking on support from members of the far right like Greene in his quest to become speaker," has stayed mum on the controversy, but on Monday, he finally spoke out, calling Greene and Gosar's participation in the conference "unacceptable."

McCarthy told CNN that Greene should have exited the stage in Orlando, Fla., when she heard the introductory remarks by Nick Fuentes, the white nationalist who put together the conference. "The party should not be associated, any time, any place, with somebody who is antisemitic," McCarthy said. "There's no place in our party for any of this." Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a similar statement, though he didn't mention Greene or Gosar by name. "There's no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or antisemitism," he said.

Politico notes that the admonitions from McCarthy and McConnell come as Greene and Gosar show "the most serious signs of isolation yet" within their own party for their far-right leanings. Politico talked to multiple Republican lawmakers, who offered various levels of reprimand for Gosar and Greene. "I definitely want to disassociate myself from it," Sen. John Thune said, echoing McCarthy's "unacceptable" description. Reps. Scott Perry and Jim Jordan would only offer vague criticism of racism, without criticizing Fuentes, Gosar, or Greene, while Rep. Chip Roy didn't hesitate to be more blunt. "Nick Fuentes is an a--hole," he said, adding he was "frustrated by colleagues who have chosen to associate in this situation." As for further repercussions, McCarthy would only say he'd "have a discussion" with Greene and Gosar over the recent developments. (Read more Kevin McCarthy stories.)
Omans Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, Madayn, has signed a cooperation programme with Sohar University to enhance the partnership between public and private sectors and entrepreneurship in the sultanate.

The agreement was signed by Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, CEO of Madayn, and Dr Hamdan bin Sulaiman Al Fazari, Acting Vice Chancellor of Sohar University.

The cooperation programme aims at exploring the developments in plastic technologies in line with the objectives of both sides by providing an industrial base for plastic industries in Sohar with the aim of achieving the added value of high-volume production of plastic raw materials in Oman, and thus contribute to providing tech support and industrial solutions to the existing companies, encouraging investments in plastic manufacturing, and providing more job opportunities.

The cooperation programme also aims at planning and developing a technical training programme for the workforce of factories and companies based in the industrial cities of Madayn within the specialisations and technical capabilities available in Sohar University and Industrial Innovation Academy.

As per the agreement, Madayn will promote Intaj Suhar  the industrial innovation hub based at Sohar University  through encouraging the companies in the industrial cities to benefit from the available manufacturing and R&D services.

Madayn also endeavours to facilitate access to training opportunities for undergraduate students at Sohar University in the companies investing in the industrial cities. Madayn shall also encourage these companies to offer scholarships for general diploma graduates to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies that meet the employment requirements of the companies and factories.

Moreover, Madayn officials will take part in advisory boards at Sohar University with the objective of expertise exchange and contribution to the development of academic programmes in line with the needs of the labour market.-- TradeArabia News Service
(Newser)  The coronavirus pandemic has put a real damper on the wedding and tourism industries. But Italy is fighting back with a new $11 million initiative that aims to boost both industries while possibly funding your wedding. Any coupleItalian or foreignwho opt to marry or begin a civil union in the Italian region of Lazio in 2022 can submit up to five receipts to be eligible for a reimbursement equivalent to about $2,250, the Guardian reports. Applications can be made up to the end of January 2023, or until the money runs out. "The scheme is needed to support a sector that has suffered badly from the economic crisis," says Lazio President Nicola Zingaretti.

There were more than 15,000 weddings in Lazioa region including Rome, several castles, the Apennine Mountains, and Circeo National Park's famed beachesin 2019 but only 9,000 during the entire two-year pandemic. "We have put the significant investment in place also with an eye on the tourism sector," Zingaretti adds, boasting of "many locations among the most magical and fascinating in the world thanks to an unparalleled cultural heritage." You'll need to start planning soon to take advantage of the initiative, dubbed "From Lazio with Love." Zingaretti tells the UK Times that the money will be spent on Lazio-based wedding servicesincluding venues, attire, flowers, and photographerson a first-come, first-served basis. (Read more Italy stories.)
(Newser)  A familiar theme has emerged in coverage about Ukraine: It's the notion that Vladimir Putin is growing frustrated with how badly the war is going, which is raising fears about what he may do to try to fix things. (Ukraine already has accused him of war crimes by shelling civilian areas.) An NBC News analysis quotes Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner as summing things up:

No ramp? This is somebody thats clearly been caught off guard by the size of the Ukrainian resistance, Warner said on MSNBC. He has isolated himself. Hes not been in the Kremlin very much. ... Youve got less and less inputs, and these inputs are from sycophants." All of which leads to: "I do worry that hes been backed into a corner. I do worry that there is no obvious exit ramp.

This is somebody thats clearly been caught off guard by the size of the Ukrainian resistance, Warner said on MSNBC. He has isolated himself. Hes not been in the Kremlin very much. ... Youve got less and less inputs, and these inputs are from sycophants." All of which leads to: "I do worry that hes been backed into a corner. I do worry that there is no obvious exit ramp. Ditto: A post at Axios frames this as a dilemma for President Biden: How to remain tough while keeping a face-saving "off-ramp" open for Putin. "A cornered, humiliated Putin could unleash untold pain on the world, from cyberattacks to nuclear threats," write Jonathan Swan and Zachary Basu. "After enacting brutal sanctions, the White House now must consider how the invasion can end without a new catastrophe." The post quotes a European diplomat: "It's like the Sun Tzu thing of giving someone a golden bridge to retreat across. How do you get him to go in a different direction?"

Rubio's warnings: Sen. Marco Rubio, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, suggested last week that Putin seemed less stable than even just a few years ago. On Monday, he tweeted another stark warning: "Putins legitimacy built on image as the strong leader who restored #Russia to superpower after the disasters of the 90s," he writes. "Now the economy is in shambles & the military is being humiliated & his only tools to reestablish power balance with the West is cyber & nukes."

Sen. Marco Rubio, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, suggested last week that Putin seemed less stable than even just a few years ago. On Monday, he tweeted another stark warning: "Putins legitimacy built on image as the strong leader who restored #Russia to superpower after the disasters of the 90s," he writes. "Now the economy is in shambles & the military is being humiliated & his only tools to reestablish power balance with the West is cyber & nukes." Similar: You'll find the sentiment expressed by Rubio all over. He is no longer the same cold-blooded, clear-eyed dictator that he was in 2008, former CIA Director John Brennan tells NBC. The outlet's sources say Putin, long known for his calm, has been lashing it out in anger at aides over the military campaign and the world's reaction.

You'll find the sentiment expressed by Rubio all over. He is no longer the same cold-blooded, clear-eyed dictator that he was in 2008, former CIA Director John Brennan tells NBC. The outlet's sources say Putin, long known for his calm, has been lashing it out in anger at aides over the military campaign and the world's reaction. Or a bluff: That Putin might be "unhinged," with his finger on the nuclear button, is a matter of open speculation in intelligence circles as well as cable news shows, notes the New York Times. The alternative possibility: "Others wonder if Mr. Putin wants to create that impression, to add to Washingtons unease." An AP assessment notes that foreign leaders have been trying to get inside Putin's head for years, usually unsuccessfully.

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  Among the estimated 500,000 people to have fled Ukraine are a US couple and their newborn, who very nearly failed to escape as a family after a 39-hour ordeal, per the Orange County Register. Arkansas natives Jessie and Jacob Boeckmann, who now live in Costa Mesa, Calif., knew it was risky to fly to Ukraine on Feb. 13 amid talk of a Russian invasion, but their daughter was due to be born to a Ukrainian surrogate the following day. Vivian wasn't in fact born until Feb. 22, and she remained in a Kyiv hospital as explosions erupted outside. With flights suspended, the couple knew they'd have to leave via Poland, and quick. They didn't even wait for the doctor's discharge order, per the Los Angeles Times.

Armed with Vivian's birth certificate and formula, they hired a driver to take the family more than 300 miles to the Polish border on Thursday. The drive was expected to take no more than seven hours. But four hours in, they were only just getting out of Kyiv and its traffic jams. When they finally did reach the border at 2am Friday, traffic was unmoving. They stayed in the car until 9:30am, then decided to walk the remaining 8 miles in freezing temperatures, with 4-day-old Vivian wrapped in a carrier. "This could be the worst decision I've ever made," Jessie recalls thinking, per the Times. It wasn't until 5pm that the huge crowd of refugees allowed Jessie and Vivian to pass through the gate, per the Register. Jacob, who was carrying Jessie and Vivian's papers, was left behind.

The family later realized border guards were only allowing women and children to pass through, though US Embassy officials had assured Jacob that he would be able to enter Poland with his US passport. One guard claimed Jacob's passport was fake. Another threw him against the steel gate, the Times reports. Finally, Jacob was identified by a guard who'd received his photo from the US Embassy and allowed to join his wife and daughter five hours after their separation and 39 hours after they'd first set out from Kyiv, per the Register. They were expected to fly to Los Angeles early Tuesday. They're grateful but feeling for those left behind, including their surrogate, a mother of two whose apartment was bombed. Her husband is now "going to war," Jessie tells the Register. (Read more Ukraine stories.)
(Newser)  Andrew Cuomo wasn't forced to resign from the New York governor's office because of a credible sexual harassment case but rather "political attacks," according to a new ad campaign. Per the New York Times, Cuomo's campaign is spending $369,000 to air a 30-second TV ad "designed not to support or attack a political candidate or even to apologize to New Yorkers, but to brazenly recast himself as the victim of politically motivated 'attacks.'" The ad, which immediately sparked speculation about whether Cuomo was plotting a political comeback or simply trying to repair his reputation, meshes clips of news reports to suggest the state attorney general's report, which found he sexually harassed 11 women, was deceptive.

There's emphasis on the county prosecutors who declined to press criminal charges against Cuomo, who left office in August on the threat of impeachment hearings, but no mention that several of them found the allegations that Cuomo harassed and groped women to be "credible." "Political attacks won. And New Yorkers lost a proven leader," reads the final text in the ad, which began airing statewide on Monday. A rep for State Attorney General Letitia Jameswhose office is still investigating claims that Cuomo used government resources to fulfill a $5.1 million book dealsays it's "shameful" that "a serial sexual harasser and a threat to women in the workplace ... continues to attack [accusers'] accounts rather than take responsibility for his own actions," per the Times.

Nine women's rights organizations say much the same in a joint statement, while one of Cuomo's alleged victims, Charlotte Bennett, says he's only trying to "convince others of his Big Lie." Cuomo's rep, however, says it's James who should take responsibly for the "craven politics and prosecutorial misconduct that permeated this process," per the Times. "The AG knowingly and willfully ignored evidence of perjury, witness tampering, and extortion, and hid exculpatory evidence when she misled the public in her sham report last August," spokesman Rich Azzopardi adds, per the New York Post. Though Cuomo recently told Bloomberg that he regretted his decision to resign, a Siena College poll released last week shows 80% of registered New York voters think he made the right decision and 58% believe his accusers. (One, a state trooper, argues Cuomo violated her civil rights.)
(Newser)  Tuesday brings ominous developments in Ukraine, with a massive convoy of Russian tanks en route to the capital of Kyiv and continued shelling of the city of Kharkiv. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's bombing of civilian areas amounted to a war crime, reports the AP. Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget," he said. "This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation." His allegation comes after the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he would pursue an investigation, reports the New York Times. There's a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed," said Karim A. A. Khan.

Choked up: Zelensky addressed the European Union by video on Tuesday, and CNN reports that he caused his translator to choke up. "We are fighting just for our land and our freedom," Zelensky said. "We desire to see our children alive. I think it's a fair one." He received a standing ovation before and after the speech.

Zelensky addressed the European Union by video on Tuesday, and CNN reports that he caused his translator to choke up. "We are fighting just for our land and our freedom," Zelensky said. "We desire to see our children alive. I think it's a fair one." He received a standing ovation before and after the speech. Surrounded: The mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, tells the Washington Post that his city is already surrounded by Russian troops, though it remains under Ukrainian control. The approaching convoy of tanks, meanwhile, is expected to put a similar stranglehold in place around the capital of Kyiv.

Russia's strategy: An analysis by Steven Erlanger in the New York Times lays out the Russian strategy, one that has been used previously during urban warfare in Chechnya and Syria and one that has drawn allegations of wartime abuses: "Russian military doctrine toward taking cities is both grimly practical and deadly, favoring heavy artillery, missiles and bombs to terrify civilians and push them to flee, while killing defenders and destroying local infrastructure and communications before advancing on the ground."

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  How much of the world views the war in Ukraine was illustrated in the reaction to two speeches on Tuesday. In Brussels, diplomats with the European Union gave Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky a lengthy standing ovation, reports the Hill. In Geneva, diplomats from around 40 nations walked out on a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the UN Human Rights Council, reports Reuters. Details:

Zelensky: "No one is going to break us," the Ukrainian leader told the EU parliamentarians via video. (Lavrov delivered his speech by video, too.) The ovation following Zelensky's address, one in which he sought help in the fight against Russia, can be seen here. The translator got a little choked up as Zelensky spoke, per this BBC tweet.

Lavrov: More than 100 diplomats walked out on the speech, with representatives of Syria, China, and Venezuela among those staying. Lavrov defended the invasion, repeating Vladimir Putin's assertion that it was justified and accusing the West of anti-Russian "hysteria," per the New York Times. Also notable: Days after Putin put his nuclear forces on high alert, Lavrov declared that a "nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought."

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
(Newser)  Update: After almost 200 attempts over 120 years, the US has passed a law making lynching a federal hate crime. President Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act at a White House event with guests including Rev. Wheeler Parker, a cousin of Till's who witnessed the teenager's kidnapping in 1955, the AP reports. "Thank you for never giving up," Biden said. Lynching was pure terror, to enforce the lie that not everyone, not everyone belongs in America, not everyone is created equal." The bill passed the Senate unanimously earlier this month following a 422-3 vote in the House, reports the BBC. Our original story from March 1 follows:

That the House passed legislation Monday to classify lynching as a federal hate crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison was no surpriseit cleared by a vote of 422-3. But the lopsided result has focused attention on the three lawmakers who voted in the minority: GOP Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Chip Roy of Texas, per the Hill.

Massie: In a Twitter thread, Massie said that lynching is already illegal in all states and worried that "adding enhanced penalties for 'hate' tends to endanger other liberties such as freedom of speech."

Roy: In a statement, Roy called lynching "an unspeakably heinous crime," per Rolling Stone. But, he added, "this bill doesnt have anything to do with lynching." He called it "an effort to advance a woke agenda under the guise of correcting racial injustice" and said it would be better left to states.

In a statement, Roy called lynching "an unspeakably heinous crime," per Rolling Stone. But, he added, "this bill doesnt have anything to do with lynching." He called it "an effort to advance a woke agenda under the guise of correcting racial injustice" and said it would be better left to states. Clyde: He had not issued a statement or spoken about his vote as of Tuesday afternoon, per Insider. (Clyde's profile rose during the pandemic because he kept racking up fines for not wearing a mask in the House chamber.)

He had not issued a statement or spoken about his vote as of Tuesday afternoon, per Insider. (Clyde's profile rose during the pandemic because he kept racking up fines for not wearing a mask in the House chamber.) Up next: The bill moves to the Senate, where it is expected to pass, reports the New York Times. Republican Rand Paul blocked it the last time it reached the Senate floor in 2020, complaining that the legislation was too broad. However, Paul has signaled that he's on board this time.

(Read more lynching stories.)
(Newser)  Holocaust remembrance organizations in Israel are condemning a Russian attack that inflicted damage to the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid issued a statement denouncing the incident, and said Israel would help repair any damage. We are calling for the preservation and respect for this sacred site, he said in a tweet that did not mention Russia by name. The memorial is the site of a massacre of more than 33,000 Jews by Nazi Germany in 1941. It is located on the outskirts of Kyiv and adjacent to the citys TV tower, where Ukrainian authorities said a Russian attack killed five people, the AP reports. A TV control room and power substation were hit, and at least some Ukrainian channels briefly stopped broadcasting, officials said.

A spokesman for the memorial said that damage was caused to the Jewish cemetery at the site, but that assessing the full extent of the damage would have to wait until daylight. The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorials chairman, Natan Sharansky, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "seeks to distort and manipulate the Holocaust to justify an illegal invasion of a sovereign democratic country is utterly abhorrent. It is symbolic that he starts attacking Kyiv by bombing the site of the Babyn Yar, the biggest of Nazi massacres." Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, expressed "vehement condemnation" and called on the international community to take action "to safeguard civilian lives as well as these historical sites."

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
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Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Amman Chamber of Industry have signed a cooperation agreement to enhance industrial, commercial and investment relations between the Saudi and Jordanian business sectors.



The memorandum aims to encourage cooperation through exchanging information in the fields of industry, economy, investment and commercial laws and regulations, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Naif A. Al-Rajhi and President of the Amman Chamber of Industry Fathi Al-Jaghbir signed the document, which falls under joint keenness of both sides to further enhance economic cooperation relations between the two countries business people and realize joint interests.



The cooperation aspects between the two chambers, according to items of the memorandum, include exchanging available information on economic activities in the two countries; information on the fields of industry economy, investment and commercial laws and regulations and any possible changes to them; cooperation between the two sides in organizing economic and investment events and forums and encouraging the exchange of visits between commercial delegations.



It seeks to establish a communication network between the two business sectors in the two countries to facilitate acquainting members of both chambers with commercial and investment opportunities available in both countries.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Cabinet has stressed the importance of consolidating responsibility and accountability to protect public funds and directed all agencies to cooperate with the National Audit Office (NAO).

This came as the Deputy Prime Minister, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, yesterday chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.

The Cabinet commended His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas visit to the Royal Bahraini Air Force to commemorate the Bahrain Defence Forces 54th-anniversary celebrations.

It noted His Majestys commitment to supporting the BDFs ongoing development by providing its units with the latest technology and equipment.

During the meeting, the Cabinet also discussed and approved several memorandums such as:

1. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding draft MoUs and executive programmes between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman aimed at supporting bilateral cooperation across various fields.

2. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on draft MoUs between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the US related to enhancing cooperation between the two countries.

3. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding the governments response to five proposals and two law proposals submitted by the Council of Representatives and a law proposal submitted by the Shura Council.

The Cabinet reviewed the following topics:

1. A memorandum on the electronic transformation of the service of issuing and renewing licenses for real estate professionals at the Real Estate Regulatory Authority, which will contribute to providing a 24-hour service.

The Cabinet also took note of the report by the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism regarding participation in the 16th Arab International Conference on Mineral Resources.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has participated virtually in the high-level meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 28 - March 2.

In his speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani reviewed Bahrain's efforts to promote and protect human rights within the framework of the comprehensive reform approach led by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the follow-up of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Al Zayani noted the grave consequences of wars and conflicts in the Middle East, which deprived millions of young people of education, health care, shelter, peace and security.

He highlighted the Kingdoms efforts in supporting peace in the region and the world, maintaining international security, developing international relations and achieving international cooperation.

The efforts are guided by the United Nations Charter and relevant international and regional conventions based on HM's approach which calls for promoting tolerance, peaceful coexistence, brotherhood, cooperation and peace among all the peoples of the world.

In this regard, he noted the establishment of King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, the launch of the Shaikh Isa Award for Service to Humanity, the issuance of the Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the establishment of the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence at the Italian University of Sapienza.

The minister stressed that following the directives of HM the King, the government of Bahrain, under the leadership of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, focused on addressing this pandemic in a constructive and effective manner, taking into account all health, economic, social and educational aspects.

The government placed at the forefront of its priorities preserving the health and safety of citizens and residents alike and provided health isolation centres, testing, treatment and free vaccination for all citizens and residents and without discrimination.

The minister highlighted that the national vaccination campaign in Bahrain, thanks to the societal awareness and demand for vaccination, has achieved great success, with the percentage of those who received the first and second vaccination doses reaching 96% of the total eligible to take the vaccination from 18 years of age and over.

The percentage of those who received the booster dose reached 85% of the total qualified people of the same age group.

He indicated that the Kingdom has succeeded in terms of vaccinating children, as the vaccination rate for the age group from 12 to 17 years reached 92%, and the number of adults aged 3 to 11 who received the vaccination reached more than 24,000, while the number of those registered so far has reached more than 30,000.

The minister affirmed that Bahrains constant efforts to develop the human rights system, and its advanced steps in the field of care and support for human needs, are closely linked to its relentless endeavours to implement Bahrain Vision 2030 and achieve the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

They are also linked to reaching high levels of human development and well-being indicators and supporting women's effective participation in the development process.

The minister stressed that the government was able to include 78% of the United Nations sustainable development goals in the Government Plan 2019-2022, and the national plan to implement Bahrain Vision 2030.

The Cabinet also assigned ministries and government agencies to match their respective goals, plans and policies in the government's current work program (2019-2022) with the sustainable development goals.

The minister indicated that Bahrain considers environmental protection and combating climate change the main objective in the process of promoting and protecting human rights, so the Kingdom deals with the outcomes of the (COP26) conference by continuing to develop its climate system.

This will enable it to address the effects of climate change and its direct impact on the right to live in a healthy environment that stimulates work and production.

The minister affirmed that the government has continued its efforts in developing the legislative system related to enhancing the protection of human rights, with a law on alternative sentences and measures being issued in 2017, and amended in 2021.

This constitutes a pioneering step in the field of reforming and rehabilitating those convicted of offences, returning them to their social environment and their normal life.

He added that the number of people who benefited from the application of this law has reached 3,826, 60% of whom have completed the alternative sentence decided for them by the judiciary, which is a significant indicator of the success of this humanitarian program.

He also underscored that the government has given great care to the rights of the children and to ensure they belong in a safe environment enhanced by modern and advanced laws and legislation and in a manner that ensures their sound upbringing in the various stages of their lives
Large Japanese airlines have begun hiring new college graduates for the first time in three years with an eye on post-pandemic demand for air travel.

Japan Airlines held a job fair with other companies on Tuesday, targeting students graduating next year.

JAL plans to hire about 270 people, including cabin attendants and ground operations crew.

The company froze its recruiting, except for pilots and some other positions, due to the pandemic. The last time it began the hiring process was spring 2019.

One female student said she had almost given up on her dream to be a cabin attendant, but is very happy now.

Another major carrier, ANA Holdings, has also resumed recruiting management trainees and other ground staff.
Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Lucid Group, today (March 1) announced plans to set up its first international manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia after signing agreements with multiple agencies in Saudi Arabia.

Lucid signed agreements with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA), the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), and the Economic City at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), as it lays the groundwork for a full production factory in the Kingdom.

Lucid plans to establish operations at KAEC for re-assembly of Lucid Air vehicle kits that are pre-manufactured at the companys US AMP-1 manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, and, over time, for production of complete vehicles, the company said in a statement.

The company expects to manufacture up to 150,000 vehicles per year at the KAEC facility. Construction of the plant is expected to start in the first half of 2022. Vehicles in the initial phase will be slated for the market in Saudi Arabia, but Lucid plans to export finished vehicles to other global markets.

The agreements are expected to accelerate Saudi Arabias strategic goal to transform and diversify its economy through the development of sustainable energy and transportation, the statement added.

Lucid estimates that the location of its first international manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia may result in up to $3.4 billion of value to Lucid over 15 years, and the facility will enable Lucid to address growing demand for Lucids products.

Lucid aspires to be a catalyst for change wherever we go, so it makes perfect sense that we are bringing electric vehicles to one of the worlds biggest oil producing nations. Establishing a global manufacturing footprint is a practical, natural step and enables us to grow our brand, scale our business, and address worldwide and untapped market demand on an entirely new level, while also taking action to address climate change through inspiring sustainable transportation, said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Group.

Our strong relationships with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and our partners at MISA, KAEC, and SIDF also give us unique insight into the demand for luxury cars and SUVs in Saudi Arabia and beyond, and we are thrilled to introduce the worlds most advanced electric vehicles to more global markets, he added.

Lucid reviewed multiple opportunities before selecting KAEC in Saudi Arabia as the optimal location and opportunity for its first international manufacturing facility. The new manufacturing hub will be fully owned by Lucid and enable the company to meet growing international demand for luxury electric vehicles. Lucid also expects to benefit from the availability of competitively-priced commodities and energy and a newly emerging domestic supply chain, and a factory location that facilitates global logistics. The company further expects to be able to access financing to build and equip the manufacturing facility and to train automotive workers.

Lucids AMP-1 in Arizona will continue to serve as the companys central manufacturing hub, with the Lucid Production System and other manufacturing technologies refined in the United States before deployment at other factory sites. Lucid has already commenced the second phase of construction at AMP-1 to add 2.85 million sq ft of space, with plans to further expand to an annual production capacity of 365,000 vehicles in Arizona. The company expects that its production capacity in Arizona and Saudi Arabia will exceed 500,000 vehicles per year in aggregate when each facility reaches its target capacity.

The company anticipates that Saudi Arabias efforts to foster an automotive ecosystem through its Saudi Vision 2030 should yield cost savings for Lucid as well as environmental benefits, with reduced transportation of product to the customer.

The project should also enable opportunities for Saudi Arabia to diversify and transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy and transportation.

Lucid expects to employ several thousand people at its KAEC facility once full production capacity is established, the majority of which are expected to be Saudi Arabian citizens. It has established an internship programme with the PIF to provide educational opportunities and training for Saudi Arabian citizens at Lucids facilities in California and Arizona to develop talent for operations in Saudi Arabia. The company, in addition, will build and run dedicated training centers in KAEC to support skills development for the workforce.

PIF has been partnering with leading innovators globally such as Lucid, which demonstrates PIFs commitment to shape the economies of the future and drive the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

Today, we take a major step towards Saudi Arabias goal of diversifying its economy by creating a new manufacturing hub to spearhead the future of mobility for the Middle East region. Attracting a global leader in electric vehicles such as Lucid to open its first international manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia reflects our commitment to creating long-term economic value in a sustainable, enduring, and globally integrated way. This project demonstrates the confidence investors have in Saudi Arabias competitiveness, its ability to create opportunity and serve global demand for a highly complex product such as electric vehicles, said Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia.

Establishing Lucids new manufacturing hub in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is aligned with our national priority of diversifying the economy, and more specifically in growing and diversifying the industrial sector as part of the Kingdoms Vision 2030 and The National Industrial Development & Logistics Program, said Bandar Alkhorayef, Saudi Arabias Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources and Chairman of SIDF.

We are proud to partner with Lucid to enable this new industry in Saudi Arabia, which is one of the futures most complex and technology-dependent industries, and a major contributor to the supply chain development of other related industries that intersect with auto manufacturing. His Excellency added We look forward to working with Lucid and other leading companies as we continue to build out our global competitiveness, relying on Saudi Arabias many qualitative advantages, starting with its proven human resources, its industrial capabilities and its quality digital and physical infrastructure, to its advantageous geographical location in the region.

Lucid Groups landmark decision to establish its first international plant in KAEC marks a significant milestone in our journey to become a leading-edge city with a world-class manufacturing and logistics hub, said Cyril Piaia, CEO of Emaar, The Economic City, the master developer of KAEC. We are proud that KAEC will serve as a global launchpad for new sustainable mobility innovations such as electric vehicles, furthering its standing as a vision-ready platform that supports Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.

The US government welcomes Saudi Arabias effort to diversify its economy and fight climate change, said US Charge dAffaires Martina Strong, the head of the US Mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This announcement shows it can do both, through partnership and engagement with innovative American companies.--TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia will be a key driver of this global trade growth, with its exports projected to grow at an average annual rate of 7.6 per cent to reach $354 billion by 2030, says a new research by Standard Chartered.

The research, Future of Trade 2030: Trends and markets to watch, projects that global exports will almost double from $17.4 trillion to $29.7 trillion over the next decade.

The report reveals 13 markets that will drive much of this growth, identifies major corridors, and five trends shaping the future of global trade.

The UAE, with projected exports totalling $298 billion and growing at 6.1% annually by 2030, also figures among the 13 markets.

The research found that 18 per cent of global corporates currently do or plan source in Saudi Arabia within the next five to 10 years. This is evidence that Saudi Arabia will be a major driver of global trade growth over the next decade, it said.

Future growth corridors

Mainland China and South Korea will continue to be among the largest export corridors for Saudi Arabia, accounting for 20 per cent and 8 per cent of total exports in 2030, respectively.

India is the fastest growing export corridor for Saudi Arabia with an average annual growth rate of 10.9 per cent from 2020 to 2030.

Future growth sectors

Saudi Arabia is reducing its dependence on the petroleum sector and pushing for industry diversification to boost economic growth and attract foreign investments. The following sectors will dominate exports in 2030:

 Metals & minerals  share of exports 80% - CAGR 8.5%

 Plastic & rubbers - share of exports 7% - CAGR 8.4%

 Chemicals & pharmaceuticals - share of exports 6% - CAGR 6%

The 13 markets driving future trade growth with estimated exports in 2030 and annual growth rate:

 Bangladesh - $51bn  7% annual growth

 Hong Kong - $939bn  5.7%

 India - $563bn  7.6%

 Indonesia - $347bn  8.1%

 Kenya - $10bn  7.7%

 Mainland China  $5,022bn - 7.1%

 Malaysia - $498bn  8.3%

 Nigeria - $112bn  9.7%

 Saudi Arabia - $354bn  7.6%

 Singapore - $687bn  7.4%

 South Korea - $971bn  7.1%

 UAE - $298bn  6.1%

 Vietnam  $533bn  7%

The report, commissioned by Standard Chartered and prepared by PwC, is based on an analysis of historical trade data and projections until 2030, as well as insights from a survey of more than 500 C-suite and senior leaders in global companies.

Global trade will be reshaped by five key trends: the wider adoption of sustainable and fair-trade practices; a push for more inclusive participation; greater risk diversification; more digitisation and a rebalancing towards high-growth emerging markets. Almost 90 per cent of the corporate leaders surveyed agreed that these trends will shape the future of trade and will form part of their five to 10-year cross-border expansion strategies, said the study.

Globalisation will drive the next decade of growth. Despite the recent push towards onshoring, growth corridors of the future will not just be intraregional  they will be global spanning Africa-East Asia; ASEAN-South Asia; East Asia-Europe; East Asia- Middle East; East Asia-Europe; South Asia-US.

Asia, Africa and the Middle East will see a ramp-up in investment flows, with 82 per cent of respondents saying they are considering new production locations in these regions in the next five to 10 years, supporting the trend towards rebalancing to emerging markets and greater risk diversification of supply chains.

Enabling sustainable supply chains

The research found a significant trend towards the adoption of sustainable trade practices in response to climate concerns and a rising wave of conscious consumerism. However, while almost 90 per cent of corporate leaders acknowledged the need to implement these practices across their supply chains, only 34 per cent ranked it as a top three priority for execution over the next five to 10 years.

Standard Chartered, in line with its commitment to help make global trade more sustainable and drive the transition to Net Zero, launched a Sustainable Trade Finance proposition to enable companies to build more sustainable and resilient supply chains. In addition, we offer a suite of sustainable finance solutions to channel capital towards helping companies achieve their Net Zero goals.

Yazaid Al Salloom, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Saudi Arabia, said: In Saudi Arabia, diversification of export sectors away from oil will be the key driver of its trade performance in the next decade. There is a high-potential opportunity for cross-border growth particularly in India, Mainland China, and South Korea, which are predicted to be the key trade corridors for the nation. Furthermore, sustainability is at the forefront of the nations economic transformation, and we expect to see a shift towards adopting more inclusive, sustainable and fair-trade practices that will result in positive environmental and social impact. Against this backdrop, at Standard Chartered, we are continuing to develop and enhance our sustainable finance solutions to help businesses build future ready supply chains.  TradeArabia News Service
TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Dyslexia Canada applauds the efforts of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and supports the recommendations set out in its report. Learning to read is a basic, essential right that the report clearly states is being denied to a significant number of children in Ontario. We hope that the report will act as the catalyst to make changes to the public education system in Ontario and indeed across the country to ensure all students receive access to a fair and equitable education. Every child deserves to learn to read.

"For parents, caregivers and students with dyslexia, this report is bittersweet. What we have known and been advocating for years is finally being acknowledged and heard. The right to learn to read is finally being recognized. The overwhelming gap between the science of reading and what is actually happening at the school level is being brought to light. The inequitable system which currently leaves thousands of children behind is being exposed." says Christine Staley, Executive Director, Dyslexia Canada. "But the concrete recommendations being outlined, and the support of the greater community, provide hope and real optimism that our children may finally get the support they need to learn to read."

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading and writing. In Canada, approximately 2  4 children in every classroom struggle with dyslexia. "The truth is, the system has failed our children. This report is the first step to acknowledging and addressing this injustice. But we cannot allow this to only benefit children in Ontario." says Keith Gray, Chair of Dyslexia Canada. "Every province and territory must make this their highest priority."

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF REPORT

Right to Read includes recommendations to the Ministry of Education, school boards and faculties of education on how to address systemic issues that affect the right to learn to read, including:

Explicitly recognizing the term "dyslexia"

Adopting a new Kindergarten Program and Grades 1 to 8 Language curriculum that features direct and systematic instruction in foundational reading skills, and preparing current and future teachers on evidence-based approaches to teaching students to read

Screening every student, at least twice a year from Kindergarten to Grade 2, to identify students at risk for reading difficulties, using standardized, evidence-based screening tools

Standardizing and providing stable funding for evidence-based reading interventions

Making access to interventions equitable for all students

Providing and supporting timely and effective accommodation, including greater access to evidence-based software and assistive technology

Improving access to professional assessments and ensuring greater consistency and transparency in the assessment process

Setting clear and consistent standards for school boards and mandating better data collection, analysis and reporting

Improving communication with students and parents

Working with experts in the science of reading to implement the OHRC's recommendations

The report can be found here.

About Dyslexia Canada

Dyslexia Canada is a national charity committed to ensuring that every child in Canada with dyslexia gets a fair and equitable education.

Dyslexia Canada was formed in 2016 to ensure that there was a national voice and forum to advocate for all Canadian children with dyslexia. By partnering with professional organizations, experts and advocates, Dyslexia Canada strives to drive systemic change by engaging and educating the public and establishing legislation specific to recognizing and remediating dyslexia.

SOURCE Dyslexia Canada

For further information: Media Contact: Christine Staley, Executive Director, Dyslexia Canada, 647-389-3621, [email protected]
OTTAWA, ON, March 1, 2022 /CNW/ - The agriculture and agri-food sector is a key driver of Canada's economy, with the organics industry being one of the fastest growing sectors in Canada. Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced funding of up to $770, 000 for the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) to support market development for organic products.

The funding will help create domestic and international export opportunities and promote the "Canada Organic" brand. The project includes the development of market activities at major food shows in Germany and the United States with additional activities related to market accessibility and technical assessments. The investment, made under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership's AgriMarketing Program, will support the association in welcoming incoming missions, offering retailer training, creating market reports and developing a directory of organic producers and exporters.

With this investment, COTA has developed a 4-module retailer training program as well as a webinar training series on how to become 'Export Ready'. It continues to expand the training program in order to deliver sessions virtually as well as in-person to a wide stakeholder audience. In the first two years of the program COTA has trained over 600 participants from 300 companies with estimated related sales close to $1.7 million.

Today's announcement supports the continued growth of Canada's organics industry through increased access to domestic and international markets, export readiness and retailer training, and promotion of the industry to incoming missions.

Quotes

"Canada's organic industry is one of our fastest growing sectors. These producers provide healthy and nutritious food to consumers across the country and, increasingly, around the world. Supporting the market development for organic products will further contribute to the growth of a more competitive and sustainable Canadian agricultural sector."

- The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

"COTA and our members are very grateful for the continued support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as organic agriculture and trade assist the Federal government to meet their goals on climate change. Canada's organic landscape continues to shine on the world stage and grow at a pace that highlights the increased demand for climate-friendly products by consumers worldwide."

- Tia Loftsgard Executive Director , Canada Organic Trade Association

Quick Facts

The Canada Organic Trade Association is a not-for-profit industry association representing the organic value chain in Canada .

. Globally, the organic sector shows a worth of $147.5 billion dollars in 2018, up from the $102 billion in 2016 and is expected to continue its burgeoning growth. The Canadian organic market is now the sixth largest organic market in the world valued at $8 billion , which is up from $5.4 billion in 2017.

in 2018, up from the in 2016 and is expected to continue its burgeoning growth. The Canadian organic market is now the sixth largest organic market in the world valued at , which is up from in 2017. There were more than 7,500 organic operations in Canada in 2019, accounting for roughly 2% of total agricultural land.

in 2019, accounting for roughly 2% of total agricultural land. Last year, Canadian agri-food and seafood exports increased by 10.9%, reaching $82.2 billion -- over $7 billion ahead of our target of $75 billion , and four years ahead of schedule.

Associated links

AgriMarketing

Canadian Agricultural Partnership

Canadian Organic Trade Association

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

For further information: Marianne Dandurand, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, [email protected], 343-541-9229; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 1-866-345-7972, [email protected]
Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, the two Commissioners are required to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan.

India and Pakistan are set to hold the annual Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) meeting in Islamabad. The 10-member Indian delegation for the talks reached Pakistan on Monday via the Wagah-Atari border crossing. The talks that will be held for three days will begin on Tuesday, March 1, as reported by PTI. The Indian delegation is headed by Indian Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena.

The last meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) was held on March 23-24, 2021 in New Delhi. Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty, signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, the two Commissioners are required to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan. The meeting could not be held in 2020 due to restrictions imposed on account of the Covid 19 pandemic situation.

The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC), with a commissioner appointed by each country, was established under the Indus Waters Treaty to exchange data and co-operate in the optimum use of water from the Indus System of Rivers.

Last year, discussions revolved around the designs of two Indian hydroelectricity projects  Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW). India held firm to its stance that these projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty and provided technical data in support of its position.

Pakistan side had urged India for sharing information on the design of other Indian hydropower projects being planned to be developed on the Indus river system. Indian side assured that the information will be supplied as and when required under the provisions of the treaty.
China to add 3,300 km rail lines in 2022

Xinhua) 09:17, March 01, 2022

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch new rail lines totaling 3,300 kilometers this year along with a slew of measures to improve its comprehensive transport network, the Ministry of Transport said Monday.

More than 8,000 kilometers of expressways will be expanded or renovated, said Li Xiaopeng, minister of transport, adding that over 700 kilometers of high-grade waterways will be added or improved.

The country will also add eight certified civil-transport airports and continue to develop the green channel for agricultural products to ensure efficient transport of farm and sideline products, noted Li.

Fruitful achievements had been made in the previous year to enhance China's transportation infrastructure, said the minister. He added that by the end of 2021, the total operating length of China's high-speed railway network had exceeded 40,000 kilometers. Expressways and high-grade waterways increased to more than 168,000 kilometers and over 16,000 kilometers, respectively.

China unveiled a plan in January outlining primary targets for transportation network development in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) to achieve integrated development in 2025.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Brazil and UAE have underlined the significance of joint ventures (JVs) for the development of the agricultural sector in both countries.

Brazil, a key player in global agribusiness with high-quality products, had exported products worth $1.4 billion to the UAE in 2021. The UAE was the 3rd main Arab destination for Brazilian exports in the agribusiness sector, noted the Brazil-UAE Agri Talks, hosted by Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) in association with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).

Brazil had generated revenue of $694.5 million from poultry meat, $255 million from sugar, $155.1 million from frozen meat of bovine animals and $17.96 million from coffee in 2021.

The UAE, on the other hand, with its advanced hub for tech-based food and agricultural products and business incubator such as Food Tech Valley in Dubai and state of the art solutions, has the potential to transform the food industry.

The high-level event brought attention to the potential of the Brazilian agribusiness sector and UAEs holistic approach to food security during the forum, which was held recently at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Dubai.

The event also provided a platform for the participants to network and engage with business leaders from Brazils agribusiness sector, such as representatives from EMBRAPA, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation.

The ceremony was attended by Mauro Mendes, the Governor of Mato Grosso, Julio Busato, President of the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (ABRAPA), and Joaquim Leite, the Minister of the Environment of Brazil, who participated by videoconference. Agri Talks also saw the launch of the Floresta+  a programme initiated for the cotton sector.

Osmar Chohfi, President of ABCC said: The global food production is undergoing immense transformation, and innovative solutions are high on demand in the agritech sector. With the presence of entities such as EMBRAPA which is recognised throughout the world and showcasing Brazils expertise in terms of technology and sustainability, the event has timely delivered unique opportunities for both regions and enabled various stakeholders to explore new prospects.

Chohfi added: Moreover, it is also important to emphasise the need for innovative solutions to attain sustainability in the food industry. As an organisation, committed to addressing challenges faced in ensuring food and water security, we believe the Brazil-UAE Agri Talks contributed greatly towards insightful discussions on food security.

The talk also marked the presence of top officials from Brazil and the UAE and featured insightful discussions led by industry experts on key topics such as the UAE and Brazil government policies to support a sustainable future, projects and initiatives for sustainable development in the agricultural sector, innovation driven productivity, and profitability in agriculture projects and financing the agribusiness sector.

The event also showcased the UAE's initiatives towards ensuring food security and attaining sustainability in the food industry. In line with the National Food Security Strategy 2051, the UAE now follows a holistic approach to ensure food security and has created a platform for organisations globally to showcase innovative agricultural solutions, vital to address the critical water-food-energy nexus.

As a global leader in ensuring food security, the UAE has also established Emirates Food Security Council to strengthen the national efforts to enhance food security and meet the objectives of the National Food Security Strategy, such as excelling in the Global Food Security Index by 2051.-- TradeArabia News Service
The evacuees were received by Union Minister Narayan Rane at the airport. Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed via Twitter that two other flights - one from Romania's Bucharest, one from Hungary's Budapest - have departed for Delhi carrying a total of 434 evacuees.

The seventh flight 182 Indian evacuees from Ukraine landed in Mumbai on Tuesday. The flight had taken off from Romanias Bucharest as part of the Indian governments Operation Ganga. The evacuees were received by Union Minister Narayan Rane at the airport.

Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed via Twitter that two other flights  one from Romanias Bucharest, one from Hungarys Budapest  have departed for Delhi. The flight from Bucharest is carrying 218 Indian nationals, while the flight from Budapest is carrying 216 evacuees, as per the ministers statement.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while presiding over a high-level meeting on Monday evening over the Ukraine crisis said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all stranded Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. This was the third high-level meeting chaired by PM Modi since Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deputed four Union Ministers to oversee the repatriation efforts on the ground in the neighbouring countries of Ukraine from where Indian nationals are being airlifted. Jyotiraditya Scindia will be overseeing evacuation operations of stranded Indians in Romania and Moldova, while Kiren Rijiju will be visiting Slovakia. Hardeep Singh Puri will be overlooking operations in Hungary, and Gen (Retd) VK Singh will manage evacuations in Poland.
Hardeep Singh Puri is en route to Budapest in Hungary to aid the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in war-hit Ukraine. Puri is one of the four Union Ministers deputed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to coordinate repatriation operations.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri is en route to Budapest in Hungary to aid the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded in war-hit Ukraine. All set to bring back our young students back home safely enroute to Budapest with a refuelling stop in Istanbul with the ever efficient 6E boys and girls, tweeted Puri.

Hardeep Singh Puri is one of the four Union Ministers deputed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to coordinate repatriation operations on ground in the neighbouring countries of Ukraine where the evacuation flights are taking off from. Puri has been assigned to oversee operations in Hungary.

PM Modi held a high-level meeting over the crisis between Russia and Ukraine on Monday where it was decided that Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will be overseeing evacuation operations of stranded Indians in Romania and Moldova, Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju will be visiting Slovakia, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will be overlooking operations in Hungary, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport Gen (Retd) VK Singh will be coordinating the repatriation operations in Poland as part of the Indian governments Operation Ganga.

On Tuesday, two flights, one from Bucharest and the other from Budapest, landed in India carrying a total of 398 evacuees from Ukraine.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Tuesday advised citizens to leave Kyiv urgently as Russian forces continue their advance on the city.
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A total of 774 Connecticut tax filers earned 10 percent of all income in the state in 2019, accounting for $983 million of the state income tax, a long-awaited study by the Department of Revenue Services revealed Monday.

That group of filers earned an average of $23 million a year for a total of $17.9 billion. Their incomes ranged from $8.25 million to $338 million.

And thats the exact same amount as was earned by the bottom 49 percent of filers, 850,332 people and small businesses. The group consists mostly of households and paid $130 million in state income tax.

That group averaged $20,275 in income the year before the pandemic, the state study shows.

Its a stark picture of income disparity surprising no one, but which will echo around the state Capitol in the next few weeks when lawmakers debate, once again, whether to try to equalize matters by raising the state income tax on wealthy families.

The tax study contains a lot of notable pieces of the puzzle even without that one bit of income inequality data. For example, the highest earning 68,000 filers, those reporting at least $316,500 in 2019, paid a total of about 8 percent of their income in state and local taxes.

By contrast, those 850,000 on the bottom, making a maximum of $44,750, paid 24 percent of their income to the state and their local city or town, all in.

So its stark, yes, all the more when we consider that income is far more equal than assets. We dont have a public record of it, but the net worth of those 750 households is almost certainly equal to the total net worth of well over half the state.

As bad as it looks, the report released Monday suggests less income inequality between the very richest residents and the bottom half of earners, compared with the last time the states revenue services agency did a similar study, in 2014 for the 2011 tax year.

Dems divided over taxing the rich

Democrats are divided among themselves over how to respond. Some, including Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, co-chairman of the tax-writing finance committee, and Senate President Pro-Tem Martin Looney, D-New Haven, want to hike up the levies on the very rich with an increase of 1 percentage point maybe 2, in the tax on capital gains, the income from financial investments.

Theyre also talking, again, about a so-called mansion tax, an extra charge on houses worth more than, say, $1 million, maybe even a lower threshold.

Its not that we have millionaires in Connecticut. In some ways we have oligarchs, Fonfara told me Monday. I want to emphasize, the change were talking about is essentially a rounding error on those households wealth.

Fonfara said he encourages wealth building but he added, Right now our tax structure is not fair.

Then we have a more moderate wing of the Democratic Party, including Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, the other co-chairman of the finance committee, and of course, Gov. Ned Lamont.

Lamont, himself a Greenwich multi-deca-millionaire, has often said he wants more taxpayers, not higher taxes. His camp believes some ultra-rich families flee the state as a result of tax increases  and that raises the amount the rest of us must pay in, or lowers the amount of services the state can offer.

I dont want to drive those people out of Connecticut. I do want to lower the cost of living in Connecticut for those people who the report shows are disproportionately paying higher taxes than their wealthier neighbors, Scanlon said Monday. We have a $2 billion surplus and a $3 billion rainy day fund, and we can deliver meaningful tax relief those those people who the report shows are getting screwed without raising taxes on the richest households.

Thats certainly true this year. With the budget in great shape not just due to federal pandemic relief, and with Lamont and all 187 members of the General Assembly up for re-election, we will see $300 million to $400 million in tax cuts aimed at the middle class and the working poor. Tax hikes for the rich are just chatter this year, they are not even close to happening.

A more equal state unfortunately

Back to the tax report  remarkably, considering all weve seen and heard over the last few years, it shows Connecticut income growing more equal. Or at least, the richest are less rich compared with the rest of us.

In 2011, 357 households made $15.1 billion, an average of $42 million each. That amounted to 10 percent of all the personal income in the state, equal to the total income of the bottom 725,202 households, who earned an average of $21,000.

So in 2019 it took more than twice as many households to earn that one-tenth slice of the income pie. Scant solace, I know, but that means some of the richest earners are no longer here, or no longer earn all that much money. Thats not something to celebrate.

Did you feel better when Thomas Peterffy, the electronic stock trading pioneer worth $11 billion, and fellow Greenwich billionaire T. Dean Metropoulos, who controlled Hostess Brands, took their cables and cakes and decamped to Florida in 2015? Those exits cost you some money.

What matters is how the rest of us are faring and there, the picture is mixed.

The report that DRS Commissioner Mark Boughton handed to the legislature late Monday was supposed to be done every two years. Thats really the only way to use it as a policy tool, not as a one-shot in eight years, but as a regular reset that shows how every tax affects the state.

You cant just pick off one for policy decisions, Boughton said Monday.

We could talk about why it wasnt done, but that doesnt matter anymore. Boughton insists it become a regular look and hes right. It should. Lifestyles of the rich and (Connecticut) famous? Sure, but I pay taxes too, and I want to see what percentile Im in on this fat news salary.

dhaar@hearstmediact.com
HAMDEN  Mount Zion Seventh-Day Adventist Church will hold a Black History Celebration event March 5, organizers said.

The event, set for 5 p.m. at the church, 335 Putnam Ave., will feature inspirational music, speeches, poetry and spoken word performances, trivia and more, according to a release, including the Shades of Yale a capella group.

Expected attendees include local municipal officials, students and community members, area musicians and artists and others, organizers said.

The theme of the event, organizers said, is health and wellness.

The church, partnering with the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center will be offering a Family Community Wellness Clinic from 5-7 p.m., organizers said. No appointment is needed and services available will include COVID vaccinations and boosters for children 5-11 and ages 12 and up, blood pressure screenings and flu shots, organizers added. (Anyone under age 18 will need written parental or guardian consent. Insurance card and ID should be brought for flu shots.)

Food will be served, organizers said, and the event is free and open to all. Donations are being accepted. Visit www.mtzionct.org and cornellscott.org.
HAMDEN  Mayor Lauren Garrett has named Jeffrey Naples as the towns assistant fire chief and Stephen White as town engineer, appointments expected to go before the Legislative Council for approval this month.

Currently a station captain with the Hamden Fire Department, Garrett said, Naples will replace former assistant Chief Charles Lubowicki. Lubowicki retired in November alongside a number of other fire officials.

Naples has worked for the town for 16 years, according to a release announcing his promotion. He was one of three candidates interviewed during the hiring process, Garrett said.

Hes really fantastic. He really understands why we need to diversify our Fire Department and is able to speak about it with great understanding, Garrett said.

Naples also has been involved with peer counseling at the Fire Department, a program implemented after particularly traumatic events, according to the mayor.

Email requests for comment were sent to Naples and Fire Chief Gary Merwede Tuesday. A message also was left for White, the new town engineer.

White replaces Mark Austin, who was appointed to the post by former Mayor Curt Balzano Leng. Austin left in December, one month into Garretts term, after she decided not to keep him on.

In his role, White will focus on environmental sustainability, said Garrett, who said during her mayoral campaign that making the town greener would be a priority.

I think its really important that our town engineer have a focus in environmental sustainability, and approaching public transportation in a more equitable way, Garrett said.

Monday marked Whites first day on the job, she said.

He previously worked as a as a civil engineering supervisor for the Philadelphia Water Department, according to a release that indicates he went on to work as a project manager for New Havens engineering department.

Mr. White was a team leader for the Philadelphia Water Department as it became the first in the nation to commit to green infrastructure as the primary means of managing storm water, the release says. While in New Haven, Mr. White maintained his sustainability focus, redesigning transit corridors, designing storm water improvements, and participating in public design input meetings.

The appointments will go before the Legislative Council this month, according to Garrett.

Im really excited about both of these (employees), she said. They really share my vision for what the office needs to do in both cases.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
BRIDGEPORT  After stepping up to the podium outside of the downtown government center, an emotional Craig Lennon admitted, I dont have the words. I dont really know what to say.

Lennon, the dean of students at the University of Bridgeport, was among the small crowd gathered Tuesday to raise the Ukrainian flag to show support for the residents of that country as they face an invasion from Russia.
Brian Zahn / Hearst Connecticut Media

WEST HAVEN  About two months after being sworn in to the General Assembly, state Rep. Trenee McGee announced her immediate resignation from West Havens City Council Monday night.

Tonight is my last meeting, McGee, D-West Haven, said shortly before the council entered into executive session to discuss the terms of the sales of three vacant city properties. I resign as the councilwoman of the 7th District because I believe someone should step into this position who can wholeheartedly do it while I do my job at the Capitol and really do the best that I can to serve West Haven to the best of my ability.
UW, Partners Name Youth Vision for 2030 Contest Winners

The University of Wyoming and collaborative partners recognized 10 young Wyoming writers for articulating a vision of the states future.

The writing and multimedia narrative contest, titled Imagining Wyomings Future: A Youth Vision for 2030, asked the states youth to imagine life in Wyoming in the year 2030. Participants described what the ideal future would look like, including such details as what jobs and recreation opportunities they imagine; how landscapes and communities might function; and the condition of the built environment.

The contest was open for two months in fall 2021 to those under the age of 20 who live in Wyoming. More than 50 young people from across the state submitted entries. Four independent judges with deep ties to Wyoming reviewed the submissions and selected the winners.

The goal of the contest was to create a platform for young people to share their visions for where Wyoming should be headed, says Emilene Ostlind, communications coordinator in the UW Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources and one of the contests organizers.

We hope that statewide leaders and decision-makers will read these pieces as they think about how to shape the states future, Ostlind says.

Winners of the writing and multimedia contest, listed by hometowns, are:

Grand Prize

Powell -- Ethan Cearlock, age 17.

Second Place

Worland -- Kelli Frimml, age 18.

Third Place

Cody -- Hayley Pearson-Horner, age 16.

Honorable Mentions

Basin -- Avery Lewis, age 16.

Cheyenne -- Jenna Hoobler, age 17.

Cody -- Shaelyn Whitlock, age 14.

Laramie -- Rachel Stephens, age 16.

McFadden -- Jentry Sims, age 15.

Powell -- Luke Condie, age 19.

Rock River -- Naomi Moore, age 16.

The winning entries, which include works of nonfiction, fiction and poetry, are now available to read online at www.wyoming2030.org/youth-voice.

The contest winners delved into a wide variety of topics ranging from ranching and energy production to wildlife conservation and environmental protection to education and support for marginalized populations. They dreamed of a Wyoming with trash-free lands, new energy sources, open country to hike and ride horses, robust schools and diverse economic opportunities.

The UW Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, along with the UW Honors College, Wyoming2030, the Wyoming Afterschool Alliance, the Wyoming Humanities Council and the UW MFA Program in Creative Writing, held the contest to elevate youth voices in the discussion about Wyomings future.

Narrative storytelling is critical to understanding and navigating present challenges and imagining livable futures, says Matt Henry, an assistant instructional professor in the UW Honors College and leader of the contest. Thats why we wanted to give young people across the state a chance to draw on their values, experiences and sense of place to tell their stories about the futures they want.

Winners received cash prizes as well as publication in both a digital and a print anthology that will be distributed throughout the state.

I found all of the submissions to be both hopeful and searingly honest, says Michelle Sullivan, director of the Wyoming Afterschool Alliance and Wyoming2030 coordinator, who helped organize the contest. The pieces in this collection reminded me that young peoples perspectives belong in our civic discourse today and into the future.

To learn more about the contest, visit www.uwyo.edu/haub/youth-vision.html or email Henry at mhenry12@uwyo.edu.

The Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources supports stakeholder-driven solutions to complex environmental and natural resources challenges in Wyoming.
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With train ridership still less than half what it was before COVID-19 hit nearly two years ago, Metro-North peak hour fares will return to their prepandemic costs beginning Tuesday.

In the early weeks of the pandemic, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority lowered the cost of fares during peak hours and cut back on train frequency. Gradually, the number of trains has increased over the last two years, inching toward pre-COVID levels.

Beginning Tuesday, the peak fare costs will also return to pre-COVID rates, according to an MTA statement. Over the last two years, peak fares were lowered to off-peak rates due to the economic hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the MTA said.

Now, its time to regain some normalcy, MTA Chief Customer Officer Sarah Meyer said. The return to peak prices was driven in part by the rollout of new fare packages, Meyer said.

We really looked at our ridership and saw that we needed to do, in terms of bringing back more monthly riders and more riders that use that hybrid work schedules, she said. Our monthly passes plummeted significantly, and were starting to pilot new peak packages and had to find the funding from somewhere.

The new peak packages were first developed in the fall and will begin piloting Tuesday, coinciding with the return to peak fares.

However, the peak rates will not increase to costs higher than the pre-COVID rates, rather they will go back to what they had benn, Meyer said.

The MTA board decided on pilot packages and looked at commuting patterns, what customers were asking for, as well as ways to get ridership wherever and however we could, she said.

Ridership remains at about 40 percent of what it was before the outbreak of COVID-19, but the outbreak of the omicron variant at the start of 2022 created another setback for MTA ridership, Meyer said.

On weekends, its a little bit higher in mid 50s (percent). On weekends, we were increasing steadily and doing very well in relation to our projections and then omicron hit, and we have not recovered, she said.

The new packages include a 10 percent discount on monthly Metro-North passes and a 20-trip ticket that amounts to 20 percent off regular peak fares, according to the MTA statement. The 20-trip ticket can be used by more than one person, even when traveling together.

The new peak fare packages were decided and voted on before the omicron wave, Meyers said. The target, and what was budgeted for, is a return to 80 percent ridership, she said.

Both Connecticut and New York states significantly subsidized transit already. Peak fare doesnt get to the total cost of a ride, Meyer said. We were giving out significant discounts. Its been two years and (its) time to go back to our pricing model. We never raised fares, which we were scheduled to do, so the customer is still coming out on top.

Peak fare is typically charged weekdays on trains that arrive at Grand Central from 6 to 10 a.m. and depart between 4 and 8 p.m., according to the MTA trip planner. During the pandemic, the peak and off-peak costs were the same.

With the end of Gov. Ned Lamonts executive powers nearing, many municipalities and schools lifted mask mandates. But on New York public transportation, including Metro-North trains, masks are still required regardless of social distancing and vaccination status, according to the MTAs COVID-19 policies.

Masking on trains is not an MTA rule. Masks are still required on public transportation as per a national Transportation Security Administration policy which is set to end on March 18.

For Connecticut Commuter Rail Council Chair Jim Gildea, both the mask requirement and the return to peak fare make sense.

I do think at some point its reasonable for fares to return to peak fare amounts, Gildea said. I think part of that is its equally important to ensure service increases as well. Certainly Metro-North is losing tremendous amounts of money. It only makes certain sense they have to get that money somewhere.

Although its inconvenient, requiring masks is still the right move, he said.

Metro-North certainly walks a very fine line in bringing back ridership. I do think masks and the wearing of masks is still necessary to some degree to ensure wary travelers that public transportation is safe, Gildea said. I think for now that is a necessary component to continue to attract riders.

An earlier version of this story said ridership was in the mid 50s on weekdays. It has been corrected to say weekend.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

MILFORD  Authorities are urging residents to be aware of their surroundings after an uptick in vehicle thefts, robberies and catalytic converter thefts.

Police on Monday said these incidents are happening in the parking lots of shopping centers, gas station and other commercial areas throughout the city.
Pat Tomlinson / Hearst Connecticut Media /

NORWALK  Mayor Harry Rilling on Monday appointed Tony Lopez, a local insurance broker, to the citys police commission, ending a nearly seven-month search to fill the seat on the oversight body.

Lopez replaces Kelly Straniti, a Republican who resigned from the three-member commission last summer before moving to Virginia. Lopez appointment was announced at the commissions Monday meeting.
COURTS: Federal prosecutors say negotiations are on-going with former Falls businessman and publisher.
Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) say the national convention scheduled for March 26 in Abuja will hold. Atiku Bagudu...

Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) say the national convention scheduled for March 26 in Abuja will hold.

Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi state and chairman of the progressive governors forum, said this on Tuesday after the governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.

There had been speculations that some APC members were pushing for the postponement of the national convention so that the election of the national executives and the primaries to select candidates for the 2023 polls can be done simultaneously.

Speaking with state house correspondents, Bagudu said the governors met with the president to congratulate him for assenting to the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, adding that there were no plans to postpone the convention.

Last week, we were in this hall  about 20 APC governors  and this question came up and we clearly said we came to discuss the national convention, which is slated for March 26, and were working hard to ensure that on March 26, we have our convention and elect our national officers and that remains the case, he said.

On reports in some quarters that some governors are not satisfied with some provisions in the electoral act, Bagudu said the national assembly will provide the opportunity for improvement if necessary.

Legislation, everywhere in the world, is based on continuous improvement. Constitutions that are 200 years old are subject to reviews sometimes and those reviews are not cut and dry. Even people who truly believe in the need for a legislation may have worries about the implications of it, he said.

Like I said, were never against the principle of amending laws. They are never against the national assembly, but even among the national assembly, theres debate.

To imagine that there is some legislation that is punitive to the governors or to the national assembly, I think that will be tantamount to negation of the oath of office.
Yahuza Yusuf, acting national president of the Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria, says Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia, has promised ...

Yahuza Yusuf, acting national president of the Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria, says Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia, has promised to pay N2 million each as compensation to families of slain cattle traders.

Several persons were killed by gunmen who attacked the new cattle market in Omumauzor community in Ukwa west LGA in Abia, on February 15.

The violent attack elicited condemnation from many Nigerians, including the Abia state government.

On Monday, a delegation of the Abia state government led by Kalu Ogbu, the monarch of Abiriba kingdom, visited Gombe to commiserate with the state government and the people of the state.

Most of the victims of the attack were indigenes of Gombe.

The Abia state government delegation was received by Manassah Daniel Jatau, deputy governor of the state at the Gombe International hotel.

Speaking during the meeting, Yusuf said Ikpeazu has paid N150,000 per head of the cattle lost with the promise to pay N2 million as compensation to the families of the deceased traders.

He said, the governor had cushioned the effect of the loss by paying 150,000( one hundred and fifty thousand naira only) per head of a cattle and has promised 2,000,000( Two Million naira only) to families of the deceased, the acting national president was quoted in a statement by Jack Tasha, media aide to Gombe deputy governor.

On his part, Ogbu, Abia monarch, said the state governor expressed displeasure over the unfortunate attack on the cattle traders, adding that Ikpeazu has vowed to fish out the perpetrators.

The monarch said a new place has already been allocated as a cattle market with an assurance of 24-hour security service to facilitate the smooth operation of cattle dealers in Abia.

Responding, Gombe deputy governor commended the Abia state government for taking a bold step to sympathise with the state in a bid to cement the good relationship between the north and the south.

Jatau bemoaned the erosion of the African value of brotherliness, adding that the country needs to get it right on its cultural values.
Canada will send anti-tank weapons and upgraded ammunition to support Ukraine amid global rage over Russias invasion. Canadian Prime Minist...





Canada will send anti-tank weapons and upgraded ammunition to support Ukraine amid global rage over Russias invasion.





Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau disclosed this at a news conference on Monday.





Yesterday, we announced that we would be sending new shipments of military supplies, including body armour, helmets, gas masks and night-vision goggles.





Today, were announcing that we will be supplying Ukraine with anti-tank weapons systems and upgraded ammunition, said Trudeau.





Trudeau added that the Canadian government plans to prohibit all imports of Russian crude oil.





This is in addition to earlier shipments of lethal and non-lethal equipment to Ukraine.





The Canadian government is also carrying out a series of sanctions on Russia, including closing off Canadian airspace to Russian planes and prohibiting Canadian financial institutions from engaging in any transaction with the Russian Central Bank.
Ukrainian police rush a traveler to the railway station terminal during an airstrike alarm in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday.
No. The money should go to something that would benefit all citizens of the county, not just Watertown.

Yes. The community would benefit from the indoor pools the project would provide.

Vote

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Watertown, NY (13601)

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Rex is given proper credit for organizing random bands of street maskers into a unified parade on Fat Tuesday in 1872, and for later adding themed floats and elaborate balls to the celebration. But Rex was not the first to present a parade on Mardi Gras.

Staging parades as early as 1838, the Compagnie des Bedouins were initially guided by Mandeville de Marigny, one of the blue bloods and leaders of fashion of the day. Like many young Creole gentlemen of New Orleans, de Marigny was educated in France.

The success of the Bedouins was evident from the Commercial Bulletin's observance on Ash Wednesday, 1838, The European custom of celebrating the last day of Carnival by a procession of masked figures through the public streets was introduced here yesterday, very much to the amusement of our citizens.

The Daily Picayune on Feb. 28 noted that a large number of young gentlemen, principally Creoles of the first respectability, went to no little expense  Their effort was appraised by La Creole as well conceived and well executed.

The following Carnival season saw sneak previews "planted" in the local press. The parade route was given, and the citizenry advised to arrive at the Theatre dOrleans by 3:30 p.m. The editor of the Picayune gushed that the resultant procession was longer, broader, further through and larger round than any procession preceding it in the goodly city, and occasioned an excitement and drew together a crowd ... such as had never before congregated in New Orleans.

That the Bedouins were leagued with the management of the Theatre dOrleans was evident in 1840, when the theater itself advertised the parade and threw open the stage doors so the parading maskers could take part in the final scene  a masked ball  of Gustave, or the Bal Masque.

This theatrical conclusion to the municipal parade occurred several times. Carnival historian Perry Young wrote, "The play was for a long time an annual feature of Mardi Gras," and continued, "it was the fixed custom of the masquerading troupe of young Creoles to repair to the theatre in time to join the theatrical cast in the gallop on the stage. Enthusiastic members of the theater-going audience could join the dancing on the stage afterward.

The Bedouins of the 1830s acted in secret, as would future krewes, beginning with Comus in 1857. The parade of 1841 comprised a mounted unit of between 200 and 300 of the first gentlemen of the city, all dressed as Bedouin Arabs.

Perry Young quoted a contemporary source of the next year as reporting, so secret had the movers kept their operations, that they completely succeeded in creating sensation by surprise.

Writing for the Mardi Gras Guide in 2004, the Louisiana State Museums director of special projects, Vaughn Glasgow, said, The effort slid a bit in following years, with the Bedouins showing less apparent organization than in previous Carnival seasons. Unreined masker mischief, new municipal ordinances in 1845, bad weather on Fat Tuesdays of 1846, 1847 and 1850, and competition from the simultaneously-scheduled Fireman's Day Parade of 1851 all conspired against them.

"Then a new phenomenon emerged in 1857  the first full-fledged Carnival krewe  in the form of Comus and his entourage. A parade comprised only of krewe members and a ball attended only by invited guests dominated the late 1850s Mardi Gras scene.

Thus, like the Bedouin parade scheme of the late 1830s, itself based on European example of several preceding centuries, early Rex parades welcomed all the citizens who wished to participate, as well as commercial vehicles covered with advertising.

For his first four public appearances, Rex had revitalized the municipal parade as inspired by the Bedouins. And of course, Rex would do much more than that throughout its history.

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The head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development refuted statements made last week by Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta where he indicated that federal disaster funds might be available to ease the burden of storm repair costs for Entergy ratepayers.

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said through a spokesman on Monday that she has had no communication with Skrmetta nor offered any word that she would sanction use of federal funds for those costs.

"The Secretary has not met with Commissioner Skrmetta, has not communicated with the Commissioner regarding any requests to waive the prohibition of using Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds for privately-owned utilities, nor has she given any indication on what she would decide on the matter," said spokesperson Michael Burns.

Skrmetta last week voted in favor of passing on $3.2 billion of costs to cover repairs and upgrades required after the storms of 2020 and 2021. The measure, which passed 4-1, means Entergy can issue 15-year bonds that will be paid back via a surcharge on Entergy Louisiana ratepayers' bills over that period. That amount covers only half the cost of Hurricane Ida and Entergy has said it will be seeking at least another $1 billion this year to cover the remainder.

The average surcharge to cover all the storm costs will work out to more than $254 a year before interest for each of Entergy Louisiana's 1.1 million customers. Entergy said that "typical" residential ratepayers, using about 1,250 kilowatt hours a month, can expect to pay a bit less.

Entergy New Orleans' ratepayers will face a total bill for Hurricane Ida of about $150 million and will have to pay that back via a separate bond issue.

At the LPSC meeting last Wednesday, Skrmetta said that ratepayers might be let off the hook for some of that surcharge if Louisiana is allowed to use HUD grant money to cover some of the Entergy repairs.

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HUD granted Louisiana $595 million under the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program for the 2020 storms, which included Hurricanes Laura, Delta, and Zeta. Any block grant money for the 2021 storms has yet to be determined.

However, HUD rules expressly forbid using those funds "to assist a privately-owned utility for any purpose," according to HUD's notice on the grant. To be able to use the HUD money to cover Entergy's repair costs, Gov. John Bel Edwards would have to request a waiver of that rule from HUD.

Skrmetta said at Wednesday's meeting: "We've been entering into discussions with the help of Congressman Troy Carter and with Secretary Fudge of HUD to attempt to access additional block grant money," adding that "Secretary Fudge has indicated that she will welcome the request."

Skrmetta wasn't available for comment.

Neither Rep. Carter's office nor Gov. John Bel Edwards' office had responded to a request for comment by press time.

Foster Campbell, the only one of LPSC's five commissioner to vote against the bond issue on Wednesday, said he had been skeptical of the promise of federal funds.

"I thought it sounded like a done deal and we were going to get the money from Washington to help people out," Campbell said. "But I did think it was a stretch for Entergy, a private company, to get this bail out money from the federal government."

Entergy executives said at Wednesday's meeting that they had already spent the storm repair cost money and any delay in recouping it would only cost ratepayers more in higher interest costs.
Someone was stabbed Mardi Gras morning on Broadway Street near Tulane University, according to New Orleans police.

Updated: Stabbing at The Boot leaves 5 injured on Mardi Gras morning

The person's condition wasn't immediately available.

The New Orleans Police Department said it has made an arrest and is investigating the incident along with Tulane University Police.

The stabbing was reported at around 7:45 a.m. in the 1000 block of Broadway Street (map), according to NOPD.

Alerts went out to students at Loyola and Tulane telling them to avoid the area.

Check back for more details on this developing story.
Johnaton Louis, one of the two Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies accused of using unjustified force when they shot and killed a man in Marrero Feb. 16, had previously used deadly force following a car chase in 2016 while working for the Gretna Police Department, according to authorities.

In that instance, Louis fatally shot the driver of a pickup truck who had rammed a patrol vehicle and was driving toward another Gretna police officer, authorities said. Gretna police investigators and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office ruled Louis' use of deadly force was justified in that case.

Louis, 35, and Isaac Hughes, 29, were fired by the Sheriff's Office Feb. 21 after they were arrested and booked with manslaughter.

News of Lous' involvement in that incident, first reported by WDSU-TV, comes as the pair stands accused of opening fire on Daniel Vallee, 34, following a standoff during which Vallee, who was unarmed, had refused to exit a parked sport utility vehicle, according to the Sheriff's Office.

One of the deputies  authorities have not said which  opened fire when Vallee honked the vehicle's horn. The other deputy fired in response to the first deputy's gunshots, the Sheriff's Office has said.

Before he joined the Sheriff's Office in 2020, Louis spent eight years with the Gretna Police Department, two as an emergency medical technician and six working patrol, Gretna Police Deputy Chief Jason DiMarco has said.

On May 5, 2016, Louis shot Corey DiGiovanni, 36, during a car chase in the city. DiGiovanni was a suspect in a heroin distribution investigation by the West Bank Major Crimes Task Force, authorities said at the time.

Officers had gone to DiGiovanni's Anson Street home in Gretna to serve a search warrant. When DiGiovanni spotted officers, Gretna police say he led authorities on an "extensive" chase through a residntial backyard, over a Mississippi River Levee and on the lower level of the West Bank Expressway.

The chase ended near the Jefferson Parish bus terminal at Milton Street. Louis wasn't part of the task force but responded to help with the chase, according to DiMarco.

DiGiovanni's pick-up truck rammed a patrol vehicle after being boxed in, and he was driving toward an officer when Louis opened fire, according to authorities.

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DiGiovanni was hit multiple times and pronounced dead at a hospital. Officers who served the search warrant recovered heroin, marijuana and prescription pills in DiGiovanni's possession, authorities said.

"The case was submitted to the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office, and they ruled it a justifiable homicide," DiMarco said.

DiGiovanni's mother, Carol DiGiovanni, spoke with WDSU-TV and expressed interest in having her son's case reopened.

But that wouldn't happen unless there was new evidence that changed the facts and circumstances, according to DiMarco.

DiGiovanni's fatal shooting differs from Vallee's case, he said. In the Marrero shooting investigation, Vallee was unarmed, and the Sheriff's Office said his vehicle did not accelerate toward any of the other deputies on scene.

"The use of deadly force in this situation was not justified," Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto has said.

In the Gretna shooting, DiGiovanni's vehicle posed a threat because it was moving toward another officer, according to DiMarco.

"It was just a completely different set of circumstances," DiMarco said.

Louis and Hughes were booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna after their arrests last week. Both were free on $150,000 bonds as of Monday. Neither could be reached for comment.
While many New Orleanians were likely putting the final touches on their Carnival costumes, on Sunday 10 people gathered inside Oksana Nimkevychs house to sew the blue-and-yellow flags of Ukraine for a protest against Russias invasion of the country.

Nimkevych, a doctor who moved to the U.S. in 2006, has suffered sleepless nights ever since her native land was invaded last week. She stays up until 2 a.m., waiting for messages from her brother in Odessa and family in Kiev to confirm they survived another day.

Its just very painful to watch, Nimkevych said. They are still alive, but its a lot of bombing.

On Monday, Nimkevych and more than 100 other people came together under a palm tree in the Lakeside Shopping Center parking lot in Metairie, adding their voices to the global condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

They waved Ukraine's flag, carried blue-and-yellow balloons, and held signs that read "Putin is war," "Glory to heroes" or "No war in Ukraine."

Aleksei Rudenko, a civil engineer and native of Ukraine, said his mother had managed to flee to Romania. He planned to fly to Europe on Fat Tuesday to figure out how to bring her to the U.S. Other relatives are still trapped inside the country.

Rudenko said he was happy to see Moldovans, Romanians and other people from Eastern Europe come out in support of Ukrainian freedom.

Natalya Rostovschikova, Nimkevychs longtime business partner and friend, has lived in Metairie for 22 years.

"I'm from Russia, but I'm against this war," Rostovschikova said. "I'm against all wars."

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Several people gathered in the crowd said the only ill will they bore was toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, not for the Russian people.

With the mall protest, New Orleans joined the ranks of cities worldwide that have hosted demonstrations against the war, from New York to London to Tokyo.

Yet in southeast Louisiana, the timing could not be more surreal. Even the hour and location of Mondays protest were chosen to avoid Lundi Gras parade routes.

Nimkevych, a nephrologist in private practice in Kenner who completed her residency and fellowship at LSU Health New Orleans, said she has been heartened by the messages of support from friends in Louisiana.

Her anxiety is never far away, however. She also receives a constant stream of messages from Ukraine. Her medical school classmates are delivering babies in basements and worrying about whether COVID is spreading in crowded bomb shelters.

Nimkevych said that after two years of COVID surges and restrictions, the people of New Orleans deserve their celebration.

Just because I feel horrible, it doesnt mean the rest of people need to feel horrible, she said.

Still, she hopes that people will pause in the midst of the party to reflect on the situation in Ukraine.

People need to have fun in their lives, but maybe a little awareness, she said.
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.
Harrisburg, Pa.  Recognized for its angel tree holiday toy drive, foundation grants and Project Linus donations, the Lycoming Law Association is one of 23 local bar associations in Pennsylvania honored this year for sponsoring projects that improve the legal profession, justice system or community.

Awards are presented annually by the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA). This year, the Lycoming Law Association received County Bar Recognition Awards on Feb. 25 in Lancaster.

PBA is honored to highlight the numerous local bar association projects and programs aimed at improving communities and the legal profession, said PBA President Kathleen D. Wilkinson. We commend the many dedicated volunteers who serve as an inspiration for others to participate in future endeavors that can benefit Pennsylvania residents.

Angel Tree Holiday Toy Drive

The Lycoming Law Associations Young Lawyers Division organized a toy and clothing drive to benefit the Salvation Army and Susquehanna Valley Court Appointed Special Advocates. Hundreds of gifts were collected for local children in need.

Lycoming Law Association Foundation

The associations Foundation granted more than $7,000 to North Penn Legal Services, which provides legal services to low-income residents, and more than $3,000 to the Montoursville High School Mock Trial Team. The money granted to the mock trial team was used to send the team to Harvard University to participate in a high school mock trial training program.

Project Linus

The Young Lawyers Division organized a collection of homemade blankets and coordinated donating them to a local Project Linus group. The blankets were earmarked for children in Lycoming County who are in the Susquehanna Valley Court Appointed Special Advocates program (CASA) or have open Children and Youth cases.

The Conference of County Bar Leaders, whose membership includes leaders from county bar associations throughout the state and from the PBA, organizes a yearly educational conference focusing on the exchange of innovative bar association projects and ideas, and on the development of mutually beneficial relationships among bar leaders that improve the legal profession.
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Harrisburg, Pa.  For more than two years, public health officials have answered Pennsylvanians most pressing questions about the coronavirus: Where are tests available? Are masks necessary? Who is eligible to get a vaccine?

Who provides this information and how easy it is to find may depend on where you live. Roughly half of the states nearly 13 million residents live in a county or city covered by a local health department. The other half  many of them living in rural parts of Pennsylvania  rely solely on the state for a limited number of public health resources and services.

The split setup presented new challenges during the pandemic as local officials worked to gather rapidly changing data and communicate evolving health guidance to residents.

In places with a local health department, many of those tasks were handled by health officials on the ground. But in counties without one, some officials said they were frustrated by a lack of communication with the state and limited control over how decisions were made. As a result, a few contemplated creating their own local health departments. Some of those plans were ultimately scrapped, while other counties are still considering how to move forward.

To better understand those discussions, Spotlight PA talked to public health experts, researchers, and local and state health officials to probe how local health departments work, when they can be useful, and why some counties chose to walk away.

Do I have a local health department?

If you live in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Erie, Montgomery, or Philadelphia Counties, you have a county-level health department. Allentown, Bethlehem, Wilkes-Barre, and York all operate city health departments. The newest local health department, in Delaware County, is nearing final approval from the state and is expected to officially launch this year. These areas represent 46% of the state population.

If you live anywhere else, you get services directly from the state Department of Health.

What do public health departments do, exactly?

State law requires local health departments to provide basic public and environmental health services. This can include programs to manage communicable diseases like tuberculosis or sexually transmitted infections, oversight of water supplies and pollution, inspections of swimming pools and restaurants, and monitoring diseases transmitted by animals or insects like rabies or Lyme.

If you live somewhere without a local health department, the state provides similar services through a network of six health districts and 60 health centers. As state spending on public health has dwindled over the past decade, however, some of those services have been stretched thin.

Pennsylvania has about 170 community health nurses  50 of whom are temporary hires performing pandemic-related duties  30 contracted case investigators, and 27 clerical support staff to serve roughly half of the state, according to information provided by the health department in February. Thats roughly one full-time nurse for every 58,000 people relying on state health department services.

According to figures from the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, a public health policy research program, Pennsylvania ranked among the lowest in state per capita public health funding in 2020, spending just $15 per person. Only Missouri and Nevada spent less.

Do other states have health systems like this?

The simple answer: Yes.

The more nuanced answer: Its complicated.

We dont have a true national public health system where everyone follows the same policies, and everyone follows the same practices, said Jeffrey Levi, a professor of health policy and management at George Washington University.

Pennsylvania is one of only six states  along with Alaska, Maine, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming  that has what the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials classifies as a mixed setup, where both local and state employees play a role in managing public health.

A little more than half of states have largely decentralized public health systems, where most of the states population is served by some type of local health department overseen by local officials. This includes Pennsylvanias neighbors  New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia  along with other states with large populations, like California, New York, and Texas.

Experts cautioned against comparing states, even if they are classified the same way.

There is no ideal, said Caroline Brazeel, senior director of population health and innovation at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. There is no normal for what this looks like. Success is really dependent on what is required to improve the health of the people in your state.

Thats because even health departments that have a similar structure might have very different responsibilities, depending on what duties are assigned to them by state laws and their residents needs.

Just as all politics is local, all public health is ultimately local, said Levi. You have to be able to have a granular sense of what is going on in individual communities to be able to provide the right mix of services.

What about the pandemic? Did Pa. communities with local health departments have better outcomes?

Its hard to tell from COVID-19 case data alone because many factors, like population size and density, affect those figures. However, there is anecdotal evidence that shows local health departments had some advantages.

Throughout the pandemic, state health officials have argued they cant release certain information because of the 1955 Disease Prevention and Control Law, which allows the Pennsylvania health department to withhold information to protect individuals privacy.

This at times made it difficult for local officials to get basic data related to the spread of the coronavirus  including case counts and demographic details  in their own communities.

Officials in areas with local health departments didnt have that problem.

In Erie County, for example, local leaders had access to case information because the county health department was already connected with state and national disease reporting systems, said former Public Health Director Melissa Lyon, who oversaw the countys pandemic response.

Well-established lines of communication between the local and state health departments also made it easier to get timely guidance as the COVID-19 landscape changed, Lyon said.

We had a real advantage where we could pick up the phone and ask questions, Lyon said.

In Allegheny County, the only southwestern county with a local health department, the local lab ramped up capacity to run tens of thousands of COVID-19 tests for the areas long-term care facilities, jail, medical examiners office, pediatric clinics, and emergency medical service providers.

Having that capacity in-house saves time and money, said Patrick Dowd, chief operating officer of the Allegheny County Health Department. Its cheaper than contracting with another lab and paying to ship samples elsewhere, he said. It also speeds up turnaround times and gets information to officials faster.

It was critical, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said of working with the countys health department director, Debra Bogen. I cannot overemphasize how important having a health department was, and having a leader like Dr. Bogen, who could make local decisions instantly.

What about when were not in a pandemic? Does having a local health department make a difference?

Having a local health department does not automatically lead to better health outcomes, said Levi, the George Washington University professor.

Small counties or cities might not have the funding or staff to provide all the regular services a community needs, let alone to mobilize in an emergency, Levi said.

In Pennsylvania, some evidence suggests that having local health officials focused on a particular county or region could have a positive impact on residents health.

One example: swimming pool inspections, which help prevent and catch infectious disease outbreaks. A 2019 Tribune-Review report compared inspection protocols in Allegheny County, where there is a local health department, to those in neighboring Westmoreland County, which relies on the state. The report found that pools in Allegheny were inspected regularly, while those in Westmoreland were inspected only when complaints were made.

The state also stopped requiring pools under its jurisdiction to regularly submit documents  like bacteriological reports or water logs  that would help flag maintenance lapses that could lead to disease outbreaks.

In Delaware County, a large, suburban county in the southeast, officials started the process of establishing a new local health department in January 2020  before the pandemic  because the county needed more programs to support areas like maternal and child health, immunization, and infectious disease prevention, said Monica Taylor, vice chair of the Delaware County Council.

She pointed to a rise in sexually transmitted infection cases as one example: This year, Delaware County hit the highest number of syphilis cases on record in the past 20 years.

Having a local health department will give the county the resources to track this data and respond quickly, she said.

In Greene County, a small rural county in the southwest that relies on the state for public health services, Commissioner Mike Belding made a similar argument.

He cited a 2021 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report that illustrated an alarming increase in the number of babies exposed to drugs during pregnancy in areas like southwestern Pennsylvania, where the opioid crisis continues to take a toll.

Much of the data alerting officials to the problem is collected at hospitals in neighboring West Virginia, where many mothers go to give birth. What little information the Pennsylvania Department of Health does track isnt adequately communicated to local officials, Belding said.

We dont know how bad it is because we dont have that communication link, Belding said.

Why dont more cities and counties create their own health departments?

Like so many decisions, it comes down to money and politics.

Financial commitments have long been a sticking point for counties considering a local health department, said Jennifer Kolker, a public health professor at Drexel University who has studied Pennsylvanias public health infrastructure.

In Lehigh and Northampton Counties, discussions about establishing new health departments are ongoing. And while the pandemic prompted other counties to consider creating their own local health departments, some of those plans were either scrapped or scaled back.

Facing similar challenges during the pandemic, commissioners from seven counties in the southwest met last year to discuss the potential of starting a regional health department.

Those plans were tabled after it became apparent that the price tag would exceed what any of the counties were willing to take on, said Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan, who was among those leading the effort.

When Vaughan spoke with Spotlight PA, she wasnt able to put a dollar amount on how much establishing regional or individual county health departments could cost.

But in Greene County, where officials during the pandemic raised property taxes for the first time since 2010, any additional cost is out of the question.

Id say its off the table for us, Commissioner Mike Belding said. We just cant afford that.

In Lancaster County, the three-member county board of commissioners scrapped plans to create a local health department over concerns about cost and duplicating efforts already handled by the state. Officials also criticized the states public health laws, which they said are outdated and dont give counties enough flexibility to tailor local health departments to their needs.

The more that people learn of the outdated and draconian, one-size-fits-all requirements, the more people turn away from advocating for a (county) department, Lancaster County Commissioner Ray DAgostino said during an Oct. 5 commissioners meeting.

Instead, commissioners voted 2-1 to create a health advisory council, made up of volunteers, that would report directly to the board. The council would not have the authority to enact or enforce policy, speak on behalf of the county, or spend any county funds, according to a charter document.

WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.

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HealthDay News -- Although Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has deemed it "child abuse," access to "gender-affirming" services cuts the odds of severe depression and maybe even suicide among transgender teens, a new study finds.

Investigators came to that conclusion after tracking the mental health of 104 transgender and nonbinary kids, aged 13 to 20. Over a year, roughly two-thirds received puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormone treatment or both; the remainder had no treatment.

Those who got treatment experienced a 60% drop in depression risk and a 73% drop in suicidal thoughts, on average, researchers found.

"Our study builds on what we have already seen from an already staggering amount of scientific research," explained study lead author Diana Tordoff. "Access to gender-affirming care saves trans youths lives."

The finding flies in the face of a push by Abbott to criminalize medical care for transgender teens in Texas. Last week, Abbott sent a new policy position letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, noting that failure to report such treatment could result in criminal penalties.

The term gender-affirming treatment "describes care provided by health care professionals who are affirming of transgender peoples gender and are trained to provide competent and inclusive health care services," explained Tordoff, a doctoral candidate in the department of epidemiology at the University of Washington.

Alongside hormones and puberty blockers, such care can also include menstrual suppression and/or surgery, she noted.

About 150,000 American teens and 1.4 million adults currently identify as transgender, according to data cited by the American Medical Association and GLMA (Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality).

The study participants were patients at the Seattle Children's Gender Clinic. About 60% were transgender males (assigned female at birth); about a quarter were transgender female (assigned male at birth); and 10% were binary, or gender-fluid. Nearly two-thirds were white.

At the study's launch between 2017 and 2018, close to 60% of the participants said they were struggling with depression. About half reported feeling anxious, and more than four in 10 said they had contemplated harming themselves or taking their own life.

Prior to the investigation, only seven had been treated with either puberty blockers or hormones. But by the end of the year-long study period, 66% ended up receiving one or both.

The majority of participants completed mental health surveys three months, six months and one year following study enrollment.

In teens who did not undergo hormone or puberty blocking treatment, the risks for depression and suicidal thoughts were found to have doubled or even tripled at the three-month and six-month marks, Tordoff and her colleagues reported in the Feb. 25 issue of JAMA Network Open.

By contrast, those who had received treatment reaped a significant mental health dividend. While no impact was seen on anxiety levels, kids treated with hormones and/or puberty blockers saw dramatic drops in both depression and suicide risk.

"The results of this new study are in line with several past studies that have linked gender-affirming medical care to improved mental health outcomes for transgender youth," noted Dr. Jack Turban. He is chief fellow of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine and co-author of an accompanying editorial.

"This study once again reaffirms that efforts to ban gender-affirming care for transgender and gender diverse youth are dangerous and will lead to adverse mental health outcomes," Turban added.

Yet such efforts continue apace. Last year, bills to criminalize gender-affirmation care were introduced in 21 states, although such treatment is widely endorsed as safe and effective by the American Medical Association, GLMA and the Endocrine Society, among others.

The Endocrine Society condemned Abbott's position, saying "medical evidence, not politics, should inform treatment decisions."

"Being forced to experience puberty consistent with the sex recorded at birth is extremely distressing for many transgender and gender-diverse individuals," the society said in a statement last week.

"When an individuals gender identity is not respected and they cannot access medical care, it can result in higher psychological problem scores and can raise the persons risk of committing suicide or other acts of self-harm," the statement continued.

Tordoff agreed. Efforts like the one in Texas, she said, "will have profound immediate and long-term negative impacts on the well-being of trans youth and their families, both by increasing stigma and discrimination experienced by these youth, and denying them access to critical, lifesaving, evidence-based health care."

She also pointed out that insurance denials for gender-affirming care coverage "are still very common," even though "federal and state law prohibits most public and private health plans from transgender-based discrimination."

"This creates significant barriers to accessing gender-affirming care, both for trans youth and adults," Tordoff stressed.

More information

There's more on gender affirmation treatment at UCSF.

SOURCES: Diana M. Tordoff, MPH, PhD candidate, department of epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle; Jack Turban, MD, MHS, chief fellow, child and adolescent psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.; JAMA Network Open, Feb. 25, 2022

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'This is not who we are': Former county GOP chair calls on hometown party to rebuke Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

AFPAC Video Screen Cap U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, is introduced at the America First PAC conference by founder Nick Fuentes shortly after he led the crowd in cheers for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Monday that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes appearance at a white nationalist conference in Orlando on Friday is unacceptable.

He plans to meet with her this week, according to Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News. Sherman spoke with McCarthy Monday evening.

The party should not be associated any time, any place, with somebody who is antisemitic, said McCarthy, who had just returned from a trip to Israel. This is unacceptable.

Posted Sunday:

On Sunday a former chair of the Rome Republicans hometown party called for the GOP here to rebuke her.

I spent 10 years building our Republican Party here in Rome  three of those years as county chair, Andy Garner said in a statement. I care deeply about our party and my community. This is not who we are. Its time to stand up to Mrs. Greene.

In coverage of the America First Political Action Conference, the Orlando Sentinel called it a secret white nationalist conference. Garner was more direct.

She accepted an invitation and spoke to a group of known white supremacists who cheered Russia and chanted Putin, Putin BEFORE she spoke. She spoke anyway, he said. Ukraine is burning and our European allies fear what Putin will do next.

Greene was introduced by AFPAC founder Nick Fuentes, who was involved in the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville in 2017 and has been subpoenaed over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.

Greene later said on her official Twitter account  her personal account was suspended for repeated covid misinformation  that she does not know Fuentes.

I am not going to play the guilt by association game in which you demand every conservative should justify anything ever said by anyone theyve ever shared a room with, she tweeted.

I want to embrace the young, boisterous and energetic conservatives in our movement  not cancel them like the establishment does, she added.

Floyd County GOP Chair Jamieson Palmer, a Black man who was elected last week, posted Sunday on Facebook that the party is aware of Greenes attendance at AFPAC, although he did not further address it.

The Floyd County Republican Party denounces ALL radical and racist speech. ... (and) stands united with Ukraine as they fight for freedom against tyranny and Russian aggression, he wrote.

Greene went on to speak Saturday as a panelist at the Conservative Political Action Conference, an organization Fuentes broke with as insufficiently conservative to launch his America First PAC.

CPAC, also held in Orlando this year, has tried to distance itself from Fuentes, kicking him out last year when he attempted to enter.

Greene, who first took office last year, is being challenged in the May 24 primary by Republicans Jennifer Strahan, Charles Lutin, James Haygood and Eric Cunningham.

Strahan released a statement Saturday noting that AFPAC also featured other controversial guests, including former GOP Congressman Steve King of Iowa.

The Republican leadership removed King from his committee assignments in 2019, after his veiled racist statements turned to openly questioning why the terms white nationalist and white supremacy are considered negative. He was ousted in the 2020 GOP primary by current U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.

Rep. Greene has continually shown us this is who she is and what she stands for, said Strahan. No matter how many formal apologies she makes, her actions prove otherwise.

Luckily, Georgias 14th Congressional District and its constituents are not represented by her. After spending ample time traveling this district and meeting with voters, it is evident that she does not accurately speak for us. It is time for new leadership in our district. This just further proves that point.

Three Democrats  Marcus Flowers, Holly McCormack and Wendy Davis  are vying for their partys nomination and the Libertarian Party has already nominated Angela Pence to run for the seat.

Davis also released a statement on Sunday condemning Greene.

Honestly, I dont know whats worse, that a member of the United States Congress cheered Russias strongman as he tried to crush a democracy, or that she did it at a gathering of racists, Davis said. Im stunned that even Marjorie would stand so proudly in opposition to American ideals.

Our secret sauce

Speakers at Fuentes AFPAC event this year praised Western white culture and called for White House adviser Anthony Fauci to be hanged, HuffPost reported.

Attendees also chanted, Putin! Putin! and cheered the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said Ben Lober, a research analyst at Political Research Associates who watched a live stream of the event.

Fuentes praised the crowd as our secret sauce ... young white men, Lober wrote on Twitter.

(They say) Vladimir Putin is Hitler and they say thats not a good thing, Fuentes said, according to a video of the event. I shouldnt have said that, he added, smiling, to laughter.

In a video posted Saturday to Greenes website, she said she was not familiar with Fuentes views and that she spoke because there were a large group of young people with whom she wanted to share American first policies.

Grumbling could be heard when Greenes name was announced at CPAC Saturday morning. But she later got cheers when she said, I refuse to be silent, and I refuse to shut up and Im so proud to be up here ... because none of us are going to stay quiet.
LG has committed to upgrading the LG Velvet to Android 12 by the end of this month. LG's Android 12 rollout will begin in South Korea and could take a while before it reaches other markets. The likes of the LG Wing should be in line for Android 12 too.

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Despite shuttering its smartphone division, LG remains committed to bringing OS updates to its smartphones. As we discussed last year, the company promised Android 12 and Android 13 to the LG Velvet and LG Wing, the final flagship smartphones that it released publicly. Incidentally, LG also created the Velvet 2 Pro, which it only gifted to some employees.

Predictably, LG continues to update its remaining smartphones at a glacial pace. According to a new software update plan, the company will begin updating the LG Velvet to Android 12, over five months after Google released the OS to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). By contrast, LG has not commented on the update status of the LG Wing, to which it recently updated to the February 2022 security patch.
The Redmi Note 11E is an altogether different beast, though. According to Xiaomi, the smartphone relies on the older Dimensity 700, a 5G SoC found in the POCO M3 Pro 5G, among other devices. Additionally, the Redmi Note 11E comes with 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, plus a 5,000 mAh battery and a 50 MP primary camera. Moreover, Xiaomi equips the smartphone with a 6.58-inch IPS display that operates at 1080p and 90 Hz.
TUESDAY, March 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- For reasons that remain murky, new research warns that a spike in social media use during the pandemic might have worsened tic disorders in children.

Tics are sudden twitches, movements or sounds that people do repeatedly because they can't control their body.

In the study, 90% of 20 tic patients aged 11 to 21 said they increased their use of social media during the pandemic. While tic frequency did not appear to rise with social media use, the scientists found that more time spent on social media was associated with the onset of more severe tic behaviors.

Still, study author Dr. Jessica Frey stressed that the finding is preliminary. A larger study involving more tic patients is already in the works, to better understand exactly what is afoot.

"We don't yet know the 'why' regarding the link" between social media and tic severity," said Frey, a movement disorders fellow in the Department of Neurology at the University of Florida.

What is known, she said, is that "during the COVID-19 pandemic, social media consumption greatly increased, particularly in the adolescent population. [And] in parallel with increased social media consumption, there has also been an increase in tic severity and explosive tic disorders."

So, Frey and her colleagues set out to see if there was a connection between the two.

"Tics most commonly begin in childhood or adolescence and then improve or resolve completely during adulthood, although up to 20% may continue to have tics during adulthood," Frey explained.

According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is not entirely clear how many American children struggle with Tourette syndrome, a tic disorder, though estimates suggest that it may affect as many as 1 out of every 162 children (0.6%).

Kids with tics are known to struggle with stigma and bullying, noted Frey, leading to "difficulty with interpersonal relationships, including impairments in social, psychological and intellectual development."

For the study, all the participating adolescents were asked to report how much time they spent on social media during the pandemic; how often they had tics; the severity of their tics, and how they perceived their overall quality of life.

About two-thirds said they used social media between four and five times per day, at an average of 5.6 hours daily. Upwards of 85% said their tic behavior had increased since the start of the pandemic, while half said that they believed that using social media aggravated the nature of their tics.

While the frequency of tics was not linked to time spent on social media, tic severity was.

Part of it might be explained by a recent increase in the number of videos posted on social media that seek to demonstrate tic behavior, Frey noted. In turn, that might perhaps "lead to inadvertent reinforcement of tic-like behavior in individuals who watch the videos."

That possibility was echoed by Dr. Naomi Lubarr, an assistant clinical professor in both neurology and pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

But Lubarr, who was not involved in the study, added that it's not entirely clear that social media use itself directly aggravates tic behavior.

Instead, it could be that increases in social media use during the pandemic simply overlap with other mental health issues, Lubarr said, such as "increased stress/anxiety, closure of in-person school, [and] changes to normal routine and activities."

However, Frey reiterated that "we do not yet know for sure why this potential link exists. [But] we are hoping to explore beliefs about tics, where patients and parents obtain information about tics, and more details about social media use in a larger follow-up study."

Frey presented the findings on Monday during a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Seattle. Such research is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

There's more on tic disorders at American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

SOURCES: Jessica Frey, MD, Jr. movement disorders fellow, Department of Neurology-movement disorder, University of Florida, Gainesville, and member, American Academy of Neurology; Naomi Lubarr, MD, assistant clinical professor, neurology and pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City; American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, Seattle, presentation, Feb. 28, 2022
More than a dozen Ukrainian border guards who were awarded the title Hero of Ukraine after they were believed to have died while defending a small island in the Black Sea from a Russian bomb attack are actually still alive, according to the Ukrainian Navy.

We are very happy to learn that our brothers are alive and well, the Ukrainian Navy said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page, noting that the border guards were taken captive by Russian occupiers on Snake Island.

Russian forces reportedly destroyed all the infrastructure, including lighthouses, towers, and antennas on Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, the statement added.

Last week, a Ukrainian official said the military lost contact with its forces on the islanda roughly 40-acre speck of land located south of the port of Odessa.

The official said at the time that 13 soldiers were killed in the bomb attack and an audio clip emerged that is purported to have captured an exchange between Ukrainian and Russian forces prior to the attack.

This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down your weapons and surrender to avoid bloodshed and unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you will be bombed, the Russians said, according to the audio obtained by local news agency Ukrainskaya Pravda.

Russian warship, go [explicit] yourself, Ukrainian forces replied before Russia allegedly launched missiles towards the island.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address to the nation after the first day of Russia launching its assault on the country that he would posthumously honor the group of Ukrainian border guards killed in the bombardment.

On our Zmiinyi Island, defending it to the last, all the border guards died heroically. But they did not give up. All of them will be posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, Zelensky said in comments on his website.

On Feb. 25, Russias defense ministry said 82 Ukrainian soldiers on the island had surrendered voluntarily as Russian paratroopers attempted to take control over the small island territorywhich has previously been the subject of a territorial dispute between the two countries. The island is located about 185 miles west of Crimea, the Ukrainian territory that Russia annexed in 2014.

Russia had denied Ukraines allegations that its armed forces had killed 13 border guards on Snake Island. The Kremlins state-owned media later showed what it claimed was footage of the soldiers believed to have died. The Epoch Times could not independently verify the footage.

Much inaccurate information has spread surrounding the chaos brought about by the Russia-Ukraine situation, including statements released by government officials.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, far right, meets with parishioners at Saints Joachim and Anna Ukrainian Catholic Church on Sunday.
BP is divesting its 19.75% stake in the Rosneft oil company in Russia over the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The London-based multinational energy giant, whose largest refinery in the world is in Whiting, plans to remove its directors from the Rosneft board immediately and no longer report reserves, production or profit for Rosneft.

The divestiture follows widespread protests to Russia's war against Ukraine. Hundreds gathered in protest Sunday in Chicago's Ukrainian Village. Members of the First Unitarian Church of Hobart rallied Sunday night in downtown Hobart. Hammond displayed the colors of the Ukrainian flag around the city, including on City Hall and pedestrian bridges along the Erie-Lackawanna Trail.

BP is abandoning a financial stake it has held in Moscow-based Rosneft since 2013.

Russias attack on Ukraine is an act of aggression which is having tragic consequences across the region. BP has operated in Russia for over 30 years, working with brilliant Russian colleagues," BP Chair Helge Lund said. "However, this military action represents a fundamental change. It has led the BP board to conclude, after a thorough process, that our involvement with Rosneft, a state-owned enterprise, simply cannot continue. We can no longer support BP representatives holding a role on the Rosneft board.

"The Rosneft holding is no longer aligned with BPs business and strategy and it is now the boards decision to exit bps shareholding in Rosneft. The BP board believes these decisions are in the best long-term interests of all our shareholders.

BP CEO Bernard Looney has stepped down from the Rosneft board, effective immediately.

Like so many, I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the situation unfolding in Ukraine, and my heart goes out to everyone affected. It has caused us to fundamentally rethink BPs position with Rosneft," he said. "I am convinced that the decisions we have taken as a board are not only the right thing to do, but are also in the long-term interests of BP. Our immediate priority is caring for our great people in the region, and we will do our utmost to support them. We are also looking at how BP can support the wider humanitarian effort.

The company, which employs about 1,700 workers at the BP Whiting Refinery, expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to fall by $2 billion in 2025. It projects it now will deliver a 7% to 9% return of earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization per share from resilient hydrocarbons through 2025 if oil prices average

The company said it still can increase its dividend by about 4% a year and that it will set aside 40% of its surplus cash flow to strengthen its balance sheet. The company expects to spend about $14 billion to $15 billion on capital expenditure this year, which will rise to between $14 billion and $16 billion between 2023 and 2025.

It will use 60% of its surplus cash for stock buybacks that will return money to shareholders.

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VALPARAISO  The commuter rail-centered effort to kick-start population growth and boost incomes in Northwest Indiana also relies on a strategic approach to building the housing new residents and younger generations demand, a series of speakers said during a forum Monday.

Officials from Michigan City, Hammond and Munster also shared their emerging successes in that regard at the Destination 2024 Summit, hosted by One Region and the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority at Valparaiso University.

A once in a lifetime opportunity is before us in Northwest Indiana, One Region President and CEO Marie Foster-Bruns said. Denser housing near transit and offering a walkable environment will help create modern, vibrant communities, she said.

The 2024 in the event's title referred to the year of completion for the South Shore Line's Double Track project.

RDA President and CEO Sherri Ziller said the types of housing envisioned for areas around current and future rail stations arent the typical apartments seen in the Region now, but a variety of multi-family designs that appeal to a larger range of demographic groups.

Workforce housing is an important component of that development, Ziller said.

The focus of Mondays forum was creation of market rate housing around transit-oriented development along the South Shore Line and the forthcoming West Lake Corridor  mixed-use residential, commercial and recreational neighborhoods that take advantage of projects that will link the Region more conveniently and efficiently to the city of Chicago.

The program included a presentation by one former mayor who led a reinvigoration of a city decimated by heavy industrys decline  Tom Murphy, of Pittsburgh  and another by a former mayor who helped lead a TOD-type development near the Region  Dan McLaughlin, of Orland Park.

In the last decades of the 20th century, Pittsburgh lost half its population as the local steel industry declined and became the second oldest place in America, Murphy said. We needed to rethink who we were.

The city leveraged strong universities, including Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh, accepted the risks associated with redevelopment  theres always money for a great idea  and refocused its economy, Murphy said.

Our economic driver is not steel anymore; its technology, he said. Google turned an old Nabisco facility into the base of a 1,000-employee presence because of the high-tech higher education environment, and new developments supported the new population with reimagined streetscapes and lifestyle amenities like riverfront trails and arts districts.

Cities that will succeed need public and private leaders that are nimble, curious and have an appetite for risk, Murphy said.

McLaughlins primary project as Orland Park mayor has been a frequent example for supporters of the rail projects and transit-oriented development in Northwest Indiana. Starting in an underdeveloped area around a small Metra commuter rail station, the village took control of developing a 30-acre parcel whose first project became an upscale apartment building.

Since then UChicago Medicine has built a major facility there, and a variety of retail and other amenities have helped make the area a downtown for a community that hadnt had one.

No one developer can actually pull this kind of development off, McLaughlin said. The village accepted risk by financing the initial apartment project and purchasing various parcels, though every purchase raised the ire of the naysayers.

Pete Novak, CEO of the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors, pointed to Indianas advantageous home prices, tax rates and general cost of living as incentives for Illinois residents moving here, but noted that the net impact of that has still been relatively low population growth in Lake County.

The rail projects and associated development can be part of the solution to that problem, he said, particularly as a new generation  Generation Z  enters the housing market.

Were tying into the same place that Orland Park is; why cant we have the same things they have? he asked rhetorically.

Several officials of communities with current or future train stations suggested thats on its way.

Skyler York, director of planning for Michigan City, talked about several recently announced projects the city hopes will help it create the population critical mass it believes its downtown needs. Long focused solely on the lakefront, the South Shores Double Track project can help expand the idea of downtown, he said.

Apartment developments totaling about 500 units are part of plans in the works for the citys Transit Development District, including the 11th Street Central development announced last week that will include the new South Shore station, parking and retail space.

Phil Taillon, Hammonds chief of staff, showed the ambitious downtown plan developed by urban planner Jeff Speck that will include a city-financed South Shore station. Current projects in the works include revitalizing the old Bank Calumet building as a residential tower, the creation of a new Rimbach Plaza multi-use development and the new Madison Lofts apartment building, all on Hohman Avenue.

All three projects could begin this year, along with a redesign of the street from Sibley to Russell that will make it more pedestrian friendly.

Munster Town Manager Dustin Anderson said the towns recent development has focused on Centennial Village, a mixed-use development that takes advantage of a realigned 45th Street and proximity to Centennial Park, and to the towns medical corridor on Calumet Avenue.

Much of the towns efforts regarding forthcoming opportunities at the Main Street and Ridge Road stations will benefit from upgraded zoning codes, new streetscape standards and a comprehensive plan in development now.

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Target is raising its starting pay to $15 to $24 per hour amid a pandemic-triggered labor shortage that's put upward pressure on wages across Northwest Indiana and the nation.

The Minneapolis-based big-box retailer has stores in Munster, Highland, St. John, Merrillville, Valparaiso and Homewood. It raised its starting pay to $15 an hour in 2017 following years of activism from unions and labor activists asking for a living wage.

With the latest increase, Target said it is likely to end up "a wage leader in every market where it operates." The exact amount of pay will vary by market.

Our team is at the heart of our strategy and success, and their energy and resilience keep us at the forefront of meeting the changing needs of our guests year after year. We continuously listen to our team members to understand whats most important to them, then use the feedback to make investments that meet their needs across different career and life stages, said Melissa Kremer, chief human resources officer at Target.

We want all team members to be better off for working at Target, and years of investments in our culture of care, meaningful pay, expanded health care benefits and opportunities for growth have been essential to helping our team members build rewarding careers.

Such investments are becoming more common in a competitive labor market. Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, for instance, recently raised its starting wages to $17 an hour. Many fast-food restaurants have been touting higher starting pay on their help wanted signs, such as $12 an hour at the Rensselaer McDonald's.

"The labor market has undergone a dramatic shift. As part of the 'Great Reassessment' of work many workers are now less willing to work in customer-facing in-person service-based jobs, which describes much of the retail sector," Indiana University assistant professor of economics Micah Pollak said. "With the tight labor market, retail firms need to find ways to make jobs more attractive to workers in ways that go beyond simply offering higher pay."

Target plans to invest $300 million more in its employees this year. The retail giant will offer faster access to health care for hourly employees, expanded access for comprehensive health care benefits for anyone who works 25 hours per week and reduced enrollment waiting periods. Employees will be able to get health care benefits three to nine months sooner.

The Fortune 500 company, one of the largest retailers in the United States, is adding other benefits, including faster access to 401(k) plans, enhanced fertility coverage, new wellness offerings and virtual physical therapy at no cost.

Over the past five years, Target has added benefits like adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, paid family leave and a debt-free education assistance program. It also offers all employees virtual doctor visits, mental health counseling and online wellness resources.

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TUESDAY, March 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Fresh data shows that Pfizer's COVID vaccine is far less powerful at preventing infection among children ages 5 to 11 than teens, a finding that could leave some parents of younger children worried.

The vaccine -- the only one authorized for that age group in the United States -- does prevent severe illness in young children, according to data collected during the Omicron surge. But it offers almost no protection against coronavirus infection, even within a month after full immunization, researchers said.

Why? One reason may be that children receive one-third the dose given to older children and adults, researchers and federal officials who have reviewed the data told The New York Times. The disappointing findings follow recent trial results that showed the vaccine performed poorly in children aged 2 to 4, who received an even smaller dose.

Its disappointing, but not entirely surprising, given this is a vaccine developed in response to an earlier variant, said study leader Eli Rosenberg, deputy director for science at the New York State Department of Health. It looks very distressing to see this rapid decline, but its again all against Omicron.

The findings were published in the preprint server medRxiv, and have not yet been peer-reviewed.

Despite the lackluster results, Rosenberg and other public health experts said they recommend the shot for children, because the vaccine continues to guard against severe disease in this group.

We need to make sure we emphasize the doughnut and not the hole, Dr. Kathryn Edwards, a pediatric vaccine expert at Vanderbilt University, told the Times.

In the latest study, Rosenberg and his colleagues analyzed data from 852,384 fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 17 and 365,502 fully vaccinated children aged 5 to 11 between the middle of December and the end of January.

The vaccines effectiveness against hospitalization declined to 73 percent from 85 percent in the older children. In the younger children, effectiveness dropped to 48 percent from 100 percent. But because very few children were hospitalized, these estimates have wide margins of error, the Times said.

The vaccine's performance against infection was even worse: It dropped to 51 percent from 66 percent in older children, while it plummeted to 12 percent from 68 percent in younger children.

The numbers change dramatically between ages 11 and 12. During the week ending Jan. 30, the vaccines effectiveness against infection was 67 percent in 12-year-olds, but just 11 percent in 11-year-old children, the study found.

The difference between the two age groups is striking, Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told the Times.

The difference may be due to dosage: While 12-year-old children got 30 micrograms of the vaccine -- the same dose given to adults -- children who were 11 and younger received only 10 micrograms, he noted.

This is super interesting because it would almost suggest that its the dose that makes the difference, he added. The question is how to fix that.

Just days ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new recommendations that would allow the majority of Americans to stop wearing masks, including in schools.

The new data also raises important questions about the Biden administrations strategy for vaccinating younger children. Only about one in four children aged 5 to 11 has received two doses of the vaccine. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had already postponed an expert panel meeting to weigh two doses of the vaccine for children under 5 after Pfizer submitted more data suggesting two doses were not strongly protective against the Omicron variant.

Importantly, Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are all testing Omicron-specific versions of their vaccines.

Many parents want to vaccinate their children to prevent them from spreading the virus to vulnerable relatives, to keep them in school or to avoid the possibility of long COVID. Experts acknowledged that the latest data does little to ease those concerns.

Still, the vaccines provide more protection than we think, Jessica Andriesen, a vaccine data expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, told the Times. They may also make it so that your kid who brings home COVID isnt shedding virus as much as they would be if they werent vaccinated, and they also may have it for a shorter amount of time."

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID vaccines and kids.

SOURCE: The New York Times
MERRILLVILLE  Aquinas Catholic Community School has received a $1.25 million gift from Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana.

The Big Shoulders funding comes from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation. It will be used to pay for renovations to accommodate the growing enrollment the school. Renovations are expected to begin in spring 2022.

The renovations will include an enhanced front entrance, front office, two new classrooms and space to accommodate students with additional learning needs.

The expansion of Aquinas will assist our partners at the Big Shoulders Fund in carrying out their mission of making affordable high-quality education available to students, and to support the educators who have accepted that important calling, said Bill Hanna, executive director of the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation. Big Shoulders Fund has a rich history of successfully advancing this goal in Chicago and now Northwest Indiana.

Joseph Majchrowicz, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Gary, said he has never seen a gift like this within the Diocese. He said he is incredibly grateful.

Aquinas student population has grown 37% since 2017. Currently, Lisa Gutierrez, principal of Aquinas, said there are 192 students. She said growth has been consistent every year, with about 20-25 students joining yearly since 2017.

Majchrowicz said the entire Diocese has seen a 10% enrollment growth during the 2021-22 school year. All but one school grew in students.

Gutierrez said she thinks part of the increase at Aquinas is due to the use of the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program. Families are able to go to schools that may not be an option due to financial reasons under this program.

She said in the 2021-22 school year, 84% of families used the scholarship. She said tuition for 2021-22 was $5,580 per student, and the scholarship covers that fully, along with registration fees and book and technology fees.

In the Diocese of Gary overall, 37.8% of students used the choice scholarship as of Oct. 1, 2021. They expect the number to increase next year.

We are overwhelmed at the generosity of this gift and excited to be able to serve even more students with a high-quality Catholic education, Gutierrez said. Were growing so fast that we have repurposed rooms that werent designed to be classrooms into classrooms, so this gift will help us expand and welcome more families into our tight-knit community.

Gutierrez said the school has students from preschool to eighth grade, but only has eight classrooms. Two grade levels are in repurposed rooms, so this expansion will help significantly. She also said the school currently has two combined buildings, which means students have to go outside to get to activities such as physical education or visiting the nurse.

The enhanced front entrance will combine the two buildings and enhance safety and security.

Gutierrez said that she never would have dreamed Big Shoulders Fund would be able to help them in this way and that she is very grateful.

Dan Kozlowski, managing director of the Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana, said the organization wanted to help Aquinas because the school really struck them. Big Shoulders Fund also helped the school begin a federal hot lunch program. He said he is very proud of being able to serve Aquinas in these ways.

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House Bill 1134, legislation that would have limited what is said in Indiana classrooms, is dead.

The Indiana Senate Committee on Education and Career Development passed HB 1134 8-5 last week, where it was heavily weakened from the original.

A further 25 amendments were proposed for the bill Monday, including an amendment that would have required schools to provide an enhanced study of black history.

The original bill listed several concepts it defined as divisive that would be banned from Indiana classrooms. It also required curriculum review committees and allowed parents to opt out of lessons.

The legislation received heavy criticism. When testimony was held in the Senate committee, more than 200 people signed up, with the majority expressing their disapproval of the bill. Less than 40 were heard due to time limits.

Teachers claimed the bill micromanaged and vilified their profession. Superintendent Scott Miller of the School City of Hammond expressed his disapproval when he testified in the House.

Senate President Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, said following Monday's session that Republicans just couldn't find the sweet spot needed to move the measure forward.

"We had some members of our caucus who felt like it didn't go far enough. We had some members of our caucus who felt like it was too much of a burden on education and just not good policy that we want to move forward," Bray said.

The Senate killed a similar bill this session, which required teachers to present impartial lessons, even when discussing subjects like Nazism.

However, despite the fact the bill is dead, aspects of the passed bill from the House could be added to other education-related legislation moving through the process. A compromise proposal would still have to pass both chambers and face the governor.

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CROWN POINT  The Indiana Court of Appeals last week reversed a lower court's decision to dismiss charges against a Gary man accused of shooting a relative of a state's witness in 2019 and remanded the case for trial.

A Lake Criminal Court judge dismissed attempted murder, battery and intimidation charges against Jarod D. Johnson, 25, in July after finding Indiana's double jeopardy statute barred the state's prosecution because Johnson previously was acquitted in federal court of kidnapping the woman at the center of both state and federal prosecutors' cases.

The Lake County public defender's office plans to seek transfer to the Indiana Supreme Court, said Marce Gonzalez, chief public defender.

"We respectfully disagree with the decision of the Court of Appeals," Gonzalez said. "We strongly believe that the decision of Judge (Salvador) Vasquez correctly applied the law and that double jeopardy bars further prosecution."

The Lake County prosecutor's office said, "Once the appeal process is exhausted, the state of Indiana has every intention to prosecute this case."

Johnson was charged in June 2017 with shooting and wounding a man and his pregnant girlfriend June 13, 2017, in downtown Gary. He posted bond in the case and was scheduled to stand trial starting April 15, 2019.

Late April 14, 2019, a relative of one of the victims in the 2017 shooting was abducted while walking along Ridge Road and taken to Gary's Glen Park section, where she was shot and left for dead, court records state.

Johnson was arrested in connection with the 2019 shooting the following morning, when he arrived at the Lake County Courthouse for his trial in the 2017 case.

Lake County prosecutors charged Johnson; his mother, Patricia Carrington, 49; and brother Jaron Johnson, 23, with attempted murder, two counts of kidnapping, aggravated battery, two counts of battery and intimidation.

Lake County prosecutors later dropped their cases related to the 2019 shooting to allow for the U.S. attorney's office to prosecute the three family members on a kidnapping charge in U.S. District Court in Hammond.

Carrington and Jaron Johnson each pleaded guilty in federal court, but Jarod Johnson went to trial in March and was acquitted.

In their plea agreements, Carrington and Jaron Johnson admitted they worked with Jarod Johnson to abduct a relative of the woman shot in 2017 in an attempt to gain information about the woman's whereabouts.

Following the not guilty verdict in federal court, Lake County prosecutors refiled their case against Jarod Johnson in connection with the 2019 shooting but omitted previously filed kidnapping charges.

Judge Vasquez granted Johnson's motion to dismiss the charges in July, finding the prosecution was barred because the state and federal cases were based on the same conduct and circumstances.

The Lake County prosecutor's office appealed Vasquez's decision.

In a decision issued last week, the Court of Appeals found the federal kidnapping charge "made no reference to Johnson's alleged intent to kill, shooting or wounding (the witness's relative), or his use of a firearm."

The appeals court concluded the state could prosecute Johnson because alleged acts outlined in its attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery and intimidation charges were not the same as the alleged acts in the federal kidnapping charge.

"In reaching these conclusions, we observe, as did the trial court in its remarks from the bench, that there is scant Indiana case law ... ," the Court of Appeals stated. "Although both parties cit to several Indiana state cases in support of their appellate arguments, none of the authority cited by either party involves a state prosecution following a federal acquittal on charges pertaining to conduct that occurred on the same day involving the same victim over an approximately two-hour time span."

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A 1984 Texas double homicide that finally was solved in 2015 thanks in part to a tip from a source in Northwest Indiana is the subject of this week's "Cold Case Files" TV program, airing at 8 p.m. Friday on A&E.

Sisters Yleen Kennedy, 33, and Lillie Kennedy, 23, were brutally slain March 5, 1984, in their Houston home, according to court records.

Records show Lillie was shot "execution-style" in the back of the head, while Yleen was sexually assaulted and stabbed four times in the neck before also being shot.

Police had no murder weapon and no signs of forced entry, and struggled for years to develop leads.

In 2009, however, cold case investigators gave it another shot, running DNA from the crime scene against a national database.

The DNA search didn't produce immediate results.

But a man facing criminal charges in Lake County in 2014 told his defense attorney, former Sheriff Roy Dominguez, he knew some things about the murders, including details not publicly released by Houston police.

That tip, and another 15 months of investigating, eventually led police to Edmond Degan, who denied involvement in the Kennedy sister slayings but voluntarily supplied police with a DNA sample.

Records show the DNA sample helped prosecutors convict Degan in 2017. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Degan today is a free man.

He was released from prison in December after spending approximately seven years behind bars, both before and after his trial.

His early release was due to a Texas prison overcrowding statute from 1977, which applies to crimes committed in that state until 1987, that awards inmates one day of "good time" credit for each day served  in effect, halving the sentences of most offenders.

"Cold Case Files" is set to detail the Kennedy sisters' murders and the investigation, as well as why "the family's ordeal is far from over."

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A driver dodged several tire deflation devices and drove up to 70 mph without a rear tire while leading police on a nearly 50-mile pursuit down Interstate 65 Monday night, state police said.

The driver, later identified as Jarrett Astin Rivera, 31, of Indianapolis, was spotted by a state trooper around 11:21 p.m. committing several traffic violations while heading south on the highway from southern Lake County, Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said.

Rivera is accused of fleeing when the trooper tried to stop his vehicle and speeding up to 80 mph for the first 10 miles, Fifield said.

Rivera struck tire deflation devices placed in the roadway near the DeMotte/Roselawn exit, but continued driving, according to police. He then avoided two other areas of tire deflation devices, yet hit others and lost a rear tire before continuing to flee south.

He avoided more tire deflation devices and then struck some further south, Fifield said. Rivera ran off the highway and continued into a field before Jasper County police took him into custody.

Rivera had an active arrest warrant through the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Fifield said. He was also found to be in possession of suspected marijuana, paraphernalia, and a legend drug.

"Evidence at the scene led officers to believe Mr. Rivera destroyed suspected narcotics prior to being taken into custody," police said.

Rivera was taken to the Lake County Jail where he faces felony counts of resisting law enforcement with a prior conviction, resisting law enforcement, possession of a legend drug and obstruction of justice and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and reckless driving.

The warrants from Marion County include felony counts of dealing cocaine and resisting law enforcement, police said.

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LAPORTE  LaPorte County police are seeking help identifying two men suspected of carrying out an armed robbery Saturday night at the Family Express at 7687 U.S. 20.

Police released surveillance photos of one of the men and their vehicle.

Police said they were dispatched to the store at 11:47 p.m. Saturday and told the two men entered with pistols and ordered the employee to the ground at gunpoint. The employee was ordered to open the cash register, and the men took cash and personal items from the employee.

The two men left the business, entered a nearby vehicle and fled south on Johnson Road, police said.

Both men are described as black; one is about 6 feet tall with a heavy build and was wearing as sweatshirt, dark-colored jeans, blue medical mask and blue or purple Air Jordan sneakers, police said. The other man is about 5 feet tall with a light build and was wearing a sweatshirt, dark-colored ripped jeans, a mask and white Air Force One sneakers, according to police.

The getaway vehicle was a red newer model Chevrolet sedan that did not have a license plate attached.

Anyone with information on the robbery and/or suspects is encouraged to contact Detective Gabe Struss at 219-326-7700, extension 2443, or write to gstruss@lcso.in.gov.

The other man is about 5 feet in height with a light build and was wearing a sweatshirt, dark-colored ripped jeans, a mask and white Air Force One sneakers, according to police.

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PORTAGE  While police were unable to confirm a report of a man flashing a gun during a dispute at a local restaurant early Sunday, a 19-year-old Chicago man was taken into custody with 12 grams of cocaine and $2,545 in his possession, police said.

The accused, Ramiro Hernandez-Quintero, said someone in the dispute must have slipped the $1,200 bag of cocaine "into his pants when he was not looking," Portage police said.

"He admitted to using some cocaine because he needed 'power' for the fight," according to the police report.

Hernandez-Quintero, who only had a Mexican identification card and has no Social Security number, was taken into custody and faces a felony count of possessing cocaine, police said.

Police said they were called shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday to the Cinco De Mayo Mexican Restaurant Bar and Grill at 3380 Willowcreek Road in reference to a fight involving several people and one person flashing a handgun.

A witness identified a man as having pointed a handgun at numerous people during the dispute. Police said they found a 9mm handgun on the man in question, but he denied pulling the gun out during the dispute.

After hearing from no one else that the gun was drawn and lacking surveillance footage of the alleged incident, police said they released the man and his legal gun. The report was forwarded to county prosecutor for review.

Hernandez-Quintero, who police said was visibly intoxicated, reportedly told officers he had been falsely accused by others at the restaurant of being a drug dealer. This led to a fight.

A police officer said he noticed Hernandez-Quintero had a white powder on his nose, at which time he was searched and the drugs and both United States and Mexican currency were discovered.

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MERRILLVILLE  Every parent may think their daughter is a princess, and last Sunday those little girls looked the part.

Little princesses in gowns and tiaras, inspired by Disney features, and their parents filled the Croatian Center for the Princess and Prince Ball, a benefit for the PAD Foundation, which supports animal rescue shelters.

PAD stands for Peter and Adam Del Rio-Bathurst, two young boys who died in 2016 and 2017. Their mother, Elizabeth Bathurst, of Portage, founded PAD for her sons, who were animal lovers.

The foundation financially assists animal shelters throughout Northwest Indiana. Beneficiaries include no-kill, nonprofit and volunteer-run shelters for animals in need.

A gala for adults was held the previous evening, said Jennifer Pozdzal, who is involved in PAD.

A lot of kids wanted to have something for them, Pozdzal said, so we came up with this.

The Disney-themed afternoon featured girls dressed as Disney princesses and other characters. The program included a royal court of older girls dressed as characters from "Snow White," "Mulan," "Frozen," "Pocahontas," "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Rapunzel" and "Beauty and the Beast."

I like that mothers can bring their daughters and help out a little, raising funds for animal rescues, Pozdzal said. Were also able to teach children something about philanthropy. Theyre learning the importance of being productive citizens.

After a magic show from Nate the Great Lacny, guests were presented with the royal court, followed by lunch and dessert from a table of Disney-inspired goodies from Nicole Babbitt. Working from home, the Crown Point woman prepared beignets, cupcakes, gelatin, carriage cookies and other cookies shaped as frog princesses.

Its just a hobby of mine, and I love giving back to the community, Babbitt said. I like to see the kids excited and happy to be here.

Bathurst said, I love it. Im so glad we have a lot of kids here.

She added that after her sons died, I wanted to so something to honor the boys. As director of Indiana Youth Ballet, this seemed like a nice fit.

PAD has previously raised funds for Lakeshore PAWS and Kittens for Keeps. This years beneficiaries are Treasured Friends Animal Rescue and Feline Community Network.

Highland-based Treasured Friends has been serving homeless and unwanted animals for more than 30 years. The organization provides care based on the animals needs.

Feline Community Network is a cat rescue and rehabilitation center located in Hobart. The group works with other organizations to promote the feline-human bond.

Michael Willis, a PAD board member, told the audience. Your presence enriches this day, exalts the memories of Peter and Adam, and shows kindness to animals throughout Northwest Indiana.

Meanwhile, Ashley Tarin, of Valparaiso, and daughter Lexi, 9, were enjoying their mother-daughter time, while her sons were with their father.

Tarin commented, I like seeing all the little princesses, and this is something a little different.

Rachel Saller, of Highland, brought daughter Josie, 4, dressed as Cinderella. Judy Katz, of Crown Point, a PAD board member, invited them..

I love just seeing all the little kids having fun, Katz said. Plus, its helping rescue groups.

Erica Yakovetz, of Merrillville, was enjoying lunch with daughter Aria, 6, and her new stuffed elephant.

The atmosphere is really impressive, Yakovetz said. They do a beautiful job.

Rachel Smith, of Valparaiso, came with daughters Charlotte, 6, and Olivia, 3, both dressed as princesses. Were going to Disney World in March, the mom said, so we thought it would be fun to get in the spirit.

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Attorney General Todd Rokita has picked the Republican he wants to see challenge U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, in the contest to represent Northwest Indiana in Congress.

The Munster native is endorsing Jennifer-Ruth Green, of Crown Point, in the seven-candidate Republican primary election set for May 3.

Rokita said he's backing Green because she is a "fighter" who he said "will not back down to the whims of establishment cronies, 'Never Trumpers' or the radical left's socialist agenda."

"Jennifer-Ruth's military career, public service and hard work in her campaign for Congress demonstrate to me she is exactly what that otherwise ridiculous Congress needs  some Hoosier common sense and some Lake County grit to fight for the America First agenda," said Rokita, who represented Indiana's 4th District in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2019.

Green is a first-time candidate for the Republican nomination in the 1st District, which includes all of Lake and Porter counties and northwest LaPorte County.

She's a 2005 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and spent 12 years in full-time military service, including a deployment to Iraq and leadership of a nuclear command post.

Green currently is chief information officer/commander for the 122nd Communications Flight of the Indiana National Guard and the first woman of color to hold the post in the history of the fighter wing.

If elected, Green's priorities include ensuring government lives within its means, limiting federal regulations, promoting religious freedom, practicing an "America First" foreign policy, securing the nation's borders, advancing "pro-life" policies, supporting school choice, reducing taxes and opposing government health care mandates.

Rokita's endorsement may give Green a boost in name recognition and fundraising as she vies for the Republican nomination against former LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo, perennial GOP nominee Mark Leyva, and several other first-time congressional candidates.

"Attorney General Todd Rokita is a fellow Regionite who has served Hoosiers at the Statehouse and in Congress as a defender of individual liberties and American exceptionalism. I am honored that Todd is endorsing my candidacy," Green said.

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EAST CHICAGO  Construction of the Lakeshore Manor housing development is expected to start in mid to late spring, according to Christopher Vincent, deputy director of the East Chicago Housing Authority.

Lakeshore Manor is a 206-unit housing development planned for the city's North Harbor area as a replacement for the John B. Nicosia Senior Building from which residents were evacuated in August due to structural concerns.

Vincent said those who had been living in the Nicosia building will be given priority to filling the new development if they choose to relocate there.

"The total development cost is $46,178,768," Vincent said.

He told the Common Council at its Feb. 23 meeting the Housing Authority would be coming before the council to ask for $3 million to help with the cost.

"It is a loan that will be paid back to the city in full, actually with interest," Vincent said.

He said that request will likely be made at the council's next regular meeting, which is scheduled for March 9.

In other city news, the council gave final approval to an ordinance that seeks to safeguard collective bargaining rights of city employees.

Councilman Robert Garcia, D-5th, sponsored the ordinance and has said it is an attempt to avoid differences between the city and employees being settled in court.

He said the ordinance has provisions against strikes and lockouts.

"This puts things in place in case there's no agreements," Garcia said.

The ordinance was approved by a vote of 7-1, with Councilwoman Gilda Orange, D-6th, the lone dissenter.

When the ordinance was considered on first reading, Orange said that it appeared to be an attempt to force employees into having to bargain with the administration and that she did not see that being a responsibility of the council.

The council also approved on final reading an ordinance that seeks to establish responsible bidding practices and submission requirements on Public Works projects.

Garcia also sponsored this ordinance and said it is an attempt to guarantee bidding practices are followed.

He said there have been situations in the past with contractors who sued the city in regards to the bidding process.

City Controller Valeriano Gomez told the council in January that a responsible plan is already in place, and Common Council attorney Angela Jones recommended the council adopt the ordinance on first and second reading to allow time for council members to meet with Gomez to compare city procedures with the proposed ordinance before final consideration of it.

Garcia said that a meeting with Gomez did not take place and that he expects the ordinance to be vetoed by Mayor Anthony Copeland.

The council approved the ordinance by a vote of 7-1, with Orange again dissenting.

The council also approved by a vote of 8-0 an ordinance that would provide an additional appropriation of $1.5 million from the city's general fund to the Water Department to cover expenses in order to continue maintaining the water distribution system.

The ordinance still needs approval on third and final reading.

"The budget allotted for distribution maintenance was limited for this year," Water Department Director Winna Guzman said.

She said the approximately $600,000 that had been appropriated for maintenance has been depleted.

"In January, we had over 30-some leaks," Guzman said.

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Pic story of bus driver as National People's Congress deputy

Xinhua) 09:19, March 01, 2022

Wang Yan poses for a photo aboard a bus in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan seeks suggestions on the application of charging piles in bus terminals from a representative of the State Grid Electric Vehicles Service's Tianjin branch at a bus service office in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan (R) checks a passenger's health code and body temperature aboard a bus in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan (R) talks about the application of charging piles in bus terminals with a representative of the State Grid Electric Vehicles Service's Tianjin branch at a meeting room of a bus service office in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan checks her blood pressure before starting her shift at a bus service office in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan poses for a photo aboard a bus in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan (R) talks with her apprentice Liu Bin aboard a bus in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan poses for a photo at a bus stop in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan (1st L) talks with colleagues at a bus service office in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Wang Yan checks the batteries of her bus at a bus stop in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 24, 2022.

Tianjin bus driver Wang Yan is a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy. Since taking on her duties in 2018, Wang has continued to submit suggestions to the NPC, covering a variety of areas, such as transportation and health care.

As a bus driver, she makes the most of her job, listening to her passengers' opinions, while formulating suggestions that can have an influence on government policies.

This year is the last year of her term of NPC deputy, Wang will put forward a suggestion on boosting electric vehicle charging services in expressway service areas. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
In the Flower Room, Beau Deuilhet, Dir. of Cultivation; talks about the process during a tour of the new, bigger, LSU medical marijuana facility run by Good Day Farm Wednesday Jan. 19, 2022, in Ruston, La. (Photo by Bill Feig, The Advocate)
MICHIGAN CITY  Michigan City Area Schools has opened online kindergarten enrollment for the 2022-23 school year.

Kindergarten students must be 5 years old by Oct. 1, 2022.

Parents and guardians can visit EducateMC.net/kindergarten to begin the enrollment process. Once MCAS obtains basic information about the student, parents will receive instructions on setting up a PowerSchool account to finalize enrollment.

To complete the online enrollment process in PowerSchool, parents/guardians will need their childs official birth certificate, parent/guardians drivers license or state photo ID, proof of residency, their childs immunization records, and proof of lead testing.

These documents may be uploaded during online enrollment, or they can be dropped off at the childs school between noon and 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Parents who need additional assistance can also come to their childs school on Tuesday during these hours. Elementary schools will also be available to assist families with enrollment throughout the month of March by appointment.

Kindergarten students should be enrolled at the school that serves the area in which they live. If a family is unsure of which school their child will attend, information is available by contacting the MCAS Transportation Department at 219-873-2127.

School-based pre-K programs, offered at Pine and Springfield Elementary Schools in partnership with the LaPorte County Family YMCA, are open for fall enrollment as well.

Children enrolling in the YMCA pre-K program must be 3 by Oct. 1, 2022. There are tuition fees associated with the pre-K programs, however, need-based scholarships are available and CCDF vouchers are accepted. Visit educateMC.net/preK for details.

MCAS is also accepting applications for its K-6 magnet schools, which include Pine Elementary School (a magnet school for visual and performing arts) and Lake Hills Elementary School (an Indiana-certified STEM school).

Most magnet spots for the 2022-23 school year will be available at the kindergarten level. Slots in higher grades will be filled as space allows before the start of the 2022-23 school year. Information and applications are available at EducateMC.net/magnets. The deadline for magnet school applications is April 29.

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VALPARAISO  Porter County Auditor Vicki Urbanik, who is leading the countys American Rescue Plan Act budget process, is planning two sessions to explain how her office will handle the money.

The ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds: Compliance and Monitoring sessions will be 11 a.m. Tuesday and 5 p.m. Thursday in the meeting room chambers of the Porter County Administration Building, 155 Indiana Ave., Valparaiso. Both presentations are open to the public.

The countys $33 million comes from ARPAs State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds section.

This weeks presentations will be similar to Urbaniks Feb. 8 sessions. The talks will include a discussion of the eligible uses of the Fiscal Recovery Funds under the U.S. Treasury Departments final rule, an update on Porter County governments ARPA expenditures, and audit compliance requirements.

The Board of Commissioners and County Council approved a new process to determine how the remaining nearly $29 million should be spent. Public input is invited at the countys website, porterco.org, as well as at meetings of the steering committee and subcommittees being formed now.

Citizens can apply for available seats on those committees by visiting the countys website. Applications are due March 8.

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VALPARAISO  As the portal collecting public input closes, Valparaiso officials will start crafting a plan to spend the $7.6 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding the city received.

Mayor Matt Murphy announced the portal at the end of January, after the U.S. Department of Treasury released the Final Rule governing the implementation of ARPA funds. The deadline to provide feedback through the portal was originally Feb. 18 but was extended to March 1 at noon. Murphy said he wanted "to ensure every resident has the opportunity to make suggestions.

However, City Council member Robert Cotton, D-2, has critiqued the process for not being "transparent." During a Feb. 14 council meeting, Cotton said the city "needs to have the recipients or potential targets (of the ARPA funding) at the table."

Cotton, who is one of just two Democrats on the seven-person council, said he wants the planning process to be bipartisan.

"Our system, it seems to me, is really a narrow funnel where we might take in a lot of information ... but we then, individually in our own silos, review that information," Cotton said. "A plan will come to the City Council, which is dominated by a partisan majority, who will likely pass it."

Valparaiso City Attorney Patrick Lyp said the portal had received 122 comments as of Monday night. Lyp said council members will be given an Excel sheet with all of the feedback and will meet with Murphy and City Administrator Mike Jessen in groups of one or two. Murphy and Jessen will then draft a plan and present it to the council.

After the "turmoil" that has unfolded during Porter County's ARPA spending process, Cotton said he would like to see more direct community involvement.

Porter County restarted the ARPA planning process after Susie Talevski, a Porter County resident and former County Council candidate, filed a complaint with the public access counselor Dec. 20. Her complaint said County Commissioners Laura Blaney, D-South, and Jeff Good, R-Center, held private meetings to discuss, deliberate and decide on the distribution of ARPA funds. Commissioner Jim Biggs, R-North, didnt participate.

It is the opinion of this office that the Porter County Board of Commissioners, in part, have likely violated the Open Door Law. The group making determinations on the ARP funding also should have held meetings publicly as it appeared to be an official decision-making body of the county," Indiana Public Access Counselor Luke Britt's 10-page advisory report said.

Since the complaint was filed, the county has created a steering committee and four subcommittees that will ultimately determine the ARPA spending plan. Each will include one commissioner and two council members as well as two members of the public, one appointed by the council and one by the commissioners.

Each committee will have at least one evening or weekend meeting. Public input will be accepted at each meeting and online at the county's website, porterco.org.

The revised county process is more in line with the COVID relief spending recommendations released by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Cotton said.

OCRA's spending toolkit encourages municipalities to engage with all sectors of the community to "create an in-depth needs assessment." OCCRA emphasized on hearing from "underprivileged and underserved populations."

We are not Porter County, and we do not need OCRA telling our City Council how to invest $7.6 million dollars," Murphy said during the Feb. 14 council meeting. "I know you [Cotton] disagree, but we are not going to belabor this point again and again.

The majority of the council voiced approval for the current process, though Councilwoman Diana Reed, D-1, said that "while people sometimes do write things down and submit information, there is a lot to be said for dialogue and conversations."

"At the end of the day, whoever comes up with the plan, ultimately it is this body [the City Council] that will decide how those dollars are spent and it will be done in a very public and transparent way," Council President George Douglas said.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect Patrick Lyp and Mike Jessen's correct titles.]

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Gov. Eric Holcomb is directing Indiana government agencies to review, and possibly terminate, any connections between the state and Russia in response to the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Republican chief executive signed an executive order Monday setting out a series of actions he said show Indiana's commitment to the citizens of Ukraine and condemnation of the Russian government.

"I stand with the people of the Ukraine as they face the tyranny of Putin and his unprovoked invasion. We must hold Putin accountable for his actions and support Ukraine in any way we can. Indiana joins the world as we pray for the people of Ukraine," Holcomb said.

The executive order instructs the Indiana Office of Technology to strengthen the state's defenses against potential cyberattacks by Russia and encourages Hoosier businesses to likewise evaluate their own technological security and upgrade where needed.

The order also directs the Indiana Office of Administration to review all state government contracts to determine whether taxpayer dollars are supporting Russia-owned or Russia-affiliated companies, and to report its findings to the governor's office.

Holcomb similarly ordered the Indiana Public Retirement System to determine whether the retirement funds of state and local public employees, including teachers, are invested in any Russian companies or currency, and to report back.

In addition, Indiana colleges and universities, businesses and other organizations are urged to review their own ties to Russia and Russian entities and determine whether those relationships should continue in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Holcomb also said Indiana stands ready to accept and assist Ukrainian refugees upon request by the federal government.

"As a state we will do our part to try to prevent further indiscriminate killing of Ukrainian civilian men, women and children," Holcomb said.

"I encourage Indiana residents to support the humanitarian efforts for Ukraine through their local communities, religious organizations and non-profits and show our true Hoosier spirit."

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While this process is underway, young people are put in a rather delicate position. Though they tend to be highly rational when calm, if they become upset, their new, high-octane emotional structures can overpower their yet-to-be upgraded reasoning capacities, crashing the entire system until it has a chance to reset.

I have enthusiastically recommended glitter jars to several parents and colleagues knowing that some teenagers will instantly benefit from having a concrete model of emotional distress. That said, I have come to appreciate that a glitter jars main utility is in the instructions it provides to those who are caring for the overwrought: Be patient and communicate your confidence that emotions almost always rise, swirl and settle all by themselves.

Not long after I returned from Texas, I ran into a visibly upset sophomore in the lunchroom of the school where I consult each week. She looked stricken, and her eyes were red from crying.

Urgently she asked, Are you free?

Yes, I replied, turning her toward my office.

Once there, she buried her hands in her face and broke into heaving sobs. Soon, she slowed her breathing and looked at me, even as tears continued to stream down her face. In the past, I would have taken that opening to quiz her about what had gone wrong. In retrospect, I now see this as the verbal equivalent of further shaking the mental glitter jar. Instead, I asked if she wanted a glass of water, or some time alone to let her painful feelings die down. She declined both offers, so we just sat there quietly.

Not a minute had passed before she relaxed completely. Then she volunteered that she had done poorly on a test that morning and had fallen down a rabbit hole of worries about what a bad grade might mean for her future. Now, with her glitter nearly settled and her mind more clear, she regained perspective on the situation. Within moments she decided that the low grade probably wasnt such a big deal, and if it was, shed figure out how to make up for it in other ways.

This is not to say that letting glitter settle is the solution to all teenage problems. But I have found it to be a better first response than any other. Every time I stop myself from trying to figure out what made a teenager upset, and focus instead on her right to just be upset, I find that doing so either solves the problem or helps clear the path to dealing with it.

Its critical to recognize that when we react to psychological distress as though its a fire that needs to be put out, we frighten our teenagers and usually make matters worse. Reacting instead with the understanding that emotions usually have their own life cycle  coming as waves that surge and fall  sends adolescents the reassuring message that they arent broken; in fact, theyre self-correcting.

So, when you next encounter a young person in full meltdown, take a deep breath and think to yourself (Dallas accent optional), First  lets settle your glitter.
BRUSSELS  European countries under the banner of the European Union banded together for the first time to finance the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine, in what the blocs top official called a watershed moment.

For the first time ever, the European Union will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country that is under attack, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the E.U.s executive branch, said Sunday. She spoke ahead of a meeting of E.U. foreign ministers intended to hash out details of a raft of new sanctions and other measures aimed at Russia.

Ms. von der Leyen also announced a total closure of E.U. airspace to Russian aircraft.

The measure, she said, will exclude not just Russian airlines but also Russian-chartered private jets from all 27 member states airspaces, practically banning Russians from European skies. A number of countries had started announcing individual airspace closures on Saturday.

The bloc will also take steps to bar RT, the Kremlin-funded global broadcaster, as well as Sputnik, a news agency, from European airwaves, Ms. von der Leyen said.
Norways sovereign wealth fund is freezing its assets in Russia and plans to divest from the Russian market, a spokeswoman for the fund said Sunday.

The $1.3 trillion fund  the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund  held 27 billion kroner, equivalent to roughly $3 billion, in assets in Russia at the end of 2021. Its Russian investments equaled 0.2 percent of the fund.

The operator of the fund, Norges Bank Investment Management, will neither buy nor sell shares in Russian assets, according to Line Aaltvedt, the funds spokeswoman. The fund will work with the Ministry of Finance to prepare a plan to divest from the Russian market. No timeline for the divestment was given.

The announcement on Sunday was part of a fleet of measures by the Norwegian government in support of Ukraine, including joining European Union sanctions and allocating up to 2 billion kroner for humanitarian aid. On Sunday, the E.U. also announced that it would finance the provision of weapons to Ukraine and ban Russian aircraft from E.U. airspace.
As Russias invasion escalated over the weekend, Ukrainian officials made an unusual request on Twitter: Send us your crypto.

A series of tweets, sent from government accounts, listed online wallet addresses for Bitcoin, Ether and Tether, three of the most popular cryptocurrencies. Since then, cryptocurrency investors have donated more than $22 million worth of digital assets to the Ukrainian government and a nonprofit supporting the countrys military, according to data provided by the blockchain tracking firm Elliptic on Monday evening.

The conflict in Ukraine has put the growing cryptocurrency industry under new scrutiny, with politicians and regulators expressing concern that the digital tokens could become a tool for sanctions evasion by Russian businesses and government officials. But cryptocurrency has also provided a way for investors around the world to quickly move funds to Ukrainian fighters, as more traditional crowdfunding strategies encounter obstacles.

Last week, the crowdfunding website Patreon took down a page operated by Come Back Alive, a Kyiv organization that has raised money to arm and train military personnel in Ukraine. Patreon said the page had violated its rules against funding military activity.
I met Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher and the chief editor of UkraineWorld, an English-language news site, in Kyiv in 2019. Id gone there to report on how Ukrainians felt about Donald Trumps attempts to extort their president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and on the American rights demonization of Ukrainians whod worked against corruption. Yermolenko spoke, then, of Ukraine as a front line in the global battle between democracy and authoritarianism, with Europe on one side and Vladimir Putins Russia on the other  and the role of the United States under Trump confusing and ambiguous.

Its about whether democracy, rule of law, are spreading farther to the east, he said of the conflict over Ukraines future. Its a long story how it spread to Eastern Europe  first it was Eastern Europe, Central Europe, then there was Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova. We hope it will someday reach Russia. But it was possible that the ideological tide would go the other way. There is a new authoritarianism going westward, said Yermolenko. In this view, the fate of Ukraines nascent democracy was a sort of weather vane for the world.

I spoke to Yermolenko again on Sunday, as Russian troops besieged his country. The spirit is very strong, he said. There is no fatalism, no willingness to negotiate on Russias terms. There is decisiveness. Ukrainian self-defense, he said, was chiefly a matter of patriotism, of people defending their home and way of life against a cruel foreign power. But he also saw it as part of the great ideological contest wed discussed two and a half years ago.

There is a strong feeling that if Ukraine wins  and Im sure it wins  that can bring the end of both Putins and Lukashenkos regimes, he said, referring to Alexander Lukashenko, the strongman president of Belarus, who is reportedly preparing to send troops to Ukraine to fight alongside Russia.
A man believed to be meeting his three children for a supervised visit at a church just outside Sacramento on Monday afternoon fatally shot the children and an adult accompanying them before killing himself, police officials said.

Sheriff Scott Jones of Sacramento County told reporters at the scene that the gunman had a restraining order against him, and that he had to have supervised visits with his children, who were younger than 15.

The sheriff said that the mother of the children was safe and had been contacted by the authorities after the shooting.

This is, as far as I can see, at this point a domestic-violence-related sort of incident, Sgt. Rod Grassmann, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office, told reporters at an earlier news conference.
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WASHINGTON  Republicans on Monday blocked the Senate from taking up sweeping abortion rights legislation as Democrats sought to put lawmakers on the record on the issue in advance of the midterm elections and a coming Supreme Court ruling on access to abortion.

Democrats fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to bring the Womens Health Protection Act to the floor for consideration after the House last September passed it on a narrow party-line vote. One Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, joined all Republicans in opposition to beginning debate on the measure.

Lawmakers said it was the first time that the Senate had voted on a separate bill to enact the constitutional protections of Roe v. Wade into law. The outcome was anticipated, but Democrats were determined to hold the vote as members of both parties draw battle lines over what is expected to be a major election-year issue. The conservative-dominated Supreme Court is set to rule later this year on a case that could undermine or overturn the landmark abortion decision.

We want Americans to know where their legislators stand on this important issue, said Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the No. 3 Democrat and a leading backer of the abortion rights bill.
A convoy of truck drivers headed to Washington to protest vaccine mandates has raised alarms once again.

A Department of Homeland Security intelligence bulletin, obtained by The New York Times, said the caravans would likely present public safety challenges for first responders if the convoys are of substantial size and warned that some domestic extremists probably will be drawn to the event and could engage in premeditated or opportunistic violence.

At the news conference on Tuesday, Sean Gallagher, the acting assistant chief of the Capitol Police, said the perimeter fence was temporary and had been put up out of an abundance of caution. He suggested that it would be removed soon after Mr. Bidens speech should no security issues materialize.

The State of the Union always draws intense security, given that it puts the members of all three branches of government  the president and his cabinet, members of the House and Senate and the justices of the Supreme Court  together in the same room. But security officials said they were on especially high alert this year.

Despite warnings from an organizer that tens of thousands of truck drivers would converge on the nations Capitol, it was unclear whether the convoys of truck drivers protesting Covid-19 mandates would, in fact, materialize or when they might arrive, officials said.
MANALAPAN, Fla.  Democratic governors and their allies are expressing deep anxiety about the political conditions facing their party as President Bidens approval rating slumps in a year when three dozen governorships are on the line, including in some of the nations most important battleground states.

At a weekend fund-raising retreat in South Florida, several governors, candidates for governor and donors acknowledged that voters frustration with the lingering pandemic was damaging the party more than expected. They hoped that Mr. Bidens State of the Union address might serve as a pivot point, coming at the convergence of three major events that could reorder the existing political landscape: the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Bidens first Supreme Court nomination and the loosening of many coronavirus restrictions.

The environment is not where we want it to be right now, said Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, which organized the event. But I believe its going to get substantially better.

Democrats are defending 16 governorships in November, including in crucial presidential battleground states: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, plus Maine, Nevada and Minnesota.
WASHINGTON  The House on Monday overwhelmingly approved legislation that would make lynching a federal hate crime, moving to formally outlaw a brutal act that has become a symbol of the failure by Congress and the country to reckon with the history of racial violence in America.

Passage of the anti-lynching bill, named in honor of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black teenager brutally tortured and murdered in Mississippi in 1955, came after more than a century of failed attempts. Lawmakers estimated they had tried more than 200 times to pass a measure to explicitly criminalize a type of attack that has long terrorized Black Americans. This bill was approved 422 to 3, and was expected to pass the Senate, where it enjoys broad support.

The House today has sent a resounding message that our nation is finally reckoning with one of the darkest and most horrific periods of our history, and that we are morally and legally committed to changing course, said Representative Bobby L. Rush, Democrat of Illinois, who had vowed to see the legislation become law before retiring at the end of his term.

In a statement, Mr. Rush, who was a civil-rights leader and founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, recalled when, as an 8-year-old boy, he first saw a photograph of Emmetts battered body, an image that he said shaped my consciousness as a Black man in America, changed the course of my life, and changed our nation.
After taking Republicans to Israel and the hallowed museum of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem, Mr. McCarthy said, he had returned to Washington to find that two colleagues went and participated with a group that has a leader that many times gives antisemitic views, and led a chant for Putin.

The party should not be associated any time, any place with somebody who is antisemitic, he added, calling Ms. Greenes failure to leave the stage after Mr. Fuentes praised Adolf Hitler unacceptable.

His comments came not long after Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the top Senate Republican, released a statement saying, Theres no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or antisemitism.

Ms. Greene has rejected criticism of her participation, at first saying that she did not know who Mr. Fuentes was. But on Sunday, she issued a rambling, defiant broadside that edged into antisemitism when she decried her attackers as the Pharisees in the Republican Party, referring to an ancient group of Jewish leaders whom Jesus called hypocrites.

Were not going to be deterred by journalists and Washington insiders who fear the name of our Lord, and relentlessly attack those of us who proclaim his name, Ms. Greene said. We know that Christ is our only judge.
Richard C. Blum, a financier and major donor to Democrats  above all his wife, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California  died on Sunday at the family home in San Francisco. He was 86.

The cause was cancer, according to a statement by Ms. Feinsteins office.

Ms. Feinstein missed votes in recent weeks as Mr. Blums health declined, imperiling the Democrats precarious Senate majority, which relies on a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Kamala Harris.

Mr. Blum exerted influence generally as a political patron and an adviser. It was only during his final months that he sought government office, informing President Biden early last year that he hoped to be made an ambassador.

That move could have caused Ms. Feinstein to leave the Senate and travel overseas with Mr. Blum, and some Democrats saw it as a potential way for her to make a graceful exit from Congress at age 87. Members of her own Democratic caucus had been grumbling that her mental acuity had diminished and that she had become too accommodating to Republicans.
Follow our live updates on the Texas primary election and election results.

The midterms officially begin on Tuesday with the primary election in Texas. There are a few key themes to keep an eye on:

What will Democratic turnout be like in the first midterm of Bidens presidency?

Hispanic voter turnout: Republicans exceeded expectations in garnering their support in 2020. Will that trend continue?

How well will Republican candidates endorsed by Donald Trump fare against equally Trumpy competitors?

In Texas, candidates only win the party nomination if they surpass 50 percent of the primary vote. If nobody reaches 50 percent on Tuesday, the top two vote getters will advance to a runoff on May 24.

The more candidates in an individual race, the more splintered the vote gets  and the more likely a runoff becomes. To the chagrin of incumbents on both sides of the aisle, Texas primaries are crowded.

In open-seat races, where the incumbent is either not running for re-election or an entirely new seat was drawn in redistricting, crowded primaries are expected and pretty uneventful. Were watching those to see who qualifies for the higher-stakes runoff.

But for incumbents and high-profile candidates, the question on Tuesday will be who avoids a runoff and by how much. For instance, in the governors race, how well Gov. Greg Abbott fares in his Republican primary will be a barometer of his strength before the general election. (For Beto ORourke, on the Democratic side, theres little doubt hell sail to the nomination on Tuesday.)
Mr. Bidens aides often note that it was a private firm  Mandiant  that found the SolarWinds attack 15 months ago, in which one of Russias most cybersavvy intelligence agencies, the S.V.R., infiltrated network management software used by thousands of U.S. government agencies and private businesses. That gave the Russian government unfettered access.

Such attacks have given Russia a reputation as one of the most aggressive, and skilled, cyberpowers. But the surprise of recent days is that Russias activity in that realm has been more muted than expected, researchers said.

Most early tabletop exercises about a Russian invasion started with overwhelming cyberattacks, taking out the internet in Ukraine and perhaps the power grid. So far, that hasnt happened.

Many people are quite surprised that there isnt significant integration of cyberattacks into the overall campaign that Russia is undertaking in Ukraine, said Shane Huntley, the director of Googles threat analysis group. This is mostly business as normal as to the levels of Russian targeting.

Mr. Huntley said Google regularly observes some Russian attempts to hack accounts of people in Ukraine. The normal level is actually never zero, he said. But those attempts have not markedly increased in the past several days, as Russia has invaded Ukraine.

We have seen some Russian activity targeting Ukraine; it just hasnt been the big sets, said Ben Read, a director at the security firm Mandiant.

It is not clear to American or European officials why Russia held off.

It could be that they tried but defenses were stronger than they anticipated, or that the Russians wanted to reduce the risk of attacking civilian infrastructure, so that a puppet government they installed would not struggle to rule the country.
The New York Times reported in November that employees at the mine had complained about a dramatic decline in worker safety under the Chinese ownership, including claims by safety inspectors that workers had been assaulted after raising concerns and been offered bribes to cover up accidents. The company disputed those claims, suggesting they were part of a broader effort to discredit it.

Congos president, Felix Tshisekedi, last year named a commission to investigate allegations that China Molybdenum might have cheated the Congolese government out of royalty payments from the mine. The legal action on Monday, by the Commercial Court of Lubumbashi, came after the countrys state-owned mining enterprise had sought the removal of the mines Chinese management.

The court ruling, reviewed by The Times, leaves a third-party administrator in charge of the mine for at least six months, as auditors evaluate the allegations against the company. The state mining enterprise, known as Gecamines, asserts that China Molybdenum failed to declare hundreds of thousands of tons of copper and cobalt reserves buried at the site, depriving the agency of significant annual payments required when new reserves are found and verified.

During the review period, Gecamines will retain its 20 percent stake in the mine, which was the worlds second-largest source of cobalt in 2020. Congo last year produced 70 percent of the worlds cobalt.

President Tshisekedis office declined on Monday to comment on the ruling. Azarias Ruberwa, a lawyer for China Molybdenum who previously served as a top government official in Congo, said on Tuesday that an appeal to the decision had been filed. He offered no other comment. In the past, China Molybdenum has denied that it concealed reserves or owed any additional royalties.
People wearing face masks are seen at Union Station in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 28, 2022. Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, dropped mask mandate in most of places indoors and outdoors as of Monday, as the entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category. (Photo by Vincent D. Johnson/Xinhua)

CHICAGO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, dropped mask mandate in most of places indoors and outdoors as of Monday, as the entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category.

But masks swill still be mandatory on public transportation and in places such as hospitals and day care centers. And businesses still can require them as they see fit.

The city also maintains masks rule for Chicago Public Schools, the third largest school district in the United States and the largest one in U.S. Midwest state of Illinois.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez reminded families in a Sunday letter that universal masking is still required in all of its schools and offices "for now," Chicago Tribune reported on Monday.

The universal masking in CPS is stipulated in a hard-fought COVID-19 safety agreement with the Chicago Teachers Union, which came about after union members refused to teach in person during the omicron surge in January, resulting in five days of canceled classes, the local newspaper reported.

The Chicago Board of Education last week passed a resolution to affirm masking and other coronavirus-related rules, which also grants Martinez authority to change those policies in consultation with public health officials and stakeholders.

By ending masks rule, Chicago is in step with the state of Illinois, as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also lifts the much-contested mask mandate for most indoor public places starting from Monday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Friday adjusted federal mask guidelines to focus less on COVID-19 cases and more on hospitalizations and health care capacity. It eased previous recommendations that called for indoor masking across most of the country.

Amid the ending of the masks rule, there remains concern: the youngest children still aren't able to get vaccinated; an even more contagious subvariant of the virus is circulating in Illinois, the local newspaper reported. 

People wearing face masks walk past a subway train in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 28, 2022. Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, dropped mask mandate in most of places indoors and outdoors as of Monday, as the entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category. (Photo by Vincent D. Johnson/Xinhua)

People wearing face masks get off a train at Union Station in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 28, 2022. Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, dropped mask mandate in most of places indoors and outdoors as of Monday, as the entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category. (Photo by Vincent D. Johnson/Xinhua)

A sign "Masks Optional" is seen on the wall of City Hall in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 28, 2022. Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, dropped mask mandate in most of places indoors and outdoors as of Monday, as the entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category. (Photo by Vincent D. Johnson/Xinhua)

A sign reminding passengers to wear face masks is seen on the window of a subway train in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 28, 2022. Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, dropped mask mandate in most of places indoors and outdoors as of Monday, as the entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category. (Photo by Vincent D. Johnson/Xinhua)

People leave Union Station in Chicago, the United States, on Feb. 28, 2022. Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, dropped mask mandate in most of places indoors and outdoors as of Monday, as the entire Chicago area is currently in the low risk category. (Photo by Vincent D. Johnson/Xinhua)
The Biden administration is facing mounting pressure from lawmakers and advocates to allow thousands of Ukrainians who are temporarily working or studying in the United States to remain, rather than force them to return to their war-torn country.

Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, has called on the administration to offer Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians who are on short-term visas or have no documentation. The protection would not confer permanent residence but would enable them to remain in the United States without fear of deportation.

We have a letter going out to the president this evening asking for Temporary Protected Status for all of them, Mr. Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters on Monday. They include tourists and students and people working here on visas and that sort of thing. So that is something we could and should do immediately.

He said that he expected other lawmakers, including Republicans, to sign on.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association and several nonprofits have also supported offering Ukrainians protection because of the humanitarian emergency in Ukraine.
With Russias invasion of Ukraine the center of attention at the United Nations, the United States said Monday that it would expel 12 Russian diplomats from Moscows U.N. mission, saying they were actually intelligence operatives who had spied on the United States.

We are beginning the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the United States by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security, the U.S. mission to the U.N. said in a statement.

Russia could respond with tit for tat, meaning expulsion of Americans, its U.N. ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, told reporters.

Its not our choice, he said. We didnt initiate it.

Mr. Nebenzya  who learned of the expulsions when he received a phone call during a news conference  said the Russian diplomats had been given until March 7 to leave the United States.
This is, after all, an opera that opens with the characters longing for an end to fierce hostilities between two neighboring nations, their civilians suffering the privations caused by the territorial delusions of a tiny few at the top. The geopolitical battles fueling the plots private agonies seemed more vivid than usual as David McVicars new production was unveiled.

A new production, sure, but a Met premiere? Thats dubious, since almost all of the music will be familiar to anyone whos heard Don Carlo there over the past four decades.

But it is nevertheless a milestone for the company to be finally performing the work in the language in which it premiered, at the Paris Opera in 1867. Verdi worked with inspired diligence to shape his musical lines to metrical rhythms subtly different from Italian. For this adaptation of Schillers freely ahistorical play, set at the 16th-century Spanish court of Philip II, he painted the sprawling canvas of French grand opera in his own brooding colors.

Alas, Don Carlos was a mixed success in France, and Verdi continued to revise it over the next two decades, as it premiered and was revived in Italy. (And since this was a time when librettos were commonly translated into the language of the audience, it was performed in Italian, as Don Carlo.) The eventual result was a smorgasbord of versions, from which opera companies can now freely take elements.
Because its always been Putins wet dream to reunite the Soviet Union, you know? Sort of the same way Disney wants to tie all of its franchises together. Yeah, now Mickey is fighting Thanos? Thats weird, but profitable.  TREVOR NOAH

Well, damn, Putins goal was to bring back the glory days of the Soviet Union. People waiting hours in long lines is definitely a start.  TREVOR NOAH

Theyre cutting off banking, theyre arming their enemies, and on top of that, airlines are stopping flights to and from Russia, which in my opinion might be one of the worst things. Because I mean the best part about going to Russia is that you can fly out of Russia. Now they dont even have that.  TREVOR NOAH

Yes, the threat of nuclear annihilation may have increased; yes, we may be on the brink of World War III; and, yes, Europe is once again at the mercy of one power-hungry dictator, but on the bright side, when was the last time you thought about Covid, huh?  TREVOR NOAH
RUN TOWARDS THE DANGER

Confrontations With a Body of Memory

By Sarah Polley

One of the most quietly accomplished films Ive seen in recent decades is the 2006 independent feature Away From Her. Adapted from an Alice Munro short story, it depicts a long-married couple grappling with the wifes advancing Alzheimers and the chasm of memories the dementia simultaneously dredges up and erases. Its writer and director is Sarah Polley, a Canadian artist who was 27 at the time and who had been a well-known child actor, appearing at age 8 in Terry Gilliams The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and then starring in the hit series Road to Avonlea. How Canadas sweetheart, as Polley came to be known, had grown so quickly into a filmmaker whose creative vision was as far beyond her years as the characters shed put onscreen (Julie Christie received an Oscar nomination for Away From Her, as did Polleys script) was a question I asked myself more than once in the ensuing years.

Polleys authorial debut, Run Towards the Danger, does as good a job of answering that question as anything probably could. In six sprawling yet meaty essays, Polley, now 43, recalls a life in which playing the roles of children was mandatory and nearly constant (her first acting job was at age 4) but actually being a child was regarded an unnecessary encumbrance for all involved. Born into a theatrical family, she was 11 when her mother died, after which her father, who prided himself on not being a father, retreated into a solipsistic funk. With her much older siblings long out of the house, Sarah decided at 14 she was grown up enough to leave home and, by 15, was living with her 19-year-old boyfriend. The following summer, she began a residency at the Stratford Festival playing the lead in a production of Alice Through the Looking-Glass.

The books opening essay, Alice, Collapsing, is about the misery of the Stratford production, one in which Polley, who is by now famous on television but new to theater, develops such debilitating stage fright that eventually the fear turned to madness, and I myself went through the looking glass. She is also suffering from scoliosis, a diagnosis she received shortly after her mothers death and has been left to manage more or less on her own. Having put off an inevitable but not-yet-urgent surgery, Polley becomes so desperate to quit the show that she finagles a medical excuse and schedules the procedure as quickly as possible, leaving an understudy scrambling to take over her role.

Image

Polley devotes several pages to the 10-hour surgery and lengthy recovery. Its telling, however, that the most gut-punching detail of this essay is the fact that Polleys departure from Alice Through the Looking-Glass caused a subsequent run of the show to be canceled. When Polley wins a $500 prize from the Stratford Festival for best newcomer, she leaves the cash in an envelope for a castmate who had been counting on the money to buy a carpet to cover the cold floors of her daughters bedroom. I couldnt look anyone in the eye, Polley writes of her adult colleagues. I had cost them their winter income.
Sharon J. Wohlmuth, a photojournalist who with the writer Carol Saline struck publishing gold in 1994 with Sisters, a text-and-photo book that profiled famous and not-so-famous sets of sisters and became a runaway best seller, died on Feb. 12 at her home in Philadelphia. She was 75.

Her nephew Zachary Joslow confirmed the death but did not specify a cause.

Ms. Wohlmuth was a veteran photographer at The Philadelphia Inquirer when she and Ms. Saline, a senior writer for Philadelphia magazine, developed the idea that became Sisters: Ms. Saline would write profiles of various sets of sisters, and Ms. Wohlmuth would photograph the subjects.

The three dozen sets of sisters they selected included well-known figures like Coretta Scott King, who was featured with her sister, Edythe Scott Bagley, but also people like Bernetta and Margaret Crommarty, Philadelphia sisters in their 80s who were struggling with health problems. Some of the stories were uplifting; others told of personal hardships or strained relations.
The initial days of the Ukrainian invasion have not gone well for Russia.

The Russian military has taken no major cities, and video from Ukraine has shown scorched Russian vehicles and dead soldiers. Contrary to what President Vladimir Putin and his aides apparently expected  and what many Westerners feared  Ukraines government did not fall within a matter of days.

But military experts caution against confusing a wars initial days with its likely result. Russia has now begun to use even more brutal tactics, including a bombardment of a residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, home to universities and long considered a center of national culture. This morning, a large explosion hit the center of the city.

Were only in the opening days of this, and Putin has a lot of cards to play, Douglas Lute, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, told The Times. Its too early to be triumphalist, and there are a lot of Russian capabilities not employed yet.

The Russian military has an established strategy for taking over hostile cities, one it has used in both Syria and Chechnya. The strategy revolves around firing missiles and bombs into residential neighborhoods, both to destroy infrastructure and to terrify civilians into fleeing, before advancing into the city on the ground, as my colleague Steven Erlanger explains.
Russian convoy approaches Kyiv

On Day 6 of the invasion, Russian rockets struck major cities in Ukraine as a 40-mile-long convoy of Russian armed forces sat near Kyiv, the capital. Experts fear the convoy signals a shift to a new, more brutal strategy. Here are live updates and maps of the invasion.

Strikes are growing bolder as Russia appears to be targeting civilian areas with heavier weapons. An apparent rocket strike hit an administrative building in Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city, killing at least seven people. A projectile also hit the main radio and television tower in Kyiv, and Russia threatened military facilities there.

The war is dividing families, and a refugee crisis looms: More than 660,000 people have already fled Ukraine. Africans in the country said the authorities hindered their flight while allowing Ukrainians through quickly. Ukraine is not allowing most men to leave, in case they are called to fight.

Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine accused Russia of war crimes for targeting civilians. The U.N. said that at least 136 civilians, including 13 children, were killed in the first five days of the invasion and asked for $1.7 billion for the countrys emergency needs.
But the advance has not gone smoothly. Plagued by poor morale as well as fuel and food shortages, some Russian troops in Ukraine have surrendered en masse or sabotaged their own vehicles to avoid fighting, a senior Pentagon official said.

These factors may help explain why the convoy of tanks and armored vehicles near Kyiv has slowed to a near crawl in the past day or two, even as an estimated 80 percent of the more than 150,000 Russian troops amassed on Ukraines borders have now joined the fight.

Microsoft enters the war

Just before Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine on Wednesday, alarms went off inside the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center, warning of a never-before-seen piece of wiper malware that appeared aimed at Ukraines government ministries and financial institutions.

Microsoft quickly picked apart the malware and notified Ukraines top cyberdefense authority, throwing itself into the middle of the war in Europe. After conferring with the Biden administration, the company shared details of the code with other European nations, out of fear that the malware would spread, potentially crippling NATO or hitting European banks.

After years of discussions in Washington and in tech circles about the need for public-private partnerships to combat destructive cyberattacks, the war in Ukraine is stress-testing the system.

Microsoft is not the only tech company thrust into the fight. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, disclosed on Sunday that it had discovered hackers taking over accounts belonging to Ukrainian military officials and public figures to spread disinformation. Meta responded by locking down the accounts and alerting users who had been targeted.
The Chinese government faces a quandary: how to convince its people that what it said about a chained woman is true.

Since a short video of the woman chained in a doorless shack went viral in late January, the Chinese public has taken the matter into its own hands to find out who she is, whether she is a victim of human trafficking and why the apparently mentally ill woman had eight children.

The public thought it couldnt trust a government that was not truthful about her identity and that was acquiescent when it came to forced marriages involving human trafficking.

On Chinese social media, users dug up a marriage certificate with a photo of a woman who was identified by the government as the chained woman but looked different from her. They dived into court documents that showed the region where she lived has a dark history of human trafficking. Long-retired investigative journalists traveled to a village deep in the mountains, knocking on each door, to verify the governments claim that she grew up there.
A Chinese envoy on Monday warned against the politicization of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
WASHINGTON  The Russian invasion of Ukraine has rattled global supply chains that are still in disarray from the pandemic, adding to surging costs, prolonged deliveries and other challenges for companies trying to move goods around the world.

The clash in Ukraine, a large country at the nexus of Europe and Asia, has caused some flights to be canceled or rerouted, putting pressure on cargo capacity and raising concerns about further supply chain disruptions. It is putting at risk global supplies of products like platinum, aluminum, sunflower oil and steel, and shuttering factories in Europe, Ukraine and Russia. And it has sent energy prices soaring, further raising shipping costs.

The conflict is also setting off a scramble among global companies as they cut off trade with Russia to comply with the most far-reaching sanctions imposed on a major economic power since the end of the Cold War.

The new challenges follow more than two years of disruptions, delays and higher prices for beleaguered companies that use global supply chains to move products around the world. And while the economic implications of the war and sweeping sanctions on Russia are not yet clear, many industries are bracing for a bad situation to get worse.
The star witness in the criminal bribery and money-laundering case of a former Goldman Sachs banker said he had lied a lot  including by presenting a fake divorce decree, proving his divorce to a previous wife was final, to his fiancee, the fashion designer and model Kimora Lee Simmons.

The witness, Tim Leissner, is expected to be cross-examined for several days during the federal court trial of a fellow banker charged in connection with the looting of billions of dollars from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund.

Mr. Leissner, a former Goldman partner, has already pleaded guilty to charges related to the fund, known as 1MDB. Under questioning from lawyers for a former colleague who is facing similar charges, Roger Ng, Mr. Leissner admitted that he lied to federal authorities when he was first arrested. He also acknowledged telling multiple lies to his former lovers and wives.

Mr. Ngs lawyers have attacked Mr. Leissners credibility, calling him a two-time bigamist  a description that Mr. Leissner acknowledged was true. (Mr. Leissner and Ms. Simmons are currently estranged.)
As for the allegations in Ms. Palins suit  which she filed after The Times published an editorial that asserted a false link between her political rhetoric and a mass shooting in Arizona in 2011  Judge Rakoff said the trial had produced no evidence that established the culpability of the news organization or its opinion editor at the time, James Bennet.

While it may have been negligent for The Times to publish an article that could be read as making a serious accusation without checking if the accusation was true, Judge Rakoff said, there is a critical difference between not knowing whether the statement in question is true and being highly aware that it is probably false.

To prove her case, Ms. Palin, a former Alaska governor and candidate for vice president, had to produce evidence that pointed to actual malice  the legal bar set by the Supreme Court for a public figure like her to prove defamation. That would mean either that The Times knew it was publishing false information or recklessly disregarded evidence despite harboring doubts about the truth.

Judge Rakoff said the actions of Times journalists  and Mr. Bennet, who edited the editorial, in particular  were consistent with newspaper journalists operating under deadline pressure, not with bad actors seeking to defame a politician. He noted trial testimony that Mr. Bennet had never intended to edit the piece, saying it undercut Ms. Palins accusation that Mr. Bennet harbored ill will toward her.

He also pointed to Mr. Bennets efforts to determine whether the editorial did in fact contain an error after a Times columnist alerted him to it late on the evening of its publication. According to evidence that jurors heard, Mr. Bennet tried to contact the writer of the editorial, asking her in a late-night text message, Do we have it right? But she had gone to bed. He then sent her an email at 5:08 a.m. seeking further clarification. The Times corrected the editorial later that morning.
TotalEnergies, the French oil company with large natural gas investments in Russia, said on Tuesday that it would no longer provide capital for new projects in the country in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

But its announcement stopped short of following BP, Shell and Equinor, which had said in recent days that they would exit their Russian investments.

TotalEnergies condemns Russias military aggression against Ukraine, which has tragic consequences for the population and threatens Europe, the company said.

TotalEnergies has played a key role in developing Russias capabilities in liquefied natural gas. Unlike other western companies, TotalEnergies continued to forge ahead in Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 prompted Western sanctions.
Several U.S. states have announced plans to sever or reconsider their financial ties to Russia, with moves ranging from outright divestment, as in the case of the Connecticut pension system, to restrictions on the sale of Russian vodka in Iowa and Ohio.

The rapid-fire decisions in state capitals, by both Republicans and Democrats, came as the Russian offensive in Ukraine continued to escalate. Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, a Democrat, told state agencies this week to end any agreements or operations that directly benefited Russian organizations. Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, a Republican, asked mayors to end sister city agreements with Russian cities, and encouraged the states retirement system and university endowments to divest from the country. Shawn T. Wooden, the Connecticut treasurer, said he would divest the roughly $218 million of the states retirement funds invested in Russia.

I cannot continue to invest these pension funds in a way that runs counter to the foreign policy and national interests of the United States, Mr. Wooden, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Similar moves to divest were announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, a Democrat who issued an executive order on the issue, and by the Pennsylvania treasury. Other states were moving in a similar direction. Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana, a Republican, called for a review of state contracts and investments in Russia, and asked for public universities to disclose funding and research ties from the country. In North Dakota, a state investment board scheduled a meeting to discuss Russian holdings on Thursday.
As oil prices soared in the sharpest one-day jump since Russias invasion of Ukraine last week, more than two dozen countries agreed on Tuesday to release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves, aiming to send a strong message that there will be no shortfall as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

But the announcement from the International Energy Agency was greeted as a bust by oil traders. Prices just kept climbing, topping $107 at one point before closing above $100 a barrel for a second day.

The market is just very concerned, said David Fyfe, chief economist of Argus Media, an energy research firm.

Russias increasingly violent war against Ukraine, forcing more than half a million residents to flee, has sparked intense volatility in the energy markets, partly because Russia provides 10 percent of the worlds oil and more than a third of the European Unions natural gas. Western countries powerful economic penalties in response to the fighting have caused the ruble to crater, prompting worries that Russia may retaliate by curbing or cutting off its energy supplies, or that the sanctions may be scaring off buyers.
Some of these auctions have precise themes: The Tie in Photography, or work from the collection of Uesugi Mochinori, a Japanese noble of the late Edo period. Others are catchall, consisting of so many different kinds of items  photographs of midcentury car wrecks, a sketch attributed to Gustav Klimt  that the sale is a kind of wunderkammer. In these cases, auction catalogs are lavish way finders, most often downloadable PDFs or online galleries noting a works provenance, dimensions and condition, and occasionally include a descriptive back story; sometimes they are stylishly printed and bound volumes. The catalogs are desirable enough that old copies themselves are often auctioned.

One of my favorites is the catalog that accompanies Swanns annual LGBTQ+ Art, Material Culture & History sale, which includes more than 200 items of queer marginalia from the Civil War era to today. Here, for instance, is some trivia about Mike Miksche (a.k.a. Steve Masters), a former Air Force flight captain who produced jaunty erotic art in the 1950s and 60s: He was commissioned by the Kinsey Institute to appear in films demonstrating sadomasochistic sex acts, mainly with the tattoo artist and writer Samuel M. Steward. Another lot featured greeting cards from Third World Gay Revolution, a cadre of radical queer activists from the 1970s.

Navigating this bounty requires that I draw an aesthetic line in the sand: Heres what I like, and Im willing to pay for it. Recently, I came close to bidding on Gregory Gorbys 1992 piece Club Miraflores, a nearly life-size sculpture of a dancer brandishing her breasts to a circle of leering men below. My rational mind knows the sculpture is tacky and borderline offensive, yet my reptilian brain loves its louche effervescence. In these auctions theres no accounting for taste  only paying a price for it.

The offbeat, rangy conception of art I found in these auctions has changed how I think about my own aesthetic judgment. Before I encountered the auctions, I understood it to be sardonic and raw (I love, for example, the work of Jean Dubuffet). From the privacy of my couch, I can indulge art that I wouldnt necessarily recommend in public. Im thinking of a 2005 painting titled Peter (Home Sweet Home) that shows a man in a baggy T-shirt and cutoff shorts, hunched in front of a chalkboard scrawled with mathematical formulas, his hand down his pants. Its a quirky portrait that has the boorishness of novelty art. Yet the longer I look at it, the more nuanced it becomes. The contrast between the academic seriousness of the backdrop and the rudeness of the gesture is intriguing. Plus, theres the cheekiness of the composition: Peters crotch is the visual and thematic centerpiece, a fact emphasized by the pixelated arrow on his shirt pointing south. I wasnt the only one charmed by its riddles; the painting sold for $625.

Again and again, auctions offer opportunities to look more closely and think more generously. The inevitable question when browsing some of this stuff is: Why would anyone want it? I want it, in part, because its so unlovely or neglected. Now the work of someone like Marvin Francis, whose expressive sculptures of prison inmates are made out of toilet paper, looks to me as elegant as Rodins. The auctions are a back channel to work thats not on view, to artists who are rarely exhibited and to forms  velvet paintings, snapshots, advertising  usually destined for the landfill. True, Im often puzzled by what I find, but Im also inspired by these treasure troves, in which every object might be a masterpiece waiting for its wall.
For the past decade, the French actor Gerard Depardieu has been one of the closest Western celebrities to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

In 2013, the movie star became a Russian citizen to avoid taxes in France. In a letter to Russian state television at the time, Mr. Depardieu said, I love your president, Vladimir Putin, very much and its mutual. Mr. Putin awarded Mr. Depardieu Russian citizenship at a special dinner that year.

As tensions between Russia and Ukraine were growing last month, Mr. Depardieu even went on French television to say, Leave Vladimir alone.

Now, Mr. Depardieu has taken a surprising step toward ruining that cherished friendship when, on Tuesday, the actor denounced the war in Ukraine in an interview with Agence France-Presse, the French news service. Russia and Ukraine have always been brother countries, Mr. Depardieu said. I am against this fratricidal war, he added. I say, Stop the weapons and negotiate.
In a telephone interview, Thompson explained that his initial conception was something closer to a conventional concert documentary. I was like, I got 40 hours worth of footage and this has to be 90 minutes, he said. I automatically know, after 25 years of doing shows, that if we got 90 minutes, thats 14 songs. And theres way more artists than there is space for songs, so now Im thinking in terms of a cool mix tape.

Im not saying I would have gone cut-and-paste traditional documentary, he continued, but I would have probably told the story of a Harlem festival, then expanded it to Spanish Harlem and other cultures, and then opened it to the worldwide setting, the African artists that were there, and that would have more or less been the story.

But when the pandemic hit in March 2020, Thompson and his team had to recalibrate. Several interviews with artists who appeared at the festival were scrapped and a new direction was required. It stopped being just the concert footage once we got to the pandemic and our Jenga fell down, he said. We had to start from the top and be creative.

After Woodstock a wave of rock concert films inevitably followed, from Pink Floyd (at Pompeii!), David Bowie and the Grateful Dead, with the emerging phenomenon of midnight movies at local art houses offering a consistent outlet.

This trend covered Black performers as well, with the release of documentaries like Wattstax and Soul to Soul, and others that were shot but didnt come out until many years later, like Soul Power (from the music festival attached to the 1974 Muhammad Ali-George Foreman fight featured in the Oscar-winning When We Were Kings) and the Aretha Franklin gospel performance Amazing Grace.
When Alpo Martinez was shot and killed in the early hours of Halloween last fall, carrying a drivers license with a fake name, rumors swirled about who might have finally come for him. In his decades-long Icarian arc, Mr. Martinez had amassed an extensive list of enemies  first as a ruthless drug kingpin in the 1980s, and then as a federal informant.

But his death was not a case of long-awaited payback for his infamous betrayal, a law enforcement official said.

Instead, the authorities believe Mr. Martinez was killed over a street beef, stemming from his penchant for careering dangerously down Harlem streets on his motorcycle.

Shakeem Parker, 27, was charged last week with Mr. Martinezs murder, a senior law enforcement official said  a shooting that stemmed from an incident in which Mr. Martinez buzzed past Mr. Parker.
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Tuesday slammed Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for banking on external forces to embolden itself in seeking "Taiwan independence," saying such acts would only hasten its destruction.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to the trip to Taiwan taken by the former U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen and others, which the DPP authority welcomed.

Zhu warned the DPP authority that colluding with external forces would not ensure security and the people's well-being in Taiwan, but only reduce Taiwan to a pawn of external anti-China forces.

"We firmly opposes the United States engaging in any form of official contact with China's Taiwan region under any pretext," Zhu said, urging the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the relevant provisions in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and to cease playing with fire when it comes to the Taiwan question. 
The crime was reported to the N.Y.P.D. Hate Crime Task Force, the authorities said.

With Ms. Mas death, it was unclear whether Mr. Perez would face additional charges. The Queens District Attorneys Office did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.

Mr. Perez had at least 11 prior arrests, Sgt. Ryan said.

A GoFundMe page established for Ms. Ma, who arrived in New York four years ago from China, said the attack permanently damaged the right side of her brain, leaving her connected to a ventilator and feeding tube and in a coma until early February. She died on Feb. 22, the page said.

This is a tragedy, Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement on Twitter on Monday. GuiYing Ma was a New Yorker and she deserved better than this. Mr. Adams had made improving public safety a theme of his successful campaign for mayor last year.

Letitia James, the New York attorney general, said on Facebook, These hateful acts of violence against our Asian communities must come to an end.

Violence against Asian Americans in New York has soared during the pandemic. Some of the attacks have not been classified as hate crimes, prompting outrage among leaders and members of the community.
Student retention in New York City schools, the nations largest public school system, has risen slightly since the pandemic began, according to a report released on Tuesday. But data in the report suggests that enrollment of new students is declining in the city, especially in the younger grades  adding to a national trend.

The retention rate measures how many students who were enrolled in the public schools in one year return to the public schools the following year. Retention rates in New York City varied widely by grade, according to the citys Independent Budget Office.

Overall, the number of students enrolled in the citys more than 1,800 public and charter schools fell by about 50,000 between the fall of 2019 and late 2021. A decline in new enrollment in the first year of that period seems to have been a major factor; full data is not yet available for the second year. There are now roughly one million children in the citys public schools.

Retention rates for prekindergarten students fell in all demographic groups, the new report found, and especially among the citys least vulnerable students: higher-income white children without disabilities who speak English as their first language.
At first, the idea terrified me. But my apprehension convinced me that this would be a good test both of who I was and what I could do. Giving up English would deconstruct not only an integral part of my identity, but also the way in which I daily build it up. And isnt this deconstruction at the heart of Lent, at the end of which Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the opportunity to begin again?

And so the 40 days began. In lieu of podcasts like The Daily, I would wake up and listen to 10-minute newsreels from Brazil, where Id spent a gap year after high school. As the frigid New Jersey winter slowly turned to spring, I would listen to stories about Carnaval and vaccination rates in Sao Paulo. In the evenings, I would make my way through Spanish-language Netflix shows or scour news websites in Korean.

One morning, I wrote in my journal about a dream Id had about a close friend who I had fallen out with. I forced myself to describe our dream-dialogue in a language he didnt speak. This language was never ours, I wrote, in Portuguese, but I will try to express what I saw and felt anyway. Although writing in a language foreign to our relationship impersonalized the hurt, it also doubled the frustration I felt: first at having lost the friendship, and again at being unable to write about it in the cathartically expressive way I needed.

Through processes like these, I was reminded of how English  or rather, the ease with which I could inhabit it and feel as if I didnt need anything else  was intricately linked to my relationships with my family and my faith. Throughout my childhood, I followed my parents to a Korean Catholic church in Hong Kong, where my inability to fully understand the priests Korean-language sermons made it difficult for my faith to grow. To this day, all the prayers I have memorized are in Korean, but reciting them brings less spiritual comfort than it does a familiar ease, in the way a lullaby might.

Outside of church, I faced a similar roadblock when I wanted to have deeper, more honest conversations with my parents. Plagued by the belief that there was a language barrier between us, I would refrain from sharing certain things: like the literature I was reading, what these books taught me about myself, or reflections I had about my changing relationship to religion. How could I explain, in a language I associated with their parenting and my childhood, that my nascent adult identity demanded a different kind of prayer  one that, instead of asking for simple forgiveness, broached topics of misplaced intimacies, difficult decisions and a desire to grow apart from my parents so I could become a person of my own?
To the Editor:

Re As War Grinds Into 5th Day, Kremlin Starts Hitting Harder (news analysis, front page, March 1):

Amazing things are happening in Ukraine. The Russian juggernaut seems to be faltering.

The heroically stiff resistance of the Ukrainian people and the unified reaction of the world have demonstrated to Russian elites that Vladimir Putin may have made a mistake.

Already, Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska  two of Russias top oligarchs  called for peace in Ukraine in defiance of Mr. Putins orders. I hope that other oligarchs, bureaucrats and generals will realize that it is time to distance themselves from Mr. Putin and a losing cause, and pledge to adhere to international law.

The Biden administration can accelerate this process by making it very clear that any war crime, such as bombardment of residential areas, will be prosecuted in the international war tribunal. This will help to deter Russian military personnel from following illegal orders.

There is still a brutal war raging in Ukraine, but an optimistic scenario of how it may end can now be imagined.
If treated as a violation of NATOs Article 5  which deems an attack on one NATO member as an attack on all  such contact and potential casualties could draw the alliance, and therefore the United States, into the conflict. Of course, the alliance could choose not to view the incident as a violation, or to pursue only a minimal response. But that could call NATOs resolve into doubt, frightening frontline allies and emboldening Mr. Putin.

The longevity of the Cold War also gave both sides time and incentive to negotiate arms control agreements. Washington and its allies concluded a host of detailed treaties with Moscow that, while flawed, at least provided predictability and monitoring  all while serving to build a long-term relationship in managing nuclear danger.

In recent years, however, both sides rashly shed many of these accords, seeing them as outdated and inconveniently constraining. The New START Treaty is now the only restraint on the number and types of U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons  and it expires in 2026, with little hope of renewal. Already gone are the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which George W. Bush abrogated in 2002, and the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, from which Mr. Putin suspended Russian participation in 2007. And, most relevant to todays crisis, in 2019 President Donald Trump abrogated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty over U.S. claims of Russian violations and Chinese arms buildup (though China was not a party to the treaty).

Signed by President Ronald Reagan and the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty eliminated that class of weapons entirely. Now that it is no more, Mr. Putin claims to fear that the alliance could deploy such weapons on Ukrainian territory against Russian targets. He has cited that possibility, along with denying that Ukraine is a separate country, among his motivations for invading Ukraine.

Even if Moscow can be brought back to the negotiating table, which seems highly unlikely for the foreseeable future, it would take years of painstaking talks to resurrect these treaties. Their disappearance is especially grievous in light of other losses  of military-to-military communication, expelled embassy and consulate staff members  and the development of new forms of weapons, such as hypersonic missiles and cyberwarfare. Two of the worlds largest military powers are now functioning in near-total isolation from each other, which is a danger to everyone.

Another problem is cultural. The threat of thermonuclear conflict was omnipresent for those who came of age during the Cold War. Yet after decades of peace between the West and Russia, that collective cultural awareness has largely dissipated  even though the threat of nuclear conflict remains, and has, in the past week, ramped back up to levels unseen since the Cold War.

The Russian president has now definitively put an end to the post-Cold War era, which rested on an assumption that major European land wars were gone for good. It is abundantly clear from his invasion that Mr. Putin is not going to hold the geopolitical equivalent of a constant airspeed, altitude or course. If, following his reckless lead, his pilots again veer toward NATO aircraft or provoke any of the four NATO member-states bordering Ukraine  whether through showboating or on command  it could drag the West into combat. And not just in a limited way.
This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. Here is a collection of past columns.

Alexis Grant wants it to be OK for a start-up to be just OK.

In our imaginations and in pop culture, it can feel as though there are only two paths for young technology companies: spectacular success with Ferraris and Ferragamo for everyone, or titanic wipeouts. The start-ups that change the world or die trying are the ones that people write books and make movies about.

The Silicon Valley myth all but ignores the vast middle ground between the unbelievables and the unforgivables. Grant is trying to fill the void.

Last month, Grant launched They Got Acquired, a website and database to chronicle the founders of online start-ups who sell their businesses for between $100,000 and $50 million.
That afternoon, we drove to what remains of Barcares, now an abandoned, overgrown field full of unclaimed internment camp artifacts. I walked along the straight rows of what looked like the cement foundations of barracks and picked up a bullet casing and one of many rusted twists of barbed wire. Across the road was a large metal archway memorializing the Spanish Republicans once interned there, and farther out, the same silver waves my grandfather described in his letter. A man in a barely-there bikini ran down the beach with a rainbow kite trying to catch the wind. You could have easily driven past the scene without a second thought.

The following morning, I took the first step of the actual climb. The first hour or so, Ms. Arran and I shared the path with children, grandparents and every age in between who were taking a popular hike to the 13th-century fortress of Fort Saint-Elme. But as the day-trippers made their way down, Ms. Arran and I continued our climb and barely saw another soul until we arrived in Spain.

As the climb got steeper up to Puig de Sallfort, a flat mountain top, Ms. Arran told me stories about previous treks shed led along the Chemin de la Liberte where out-of-shape hikers had to be rescued. This walk, as she called it, much to my huffing and puffing dismay, was so much easier, lower, shorter.

We flung ourselves down the afternoons final mountain meters to the Refugi Coll de Banyuls, a first-come-first-serve refuge that offered only a roof over our heads and wooden slats on which to lay sleeping bags. We were greeted by Mr. Prime, who had arrived with beer and bags of dehydrated Indian-spiced chicken and rice. (The refuge can also be reached by dirt road.) I did some downward dogs on Ms. Arrans insistence so my muscles wouldnt cramp up overnight and drifted off to sleep to the sounds of mice scurrying nearby.

The next morning I came across a nearby plaque memorializing the Spanish soldiers who had escaped over these mountains to France, with a map detailing different paths taken, written in French, Spanish, Catalan and English. A few yards away lay a large stone with words engraved in French, a tribute to the thousands of Republican men, women, and children  who had to go into exile after three years of war against Francoism, according to one translation. They were the precursors of the antifascist struggle in Europe.

That last sentence was the only mention of any further continental fascism. While there was plenty of information to be had about those seeking refuge in France, there was none about those fleeing the dangers within the countrys borders. The very same mountain trails that had been crossed from south to north in 1939 were taken north to south just one year later. Different dictators, different directions.

Our second days hike, from Coll de Banyuls up to Coll de Rumpissa, was so steep that Ms. Arran walked in front of me and Mr. Prime behind. We climbed past wild boar droppings until the well-marked trail gradually disappeared and we had to use our hiking poles to whack aside thorny branches. The long, pointy spines tore my pants and dug bloody stripes into my skin. Desperate to feel as if Id uncovered some truth, I convinced myself these were the same wild plants that scratched and bloodied my fathers legs. The magical thinking didnt stop there.
Mr. Ransom, 35, said he tried to hew to those principles every day he was in the jury box, even as he heard evidence that the defendants considered Black people to be animals or savages, and even as he was forced to watch a video that showed Mr. Arbery bleeding on the pavement and gasping for breath as the three white defendants declined to offer him comfort or aid.

It was not easy. Mr. Ransom cried when the video footage was played in court. He cried when federal prosecutors showed another video one of the defendants had shared with a friend that cruelly mocked a young Black boy as he danced.

He cried after handing over the verdict, which the clerk read aloud: Guilty, on all counts.

Just seeing that it was so much hatred that they had, not only for Ahmaud, but to other people of the Black race, Mr. Ransom said. It was a lot to take in.

On Monday evening, Mr. Ransom spoke publicly about the case for the first time in an interview with The New York Times, describing his view of the evidence and the deliberations of the jurors. Their verdict last week brought an emphatic close to a two-year drama in which Americans were confronted with a killing of a Black man that echoed a time in the South when extrajudicial terror and violence against African Americans were rampant  and when the perpetrators often eluded justice.

A different fate awaits Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William Bryan, the white men who chased Mr. Arbery through their neighborhood in February 2020. The men were found guilty of murder in state court in November, and given life sentences. The additional guilty verdicts in federal court, for hate crimes and attempted kidnapping, could mean that each man receives an additional life sentence.
When rain pummeled California in October, many breathed a sigh of relief: At least in some parts of the state, the worst of the fire season, experts said, was most likely over.

The following month, however, precipitation was scarce. In December, it rained again, smashing records. Now, some parts of the state have barely seen another drop of water since early January.

It has been both an unusually dry and an unusually wet winter, said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Nature Conservancy.

But what do these ups and downs mean for Californias next fire season? The answer is complicated.

Before October, a vast majority of California was considered to be in exceptional or extreme drought (the highest rankings, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor). So when meteorological conditions known as atmospheric rivers drenched parts of the state in October and December, much of that water was sucked up by the parched landscape.
The primary election on Tuesday in Texas marked the first statewide test of a sweeping law that added new restrictions to voting and that has threatened to keep some voters absentee ballots from being counted.

There were no major reports of long lines or of outside groups threatening or intimidating voters on Tuesday morning, as a steady, if slight, stream of voters cast their ballots.

Early voting in the primary was in line with previous midterm primaries. About 9 percent of registered voters cast ballots early in the 15 most populous counties in the state, almost exactly the same share as voted early in the 2018 midterm primaries, according to data from the Texas secretary of states office.

But both the rejection of absentee ballots and the return of ballots deemed defective surged in the early voting period. Roughly 30 percent of the ballots received were rejected in the states most populous counties, almost exclusively because new regulations required voters to put their drivers license number or partial Social Security number on their ballots. In the 2020 election, the overall rejection rate in the state was below 1 percent.
UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths (on the screen) speaks via video link during a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 28, 2022. Griffiths on Monday called for the protection of humanitarian workers in Ukraine and for more resources. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths on Monday called for the protection of humanitarian workers in Ukraine and for more resources.

"Right now, we urgently need progress on two fronts if we want to reach more people with aid that they need, that they deserve," he told a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

"First, we need assurances from parties to the conflict that humanitarian workers and movements will be protected even during the most severe days of the conflict and not waiting for the conflict to subside," he said. "Even now, even today, we need to provide those protections to those workers to do the job that they want to do."

Under international humanitarian law, all parties must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of impartial humanitarian relief for civilians in need and must ensure the freedom of movement of humanitarians, he said.

"And secondly, of course, we desperately need more resources," said Griffiths.

On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will launch a humanitarian appeal for the Ukraine situation with two components: a three-month flash appeal for the situation inside the country, and a regional refugee response plan for the situation outside, he said.

He called on member states to show support with quick, generous and flexible funding.

The most pressing humanitarian needs are for emergency medical services, including sexual and reproductive health services, critical medicine, health supplies and equipment, safe water for drinking and hygiene, shelter and protection for the displaced, said Griffiths.

He said every effort must be made to de-escalate the conflict. 

UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths (on the screen) speaks via video link during a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 28, 2022. Griffiths on Monday called for the protection of humanitarian workers in Ukraine and for more resources. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)
NEW ORLEANS  Jeremy Stevenson didnt know if he could do it this year.

Normally, Mr. Stevenson, a chief within the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tradition, spends an entire year sewing an elaborate suit that pays homage to the Native American tribes who took in people who escaped slavery.

But after the citys devastating coronavirus spike following Mardi Gras in 2020 and the Covid-related death of his cousin Keelian Boyd last year at age 37, Mr. Stevenson could barely look at the beads and the feathers he needed to make this years suit.

Then, last spring, he heard a voice, his cousins, telling him, Youve got to do this. He began spending long days sewing while keeping an eye on Covid-19 case counts, wary of any rise that could prompt the city to go into lockdown and cancel Mardi Gras again.
WASHINGTON  At a rare formal news conference in January, President Biden hailed the $1 trillion infrastructure package that Democrats and Republicans had recently approved, promising that miles of roads would be rebuilt, railways and bridges would be upgraded, and Americas public transit system would become a source of international envy.

That same day, 16 Republican governors sent a letter to Mr. Biden that underscored the steep challenge he faces in turning his ambitions for the law into reality.

The governors pushed back on federal attempts, outlined in a memo, to encourage states to use the funds to repair roads instead of expanding them, which the Biden administration said would exacerbate auto emissions. The letter urged the administration to refrain from using the law to push its social agenda, which they said would impede their own goals for the package, and to give them maximum regulatory flexibility in spending the funds.

Mr. Biden promoted the law and committed to repairing 65,000 miles of roads and 1,500 bridges in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. He has spent the past several weeks traveling around the country to sell the package, which is central to his broader agenda of reducing emissions, promoting racial equity, creating jobs and providing relief to disadvantaged households. But much of its success rests with state leaders, who get to decide how to use much of the funds and who may not always share the presidents goals.
If your relatives or friends are in Ukraine and participate in the war against our people  here you can get information about their fate, the site says.

The name of the site, 200rf.com, is a grim reference to Cargo 200, a military code word that was used by the Soviet Union to refer to the bodies of soldiers put in zinc-lined coffins for transport away from the battlefield; it is a euphemism for troops killed in war.

The website is part of a campaign launched by Ukraine and the West to counter what American officials characterize as Russian disinformation, which includes Russias insistence before the invasion that the troops surrounding Ukraine were simply there for military exercises. Information and the battle for public opinion around the world have come to play an outsize part in a war that has come to seem like a David vs. Goliath contest.

On Monday, Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, read out before the General Assembly what he said were the final text messages from a Russian soldier to his mother. They were obtained, he said, by Ukrainian forces after the soldier was killed. We were told that they would welcome us and they are falling under our armored vehicles, throwing themselves under the wheels and not allowing us to pass, he wrote, according to Mr. Kyslytsya. They call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard.

The decision to read those texts, Russia experts and Pentagon officials said, was a not-so-veiled reminder to Mr. Putin of the role Russian mothers have had in bringing attention to military losses that the government tried to keep secret. In fact, a group now called the Union of Committees of Soldiers Mothers of Russia played a pivotal part in opening up the military to public scrutiny and in influencing perceptions of military service, Julie Elkner, a Russia historian, wrote in The Journal of Power Institutions in Post-Soviet Societies.
WASHINGTON  Against the backdrop of a national crisis of soaring opioid overdoses and deaths, the Supreme Court on Tuesday considered the cases of two doctors accused of operating pill mills, with the justices struggling to articulate a legal standard that would separate unconventional medical practices from drug dealing.

They parsed the language of the Controlled Substances Act, recalling lessons learned from childhood grammar teachers. They tried out analogies, including whether there is ever a good-faith exception to exceeding the speed limit. And they worried about sending doctors to prison for decades over disputes about whether they had violated ill-defined medical norms.

The doctors in the two cases were convicted of unlawful drug distribution. One, Dr. Xiulu Ruan, was accused of running a clinic in Alabama with a business partner that issued nearly 300,000 prescriptions for controlled substances in a little more than four years, making it one of the nations leading sources of prescriptions for some kinds of fentanyl drugs.

The other, Dr. Shakeel Kahn, was accused of writing prescriptions in Arizona and Wyoming in exchange for payments that roughly tracked the street prices of the drugs. Prosecutors said he had accepted payment in cash and personal property, including firearms.
HOUSTON  Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas fended off two right-wing primary challengers on Tuesday, avoiding a runoff by a wide margin but still falling well short of the 90 percent of the vote he marshaled in the primary four years ago as a restive Republican base continues to push the party farther to the right.

Mr. Abbott, who is running for a third term, left little to chance, spending $15 million in the last month alone to squash any primary threat. He will now face Beto ORourke, the former congressman who formally won the Democratic nomination, in the fall.

The results from the Texas primaries are providing the first pieces of the 2022 midterm puzzle: both an early indication of the strength of the two parties ideological factions and the intensity of former President Donald J. Trumps continued hold on the Republican electorate.

In South Texas, a fierce effort by progressives to defeat one of the last anti-abortion Democrats remaining in Congress, Representative Henry Cuellar, was headed to a runoff. The race was a rematch from two years ago but this time the challenger, Jessica Cisneros, received a political gift when the F.B.I. raided Mr. Cuellars home late in the race.
A Republican report on the 2020 election in Wisconsin endorsed a host of debunked claims of fraud and false assertions about lawmakers power to decertify President Bidens victory, lending credence to the conspiracy theories that have gripped Republicans in the state for more than 16 months.

The claims in the report, commissioned by the Republican speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly and written by a conservative former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, immediately reopened a rift among Republicans in one of the nations most narrowly divided battleground states. While some in the party are trying to move on to the next election, the report is likely to fuel those still fixated on overturning the last one.

The document is the latest, but not the final, word on Wisconsins ongoing Republican-authorized investigation into false claims of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election. Robin Vos, the Wisconsin Assembly speaker, commissioned the investigation and appointed Michael J. Gableman, the former justice, to lead it in June, days after former President Donald J. Trump issued statements criticizing him and other leading Wisconsin Republicans for working hard to cover up election corruption.

Mr. Gableman presented his findings to the Wisconsin Assemblys elections committee during a hearing Tuesday. He directly contradicted a legal analysis conducted by the Legislatures lawyers in November that found there is no basis in law for decertifying an election.
NEW DELHI  When India abstained from a United Nations vote and the chorus of Western condemnation against the Ukraine invasion, it appeared to be taking sides: offering tacit support for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

After all, the two nations deep ties are decades old, and their leaders, who have met nearly 20 times since Narendra Modi became prime minister of India in 2014, share a similar vision of muscular nationalism.

But India was more subtle in its move, driven by its vulnerability in a hostile neighborhood that forces the country to play a constant balancing act between Moscow and Washington.

India needs both the United States and Russia to contain China, which is pushing up against its borders and gaining influence with its neighbors. And it has been trying to navigate both sides over the war with Ukraine.
TAIPEI, Taiwan  Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Justin Huang, a 23-year-old recent university graduate in Taiwan, has been gripped by news of the crisis, just like many other people around the world. He has pored over reports about Ukrainians signing up for the military and scrutinized video footage of Russian missiles hitting residential buildings. He has been deeply disturbed by Russias brazen disregard for global norms.

But for Mr. Huang and many Taiwanese, Russias assault is hitting especially close to home.

The self-governed island democracy has long faced the threat of being absorbed by the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, which has vowed to do so by force if it deems necessary. As Taiwanese watch Russian troops pour into Ukraine, their unease about their islands own future is growing. The courage of Ukrainians, as well as the harsh reality of that countrys lonely battle, has driven a greater sense of urgency among many Taiwanese to step up the islands defenses.

Reading the news has been a bit traumatic emotionally, Mr. Huang said. Moved by a sense of solidarity with Ukraine, he and around 200 other people protested on Saturday outside Russias de facto embassy in Taipei. He said he feared that the invasion of Ukraine could be the tipping point in the world order, ushering in a new era in which autocrats could act with impunity.
GENEVA  About 100 diplomats, many from Western countries, walked out of a speech by Russias foreign minister at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday in protest over his countrys invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva led the walkout, which left a largely empty conference hall to hear the remarks by Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov at a conference on disarmament.

Mr. Lavrov, who had planned to attend the Human Rights Council session in person, delivered his speech by video link, because he said that European countries bans on flights from Russia had blocked his travel to Geneva.

He accused Ukraine of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, an unsubstantiated claim that Moscow has used as one of the justifications for its invasion. Ukraine gave up its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in 1994 in exchange for security guarantees.
LONDON  Queen Elizabeth II is returning to work after a Covid scare, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday, ending more than a week of heightened concern about the health of Britains longest-reigning monarch after it was announced that she had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The palace said that the monarch was feeling well enough to resume virtual engagements and other duties, including audiences with representatives from other countries.

Queen Elizabeth, 95, first tested positive for the coronavirus on Feb. 20, with the palace describing her symptoms as mild.

It was unclear where or from whom the queen had contracted the infection, but several others in her residence at Windsor Castle, west of London, also tested positive, suggesting an outbreak there. The queen had also recently met her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, who was later reported to be isolating after becoming reinfected with the coronavirus.
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Monday issued the Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021, which sheds light on the reality of a country claiming to be a beacon of human rights and provides the world with a clear image of U.S. human rights violations.

"All men are created equal," the Founding Fathers of the U.S. wrote in the Declaration of Independence. All men are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Americans are told that their right to life is inherent, yet a ravaging pandemic has served them a cold reminder that the U.S. government is reluctant to work for that right.

As the U.S. purports to walk the high ground of human rights, its status quo is displaying a different reality. According to the report, the U.S. has seen the world's highest numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with 34.51 million confirmed cases and 480,000 fatalities in 2021 -- figures that far surpassed those seen in 2020.

When the virus landed as a threatening challenge, politicians in Washington did not treat it as an urgent priority. And many, in the name of human rights, continued to indulge in their hysteria and shifted the blame to other countries.

The great loss of lives in the U.S. during the pandemic is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the country's accumulated human rights crimes over recent decades. When there is a flame in its backyard, the U.S. government flaunts its old trick: It makes no mention of itself and goes to great lengths to create something bigger and larger in significance to split the attention of the people.

Beyond the pandemic, other U.S. realities, including racism, bipartisan conflict, wealth discrepancy, environmental issues and border issues, have brought great numbers of severe human rights violations in the U.S. But few cases -- extreme examples like the case of George Floyd -- have come to light.

Some U.S. politicians know that "human rights" are merely used as propaganda utilized to manipulate the internal affairs of other countries. So when the phrase is accompanied by a question mark, it is not at all surprising to see the United States stumble. 
PARIS  The man the Kremlin holds in dismissive contempt, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, has emerged as an online hero. His Twitter account has leapt by hundreds of thousands of followers a day (he now has 4.3 million). Often dressed in olive-green fleece and cargo pants, he has accused Russia of war crimes, signed a formal application to join the European Union, and morphed into a symbol of hope and grace under pressure.

As Russia pursues its ruthless invasion, Mr. Zelensky has used social media adroitly to outmaneuver his nemesis, President Vladimir V. Putin. So, too, have many of the 44 million citizens of Ukraine. TikTok, the video-sharing app with more than a billion active users, has shaped views of the conflict and contributed to an intense wave of global sympathy for Ukraine. Call it Resistance 4.0, the influencers war against an unprovoked Russian invasion.

Mr. Putins assault against a phantom genocide in Ukraine meets the nimbleness, even the humor, of a people unified and galvanized by the Russian leaders obsessive talk of their nonexistence as a nation. The Russian leader also claims the war is nonexistent and is in fact a special military operation.

Technology, blamed of late for every ill from the death of truth to the spread of loneliness, restores feeling and revives human connection as the war unfolds. Brave civilians brandishing newly acquired rifles against armored divisions cannot leave the onlooker cold.
The Ukrainians attacking it from the air would have to make a decision of taking their very limited air force and going after what is a very difficult target, said Frederick W. Kagan, the director of the Critical Threats project at the American Enterprise Institute, which has partnered with the Institute of the Study of War to provide updates on the Russian invasion. He noted that the Russian military is likely defending the convoy aggressively.

It was also possible that Ukrainian commanders are waiting to engage the armored vehicles until they enter Kyiv, where they could be more easily destroyed while confined on city streets, and where neighborhoods could provide plenty of hiding places and protection for soldiers firing anti-tank missiles.

Experts cautioned that it was still too early to tell the convoys exact purpose, saying that it was also possible that the convoy could be used as part of a pincer movement to cut off the northeast of the country. But they said that Russia appeared to be adapting its initial strategy.

Under that strategy, Kremlin leaders had wrongly assumed Ukrainian forces would suffer a swift defeat against a superior Russian military, and that Russian forces could quickly take major cities without much fighting. Instead, Russian forces were stalled by stiff resistance from both Ukraines military and citizens who took up arms.

So what do we know about this convoy? Cloud cover has made it difficult to get a continuous or complete view of the area or a clear sense of the convoys movement. It was not clear whether the buildings and homes seen burning had been attacked.
It was an impassioned plea: President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine this week asked for his country to join the European Union, the worlds biggest trading bloc, which also has helped preserve peace in Europe for decades.

We have proven that at a minimum we are exactly the same as you, he told the European Parliament on Tuesday. So do prove that you are with us, do prove that you will not let us go, do prove that you indeed are Europeans. A day earlier, he submitted a formal application for Ukraines admission into the union, which is headquartered in Brussels, the Belgian capital.

With Russian forces violently pushing into Ukraine, Mr. Zelenskys request was warmly received by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the E.U.s executive branch, who proclaimed on Monday that Ukraine is one of us and we want them in the European Union.

However, her words of encouragement were largely symbolic, and Mr. Zelenskys E.U. aspirations arent likely to be satisfied any time soon: Joining the bloc is a painstaking and arduous process that can take as long as a decade.
In the years leading up to the Russian invasion, Poland had taken a hard line on migrants trying to enter the country. The army and border guards have pushed asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa back into Belarus. Last week, aid organizations said a 26-year-old man from Yemen froze to death at that border.

Some of the foreigners arriving in Poland from Ukraine over the past few days were exhausted and freezing, according to local aid organizations on the ground. Some were taken directly to hospitals because of their injuries.

Ahmed Habboubi, a 22-year-old French-Tunisian medical student, said all foreign nationals, including Africans, Israelis, Canadians and Americans, were told to go to one gate at the Medyka crossing from Ukraine to Poland, which would only process four people every couple of hours, while Ukrainians were allowed to pass freely through another gate.

The Ukrainian army beat me up so much I couldnt properly walk, he said in an phone interview. When I finally managed to enter Poland, the Polish authorities took me straight to the hospital, he added.

It was absolute chaos. We were treated like animals. There are still thousands of people stranded there.

He said that Poland had welcomed him warmly.

Dennis Nana Appiah Nkansah, a Ghanaian medical student, said he saw the same discrimination at the crossing from Ukraine into the Romanian town of Siret  one rule for Ukrainians and another for everyone else. Thousands of foreigners, including Zambians, Namibians, Moroccans, Indians and Pakistanis, were directed to one gate that was mostly closed, while another reserved for Ukrainians was open and people flowed through.

Over about three hours, four or five foreigners were allowed to leave, while there was a massive influx of Ukrainians crossing, he said. Its not fair, he said, but we understood that they have to see to their people first.
ROCCA DI MEZZO, Italy  As Italian skiers kicked the snow off their boots and warmed up in the lobby of his lodge in the Apennine Mountains, the hotel owner worried what European sanctions on Russia would do to his already astronomically high heating bills.

There will be major downsides for Italy, said the owner, Roberto Minafra, as his guests checked the latest news about Ukraine on their phones. But in the face of an existential threat from President Vladimir V. Putin, Mr. Minafra decided that Italy, which receives more than 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia, needed to act with Europe. The economic hit was worth the sacrifice.

Putin needs to be isolated, he said. We dont have an alternative.

After an initial wariness about the boomerang effect that sanctions would have on Italys energy imports, luxury goods businesses and banking sector, the country with some of the closest ties to Russia in Europe has stepped up with its Western allies in enacting muscular sanctions to weaken Mr. Putin, even at a potentially outsize cost for Italians.
RZESZOW, Poland  In the hours before dawn, as the world held its breath watching the first movements of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, the Turkish military made a last-minute dash to evacuate diplomatic staff and other citizens of Turkey from the capital, Kyiv.

Two military cargo planes entered Ukrainian airspace soon after midnight and circled down into Boryspil International Airport, the main civilian airport that lies 18 miles east of Kyiv city center.

But the planes ended up stranded. So too were their military crews, and the Turkish diplomats and citizens they were trying to evacuate. At 5 a.m., Russia unleashed the first salvos of its war on Ukraine, making any flight out impossible.

Pictures of the airport the next day, obtained from the commercial satellite imagery company Planet Labs, show two gray military cargo planes parked in the open at one side of the airport, which so far has not been a target of Russian airstrikes.
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As a child in the Russian city of Volgograd, Nina Ryakhovskaya grew up with her younger cousin, sliding in their socks on their grandmothers wooden floor, pretending to be figure skaters and confiding secrets and crushes to each other.

Now 40, and living in Kyiv with her Ukrainian husband, Ms. Ryakhovskaya recently called her cousin in Volgograd to tell her the Russians were invading Ukraine. Her cousin did not believe there was an invasion and told her that Russia was only conducting an operation against Nazis there, she said.

It makes me feel like we are distant forever, Ms. Ryakhovskaya said in a video call from a house in the countryside near Kyiv, where she fled with her husband and 7-year-old son as the Russian invasion unfolded. I cant forgive them, I cant forgive that they are part of this.
The Palestinian residents were allowed to stay on as protected tenants on the condition that they paid rent to the new owners, but many of the Palestinian families refused on principle.

For years, the Israeli courts have treated the house-by-house ownership battle as a legalistic property dispute. But the land has powerful attachments to Palestinians and Jews.

The Jewish community in Sheikh Jarrah was centered around a shrine held by Jews to be the ancient tomb of Shimon Hatzadik, or Simeon the Just, a Jewish high priest from the days of the Second Temple. And since Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967, successive Israeli leaders have promised their capital city would never again be divided.

Palestinians have long demanded East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state.

The eviction cases have also highlighted a legal double standard: The families settled in Sheikh Jarrah by Jordan were Palestinian refugees from what is now Israel. While Jewish Israelis can reclaim land they owned in East Jerusalem before 1948, Palestinians have no similar legal recourse to reclaim homes they once owned in what became Israel.

Four months ago, the same four families rejected a compromise proposed by the court along similar lines of the ruling on Tuesday because it did not recognize them as the owners of their homes and it would have required them to pay rent to the settler organizations.

This time, said Sami Arsheid, a lawyer representing the families, since it was a court ruling, it was not a matter of agreeing or not.
Photo illustration by Braulio Amado Talk San Franciscos D.A. Says Angry Elites Want Him Out of Office

When Chesa Boudin was elected district attorney for San Francisco in 2019, his victory was seen as part of a wave that swept him and other progressive prosecutors into office, including Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, Kim Foxx in Chicago and Rachael Rollins in Boston. Boudin, like others in his cohort, promised to work to reform the criminal-justice system by focusing on, among other tactics, decarceration and addressing root causes of crime. Perhaps predictably, Boudin  whose parents are former members of the Weather Underground who served long prison sentences for their roles in a 1981 robbery of a Brinks armored car that left two police officers and a guard dead  has been met with heavy resistance from those who believe that his office has compromised public safety. While a host of metrics complicate that perception, it remains potent: Boudin, who is 41, is facing a recall election on June 7. Were doing things that have never been done before, he says, and that does make some people uncomfortable.

Your critics make the argument that your policies, and by extension progressive prosecutors, create a perception of permissiveness that emboldens criminals. Whats your response? I was clear as a candidate, and our efforts have followed through, that we would focus resources on crimes that cause the most harm: violent crimes, murder, sexual assault. Those are where our charging and conviction rates have gone up. If you are someone who believes in a tough-on-crime deterrence model of the justice system or public safety, then that model must begin with the police making arrests in a high percentage of cases. With theft in San Francisco, people believe they can get away with it because only 2 percent of reported thefts result in arrest. We can hang people in the town square, but the most effective thing at deterring crime is certainty of arrest. But the police make arrests in less than 3 percent of reported auto burglaries. Not blaming the police: These are crimes that are hard to make an arrest in. Because of that, people dont fear consequences. It has nothing to do with my policies.

There has been a lot of friction between your office and the police. Do you believe theyre trying to undermine you? Some police officers, absolutely. The police union has been out to get me since before Day 1. I also know theres a lot of San Francisco police officers who hate the politics and want to do their job and do it well, and theyre doing a difficult job under historically challenging circumstances. I have tremendous sympathy and admiration for the members of the San Francisco Police Department who do their job with integrity. It is a dereliction of duty by those other members who, instead of doing their job well, tell the victims that they cant do anything because they dont like the district attorney.

Your mayor has also been critical. Do you think she finds it politically expedient to not be more supportive of you with the recall election? Theres a structural flaw in the way that San Franciscos recalls are designed, which is that the mayor appoints the replacement after a successful recall vote. It creates an incentive for the mayor to always support a recall, because who wouldnt want to appoint a citywide elected official? Why would she ever oppose a recall?

Maybe Im a Pollyanna, but Why would she ever oppose a recall?  because she thought the person was doing the best job. You havent spent much time in San Francisco politics, David. In San Francisco, the county and the city are contiguous. She has the budget of a city and a county combined. The resources are immense, and with those resources come high expectations. When we have problems like the Tenderloin or a housing crisis or an opioid-overdose epidemic, it is convenient for someone with access to those resources and power to have a foil when people are upset. When you have that much power, if people are upset, its convenient to have a place to shift the blame.

Chesa Boudin at his swearing-in ceremony in January 2020. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

I know that you talk a lot about wanting to address root causes of crime. But to what extent can a district attorney even do that? Isnt your ability to address root causes largely dependent on other actors  like the police, like the mayor  that are part of the system? This is a big question. I want to describe examples of what were doing to address root causes. So, we know that gun violence is on the rise across the country, with significant numbers in San Francisco. A traditional prosecutor might say that if someone is in possession of a gun illegally or uses a gun to do something unlawful, were going to punish them as harshly as the law allows, and thats our way of deterring crime. The thing that frustrates me about that approach is that we are accepting that we dont have a role to play in promoting public safety until after a crime occurs. Were trying to be proactive in my office. In San Francisco, instead of waiting for the police to make an arrest in homicides involving a ghost gun and punishing the individual that committed the harm, we are suing the ghost-gun companies and asking the courts to prohibit them from shipping their weapons into our community. Another example is expanding partnerships with the state attorney general to get guns out of the hands of people who we know are prohibited from having them. These are proactive approaches to prevent gun violence. A crime prevented: Theres no viral video of that. But if we are serious about good policy, we must be proactive about preventing crime.

What about something like, for example, property theft? Unlike gun violence, it seems to be a bigger problem in San Francisco than it is in some other cities. Is there necessarily going to be a lag between the time it takes to address root causes and a subsequent reduction in that kind of crime? Its not a new problem. Thats one thing to bear in mind. A second part of that is if you look at the data, overall thefts last year went up a bit but were still well below their 2019 levels. So despite the viral videos and breathless headlines to the contrary, the empirical evidence is that property crime is moving in the right direction. The other thing is, I want to complicate the assumption that its not an issue in other cities. I went to New York in November to visit my dad when he got out of prison, and we went to Duane Reade. We wanted to get him basic things: deodorant, a hairbrush, a toothbrush. We went in, and even deodorant, which was like five or six dollars a bar, was behind plexiglass. People on social media would have you think that its only in San Francisco where people are so desperate that theyre going to go into Duane Reade or Walgreens and shoplift. The reality is thats a feature of modern American urban life, in large part because of the horrific wealth inequalities, the poverty, the lack of access to housing, the internet marketplaces where people can resell stolen products. Those trends are national and have nothing to do with me or my policies. That said, this country has spent decades building up a system that efficiently processes individual cases for conviction and incarceration. We cant, overnight, expect to have a comparable infrastructure for responding to crimes in ways that are more than just warehousing people. Which is why its important to recognize that we are focusing wherever possible on root causes. At the same time, we have increased our conviction rate for murders, our charging rate for sexual assaults. My charging rate for drug sales is higher than in years.

I brought up property theft in San Francisco and you made a comparison with Manhattan. But Target is limiting its hours in your city, and Walgreens is closing stores explicitly because of too much theft. Theres also those viral videos of flash-mob robberies  Sorry, David, youre saying you didnt see videos of flash-mob burglaries in other cities?

I havent, no. Chicago. Walnut Creek. The notion that this is a San Francisco problem is demonstrably false.

Then thats my mistake. But property theft in San Francisco is a problem. What needs to be happening differently to address it? The major change that has happened when it comes to retail theft in particular is that stores like Walgreens have decided its not in their interest to have their security detain shoplifters. The reason is that the police almost never make it to the stores in response to a shoplifting call in time to effectuate an arrest. They rely on store security to hold people long enough for the police to arrive. If Walgreens or Target or any other store decides that its too risky, in terms of people getting injured or racial-profiling lawsuits or disturbing other customers  if those costs outweigh the benefit of having their staff make arrests, how do they expect me to prosecute? If the police cant make arrests, to then say its the district attorneys fault simply doesnt add up.

Let me ask about another subject that I suspect you might say has been distorted nationally: the Tenderloin, which the mayor declared an emergency zone. But whether anything actually new is happening there is almost beside the point. The point is that an open-air drug market is a bad thing for a city. What can you be doing to improve the situation? The Tenderloin has been an ongoing public-health crisis and state of emergency for at least a decade. This is not a new problem. In fact, one of your colleagues at The New York Times wrote an Op-Ed in which he was highly critical of me. He linked to a video of the Tenderloin and the Civic Center BART station that adjoins it as an example of progressive prosecutors failing. But the video was from 2018. I hadnt even run for office yet. Im not saying that to be catty about your colleagues or the fact-checking at The New York Times. Im making a broader point, which is that the right-wing media  Im not saying this about The New York Times  has for years loved to point to the Tenderloin as an example of the failures of progressive policies. The reality is that every city in the United States has at least one neighborhood where, historically, through red-lining or policing or zoning, poverty has been consolidated. If you go to New York City, you cant pretend that the South Bronx doesnt exist, that deep east Brooklyn doesnt exist. Those are parts of New York City, just like the Tenderloin is part of San Francisco.

I wouldnt argue that other parts of the country dont have historically problematic areas. My question was whether anything should or could be done differently in the Tenderloin. Absolutely. The Tenderloin is an emergency. It is a priority. In San Francisco, we need to have safe consumption sites, because people dont die of overdoses at safe consumption sites. The second thing we need is people who are drug-addicted to have an easier time accessing treatment and services than they do buying drugs on the street corner. We are prosecuting people the police arrest. Its not working because there is an insatiable demand for drugs from people who dont have housing, access to health care, access to employment and access to treatment that can help them reduce their dependence on dangerous drugs.

Boudin at a news conference in December. Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle, via Associated Press

Theres statistical evidence that your approach is working, but that seems to be coming up against a segment of the San Francisco populations lived experience, insofar as there may be people thinking: The numbers are pointing in the right direction, but then why are there citizen-safety patrols in Chinatown? Why does my car keep getting broken into? The data speaks for itself, but youre right: The way that people feel matters too. If you walk down a busy street and there are a couple of people who are living in tents or asking for money, you dont feel unsafe, because there are lots of other people who look like you. After the pandemic, for reasons that have nothing to do with my policies, the financial district is empty. So the number of homeless people hasnt increased significantly, but that population  people who are mentally ill, addicted, vulnerable to being victims of crime  is more visible in ways that make people who have access to social media, who donate to political campaigns, who have access to reporters at The San Francisco Chronicle or Examiner feel less safe. Its not wrong or unfair for people to feel that way, but the connection with me is an explicitly political one driven by the recall.

You can point to factors beyond your policies affecting the situation in San Francisco; you can also point to things that youre doing well. If those things are true, whats motivating the recall? Wheres the disconnect for San Franciscans? Heres whats important to know: To get elected, the most any donor could give me was $500. Recalls are allowed to accept unlimited donations. Thats significant, because the single biggest contributor to the recall is a committee that has given about a $1.5 million so far. Were not dealing with a grass-roots movement. Were dealing with a small number of wealthy individuals, many of whom are national Republican major donors, who have financial interests in the real estate industry, in the gig economy and in using the police and the criminal-justice system to force aggressive displacement and gentrification so that their real estate investments can go up. And this is critical: I created a worker-protection unit that filed lawsuits against some gig-economy companies that are systematically misclassifying their employees, calling them independent contractors in blatant violation of California law, in order to avoid paying minimum wage, workers compensation insurance, unemployment insurance and all the other things that theyre required to do to compete fairly. Many of the people donating to the recall are investors in those companies.

Isnt part of whats also motivating the recall a philosophical disagreement about the nature of law enforcement? The rhetoric being used by the recall committee is that they support criminal-justice reform too. They know that if theyre honest about their political perspective, they will not win. Ill give you one example: I had a meeting in 2019 with one of the major donors to the recall. His name was William Oberndorf. At that meeting  I was running for district attorney  he said he would support me if I would oppose San Franciscos sanctuary-city policy. I said I couldnt do that. He got very angry, and when someone has the kind of money that he has, he can express his anger in a recall context, and thats exactly what hes doing. [When reached for comment, Oberndorf strongly disputed Boudins recounting of their meeting and said that he never suggested any sort of quid pro quo regarding sanctuary-city policy and his support of Boudin.]

You said the recall was not a grass-roots movement, but the petition for it got 83,000 signatures  youre shaking your head. Its more complicated. Its a self-reported number of signatures. That number has never been audited or validated. It doesnt change the fact that, hey, a lot of people seem to have signed. What any political consultant in California politics will tell you is that you can qualify anything you want for the ballot if you spend enough money to hire professional signature gatherers. They incentivize them by paying them per signature they gather. And they send them across the city, and the gatherers say things like: Do you want to stop sexual assault? Sign here. If you are allowed to employ those tactics and have unlimited money, then, yes, you will get lots of signatures. Thats a reflection of the money you spend, not necessarily popular support.

I want to ask you about recidivism. There have been cases used as a cudgel against you in which repeat offenders committed tragic crimes when they were back out on the street. Obviously we can always say the counterfactual: If the repeat offender was in jail, that wouldnt have happened. But locking up every offender for life is not a realistic response to the problem of recidivism. My question, though, is whether progressive prosecutors are asking people to accept some increased collective risk of recidivism in the short term in exchange for a greater collective good in the long term? We have to recognize that the tough-on-crime approach has had lots of opportunities to reduce recidivism rates, and it hasnt worked. California went through a drastic expansion of incarceration during the 1990s and early 2000s. About two-thirds of the people being released from state prison after local prosecutors had thrown the book at them were rearrested within a couple of years. The other important thing to recognize is that when people talk about recidivism in San Francisco  if you look at the cohort of people weve resentenced because we believe theyve served more than enough time, the recidivism rate is infinitesimally small. But people are going to focus on the Willie Horton case, the one case where something does go wrong, and theyre going to blame my office.

I imagine, given your personal history, that throughout your life youve encountered people with strong preconceptions about who you are and what you believe. Is that at all factoring into the opposition youre facing? If you never spend time with me  and sadly, because of the pandemic, there are far fewer residents and civic leaders in San Francisco who have had an opportunity to do that  its easy to be fooled by the dishonesty of the police union and their allies in terms of who I am and what Im about. The people who work closest with me, the people who know me, the people who have seen the way I approach the problems we face in this office understand that Im deeply committed to justice and public safety and that I believe that criminal-justice reform can make us safer. Thats why Im implementing these policies. For no other reason.

This interview has been edited and condensed from two conversations.

Opening illustration: Source photograph by Eric Risberg/Associated Press

David Marchese is a staff writer for the magazine and the columnist for Talk. Recently he interviewed Brian Cox about the filthy rich, Dr. Becky about the ultimate goal of parenting and Tiffany Haddish about Gods sense of humor.
Americans largely believe the tech industry has had a positive impact on their lives, but they also distrust social media companies, according to a new poll from insights and analytics company Ipsos.

The report, which sought to investigate Americans impressions of the tech sector, found that nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of U.S. adults believe the tech industry positively affects their lives, and 81 percent think technology is a good and important part of contemporary society. In total, more than half (53 percent) reported favorable sentiments of technology companies.

However, 59 percent of Americans simultaneously expressed unfavorable views regarding social media companies, and only 45 percent said they trust these platforms.

Specifically, a majority of Americans said they like Google (74 percent), Amazon (70 percent), Microsoft (60 percent) and Apple (52 percent). Americans also overwhelmingly reported enjoying online stores and marketplaces (83 percent) as well as the ability to find things on the Internet (88 percent) and the use of video chat or conference systems (71 percent).

As far as social media is concerned, on the other hand, a majority of those polled (44 percent) said they hold an unfavorable view of Twitter. When it comes to Facebook, Americans appear somewhat ambivalent (46 percent unfavorable, compared to 45 favorable). A majority of those polled still retain favorable views of YouTube (70 percent) and Instagram (40 percent).

Regardless of Americans apparent antipathy for social media, however, most (61 percent) still said that, if given a choice, theyd rather keep the technology sector as it is, warts and all. And most oppose the idea of the government limiting what can be said on social media (57 percent), although more than a third (38 percent) believe the government should take a more active role in policing private-sector misbehavior. More than half (53 percent) also believe that significant change in the tech world is unlikely anyway, as that sector is too essential for our daily lives.

That said, 60 percent believe the degree of political bias exhibited by the tech sector is a major problem. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) believe the amount of bad behavior the tech sector lets people get away with is a major problem. About two-thirds (64 percent) support the idea of breaking up large, monopolistic technology companies.

More than three-quarters (79 percent) said theyre concerned about social media-driven radicalization in the United States. More than two-thirds (69 percent) believe the U.S. mainstream media is more interested in making money than telling the truth.

Findings for the report were based on two Ipsos surveys, one which polled 1,022 U.S. adults in September and another which polled 1,016 U.S. adults in October. Both surveys were conducted using opinion research unit KnowledgePanel.
Aroldo Lazaro Saenz (3rd L), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)'s new chief, salutes a UN flag during a ceremony to officially transfer authority of the UNIFIL in Naqoura, Lebanon, on Feb. 28, 2022. Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)'s new chief, vowed on Monday to ensure the sustained cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, and to foster the respect of the Blue Line by both parties. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)'s new chief, vowed on Monday to ensure the sustained cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, and to foster the respect of the Blue Line by both parties.

In a statement released by UNIFIL, Saenz said he "will resort to the liaison and coordination arrangements, including the tripartite mechanisms," which have been held regularly between Lebanon, Israel, and the United Nations since the end of the 2006 war in south Lebanon as essential conflict management and confidence-building mechanism.

The Spanish commander made the remarks during a ceremony held at the UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura to officially transfer authority from outgoing UNIFIL chief Stefano Del Col of Italy to him.

Saenz added that continuing the current pace of coordinated activities between UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces will help maintain the stability along the Blue Line.

The Blue Line is a demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel as well as Lebanon and the Golan Heights published by the United Nations in 2000 for the purposes of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon. The line, stretching for 120 km along Lebanon's southern frontier, is a key to peace in the region.

Before handing over command, Del Col applauded the cooperation of the parties for working with him, saying that "moving forward and leaving the past behind is of paramount importance for both countries. Peace is possible, but courage, commitment and progress are necessary to proceed in this direction." 

Aroldo Lazaro Saenz (2nd L), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)'s new chief, receives a UN flag from outgoing UNIFIL chief Stefano Del Col during a ceremony to officially transfer authority of the UNIFIL in Naqoura, Lebanon, on Feb. 28, 2022. Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)'s new chief, vowed on Monday to ensure the sustained cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, and to foster the respect of the Blue Line by both parties. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

Peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) attend a ceremony to officially transfer authority of the UNIFIL in Naqoura, Lebanon, on Feb. 28, 2022. Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)'s new chief, vowed on Monday to ensure the sustained cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, and to foster the respect of the Blue Line by both parties. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)
A TD is recovering following a serious road accident which saw his car flip and roll on the M7 motorway in the Midlands.

The incident happened on the Limerick-bound carriageway of the M7 late last week as Deputy O'Donoghue was returning home from Leinster House.

Independent Limerick TD Richard O'Donoghue says he lost control of his Volkswagen Passat when he encountered a 'freak shower of hailstones' near Junction 21 - Borris-In-Ossory.

"It was like going from a carpet onto tiles. I was in the fast lane so I hit the (median) barrier on the right hand side - the front of the car tipped the barrier which put me into a 360-spin and took me down the road at a 45 degree angle. I crossed the two lanes and the hard shoulder and I hit the earth bank at the other side and she flicked me upside down," he told the Limerick Leader.

Mr O'Donoghue (pictured), who is an experienced driver, says he is lucky not to have been killed or seriously injured.

"When I landed I just started smiling and said to myself I'm alive - Jesus, I'm alive," he said adding that he was worried, in the immediate aftermath, that he would be killed by an oncoming vehicle as his car came to a stop while still partially on the motorway.

However, he managed to move the car to safety and 'walked away' from the accident without any serious injury.

After he returned to Limerick he was advised to seek medical attention and subsequently attended University Hospital Limerick where he was kept in overnight for observation.

While there he was assessed and underwent a number of scans and an x-ray - as is the norm with people who have been involved in similar road traffic incidents.

Outrageous carry on as man in the Midlands waves cash at and taunts garda A jobless father of four has been sentenced after publicly ridiculing a garda at a checkpoint, telling him: Go f*** yourself, youre on the minimum wage; your kids got nothing for Christmas.

"I couldn't talk highly enough about the staff who are in there - the nurses, the doctors, everyone - they were running and racing to different people. The amount of trolleys there was actually unsafe, they had trolleys on both sides of the corridors and on three or four occasions they had to move me to get somebody else passed," he said.

"Zone A, Zone B and Zone C - all the corridors were full of trolleys on both sides," he added.

The independent TD says having seen first-hand the reality on the ground at UHL, he believes there is only one solution.

"They have to re-open the A & E's in Ennis and Nenagh again - it's the only answer - they have no place to put people when they go in there (UHL) and it's not the staff's fault - they have no place to put them and they are understaffed," he said.

Deputy O'Donoghue, who was discharged following 24 hours in hospital says he is 'stiff and sore' but did not sustain any serious injuries in the accident.

His car, however, is a write-off.
A number of appeals have been made this week to the people of the Birr area to make donations to the plight of Ukrainian refugees.

The Polish shop, Stokrota, on Mill Street in Birr Town has said it is the drop off point for donations, and the first transportation of donations will head off to Poland this Wednesday, March 2.

If you want to make donations to the shop either drop them in personally or email the owners at Paheja@wp.pl

The shop would welcome the following essentials for babies and children: Nappies of all sizes; Formula; Non perishable baby food; Baby wipes; Baby blankets; Thermal blankets; Baby carriers.

The following essentials for women are being sought: Sanitary products; Soap; Toothpaste, toothbrushes; Shampoo; Painkillers.

The following miscellaneous items are being sought: Torches; Powerbanks; Batteries; Ear plugs; Disposable masks; Disposable gloves; Disposable tableware and cutlery; Plasters; Pet food; Bed linen; Yoga mats.

The Parents Association of Birr Mercy Primary School also said it is holding a collection in Mercy Primary on Wednesday March 2 after school.

Please donate if you can, the Parents Association said on its Facebook page. Toiletries and baby items are especially important. We can do a little bit to help. Please share this post. The post concluded with hands joined in prayer.

The school said all items must be new and include the following: Hygiene items  toothpaste, tooth brushes, sanitary towels, shower gel, etc. Baby items  nappies, wipes, sudocream, blankets, toys etc. Adult and children's clothing including underwear, hats, scarfs, socks, etc. Non-perishable food items can be included as long as they do not require cooking. Other items such as blankets, duvets, pillows, sleeping bags, dressings, plasters, disinfectant, masks.

The Parents Association will take the items to Mucklagh Community Centre.










President Volodymyr Zelensky has described a Russian military strike on the centre of Ukraines second-largest city as a war crime.

Not long after sunrise, a Russian military strike hit the centre of Kharkiv, badly damaging the symbolic Soviet-era regional administration building.

Closed-circuit television footage showed a fireball engulfing the street in front of the building, with a few cars continuing to roll out of the billowing smoke.

You cannot watch this without crying, a witness said in a video of the aftermath.

An emergency official said the bodies of at least six people had been pulled from the ruins, and at least 20 other people were injured.

It was not immediately clear what type of weapon was used or how many people were killed, but Mr Zelensky said there were dozens of casualties.

Mr Zelensky called the attack on the square frank, undisguised terror. Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget. This attack on Kharkiv is a war crime.

It was the first time the Russian military had hit the centre of the city of about 1.5 million people whose residential neighbourhoods have been under fire for days.

The Ukrainian emergency service said it had put out 24 fires in and around Kharkiv caused by shelling, and it had disabled 69 explosive devices.

Also struck on Tuesday was a tent site on the central square that had been set up to collect aid for the volunteer Ukrainian fighters who have rushed to Kharkivs defence.

The damaged City Hall building in Kharkiv, Ukraine (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)

In recent days, volunteer guards had occupied the regional administration building as part of those efforts.

It was feared that some of the volunteers were now among the dead.

Windows of the administration building were blown out.

Ceilings had collapsed.

Concrete dust added another layer of grim, grey desperation.

A nearby car was crushed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office/AP)

As emergency responders picked through the debris, there was fresh anger.

This is for those who were waiting for a Russian peace, this is what you wanted, yes? Many injured, one said.

The Russian military has denied targeting civilians, despite abundant evidence of shelling of residential buildings, schools and hospitals.

The military takes all measures to preserve the lives and safety of civilians, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

I would like to stress that strikes are carried out only on military targets and uses exclusively precision weapons.

(PA Graphics)

Unconvinced, one Kharkiv hospital has moved its maternity ward to a bomb shelter, with pregnant women pacing in the gloom.

The cries of dozens of newborns echoed off the thick concrete walls. Electrical cables dangled.

Rolled-up mattresses were placed against windows.

As the shelling in Kharkiv intensified, one family spent a fifth day in another shelter beneath the city.

Water bottles and backpacks were stocked in the basement.

A military-style helmet hung on a shelf, and underneath it a boy looked at a phone.

Boredom mixed with fear.

Emergency service personnel inspecting the damage inside the City Hall building in Kharkiv (Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP)

It is a nightmare, and it seizes you from the inside very strongly.

This cannot be explained with words, mother Ekaterina Babenko said.

She could hardly believe the Russian attack was occurring in Kharkiv and tearing its neighbourhoods apart.

My friend who lives in the suburb Gorizont, a few hours ago, the house next to hers was hit and several floors were destroyed, Ms Babenko said.

And for some time, there was no connection with her.

Those were scary minutes, very scary.

For her family and others still sheltering in the city, the world above was changing too quickly to comprehend.

Warehouses, homes, garages, cars, all burned.

Sveta, lets go, one man urged in a video showing the shelling of a residential area in Kharkiv on Monday.

Go, Ill catch up with you, the woman.

Leave, for Gods sake, the man pleaded.

Other residents were already flowing west, hoping to leave Ukraine altogether.
OK folks, this is not going to be easy. Yes, we have wars and rumours of wars, pestilence and plague, and storms to beat the band  Dudley, Eunice, and Franklin so far with Gladys and Hermon waiting, briefly, in the wings. Yes, it would appear the end of the world is nigh. Still the one story riveting people in Ireland this week, not least in Limerick, is the news that Willie ODea has announced he would quit Fianna Fail rather than support another coalition government involving his party.

That is not all. After 40 years service as a Fianna Fail TD for Limerick he has threatened the ultimate sanction on his party, should it ever go into a confidence and supply coalition again, - he would stand as an Independent! Not since Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) at Wittenberg in Germany on October 31st 1517  paving the way for a split in Western Christendom  has one mans action met with such equal and apposite reaction.

Shock and awe, would be fair description. Not least as Mr ODea had, admittedly in that different country which is the past, supported coalitions involving his Fianna Fail party a number of times before. Not just that, dear reader, he served in them.

In 1992 Mr O'Dea he was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Justice by then new Taoiseach Albert Reynolds in that unfortunate Fianna Fail  Labour Coalition. It collapsed in 1994.

Undeterred by that, seemingly unhappy Coalition experience, Mr ODea - gallantly - put aside any reservations he may have had in 2002 and agreed to serve as Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality, and Law Reform with special responsibility for Equality and Disability Issues in that Fianna Fail  Progressive Democrats Coalition government.

Not alone that but in 2004 he progressed (while remaining in Fianna Fail!) to the position of Minister for Defence in that government. Ok, that did not exactly run smoothly, but it had nothing to do with coalition. In November 2005 he was photographed at a media event in the Curragh pointing an automatic pistol at a photographer. The photo appeared on the front page of The Irish Times and he apologised saying it was not his intention to glamorise gun crime. Look, it happens. Ok?

He continued as Minister for Defence in another coalition government, now involving the Green Party and the PDs (I know its hard to keep up through all these coalitions he served in, but bear with me) until February 2010 when he was `done down by the Greens.

Between ourselves, it involved a somewhat sensitive case. Mr ODea had asserted, falsely, that a Sinn Fein rivals brother in Limerick was running a brothel. However, in December 2009, Willie did the honourable thing. He settled the case out of court and apologised to the Sinn Fein man concerned for making "false and defamatory statements" during the relevant interview with the Limerick Leader newspaper. Admittedly, this followed the production of a tape recording of the interview he did with the newspaper. He also paid an undisclosed sum in damages to the relevant Sinn Fein local election candidate.

It happens. Right? But, not if youre a purer than pure, whiter than white, Green. (Is there any other kind?) They were not satisfied with Willies apology or (no doubt) his generous settlement in the case. But worse, much much worse were those damned Blueshirts. True to form, as always. Persil white compared to the Greens.

Fine Gael tabled a no confidence motion in Willie. But `the boys rallied round. Yes, they did, including the Greens, and he was saved. Still, the Greens could win that struggle with their conscience only for so long. Their then party chair Dan Boyle lost it and tweeted that he had no confidence in Willie and that was that. Willie ended up being the sacrificial lamb to Green propriety and took that road less travelled by Irish politicians generally, he resigned.

That was 12 years ago, a long time to be a senior politician without ministerial portfolio. Not least when your party is in government. Yes, Mr ODea has served under Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin as spokesperson for Communications and spokesman on Social Protection and Social Equality. But that was when Fianna Fail was in opposition and before the general election of 2020. Since when its been silence where Willies political ambitions are concerned. Or, possibly, that should read 'where Micheal Martin is concerned'.

So, facing his 70th birthday on All Souls Day next (November 1st, for all you pagans) Willie has decided he has nothing to lose. So at the weekend he blew storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin, a likely war in Ukraine and news of a new highly transmissible Covid variant, off the front pages by declaring `non serviam. He will not serve. In fact he threatened to quit Fianna Fail and run as an Independent rather than support another coalition government anchored by a confidence and supply deal. So there. That told them.

He criticised Taoiseach Michael Martin for extending a power-sharing deal to Fine Gael after the 2020 general election, claiming it alienated Fianna Fail voters and that it did not fit with the more elevated theories of the McGregor School of Politics. He criticised the Taoiseach for not being more Conor McGregor-like in his dealings with Sinn Fein after the 2019 local elections, in which that latter party did badly.

To be accurate and fair, Willie wouldnt consider MMA fighter McGregor as any kind of intellectual but McGregors attitude would be, he said, that when you get a fella down, dont let him get up. But Michael Martin seems to have a different mentality to Conor Mc Gregor, so not only do we allow Sinn Fein to get up, but we allowed them plenty of time to reorganise and figure out what went wrong (in the 2019 local elections).

He continued we have lost ground by being indistinguishable from Fine Gael and that if we do lose more ground and the party was proposing to go into coalition with anybody, I wouldnt be voting for that coalition. Another term in government would be the finish of Fianna Fail anyhow, he said.

All that said he would support Dublin Fianna Fail TD Jim OCallaghan as the partys next leader. Fianna Fail in the future must have a new modern image, he said, and be made up of people who have no association really with the past.

So where does that leave Willie himself? Well, hes not going down alone. Whats equally important, he said, is to have people who dont really have too close an association with the present Government.

It may all be academic for Willie ODea anyhow as, should this Government survive to 2025  and who can say at this early stage? - it may even be too late for Willie to consider even standing again. At 73 then he may pause for thought. Besides, the growing likelihood of his party then entering government with Sinn Fein may prove just one bridge too far for him. Though they like their bridges in Limerick. Even if his preferred party leader Jim OCallaghan was already making eyes in that direction after last years general election.

Perish the thought, but could Willie be seriously expected to accept a ministerial portfolio in a Sinn Fein  Fianna Fail coalition government? Its one thing serving in coalition with the PDs, the Greens, Labour, Independents, and to support government with Fine Gael, but Sinn Fein!

What would Conor McGregor do?
MENTAL health activist and founder of Accessible Counselling Tullamore (ACT), James O'Connor has been selected as the 2021 Offaly Person of the Year.

Mr O'Connor will be presented with the prestigious award at a gala dinner in the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore on Saturday, April 9 next, commencing at 7pm.

The businessman, who runs the company fititout.ie, and charity operator has spoken publicly in the past about how he needed psychiatric care after suffering a breakdown when his baby daughter died.

The little infant Leah Victoria passed away in 1999 and after first opening up about his mental health difficulties in 2015, Mr O'Connor has become a prominent campaigner.

A lot of people around me started to take their own lives, young people. The age group was similar to when I had my own issues, he said.

Mr O'Connor became active in battling the stigma associated with mental health struggles and became an ambassador for the See Change Green Ribbon campaign.

He then decided to found Accessible Counselling Tullamore (ACT) as a community-based response.

The whole idea is early intervention, were not a crisis centre so we look at grabbing a problem when its small and dealing with it, he explained in an interview on the Late Late Show last year to RTE 1 viewers.

Mr O'Connor was a guest of Ryan Tubridy after receiving a 20,000 donation from AXA Ireland under its Community Hero awards programme.

In addition to receiving 20,000 from Axa for ACT, Mr O'Connor was given another 5,000 personally and he decided to donate it to nine organisations  Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services, Tullamore Men's Shed, Dochas Offaly Cancer Support, Offaly Hospice, Good 2 Talk Westmeath, Anam Chara Counselling, Living Links, Offaly Down Syndrome Association and Feileacain (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Association of Ireland).

I am so thankful to everyone that fund-raised and donated to ACT since we opened. I am so thankful for each and every donation ACT has received and I thank you all for your generosity and for investing in the mental health of our community, he said.

Speaking following the announcement of the award Mr O'Connor paid tribute to the hard-working team at ACT and also thanked his partner Lisa Guing: I may have had the idea but she is the one that did all the hard work behind the scenes and continues to do so every day.

He said the team at ACT had been very busy during the Covid period and now had almost 950 clients on their books.

The 2021 Offaly Person of the Year also extended his grateful to the HSE Suicide Prevention Officer for the region, Jospehine Rigney for her ongoing support for ACT.

The recipient of the 2021 Unsung Hero of Offaly Award will be announced next week.

Both awards are organised by a sub-committee of the Offaly Association (Dublin).

Tickets for the event will be available in the coming weeks and can be purchased from any member of the organising committee or from the Bridge House Hotel and the Tullamore Tribune.

In all 21 people were nominated by the public for the 2021 award: James O'Connor, Tullamore, Declan Kelly, Kilclonfert, Michaela Morkan, Shinrone, John Cronin, Tullamore,

Seamus Boland, The Island, John Jones, Rhode, Sr Genny, Tullamore, Nicole Turner, Portarlington (Gracefield), Darragh Kenny, Belmont, Daingean GAA, Pullough Community Shop, John Feehan, Birr; Abdul Hafiz, Tullamore; Geraldine O'Neill, Daingean; John O'Connor, Durrow; Paul Galvin, Tullamore; Bertie McMahon, Clara; Jack McDermott, Tullamore; Brian Sheridan, Clara; Peter Ormonde, Shinrone, Ken Smollen, Tullamore and Clara.
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Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia speaks at a Security Council meeting on Ukraine at UN Headquarters in New York on Jan. 31, 2022. (Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

The decision is "yet another gross violation" of the UN Headquarters agreement signed by the United States as the host country, and of the Vienna Conventions, said Russian UN ambassador.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, on Monday regretted a U.S. decision to expel 12 staff members of the Russian UN mission.

"I would like to inform you about yet another hostile step taken by the host country -- a step against the Russian mission. Just now, literally, an hour ago, we were informed that from the Russian mission, 12 of its staff are being expelled," said Nebenzia at the beginning of a Security Council meeting that he was chairing.

The decision is "yet another gross violation" of the UN Headquarters agreement signed by the United States as the host country, and of the Vienna Conventions, said Nebenzia.

"We keep being told about the need for diplomacy, diplomatic solutions. At the same time, our opportunities to conduct this kind of activity are being restricted," he said. "We deeply regret this decision. And we'll see how the events develop within the context of this decision."

U.S. deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Richard Mills, said the 12 staff members of the Russian mission were ordered to leave because they engaged in "activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats."

"They have been given a request to depart this country so they do not harm the national security of the host country," said Mills.

Nebenzia said the U.S. representative's response was not satisfactory.

The U.S. decision came amid Russian military operations in Ukraine. 
(MENAFN - Gulf Times) An Indian student was yesterday killed in shelling in Ukraine, New Delhi said as it urged Moscow and Kyiv to secure safe passage for around 12,000 of its stranded ...
There is growing appetite in Parliament for New Zealand to immediately welcome people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations believes more than 500,000 people have already fled. National and the Greens today called...
Leaders of each political party will speak on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the looming humanitarian crisis when Parliament meets tat 2pm his afternoon. It comes as Russian forces close in on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv....
The leaders of Japan and France agreed Tuesday to enforce "strong" sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and opposed Moscow's nuclear threat. During roughly 25-minute phone
A child holds a peace sign with the Ukrainian flag during a demonstration to support Ukraine at Washington Square Park.



The decision to divest must be made by the boards of each pension plan, which cover 700,000 current and former city employees in total. [ more  ]
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada wants the International Criminal Court to speed up its investigation into Russia for possible war crimes because of its invasion of Ukraine.
Authored by Gerald Davis from Marrow Sodali, a strategic advisory firm. As 2022 begins to unfold, the rollercoaster markets continue and investors try to gauge the potential impact of everything from Fed tightening, to the lasting effects of the pandemic, and geopolitical conflict like the Russia-Ukraine tensions. Markets are becoming more unstable, as evidenced by the recent fluctuation toward correction territory. Markets were down over 1,000 points, rebounded and stood unchanged at the closing bell on a single January day. This dramatic shift was reminiscent of March 2020, when the markets were up 1,000 points and down 2,000 almost every day. Although volatility has come in during February, January saw a push towards all-time highs with the volatility index (VIX) closing above 30 late in the month, compared with an average around 19.5. Trading desks are factoring in the amount of increased leverage that built up over the past several years. With the predicted longer time it will take to unwind, many anticipate we've moved into a period where investors will sell the rallies rather than buy the dips. Also, Wall Street expects up to 40% increase in bonuses, indicating the volatility clearly was welcomed by trading desks. Commodities desks saw a far better year in 2021 than in 2020, while Fixed Income obviously struggled. However, as these bank bonuses are being paid out, they come with a warning not to expect the same in 2022. Institutional Investors Reca...................... To view our full article Click here
Opalesque Industry Update - Returns, volatility and market depth: the Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF) and the Autoriteit Financiele Markten (AFM) have examined the effects of the temporary ban applying to French securities by comparing their respective markets. In March 2020, as the pandemic triggered exceptional lockdown measures around the world, financial markets underwent an episode of high volatility and sharp price declines. To curb any amplification of the unidirectional nature of the markets and restore investor confidence, six European regulators, including France's Autorite des Marches Financiers, imposed a temporary ban on short selling. Other European regulators chose not to take any temporary measures. In particular, the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) considered that it had not observed any market failures requiring supervisory intervention, and therefore did not consider a short selling ban as an effective measure against the effects of the pandemic on the markets. As part of their remit to monitor the proper functioning of markets, the AMF and AFM have analysed the impact of these intervention measures on their respective markets. Managed by the same market operator, the French and Dutch markets operate according to the same rules and have a similar structure, making it easier to compare the effects on the two markets. In analysing returns, volatility, trading volumes and transaction costs, the study shows that the ban had mixed effects. These effects were in particular observed for the sectors that were hit the hardest and most subject to selling pressure during the crisis. Among the main findings of the short selling ban period, the AMF and the AFM found:  an increase in returns, with no significant difference between the two markets;  a lower volatility on French equity securities, with a more pronounced effect on large caps;  a greater decline in trading volumes in French equity securities, mainly explained by a decrease in the number of transactions and not so much by a reduction in their size;  a dip in both selling pressure and aggressive buy orders (aggressive orders are orders that consume liquidity directly available in the market, as opposed to passive orders that wait to find a counterparty), with a more noticeable effect on the French market;  the absence of a significant deterioration in the liquidity available at the best bid and offer prices between the French and Dutch markets. This, however, comes with a reduction in available depth synonymous with an increase in transaction costs beyond these best prices on the French market. This increase is only observed for the sectors that were hardest hit by the crisis;  a decrease in short positions in both markets and the absence of a transfer effect of positions from one market to the other.
Eid is a joyful and joyful celebration for everyone, and women are usually not complete without beautiful Eid outfits. It's also a great idea to pick the ideal Eid outfit that will save you from last day blunders and a flurry of shopping. Libas e Jamila provides you with an extensive selection of 2022 eid collections of which you can select your outfit for eid in the UK without hassle. 
TEHRAN, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that Iran supports an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the ongoing crisis has roots in U.S. policies, according to the leader's official website.

"The United States brought Ukraine to this point by interfering with the internal affairs of that country," he said, adding that the United States launches rallies against governments, creates velvet movements and causes crises for other countries.

To settle any crisis, the root of the crisis should be addressed, said Khamenei, stressing that "the root of the crisis in Ukraine is the policies of the United States and the West."

Noting that the United States and other Western countries are "not reliable" partners, the supreme leader said "the support of Western powers ... is a mirage." 
Oskaloosa, IA (52577)

Today

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Ottumwa, IA (52501)

Today

A few showers early becoming a steady rain overnight. Low near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

A few showers early becoming a steady rain overnight. Low near 50F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
US urged to respect one-China principle, 'absorb wisdom' from Shanghai Communique

By Wang Qi and Xu Keyue (Global Times) 09:19, March 01, 2022

Guests have a discussion at meeting in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique in Shanghai on February 28. Photo: GT

In a virtual speech to a commemorative event marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Shanghai Communique, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the US to respect the one-China principle rather than hollow out the political cornerstone of the bilateral ties.

The two countries issued the communique on February 28, 1972, the last day of then US President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China. In the Shanghai Communique, Washington acknowledged that "there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China." It is the first diplomatic negotiation between the two countries since 1949, paving the way for the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Although Taiwan is not currently the focus of the world, the US and Taiwan's secessionist authority are colluding to hype Taiwan's security amid the Ukraine crisis. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also announced he would visit Taiwan.

Wang urged the US to honor its political commitment to China and stop supporting Taiwan secessionists and stop interfering in China's internal affairs to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and safeguard the overall interests of China-US relations.

"The Taiwan question is the core of the Shanghai Communique, and the one-China principle is the cornerstone of China-US relations," Wang said.

Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that China hopes the US works with China to draw on the wisdom of the Shanghai Communique and find the right way of coexistence on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

In the 1970s, the Taiwan question hindered the normalization of China-US relations. Analysts said although China and the US were not completely in agreement on the resolution of the Taiwan question, the Shanghai Communique reflected then Washington's respect to China as the two sides sought common ground while reserving differences. The Biden administration still needs to absorb the wisdom from 50 years ago.

The purpose of Wang Yi stressing the Taiwan question is clear, which is to ensure that the US does not make mistakes or misjudge the political cornerstone of China-US relations, Li Haidong, professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Monday.

As long as this cornerstone is in place, many problems and disputes can be effectively managed, Li said.

Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday that Wang Yi made China's position clear to the US in a frank manner, hoping Washington could return to its original aspiration of ice breaking 50 years ago.

Diao said if the US wants to maintain a healthy and stable relationship with China, it is essential to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And only on the basis of a correct understanding and handling of the Taiwan question can there be subsequent issues of mutual respect, win-win cooperation and shared responsibilities as major powers.

Analysts said by sorting out the ins and outs of the Taiwan question and the US' fickleness, more people will be able to distinguish right from wrong, especially as an alarm to US' possible manipulation this year.

"The US is likely to step up arms sales to Taiwan this year, and may also create more issues during Taiwan's local elections in November," Diao said.

With both the G20 and APEC summits to be held in the Asia-Pacific this year, Taiwan is likely to play a bigger role in containing the Chinese mainland as Biden ramps up his Indo-Pacific strategy, Diao said.

The expert said many problems in China-US relations are mainly due to the fact that the US hopes to maintain regional hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region, and maintain certain leverage to China with Taiwan as a pawn.

Diao said strengthening communication between China and the US is positive for world stability. Wang Yi's statement is largely a call in response to the real needs.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
HONG KONG, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday strongly disapproved and firmly rejected the statement of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and misleading remarks of a few American politicians for making a case for anti-China elements in Hong Kong.

"They clamored for sanctions against Chinese officials besides slamming the central government's policy towards Hong Kong and the national security law (in Hong Kong). We urge these politicians to respect facts, follow the historical trend, and refrain from further political grandstanding," the spokesperson said.

By exploiting the first anniversary of the law-based detention of relevant criminal suspects, some political figures banded together to smear the HKSAR government and whitewash the suspects, demonstrating beyond doubt that they are cut from the same cloth as disruptive elements who harm Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson pointed out that the national security law in Hong Kong only targets a small group of criminals posing a serious threat to national security and protects all lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents.

The spokesperson called on the politicians to cease and desist from violating international law and basic norms governing international relations, to terminate collusion with anti-China forces in Hong Kong, and to stop interfering in China's internal affairs including Hong Kong affairs, said the spokesperson.

"Otherwise, the chickens will eventually come home to roost," the spokesperson said. 
File photo

Significant issues affecting the Great Lakes from algal blooms to the historic MI Clean Water investment are covered in the 2021 State of the Great Lakes report released Monday by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energys Office of the Great Lakes.

Topics include the current state of knowledge on harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes, collaborative efforts to restore valuable fisheries like native whitefishes, new tools that hold promise to better understand groundwater resources, and an emphasis on the connectivity of all water resources.
MANISTEE COUNTY  Teen dating violence affects around 10% of all teens in the U.S., but its impacts can be even more pronounced among minority and LGBTQ communities.

This is a concern for Michol Ludwig. As an outreach specialist with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Victim Services Program, Ludwig works with Tribal members and other Manistee-area residents.

Ludwig says that a variety of racial and cultural components may contribute to how and even if an abuse victim seeks help.

Native Americans are quite often very private, and there are studies that show that Native Americans have a harder time coming forward for help, she said. So culture is going to impact what that looks like for people to get help.

Although there arent many current studies that identify the rate of teen dating violence in Native communities, data from the National Indigenous Womens Resource Center shows that native women in the U.S. experience some of the highest rates of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking and murder in the country.

Ludwig and other members of the recently formed Teen Dating Violence Planning Committee point to resources available for Indigenous youth that have been abused.

These include the StrongHearts Native Helpline, a 24/7 culturally appropriate domestic, dating and sexual violence helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives. It is available by calling or texting 1-844-7NATIVE or clicking on the chat icon on strongheartshelpline.org.

According to a news release from StrongHearts Native Helpline, it started a pilot project in 2021 to expand its existing domestic and sexual violence advocacy services to support tribal programs and their contacts in that state.

The project is a partnership with the Division of Victim Services at Michigans Department of Health and Human Services, which is also providing the funding.

A well recognized issue throughout tribal domestic violence advocacy and shelter work is that many tribal programs are small with limited staff. Their advocates may need to carry pagers or cell phones at all times in order to respond to victims, resulting in overtime and additional stress, reads part of the release. Sometimes, advocates are unable to respond and victims calling after hours are simply advised to call back during office hours, which can create a safety issue for them. This project will give Native American victim-survivors in Michigan access to culturally-appropriate advocacy 24/7 even if they call their local tribal program after regular operating hours.

Nationwide, teen dating violence affects approximately 10% of all teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18, according to data from the National Institute of Justice, and in 2020, 1 in 10 U.S. high school students contacted the National Domestic Violence Hotline due to dating violence, according to information from Family Crisis Centers.

Help is available Resources are available for those impacted by teen dating violence. A 24-hour relationship violence hotline can be reached at 866-331-9474 and people can text LOVE IS to 22522. An online chat is available at loveisrespect.org. Visit loveisrespect.org for more resources and information on health relationships for young adults.  Victim Services Program: victimservicesprogram.org  The National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.org LGBTQ specific support  LGBT National Help Center: serving the LGBTQ+ community by providing free and confidential peer support and local resources. Call 1-800-246-7743 or chat at glbthotline.org.  Brown Boi Project: a community of people working across race and gender to eradicate sexism, homophobia and transphobia and create healthy framework of masculinity and change. brownboiproject.org  Scarleteen: inclusive, comprehensive, supportive reproductive and relationships info for teens. scarleteen.com  The Trevor Project: provides 24/7 confidential crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people under 25. Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678 or chat live at thetrevorproject.org Support for Black, Indigenous and communities of color  Heart: ensures that Muslims have the resources, language, and choice to nurture sexual health and confront sexual violence. hearttogrow.org  StrongHearts: 24/7 free, confidential, and culturally-relevant support for Native American and Alaska Native teens and young adults experiencing dating abuse and sexual violence. Call 844-7NATIVE or chat live at strongheartshelpline.org. See More Collapse

Nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner each year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While one-quarter of all high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse, a 1992 Minnesota youth study found that 92 percent of American Indian girls who reported having sexual intercourse have been forced against their will, states the StrongHearst Native Hotline website.

Despite these sobering statistics, a study conducted by Ludwig in late 2019 found that a quarter of Manistee teens werent concerned with the risks of teen dating violence because they were either not yet dating, or were not currently in an abusive relationship.

Ludwig described the survey results as alarming in an email to the News Advocate and said it was exactly why we need to focus on awareness and prevention.

Advocates also point to the elevated risk for teen dating violence among LGBTQ youth.

LGBTQ youth are among those at the highest risk for attempting suicide, and those who experience physical dating violence are at significantly greater rate, reports the Trevor Project, a leading advocate for LGBTQ youth.

Overall, 11% of LGBTQ youth who reported dating someone in the past year experienced physical dating violence, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control.

Although LGBTQ youth under age 18 had comparable odds of experiencing physical dating abuse compared to those over 18, there were significant differences within gender identity and race/ethnicity, states the Trevor Project website.

Most LGBTQ youth do not disclose their experiences with physical dating violence with adults such as parents, family members, therapists and medical professionals who may be in a position to help them access professional support, according to the Trevor Project website.

The Trevor Project also reports that LGBTQ youth who experienced physical dating violence in the past year had significantly greater odds of reporting a past-year suicide attempt and 37% of LGBTQ youth did not tell anyone about their experience of physical dating violence.

It is important to note that the dynamics of (teen dating violence) in the LGBTQ+ community, while similar in many ways, differs as well  so helping may look differently, Ludwig stated in an email to the News Advocate. Also, boys being abused by a partner may not be believed or offered the same support as a girl because of a man up mentality.
SCOTTVILLE  Xavier Verna, executive director of the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts, was among four individuals recognized by the West Shore Community College Foundation with the inaugural Presidential Recognition Award.

WSCC president Scott Ward said the award "recognizes individuals for exemplifying the vision and mission of the college as displayed by significant or innovated impact in instruction, service to students, service to the college and/or exceptional service to the community."

Ward said Verna has made a tremendous impact in his time with the Ramsdell.

"He's been there for five years, but he has certainly elevated the relationship with the college," Ward said. "He's expanded the reach of the arts in his role  certainly through the collaborative efforts that we have with the Ramsdell, but Xavier has also brought his expertise in percussion to our ensembles and ... our new drumline."

Verna said he was honored to receive the award and excited to be a part of the college's efforts going forward.

"I see a ton of value that WSCC is adding to the community, and I am so proud to play a small role in supporting its mission and vision," he said. "My only hope is to continue doing good work and make an impact in the world."

The recipients were honored during the WSCC Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 21. Also receiving the Presidential Recognition Award were Kelly Glover, Irma Hinojosa and Wade James.

Glover is adjunct faculty at WSCC and has been teaching math for 13 years. She has been active in the community  especially when it comes to food insecurity, one of the greatest obstacles for college students. Glover has been instrumental in managing and growing Caritas Food Pantry at St. Marys Church, in Custer, which serves families from Mason, Oceana and Newaygo counties.

Hinojosa has been a WSCC employee for more than 36 years, serving as the administrative assistant for student records. She serves as the chairperson for both the Oceana Hispanic Center and the West Michigan Migrant Resource Council boards. Additionally, she serves on the Hart Public Schools Board of Education and the West Shore Educational School District Board. Hinojosa works a second job to assist students in completing their GEDs and learning English as a second language.

James has been with the college for 24 years as a professor of mathematics and is chairperson of the mathematics department. He has been recognized statewide for his efforts in both digital learning and open educational resources. He has moved all of his classes from textbooks to open educational resources that are free and digitally available. James is currently working with colleagues in the academic and student services departments to develop a model where students can successfully take developmental and college level math courses simultaneously.

The WSCC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that provides extra resources to help students succeed. The foundation funds scholarships and educational programs.

Ward said the foundation is in a position to recognize those who have contributed to student success.

"The foundation is making a huge impact on our students. The foundation will always be focused on students, but I think as we mature, there are other opportunities for what the college can do," he said. "... As much as the college and foundation will always focus on student success, we have to recognize student success is only possible when we have people like this working for us."

Each of the four award recipients will receive a $500 grant which may be spent on WSCC-allowable expenses such as professional development; books or subscriptions; office or workplace materials or equipment; supplies or equipment for their own or another department; and student support, awards or scholarships.

Ward said since most donations to the foundation were made with the intent of directly benefiting students, he and his wife, Laura, are footing the bill for the four grants in the hope the awards provide inspiration and enhance the spirit of collaboration.

"To make sure that past donor money is going to students and our foundation is focused on students, my wife and I are funding these recipients for these grants," Ward said. "Hopefully someday we can build an endowment so these are ongoing, but currently my wife and I will fund the grants."

Ward said the four award recipients are a perfect representation of what the Presidential Recognition Award is all about.

Each of these individuals embodies what it means for the college to be a part of the community, he said. This grant is a chance to expand that work or aid in another area of the college that they may be passionate about. I am proud to be associated with these inaugural awardees and the work they do.

Verna said he looks forward to continued cooperation between the Ramsdell and the college.

"As a performer, Im deeply passionate about the (WSCC) Performing Arts Series, as is evident in our collaboration between the RRCA and WSCC and working closely with Ted Malt and his outstanding team," he said. "As an educator, Im also deeply passionate about sharing my love and knowledge of arts and culture with younger generations. Im grateful for the opportunity to teach at the college and owe Ted major credit for reaching out and inviting me early in my tenure in Manistee."
On Monday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a group of 48 attorneys general calling on the Federal Trade Commission to adopt a national rule to outlaw impersonation scams targeting millions including Michigan consumers, according to a press release issued by Nessel's office.

Impersonation scams take on many forms. For instance, tech scams in which the imposters claim they are contacting the victim on behalf of companies like Microsoft or Apple to assist with a ransomware or technology issue are common, according to a letter from the attorneys general, including Nessel, raising concerns about the excess impersonation scams targeting consumers.

Michigan consumers have experienced these types of scams. Earlier this month, Ottawa County residents reported being visited at their homes by individuals claiming to be county employees, prompting Nessel to reissue her Government Imposter Scams Consumer Alert.

Late last year, Nessel also warned of utility imposter scams, where bad actors will impersonate utility employees to obtain money or personal information from an unsuspecting customer.

Though the methods may vary, impersonation scams cause injury to consumers who lose money, drain resources from regulators tasked with protecting the public and cause confusion and loss of trust in government agencies and services, according to the release.

"There is a pressing need for FTC rulemaking to address the scourge of impersonation scams impacting consumers across the United States," the letter from the attorneys general states. "A national rule that encompasses and outlaws such commonly experienced scams discussed [in our letter] would assist attorneys general and their partners in reducing consumer harm, maximizing consumer benefits, and holding bad actors to account."

According to the letter, a strong national standard outlawing impersonation scams should:

Deter bad actors and reduce consumer harm.

Provide needed clarity on what conduct constitutes impersonation.

Deprive bad actors of the excuse that they were allegedly not aware their activities were illegal in some jurisdictions as opposed to others.

Provide more opportunities for the states to collaborate with the FTC on multistate enforcement actions against imposter scammers.

Allow states to enforce their own standards, free of any preemption by a federal rule.

Nessel also believes, along with a strong national standard outlawing impersonation scams, the FTC should publish additional consumer and business education materials to help prevent consumers from becoming victims of impersonation fraud, according to the release.

"As attorneys general, we are seeing first-hand the issues these impersonation scams are creating for consumers, small businesses, and charities across the country," Nessel said in the release. "With millions of consumers being targeted each year, it is now more important than ever to adopt a national rule to combat these scams."

Joining Nessel in submitting the comment letter are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Collin Periatt.

Sunday, Feb. 27

9:58 p.m.  Officers reported a driver with a suspended license near Eastman Avenue and Sayre Street.

9:38 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Lee Township location for a verbal domestic dispute between a 31-year-old Porter Township woman and a 32-year-old Jerome Township man. It was determined that no assault occurred, and the parties were separated for the remainder of the night.

8:45 p.m.  Officers investigated a domestic verbal disturbance on Robinhood Terrace.

8:05 p.m.  Officers investigated a hit-and-run crash near Eastman Avenue and Joe Mann Boulevard.

5:04 p.m.  A 20-year-old Bay City man was arrested on a warrant out of Bay County's 74th District Court following a traffic stop for speeding in Greendale Township. The man was turned over to Bay City Public Safety without incident.

12:15 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Greendale Township roadway for a report of a vehicle driving all over the roadway. The deputy located the vehicle in Lee Township and followed it for several miles. The deputy did not observe any violations of the law.

Saturday, Feb. 26

11:09 p.m.  Officers conducted a liquor inspection on Bay City Road.

8:55 p.m.  A deputy came upon a vehicle in the ditch along a Mount Haley Township roadway. The deputy assisted the driver with getting a wrecker to remove the vehicle from the ditch. The vehicle sustained no damage.

3:57 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Larkin Township business regarding a door being open while the business was closed. Deputies checked the building and did not find anything suspicious. The keyholder was contacted, who said the business had just closed and it was likely the door was accidentally left open. The keyholder was unable to respond, and deputies secured the door.

3:43 p.m.  Officers investigated an auto theft on West Baker Street.

6:11 a.m.  A 36-year-old Lansing man was arrested for operating while intoxicated following a traffic stop conducted on a Lee Township roadway.

Friday, Feb. 25

11:46 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a 57-year-old Homer Township man's residence for a verbal argument regarding a civil issue with a 38-year-old Homer Township woman. The woman packed up her belongings and vacated the property.

10:39 p.m.  Deputies checked a Jerome Township roadway after receiving a report of a gold Chevrolet Impala that was driving all over the roadway. A deputy eventually located the vehicle at the owner's residence with no one in or around the vehicle.

5:50 p.m.  Officers investigated a suspicious situation on Joe Mann Boulevard.

3:52 p.m.  Officers investigated a verbal domestic disturbance on Illinois Drive.

3:28 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence to assist Child Protective Services with a possible child abuse complaint involving a 27-year-old Lee Township woman and her two kids. When deputies arrived, the children in question were not home. CPS spoke with the woman and told her to get the kids back home before the end of the day. She said she would have the kids back home later and she would contact CPS when they arrived.

2:24 p.m.  Officers investigated a case of larceny on Sturgeon Creek Parkway.

11:16 a.m.  Deputies were requested to check on a 23-year-old woman after she left numerous voicemails to a complainant speaking about self-harm and threatening other individuals. Deputies petitioned her to mental health/emergency room. She was transported by EMS to the emergency room.
Kiev has lifted the curfew during the Russia-Ukraine talks. Let's follow Xinhua's correspondent to find out what you can and cannot buy in Kiev's supermarket at this moment.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Palestine, TX (75801)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The national unity government announced on Tuesday evening its rejection of the vote of confidence granted by the House of Representatives (Parliament) to the new government, led by Prime Minister Fathi Bachagha, accusing the Parliament leadership of "perpetuating fraud" while pledging to continue its work
Zhang Jun (C front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. Zhang on Monday warned against the politicization of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday warned against the politicization of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

What is unfolding in Ukraine is indeed heart-wrenching. China calls on all parties concerned to exercise restraint, de-escalate the situation, and avoid civilian casualties. The safety of life and property of all civilians, including those of foreign nationals, and their humanitarian needs should be effectively guaranteed, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

It is of utmost importance to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, he told a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

China welcomes the remarks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the United Nations will play an active role in coordinating the humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, he said. "In our view, the United Nations and the international community should provide humanitarian assistance in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality as set forth in General Assembly Resolution 46/182, and avoid politicization."

What remains most important at the time is to return to the track of diplomatic negotiations and political settlement as soon as possible, and to promote de-escalation of the situation, said Zhang.

China supports the holding of direct dialogues and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which is the ultimate way to solve this issue. The international community should foster favorable external conditions for dialogue and political settlement, and avoid exacerbating the tensions. Any action by the Security Council should help play a constructive role, rather than leading to further escalation, he said. 
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Nearly 100 vulnerable asylum seekers, including women and children, were airlifted out of Libya on Monday to ensure their safety in Italy, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said
Indonesian express logistics company J&T Express has launched its network in Mexico.

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With 12 sorting centers and 26 distribution centers, the network covers regions in all 32 Mexican states. The Mexican version of the J&T Express mobile application will also be launched soon.

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This expansion brings J&T Expresss network coverage to 11 countries. Previously, its delivery network covered 10 countries and regions including China, Southeast Asia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Following the launch of the network in Mexico, the company aims to continue expanding its reach. To achieve this goal, it has worked to improve its last-mile delivery, fulfillment and shipping services to cover approximately 220 countries.

Charles Hou, group vice president of J&T Express, said, As part of a new generation of express logistics companies with an increased focus on internationalization, J&T Express attaches significant importance to the Latin American market. The launch in Mexico is an integral step in the expansion of our global network, which further demonstrates the benefits of the regional sponsorship model in our global expansion. In the future, we hope to continue building our competitive advantage through refined local operations, our unique management model and technological improvements, to provide customers with quality logistics experience.

Ryan Zhang, head of J&T Express Mexico, said, Mexico is a logistics hub in Latin America, and home to the headquarters of many Latin American companies. It serves as an important strategic channel for J&T Express to continue its expansion in the market. This network launch is another milestone in J&T Expresss international strategy and we hope to create a pleasant courier and shipping experience for our Mexican customers through efficient and high-quality services.

Andrew Sim, CEO of J&T Express Singapore, said, With e-commerce becoming more cross-border, the expansion of J&T Expresss global network coverage to include Mexico will bring greater opportunities for J&T Express customers in Singapore. Alongside strengthening our international delivery capabilities here, our expanding network will enable our customers to ride a growing wave of e-commerce internationally by opening new doors to reach wider markets beyond Asia.
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

Ukrainian woman, Nataliya Ableyeva, crossed the border from Ukraine into Hungary, bringing with her a stranger's children to reunite with their mom on February 26.

Ableyeva met the father, a desperate 38-year-old man from her hometown of Kamianets-Podilskyi, with his young son and daughter. Border guards would not let him leave the country, prompting the man to leave his kids with Ableyeva so they could cross the border and reunite with their mother, Local12 reported.

Handing precious cargoes

Despite being a stranger, Ableyeva, 58, said that the father handed the two kids and their passports to her and asked for her help to accompany them in crossing the border to get to Hungary, where they will reunite with their mother.

The father told her that the children's mother was on her way from Italy to meet the kids and keep them safe. He then gave Ableyeva the mother's mobile number and said goodbye to his children. The kids were wrapped up against the cold in thick jackets and hats.

She said she took the two small children by the hand, and they crossed the border together.

When they arrived at Beregsurany, they waited while sitting on a bench near a tent set up for the refugees. She said that the little boy started to cry at one point until his mobile phone rang. The call was from the mother telling him that she was near the border post.

Read Also: Daughter Slips Note to Teacher Leading to Police Finding a Dead Boy in the Freezer and an Abused Mother

A tearful reunion with the mother

The children's mother, 33-year-old Anna Semyuk, soon arrived, and they immediately hugged her son and daughter, who were lying exhausted in the back of a car wrapped in a pink blanket. The young mom then thanked Ableyeva, who said they embraced for several minutes, crying.

Semyuk told Ableyeva that she could now assure her kids that things would be alright. "In one or two weeks, we will go home," she also told Ableyeva.

Ableyeva is also a mom of two grown-up children. One of her children is a policeman, and the other is a nurse. Neither could leave Ukraine due to the mobilization degree.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the general mobilization of the population decree as Russia invaded Ukraine. As per the decree, Ukrainian men aged 18-60 could not leave the country as conscripts and reservists will be called in the next 90 days to defend the state.

Meanwhile, UN officials said that as many as four million Ukrainians could move out of the country as refugees due to the Russian invasion.

Related Article: Family Calls for Justice for 5-Year-old Boy, Mom and Boyfriend Murdered Execution-style in Detriot Home.
Photo: (Photo : Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Amid the chaos of the Ukraine invasion, a tiny miracle was born inside a subway station turned into a bomb shelter in the capital of Kyiv. Born to a 23-year-old mom, Victoriia Korol, baby Mia was welcomed by her family and healthcare workers from the nearby Gostomei Airfield on the third day of the invasion.

The baby's father, Ivan Korol, shared the exciting news on social media and said his wife gave him a beautiful daughter, whom he described as "a star in the dark." Ivan, who works for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also urged mothers in Russia to protest the war launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hannah Hopko, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, shared a photo of baby Mia as well. She said that while Victoriia had a challenging birth, she's a happy mom who is now doing fine with her daughter. She also said that the family had left the shelter and gone to a safer place for the infant.

Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: Dad in Tears While Saying Goodbye to Daughter Fleeing to Safety

More Births in Bomb Shelters

After Mia's birth, two more babies were born at another bomb shelter in Kherson, located seven hours away from Kyiv. Viktor Liashko, the Minister of Health, confirmed that the new babies, both boys, are in excellent health and have become symbols of Ukraine's resilience.

He also commended those who assisted in the births under the harrowing explosions and shelling above the streets, adding that he is "incredibly proud" of the local doctors.

According to Today, the health minister said that the babies' birth shows how life will go on in Ukraine and that they will not be defeated in this war.

Though the health agency has been doing all to help families, Russia's attack on Ukraine has had serious casualties, including children. Of the 406 civilian casualties as of Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, at least 14 were kids, but dozens more are left with the painful trauma of the violence they have witnessed.

Trauma for a Whole Generation

One of the first children to experience the horrors of war was a fourth-grader named Polina in Kyiv. Her photo, with streaks of blood in her hair, has gone viral on the first day of the attack. She didn't survive her wounds. Sources said that Russians shot Polina's family. Her brother and sister have been taken to the intensive care unit at a local hospital.

Another child in kindergarten also died, along with two adults, on the first day of the Ukrainian invasion. Reports cited they were taking shelter at a school north of Kyiv, but Russians appeared to have fired at the facility.

According to Agnes Callamard of Amnesty International, it's "stomach-turning" to know that the Russians have attacked helpless civilians seeking shelter. She said there is "no possible justification" for this "flagrant disregard for civilian life."

The international community has condemned the attacks with sanctions leveled against Russia, especially among Western countries. Meanwhile, Putin has placed his nuclear arms on high alert while Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would try to dialogue with the Russian President.

Related Article: Parents Preparing School Kids for Ukraine Invasion With Stickers Bearing Blood Type; Surrogate Babies at Risk
Photo: (Photo : Jeff Fusco/Getty Images)

More stimulus payments for eligible families are set for distribution in four U.S. locations due to surpluses in the state's budget and a funding boost from the federal government. Some of these payments will be sent automatically through direct deposits or checks in the mail, with no more action from beneficiaries.

California, Florida, Indiana, and New York will be giving cash incentives to some of its residents, but who are eligible for these stimulus payments? Below is a rundown.

California

Republican State Sen. Brian Jones said that California has more than $45.7 billion of budget surplus that will allow every Californian to receive a tax rebate of $1,125 or at least $4,500 per family of four. California's Proposition 4, also known as the Gann Limit, provides lawmakers the option to roll out the extra funds through rebates.

California has $45 BILLION of extra cash. So what does that look like in grains of rice?? 



**No rice went to waste in the making of this video.#AreYouKiddingMe #CALeg pic.twitter.com/PWzmoVwQOp  Brian W. Jones (@SenBrianJones) February 2, 2022

According to KTLA, California has only applied Gann Limit two times since it was established in 1979. One of these times was in 2021, during the pandemic, with the Golden State Stimulus payments release.

California Gov. Gavin Newson confirmed that the state has indeed reached a surplus higher than the estimated, implying that stimulus payments for Californians will "likely" come in the coming months or before the next fiscal year in July 2022.

Read Also: Stimulus Payment: New York to Give $870 to 155,000 Families

Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed another round of stimulus payments of $1,000 for teachers. Last year, more than 175,000 Florida teachers and about 3,600 principals received the cash boost due to the state's budget surplus.

The stimulus payment for the teachers is part of the governor's "Freedom First Budget" that will help pre-school to K-12 teachers. Aside from the stimulus payment, DeSantis is also hoping to raise the minimum wage for teachers in the state if the House and the Senate approve.

Indiana

Indiana taxpayers who file their latest tax return before April 2022 will receive a $125 refund from the state government. Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb announced the incentive in December 2021 and estimated that the total refund would be up to $545 million. This means that some 910,000 taxpayers will receive the cash boost.

Rep. Todd Huston said they are working with the governor's office to streamline the rollout. Taxpayers will not have to enroll or sign up for this stimulus payment as it will be sent automatically based on their records with the Department of Revenue (DOR). Hoosiers last received a similar cash boost in 2013.

New York

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will apply the Excluded Workers Fund to give some 90,000 New Yorkers a cash boost. This stimulus payment is eligible for those who lost their jobs and made less than $26,208 during the pandemic but never received any government money because of their immigration status.

However, there are also calls to expand the qualifications or eligibility, allowing the government to reopen the program for more residents. The EWF comes in the form of a debit card that beneficiaries need to apply for through the state's Department of Labor.

Related Article: Additional $8,000 Child Tax Credit Due for Parents This Tax Season; How to File Claim
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

A fatal pellet gunshot caused the death of CJ Patton, a 10-year-old boy from Georgia, police said. Jamarius Walls, 17, was taken into custody by the authorities on Thursday morning. He was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter. Wall is being held at Baldwin County Jail, Newsweek reported.

A GoFundMe page was set up to aid the family, organized by Brittany Matheny, who said the shooting was accidental.

The gun pellet caused "severe brain damage"

In the GoFundMe Page, Matheny explained that the pellet lodged in Patton's brain, entering through the right side of this temple.

The boy was rushed to a hospital in Milledgeville, and the doctors said he had "severe brain damage" from the pellet. Doctors also said he was not showing any brain activity.

Patton was then airlifted to Children's Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta and was placed on a ventilator. The doctors were unable to save the boy.

Matheny urged people to donate to help pay for the funeral expenses.

Read Also: Ukrainian Woman Helps Dad Get His Kids to Safety and Reunite With Their Mom

Pellet Gun Fatal Shooting in 2018

In 2018, a similar tragic incident happened in Greenville, Mississippi, when a nine-year-old boy was shot by his eight-year-old brother.

According to the Two-Gun Tactical business manager Emily Frederick, children often get pellet guns as their first gun. This would make the kids think the pellet guns are toys because they are smaller and do not have the big bang shoot when fired.

"It doesn't have that big bang when you shoot it," Frederick said. She also said that since the gun does not have a bang, the kids believe that it is not a real gun.

Frederick warns that although pellet guns do not have noise, they could make up for it with their power.

According to Todd Serotti, manager at Van's Deer Processing, some of the newest models of pellet guns are more dangerous than their previous counterparts.

Safety and education are important for shooters

A pellet gun with a 17-caliber bullet at 1,200 feet a second has the same velocity of a 22-rifle, Serotti said. Pellet guns, he said, "got a lot more energy" and are designed to penetrate a lot deeper.

Despite the pellet guns becoming powerful, there are currently no federal laws that regulate airguns, pellet guns, or BB guns.

However, several states listed below regulate the transfer possession of airguns, BB guns, and pellet guns.

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Illinois

Maine

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Despite the limitations on regulation for pellet guns, Serotti and Frederick underline the importance of safety and education for pellet gun shooters of all ages. For them, it is important to keep these tips in mind when holding a pellet gun to save lives:

Always have the gun pointed in a safe direction.

Keep the gun unloaded until it is ready for use.

Always keep the finger off the trigger until one is ready to shoot the gun.

Related Article: A Family of Four Found Dead in Suspected Murder-suicide at Texas Home
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

The authorities announced that a woman arrested for kidnapping a two-year-old boy alleged that she had no idea the toddler was inside the car she stole over the weekend. Police arrested a 29-year-old woman in connection to the kidnapping of Jacob Jardine, a two-year-old boy, in Sunnyvale.

They arrested Luong Tammy Huynh on Sunday, 8:30 PM, as she returned to San Jose, ABC7 reported.

The police found the boy in a brown 2008 Buick Enclave, stolen at 3:52 AM while his mother was unloading groceries on the 500 block of North Mathilda Avenue. Police found the vehicle four miles from where it was last seen.

Stolen vehicle

The police said that according to Huyn, she pulled over a small parking lot on Oakmead Parkway to sleep. When she woke up, it was then that she learned of the presence of Jacob.

Huyn added that she walked away from the car, leaving Jacob in the backseat all day long. Although police said the boy looked healthy, authorities took the toddler to the hospital as a precaution.

In her statement, Huyn said that she was only trying to steal the vehicle. However, Sunnyvale Dept. of Public Safety Captain Craig Anderson is suspicious of her claim. The authorities wondered why Huyn hadn't left an anonymous tip about where the vehicle and the child were.

Huynh was placed under arrest on suspicion of kidnapping, child endangerment, and vehicle theft. She is now being held at Santa Clara County Main Jail.

When the boy was declared missing, the California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert for five counties: Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Alameda. On Sunday afternoon, air support from the San Jose Police Department also joined the search.

The toddler was in a stolen SUV taken on Sunday outside the Travel Inn in Sunnyvale. Melissa Jardine, the mother, said she was bringing groceries inside her hotel room. She said she left Jacob in the vehicle since he was sleeping. When Huynh stole the SUV, the baby was still in the backseat. Jacob's mother made a plea for help hours before the authorities found the baby.

The police said Huynh was staying with a friend at a hotel where Jacob's mother and their family stayed for the past week.

Anderson said there was no indication that Huyn knew Jacob or his mother.

Read Also: Ukrainian Woman Helps Dad Get His Kids to Safety and Reunite With Their Mom

Words of gratitude from the family

The family could not contain their happiness upon learning that Jacob had been found and was in good condition.

Jacob's aunt, Migdalia Torres, said that the family was "super excited" when authorities found the toddler. She said she could not wait to hug Jacob.

Shawna Thiel, Jacob's grandmother, cried tears of joy when she heard that her grandson was finally found. She expressed her gratitude to the police department, the California Highway Patrol, the news people, and "everybody out there that helped us find this baby."

Child of America, a nonprofit organization, estimates that around 2,300 children goes missing in the United States every day.

Related Article: A Family of Four Found Dead in Suspected Murder-suicide at Texas Ho
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Notices of measures against COVID-19 are seen on a door of a store in New York, the United States, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

"We need to be prepared, and we need to be ready for whatever comes next," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Health experts have urged the public not to let down guard against COVID-19 entirely as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated guideline allowing most Americans to unmask indoors.

Americans should be ready to return to masking if the science changes, experts have warned.

More than 70 percent of Americans should be able to remove their masks indoors, including inside schools, under the new CDC guideline announced Friday.

According to the new guideline, the CDC determines the COVID-19 community level of various regions by looking at three metrics - hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases.

Using these data, the COVID-19 community level is classified as low, medium, or high.

Under the updated guidance, more than 70 percent of the U.S. population is in a location with low or medium COVID-19 community levels. For those areas, there is no recommendation for indoor masking unless people are at high risk for severe illness.

Health experts said the new move of the CDC makes sense as the vast majority of vulnerable Americans are fully vaccinated, and new cases, hospitalizations and deaths caused by the Omicron variant continue to drop.

People walk on the street on Times Square in New York, the United States, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

However, some health experts warned the new metrics could lead to a rise in cases and hospitalizations. Others worry that masking guidelines may be difficult to reimpose if another variant of concern arrives and appears to evade Omicron-generated immunity.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky warned Americans not to let down their guard entirely.

"We want to give people a break from things like masking when our levels are low, and then have the ability to reach for them again should things get worse in the future," she said.

"We need to be prepared, and we need to be ready for whatever comes next," Walensky said.

The country is now averaging about 75,000 daily new cases, a decrease of 37.7 percent compared with the previous week, according to the latest CDC weekly report.

The number of new hospital admissions in the country is about 6,000 each day, a 29.9 percent decrease from the prior 7-day average.

Currently about 1,700 new deaths are reported in the country daily, a decrease of 18.8 percent compared with the previous week, CDC data showed. 
Google followed Microsofts actions to limit Russian propaganda by announcing Tuesday that it would block Russian state-owned channels on YouTube within Europe and also crack down on deceptive practices elsewhere on the site.

Google said it would block the channels Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, both operated by the Russian government, across Europe. Connected channels, such RT America, RT Live, and RT Sport MMA, will also be blocked. Correction: Google said that it would only block the YouTube channels across Europe. A previous version of this story implied that the block would be worldwide.

While Google said that it intends to block Russian state-sponsored propaganda on its video feeds, its not clear that Google is taking the same actions as Microsoft. On Monday, Microsoft said that it would block news from Sputnik and Russia Today, both owned by the Russian government, from its search results and its Start news feed. On Tuesday, Google said only that it has significantly limited recommendations globally for a number of Russian state-funded media outlets across our platforms, without saying whether that includes search results or not.

Google said Tuesday that its actions added on to its existing de-monetization of Russian state-funded media. Google also said that it is working to make reliable and trustworthy information readily available. When people around the world search for topics related to the war in Ukraine on Search or YouTube, our systems prominently surface information, videos, and other key context from authoritative news sources, the company said in a blog post.

Google, like Microsoft, also said that its providing online security for Ukrainians: blocking the GhostWriter threat groups online attacks on Ukrainian military and government officials, and increasing 2FA challenges as a response to cyber threats. Locally, Ukrainians searching for refuge and evacuation information will be pointed to United Nations resources, Google added. To protect local citizens in Ukraine, Google turned off traffic layers in affected regions to protect local communities.

However, Google has also declined to withdraw its services from Russia. Google said that it would continue to operate in Russia, while promising to comply with sanctions requirements. Google Search, Maps, and YouTube remain available in Russia, continuing to provide access to global information and perspectives.
Hollard Ghana, an insurance group, has once again partnered with Citi FM and Citi TV on this years Heritage Caravan.



The group, made up of Hollard Life Assurance and Hollard Insurance Ghana, are supporting the caravan with substantial financial commitments.



According to the group, they see the initiative as one that will give a boost to local tourism in the country hence worthy of support.



Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo, the Group Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Hollard Ghanasaid,The Heritage Caravan is a remarkable initiative by Citi that aligns with our values of courageously pursuing a better way. We believe in supporting initiatives that ultimately enable a better future for us all and our country at large. Our underlining purpose is to enable people to live their best lives without worry or concernby being their insurance support system. This initiative offers us the opportunity toreinforce this message and our mantra of doing well by doing good.



Consequently, we are elated to be on the Caravan once again to support with a substantial financial commitment as well as engagement activities. We look forward to participants experiencing the purple brand as they tour Ghana. From Cape Coast, through Takoradi to Kumasi, Sunyani, Tamale and back to Accra, across the beautiful country, Hollards got them covered.



In addition to the financial support, Hollard Ghana will also provide a variety of souvenirs and activations for participants during the trip across the country.



This is not the first time the company is supporting Citi FM/Citi TV's Heritage Caravan.



In 2020, the group made invaluable contributions to making the Heritage Caravan successful.



About Hollard Ghana



The country's favourite insurance group is Hollard Ghana, with subsidiaries Hollard Insurance and Hollard Life Assurance.



The group combines its deep local knowledge of the market, having operated in Ghana for 25 years as Metropolitan Insurance with the world-class expertise of an international insurance brand in 18 countries worldwide.



With feet firmly planted on Ghanaian soil but headquartered in South Africa, Hollard delivers innovative insurance solutions customised to the unique risks Ghanaians face.



Hollard offers various life and general insurance products, including funeral, personal accident, motor, business, travel, home, and more, and can be reached via the following means: 0501603967 (Hollard Insurance) and 0501533698 (Hollard Life).



Beyond various nationwide office branches and Hollard 2U franchise shops, Ghanaians can find Hollard at Shell Fuel Station Welcome Shops, Melcom stores and online at www.hollard.com.gh and www.jumia.com.gh for all their insurance needs.



ABOUT HERITAGE CARAVAN



The Heritage Caravan is a week-long road trip, which takes participants on a tour to various regions in Ghana, with the aim of experiencing the rich culture, dynamic traditions, and historical excerpts of the Ghanaian heritage.



Since its inception in 2016, the Caravan has been to all regions of the country, visiting tour sites like the Mole National Park, the Military Museum in Ashanti Region, the Slave Memorial at Assin Manso, Elmina Castle, the Larabanga Mosque  one of Ghanas architectural masterpieces, the village on stilts;Nzulezu, and the crocodile pond at Paga amongst others.



The Heritage Caravan, which has had impressive patronage so far, will be touring 8 regions of Ghana for 7 days;from March 5 to March 12, 2022, in the most epic way.



This year, the Caravan will start from the Greater Accra Region, and continue to the Central, Western, Bono, Northern, Upper East, Ashanti, and the Eastern Regions respectively. It will make stops at historical sites in these regions, and patrons will have the opportunity to learn about compelling facts, and amazing cultural discoveries during these visits.



Aside from the education, exploration, and adventure anticipated for this years road trip, patrons will also be taken out on the razzle with a lineup of activities like a Bonfire Night, Boboobo display, a mini durbar with lots of local dishes and drinks, and the chance to form life-long bonds with other entrants.



The Heritage Caravan, an initiative of Citi FM and Citi TV takes place in the month of March (Heritage Month). It is part of a series of events that marks the Heritage Month; a month-long exposition on the Ghanaian heritage, and historical antecedence.

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
During the rare emergency special session, just the 11th the Assembly has held in its history, Russia defended its decision to invade its neighbour as nation after nation urged peace from the podium.



On the sidelines, the United States said it was expelling from the country 12 "intelligence operatives" at Russia's United Nations mission for "engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security."



Inside the General Assembly hall, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, pleaded: "The fighting in Ukraine must stop. Enough is enough."



Representatives of more than 100 countries are expected to speak over three days as the global body decides if it will support a resolution that demands Russia immediately withdraws its troops from Ukraine.



A vote is expected Wednesday, and it must reach a two-thirds threshold to pass. The resolution is non-binding but will serve as a marker of how isolated Russia is.



Its authors hope they may exceed 100 votes in favour -- though countries including Syria, China, Cuba and India are expected to either support Russia or abstain.



"We do not feel isolated," Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters.



He reiterated Moscow's stance, flatly rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies, that its military operation was launched to protect residents of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.



"The hostilities were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents," he said during his address.



The vote is also being seen as a barometer of democracy in a world where autocratic sentiment has been on the rise, diplomats said, pointing to such regimes in Myanmar, Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Venezuela, Nicaragua -- and of course Russia.



"If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive. Have no illusions," said Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya.



'I'm afraid'



During an emotional speech, Kyslytsya held up images of what he said were the final text messages from a Russian soldier to his mother before he was killed.



"Mama, I'm in Ukraine. I'm afraid," Kyslytsya said, reading the messages. "They call us fascists. Mama, this is so hard."



Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Moscow has pleaded "self-defense" under Article 51 of the UN Charter.



But that has been roundly rejected by Western countries and the United Nations itself. They accuse Moscow of violating Article 2 of the Charter, requiring members to refrain from the threat or use of force to resolve a crisis.



Addressing the General Assembly, British ambassador Barbara Woodward said the war was "unprovoked, unjustified."



The resolution would be "a message to the world: that the rules we built together must be defended," she added. "Because otherwise, who might be next?"



China's UN envoy Zhang Jun warned that "nothing can be gained from starting off a new Cold War," but did not indicate how Beijing would vote.



The move to hold the emergency session was sparked by Russia using its veto Friday to block a similarly-worded Security Council resolution.



Council members can turn to the General Assembly if the five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- fail to agree to act together to maintain peace.



'Hostile act'



There is no veto right at the General Assembly, which held a similar vote in 2014 condemning Russia's seizure of Crimea and obtained 100 votes in support.



The Security Council held a separate emergency meeting Monday on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.



UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned that the fighting was expected to displace four million people.



Nebenzia broke the news of the 12 expelled diplomats during a press conference, saying he had just heard the dozen had been told to leave the United States by March 7.



A US spokeswoman said the move had been "in development for several months," implying it was not directly related to the war.



In response, Moscow called the expulsions a "hostile act."

Source: France 24









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MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 1,325 Ukrainian military infrastructure objects since the start of the operation, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday.

The access of Ukrainian troops to the Sea of Azov has been completely blocked, he added. 
Vodafone Ghana Foundation, the charity arm of Vodafone Ghana has organised a free ultrasound scan for over 250 pregnant women in Tamale.



The exercise aimed at providing opportunity for the beneficiaries to be screened for various antenatal services.

Speaking on the gesture, Director of Legal and External Affairs at Vodafone Ghana, Geta Striggner-Quartey added that the exercise was to give pregnant women quality healthcare and to help them know the conditions of their babies.



Vodafone Ghana Foundation is back again to Tamale having identified the need to assist these pregnant women to have an ultrasound scan. As a result of our strong ties with the people of Tamale, we will continue to spread our goodwill through this initiative and many more. We hope that this exercise will go a long way to help with the general healthcare of the beneficiaries and their unborn babies.



Madam Striggner-Quartey noted that the Vodafone Ghana Foundation has strong focus on Health and Digital.



This ultrasound scan initiative is part of the many gestures to help the health sector. We have the Homecoming programme, where we pay the bills of insolvent patients and reunite families across the country. We also have the Healthfest initiative which provides free medical screening via medical team as well as the Healthline Medical Call Centre, which continuously provides accurate medical information on COVID-19 and other medical complications to the public for free by dialling 255.



Also, through the Vodafone Ghana Foundation, we have initiated education programmes such as Instant Schools initiative, which provides online educational content for free and ICT hub initiative where the organisation set up ICT hubs in libraries across the country, fully equipped with equipment such as computers, scanners, projectors amongst others, she concluded.



On her part, Midwife in-charge of Tamale Central Health Centre, Genevieve Jimpetey, thanked Vodafone Ghana Foundation for its support.



On behalf of the Tamale Central Health Centre and the beneficiaries of this programme, I want to thank the Management of Vodafone Ghana and Vodafone Ghana Foundation. I believe this gesture is key for these women to know more about the development and health of their babies. We are grateful.



I want to use this opportunity once again to advise all pregnant women to observe the COVID-19 safety protocols as part of curbing the spread of the coronavirus disease. Observing the protocols religiously is crucial to your health and that of the unborn child, she advised.



The pregnant women who benefitted from the programme expressed gratitude to the Vodafone Ghana Foundation for the gesture.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Twenty-four Ghanaians are expected to arrive in Ghana today from Ukraine.



They are expected to be followed by 220 others who have exited Ukraine and will be in Ghana within the week.



At a press briefing in Accra on Sunday, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said: "I am pleased to inform you that two hundred and twenty (220) of our compatriots have exited Ukraine and should be with us in Ghana soon. We are earnestly facilitating the safe return of a lot more".



According to her, over 460 Ghanaian students are already in transit to neighbouring countries such as Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.



We hope for better days as the Ministry further engages our diplomatic Missions and Honorary Consulates to extend consular assistance to our compatriots. We are earnestly facilitating the safe return of a lot more...These numbers are bound to increase in a few days as we observe a team spirit being displayed by our people, our citizens and our students. They are reaching out to one other, setting up groups, WhatsApp chats, sharing important phone numbers of Consular officers and other personalities who could be of assistance".



However, one Ghanaian student lawyer in Ukraine says he would rather stay in Ukraine.



Interacting with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Kwakye Blessed Lee said it's more convenient for him to stay in Ukraine than return to Ghana.



"I feel very safe where I am in the Western part of Ukraine; it's not part of the hot spot," he said.



He further urged parents in Ghana not to panic because the picture being painted is not a true reflection of what is actually happening in Ukraine.



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com









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ActionAid, an NGO, has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and for international human rights and humanitarian laws to be respected by Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.



In a statement on Friday, February 25, 2022, ActionAid said whilst civilians are already being killed in this horrifying Russian invasion of Ukraine, women and girls are most at risk during conflicts and emergencies as gender-based violence and exploitation soar, and access to vital health services is blocked.



ActionAid also called on European governments and the EU to ensure people forced to flee the violence in Ukraine are granted safe passage and protection in member countries.



On February 24, 2022, Russian invaded Ukraine. Currently, the two countries are engaged in fierce battle, with many places being bombarded.



Below is the statement



ActionAid stands with the people of Ukraine



(Accra, Friday, February, 2022)-As Russia continues its shocking military assault on Ukraine, ActionAid is horrified by the loss of civilian lives and the threat of violence and suffering facing families across the country.



ActionAid is calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and for international human rights and humanitarian laws to be respected.



Civilians are already being killed in this horrifying Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lives are being torn apart with devastating consequences.



Women and girls are most at risk during conflicts and emergencies as gender-based violence and exploitation soar, and access to vital health services is blocked.



Thousands of families are already fleeing to neighbouring countries and they must be protected.



We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and all those affected by the violence.



ActionAid International joins ActionAid Italy and members of the Italian refugee rights network, Tavolo Asilo, in calling on European governments and the EU to ensure people forced to flee the violence in Ukraine are granted safe passage and protection in member countries.







Source: graphiconline.com









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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned the Russian Federations invasion of Ukraine.



A statement issued by ECOWAS Commission on Sunday, February 27, 2022, called on the fighting nations to end the war in order to avoid more human casualties, particularly among the civilians.



On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Currently, the two countries are engaged in fierce battle, with many places being bombarded.



Below is a copy of the statement



The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is following with great concern the military invasion of the Republic of Ukraine by Russia which has led to human casualties, particularly among civilians.



ECOWAS strongly condemns this action and calls for both parties to stop the fighting and to use dialogue to solve their differences in the interest of peace in this region.



ECOWAS calls on all parties to ensure the safety of the citizens of all its members states living in Ukraine.







Source: graphiconline.com









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An aide to the President, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, has expressed dismay at events in the Ashaiman District Court on Monday, February 28, 2022, after it emerged that an accused person acted so rudely that he was thrown out of the court.



The accused is Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lead convener for the #FixTheCountryMovement, who is facing treason felony charges over a coup threat, as per a prosecution charge sheet.



The presidential staffer quoted the words that ostensibly led to Barker-Vormawors sacking before submitting: Attacking and insulting a whole Magistrate in her own court?



We have not asked for bail. We have not asked for bail. This is a kangaroo process. The bench has not covered itself in glory. I am not going to glorify a sham. This process is a sham, Barker-Vormawor is quoted to have said before the Magistrate ordered him out.



The court subsequently remanded him for another two weeks with the next appearance slated for March 15.



Meanwhile, the #FixTheCountry Movement has announced that they are going to file separate processes at the Supreme Court to enforce the rights of the accused.



#FixTheCountry convener in Police grips



Police confirmed in a statement early Saturday, February 12, 2022, that they had arrested Barker-Vormawor after the #FixTheCountry Movement reported that he [Barker-Vormawor] had disappeared after arriving in the country from the UK.



The lawyer by training was arrested because of a social media post in which he was threatening to stage a coup. He was subsequently arraigned before a court on Monday, February 14, 2022, on charges of treason felony.



The Ashaiman District Court refused to grant him bail citing jurisdiction and asked his lawyers to approach the High Court for bail.

Source: Ghanaweb.com









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The Secretary of the University of Ghana chapter of UTAG, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, has described as needless and sensational claims that he is willing to go to jail for better condition of service.



Prof Gyampo following a stand-off between UTAG and the government reportedly said: Leadership is about sacrifice, people died and people lost their lives, blood was spilled so if people died and you will go to jail for three months, so be it.



But now, the easiest thing that the Labour Commission will always want to do is to take lecturers to court. Now if you take lecturers to court and theyre also resolved to do whatever theyll do to push their demands for better conditions of service, then some of these will happen," he added.



But speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Prof Gyampo said his comment was in reference to the leadership of UTAG.



" . . it was a needless and sensational reportage . . . my reference was to leadership and not me as a person," he clarified.



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, has stated that police officers are supposed to serve and not to lord it over and scare the people.

He has, therefore, urged police personnel to serve the people in the communities with commitment and respect for human rights.



Tour



The IGP was interacting with police personnel during a three-day official tour of the Oti Region.



The tour was for him to experience the general security situation in the region and also encourage the personnel to be dedicated to the service and the country in the maintenance of law and order.



The IGPs entourage, which included senior police officers, was welcomed by the Oti Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Charles Dormamban.



During his interactions with traditional leaders and visits to schools and other security agencies in the region, Dr Dampare reiterated the fact that the police were poised to protect lives and property, and enhance the safety and security of the citizenry.



He called for support from all to help the police to deliver on their mandate since security was a shared responsibility.



New training



The IGP also assured the citizenry that the Police Administration was resolute in changing the face of the service to meet international standards.



In line with that, he said, some policies were being pursued by the administration with the aim to making the Police Service a world-class police institution.



He outlined some of the policies to include the implementation of a new holistic training programme at the various Police Training schools to produce all-around effective and efficient policemen and women who were proficient.



The new training would make policemen proficient in driving, riding and swimming and also respect the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.



Traditional leaders



During the tour, the IGP and his entourage paid a courtesy call on the Oti Regional Minister, Dr Joshua Makubu, and also visited the various paramount chiefs in the region, including the President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Mprah Basamuna III, who is also the Omanhene of the Krachi Traditional Area; the Paramount Chief of the Nchumuru Traditional Area, Nana Obrempong Kanya II; the Chief of Kpassa, Ubor Tassan Konja VI, and the Chief of Dambai, Nana Kwaku Beyeinor II.



Others were the Baamuhene of the Kadjebi Traditional Area, Nana Asabre Amoakotia; the Adontenhene of the Buem Traditional Area, Nana Edze Kpesse Tetteh Brantuo VII; the Paramount Chief of the Nkonya Traditional Area, Nana Buadu Basahia; the Paramount Chief of the Alavanyo Traditional Area, Torgbega Tsedze-Atakora VII, and the Sibi Central Chief, Nana Mbabilla II.



The IGP also visited the Dambai College of Education and the St Thomas Aquinas Roman Basic School in Dambai, where he encouraged the students and the pupils to be committed to their education, as it was the bedrock of success.



Dr Dampare also encouraged them to see challenges as an opportunity to achieve their future goals.





Source: graphiconline.com









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Featured Video
Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
The powerful son of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has expressed support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.



Gen Kainerugaba - who is the commander of Uganda's land forces - tweeted that "the majority of mankind (that are non-white) support Russia's stand in Ukraine".



"Putin is absolutely right!" he added.



"When the USSR parked nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba in 1962, the West was ready to blow up the world over it. Now when Nato does the same they expect Russia to do differently."



Along with Sudan's Gen Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo, Gen Kainerugaba is the only senior military officer in Africa to publicly voice support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.



He is rumoured to be a possible successor to his 77-year-old father, who has been in power since 1986.



The West African regional bloc Ecowas has condemned Russia's invasion, while the African Union called on Moscow to respect Ukraine's "territorial integrity".



South Africa's foreign affairs ministry has called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.



Gen Kainerugaba also retweeted prominent Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda, who said that even "an amateur in international power politics can see that Moscow can never allow Ukraines accession to Nato & EU, coz it poses an existential threat to Russia!



"Why push for it?"

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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It has emerged that a freelance journalist who was picked up by operatives of the National Security at the Law Court complex was arrested on the orders of the Accra High Court for allegedly taking videos of court proceedings.



Sacut Amenga-Etego was arrested last Thursday [February 24, 2022] after he allegedly took videos of court proceedings involving the trial of some five persons alleged to have engaged in illegal gold trade.



Record of proceedings of the case on Thursday, February 24, 2022 showed that when the presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, became aware of the issue, she ordered operatives of the National Security, who came to the courtroom with the accused persons, to detain Amengo-Etego.



The suspect is ordered to provide the National Security Operatives access to the phone by way of providing the password to the phone. The suspect should be in the custody of the National Security operatives pending the outcome of the investigations till the next adjourned date, the High Court ordered.



He is to re-appear on March 14, 2022, the next adjourned date for the case.



National Security statement



Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Security has issued a press statement, calling on the public to disregard a media publication that Amenga-Etego, was arrested to silence him.



It had been reported that Amenga-Etego was arrested because he was following up on an alleged extortion case against some National Security Operatives.



But according to the Ministry of National Security, the publication was false and should be disregarded.



Contrary to the content publication of the publication, the journalist was arrested based on an order of a High Court for filming and /or videoing the courts proceedings without authority, the statement said.

Source: graphiconline.com









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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the third Business Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru, April 13, 2018. (Xinhua/Xu Rui)

The Canadian government plans to prohibit all imports of Russian crude oil, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

OTTAWA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Canada will send anti-tank weapons and upgraded ammunition to support Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday at a press conference.

"Yesterday, we announced that we would be sending new shipments of military supplies, including body armour, helmets, gas masks, and night-vision goggles," said Trudeau. "Today, we are announcing that we will be supplying Ukraine with anti-tank weapons systems and upgraded ammunition."

The Canadian government plans to prohibit all imports of Russian crude oil, Trudeau added.

This is in addition to previous shipments of lethal and non-lethal equipment to Ukraine. The Canadian government is also carrying out a series of sanctions on Russia, including prohibiting Canadian financial institutions from engaging in any transaction with the Russian Central Bank and closing off Canadian airspace to Russian planes. 
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey has reacted to reports suggesting that he was sick and bedridden.

Other reports suggested he was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance.



But reacting to the reports Monday morning [February 28, 2022], Mr Quartey told journalists that he has been around and working.



He said he heard about the reports about four days ago and "I did laugh."



He said he went on holiday just like any other Ghanaian else and since January he has been on the field [on the let Accra work campaign].



"It is rather unfortunate that people will choose to do this kind of needless propaganda by spreading falsehood about my good self, that I have been rushed in an ambulance, I have been admitted at the hospital."



"I want to put it out there that Henry Quartey is fit, I've been working and by the grace of God, I shall continue to work, the Lord continues to be my shepherd, I shall not want," Mr Quartey said.





Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The chief of Brekuso who is also the Twafohene of Akuapim Traditional Area Odeefoo Oteng Korankye ll has led fundraising ceremony in the aid to construct a free hostel for the Twafoman Senior High Technical School.



According to Odeefoo Oteng Korankye ll, the school is made of students from far and near so theres the need for the construction of a hostel.



He said the hostel will provide free accommodation for the students which he believes will improve the performance of the students and also attract more students.



Speaking to the media, Odeefoo Oteng Korankye ll stated that, the school is still not under Government but they are in talks with the Government to adopt the school, Twafoman Senior High Technical School as one of the TVET school in Akuapim South Municipality.



Odeefoo Oteng Korankye ll took the opportunity to encourage parents to bring their wards to Twafoman Senior High Technical School and also urged the junior high students to have interest in Technical schools.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu says the Electoral Commission might declare the Assin North seat vacant if the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin refuses to do so.



The Member of Parliament(MP) for Assin North constituency, James Gyakye Quayson is currently facing a legal battle over his nationality which can affect his seat in Parliament.



A Cape Coast High Court in July 2021, ruled that Mr Quayson cannot hold himself as MP since he held dual citizenship when he filed to contest the polls.



Subsequently, the Supreme Court has ordered a substituted service on James Gyakye Quayson following the fact that all efforts to serve him had proved futile.



Reacting to this in an interview on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu said: "Going forward we'll see if he (Speaker) will declare the seat vacant or not; if he doesn't I think in the court processes, they will find a way to get the information to the Electoral Commission to declare the seat vacant for the necessary proceedings to go on," he said.



Watch video below





Source: Peacefmonline com









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A former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr Alex Mould has explained how crude oil and gas supply has become the main missile in the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the warfare with Ukraine as well as with most European countries and the United States of America (USA).



Mr Mould said on the Key Points with Dzifa Bampoh on TV3/3FM Saturday February 26 that Mr Putin knows that Europe is vulnerable when it comes to the reliance on gas by most European countries for economic activities especially during the peak of the winter.



The spike we saw where oil went above a hundred dollars for the first time since 2014 was just a response by circulators and traders who thought that this was going to cause supply and demand problems.



But there is excess supply in the world, Russia produces 12million barrels of oil a day, so does Saudi Arabia, they have the capacity to do that so does the USA. The USA consumes the most oil more than any country and Russia has about 4.8billion barrels a day of oil they export. Saudi Arabia and OPEC have excess capacity of almost 5 billion barrels (4.8bn barrels) of which Saudi Arabia controls half of that, 2.3 billion barrels.



So, the consensus by researchers and traders whom I have spoken to in the last week was yes, they were a little concerned about the immediate impact where you will see spike because there are issues to do with Russia not supplying gas to Europe.



But the fact of the matter is, Europe needs the gas and Europe and US say they are not putting sanctions on gas and oil in the short term. However, as we speak Europe is now receiving gas from other Asian suppliers just to ensure that Putin will not hold them, given that we are at the peak of winter.



This is where it will be felt in Europe, most people cannot switch from gas to crude oil to power their power plants, it is only Germany that has the capacity to do that. So Europe is very vulnerable as we we speak and Putin knows that, the USA also knows that and the USA recently, the Biden administration said they will not sanction Russia crude because that will harm US consumers, he said.



In a related development, Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu, John Jinapor, has asked Ghanaians not to expect reduction in fuel prices any time soon due to the ongoing geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine.



He has asked the Government of Ghana to use the profits made from crude oil sales to cushion Ghanaians during this difficult moment.



The former Deputy Minister of Energy told TV3s Alfred Ocansey on the Business Focus progemmme that the government has made quite substantial profit from the sale of crude oil.



He said Based on what is even happening today, because of the geopolitical tension between Russia, the West vis-a-vis Ukraine, you should expect that crude oil prices will not be coming down anytime soon.



And so, what is Ghana doing? First of all, we are making a huge windfall. If you look at 61 to 100, that represents a 60 per cent jump, in terms of the revenues that we are expecting and so clearly, we are making some very huge windfall which we can use to cushion the ordinary Ghanaian.



The other issue is that if you look at taxes on petroleum products the taxes are so huge, not just the number of taxes but the rate at which they have increased them.



In 2021 we introduced what we call the energy sector recovery levy , policing levy, increased and so all those increments culminated in petroleum prices increment of about 13.6per cent instantly. So far the BOST margin has gone up about 200 per cent fuel margin has gone up about 200 per cent , it is just a plethora of taxes.



Oil prices went up on Thursday, with Brent rising above $105 a barrel for the first time since 2014 after Russias attack on Ukraine exacerbated concerns about disruptions to global energy supply, the Economic Times reported.



Oil prices are soaring with no end in sight as the news of Russias full-scale military incursion of Ukraine, immediately putting at risk up to 1 million bpd (barrels per day) of Russian crude oil exports transitioning through Ukraine and the Black Sea, said Louise Dickson, senior oil market analyst at Rystad Energy.









Source: 3news.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Some sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are refusing to visit their various constituencies outside Accra over Electronic Transaction Levy commonly called E-levy.



The MPs fear the E-levy will be tabled in their absence hence their decision to remain in Accra in order to rush to Parliament to vote against the electronic transaction levy whenever it is tabled in the House.



Interestingly, this has given room to some members of the party who want to contest 2024 NDC parliamentary primaries to begin campaigning against the sitting MPs in their constituencies.



However, the MPs who are in dilemma of fear of losing their seats have raised issues with the party hierarchy over the conduct of their members in their constituencies for necessary action.



The NDC, is therefore restraining members who are nursing the ambition to contest the upcoming NDC parliamentary elections to launch a vile campaign against the incumbent.



The party has therefore threatened to disqualify any member who embark on such targent, saying that the continuous absence of the MPs is in the interest of the party and the nation.



A statement dated Friday February 25, 2022 issued by NDC and signed by Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the party said It has come to the attention of the National Executive Committee of the NDC that some members who intend to contest for the party 2024 parliamentary primaries are going rounds constituencies of sitting MPs instigating hatred and malice against them. Theae individuals amongst other things are alleging that some of our MPs have abandoned the constituencies and prefer to stay in Accra.



The party wish to take this opportunity to state clear and unambiguous terms that the works of Members of Parliament involve passing of legislations, oversight responsibilities over the executive and representing the constituents in Parliament. The party wishes to inform its numerous members and various supporters across the country its has become necessary for all our 137 members of Parliament to be present in Parliament at all times to perform certain duties that are extremely important to the nation and their constituencies hence their unavailability to be in their constituencies at regular times as used to be the case.



The party has warned that since the time for campaign activities has not yet started thereby anybody who starts campaign will be dealt with.



Members are to take note that the opening period for campiagn activities for the partys internal elections are not yet due. Any member who jumps the gun could face sanctions including the possibility of being disqualified from contesting when the time comes.



All party members are advised henceforth to desist from this and any other activity that will bring the name of the party into disrepute, the statement said.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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We do not want a coup in this country, yet I fear if we dont act quickly, we will have one on our hands very soon, words attributed to Professor Raymond Atuguba Dean of University of Ghana Law School.



The academic was speaking on Monday, February 28, 2022, at a public event organized by Solidare Ghana.



He prefaced the above statement with the fact that he did not want an unconstitutional takeover but that failing economic indices were usually the motivation for such actions by non-political actors.



The comment has since attracted different reactions from politicians and security analysts alike.



Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, gave his take via his official Twitter handle. Without mentioning Atuguba, he pointed out that the call for a coup simply meant no political party could fix the countrys current challenges.



If youre a senior member of an opposition party that can be described as an alternative government & yet you say that your country is ripe for a coup, what youre really saying is that your party is no better & cannot be expected to fix whatever you see wrong even if elected! his tweet of February 28, 2022, read.



On the issue of Ghanas economy, Atugubas verdict was that Ghana is broke, your nation is radically broke, he stressed.



He restated a recent claim by the Speaker of Parliament about the possibility of the government failing to pay salaries if something radical is not done in the next few months. Government has officially denied that claim.



Atuguba also wants the government to come clean on failed economic management and for lawmakers to accept the E-Levy as wicked as it was in order for the country to escape the last option of going to the International Monetary Fund, IMF.



He further asked the government to confess its difficulties in managing the economy to Ghanaians to win public support for the controversial E-levy.



The starting point for passing the E-levy is for government to stop lying to the citizenry, come clean and confess that they thought the job of managing the economy was simple, but now they know better, plead with the people of Ghana that we have limited options now.

Source: Ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Executive Director of Solidaire Ghana (a policy think-tank), Mr Benjamin Essuman, has called for a review of the 1992 Constitution to meet the demands of the times.



He said implementing reviews and recommendations of the constitution had taken too long, which had dire consequences for the populace and the economy.



Speaking at a forum on the review of the 1992 Constitution and its effect on the economy, Mr Essuman explained that a review of the Constitution would address some of the challenges confronting the youth and good governance.



The forum, which was held in Accra yesterday, was to discuss the current state of the economy and the role of the constitution.



Governance



Mr Essuman said a review of the 1992 constitution should also include the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to make them more accountable to the electorate.



He said the 1992 Constitution had served its purpose after 30 years of implementation but indicated that it was time for it to be reviewed to meet changing trends.



It is time to push the frontiers for a constitution that will meet our needs as a people, he said.



Mr Essuman added that the delay in reviewing the constitution had serious consequences for the countrys governance system as some politicians would continue to use the constitution to their advantage to the detriment of the ordinary Ghanaian.



Why cant we go to the polls and vote for our local government? Why cant people in the regions vote for their own regional ministers? We need to get these things right so that we can have a proper monitoring and evaluation system and also have a proper way of accounting for the countrys expenditure, he added.



Integrity



Contributing to the discussion, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Madina, Mr Francis-Xavier Sosu, noted that the integrity of people in power had been sacrificed because of politics.



What is truthful is now seen with a political lens; there is lack of confidence in the organs of the state and this is triggering certain reactions from people, he said



Commenting on E-Levy issues, Mr Sosu stressed the need for the government to be diligent and account for all money collected in the past.



It is time for the government to accept that there is a problem so that we can have an open discussion to see the way forward. There has not been an accountability on the ones already taken so it is difficult to win the trust of the people. What is happening now is that the people have no faith in the government and the policies they have, Mr Sosu said.

Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Deputy Finance Minister, John Ampontuah Kumah has stated that government will need the support of the minority caucus in parliament to implement the E-Levy.



According to him, the majority caucus in parliament does not currently have the numbers to pass the E-Levy bill.



"The minority is not in support of the E-Levy, and given the current structure of parliament, if we do not get both sides to agree, it would be difficult to pass the E-Levy bill.



"We have not been able to raise the members to pass the bill. So, we are currently negotiating. As we speak, the Council of State has entered the discussion and has engaged the minority. We urge religious leaders, all Ghanaians and everyone concerned about the finances of the country to put politics aside for the sake of the country," he said in Twi during an interview with Neat FM, monitored by GhanaWeb.



"If we get the support of everybody, we will present it for parliament to pass it. The result of the 2020 election shows that the people of Ghana want us to work together," he added.



"If you have equal members and one side is not in agreement, then you must have the patience to engage more till we are all on the same page," he said.



John Kumah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ejisu, clarified that the government could pay public servants even if it cannot implement the E-Levy, contrary to claims by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.



He, however, noted that the levy is needed for other important government expenditures, including the construction of infrastructural projects and the government's job creation initiatives.





Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has once again shot down the relevance of the electronic transaction tax, popularly called e-levy.



The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta announced the e-levy during his presentation of the 2022 budget last year but the policy has been met with strong opposition with the opponents asserting it will worsen the living conditions of Ghanaians.



In order to sensitize the citizenry in hope to get them to back the government to pass the e-levy bill, the government has been engaging the populace in Townhall meetings explaining the significance of this levy to them.



Should the policy be implemented, government will deduct 1.5% on all electronic transactions, particulary on MOMO and bank transfers.



However, the Minority in Parliament have refused to approve the levy and the Majority caucus is also finding it difficult to marshall support from their chamber to implement the policy.



Making his submissions on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kwesi Pratt stated emphatically that the e-levy will not solve Ghana's problems.



According to him, there are pressing needs like solving the gold sector challenges where Ghana is losing huge monies that must be addressed, not the e-levy which, to him, ''doesn't quite even address the fundamental problems. It doesn't resolve our deficit problems and so on...''



He also opined that e-levy, as it stands now, won't be passed anytime soon.



This is because, he explained, some Members of Parliament are sick and the Dome/Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo, as widely circulated around, has also refused to come back to Parliament.



He, therefore, asked the MPs to stop their ''numbers game'' politics stressing the only way to solve the economic problems confronting Ghanaians is for there to be a national consensus.



''This numbers game you are playing in Parliament won't help Ghana. It won't help opposition and Ghana. We should move beyond this childish numbers game and begin to build national consensus on the state of the economy and the way forward. There's no alternative," he exclaimed.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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People from Ukraine are seen at the border in Medyka, Poland, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

Regarding the current crisis, China calls on Ukraine and Russia to find a solution to the issue through negotiations, and supports all constructive international efforts conducive to a political settlement, said Wang.

BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation at request with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Tuesday.

Kuleba briefed Wang about the first round of Ukraine-Russia talks, saying that the end of the fighting is the top priority for Ukraine.

Ukraine stays open to a negotiated settlement to the current issue and treats the talks with Russia with positive sincerity, said Kuleba, adding that despite current difficulties, the Ukrainian side remains calm and willing to push forward the talks.

China has played a constructive role in the Ukrainian issue, said Kuleba, mentioning that Ukraine stands ready to strengthen communication with the Chinese side and looks forward to China's mediation in achieving a ceasefire.

Wang said that the situation in Ukraine has changed rapidly, and that China laments the outbreak of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and is extremely concerned with the harm to civilians.

Photo shows a view of the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations held in the Gomel region in Belarus on Feb. 28, 2022. (Belta news agency via Xinhua)

China's basic position on the Ukrainian issue is open, transparent and consistent, said Wang, noting that China always stands for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

Regarding the current crisis, China calls on Ukraine and Russia to find a solution to the issue through negotiations, and supports all constructive international efforts conducive to a political settlement, said Wang.

China always believes that one country's security cannot be at the expense of others' security, and security of one region cannot be achieved by expanding military blocs, Wang stressed.

As the fighting continues to expand, the top priority is to ease the situation as much as possible to prevent the conflict from escalating or even getting out of control, especially to prevent harm to civilians as well as a humanitarian crisis, and to ensure the safe and timely access of humanitarian aid, he said.

Wang elaborated on China's position with regard to ensuring the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and urged the Ukrainian side to assume corresponding international responsibilities.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and cares about their safety every moment, Wang noted, adding that all Chinese nationals in Ukraine are envoys of China-Ukraine friendship and friends of the Ukrainian people.

The process of evacuating overseas Chinese and students from Ukraine is underway, Wang said, expressing gratitude to the Ukrainian side for support, cooperation and help from the Ukrainian government and society.

China appreciates Ukraine's launch of special evacuation trains for foreign nationals, which is in line with the international humanitarian spirit, Wang said.

Wang said he hopes the Ukrainian side will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in Ukraine and continue to provide guarantee and facilitation for their evacuation.

Kuleba said that it is an important duty for Ukraine to ensure the safety of foreign nationals, and that Ukraine pays great attention to China's concerns and is assisting Chinese students and nationals to evacuate smoothly.

Ukraine will continue to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals responsibly, Kuleba added. 
One of the obvious side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is that for the past two years, everybody has been uptight.
The Ukraine flag appeared on the masthead of the print edition of The Penticton Herald on both Friday, Feb. 25 and Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Letter reader Julia Valenti considers that inappropriate.
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Passengers walk with their luggage as they arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 1, 2022. Israel on Tuesday opened its borders to foreign tourists who were not vaccinated against COVID-19, said a statement issued by Israel's Ministry of Health. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Tuesday opened its borders to foreign tourists who were not vaccinated against COVID-19, said a statement issued by Israel's Ministry of Health.

After the outbreak of the pandemic in the country, Israel closed its gates to all tourists in March 2020. Since early January this year, it has allowed entry for the vaccinated and recovered only.

The entry of unvaccinated tourists is subject to two PCR tests, to be taken before boarding the plane and after landing in Israel, as well as filling out an entry statement that includes a health declaration.

Another change that took effect on Tuesday exempts Israeli citizens from undergoing a PCR test before boarding, but only after landing in Israel.

All those entering Israel must enter quarantine for up to 24 hours until a negative result is obtained from the second PCR test.

Also on Tuesday, the ministry reported 8,372 new COVID-19 cases in Israel, bringing the total tally of infections to 3,637,543.

The death toll from the virus in the country rose to 10,204, with ten new fatalities, while the number of patients in a serious condition dropped from 588 to 582. 

Passengers walk with their luggage as they arrive at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 1, 2022. Israel on Tuesday opened its borders to foreign tourists who were not vaccinated against COVID-19, said a statement issued by Israel's Ministry of Health. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua)
African residents in Ukraine wait at the platform inside Lviv railway station on Sunday in west Ukraine. As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians seek refuge in neighboring countries, cradling children in one arm and clutching belongings in the other, leaders in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania are offering a hearty welcome. AP Photo/Bernat Armangue
A medical assistant at a University of Washington Medicine clinic prepares a dose of AstraZeneca's Evusheld on January 20, in Seattle. The drug is supposed to give immune-compromised patients who can't make their own virus-fighters some protection against COVID-19 for six months. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Redraw Leads to $100,000 Envelope at 2022 Wynn Millions Mystery Bounty

March 01, 2022 Matt Hansen Live Reporting Executive Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

The Mystery Bounty format continued its run as a breakout hit among poker players, and on Sunday the knockout drum drew most of the attention all afternoon.

Player breaks were especially busy, with runners lined up to take their draw while tournament directors stepped up their efforts to get as many bounties in as the break time would allow. Wynn Poker staff worked overtime to ensure a smooth bounty process, and they delivered once again with an exciting day full of big moments.

Some of the mystery bounties contained a bonus draw, with $500 and the opportunity to reach back in for more. The highlight of the day came when Hung Tran spiked his redraw for the $100,000 top prize. The big numbers drew loud reactions from the slow-peeling players, followed by an announcement of the prize from Tournament Director Ray Pulford, and then a mixture of cheers and groans from the rest of the field.

The other big bounties included five $50,000 prizes and eight $25,000 prizes, once of which was claimed by winner Eddy Konarske, who drew a total of nine envelopes from the drum during his dominating run on his way to a total payday of $260,072.

The $1.5 million guaranteed Wynn Millions Mystery Bounty, a $1,600 buy-in tournament that ran from February 24-27, attracted 2,103 entrants over a trio of starting flights, creating a $1,997,850 prize pool in the process. On Sunday's Day 2, 228 players returned to the Las Vegas Strip casino to finish things off, and Konarske was the last person standing following a heads-up chop with Rambo Halpern, taking home $222,000 for his efforts.

On top of the traditional prize pool, the tournament had a separate mystery bounty in play. After each elimination, the player with the winning hand would pull an envelope with the potential to win up to $100,000 for the bounty. There were three envelopes with the maximum bounty, along with four at $50,000. The minimum amount the players could receive was $500.

All three of the $100k envelopes were snatched up long before the final table. Had one or more been in play, it's likely the final table action would have moved quickly as the players would have had some extra equity in play chasing that six-figure bounty.

Eddy Konarske

2022 Wynn Millions Mystery Bounty Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Eddy Konarske $222,000* 2 Rambo Halpern $200,000* 3 Laszlo Nagy $119,863 4 Aaron Massey $90,901 5 Z Stein $67,327 6 Josh Light $52,223 7 Dennis Wilke $41,017 8 David Yokoyama $32,862 9 Harrison Ashdown $27,468

*Denotes a heads-up deal

The Final Nine

The final table began just before midnight after Eric Ward was eliminated in 10th place ($25,119).

Early at the final table, Harrison Ashdown lost a race against Laszlo Nagy and was eliminated in ninth place ($27,468). David Yokoyama was the next out the door in eighth place ($32,862).

Dennis Wilke, who had been the big stack for quite some time, ran into a rough patch and then lost a crucial race against Eddy Konarske to bust in seventh place ($41,017).

Josh Light lost a race against Rambo Halpern to bust in sixth place ($52,223). On the ensuing hand, Z Stein finally put his small stack in the pot preflop and lost a race against Konarske. Stein took fifth place for $67,327.

And then came the hand of the tournament. With Nagy down to less than half a big blind, he not only won an all-in to stay alive, but earned a $30,000 pay jump when Aaron Massey moved all-in with and was called by the biggest stack, Konarske, who had . The board ran out king-high and also a 4, which sent Massey home in fourth place ($90,901) instead of becoming the chip leader.

Aaron Massey in the Wynn Mystery Bounty.

Nagy busted the following hand but earned $119,863 for third place. Konarske and Halpern then began discussions on a chop, although Konarske held a 3:1 chip advantage.

After some discussions, they agreed that Halpern would receive $200,000 and Konarske would get $222,000, putting an end to the exciting tournament.

The Wynn Millions series continues this week, including the highly anticipated $10,000 buy-in Main Event, which guarantees at least $10 million in the pot. Last summer, the Wynn hosted that very same event and Andrew Moreno took it down for $1,460,106, beating out 1,328 entrants in the largest non-WSOP Main Event $10k in Las Vegas poker history.

Click here for all of PokerNews' coverage of the 2022 Wynn Millions!

Sharelines Eddy Konarske topped 2,103 entries to win the @WynnPoker Mystery Bounty for $260,072 in prize money.

Matt Hansen Live Reporting Executive Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL Follow on:
LONDON, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Heritage Flame for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games was lit at Stoke Mandeville, UK on Monday. Zheng Zeguang, Chinese Ambassador to Britain, said the upcoming Beijing Winter Paralympics will send a message of peace, unity and friendship to the world.

"The flame of the Winter Paralympic Games symbolizes the idea of equality, tolerance and self-improvement," Zheng told Xinhua in an interview at the flame lighting ceremony at Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.

The flame from Stoke Mandeville will then join eight other flames ignited in China to become the official flame of the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games.

"It will ignite confidence and courage for the friends with disabilities from around the world and send the message of peace, unity and friendship," Zheng said.

Zheng noted that by hosting the just concluded successful Beijing Olympic Winter Games, China has fulfilled its promise to the international community to host a "streamlined, safe and splendid" Games.

China has demonstrated the integrity and strong ability of the Chinese people, and injected new hope to the world affected by COVID-19 and geopolitical turbulence, and sent the message of peace, solidarity, friendship and cooperation, Zheng said.

Zheng said that through the Beijing Olympics Winter Games, the international community and the British people once again witnessed China's strength and self-confidence, and once again experienced the hospitality of the Chinese people.

The ardent expectation of British Paralympians and enthusiastic support by people from all walks of life in Britain for the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games can be felt at the scene of the flame lighting ceremony.

Noting that preparation work for the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games has been going on smoothly, Zheng said that "We are confident that the two Olympic Games will be equally wonderful".

"We expect athletes from all countries to fully demonstrate their spirit and perseverance and achieve excellent results on the field. We believe that the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games will once again bring hope for peace, friendship, unity and cooperation to the world," Zheng said.

After the 2008 Paralympics, Beijing will once again become the center stage of the Paralympic movement with the Winter Games set to be held from March 4 to 13. 
GGPoker and FLIP Celebrate International Womens Day in Style

March 01, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

The partnership between GGPoker and Fantastic Ladies In Poker (FLIP) continues throughout March with both parties coming together to celebrate International Womens Day.

Every day for the first seven days of March, GGPoker is hosting a Flip International Womens Day Freeroll that have a $1,500 prize pool made up of ten tickets to the upcoming $5 million guaranteed GGMasters Overlay Edition!

Each freeroll shuffles up and deals at 8:00 p.m. daily from March 1-7 and sees players sit down with 10,000 chips (200 big blinds) and play to a five-minute clock where the blinds start at 25/50/5a. The top ten finishers in each freeroll secures a $150 ticket to the GGMasters Overlay Edition.

The freerolls are password-protected with those passwords made available via the FLIP community.

March 8 is International Womens Day and both GGPoker and FLIP are celebrating with a $50,000 guaranteed tournament. The International Womens Day Celebration shuffles up and deals at 7:00 p.m. GMT on March 8, costs $25 to enter, and has $50,000 guaranteed to be won. In addition to the $50,000 cash, ten nominated women players are competing with a bounty on their heads. Eliminated any of the players highlighted in blue, purple, or yellow and receive a $150 ticket to the GGMasters Overlay Edition

International Womens Day Celebration Schedule

Date Time (GMT) Tournament Buy-in Guarantee Mon 1 Mar 8:00 p.m. Flip International Womens Day Freroll $0 $1,500 Tue 2 Mar 8:00 p.m. Flip International Womens Day Freroll $0 $1,500 Wed 3 Mar 8:00 p.m. Flip International Womens Day Freroll $0 $1,500 Thu 4 Mar 8:00 p.m. Flip International Womens Day Freroll $0 $1,500 Fri 5 Mar 8:00 p.m. Flip International Womens Day Freroll $0 $1,500 Sat 6 Mar 8:00 p.m. Flip International Womens Day Freroll $0 $1,500 Sun 7 Mar 8:00 p.m. Flip International Womens Day Freroll $0 $1,500 Mon 8 Mar 7:00 p.m. International Womens Day Celebration $25 $50,000

Special Ladies Event For Live UK Players

It is not only the online poker world that is celebrating International Womens Day because there is a special live tournament scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. on March 13 at the Manchester235 Casino in the United Kingdom.

The tournaments buy-in is an affordable 60 and GGPoker is adding a $2,500 package for the 2022 WSOP Ladies Event for the eventual champion!

Get Involved in With Fantastic Ladies In Poker (FLIP)

You need to be involved with the FLIP community to receive the passwords for the freeroll. However, the community is much more than some freeroll entries because it is a vibrant place for like-minded female players to celebrate all things women in poker.

You can find FLIP on Twitter and Facebook. You are guaranteed a warm welcome from some of pokers most fantastic ladies.
Mikolaitis Holds Huge Super MILLION$ Final Table Chip Lead

March 01, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

Dominykas Mikolaitis goes into the latest GGPoker Super MILLION$ not only as the chip leader but as the chip leader by a considerable distance. The Poland-based Lithuanian sits down at the 32nd final table of Season 2 with 7,330,865 chips, or an incredible 146.6 big blinds, which is up there with the largest-ever final table stacks in this tournament.

Super MILLION$ Season 2 Episode 32 Final Table

Place Player Country Chips Big blinds 1 Dominykas Mikolaitis Poland 7,330,865 146.6 2 Manuel "OPPikachu" Fischer Austria 3,979,522 79.6 3 Andras Nemeth Hungary 2,851,049 57 4 Yuri Dzivielevski Brazil 2,191,188 43.8 5 Pandora-box China 2,124,218 42.5 6 Weiran Pu China 985,200 19.7 7 Dalton"morgota" Hobold Brazil 622,976 12.5 8 Stephen Chidwick Austria 597,366 11.9 9 Memukul Austria 517,616 10.4

Watch All The Final Table Action Here Click here!

Mikolaitis is not well known in Super MILLION$ circles although he does have more than $56,000 in earnings from this $10,300 buy-in event. He is guaranteed to all but double his Super MILLION$ winnings even if the unthinkable happens and Mikolaitis is the first finalist out of the door because $53,578 is the least anyone can take home tonight. However, it is far more likely that Mikolaitis will walk away with the $428,624 top prize due to the sheer size of his stack and the gap between himself and the leading pack.

Manuel "OPPikachu" Fischer is Mikolaitis nearest rival in terms of chips; Fischer sits down with 3,979,522 chips, the equivalent of 79.6 big blinds. This is only the fifth time Fischer has entered the Super MILLION$ and this is both his first in-the-money finish and final table appearance. Fischer certainly knows his way around a GGPoker tournament table though as is evident by his $1,283,789 in earnings at the site.

Super MILLION$ Season 2 Episode 32 Final Table Payouts

1st - $428,624

2nd - $330,514

3rd - $254,861

4th - $196,525

5th - $151,541

6th - $116,854

7th - $90,107

8th - $69,482

9th - $53,578

Residing in third place at the restart is one of the final tables two former Super MILLION$ champion. Hungarian legend Andras Nemeth has won this tournament twice from the two final tables he has reached. His 2,851,049 chips (57 big blinds) give him a realistic chance of making that three victories from five final tables, although he has almost a third of the chips of the chip leader when play resumes.

Yuri Dzivielevski is hunting for his second Super MILLION$ title

Yuri Dzivielevski is the other former champion at this final table; the Brazilian won this tournament in March 2021 where he defeated Michael Addamo heads-up. Dzivielevski has almost $7.5 million in winnings at GGPoker with $1.8 million stemming from his Super MILLION$ cashes. The super-talented Brazilian returns to the action armed with 2,191,188 chips, or 43.8 big blinds.

Two Chinese players sit down at 6:00 p.m GMT in fifth and sixth place. "Pandora-box" is the better-known of the two courtesy of playing in 16 Super MILLION$ events during their career and reaching a brace of final tables. Weiran Pu is an unknown quantity going onto the final tables action having never played in this tournament before and having only $8,284 in GGPoker winnings. These grinders take their seats behind stacks of 2,142,218 (2.5 big blinds) and 985,200 (19.7 big blinds) respectively.

The three shortest stacks at this weeks Super MILLION$ final table have plenty of work ahead of them because their combined stacks are only worth 34.8 big blinds.

Can Chidwick overcome the odds and win his first Super MILLION$

Dalton"morgota" Hobold returns in seventh place with 622,976 chips (12.5 big blinds) while Stephen Chidwick has 597,366 chips (11.9 big blinds) at his disposal. Chidwick has, surprisingly, never won this tournament; it would be a minor miracle if he changed that fact today.

"Memukul" is the tournaments shortest stack right now with 517,616 chips (10.4 big blinds). Should Memukul managed to navigate their way to fourth place or better, they more than double their lifetime winnings at GGPoker.
TUESDAY, March 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Minimum staffing levels will be a main feature of a major overhaul of U.S. nursing homes that President Joe Biden is expected to announce in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night.

Staffing levels are considered a critical marker for nursing home quality, but the pandemic has left many facilities short of nurses, nursing assistants and other workers who care for patients.

In addition to staffing requirements, Biden's plan will include 20 separate actions to improve nursing home quality. However, there won't be new sources of federal funding to pay for the changes.

Overall, these are very positive developments, Harvard health policy professor David Grabowksi, who tracks long-term care, told the Associated Press. If you ask the industry, theyll tell you this will put them out of business. If you ask an advocate, theyll say theres plenty of money in the system. I think the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Biden will also announce a $500 million (nearly 25%) increase in the nursing home inspection budget as part of the plan.

Despite the tens of billions of federal taxpayer dollars flowing to nursing homes each year, too many continue to provide poor, substandard care that leads to avoidable resident harm, the White House said in announcing its plan.

But nursing homes need more resources, not finger-pointing, the head of a major industry group said in a statement.

Additional oversight without corresponding assistance will not improve resident care, said Mark Parkinson, president of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living. "To make real improvements, we need policymakers to prioritize investing in this chronically underfunded health care sector and support providers improvement on the metrics that matter for residents."

Long-term care was already dealing with a workforce shortage prior to COVID, and the pandemic exacerbated the crisis," Parkinson added. "We would love to hire more nurses and nurse aides to support the increasing needs of our residents. However, we cannot meet additional staffing requirements when we cant find people to fill the open positions nor when we dont have the resources to compete against other employers."

A representative of nonprofit facilities also expressed concerns.

Medicaid, the dominant payer of long-term care services, doesnt fully cover nursing homes cost," Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, told the AP. "Regulations and enforcement, even with the best intentions, just cant change that math," she said.

More information

Visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health for more on nursing homes and assisted living.

SOURCE: Associated Press
On February 27, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Tehran understands Russias security concerns about the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Raeisi said protecting the national integrity and sovereignty of all countries is important, and that all parties to the Ukrainian conflict must adhere to international obligations.

He also welcomed diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war on Ukraine.

"Based on the fundamental principles of its foreign policy, the Islamic Republic of Iran opposes both hegemony and submission to hegemony, and gives its backing to the right to all nations to self-determination, Raisi said.

That is misleading. In fact, Iran is walking a tightrope, defending its partner Russia while in delicate talks with the West on its nuclear program.

The day Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was ordering troops into Ukraine, Raisi phoned Putin to discuss the situation and the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the United States.

Raisi expressed support for Russias move against Ukraine.

The President of Iran expressed understanding with respect to Russias security concerns caused by the destabilizing actions of the United States and NATO," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has blamed NATO for causing the war in Ukraine. Iran has consistently supported Moscows claims that it is protecting itself from what Iranian officials dub as NATOs expansionism.

In exchange, Moscow supports Tehran in the nuclear talks, as well as Irans steps to expand its regional influence and reduce the impact of U.S. sanctions.

The Ukrainian crisis arrived at what may be the final hours of the Iran nuclear talks. All parties involved in the negotiations say progress has been made to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 treaty under which Iran agreed to stop making weapons-grade uranium.

In the talks, Iran continues to press for its elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be taken off lists of terrorist organizations, and for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to drop its claims about Tehran's nuclear activities, like questions regarding uranium traces found in undisclosed sites.

In 2018, then U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed sanctions on Iran, after which Iran stepped up its nuclear activities. European signatories worked to salvage the agreement.

The U.S. government said the war in Ukraine would not halt negotiations with Russia to stop Iran from advancing its nuclear work. U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington will continue negotiating with Russia on issues fundamental to our national security interest, including the Iran nuclear talks.

The fact that Russia has now invaded Ukraine should not give Iran the green light to develop a nuclear weapon, Price said.

Russia and Iran grew closer after Trump took office in 2017, according to Ardavan Khoshnood, an Iran expert at the Middle East Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

Khoshnood said Moscow sees Iran as a counter to U.S. aspirations in the Middle East. Iran and Russia have coordinated their efforts in Syria and other countries.

Tehrans relationship with Moscow grew stronger under former President Hassan Rouhani, who praised and expressed gratitude to Putin in a 2021 meeting.

Tehran turned to Russia for economic support after decades of Western sanctions. In 2021, then Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian announced Tehran had received a 1.2 billion euro loan from Russia to build a thermal power plant in south Iran.

According to Anna Borshchevskaya of the Washington Institute, another U.S. think tank, Putins policies toward Iran and Ukraine are linked by an anti-Western strategy.

Although Moscow has always preferred a non-nuclear-armed Iran, it does not necessarily share Western goals, methods, or red lines on this issue, she wrote in January. The Kremlin has supported sanctions against Tehran while simultaneously working to dilute them, claiming that Western concerns were overblown and were hurting its efforts to expand bilateral trade with the Islamic Republic.

Russia helped Iran build the Bushehr nuclear plant, Irans first and the Middle Easts first civilian nuclear plant, which became fully operational in 2013. Russia has supplied Iran with nuclear fuel, but Iran must return spent fuel to Moscow.

In 2014, the year Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, Tehran signed a deal with Moscow to build up to eight nuclear reactors in Iran.

In September 2016, Iran announced a 10-year agreement with Russia to help build a second nuclear power plant. That was just a year after Iran signed the JCPOA with Western countries.

Russia has also been a major weapons supplier for Iran. Robert Czulda, a scholar and professor of international relations, wrote for the Atlantic Council that Iran has been a customer of Russias defense industry since the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988.

Iran has purchased Russian tanks, submarines, helicopters, infantry armored vehicles, anti-tank systems and advanced surface-to-air missile systems, among other things.

In 2018, the five littoral Caspian nations, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, signed the Caspian Sea agreement on the legal status of the worlds largest inland sea bridging Asia and Europe.
An Aiken man wanted by three South Carolina law enforcement agencies was arrested Monday morning in connection to multiple felonies.

Rodney Glynn Hicks, 49, is charged with kidnapping, burglary in the first degree, possession of less than one gram of meth or cocaine, violation of a city ordinance, trafficking heroin, trafficking cocaine, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana by the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

Hicks is also on a temporary hold for charges from the South Carolina Highway Patrol and the Aiken Department of Public Safety. Those charges are currently unknown.

Burglary and kidnapping in 2021

On Oct. 7, 2021, Aiken County deputies met with the same victim who said the suspect broke into her house and started bringing tools inside, refusing to leave when asked, according to an incident report obtained from the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

The victim told police the suspect took her phone and held her against her will all night, according to the report.

Aiken County deputies went to the house and saw signs of a break-in, but did not find the suspect.

Harassment incident Saturday night

Around 9:52 p.m. Saturday, ADPS officers responded to the Knights Inn on Richland Ave. West in reference to a harassment call.

Officers met with the same victim from the October 2021 incident, who stated the suspect called her and said he was going to go to her house and skin her cat, according to an incident report obtained from ADPS.

The suspect was not located.

It is unclear if the pending charges from ADPS relate to this incident.

Trafficking incident Sunday night

Around 11:18 Sunday, an ADPS officer saw the suspect standing outside of a vehicle at 432 Laurens St. NW. When the officer drove by, the suspect "tr[ied] to conceal himself against the car," according to a second incident report obtained from public safety.

Officers found the suspect talking to a man in a vehicle, where he gave police a false identity and age, according to the report. A bag was found nearby, which contained what appeared to be crack cocaine, heroin and pills.

Police could see a scale, a white powdery substance and other drug paraphernalia in the vehicle and conducted a probable cause search. Marijuana, two bags of what appeared to be heroin, and fentanyl were also found in the vehicle.

Officers found $1,061.57 and an unknown pill in the suspect's possession.

After checking with dispatch, police realized the suspect had outstanding warrants with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office.

He was arrested and transported to the Aiken County detention center early Monday morning.

While at the detention center, Aiken County deputies served Hicks warrants for a city ordinance violation, trafficking heroin, trafficking cocaine, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana.

Breaking news. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Low 67F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
A North Charleston-based chemical maker has announced a major donation for the International African American Museum that's expected to open in Charleston later this year.

Ingevity Corp., which has its headquarters in Park Circle, will give $500,000 over the next four years. The gift will support museum operations.

Johnetta Green, the global manufacturer's chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, said in a written statement that supporting the museum aligns with the company's "dedication to ensuring diverse, equitable and inclusive outcomes" for its employees and the communities where it operates.

"We hope that equipping visitors with this unique educational experience will help promote cultural awareness, expand the perspective of visitors and lead to a better future for all," Green said.

IAAM CEO Tonya Matthews said Ingevity is "playing a key role" in ensuring that visitors "will be able to learn and engage with the rich and complex history of the African American journey."

The museum has continued to cite a "late 2022 opening," but the month of its official debut hasn't been disclosed.

More than $100 million was raised before the IAAM broke ground in mid-2019. Fundraising has continued in the leadup to the opening.

So far this year, the museum has announced two other major gifts. The Ford Foundation announced a $500,000 donation in February  its third to the museum, bringing its total contribution to the IAAM close to $1 million. Also last month, the Massachusetts-based Yawkey Foundation, named for Jean and Tom Yawkey, the late longtime owner of the Boston Red Sox, gave $1 million.

In November, Bank of America gave the project $500,000, doubling its previous gift to the museum from 2018.

Ingevity is one of the Palmetto State's largest publicly traded companies. It was started decades ago within the labs of what is now the WestRock paper mill on the Cooper River to develop chemicals from pine trees. It was spun off as an independent business in 2016, when it listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

The company employs about 1,850 workers across 25 locations worldwide that make an array of industrial chemicals. Its revenue totaled $1.4 billion last year, up 14 percent from 2020.

Ingevity moved its headquarters from Virginia Avenue to newly built offices on O'Hear Avenue in the Park Circle area a couple of years ago.
SUMMERVILLE  A Charleston-area property management company now has a new owner.

Silicon Valley-based Pure Property Management announced March 1 it acquired New Heights Property Management of Summerville, a previous affiliate of Carolina One Real Estate, the Lowcountry's largest-volume real estate firm.

Terms were not disclosed.

Eric Wetherington, the local firm's broker, will become vice president of strategic initiatives for Pure. He recently served as the 2019 national president of the 6,000-plus-member National Association of Residential Property Managers.

"The property management industry is evolving with consolidation," Wetherington said. "The turbulence within the real estate market, regulatory compliance and shifting consumer demand is challenging for small, independent operators."

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He also said, "By 'banding together and building together' with PURE, New Heights remains dynamic and able to resolve many more of the problems that frustrate smaller regional third-party operators."

The Summerville firm manages 560 homes in the Charleston area and will continue to operate under its brand. Shannon Daugherty, operations manager at New Heights, has assumed day-to-day leadership responsibilities.

New Heights continues to be the preferred provider for property management services for Carolina One Real Estate agents and their clients, Wetherington said.

Pure, based in Los Gatos, Calif., launched in 2020 with a focus on consolidating independently owned property management companies with seasoned leaders and supporting them with technology and industry-related programs. It now manages 14,000 properties.
Volvo Cars is veering slightly to the dark side.

The automaker is joining the trend of making "blacked-out" vehicles with darkened interiors and trims with a limited edition S60 sedan to be built this year at the company's only U.S. manufacturing campus in Ridgeville.

Called the "Black Edition," the plug-in hybrid vehicle will be available this spring. Only 450 of them will be built for the 2022 model year.

According to the automaker, the Black Edition will feature high-gloss 19-inch black wheels, darkened tailpipes and a black grill, Volvo badge and grill slash on the front of the car. All of the badging on the rear of the car  including the Volvo name, model and motor designation  will be in black lettering.

While the Onyx Black Metallic model promises to be the stealthiest version, Volvo also is building the car in a Crystal White Metallic paint scheme with all of the black trims.

The Black Edition was developed specifically for the U.S. market at a Volvo studio in California. Eric Beak, head of design, said the car was developed and approved in near-record time, with the first design study taking place just 13 months ago.

The timeline was accelerated considerably when Volvo executives visited the U.S. and got an up-close glimpse of the car in November. Having "fallen in love" with the design, they approved the S60 Black Edition for production on the spot, "skipping the normal design approval process to get it in the hands of customers faster," Volvo said in a written statement.

The Black Edition will have a starting price of just under $40,000.

Volvo is one of the last holdouts from the blacked-out trend.

"Nearly every automaker offers packages of blacked-out trim and darkened interior bits this year," Sean Tucker said in a Kelly Blue Book blog post. "With names like Nightshade Edition (Toyota) or Midnight Edition (Nissan), theyve proven popular because they add a little style to otherwise conventional models."

Last year, BMW built a blacked-out version of its X5 sport-utility vehicle, called the Black Vermilion, at its Upstate plant. Only 350 of those vehicles were made.

In addition to the S60, Volvo's $1.2 billion manufacturing campus off Interstate 26 in Berkeley County will build the next-generation XC90 sport-utility vehicle and a high-performance Polestar 3 sedan for its sister brand.

Early check-in

The owner of a pair of downtown Charleston properties where hotels have been planned for several years are playing it safe this time around.

Rainbow Market LLC has submitted requests for one-year extensions to its "vested rights" at two properties near the City Market, months before it needs to. A 50-room hotel has been approved at each site, one at 2 Anson St. and the other with a Market Street address.

The company's development rights don't expire until Dec. 31, but by submitting its request early it should be able to avoid the kind of legal battle that it found itself in last year.

In 2020, the owner failed to apply for its annual extension request by year's end. Then, Rainbow Market approached the city in June seeking an after-the-fact approval and explaining that the delay was a mistake. Their lawyer told zoning board officials that the missed deadline was attributed to "disarray" during the COVID-19 pandemic and said the city should grant the request because of the extenuating circumstances.

The board said no, following the recommendation of the planning staff, and Rainbow Market took the case to court. The city settled the dispute in August and granted the requests.

Now, the fifth and final one-year extensions for the properties will be up for review at the zoning board's March 1 meeting, according to the city's agenda  or roughly 10 months before they expire.

In South Carolina, property owners can extend vested rights for up to five years, meaning Rainbow Market will need to start developing in 2023. The legal settlement with the city over the missed deadline stipulated that the company start moving "ardently" to submit designs for the hotels to the city for their next approval.

Real estate row

A piece of one of downtown Charlestons most photographed, colorful and historical residential areas is on the market.

The Joseph Dulles House along Rainbow Row at 103 East Bay St. recently went on the sale block. The asking price for the four-story 3,800-square-foot residence with a full basement is $3.395 million, which would edge out the record set last year for the famed pastel-hued stretch of dwellings.

The Cassina Group, which has the listing, said the purple home was built around 1787. Its namesake was an ancestor of John Foster Dulles, who served a secretary of state under President Dwight Eisenhower, and Allen Dulles, the first civilian director of Central Intelligence Agency.

Rainbow Row runs between 79 and 107 East Bay, and includes four condominiums.

The previous sale-price record was set last September, when a buyer from Palm Beach, Fla., paid $3.35 million for the Inglis Arch House at 91 East Bay, which was built around the same year as the Dulles home just up the street.

Design in-kind

The intricate nuances of a building or park take shape long before the last piece is tacked into place.

Architectural firms spend countless hours at the drafting table designing and sometimes redesigning a project before the first shovel breaches the soil.

Many projects, such as the multiple mid-rise ventures under construction on the peninsula, come together as for-profit projects in the market-driven economy while some are developed for those not in the money-making business.

For the latter group, Charleston-based architectural firm LS3P recently created a new initiative called "Design In-Kind," where the company plans to donate 1 percent of its design hours through in-kind donations.

"Access to great design can be transformative for nonprofits," said chief practice officer Katherine Peele. "Even small design interventions can be instrumental in helping a community organization serve its clients more effectively, and supporting our community partners with in-kind design services can yield far-reaching impacts."

The firm's more recent pro bono, or free, work includes projects ranging from a small signage plan to a conceptual design for a large affordable housing development.

LS3P CEO Marc Marchant calls the program a natural fit with the firm's vision of design excellence and collaboration and said it will yield "substantial dividends" for the nine Southeastern cities where it has offices.

"As architects and designers, we are uniquely positioned to bring design thinking to local organizations which strengthen our communities," he said. "This investment in in-kind design services will yield substantial dividends for the vibrant Southeastern cities in which we live and work.

Founded in 1963, LS3P is among the largest architecture firms in the Southeast. It has offices in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, Atlanta and Savannah.

Incisor trading

Its a deal with some teeth to it.

A Charleston-based financial planning business that originally catered to dentists has been purchased by an acquisitive investment advisory company from the Midwest.

JBJ Invest, which manages more than $735 million in assets for health care practitioners and other clients in South Carolina and 40 other states from the Cigar Factory on East Bay Street, announced recently that it has joined forces with Creative Planning LLC.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Overland Park, Kan.-based Creative Planning said it oversees about $100 billion in assets in all 50 states and 65 countries. It already has an office in Mount Pleasant and has announced at least three other acquisitions this year.

JBJ Invest works with individuals, families, trusts and institutions, particularly within its specialty health care niche, according to a written statement. It was started in the mid-1980s by pediatric dentist Dr. Jim Jackson, who had a knack for investing money, to help his professional peers with their financial planning needs.

Mathew Emmert, the downtown firms chief investment officer, said Creative Planning brings to the table an impressive suite of solutions  including tax and legal expertise, which will serve our clients  particularly our practitioners and small business owners  extremely well in the years ahead."
NANJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- China's tracking vessel Yuanwang-6 departed Tuesday from its homeport in east China's Jiangsu Province for a new round of monitoring missions in the Indian Ocean.

Yuanwang-6 returned to its homeport on Dec. 9 after completing three satellite monitoring missions.

Before departure, the ship's personnel completed vessel examination and maintenance, ensuring all systems and facilities aboard Yuanwang-6 were in good working order.

As China's third-generation space-tracking ship, Yuanwang-6 has taken part in 73 maritime monitoring and control missions, including China's Shenzhou manned spaceship missions. 
COLUMBIA  A small crowd of supporters waived a Ukrainian flag and flashed peace signs to passing vehicles in front of the S.C. Statehouse in Columbia on Feb. 28, one of several demonstrations held across the state in the first days after the Russian invasion.

The gathering of about 25 people was a rally organized by the Carolina Peace Resource Center calling for an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began Feb. 24 with Russia's President Vladimir Putin sending troops into the ex-Soviet nation.

"The main injustice of it is it was totally unprovoked; there's no reason for it other than just pure dominance," said Priscilla Preston of Columbia, who stood outside the Statehouse. "It's just senseless and it could be so catastrophic."

The Peace Center is against war wherever it happens, said president David Matos, which is why the organization felt it was important to hold the event.

"People around the world oppose this war and there are going to consequences to starting this war," said Matos, who supports diplomatic pushback against Russia.

The demonstration joins others held across the globe, including anti-war protests in Russia and rallies across South Carolina.

Over the weekend, Ukrainians and their supporters gathered in Falls Park in downtown Greenville, attended a prayer service at New Life Ukrainian Church in Spartanburg and sang to Ukrainian music in downtown Myrtle Beach. The SkyWheel in Myrtle Beach was lit in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.

A Ukrainian peace rally is planned for 6:30 p.m. March 1 at Charleston City Hall. A rally was held at Euro Foods cafe in West Ashley on Feb. 25, the same day the Ukrainian flag was flown over Charleston City Hall.

"This is the least we can do," Matos said at the Columbia rally. "By speaking up, it lends more power to the global anti-war response."

Rally participants in Columbia said they wanted to send a message to the people of Ukraine that the rest of the world knows what they're going through.

"Seeing people stand in support hopefully gives them the strength to keep fighting hope," said Jacklyn Sobotowicz of Lexington. "Hopefully they'll see this and know they're not alone."

"Solidarity still has power," added Hayden Blakeney of Columbia.

Charles Calhoun of Columbia thinks demonstrations, like the one held at at the Statehouse, are essential to combating misinformation from Russia about the war. He said his heart breaks for the more than 500,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine.

"It is always worth it to stand up for peace," he said. "It's the most vulnerable in situations like this who suffer the most."
The Charleston County School Board is considering using an outside firm to perform a country-wide search for the district's next superintendent.

Board members were given a list of potential firms to review during the Feb. 28 meeting with a plan to narrow down the list to a handful of firms they would interview before opting to choose one to lead the search.

Chairman Eric Mack said the board isn't limited to only considering the firms named on the list.

"They're open to research and come back with any firms to be considered," he said.

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The board didn't determine if or when a firm would actually be hired or when the search would begin. Mack said the firms will be discussed during the next meeting, March 14.

"However, we have not created next steps for how to move forward," he said.

In an emailed statement the district said the firms being considered are Alma Advisory Group, Buffkin Baker, BWP & Associates, Coleman Lew Canny Bowen, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Ray and Associates Inc., and S.C. School Boards Association.

The district is looking to hire a new superintendent after former Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait suddenly resigned from her position after a closed-door meeting Dec. 29, 2021. The board voted 6-2 to accept her resignation, which took effect Jan. 2.

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She was given a $241,993 exit package and is staying on with the district until June 2022 as a consultant. As part of the agreement she signed a non-disparagement agreement.

The school board has remained quiet about the reasons for her departure, a decision which has frustrated many educators in Charleston County. Part of their frustration is because she received a "good" rating from the board during a review in September 2021.

More coverage To read more in-depth stories from The Post and Courier's Education Lab, go to postandcourier.com/education-lab.

Postlewait issued a press release after she left that said she enjoyed the opportunity to serve Charleston County students, personnel, parents and the greater community during her seven-year tenure.

Don Kennedy is serving as interim superintendent. Prior to taking the position, he worked as the district's chief financial and administrative officer.

While Postlewait's departure was sudden, superintendents across the country tend to have high rates of turnover. Postlewait was one of 19 superintendents in South Carolina who left their positions between March 2020 and Jan. 9 of this year, according to a Post and Courier analysis.

The numbers are considered typical. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 percent of superintendents were new to their job during the 2018-19 school year, according to the S.C. Association of School Administrators.

According to the American Association of School Administrators, most superintendents stay in their jobs for six years, and the annual turnover rate for the position is 15 percent.
One week after the conclusion of the 2020 Charleston Wine + Food Festival, the state of South Carolina went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Two years later, the five-day event that first landed in Charleston in 2005 is entering what some might call a new era.

Yes, the star-studded signature dinners, buzzing three-day culinary village, Waffle House Smackdown, Gospel Brunch and Opening Night celebration are all on the horizon for the 2022 Charleston Wine + Food Festival that returns to the Lowcountry March 2-6. But organizers will also showcase a new wave of experiential events and programming they believe will tell Charlestons authentic culinary story through the lens of a more diverse participant population.

Before releasing its schedule in October 2021, the festival's staff came up with over 100 events in eight categories after consulting with focus groups, its board of directors and chef participants.

The slate of events indicates that in 2022 there will be more music, craft beer, community access, celebration of cultures and serious discussions about race, diversity and inclusion. South Carolina ingredients and beverages, like rice and madeira, will play starring roles at signature events aimed at educating while entertaining.

Events will take place throughout the Charleston area, and over half of the festival will remain on the peninsula, despite the weekend Culinary Villages downtown departure to Riverfront Park in North Charleston.

Below is a look at what else to expect and what you need to know before the Charleston Wine + Food Festival.

Chefs take center stage

Like other food festivals of its size and stature, the Charleston Wine + Food Festival has been criticized over the years, but as newly anointed South Carolina Chef Ambassador John Ondo put it, it has always served as an avenue for showcasing Charlestons talent.

Its been kind of fun to just watch it grow, said Ondo, who has participated since 2006. For me as a local chef, it was always a feather in your cap.

Jacques Larson, executive chef and owner of Wild Olive and the Obstinate Daughter and the festivals chef chair, said that chefs are consistently asked to give up their time to participate in events, often for free. With the ongoing pandemic wreaking havoc on the food and beverage industry the last two years, the festival made some important changes heading into 2022, he said.

This industry is really kind of taxed right now, Larson said. Theres not a restaurant in town thats fully staffed  The festivals recognizing weve all been up against this.

This year, all visiting chefs will receive hotel accommodations and a travel stipend up to $500. All participating chefs will be supplied with the necessary food products and equipment along with two or more event passes, according to representatives.

I know that the festival has really put a premium on making sure that chefs and restaurants are compensated better for their involvement, Larson said.

The changes extend to the festivals programming. While many moments at the 2022 Charleston Wine + Food Festival will feel familiar, this years schedule of events aims to address the widespread calls for an end to systemic racism and a more inclusive and diverse food and beverage industry.

This year, the festival tapped a wider group of food and beverage pros, and its staff took a step back to serve as the facilitator of participants ideas, Charleston Wine + Food Executive Director Gillian Zettler told The Post and Courier in October.

According to KJ Kearney of Black Food Fridays, this was the case for Soul Stroll, his event that will take attendees to four Black-owned restaurants in the Charleston area.

Kearney, who hosted the event for the first time in 2020, said hes hopeful the Soul Strolls reach will extend beyond the festival and lead to more support for these and other Black-owned restaurants after its conclusion.

Theres certain calls to actions that just compel people to do certain things, and special days are one of these calls to action, Kearney told The Post and Courier in November. I take it upon myself to spread the wealth to other Black-owned restaurants throughout the year.

With the festival bringing in more Charleston-based pop-up and small-business owners, you might run into your favorite local chef, such as Caitlin Schumacher from Girl Nextdough food truck; Courtney and Nicole Tomer from Co-Hog pop-up; Marcus Middleton from Keonis Low Country Diaspora; or Danetra Richardson of Summerville sweets shop Swank Desserts, which specializes in gourmet sweets, like cakes and macarons.

After previously participating in the festival's Culinary Village and other events, this year, Richardson will host her own signature event, It's Mack-ah-ROHN, celebrating the delicate French dessert.

Its exciting. I told (the festival) that I was open to doing a hands-on experience, said Richardson, describing the event. They will get the opportunity to actually make macaroons on their own.

Pakistani chef Maryam Ghaznavi and her husband Raheel Gauba are participating in two festival events: Kabob Meats Beats and Salaam Namaste. Ghaznavi and Gauba, the owners of Malika and Maam Saab, which will open in downtown Charleston later this year, said Salaam Namaste will provide them an outlet to educate diners on their cuisine.

And theyll do so alongside celebrity chef and Food Network TV personality Maneet Chauhan.

The No. 1 question we get from our customers is, OK, this is Pakistani cuisine, Ive never had it, how is it different or similar to Indian,'  Ghaznavi said while recording an episode of The Post and Couriers Understand SC podcast. Thats a great question, and we always kind of struggle in a way to define it.

At the signature event, Ghaznavi and Chauhan will attempt to do just that by sharing cuisine, culture and art from Pakistan and India. Even the events name, which Ghaznavi and Gauba came up with, hints at the collaborative theme of the evening: Salaam is a common greeting in Pakistan's Muslim community, and Namaste is used by Hindus in India to say hello.

We want to help you understand how its familiar with Indian and also kind of show the uniqueness of it but without saying ... its better or worse, Ghaznavi said. It will be amazing to see what chef Maneet Chauhan brings.

New Culinary Village

Riverfront Park in North Charleston is set to host the Culinary Village March 4-6 following the festival's departure from Marion Square, which hosted the three-day extravaganza featuring drinks and samples from chefs every year since 2005.

The decision was made, in part, to give the festival more space, which organizers are using to add new programming.

This year, the village is split up into two parts: The Lawn @ Culinary Village and The Pavilion @ Culinary Village, one of two non-ticketed events at the 2022 festival. Flick at Night in Hampton Park featuring a viewing of "The Hundred-Foot Journey" on March 3 is the other free event.

The Pavilion, located next to The Lawn, will feature seating and five to eight food trucks per day, like local pop-up-turned-food truck Foxes Fried.

Theres new pop-ups everyday and it gives a real idea of the culinary scene in Charleston, said Foxes Fried co-owner Brandy Svec, discussing the inclusion of more pop-ups in this years festival. I really like that the (Wine + Food Festival) got on board with that.

The Lawn will have two stages; live musicians will perform throughout the day on one, and the other will feature chef demonstrations.

The Lawn will be open for ticket holders from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. March 4-6, while locals and visitors will have access to The Pavilion from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on those same days. Later in the evening March 4-5, Riverfront Park will host NightCap, the festivals new concert series.

Local producer and talent Niecy Blues will open the show March 4 before headliner Lake Street Dive takes the stage with a jazz and R&B-influenced set. The next night, Birmingham, AL-based Southern soul group St. Paul & The Broken Bones will co-headline a show with 2020 Grammy Awards Best New Artist nominee, Tank and The Bangas.

Both acts on March 5 have also performed at the High Water Festival at the same North Charleston venue.

The festival is requiring all guests, talent, vendors, volunteers and staff to provide proof of vaccination or present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of each day they are attending. You must be 21-or-older to attend all ticketed Charleston Wine + Food events.

Attendees who wish to provide vaccine information ahead of the event can do so using the Medical University of South Carolina's digital VaxVerify service, which verifies submissions and sends a unique QR codes that can be presented at events.

Follow The Post and Courier's coverage of Opening Night, the Culinary Village and other signature events throughout the weekend.

Editors Note: Parker Milner will be an emcee on the Demo Stage at the Culinary Village and a judge at the Waffle House Smackdown.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
GREENVILLE  The ongoing partnership between Clemson University and the U.S. Army expanded on Feb. 28 to include $22 million in additional funding towards research and design work on autonomous vehicles to modernize military forces.

In 2020, the U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center, based in Warren, Mich., contributed $18 million to Clemson to create the Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems Center at its International Center for Automotive Research off Interstate 85 in Greenville. The full agreement includes a ceiling of $100 million across roughly five years.

The Army's now committed $40 million for the continued research towards developing "virtual prototyping tools for designing the next-generation of on- and off-road vehicles," according to a release.

Since the establishment of the new center at CU-ICAR, 65 faculty and 74 master's degree and doctorate students have been selected, with more to be included in the coming months and years, to participate in research.

In an auditorium at CU-ICAR, Clemson President Jim Clements, members of Clemsons Board of Trustees, Sen. Lindsey Graham, various congressional staffers, community partners throughout Greenville County and economic development partners gathered for the announcement.

Chief scientist of the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center, David Gorsich, shared that its really, really crucial that we modernize the forces.

The Army has been in a war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we have not been modernizing as quickly as Russia and China have," Gorsich said.

"As we look at where we're going, we need to desperately modernize based on the threats to this country, nation and to our way of life, and also, of course, our NATO partners."

The modernization efforts will focus on autonomous combat vehicles. Gorsich quoted an automotive engineering article from December that explained if researchers approached data collection through machine learning, about 8 to 9 billion miles would have to be driven to train the systems to be as good as a human driver, he said. He added that even if 100 autonomous vehicles drove for 24 hours a day, youll get done collecting information in 400 years.

We have to get at this problem a little differently than just collecting a lot of data, Gorsich said. To transition technology quickly to industry and for the Army, we need to do virtual prototyping.

Gorsich has been working with the founding director of Clemsons Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems Center, Zoran Filipi, before CU-ICAR existed. Back then, they looked at the same problems, but now the campus and center give us a chance to really focus on that autonomous system, Gorsich said.

The U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center also works with the University of Michigan, University of Alabama Birmingham and other universities nationwide to work on similar problems. CU-ICAR has graduated 830 masters and doctorate students in automotive engineering since its founding in 2007.

While the announcement was not directly related to current events, Russia's invasion of Ukraine was addressed. Graham shared his thought with both the crowd and separately with the media.

"We need to spend more money on our military, as we flow equipment and men and women abroad to reinforce NATO," Graham said.

"The strategy is pretty simple: Hurt Putin, help Ukraine."
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported over 1,800 new COVID-19 cases from the weekend, including 408 new cases and 37 new deaths related to the virus Feb 28.

Statewide numbers

New cases reported: 520 confirmed, 370 probable (Saturday); 509 confirmed, 79 probable (Sunday); 228 confirmed, 180 probable (Monday).

Total cases in S.C.: 1,143,665 confirmed, 317,490 probable.

New deaths reported: 26 confirmed, 14 probable (Saturday); zero confirmed, one probable (Sunday); 32 confirmed, five probable (Monday).

Total deaths in S.C.: 14,348 confirmed, 2,517 probable.

Percent of ICU beds filled (with COVID-19 and other patients): 67.7 percent.

S.C. residents vaccinated

In South Carolina, 63.1 percent of people who are eligible for the vaccine have received at least one dose, and 54.2 percent of eligible residents are considered fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

This number reflects all eligible residents in South Carolina, including young children. The latest data from DHEC shows 18.6 percent of children ages 5-11 have at least one vaccine dose.

Hardest-hit areas

Charleston (25), Greenville (21) and Richland (20) counties saw the highest total numbers of new cases.

What about tri-county?

Charleston County had 25 new cases, while Dorchester had 19 and Berkeley reported nine.

Deaths

DHEC releases county-level data regarding COVID-19 deaths and the ages of those who have died from the virus on Tuesdays. According to the latest data from Feb. 22, at least 336 people in South Carolina died from the virus Feb. 13-19.

Hospitalizations

Of the 634 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Feb. 28, 132 were in the ICU and 66 were using ventilators.

What do experts say?

State health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated and boosted to curb the spread of the virus.

Currently over 50 percent of all eligible residents are considered fully vaccinated and 63 percent have received at least one shot.

Go to https://vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov to find a clinic near you.
A month after their first meeting in nearly four years ended with signs of division, Williamsburg County school board members were more unified in a meeting Feb. 28 that is part of the path to ending state control of the district.

The transition process doesn't have a known end date or benchmarks the board needs to hit to regain local control, but holding orderly meetings is a step in the right direction.

Board chair Marva Cannion credits the change in tone of the meeting to training they have had recently from the S.C. School Boards Association.

We are more in tune as to our role, Cannion said. What we can do and what we cannot do.

The board has no power or authority at the moment and is meeting for the first time since 2018 when the state Department of Education amid financial and testing woes.

Over the course of the half an hour meeting Feb. 28, the board efficiently went down the agenda without bickering and division seen at he first meeting in January. They fought over the announced merger of C.E. Murray and Kingstree high schools next fall and even the agenda.

Members received an update on bills in the General Assembly, such as a proposal that would raise the minimum teacher salary to $40,000.

Cannion asked about eight teacher openings in the district to state-appointed Superintendent Rose Wilder, who noted that most of those were in music and physical education and not in core classes such as math and science.

The meeting drew an audience of less than 10 people on the video conference as opposed to the more than 70 at the first meeting last month. No one attended in person.

The board announced that they have set up an email address  wcsdboard@wcsd.k12.sc.us  for the public to submit questions.

The board will continue to receive training and is currently undergoing a process to update its policies and procedures, with help from the state school board association, along with hold a regularly scheduled meeting on the fourth Monday of each month.

While the path to local control remains unclear, Cannion feels the board is stronger than it ever has been.

When you have written policies and procedures, and everyone knows what is required, and [when] you're on the same page it is easy to follow, Cannion said. But if you don't know then that can create concerns. So when we all learn the same thing and we are going to follow the policies that are written that should bring some cohesiveness.
Brandon Alter covers the town of Kingstree and Williamsburg County for The Kingstree News. He is from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He graduated from the University of South Carolina's school of Journalism and Mass Communications in May 2021.
Removing Russian banks from SWIFT could be double-edged sword for Europe

Xinhua) 09:22, March 01, 2022

Photo taken on Feb. 25, 2022 shows the main building of Bank of Russia in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

The expulsion, which some people believe will deal a heavy blow to the Russian economy by crippling Russian banks' ability to settle international transactions, could be bad for Europe, as it will at the same time bring energy supply shocks to the European Union (EU).

FRANKFURT, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Several European countries, the United States and Canada issued a joint statement on Saturday saying they will remove some Russian banks from SWIFT, the payment system used for most international financial transactions.

The expulsion, which some people believe will deal a heavy blow to the Russian economy by crippling Russian banks' ability to settle international transactions, could be bad for Europe, as it will at the same time bring energy supply shocks to the European Union (EU).

That is probably why a few European countries like Germany and Italy were hesitant about endorsing it at first.

A woman passes by an office of VTB bank in Moscow, Russia, Feb. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

SWIFT EXPULSION

SWIFT is a Belgium-headquartered global provider of secure financial messaging services. It was formed in 1973 by 239 banks from 15 countries to solve the problem of cross-border payments communication.

More than 11,000 financial institutions are now using SWIFT for their financial transactions, including around 300 from Russia.

According to the joint statement released Saturday, in concert with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Canada, the United States is supporting the expulsion of "selected Russian banks" from SWIFT "within the coming days," so as to "further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies."

"It will stop them (the Russian banks) from operating worldwide and effectively block Russian exports and imports," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted on Sunday.

Many media reports have predicted that such an expulsion, if endorsed for all major Russian banks, is likely to wreak havoc on Russia's financial system and economy by triggering bank runs and greatly undermining Russia's exports, and have therefore touted the expulsion as a "nuclear option."

A pedestrian walks past an exchange rate displaying screen in Moscow, Russia, on March 9, 2020. (Photo by Evgeny Sinitsyn/Xinhua)

However, some experts said the move did not necessarily mean that Russian banks will be rendered incapable of conducting international transactions, as they can still finalize the process with other banks through other systems, or even by fax or Email given that SWIFT is only a messaging system.

The expulsion will only make the whole process slower and costlier, they said.

In fact, Russia has started to develop its own financial transfer system -- the System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) -- since 2014, as an alternative to SWIFT, a move in anticipation of possible expulsions from the West.

At the end of 2020, there were 23 foreign banks connected to the SPFS from Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland. As of May 2021, the SPFS had been handling around 20 percent of Russia's domestic payments.

Photo taken on Feb. 25, 2022 shows diesel and gasoline prices displayed on a screen at a gas station in Frankfurt, Germany. (Photo by Armando Babani/Xinhua)

SUPPLY SHOCKS

Citing analysts, some media reports said there was in the beginning reluctance among several leaders from EU countries to take the step of expulsion due to their countries' heavy reliance on Russian energy exports.

For example, the Financial Times reported Thursday that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believed such a move "should not be included in an EU sanctions package."

British online newspaper The Independent reported on Saturday that Germany, France and Italy opposed a request from Britain to shut Russia out of SWIFT.

"The German finance minister, Christian Lindner, admitted Berlin refused to go further because of 'a high risk that Germany will no longer be supplied with gas or raw materials,'" it said.

According to Russia's central bank, the country's exports totaled 489.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, more than 50 percent of which were energy products. Over 40 percent of the EU's natural gas comes from Russia. Germany, the largest economy in the EU, gets 55 percent of its gas imports from Russia.

Besides, Russia is a main supplier of crude oil and solid fossil fuels to the EU.

Nikolai Zhuravlev, deputy speaker of the Federation Council of Russia, told Russia's TASS news agency in January that European countries will not be able to receive gas, oil and metals from Russia in case Russia is disconnected from SWIFT.

Many experts believed if EU countries are weaned off Russian energy supplies, they will face a huge challenge to find backup suppliers.

"Europe's economy, which is far more closely tied to Russia's than the U.S. economy, could suffer if Russia was restricted or prohibited from using SWIFT, including if banks are blocked from access," NBC News reported on Sunday.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
CONWAY  An S.C. Highway Patrol trooper will not face criminal charges for fatally shooting a Longs man after a traffic stop last year, 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson announced Feb. 28.

A State Law Enforcement Division investigation revealed that Master Trooper W.B. Benton acted in lawful self-defense when he shot and killed 33-year-old Tristan Vereen after a car chase on Sept. 11, 2021.

It is the opinion of this office that Trooper Benton did not violate the laws of the State of South Carolina and as such, criminal charges against this officer are not supported by the evidence you found through this investigation, Richardson said in a letter to SLED. If additional information comes to light that materially alters this position, we may revisit this position.

The incident occurred after Benton attempted to pull Vereen over for a damaged windshield in a rural part of Horry County on S.C. 905 near S.C. 22.

Attorney Harry Daniels, who represents Vereens family, said Benton made an illegal traffic stop when he attempted to pull the car over due to a cracked windshield. Daniels pointed to state statutes where he said windshields arent specifically classified as unsafe equipment, only things such as brakes or lights.

Vereen did not pull over, leading Benton on a more than eight-minute chase before he crashed into a tree behind a house on McNeil Chapel Road, the investigation said.

Following a 40-second foot chase in the yard, Benton stopped Vereen with his Taser after he refused to stop and get on the ground after multiple commands.

A fight between Benton and Vereen ensued, with Vereen kicking, biting and getting on top of Benton. Vereen took control of Bentons Taser and fired it into his neck, while also attempting to take his gun.

Benton told investigators that Vereen also asked for nearby bystanders to shoot him. Fearing it was his last option, Benton drew his gun and fired one round into Vereens chest, the investigation said.

The investigation said Benton only fired one round because the threat ceased to exist. He was the only officer on scene at the time of the incident.

Vereen died that same day at Grand Strand Medical Center due to his injuries. Benton later required surgery for a dislocated left shoulder resulting from the fight.

Vereen's blood toxicology report indicated positive results for phencyclidine (PCP), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), amphetamine and methamphetamine.

Richardson and SLED met with a representative of the Vereen family before releasing the results of the investigation.

Daniels said he plans to petition the Department of Justice to conduct its own investigation about the incident.

This shows a gross incompetency of that officer, and it led to Mr. Vereens death," Daniels said. "It is sad; it is unfortunate that he cant be brought back."
COLUMBIA  Attorneys for disgraced Hampton County lawyer Alex Murdaugh are trying to block the Richland County jail from releasing any more recordings of their clients jailhouse calls after his conversations with relatives were aired on a podcast last week.

Columbia attorneys Jim Griffin and Dick Harpootlian filed a federal lawsuit Feb. 28 seeking to prevent the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center from releasing any more of Murdaughs calls. They argue the facility and its interim director, D. Shane Kitchens, violated a federal wiretapping law that forbids the release of inmate phone calls in response to an open-records request.

The filing comes days after FITSNews.com and the Murdaugh Murders Podcast published transcripts and audio from nearly a dozen Murdaugh calls that they obtained from the jail through a Freedom of Information Act request in January. Such tapes are rarely  if ever  released to the public before a defendants trial.

The released calls feature Murdaugh discussing finances and his ongoing legal problems with his relatives, including his brothers, sister and son Buster. The audio offers a new window into the mindset of a man at the center of an unfolding murder mystery saga that has spun off revelations of fraud and corruption in the often-overlooked southern tip of South Carolinas Lowcountry.

Murdaugh has said little publicly since the still-unsolved double murders of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul in June. The scion of a powerful legal family in Hampton County, Murdaugh has been stuck in the Richland County jail since mid-October as a wave of criminal investigations and civil lawsuits bear down on him.

His law license has been suspended, and he likely faces disbarment and a lengthy prison sentence amid accusations he stole millions of dollars from his clients settlement amounts.

The Feb. 28 lawsuit by his attorneys starts a legal battle that could decide whether such inmate calls are considered public records in South Carolina.

"We believe these are public records, as did the public entity that provided them," said Will Folks, founding editor of FITSNews, adding that his site would continue to push for all government records not protected by attorney-client privilege.

Griffin declined to comment. Efforts to reach Richland County officials for comment were unsuccessful on Feb. 28.

The tapes feature nearly a dozen phone calls Murdaugh made from jail between mid-October and Dec. 9, including conversations between Murdaugh and his son, his brothers Randy and John Marvin Murdaugh, and his sister Lynn.

In the audio played on the Murdaugh Murders podcast, Murdaugh urges his son to work hard to get reinstated to the University of South Carolinas School of Law. He repeatedly asks Buster Murdaugh if he has enough money to cover his living expenses, pledging he can borrow money from his brother and pay him back when he is released from jail.

Murdaugh speaks optimistically about his lawyers efforts to have him released from jail on bond, efforts that later proved fruitless. He talks in vague terms about his finances and different pools of money.

He pleads with relatives to send him and fellow inmates cash to spend at the facilitys canteen.

His brother John Marvin Murdaugh breaks news to him that the familys longtime law firm  Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Elzroth, Detrick  has dissolved and rebranded as the Parker Law Group in the face of negative publicity.

John Marvin also discloses that the state Supreme Court has suspended the law license of one of Murdaughs closest friends, Cory Fleming, in response to allegations that Fleming allowed Murdaugh to siphon away money owed to the estate of Murdaughs late housekeeper.

John Marvin stresses that others in Alex Murdaughs orbit are being implicated as enablers and co-conspirators in his alleged schemes. John Marvin urges his brother to admit to any allegations that are accurate and clear the names of anyone who wasnt involved.

Those tapes, Murdaughs attorneys argue, should never have been released. In court filings, they disclose that they sent the jail a cease-and-desist letter and called the Richland County attorney but received no response.

They have asked a federal judge to forbid the jail from releasing any more tapes and to prevent further exploitation of (Murdaughs) conversations for commercial gain.

Griffin and Harpootlian asked a judge to award them attorneys fees if they win.

The Post and Courier filed a formal request for the tapes, as well as other Murdaugh records that have been provided to media outlets, on Feb. 22. The county has not responded to the newspapers request.
Prior even to the first Russian tanks rolling into Ukraine last week, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolinas 2nd Congressional district had introduced new legislation that would aid the U.S. in supplying Ukraine with additional means for protecting its civilians.

The Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022, introduced Feb. 18 and now in the foreign affairs committee, closely aligns with a bill that Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, had introduced in the upper chamber a month prior. Both purport to simplify and expedite the lending of defensive materials to Ukraine.

This war perpetrated by [Russian President] Vladimir Putin against Ukraine has united the world in its resolve against corrupt authoritarians and in admiration for the Ukrainian people, commented Wilson in a March 1 news release. The U.S., along with our valued allies, must continue to supply Ukraine with the military equipment they need to repel this attack, and this legislation expedites and expands that process.

The spirit of the legislation hearkens back to World War II and the original Lend-Lease Act under Franklin D. Roosevelt. That program had supplied aid, including ships, to the U.K., free France and, later, the Soviet Union, in exchange for leasing military bases in Allied territory.

President Franklin Roosevelts Lend-Lease program, enacted in 1941, very likely permitted Britain to keep fighting the Nazis in World War II, and ultimately helped roll back tyranny across Europe, said Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., and cosponsor of the current House legislation.

Cohen said he hoped that the Lend Lease Act of 2022 would allow the brave people of Ukraine to defend themselves against unwarranted Russian aggression without obligating U.S. troops.

Both Wilsons bill in the House and Cornyns bill in the Senate have gained bipartisan support, with Cornyns now counting 14 cosponsors, of whom six are Democrats and eight are Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Aside from COVID, few issues are as divisive these days as election law, a once-obscure province of policy wonks that now elicits heated claims of stolen elections on one side and Jim Crow disenfranchisement of minorities on the other.

So it was encouraging  and a bit surprising  to see the S.C. House Judiciary Committee come to near unanimity in support of legislation that deals with some of the thorniest of election law questions: absentee ballot security and early voting.

The resulting measure, a heavily amended version of the bill introduced less than a month ago by Speaker Jay Lucas and the rest of the Houses top leadership, could clear the full House this week.

H.4919 creates a two-week early voting period, adds reasonable security provisions to absentee ballots and gives county election officials the tools they need to process the pre-Election Day ballots quickly enough to mostly satisfy our instant-gratification demands.

Its not a perfect bill. Most significantly, it takes the more expensive and less convenient route to expanding pre-Election Day voting. This is not insignificant because, contrary to the idea youd get if you listened to some on the left, who can be a bit too promiscuous about throwing out claims of voter suppression, the two legitimate justifications for the change are cutting costs and making voting more convenient.

Frankly, except in the midst of a pre-vaccine pandemic, wed prefer for everybody who is physically able to vote on Election Day, because we believe there is societal value in this one communal act of our nation, our state and our local communities. But weve never required that (see the absentee allowance for everyone age 65 or older, no matter how healthy and mobile they are).

And in order to accommodate all that in-person voting without requiring people to wait in hours-long lines, at the risk of losing their jobs or missing their child-care pickup deadlines, taxpayers would have to spend an extraordinary amount of money to purchase additional voting equipment and pay additional poll workers  assuming we could even find additional poll workers.

The cheapest and most convenient way to reduce the number of voting machines we need to buy to use a couple of times a year and the number of poll workers we need to hire is to allow everybody to cast an absentee ballot  preferably by mail  like we did for the 2020 primaries and general election. Lawmakers should save tax dollars and voters' time by allowing that.

Its true that mail-in voting poses a greater danger of fraud than in-person voting. Its also true that the chance of fraud in either case is minuscule  and becomes even smaller when you include protections South Carolina already takes, such as requiring each individual to go through a cumbersome process to request a mail-in ballot (which includes a unique code). H.4919 adds more protections, requiring voters to include the last four digits of their Social Security number with their request and further reducing the chance of ballot harvesting, by limiting to 10 the number of absentee ballots anyone can request on behalf of others.

We would prefer that the bill eliminated the witness signature requirement for absentee ballots, which election officials dont check and thus serve no practical purpose. But outside a pre-vaccine pandemic when some people could reasonably believe it was dangerous to be in the same room with another person, that unnecessary requirement does no harm.

Similarly, we think it would make sense, given that mail delivery is not completely reliable, to allow an option for absentee voters to drop off their ballots after hours, in a truly secure depository at their county election office.

But lawmaking is the art of compromise. And a great deal of encouraging compromise has gone into the legislation.

For example, the Judiciary Committee adopted that Social Security provision after critics complained that requiring voters to include the number from their drivers license, passport or other authorized photo ID card was similar to a new Texas law that has resulted in numerous voters being denied absentee ballots because they guessed wrong about which photo ID was associated with their voter registration card.

That was an excellent example of lawmakers working together to find a better way to achieve a policy goal when there were practical problems with their initial approach  and its the type of thing we need to see more of, in all sorts of legislation.

What we dont need to see in H.4919 is a repeat of what House leaders pulled with another election bill last month, when they pushed through an unvetted rewrite of the legislation that included several provisions that had never been debated. Some lawmakers suggest there will be an effort to add a provision to require voters to swear a blood-oath to a party in order to vote in a primary.

Even if that were a good idea  and its not  it should be considered in separate legislation. Legislators should reject any attempt to add that poison pill to this legislation.
As I watched the news, I saw long convoys of Russian weapons move unimpeded into Ukraine.

It made me wonder if the United States had helped Ukraine prepare for the kind of warfare it needs to employ against the larger Russian force.

We learned a lot from surprise tactical guerrilla warfare employed against our troops in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Our vast expertise could benefit Ukraine because guerrilla warfare could make it difficult for Russia to get its weapons into the country and to maintain control in a city environment.

Ukraine forces spread out with handheld weaponry specific to guerrilla warfare along primary routes of entry could slow down and disrupt getting into the cities.

Similar forces within the cities could disrupt occupancy by making Russian forces fearful because they are sitting ducks exposed to guerrilla warfare.

Holding the Russian offensive at bay from the onset is a critical strategy that could improve the opportunity for negotiations and a path to peace.

Let us hope our governments planning has employed deep forethought that is reflective of all possible outcomes and has gone all-out to give the Ukrainian people timely benefit of our knowledge of how to protect themselves with guerrilla warfare.

RUSS VINCENT

Charleston

Keep workplaces safe

Republicans in the state Senate are pushing a bill to penalize South Carolina businesses that enforce health and safety rules used to protect South Carolinians.

A company must be allowed to fire employees who refuse to follow health and safety mandates. It is the ultimate enforcement. If this Senate bill passes, it will put all workers at risk.

Our workplaces have become much safer over the years. Please dont let these misguided senators take us backward.

JOE MCFALLS

Charleston

Don't blame GOP

A Sunday letter to the editor blamed Republicans in South Carolina for a host of ills, including poor infrastructure, litter, homelessness, poor health, overdevelopment and criticism of critical race theory.

I will point out that Illinois, New York and California are dominated by Democrats, more so than Republicans in South Carolina.

These states have many of the aforementioned problems.

But these high-tax states might be preferable to the letter writer.

ROBERT DANIELS

Johns Island
There have been contradictions about our local government's strategy on COVID-19 testing and limitations for those who have come in close cont Read more
Zhang Jun (C, front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during the Security Council emergency meeting on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, Feb. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

-- "China welcomes the start of direct dialogues and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine," a Chinese envoy said.

-- Cold War mentality based on bloc confrontation should be abandoned. Nothing can be gained from stirring up a new Cold War, but everyone will stand to lose, he warned.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called for efforts to create an enabling atmosphere and conditions for direct negotiations over the Ukraine conflict.

The situation in Ukraine is changing sharply and has evolved to a point where China does not wish to see and where it is not in the interests of any party, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

The immediate priority is for all parties concerned to exercise necessary restraint, prevent the worsening of the situation while stepping up diplomatic efforts aiming for a political solution, he told an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine.

"China welcomes the start of direct dialogues and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine should serve as a bridge of communication between the East and the West, rather than an outpost for confrontation between major powers. We call for efforts to create an enabling atmosphere and conditions for direct negotiations between the parties concerned, as this is the fundamental way to resolve the issue," said Zhang.

All actions taken by the United Nations and the relevant parties of the international community should prioritize regional peace and stability and universal security for all, and should help de-escalate tensions and facilitate a diplomatic settlement. China does not approve of any approach that may exacerbate tensions, he said.

Photo shows a view of the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations held in the Gomel region in Belarus on Feb. 28, 2022. (Belta news agency via Xinhua)

China supports relevant UN agencies' continued work on humanitarian aid in Ukraine. China believes that the safety of civilian life and property and their humanitarian needs should be effectively guaranteed, he said.

"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China always earnestly fulfills its responsibility of maintaining international peace and security. It is our consistent and unequivocal position that all countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected, and that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld. China will continue to play a constructive role in the pursuit and realization of peace," said Zhang.

The Cold War has long ended. Cold War mentality based on bloc confrontation should be abandoned. Nothing can be gained from stirring up a new Cold War, but everyone will stand to lose, he warned.

One country's security should not come at the expense of other countries' security. And regional security should not rely on reinforcing or even expanding military blocs, he said.

China supports the European Union, NATO and Russia in resuming dialogues, bearing in mind the concept of indivisible security, properly addressing the legitimate security concerns of all parties, including those of Russia, and striving to put in place a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism, so as to achieve lasting peace and stability on the European continent, he said. 
Nestle Nigeria Plc, the local unit of Swiss-based worlds largest food and beverage company Nestle S.A., reported sales in the sum of N351.8 billion for last year, more than a fifth higher than that of 2020, the firms audited financial statements showed on Tuesday.

Its pre-tax profit inched up to N61.9 billion, improving by 2 per cent, while net profit was 2.1 per cent better than previous years at N40 billion.

The bulk (98.5 per cent) of the manufacturers revenue for the year came from Nigeria, while the rest was contributed by exports to a couple of markets within the West Africa region.

Chiefly on account of a jump of 31.2 per cent in raw materials and consumables spending, cost of sales accelerated from N222.7 billion to N279.9 billion, taking a hefty bite at earnings.

This combined with a jump in finance costs by nearly threefold slowed the pace of profit growth despite a sizeable expansion in sales.

With a 66.2 per cent stake, Nestle S.A. majority-owns Nestle Nigeria with a shareholding equivalent to 524.6 million units as of the end of December, according to the companys annual report published by the Nigerian Exchange Limited.

Nestle Nigerias board announced in a separate statement on Tuesday a proposal for a cumulative final dividend of N20.2 billion (N25.50 per share for 2021), bringing its total payout for the year to N40 billion (N50.50 per share).
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has revealed that the Ga people of Ghana originated from Ile Ife, the ancestral home of the Yoruba people.

The 47-year-old monarch made this statement on Sunday when King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II of Ga State visited Ile Ife, Osun State.

The Ga people reside on the southeast coast of Ghana and speak the Kwa language. Also, the ancient capital city of the Ga people is the present-day capital of Ghana, Accra.

Mr Ogunwusi, the 51st Ooni of the ancestral home of the Yoruba people , described the visit as a homecoming of Oduduwas lost descendants.

He said: It was an endless honour for me to formally welcome His Majesty, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II of Ga State in Ghanas southern region, and his royal entourage, to the eternal throne of his Ancestor, Oduduwa.

For the offspring of Oduduwa, who have dispersed over the world as a consequence of colonial influence and penetration, this is a watershed point in history. This trip is a homecoming for King Tsuru II and the Ga people, who have their ancestral roots in Ile -Oduduwa after so many years of being away. It brings joy to my heart to receive the descendants of Oduduwa from the GA region. You are welcome back home, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.

Historical background

There are several legends about the history of the Ga people; some legends say the Ga people migrated from Nigeria.

Others have it that they were part of Israel that migrated southward through present-day Uganda, then along the Congo River, westward through Cameroons, Nigeria, Benin, Togo.

However, according to the Ooni, the Ga people originated from the ancient time of Ife akanlubebe, and still have their compound house in Otu Ife, adjacent to Olokun Walode along Osun.

He said:  During the ancient time of Ife akanlubebe, they emanated from Aga ko from Ilode quarters in Ife and their compound is still there till date in current Ile- Ife !!!

They took the Oduduwa crown and administrative structures with the likes of onipopo, oninana, onisabe and alaketu. Their compound house still exists in Otu Ife, adjacent to olokun Walode along Osun, which was their playing field many centuries ago.

 Its worth noting that divinations were performed before departing. They conducted ifa in 3 different areas: (a) Oke Itase, (b) Oke Ileri, (c) Oke Agbonmiregun where they discovered that the land was gifted to the people of GA by Olodumare. While they proceeded on their voyage in a group of seven brothers, some chose to halt and start a new life in Togo, some in the Republic of Benin, and while others settled in, Egbado etc.

Ancestral lines

The king of the Ga people also acknowledged that their ancestral home was Otu Ife, which is the present-day Ile-Ife.

The Ga people are believed to have left with one of the deities of Ile Ife, Olokun deity, which they worship even till the present day.

 They left with the Olokun deity, whom they still remember to this day, having been discernibly blessed by Olodumare through Oduduwa, as revealed by the divinations. In todays Ile-Ife, everyone In Otu Ife is familiar with the compound name, which was shortened to GA.

King Tsuru II acknowledged that his ancestral home was Otu Ife, and Im sure many of you are unaware that the name GA is derived from the Kingdom of Ife. The Ga people are blessed with a vast and very rich landscape, which demonstrates Olokuns undying affection for them, as some of them are even situated in Ethiopia and Sudan. Years ago, I was with them during their challenging times. We looked at their origin, prayed, and pleaded with Olodumare to show mercy, liberate them from servitude, and bring the people back to brighter days. Olodumare deserves all the acknowledgement for listening to our prayers.

Impact of colonisation

The monarch said that while Ghana was referred to as the Gold Coast and Nigeria was referred to as the Slave Coast, both countries share a common history.

He said: Regrettable that the colonising expeditions designed artificial boundaries that termed Greater Accra the Gold Coast, whereas Nigeria is referred to as the Slave Coast.

The monarch also said the historical documents and transcriptions are treasures of ancient and present African kingdoms.

We are all entrusted with the monumental responsibility of preserving our past. They are made up of numerous strands that must be protected and stored appropriately.

Our long-established erudition and expertise must intellectually lead and mould their narratives, meanings, interpretations, and economic values. No one is better at telling and interpreting our history than we are, he said.
Relatives of patients and sanitation workers at the paediatric ward of the Lagos State University Teaching (LASUTH), Ikeja, have lamented lack of access to water.

On Monday when a PREMIUM TIMESs reporter visited the facility, many mothers of children on admission at the facility, lamented the unhygienic conditions at the facility.

This newspaper learnt that since February 22, the Mainland Independent Power Project (IPP) that supplies electricity to the hospital has not supplied power.

The hospital management said the excuse given by the power company is lack of gas to power its turbines.

It said it had resorted to using power generators to supply power to the hospital but that due to low capacity, it decided to ration power.

However, the situation is worse at the paediatric ward as this newspaper was told by an official who does not want to be quoted for fear of sanction, that the connection at the ward has been bad for quite some time.

So while electricity through generators can be supplied to other wards, power cant get to this ward due to bad connection. They have been working on it for a few days but no solution yet, the source said.

Checks at other units in the hospital show that patients are coping with rationed power supply as they schedule their needs to meet the roster.

Lamentations

Since June 2021, Esther Adebambo has been at the paediatric ward of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) with her 13-year-old boy, who was diagnosed with meningitis.

But the recent power outage at the hospital, which has lasted for more than 72 hours, has affected water supply within the premises.

She said the development has added to the daily stress of caring for her son and herself within the facility.

I have been going from the third floor to fetch water at the morgue building since the blackout. No fan and no ventilation, she told a PREMIUM TIMES reporter on Monday morning.

Other parents who are in the same ward with me also prepare themselves ahead to fetch water- some in the evening while some very early in the morning to bathe themselves.

New mothers not spared

Fareedah Onasanya gave birth to a girl exactly on February 21, 2022, but her baby has been on admission at the hospital for a condition called spina bifida- a birth defect that occurs when the bones in a babys spine do not fully form during early pregnancy.

Mrs Onasanya, who was standing outside the general paediatric ward with her aged mother and younger sister on Monday morning, told PREMIUM TIMES that they started using sachet water since the water stopped running.

She said: We were using sachet water before someone showed us where to fetch water at the mortuary. It has not been easy going up and down to get water but we have no choice as long as we remain here and until they fix the light.

Mrs Onasanyas mother described the experience as agonising, saying; Its saddening, a nurse had to tell me to stop when they saw me fetching water, because my daughter just gave birth and the stress has just been too much for her.

Similarly, Mariam Afolabi gave birth to her son at Massey hospital, Lagos Island, in October, 2021, but was referred to LASUTH in December.

The five-month-old boy was diagnosed with Macrocephaly, a condition that refers to an overly large head  it is often a symptom of complications or conditions in the brain.

Mrs Afolabis mother, who was there with her, said she almost fell from the stairs in the morning with two buckets of water.

We have bought everything they want us to get and are still waiting to get the specific date for surgery. We have to remain here and keep fetching water till they fix everything, she said.

Cleaners too lament

The cleaners were heard lamenting over the lack of water supply within the premises while working in the morning.

Two of the cleaners who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on condition of anonymity to avoid being sanctioned, said the power outage has complicated their challenges.

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I got here earlier than usual because I know there is no light, but the situation got worse this morning. I have gone from this building to the mortuary to fetch water more than three times already, and it is not enough yet, a cleaner said, adding that; I hope they restore the light soon to ease our work.

Another cleaner, who showed our reporter where they fetch water, which is more than a kilometre to the ward, said the distance isnt the challenge but the number of stairs they climb with buckets of water on their heads.

Stuffy waiting room

A woman who identified herself as Mrs Ajayi said she brought her son to see a doctor on Tuesday for the first time, but on getting back on Monday for another appointment, the waiting room had become very stuffy.

It is so hot in here that I have to go out every minutes for fresh air, too bad, she said

Similarly, as of 11 a.m., Helen Okafor, who didnt disclose her reason for being at the hospital, said it was her first time there.

I got here very early but it has since been an unhealthy environment. People are here without using their nose masks appropriately and there is heat, she said.

Hospital reacts

Meanwhile, the hospitals Chief Medical Director (CMD), Adetokunbo Fabamwo, confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday.

He noted that the power supply from the Mainland Independent Power Project (IPP), source of the hospitals electricity, has been off since February 22, 2022.

In the recent past, the supply from this company has been epileptic, he said, adding that; The reason usually given is lack of gas supply to power its turbines.

The head of public relations unit of the hospital, Oluwaseyi Oniyide, who corroborated the CMD, added that such situations are unavoidable because the hospital relies on IPP for power everyday.

Just like the CMD has said in the statement, the power should be restored before the end of today and water will definitely start running again at the pediatric ward, she said.

Mr Fabamwo had noted in the statement that only the hospitals service areas have continued to be powered by generators since the outage, and that due to the limited capacity of the generators, the power had to be rationed.

As we speak, there is still no supply from IPP and our information is that there will be none until Monday, February 28, 2022, he said.

Alternative power supply

Mr Fabamwo added that the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, has approved the purchase of three brand new generators.

He said: In recognition of the acute need of reliable, alternative power supply the governor recently approved the purchase of three brand new 500 KVA generators which will be installed next week

We will continue to try and cover as many parts of the hospital as possible with our generators while this outage lasts

We ask for a little patience from our clients. We are working assiduously to restore normalcy.
People visit the first China International Consumer Products Expo in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, May 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to promote consumption with multiple measures in 2022 as the country faces downward pressure, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.

China's retail sales of consumer goods, a vital consumption indicator, posted only a 1.7-percent growth year on year in December 2021 as the whole year's retail sales rose 12.5 percent, indicating a pressure of demand contraction, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told a press conference.

To cope with the situation, the ministry will secure the implementation of existing supporting policies for enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises in sectors including catering, hotel and retail sales, Wang said.

Wang said the ministry will help conduct more sales-promoting activities under sound COVID-19 control, such as shopping festivals and the China International Consumer Products Expo as well as snow-ice consumption as the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics brought passion to the sector.

The consumption platforms will also be upgraded, establishing smart and green business districts and pedestrian streets to meet consumers' needs, said the minister. 




All is set for the Senate and House of Representatives to vote on 68 proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution.

Both chambers are expected to vote separately on the amendments, during plenary sessions.

The report of the constitution review, which contains the proposed amendments, was laid at both chambers last week by the ad hoc committees constituted to review the document.

Some of the key amendments on which the lawmakers will vote include abrogating state and local governments joint accounts, financial autonomy for state assemblies and judiciary, legislative summons, life pension for the presiding officers of the National Assembly, virtual court proceedings, Diaspora voting and extra seats for women in the parliament.

Others are Independent candidacy, mayor for Abuja, power of the parliament to summon president, governor, immunity for the presiding officers of the legislature, timeframe for appointing ministers and commissioners, expanding the scope of citizenship by registration and separating the office of the attorney general from the Minister of Justice and moving VAT to exclusive legislative list.

The lawmakers are expected to vote on the bills electronically.

The current alteration of the Nigerian Constitution will be the fifth since the document came into effect in 1999.

For the amendment and voting process to be successful, two-thirds membership of the entire Senate (or House) is required. And some provisions require four-fifths membership of the chamber.

After the voting process, the bills that are approved will be sent to the 36 states for voting and approval.

It is mandatory that each alteration passed by the National Assembly receives the support of a majority of votes in at least two-thirds of State Houses of Assembly in the federation. The amendments that receive such approvals will be sent to the president for assent.

Follow PREMIUM TIMES for live updates of the proceedings in both chambers.

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President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Kenya on Tuesday to participate in the Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) scheduled for Mar 3 and 4.

He will, thereafter, proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks.

This is contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, on Tuesday in Abuja.

The statement said Mr Buhari will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, Director, Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, and the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Read the full statement from the presidency below.

PRESIDENT BUHARI ATTENDS SPECIAL SESSION ON UNEP@50 IN KENYA

Sequel to an invitation extended to him by his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Tuesday, 1st March to participate in the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP@50), scheduled for 3rd  4th March, 2022 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The theme of the Special Session is Strengthening UNEP For The Implementation Of The Environmental Dimension Of The 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development.

According to the organisers of the event, for 50 years, UNEP has coordinated a worldwide effort with Member States to address the worlds biggest environmental challenges. Member States are vital partners in formulating UNEPs policy, implementing UNEPs programme and championing solutions to our shared environmental challenges.

UNEP@50 is a time to reflect on the past and envision the future. It provides an opportunity to reinvigorate international cooperation and spur collective action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. No country or continent can solve these global crises alone. But each nation has a crucial role to play in protecting our people and planet.

President Buhari is expected to deliver the National Statement of the country and participate in High Level Dialogue Sessions on the Environment at the event.

He will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of State for the Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, National Security Adviser, Maj.Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd), Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, and the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

From Kenya, President Buhari will proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 1, 2022
While Nigerians in Ukraine seeking to flee the war-torn country continue to wait for help from the Nigerian government, the two officials who should lead the rescue efforts are on their way to Kenya.

Geoffery Onyeama, Nigerias foreign affairs minister, and Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chief executive officer of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), will Tuesday join President Muhammadu Buhari on an official trip to Kenya, the presidents office said.

The Nigerian leader is set to participate in the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

Mr Onyeama had on Monday informed the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, that the ministry will on Wednesday start evacuating Nigerians fleeing Ukraine. They will be evacuated from neighbouring countries like Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, where some of the Nigerians have fled from Ukraine.

Before Mr Onyeamas statement, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa was leading the efforts to convince Nigerians that the Nigerian government was concerned about its citizens in Ukraine. Apart from going online, including joining a Twitter Spaces discussion organised by PREMIUM TIMES, to communicate with Nigerians, her agency circulated relevant press statements by Nigerias embassies in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries.

Although none of the over 5,000 Nigerians in Ukraine has been successfully brought back home, the two officials are now set for the Kenyan trip.

PREMIUM TIMES contacted Ms Dabiri-Erewa to find out how her Kenyan trip will affect the evacuation of Nigerians in Ukraine.

Responding to a text message sent by this reporter, she said, how do you think it will affect it? We are all working as we speak.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said an inter-agency team has already been established to continue work on the evacuation process.

There is an inter-agency team made up of permanent secretary ministry of foreign affairs, NEMA, NiDCOM, NIA, Immigration, coordinating the evacuation expected to begin tomorrow. All Nigerians who have successfully crossed to Poland, Romania, Hungary, etc have been received and catered for by our missions, she wrote in the message. The minister of foreign affairs and the Nigerian ambassador to Poland are doing everything to resolve the non-admittance of particularly African migrants at the Ukraine / Polish border and as announced by the minister, evacuation begins Wednesday.

PREMIUM TIMES also reached out to the ministry of foreign affairs whose spokesperson, Francisca Omoyuli, asked this reporter to kindly see the interview granted today to NTA Good Morning by the permanent secretary, ministry of foreign affairs.

Attempts to listen to the interview on NTAs YouTube channel were unsuccessful as the interview was inaudible. When this reporter informed Ms Omoyuli of the audio challenge, she asked this reporter if she was accredited to the ministry and provided no further information on whether or not Mr Onyeamas trip would affect the evacuation process.

Jessica Orakpo, a Nigerian student in Ukraine, said she does not trust the ministers words.

It does not sound believable to me, they are only making those announcements because of media pressure.

Ms Orakpo narrated how she had to walk for 12 hours to the Ukraine-Poland border where she was refused access and discriminated against. She said she had to return to Ukraine after that incident to find her way to Hungary where she is currently seeking shelter.

The trip to Kenya sends a red flag. The foreign minister of affairs, when asked about the Ukraine issue on television, laughed and walked away. Now he is in Kenya, how are they doing their jobs? If you truly want to evacuate your citizens, you will not go to Kenya, you will be disturbed, she said.

Another Nigerian student in Ukraine, Anjola Philips, said he had no care for politics. I listened to the minister yesterday and I really hope it comes through; people are tired and just want to go home.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Nigerian students in Ukraine called on the government to evacuate them. This newspaper also reported the inhuman and discriminatory treatment of Nigerians and other citizens of African countries, who are being denied the same right of passage out of Ukraine.

Discrimination

A student who identified herself as Yemisi narrated how despite her friend fainting as a result of frostbites at the Ukraine-Poland border, they still were not let in.

My friend who was showing signs of hypothermia fainted, we revived her. I had to sit on the floor for her to sit on my lap while we tried to keep her warm. I told one of the officials and asked if he could let us into a warm place or get through the border; the woman asked us to call an ambulance which meant going back into Ukraine.

There were a lot of Ukrainian women who kept being racist but we were not going to let them because this was a matter of life and death; a lot of them were jumping the queue but the officials kept asking us to stay in the queue.

I could not feel my feet, it was minus 2 degrees. A Ukrainian woman went to the official who asked the border officials to move the black women to the mens line but an Afghanistan lady spoke up and said they could not do that because we had been here for hours, Yemisi narrated

Another student, Princewill Nanakumor, said he did not experience any form of discrimination owing to the help of his Ukrainian girlfriend who helped him cross the border.

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Social media platforms are awash with videos of Africans who are being denied access to different borders because of their skin colour.

Russia-Ukraine Invasion

Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine on Thursday and has sustained it despite sanctions by the U.S. and its allies.

Five days into the crisis, the situation remains tense with major Ukrainian cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv already targeted. Russia, however, says it is only targeting military facilities.

Russia and Ukraine have commenced unconditional talks at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border.

More than 500,000 people have fled Ukraine while about 3 million require humanitarian aid, according to the UN.

The exact death tolls are unclear as of Monday, but the United Nations (UN) has said 102 civilians have been killed and hundreds wounded. The UN however said the figure is likely a vast undercount.
Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari, is set to travel out of the country for about two weeks, largely for personal health treatment, but has refused to transfer power to his deputy on an interim basis as constitutionally expected.

Mr Buharis office announced Tuesday that the president will depart Nigeria for Kenya on a three-day official visit after which he will proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks.

The Nigerian constitution provides that when the president is going on vacation or is unable to discharge the functions of his office, he will notify the National Assembly and temporarily transfer power to his deputy.

WHENEVER the President is proceeding on vacation or is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, he SHALL transmit a written declaration to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the house of representatives to that effect, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, the Vice-President shall perform the functions of the President as Acting President, Section 145(1)(2) of the Nigerian Constitution states.

In its statement on Tuesday, the presidents office did not provide details of the medical checks Mr Buhari will undergo in London or whether or not it will affect the discharge of his duties.

The presidents spokespersons, Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina, did not answer or return calls seeking clarifications on the matter.

The Good Old Days

In the early period of the Buhari administration, the president used to notify the National Assembly of such medical trips and temporarily hand over power to his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo.

For example, Mr Buhari in June 2016 wrote to the National Assembly, notifying them of a 10-day medical trip to the UK, and temporarily transferring power to Mr Osinbajo. That was the second time such would be done in about a year after Mr Buhari assumed office.

How Things Changed

The last time Mr Buhari handed over to his deputy while embarking on personal (medical) trips was in 2018.

Although the president has embarked on many such trips since then, he has avoided formally notifying lawmakers and transferring power to Mr Osinbajo.

Presidential aides have in the past dismissed public concerns on the matter; saying the president can work from anywhere in the world.

However, sources in the presidency told PREMIUM TIMES that the major reason Mr Buhari has refused to do so since 2018 is because of a particular action Mr Osinbajo took while he was acting president in August 2018.

Dauras Sack

On August 7, 2018, PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Osinbajo, who was the then-acting president, terminated the appointment of the former Director-General, State Security Service, Lawal Daura.

Mr Daura, a close ally to the president, was sacked for ordering SSS officials to illegally invade the National Assembly without notifying or seeking permission from the acting president.

Many Nigerians hailed Mr Osinbajo for the action.

Although Mr Osinbajos office said then that the action was taken after the acting president consulted with Mr Buhari, close aides to the president told this newspaper that was not the case.

The president is very angry and has vowed never to temporarily cede power to Osinbajo again, one aide said then.

Since the 2018 incident, Mr Buhari has continued to execute presidential functions, including when abroad for medical treatment. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Buhari, in 2019, signed a bill into law while in the UK for medical treatment.

The presidents latest medical sojourn will take a maximum of two weeks, his office said on Tuesday.
All 19 government agencies needed to help improve Nigerias conditions for doing business fell short of an agreed complaint resolution time in 2020 and 2021, a government report says.

The ministries, departments and agencies are listed on a government platform called Reportgov, which receives complaints and feedback from the public and passes them to the relevant authorities for action.

This effort is coordinated by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the key expectation is for MDAs to respond to complaints within 72 hours as approved by the Federal Executive Council.

A report, which assesses MDAs response time, and their compliance to President Muhammadu Buharis executive order(EO1) on the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment, said agencies were not doing enough to meet the timeline.

In a press release announcing the report, Jumoke Oduwole, the special adviser to President Buhari on Ease of Doing Business, said the MDAs were not doing enough to deliver on the 72-hour complaint resolution timeframe.

MDA compliance to the 72-hr timeline mandated by the Federal Executive Council for complaint resolution on the ReportGov.NG platform leaves a lot of room for improvement, she said.

The report shows that all agencies fell short of the timeline for resolution and the result establishes the need to intensify EO1 compliance across all MDAs towards making Nigeria a progressively easier place to do business. As the PEBEC moves to consolidate the business climate reforms of the past six years, a renewed emphasis will be placed on improving the technology maturity level of MDAs for improved service delivery to all Nigerians, the report said.

She said the ReportGov platform will be strengthened with the listing of all PEBEC priority MDAs and wider communication of the platform to drive up feedback from the private sector.

Notwithstanding the challenges, the Nigerian business environment recorded some progress, particularly with the signing into law of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 on August 7, 2020, which has been adjudged as Nigerias most significant business legislation in three decades, the report said.

The 19 MDAs are listed below:

1. Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP)

2 Citizens & Business Department  Federal Ministry of Interior (CBD-FMI)

3 Commercial Law Department (Trademark Registry)

4 Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

5 Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)

6 Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)

7 Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)

8 National Agency For Food And Drug Administration (NAFDAC)

9 National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP)

10 Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)

11 Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)

12 Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC)

13 Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS)

14 Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)

15 Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS)

16 Nigeria Customs Services (NCS)

17 Nigeria Police Force (NPF)

18 Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC)

19 Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON)
The State Security Services (SSS), has cautioned politicians against unguarded utterances with tendencies to breach public order.

The Public Relations Officer of the SSS, Peter Afinanya, made the call in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

He said the call followed an unwarranted statement made by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, against security agencies, including the SSS.

Mr Afunanya said the party chairman, while speaking at an event on February 23 in Owerri, was quoted to have said that his party would not use the SSS to harass the people when they take over Aso Rock in 2023.

Though the Service restrains itself from joining issues particularly with politicians, it wishes to state its disapproval of such a statement which is considered unjustified, unfair, speculative and preposterous.

Except to malign and incite the people against it, the Service questions the rationale behind such an unprovoked description of it by Ayu who had variously benefitted from it and indeed the State.

Having served variously as Senate President, Minister of Education, Industry, Internal Affairs and Environment, with full complements of Security details, he knows the Service is never used to harass the people.

If he ever used the details for negative purposes, unknown to the Service, he should know that times have changed, he said.

He said the PDP Chairman was aware that the Service is a frontline guardian of democracy and respect for rule of law in Nigeria.

Mr Afunanya said the Service had been committed to the protection of lives and property and had made profound sacrifices for the existence and unity of the country.

While members of the public are urged to disregard Dr Ayus statement, politicians are enjoined to desist from making unguarded utterances with tendencies to breach public order.

Overall, the Service prefers that it is left out of any political fray as it is committed to maintaining usual neutrality and transparency in the discharge of its mandate, he added.

He said the Service would continue to do so, in spite of deliberate attacks on it and urged the public to disregard Mr Ayus statement.

The SSS spokesperson also said the Service does not shield its personnel who offend its rules and laws of the land from disciplinary action.

(NAN)
A prosecution witness on Monday informed the Federal High Court in Damaturu, Yobe State, that Abdu Bulama, a former minister of science and technology, and four others, voluntarily made their statements on the N450million fraud charged preferred against them.

The defendants had challenged the admissibility of the statements sought to be tendered in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in their ongoing corruption trial.

The trial judge, Fadima Aminu, had then ordered a trial-within-trial to determine the veracity of the defendants claim that the extra-judicial statements were obtained from them under duress.

But, testifying at the trial-within-trial on Monday, prosecution witness, Dauda Umar, who is an EFCC operative, testified that the extra-judicial statements made by voluntarily and not under duress.

EFCCs spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, gave an account of the proceedings in a press statement on Monday, noting that Mr Umar insisted during the hearing that the defendants extra-judicial statements were obtained in line with international best practices.

The witness said EFCC had no history of coercing individuals into making confessional statements.

Each of the defendants wrote their statements by themselves, the EFCC operative was quoted as saying.

He added, All of the defendants endorsed on the column provided by the EFCC as the recorders of their own handwritten statements.

The EFCC is carrying out its mandate according to the law of the land and based on the world best practice; therefore, the statements of the defendants were recorded without promise or threat of any.

Defendants speak

But testifying, Mr Bulama recalled that he honoured EFCCs invitation at the commissions Maiduguri Zonal Command on June 6, 2016.

He said although he went with his lawyers, but that they were not allowed to witness his interrogation by EFCCs operatives.

My invitation was in connection to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign funds for the 2015 general election in respect of Yobe State.

I honoured the invitation with my lawyers; they were not allowed to witness the proceedings and interrogation that was conducted under the guidance of an operative, and my written statements were obtained.

Under cross-examination by EFCCs prosecuting counsel, Mukhtar Ahmed, Mr Bulama confirmed that he endorsed the statement to the EFCC.

The other co-defendants  Mohammed Kadai, Abba Gana Tata, Mohammed Mamu  also claimed that their lawyers were not present when they made their statements.

The judge adjourned the matter until April 28 and 29, 2022 for adoption of final written addresses in the trial-within-trial.

The case

Mr Bulama, who served as a minister in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, was re-arraigned on November 8, 2021 alongside a former Commissioner for Integrated and Rural Development in Yobe State, Mohammed Kadai, Abba Gana Tata, Muhammad Mamu and Hassan Ibn Jaks.

The defendants are standing trial on a seven-count charge of criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N450 million in public funds.

It will be recalled that a judge of the Federal High Court in Damaturu, Isah Hamman Dashen, had discharged and acquitted the defendants following a no-case submission upon closure of the prosecution.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, the EFCC approached the Appeal Court in Gombe which subsequently set aside the judgment of the lower court and ordered that the matter be remitted to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge for trial.

The fresh trial resumed afresh before Ms Aminu on January 18, 2022. At the proceedings, the defendants, through their lawyers, informed the court that they had approached the Supreme Court to have the Court of Appeals decision set aside.

But Ms Aminu, in her ruling, said there was no order before the court directing a stay of proceedings.

The trial had then continued with the second prosecution witness testifying.

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The prosecuting counsel, Mr Ahmed, had sought to tender the statements of the defendants in evidence but was opposed by the defence counsel on the grounds that they were not made voluntarily.

They prayed the court to order a trial -within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements made by the defendants at the Maiduguri Command of the EFCC. The judge had granted the request.
The Federal Government is to accelerate action on the construction of a royal palace museum where the Benin bronze artefacts that were repatriated from Germany would be kept.

The Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Abba Tijani made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that artefacts worth 2.5 million have been handed over to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, by President Muhammadu Buhari, 125 years after they were looted by British troops during the invasion of Benin Kingdom.

The returned artefacts, comprises of a cockerel (okpa) and an Oba head (Uhunwun Elao). They were repatriated from Cambridge University, Jesus College, and University of Aberdeen, Scotland, respectively.

They were handed over to the traditional ruler by the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Tunji Ishola.

Mr Tijani said: We need the cooperation and involvement of all stakeholders in promoting the return of more artefacts.We need to build a solid structure on ground, especially in Abuja and Benin city for the artefacts to survive when they are brought in.

Everyone especially the youths should be encouraged to visit museums to see our past and understand our culture which also determines who we really are. Many social vices going on now are due to lack of understanding of our culture and history, he said.

Mr Tijjani said the country took possession of the artefacts in 2021 but could not bring it home then due to lack of export permit.

He added that since then, arrangements were made with the Benin city on ways to get export permit to return the artefacts to the country.

It is a great achievement for the country and Benin Kingdom to regain the stolen artefacts after 125 years.

Also, at some point in time, the artefacts which are of cultural importance will be displayed for all Nigerians and foreigners to see them in their rightful places.

This will attract more tourists to the country and definitely boost tourism, he said.

The federal government has been making arrangements on ways to return thousands of other artefacts looted from the country.

We have no fewer than 5,000 Benin Bronzes scattered all over the world.

We are able to negotiate with the German government and agreed to repatriate no fewer than 1,000 artefacts from Germany.

Also plans are on to return many other artefacts from Washington, Cambridge, Oxford University and other countries, we are going to sign the agreement within one month or two, so that we can start getting the artefacts back, he said.

He urged individuals, relevant tourism agencies and private sectors to cooperate with the commission and federal government to make this goal of returning all artefacts a reality.

Background

NAN reports that President Buhari on Monday commended the NCMM for collaborative works that led to the repatriation of these artefacts.

The President said it is noteworthy that several others are currently in the process of being returned while discussions are ongoing to repatriate many more.

President Buhari recounted that the artefacts now returned to the Oba of Benin were seized by British soldiers in 1897 when they attacked the ancient Benin Kingdom.

These artefacts are part of the records of the history of the Benin people.

My directive to return these artefacts to the Oba of Benin marks the beginning of another aspect in the highly valued relationship between the Federal Government of Nigeria and our traditional institutions who are indeed the true custodians of our history, customs and traditions.

(NAN)

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The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has reopened all weekly markets shut down across the state at the height of bandits attacks.

Mr Tambuwal, during a visit to distribute relief materials to IDPs in Tangaza local government area, said the decision followed an improvement in the security situation in the affected areas.

The governor had suspended the sale of cattle across markets, banned weekly markets and sale of fuel in jerry cans as part of efforts to curtail insecurity.

Sokoto, like Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger, had announced security measures to contain the activities of bandits.

The measures include the shutdown of mobile telecommunications networks, ban on the sale of domestic animals and restriction on the sale of fuel.

Bandits had twice stormed local markets in the state, killing several people.

Improvement

Mr Tambuwal however said the measures taken by the state government have yielded positive results.

He said the results of the measures have now made it possible for markets to be reopened for residents to continue their business of buying and selling.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Muhammad Bello, on Tuesday, Mr Tambuwal also restated that Yan Sakai vigilantes remain banned in the state.

He stated that anybody wishing to contribute to ensuring security should join the vigilante group which is recommended and lawfully recognised by the state government and security agencies.

He also charged people of the state to be vigilant at all times while running their businesses and daily activities; and report any suspicious behaviour or criminals to the security agents.

The governor assured the people of the area that the state government will not relent in its efforts at taking various measures aimed at protecting the lives and property of the citizenry, the statement added.
The Principal of Dowen College, Lagos, Adebisi Layiwola, on Tuesday, wept before an Ikeja Coroners Court while narrating how the death of a 12-year-old student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr., was relayed to her.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Coroner, Mikhail Kadiri, had to stand down proceedings for 10 minutes to enable the principal to pull herself together.

Mrs Layiwola said she got the news of the students death while in the process of investigating an allegation that the deceased was bullied by some senior students.

When the uncle of the deceased came to the school, we were still in the process of the investigation.

He received a call from the sister of the deceased in my presence, that the deceaseds case had taken a bad turn.

It was not long, he received another call that the boy had passed on, she said.

At this point in her testimony, the Dowen College principal broke down in tears and the coroner ordered a 10-minute break.

Earlier, Mrs Layiwola, who has been the principal of the school for four years, told the court during cross-examination by counsel to the Oromoni family, Femi Falana (SAN), that there was no cult in the school .

On the cult allegation, there is no cult in the school.

In October, I was informed that the deceased was told to describe the nudity of his sister by some students.

We called the students who were involved but we did not really talk to them about being in a cult. We spoke to them on the issue of bullying.

On the issue of private part description, we set up a panel to investigate and make a recommendation.

Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the boy in question was given an internal suspension, internal work for two weeks.

He was made to apologise to the sister and the deceased. He also went for counselling, she said.

Mr Falana asked if the witness asked the students whether they gave the deceased a substance to drink.

She said: I did not ask them.

Would you be surprised that a black substance was found in the deceased body? Falana asked.

The witness responded: I would not be surprised because I am not a pathologist.

Mr Falana further enquired if the witness was aware that some parents had withdrawn their children from the school because of bullying allegations.

No. I cannot remember, she said.

Mr Falana also asked Mrs Layiwola if she was aware that a parent came to Maroko Police Station to complain that her son was bullied.

Responding, she said: Yes it is true. The boy has been withdrawn after Sylvesters case, and the boy that bullied him was expelled after the death of the deceased.

The witness also testified that she did not see the deceased until November 23, 2021, adding that the condition of his health necessitated his admission at the schools sick bay, with medical personnel treating him.

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The medical doctor told me the deceased had pain in the hip. I was not in school on Nov. 21 and 22, 2021. As a principal I work with different competent people.

I did not see the deceased on those two days because I was not given a report on him immediately and his case was not critical, she said.

Following Mrs Layiwolas evidence, counsel to Dowen College, Anthony Kpokpo, informed the court that the principal was the last witness from the school.

The coroner adjourned proceedings until March 7 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)

NAN reports that the student died on November 30, 2021.

His family is alleging that he died from injuries he sustained in an attack by five senior students of Dowen College, for refusing to join a cult.

The family also alleges that the late student was forced to drink an obnoxious substance by his attackers.

Advice by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions released on January 4, however, disputed the allegations.

It stated that an autopsy revealed the cause of the students death as acute bacterial pneumonia due to severe sepsis.

(NAN)
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a faster transition to renewable energy.

"Instead of slowing down the decarbonization of the global economy, now is the time to accelerate the energy transition to a renewable energy future," the UN chief said in his video message on Monday to the Geneva press conference launch of a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

According to the IPCC, if warming isn't controlled, some of the planet's most crowded regions will become uninhabitable.

The 3,600-page report focuses on the practical impacts of climate change on humans and nature.

"Today's IPCC report is an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership," said the top UN official.

The UN chief warned that global average temperatures have already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius, roughly two degrees Fahrenheit, "leaving perilously little room" for meeting the targets of the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

"I am calling for developed countries, Multilateral Development Banks, private financiers and others to form coalitions to help major emerging economies end the use of coal," he said.

"The Glasgow commitment on adaptation funding is clearly not enough to meet the challenges faced by nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis," Guterres said. 
A new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) has been appointed for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State.

He is Olusegun Agbaje, the immediate past INEC REC in Ogun.

Adenike Oriowo, INEC public affairs officer in Lagos State, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that the new commissioner had reported for duty.

Mrs Oriowo said Mr Agbaje assumed duty at the state headquarters of the commission in Yaba after Sam Olumekun, the former REC, handed over to him.

The public affairs officer said that Mr Agbajes deployment to Lagos State followed the appointment of Mr Olumekun as a National Commissioner of INEC in charge of Ekiti, Oyo and Lagos States.

Mrs Oriowo said Mr Agbaje, while addressing staff members, sought their cooperation and that of stakeholders for the success of the electoral bodys operations.

She said that Mr Agbaje, who described himself as a workaholic having worked in about four states, implored the staff to give him the similar support they gave to Mr Olumekun.

NAN reports that Mr Olumekun is one of the six newly sworn in National Commissioners of INEC by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 23.

(NAN)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has chided Ebonyi House of Assembly for declaring the seat of Lillian Eziulo (PDP-Afikpo North East) vacant.

This was contained in a statement by Sunday Okor, PDP chairman, Afikpo North Local Government Area, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abakaliki.

Mr Okor said the House lacked powers under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria to declare the seat of a lawmaker vacant.

The ward chairmen of Afikpo North/East state constituency and the stakeholders of the constituency have jointly condemned the purported declaration of the seat of the lawmaker vacant over an alleged resignation from her party, PDP, he said.

The House had declared Mrs Eziulos seat and that of two other lawmakers  Oliver Osi (PDP-Ivo) and Obasi Odefa (PDP  Oshiri/Ukawu /Abomege ) vacant for allegedly resigning from their party, PDP.

The PDP chairman, Mr Okor, said in the statement Mrs Ezuilo is still a member of the PDP.

At no time did the lawmaker leave the party for any other party; this clarification has become necessary in view of the letter purporting to convey her defection from the PDP.

We urge our members and the general public to disregard and discountenance the said letter as it did not emanate from Eziulo.

We condemn in strong terms the seizure of the salary, allowances and other entitlements of our representative on account of her refusal to leave the PDP and her purported suspension by the House of Assembly, he said.

He added: We affirm our support for Ezuilo and urge her not to be distracted from delivering quality representation to the entire people of Afikpo North/East constituency.

(NAN)
Moves by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, to revisit a bill which the senators had voted on already during the constitution amendment were resisted by some of the lawmakers on Tuesday.

The Senate voted on 68 amendments to the 1999 Constitution.

The amendments were proposed by the joint ad hoc committees on constitution review of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

As the Senate was rounding off the exercise, Mr Omo-Agege, who chairs its ad hoc committee, asked his colleagues to go back and reconsider the bill for judicial reforms, which had been rejected.

The bill is titled, Bill for an Act to Alter the Provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Further Strengthen the Judiciary for Timely Dispensation of Justice; and for Related Matters.

The bill seeks to strengthen the judiciary for timely dispensation of justice.

While seven senators voted in support of the amendment, 76 voted against it. One senator abstained.

However, some of the senators, including Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) and Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West) stoutly opposed the deputy presidents suggestion.

Mr Ndume reminded the Senate that the world was watching the proceedings and it would be improper to go back and change what had been done.

We are human beings, we make mistakes. We cannot do something and just go back to change it again.

This is the Constitution. It will be amended in the next four or two years. Then, we can get it right, he said.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, also appealed to lawmakers who were not happy with the outcome of the voting to look forward to amending the Constitution again.

Mr Lawan said the details of the votes and how it was done will be produced by the Senate secretariat.
Nigerian airline, Air Peace, has assured its customers that its operation is not under any threat in Kano despite a misunderstanding last week with the citys emirate council.

On Tuesday afternoon, when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited the airlines office at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, ticketing and booking activities were being conducted by staff of the airline as usual.

One of the workers confirmed that its flights had been arriving and departing as scheduled, saying the airline has been running its normal services at the airport.

The worker, who declined to provide their identity, said there had been no tension between the airline and passengers, airport and security officials.

Also, in a telephone conversation with PREMIUM TIMES, Efe Osifo, the spokesperson of Air Peace, said their operation was going in all their normal routine routes without interruption.

But when this reporter asked him about the dispute with the emirate council, he declined further comments.

Fear of disruption of the airlines operation arose on Saturday when the chief protocol officer of the Emir of Kano, Isah Bayero, gave the airline a 72-hour ultimatum to offer an apology for disrespecting the Emir and causing him to miss his flight.

Mr Bayero, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, insisted that the airline must accept its mistake for not flying on schedule, which he said caused the delay and left the Emir stranded in Lagos.

BACKGROUND

Mr Bayero, who is the uncle of the emir, had complained to the NCAA that the airline delayed their Banjul-to-Lagos flight by over one hour and then refused to allow the entourage of the emir to board their connecting flight to Kano.

He said the entourage had arrived in Lagos 30 minutes before departure time.

The petition claimed that Mr Bayero called Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, to request him to delay the airlines morning flight to Kano because of the Banjul incident.

He flatly refused and avowed that he would not do that. I personally took this as an insult and a flagrant show of disrespect to His Highness and the Kano people at large, Mr Bayero wrote in the petition.

On Saturday, Mr Bayero said he would continue to speak against the alleged ill-treatment caused to the emir and himself as private customers of Air Peace, until Mr Onyema offers the apology.

NCAA is yet to comment on the issue.
Ephraim Inyangeyen, the sacked chief of staff to Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, has resumed his consultation for his senate ambition.

Mr Iyangeyen on Tuesday met with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) executive members in Onna to inform them of his ambition to represent Akwa Ibom South District

He came with plenty of security people (police operatives), he looked so energetic and so determined, one of the PDP leaders who attended the meeting told PREMIUM TIMES, Tuesday evening.

The man means business, he added.

A journalist, Imoh Etukukoh, who was at the venue of the meeting, quoted Mr Inyangeyen as saying it was time for the district to be represented by someone with capacity.

Because of what weve experienced, time has come when people should no longer be sent to the Senate just because they were favoured by zoning or adopted by a few power brokers, even when they had no personal convictions or the capacity to deliver on mandates.

As you all would agree, this has brought nothing tangible to the senatorial district. Henceforth, my argument is, irrespective of whatever principle applies, let those desiring to represent our people do so on grounds of capacity and competence, Mr Inyangeyen said to the PDP, Onna chapter.

He also talked on why zoning should not be a barrier to his ambition.

It is good that all the three federal constituencies in Eket Senatorial District have benefitted and taken their due turns, with Ikot Abasi.

My argument is that it can now start from any of the federal constituencies, and whosoever desires or aspires for the Senate should come to the table of debate and tell the people what he or she will do for the people that will make the difference.

There is no law that any federal constituency cannot present a credible and competent candidate. It can start from anywhere, provided the electorate was given fair opportunity for proper assessment of aspirants, not on emotion or parochial interest that lacks logic, he said.

What PDP chairman told him

The journalist, Ms Etukukoh, said the PDP Chairman in Onna, Ubong Adiakpan, told the former chief of staff that the party was open to everybody.

The party is not partisan. We welcome everybody.

But, like everybody would agree, in matters of effective and people-oriented public service, the name Inyangeyen is not new.

People already know what you can do when given the opportunity. Therefore, with your discretion, respect and humility to consult the party structure in Onna, we have openly signed you on to embark on campaigns in the name of PDP when such time arrives, Mr Adiakpan said.

Mr Inyangeyen was sacked seven days ago from Mr Emmanuels government after a comment he made during his political consultation was misrepresented by political opponents, mainly from his hometown of Onna.

The former chief of staff, in a response to a question about an uncompleted road project in Onna, had denied pocketing money meant for the project, and went on to say that he did not have the power to award road contracts or to release funds to contractors.

His opponents, who called for his sack, said his remark was aimed at ridiculing Mr Emmanuel and his administration.

His security officials were withdrawn a day after he made the remark.

Mr Inyangeyen recently declared interest to contest the 2023 senatorial election for the Akwa Ibom South District, against the wishes of Governor Emmanuel who, with other political leaders in the state, zoned the seat to a different area, Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency.

Besides, the former chief of staff is said to be supporting the governorship ambition of Bassey Albert, a senator from the state, against Governor Emmanuels preferred successor, Eno Umo.

Mr Inyangeyen was first appointed commissioner for works before he was appointed chief of staff, has hitherto been known to be close friend and political ally to Governor Emmanuel.
Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Tuesday, approved the dismissal from service of four staff of the state Bureau for Land Management for corruption.

The governor said the official were indicted for selling public landed properties, forging documents, issuing false cadastral information and falsifying official records.

A statement signed by the states commissioner for information, Muhammad Garba, named the dismissed officials as Abdulmuminu Usman Magami, Senior Survey Assistant on Salary Grade Level 06, and Abdullahi Nuhu-Idris, Senior Land Officer on Salary Grade Level 10.

The others are Audu Abba-Aliyu, Press Attendant on Salary Level 05 and Baba Audu, Assistant Chief Land Officer on Salary Grade Level 13.

Mr Garba said the officials were sacked based on the recommendation of an Investigative committee set up by the government, following complaints levelled against them, and which found them guilty of the offences.

He said their dismissal was in accordance with Civil Service Rule No.04406, adding that the decision was to serve as deterrent to others.

The commissioner warned that the state government will not condone any misconduct from any civil servant.

Therefore, all government employees are expected to carry out their responsibilities honestly, diligently, effectively and in accordance with the civil service rules and regulations.
The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) has kicked against the Electricity bill being considered in the Senate.

The NGF is particularly criticising a provision empowering the power minister to head all the relevant agencies, a position, the power minister says still needs to be further strengthened.

The Forum described the legislation as unconstitutional and not an exclusive federal matter.

The bill, now at committee stages in the Senate, seeks to repeal the Electric Power Sector Reform Act, consolidate all legislations in Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and enact an omnibus Electricity Act for the industry to provide the ideal legal and institutional framework that will regulate the post  privatisation phase of the industry in Nigeria.

It also seeks to provide the framework that would leverage on the gains of the privatised electricity industry in Nigeria to accelerate growth in power generation capacity as well as improve utilisation of generated power.

In a letter to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Gabriel Suswam, the NGF noted that electricity is not an exclusive federal matter, but it is rather guided by the provisions of the Concurrent Legislative List.

The letter was signed by the NGF chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and was addressed to the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Articles 13 and 14, the NGF said, provide that the power to make laws for the generation and transmission of electricity are concurrent.

Article 14 also reserves exclusively to the state the power to make laws for the distribution of electricity within a State as it also has the power to make laws for the generation and transmission of electricity exclusively within the borders of a State.

The Forum noted that the reality of the states as key partners in the achievement of universal electricity access by all Nigerians must not only be accepted by the federal government but must be legislated by the National Assembly.

States like Lagos, Edo Ekiti, Ondo and Kaduna have already taken the initiative to enact policy statements and laws for the electricity sectors in their States. Similarly, the 19 States of Northern Nigeria have come together to establish a common platform for realising the benefits of the extensive renewable energy resources that their region is blessed with.

It would be unconstitutional and an unjustifiable act of overreach for the Senate to consider and pass a Bill that continues to treat the Federation as one single electricity jurisdiction or sector.

While a single Electric Power Sector Reform Act may have been useful as a catalyst for the sector in the early years of the Fourth Republic, the States have all come of age, literally and metaphorically, and the arrangements must change in a way that accepts and respects the maturity of the States in electricity matters; a reality that this Senate Electricity Bill does not recognise and take account of but at best only pays the most cursory lip service, part of the letter read.

The NGF also regretted that the report of the National Economic Council (NEC) following an analysis it conducted in 2020, is yet to be implemented.

It also described as egregious, a part of the bill that seeks to establish a single federal government appointee, the Minister of Power, as the de facto head and statutory supervisor of all the key federal government electricity sector including the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in a supposedly privatised electricity sector.

It, therefore, called for a close collaboration between the NGF, the National Assembly and the Federal Executive in charting a new and productive path towards bringing energy security to our country.

Minister raises concern

On his part, the Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, described the bill as a quantum leap in the right direction and presents the nation with a new paradigm to accelerate generation through diversification of the power sector to accommodate cleaner renewable energy sources in our energy mix.

He said it also opens up the space for competitive private sector investment and participation in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

He made the comments during the public hearing of the bill on Monday.

But while the NGF criticises empowering the minister to head all the relevant MDAs, Mr Aliyu believes the power of the minister still needs to be further strengthened.

This, he said, is to preserve the oversight functions which are necessary to drive government policies.

Under the EPSR Act 2005, the Supervisory powers of the Minister to oversee the power Sector and offer policy directions were unencumbered. In the Bill these powers appear to be severely diluted as they are in several areas subject to prior consultation with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). (Sections 5(1)(b);5(1)(c);5(1)(g) and 5(2).

Any such limitation on the power of the minister has the potential to hinder efficient coordination of the ministry and its agencies, impede the Ministers ability for accountability as it hinders seamless reporting to the President.

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It may also be a challenge to the President s mandate to direct and formulate Government policies. Further it has the unintended effect of subjugating the role of the Minister to agencies under him on policy matters. We therefore appeal to this esteemed Committee to retain the issue of Consultation between the Ministry and its agencies as contained in Section 33 EPSR Act 2005, he said.

He also expressed concern at the large discretion given to the agencies to submit reports to the minister.

No such discretion should be permitted, he said, rather, the requirement to submit a report as the minister may demand should be made mandatory.
Following their threat to continue protesting indefinitely, Nigerias minister of education, Adamu Adamu, on Monday night met with the protesting students and pledged the commitment of the government towards addressing their concerns.

The minister, who had earlier walked out on the students on Monday morning over what he reportedly described as rude conduct of the student leaders, later met the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the headquarters of the National Universities Commission (NUC).

He assured the protesters that the striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will soon return to the classrooms.

In a terse statement issued late Monday night by the director of press at the ministry, Ben Goong, the minister said the ongoing negotiation process has been fruitful and is expected to lead to a quick return of the striking lecturers back to classes.

The statement, which was shared with PREMIUM TIMES late Monday night, reads; Education Minister Adamu Adamu met with NANS officials in Abuja in an effort to ease tension over the ongoing ASUU strike. The process is expected to lead to the resumption of academic activities on our campuses.

However, the director did not give the details of the meeting with the student leaders.

Walk-out

The footage of the ministers walk-out on the students by Channels Television, had earlier surfaced on the internet, as many Nigerians berated Mr Adamu for his poor conduct.

The minister was said to have expressed dissatisfaction with the way and manner he was spoken to by the NANS president, Sunday Asefon, who had reportedly accused the minister of feeling unconcerned about the plight of Nigerian students.

Mr Asefon, while addressing the minister on Monday, had said: The key issue ASUU has continued to hammer on is the revitalisation of our institutions, which is important for every student to key into. But you cannot be discussing the revitalisation of our institution without Nigerian students being in that negotiation committee.

Nigerian students want to be part of this committee. We want to really know what is going on between ASUU and the federal governmentWe are tired of the incessant strike in our education sector.

Honourable Minister, we saw it on social media, you celebrated your son who graduated from a university outside this country. Our parents do not have that money to send us outside the country. But let us enjoy what we are paying for. We want adequate funding for education in this country.

If our schools are not open, this will not be the last protest. This is not a threat  when we said we would be coming out, here we are. Today, Niger road is blocked, Benue is blocked, Adamawa is blocked. If care is not taken, this will be worse than EndSARS.

Apparently angered by the issues raised, the minister reportedly told the protesting students that the only thing worthy of note in the issues raised was the inclusion of students in the negotiation process.

Instead of coming here, you should have met your lecturers there. Perhaps the only point that you make that is worthy of attention is; you said students should be involved in this and I think, probably, this is a very good thing. And it is the only thing I am going to take out of all you have said here, the minister reportedly said before stepping out of his conference room where he met with them.

With the minister at the meeting were the executive secretary of NUC, Abdulrasheed Abubakar, and the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Is-haq Oloyede, among other officials of the agencies under the education ministry.

U-turn

However, later in the night, accompanied by the heads of some of the agencies under the education ministry including Messrs Abubakar and Oloyede, the minister returned to meet the angry students to seek their understanding.

According to the NANS president, the decision to agree to meet the minister was to resolve the lingering crisis so that the students could go back to school.

Mr Asefon, who spoke to our reporter on the phone on Tuesday morning, said; The only thing we said was that we would not go back to that ministry of education. So they agreed to meet us at the NUC headquarters, where we again reiterated our demands.

The minister showed us documents indicating efforts to address all the issues, and we insisted that if the strike is not called off before the one-month deadline, the #EndSars protest would be a childs play.

He said the minister pleaded for understanding and that the conciliation meeting would continue today towards ending the strike.

He said the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement was not sustainable but that a new workable agreement is being finalised for signature by both parties, he added.

ASUU Strike

The four-week warning strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on February 14 is already in its third week, with no resolution in sight.

However, ASUU and the government delegation are scheduled to meet later today (Tuesday) to continue the conciliation meeting.

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The Abuja #EndSARS panel set up to investigate cases of police brutality in Abuja resumes sitting Tuesday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said.

This comes about 10 weeks after the panel last sat on December 17, 2021.

It was the second elongated break the panel had had to embark on due to lack of funding. The earlier break which started in March last year lasted for about seven months.

The panel resumed sitting from the earlier seven-month break in October last year.

Confronted with funding problem, the panel, sat for about nine weeks and in December, adjourned some cases indefinitely. It also forwarded unresolved cases to the commission for further investigation.

But Fatimah Mohammed, Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the NHRC, said in a statement on Tuesday, that the panel would continue sitting to carry on the commissions journey of restoring human dignity and hold perpetrators of human rights crimes accountable.

According to Mrs Mohammed, although, the commission awarded monetary compensation to families and victims of police violence in December 2021 as part of the panels recommendations, numerous cases had yet to be probed.

She added that the panel had adjourned indefinitely due to lack of funding last December, but has now got funds to continue its sittings.

Sitting duration, cases to be heard

Mrs Mohammed also said the panel would sit for six weeks continuously but with intermittent breaks.

The panel is expected to sit for an initial period of six weeks with breaks at intervals to hear a total of 92 cases, 29 general cases, 12 part-heard cases, and 51 cases involving judgment debts, Mrs Mohammed said.

She also called on the support and cooperation of the police as well as other relevant participants to ensure that justice is served accordingly.

The commission is using this medium to seek the support and cooperation of the police and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that perpetrators of police brutality are made to face the wrath of the law, she added.

Background

The Abuja #Endsars panel was Inaugurated on October 21, 2020, by the NHRC in the aftermath of the October 2020 #EnSARS police brutality protests in the country. The panel comprises 11 members and is chaired by Suleiman Galadima, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court.

The panel, like others replicated in 28 states of the federation, was mandated to probe cases of police violations and recommend compensations for victims or their families as well as sanctions or prosecutions for erring police officers.

Most of the panels set up by the state governments have submitted their reports, recommending compensations for victims of police brutality and sanctions or prosecution for erring police officers.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported in September 2021 how lack of funding crippled the Abuja #EndSARS threatening the hope of about 300 petitioners for justice.

The panel resumed seven months after it last sat in March 2021. It heard cases for about 12 weeks before it again went on another break that lasted about 10 weeks.

On December 23, 2021, the NHRC, in a report, said the panel had concluded 144 cases out of 297 petitions before it.

It also awarded N146 million to the families of 20 victims of police brutality and outright killings by armed operatives.

According to the NHRCs report, the cases heard by the panel were mostly on extrajudicial killing, illegal arrest and prolonged detention, cruel inhuman and degrading treatment, enforced disappearance, confiscation of property, non-unenforced and non-payment of judgment awards.

Out of the 144 cases the panel probed as of December, 43 were on extrajudicial killing, 57 on unlawful arrest, 46 on torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, 25 were struck out, 12 were withdrawn and one was dismissed.

The financial awards, according to the NHRCs executive secretary, Tony Ojukwu, are not intended as a replacement for the lives lost or as full compensation for the pains and injustice suffered by victims, but is a way the government can show that it understands and cares about their suffering.
A human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday formally declared his intention to run for president.

Mr Sowore joined the growing list of aspirants jostling to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

This will be the second time the activist will be contesting for the position. He was the candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 presidential election.

On Tuesday, Mr Sowore shared a banner with the caption SOWORE FOR PRESIDENT on his social media handles.

Although he did not give much details about his ambition on the shared banner, the former AAC presidential candidate had on Thursday, after his release from police detention in Abuja, promised not to back down on his desire to govern Nigeria.

He said the recent petition filed against him by a former member of the House of Representatives, Ned Nwoko, and his subsequent detention was sponsored by the APC-led government to stop his declaration.

I knew this is whats going to happen and Im not surprised that thats what they did. But when we got here, I made it clear to everybody, all of the police officers involved, that I cant write any statement and I wont accept any kind of bail condition attached to my release, he had said.

They took me to their detention. When they were tired; they came and called to tell me that I should be going home. So Im heading home now. No reason to worry, we know why this is happening. They are afraid of the future. They are afraid Sowore will declare very soon and become the president of Nigeria; you cant stop me, the activist was quoted to have said by his newspaper after his release on Thursday.

In his 2019 attempt, Mr Sowore garnered 33,953 votes to place fifth ahead of other new entrants like Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Democratic Party (YPP).

He was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) in August 2019 after the election for alleged treason after he lead a nationwide protest tagged RevolutionNow.

Since then, he has been in and out of court.
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged the United States to handle Taiwan-related issues prudently to avoid further undermining China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing, in response to recent media reports that the United States will send five former high-level officials to visit Taiwan in a show of U.S. support to the island.

Wang said the Chinese people are firmly committed to safeguarding their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "The U.S. demonstration of so-called support for Taiwan is futile, whoever it sends."

He urged the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop all official exchanges with Taiwan, and handle Taiwan-related issues prudently to avoid further undermining China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

When asked to comment on the U.S. recent act to hype up the passage of the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson through the Taiwan Strait, Wang said if the U.S. side intends to embolden the secessionists seeking "Taiwan independence" via such a move, "this will only expedite the collapse of the 'Taiwan independence' forces, and the United States will pay a heavy price for its risky behavior."

"If the U.S. side attempts to intimidate or pressure China via such a move, we'd like to warn the United States that any military deterrence is as weak as scrap iron in front of the Great Wall of steel constituted by the 1.4 billion Chinese people," Wang said. 
Activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has filed a rights enforcement suit against the police and a former House of Representatives member, Ned Nwoko.

In the suit he filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, Mr Sowore, seeks N200 million damages and public public apology from the defendants for his alleged unlawful arrest and detention by the police.

Specifically, the former presidential candidate, sued the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, and Mr Nwoko as the first to the fourth defendants, respectively.

He described Mr Nwoko as acclaimed billionaire in the suit marked FHC/CS/ABJ/239/2022.

How I was arrested

Mr Sowore claimed in the suit that the police, allegedly instigated by Mr Nwoko, arrested him as he stepped out of the Court of Appeal premises in Abuja where he had visited to monitor a case on February 24, 2022.

That a horde of police officers of the 1st respondent, activated and instigated by the 4th respondent (Mr Nwoko), laid siege at the entrance of the Court of Appeal Abuja on February 24, 2022 while I was attending a court session, and on stepping out of the court, around 4pm of the day, I was arrested by these policemen on the order of the 3rd respondent and on the instigation of the 4th respondent, Mr Sowore stated in an affidavit he filed in support of his suit.

He said he was eventually taken to a police facility commonly called Abattoir in Abuja where he said he was detained up till 9 p.m. on the day of the arrest without justification whatsoever.

Mr Sowore, who, on Tuesday, declared his ambition to again run for the presidential election in 2023, denied any wrongdoing.

I did not at anytime breach any known law or commit any crime to justify my arrest and eventual detention by officers of the 1st respondent, he insisted.

But he recalled that Mr Nwoko, had through his lawyers, written to Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, demanding the retraction of the publications they alleged were libelous against him.

He said although he is the founder of Sahara Reporters, a legal entity distinct from me and having its headquarters in New York, USA, while I am now resident in Nigeria, I do not in any way determine the stories that are published on the Sahara Reporters platform.

Prayers

As part of his prayers, Mr Sowore, though his lawyer, Tope Temokun, urged the court to declare among others, that his arrest and detention on February 24, 2022, by the police over a Sahara Reporters publication amount to a breach of his personal liberty and freedom of movement.

These rights, his lawyer argued,are guaranteed under sections 35(1) of the Nigerian constitution and Articles 6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human an Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

He also urged the court to order the four defendants to publish a public apology to him in two reputable national dailies for violating his rights.

He also sought an order compelling the defendants to pay him N200 million as general and exemplary damages for the violation of his rights.

The defendants have yet to respond to the suit.

Background

Mr Sowore had said he was arrested by the police at the Court of Appeal where he had gone to witness a case concerning his party, the African Action Congress (AAC).

His lawyer, in a statement, said he was immediately transferred to the SWAT headquarters at Abattoir, Abuja, where he was detained for five hours.

Earlier in August 2019, the State Security Service (SSS) arrested Mr Sowore in Lagos over his planned #RevolutionNow protest against the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

The SSS, which defied series of court orders to keep the activist in custody, only released him in December 2019 following mounting pressure from within and outside Nigeria.

The Buhari administration charged him along another #RevolutionNow protester, Olawale Bakare, with treasonable felony.

But Mr Sowore continues to participate in protests against the government in Abuja where the court restricted his movement to as part of the bail conditions granted him.

The police have arrested and detained him on different occasions since then.

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He recently raised the alarm over the deactivation of his National Identification Number (NIN) by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

He announced the reactivation of his NIN after a seven-day ultimatum he issued to the agency lapsed.

But the NIMC has denied ever deactivating Mr Sowores NIN.

The NIMC, in a reply to PREMIUM TIMES Freedom of Information (FoI) enquiry on the matter, described Mr Sowores claim as bizarre.

It explained that the activist might have possibly witnessed a routine connectivity issue that sometimes hampers NIN verification on its platform.
The National Assembly has voted against a bill providing for affirmative action for women in political parties administration.

The lawmakers also voted against the bill to create special seats for women in the national and state assemblies.

Both bills got an abysmal number of votes during the clause-by-clause consideration during the ongoing constitution amendment at both chambers in the parliament on Tuesday.

One of the bills is titled, Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for Special Seat for Women in the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for Related Matters.

Sponsored by Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (APC, Abia), a member of the House of Representatives, it sought to alter sections 48, 49, 71,77,91, and 117 of the 1999 Constitution by creating one additional senatorial seat and two federal constituencies in each state and FCT for women.

This would have come down to creating 111 extra seats for women at the National Assembly.

The bill also sought to amend section 91 of the 1999 Constitution by creating an additional 108 seats in the state houses of assembly for women.

On its part, the affirmative action bill seeks at least 35 per cent position for women in political parties.

Voting

During the voting process at the Senate, 30 senators voted for the creation of special seats and 58 voted against it.

At the House of Representatives, 81 voted for the bill, while overwhelming 208 lawmakers voted against it.

For affirmative action, 34 senators voted for and 53 voted against.

The bills did not get the required number of votes to be passed.

Earlier, the wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo, joined lawmakers in the chamber to monitor the proceedings as well as solicit support for the gender bills.
The House of Representatives controversially passed the 20 per cent affirmative action in appointment of ministers and commissioners, but the same bill failed at the Senate on Tuesday.

The bill seeks to alter the provision of the Nigerian constitution to provide reserved quota for women.

Three bills on gender had earlier been rejected by the lawmakers in the lower chamber. The bill that sought to create extra seats in legislature was rejected, the 35 per cent affirmative action in political parties administration and the expansion of citizenship were rejected.

Shortly before the consideration of the quota bill, the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), appealed to his colleagues to allow the bill to scale.

Earlier, the Majority Leader, Ado Dogwa (APC, Kano), had also appealed to the members of the House to allow the bill to pass.

Despite the appeal by the principal officers, the lawmakers voted against the bill. While 226 lawmakers voted in support, 70 voted against and four abstained from voting.

Inconsistency

Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House, made last effort to save the clause by putting it to voice vote. The ayes had it, the speaker had ruled.

However, the action by the Speaker is inconsistent with the Constitution. Section 9 of the Constitution provides that 2/3 of members of a House must vote to determine a constitution alteration bill.

Section 2 of the 1999 Constitution provides, An Act of the National Assembly for the alteration of this Constitution, not being an Act to which section 8 of this Constitution applies, shall not be passed in either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of that House and approved by resolution of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the States.

While the speaker might have gone extra length to save the bill to appease women, the same bill was rejected in the Senate, bringing the bill to its premature end.
The Nigerian Senate, on Tuesday, at plenary, passed a bill to empower lawmakers at the National and State Assemblies to summon the countrys president and state governors on issues bothering on security or any other issues on which they have powers to make laws.

The bill seeks alteration to Section 67 of the Principal Act by inserting after subsection (3), a new subsection (4).

The new subsection (4) provides:

Nothing in this section shall preclude the National Assembly from summoning the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend a joint session of the National Assembly to answer questions on national security or any issue whatsoever, over which the National Assembly has powers to make laws.

The bill further seeks to alter Section 108 of the Principal Act to insert a new subsection (4) to provide:

Nothing in this section shall preclude the House of Assembly of the State from summoning the Governor of the State to attend a sitting of the House of Assembly to answer questions on security or on any issue whatsoever, over which the House of Assembly has powers to male laws.

Out of a total of 93 registered Senators, 77 voted in favour of the bill to summon the president and governors, 13 against and one lawmaker abstained.

The Senate also approved a bill to include Presiding Officers on the membership of the National Security Council.

It also passed a bill to make it an offence, and to provide for the possible conviction of any person who refuses to honour the summons of the National Assembly or any of its committees.

ALSO READ: Reps summon FCT minister over worsening insecurity

The bill seeks to alter Section 129 of the Principal Act to insert after subsection (2), a new subsection (3).

The new section provides:

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Constitution, any person who after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to do so and does not excuse such failure, refusal or neglect to the satisfaction of the House or the Committee in question, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to such punishment as shall be prescribed by a Act of the National Assembly.

The Senate, however, voted against the proposal to provide for more seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.

Also rejected were proposals to alter Part I of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to include Value Added Tax on the Exclusive Legislative List; Removal of Transitional Law-making Powers of the Executive; to provide for Diaspora voting; to grant Mayoralty Status for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and appointment of Minister from the FCT.

(NAN)
Nigerias minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, has again expressed hope that the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will soon be called off.

The minister, who spoke at the resumption of the conciliation meeting between the government and representatives of the lecturers union on Tuesday afternoon, said the meeting would end with action as demanded by the union.

The union also restated its stand shortly before the meeting that it was no longer interested in signing any memorandum of understanding or action, but that the government should prove its sincerity to the earlier agreements through prompt implementation.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how the meeting between the two parties last week ended in a deadlock.

ASUU speaks

The national president of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the union had been engaging the government and had been signing a series of agreements within the past five years but that most of the agreements were never implemented.

He said: Therefore, we no longer want a memorandum of action or memorandum of understanding. What we want is action.

Mr Osodeke insisted that all of its demands can be met within a very short time.

He said: I believe this can be done easily if the leadership of this country believes that there is a crisis in Nigerias education sector- primary, secondary and tertiary.

All these issues we are discussing, we can resolve them in one week, but the strike is going to three weeks and we are still talking. Nigerians want to see action, the students want to see action and our members want to see action.

Confusion

Meanwhile, at the meeting held last, the parties had agreed to give two weeks to a joint committee of ASUU and officials of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to fix issues identified in the University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS) which was developed by ASUU to replace the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) introduced by the government.

However, the two weeks will elapse on March 8th but ASUU said it has received no invitation from the government.

At the resumption of the meeting on Tuesday, the representatives of NITDA, however, said the agency had communicated its readiness to meet the union to the ministry of labour and education.

But when NITDA said it was ready to meet ASUUs side on Wednesday, Mr Osodeke said it was impossible because its members are based in Bauchi and not in Abuja.

Another closed-door session

On Tuesday, after the introductory engagements at the resumed meeting, the parties went into a closed door session with two major items of earned academic allowance and revitalisation fund for public universities, for deliberation.

Backstory

ASUU had embarked on a four-week warning strike to press home its demands including the renegotiation of the ASUU/FG 2009 agreement, sustainability of the university autonomy by deploying the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the governments imposed Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the release of the reports of visitation panels to federal universities and distortions in salary payment challenges.

Others include funding for revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowance, poor funding of state universities and promotion arrears.

While the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu had days after the commencement of the strike constituted the white paper panel of the visitation panels, it is yet to inaugurate them.

After the last meeting between ASUU and the government delegation, Mr Ngige described the strike as illegal, saying the union did not give a 14-days notice required by law before it embarked on the strike.

In its defence, ASUU said it did not embark on a fresh strike, and that the current strike was a roll-over of its suspended strike in December, 2020.

Ngige added that most of ASUUs demands are already being met, but ASUU said none of its demands has been fully met.
PREMIUM TIMES, Nigerias foremost investigative news platform, on Friday held its inaugural staff award ceremony.

The event, held in Abuja, was organised to reward and recognise staffers for their hard work and determination in the past year.

Musikilu Mojeed, PREMIUM TIMES Editor-in-Chief, said the programme is part of the companys modest efforts to appreciate its staffers.

Mr Mojeed, who paid homage to his team, noted that staff members commitment to the ideals of the newspaper and indomitable spirit cannot be quantified in monetary and gift values.

He challenged the reporters and editors to do more in the new year and spread the newspapers cherished tradition of fact-based accountability journalism.

Being the maiden ceremony, only two categories of awards  Reporter of the year and Stories of the year  were given.

Idris Akinbajo, the papers managing editor, said going forward, the management would introduce new categories of awards.

Yusuf Akinpelu, former head of data desk, clinched the Reporter of the Year award.

Having won 13 stories of the week and two stories of the month prizes in 2021, Mr Akinpelu was voted by the judges as the maiden reporter of the year.

Receiving the award, Mr Akinpelu said the recognition, which comes with a cash prize of N250,000, meant a lot to him adding: its a shot in the arm for me to do more and continue to tell great and impactful stories.

That the award came after I took a break from the platform shows the high level of respect for fairness and justice in not just the editorial process but also the internal workings of the newspaper, said Mr Akinpelu, who now works for the BBC. This is something I think all media organisations should learn from.

Earlier in his remarks, Mr Akinbajo said the judging process was very transparent and verifiable noting that the editors believe accountability should be done and must be seen to be done.

Meanwhile, the award for the Story of the Year was jointly won by two reporters who had the highest scores for the overall stories of the months in 2021.

The joint winners were Ameh Ejekwonyilo and Kemi Busari. The duo shared the N200,000 prize that came with the Story of the Year award.

Mr Busaris story on How Nigerian security officials arbitrarily and extra-judicially killed citizens while enforcing curfew during the partial lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the winning entries.

On the global stage, Mr Busaris report was shortlisted for the 2021 Fetisov Journalism Awards.

Mr Busari, while receiving the award said he is still trying to do some follow-up to see the victims of these extrajudicial killings get justice.

He appreciated his editors and everyone who supported him while writing the story, including the sponsor, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).

Before becoming the editor of Dubawa, an independent fact-checking hub under the auspices of Premium Times sister organisation, CJID, Mr Busari, a multiple award-winning reporter, was the Senate correspondent for PREMIUM TIMES.

Meanwhile, the second winning entry was Mr Ejekwonyilos months-long report on How decrepit court facilities hamper justice delivery in Nigerias capital.

Being the first major recognition of his journalistic work, Mr Ejekwonyilo was excited and overwhelmed to have jointly won the award.

He saluted the relentless effort of Ade Adesomoju, my immediate boss, and the PREMIUM TIMES excellent tradition of rewarding journalistic excellence.

He added that the award will spur me to tell more impactful stories that would engender accountability in Nigeria and the African continent.

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Mr Ejekwonyilo also dedicated the award to my beloved mother, Rose-Ikponya Abah, whose enormous sacrifices saw me through the university, and my late kid sister, Ochanya Ogbanje, whose horrendous death at the hands of rapists in 2018, still grieves us all. I hope she gets justice soon.
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki said the state government has strengthened security in the state after a robbery operation on four banks left several people dead.

Two police officers and five people were shot dead during the robbery on Thursday in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Obaseki, represented by the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, met with heads of security agencies in Edo on Monday to strengthen security and ensure that those behind the robbery are arrested and brought to book, said a statement on Monday from the media aide to Governor Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie.

I want to let our people know that we have beefed up security in the state and urge everyone to go about their normal businesses in Edo State, the statement quoted Mr Obaseki as saying after the meeting with the security agencies.

These criminals have no hiding place; we would make the state hot for them, he added.

The governor said the government could not reveal to the public all the information they have on the robbery since the investigation into the incident was still going on.

While saying that security is a collective responsibility of all, the governor said the recovery of some of the cash stolen from the bank, including other items, was made possible by the cooperation of individuals and organisations.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, in Edo State, Miller Dantawaye, said mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that such incidents dont reoccur and perpetrators of the dastardly act are brought to book.

This type of incident will not happen again in Edo State. Some recoveries have already been made and investigations are ongoing. These will lead us to a level where all the perpetrators will be arrested and ensure it doesnt happen again in Edo.

The Edo State Government is ready to support (us with) logistics if the need arises. Edo people should go about their lawful businesses. Vehicles have been recovered and investigation is ongoing; much will not be revealed for now, he said.

When the Edo State Government delegation visited the palace of the Ojuromi of Uromi, Anslem Odaloighe Eidenojie Il, on Friday, the traditional ruler said the robbery operation was like a war zone and it lasted for over two hours.

The robbers took control of the area and killed my subjects, he said.

The police said they recovered N37 million and five vehicles abandoned by the bank robbers.
The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Lawal Abubakar, has ordered strict enforcement of the ban on commercial tricycle, motorcycle and tipper trucks in three Local Government Areas in the state.

This was contained in a statement issued in Enugu on Tuesday by the police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe.

NAN recalled that the state government on February 24, after a consultative security meeting with traditional and political leaders, placed a ban on the operation of commercial tricycles, motorcycles and tipper trucks in some parts of the state.

The areas affected included Nkanu East and Nkanu West local government areas and some communities in Enugu South Local Government Area.

The commissioner directed the police authorities in Nkanu East, Nkanu West and Enugu South local government areas to enforce the ban.

He, however, cautioned police officers against violating fundamental human rights of citizens in the course of carrying out the enforcement order.

The police boss in the state urged those affected by the ban to comply to avoid any form of misunderstanding between them and police operatives performing the enforcement duty.

I enjoin residents of the state to remain vigilant, law-abiding and assist the Command with useful and timely security information/intelligence it requires to frontally tackle the activities of criminal elements in the state.

The communities affected by the ban are in Amechi Uno, Amechi Awkunanaw and Amechi Uwani.

Others include Obeagu Main, Obeagu Uno, Centenary/Obunagu, Obeagu, One-day, Garriki, Akwukwe, Ugwuaji, Ndiagu Onunyo, Maryland and Ikiriki communities.

The ban, the government said, followed resolution at the emergency Security Council meeting held at the Government House, Enugu, and Executive Order No. 1: 2022 dated Feb. 24, 2022.

The order, coming a few days after some police officers were gunned down in Enugu, is aimed at containing the security challenges in parts of the state.

(NAN)
The Atah of Ayede-Ekiti, Afeleye Orisagbemi, narrowly escaped death in the hands of suspected kidnappers on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Orisagbemi is the fourth Ekiti State traditional ruler to suffer a similar fate in the last one year.

The first ruler victim was kidnapped; the second one escaped kidnapping after his attackers scaled the palace fence and beat him to a pulp, while the third one escaped before the assailants struck.

Mr Orisagbemi escaped death after he was attacked by the unknown gunmen on Sunday.

The incident, according to witnesses, happened when the traditional ruler was returning from a meeting outside his domain.

According to one of the witnesses, the hoodlums attempted to kidnap Mr Orisagbemi, shot at him without effect, a development credited to the traditional rulers superior talisman.

Mr Orisagbemi is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. Efforts to get him to speak on the failed incident were unsuccessful.

Police spokesman in Ekiti State, Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident.

Mr Abutu said efforts were in top gear to track down the perpetrators.

(NAN)
The principal of Dowen College, Adebisi Layiwola, told a Lagos coroner on Tuesday that the management commiserated with the Oromoni family regarding the death of their child via WhatsApp, email, and phone call.

She made the statement at the ongoing coroners inquest to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the 12-year-old.

Up till now, has your school sent a letter of condolence to the school? The family lawyer, Femi Falana, asked.

She replied in the affirmative.

It was sent to them via our normal means of delivery. It was delivered by email and WhatsApp, she said.

The principal said the next day, a call was placed to the deceaseds father.

I called the father to commiserate with him immediately after the death occurred, she said.

Bullying in school

I was told that the deceased was asked by another student whether he had seen nudity, the principal said responding to the allegations that the late student was forced to describe his sisters private parts.

I was not told he was forced. I was told that it was a case of asking the boy if he had seen nudity. I was not told whether the information was given willingly but I was not told he was bullied.

She said the incident was brought to her attention some months ago after the death of the deceased.

Are you aware that some students have withdrawn their children from the school due to bullying? Mr Falana asked.

I cant recollect, she replied.

At Maroko police station, are you aware that a parent went to Maroko station and (reported that) her son was also bullied? He didnt return (to the school) after Sylvesters case.

The principal said the bully was expelled after the death of the deceased.

In your school, do you have PTA? Mr Falana asked.

No, we have a parents forum, she replied.

Has the forum ever discussed allegations of bullying in the association? The lawyer asked.

I cannot remember, no, she replied.

Do you have a CCTV camera in your school?

We have now, she replied.

(Was it) after the death of the deceased?

She replied in the affirmative.

Mrs Layiwola said before the police got involved in the death of Sylvester, the school had set up a panel to investigate the allegations.

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Mr Falana asked if she asked the students who allegedly bullied the deceased about being a cult member.

Did you challenge them? He asked.

No, she said.

Did you ask them whether he was beaten?

I did, she responded.

Did you ask them if they gave him substance to ingest? The lawyer asked.

I didnt ask them, she replied.

Would you be surprised that a blackish substance was found in Sylvester?

Im not surprised, she replied.

Further hearing has been fixed for March 7 and 8.
BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation Monday with Somali Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdisaid Muse Ali on bilateral ties.

Wang said that China and Somalia enjoys a long history of traditional friendship. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have stood in solidarity and jointly safeguarded the health and security of both peoples.

Stressing that China attaches great importance to bilateral relations and firmly supports the Somali side in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, Wang said that China is willing to take the Belt and Road cooperation and implementation of the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) as an opportunity to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level.

China will continue to provide assistance for the reconstruction and development of Somalia, hold consultations with the Somali side on the implementation of the "nine programs" of the FOCAC, draw up the list of priorities for cooperation and provide much-needed humanitarian aid.

China will also discuss with Somalia the implementation of projects to improve people's livelihood in areas with relatively good security situation, and strengthen practical cooperation in agriculture, fishery, health and other fields, said Wang.

China will provide Somalia with a batch of emergency food aid and more vaccines to help the country cope with drought and fight the pandemic, said Wang.

Expressing appreciation for Somalia's active support for the China-proposed Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, Wang said all countries in the region are China's good friends.

China will continue to adhere to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and help the countries in the Horn of Africa better meet the triple challenges of security, development and governance, said Wang.

The special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Xue Bing has assumed office and will soon go to work in the region, said Wang.

China looks forward to the convening at an early date of the Horn of Africa peace conference by countries in the region through consultation, he added.

For his part, Ali said he welcomes China's appointment of the special envoy for the Horn of Africa affairs under the current situation, and introduced the situation on the fight against piracy in Somali waters and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The Somali side always attaches great importance to developing relations with China and will continue providing firm support for China on issues concerning its core interests and major concerns.

Expressing firm opposition to Taiwan's collusion with Somalia's northern region of Somaliland, which infringed upon Somalia's sovereignty, the Somali minister said Somalia will continue to carry out strategic and practical cooperation with China.

Thanking China for its support and assistance in the reconstruction of Somalia and the fight against the pandemic as well as the severe drought, the minister said Somalia is ready to work with the Chinese side on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, agriculture, education and people's livelihood, so as to elevate Somalia-China relations to a higher level. 
Shamrock Shuffle participant Jessica Hatfield crosses the finish line last year. Last year, about 100 runners took part in the race, ranging in age from 6 to 78. Their registration fees supported the purchase of a brand new bassinet that is now providing comfort for babies born at the Alice T. Miner Women and Childrens Center.
- Synapse Medicine today announced a new round of funding of 25M, led by Korelya Capital, the investment fund created by Fleur Pellerin, who is joining the board of the company. Its historical investors (XAnge, MACSF, BNP Paribas Developpement) complete the funding round. Mutuelles Impact is also contributing to the financing round as a new investor. It is the 3rd round of fund-raising in 3 years for the start-up, with a total of 35M.

- The objective is to speed up deployment of its Medication Intelligence platform for the proper use of medicines in Europe, the United States and Japan. Clement Goehrs, co-founder and CEO, and also a doctor and graduate of Stanford University, will continue the development in the United States by creating the New York office.

- The company intends to triple its workforce to bring it to 150 people, with recruitment planned in Paris, Bordeaux, Berlin, London, New York and Tokyo over the next two years.

BORDEAUX, France, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

Develop international leadership around the proper use of medicines

The proper use of medicines is a global health issue. In the United States, medicine related adverse events are the reason for 1.3 million visits to accident and emergency and 350,000 hospital admissions every year, with an estimated global cost of over 528 billion dollars. In Europe, medicine related adverse reactions occur in 8% to 12% of hospital admissions. In France, that amounts to 30,000 avoidable deaths and 150,000 avoidable hospital admissions every year.

To respond to this problem, Synapse Medicine is developing technologies for health institutions (ANSM, ANS), hospitals (AP-HP), Hospices Civils de Lyon (public university teaching hospital), Institut Gustave Roussy etc), health tech players (MesDocteurs, Teladoc Health..) and the general public (Matmut..) personalized to their requirements. All of these can be accessed through its SaaS platform which is based on its proprietary "Medication Intelligence" technology. Composed of artificial intelligence algorithms, it provides a complete view of medicine related information, thereby facilitating decision making for health professionals. Synapse Medicine is therefore involved in every step of the care pathway, by enabling patient-appropriate treatment. With a wealth of experience in proven technological leadership and excellent commercial traction in France, the company is now deploying in the United States, Europe and in Asia via key partnerships with both public and private institutions.

Recruit new talent to join a company with impact

In a phase of phenomenal growth for 3 years, Synapse Medicine intends to continue recruiting new talent in France and abroad to reach 150 employees through the opening of subsidiaries in Europe, the United States and Japan. The head office and primary hub of the company will remain in Bordeaux. Today the team is composed of experienced individuals who are all united in the desire to help healthcare professionals and patients on a daily basis. The team has already demonstrated that it was capable of having a strong positive impact on the health system; during the pandemic the company illustrated this by first helping over one million French people through its "covid-19-medicines.com" initiative, followed by the national deployment of its "Medication Shield" in collaboration with the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines) to facilitate the management of adverse reactions for the vaccination campaign. This initiative resulted in the company being an e-health award winner of the prestigious Galien award in 2021.

"We have been deeply impressed by the founders' vision and their early understanding of how powerful medication data could protect patients and support all stakeholders in healthcare industries across the world. We look forward to supporting the Synapse Medicine team in the US and Asia." said Fleur Pellerin, Chairman, and co-founder of Korelya Capital.

"We are once again supporting the deployment of Synapse Medicine, a start-up that we spotted at a very early stage. At that time, we were already impressed by the founders, who represent a new generation of entrepreneurial doctors, and by the real impact of the product in terms of public health. The participation of Mutuelles Impact in this round, managed by XAnge, will allow us to develop the connections with insurance companies and to disseminate the technology to the public at large." explains Guillaume Meulle, Managing Partner of XAnge.

"I am very proud of the entire Synapse Medicine team, of its values and of what it has accomplished up to today. This fund-raising will enable us to reinforce the team and continue to help health professionals and patients globally" says Clement Goehrs, CEO and co-founder of Synapse Medicine.

About Synapse Medicine:

Synapse Medicine's mission is to provide everyone access to the best medicine. The startup, which collaborates closely with the largest French university hospitals, has developed a Medication Intelligence platform dedicated to proper drug use. As a leader in its category, the solution is 100% independent from the pharmaceutical industry and is used today by thousands of healthcare professionals.

Press contact: Nadjib Bennai - Head of Marketing ; +33 7 87 04 74 73 ; press@synapse-medicine.com

About Korelya Capital:

Founded and chaired by Fleur Pellerin, former French Minister of Digital Economy and Culture, Korelya Capital is a late-stage venture fund with 500m under management and offices in Paris, London, and Seoul. Since its launch in 2016, Korelya Capital has notably invested in several European tech champions who have reached unicorn status (Vestiaire Collective, Glovo, Bolt, Ledger). Korelya Capital supports growth companies in their development with the ambition to create a strong European tech scene, notably through valuable support in Asia via its Seoul office and extensive network. www.korelyacapital.com

About XAnge :

XAnge is a leading European venture capital firm based in Paris and Munich. We invest in European early-stage innovative technology companies operating in the fields of Digital consumer, Enterprise & Data, Fintech, and Deeptech. Since its creation in 2003, XAnge has backed more than 200 fast-growing companies in their entrepreneurial journeys. We work alongside visionary founders with strong values and International ambitions such as Gleamer, Implicity, Treefrog, MDoloris...XAnge is the Venture arm of Siparex, an independent investment group with 2Bn under management

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667017/Synapse_Medicine_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Synapse Medicine
TEL AVIV, Israel, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tarsier Pharma, an advanced clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for blinding ocular diseases, has expanded its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The two new appointments of Prof. Thorne and Prof. Sen will boost support for Tarsier as the Company focuses on phase-3 clinical trials in non-infectious anterior uveitis including uveitic glaucoma, and, on earlier stage development of its pipeline for back-of-the-eye diseases with inflammatory underlying pathologies. They will join existing Scientific Advisory Board members Prof. Cunningham, Prof. Nguyen, and Prof. de Smet.

Prof. H. Nida Sen (left) and Prof. Jennifer Thorne, new members of the Scientific Advisory Board of Tarsier Pharma.

"This is the dream team we need to help drive Tarsier's success," says Dr. Daphne Haim-Langford, CEO and chairperson of Tarsier Pharma. "Prof. Thorne and Prof. Sen are both renowned ocular immunologists, with clinical management experience, alongside research, drug development, and clinical trials expertise, that will serve us well as we go forward in development and commercialization of novel Ophthalmic drugs. They are both key figures in various American and international uveitis forums, which will be essential in helping to increase awareness to the devastating rare condition uveitic glaucoma. We are thankful to add them to our existing exceptional Scientific Advisory Board."

Prof. Jennifer Thorne, M.D., Ph.D., is the Cross Family Professor of Ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, where she is also chief of the Division of Ocular Immunology and Uveitis. Prof. Thorne holds a joint appointment as professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An internationally recognized and board-certified ophthalmologist, Prof. Thorne is an expert in the evaluation and management of patients with uveitis and other related immune-mediated disorders.

"Tarsier Pharma has done incredible work to develop new drugs for patients with ocular inflammatory diseases. There is a substantial unmet need for such drugs, that would be local and potent anti-inflammatory treatments, yet without negative side effects that we know too well from steroidal existing treatments. Unfortunately, uveitis patients usually wait last in line for new therapies, but with Tarsier, they are first, and I am happy to join this important effort", said Prof. Thorne.

Prof. H. Nida Sen, MD, MHS is Professor of Ophthalmology at the George Washington University and Clinical Leader at Janssen Retina R&D, Johnson and Johnson. She has been an investigator at the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), focusing on mechanism and treatment of uveitis. There she has served as a Lasker Clinical Research Scholar, an NIH Distinguished Scholar, and the Head of Uveitis Clinic and Clinical and Translational Ocular Immunology Section. As a prominent investigator in the field of uveitis and ocular immunology Prof. Sen led many clinical trials and natural history studies throughout her career. She is a board-certified ophthalmologist recognized worldwide as an expert in the field of uveitis and ocular immunology.

"Indeed, we know from our everyday experience in the clinic, how much such novel therapies for uveitis are desperately needed, for the patients who seek treatments without significant side effects, and for the healthcare providers who currently have limited tools. I was excited with Tarsier's story and development, years ago when Tarsier's CEO first approached me at a uveitis meeting. I am very excited to become now officially part of the journey", said Prof. Sen.

Tarsier's existing SAB members are:

Emmett Cunningham , Jr, Prof. MD, Ph.D, MPH is an Operating Partner in the Blackstone Life Sciences group. Dr. Cunningham has led investments in medical technology and biotechnology, including partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. Previously Dr. Cunningham was the Senior Vice President, Medical Strategy at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where he led the team that developed Macugen, a first-in-class product for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. Prior to Eyetech, Dr. Cunningham was at Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE: PFE). Dr. Cunningham is an internationally recognized specialist in infectious and inflammatory eye disease with over 400 publications.

Dr. Cunningham is a member of the Board of Directors of Galera Therapeutics and the SFJ Pharmaceuticals Group. Dr. Cunningham was the founder and chairman of the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS) symposium held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Dr. Cunningham received an MD and MPH in epidemiology and statistics from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in neuroscience from the University of California at San Diego for work done at The Salk Institute.

, Jr, Prof. MD, Ph.D, MPH is an Operating Partner in the Blackstone Life Sciences group. Dr. Cunningham has led investments in medical technology and biotechnology, including partnerships with pharmaceutical companies. Previously Dr. Cunningham was the Senior Vice President, Medical Strategy at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where he led the team that developed Macugen, a first-in-class product for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. Prior to Eyetech, Dr. Cunningham was at Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE: PFE). Dr. Cunningham is an internationally recognized specialist in infectious and inflammatory eye disease with over 400 publications. Dr. Cunningham is a member of the Board of Directors of Galera Therapeutics and the SFJ Pharmaceuticals Group. Dr. Cunningham was the founder and chairman of the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS) symposium held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Dr. Cunningham received an MD and MPH in epidemiology and statistics from and a PhD in neuroscience from the for work done at The Salk Institute. Quan Dong Nguyen , MD, MSc currently is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, where he has an active uveitis and ocular inflammatory diseases as well as clinical and surgical retina practice, while he continues his research in pharmacotherapy and ocular imaging. Dr. Nguyen serves as principal investigator on multiple clinical trials sponsored by the National Eye Institute and other organizations for macular edema (from diabetes and uveitis), neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and ocular inflammatory and uveitic diseases, as well as co-investigator on numerous other clinical trials involving novel therapeutic agents. Dr. Nguyen is known for his innovative work in early proof-of-concept, first-in-human clinical trials to evaluate potential pharmacotherapeutic agents for retinal vascular and uveitic diseases.

Prof. Nguyen is part of various ocular international forums, such as the IOIS (International Ocular Inflammation Society) and the FOIS (Foster Ocular Immunology Society).

, MD, MSc currently is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute, School of Medicine, where he has an active uveitis and ocular inflammatory diseases as well as clinical and surgical retina practice, while he continues his research in pharmacotherapy and ocular imaging. Dr. Nguyen serves as principal investigator on multiple clinical trials sponsored by the National Eye Institute and other organizations for macular edema (from diabetes and uveitis), neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and ocular inflammatory and uveitic diseases, as well as co-investigator on numerous other clinical trials involving novel therapeutic agents. Dr. Nguyen is known for his innovative work in early proof-of-concept, first-in-human clinical trials to evaluate potential pharmacotherapeutic agents for retinal vascular and uveitic diseases. Prof. Nguyen is part of various ocular international forums, such as the IOIS (International Ocular Inflammation Society) and the FOIS (Foster Ocular Immunology Society). Marc de Smet , Prof., is the former department head of Ophthalmology at Amsterdam University, and currently the Founder and head of MIOS sa, Switzerland , a private group practice focused on retina and inflammatory disorders. He is also the current chief medical officer of Preceyes, a company which has developed a robotic surgical platform for eye surgery. Prof. de Smet has authored and co-authored more than 175 papers, 25 books and book chapters, given numerous lectures and named lectures. Treasurer of the international uveitis study group (IUSG), he is member of the Jules Gonin club, the macula society and heads a division of the EViCR.net  a European clinical research network.

About Tarsier Pharma

Tarsier Pharma is a phase-3 pharmaceutical company, focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of first-in-class pharmaceutical therapies to treat ocular blinding diseases. TRS is a bio-inspired breakthrough proprietary technology platform, based on a new chemical entity with novel mechanism of action, that demonstrated safety and efficacy in a rare debilitating and blinding indication. Currently Tarsier is running TRS4VISION phase-3 clinical trial in subjects with non-infectious anterior uveitis including uveitic glaucoma.

Lead product candidate for uveitic glaucoma

Non-infectious uveitis is an autoimmune blinding ocular inflammation, considered the third leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Tarsier's TRS01 is a potent fast-acting immunomodulator, delivered as eye drops, for the treatment of non-infectious anterior uveitis in patients with uveitic glaucoma  that is considered an end-stage condition of uveitis. Once a uveitis patient has also developed glaucoma (uveitic glaucoma), the only available treatments for active inflammation, which are steroids, should be avoided due to their side effects of expediting glaucoma and vision loss. Thus, TRS01 has the potential to become the standard of care for uveitic glaucoma.

Contact Details:

Investor Relations

Tarsier Pharma

[email protected]

SOURCE Tarsier Pharma
ADEN, Yemen, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni government and several other Arab countries on Tuesday welcomed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that imposed an arms embargo on the Houthi militia in Yemen as an entity.

The Houthi militia currently controls the capital Sanaa and most key northern provinces of the Arab world's poorest country.

On Monday, UNSC Resolution 2624, which was adopted with 11 votes in favor and four abstentions, decides that the Houthis as an entity shall be subject to the arms embargo contained in its previous Resolution 2216 of 2015.

Resolution 2216 and other later ones targeted individuals from the Houthi group for arms embargo, not the group as an entity.

The latest resolution condemns the continued supply of weapons and components to Yemen in violation of the targeted arms embargo established in Resolution 2216 as a serious threat to peace and stability in Yemen and the region.

It strongly condemns the cross-border attacks by the Houthis, including attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and demands the immediate cessation of such attacks.

In a press statement, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government said the "significant constructive move" is set to curb the Houthis' violations and threats to the maritime shipping lines' safety in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and to pressure the Houthis to abandon the course of the war.

The Yemeni government also reiterated the UN-led peace process as the only single way to reach fair and sustainable peace in Yemen.

The Houthis did not officially comment on the contents of the resolution.

The UNSC resolution was met with positive reactions and responses from a number of regional countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt.

Earlier in the day, Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi received the U.S. Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg in his temporary office in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.

The Yemeni president highly praised the envoys' efforts to achieve peace the Yemeni people are desperately waiting for.

"We're peace-seekers. We have made huge sacrifices and offered significant concessions to stop bloodshed, establish security and stability that maintain Yemen's unity, security and stability," Hadi said.

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 an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of Hadi after Houthis forced him into exile. 
TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - In a statement from Michal Klaus, CEO of Ataccama, the data management and data governance software company has taken a firm stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and condemned the attacks initiated by Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

"We are a business, but we are humans first and foremost," said Klaus. "We are witnessing ongoing, unimaginable, escalating acts of aggression by Russian state leadership towards Ukraine. Today we learned that civilians in Ukraine's second largest city were targeted in a massive missile strike. It is an invasion, it is inhuman, it is criminal, and it needs to be stopped. Although Ataccama does not currently have offices or systems in operation in Russia or Ukraine, we are compelled to contribute in every way we are able. Ataccama is taking action not just for our colleagues and their loved ones who have been impacted, but in support of Ukraine and all Ukrainians in their fight."

The company has introduced a number of measures to support the Ukrainian cause and the safety and wellbeing of those affected by the crisis, and will continue to do so in the coming days and weeks. Response actions include setting up a donation fund for humanitarian aid, collecting and delivering supplies to the Ukrainian border, transporting refugees from the border to safe locations in Slovakia and Czechia, organizing temporary housing for displaced Ukranians, and paid time off and relocation support for employees in connection to the crisis.

"We are in the process of reviewing all contracts with Russian owned entities and will terminate any connected to the Russian regime, or companies or individuals that support it. We will not work with any person or any company that supports or attempts to justify the ongoing aggression," added Klaus.

For the latest updates on the Ataccama response, follow the company on LinkedIn or Twitter .

SOURCE Ataccama
WASHINGTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) commends the bravery and steadfast commitment of emergency physicians currently treating patients in Ukraine.

"ACEP proudly supports the emergency physician colleagues currently working in Ukraine," said Gillian Schmitz, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP. "Emergency physicians across the world make a promise to treat anyone, anytime, and that means during conflict, disaster, pandemic, or any other difficult time. ACEP members are courageously rising to meet the moment and treat patients under extraordinary circumstances and incredible duress."

Emergency physicians have indispensable roles as team leaders domestically and abroad working in both military and civilian capacity, with humanitarian and relief organizations and all levels of federal, state or local response efforts in times of crisis.

ACEP does not organize direct response, but the association and its international membership section have extensive resources for physicians who work, or wish to work, in areas where coordinated response to disasters and crises is required across the world. ACEP encourages emergency physicians who wish to assist during a disaster or crisis to join an international medical response team. If you're interested in donating money or resources to Ukraine, you can find a list of charities and disaster relief organizations here.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education, and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org.

SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
MONTEREY, Calif., Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to a critical shortage of clinicians able to support youth experiencing mental health crises, AIM Youth Mental Health (AIM) is offering Youth Mental Health First Aid certification for parents, teachers, counselors, first responders, and other caring adults.

"Our goal is to create a safety net of support for youth by empowering the adults in their lives to recognize and respond to the mental health challenges that have grown in the wake of COVID," said Lori Butterworth, AIM CEO. "The Youth Mental Health First Aid training is similar to how CPR can support a person in crisis until help arrives."

In December, US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a public advisory urging action in response to the growing mental health crisis among youth, a situation that has only worsened because of the global pandemic. Months of social isolation, school closures and other challenges have led to a sharp increase in anxiety and depression in our youth.

Youth Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention, skills-based training developed by the National Council of Mental Wellbeing that teaches a five-step action plan to help youth in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include addressing anxiety, depression, suicidality, substance use, eating disorders, and other challenges.

The course consists of 2 hours of self-paced content and 5 hours of instructor-led training. Upon completion, adults are certified as Youth Mental Health First Aiders, empowered with tools and strategies to support youth struggling with mental health challenges.

AIM is offering the training and certification for $85 (valued at $175), which includes 7 hours of training, course materials, resources, and access to quarterly support and sharing sessions with other Youth Mental Health First Aiders. To learn more and become certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid, please visit https://aimymh.org/mental-health-first-aid/ . Space is limited. Some scholarships are available for people who live or work in Monterey County.

About AIM Youth Mental Health: AIM is bridging the gap between research and access to care for youth struggling with their mental health by funding and implementing evidence-based treatments, empowering youth to discover their own mental health solutions, and training parents and caring adults to create a safe holding place for youth in crisis.

SOURCE AIM Youth Mental Health
FAIRHOPE, Ala., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At CPAC, a disruptive, insurgent political movement -- "TrumpDemocrats.com" -- was announced. TrumpDemocrats.com will "work to reclaim the Democrat Party from Marxists, Incompetents, Anarchists, and Academic Thugs."

TrumpDemocrats.com warns elitist Republicans that Donald Trump has huge support among working Democrats, Independents, and Libertarians. Trump does not need Old Crow McConnell or his arrogant ilk.

Trump Democrats Kicking A__ Alabama Loves America and Donald Trump

TrumpDemocrats.com was launched by Law Professor Victor Williams, a long-time advocate for Donald Trump. In December 2015, Williams was the nation's first and only academic to predict candidate Trump's primary and then general election victories. Williams founded "Law Professors for Trump" in 2016 to support Trump, his nominations, and policies in the media, the public square and federal courts.

Now, Williams is personally scrambling the closely-watched race for the US Senate in Alabama. Williams's Senate campaign leverages Alabama's unique Crossover Primary. It is a free-for-all primary without partisan voting restriction.

Williams began his legal career in Mobile Alabama as a judicial law clerk for conservative federal trial judge William Brevard Hand. While establishing his law teaching career in Washington, DC, Williams continued to summer in his adopted home of Fairhope, Alabama. Williams joyfully returned fulltime to utopian Fairhope, Alabama last year to launch TrumpDeomocrats.com.

Victor Williams believes that his America-First, populist message for the Senate connects with hard-working, Trump-loving, America-loving Alabamians.

Williams blends together MAGA/America First with populist themes such as:

*Slashing Federal//AL Gas Tax and AL Food Tax

*Expansion of Medicaid for Deserving Alabamians

*Defend RKBA and all other constitutional liberties.

*Full Legalization of Marijuana (or take away Victor's Gin!)

*Term Limits for Congress, Judges/Justices, and all Bureaucrats (like Fauci).

Williams dedicated his campaign to, and often references, populist Alabama Governor "Big Jim" Folsom.

Williams stated:

"Alabamians are now supporting us from across all perspectives.

Alabamians are questioning the weak-sister competency of the other candidates.

Alabamians resent Mitch McConnell coming into Alabama to anoint unqualified former Shelby Intern Katie Britt.

Give it to the anti-Trump Republicans, they do treat their Interns well.

No Holly Golightly $50 powder room loan  rather a US Senate seat.

Spin the Intern through the congressional staffing revolving door twice to make her a press aid and then the top staffer.

Then a faux 'Business Council' gig awaiting Old Crow instructions.

Millions of PAC dollars in way too-slick advertising.

Jealous Much, Monica Lewinski.

Vernon Jordan, RIP"

A strong advocate of congressional term limits, Williams charges 87-year-old Richard Shelby with "abusing his Appropriations Committee position to squeeze out big money and endorsements for his Intern."

Williams also blasts career-politician Mo Brooks as an "indolent campaigner and general blowhard" who is "unable to seal the deal despite the DJT loyalty endorsement last year."

Williams formally announced his Senate campaign on Valentine's Day at his cottage home in Fairhope, Alabama to celebrate Alabama's love of America and Alabama's love of Donald Trump.

Among many reasons that Williams loves Trump, the Senate candidate declares: "I love Trump most because Donald Trump so PUBLICLY loves America --- the legend of Kwa Liga informs.

Media Contact:

Prof. Victor Williams

[email protected]

15713098249

SOURCE Victor MAGA Williams
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With two votes still waiting to be cast, a unanimous National Executive Committee of the nation's largest veterans organization passed a formal statement today calling for "a peaceful conflict resolution in Ukraine," and opposing combat operations for U.S. troops unless certain conditions are fulfilled.

"The American Legion was founded after World War I ravaged Europe," American Legion National Commander Paul E. Dillard said. "We are extremely concerned about the horrific consequences that occur during war. There is absolutely no justification for Russia's aggression. Our resolution calls for peace in Ukraine and, in conjunction with NATO and the Russian Federation, supports a European security architecture which considers the national security interests of all parties."

According to Resolution 1: Statement on Ukraine, The American Legion will not support related U.S. combat operations unless the president clearly explains why such operations are in "our vital national interests" and mission guidelines are established to include a clear exit strategy. The resolution also states that the organization's support for such a mission be contingent on congressional authorization for the use of military force and that American forces be commanded only by U.S. officers.

The resolution also makes clear that the organization would not support combat deployments of U.S. troops "in defense of non-NATO member countries," because of Russia's actions.

"We agree with the White House's decision to not send troops to Ukraine, as we continue to support a strong national defense and a strategy of vigilance," Dillard added. "This resolution once again reaffirms our unwavering support for our men and women in uniform and our efforts to ensure their well-being. The American Legion is always here to assist veterans in crisis."

The American Legion is dedicated to the motto of "Veterans Strengthening America." Chartered by Congress in 1919, The American Legion is committed to mentoring youth and sponsoring wholesome community programs, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting a strong national security and continued devotion to servicemembers and veterans. Nearly 1.8 million members in more than 12,000 posts across the nation and regions overseas serve their communities with a devotion to mutual helpfulness.

Media contacts: John Raughter, [email protected], 317-630-1350, Dave Lapan, [email protected], (703) 403-3835. Feel free to reach out for a copy of Resolution 1, which can also be found on www.legion.org/resolutions.

SOURCE The American Legion
NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth year in a row, Brookdale is celebrating two extraordinary leaders named "Women of Distinction."

Sara Terry, senior vice president of Resident and Family Engagement and Experience, and Jamie Merrill, regional vice president of Operations, are Brookdale's latest award recipients in this year's McKnight's Women of Distinction program.

Terry will be inducted into the Hall of Honor, which recognizes executive-level women who have made significant contributions to their organization or industry. Merrill has been recognized in the Rising Star category, which honors women who have demonstrated exceptional commitment at the community or corporate level early in their careers.

"I am extremely proud to see two deserving and hardworking Brookdale leaders be recognized by McKnight's for their amazing work in the senior living industry," Lucinda ("Cindy") Baier, Brookdale president and chief executive officer, said. "Both Sara and Jamie are true servant leaders who are passionate about enriching the lives of our residents and fellow associates. These two women bring valuable experience and exceptional leadership to our Brookdale communities."

A national, independent panel of judges selected the Women of Distinction program's Hall of Honor and Rising Stars award recipients. Terry and Merrill will be recognized for their achievements at McKnight's Women of Distinction event on May 12 and 13, in Chicago.

Brookdale leaders were also recognized in 2019, 2020, and 2021 by the McKnight's Women of Distinction program.

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living Inc. is the nation's premier operator of senior living communities. The Company is committed to its mission of enriching the lives of the people it serves with compassion, respect, excellence and integrity. The Company operates independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities. Through its comprehensive network, Brookdale helps to provide seniors with care and services in an environment that feels like home. The Company's expertise in healthcare, hospitality and real estate provides residents with opportunities to improve wellness, pursue passions and stay connected with friends and loved ones. Brookdale operates and manages 679 communities in 41 states as of December 31, 2021, with the ability to serve more than 60,000 residents. For more Brookdale news, go to brookdalenews.com.

Contact: Taylor Ellis, (615) 564-8666, [email protected]

SOURCE Brookdale Senior Living
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification (TIC) services, today announced the opening of its fifth Canadian Microbiology Laboratory located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The new laboratory will offer Rapid Pathogen testing (E.coli O157:H7, Salmonella & Listeria), as well as Indicators (Generic E.coli/Coliforms, Total Plate Count, Yeast & Mold).

The facility is an ISO 17025 Accredited laboratory, and a part of Bureau Veritas' broad suite of GFSI accredited services. The expansion of its food testing and certification business in Canada also enhances Bureau Veritas' market-leading food safety and quality laboratory testing capabilities across the North American region.

"The opening of our laboratory in Winnipeg reinforces our commitment to support the growing Winnipeg food and agri market, and the expansion of Bureau Veritas' Chemistry and Residue Laboratory network that spans across Canada and the U.S.," said Waylon Sharp, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Food and Agri North America, Bureau Veritas. "We look forward to servicing our customers and communities across North America through our full-service food safety and quality testing, auditing, and certification solutions."

Whether customers are involved in catering/hospitality, retail, manufacturing, processing, or producingBureau Veritas' testing and certification services support regulatory compliance, safety, and quality across the full food chain. Learn more about Bureau Veritas' Food and Agri services at: https://www.bvna.com/food-agriculture.

About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has close to 80,000 employees located in nearly 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its 400,000 clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the CAC 40 ESG, CAC Next 20 and SBF 120 indices.

Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI.For more information, visit www.bvna.com, and follow us on Twitter (@bureauveritasNA) and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Theresa Anderson

+1 917 344 4593

[email protected]

SOURCE Bureau Veritas
As an authorized Canon Solutions America partner, A&J Visual Solutions will now be able to offer its customers all the benefits of Canon's award-winning range of Arizona flatbed printers and its revolutionary Colorado UVgel roll-to-roll 1600 series, together with best-in-class service delivered through the Canon ProCare after-sales service program. Both the Colorado and Arizona printers deliver breakthrough productivity and automation, as well as offer exceptional imaging quality on a broad range of media and low maintenance costs.

A&J Visual Solutions is fully equipped and ready to offer customers creative solutions that meet new and existing demands as well as help customers diversify into new markets with exciting, highly profitable applications.

"We are excited to offer our customers an introduction to Canon Solutions America products and services, allowing our clients to take advantage of Canon's best-in-class devices and offerings," said Jack Weiszberger, president and CEO of A&J Visual Solutions. "With the increased demand for delivering fast turnarounds for signage and graphics, this new partnership will give customers an opportunity to increase their output and drive down their costs."

"When fostering new collaborative relationships, we look for shared goals and objectives that align with our corporate commitments, and we are excited to be joining forces with A&J Visual Solutions," said Peter P. Kowalczuk, president, Canon Solutions America, Inc. "I am confident that our expertise in the Large Format Graphics print space, combined with A&J Visual Solutions' keen industry knowledge and support offerings, will deliver comprehensive solutions that will help our print customers overcome new and existing obstacles."

If you would like to explore the new opportunities Canon Solutions America brings to A&J Visual Solutions, contact a sales specialist at 718-971-5276 or visit http://www.visualsolutions.com/.

About A&J Visual Solutions

A&J Visual Solutions was founded over a decade ago by Jack Weiszberger with a mission to find new and exciting solutions for their customers. With passion and a unique approach in the marketplace, the company offers exceptional knowledge and exceeds service levels in the industry. This has made A&J Visual Solutions a provider that customers rely on to foster continuing growth and enhance their ability to be on the cutting edge of their customers' requirements.

About Canon Solutions America, Inc.

Canon Solutions America, Inc. provides industry leading enterprise, production, and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. Canon Solutions America, Inc. helps companies of all sizes discover ways to improve sustainability, increase efficiency, and control costs in conjunction with high volume, continuous feed, digital and traditional printing, and document management solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., Canon Solutions America, Inc. is headquartered in Melville, NY and has sales and service locations across the U.S. For more information on Canon Solutions America, please visit csa.canon.com .

Editorial Contact: Canon Solutions America, Inc. Website: Nicole Esan csa.canon.com 631-330-2139 For sales info/customer support: [email protected] 1-844-443-INFO (4636)

Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.





SOURCE Canon Solutions America, Inc.
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MELBOURNE, Mar. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) announces that its subsidiary, CGI Technology and Solutions Australia Pty Limited, has completed its planned acquisition of Unico, a technology consultancy and systems integrator based in Melbourne, Australia, following successful approval by Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board.



Unico, which was established in 1984, brings approximately 130 largely Melbourne-based professionals to CGI, significantly increasing its headcount in Australia. The team will join CGI's existing business in Australia, which forms part of the UK and Australia Strategic Business Unit.



"Joining forces with Unico will help our clients further realize new opportunities through the digital transformation of their value chains," said Tara McGeehan, CGI's UK & Australia President. "Unico's services, solutions and highly skilled employees strengthens our services portfolio and united end-to-end services capabilities in Australia. I warmly welcome the Unico team to the CGI family."



"It's clear that our organisations have a similar corporate culture and shared values," said Mark Aston, Senior Vice President and Business Unit Leader for UK North and Australia at CGI. "We expect our integration to be smooth and successful, quickly delivering value to our three stakeholders  our clients, our shareholders and our professionals.



"We strongly believe that this merger will accelerate our diversification into new industries and provide the best growth opportunity across both organisations, including new career opportunities, access to extensive training and development, offshore expertise, and an extended client base."



The merger, combined with the recent opening of CGI's Space, Defence and Intelligence Hub in Adelaide, will expand and accelerate CGI's footprint in Australia and its position as a leading provider of secure and flexible end-to-end services, including business and strategic IT consulting, systems integration, managed services and intellectual property-based business solutions.



About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 82,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2021 reported revenue is C$12.13 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

Forward-looking information and statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable United States safe harbours. All such forward-looking information and statements are made and disclosed in reliance upon the safe harbour provisions of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. Forward-looking information and statements include all information and statements regarding CGI's intentions, plans, expectations, beliefs, objectives, future performance, and strategy, as well as any other information or statements that relate to future events or circumstances and which do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts. Forward-looking information and statements often but not always use words such as "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "foresee", "plan", "predict", "project", "aim", "seek", "strive", "potential", "continue", "target", "may", "might", "could", "should", and similar expressions and variations thereof. These information and statements are based on our perception of historic trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other assumptions, both general and specific, that we believe are appropriate in the circumstances. Such information and statements are, however, by their very nature, subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, of which many are beyond the control of CGI, and which give rise to the possibility that actual results could differ materially from our expectations expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not restricted to: risks related to the market such as the level of business activity of our clients, which is affected by economic and political conditions, other external risks (such as pandemics) and our ability to negotiate new contracts; risks related to our industry such as competition and our ability to attract and retain qualified employees, to develop and expand our services, to penetrate new markets, and to protect our intellectual property rights; risks related to our business such as risks associated with our growth strategy, including the integration of new operations, financial and operational risks inherent in worldwide operations, foreign exchange risks, income tax laws and other tax programs, our ability to negotiate favourable contractual terms, to deliver our services and to collect receivables, and the reputational and financial risks attendant to cybersecurity breaches and other incidents, and financial risks such as liquidity needs and requirements, maintenance of financial ratios, and changes in creditworthiness and credit ratings; as well as other risks identified or incorporated by reference in this press release, in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and in other documents that we make public, including our filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators (on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (on EDGAR at www.sec.gov). For a discussion of risks in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, see Pandemic risks in section 10.1.1. of our annual MD&A and section 8.1.1 of our quarterly MD&A. Unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and CGI disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. While we believe that our assumptions on which these forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are based were reasonable as at the date of this press release, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking information or statements. Furthermore, readers are reminded that forward-looking information and statements are presented for the sole purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding our objectives, strategic priorities and business outlook as well as our anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Further information on the risks that could cause our actual results to differ significantly from our current expectations may be found in the section titled "Risk Environment" of CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A, which is incorporated by reference in this cautionary statement. We also caution readers that the above-mentioned risks and the risks disclosed in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and other documents and filings are not the only ones that could affect us. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial could also have a material adverse effect on our financial position, financial performance, cash flows, business or reputation.

SOURCE CGI Inc.
DALLAS, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Charla Aldous, a nationally recognized Civil Trial Lawyer and Partner at Aldous \ Walker LLP, has another impressive achievement to add to her list: inclusion in D Magazine's Best Lawyers in Dallas Hall of Fame.

D Magazine's Best Lawyers in Dallas list recognizes attorneys known for providing unparalleled counsel. For the first time this year, the publication has set aside an elite group of lawyers to honor in its newly established Hall of Fame. Of the 50 attorneys in the inaugural class, including Aldous, all have been named to the Best Lawyers in Dallas at least 15 times.

For Charla Aldous, the honor is warranted.

As Partner at Aldous \ Walker LLP, Aldous has cultivated a reputation as one of the most accomplished civil litigators in the nation. She is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an elite trial lawyer group with membership limited to the top 100 plaintiffs' trial attorneys, and is routinely selected to publications like Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America year after year. Most recently, Aldous received the Texas Trial Lawyers Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021.

In addition to her many honors and accolades, Aldous has recovered millions in compensation for her clients. She's litigated numerous high-profile, precedent-setting cases and has achieved record results against some of the largest corporations in the country. In November, Aldous \ Walker was again included in the U.S. News  Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings with two Tier 1 rankings in Personal Injury Litigation and Medical Malpractice Law.

For more information about Charla Aldous and her firm, visit www.AldousLaw.com

Media Contact:

Charla Aldous

[email protected]

SOURCE Aldous Walker LLP
JERUSALEM, March 1 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz landed in Israel on Tuesday night for a snap visit as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues.

The Hebrew-language Ynet news site reported that Scholz landed at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv for a trip that was planned to span three days and shortened to one day amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

On Wednesday morning, Scholz and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will visit Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, and then hold a private meeting, Bennett's office said in a statement.

Scholz is also scheduled to meet with Knesset (parliament) Speaker Mickey Levy, according to a statement issued by the Knesset.

"The unshakable friendship with Israel is a matter close to my heart," Scholz wrote on Twitter after his arrival, saying he is "really looking forward to tomorrow's meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett."

"Even if the situation in Ukraine will keep us very busy," he added. 
HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationwide leader in energy management solutions, Choice! Energy Management, rebrands to GETCHOICE! as it continues to expand its position in the US market by adding telecom, renewable energy and other utility management services.

The announcement comes as GETCHOICE! shifts focus on empowering its clients to gain deeper insights into consumption and usage patterns pricing trends, infrastructure requirements, and sustainability progress. "We are extremely happy to roll out our new brand, together with a new mission. In order for us to promise our clients they will become smarter and greener, we needed to walk the talk. And that is exactly what we have done," said Kiki Dikmen, CEO of GETCHOICE!. "With our focus on technology and green options, we help our clients save time and money, as well as help them achieve their sustainability goals."

Through its proprietary technology platform (GET), GETCHOICE! empowers its clients to become smarter and greener by providing data driven energy, telecom and utility management solutions that drive efficiency and sustainability. "GETCHOICE! offers solutions that help automate, manage, account, predict and control cost-efficiency while providing a customized roadmap to improve ESG metrics," said Tim Osting, CCO of GETCHOICE!. "Deploying our entire team of experts allows us to monitor, negotiate and validate our client's portfolio, saving them substantial time and money," he added.

GETCHOICE!'s complete suite of energy, telecom and other utility management solutions includes facility services, infrastructure assessment, PPA/VPPA, procurement, bill pay, enterprise reporting, market intelligence, and regulatory support, among others.

To learn more about GETCHOICE! visit www.getchoice.com or reach out to Lauren Davis via email: [email protected].

About GETCHOICE!

GETCHOICE! is the nationwide leader in energy, telecom, and utility management solutions. Through our proprietary technology, we empower our clients to automate, manage, account, predict and control utility cost-efficiency and sustainability. Our suite of services enables our clients to gain deeper insight into infrastructure, consumption, usage patterns, pricing trends and sustainability progress. Our business relationships with diverse group of partners puts us in a superior position to monitor, negotiate and validate the services provided. For more information visit www.getchoice.com

Media Contact:

Lauren Davis

713.358.5481

[email protected]

SOURCE Choice! Energy Management
SEATTLE, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amperity, the leading Customer Data Platform (CDP), has partnered with Citizen Watch America, a leader in watchmaking, to propel the brand's ongoing commitment to deliver a best-in-class, personalized digital customer experience. Together with Amperity, Citizen Watch America will leverage the CDP to power one-to-one first party identity resolution, gaining deeper customer insights that uncover new ways to drive customer engagement.

"Building on our understanding of who our customers are and the brand experience journey they take allows us to better serve them across our portfolio of brands," said Jeffrey Cohen, President at Citizen Watch America. "Integrating our first-party data into the Amperity CDP has allowed us to extend the unparalleled customer service and experience we've delivered for over 100 years. Amperity is aligned with our vision, and our work together has been a true partnership."

The partnership between Amperity and Citizen Watch America signals an acceleration of the brand's digitally-driven strategy and customer-centric approach. Citizen Watch America will leverage Amp360 and the Amperity suite analysis and activation tools, by seamlessly integrating consumer data across the brand's ecosystem. Working within a unified system enables Citizen Watch America to create more streamlined efficiencies and provide a holistic 360 view of future and existing customers. By adapting a data first approach, Citizen Watch America will be able to apply this insight when making strategic decisions. This will ultimately position the brand to engage in deeper, more relevant and tailored communications, and to better target their marketing which will enhance acquisition, retention and loyalty.

"Citizen Watch America and its portfolio of iconic brands continues to lead its category in digital transformation," said Barry Padgett, CEO of Amperity. "Partnering with such a visionary market leader that appreciates the importance of delivering a comprehensive, integrated customer experience has been highly rewarding. Our work together has resulted in a shared desire to deliver Citizen Watch America customers greater personalization and overall higher-quality customer service."

About Amperity

Amperity is the leading Enterprise CDP trusted by the world's most loved brands to accelerate their shift to first-party customer relationships. Amperity has revolutionized the way brands identify, understand, and connect with their customers by leveraging AI to deliver a comprehensive and actionable Customer 360. This unified view improves marketing performance, fuels accurate customer insights, and enables world-class, real-time customer experiences. With Amperity, technical teams are freed from endless integration and data management, and business teams have direct access to the comprehensive data they need to build long-term customer loyalty and drive growth. Amperity serves many of the world's most loved brands, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Alaska Airlines, Michaels, Tapestry, Lucky Brand, DICK's Sporting Goods, Crocs, Servco Automotive Retail, First Hawaiian Bank, and many more. To learn more, visit Amperity.com.

About Citizen Watch America

Citizen Watch America represents the sales and marketing for Citizen Group within the U.S., Caribbean and Latin American markets. The brands included within Citizen Watch America are Citizen, Bulova, Frederique Constant, Alpina.

As a true manufacture d'horlogerie, CITIZEN integrates a comprehensive manufacturing process that extends from creating a watch's individual components to its final assembly. Known for its proprietary technology Eco  Drive which powers its watches from natural and artificial light sources so no battery replacement is necessary.

Founded by Joseph Bulova in 1875 and headquartered in NYC, Bulova remains an iconic brand at the forefront of today's timepiece industry. Bulova's distinguished portfolio includes Bulova, Caravelle, as well as licensed Harley-Davidson Timepieces by Bulova watches, Frank Lloyd Wright Collection watches and clocks, and Bulova Clocks. Frederique Constant is a watch manufacturer based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland involved in all stages of watch production, from initial design to final assembly and quality control. Alpina, the original Swiss sport watch since 1883, is a fine watchmaking manufacture based in Geneva, Switzerland with a mission to design and engineer luxury sport watches that operate with the greatest precision and reliability possible in the most demanding sporting environments.

SOURCE Amperity
RADNOR, Pa., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The CRED iQ overall delinquency rate for CMBS continued its downward trend this month with a sharp decline, representing the 21st consecutive month-over-month improvement. The delinquency rate, equal to the percentage of all delinquent specially serviced loans and delinquent non-specially serviced loans, for CRED iQ's sample universe of $500+ billion in CMBS conduit and single-asset single-borrower (SASB) loans was 4.02%, which compares to the prior month's rate of 4.32%. CRED iQ's special servicing rate, equal to the percentage of CMBS loans that are with the special servicer (delinquent and non-delinquent), declined month-over-month to 6.43% from 6.91%.

Access CRED iQ's Loan Database here

Aggregating the two indicators of distress  delinquency rate and special servicing rate  into an overall distressed rate (DQ + SS%) equals 6.60% of CMBS loans that are specially serviced, delinquent, or a combination of both. The overall distressed rate declined compared to the prior month rate of 6.87%. The overall distressed rates typically track slightly higher than special servicing rates as most delinquent loans are also with the special servicer.

One of the more notable new delinquencies this month was the $425 million Woodlands Mall loan, which is secured by a 758,231-sf regional mall in The Woodlands, TX. Additionally, the $77.1 million Bellis Fair Mall loan, secured by a 538,226-sf regional mall in Bellingham, WA, failed to pay off at maturity. The maturity default was likely anticipated by market constituents given the loan's debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) of 1.06 based on net cash flow through the first nine months of 2021 coupled with sub-optimal collateral occupancy of 80%.

Two of the largest loans to transfer to special servicing this month were secured by office properties  the $46.7 million Princeton South Corporate Center loan, secured by 267,426-sf office property in Ewing, NJ, and the $36.6 million 55 Green Street loan, secured by a 54,414-sf office building located in San Francisco's Financial District.

About CRED iQ

CRED iQ is a commercial real estate data, analytics, and valuation platform providing actionable intelligence to CRE and capital markets investors. Our data platform is powered by over $2.0 trillion of CMBS, CRE CLO, and GSE/Agency loan and property data.

SOURCE CRED iQ
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The cyber claim landscape is quickly evolving  and escalating. A new treatise published by Practising Law Institute's PLI Press, Cyber Insurance Claims, Case Law, and Risk Management, provides in-depth case and insurance policy analysis and guidance that can help lawyers and risk managers assess and mitigate cyber risks.

The need for this information is more critical than ever, as cyberattacks against corporate networks increased 50% in 2021 (Checkpoint Research), while U.S. intelligence agencies tracked ransomware attacks against 14 of 16 critical infrastructure sectors last year (U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency). The recent Russian attack on Ukraine, and likely responses to sanctions imposed by the U.S. and Europe, raise the specter of even more severe attacks going forward.

Drawing on years of experience in this sector, authors Joshua Gold and Daniel J. Healy, co-chairs of Anderson Kill's Cyber Insurance Recovery Practice Group, highlight flashpoints where coverage is frequently contested, with particular attention paid to losses and liabilities potentially covered by traditional types of insurance. Explanations focus on the relationships between insurance on the one hand and attack vectors and resulting liability on the other, to allow for informed consideration of risk management options.

Among the many hot topics covered in the treatise, chapters include discussions of computer fraud insurance coverage under standard crime insurance policies purchased by financial institutions, retailers, and other organizations; growing legal disputes over the scope of coverage provided by dedicated cyber insurance products; regulatory exposure for corporations and boards for the handling of sensitive electronic information; the recent surge in ransomware losses and disruption; and much more.

Cyberattacks have escalated during the pandemic and likely will continue well beyond  perhaps at an even more intensive pace while insurance markets continue to harden. Cyber Insurance Claims, Case Law, and Risk Management is a unique and essential resource for in-house counsel, law firms offering advice on cyber liability and insurance, breach response counsel, insurance brokers, insurance companies, law schools, and any risk management professional.

About the Authors:

Joshua Gold is a shareholder in Anderson Kill's New York office. He has represented numerous corporate and nonprofit policyholders in various industries, with recoveries for his clients well in excess of $1.5 billion. Josh is chair of the Cyber Insurance Recovery Practice Group and co-chair of the Marine Cargo Insurance Group.

Daniel J. Healy is a partner in Anderson Kill's Washington, D.C. office. He started his career with Anderson Kill over 20 years ago, served for five years as a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division and currently represents policyholders seeking insurance coverage. Dan is co-chair of Anderson Kill's Cyber Insurance Recovery Practice Group and is a member of the firm's Technology, Media and Distributed Systems and COVID Task Groups.

About Practising Law Institute (PLI)

Practising Law Institute is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI is chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, and was founded in 1933 by Harold P. Seligson. PLI provides the highest quality, accredited, continuing legal and professional education programs in a variety of formats. This content is delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty, including prominent lawyers, judges, investment bankers, accountants, corporate counsel, and U.S. and international government regulators. PLI publishes a comprehensive library of treatises, course handbooks, answer books and journals, also available through the PLI PLUS online platform. The essence of PLI's mission is its commitment to the pro bono community.

Please visit www.pli.edu to learn more.

SOURCE Practising Law Institute
Aligned with David's cultural ethos of "serving her or serving someone who is," Frontline Fierce is dedicated to amplifying the heroism, fearlessness and bravery of those who serve others in their community. To show their support, David's is thrilled to honor and celebrate all frontline workers through this corporate philanthropy initiative. This program is an extension of the #frontlinefierce campaign the retailer launched May 2020 in which they gave away hundreds of dresses to deserving frontline workers.

The retailer partnered with organizations whose work aligns with the overall Frontline Fierce mission including:

Operation Deploy Your Dress , a global dress boutique that deploys America's Patriotism One Dress at Time. Military service women, military spouses and eligible military dependents are able to select one dress and accessory per calendar year to attend military balls and events.

, a global dress boutique that deploys America's Patriotism One Dress at Time. Military service women, military spouses and eligible military dependents are able to select one dress and accessory per calendar year to attend military balls and events. First Responders Children's Foundation , who provide support to both children who have lost a parent in the line of duty as well as families enduring significant financial hardships due to tragic circumstances.

, who provide support to both children who have lost a parent in the line of duty as well as families enduring significant financial hardships due to tragic circumstances. Hope for the Warriors , who provide comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans, and military families that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources.

, who provide comprehensive support programs for service members, veterans, and military families that are focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement, and connections to community resources. Warriors Mountain River Adventures , is a Veterans/First Responder non-profit seeking to empower and bring veterans and first responders today for community and healing. Their mission is focused on togetherness and experiencing outdoor adventures through new skills veterans can take home and incorporate into their daily lives.

, is a Veterans/First Responder non-profit seeking to empower and bring veterans and first responders today for community and healing. Their mission is focused on togetherness and experiencing outdoor adventures through new skills veterans can take home and incorporate into their daily lives. SheJumps, works to increases the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. Partnering with nature, SheJumps creates safe, educational outdoor experiences for girls and women that nurture growth and transformation.

works to increases the participation of women and girls in outdoor activities. Partnering with nature, SheJumps creates safe, educational outdoor experiences for girls and women that nurture growth and transformation. Gary Sinise Foundation, who honor our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.

"FIERCE is the only word that made sense in building this program. With Frontline Fierce, we wanted to dream up a way to celebrate heroic individuals who so courageously serve our communities day in and day out," said Kelly Cook, Chief Marketing & IT Officer of David's Bridal. "By partnering with these incredible organizations, we can celebrate and honor our fearless frontline professionals in a variety of ways. We are honored to be able to give back to them and hope these partnerships can lead to magical moments for exceptional people who are so very deserving."

"We are so thankful for this amazing opportunity to work with David's Bridal," said Yvonne Coombes, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder of Operation Deploy Your Dress and 2020-2021 Armed Forces Insurance Army Spouse of the Year. "Together we will further our impact in our efforts to Deploy America's Patriotism One Dress at a Time to the frontline and homefront heroes of our military!"

David's Bridal is committed to crafting unique partnerships with each organization in alignment with its overall commitment of donating employee volunteer time, monetary gifts, and product contributions. The retailer plans to continue growing its partner list as the program develops with the hopes to reach as many organizations as possible. Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations who are interested in partnering with David's Bridal Frontline Fierce can submit their information on the retailer's website or contact Laura McKeever, Sr. Manager of Brand PR, Communications and Philanthropy at [email protected].

About David's Bridal

With 70 years of experience dressing customers for all of life's special occasions, David's Bridal is built on the idea that everyone deserves to have the attire of their dreams regardless of style preference, shape, size, or budget. We believe in inclusivity, authenticity, and empowerment, and it is our mission to help anyone and everyone find the look that will allow them to be the best, most genuine version of themselves on their wedding day or any special occasion. David's Bridal is dedicated to helping each customer, with the assistance of online planning tools, knowledgeable stylists, and expert tailors who will guide them through the entire purchasing journey. With more than 300 stores located across the US, Canada, UK, and franchise locations in Mexico, we offer the convenience of one-stop shopping for the entire wedding party and beyond. To learn more about David's Bridal, visit www.DavidsBridal.com, download the Planning App, and connect on social media through Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

David's Bridal

[email protected]

SOURCE David's Bridal, Inc.
Direct Relief is working to determine specific needs, secure requested medicines and supplies, and deliver the aid to people needing assistance, whether in Ukraine or across regional borders. The humanitarian medical aid organization is coordinating with public health agencies in and around Ukraine, local and regional health care providers, global logistics partners, and manufacturers of medicine and medical supplies.

"Direct Relief was created out of the ashes of World War II by Europeans who fled," said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief CEO and President. "It's stunning and sad that humanitarian assistance is needed again in the same neighborhood, but it is consistent with our organization's roots, initial focus, and longstanding mission. Direct Relief will continue to respond."

Direct Relief, over the weekend, received a comprehensive list from the Ministry of Health of needed medications. Drawing on supplies in its Santa Barbara warehouse, Direct Relief has assembled an initial 20 pallets of supplies for urgent air transportation. Direct Relief is also in talks with medical manufacturers about securing and distributing supplies already in Ukraine, Poland and other nearby countries.

The initial supplies being mobilized include critical care medical items for blood pressure support, intubation/ventilation, IV fluids, antibiotics and more. Direct Relief is also responding to requests for Combat Application Tourniquets and bandages for Ukrainian civilians injured in the conflict.

Direct Relief has also received information from the Society of Critical Care Medicine indicating a dire need for tranexamic acid, which is used to control severe bleeding by blocking the breakdown of blood clots.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Health also requested at least 500 of Direct Relief's mobile medical outreach packs, including items such as CAT-style tourniquets, among other trauma-focused products. These medical outreach packs, designed in consultation with emergency physicians and public health officials, hold 8 kg of critical supplies needed by field medics.

Direct Relief is also preparing to deploy oxygen concentrators. The conflict is compounding chronic shortages of oxygen. There are currently 1,700 people being treated for Covid-19 in Ukraine and the WHO estimates that demand for oxygen due to the conflict is going to increase by 20 to 25 percent.

Direct Relief has shipped $26 million in medical aid to Ukraine over the past six months, with the most recent cache of support arriving last week containing $5.4 million in medical aid for a Ukrainian NGO that serves hospitals, ambulance stations and medical centers.

Refugees and Chronic Disease

When disaster or war forces people to flee their homes, they become vulnerable to new health problems while risking the exacerbation of existing conditions. Issues that arise when chronic disease conditions go untreated include worsening asthma leading to sudden attacks, spiking blood sugars from out-of-control diabetes, and an elevated risk for stroke and heart attack because people do not have cardiovascular medications. This inevitably creates a second wave of emergency medical needs.

Insulin and other cold chain medications are expected to soon be in short supply in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian Diabetes Federation reporting that there are some 15,000 children living with Type 1 diabetes in Ukraine.

On top of the chronic disease issues, acute problems arise with large fleeing populations. Examples include norovirus outbreaks, which can lead to severe vomiting and diarrhea in shelters, tuberculosis, polio, HIV and COVID.

Ukraine has the second-highest rates of HIV/AIDs in the region, and tuberculosis is a major challenge with high percentages of drug-resistant TB. In addition, Ukraine has been fighting a polio outbreak since late 2021.

New and pregnant mothers and their children are also going to be exceedingly vulnerable as the fighting continues.

In certain areas, damage to gas and power infrastructure is also going to have a major impact, particularly with current temperatures hovering around zero.

Direct Relief's Ongoing Response

Direct Relief, based in Santa Barbara, maintains the highest U.S. accreditation as a whole drug distributor and is the world's largest charitable distributor of donated medicine and medical supplies.

Direct Relief has been providing aid to Ukrainian healthcare providers, with a large shipment of diabetes supplies arriving last week. Since January 2021, Direct Relief has supplied Ukrainian healthcare providers with more than $27 million in medical aid.

Direct Relief will continue collecting and fulfilling medical needs as the crisis unfolds and will post additional information as the situation evolves.

SOURCE Direct Relief
PHOENIX, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to franchising, Dogtopia not only has bark  it has bite. The fast-growing dog daycare and wellness franchise is kicking off 2022 in an impressive way, announcing today it has secured the largest franchise agreement in company history, which will bring 60 new locations to cities across the U.S. over the next several years.

Behind the massive deal is Jamie Weeks, an existing Dogtopia franchisee in Portland, and Prospect Hill Growth Partners, a Boston-area private equity firm, who partnered to form Legacy Franchise Concepts (LFC) and spearhead the development. LFC has also purchased the rights to Weeks' current 15 Dogtopia licenses in Oregon, three of which are open, bringing the full scope of the deal to 72 new Dogtopia daycares. Weeks will serve as the executive chairman of LFC.

"This is an exciting day for us all, and we are thrilled to continue the partnership with Jamie and embrace the long-term partnership with Prospect Hill Growth Partners as we work together to deliver our unmatched daycare services to more dogs and parents," said Neil Gill, CEO of Dogtopia. "We believe this large-scale agreement with PHGP validates Dogtopia's compelling unit economics for single and multi-unit franchise partners to grow with us in other available territories."

In addition to the Portland market, Legacy Franchise Concepts will be developing Dogtopia daycare centers in multiple cities including Las Vegas, NV; San Diego, CA; Cincinnati, OH; Tampa, FL; Chattanooga, TN; Little Rock, AR; Huntsville, AL; Augusta, GA; and Columbia, SC. The group plans to open at least eight daycare centers per year.

"After opening three successful daycares, I am looking forward to growing even more with Dogtopia over the next several years," said Weeks. "I believe strongly in Dogtopia's mission of canine wellness and know that together, we can make a positive impact on the booming pet industry."

"We're excited to invest alongside Jamie in LFC, a platform with multiple legs for growth," says Jeff Teschke, Partner at PHGP. "The team and culture at LFC truly set the organization apart, and we look forward to accelerating growth at Dogtopia and other leading consumer brands over the next several years. Our experience with both Orangetheory Fitness and Crunch Fitness will help establish a strong foundation for another world-class platform delivering exceptional consumer experiences."

With more than 185 locations across North America, Dogtopia is the nation's fastest-growing brand in the booming pet services industry, recently ranked at #51 on Entrepreneur Magazine's Annual Franchise 500 list. The ultimate destination for improving the physical and mental well-being of dogs and pet parents, Dogtopia helps our furry friends live long, healthy, and happy lives with services that address canine wellness in a holistic manner. At Dogtopia, dogs enjoy an open-play environment with comfortable rubber flooring to ease joints and paws, refreshing spa services, and nose to tail inspections among other perks, promoting safe socialization, exercise, and education. Dogtopia's services are all-inclusive with top-quality meals prepared according to each pet parent's request, or pet parents can bring their own food. Dogtopia's webcams also provide pet parents with peace of mind and the ability to check in on their pups when they are away.

The Dogtopia franchise family is composed of both single-unit and multi-unit operators, including husband and wife teams, father and daughter/son duos, siblings, and many different types of business owners. For more information about Dogtopia in general or the franchise opportunity, visit www.dogtopia.com.

About Dogtopia

Founded in 2002, Dogtopia is an early pioneer and innovator in the pet services industry, offering an experience focused on wellness, quality of care, safety and transparency in the market. The ultimate destination for improving the physical and mental well-being of dogs and pet parents, Dogtopia helps our furry friends live long, healthy, and happy lives with services that address canine wellness in a holistic manner. Pet parents have the assurance of leaving their beloved furry family members in the hands of trained professionals in an environment created with the safety of dogs in mind, including an open-play environment with comfortable rubber flooring to ease joints and paws, top quality meals and snacks, as well as webcams for pet parents to check in on their pups. For more information, visit www.dogtopia.com.



About Legacy Franchise Concepts

Legacy Franchise Concepts (LFC), a partner of Prospect Hill Growth Partners, invests in health, wellness and lifestyle brands across the franchise landscape. Founded by Jamie Weeks, Atlanta-based LFC's portfolio includes SweatHouz infrared sauna studios and Dogtopia, the leading provider of dog daycare in North America. For more information, please visit: legacyfranchiseconcepts.com.

About Prospect Hill Growth Partners, L.P.

Prospect Hill Growth Partners ( www.prospecthillgrowth.com ) is a Boston-area private equity firm that makes control equity investments in North American consumer and healthcare growth companies. The partners at Prospect Hill have collectively invested $3 billion of capital in more than 35 portfolio companies over two decades. The partners successful investment track record has been built on their sector-focused investment strategy and expertise, a robust operational value-add model, and strong alignment of interests.

Media contact: David Robertson, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 847-945-1300

SOURCE Dogtopia
RICHMOND, Va., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy today announced a partnership with The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), supporting seven higher education institutions in Virginia, North Carolina, Connecticut, Utah, and Puerto Rico.

Dominion Energy and HACU will support the colleges and universities in the four states in the company footprint and Puerto Rico through a three-year, $2 million-dollar initiative aimed at promoting higher education equity. Each school will develop a Summer Bridge Program providing outreach to high school students and establish a source of STEM-oriented students to support the energy industry. The funds will also provide for the school's membership in HACU, allowing students to access additional resources.

"All students should have access to a quality education and be provided with the skills to achieve exciting new career opportunities," said Carter Reid, executive vice president and chief of staff for Dominion Energy. "This is a step toward improving equity for Hispanic students and increasing diversity in STEM careers."

Modeled on Utah Valley University's Latino Scientists of Tomorrow Summer Bridge Program, each of the seven pilot institutions will customize a seven-week summer program for high school students. The program introduces students to STEM careers and the energy industry, as well as acclimating them to a university campus and the rigors of academic life. Each student will participate and receive college credit in college-level courses in engineering, business, cybertechnology and biotechnology.

Support services including mentoring and tutoring are provided, as well as career awareness and exploration seminars. Through this program, each institution will have the capacity to impact 60 students and their families each year; over the course of the project, that means 180 families per institution and more than 1,250 students will enter the career path from high school to college and into the energy industry.

"Our new partnership with Dominion Energy is a substantial investment in the success of our Hispanic students in the vital field of energy development and services, an undeniable necessity in ensuring the prosperity of our nation," said Antonio R. Flores, HACU President and CEO. "We are excited to launch this new initiative at seven higher education institutions to foster skilled professionals able to meet the needs of the energy industry."

Dominion Energy will support HACU membership costs for the participating institutions for the duration of the project. HACU membership provides all college students at these institutions access to HACU programs and services such as corporate internship programs, academic scholarships, and leadership development opportunities.

The seven schools selected to participate in this program are:

George Mason University

Northern Virginia Community College

Sampson Community College

University of Connecticut at Stamford

at University of North Carolina at Pembroke

University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

Utah Valley University

The Summer Bridge Program will take place in the summer of 2022. Information on how to apply will be announced in the spring.

Dominion Energy strives to lead on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This partnership builds on the company's HBCU Promise HBCU Promise initiative, which committed $25 million to support 11 HBCUs in Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina over six years. The company recently issued its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report on the subject, which highlights company workforce data from 2016 through 2020 and lays out clear and specific commitments for further progress.

About Dominion Energy

About 7 million customers in 13 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy and to achieving net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

SOURCE Dominion Energy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. , March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Publishing Company announced today the release of BATMAN AND PSYCHOLOGY: A DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT (2ND EDITION) by distinguished professor of psychology Dr. Travis Langley.

BATMAN AND PSYCHOLOGY: A DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT was named #2 in Book Authority's "100 Best PTSD Books of All Time." Now, Dr. Langley is releasing a new edition of his acclaimed bestseller complete with never-before-seen chapters and updated information throughout.

The Second Edition of Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight by Dr. Travis Langley

BATMAN AND PSYCHOLOGY (2ND EDITION) shares fresh insights and truths about human nature by investigating Batman, one of the world's most compelling and enduring characters since his debut in 1939. In his foreword to BATMAN AND PSYCHOLOGY (2ND EDITION), Bat-Films Executive Producer Michael Uslan calls the book, "Scholarly and insightful...A fascinating, entertaining, and educational read." Comic book writer and editor Dennis O'Neil wrote an introduction for the book, and says, "It is a terrific book. It serves as a witty and absolutely clear introduction to psychology."

For more than a decade, Dr. Langley's expert insight on the intersection of pop culture and psychology has made him a prominent contributor for Comic-Con and documentaries with AMC and Hulu. He has also appeared in The New York Times, Fortune, Wired, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, and elsewhere. Dr. Langley's blog, "Beyond Heroes and Villains," is hosted by Psychology Today.

BATMAN AND PSYCHOLOGY: A DARK AND STORMY KNIGHT (2ND EDITION) will be available everywhere books are sold March 1, 2022.

About Turner Publishing Company:

Founded in 1985, Turner Publishing Company is an award-winning independent publisher based in Nashville, Tennessee, that currently publishes more than 5,000 titles. It has been named five times to Publisher Weekly's Fastest Growing Publishers List. https://www.turnerpublishing.com/

Contact:

Lauren Ash

Turner Publishing

[email protected]

(615) 255-2665

SOURCE Turner Publishing Company
Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia speaks at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang)

A UN spokesman said the U.S. decision is strange as the work contract for the staff member concerned was scheduled to end on March 14.



UNITED NATIONS, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States is expelling a Russian national who is working with the UN Secretariat, said a UN spokesman on Tuesday.

"I can confirm that the U.S. Mission to the United Nations informed the Secretariat on Feb. 28 (of) its decision to take action under Section 13b of the UN-U.S. Headquarters Agreement with respect to a staff member in the Secretariat," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"We regret that we find ourselves in this situation, but are engaging with the host country in line with Section 13b of the agreement," he said.

The spokesman refused to give any more details "in deference to the privacy of the individual concerned and the sensitivity of the matter."

He said the U.S. decision is strange as the work contract for the staff member concerned was scheduled to end on March 14.

The United States on Monday announced the expulsion of 12 staff members of the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

In a statement, the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations described the 12 Russian diplomats as "intelligence operatives" who have abused their privileges of residency in the United States "by engaging in espionage activities."

Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, on Monday regretted the U.S. decision.

Nebenzia said the expulsion is a hostile step taken by the United States and "yet another gross violation" of the UN-U.S. Headquarters Agreement and of the Vienna Convention.

The U.S. decisions to expel 12 Russian diplomats and one UN staff member from Russia came amid Russian military operations in Ukraine. 
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Echo360, the leading global video-based learning engagement platform with the most dynamic engagement, authoring, and assessment tools for any learning environment, announced its 2022 grants program today, across global education, business, and government markets.

This year's program will award up to 20 recipients with cash or software grants between $2,000 - $5,000 in each of the program's two categories:

Echo360

EchoImpact Grants supporting instructors and researchers using Echo360 solutions to empirically improve learner outcomes. EchoInnovation Grants providing software solutions to help teachers and trainers develop innovative practices that improve learning engagement.

Criteria for both grants are based on Echo360's "e3" formula for inspired learning:

EQUITY : Demonstrating that all learners are afforded equal opportunity to engage and excel regardless of environment, access, and ability.

: Demonstrating that all learners are afforded equal opportunity to engage and excel regardless of environment, access, and ability. ENGAGEMENT : Demonstrating that everyone learns better when they are actively participating.

: Demonstrating that everyone learns better when they are actively participating. EVIDENCE: Demonstrating a commitment to measuring progress and outcomes empirically.

Applications will be accepted through March 25, 2022 from any entity that provides learning opportunities across the North American, EMEA, and APAC regions which Echo360 supports. Eligibility includes K12 schools, colleges/universities, businesses, and non-profits. There are no entry fees, and no purchase is required. Application detail and submission is available at https://blog.echo360.com/2022-e3grants.

"Our mission is to empower remarkable experiences for instructors and learners in any learning environment, and these EchoImpact and EchoInnovation Grants will help accelerate the development and sharing of ideas from instructors and trainers around the world," said Murad Velani, Echo360 President and Chief Executive Officer.

About Echo360

Born of innovation and fueled by mission, Echo360 is a technology and thought leader in the SaaS learning engagement space serving global education, business, and government markets. Combining its leading video recording, streaming, and management platform with the most dynamic engagement and assessment tools for any learning environment, Echo360 enables transformational experiences for learners, instructors, and administrators everywhere.

Media Contact

Jeff Peterson

612.859.0488

[email protected]

SOURCE Echo360
TULSA, Okla., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The cannabis industry has exploded in Oklahoma, ranking ninth in the country for the number of jobs in the cannabis industry, according to a 2021 jobs report by Leafly, a cannabis investor group. That same report shows the industry employs more than 16,000 residents, which is more cannabis workers than construction workers.

To help keep pace with the industry and the need for skilled employees, Tulsa Community College, in partnership with Green Flower, is now offering specialized training.

Through TCC Continuing Education, individuals can complete three job specific certificate programs  Dispensary Associate, Cultivation Technician, and Manufacturing Agent. Each certificate is offered in an eight-week non-credit course for $750. The program is offered with an online, on-demand schedule, which means the individual can complete the coursework at a time that is convenient to them and at their own pace.

"With unprecedented growth in this industry, there is a need to develop a workforce with cannabis specific skills. TCC has joined forces with Green Flower to deliver this highly specialized content virtually," says Pete Selden, vice president for Workforce Development at TCC. "Because these programs are available on demand, it means an individual has tremendous flexibility for when they do the coursework."

TCC is the first and only college in Oklahoma to offer this type of training through its partnership with Green Flower, a leader in cannabis training and education. The three certificates provide on-demand training created specifically for cannabis professionals.

"We applaud TCC's commitment to helping working adults advance and train for new careers and their vision to help students enter and excel in the legal cannabis industry," says Daniel Kalef, vice president of education at Green Flower. "Like other highly regulated industries, the need to have expertise in material handling, quality control, patient care, security, transportation, horticulture and more is vital to the success of all aspects of the industry and all things people will learn in these courses."

The Manufacturing Agent Certificate examines the business of cannabis extraction as you learn how to transform plant materials into the extracts consumers love, such as topicals, edibles, concentrates and formulated products. The Cultivation Technician Certificate is designed for individuals to understand and master growing practices from start to finish and deliver high-quality plant products in any growing condition. The Dispensary Associate Certificate focuses on driving higher-quality retail experiences and delivering positive patient outcomes with every customer, every time.

"These online certificates provide a tremendous opportunity for individuals who want to take advantage of the good paying jobs available in this industry," says Selden.

The certificate programs will launch March 1. For more information or to register for the program, visit cannabisstudies.tulsacc.edu.

About Tulsa Community College

Tulsa Community College, winner of two national Awards of Excellence from the American Association of Community Colleges in 2021, is a vital link to workforce development for northeast Oklahoma. Serving more Oklahomans than any other higher education institution in the state, TCC has four main campuses with roughly 21,000 students in credit courses each year. For five decades, TCC has provided access to an affordable college education. As one of 30 community colleges selected for the inaugural Pathways Project, a national initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, TCC is one of the most comprehensive community colleges in the United States. For more information on TCC, visit www.tulsacc.edu .

About Green Flower: Founded in 2014, Green Flower is the industry leader in cannabis education, empowering thousands of consumers, regulators, and professionals with the knowledge they need to succeed in the emerging cannabis industry today. Green Flower's content and technology platform powers the cannabis programs of top universities and colleges across the country, provides customized learning and compliance solutions for cannabis businesses of all sizes, and equips individuals with the skills and credentials necessary to make an impact in the modern cannabis industry.

www.greenfloweredu.com

Nicole Burgin, APR

TCC Media Relations Manager

918-951-4122

SOURCE Green Flower
The Canadian Healthcare system, and the providers who work within it, are overtaxed. Roughly one million Canadians undergo surgery each year. On average, they spend one week in hospital. 1 Over the next 20 years, Canada's senior population  those aged 65 and older  is expected to grow by 68%. 2 To support increases in healthcare demand, create better patient experiences, and free medical providers of administrative tasks to focus on delivering exceptional care, hospitals are adopting modern technologies.

"The population of Canadian seniors has more than tripled in size in the last 40 years and is increasing," says Lenny Liscio, CEO, FlexITy. "That means more people requiring hospitalization, more burden placed on hospital infrastructure, and more life-or-death situations to which medical teams need to react quickly. If you have critical communication that fails in the patient room, the outcome can be fatal. The acquisition of the Genesis Healthcare Division puts FlexITy in a strong position to bring even more value to hospitals and patients across Canada."

Nursecall systems provide direct communication between patients, nurses and doctors in situations where a patient needs immediate attention or suffers a fall and notifies the nurses' station. Call systems are designed to save lives and bring care to patients as quickly as possible and have emerged as the foundational communication mechanism in hospital settings.

Since its inception in 1990, Genesis Integration has evolved from audiovisual service provider to a superior Video Collaboration firm that delivers strategy, management, technology and support to corporate, educational and government entities. By divesting itself of the healthcare division, Genesis is better poised to focus on its core competencies.

"Healthcare Communications has been an integral part of the success and growth of Genesis," says Kelly McCarthy, CEO, Genesis Integration Inc. "However, as we evolve our focus toward increasing collaboration strategies for in office and hybrid workplaces, the time has come to move forward to operate solely as an AV & Video Collaboration Organization. We have great confidence that the trajectory FlexITy is on will provide a robust future for our healthcare customers as they move towards a superior patient experience model."

With 20 project implementations in Canadian hospitals, FlexITy delivers the future of Canadian patient-centred healthcare. With this acquisition, FlexITy is now well-positioned to have an even more dominant presence in the industry.

About FlexITy Systems Ltd.

FlexITy, which has a sixteen-year legacy of excellence in providing innovative solutions across multiple verticals, is in the business of digital transformation. By meeting consumers where they are and establishing digital bridges to bring them to where they want to go, FlexITy aids customers in their digital transition and provides excellent end-user experiences.

An award-winning integrator of smart technology, patient-centric solutions specific to Canadian healthcare needs, and service solutions built on robust, secure, digitally advanced platforms, FlexITy's assets include the partnerships, talent and accreditations to seamlessly deliver quality care solutions to the healthcare sector.

FlexITy is continuing on its M&A strategy and is looking to acquire communications and information technology integration businesses across Canada with revenues of up to $10 million.

Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, FlexITy also has offices in Toronto and Winnipeg.

Web: www.flexity.com www.flexhealth.ca Call: 866.779.FLEX (3539)

About Genesis Integration Inc.

Since our inception in 1990 Genesis Integration has transformed from a professional Audiovisual service provider into a superior Video Collaboration company that provides strategy, management, technologies and support to corporate, education and government environments. We believe collaboration and communication is essential for business and institutions and we strive to give our customers the ability to connect and work with each other whether in an office or working from home. Our goal is to ensure you have reliable video and collaboration solutions so you can communicate efficiently and effectively. For more information visit www.genint.com

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

1 CBC, "Hospitals helping patients recover faster from surgery." https://www.cbc.ca/radio/whitecoat/hospitals-helping-patients-recover-faster-from-surgery-1.5114942 2 CIHI, "Canada's seniors population outlook: Uncharted territory." https://www.cihi.ca/en/infographic-canadas-seniors-population-outlook-uncharted-territory

SOURCE FlexITy Systems Ltd.
Enter the Freedom Mortgage Celebrate Freedom Award contest to win $10k http://freedommortgage.com/celebrate. Tweet this

"At Freedom Mortgage, one of our main focuses is giving back to the many communities across the country where we live and work," said Stanley C. Middleman, president and CEO of Freedom Mortgage. "We're so proud to honor another hero this July 4th with the Celebrate Freedom Award. As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on our daily lives, we want service members, veterans, and healthcare workers to share their stories with us. The work they do is essential, and we can't wait to recognize one hero's dedication and commitment."

As an incentive to encourage submissions for the Celebrate Freedom Award, Freedom Mortgage will make a $5 donation to both Feeding America and the USO (United Service Organizations) for each of the first 600 submissions, up to $3,000 total per charity. This donation to Feeding America will help provide at least 30,000 meals to people facing hunger.

The Celebrate Freedom Award grand prize winner will receive a trip for two to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to attend the Welcome America Festival on July 4 and receive a check for $10,000 from Freedom Mortgage. Due to COVID-19 safety guidelines and travel and capacity limitations set by the government or Welcome America, the prize is subject to change. Prize value may be awarded instead.

The contest runs from March 1 until 5:00 p.m. ET on April 29. The grand prize winner will be notified in June. For full rules and to enter the Freedom Mortgage Presents Celebrate Freedom Award contest, visit http://freedommortgage.com/celebrate.

Early in the company's history, Freedom Mortgage placed a focus on being a strong participant in VA lending. The executive team, led by Middleman, wanted to offer their special expertise to help those who guard America's freedom with the dream of homeownership. According to Inside Mortgage Finance, Freedom Mortgage was the top VA and top FHA lender in the country in total origination volume in 2021.

Freedom Mortgage is honored to support service members, veterans, and their families through various annual philanthropic efforts. Through Team Freedom Cares, the company's employee engagement and philanthropic program, Freedom Mortgage also supports many other philanthropic initiatives, including combatting food insecurity.

Last year, the company and its employees donated to several organizations, including Feeding America, the USO, MBA Opens Doors Foundation, The Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In addition to monetary donations, Freedom Mortgage employees gave back to their local communities by volunteering over 1,000 hours of their time. Click here to watch a recap of Freedom Mortgage's philanthropic activities in 2021. For more information on Freedom Mortgage's philanthropic efforts, visit www.freedommortgage.com/community.

About the Wawa Welcome America Festival

Wawa Welcome America is Philadelphia's premier July 4th festival, the largest July 4th celebration in America, and one of the largest free festivals in the country. Wawa Welcome America offers residents and visitors alike sixteen days of free, family-friendly programming across the city, with a focus on arts, culture, diversity, education, wellness, history, and performance. Festival attendees can enjoy free concerts, fireworks, complimentary museum access, Wawa Hoagie Day, and more!

In 2021, Wawa Welcome America expanded the festival to include a new slate of programming entitled "Freedom  Liberty," in commemoration of Juneteenth. The expansion, in partnership with African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) and VISIT PHILADELPHIA, has been designed by AAMP to provide education and awareness of Juneteenth, and to explore the historical significance of and thematic ties between these two important U.S. holidays.

Wawa Welcome America is committed to creating platforms to nurture diverse perspectives and raise diverse voices, and to celebrating our nation's evolving history through the lives, voices, and experiences of all Americans. Visit welcomeamerica.com for more information about this year's celebration.

About Freedom Mortgage Corporation

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, Freedom Mortgage is a full-service independent mortgage company that provides mortgage loans through retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels. One of the nation's largest loan originators and servicers, the company is licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Freedom Mortgage is the #1 VA and #1 FHA (government-insured) lender in the U.S. (Inside Mortgage Finance, 2021) and one of the mortgage industry's largest philanthropic supporters of the USO of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. The company is also renowned for its vibrant work environment where all team members can thrive. In 2021, Freedom Mortgage was named one of Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces and a Top Workplaces USA. Additionally, the company recently joined the Inc. 5000 Honor Roll for being recognized for the seventh time as one of the fastest growing companies across the country. Freedom Mortgage's mission is to foster homeownership for all consumers across America. For more information, please visit Freedom Mortgage.

FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION CONTACTS:

Audrey Shapiro

856-380-9073

[email protected]

Ellen Longo

609-678-0968

[email protected]

SOURCE Freedom Mortgage Corporation
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) has announced a decision to deliver $10 million in emergency assistance to Jews impacted by the crisis in Ukraine, which has left tens of thousands in dire straits. As the situation escalates, many, especially those who are most vulnerable, are in critical need of humanitarian aid to weather these difficult times.

GPG is a global philanthropic organization with a core focus on Jewish identity-building and educational programs. In addition to its core mission, GPG and its donors have a long history of responding to crisis situations impacting Jews around the world, including support to Jewish institutions in Europe facing the threat of antisemitism, funding for improved security facilities for vulnerable civilians in Israel and an extensive COVID Emergency Assistance portfolio providing humanitarian aid for Jewish individuals and organizations severely impacted by the pandemic.

The $10 million emergency aid package announced today will be distributed in two phases. $5 million in immediate funding has already been committed to support urgent needs related to the current crisis:

Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI)  to support evacuation efforts and enhancing security for Jewish organizations;

 to support evacuation efforts and enhancing security for Jewish organizations; Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine  to provide seed funding for a campaign to distribute 30,000 packages of non-perishable foodstuffs across Ukraine;

 to provide seed funding for a campaign to distribute 30,000 packages of non-perishable foodstuffs across Ukraine; Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)  to support their work with vulnerable Jewish populations across Ukraine;

 to support their work with vulnerable Jewish populations across Ukraine; Regional and local Jewish community organizations operating homes for the elderly, orphanages and other critical communal infrastructure in Ukraine .

Additional $5 million will be deployed to support humanitarian aid needs as the situation develops.

"As we watch with great distress the scenes coming from Ukraine, we see it as our duty to help Jews in danger, as we have done in other times and places," said Gennady Gazin, Chairman of the Board of Genesis Philanthropy Group. "As someone born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, I am especially pained by this suffering. I hope that peace will return and the Ukranian Jewish community will be able to withstand these hardships and thrive again."

"The current crisis in Ukraine has led to a dramatic increase in humanitarian needs and I am ever grateful to our partners at Genesis Philanthropy Group, and to its founders, for their visionary commitment to helping and strengthening Jewish communities in Ukraine and around the world, part of their numerous philanthropic endeavors addressing this goal," said Mark Sisisky, President of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). "Our teams on the ground  part of our vast presence in Ukraine and around the former Soviet Union  will be able to do so much good with this generous support. We're providing food, medicine, and other emergency aid in Ukraine and also partnering with Jewish communities in surrounding countries to welcome Jews crossing the borders."

"In these grave times, as we pray for peace and calm, we are witnessing yet again the power of Jewish unity in the spirit of Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh La-Zeh - All Jews are responsible for each other. It is with this in mind that we are proud to join forces with GPG to bring food to those who are in desperate need today and will be in need tomorrow," said Rabbi Raphael Rutman of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine.

About Genesis Philanthropy Group

Genesis Philanthropy Group (GPG) is a global family of foundations, co-founded by Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and German Khan, international businessmen, investors and philanthropists. GPG aims to advance Jewish engagement into the 21st century to create a more diverse and connected global Jewish community. The work of the foundation is inspired by commitment to: strengthening Jewish identity among Russian-speaking Jews worldwide; fostering bonds and common understanding among Jews living in Israel and in the Diaspora; developing innovative formats geared towards the expansion of Jewish engagement opportunities; expanding local and global Jewish connection opportunities in the UK and Spain. To learn more, visit www.GPG.org .

SOURCE Genesis Philanthropy Group
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GeneXus, a leading low-code platform that simplifies software development and evolution, automating everything that can be automated, has partnered with Veracode, the largest global provider of application security testing (AST). GeneXus selected Veracode for its status as a leading technology provider with the ability to offer a clear, relevant technology roadmap and ongoing access to training and development. GeneXus offers a future-proof way of developing, maintaining, and evolving mission-critical software.

GeneXus will integrate Veracode's tools into the development cycle of its low-code platform, automating the discovery of flaws in the applications generated automatically by GeneXus' code generators. Through the partnership, GeneXus will expand its security solutions portfolio to fulfill the company's vision of helping customers develop, and maintain, secure enterprise software systems.

"As a result of this partnership, our customers can act quickly to fix high severity vulnerabilities and reduce false positives in their security reports when using the Veracode platform to analyze applications built with GeneXus," said Eugenio Garcia, Product Manager at GeneXus.

Through a single, centralized platform offering comprehensive visibility into vulnerabilities, Veracode delivers the industry's only cloud-native solution that allows partners to onboard quickly, and seamlessly, so companies can securely move AppSec to the cloud. As a result of the partnership GeneXus' clients can easily demonstrate the security of their applications, helping to shorten sales cycles and gain an advantage over competitors. Clients who want to add low-code platforms to their toolset will also receive the validation of generated code from one the leading development platforms in the market.

"The ability to efficiently bring ideas to living code lies at the very heart of digital transformation. Success is driven by an organization being able to join the opposing concepts of fast code and regulatory compliance. The partnership between Veracode and GeneXus enables us to automate both the development and security of software - and make them concurrent," said Joost deJong, Director, Latin America & the Caribbean at Veracode.

Veracode's partner program provides market-leading solutions and services to get partners up and running straight away, with minimal impact to their existing business.

About GeneXus

GeneXus is a Software Development Platform that simplifies and automates the tasks of creating and evolving mission-critical applications and multi-channel user-experiences. GeneXus delivers: Higher productivity, with automatic maintenance & evolution of software solutions; multi-experience software support through the continuous delivery of new code generators; Agile, incremental approach, with fully functional prototypes that evolve automatically; A platform that's easy to learn, with one single language to cover all technologies; and a Future-proof offering that has been evolving for 30 years. GeneXus uses Artificial Intelligence techniques to create software, enabling truly incremental development of software systems, providing a low-code, future-proof development platform for the leading execution environments and languages, and the most popular DBMS.

Learn more about GeneXus at www.genexus.com

About Veracode

Veracode is the leading AppSec partner for creating secure software, reducing the risk of security breach, and increasing security and development teams' productivity. As a result, companies using Veracode can move their business, and the world, forward. With its combination of process automation, integrations, speed, and responsiveness, Veracode helps companies get accurate and reliable results to focus their efforts on fixing, not just finding, potential vulnerabilities.

Veracode serves thousands of customers worldwide across a wide range of industries. The Veracode solution has assessed more than 45 trillion lines of code and helped companies fix more than 68 million security flaws.

Learn more at www.veracode.com, on the Veracode blog and on Twitter.

SOURCE GeneXus
What's New for 2022?

Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares

Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial

Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates

Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform

Complimentary updates for one year

Edition: 20; Released: February 2022

Executive Pool: 5252

Companies: 298 - Players covered include Donna Karan International; Gildan Activewear Inc.; Hanesbrands, Inc.; Iconix Brand Group, Inc.; Kayser-Roth Corporation; L Brands; Sculptz, Inc.; TrerA Innovation s.r.l.; Wolford AG and Others.

Coverage: All major geographies and key segments

Segments: Product Type (Socks, Sheer Hosiery & Tights)

Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

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ABSTRACT-



Global Hosiery (Women and Men) Market to Reach $47.8 Billion by the Year 2026

Hosiery is a multi-faceted apparel accessory. Global Garments & Textiles industry is among the many industries to feel the repercussions of the pandemic's indelible impact on daily social and economic lives. A steep global recession, lockdowns and stay at home orders, ban on social gatherings and events, work from home models, widespread layoffs and furloughs, historic high unemployment rates have together massively impacted demand for all non-essential clothing. With no social gatherings and closed offices and schools, sales dwindled for socks and other hosiery items. In contrast to majority of hosiery brands that suffered massive losses, private labels and sports-orientated items delivered better results. Private labels gained from continuous operations of discounters and supermarkets. The pandemic has also played an important role in driving a large number of companies to pay more attention to sustainability and adoption of eco-textiles.

Hosiery companies in various countries are making significant investments in eco-friendly materials and technologies. These hosiery players are coming up with new collections built on green materials. In the recent months, various companies have launched green products including bio-based yarn build using castor oil, biodegradable polyamide and fibers based on regenerated raw materials. These products comply with leading standards and guidelines on sustainability and environmental protection. These products not only offer sustainable options to hosiery manufacturers, but also score high in terms of durability and comfort. In addition, some of the brands have announced ambitious plans to turn their whole production process eco-friendly.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Hosiery (Women and Men) estimated at US$41.7 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$47.8 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 3.2% over the analysis period. Socks, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 3.3% CAGR to reach US$33.2 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Sheer Hosiery & Tights segment is readjusted to a revised 2.9% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 33.5% share of the global Hosiery (Women and Men) market. Socks brands are entering into the e-commerce domain as well as joining hands with e-tailors, retailers and other companies for pushing sales. Moreover, various players are coming up with new offerings like anti-bacterial sanitized yarn, organic products and non-compression, soft elastic socks to attract customers. Socks brands are offering blood pressure and diabetes socks to expand their customer base. As COVID-19 pandemic forced people to spend more time indoors due to remote working and learning, comfort dressing has emerged as a major trend in workwear. The onset of casual dress code hampered the demand for sheer hosiery. Recent years saw proliferation of tights in different colors, patterns and styles as designer scramble to leverage the opportunities prevailing in the market, amid growing image of tights as a regular accessory.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $7 Billion in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $8.6 Billion by 2026

The Hosiery (Women and Men) market in the U.S. is estimated at US$7 Billion in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 16.94% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$8.6 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 4.3% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 1.4% and 2.3% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 2.6% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$9 Billion by the close of the analysis period. China is rapidly emerging as one of the leading hosiery producing nations in the world. The country gains its competitive edge from cheap labor, favorable government regulations and easy availability of low-cost raw materials, among others. More

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SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
Back in June of 2020, the company discovered a change model outlining the four phases of pandemic recovery that consulting firm McKinsey & Company 1 had recently created, and the thinking really resonated with Byrne's leadership team. Those four R's  Respond , Reflect , Reimagine , and Rebound  provided the perfect framework for their own resurgence plan.

So, with four R's  and a "G" added up front for a growl, for fun, and because Grand Rapids (GR) is right up the road  this is how Byrne made GRRRR their own:

RESPOND | ADDRESS IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES

The world was already changing; the pandemic just revved things up. Luckily, at Byrne, they already understood the power of the pivot, allowing them to not only survive uncertainty but to grow in it. Early on, when many companies were forced to shut down, Byrne witnessed the heartbreak of families physically separated by COVID-19 and quickly stepped in to create Power Comm Stations that allowed patients at a local hospital to connect with loved ones. In a little more than a week, they were also able to design, mold, produce and donate face shields for over 5,000 frontline workers. Responding meant staying agile, focusing on their values, building community and just sticking with it  addressing new challenges and opportunities together.

REFLECT | A PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD

By examining the new ways people interact with brands and buy products, Byrne created a plan with transformation at its heart. There were company-wide quarterly reviews of their four R's, but this reflection came more regularly too. "Honestly, in those early months of the pandemic, each day brought with it a conscious decision to either laugh or cry," says Dan Byrne, company CEO. "It also meant really exploring what people needed and looking at where we could create the most benefit." For the entire team, a thoughtful, optimistic mindset allowed them to continue important work and support each other with a story or smile  even from beneath a mask.

To read the full press release, please visit: https://www.byrne.com/News/grrrr-the-four-rs-that-helped-a-michigan-manufacturer-navigate-the-pandemic-and-find-its-roar.

1Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/beyond-coronavirus-the-path-to-the-next-normal

Contact: Stephanie Parrish

[email protected]

SOURCE Byrne Electrical Specialists
Abstracts for ISHLT2022 are now available; the meeting returns to an in-person format for the first time since 2019. Tweet this

"The 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the ISHLT offers a unique and exciting opportunity to hear about the latest advances in heart and lung disease, as well as transplantation," says Laurie Snyder, MD, MHS, ISHLT 2022 Scientific Program Chair. "With a wide range of topics including pediatrics, MCS, organ perfusion, infectious diseases, and pharmacology, the ISHLT2022 program planning committee has planned something for everyone. I am looking forward to seeing colleagues in Boston!"

Attendees of the meeting will be immersed in educational content covering the latest clinical advances, basic science research, and innovative technologies relevant to advanced cardiothoracic disease. Sessions include 36 symposia, three plenary sessions, 18 sunrise symposia, 46 oral abstract sessions, and 18 mini oral abstract sessions. Up to 29.25 continuing education credits will be available during most of the meeting's sessions; more information on CME is available at the Annual Meeting website.

Session topics span the four Interdisciplinary Networks of the ISHLTAdvanced Heart Failure and Transplantation, Advanced Lung Failure and Transplantation, Mechanical Circulatory Support, and Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PAH & CTEPH). Speakers at the event represent all ten of the ISHLT's Professional Communities (Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Infectious Diseases, Nursing and Allied Health, Pathology, Pediatrics, Pharmacy, Pulmonology, and Research and Immunology).

ISHLT2022 will also feature special debates, conversations, and presentations at its plenary sessions, including featured abstracts and invited lecturers. The Opening Plenary will include a timely presentation entitled "How We Got Here: A Conversation About Xenotransplantation," featuring two leaders in the field: Richard N. Pierson, III, MD, and Muhammad M. Mohiuddin, MBBS. For a full look at the plenary sessions that will bring the entire conference together, visit the ISHLT2022 online program viewer.

In addition to the wide variety of educational opportunities at the meeting, ISHLT2022 is also a time for worldwide recognition in the field. ISHLT will present the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award at its second plenary session, honoring recipient Hannah Valantine, MD, MRCP. The closing plenary session will also feature the presentation of ISHLT's 2022 Research Grants and Scientific Abstract Awards by Awards Chair Kathleen Grady, PhD, APN, FAAN.

To help members build connections and camaraderie, ISHLT2022 has a variety of organized networking opportunities, including the new First-Time Attendee Orientation and Breakfast, refreshment breaks in the exhibit hall, and additional networking events for Professional Communities and specialties. For the most up to date times and locations, as well as new sessions that may be added, attendees can visit the Schedule at a Glance online or download the mobile app when it becomes available next month.

Representatives and members from the industry side of the cardiothoracic community will also attend meeting to share ideas, technology, and solutions. A sold-out Exhibit Hall will allow attendees to connect with industry partners to see the newest products and innovations. Industry Supporters will also host Industry Symposia, non-CME educational events where industry partners can share innovations and ideas.

Health and safety is a primary concern of the Society, and more information on COVID-19 protocols and precautions can be found on the ISHLT website.

"Our first in-person event since 2019 will be a celebration of our international, multidisciplinary community," says Greg Schultz, CAE, ISHLT Chief Executive Officer. "As always, it will become the place to be for people from clinical, research, academic, and industry settings who are invested in improving outcomes for patients. Like everyone else, I can't wait."

For more information about ISHLT2022, and to register for the event, visit ishlt.org/ishlt2022.

About ISHLT

The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation is a not-for-profit, multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to improving the care of patients with advanced heart or lung disease through transplantation, mechanical circulatory support and innovative therapies. With members in more than 45 countries, ISHLT is the world's largest organization dedicated to the research, education and advocacy of end-stage heart and lung disease. ISHLT members represent more than 15 different professional disciplines. For more information, visit www.ishlt.org.

SOURCE The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation
TOMS RIVER, N.J., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- John A. Coccaro, MD is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Distinguished Leader in the field of Medicine, and in acknowledgement of his outstanding work with Precision Pain Management, LLC.

John Coccaro, MD

A highly trained and well-respected Anesthesiologist and Interventional Pain Management Physician with 30 years of experience, Dr. Coccaro is the owner of Precision Pain Management. Known for the excellent care he provides to his patients, Dr. Coccaro has garnered a well-deserving reputation for his superior medical skills as well as his exceptional contributions to his community.

Most recently, he has served the Toms River area practicing as a board-certified Anesthesiologist at Community Medical Center. In his current capacity, he has devoted the past six years as Owner of the Precision Pain Management, LLC, in Toms River, NJ. At his clinic, he leads a highly trained team with extensive experience in the treatment of a wide range of painful conditions, including: spinal stenosis, sciatica, herniated discs, auto injuries, pinched nerves, and various types of back and neck pain. Precision Pain Management offers a number of cutting-edge treatments for acute and chronic pain, such as Vertiflex Superion minimally invasive spinal decompression, minimally invasive lumbar decompression (MILD), and regenerative medicine. Utilizing these procedures, Dr. Cocarro takes pride in dramatically reducing the use of opioids in patients.

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Coccaro began his pursuit of higher learning at Long Island University-Brooklyn, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry. He continued to pursue his medical education abroad at St. George's University School of Medicine. Upon his return to the United States, he went on to study the principles and practice of General Surgery at Monmouth Medical Center, where he gained valuable knowledge in the care and therapy of trauma and neurosurgical patients. He completed his surgical training in three intensive years. Subsequently, Dr. Cocarro discovered a passion for Pediatric Regional Anesthesia and Adult Pain Medicine while at St. Barnabas Medical Center, in Livingston, New Jersey. He quickly realized that his surgical hand skills made him well-suited to become a precision interventionist. His post-residency training led him to minimally invasive procedures for treating various spine-related symptoms. Additionally, he holds various certifications through Regenix.

Remaining abreast of the latest advancements in his field, Dr. Coccaro is an active member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, the New Jersey Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and the Society for Neuro Modulation. Additionally, he is active in providing top healthcare to underprivileged communities, which has included a volunteer medical mission trip to Haiti to aid the Hospital of the Sacred Heart, in Milot.

Dr. Coccaro dedicates this honorable recognition in the memory of his uncle, Anthony DiMango, DMD, who inspired him to enter the medical field. He also dedicates this in the memory of his mentor, Robert Dorian, MD, who was the Chief of Anesthesiology at St. Barnabas.

For further information, please visit https://www.drcppm.com/.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
JERUSALEM, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The exports of agricultural produce from the Gaza Strip to Israel jumped by 142 percent year on year in the first two months of 2022, the Israeli authorities said Tuesday.

The January-February export figure amounted to 2,501 tonnes, up from 1,033 tonnes in the first two months of 2021, according to a statement by the Unit for Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

The increase coincides with extensive exports from the Gaza Strip into the West Bank, amounting to 14,250 tonnes since the beginning of 2022, compared to 13,642 tonnes in the same period last year.

The leading agricultural exports from Gaza include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and strawberries, according to COGAT.

In addition, the Gaza fish exports to Israel and the West Bank were nearly doubled in February, reaching 67 tonnes compared to 34 tonnes in February last year.

This momentum follows the removal of bureaucratic obstacles and the facilitation of exports from the Gaza Strip under the supervision of COGAT, the Israeli unit said.

Civil policies promoted by COGAT's Coordination and Liaison Administration for the Gaza Strip have nourished expanded exports of various agricultural produce, it added. 
JUPITER, Fla. and BOSTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. ("Jupiter" or the "Company"), today announced the issuance of additional patent protection in China and Japan for its JOTROL product, covering the solution of active ingredient, resveratrol, and other compounds in a micellar form that can be delivered via an oral capsule. Jupiter is a clinical-stage drug platform company focused on making a significant impact for patients and society through a safe and oral medication intended to treat Alzheimer's disease and a broad spectrum of rare diseases. The Company's JOTROL is also secured with US and European patents, previously issued. It was recently announced that JOTROL was evaluated in a Phase I clinical trial and demonstrated superior bioavailability with target blood plasma levels 8-10-fold higher when compared to naive resveratrol. The study was financed by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), entitled Safety and Pharmacokinetics of JOTROL for Alzheimer's Disease.

JOTROL Product Differentiation Comparison

"Additional patent protection further secures our portfolio as we advance our platform drug product, JOTROL, into the clinic in multiple patient populations. This issuance continues to build upon differentiation from resveratrol as we develop a superior and therapeutic new drug product, stated Alison Silva, President & CBO."

About JOTROL

JOTROL, the Company's unique and patented platform product, is an enhanced resveratrol formulation designed to safely deliver therapeutically relevant levels of resveratrol. In a Phase I first-in-man trial, JOTROL was administered in ascending doses to assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. JOTROL was determined to be safe and well tolerated at all dose levels administered and achieved blood plasma target levels 8-10-fold higher than naive resveratrol administered in historical clinical trials. The study was financed by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), entitled Safety and Pharmacokinetics of JOTROL for Alzheimer's Disease. Resveratrol has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and has demonstrated positive effects on oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial function in Friedreich's ataxia (FA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

About Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc.

Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on treating CNS disorders and rare diseases. The Company's platform product, JOTROL, offers potential therapeutic benefit to most central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, ataxias, and metabolic disorders such as Lysosomal Storage Disorders and mitochondrial diseases. Human clinical trial data shows benefits in several indications and the FDA has accepted a first investigational new drug (IND) application of JOTROL. More information may be found on the Company's website www.jupiterneurosciences.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results which are forward-looking statements. It is possible that the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements, depending on factors including whether results obtained in preclinical and nonclinical studies and clinical trials will be indicative of results obtained in future clinical trials; whether preliminary or interim results from a clinical trial will be indicative of the final results of the trial; the size of the potential markets for the Company's drug candidates and its ability to service those markets; and the Company's current and future capital requirements and its ability to raise additional funds to satisfy its capital needs. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware.

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Alison Silva, President & CBO

Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc.

[email protected]

Media Relations

Alex Rosen, Chief Administrative Officer

Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc.

561-406-6154

[email protected]

SOURCE Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc.
Superior Food Brokers, a leading Foodservice Sales Agency in the Alaskan market, is known for building quality relationships by offering excellent customer service filled with integrity.

With 28 years in foodservice, Superior Food Brokers is recognized for having an excellent team with long-standing customer relationships with operators and distributors. In addition, they bring to the table robust, locally-focused knowledge and a wealth of personalized support. Combining these strengths with the infrastructure of KeyImpact, which includes: Client relationships, culinary support, and marketing services, is exciting and will differentiate our ability to support the needs of our Clients and Customers in the Alaskan market.

"We welcome Joe Nasti and the entire Superior Team to KeyImpact and look forward to providing our Clients unparalleled penetration in the Alaskan Foodservice market," stated Neil Johnson, CEO of KeyImpact.

About Superior Food Brokers, Inc.

Superior Food Brokers, Inc. was established in 1994 by Joe Nasti. Superior Food Brokers provides service through focused and personalized support from its partners to stores, delis, bakeries, foodservice companies, and more in the Alaskan market. Experience with these sensitive items helps ensure product rotation and quick reaction to variations in product movements. For more information, please email [email protected].

About Key Impact Sales and Systems, Inc.

Formed in 2000, through the merger of Key Brokerage in New Jersey and Impact Sales in Maryland, KeyImpact has grown to become the leading foodservice sales and marketing agency in the United States. KeyImpact represents manufacturers of food, as well as packaging and supplies, and provides sales and marketing services to distributors and operators across all segments of the foodservice trade channel. KeyImpact currently employs over 550 associates in 50 states with industry expertise in sales, marketing, culinary, K-12, military, college & university, contract feeding, retail, deli, national & regional commercial chains, recreation and distribution, as well as extensive product & category expertise. For more information, please visit http://www.kisales.com.

SOURCE Key Impact Sales & Systems, Inc.
TOLEDO, Ohio, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kidneys for Communities, a nonprofit that launched the first-ever national community-directed donation program to increase the pool of living kidney donors in the United States, is joining global leaders at the 14th World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics and Health Law in Porto, Portugal, to explore utilizing personal affinity and identification to increase living kidney donation.

World Conference on Bioethics, Medical Ethics and Health Law offers a platform for the exchange of information and knowledge through discussions, lectures, workshops, and presentations of programs and databases. Hosting participants from professional and academic disciplines, the 2022 conference explores scientific discourse on more than 60 topics and subtopics in the fields of bioethics, medical ethics and health law.

After a rigorous peer review, the World Conference scientific review committee accepted Kidneys for Communities' oral presentation topic, "Utilizing Personal Affinity and Identification to Increase Living Kidney Donation." Atul Agnihotri , CEO of Kidneys for Communities, will present along with Co-Founder Ira Brody, during the Organ Transplantation II session. The session will also include the following presentations: Living Organ Donation: Young Donors; Kidney "Voucher," Euthanasia Candidate as a Living Organ Donator; Ethics and the International Dimension of Organ Trafficking; Uterus Transplants in Europe: Ethical and Regulatory Implications; and Education on Organ Donation and Transplantation: Ethical Dilemmas.

"It is not one person or one organization that will solve the living kidney donor shortage; it takes all of us," Agnihotri said. "Open dialogue, debate and collaboration, on a global platform, moves us toward ethical solutions that increase the living kidney donor pool, potentially saving thousands of lives."

Kidneys for Communities is harnessing the power of community through proactive outreach programs that drive education and awareness about living kidney donations. The community-directed donation model increases living kidney donations by allowing potential donors who belong to membership-based associations to direct their lifesaving donation to someone  even a potential stranger  based on a community they want to support.

About Kidneys for Communities

Kidneys for Communities is a nonprofit that partners with organizations to impact the lives of their members by offering resources about living kidney donations to their membership, increasing the chances of a donor directing a gift-of-life-kidney to a fellow member in need of a kidney.

Addressing the shortage of living kidney donors through proactive community outreach programs, Kidneys for Communities developed the first-ever national community-directed donation program. The program unlocks connections created through membership-based communities with the goal of increasing the number of living kidney donors in the U.S. The leadership team includes innovative leaders, kidney donors, social workers and medical experts in the field of nephrology and renal transplantation  all who have seen this disease up close and who are committed to making an impact. To find out more, visit www.kidneysforcommunities.org.

SOURCE Kidneys for Communities
The premier episode is available today on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music or can be found at https://teamgoldenstate.com/podcasts/.

About Golden State

The Golden State family of companies, comprised of Golden State Wealth Management, Golden State Equity Partners and Golden State Asset Management, are investment advisers dedicated to financial professionals and their clients. The firm's initial company, Golden State Wealth Management, was founded in 2013 by a group of executives who collectively contribute over 50 years of industry experience and has partnered with advisors serving over $1.3 billion in advisory assets. Golden State's infrastructure provides an extensive support network through succession planning, compliance oversight, dedicated transition support, and a Turnkey Asset Management Program. The Golden State family of companies maintain business alignments with LPL Financial, the nation's largest independent broker/dealer, Raymond James, TD Ameritrade Institutional and Charles Schwab, some of the nation's largest independent custodians, who provide comprehensive tools and research necessary in today's complex markets.

Recognized as one of Orange County's largest RIAs, Golden State's flagship office is located in South Coast Metro, California, with a second location in Powell, Wyoming. With a goal to continue expanding offices across the country, Golden State is committed to creating an atmosphere that benefits both advisors and their investors. For more information about Golden State, visit www.teamgoldenstate.com.

As of April 2021.

As reported in Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2021, based on total revenue.

As reported in Orange County Business Journal, June 1, 2021, based on assets under management.

Investment advice may be offered through Golden State Wealth Management, Golden State Equity Partners, or Golden State Asset Management, investment advisers registered with the SEC. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For information pertaining to the registration status of our firm, you may refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure web site www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Media Inquiries:

Jennifer Nahas

CMO, Golden State

[email protected]

949-433-6860

SOURCE Golden State
WESTPORT, Conn., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LCR Wealth Management , an SEC-Registered Investment Advisor, is pleased to announce the establishment of the Iron Pillar Fund II Access Fund. LCR Wealth has partnered with Iron Pillar to provide US-based investors with access to a leading US-India-focused venture capital (VC) fund.

Iron Pillar

Since its founding in early 2021, LCR Wealth has been evaluating strategic investment opportunities to meet the needs of its clients. "Through LCR Capital, I have been working with many families based in India," says Tom Garvey, President of LCR Wealth. "This has reinforced my belief that India is one of the most dynamic growth markets in the world. India has a great entrepreneurial and VC ecosystem, and the high quality of India's tech talent is why firms like Google, Microsoft, Adobe, IBM and Twitter have Indian-born CEOs. I am confident that we will continue to see more tech companies from India that will achieve scale in the US and other global markets."

Founded in January 2016, Iron Pillar is a growth-stage, venture capital firm investing in technology companies that are built from India. Beyond capital, the firm also provides active assistance to companies in the enterprise and consumer technology sectors that are on a path towards global expansion. Focused on growth-stage investments, usually Series B and Series C, Iron Pillar primarily works with cloud-based technology providers that are selling to the US or global markets. The firm has strong relationships with leading venture capital firms, such as Accel Partners, a16z, Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global, which provide access to Series A backed companies, as well as co-investment opportunities for subsequent rounds of financing. As of the end of 2021, Iron Pillar has $338 million in assets under management including $130 million in co-investments by LPs.

"Our Fund I performance has surpassed our expectations. We remain laser-focused on backing founders who want to create $1B+ enterprise value companies," said Anand Prasanna, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Iron Pillar. "In Fund I, for example, we successfully invested in eight companies, out of which one is already a Unicorn and two more are on track to achieve unicorn status with over $1 billion in valuations. This track record has helped us attract new investors to participate in Fund II, many of whom are globally recognized institutional investors, as well as top-tier sovereign investors and family offices. The Iron Pillar Fund II Access Fund, for which we are partnering with LCR, enables US-based investors with an opportunity to participate in India's tech boom, while gaining exposure to high quality tech companies with global aspirations and world-class founders."

Suresh Rajan, Founder and Executive Chairman of LCR Capital Partners , said, "We have spent the last five years bringing US investments to Indian families. Many of our clients come from India and maintain strong family networks and affinity with South Asian companies. These companies are impressive, and we believe what Anand and the Iron Pillar team have created is a valuable investment. We look forward to working with them."

About Iron Pillar: Iron Pillar is a venture growth investor specializing in mid-stage technology companies that are "Built from India". Founded in January 2016, Iron Pillar provides growth capital and active assistance in global business expansion to companies in the enterprise and consumer technology sectors. The Fund backs founding teams who want to create $1B+ enterprise value companies that are built to last. Additional information on Iron Pillar is available at ironpillarfund.com.

About LCR Wealth: As a Registered Investment Advisor, LCR Wealth provides successful families with personalized investment advice on a fee basis. As a fiduciary to its clients, LCR Wealth is required by law to put its clients' interests ahead of its own. Tom Garvey founded LCR Wealth Management after 18 years of experience as an investment advisor representative at Goldman Sachs and United Capital. LCR Wealth Management is registered with the SEC at the address of 315 Post Road West, Suite 200, Westport, CT 06880.

The LCR Wealth-managed Iron Pillar Fund II Access Fund has been registered with the SEC. For more information contact LCR Wealth and John Baker.

Media Contact:

John Baker, Chief Marketing Officer, LCR Capital

Phone Number: (203) 883-1940

SOURCE LCR Wealth
RESTON, Va., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, today announced the appointment of retired Major General John George as the company's Army Strategic Account Executive. George will be responsible for strengthening and growing trusted relationships with the United States Army and advancing strategic initiatives that drive organic growth throughout the enterprise.

"General George brings a distinguished career and wealth of international, military and technology experience to our growing team here at Leidos," said Debbie Opiekun, Leidos' Chief Business Development Officer. "His expertise is a tremendous asset, which we will rely on to expand our global presence and invest in developing the innovative technologies to support our customers' critical missions."

Before joining Leidos, George served 33 years in the United States Army, culminating his career as the Commander of the Combat Capabilities Development Command. There he led the Army's largest technology developer, responsible for science and technology research and development efforts executing a $13 billion modernization budget. General George held responsibility for operations across a global network of research, technology and engineering partnerships with federal agencies, academia, industry, and allies across more than 110 locations worldwide and in the United States.

Throughout his career, George served in numerous strategic and operational leadership, command and staff director positions in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the United States. His combat deployments included Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo, where he served as Chief of Force Issues and Requirements for NATO. George also served in this position for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, where he led the Afghanistan National Police Force Management Branch.

George graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1988 and holds a Master of Science in Social Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. He also earned a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, DC.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Contact:

Melissa Duenas

(571) 526-6850

[email protected]

Thomas Doheny

(571) 474-4735

[email protected]

Jalen Drummond

(571) 992-5046

[email protected]

SOURCE Leidos Holdings, Inc.
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Store has selected the LiftForward Buy Now Pay Later ("BNPL") subscription platform to expand financing offerings in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, France, Poland and Benelux. In these territories, the LiftForward Platform connects various financial institutions with consumers to finance short-term BNPL solutions or longer-term financing options. The LiftForward Platform facilitates the customer experience at the point-of-sale and manages the credit applications, fraud detection, customer verification, underwriting, servicing, fulfillment, and customer support.

As OEMs, retailers and lenders develop financing programs, they are faced with technical, financing, operational, and data challenges. The LiftForward Platform provides solutions that address these challenges, enabling a faster time to market on a scalable, international platform.

"The global expansion of the LiftForward Platform for Microsoft Store offers customers more financing options across Microsoft's portfolio of products," said Jeffrey Rogers, CEO of LiftForward. "It also enables Microsoft to be agile and quick-to-market with financing products of choice."

LiftForward and Microsoft Store teamed up in 2014 to debut Surface All Access, a 0% commercial upgrade subscription program, and then again in 2019 to offer Xbox All Access, a subscription program for Xbox and Game Pass in major retailers in 15 countries.

"LiftForward allows Microsoft Store to seamlessly integrate banks and other financing providers via one common platform. This gives Microsoft Store the ability and flexibility needed to quickly and easily connect numerous financing partners," said Jesper Chou, General Manager of Microsoft Store. "The LiftForward Platform improves our customer experience and lifecycle in core ways while enabling us to scale our financing offers to new markets."

About LiftForward:

LiftForward, Inc. provides OEM device manufacturers, retailers and banks with BNPL software platforms that power global subscription and financing programs. LiftForward reduces the BNPL complexity with a platform that connects and automates all of the components necessary for successful subscription and financing programs including, point-of sale software, white label e-commerce customer experiences, inventory management, fulfillment, account management and analytics reporting. LiftForward has developed the largest integrated network of major OEMs, retailers and banks in over 15 countries.

SOURCE LiftForward, Inc.
AUSTIN, Texas, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspired by the first robot in history, Maidbot finalized a major rebrand under their new name, Tailos (pronounced Tay-los), to best reflect its vision  taking robotics beyond commercial cleaning to provide a complete suite of human-empowering solutions.

Maidbot Rebrands to TAILOS as Emerging Leader in Providing Robotics and AI-Enabled Solutions for the Physical World Tweet this TAILOS logo TAILOS Icon

Tailos, formerly Maidbot, announced today that it completed a major rebranding as the company looks ahead to a year of tremendous growth and transformation. Inspired by Talos, the Greek mythological robot built by the God of Technology to protect the people of Crete, the new name reflects the company's innovative approach to building human-empowering technologies that leverage robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML).

Tailos' initial product consists of two parts: a robotics platform and a web-based data platform tool. The robotics platform features a mini self-driving car focused on cleaning floors of commercial real estate, from hotels and multi-family dwellings to office space, senior living, airports, stadiums, and more. The data platform provides operators with analytics and notifications that enable proactive actions to enhance experiences for guests and tenants.

"We have a monumental vision of building different types of technologies  both physical and digital  that solve the challenges revolving around the ongoing labor crisis," said Micah Estis Green, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Tailos. "We are extremely excited about bringing this major change as the foundation of the next chapter for the company."

The new name "Tailos" will better encompass the entire suite of solutions the company is building for the future while aligning closer to the company's mission of building human-empowering technology.

Visit tailos.com to explore the new website and brand.

About TAILOS

Tailos revolutionizes the commercial real estate industry by leaving dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks to autonomous solutions, allowing humans to focus on more meaningful and enjoyable work. Founded in a dorm room at Cornell University, Tailos provides safe and cost-efficient automated solutions to the hospitality and industrial cleaning industries. Tailos' team is headquartered in Austin, TX, and is composed of real estate experts, rocket scientists, and robotics engineers who have worked for organizations including NASA, Dell, IBM, Apple, iFly, Flextronics, and the Southwest Research Institute, among others. The Tailos team has also partnered with several top VC firms, hospitality companies, and industrial cleaning companies. For more on Tailos' story and products, visit tailos.com .

SOURCE Tailos
LONDON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- United Communications Partners Inc. ("UCP") (OTC Markets: UCPA) and Making Science Group S.A. ("Making Science") (Madrid: MAKS) are pleased to announce that, further to their joint news release dated February 10, 2022, Making Science has completed the acquisition of 1,129,366,661 shares of UCP's outstanding common stock, representing a 69.805% interest in UCP. The acquisition was completed pursuant to the previously announced share purchase agreement entered into between Making Science and Niclas Froberg, a director and the Chairman of UCP, Lars Bonnelyche, a director of UCP, and Anna-Karin Darlin, the Chief Financial Officer of UCP. Each of the current directors on the board of UCP, namely Mr. Froberg, Mr. Bonnelyche and Mr. Kenneth Rosenthal, continues as a director of UCP, and Ms. Darlin will continue as Chief Financial Officer of UCP. Following completion of the acquisition, three nominees of Making Science have been appointed to the board of directors of Tre Kronor Media.

About Making Science

Making Science is a technology and digital marketing consultancy specialising in e-commerce and digital transformation. Its business model responds to the growing need for companies to digitise their entire value chain, particularly in the area of marketing. The markets in which Making Science operates are digital advertising, data analytics, e-commerce and cloud, all of them with high growth rates. The Making Science Group currently employs more than 800 people and has a presence and technological development in 10 markets: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, France, Italy, UK, Ireland and USA. The company has been chosen SME of the Year 2019 by the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and has recently received the C.R.E.C.E. (Rapidly Expanding Company with Exponential Growth) award from the consultancy firm Ernst and Young as part of the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. It has also obtained the 71st position in the FT1000: Europe's Fastest-Growing Companies 2021 ranking, prepared by the Financial Times, positioning itself as the first fastest-growing European company in the marketing and sales sector. Making Science has also joined the Pledge1% initiative, supporting non-profit organisations in our community with a commitment that will have a major impact in the future.

About Tre Kronor Media

Tre Kronor Media is Sweden's first performance-based marketing agency founded 2007. The founders were Niclas Froberg, Lars Bonnelyche, Carl Johan Grandinson and Jacob De Geer. Tre Kronor Media is today a full-service Media Agency with offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Copenhagen. Its partners in Norway and Finland have offices in Oslo and Helsinki. The last ten years Tre Kronor Media has been awarded as the Best Media Agency in Sweden eight times. Tre Kronor Media employs more than 50 people and have a turnover of 80 million euro.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to the future financial and operational performance, financial performance, business objectives and strategies of UCP, Making Science and Tre Kronor Media. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, which contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, and other forward-looking statements will not occur. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the results or performance implied by these forward-looking statements will be achieved or realized. Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying on these forward-looking statements. No duty to update these forward-looking statements is assumed by UCP or Making Science.

SOURCE United Communications Partners Inc.
STOCKHOLM, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Medius, a leading provider of AP Automation and wider spend management solutions, today announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Nomentia, a leading name in cash and treasury management.



The partnership is the latest step in developing Medius's integrated payments offering across global markets. Nomentia automates and simplifies payments, delivering out of the box banking integration for businesses looking to take advantage of Medius Pay's secure gateway for improved payments visibility and control. Nomentia offers integrations with over 10,800 banks globally, through host-to-host, SWIFT and local connections.



With an HQ in Finland, the Nomentia partnership is of particular relevance to Medius's Nordic customers, offering integrations with all the region's main banks. The partnership enables Nordic customers to react effectively to in-market developments, such as the P27 initiative, which aims to establish a single pan-Nordic payment infrastructure for the region's 27 million citizens.



Daniel Ball, SVP of Innovation at Medius, said: "As with our AP automation and spend management solutions, we want Medius Pay to make our customers' lives easier, creating a single secure, audited channel that can automate all their payments to suppliers both locally and around the world.



Bank-fees, foreign-exchange fees and cumbersome processes are just a few of the pain points businesses have to deal with when processing payments in what can be a costly, and time consuming business function. With Medius Pay's rapid deployment and native Nomentia integration, our customers can realize all these benefits quickly with an accelerated time to value.



For our Nordic customers, the partnership comes at the perfect time, enabling them to capitalize on the P27 initiative which is driving digitalization of payments.



Jukka Sallinen, CEO at Nomentia, said: "The partnership with Medius unites AP automation and payments with our extensive bank connectivity, giving more businesses the tools they need to control and optimize all aspects of spend and payments. I look forward to working with Medius, whose expertise in AP automation and spend complement our own in global cash and treasury management."

CONTACT:

For more information, please contact:

Dan Bird, Fight or Flight for Medius

[email protected] +44 7885 670798 / [email protected] +44 330 133 0985



Barbara Babati, Head of Marketing, Nomentia

[email protected] / +358 40 762 3356

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/medius/r/medius-partners-with-nomentia-to-extend-global-payment-and-cash-management-capabilities,c3516237

SOURCE Medius
Shares of cross-border payment system, digital currency rise in A-share trade

(Global Times) 09:29, March 01, 2022

Shares related to the China-initiated Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) and the digital currency surged on Chinese A-share market on Monday, putting the back-up choice for cross-border settlements in the spotlight after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow, excluding Russia from the SWIFT interbank system amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

When trading closed on Monday, the digital currency concept segment had gained 3.59 percent, with its total value rising 870 million yuan ($137.94 million). Related fintech stocks Forms Syntron and Infosec hit their trading limits of 10 percent rise in the morning session.

The CIPS concept segment jumped 2.71 percent while stocks related to China-Russia trade were up 4.25 percent.

As the SWIFT curbs may create disruptions for China-Russia trade or capital flows in the short term, the establishment of a settlement system in the yuan and other diversified ways to ensure financial market security are becoming urgent, Wang Peng, an assistant professor at the Gaoling School of Artificial Intelligence at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"The crisis gives us a warning that there should be many ways to make plans ensuring trade safety, currency trading safety and financial system safety," Wang said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday that China opposesillegal unilateral sanctions on Moscow and will continue to carry out normal trade cooperation with Russia.

Asked about what some have described as the "financial nuclear option" at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said that China opposesthe use of sanctions to solve problems, and is even more opposed to unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law.

As the SWIFT system is primarily for dollar settlements, Chinese experts noted one important method to offset the SWIFT exclusion impact is to settle foreign trade payments in currencies other than the US dollar.

An analysis by China Securities said on Sunday that the SWIFT sanctions on Russia would have a limited impact on China and the move is most likely to speed up Chinese yuan's internationalization.

In 2020, 17.5 percent of China-Russian trade was settled in yuan, rising from 3.1 percent in 2014, according to China Securities.

"The new transactions of natural gas [between China and Russia] are being shifted to euro-based settlement, regarded as a gradual transition from dollar settlement to settlement in home currencies," China Securities said.

The two countries have signed bilateral currency swap agreements multiple times. China Securities said that they are expected to establish a settlement system in their home currencies to speed up de-dollarization, while the yuan's internationalization is to gain momentum.

The China-launched CIPS serves financial institutions in the cross-border yuan and offshore yuan businesses, a significant financial tool to the improve yuan's global clearing service.

The young CIPS now has 75 direct participants, but only one yuan clearing bank under Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is based in Moscow.

Wang suggested that point-to-point trading and digital currencies are all prospective ways to solve the problems.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
UNITED NATIONS, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The United States is expelling a Russian national who is working with the UN Secretariat, said a UN spokesman on Tuesday.

"I can confirm that the U.S. Mission to the United Nations informed the Secretariat on Feb. 28 (of) its decision to take action under Section 13b of the UN-U.S. Headquarters Agreement with respect to a staff member in the Secretariat," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"We regret that we find ourselves in this situation, but are engaging with the host country in line with Section 13b of the agreement," he said.

The spokesman refused to give any more details "in deference to the privacy of the individual concerned and the sensitivity of the matter."

He said the U.S. decision is strange as the work contract for the staff member concerned was scheduled to end on March 14.

The United States on Monday announced the expulsion of 12 staff members of the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

In a statement, the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations described the 12 Russian diplomats as "intelligence operatives" who have abused their privileges of residency in the United States "by engaging in espionage activities."

Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, on Monday regretted the U.S. decision.

Nebenzia said the expulsion is a hostile step taken by the United States and "yet another gross violation" of the UN-U.S. Headquarters Agreement and of the Vienna Convention.

The U.S. decisions to expel 12 Russian diplomats and one UN staff member from Russia came amid Russian military operations in Ukraine. 
BROADVIEW, Ill., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National Van Lines Domestic Migration Report reveals people are not moving to the East Coast of the United States as much as they have in previous years.

According to the Domestic Migration Report, released on Feb. 15, the Northeast showed the slowest population growth between 2010 and 2021up only 1.8 million from 2010.

The report also shows that two of the three biggest declines in population are along the East Coast of the US. Between Jul. 1, 2020 and Jul. 1, 2021, the population of the District of Columbia declined 2.9%, which was the largest decline in the country. New York state had the second-largest decline in population for that year, with a decline of 1.7% from 2020.



The Domestic Migration Report also includes data on moving intent. Along the East Coast, Delaware, Massachusetts. New York and Maine are among the top 10 states with the most significant increase in individual views from the National Van Lines website from 2019 to 2020. This data indicates that people coming from those states are exploring the possibility of a move.



"Understanding migration patterns benefits our customers and industry partners," Tim Helenthal, Chairman and CEO of National Van Lines said. "It's important to know areas of growth and decline in the United States. We need to get at data early to understand the beginning of trends. When considering a move, customers want to know the areas where the demand for housing, jobs and government services are high."



National Van Lines' 2022 Domestic Migration Report chronicles moving trends in the US during the last ten years. This report offers unique updates each quarter via National Van Lines' proprietary migration intent data.



The report is available here and will be updated again in April 2022.



About National Van Lines



Specialties

Our national long-distance moving company understands the stresses and worries of moving. Whether you need to move across the country or the world, we are the partner you can count on. We provide full-service moving, packing and storage services for all our residential or commercial long-distance moving clients. Our goal is to deliver 100% customer satisfaction in all we do. Contact us or locate an agent for a FREE moving quote on any of our moving services.





History

Established in 1929, National Van Lines is proud to have a history of service stretching back nearly 100 years. What started as a one-person operation has grown into a full-service moving company providing the best in residential moving, commercial moving, warehouse and storage, and more. Originating in Chicago, National Van Lines offers moving services across the country and the world. We're standing by to help make your next relocation experience the easiest ever.





Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12907167



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE National Van Lines
"Our mission is to empower better investors by helping them identify what is truly important to them beyond just their investment portfolio," explained CEO Jeff Sarti. "We do this by providing education so that people feel confident in their decisions, and by partnering with clients to help them get the most life out of their wealth."

The new name was launched after the Morton partners and advisors reflected on the positive impact they want to have on their clients and the local community. When asked about the name change, Celia Meagher, Partner and Wealth Advisor, said, "As trusted advisors, we have embraced being more than just an investment manager. We help clients navigate real life events, partnering with them as those big decisions are made. We ensure wealthas they define itis identified through personal values and exhibited daily through how time is spent and enjoyed."

Morton's mission goes beyond its clients to provide education and support to the broader community. Morton's interactive website provides financial insights, white papers, the latest research, and trends to help people become smarter investors. Jeff Sarti also commented, "We have a commitment to lifelong learning at Morton. It is a mindset that connects our leadership, our teams, our clients, and, ultimately, anyone seeking to get more life from their wealth, regardless of their background or financial status."

To share more about the "why" behind the name change, CEO Jeff Sarti recorded a short and engaging video: https://vimeo.com/mortonwealth/mortonwealth

About Morton Wealth

Morton Wealth (formerly Morton Capital) is an RIA firm based out of Calabasas, CA, that offers financial planning and investment services for individuals, families, and business owners. The firm currently serves 1,054 households/families with an AUM of $2.48B (as of 12/31/2021), and has been continuously striving to grow in knowledge, expertise, and team culture since being founded in 1981. For more information about Morton Wealth, please visit www.mortonwealth.com or follow the company on LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , Vimeo and YouTube .

Contact: Ashley Radosevic

T: (805) 453-0950

E: [email protected]

W: www.mortonwealth.com

SOURCE Morton Wealth
ARLINGTON, Va., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- President Biden tonight will deliver his first State of the Union Address, and based on an announcement today from the White House, addressing our country's mental health crisis is one of the top priorities expected to be included his speech. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today released the following statement from its CEO, Daniel H. Gillison Jr.:

"NAMI applauds President Biden for his unprecedented focus on mental health in the State of the Union address, providing the national attention that our ongoing mental health crisis deserves. From expanding our mental health workforce and reimagining our response to mental health crises to increasing access to care and supporting the mental health of our youth and young adults, the President is proposing bold investments in our mental health infrastructure. These investments and policy solutions could not come at a more critical time. As our mental health crisis continues to intensify at an alarming rate, we must put bipartisan, common-sense solutions into practice. We thank the President for his leadership in advancing this effort and we call upon Congress to pass legislation meeting the nation's mental health needs."

The White House identified several key areas that the President is prioritizing in his strategy to address our national mental health crisis, which align with NAMI's policy priorities. These include:

Expanding the capacity of our systems to meet the needs of Americans' mental health:

A $700 million investment in training, scholarships and loan repayment programs to build the supply, diversity and cultural competency of our mental health and substance use workforce.

investment in training, scholarships and loan repayment programs to build the supply, diversity and cultural competency of our mental health and substance use workforce.

A nearly $700 million investment to launch the 988 crisis response line and strengthen community-based crisis response as the nation prepares for the 988 rollout starting this July.

investment to launch the 988 crisis response line and strengthen community-based crisis response as the nation prepares for the 988 rollout starting this July.

Building a national certification program to accelerate universal adoption, recognition and integration of the peer mental health workforce.



Promoting the mental well-being of our frontline health and safety workforce.



Expanding and making permanent the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) program.

Ensuring that every American can access mental health and substance use care:

Further making parity a reality by proposing that all health plans cover robust behavioral health services with an adequate network of providers, including three free behavioral health visits each year.



$1 billion investment to double the number of school-based mental health professionals.

investment to double the number of school-based mental health professionals.

Doubling funding for primary and behavioral health integration programs.



Improving veterans' access to same-day mental health care by fully implementing the Primary Care Mental Health Integration and Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program.



Permanently expanding access to tele- and virtual mental health care options.

Supporting Americans by creating healthy environments through:

$70 million investment in expanding early childhood and school-based intervention services and supports.

investment in expanding early childhood and school-based intervention services and supports.

Instituting stronger online protections for young people.



$5 million investment in research on social media's mental health harms to youth.

investment in research on social media's mental health harms to youth.

Increasing mental health resources for justice-involved populations by providing behavioral health care, case management services, family services and other transitional programming for adults returning from incarceration into the community.

"Our nation is at a transformative moment, with many opportunities ahead to rethink how we provide mental health services and supports," Gillison said. "NAMI looks forward to working with the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress to leverage these opportunities and help all people affected by mental health conditions. By taking these steps today, we can achieve a healthier and more equitable tomorrow."

NAMI calls on advocates to urge their members of Congress to implement the President's mental health proposals without delay. Show your support here.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. Join the conversation at nami.org | facebook.com/nami | instagram.com/namicommunicate | twitter.com/namicommunicate #Together4MH

SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness
OMAHA, Neb., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Voca Healthcare, a company dedicated to guiding healthcare travelers to a career path they are passionate about, has joined Fusion Marketplace. The new partnerships will bring more jobs to the traveler-driven platform and give healthcare travelers even more options when using Marketplace to navigate their career.

"The whole team at Fusion is enthusiastic about the new partnership between Voca Healthcare and Marketplace," said Carrie Polak, Director of Operations. "Voca shows so much passion for their healthcare professionals, and we are all excited to see even more of that added to Fusion Marketplace."

Fusion Marketplace launched in February 2021 as a one-stop shop for healthcare travelers to take control of their career. The traveler-first driven platform provides full transparency for healthcare travelers and allows them to manage their information across multiple agencies. The healthcare traveler is now in the driver's seat when it comes to their career.

Marketplace is aimed at giving all healthcare travelers more transparency and fewer unknowns. They can use the one-stop shop to compare benefits, pay packages and reviews across multiple agencies. This new career platform gives the traveler full control of their job search and provides them with tools to improve the overall experience of comparing options.

There is a great demand for traveling healthcare professionals, but they have not always had full control over major career decisions. Fusion Marketplace is now leading by example in building a traveler-first community. Healthcare travelers are now able to make decisions and choose their assignments based on honest and transparent details before they talk to a recruiter.

To learn more about Fusion Marketplace, and to create your traveler profile, go to fusionmarketplace.com.

About Fusion Marketplace:

Fusion Marketplace is a staffing recruitment platform where healthcare travelers are in control. Healthcare travelers now have more career, agency, recruiter, and lifestyle choices in one convenient location. Unknowns known. Learn more at fusionmarketplace.com

About Voca:

At Voca, we strongly believe that a better career results in a happier you, and we are therefore dedicated to help guide people on a career path that fulfills their passion and purpose. We work throughout the United States, with our corporate office based in Rochester, Minnesota. Whether you are seeking to advance your career, follow a new calling, or add the right people to your organization, we are here to help.

Media Contact

Leah Kemple

877-230-3885

[email protected]

SOURCE Fusion Marketplace
In the case, captioned Mejias et al. v. Goya Foods Inc. , No. 2:20-cv-12365 (D.N.J.), Goya had moved to dismiss the expense deduction claims in the action, but the federal court in New Jersey rejected Goya's arguments that the federal Truth in Leasing Act insulated Goya from complying with the wage and hour laws and allowed the Plaintiffs' claims to proceed. Specifically, the Court held that Goya failed to meet its heavy burden to establish that the TIL regulations preempted state laws requiring that Goya pay for the work expenses and not deduct them from the Drivers' wages.

"We are pleased with the Court's decision and look forward to having the opportunity to prove that Goya misclassified its Drivers as independent contractors, and to recovering the hard-earned compensation that the Drivers are owed," said Alexandra K. Piazza of Berger Montague PC, one of the lead attorneys prosecuting the case. "There are Drivers located throughout New Jersey, Massachusetts, and other states, and we encourage any Driver with information or evidence that can assist us with the case to contact us.

The case will proceed through the discovery process, and Plaintiffs' Counsel, Shanon J. Carson and Alexandra K. Piazza of Berger Montague PC and David E. Cassidy and Yelena Kofman-Delgado of Vlasac & Shmaruk, LLC, are continuing their investigation of Goya's failure to properly compensate its Drivers. Anyone with information about the claims in the action, including current or former Goya Drivers, is invited to contact the attorneys on the case at (215) 875-3033 or via email at [email protected] They can also visit the website www.bergermontague.com/GoyaLawsuit for further information.

Berger Montague is a national plaintiffs' law firm headquartered in Philadelphia with additional offices in Minneapolis, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. Berger Montague litigates complex civil litigation and class actions in federal and state courts throughout the United States. In its 52 years of operation, the Firm has pioneered class actions in America and recovered well over $36 billion for its clients and the class members it has represented.

Contact:

Alexandra K. Piazza, Senior Counsel

Berger Montague PC

Telephone: (215) 875-3033

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Berger Montague
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Numinus Wellness Inc. ("Numinus" or the "Company") (TSX: NUMI) (OTCQX: NUMIF), a mental health care company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, is pleased to announce the voting results from its Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the "Meeting"), held earlier today. A total of 26,215,003 common shares, or 12.73% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company as at the record date of January 24, 2022, were represented either in person or by proxy at the Meeting.

The following five nominees proposed by the Company were elected as Directors of Numinus to serve until the Company's next Annual Meeting of Shareholders, or until their successors are elected or appointed. Below is a summary of the voting results for the Directors elected:

DIRECTOR FOR % WITHHELD % Payton Nyquvest 7,718,292 78.65 2,094,581 21.35 Allen Morishita 7,288,166 74.27 2,524,707 25.73 Larry Timlick 9,484,440 96.65 328,433 3.35 Michael Tan 7,717,434 78.65 2,095,439 21.35 Edwin Garner 9,483,307 96.64 329,566 3.36

In addition to the election of all nominees listed as Directors in the Management Information Circular, dated January 24, 2022, Numinus shareholders approved all other resolutions placed before the Meeting, including setting the number of directors of the Company at five, the appointment of Davidson & Company LLP as auditors for the Company for the ensuing year and approval of the Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan.

More information about the resolutions voted on at today's Meeting of Shareholders is available in Numinus' Management Information Circular, which can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Final voting results on all matters voted on at the Meeting will also be filed on SEDAR.

About Numinus

Numinus Wellness (TSX: NUMI;OTCQX: NUMIF) helps people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies. The Numinus model - including psychedelic production, research and clinic care - is at the forefront of a transformation aimed at healing rather than managing symptoms for depression, anxiety, trauma, pain and substance use. At Numinus, we are leading the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream clinical practice and building the foundation for a healthier society.

Learn more at www.numinus.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Forward-looking statements

No securities exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs regarding future performance are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "does not expect", "is expected", "believes", "intends", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes" or variations of these words, expressions or statements, that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, will occur or will be realized. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to differ materially from the results, events or developments expected and expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including the acquisition and renewal of federal, provincial, municipal, local or other licenses, and any inability to obtain all necessary government authorizations, licenses and permits to operate and expand the Company's facilities; regulatory or policy changes such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including federal and provincial legalization, due to fluctuations in public opinion, industry perception of integrative mental health, including the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy, delays or inefficiencies or any other reason; any other factor or development likely to hamper the growth of the market; the Company's limited operating and profitability track record; dependence on management; the Company's need for additional financing and the effects of financial market conditions and other factors on the availability of capital; competition, including that of more established and better funded competitors; the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the need to build and maintain alliances and partnerships, including with research and development companies, customers and suppliers. These factors should be carefully considered, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Despite the Company's efforts to identify the main risk factors that could cause actual measures, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, other risk factors may cause measures, events or developments to materially differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to revise forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new facts or any other reason, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Numinus Wellness Inc.
Omnitracs announced its Intelligent Vehicle Gateway ELD has received mandatory third-party certification in Canada. Tweet this

With full enforcement of the ELD mandate scheduled for June 12, 2022, fleets should adopt ELD technology at the earliest to avoid possible violations and service disruptions. Transport Canada's amendment to the Commercial Vehicle Drivers' Hours of Service (HOS) Regulations mandates that federally regulated motor carriers and drivers who maintain daily paper logs for recording HOS will need to replace existing electronic recording devices (or upgrade software) and paper logs with ELDs that have been tested and certified by an accredited, third-party certification body.

Omnitracs customers working toward full compliance with the Canadian ELD mandate can depend on Omnitracs' IVG technology as one solution to assist in meeting their compliance obligations. Omnitracs is dedicated to providing workable solutions as it moves forward into a future where ELDs are an essential component to driver safety in a fleet environment. ELDs make it easy to log drivers' HOS, which helps to prevent fatigue that could lead to dangerous situations  both for drivers and other motorists.

Canadian fleets can continue to rely on Omnitracs' intelligent fleet solutions to safely manage their compliance needs.

About Omnitracs

Omnitracs, a Solera company, offers the only complete fleet intelligence software platform. Serving the largest for-hire and private fleets in the transportation and distribution industries, Omnitracs's solutions accelerate business success, improve efficiency, and enhance the driver experience for nearly 15,000 customers who collectively travel 700 million miles per week. Omnitracs was a pioneer in the digital transformation in trucking more than 30 years ago. Today, it offers a one-stop shop for enterprise-grade, data-driven solutions across compliance, telematics, workflow, routing, and video safety in over 50 countries across the globe. Learn more at www.omnitracs.com .

About Solera

Solera is a leading global provider of integrated vehicle lifecycle and fleet management software-as-a-service, data, and services. Through four lines of business  vehicle claims, vehicle repairs, vehicle solutions and fleet solutions  Solera is home to many leading brands in the vehicle lifecycle ecosystem, including Identifix, Audatex, DealerSocket, Omnitracs, eDriving/Mentor, Explore, CAP HPI, Autodata, and others. Solera empowers its customers to succeed in the digital age by providing them with a "one-stop shop" solution that streamlines operations, offers data-driven analytics, and enhances customer engagement, which Solera believes helps customers drive sales, promote customer retention, and improve profit margins. Solera serves over 300,000 global customers and partners in 100+ countries. For more information, visit www.solera.com .

SOURCE Solera Holdings, Inc.
MIAMI, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ONE Sotheby's International Realty, the leading luxury real estate firm along Florida's East Coast, celebrates the brokerage's premier network of agents who together achieved record success in 2021. The powerhouse firm showcased an extraordinary year  exceeding all previous sales records with a 112% increase in sales volume year over year.

"I am incredibly proud of our agents who once again dominated in our region and continue to elevate the industry standard," said Mayi de la Vega, Founder & CEO of ONE Sotheby's International Realty. "Our talented team expertly navigated an unprecedented market and inventory constraints for a record-breaking year, solidifying our brand's leadership and unrivaled network in the luxury sector."

ONE Sotheby's International Realty's footprint continues to grow along Florida's East Coast, with eight recent acquisitions that include National Realty in Brevard County, Harding Realty in Surfside, and the expansion into the Northeast Florida market with the addition of affiliate firm First Coast Sotheby's International Realty. The brokerage's agents achieved numerous record-breaking deals in 2021 across areas such as Coconut Grove, Brickell, Miami Beach, Golden Beach, Boca Raton, Vero Beach and Melbourne Beach, among others. The Development Division also marked incredible growth with a 110% increase in closed new development sales YOY, and launched sales as the exclusive brokerage of the St. Regis Residences Miami in Brickell.

"The performance and effort shown by our agents and team is nothing short of exceptional," said Daniel de la Vega, President of ONE Sotheby's International Realty. "Our achievements are fueled by their unwavering dedication. I am honored to close out another banner year for our residential, new development and commercial divisions, where we will continue to lead the market into the future."

TOP PRODUCERS



Rafael Arias (#1) was recognized as ONE Sotheby's International Realty's top producer in 2021, with over $182 Million in sales volume and multiple record-breaking sales in Miami Beach and Golden Beach, followed by Michael Martinez (#2), Jorge Uribe (#3), Jeffrey Miller (#4), Dennis Carvajal (#5), Jessica Adams (#6), Jill Penman (#7), David Settgast (#8), Michael Thorpe (#9), and Elena Bluntzer (#10).

Leading the top producing teams are The Waterfront Team (#1) with over $256 Million in sales, The Coto Group (#2), The Abaunza Group (#3), MR Luxury Group (#4), Baum Team (#5), Duek Lara Team (#6), Stephanie Dandridge Team (#7), The Elmir Group (#8), Brigitte Lina Group (#9), and Aluma Fisher Team (#10).

Earning the top spots for small teams are Nestler Poletto Team (#1) with over $180 Million in sales, followed by Worldwide Group (#2), Anna Sherrill Group (#3), The Kleer & Garcia-Diaz Team (#4), Rose Harris Group (#5), Lynda Smith & Ariel Smith Hortman (#6), The Cohen Team (#7) Sladja Miami Homes (#8), Diane Lieberman Team (#9), and Bonetti Fox Team (#10).

The Susan Gale Group was awarded the No. 1 spot for commercial sales, followed by Manny Chamizo III. The top producing associates who recently joined ONE Sotheby's International Realty are Moshe Goldshtein & Chana Lipskar followed by Lydia Eskenazi, Julie Ann Giachetti, Gloria Sheridan, and Natalia Gryczynska.

Find the complete rankings at: http://bit.ly/onesirtopproducers

About ONE Sotheby's International Realty



ONE Sotheby's International Realty is the premier source for luxury real estate and development opportunities along Florida's East Coast, with 27 offices spanning from Miami and Key Biscayne to Vero Beach and Jacksonville. Since its inception in 2008, ONE Sotheby's International Realty has recruited 1,300 of the world's most passionate and well-connected agents. For more than 250 years, the Sotheby's name has exemplified the promise of a life well lived, and ONE Sotheby's International Realty's direct affiliation with Sotheby's and Sotheby's International Realty has offered the company unparalleled, global reach  an attribute sellers reap the full benefit of as their homes receive prime exposure to a network of more than 24,000 associates in more than 75 countries and territories with more than 1,000 offices. The firm's development sales division represents some of the most successful and prestigious condo developments along the coast with a total inventory of over $4 billion. Offering committed professionals, backed by a global brand with a heritage of unsurpassed quality, value and trust, ONE Sotheby's International Realty is dedicated to giving extraordinary lives a home to thrive. www.onesothebysrealty.com

SOURCE ONE Sothebys International Realty
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) is pleased to announce that Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. and its affiliates ("Providence") have elected to convert all 275,000 shares of Series A Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock held by Providence into 17,388,024 shares of the Company's common stock, effective March 1, 2022.

"We are pleased that the strong execution of our business strategy has created value for all our stakeholders and that the stock price performance and recent dividend increase have encouraged Providence to convert the form of their sizable investment in OUTFRONT," said Jeremy Male, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OUTFRONT Media Inc. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with Providence as they remain a significant and valued shareholder in OUTFRONT, and we are delighted that Providence's Michael Dominguez will remain on our board of directors."

"Since investing in OUTFRONT nearly two years ago amidst a challenging market environment, the Company's performance has exceeded our expectations, reflecting the strength of its team, its assets and its strategy," said Michael Dominguez, Chief Investment Officer of Providence Equity Partners. "We are pleased to remain significant shareholders of the Company and are excited to continue working with the Company's talented management team and board of directors to seek long-term value for all shareholders."

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

OUTFRONT Media Inc. ("OUTFRONT," "we," "our," "us" and "the Company") have made statements in this document that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will," "look forward," or "seek," or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions related to our capital resources, portfolio performance and results of operations, including but not limited to the impact of the conversion of our Series A Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock on our capital resources, portfolio performance and results of operations. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and you should not rely on them as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements depend on assumptions, data or methods that may be incorrect or imprecise and may not be able to be realized. We do not guarantee that the transactions and events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements: declines in advertising and general economic conditions, including declines caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and any other pandemics, and the impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations; competition; government regulation; our ability to implement our digital display platform and deploy digital advertising displays to our transit franchise partners, including interruptions and reductions in demand caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; our ability to obtain and renew key municipal contracts on favorable terms; seasonal variations; dependence on our management team and other key employees; our substantial indebtedness; cash available for distributions; the ability of our board of directors to cause us to issue additional shares of stock without common stockholder approval; our failure to remain qualified to be taxed as a real estate investment trust ("REIT"); and other factors described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including but not limited to the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022. All forward-looking statements in this document apply as of the date of this document or as of the date they were made and, except as required by applicable law, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

About Providence Equity Partners

Providence is a premier asset management firm with approximately $31 billion in aggregate private equity capital commitments. Providence pioneered a sector-focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm's inception in 1989, Providence has invested in over 170 companies and has become a leading private equity firm specializing in growth-oriented investments in media, communications, education and technology.

Contacts:

OUTFRONT:

Investors

Media Stephan Bisson

Courtney Richards Investor Relations

PR & Events Specialist (212) 297-6573

(646) 876-9404 [email protected]

[email protected]

PROVIDENCE:

Andrew Cole/Kelsey Markovich Sard Verbinnen & Co (212) 687-8080 [email protected]

SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and PUNE, India, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Persistent Systems (BSE: PERSISTENT) (NSE: PERSISTENT) has achieved Infrastructure Services Specialization by Google Cloud. Persistent is part of the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program.

Specialization is the highest technical designation a Google Cloud partner can earn and requires an established Google Cloud practice, client success, and proven technical capabilities, as endorsed by Google. The benefits include technical enablement, financial incentives, competitive pricing, training, and certifications to help accelerate Google Cloud-led modernization for clients.

Cloud is arguably the most critical component of any digital journey. Persistent's deep experience in the cloud, combined with this specialization and the increasing shift to a multi-cloud strategy, will help meet clients' need for modernization using Google Cloud.

Being part of the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program means Persistent has the certified experience to deliver Google Cloud solutions to clients. The Specialization reflects Persistent's commitment to help clients meet their digital transformation goals with Google Cloud and allows for a closer alignment around advanced training, go-to-market, and technical collaboration.

Amitabh Jacob, Head of Partners and Alliances, Google Cloud India

"Persistent is a valued Google Cloud partner. This achievement is a reflection of their strong, continued commitment to technology excellence and driving real business value for our customers with Google Cloud."

Ajai Kumar, Senior Vice President for Partner Ecosystem, Persistent Systems

"Persistent continues to build an exceptional partner ecosystem to help our clients transform their businesses, and working closely with the leading cloud providers, like Google, is a critical part of this strategy. With Infrastructure Services Specialization, Persistent has successfully demonstrated proficiency and client success in meeting enterprise modernization needs using Google Cloud. We will continue to pursue further Partner Specialization badges in the year ahead as we strive to meet the demand for cloud expertise."

About Persistent

With over 16,500 employees located in 18 countries, Persistent Systems (BSE & NSE: PERSISTENT) is a global services and solutions company delivering Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization. Persistent was named to the Forbes Asia Best Under a Billion 2021 list, representing consistent top-and bottom-line performance as well as growth.

www.persistent.com



Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements

For risks and uncertainties relating to forward-looking statements, please visit persistent.com/flcs

Media Contacts:

Emma Handler

Persistent Systems (Global)

+1 617 633 1635

[email protected]



Manohar Dhanakshirur

Archetype

+91 750 644 5361

[email protected]

SOURCE Persistent Systems
KAMPALA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's ministry of disaster preparedness has warned of devastating weather effects in the months up to May as the first main rain season of the year kicks off.

Esther Anyakun, minister of state of relief, disaster preparedness and refugees told reporters on Tuesday that the rain season is characterized by severe isolated thunderstorms associated with lightning and hailstorms.

These result into destructive flooding in several districts, landslides in the mountainous areas, and destructive winds leading to ravaging of plantations and houses.

The minister said 48 districts in the northeastern, eastern, western and southern parts of the country are at high risk of waterlogging, windstorms and landslides.

Anyakun warned that the widening long crack on the slopes of Mountain Elgon in the eastern part of the country requires attention because it may result into a catastrophic slope failure.

She said some parts of the country are already suffering the effect of the 2019/2020 rain seasons which led to internal displacement of people due to flooding and rising of water levels of lakes.

The minister said government will carry out assessments and issue advisories to communities in high risk areas for temporary relocation.

"Priority one in this respect will be to support families in safer areas to provide refuge for relatives/neighbors in the high risk zones," she said.

"Government will mobilize funds to ensure adequate and essential medicines are stocked in the high risk districts where roads are always being affected to ensure steady flow of medical services," the minister added. 
ALBANY, N.Y., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global PVC foam sheet market for structural composites was valued over US$ 900 Mn in 2019 and is expected to rise at a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period, from 2020 to 2030. The closed-hole cross-linked structure of PVC foam sheet for structural composites has great stiffness, outstanding strength-to-weight ratio, as well as toughness. With these features, PVC foam sheets are utilized in a wide array of purposes, including building & construction, maritime, transportation, and wind energy. Manufacturers of PVC foam sheet for structural composites are capitalizing on new prospective in wind energy. Thus, revenue from wind energy applications in the PVC foam sheet market for structural composites is expected to expand at a rapid rate during the forecast period. As a result, manufacturers of PCV foam sheets are taking advantage of immense possibilities in the production of wind blades.

In 2019, Asia Pacific held a large share of the global PVC foam sheet market for structural composites in terms of demand, followed by Europe and North America. In 2019, China retained a commanding position in the Asia Pacific PVC foam sheet market for structural composites. In terms of value, the Asia Pacific PVC foam sheet market for structural composites is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% in the years to come.

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Key Findings of Market Report

PVC foam sheet's ability to absorb fatigue resistance and offer toughness, moisture, and great bond strength with conventional adhesives and resins is projected to drive the demand in the near future





Machine makers are laying more emphasis on providing equipment to organizations that specialize in SPC production. As a result, SPC is gaining traction as a significant driver for the market.





In 2019, the global PVC foam sheet market for structural composites was dominated by the transportation industry. Surge in demand for PVC foam sheets in the manufacture of different automobile parts is expected to propel the segment at a rapid pace during the forecast period. PVC foam sheets are generally utilized for supporting buildings and interior design.

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By the end of the forecast period, the wind energy segment of the PVC foam sheet market for structural composites is predicted to grow at a quicker rate. PVC foam sheets for structural composites have strong fire & heat resistance, anti-corrosion, high stiffness, and good strength-to-weight ratio. The need for PVC foam sheets in the manufacturing of different wind turbine parts is projected to increase as a result of this.





India and China , with their huge population base and rapid rise in the middle-class people, offer promising opportunities for the PVC foam sheet market for structural composites in Asia Pacific . The demand for nacelle covers, rotor blades, and generator housing is expected to increase as the spending on the wind energy sector develops and contract agreements for the delivery of wind energy rises in countries such as China and India.

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Global PVC Foam Sheet Market for Structural Composites Market: Growth Drivers

Since balsa is heavier than PVC, players in the PVC foam sheet market for structural composites are focusing on wind energy application that demand lightweight materials such as PVC foam sheets





PVC face shields are in high demand in the healthcare industry of the U.S. and Brazil. Aside from PVC face shields, producers are focusing on SPC products, which are widely utilized in flooring applications.

Global PVC Foam Sheet Market for Structural Composites Market: Key Players

Some of the key market players are

Changzhou Tiansheng New Materials Co., Ltd

Deqing Sanhe Rubber & Plastic Co., Ltd

Brett Martin Plastic Sheets

Armacell International S.A.

Changzhou Utek Composite Co., Ltd

Novagard Solutions, Inc.

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Global PVC Foam Sheet Market for Structural Composites Market: Segmentation

Application

Transportation

Wind Energy

Marine

Building & Construction

Others

Chemicals & Materials Industry battles Tangible Impact of Economic and Cultural changes, Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals & Materials:

Foam Adhesive Films Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/foam-adhesive-films-market.html

Foam Tape Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/foam-tapes-market.html

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PORTLAND, Ore., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Rapid Tests Market by Product (Over-the-counter Rapid Test, Professional Rapid Test, and Others), Application (Infectious Disease, Cardiology, Oncology, Pregnancy, Infertility, Toxicology, Glucose Monitoring, and Others), and End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Home Care, Diagnostic Center, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030." According to the report, the global rapid tests industry was estimated at $33.32 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to hit $97.60 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 11.3% from 2021 to 2030.

Download Sample Report- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4633

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities-

Rise in awareness regarding early diagnosis of disease, prevalence of infectious diseases, and need for low cost as well as accurate diagnostic testing drive the growth of the global rapid tests market. On the other hand, stringent government regulations for the approval of rapid tests restrain the growth to some extent. However, growth in personalized care and increase in promotional activities by manufacturers are projected to create lucrative opportunities in the industry.

Impact of Covid-19 on Rapid Tests Market-

The outbreak of the pandemic gave way to a steep incline in the number of rapid tests done among individuals, rapid tests are highly useful in detection of the corona virus. This, in turn, impacted the global rapid tests market positively, especially during the initial phase.

This trend is most likely to continue till the pandemic is completely over.

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The glucose monitoring segment to maintain the lion's share-

On the basis of type, the glucose monitoring segment accounted for the highest market share in 2020, generating more than two-fifths of the global rapid tests market. The infectious disease segment, on the other hand, is anticipated to cite the fastest CAGR of 12.8% from 2021 to 2030, due to rise in incidence of diabetes. Upsurge in preliminary screening procedures in hospitals and increase in adoption of rapid tests in the developing regions of Asia and Africa boost the growth of the segment.

The home care segment to lead the trail-

On the basis of end-user, the home care segment generated the highest share in 2020, holding nearly two-fifths of the global rapid tests market. Increase in disposable incomes and growth in awareness about advance rapid tests drive the segment growth. The hospitals and clinics segment, however, is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 11.8% from 2021 to 2030. This is attributed to rise in number of hospitals in both the developed as well as developing countries and increase in number of hospital visits for the diagnosis of the diseases.

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North America to dominate by 2030-

On the basis of region, North America contributed to the major market share in terms of revenue in 2020, holding nearly two-fifths of the global rapid tests market, owing to increase in demand for rapid tests and availability of advanced healthcare facilities with trained medical professionals. Asia-Pacific, simultaneously, is projected to cite the fastest CAGR of 12.8% from 2021 to 2030. This is due to surge in incidence of various diseases and rise in R&D investments in the developing countries such as India and China.

Prominent market players-

Akers Biosciences

Becton

Dickinson and Company

Danaher Corporation (Cepheid, Inc.)

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Roche Diagnostics)

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Abbott Laboratories (Alere Inc.)

Meridian Bioscience

OraSure Technologies

OraSure Technologies

Hologic

Official Press Release- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/press-release/rapid-tests-market.html

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
NAPA, Calif., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Raventos Codorniu, Spain's oldest wine producer, announces the launch of a new experiential e-commerce platform in the U.S., 15bodegas.us. With the goal of making prestigious wines and Cavas available to wine lovers around the country, the new website enables U.S.-based consumers to order from six wineries for direct delivery. In celebration of the launch, online users will receive a discount of 15 percent and five dollar flat-rate shipping during the month of March, 2022.

More than an e-commerce platform, the website provides an interactive guest experience that showcases each winery, including its history, location, wine tourism, winemaking, and vineyards. The 15 Bodegas blog hosts informative content, such as pairing suggestions and harvest information, written by winemakers, journalists, and other industry experts. Subscribers will gain access to video content and virtual tastings, as well as wine promotions and updates on future releases. As the site evolves, travelers will be able to book wine tourism experiences directly through the site.

"Our goal in launching 15 Bodegas is to create direct touchpoints for American consumers with all of our outstanding wineries and the people and places behind them," says Mike Jackson, president of Raventos Codorniu North America. "The site isn't just a sales platformit's a virtual meeting place for wine lovers who want to discover what is hidden inside every bottle."

Since 15 Bodegas first launched in Spain in April 2021, Raventos Codorniu has dramatically increased its online sales, putting the spotlight on all brands under one convenient platform. While there are 15 wineries in the Raventos Codorniu portfolio, six wineries are currently available for purchase on the U.S. website, with Artesa sold separately through its own website.

The wines and Cavas available for purchase online include a range of SKUs that are not available through the national wholesale system. These are typically small allotments of high-scoring, single-vineyard wines from six of the 15 Raventos Codorniu wineries: Codorniu (D.O. Cava); Raimat (D.O. Costers del Segre); Bodegas Bilbainas (D.O. Rioja); Legaris (D.O. Ribera del Duero); Scala Dei (D.O.Q. Priorat); and Septima (Argentina).

To make purchases, explore content, or learn more, please visit 15bodegas.us .

About 15 Bodegas

15bodegas.com was established for wine lovers to discover the stories behind each wine in the Raventos Codorniu portfolio and to provide informed guidance during the online purchasing process. Unlike other e-commerce sites, 15 Bodegas is not a marketer, but rather an online showcase of wineries that cultivate their own vineyards in a sustainable way and produce quality wines. The platform enables wineries to sell directly to the consumer, without going through third parties - from the vineyard to the winery, and from the winery directly to the house. 15 Bodegas exists to illuminate the stories that build each brand and to introduce the people who give life to every wine. 15bodegas.us

About Raventos Codorniu

Raventos Codorniu is Spain's oldest producer of wines and Cavas and is a symbol of continuity, innovation, and regional identity. The company has five centuries of history (since 1551) and experience, combining tradition and modernity to build a portfolio of wineries which are leaders in their respective regions. With close to 7,500 acres of estate vineyards and 15 prestigious wineries spread across Spain, Argentina, and California, Raventos Codorniu is one of the world's leaders in viticulture and winemaking expertise, continually evolving to meet the growing demand for exceptional Cavas and wines. raventoscodorniu.com/en

Media Contact:

Rebecca Johnson, O'Donnell Lane, LLC

[email protected]

707-287-3046

SOURCE Raventos Codorniu
Personalized user objectives and guidance are paired with the handheld (FDA Class 1) Biosense breath device that tracks precise fat oxidation in breath as it changes with diet, fasting, and exercise. Aimed at consumers, clinics, and researchers, the self-care behavioral modification in-app programs fueled by a personalized Fat Burn Score include outcomes such as:

Weight loss

Anti-inflammation

Longer healthspan

Metabolic flexibility

According to Readout CEO, Jim Howard, "By combining personal full-day Biosense fat burn biofeedback with a medically-designed curriculum in these engagement programs, patients and consumers now have a path to sustainable change." The medically-designed curriculum is scheduled to be added in the Spring.

To support the medical oversight of the programs, Readout announced the hiring of Naomi Parrella, MD as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Parrella is a double board-certified obesity and family practice physician and Chief of Lifestyle Medicine at Rush University in Chicago. She will support Readout's clinical utilization and research using fat oxidation therapies for disease prevention, management, and reversal of metabolic disorders, neurocognitive disorders, oncology, mental health, and heart failure.

Dr. Parrella adds, "We've been looking over three years for this game-changing technology to empower more people to improve their health. With Biosense, users can get real time feedback and support in between clinic visits for faster and better results. I am eager to enable the use of Biosense's patented technologies to simplify protocols, reduce costs, and deliver smarter outcomes for patients, providers and payers, as well as to Readout's partners in clinical research."

Get Started: Biosense

ABOUT READOUT HEALTH

Readout Health is a behavior modification data startup focused on large chronic disease markets. As the leading in-home personalized breath biomarker solution for patients and consumers, Readout patented a lung sampling process platform to replace blood measurements in 2020 and launched Biosense as the first FDA Class 1 device for precision nutrition and fasting after a successful 2019 clinical trial . The Company has several pharma and academic trials ongoing and supports clinics using carb restrictive therapies for disease reversal, including RPM reimbursement codes.

Media Contact:

Readout Press

[email protected]

SOURCE Readout Health
The 600-page bilingual White Paper on the Business Environment in China , now in its 15th year, is a well-structured and extensively-researched volume which presents a multifaceted and unbiased account of the business environment in China. The 147-page bilingual Special Report on the State of the Business in South China , our 18th such endeavor, provides a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the business community and valuable insights into the development trends in South China. This year 230 companies were studied. Both publications are researched and produced independently by AmCham South China and do not represent the opinions of the US or any other government or organization. AmCham South China does not receive any funds from any government in the production of these publications.

2021 was an extraordinary and bittersweet year. China stood out for its economic resilience in the face of unprecedented global changes and a once-in-a-century pandemic. Its GDP grew by 8.1% to 114 trillion yuan (US$ 18 trillion) in 2021, its fastest pace in a decade, which showcased its strong growth momentum and enormous market potential. Foreign companies are increasingly venturing into China, looking for business opportunities there. According to the 2022 Special Report on the State of Business in South China, the actual reinvestment in China in 2021 experienced a year-on-year growth of 5%, closing the gap to the pre-pandemic level. 80% of the American companies reinvested last year. Noticeably, in 2021, twice as many companies reinvested US$250 million or more than they had budgeted, which is expected to result in GDP growth in the second half of 2024.

However, a rising demand for electricity and soaring coal and gas prices interacted with strict climate targets, which left China exposed to a power crunch in 2021. In AmCham South China's first study on the power shortage conducted in 2021 between October 8 and 12, 21% of the impacted companies experienced more than 40% reduction in production capacity due to the power rationing policy, but the overall picture looked much more benign in the second study with the figure dropping to only 3%. Nearly half of the studied companies believe that the shortages problem will be resolved by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

Most companies show greater optimism for an improved US-China bilateral relation in 2022. Compared with a year earlier, strong negative impacts brought by US and Chinese tariffs on companies eased in 2021. Dr. Harley Seyedin, President of AmCham South China, the winner of 2017 Oslo Business for Peace Award (together with Elon Musk, Durreen Shahnaz and Murad Al-Katib), which is awarded by an Award Committee of Nobel Laureates in Peace and Economics, said, "Diplomatic relations between the US and China have endured through almost half a century. As COVID-19 enters its third year, both sides need to stand firmly together at this crucial juncture to address common difficulties facing humanity including climate change, the pandemic, hunger and poverty." Dr. Seyedin also said, "I am hopeful that the nomination of highly credentialled and experienced Nicolas Burns as US ambassador to China will contribute to the continuity, stability and sustainability of this critical relationship."

Key Takeaways of the 2022 White Paper on the Business Environment in China and the 2022 Special Report on the State of Business in South China:

2021 saw an increase in headcount by half of the participating companies. Strong confidence can be found in the employment expansion plan with 57% of companies reporting to augment their headcounts significantly or slightly in 2022.

Companies' share of global annual revenue from China went through a modest but mostly positive fluctuation in comparison with previous four years. Approximately half of the companies obtained over 30% of revenue from China . 63% of the companies found their revenue from China increase significantly or slightly in 2021 which returned to pre-COVID levels.

went through a modest but mostly positive fluctuation in comparison with previous four years. Approximately half of the companies obtained over 30% of revenue from . 63% of the companies found their revenue from increase significantly or slightly in 2021 which returned to pre-COVID levels. Around 82% of the companies have already achieved profitability in China in 2021, a slight reduction compared to the last three years. Nevertheless, 56% of them reported to have met their budget expectations, a 7-percentage point uptick in comparison with the previous year.

in 2021, a slight reduction compared to the last three years. Nevertheless, 56% of them reported to have met their budget expectations, a 7-percentage point uptick in comparison with the previous year. Fewer companies expect to reach profitability in a short period of time. An unprecedented situation can be noticed in this year's report in which up to 12% of the companies believe that it will take longer than six years to become profitable.

Most companies still take a sanguine view of the business outlook in China , though the percentage dropped by 7% from a year earlier to 77%.

, though the percentage dropped by 7% from a year earlier to 77%. China is enjoying the highest popularity of all time as one of the preferred investment destinations by an overwhelming majority of the studied companies.

is enjoying the highest popularity of all time as one of the preferred investment destinations by an overwhelming majority of the studied companies. About three-fifths of the companies considered their overall return on investment (ROI) in China in 2021 to be higher than their global ROI.

in 2021 to be higher than their global ROI. Companies still have huge faith in the Chinese market, 77% of which chose to keep their investment in China in 2021. Not a single company showed intention to leave China completely. Noticeably, European and North American markets have greater attractions for a limited amount of shifted reinvestment this year.

in 2021. Not a single company showed intention to leave completely. Noticeably, European and North American markets have greater attractions for a limited amount of shifted reinvestment this year. Companies still take a strong interest in reinvesting in China despite its economic slowdown. More than 70% have reinvestment plans for 2022, including 76% of American companies. The percentage of companies with budgeted reinvestment of over US$250 million in China increases from 5% in 2021 to 10% in 2022.

despite its economic slowdown. More than 70% have reinvestment plans for 2022, including 76% of American companies. The percentage of companies with budgeted reinvestment of over in increases from 5% in 2021 to 10% in 2022. It is estimated that companies will reserve US$26.5 billion from profits for reinvestment in China in 2022 and the next three to five years, a dramatic increase of 45% compared to the previous year.

from profits for reinvestment in in 2022 and the next three to five years, a dramatic increase of 45% compared to the previous year. Roughly 72% of companies intend to expand in China over the next three years, 7% up from last year.

over the next three years, 7% up from last year. 2021 marks the fifth consecutive year that Guangzhou remains the top reinvestment destination in China . Shenzhen , Shanghai and Beijing are also ranked as the most favored reinvestment cities by the studied companies.

the fifth consecutive year that remains the top reinvestment destination in . , and are also ranked as the most favored reinvestment cities by the studied companies. The business environment in South China shows an upward spiral of improvement in recent years.

2022 is a critical year for further implementing the 14th Five-Year Plan and comprehensively promoting the rural revitalization strategy. "In the past decade, we, at AmCham South China have raised over 5,172,000 RMB in cash that literally saved the lives of 224 orphaned children by paying for their immediate life-saving medical procedures. We have also raised 12,945,811 RMB in in-kind donations which have raised four impoverished villages above the poverty line. I am deeply grateful to our over 2,300 members who have been actively involved in the philanthropic endeavors." said Dr. Harley Seyedin. He added that many companies are still affected by visa and travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. The Chamber which conducted extensive lobbying was recently informed that PU letters for qualified expats and their family members can now be obtained through application at local district offices. The Chamber is happy to have achieved this milestone.

About White Paper on the Business Environment in China and Special Report on the State of Business in South China

The White Paper on the Business Environment in China offers a summary of China's impressive accomplishments since China's "opening-up" and examines the key influences on the business environment in present-day China, such as national policy initiatives and the global economic crisis.

The Special Report on the State of Business in South China is a quantitative study of the business environment, conducted for consecutive years by AmCham South China. Each year, AmCham's member and non-member companies participate in AmCham's State of Business study, results of which will be garnered and edited into a separate publication.

Both documents can be downloaded free of charge from the chamber's website at www.amcham-southchina.org/amcham/static/publications/publications.jsp.

About the American Chamber of Commerce in South China

The American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China) is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating bilateral trade between the United States and the People's Republic of China. Accredited in 1995 by the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC, AmCham South China represents more than 2,300 corporate and individual members, is governed by a fully-independent Board of Governors elected from its membership, and provides dynamic, on-the-ground support for American and international companies doing business in South China. Over the past ten years, AmCham South China has hosted on average each year more than 10,000 business executives and government leaders from around the world at its briefings, seminars, committee meetings and social gatherings. All AmChams in China are independently governed and represent member companies in their respective regions.

SOURCE The American Chamber of Commerce in South China
The 2021 Best-in-Class title from Gallagher reflects the results of the Gallagher 2021 Benefits Strategy & Benchmarking Survey. Only 11 percent of the 4,000 organizations that participated in the analysis received the prestigious Best-in-Class designation.

With a focus on ideal organizational structure, the Best-in-Class title specifically examined Riverside Research's competency in communications strategies, healthcare benefits, use of HR technology, rate of turnover for full-time employees, the overall benefits package offered, and focus on employee wellbeing.

The Ohio Success Award recognizes our community impact and growth. This is the fourth iteration of Ohio Business Magazine's Ohio Success Awards. The Ohio business community will celebrate Riverside Research and other award winners at an event in spring. Winners will also appear in the Spring 2022 edition of Ohio Business Magazine.

Ohio Business Magazine selects award winners that meet criteria of community involvement as a non-profit, revenue growth, providing unique value to the community, and leadership that creates sustained, positive impact on local communities in Ohio.

Riverside Research is proud to accept the Ohio Success Award and the 2021 Best-in-Class designation. This progress reflects the not-for-profit's focus on recognition as a Destination Company for top talent in the defense, research, and not-for profit spaces.

About Riverside Research

Riverside Research is a not-for-profit organization advancing scientific research in the interest of National Security. Through the company's Open Innovation Center (OIC), it invests in multi-disciplinary research and development and encourages collaboration to accelerate innovation and advance science. Research areas include: AI/ML, Trusted and Resilient Systems, Optics, Electromagnetics, Commercial ISR, and Collection Planning. Learn more at www.riversideresearch.org.

SOURCE Riverside Research
MINNEAPOLIS and BRIDGEWATER, N.J., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Colon Cancer Coalition, a national nonprofit organization focusing on grass roots efforts to increase screening and awareness for colorectal cancer, and Salix Pharmaceuticals ("Salix"), the gastroenterology (GI) business of Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) ("Bausch Health") and one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world committed to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, are joining for the second consecutive year to raise awareness of the importance of colorectal cancer screenings. The Faces of Blue campaign will highlight the personal stories of patients and survivors touched by colorectal cancer to encourage preventive colorectal cancer screening.

In May 2021, the United States Preventive Services Task Force lowered the colorectal cancer screening age to 45 from 50 for those of average risk, matching the American Cancer Society's guideline recommendation that was released in 2018. Approximately 45 million Americans are now eligible for a potentially life-saving colorectal cancer screening, and this new guidance emphasizes the need for awareness programs to educate patients about risk factors and the importance of on-time screening for early detection.

"Personal stories resonate and can help influence behavior," notes Chris Evans, president, Colon Cancer Coalition. "Over the last decade the Colon Cancer Coalition has shared stories to encourage screening for colorectal cancer. Now that the recommended screening age has been lowered to age 45, there is a new group of people who need to hear this life-saving message."

"Salix and the Colon Cancer Coalition are teaming up to help reduce the impact of colorectal cancer on the at-risk population by encouraging preventative screening that can lead to early detection," said Robert Spurr, president, Salix. "We're honored to support the Faces of Blue story series, and we are launching new resources and social media partnerships to encourage and empower patients to take preventive action for their health by scheduling a colonoscopy."

Salix is also launching a new educational website during the month of March and partnering with social influencers to educate people about the risks of colorectal cancer and stress the importance of early, life-saving screenings.

The 2022 #FacesOfBlue story series will be published regularly throughout Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and semi-monthly throughout the rest of the year. These stories are posted to the Colon Cancer Coalition's website and will then be shared by both the Coalition and Salix on social media accounts.

To learn more about colorectal cancer and the importance of screening, visit ColonCancerCoalition.org.

About the Colon Cancer Coalition

The Colon Cancer Coalition is a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, Minn., dedicated to encouraging screening and raising awareness for colon cancer. The organization's signature Get Your Rear in Gear and Tour de Tush events are volunteer-driven in communities throughout the United States. Since 2004, millions of dollars have been granted by the Colon Cancer Coalition to local programs that promote early prevention, screening and patient support services for this disease. By making the words colon, colorectal and colonoscopy a part of the everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer. For more information, visit ColonCancerCoalition.org.

About Faces of Blue

The Faces of Blue Series, in its 11th year, features the personal stories of patients, survivors and others touched by colorectal cancer. The Colon Cancer Coalition features a special place on its website dedicated to this shared colorectal cancer experience. By publishing these accounts of courage, endurance, strength and even humor, the Colon Cancer Coalition hopes to share a common experience and provide encouragement for all affected by this disease. To read these stories of colorectal cancer resilience and perseverance, visit ColonCancerCoalition.org/FacesOfBlue.

About Salix

Salix Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world committed to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. For more than 30 years, Salix has licensed, developed and marketed innovative products to improve patients' lives and arm health care providers with life-changing solutions for many chronic and debilitating conditions. Salix currently markets its product line to U.S. health care providers through an expanded sales force that focuses on gastroenterology, hepatology, pain specialists and primary care. Salix is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Salix, visit www.Salix.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Bausch Health

Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global company whose mission is to improve people's lives with our health care products. We develop, manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology. We are delivering on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to advancing global health. For more information, visit www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

2022 Salix Pharmaceuticals or its affiliates.

SAL.0029.USA.22

Colon Cancer Coalition Media Contact: Bausch Health Media Contact: Erin Peterson Lainie Keller [email protected] [email protected] (651) 247-4023 (908) 927-1198

SOURCE Bausch Health Companies Inc.
Telehealth is becoming a critical piece of the staffing solution across the nation, but rural hospitals struggle to pay for enterprise software designed primarily for large health systems, which have access to large information technology departments to implement them. Critical access and small community hospitals also lack staff with the expertise or time to take advantage of non-profit and state and federal grant funding for such initiatives.

To answer this challenge, two telehealth companies  Vitalchat and EQUUM Medical  and consumer electronics giant Samsung have joined forces on a project called Access4Health. Each represents a vital leg of the telehealth stool:

People : Equum Medical delivers remote care from the right provider at the right time, from intensive care to specialists to expert nurses, using whatever technology the hospital staff has.

: Equum Medical delivers remote care from the right provider at the right time, from intensive care to specialists to expert nurses, using whatever technology the hospital staff has. Technology : Vitalchat delivers feature-rich telehealth securely through its lower-cost software, connecting caregivers, patients and families using existing workflows. The company has a number of affordable hardware options as well.

: Vitalchat delivers feature-rich telehealth securely through its lower-cost software, connecting caregivers, patients and families using existing workflows. The company has a number of affordable hardware options as well. Funding: Samsung has a wealth of specialized resources that can help organizations identify eligibility and apply for a wide range of government and non-profit funding programs that target rural health access and health equity.

"Telehealth is the great equalizer in medicine, and it is needed to bring life-saving medical interventions in cases where the local hospital lacks specialists, which we find almost everywhere," said Corey Scurlock, MD, MBA, CEO of Equum. "The problem has been that a solution that is affordable and tailored to a small hospital's unique needs has proved elusive. Until now."

Added Ghafran Abbas, Vitalchat's CEO/CTO: "We know that if telehealth is to meet the needs of rural America, it needs be effortless for staff to use at a price that is actually affordable. We built a new software platform that can quickly and easily integrate into existing workflows, requires zero management from staff and gives physicians the freedom to virtually round on patients at will."

In the design process of this collaboration, executives of Equum Medical and VitalChat turned to Samsung because of its experience in linking innovation to funding in telehealth. "There is a wealth of funding programs available for rural health, but often it goes unused because it takes specialized grant writing skills to convey the importance of a project to the grantors. We at Samsung, in partnership with the Grants Office are proud to be a part of this effort to connect rural providers with the kinds of medical expertise previously only found in large, urban academic medical centers." Says Ken Honeycutt, Director of Healthcare, Samsung Electronics.

While a national initiative, this collaboration will target states with evidenced shortages in beds and staff as tracked by Health and Human Services (HHS) databases. Commercial teams are preparing to present additional information and book executive briefings for early adopters on this initiative at the upcoming VIVE Conference March 6-9 in Miami, FL and HIMSS Conference March 14-18 in Orlando, FL.

About

EQUUM Medical

For over 10 years, EQUUM Medical has provided board-certified critical care physicians delivering acute care telehealth to address the challenges hospitals and health systems face when trying to fill gaps in coverage. For more information, visit https://equummedical.com/

Samsung

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com

Vitalchat

Vitalchat is a transformational telehealth software that effortlessly connects caregivers, patients and families using existing workflows on any commodity deviceat a fraction of the cost of other solutions. For more information, visit https://vitalchat.com/

Media Contacts:

Vitalchat

Alicia Moura

Chief Marketing Officer

520-307-1258

[email protected]

EQUUM Medical

Karsten Russell-Wood

Chief Marketing & Experience Officer

410-409-7376

[email protected]

SOURCE Equum Medical
In addition to hiring best-in-class partner agencies and increasing its digital media presence, Scandia Home recently brought in new brand president, Susan Wojewoda, who comes with over 20 years of consumer-sector experience. The Harvard Business School graduate has worked with major global companies including Lacoste, Ted Baker, Lilly Pulitzer and Keds, where she has led transformative, creative thinking to achieve profitable growth.

As Scandia Home looked ahead to 2022 and beyond, leadership saw an opportunity to take the brand to the next level by investing in digital growth and market expansion. With Susan's background, vision, and expertise in brand strategy, the team is confident having her lead this new, pivotal chapter in Scandia Home's success.

"Since its inception, Scandia Home has been committed to exceptional quality both in product and servicing of the customer," says Wojewoda. "I see an opportunity to extend the brand's reach to new consumers, channels, and markets while remaining true to its core value proposition  the Scandia difference."

When consumers' attention turned to investing in coveted, luxury home products during the pandemic, Scandia Home swiftly recognized the need to focus on their DTC business and capitalize on their superior market positioning. While bolstering digital and social media efforts including upcoming video and photo shoots with shelter industry veterans, Scandia Home also plans to expand its company-owned stores in new markets this year, specifically on the west coast. The brand currently has successful flagship locations in Beverly Hills, Jackson Hole and Palo Alto, along with a line-up of carefully curated retail partners.

Scandia Home has been widely recognized for reshaping the way Americans think about their bedrooms, whether its high thread count linens, lofty goose down comforters or sumptuous pillows. The brand subscribes to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS), ensuring an ongoing commitment to humane sourcing of its natural fills. By using only premium down that has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized to exacting specifications, the products are virtually hypoallergenic and reflect the industry's highest standards for down cleanliness.

50 years later, Scandia Home remains committed to superior comfort, uncompromised quality, enduring style, and a total white glove experience. The company's superior reputation has earned long-standing relationships with leading interior designers and home decor specialists, including Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Tim Clarke Design and Atelier AM.

"While recognizing the needs of the consumer, the company has remained committed to the anchors of our success, including working exclusively with the best European textile partners and finest artisans in the industry," adds Wojewoda. "We consider our products to be an investment in quality that has proven to stand the test of time."

For more information, please visit ScandiaHome.com .

ABOUT SCANDIA HOME

The origins of Scandia Home date back to 1971 when a catalog company in Seattle introduced a comforter-and-linens set called the "Scandia Down Ensemble". It helped introduce the European way of dressing the bed to the American market. Since then, Scandia Home has been bringing the best of European-style comfort into discerning homes for 50 years. Exceptional materials and outstanding craftsmanship have made our name synonymous with fine bedding the world around. A commitment to superior comfort, uncompromised quality, enduring style, and a total white glove experience, has made Scandia Down products the luxury standard. Each one of our products include what we call The Scandia Difference.

SOURCE Scandia Home
PARIS, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) announced that its Monarch 2 LTE-M/NB-IoT GM02S module, based on the Monarch 2 (SQN3430) chip, has been certified by Deutsche Telekom. Monarch 2 is Sequans' second-generation LTE-M/NB-IoT technology and is designed to support massive IoT applications such as meters, trackers, sensors, and wearables. The Monarch 2 GM02S module delivers ultra-low power consumption, an integrated MCU and application SDK, and a Single-SKU RF front end that supports deployment in any band worldwide. It is fully backwards compatible with Sequans' first-generation Monarch platform.

"The certification of Monarch 2 GM02S module supports Deutsche Telekom's commitment to offering world-class connectivity, assuring their IoT customers of high performance and successful business cases," said Didier Dutronc, EVP and head of Sequans massive IoT division. "This new certification expands the reach of our Monarch 2 GM02S module in Europe and adds to the growing list of approvals by network operators around the world."

"We are pleased to complete the certification of Sequans' Monarch 2 GM02S module, one of the most advanced cellular IoT connectivity modules available today," said Miguel Rodriguez, Sr. Manager IoT Integration & Validation, Deutsche Telekom. "The GM02S brings future-proof technology which interoperates seamlessly with our 5G massive IoT networks, coupled with differentiations that greatly optimize power consumption."

Monarch 2 GM02S Module Product Description

Monarch 2 GM02S is the industry's most advanced LTE Cat M1/NB1/NB2 connectivity solution. It is based on Sequans' second-generation Monarch 2 chip platform, which is designed and optimized to support 5G massive IoT. Monarch 2 provides significant improvements in performance and power consumption, while providing seamless migration for Monarch 1 customers because it is based on Sequans' existing LTE-M/NB-IoT protocol stackone of the most mature and proven in the entire LTE ecosystem. Monarch 2 GM02S is the world's first Common Criteria EAL5+ certified cellular IoT platform for integrated SIM (iUICC), providing best-in-class security. Monarch 2 GM02S also includes Sequans' Single-SKU RF front end, supporting deployment in any band worldwide, for true global deployment capability. A low-power application MCU allows customers to port their own code into the module via a feature rich SDK. On top of its ultra-low power consumption, Monarch 2 GM02S utilizes a single rail power supply starting at 2.2 V, the lowest voltage supported by any LTE-M/NB-IoT module in the industry today.

See Monarch 2 GM02S and Sequans at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, February 28  March 1, hall 5, stand 5H40.

About Sequans

Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading developer and supplier of cellular IoT connectivity solutions, providing chips and modules for 5G/4G massive and broadband IoT. For 5G/4G massive IoT applications, Sequans provides a comprehensive product portfolio based on its flagship Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT and Calliope Cat 1 chip platforms, featuring industry-leading low power consumption, a large set of integrated functionalities, and global deployment capability. For 5G/4G broadband IoT applications, Sequans offers a product portfolio based on its Cassiopeia Cat 4/Cat 6 4G and high-end Taurus 5G chip platforms, optimized for low-cost residential, enterprise, and industrial applications. Founded in 2003, Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Finland, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Visit Sequans online at www.sequans.com, and follow us on Twitter and Linked-In

Sequans media relations: Kimberly Tassin (USA), +1.425.736.0569, [email protected]

Sequans investor relations: Kim Rogers (USA), +1 385.831.7337, [email protected]

SOURCE Sequans Communications
KHARTOUM, March. 1 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council on Monday reiterated its support for dialogue to resolve the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, a council spokesperson said.

The council on Monday held its regular meeting at the Republican Palace in Khartoum and reviewed the Russian-Ukraine conflict, chaired by the council's chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.

"Sudan stands with the diplomatic solution as a way out of the crisis and supports the currently on-going endeavors between the two countries," the council's spokesperson Salma Abdul-Jabbar Al-Mubarak said in a statement.

The next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks will take place on the Belarusian-Polish border in the coming days, according to Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the talks held in Belarus, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday.

All negotiation positions were discussed in detail during the talks in Belarus, Medinsky said after the consultations. 
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc. ("New Oriental" or the "Company") (NYSE: EDU). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether New Oriental and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On April 25, 2021, media reports revealed that the City of Beijing had fined four online education agencies, including the New Oriental subsidiary Koolearn, the maximum fine of 500,000 yuan (approximately $80,000) each for misleading customers with false advertising regarding course pricing. On May 12, 2021, news reports revealed that an impending crackdown by the Chinese government on the private tutoring sector would be further reaching and more drastic than previously publicly known, including that regulators had already taken adverse actions against New Oriental and other for-profit tutoring companies.

On this news, New Oriental's American Depository Share ("ADS") price fell $2.77 per ADS, or 19.4%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $11.51 per ADS on May 13, 2021.

On June 1, 2021, Chinese regulators announced that they had fined 15 off-campus training institutions, including New Oriental, for illegal activities such as false advertising and fraud.

On this news, New Oriental's ADS price fell $1.77 per ADS, or 16%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $9.32 per ADS on June 3, 2021.

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, effectively ending any potential growth in the for-profit tutoring sector in China. On July 25, 2021, New Oriental published an "update" on the new regulations, which stated that the Company will "comply with relevant rules and regulations when providing educational services" and "expects such measures to have material adverse impact on its after-school tutoring services related to academic subjects in China's compulsory education system."

On this news, New Oriental's ADS price fell $4.46 per ADS, or nearly 70%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $1.94 per ADS on July 26, 2021.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- WeissLaw LLP is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated ("Healthcare Realty Trust" or the "Company") (NYSE: HR), in connection with the proposed merger of the Company with Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. ("Healthcare Trust of America") (NYSE: HTA). Under the terms of the merger agreement, each share of HR common stock will be exchanged for one share of HTA common stock, at a fixed ratio. In addition, HTA shareholders will receive a total implied value of $35.08 per share comprised of a special cash dividend of $4.82 per share and a transaction exchange ratio of 1:1 based on HR's unaffected price of $30.26 on February 24, 2022. At closing, HR and HTA shareholders will own 39% and 61% of the Company, respectively.

If you own Healthcare Realty Trust shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website:

https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/hr

Or please contact:

Joshua Rubin, Esq.

WeissLaw LLP

305 Broadway, 7th Floor

New York, NY 10007

(212) 682-3025

(888) 593-4771

[email protected]



WeissLaw LLP is investigating whether (i) Healthcare Realty Trust's board of directors acted in the best interests of Company shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, (ii) the deal's equity split is fair to Healthcare Realty Trust's shareholders, and (iii) all information regarding the sales process and valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed.

WeissLaw LLP has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected]

SOURCE WeissLaw LLP
LADERA RANCH, Calif., Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartStop Asset Management, LLC ("SAM") announced today the portfolio sale of two Class A student housing properties, [email protected] Arbor, located three blocks from the University of Michigan, and [email protected], located two blocks from the University of South Carolina.

SAM, through its subsidiary that serves as asset manager, facilitated the $140 million sale of the properties on behalf of the Power 5 Conference Student Housing I DST, a Delaware statutory trust that is one of SAM's investment programs. The sale resulted in a total return of 141% to its DST investors, which was calculated based on the aggregate amount of original capital invested in the property.

"We acquired both properties with the intention to implement modest common area upgrades and rebrand the communities to YOUnion Student Living," said SAM Chief Investment Officer John Strockis. "Our team made value-add upgrades that included high-speed Wi-Fi, security cameras, Amazon Hub Lockers and new study rooms in common areas that greatly appealed to our resident base. Both communities averaged 99% occupancy over the hold period. The result of these upgrades and rebranding contributed to the 141% total return to our investors."

The 97-unit, 345-bed [email protected] Arbor property is located at 411 E. Washington St. in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The 400-unit, 760-bed [email protected] property is located at 1000 Whaley St. in Columbia, South Carolina.

The properties were marketed for sale by Raymond James Investment Banking Group, and were sold to an institutional investor as a portfolio.

About SmartStop Asset Management, LLC

SmartStop Asset Management, LLC ("SAM") and its affiliates have transacted more than $5.5 billion in office, industrial, retail, self storage, and senior and student housing throughout North America.

Contact

Julie Leber

Spotlight Marketing Communications

949.427.1391

[email protected]

SOURCE SmartStop Asset Management, LLC
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Starboard Value LP (together with its affiliates, "Starboard" or "we"), one of the largest shareholders of Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) ("Huntsman" or the "Company"), with an ownership interest of approximately 8.8% of the Company's outstanding shares, today announced that it has issued a detailed presentation titled "Transforming Huntsman Corporation," outlining Starboard's views on Huntsman, the challenges that plagued the Company historically and continue to exist today, opportunities to drive improved performance, and details surrounding Starboard's slate of highly-qualified and experienced director nominees for election to the Huntsman Board of Directors (the "Board") at the Company's upcoming 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Annual Meeting").

The full presentation, Transforming Huntsman Corporation, can be found at https://www.starboardvalue.com/wp-content/uploads/Starboard_Value_LP_HUN_Shareholder_Presentation_03.01.2022.pdf

Below are some highlights from Starboard's detailed presentation.[1]

1. Huntsman's significant operating, financial, and share price underperformance.

From February 2005 , when CEO Peter Huntsman took the Company public, through Starboard's Schedule 13D filing in September 2021 , the Company has significantly underperformed its peers, and both the chemicals and broader market indices, including a shocking ~562% deficit to the Company's Performance Peers during this time.

, when CEO took the Company public, through Starboard's Schedule 13D filing in , the Company has significantly underperformed its peers, and both the chemicals and broader market indices, including a shocking ~562% deficit to the Company's Performance Peers during this time. Since January 2018 when Peter Huntsman assumed the role of Chairman through Starboard's Schedule 13D filing in September 2021 , the Company's share price has not only continued to underperform its Performance Peers and other relevant indices, including a ~26% deficit to its Performance Peers, but has generated negative shareholder returns during this time.

when assumed the role of Chairman through Starboard's Schedule 13D filing in , the Company's share price has not only continued to underperform its Performance Peers and other relevant indices, including a ~26% deficit to its Performance Peers, but has generated negative shareholder returns during this time. With few exceptions, since 2018, Huntsman has been valued at a ~2.0x discount to its peers, with the gap widening significantly post-pandemic in 2021.

Long-term organic revenue growth in each of the Company's reporting segments has failed to reach the Company's target of 2.0x GDP.

The Company's profitability has not meaningfully improved since its IPO, and continues to trail both its Performance and Primary Peers. The Adjusted EBITDA margin gap between Huntsman and its peers has continued to widen over time.

The Company describes 2021 financial results as being the best in the Company's history, yet Adjusted EBITDA margins and Adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow conversion remain one of the worst among peers. In addition, each of the Company's three Primary Peers also had record results in 2021, which leads us to believe that the Company's performance has been driven more by macro conditions rather than skillful execution.

2. A troubling history of missed promises and failed commitments to shareholders.

Prior to hosting its 2021 Investor Day, the Company had made financial commitments to shareholders at three consecutive investor days (2014, 2016, and 2018), and failed to deliver on all three targets.

2014 Investor Day Failed to achieve $2.0 billion of Adjusted EBITDA over 2- 3 years. Adjusted EBITDA actually declined by more than $350 million between 2014 and 2016, ending with only $1.1 billion , which was approximately 44% below the $2.0 billion target that had previously been presented to shareholders.

2016 Investor Day Failed to achieve $1.3 billion of Adjusted EBITDA in its core non-TiO2 businesses by 2017.

2018 Investor Day Failed to improve share price performance to ~$60 per share by 2020 [2] (and share price actually declined by 21% between the 2018 Investor Day and December 31, 2020 ). Sold its stake in Venator Materials PLC ("Venator") for only $140 million , which was $860 million less than what had been promised to shareholders. Failed to achieve its $1.7 billion cumulative free cash flow target between 2018 and 2022.

The Board has consistently set Adjusted EBITDA compensation targets, management's primary annual cash bonus metric, well below targets that the Company had communicated to shareholders at its various Investor Days.

We believe the Company's track record of missed promises has caused the Company's stock price underperformance and underscores the Board's repeated failure to hold management accountable.

The Company hosted yet another Investor Day in 2021 and is making even more promises to shareholders. We question why shareholders should believe the Company's promises will finally be fulfilled. Without change and significantly greater oversight, we believe shareholders will be incredibly disappointed yet again.

3. Poor governance and compensation practices marked by conflicted and interconnected directors that oversaw an ill-planned and reactive Board refreshment process.

Prior to Starboard's engagement with the Company, Huntsman had an incredibly entrenched Board with numerous professional, financial, and personal interconnects between both its members and/or the Huntsman family, which we believe created an insular boardroom environment lacking true independence. A few of the numerous conflicts include: Dr. Mary Beckerle , who is the CEO of the Huntsman Cancer Institute ("HCI"), which was founded by the Huntsman family and continues to receive substantial funding from the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, of which Peter Huntsman is Chairman and CEO. The Huntsman family has donated almost $750 million to HCI which employs and pays Dr. Beckerle approximately $1 million per year. In addition, Dr. Beckerle was actually terminated from her position as CEO of HCI several years ago and the Huntsman family interceded to have her reinstated by threatening to withhold over $250 million in donations. Daniele Ferrari , who was a former executive of Huntsman for fourteen years, then became a board member of both Huntsman and Venator (as a Venator board member, he oversaw a stock price decline of 90%), joined SK Capital as a Senior Director right after the private equity fund accumulated greater than $100 million in unrealized gains from purchasing Huntsman's stake in Venator for significantly less than what Huntsman had promised its shareholders the stake would be worth. For context, Huntsman promised shareholders its Venator stake would be worth at least $1 billion , and ultimately only received $140 million after conducting a fire sale in late-2020 to SK.

This interconnected Board repeatedly classified Dr. Beckerle as independent despite these glaring conflicts and repeatedly waived the mandatory retirement policy for other interconnected and long-tenured directors, among other governance failures.

After avoiding any real refreshment for years, and only after facing pressure from Starboard, the Board rushed through an abrupt and ill-planned refreshment process of some long-tenured directors, replacing them with three new directors, two of whom have had no prior public company board experience. In particular, we are highly concerned by the appointment of Jose Munoz who not only has never had prior public company board experience, but also has highly questionable circumstances surrounding his departure from Nissan, his former employer. Mr. Munoz worked at Nissan from 2004 to 2019. His time at Nissan coincided with Carlos Ghosn's tenure, who was CEO from 2001 to 2018. Mr. Munoz reported directly to Mr. Ghosn as Chief Performance Officer (2016 - 2019). In November 2018 , Mr. Ghosn was arrested and fired from Nissan after alleged financial misconduct. Following Mr. Ghosn's arrest, Mr. Munoz resigned from Nissan in January 2019 . Mr. Munoz was offered $12.8 million to cooperate with prosecutors to hold Mr. Ghosn accountable, but declined. We are highly concerned that Mr. Munoz apparently refused to participate in efforts to help his former employer hold a member of management accountable for alleged misconduct.

The Board's reactive and ill-planned refreshment process also failed to address two of its most conflicted directors - Dr. Beckerle and Mr. Ferrari - both of whom the Board shockingly continues to classify as independent.

Even with the new directors appointed in January 2022 , we believe the Board has already actively disenfranchised shareholders and opted into poor governance practices, including by: Shortening the nomination window for shareholders from ~30 days to 10 days; Refusing repeated requests to use a universal proxy card despite it being widely considered governance best practice; and Badgering Starboard and its nominees with repeated legal letters.

, we believe the Board has already actively disenfranchised shareholders and opted into poor governance practices, including by: These aggressive and shareholder unfriendly actions have been taken under the leadership of Cynthia Egan , the Company's new Lead Independent Director, and we believe perpetuate a highly concerning pattern of poor governance that has occurred under Ms. Egan's tenure on other Boards. As a member of the Governance Committee at BTZ, a taxable fixed income closed-end fund, Ms. Egan allowed BTZ to: 1) unilaterally amend BTZ's bylaws without a shareholder vote; 2) implement a staggered board despite BTZ having previously had an annually elected board; and 3) alter the voting standard for elections from a plurality standard to a dual voting standard (plurality in uncontested elections and majority of shares outstanding in a contested election). In addition, when Saba Capital ("Saba") attempted to nominate new individuals to BTZ's board, Ms. Egan along with the rest of BTZ's board sent Saba additional information requests and ultimately disqualified Saba's nominees from election, thereby eliminating shareholders' ability to select the Board that they believe would best represent their interests. We believe Ms. Egan has attempted the same tactics at Huntsman in an attempt to disenfranchise shareholders.

, the Company's new Lead Independent Director, and we believe perpetuate a highly concerning pattern of poor governance that has occurred under Ms. Egan's tenure on other Boards. Leading proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC, have previously highlighted that the Board has granted the CEO top quartile pay despite bottom quartile performance relative to Proxy Peers.

Other aspects of the Board and the Compensation Committee's troubling compensation practices, include: Setting compensation targets below investor day promises; Revising management's Adjusted EBITDA target by 40% in the middle of 2020, the only company among Proxy Peers to make such a reduction; Selecting an inappropriate peer set to benchmark executive compensation; Skewing payout structure favoring higher bonuses; Engaging in questionable performance peer selection practices; and Approving concerning corporate perquisites.



4. Problematic ESG Practices

Huntsman not only has the worst ESG rating among Primary Peers, but is also unique in being the only company among its Primary Peers to have a recent ratings downgrade.

We are concerned that the Company's environmental goals lack rigor and vision, leaving it underprepared for future regulatory and competitive pressure.

Under the failed oversight of the Board's ESG Committee, Huntsman has reactively made a carbon neutral pledge and an unfulfilled promise of TCFD reporting in order to, in our view, appease institutional investors.

Many of Huntsman's largest shareholders have, for years, publicly called for TCFD-aligned disclosures, yet under the Board's failed oversight, such information has yet to be disclosed.

Huntsman, in contrast to its Primary Peers, does not provide investors or employees a fulsome view into the Company's current workforce composition or practices.

5. With a capable and truly independent Board providing strong oversight and accountability, we believe performance can be meaningfully improved.

We believe there are attractive opportunities to improve commercial execution, reallocate corporate resources, and streamline both manufacturing, supply chain, and other operating expenses.

We believe that Huntsman can improve its Adjusted EBITDA margin by ~600bps on a run rate basis.

6. The qualifications and credentials of our highly-qualified, diverse and experienced slate of director nominees.

Collectively, our nominees are industry-leading experts with extensive experience in chemical operations, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, and capital markets.

James L. Gallogly Mr. Gallogly is widely considered to be one of the most successful chemical industry operating executives. He has significant operating, financial, and environmental management experience as a senior executive within the chemicals industry, as well as his significant public company board experience would make him a valuable addition to the Board. Mr. Gallogly previously served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Management Board at LyondellBasell Industries N.V. ("LYB"), a global plastics, chemical, and refining company from 2009 to 2015. During his tenure at Lyondell, the company's stock price outperformed the S&P Chemicals and S&P 500 indices by 360% and 381%, respectively. Prior to LYB, Mr. Gallogly served as Executive Vice President of each major business unit at ConocoPhillips. Prior to ConocoPhillips, Mr. Gallogly served as Chief Executive Officer Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, a global plastics and chemical company. Mr. Gallogly currently serves as Vice Chairman of the University Cancer Foundation Board of Visitors at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Mr. Gallogly previously served as a director of Continental Resources, Inc. and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

Sandra Beach Lin Ms. Lin's significant leadership experience as a senior executive in both the hybrid chemicals and broader industrials industries, coupled with her considerable experience serving on public company boards, would make her a valuable addition to the Board. Ms. Lin is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Calisolar, a global leader in the production of solar silicon. Previously, Ms. Lin was Executive Vice President of Celanese, a global hybrid chemical company. Celanese is one of Huntsman's Primary Peers, and a company whose Adjusted EBITDA margins in 2021 were double those of Huntsman. Prior to Celanese, Ms. Lin held various senior executive positions at Avery Dennison, Alcoa, and Honeywell International. Ms. Lin currently serves as a director at Avient Corporation, American Electric Power Company, Trinseo S.A., Ripple Therapeutics, and Interface Biologics. At Trinseo S.A., Ms. Lin serves as Chair of the Environmental, Health, Safety, Sustainability and Public Policy Committee, and at American Electric Power Company, Ms. Lin serves as Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee. We believe Ms. Lin's impressive accomplishments and relevance to the Company have already been acknowledged by the Board given their openness to having her join as a director during Starboard's attempts to reach a settlement with the Company earlier this year.

Susan C. Schnabel Ms. Schnabel's substantial business experience and financial background, coupled with her extensive experience serving as a director of public and private companies, would make her a valuable addition to the Board. Ms. Schnabel is the Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of aPriori Capital Partners. Previously, Ms. Schnabel served as Managing Director of Credit Suisse Asset Management and Co-Head of DLJ Merchant Banking. Prior to that, Ms. Schnabel served as Chief Financial Officer of PetSmart. Ms. Schnabel currently serves as a director of Altice USA , Chair of the Audit Committee of Kayne Anderson BDC, a Trustee of Cornell University , and a director of various other university and non-profit Boards of Directors. Ms. Schnabel previously served as a director of Versum Materials, STR Holdings, Neiman Marcus , Pinnacle Gas Resources, Rockwood Holdings, Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation (TSX), and other private company Boards of Directors. Ms. Schnabel has extensive chemicals industry experience both as an investor and as a board member. She was a key investor and board member during the transformative stages of Rockwood Holdings, a specialty chemicals company whose stock price between IPO and its eventual sale to Albemarle Corporation outperformed the S&P Chemicals and S&P 500 indices by 143% and 223%, respectively. [3]

Jeffrey C. Smith Mr. Smith's extensive knowledge of the capital markets, corporate finance, and public company governance practices, together with his significant public company board experience, would make him a valuable addition to the Board. Mr. Smith is a Managing Member, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Starboard Value LP. Prior to founding Starboard, he was a Partner Managing Director of Ramius LLC, and the Chief Investment Officer of Ramius Value and Opportunity Master Fund Ltd. Mr. Smith currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Papa John's International, and as a director of Cyxtera Technologies. Mr. Smith previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors of Advance Auto Parts, Darden Restaurants, and Phoenix Technologies. In addition, Mr. Smith has also served as a director of many other public companies.



HUNTSMAN NEEDS STRONG INDEPENDENT BOARD MEMBERS WHO WILL DEMAND IMPROVED PERFORMANCE AND HELP MAXIMIZE SHAREHOLDER VALUE

We believe you will find our comprehensive presentation to be helpful in understanding the severity of the issues currently plaguing the Company and, importantly, why we believe the election of our superior slate of nominees is required to help drive improved performance and a culture of accountability at Huntsman.

VOTE THE BLUE PROXY CARD TODAY

Please support our efforts to revitalize Huntsman by voting on the BLUE proxy card to elect our slate of highly qualified nominees at the upcoming Annual Meeting.

Our detailed presentation and other important information and materials regarding the Annual Meeting can be viewed at www.shareholdersforhuntsman.com .

If you have any questions or need further assistance with voting your Huntsman shares, please contact Okapi Partners LLC at the phone numbers or email listed below.

Shareholders may call toll-free: (877) 629-6356

Banks and brokers call: (212) 297-0720

E-mail: [email protected]

About Starboard Value LP

Starboard Value LP is a New York-based investment adviser with a focused and differentiated fundamental approach to investing primarily in publicly traded U.S. companies. Starboard seeks to invest in deeply undervalued companies and actively engage with management teams and boards of directors to identify and execute on opportunities to unlock value for the benefit of all shareholders.

Investor contacts:

Gavin Molinelli, (212) 201-4828

Patrick Sullivan, (212) 845-7947

www.starboardvalue.com

Okapi Partners

Bruce H. Goldfarb/Patrick McHugh

(212) 297-0720

[1] Please refer to the full presentation available at www.shareholdersforhuntsman.com for additional details, disclosures, supporting data, identity of peers, defined terms, underlying assumptions and other relevant information.

[2] The Company's closing share price on the day prior to the 2018 Investor Day was $32.02. The Company committed to improving share price by at least $27 per share by 2020, which implied a 2020 target share price of approximately $60 per share by December 31, 2020.

[3] Returns are adjusted for dividends and measured from August 16, 2005, the date of Rockwood's IPO, through January 12, 2015, the date that Rockwood's sale to Albemarle was completed.

SOURCE Starboard Value LP
HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the conflict in Ukraine continues, and hundreds of thousands flee the country, Sewa International in the USA has started a helpline to assist international students stranded in the country, arranging transportation to the nearest border post, and providing food and shelter during their journey. So far, over 4,000 students have already registered on Sewa International's helpline and the Sewa volunteers are in touch with another 400 people to help them evacuate.

Sewa In Action Proposed Evacuation Kit

Sewa Europe, an independent partner organization, and the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) are working on the ground in ten Ukrainian cities to assist people affected by the war. On February 26, Sewa Europe helped a group of 150 students to travel from Vinnitsa to Chernovtsy by bus. At Chernovtsy Sewa provided them shelter, food, and transport for their onward journey to the Romanian border.

"Sewa International is immediately releasing $10,000 for the Ukrainian relief efforts and started a Facebook fundraising campaign to help people who are threatened by this humanitarian crisis. The messages and videos we are getting from the war zone show the fear, anxiety, and danger people are facing as they run to safety. As the global Sewa network rises to face this challenge, I request people to support Sewa International in this rescue effort," Arun Kankani, President, Sewa International, USA said.

"The war between Russia and Ukraine has affected all people in the region and caused serious distress in a world that is still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Sewa International in the USA, and, HSS volunteers in Europe, the US, and India are receiving hundreds of messages seeking help from people who are stuck in the war zone," he said.

Sewa Europe has released an evacuation checklist to advise people about the most essential items to carry. It lists passport and visa documents, flashlight, five liters of drinking water, match box, winter jacket, sleeping bag, dry fruits and snacks, and COVID-19 vaccine certificates.

To register for assistance, Sewa is asking people to fill in the online form at -- https://bit.ly/SewaUkraineHelpline -- and more information related to Sewa's Ukraine relief efforts directing people to their https://linktr.ee/sewaeurope, https://www.facebook.com/SewaEuropeOfficial or https://www.instagram.com/sewaeurope/.

According to official estimates, about 18,000 Indian students are studying in universities across Ukraine. Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they are currently stranded, facing a severe shortage of food, and are in dire need of transport and shelter. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv is advising these students on how to reach country's western borders to reach Poland, Romania, or Hungary from where they can board Air India flights specially operated by the Indian Government to reach India.

About Sewa International

Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

CONTACT:

Vidyasagar Tontalapur  1 - 720-526-9939

Viswanath Koppaka  1- 404-304-0563

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.sewausa.org

SOURCE Sewa International
HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: SMLP) (the "Partnership") announced today that Rommel M. Oates has been appointed to the Board of Directors of its general partner, Summit Midstream GP, LLC (the "Board"). Mr. Oates was appointed on February 28, 2022 as a Class III Director.

Mr. Oates is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Oates Energy Solutions LLC and Refinery Calculator Inc. Since 1999, Mr. Oates has been a leading pioneer in helping the world transition to a sustainable future by using hydrogen as its main energy carrier. Mr. Oates has produced 18 patents in the field of hydrogen and is considered by many to be an expert in the area of hydrogen storage. Since 2014, Mr. Oates has served as a board member for the International Association of Hydrogen Energy. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Oates served True North Venture Partners (an Ahearn, Walton, Cox family limited partnership entity) in several capacities. From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Oates held the role of Senior Director of Commercial Development for True North's Management Partners team. Then, from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Oates held executive leadership roles in sales, marketing and commercial development for TNVP's portfolio company Aquahydrex Pty Ltd. From 2003 to 2015, Mr. Oates served in various capacities of increasing responsibility with Praxair Inc. (now Linde) including service as Director of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide Product Management, Sr. Account Director for Pipeline and On-Sites, General Business Manager of Praxair Electronics Houston and several Operations and Engineering roles. In addition, Mr. Oates holds an MBA and Master of Finance Degrees from Tulane University as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree (Pi Tau Sigma Honors) and Master's of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami, Florida.

Heath Deneke, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, commented, "I'm excited to welcome Rommel Oates as the newest Director on Summit's Board. Rommel has an extensive background in clean energy technology and brings a unique perspective to the Board, which will be valuable as we continue to refine our ESG approach, increase engagement in energy transition initiatives and develop our inaugural sustainability report, which will be published later this year. Rommel has a successful track record of using his expertise and creativity to create impactful solutions and I look forward to working with him in his new role to create long-term value for our stakeholders."

About Summit Midstream Partners, LP

SMLP is a value-driven limited partnership focused on developing, owning and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets that are strategically located in the core producing areas of unconventional resource basins, primarily shale formations, in the continental United States. SMLP provides natural gas, crude oil and produced water gathering, processing and transportation services pursuant to primarily long-term, fee-based agreements with customers and counterparties in six unconventional resource basins: (i) the Appalachian Basin, which includes the Utica and Marcellus shale formations in Ohio and West Virginia; (ii) the Williston Basin, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations in North Dakota; (iii) the Denver-Julesburg Basin, which includes the Niobrara and Codell shale formations in Colorado and Wyoming; (iv) the Permian Basin, which includes the Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations in New Mexico; (v) the Fort Worth Basin, which includes the Barnett Shale formation in Texas; and (vi) the Piceance Basin, which includes the Mesaverde formation as well as the Mancos and Niobrara shale formations in Colorado. SMLP has an equity method investment in Double E Pipeline, LLC, which provides interstate natural gas transportation service from multiple receipt points in the Delaware Basin to various delivery points in and around the Waha Hub in Texas. SMLP also has an equity method investment in Ohio Gathering, which operates extensive natural gas gathering and condensate stabilization infrastructure in the Utica Shale in Ohio. SMLP is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may project, indicate or imply future results, events, performance or achievements and may contain the words "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions, or future conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would," and "could." In addition, any statement concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies and possible actions taken by us or our subsidiaries are also forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also contain known and unknown risks and uncertainties (many of which are difficult to predict and beyond management's control) that may cause SMLP's actual results in future periods to differ materially from anticipated or projected results. An extensive list of specific material risks and uncertainties affecting SMLP is contained in its 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 28, 2022, as amended and updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and SMLP undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events.

SOURCE Summit Midstream Partners, LP
AAM has the potential to transform communities by enabling efficient inter- and intracity transport, including access to traditionally underserved and remote locations, reducing carbon emissions and providing a seamless, end-to-end passenger experience, among other benefits. The MOU creates a mechanism for the City to work with industry and community stakeholders to develop inclusive and forward-thinking policies that enable AAM and best serve Miami's citizens and residents.

"We are honored to play a role in responsibly co-creating the future of mobility for the city of Miami," said Jaiwon Shin, CEO of Supernal, and President of Hyundai Motor Group. "Because of the leadership demonstrated by Mayor Suarez, our work together will help establish the city of Miami as a model for AAM market development we hope to replicate in other cities."

"I'm excited to transform Miami into an epicenter of creativity and innovation. This next chapter in the City's long history includes leading the future of mobility and making it easier for people to move around," said Mayor Francis Suarez. "This MOU will pave the way for cities nationwide and across the world to solve mobility challenges that will enhance the quality of life for their constituents."

As part of the MOU, Supernal and the City will collaborate with community organizations to identify current gaps in existing transportation, determine how AAM can help and if needed, recommend potential new policies. The MOU also includes launching workforce development and education initiatives that recruit and incubate local talent and integrate AAM into existing transit networks, such as Metrorail, Metrobus and Metromover, among other systems.

The policies developed and insights gained through this first-of-its kind collaboration can serve as a model for municipal leaders nationwide as more cities begin to adopt new mobility solutions.

Venture Miami, the bridge-building team in the mayor's office responsible for developing the city's innovation and technology ecosystem, will oversee key aspects of the MOU and convene regular working group meetings and collaborations with influential community, business and education leaders to outline the necessary steps to actualize AAM in Miami.

"Our partnership with the City of Miami is about more than selling electric air vehicles or securing rights to establish operations," said Diana Cooper, Global Head of Policy and Regulation of Supernal. "At this stage, our interest is bringing together different public and private sector voices to explore when and how AAM can address the city's transportation needs and challenges."

Cooper added, "From there, we will create a roadmap together based on community input and other considerations. When Miami succeeds, Supernal succeeds."

Supernal will serve as an ongoing resource to the City and to Mayor Suarez in recognition of the leadership demonstrated in embracing this transformative technology.

The Company launched as the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group in January 2020 and debuted as Supernal in November 2021. In addition to working with public and private stakeholders to responsibly shape the emerging AAM industry, Supernal is developing a family of electric air vehicles. It plans to launch its first commercial flight in 2028.

About Supernal

Supernal (Supernal) is a U.S.-based smart mobility service provider on a mission to redefine how people move, connect, and live. We are developing an Advanced Air Mobility eVTOL vehicle and working to responsibly co-create the supporting ecosystem and integrate it into existing transit options. As part of Hyundai Motor Group, we are both a new business and an established company, with plans to harness our automotive manufacturing heritage to make Advanced Air Mobility accessible to the masses. Visit www.supernal.aero for more information and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Supernal
"2021 was the year blockchain entered our mainstream vocabulary," said Brian Lee, SVP of CB Insights' Intelligence Unit. "It powers some of our most innovative and cutting-edge technologies. Last year, we saw incredible success from the Blockchain 50 winners. This year, included among the winners we have 31 unicorns, 41 mega-rounds, and representation from 15 countries. We're excited to follow their journeys and see their success in 2022."

"Blockchain technology has incredible potential, and we're still in the early innings. In 2021 we saw unprecedented growth across the industry and throughout the regulatory landscape, CEO TaxBit. "We've been anticipating regulation on the information reporting front for years," Woodward said.

Taxbit unifies digital assets tax and accounting across enterprises, consumers and governments at scale. Their customers include industry-leading exchanges, protocols, and TradFi's along with retail consumers looking for best-in-class software. TaxBit recently announced, TaxBit Network , the first-of-its-kind network to provide FREE 2021 cryptocurrency tax forms to all users of supported TaxBit Network companies and the expansion of their US presence with a Washington D.C. office.

Through an evidence-based approach, the CB Insights research team selected the Blockchain 50 from a pool of over 3,000 companies, including applicants and nominees. They were chosen based on several factors, including data submitted by the companies, company business models and momentum in the market, and Mosaic scores , CB Insights' proprietary algorithm that measures the overall health and growth potential of private companies.

2022 Blockchain 50 Investment Highlights:

Unicorns: 31 of the 50 companies (62%) are valued at or above $1B as of their latest funding round.

31 of the 50 companies (62%) are valued at or above as of their latest funding round. Funding trends: These 50 companies raised $13.2B in equity funding in 2021 across 83 deals (excluding token sales).

These 50 companies raised in equity funding in 2021 across 83 deals (excluding token sales). Mega-rounds: In 2021, there were 41 mega-round ($100M+) equity investments to this year's Blockchain 50, nearly half of the total deal count.

In 2021, there were 41 mega-round ($100M+) equity investments to this year's Blockchain 50, nearly half of the total deal count. Global representation: This year's winners are based in 15 countries, with 44% of the companies based outside of the US. After the US (28 companies), the UK is home to the second most Blockchain 50 companies (5), followed by Canada , France , Singapore , and Switzerland (all at 2).

This year's winners are based in 15 countries, with 44% of the companies based outside of the US. After the US (28 companies), the UK is home to the second most Blockchain 50 companies (5), followed by , , , and (all at 2). Top investor: Coinbase Ventures is the most active investor in this year's Blockchain 50, having invested in 16 of the 50 companies. Andreessen Horowitz is second with 14 companies, followed by Paradigm at 13.

About CB Insights

CB Insights builds software that enables the world's best companies to discover, understand, and make technology decisions with confidence. By marrying data, expert insights, and work management tools, clients manage their end-to-end technology decision-making process on CB Insights. To learn more, please visit www.cbinsights.com.

CB Insights Press Contact:

[email protected]

About TaxBit

Designed by CPAs and tax attorneys, TaxBit is the leading tax and accounting solution for the tokenized economy. TaxBit's platform serves the industry's top exchanges, institutional investors, governments, and individuals. TaxBit has raised over $230 million from the world's-top investors in order to enable widespread digital asset adoption by automating the regulatory hurdles of tax and accounting compliance at scale. TaxBit has HQ in Salt Lake City and Seattle. To learn more visit: www.TaxBit.com , Twitter , LinkedIn .

TaxBit Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE TaxBit
CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) and United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) are attending the following conferences.

Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference

Webcast on March 7, 2022 at 4:15 pm ET

LeRoy T. Carlson, Jr., TDS President and CEO and Jane W. McCahon, TDS Senior Vice President-Corporate Relations, will attend. The presentation will be webcast both live and on-demand.

Raymond James 43rd Annual Institutional Investors Conference

Webcast on March 7, 2022 at 3:25 ET

James W. Butman, TDS Telecom President and CEO, Douglas W. Chambers, UScellular Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and Colleen Thompson, TDS Vice President-Corporate Relations, will attend. The presentation will be webcast both live and on demand.

Deutsche Bank 30th Annual Media, Internet & Telecom Conference

March 14, 2022

Vicki L. Villacrez, TDS' Incoming Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Eric Jagher, UScellular Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, and Colleen Thompson, TDS Vice President-Corporate Relations, will attend. The companies will be holding a series of meetings on March 14, 2022.

To listen to all presentations, please visit the events and presentations pages of investors.tdsinc.com or investors.uscellular.com. The presentation will be webcast both live and on-demand. It is recommended that you register at least 15 minutes before the start of the presentation to register, download and install any necessary multimedia streaming software.

About TDS

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS), a Fortune 1000 company, provides wireless; cable and wireline broadband, video and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million connections nationwide through its businesses, UScellular, TDS Telecom, BendBroadband and OneNeck IT Solutions. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employed 8,800 people as of December 31, 2021.

For more information about TDS and its subsidiaries, visit:

TDS: www.tdsinc.com

UScellular: www.uscellular.com

TDS Telecom: www.tdstelecom.com

OneNeck IT Solutions: www.oneneck.com

SOURCE Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. and United States Cellular Corporation
Tundra is the longest-standing talent curator in North America for contingent direct sourcing programs. The partnership combines Tundra's expertise as a talent curator and employer of record, with LiveHire's direct sourcing technology and 10-year experience in pioneering the world's highest-rated candidate experience across 150+ clients and 20 industry verticals globally.

"This strategic partnership brings together two leaders in direct sourcing to deliver world-class solutions for our clients whilst advancing a very important goal, to encourage women globally to consider STEM careers and connect them with coveted job opportunities," said Tundra president Micah Williams.

A recent winner of LinkedIn's Diversity Champion Award, Tundra's dedicated True Talent team works closely with partners such as LiveHire to build thoughtful equity and inclusion hiring strategies. Coupled with Tundra's annual Women in STEM mentor program and True Talent initiative, Tundra continues to grow its DE&I partnerships as leaders in the staffing industry.

LiveHire helps leading organizations build extraordinary workforces by growing, curating, and engaging an organization's private Talent Community to deliver optimal outcomes in direct sourcing and total talent. LiveHire's unique design and humanised candidate experience delivers 15% improved diversity outcomes across its 150+ clients and tens of thousands of hires annually. By combining LiveHire technology and Tundra's True Talent strategy enabling DE&I trained recruiters, DE&I analytics, and tailored outreach programs, clients can build a comprehensive diversity strategy to achieve true diversity throughout their full time and gig workforce.

"LiveHire is excited to partner with Tundra, a trusted and progressive industry leader," said Christy Forest, LiveHire CEO. "In today's dynamic labor market, Tundra maintains a suite of total workforce solutions that span both contingent and permanent hiring, a shared philosophy with LiveHire. LiveHire is passionate about direct sourcing and our long-standing diversity efforts. Our technology's award-winning candidate experience delivers exceptional hiring outcomes in speed, fit and diversity, and elevates a company's employment brand. As an important first step in our partnership with Tundra, I'm very excited to join forces to build the Tundra Launchpad Talent Community to connect women with new career opportunities."

About Tundra Technical

Tundra Technical Solutions hires top talent for industry-leading organizations across the globe for the past 17 years. Tundra is consistently named one of the fastest growing and largest staffing firms in North America according to Staffing Industry Analysts, and recently earned the Diversity Champion Award by LinkedIn in 2021. For industry news and updates, follow Tundra on LinkedIn.

About LiveHire

LiveHire is a globally-leading recruitment and contingent direct sourcing platform - enabling clients to attract and engage both permanent employees and contingent workers to deliver Total Talent solutions. LiveHire provides talent-on-demand through its unique talent pooling and 2-way text messaging functionality, having successfully enabled end-to-end recruitment from sourcing through to hire of diverse workforces for over 150 clients globally. For more information, visit www.livehire.com/us .

SOURCE Tundra Technical Solutions
NAIROBI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- International conservation groups on Tuesday called on major economies to allocate 60 billion U.S. dollars annually in order to boost protection of biodiversity hotspots in developing countries.

The funding appeal that was made on the sidelines of the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) underway in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi is expected to revitalize conservation of endangered species.

Bruno Oberle, the director-general of Geneva-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stressed that bridging a funding gap towards biodiversity conservation will guarantee a healthy, green and prosperous future for communities in the global south.

"Providing local and indigenous communities with the necessary means to conserve nature is not only a moral obligation, but also a sound investment that will generate high returns for all of us," said Oberle.

According to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD), halting the growing biodiversity loss amid climate change and over-exploitation would require 844 billion dollars annually.

Experts noted that multilateral lenders and wealthy nations are yet to honor their financial obligation to strengthen biodiversity conservation in developing countries, thereby undermining climate resilience among local communities.

Marco Lambertini, the director-general of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International said that investing in nature protection will spur inclusive and green growth besides shielding communities from disease-causing pathogens.

Lambertini stressed that innovative financing tools were required to boost conservation of biodiversity hotspots that are key to food, water and energy security in developing countries.

He said that funding should be at the heart of negotiations that would pave way for the establishment of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Delegates from over 190 countries will be expected to endorse the post-2020 global biodiversity framework at a summit to take place in Kunming city, the capital of China's southern Yunnan Province from April 25 to May 8.

Patricia Zurita, CEO of Birdlife International said the Kunming meeting will provide a platform to discuss policy, legislative and financing tools that could be harnessed to revitalize biodiversity conservation in the developing world.

Zurita stressed that bridging the financing gap should be combined with adoption of sustainable production and consumption habits in order to halt biodiversity loss. 
SAN FRANCISCO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ValGenesis, Inc., a market leader in enterprise Validation Lifecycle Management Systems (VLMS), and ZeeDimension, a technology and quality consulting company based in Dubai, UAE, have partnered to deliver unique digital validation solutions for pharmaceutical companies in the Middle East.

ZeeDimension has delivered successful software implementations and consulting projects for over 500 customers across the Middle East and India since 2006. ZeeDimension provides an integrated Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) "HighBond" platform bringing security, risk management, compliance, and audit executives together. This streamlines collaboration across organizations, automates repetitive tasks, and delivers best practices through a seamless interface recognized by Gartner in the 2020 Magic Quadrant for IT Vendor Risk Management.

As part of the partnership, ZeeDimension offers the implementation and management of next generation digital validation tools developed by ValGenesis, further strengthening risk and compliance processes. Through ValGenesis, ZeeDimension will serve a wider network of pharmaceutical companies across the globe.

"Our partnership with ZeeDimension allows clients in the Middle East to take advantage of our platform, but in a way that corresponds with the regulations and cultures of this region," says Dr. Siva Samy, CEO & Chief Product Strategist at ValGenesis, Inc. "Life science clients in the Middle East will experience the same improvements in quality, time reductions, and cost-saving as life science customers in the USA and Europe. We are thrilled that we can offer our solutions to this region, too," he stated.

"This partnership will allow us to serve our pharmaceutical clients, and others in the Middle East, to use the next generation digital validation platform mitigating risk and compliance processes," stated Dr. Ezz Hatab, Founder & CEO of ZeeDimension. "Enforcing standardization and consistency in validation, and assessing and managing risk through the entire process are the main features of the tool, which are aligned with the core business of ZeeDimension i.e., GRC," he stated.

ABOUT ZEEDIMENSION

ZeeDimension is a technology and quality consulting company providing software solutions to more than 500 clients in Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), Audit Analytics, Regularity, Machine Learning, Continuous Control Monitoring, Budgeting Forecasting, and Management Reporting. In operation for more than 17 years, ZeeDimension's strong consulting team has carried out many successful software implementations and consulting projects since 2006. For more information, visit https://www.zeedimension.com/

ABOUT VALGENESIS

ValGenesis, Inc. is the creator of an innovative software platform that serves as a foundation for managing compliance-based validation activities in life science companies. ValGenesis, Inc. is the provider of the first enterprise application that manages the corporate validation lifecycle process. This solution is fully compliant with U.S. FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and Annex 11 requirements. As the first fully paperless solution for electronic management of validation execution and approval, ValGenesis was selected by an industry peer review committee to receive the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) New Innovative Technology Award in 2005. For more information, visit www.valgenesis.com

Media Contacts

Althea D'Sylva, ValGenesis Communications

+1 510-445-0505, Ex. 1026

[email protected]

Mushtaq Mahmood, ZeeDimension Communications

971 56 904 5511

[email protected]

SOURCE ValGenesis Inc.
What's New for 2022?

Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares

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Edition: 6; Released: February 2022

Executive Pool: 486

Companies: 34 - Players covered include alessandro International GmbH; Armbruster Associates Inc.; Chemence Ltd.; Creative Nail Design Inc.; Crystal Nails USA; Keystone Research and Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Light Elegance; Opi Products Inc.; Shany Cosmetics Inc.; Sheba Professional Nail Products, Inc.; Uv-Nails and Others.

Coverage: All major geographies and key segments

Segments: Chemistry (Methacrylate, Other Chemistries); Distribution Channel (Offline, Online)

Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry

ABSTRACT-



Global UV Nail Gel Market to Reach $65.8 Million by the Year 2026

UV gel nail extension is among the latest nail extension technologies available. Gel is the unique material that turns hard when exposed to UV light and forms a sturdy coverage over the nail. Growth of the UV nail gel market is being fueled by technological developments, growth of the nail care market, durability and cost effectiveness of the product, growth of the fashion market in the US, and rising preference among customers for gel nails. Methacrylate has been the main chemical used in the UV nail gel market. The market is expected to gain from the emergence of new and improved products and better techniques that lead to a reduction in the cost of UV nail gel. Rising customer interest in latest fashion trends and novel technologies are also likely to bode well for the market. Market gains are also anticipated to be driven by the rising influence of social media and growing use of home salon services. Furthermore, the growing interest in nail art is driving the market for UV nail gel. The UV nail gels are chipping resistant, less harmful, very lightweight, and have a more natural look, and are considered to be environmentally safe. These benefits have made them increasingly popular both for personal use as well as in nail salons.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for UV Nail Gel estimated at US$51.2 Million in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$65.8 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.9% over the analysis period. Methacrylate, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 5.9% CAGR to reach US$66.9 Million by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Other Chemistries segment is readjusted to a revised 4.8% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 4.9% share of the global UV Nail Gel market.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $19.4 Million in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $4.8 Million by 2026

The UV Nail Gel market in the U.S. is estimated at US$19.4 Million in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 37.97% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$4.8 Million in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 7% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 5.6% and 5.4% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 5.5% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$5.2 Million by the end of the analysis period. In North America, strong growth of the fashion industry, growing fashion consciousness, surging demand for nail services, launch of novel gel products, growing disposable incomes, and increased product innovations are driving gains in the market. Growing urbanization and expanding middle class population contribute to growth in the Asia-Pacific region. More

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SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
BROOMFIELD, Colo. and WASHINGTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vita Inclinata (Vita), developer and producer of helicopter and crane load stabilization and precision hardware, today announced that company representatives will be in attendance at HAI Heli Expo , held March 7-10 in Dallas, TX, booth #8243. At the expo, Vita will provide booth visitors a first look at their Sling Load and Hoist Rescue models as well as offer attendees the opportunity to be strapped in and safely hoisted into the air to experience the Vita Rescue System's stabilization capabilities.

The Vita Rescue System

The HAI Heli Expo is the professional trade association for the international helicopter industry and represents more than 1,100 companies and over 16,000 industry professionals in more than 65 countries. HAI is dedicated to the promotion of the helicopter as a safe, effective method of commerce and to the advancement of the international helicopter community. Vita's presence and booth demonstrations are aligned with the event's goal of promoting helicopter safety and serve as a real-world example of how to ensure helicopter litter attachment rescues can be performed with no uncontrolled basket spinning of the injured party.

Within the booth, Vita will give attendees a sneak peek at their Sling Load and Hoist Rescue products. Still in development, the Sling Load will be utilized for non-human cargo beneath helicopters and the Hoist Rescue will be used for stabilizing during rescues that don't require the litter basket but attach to the hoist cable hook directly.

"The HAI Heli Expo is a great opportunity for Vita to network with potential customers in the rotor-wing industry who are keenly focused on search and rescue safety," said Vita Inclinata, CEO, Caleb Carr. "We are proud to provide attendees an up-close look at our Sling Load and Hoist Rescue products and excited to give booth visitors the opportunity to experience the Vita Rescue System and learn how simple it is to control via the wireless pendant."

Media Briefings: To schedule a briefing with Vita, please contact Vita's PR team at 603-821-0809 or [email protected] .

For business-related meetings, please contact [email protected].

About Vita Inclinata

Vita Inclinata was founded on the belief that lack of technology should never be the difference between life and death for rescue crews, crane operators, and patients. Vita's mission of "Building technology that brings people homeevery time!" drives it to do everything possible to save human lives. It achieves that by creating innovative load stabilization technology, providing safer tools to prevent occupational injuries, and by making a positive impact on the workers, families, and patients in said industries.

Based in Broomfield, Colorado, Vita Inclinata Technologies Inc. includes Vita Aerospace and Vita Industrial. Vita Inclinata has additional offices in Washington, DC, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, please visit www.vitatech.co

For more information, contact:

Betsey Rogers

BridgeView Marketing

603-821-0809

[email protected]

SOURCE Vita Inclinata
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Competitive Assessment by global technology intelligence firm ABI Research provides an in-depth and objective evaluation of the telco cloud platforms offered by eleven 5G Telco Cloud-Native Platform players. 5G is slated to enable new business applications and a faster time to market to deploy services for Communication Service Providers (CSPs). Underpinning this would be cloud-native platforms that will make use of Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, service meshes, Kubernetes-based container technology, and other cloud-native tools to host new applications including Containerized Network Functions (CNFs) and the new 5G Service-Based Architecture (SBA) Core. Platform providers in this market are diverse and include incumbent Network Equipment Vendors (NEVs) who have traditionally sold end-to-end network infrastructure solutions with their platforms included in the software stack, as well as cloud computing platform providers who have recently entered the telecom space through the introduction of LTE and 5G networks. While incumbent NEVs make up a majority of the market share in providing telco cloud platforms which host their network functions, cloud computing platform providers are gaining in popularity among CSPs as telecom networks become more digitized, cloud native, and open.

The companies are evaluated in the following order of ranking:

Market Leaders: VMware, Red Hat

Mainstream: Nokia, ZTE, Canonical, Huawei, Google, Ericsson, Wind River

Followers: AWS, Microsoft Azure

"CSPs are looking to enable cloud-native 5G capabilities through the deployment of a horizontal platform that can span their entire network from the core to RAN to edge. Some of the key criteria that CSPs are looking for include the ability to build a multi-vendor network and avoid vendor lock-in. As the 5G SBA value proposition revolves around providing services on-demand through microservices and cloud-native principles, flexibility, agility, and scalability become major factors CSPs look out for when choosing a platform," says Kangrui Ling, Industry Analyst at ABI Research.

VMware and Red Hat are assessed as leaders in the market, with VMware coming out on top due to their strong multi-vendor Network Function (NF) partnership program supporting more than 220 NFs. Red Hat follows closely behind with their Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform and hybrid cloud and multi-cloud capabilities. Both providers are also top innovators, with VMware offering a variety of telco-specific features, including RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), SD-WAN, and orchestrators, while Red Hat offers auto-scaling of clusters and zero-touch provisioning through solutions such as Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, and Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM).

"Cloud native is critical for telco applications in 5G, and is crucial in bringing automation, scale, performance, efficient operations, faster time to market, an improved CI/CD pipeline, and the easy introduction of new software and features. Newer trends are also emerging which include multi-vendor capabilities and hybrid cloud/multi cloud support as networks become more open and disaggregated," concludes Ling.

These findings are from ABI Research's 5G Telco Cloud-Native Platforms competitive ranking report. This report is part of the company's 5G Core & Edge Networks research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. Competitive Ranking reports offer comprehensive analysis of implementation strategies and innovation, coupled with market share analysis, to offer unparalleled insight into a company's performance and standing in comparison to its competitors.

About ABI ResearchABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm delivering actionable research and strategic guidance to technology leaders, innovators, and decision makers around the world. Our research focuses on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries, economies, and workforces today.

ABI Research

For more information about ABI Research's services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.

Contact Info:

Global

Deborah Petrara

+1.516.624.2558

[email protected]

SOURCE ABI Research
Jointly released by ZTE and Frost & Sullivan, a research & consulting firm, the white paper Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: The Transformative Role of Digitalization illustrates the climate changes ahead and the global commitment to carbon reduction. It also explores the decarbonization impact of digital technologies in four sectors of telecommunications, electricity, transportation, and manufacturing, with a focus on telecommunications for its excellence and potential in creating a transformational acceleration of decarbonization efforts.

To cope with climate challenges, ZTE adds GreenPilot to its green solution portfolio to help reduce mobile network energy consumption to make green networks.

"The newly-released GreenPilot solution is applicable for various scenarios, offering full-process energy-saving solutions to maximize the energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions," said Ms. Chen Zhiping, Vice President at ZTE. "GreenPilot incorporates solutions of RuralPilot, SolarMaster, SmartLi, PowerPilot and GreenDC, which are designed to satisfy requirements of different scenarios."

ZTE RuralPilot: Featuring Lego design, ZTE RuralPilot can be assembled, detached and expanded easily. All the devices are installed on the pole, making transportation and construction easier, thereby leading to a decrease of the engineering cost by 50%. Moreover, solar panels and intelligent lithium batteries provide 100% clean power supply without mains and diesel generator electricity. And as the total power consumption of a site can be controlled within 150 Watts, the power consumption can be reduced by 59% and the CAPEX by 35%.

Featuring Lego design, ZTE RuralPilot can be assembled, detached and expanded easily. All the devices are installed on the pole, making transportation and construction easier, thereby leading to a decrease of the engineering cost by 50%. Moreover, solar panels and intelligent lithium batteries provide 100% clean power supply without mains and diesel generator electricity. And as the total power consumption of a site can be controlled within 150 Watts, the power consumption can be reduced by 59% and the CAPEX by 35%. SolarMaster: ZTE SolarMaster supports a smooth upgrade to solar power with innovative technologies, and maximizes the solar power conversion efficiency while increasing the power generation efficiency by over 10%.

ZTE SolarMaster supports smooth upgrade to solar power with innovative technologies, and maximizes the solar power conversion efficiency while increasing the power generation efficiency by over 10%. SmartLi: ZTE SmartLi battery solution allows the direct hybrid use of intelligent lithium batteries and legacy batteries, to achieve smooth capacity expansion and protect existing site investment. In the AAU remote power supply scenario, Voltage Boosting function of SmartLi can reduce the cable loss, saving 30% additional mains electricity cost. Thanks to this function, the battery capacity can be released by 100%. In this way, site power storage system CAPEX can be saved greatly.

ZTE SmartLi battery solution allows the direct hybrid use of intelligent lithium batteries and legacy batteries, to achieve smooth capacity expansion and protect existing site investment. In the AAU remote power supply scenario, Voltage Boosting function of SmartLi can reduce the cable loss, saving 30% additional mains electricity cost. Thanks to this function, the battery capacity can be released by 100%. In this way, site power storage system CAPEX can be saved greatly. PowerPilot : Based on AI and big data, ZTE PowerPilot2.0 solution, the most important part of GreenPilot, can dynamically match network resources through real-time monitoring and load prediction. Without affecting user experiences, the power consumption is reduced by shutting down redundant resources to save power intelligently. The overall network power consumption is reduced by more than 30%.

: Based on AI and big data, ZTE PowerPilot2.0 solution, the most important part of GreenPilot, can dynamically match network resources through real-time monitoring and load prediction. Without affecting user experiences, the power consumption is reduced by shutting down redundant resources to save power intelligently. The overall network power consumption is reduced by more than 30%. GreenDC: ZTE GreenDC solution employs innovative technologies in aspects of air conditioner, power distribution, and management and control to achieve power saving and emission reduction. In China , ZTE has worked closely with Tencent to deploy the prefabricated fully-modular data center. By applying multiple power saving technologies on a large scale, the power consumption is reduced by 30%, and PUE is reduced to 1.25.

ZTE has just been rewarded with the 2022 Global Telecom DC Power Product Leadership Award, according to the Frost & Sullivan's assessment of the global telecom DC power industry, in recognition of the company's highly efficient, modular, intelligent and green telecom power solutions addressing the current customer pain points and evolving future 5G requirements.

ZTE has always been taking "green and low carbon" as one of the company's core strategies. To date, ZTE has deployed more than 500 green innovation patents. Moving forward, the company will keep strengthening its research efforts to achieve breakthroughs in key technologies, expecting to build a zero-carbon society together with its global partners.

Click here to download the white paper:

Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: The Transformative Role of Digitalization

https://res-www.zte.com.cn/mediares/zte/Files/PDF/white_book/202203011424.pdf

Media Contact:

Margaret Ma

ZTE Corporation

Tel: +86 755 26775189

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE ZTE Corporation
"Twenty-twenty-one was a tremendous year for us," said Rebecca Pacillas, AAG Chief People Officer. "We've put an enormous amount of work into building the best working environment possible, but these awards are really a product of our employees. They embody our core values and bring our culture to life. We're all proud to be a part of AAG."

Comparably, a leading workplace culture and compensation monitoring organization, awarded AAG with eight accolades at the Best Places to Work Awards, which included:

Best Company for Women

Best Company for Diversity

Best Company for Career Growth

Best Company Work-Like Balance

Best Company Leadership

Best Company Sales Team

Best Company Human Resources

Best Los Angeles Based Company

Comparably's annual Best Places to Work Awards rely solely on the input of employees who provide company ratings. The Awards were determined by Comparably's proprietary algorithm as well as the quality and quantity of each company's overall ratings. AAG was also Certified by Great Place to Work. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at AAG. This year, 93% of AAG employees said it's a great place to work  36 points higher than the average U.S. company.

AAG's headquarters is located in Orange County California and was endorsed for multiple corporate accolades by local organizations, including being named as a Top Workplace by the Orange County Register for the ninth consecutive year. Top Workplace selections are based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture, including alignment, execution, connection and many more. AAG was also nominated as a local Company that Cares by the Orange County Business Journal.

AAG is committed to building its Caring, Driven, and Ethical culture through employee engagement, competitive compensation, and professional development. This year, AAG launched One AAG, an internal sharing initiative focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. One AAG invites its employees to share their real stories and experiences through internal company newsletters and discussion panels to create a space where diverse perspectives, cultures, and values are celebrated.

About AAG

AAG is dedicated to helping older Americans find new ways to fund a better retirement through the responsible use of home equity. As the nation's leader in reverse mortgage lending, AAG offers a suite of home equity solutions  including Home Equity Conversion Mortgages, traditional and proprietary mortgages  that are designed to give seniors a better financial outcome in retirement. AAG is a proud member of the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). To learn more about AAG and reverse mortgage loans, please visit the company's website at www.aag.com.

American Advisors Group, NMLS ID: 9392, 18200 Von Karman Ave., Suite 300, Irvine, CA 92612. These materials are not from HUD or FHA and were not approved by HUD or a government agency. Legal Information. NLMS Consumer Access.

Contact:

Ryan Whittington

[email protected]

(657) 236-5220

SOURCE American Advisors Group (AAG)
MENLO PARK, Calif., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Accel-KKR, a leading technology-focused private equity firm, announced today the successful completion of Accel-KKR Growth Capital Partners IV L.P., a $1.35 billion growth capital fund. The new fund includes a $100 million commitment from the firm's employees. Accel-KKR invests in technology companies through a series of different funds and strategies including Buyout, Emerging Buyout, Growth Capital and Credit.

Accel-KKR Growth Capital Partners IV will focus on the same strategy as the firm's prior growth capital funds, primarily making minority preferred equity investments in software and technology-enabled services companies with more than $10 million in revenue. It also will continue to emphasize investing in founder-led and closely-held businesses, which results in Accel-KKR oftentimes becoming the first institutional investor into these companies.

Accel-KKR Growth Capital Partners III LP, the firm's previous growth-capital fund, closed on $685 million in capital commitments in 2019.

The firm simultaneously announced that David Cusimano and Joe Porten, both members of Accel-KKR's Growth Capital team, have been promoted to Managing Director. Mr. Cusimano joined Accel-KKR upon graduation from business school in 2009, and Mr. Porten joined Accel-KKR in 2013 with many years of experience in technology private equity.

Greg Williams, a Managing Director at Accel-KKR who has led the firm's growth capital investments since joining the firm in 2009, said, "We are thrilled with the support our new growth capital fund received from existing and new investors. We look forward to helping the companies in which we invest achieve their objectives by bringing a combination of operating and financial resources to bear to support their growth strategies."

Commenting on the fund closing, Tom Barnds and Rob Palumbo, Co-Managing Partners at Accel-KKR, said, "We appreciate the continued strong support from our limited partners and the causes they represent, and wholeheartedly congratulate David and Joe on their well-deserved promotions to Managing Director."

In January 2022, Accel-KKR was named the top-performing private equity firm out of a field of 517 firms globally in the HEC  DowJones Private Equity Performance Ranking of aggregate performance, based on all buyout funds raised between 2008 and 2017.

About Accel-KKR

Accel-KKR is a technology-focused investment firm with over $11 billion in capital commitments. The firm focuses on software and tech-enabled businesses, well-positioned for topline and bottom-line growth. At the core of Accel-KKR's investment strategy is a commitment to developing strong partnerships with the management teams of its portfolio companies and a focus on building value alongside management by leveraging the significant resources available through the Accel-KKR network. Accel-KKR focuses on middle-market companies and provides a broad range of capital solutions, including buyout capital, minority-growth investments, and credit alternatives. Accel-KKR also invests across various transaction types, including private company recapitalizations, divisional carve-outs and going-private transactions. For three consecutive years between 2019 and 2021, Inc. has named Accel-KKR among "PE 50: The Best Private Equity Firms for Entrepreneurs", an annual list of founder-friendly private equity firms. Accel-KKR's headquarters is in Menlo Park, with offices in Atlanta and London. Visit accel-kkr.com to learn more.

Note to Editors: Accel-KKR was formed in 2000 as a joint venture between venture capital investor Accel and private-equity firm KKR. Accel-KKR has been independent of both firms for almost two decades, and has raised over $11 billion over that period.

Media Contact: Todd Fogarty Kekst CNC [email protected] 212-521-4854

SOURCE Accel-KKR
"As the people of Ukraine undertake a heroic stand in their fight for freedom, it's up to us to do whatever we possibly can to assist," said AJC CEO David Harris. "The stakes could not be higher. As a frequent visitor, and having just traveled to Kyiv on a solidarity mission in January, I believe in the critical importance of a free, independent, and democratic Ukraine."

AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine fund is consistent with the organization's longstanding tradition of providing assistance when possible in dire situations. AJC is in touch with a number of key Ukrainian, Israeli, and Jewish partners to determine how best to assist.

To date, an estimated 500,000 Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with an untold number of Ukrainians displaced within their homeland.

In 1991, AJC became the first Jewish organization outside Ukraine to call on President George H.W. Bush to recognize the country's independence from Moscow. Since then, AJC has stood in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and staunchly supported a free and democratic Ukraine, including becoming the only group in the world to set up a temporary office in Kyiv during the Maidan Revolution in 2014.

In addition to establishing a humanitarian relief fund, AJC is calling on Congress to work with the administration to impose ever more punitive sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

Visit AJC.org/Support-Ukraine for more information and to donate.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) is horrified by Russia's indiscriminate missile attacks on Kyiv that today severely damaged the Babi Yar memorial. At this site, Nazi Germans murdered more than 100,000 people, primarily Jews, and for decades the Soviets refused to erect a proper memorial to honor the victims.

In October, 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy helped unveil a powerful memorial. AJC CEO David Harris made a special video while visiting the new Babi Yar Memorial in Kyiv in January, on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. AJC stands with the Ukrainian people against Russia's aggression.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee
- Patients can use the wearable, non-invasive device to measure six body parameters including blood glucose, blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, respiratory rate and 6-lead ECG, from the comfort of their home

- The device, connected to the smart phone, can serve as a micro-bedside monitor in rural clinics

KOCHI, India, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amrita University has developed a device for home-monitoring of glucose and blood pressure. Amrita Spandanam, as the device is called, will be sold online and through pharmacists across the country.

Developed and patented by the varsity's Centre for Wireless Networks and Applications, it is a wearable, six-in-one device that is an excellent replacement for a bedside monitor. It can be used to measure six body parameters including blood glucose, blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, respiratory rate, and 6-lead ECG.

Amrita University Campus

Said Dr Maneesha V Ramesh, the Provost of Amrita University who led the team of researchers: "Amrita Spandanam is a revolutionary device that has bagged several US patents, with results published in top scientific journals. It offers a quick, easy, affordable and non-invasive way to monitor and detect diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, sleep apnea and allergy attacks from the comfort of one's home. The product was extensively tested on 1000 patients at Amrita Hospital in Kochi and various remote clinics in Kerala. Last year, these devices were successfully deployed at Amrita Hospital to remotely monitor the progression of severity in COVID-19 patients."

Amrita Spandanam is connected to the patient's smartphone. The data is sent to a secure hospital cloud which enables any doctor authorized by the patient to access the vital parameters remotely from any location. The product also integrates multiple -learning models that can predict the potential deterioration of patients' health and provide early warning decision support to doctors for acute hypotensive episodes, sepsis, sleep apnea, and atrial fibrillation.

About Amrita University

http://www.amrita.edu

Amrita partners with academic, industry and governmental institutions across the world to accomplish human-centered, translational, and groundbreaking research. Some of Amrita's partners include Harvard University, Columbia University, King's College London, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, VU Amsterdam, the British Geological Society, University of Oxford, Italian National Research Council, Deakin University, and the University of Tokyo. Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma), a world-renowned humanitarian leader is the founder, Chancellor, and guiding light of Amrita University.

Contact: Dr. Maneesha Ramesh, [email protected]

SOURCE Amrita University
ADDIS ABABA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on Tuesday called for introducing gender-responsive policies across Africa so as to realize the major aspirations of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The call came ahead of the imminent Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-2022), slated for March 3 to 5 in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, that will be held under the theme "Building Forward Better: A Green, Inclusive and Resilient Africa Poised to Achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063."

"African women-owned businesses contribute to 60 percent of gross domestic product. Women can only fully engage in trade if they live lives of self-determination," an ECA statement quoted Mama Keita, the director of ECA's Sub-Regional Office for East Africa, as saying. "It is up to us to remove barriers in the development of the continent and offer opportunities and measure success through the eyes of women and youth."

ECA's Deputy Executive Secretary Antonio Pedro stressed that the historic continental free trade deal is dependent on investments in gender equality while underscoring the importance of "tackling the obstacles women face in participating in the economy, to reduce inequality between men and women."

The UNECA, which organized a special session entitled "AfCFTA as a Vehicle for Gender Equality Towards Agendas 2030 and 2063" in line with ARFSD-2022, stressed that women are key players in the realization of the continental free trade pact.

According to the ECA, the high-level session shed light on the significance of the AfCFTA in achieving gender equality toward achieving SDG 5 and Agenda 2063 in Africa; discussed the challenges and prospects for utilizing the opportunities presented by trade and AfCFTA toward gender equality in the realization of SDG 5 and Agenda 2063.

The UNECA emphasized the importance of gender-responsive policy and legislation to create an enabling environment to implement AfCFTA successfully, and to materialize the Agenda 2063 aspirations.

The ARFSD is one of the three mechanisms mandated by the UN General Assembly to follow up, review and catalyze actions to achieve the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by UN member states back in 2015. This year's edition of the ARFSD is organized by the ECA and the government of Rwanda in collaboration with the African Union (AU) Commission, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other entities of the United Nations System. 
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AMS Management Group (AMS) has announced that Rom Braga will join the company in March as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Braga will be responsible for scaling up enterprise growth through capital strategy optimization, assisting with nationwide corporate development, and supervising operations and infrastructure investments.

The announcement comes on the heels of the previously announced $40 million investment by Kilter Finance into AMS' holding company, Best Practices Medical Partners LLC (BPMP), and an A- rating by AM Best achieved by Applied Medico- Legal Solutions Risk Retention Group, Inc. (AMS RRG) in December 2021.

Richard Welch, Co-Founder and CEO of BPMP said, "building on our relationship with Rom as a capital markets and reinsurance executive, I look forward to welcoming Rom, and firmly believe he will greatly assist our Company execute our strategic initiatives and achieve our corporate objectives."

"I am grateful and excited to be joining a market-leading operation, and look forward to contributing to a seasoned executive team that, since 2003, has continued to excel in the nationwide management and administration of medical professional liability insurance programs," Rom added.

Rom has two decades of insurance industry and capital markets experience. Prior to joining AMS Management Group, he spent nine years at BMS Group, where he found and led BMS Capital Advisory. Prior to his executive role as BMS Capital Advisory's CEO, he served in increasingly senior capital advisory and reinsurance positions at Benfield Advisory and Aon Securities in the United States, United Kingdom and Brazil.

About AMS Management Group

Best Practices Insurance Services, LLC dba AMS Management Group, provides a full spectrum of program administration, from distribution and underwriting to risk and claims management services for medical professional liability insurers. AMS Management Group manages over $85 million in annual Gross Written Premiums. Since its inception, AMS Management Group has been the exclusive program administrator for AMS RRG. Since 2003, AMS RRG has been providing medical liability insurance to a number of physicians and physician groups across a broad range of specialties, and today is one of the nation's premier physician risk retention groups. AMS RRG's stable, flexible, cost-effective medical liability insurance options now protect over 3,000 members.

About Applied Medico-Legal Solutions Risk Retention Group, Inc.

Domiciled in Arizona as a domestic casualty insurance company since 2003, Applied Medico-Legal Solutions Risk Retention Group (AMS RRG) provides high value medical liability insurance and enterprise risk management solutions, with unparalleled service to members located throughout the United States. AMS RRG's risk management contributes to its success by offering a unique program that engages member physicians in initiatives focused on reducing errors and risks, with key objectives of overall claims reduction and improved operating profitability. Comprised of experienced and trusted healthcare executives, medical leaders, and insurance professionals, the Company's executive offices are located in Florida, New Jersey, Texas, New York and Connecticut. AMS RRG is rated A- (Excellent) by AM Best, and A' (A Prime), Unsurpassed by Demotech.

Media Contact:

Erika Wilson

954-990-7052

[email protected]

SOURCE AMS Management Group
ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a series of high-profile cyber breaches, the Biden administration issued an Executive Order (EO) in May 2021 to strengthen cybersecurity across the federal government. In February 2022, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the "Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Security Principles" memo. It lays out strategic goals to move the federal government to a Zero Trust Architecture and requires agencies to develop a plan to implement zero trust architecture with each agency being required to designate a Zero Trust lead.

Ardalyst is proud to announce a concerted effort  relying on collaboration with partners at Mandiant and Microsoft  to deliver an All-Threat Strategy approach to Zero Trust Architectures as a means of assisting government agencies and federal contractors in achieving cyber resiliency.

This effort will establish a Zero Trust-based security system, recognizing that security systems themselves can be breached.

The EO makes clear that Zero Trust tenets will be built into any software the federal government acquires or that its contractors use. The EO mandates a review of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to accomplish that. Changes to FAR and likewise, DFARS, mean that to continue to do business with the DoD, defense contractors will need to incorporate Zero Trust Architecture into their communication and collaboration platforms.

Agencies are now required to achieve specific zero trust security goals by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. It applies across the five pillars  Identity, Devices, Network, Applications and Data.

The Ardalyst All-Threat Zero-Trust Architecture is an intelligence-led approach to protecting your organization against all tiers of cyber threats in an assumed hostile environment.

The All-Threat offering is a wholistic approach that integrates inferred system-integrity checks and balances between Microsoft's Zero Trust Architecture, Endpoint Security and Mandiant's Threat Intelligence to create a layered security environment that is resilient against different tiers of adversarial threats.

Ardalyst is based in Annapolis, Md. By partnering with our customers to truly understand their unique environment and cybersecurity posture, Ardalyst leverages decades of experience and expertise in cyber operations and resiliency engineering to deliver a comprehensive cybersecurity program that is cost-effective, aligned to your mission and guaranteed to meet your compliance requirements. We replace uncertainty with understanding.

Please contact Ardalyst at www.ardalyst.com to schedule a free consultation.

SOURCE Ardalyst
ARLINGTON, Va., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Trucking Associations signed a historic agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor establishing ATA as an official registered apprenticeship sponsor. The signing ceremony took place at Department of Labor headquarters in Washington and was attended by Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear and ATA Chairman Harold Sumerford Jr.

"Today is a great day for our Association and one we have been working toward for some time," said Spear. "This partnership puts us in a stronger position to help guide our members and millions of Americans as they pursue rewarding careers in our industry as commercial drivers, and we hope to build on this agreement for technicians and other trucking industry workforces. We want to thank Secretaries Walsh and Buttigieg for working with us to widen this essential, lucrative and vital career path."

As a USDOL-recognized sponsor at the national level, ATA can now provide its member-companies the ability to offer apprenticeships to job applicants while ATA and its partner FASTPORTa USDOL intermediary specializing in transportation and logisticsadministers the program for the participating companies.

The trucking industry is now short more than 80,000 drivers needed to meet the economy's current freight demands. Diesel technicians are also in high demand and short supply. Apprenticeships can help fill that gap by combining paid, on-the-job training with instruction to prepare new drivers and technicians for these high-skill careers. They will also enable motor carriers to better highlight the benefits of a career in trucking through the workforce development system nationally, including expanded outreach and training support, as well as expanded support services for prospective drivers.

"This is truly an earn-while-you-learn program," said Spear, "But it's more than just a paycheck for apprentices: by participating in a registered program, they are eligible for things like child care, housing allowances, and other support as they start down this new career path."

Under the apprenticeship program, ATA members will need to meet certain training and compensation standards as they bring in new drivers for a two-year apprenticeship program that will provide graduated wages as drivers develop and expand their skills.

"Cultivating the next generation of trucking talent is of the utmost importance for our industry and the entire economy," said ATA Chairman Sumerford, CEO of J&M Tank Lines. "This historic agreement formalizes the kind of commitment that motor carriers have always made to their drivers in terms of great pay and benefits, along with high-quality on the job training. With the added power of these apprenticeships, we can accelerate those efforts and help make our long-term hiring goals a reality."

In addition to Sumerford, trucking industry representatives attending the event included Yellow Corp. CEO Darren Hawkins and professional truck driver Alphonso Lewis, an America's Road Team Captain and driver for YRC Freight.

For more on federally recognized apprenticeships, visit www.apprenticeship.gov.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward.

SOURCE American Trucking Associations
ATLANTA, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Titan CEO and headline sponsor Wipfli LLP are pleased to announce that Hesam Lamei, Founder and CEO of Aventis Systems and Cortavo, stands among the 2022 Georgia Titan 100 . The Titan 100 program recognizes Georgia's Top 100 CEOs and C-level executives. Nominees and winners represent the area's most accomplished business leaders in their industry, using criteria that include demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision and passion. Collectively, the 2022 Georgia Titan 100 and their companies employ upwards of 240,000 individuals and generate over $66 billion in annual revenues.

"We know that they will have a profound impact that makes an extraordinary difference for their customers and clients across the nation," says Jaime Zawmon, President of Titan CEO.

Hesam Lamei started down his business path while still in college at Southern Polytechnic State University where he subsequently earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering. He founded and operated Quality Rams from 2003 to 2008, selling memory for desktops and laptops and then progressed into selling server and storage systems. Living on a meager salary while dipping into savings to survive, he transformed the business into Aventis Systems, which he launched in 2008. Facing numerous challenges, Hesam persevered and turned a $2.8 million company with a profit of $40,000 in 2008 into a true success story, earning over $135 million in revenues since its launch.

As merchandise and services accrued under the company's capabilities, a comprehensive bundle of offerings took the shape of an all-inclusive provider to serve the IT needs of small to mid-sized businesses across the Southeast. In 2019, this demand birthed Cortavo, a distinct brand and sister company of Aventis Systems.

To be a Titan within the industry, Hesam takes the approach of relying on a smart, competent and loyal team to pull him across every finish line he encounters. To this end, Hesam believes in cultivating his employees, removing their barriers and long-term success through work-life balance.

"Winning this award is amazing and I'm grateful for it," Lamei added when asked about being designated a Titan, "But really, everyone I work with had a hand in bringing Aventis Systems and Cortavo to where they stand today, including our happy customers. Winning awards is a good indicator to outside firms that we're on the right track, but they're only good for as long as you keep doing what won them in the first place. And so that leads me to conclude we need to continue to hit the pavement with outstanding service and innovation as we have been. But yes, winning feels nice. I'm glad to receive it."

Hesam Lamei will be honored at the Titan 100 awards on May 12th, 2022, at Zoo Atlanta: Savanna Hall. One of the city's most treasured historic buildings, the 1921 building has been revitalized by Zoo Atlanta. As home of the Atlanta Cyclorama for more than 90 years, the building is famous for its grand scale and neoclassical architecture. This unique cocktail-style awards event will gather 100 Titans of Industry and their guests for an evening unlike anything that exists in the Georgia business community.

"On behalf of all the partners and associates at Wipfli we congratulate all the Titan100 winners. It's an honor to recognize this diverse group of leaders in the Atlanta community. We appreciate the lasting impact each leader has made, and continues to make, in building organizations of significance both in Atlanta and abroad. Your ingenuity and creativity have set you apart, and the honor of being seen as an industry Titan is richly deserved," says Bill Boucher, Partner at Wipfli.

This year's honorees will be published in a limited-edition Titan 100 book and profiled exclusively online. They will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 12th, 2022, and will be given the opportunity to interact and connect multiple times throughout the year with their fellow Titans.

More About Aventis Systems

Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Aventis Systems, Inc. offers custom IT solutions to build and operate complete physical and virtual infrastructures. Their comprehensive solutions include hardware, system and application software, along with an array of in-depth managed services including Cortavo, an all-inclusive Managed Services Provider that offers all the hardware, software and cloud services necessary to address small business technology needs and challenges at a predictable monthly cost. Since 2008, thousands of small business owners have entrusted Aventis Systems as their preferred IT provider because they "Get IT Done."

Call 1-855-AVENTIS, visit www.AventisSystems.com or connect with Aventis Systems on

LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.



More About The Titan 100



The Titan 100 is a program to recognize a premier group of 100 CEOs and C-level executives in a region. Representing both the private and public sector, these leaders are Titans of industry who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, passion and influence in their field.



The Titan 100 will be recognized at an awards event and will be given the opportunity to connect multiple times throughout the year with their fellow Titans. From private events to roundtables, this exclusive private group of Titans will be able to network and grow their professional connections. All Titan 100 designees will be published in the Titan 100 Book, profiled online with individual landing pages and recognized throughout the year in multiple platforms, venues and organizations.



Contact The Titan 100: [email protected] | 720.610.8762 | Follow: LinkedIn

SOURCE Aventis Systems, Inc.
PETALUMA, Calif., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bellwether Farms, a family-owned creamery based in Sonoma County, announces today it will be featuring its popular sheep and cow yogurts at the upcoming Natural Products Expo West in the Anaheim Convention Center. Samples will be available Wednesday, March 9 to Saturday, March 11 in Hall E, booth#4919.

Bellwether Farms' full-fat Sheep Milk Yogurt is probiotic and contains active, beneficial cultures. Made with whole sheep milk, the yogurt is packed with A2 protein, which makes it more easily digestible for many people who cannot typically tolerate cow milk. Free of antibiotics and growth hormones, the Sheep Milk Yogurt has a naturally thick, creamy texture, a clean, refreshing taste and comes in four varieties: Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Blackberry.

"Natural Products Expo West is not just a wonderful opportunity for others to try our yogurt," says Liam Callahan, owner of Bellwether Farms, "but it's also the perfect occasion for us to connect with the community, celebrating the dedication that goes into being part of the industry and fostering important relationships. We're delighted to be a part of the in-person event this year."

Bellwether Farms' full-fat Sheep Milk Yogurt is probiotic and contains active, beneficial cultures. Made with whole sheep milk, the yogurt is packed with A2 protein, which makes it more easily digestible for many people who cannot typically tolerate cow milk. Free of antibiotics and growth hormones, the Sheep Milk Yogurt has a naturally thick, creamy texture, a clean, refreshing taste and comes in four varieties: Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Blackberry.

Bellwether Farms' A2 Organic Whole Milk Yogurt is made with milk from healthy, grass-fed Jersey cows  which provide the creamiest, most delicious cow milk available. These cows naturally produce milk containing only A2 protein. Bellwether Farms' A2 organic, full-fat yogurt has a sweet yet tart taste and lush creamy texture. The yogurt is available in six flavors: Plain, Vanilla, Strawberry, Spiced Apple, Blueberry, and Blackberry.

This year, the Natural Products Expo West organizers foresee strong turnout from industry leaders and retailers. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to discover natural and organic industry trends, reconnect with partners, and showcase their contributions to the $300 billion market. For more information, please visit BellwetherFarms.com.

About Bellwether Farms

Founded in 1986 in Sonoma County, family-owned and operated Bellwether Farms lovingly crafts dairy products using whole, full-fat sheep's milk and cow's milk. With a fervent commitment to traditional, artisanal techniques, Bellwether Farms' small-batch cheeses and yogurts are found in grocery stores nationwide and have won dozens of awards. One percent of Bellwether Farms' sales go to organizations providing hunger relief or food-related education. Visit BellwetherFarms.com to learn more and follow on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. #WholeIsBetter

Press Contact:

Katie Cycan

Crier Communications

310-274-1072 x 207

[email protected]

SOURCE Bellwether Farms
DALLAS, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Biomedical Corporation ("Berkshire" or the "Company"), focused on developing its proprietary drug dispensing technology to enhance patient wellness, announced today that John Timberlake, Chief Executive Officer, will present at the third annual Life Science Intelligence (LSI) USA '22 Emerging Medtech Summit on March 17, 2022 at 2:55 pm PT. The presentation will highlight Berkshire's Computerized Oral Prescription Administration System (COPA), a novel oral liquid dispensing system specifically designed to deliver accurate and precise doses of controlled and non-controlled prescription medications to only a biometrically authenticated Intended User, with the goal of enhancing patient wellness and providing remote monitoring.

"Presenting at the LSI Emerging Medtech Summit provides an opportunity to showcase our proprietary, cloud-based, physician-enabled COPA device and its expected benefits to a range of key, potential investors and partners," stated Mr. Timberlake. "We look forward to enumerating the multiple advantages of COPA and its potential to revolutionize the standard-of-care in secure personalized medication delivery for improved patient compliance, adherence and medical outcomes."

A webcast of the presentation will be available on the Company's website at www.berkbiomed.com, where it will be archived in the News section for 60 days.

Those attending the Emerging Medtech Summit who are interested in scheduling a one-on-one meeting with management, can utilize the meeting portal or can contact Michael Miller at [email protected].

About the Life Science Intelligence (LSI) USA '22 Emerging Medtech Summit

Being held March 15-18, 2022, at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA., the Emerging Medtech Summit has a single mission: to bring together the most innovative medtech startups, active investors, and strategic buyers to deal-make and collaborate about the industry's future. Learn more at https://www.lifesciencemarketresearch.com/medtech-summit-2022.

About Berkshire Biomedical Corporation

Berkshire Biomedical Corporation is a privately-held medical device company. Berkshire is developing drug dispensing technologies designed to accurately and precisely deliver oral liquid drugs. This is accomplished by pioneering the use of biometric technologies, combined with cloud-based and physician-enabled remote management systems, to provide accurate personalized medication delivery to only the authenticated Intended User. The Company's lead product under development, the Computerized Oral Prescription Administration System (COPA), is an automated oral liquid dispensing system designed to deliver controlled and non-controlled oral liquid medications to only the authenticated Intended User upon confirmation of dual biometric identifications (fingerprint and dentition). Three overarching features combine to make the COPA system unique: security, compliance support (metrics) with remote monitoring and precise oral liquid dispensing. The Company intends to initially seek opportunities to leverage COPA in the delivery and remote management of controlled oral liquid medications for chronic pain and opioid addiction medication assisted therapy, as the Company believes they have the greatest need for the benefits of COPA's features.

In the future, it will look to expand COPA usage into a broader set of drug therapeutics, possible clinical applications, and new businesses that manage the commercialization and data analytics provided by electronic devices to improve outcomes and reduce risk.

Additional information about Berkshire Biomedical and its COPA System can be found at www.berkbiomed.com.

CONTACT:

Berkshire Biomedical Corporation

[email protected]

Melody Carey

Founder, President and CEO

Rx Communications Group, LLC

[email protected]

SOURCE Berkshire Biomedical Corporation
TORONTO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - BLiNQ Networks announces the NetLiNQ Access Gateway (AGW), a cost-effective distributed evolved packet core (EPC) which scales to the size of the network. The NetLiNQ Access Gateway lowers the upfront costs of network deployment for operators because appliances need only be purchased for the actual sites being deployed. The distributed nature of the appliances also significantly improves network stability by eliminating the single point of failure associated with other EPC solutions, while reducing the complexity and cost of implementation.

A distributed EPC is an ideal solution for fixed wireless deployments due to its small failure domain, optimal traffic path and robust transport latency. The ability of the NetLiNQ AGW to grow organically as the network grows makes the solution both reliable and scalable. The NetLiNQ AGW is a hardware appliance deployed at the base of the tower where base stations are installed. Given its proximity to the base stations, the NetLiNQ AGW alleviates key issues common to other EPC solutions such as suboptimal traffic paths and single points of failure.

The NetLiNQ AGW is powered by the Magma open-source software platform which adheres fully to 3GPP standards. The AGW provides network services and policy enforcement, implementing an EPC which is a combination of Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) and a Packet Gateway (PGW). A cloud-hosted orchestrator service provides a simple and consistent way to configure, manage, and monitor the wireless network securely.

Magma enables operators to manage their networks more efficiently with more automation, less downtime, better predictability, and more agility to add new services and applications, while augmenting modern and efficient mobile networks at scale.

NetLiNQ AGW joins BLiNQ Networks' base stations, subscribers, and NetLiNQ management system as a key element in enabling cost effective end-to-end LTE/5G solutions for fixed wireless operators and private networks. For more information contact [email protected] or visit https://blinqnetworks.com/products/netlinq-access-gateway-agw/.

About BLiNQ Networks

BLiNQ Networks is a pioneer manufacturer of CBRS-ready fixed wireless hardware, building the technology to provide essential internet connectivity all over the world. BLiNQ provides industry-leading price and performance in LTE and 5G-ready solutions, driven by a talented team based in Ontario, Canada. For more information visit blinqnetworks.com.

For Further Information: Mary Cruz, [email protected]

SOURCE BLiNQ Networks Inc.
BOSTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueWave, a leading Boston-based solar and energy storage developer, today announced milestone project development achievements and corporate contributions from the past year. Continuing its success as a leading solar developer in the New England region, BlueWave has developed and built more than 150 megawatts (MW) of solar as of the end of 2021, the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power 26,000 homes in a year. This year, BlueWave plans for forthcoming solar and standalone energy storage projects across 10 states in the U.S. Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, including plans to develop in the New Jersey and New York markets in 2022.

4.2 MW Agrivoltaic Solar Project in Rockport, Maine, Developed by BlueWave and Owned by Navisun

A key update for BlueWave in 2021 was the spinout of BlueWave's community solar servicing team to its own company, Perch Energy. Perch will build upon its successful community solar services and management platform as an independent company with the same foundational goal to make clean energy more accessible and affordable. This spinout allows BlueWave to focus squarely on growing and executing its development portfolio.

"The negative impacts of climate change became more tangible than ever this past year and we're proud of the work we've contributed to increase the generation of clean energy in our communities and further protect our planet in the process," said Trevor Hardy, CEO and Co-Founder of BlueWave. "We see a bright future for Perch to introduce more people to the benefits of clean energy and we're ready to focus our talent on setting a new standard for responsible solar and energy storage development in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets."

Responsible Development Milestones and Innovations

Building on its legacy as the company that developed the first community solar project in Massachusetts, BlueWave has maintained its innovative spirit to be a leader in sustainable and responsible solar development methods that do right by the land and local communities. Half of BlueWave's solar projects in Massachusetts are now dual-use, meaning they combine solar with land management philosophies rooted in conservation to deliver ecological, agricultural and energy benefits. BlueWave progressed the development of seven dual-use solar projects in 2021.

BlueWave's responsible solar development strategy was recognized by multiple organizations in 2021, with the company receiving awards including Solar Builder's Project of the Year, Real Leaders Impact Award and the silver medalist award in the Energy category of Inc.'s 2021 Best in Business List. BlueWave was also recognized as a finalist for Northeast Clean Energy Council's Partnership of the Year award.

Completion of Agrivoltaic Projects

In October 2021, BlueWave announced the completion of Maine's first agrivoltaic solar project in Rockport, Maine. The 4.2 MW project, now owned by Navisun, combines solar and agriculture by positioning solar panels above an existing wild blueberry farm to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 3,775 metric tons. The project includes an agricultural research plot that will study how wild blueberry cultivation performs within a solar array to propel both the Maine agriculture and solar industries. BlueWave also developed the largest purpose-built dual-use project in the United States and Massachusetts's first agrivoltaic project which will support the growth of both livestock and crops under the solar arrays installed in Grafton. The 3.12 MW project, constructed and owned by AES, comprises 16 acres of solar arrays and includes DC coupled battery storage. BlueWave and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, funded by The United States Department of Energy, will study the impacts of the solar arrays on the soil health and crop production at the farm.

Bringing Floatovoltaics to the Northeast

In July of 2021 BlueWave entered into a joint venture agreement with Ciel et Terre, the world's leading floatovoltaics company, to develop floatovoltaics, or floating solar, projects in Massachusetts and other markets in the Northeast. BlueWave believes that floatovoltaics is an important initiative for the region as developing on man-made ponds and reservoirs solves land use problems that are common in New England and as demonstrated in Europe and Asia, can provide important ecological benefits to the water resources where the system is located.

Expansion to Standalone Energy Storage Development

A crucial step to reach the next generation of renewables, BlueWave grew its presence in the energy storage market with the creation of a dedicated storage-only team. With the mission to make communities' energy profiles more resilient and reliable by expanding the amount of clean energy the grid can hold, the division is focused on standalone energy storage project development in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania with intentions to begin construction on projects in Massachusetts later this year through early 2023.

"The benefits that energy storage can bring to communities are substantial, including local revenue for landowners, expanded consumer choice to opt-in to renewables and robust job growth in the burgeoning cleantech economy. It's an honor to further lead BlueWave into the storage-only sector and be another force in creating cleaner, safer and more sustainable communities," said Shawn Jones, Managing Director of Storage Development for BlueWave.

Social Impact

BlueWave is focused on far more than just clean power, and is a mission-driven company committed to transparency, sustainability, improving the lives of others and establishing an intrinsic link between environmental and social justice.

Passionate about expanding participation and career opportunities in green energy, BlueWave is proud to have partnered with the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC), an organization that connects Boston residents with career pathways and provides employers with diverse talent pipelines, and Enroot, a program for immigrant youth to achieve academic, career and personal success, to hire interns to support the BlueWave team this past year.

BlueWave was honored by the Annual Awards in Business Excellence from American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) as the winner of Excellence in Clean Energy Leadership. The award recognizes organizations that showcase exceptional work in the acceleration of a clean energy future in underrepresented and underserved communities.

Furthering its commitment to civic engagement, BlueWave has increased its giveback operations by offering additional community service and chartiable giving engagement opportunities for employees. Further, the company expanded its network of charitable partners supporting efforts in agriculture, food insecurity, homelessness and youth.

"From embarking on new development methods to entering new markets, and most importantly, introducing new future leaders to the green energy industry, this past year encompassed all that BlueWave stands for as a Certified B Corp," said John DeVillars, Chairman and Co-Founder of BlueWave. "We enter 2022 with a reinvigorated purpose to deliver groundbreaking solar and energy storage projects and improve the communities that we interact with."

To learn more about BlueWave, visit https://bluewave.energy/.

About BlueWave

BlueWave's vision is to protect our planet by transforming access to renewable energy. As a pioneering solar developer, BlueWave has developed and built more than 150 MW of solar projects to date. As built, these projects collectively generate enough solar energy to avoid more than 144,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. A certified B Corp, BlueWave has received national recognition for its work to protect the planet, including being named the Clean Energy Company of the Year in 2018 by the Northeast Clean Energy Council, one of the top 100 Impact Companies in the United States for each of the last four years as rated by Real Leaders Magazine, and a leading growth company by Inc. Magazine and the Boston Business Journal.

SOURCE BlueWave
VANCOUVER, BC, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bold Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that they have successfully completed the Phase 1b (dose-escalation) portion of its seamless adaptive oncology trial of BOLD-100 in combination with FOLFOX in the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancers (colorectal, pancreatic, gastric and bile duct).

Bold Therapeutics Successfully Completes Phase 1b Trial and Advances into Global Phase 2 Trial of BOLD-100 in the Treatment of Advanced GI Cancers

BOLD-100 is a first-in-class ruthenium-based small molecule therapeutic that (1) alters the unfolded protein response (UPR) through selective GRP78 inhibition; and (2) induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) which causes DNA damage and cell cycle arrest. Collectively, these effects result in cell death in both sensitive and resistant solid and liquid cancers and in combination with a wide range of existing anti-cancer therapies. The FDA previously granted BOLD-100 Orphan Drug Designations (ODDs) in both Gastric and Pancreatic cancers, and Bold Therapeutics anticipates leveraging clinical data from the Phase 1b portion of its trial for one or more Breakthrough Therapy Designations (BTDs) in 2022.

The Phase 1b data  which Bold Therapeutics anticipates presenting at an upcoming cancer conference  indicate that (1) BOLD-100 can be safely combined with FOLFOX chemotherapy at a dose of 625 mg / m2 (the highest dose level tested), with no new Grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse events; and (2) patients can safely remain on treatment for an extended number of treatment cycles. Based on this strong safety and tolerability profile, the Study Steering Committee unanimously endorsed proceeding immediately into the Phase 2 (dose-expansion) portion of the study.

"Completing our Phase 1b trial with a strong safety profile for BOLD-100 is a significant achievement for Bold Therapeutics  and while it is too early to say anything definitive, preliminary efficacy data is undoubtedly encouraging," said Jim Pankovich, EVP, Clinical Development. "Despite substantial headwinds from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we were nevertheless able to successfully enroll and treat patients at our six clinical sites in Canada, and I wish to recognize the patients for their contribution to this study as well as the persistent and resilient efforts of our investigators."

The Phase 2 (dose-expansion) portion of the seamless adaptive trial of BOLD-100 will enroll 80 additional patients at 13 investigational sites worldwide: 6 sites in Canada; 2 sites in the U.S.; and 5 sites in South Korea. Interim and complete Phase 2 data is expected by year-end 2022 and late 2023, respectively.

"As BOLD-100 advances into Phase 2, Bold Therapeutics crosses another significant value inflection point," stated Glenn Walthall, Chairman of the Board of Bold Therapeutics. "As Bold Therapeutics' largest institutional investor, we are encouraged with the results that we've seen thus far and optimistic that BOLD-100 may significantly improve outcomes in these difficult-to-treat cancers that are often refractory to conventional treatment options. Consistent with preclinical observations, a number of patients in the study who had previously failed on FOLFOX alone suddenly responded when BOLD-100 was added to the treatment regimen  a result that can only be described as remarkable."

Bold Therapeutics executed a regional option agreement with an undisclosed biopharmaceutical company in South Korea in 2020 and is actively seeking development partners in other territories. Bold Therapeutics is also seeking investors for a data-driven institutional Series B round to be closed later in 2022, likely concurrent with interim Phase 2 results.

"I am exceptionally proud of the agile and industrious Bold Therapeutics team without whom this success would not be possible," added E. Russell McAllister, CEO of Bold Therapeutics. "Through innovative programs like NRC-IRAP, the Canadian government has provided Bold Therapeutics with substantial support in advancing our scientific understanding of BOLD-100 that not only allowed us to advance in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer indications, but also opened up promising areas for future development. As a result, they share this win with us. The strong results from this Phase 1b trial and the overall accumulation of data on BOLD-100 continue to excite support for the development of this innovative therapeutic for patients with a wide range of advanced cancers."

Additional information on this study is available at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04421820

For more information, please visit the Company's website at https://www.bold-therapeutics.com/

Contact: E. Russell McAllister, CEO

(604) 262-9899

[email protected]

SOURCE Bold Therapeutics Inc.
Achieved milestone with the start of landmark psilocybin clinical trial in Q3 2021- more than a dozen patients receive initial dose to date in first-ever Health Canada-approved, multi-dose psilocybin clinical trial in Canada





Braxia Scientific funded psilocybin trial establishes psilocybin treatment framework for patients with Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD), provides patients immediate access to psychedelic treatments, and training for new therapists providing psilocybin-assisted therapy





Clinics administer ~5,500 ketamine treatments to date across growing patient base in Canada

TORONTO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Braxia Scientific Corp. ("Braxia Scientific", or the "Company"), (CSE: BRAX) (OTC: BRAXF) (FWB: 4960), a medical research company with clinics providing innovative ketamine treatments for persons with depression and related disorders, today announced the filing of its fiscal third-quarter results for the three-month period ending December 31, 2021. Complete financial statements along with related management discussion and analysis can be found in the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR), the electronic filing system for the disclosure documents of issuers across Canada, at www.SEDAR.com.

"Through our advanced clinical and research platform, Braxia Scientific continues to lead the way as a provider of novel treatments for TRD while also pioneering significant research initiatives, including registered clinical trials, establishing a large base of proprietary data to support potential innovative treatment development," said Dr. Roger McIntyre, CEO, Braxia Scientific. "We are pleased to be the first group in Canada to offer a multi-dose psilocybin treatment for patients with TRD. Through our clinical trial, we have completed the initial dosing of psilocybin to more than a dozen patients while also providing critical best practices training for medical providers and therapists that will be ready to address the increasing demand for psychedelic- and psilocybin-assisted therapies."

Recent Operational Highlights

Clinical Access to Ketamine and Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy

Through its existing clinical footprint in Canada, the Company has continued to experience increasing referrals for its ketamine program with more than 5,500 intravenous ketamine infusions administered to date. Braxia has been managing its increasing patient volume and ensuring care is delivered in a timely manner. The growing demand for treatment provided by Braxia-owned clinics has provided the impetus to expand its infrastructure and footprint to better support communities and address the unmet burden of TRD.

In Canada, the Company will continue to focus on Ontario and Quebec, which have a combined population of more than 23.5 million, and where Braxia already has existing infrastructure.

Through its four multidisciplinary, community-based Canadian clinics, the Company continues to see increased patient referrals and treatments which led to a year-over-year increase in revenue of nearly 13.3% in the third quarter of fiscal 2022.

Providing Access to Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Canada

Braxia Scientific achieved a significant milestone in November with first patients receiving treatments in first Health Canada-approved multiple-dose psilocybin clinical trial. The trial, which is being sponsored by the Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation, is being conducted at the Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence (CRTCE), a wholly owned Braxia subsidiary, and includes adults with TRD as part of major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, who have not satisfactorily benefited from multiple conventional treatments. This trial is the first Health-Canada approved multi-dose psilocybin trial in Canada that is actively recruiting participants at this time.

Braxia Scientific was able to achieve several hurdles prior to the start of its psilocybin clinical trial including:

Obtaining a high-quality source of psilocybin meeting all regulatory requirements for human use in clinical research

Received more than 150 referrals to date for psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment resistant depression in the first six weeks of opening recruitment

Received Health Canada and Research Ethics approval for protocols to collect treatment outcome data to allow for further optimization of psilocybin treatment protocols and development of best practice guidelines

Trained medical and research staff as part of Braxia Institute to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy with high quality safety monitoring. This program includes twenty (20) therapists licensed to practice in Ontario with specialized training in psilocybin-assisted therapy. All therapists were trained by the Braxia Institute and are serving as study therapists for the active psilocybin clinical trial.

with specialized training in psilocybin-assisted therapy. All therapists were trained by the Braxia Institute and are serving as study therapists for the active psilocybin clinical trial. Developed physical space to safely provide psilocybin treatment with a comfortable living room-like environment with appropriate medical and psychological monitoring and protocols

This infrastructure enables Braxia Scientific to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy as part of the current clinical trial, and importantly, if psilocybin is approved in the future, Braxia Scientific is positioned to provide access to psilocybin-assisted therapy treatment for eligible patients immediately.

Growing Proprietary Research Database: The Company continues to focus on developing novel ketamine derivatives, Braxia Scientific's team of researchers also continue to carry out multiple research trials adding to the Company's large database of proprietary data critical to future drug development efforts.

To date, Braxia Scientific has compiled comprehensive health data from administering approximately 5,500 ketamine treatments at its network of clinics. Additionally, Braxia Scientific's researchers have published more than 50 ketamine-related manuscripts in peer-reviewed biomedical journals, and the CRTCE, has established a growing database with key clinical outcomes for an ongoing clinical trial evaluating psilocybin-assisted therapy.

Third Quarter Financial Summary

The Company's cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021, was $7.64 million compared with $9.62 million at September 30, 2021.

The Company recorded revenue of $324,902 for the third quarter fiscal 2022, ended December 31, 2021 compared with revenue of $286,841 in the third quarter ended December 31, 2020, reflecting 13.3% increase year-over-year. Revenues consisted primarily of sales from the administering of ketamine infusion treatments at the CRTCE clinics in Ontario.

Net loss for the quarter was $2.52 million including a non-cash share-based compensation expense of $939,240, compared to a net loss of $1.54 million in the third quarter of the prior year period.

Subsequent to the quarter, On January 10, 2022, the Company closed a Private Placement and issued 30,000,000 Common Shares (or Common Share equivalents) and Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 30,000,000 Common Shares at a purchase price of $0.10 per Common Share and associated Warrant. Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.125 per Common Share for a period of five years following the issuance date. Each Common Share equivalent consists of one pre-funded warrant (a "Pre-Funded Warrant"), which is exercisable for one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.0001 per Common Share and will expire when exercised in full.

Outlook

In closing Dr. McIntyre commented, "Looking to the balance of 2022, we are focused on leveraging our core strengths including our established and advanced clinical infrastructure to continue to lead the industry by introducing new and innovative treatment and training programs. We will also build and benefit from our human capital and large proprietary health database to further enhance our intellectual property and develop and acquire new chemical entities for potential co-development."

About Braxia Scientific Corp.

Braxia Scientific is a medical research company with clinics that provide innovative ketamine treatments for persons with depression and related disorders. Through its medical solutions, Braxia aims to reduce the illness burden of brain-based disorders, such as major depressive disorder among others. Braxia is primarily focused on (i) owning and operating multidisciplinary clinics, providing treatment for mental health disorders, and (ii) research activities related to discovering and commercializing novel drugs and delivery methods. Braxia seeks to develop ketamine and derivatives and other psychedelic products from its IP development platform. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence Inc., Braxia currently operates multidisciplinary community-based clinics offering rapid-acting treatments for depression located in Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Dr. Roger S. McIntyre"

Dr. Roger S. McIntyre



Chairman & CEO

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance are "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements include statements about the intended promise of ketamine-based treatments for depression and the potential for ketamine to treat other emerging psychiatric disorders, such as Bipolar Depression. Such forward- looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events, or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the failure of ketamine, psilocybin and other psychedelics to provide the expected health benefits and unanticipated side effects, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including acquiring and renewing federal, provincial, municipal, local or other licenses and engaging in activities that could be later determined to be illegal under domestic or international laws. Ketamine and psilocybin are currently Schedule I and Schedule III controlled substances, respectively, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19 (the "CDSA") and it is a criminal offence to possess such substances under the CDSA without a prescription or a legal exemption. Health Canada has not approved psilocybin as a drug for any indication, however ketamine is a legally permissible medication for the treatment of certain psychological conditions. It is illegal to possess such substances in Canada without a prescription.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, including the Amended and Restated Listing Statement dated April 15, 2021, which are available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Braxia Scientific Corp.
KINSHASA, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has neutralized at least 17 rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an affiliate of the Islamic State in central Africa, since late Sunday in the country's northeast, said a DRC military officer Monday.

The rebels were responsible for the latest deadly attack in the region late Sunday, said Athony Mualushayi, a spokesman for the armed forces in Beni Territory in the country's northeastern province of North Kivu.

At least 20 civilians, including three women, were killed by rebels with machetes in Kikura locality of the Beni Territory, an area where the armed group has stepped up its attacks against civilians since 2021, David Muwaze, a local civil society leader, was quoted by local media as saying.

The province of North Kivu and the neighbouring province of Ituri have been long plagued by insecurity caused by multiple armed groups including the ADF. 
OSLO, Norway, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BusinessClass.com AS announced today that Russian content and bookings are being blocked on its website. Russia's aggressive move on Ukraine has pushed the premium online travel company to take this action.

Cutting off Russia on the website, eliminating Russian destinations from its flight and hotel search engine, the company has also taken down all content pertaining to Russia - destination guides, airline and hotel reviews (including Aeroflot) - many of which are owned by Russia's oligarchs.

Comments on the news: "Now, more than ever, the world needs to stand united against Russia. It is also personal for us as we work side by side with an outstanding Ukrainian web team which have helped us develop and maintain our site. Their input, creativity and know how has helped our business become the success it is today. With our colleagues, our friends, experiencing the very real terrors of the war on the frontline in Ukraine, we simply cannot just stand by, hoping for the best. Everyone who can do something, must,." says Jason Eckhoff, CEO of BusinessClass.com.

"We are an apolitical commercial company, and we have no intention of punishing the Russian people, many of whom we count as friends but we cannot in good conscience allow the aggressors to profit at this time and we will not - until further notice - publicise Russia as a destination, nor its airlines and hotels.

"I am now calling on all travel companies to join us by excluding everything relating to Russia in their respective services until this terrible, unprovoked invasion comes to an end," continued Jason Eckhoff, who adds he already has personally contacted executives at organisations including Kayak and Expedia. "Right now, it is vital that we all stand with Ukraine".

About BusinessClass.com: BusinessClass.com is a flight and hotel search engine focused on premium travel. Using proprietary algorithms, the site searches hundreds of other travel sites at the same time to help users find the best offers in flights for First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy Class as well as the finest hotels. The company is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and was founded in 2015. Key markets include the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, India, and Scandinavia.

For more information - press only: Sue Lowry: [email protected] / +44 (0) 7725997121

Issued on behalf of businessclass.com by Team A3Traveller

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Public/21398/3516499/bf0d2927d23ab688_org.jpg Jason Eckhoff CEO BusinessClass com

SOURCE BusinessClass.com
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Cardiac Arrhythmia Monitoring Devices Market, Size, Forecast 2022-2027, Industry Trends, Growth, Impact of COVID-19, Company Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Cardiac Arrhythmia Monitoring Devices Market is estimated to reach US$ 9.03 billion by 2027. The report estimates that the market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.6% during 2021-2027.

Over the years, a range of cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices has been developed to manage cardiac arrhythmias. Besides, cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices are used to provide the physicians with data that can either affirm or rule out the existence of an arrhythmia. Further, fewer cardiac monitors and recorders increasingly used to give the patients more selective recording. In addition, with an impressive technological advancement, the global cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices market is set to chart an enviable growth trajectory over the forecast period of 2021 to 2027.



Impact of COVID-19 on Growth Trends

The impact of COVID-19 has been unprecedented and staggering, with cardiovascular devices witnessing a negative demand shock across all areas amid the pandemic. Based on the analysis, the global demand saw a massive decline in 2019 compared to the expected average year-on-year growth. However, in 2021 the market gained its momentum with the sudden rise attributable to its demand and growth. Further, the development of the global market is driven by a significant increase in the prevalence of chronic heart diseases.



Worldwide Cardiac Arrhythmia Monitoring Devices Market Size was US$ 5.5 Billion in 2021

Factors driving the market growth include advances in cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices, favorable rebates for treatment, expanding incidences of cardiovascular diseases. Apart from that, extending the emphasis on containment of healthcare costs, increasing the adoption rate of low-cost ECG services among the lower-income group, and favorable government policies for startup firms are some of the other factors.



Mobile Cardiac Telemetry Monitors Grow at the Highest Rate

In the report, by type, the analyst has covered ECG Monitors, Implantable Monitors, Holter Monitors, Mobile Cardiac Telemetry, and Others. As per the analysis, mobile cardiac telemetry monitor segments in the type category are anticipated to expand at the highest rate across the forecast period. Mobile cardiac telemetry monitoring devices monitor the electrical activity in the heart for an extended time. Moreover, the device can also detect, record, and wirelessly transmit asymptomatic and symptomatic arrhythmia to a monitoring station for analysis.



End-users Insights: Hospitals have the Dominant Market Share

Hospitals are the dominant end-users in the cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices market. The rising prevalence of cardiac rhythm disorders has led to increased emergencies requiring continuous cardiac rhythm monitoring. In hospitals, healthcare professionals utilize cardiac rhythm monitors to analyze cardiac arrhythmia risk in critical situations. Remarkably, the need for constant cardiac rhythm monitoring in the emergency department will foster the market revenue.



Ventricular Tachycardia Foresees Tremendous Demand

As per the analysis, Atrial tachycardia constituted the most dominant market share throughout. Atrial tachycardia is a condition of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and is an actual condition reported in intensive care unit operations. Therefore, increasing the incidence of SVT will offer immense growth opportunities to cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices in emergencies.



Asia Pacific, the Hotspots for Investment Opportunities

Asia Pacific countries like China, Japan, and India, are the hotspots for investment prospects because of the higher growth rate of diagnosis, treatment, research activities, quality improvisations, increasing partnerships, and healthcare modernization. To expand the revenue share, EGC monitoring device companies are focusing on the evolution of advanced ECG monitoring like implantable cardiac monitors and cardiac telemetry monitors with avant-garde facilities that will indirectly pump the market for cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices and also promote the services and software market over the forecast period.



Competitive Landscape

The global key players manufacture the majority of cardiac arrhythmia monitoring devices. Key leaders with more funds for research and an adequate distribution system have established their position in the market. Moreover, the global market is witnessing an emergence of some small players due to the rise of awareness, further helping the market grow. The major players covered in the report include Abbott Laboratories, GE Healthcare, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic PLC, Asahi Kasei Corporation, Boston Scientific Corporation, HILL-ROM HOLDINGS, INC, and Nihon Kohden.



This research report provides a detailed analysis of Cardiac Arrthymia Monitoring Device Industry.



Type - Market has been covered from 5 viewpoints:

ECG Monitors

Implantable Monitors

Holter Monitors

Mobile Cardiac Telematory

Others

End-user - Market has been covered from 8 viewpoints:

Hospitals

Clinics

Laboratories

LTC

Homecare

ASC

Cathlabs

EMS

Application - Market has been covered from 5 viewpoints:

Tachycardia

Atrial Tachycardia

Ventricular Tachycardia

Bradycardia

Premature Contraction

Region - Market has been covered from 5 viewpoints:

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Rest of the World

Key Players Analysis

Abott Laboratories

GE Healthcare

Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Medtronic PLC

Asahi Kasei Corporation

Boston Scientific Corporation

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.

Nihon Kohden

Company Insights:

Business Overview

Recent Developments

Sales Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jggsnt

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

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SOURCE Research and Markets
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GIB.A (TSX)

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MONTREAL, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB) announced today that it intends to enter into a private agreement with Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec ("CDPQ") for the purchase for cancellation of 3,968,159 of its Class A subordinate voting shares ("Class A Shares") held by CDPQ for a price of $100.80 per Class A Share, which represents a discount to the closing price on February 28, 2022 of the Class A Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX").

The transaction will be made in connection with the periodic portfolio rebalancing of CDPQ. Once completed, CDPQ will continue to hold approximately 23.5 million Class A Shares, representing approximately 9.8% of CGI's total outstanding shares.

"Once again this year, CGI produced excellent results for its shareholders. This repurchase of shares is an opportunity to monetize a portion of our investment to the benefit of our depositors, and we plan to reinvest this amount in Quebec companies," said Kim Thomassin, Executive Vice-President and Head of Quebec at CDPQ. "Following this transaction, CDPQ will continue to be one of the main shareholders of CGI, and we intend to remain so to support the long-term growth of this information technology leader."

"This transaction is consistent with our value creation strategy and is immediately accretive to our shareholders," said Julie Godin, Co-Chair of the Board, CGI. "With a solid balance sheet and excellent cash generation combined with $2.7 billion of cash readily available at the end of December 2021, CGI has the strength and capital resources to execute on our Build and Buy profitable growth strategy."

A favourable decision was obtained from the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) to exempt CGI from the issuer bid requirements under applicable securities legislation. The transaction will be entered into at a discount, in accordance with the decision of the AMF, and is expected to be entered into later today and settled on March 2, 2022.

The share repurchase will be made under CGI's normal course issuer bid ("NCIB"), the renewal of which was announced on February 2, 2022. Under the NCIB, CGI is authorized to repurchase up to 18,781,981 Class A Shares by February 5, 2023. The NCIB allows for purchases outside the facilities of the TSX by private agreements pursuant to exemption orders issued by securities regulators. As at February 28, 2022, CGI had not repurchased any Class A Shares under its current NCIB.

Information regarding the share repurchase, including the number of Class A Shares purchased for cancellation and aggregate price paid, will be available on the SEDAR website at sedar.com following the completion thereof. CGI will not issue any additional press release in respect of this share repurchase.

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 82,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2021 reported revenue is $12.13 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

Forward-looking information and statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable United States safe harbours. All such forward-looking information and statements are made and disclosed in reliance upon the safe harbour provisions of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. Forward-looking information and statements include all information and statements regarding CGI's intentions, plans, expectations, beliefs, objectives, future performance, and strategy, as well as any other information or statements that relate to future events or circumstances and which do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts. Forward-looking information and statements often but not always use words such as "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "foresee", "plan", "predict", "project", "aim", "seek", "strive", "potential", "continue", "target", "may", "might", "could", "should", and similar expressions and variations thereof. These information and statements are based on our perception of historic trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other assumptions, both general and specific, that we believe are appropriate in the circumstances. Such information and statements are, however, by their very nature, subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, of which many are beyond the control of CGI, and which give rise to the possibility that actual results could differ materially from our expectations expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not restricted to: risks related to the market such as the level of business activity of our clients, which is affected by economic and political conditions, other external risks (such as pandemics) and our ability to negotiate new contracts; risks related to our industry such as competition and our ability to attract and retain qualified employees, to develop and expand our services, to penetrate new markets, and to protect our intellectual property rights; risks related to our business such as risks associated with our growth strategy, including the integration of new operations, financial and operational risks inherent in worldwide operations, foreign exchange risks, income tax laws and other tax programs, our ability to negotiate favourable contractual terms, to deliver our services and to collect receivables, the reputational and financial risks attendant to cybersecurity breaches and other incidents, and financial risks such as liquidity needs and requirements, maintenance of financial ratios, and changes in creditworthiness and credit ratings; as well as other risks identified or incorporated by reference in this press release, in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and in other documents that we make public, including our filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators (on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (on EDGAR at www.sec.gov). For a discussion of risks in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, see Pandemic risks in section 10.1.1. of our annual MD&A and section 8.1.1. of our quarterly MD&A. Unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and CGI disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. While we believe that our assumptions on which these forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are based were reasonable as at the date of this press release, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking information or statements. Furthermore, readers are reminded that forward-looking information and statements are presented for the sole purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding our objectives, strategic priorities and business outlook as well as our anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Further information on the risks that could cause our actual results to differ significantly from our current expectations may be found in the section titled Risk Environment of CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A, which is incorporated by reference in this cautionary statement. We also caution readers that the above-mentioned risks and the risks disclosed in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and other documents and filings are not the only ones that could affect us. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial could also have a material adverse effect on our financial position, financial performance, cash flows, business or reputation.

SOURCE CGI Inc.
Consumers increasingly see their own health and the health of the oceans connected through eating fish and seafood. Tweet this

The new messaging platform is intended for the seafood industry, grocery retail and restaurant foodservice companies and the many allied organizations and trade groups working on nutrition, ocean conservation and sustainable seafood. Its goal is to enhance the effectiveness of these organizations and the messages and advice they share with customers, partners and the public.

Changing Tastes intends that through the use of the "More if By Sea" platform, over half of Americans will choose fish and seafood for one more meal each week. The company's research has found that Americans are poised to eat more fish and seafood as they continue to reconsider their protein choices. This modest and achievable change would represent the largest increase in fish and seafood consumption in over half a century and could have a sizable and lasting impact on public health and the health of the planet.

"We are at a demographic fork in the road where changing the messages we use can both substantially increase the market for fish and seafood and also help maintain current demand," said Wasserman, Changing Tastes' managing director. "The increase in fish and seafood consumption over the past decade has been driven by the baby boomer generation, which has embraced a message of seafood as simple and healthy, including a focus on healthy fats and heart health. But America is experiencing a generational shift, with millennials now being the largest demographic group. Today's consumers increasingly see their own health and the health of the oceans connected through eating fish and seafood. To increase consumption, we need to adopt new messages and approaches that match the preferences, attitudes and beliefs of those poised to eat more fish and seafood. This new messaging platform is designed to do just that."

To learn more, please visit https://www.changingtastes.net/more. To set-up a meeting at Seafood Expo North America, contact Changing Tastes at https://www.changingtastes.net/contact.

About Changing Tastes

Changing Tastes is a food strategy consultancy that has worked at the intersection of sustainability and the food industry for two decades. During that time, our team has pioneered many of the common sustainability practices in the food industry, from creating the first ever sustainability strategy for a major food company to creating the plant-forward culinary strategy. Changing Tastes has created and catalyzed many of the now mainstream changes in what Americans choose to eat and what the retail and hospitality industry offers them. Learn more at www.changingtastes.net.

Media Contact:

Megan Lampros

One Twelve Communications on behalf of Changing Tastes

[email protected]

SOURCE Changing Tastes
LOS ANGELES, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Michael Richman returns to The Dennis Prager Show on KRLA 870 AM [The Answer] Radio on Thursday, March 3rd at 11:00 AM PST, to talk about what kind of doctors we are training for the future, how medicine has changed and what the future holds, and why the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease has plateaued over the past decade.

As a cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Richman brings a broad perspective to the Dennis Prager Show. Having performed everything from open heart surgery to offering simple blood tests, Dr. Richman knows what's best for your health. Colleagues consider Dr. Richman an outstanding patient advocate; someone who fights for what's right and "goes to the mat for his patients". Known in the heart health community for his straight-forward, "Zero B.S." approach to medicine, he offers advice for you and your loved ones regarding the complex medical topics covered by the news.

Michael F. Richman, MD, MMM, FACS, FCCP is a is a double board-certified cardiothoracic and general surgeon, lipid specialist, and is the Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of PaladinMDs, as well as the founder of The Center for Cholesterol Management and the Elite Laser Vein Centers in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, California. Dr. Richman was the cholesterol expert for WebMD and has made several national and local television appearances on heart health. He is internationally recognized in the lipid community and is the co-author of literature that teaches physicians how to diagnose and treat complex cholesterol cases.

www.paladinmds.com

Dennis Prager is one of America's most respected radio talk show hosts. He has been broadcasting on radio in Los Angeles since 1982. His popular show became nationally syndicated in 1999 and airs live, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to Noon (Pacific Time) from his home station, KRLA.

www.dennisprager.com

SOURCE PaladinMDs
WASHINGTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ChurnZero , a leading Customer Success software platform, introduced today Success Insights, a unique data analytics tool that arms business-to-business (B2B) SaaS organizations with detailed intelligence on how customers are using their software and exactly which features within the software increase customer retention. With this data-driven intelligence, Customer Success teams can accurately forecast which customers are at risk of churnand why.

Customer retention is a key indicator of the health of a subscription-based company. A 2021 survey by SaaS Capital found that "the correlation between growth and net revenue retention is intuitive as net retention includes what are essentially new 'sales' in the form of price increases, upgrades, upsells, and cross-sells, which help grow revenue year-over-year. Growth above 40% is associated with 100+% net revenue retention." It is widely accepted that lowering customer churn rate by 5% can increase profitability by anywhere from 25% to 125%.

Through pattern recognition, Success Insights leverages existing customer data to uncover unique user behaviorsspecific to a B2B organizations' softwarethat correlate with churn. This data shows organizations how customers are using their software, which features correlate to the most customer value, and how often and when the software is being used. Unlike other tools that look at all customer data, or data sets and churn scores that have been created internally and can be manipulated, Success Insights focuses exclusively on customer adoption data.

Customers are then categorized by churn risk. Customer Success teams can review the reasons why and create personalized experiences at scale to address potential issues sooner.

"For SaaS companies, net revenue retention is the qualifying metric for determining the health of an organization," said Abby Hammer, chief customer officer and head of product, ChurnZero. "Customer Success is a business-level imperative centered around growing revenue by delivering greater value for the customer. With Success Insights, SaaS companies can learn which customers may churn and why based on unique user behaviors, so they can improve satisfaction and retain revenue before it's too late."

Success Insights is available now for ChurnZero customers with an enterprise account. Request a demo to learn more about how Success Insights can assess customer churn risk and drive business growth.

About ChurnZero

ChurnZero is a real-time Customer Success platform that helps subscription businesses fight customer churn. Its software solutions allow businesses to understand how their customers use their product, assess their health, and their likelihood to renew and give businesses the means to personalize the customer experience through timely and relevant touchpoints. ChurnZero is headquartered in Washington, DC, and is backed by leading investment firms such as JMI Equity, Baird Capital, Grotech Ventures, and Middleland Capital. For more information visit https://churnzero.net .

Contact

Cori Webb

[email protected]

(443) 492-9860

SOURCE ChurnZero
BOSTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cohere Health , a recognized leader in intelligent utilization management (UM) technology, announced that two of its senior leaders will speak at the inaugural ViVE conference March 6-9 in Miami Beach, FL. The company's executives will share their perspectives on how to use AI and machine learning to build patient-centered solutions that improve outcomes and reduce costs. Founded in 2019, Cohere drives collaborative UM by aligning patients, physicians, and health plans on evidence-based care paths at the point of care.

The company's CEO, Siva Namasivayam, will join fellow healthcare startup CEOs at an innovation summit to discuss how a new generation of health technology is disrupting our accepted paradigms for population health. Namasivayam will explain how healthcare organizations can scale transformation and investments in digital health, offering real-world examples of Cohere's work to streamline UM through automated workflows, episode-based care paths, and AI-driven clinical recommendations.

In addition, Gina Kim, Cohere Health's Chief Product Officer, will speak at a panel discussion focused on the digital renaissance of revenue cycle management. Panelists will explore how technology, data, and re-engineered processes are helping to improve price transparency, reduce payment processing barriers, and deliver value to the healthcare consumer.

Population Health Technology 2.0

Sunday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m. ET

Panelists: Siva Namasivayam, Co-Founder and CEO, Cohere Health; Kevin Coloton , Founder and CEO, Curation Health; Ben Quirk , Chief Strategy Officer, CareMax/CareOptimize; Jia Jia Ye , Co-Founder and CEO, Springtide Child Development



Disruptive technology and tech-enabled services companies have developed platforms that empower clinicians with the insights needed to better understand the populations they manage. Some focus on technology alone, some on tech-enabled services, and some on delivering patient care for targeted populations.



at Siva Namasivayam, Co-Founder and CEO, Cohere Health; , Founder and CEO, Curation Health; , Chief Strategy Officer, CareMax/CareOptimize; , Co-Founder and CEO, Springtide Child Development Disruptive technology and tech-enabled services companies have developed platforms that empower clinicians with the insights needed to better understand the populations they manage. Some focus on technology alone, some on tech-enabled services, and some on delivering patient care for targeted populations. The Revenue Cycle Management Matrix: Choose the Red Pill

Monday, March 7 , 3:00 p.m. ET

Panelists: Gina Kim, Chief Product Officer, Cohere Health; Jeb Dunkleberger , CEO, Sutter Health | Aetna; Jacob Shiff, Co-Founder and CEO, Anomaly; Tamara Ward , SVP of Insurance Business Operations, Oscar Health



Healthcare organizations are using EHRs and administrative systems as a springboard to build technical automation by way of AI, robotic process automation, and data sharing. Such innovations address repetitive workflows and improve communication between payers, providers, and patients.

The new ViVE conference seeks to merge the leadership of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives ( CHIME ) with the digital marketplace of HLTH . Industry leaders who are shaping tech-enabled healthcare and enabling digital health innovation will have the opportunity to network and attend educational sessions in the service of advancing healthcare. The four-day event is expected to draw C-Suite executives, digital health leaders and buyers, health startups and investors, solution providers and government agencies. For more information, view the ViVE agenda .



About Cohere

Cohere Health drives collaborative utilization management (UM) by aligning physicians and health plans on evidence-based care paths for the patient's entire care journey. By integrating these care paths into the prior authorization submission process, Cohere's digital UM platform reduces denial rates and medical expenses while improving patient outcomes. The company is a winner of the TripleTree iAward and has been named to both Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 and CB Insights' Digital Health 150 lists. Cohere's investors include Flare Capital Partners, Define Ventures, Deerfield, Polaris Partners, and Longitude Capital.

Media Contact:

Jessica Smith

Amendola Communications for Cohere Health

910.508.9980

[email protected]

SOURCE Cohere Health
SUMMERLAND, Calif., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Communities acquired Fawn Creek Homes, a reputable, family-owned business founded in 1969. The acquisition will increase company growth by allowing Crown Communities to expand the brand into more territories while upholding industry-leading community and housing standards. The Fawn Creek residents will continue to receive the same high-quality lifestyle and environment, with the added investment and support from being part of Crown Communities.

Fawn Creek Homes is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Crown Communities and will operate fully under the name and brand while keeping their existing community names. Kodiak Property Management will be managing the property on behalf of Crown Communities.

"This is a fantastic acquisition for Crown Communities," said Alex Cabot, Kodiak Property Management. "Premium properties that have been as well maintained as these are exactly what Crown seeks to acquire, and this acquisition helps further solidify our presence throughout the Midwest. We are looking forward to owning these communities and being a part of the Iowa manufactured housing landscape for many years into the future."

For this recent acquisition, Kodiak Property Management's goal is to help homeowners find affordable, enjoyable places to live. Kodiak has maintained being a leader in the housing development and operation industry by providing:

Value-based services that exceed expectations,

Active involvement in rental and home buying processes, and

Utmost integrity and professionalism.

Of the acquisition, broker Joanne Stevens said, "Congratulations to Alex Cabot and Heath Biddlecome on their four-park Iowa acquisition. The residents may rely on Alex and Heath to maintain the quality and reputation these parks are known for. The Crown Community founders, Alex and Heath, are highly qualified MHP investors. It is great to work with investors who have substantial financial resources, know what they are doing, and cross the finish line on time. Their MHP future is exciting."

About Kodiak Property Management: Kodiak Property Management , a Crown Communities company, is a nationally recognized manufactured housing developer and operator that offers outstanding communities in desirable locations. Whether clients want to own or rent a home, Kodiak Property Management consistently delivers affordable quality homes. The Kodiak professionally trained team provides hands-on assistance in the search for a place to call home.



SOURCE Kodiak Property Management
The PTAB decision makes a clear distinction between the CVC applications involved in the interference and CVC's large portfolio of issued US patents that were not involved in this interference, stating that;

"There is no dispute in this proceeding that the CVC inventors conceived of a generic sgRNA CRISPR-Cas9 system by 1 March 2012 and we note that CVC's patent rights to that invention are not at issue here." Decision pg 49.

CVC retains its patent rights in over 40 issued US patents that were never involved in this interference. These patents cover a variety of compositions and methods for CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, including dual-guide and single-guide formats.

"We are disappointed in the PTAB's decision and are evaluating our options along with the CVC stakeholders in regard to a potential appeal," commented Michael Arciero, Vice-President of Intellectual Property and Commercial Development of ERS Genomics.

In addition to its substantial portfolio of granted CRISPR/Cas9 patents in the US, CVC maintains fundamental CRISPR/Cas9 patents in over 80 countries including the EU, China, Japan and elsewhere. Eric Rhodes, CEO of ERS Genomics said; "We remain convinced that the compositions, methods and techniques in the CVC portfolio of patents are the essential intellectual property for the practice of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing."

About ERS Genomics

ERS Genomics is a biotechnology company based in Dublin, Ireland. The company was formed to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property held by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier. Non-exclusive licenses are available for research and sale of products and services across multiple fields including: research tools, kits, reagents; discovery of novel targets for therapeutic intervention; cell lines for discovery and screening of novel drug candidates; GMP production of healthcare products; companion animal and livestock health; production of industrial materials such as enzymes, biofuels and chemicals; and synthetic biology.

SOURCE ERS Genomics
LAS VEGAS, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dayananda Prabhu Rachakonda, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as an Trusted Physician in the Sleep Medicine field, and in acknowledgment of his work at The Sleep Centers of Nevada.

Founder of The Sleep Centers of Nevada, Dr. Rachakonda treats patients in Las Vegas, Henderson, and Pahrump, NV. He has over 42 years of experience in Sleep Medicine and Pulmonary Healthcare.



Prabhu Rachakonda

Ever since he was a young child, Dr. Rachakonda knew that he wanted to enter the medical profession in order to help people. At the tender age of 4, he listened to everyone's heart with a toy doctor's kit. Today, those dreams he had as a young boy have now become reality. Dr. Rachakonda serves others as a highly trained Sleep Medicine Physician, and as a Professor with a deep knowledge of his field of expertise.



Dr. Rachakonda grew up in India, and attended the RG Kar Medical College-Calcutta, where he earned a Medical degree in 1972. He then moved to the United States, where he completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine, and a Fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital Services New York. The doctor is quadruple-board certified in Pulmonary Disease, Sleep Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).



Dr. Rachakonda is the Founder of The Sleep Centers of Nevada, located at 5701 W Charleston Blvd #100 in Las Vegas, NV. He opened the facility with two beds in 2008, and has since expanded to 32 beds. Dr. Rachakonda and his team of specialists have extensive experience in Sleep Medicine and Pulmonology. They offer sleep tests, diagnostic testing, screen oximetry, CPAP management, behavioral health medicine, dental sleep medicine, and more.



At The Sleep Centers of Nevada, Dr. Rachakonda and his staff provide compassionate care in a comfortable, safe environment. He listens closely to his patients to make their experience pleasant from start to finish. Dr. Rachakonda works to improve the quality of life and health of his patients through comprehensive sleep medicine care.

Outside of his clinical work, Dr. Rachakonda teaches students at the University of Nevada. He has trained more than 1,000 medical residents in his time as a Professor.



Remaining involved in his field, Dr. Rachakonda is a Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. He has additionally served as President of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners for the past four years, and has served on the board for eight years. The doctor is also a member of the Clark County Medical Society, the American Thoracic Society, the American Medical Association, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.



In his spare time, Dr. Rachakonda enjoys spending time with family and friends, and working with like-minded, political candidates on election matters.



For more information, visit https://sleepcenterofnevada.com/.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
YANGON, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's military extended its ceasefire agreements with ethnic armed groups until the end of this year, according to a statement released by Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services on Monday.

The nationwide ceasefire agreement was initiated in October 2015.

The military extended the ceasefire to boost the peace process in the country and to enable effective efforts to combat COVID-19 nationwide, the statement said.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chairman of the State Administration Council and commander-in-chief of Defense Services, had earlier announced the decision during a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Nay Pyi Taw in January, the statement said.

The military had announced extending suspension of military operations for 20 times from Dec. 21, 2018 till Feb. 28 this year, it said.

Myanmar declared a state of emergency after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, along with other officials from the National League for Democracy, were detained by the military on Feb. 1, 2021.

The state power was transferred to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing after the declaration of the state of emergency. 
Grillo, who joined the regional leadership team last June, has been tasked with evolving DDB's creative product to be more insight-driven and immersive, delivering platform ideas, with content and executions in more spaces and places.

Grillo said: "DDB North America has been on a journey of creative product transformation over the past year, beginning with the arrival of our CEO and President, Justin Thomas-Copeland and his vision for the agency as a future-forward integrated creative powerhouse. I'm so excited we are taking another step in our journey, as we continue to expand and invest in experience and innovation. Christine, Melissa, and Rock are some of the best at what they do, and we are thrilled to have them at DDB."

Christine Lane joins DDB North America as Head of Experience. Lane comes to DDB with an impressive resume, with the last six years spent at McCann as SVP, Executive Director of Innovation. There she was responsible for some of the agency's best-known non-traditional work, including award-winning "Fearless Girl," a bronze statue of a young girl, installed on the eve of International Women's Day, to stare down Wall Street. A true innovator, Lane has dedicated her career to architecting world-class production teams from the ground up to create works for clients such as AT&T, GE, Mastercard, National Geographic, Pfizer, Reckitt and Verizon. In 2018, she was named to Adweek's Creative 100, a list of gifted professionals who inspire current and future generations with their work and their passion for creativity. Lane will work with teams across DDB North America to drive ideation and lead education and awareness of the latest platform innovation and technology.

Lane said: "I'm at my best when inventing new, unexpected forms of experience, and I feel so at home with the entrepreneurial spirit and way of thinking at DDB. There is a lot to be said for the openness, desire, and drive that DDB has and is putting towards working differently. I'm looking forward to surrounding myself with extremely talented people and matching their creativity with how we can best serve the consumer in order to make the creative output even stronger."

Partnering with Lane to drive education and serve as a liaison for the social and digital space to bring the best of what the innovation world has to offer is Melissa Hochman. A multidisciplinary strategist by trade, Hochman will help drive digital strategies for experience and social as DDB North America's Group Director, Experience. She's worked on a variety of clients including P&G, IBM, Campbell's Snack Brands, National Down Syndrome Society, and Pizza Hut. Hochman began her 10-year career in media, moved to digital strategy at Ogilvy and most recently, held the role of VP, Digital Strategy at Saatchi & Saatchi. She is fascinated with what makes a consumer's mind tick and pairing that with knowledge of media behaviors to solve the business challenge at hand.

Hochman said: "There is incredibly strong creative DNA in the DDB brand. The culture feels collaborative and intentionally entrepreneurial which is key to making fully-integrated work. There isn't a formula for creativity, but DDB is reimagining what it looks like to operationalize and enable it, from the client brief to how it shows up in the world. I am excited to collaborate with Lucia, Christine and Rock as a cross-network team. Plus, I have an absolute crush on DDB's groundbreaking work for Skittles."

Rock Darlington brings over 17 years of award-winning digital production experience to his role as Group Executive Producer, Experience. He hails from Leo Burnett, where he spent over 12 years leading and executing all forms of integrated production. Darlington worked on a number of different projects while at Leo Burnett, but cites using AI to help take bias out of hunger for client Feeding America as a career highlight. Prior to Leo Burnett, Darlington spent time as a Producer at Domani Studios, Draft FCB, and Pixel. At DDB, Darlington will work closely with teams across the North America network to vet ideas outside of traditional content and will be a key partner to make the work even better, faster, and smarter.

Darlington said: "I've always been jealous of the type of work DDB is doing. Unexpected projects, like a Skittles Broadway Show and Miller Lite's Cantroller, are the kinds of work consumers really enjoy when engaging with brands. I can't wait to dive in with the teams and continue to find new, interesting avenues to connect brands to their consumer and to help inspire this kind of out-of-the-box thinking."

DDB North America CEO and President Justin Thomas-Copeland said: "We are strategically strengthening our experience and innovation capabilities and Christine, Melissa, and Rock are all exceptional hires, at the top of their fields, who live and breathe our Unexpected Works philosophy. They will be instrumental to our creative product transformation in taking the briefs to new heights! I cannot wait to see what is to come! "

ABOUT DDB WORLDWIDE

DDB Worldwide (www.ddb.com) is one of the world's largest and most influential advertising and marketing networks. DDB has been named 2021 Network of the Year by D&AD and ADC, as well as numerous times by the Cannes International Festival of Creativity and the industry's leading advertising publications and awards shows. WARC has listed DDB as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 12 of the last 15 years. The network's clients include Molson Coors, Volkswagen, McDonald's, Unilever, Mars, Peloton, JetBlue, Johnson & Johnson, and the U.S. Army, among others. Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC) and consists of over 10,000 employees across 149 offices in over 63 countries, with its flagship office in New York, NY.

ABOUT OMNICOM

Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE  OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries.

CONTACT: Donna Tobin, Global Chief Marketing & Communications Officer; [email protected]

SOURCE DDB North America
ORLANDO, Fla. , March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Domain Homes, the Tampa-based builder featuring a sparrow in its branding, hosted a "Landing Luncheon" for Realtors at the Historic Dubsdread Ballroom, on Feb. 17, 2022. The event marks the official launch of the Realtor Ambassador VIP Program for the Domain Homes-Orlando Division.

More than 462 Realtors signed up for the Realtor Ambassador VIP program online at SpreadingOurWings.com, and 280 Realtors attended the event in person.

In addition to giving away 15 $25 VISA gift cards and six wine baskets as door prizes, Domain Homes awarded a Three-Day Weekend Getaway to Sanibel Island. The winners are mother and daughter Realtors, Darlene Chance and Deanna Chance with Team Chance.

Thad Lynch, Orlando Division President, revealed new floor plans and elevations designed specifically for the Orlando market. He also announced the release of the first 12 home sites, located in College Park and Audubon Park. Starting prices range from the $700K's to more than a $1,000,000. New homes in Wadeview Park, Delaney Park, and Winter Park are expected this spring.

Sharon McSwain, Founder of Domain Homes, welcomed attendees to the Realtor Ambassador VIP Program and described the opportunities for partnership. McSwain has built more than 1,000 homes in Tampa since 2010 and last year paid more than $2 million in commissions to Realtors.

McSwain explained the Orlando Division's focus on creating intentionally designed homes for sophisticated living in prime Orlando neighborhoods.

"With the pandemic, homebuyers from higher-priced real estate markets are flocking to Orlando," said McSwain. "They want homes in established neighborhoods with parks, outstanding schools, and a walkable lifestyle. They don't want renovations or custom homes. We build new homes that feel custom with high-end fixtures, features, and flexible options to match a buyer's unique style."

"How people want to live in a home today may change in two years, five years, or with an event like a pandemic," explained McSwain. "We're creating homes that can flex as a homeowner's needs change."

Domain Homes was The Tampa Bay Times "Best of the Best" in 2020 and 2021 in the home builder category, and the company has been recognized for its long-standing support of City of Tampa Fire Rescue.

For more information about Domain Homes Orlando, visit SpreadingOurWings.com. For general information about Domain Homes, visit DomainHomes.com.

CONTACT:

Joan Barnes

(678) 520-8724

[email protected]

SOURCE Domain Homes
Dragonfly receives a milestone payment from Bristol Myers Squibb for progression of its Phase 1 DF6002-001 study with a PK profile and peripheral PD consistent with preclinical models

WALTHAM, Mass., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc. ("Dragonfly") today announced the achievement of a Phase 1 clinical development milestone for the DF6002/BMS-9896415 IL-12 program. DF6002/BMS-9896415 is a monovalent IL-12 immunoglobulin Fc fusion protein proposed to achieve strong anti-tumor efficacy by establishing an inflammatory tumor microenvironment necessary for productive anti-tumor responses.

Dragonfly received investigational new drug approval for DF6002 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2020, and its Phase 1/2 clinical trial for patients with advanced solid tumors began in July 2020. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Dragonfly Therapeutics for its IL-12 investigational immunotherapy program, including its extended half-life cytokine DF6002, in August 2020. Bristol Myers Squibb intends to advance the research and development of DF6002 in oncology and hematology.

Bristol Myers Squibb is responsible for the development and any subsequent commercialization of DF6002/BMS-9896415 and its related products worldwide, including strategic decisions, regulatory responsibilities, funding, and manufacturing. Dragonfly is eligible to receive additional performance-based development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. Dragonfly will receive up to 24% royalties on worldwide net sales.

"We are very encouraged by the progress being made on the DF6002/BMS-9896415 program and with Bristol Myers Squibb, whose broad range of oncology agents will help to accelerate the development of DF6002, the most advanced cytokine in Dragonfly's pipeline," said Bill Haney, Co-founder and CEO of Dragonfly Therapeutics. "We remain confident that the talent, experience and commitment to science-driven innovation of the Bristol Myers Squibb team will enable DF6002/BMS-9896415 to discover novel, life-saving solutions for patients."

"We are pleased to see results in the clinic bearing out the original hypothesis that DF6002/BMS-9896415 offers a remarkably differentiated profile from other cytokine programs," said Rupert Vessey, M.A., B.M., B.Ch., F.R.C.P., D.Phil., Executive Vice President, Research & Early Development, Bristol Myers Squibb. "We look forward to our continued work with Dragonfly to further guide the program's clinical data at this pivotal point in its development, as we continue to deliver on our commitment to serve more patients with cancer."

About DF6002

DF6002, an extended half-life IL12 cytokine, is an investigational immunotherapy being evaluated in adult patients for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. DF6002 has the potential to stimulate effective anti-tumor immunity in patients who are not eligible or not adequately responding to current therapies. DF6002 is the most advanced in a pipeline of cytokines developed by Dragonfly to address the high unmet need in patients with advanced cancer.

The Phase 1/2 clinical trial for DF6002/BMS-986415 is a first-in-human open-label, dose-escalation study with a consecutive parallel-group efficacy expansion study, designed to determine the safety, tolerability, PK, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity of DF6002 as monotherapy and in combination with nivolumab. Additional information about the trial, including eligibility criteria, can be found at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04423029).

About Dragonfly

Dragonfly Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing therapies that use its novel technology to harness the body's innate immune system to bring breakthrough treatments to patients. Dragonfly has a deep pipeline of wholly-owned clinical and preclinical candidates discovered using its proprietary platform that are progressing toward the clinic, as well as productive collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck and Abbvie across a broad range of disease areas. For more information visit us at www.Dragonflytx.com, or follow us on Linkedln and Twitter .

Contacts

Dragonfly

Media contact: Anne Deconinck, [email protected]

SOURCE Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc.
Duke's original line of Southern Sauces debuted in 2020 with six BBQ flavors, each inspired by a regional southern recipe -- Hickory Moonshine, Carolina Gold, Georgia Sweet Heat, Alabama White, Tennessee Smoke & Whiskey, & Mississippi Comeback. The newest flavor to join the Duke's Southern Sauce lineup is Carolina Vinegar BBQ , which originates from the Piedmont region of western North Carolina. The recipe, born out of a state-wide barbecue divide, expands on NC's original, vinegar-based sauce by adding a touch of tomato paste for sweetness and color.

"Each Duke's Southern Sauce is distinct to the region that created it," said Maria McAllister, Duke's Marketing Operations Wrangler. "We love bringing unique regional sauces that are revered throughout the South to our fans and customers. Carolina Vinegar is an authentic Piedmont-style BBQ sauce that is tangy, sweet, and spicy."

Duke's Carolina Vinegar BBQ is a classic Piedmont-style BBQ sauce that originated in western North Carolina during WWI where barbecue stands were cooking just parts of the hog, primarily the pork shoulder, instead of the whole hog. This thin, vinegar-based sauce has a touch of sweetness from tomato paste, along with tangy vinegar & spices, yet the delicious pork essence still comes through. This style of BBQ sauce is traditionally used as a finishing sauce or served alongside pulled pork.

In addition to the new flavor, Duke's Southern Sauces' packaging also got a revamp, including the Duke's signature yellow cap and black medallion. The updated packaging is a continuation of a transformation for the brand that began in 2020. Milestones of this transformation include product innovation, like the southern sauces, flavored mayos, dressings, and southern-style mustards; the introduction of the Duke's It's Got Twang! campaign; and the sponsorship of the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, NC, known for its viral moments like mayo baths and trophy breaks.

"We want it to be clear to the consumer that these sauces are cut from the same cloth as the beloved mayonnaise," said Rebecca Lupesco, Duke's Brand Manager of Mayohem. "The new packaging both brings the sauces into the Duke's family of condiments and makes the product pop on shelf. And when shoppers see the yellow cap, they know they're getting the best."

Duke's Southern Sauces will be supported by a new campaign that works with content creators, like California-based comedian and TikToker Kendahl Landreth, who turn into their viral southern characters after tasting a southern sauce  showing how Duke's Southern Sauce Makes Anything More Southern. See HERE.

As with all Duke's products, Duke's Southern Sauces are made with only quality ingredients, no high fructose corn syrup, and are kosher. Alabama White, Georgia Sweet Heat, Tennessee Smoke & Whiskey, and Carolina Gold are also naturally gluten-free. The sauces are available in 14oz  17.5oz squeeze bottles and retail between $3.49 and $3.99.

For more information, or to shop for new products, visit dukesmayo.com or follow @dukes_mayonnaise on Instagram and show how you're upping your BBQ game with Duke's Southern Sauces by using the #trysometwang hashtag.

About Duke's Mayonnaise

Duke's Mayonnaise was created in 1917 in Greenville, S.C. by Eugenia Duke. For over 100 years, Duke's has been adding southern flavors to make good things better. In addition to the flagship mayonnaise, which is still made according to its female founder's original recipe, Duke's offers light, olive oil, and flavored mayonnaises, tartar sauce, sandwich relish and regionally inspired Duke's Southern Sauces, dressings, and mustards. Duke's is the Official Condiment of the Tailgate and title sponsor of the Duke's Mayo Classic & Duke's Mayo Bowl. For more information, visit dukesmayo.com or follow @dukes_mayonnaise on Instagram. Duke's Mayonnaise is owned by Sauer Brands, Inc.

About Sauer Brands Inc.

Sauer Brands, Inc. was founded as The C.F. Sauer Company in 1887, in Richmond, Virginia. The company produces a broad line of inspired flavors to excite and delight consumers including condiments, spices, seasonings and extracts. The company's manufacturing facilities are in Richmond, Virginia; Mauldin, South Carolina; New Century, Kansas; and San Luis Obispo, California. The company sells well-known brands including Duke's Mayonnaise and Southern Sauces, Kernel Season's Popcorn Flavorings, Mateos Gourmet Salsa, and The Spice Hunter, Sauer's, and Tasty Shakes spices and flavorings. Sauer Brands, Inc. also produces high quality private label products for retail and away-from-home channels. Learn more at www.sauerbrandsinc.com.

SOURCE Duke's Mayonnaise
In collaboration with Scholarship America , Dunkin' will award a $5,000 academic scholarship to 20 students throughout the greater Philadelphia region to attend an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school of their choice in Fall 2022. Dunkin's Philadelphia Regional Scholarship Program will be open to current part-time and full-time undergraduate students and high school seniors. Recipients will be selected based on their academic record, demonstrated leadership skills, and overall commitment to their school and local community.

Photos/Videos for your consideration: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/nwtx4wAuyA

"Dunkin' franchisees throughout the greater Philadelphia area are excited to launch the annual Dunkin' Philadelphia Regional Scholarship Program to continue helping the students in our communities as they work toward advanced education," said Perry Shah, Dunkin' Franchisee and Chairman of the Dunkin' Philadelphia Advertising Committee. "We look forward to recognizing more deserving students this year and are thrilled to offer a larger scholarship award, aiming to help ease the financial burden of college."

Since its creation in 2009, the Dunkin' Philadelphia Regional Scholarship Program has awarded $500,000 in scholarships to 300 outstanding part-time and full-time undergraduate students and high school seniors.

Applications for the thirteenth annual Dunkin' Philadelphia Regional Scholarship Program will be accepted through April 15. Applicants must be high school seniors or current undergraduate students who plan to enroll in a part-time or full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school in Fall 2022. Applicants must reside and/or be currently enrolled in college in Southeastern Pa., Southern N.J., or Kent and New Castle counties Del. to be considered. For more information or to apply, visit https://learnmore.scholarsapply.org/dunkinphilly/.

About Dunkin'

Founded in 1950, Dunkin' is America's favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin' is a market leader in the hot regular/decaf/flavored coffee, iced regular/decaf/flavored coffee, donut, bagel, and muffin categories. Dunkin' has earned a No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for 15 years running. The company has more than 12,600 franchised restaurants in 40 countries worldwide. Dunkin' is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

About Scholarship America

Scholarship America is a non-profit organization that helps students fulfill their college dreams. Since 1958, Scholarship America has distributed over $4.5 billion to more than 2.8 million students. The organization works with partners to lower barriers to a college education and give students the support needed to succeed. Learn more at scholarshipamerica.org.

SOURCE Dunkin'
Approximately 5%-10% of the general population is impacted by RLS, making it the most common movement disorder. Tweet this

RLS, also referred to as Willis-Ekbom Disease, is a neurological sensory disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's legs due to uncomfortable sensations. According to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, approximately 5%-10% of the general population is impacted by RLS, making it the most common movement disorder. RLSa is the worsening of RLS symptoms despite treatment with conventional therapies.

Emalex is currently evaluating ecopipam for the treatment of Tourette syndrome (TS) in pediatric patients and childhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering) in adults. Topline results for the pediatric Tourette's Phase 2b clinical study were positive. Statistically significant, clinically meaningful results were obtained on the primary, key secondary endpoints along with significant results on other secondary efficacy endpoints and showed that ecopipam was well tolerated in this study. The company is preparing to meet with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and other global regulatory agencies in the coming months to discuss next steps related to the drug approval process. Full data from the study, including the specifics of the primary efficacy and safety dataset, will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference and submitted for scientific peer-review publication.

About Ecopipam

Ecopipam is an investigational first-in-class drug currently being evaluated for the treatment of Tourette syndrome (TS) in pediatric patients and childhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering) in adults. Ecopipam selectively blocks the actions of the neurotransmitter dopamine at the D1 receptor. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and its receptors have been classified into two "families" based on their genetic structure: "D1" (including subtypes D1 and D5) and "D2" (including subtypes D2, D3, and D4). D1-receptor super-sensitivity may be a mechanism for the repetitive and compulsive behaviors associated with TS.

Ecopipam has been shown to be generally well tolerated in clinical trials conducted to date and has received Orphan Drug and Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with TS. Adverse events affecting primarily the central nervous system [CNS] (e.g., sedation, insomnia, psychiatric changes) and the gastrointestinal system (e.g., nausea and vomiting) are the most frequently reported side effects.

About Emalex Biosciences

Emalex Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for central nervous system movement disorders and fluency disorders with limited or no treatment options. Aligned with its mission, the company is evaluating treatments for children and adolescents with Tourette syndrome and childhood-onset fluency disorder, or stuttering. Headquartered in Chicago, Emalex is a portfolio company of Paragon Biosciences. For more information, visit: EmalexBiosciences.com.

About Paragon Biosciences

Paragon is a life science innovator that creates, builds and funds innovative biology-based companies in cell and gene therapy, adaptive biology and advanced biotechnology. The company's current portfolio includes Castle Creek Biosciences, CiRC Biosciences, Emalex Biosciences, Evozyne, Harmony Biosciences, Qlarity Imaging, Skyline Biosciences, and a consistent flow of incubating companies created and supported by the Paragon Innovation Capital model. Paragon stands at the intersection of human need, life science, and company creation. For more information, please visit https://paragonbiosci.com/.

Media Contact:

Evelyn M. O'Connor

Paragon Biosciences

312-847-1335

[email protected]

SOURCE Emalex Biosciences, Inc.
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Equilibra Ventures, a startup incubation and investment platform from KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky, kicks off Women's Month announcing its partnership with Belgian Boys, a woman-owned brand of European treats. In a market in which sweets are often associated with deprivation and guilt, Belgian Boys' quick-and-easy delights - including breakfasts, stroopwafels, cookies and desserts - seek to help people "turn up the happy" any time of the day.

Run by Belgian-born wife and husband duo Anouck Gotlib and Greg Galel, Belgian Boys is a woman-owned business quickly winning the hearts of Americans with its brightly packaged, carefully portioned snacks already available at major retailers like Target and Walmart. Reinforcing the idea that delicious treats can be enjoyed daily, Belgian Boys has taken an unconventional approach to merchandising, choosing to sell its frozen breakfasts and desserts in the fresh refrigerated section.

Gotlib explains, "Even though breakfast is part of our daily routines, Americans have been conditioned to 'stock up' on frozen breakfast items that you would typically find chilled in Belgium. We're excited to see success bringing this same placement in the United States, where we consumers are increasingly looking for tasty and convenient optionality beyond the typical American breakfast of eggs and bacon."

It was Gotlib's dynamic energy and Galel's approach to thinking "outside the aisle" that drew in the team at Equilibra. Says Equilibra Manager Director Elle Lanning, "We were most drawn to Belgian Boys' passionate and innovative leaders. Instead of adhering to tried-and-true playbooks, Belgian Boys is writing its own rules and changing the entire game. Best of all, they are doing it with family values, entrepreneurial drive and contagious positive energy."

With Lubetzky and Equilibra's partnership, Belgian Boys is motivated to grow into a global brand with happiness at its core. Leveraging its team's unique depth and breadth of experience founding and developing cult CPG brands (like KIND Snacks) through every stage of growth, Equilibra looks forward to working hand-in-hand with Belgian Boys to continue pursuing innovation with integrity.

Equilibra celebrates its partnership with Belgian Boys as its fifth investment in a woman-founded, owned, or operated enterprise (joining Yellow Leaf Hammocks, FitFighter, Tandm Surf, and Before Brands Spoonful One). For more information on Equilibra, visit www.equilibra.us . To learn more about Belgian Boys, visit www.belgianboys.com.

About Belgian Boys

Belgian Boys is a woman-owned, Brooklyn-based food startup working to create moments of extra joy in people's everyday lives. Quick-and-easy breakfasts, individually-wrapped cookies and decadent desserts are delivered in whimsical, colorful packaging and are prepared with a dose of fun in every bite. Belgian Boys products are made in Europe, for sharing worldwide. For more information, visit www.belgianboys.com .

About Equilibra Ventures

Equilibra Ventures, founded by KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky in 2018, incubates, operates and invests in entrepreneur-run businesses to help them grow successful brands that generate enduring value. Equilibra values innovation with integrity and deploys its best-in-class team to help entrepreneurs build brands with the power to change people's lives for the better. Learn more at www.equilibra.us .

SOURCE Equilibra
BETHESDA, Md., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Oakleaf Group, a premier provider of mortgage loan due diligence, data analytics, financial modeling, and advisory services for the mortgage and financial services industries, has announced its appointment of Eric Christensen as Senior Managing Director of Business Development. In this role Mr. Christensen will lead Oakleaf's efforts to expand its service offerings to new clients across the mortgage industry. He will work closely with the executive management team to promote new products and support growth as Oakleaf continues to advance its solutions.

Eric Christensen has more than 25 years' business development experience in predictive analytics and credit risk management in the global retail lending business and mortgage industry. Prior to joining Oakleaf, Mr. Christensen served as Executive in Product Management for CoreLogic, the premier supplier of U.S. real estate, mortgage, consumer, and specialized business data. His extensive experience also includes several other executive roles at various institutions, including LERETA, Credit Data Solutions, UHS America, Fair Isaac Corporation "FICO", Fannie Mae, LoanPerformance, and E*TRADE.

Oakleaf's President and CEO, Chris Milner, commented, "We're pleased to welcome Eric Christensen to the Oakleaf executive team. His experience in digital transformation, his leadership in product development and management, and his strategic approaches for growth will be invaluable to Oakleaf."

"I'm very excited to join the Oakleaf Executive Team. Oakleaf has a premier reputation that has been built by veterans within the mortgage industry who bring a rock-solid understanding to support a wide array of client needs. With the challenges the mortgage industry is facing in 2022, Oakleaf is responding by expanding its sales distribution of products and services focused on mortgage servicers and mortgage originators. I'm thrilled to be a part of it." said Christensen.

About The Oakleaf Group

The Oakleaf Group is a Mortgage advisory firm providing a diverse set of services, solutions and outsourced business processes to all mortgage industry segments. Founded in 2007 by mortgage industry veterans, our clients include originators, servicers, trustees, investors, aggregators and securitization sponsors, government entities and agencies, mortgage insurers, law firms, capital markets firms, banks, fintech firms, and industry service providers. Oakleaf's passion is to enhance the mortgage finance industry with data-driven, model-informed, analytics-enabled and operationally-rigorous services and solutions.

Media Contacts:

Tara Johnston

[email protected]

SOURCE The Oakleaf Group
SAN DIEGO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ETHOS ASSET MANAGEMENT INC USA , announced a new long-term financing partnership with Egeli & Co., a leading independent investment group dedicated to investments for impact in Turkey and the region.

Egeli & Co.

Carlos Santos, President, and CEO of Ethos, stated,

"We are pleased to announce our deal with Egeli & Co., an innovative investment company. We were very impressed with Founder, Mr Tan Egeli and his know-how especially in; Agribusiness, Medical/Pharmaceutical R & D, Energy, ICT and Socially responsible projects in education, health services and social housing. Egeli & Co has recognized the need to increase its portfolio of impact investments in Turkey but its neighbouring region as well. The fund will generate new job and career opportunities for local people and impact positively on the communities directly served. We continue our growth and presence in Turkey and the region, where we receive new business opportunities steadily every week."

Tan Egeli, Managing Director, Egeli & Co., said,

"We are thankful to Mr. Carlos Santos and Ethos for their support during these unprecedented times. With our "Invest4Impact" project, Egeli & Co makes an important stand for sustainable investments in the region. There is a growing awareness and emerging communities for impact investing, the future of investing. We are investing in a complete ecosystem for impact which will expand our capabilities as an impact investor while returning annual dividends to our stakeholders initiating sustainable, socially responsible investments. We will use fresh funds to capitalize our current businesses in agriculture, and energy sectors and invest further to become a game changing impact investment hub in the region, managed in line with good governance principles and beneficial for all stakeholders. Impact investing is here to stay and grow exponentially over the next decade and beyond."

Hans Kastensmith, Attributed Holdings Managing Partner, said,

"AHI and Attributed Consultancy Turkey are truly pleased to be part of Ethos and the financing of the "Invest4Impact" project. Egeli & Co is a strong, forward-looking financier with great prospects in investments that create a more sustainable world. Our global impact can be greatly expanded by injecting capital into well managed financial groups, assisting experienced investors with the ongoing liquidity needed to deepen their portfolio's and support the growth of top companies worldwide. We as always are very proud to be a primary part of the Ethos team in Turkey as Mr. Santos and his group rapidly expand their footprint in this dynamic world market."

About Ethos Asset Management:

Ethos Asset Management (Ethos) is an independent, US-based company with a global reach in resource mobilization and project financing.

For more information, please visit https://www.ethosasset.com/ .

About Egeli & Co.:

Egeli & Co is a global, dedicated, trend changing investment group seeded and managed by Egeli & Co Family Office. The group is proactive in their intention for positive impact as opposed to merely avoiding negative impacts.

For more information, please visit https://www.egelico.com/

About Attributed Holdings and Attributed Consultancy

Attributed Holdings and its sister firm Attributed Consultancy Turkey is a global holding and consultancy company having strategic partnerships with firms and individuals worldwide.

Contacts:

Egeli & Co.:

Tan Egeli, Managing Director, Egeli & Co;

[email protected]

Ethos:

Mr. Hans Kastensmith

Attributed Holdings International  Ethos Associate

[email protected]

www.attributedholdings.com

+18585354814

SOURCE Ethos Asset Management Inc
CAMAS, Wash., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Training awarded Fisher Investments with the prestigious Training APEX Award (formerly T100 & T125) for 2022. Training is the leading business publication for employee learning and development (L&D). This is the fourth consecutive year Training recognized Fisher Investments as a top employee-training provider.

The Training Apex Awards recognize organizations with the most successful employee L&D programs in the world based on various factors and benchmarking statistics, including:

Scope of training programs provided

Detailed formal and informal training programs

Training linked to business/business unit goals

Training infrastructure and delivery

"We're honored to be recognized for our employee training and development programs four years running," said Fisher Investments' Chief Executive Officer Damian Ornani. "The Training Apex Award is a reflection of our continuous commitment to our employees and to building lifelong careers."

Fisher Investments' Executive Vice President of Global Human Capital, Greg Miramontes, added, "Our exceptional L&D programs are designed to support and encourage our employees in their journey to building rewarding careers. This award affirms our positive, engaging work environment, where employees can thrive while providing outstanding service to our clients. We believe our employee training programs continue to serve as key drivers for our success."

About Fisher Investments

Fisher Investments is an independent, fee-only investment adviser. As of 12/31/2021, Fisher Investments and its subsidiaries manage over $208 billion in assets globallyover $163 billion for private investors, $42 billion for institutional investors and $2 billion for US small to mid-sized business retirement plans. Fisher Investments maintains four principal business groups: US Private Client, Institutional, Private Client International and 401(k) Solutions, which serve a global client base of diverse investors. Not all strategies are offered/sold in all jurisdictions. Founder and Executive Chairman Ken Fisher wrote the Forbes "Portfolio Strategy" column from 1984 through 2016, making him the longest continuously running columnist in the magazine's history. In recent years, Ken's columns have run consistently in major media outlets across almost every Western European country as well as material Asian countries, spanning more countries and more volume than any other columnist of any type in history. Ken has also authored 11 books, including four New York Times bestsellers on finance and investing. For more information on Fisher Investments, please visit www.fisherinvestments.com.

Fisher Investments Media Contacts

SOURCE Fisher Investments
COLOMBO, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said they are currently engaged in the evacuation of approximately 40 Sri Lankan nationals, including two students, via the Ukraine-Poland border.

In a statement, the ministry said Sri Lanka continues to closely monitor developments in Ukraine and has strengthened the provision of resources to the Sri Lankan embassy in Warsaw to facilitate the evacuation.

"The Foreign Ministry is also engaged in monitoring the status of Sri Lankan nationals in countries which share land borders with Ukraine. Sri Lanka's accredited missions are in contact with the relevant Honorary Consuls and Sri Lankan nationals in the respective countries," the statement said.

The Sri Lankan embassy in Moscow which is concurrently accredited to Belarus continues to be in close communication with approximately 1,600 Sri Lankan nationals, including 1,556 students studying in universities or higher education institutes in Belarus, it added. 
PORTLAND, Ore., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Fleet Management Market by Vehicle Type (Light Commercial Vehicle, Heavy Commercial Vehicle, Aircraft, Railway, and Watercraft), Component (Solution and Services), Communication Technology (Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Cellular System), and Industry (Retail, Government, Transportation & Logistics, Automotive, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030". As per the report, the global fleet management industry was pegged at $19.46 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $52.50 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2021 to 2030.

Major determinants of the market growth

Need of operational competency in fleet management, mandatory government regulations, and rise in concerns about fleet safety have boosted the growth of the global fleet management market. However, lack of uninterrupted & seamless internet connectivity and cost sensitivity in local players hinder the market growth. On the contrary, intelligent transportation system and strengthening communication network would open lucrative opportunities in the future.

Download Report (192 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/753

Covid-19 Scenario:

The Covid-19 pandemic created uncertainty in the market. It disrupted the supply chain, hampered business growth, and temporarily shut down businesses.

The overall production activities were adversely affected the market, due to limited workforce and inadequate health safety measures.

The aircraft segment dominated the market

By vehicle type, the aircraft segment held the lion's share in 2019, accounting for around one-fourth global fleet management market, owing to rise in aircraft fleet presence across the globe. However, the watercraft segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period, due to rise in application of fleet management system in boats to keep track of boat sailing activities.

Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/753

The services to portray the highest CAGR through 2030

By component, the services segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period, owing to rise in demand for aftersales services of fleet management and telematics solutions across the globe. However, the solution segment held the largest share in 2020, contributing to nearly two-thirds of the global fleet management market, due to rise in presence of companies operating in the industry.

North America held the lion's share

By region, the market across North America held the largest share in 2020, accounting for around two-fifths of the market, due to rise in application of fleet management system in vehicles running across the region. However, the global fleet management market across Asia-Pacific is projected to portray the highest CAGR of 12.1% during the forecast period, owing to rise in production and sales of vehicles equipped with infotainment, navigation, and telematics services.

Interested to Procure the Data with Actionable Strategy & Insights? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/753

Key market players

AT&T, Inc.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Fleetmatics Group Plc

Freeway Fleet Systems

IBM Corporation

I.D. Systems

MiTAC International Corporation

Navico

Telogis

TomTom N.V.

Purchase Full Research Report Now! https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/b2cde9398e80d512e4f832328ecd6c90

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About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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WASHINGTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Guidehouse, a leading global provider of consulting services to public sector and commercial clients, announced today that Allison Carter, Megan Philbin, Keri Lowry, and Giovanna Ubillus were honored with the Patriot Award in recognition of their support for Guido Weiss, a Senior Consultant in the firm's National Security Segment (NSS), during his military deployment in the US Navy Reserve. The award is given by the Employer Support Group of the Guard and Reserve ("ESGR"), a Department of Defense program. Weiss nominated the professionals on behalf of his team, which includes other reservists and veterans.

The ESGR Patriot Award recognizes supervisors and management teams nominated by a Guardsman or Reservist employee for support provided directly to the nominator. The recognition reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed.



"The support, understanding and flexibility my team at Guidehouse has shown when it came to my training and deployment is second to none," said Weiss. "Allison, Megan, Keri and Giovanna have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to national service for which my family and I are forever grateful."

Guidehouse, recognized as a 2022 Military Friendly Employer by VIQTORY for three consecutive years, is also proud to be named to 2022 Military Spouse Friendly Employers, Military Friendly Supplier Diversity Program, and Military Friendly Brands Lists.

"We are extremely honored that our team members have been individually recognized with this prestigious award, and are so proud of the military service of our employees, including those who choose to continue to serve in the National Guard or Reserve," said John Saad, Partner & National Security segment leader at Guidehouse. "Thank you, Allison, Megan, Keri and Giovanna, for supporting Guido and other service members on the team in their service. Service members have the skills, talents, and capabilities that inspire organizations, make our teams stronger, build a strong company culture, and play a crucial role in our success."

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public sector and commercial markets, with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. By combining our public and private sector expertise, we help clients address their most complex challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures focusing on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that help our clients outwit complexity and position them for future growth and success. The company has more than 12,000 professionals in over 50 locations globally. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company, led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. For more information, please visit www.guidehouse.com.

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SOURCE Guidehouse
SAN DIEGO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers of Gatos Silver, Inc. (NYSE: GATO): (a) common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Registration Statement issued in connection with Gatos Silver's initial public offering (the "IPO") conducted on or about October 28, 2020; and/or (b) securities between October 28, 2020 and January 25, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period") have until April 25, 2022 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff. Commenced on February 22, 2022 in the District of Colorado, the Gatos Silver class action lawsuit  captioned Bilinsky v. Gatos Silver, Inc., No. 22-cv-00453  charges Gatos Silver, certain of its top executives and directors, as well as the underwriters of the IPO with violations of the Securities Act of 1933 and/or Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you suffered significant losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Gatos Silver class action lawsuit, please provide your information by clicking here. You can also contact attorney J.C. Sanchez of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Lead plaintiff motions for the Gatos Silver class action lawsuit must be filed with the court no later than April 25, 2022.

CASE ALLEGATIONS: Gatos Silver focuses on the production, development, and exploration of silver- and zinc-rich mineral deposits. Gatos Silver's primary efforts are the operation of the Los Gatos Joint Venture in Chihuahua, Mexico with Dowa Metals and Mining Co., Ltd. In addition to commercializing lead and zinc concentrates, Gatos Silver performs additional definition drilling to define and expand mineralization of the Cerro Los Gatos deposit.

In the IPO, Gatos Silver sold approximately 24,644,500 shares of common stock at a price of $7.00 per share. Gatos Silver received net proceeds of approximately $156.1 million from the IPO, which were purportedly to be used to retire a portion of the Los Gatos Working Capital Facility, repurchase an 18.5% interest in the Los Gatos Joint Venture, fund near-term debt service needs, conduct a feasibility study for a 3,000 tpd production rate expansion of the Cerro Los Gatos deposit mine, and working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Gatos Silver class action lawsuit alleges that the Registration Statement and defendants throughout the Class Period made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about Gatos Silver's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (i) the technical report for Gatos Silver's primary mine, the Cerro Los Gatos deposit, contained certain errors; (ii) among other things, the mineral reserves had been overestimated by as much as 50%; and (iii) as a result, defendants' positive statements about Gatos Silver's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

On January 25, 2022, Gatos Silver revealed that "there were errors in the technical report entitled 'Los Gatos Project, Chihuahua, Mexico' with an effective date of July 1, 2020 . . . , as well as indications that there is an overestimation in the existing resource model." On a preliminary basis, Gatos Silver estimates a potential reduction of the metal content of the mineral reserve ranging from 30% to 50% of the metal content remaining after depletion. On this news, Gatos Silver's stock price fell by approximately 69%, damaging investors.

By the commencement of the Gatos Silver class action lawsuit, Gatos Silver shares were trading as low as $3.20 per share, a nearly 54% decline from the $7.00 per share IPO price.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased Gatos Silver common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Registration Statement issued in connection with the IPO and/or securities during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Gatos Silver class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the class action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery of the class action lawsuit is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP: With 200 lawyers in 9 offices nationwide, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is the largest U.S. law firm representing investors in securities class actions. Robbins Geller attorneys have obtained many of the largest shareholder recoveries in history, including the largest securities class action recovery ever  $7.2 billion  in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. The 2020 ISS Securities Class Action Services Top 50 Report ranked Robbins Geller first for recovering $1.6 billion for investors that year, more than double the amount recovered by any other securities plaintiffs' firm. Please visit http://www.rgrdlaw.com for more information.

Attorney advertising.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.

Contact:

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

655 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101

J.C. Sanchez, 800-449-4900

[email protected]

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https://twitter.com/rgrdlaw

https://www.facebook.com/rgrdlaw

SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares

Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial

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Edition: 17; Released: February 2022

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Companies: 68 - Players covered include Amkor Technology, Inc.; ASE Technology Holding, Co., Ltd.; Broadcom Ltd.; Intel Corporation; Pure Storage, Inc.; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC); United Microelectronics Corporation and Others.

Coverage: All major geographies and key segments

Segments: Product (Memory, MEMS, CMOS Image Sensors, Imaging & Optoelectronics, Advanced LED Packaging, Other Products); End-Use (Consumer Electronics; Information & Communication Technology; Automotive; Military, Aerospace & Defense; Other End-Uses)

Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific; Rest of World.



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ABSTRACT-



Global 3D TSV Devices Market to Reach $12.7 Billion by 2026

Three-Dimensional (3D) Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) technology is steadily gaining image as the highly-advanced semiconductor packaging model that dramatically improves chip performance and functionality. A breakthrough System-in-Package (SiP) model, 3D TSV basically focuses on making interconnects to stack multiple dies, by drilling via-holes that are later filled with conductive material such as copper, to fabricate integrated chips (ICs) with high-level performance and space efficiency attributes. Driven by growing demand from global electronics manufacturers for innovative, high-performance chip architectures and designs in advanced packaging with superior performance, power consumption, and form factor features, 3D TSV technology has made robust progress within the global semiconductor sector. While the trends in the global electronics sector continue to put focus on advanced wafer packaging technologies such as 3D TSV technology, factors such as expanding Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) sector, stupendous increase in communications services providers (CSPs) operations, intensified activity in corporate data centers, and growing proliferation of cloud computing services are placing laser focus on 3D TSV. Over the past few years, the global electronics sector has been witnessing progressive advancements in all the core segments including consumer electronics, automotive electronics, medical electronics, and defense electronics among others.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for 3D TSV Devices estimated at US$5.9 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$12.7 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 20.5% over the analysis period. Memory, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 19.9% CAGR to reach US$4.5 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Mems segment is readjusted to a revised 21.6% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 22.2% share of the global 3D TSV Devices market.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $954.2 Million in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $3.4 Billion by 2026

The 3D TSV Devices market in the U.S. is estimated at US$954.2 Million in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 16.73% share in the global market. China, the world second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$3.4 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 24.4% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 15.7% and 17.1% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 15.6% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$4.3 Billion by the close of the analysis period.

Asia-Pacific (including China and Japan) is spearheading growth in the global 3D TSV market, led by countries such as China, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and Indonesia that are key centers for the production of consumer electronics and automobiles. The growing demand for silicon wafers in the production of smartphones and the implementation of 5G technology, are particularly fueling market growth in the region. In 2019, collective laserassisted bonding process for 3D TSV integration using nonconductive paste (NCP) was developed in South Korea. This allows the simultaneous stacking of many TSV dies to enhance productivity, while keeping the solder joints reliable using LAB (laserassisted bonding) technology. Growth of the Asian 3D TSV market is also being fostered by the rising adoption of new memory technology and the presence of key market players in the region. In Europe and North America, increasing R&D activities related to 3D IC design is aiding market growth. The rising 3D packaging with the use of TSV technology in the semiconductor sector is being fueled by the requirement to enhance performance and lower time delays. Also, the growing use of TSV technology for functional integration along with wafer fabrication and assembly in the semiconductor sector is spurring market growth. Europe is at the forefront in terms of 3D TSV technology, given the presence of various R&D companies. In Latin America, the 3D TSV market is gaining from the rising demand for various electronic products. In the region, Brazil is a main market for cell phones, computers and other consumer electronics.

CMOS Image Sensors Segment to Reach $1.7 Billion by 2026

CMOS Image Sensors (CIS) solutions are often considered as the foremost adopters of 3D TSV technology. It is anticipated that 3D TSV technology would make further inroads into the CIS packaging sector on the back of growing demand for high-quality image sensors in various end-use markets and applications. The ongoing upward trajectory in image sensors market is especially poised to extend high-growth opportunities for 3D TSV devices in this lucrative vertical. Currently, use of 3D TSV in making image sensors is primarily focused on special applications characterized by high reliability needs, and also in high-end consumer products, because the expensive nature of the technology. In the global CMOS Image Sensors segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 18.9% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$390.7 Million will reach a projected size of US$1.3 Billion by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$570.9 Million by the year 2026. More



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DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Medical Power Supply Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global medical power supply market reached a value of US$ 1.47 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 2.18 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 6.30% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Medical power supply refers to the equipment used for delivering current to medical devices. They are used with conductors and electronic components to provide isolation between the alternating current (AC) input, internal high voltage systems and the direct current (DC) output. Some of the commonly used medical power supply systems include enclosed, open frame, external, configurable, U-bracket and encapsulated devices. They utilize reinforced insulation materials and AC-DC and DC-DC power supplies. They are used in diagnostic, medical monitoring, home patient care, dental and surgical equipment. These devices reduce electromagnetic interference and minimize the risks of electric shocks and current leakages. As a result, they are widely used in diagnostic centers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories.



Significant growth in the medical industry across the globe is one of the key factors creating a positive outlook for the market. Moreover, rising concerns regarding patient safety is providing a thrust to the market growth. With the increasing adoption of portable, smaller and lightweight medical equipment, healthcare organizations are widely utilizing medical power supply systems to provide effective care to the patient.

Additionally, due to the onset of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, medical power supply systems are being extensively used to operate advanced equipment, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT scan, electrocardiograph (ECG) and multiparameter patient monitoring devices. In line with this, the increasing preference for in-home patient care among the masses is also contributing to the market growth. Other factors, including the widespread adoption of data centers to maintain electronic health records (EHRs), along with extensive improvements in the healthcare infrastructure, are anticipated to drive the market toward growth.

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Advanced Energy Industries Inc., Cosel Co. Ltd., CUI Inc., Delta Electronics Inc., FRIWO Geratebau GmbH, GlobTek Inc., MEAN WELL Enterprises Co. Ltd., SL Power Electronics Corp., SynQor Inc., TDK-Lambda Corporation (TDK Corporation), Wall Industries Inc. (Continental Resources Inc.) and XP Power.



Key Questions Answered in this Report:

How has the global medical power supply market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global medical power supply market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the converter type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global medical power supply market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Medical Power Supply Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Type

6.1 Open Frame Power Supply

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Enclosed Power Supply

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Adapter Power Supply

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Converters

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Converter Type

7.1 AC-DC Power Supply

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 DC-DC Power Supply

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Application

8.1 Diagnostic, Imaging and Monitoring Equipment

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Surgical Equipment

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Home Medical Equipment

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Others

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Advanced Energy Industries Inc.

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Cosel Co. Ltd.

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.2.3 Financials

14.3.3 CUI Inc.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Delta Electronics Inc.

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 FRIWO Geratebau GmbH

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6 GlobTek Inc.

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 MEAN WELL Enterprises Co. Ltd.

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 SL Power Electronics Corp.

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9 SynQor Inc.

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 TDK-Lambda Corporation (TDK Corporation)

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11 Wall Industries Inc. (Continental Resources Inc.)

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12 XP Power

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h0c84c

Media Contact:

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Laura Wood, Senior Manager

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DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Orphan Drugs Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global orphan drugs market reached a value of US$ 168.9 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 342.4 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.3% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Orphan drugs refer to pharmaceutical products used for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of rare medical disorders. These drugs are manufactured to meet a specific public health requirement and usually have a limited market as they are produced for a small group of patients. They are effective against numerous oncological, metabolic, hematologic, immunologic, infectious and neurological diseases. Medical ailments, such as lymphoma, leukemia, cystic fibrosis, glioma, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple myeloma and renal cell carcinoma, are often life-threatening, chronic, progressive, degenerative and disabling and require specific treatment alternatives that are effective for their particular symptoms.



The increasing prevalence of cancer and other rare genetic disorders is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are developing innovative orphan drugs to provide personalized therapy to patients. The market is also being driven by increasing awareness among the masses regarding the benefits of orphan drugs. The emergence of new pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and the implementation of favorable government policies to inhibit the spread of contagious diseases are also contributing to the market growth.

Additionally, various product innovations, such as the development of biological orphan drugs, are acting as other growth-inducing factors. These drugs can treat diseases, such as cancer, and reverse the damage caused to the stem cells, which is facilitating their overall demand significantly. Other factors, including improvements in the healthcare infrastructure, along with extensive research and development (R&D) activities, are expected to drive the market further.

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being AbbVie Inc., Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amgen Inc., Biogen Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Roche Holding AG), Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi S.A., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.



Key Questions Answered in this Report:

How has the global orphan drugs market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global orphan drugs market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the drug type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the disease type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the phase?

What is the breakup of the market based on the top selling drugs?

What is the breakup of the market based on the distribution channel?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global orphan drugs market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Orphan Drugs Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Drug Type

6.1 Biological

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Non-Biological

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Disease Type

7.1 Oncology

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Hematology

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Neurology

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Cardiovascular

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Others

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Phase

8.1 Phase I

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Phase II

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Phase III

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Phase IV

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Top Selling Drugs

9.1 Revlimid

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Rituxan

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Copaxone

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 Opdivo

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast

9.5 Keytruda

9.5.1 Market Trends

9.5.2 Market Forecast

9.6 Imbruvica

9.6.1 Market Trends

9.6.2 Market Forecast

9.7 Avonex

9.7.1 Market Trends

9.7.2 Market Forecast

9.8 Sensipar

9.8.1 Market Trends

9.8.2 Market Forecast

9.9 Soliris

9.9.1 Market Trends

9.9.2 Market Forecast

9.10 Others

9.10.1 Market Trends

9.10.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Distribution Channel

10.1 Hospital Pharmacies

10.1.1 Market Trends

10.1.2 Market Forecast

10.2 Retail Pharmacies

10.2.1 Market Trends

10.2.2 Market Forecast

10.3 Online Stores

10.3.1 Market Trends

10.3.2 Market Forecast

10.4 Others

10.4.1 Market Trends

10.4.2 Market Forecast



11 Market Breakup by Region

12 SWOT Analysis



13 Value Chain Analysis



14 Porters Five Forces Analysis



15 Price Analysis



16 Competitive Landscape

16.1 Market Structure

16.2 Key Players

16.3 Profiles of Key Players

16.3.1 AbbVie Inc.

16.3.1.1 Company Overview

16.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.1.3 Financials

16.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.2 Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

16.3.2.1 Company Overview

16.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.2.3 Financials

16.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.3 Amgen Inc.

16.3.3.1 Company Overview

16.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.3.3 Financials

16.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.4 Biogen Inc.

16.3.4.1 Company Overview

16.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.4.3 Financials

16.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.5 Bristol Myers Squibb Company

16.3.5.1 Company Overview

16.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.5.3 Financials

16.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.6 F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Roche Holding AG)

16.3.6.1 Company Overview

16.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis

16.3.7 Jazz Pharmaceuticals Plc

16.3.7.1 Company Overview

16.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.7.3 Financials

16.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.8 Johnson & Johnson

16.3.8.1 Company Overview

16.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.8.3 Financials

16.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.9 Merck & Co. Inc.

16.3.9.1 Company Overview

16.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.9.3 Financials

16.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.10 Novartis AG

16.3.10.1 Company Overview

16.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.10.3 Financials

16.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.11 Pfizer Inc.

16.3.11.1 Company Overview

16.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.11.3 Financials

16.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.12 Sanofi S.A.

16.3.12.1 Company Overview

16.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.12.3 Financials

16.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.13 Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

16.3.13.1 Company Overview

16.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.13.3 Financials

16.3.13.4 SWOT Analysis

16.3.14 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd

16.3.14.1 Company Overview

16.3.14.2 Product Portfolio

16.3.14.3 Financials

16.3.14.4 SWOT Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1uhnug

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Total Station Market - Forecast 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The total station market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.34% during the forecast period to reach US$2.681 billion by 2026, from US$1.743 billion in 2019.

A total station refers to a combined system that contains an electronic data collector, microprocessor, and storage system and is a blend of electronic theodolite and an electronic distance meter. This electronic instrument is employed for land surveying. The chief purposes of a total station include angle measurement, coordinate measurement, distance measurement, and data processing. Total stations are utilized by civil engineers for topographical surveying. Its application is seen in the areas of mechanical and electrical construction, mining, and meteorology.

Some of the other application areas of a total station include highway and roadway management, transportation planning, and precision farming. In comparison to a traditional surveying instrument, the total station provides benefits of high accuracy of measurement, eliminates manual errors of reading and recording, speeds up fieldwork, and provides the precise calculation of coordinates.



The primary factor driving the market growth is the features of total stations like high accuracy, accessibility of data through real-time, and low errors

An important determinant in propelling the growth of the total station market has been the demand for fast and correct measurements in land surveying. The wide application of total stations for crime scene investigation, accident reconstruction, and insurance companies further contributes to the growth of the market. The estimated demand for total stations in the transportation sector is expected to propel the demand for these systems throughout the forecast period. The predicted demand for total stations in the transportation sector is expected to stimulate the demand for these systems throughout the forecast period. In addition, the increase of smart cities provides immense potential for the total station market.

Rising demand for total stations in meteorology, mechanical, mining, and electric construction, an increase in the demand for modernized construction plans, rising demand for fast and accurate measurement in rail applications, evolving technological advancements in 3D modeling in surveying technology, and rising building and other construction projects also acts as factors contributing towards the growth of the market.



Environmental conditions, increasing urbanization, growing instrumental costs, and lack of skilled laborers are key factors that act as restraints to this market

The environmental conditions with the high costs of the instruments and other products associated with it for the measurements will hinder the market growth of total stations. Moreover, the low- availability of skilled laborers will also act as a restraining factor for the growth of the market. Total Stations are almost non-functional in regions with dense trees or buildings. During monsoons, the recurrent losses of satellite signals can shut down GPS systems, which will further affect the measurements of GPS-enabled total stations.

Nevertheless, these signals are prone to failures due to radio interference, electromagnetic pulse (EMP), and satellite failure. As several total stations are deployed with GPS, these devices are completely dependent on receiving satellite signals. Consequently, environmental conditions influence the measurements taken by total stations. The growing demand for GPS is also a major challenge for the growth of the total stations market. In addition, the usage of laser scanning for land surveying can hinder the market growth.



COVID-19 Insights

The COVID-19 has hindered the market of the total station. Multiple factors such as social distancing, lockdown, and stress on the healthcare facilities affected the global economy. The construction activities were suspended for several months. In addition, the costs of raw materials, transportation, and labor increased. As a result, various small business organizers endured large losses. Nevertheless, with the ease of lockdown, the market is retrieving its strength. It is expected that if the COVID-19 is constrained, the growth of the market of the total station will expand simultaneously.



Key Topics Covered:



1. INTRODUCTION



2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4. MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Powers of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.4. The threat of New Entrants

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. TOTAL STATION MARKET, BY COMPONENT

5.1. Introduction

5.2. EDM

5.3. Microprocessor

5.4. Theodolite



6. TOTAL STATION MARKET, BY TYPE

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Manual

6.3. Robotic



7. TOTAL STATION MARKET, BY OFFERING

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Hardware

7.3. Services



8. TOTAL STATION MARKET, BY APPLICATION

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Construction

8.3. Transportation

8.4. Utilities

8.5. Oil & Gas

8.6. Mining

8.7. Agriculture

8.8. Others



9. TOTAL STATION MARKET, BY GEOGRAPHY

9.1. Introduction

9.2. North America

9.2.1. United States

9.2.2. Canada

9.2.3. Mexico

9.3. South America

9.3.1. Brazil

9.3.2. Argentina

9.3.3. Others

9.4. Europe

9.4.1. Germany

9.4.2. France

9.4.3. United Kingdom

9.4.4. Spain

9.4.5. Others

9.5. Middle East and Africa

9.5.1. Saudi Arabia

9.5.2. UAE

9.5.3. Israel

9.5.4. Others

9.6. Asia Pacific

9.6.1. China

9.6.2. India

9.6.3. South Korea

9.6.4. Taiwan

9.6.5. Thailand

9.6.6. Indonesia

9.6.7. Japan

9.6.8. Others



10. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AND ANALYSIS

10.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

10.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrative

10.3. Mergers, Acquisition, Agreements, and Collaborations

10.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



11. COMPANY PROFILES

11.1. Changzhou Dadi Surveying Science & Technology Co

11.2. Suzhou FOIF Co

11.3. Leica Geosystems

11.4. Hi-Target Surveying Instrument Co

11.5. North Group

11.6. Trimble

11.7. Topcon Corporation

11.8. Kara Company

11.9. Kwipped

11.10. Celtic Surveys

11.11. Stonex



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/el8r00

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
AKRON, Ohio, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Manufacturing Institute (MI) will honor Cooper Tire's Missy Irons and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's Arwen Kathke at the 10th annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Production (STEP) Ahead Awards gala on April 28 in Washington, D.C.

Missy Irons - 2022 STEP Ahead Honoree - Cooper Tire, a Goodyear Company Arwen Kathke - 2022 STEP Ahead Honoree - The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

The STEP Ahead Awards celebrate women's impact on the manufacturing industry. Winners were chosen by an external panel of industry leaders based on the criteria of innovation, leadership, mentorship and community engagement. Irons, a procurement manager, and Kathke, a senior engineer, are recognized as 2022 STEP Ahead Honorees among a prestigious class of 130 women.

"The STEP Ahead Awards highlight women who are role models to the next generation of manufacturing leaders," said Rich Kramer, Goodyear's chairman, chief executive officer and president. "Both Missy and Arwen have made exceptional contributions to our business and communities, and we are proud to see them join the program alongside a decade of inspiring STEP Ahead alumni."

About the Manufacturing Institute

The Manufacturing Institute develops and supports the manufacturing industry's skilled workers for the advancement of modern manufacturing. The Manufacturing Institute's diverse initiatives support all American workers, including women, veterans and students, through skills training programs, community building and the advancement of their career in manufacturing. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Goodyear (NASDAQ: GT) is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Results from the 2021 drill program extend mineralization and indicate good continuity at high grades, confirming the importance of the recently discovered Escondida vein.

This news release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated October 15, 2021, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated September 10, 2021.

TSX: GPR | NYSE American: GPL

VANCOUVER, BC, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Great Panther Mining Limited (TSX: GPR) (NYSE-A: GPL) ("Great Panther" or the "Company"), a growth-oriented precious metals producer focused on the Americas, reports drill results from the Coricancha Mine Complex ("Coricancha"), located in the central Andes of Peru, approximately 90 kilometres east of Lima. A total of 22 holes were completed over approximately 5,219 metres.

Exploration Highlights:

ES-DDH01-21 with 0.4 m (true width) from 220.7 m at 9.8 g/t Au, 910 g/t Ag, 7.2% Zn, 2.2% Cu & 5.6% Pb.

(true width) from at 9.8 g/t Au, 910 g/t Ag, 7.2% Zn, 2.2% Cu & 5.6% Pb. ES-DDH04-21 with 0.8 m (true width) from 154.8 m at 9.7 g/t Au, 323 g/t Ag, 10% Zn, 1.3% Cu & 3.7% Pb.

(true width) from at 9.7 g/t Au, 323 g/t Ag, 10% Zn, 1.3% Cu & 3.7% Pb. ES-DDH09-21 with 0.6 m (true width) from 192.5 m at 4.9g/t Au, 497 g/t Ag, 9.6% Zn, 1.5% Cu & 2.2% Pb.

(true width) from at 4.9g/t Au, 497 g/t Ag, 9.6% Zn, 1.5% Cu & 2.2% Pb. CON-DDH01-21 with 0.7 m (true width) from 75.4 m at 7.9g/t Au.

(true width) from at 7.9g/t Au. CON-DDH01-21 with 0.7 m (true width) from 213.6 m at 8.6g/t Au, 158g/t Ag, 3.1% Zn and 3.6% Pb.

Drilling to date includes four drill holes on the Constancia Vein from Level 3710m, 14 holes on the Escondida vein; 11 from level 3640m and three holes 500m lower down on level 3140m, and four holes on the Wellington vein from level 3690m. This news release presents results of this drilling campaign.

"We are pleased to report that these results confirm the potential for the new Escondida vein and appear to extend the zones of known mineralization at good grades," stated Alan Hair, Chair & Interim CEO of Great Panther. "An advanced-stage development project with extensive infrastructure in place, Coricancha is located in a historic mining district dating back to the 1800s. A full evaluation of these promising drill results will be carried out and incorporated into our mine development plan for Coricancha and will help formulate our strategy for the asset."

Coricancha is a past producing mine with an extensive land package in the prolific Central Polymetallic Belt in Peru. The project is currently in care and maintenance and includes an operational 600 tonne per day mill, an underground mine and supporting infrastructure. The Coricancha deposit contains structurally controlled, sulphide vein systems with elevated values of gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead. The NI 43-101 Resource Update Technical Report on the Coricancha Mine Complex, completed by Golder Associates Inc. in 2017, estimated the following contained resources:

Measured and Indicated Resources of 752,759 tonnes at 5.8 g/t Au, 200 g/t Ag, 2.06% Pb, 3.26 % Zn and 0.53 % Cu.

Inferred Resources are 943,160 tonnes at 5.0 g/t Au, 209 g/t Ag, 1.45% Pb, 3.25 % Zn and 0.64% Cu.

There are over six veins known in the Coricancha deposit with Great Panther's exploration currently focused on three veins. Constancia, which extends over 2,000 metres, has been worked previously between levels 3450 metres above sea level ("masl") and 4100 masl. Wellington, a sub-parallel vein, is located approximately 600 metres to the west. Escondida lies between the two and was accidently discovered by previous owners while drifting to open a drill chamber for Constancia. The Escondida vein has not had significant past exploitation and is unusual in the Coricancha area, in that it is oblique (NNE) to both Wellington and Constancia, lying between the two and interconnecting them.

There is a general zonation from gold, silver and arsenic in the upper parts of the orebody, towards copper and silver in the lower levels. Lead and zinc occur throughout the deposit in varying amounts. This is illustrated by the grades in ES-DD04-21 in the upper zone (level 3640 masl), which is gold and silver rich, with 9.7 g/t Au, 323 g/t Ag, 10% Zn, 1.3% Cu & 3.7% Pb compared to channel samples in development on level 3140 masl, which have grades of 3.9% Cu, 276g/t Ag, 0.64g/t Au, 0.7% Zn and 0.2% Pb.

Table 1: Significant intersections from the 2021 exploration drilling program Drill Hole From

(m) To

(m) Intercept

(m) Est. True

width (m) Au

(g/t) Ag

(g/t) Zn

(%) Cu

(%) Pb

(%) CON-DDH01-21 2.66 2.96 0.30 0.13 0.3 1410 3.2 1.2 4.4 CON-DDH01-21 75.40 77.60 2.20 0.94 7.9 13 0.8 0.0 0.4 CON-DDH01-21 213.55 215.09 1.54 0.66 8.6 158 3.1 0.4 3.6 CON-DDH02-21 163.70 164.48 0.78 0.48 7.7 105 2.3 0.1 3.5 CON-DDH04-21 212.43 213.40 0.97 0.46 9.6 28 0.4 0.1 0.5 ES-DDH01-21 220.65 221.49 0.84 0.44 9.9 895 7.1 2.2 5.8 ES-DDH01-21 224.32 225.10 0.78 0.41 2.5 221 4.8 0.4 0.6 ES-DDH01-21 226.30 228.20 1.90 1.00 7.7 44 1.2 0.1 0.2 ES-DDH04-21 154.78 155.85 1.07 0.78 9.7 323 10.0 1.3 3.7 ES-DDH05-21 151.30 152.12 0.82 0.64 4.2 357 11.1 0.7 2.7 ES-DDH07-21 249.50 250.52 1.02 0.56 4.9 330 10.5 1.4 11.0 ES-DDH08-21 226.52 227.27 0.75 0.39 8.9 37 1.1 0.2 0.2 ES-DDH09-21 192.00 193.09 1.09 0.67 5.5 307 3.9 0.8 1.6 ES-DDH09-21 193.54 193.95 0.41 0.25 0.7 373 14.1 1.5 1.9 ES-DDH10-21 158.80 160.00 1.20 0.97 1.5 198 2.1 0.5 1.5 ES-DDH11-21 152.55 152.96 0.41 0.25 5.0 113 3.8 0.3 4.7 ES-DDH11-21 202.90 203.40 0.50 0.31 2.5 515 12.8 3.8 5.7 ES-DDH13-21 246.52 247.22 0.70 0.46 0.2 762 0.8 10.8 1.4 ES-DDH13-21 247.66 248.27 0.61 0.40 3.4 143 0.3 3.6 0.0 ES-DDH14-21 291.72 292.35 0.63 0.33 1.1 95 0.9 0.7 0.1 WE-DDH01-21 235.10 236.36 1.26 0.53 4.1 30 1.8 0.1 1.3 WE-DDH01-21 254.00 254.53 0.53 0.22 0.7 225 3.3 4.7 0.4 WE-DDH01-21 256.50 257.60 1.10 0.46 1.9 167 3.0 1.3 0.2 WE-DDH01-21 257.80 258.00 0.20 0.08 9.6 289 13.0 1.4 0.5 WE-DDH01-21 311.00 311.85 0.85 0.36 6.8 111 6.1 0.4 2.4 WE-DDH02-21 223.27 223.60 0.33 0.20 3.9 371 5.9 0.1 6.4 WE-DDH02-21 224.61 226.30 1.69 1.05 2.0 281 9.3 1.0 1.4

Notes:

Analyses carried out by the certified, ALS Laboratory in Lima, Peru . On receipt, following QA/QC approval, the ALS assays are loaded to the resource geochemistry database.

. On receipt, following QA/QC approval, the ALS assays are loaded to the resource geochemistry database. True widths are estimates based on current geologic knowledge but may vary after resource modelling.

The full table of results can be found at https://www.greatpanther.com/_resources/news/20220301-GPR-News-Release-Coricancha-Drill-Results-Full-Table.pdf.

Regional Setting

Great Panther is evaluating the structural setting of the Coricancha mineralization. This indicates some key characteristics that, while requiring further investigation, increase the prospectivity of the zone. The characteristics include:

Location within a regional flexure in a north-south terrain bounded by the Huaripampa and Rio Blanco faults.

faults. Presence of northeast-southwest cross-cutting structures.

The large Millotingo dioritic intrusion immediately to the south of the project. Inca Minerals investigated a porphyry target at Chanape on the southern flank of this intrusive body and a number of historical workings occur on its northeastern flank, the principle being the Minera Germania' Pacococha mine.

Drillhole geochemistry data suggests that the hydrothermal fluids have a southerly plunge in the direction of the Millotingo intrusive. Mineralization metal ratios suggest an increasing temperature gradient in the same direction.

The presence of additional known but relatively unexplored veins within the Coricancha mineral claims.

Technical Disclosure and Qualified Persons

On behalf of Great Panther, Nicholas Winer, Fellow AusIMM and Vice President of Exploration supervised the preparation of data for inclusion in this news release and approved this news release. Mr. Winer is a non-independent Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

The Qualified Person reviewed the Coricancha QA/QC program. The QA/QC program for drill core includes the regular insertion of blanks, standards, and duplicates into sample batches, diligent monitoring of assay results, and necessary remedial actions. All intervals within or near to samples with significant sulphides are submitted to the Certified ALS Laboratory in Lima. In addition to the data verification methodology described above, personal inspections of the sample selection, collection and dispatch have also been completed.

ABOUT GREAT PANTHER

Great Panther is a growth-oriented precious metals producer focused on the Americas. The Company owns a diversified portfolio of assets in Brazil, Mexico and Peru that includes three gold and silver mines, an advanced development project and a large land package with district-scale potential. Great Panther is focused on creating long-term stakeholder value through safe and sustainable production, reinvesting into exploration and pursuing acquisition opportunities to complement its existing portfolio. Great Panther trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE American under the symbol GPL.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding (i) the potential for the new Escondida vein to extend the zones of known mineralization at good grades; (ii) the impact, if any, that a full evaluation of the drill results will have on the Company's long-term strategy for the Coricancha mine.

These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: continued operations and exploration work, including plans to complete infill drilling at Coricancha in 2022 occur without significant interruption due to COVID-19 or any other reason; the accuracy of the Company's geological modeling at Coricancha, the assumptions upon which they are based, ore grades and recoveries; prices for gold, silver, and base metals remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals for the Company's operations and exploration work are received in a timely manner on favourable terms; the ability to procure equipment and operating supplies without interruption and that there are no material unanticipated variations in the cost of energy or supplies; operations not being disrupted by issues such as roof-wall failures or instability, mechanical failures, labour disturbances and workforce shortages, illegal occupations or mining, seismic events, and adverse weather conditions; and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to: the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's ability to operate and conduct exploration work, including drilling plans, as anticipated, and the risk of an unplanned partial or full shutdown of the Company's mines and processing plants, whether voluntary or imposed, which would adversely impact the Company's revenues, financial condition and ability to meet its production and cost guidance and fund its capital programs and repay its indebtedness; the inherent risk that estimates of Mineral Reserves and Resources may not be accurate and accordingly that mine production will not be as estimated or predicted; planned exploration activities, including plans for further exploration drilling and infill drilling, may not result in the discovery of new Mineral Resources/definition of Mineral Resources and readers are cautioned that Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves have no defined economic viability; there is no certainty that the Company will be able to define a mineral resource for Coricancha; gold, silver and base metal prices may decline or may be less than forecasted; fluctuations in currency exchange rates (including the U.S. dollar to Mexican peso exchange rate) may increase costs of operations; operational and physical risks inherent in mining operations (including slope failures, roof-wall collapse in underground development, tailings storage facility failures, environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather) may result in unforeseen costs, shut downs, delays in production and drilling and exposure to liability; potential political and social risks involving Great Panther's operations in a foreign jurisdiction; the potential for unexpected costs and expenses or overruns; shortages in the ability to procure equipment and operating supplies without interruption; employee and contractor relations; relationships with, and claims by, local communities; the Company's ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner on favourable terms; changes in laws, regulations and government practices in the jurisdictions in which the Company operates; legal restrictions related to mining; diminishing quantities or grades of mineral reserves as properties are mined operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; the Company's inability to meet its production forecasts or to generate the anticipated cash flows from operations could result in the Company's inability to meet its scheduled debt payments when due or to meet financial covenants to which the Company is subject or to fund its exploration programs as planned; ability to maintain and renew agreements with local communities to support continued operations; there is no assurance that the Company will be able to identify or complete acquisition opportunities of, if completed, that such acquisitions will be accretive to the Company; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in respect of Great Panther, in its most recent annual information form and material change reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov .

There is no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove accurate or that actual results will not vary materially from these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand management's current views of our near- and longer-term prospects and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not intend, nor does it assume any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, changes in assumptions, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

SOURCE Great Panther Mining Limited
WASHINGTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HaystackID, a specialized eDiscovery services firm supporting law firms and corporate legal departments, announced today that the company has deepened its partnership with Reveal, a leading provider of AI-powered eDiscovery software. A long-time Brainspace provider, HaystackID can now leverage Reveal's entire end-to-end, cloud-based AI platform, which includes industry-leading processing, early case assessment, document review, investigations, production functionality, and a customizable API-enabled back-end, all packaged with superior visual analytics.

"When our clients are hit with litigation or an investigation, they need to find, understand, and learn from data quickly," HaystackID CEO Hal Brooks said. "We call that 'Discovery Intelligence.' Reveal's platform will help us to enhance this offering."

HaystackID's Discovery Intelligence approach ties together AI, data science, machine learning, and the human touch to gain early insight into information and to drive intelligent decisions in audits, investigations, and litigation. Reveal's out-of-the-box, pre-trained AI models can be added to HaystackID's workflows, making it easier for its clients to harness the power of AI throughout the discovery and/or investigation process.

Reveal's platform also enables HaystackID to continue delivering on its ReviewRight Protect powered by the Protect Analytics tool for the detection, identification, review, and notification of sensitive privacy or data-related breaches and disclosures. Enabled by a collection of proprietary workflows, which now also includes Reveal, Protect Analytics can proactively or reactively help find sensitive data concentrations, locations, and relationships to inform transfer impact assessments, privacy assessments, notification lists, exposure assessments, and discovery targeting.

"As we continue to expand the depth and breadth of Reveal's marketplace offerings, we are especially excited to partner with HaystackID, a demonstrated leader in areas ranging from AI to cyber discovery," said Wendell Jisa, Reveal's founder & CEO. "By taking full advantage of Reveal's platform, the company now has access to the industry's leading SaaS-based AI platform  with full integration into its already robust technology stack."

The combination of Reveal's platform and HaystackID's current offerings allows legal professionals to immediately learn more from their data, while also enjoying the flexibility and scalability needed in today's data-centric world.

"We believe that a better understanding of data allows our clients to improve their practice of law, without having to focus too much on processes or data decisions," added HaystackID's Brooks. "We are thrilled to deepen our partnership to help us deliver that for our global clients."

About HaystackID

HaystackID is a specialized eDiscovery services firm that helps corporations and law firms securely find, understand, and learn from data when facing complex, data-intensive investigations and litigation. HaystackID mobilizes industry-leading cyber discovery services, enterprise solutions, and legal discovery offerings to serve more than 500 of the world's leading corporations and law firms in North America and Europe. Serving nearly half of the Fortune 100, HaystackID is an alternative cyber and legal services provider that combines expertise and technical excellence with a culture of white-glove customer service. In addition to consistently being ranked by Chambers USA, the company was recently named a worldwide leader in eDiscovery services by IDC MarketScape and a representative vendor in the 2021 Gartner Market Guide for E-Discovery Solutions. Further, HaystackID has achieved SOC 2 Type II attestation in the five trust service areas of security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. For more information about its suite of services, including programs and solutions for unique legal enterprise needs, go to HaystackID.com.

About Reveal

Reveal, with Brainspace technology, is a global provider of the leading AI-powered eDiscovery platform. Fueled by powerful AI technology and backed by the most experienced team of data scientists in the industry, Reveal's software offers a full suite of eDiscovery solutions all on one seamless platform. Users of Reveal include law firms, Fortune 500 corporations, legal service providers, government agencies and financial institutions in more than 40 countries across five continents. Featuring deployment options in the cloud or on-premise, an intuitive user design and multilingual user interfaces, Reveal is modernizing the practice of law, saving users time, money and offering them a competitive advantage. For more information, visit http://www.revealdata.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

HaystackID Media Contact:

Leora Goldfarb

[email protected]

858-603-5123

Rob Robinson

[email protected]

512-934-7531

HaystackID on Social Media

+ Twitter (@HaystackID)

+ LinkedIn

Reveal Media Contact:

Liz Whelan

[email protected]

SOURCE HaystackID
SEOUL, March 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export kept a double-digit growth last month due to solid global demand for locally-made products, government data showed Tuesday.

Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, amounted to 53.91 billion U.S. dollars in February, up 20.6 percent from the same month of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

It marked the largest February figure, topping 50 billion dollars for the first time in the cited month.

Import spiked 25.1 percent from a year earlier to 53.07 billion dollars in February, sending the trade surplus to 0.84 billion dollars.

Trade balance turned into black in three months, after recording the deficits of 0.43 billion dollars in December 2021 and 4.83 billion dollars in January this year respectively.

The outbound shipment continued to grow in double figures for the 12th consecutive month amid the recovery in global demand from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The daily average export advanced 17.6 percent over the year to hit a new high of 2.7 billion dollars in February.

Among 15 major export items, 12 logged a double-digit growth in outbound shipment.

Semiconductor export soared 24 percent year-on-year to 10.38 billion dollars in February, surpassing 10 billion dollars for the 10th straight month on the back of strong demand for mobile devices amid the pandemic.

The shipment of telecommunication devices, such as smartphones, rose 8.2 percent to 1.27 billion dollars, maintaining an upward trend for the 16th consecutive month.

Computer export surged 44.5 percent to post the second-highest February reading of 1.5 billion dollars, and display panel shipment went up 39.2 percent to 1.9 billion dollars on demand for the high-value OLED panels.

Export for petrochemical and oil products grew in double figures to 4.79 billion dollars and 3.97 billion dollars respectively owing to expensive crude oil.

Steel export moved up 40.1 percent to 3.31 billion dollars, continuing to rise for 14 straight months thanks to global demand recovery and a higher product price.

General machinery shipment added 0.9 percent to 3.96 billion dollars last month, and home appliances export grew 14.6 percent to 670 million dollars.

Automotive export continued to rise for the fourth consecutive month to reach 3.84 billion dollars on solid demand for environmentally-friendly vehicles, but auto parts shipment fell 1.1 percent to 1.78 billion dollars.

Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, expanded 16 percent from a year earlier to 13 billion dollars in February, marking the highest February shipment on demand for chips, petrochemicals and mobile devices.

Shipment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) spiked 38.4 percent to 10.02 billion dollars, topping 10 billion dollars for the fourth straight month on strong semiconductor demand.

Export to the United States soared 20.9 percent to 7.74 billion dollars on demand for general machinery, steel, cars, and oil products.

Shipment to the European Union (EU) lifted 8.6 percent to 5.48 billion dollars in February, while those to Japan, Latin American countries, and the Middle East gained in double digits to 2.47 billion dollars, 2.15 billion dollars and 1.37 billion dollars each. 
Richard (Rich) Harmon joins Sims as Executive Managing Director, Head of Public Finance Education to lead the firm's group, providing taxable and tax-exempt financing, as well as solutions for early stage capital, for education organizations nationwide. Rich brings 30+ years' experience in investment and commercial banking, having first launched his profession with Lancaster Pollard. Throughout his career, Rich has dedicated his work to education and built one of the leading charter school investment banking practices in the country. He most recently served as Head of Public Finance with BB&T Capital Markets/Truist Securities. Rich earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics at Denison University and a J.D. degree from Capital University Law School. Rich is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Robert (Rob) Nickell joins Sims as Executive Vice President, further developing the public finance education practice. Rob began his investment banking career as an analyst at Wells Fargo over 20 years ago. Since then, he has been a major driver in partnering with Rich to develop one of the preeminent charter school practices nationwide. Rob earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Emory University and his MBA from The University of Texas. Based in Dallas, TX, Rob also actively works on the West Coast.

"We are thrilled that Rich Harmon and Rob Nickell have joined Sims to grow our education practice. Sims has a long history of working with organizations that are committed to serving others in need, and share in our core values that are the hallmark of Sims. Rich and Rob are passionate about expanding and improving the quality of education, particularly for those children that are most vulnerable, and helping their communities flourish," said Aaron Rulnick, Managing Principal, HJ Sims.

Rulnick continued, "Rich and Rob have a strong history of building great teams, which is in large part due to their exceptional reputations and relationships in the education sector. We look forward to the industry knowledge and financing expertise that Rich and Rob bring to Sims and to working closely with them to build out our education practice."

As one of America's pioneering financial services firms and well-known for its taxable and tax-exempt municipal financings in the senior living sector, this major expansion of Sims' education practice supports the firm's commitment to enriching communities, organizations and the lives of its clients. "The entire Sims organization, particularly the firm's private wealth team, are eager to work with Rich and Rob broadening the market for charter school bonds. We are deeply committed to serving our clients with dedication, knowledge, passion and integrity," said William Sims, Managing Principal, HJ Sims.

"With our expert underwriting team, strong institutional and private client distribution networks, and the addition of two such highly regarded bankers, Sims is well-positioned and committed to meeting the needs of our clients in the education sector," said Jeffrey Sands, Managing Principal, HJ Sims. "Our dedicated team of financial professionals anticipate partnering with our education sector clients to deliver the innovative financing solutions we are so proud to execute for all clients. Our greatest pride is being a true partner in our clients' success. We know Rich and Rob share this sentiment," said Sands.

Financed Right: Aaron Rulnick: 301.424.9135 | [email protected], Jeffrey Sands: 203-418-9002 | [email protected].

ABOUT HJ SIMS: Founded in 1935, HJ Sims is a privately held investment bank and wealth management firm. Headquartered in Fairfield, CT, Sims has nationwide investment banking, private wealth management and trading locations. Member FINRA, SIPC. Testimonials may not be representative of another client's experience. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram.

CONTACT: Shauna Reilly, Chief Marketing Officer | 203-418-9043 | [email protected]

SOURCE HJ Sims
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "E-Learning Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global e-learning market reached a value of US$ 253.3 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 521.8 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.9% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

E-learning refers to a learning system that relies on electronic devices and information and communication technology (ICT) to deliver information. It provides information in the form of text, image, animation, video and audio via the internet, intranet, satellite broadcast, interactive TV or CD-ROM. It saves time, offers personalization and reaches a wider audience. Moreover, it is cost-effective and finds application in the agriculture, healthcare, and education and training industries. It is also utilized in the corporate sector for conducting training programs and collaborative activities, such as project work and assignments, using chats, discussion forums and blogs.

Due to the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), governments of a number of countries have announced complete lockdowns as a preventive measure to contain the pandemic. As a result, several educational institutions have shifted to e-learning solutions to complete the curriculum. Similarly, other organizations are also switching to virtual learning solutions to maintain social distancing. For instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) is providing online training courses to educate and train healthcare professionals about the associated risks while treating COVID-19 patients.

Apart from this, the rising sales of smartphones, along with the increasing penetration of wireless communication technologies, represent another growth-inducing factor impelling the global e-learning market growth. Furthermore, the growing adoption of precision and sustainable farming methods is escalating the demand for e-learning in the agriculture sector as it provides easy access to educational content to the farmers. Moreover, the integration of gamification techniques in e-learning modules is expected to create a positive outlook for the market in the coming years.

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Adobe Inc., Aptara Inc. (iEnergizer), Blackboard Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., GP Strategies Corporation, Instructure Inc. (Thoma Bravo), Oracle Corporation, Pearson Plc, SAP SE, Skillsoft Corporation and Thomson Reuters Corporation (The Woodbridge Company).



Key Questions Answered in this Report

1. What was the size of the global e-learning market in 2021?

2. What is the expected growth rate of the global e-learning market during 2022-2027?

3. What are the key factors driving the global e-learning market?

4. What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global e-learning market?

5. What is the breakup of the global e-learning market based on the provider?

6. What is the breakup of the global e-learning market based on the application?

7. What are the key regions in the global e-learning market?

8. Who are the key players/companies in the global e-learning market?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global E-Learning Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Technology

6.1 Online E-Learning

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Learning Management System

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Mobile E-Learning

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Rapid E-Learning

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Virtual Classroom

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast

6.6 Others

6.6.1 Market Trends

6.6.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Provider

7.1 Services

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Content

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Application

8.1 Academic

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Major Types

8.1.2.1 K-12

8.1.2.2 Higher Education

8.1.2.3 Vocational Training

8.1.3 Market Forecast

8.2 Corporate

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Major Types

8.2.2.1 Small and Medium Enterprises

8.2.2.2 Large Enterprises

8.2.3 Market Forecast

8.3 Government

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Adobe Inc.

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Aptara Inc. (iEnergizer)

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 Blackboard Inc.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.4 Cisco Systems Inc.

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 GP Strategies Corporation

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.6 Instructure Inc. (Thoma Bravo)

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Oracle Corporation

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 Pearson Plc

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 Financials

14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 SAP SE

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9.3 Financials

14.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.10 Skillsoft Corporation

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11 Thomson Reuters Corporation (The Woodbridge Company)

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qkejhi

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Volkswagen AG (OTC: VWAGY) between March 29, 2021 and March 30, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important March 15, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Volkswagen 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 Volkswagen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1493 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 March 15, 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) the name "Voltswagen" was never going to be used by the Company's U.S. subsidiary; (2) the Company and its spokespeople purposefully misled reporters, even after the reporters' inquiries about whether the name change was an April Fool's joke; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Volkswagen class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1493 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.
Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors Market 2022-2026 : Scope

The janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors market report covers the following areas:

Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors Market 2022-2026 : Segmentation

By application, the market has been segmented into autoimmune disorders and oncology. The autoimmune disorders segment will have significant market share growth during the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increasing prevalence of autoimmune indications such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

By geography, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest Of World (ROW). North America will account for the highest market share growth during the forecast period.

Learn more about the contribution of each segment of the market, Download a Free Sample Report

Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors Market 2022-2026 : Drivers and Challenges

The increasing number of awareness campaigns about various diseases is one of the key factors driving the global janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors market growth. For instance, the Rheumatology Research Foundation recognized May as the National Arthritis Awareness Month in the US.

The availability of alternative therapies is one of the key challenges faced by the global janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors market growth. Alternative therapies such as TNF inhibitors and interleukin inhibitors have dominated the treatment landscape of autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, and ulcerative colitis. The efficacy of these biologics has increased the adoption of alternative therapeutics.

Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors Market 2022-2026 : Vendor Analysis

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors market, including AbbVie Inc., Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., CTI BioPharma Corp., Eli Lilly and Co., Galapagos NV, Gilead Sciences Inc., Incyte Corp., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Reistone Biopharma Co. Ltd., Sierra Oncology Inc., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. among others.

Subscribe to our "Lite Plan" billed annually at USD 3000 that enables to download 3 reports/year and view 3 reports/month.

Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors Market 2022-2026 : Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors market vendors

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Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 17.24% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 12.05 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 16.72 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 50% Key consumer countries US, Canada, UK, Germany, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled AbbVie Inc., Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., CTI BioPharma Corp., Eli Lilly and Co., Galapagos NV, Gilead Sciences Inc., Incyte Corp., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Reistone Biopharma Co. Ltd., Sierra Oncology Inc., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table Of Contents :

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Application



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 09: Parent market



Exhibit 10: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 11: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 12: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

Exhibit 13: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 14: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 16: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 17: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2021 and 2026

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 18: Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 19: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 20: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 21: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 22: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 23: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026

5 Market Segmentation by Application

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 24: Chart on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 25: Data Table on Application - Market share 2021-2026 (%)

5.2 Comparison by Application

Exhibit 26: Chart on Comparison by Application



Exhibit 27: Data Table on Comparison by Application

5.3 Autoimmune disorders - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 28: Chart on Autoimmune disorders - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 29: Data Table on Autoimmune disorders - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 30: Chart on Autoimmune disorders - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Autoimmune disorders - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.4 Oncology - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 32: Chart on Oncology - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Oncology - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Chart on Oncology - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Oncology - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by Application

Exhibit 36: Market opportunity by Application ($ million)

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 37: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 38: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%)

7.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 40: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 42: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 43: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 44: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 45: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 46: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 47: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 48: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 49: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 50: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 51: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 52: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 53: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 54: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 55: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.7 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 58: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.8 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Exhibit 62: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)



Exhibit 65: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.9 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 66: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 68: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.10 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 70: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 71: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 72: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 73: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.11 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 74: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million)

Exhibit 76: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%)

7.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 78: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 79: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 80: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

9.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 81: Overview on factors of disruption

9.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 82: Impact of key risks on business

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 83: Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 84: Matrix on vendor position and classification

10.3 AbbVie Inc.

Exhibit 85: AbbVie Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 86: AbbVie Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 87: AbbVie Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 88: AbbVie Inc. - Segment focus

10.4 Astellas Pharma Inc.

Exhibit 89: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 90: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 91: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 92: Astellas Pharma Inc. - Key offerings

10.5 AstraZeneca Plc

Exhibit 93: AstraZeneca Plc - Overview



Exhibit 94: AstraZeneca Plc - Product / Service



Exhibit 95: AstraZeneca Plc - Key news



Exhibit 96: AstraZeneca Plc - Key offerings

10.6 Bristol Myers Squibb Co.

Exhibit 97: Bristol Myers Squibb Co. - Overview



Exhibit 98: Bristol Myers Squibb Co. - Product / Service



Exhibit 99: Bristol Myers Squibb Co. - Key offerings

10.7 CTI BioPharma Corp.

Exhibit 100: CTI BioPharma Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 101: CTI BioPharma Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 102: CTI BioPharma Corp. - Key offerings

10.8 Eli Lilly and Co.

Exhibit 103: Eli Lilly and Co. - Overview



Exhibit 104: Eli Lilly and Co. - Business segments



Exhibit 105: Eli Lilly and Co. - Key offerings



Exhibit 106: Eli Lilly and Co. - Segment focus

10.9 Galapagos NV

Exhibit 107: Galapagos NV - Overview



Exhibit 108: Galapagos NV - Business segments



Exhibit 109: Galapagos NV - Key offerings



Exhibit 110: Galapagos NV - Segment focus

10.10 Incyte Corp.

Exhibit 111: Incyte Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 112: Incyte Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 113: Incyte Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 114: Incyte Corp. - Segment focus

10.11 Novartis AG

Exhibit 115: Novartis AG - Overview



Exhibit 116: Novartis AG - Business segments



Exhibit 117: Novartis AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 118: Novartis AG - Segment focus

10.12 Pfizer Inc.

Exhibit 119: Pfizer Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 120: Pfizer Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 121: Pfizer Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 122: Pfizer Inc. - Key offerings

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 123: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 124: Exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 125: Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 126: Research methodology



Exhibit 127: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 128: Information sources

11.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 129: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
SHANGRAO, China, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar" or the "Company") (NYSE: JKS), one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world, recently hosted a high-level dialogue with delegates from the UN Global Compact Liaison Office in Beijing, on the role of solar PV technology development in achieving global Sustainable Development Goals ("SDGs") set up by the United Nations.

The dialogue was attended by Ms. Meng Liu, Head of Liaison Office of the UN Global Compact, and Mr. Kangping Chen, CEO of Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., the principal operating subsidiary of JinkoSolar.

Mr. Chen briefly introduced how JinkoSolar's advanced technology enhances the penetration of solar PV application, accelerates global energy transition, and brings about effective, scalable, and sustainable change.

Ms. Liu welcomed JinkoSolar's participation in the United Nations Global Compact since last year and JinkoSolar's commitment to the ten principles of the Global Compact. She provided positive feedback on the important role JinkoSolar has played to accelerate the shift towards renewables, enhancing the accessibility of green and clean energy in underdeveloped regions and complimented the Company's efforts to support the acceleration of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in this regard.

Topics under discussion touched upon JinkoSolar's best practices on advancing renewable investment in the Belt and Road countries, promoting innovative solar plus solutions to assist regions lacking reliable electricity and clean water, forming new partnerships, and staying committed to bridging the energy inequality gap.

"Equality & Responsibility are our core values. We share in the responsibility to create a positive culture and to safeguard equality, diversity, inclusion, dignity, and respect for all. And this has been the pillars of our foundation and successful global presence - with 25,000 employees including nearly 7,000 overseas, 12 global production bases, 35 sales and service centers worldwide with 80% of local employees, a network serving global customers and delivering products to more than 160 countries," said Mr. Kangping Chen.

As a participating company in the UNGC, JinkoSolar has contributed to the world's sustainable development by creating jobs for local communities and developing goods and services that help local people meet their basic needs in a green and sustainable manner. In addition, the Company continues to partner with other businesses spearheading solutions that address the Sustainable Development Goals, so as to forge a greater impact and increase social benefits for all.

About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar has built a vertically integrated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 32.5 GW for mono wafers, 24 GW for solar cells, and 45 GW for solar modules, as of December 31, 2021.

JinkoSolar has 12 productions facilities globally, 22 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Portugal, Canada, Malaysia, UAE and Denmark, and global sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Japan, Australia, Korea, India, Turkey, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Hong Kong, as of December 31, 2021.

To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company's operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Ms. Stella Wang

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806

Email: [email protected]

Mr. Rene Vanguestaine

Christensen

Tel: + 86 178 1749 0483

Email: [email protected]

In the U.S.:

Ms. Linda Bergkamp

Christensen, Scottsdale, Arizona

Tel: +1-480-614-3004

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
DALLAS, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, JPS Graphics announced that our co-founder and current CEO Bob Johnson Jr will step into a part-time role as advisor to the CEO and our Head of Strategic Business Development, Hunter Johnson, will become JPS Graphics' third CEO. We're excited for this new chapter in JPS Graphics' journey and what it means for our customers, partners, and team members.

Hunter Johnson Bob Johnson

Hunter spearheaded the development of the 1-year, 3-year, and 10-year vision for JPS Graphics and is uniquely qualified to lead the business forward. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas and started his career in business consulting at IBM and later Deloitte Consulting. While at travel technology leader Sabre, he led consultative selling teams in the US & Europe and later moved to Singapore to launch the company's consultative selling efforts in the Asia Pacific region. He served as Sabre's Chief of Staff to the CEO prior to joining JPS Graphics to lead the sales & customer service team.

Hunter has helped focus JPS Graphics on its core market  learning organizations  while doubling down on its core offering  book manufacturing. During 2021, his first year in the role, revenue grew 30% year-over-year and is forecasted to continue on a similar growth pattern in 2022. He and his wife Tiffany now live in a suburb of Dallas with their three kids, 4-year-old Colton, 2-year-old Savannah, 8-month-old Connor.

Co-founder and outgoing CEO, Bob Johnson Jr will continue with JPS Graphics in the coming months on a part time basis to transition day-to-day activities and to serve as an advisor to the CEO.

About JPS Graphics: JPS Graphics is a book production & logistics company based in Dallas, TX. Founded in 1978 by Bob Johnson Sr, Betty Johnson, & Bob Johnson Jr, JPS Graphics remains a 100% family-owned business. JPS Graphics serves learning organizations ranging from K-12 education curriculum publishers to continuing education and corporate training firms to corporate learning & development departments.

Media Contact:

Hunter Johnson

469-999-8347

[email protected]

SOURCE JPS Graphics
In the US, one in three patients admitted to the hospital is malnourished or at risk  but <8.9% are diagnosed.1 This latest Junum version introduces new features designed to help physicians spot this insidious condition early:

Clinical Decision Support Prompts notify physicians when patients meet diagnostic criteria for malnutrition so they can intervene sooner.

The Nutrition Summary saves physicians time by consolidating nutrition care data into a single view and automatically formatting progress notes with supporting information to clinically validate malnutrition diagnoses.

The Malnutrition Scorecard tracks key clinical, quality and financial indicators to help monitor and continuously improve malnutrition quality measures.

"Malnutrition diagnoses are often missed because providers don't have the tools, workflows or training to identify it," says Molly Hegarty, MS RDN, Founder and CEO of Junum. "That's why we're excited to introduce the Nutrition Summary  a consolidated, easy-to-digest view that's an ideal sidekick to use during multidisciplinary rounds."

Junum's Clinical Advisor, Dr. Juan Ochoa, MD, FACS, FCCM adds, "Missed malnutrition diagnosis puts patients at risk for worse outcomes. One undervalued way for physicians to adapt and serve this patient population's needs is to address nutrition aggressively at the beginning of their hospital stays."

Media inquiries, please email [email protected]

About Junum

Junum is founded and led by Molly Hegarty, nutritionist and engineer. The company helps hospitals understand and address malnutrition to maximize the value of their clinical teams, drive revenue and deliver exceptional patient care. Our intuitive tools operate within existing EHR workflows, giving clinicians easy access to the nutrition insights they need to drive improved outcomes. Schedule a demo today at junum.io .

Epic and App Orchard are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Systems Corporation.

MalnutritionCDS and Junum are trademarks or registered trademarks of RDF Technology, LLC.

References

1. Guenter P, Abdelhadi R, Anthony, P et al. Malnutrition diagnoses and associated outcomes in hospitalized patients: United States 2018. Nutr Clin Pract. 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/ncp.10771

SOURCE Junum
PITTSBURGH, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) announced today that Dianmei Xu, Senior Engineer Manufacturing Applications, will be honored at the 10th annual Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Awards on April 28 in Washington, D.C. Presented by The Manufacturing Institute, the awards celebrate women making an impact in Science, Technology, Engineering and Production careers who have made outstanding achievements in their companies and communities.

Xu is among 100 honorees from 97 companies of all sizes and many sectors to receive this honor and joins a group of 13 other Kennametal women who received the award in prior years.

"We congratulate Dianmei for receiving this prestigious award," said Kennametal President and CEO Christopher Rossi. "She embodies our values  with a passion for continuous improvement and serving customers  and sets an example for all leaders to follow. Dianmei is an inspiration to her colleagues and her community."

Dianmei has been instrumental to the success of numerous initiatives at Kennametal's Tianjin, China facility, including continuous improvement projects with significant global contributions. Through her work, she has helped the company achieve several significant Simplification/Modernization milestones.

She also actively contributes to the growth of other women in manufacturing by mentoring colleagues and sharing her experience and knowledge with new technicians and engineers. She was also recognized in the community for her philanthropic activities, including participation in the Tianjin Volunteer Tree Planting initiative, her hometown Farmer's Recreation Project and organizing events to support those with leukemia.

"The 2022 STEP Ahead Honorees and Emerging Leader awardees are excellent representatives of the exciting opportunities available in manufacturing," said Denise Rutherford, 2022 STEP Ahead chair. "These remarkable women and the leadership they show help inspire next generation of female leaders to consider careers in manufacturing."

About Kennametal

With over 80 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 8,600 employees are helping customers in more than 60 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated nearly $1.8 billion in revenues in fiscal 2021. Learn more at www.kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About the Manufacturing Institute

The Manufacturing Institute grows and supports the manufacturing industry's skilled workers for the advancement of modern manufacturing. The MI's diverse initiatives support all American workers, including women, veterans and students, through skills training programs, community building and the advancement of their career in manufacturing. As the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with resources necessary to solve the industry's toughest challenges. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org

SOURCE Kennametal Inc.
The new brand identity invites people to experience everything with optimism, joyfulness, and enthusiasm. "The rebrand is a massive milestone for Klook. We've overcome many obstacles in the past two years to get here, and there's no better time than now to show everyone a new Klook," says Eric Gnock Fah, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Klook . "As we enter a new era of travel, this rebrand is our commitment to bring joy back to our customers who have missed the magic of traveling and be their go-to travel and leisure app at home or abroad."

Cementing position as a leading superapp for travel and leisure

Klook's ongoing efforts to curate and provide a wider range of joyful experiences for its customers both at home and abroad have more than quadrupled the number of products and services during the pandemic from 100,000 pre-COVID in 2019 to over 490,000 in 2021. It also doubled its global travel presence to over 1,000 destinations in 2021, paving the way for the much-anticipated recovery of international travel.

Since the pandemic, Klook has shifted gears to focus on domestic travel with new activities such as local workshops, staycations, cruises, and car rentals. Despite most markets in Asia being under COVID-19 restrictions, the pivot has proven successful. The company surpassed 2019 revenue in 2021 on domestic travel alone, with monthly active users exceeding pre-COVID levels.

As cross-border travel gradually resumes with vaccinated travel lanes and the easing of travel restrictions, this twin-growth strategy will enable Klook to maintain its foothold as the leading player in the Asia Pacific.

Expanding our services to experience a world of joy in a new travel era

As the superapp for travel and leisure, customers can discover and book the best of what any destination has to offer across three categories - play, stay and move. They can look forward to new offers such as hotels and staycations, car rentals, attraction passes, and services including COVID-19 testing and travel-related insurance.

Stay+ for an epic stay experience : The company is expanding its staycations product to Stay+, a bundled accommodation and activities offering. Stay+ allows customers to purchase room-only offers at competitive rates with bundled experiences, including attractions, local tours, in-hotel services, and more.

: The company is expanding its staycations product to Stay+, a bundled accommodation and activities offering. Stay+ allows customers to purchase room-only offers at competitive rates with bundled experiences, including attractions, local tours, in-hotel services, and more. Car Rentals to take you anywhere : The company has consolidated one of the most extensive car rental inventory in the Asia Pacific and has seen over 350% year-on-year growth in 2021. It will continue its expansion efforts in 2022.

: The company has consolidated one of the most extensive car rental inventory in the and has seen over 350% year-on-year growth in 2021. It will continue its expansion efforts in 2022. Klook Pass for supersized fun : Combining the best packages from various activities and experiences, Klook Pass is an exclusive all-in-one digital pass format. It provides customers with savings, convenience, and a one-of-a-kind booking experience.

: Combining the best packages from various activities and experiences, Klook Pass is an exclusive all-in-one digital pass format. It provides customers with savings, convenience, and a one-of-a-kind booking experience. Insurance for peace-of-mind: In partnership with ZA Tech, Klook became the first travel player to roll out a full suite of travel-related insurance on a multi-market level, focusing on Asia-Pacific . AXA and Chubb were the first two insurers partnering with Klook on their substantial product line.

Relentlessly innovating to empower and help merchants succeed

Klook is dedicated to elevating the travel industry in this new era of travel and will double down on its support for merchants in becoming future-ready.

The company is launching Flickket, a new brand to accelerate the digital transformation of its merchants. The new brand will provide dedicated tech solutions to support them in digitizing faster and expanding their product distribution globally. Since 2020, the number of merchants coming on board to digitally transform their business has increased eightfold.

Flickket will support them in a few key areas:

Preparing for the next generation of travelers : With Flickket, merchants can enjoy " Express Go! ", a touchless offline checkout solution. Customers today expect a contactless customer experience from start to finish. However, many merchants lack the resources to deploy such tech solutions. Merchants can leave the logistics with Flickket while providing customers with a seamless, contactless, and cashless ticket purchase experience. "Express Go!" is now being used by over 20 attractions across Asia .

: With Flickket, merchants can enjoy " ", a touchless offline checkout solution. Customers today expect a contactless customer experience from start to finish. However, many merchants lack the resources to deploy such tech solutions. Merchants can leave the logistics with Flickket while providing customers with a seamless, contactless, and cashless ticket purchase experience. "Express Go!" is now being used by over 20 attractions across . More capabilities to help merchants maximize inbound tourism: Our integration efforts with Google Things-to-Do and Grab enable merchants to reach an even larger customer demographic. They can also reach out to even more global customers through our vast partnership network of online travel agencies , airlines, and more.

"Bigger, brighter, and better days are ahead for us and the travel industry. Expect more from us as we reimagine the way we travel in this new era," concludes Gnock Fah.

Hear from Eric Gnock Fah as he shares more on our rebrand in this video.

About Klook

Klook is the leading travel and leisure e-commerce platform for experiences and services anytime, anywhere. We curate the most joyful experiences so that users can satisfy their relentless curiosity for adventure and experiences at home and around the world. With our website and app, users can experience a world of joy, from attractions, tours to local transportation and stays. Founded in 2014, we are here to inspire and enable more moments of joy through over 490,000 activities in over 1,000 destinations.

Press assets may be downloaded here.

SOURCE Klook
KX recognises there is a growing demand across industries for analytics solutions that can efficiently support client needs across both real-time streaming and historic data to enable real time business-critical decisions. KX Insights on Azure will enable customers to store and access their data using complex event processing, high-performance analytics and machine learning interfaces on one unified and easy-to-use platform. Tightly integrated within Microsoft's intelligent cloud ecosystem, the platform will work seamlessly with Microsoft services.

Designed for ease of deployment and commercial adoption, KX Insights on Azure represents a first-of-its kind native integration of a third-party streaming analytics solution on Azure. It will provide a quick and easy experience for customers to boost productivity, enabling significant cost reductions over legacy systems and will contribute towards an organisation's Azure consumption commitment. This aligns incentives for Azure and KX sales teams, enabling greater collaboration and engagement on sales and marketing initiatives with enterprise clients.

Joint development for capital markets

Additionally, KX intends to work with Microsoft to develop applications and services, leveraging KX's capabilities as the world's fastest time-series database as a core building block. This collaboration aims to help the capital markets ecosystem including exchanges, buy-side firms and sell-side institutions create high-value insights that facilitate real-time decision making.

Seamus Keating, CEO of FD Technologies, said: "This strategic partnership with Microsoft accelerates our mission to enable organisations to drive value from their real-time data assets. Enterprises will benefit from the unrivalled performance, scalability and security of KX Insights optimised for Microsoft Azure. In addition, we are excited to partner with Microsoft in developing technology solutions that address the demanding requirements of financial services organisations, particularly in capital markets where KX has a market-leading position. This is a landmark agreement for KX, with significant strategic benefits supporting our growth ambitions."

Bill Borden, Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Financial Services at Microsoft said: "KX Insights delivers industry leading, real-time streaming analytics solutions that transform how firms derive insights from market data. Combining the full range of Microsoft's Intelligent Cloud capabilities with KX technology and expertise, we look forward to empowering our capital markets and financial services customers with new, compelling solutions for faster decision-making and innovation."

Enquiries

For further information please contact:

FD Technologies plc Seamus Keating, Chief Executive Officer Ryan Preston, Chief Financial Officer Ian Mitchell, Head of Investor Relations +44 (0) 28 3025 2242 www.fdtechnologies.com



Investec Bank plc (Nominated Adviser and Broker) Andrew Pinder Carlton Nelson Virginia Bull +44 (0) 20 7597 5970



Goodbody (Euronext Growth Adviser and Broker) David Kearney Don Harrington Finbarr Griffin +353 1 667 0420



J.P. Morgan Cazenove (Broker) James A. Kelly Mose Adigun +44 (0) 20 7742 4000 FTI Consulting (PR Adviser) +44 (0) 20 3727 1000 Matt Dixon

Dwight Burden

Elena Kalinskaya



About FD Technologies

FD Technologies is a group of data-driven businesses that unlock the value of insight, hindsight and foresight to drive organisations forward. The Group comprises KX, the leading technology for real-time continuous intelligence; First Derivative, which provides technology-led services in capital markets; and MRP, the only enterprise-class, predictive Accounts Based Marketing solution. FD Technologies operates from 15 offices across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, and employs more than 3,000 people worldwide.

For further information, please visit www.fdtechnologies.com and www.kx.com

SOURCE KX
ISLAMABAD, March 1 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed after a clash in Shikarpur district of Pakistan's southern Sindh province, local media reported on Tuesday.

According to the ARY news, the killings occurred as a result of crossfires between two groups.

Both the parties exchanged heavy cross-fire while also using rocket launchers, police told local media.

The reason for the clash was old enmity, police said, adding that all the deceased had been identified.

Reportedly, police reached the site after the incident and started an investigation. 
"Zeva's primary differentiators reside in our unique and expert knowledge of data protection strategies using high assurance authentication, encryption, and digital signatures. General Ashley's wealth of knowledge and expertise will help Zeva further its efforts to expand the use of technology such as Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to secure and protect sensitive government information," said Zeva's CEO Jihan Andoni. "General Ashley's advice and guidance will deepen our team's understanding of the information security risks government agencies face, which will be instrumental in fulfilling Zeva's mission to engineer solutions to solve the most complex, real-world challenges in digital identity and cryptography."

Lt. General Ashley most recently served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He previously served as Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2, where he was Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff for all aspects of intelligence, counterintelligence, and security. Other notable assignments include the Director of Intelligence, Joint Special Operations Command; the Director of Intelligence, U.S. Central Command; the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, International Security Assistance Force and Director of Intelligence, U.S. Forces, Afghanistan; and Commanding General, the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence.

"Zeva is one of a handful of small businesses in the U.S. making a significant difference in the wide use of encryption through the utilization of the Federal PKI across agencies." Said Lieutenant General Ashley. "We have seen EO 14028, OMB M-19-17, and other recent requirements placed on federal agencies to motivate them to realize increased value from their PIV and CAC card investments including, but not limited to, the protection of sensitive information through encryption. Zeva is perfectly positioned to help expand the focus of federal agencies on the use of PKI technologies for the protection of sensitive information."

About Zeva, Inc.

Zeva Incorporated is an ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 20000, CMMI Level 3, Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) with a long-standing 17-year pedigree in identity and applied cryptography, with Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) ratings of "Exceptional" for its Federal prime contracts. Zeva prides itself in working on many highly visible programs across the U.S. Federal Government supporting customers such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of Treasury, Department of Veterans Affairs, Intelligence Community, and others.

For more information, please visit zevainc.com, or get in touch.

SOURCE Zeva Inc
Boehringer Ingelheim partners with Lifebit Biotech, Ltd. to build a scalable data, analytics, and infrastructure platform

This collaboration aims at capturing translational disease insights from large external healthcare biobanks and maximizing value of data for drug discovery and precision medicine

LONDON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim and precision medicine software company Lifebit Biotech, Ltd. (Lifebit) today announce partnership in which Lifebit will support Boehringer Ingelheim in building a scalable data, analytics, and infrastructure platform within its IT environment.

To cure diseases you need data. Lifebit.ai.

"This platform will play an important part of Boehringer Ingelheim's broader strategy to capture translational disease insights from large external healthcare biobanks and ultimately to accelerate the development of innovative medicines," commented Dr. Jan Nygaard Jensen, SVP and global Head of Computational Biology and Digital Sciences at Boehringer Ingelheim. Lifebit's transformational solutions and services will provide standardization of data sources and types, data curation, identification of data and services that could be migrated to cloud, and federating data connectivity with third parties.

A key element of this partnership involves Lifebit's CloudOS platform - a powerful, secure and cutting-edge platform used by a growing number of research organizations and governments globally, such as Genomics England and The Hong Kong Genome Project. The federated architecture of this platform securely brings analytics and computing tools to the data rather than moving sensitive data around. This promises to unlock the transformational value of biomedical data by enabling seamless integration with world-leading population genomics and disease-focused cohorts. Another key benefit of Lifebit's CloudOS will be the provision of powerful analytic capabilities and global biobank connections to build a secure "dataland" for analytics and research.

This collaboration follows on the partnership announced in 2021 on utilizing the Lifebit REAL platform to accelerate detection of the latest disease outbreaks including transboundary diseases and emerging pathogens, such as COVID-19.

Lifebit CEO Dr. Maria Chatzou Dunford shared: "We are thrilled to contribute to Boehringer Ingelheim's vision of harnessing the power of external biobanks and large-scale clinico-genomic data to transform R&D. We are excited to see how our technology and global biobank partnerships can transform research capabilities for Boehringer Ingelheim and deliver powerful impacts for clinical development pipelines across disease areas."

"We are continuously on the lookout for new opportunities to be able to deliver faster, better and safer solutions. Therefore, partnering with Lifebit, one of our partners in this area, is so critical as data and digital technologies can feed into meaningful scientific exploration, accelerate patient benefits, and ultimately lead to improved health," added Markus Schummelfeder, Head of IT at Boehringer Ingelheim.

About Lifebit Biotech, Ltd.

Lifebit builds enterprise data platforms for use by organisations with complex and sensitive biomedical datasets. Lifebit's patented federated technology securely unlocks access to biomedical data. From providing Trusted Research Environments for national precision medicine programmes to enabling pharmaceutical companies to discover new drug targets faster, Lifebit empowers customers to transform how they leverage sensitive biomedical data.

About Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that improve the lives of humans and animals. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. Around 52,000 employees serve more than 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing.

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1752753/Boehringer_Ingelheim_Logo.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1752754/lifebit_logo.jpg

SOURCE Lifebit Biotech, Ltd.
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury really is different. Luxury and premium brands cater to the most affluent, educated, and sophisticated consumers. The luxury goods and services that affluent, wealthy, and uber-wealthy consumers buy are highly considered, high-value, high-investment, and high-emotion purchases such as fashion, watches, jewelry, vehicles, high-end appliances, homes, travel, private jet charters and financial services, etc...

Most luxury brands have allowed third-party cookies to take over their unique, humanistic digital customer experiences, annoying consumers as soon as they land on the brand website, making them waste precious time to preserve their privacy, and threatening to withhold access if they don't agree to onerous tracking terms. Due to these actions, customers may not feel cared for, or protected by the brands. These interactions are devoid of the beauty, humanity, and creativity that luxury brands are known to design throughout their rich histories. Self-interested digital experts who advise brands will try to convince luxury brand leaders that, in the Digital Age, this is the way forward. Brands do need to comply with all legal and privacy regulations, but what brands do digitally to engage and build human relationships with luxury customers, and, most importantly, how they do it, should be a creative and emotionally intelligent choice.

True luxury brands need to highly differentiate by delivering unique and extraordinary experiences that make customers, and associates, feel special, develop deep trust, exchange fair value, and build long-term relationships. The customer lifetime value potential is far too high to leave to today's blunt digital marketing practices. Below, Luxury Institute outlines 8 recommendations for brands to test and optimize over time to build trust and find an intelligent path towards respectful, symmetrical customer data relationships. As third-party cookies fade, and privacy regulations emerge, brands can use these recommendations to evolve their practices to get much closer to prospects and customers and achieve trustworthy, mutually profitable relationships over time.

Eliminate the impersonal online gatekeeping

Every luxury brand begins the online experience by presenting onerous, hard to understand, tracking terms as the greeting. Instead, brands should welcome customers to the site as dignified, valued human beings. The first thing luxury brands can do is gently and respectfully inquire about the reason for the visit, to try to optimize it for the customer. Next, brands can ask the customer if they would like to navigate on their own, would like to navigate with a human on live chat, or engage in livestream shopping with an expert associate. By providing a choice, brands can gauge how willing consumers are to engage, and how much curation they require. Be ready to execute on their choice. If the choice is human-to-human engagement, ensure that customers are introduced to a high-performance, emotionally intelligent associate. Many brands have been led to believe they are saving money by fully automating the online experience. The dismally low conversion rates, and unacceptably high abandon rates, prove otherwise. If you must for now, intelligently ask the customer for consent to track

After confirming the reason for the visit and how she will engage on the site (self-serve or with a curator), the brand can respectfully ask her for consent to track the experience to best personalize for the customer. Communicate positive policies such as "Our brand will never sell or share your data" and "your data will be encrypted." Then, present the legally compliant, customer value generating reasons for tracking in a simple and kind way. Humanistic and trust-building gestures, along with legal protections, will likely inspire many to consent. Eventually all data sharing will be conducted without tracking as technology evolves. Empower customers to take control of their data

If customers agree to be tracked, whether they buy, or not, offer to create a complimentary personal data vault, which they completely control. Build it with the data customers volunteer along with legally gathered first-party data. Over time, as trust is earned, customers will share their favorite products, brands, transactions, and other insights. In return, identify helpful insights about the customer that enhance their lives, and share actionable valuable insights about cohorts that they will also find valuable. Offer to sign an NDA with the customer

Today, all brands have cybersecure, encrypted data vaults. True luxury brands never sell or share customer data. Luxury brands can offer to sign a brief, simple, non-disclosure agreement with each customer. This will guarantee to the customer that when they share their precious data, they are assured of secrecy beyond privacy regulations. With this above-and-beyond gesture, the brand will likely earn the right to far more relevant data, faster. Guarantee the customer that you will not buy third-party data

Studies show that third-party data is notoriously unreliable, incomplete, and expires quickly. It is collected via secretive, deceptive, unethical, sometimes illegal, means. Customers know that and are resentful of having their data sold by data brokers. Third-party data is a major cost to a brand, too. Independent studies show that third-party data delivers very little in conversion lift. It is most often used for ad targeting efforts that are reduced by high commissions, are mostly served up to bots/click-farms/unethical websites or are clicked on by people who were going to buy anyway. When brands reassure intelligent and sensitive affluent customers that they are willing to protect, enhance, and promote their best data interests, customers will be willing to share more relevant data over time. Ask the customer to share their intent to buy when the time is right for them

When customers feel a need or desire to buy, they often also have an idea which trusted brands they want to consider. Ask customers to join a "real-time purchase intent service" so they can signal to the brand when they are interested in shopping or buying an item via their preferred communication channel. Reward them for doing so with special benefits such as invitations to exclusive events. Respond accordingly in real-time while respecting their preferences. Don't spam the customer into unsubscribing

Brands consider it a great victory when the customer agrees to provide their email address or phone number. Marketers often assume that this is tacit customer consent to go on a marketing spamming spree. Customers immediately delete the email or text, ignore it, resent the brand, or unsubscribe. Instead, ask the customer what means of communication they prefer, how often, and under what circumstances. Provide realistic, relevant options they can select for future communication. And, on an exceptional basis, ask the customer if they can be contacted when the brand feels they have a compelling offer for them. Never abuse the trust. Ask the customer to license their data with complete privacy for fair value rewards

Customers are becoming fully aware that they fully own/co-own, all the data they create, online and offline. The greatest repositories of data collected online about individuals are search, retail, and social platforms such as Instagram and Google. Once some, or all, of the trust-earning recommendations above have been optimally tested and evaluated, respectfully ask customers to share their copyright-protected data from digital platforms using encrypted, secure technology. Test and learn the best way to ask and follow all privacy regulations. Offer fair value rewards and benefits for the use of the data, such as a gift card, or a complimentary room night. Accessing rich, relevant descriptive and predictive data from customers is a breakthrough innovation and Luxury Institute's Advanced Personalization Xchange (APX) is leading the luxury and premium industry. This approach will become the norm in the next 2-years as strict privacy legislation is enacted and third-party cookies disappear.

Over the next decade, instead of the customer data traveling to the algorithms, the algorithms will come to the data in the customer's encrypted personal data vault. The U.S. government has already made zero trust architecture the security tech standard for the 2020s, guaranteeing it will happen. Luxury brands must steadily prepare for the Web 3.0 revolution that will empower the full decentralization of personal data, where individuals will store all their data (medical, financial, lifestyle consumption) in a fully encrypted, zero trust architecture, personal data store. Brands that have earned trust throughout will receive consent to access the insights, within the customer's safe space, in real-time, to deliver true personalization. Brands that have failed to gain trust with affluent consumers will be denied access.

Luxury Institute believes that many affluent consumers will find the recommendations above deeply trustworthy in an imperfect world. Some of the steps recommended, such as the NDA, are similar to ways affluents conduct respectful B2B interactions. The recommendations are designed to deliver deep trust while achieving personalization. For luxury brands, whose customer experiences and value propositions can deliver massive customer lifetime values, it is imperative to build human, trusted, emotionally intelligent customer relationships now by testing and learning; by taking intelligent risks. Data is the fuel of the digital age. How brands access and use that precious human fuel, legally, ethically, creatively, and earning trust every little step of the way, will determine the luxury winners and losers in the 2020s.

About Luxury Institute

Luxury Institute is the world's most trusted research, training, and elite business solutions partner for luxury and premium goods and services brands. With the largest global network of luxury executives and experts, Luxury Institute has the ability to provide its clients with high-performance, leading-edge solutions developed by the best, most successful minds in the industry. Over the last 19 years, Luxury Institute has served over 1,100 luxury and premium goods and services brands. Luxury Institute has conducted more quantitative and qualitative research with affluent, wealthy and uber-wealthy consumers than any other entity. This knowledge has led to the development of its scientifically proven high-performance, emotional intelligence-based education system, Luxcelerate, that dramatically improves brand culture and financial performance. Luxury Institute has also innovated the Advanced Personalization Xchange (APX), powered by DataLucent, to empower affluent consumers to license their digital platform data to premium and luxury brands they trust legally, securely and privately in exchange for fair value rewards and benefits.

To learn more about Luxury Institute, please contact us at LuxuryInstitute.com

Contact: Milton Pedraza - [email protected]

SOURCE Luxury Institute
Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

Get a free sample report for more information

Insights Into Supplier Selection and Evaluation:

Profile and service capabilities of the service provider, industry specialization of the service providers, reputation of service providers, and assessment of value-added services are some of the most critical parameters that buyers use to shortlist the suppliers in Managed Print Services.

This report evaluates suppliers based on quality and purity test of product samples, production capacity, certifications and accreditations, and geographical presence. In addition, suppliers are also shortlisted based on business needs, technical specifications, operational requirements, security compliance, regulatory mandates, working environment, quality control, sla nuances, acceptance criteria, legal requirements, change management procedures, pricing models, and penalty clauses.

For More Insights on Buyer Strategies and Tactical Negotiation Levers: www.spendedge.com/report/managed-print-services-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 2%-3%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Managed Print Services TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

Some of the Top Managed Print Services Market Suppliers Listed in This Report:

This Managed Print Services procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

Xerox Corp

Canon Inc

HP Inc

Smart Procurement Starts Here:

SpendEdge's procurement intelligence platform is the go-to tool for companies looking to access latest procurement research insights and supplier data on an easy to use platform:

Subscribe Now for FREE, to get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment.

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
SAN FRANCISCO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marble Press LLC, a San Francisco-based publisher with three subsidiaries, announces their official launch.

Marble Press was formed by a collaboration between various children's book authors and illustrators. The company secured a multi-year seven figure funding commitment from California based venture capital. This team, headed by Susan Szecsi and Jon Collins-Black, has over five decades of business experience.

"Our mission is to publish books that inspire children, books that challenge their imagination and ignite their curiosity. Our books will be diverse and honest. We are really seeking books that will stand on their own by offering fresh perspectives and outside-the-box experiences," added Szecsi.

Marble Press announced it has three subsidiaries: Marble Books, Bulooga Books, and Taltos Books. Marble Books will represent children's picture books. Taltos Books will brand middle-grade and young adult books, and the Bulooga brand will publish books for young readers.

Marble Press is already in discussions with some of the leading authors and illustrators in the children's book industry. The company plans to publish several children's books in its first year and expand quickly from there.

"We are aggressively seeking the best authors and illustrators, both established and unknown talents," said Collins-Black. "Our goal is to source and to develop great stories. We believe the Marble Press team has the experience and funding to compete with established brands, while bringing the enthusiasm, energy and care of a startup. The publishing industry can be a frustrating one for writers and illustrators. By providing personalized service to our writers and artists, we want the process to be fun and exciting. We believe this philosophy will bring forth the best books for our readers."

Marble Press is available for open submissions from children's book authors and illustrators at the time of this press release. Agent submissions are also welcome. More details may be found at www.marblepress.com.

Media contact:

Susan Szecsi

[email protected]

510-219-3515

SOURCE Marble Press
DENVER, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective Feb. 21, 2022, Marc Zoelle will join Lerch Bates as Area General Manager at the global consulting firm's New York office, bringing 21 years of elevator industry experience that spans management roles at various original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including Otis Worldwide and Kone Corporation.

In his new role as Area General Manager, Zoelle will lead the New York area's vertical transportation consulting services practice. Zoelle will ensure the successful execution of project deliverables and financials while leading strategic planning, performance metrics measurement and benchmarking, forecasting, staffing, compliance and corporate standards implementation.

"Our New York business is growing rapidly," said Bart Stephan, CEO of Lerch Bates. "With more great opportunities in sight, Lerch Bates was poised to add a leader to our New York team who could help drive our continued growth following many years of success in the market. As Area General Manager, Marc will utilize his expertise with OEMs and the New York vertical transportation industry to support Lerch Bates's strategic advancement and drive continued optimization of our business practices there."

Zoelle will report to New York Area Vice President Joe Neto, whose former company Joe Neto and Associates was acquired by Lerch Bates in 2015. In addition to Lerch Bates's renowned vertical transportation practice in the NYC area, the company also has a robust testing and inspections operation that expects to see significant YOY growth.

Zoelle most recently served as the Senior Director of Mergers and Acquisitions for Otis Elevator Company following more than three years as the Vice President of Greater New York, also for Otis Elevator Company. The University of Iowa alumnus received his Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing and communications prior to completing his Master of Business Administration at Iona College's Hagan School of Business in New Rochelle, New York.

Celebrating its 75th year of business in 2022, Lerch Bates was the first vertical transportation consulting firm in the nation. Last month, Lerch Bates unveiled a new logo alongside additional specialties and services. This new breadth will allow the firm to expand its reputation in the vertical transportation industry to provide consulting services that directly impact total cost of operation by optimizing a structure's performance at any lifecycle stage and on all six sides of the building. Go to LerchBates.com to learn more.

Media Contact:

Amanda McConell

Marketing Manager

918.640.4148

ABOUT LERCH BATES, INC.

Lerch Bates, headquartered in Denver, Colo., is a global technical consulting services firm with locations throughout North America, Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and India. For 75 years Lerch Bates has advised architects, developers, building investors, owners and managers on the design, sustainability and continuous use of a wide spectrum of building systems for any size or type of building. Lerch Bates operates Lerch Bates Asia Pacific Limited, a holding company in Hong Kong, Lerch Bates (China) Limited, a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE) in Shanghai, China and Dewar Partnership in the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.lerchbates.com.

SOURCE Lerch Bates
IRVINE, Calif., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported total February sales of 28,166 vehicles, an increase of 8.3 percent compared to February 2021. Year-to-date sales totaled 49,245 vehicles; a decrease of 3.9 percent compared to the same time last year. With 24 selling days in February, compared to the same number the year prior, the company posted an increase of 8.3 percent on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis.

CPO sales totaled 3,562 vehicles in February, a decrease of 32 percent compared to February 2021.

Mazda Reports February Sales Results

Sales Highlights

Second highest February sales in the U.S. with 28,166 vehicles sold.

Best February sales ever of the CX-5 with 16,404 vehicles sold.

Best February sales ever of the CX-9 with 3,803 vehicles sold.

Mazda Canada, Inc., (MCI) reported February sales of 3,616 vehicles, a decrease of 12.1 percent compared to February last year.

Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported February sales of 4,007 vehicles, a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to February last year.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts, and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, and Mexico through approximately 780 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at News.MazdaUSA.com.

Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA.

























Month-To-Date

Year-To-Date

























February February YOY % % MTD

February February YOY % % MTD



2022 2021 Change DSR

2022 2021 Change DSR























Mazda3 2,969 3,083 (3.7)% (3.7)%

6,439 6,129 5.1% 5.1%

Mazda 3 Sdn 1,224 2,011 (39.1)% (39.1)%

2654 4,191 (36.7)% (36.7)%

Mazda 3 HB 1,745 1,072 62.8% 62.8%

3785 1,938 95.3% 95.3%























Mazda6 55 1,327 (95.9)% (95.9)%

311 2,725 (88.6)% (88.6)%























MX-5 Miata 556 836 (33.5)% (33.5)%

942 1,372 (31.3)% (31.3)%

MX-5 227 299 (24.1)% (24.1)%

362 527 (31.3)% (31.3)%

MXR 329 537 (38.7)% (38.7)%

580 845 (31.4)% (31.4)%























CX-3 - 519 - -

- 893 - -

CX-30 4,333 5,005 (13.4)% (13.4)%

6151 8,629 (28.7)% (28.7)%

CX-5 16,404 12,087 35.7% 35.7%

29008 25,669 13.0% 13.0%

CX-9 3,803 3,151 20.7% 20.7%

6315 5,849 8.0% 8.0%

MX-30 46 0 - -

79 0 - -























CARS 3,580 5,246 (31.8)% (31.8)%

7,692 10,226 (24.8)% (24.8)%

TRUCKS 24,586 20,762 18.4% 18.4%

41,553 41,041 1.2% 1.2%























TOTAL 28,166 26,008 8.3% 8.3%

49,245 51,267 (3.9)% (3.9)%













































*Selling Days 24 24





48 48





























SOURCE Mazda North American Operations
"Artistic expression can be found in a variety of locations on Miami Beach, with a number of works and activations tucked away in unassuming areas, inviting visitors to break from the ordinary and explore art and culture in all of its interpretations," says Steve Adkins, Chairman of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (MBVCA). "Whether traveling as a couple, with a group or on a solo journey, visitors will find delight as they discover new, camera-worthy experiences in unexpected places."

Travelers ready to discover hidden gems on Miami Beach can take note of the following experiences:

The Gabriel South Beach : Enter the iconic Ocean Drive property and head to the rooftop where an inviting mural by Copenhagen -raised artist and philanthropist, Mikael B, exudes the energy of Miami Beach for guests to enjoy and interpret. He has worked with iconic brands including Mercedes, Google, Nike and The Black Eyed Peas. On the way to the elevators, be sure to look up for a unique view of the glass-bottom pool that sometimes even features aquatic mermaid performances. On the way to the elevators, be sure to look up for a unique view of the glass-bottom pool that sometimes even features aquatic mermaid performances.

: Enter the iconic Ocean Drive property and head to the rooftop where an inviting mural by -raised artist and philanthropist, Mikael B, exudes the energy of for guests to enjoy and interpret. He has worked with iconic brands including Mercedes, Google, Nike and The Black Eyed Peas. On the way to the elevators, be sure to look up for a unique view of the glass-bottom pool that sometimes even features aquatic mermaid performances. On the way to the elevators, be sure to look up for a unique view of the glass-bottom pool that sometimes even features aquatic mermaid performances. The Betsy Orb : Function meets form at this Miami Beach landmark serving as a bridge between two connecting buildings over an alleyway between Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive. Whether day or night, The Orb exudes a mysterious aura as it hovers between the two buildings and over foot traffic below. Journey inside the actual Orb and find "The Art of the Orb," a photographic installation of eight unique perspectives captured by Robin Hill , a Miami and New York -based photographer from Nottingham, England who straddles the boundaries between architecture, design and fine art through his camera lens.

: Function meets form at this landmark serving as a bridge between two connecting buildings over an alleyway between Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive. Whether day or night, The Orb exudes a mysterious aura as it hovers between the two buildings and over foot traffic below. Journey inside the actual Orb and find "The Art of the Orb," a photographic installation of eight unique perspectives captured by , a and -based photographer from who straddles the boundaries between architecture, design and fine art through his camera lens. Nossa Omakase  Food is hidden art at this 14-seat, omakase located at 1600 Collins Ave. Find the door, give the password and enter into a bespoke speakeasy with a twist. Think a reservation-only, 16-to-18-course evening in a clandestine location led by Japanese-Brazilian executive chef, Max Kamakura . Smoke, fire and a tableside performance culminate into the delivery of an interactive and artistic dining experience.

 Food is hidden art at this 14-seat, omakase located at 1600 Collins Ave. Find the door, give the password and enter into a bespoke speakeasy with a twist. Think a reservation-only, 16-to-18-course evening in a clandestine location led by Japanese-Brazilian executive chef, . Smoke, fire and a tableside performance culminate into the delivery of an interactive and artistic dining experience. Renewal 2121 Artechouse  Step off the sand and into a hidden world imagined 100 years in the future where visitors are invited to traverse through a cyberpunk cityscape, interactive market, bustling alleyways and more to find nature blooming in unexpected places amidst an industrial future. Renewal 2121 was created in collaboration with multidisciplinary artists from around the world including visual design by Yuya Takeda , mural work by Dragon76, scenery from Design Foundry and music by Mario Hammer and the Lonely Robot.

 Step off the sand and into a hidden world imagined 100 years in the future where visitors are invited to traverse through a cyberpunk cityscape, interactive market, bustling alleyways and more to find nature blooming in unexpected places amidst an industrial future. Renewal 2121 was created in collaboration with multidisciplinary artists from around the world including visual design by , mural work by Dragon76, scenery from Design Foundry and music by and the Lonely Robot. Scull Sisters at Puerto Sagua  Authentic Cuban comfort food meets the eccentric artistry of the Scull Sisters and a whimsical, three-dimensional painting that takes diners from the streets of South Beach to Old Havana. Born in Cuba in the 1930's, the sisters are known for their paintings and sculptures of Old Havana and Florida , using paper mache, wire and acrylic paint. A copy of their scrapbook is in the Archives of American Art and the Smithsonian.

"Miami Beach is a recognized playground for artists and creators. Those visiting can find themselves amongst works in the most unlikely of places as they explore the many wonders of our city," adds Grisette Marcos, Executive Director of the MBVCA. "We invite travelers to share their experience and journey to uncover hidden works on Miami Beach with us on Facebook and Instagram @experiencemiamibeach."

Future visitors can download the award-winning Experience Miami Beach App for free to access a collection of curated tours and recommendations on how to best experience Miami Beach http://www.miamibeachapi.com/app/

Contact:

Holly Winter,

[email protected]

SOURCE Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority
GREENWICH, Conn., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southfield Capital, a premier lower middle market private equity firm, and Milrose Consultants ("Milrose" or the "Company"), a leading provider of building code compliance, fulfillment and consulting solutions, are pleased to announce the acquisitions of McCormick Compliance Consulting ("McCormick") and SF Codes.

McCormick, founded by Casey McCormick in 2016, is an industry-leading construction consulting and municipal permitting firm based in Los Angeles and Chicago. McCormick has earned a stellar reputation in the commercial real estate industry, working exclusively on several marquee buildings in Los Angeles and Chicago. Specializing in mega development, new-build projects, McCormick has facilitated more than $7 billion of high-end commercial construction.

Dominic Maurillo, CEO of Milrose, commented, "We're thrilled to welcome McCormick into the Milrose family. This acquisition is a game changing investment for Milrose, as it dramatically accelerates the opportunity to service our national clients in large new markets including Chicago and partner with a firm with incredible talent, experience, and operational excellence. We are certain this combination will pay immediate dividends for our clients and offer our employees continued opportunity to grow with our firm."

SF Codes, founded by Thad Adcock in 2012, is a premier real estate consulting and municipal permit services firm based in San Francisco. SF Codes has grown to be the go-to resource for builders, contractors, and owners of real estate in the San Francisco and Oakland areas. Specializing in new-build projects, SF Codes facilitates the construction of both commercial and residential buildings through its pre-construction development, entitlements, planning, and municipal interface services.

"We're very excited that SF Codes has joined the Milrose family of companies. The SF Codes team brings additive capabilities and expertise that our nationwide clientele will immediately find valuable. San Francisco and surrounding cities are key to our strategy, and we're excited to offer our world-class services to our existing and new clients in the Bay Area," said Dominic Maurillo.

Wiggin & Dana provided legal counsel to Milrose and Southfield Capital.

About Milrose

Milrose is a leading provider of building code compliance, fulfillment, and consulting solutions to the Class A commercial real estate market. Milrose enables clients to outsource the burden associated with navigating the highly regulated and complex building compliance environment through its diverse portfolio of permitting, code & zoning, regulatory filing, special inspections, due diligence and other compliance solutions.

For more information, please visit www.milrose.com .

About Southfield Capital

Southfield Capital is a private equity firm that invests in high-growth, lower middle market companies in the outsourced business services sector. The firm targets companies with $4  12 million in EBITDA and partners with management to scale the business through a combination of organic and acquisition growth strategies.

For more information, please visit www.southfieldcapital.com.

Our Team:

Andy Levison, Managing Partner

Andy Cook, Partner

Heb James, Partner

Tim Lewis, Partner

Brandon Pinderhughes, Principal

Chris Grambling, Principal

Jason Perlroth, Principal & Head of Business Development

Josh Sylvan, Vice President

Logan Vorwerk, Senior Associate

Matt King, Senior Associate

Mike Weber, Associate

Jon Goldstein, Chief Financial Officer

Southfield Capital

140 Greenwich Avenue

Greenwich, CT 06830

Phone: 203.813.4100

Fax: 203.813.4141

www.southfieldcapital.com

SOURCE Southfield Capital
CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Everspring, a leading provider of higher education technology solutions and services, announces a new partnership with the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) to support the strategic expansion of its online educational offerings. Everspring will support MSOE university-wide with market research, supplemental course development, and marketing services to grow program enrollments while preserving the university's unique applied learning methodology.

MSOE offers a range of undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificate programs, primarily in engineering, business and nursing. The university is known for its hands-on, experiential learning methodology that emphasizes practical application. Courses are highly collaborative, and students receive strong personal attention from faculty. In developing its online courses and programs, the university sought a partner who could preserve this highly interactive academic approach.

"We are excited to launch our partnership with Everspring and grow a suite of online programs that align with our institutional mission to provide students engaging, experiential learning," said Eric Baumgartner, executive vice president of academics at MSOE. "We are building on our foundation of strong enrollment. And with this partnership, we can expand and translate our academic approach into online and hybrid modalities, enabling us to educate in innovative ways."

Everspring's market research will identify the best opportunities for online growth based on workforce trends and other data, helping the university prioritize which online programs to grow and where to focus for new initiatives. With Everspring's marketing support, MSOE will expand its reach and grow online enrollments with highly qualified students.

"MSOE has a great set of high-quality programs and numerous opportunities for growth," said Beth Hollenberg, president and co-founder of Everspring. "Everspring is excited to partner with MSOE to help them set a roadmap for their future growth and thereafter support them to build and scale exceptional online and hybrid programs that embody and reflect the university's academic ethos," said Beth Hollenberg, president and co-founder of Everspring.

About Milwaukee School of Engineering

Milwaukee School of Engineering is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,800 students and was founded in 1903. MSOE offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, business and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now, as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors and challenge them to go beyond what's possible. MSOE graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators. For more information, visit msoe.edu

About Everspring

Everspring is a leading provider of education technology and services solutions for higher education. Our advanced technology, proven marketing approach, and robust faculty support and instructional design services deliver outstanding outcomes for our university partners, powering their success online. Everspring offers a range of full-service turnkey solutions, as well as standalone fee-for-service offerings, and innovative self-service products that enable universities to establish themselves as leaders in the digital delivery of higher education. Based in Chicago, Everspring serves a growing number of colleges and universities, nationwide.

Visit www.everspringpartners.com for more information. Don't just go digital. BE DIGITAL.

SOURCE Everspring
Helping hands disperse children's dark clouds

11:11, March 01, 2022 By XIN WEN ( China Daily

Young patients head to a ward at Beijing Anding Hospital. WANG CHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Increased awareness shown as depression afflicts more young people

He Fan's clinic at a Beijing hospital isn't large and is sparsely furnished with an office desk and two chairs, and a glass partition that separates an adjoining room.

On a Wednesday morning late last month in this simple working environment, He, a psychiatric expert in child depression, attended to more than 40 patients with different types of mental health or behavioral issues. The patients' ages ranged from 5 to 18.

On the child psychiatric ward she is in charge of at Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, vacant beds are a rarity. Those that are available are occupied mainly by children with severe mental disorders who have inflicted serious injuries on themselves, or who have suicidal tendencies.

In October, China's first nationwide epidemiological survey on the mental health of schoolchildren was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The survey showed that among schoolchildren age 6 to 16, the overall prevalence of mental disorders had reached 17.5 percent, a record high.

The survey also found that 3 percent of nearly 74,000 schoolchildren under the age of 17 had depressive disorders, with prevalence increasing with age.

According to the National Health Commission, in 2019, only 2.1 percent of people of all ages in China had depression.

As the incidence of mental disorders increases among schoolchildren, clinicians such as He feel the problem needs more attention.

When children became silent, fractious, or their scores at school fall sharply, there is now an increased awareness among Chinese parents that their offspring may have psychological problems.

Undetectable problem

Compared with adults, mental disorders in children and adolescents are more atypical, adding to difficulties in early detection and diagnosis.

Zheng Yi, chief specialist in child psychiatry at Beijing Anding Hospital, a leading establishment treating mental problems, said symptoms of depression among adults include crying, a reluctance to leave home, and self-accusation.

"When children are depressed, they show this by losing their temper, becoming irritable, and constantly saying they are annoyedconditions that are different from adults' symptoms, but which are all too easily ignored," Zheng said.

Children with depression rarely express negative thoughts directly, appear irritable, and often behave abnormally, according to Zheng.

"Such children can suddenly feel that they no longer want to live," Zheng said.

In He's consulting room, the parents of Ma Junchen (not his real name) were anxious as they made their first visit to the clinic on that Wednesday morning last month.

The mother talked about the boy's abnormal behavior, which included becoming distracted in class, beating classmates, and knocking on his bed at night.

"We don't know what happened. His teacher kept telling us so many things about our son at school," the mother said, her voice trembling. "We thought there must be something wrong."

The boy said he usually stayed in class alone after his classmates had left, adding, "I felt annoyed at such times."

Under the impression that his parents had brought him to the clinic for an eye test, he said he thought he had no friends at school, and each classmate he encountered might make him agitated and provoke thoughts of violence.

His parents stared anxiously at He after the consultation, awaiting her response. The doctor advised them to first calm down, before adding that their son needed a complete physical examination and assessment.

When children first develop depression and anxiety, the symptoms are easily ignored by parents, who feel that if the children's learning is not affected, their offspring will not experience mental health issues, according to He.

"They might just think their kids are naughty and disobedient," added He, director of the child mental disorder department at Beijing Anding Hospital.

When children don't get along well with their classmates and are unable to attend school regularly, it means their social functions are impaired, He said.

"When this stage is reached, it's too late to see a doctor at the hospital, and the children's symptoms may become severe,"

He said, adding that it would be hard for parents to accept their child's mental state in such a short time.

A nurse comforts a teenager at the hospital. WANG CHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

Clinical diagnosis

Liu Sheng (not his real name) was among the patients He saw that Wednesday morning. The teenager was dressed neatly and wore a trendy headset.

But when he spoke in a monotone whisper, Liu appeared listless and tired, and seldom looked He in the eye.

Liu had visited He's clinic several times previously, accompanied by his mother, who this time was hoping that He could reduce her son's reliance on anti-depression drugs.

She told the doctor Liu planned to resume classes for his senior year at high school if his illness was under control.

Asked by the clinician how he felt, Liu removed his left glove and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a series of scratches on his lower arm. "I can't control my crying at nights. The tears just keep falling," he said.

His mother was shocked, as she thought Liu was recovering and could return to school.

In clinical diagnosis, Liu's behavior is termed "non-suicidal self-injury", with the pain resulting from injury releasing stress.

According to He, in such cases, a patient's skin can be damaged, but if there is no risk of death, outpatient treatment can continue to be received, instead of hospitalization.

"The worst consequence of child depression is suicide, and we should pay particular attention to children who intend to take their lives," she said.

"But if patients merely want to vent their anger, they engage in non-suicidal self-injury. Most young patients I encounter clearly state their feelings if they trust me sufficiently.

"They are very sensible and they know which stage they have reached. If you build trust with them, they will express themselves clearly and their illness can be contained in an effective treatment cycle."

Zheng, the chief specialist, said that among the mental disorders schoolchildren may experience, depression occurs in adolescence. As the body develops during adolescence, far-reaching changes also occur in the brain.

Based on his clinical experience, Zheng said that if the mental ability of young boys and girls matches their physical maturity, they can navigate adolescence smoothly.

"But when this ability is very poor, and there is insufficient independence, then conflict will result."

Changed environment

According to He, mental disorders can result from a changed social environment, including family, school and society.

She said that in the 1980s, she lived in her parents' dormitory. When school was over, her parents' colleagues, who were also their neighbors, came to collect her if her parents didn't have time to do so.

"I guess there was a higher level of trust in society at that time, compared to nowadays when urbanization and rapid development are putting more pressure on children," He said.

Zheng said children do not play together as much as they did in the past.

"Of course, children face pressure, but it's not their academic burden we are talking about here," Zheng said. "Playing together is vitally important for them, and by doing so children can learn to control themselves and adapt to new circumstances. But many children now lack the ability to do this.

"Their learning ability has also been overly developed, which may induce strong negative thoughts and result in children's innovative capabilities being ignored," Zheng said.

Many parents, even in first-tier cities, do not realize the importance of their children's mental health. In general, adults tend to think that their children will not experience mental problems," Zheng added.

"This is the wrong view ... From a young age, children should know how to fight for themselves and to socialize. By experiencing friction and frustration, they can determine their position and find a way to survive in a small society," Zheng said.

When children are left alone by parents, they might be exposed to danger, the specialist said. He suggested that children should be encouraged to interact more with their peers and to take part in more social activities.

"We pay much attention to children's IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ(emotional quotient), but AQ(adversity quotient), which is the ability to deal with frustration that is enhanced by interacting with others, has been largely neglected," he said.

The mental health of children left behind in rural areas by their migrant worker parents may need attention due to a lack of parental contact.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, by the end of August 2018, there were 6.97 million left-behind children in the nation's rural areas, although the number was down from 9.02 million in 2016.

In November, an investigative report by the Heungkong Charitable Foundation on the mental health of rural offspring in China showed the detectable rate for symptoms of depression in such children had reached 25.2 percent.

"The prevalence of depression in rural children is rather high compared with children in cities," Zheng said. "As rural children are left in the care of elderly relatives, or when they are unsupervised before the age of 3, they lack direct nurturing from parents and may become depressed."

Zheng said the emotional problems of children and adolescents are ultimately the result of significant changes in today's lifestyles.

Treatment dilemma

In cases of depressive disorders, the brain experiences abnormalities in the neurotransmitters that send signals. These abnormalities can also occur in related neural pathways and structures.

"Some drugs to treat depression restore the normal regulation of these systems," He said, adding that an effective medical treatment cycle for children with mental disorders is about 20 days.

Family psychological therapy is also essential. "At least 30 percent of my patients undergo such treatment," she said.

Liang Hong, director of Beijing Huilongguan Hospital's Psychological Crisis Research and Intervention Center, a leading psychological counseling establishment treating depression, said, "The whole of society is in a kind of parenting anxiety, and parents are afraid that their children will fall behind.

"For example, they want their children to behave well and to obey them, but those parents who often ignore the needs of their kids rarely communicate with them to offer them guidance," she said.

In treating depressive disorders, drug therapy can improve a patient's mood, but Liang said the importance of family therapy is to teach parents to support their children to the fullest extent.

"Let's say, in a rough analogy, that if a mother is cured, her child will not easily become depressed," she said. "But no one has ever taught parents what they should do, so they explore the answer themselves and initially feel at a loss."

She suggested more information be given to parents so that they can better handle their emotions.

Zheng said that in recent years, China's policy emphasis on mental health has increased significantly, and by 2019, the number of psychiatrists in the country had risen from 20,000 to 40,000.

"But there are still not that many child psychiatrists, and effective implementation of the policy will take time," he said.

There is also limited availability of qualified psychotherapy. At He's clinic, many of her patients' parents often complain about long waiting times for appointments.

Zheng said that even though children with depression can now receive help from school and their families, there is still a high level of discrimination against mental disorders.

"There is no need to be scared when children experience depression, and for most mental health issues, the sooner the illness is diagnosed, the better the treatment will be," Zheng added.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
CANBERRA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday he has tested positive for COVID-19.

Morrison said he was experiencing flu-like symptoms in a statement released on his official website late Tuesday night.

He tested daily since Sunday, including Tuesday morning, with all tests returning negative results, according to the statement.

"I took a further test this evening after developing a fever late today. The test was inconclusive so I took a PCR test tonight which returned a positive result late this evening," he said.

He is in isolation at home in Sydney, while his wife and children, having all tested negative, will isolate for seven days at home as close contacts.

He said that he would continue to work during isolation. 
The Miriam Pozen Prize is awarded under the aegis of the MIT Golub Center for Finance and Policy (GCFP) at the MIT Sloan School of Management . The prize supports improvements in financial policy by recognizing advancements in research and practice which is core to the mission of the MIT GCFP.

The prizewinner, to be announced in the spring of 2022, will be invited to deliver a public lecture at MIT. To nominate an individual for the Miriam Pozen Prize, please include:

- a one-page bio of the nominee

- a brief summary of the significant contributions the nominee has made in the field of financial policy.

Nominees' contributions can be either academic in nature (e.g., a path-breaking study on how to improve participation in retirement savings), or practice (e.g., developing an innovative program or business to improve the provision of financial services). This is a global prize and contributions from around the globe can be recognized.

Please submit all nominations and questions to [email protected]. For more information on the Miriam Pozen Prize, nominations, and the nomination process, please visit gcfp.mit.edu/miriampozen.

About the Award

The Miriam Pozen Prize honors the late mother of Robert C. Pozen, a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a member of the MIT GCFP's Advisory Board who provided funding for the prize as well as the fellowship to be awarded to an MIT Sloan student.

Robert Pozen formerly served as president of Fidelity Investments and Executive Chairman of MFS Investment Management. He served as Associate General Counsel of the SEC in the 1970s and as Chairman of the SEC's Advisory Committee on Financial Reporting in 2007-08. He was a member of the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security and served as Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Affairs under Governor Mitt Romney.

The Miriam Pozen Prize advances the MIT GCFP's mission of catalyzing innovative, cross-disciplinary, and nonpartisan research and educational initiatives that address the unique challenges facing governments in their role as financial institutions and as regulators of the financial system. The Miriam Pozen Prize honors the finest in research and practice in this area, and the MIT GCFP hopes it inspires further advances in the field and enhances the quality of financial decision-making in the public sector.

Past Winners

The inaugural Miriam Pozen Prize was awarded to Dr. Stanley Fischer in 2020. The award ceremony included remarks from economists Olivier Blanchard, Kristin Forbes, Kenneth Rogoff, and Lawrence Summers, and was moderated by MIT professors Deborah Lucas and James Poterba. Ben Bernanke, Mario Draghi, and Robert Rubin presented testimonials honoring Dr. Fischer. A recording of the event can be found on our website.

About the MIT Golub Center for Finance and Policy

The mission of the Golub Center is to serve as a catalyst for innovative, cross-disciplinary and non-partisan research and educational initiatives that address the unique challenges facing governments in their role as financial institutions and as regulators of the financial system. The Center is building a foundation that will support transformative improvements in the development and execution of financial policy today and in the decades to come. It leverages the Institute's reputation of academic excellence and commitment to public service, and the acumen of MIT Sloan. For more information on the GCFP, please visit gcfp.mit.edu.

About the MIT Sloan School of Management

The MIT Sloan School of Management is where smart, independent leaders come together to solve problems, create new organizations, and improve the world. Learn more at mitsloan.mit.edu.

SOURCE MIT Sloan School of Management
Mr. Vartanian is one of nine board of director members for the Pittsburgh Branch. The members are responsible for providing the Federal Reserve input about local business conditions and insights from their respective industries, as well as helping to identify opportunities to connect the Federal Reserve and the public. Mr. Vartanian's appointment runs through December of 2024.

"This appointment is an honor for me personally, and I look forward to sharing with the Federal Reserve Board our perspective as a Pittsburgh-based manufacturing and technology company, as well as information about trends within the global safety industry," Mr. Vartanian said. "Given MSA's western Pennsylvania roots, I'm also excited about the opportunity to work side by side with other local business leaders and share ideas on how our region can benefit from the work and policies of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in general, and the Pittsburgh branch in particular."

Mr. Vartanian has more than 35 years of experience with MSA and has served the company in a variety of capacities. As CEO, he oversees MSA Americas and MSA International, the company's two primary business segments, and is responsible for all MSA business initiatives, strategy and operations. He has served as a director of MSA since 2017 and was elected CEO in 2018. Under his leadership, MSA has expanded its North American footprint and leveraged its best-in-class technologies to become a world leader in safety and gas detection products.

In addition to his MSA responsibilities, Mr. Vartanian serves on the Board of Trustees for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), and the Board of Trustees of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development (ACCD), chairing the Infrastructure Committee.

About MSA Safety

Established in 1914, MSA Safety Incorporated is the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people and facility infrastructures. Many MSA products integrate a combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The company's comprehensive product line is used by workers around the world in a broad range of markets, including the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, the fire service, the construction industry, mining and the military. MSA's core products include self-contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems, portable gas detection instruments, industrial head protection products, firefighter helmets and protective apparel, and fall protection devices. With 2021 revenues of $1.4 billion, MSA employs approximately 5,200 people worldwide. The company is headquartered north of Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township, Pa., and has manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. With more than 40 international locations, MSA realizes approximately half of its revenue from outside North America. For more information visit MSA's web site at www.MSAsafety.com.

SOURCE MSA Safety
Multifamily housing developer offers innovative zero deposit option to help renters during US housing crisis Tweet this

"The fact that more than half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and are only one paycheck away from financial disaster is a major problem and one that is exacerbated by the housing crisis along with the industry standard need for large security deposits. Through Vivo's Zero Deposit initiative we are taking a large step towards solving this problem and progressing with our overall mission," notes Dan Norville, founder and CEO of Vivo Living.

Whether opting into paying the security deposit or zero deposit monthly fee, Vivo Living's standard screening process for new tenants remains the same, which requires a background and credit check prior for approval. Tenants that choose this option would replace Vivo's required security deposit based on the applicant's credit check with a small monthly fee instead. Unlike a deposit, which renters can get back once moving out of the property, tenants will not receive a refund for the monthly fees paid and instead reap benefits by not having to pay high deposit fees.

Vivo apartments are offered in the low-to-mid price range while also delivering class-A, hotel-like amenities to tenants (lounge areas, free wifi in lounge, pool, gym, etc.). Vivo's mission is to help solve America's housing affordability crisis through adaptive reuse of existing buildings into apartment complexes.

Headquartered in El Segundo, California, Vivo was founded in 2020 to offer flexible, modern efficiency apartments with all the best parts of hotel living included. The firm specializes in converting low-demand hotels and other buildings into affordably priced apartment complexes for renters. Vivo's mission is to solve America's housing affordability crisis through adaptive reuse while reducing traffic, waste and sprawl. With locations now in ten states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, Vivo continues to expand. Vivo's website is vivoinvestmentgroup.com .

Press contact

Easie PR

[email protected]

(619) 738-0366

SOURCE Vivo Living
HRP, which acquired the 1,300-acre former PES oil refinery in South Philadelphia, PA in July of 2020, takes a community-focused approach to redevelopment, connecting to local communities through open dialogue, civic participation, neighbor-centric planning, and community initiativesfrom local apprenticeships to scholarship programs. HRP is transforming the property, now called The Bellwether District , into a state-of-the-art, 15-million square-foot life sciences, e-commerce, and logistics campus.

HRP's vision of creating a community-focused, environmentally responsible commercial hub aligns with Mural Arts' goals of eradicating environmental hazards that disproportionately affect marginalized communities in Philadelphia, especially communities of color, through the transformative power of creativity. HRP has also focused considerable resources on workforce development since the company first purchased the former PES Refinery in June 2020 and has provided internships, job shadowing opportunities and pre-apprenticeship training to more than 500 Philadelphians to date.

The partnership emerged in part from discussions about the dismantling of a beloved mural by artist Paul Santoleri as part of the site's transformation from a refinery to The Bellwether District. "It's always sad to see a mural go away. Murals often are temporary," said Jane Golden, Executive Director of Mural Arts Philadelphia. "But the good news is through this partnership with HRP, we will make an impact for generations to come. We are so enthusiastic about having HRP work with our Restorative Justice Program and our organizations' aligned vision to use art to ignite long-lasting change."

In commenting on the partnership, Roberto Perez, CEO of HRP said, "This partnership allows us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of returning citizens with a focus on women as they participate in work readiness and life skills training, among other programing. We are deeply committed to the Philadelphia community, its students, and workforce, and are pleased to be working with Mural Arts Philadelphia to demonstrate that in a tangible way."

About Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP):

HRP is a vertically integrated real estate investment and redevelopment company that re-imagines, remediates, and redevelops obsolete industrial sites across the United States with a uniquely holistic approach to development that prioritizes economic, community and environmental sustainability. HRP's redevelopment expertise ranges from modern logistics and distribution facilities to urban, mixed-use projects, and life science ecosystems. HRP strives to transform not only properties, but also the communities surrounding them through a comprehensive approach to community engagement, environmental sustainability, and economic development.

HRP is headquartered in Chicago with offices in Boston, Philadelphia, New Jersey, San Francisco, Alexandria, and Miami. Since inception, HRP has acquired assets now valued in excess of $3.0 billion and its current portfolio includes over 20 million square feet of existing buildings and future redevelopment assets. In addition to its internal capital, HRP also invests external capital through joint ventures with real estate private equity funds, institutional investors, and family offices. HRP is an operating company within Hilco Global (www.hilcoglobal.com ). To learn more about HRP, visit hilcoredev.com. For more information about The Bellwether District, please visit thebellwetherdistrict.com or Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , and Instagram .

About Mural Arts Philadelphia:

Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation's largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For over 35 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative and equitable process, creating over 4,000 artworks that have transformed public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts aims to empower people, stimulate dialogue, and build bridges to mutual understanding through projects that attract artists from Philadelphia and around the world, and programs that focus on youth education, restorative justice, mental health and wellness, and public art and its preservation. Popular mural tours offer a firsthand glimpse into the inspiring stories behind Mural Arts' iconic and unparalleled collection, which has earned Philadelphia worldwide recognition as the "Mural Capital of the World." For more information, call 215-685-0750 or visit muralarts.org . Follow us on social media: @muralarts on Twitter and Instagram , MuralArtsPhiladelphia on Facebook, and phillymuralarts on YouTube.

SOURCE Hilco Redevelopment Partners
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nayya Health, Inc. ("Nayya"), a leading benefits experience and healthcare management platform, today announced that it has raised $55M in Series C financing led by existing investor ICONIQ Growth. ICONIQ Growth was joined by new investors Transformation Capital along with existing investors Felicis Ventures and SemperVirens. As part of the financing deal, Mike Dixon from Transformation Capital will join the company as a Board Observer.

The current round comes on the heels of a $37M Series B round announced nine months ago  all since the company's founding in 2019. With a total of $106M raised to date and 7x revenue growth in 2021, Nayya is one of the fastest growing digital health and benefits companies in the United States.

For a significant portion of the U.S. workforce, navigating the healthcare and benefits system is an extremely frustrating, stressful, and confusing process. The problem: A majority of Americans simply don't understand the choices presented and which they have to select during open enrollment. Moreover, consumers often spend too much on insurance benefits they never use  resulting in decreased benefits engagement, utilization, and unforeseen medical debt.

With skyrocketing medical, student loan, housing, and other debts posing a serious financial burden on individuals across the U.S., Nayya is reinventing the way employees choose and use their benefits through personalized insights and year-round guidance to make open enrollment, onboarding, and qualifying life events simpler for employees and employers alike. With Nayya's platform  powered by AI and data science  employees have a chance for the first time ever to receive proactive and personalized guidance to improve health and wellness outcomes  using their personal data to make smarter healthcare and benefits decisions.

"We believe Nayya's exceptional growth and adoption in just over two years is a true testament to the strength of the sophisticated data-driven platform and growing market need. It's becoming increasingly critical for employees to be equipped with effective and data driven tools to make more informed benefit decisions both at enrollment and throughout the year," said Caroline Xie, General Partner at ICONIQ Growth. "We are thrilled to continue supporting the Nayya team as they extend their mission."

"Investing in the future of benefits is extremely important, especially as the healthcare landscape and expectations of consumers are changing so rapidly," said Mike Dixon, Managing Partner at Transformation Capital. "Nayya has successfully integrated Artificial Intelligence into the entire benefits experience  creating a consumer-driven platform that erases benefits-related confusion and stress  while solving a massive challenge almost all businesses and their employees face."

The latest funding will be used to accelerate product innovation, expand partnerships with major healthcare solutions, bolster collaboration with some of the country's largest employers, and continue investment in expanding Nayya's connected data footprint to deliver stronger consumer experiences.

"In the last two years, there has been a dramatic uptick in anxiety, loneliness, and depression amongst countless individuals, drastically altering the lives of workers across industries," said Sina Chehrazi, Co-Founder and CEO of Nayya. "That's why it's so essential for organizations to offer quality, personalized benefits and coverage plans to empower a dynamic, creative, and engaged workforce. This investment is a vote of confidence in our mission to make the healthcare and benefits experience clearer, quicker, kinder, much more beneficial and economical."

"With companies across the board reassessing the way they approach employees' physical and mental health, our personalized platform offers curated AI-driven recommendations to help employees prioritize their wellbeing and save money, creating a win-win for employers and their workforces," added Akash Magoon, Co-Founder and CTO of Nayya.

About Nayya

At Nayya, we believe there's a better way to choose and use benefits. A more transparent, less confusing way for employees to control their health and financial potential. Powered by billions of data points and machine learning, our benefits experience platform delivers personalized decision support and guidance during open enrollment, new employee onboarding, qualifying life events, and in the moments that matter all year round. This is one of the most stressful and challenging situations consumers face  and we see that as an opportunity to build an innovative response that can help millions of Americans possess the control and understanding they deserve. Join the consumers and their employers that are now living with more peace and confidence at Nayya.com.

About ICONIQ Growth

ICONIQ Growth partners with exceptional entrepreneurs and leaders who drive global impact and change. We are inspired by visionaries defining the future of their industries by building company cultures that endure. Our unique investment platform harnesses the power of ICONIQ Capital's vibrant ecosystem of founders, pioneers, and business leaders with the goal of delivering tangible value and amplifying our portfolio companies' success from early growth stage to IPO and beyond. ICONIQ Growth's portfolio of innovators includes Adyen, AirBnB, Alibaba, Alteryx, Automattic, BambooHR, Braze, Chime, Collibra, Coupa, Datadog, Docusign, Gitlab, Marqeta, Miro, Procore, Red Ventures, Relativity, ServiceTitan, Snowflake, Sprinklr, Truckstop, Uber, Wolt, and Zoom, among others. For more information and a complete list of portfolio companies, please visit ICONIQGrowth.com.

Media Contact

Justine Rosin

Headline Media

[email protected]

US:+1 917 724 2176

SOURCE Nayya Health, Inc.
STOCKHOLM, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The MedTech company NeoDynamics has filed a registration application for its innovative pulse biopsy system NeoNavia with the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA. The product already has CE approval in Europe and is in clinical use.

"By filing for registration of NeoNavia in the US, NeoDynamics reaches an important milestone. The US is a huge potential market for NeoNavia and a US registration is also an important seal of quality for future collaborations", says CEO Anna Eriksrud. "We expect that it will take a number of months to get the registration application approved."

The application, which is submitted after dialogue with the FDA, is filed in the form of a 510(k), which is a less complicated procedure than an application for a new drug. Once the product has received marketing approval, NeoDynamics intends to continue to work with clinics to document the product in clinical practice to support its marketing and sales strategy. Similar has been done in Europe successfully to demonstrate the benefits of the product, which have contributed to creating a broader interest around the NeoNavia system. In turn, this will develop long term relationships with physicians and facilitate sales.

NeoNavia is an innovative biopsy system that uses a patented pulse technology for controlled and accurate needle insertion, which is based on research at Karolinska Institutet. NeoDynamics' goal is for the pulse technology to become the new standard for ultrasound-guided breast biopsies.

For further information, please contact:

Anna Eriksrud, CEO NeoDynamics AB, phone +46708 444 966 or e-mail [email protected]

About NeoDynamics

NeoDynamics AB (publ) is a Swedish Medical Technology Company dedicated to advancing diagnosis and care of breast cancer. The company's first product NeoNavia, a new innovative pulse biopsy system for ultrasound guided tissue sampling, is currently being introduced to the market. The biopsy system is built on a patented pulse technology, based on research at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. NeoNavia is evaluated for breast cancer diagnosis at leading clinics in UK, Germany, and Sweden. The pulse biopsy system has been used for tissue sampling in breast and axilla in over 500 patients.

About NeoNavia

NeoNavia is a modern biopsy system with a completely new patented pulse technology intended for ultrasound-guided tissue sampling. It consists of a base unit, a handheld driver and three different types of biopsy needles. Each needle type is driven by the pulse technology providing a more controlled needle insertion and precise placement of the needle in the tumour whilst enabling high-quality tissue samples from both breasts and lymph nodes. The pulse biopsy system NeoNavia is designed to offer clinicians and patients accurate lesion targeting and high tissue yield for correct diagnosis and individualized treatment.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/neodynamics/r/neodynamics-has-filed-for-registration-of-neonavia--in-the-us,c3516328

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE NeoDynamics
Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares

Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial

Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates

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Edition: 21; Released: February 2022

Executive Pool: 9278

Companies: 102 - Players covered include 3DX-RAY Ltd.; Anritsu Infivis Ltd.; Baker Hughes Company; Bosello High Technology srl; Mettler-Toledo International Inc.; Minebea Intec; Nikon Metrology NV; Nordson DAGE; North Star Imaging, Inc.; Shimadzu Corporation; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Toshiba IT & Control Systems Corporation; Vision Medicaid Equipments Pvt. Ltd.; VJ Group, Inc.; YXLON International GmbH and Others.

Coverage: All major geographies and key segments

Segments: Technique (Digital, Film); Application (Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Automotive & Transportation, Aerospace, Power Generation, Other Applications)

Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Australia; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Rest of World.

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ABSTRACT-



Global Industrial X-Ray Inspection Systems Market to Reach US$816.3 Million by the Year 2026

X-ray inspection systems are among the most important tools in testing applications. Growth in the global market is spurred by shift from conventional film-based systems to the innovative and highly advanced digital systems. Industries such as automotive and aerospace, with their high image quality requirements are among the important end-users of high-resolution industrial X-ray inspection systems. The deep sea oil and gas industry basically relies on dependable equipment for carrying out safe and uninterrupted operations. NDT equipment therefore has achieved critical importance in the oil & gas industry, while creating opportunities for X-ray inspection equipment. Regulatory and consumer demand for safe and premium quality food products, is driving food producers to adopt inspection systems in their production lines to identify defective items. X-ray systems are of particular importance to this industry due to their ability to detect contaminants in food, packaged in metal containers or foil. In post-COVID-19 environment, demand for X-ray inspection devices is likely to revive and remain steady owing to anticipated influx of newer applications as well as progressive developments across various technological aspects.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Industrial X-Ray Inspection Systems estimated at US$620 Million in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$816.3 Million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.5% over the analysis period. Digital, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 7% CAGR to reach US$698.5 Million by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Film segment is readjusted to a revised 4.6% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 22.7% share of the global Industrial X-Ray Inspection Systems market. CT and DR, the prominent digital X-ray technologies, are witnessing strong demand due to the unique advantages they provide over conventional systems. Quicker image acquisition and processing, higher resolution, ease-of-use and greater throughput are the primary features that are intensifying appeal of these systems. At present, film radiography dominates the installed base in emerging markets as film radiography requires low capital investment.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $208.3 Million in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $76.7 Million by 2026

The Industrial X-Ray Inspection Systems market in the U.S. is estimated at US$208.3 Million in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 33.73% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$76.7 Million in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 8% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 5% and 6% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 6% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$54.3 Million by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the developed countries is set to be driven by rising demand for non-destructive testing equipment owing to aging infrastructure. The situation is more pronounced in the US where the average age of power plants and refineries is over 40 years, requiring high operating capacities. With several major companies from developed markets having their offshore production, development, and processing facilities in low-cost Asian destinations such as China, India, Korea and Vietnam among other countries, demand for inspection systems in the region is expected to remain high. Also, increase in infrastructure projects, swift recovery of the electronics industry, government safety regulations, and increased investments in R&D continue to propel growth opportunities from the region.

In the Spotlight - Next-Generation, Microfocal, Higher Resolution, & High-Speed Systems

Over the years, X-ray systems have undergone several advancements in form of more accurate X-ray generation techniques based on microfocal X-ray sources, higher resolution detectors and integration of sophisticated software that facilitate accurate and reliable high-speed inspection. Advanced technologies such as 4-D computed tomography, which is capable of capturing a varied range of critical internal structures as well as enhancing the real time monitoring capabilities, is one of the major technologies that is expected to bridge the gap between the conventional form as well as modern form of industrial X-ray inspection systems. The next-generation systems are equipped with wider screening range, more tunnel sizes, increased portability, and high quality resolution. Some of the systems also offer enhanced level of detection running at lesser power, enhanced ergonomic design, easy-to-navigate user interface and a smaller footprint. More

MarketGlass Platform

Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide.



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CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
Stephanie Lokker is the Managing Partner of Lockerbie & Co. [ www.letsgetstrategic.com ], a strategy and management consulting firm based in Passaic, NJ, composed of former Big Four and Big Three (MBB) advisory leaders who provide transformational advising and solutions inclusive of people, processes, data and technology. Lockerbie currently holds 11 diverse-supplier certifications on both the state and federal level  including LGBTBE certified .

"We need to turn New Jersey into an equal playing field for underserved business communities," said Lokker.

In Lokker's volunteer role as a NJPCC board director, she will oversee the Chamber's statewide initiatives as the VP of Supplier Diversity and Certification. She will build and maintain positive relationships with national certifying bodies and organizations, help local members through the certification process, and work to develop joint educational events/partnership opportunities.

Lokker is currently architecting a series of town halls that will include the Chamber's leadership, local political and community leaders, and corporate Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) to discuss the current needs of suppliers and how to bring more diversity into their supply chains. She will also oversee the Chamber's educational resources for the diversity program and its statewide outreach implementation.

"By pooling these resources, we are able to develop a stronger relationship between minority business owners and corporations. NJPCC is committed to working with the 28 Fortune 1000 companies in New Jersey to find solutions that will make the supply chain more dependable and resilient  the same attributes of the diverse people who make up the great state of New Jersey," said Stephanie Lokker, Managing Partner of Lockerbie & Co.

In her new role as a NJPCC board director, Lokker will join Augusto Penaranda, the NJPCC Executive Director, in overseeing efforts to get the Chamber's Executive Order signed by Governor Philip Murphy. The EO will elevate LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) certified businesses to a similar observed minority status that grants equal access to government contracts as Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Veteran Owned Business (VOB), Disabled-Veteran Owned Business (DVOB), and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).

"As an LGBT+ woman, who also understands what it's like to run a business with a disability, we need to turn New Jersey into an equal playing field for underserved business communities by increasing their economic viability, networking abilities, and creating opportunities for all," said Lokker.

Stephanie brings more than 15-years of experience in procurement, change management, organizational behavior, and supplier diversity; she is a former Big Three and Big Four consultant. She opened Lockerbie, in 2019, where she manages a team of consultants who specialize in solving complex business problems from strategy through execution for their Fortune 500 and private equity clients.

"Stephanie brings a new paradigm of understanding for supplier diversity and procurement. She can envision the greater impact of what ESG and DEI can mean for the New Jersey business landscape. We welcome corporate partners who are ready to make positive changes that will benefit the entire community," said Stephen Blazejewski, President of NJPCC.

Lokker is a Butler, NJ native. She earned her Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from Rutgers University in Newark, NJ, and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ. She is a lean six sigma green belt and champions non-profit causes like Traumatic Brain Injury awareness and breaking the glass ceiling for women in corporate America.

ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY PRIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:

Since 2013, the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce has been the premier LGBTQ+ and allied business organization committed to facilitating successful business collaborations and increasing the economic staying power of its diverse membership. As an inclusive platform for business visionaries, the Chamber is the first stop for LGBTQ+ and allied entrepreneurs seeking to grow and access opportunities. Its primary mission is to promote the economic growth and development of the local community, and help to better serve its members' businesses by providing resources and opportunities for education, networking, and community engagement.

For more information, please visit http://njpridechamber.org or connect with the NJ Pride Chamber of Commerce on Linkedin , Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .

The NJ Pride Chamber of Commerce is an official affiliate of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce ( NGLCC ). It offers LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) Certification  as a benefit of membership with the organization. Certified LGBTBEs are routinely sought after by over 300 NGLCC Corporate Partners who are looking to increase their spend with the LGBTQ+ business community. Certified LGBTBEs are also eligible for scholarship programs, mentorship and leadership training, and other business development tools

MORE ABOUT LOCKERBIE:

Lockerbie is entering its fourth year in business since it opened its doors in 2019, after its Managing Partner left positions at a Big 4 and Big 3 management consultancy firms to better equip organizations to fulfill their missions and advocate for good. Their clients are Fortune 1000 and Private Equity clients. They are headquartered in a Hub-Zone and have eleven federal and state supplier diversity-owned certifications. The firm is owned, operated, and managed by a woman, Stephanie E. Lokker, and a team of former big 3 and 4 consultants on staff.

For more information visit us online: www.letsgetstrategic.com

Press Inquiries: Andrea M. Garcia, COMMS/NATION LLC., 201.430.5082, [email protected]

SOURCE Lockerbie & Co.
In his testimony, Glawe spoke on the staggering increase in auto thefts and carjackings plaguing many states and major cities throughout the United States, the apparent connection between auto thefts and carjackings and other serious violent crimes, and how NICB partners closely with federal and local law enforcement to resolve these cases. Glawe also provided lawmakers with concrete policy recommendations for them to consider in addressing the overarching problem.

Cities across the United States have experienced an unprecedented rise in auto thefts and carjackings in recent years

"Vehicle theft and carjackings are serious offenses that warrant the attention of public officials and policymakers," said Glawe, the former Under Secretary and Chief Intelligence Officer at the Department of Homeland Security and a 30-year law enforcement veteran. "The victims of thefts and carjackings are deserving of being vindicated and seeing that justice is served. And offenders should be held accountable for putting victims and their communities in harm's way."

NICB, which collects data on auto thefts nationally and across many local jurisdictions, found that car thefts nationwide increased by 16.5% in 2021 compared to 2019 and nearly 29% compared to 2017. Colorado, for example, experienced 79% more auto thefts in 2021 compared to 2019, and Wisconsin had 74% more auto thefts over the same period. Additionally, the total volume of thefts between 2019 and 2021 was staggering. California, for example, saw over 200,000 auto thefts in 2021 compared to 160,000 in 2019.

More alarmingly, many large cities have experienced triple digit increases in carjackings. Unlike auto theft, a carjacking involves violent confrontation with an offender or the perceived threat of violence that could cause death or serious bodily injury. Some of the largest increases in carjacking trends between 2019 and 2021 occurred in:

New York : 286% increase

: 286% increase Philadelphia : 238% increase

: 238% increase Chicago : 207% increase

: 207% increase Washington, D.C. : 200% increase

: 200% increase New Orleans : 159% increase

During his testimony, Glawe offered six policy recommendations for the Committee to consider, including increasing community policing programs, revising well-intentioned criminal justice reform policies, enforcing existing laws as written, focusing attention on violent offenders, collecting national and state data on carjackings, and identifying and implementing successful early intervention programs.

"Many cities have cut police forces or slashed department funding in recent years," said Glawe. "Drastically reducing police presence in communities across the country is not the answer. Whether through the federal COPS program or other measures, we need more community policing, not less."

Additionally, Glawe stressed the need for state and local authorities to enforce the laws as written.

"In many jurisdictions, the law as written provides adequate penalties," said Glawe. "However, certain enforcement or reform policies have effectively nullified these laws, thereby providing little disincentive for criminals to commit these serious offenses."

Glawe's testimony is available here: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/federal-support-for-preventing-and-responding-to-carjackings

NOTE: President and CEO David Glawe is available for interviews to discuss theft and crime issues.

REPORT FRAUD: Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800.TEL.NICB (800.835.6422) or submitting a form on our website.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. The NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $530 billion in insurance premiums in 2020, or more than 82% of the nation's property-casualty insurance. That includes more than 95% ($236 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more, visit www.nicb.org.

SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 50 Best will be landing in North America with a list for the first time in its history, with the launch of North America's 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier. The awards will be held in New York City on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 and the launch of North America's 50 Best Bars will mark the first time since 2016 that 50 Best unveils a new bars list and awards program.

Mark Sansom, Content Editor for 50 Best, says: "We couldn't be more excited to launch a new 50 Best list in North America. The bar scene and extensive talent across this region sets the tone for the rest of the world and we are confident that this new list will be a vital addition to the local and international bar landscape as bar-goers plan their next cocktail-led adventures."

This launch marks a critical step in 50 Best's drive to put the spotlight on superb existing and up-and-coming bar talent in specific regions, showcasing the subtlety and complexity of bar craft from around the world. The inaugural North America's 50 Best Bars awards ceremony and unveiling of the list provides a unique opportunity to unite bartenders, bar owners, cocktail aficionados and drinks media from all over the region, while also promoting the strength and diversity of the region's bar scene to a global audience.

The awards ceremony brings together the best bartending talent from the region, with a live countdown of the list, culminating in the first-ever announcement of North America's Best Bar, sponsored by Perrier. The live awards ceremony on June 7, 2022 will be preceded by a number of special award announcements and a number of unique award announcements will also take place on the evening itself.

The inaugural ranking for North America's 50 Best Bars will reflect the best bar experiences based on the votes of more than 250 gender-balanced voters, made up of anonymous North American bar industry experts from the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Bars cannot apply to be on the list and no sponsors have any influence on the list. Further information on how the voting works is available here.

Media centre access:

https://mediacentre.theworlds50best.com/

SOURCE 50 Best
MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 1,325 Ukrainian military infrastructure objects since the start of the operation, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday.

Among them were 43 control points and communication centers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Konashenkov told a regular briefing on Russia's "special military operation."

In addition, 395 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 59 multiple launch rocket systems, 179 field artillery guns and mortars as well as 286 units of special military vehicles were destroyed, he added.

The access of Ukrainian troops to the Sea of Azov has been completely blocked, Konashenkov told reporters.

He said that Russia will strike the information warfare and psychological operation center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as well as technological facilities of the Ukrainian Security Service in Kiev with high-precision weapons.

The raid will be aimed at countering Ukraine's "information attacks" on Russia, including cyberattacks against various state institutions and bomb threats, he said, urging people living near these facilities to leave. 
"Following the historic recall of three school board commissioners just weeks ago, San Francisco's voters are again poised to hit the polls one hundred days from now to finally recall the disastrous district attorney, Chesa Boudin. His recall has been a year in the making. He was in office twelve months when the action to begin the recall process commenced. Boudin has since been nothing but defiant; he points fingers, concocts excuses, rejects any introspection or calls to resign. He's hired a PR firm to create a counter-narrative filled with half-truths and rhetoric, often attacking journalists and campaign donors on social media."

Boudin is embroiled in recent controversy with allegations of misconduct by manipulation of exculpatory evidence. Moreover, he has taken not one narcotics case to trial while our city is flooded with fentanyl. We have over one-thousand three-hundred overdose deaths and climbing. His non-prosecution policy gives free reign for criminals to rob, loot, beat, stab, shoot, carjack and burglarize repeatedly."

San Francisco's residents are weary; we have been suffering too long from the sustained surge in crime in every neighborhood of the city. Boudin has failed in his obligation as chief law enforcement officer. People are livid and beyond eager to see Chesa Boudin go."

The website for the Yes on Recall of Chesa Boudin committee is RecallChesaBoudin.org.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Stop the Injustice
SINGAPORE, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Osmosis Labs, one of the developers of the interchain DeX Osmosis, today announced the launch of Superfluid Staking, which advances the proof-of-stake concept by enabling staked capital to be actively useful as liquidity, while continuing to serve as a source of security and stability for blockchains. Liquidity providers (LPs) who superfluid stake their tokens will be rewarded for providing these dual services by earning staking rewards in addition to the rewards they earn for lending liquidity to Osmosis.

"The launch of Superfluid Staking on Osmosis is the culmination of a simple, but powerful insight - when you provide liquidity you lock up your tokens, which is also what you do when you stake. So if they're locked and have OSMO underlying them, why can't we actually use them in Proof of Stake? This would help provide stability and security to the chain, and Superfluid Staking is simply the mechanism by which you can earn additional rewards for providing that service," said Sunny Aggarwal, Co-Founder of Osmosis Labs. "This innovation is an exciting step not just for the interchain ecosystem, but also the evolution of PoS, effectively creating the first ever 'Proof of Useful Stake'"

On other blockchains, decentralized exchanges and proof-of-stake blockchains compete for the same resource  value  meaning that liquidity providers must compromise the security of the blockchain on which they are based in order to earn LP rewards. But Osmosis LPs receive an asset, LP shares, when they inject liquidity into the DeX, and by using that asset to secure a proof-of-stake blockchain by staking it (and the underlying tokens it represents), this zero-sum situation is resolved.

By doubly rewarding LPs, Superfluid Staking incentivizes the increased health of the $70 billion Cosmos ecosystem by securing smaller chains whose tokens are listed on the DeX while providing those chains with liquidity.

Superfluid Staking makes use of Cosmos' multi-chain architecture, whereby decentralized applications are backed by other tokens compatible with the inter-blockchain communication protocol (IBC). In this interchain ecosystem, decentralized applications launch their own blockchains, known as "zones". Unlike Ethereum, where each token is secured by ETH, each Cosmos zone must launch its own staking token with an independent set of validators. This means that smaller Cosmos zones are less secure than larger ones, dissuading investors from investing the funds that smaller zones need to grow. Superfluid Staking makes it possible for smaller zones to incentivize investors with high yields without sacrificing on security.

Because Osmosis is an AMM, Superfluid Staking also allows for a larger token, like ATOM, to be converted into the staking tokens of several smaller zones with which it has trading pairs without compromising the value of the original investment. This makes it more efficient to stake tokens in smaller zones, since a single pool could secure multiple zones.

Having established itself as a cutting-edge interchain DeX and integrated an Ethereum bridge to port ERC-20 tokens to Cosmos, Osmosis is taking a pioneering step for proof-of-stake blockchains. Superfluid Staking secures its status as the most innovative DeX available. Since its launch in June 2021, Osmosis has rapidly ushered users onto its platform, breaking $100 million in daily trade volume in January 2022 in its rapid growth as the most popular interchain AMM. It has the deepest liquidity out of any decentralized exchange in Cosmos, plus the most IBC connections.

About Osmosis Labs

Osmosis Labs is one of the developer teams building the Osmosis decentralized exchange and AMM platform on the Cosmos SDK. The team members previously helped build the foundations of Cosmos as members of the Tendermint team, which created the consensus mechanism that enables the interoperability between blockchains that is fundamental to the Internet of Blockchains, and are now working to build the forefront of DeFi in the Cosmos ecosystem.

About Osmosis

Osmosis brings privacy, transparency and accessibility to decentralized finance with an advanced Automated Marketing Maker (AMM) protocol built using the Cosmos SDK. The Osmosis blockchain is built of free, public and open-source software that allows for the creation and management of non-custodial, self-balancing, interchain token indexes. The platform is designed such that the most efficient solution is reachable through the process of experimentation and rapid iteration by leveraging the wisdom of the crowd. It achieves this by offering deep customizability to AMM designers, and a governance mechanism by which each AMM pool's stakeholders (i.e. liquidity providers) can govern and direct their pools. To learn more visit https://osmosis.zone/

Press Contact

Frank Spence

[email protected]com

(415) 294-1157

SOURCE Osmosis Labs
WASHINGTON, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a striking video, Italian pianist and composer Francesco Taskayali explains why he collaborated with investigative reporter Ian Urbina to draw attention to human rights and environmental abuses at sea within The Outlaw Ocean Music Project.

The project, run by the label Synesthesia Media, is a global and expansive effort to disseminate The Outlaw Ocean Project's investigative journalism to a broader audience by releasing music inspired by offshore reporting.

Spanning genres from classical to hip-hop to electronic, hundreds of musicians around the world have joined the effort. Many of the artists who participate in the project draw from an audio archive of field recordings captured by Urbina while reporting offshore.

Growing up, Taskayali spent time living in Istanbul and Italy, and began composing music at age 13 with the song, "E' Sera." The musician now lives in Milan, Italy, and has performed as a solo artist in more than 15 countries worldwide.

In 2010, Taskayali released his first album "Emre," a collection of all the songs composed when he was just 18 years old, which includes the single, "Addio al Terminal." In 2016, he signed with the Italian neoClassical label INRI CLASSIC. In 2017, his album "Wayfaring" entered the top 100 charts in Italy. He collaborated with The Outlaw Ocean Music Project to release the album "Piano Waves" in 2020.

In a "Behind the Music" video posted by The Outlaw Ocean Project, Taskayali reflects on the impact of The Outlaw Ocean Project's reporting.

"I do think this kind of journalism is important because its audience is the global community. Humankind," the Taskayali said.

Taskayali compared the silence felt at sea with the silence he experiments with as an artist.

"The most beautiful thing you can experience in the sea is silence," he reflected. "As a musician, you have to know what silence is and therefore, you must experience it."

"Piano Waves" by Francesco Taskayali is available in all stores, including Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify.

Synesthesia Media announces new waves of releases monthly on its social media.

About The Outlaw Ocean Project:

The Outlaw Ocean Project is a non-profit journalism organization founded by Ian Urbina that produces investigative stories about environmental and human rights concerns at sea globally. The project seeks to not only produce polished, narrative investigative journalism, but also to amplify that reportage by converting it into other mediums to reach new audiences all over the world.

Ian Urbina

Investigative Journalist

The Outlaw Ocean Music Project

[email protected]

This release was issued through WebWire. For more information, visit http://www.webwire.com.

SOURCE The Outlaw Ocean Music Project
Pivotree joins a group of independent, future-thinking tech companies that advocate for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems

TORONTO, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Pivotree Inc. (TSXV: PVT) ("Pivotree'' or the "Company"), a leading provider of frictionless commerce solutions, announced today it has joined the MACH Alliance as an advocate for more open technology ecosystems, helping global brands leverage the speed and flexibility that headless and composable commerce solutions provide.

"We're thrilled to welcome Pivotree to the MACH Alliance family," said Sonja Keerl, MACH Alliance President. "Pivotree is one of the leading digital commerce organizations in the industry, providing solutions to brands around the globe while advocating for open technology systems that ensure their clients have the best solutions year-round."

The MACH (Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless) Alliance is a group of independent tech companies dedicated to advocating for open, best-of-breed technology ecosystems. Pivotree joins the non-profit co-operation of technology companies alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, including partners such as VTEX and Fluent Commerce.

"We're honored to join the MACH Alliance with our partners at VTEX and Fluent Commerce to take part in futureproofing our industry," said James Ubarti, GM of Pivotree eCommerce. "Having our business certified by the MACH Alliance reaffirms our focus on providing the most innovative and flexible enterprise technologies available to our customers. Our ability to offer end-to-end solutions to manage digital commerce platforms plays a pivotal role in delivering strategic plans and enabling our customers to frictionlessly manage their ecosystem."

Pivotree's commerce solutions are built upon the MACH principles, which allow sellers to remove friction from their overall customer journeys through pluggable and replaceable solutions that can swap out elements as more modern ones become available - making it easier and faster for shoppers and buyers to conduct business. Pivotree also provides ongoing support for open and flexible architecture, which lets clients make those gradual improvements without having to completely re-platform.

"We are thrilled to see Pivotree certified by the MACH Alliance," said Amit Shah, Chief Strategy Officer and U.S. General Manager at VTEX. "The MACH architectural approach is the best way to give innovative merchants the speed and flexibility they need to keep up with rapidly changing markets, emerging sales channels, and growing customer expectations. We are always excited to be working alongside our partners at Pivotree creating best-in-class customer experiences."

"Congratulations to our partners at Pivotree on joining the MACH Alliance," said Chad Hooker, VP, Global Channel & Alliances at Fluent Commerce. "MACH gives companies the ability to solve key business objectives with best of breed offerings, like us, to create a purpose built technology ecosystem. They can do so with the confidence of knowing that each provider meets the MACH standard."

To learn more about Pivotree and how it supports major retail and branded manufacturers globally, visit http://www.pivotree.com.

About Pivotree

Pivotree, a leader in frictionless commerce designs, integrates and manages digital platforms in eCommerce, Data Management, and Supply Chain for over 250 major retail and branded manufacturers globally. Pivotree provides a combination of application support and managed hosting with digital strategy and software implementation services. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada with offices and customers in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, Pivotree is widely recognized as a high-growth company and industry leader. For more information, visit www.pivotree.com .

About the MACH Alliance

The MACH Alliance is a [501(c)(6)] non-profit organization, governed by an independent board and does not endorse specific vendors, members or otherwise. The Alliance was formed in June 2020 to help enterprise organizations navigate the complex modern technology landscape. It aims to guide and show the business advantage of open tech ecosystems that are Microservices based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS and Headless. All MACH Alliance members meet certification principles that are published on the website.

Founding members include: commercetools, Contentstack, EPAM Systems (NYSE: EPAM) and Valtech. The MACH Alliance welcomes technology companies and individual industry experts who share the same vision for the future. Learn more at machalliance.org, read here about MACH certification and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About VTEX

VTEX (NYSE: VTEX) provides a software-as-a-service digital commerce platform for enterprise brands and retailers. Our platform enables customers to execute their commerce strategy, including building online stores (ecommerce), integrating and managing orders across different channels, and creating marketplaces to sell products from third-party vendors. Founded in Brazil, VTEX has been a leader in accelerating the digital commerce transformation in Latin America and is expanding globally. Our platform is engineered to enterprise-level standards and features. We are trusted by more than 2,400 customers, who rely on VTEX to connect with their consumers in a meaningful way through 3,200 active online stores in 38 countries (as of fiscal year ended on December 31, 2021).

About Fluent Commerce

Fluent Commerce is a global software company focused on distributed order management for omnichannel retail. Fluent Order Management is a cloud native, fully managed and highly flexible platform. It includes the essential components for unified, headless commerce: Distributed order management, in-store pick and pack, inventory and location management, customer service, fulfillment optimization and reporting. This enables retailers and brands to enhance all their customer touchpoints while increasing their profit on every order.

Fluent Commerce works with global and regional brands such as JD Sports, L'Oreal, GrandVision, Aldo, Ted Baker and Marks & Spencer. For more information visit fluentcommerce.com

SOURCE Pivotree Inc.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Plexus Worldwide (Plexus), one of the largest direct selling health and wellness companies in the world, hit a major milestone by donating 30 million meals** through their Nourish One initiative to people facing food insecurity. This achievement comes as a result of the efforts of Plexus Brand Ambassadors and team members in their ongoing commitment to fighting worldwide hunger.

In 2018, Plexus Charities launched the Nourish One initiative, which donates the financial equivalent of one meal* for every serving sold in the United States of its Plexus Lean shake line to its beneficiary, Feeding America.

In January 2019, Plexus expanded the initiative and set up an ongoing partnership with Mary's Meals, a global charity to combat hunger in the world's poorest communities. With this partnership, every serving of Plexus Lean sold in Canada and Australia contributes to feeding children at their place of education.

"Plexus launched its Nourish One program a few years ago with the goal of reducing food insecurity while allowing our Brand Ambassadors, Customers, and Employees to participate in a unifying effort to help their local communities," said Tarl Robinson , Founder and CEO of Plexus. "To reach this milestone of 30 million meals donated so quickly really demonstrates the power of our One Plexus spirit making a difference in our communities."

While the cumulation of 30 million meals since 2018 notes the success of the program since its inception, in 2021 alone, Plexus donated a total of over 7.6 million meals through Nourish One.

"Our company is centered on improving Hope, Health, and Happiness, and I'm thrilled that our efforts are extending beyond those within our Plexus community," said Alec Clark , President and Founder of Plexus. "Plexus is proud to take this opportunity to shine a light on the issue of food insecurity and to encourage everyone to do as much as possible to help alleviate this widespread worldwide issue."

Plexus Worldwide sells millions of wellness products globally to its Customers and Brand Ambassadors in their mission to support a healthy lifestyle. Plexus products include four categories: gut health, weight management, skincare, and nutrition.

**Every bag of Plexus Lean sold contributes a donation equivalent to 14 meals to Feeding America, providing at least 1.5 million meals annually. $1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks.

About Plexus Worldwide:

Plexus Worldwide, LLC, is a leading health and wellness company featuring products that enable people to improve their lives and well-being. With hundreds of thousands of independent business owners ("Brand Ambassadors") worldwide, Plexus is among the top 30 largest direct sales companies globally, according to Direct Selling News. Plexus products and opportunities help individuals meet their health and financial goals. For more information about the company, visit www.plexusworldwide.com .

For more information, contact:

Josh Weiss

10 to 1 Public Relations

[email protected]

480-789-0743

SOURCE Plexus Worldwide
MIRAMAR, Fla., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spirit Airlines ' (NYSE: SAVE) bright yellow planes are shining bright along Puerto Rico's sunny southern coast. The carrier launched service from Mercedita International Airport (PSE) in Ponce today, adding the second-largest city on the island to its growing route map. The new service provides Ponce travelers with daily flights to Orlando (MCO) and marks Spirit's third destination in Puerto Rico, joining San Juan (SJU) and Aguadilla (BQN).

"Our new nonstop flights between Ponce and Orlando provide both Puerto Rican and Floridian travelers with convenient and affordable ways to visit friends and relatives," said Matt Klein, Spirit's EVP and Chief Commercial Officer. "It also provides convenient access to the theme parks in Orlando as well as the historical and cultural attractions along Puerto Rico's southern coast."

Orlando is one of Spirit's largest airport operations with around 80 flights each day, which now provides one-stop options between PSE and 28 cities across the airline's route map. The airline is the second-largest carrier by seats at MCO.

Spirit Airlines Connection Options to/from PSE: Atlantic City (ACY) Charleston (CRW) Hartford-Bradley (BDL) Medellin (MDE) Pensacola (PNS) Atlanta (ATL) Cleveland (CLE) Houston (IAH) Minneapolis (MSP) Philadelphia (PHL) Baltimore (BWI) Columbus (CMH) Indianapolis (IND) Montego Bay (MBJ) Pittsburgh (PIT) Bogota (BOG) Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) LaGuardia (LGA) Myrtle Beach (MYR) San Jose (SJO) Cancun (CUN) Detroit (DTW) Las Vegas (LAS) Nashville (BNA) San Pedro Sula (SAP) Cartagena (CTG) El Salvador (SAL) Louisville (SDF) New Orleans (MSY) St. Thomas (STT)

"We pride ourselves on supporting commercial and tourism ties between Ponce and other eastern cities of the United States. We are grateful for Spirit's contribution on widening the scope of flights available to the people of Puerto Rico, especially for those living in the south of the island, said Joel Piza Batiz, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority. "We appreciate the trust placed in our workplan, designed to encourage the airport development and the arrival of new airlines. Our management included an investment of $12.8 million in improvement projects for the past three years, standing out the expansion of the departure lounge in order to attend two flights simultaneously and the improvements made to the TSA check-point."

Spirit flew its first flights to Puerto Rico in 2001 when it inaugurated service to San Juan, and later opened service to Aguadilla in 2007. Adding Ponce will provide Spirit's Guests with eight nonstop route choices for travel between airports throughout Florida and Puerto Rico. The growth in Puerto Rico continues this spring as Spirit launches nonstop service from Aguadilla to Philadelphia on April 20, 2022.

"At the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, we celebrate the arrival of Spirit Airlines to the Aeropuerto Internacional Mercedita (PSE) in Ponce with the nonstop flight, daily, between Orlando (MCO) and Ponce (PSE). It is gratifying to count on Spirit as a contributor of the Island's tourism industry and their commitment with Puerto Rico as a destination. This support is reflected by the increase of the frequency of their flights and the continuous increase of their routes, in this particular case in Ponce "La Ciudad Senorial", which will certainly translate to a big boost in the economy of our "Porta Caribe" Tourist Region," said Carlos Mercado Santiago, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

Photos and video available HERE.

PSE  MCO Introductory Fare

Guests in both Ponce and Orlando can enjoy an introductory fare starting at $79 one-way for travel from March 1 until May 4, 2022. Tickets must be purchased 21 days in advance to be eligible.

Spirit's Elevated Guest Experience

The expansion in Puerto Rico arrives alongside Spirit's continuing commitment to invest in the Guest, which entails a number of initiatives aimed at delivering the best value in the sky.

Spirit's Fit Fleet is one of the most fuel-efficient fleets in the industry, with 24 brand new planes planned for delivery in 2022.

An all-new cabin interior with ergonomically-designed seats and more usable legroom, featuring the best deal in the sky with our unique Big Front Seat

with ergonomically-designed seats and more usable legroom, featuring the best deal in the sky with our unique Big Front Seat Fast onboard Wi-Fi that allows Guests to surf the web and watch content from streaming services.

Spirit's Signature Service.

The Free Spirit loyalty program is the fastest way to earn rewards and status*

Recognition

Spirit continues to garner awards and recognition in 2021. The carrier is a Gold Stevie Award winner for its groundbreaking self-bag drop system with biometric photo matching, which speeds the check-in process and reduces face-to-face contact. Additionally, Spirit was named WalletHub's Most Affordable Airline. Spirit also earned "Platinum" status in the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Health Safety initiative powered by SimpliFlying.

Guest Safety

Spirit's commitment to Safe Travels includes enhanced cleaning, advanced air filtration and a health acknowledgement at check-in. Airlines and airports remain subject to federal law requiring Guests to wear an appropriate face covering at airports and on flights. Please visit Spirit's COVID-19 Information Center for more information on safety enhancements.

Soar With Us

There is no limit to how fast and how far you can grow within Spirit. We're growing and hiring Pilots, Flight Attendants, Aviation Maintenance Technicians and more. Visit spirit.com/careers for more information.

* Based on points earned on published fares (excluding sale fares) and optional services using the Free Spirit Credit Card (the "Card"), and includes status qualifying points earned by spending on Spirit and everyday purchases using the Card.

About Spirit Airlines:

Spirit Airlines (NYSE: SAVE) is committed to delivering the best value in the sky. We are the leader in providing customizable travel options starting with an unbundled fare. This allows our Guests to pay only for the options they choose  like bags, seat assignments and refreshments  something we call A La Smarte. We make it possible for our Guests to venture further and discover more than ever before. Our Fit Fleet is one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient in the U.S. We serve destinations throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, and are dedicated to giving back and improving those communities. Come save with us at spirit.com.

SOURCE Spirit Airlines, Inc.
"The property management industry is evolving with consolidation," said Wetherington. "The turbulence within the real estate market, regulatory compliance, and shifting consumer demand is challenging for small, independent operators. By 'banding together and building together' with PURE, New Heights remains dynamic and able to resolve many more of the problems that frustrate smaller regional third-party operators."

Shannon Daugherty, Operations Manager at New Heights Property Management assumes day-to-day leadership responsibilities. "I am thrilled to join PURE and add our experience and market knowledge to their property management experience, now over 1,000 years combined," remarked Daugherty. "I joined New Heights after 14 years in multi-family. Eric's industry leadership and mentorship has prepared my team and me to grow and deliver the professional property management services our clients and residents demand."

With a vision to make the process of renting a home a simple and satisfying experience for all, PURE launched in October 2020 focusing on consolidating independently owned property management companies operated by seasoned industry leaders and supporting them with proprietary property management technology and processes designed by industry experts. PURE recently announced that it raised $50 million in equity financing from Level Equity, which values the business at over $300 million. PURE's "from the industry, for the industry" mantra resonates with the owners of successful property management companies looking for the operational efficiency derived from the technology and scale that PURE provides.

"Eric Wetherington is a well-known and respected industry leader. His experience in educating property managers nationwide on best practices in running profitable operations will contribute greatly to PURE's mission," said Mike Catalano, Co-founder and General Partner of PURE. "With a focus on driving new and enhanced tech-enabled services to our owner-investor clients and residents, we are thrilled to have him on our executive team as we expand in South Carolina and across the U.S."

New Heights Property Management continues to operate under its established brand, now a PURE Property Management Company. New Heights is the only Certified Residential Management Company (CRMC) in South Carolina, a designation considered to be the industry's premier credential.

About PURE Property Management

PURE Property Management is the fastest growing profitable residential property management and technology company in the U.S. Led by a team of experienced industry professionals and seasoned technology innovators, PURE acquires single-family residential property management companies and invests in their people and processes. By deploying technology and providing operational efficiencies, PURE enhances resident and investor experiences. Owners of independent third-party property managers interested in joining PURE can reach Eric Wetherington, Vice President Strategic Initiatives at https://purepm.co/join

SOURCE PURE Property Management
PHOENIX, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Re-Bath, the nation's largest complete bathroom remodeling franchise, closed out a remarkable 2021 that reflects impressive same-store-sales growth alongside multiple franchise openings. Increased demand for bathroom remodeling projects and market share gains drove nearly 80% YOY increase in systemwide sales. Capitalizing on unprecedented demand, existing franchises are expanding and franchise development is on the rise. Re-Bath aims to award 18 franchise agreements in 2022 that will grow its unit count to 129.

"Our business is experiencing unprecedented, industry-leading growth in both new store openings and in the number of bathroom remodels," said Re-Bath CEO, Brad Hillier. "The continued success and growth we've experienced  even amid the ongoing pandemic  is no doubt due to our incredible team. We're prioritizing results, support, and innovation to lead us into this new era of growth as we expand our nationwide footprint."

Re-Bath's success and leading market share have not gone unnoticed. The bathroom remodeling brand ranked No. 2 on Qualified Remodeler's Top 500 Nationals List. Most recently, Re-Bath was recognized by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, the world's first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. The 43rd annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500 is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry and proves to be an invaluable resource for potential franchisees. Re-Bath earned its spot on the ranking for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

"The past year has been one of the most challenging for businesses in recent memory, which made putting together our 43rd annual Franchise 500 list more enlightening than ever," says Entrepreneur Editor in Chief Jason Feifer. "The companies named to this year's list showed us how being resilient, supportive, and nimble can help navigate extraordinary challenges and also underscore the grit and innovation that define entrepreneurship."

Over its 43 years in existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. Re-Bath's position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.

Re-Bath has grown into a trusted and respected brand known for providing expert, affordable, and effortless bathroom remodeling solutions that transform homeowners' bathrooms in days, not weeks. Whether seeking a tub or shower area update, better accessibility and safety in your bathroom or a complete bathroom remodel, Re-Bath makes bathroom remodeling easy. The company's exclusive remodel process removes old materials and fixtures and replaces them with beautiful new options in a wide variety of colors and styles.

The leading bathroom remodeling franchise continues to seek qualified and engaged individuals interested in the home improvement industry who are hungry to dive into the world of franchising. Today, with more than 110 locations open, Re-Bath is on track for strategic franchise expansion across North America.

Per Re-Bath's Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees with territories between 500,000 and 1.25 million had average revenues of over $2.1 million in 2020, up 38% from 2019*.

For more information on Re-Bath and franchise opportunities, visit www.rebathfranchise.com or call 888-454-8842.

* The figures reflect average and median sales revenue and average gross profits for 29 Re-Bath franchised businesses with territories of between 500,000 and 1.25 million residents, and which were in operation for at least one year. These averages and medians are based on a 52-week fiscal period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Of these 29 franchised businesses, 11 (or 38%) attained or exceeded the average sales revenue and 17 (or 59%) attained or exceeded the average gross profit. Some outlets have sold this amount. Individual results may vary. There is no assurance that you will sell as much as the average. See the Re-Bath 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document for details.

About Re-Bath

Re-Bath is the nation's largest complete bathroom remodeling franchise that has grown to more than 100 locations across the country. The parent company's first entry in the bathroom remodeling industry occurred in 1978 and focused on the hospitality sector. In 1991, Re-Bath launched its first franchise location to focus on the residential market. The company offers complete bathroom remodels, tub and shower updates, plus aging and accessibility solutions. From simple bathtub replacements to complete bathroom redesigns, Re-Bath makes bathroom remodeling effortless, convenient and affordable, all with professional, friendly and factory-trained installers. Re-Bath is a one-stop service that covers the entire process  from design to done  in three easy steps: consultation, removal, and installation. Re-Bath assembles its own exclusive line of products at its headquarters located in Phoenix, Ariz., and offers best-in-class products from national brands for its customers. For more information, please visit www.rebath.com or www.rebathfranchise.com for more details on the franchise opportunity.

Media Contact: Kelly McNamara, [email protected], (847-945-1300)

SOURCE Re-Bath
FRIBOURG, Switzerland, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Morphean, a leader in Security-as-a-Service and cloud analytics, has announced a new whitepaper that explores the security challenges associated with the growing prevalence of the flexible working model. As businesses adapt to the post-Covid era by offering employees greater freedom in when and where they work, security professionals need to respond and keep pace with more fluid working patterns.

As demand for flexibility grows, the need to monitor and protect premises and people becomes ever-more complex leading to a greater reliance on technology, automation and AI. The paper highlights the opportunities for the physical security professional who is looking to unlock powerful business and security insights through Video surveillance as-a-service (VSaaS) and access control as-a-service (ACaaS).

Download the whitepaper to learn about cloud physical security for flexible working

Not only do facilities, HR, security and office managers need to adapt to the regular coming and going of employees, but there is also a palpable upturn in the co-work space, a third dimension that sits between the office and the home-work set up, that has seen a 158% increase in openings over the past year. With health security a key concern, it is increasingly cloud physical security systems that will unlock critical insights to support business decision making based on intelligence derived from surveillance data.

Martyn Ryder, VP Sales and Marketing at Morphean, explains: "COVID-19 has transformed the working world, opening up new possibilities. Creating secure and efficient office spaces relies on intelligence about current use. Using access control and video surveillance data allows behaviours and usage patterns to be analysed and relevant changes implemented. There is a great opportunity here for the security professional to support a business model that represents the future."

VSaaS and ACaaS are on-demand solutions that are disrupting the security market. An independent survey of 1000 IT decision makers conducted by Morphean found that demand for such solutions across Europe is high. Of those considering VSaaS and ACaaS, 79% anticipated introducing these solutions to their business within 12 months. The VSaaS market alone is expected to experience huge growth, rising to a projected USD 4.7 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 16.0%.



https://www.morphean.com/

SOURCE Morphean
KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global engineering and design company RLE International announced today it will establish a new Modification and Engineering Center in Kansas City, investing $7.5 million and creating 85 high-paying jobs. RLE's state-of-the-art facility will provide complex engineering, design, and build solutions for automotive and mobility clients.

"Missouri is a global leader in innovation and advanced manufacturing, which support our robust automotive industry and many others," said Governor Mike Parson. "Our state is proud to welcome RLE as a valuable addition to an already vibrant automotive sector in Kansas City. These 85 new high-paying jobs will strengthen the region's economy as well as provide life changing opportunities for Missouri families."

RLE International is involved in the development of new vehicles with a wide range of customers. The company helps manufacturers and start-ups develop, refine, and test electric vehicles from initial vision to production. RLE's new facility, a low-volume production Modification Center, will be located within Hunt Midwest's SubTropolis. Known for its security and eco-friendly environment, SubTropolis is the world's largest underground business complex. It also provides controlled temperature and humidity levels, in addition to railroad and highway access.

"Our team at RLE International offers an upfront innovation strategy to transform customers' base vehicles to a range of design variants, right from ideation, through design and development, and into low-volume production," said Robert Kokx, President of RLE USA. "With the addition of our Mod Center, we can offer a 'one-stop shop' solution to our clients. We are truly excited to join forces with the talented people Kansas City has to offer and together take on our new possibilities."

New positions at RLE's facility will include Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Engineering Manager, Quality Manager, IT systems engineer, production supervisors, human resource generalists, and more. The 85 new jobs will pay an average annual salary of more than $67,000, which is well above the county average wage. A list of employment opportunities are available on RLE's website.

"This expansion is another example that our emphasis on a skilled workforce and favorable business climate is making a difference for our economy," said Department of Economic Development Acting Director Maggie Kost. "Collaborative efforts statewide continue to attract leading companies who are strengthening key sectors, creating jobs and improving the lives of Missourians. We're grateful for the teamwork that helped secure this significant investment, and look forward to welcoming RLE to Kansas City."

"As the second-largest auto hub in North America, the KC region is a key location for RLE International as the company continues to innovate and grow within the industry," said Tim Cowden, President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council. "The $19 billion transportation manufacturing industry in KC allows companies, including RLE, to streamline supply chain operations and lower operating costs."

"As America's crossroads, Kansas City, Missouri is excited to welcome RLE," said Steven Anthony, Executive Director of Business Development for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. "Our location, availability of skilled talent, and our business climate will serve RLE very well. We look forward to welcoming them to our community."

"Missouri is a leader in the automotive and mobility sector, and we are thrilled to welcome RLE to Missouri," said Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership. "They are an innovative company, creating life-changing jobs for Missourians. We look forward to their success and growth in Missouri."

About Missouri Partnership

Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri's business strengths. Since 2008, Missouri Partnership has worked with partners statewide to attract companies that have created 29,000+ new jobs, $1.5 billion+ in new annual payroll, and $4 billion+ in new capital investment. Some recent successful projects that led to major investment in Missouri include Accenture Federal Services LLC, Amazon, Casey's, Chewy, Inc., Square, Swift Prepared Foods, USDA, and Veterans United.

Media Contact:

Janelle Higgins

314.541.4911

[email protected]

SOURCE Missouri Partnership
ISTANBUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Russian passenger plane landed in Istanbul on Monday after being denied entry into Greek airspace, local media reported.

The plane took off from Russia's capital Moscow and was flying through Turkish territory to Verona, Italy, the Sozcu daily reported.

Greece, however, refused to allow the plane to use its airspace because of the European Union's sanctions against Russia following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to Sozcu.

After hovering in the air near the Turkey-Greece border, the aircraft landed in Istanbul's main international airport at about 9 p.m. local time (1800 GMT).

The plane is scheduled to take off with its passengers and return to Moscow shortly after refuelling, according to media reports. 
OSLO, Norway, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reference is made to the announcement by Saga Pure ASA concerning, inter alia, the stock exchange notice regarding the Board of Directors' resolution to distribute a cash dividend of NOK 0.10 per share and the key information notice regarding such cash dividend, both dated 16 February 2022.

The ex-date for the cash dividend is today, 28 February 2022, as set out below.

Issuer: Saga Pure ASA

Dividend per share: NOK 0.10

Last day inclusive: 25 February 2022

Ex. date: 28 February 2022

Record Date: 1 March 2022

Payment Date: On or about 7 March 2022

Date of resolution: 15 February 2022

Media Contact:

Espen Lundaas, CFO, +47 924 31 417, [email protected]

This information is published in accordance with the requirements of the Continuing Obligations.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/saga-pure-asa/r/saga-pure-asa--ex--dividend-nok-0-10-today,c3513525

SOURCE Saga Pure ASA
GeneDx, in collaboration with Saol, will help make clinicians who treat PDCD aware of this pivotal trial. Tweet this

GeneDx's advanced genetic testing provides diagnostic information on disease-causing genetic changes thanks to expert gene variant interpretation built on the combination of an unparalleled dataset and deep clinical knowledge. Through the program, GeneDx, in collaboration with Saol, will help make clinicians who treat PDCD aware of this pivotal trial in an effort to possibly accelerate patient recruitment among this highly targeted patient population.

Dr. Peter Stacpoole, Principal Investigator of the DCA/PDCD trial and Prof. of Medicine at the University of Florida, notes, "There are currently no FDA-approved treatments for patients with PDCD. Despite this, finding and recruiting children appropriate for participation in clinical trials is not easy. With the help of GeneDx, we hope to complete trial recruitment this year."

Dave Penake, CEO of Saol Therapeutics, is excited about the collaboration with GeneDx. "Individualized genetic screening offers physicians and families the insights needed to avoid years of misdiagnosis. With their help, we are better able to identify mitochondrial diseases early. Without this technology, recruitment for a disease like PDCD could take many years to complete."

About Saol Therapeutics

Saol Therapeutics (pronounced "Sail") is a privately held, biopharmaceutical company with operations in Roswell, GA, Dublin, Ireland and Hamilton, Bermuda. Saol is focused on clinical development activity in rare diseases, with a focus on mitochondrial disorders, as well as central nervous system disorders such as spasticity and pain management. Saol is one of the collaborators on a Phase 3 trial studying the first potential treatment for pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency (PDCD). More information on the clinical trial can be found at Phase 3 PDCD Trial. More information about Saol can be found at https://saolrx.com/.

About GeneDx

GeneDx, Inc. is a global leader in genomics, providing testing to patients and their families from more than 55 countries. Originally founded by scientists from the National Institutes of Health, GeneDx offers a world-renowned clinical genomics program with particular expertise in rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders. In addition to its market-leading exome sequencing service, GeneDx offers a suite of additional genetic testing services, including diagnostic testing for hereditary cancers, cardiac, mitochondrial, neurological disorders, prenatal diagnostics, and targeted variant testing. GeneDx is a subsidiary of BioReference Laboratories, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of OPKO Health, Inc. To learn more, please visit https://www.genedx.com/.

SOURCE Saol Therapeutics
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Clariant AG ("Clariant" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: CLZNY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Clariant and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On February 14, 2022, Clariant disclosed that it will delay issuing Q4 2021 and full year 2021 financial results due an ongoing internal investigation into potential accounting fraud. Specifically, Clariant is investigating internal whistleblower complaints that the company has known about since September 2021, pertaining to booking issues aimed at boosting results to meet targets.

On this news, Clariant's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $3.11 per ADR, or 14.55%, to close at $18.26 per ADR on February 14, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Gatos Silver, Inc. ("Gatos" or the "Company") (NYSE: GATO). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Gatos and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On January 25, 2022, post-market, Gatos issued a press release disclosing that "[d]uring the Company's resource and reserve update process for the Los Gatos Joint Venture ("LGJV") . . . the Company concluded that there were errors in the technical report entitled 'Los Gatos Project, Chihuahua, Mexico' with an effective date of July 1, 2020 (the '2020 Technical Report'), as well as indications that there is an overestimation in the existing resource model." Accordingly, "[o]n a preliminary basis, the Company estimates a potential reduction of the metal content of CLG's mineral reserve ranging from 30% to 50% of the metal content remaining after depletion" and advised that "the mineral resource and reserve estimates in the 2020 Technical Report should not be relied upon."

On this news, Gatos' stock price fell $7.02 per share, or 68.89% percent to close at $3.17 per share on January 26, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PomerantzLLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of SelectQuote, Inc. ("SelectQuote" or the "Company") (NYSE: SLQT). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether SelectQuote and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On February 7, 2022, SelectQuote reported its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2022. Among other items, SelectQuote reported a quarterly loss of $0.84 per share and a 45% year-over-year revenue decline. The Company's Chief Executive Officer Tim Danker attributed the shortfall to "unexpected challenges" in SelectQuote's Medicare Advantage business. In addition, SelectQuote updated its 2022 guidance to forecast a net loss of $255 million to $236 million.

On this news, SelectQuote's stock price fell $2.99 per share, or 45.79%, to close at $3.54 per share on February 8, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
"Plant-based protein continues to skyrocket in popularity with consumers," said Wellness Natural Inc. CEO Michael Lines. "For the SimplyProtein team, both our short-term and long-term goal is using our scale and straightforward approach to healthy snacking to reach communities and individuals who are often overlooked by the health and wellness CPG industry. We have some ambitious growth goals and the first step to achieving them is continuing to build a solid distribution foundation, allowing SimplyProtein products to be easily accessible across North America."

Distribution Gains & Scaling eCommerce

To meet consumers where they are at in terms of their ever-evolving shopping and purchasing behaviors, the SimplyProtein team is intentionally taking a multi-channel approach to its distribution. Distribution with key retailers continues to expand in the US, with SimplyProtein products now available at 400+ Meijer stores, and the Northeast, San Diego, and Los Angeles Costco regions. Having seen a +268% compounded growth rate in the last 2 years, eCommerce remains a critical growth channel for the SimplyProtein brand as it continues to invest in digital shopping through partnerships with online retailers such as Amazon and through its own direct-to-consumer platform.

Investment in Leadership and Marketing

Building out the SimplyProtein leadership team in the US market has also been a critical step over the past year, with seasoned hires driving recent distribution gains and evolving the brand's approach to marketing. In mid-to-late 2021, SimplyProtein hired Steve Shaffer as the company's new Chief Customer Officer overseeing all sales along with Bethany Pfohl as the new Vice President of Marketing. Both bring a wealth of experience in the health and wellness food category to the SimplyProtein team with Steve previously working with brands such as Nutiva, Miyoko's and good culture and Bethany previously working with brands such as Kashi, Clif Bar and noosa yoghurt.

Product Innovation

The SimplyProtein team believes protein isn't just for athletes  it's for everyone and any body. This core value informs the brand's current product portfolio and new product innovations, including the all new plant-based Keto Energy Bites, an easy snacking option with a sweet and decadent flavor. The Keto Energy Bites are Keto Certified by Paleo Foundation, contain 2g of sugar, 13g of plant-based fats and 10g of plant-based protein, are gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified. They are available in two flavors: Chocolate Coconut and Peanut Butter Chocolate. The SimplyProtein team will be exhibiting at the upcoming Natural Product Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., where attendees can sample the Keto Energy Bites along with the brand's signature crispy Snack Bars.

About SimplyProtein

The SimplyProtein team believes the path to wellness is individual. Our passion is creating a wide range of snacks with plant-based energy, providing the fuel for individuals to live life on their own terms. The SimplyProtein brand got its start in 2002 in health food stores throughout Toronto, Canada and is now owned and operated by Wellness Natural Inc. and available throughout North America. All SimplyProtein products are made with at least 10g of plant-based protein, feature less than 3g of sugar, are gluten-free and Non-GMO Product Verified. To learn more, visit simplyprotein.com, @SimplyProtein on Instagram and @SimplyProteinUSA on Facebook.

SOURCE Wellness Natural Inc.
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) Winter Fancy Food Show ran from February 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and featured more than 800 companies from around the world showcasing thousands of products. On the final day, exhibitors donated their surplus specialty food to Three Square Food Bank, Southern Nevada's only food bank, and largest hunger relief organization, serving four countiesClark, Lincoln, Esmeralda and Nye, and F.R.E.E. International, an anti-human trafficking organization.

The Specialty Food Association traditionally ends its Fancy Food Shows with food rescue. Tweet this 2022 Winter Fancy Food Show exhibitor donations for Three Square Food Bank and F.R.E.E. International. Photo: Patrick Sasso for Loop Seven 2022 Winter Fancy Food Show exhibitor donations for Three Square Food Bank and F.R.E.E. Internationals. Photo: Patrick Sasso for Loop Seven

"The Specialty Food Association traditionally ends its Fancy Food Shows with food rescue," said Jennifer Carney, Director, Tradeshow Operations, for the SFA. "Our members were happy to partner with Las Vegas organizations working hard to support people in their community."

Both organizations received donations of specialty foods and beverage products, which included meat, cheese, plant-based, confections, snacks, and more. Three Square received a total of 8,573 pounds of food which equates to approximately 7,144 meals, with F.R.E.E. International receiving perishables weighing in over 12,000 pounds.

"Nearly 364,000 Southern Nevadans are food-insecure, that's one in six people who don't know where their next meal is coming from," said Three Square Food Bank President and CEO Brian Burton. "Thanks to the generous donation provided by the SFA Winter Fancy Food Show, we're able to distribute additional meals to those in need right here in our community. It's partners like SFA that continue to drive us, fueling our fight against hunger and pursuit of a hunger-free community."

"On behalf of F.R.E.E. International, we are so grateful to The Specialty Food Association's Winter Fancy Food Show for providing us with such a generous donation of perishable foods. F.R.E.E. International works to Find Restore Embrace and Empower families in the Las Vegas valley through a variety of outreach, training, services and care to reduce human trafficking and exploitation, and we couldn't be more appreciative of this incredibly bountiful donation," said Aaron Hansel, Free International Las Vegas, 1000 Men for Freedom Director. "It's truly an honor to be a recipient of these much-needed products, and they will be distributed immediately to the deserving individuals, families and partnering organizations that serve our community."

The Summer Fancy Food Show, which will also have a food rescue component, will take place June 12-14 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. For more information, click here .

About the Specialty Food Association

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) has been the leading trade association and source of information about the $170.4 billion specialty food industry for 70 years. Founded in 1952 in New York City, the SFA represents manufacturers, importers, retailers, distributors, brokers, and others in the trade. The SFA is known for its Fancy Food Shows ; the sofi Awards , which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage for 50 years; the Trendspotter Panel Show reports and annual predictions; the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report and Today's Specialty Food Consumer research; the ecommerce enabled SFA Product Marketplace , where members showcase products and sell directly to qualified buyers; SFA Feed , the daily source for industry news, trends and new product information, and Spill & Dish: A Specialty Food Association Podcast .

Facebook: Specialty Food Association

LinkedIn: Specialty Food Association

Twitter: @Specialty_Food

Instagram: @specialtyfoodassociation

Hashtags: #FancyFoodShow #ShapetheFutureofFood #VivaFancyFood

About Three Square

Three Square is Southern Nevada's only food bank and largest hunger relief organization, serving Las Vegas and all of Clark, Lincoln, Esmeralda and Nye counties. Since opening in 2007, Three Square has provided more than 444 million pounds of food to hundreds of thousands of people in need and earned a reputation as one of the most efficient and effective food banks in the country. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Three Square immediately implemented a disaster response plan to answer sudden school and business closures, drastic declines in retail food donations, social distancing limitations on volunteer efforts, reduced on-site staff support, and the need for low-contact food distributions. Within days, Three Square had increased food distribution by 250,000 meals a week and increased the capacity of its Call Center to refer Southern Nevadans to available food resources, social services, and unemployment benefits. A member of the Feeding America network of food banks, Three Square remains committed to its mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, or wants to learn more about Three Square's vision of a community where no one is hungry, please connect at threesquare.org , Facebook (@ThreeSquareFoodBank), Instagram (@threesquarelv) and Twitter (@threesquarelv).

About the F.R.E.E. International

F.R.E.E. International is a Las Vegas based anti-human trafficking organization dedicated to Finding, Restoring, Embracing and Empowering (F.R.E.E.) communities, families and those who have been affected by human trafficking. F.R.E.E.'s national partnerships include law enforcement, government, local and national NGO's. F.R.E.E. International also includes training, education, and awareness programs such as empowerment summits and school assembly programs for adults and children. F.R.E.E. is a 501 c 3 organization. For more information visit www.freeinternational.org .

SOURCE Specialty Food Association
Learn about crucial advisory and intelligence that can assist buyers in identifying and shortlisting the most suitable suppliers for their dairy product requirements. Some of the leading Stainless Steel suppliers profiled extensively in this report are Outokumpu Oyj, JFE Holdings Inc., and Acerinox SA.

Request a FREE sample report to access more information on other key market vendors and vendor analysis.

Stainless Steel Procurement: Pricing Insights

It is crucial to keep track of current and future Stainless Steel price trends to completely optimize the value of the purchase, both from current cash outflow as well as overall cost and benefit perspective. Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by constant monitoring of price influencing factors described in the report.

Pricing insights presented in this report cover pricing benchmarks and the trends and strategies that can help optimize cost savings.

Request for a FREE sample to access the definite purchasing guide on the Stainless Steel that answers all your key questions on price trends and analysis:

Am I paying/getting the right prices? Is my Stainless Steel TCO (total cost of ownership) favorable?

How is the price forecast expected to change? What is driving the current and future price changes?

Which pricing models offer the most rewarding opportunities?

Stainless Steel Sourcing and Procurement Market Report Key Details:

Report Specs Details Spend growth (CAGR) 5.58% Incremental spend USD 36 Billion Pricing models Time-based pricing model, and Value-based pricing model Supplier selection scope Talent pool, Execution excellence, Technological capabilities, and Regulatory compliance. Market dynamics Regional category spend in terms of percentage with respect to North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, and Africa and APAC and global category spend and CAGR in terms of percentage over a span of 5 years.

Download a free sample of this report now: https://spendedge.com/stainless-steel-sourcing-and-procurement-intelligence-report

What are the Key Data Covered in this Stainless Steel Sourcing and Procurement Market Report?

Detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the Stainless Steel procurement and sourcing market.

Precise estimation of procurement strategies deployed by major category end-users across several industries while sourcing for Stainless Steel requirements.

Accurate predictions on upcoming trends and changes in vendor behavior.

Analysis into various supplier selection criteria, RFX questions, supplier evaluation metrics, and the service level agreements.

Insight into the most adopted procurement strategies by buyers across industries and an analysis of these strategies with respect to innovation, regulatory compliance, quality, supply, and cost.

Comprehensive details about each pricing model and the pros and cons attached to every pricing model prevalent in the market.

To get all these detailed analysis and information about the Stainless Steel Sourcing and Procurement Market, buy the full report now!

Best Selling Report in the Materials Category:

Printing Ink Sourcing and Procurement Report : This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the printing ink procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. Read More

This report offers detailed insights and analysis of the major cost drivers, volume drivers, and innovations of the printing ink procurement and sourcing market, which the global suppliers have been leveraging to gain a competitive edge across regions. Read More Industrial Gases Market Top Spending Regions and Market Price Trends: Only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. Moreover, on the supply side, North America , Europe , and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base. Know More

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contact

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
"Our retailers have been incredibly successful in sustaining a stellar car-buying and ownership experience despite supply chain challenges," said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO, Subaru of America, Inc. "We also are proud to offer the safest, most reliable vehicles on the market. This month, our 2022 lineup captured six IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK awards, continuing our leadership as the brand with the most IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK + awards since 2013." * **

In February, Crosstrek was the top performer by volume and achieved its best February ever with 14,476 vehicle sales. Ascent sales for February 2022 increased 12.2 percent, while Impreza sales increased 30 percent compared to February 2021. BRZ sales for February 2022 increased 95 percent compared to the same month in 2021.

"Our retailers are continuing an impressive streak of sales efficiency records despite supply chain challenges," said Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales. "Enthusiasm for Subaru vehicles remains high. Crosstrek had its best February ever, and reservations surpassed all expectations for our newest carline, the Subaru Solterra EV, with a lengthy waiting list."

Within the first 72 hours of opening the reservation system, ready-to-purchase customers filled nearly all reservations for the 2023 Subaru Solterra.

Carline Feb-22 Feb-21 % Chg Feb-22 Feb-21 % Chg

MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Forester 11,255 13,482 -16.5% 24,786 26,689 -7.1% Impreza 3,520 2,708 30% 6,459 5,479 17.9% WRX/STI 31 1,721 -98.2% 372 3,276 -88.6% Ascent 5,181 4,619 12.2% 10,651 9,362 13.8% Legacy 1,417 2,234 -36.6% 2,909 3,980 -26.9% Outback 8,637 12,666 -31.8% 19,164 24,450 -21.6% BRZ 349 179 95% 680 342 98.8% Crosstrek 14,476 10,691 35.4% 24,003 21,122 13.6% TOTAL 44,866 48,300 -7.1% 89,024 94,700 -6.0%

*Claim applies to U.S.-spec vehicles. Based on research conducted by Subaru of America and Subaru Canada.

** As of February 2022

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $200 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 63,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Dominick Infante

Director, Corporate Communications

(856) 488-8615

[email protected]

Diane Anton

Corporate Communications Manager

(856) 488-5093

[email protected]

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.
MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine could take place on Wednesday, the TASS news agency reported Tuesday citing sources.

The first round of the negotiations, which lasted about five hours, concluded on Monday in Belarus' Gomel region, with no clear breakthrough.

"Most importantly, we agreed to continue the negotiation process. The next meeting will be held in the coming days on the Polish-Belarusian border," Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said after the talks. 
BORDEAUX, France, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

Strengthening coordinated care and patient safety

Medication reconciliation, the process of building a comprehensive and accurate list of medications that the patient is taking (including name, dosage, frequency, and route), is essential in preventing medication errors and in ensuring patients' treatment adherence. In the United States, hospital readmissions represent more than $41 billion in healthcare costs per year. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 66% of readmissions are related to preventable adverse health events, such as medication non-adherence.

Synapse Medicine is one of the top growing health tech startups in Europe, with a strong track record on medication reconciliation. It has recently announced several partnerships with top hospitals, such as APHPParis (France), the largest hospital in Europe, ranked the eleventh best hospital worldwide, and German hospital La Charite, ranked in sixth place.

With Synapse Platform, healthcare professionals can rely on robust medication reconciliation technology to prevent medication errors and improve patient safety. This streamlines the medication reconciliation process, allowing clinicians to manage treatments more efficiently at every care transition and improve coordination with stakeholders outside of the hospital.

"At Synapse Medicine, we have developed a medication reconciliation solution that simplifies the process and reduces prescribing discrepancies at each transition. This new funding round is an important milestone to further facilitate medication reconciliation and improve patient safety in the US," according to Dr. Clement Goehrs, Synapse Medicine CEO and Co-Founder.

Accelerating growth with key hires and the launch of the New York office

In hyper-growth for the past three years, Synapse Medicine aims to continue recruiting new talent in the United States and internationally to reach 150 employees by the end of the year. Synapse Medicine aims to expand its team in the US across pharmacists, sales, and marketing.

With this new round of funding, Synapse Medicine is expanding its business in North America with a new office in New York City. The operations will be led by Dr. Clement Goehrs, Synapse Medicine CEO & Co-Founder.



"We have been deeply impressed by the founders' vision and their early understanding of how powerful medication data could protect patients and support all stakeholders in healthcare industries across the world. We look forward to supporting the Synapse Medicine team in the US and Asia." said Fleur Pellerin, Chairman, and co-founder of Korelya Capital.

"We are once again supporting the deployment of Synapse Medicine, a start-up that we spotted at a very early stage. At that time, we were already impressed by the founders, who represent a new generation of entrepreneurial doctors, and by the real impact of the product in terms of public health. The participation of Mutuelles Impact in this round, managed by XAnge, will allow us to develop the connections with insurance companies and to disseminate the technology to the public at large." explains Guillaume Meulle, Managing Partner of XAnge.

About Synapse Medicine:

Synapse Medicine's mission is to provide everyone access to the best medicine. The startup, which collaborates closely with the largest French university hospitals, has developed a Medication Intelligence platform dedicated to proper drug use. As a leader in its category, the solution is 100% independent from the pharmaceutical industry and is used today by thousands of healthcare professionals.

Press contact: Nadjib Bennai - Head of Marketing ; +33 7 87 04 74 73 ; [email protected]

About Korelya Capital:

Founded and chaired by Fleur Pellerin, former French Minister of Digital Economy and Culture, Korelya Capital is a late-stage venture fund with 500m under management and offices in Paris, London, and Seoul. Since its launch in 2016, Korelya Capital has notably invested in several European tech champions who have reached unicorn status (Vestiaire Collective, Glovo, Bolt, Ledger). Korelya Capital supports growth companies in their development with the ambition to create a strong European tech scene, notably through valuable support in Asia via its Seoul office and extensive network. www.korelyacapital.com





About XAnge :

XAnge is a leading European venture capital firm based in Paris and Munich. We invest in European early-stage innovative technology companies operating in the fields of Digital consumer, Enterprise & Data, Fintech, and Deeptech. Since its creation in 2003, XAnge has backed more than 200 fast-growing companies in their entrepreneurial journeys. We work alongside visionary founders with strong values and International ambitions such as Gleamer, Implicity, Treefrog, MDoloris...XAnge is the Venture arm of Siparex, an independent investment group with 2Bn under management

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1667017/Synapse_Medicine_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Synapse Medicine
MINNEAPOLIS, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) today announced its plan to invest up to $5 billion to continue scaling its operations in 2022. Target will invest in its physical stores, digital experiences, fulfillment capabilities and supply chain capacity that further differentiate its retail offering and drive continued growth.

"Years of investment in our team and business have driven our sales beyond $100 billion and positioned Target to meet the needs of our guests no matter how they choose to shop," said Michael Fiddelke, chief financial officer, Target. "We see substantial opportunities to build on our core capabilities to drive deeper guest engagement and long term growth."

New Store Openings & Remodels

In 2022, Target plans to open approximately 30 stores, reaching more guests in new neighborhoods. The stores will range in footprint, from mid-size locations in dense suburban areas to small-format stores in city centers like Charleston, SC, and New York's Times Square. This flexibility enables Target to open stores of any size to meet community needs.

In addition to new stores, Target will build on the company's remodel program with 200 top-to-bottom renovations of its existing fleet, reaching more than half the chain since beginning this effort in 2017. These investments add inspiration to the store environment through modern design elements like brighter lighting and elevated merchandise displays, while also equipping the team with enhanced hold space and pickup areas for online fulfillment. On top of the full-store remodels, Target will complete hundreds of smaller projects across the chain to support the growth of its fulfillment services and expanding in-store brand partnerships.

Ulta Beauty at Target Expansion

Target's in-store and online experiences that elevate strategic brand partnerships, like Ulta Beauty, Disney, Levi's and Apple, build relevance with guests and drive incremental growth. Following the opening of 100 Ulta Beauty at Target shop-in-shops in 2021, the company is planning to open more than 250 new locations by the end of 2022  with plans to operate at least 800 Ulta Beauty at Target locations over time.

Digital Experiences

Target's ongoing technology investments fuel growing digital capabilities like Roundel, which optimizes advertising placements on Target.com to deliver a more relevant, personalized guest experience and create value for partners. Roundel drove more than $1 billion in value in 2021, and the company expects that to grow to over $2 billion in the next few years.

Technology enhancements in 2022 will also enable guests to purchase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-eligible grocery items on Target.com, building on the SNAP payment capabilities in stores. With this functionality, guests can shop for SNAP-eligible items online and choose Target's free, same-day services Drive Up and Order Pickup, adding ease and convenience to the shopping experience.

Fulfillment Capabilities and Replenishment Capacity

Since 2019, Target's same-day fulfillment services have grown nearly 400%, accounting for more than half of the company's $13 billion digital growth. These services drive strong guest engagement and offer guests easy and convenient shopping options. This year, Target will continue enhancing its same-day offering by adding Starbucks orders and easy returns to its popular Drive Up service in select stores ahead of the holiday season, and expanding its back-up item option for pickup orders to more categories.

To add speed, efficiency and capacity to its fulfillment operation, Target continues to invest in sortation centers, which organize digital orders packed by local stores for fast neighborhood deliveries. The company is expanding this model beyond Minneapolis, with five more facilities operating across Dallas, Houston, Austin, Atlanta and Philadelphia by spring and another five planned to open later this year. Sortation centers enable a next-day shipping capability in dense markets and allow the company to further scale its stores-as-hubs strategy.

Target also opened two new distribution facilities in 2021 to support the increased inventory flow to its stores. The company has another four facilities currently in development to expand supply chain capacity, with plans for several more in the next few years.

For more information on Target's strategy, visit https://corporate.target.com/

Miscellaneous

Statements in this release regarding the company's future financial performance, planned investments in its business, enhancement of fulfillment and replenishment capabilities, new store openings and remodels, growth of strategic brand partnerships, and enhancements to and results of digital experiences, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause the company's actions to differ materially. The most important risks and uncertainties are described in Item 1A of the company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Jan. 30, 2021. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at nearly 2,000 stores and at Target.com, with the purpose of helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. Since 1946, Target has given 5% of its profit to communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week. Additional company information can be found by visiting the corporate website and press center and by following @TargetNews.

SOURCE Target Corporation
When SaRyia's mother, Brittney Brooks, was 20-weeks pregnant with her third daughter, her obstetrician in Brenham, Texas referred her to the Maternal Fetal Medicine Group at Texas Children's Hospital's Pavilion for Women for evaluation. With an aneurysm in her left ventricle, enlarging her heart and preventing it from pumping properly, SaRyia needed a new, healthy heart  even 20 weeks before her expected birth.

Knowing both mother and unborn daughter would need the care of specialized maternal fetal medicine physicians, her local doctor referred Brittney to Texas Children's Hospital's Pavilion for Women in the Texas Medical Center. "From the moment I arrived for my first appointment, pediatric cardiologist Dr. Emily Lawrence was fully upfront with me, telling me the good and bad, and exactly what I could expect as a large team of doctors worked to save my baby's life," said Brittney. "As fluid kept developing around SaRyia's heart, Dr. Lawrence kept telling me, 'Let's just get you to 26 weeks or 30 weeks,' always reaching to achieve a further milestone. She stayed in such close contact with me, I felt reassured that SaRyia and I both were in excellent hands."

Dr. Lawrence said, "When I first met Ms. Moore, I was really impressed with her calm and clarity. We spent almost two hours together at that first visit reviewing the rarity of an aneurysm this size, its location, and the poor function of her heart at that time. I was very honest and upfront with her that surgical repair of this would be near impossible given the size and location."

After SaRyia was born in December 2020, Brittney learned that her two-week-old baby's heart was a "ticking time bomb," and a heart transplant was her only hope for an extended life. SaRyia spent the first month of her life in the hospital, as her care team worked to stabilize her heart for an indefinite wait on the transplant list. Nearly one year later, on Dec. 3, Brittney got the call that her baby's new heart had arrived. She rushed her child to Texas Children's Hospital where she received regular updates from the operating room as SaRyia received a second chance at a full life.

Unbeknownst to Brittney, Texas Children's Hospital recently passed two important milestones, with more than 500 heart transplants performed and 2,000 solid organ transplants performed  with SaRyia as the hospital's 2,000th organ transplant. These milestones not only saved SaRyia's life, but point to the Heart Transplant Program and Solid Organ Transplant Program overall as the highest volume pediatric transplant programs in the United States.

"Our heart transplant program is truly exceptional because of the depth of experience which translates into great outcomes," said Dr. Christopher A. Caldarone, Chief of Congenital Heart Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital and Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, who performed SaRyia's heart transplant. "Patients deserve to be treated in centers with the most experience."

Dr. William Dreyer, Medical Director of the Texas Children's Heart Transplant Program and Professor of Pediatric Cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine, concurs. "When it comes to heart transplants, the phrase, 'it takes a village to raise a child,' is very applicable. It truly takes the expertise, experience and resources of an entire pediatric heart center to successfully care for our transplant patients  and there are very few in the world that can do it as seamlessly or as well as we do at Texas Children's."

To underscore this point, the largest children's hospital in the country achieved other transplant milestones in 2021 beyond its 500th heart transplant and 2,000th transplant patient. Newly released data from the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network, the country's unique public-private registry for organ matching, places Texas Children's Hospital at No. 1 for pediatric heart, liver and lung transplants and No. 2 for kidney transplants, with outcomes that are among the best in the nation.

SaRyia's care team is quick to applaud the selfless donors and families who make organ transplants possible at Texas Children's Hospital. The Transplant Services team routinely refers to donor families as the "real heroes" of every transplant story.

According to Brittney, even eight weeks post-heart transplant, one would never know that SaRyia was so sick. "She is back in her comfort zone at home with her sisters, Brenajah, 16, and Bre'Niyah, 11, dancing and clapping to her favorite cartoon, CoComelon!" Brittney said. "A small scar on her chest is the only sign of how close she came to losing her life.

"There really are no words to express my gratitude," she said. "Without Texas Children's, I wouldn't have SaRyia now. I want other parents to know about the expertise and resources available to them, too. I hope that by sharing our story, we can help another family in such great need."



About Texas Children's Hospital

Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO for children; Texas Children's Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country with offices in Houston and Austin; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that's channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital
LAS VEGAS, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The AmeriFlex Group, a rapidly growing, advisor-owned hybrid RIA that puts financial planning first, today announced three wealth management practices representing six advisors overseeing more than $612 million in total client assets joined its network.

The addition of these advisors and practices brings The AmeriFlex Group's total assets under administration to more than $5.6 billion. This expansion builds on the AmeriFlex Group's recent momentum in California and the Mountain Western region.

Thomas Goodson, President & CEO of The AmeriFlex Group, said, "I'm extremely pleased to welcome this group of incredible, highly experienced wealth management professionals to our team."

Derek Pilkington , Curt Pilkington , Shanan Doherty  Pilkinton Financial  Denver and Sterling, Colo.  $289 million in client assets

Led by father and Investment Advisor Representative Curt Pilkington , this three-person wealth management firm chose to affiliate with The AmeriFlex Group for the opportunity to earn an equity stake in the RIA, enhancing the value of their growing practice.





Led by father and Investment Advisor Representative , this three-person wealth management firm chose to affiliate with The AmeriFlex Group for the opportunity to earn an equity stake in the RIA, enhancing the value of their growing practice. Dustin Carr and Tad Lyle  Planning Resources  Denver, Colo.  $252 million in client assets

Both Managing Directors with more than 30 years of total experience, Mr. Carr and Mr. Lyle, have built a strong practice focused on providing holistic financial planning and wealth management services to their clients in the Denver area and beyond. They affiliated with The AmeriFlex Group for its planning first philosophy and hybrid-RIA model that provides the best possible outcomes for their clients.





Both Managing Directors with more than 30 years of total experience, Mr. Carr and Mr. Lyle, have built a strong practice focused on providing holistic financial planning and wealth management services to their clients in the area and beyond. They affiliated with The AmeriFlex Group for its planning first philosophy and hybrid-RIA model that provides the best possible outcomes for their clients. Gerald Kleber and Raz Bracha  Summit Financial & Insurance Services  Brea, Calif.  $71 million in client assets

Mr. Kleber and Mr. Bracha join The AmeriFlex Group's expanding footprint in Southern California. The firm includes two advisors and support staff and provides clients with robust planning services and insurance solutions. The team joined The AmeriFlex Group specifically for its SuccessionFlex program, the innovative program that aims to mitigate risk and uncertainty around succession planning for financial advisors.

Each of these advisors is a registered representative of SagePoint under The AmeriFlex Group's supervision and an investment advisory representative on The AmeriFlex Group's RIA. Each group will continue to operate using their previous brand and names.

Mr. Goodson concluded, "Our unique approach succession and continuity agreements continues to attract best-in-class advisors looking for the flexibility to continue to provide their clients with both advice and brokerage services while supporting their own growth goals and an eventual successful and lucrative exit from their business."

About The AmeriFlex Group:

The AmeriFlex Group is recognized as The Home for Hybrids (www.HomeForHybrids.com) - BD/RIA Transitional Wealth Planners (financial advisors). The RIA is owned-and-operated by its advisor members and partners. Securities offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc. (SPF), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through The AmeriFlex Group, an Independent Registered Investment Advisor. SPF is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of SPF. Insurance is offered independent of SPF. 8485 W Sunset Road, Suite 204, Las Vegas, NV 89113

Media Contact

Haven Tower Group

Donald C. Cutler

424.317.4864

[email protected]

SOURCE The AmeriFlex Group
ATLANTA, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Atlanta Humane Society (AHS) will open a new veterinary clinic in late Spring 2022, made possible by the generous support of VCA Animal Hospitals (VCA). The clinic  Remedy: Your Community Vet  will be located near the East Lake community at 1843 Memorial Dr SE, Atlanta, GA 30317. Remedy will provide accessible veterinary care to pet owners experiencing financial hardship or who need resources and support to keep pets healthy and in their homes.

Located in an area void of access to high-quality and affordable care, the clinic will focus on serving the most vulnerable pets, providing healthy and sick pet services, select surgeries, preventative and dental care.

"I'm proud of this new chapter in the VCA and Atlanta Humane relationship," said Todd Lavender, DVM, president of VCA Animal Hospitals. "Every pet deserves access to world-class veterinary care, in their hometown. And any young person deserves to see and know the joy that comes from taking care of animals. With this local care for families and pets in need comes the opportunity to build the next generation of aspiring veterinarians and technicians."

A generous donation from VCA to AHS to support the new community veterinary clinic was the catalyst that made the shared vision of expanding access to care in underserved communities a reality. VCA's support includes critical funds to help underwrite necessary preventive care such as wellness visits and heartworm prevention, as well as services that are most likely to cause owners to surrender pets to shelters, including sick pet care, heartworm treatment, and surgery.

In addition to VCA's financial commitment, VCA veterinary professionals will lend their talents and expertise to support the clinic. VCA is also supporting an externship program within the new hospital and at Atlanta Humane, aiming to improve exposure to the profession within underrepresented communities. This new program will provide veterinary students an opportunity to further their education about community practice and the importance of delivering accessible and affordable veterinary care at Remedy as well as through the Atlanta Humane Shelter Medicine Program. Students in this program can also participate in Atlanta Humane's community outreach program, including animal cruelty response and large-scale community education events.

Both organizations also worked together to create a Specialty Care Fund that will help clients of the new community clinic access complex, critical medical and/or surgical cases outside the AHS veterinary team's scope.

The Atlanta Humane Society and VCA Animal Hospitals have been partners for more than a decade, helping shelter pets find loving homes and supporting the greater pet population of the Atlanta community.

"Collaboration is key to ensuring all communities of pet owners have access to care  the enhanced partnership between AHS and VCA is the key to ensuring pets and families can remain together," said Cal Morgan, president and CEO of the Atlanta Humane Society. "We change animal's lives once they enter our shelter. Now, we have the means to ensure those animals receive the care they need when they find a family to love them."

The Atlanta Humane Society's veterinary solution focuses on providing affordable care and using technology to create an ultra-efficient, sustainable, and high-volume model. The model is scalable and replicable, providing the opportunity to address the veterinary needs of other underserved communities in the future.

To learn more about this new community veterinary practice, please visit: atlantahumane.org/remedy

To learn more about VCA Animal Hospitals, please visit: vcahospitals.com

About Atlanta Humane Society

The Atlanta Humane Society is a no-kill animal shelter serving more than 60,000 of Atlanta's animals each year through various services including adoption, veterinary care, and community outreach. We operate out of three locations in metro Atlanta and help find thousands of animals loving homes each year. As Atlanta's oldest non-religious nonprofit, we have been caring for our community and her animals for more than 149 years. For more information, please visit atlantahumane.org.

About VCA Animal Hospitals

A leader in veterinary care, VCA Animal Hospitals is committed to caring for the future of veterinary medicine. We are a family of hometown animal hospitals determined to positively impact pets, people, and our communities. From general practice to emergency and specialty care, VCA delivers world-class medicine to more than four million pets each year. Our national network of clinics and hospitals invest in cutting-edge tools, training and technology that enables our Associates to lead the industry today and into tomorrow. Among our talented 35,000 Associates are nearly 7,000 veterinarians  including 430 who are board-certified specialists  nearly 4,000 credentialed technicians and over 10,000 veterinary assistants  all dedicated to giving pets the very best in medical care.

As part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands, VCA is taking care of the future of veterinary medicine to help achieve the Mars Petcare PurposeA Better World for Pets. To learn more about VCA, visit: www.vca.com .

SOURCE VCA Animal Hospitals
RALEIGH, N.C., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Just Trust and The Just Trust for Action, new grantmaking initiatives dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system, made their first funding announcement since opening their doors in September 2021. The groups have committed $36.3 million to organizations that are leading integrated advocacy efforts in the criminal justice field. Additionally, The Just Trust and The Just Trust for Action announced a major open funding opportunity, in an effort to discover and fund state and local criminal justice reform work, beginning in four new states: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. (The Just Trust previously committed to criminal justice reform work in Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Carolina.)

Inaugural Grants

As part of today's announcement, The Just Trust and The Just Trust for Action made funding commitments to 25 organizations doing criminal justice reform work that falls into one or more of six funding priorities : advocacy infrastructure; campaign moments; media & narrative projects; justice alternatives; partnership & coordination; and rapid response. Funding toplines include:

$36.3 million in total commitment to 25 organizations

in total commitment to 25 organizations 50/50 mix of 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) grants

75% of grants are multi-year commitments

Additional giving for 2022 and beyond will be announced on a rolling basis, and funding inquiries can be made 24/7 through The Just Trust's rolling grants inquiries form .

The organizations' first granteesmany of which span multiple issue areas and include a mix of state-level and national organizationsinclude:

State Advocacy Organizations

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Chamber of Commerce Foundation Kentucky Center for Economic Policy

ACLU of Kentucky Foundation

West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy

American Friends Service Committee West Virginia

ACLU of West Virginia

REACH

Mountain State Harm Reduction

Oregon Health Justice Recovery Alliance

Clean Slate Utah

National Advocacy Organizations

Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement

The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls

Prison Fellowship

REFORM Alliance

ACUF Nolan Center for Justice

Right On Crime

Alliance for Safety and Justice

ACLU Campaign for Smart Justice

Media Organizations & Narrative Projects

Prison Journalism Project

Capital B

Represent Justice

Bolts

The 19th

"Ear Hustle" from Radiotopia and PRX

"Untold Story: Criminal Injustice" from Lemonada Media

State Funding Opportunity

In addition to announcing its first grants, The Just Trust and The Just Trust for Action also announced a new funding opportunity, State by State: A Campaign to Power Reform Everywhere , to help strengthen the criminal justice advocacy infrastructure across the country. The opportunity is open to groups across the political spectrum initially in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, and invites groups working on policy reform, organizing, base building, and narrative change worktailored to the unique political and cultural environment of each stateto apply. Groups can submit basic letters of intent through March 30 via a form on The Just Trust's website, after which select groups will be invited to a formal application process. The Just Trust especially seeks applicants from organizations with directly impacted leaders and staff.

"One of the most challenging parts of criminal justice reform work is that justice is defined and applied differently everywhere," said Jolene Forman, chief program officer at The Just Trust. "That means it's going to take the ongoing efforts of groups working in every corner of this country, year in and year out, to dismantle harmful and unevenly applied policies, protect past wins, and create the public and political will for reforms that truly center community health and safety."

"This opportunity is about discovering who those groups are, what they're up against, and how we can help power their essential efforts in the short and long term," added Forman.

These states were selected after a comprehensive, nationwide analysis of both need and opportunity around criminal justice reform. The Just Trust, along with external advisors and consultants, assessed considerations like incarceration rates and populations, racial disparities, criminal justice trends, historic philanthropic investment, recent reform or rollback efforts, existing advocacy infrastructure, public and political will for reform, and many other factors.

"Reform is needed and possible in all fifty states, and we're energized to begin investments in these four, in addition to our continued support for organizations in Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia," said Zamora. "We're also deeply committed to partnering with the broader philanthropic community in this work, some of whom are already making critical investments in these states. When you look at the billions of dollars spent annually by governments and private interests to maintain the status quo, we truly need all hands on deck. Consider us a partner to any funder or donor who wants to work together to make integrated, sustainable, powerful state-level advocacy possible."

The Just Trust, a grantmaking initiative, and The Just Trust for Action, are 100% dedicated to powering criminal justice reform, state-by-state and across the nation. We're a team of funders, directly impacted people, and allies, and we invest in visionary leaders, organizations, and campaignsfrom underdogs to heavyweights, organizers to policy wonks, rural folks to city dwellersall fighting for the safety and well-being of their communities. Visit TheJustTrust.org for more information.

SOURCE The Just Trust
GO2 Foundation's Lung Cancer Registry has staff researchers ready to analyze survey responses as they are submitted. Tweet this

The survey was originally conceived by GO2 Foundation staff and created in partnership with multiple caregivers, academic researchers, advocates and patient research from around the world. The survey is composed of approximately 20 questions that focus on the caregivers' mental health and well-being, coping mechanisms, cultural differences, financial contributions to their loved one's care, and the different ways that caregivers find and define value during their caring for a person living with lung cancer. Participants are asked to complete the survey twice over 6 months to capture changes in their experiences.

"I just love the idea of caregivers being looked at in the same vein as patients," Kent Smith said. Kent has been a caregiver for his wife Debra for more than 3 years since her initial diagnosis of stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer. "I've learned in these three and a half years that everyone needs help at times. Whether financial help or personal help, even just help with where to start to learn about the disease, it's okay. Currently, there is no one single resource for caregivers of people living with lung cancer, but I'm very excited about the kind of community that we could build using information shared through this survey."

GO2 Foundation's Lung Cancer Registry has staff researchers ready to analyze survey responses as they are submitted, allowing for enhanced understanding of co-survivorship experiences. Results will be shared around the world thanks to the existing global educational platforms for research dissemination that partner organizations such as the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer have created. Allowing researchers to understand and collaborate about caregiver-provided information will enable the GO2 Foundation, through its network of associated Centers of Excellence, to develop programs based on what needs are most urgent and to tailor existing resources to individual caregivers.

"You're going to be a more robust, prepared, and grounded caregiver if you're doing a little bit to take care of yourself," Dr. Studts said. "Completing both parts of this surveythe baseline survey and the 6-month surveycan be a great start to navigating complex feelings and experiences. It's difficult to advocate when you are also suffering and lacking support."

To complete the survey or to share with caregivers in your lung cancer community, visit: www.lungcancerregistry.org .

About the Lung Cancer Registry

The Lung Cancer Registry is a community for people with all forms of lung cancer. Powered by data from patients and caregivers, this platform gives those most affected by lung cancer a voice. Registered patients, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers can access the de-identified information.

Founded in 2016, the Lung Cancer Registry is a core program of the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer. The Registry joined forces with the American Lung Association and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer to expand the effort to advance research for the world's deadliest cancer.

About GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer

Founded by patients and survivors, GO 2 Foundation for Lung Cancer transforms survivorship as the world's leading organization dedicated to saving, extending, and improving the lives of those vulnerable, at risk, and diagnosed with lung cancer. The GO 2 Foundation serves and listens to those living with and at risk for lung cancer to reduce stigma, improve quality of life and increase survival. They empower its community by helping people navigate the paths of early detection, diagnosis and treatment. Insights allow the GO 2 Foundation to improve care, amplify awareness, drive advocacy and lead research with the vision of doubling the five-year survival rate by 2025. For more information, visit https://go2foundation.org.

The international caregiver study is in partnership with Novartis.

References:

Mosher CE, Champion VL, Hanna N, Jalal SI, Fakiris AJ, Birdas TJ, et al. Support service use and interest in support services among distressed family caregivers of lung cancer patients. Psychooncology. 2013;22(7):1549-1556. Doi: 10.1002/pon.3168. Epub 2012 Sep 3 . Lambert SD, Girgis A, Lecathelinais C, Stacey F. Walking a mile in their shoes: anxiety and depression among partners and caregivers of cancer survivors at 6 and 12 months post-diagnosis. Support Care Center. 2013;21(1):75-85. Doi: 10.1007/s00520-012-1495-7. Epub 2012 Jun 3 .

SOURCE GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
"The first goal in addressing opioid use is to reduce harm." Tweet this

100 Million Ways is raising money for this program through sponsorships and is also interested in collaborations and Registry input. Each sponsor organization will be able to suggest additional data questions and can submit queries of the database over the life of the registry.

The Odyssey Registry is anticipated to launch in Q2 2022 and will run, at minimum, for three (3) years and will include no less than 2,500 participants.

Participating Dispensary Requirements include:

Participation in an online meeting for a brief Registry overview.

Posting Registry signage in participating dispensaries with a QR code for access.

Chadwick noted, "The registry will inform decisions for this population about using cannabinoids and initial findings of The Odyssey Registry should be available within 12 months."

Chadwick pledges that "Data will never be sold, and participation is entirely anonymous." Using secure online technology, The Odyssey Registry is designed to collect data about the experiences of opioid users and people with PTSD, as well as their families, their friends, and their caregivers.

The Registry Protocol and Consent form will be submitted to an institutional review board (IRB). An IRB is an independent committee established by federal law to protect the rights of research subjects. The consent form and registry can be found at 100millionways.org.

*100MillionWays operates as a project of Players Philanthropy Fund, a Maryland charitable trust recognized by IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27-6601178). Contributions to 100MillionWays are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Media Contact:

Brian Chadwick

[email protected]

914.414.5788

SOURCE 100 Million Ways
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The Salvation Army, a global network that meets human needs in 131 countries around the globe, is providing hope and help to those impacted by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and surrounding countries. With a long-standing presence in the region, the organization and its leaders are part of the communities in which they serve and have been responding to local needs. The Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) has activated its global response network to help support the refugees and others affected by the crisis. By supporting SAWSO with donations, Americans can make a direct impact on the lives of vulnerable people in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and other eastern European countries.

"The Salvation Army in the United States stands in support of the global efforts that are being provided to the people of Ukraine and surrounding countries during this time of crisis," said Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, national commander for The Salvation Army. "During unimaginably difficult times such as these, our organization is able to respond quickly to the most affected areas. We encourage the American public to support through financial gifts, so those impacted by the crisis can receive the essential services they require."

Where it is safe to serve, Salvation Army officers have pivoted programs to provide shelter, food, clothes, blankets, and emotional and spiritual care to those who have been displaced from their homes and are seeking refuge. Many relief teams are already on the ground in Ukraine and surrounding countries, with numerous teams en route to provide additional assistance.

The Salvation Army's international arm is currently located in the following countries:

Ukraine : The Salvation Army is providing urgently needed food and hygiene items to internally displaced families.

: The Salvation Army is providing urgently needed food and hygiene items to internally displaced families. Romania : The Salvation Army has formed a humanitarian relief team and is sending essential items to the border to offer support to refugees.

: The Salvation Army has formed a humanitarian relief team and is sending essential items to the border to offer support to refugees. Moldova : The Salvation Army is providing accommodations, hot meals and drinks, access to Wi-Fi, and other necessary items.

: The Salvation Army is providing accommodations, hot meals and drinks, access to Wi-Fi, and other necessary items. Poland : The Salvation Army is preparing relief parcels for refugees coming into the country.

: The Salvation Army is preparing relief parcels for refugees coming into the country. Russia : The Salvation Army is providing food, hygiene, and other relief items to displaced families.

: The Salvation Army is providing food, hygiene, and other relief items to displaced families. Slovakia : A humanitarian relief team is preparing to provide accommodations, material needs, and emotional support near the Ukrainian border.

: A humanitarian relief team is preparing to provide accommodations, material needs, and emotional support near the Ukrainian border. Czech Republic : The Salvation Army has the capacity and stands ready to provide support to refugees who seek support there.

A digital media kit with social services assets can be found here. For more information, please contact [email protected].

To make a financial gift in support of ongoing relief efforts:

Donate online: https://salarmy.us/ukrainecrisis

Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

Donate by text: Text " UKRAINE " to 52000 to give a $10 donation

For more information on The Salvation Army's continued response during the crisis in Ukraine, visit https://salarmy.us/ukraine.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at over 7,000 centers of operation around the country. In 2021, The Salvation Army was ranked No. 2 on the list of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.

About The Salvation Army World Service Office

The Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) is an independent 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to improving the health, economic, and spiritual conditions of the poor throughout the world where The Salvation Army is active. Since 1977, SAWSO has helped people help themselves through sustainable programs that improve living conditions, combat the spread of disease, raise skill levels, increase productivity, and instill self-confidence.

SOURCE The Salvation Army
MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia will continue its special military operation in Ukraine until achieving the main goal of defending itself from Western threats, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

"The main thing for us is to protect Russia from the military threat posed by Western countries that are trying to use the Ukrainian people in the fight against our country," Shoigu said during a video conference with top defense officials.

The Russian military is not occupying Ukrainian territory and is taking all measures to preserve the lives and safety of civilians, he reiterated.

"I would like to stress that the strikes are carried out only against military targets and exclusively with high-precision weapons," Shoigu said. 
SEATTLE, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- soona , a revolutionary virtual photo and video studio for e-commerce, announced it will be expanding operations to the Seattle metro area on March 1, 2022. Virtual bookings are available at soona.co . soona transforms the way brands create content for e-commerce and marketing through its virtual photo and video shoot technology.

Welcome to Your soona Photoshoot.

The company has over 9,000 brand customers and helps businesses meet the growing demand for quality e-commerce visuals by upending the traditional content creation model. soona delivers high-quality creative, a quick 24-hour turnaround time, and transparent pricingall within one collaborative and intuitive online platform.

"There is not a single transaction that happens on the internet that does not involve a visual asset," said Liz Giorgi, co-founder and CEO of soona. "Content is the difference between making a sale and not, which is why soona is so beloved by our clients. soona levels the playing field so every merchant can achieve their sales potential."

soona's pro services marketplace connects brands with models and stylists. As part of soona's Seattle expansion, they will be adding Northwest stylists, hair and makeup, human and pet models to their pro services marketplace.

Headquartered in the SoDo neighborhood, soona's Seattle studio will be at 4786 1st. Ave. S., Seattle WA 98134. The location is a partnership with Saltbox, the premiere co-warehousing brand for e-commerce stores.

Recent infusion of $35M in venture capital

In January of 2022, soona raised $35 million in Series B funding, led by Bain Capital Ventures. This funding will be used to fuel even more rapid growth in both product and capacity, led by the expansion into the Northwest market.

How soona works:

soona's content creation platform makes it possible for e-commerce stores and marketers to create pro photos and videos in just a few easy steps.

Clients book a shoot with soona's self-service software and choose from curated and recommended shoots or choose the option to build their own shoot. Brands can select everything from the background color to props to models, stylist or pets from its pro services network. Clients ship their products and join their shoot online in real-time via a virtual photoshoot. The a la carte menu makes content affordable. Photos for $39 and video clips for $93 also means brands only purchase the content they love, and get it back within 24 hours.

With over 9,000 clients including Lola Tampons, The Sill, and Wild Earth, soona helps companies sell products in a variety of product categories, including beauty and cosmetics, health and wellness, fashion and footwear, home goods, and pet care.

About soona

The company was founded in 2019 by Liz Giorgi and Hayley Anderson after the successful acquisition of their first business, Mighteor. Liz and Hayley share a vision of using tech to enhance the work of creatives and improve access to high-quality custom content.

Try soona for Free

To try soona for free, contact Jared Ewy, Senior Director of Content Marketing, [email protected], 720.202.7184.

SOURCE soona
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Report Size, Trends & Growth Opportunity, By Product Type, By Application, By Region: Forecast till 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global hydrogen fluoride gas detection market is expected to grow from USD 543 million in 2020 to USD 704 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% during 2020- 2027.



Hydrogen fluoride gas is prepared from calcium fluoride (CaF2) and sulphuric acid in a reaction furnace at 200C, which is later cooled and stored as a colourless liquid and it is a corrosive gas and is gas at room temperature. traditional hydrogen fluoride gas detection devices are fixed appliances that have been widely used in several main consumer industries.



Market Drivers

Government Stringent regulations play a substantial role in the growth of the hydrogen fluoride gas detection market, as hydrogen fluoride is extremely toxic and corrosive, it has hostile effects on human health and the environment.



The increasing global demand for small appliances, technological advances in electronics and mobile electronics for automotive, industrial and healthcare applications are also the key factors to drive the growth of the market.



Market Restraints

Raw materials like high-grade corrosion resistant 316 stainless steel are costly, which in turn upsurges the manufacturing cost of the devices. Thus, High price of hydrogen fluoride gas detection devices is the main restraining factor for the growth of the market.



Market Segmentation

Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market is segmented into major 4 categories. Based on Product Type, the market is segmented into Fixed and Portable. Based on Application, the market is segmented into Chemicals, Mining & Metallurgical and Pharmaceuticals. Based on Region, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East.



Regional Analysis

In 2020, the global Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection market was led by North America. The APAC is expected to hold the largest share of the overall hydrogen fluoride gas detection market with the highest CAGR throughout the forecast period because it is a manufacturing hub for automotive, consumer electronic devices and components and large-scale production of electronic components in the region.



Market Key Players

Some of the key players operating in Global Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market are Analytical Technology Inc. (Ati), Applied Techno Engineers Pvt Ltd., Atb Analytics LLC, Crowcon Detection Instruments Ltd., Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Gao Tek Inc., Gasera Ltd., Gfg Instrumentation Inc., Henan Otywell Electronic Technology Co. Ltd., Honeywell International Inc.,



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Outlook

4.1 Overview

4.2 Market Dynamics

4.2.1 Drivers

4.2.2 Restraints

4.2.3 Opportunities

4.3 Porters Five Force Model

4.4 Value Chain Analysis



5 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market, By Application

5.1 Y-o-Y Growth Comparison, By Application

5.2 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Application

5.3 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Application

5.3.1 Chemicals

5.3.2 Mining & Metallurgical

5.3.3 Pharmaceuticals



6 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market, By Product Type

6.1 Y-o-Y Growth Comparison, By Product Type

6.2 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Product Type

6.3 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Product Type

6.3.1 Fixed

6.3.2 Portable



7 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market, By Region

7.1 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Region

7.2 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Region

7.3 Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Region



8 North America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Analysis and Forecast (2021 - 2027)

8.1 Introduction

8.2 North America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Application

8.3 North America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Product Type

8.4 North America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Country

8.4.1 U.S.

8.4.2 Canada

8.4.3 Mexico



9 Europe Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Analysis and Forecast (2021 - 2027)

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Europe Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Application

9.3 Europe Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Product Type

9.4 Europe Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Country

9.4.1 Germany

9.4.2 France

9.4.3 UK

9.4.4. Rest of Europe



10 Asia Pacific Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Analysis and Forecast (2021 - 2027)

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Asia Pacific Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Application

10.3 Asia Pacific Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Product Type

10.4 Asia Pacific Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Country

10.4.1 China

10.4.2 Japan

10.4.3 India

10.4.4. Rest of Asia Pacific



11 Latin America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Analysis and Forecast (2021 - 2027)

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Latin America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Application

11.3 Latin America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Product Type

11.4 Latin America Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Country

11.4.1. Brazil

11.4.2. Rest of Latin America



12 Middle East Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Analysis and Forecast (2021 - 2027)

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Middle East Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Share Analysis, By Application

12.3 Middle East Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Product Type

12.4 Middle East Hydrogen Fluoride Gas Detection Market Size and Forecast, By Country

12.4.1. Saudi Arabia

12.4.2. UAE

12.4.3. Egypt

12.4.4. Kuwait

12.4.5. South Africa



13 Competitive Analysis

13.1 Competition Dashboard

13.2 Market share Analysis of Top Vendors

13.3 Key Development Strategies



14 Company Profiles

14.1 Analytical Technology Inc. (Ati)

14.1.1 Overview

14.1.2 Offerings

14.1.3 Key Financials

14.1.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.1.5 Key Market Developments

14.1.6 Key Strategies

14.2 Applied Techno Engineers Pvt Ltd.

14.2.1 Overview

14.2.2 Offerings

14.2.3 Key Financials

14.2.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.2.5 Key Market Developments

14.2.6 Key Strategies

14.3 Atb Analytics LLC

14.3.1 Overview

14.3.2 Offerings

14.3.3 Key Financials

14.3.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.3.5 Key Market Developments

14.3.6 Key Strategies

14.4 Crowcon Detection Instruments Ltd.

14.4.1 Overview

14.4.2 Offerings

14.4.3 Key Financials

14.4.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.4.5 Key Market Developments

14.4.6 Key Strategies

14.5 Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA

14.5.1 Overview

14.5.2 Offerings

14.5.3 Key Financials

14.5.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.5.5 Key Market Developments

14.5.6 Key Strategies

14.6 Gao Tek Inc.

14.6.1 Overview

14.6.2 Offerings

14.6.3 Key Financials

14.6.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.6.5 Key Market Developments

14.6.6 Key Strategies

14.7 Gasera Ltd.

14.7.1 Overview

14.7.2 Offerings

14.7.3 Key Financials

14.7.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.7.5 Key Market Developments

14.7.6 Key Strategies

14.8 Gfg Instrumentation Inc.

14.8.1 Overview

14.8.2 Offerings

14.8.3 Key Financials

14.8.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.8.5 Key Market Developments

14.8.6 Key Strategies

14.9 Henan Otywell Electronic Technology Co. Ltd.

14.9.1 Overview

14.9.2 Offerings

14.9.3 Key Financials

14.9.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.9.5 Key Market Developments

14.9.6 Key Strategies

14.10 Honeywell International Inc.

14.10.1 Overview

14.10.2 Offerings

14.10.3 Key Financials

14.10.4 Business Segment & Geographic Overview

14.10.5 Key Market Developments

14.10.6 Key Strategies



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kinuoo

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

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SOURCE Research and Markets
PLAINSBORO, N.J., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The team at Techgen Media Group, a magazine publishing company that produces various titles that serve the manufacturing industry, announced the launch of abbe.com, a website dedicated entirely to careers in manufacturing. The site will serve as a place where job seekers can find good-paying careers and where employers can find motivated staff.

"Not an issue of our magazines goes by where there isn't mention of the labor shortage," said Abbe Miller, editor-in-chief at Techgen Media and namesake of the new website. "Entire technologies are being developed to address the problem, but they can't fully solve the issue  actual people are required to oversee those technologies."

Focused on manufacturing

In addition to featuring a jobs search portal, abbe.com also hosts a calendar of upcoming career fairs and professional development opportunities as well as a school directory to help job seekers find the education they need to launch and expand their careers.

Unlike the many jobs search websites on the internet today, abbe.com has an unmatched commitment to the manufacturing industry. Its parent company, Techgen Media Group, has developed a deep understanding of the industry's labor challenges. The welding industry alone will face a shortage of 314,000 welders by 2024. Knowing this, there is a growing need for training and certification.

Taking advantage

There will be no charge for employers that post their open positions and no fee to receive candidate leads. Additionally, schools that wish to claim and enhance their listing or add their institution to the school directory can do so free of charge. The same is true for any company or educational institution that would like to post details about their career fair or professional development opportunities.

With no cost involved, employers and schools within the industry are encouraged to support this important new resource. With this unified goal, the industry can reduce the skills gap and help American workers find opportunities for new, exciting careers.

About Techgen Media

Founded in 2011, Techgen Media Group publishes FAB Shop Magazine, Welding Productivity, Shop Floor Lasers, Modern Abrasives & Deburring and Sawing Productivity. The company's magazines are all digital and subscriptions are free.

For more information contact Abbe Miller:

Abbe Miller

847-749-6956

[email protected]

SOURCE Techgen Media Group Inc.
BALTIMORE, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Transamerica announced today the expansion of its pooled retirement plan capabilities with the acquisition of TAG Resources, LLC, a leading retirement services company based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The addition of TAG's technology and service model will enable Transamerica to further expand its pooled retirement plan offerings to third party administrators (TPAs), financial advisors, broker-dealers, and defined contribution investment only (DCIO) exchange partners.

"TAG is recognized as a top innovator and is highly respected within the U.S. retirement plan market," said Kent Callahan, CEO of Transamerica's Workplace Solutions division. "The acquisition of TAG enables us to extend our leadership position in pooled plan solutions, while our commitment to single employer plans has never been stronger. We pioneered our custom recordkeeping system and sophisticated service model for pooled plans in 2001. Providing more state-of-the-art retirement plan solutions to small- and mid-sized employers will enable them to compete, hire and retain talent on equal footing with much larger employers. We're taking a bold step to redefine what small business retirement looks like in the future as we continue to close the retirement coverage gap in the U.S."

"We are proud to join Transamerica," noted Troy Tisue, President of TAG. "Transamerica's breadth of experience, extraordinary distribution footprint and outstanding network of third party administrator partners, combined with TAG's innovative technologies, will be a major advancement for the retirement services community."

TAG began operations in 2001, with a focus on offering plan administration to multiple employer plans, particularly in the professional employer organizations (PEO) market. Transamerica began working as a plan recordkeeper with TAG in 2010. In recent years, Transamerica and TAG have partnered with top distribution firms in the U.S. to bring innovative pooled plan solutions, including retirement plan exchanges, to the small-plan retirement market. TAG will continue to operate from Knoxville, Tennessee under its well-respected brand name.

"Transamerica and TAG are looking forward to combining the strengths of both companies for the benefit of our clients and their participants," noted Deb Rubin, Transamerica's Vice President and Managing Director for TPA Services and Pooled Plan Arrangements. "The third party administrators who are interested in pooled plan arrangements and who partner with Transamerica will benefit from the best practices and expertise our combined firms will be able to offer. Collectively, we will work together to close the retirement coverage gap for employees of small- and mid-size employers."

About Transamerica

With a history that dates back more than 100 years, Transamerica is recognized as a leading provider of life insurance, retirement, and investment solutions, serving millions of customers throughout the United States. Recognizing the necessity of health and wellness during peak working life, Transamerica's dedicated professionals work to help people take the steps necessary to live better today so they can worry less about tomorrow. Transamerica serves nearly every customer segment, providing a broad range of quality life insurance and investment products, individual and group pension plans, as well as asset management services. In 2021, Transamerica fulfilled its promises to customers, paying more than $52 billion in insurance, retirement, and annuity claims and benefits, including return of annuity premiums paid by the customer. Transamerica's corporate headquarters is located in Baltimore, Maryland, with other major operations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Denver, Colorado. Transamerica is part of the Aegon group of companies. Based in the Netherlands, Aegon is a diversified financial services group focused on providing investment, protection, and retirement solutions. For the full year of 2021, Aegon managed over $1.1 trillion in revenue generating investments. For more information, visit www.transamerica.com .

About TAG Resources, LLC

TAG Resources, LLC ("TAG") is a leading U.S. retirement services company based in Knoxville, Tennessee. TAG's management team has serviced the retirement plan industry for more than 100 years, collectively. TAG's mission is to provide all employees the opportunity to retirethis means constructing better programs and tools to achieve a fully-funded retirement. TAG has a culture of innovation that is unique in the retirement industry. TAG pioneered the service-pricing models which make 401(k) plans affordable for even the smallest employers. TAG's experience as a leader in Multiple Employer Plans includes enhancements that reduce the sponsor's administrative burden and provides fiduciary support. TAG's program enhances the affordability of plan sponsorship by employers, covers more Americans by providing a cost-effective voluntary retirement plan, and provides the opportunity for plan design mandates that enhance retirement readiness through increased savings rates. TAG's program includes a team of professionals who administer the plan, act on behalf of the adopting employer, and accept full accountability for the prudent management of the employer's retirement plan.

Media inquiries:

[email protected]

Hank Williams

(319) 355-7789

Julie Quinlan

(303) 383-5923

SOURCE Transamerica
TYLER, Texas, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lawyers at the Martin Walker law firm in Tyler say while the number attached to the recently announced Texas portion of the settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors  $1.85 billion  is a big one, what matters most is the fact most of those dollars are headed to local communities, where the tragedy of the opioid epidemic continues to play out every day.

VIDEO  Jack Walker discusses the opioid settlement here.

"It's easy to assume the opioid story is over," says Reid Martin, co-founder of Martin Walker. "But the truth is, people continue to suffer and die from the opioid epidemic. That's why these dollars are so important."

Under the settlement agreed to by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, 15 percent of the funds will go to the state of Texas, 15 percent to cities and counties and the remaining 70 percent to an opioid abatement council. The council will apportion monies to local communities to treat opioid victims.

The Texas portion of the deal is part of a larger $26 billion settlement opioid manufacturers and distributors agreed to late last week. Initial checks may go out as soon as April.

In all, the Martin Walker firm represented 29 counties that brought claims against opioid manufacturers and distributors, including Smith County and Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran, who functioned as a leader for the efforts on behalf of rural counties in Texas. He worked together with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, who spoke for the state's more populous counties and who was represented by attorney Jeffrey Simon. Mr. Simon and other lawyers, working together with representatives from the Texas Attorney General's office, negotiated the deal.

"This took a tremendous amount of effort and an awful lot of persistence, but now we're going to see the payoff," says attorney Jack Walker. "I expect that in many cases, these dollars will mean the difference between life and death for those struggling with opioid addiction."

Martin Walker PC is a Tyler-based law firm with significant trial expertise representing individuals statewide in high-stakes litigation, including medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries involving 18-wheeler accidents, oilfield injuries, wrongful death, and product liability. For more information visit: http://www.martinwalkerlaw.com/

Media Contact:

Mark Annick

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Martin Walker PC
Unifimoney integrated to Jack Henry using the Banno Digital Toolkit, which employs the same open API on which the Banno Digital Platform operates. The Banno Digital Toolkit provides fintechs an easy way to embed their solutions into digital banking experiences curated by community and regional financial institutions. Unifimoney adds to a growing library of popular fintech services that are fully integrated into the Banno Digital Platform, giving banks and credit unions fast, secure, on-demand access to the most relevant innovations in the fintech ecosystem.

Ben Soppitt, Co-Founder and CEO of Unifimoney, said, "Consumer interest in investing has exploded in recent years driven by ease of access through mobile apps, fractional investing and no or low feesplus consumers' growing interest in alternatives like crypto. Most financial institutions have been excluded from this market to date, forcing their customers to adopt new 3rd party services. We are proud to be working with Jack Henry to help the most trusted providers of financial servicescommunity banks and credit unionsevolve their digital services and strengthen their local communities."

Julie Morlan, Senior Managing Director of Digital Solutions at Jack Henry, added, "Investing and building wealth are central to sound money management and long-term financial health. With Unifimoney, our community and regional financial institutions can enable both passive and active investment strategies for their account holders. In addition, it allows them to democratize access to both conventional assets and newer alternatives like crypto. Unifimoney is an important addition to our growing list of fintechs participating in the Jack Henry ecosystem, and we are excited about what Unifimoney brings to the Banno Digital Platform."

About Unifimoney Inc.

Unifimoney is a turnkey digital wealth management platform supporting passive and active investing of both conventional and alternative assets and implemented in as little as 60 days or less. Based in San Francisco and serving community banks and credit unions to enable them to offer consumers access to innovative investment and wealth management solutions through their existing banking app and web sites. Unifimoney RIA Inc. is a fully owned subsidiary of Unifimoney Inc. and is an SEC Registered RIA. To learn more visit www.unifimoney.com

About Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.

Jack Henry is a leading SaaS provider primarily for the financial services industry. We are a S&P 500 company that serves approximately 8,000 clients nationwide and goes to market through three distinct brands: Jack Henry Banking provides innovative solutions to community and regional banks; Symitar provides industry-leading solutions to credit unions of all sizes; and ProfitStars offers highly specialized solutions to financial institutions of every asset size, as well as diverse corporate entities outside of the financial services industry. With a heritage that has been dedicated to openness, partnership, and user centricity for more than 40 years, we are well-positioned as a driving market force in cloud-based digital solutions and payment processing services. We empower our clients and consumers with the human-centered, tech-forward, and insights-driven solutions that will get them where they want to go. Are you future ready? Additional information is available at www.jackhenry.com .

SOURCE Unifimoney
Prior to joining UCSB, Yewaisis served in multiple leadership positions, most recently as a Senior Managing Director of Sterling National Bank, where he managed a $2 billion division for the bank. Yewaisis also served as Vice President of Middle Market Lending at Provident Bank and held positions at the Bank of New York and KPMG International. Yewaisis completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Manhattan College and later attended St. Peter's University, earning a Master's Degree in Accountancy and a Master's Degree in Business Administration.

In addition to his career success, Yewaisis is also a prominent figure in his community, currently serving as Chairman of the Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) JFK University Medical Center Foundation Board. Yewaisis is also a member of HMH's Network Foundation Board and HMH's Investment Committee.

Yewaisis' commitment to giving back is an attribute he has already incorporated into his work at UCSB by doubling the size of the Union County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation. The foundation works to provide financial assistance to low-to-moderate-income (LMI) communities in Union and Essex counties through grants provided by the bank. The focus areas for grantmaking include education & youth development, housing & neighborhood revitalization, and health & community initiatives.

In his new role at UCSB, Yewaisis has also set intentions to build the infrastructure of the bank, stating, "As we move into 2022, the team at UCSB and I are working hard to implement new technologies to connect with our customers daily and expand our leadership team in order to renew the customer experience. We will also be offering new products and services designed to meet the expanding needs of our diversified customer base while preserving our 139-year pledge of security, safety, and service."

Under Yewaisis' leadership, the bank's new bilingual website launched in late January, and he is also actively leading the charge in refurbishing each of UCSB's four New Jersey locations in Cranford, Union, and two Elizabeth branches.

Yewaisis plans to launch several products and services to make UCSB more valuable to its customers, including business banking services and new technologies. He also plans to greatly expand the bank's outreach and lending services in the communities it serves and invest in its employees through career development and educational programs.

As much as Yewaisis is determined to advance UCSB into the future, he will not neglect the bank's profound history on which they have built a safe and robust reputation. He states, "I am committed to our continued tradition of dedication to our local communities, our customers, and our employees whose trust and confidence have helped UCSB sustain this position."

For more information on Union County Savings Bank, visit UnionCountySavings.com . Grant inquiries for the Union County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation can be directed to [email protected].

About Union County Saving Bank

Union County Savings Bank ("UCSB" or the "Bank") exists for the benefit of its customers and employees, a position that has been unchanged since its founding in 1883. For many years, the Bank has been considered one of the safest and strongest banks in the United States and was ranked 8th in NJBIZ's 2021 New Jersey's Top Savings Banks & Associations list with annual deposits of $1.63 billion. Its success can be attributed to the dedication of its employees and customers, whose trust and confidence have helped UCSB sustain this position.

UCSB provides financial services, including personal banking, lending, and business banking for residents and businesses across four branch locations in Union County, New Jersey. The Main Office is located in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the county seat. Since the Bank's founding, it has remained committed to generations of customers as a neighborhood bank with solid values and a safe place for their financial service needs. It is this heritage that helps preserve the Bank's 139-year-old pledge of security, safety, and service. For more information, visit UnionCountySavings.com .

CONTACT: LUCY AMICUCC

CHIEF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY OFFICER

[email protected]

Phone: (908) 354 4600 X105

SOURCE Union County Savings Bank
To get the exact yearly growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate, Talk to our analyst .

Key Market Dynamics:

Market Driver

Market Challenges

The increasing number of cafes and growing innovations and customization of food menus are some of the key market drivers. Varied tastes and preferences for different types of premium coffee have further led to the emergence of specialty coffee shops. The growth in the infrastructure like new airports and expressways in Australia and frequent travel by road, rail, or air give scope to the major coffee chains to establish their outlets, which, in turn, will positively impact the growth of the market. The increase in demand for gluten-free food mainly due to the growing awareness of celiac disease is also another factor likely to influence the market positively during the forecast period.

However, factors such as stiff competition from home-cooked meals will challenge market growth. Restaurant food is perceived to be unhealthy as it contains large amounts of carbohydrates, added sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and artificial food additivities. Moreover, home-cooked meals are more economical compared to dining out/takeaway foods. The inclination for healthy cooking and preference for home-cooked food is a potential threat to the cafe market in Australia during the forecast period.

To learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio. Read our FREE Sample Report right now!

Key Segment Highlights

The cafe market in Australia report is segmented by Product (Beverages and Food) and Service (Dine-in and Takeaway). The beverages product segment held the largest market cafe market share in Australia during 2021. The segment will continue to retain its dominance in the market mainly due to the increase in demand for specialty and premium hot beverages such as coffee. For instance, in the last five years, the coffee and tea imports from Belgium to Australia increased by around 20%. In terms of service, the dine-in segment was the largest revenue-generating segment of the Cafe market in Australia. The segment includes cafes where foods and beverages are consumed on the premises. The shifting trend toward eating outside and the rising urban population are the major factors driving the segment growth in the cafe market in Australia.

View our sample report for additional insights into the contribution of all the segments, and regional opportunities in the report.

Some Companies Mentioned



Devon Cafe



Dymocks Cafe



Industry Beans York St.



Mekko Market and Cafe

and Cafe

Pablo and Rustys Pty Ltd.



Paramount Coffee Project



Raw and Wild Market and Cafe



Regiment CBD



Reuben Hills



The Organic Market and Cafe

To gain access to more vendor profiles with their key offerings available with Technavio, Click Here

Related Reports:



Specialty Coffee Shops Market by Type and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Cafes and Bars Market by Product, Type, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Cafe Market In Australia Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.19% Market growth 2022-2026 $ 422.19 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.55 Regional analysis Australia Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Devon Cafe, Dymocks Cafe, Industry Beans York St., Mekko Market and Cafe, Pablo and Rustys Pty Ltd., Paramount Coffee Project, Raw and Wild Market and Cafe, Regiment CBD, Reuben Hills, and The Organic Market and Cafe Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2021

Market outlook: Forecast for 2021 - 2026

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Product

Market segments

Comparison by Product

Beverages - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Food - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Product

Market Segmentation by Service

Market segments

Comparison by Service

Dine-in - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Takeaway - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

Market opportunity by Service

Customer landscape

Customer landscape

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Devon Cafe

Dymocks Cafe

Industry Beans York St.

Mekko Market and Cafe

and Cafe Pablo and Rustys Pty Ltd.

Paramount Coffee Project

Raw and Wild Market and Cafe

Regiment CBD

Reuben Hills

The Organic Market and Cafe

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares

Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial

Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates

Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform

Complimentary updates for one year

Edition: 5; Released: February 2022

Executive Pool: 573

Companies: 81 - Players covered include 4ARMED Limited; AlgoSec; Aqua Security Software Ltd; Broadcom; CA Technologies; Checkmarx Ltd; Chef Software; CloudPassage; Continuum Security; Contrast Security; CyberArk Software Ltd; Dome9 Security; Entersoft; Google LLC; IBM Corporation; MicroFocus; Microsoft Corporation; Palo Alto Networks Inc; Puppet; Qualys Inc; Rogue Wave Software Inc; Splunk Inc; Sumo Logic; Synopsys Inc.; WhiteHat Security and Others.

Coverage: All major geographies and key segments

Segments: Component (Services, Solutions); Deployment (On-Premise, Cloud); Vertical (BFSI, IT & Telecom, Manufacturing, Government & Public Sector, Retail & Consumer Goods, Energy & Utilities, Other Verticals)

Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry

ABSTRACT-

Global DevSecOps Market to Reach $17 Billion by the Year 2026

DevSecOps or Development-Security-Operations is an approach that automates security integration at all stages/levels of software development lifecycle, right from the initial design, integration, testing and deployment through delivery of the developed software finally. The global DevSecOps market is receiving a strong growth impetus from ongoing digitalization that has enabled security to enjoy the limelight regarding application development. DevSecOps is set to register notable gains in the post-COVID-19 era owing to increasing focus of organizations to integrate security with all stages of application development. The concept is witnessing increasing spending on advanced automation tools intended to incorporate security into development processes and reduce overhead of various security-related tasks like code audits, threat modeling, application instrumentation and vulnerability analysis. The market is poised to receive a major support from key enabling technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence. These technologies are integral to various automated processes used by DevSecOps. Cybercrime is estimated to cost companies around US$6 trillion in 2021, creating a pressing need to secure the product life cycle. The requirement is impelling companies to embrace the DevSecOps framework to deliver enhanced efficiency and security in applications being developed by them. The framework provides security teams with advanced tools to align with DevOps teams and ensure security changes for continuing monitoring of defects and attacks.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for DevSecOps estimated at US$5.7 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$17 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 33.1% over the analysis period. Services, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 34.4% CAGR to reach US$13.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Solutions segment is readjusted to a revised 31.3% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 42.6% share of the global DevSecOps market.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $1.9 Billion in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $2.8 Billion by 2026

The DevSecOps market in the U.S. is estimated at US$1.9 Billion in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 34% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$2.8 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 40.4% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 26.2% and 28% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 28.6% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$3.7 Billion by the close of the analysis period. Asia-Pacific is predicted to present enticing opportunities for DevSecOps providers due to rising adoption of the cloud coupled with DevSecOps services and tools. The region is witnessing rapid advances in cloud computing, the Internet of Things technology and IT infrastructure solutions that are driving companies to embrace DevSecOps services and solutions. More

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Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years.

CONTACTS:

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Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]

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Journalists & Media

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SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
Global competitiveness and key competitor percentage market shares

Market presence across multiple geographies - Strong/Active/Niche/Trivial

Online interactive peer-to-peer collaborative bespoke updates

Access to our digital archives and MarketGlass Research Platform

Complimentary updates for one year

Edition: 5; Released: February 2022

Executive Pool: 1113

Companies: 89 - Players covered include Auto Textile SA; CMI Enterprises; Gilbreath Upholstery Supply; Gruppo Mastrotto SpA; Katzkin Leather, Inc.; Lear Corporation; MARTUR FOMPAK International; Marvel Vinyls Limited; Moorestown Auto & Boat Upholstery Inc.; Morbern; Sage Automotive Interiors; Seiren Co., Ltd.; SMS Auto Fabrics; The Haartz Corporation; Toyota Boshoku Corporation and Others.

Coverage: All major geographies and key segments

Segments: Material (Synthetic Leather, Thermoplastic Polymers, Leather, Automotive Textiles, Smart Fabric, Plastic); Application (Seat Cover, Carpet, Roof Liner, Dashboard, Trunk Line, Sun Visor)

Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Australia; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Middle East; Africa.

Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry

ABSTRACT-

Global Automotive Upholstery Market to Reach US$5.2 Billion by the Year 2026

Automotive textile consumption stands at an unbelievable 1,50,000 tons per annum in Western Europe, closely followed by USA and Japan. It is estimated that an average car uses twelve to fourteen kilograms of textiles. Most of it is used for carpets, door liners, roof and seat cover and some for other parts of the vehicle. Automobile upholstery market is poised to grow with the need for better safety and comfort for seat covers. Considering the time spent driving every day, car interiors are being improved to give living room comfort and wellness. Improved textiles have been developed to have micro encapsulation effect, high heat capacity, luminosity, reflectivity, antibacterial effects and temperature dependent air permeability. With this, the use of such textiles in mid-range vehicles is poised to increase from 20 kilograms to 35 kilograms, with a decrease in overall weight of vehicle due to other factors. Polyester or PET is the fabric used to a great extent until now but this is bound to decline due to the demand for fibers such as aramid, viscose (rayon, polyamide (PA) and Polypropylene (PP)). Women customers often have unique needs such as smart storage, easy to park, minimum maintenance and customized interiors, providing huge opportunities for car interior customization.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Automotive Upholstery estimated at US$3.7 Billion in the year 2022, is projected to reach a revised size of US$5.2 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.6% over the analysis period. Synthetic Leather, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 5.5% CAGR to reach US$1.4 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Thermoplastic Polymers segment is readjusted to a revised 6.9% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 22.6% share of the global Automotive Upholstery market.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $747.5 Million in 2022, While China is Forecast to Reach $1.2 Billion by 2026

The Automotive Upholstery market in the U.S. is estimated at US$747.5 Million in the year 2022. The country currently accounts for a 19.3% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$1.2 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 9.2% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 3.3% and 3.9% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 4.8% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$1.4 Billion by the end of the analysis period.

Leather Segment to Reach $1.1 Billion by 2026

Leather represents the preferred choice of automakers for premium models owing to its stylish, luxurious and durable nature. Leather represents the preferred choice of automakers for premium models owing to its stylish, luxurious and durable nature. Being plush and luxurious in nature, leather upholstery is the best option for customers seeking comfort and appealing interiors. The stylish material can be easily patterned or colored, is convenient to clean and boasts superior stain resistance. In the global Leather segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 5.7% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$527.8 Million will reach a projected size of US$817.6 Million by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$237.5 Million by the year 2026, while Latin America will expand at a 7.9% CAGR through the analysis period.

Auto OEMs & Their Customers Say No to Noise

There is a rise in the demand for products that reduce voice in the interior cabin. For instance, Texel has developed the wheel well fibers with a mixture of consisting of a combination of polypropylene and polyester or 100% polyester. The wheel liners thus produced are moldable and easily recyclable compared to the other products. The polypropylene and polyester product combined with Thermofit technology possess remarkable moldability and acoustics.

The high-end cars of Ford such as Fiesta and Focus models use exterior wheel well liners which focuses on young generations and aids in keeping the radio tunes within the car interior thereby prevents noise from outside. Other companies using the liners are Audi, Mercedes, Honda, Nissan, and VW among others. The sound absorptions products are gaining popularity due to the longing to use mobile phones and enjoy costly sound systems while driving. Thus, to fulfill the need Freudenberg developed Evolon which is a sound absorption product for side panels and dashboards. The product comes with a flexible and moldable property which is easy to fit in areas creating noise. The acoustic materials developed by Foss also possess sound-absorbing capacity with moldable property. Also, the products are made by blending different fibers. The company is focussing on creating exterior fabrics for the car such as mudguards covering the outer side of the wheel well. This mudguard helps in neutralizing the sound generated when a car hits the rock and thus the noise is not transferred to the interior while listening on the sound system. The sawasorb exterior nonwovens developed by Sandler are sound and heat insulant together with fluid-resistant in the engine compartment. The noise generated by tire and engine is swiftly absorbed and thus aids in giving delightful experience to the customers. More

MarketGlass Platform

Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide.

Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years.

CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.
ROME, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Italy's government is studying ways to reduce the country's reliance on gas imports from Russia, Prime Minister Mario Draghi told Parliament on Tuesday.

Draghi sought to reassure Italians concerned about the rising security risks and spiraling energy prices stemming from the Russia-Ukraine military conflict that "the government is working non-stop to counter the possible repercussions."

Energy prices have been surging in Italy since before the Ukraine crisis. According to the country's National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), energy prices surged 29.1 percent in December 2021 and a further 38.6 percent in January. Preliminary data show that prices will continue to increase as a result of the crisis.

Draghi noted that Italy imports 95 percent of the natural gas it uses, and more than 40 percent of its total imports come from Russia. He said that gas imports from Russia are not expected to be suspended, but "it is important to assess all eventualities."

With spring approaching, that the rising temperatures will reduce the need for gas for heating. The country has 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas in storage, which should allow it to absorb disturbances in supply, he said.

The "situation risks being more complex for the next winter period and also for the more immediate future," he acknowledged. 
DENVER, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stamm, an early-stage biotechnology company based in Buenos Aires, recently announced raising $17 million in its Series A round. The round was led by Varana Capital, along with other existing and new investors.

The funding will help Stamm prepare for commercialization of its technology; further develop biopharma partnerships into pilot scale; enhance its operational infrastructure; and continue growing the company's 100+ person team, deepening its international presence.

Stamm is dedicated to making biomanufacturing easy, scalable, and repeatable. Pairing naturally occurring microfluidics and laminar flow together with 3D-printing, Stamm is developing a next-generation biomanufacturing platform that will enable continuous and autonomous mammalian cell production.

CEO Yuyo Llamazares told TechCrunch, "We detected this breach between the will to develop a biological product and the abilities of tools that were out in the market. That inspired us to take ownership of this problem."

Bolstered by the funding and with newly inaugurated bio facilities for microfabrication, cell line development, bioprocessing optimization, and Pilot Scale Qualification, Stamm continues on the path to becoming a one-stop solution, enabling biopharma pipelines for antibodies and cell therapies from discovery through commercialization.

After visiting with Stamm in Denver six months ago, Varana became convinced of the power of the technology and the ability to forever change how vaccines and other medicines are discovered and manufactured.

Llamazares said: "Connecting with Varana Capital was a defining moment for Stamm. When we met in Denver, it was instantly clear to us that we are perfectly aligned on the impact we want to make in the world. I'm grateful for their trust and for having their support to fulfill Stamm's Mission."

Philip Broenniman, co-founder and Managing Partner at Varana Capital, said: "With this most recent fundraise, we, along with the balance of investors, are excited to be a part of Stamm's mission to decentralize the biotech industry, to digitize biomanufacturing in the cloud, and to enable democratized access to biotechnology products."

The current fundraising was led by Varana Capital, along with new and existing investors, Draper Associates, SOSV's IndieBio, Decarbonization Consortium, Trillian LLC, New Abundance, Grid Exponential, VistaEnergy, Teramips, Cygnus Draper, Serenity Traders, and Dragones VC.

About Varana Capital

Based in Denver, CO, Varana Capital is an asset management platform, offering client access to venture capital, private equity, public markets, and biotech. The firm is not simply a sum total of assets under management, however. Seeking to create value by bringing much more than just capital to the table, Varana Capital offers prospective investments extensive operational, financial, and strategic guidance and expertise. To learn more, go to varanacapital.com or email [email protected].

Contacts

Ankur Ahuja, COO

(212) 993 - 1560

SOURCE Varana Capital, LLC
"I am thrilled to bring my unique perspective to all of our clients and help steer them in the direction of success." Tweet this

Dr. Greenberg received his undergraduate degree in Economics from Northwestern University and attended medical school at The University of Chicago. Dr. Greenberg completed his anesthesia residency at The University of California, San Francisco and was a Harvard Fellow in Cardiothoracic Anesthesia at The Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"The business of medicine is increasingly complex. As a practicing physician and former Ventra client, I intimately understand the challenges our clients face. I am thrilled to bring my unique perspective to all of our clients and help steer them in the direction of success." said Dr. Greenberg.

Ventra Health's CEO, Michael O'Boyle, stated: "The addition of Dr. Greenberg is a seminal moment in the development of Ventra Health's executive leadership team. We are building a company dedicated to serving our hospital-based physician specialty clients at the highest level, and adding a physician as highly credentialed as Dr. Greenberg to the team as Chief Client Officer further embodies our commitment. Dr. Greenberg has had an exceptionally distinguished career as a physician leader, and we could not ask for a more qualified individual to represent and advocate for the interest of our clients."

About Ventra Health:

Ventra Health is a leading healthcare organization focused on tech-enabled revenue cycle management, practice management, and advisory solutions for hospital-based physicians. Ventra partners with private practices, hospitals, health systems, and physician management organizations to deliver market-leading solutions that solve healthcare providers' most complex revenue and reimbursement issues.

Backed by Varsity Healthcare Partners, Ventra Health represents the acquisitions of DuvaSawko, Gottlieb, and Abeo, who collectively served the emergency medicine, hospital medicine, and anesthesia market.

Media Contact:

Christopher Morrison

SVP Marketing & Sales Operations

[email protected]

SOURCE Ventra Health
AUSTIN, Texas, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vyopta, the leader in digital collaboration user experience management, today announced its plans to further expand into Europe with the launch of its new European Union Vyopta cloud. This is in addition to the company's existing US Commercial and FedRAMP Government clouds in the U.S. The new European cloud will enable Vyopta to better serve its European customers.

"As we continue to support and expand our client base in Europe, we want to ensure that they are confident we can support secure data residency needs," said Alfredo Ramirez, CEO of Vyopta. "We chose to house the Vyopa EU Cloud in Germany because of their well-known high-security standards."

One of the world's leading car and truck manufacturers and a global leader in next-age digital services and technology consulting are two large enterprises that are among those that will be the initial group using Vyopta's EU Cloud. Other clients in the region include organizations in education, enterprise, finance, government, and healthcare.

Vyopta currently has an office in the UK and offers 24-hour customer service support to enterprises around the world.

About Vyopta Incorporated

Vyopta , the leader in digital collaboration user experience management, has helped 40 million people collaborate better. Its Collaboration Performance Management and Workspace Insights applications have helped identify and address over 9 million issues. Vyopta helps organisations deliver the best UC user experience and optimise their UC and real estate investments. Hundreds of organisations worldwide spanning 20+ industries use Vyopta to monitor 6 million endpoints and over 20 billion meeting minutes a year.

SOURCE Vyopta Inc
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) market reached a value of US$ 1.73 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 2.26 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.20% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, they are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), or cellulose gum, refers to the sodium salt derivative of cellulose. It is physiologically inert, chemically stable, odorless, tasteless and white in color. CMC is manufactured using plant-based cellulose, caustic soda and monochloroacetic acid. It is produced by processing alkali cellulose with monochloroacetic acid (MCA) in the presence of a catalyst. CMC exhibits various advantageous thickening and emulsifying properties and is used as an adhesive agent in paper boxes and mosquito coils. It is also utilized as a thickener, stabilizer, binder and dispersant in cosmetics, medicinal drugs, oil drilling fluids and detergents. As a result, it finds extensive applications across various industries, including food and beverage, mining, chemical, oil and gas and paper

Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) Market Trends:Significant growth in the cosmetics industry across the globe is one of the key factors driving the growth of the market. CMC is widely used in cosmetic formulations of creams, lotions, shampoos, face creams and moisturizers as a binding, thickening and stabilizing agent. It is also added to toothpaste to impart a smooth texture and enhance salt tolerance and acid resistance.

Moreover, the increasing product adoption in the food and beverage industry is providing a thrust to the market growth. CMC is utilized in the manufacturing of ready-to-eat (RTE), processed and bakery products and reducing fat levels from gluten-free products and frozen desserts. Additionally, the increasing demand of CMC for the manufacturing of oral, injectable, ophthalmic and topical pharmaceutical formulations is also contributing to the growth of the market. Other factors, including the rising consumer preference for natural and organically sourced personal care products, along with the widespread product adoption for separating and concentrating ores in mineral processing, are anticipated to drive the market growth

Key Market Segmentation:

The publisher provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) market market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. Our report has categorized the market based on purity level, property and application



Breakup by Purity Level:

Highly Purified

Technical Grade

Industrial Grade

Breakup by Property:

Thickening Agent

Stabilizer

Binder

Anti-Repository Agent

Lubricator

Emulsifier

Excipient

Breakup by Application:

Food and Beverages

Oil and Refining

Pharmaceutical

Paint and Textile

Cosmetics and Personal Care

Paper Coating and Household Care

Others

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Ashland Global Specialty Chemicals Inc, Cellulose Solution Private Limited, Chongqing Lihong Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd., Daicel Corporation, DKS Co. Ltd, J.M. Huber Corporation, Lamberti S.p.A., Madhu Hydrocolloids Private Limited, Mikro-Technik GmbH & Company KG, Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd., Qingdao Sinocmc Chemical Co. Ltd., TCI Chemicals (India) Pvt. Ltd. and Zibo Hailan Chemical Co. Ltd



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the purity level?

What is the breakup of the market based on the property?

What is the breakup of the market based on the application?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Purity Level

6.1 Highly Purified

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Technical Grade

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Industrial Grade

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Property

7.1 Thickening Agent

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Stabilizer

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Binder

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Anti-Repository Agent

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Lubricator

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 Emulsifier

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast

7.7 Excipient

7.7.1 Market Trends

7.7.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Application

8.1 Food and Beverages

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Oil and Refining

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Pharmaceutical

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast

8.4 Paint and Textile

8.4.1 Market Trends

8.4.2 Market Forecast

8.5 Cosmetics and Personal Care

8.5.1 Market Trends

8.5.2 Market Forecast

8.6 Paper Coating and Household Care

8.6.1 Market Trends

8.6.2 Market Forecast

8.7 Others

8.7.1 Market Trends

8.7.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Analysis



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Ashland Global Specialty Chemicals Inc

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 Cellulose Solution Private Limited

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 Chongqing Lihong Fine Chemicals Co. Ltd.

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4 Daicel Corporation

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 DKS Co. Ltd

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.6 J.M. Huber Corporation

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.6.3 SWOT Analysis

14.3.7 Lamberti S.p.A.

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8 Madhu Hydrocolloids Private Limited

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.9 Mikro-Technik GmbH & Company KG

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd.

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.11 Qingdao Sinocmc Chemical Co. Ltd.

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12 TCI Chemicals (India) Pvt. Ltd.

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.13 Zibo Hailan Chemical Co. Ltd.

14.3.13.1 Company Overview

14.3.13.2 Product Portfolio

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qi8qxf

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "GDPR Services Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global GDPR services market reached a value of US$ 1.61 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach a value of US$ 5.88 Billion by 2027 exhibiting a CAGR of 23.50% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) services refer to various advanced solutions that aid organizations in complying with the European Union (EU) GDPR. They involve the evaluation of areas, such as document lifecycle, encryption and data backup, GDPR readiness assessment, risk assessment, data protection impact assessment (DPIA), followed by planning and implementation of concrete IT solutions in business operations. They assist enterprises in protecting the personal data and privacy of all EU citizens for transactions occurring within EU member states. In recent years, GDPR services have rapidly gained traction as they help businesses fulfill the GDPR requirements effectively to avoid hefty fines and legal issues.

GDPR Services Market Trends:

The rising need for organizations to comply with GDPR implemented by the EU represents the primary factor driving the market growth. Additionally, the continuous generation of vast amounts of data has strengthened the need for enhanced data security and privacy. This, in confluence with the widespread prevalence of cybersecurity attacks across the globe, is catalyzing the demand for GDPR services.

Furthermore, the escalating demand for data processing transparency to improve security service delivery and organizational reputation is propelling the market growth. Besides this, the growing number of individuals working remotely due to the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and the implementation of stringent data privacy regulations by governments of various countries are encouraging the adoption of GDPR services. Moreover, several leading players are launching innovative GDPR solutions to expand their customer base and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Other factors, including the rapid digitization, rising cloud adoption, increasing penetration of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and technological advancements, are also creating a positive market outlook.



Key Market Segmentation:

The publisher provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global GDPR services market, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. Our report has categorized the market based on offering, deployment type, organization size and end user.



Breakup by Offering:

Data Management

Data Discovery and Mapping

Data Governance

API Management

Breakup by Deployment Type:

On-premises

Cloud-based

Breakup by Organization Size:

Large Enterprises

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Breakup by End User:

BFSI

Retail

Healthcare

Education

Manufacturing

Government and Public Sector

Others

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:

The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Absolute Software Corporation, Amazon Web Services Inc., Capgemini SE, International Business Machines Corporation, Informatica, Iron Mountain Inc., Micro Focus International PLC, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Proofpoint Inc., SAP SE, Trustwave Holdings Inc. (Singapore Telecommunications Limited) and Veritas Technologies LLC.



Key Questions Answered in this Report:

How has the global GDPR services market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global GDPR services market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the offering?

What is the breakup of the market based on the deployment type?

What is the breakup of the market based on the organization size?

What is the breakup of the market based on the end user?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global GDPR services market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global GDPR Services Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Offering

6.1 Data Management

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Data Discovery and Mapping

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Data Governance

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 API Management

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Deployment Type

7.1 On-premises

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Cloud-based

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by Organization Size

8.1 Large Enterprises

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by End User

9.1 BFSI

9.1.1 Market Trends

9.1.2 Market Forecast

9.2 Retail

9.2.1 Market Trends

9.2.2 Market Forecast

9.3 Healthcare

9.3.1 Market Trends

9.3.2 Market Forecast

9.4 Education

9.4.1 Market Trends

9.4.2 Market Forecast

9.5 Manufacturing

9.5.1 Market Trends

9.5.2 Market Forecast

9.6 Government and Public Sector

9.6.1 Market Trends

9.6.2 Market Forecast

9.7 Others

9.7.1 Market Trends

9.7.2 Market Forecast



10 Market Breakup by Region



11 SWOT Analysis

11.1 Overview

11.2 Strengths

11.3 Weaknesses

11.4 Opportunities

11.5 Threats



12 Value Chain Analysis



13 Porters Five Forces Analysis

13.1 Overview

13.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers

13.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

13.4 Degree of Competition

13.5 Threat of New Entrants

13.6 Threat of Substitutes



14 Price Analysis



15 Competitive Landscape

15.1 Market Structure

15.2 Key Players

15.3 Profiles of Key Players

15.3.1 Absolute Software Corporation

15.3.1.1 Company Overview

15.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.1.3 Financials

15.3.2 Amazon Web Services Inc.

15.3.2.1 Company Overview

15.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.2.3 Financials

15.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.3 Capgemini SE

15.3.3.1 Company Overview

15.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.3.3 Financials

15.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.4 International Business Machines Corporation

15.3.4.1 Company Overview

15.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.4.3 Financials

15.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.5 Informatica

15.3.5.1 Company Overview

15.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6 Iron Mountain Inc.

15.3.6.1 Company Overview

15.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.6.3 Financials

15.3.6.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.7 Micro Focus International PLC

15.3.7.1 Company Overview

15.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.7.3 Financials

15.3.8 Microsoft Corporation

15.3.8.1 Company Overview

15.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.8.3 Financials

15.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.9 Oracle Corporation

15.3.9.1 Company Overview

15.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.9.3 Financials

15.3.9.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.10 Proofpoint Inc.

15.3.10.1 Company Overview

15.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.11 SAP SE

15.3.11.1 Company Overview

15.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.11.3 Financials

15.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

15.3.12 Trustwave Holdings Inc. (Singapore Telecommunications Limited)

15.3.12.1 Company Overview

15.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

15.3.13 Veritas Technologies LLC

15.3.13.1 Company Overview

15.3.13.2 Product Portfolio



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rf6q4s

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - The "Quantum Cryptography Market - Forecasts from 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The quantum cryptography market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 26.04% to reach $1,635.934 million by 2026, from $323.478 million in 2019. Quantum cryptography refers to the technique for the creation of a cryptographic key with the use of photons, transmitted to a receiver by using a suitable communication channel. Quantum cryptography allows users to interact with secure methods which are based on invariable and fundamental principles of quantum mechanics to increase the privacy of communication.



Driving Factors

The increasing demand for quantum cryptography due to the growing cyber-attacks and data theft incidents in the era of digitization has proved to be a major driver for the quantum cryptography market in the forecast period. As digitization offers various chances to optimize operations and systems across various industry verticals. Hence, the increasing number of connected devices is leading to growing data thefts and cyber-attacks across the globe.

These data theft activities and cyber-attacks at a higher rate pose a threat to growing businesses and governments of nations. Several developing and developed countries including China, the US, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, India have proven to be major targets of cyber-attacks and data theft activities. Also, the increasing occurrence of cyber-attacks in financial services and online banking owing to the high penetration of internet services has led to the adoption of quantum cryptography in recent years leading to its market growth.



Market Segmentation

The quantum cryptography market, based on the application of quantum cryptography is divided into application security, database encryption, network security, and others. The network security system is anticipated to grow at a promising rate as quantum cryptography is implemented to ensure application security and network security.

Network security refers to the process to ensure usability and integrity of information and network. Which incorporates both hardware and software technologies. Network securities growing application in various industry verticals has led to its growing adoption.



By enterprise size, the large enterprise is expected to uphold maximum growth owing to the greater threat of cyber-attacks on enterprises or firms leading to data loss.



By end-user application, the quantum cryptography market is segmented into communication and technology, government, military and defense, retail, healthcare, BFSI, and others. The BFSI segment is anticipated to grow at a faster rate owing to the increasing adoption of quantum cryptography in the end-user segment. The growing cyber-attacks in the banking and finance sector have led to the growth of the quantum cryptography market.



Geographically the North American region in the quantum cryptography market is expected to show prominent growth owing to the rising rate of cyber-attacks in the region leading to the adoption of quantum cryptography. With the high adoption of encryption-based applications in the North American region, the rate of cyber-attacks is rising dramatically. Also, the increasing need for data privacy and the growing IT management complexity are leading to the growth of the quantum cryptography market.



Growth Factors

Growing applications across industry verticals, enterprises, and government sectors.



One of the major reasons for the growth of quantum cryptography is the application of quantum cryptography across various industry verticals including government and enterprises sectors, healthcare, BFSI industry verticals. Digitalization, automation, and Industry 4.0 have had a rapid change in the adoption of business applications. The growing consumers and business for operation agility have led to a digital transformation across industry sectors. The demand for a strong network by enterprises to support the digital transformation has led to the adoption of quantum cryptography to safeguard their data with the growing technological advancements and evolving ecosystem.



Restraints

High implementation costs associated with quantum cryptography



A major restraint in the growth of the quantum cryptography market is the high implementation costs associated with it. Although the advantages associated with the installation of quantum cryptography are quite high the higher cost of implementation and higher time consumption for implementation of quantum cryptography acts as a major hindrance to the market growth of quantum cryptography. The implementation cost associated with quantum cryptography increases with distance leading to enterprises paying a huge sum of money for the maintenance and implementation of these solutions and services leading to its less adoption.



Impact of COVID-19 on the quantum cryptography market

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on the world as a whole and has led to economic breakdown and loss of life. The COVID-19 impact on the quantum cryptography market has been positive owing to the increase in demand for digitalization. The cost of data recovery is relatively high and the growing cyber-attacks and data breaches during the course of the pandemic have led to the adoption of quantum cryptography solutions by companies to secure their data.

The surging use of cloud-based software adoption across various industry verticals has fueled the growing adoption of quantum cryptography in the forecast period. Furthermore, the increasing number of cyber security firms or companies on the services and databases offered is further boosting the market growth of the quantum cryptography market.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Market Dynamics

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. Threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. Quantum Cryptography Market Analysis, By Component

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Hardware

5.3. Software

5.4. Services



6. Quantum Cryptography Market Analysis, By Enterprise Size

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Small

6.3. Medium

6.4. Large



7. Quantum Cryptography Market Analysis, By Application

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Network Security

7.3. Database Encryption

7.4. Application Security

7.5. Others



8. Quantum Cryptography Market Analysis, By End-User

8.1. Introduction

8.2. BFSI

8.3. Government

8.4. Military & Defence

8.5. Retail

8.6. Healthcare

8.7. Others



9. Quantum Cryptography Market Analysis, By Geography

10. Competitive Environment and Analysis

10.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

10.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

10.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

10.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



11. Company Profiles

11.1. IBM

11.2. ID Quantique

11.3. MagiQ Technologies Inc.

11.4. Quintessence Labs

11.5. NuCrypt

11.6. Anhui Qasky Quantum Technology Co. Ltd.

11.7. Crypta Labs Ltd.

11.8. Qubitekk

11.9. PQ Solutions Ltd.

11.10. Infineon Technologies



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/19a54u

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Remote Patient Monitoring Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global remote patient monitoring market reached a value of US$ 1.1 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 2.7 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 16.1% during 2022-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



The global remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a subset of telehealth that utilizes digital technologies to collect medical and other forms of data about the patient outside the healthcare setting. This data generally comprises weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, blood oxygen levels, heart rate and electrocardiograms, which are transmitted to healthcare providers using a telehealth computer system and software that can be installed on a computer, smartphone and tablet. RPM aids health professionals in monitoring the condition and improving the quality of care given to patients from anywhere around the world.



One of the leading factors driving the RPM market is the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. On account of the highly infectious nature of the virus, healthcare providers across the globe are utilizing RPM services for monitoring patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 and providing hospital-based care on a timely basis. This will aid in freeing up hospital resources for treating existing and more critical patients.

Additionally, the rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, in confluence with the growing geriatric population, which is more susceptible to chronic conditions, represents another key factor fueling the RPM market growth. In addition to this, improving healthcare infrastructure and rapid advancements in wireless technologies, along with the increasing penetration of smartphones, are shifting healthcare services from clinic-centric to patient-centric delivery models, such as RPM. This is escalating the demand for RPM systems across the globe. Other than this, several key players are offering RPM that allows real-time video interaction between the patient and the healthcare provider. They are also introducing product innovations, which are projected to drive the market in the upcoming years. For instance, Dexcom, Inc., a US-based medical device company, launched a G6 CGM device, which is a small sensor that measures glucose levels and sends the data wirelessly to a display device through a transmitter.

Competitive Landscape:

The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Abbott Laboratories, AMD Global Telemedicine Inc., BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG, Boston Scientific Corporation, Dexcom, Inc., GE Healthcare Inc. (Danaher Corporation), Honeywell International Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., Medtronic Inc., Nihon Kohden Corporation, OSI Systems Inc., Roche Holding AG, etc.



Key Questions Answered in this Report

1. What is the market size for global remote patient monitoring market?

2. What is the global remote patient monitoring market growth?

3. What are the global remote patient monitoring market drivers?

4. What are the key industry trends in the global remote patient monitoring market?

5. What is the impact of COVID-19 on the global remote patient monitoring market?

6. What is the global remote patient monitoring market breakup by device type?

7. What is the global remote patient monitoring market breakup by application?

8. What is the global remote patient monitoring market breakup by end use?

9. What are the major regions in the global remote patient monitoring market?

10. Who are the key companies/players in the global remote patient monitoring market?



Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Key Industry Trends



5 Global Remote Patient Monitoring Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Device Type

6.1 Blood Pressure Monitor

6.1.1 Market Trends

6.1.2 Market Forecast

6.2 Glucose Monitor

6.2.1 Market Trends

6.2.2 Market Forecast

6.3 Heart Rate Monitor

6.3.1 Market Trends

6.3.2 Market Forecast

6.4 Pulse Oximeters

6.4.1 Market Trends

6.4.2 Market Forecast

6.5 Respiratory Monitor

6.5.1 Market Trends

6.5.2 Market Forecast

6.6 Others

6.6.1 Market Trends

6.6.2 Market Forecast



7 Market Breakup by Application

7.1 Cancer Treatment

7.1.1 Market Trends

7.1.2 Market Forecast

7.2 Cardiovascular Diseases Treatment and Monitoring

7.2.1 Market Trends

7.2.2 Market Forecast

7.3 Diabetes Treatment

7.3.1 Market Trends

7.3.2 Market Forecast

7.4 Sleep Disorder Treatment

7.4.1 Market Trends

7.4.2 Market Forecast

7.5 Weight Management and Fitness Monitoring

7.5.1 Market Trends

7.5.2 Market Forecast

7.6 Others

7.6.1 Market Trends

7.6.2 Market Forecast



8 Market Breakup by End-Use

8.1 Hospitals and Clinics

8.1.1 Market Trends

8.1.2 Market Forecast

8.2 Homecare Settings

8.2.1 Market Trends

8.2.2 Market Forecast

8.3 Others

8.3.1 Market Trends

8.3.2 Market Forecast



9 Market Breakup by Region



10 SWOT Analysis



11 Value Chain Analysis



12 Porters Five Forces Analysis



13 Price Indicators



14 Competitive Landscape

14.1 Market Structure

14.2 Key Players

14.3 Profiles of Key Players

14.3.1 Abbott Laboratories

14.3.1.1 Company Overview

14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.1.3 Financials

14.3.1.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.2 AMD Global Telemedicine Inc.

14.3.2.1 Company Overview

14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3 BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG

14.3.3.1 Company Overview

14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.3.3 Financials

14.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.4 Boston Scientific Corporation

14.3.4.1 Company Overview

14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.4.3 Financials

14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.5 Dexcom Inc.

14.3.5.1 Company Overview

14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.5.3 Financials

14.3.5.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.6 GE Healthcare Inc. (Danaher Corporation)

14.3.6.1 Company Overview

14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7 Honeywell International Inc.

14.3.7.1 Company Overview

14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.7.3 Financials

14.3.7.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.8 Koninklijke Philips N.V.

14.3.8.1 Company Overview

14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.8.3 Financials

14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.9 Medtronic Inc.

14.3.9.1 Company Overview

14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10 Nihon Kohden Corporation

14.3.10.1 Company Overview

14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.10.3 Financials

14.3.10.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.11 OSI Systems Inc.

14.3.11.1 Company Overview

14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.11.3 Financials

14.3.11.4 SWOT Analysis

14.3.12 Roche Holding AG

14.3.12.1 Company Overview

14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio

14.3.12.3 Financials

14.3.12.4 SWOT Analysis



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/oevqau

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
CARMEL, Ind., March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zotec Partners (Zotec), a leader in technology-enabled and data-driven healthcare revenue cycle management solutions to optimize financial experiences, has been named a Best Places to Work by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce for 2022, ranking consecutively since 2020. Zotec was recognized in the large employer category, highlighting companies with 250-999 employees across Indiana.

"Our people are the reason that Zotec is such an extraordinary place to work, and they are the reason healthcare providers across the country trust our innovative solutions," said T. Scott Law, founder and CEO of Zotec Partners. "As the world of work continuously changes, it's key that we continue to empower our team members with the opportunities to grow and feel inspired to reach their full potential. It's an honor to see our team recognized for three successive years as one of the best workplaces."

Top companies were determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Workplace Research Group to survey employees to identify the companies liked best by employees. All the surveys were anonymous, empowering respondents to share their opinions openly.

"We are incredibly proud of the work our team members perform and the impact they have in the lives of so many peopleproviders and patients," added Aimee Harvey, EVP of People and Culture at Zotec. "We're better together, collaborating to achieve positive outcomes for each other and our clients. Zotec is committed to supporting our peoplefrom competitive benefits and professional development to wellness programs and paid volunteer hours, we're happy to offer these meaningful benefits."

Best Places to Work in Indiana recognizes outstanding employers and sets a high standard for other companies by encouraging them to realize the importance of evaluating their workplaces. Final rankings will be unveiled on May 12 at an awards ceremony honoring all nominees. For more information on the awards criteria and program, visit www.bestplacestoworkin.com.

This recognition is the latest in a growing number of employer of choice honors that Zotec has received recently, including being named a 'Top 5' company in the large employer category in 2021 by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Zotec was also recognized as one of the best technology companies to work for across the United States in the 2022 Powderkeg Unvalley Awards. For more information about Zotec and what makes it a great place to work, visit zotecpartners.com.

Media Inquiries

Stephanie Freeman

(317) 273-3248

[email protected]

About Zotec Partners

Zotec Partners (Zotec) is the country's largest, privately held provider of patient engagement, revenue cycle and practice management solutions for healthcare practices and their patients. Supporting more than 120 million medical encounters annually, Zotec's progressive technology solutions, data-driven tools and industry-leading client support transforms the financial capabilities for more than 21,000 healthcare providers nationwide. Our powerful revenue cycle resources enable patients with a more seamless and fulfilling bill care experience, leading to peak revenue optimization for healthcare providers. Learn more about Zotec and stay up-to-date on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About Indiana Chamber of Commerce The Indiana Chamber partners with 25,000 members and investors  representing over four million Hoosiers  to achieve the mission of "cultivating a world-class environment which provides economic opportunity and prosperity." For more information, please visit www.indianachamber.com.

SOURCE Zotec Partners
Allergy Therapeutics PLC (AIM:AGY) has presented new data showing the use of its grass pollen vaccine can cut hay fever symptoms by around 40%.

Posters from its two lead immunotherapy programmes were shown at the 2022 American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting held in Phoenix, Arizona.

Results from the field trial of Grass MATA MPL, an injectable treatment for grass pollen allergy, were better compared to the placebo group than previously reported

An improvement in symptoms of 39.5% was recorded against the 36.8% figure initially reported in October 2021.

Allergy also presented post-hoc analyses of an earlier Phase II grass trial highlighting the strong predictive value of the baseline conjunctival provocation test score, which it said will help frame the Phase III trial that is scheduled to commence in the autumn.

Ahead of that trial, Allergy also unveiled new procedures to measure accurately daily pollen counts and better establish the peak grass pollen season.

Elsewhere, Allergy also presented data from a biomarker study (VLP001) of its peanut allergy treatment development VLP Peanut that indicated it does not elicit an allergic reaction and results in a significant reduction in the allergens that spark a reaction.

Manuel Llobet, Allergy's chief executive, said: "Demonstrating a nearly 40% reduction in combined symptom and medication score compared to placebo in a grass pollen allergy trial is a significant event in our history.

"We are very much looking forward to the pivotal G306 clinical trial of our Grass MATA MPL immunotherapy that is due to commence later this year and, if successful, would enable registration in Europe and the US.

"I am also very proud to see the data from our VLP001 study being presented internationally - data that provides us with confidence in the product profile of our novel short course peanut allergy vaccine candidate."
Hundreds of aircraft leasing contracts with Russia have been terminated following the latest sanctions on the countrys aviation industry.

AerCap Holdings, the worlds largest plane leasing company, saw shares fall 13.34% today following last nights statement that it would step away from a Russian industry carrying planes worth around US$2.5bn.

On Sunday, the European Union gave leasing companies until March 28 to end current rental contracts in Russia.

Around two-thirds of those, with an estimated value of US$10bn, are rented from foreign firms.

IBA said 5% of AerCaps fleet, based on net book value, and equivalent to 152 planes, was leased in Russia, with clients including Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, Rossiya, Azur Air and Ural Airlines.

Russia warned it would retaliate against EU aviation sanctions.

AerCaps exposure to Russia is the largest among leasing companies, with the CEO of Avalon, the worlds second-biggest leasing group, telling Reuters last month that the company had fewer than 20 planes in Russia and one or two in Ukraine.

Lessor BOC Aviations shares took a 3.76% tumble this morning after pulling out of the Russian market, where 4.5% of its fleet is based

"Our policy is to fully comply with all laws applicable to our business," BOC Aviation said in a statement.

"The practical consequences of the new EU sanctions are complex and at the present time we are unable to provide further information."

While Russias membership of the Cape Town Convention makes it easier to recover jets in exchange for cheaper finance for airlines, cooperation of courts is still likely to be needed, while Russian aviation authorities and airlines may decide not to cooperate with leasing companies.
Voters arrive at a polling station for the Texas 2022 primary election in Austin, Texas, the United States, on March 1, 2022. Voters across the second most populous U.S. state of Texas are heading to the polls on Tuesday, kicking off the first primary of the country's 2022 midterm election season. (Photo by Bo Lee/Xinhua)

HOUSTON, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Voters across the second most populous U.S. state of Texas are heading to the polls on Tuesday, kicking off the first primary of the country's 2022 midterm election season.

It's also the first statewide election in which voters will cast their ballots following the redistricting based on the results of the 2020 national census, as well as the first statewide election after Texas enacted its controversial voting law.

Governor Greg Abbott, 64, facing seven other Republicans, is seeking a third term.

On the Democratic ticket, Beto O'Rourke, a 49-year-old former U.S. Senate nominee and presidential candidate, is the best known and challenged by four other Democrats.

"I think the one big race here in Texas is going to be for governor. That is a huge race because it is very political, red, blue, it's time for change," Michael Martinez, a San Antonio voter, told Xinhua.

"This is stage one of what will be a tremendous battle as we go forward to November 8," Abbott said in a campaign speech in El Paso last week, touting the state's economy under his leadership while slamming O'Rourke on his climate change positions, catering to the fossil fuels industry seen as the state's lifeline.

It is "a real struggle just to stay alive" in Texas under the all-Republican leadership, O'Rourke claimed during his weeks-long run, blasting the governor for the failures of the state energy grid last winter, which claimed at least 246 lives and resulted in huge economic damage in the state. Democrats haven't won a statewide election since 1994.

During the primary campaign, Republican and Democratic candidates in Texas have spent more time talking about the economy, pandemic, power grid, immigration, schools and health care, local analysts observe. The abortion issue so far haven't taken center stage.

"Hot topic for me would have to be education. As a former teacher, retired teacher, I always look to see how they're talking about education so that would be the hot button topic for me," Rosalinda Casillas, 63, told Xinhua at a polling place in San Antonio.

Brianna Menard, a college student living in Austin, the capital city of Texas, told Xinhua that in her view, voter suppression "is the number one concern right now" after the state's new voting law took effect in December.

Texas is one of 18 U.S. states that passed more restrictive voting laws after the 2020 presidential election. According to a National Public Radio report on Sunday, only in Harris County, home to Houston and the state's most populous county, 40 percent of mail-in ballot applications prior were flagged for rejection.

However, most Texans just skip the primary elections, said a report in The Texas Tribune on Friday, citing the seemingly low turn-out and the Republican-led redistricting following the 2020 national census.

"The political maps rig most of the districts in the congressional delegation, state House and Senate and State Board of Education so that only a Democrat or only a Republican can win. Few are competitive," said the report.

Three percent of Texans will decide who governs the other 97 percent, the report claimed, noting that a candidate could have won a Republican nomination for the governor race with support from 2.1 percent of voters while a Democrat would have needed just 1.5 percent.

Data from the Texas secretary of state show that 17.1 million Texans are registered to vote but there are 29.1 million Texans and out of them, 21.7 million are 18 years old or older.

The state's races for major state positions also include lieutenant governor, state attorney general and some others. Texan voters will also choose each party's candidates to face off in November for district-based congressional and legislative offices, which will offer clues about where the country's midterm cycle is headed, local analysts said.

According to local media reports, Texas is an open primary state, which means voters in the state don't register as members of a particular political party. Instead, they can cast a ballot in either party's primary election, though not both. 

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the Texas 2022 primary election in San Antonio, Texas, the United States, on March 1, 2022. Voters across the second most populous U.S. state of Texas are heading to the polls on Tuesday, kicking off the first primary of the country's 2022 midterm election season. (Photo by Nick Wagner/Xinhua)

A woman walks to a polling station to cast her ballot in the Texas 2022 primary election in San Antonio, Texas, the United States, on March 1, 2022. Voters across the second most populous U.S. state of Texas are heading to the polls on Tuesday, kicking off the first primary of the country's 2022 midterm election season. (Photo by Nick Wagner/Xinhua)

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in the Texas 2022 primary election in San Antonio, Texas, the United States, on March 1, 2022. Voters across the second most populous U.S. state of Texas are heading to the polls on Tuesday, kicking off the first primary of the country's 2022 midterm election season. (Photo by Nick Wagner/Xinhua)

Election officials help a handicapped voter during the Texas 2022 primary election in San Antonio, Texas, the United States, on March 1, 2022. Voters across the second most populous U.S. state of Texas are heading to the polls on Tuesday, kicking off the first primary of the country's 2022 midterm election season. (Photo by Nick Wagner/Xinhua)
MSCI and JP Morgan are under pressure to remove Russian stocks and bonds from emerging markets indices following Russias invasion of Ukraine last week.

Moscows stock market was forced to close on Monday, as the impact of Western sanctions on Russia began to be felt, and will remain shut again today.

Trading restrictions on Russian equities and bonds in international markets mean these securities will no longer meet the minimum liquidity requirements needed for their inclusion in benchmarks such as the MSCI Emerging Markets index and JPMorgan Emerging Markets Bond (EMBI) indices, the Financial Times reported.

A top executive at MSCI told Reuters that the Russia's stock market is "uninvestable", making a removal of Russian listings from indexes a "natural next step".

"It would not make a lot of sense for us to continue to include Russian securities if our clients and investors cannot transact in the market," Dimitris Melas, MSCI's head of index research and chair of the Index Policy Committee, told Reuters.

Yesterday, JPMorgan Chase announced an initial $1mln donation to support humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine.
Bitcoin has experienced a surge following Russias invasion of Ukraine, with citizens turning to cryptocurrency to store and move money.

The Russian rouble has tanked to record lows as sanctions apply a squeeze to the countrys economy, and people are viewing crypto as a store of value.

Data collected by CryptoCompare, a cryptocurrency market data provider, said that Bitcoin trading denominated in the rouble rose by 259% to US$13.1mln on Thursday, the first day of the attacks.

Bea OCarroll, a managing director at Radkl, a digital asset investment firm told Reuters that the war has seen Bitcoin being used to transfer value, adding having a currency that is not controlled by the government, that is not affected by the emergency acts is really interesting."

Bitcoin has climbed 13% since the first day of the invasion to US$43,000, compared to the 2% experienced by the S&P 500 US stock index that it has increasingly mirrored over the last year or so.

Gold, often viewed as a traditional store of value, is largely flat after rising 3.5% over the first few days of the invasion, nearly pushing past US$2,000 at one point.

The anonymity given by Bitcoin may also prove to be a haven for oligarchs who are being hit by sanctions imposed by NATO.

"Bitcoin could be a potential safe haven for Russian oligarchs avoiding sanctions as there will be no censor on the Bitcoin network and on cryptocurrency transactions," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.

On the flip side, Ukraine has turned to cryptocurrency to help aid its efforts in resisting Russia.

Vice-president Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted the addresses of Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets, adding Ukraine is now accepting cryptocurrency donations.

Elliptic, a blockchain analysis company, said the country has raised over US$22mln in cryptocurrencies as a result.
They can take away our lager but they can never take our freehouse

JD Wetherspoon Plc (LSE:JDW) is to stop selling Baltika lager, which originates in Russia, in its pubs.

With immediate effect, Baltika lager is being withdrawn from all Wetherspoon pubs, a spokesperson for the pubs group told The News, a local newspaper in Portsmouth.

The move comes after Russias invasion of Ukraine last week.

The pub chain also said that its pubs will no longer be obliged to stock Stolichnaya vodka, although this is as a result of a shake-up of the chain's drinks menu rather than any anti-Russian sentiment; although Stoli originated in the Soviet Union it is now made in Latvia.

Smirnoff, or McSmirnoff as some people call it (as it is made in Scotland), will continue to be stocked by Spoons.




Russian miners are set to be the main losers in the latest FTSE 100 reshuffle, which is determined tonight.

The plunge in the value of gold miner Polymetal International PLC and steel maker Evraz PLC (LSE:EVR) (Evraz PLC (LSE:EVR)) - down another 27.1% and 16.65% today respectively - means that both are unsurprisingly set to lose their berths in the leading UK index.

The quarterly FTSE changes will be based on tonight's closing prices, and there is no way that either will regain enough ground to remain in the FTSE 100.

Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown said: "Instead of a gentle reshuffling of cards in the FTSE review, the conflict in Ukraine has thrown the pack up in the air, with Russian miners plummeting down in value."

Their likely replacements are gold producer Endeavour Mining PLC and kitchen group Howden Joinery Group.

Royal Mail PLC (LSE:RMG) is also teetering on the brink of relegation from the blue-chip index.

Should it fall out once more, there are two companies that are vying to return to the top flight, British Gas owner Centrica PLC and easyJet.

Centrica is currently down 0.72% while easyJet has dropped 4.93% on concerns about travel while war is raging in Ukraine.
Mining companies are both affecting and affected by climate change

For many businesses, climate change isnt simply an aspirational ESG-compliance target for the prospectus, its an existential threat.

Extreme weather, such as floods and heatwaves, is already affecting mining projects and their surrounding communities, in mild cases pushing project timelines out as miners wait for inclement conditions to pass, and in the worst cases, crippling productivity and safety and destroying infrastructure and jobs.

Mines are often situated in unforgiving, remote terrain and exposed to challenging weather conditions, and exposed businesses are therefore pretty adept at planning for weather contingencies.

While the mining industry is no stranger to operating in harsh environments, the increasingly erratic nature and intensity of these natural hazards will challenge their traditional operating models, United Nations Global Compact Network Australia (UNGCNA) head of programs Corinne Schoch said.

In this article:

What extreme weather does to mining

In December 2019, coal miner Whitehaven was forced to cut its production guidance at one of its mines in NSW as a result of ongoing drought and bushfires.

In July 2021, Rio Tinto recorded a 12% decline in its quarterly iron ore shipments from its Western Australian operations due to materially high rainfall.

Cyclone Yasi shut down 85% of Queenslands coal mines in 2011, resulting in major miners like BHP, Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Peabody Energy declaring force majeure on their customer contracts.

In Chile, a heavily copper-dependent economy, torrential downpours in 2015 forced mining companies to suspend operations, putting 1.6 million tonnes of resource on hold.

In 2021, deadly torrential rainfall put a halt to iron ore operations in the south of Brazil.

At the timing of writing, La Nina weather patterns observed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) are wreaking unprecedented havoc along the northern part of the eastern seaboard, and mining operations in these regions have not been immune.

While companies do factor in seasonal rainfall into their planning, these weather events are increasing in both severity and frequency.

In the face of this material threat, companies are following a twofold defence strategy of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The first plank  mitigation  is about arresting the march of climate change. The second plank, which acknowledges that climate change is already here, is adaptation, which involves developing strategies to survive and thrive in spite of it.

The impacts of climate change on the mining industry are drastic, said Schoch.

Climate change is becoming more and more apparent  especially here in Australia. The Bureau of Meteorologys State of the Climate Report shows that Australia has already warmed by 1.4C since 1910.

Natural hazards due to climate change like drought, water stress, competition over finite water resources, flooding, fires and extreme weather are only going to increase in frequency and intensity.

As mines are asset-intensive businesses, these weather events will continue to pose a risk to company assets and infrastructure, increasing the potential to disrupt operations.

Given our reputation for tier-one mining, its no surprise that Australia is a world leader in climate adaptation for the industry, according to the CSIRO, which has been working with the mining industry to help companies reduce their vulnerability to climate threats and to adapt operations according to their specific circumstances.

Along with helping companies adapt, the organisation hopes to help companies mitigate their own impact on the environment.

CRATER (Climate Adaptation using Terrain Evaluation Results) is a tool developed by the organisation to help mining decision-makers overcome the challenges posed by extreme weather. It uses spatial analysis and multi-criteria evaluation to present adaptation options for mines.

It can be used to identify flooding hot-spots around a mine, for example, or layer historical and human experience data into a geographic information system to build a model of the mines unique vulnerabilities.

Fault-identifying and capital investment analysis gives operators the ability to assess a mines ability to adapt and to evaluate various adaptation and mitigation options.

CRATER was successfully trialled in an Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP) funded pilot project at a mine in a flood-prone part of Queenslands Bowen Basin and will now be used ahead of each wet season.

The CSIRO is now working on developing a tool for mining companies to evaluate exposure to climate and weather-related susceptibility across the supply chain.

This tool will assist mine operators to develop risk management plans and encourage the emergence of adaptive mining chains.

Adaptive mining chains are able to provide information on locations and activities in the supply chain that are particularly exposed to extreme events and therefore identify those that may benefit from adaptation and contingency plans.

Companies have an obvious obligation to shareholders to avoid reduced productivity as a result of extreme weather, but the compulsion to act shouldnt stop at the bottom line.

The mining industry is under increasing pressure from its investors, government and communities to reduce emissions, said Schoch. Currently, mining is responsible for 4% to 7% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

The industry faces a major challenge: reduce its emissions while also producing the necessary metals required to support the achievement of a low-carbon economy.

The focus of the Paris Agreement is the urgent need to decarbonise, meaning industry must prioritise low carbon metals. The mining industry will have to decarbonise by bringing in technologies such as solar, wind and electric vehicles.

Schoch believes the lowering direct and indirect emissions  known as scopes one and two, in greenhouse gas accounting  will largely come from the use of renewables for power and the elimination of diesel trucks.

When it comes to scope three emissions, this becomes more challenging, but mining companies are working with their customers to assess how steel, for instance, is being processed, she said.

For Brian Innes, partner - energy transition at Partners in Performance, the issue isnt just about delays, but about supplier and offtake challenges miners will need to adapt to as climate change progresses.

These concerns are covered by scope three in emissions accounting, which covers the most tenuous of carbon connections to a business and stretches across the product lifecycle and supply chain.

There are some physical risks that come with climate change, including sea-level rise, changing vegetation, changes in rainfall patterns, he said.

For the physical mine itself, these risks are generally pretty manageable. The risks that are less manageable are about what's happening up and down the supply chain.

Scope three emissions, which involve questions like are people going to want my product?, present more of the material risk that some of the commodities we work with are struggling with.

Metals producers are looking to make their product greener, says Brians colleague Inga von Fircks, partner - energy transition at Partners in Performance. Theyre getting pressure from buyers who want to ensure their scope three emissions and upwards are greener and cleaner.

If you look at it on a project basis, there are likely going to be more projects with more demand for the non-fossil-fuel projects.

If miners are digging out metals rather than fossil fuels, they can actually do that in a very green and sustainable way, which can help them overcome some of the operational risks due to climate change and severe weather patterns, von Fircks continued.

The amount of hydrogen we have got to produce to green these products is immense, so theres a whole lot of new projects coming online, said Innes.

Australia has quite a bit of momentum here, from our resources base and the people who are playing in this space.

So how do mining companies move towards net-zero?

Make sure you can articulate that you do have a plan to get to a decent reduction, say 30 to 50% by 2030, and that you could get to net-zero by 2040 if you had to, said Innes.

Understand whats possible in the next five years and get on with it so you can communicate to investors and stakeholders that youre doing something.

Be clear about the technologies that are evolving that are going to ensure that your business will still be operating in the net-zero world.

All the experts Proactive spoke to agreed that change must come from the top. Boards and business executives must ensure they understand the opportunities and threats of a low-carbon transition on their business and on the communities in which they operate.

This means some tough conversations at board level about front-line assets, new investments and potentially divestments. A transition plan must be well-communicated and inclusive and receive support from the company, its investors and the wider community.
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Sipa Resources Ltd (ASX:SRI) is encouraged by early indications from its first-ever drill program at the 100% owned Skeleton Rocks Project in the Western Australian Goldfields with highly prospected greenstones intersected.

The company is making rapid progress with the 4,000-metre aircore drilling program focused on greenstone units prospective for gold, nickel-copper and lithium mineralisation

Around 50% of the planned program has been completed testing shallowly buried greenstone units in favourable structural positions adjacent to a major regional fault.

Sipa managing director Pip Darvall said, Its great to be out drilling so early in the year at one of our 100% owned WA projects.

Positive indications

Two adjacent holes have intercepted a 20-40 metre interval of dolerite with abundant quartz/pyrite+/- pyrrhotite veins and patchy biotite alteration.

These initial positive indications have led Sipa to peg an additional tenement nearby to cover the inferred continuation of the prospective units.

"An amazing start

"If these early indications are anything to go by, Skeleton Rocks certainly has excellent untapped exploration potential, Darvall said.

"This is an amazing start for the project, which is located in close proximity to the gold mining centre at Marvel Loch, and we are looking forward to more positive results as the program progresses.

The Skeleton Rocks project covers outcropping and interpreted greenstone units prospective for gold, lithium and nickel-copper-platinum group element deposits with limited to no previous drilling ever completed in these areas.

Sipas Skeleton Rocks Project and nearby tenement holders in the heart of WAs Goldfields. Note the location of current drilling and the recently pegged additional tenement E77/2918.

Testing initial targets

Current drilling is testing initial targets generated from Sipas detailed aeromagnetic surveys and recent auger soils.

Basement rocks in this area are obscured under shallow cover, with a relatively thin residual weathering profile above fresh rock encountered so far.

Aircore drilling to blade refusal has intersected fresh basement at typical depths of 10-25 metres. A hammer bit has been used to penetrate deeper where units of particular interest are encountered.

The type of veining intersected so far is encouraging for potential gold mineralisation in a similar style to that encountered in gold deposits around 30 kilometres to the east in the Southern Cross greenstone belt and numerous other locations throughout the Goldfields.

At this stage no assays have been completed and none are expected to be available for at least two months given current laboratory turnaround times.

New tenement pegged

This early geological encouragement has led Sipa to peg another tenement nearby, E77/2918 covering the inferred continuation of the prospective units along a major regional structure, the Koolanooka Fault.

Drilling is ongoing and further results will be reported as they become available.
Newfield Resources Ltd (ASX:NWF) is moving closer to production as it progresses work on its Tongo diamond mine development in Sierra Leone.

Around 1,127 metres of underground development have been completed to date and a number of works have recently kicked off as Newfield makes the transition from exploration to production.

NWF has focused activities on the continuation of the Kundu decline, Level 1 rock and fissure drives and the ventilation raise from the Kundu Return Airway (RAW).

The fissure drives and the development of the ventilation raise will provide access to the ore body and the establishment of the first mining stopes.

Up 22% on resource grade

The company continues to process kimberlite ore, with encouraging recoveries of stones up to 9.6 carats and a recovered process grade of 2.7 carats per tonne, which is up 22% on the resource grade.

Executive director Karl Smithson said: Good progress has been made on the underground development at the Tongo Mine since our last update. We continued the development on three fronts, being the Kundu Return Air Way (RAW) drive, the Kundu Decline and the first level rock and fissure drives.

On the latter we have intersected the kimberlite in our first crosscut and will now establish the fissure drive and raise from which to establish our first mining stopes.

We have also recently commenced the ventilation raise from the Kundu RAW.

Processing of the kimberlite ore recovered from the RAW development is giving encouraging diamond recoveries with gemstones up to 9.6 carats in size and indicative run-of-mine grades of 2.7 carats per tonne being calculated.

"We are encouraged that this grade exceeds by 22% the resource block model grades for the same area of kimberlite being mined.

Further updates will be provided as we progress through this exciting phase of the Tongo Mine development.

Encouraging diamond recoveries

Kimberlite and diamond recoveries processing continues to yield encouraging diamond grades and quality diamonds. Initial in-house observation estimates that 80% of the diamond recoveries are in the gem quality category, with the largest diamond recovered being a 9.6 carat gem.

The shapes and quality of the diamonds are in line with the expectations of run-of-mine production, as seen during the sampling phase. Many diamonds exhibit excellent crystal shapes with top colour and clarity characteristics.

Although volume of ore processed to date is relatively small, the results are consistent with and higher than the estimated mineral resource grade and value of that area of the Kundu Segment A resource.
Queensland Pacific Metals Ltd (ASX:QPM) traded higher on entering into a binding supply agreement with Societe Le Nickel (SLN), a subsidiary of Eramet group, for the supply of 1 million wet metric tonnes of nickel ore per annum from New Caledonia.

The purchase of limonite ore by QPM is mutually beneficial to both parties, as there are limited consumers of pure limonite ore globally.

Encouragingly, the companys TECH Project in Townsville offers a long-term solution to processing limonite with SLNs New Caledonian mines having large quantities of in-situ limonite that needs a processing solution.

Looking ahead, QPM and SLN have also agreed to continue to explore other partnership opportunities regarding additional ore supply and potential TECH Project participation.

Shares were as much as 16% higher intraday to $0.15 with almost 13.7 million changing hands while QPM's market cap is approximately $223.75 million.

Significant de-risking event

QPM managing director Stephen Grocott said: I am delighted to enter into this agreement with SLN who operate world-class mines in New Caledonia.

I believe this is just the start of a long-term relationship that will be very beneficial to both companies.

This milestone is a further significant de-risking event for QPM and the TECH Project. I would also like to thank the Government of New Caledonia for their support of the TECH Project in granting this export approval to SLN.

New Caledonia, and the world, is awash with limonite resources that remain undeveloped  the successful commercialisation of the TECH Project will be a game changer for these deposits and their ability to form part of global, sustainable nickel production.

Agreement summary

On February 15, 2022, the Government of New Caledonia approved an increase in the annual nickel ore export quota of SLN.

Notably, this increase includes the supply of up to 1 million wmt of nickel ore per annum to QPM for a period of five years with a five-year extension, subject to mutual agreement.

The execution of the agreement and New Caledonian Government approval follows on from a Memorandum of Understanding entered into between SLN and QPM in April 2021.

As part of the agreement, SLN and QPM have also agreed to explore other partnership opportunities regarding additional ore supply and potential TECH Project participation.

Key terms of the agreement

Strategic benefit

While the DNi ProcessTM can treat the entire laterite ore profile, QPM is targeting limonite ore specification of 1.6% nickel and 0.18% cobalt.

The global seaborne nickel ore trade is almost exclusively saprolite ore, which sits below the limonite ore body layer.

The saprolite is used to produce nickel pig iron and ferronickel operations and cant be easily, cheaply or sustainably converted into battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulphate for lithium-ion batteries.

Saprolite ore miners either avoid areas with a high proportion of limonite or have to mine through the limonite and stockpile or treat it as overburden, creating significant inefficiencies.

By exclusively purchasing limonite ore, QPM delivers a strategic benefit to any counterpart it deals with.
Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) will collaborate with leading European research organisations to advance its Ivittut Project in Greenalnd.

A PhD research program will focus on mineralogical and petrological characterisation (geology) of the Ivittuut mine in Greenland and will involve world-renowned REE specialists Professor Adrian Finch at the University of St Andrews, UK, and Associate Professor Henrik Friis at the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo, Norway.

The program is called 'The Search for Green Technology Metals  How Fluids Make or Break Critical Metal Deposits' and the planned research will focus on the impact of hydrothermal fluids on movement of elements in and out of critical metal deposits.

A key focus will be on green technologies and a zero-carbon future.

Eclipse anticipates that this academic project will further its understanding of the genesis and controls on REE mineralisation in its Ivittuut mine with implications for its Grnnedal-Ika carbonatite project.

Put simply, the search for green technology metals is expected to deliver an improved geological framework, enabling more effective exploration and resource development at the Ivittuut prospect.

Gaining clearer understanding

The PhD collaboration will provide us not only with advanced research to deliver a clearer understanding of the geology at Ivittuut but also address one of the biggest challenges facing global energy sustainability in decarbonised economies with new materials for the modern world," EPM executive chairman Carl Popal said.

The PhD research will have immediate impact in developing Ivittuut as a source for critical metals in the European green technology market, directly addressing these issues.

The Ivittuut cryolite mine has been a multi-commodity producer and has potential for further polymetallic mineralisation to be exploited. The Ivittuut area is known to be a prime REE target in South Greenland.

"Access to the knowledge of these REE experts will provide support in understanding and development of mineralisation within the project area, with a view to defining a REE resource in line with the companys mission towards advancing developments in sustainable green energy metals.

Expected to have major impact

Due to its geological nature, all major potential European REE sources are in Scandinavia with Greenland playing host to some of the largest REE deposits, not just in Europe but globally.

Ivittuut was formed about 1.3 billion years ago as cooling hydrothermal fluids moved through the Earths crust and has been identified as having significant potential to contribute to the academic knowledge base for REE mineralisation.

Professor Adrian Finch and Associate Professor Henrik Friis, specialise in the geology of REE mineralised systems, the processes that form them and the tectonic environments in which they occur.

The collaboration will span 36 months with the first 18 months based in St Andrews and the subsequent 18 months in Oslo.

Professor Finch will lead the research in isotopic and petrological characterisation of the mineralisation, whereas Professor Friis will provide his expertise and skills in rare mineral identification and characterisation.

These REE specialists are expected to have a more immediate impact on the success of Eclipse Metals exploration activities at Ivittuut with implications for the Grnnedal-Ika prospect.

About Ivittuut

Ivittuut is in southwestern Greenland and has a power station and fuel supplies to service this station and local traffic to support mineral exploration.

About 5.5 kilometres to the northeast of Ivittuut, the settlement of Kangilinnguit (Grnnedal), provides a heliport and an active wharf with infrastructure. The Grnnedal-Ika carbonatite complex is less than 10 kilometres from Ivittuut and only 5 kilometres from the port of Grnnedal.

This complex is one of the 12 larger Gardar alkaline intrusions in Greenland and is recognised by GEUS as one of Greenlands prime REE targets along with Kvanefjeld and Kringlerne (Tanbreez).
An international student who has lived in China for more than four years is amazed by China's infrastructure capacity after visiting an under-construction tunnel across the Yangtze River in Anhui, China. #GLOBALink

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Janus Henderson has released its Global Dividend Index, which shows Australia has set a new dividend record, as banks and miners drove a significant rebound from a challenging 2020.

The Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index (JHGDI) is a long-term study into global dividend trends. It measures the progress global firms are making in paying their investors an income on their capital, using 2009 as a base year  index value 100.

The index is calculated in US dollars and can be broken down into regions, industries and sectors. It enables readers to easily compare the dividend performance of countries like the US, which provides a large proportion of global dividends, with smaller nations, such as the Netherlands.

2021 saw global dividends recover very strongly, more than making up for the cuts made during the worst of the pandemic in 2020, according to the latest Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index. Global dividends surged 14.7% on an underlying basis, reaching a new record of A$2.02 trillion (US$1.47 trillion).

Growth was fastest in nations that suffered the biggest declines in 2020, helping Australia to set a new dividend payout record of A$87.1 billion (US$63.3 billion) in 2021. Globally, headline growth was 16.8%, boosted by record one-off special dividends.

Aussie banks, miners lead the way

A quarter of the global increase was delivered by companies restarting payouts paused during 2020. Most of this can be attributed to banks, whose dividends jumped by 40%, or A$69.5 billion (US$50.5 billion), with payments returning to nine-tenths of their pre-pandemic high in 2021. Dividends were driven by restoring payouts to more normal levels, after restrictions in dividend distributions were curtailed in 2020.

The effect was particularly pronounced in Australia, as banks finally returned dividends to investors after APRA relaxed dividend restrictions in 2021, accounting for a third of the nations headline increase in payouts last year.

Australian miners continued their strong momentum, distributing record amounts of cash in a mixture of regular and special dividends, reflecting the soaring price of commodities. The ASX-listed BHP Group lead from the front, paying the worlds largest ever mining dividend at A$17.2 billion (US$12.5 billion), while rival Fortescue Metals followed closely, distributing A$15.9 billion (US$11.6 billion) to shareholders.

Banks, miners buoy global rebound

More than one quarter of the A$291 billion (US$212 billion) annual dividend increase came from miners, which benefited from soaring commodity prices. Record payments from the miners reflected the strength of their profits.

The mining sector distributed A$132.9 billion (US$96.6 billion) over the year, almost double the previous record set in 2019 and 10 times more than during the slump in 2015-16. However, as a highly cyclical sector their distributions will return to more normal levels when the commodity cycle turns.

The global economic recovery enabled payouts from consumer discretionary and industrial companies to grow by 12.8% and 10.0% respectively on an underlying basis, while healthcare and pharmaceutical groups grew their dividends by 8.5%. Technology companies, whose profit growth continued relatively uninterrupted by the pandemic, added A$23.4 billion (US$17 billion), an increase of 8.0%.

A quarter of the dividend increase was delivered by just nine companies, eight of which are banks or miners.

One third of global dividend rebound came from the UK and Australia.

From a geographical perspective, the most rapid dividend growth came from regions where 2020 had seen the steepest cuts, such as Europe, the UK and Australia. Payouts reached new records in a number of countries including the US, Australia, China and Sweden, but one-third of the rebound came from just two countries, Australia and the UK, where a combination of surging mining payouts and restored banking distributions made the biggest contribution to growth.

Upgraded forecast

The exceptional strength of Q4 payout figures, along with improved prospects for 2022, have led Janus Henderson to upgrade its forecast for the full year. For 2022, Janus Henderson expects global dividends to reach a new record of A$2.09 trillion (US$1.52 trillion), up 3.1% on a headline basis, or 5.7% in underlying terms.

Jane Shoemake, client portfolio manager, Global Equity Income said: A large part of the 2021 dividend recovery came from a narrow range of companies and sectors in a few parts of the world. But beneath these big numbers, there was broad-based growth both geographically and by sector.

"In the context of the dramatic rebound seen in the banking sector, and the exceptional cyclical surge from mining companies, it would be easy to overlook the encouraging growth seen from those sectors that have delivered consistent increases in recent years, like the technology sector.

"The same applies to geographical trends. The US, for example, is often ahead of its peers but saw slower dividend growth than the rest of the world in 2021. This was because it proved to be resilient in 2020 so there was limited scope for a large rebound.

"We expect many of the longer-term dividend growth trends witnessed since the index was launched in 2009 to reassert themselves in 2022 and beyond. The big unknown for 2022 is what happens in the mining sector, but it is reasonable to assume that dividends here will be lower than the record levels achieved in 2021 given the significant correction in iron ore.

- Supplied by Janus Henderson
Valor Resources Ltd (ASX:VAL) is planning a 5,000-metre diamond drill program targeting multiple induced polarisation (IP) and geophysical targets at the Picha Project in Peru, especially a large IP anomaly with potential to host a porphyry copper system.

The IP anomaly stretches about 2 kilometres in length and a further 2 kilometres in width at its broadest point, supported by extensive surface sampling which returned channel samples including:

41.6 metres at 1.12% copper and 22.8 g/t silver (Cobremani);

17.6 metres at 1.95% copper and 29.5 g/t silver (Maricate); and,

32.85 metres at 0.61% copper and 209.76 g/t silver (Cumbre Coya).

Chomping at the bit to begin

The Picha Project is an exciting copper-silver project in a world-class gold-copper-silver province, with Peru being the worlds second largest producer of both copper and silver, Valor Resources executive chair George Bauk said.

The results of the 2021 exploration program completed by our Peruvian team have been exceptional.

During 2021, the team collected over 400 surface samples, with results including 41.6 metres at 1.12% copper and 22.85 g/t silver in a channel sample and many others over 1% and up to 6% copper.

An area of 20 square kilometres was mapped in detail and this has been integrated with the results from the IP and magnetic survey to develop a robust 3-D geological model.

A highly professional exploration program has been conducted which is a credit to the team in Peru and Australia.

The results from the program so far are truly exciting and we are chomping at the bit to keep pressing forward.

Valor is fully funded to continue all of its planned activities in Canada, Peru and on the corporate side of business.

About Valor Resources

Valor Resources is an exploration company focused on acquisition and exploration, especially at its two key projects in Peru and Canada.

The Picha Project in Peru and the Hook Lake Uranium Project in Canada hold the company's main focus, but Valor also owns interest in 19 contiguous mineral claims covering 62,233 hectares in northern Saskatchewan and five additional projects within the Athabasca Basin, both in Canada.
Suvo Strategic Minerals Ltd (ASX:SUV) has completed a maiden JORC-compliant kaolinised granite resource for its producing Pittong Operations in Victoria, returning 3.74 million indicated tonnes and 1.97 million inferred tonnes for a total of 5.69 million tonnes.

This resource is projected to yield 1.97 million tonnes of bright white kaolin with an ISO brightness of 80.51 and bleached ISO Brightness of 83.61, under 45 micrometres (45m) in size.

Pittong mine is wholly-owned by a subsidiary of Suvo and just 2 kilometres from the Pittong processing facilities, which produce about 25,000 tonnes per annum of refined kaolin products.

Very important milestone

The conversion of the Pittong mine from PERC (European standard) to JORC 2012 compliance is a very important milestone in the companys development, which will support the companys asset revitalisation and plans to increase mining and plant output, Suvo Minerals executive chair Robert Martin said.

The resource allows us to fast track our future development strategies as these results provide certainty around our life of mine.

We are also reviewing our Trawalla deposit which holds a further 12.7 million tonnes of kaolinised granite and how this can be incorporated into these strategies.

The Trawalla deposit has the potential to yield another 3.5 million tonnes of bright white kaolin with ISO Brightness 80.8 and bleached ISO Brightness 83.7, also under 45 micrometres in size.

About Suvo Strategic Minerals

Suvo Strategic Minerals is a dual-commodity Australian mining company focused on the development of its 100% owned White Knight Kaolin Project in the Yilgarn Craton in the central wheat belt and its 100% owned Nova Silica Project located in the Gin Gin Scarp near the township of Eneabba, both within Western Australia.

Suvo catapulted into producer status when it acquired the Pittong Kaolin operations from an Imerys subsidiary, becoming the only hydrous kaolin producer in the country.
District Metals CEO Garrett Ainsworth joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has released results for the remaining eleven drill holes from the Phase II drill program at Tomtebo in Sweden.

Ainsworth telling Proactive 4,906 metres in eleven drill holes was completed during the Phase II drill program. The latest results included 14.3 metres at 14.2% ZnEq1 from 210.0 to 224.3 metres from the Steffenburgs zone. Ainsworth saying that is the longest interval of continuous strong sulphide mineralization at Tomtebo to date.
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Blue Star Helium Ltd (ASX:BNL, OTC:BSNLF) continues to make strong progress at the fully owned maiden helium exploration well, Enterprise 16#1, in Las Animas County, Colorado.

After successfully completing the drilling phase of its helium exploration, the company has run wireline logs.

The well has been drilled to a total depth of 1,250 feet and hit a potential helium zone in the targeted Lyons sandstone formation. The well has now been suspended for future gas sampling, fluid level, pressure monitoring and testing.

A new, deeper gas water contact (GWC) has been discovered for the Enterprise structure, along with a 13-foot gas column in the high-quality Lyons formation.

The new GWC seen in Enterprise 16#1 equates to a 78-foot structural gas column, increased from the 29-foot gas column previously interpreted in the Hill#2 water well.

Fluid invasion delays tests

Some helium gas was observed during drilling but subsequent water invasion of the top part of the Lyons formation, where gas is interpreted from logs, prevented testing to obtain a gas sample for compositional analysis.

The company is designing a new well testing procedure, with targeted implementation in coming weeks, notwithstanding the invasion of the reservoir and fluid in the well bore.

Interpreting the GWC

The top of the Lyons and the interpreted gas water contact (GWC) in the Enterprise 16#1 well are structurally below the equivalent depths in the Hill#2 water well.

BNL's current interpretation is that the new GWC seen in the Enterprise 16#1 well replaces the interpreted GWC in the Hill#2 water well as the structural GWC across the Enterprise structure.

This results in a structural gas column of approximately 78 feet, calculated from the top of the Lyons formation at Hill#2, the highest penetration on the structure, to the GWC at Enterprise 16#1, the lowest interpreted GWC on the structure.

It could also mean that the two GWCs seen in the Hill#2 and Enterprise 16#1 wells represent contacts in two different structures. Although a less likely scenario given the proximity of the wells, this alternative will be considered as the well data is integrated and the mapping in the area is updated.

Highly encouraged

We are highly encouraged to have encountered high-quality Lyons reservoir with gas interpreted on logs in our first exploration well in the play, Blue Star managing director and CEO Trent Spry said.

The top of the Lyons formation and the gas water contact at the Enterprise 16#1 location have come in structurally lower than at Hill#2, but within the range of broader pre-drill mapping confidence levels.

This has resulted in an increase to the gas column seen in the Enterprise structure to approximately 78 feet, which can be applied across the field as currently mapped.

Gas monitoring of the well will continue while a testing procedure designed to isolate the water and test the upper part of the Lyons is established.

"Although its frustrating not to have been able to immediately test the well and obtain a raw gas composition, we are targeting being in a position to test the well in coming weeks.

"Importantly, the well results have already significantly reduced geological uncertainty at Enterprise and confirmed a deeper gas water contact than previously interpreted.

The Enterprise 16#1 results received to date mean that our forward planning for the Enterprise prospect is unchanged, with permitting of additional well locations being fast tracked and strategic water well locations being identified.

Whats next?

Blue Stars plan to fast-track its helium well permitting at the Enterprise prospect remains unchanged, and includes planned further strategic water well evaluations at select locations.

Enterprise 16#1 is the first in a series of 10 wells planned to be permitted and drilled across the Blue Star portfolio during 2022.
Antilles Gold Ltd (ASX:AAU, OTCQB:ANTMF)s Los Llanos Project in Cuba will act as an incubator for mining projects that may follow the near-term development of the La Demajagua gold/silver mine.

Los Llanos project has now been established through the formalisation of an International Economic Assessment (IEA) with a subsidiary of the Governments mining company, GeoMinera SA.

The IEA effectively acts as a global exploration agreement with GioMinera. This agreement details:

Antilles Gold may conduct preliminary exploration and studies of previously explored gold and copper deposits in Cuba;

Antilles Gold can recommend which additional deposits should be included in the Los Llanos Project, after initial review;

The company can recommend the removal of properties from the IEA if theyre deemed insufficient; and

The companys expenditure on a particular property will be reimbursed if its ultimately developed by Minera La Victoria.

The following properties have also been recommended for inclusion in the IEA:

Three highly prospective porphyry copper/gold deposits;

A large VMS copper/gold deposit at Golden Hills; and

Sulphide gold deposits at Florencia and Maclama.

Exploration targets

Two of the three deposits are four kilometres apart in volcaniclastic rocks intruded by large porphyry clusters and offer prime exploration targets for a major copper/gold open pit operation.

The company will advise on geological details once an agreement is made with GeoMinera.

Antilles Gold is also establishing an office in Camaguey, Cuba, that will operate with a team of geologists and support staff to undertake the planned activities.

The companys Australian exploration director Dr Chris Grainger will act as general manager for the project.

Grainger is a highly experienced geologist with a background in gold and base metal discoveries in Central and South America. He also has the added advantage of his fluency in Spanish.

Beyond Los Llanos

After this program is completed, a decision will be made on which properties will determine preliminary drilling and scoping studies by the company in 2023.

Current development opportunities in the pipeline that may be added in the future should assist the partnership with GeoMinera to achieve its aim of establishing Minera La Victoria as a considerable mining company in Cuba.

Executive chairman of Antilles Gold Brian Johnson said he was excited by the prospect of an experienced exploration group moving forward with the project.

- By Duncan Bailey
Advanced Oncotherapy PLC (LSE:AVO, OTC:AONCF) said it was making significant progress with the rolling provision of data to the US regulator as it updated on the timeline for having its next-generation proton beam therapy system fully operational.

AVO is making whats called a Q-submission to Food & Drug Administration with the aim of securing approval for its LIGHT technology for cancer treatment.

It is doing this under the FDAs 510(k) protocol that ensures any device is safe and effective and substantially equivalent to its currently marketed equivalent.

As LIGHT modules are assembled and tested in situ, the company and its clinical partners, in close coordination with regulatory agencies, are continuing to perform technical verification and validation to fully map the input and output parameters of the proton beam for required treatment protocols, the company said.

This necessary exercise has now resulted in the request to generate and submit to the regulatory agencies additional specific beam measurement data to document and confirm that performance can be maintained within the required tolerances for particular clinical applications.

As a result, the AVO said expects now to have its LIGHT system fully operational during this summer.
Elon Musk and his space exploration company, SpaceX, have activated Starlink connectivity and delivered several Starlink user terminals to Ukraine to assist citizens who may have had their internet disrupted as a result of the Russian invasion.

The countries vice-president, Mykhailo Fedorov, tweeted a plea to Musk over the weekend, with the billionaire responding that the service was activated on Saturday and that more terminals would be arriving.

Fedorov confirmed, via a tweet once again, that addiotional Starlink terminals had arrived in the country yesterday.

Starlink is a satellite constellation that aims to provide high-speed internet across the globe, as well bringing connectivity to people who are unable to gain reliable internet access.

It has about 2,000 satellites that operate in low-Earth orbit, roughly 340 miles above the Earths surface, and services 145,000 people in 25 countries as of this January, according to CNN.

SpaceX said that its connectivity had recently been used in Tonga, following the eruption of an underwater volcano in January, and was effective in providing internet access to remote villages on the island.

Satellite-based internet has the benefits of not being affected by any changes to on-ground infrastructures, such as damages caused by war, as well as reaching areas where the infrastructure has yet to be installed.

However, it traditionally has a reputation for spotty and slow connections.
Citibank has confirmed it has more exposure to Russia than was first thought, adding to concerns over the level of write-offs western banks might have to take.

The US bank said yesterday it has nearly US$10bn of assets and funding commitments in Russia, with the country ranking 21 out of its top 25 countries where it has exposure.

This included US$1bn of cash held with the Bank of Russia, and US$3.4bn of other counterparties in addition to loans and commitments of US$5.4bn, said the bank.

Analysts were speculating that all or nearly all of this might have to be written off due to the new sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement, the bank said: "Citi continues to monitor the current RussiaUkraine geopolitical situation and economic conditions and will mitigate its exposures and risks as appropriate."

Shares in European banks took a tumble yesterday as investors fretted about the repercussions of the sanctions, which saw some Russian banks lose access to the SWIFT international payment system and the closing of the Moscow Stock Exchange.

Analysts said banks in Italy, Austria and France were the most vulnerable among European lenders with a combined exposure of around US$50bn.

Frances Societe Generale, Italys UniCredit and Austrias Raiffeisen in particular had all notably continued to do business even after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

JPMorgan has estimated the total exposure of western banks to Russia at US$90bn, with Italian banks accounting for around US$25bn and Austrian US$18bn while UK banks were on the hook for a relatively modest US$3bn.

Austrian bank Raiffeisen has seen its share price almost halve in just over a fortnight as the situation in Ukraine has deteriorated.
Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), speaks in a video speech in south China's Hong Kong, Feb. 28, 2022. Lam said that Hong Kong will undoubtedly win the battle against the epidemic and resume normal under the staunch support from the country. (Information Services Department of the Government of the HKSAR/Handout via Xinhua)

HONG KONG, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The construction of a community isolation facility (CIF) located in Tsing Yi, Hong Kong, was completed on Monday with the support of the Chinese mainland in one week's time.

Commenced on Feb. 22, the construction of the CIF is the first one to be completed since the fifth wave of the epidemic, able to accommodate over 3,900 patients after being put into use.

The CIF is a combination of modular cubicles, with basic furniture and bedding, air conditioner, smoke detector and fire extinguisher included in each room.

"The construction team has created a miracle for Hong Kong within seven days," said Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), during her visit to the CIF on Monday afternoon.

"The construction of the CIF is a test to our team in terms of resource deployment and rapid construction capability," said Zhang Ming, assistant president of China State Construction International Holdings Ltd., the construction contractor that is building the temporary facilities.

Zhang said that they have mobilized all possible resources to Hong Kong for the construction project, including sending 150 engineers and various construction supplies from the Chinese mainland.

Zhang pledged that the team will pay full effort in the construction of the remaining seven community isolation facilities in Hong Kong under the support of the central authorities.

Lam, the HKSAR chief executive, said in a video speech earlier on Monday that Hong Kong will undoubtedly win the battle against the epidemic and resume normal under the staunch support from the country.

According to Lam, the HKSAR government will step up existing anti-epidemic efforts and are currently refining the details of the compulsory universal testing to be launched within March, in order to cut COVID-19 virus transmission chains in a thorough, speedy, orderly and effective manner.

The central government has also assigned a mainland construction team to build a hospital for contingency use in the Lok Ma Chau Loop area to enhance Hong Kong's treatment capability, Lam added.

"The HKSAR government will continue to mobilize all available manpower and resources, and adopt all necessary measures to fight the epidemic," she said. 

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 26, 2022 shows the construction site of the community isolation facility (CIF) in Tsing Yi, south China's Hong Kong. The construction was completed on Monday with the support of the Chinese mainland in one week's time. Commenced on Feb. 22, the construction of the CIF is the first one to be completed since the fifth wave of the epidemic, able to accommodate over 3,900 patients after being put into use. (Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 26, 2022 shows the construction site of the community isolation facility (CIF) in Tsing Yi, south China's Hong Kong. The construction was completed on Monday with the support of the Chinese mainland in one week's time. Commenced on Feb. 22, the construction of the CIF is the first one to be completed since the fifth wave of the epidemic, able to accommodate over 3,900 patients after being put into use. (Xinhua)
The new store is located at 1719 Portage Ave and is part of the St James Hotel facilities

Delta 9 Cannabis Inc has announced the grand opening of its seventeenth retail store, and twelfth cannabis store in the Province of Manitoba.

The new retail store is located in the heart of the busiest shopping district in Winnipeg and is scheduled to open on March 1, 2022.

Delta 9's retail cannabis concept, combined with a focus on convenient and high traffic shopping destinations have been a successful part of the company's overall vertical integration strategy.

The newest Delta 9 Cannabis Store is situated on Portage Avenue which is also known as part of the Trans Canada highway. This section of Portage Avenue is the focal point for over one million square feet of retail businesses making it one of the city's biggest shopping destinations.

Within a 1 kilometre radius, the area tenants include Polo Park Mall, Walmart Super Center, Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Winners, Staples, Shoppers Drug Mart and Chapters. This section of Portage Ave traffic corridor is close to downtown Winnipeg and sees over 100,000 vehicles every day.

The new store is located at 1719 Portage Ave and is part of the St James Hotel facilities. The company noted that the location offers plenty of free parking spaces and easy access from the street and the new store offers customers a modern shopping decor, highly trained staff and a wide range of products, including dried cannabis flower, cannabis oil, edibles, drinkables, vape pens, concentrates.

Delta 9 said it will provide online and click and collect services for the St James Hotel location like all of its other cannabis stores in Manitoba. With the click of a mouse, customers can browse and sort through a complete inventory of cannabis products and reserve any product.

Delta 9 Cannabis is a vertically integrated cannabis company focused on bringing the highest quality cannabis products to market. The company sells cannabis products through its wholesale and retail sales channels and sells its cannabis grow pods to other businesses.

Delta 9's wholly-owned subsidiary, Delta 9 Bio-Tech Inc, is a licensed producer of medical and recreational cannabis and operates an 80,000 square foot production facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Delta 9 owns and operates a chain of retail stores under the Delta 9 Cannabis Store brand.

Research Capital repeats 'Buy' rating

In a note to clients following the latest news, analysts at Research Capital said they view Delta 9s opening of the new retail store "to be neutral to our investment thesis".

The analysts said: "We believe that the expansion of Delta 9s retail footprint and wholesale revenue generation beyond Manitoba will be the key triggers for Delta 9s share price".

The Research Capital analysts said their positive view on the stock remains unchanged and maintained a 'Buy' rating with an unchanged target price of $1.00.

In early afternoon trade on Tuesday, Delta 9 Cannabis shares were flat at $0.27.

-- Adds Research Capital comment, share price --

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Burcon said it has engaged Kincannon & Reed, an executive search firm specialising in the food and agribusiness sectors, to assist in recruiting a new CEO

Burcon NutraScience Corporation has announced that Peter H. Kappel, chairman of its board of directors, will assume the role of interim chief executive officer (CEO), with immediate effect, until a successor is appointed by the company's board of directors.

As previously announced, the company's previous CEO Johann Tergesen will continue in an ongoing capacity as an advisor to the company and Burcon's board of directors. The company said it has engaged Kincannon & Reed, an executive search firm specialising in the food and agribusiness sectors, to assist in recruiting a new CEO.

Kappel is a former investment banker who served in senior roles at Nomura, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Calyon and DVB Bank in London. He brings extensive experience in strategic and business management as well as a wealth of knowledge in the field of finance and investment.

"On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire team at Burcon, I want to sincerely thank Johann for his many years of service and for leading Burcon to where it is today. I am pleased to step in as interim CEO during this transition period. Our executive search for a successor who brings expertise in the specialty food ingredients space is well underway," Kappel said in a statement, adding: "I look forward to continuing on the company's recent progress and developments."

Kappel has served as a director on Burcon's board since 2016 and was appointed chairman of the board in September 2021. He has worked closely with management to achieve the transformational business relationships over the past few years.

Burcon is a global technology leader in the development of plant-based proteins for foods and beverages. With over two decades of experience formulating high-purity proteins that have superior functionality, taste and nutrition, the company has amassed an extensive patent portfolio covering its novel plant-based proteins derived from pea, canola, soy, hemp, sunflower seed, among other plant sources.

In 2019, Merit Functional Foods Corporation was established between Burcon and three veteran food industry executives. Merit Foods has since built and commissioned a state-of-the-art protein production facility in Manitoba, Canada that is producing, under license from Burcon, best-in-class pea and canola proteins for the food and beverage industries.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Meanwhile, the latest test program confirmed that the Run-of-Mine Oxide mineralization at Candelones is amenable to heap leaching and about 95% gold recovery can be expected over 90 days

Unigold Inc. (TSX-V:UGD, OTCQX:UGDIF) has provided an update on activities at its 100%-owned Neita concession in the Dominican Republic.

"The filing of an application for the Exploitation Licence over the southern half of the existing Neita Concession is a significant milestone for the Company, said Unigold CEO Joseph Hamilton in a statement.

Our strategy for the delivery of a small footprint, low-capital oxide project at Candelones is intended to introduce mining to the local communities while allowing us to build capacity and infrastructure that can be used to develop the larger sulphide resource in the future.

Hamilton added: The large-diameter column test work returned encouraging results that will likely lead to enhanced project economics. Environmental, geotechnical and community programs have commenced and, in conjunction with our completed oxide drilling program, will contribute to our stated objective of delivering a final feasibility study and environmental impact assessment in the third quarter of this year."

Unigold said the first step in achieving commercial production at the Candelones oxide deposits will be the approval of the Exploitation Licence. The application and supporting documentation were filed with the appropriate government organizations on February 25.

The granting of an Exploitation Licence would give Unigold the sole right to extract metallic minerals from the 9,990-hectare concession area for a 75-year period.

Simultaneously, the company has submitted applications to retain the remaining portions of the Neita Phase 2 Concession under a new 5-year exploration licence.

The company said it expects to work closely with government authorities to expedite the issuance of the Exploitation Licence. While the government reviews this application, the company intends to work in parallel to deliver a Feasibility Study and advance in the baseline data collection for an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), both of which should be delivered in the third quarter of 2022.

Oxide metallurgical tests results

Meanwhile, Unigold said it has received the final results from large diameter (3.75 meters by 0.525m) metallurgical column tests utilizing Run-of-Mine (RoM) oxide material which commenced in the middle of 2021. The May 2021 PEA estimated an 80% gold recovery over a 70-day leach cycle with 0.72 kilograms per ton reagent consumption.

The latest test program confirmed that the RoM Oxide mineralization at Candelones is amenable to heap leaching and approximately 95% gold recovery can be expected over 90 days using the reagent concentrations assumed in the PEA. Reducing the reagent concentrations by 40% demonstrated a 91% recovery after 106 days with reagent consumptions 20% lower than the PEA estimate. Leaching was still active when the testing was terminated. These reflect material improvements over the PEA estimates.

In the 4Q of 2021 and the 1Q of 2022, the company said it completed 43 holes totaling 1,292m within the oxide resource limits with the objective of converting Inferred Oxide Resources to Measured and Indicated Resources. Over 90% of the holes intersected strongly oxidized intervals of dacite breccia.

Most of the observed oxide mineralization starts at surface and extends to depths ranging from 5m to 40m. The company has received results for 12 holes to date, all of which confirm the grades estimated in the current Mineral Resource.

The company noted that it remains confident that a substantial portion of the Inferred resource may be converted to the Measured and Indicated category, and these will be incorporated into mine scheduling and ultimately into the feasibility study. The company will provide further information once all assays have been received.

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham
'This is expected to ultimately result in multiple future revenue and royalty streams for CULT as it contributes not just capital, but also cutting-edge technologies across its portfolio,' said CULT President Lejjy Gafour

CULT Food Science Corp, an investment platform which focuses on clean, lab-grown food, revealed that it has struck a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with Cella Food Systems Inc, to accelerate its cell-based product development capabilities through Cella's patent portfolio, machine learning data and prototyping IP toolkits.

The Vancouver-based company said it continues to build defendable moats around its leading cellular agriculture (CellAg) intellectual property (IP), patent and investment platform through the commercial agreement.

"CULT has long recognized that the goal is to build a CellAg ecosystem, not just a portfolio of investments...The company's trusted relationship as an investor and partner across many verticals allows it to bring to bear, where applicable, its own platform technologies to aid and augment its rapidly growing investees, CULT President Lejjy Gafour said in a statement.

READ: CULT Food Science completes seed investment in precision fermentation dairy firm De Novo Dairy

This is expected to ultimately result in multiple future revenue and royalty streams for CULT as it contributes not just capital, but also cutting-edge technologies across its portfolio. This is the first step in the company's strategic plan to harness the upside of the nascent cell-based foods markets not only as an investor, but as a principal."

Gafour noted that the move would lay the foundation for mutually beneficial R&D collaborations as it moves towards becoming a top provider of cellular agriculture IP, machine learning and breakthrough science around cell-based foods.

This access gives us a first-mover advantage that we will work to strategically leverage across our portfolio companies as well as to protect technological CellAg superiority, said Gafour. We look forward to rapidly deploying Cella's IP and patents across our ongoing initiatives."

Transaction terms

According to the LOI, CULT and Cella will exchange CA$300,000 worth of common shares, with the shares being valued as follows:

Each of CULT's shares will be valued based on the volume weighted price of CULT's shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) for the 15 trading days prior to the date of execution of the definitive agreement, subject to the minimum price per share allowed under the policies of the CSE;

CELLA's shares will be valued at a CA$10,000,000 pre-money valuation.

The shares issued by the parties under the share exchange shall be subject to resale restrictions in accordance with applicable securities laws. In addition, the CULT shares issued to Cella will be subject to a voluntary six-month hold period.

In addition, Cella will grant CULT and its current or future subsidiaries, a 15-year license to utilize all Cella's intellectual property on the day they sign the definitive agreement, including Cella's patents, under preferential commercial terms to be further defined in the License Agreement.

Cella's patents were developed by leading synthetic biology scientists and experts from MIT and Yale University. The development of Cella's foundational portfolio was led by biotechnology food expert Dr Kate Krueger, who has a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Yale University and an A.B. in Biochemistry from Mount Holyoke College.

The IP focuses on methods for producing novel proteins from fungal cell lines. Moreover, Cella's machine learning data aims to help transform food systems with more cost-effective manufacturing processes with fewer resources.

The fungal cell line methodologies patent portfolio includes the following potential capabilities:

Lab grown collagen - Proteins with multiple health boosting properties including optimizing immunity and maintaining skin health;

- Proteins with multiple health boosting properties including optimizing immunity and maintaining skin health; Bleeding feature in meat - Proteins that make cell-based meat bleed like animal-based proteins;

- Proteins that make cell-based meat bleed like animal-based proteins; 3D scaffold - Creates structural elements for use in cell-based meats for a more realistic mouth feel through supporting muscle, fat and tissue development; and

- Creates structural elements for use in cell-based meats for a more realistic mouth feel through supporting muscle, fat and tissue development; and Peptides: A method for producing mammalian cell adhesion properties on cell surfaces; used to improve structure in cell-based meat applications.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive
Natural Product Expo West is the largest natural health and organic products trade show in North America

Vejii Holdings (CSE:VEJI, OTCQB:VEJIF) Ltd announced that its wholly-owned VEDGEco USA Inc subsidiary will be exhibiting at the Natural Products Expo West (Expo West) in Anaheim, California, which is being held from March 9 to 12, 2022.

The company said it expects the event to increase exposure and boost the distribution network for its business to business (B2B) platform, which services an extensive network of independent restaurants and grocers.

VEDGEco's platform, as the B2B division of Vejii Holdings (CSE:VEJI, OTCQB:VEJIF) targets a massively underserved market of independent restaurants and grocers by providing hassle-free access to a wide offering of plant-based products, allowing restaurant owners to add new items to their menu without the burden of weekly financial commitments or minimum order values that are typical with most national distributors, Vejii Holdings (CSE:VEJI, OTCQB:VEJIF) CEO Kory Zelickson said in a statement.

Expo West is a great opportunity for VEDGEco to showcase their product offering as the only online platform that specializes in servicing this niche market, Zelickson added.

Natural Product Expo West is the largest natural health and organic products trade show in North America, with the annual meeting attracting more than 60,000 organic and natural products industry professionals.

The trade show is mainly visited by retail buyers and gathers an average of 3,000 exhibitors, according to the company.

Vejii is a unified digital marketplace and fulfillment platform featuring thousands of plant-based and sustainable-living products from a growing list of hundreds of vendors.

The platform offers an easy-to-use, omnichannel experience for both vendors and buyers, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to elegantly connect brands with a targeted consumer base, both organically and through specialized marketing programs.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
Cloud DX currently has access to over 2 million patients and projects to approach positive cash flow once about 10,000 patients are enrolled

Cloud DX (TSX-V:CDX, OTCQB:CDXFF) Inc has updated shareholders on its partnerships, new contracts, and contract renewals in 2022.

In a statement, the company noted that it recently signed partnerships with Medtronic Canada, Prizm Media, and Maxwell Telecare and has provided opportunities to accelerate deployments of its chronic care management and post-surgical patient monitoring programs in North America.

As of March 1, 2022, Cloud DX said it has booked C$1.2 million in new business, notably including its first Medtronic partner contract for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) therapy support at St. Mary's General Hospital in Ontario.

Other recent successes also include a new contract with another pulmonary rehabilitation program in Canada, a renewal and expansion of a Canadian provincial/territorial remote patient monitoring contract for 24 months, the launch of an innovative new critical illness benefit with Equitable Life (a first in Canadian insurance), and a new primary care Remote Monitoring contract with a large clinic in Massachusetts.

"In 2021, Cloud DX set the basis, through contracts and partnership agreements, to grow aggressively in 2022, said Brad Miller, Cloud DX's lead independent board director.

Patients and healthcare staff alike love virtual care with Cloud DX's Connected Health. Expertise in deployment, innovation, and outstanding customer service are all key reasons why Cloud DX continues to secure exclusive partnerships with leaders such as Medtronic Canada and Equitable Life. With the traction achieved so far in 2022, this quarter is shaping into a record quarter for the company. With remote patient monitoring set to grow to over 70M patients by 2025, Cloud DX expects continuing and accelerating growth in 2022."

Cloud DX said it currently has access to over 2 million patients and projects to approach positive cash flow once approximately 10,000 patients are enrolled.

Meanwhile, the second tranche of the company's previously announced convertible debenture brokered private placement is currently open.

Contact the author: patrick@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham
HempFusion said it plans to allocate the net proceeds of the offering to working capital, repayment of debt and/or general corporate purposes

HempFusion (TSX:CBD.U, OTCQX:CBDHF) Wellness Inc has announced a brokered private placement to raise up to US$3.0 million in aggregate gross proceeds.

Under the offering led by Research Capital Corporation as the sole agent and sole bookrunner, the company will offer up to 3,000 convertible debenture units at an issue price of US$1,000 per convertible debenture unit.

The company said it plans to allocate the net proceeds of the offering to working capital, repayment of debt and/or general corporate purposes.

Each convertible debenture unit will be comprised of US$1,000 principal amount of 10% senior secured convertible debentures of the company which will be convertible into common shares at a price of US$0.15 per common share, subject to adjustment in certain events, and maturing on a date that is three years from issue, as well as 3,333 common share purchase warrants.

Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at a price of US$0.20 each until the maturity date, subject to an accelerated exercise period if, at any time prior to the expiry date of the warrants, the volume-weighted average trading price of the common shares for five consecutive trading days on the Toronto Stock Exchange, or other principal exchange on which the common shares are listed, is greater than US$0.60.

Within 15 days of the occurrence of such an event, the company shall deliver a notice to the holders of warrants accelerating their expiry to the date that is 30 days following the date of such notice. Any unexercised warrants shall automatically expire at the end of the accelerated exercise period.

The company may also force the conversion of the principal amount of the then outstanding debentures at the conversion price on not more than 60 days' and not less than 30 days' notice should the daily volume-weighted average trading price of the common shares for the consecutive five trading days on the exchange, be greater than US$0.40 preceding the notice.

On and after the date that is 24 months following the date of issuance of the convertible debentures, the company shall have the right to redeem them either partially or in full in cash at 110% of the principal amount plus accrued interest.

Interest on the debentures shall be paid quarterly and computed on the basis of a 360-day year composed of twelve 30 day months. The first interest payment shall be on March 31, 2022, for the period from the closing date of the offering to March 31, 2022.

The company has granted to the agent an option, exercisable up to 48 hours prior to the closing date of the offering, to sell up to an additional 15% of convertible debenture units.

Closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about the week of March 28, 2022, and is subject to certain customary conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and acceptance of the exchange.

All securities issued under the offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the closing date in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

The company has agreed to pay the agent, upon closing of the offering, a cash commission equal to 8.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds, subject to a reduction for certain orders on a "president's list". In addition, the company will issue such amount of broker warrants equal to 8.0% of the number of common shares issuable upon conversion of the convertible debentures exercisable for one common share at the conversion price.

The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or US Persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the US Securities Act, unless registered under the US Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

HempFusion (TSX:CBD.U, OTCQX:CBDHF) Wellness is a leading health and wellness company whose family of premium consumer brands include HempFusion (TSX:CBD.U, OTCQX:CBDHF), Sagely Naturals, Apothecanna, and Probulin Probiotics, one of the fastest-growing probiotics companies in the United States according to SPINs reported data.

The HempFusion family of brands' product portfolio comprises 112 SKUs including USDA Organic Certified Tinctures, proprietary US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Listed Over-The-Counter (OTC) Topicals, probiotic supplements and skincare products, a White Label division and more. With a strong focus on research and development, HempFusion Wellness has 43 products under development.

Available from more than 18,000 US retail locations across all 50 states, HempFusion Wellness products are also available in China, Mexico, Ireland, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, South Korea and Canada and may be purchased online from each brand's website, The Probulin Store on Amazon.com, Alibaba's Tmall.com, the world's largest cross-border online marketplace, and a multitude of additional e-commerce sites.

Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com
Sonoro Gold CEO Ken Macleod joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share results from the first 24 drill holes of a 10,000-meter drilling program at the Cerro Caliche gold project in Mexico. The company looking to increase the estimated size and grade of the project's oxide gold mineralization.

Macleod telling Proactive the drilling showed gold mineralized zones of El Colorado and Guadalupe returned multiple higher-grade gold intercepts within larger intervals of high-grade gold mineralization. One hole returning 27.43m averaging 5.36 g/t Au; including 4.57m averaging 7.16 g/t Au; including 4.57m averaging 22.09 g/t Au; including 1.53m averaging 46.5 g/t Au. Macleod also said drilling is continuing at El Colorado and Guadalupe Zones, which are in the southwestern region of the property.
United Nations, March 1 : Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, on Monday regretted the US decision to expel 12 staff members of the Russian UN mission.

"I would like to inform you about yet another hostile step taken by the host country -- a step against the Russian mission. Just now, literally, an hour ago, we were informed that from the Russian mission, 12 of its staff are being expelled," said Nebenzia at the beginning of a Security Council meeting that he was chairing, Xinhua news agency reported.

The decision is "yet another gross violation" of the UN Headquarters agreement signed by the United States as the host country, and of the Vienna Conventions, said Nebenzia.

"We keep being told about the need for diplomacy, diplomatic solutions. At the same time, our opportunities to conduct this kind of activity are being restricted," he said.

"We deeply regret this decision. And we'll see how the events develop within the context of this decision." US deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Richard Mills, said the 12 staff members of the Russian mission were ordered to leave because they engaged in "activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats".

"They have been given a request to depart this country so they do not harm the national security of the host country," said Mills.

Nebenzia said the US representative's response was not satisfactory.

The US decision came amid Russian military operations in Ukraine.
Seoul, March 1 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for Japan to look squarely at history and show a humble attitude over its wartime past in order for the two countries to overcome historical feuds and move forward for cooperation.

In a speech marking Korea's 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Moon said South Korea remains open to dialogue with Japan to work together on various regional and global issues, such as Covid-19 and supply chains, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea and Japan "should be able to overcome the 'history of a once unfortunate past' and cooperate toward the future," Moon said, describing the two nations as "close neighbours".

"To that end, Japan must look squarely at history and be humble before history." Moon said Japan can become a "trusted nation" only if it "can sympathise with the wounds of the people of its neighbouring country".

Diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Tokyo have run deep since 2019, when Japan imposed a set of export restrictions against South Korea in a move seen as economic retaliation for South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms involved in forced labour during Japan's colonial rule.
Russia and Ukraine conducted their first round of negotiations in Belarus Monday, with both sides failing to reach a clear breakthrough.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Kanpur : , March 1 (IANS) A dancer was allegedly gang-raped by a contractor and his ten aides who also filmed the act.

The victim was taken to the farm house in the Bithoor area where the incident took place.

The accused also threatened her of dire consequences if she revealed the incident to anyone.

It is alleged that the contractor was blackmailing the survivor threatening that he will make the video viral on social media.

The incident, which had taken place on February 6, came to light after the survivor lodged a complaint with the Barra police on Monday.

In her complaint, the woman said that she is a professional dancer and one Deva Sardar, who is a contractor, had invited her to perform at an event at a farm house in the Bithoor area of the district on February 6.

On reaching the farm house, when she did not find any stage to perform, she raised an objection.

The accused lured her and said they would pay her a good amount of money if she performed the show in a room at the farm itself, to which she agreed.

During the performance, she was offered a soft drink laced with sedatives. As soon as she consumed the drink, she became unconscious.

Later, the accused gang-raped her and also filmed the act, she further stated.

Barra police station in-charge Dinanath Mishra said an FIR has been lodged and the matter is being investigated.

"The investigation in this matter is underway. We will soon arrest the accused," he said.

Mishra further said the accused, identified as Deva Sardar, Mohit and Shobhit and 7-8 other unidentified men, have been booked under sections 328, 376 of IPC and section 66D of the IT Act.
Prayagraj : , March 1 (IANS) Some unidentified miscreants pelted stones on a bus carrying policemen from Maharashtra state armed police for election duties to Sant Kabir Nagar district.

The police have reportedly detained two persons on the spot.

Panic gripped Tharwai and adjoining areas under the limits of Tharwai police station in trans-Ganga area when the incident took place.

The police said that some unidentified miscreants suddenly pelted stones on a bus carrying policemen for election duties.

Reports said that some youths had asked the driver to stop the bus as they wanted to board on it.

The driver refused and these youths allegedly pelted stones on window panes of the bus. No one was hurt in the incident.
Mumbai: An Air India Express flight IX-1202 with 182 Indians, mostly students, stranded in war-hit Ukraine arrived here from Bucharest, Romania, as part of Operation Ganga airlift on Tuesday, March 01, 2022. (Photo: Arul Louis/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai: An Air India Express flight IX-1202 with 182 Indians, mostly students, stranded in war-hit Ukraine arrived here from Bucharest, Romania, as part of Operation Ganga airlift on Tuesday, March 01, 2022. (Photo: Arul Louis/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, March 1 : An Air India Express flight carrying 182 students stranded in the war-hit Ukraine reached here on Tuesday morning as part of the Operation Ganga evacuation process, officials said.

The AIE flight IX-1202 arrived here from the Henri Coanda Airport in Bucharest (Romania) and the evacuees -- including around 24 from Maharashtra -- were welcomed by Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane.

This is the second flight airlifting Indian nationals from Ukraine that has reached Mumbai, the first arriving here on February 26 with 219 relieved evacuees from the war-raged nation, besides other flights to New Delhi in the past few days.

Hundreds of anxious parents and relatives waiting outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport had a tearful reunion with their children.

Around 1,200 persons from Maharashtra, mostly students, are among the large number of Indians, who have been stuck in Ukraine after Russia launched its military operations on Europe's second biggest country from February 24.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed the state authorities to coordinate with the Centre on the evacuation operations and extend all help to the evacuees returning here.

In the past few days, many students had issued SOS via social media, desperately seeking help and evacuation as the situation continued to worsen with shortages of even basics like food-water-medicines.
Barcelona, March 1 : South Korean tech giant Samsung is officially killing off one of the popular 'Galaxy Note' brand names.

The news was confirmed by Samsung's smartphone chief Roh Tae-moon, who told reporters at Mobile World Congress 2022 that "Galaxy Note will come out as Ultra" going forward, referring to Samsung's recently released Galaxy S22 Ultra, reports The Verge.

As per the report, the news is not exactly a surprise. Samsung has not released a Galaxy Note device since the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra were released in 2020.

When Samsung first launched the Galaxy Note over a decade ago -- back in October 2011 -- with a massive (for the time) 5.3-inch screen, it towered over contemporaries, like the 4.3-inch screen Galaxy S II or the 3.5-inch iPhone 4S.

The Note was key in helping to popularise big smartphones, but it wasn't all slam dunks for Samsung, the report said.

Recently, Samsung has launched Galaxy S22 Series in India on February 17.

Samsung Galaxy S22 price in India has been set at Rs 72,999 for the base 8GB RAM+256GB storage variant and the 8GB+256GB model comes with a price tag of Rs 76,999.

The Galaxy S22+ starts at Rs 84,999 for the 8GB+128GB model and goes up to Rs 88,999 for the 8GB+256GB option.

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is priced at Rs 1,09,999 for the 12GB+256GB option. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line 12GB+512GB model is priced at Rs 1,18,999.
Raichur, March 1 : Aland city in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district is celebrating Mahashivaratri festival on Tuesday in a tense atmosphere as the police department has clamped prohibitory orders till March 3, following the recent incident of desecration of the Shivling in the Eshwar temple.

The district authorities have made elaborate security arrangements for the festival which is celebrated on a large scale with much devotion.

According to police, special worship has been arranged in the temple. On the same day, Shab-e-barat ceremony is being celebrated at Laadle Mashak Dargah located next to the desecrated Eshwar temple.

Taking the sensitivity of the matter into consideration, elaborate security arrangements have been made.

The Kalaburagi police have released the orders prohibiting the entry of Srirama Sena founder Pramod Muthalik, Hindu activist Chaitra Kundapura and Siddalinga swamiji to the Kalaburagi district till March 3. The decision of district administration is being opposed by Hindutva organisations. Siddalinga swamiji was supposed to head a cleansing religious programme at the desecrated temple.

Chaitra Kundapur, who tried to violate the orders and enter the district, has been taken into custody by the Shahabad police.

Pramod Muthalik had stated that the district commissioner of Kalaburgi is taking anti-Hindu stands.

Shivratri festival is celebrated with utmost devotion and fanfare in the entire north Karnataka region including Kalaburgi.

The development has worried the state police department as there are chances of the issue leading to a law and order problem in the state.

The state police department had to make elaborate security arrangements in the city for more than a week after the incident of murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha in Shivamogga.

The schools and colleges were opened from Monday (February 28), and Shivamogga city, which witnessed large-scale violence, is limping back to normalcy.
Wellington, March 1 : New Zealanders will soon be able to access a third type of Novavax vaccine following the government's confirmation.

Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday that Novavax will soon be available to New Zealanders aged 18 and over, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Novavax is a protein-based Covid vaccine and while the Pfizer Covid vaccine remains the preferred vaccine of most New Zealanders, for some people, the arrival of Novavax will be the extra incentive required to get vaccinated against Covid," Hipkins said in a statement.

New Zealand is already one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world with 95 per cent of people aged 12 and over being vaccinated, Hipkins said.

The first doses are anticipated to arrive in New Zealand this month, and officials are working with Novavax to confirm the delivery schedule and rollout start date, he said.
Chennai, March 1 : Several top film stars from the Tamil film industry, including actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, greeted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on his birthday on Tuesday.

Taking to social media, Rajinikanth said: "My heartfelt birthday wishes to my sweet friend and honourable Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin who celebrates his birthday today." Actor and politician Kamal Haasan too tweeted his birthday wishes.

Stating that it was the birthday of a friend who was ideal for his heart, Kamal expressed his heartfelt wishes to Stalin, who, he said, accorded space to even the opinions of those opposing him. The actor praised the Chief Minister saying, he functioned in such a way that his thoughts and actions were strengthened.

Actress and politician Khushbu Sundar too greeted the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on the occasion of his birthday. She said: "Wishing our honourable CM of TN MK Stalin avargal a very happy birthday. May you live a long, healthy and happy life."
Los Angeles, March 1 : At least five people, including three children, were killed after a man opened fire in a church near Arden Fair mall in Sacramento, the capital city of California.

The gunman, who killed himself later, was the father of the three children. The bloodshed, which occurred at around 5.00 p.m. local time on Monday, stemmed from a domestic violence incident, Xinhua news agency reported citing the local media.

Sgt. Rodney Grassmann, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, was quoted by the Sacramento Bee newspaper as saying that the three children killed were all under 15 years.

The fourth victim shot dead on the scene was an adult. Grassmann said the victim's connection to the gunman wasn't immediately clear, adding that victims "all knew each other".

Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra referred to the incident as a "mass casualty shooting" at a church in a message, urging people to be alert in the area.

Weighing in on Twitter just after the shooting, California Governor Gavin Newsom said: "Another senseless act of gun violence in America -- this time in our backyard. In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating."
Los Angeles, March 1 : Academy Award-nominee Aunjanue Ellis has written a letter to her daughters, whom she has lovingly called her bright, black future.

The letter was published on Variety, it reads: "A Letter to My Daughters Dear Exquisites: So an errant fake lash led me to a Google search. This search led me to the L'Oreal Beauty Blog. Always looking for makeup wisdom, I glanced over their other articles and saw a piece called "How to Make Your Lips Smaller." The artwork for the piece featured a Black woman who looked like me.

"Lips like mine. Skin like mine. Body like mine. I looked at this woman -- my own reflection. I questioned my sight. I looked for the date thinking surely this article was a fossil from a more unenlightened time. Circa 1950. No. It was written and posted in 2021. Months ago. I sent the image to other Black women friends who were equally stunned. According to this article, my lips -- replete, ancestral, a remnant of my majestic mother -- were a thing to be made "small." Now, right now! Black women's bodies, STILL, for all the veneration (often thinly masked appropriation), remain a place of conflict in American culture. More upsetting, they remain mere material, a commodity to be diminished, or erased at will. A thing that services.

The expression "Black Is Beautiful" feels anachronistic now. Cringey. Regressive. But when I saw this article, I am cannon-shot back to the need for this rallying cry. That, in 2022, "Black. Is. Beautiful" are still words we need to guard us against the blows of a beauty company, a beauty industry, that tell us our lips, our bodies' glad claim to African shores, are not only not beautiful, but undesirable, something to be erased like the lancing of a pimple.

My daughters, this is why your work is necessary. Hear me. For every woman like me who reads an article like this and finds it absurd, laughable even, there are countless more who will read it, and follow the instructions word for word. It's a step-by-step guide to self-mutilation. Destroying our bodies, rendering us invisible.

The good news: Your faces, your beautiful faces are the antidote. The craft that you use to bring the fullness of Black womanhood to the screen is the antidote.

We thank God. We thank her for Mary J. Blige's "Good Morning Gorgeous". We thank her for Quinta Brunson's "Abbot Elementary". We thank her for Bisa Butler's quilted imagination for they remind us of Zora Neale Hurston's exultant words, "I am not tragically colored [or bodied for that matter]. There is no great sorrow damned up in my soul... No, I do not weep at the world -- I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife." Yes, as writer Christina Sharpe asserts, racism in this world is "the weather." Yes, patriarchy will try to blind and bind you. Make you feel that original power is still male. Please see it for what it is even as it hides behind "method," "art" and "production value." Demand work environments that are safe and affirming. Demand to be paid well. Fight to be written for and about in a way that is a full measure of who you are. You will have to do this. I got the scars to prove.

It is up to you to show a new kind of leadership, one that is expansive, horizontal, and listens. We cannot espouse systems of power that are mere replacements of domination. You must manifest this on and off camera and off set. The kind of leadership Ella Baker used to usher in the Freedom Rights Movement in this country. It is up to you to confront the "-ism's" and "-ity'sa that still try to plague the creativity of Black women. One of the worst being conformity. It's up to you.

My daughters. I'm not worried. I'm not worried. For I have sat next to you, held your hands, breathed your rarified air, and fainted at your brilliance. Yes, you are magic, but not of the ephemeral "rabbit in the hat" variety. For we are not ephemera, we are bone and flesh and feeling. You are the magic that Alice Walker describes as "craft+talent+courage." I'm not worried. I'm not worried. For I see constant Dawn in your eyes. The jewels you wear are "Ruby's." In your voices, I hear "Truth." You rage with laughter.

My daughters, Demi, Saniyya, Layla, Daniele, and Mikayla, Jada and Jurnee, and Ebony and Dominique and my baby Bowie.

My bright, Black future. Your mama on the screen, your aunt on and off screen, your friend for life, Aunjanue".
Wellington, March 1 : New Zealand and Britain signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Tuesday that unlocks unprecedented access to the British market and accelerates New Zealand's Covid-19 recovery, said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

"Virtually all our current trade will be duty-free from entry into force, including duty-free quotas for key products like meat, butter and cheese, helping to accelerate our economic recovery," Ardern said in a statement.

The deal will boost New Zealand's GDP by up to NZ$1 billion ($680 million), supporting business and jobs, he added, Xinhua news agency reported.

This is New Zealand's first bilateral trade agreement to include a specific article on climate change and includes provisions towards eliminating environmentally harmful subsidies, such as harmful fossil fuel subsidies, and prohibiting fisheries subsidies which lead to overfishing, she said.

The FTA was signed in London by New Zealand Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O'Connor and Britain's Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

It's estimated New Zealand goods exports to Britain will increase by more than 50 per cent through the agreement, O'Connor said, adding the agreement will enter into force by the end of 2022 after both partners ratify the agreement through respective parliaments.

Britain was New Zealand's seventh-largest trading partner pre-Covid, with two-way trade worth NZ$6 billion ($4.06 billion) to March 2020, he said.
South Africa: Auditor-General welcomes RAF interdict high court ruling

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Public Service and Administration Minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, is set to meet with labour to discuss the impact of the Constitutional Court judgement handed down on Monday. According to the department, this is to ensure that trust and respect between labour and the employer remains intact. In a statement, the Department of Public Service a... See more
China's non-manufacturing PMI up in February

Xinhua) 13:10, March 01, 2022

Tourists visit the theme land of Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Beijing Resort in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's non-manufacturing sector came in at 51.6 in February, up from 51.1 in January, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Tuesday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below it reflects contraction.

The non-manufacturing sector overall picked up its recovery pace last month, according to NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

Due to an uptick in the business climate of the services sector, the sub-index for business activities in the sector edged up 0.2 percentage points to 50.5 in February, but still lower than the usual level of Spring Festival holiday months in previous years.

The overall business expectation of the construction sector strengthened, with the sub-index for business activities in the sector standing at 57.6 in February, surging 2.2 percentage points from the previous month.

Tuesday's data also showed that the PMI for China's manufacturing sector came in at 50.2 in February, up from 50.1 in January.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Photo shows a view of the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations held in the Gomel region in Belarus on Feb. 28, 2022. (Belta news agency via Xinhua)

by Xinhua writer Yuan Xinfang

MOSCOW, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine concluded on Monday their first round of negotiations in Belarus with no clear breakthrough.

The talks are certainly a positive signal, observed analysts, but the negotiation process would be rather complicated.

NO BREAKTHROUGH

The long-awaited negotiations between delegations from Russia and Ukraine was held in the Gomel region in Belarus and lasted for five hours.

Headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Moscow's delegation was formed by representatives from the defense and foreign ministries, among others.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Olexiy Reznikov and the deputy head of the ministry of foreign affairs were among the participants from the Ukrainian side.

Before the negotiations, representatives from the Russian side said a key aim would be to achieve peace.

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei welcomed the participants and assured safety during the negotiation process.

After the consultations, Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said that the next round of peace talks would take place on the Belarusian-Polish border in the coming days.

Medinsky also said that each one of the delegations would now head back to their capitals to further discuss all negotiation positions to prepare for the next round of negotiations.

"We have found some issues on which we can predict there would be common positions," the official said, adding that all negotiation positions were discussed in detail during the talks.

HEIGHTENED TENSIONS

While the talks were going on, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, reiterating that a settlement would only be possible if Russia's security concerns were taken into account.

Putin said it was important to recognize "Russia's sovereignty over Crimea," as well as the country's commitment to solving the tasks of Ukraine's "demilitarization" and "denazification", and the issue of Ukraine's neutral status.

As for developments of Russia's military operation, the country's armed forces have hit 1,114 Ukrainian military infrastructure objects, according to Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin earlier on Monday that the country's nuclear deterrence forces have begun combat duty with reinforced staff.

Meanwhile, Moscow has taken more retaliatory measures in response to recent restrictions imposed by the West.

As a response to the ban of European states on Russian air carriers, a restriction has been introduced on the operation of flights by air carriers from 36 countries, according to aviation authorities.

The country's economy has also been impacted. Russia's Central Bank said Monday that "external conditions for the Russian economy have drastically changed," announcing the decision to increase the key rate to 20 percent per annum from Feb. 28.

COMPLICATED NEGOTIATION

The world is closely following developments with regards to the peace talks.

"The talks are certainly a positive signal," Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Council for Interethnic Relations under the President of the Russian Federation, said in an interview with Xinhua on Monday.

According to the expert, Russia has shown that it is ready to solve problems through diplomacy.

Alexander Gusev, director of Russia's Institute for Strategic Planning and Forecasting, considered the current negotiation process to be rather complicated.

"The situation that is currently developing in Ukraine is quite complicated, so it's simply impossible to set ambitious goals when it comes to the negotiation process," Gusev told Xinhua.

"On the other hand, the talks have shown that both sides are ready for dialogue, they have found common ground... and I am convinced that the negotiation process will continue, this is just the beginning," he said. 
Seoul, March 1 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday expressed his concern about a "new Cold War" and nationalism seeking to gain hegemony by force, as Russia pressed ahead with its invasion of Ukraine despite global condemnation and sanctions.

In a speech marking Korea's 1919 nationwide uprising against Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Moon emphasised that South Korea should have the power to prevent itself from being pushed around by global powers, Yonhap news agency reported.

"The international order is fluctuating amid the Covid crisis," Moon said. "State-centered nationalism, which seeks to gain hegemony by force, is also raising its head again. Concerns over a new Cold War are on the rise as well." Moon said that the lesson from the spirit of the 1919 uprising "gives us today is that we should have the power to lead our history without being pushed around by an international order centered on powerful countries." Moon's speech came a day after South Korea said it will ban exports of strategic items to Russia and join international sanctions to exclude major Russian financial institutions from a key global payment system to increase pressure over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The remarks were seen as a veiled condemnation against Russia's military action.

Moon said South Korea is "imbued with the spirit" of the 1919 uprising, "which resisted violence, discrimination and injustice, and rejected a hegemonic international order." "We will never again experience that pain from one hundred years ago," Moon said. "We will safeguard the survival and raise the pride of all Koreans through peace and prosper in peace." Moon also called for Japan to look squarely at history and show a humble attitude over its wartime past in order for the two countries to overcome historical feuds and move forward for cooperation.

"In this time of many difficulties, Korea and Japan -- close neighbours -- must be able to overcome the history of the once unfortunate past and cooperate for the future," Moon said.

"Beyond Korea-Japan relations, I sincerely hope that Japan will take leadership as an advanced nation. To this end, Japan must squarely face history and be humble before it," Moon said.

South Korea remains open to dialogue with Japan to work together on various regional and global issues, such as Covid and supply chains, Moon said.

Moon said Seoul "will always keep the door open for dialogue to join forces not only for regional peace and prosperity but also in responding to global challenges -- ranging from Covid and the climate crisis to the supply chain crisis and the new economic order." With North Korea showing signs of ratcheting up tensions by test-firing ballistic missiles, Moon said dialogue with the North must be resumed to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.

Recalling heightened tension about five years ago, when North Korea conducted a nuclear test, Moon said his administration "was able to achieve peace through dramatic dialogue. However, dialogue has been suspended, making our peace tenuous." "Efforts for dialogue to sustain peace must continue," Moon said. "If we do not lose our determination -- just as we dreamed of turning the PyeongChang Winter Olympics into a Peace Olympics amid the dark clouds of war -- we can certainly bring denuclearisation and permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy," Moon said.

"Cooperation between Korea and Japan is the responsibility of the current generation for the sake of future generations," Moon said.

"Japan will become a trustworthy country only when it is able to empathise with the wounds of the people of neighbouring countries, which are sometimes exacerbated by a once unfortunate past," Moon said.

Diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Tokyo have run deep since 2019, when Japan imposed a set of export restrictions against South Korea in a move seen as economic retaliation for South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms involved in forced labour during Japan's colonial rule.

Japan's recent heritage bid for a controversial mine added to a litany of thorny issues between the two countries, including Japan's claims to Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, its wartime sexual slavery and its planned discharge of tainted nuclear plant water into the ocean.

The latest tussle over the Sado mine -- where as many as 2,000 Koreans were thought to have been mobilised to work against their will -- struck a particularly jarring note as it put a damper on Seoul's hitherto unfruitful fence-mending efforts with Tokyo.
New Delhi, March 1 : Despite talks aimed at securing a ceasefire, fighting continues in the Russian war against Ukraine.

Missile strikes killed dozens of civilians in the country's second city, Kharkiv, while air raid sirens sounded again in the capital, Kyiv, BBC reported.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called the Russian bombardment of Kharkiv a "war crime".

There were reports of fierce shelling in the northern city of Chernihiv, BBC reported.

Russia is attacking Ukraine on several fronts, but its advance has been slowed by Ukrainian resistance.

All three cities remain under Ukrainian control.

Away from the battlefields, economic and diplomatic moves have continued.

President Vladimir Putin has banned Russians from moving money abroad as he tries to halt a plunge in the value of the rouble following the imposition of sanctions.

And a rare emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly has heard a demand from the secretary general for an immediate halt to hostilities.

On the northern border with Belarus, Ukrainian and Russian officials ended their first round of talks.

There was little expectation the session would bring a breakthrough, but a Ukrainian official said both sides would now return to their respective capitals for further consultations before a second round of negotiations, BBC reported.

Russia said both sides had agreed to continue talking and would meet again "in the next few days".
New Delhi, March 1 : A Russian military convoy travelling towards the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv has grown from being 17 miles long earlier on Monday to 40 miles, a satellite company has said, Daily Mail reported.

Maxar Technologies, a private US satellite company, also said additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units were seen in southern Belarus, less than 20 miles north of the Ukraine border.

Maxar said the convoy stretches from the Antonov airbase, 17 miles north of Kyiv's city center, to just north of the Ukrainian town of Pribyrsk.

Pribyrsk is closer to the Ukraine-Belarus border and the failed nuclear reactor at Chernobyl than to Kyiv.

On Sunday, Maxar had measured the convoy -- then near Ivankiv, Ukraine -- at roughly 3.5 miles long, Daily Mail reported.

US intelligence officials told members of Congress on Monday that they expect a second overwhelming wave of attacks to engulf Kyiv. Two people told CNN that the briefing detailed how they expect the sheer numbers of Russian troops to flatten the Ukrainian resistance, the report said.

Another source told the channel that Russia was likely to lay siege to Kyiv, and predicted ugly scenes of urban warfare, Daily Mail reported.

The line of vehicles is so extensive that it was not entirely captured in Monday's satellite imagery. In some areas, the vehicles are two to three rows deep.

It was not clear whether all vehicles in the convoy were headed for the same final destination, or whether the military forces would split up and encircle the capital.

US intelligence believes around 75 per cent of Russian forces positioned on the borders with Ukraine are now inside the country.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
San Francisco, March 1 : Tech giant Microsoft Corporation said that Zain Nadella, son of CEO Satya Nadella and his wife Anu Nadella, has died, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

The software maker told its executive staff in an email that Zain, who was 26 years old and had been born with cerebral palsy, passed away on Monday morning.

The message asked executives to hold the family in their thoughts and prayers while giving them space to grieve privately, the report said.

In October 2017, the CEO talked about the birth of his son in a blogpost.

"One night, during the thirty-sixth week of her pregnancy, Anu noticed that the baby was not moving as much as she was accustomed to. So we went to the emergency room of a local hospital in Bellevue," Nadella had said in the post.

"We thought it would be just a routine checkup, little more than new parent anxiety. In fact, I distinctly remember feeling annoyed by the wait times we experienced in the emergency room. But upon examination, the doctors were alarmed enough to order an emergency cesarean section," he added.

The CEO mentioned that Zain was born at 11:29 p.m. on August 13, 1996, all of three pounds and he did not cry.

"Zain was transported from the hospital in Bellevue across Lake Washington to Seattle Children's Hospital with its state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Anu began her recovery from the difficult birth. I spent the night with her in the hospital and immediately went to see Zain the next morning. Little did I know then how profoundly our lives would change," Nadella said.

"Over the course of the next couple of years, we learned more about the damage caused by in utero asphyxiation, and how Zain would require a wheelchair and be reliant on us because of severe cerebral palsy. I was devastated. But mostly I was sad for how things turned out for me and Anu," he added.
New Delhi, March 1 : The dramatic midnight resignation of Ashneer Grover ahead of the crucial BharatPe board meeting on Tuesday came as an independent PwC 'governance review' found him guilty of financial irregularities worth several crores along with his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, according to sources.

Sources close to the development told IANS on Tuesday that the Board was set to grill Ashneer over the PWC report regarding his conduct and take action based on it, which was to ultimately sack him.

The sources confirmed that the PwC 'governance review' had found financial wrongdoings at Ashneer's ends too.

Sensing what was coming his way, Ashneer decided to shoot off an emotionally-charged and lengthy resignation to the Board on Monday midnight, in a bid to salvage his image before the damage was done.

A BharatPe spokesperson told IANS that Ashneer resigned as Managing Director and Board Director of BharatPe "minutes after receiving the agenda for upcoming Board meeting that included submission of the PWC report regarding his conduct and considering actions based on it".

"The Board reserves the right to take action based on the report's findings," the spokesperson added.

The resignation came as top investors in the fintech platform declined to buy his 8.5 per cent stake in the company for Rs 4,000 crore as he had sought. Ashneer also lost an arbitration in Singapore he filed against the fintech platform for launching a probe against him.

According to sources, Grover's valuation does not hold ground as the company is not valued at $6 billion as being projected by him.

At a $2.85 billion valuation and at the current dollar-rupee exchange rate, his stake would be around Rs 1,824 crore.

In the letter, Ashneer said that the Board and its probe will not find a single act of impropriety against him.

He also took a dig at the founder-investor relationship in India, calling it one of "slavery".

"You treat us founders as slaves - pushing us to build multi-billion-dollar businesses and cutting us down at will. The investor-founder relation in India is one of master-slave. I am the rebel slave who must be hung by the tree so none of the other slaves can dare to be like me ever again," he wrote.
Chennai, March 1 : The hunger strike by the retrenched workers of Hindustan Motors/Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation Ltd entered its second day, said H. Ismail.

Ismail is one of the retrenched workers whose grandfather's land was acquired by Hindustan Motors in 1968.

"About 50 people are on hunger strike on Tuesday morning and more people are joining. We began the hunger strike on Monday," Ismail told IANS.

According to him, the strike is being held outside the PCA Automobiles India Private Ltd that rolls out Citroen cars.

With nearly five months gone after the assurance given by the DMK government that their issues would be soon sorted out, the retrenched workers have decided to launch an indefinite hunger strike.

Ismail said the government in October 2021 had assured them that their issues would be sorted out soon and hence they had wound up their protest then.

However, nothing has happened after that and their matter has been sent to the state labour department, he said.

"It is the Tiruvallur district administration that should be involved. Sending the issue to the Labour Department is nothing but side tracking the matter," Ismail added.

Car-maker PCA Automobiles located in Tiruvallur is a joint venture between global automotive manufacturer Stellantis Group and India's C.K. Birla group.

Hindustan Motors Ltd/Hindustan Motor Finance belonged to the C.K.Birla group.

The workers were earlier employed by Hindustan Motors Ltd/Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation Ltd. at its Tiruvallur car plant rolling out Japanese Mitsubishi Motors Corporation's models like Lancer, Pajero and also under contract manufacturing deal for Isuzu Motors MU 7 model.

Later, about 175 permanent workers and over 150 contract workers were retrenched by Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation and the plant was transferred to PCA Automobiles.

"We were retrenched despite an agreement signed between the two joint venture partners that the workers will be absorbed by PCA Automobiles," Ismail said.

"Based on this Employee Transfer Agreement, Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation got permission from the Tamil Nadu government to transfer the plant and other assets to PCA Automobiles. Post transfer of assets, the workers -- permanent and on contract -- were sent out," E. Srinivasan, Secretary of the Hindustan Motors Land Giving Farmers Progressive Association, told IANS.

According to Srinivasan, Hindustan Motors acquired about 356 acres of agricultural land in 1968 at Tiruvallur.

Initially, Hindustan Motors bought the land directly from the owners. But it was not able to get the extent it wanted and sought the District Collector's help. Later, the company deposited the land cost with the government treasury and the government transferred the land to the company, Srinivasan said.

At that point of time, the District Collector had assured that the land owners will be employed by the company in the Hindustan Motor's earthmoving equipment plant at Tiruvallur.

"The land cost was so low that many landowners did not make efforts to get their money from the government treasury as the expenses incurred would be higher," Srinivasan added.

However, the landowners were not given employment as promised earlier and after protesting Hindustan Motors employed 82 persons -- mostly the grandsons of the landowners -- in the 1980s.

"After a decade of protests another batch of 82 workers were hired as trainees in 1997," Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan and Ismail had earlier told IANS that Hindustan Motors confirmed the trainee workers only after 10 years.

Hindustan Motors hived off a sizable portion of the land for its car plant to roll out Mitsubishi Motors Corporation's models like Lancer, Pajero.

And some workers of the Hindustan Motors' earthmoving equipment division were transferred to the car plant.

Some years later, the Indian company transferred the plant to Hindustan Finance Corporation and then to PCA Automobiles while sending out permanent and contract workers.

Hindustan Motors sold its earthmoving equipment division (that made dumpers, loaders and others) to Caterpillar, US.

Barring the 22 workers whose grandfathers had given their land to the factory and some others, the majority of the permanent workers had agreed to take lump sum compensation from Hindustan Motor Finance Corporation.

"The company had deposited the lump sum in our bank accounts without our consent. We wrote to the company, Tamil Nadu government and also to PCA Automobiles stressing our demand for jobs and the amount deposited would be treated as our monthly wages," Srinivasan had said.

After the job loss, life for all the workers turned upside down.

According to Srinivasan, the PCA Automobiles plant has about 190 acres of land of which about 150 acres are vacant.

"We want our land back so that we can do farming and manage our families," Srinivasan said.

"Our land is there. The old owner -- C.K. Birla group and new owner Stellantis Group -- are also there. The car plant is also rolling out Citroen brand cars. Only we are not there. This is not just," Ismail and Srinivasan said.

According to Ismail, the retrenched workers have seen several District Collectors. All of them knew about the Employee Transfer Agreement signed between Hindustan Finance Corporation and PCA Automobiles and its subsequent breach. But still no solution for them.
New Delhi, March 1 : 'Futuristic Antique,' a series of paintings created in collaboration between Karthikeyan Ramachandran and his Legendary artist Father K N Ramachandran on the theme of 'Futuristic Antique,' will be launched as Karthik's first Art NFT on Token Runway.

He is a member of the Delhi-based Future Collective, which hosted an art fair at Bikaner House Delhi. All of these influences combine to form Artist Karthik Ramachandran, who is a blend of traditional knowledge and crazy contemporary ideas. Most people add a prefix to his name, "MAD Karthik." His art has this undercurrent, and he describes his style as "Futuristic antique" - which means "Looking at today as a matter of past, by putting yourself in the future." He started his journey with MTV India from 2000-2005 as a visualiser and left as a creative director. Between 2005-2006 he set up the animation and visual effects team at Pixion Mumbai and created the launch image identity for VH1 India during the launch year 2006 started xtrathin design pvt Ltd a graphic design & advertising house in Bandra, Mumbai.

Kartik also worked for OTT platforms for projects like Mirzapur, Made in Heaven, Comicstaan and also for movies such as Kai Po Che, The Lunchbox, Shahid, ABCD, Ghanchakkar, Joker among others.

Artist and visionary Karthik Ramachandran curates' art shows & festivals. Being inclined towards art is in his genes because of his late father renowned Artist K N Ramachandran. Karthik runs an art festival called Appa Art Fest in memory of his father, where he curates artists of diverse art forms to come together & co-create anything from traditional to contemporary, from digital to theatre.

(IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Jammu/Doda, March 1 : On a sunny February afternoon, 22-year-old Junaid Bhat was busy cutting wooden logs to make an almirah at a small shop in Jammu Division's Kishtwar district. In this mountainous region -- one that has witnessed some of the worst incidents of terrorism -- Bhat wasn't just another ordinary carpenter going about his day.

As the nephew of the longest surviving commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit in the region -- Mohammad Amin alias Jehangir Saroori; the young man was fully aware that the police and the Army may be keeping a vigil on him.

The Army provided Bhat with vocational training as a carpenter about seven months ago to prevent him from going astray like his uncle. "The Army trained me as a carpenter for 90 days, after which I was issued a government certificate. Neither any Hurriyat (separatist) leader nor any government officials supported us," said Bhat, who believes that he has understood the value of hard-earned money and peace.

Bhat was one of many to receive such support from the Army in the state. Many young people in the area had taken up arms in the 1990s and early 2000s due to sustained propaganda by Pakistan. Since then, villages in Kishtwar have generally relied on the Army's help as the government machinery cannot reach and help these villagers due to its mountainous topography. Information from locals can be a game-changer for security forces; hence they are always willing to help the villagers.

Part of this strategy is providing employment opportunities through skill training to local youth. The Army has been scaling this up aggressively over the past few years in the wake of new threats to lure youngsters.

This is one of the supposed reasons that terrorism in Kishtwar and adjoining Doda district has decreased significantly, especially since the abrogation of section 370.

"The path of terrorism will lead only to death by bullet," Bhat told 101Reporters, adding that officials have never harassed him for his connection to the uncle. He even made appeals to Mohammad Amin to surrender himself to the Army. "The army had also helped my uncle's (Saroori) son to get immediate medical help when he injured his leg," added Bhat.

The Army also assisted women with their health concerns. Pregnant women face hardships as the Macchal sector in Kupwara -- a hotbed for terrorism that gets cut off from the rest of the valley during the snow. Along with other remote regions, the Army also held regular medical camps as government doctors are not available in these places.

'No stone left unturned' After having suffered for many years, the women in the terror-infested regions of J&K are now trying to learn new vocations and earning alongside their husbands.

The Army trained nine women hailing from remote areas of Thakrie block in Kishtwar in tailoring, after which they formed a self-help group. This course was carried out under the supervision of the District Social Welfare Department, and certificates were awarded from Menrol Skills Pvt. Ltd on successful completion.

Even in the Rajouri district along the LoC, which had witnessed many incidents of terrorism, the Army has left no stone unturned to help the youth. Regular workshops to train them are held. At the culmination of the Workshop, the participants are awarded certificates from the National Skill Development Council (NSDC).

Murtaza Malik, 23, a resident of Darhal in Rajouri, said that the Army recently provided him training in welding, after which he has been able to start his workshop. "The only concern is that in small places like Darhal, there may be few people in need of welding. The initiative by the Army is appreciable, but the youth of far-flung regions must also be provided opportunities by the J&K government in starting their own business. But, unfortunately, most such schemes are only on papers," lamented Malik.

Unfulfilled expectations from the government Like Malik, most villagers believe that the government should also do its job of creating employment opportunities for the youth. However, Irfan (name changed on request), 36, from the Doda district, said there is stigma in his family members since his brother was an Over Ground Worker (OGW) for LeT. However, he had surrendered in 2020.

"No private establishment is ready to provide a job to my brother as there is a label of former OGW on him. The government should come forward and provide jobs to the surrendered OGWs so that they can assimilate into the mainstream," Irfan told 101Reporters. People within the region are unaware of government schemes, and government officials generally don't reach such remote areas.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior official of the Kishtwar district administration told 101Reporters that "the government staff is not well trained. They also do not have the necessary resources to reach far-flung areas when everything is covered under snow during extreme winters. So most of the time, the district administration requests the Army for the help of locals in these far-off villages. We understand that there are loopholes in the system but then what matters is that someone comes to the rescue of villagers." 'Trust is a two-way street'

Being a Muslim dominated region, Kishtwar and Doda districts have witnessed several alleged fake encounters, custodial deaths, etc. Arrests in the Kashmir valley have also created a sense of fear even in the Jammu division. However, these initiatives by the Army have been able to build trust again to a certain extent.

On January 26, 2022, Irfan was invited to the Republic Day event at Doda by the 10 Rashtriya Rifles (10 RR), where Lal Din Gujjar, father of Nazir Gujjar alias Abu Manzil, a hardcore terrorist operating from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), unfurled the flag of India.

"Who would have thought that the father of a wanted militant would unfurl the Tricolour on Republic Day?" questioned Gujjar. He said that if people at large start trusting the Muslim population of J&K, terrorism will be wiped out soon.

"Many sons of the region have already lost their lives after picking up guns. It was time that elders started trusting the Army to send a message to the younger generation to end the bloodshed. However, trust is a two-way phenomenon and can be achieved only if both sides agree on some points," Gujjar told 101Reporters.

Company Commander of Indian Army's 10 RR, Major Mohammad Navaid in Doda, said that efforts are afoot so that no youth goes towards militancy and takes up arms. "Inviting families of militants on Republic Day function will make the kin a part of mainstream so that there is no stigma on them and they can assure their family members to return and surrender for the better," he added.

(The author is a Jammu-based freelance journalist and a member of 101reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
New Delhi, March 1 : Ex-Turkish Airlines head Mehmet Ilker Ayci, who was named as the new Air India CEO-MD, has declined the position.

A Tata Group Spokesperson confirmed the development to IANS.

However, no reason was given for Ayci's decision.

Last month, the Tata Group-led Air India's announced the appointment of Ayci as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the airline.

At that time, Ayci while accepting the position said he is "delighted and honoured to accept the privilege of leading an iconic airline and to join the Tata Group".

He was expected to take the charge on or before April 1. Ayci (51) until recently was the Chairman of Turkish Airlines and was also on its Board of Directors prior to that.

Recently, the Tata Group bought the debt ridden state-owned Air India from the Central government by placing a bid of over Rs 18,000 crore at an auction and on January 27, it took over the full control of Air India.
New Delhi, March 1 : The decision to impose restrictions by the Afghan government on its citizens travelling abroad has drawn strong reactions from policy makers and social media users.

While some users slammed the move calling it "hostage-taking," a number of politicians feared it would negatively impact Kabul's relations with the rest of the world, Tolo news reported.

Talking about the apathetic nature of the government, Milad Arian, a graduate student, said: "When the government decides that its citizens should not go abroad, it should provide job opportunities for the youth." "The international community will not keep silent about it and will show a strong reaction to this," Ishaq Gailani, leader of the Afghanistan Solidarity Movement, said.

Najim, a resident of Kabul, who has worked with the NATO forces in Afghanistan between 2009-2012, is officially allowed to travel to the US along with his family members. However, the new policy of the Islamic Emirate to ban Afghan citizens from traveling abroad, has perturbed him.

"Those who have legal documents should be allowed to travel. But we, who have the documents, will even not be allowed to go now," he said.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate said that after receiving reports of challenges of the Afghan refugees in the UAE and Qatar, they imposed the travel restrictions, Tolo news reported.

"If the Afghans are not sure what will happen to them outside, we will close it (for now); I reminded you that more than 50,000 Afghans are in a bad situation in Doha camps," Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said.

According to Tolo, the US had evacuated more than 1,20,000 people from Afghanistan during an airlift in August last year. But as per an estimate by Washington D.C., over 60,000 former US colleagues in Afghanistan, who have applied for special immigration programme, still remain in the country.

Allowing foreign nationals and Afghans, who helped the international forces to leave, was a commitment of the Islamic Emirate to the international community. Now it is to be seen how the international community reacts to the halt of this process.
New Delhi, March 1 : In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under 'Operational Ganga', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked the Indian Air Force (IAF) to join the evacuation efforts, sources said here.

"Leveraging the capacities of our Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame and it will also help deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently," the sources further said.

The Indian Air Force is likely to deploy several C-17 aircrafts as part of Operation Ganga from Tuesday, they added.

Anticipating the enormity of the situation in Ukraine as around 14,000 Indian nationals are still in the war-torn country, the government officials said that the IAF is ready with an evacuation plan.

The inclusion of IAF transport aircraft to carry out the evacuation efforts was necessary because thousands of Indians are stuck in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa.

The External Affairs Ministry on Tuesday advised all Indian nationals to leave Ukraine's capital as soon as possible as the situation in Kyiv was getting worse day by day by the attacks of the Russian Army, the officials, who are aware of the developments, said.

IAF transport aircraft like C-17 Globemaster has a large carrying capacity and a big number of evacuees can be ferried from the neighbouring countries of the Ukraine in comparison with civil airlines, they further said, adding that the IAF pilots are trained to fly safely in war-like situations.

Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring the evacuation mission and he has chaired three high-level meetings till Monday evening.

Till now, over 1600 Indian students have been evacuated from the Ukraine till this morning as the seventh Air India Express flight landed in Mumbai with 182 Indians, mostly students, who departed from Budapest (Hungary) at midnight Monday.

During the high-level meeting held on Monday evening, PM Modi has directed the Ministry of External Affairs officials to make proper arrangements for the students who will be coming to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania till they depart for India.

The four senior Cabinet Ministers, who have been designated as Prime Minister's 'Special Envoy' are departing to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania to oversee the evacuation mission. The visit of four senior ministers to these nations will energise the evacuation efforts. Modi has already talked to the Prime Ministers of Romania and Slovakia for support in evacuating Indians through their countries.
New Delhi, March 1 : Africans fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine are suffering racism, it has been claimed, with black refugees blocked from public transport and threatened at gunpoint by marauding militiamen, Daily Mail reported.

Korrine Sky, 26, a British-Zimbabwean national who has been studying medicine in Ukraine since September, said the situation had deteriorated and become 'like an apocalypse movie', with armed vigilantes roaming the streets.

Sky, mother of a nine-month-old baby, told The Independent, she had been threatened at gunpoint due to the colour of her skin by local armed men as she tried to make her escape from the rapidly escalating conflict.

According to Sky's Twitter, she has driven to the border with Romania, where she is still waiting to cross, and she reports having received 'some threats of violence from some local Ukrainians who don't believe we should enter'.

Meanwhile, Osarumen, a father-of-three and a Nigerian national, said he and his family were asked to give up their seat on a cross-border bus out of Ukraine, with the driver and military officers using the phrase 'no blacks' as justification, Daily Mail reported.

The current chair of the African Union, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat said on Monday that they were "particularly disturbed by reports that African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety".

Osarumen told The Independent: "In all of my years as an activist, I have never seen anything like this. When I look into the eyes of those who are turning us away, I see bloodshot racism; they want to save themselves and they are losing their humanity in the process." Osatumen, who has been living in Ukraine since 2009, said he was stranded at a train station in Kiev, Daily Mail reported.

He said: "This isn't just happening to black people - even to Indians, Arabs and Syrians," adding, "and that shouldn't be the case." Responding to the reports, African Union chiefs said in a statement: "Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach international law." Nigeria on Monday urged border officials in Ukraine and elsewhere to treat its citizens equally.

"There have been unfortunate reports of Ukrainian police and security personnel refusing to allow Nigerians to board buses and trains heading towards the Ukraine-Poland border," said presidential advisor Garba Shehu in a statement, Daily Mail reported.

Shehu referenced a video on social media where a Nigerian mother with a young baby was filmed being physically forced to give up her seat.

He said there are also reports of Polish officials refusing Nigerian citizens entry into Poland from Ukraine.

A group of South Africans, mostly students, were stuck at the Ukrainian-Polish border, the country's foreign ministry spokesman, Clayson Monyela, said on Twitter.

Some Nigerians who made it across the borders described frightening journeys in the dark to reach traffic-packed frontiers where they were made to wait as officials gave priority to Ukrainian women and children.

Speaking from Korczowa in Poland, Nigerian managerial sciences student Agantem Moshe, said Ukrainian police had pushed Africans out of the way to make way for women and children, Daily Mail reported.
Chennai, March 1 : Director Mathi Maran's long-awaited action entertainer 'Selfie', featuring actors G.V. Prakash, Varsha Bollamma and director Gautham Vasudev Menon in the lead, is to hit screens on April 1, its makers announced on Tuesday.

Taking to Twitter to make the announcement, music director and actor G.V. Prakash said, "'Selfie' releases on April 1 in theatres... Thanu sir, watch out for this stunning debutant director Mathi Maaran." The film, which has G.V. Prakash playing a college student turned broker of college seats, has been garnering attention ever since the film unit released the film's trailer.

Produced by D Sabareesh and presented by Kalaipuli S. Thanu on behalf of the V Creations, the film has music by the film's hero G.V. Prakash and cinematography by Vishnu Rangasamy.

One reason why the film has triggered huge expectations is that it will feature director Gautham Vasudev Menon in a full-fledged role.
Tokyo, March 1 : Japan's Covid border controls were eased on Tuesday with the limit on new entrants to the country being raised to 5,000 per day from an initial 3,500.

In addition, those entering the country, both Japanese and foreign, will be subjected to far less stringent quarantine measures and in some cases, quarantine protocols will be exempted, Xinhua news agency reported.

The daily cap of 5,000 new entrants will include foreign nationals who are not tourists being allowed to gain access to the country.

According to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, more than 400,000 people eligible for visas to enter Japan have been prevented from entering the country as of January 4.

Japan's stringent border controls, a result of the Covid pandemic and particularly aimed at preventing the highly transmissible Omicron strain of the virus entering the country from overseas, have been strongly criticised by business and academic bodies both here and overseas, as students and business people have long been left in limbo.

Those coming to Japan will now be asked to quarantine here for three days and be required to test negative for Covid-19 on their final day of quarantine.

Inbound travellers who have been triple-vaccinated and have departed from countries where the virus situation is under control, will be exempt from having to quarantine.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, said that overseas foreign students and technical interns working on training programmes have been waiting for a long time to enter Japan.

Matsuno said Japan is seeking to allow more people in.

"By considering infection situations in Japan and abroad as well as the demand of Japanese nationals returning, we will increase international traffic in steps," Matsuno said.

The immigration agency said that around 152,900 people out of 407,600 wanting to enter Japan, are students.
New Delhi, March 1 : Taking note of a plea stating serious environmental degradation due to decade-old dumping of waste and sewage in Ashtamudi Wetland, the gateway to Kerala's backwaters, the National Green Tribunal has stressed the need for an integrated management plan for the protection of the vulnerable Ramsar site in Kollam district.

"The situation mentioned in the complaint, if true, shows the unsatisfactory state of affairs calling for immediate remedial action on the part of the State Authorities," said the NGT bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.

Alleging failure to take remedial action for protecting Ashtamudi Wetland and Vembanad-Kol wetland, the petitioner stated that the wetland has become a polluted drain of the city due to dumping of pharmaceutical waste, plastic waste, domestic waste, slaughter-house waste, and in numerous other sources.

The canal passes right through the centre of the city which is less than a kilometre from the District Collectorate and other government offices, leads to National Water Highway, and Ashtamudi wetland and Vembanad Kol wetlands, both are protected under Ramsar Convention. These wetlands provide habitat for a considerable number of flora and fauna and migratory birds too. The district authorities and state authorities have been neglecting the situation for decades, the plea alleged.

Considering the plea, the green court sought immediate remedial action by the state authorities for compliance under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as well as Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and judgments of the Supreme Court. The erring officers need to be held accountable for such failure and an appropriate action plan prepared and executed for the protection of the environment and public health and also discharge of constitutional obligations in terms of Public Trust doctrine, the bench said.

The bench also took into account a detailed article titled 'Environment Problems and Management Aspects of Vembanad Kol Wetlands in South West Coast of India', by K.N. Remani, P. Jayakumar and T.K. Jalaja, Centre for Water Resources Development and Management.

The area in question is part of the critically vulnerable coastal area which calls for the preparation of an integrated management plan as per CRZ Notification, 2011 and 2019, it said.

"Accordingly, we direct the Chief Secretary, Kerala to forthwith call a meeting of concerned departments, including district administration, State Wetland Authority and Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA)," the bench said in the order passed on Monday.

The NGT, further, directed the National Wetland Authority to take cognizance of the problem since the site in question is Ramsar site. The State Pollution Control Board needs to enforce environmental clearance conditions applicable to pharmaceutical units and boat houses as well as other authorities dumping of waste and to take appropriate action by way of prosecution and stopping polluting activity.

The Chief Secretary, Kerala, National Wetland Authority, State PCB, Public Health Department, Irrigation Department, Urban Development Department and Environment Department may file their respective action taken reports in the matter within three months, it said.

The bench will hear the matter further on July 6.

(Jaison Wilson can be reached at jaison.w@ians.in)
Chennai, March 1 : A man attacked his 20-year-old daughter with a sickle in Tamil Nadu's Tenaki district as he was opposed to her relationship with a village youth.

The incident occurred on Monday in Ariyankavu near Pavoorchatram.

The woman, identified as V.A Sudha, was rushed to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital where her condition is stated to be critical.

Pavoorchathram police officials said that Sudha, a graduate, worked as a 'beedi' roller.

She fell in love with youth in her village and expressed her desire to marry him to her father.

Her father, Velsamy, opposed the relationship vehemently, post which Sudha decided to go to police station. Annoyed over her relation, Velsamy in a fit of rage attacked her with a sickle that he was carrying to his agricultural land.

On hearing her screams, Sudha's neighbours rushed to the spot and took her to the hospital.

The police have registered a case and an investigation has been initiated.
Lucknow, March 1 : What does a Congress candidate from Bikapur in Ayodhya, an independent from Gunnaur in Sambhal, Samajwadi Party candidates from Mubarakpur in Azamgarh and Karhal in Mainpuri have in common -- they are all Akhilesh Yadavs.

While SP president Akhilesh Yadav is contesting from Karhal and is being seen as a chief ministerial candidate, his namesakes are also basking in reflected glory.

"I am getting good support in my constituency. People feel sympathetic towards me. I had lost the 2017 polls by a very thin margin. But now, they want Akhilesh Yadav to win. People say that one Akhilesh Yadav will be chief minister and Akhilesh Yadav should also be Mubarakpur's MLA," said Akhilesh Yadav from Mubarakpur.

When his name was announced from Mubarakpur, many thought that the SP president was contesting form two seats -- Karhal and Mubarakpur.

Mubarakpur in Azamgarh district goes to polls in the seventh phase on March 7.

Congress candidate from Bikapur and the party's Ayodhya district president Akhilesh Yadav said he joined the Congress in 2016 after moving out of the SP as he was not given respect.

He said, "A few days back, I was campaigning with my supporters in Bikapur. One of my supporters shouted 'Akhilesh bhaiyya zindabaad'. This prompted some SP supporters, who were in the vicinity to raise slogans in my support." Later, they realised that they are actually raising slogans in favour of a Congress candidate, Yadav said.

"Some people also wonder how come the 'haath kaa panjaa' (Congress' poll symbol) has become the SP election symbol," Yadav said.

Independent candidate Akhilesh Yadav is testing the poll waters from Gunnaur in Sambhal district, which has already gone to polls. He said that though he was born with the name Lakhvendra Singh, his grandmother used to call him 'Akhilesh', and gradually others also started calling him by that name. "Akhilesh Yadav (the SP chief) is everything for us. Samajwadi (socialism) flows in our blood and it is in our genes. My father Ram Khiladi Singh is SP candidate," he said.

The three namesakes of the SP president are now waiting to see whether their luck matches Akhilesh Yadav's luck when counting is held on March 10.
Hyderabad, March 1 : IIT Hyderabad researchers have found that antioxidants prevent damage caused by Triclosan. Researchers of IIT Hyderabad (IIT-H) have painstakingly worked to unravel how Triclosan, used extensively in several personal hygiene products, affects neuromuscular processes in the human body. The study also indicates that antioxidants can help overcome the negative effects of Triclosan.

Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical extensively used to extend the shelf life of consumer products such as soaps, toothpastes, and deodorants. While Triclosan stops the growth of undesirable micro-organisms, it has also been found to cause neorotoxic effects even in quantities 500 times below approved levels.

Triclosan was first developed in the 1960s. Since then, its application as an antimicrobial compound has constantly increased globally. It is frequently added to various consumer products such as toothpaste, detergents, or toys to increase their shelf life. The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted even increased use of such antimicrobial compounds. Due to heavy and indiscriminate use, Triclosan came under the spotlight when its presence was detected in human urine, blood, and even milk. These results prompted scientists to explore the negative effect of Triclosan on humans. Even after several studies, the mode of action of Triclosan at the cellular level is still unclear.

Dr Anamika Bhargava's (Associate Professor, Biotechnology) lab at IIT-H is focused on understanding factors that lead to disease state. So, the mysteries around Triclosan's effect on higher animals, including humans, intrigued Dr Anamika's lab. In the past, their research work has demonstrated that "zebrafish (vertebrate animal)" can be used as a human mimetic to explore the effects of Triclosan. They recently asked if Triclosan can directly affect cells or the negative effect is due to its indirect role? Also, how can such toxic effects possibly be prevented? Their recent study, which was published in the reputed journal Toxicology (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34942273/), revealed that Triclosan could inhibit acetylcholinesterase directly and indirectly. Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme essential for regulating neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the neuron junctions. Acetylcholine, as a neurotransmitter, is important for our brain cells to communicate with each other, for our muscles to work. A lesser-known fact is that Acetylcholine may also be involved in behavior.

In the current study, Triclosan inhibited purified acetylcholinesterase in a test tube, albeit at high concentrations. However, Triclosan at lower concentrations induced oxidative stress in the brain, which inhibited acetylcholinesterase. In a remarkable finding, the research reveals that acetylcholinesterase can be protected from the harmful effects of Triclosan by the use of antioxidants. When pretreated with melatonin (an antioxidant), the zebrafish did not show a severe decline in acetylcholinesterase activity upon triclosan exposure.

Appreciating the finding by Dr Anamika's group, Prof B.S. Murty, Director IIT-H, said, "Several health-related challenges in the 21st century can be handled using technological innovations. IIT-H has constantly been striving to provide an excellent research ecosystem wherein research groups like Dr Anamika's can provide sustainable solutions for society at large." Previously, Dr Anamika's group had revealed that Triclosan in minute amounts (0.6 ppm or less) could not only affect the genes and enzymes involved in neurotransmission, but it can also damage the neurons.

American food and drug regulator body (FDA) has already imposed a partial ban on the use of Triclosan; however, Indian counterparts are not very explicit on the inclusion of Triclosan in various consumer products.

Talking about the study, Dr Anamika said, "We reiterate caution in the use of triclosan-based products. Perhaps we should also pay attention to eating more antioxidant-rich foods to protect ourselves from chemicals like Triclosan. However, larger-scale studies especially involving humans, would give a better picture of the toxic effect of Triclosan on humans."
New Delhi, March 1 : An Indian student was killed in Ukraine's Kharkiv on Tuesday morning in shelling as the war between Russia and Ukraine reached big cities' streets.

India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family." He also said: "We convey our deepest condolences to the family." India's foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage for the Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones.

"Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," Bagchi said.

Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of the second largest city Kharkiv on Tuesday damaging various installations over there.

The Russian troops have also surrounded Ukraine capital city Kyiv on Tuesday and asked civilian to leave the city on the urgent note.

"All civilians in the city can freely leave the Ukrainian capital along the Kyiv-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

Immediately thereafter, Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked the stranded nationals to leave Kyiv immediately by any means.

"All Indian nationals, including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available," Indian Embassy said in an advisory.

Russian and Ukrainian troops continued to engage in fighting on Kharkiv streets as war entered into the fifth day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for military operation.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Mumbai, March 1 : 'Damaru', the latest uptempo EDM track by Hindustani classical vocalist Suchismita was released on Tuesday on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. The track also features Grammy Award-winning composer Ricky Kej, guitar prodigy Mohini Dey and London-based rapper Maya Miko.

The music video of the song, directed by Los Angeles-based JS Arts, explores the themes of devotion, ecstasy and abundance.

Talking on the occasion of release of the song, Suchismita, who is a protege of A.R. Rahman, said that she has been harbouring the decision of releasing the song on Maha Shivratri, "I always wanted to release 'Damaru' on Shivratri since I'm an ardent follower of Shiv but owing to the turbulent pandemic I missed releasing the single over the last two years." Commenting further on the idea behind the song, she said, "I'm grateful that I have such a phenomenal bunch of collaborators on this single. The underlying idea was to present a unique take on devotional music as I've attempted to merge diverse soundscapes such as EDM, rap and classical into one heady experimental concoction with this devotional single." Talking about his collaboration with Suchismita, Ricky Kej said, "It was a pleasure working with Suchismita on 'Damaru'. Suchismita has a fantastic voice and is an absolute virtuoso. Her composition was beautiful and I am glad I was able to bring in a fresh production approach to this timeless melody. All the musicians did a fantastic job." Mohini Dey, who has played the guitar in the track, added, "'Damaru' is really a special composition that employs the sounds of Indian vocals, modern hip-hop vocals (rap) electronic dance music (EDM) and slap bass. This eclectic blend is indeed a perfect mix. I had a blast working on the project." Suchismita follows the style of Patiala Gharana and is proficient in Indian ragas, thumris and ghazals. In addition, she has also lent her voice to songs in Bollywood films like 'Shaadi Ke Side Effects', 'Ye Jawani Hai Deewani', 'Airlift', 'Mirzya', 'Jigariya', 'Tigers', 'Kalank' and 'Ram Singh Charlie'.
Khartoum, March 1 : Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council reiterated its support for dialogue to resolve the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, a council spokesperson said.

The council on Monday held its regular meeting, chaired by the council's chairman Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, at the Republican Palace in Khartoum and reviewed the Russian-Ukraine conflict, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Sudan stands with the diplomatic solution as a way out of the crisis and supports the currently on-going endeavours between the two countries," the council's spokesperson Salma Abdul-Jabbar Al-Mubarak said in a statement.

The next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks will take place on the Belarusian-Polish border in the coming days, according to Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the talks held in Belarus, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported on Monday.

All negotiation positions were discussed in detail during the talks in Belarus, Medinsky said after the consultations.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Seoul, March 1 : South Korea said Tuesday it plans to suspend financial transactions with seven major Russian banks and their affiliates in a bid to join global efforts to impose financial sanctions against Moscow over its attack on Ukraine.

The government said it will also "strongly" recommend local public and financial institutions halt their investment in Russian government bonds that will be issued starting Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported.

The decision came as Seoul decided to join the multinational move to remove Russia from the SWIFT international settlement network over its invasion of Ukraine.

The banks include Russian top lender Sberbank and state-owned banks VEB and PSB.

But the government said it will also apply the same standards as the US when it comes to transactions that will be exceptionally allowed, such as in agriculture, Covid medical support, and energy supplies.

South Korea said it plans to immediately implement the SWIFT-related sanctions once the European Union unveils a detailed action plan.

The US and its allies have tightened sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, as they agreed to exclude some Russian banks from SWIFT, an international settlement system where trillions of dollars change hands for cross-border payments.

But a list of selected Russian banks subject to the sanctions and the timing of the implementation of the punitive actions have yet to be announced.

Earlier, First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon met his US counterpart, Wally Adeyemo, in Washington and said South Korea is reviewing imposing additional sanctions against Russia.

"As a member of the international community with responsibility, the South Korean government actively supports major nations' efforts to solve the crisis," Lee said. "Starting with export ban of strategic materials to Russia, we are reviewing additional sanction measures." On Monday, the Foreign Ministry announced exports of strategic materials to Russia will be banned.

Seoul's additional measures are expected to be related with export controls regarding advanced technologies and high-tech products.

The government has already said it plans to finalise a decision on possible steps it can take in connection with US standalone export curbs against Russia on dozens of items, such as semiconductors, computers, telecommunications, information security equipment, lasers, and sensors.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Moscow, March 1 : Russia will continue its special military operation in Ukraine until it achieves the main goal of defending Russia from Western threats, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

Both the countries concluded their first round of negotiations in Belarus on Monday with no clear breakthrough, Xinhua news agency reported.

While the talks were going on, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone talk with French President Emmanuel Macron, reiterating that a settlement would only be possible if Russia's security concerns were taken into account.

Putin said it was important to recognise "Russia's sovereignty over Crimea," as well as the country's commitment to solving the tasks of Ukraine's "demilitarisation" and "denazification", and the issue of Ukraine's neutral status.
New Delhi, March 1 : Unlike the other Covid waves, the economic downturn for the hospitality sector has been short during the third-wave given the fact that travel demand has been returning at a significantly faster rate, property consultant Anarock said.

That said, the reintroduction of travel restrictions due to the Omicron variant across states threw the Indian hospitality sector into an upheaval.

"Except for critical and urgent travel, other leisure and business travel, plans were put on hold in January 2022 as people exercised caution," the consultant said.

In January, domestic air traffic declined by 43 per cent as compared to December 2021, it said.

In line with the air-traffic, the hotel sector also reported lower performance, with occupancy falling to its lowest level since June 2021, while on the other hand, room rates continued to improve on a year-on-year basis, it added.
Bengaluru, March 1 : Maha Shivratri, one of the major festivals of Hindus, is being celebrated with fervour, gaiety across Karnataka. Since the festival remained a low-key affair for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, people thronged temples in large numbers this time.

The Shiva temples in all parts of the state are decked up for the occasion and special arrangements have been made to facilitate the ritual of jagaran (staying up all night) as part of celebration of the festival.

Greeting the people on the occasion, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "I wish that the prayers to Lord Shiva will wipe out pain and grief. It will bring peace and happiness for the people of Karnataka." Thousands of devotees queued up to get darshan of the famous "Atmalinga" of the Mahabaleshwar temple in the coastal town of Gokarna, known as Kashi of south India. Going by the popular belief that if "Atmalinga" is touched with devotion on the auspicious day of Shivratri, dreams will turn into reality, thousands stood in queue from 2 a.m.

The number of devotees kept on increasing as the day progressed. Since devotees from all over the state arrive in the town of Gokarna, tight police security arrangement has been made and barricades have been set up to control devotees.

People thronged the 65 feet tall Shiva statue in Whitefield locality In Bengaluru. The golden mukhawada (mask) weighing 11 kg has been fixed on the idol Trineshwara temple located in the premises of historical Mysuru Palace. People in the entire north Karnataka region are also celebrating the festival with devotion.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Thiruvananthapuram, March 1 : Dean of the School of Drama and Fine Arts in Thrissur was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping a first year student.

Based on the girl's complaint, the Thrissur West Police registered a case against S.Sunilkumar on Monday.

The alleged incident had taken place during the pandemic early this year, when regular classes were not being held and the student was staying at the residence of Sunilkumar, who was living in with his partner.

Sunilkumar assaulted the girl sexually in the absence of his partner.

The crime surfaced after the girl attempted suicide, following which angry students stgaed as protest at the institute and demanded action against the accused.

The Calicut University first suspended Sunilkumar and on Monday the local police in Thrissur registered a case against him.

A police official confirmed that Sunilkumar was arrested on Tuesday and taken for a routine medical check up.
Hyderabad, March 1 : "We are not just vibrant Telangana, we are triumphant Telangana." This was how Telangana's Industries and Information Technology Minister K. T. Rama Rao reacted to the latest statistics about the state's growth.

The minister tweeted that the State Gross Domestic Product (GSDP) of Telangana increased by 130 per cent between 2014 and 2021 while per capita income grew by 125 per cent during the same period.

The GSDP increased from Rs 5 lakh crore in 2014 to Rs 11.54 lakh crore in 2021. The per capita income increased from Rs 1,24,104 in 2014 to Rs 2,78,833 in 2021.

The minister posted a clipping of a report in a leading Telugu daily which quoted the statistics released by the Union Ministry of Statics and Programme Implementation. "The numbers speak for themselves," tweeted KTR, as the minister is popularly known.

According to the report, Telangana registered the highest growth rate in GSDP in the country during 2021-22. While the GSDP increased by 19.10 per cent over the previous year, the per capita income grew by 18.78 per cent.

"This is the growth trajectory of the youngest state of India. This is despite massive hurdles such as bifurcation blues, demonetization, Corona pandemic and zero support from government of India," tweeted KTR, who is also the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development.

"Thank you KCR garu for your amazing leadership," added KTR who is son of Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao, who is popularly known as KCR.

The news statistics came as a boost for Telangana ahead of the budget for 2022-23. Finance Minister T. Harish Rao is scheduled to present the budget in the Assembly on March 7.
Chennai, March 1 : Government doctors in Tamil Nadu will sit on a token protest fast on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The protest is for a number of demands including proper relief for the families of government doctors who died of Covid-19. They are also demanding pay band 4 at 12 years of service.

The doctors said that if the government does not respond to their demands they will intensify the agitation.

The government doctors had staged a dharna on October 20 in Madurai and after an assurance from health minister Ma Subramanian that he will take up the issue with the Chief Minister, they did not intensify their agitation. The doctors again held a dharna on January 19 when nothing happened after assurances from the health minister.

The Legal Coordination Committee of government doctors which is spearheading the agitation said that the state government was doing nothing as far as the pay and other benefits of doctors are concerned. Dr Perumal Pillai, president of the LCC, told IANS that, "We are only demanding that the government give decent pay to the lowest-paid government doctors at par with the doctors of the neighbouring states." He said that the previous government had promised in writing that the demands of the doctors would be met but nothing had happened.

The doctors said that the wife of Dr Vivekanandan, who passed away due to Covid-19 related illness, has not been given a government job on compassionate grounds. The LCC had met the health minister and officials along with the family of the deceased doctor but nothing came out of it.

The doctors are on the warpath after successive governments ignored their demands, Dr Pillai said.
New Delhi, March 1 : After an Indian Student died in Ukraine, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that the government needs a strategic plan to evacuate stranded Indians. He also offered condolences on the demise of the student.

Gandhi tweeted, "Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious." Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family." He also said: "We convey our deepest condolences to the family." India's foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate India's demand for urgent safe passage of the Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones.

"Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," Bagchi said.

Russia shelled the Ukrainian city of the second largest city Kharkiv on Tuesday damaging various installations over there.

The Russian troops have also surrounded Ukraine capital city Kiev on Tuesday and asked civilians to leave the city on the urgent note.

"All civilians in the city can freely leave the Ukrainian capital along the Kiev-Vasylkiv highway. This direction is open and safe," Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

Immediately thereafter, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine asked the stranded nationals to leave Kiev immediately by any means.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi/Kiev, March 1 : As Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its sixth day amid widespread cyber attacks, the citizens have turned to encrypted communication apps, offline maps and Twitter to keep abreast with latest news and connect with friends and families.

Currently, the top five apps in the country's iOS App Store are Signal, Telegram, Twitter and offline messengers Zello and Bridgefy. Maps.Me -- an offline maps app -- has taken over Google Maps that has blocked live traffic data in the country. Starlink's app from SpaceX jumped up 39 spots after Elon Musk announced the satellite internet service was now active in the country, reports TechCrunch.

Telegram tops the charts across both App Store and Google Play. "The offline messaging app Bridgefy saw the largest percentage increase in new installs, growing a whopping 4,730.8 per cent month-over-month from just 591 downloads during the same period last month to now 28,550 new installs over the past few days," said the report. Another walkie-talkie app, Zello, grew downloads 99.3 per cent. Streaming radio apps, Radios Ukraine and Simple Radio, have moved higher on the App Store.

Since Russia has locked down access to news and social media, demand for VPN apps has grown.

To stay Ukranians connected, Musk-run SpaceX has sent a truck full of Starlink user terminals to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

The satellites could keep Ukraine online if its Internet infrastructure is damaged by Russia's attack.

Earlier, Google stopped live traffic data in Ukraine, apparently after reports claimed that people around the world were using the service to track the movements of troops and civilians during the Russian invasion.
New Delhi, March 1 : Russia is temporarily halting the exit of foreign investments from the country, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has announced on Tuesday.

The move comes in response to Russian capital being frozen abroad by the US, EU and their allies, RT reported.

"We hope that those who have invested in our country will be able to continue to do so in the future. I am sure that the sanctions pressure will eventually subside, and those who will not curtail their projects in our country, succumbing to the slogans of foreign politicians, will win," Mishustin said at a daily briefing on Russia's economic development.

The Prime Minister added that the Russian government's working commission on countering Ukraine-related sanctions is moving into the mode of operational headquarters.

Mishustin said in the current sanctions situation, foreign entrepreneurs are forced to be guided not by economic factors, but by making decisions under political pressure.

"To enable businesses to make informed decisions, a draft Presidential Decree has been prepared to introduce temporary restrictions on exiting Russian assets. As practice shows, it is easy to exit the market, but it is much more difficult to return to a place that is already densely occupied by competitors", the Russian PM said.

Moscow's response follows harsh economic penalties imposed on Russia over the past week by the US and its allies, that oppose the country's ongoing military intervention in Ukraine. The measures include disconnecting the largest Russian banks from the SWIFT payments system, freezing Russian assets and government reserves held abroad, as well as penalties against the country's Central Bank.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 1 : 'Films Directed by Women', an initiative for the empowerment of women by encouraging their creative talents by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), on Tuesday got its reward when 'Nishiddho' (Forbidden) was selected for the competition section of the 13th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFF), scheduled from March 3 to 10.

The Kerala government had allocated funds to the KSFDC for producing two movies under the project annually and the only condition was they must be helmed by female directors.

Written and directed by Tara Ramanujan, 'Nishiddho' is one of the two films produced by the KSFDC under the 'Films Directed by Women' project.

'Nishiddho' is a vivid portrayal of the lives of two migrants from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu and their struggles in a Kerala city.

Actors Kani Kusruti and Tanmay Dhanania play the leads in the film, which has cinematography by Manesh Madhavan, editing by Anzar Chennatt and music by Debojyoti Mishra.

Apart from the 'Films Directed by Women', KSFDC has launched a project to support film directors belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) communities.

Two films will soon go on the floors under this scheme, which is open to any filmmaker from the SC/ST category regardless of gender.

Congratulating the crew of 'Nishiddho', Minister for Culture Saji Cherian said Kerala is probably the first state in the country to introduce such a distinct project for encouraging creative endeavours by the underrepresented sections in filmdom.

"The project for women filmmakers is part of the government's commitment to the uplift and empowerment of women. It will provide ample creative space for them to fulfil their concepts and ideas through visual story telling. It's a seminal initiative to promote women led creative projects in the state," said Cherian.

"The films being made under these projects will be reflecting different perspectives and approaches of lived experiences. The KSFDC has been entrusted with the task of producing the films under these projects on behalf of the government," said Cherian.

Shaji N Karun, director and KSFDC Chairman, said the new initiatives will pave the way for inducing more confidence in aspiring women filmmakers and bringing out their enormous potential.

'Nishiddho' has been selected for the International Competition Section of the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala 2022 (IFFK) slated to be held from March 18 to 25. It was also selected for the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival.

Established in 1975, KSFDC is the first public sector corporation for film development in India.
London, March 1 : The Premier League on Tuesday confirmed that 13 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in different clubs.

"The Premier League can confirm that between Monday 21 February and Sunday 27 February, 3,016 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19. Of these, there were 13 new positive tests," the League said.

The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency.

"No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League and results will be made public on a weekly basis," the statement said.

Throughout the pandemic, the Premier League has adapted its guidance in response to the wider public health situation. The guidance was last updated in December in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

"The League's postponement rules and guidance are designed to protect the wellbeing of players and staff, while maintaining the sporting integrity of the competition and the quality of squads playing League matches," League said.

The premier league also recommended that fans bring a face covering with them and wear it while indoors or in crowded areas, including on public transport if this is how you travel to matches.
New Delhi, March 1 : The National Green Tribunal has directed Uttarakhand's Principal Secretary, Forest, to monitor the restoration plan of environmental violations during construction of the Kotila-Gawad-Suraikhet road in the state's Almora district.

The NGT principal bench, headed by Chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel (retd), was dealing with an application alleging a large number of felling of trees during the road construction by the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation through the Kaira Construction Firm.

Considering the violations in the light of a report, the bench directed the Forest Department to follow up monitoring of restoration action atleast once a month till satisfactory compliance.

Action taken may include plantation against trees cut, restoration of water sources, scientific muck disposal at identified sites, and recovery of environmental compensation from violators, for restoration works, the order dated February 25 said.

The matter was last considered on August 5, 2021, in the light of a report of the Forest Department, Uttarakhand dated July 30, 2021, acknowledging violations without adequate remedial action.

The report noted violations include illegal cutting of trees, construction of the road without permission, construction in forest area beyond the sanctioned area, and dumping of muck on reserved forest without requisite sanction.

The order also stated that it is evident from the replies of then-assistant Engineer and Upper Assistant Engineer, that single road cutting (3-meter width) was done in reserved forest area and muck generated was dumped along the roadside which eventually proposed to disposed at designated dumpsites. Some part of stored muck along the roadside may have come down due to specific hilly terrains and rains, it said.
New Delhi, March 1 : The consent of parents for attending offline classes or exams for students of class 10 and 12 in the national capital will not be mandatory any more.

In an order issued by the Directorate of Education, the Delhi government has allowed all government schools to conduct offline classes and exams for students of class 10 and 12. The order says that the consent of parents will not be required to attend the offline classes for students.

"Schools may also deploy transportation facilities for the convenience of students and parents with Covid appropriate behaviour as notified from time to time", the order reads further.

However, the hybrid mode of classes and exams -- offline as well as online -- will continue as before for classes up to 9 and class 11 till March 31, the order reads.

The government has also allowed all schools to go offline from April 1. The decision has been taken by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority.

Meanwhile, the daily Covid caseload has been witnessing declining trend in the national capital. Delhi on Monday reported considerable decline of nearly 46 per cent in daily Covid cases at 258 fresh infections. The city reported no Covid related death for the first time after December 31.
New Delhi, March 1 : In the Sumy region of Ukraine, military equipment of the Russian forces is riding through the villages under white flags while shooting civilians, Ukrainian officials have claimed.

Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi said, "Urgently, the village of Nizy in the Sumy region, enemy vehicles are driving through the village of Nizy and its environs! The enemy travels through the villages with white flags and shoots civilians!" Ukrainska Pavda reported.

Later, the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration said that a column of enemy vehicles was travelling through Sumy, and there were airstrikes too.

In Kherson, Russian military vehicles are entering the city, said the head of the Regional State Administration, Gennadyi Latuga.

No additional details are available as of now, but the head of the Administration showed photos and videos of Russian armoured vehicles driving on the streets of Kherson.

There are reports that the Belarusian troops have entered the territory of the Chernihiv Region. Spokesperson of the Regional Territorial Defence Forces Department "North" Vitaliy Kyrylov confirmed the information that the Chernihiv Region has been penetrated by Belarusian forces, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stated that Belarus had no plans of participating in Russia's war against Ukraine.

As a result of artillery bombardment in the centre of Kharkiv, the building of the Regional State Administration was partially destroyed. Rescuers continue to pull people out. As a result of artillery bombardment in the centre of Kharkiv, the building of the Regional State Administration was partially destroyed, including the stairwell. Ukrainska Pravda reported there are people under the heap of wreckage. At least six were rescued and about 20 are injured.

Ukraine has said that as of 6 a.m. on March 1, Russia has lost over 5,700 soldiers, over 800 combat vehicles, almost 200 tanks, and lots of other equipment; 200 Russian soldiers have been taken prisoners.
New Delhi, March 1 : Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Gen VK Singh (Retd) on Tuesday flew to Budapest and Warsaw respectively to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine.

Taking to Twitter Puri said, "All set to bring back our young students back home safely. Enroute to #Budapest with a refuelling stop in Istanbul with the ever efficient 6E boys & girls." Puri left by a special flight of IndiGo Airlines for the evacuation of Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine via Budapest. Union Minister General V.K. Singh is on his way to Poland to energize the government's efforts to facilitate Indians stranded on the Ukrainian side of the Polish border. The Indian Ambassador to Poland is also present near the Polish border points to personally direct the evacuation efforts.

Taking to Twitter Gen Singh said, "Stay where you are, don't move until you are told, and don't panic. Your country will safely evacuate you. Jai Hind. #General_In_Poland.""My message to all parents, guardians and family members, Your kids will be back with you soon," Singh said in his other tweet message.

While leaving for Slovakia, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "Thank you @flyspicejet for joining the efforts to evacuate our fellow Indians especially students who are facing huge difficulties due to war in #Ukraine." PM @narendramodi Ji has given clear instructions to evacuate every Indian back home safely, he added in his tweet message. He also thanked SpiceJet for operating a special flight for Slovakia to evacuate the Indian nationals in Ukraine via the Slovakia border.

On February 28 the government, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to send four senior Union Ministers -- Hardeep Singh Puri, Gen VK Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kiren Rijiju -- to the countries neighbouring war- torn Ukraine to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals under 'Operation Ganga'.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is leaving for Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju for Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri is enroute to Hungary and Gen V.K. Singh (Retd) for Poland to oversee the evacuations.

On Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to his Polish counterpart to discuss the evacuation efforts while Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Tuesday spoke to the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate the demand for the safety of Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones.

On Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv asked all Indians to leave as soon as possible as the situation in the capital city of Ukraine is getting worse. On Monday, the weekend curfew was lifted in Kyiv and the Indian Embassy advised all students to make their way to the railway station for onward journey to the western parts. The Embassy officials were present at the railway station to facilitate and a large number of students were able to board the trains.

To avoid overcrowding and a long waiting time and ease pressure at the border points, the External Affairs Ministry's teams and the Embassy are trying to arrange shelter in nearby towns, particularly Uzhhorod near the Hungary border, Indian officials said.
Hyderabad, March 1 : Opposition BJP has slammed Telangana's TRS government for deciding to hold budget session of the state Assembly without the Governor's address but the ruling party has defended its move.

BJP state President Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government insulted Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan by deciding to do away with her address at the beginning of the session.

He told reporters on Tuesday that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has insulted a woman holding a constitutional post. "This amounts to insulting all women of the state," he said.

Sanjay Kumar, who is also an MP, described KCR's decision as "undemocratic". "I can't understand what is the problem this government has with the Governor? She has not said anything controversial and she is functioning above the party lines," he said and demanded that the Chief Minister tender an apology to the Governor.

The BJP leader earlier condemned the decision of the TRS government. "KCR is already giving a sense of what he wants in a rewritten Constitution. No rules, no traditions - only whims. I strongly condemn his decision to do away with Governor's speech to mark the budget session," he tweeted.

The TRS government, however, defended its move and brushed aside the criticism from the BJP. Finance Minister T. Harish Rao and Legislative Affairs Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy said the saffron party has no knowledge of legislative rules.

The ministers argued that there are precedents of holding a budget session of Assembly or Parliament without Governor or President's address when the previous session is not prorogued. They pointed out that the ensuing session is continuation of the session held in September-October last year.

According to the ministers, the constitutional provision is that the Governor shall address a new session in a calendar year and not when the previous session was not prorogued.

Harish Rao said it would be wrong if the Governor addresses the Legislature without proroguing the previous session.

Holding the session with the Governor's address is a mere technical issue, he added.

Harish Rao recalled that the budget sessions of Andhra Pradesh Assembly in 1970 and 2013 had started without the Governor's address while in 2004, the Budget session of Parliament also began without the President's speech.

Hitting back at BJP for its allegation that the TRS government is violating the Constitution, Harish Rao said it is the BJP which has no respect for the Constitution.

He said it was the BJP government at the Centre which dismissed democratically elected governments in the state. "It was BJP which pulled down the governments in Goa, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka. It was again BJP which tried to capture power in Maharashtra through backdoor though it had no majority in the Assembly," he said.

The Finance Minister alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the Constitution by questioning the formation of Telangana state.

He pointed out that the latest statistics released by the Centre show that Telangana has the highest rate of growth. He said the state's GSDP and per capita income has doubled. "We will be also keen to highlight these achievements through the Governor's address but we are not able to do this as the previous session was not prorogued," he said.

The Chief Minister on Monday decided to hold a budget session of both the houses of state Legislature from March 7. It was announced after a meeting he had with his cabinet colleagues and top officials that the Finance Minister will present the budget for 2022-23 in the Assembly on March 7.

The state cabinet will meet on March 6 to approve the budget.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 1 : Trouble breaks out in the Congress' Kerala unit every now and then, and after a lull, a rift has developed again with letters and emails being sent to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi complaining against state President K. Sudhakaran and the way he is operating.

Trouble broke out after Sudhakaran decided to rejig the remaining office bearers of the state party unit and also the district units.

No sooner had he begun to do that, it led to a stream of complaints and this time, five party MPs conveyed their displeasure to Gandhi and soon came the news that the party high command has sought that the reconstitution of the party units be kept on hold. This irked Sudhakaran, who also shot a letter to the high command.

Sudhakaran, according to a source in the know of things, has said he is least interested to clinging on to the post if the situation is such where the high command does not take him into confidence and fails to even tell him who are those lawmakers who have complained against him.

In the Congress' Kerala unit, time and again, there is a churning process when the top leaders shift their allegiance depending on the situation as the party here has always been divided between factions.

Till last year, the two prominent factions was led by popular former two time Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and his archrival and former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, but following the Assembly poll debacle, the high command stepped in and brought in Sudhakaran as the state chief and V.D. Satheesan as the Leader of Opposition, forcing the two erstwhile rivals to join hands.

But when things appeared to be smooth for the new duo of Sudhakaran and Satheesan, differences cropped up and the reason is with a new power centre in Delhi gaining shape in the form of party General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal, who seems to have taken Satheesan into confidence. At this, Sudhakaran lost his cool and appears to be short of support of big guns.

However, downplaying the new developments, Satheesan said Congress is a very big democratic party.

"I don't think that there is anything to be reported. There are no issues in the Congress that cannot be resolved. When a decision to cut down the number of office bearers, especially in a party like Congress, where democracy is followed, it might take a longer time," said Satheesan and feigned ignorance about Sudhakaran's letter to the high command.

Another major problem is that the Kerala unit of the Congress has several leaders at the top level, including four former state party chiefs who are quite active and also numerous senior legislators who are attached to the various factions and hence, fat egos come into play.
Hajipur : , March 1 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, on Tuesday drove a bullock cart in Bihar's Hajipur as part of a tradition on Maha Shivratri.

There is an age-old tradition of taking out procession in Hajipur on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival, which is being celebrated with usual fervour and gaiety across the country.

At first, Rai reached the ancient temple Pataleshwar Nath in Hajipur in the morning and offered prayers. After that he joined the procession and drove a bullock cart.

The Union Minister also met people and congratulated them on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. He said people from different parts of Vaishali district come here to offer prayers during the festival.

He said he prayed to God to keep blessing Prime Minister Narendra Modi "as under his leadership, India will again become a Vishwa Guru (World Leader)". He hoped the Lord Shiva will make the Prime Minister successful and fill the lives of all devotees with happiness.

Several BJP leaders and a large number of devotees were present on the occasion and chanted 'Har Har Mahadev' in praise of the deity.

The procession from Pataleshwar temple passes through various parts of the city and ends at Akshaywat Rai Stadium, where the best performing tableau will be rewarded. This year more than 100 tableaux are participating in this procession.
New Delhi, March 1 : Ride-hailing app Uber on Tuesday introduced a new feature called 'Explore' that that will allow customers to browse and book experiences, including dinner reservations, live events and other fun activities.

When opening the Explore tab in the Uber app, riders will see places recommended to them based on categories including food and drink, art and culture, nightlife, music and shows, and more.

The feature is now live in 14 US cities and Mexico City.

"We plan to expand Explore to more cities in the coming weeks and months, along with more event opportunities and experiences offerings," the company said in a statement.

The company has selected some of the best places to explore, and for the top restaurants & bars, you'll get 15 per cent off your rides up to $10 for now. The deals will always be changing based on what's popular in your area.

"It will be easy to purchase tickets to events and experiences because you can pay conveniently with your Uber Wallet & Payment profile," it added.

The restaurant reservations are handled through a Yelp integration in the app.

Uber will feature that company's five-star ratings for restaurants in Explore.

"We've built Uber Explore to take our customers beyond the ride," said Adib Roumani, product lead for Uber Explore.
Mumbai, March 1 : The Bombay High Court will hear on Wednesday a plea filed by Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money-laundering case.

Malik had filed the habeas corpus plea through his lawyers Taraq Sayed and Kushal More on Monday, terming his arrest by the ED as "illegal" and result of being "a vocal critic of the misuse of Central agencies".

The minister has sought quashing of the ED's Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed against him, his immediate release and a declaration that his arrest was 'illegal'.

Malik, 62, also prayed to set aside the special PMLA court's order remanding him to ED custody for eight days till March 3.

It may be recalled that Malik was arrested by the ED in an early morning swoop at his home on February 23 in an alleged money-laundering case based on the National Investigation Agency's February 3 FIR against absconding mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.

The ED has contended that Malik, allegedly in connivance with members of the Dawood gang, hatched a conspiracy to grab the ancestral property of a woman in Kurla, Goawala Compound, at a throwaway price though it was worth around Rs 300 crore.

The case dating back to over 20 years was highlighted in November 2021 by BJP Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, when Malik was engaged in a 'mega-serial expose' of former chief of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai, Sameer Wankhede.

Malik has said that the ED served him with the summons after detaining him and taking him to its offices, and questioned invoking the PMLA Act for an alleged offence that was committed 20 years ago, before the (PMLA) law was enacted.

Malik, who became the first serving Cabinet minister of Maharashtra to be arrested, would be produced before the special PMLA court on Thursday when his ED remand ends.
New Delhi, March 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to the father of Naveen, an Indian student who was killed in Russian attack in eastern city Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Naveen hails from Haveri in Karnataka, and is the first Indian casualty of the deadly face-off between Ukraine and Russia.

According to information, Prime Minister Modi expressed deep condolences while talking to Naveen's father and consoled him.

Naveen was studying in Ukraine for the last 4 years. According to family sources, the tragedy occurred when he went out to have his breakfast.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi confirmed the Indian student's death in the Russian attack by tweeting that the ministry is in touch with the family. He also informed that the Ministry of External Affairs is in touch with Russia and Ukraine for the safe evacuation of Indian students and citizens.

The Indian government is running 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded Indians from Ukraine safely. Following instructions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian Air Force aircraft have also launched a campaign. The Government of India has sent 4 of its ministers to different neighbouring countries of Ukraine to expedite the evacuation process.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Imphal, March 1 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that the government would talk with all the militant outfits in Manipur and solve the insurgency related problems in the state by bringing all the cadres of the extremist groups into the mainstream.

Addressing an election rally in Thoubal, the home minister said that so far 9,500 militants belonging to various outfits of Assam and other northeastern states surrendered and joined the mainstream.

"There will be no fire to any Manipuri youth, no youth will go to jail. All the cadres of the extremist outfits would come into the mainstream and they would work for the development of Manipur and the country," Shah said. He added that curbing smuggling and illegal trade, Manipur would be made a drug free state.

Urging the people to vote for the BJP in the assembly elections, Shah said: "The BJP government has done a lot of work in Manipur in the last five years. Give us five more years. I came here to tell you that we would hold talks with all militant groups to establish permanent peace in the state." He also announced to keep the territorial integrity of Manipur intact. His promise to secure the territorial integrity of the state assumes significance as the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) has been demanding the integration of the Naga dominated areas of the neighbouring states -- Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. This demand has been strongly opposed by all the three northeastern states.

Highlighting the performance of the BJP led Manipur government, Shah said when his party first came to power in the state in 2017, there was no women run police station, now all the districts have women police stations. "There was no railway line in Manipur earlier, but the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government has extended 111 km railway line in the state by spending Rs 12,000 crore." "Earlier there was no national highway but now there are several national highways in Manipur. Rs 16,000 crore is being spent to build major highways in the state," he added.

The Home Minister said that the former Chief Minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh (Congress), knocked at the doors of the Gandhi family several times, but the BJP government at the Centre introduced the Inner Line Permit for which the incumbent Manipur Chief Minister does not have to go to Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday also addressed election rallies in Manipur virtually from Delhi. He had visited the poll bound state on February 22 and addressed an election rally in Imphal while Shah visited Manipur several times to campaign for the party.

The first phase of the Manipur assembly elections (in 38 of the 60 seats) was held on Monday while the second phase of polling will be held in the remaining 22 seats on March 5. The votes will be counted on March 10.
New Delhi, March 1 : As the campaign for sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls came to end on Monday, the BJP is all set to intensify its campaign for the seventh phase and its top leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on the ground to seek support for the saffron party candidates.

Sources said that for the last three days of campaigning, Prime Minister Modi is likely to camp in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency and is also likely to hold a road show.

"Prime Minister Modi is likely to stay in Varanasi and to hold road shows in support of party candidates as he did in the last assembly polls five years ago. The Prime Minister will also address election rallies in other poll bound districts," a senior Uttar Pradesh BJP leader said.

Polling will be held in 54 assembly constituencies in the last and seventh phase of UP polls on March 7.

Another Uttar Pradesh BJP functionary said that the Prime Minister's presence in Varanasi will help the party in winning all the seats in the district in his parliamentary constituency and in neighbouring districts.

It is learnt that BJP chief J.P. Nadda, union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah are also expected to visit Varanasi to participate in the party's election events. Union minister and BJP's election in-charge for Uttar Pradesh Dharmendra Pradhan, national general secretary Tarun Chugh have already reached Varanasi. National general secretary C.T. Ravi is also expected to reach there.

"Several union ministers like Uttar Pradesh election co-incharge Anurag Thakur, senior party leaders including national office bearers will be in Varanasi for the last phase of campaigning. There will be a major campaign blitz with Varanasi at the epicentre and all BJP top guns will be part of it," a Uttar Pradesh BJP insider said.

Apart from central leadership all the top state leadership also hit the ground for the last phase. A Uttar Pradesh BJP functionary said, "Both central and state leadership will cover every nook and corner of 54 assembly constituencies where polling will be held on March 7. We have planned to reach out to each voter in all these constituencies before the end of campaigning on March 5."
Panaji, March 1 : After unprecedented party hopping by Goa legislators from 2017 to 2022, a well-known Catholic priest in Goa, Fr Eremito Rebello, on Tuesday, warned candidates who would be declared winners on March 10, against defecting to another political party.

In a video message, Rebello, who has been at the forefront of several civil society agitations in Goa and spearheaded the role of the Church in the social sphere, has also urged the people of Goa to keep vigil and gherao MLAs if they switch parties.

"People should not keep quiet this time. Everyone, those who are politicians, winners, losers and people, all the people of Goa should put them in place. If we do not, this will continue... We (the people) have to bring them on track, no one else will be able to do it," Rebello said.

"I appeal to the people of Goa, if any candidate wins on one party ticket and then joins another, then all the people of Goa should gherao him, stage a dharna outside his house and force him to resign from the party he has joined and request him to recontest again," he also said.

A total 15 out of 17 Congress MLAs quit the party between 2017-2022, with most of them joining the ruling BJP. MLAs from other parties like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Forward party also joined the BJP during the same period.

Rampant defections and party hopping has been a key electoral issue ahead of the February 14 assembly polls, with the Congress making its candidates take oath against defection before religious deities while also making them sign affidavits.

Incidentally, last week the Bombay High Court upheld last year's order by Goa Speaker Rajesh Patnekar, who rejected petitions filed by the Congress and the MGP seeking disqualification of its MLAs who had joined the BJP.

According to Rebello, switching parties was a betrayal of the electorate and that defection was more a moral and ethical issue, rather than a legal one.

"After you are elected, if you leave the party for which people have voted for and join another party... you may say that the court of law can do nothing to us, but I want to say, this is not a matter of court, this is a matter of conscience," Rebello said.

"When people vote for you, they vote from their conscience. Therefore, morality and ethics is applicable here and not law. Therefore, if you betray people and join other party, then this time people will not stay quiet," he also said.
New Delhi, March 1 : Bruno Le Maire, Frances Minister of Economy, has pledged that his country will "wage a total economic and financial war on Russia", outlining how Europe will seek to punish Moscow and President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine, RT reported.

The minister was clear that sanctions will be "applied" to individuals and entities until "Vladimir Putin returns to better intentions in Ukraine".

Stating that "488 personalities" have been added to the list of individuals currently under European sanctions over the conflict, Le Maire said France will "target the heart of the Russian system", including Putin and 'oligarchs', making it clear that the "Russian people will also pay the consequences", the report said.

"The sanctions are effective, the economic and financial sanctions are even extremely effective," Le Maire said, claiming that "Russian foreign exchange reserves are melting like snow in the sun", as the "ruble has collapsed by 30 per cent".

Beyond the sanctions that have already been imposed, Le Maire outlined how Europe is seeking to move from freezing assets to seizure of assets, as the European Union (EU) seeks to make sure "no oligarch will slip through the mesh of our nets".

While not divulging specific details, Le Maire floated military concerns across the EU, claiming that in the wake of "this deliberate aggression", Europe has "become aware of the need to arm itself militarily".

The comments from the French minister came after Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, claimed that Moscow has no plans to occupy Ukraine following last week's military assault on its neighbor, the report said.
Chennai, March 1 : The food safety commissioner of Tamil Nadu has warned the bottled drinking water companies in the state to provide safe drinking water to consumers. He said that of the 1640 packaged drinking water companies in the state, the products of only a third are suitable for safe drinking. The authorities said that nearly a quarter of the water is of poor quality.

According to sources in the department of the food and safety commissioner, several complaints have been received against the packaged drinking water companies. Following the complaints, 1640 samples from various companies were collected and sent for testing.

The report showed that 694 samples tested were of high quality, 527 were unsafe for drinking while 419 were of poor quality.

The department of food safety has filed 173 cases in court and a fine of Rs 39.69 lakh has been imposed on these companies and their sales points.

The food safety commissioner directed the companies to get a proper license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and mandatorily follow all the guidelines under the Food Safety Act.

The department also directed the companies to wash the 20-litre water bottles every time before they are filled with water and stated that the name of the manufacturer and the quality should be displayed on the bottles.

A senior official told IANS, "It was shocking to note that around one third of the packaged drinking water that is in use in the state is either of poor quality or unsafe. We will take stringent action against the companies that failed to maintain the minimum standards set by the BIS. There will be periodical inspections and random checks on these packaged drinking water companies."
New Delhi, March 1 : Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (RNBO) of Ukraine, Oleksii Danilov has said that the Russians have now reached a dead end, and their attacks on Ukraine have become especially dangerous.

"Military criminals in Moscow planned to finish the attack in one or two days as a fast-moving punitive operation, but they failed. This is now clear to the whole world; it is becoming obvious for Russia as well", he said.

"Therefore, Kremlin rats are at a dead end, and becoming extremely dangerous, crossing the line and violating any legal and moral codes of war", he said, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

"Only this can explain the barbarian fire by the Grad multiple rocket launcher at Kharkiv, a city with more than 1.5 million people, the destruction of the Chernihiv, its valuable European heritage, the shelling of Bucha, Irpin, Gostomel, dozens and dozens of other Ukrainian cities and villages. The city of Volnovakha is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe," he said, the report added.

According to Danilov, now the enemy is on the verge of exhaustion, while the Ukrainian resistance is only getting stronger every day.

Ukraine has claimed that it shot down two helicopters of the Russian occupiers near Kiev.

A video has surfaced which shows a line of Russian helicopters flying towards the capital.

Ukrainian Armed Forces shot down five Russian fighters and a helicopter during their raids in Ukraine on February 28. "Ukrainian fighter jets have intercepted and shot down two Russian jets, while three more Russian jets were shot down by S-300 complexes, during the invaders' raid on Vasylkiv and Brovary. A total of 5 of the invaders' fighter jets were shot down on February 28: these were SU-30s and SU-35s", the Ukraine Defence Ministry said.

In addition, Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners shot down a cruise missile and one helicopter near Kiev using BUK-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

According to the MDU, Ukrainian forces not only defended but also attacked. SU-25 attack aircraft bombed columns of armoured vehicles in Kiev and Zhytomyr regions during the day.

Ukrainian SU-24 M bombers struck 4 tank and mechanised columns in the Chernihiv region and near Berdyansk.
Bhubaneswar, March 1 : The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has made a landslide victory by winning 90 per cent Zilla Parishad seats in the three-tier Panchayat elections, whose final result was declared on Tuesday.

Out of the total 853 Zilla Parishad (ZP) zones in the state, elections were held on 851 seats and the BJD won 765. Of the remaining two seats, a BJD candidate won one ZP seat uncontested while the election for another seat was contested. So in total, the BJD was able to grab 766 ZP seats.

BJD's principal rival BJP could manage to secure only 42 seats, followed by Congress with 37 seats. Independent candidates won three seats while others got four seats, the State Election Commission (SEC) said on Tuesday.

BJD, the ruling party in Odisha, has gained 290 more seats as compared to its performance in the previous Panchayat polls of 2017. The party had won 476 ZP seats in the last poll.

The BJP, which had won 297 ZP seats in 2017 elections, has now come down to 42.

The Congress party's performance has also remained poor as its tally came down to 37 from 60 ZP seats it had secured in 2017.

The ZP seats won by independents and others have also come down to 7 from 16 in the 2017 polls.

Out of 2.10 crore valid votes polled in the rural polls, the BJD has got 1.10 crore votes (52.73 per cent) while BJP got only 63.23 lakh votes (30.07 per cent), Congress got 28.54 lakh votes (13.57 per cent). The other party and independent candidates got 3.16 per cent votes.

With 52.73 per cent vote share in the 2022 panchayat polls, the BJD created a sort of record as it is the highest-ever vote share in any election the party has fought so far.

With its landslide victory, the BJD is now all set to form the council in all 30 districts of Odisha. The BJP, which had formed the Zilla Parishad in eight districts in 2017, is not in a position to form the council in any district.

As per the final result, the BJP has failed to win any of the ZP seats in 10 districts while the Congress party got zero in 18 districts.

BJD President Naveen Patnaik has thanked the people of Odisha for their support that led to the massive victory of his party in the election. "This massive mandate has further strengthened our commitment to public service. My congratulations to the winning candidates and all party workers who turned the BJD into a movement through dedicated work," Patnaik said in a tweet.

Respecting the mandate of the people, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "Odisha is getting maximum benefit from welfare programmes of the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphasis to eastern India. We will strengthen our organization and work hard to ensure welfare programmes of the Modi government reach the people." He congratulated the elected BJP candidates, party workers and expressed his gratitude to the 63.23 lakh voters, who have voted his party in the three-tier Panchayat elections.

Admitting his party's defeat in the poll, State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik alleged that the BJD has taken advantage by spending funds through various government schemes.
New Delhi, March1: US President Joe Biden has dismissed fears about a nuclear war following Russias decision to put its strategic forces on high alert amid Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

Asked by a reporter on whether Americans should fear a nuclear war, Biden answered with an affirmative "no".

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered that his country's deterrence forces, which include atomic weapons should be put on its highest alert.

Kremlin justified its decision in part to comments by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who was quoted by Sky News as saying that unless Putin was stopped in Ukraine, other countries in Eastern Europe would be threatened, leading to a conflict with NATO. Putin cited "illegitimate sanctions" against Russia and "aggressive statements" by Western officials as the basis of his decision.

Following the presidential order, Russia's ground units, armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as ships from the Northern and Pacific Fleets, were placed on high combat alert, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday. The Russian Navy submarines are armed with nuclear missiles.

Russia is facing stringent sanctions from several countries, including the US, Britain, and EU member states, following its invasion of Ukraine. Putin has declared that Moscow has two key military objectives-Ukraine's neutral status, implying that the country cannot be part of any military alliance, and de-Nazification of the government. Russia has maintained that new-Nazi groups, which are rabidly anti-Russian have become part of the Ukrainian armed forces.

One such neo-Nazi group is the Azov Regiment. The unit is part of the National Guard of Ukraine, based in Mariupol, in the Azov Sea coastal region. All its members are contract combatants, drawn from 22 countries. The group played a leading role in the Maidan Square "revolution" of 2014 which toppled a duly elected government in Ukraine. Its "volunteer battalions" have been engaged with much of the fighting against pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.

Despite the fighting, the diplomatic track between Russians and the Ukrainians is open. Delegations from the two countries held their first meeting, which lasted five hours, on Monday at a location in Belarus close to the border with Ukraine. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the main purpose of the talks was to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine. He added that a number of priority topics have been identified, on which "certain solutions have been outlined" .

Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the two delegations had nailed points on which common ground can be reached. The next round of talks will take place on the border between Belarus and Poland in the coming days, Medinsky said.

France continued to remain a conduit for a dialogue with the pro-Ukraine West, with French President Emmanuel Macron and President Putin holding another telephonic conversation on Monday.

Three NATO countries in eastern Europe-Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia-- appeared to have entered the fray more strongly. According to a Facebook post by the Ukrainian military, the trio will deliver over 70 Soviet-era MiG-29 and SU-25 aircraft, which could be based at Polish airfields. "Our partners gave us MiG-29 and SU-25! If needed, they can be based on Polish airfields from which Ukrainian pilots can carry out combat missions," the Ukrainian statement read.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Haveri : , March 1 (IANS) Pall of gloom descended on Haveri district of Karnataka after the news of the death of student Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar in Ukraine spread sending shock waves on the day of Maha Shivratri.

The parents of other students who were with Naveen, have expressed anguish over the death and appealed to the state and central governments to get their children out of Ukraine.

Venkatesh Vaisar, father of Amit Vaisar, a student stranded in Ukraine said, "Naveen was with our boys, he went out to bring snacks. Since there was nothing to eat, he ventured out in search of food. What is the government doing all this while? It should take immediate action," he said.

"Shekarappa's (deceased Naveen's father) boy died today. We all have only one child. All of us humbly request concerned officers to bring them back from Ukraine. Please do not harass us. Otherwise, we have no way out but to commit suicide. We will hold local MP Shivakumar Udasi responsible for our deaths. We have only one child, there is no life without him," an emotional Venkatesh Vaisar said.

"Our boys are in touch with us. For three days they had nothing to eat. We have been pleading with everyone. We have also submitted a letter to Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Mining Pralhad Joshi, but there is no use," he reacted angrily.

Sridhar Krishnamurthy Vaishya, father of Suman Sridhar Vaishya also hailing from Haveri, who is stuck in Ukraine said, though his son was constantly calling up local MP Shivakumar Udasi for a week, he is not receiving the phone. What should we do? My son has sent a message saying he needs help. He could see that his message had been read but there was no reply from the MP.

"Three boys known to us from Haveri had gone to Ukraine, one among them is gone now. We have pinned our hopes on God about the safe return of our children." The family of Naveen Gyanagoudar was consoled by former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa over the phone. He has assured Shekarappa, the father of the deceased boy, that the government is with his family and all efforts are being made to bring back the Naveen's body to India.

Family sources said, "Naveen had gone out of the bunker at 6.45 a.m. in the morning to the supermarket just 500 metres away in extreme cold to get some food. At around 8.30 a.m. a big sound was heard. His friend Yashvanth asked all his friends to call up Naveen. However, the call was answered by another person. Since they did not understand the language, they took the help of locals to know that Naveen has been killed and his body is kept in a forensic facility." The family has also been told that Naveen chose to stay with juniors and told his batch mates that he will join them later.
Chandigarh, March 1 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said students of the state stuck in Ukraine would be brought back safely.

For this, the Ministry of External Affairs and the government of Haryana are making dedicated efforts, he said. So far, the Haryana government has contacted 700 students and 90 students have returned safely.

The Chief Minister told the media in Karnal that in view of the crisis in Ukraine, the state government had already set up a control room. A helpdesk has been set up at thre Delhi airport. Also, some students of Haryana have reached Mumbai by plane and to help them, a control room is also being set up there.

All possible help will be given to bring the students safely back to Delhi and Haryana, he said.

Khattar also said that the Deputy Commissioners have been contacting the families of those who are stuck in Ukraine.

About the budget session that kis beginning on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said it would be beneficial for all sections.

On the lines of the Centre, this time more emphasis would be given on mission infrastructure. Also, special attention would be given as to how to ensure the reach of various welfare schemes of the government to the eligible persons, he said.

Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said the state government has held talks with auto unions in Gurugram to discontinue the 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol autos. For now, this rule is not applicable to any other district.
Hyderabad, March 1 : Eleven more students from Telangana have returned to India from war-torn Ukraine, officials said on Tuesday.

Ten students reached Delhi by flight 6E-9451 from Bucharest. Another student returned by flight 6E-8386.

With this, the number of students and others from Telangana who have returned home from Ukraine rose to 67.

They were evacuated along with other Indian citizens from countries neighbouring Ukraine. They reached by nine flights from Bucharest since February 26. Two of these flights had landed in Mumbai while the remaining landed in Delhi.

The Telangana government made arrangements to receive all returnees at Delhi and Mumbai airports. The state government also booked air tickets for them from Delhi and Mumbai to Hyderabad.

The government shall continue to liaise with the government of India to bring back Telangana residents from Ukraine safely, said an official statement.
New Delhi, March 1 : The Russian military said on Tuesday that it will carry out strikes against facilities in Ukraine capital Kiev, warning civilians living in nearby areas to leave, CNN reported.

The Russians will target the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the 72nd Main Centre for Information and Psychological Operations (PSO) in Kiev, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

"In order to suppress information attacks against Russia, the technological facilities of the SBU and the 72nd main PSO centre in Kiev will be hit with high-precision weapons," the statement said.

"We call on Ukrainian citizens attracted by Ukrainian nationalists to carry out provocations against Russia, as well as residents of Kiev living near relay nodes to leave their homes," it added.

A massive 40-mile long Russian military convoy -- made up of armoured vehicles, tanks, towed artillery and other logistical vehicles -- has reached the outskirts of Kiev, according to satellite images from Maxar Technologies, CNN reported.

Russia has repeatedly claimed it is not hitting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. But social media videos, photos and satellite images analysed and geolocated by CNN confirm that on several occasions, densely populated areas have been hit by Russian forces.

In the past two days, accelerated strikes on the second-largest city of Kharkiv that have struck civilians suggest that Russia is shifting toward a far less-restrained bombing campaign, in contrast with its earlier attacks that were more focused on military targets.
Bengaluru, March 1 : The Karnataka Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the Centre for the death of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar in Ukraine. State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said other countries have evacuated their students from war torn Ukraine, while our government is still mulling over the issue.

"It is painful that one of our students has lost his life in Ukraine. He had gone there for studies. Though, we have more medical colleges, since the demand is high, many students go to Ukraine to pursue medicine," he said.

The Union government deputed four ministers to oversee the evacuation process only on Sunday. This shows how irresponsible the central government is towards rescuing Indian students, he said.

Both the state and the central governments have failed to bring back students from Ukraine. They must take action at least now and bring back Indian students to their motherland, Shivakumar said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi projects himself as 'Vishwa Guru'. I will leave it for you to judge. Our foreign policy has totally failed and Indians have lost confidence in it. We have been seeing the sufferings of students who are stuck in Ukraine. Mere lip service won't serve any purpose. The rescue promises should turn into a reality," he said.
New Delhi, March 1 : Amid the unnecessary hype surrounding the uniform of students in Karnataka, most commentators seem to have forgotten how the talented community of Indian Muslim women refused to given in to the propaganda around hijab.

In fact, even when numerous lawyers attempted to woo Islamic clerics into the conversation with unfair comparisons between a hijab and a bindi/ghunghat, Muslim women in India did not engage themselves, correctly believing that the comparison did not merit any further discussion.

Unlike the hijab, neither bindi nor ghunghat alter the uniform scheme of dressing that a school asks students to subscribe to.

It is noteworthy that in many schools of Karnataka, where guidelines have been prescribed as such, the prohibition is only limited to the classrooms and not corridors or canteens or other parts within the school premises.

It is in this context that the demand of clerics for Muslim girl students to wear hijab even inside the classroom is a bullying tactic, aimed at further strengthening the patriarchal structure that has gripped the Islamic community in India.

By constantly bombarding Muslim girl students with the message that wearing hijab is far more essential to their existence than their education, the propaganda machinery and Islamic clerics are doing a great disservice to the nation and the society as a whole.

This stand not only smells of patriarchy, but is also regressive and hypocritical in nature. Time and again, numerous civil society organisations have surveyed a vast number of Muslim women and girls and reported that such issues are of little concern to the community.

Instead, Muslim girls aspire for better security, education and facilities to make their lives easier and uplift their families along with themselves as well.

In fact, one of the most vociferous critics is the famous Bangladeshi-Swedish author Tasleema Nasrin, who believes that the hijab is an attempt to create a mobile prison at all times as punishment for having been born as a female.

Though Article 25 grants the freedom to an individual to practise their religion, most commentators seem to have forgotten that the right is subject to public order, morality and health as well as other provisions.

These educational institutions are free to subscribe to a uniform dress code for their students as well.

In a couple of petitions filed before the Kerala High Court, a uniform dress code was prescribed for the All India Pre-Medical Entrance to ensure that no unfair methods are used.

The court went ahead to state that the students must abide by the rule as the collective right of an institution is far greater than the individual right.

In any case, an atmosphere is being created to showcase that the rights of Muslim woman are under threat. However, most individuals from the community (especially women) are aware that this is not the case.

Instead, the expansion and widening of rights of Muslim women that has happened in the last half a decade has never happened in the history of Independent India.

After the Triple Talaq judgment of the Supreme Court, Muslim women who had approached the court to outlaw the cruel practice expressed happiness for those women who had suffered due to no fault of their own.

Hailed as a historic judgment, it gave a new lease of life to women who were divorced in this manner. In fact, the top court went a step further to state that the government must ratify a new law that guarantees equal rights for women in an Islamic marriage.

With the new law, all propaganda stating that personal laws of Muslims would be interfered was put to rest and a fair law guaranteeing an equal process was put in place.

Adding to that is the recent law that increased the marriageable age for women from 18 to 21 years, which was a big cause of happiness for different generations of Muslim women that were interviewed.

Ensuring a higher minimum age would ensure that girls get a better chance to move forward in society and studies instead of being thrust into a marriage and childbearing responsibilities at a young age.

Overall, it seems fair to state that the hype surrounding the dress code and hijab ban is one that has been propped up by those with vested interests. As equal and rightful partners in the Indian society, the Muslim women and girls are aware that this is yet another attempt by patriarchs to ensure that talented Muslim girls are not given the opportunity to achieve lofty aspirations and goals.

However, a democratic society that has been founded on ideals of equality and fraternity also ensures that Muslims in India are well-integrated, happy, satisfied and daring to go and achieve even more.
Patna, March 1 : Veteran leader Sharad Yadav on Tuesday termed Tejashwi Yadav as the only leader who has capability to lead the RJD in Bihar.

"No Misa Bharti, no Tej Pratap Yadav, I strongly believe that Tejashwi is the only leader who has the capacity to take the party forward from here on.

"Whatever I and Lalu Prasad Yadav did with politics in the country, Tejashwi will follow the same ideology in his political career. We have handed over our political legacy to him. He is all in the party and he is the only one who takes decisions on behalf of the party," he said.

Sharad Yadav's statement, which came as Tejashwi Yadav called on him at his residence in New Delhi, comes as a step forward for the young leader to present himself as the candidate for the his party's national President.

Tejashwi Yadav, after the meeting, said that Sharad Yadav is like his guardian and he always gives important political suggestions in the context of Bihar and country. "I came here to take blessing and guidance from him," he said.

"I am not the only one but all leaders and workers have the contribution of running the party," he added.

Earlier, current national President Lalu Prasad Yadav, during the national Executive Committee meeting in Patna, ruled out the chances of handing over the top post to any of his family members.

Tejashwi Yadav was projected as the prime contender for the national President post by his supporters earlier. Besides him, Lalu Prasad's eldest daughter Misa Bharti and his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav are also in the race.

Considered as the most respected socialist leader of Bihar, Sharad Yadav has great political sense. He has given several political tips to Lalu Prasad Yadav during the latter's Chief Ministerial tenures as well as when he was Union Minister.

However, he has been ill for the past few months, and his Rajya Sabha tenure is also ending later in this year. Despite this, several senior leaders from the state including former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, JD-U parliamentary board President Upendra Kushwaha, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Chirag Paswan and his mother Reena Paswan had called on him recently.
Chennai, March 1 : A judicial magistrate in Tamil Nadu's Salem was stabbed, and seriously injured, in his chamber at the district court complex by his assistant on Tuesday, police said.

M. Muthupandi was admitted to Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital (SGMKMCH), where doctors said that he received three stab injuries, including a deep one close to the heart and lungs.

The incident happened when the judicial magistrate was in his chamber and colleagues suddenly heard a cry of alarm. When policemen and advocates present in the court complex rushed to the chamber, they found the judicial magistrate profusely bleeding and with his assistant Prakash standing there with a knife.

Police said that Prakash was recently transferred from Omalur court to Salem court and he joined duty on Monday. He requested the Judicial Magistrate to transfer him back to Omalur but the magistrate asked him to approach the principal District Judge, and irked by this, Prakash attacked Muthupandi, police said.

Hasthampatty police registered a case and arrested Prakash.
Nimli : , March 1 (IANS) Stating that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report has reaffirmed India's call for equity and climate justice, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister, Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday reminded the developed countries to take the lead in providing finance for mitigation and loss and damage.

"The IPCC report has, for the first time, mentioned what India has been all along. India is walking the path of climate resilient development and has demonstrated a clear resolve to move ahead along a sustainable, resource efficient growth path. The environmental negotiations are not about give and take - it is about saving humanity. The developed nations must take historic responsibility and consider what their ancestors have done in the past. Now it is for the rich countries to help urgent mitigation action by providing finance," he said.

Yadav was speaking at an annual conclave of journalists, called the Anil Agarwal Dialogue, organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) at its state of the art residential environmental training facility, the Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI), here at Nimli in Rajasthan's Alwar district.

He also released Down To Earth's Annual State of India's Environment Report 2022 on the occasion.

The IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report of the Working Group II (AR6WGII) had on Monday released its report that said it in unequivocal terms that "climate change is a threat to the human well-being and planetary health" and "any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all".

Human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks, it had said.

CSE Director GBeneral Sunita Narain said: "In the last two years, the world has seen disruption at a scale not seen before. Both Covid-19 and climate change are the result of our 'dystopian' relationship with nature -- call this the revenge of nature. Covid-19 is because we are breaking the barrier between the wild habitats/humans and the way we produce our food." Asserting that climate change is the result of emissions needed for economic growth - fossil fuels are unsustainable, and our lifestyle is the problem, she said: "Both are also linked, and are being exacerbated because of our mismanagement of health systems and the environment."
New Delhi, March 1 : Russian troops in Ukraine are attacking only military targets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday, commenting on the news that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, would launch a probe into possible war crimes in Ukraine, RT reported.

An ICC prosecutor said on Monday that there is "a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity" are being committed in Ukraine.

Accusations against Russia were filed with the ICC by Kiev.

Peskov said Moscow "categorically denied" the allegations raised against it by Ukraine, including fresh claims that Russian troops used banned cluster munitions and thermobaric weapons in Ukraine.

The Russian official branded such claims as "hoaxes", the report said.

Russian troops "do not attack civilian facilities or residential areas", Peskov said, reiterating previous statements to that effect by the Russian defence ministry, RT reported.

The official said he could not comment on casualties sustained by Russian forces in Ukraine, but remarked that heads of certain Russian regions, who confirmed casualties taken by soldiers from their provinces, didn't need the central government's permission to do so.
New Delhi, March 1 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday called for making India a 'Vishwaguru once again in the field of education, terming the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as a step in that direction.

Speaking at a function organised by the Ramineni Foundation in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, to felicitate meritorious toppers in the government-run and aided schools in the neighbouring mandals in Krishna and Guntur districts, Naidu said that NEP seeks to promote value-based education rooted in Indian culture.

"Recognition of excellence in individuals and honouring them is part of Indian tradition and culture. It is also meant to inspire others to strive for excellence and scale new heights. There is no dearth of talent among youngsters in India and the need of the hour is to identify the talent and impart the required skills to them," he said.

Advising the teachers to make learning a more interactive, immersive and enjoyable experience for the students, Naidu urged each teacher and school administrator to implement the provisions of NEP in letter and spirit.

Emphasising the importance of imparting education in mother tongue, Naidu said the long subjugation of the country under British rule had created inferiority complex in some people, as he stressed the need to shed the colonial mindset and return to Indian roots.

In this context, he reiterated the importance of 'guru-shishya' tradition for meaningful and holistic education.

He lauded the efforts of teachers throughout the country, especially in government schools, for ensuring continuity of education during the pandemic through innovative means.

Naidu underlined the critical role of teachers in inculcating values in students and said that they need to 'mould students, inspire confidence in them to face any adversity and walk the right path in any given situation.

The Vice President called for developing India into a strong, stable and peaceful country where everyone is treated as equal without discrimination against anybody.

He deplored the attempts of some forces to create divisions among the people for temporary political gains.
Patna, March 1 : A medical student returned home in Bihar's Saharsa district on Tuesday after borrowing $50 from her friends in Ukraine.

Akta Khurshid returned home through Hungary border. While sharing her plight, she said it was extremely difficult for students to reach Ukraine's border with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania.

"My university was in western part of Ukraine. So, I did not see any explosion or missile attack, though, I saw some aircraft flying in the air. Living in a war zone was extremely tough for us as everything has become so expensive there. The transport vehicles are not available too," Khurshid said.

"As I ran out of money, I borrowed $50 from a senior student of my university to pay my bus fare. I travelled standing in a packed bus to reach Hungary border," she said.

She further pointed out that those students who are in the western part of Ukraine managed to reach the borders of Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, but those living in the central or eastern parts of Ukraine like Kiev and Kharkiv are in grave danger. At least 8 students of Saharsa are still trapped in Ukraine.

"After reaching Hungary border, I struggled for hours to enter into the country. I am thankful to the Indian government which facilitated a flight from Budapest. They did not charge air fare to Delhi," Khurshid said.

Khurshid was welcomed in Saharsa by District Magistrate Anand Sharma and SP Lipi Singh. Sharma said the government has made arrangement to airlift all students from Ukraine.
New Delhi, March 1 : The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested a dreaded gangster of Lawrence Bishnoi-Kala Jathedi syndicate, who was wanted in dozens of criminal cases executed by him with the help of his jailed gangster accomplices.

The accused, identified as Virender Partap (28) alias Kala Rana alias Tiger, a resident of Yamunanagar, Haryana, was carrying a reward of Rs 1,00,000 upon his arrest.

Furnishing the details, DCP Manishi Chandra said that Partap's entry into the world of crime began with his friendship with a person named Monu Rana, who was an active member of SOPU (Student Organisation of Panjab University), and a rival of Bhuppi Rana, belonging to a rival student group in Panjab University, Chandigarh.

In 2014, Partap along with Rana had executed a murder in this ongoing rivalry. While in jail, he became close friends with Sampat Nehra, a close associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Partap made the headlines in 2017, when he, along with Nehra and others, opened fire on the brother of former Haryana MLA Dilbag Singh.

In 2019, it was reported that Partap had left India using a fake passport. Next year, a criminal named Raj Kumar alias Raju Basodi was deported from Thailand, who during interrogation disclosed that Partap was also operating from Thailand.

"Of late, Partap had become the most feared name in at least four north Indian states. He was the one who, along with another fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, suspected to be operating from Canada, had got brutal muders executed as part of inter-gang rivalry as well as extortion-related cases," the DCP said.

The officer informed that after the arrest of Kala Jathedi from Saharanpur in July 2021, long-term surveillance was mounted on Partap which led to his apprehension on Tuesday.
New Delhi, March 1 : The Ministry of Education has declared new sessions of JEE (main). This year's exams will be conducted in two sessions -- in April and May. During the registration, in the first session, only Session 1 (April) will be visible, and Session 2 (May) will be visible when the window will be opened again.

Officials said that, authentication of Mobile Number and e-mail address will be done only when candidates register. They have to enter OTP received at their registered mobile number and before submitting fees, they have to enter the OTP.

The Joint Entrance Examination, JEE (Main) comprises two papers. Paper 1 is conducted for admission to Undergraduate Engineering Programs (B.E, B.Tech.) at NITs, IIITs, other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs),

Institutions, Universities funded by participating state

governments.

JEE (Main) is also an eligibility test for JEE (Advanced), which is conducted for admission to IITs. Paper 2 is conducted for admission to B. Arch and B. Planning courses in the Country.

National testing agency (NTA) has been established as a premier, specialist, autonomous, and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance examination (JEE (Main)-2022) for admission to Undergraduate Engineering Programs at NITs, IIITs, other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs), Institutions, Universities funded and recognized by participating State.
New Delhi, March 1 : Microchip shortages, along with high acquisition cost, subdued sales of key automobile players in February 2022.

On Tuesday, auto major Maruti Suzuki India reported that its total sales last month inched lower on a year-on-year basis to 1,64,056 units from 1,64,469 units sold during the same period of the corresponding year.

Domestic sales were at 1,37,607 units, and sales to other original equipment manufacturers stood at 2,428 units.

The automaker reported its highest ever monthly exports of 24,021 units.

"The shortage of electronic components had a minor impact on the production of vehicles which are primarily sold in domestic market," it said.

"The company took all possible measures to minimise the impact." The shortage has impacted production of vehicles, consequently, elongating waiting periods and escalating cost.

Similarly, Hyundai Motor India reported lower cumulative sales on YoY basis. The cumulative sales last month fell to 53,159 units down from February 2021 off-take of 61,800 units.

The company's domestic sales declined to 44,050 units from 51,600 units sold during the corresponding period of last year.

"As the industry continues to grapple with semiconductor shortage situation, Hyundai along with its partners is continuously exploring alternatives to ensure customers can take delivery of their most loved Hyundai cars at the earliest," Hyundai Motor India said.

On the other hand, Tata Motors reported a 27 per cent rise in its overall domestic sales for February on a year-on-year basis to 73,875 vehicles sold, compared to an off-take of 58,366 units during the corresponding period of last year.

The company's passenger vehicle domestic sales rose by 47 per cent to 39,981 units from 27,225 units off-take in February 2021.

In terms of commercial vehicles, the domestic sales were higher by 11 per cent, at 37,552 units from 33,859 units off-take in February 2021.

Another auto giant, Mahindra and Mahindra reported a rise in its overall sales during last month. The company reported a rise of 89 per cent growth in its vehicle sales to 54,455 vehicles on a year-on-year basis.

"With an overall sale of 54,455 vehicles, we have achieved a growth of 89 per cent in February 2022. All segments showed robust growth including SUVs at 79 per cent, which registered the highest ever monthly volume," said Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Division, M&M.

"We expect demand to continue to remain strong as the Covid situation eases further. We continue to closely monitor the semi-conductor related parts supply and take corrective action as appropriate." In terms of two-wheeler sales, rural distress as well as inventory correction efforts continued to dent sales.

Two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp sold a total of 358,254 units of motorcycles and scooters in February 2022, lower than 505,467 units off-take during the corresponding month of 2021.

Additionally, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India reported total sales of 312,621 units in February 2022 down from 442,740 units sold during the corresponding period last year.

Honda's exports for the month stood at 26,944 exports.

"Passenger vehicle sales are showing some signs of recovery as semiconductor issues ease out but one will have to look at geo political tensions very closely as a prolonged issue on the geopolitical side could pose challenges to the supply chain especially looking at the importance of Russia and Ukraine in the semiconductor manufacturing process value chain," said Hemal Thakkar, Director, Crisil Research.

"Two wheelers the current inventory levels are still high and the OEMs are in correction mode which is why we are seeing a sequential correction in inventory every month since October or November 2021." Shamsher Dewan, Vice President & Group Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said: "Semiconductor shortage was easing gradually. However, recent geopolitical developments are likely to derail the industry again as both Russia and Ukraine are suppliers of key inputs."
New Delhi, March 1 : Moscow continues to recognise Volodymyr Zelensky as the legitimate President of Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The Ukrainian leader "could order troops to lay down arms, and there would be no casualties", he suggested, RT reported.

Asked about the post-invasion status of Ukraine and what Russia would expect from its future elections, Peskov said the issue had nothing to do with the Russian government.

"The Kremlin cannot play a role in holding elections in Ukraine. It's a foreign country," he said.

Peskov lamented Western attempts to put pressure on Russia over its attack on Ukraine, claiming that the US had induced on its European allies Washington's long-held taste for illegal restrictions.

The practice "spread through Europe like an infection", he remarked, RT reported.

Moscow will not submit to pressure, he said, adding that Russia perceived the retaliatory policies to be temporary.

"With time, leaders will arise in the EU, who will have a broad vision and realise that they need to be developing together with our nation. We will be working with that potential in mind," he said.
New Delhi, March 1 : The world's single largest ecosystem, covering nearly three-fourths of the earth's surface, oceans are vital to the economies, security, and livelihoods of lakhs of communities in India that has a coastline of 8,118 km, spanning nine states and four Union Territories, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The Centre said that it is in the forefront in transforming the fisheries sector to formulate fisheries management plans along with regulatory framework towards effective fisheries governance to ensure sustainable and responsible development through an ecosystem approach.

Now, an evolutionary journey of 'Sagar Parikrama' is envisaged across the coastal belt demonstrating solidarity with all fisherfolk, fish farmers, and stakeholders concerned as a spirit of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', a release from the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said.

The journey of 'Sagar Parikrama' shall focus on sustainable balance between the utilizstion of marine fisheries resources for food security of nation and livelihoods of coastal fisher communities and protection of marine ecosystems, it said.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate the programme on March 5. The first leg shall start from Gujarat's Mandvi and end at the state's Porbandar on March 6.

It will be organised by the Department of Fisheries under the Union Ministry and the National Fisheries Development Board along with Gujarat's Department of Fisheries, the Indian Coast Guard, the Fishery Survey of India, the Gujarat Maritime Board, and fishermen representatives.

The Parikrama, a part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', is an endeavour to know the problems of coastal fisherfolk. It will be organised in other districts of Gujarat and other State/UTs in subsequent phases.

It will be accompanied by the state fisheries officials, fishermen representatives, fish-farmers entrepreneurs, stakeholders, professionals, officials, and scientists from across the nation.

During the event, certificates/sanctions related to Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada scheme (PMMSY), KCC, and state schemes will be awarded to the progressive fishermen, especially costal fishermen, fishers and fish farmers, young fishery entrepreneurs etc., the release added.
New Delhi, March 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of evacuation of stranded Indian nationals from war-hit Ukraine under 'Operation Ganga'.

It was the third meeting held on the matter in the last 24 hours, and the fourth since Sunday evening.

The meeting began with the participants expressing grief over the sad demise of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a medical student from Karnataka who died in Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday.

According to sources, Modi was briefed about the evacuation status and was informed that over 1,750 Indian students have returned to the country so far.

He was also informed that Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju and General (Retd) V.K. Singh have flown to Budapest (Hungary), Warsaw (Poland) and Bratislava (Slovakia), respectively, as the government's special envoys to oversee the evacuation efforts, while Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia left for Bucharest (Romania) by an Air India flight on Tuesday evening.

It has been learnt that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishakar briefed the Prime Minister about the ramped up efforts of the government for evacuation works in the last 24 hours, while Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla updated Modi about the arrangements made by the Indian Embassies in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Poland, all bordering Ukraine.

Modi had asked the MEA officials to make proper arrangements in the adjoining border points with Ukraine for the students coming to these countries from the war-hit nation.

The sources also said that Modi discussed what could be the possible ways to rescue the Indians stuck in Kharkiv, another important town after the capital city of Kiev.

As of now, thousands of Indians, including students, are still stuck in Kharkiv and the Russian army has scaled up attacks on both Kiev and Kharkiv.

Modi was also informed that a new route to exit through Moldova has been identified, and to facilitate the entry of the Indians into this country, proper arrangements have been made by the Indian Embassy staff in Romania.

The Prime Minister is personally monitoring the evacuation efforts of the government, taking updates from the MEA at regular intervals.

After the death of the medical student from Karnataka in Kharkiv on Tuesday, the Prime Minister got a call from the President of European Council, Charles Michel, who extended condolences over the tragic incident and assured support for the evacuation mission.

Jaishankar, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Principal Secretary to PM, P.K. Mishra, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs were present at the meeting.
New Delhi, March 1 : The Supreme Court has termed the decision taken by the Bihar government in 2016 to declare 'Lohar' caste as Scheduled Tribe as illegal and arbitrary.

A bench of Justices K.M .Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy said: "What is the basis for the respondent state to take it upon itself to issue the impugned notification by which referring to the 2016 amendment repealing the 2006 Act, it proceeded to give approval to caste certificate of Scheduled Tribe to Lohara, Lohar community? Lohar is not the same as Lohara. Including Lohars alongside Lohara is clearly illegal and arbitrary." The top court had held that Lohars are, admittedly, blacksmiths, a backward community in Bihar, whereas Loharas are Scheduled Tribes in Bihar.

However, the state government's order allowed the 'Lohar' to invoke the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, which affected the fundamental rights of other citizens.

The bench emphasised that it is important to realize the impact of a decision on the rights and what is more, fundamental rights of the citizens flowing from the government's action, and the need to increasingly evolve a system, whereby decision making promotes and strengthens the rule of law.

"Respect for the decisions of the courts holding the field are the very core of Rule of Law. Disregard or neglecting the position at law expounded by the courts would spell doom for a country which is governed by the Rule of Law," it said.

The top court said when it comes to taking decisions which affect the rights of the citizens, it is the paramount duty of the executive to enquire carefully about the implications of its decisions. "At the very minimum, it must equip itself with the law which is laid down by the courts and find out whether the decision will occasion a breach of law declared by the highest court of the land," it added.

The bench noted that in this case, it is clear as daylight that the Lohars were not included as members of the Scheduled Tribe from the beginning and they were, in fact, included as members of the OBCs in Bihar.

The top court judgment came on a plea filed by Sunil Kumar Rai and three others, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeking quashing of the 2016 notification issued by the Bihar government. The petitioners suffered imprisonment in a criminal case after the complainant, belonging to 'Lohar' caste invoked the 1989 Act, which did not allow them to seek pre-arrest bail.

The bench noted that the implications of this notification are deep and it affects the rights of the citizens in the most adverse manner. On the aspect of the state government issuing the notification, the bench added that at the very minimum, it betrayed total non-application of mind and attracted the wrath of Article 14 of the Constitution.

Quashing the notification, the bench said: "We clarify that the quashing of the impugned Notification will be qua 'Lohar' community and the Lohara will continue to get the benefit vouchsafed for them under the Presidential Order as amended by the Acts. We direct that the respondent No. 1 shall pay costs in the sum of Rs 5,00,000 (Rs Five lakh) which shall be done within a period of one month from today and the respondent shall produce proof of the payment of the costs by production of the receipt of the same within a period of six weeks from today."
New Delhi, March 1 : The 31 member countries of the governing board of the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Tuesday agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to send a unified and strong message to global oil markets that there will be no shortfall in supplies as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The extraordinary governing board meeting, held at the ministerial level, was chaired by US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, in her capacity as the chair of this year's IEA ministerial meeting.

During the meeting, ministers expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine and their democratically elected government in the face of Russia's 'appalling' and 'unprovoked' violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The IEA ministers noted with concern the energy security impacts of the egregious actions by Russia and voiced support for sanctions imposed by the international community in response.

The ministers noted that Russia's invasion comes against the backdrop of already tight global oil markets, heightened price volatility, commercial inventories that are at their lowest level since 2014, and a limited ability of producers to provide additional supply in the short term.

"It is heartening to see how quickly the global community has united to condemn Russia's actions and respond decisively," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

"I am pleased that the IEA has also come together today to take action. The situation in energy markets is very serious and demands our full attention. Global energy security is under threat, putting the world economy at risk during a fragile stage of the recovery." "I am grateful that IEA member countries made available the initial 60 million barrels to provide stability to oil markets," Birol added.

"I am also happy that our member countries are committed to do their utmost to support Ukraine in terms of fuel supply. At the invitation of the governing board, I am also looking forward to welcoming Ukraine Energy Minister Galushchenko as a special guest to our forthcoming ministerial meeting later this month." IEA members hold emergency stockpiles of 1.5 billion barrels. The announcement of an initial release of 60 million barrels, or 4 per cent of those stockpiles, is equivalent to 2 million barrels a day for 30 days.

The coordinated drawdown is the fourth in the history of IEA, which was created in 1974. Previous collective actions were taken in 1991, 2005 and 2011.

Russia plays an outsized role in global energy markets. It is the world's third largest oil producer and the largest exporter. Its exports of about 5 million barrels a day represent roughly 12 per cent of global trade --and its approximately 2.85 million barrels a day of petroleum products represent around 15 per cent of global refined product trade.

Around 60 per cent of Russia's oil exports go to Europe and another 20 per cent to China.

The ministers resolved that energy supply should not be used as a means of political coercion nor as a threat to national and international security.

The IEA Secretariat will continue to closely monitor global oil and gas markets and provide recommendations to the governing board, including possible additional emergency oil stock draws, as needed.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Nairobi, March 1 : With several draft resolutions submitted by nations, including India, the world is inching closer to the historical resolution to end plastic pollution that is expected to be gavelled with the adjournment of the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) at the closing plenary of the Assembly on Wednesday.

The assembly that began here on Monday is being attended by more than 3,400 in-person and 1,500 online participants from 175 UN member states, including 79 ministers and 17 high-level officials.

A spokesperson for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) told IANS on Tuesday that the decision will be taken following several draft resolutions submitted by the governments of Peru, Rwanda, Japan and India.

The anticipated resolution may be the most important green deal since Paris accords, said the spokesperson.

UNEP's Executive Director Inger Andersen outlined what to expect at UNEA-5.2, including progress on halting plastic pollution, stopping harmful chemicals in agriculture and deploying nature to find sustainable development solutions.

Delivering the national statement on Tuesday at the plenary of the UNEA-5.2, Leena Nandan, Secretary with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said that India is committed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, based on the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of national circumstances.

On plastic pollution, she said India is committed to address plastic pollution, including marine plastic pollution, to reduce the adverse impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and human well-being.

"India had piloted a resolution on addressing single-use plastic product pollution in the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly held in 2019, bringing global focus on the issue.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has taken resolute steps. The government has notified the guidelines on extended producers' responsibility on plastic packaging. Also, the government has put in place a ban on identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential," Nandan said.

President of UNEA-5 and Norway's Minister for Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide, in his remarks on the opening day had said, "Our assembly gathers at a moment of severe geopolitical turmoil. More than ever, we must demonstrate that multilateral diplomacy can deliver.

"Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic of its own. Paradoxically, plastics are among the most long-lasting products we humans have made -- and frequently, we still just throw it away. Plastic is a product that can be used again, and then over and over again, if we move it into a circular economy. I am convinced that the time has come for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution." Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said: "Over the last week, we have seen tremendous progress on negotiations towards an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. I have complete faith that once endorsed by the assembly, we will have something truly historic on our hands." "Ambitious action to beat plastic pollution should track the lifespan of plastic products -- from source to sea -- should be legally binding, accompanied by support to developing countries, backed by financing mechanisms, tracked by strong monitoring mechanisms, and incentivising all stakeholders -- including the private sector," Andersen added.

The resolution on plastic pollution, as well as the other pressing environmental issues, will be formally decided by the member states in the closing plenary meeting of the assembly on Wednesday.

The UN Environment Assembly meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop international environmental law; decisions and resolutions taken by the member states at the Assembly also define the work of UNEP.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Guwahati, March 1 : A female Royal Bengal tiger was found dead at Sildubi in Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, officials said on Tuesday.

Forest and wildlife officials said that on the basis of the tiger repository database of camera trap, the four and a half year old tiger was identified as "Kazi".

"The cause of death was ascertained as suspected poisoning. Preliminary offense report has been submitted to the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate of Bokakhat and investigation is on," a senior wildlife official said.

He said that poisoning of tigers near Mihimukh, the prime tourist zone in Kaziranga, is a disturbing trend for all concerned.

Last year, four Royal Bengal tigers of different ages were killed due to various reasons including infighting among the animals in Kaziranga, one of India's seven UNESCO world heritage sites. Extending across Assam's Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Biswanath, and Karbi Anglong districts, it is home to more than 2,400 one-horned Indian rhinos, approximately two thirds of the total world population.

It also has 121 tigers, 1,089 elephants and huge numbers of Asiatic buffalo, swamp deer, wild boar, hog deer, porcupine and other endangered animals.
New Delhi, March 1 : Explosions erupted around Kiev's 1,300-ft TV tower on Tuesday afternoon (local time), just hours after Russia told civilians to evacuate because it was about to begin bombarding 'strategic' targets in the Ukrainian capital, Daily Mail reported.

At least two large blasts were seen near the foot of the tower, around three miles from central Kiev, at around 5.30 pm local time.

It was not immediately clear whether the tower had been the target of the strikes, or whether they had been targeting nearby buildings. The tower remained standing, but several state broadcasts went off air, the report said.

That raised fears that Kiev was about to come under heavy bombardment after the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson were hit by indiscriminate shelling earlier in the day, Daily Mail reported.

According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, two unidentified missiles hit and set on fire a building right next to the TV tower. The fire has been extinguished, local media reported.

Ukrainian TV channels stopped broadcasting after a missile hit. Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs said that the backup broadcast of some channels will be launched "in the nearest time".

The office of the President of Ukraine also said the TV tower in Kiev has been hit. The President's office reported that broadcasting equipment has been hit.

The office stated that TV channels will temporarily be unavailable but reserve broadcasting capacities will be deployed as soon as possible. Additionally, several channels can be streamed via YouTube and the Megogo service, it said.
New Delhi, March 1 : Four people were kidnapped from the residence of former Telangana MP A.P. Jithender Reddy in the national capital, Delhi Police said on Tuesday.

Delhi Police PRO Suman Nalwa told IANS that a complaint was received at the South Avenue police station that four people, staying at MP flat no 105 South Avenue, were taken away by some unknown persons.

Nalwa said of the four, three were guests of the former parliamentarian, who is now in the BJP, and the fourth person, identified as Tilak Thapa, was his driver.

"Upon receipt of this complaint, a case under section 365 (Kidnapping or abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the South Avenue police station," the PRO said, adding that an investigation into the matter is under progress.

Meanwhile, the former Telangana MP also conveyed the information through social media that his personal driver Thapa and social activist Ravi Munnur were kidnapped on Monday night.

"I have filed a complaint with the concerned police department. Hoping for quick action and speedy justice," Reddy wrote on Twitter.
New Delhi, March 1 : Even before the Kiev TV tower was hit by a missile, the Security Service of Ukraine had said that if communications and the ability to check whether information is reliable are lost, there can be no capitulation or surrender of Ukraine's interests.

"Initially, they plan to disconnect communications. After that, there will be a lot of fake reports that the Ukrainian military and political leadership seems to have agreed to surrender.

"So-called confirmation of this fake news will be distributed by allegedly signed documents, as well as filmed fake videos," the Defence Minister of Ukraine, Alexei Reznikov, had warned, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Reznikov warned that the enemy is preparing disinformation about the alleged capitulation of the country's military and political leadership. Reznikov denied this was the case.

"According to our information, the Russian occupiers are preparing to launch a large-scale informative and psychological operation in the near future. Its goal is to break the resistance of the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian army using lies," Reznikov said, the report said.

The minister posted a photo of himself from the city centre, urging people not to believe in fake news and to warn everyone they can. The country's leadership remains in the capital and is continuing to work.

Explosions erupted around Kiev's 1,300-ft TV tower on Tuesday afternoon (local time), just hours after Russia told civilians to evacuate because it was about to begin bombarding 'strategic' targets in the Ukrainian capital, Daily Mail reported.

At least two large blasts were seen near the foot of the tower, around three miles from central Kiev, at around 5.30 pm local time. It was not immediately clear whether the tower had been the target of the strikes, or whether they had been targeting nearby buildings.

The tower remained standing, but several state broadcasts went off air, the report said.

That raised fears that Kiev was about to come under heavy bombardment after the cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol and Kherson were hit by indiscriminate shelling earlier in the day, Daily Mail reported.
Bengaluru, March 1 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Tuesday that if the body of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a medical student from the state studying in Ukraine who was killed in Russian shelling in Kharkiv on Tuesday, cannot be retrieved immediately, the External Affairs Ministry should try to bring back his mortal remains in the next two to three days.

"I am saddened by the turn of events," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Bommai said that Naveen from Haveri was pursuing his fourth year in medicine in Ukraine. He was staying in a bunker since last week. On Tuesday, he came out to join others but got killed in an air strike, becoming the first Indian casualty in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Two other boys who were with him also belong to Challageri village in Haveri district. One was hurt in the incident.

"Another student has escaped unhurt. The information has come from them while I have also spoken to the Ministry of External Affairs on the matter," Bommai said.

"Naveen's father is known to me and I have spoken with him. I know his family members as well. I am in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs to get complete information on chances of recovering the body. It is a war zone, and we do not yet have any information on the condition of the body of the deceased," he said.

"I have spoken with officials in the PMO as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his desire to talk to Naveen's family members. I have sent all the details to his office. He has spoken to them," he said.
New Delhi, March 1 : Indian Air Force's C-17 transport aircraft will leave for Romania at 4 am on Wednesday to bring back Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday evening.

The aircraft will take off from its base at the Hindon Air Station near Delhi.

The war waged by Russia has reached Ukraine capital Kiev and the country's second largest city Kharkiv. Further, different countries' embassies in Kiev, including the Indian Embassy, are moving their operations to Lviv amid intensified bombing.

Over next three days, 26 IAF flights have been scheduled to operate.

"At 4 am on Wednesday, a C-17 aircraft will fly to Romania to evacuate the stranded Indian students," Shringla said.

Expressing deep concerns over the developments in Ukraine, Shringla said that so far, 12,000 Indians have left Ukraine, which is about 60 per cent of total Indians present in Ukraine. He also confirmed that no Indian is stranded in Kiev as of now.

The Foreign Secretary said that Indian nationals have been advised to head to the western parts of Ukraine and exit from there whenever they can.

They can go towards Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Poland and Moldova. As many as 7,700 nationals have exited through these routes, he informed.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed deep anguish over the killing of an Indian student by Russian shelling in Kharkiv and we have not just reiterated our demands with Russia and Ukraine's envoys in Delhi, but also in those countries through diplomatic and military channels for the safe return of Indians," Shringla said.

Shringla also said that the first flight with humanitarian aid has been sent to Ukraine via Poland.

A flight left on Tuesday morning carrying the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The consignment comprised medicines, medical equipment and other relief materials.

Another flight will leave on Wednesday carrying a second consignment, also through Poland, Shringla said.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
New Delhi, March 1 : Delhi Police have arrested an inter-state criminal who was a close aide of the head of the dreaded Ranjha gang, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused has been identified as Arvind alias Kaku (35), a resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

DCP (North-East) Sanjay Kumar Sain said that on Monday, a tip-off was received regarding the presence of Arvind by the special staff of North-East district.

Accordingly, a police team was constituted which laid a trap at a specified location from where the accused was apprehended after a brief scuffle.

The DCP said that a semi-automatic pistol and five live cartridges were recovered from his possession.

Subsequently, the police registered a case under the relevant sections of the law at the Bhajanpura police station.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he was a close associate of Jamal alias Ranjha, head of the Ranjha gang, and a former member of Hasim Baba Gang.

"At present Jamal is on parole and Arvind was providing security to Jamal from his rivals," the DCP said.

The accused was previously involved in three attempt to murder, robbery and gambling cases.
New Delhi, March 2 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening spoke with the President of European Council, Charles Michel, and expressed his anguish over the deteriorating situation and humanitarian crisis in war-hit Ukraine.

He reiterated India's appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue.

The Prime Minister stressed that the contemporary global order is anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of all the nations.

Modi also stressed upon the importance of ensuring free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of people.

He spoke about the efforts being made by India to send urgent relief supplies, including medicines, to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Indian Air Force's C-17 transport aircraft will leave for Romania at 4 am on Wednesday to bring back Indian citizens stranded in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday evening.

The aircraft will take off from its base at the Hindon Air Station near Delhi.

The war waged by Russia has reached Ukraine capital Kiev and the country's second largest city Kharkiv. Further, different countries' embassies in Kiev, including the Indian Embassy, are moving their operations to Lviv amid intensified bombing.

Over next three days, 26 IAF flights have been scheduled to operate.

"At 4 am on Wednesday, a C-17 aircraft will fly to Romania to evacuate the stranded Indian students," Shringla said.

Expressing deep concerns over the developments in Ukraine, Shringla said that so far, 12,000 Indians have left Ukraine, which is about 60 per cent of total Indians present in Ukraine. He also confirmed that no Indian is stranded in Kiev as of now.

The Foreign Secretary said that Indian nationals have been advised to head to the western parts of Ukraine and exit from there whenever they can.

They can go towards Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Poland and Moldova. As many as 7,700 nationals have exited through these routes, he informed.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Mumbai, March 2 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has got the permission from a Special Court to record the statement of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in connection with the Rs 100 crore extortion case involving former top Mumbai cop Param Bir Singh.

The CBI had recently moved a plea before the special court requesting it to grant them permission to record Deshmukh's statements.

The CBI will have to visit Arthur Road Jail to record his statement. Deshmukh is currently lodged there.

According to the information, the federal probe agency will record his statement for three consecutive days -- March 3, 4 and 5.

The CBI has so far recorded the statement of as many as seven persons in the matter.

A source said that the seven persons whose statements were recorded were from police. They were reportedly deployed in the security of Anil Deshmukh.

Singh had accused Deshmukh for missing his post. He had alleged that it was Deshmukh who was forcing him to collect Rs 100 crore every month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

He made these allegations when he was removed from the police commissioner post. Deshmukh had denied all the allegations levelled against him.

On April 21, 2021, the CBI had filed an FIR against Deshmukh and had initiated a probe. The raids are in connection with this FIR.

The source said that they were scanning the financial transactions of the last three years. The team is also gathering information about the business dealings of Deshmukh.

The CBI wants to know about the business associates of Deshmukh. The transactions made between them will be scanned by the team.

On November 1, 2021, Deshmukh was placed under arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with Rs 100 crore money laundering case pertaining to the alleged posting and transfer of the officials.
We are thrilled to welcome the Advantage and Best Credit teams into the Solve family. The combined product offering provides unparalleled clarity and a tangible competitive edge to fixed income market participants, said Solve Advisors CEO Eugene Grinberg.

Solve Advisors (Solve, or the Company), a global industry leader of pre-trade price transparency data in fixed income markets, announced today that it has acquired two credit and municipal bond data and analytics providers, Advantage Data and Best Credit Data. Advantage Data is an award-winning analytics platform and data provider across credit products, while Best Credit Data provides insights and pricing on municipal and credit instruments to various institutional clients. The two acquisitions come shortly after Solve secured its own investment from affiliates of Charlesbank Capital Partners.

Solve will integrate Advantage Data and Best Credit Data products, operations, and teams into its existing organization. The acquisitions bolster Solves products with critical credit data, proprietary analytics, and workflows as the Company pursues its mission to provide a full picture of the fixed income markets. Solves flagship product, SolveQuotes, enables its buy-side, sell-side, and service provider clients to conduct price discovery, aggregate liquidity, and identify trading opportunities.

We are thrilled to welcome the Advantage and Best Credit teams into the Solve family. The combined product offering provides extraordinary clarity and a tangible competitive edge to fixed income market participants, said Solve Advisors CEO Eugene Grinberg. This is an important milestone for Solve as we look to execute on our organic and inorganic growth strategies following the recent investment by Charlesbank.

Founder and CEO of Advantage Data, Rene Robert, along with COO and General Counsel Gina Robert, will transition from the business through the transaction. "After 25 years at the helm of Advantage Data and four years at Best Credit Management, Gina and I are deeply pleased with the accomplishments of both teams and are delighted to pass the torch to the team at Solve Advisors, said Robert. As one firm, the merged entities will add value to our combined clients and offer resources to take our platform, data, and analytics to new heights.

Solve Advisors was advised by Oliver Wyman on the transaction. Mintz served as legal advisor to the Company. Advantage Data was advised by D.A. Davidson.

For inquiries:

John Kearney

SVP of Marketing, Solve Advisors

jkearney@solveadvisors.com

About Solve Advisors Inc.

Founded in 2011, Solve has developed the largest datasets of real-time bids, offers and market color across Structured Products, Corporate Bonds, Syndicated Bank Loans, CDS, and Municipal Bonds. With locations in the US, UK, India, Caribbean, and APAC, Solve Advisors is the leading provider of market pricing in fixed income markets. The SolveQuotes platform aggregates real-time bids, offers, BWIC price talk and covers, and other market data, helping to provide unparalleled price transparency and liquidity monitoring. The powerful workflow tools eliminate the hassle of the BWIC process, consolidate dealer inventories and two-way markets, and streamline month-end for the back office. The Solve team, headed by Co-Founders Eugene Grinberg and Gerard Nealon, has extensive expertise and passion for financial markets and developing innovative technology. Further information about Solve Advisors can be found at http://www.solveadvisors.com.

About Advantage Data, Inc.

Founded in 1997, Advantage Data has been providing credit and credit derivative pricing, descriptive, financial and analytical information to the worlds top financial institutions for more than two decades. Advantage Datas workstation provides access to a powerful, comprehensive and global fixed-income platform. Thousands of sell and buy-side fixed-income analysts, traders, portfolio managers and risk management professionals rely on Advantage Data every day to access quality data quickly and easily. For more information, please visit http://www.solveadvisors.com/advantagedata.

About Best Credit Data

Founded in 2013, Best Credit Data is a Boston-based market data vendor focused on leveraging Cloud computing technology to deliver high quality municipal bond, corporate bond, private placement, broadly syndicated and middle market loan insights to service institutional portfolio accounting, risk management, and compliance use cases. Best Credits clients include banks, brokers, mutual funds, hedge funds, and insurance companies. For more information, please visit http://www.solveadvisors.com/bestcreditdata.

About Charlesbank Capital Partners

Based in Boston and New York, Charlesbank Capital Partners is a middle-market private investment firm with more than $15 billion of capital raised since inception. Charlesbank focuses on management-led buyouts and growth capital financings, and also engages in opportunistic credit and technology investments. The firm seeks to build companies with sustainable competitive advantage and excellent prospects for growth. For more information, please visit http://www.charlesbank.com.
Clean Oil International, the Canadian startup behind one of the worlds first and leading autonomous oil skimming technologies, has won the gold medal at the Istanbul International Inventions Fair (ISIF21).

The international competition, which brings together some of the brightest inventors, innovators, and investors from around the world, was held from September 21st26th, 2021 in conjunction with the worlds largest technology and aviation festival (hosted in Turkey). The competition was hosted by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, in conjunction with the International Federation of Inventors Association, Anatolia Inventions and Inventors Association, with support from the World Intellectual Property Organization and the European Patent Office.

Were honored and thrilled to have received this prestigious award from the Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology of Turkey and in one of the biggest innovation events in the world said Babak Khodaparast, Founder & CEO of Clean Oil International.

This award is one of several Clean Oil has managed to win as they move towards finalizing R&D and going to market. Previously, theyd earned 3 international awards and 4 national grants.

The ambitious startup, which is eyeing to revolutionize oil-related disaster response, boasts an experienced founding & advisory team which has propelled them thus far, led by Khodaparast. With the mitigation of severe economic, environmental, and fiscal effects in mind, their technology, which benefits from autonomous & nanotechnology, is highly effective in reducing deployment & operation time during oil spill disasters - a feat which has drawn interest from both industries and government stakeholders. Their technology enables swift response to oil spill disasters without needing any operator(s) on-site to initiate the process and is compatible with swarm technology.

In 2022, off the back of their international awards, Clean Oil International has several planned key milestones, including launching their first pilot and entering into the Middle Eastern market, with the support of various national & international stakeholders.
Coreshell, developer of a technology proven to solve the battery performance issues that have bottlenecked the auto industry since the introduction of electric vehicles, today announced $12M in Series A funding. Led by sustainable energy VCs including Trousdale Ventures, Industry Ventures, and Helios Capital Ventures. the new financing will be used to accelerate commercialization of the worlds first battery coating technology proven to drastically increase the capacity and range of lithium ion batteries to meet the growing demand for electric vehicles around the world. Returning investors include Entrada Ventures, Foothill Ventures, and Asymmetry Ventures bringing total funding to date to $19M.

Auto manufacturers around the globe are chasing after improved energy density to reduce battery size and manufacturing costs, but this is often at the expense of safety, said Jonathan Tan, CEO of Coreshell. The reality is that the industry doesnt need to build a better battery from scratch. At Coreshell, we've discovered a way to unlock the true capacity of todays batteries through a coating that can easily be applied in our partners existing manufacturing process. We believe this is the first major step in democratizing energy to help make sustainable transportation a reality for more people.

Recognized as the legendary and original beach buggy, Meyers Manx has partnered with Coreshell to develop an electrified prototype buggy that will demonstrate the unprecedented capacity of the battery.

Having represented one of the greatest eras of Californias automotive history, we are well poised to maintain our surf culture image, while also building a brand that looks to the future, said Phillip Sarofim, Chairman of Meyers Manx & Managing Partner of Trousdale Ventures. Partnering with Coreshell to create something sustainable and environmentally-friendly fits into our mission to continue bringing adventure and fun to the world, but with even more performance capabilities to match the expectations of modern-day consumers. Expanding our designs to include an electric platform allows us to show the rest of the automotive industry what can be achieved with zero disruption to the manufacturing process.

Guiding The Future of Coreshell-Powered Electric Vehicles

As Coreshells breakthrough battery technology gets closer to commercialization, the company has some of the brightest minds and partners to help pave the way.

One of the worlds most recognizable brands in electric vehicles - Tesla - was co-founded by engineer and technology entrepreneur Marc Tarpenning, who recently joined Corshell as a key advisor. Others to join Coreshells team of advisors include Dr. Chunmei Ban, a Professor at the University of Colorado - known for her years of experience working at National Renewable Energy Laboratory [NREL] and leading Department of Energy-awarded projects. Advisor Judith OBrien, who has helped over 50 companies IPO including Juniper and Sun Microsystems, has also joined the renowned team of advisors.

Other milestones paving the path to commercialization include a partnership with the leading expert in roll-to-roll web processing equipment - New Era Converting Machinery - where a prototype demonstration with Coreshell showed the scalability of its battery coating technology, further validating seamless integration into the automobile manufacturing process.

Unlocking Battery Potential - One Thin Layer At A Time

The end goal for auto manufacturers is to deliver dependable, long-range electric vehicles that are affordable, but one of the biggest barriers to performance and cost improvements is electrode surface instability. By solving the key degradation issue, Coreshells low-cost thin nanolayer coating uniquely increases usable battery capacity, improves safety, and significantly reduces cost/kwh. Once seamlessly applied into existing manufacturing processes, the coating immediately unlocks up to 50 percent more travel capacity for electric vehicles, and 200 percent more heat tolerance than previously accessible for both existing and next-gen battery technologies.

The State of Electric Vehicles

The world cant wait for higher capacity, lower-cost batteries. More than two-thirds of the worlds lithium-ion batteries are used in vehicles - a number growing exponentially considering that half of global passenger vehicle sales in 2035 will be electric, according to the BloombergNEF (BNEF). Even with COVID-19 restrictions and component shortages, global EV sales surged in 2021 - by 80 percent - due to a growing urgency from automakers commiting to zero emissions in an effort to meet consumer demand for more sustainable and cost-effective options.

In reaction to the growing demand for electric vehicle batteries, an executive order was put in place by the Secretary of Energy to identify risks in the supply chain and policy recommendations to address these risks; solutions that new battery technologies like Coreshell could address due to scalability and new safety measures.

About Coreshell Technologies

Coreshell is a technology company on a mission to unlock the true capacity and economics of batteries so clean energy can be deployed in time. With its flagship product, Coreshell aims to democratize energy by making sustainable transportation a reality for more people with the worlds first battery coating technology proven to unlock the true capacity of lithium ion batteries found in todays electric vehicles. Easily applied onto the surface of the electrodes in lithium-ion batteries during the manufacturing process, the technology has proven to extend capacity of these batteries by 30 or more percent - while reducing costs for automakers. Headquartered in California, Coreshell partners include multinational battery manufacturers and auto OEMs committed to zero emissions and paving the future of transportation.
MiVote Technology gained attention in 2020 with its pledge to build a decentralised model of community decision-making in the Metaverse, a model which was also designed to create a revenue stream for projects addressing the United Nation Sustainable and Development Goals (UNSDG). This pledge now comes to fruition as MiVote Technology launches its MiMeta app.

MiMeta simultaneously launches in Australia, United Kingdom and Europe and is available on iOS and Android. The app enables people to connect and engage with likeminded communities, using the tool to stay informed, participate in decision-making and to access exclusive content. It is envisaged that, through the app, people can become influencers in their own communities, and are incentivised to keep engaged by gaining community generated NFTs as a reward. These NFTs are then sold to raise funds for UNSDG-related activities.

Launching metaverse in the three continents is just the beginning of a decision-making Movement. says MiVote Technology founder and CEO, Joydeep Mondal. At Mivote Technology, we envisage a digital revolution driven by the community, for the community. Communities across the globe want to see a better form of digital platform  where they can self-regulate, self-express, and share ownership. Our platform means that their every interaction can be harnessed to achieve a greater good such as UNSDGs, rather than to generate ad-revenue.

MiVote Technology, headquartered in the United Kingdom, is currently speaking to governments, policy makers, universities, social influencers, groups and businesses in the European Union, USA, Australia, and India, about how they can benefit from the platform over the long term.

MiVote Technology is the platform which will serve generations after generations. Its not just a technology but a sustainable solution to the mankind. It is the largest platform with highest engagement says Co-founder and COO, Disha Paul.

The vision of the company to solve some of the big world problems with their technology and energy of Joydeep is truly inspiring. UK Government Dealmaker, Dep for International Trade; Global online investment authority (18 FT Books, ex-Bloomberg TV Host &; FT Columnist, fund manager) BBC Paper Reviewer; Fmr Visiting Fellow, Oxford Uni. Alpesh Patel OBE.
March Forward Spring 2022 Guidance for Arts Education We are excited to see our schools begin to transition back to pre-pandemic operations across all educational programs including the visual and performing arts -- Arts Ed NJ director Bob Morrison.

Arts Ed NJ, the performing arts affiliate for the National Association of State High School Associations (NFHS), has suspended mitigation guidance for schools designated as mask optional effective March 7, 2022.

The announcement coincides with the just-released March Forward Spring 2022 Guidance for Arts Education (http://marchforwardnj.org/), which provides the most up-to-date policy guide for administrators, K-12 arts educators, and the community at large to ensure that students can take part in arts education programs safely and effectively as schools return to pre-pandemic norms.

This update comes in the wake of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphys February 7, 2022 announcement

(https://www.nj.gov/health/news/2022/approved/20220207d.shtml) lifting the universal school mask mandate for all students, educators, staff and visitors effective on March 7, 2022, as well as the February 25, 2022 announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) easing mask recommendations (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html)

The latest update from Arts Ed NJ includes:

1. No mitigation requirements for Mask Optional Schools.

2. For schools with a mask requirement, Arts Ed NJ reinforces the previous recommendations for indoor performing arts, including:



Masks made of appropriate material should be worn; however, wind players should mask their instruments while playing. This allows them to remove their face masks during performance only. Social distancing of three feet is also recommended when feasible.

In spaces with good ventilation, indoor rehearsal time should be limited to 50 minutes, followed by one air exchange before resuming. If there are spaces with higher air change rates, teachers may consider longer rehearsal times.

Proper hygiene ventilation strategies should be a priority at all times.

3. There are no mitigation requirements when outdoors for any school.

While Arts Ed NJ is careful to note that its recommendations are subject to change based on the latest CDC and New Jersey Department of Health requirements, the organization believes that when these recommendations are followed, the arts classroom is as safe as any other classroom. In addition, students will benefit most if schools refrain from adding unnecessary obstacles to learning dance, music, theater, or visual art in person.

We are excited to see our schools begin to transition back to pre-pandemic operations across all educational programs including the visual and performing arts, said Arts Ed NJ director Bob Morrison. We are hopeful this new phase will bring some normalcy back for our students as they engage in these arts programs without restrictions

Arts Ed NJ is urging policymakers to allow for a return to pre-pandemic norms for dance, music, theatre and visual arts. Studies have shown the importance of these disciplines in providing a well-rounded education. Arts education is vital because it combines intellectual challenges with social emotional learning, essential for student development. To move forward, students need to be able to interpret their world and express their emotions, something thats more important now than ever.

But while all subject areas have suffered due to COVID over the last two years, arts education may have been hit hardest. Isolating students from their classmates and teachers negates the benefits that are unique to art educationthe peer-to-peer learning that comes from shared experience; the ability of a teacher to work with students over multiple grades and to serve as role models for students; the tools for learning how subjective judgment plays a role in everyday life; a safe space to explore the gray areas that are ignored in subject areas where standardized testing thwarts creative reasoning; even the simple joy of creating something new.

March Forward 2022 emphasizes the importance of studying dance, music, theatre and visual arts collectively and in person. Our data shows that students have missed creating together in an unobstructed way, Morrison said. We also believe that engaging with the community, whether by organizing field trips or bringing artists into the classroom, is both beneficial and motivating for students.

The recommendations outlined in March Forward 2022 build upon work that began in 2020 with a task force of more than 100 of the states leading arts educators and stakeholders, who met regularly throughout the school year and beyond to understand the challenges for students and teachers during the COVID era.

With its March Forward 2022 guidelines, Arts Ed NJ is urging school districts to provide teachers with the professional development and classroom resources and equipment they will need to meet the specific needs of their curricula and students, citing eight key points:

Sequential arts education must return for all students in all instructional models: New Jersey Student Learning Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts were affirmed in 2020 and continue to be a requirement for all learning methods.

Arts Education programs will require the proper staffing and support to ensure continuity of instruction. This includes maintaining certified arts educators to provide sequential instruction while providing them with materials, resources and equipment needed to meet health and safety requirements.

Arts educators and administrators must be part of district planning. No group has spent more time studying the challenges and solutions of teaching the arts in the COVID-era than arts educators. Their collective knowledge will be a critical asset to school administrations and board members as they begin to return to pre-pandemic norms.

Schools must prioritize making and creating the arts together. Students have identified the loss of time making art together as the thing they most missed when forced to study remotely. When students are in school, the emphasis should be placed on creating artistic works together.

Social and emotional learning needs of students, faculty, and staff must be addressed in all aspects of instruction. Arts Education plays a critical role in supporting the social and emotional needs of students, which New Jerseys Accelerated Learning Guide recognizes as important factors for effective education by influencing a teachers ability to teach and students ability to learn.

Schools must address learning delays and disruptions in the arts: As with other subject areas identified in the N.J. Department of Educations Learning Acceleration Guide, resources should be provided to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the visual and performing arts, including those available from the state and federal government.

Professional development must be provided: To most effectively meet the challenges of re-emerging from the pandemic, arts educators must be provided the opportunity and necessary resources to engage in professional development relevant to their respective fields.

New Jersey cultural community resources should be utilized for instructional support. From assembly programs and field trips to artist residencies and collaborative projects, New Jersey's rich community of artists and cultural organizations plays a critical role in the education of our students. As schools reopen, they should look for appropriate opportunities to bring students into contact with artists and art in the community at large.

An arts classroom is a classroom, period, said Morrison. Sequential arts education is part of New Jerseys learning expectations for all students and must be maintained.

For more information about the March Forward Spring 2022 Guidance for Arts Education, visit http://marchforwardnj.org/

For more information about Arts Education and Social and Emotional Learning, visit https://artsedsel.org

About Arts Ed NJ

Arts Ed NJ is the unified voice for arts education in New Jersey. The mission of Arts Ed NJ is to create the proper conditions for arts learning to take place in New Jersey. Formerly the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership, Arts Ed NJ was founded in 2007 by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, New Jersey Department of Education and Music for All Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Grunin Foundation, ArtPride New Jersey Foundation and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional information is available at http://www.artsednj.org.
A-Alpha Bio and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), today announced a collaboration to accelerate therapeutic antibody discovery against emerging COVID-19 variants using synthetic biology and machine learning.

A-Alpha Bio, a synthetic biology and machine learning company that measures and engineers protein-protein interactions, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), a federally funded research and development center, today announced a collaboration to accelerate therapeutic antibody discovery against emerging COVID-19 variants using synthetic biology and machine learning. To support the collaboration, A-Alpha Bio has been awarded a $1.1M Department of Defense sub-contract, which the company will use to generate quantitative and multidimensional binding data on antibody-antigen interactions for COVID-19 variants.

Despite early advances in machine learning (ML) guided rational drug design, developing accurate ML models remains a challenge due to the lack of abundant and high-quality data required to train and validate these models. A-Alpha Bios AlphaSeq platform represents the first multidimensional and quantitative approach for measuring protein-protein interactions. The AlphaSeq platform can simultaneously measure millions of interactions between antibodies and antigens or antigen mutants for high-throughput determination of properties like affinity, specificity, cross-reactivity and epitope, thereby generating valuable data to fuel ML model building and optimization.

As part of the collaboration, A-Alpha Bio will measure millions of protein-protein interactions between ML-generated antibody libraries and panels of coronavirus variants that LLNL will use to refine their ML models for predicting antibody sequences with improved affinity to variants of concern and potential future variants that may emerge. Multiple antibody libraries derived from existing therapeutics with weakened binding against the delta and omicron variants will be synthesized and cloned into the AlphaSeq platform. Binding strength will be measured at a library-on-library scale between each antibody mutant and a panel of COVID-19 mutants to elucidate the relationship between antibody sequence and variant binding profile using ML.

The team at LLNL shares our belief that machine learning must be central to a rapid therapeutic response against evolving COVID-19 variants and that access to high quality and quantity data is critical for success, said Dr. David Younger, co-founder and CEO of A-Alpha Bio. This collaboration perfectly combines LLNLs expertise in high performance computing, simulation and machine learning with A-Alpha Bios unique capability to generate quantitative, multi-dimensional protein-protein binding data at scale. We look forward to working together to build ML models, powered by AlphaSeq, that accelerate the discovery and optimization of therapies against emerging viral variants

Since the emergence of the pandemic, LLNL has used science, engineering and technology to help the research and medical communities with tools and information to better understand COVID-19. LLNL has developed expertise and capabilities in integrating big data and predictive simulation capabilities to develop a new understanding of biological complexity and enable more precise predictions of health risk, accelerate development of countermeasures, develop treatment options and improve outcomes.

A-Alpha Bio has developed a technology that can simultaneously and at scale measure antigen-antibody binding affinities, thus enabling the iterative design and testing of thousands of antigen and antibody variants," said Daniel Faissol, Principal Investigator for AI-Driven Development of Biologic Countermeasures at LLNL. We are excited to leverage this platform through a collaboration with A-Alpha Bio. The data AlphaSeq can generate will enable us to develop much more powerful predictive models that form a key component of our computational antibody and antigen design platform, allowing us to better prepare for and, respond to, novel pathogens.

About A-Alpha Bio

A-Alpha Bio is a synthetic biology and machine learning company that measures and engineers protein-protein interactions to generate high-resolution models of biology for drug discovery.

The company has developed a proprietary platform technology, called AlphaSeq, that uses genetically engineered yeast cells to experimentally measure millions of protein-protein interaction affinities simultaneously at a library-on-library scale, generating enormous amounts of data to inform the discovery and development of potent, specific and cross-reactive drugs.

A-Alpha Bio was founded in 2017 by a team of synthetic biologists from the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design and Center for Synthetic Biology. To learn more, please visit: https://www.aalphabio.com/.

About Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides solutions to our nations most important national security challenges through innovative science, engineering and technology. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Acclaimed AVIE! Medspa and Laser Center in Loudoun County, Virginia is now offering BTL EMSELLA, a breakthrough non-invasive technology to help treat urinary incontinence, or bladder leakage. To date, five clinical studies have been published on EMSELLA. Studies confirm 95% of patients report an improved quality of life with 75% pad reduction.

AVIE! Medspa and Laser Center in Loudoun County, Virginia is proud to expand their menu with BTL EMSELLA, a unique non-invasive technology to help treat urinary incontinence in both women and men.

EMSELLA involves sitting in a special chair and relaxing while weakened pelvic floor muscles are strengthened with high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy (HIFEM), improving urinary incontinence and bladder leakage. Each EMSELLA treatment takes about 28 minutes and there is no downtime or invasive measures involved.

FDA-approved EMSELLA provides the following benefits:



Tightened pelvic floor muscles

Reduced bladder leakage

Improved stress urinary incontinence

To date, five clinical studies have been published on EMSELLA. Studies confirm 95% of patients report an improved quality of life with 75% pad reduction.

AVIE! Medspa and Laser Center is the premiere destination in Northern Virginia for every aesthetic need, from skin rejuvenation to anti-aging, body contouring and more. To learn more about EMSELLA or our other treatments, please call (703) 870-3844 or request a consultation online today!

About AVIE! Medspa & Laser Center

AVIE! Medspa & Laser Center has been offering the latest in cosmetic medical spa treatments in a relaxing spa environment in Leesburg, Virginia since opening in March 2009. Owner and Master Aesthetician Kim Marinetto, RN, in conjunction with Medical Director Khalique Zahir, MD, and their highly skilled team of nurses, nurse practitioners and aestheticians, provide specialized cosmetic and aesthetic programs so each of their clients needs are addressed on an individual basis with personalized follow-ups.

Aesthetic treatments at AVIE! have minimal to no downtime. Services include EMSCULPT, EMSCULPT NEO, EMTONE, Halo, microneedling, Vivace Microneedle RF, CoolSculpting, Ultherapy, Botox, Juvederm Ultra XC, Juvederm Ultra Plus XC, Vollure XC, Voluma XC, Volbella XC, chemical peels, MicroLaserPeel, BBL photofacials, HydraFacial MD, dermaplaning, skin tightening, ProFractional Skin Resurfacing, laser hair removal, professional skin analysis, PRP, PRFM, vitamin B12 shots and blepharoplasty by Dr. Zahir. AVIE! has performed over 315,000 Botox and dermal filler treatments since 2009. AVIE! also carries physician-level skin care. Consultations are complimentary and financing is available. For more information, please call 703-870-3844 or visit http://www.aviemedspa.com.

About Kim Marinetto, RN & Master Aesthetician

Kim Marinetto has over 33 years of experience as a registered nurse. In the past 15 years, she has focused her practice on cosmetic medicine, adding to her credentials a Medical Aesthetician Certification in 2006, along with additional certifications in Botox Cosmetic, facial fillers, sclerotherapy and various advanced laser systems. Kim is a Master Aesthetician in the state of Virginia. Additionally, Kim is an Aesthetic Provider Council member for Alastin Skincare USA. She has done extensive training on laser technology and her coursework is recognized by the AMA.

About Khalique Zahir, MD

Dr. Khalique Zahir, medical director of AVIE! Medspa and Laser Center, graduated from West Virginia School of Medicine and is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and The American Board of Surgery. Dr. Zahir practiced general surgery from 19921999 at West Virginia University and St. Marys Hospital, then cosmetic, plastic and reconstructive surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 19992001. Dr. Zahir also holds a Virginia Medical License and a Maryland Medical License. He has written over 20 articles published in national health journals and is an assistant clinical professor of surgery at VCU School of Medicine.
Backroads announces new AmaWaterways active river cruise departures "Our new Backroads Netherlands & Belgian Waterways tour is the perfect trip for anyone who loves biking, tulips or Belgian beer," said Backroads Founder & President, Tom Hale.

AmaWaterways and Backroadstogether leaders in active river cruisingtoday announced an exciting lineup of more than 150 Bordeaux, Danube, Douro, Rhine and Seine departures in 2022 and 2023, including nine full-ship charters and select sailings on board AmaWaterways most innovative new ship AmaMagna. Marking the seventh year of their collaboration, Backroads will also bring their best-in-class adventure tours to Dutch & Belgian waterways with the Backroads River Cruise Bike Trip. Three departures are slated for April 2023, where guests can enjoy the regions famed tulips, windmills and cuisine as they sail and cycle between Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Bruges, Belgium.

In 2015, AmaWaterways and Backroads developed the ultimate active travel river cruising experience  adventuring through Europes most captivating destinations with Backroads immersive, meticulously planned biking and hiking tours, then ending the day in the comfort and luxury of an AmaWaterways river ship. Backroads thoughtful trip design and unique routes take guests away from busy port and tourist destinations to explore the best biking in the region and immerse them in the local culture.

On every Backroads trip, expert Trip Leaders and attentive support with multiple vans allow for greater flexibility and more route options each day. With trips in over 50 countries and more than 40 years of experience running exceptional adventures, Backroads offers unmatched expertise in the world of active travel.

2022-2023 river cruise trips available through the AmaWaterways and Backroads partnership include:

Recommended For Couples, Friends & Solos



Recommended For Families



Danube River Cruise Family Bike Tour  20s & Beyond

Portugal's Douro River Cruise Family Bike Tour  20s & Beyond | Older Teens & 20s

Rhine River Cruise Family Bike Tour  20s & Beyond | Teens & Kids

Full-Ship Celebration Bike Tour River Cruises



Danube River Cruise Full-Ship Celebration Bike Tour

Portugal's Douro River Cruise Full-Ship Celebration Bike Tour

Rhine River Cruise Full-Ship Celebration Bike Tour

Additionally, Backroads new Dolce Tempo Easygoing E-bike River Cruise on the Rhine River is for travelers new to active travel, or those who want to explore the world actively and at a more leisurely pace. Two departures are scheduled for September 2022 with another three planned for 2023.

We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Backroads and introduce these exciting new itineraries for biking enthusiasts, said Gary Murphy, AmaWaterways Co-Owner and Senior Vice President of Sales. The unique aspect of bringing Backroads enhanced active biking experiences onboard our river cruise ships is that companions who may not wish to participate in the daily biking program with Backroads can still have a wonderful vacation experience by participating in AmaWaterways many escorted cultural or culinary tours that are included each day. These new itineraries are the perfect opportunity for travelers to explore the beautiful landscapes of Europe on a bicycle, and we look forward to welcoming guests onboard for these unforgettable trips.

Our active river cruises have been a guest favorite ever since we launched our first departure with AmaWaterways in 2015, said Backroads Founder & President, Tom Hale. The opportunity to only unpack once while relaxing in comfort aboard such a luxurious ship is the perfect way to explore multiple countries, get immersed in the beautiful back roads and trails of Europe, and enjoy the truly impressive accommodations and hospitality of AmaWaterways. Our new Dutch & Belgian Waterways tour is the perfect trip for anyone who loves biking, tulips or Belgian beer.

While aboard, Backroads participants and their companions enjoy unique signature twin-balconies in most staterooms, as well as connecting and triple occupancy staterooms that are ideal for the growing multi-generational travel group markets. Additional amenities include a daily Sip & Sail complimentary cocktail hour, heated sun deck pools with swim-up bar, hair and massage salons, fitness centers and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the ships.

For more information and to book trips, visit: backroads.com.

About AmaWaterways

Family-owned and -operated for more than 19 years, AmaWaterways offers unparalleled river cruise experiences with 26 custom-designed ships sailing Europes Danube, Douro, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Rhone, Saone (2021), Seine, Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, and Dutch and Belgian Waterways; Southeast Asias Mekong River; Africas Chobe River; Egypts Nile River and Colombias Magdalena River (2023). Co-founded and led by pioneering river cruise executives Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst, the company is renowned for its extraordinarily warm and welcoming crew; innovative and sustainable ship design; its wellness activities including a wide choice of included small group shore excursions featuring biking and hiking options; and its award-winning, locally sourced cuisine with complimentary fine wine. Modern, spacious and tastefully decorated, most ships welcome an average of just 150 guests and feature onboard amenities such as a stunning Main Lounge, specialty Chefs Table restaurant, hair and massage salons, a Sun Deck walking track with heated outdoor swimming pools with swim-up bars. AmaWaterways leads the river cruise industry in innovation highlighted with the launch of the revolutionary AmaMagna, and the introduction of the history-making Seven River Journey itineraries. The company also offers a variety of themed sailings and brand relationships, with sailings geared towards active travelers and families as well as group and charter options.

With the highest-rated ships in Europe according to the third edition of Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe & the USA, AmaWaterways has received countless honors and accolades including Travel + Leisures 2020 Worlds Best Award for Best River Cruise Line and Departures 2020 Legend Award for Best Luxury Cruising Experiences This Year. In addition, 20 ships in AmaWaterways European fleet have received the prestigious Green Award certification for industry-leading safety, quality and environmental performance.

About Backroads

Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been a leading innovator in active and adventure travel for over 40 years. The company offers biking, walking & hiking and multi-adventure tours, small ship active cruises, Dolce Tempo, private trips and family getaways (parents with kids) designed for three distinct age groups: Teens & Kids (typically 9-16), Older Teens & 20s (17+) and 20s & Beyond (adult kids through their late 20s). Backroads hosts thousands of guests each year75% of whom are repeat guests or referrals from past guests in hundreds of locations across the globe. For more information, please visit backroads.com or call 800-462-2848.
B.F. Saul Insurance, a leading provider of client-centric insurance and risk management, is adding to its leadership team with the appointment of Nicholas Kiniry as Vice President. "B.F. Saul Insurance has been going through an impressive period of growth and we are thrilled that Nick is joining us at this pivotal time," said Jason Jones, President, B.F. Saul Insurance. "Nick's background in personal risk management sets him up well for success."

B.F. Saul Insurance, a leading provider of client-centric insurance and risk management, is adding to its leadership team with the appointment of Nicholas Kiniry as Vice President.

During his 15 years of experience in personal insurance, Kiniry has held leadership positions including the Mid-Atlantic Practice Leader at a national brokerage based in Virginia. Kiniry will support the personal lines property and casualty needs of clients working with clients advisors such as accountants, realtors, estate attorneys, and financial advisors to gain a holistic view of the clients needs.

I get the most energy from educating clients on difficult concepts to make things easy to understand and digest, Kiniry said. At B.F. Saul Insurance, Ill have the opportunity to do that alongside an incredibly experienced, talented team that shares my passion for helping clients.

Kiniry will strengthen B.F. Saul Insurances service delivery to ensure that clients receive consistent sound advice throughout their entire lifecycle. He will also work closely with the firm's leadership team in developing strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing both client satisfaction and retention rates.

"B.F. Saul Insurance has been going through an impressive period of growth and we are thrilled that Nick is joining us at this pivotal time," said Jason Jones, President, B.F. Saul Insurance. "Nick's background in personal risk management sets him up well for success."

About B.F. Saul Insurance

B.F. Saul Insurance focuses on providing exceptional service and doing it the right way based on excellence, ethics, and results. They help incorporate insurance planning into the conversation by educating advisors on how to broach the topic and offering a free assessment of current policies as part of their clients annual financial review process.

As experienced personal lines professionals, they focus on managing the insurance portfolios of those clients with primary homes valued above $2mm, who may have second homes, multiple household drivers and own significant artwork, wine, or collectible items. They collaborate with Financial Advisors to ensure adequate coverage is in place across a clients portfolio through a deep understanding of their needs and personal financial situation.

On the web: https://www.bfsaulinsurance.com/

Media Contact: Debra Andrews

Chief Marketing Officer

dandrews@marketri.com
Bel Mondo Beauty, a leading provider of premium treatment masks, announced today it has reached an agreement with Buy2Sell (LLHP PTE LTD, Singapore) to market and distribute its skin care products in Vietnam.

Established in 2015, Buy2Sell services B2B clients through its top-performing e-commerce platform (https://buy2sell.vn) as well as through a network of retail outlets located in prominent shopping centers, including Lotte Mart in Ho Chi Minh City. More than 120,000 registered wholesale buyers have access to Buy2Sells diverse range of branded goods -- cosmetics, food and beverage, fashion, appliances, pharmaceuticals, and electronics  sourced from companies in 60 countries.

Bel Mondo Beauty is a private brand with a loyal following among skin care professionals, who typically add Bel Mondos premium masks to popular aesthetic services. Founded in 2012, the company was the first US brand to offer a sheet mask line that exclusively featured bio cellulose, an advanced microbial fabric that excels at soothing and hydrating skin. Two years ago, Bel Mondo collaborated with Oncology Spa Solutions to develop an oncology approved sheet mask, safe for use on compromised skin.

Working with Buy2Sell brings our niche brand the benefits of their considerable scale and market reach, noted Bel Mondo President Lou Martelli. Their investment in logistics and infrastructure and the strategic partnerships they have forged with influential retailers like Lotte Mart will help to establish our brand in a region that has begun to embrace higher-end, eco-friendly skin care options like ours.

Beauty and personal care revenues in Vietnam reached approximately $2.3 billion in 2021 and are expected to grow at a 5.9% compound annual growth rate through 2025, according to Statista.com. Long-term trends like financial independence for working women and greater interest in natural and organic products among youth are key growth drivers.

Buy2Sell experienced significant growth in 2021, with revenues tripling year-over-year, thanks in part to the accelerated use of e-commerce platforms necessitated by the pandemic. The company has six retail outlets in Vietnam and plans to expand to more than 40 stores by the end of 2022.

About Bel Mondo Beauty

Bel Mondo Beauty develops and markets premium bio cellulose treatment masks used to enhance the outcome of aesthetics services. Our distinctive product line is trusted by estheticians in the treatment rooms of the finest spas and medical spas. Bel Mondo is a Mission Partner to Oncology Spa Solutions, a leading educator in oncology esthetics.

About Buy2Sell

Buy2Sell Vietnam is a leading B2B e-commerce platform with the largest source of imported goods in the country since 2015. It is distributing more than 200,000 goods from more than 60 countries around the world and has over 120,000 wholesalers in Vietnam. Buy2Sell is in partnership with UOB Bank (Financial lending BizMerchant), CJ Logistics (import and export logistics service), and large retailers like Lotte Mart and SC Vivo City.
Invest Southwest has a remarkable track record of identifying the best companies from throughout the region, and it is quite an honor to be recognized as a finalist alongside the other exciting tech companies in our category.

Botco.ai (http://www.botco.ai), the leading HIPAA-compliant conversational marketing platform, announced today it will present at the 2022 Venture Madness Conference, a unique capital conference and pitch competition presented by Invest Southwest in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority. Selected as a finalist in the events SaaS category, Botco.ai will showcase its products and services to accredited investors from across the country at the event taking place at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 3, 2022.

Invest Southwest is the premier organization for connecting investors with the best and brightest ventures in the region. The Venture Madness Conference is the organizations signature event, where vetted companies apply to compete against one another in a head-to-head competition to crown a champion in each category. This years event features a dedicated expo area in which emerging growth companies will demo their products. Botco.ai was chosen from among 95 companies as one of 16 finalists to compete across four industry tracks: Consumer/Business, Medical, SaaS and Tech. Botco.ai will also participate in the events expo area.

Botco.ai was founded to help marketers leverage the power of chatbots to drive engagement on their website, Facebook, and other digital channels. The Botco.ai platform is a full-featured chat solution that enables businesses to hold intelligent conversations at scale designed to quickly and effectively convert more prospects into customers. The company has raised $3.6 million in seed funding from VamosVentures, Stout Street Capital, Sterling Road, PHX Ventures and Arizona Tech Investors.

Botco.ai CEO Rebecca Clyde will present on the companys behalf. We are very excited to take part in Venture Madness and get the chance to present to so many investors from leading capital firms, she said. Invest Southwest has a remarkable track record of identifying the best companies from throughout the region, and it is quite an honor to be recognized as a finalist alongside the other exciting tech companies in our category. I look forward to the live event and the head-to-head competition!

Tickets for the conference can be purchased at https://investsouthwest.org/venture-madness-2022/.

About Botco.ai

Botco.ai is a HIPPA-compliant, AI-powered marketing chat solution that can be implemented at scale to improve engagement rates. Today, the company offers industry-leading authoring, webchat, and AI machine-learning capabilities to quickly and effectively convert more customers in healthcare, wellness, addiction, behavioral health, physical therapy and senior living centers. Botco.ai's new Integrated Analytics Dashboard provides a comprehensive view of chat campaigns across multiple messaging channels such as web and Facebook Messenger. The API-based interface can be used to transfer leads, transcripts, and data into enterprise sales and marketing automation products like Salesforce, Hubspot, Adobe Marketing Cloud, Zoho as well as leading EHR and scheduling systems. Botco.ai is the recipient of the Arizona Innovation Challenge "Most Outstanding Startup" award and a graduate of Alchemist Accelerator Class XXV, the #1 accelerator for enterprise startups. For more information, visit http://www.botco.ai.

Media Contact

Lauren Tascan

Fluid Group for Botco.ai

lauren @fluidprgroup.com
"Brians years of experience with complex tax requirements set by state and local tax jurisdictions make him an excellent addition to our firm."

Frazier & Deeter, one of the nations Top 50 accounting and advisory firms, announced today that Brian Strahle has joined the firms Tax Practice as the State and Local Tax (SALT) National Practice Leader and Partner.

Brians years of experience with complex tax requirements set by state and local tax jurisdictions make him an excellent addition to our firm, said Seth McDaniel, Managing Partner of Frazier & Deeter. We are delighted to see him take on this important leadership role.

Strahle contributes over 25 years of experience to the firm, specializing in providing SALT advisory services to growing start-up companies, middle-market and Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries. His expertise lies in conducting complex research and analysis to help companies reduce uncertainty and resolve controversy related to multistate income tax, franchise tax, gross receipts tax and sales tax positions, as well as identifying refund and credit opportunities.

As a subject matter expert and thought leader, Brian has authored 60+ articles, including his own column, The SALT Effect, in Tax Analysts State Tax Notes, where he published various articles with topics ranging from refund processes to cloud computing. His state tax blog, LEVERAGE SALT, currently contains over 1,000 blog posts detailing various SALT topics. As a distinguished speaker, he has delivered 60+ presentations speaking at tax planning conferences, webinars and meetings for Bloomberg BNA, Strafford Publications, CPA societies and various accounting firms.

Its exciting to join a rapidly growing firm like Frazier & Deeter, with such a strong reputation for client service, noted Strahle. I look forward to helping to serve the firms clients in the increasingly complex arena of State and Local Tax.

During his career, Strahle has worked in Fortune 500 company tax departments, Big 4 accounting firms and regional firms as a state tax practice leader. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Managing Director and the Tennessee SALT Practice Leader for BDO.

About Frazier & Deeter

Frazier & Deeter is an award-winning Top 50 accounting and advisory firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm provides a wide range of tax, audit, accounting and advisory services to serve the emerging needs of clients as they evolve. Frazier & Deeter and its family of brands serve clients, from the Fortune Global 500 companies to growing small businesses, through our offices across the United States and the United Kingdom. The firm has been recognized repeatedly as a Best of the Best Accounting firm, a Best Firm to Work For and a Best Firm for Women in Leadership. Frazier & Deeters brand promise is Investing in Relationships to Make a Difference.
"The Smile Crew CA program is successfully providing new career opportunities for people who may have lost their jobs during the pandemic, while addressing the need for trained dental assistants," said Dr. Judee Tippett-Whyte, past president of the California Dental Association.

The California Dental Association is pleased to announce the expansion of its Smile Crew CA pilot programs that offer free dental assistant training and job matching with available positions. The program launched in San Francisco and expanded to San Diego to create job opportunities for people who were displaced by the pandemic or are interested in pursuing a new career that is in high demand.

Smile Crew CA has provided nearly 80 participants with the opportunity to learn basic skills for a dental assisting career, including dental terminology, HIPAA compliance and infection control protocols, as well as obtain certifications required for dental assisting. After the four-week bootcamp sessions, most participants were successfully placed in positions or are completing their externships prior to placement.

The Smile Crew CA program is successfully providing new career opportunities for people who may have lost their jobs during the pandemic, while addressing the need for trained dental assistants to serve the oral health care needs of Californians, said Dr. Judee Tippett-Whyte, past president of the California Dental Association. CDA created this program to address the statewide shortage of dental assistants and continue our strong commitment to increasing access to care and supporting dentists and dental team members in their service to the public through innovation in education.

In addition to funding from CDA, the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency worked with CDA to identify public/private funding to expand dental assistant training to areas of greatest need, resulting in a significant grant from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation.

Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is pleased to support Smile Crew CA that helps people impacted by the pandemic pursue a path to meaningful careers in the dental field, said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California. Not only is this beneficial program getting residents of California back to work, it also honors the Foundations mission of improving access to oral health, supporting oral health education and uplifting the communities we serve. Its win, win, win.

The Smile Crew CA program is particularly timely as the pandemic recovery has opened opportunities for Californians to seek new job training. CDA is working with the labor agency to expand the scale of training.

The Smile Crew CA pilot program is an exciting model of what can be accomplished when industry, government and community work together to create new career pathways into solid jobs in dental care, said Abby Snay, deputy secretary for the Future of Work with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

To learn more about dental assistant training, visit Smile Crew CA.

About the California Dental Association

The California Dental Association is the nonprofit organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA is committed to the success of members in service to their patients and the public. CDA also contributes to the oral health of Californians through various comprehensive programs and advocacy. CDAs membership consists of more than 27,000 dentists, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association. For more information, visit cda.org.

About the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation

The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation partners with local communities to increase access to care, support dental education and fund research that advances the oral health field. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $70 million across 15 states and the District of Columbia. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc.
For the 68% of U.S. Catholics who support the legal abortion protections in Roe v. Wade, todays vote is an important amplification of our Catholic social justice values... but the Womens Health Protection Act did not advance, underscoring just how much work remains to be done."

Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, applauded Senate leadership on todays cloture vote on the Womens Health Protection Act (WHPA), a critical bill to guarantee providers the right to deliver, and people the right to receive, abortion care  free from medically unnecessary limitations and political interference. While the motion did not achieve the 60 votes necessary to proceed, it marked the Senates first standalone vote on proactive abortion rights legislation in decades.

Here is a statement from Catholics for Choice President Jamie L. Manson:

For the 68% of U.S. Catholics who support the legal abortion protections in Roe v. Wade, todays vote is an important amplification of our Catholic social justice values. We thank the 46 members of the Senate, including 13 Catholics like Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Bob Casey (D-PA), who voted to advance the Womens Health Protection Act.

But even as we commend those who voted on the right side of history today, the Womens Health Protection Act did not advance, underscoring just how much work remains to be done. Too many in Congress still choose to listen to anti-choice extremists rather than the will of the American people, and to perpetuate the harm inflicted by restrictions on abortion care.

As Catholics, we believe that healthcare is a human right  and that includes abortion care. But this constitutionally-protected right has already been reduced or even eliminated in large segments of the nation. As Catholics, we are also called to center the lives of the people most marginalized in society, which includes the people most harmed by abortion restrictions: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; those working to make ends meet; members of the LGBTQI+ community; immigrants; young people; those living in rural communities; and people with disabilities.

We are mindful that if the filibuster were eliminated, WHPA would very possibly be sent to President Bidens desk today. With the Supreme Court poised to undermine Roe v. Wade this year, its more important than ever that Congress act to protect the rights of women and pregnant people. Compelled by our faithfully-formed consciences and guided by our Catholic values, Catholics for Choice will not stop until our elected officials do just that.

###

Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a persons well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.

Contact: John Becker, Press Secretary

Phone: (202) 203-0931

Email: jbecker@catholicsforchoice.org
Thanks to our different approach to NLU, our products can solve new use cases with comparatively little training data. This is game-changing for the IDP market.

Cortical.io today announced that Gartner has included the company as a Representative Vendor in 2022 Gartner Market Guide for Intelligent Document Processing (IDP).

As noted in the report, Vendors were selected based on the following: Those whose core product met the definition of 'IDP'; Those most mentioned in client interactions; Broad awareness in the market, as identified through external review of publications and other public research.

Cortical.io solutions, leveraging its Semantic Folding NLU approach, are disrupting numerous markets due to their ability to efficiently process thousands of complex business documents, messages or attachments. They were singled out in the insurance category as they provide carriers and brokers with automated solutions to accurately review, extract and compare information from documents including policies and benefit booklets. After implementing Cortical.io IDP solutions, insurance carriers like Unum report a significant decrease in the error rate of quotes generated by users, and an overall improvement in quality.

Cortical.io Contract Intelligence accurately searches, extracts, classifies and compare key information from insurance policies, contracts, and other business documents, leveraging human-in-the-loop review to improve results over time. It achieves at scale what is difficult for manual labor or other text analysis tools. Cortical.io Message Intelligence automatically classifies and processes messages, attachments, and unstructured text based on meaning. Both products are easily customizable by business users who can train and refine their extraction models and classifiers through no-code and low-code interfaces.

The high variability of business documents poses a problem for automation tools. Most IDP vendors need tens of thousands of documents to train their systems and thats why they focus on very specific use cases. Thanks to our different approach to NLU, our products can solve new use cases with comparatively little training data, said Thomas Reinemer, COO at Cortical.io. This is game-changing for the IDP market.

*Gartner, Market Guide for Intelligent Document Processing Solutions, Shubhangi Vashisth, Anthony Mullen, Stephen Emmott, Alejandra Lozada, 16 February 2022. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartners research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Cortical.io

Cortical.io delivers AI-based solutions that help businesses search, extract and analyze information from unstructured text more effectively. These meaning-based solutions, including Contract Intelligence and Message Intelligence, cover a wide spectrum of intelligent document processing use cases with proven implementations in Fortune 500 companies. They leverage the companys patented Natural Language Understanding technology to accurately and efficiently process complex business documents with little training data, and without the need for in-house AI experience. The company is working to enable semantic supercomputing, the ability to process streams of natural language content at massive scale in real time through the use of hardware acceleration.

Cortical.io has offices in the U.S. (New York and San Francisco) and Europe (Vienna).

For more information, go to https://www.cortical.io. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @Cortical_io.
Quoted: A Guide for Teen Girls: a helpful resource for young women looking for spiritual understanding. Quoted: A Guide for Teen Girls is the creation of published author Ella Catherine, a lifelong resident of Louisiana who enjoys playing piano and spending time with friends and family.

Ella Catherine shares, Quoted is a book to encourage teens that they are worth it, loved, and God has a plan for them. The book has a mixture of short stories, questions, advice, Bible stories, and entries, especially for the reader. Throughout one year, the reader will learn many things through a teens point of view.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Ella Catherines new book will encourage and nurture a strong sense of faith in each reader as they consider the potent points made within.

Ella Catherine offers a fresh perspective as she draws from personal experience as a modern-day, Christian girl faced with the circumstances and consequences of society.

Consumers can purchase Quoted: A Guide for Teen Girls at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Quoted: A Guide for Teen Girls, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Our goal has always been to reduce the incidence of childhood drowning, and create safer and stronger swimmers. It is so exciting to see the abundance of families that share this same value in Portland.

Emler Swim School, an award-winning swim school, is splashing into its new facility on March 28, 2022. The pool is in Washington Square on Southwest Hall Boulevard, just east of Beaverton Tigard Highway. The schools staff hosted swimming lessons at a Tigard location until its new building was completed.

Known for its proven curriculum and dedicated staff who are passionate about water safety, Emler Swim School has a history of making swim lessons fun and safe for infants and children.

"Our goal has always been to reduce the incidence of childhood drowning, and create safer and stronger swimmers, said Lester Ruiz, Emler Swim School Director of Operations in Oregon. It is so exciting to see the abundance of families that share this same value in Portland.

Infants can join the Bathtime Babies class at as young as 2 months old, where the focus is on introducing newborns and parents to the water, building comfort and experiencing the joy of water play. The babies become familiar with buoyancy in a non-threatening, warm environment, while also getting the added benefits of exercise and socialization.

The earlier we can get children into our program, the easier it is for them to fall in love with the water and learn these life-saving skills, Ruiz added.

Ruiz and the rest of the Emler Swim School staff are hosting an open house on Saturday, April 23, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Families can tour the facility, learn about classes, and get a chance to win a free swim party.

Emler Swim School has made a name for itself not only in the swimming world but also with families across its 30 locations in Oregon, Texas, Kansas and Nevada. The organizations safety-first creed combined with its method of creating a positive, encouraging environment has fueled the schools growth.

We are thrilled to be opening in the Portland area after almost two years of preparation, said Emler CEO Greg Laird. We cant wait to bring our 45 years of experience to the families in Portland and equip more children with the skill of safety around water.

Emler Swim School believes in its classes so much that it offers a 100 percent swimming guarantee. The organization employs a proven year-round approach that integrates child development best practices. Its students have consistent opportunities to apply their skills and receive positive reinforcement to encourage accomplishment.

Safety is not a value Emler only preaches about  the school puts it into practice. Even prior to the pandemic, Emler maintained high-quality UV water purification systems that use ultraviolet light rays to kill dangerous germs and inactivate viruses. All its facilities also have top-of-the-line filtration systems that draw in 100% fresh air eight times an hour, along with dehumidifiers with antimicrobial filters and controls that maintain healthy humidity levels that reduce the survival of bacteria and viruses.

The Beaverton facility is located at 9140 SW Hall Blvd. Beaverton, OR 97223, and its staff can be reached by phone at 971-317-9393. For more information, visit https://emlerswimschool.com/location/portland-washington-square/

About Emler Swim School

In 1975, Emler Swim School was founded on two principles, that every child should experience a fun lesson that causes them to fall in love with the water, and that every parent should receive a guarantee that their child will learn to swim.

Emler utilizes a proven, ever-evolving curriculum, a quality staff that undergoes thorough training and  above all  a passion to nurture children in a healthy, safe and fun environment.

With more than 20 different classes and levels, the award-winning swim school is proud to meet the need of every swimmer with the same Emler Sure, 100 percent guarantee. For more information on each location, visit emlerswimschool.com. Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter.
Eterneva, a consumer technology and grief wellness pioneer that reimagines the experience around loss, published a new blog explaining the seven-stage journey that transforms ashes into a memorial diamond. This diamond honors the lives of customers deceased loved ones as a physical reminder of the love and connection they share.

This blog takes customers step-by-step through Eternevas diamond growth and assessment method, highlighting how customers can find meaning and healing through the diamond creation process. The seven-stage journey begins with a personalized Welcome Kit explaining the process, including sample cubic zirconia to judge diamond sizes and a secure container to send back your loved ones hair or ashes.

From there, diamond creation begins with carbon purification. This is the process of extracting the carbon from your loved ones ashes used to grow their diamond.

Through the entirety of the 10 to 12-month process, customers receive personalized videos of their diamonds journey. Eterneva understands the responsibility of handling something as precious as loved ones ashes, so they make sure the diamond journey is as transparent as possible from its very first moments.

Each diamond is looked after with care and constant connection with the customer. Eterneva is grateful to tell the stories of these remarkable lives, and each member of the team is honored to learn about customers loved ones before they begin working to create this sparkling memorial.

After the carbon is extracted, a real diamond is grown in lab conditions that mimic the heat and pressure found beneath the Earth. The resulting stone is then assessed for quality and inclusions before being cut by Eternevas master cutters.

Finally, customers can add finishing touches to their gem, including coloration, grading and engraving, and jewelry setting before its safely sent to its forever home.

Grief is not linear. Amidst the complicated emotions that come alongside the loss of a wonderful person, Eterneva creates an opportunity through their diamond journey to continue to celebrate the remarkable connection shared by customers and their loved ones. Through the Eterneva journey and diamond itself, customers can feel connected to their loved ones whove passed on, are empowered to share their incredible stories, and find a way to move forward with purpose with their loved ones diamond by their side.

To learn more about the diamond journey, or start your loved ones own diamond, visit eterneva.com.

About Eterneva

Eterneva is a consumer technology and grief wellness brand that reimagines the experience around loss by making diamonds from ashes or hair. Beyond providing a beautiful way to memorialize, Eterneva provides a participatory experience around the diamond creation journey - designed to bring grievers brightness and healing. According to research by Baylor University, 82% of people said the Eterneva experience positively helped their grief. Eterneva is based in Austin, Texas, and was featured on both Inc and Forbes 30 Under 30 and on Shark Tank, receiving investment from Mark Cuban. To learn more visit eterneva.com, hear from customers at Eterneva reviews, or read up on the science behind turning ashes to diamonds.
Becoming a member of DirectTrust reinforces our commitment to providing healthcare organizations with the most secure document delivery solution in the industry, said Paul Banco, CEO and Co-Founder of etherFAX.

etherFAX today announced its DirectTrust membership and participation in DirectTrust Standards to drive healthcare interoperability and enable the secure exchange of healthcare information. As a member of DirectTrust, etherFAX is a part of a communication network that ensures the reliable and secure transport of data between providers to improve patient care.

As a cloud-based and virtual solution, etherFAX enables organizations to securely send and receive information from a broad range of applications and endpoint devices without having to change a single workflow. The etherFAX Secure Exchange Network (SEN) is the worlds largest fax network, leveraging advanced encryption and hybrid cloud technology to provide 100 percent secure communications.

Becoming a member of DirectTrust reinforces our commitment to providing healthcare organizations with the most secure document delivery solution in the industry, said Paul Banco, CEO and co-founder of etherFAX. Our patented technology and encrypted communication solutions guarantee that patient data and business-critical information remain protected at all times.

etherFAX's DirectFax solution via SEN enables organizations to send and receive PHI and unstructured data directly to applications and devices with ultra-fast transmission speeds and guaranteed delivery. By leveraging the security of fax technology with the scalability of the cloud, etherFAX DirectFax delivers high-resolution, full color documents within seconds. These capabilities can now be extended to Direct Secure Messages.

By joining DirectTrust, etherFAX can now connect to nearly three million direct addresses, across roughly 3,000 organizations, that have shared about three billion messages. etherFAX will allow these organizations to send and receive a Direct Secure Message (DSM) from todays popular fax servers as well as third-party messaging platforms including Microsoft Teams, Slack, Microsoft Fax, and mobile applications. Joining DirectTrust gives etherFAX another interoperability capability, allowing users to choose how they want to send, receive, and integrate patient data into their EHRs.

About DirectTrust

DirectTrust is a nonprofit, vendor-neutral alliance initially created by and for participants in the Direct community, including Health Information Service Providers (HISPs), Certificate Authorities (CAs), Registration Authorities (RAs), healthcare providers, consumers/patients, and Health IT vendors. DirectTrust serves as a governance forum, trust community, standards organization, and accreditation body for persons and entities engaged in exchange utilizing the Direct Standard, supported by DirectTrusts robust security and trust framework. The goal of DirectTrust is to develop, promote, and, as necessary, help enforce the rules and best practices necessary to maintain security and trust within the Direct Secure Messaging community. DirectTrust is committed to fostering widespread public confidence in the interoperable exchange of health information. To learn more, visit http://www.directtrust.org.

About etherFAX

Founded in 2009, etherFAX offers a secure document delivery platform and suite of applications widely used across a broad range of industries to digitize workflows and optimize business processes. As a leading provider of hybrid-cloud fax solutions supporting healthcare enterprises, etherFAX securely transmits protected health information and high-resolution, color documents directly to applications and devices with end-to-end encryption and ultra-fast transmission speeds. With more than 6 million connected endpoints, etherFAX is the worlds largest document exchange network, supporting every major fax server, application, and fax-enabled device. The etherFAX partner network continues to grow and evolve to strengthen platform-agnostic document delivery to and from fax providers, fax servers, EHRs, and Health Information Exchanges. etherFAXs secure, cloud-based, and encrypted data exchange solutions are SOC 2 compliant, HIPAA compliant, PCI DSS certified, and HITRUST CSF certified. For more information, visit http://www.etherfax.net, call us at 877-384-9866, or email sales@etherfax.net.
Digital world narrows urban-rural gap

By Yang Wanli (China Daily) 13:36, March 01, 2022

The arrival of new technologies has spurred business opportunities in counties nationwide.

New trends have emerged in China's counties as a result of the surge in digitalization, according to a recent survey.

It shows that the wider application of digital services means there are more job opportunities in counties, while big-name fashion brands are more frequently being seen as rural people's lives are becoming more prosperous.

Counties were chosen as the survey's focus because they play a crucial role in connecting different elements across the digital industry, one of the research leaders said.

The survey, conducted by the Institute of Digital China at the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Ant Group Research Institute, questioned people in many counties nationwide in the past year to assess how digitalization has changed rural life.

The researchers found that there had been a marked increase in the number of points of interest, or POIs, in counties over the past five years, as evidenced by Gaode map, one of the country's largest web mapping and navigation platforms.

The POIsincluding restaurants, supermarkets, scenic spots, hotels, railway stations and parking lotscan be seen in almost every county and town, even in many villages.

The accuracy of the satellite mapping system is partly the result of contributions from local residents.

Wang Bo, a 30-year-old food deliveryman, is a contributor in Xiangshui, a town in the southwestern province of Guizhou, where takeout food services were launched in 2019.

He said the number of POIs on the web map was initially very limited. However, over the past two years, he and his colleagues have added dozens of new locations to the system as delivery services have become increasingly popular with local residents.

The delivery system at Wang's company runs from 9 am to 10 pm every day, usually handling about 100 orders per day.

Unlike residents in big cities, Wang said people in counties don't rush, and they seldom hassle deliverymen if their orders are delayed. "In the rainy season, customers even remind me to be careful of the conditions, saying there is no rush, which is really touching," he said.

So far, his company has signed contracts with more than 40 stores across Xiangshui to deliver a wide range of goods, including soft drinks, food and daily necessities.

Lyu Peng, executive dean of the research institute, said: "Our stereotypes of cities and towns have been challenged by the rapid development of social structures in China. The gap between the two has narrowed, thanks to the booming digital industry. Nowadays, county life in China is far different than people's expectations."

GDP contribution

The value of China's digital economy reached 35.8 trillion yuan ($5.49 trillion) in 2019, accounting for 36.2 percent of national GDP, according to a report released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a scientific research institute at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Digital technologies have also promoted poverty alleviation. For example, big data can accurately identify each family's circumstances and help farmers develop rural e-commerce. Moreover, the digitalization process has created more job opportunities.

During the survey, Lyu's team found that greater vitality has been fostered in counties thanks to digitalization. They also discovered that rural residents are going to bed later because many have developed their own businesses via livestreams.

Sha Chao is a night owl. The 34-year-old is one of several livestreamers in Xuebu village, Donghai county in East China's Jiangsu province.

The village is a major center for the processing and sale of crystals. In recent years, livestreaming has seen the sector expand significantly and helped promote a new lifestyle among local people.

Sha sensed his opportunity in 2016, when Taobao, the nation's most popular online shopping platform, started providing live sales services. The following year, livestreams brought his store 300 to 400 orders for crystals every day, contributing to daily income of about 10,000 yuan.

Sha's livestreaming service runs from twilight to the early hours of the morningthe peak time for sales.

"Before the emergence of live sales, people in our village went to bed early, and the whole village was dark after 10 pm. Now, night is our busiest time," he said. "Walking on the street, even at 3 am, you see many houses with lights burning."

Others have been encouraged by Sha's success, and Xuebu is now home to more than 500 Taobao livestreamers. In the past three years, the village has seen combined annual sales of nearly 100 million yuan.

Financial services

In December, the Institute of Rural Development at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences released the China County Digital Inclusive Financial Development Index Report.

It showed that in the past four years, the development of digital financial inclusionthe use of low-cost digital means of providing services to financially excluded and underserved populationshas seen a rapid upward trend in counties nationwide.

The development of county digital loans and digital credit is the most significant of those methods, and in 2020, the scale of digital credit services was more than eight times higher than in 2017.

In East China's Jiangxi province, the research team's members visited a grain producer in Yichun city and were surprised to find that their interviewee, Liu Yingfeng, uses a luxury Cadillac SUV to travel between home and her farmland.

The 36-year-old, who operates more than 100 hectares of farmland, is a former migrant worker. Her poor educational background caused many problems when she tried to land decent jobs in big cities, so in 2017, she decided to return to her home village in Yichun and grow cereal crops.

Lyu said he was impressed by Liu's appearance when they first met because the farmer was wearing a black one-piece dress and exquisite makeup, while her well-manicured nails were painted with pink polish.

"She was far from the traditional impression of what a farmer should be," Lyu said with a laugh.

Responding to Lyu's initial surprise, Liu asked him: "Why shouldn't a farmer look sophisticated and fashionable? We've already stepped into a new era!"

As cereal planting became increasingly automated, Liu expanded her farmland from 13.3 hectares to 133 hectares. The expansion was achieved via a special financial service known to local residents as a "satellite loan".

By using a smartphone location system, applicants can mark farmland available for rent and view satellite photos of it, allowing them to explore details such as area, crop types and even growing conditions.

Such information is an important criteria for banks to approve loans.

"This year, we estimate we will generate income of 800,000 yuan through our expanded farmland. Digitalization makes rural life much more convenient than ever before," Liu said.

"When I came back home to plant grain, some of my relatives mocked me. But now, they ask to join my farm and work for me. That's the magic of new technology."

Further expansion

Li Zhenhua, dean of the Ant Group Research Institute, said the trends in counties reflect the country's new moves to promote high-quality development, and such trends may expand further in the future.

In the survey, Li found that more teachers in rural areas are using modern technologies to teach students rather than relying on traditional chalkboards.

To further promote such digital services, the government aims to build a logistics center in every county and ensure that delivery services are available in all villages by 2025, according to a five-year plan released by several government departments last year.

"Once young people decide to develop their careers back in their hometowns and they see a promising future, they usually want to stay. This will reinvigorate local economies and also bring vitality to small cities," Li said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
The narrative captures your heart from the beginning and keeps a grip on it to the end.

Jake Kaminskis new novel, Beneath the Polish Moon (published by Archway Publishing) is the story of a retired undercover cop's return to his childhood home where he discovers a place untouched by time, a magical world that was seemingly waiting just for him.

Luke Karpinski is a boy growing up in a Polish neighborhood in mid-century Milwaukee. He and his friends embark on a series of adventures that could only have happened in a much simpler time. Luke eventually departs his home to become a police officer in Miami. It's a life that will change him in ways he never imagined. Years pass, now old and disillusioned, he longs for his innocent childhood world, wishing he could just go back, but that's impossibleor is it?

We all have a moment that lingers in our memory, a time when our friendships were pure and everything seemed possible, Kaminski says. What if we could somehow return to that moment?

Readers Favorite declares: The narrative captures your heart from the beginning and keeps a grip on it to the end.

Beneath the Polish Moon is available for purchase online at the Archway link above, from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Beneath-Polish-Moon-Jake-Kaminski-ebook/dp/B09RTZXSJJ.

Beneath the Polish Moon

By Jake Kaminski

Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 270 pages | ISBN 9781665714563

Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 270 pages | ISBN 9781665714587

E-Book | 270 pages | ISBN 9781665714570

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Jake Kaminski is a pseudonym. He is a highly decorated police officer, having worked undercover and later supervised undercover operations in Miami and Latin America. His team spent six years combatting both the Medellin and Cali cartels. Following his police career, he spent fourteen years as a senior adviser for the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State, assigned to post-war countries in the Balkans. Kaminski knows the world he writes about in his books. More information is available on his website at: jakekaminski.net.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957.
WCG FDAnews

Data Integrity for GMP/Postmarket Professionals

Core Requirements, Expectations and Challenges

A Virtual Workshop Presented by FDAnews and Cerulean Associates LLC

Tuesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 21, 2022, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT

https://wcg.swoogo.com/data-integrity-for-gmp-postmarket-professionals-22

Is the FDAs increasing scrutiny on data integrity producing a data migraine? One must establish internal competency and assessment programs; otherwise, one can expect to receive a Form 483 or warning letter.

With FDA data integrity requirements among the most stringent within regulated industries, compliance is challenging for drug and device manufacturers. This interactive virtual workshop makes it infinitely easier.

Data Integrity for GMP/Postmarket Professionals: Core Requirements, Expectations and Challenges will give one the tools needed to ensure electronic records are trustworthy and reliable across their entire data lifecycle, from initial data creation through long-term archives.

It will be led by award-winning FDA compliance expert, author and Cerulean Associates founder, John Avellanet. He can explain complex FDA data integrity regulations in simple what to do, how to do it language using real-world examples and offering practical advice you can follow. A former FDA and Department of Justice prosecutor calls Mr. Avellanet, The best in the business. Period. Confirm this for when he shares:



How to apply the elements of data integrity characteristics  attributable, legible, contemporaneous, original and accurate (ALCOA+)

An exploration of overlooked guidance documents that can help define expectations (including what the FDA and the European Medicines Agency inspect for and why)

How to address recall handling and reporting and product complaint trending

How to deal with suppliers, including the typical supply chain red flags that the FDA and other regulatory health agencies look for

What to take away from recent, relevant GMP and QSR data integrity enforcement examples

Considerations for both on-site and remote inspections, with questions and tactics you must be prepared to handle

The modern, risk-based validation techniques you need to know, along with the FDAs view of sampling, test cases and supplier-provided validations

The record-keeping musts to consider: which records to retain to prove good data integrity controls, incorporating quality audits and sampling techniques and developing a media migration strategy

The risks and realities of true and certified copies with digital records, from the basics of true/certified copy and legal admissibility to putting together a scanning process for manufacturing records and the true copy requirements from submission guidances

No more data migraines. By attending this virtual workshop one will be equipped to help the team and the entire company stay compliant.

Multi-attendee discounts available!

Significant tuition discounts are available for teams of two or more from the same company.

Virtual Workshop Details:

Data Integrity for GMP/Postmarket Professionals

Core Requirements, Expectations and Challenges

A Virtual Workshop Presented by FDAnews and Cerulean Associates LLC

Tuesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 21, 2022, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT

https://wcg.swoogo.com/data-integrity-for-gmp-postmarket-professionals-22

Tuition:

Single Attendee - $597.00

Group of 2-4 Attendees (Save 10%) - $537.00

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Easy Ways to Register:

Online: https://wcg.swoogo.com/data-integrity-for-gmp-postmarket-professionals-22

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About FDAnews:

FDAnews is the premier provider of domestic and international regulatory, legislative, and business news and information for executives in industries regulated by the US FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Pharmaceutical and medical device professionals rely on FDAnews' print and electronic newsletters, books and conferences to stay in compliance with international standards and the FDA's complex and ever-changing regulations
This story demonstrates the idea that you do not have to be lonely if you go out into the world, make friends and grasp opportunities as they come along.

Helen Inkster enters the publishing scene with the release of Michael, Waiting (published by AuthorHouse UK), a story about a shy and humble waiter who wants above all else, a normal life after the death of his mother.

Life was put on hold for Michael when his mother died suddenly and as a fatherless and only child, he had no remaining family. Realizing he had no one had a profound effect on him and it takes readers through his trials and tribulations, not to mention the dramas that he endures in his quest to be normal.

As the story progresses through the next phase of his life, Michael tries different ways in which he leads his life. He tries new pursuits and meets new people, all in the quest to make his life more bearable.

Michael, Waiting aims for readers to be inspired by the ups and downs of a waiter as he picks himself up, transform and embrace a new life after he was badly affected by his mothers death. This story demonstrates the idea that you do not have to be lonely if you go out into the world, make friends and grasp opportunities as they come along, Inkster says. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.authorhouse.com/en-gb/bookstore/bookdetails/827563-michael-waiting

Michael, Waiting

By Helen Inkster

Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 270 pages | ISBN 9781665591836

Softcover | 6 x 9in | 270 pages | ISBN 9781665591843

E-Book | 270 pages | ISBN 9781665591928

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Helen Inkster had visions of a career in journalism but gained a place in a scholarship program which took her to a high school in the prairie state of Illinois. When she got home again, she had to find a job as she had no funds to live on. After marrying young and producing three children in rapid succession, she didnt get any opportunity to fulfil her dream. However, her first book is on the shelved and writing under the pen name of Helen Inkster, her mother.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.co.uk or call 0-800-014-8641.
Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce that Nathaniel Mendell has joined the firm as a partner in its Investigations + White Collar Defense Group, based in the Boston office. Mr. Mendell joins Morrison & Foerster from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts, where he most recently served as Acting U.S. Attorney and previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney. During his time with the U.S. Attorneys Office, Mr. Mendell supervised more than 120 federal prosecutors across three offices and oversaw numerous complex enforcement matters spanning corporate healthcare fraud, securities and economic fraud, national security, public corruption, and international money laundering.

Mr. Mendell brings to the firm nearly two decades of leadership experience as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys Office and has tried more than 20 cases to verdict. He has been involved in several high-profile white collar prosecutions, including a criminal conspiracy case against several former pharmaceutical executives under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, pharmaceutical co-pay cases, the national college admissions fraud case, and international money laundering cases. In addition, Mr. Mendell built his expertise in federal corporate enforcement policy as a member of the Corporate Crime Advisory Group, which advises the Deputy Attorney General.

Mr. Mendell is the 12th government official to join the firm since the start of 2021; other former officials who have recently joined the firm include Edward Imperatore, William Frentzen, Adam L. Braverman, Brian K. Kidd, Brandon Van Grack, Katherine Driscoll, and Nathan Reilly. These additions underscore the continued expansion of Morrison & Foersters multijurisdictional Investigations + White Collar Defense practice, enabling the firm to vigorously defend False Claims Act, healthcare fraud, and international financial fraud and corruption matters. Mr. Mendell joins an elite group of former prosecutors who help lead the firms white collar investigative teams.

Nathaniel is a highly accomplished trial attorney who will be a key asset to our clients in Boston and in the Northeast in particular, said Morrison & Foerster Global Litigation Department Co-Chair Bradley D. Wine. Government investigations in the life sciences, technology, private equity, and banking industries are expected to increase. Nathaniels experience working in the U.S. Attorneys Office and working closely with federal law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Criminal Investigations, will provide invaluable insight to our clients facing multi-agency, cross-border investigations in those sectors.

Since opening in 2019, Morrison & Foersters Boston office has grown to more than 45 lawyers across multiple practices, including general corporate, finance, litigation, technology and life sciences licensing and transactions, patent, private equity investments and buyouts, venture capital and emerging companies, life sciences and healthcare, intellectual property, data privacy and security, real estate, and hospitality.

Nathaniel is highly regarded in the legal community and local market, said Anthony Fiotto, partner and head of Litigation in the Boston office. His extensive experience in white collar matters and investigations will significantly enhance our ability to serve our clients in Boston. His arrival also underscores the rapid growth of our Litigation team in Boston, following the addition of commercial and securities litigation and M&A disputes capabilities last year.

Mr. Mendell served as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Miami U.S. Attorneys Office prior to relocating to Boston, where he prosecuted a dozen cases to juries including drug trafficking, armed carjacking, mail and wire fraud, and human smuggling matters. Before joining the Department of Justice, he was a litigation associate at a leading law firm. Mr. Mendell earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Harvard Latino Law Review, and his B.A. from Amherst College.

ABOUT MOFO

Morrison & Foerster is a global firm of exceptional credentials. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, consulting and accounting firms, investment banks, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firms commitment to client service and leadership in impact litigation and market-changing deals, MoFo was recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyers 2021

A-List. Year after year, the firm and the lawyers in its Investigations + White Collar Defense Group receive significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500, including Global, USA, Asia-Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers are committed to achieving innovative and business-minded results for our clients, while preserving the differences that make us stronger. MoFo has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education for poor children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, winning asylum for the persecuted, and safeguarding the environment.

Morrison & Foersters internationally ranked and repeatedly recognized Investigations + White Collar Defense Group includes former federal and state prosecutors, senior government regulators, White House and Federal Bureau of Investigation counsel, national security and privacy specialists, and veteran defense lawyers. This diverse team is made up of more than 100 attorneys across 17 offices handling a broad range of high-profile, complex, multijurisdictional matters across a variety of industries and before numerous federal, state, local, and international prosecutors and regulators. Our team of experienced, practical, and discreet attorneys have counseled clients, conducted investigations, and worked with partners around the globe, including in some of the worlds most challenging markets in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Russia.
Golden Bridge Awards by GLOBEE All organizations operating anywhere in the world  large to small and startups, government, public and private, for-profit and non-profit are eligible to submit nominations to the 2022 Golden Bridge Awards in a wide range of categories honoring achievement in every aspect of business + work life.

The Globee Awards organizer of the worlds premier business awards programs and business ranking lists is now accepting nominations and entries for the 2022 Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards. To celebrate achievements Globee Awards has introduced new commemorative items.

The Golden Bridge Awards is the worlds premier business awards program honoring achievements in every industry around the world. Everyone deserves commendation for job well done. Identify, recognize, and nominate executives, professionals, and employees for their achievements no matter how small or large. There are many categories in which your organization, products and services, and the people behind their success can be nominated. Categories are classified under the following groups:



People | Innovator, Lifetime Achievement, Maverick, and Women Awards Categories Group

People | Entrepreneur Awards Categories Group

People | Executive, Management, and Professionals Awards Categories Group

People | Professional and Staffer (non-executive) of the Year

New Product & Service Innovation | AI, Information Technology & Cyber Security Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Content Technologies and Information Management Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Education Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Energy/CleanTech Industry Awards categories

New Product & Service Innovation | Health Care Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Industry and Vertical Markets Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Innovation | Best New Product or Service Awards Categories Group

Product & Service Development | People Awards Categories Group

Product & Service Development | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Company | Innovative Company of the Year Awards Categories Group

Company | Best Company Awards Categories Group

Company | Startup Awards Categories Group

Corporate Communications and PR | People Awards Categories Group

Corporate Communications and PR | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Creative | App & Mobile Website Awards Categories

Creative | Live Events Awards Categories

Creative | Publications and Print Awards Categories

Creative | Digital and Online Campaign Awards Categories

Creative | Video, Commercial, Advertising, and Film Awards Categories

Creative | Web, Social Media, and Online Presence Awards Categories

Creative | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Customer Service & Support | People Awards Categories Group

Customer Service & Support | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Customer Success of the Year Awards Categories Group

Human Resources | People Awards Categories Group

Human Resources | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Information Technology Users | People Awards Categories Group

Information Technology Users | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Marketing | People Awards Categories Group

Marketing | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Milestone of the Year Awards Categories Group

COVID-19 Business Response Awards Categories Group

Learn more about the 2022 Golden Bridge Awards and how to nominate here: https://globeeawards.com/golden-bridge-awards/

Winners of previous years are listed here: https://globeeawards.com/golden-bridge-awards/winners/

Stay posted and read success stories of organizations by subscribing to the Globee Newsletter: https://globeeawards.com/subscribe/

The coveted annual Golden Bridge Awards program recognizes and honors the worlds best in organizational performance, products and services, innovations, executives and management teams, women in business and the professions, case studies and successful deployments, public relations and marketing campaigns, product management, websites, blogs, white-papers, videos, advertisements, creativity, partner programs, and customer satisfaction programs from every major industry in the world.

A worldwide judging panel of executives and professionals representing a wide spectrum of industries will determine the winners. Winners will be presented and honored in a virtual ceremony attended by the finalists, winners, judges, and industry peers from all over the world. Industry experts and end-users or consumers of products and services can participate in the judging process. More details to register as an industry expert and help as a judge are available at https://globeeawards.com/golden-bridge-awards/judges/

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We are honored to be part of the NCQA Data Aggregator Validation program, which further reinforces how our platform helps to drive the most meaningful care and business outcomes for payers, said Kurt Garbe, CEO of IMAT Solutions.

IMAT Solutions, a leader in delivering innovative, real-time, healthcare data management and population health reporting solutions, announced today that it has earned the Validated Data Stream designation in the new National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Data Aggregator Validation (DAV) program. It is part of the latest NCQA cohort to voluntarily seek and earn the new NCQA validation.

We are honored to be part of the NCQA Data Aggregator Validation program, which further reinforces how our platform helps to drive the most meaningful care and business outcomes for payers, said Kurt Garbe, CEO of IMAT Solutions. As data aggregation is growing in importance for payers, we look forward our ongoing efforts to help our customers have the highest level of clarity and confidence in their health data.

The designation of the IMAT platform will provide DAV-validated clinical data for more than 50 primary sites, representing primary care providers for more than 70 percent of the AE-attributed Medicaid beneficiaries in Rhode Island. This capability is being extended to a larger audience of health payers across the U.S., as DAV-validated data comes more into the forefront.

NCQAs Data Aggregator Validation program helps identify clinical data that can be trusted and sets a high bar for how the data are managed, said NCQA President, Margaret E. OKane. We are excited that organizations like IMAT Solutions are working to improve trust in clinical data and help ensure the datas accuracy and broader usability.

Data streams that earn validation undergo a rigorous, end-to-end look at the quality and integrity of data and the procedures used to manage and safeguard it. From ingestion at primary sources through transmission to end users, verifies adherence to NCQA process, system and data standards.

Validation makes aggregated clinical data streams more valuable. Leveraging the consensus-based Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) audit process to prospectively validate clinical data flows, validation promotes trust in aggregated clinical data assets  and in the insights drawn from these data sources. It is a boost for value-based contracting and, in combination with new federal technology standards, makes many of its core features truly routine.

Seen as a vital, early step in achieving NCQAs vision of a digital measurement ecosystem, validated data flows also improve the efficiency of todays quality measurement processes. Uniquely accepted as standard supplemental data in HEDIS audits, no primary source verification is required for HEDIS reporting when health plans report data from Data Aggregator Validation validated sources.

For more information on NCQA validation, please click here.

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQAs Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQAs website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices. NCQA can also be found at Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

About IMAT Solutions

IMAT Solutions are experts in health data acquisition and normalization, supporting programs for HEDIS, STARS, Population Risk Management, Data Aggregator Validation (DAV), Primary Care First, 21st Century Cures Act and CMS Interoperability. The company offers turnkey, end-to-end services  from data source onboarding to data normalization validation to data quality management to reporting and beyond. IMAT Solutions was formed in 2013 to provide key innovations in data accessibility, analysis, and reporting to healthcare organizations. The product suite is HIPAA-compliant, supporting customers across multiple states, processing billions of records per year for more than 3,500 facilities, involving 30 million patients and 35,000 providers. To learn more about IMAT Solutions, visit: http://imatsolutions.com
We are excited to represent Inter Rhone and bring the diverse, well-respected Rhone Valley region to a wider audience and help continue the growth of its wine consumption and awareness of the region and incredible winemaking history here in the US. - Gino Colangelo, Colangelo & Partners President

Inter Rhone, the organization that represents the Rhone Valley Vineyards AOCs, is excited to announce the launch of its 2022 integrated communications plan in the United States, with Colangelo & Partners, a fine wine, spirits and food-focused integrated communications agency, retained as agency of record, to develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy targeted to key media and influencers. The partnership will focus on engaging new and current consumers through strategic media relations, events and partnerships, and influencer marketing.

We are excited to represent Inter Rhone and bring the diverse, well-respected Rhone Valley region to a wider audience, adds Colangelo & Partners President Gino Colangelo. We look forward to implementing our strategic and collaborative partnership that will help continue the growth of Rhone Valley wine consumption and awareness of the region and its incredible winemaking history here in the US.

The Rhone Valley Vineyards are Frances second largest AOC (Appellation dOrigine Controlee), and one of the most historic, important wine regions of the country, and the world. Colangelo & Partners will work on a range of traditional and new media activities and events designed to promote the wines, educate consumers on the various AOCs and heighten awareness of the quality, history and versatility of the region with wine industry influencers. The strategic implementation of the campaign will include work with a wide range of Rhone appellations, including Cotes du Rhone, Cotes du Rhone Villages and Cotes du Rhone Villages with geographical indications, as well as the Cotes du Rhone Crus from the Northern and Southern regions and the Rhone Valley Vineyards AOCs. Communications pillars and activities will include a focus on awareness of the history and terroir of the region and winemaking expertise; sustainability initiatives; education on the various Rhone AOCs; the uniqueness and range of wines and styles, including whites, roses and reds, and their superb versatility in food pairings and year-round consumption, and the Rhone Valley as an ideal wine tourism destination.

To kick off the 2022 global campaign, Inter Rhone will be holding some exciting events, both in the US and at home, beginning with Vinexpo America in New York City on March 9-10, with two masterclasses hosted by Master Sommelier, MOF and French Wine Expert Pascaline Lepeltier. The first, titled Mining for Gold: Rediscovering the Southern Crus of the Rhone Valley Vineyard - Beaumes de Venise, Rasteau & Lirac, will be held on March 9, and the second, titled Deep Dive into the Prestigious Northern Crus of the Rhone Valley Vineyard - Condrieu, Cote-Rotie & Saint Joseph, will be held on March 10. In France, the biennial Decouvertes en Vallee du Rhone, the largest professional wine fair in the Rhone Valley, held between Avignon and Ampuis, will take place April 4 to 7.

Inter Rhone is working on a number of strategic goals in 2022. The organization is strongly committed to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), with a labeling process and certification expected in June, 2022. With a certified quality policy in place since 2018, Inter Rhone began steps to obtain the CSR label in January, 2021 with the mission to sustain the Rhone Valley AOCs, both environmentally and socially, focused on three concrete, measured actions covering the following pillars: 1) people are at the heart of the governance, 2) increasing the value of and promoting the AOCs in France and for export and 3) an organization that matters.

Inter Rhone is also moving toward an ambitious growth strategy in terms of an increase in production volumes for both white and rose wines. The white wines of the Rhone Valley Vineyards show strong opportunities for development, with such great diversity, as well as an expanding world market. Over the next ten years, the target objective is to produce 300,000 hectoliters (7,925,162 gallons) of still wine, with a qualitative upscaling and guarantee of a valuation of this production. Technical, marketing and commercial means are being implemented to reach this goal, focused on the notion of diversity (in terms of terroirs, grape varieties, blends, knowledge, etc.) which is part of the true DNA of the Rhone Valley Vineyards. In terms of roses, as the 3rd position in AOP rose wines in France, the Rhone Valley Vineyards already occupy an important place in the global rose market, and will aim for both quantitative and qualitative development. Inter Rhone also plans to increase wine production of roses, with the priority of moving to an even stronger position in todays dynamic rose market. These two ambitious objectives will look to the collaboration with the producers on technical, economic and promotional support to achieve these goals.

The US is a key export market for Rhone Valley wines, with great potential for growth. In the 2020 vintage, 66,572 hectares (164,503 acres) and 2.7 million hectoliters (71,326,454 gallons) were produced in the Rhone Valley. Also in 2020, 327 million bottles were sold worldwide, with 10 bottles of Rhone Valley wines consumed every second. There were 1,580 producers, of which 1,492 were independent wineries and 88 were cooperative wineries, as well as 407 trading companies, of which 246 were local or national traders, 144 vinification traders and 17 foreign traders. The same year, 193 export destinations around the world consumed Rhone Valley wines. There are 31 Appellations of Protected Origin and 2 Geographic Indications in the Rhone Valley, where 9% of wines produced are white, 16% are rose and 75% are red.

Inter Rhone is a dynamic, deeply committed professional association representing all members of the Cotes du Rhone and Rhone Valley AOC wine industry. Founded in 1955, it coordinates the marketing and communications, business and technical activities of the following AOCs: Cotes du Rhone (Regional, Villages and Crus), Clairette de Bellegarde, Clairette de Die, Chatillon en Diois, Costieres de Nimes, Cotes du Vivarais, Coteaux de Die, Cremant de Die, Duche d'Uzes, Grignan les Adhemar, Luberon, Ventoux, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise and Rasteau sweet fortified wines, Eaux de Vie de Vin des Cotes du Rhone (or Fine des Cotes du Rhone) and Eaux de Vie de Marc des Cotes du Rhone (or Marc des Cotes du Rhone). Its activity is based on three key principles: fair representation for all professional groupings; parity between producers and negociants; and unanimity for all major decisions. Inter Rhone is both creative and accountable, standing alongside its members, supporting them and helping them in their quest to win greater recognition for Rhone Valley Vineyards wines in France and abroad.

For more information, visit the Inter Rhone website or follow Rhone Valley Vineyards on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About Colangelo & Partners - http://www.colangelopr.com

Colangelo & Partners is the leading fine wine and spirits integrated communications agency in the United States, sought after by top brands and industry players for the quality of their results, creativity, and return on investment. The professionals at Colangelo & Partners work with integrity and passion to influence how US audiences perceive their clients: Earning consistent, high-quality positive media coverage; organizing signature events; strategizing and executing standout digital campaigns; and implementing trade programs that strengthen relationships within the industry. Colangelo & Partners' clientele includes global, instantly-recognizable brands and passionate, up-and-coming vignerons and distillers; regional and national institutions; and technology and e-commerce companies innovating in the beverage alcohol sector.
"Adding a professional of Kam Carmans stature and talent is a significant step forward for our agency."

Veteran Detroit media talent Kam Carman has joined WestShore Public Relations as the Vice President of Media Relations. The announcement was made today by Mike DeVilling, President and CEO of WestShore Public Relations.

An accomplished communicator, Carman is both familiar to and familiar with Metro Detroit and national media. A Detroit-area TV news anchor and radio personality for nearly a quarter of a century, Carman has most recently served as a producer and communications consultant.

Adding a professional of Kam Carmans stature and talent is a significant step forward for our agency and the value we provide for our clients, DeVilling said. Kam provides a boost to our media connections and increases our expertise, particularly in broadcast media relations. She hit the ground running, already generating results for key clients.

A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Carman began her broadcast career as an on-air meteorologist at the Weather Channel. The Arizona native came to Metro Detroit initially as a weathercaster for WJBK TV2, but was soon filing feature stories as well. In addition to her television duties, she joined the on-air team of WNIC-100.3 with Detroit radio legend Jim Harper and the Breakfast Club morning-drive show. She quickly became a popular personality, remaining with the station after Harpers retirement.

Carmans role at WJBK evolved as she moved to the news anchor chair, where she remained until 2014. For her next chapter, she retained her on-camera duties while serving as both the creator and Executive Producer of the Dine & Dish Nation television show, also serving as the on-air host.

The trailblazing program celebrated the rebirth of downtown Detroit, and the surge in unique restaurants, night spots and other eateries in the Metro Detroit area. Having spent several decades in the Motor City, she was proud to share her love of food, and the area, with viewers.

Recently, Carman has turned her attention to communications and media relations. Applying the skills, experience and knowledge cultivated throughout her years in television and radio, Carman not only advises clients, she develops and implements strong media campaigns that target both local and national media. She also produces videos and other strong communication messaging.

I am thrilled to be part of the WestShore PR team, Carman said. I've spent my entire career in the communications industry, and I look forward to continuing that tradition by providing 'best of' solutions for our clients and helping the WestShore teams shared mission of not only building the best Public Relations firm in Detroit, but developing 'superpowers' in the industry across the country. I am eager to apply my experience and skills toward helping our clients succeed."

About WestShore Public Relations

WestShore Public Relations was founded in January 2020. The agency provides public relations strategy and program development, crisis communications, media relations, social media and marketing communications services. It serves clients in the automotive, health care, education, real estate and technology sectors.
Bea Wolper & Kelly Jasin It became abundantly clear to me that Kelly had the skillset and leadership ability we need as our next President. With that in mind, we started transitioning firm management to her. Im confident she will run this firm as I have, putting our clients and own people first.

The law firm Emens, Wolper, Jacobs & Jasin is pleased to announce that Partner Kelly Jasin has been named the organizations President, effective immediately. Beatrice (Bea) Wolper, who founded the firm with her husband Dick Emens in 2009, has assumed the position of CEO. The firm has built an exemplary national reputation for assisting family-owned businesses with the legal and practical issues that should be addressed for successful transition from one generation to the next.

I have spent decades teaching the owners of family businesses how to prepare for a successful transition and then, in turn, let go, said Wolper. It became abundantly clear to me some time ago that Kelly, who is like a daughter to me, had the skillset and leadership ability we need as our next President. With that in mind, we started transitioning firm management to her over the last couple of years. Now, we are ready for Kelly to take over and Im confident she will run this firm as I have, putting our clients and our own people first.

Jasin joined the firm in 2011 and became a partner in 2015. Her appointment as president was the unanimous choice of the firms four partners, and remains one of the regions few women-owned law firms.

Like Bea, I love what I do. Im grateful to lead a firm that not only prioritizes our clients, but our families, as well, explained Jasin. Bea and Dick have set the groundwork for this firms continued success, and its one of the things that sets our firm apart. My commitment to that objective is unwavering.

While the firm is recognized as a leader in family business succession, other practice areas include asset protection, the purchase and sale of businesses, and estate planning and probate. In addition, Firm co-founder and Vice President Dick Emens has deep expertise representing landowners in the areas of oil, gas, solar, rights of way, easement, and pipeline law in Ohio.

The firm is also closely connected to The Conway Center for Family Business. Founded by Emens and Wolper in 1998, the Center remains a leading community resource, assisting family businesses with the unique challenges and opportunities these family-lead organizations typically face as they grow. Wolper assumed the Center presidency in 2021 and will retain this position.

At both the Conway Center and the Firm, our passion and purpose is to serve family businesses in the community and to be a valuable resource. With Kelly at the helm, I have no doubt this commitment will continue, Wolper added.

About Emens, Wolper, Jacobs & Jasin Law Firm

Our goal is to provide the finest legal counsel to our clients, on a timely and cost-effective basis. This means having relationships with our clients that extend beyond professional responsibility which includes personal attention and caring. Our firm knows our clients business, helps our clients pursue their goals and dreams, recommends solutions to problems including preventive actions, and adds value to their efforts. All of our personnel are committed to serving the needs of our valued clients, their businesses and personal and family interests. To learn more visit http://www.ewjjlaw.com and at https://tinyurl.com/mr2pmr6f
That so many of our customers go out of their way to share their experiences with us and consistently rank us so highly tells us that our efforts are making a positive difference for them.

Alternative cloud computing provider Linode has again been recognized with multiple Stevie Awards as a favored provider of customer service in computer services. Competing against some of the largest cloud service providers in the world, Linode won bronze for Best Customer Engagement Initiative for the companys Tech Touch Customer Insights Program. It also took home a bronze for Customer Service Department of the Year  Computer Services in the 16th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry and from 51 nations were considered in this years competition. Linode is a repeat Stevie Award winner. In addition to category wins in 2019, 2020, and 2021, the company earned the coveted 2021 Peoples Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service.

The Stevie Awards recognition joins a parade of customer service accolades Linode has won so far in 2022. Linode consistently bests other players in cloud infrastructureincluding AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure and DigitalOceanwhen it comes to customer service. Linode ranks No. 1 on G2 among Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) providers. Additionally, Linode takes the No. 2 spot on TrustRadius among IaaS providers for Best Relationship and No. 3 for Best Feature Set. Finally, Linode ranks No. 3 on Peerspot (formerly IT Central Station), where it earned a 4.6 out of 5 rating for users.

Supporting our customers success on Linode is our passion, said Rick Myers, vice president of Customer Support and Success at Linode. The awards we receive are an honor and a reflection of the work we do every day to earn the trust of the customers who choose Linode. That so many of our customers go out of their way to share their experiences with us and consistently rank us so highly tells us that our efforts are making a positive difference for them.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the worlds top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organizes eight of the worlds leading business awards programs, including the prestigious American Business Awards and International Business Awards.

About Linode

Linode accelerates innovation by making cloud computing simple, accessible, and affordable to all. Founded in 2003, Linode helped pioneer the cloud computing industry and is today the largest independent open cloud provider in the world. Headquartered in Philadelphias Old City, the company empowers more than a million developers, startups, and businesses across its global network of 11 data centers.
Owen Heil of Spartan Sea Farms/Pound of Tea Oysters delivers fresh kelp to southern Maine residents during the spring 2020 harvest season. Credit: Owen Heil By nature, Maines farm fishing families are open to navigating choppy waters when they need to. Its our collective responsibility to support their efforts to bring their product to market," said Sebastian Belle, executive director, Maine Aquaculture Association.

The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) today released the first of its kind Maine Aquaculture Distribution Mapping Manual, a guide which helps sea farmers compare and contrast the existing and potential distribution channels for their products to best decide how to get them to market.

U.S. consumer demand for seafood is high. Retail seafood sales in the U.S. were up 35% to $7 billion in 2020 compared to 2019, according to market research company Information Resources, Inc.

With roughly 80% of all seafood being consumed in restaurants nationally, Maine aquaculture producers suffered severe loss of market during the early days of the pandemic when restaurants closed their doors. Alternative distribution methods including direct-to-consumer sales gained in popularity and continue to serve as an important channel.

As Maines working waterfront continues to face new supply chain challenges, the industry and consumer demand keeps growing, said Sebastian Belle, executive director, Maine Aquaculture Association. By nature, Maines farm fishing families are open to navigating choppy waters when they need to. Its our collective responsibility to support their efforts to bring their product to market.

More than 20 stakeholders were interviewed to inform the manual, including seafood producers, wholesalers, distributors, restaurateurs, trucking companies, and other aquaculture industry members, both in Maine and across the U.S. The manual, which was funded in partnership with FocusMaine, puts forth three main recommendations to farmers, including: 1) diversify sales channels, 2) maintain strong relationships, and 3) keep product quality consistent.

"When the pandemic hit, our distribution chain changed, probably forever, said Owen Heil, Pound of Tea Oysters and Spartan Sea Farms, Freeport. We need to be informed about how to navigate shifts in the market to stay in business." Owen and his partner Ken Sparta relied on local deliveries to sell their freshly harvested kelp and oysters when the pandemic hit in the spring of 2020.

"This manual is such a valuable tool, said Toni Small, Ice House Oysters, Port Clyde. From online sales to pop-ups and farmer's markets, there are many routes to distribution. MAA walks us through the benefits and risks so we can make choices about where to put our efforts."

Maines aquaculture industry currently represents nearly 200 farms and more than 700 farmers who produce premium seafood--fin fish, shellfish, and sea vegetablesin Maines cold, clean waters. The sector has been steadily growing in recent years, and its total economic impact has nearly tripled  from $50 million in 2007 to $137 million in 2014  according to the latest Maine Aquaculture Economic Impact Report.

Sustainable aquaculture has tremendous potential to bolster Maines coastal economy, providing good jobs, local food security, and diversification opportunities for working waterfront families. Recently, on behalf of the Maine Aquaculture Hub, Maine Sea Grant and MAA released The Maine Aquaculture Roadmap, 2022-2032, a ten-year plan that proposes four major goals and identifies over $15 million in estimated resources needed to strengthen Maines aquaculture sector and working waterfronts over the next decade.

The Maine Aquaculture Distributing Mapping Manual will also serve to inform a collaborative project underway between MAA, the University of Maine School of Economics, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Island Institute, and University of Maine Cooperative Extension that explores in greater detail the costs, volumes, availability, and reach of the identified distribution channels, along with consumer preferences for Maine seafood across the U.S. The ongoing project is funded via NOAA and Maine Sea Grant award number NA21OAR4170086.

The full list of recommendations is detailed in the report, which can be accessed here.

About the Maine Aquaculture Association

The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) est. 1978, is a nonprofit trade association that advocates for Maines fin fish, shellfish, and sea vegetable farmers. MAAs mission is to support the states aquatic growers in developing economically and environmentally sustainable business practices, to promote the benefits of aquaculture in the local food system, and to preserve Maines heritage of a vibrant working waterfront.

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Best Practices Implementing ESG in the Supply Chain In this paper, we continue the discussion of ESG to offer practical insights into how companies can take action on social sustainability, implement metrics to track performance, and offer a ten-point plan for best practices

Global supply chain and operations consulting firm Maine Pointe, a member of the SGS Group, proudly continues its sponsorship of a three-part series of insights pieces on environmental, social and governance practices for supply chain professionals, published by the University of Tennessee, Knoxvilles Global Supply Chain Institute (GSCI). The second of the series, Best Practices Implementing ESG in the Supply Chain, is now available, and focuses on insights into the specifics of how a company can implement ESG for positive results in todays environment.

Companies are under pressure to ramp up their ESG efforts, and sustainability has become a boardroom issue, said Simon Knowles, Chief Marketing Officer at Maine Pointe. In this paper, we continue the discussion of ESG to offer practical insights into how companies can take action on social sustainability, implement metrics to track performance, and offer a ten-point plan for best practices.

The first article, titled The simple guide to ESG in the supply chain, released last November, introduced the subject with an in-depth look at why ESG has become such a critical issue, noting that a successful ESG strategy requires the commitment of senior leadership and expanding the focus beyond short term results. The paper also stressed the importance of moving to a more proactive approach to ESG and incorporating it as a key business strategy.

In the latest in the series, the authors of the Best Practices Implementing ESG in the Supply Chain paper note that significant financial capital is being allocated to achieve net zero emissions, and suggest that access to capital is likely to be influenced by the ESG actions of the company. Were seeing companies ramping up their ESG commitments, but businesses still need to strengthen their policies on diversity, equity and inclusion, said Alan Amling, Distinguished Fellow, Global Supply Chain Institute and author of the paper. In this paper we offer actionable insights and case studies of companies which have rolled out highly successful ESG initiatives. In the most successful initiatives, we show how supply chains must figure into the solution, especially in an increasingly global business climate. And finally, the report echoes the conclusions of the U.S. Business Roundtable, which reinforced the need for corporate CEOs to deliver value to all stakeholders.

Amling is a frequent commentator on supply chain issues, and along with Maine Pointes Simon Knowles, was recently featured by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), the largest supply management association in the world, in their publications March issue, discussing how corporations are closing the gap between corporate needs and corporate social responsibility and ESG. In the article, Amling noted that such trade-offs can contribute for the long-term good of the corporation, and that cost and profit are not always the primary motivator. Also in the article, Knowles reinforced the importance of customer experience as it relates to the stakeholder experience, and the bottom-line benefit that occurs when consumers believe in a companys ESG efforts.

In the third and final paper, the authors will continue the discussion to address the ROI of ESG, underscoring how and why ESG is becoming such a key part of strategy and how it can help companies become good corporate citizens while positively impacting the bottom line.

About Maine Pointe

Maine Pointe, a member of the SGS Group, is a global supply chain and operations consulting firm trusted by many chief executives and private equity firms to drive compelling economic returns for their companies. We achieve this by delivering accelerated, sustainable improvements in EBITDA, cash and growth across their procurement, logistics, operations and data analytics. Our hands-on implementation experts work with executives and their teams to rapidly break through functional silos and transform the plan-buy-make-move-fulfill digital supply chain to deliver the greatest ethical value to customers and stakeholders at the lowest cost to business. We call this Total Value Optimization (TVO). Maine Pointes engagements are results-driven and deliver between 4:1-8:1 ROI. We are so confident in our work and our processes that we provide a unique 100% guarantee of engagement fees based on annualized savings. http://www.mainepointe.com

About SGS

We are SGS  the worlds leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 96,000 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world. SGS has been delivering ESG and sustainability solutions and services to clients for the past 25 years and has been a carbon neutral company for the past seven years.

About the Global Supply Chain Institute

The Global Supply Chain Institute (GSCI) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, shapes and influences the practice of supply chain management by serving as the preeminent global hub for leading practitioners, academics, and students to learn, network, and connect. With the largest assembly of corporate partners of any university-based supply chain management program, more than 1,200 students studying the subject, and the top-ranked faculty globally for supply chain research, UTs GSCI is shaping the practice of supply chain management. Please visit http://gsci.utk.edu/ or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook for more information.
What makes this recognition especially gratifying is that hedge fund managers and our clients recognized our commitment to client service and expertise in the cryptocurrency space, said NAV CEO Nav Gupta.

NAV Fund Administration Group, a leading provider of administrative services to alternative asset managers, was announced as Best Fund Administrator at the inaugural Hedge Fund US Digital Assets Summit, hosted by industry publication Hedgeweek in New York City on February 24.

Selection for the recognition was based on a survey of more than 100 fund managers and other key industry participants to compile a shortlist, followed by an online poll of the entire Hedgeweek subscriber base to determine the final result.

What makes this recognition especially gratifying is that hedge fund managers and our clients recognized our commitment to client service and expertise in the cryptocurrency space, said NAV CEO Nav Gupta. We decided early on to develop crypto-focused technology and build a team dedicated to crypto fund administration. Those decisions at the outset of the crypto growth curve have provided us with a proven infrastructure and substantial knowledge that helps us best serve our crypto clients.

Beyond its successful track record in the crypto space, NAV offers several additional unique benefits to crypto fund managers, including detailed reporting and prompt delivery timelines, proven institutional appeal, and superior client services. CLICK HERE for more info about NAV Cryptocurrency Services: https://www.navconsulting.net/fund-administration-cryptocurrency-funds

The US Digital Asset Summit was a day-long event featuring industry speakers, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities, concluding with honors to the most highly regarded and successful fund managers and service providers in the digital assets space based on input from within the industry itself, marking recognition and respect from among peers and counterparties, according to Hedgeweek.

About NAV Fund Administration Group

Founded in 1991, NAV is a privately owned fund administrator recognized for its innovative and cost-effective fund administration solutions. A dynamic team of more than 1,900 professionals provide services to 1,800+ funds across the globe -- including hedge fund, private equity fund, and cryptocurrency fund clients -- while maintaining a 99% client retention rate. The company is headquartered in the United States, with four facilities in India supporting Back Office and Middle Office services, and locations in Australia, the Cayman Islands, and Singapore. NAV ranks among the top 10 global hedge fund administrators by number of funds, servicing more than $155 billion AUA.

About Hedgeweek

Launched in 2002, Hedgeweek covers hedge fund industry news for investors and fund managers. It provides news, features, research, awards and events for the global hedge fund industry. Hedgeweek is part of Global Fund Media Ltd, which publishes six specialist newswires covering all asset classes within the institutional investor marketplace.
Northrop Realty unveils Ignite marketing tool, a customized and targeted design platform that allows its agents to create branded content with the click of a few buttons. Telling a story is just as important as selling a property when it comes to modern-day real estate marketing, which is why we are excited to launch Studio7 and continue to evolve the resources and tools available to help agents build and grow their business.

Northrop Realty, A Long & Foster Company, unveils Ignite marketing tool, a customized and targeted design platform that allows its agents to create branded content with the click of a few buttons. The award-winning brokerage partnered with Canva, an online visual communications and collaboration platform, to develop a custom enterprise tool that provides its real estate professionals the ability to self-produce, create, print, and publish custom marketing assets, including flyers, postcards, social media graphics, and presentations.

Home buying is the largest financial purchase of most peoples lives, and we believe it requires a personal relationship and trust between the agent and client, said Creig Northrop, Founder and CEO of Northrop Realty. Clients prefer a personalized experience, and that includes marketing assets. With our new Ignite platform, agents will be able to easily design professional marketing materials with minimal time and effort.

The Ignite platform is pre-loaded with Northrop Realtys branded graphics, templates, brand colors and fonts, and other collateral that agents can tweak and leverage with a couple of clicks. Agents can utilize Ignite in both a mobile and desktop capacity, allowing them to create on-the-go content at their convenience in addition to the standard built-in templates provided with Canvas interface.

Northrop Realty is also launching a new in-house creative and marketing venture called Studio7, responsible for producing digital and traditional marketing materials to promote not only the brokerage, but also individual agents and teams. Studio7 comprises eight individuals across brand, creative, events, and project management, with plans to bring on two more experts in the social and digital space in the coming months. Chief Marketing Officer Jay Riley will oversee all marketing functions, and Chief Brand Officer Ray Bularz will manage all brand aspects.

Its no secret that storytelling is a powerful tool, even in the real estate world, said Chief Marketing Officer Jay Riley. Telling a story is just as important as selling a property when it comes to modern-day real estate marketing, which is why we are excited to launch Studio7 and continue to evolve the resources and tools available to help agents build and grow their business.

The Northrop Difference provides home buyers and sellers with a full-service experience, including best-in-class technology, branding, and marketing at no extra cost. With 95% of buyers using online tools in their search process, Northrops professional 4K fusion photography sessions, 2-D floor plans, and 3-D tours provide an in-depth look into its listings through high-quality images and the ability to take a virtual walk-through" tour, increasing exposure to potential buyers and improving first impressions.

"Ive already noticed a huge growth in my online and social media engagement and overall brand awareness since joining Northrop Realty, said Anthony Friedman, agent of the Anthony Friedman Team of Northrop Realty. This brokerage is a marketing powerhouse, and its brand instills confidence in my clients that they made the right decision choosing me as their real estate agent. Ignite has already been a huge game-changer in my ability to provide personalized service to my client base and deepen my relationships.

If you are a full-time agent looking to grow your professional brand with our award-winning full-service brokerage, please contact Northrop Realty at 410-531-0321, or visit our career page.

About Northrop Realty

Northrop Realty, A Long & Foster Company, is a full-service brokerage representing buyers and sellers of residential real estate in Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Pennsylvania. As one of the regions premier brokerages, Northrop Realty is comprised of more than 325 licensed real estate professionals and over 75 employees, operating 13 brick-and-mortar office locations in Annapolis, Baltimore, Clarksville, Columbia, Ellicott City, Fallston, Frederick, Sykesville, Lutherville-Timonium, and West Ocean City, Maryland, and Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, and Millsboro, Delaware. Since 2000, Northrop Realtys continued success is a result of its best-in-class technology, training, leadership, marketing, and robust network. As A Long & Foster Company, subsidiary of Home Services of America, and a Christie's International Real Estate affiliate, Northrop Realty is proud to rank as the No. 1 specialty brokerage in the nation by RealTrends for 2019 based on closed sales volume. (http://www.northroprealty.com)
Fintel.io Fund flow into country-tracking ETFs and changes in short interest provide insights into institutional sentiment in the countrys future outlook, said Wilton Risenhoover, founder and CEO of Fintel

Fintel.io, a provider of advanced financial research tools for investors, reports on macro fund flows into country-tracking ETFS and equities.

Fund flow into country-tracking ETFs and changes in short interest provide insights into institutional sentiment in the countrys future outlook, said Wilton Risenhoover, founder and CEO of Fintel. Our Funds Flow Leaderboard - India analyzes changes to a securitys owners count and allocation in order to pinpoint those that have high levels of institutional accumulation. This helps retail investors identify potential profit opportunities.

Institutional accumulation refers to securities being bought by professional and institutional investors such as hedge funds, mutual funds, and pensions. The buying and selling actions of professional and institutional investors can correlate to the stocks price rising or falling. Taking note of the level of institutional investment helps investors make profitable decisions.

Institutional Fund Flows into INDA - iShares MSCI India ETF shows the following activity over the last quarter:



Short Interest increased 28% in the last month, from 7.87M shares to 10.1M shares, indicating a negative sentiment

The total number of funds disclosing positions decreased just 0.5% in the most recent quarter, suggesting neutral outlook

Average portfolio allocation by funds declined 15% in the most recent quarter, indicating negative outlook

The options put/call ratio is 3.33, indicating a significantly negative outlook

Ownership Accumulation Score is 18.24, indicating significant institutional selling and a negative outlook

The Ownership Allocation Score (OAS) ranges from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating a higher level of accumulation relative to its peers.

Significant changes in flows into the UKs largest companies:

INFY / Infosys Ltd total owners increased slightly by 3.95% to 868 disclosed funds, while average allocation decreased 3.79%. The OAS for INFY is 37, indicating a lower than average accumulation by funds.

RIIL / Reliance Industrial Infrastructure total owners steady, with largest disclosed owner being the fund DFCEX - Emerging Markets Core Equity Portfolio

Jaiprakash Power Ventures total owners increased 66%, average allocation increased 5.99%, and total shares owned by institutions increased by 42%, indicating bullish sentiment on all counts.

Berger Paints India total institutional owners increased 9%, but average allocation declined 13.72% and total shares owned declined by 6.81%, indicating mixed but mostly negative outlook

Hindustan Construction Company total disclosed owners increased by 33%, average allocation increased 51%, and total shares owned by institutions increased by 8.52%, indicating positive outlook on all counts.

In addition to the Funds Flow leaderboard, data-driven retail investors that subscribe to Fintel.io have access to comprehensive ownership data of US institutions, mutual funds, and ETFs targeting equities and bonds in mature, emerging, and frontier markets. The platform also provides insight into mutual funds and EFTs that are shorting stocks, and allows users to track activist hedge funds to uncover potential profit.

For more information visit https://fintel.io.

About Fintel.io:

Fintel.io is a leading equity research platform designed to help data-driven investors make better investing decisions. Fintel provides deep analytics on a variety of market data, including fund ownership, insider trading activity, short interest, and company financials. Fintel currently tracks over 3500 funds and over 500,000 securities traded worldwide. Information includes fund holdings, fund sentiment, financial data, and regulatory filings (including SEC, LSE, ASX, and SGX). Fintel was founded by Wilton Risenhoover.
Paige Schulte, Founder of Neighborhood Experts Real Estate Being a Neighborhood Expert means being the go-to expert in one community or neighborhood and creating personal connections with those who live, work and play there

Paige Schulte today announced Neighborhood Experts Real Estate and its partnership with Side, the only real estate technology company that exclusively partners with high-performing agents, teams and independent brokerages to transform them into market-leading boutique brands. The collaboration will ensure that Neighborhood Experts Real Estate, a company that stays connected to its clients, its communities and the latest digital marketing trends, is powered by the industry's most advanced platform.

Schulte, the No.1 Realtor in Gig Harbor, has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years. Known for growing her real estate production from zero to $160 million in just five years, she mentors ambitious agents through her popular online course and podcast, Master Your Real Estate Marketing With Paige. Also a philanthropist, Schulte has donated more than $300,000 through her nonprofit, The Chelsea Paige Foundation, and was named Inman Innovator of the Year in 2020 for her help raising donations for a nonprofit providing food to families during the pandemic. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Mercury News, Inman, and Tacoma News Tribune, among others.

Schulte's Neighborhood Experts is more than an elite group of brokers and agents who are experts in the markets they serve. It's a creative agency staffed by designers, copywriters, video editors, podcast specialists and advertisers. It features a state-of-the-art media center and offers a full lineup of trainings, speakers, happy hours, networking opportunities and pop-ups at local businesses.

"Being a Neighborhood Expert means being the go-to expert in one community or neighborhood and creating personal connections with those who live, work and play there," said Schulte. "It means studying the local housing market data like a hawk. And it means becoming a master of modern digital marketing. That's exactly what you'll get with every single agent on my team."

Partnering with Side will ensure Neighborhood Experts Real Estate remains on the cutting edge of the evolving real estate market while continuing to deliver premium services to its clients. Side works behind the scenes, supporting Neighborhood Experts Real Estate with a one-of-a-kind brokerage platform that includes proprietary technology, transaction management, branding and marketing services, public relations, legal support, lead generation, vendor management, infrastructure solutions and more. Additionally, Neighborhood Experts Real Estate will join an exclusive group of Side partners, tapping into an expansive network from coast to coast.

Schulte continued, The partnership with Side gives our agents access to the latest tech and top-tier support, which means they will have more time to connect with their clients and their community. We love giving back and getting to know everyone in the markets we serve, so this is a great fit for us.

About Neighborhood Experts Real Estate

Neighborhood Experts Real Estate is a boutique real estate company and modern digital agency located in Gig Harbor, Washington. It's a place where entrepreneurial-minded, ambitious brokers and agents collaborate with forward-thinking, practiced creatives and strategists to ensure top results for clients. With a state-of-the-art media center, happy hours and local pop-ups, Neighborhood Experts is home to the new breed of real estate experts today's buyers and sellers need. To learn more, visit http://www.NeighborhoodExpertsWA.com.

About Side

Side is a behind-the-scenes brokerage platform that exclusively partners with top-performing agents, teams, and independent brokerages to create and grow their own boutique brands without the cost, time, or risk of operating a brokerage. Side's proprietary technology platform and premier support solutions empower its agent partners to be more productive, grow their business, and focus on serving their clients. Side is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.sideinc.com.
To win these types of cases, it is important to remain persistent and have the willingness, resources and conviction to go after insurance companies. In this case, the jury made a fair decision, and justice was served," says Garon Muller.

The plaintiff, Billy Hunt, was represented by Garon Muller, a partner and trial attorney at Burnside Law Firm. Billy Hunt was involved in an automobile collision on River Road in Burke County, Georgia, while on his way to work at Plant Vogtle. Consequently, Mr. Hunt suffered serious injuries and significantly lost earnings due to the automobile accident. Despite this, the underinsured motorists insurance carrier, Allstate Insurance Company, refused to reimburse Mr. Hunt for his damages throughout the litigation of the case. Attorney Garon Muller detailed to the Burke County, Georgia, jury the full extent of Mr. Hunts injuries, lost earnings and the interruption to his life. During the trial in State Court of Burke County, number 2019S0029, the jury heard the facts of the case over two days, returning a decision in Mr. Hunts favor on the afternoon of February 8, 2022. They awarded a verdict in excess of the offers made previous to trial for damages, including medical expenses, treatment costs and lost wages.

To win these types of cases, it is important to remain persistent and have the willingness, resources and conviction to go after insurance companies. In this case, the jury made a fair decision, and justice was served," says Garon Muller.

More about Burnside Law Firm, LLP -

Burnside Law Firm, LLP, practices in the area of personal injury law and primarily represents individuals across Georgia who have suffered an injury or wrongful death on account of an automobile collision, truck wreck, medical malpractice, workplace accident or other personal injuries. They fight to recover the compensation clients need to put their lives back together following a catastrophic loss. This well-respected firm believes in going the extra mile, taking a personal, collaborative approach. They make the legal process as smooth and efficient as possible, ensuring that victims understand the status of their case and available options at all times. With offices in Augusta and Athens, Georgia, and over thirty years of collective experience in personal injury law and a proven track record, the attorneys at Burnside Law Firm stand ready to help those in need of representation. For more information about Burnside Law Firm, please visit http://www.burnsidefirm.com or call (800) 569-1937.
We are all witnessing the inflection point in the business ecosystem, with edge computing becoming essential to delivering new advanced services and applications globally, said Eric Watko, Vice President, Product Line Management, American Tower.

phoenixNAP, a global IT services provider offering security-focused cloud infrastructure, dedicated servers, colocation, and specialized Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) technology solutions, today announced the launch of its Bare Metal Cloud (BMC) edge location in Austin, Texas. Deployed at an American Tower Edge Data Center, this location provides low-latency access (10 milliseconds) to Bare Metal Cloud out of the United States Southwest locations.

As a global communications infrastructure provider, American Tower owns and operates an extensive portfolio of communications sites and data centers, which provide the critical infrastructure for numerous wireless and emerging applications. With multiple Edge Data Centers deployed and in development, a well-located network of larger data center facilities throughout the U.S. and a portfolio of approximately 43,000 U.S. tower sites, American Tower is positioned to leverage 5G to help businesses adopt high-bandwidth, low-latency applications and a wide variety of next-generation, emerging technologies.

Bare Metal Cloud deployment in the American Tower Edge Data Center in Austin uses an innovative architecture to deliver advanced network speeds. Through multiple virtual cross-connects to a Megaport Cloud Router, the traffic is routed from the edge to phoenixNAPs other locations in the U.S., accelerating transfer speeds and connectivity. As such, Bare Metal Cloud edge instances are particularly convenient for next-generation workloads using 5G transports or services built on top of 5G.

5G workloads are the future of business, and we are adapting our service offering to meet market demands, said Ian McClarty, President of phoenixNAP. Our collaboration with American Tower is instrumental for us to meet this goal. Through our edge installation, we will provide low-latency access to Bare Metal Cloud out of most locations in the U.S. Southwest, enabling users to streamline latency-sensitive and high-bandwidth applications. We are excited to start the year with such a major announcement, and we appreciate the help and support of the American Tower team in making this possible.

Our edge infrastructure is built to enable innovative service offerings for new markets, such as Bare Metal Cloud, said Eric Watko, Vice President, Product Line Management, American Tower. We are all witnessing the inflection point in the business ecosystem, with edge computing becoming essential to delivering new advanced services and applications globally. Allowing more businesses to innovate through technology is a mission we share with phoenixNAP.

phoenixNAPs Bare Metal Cloud platform is built to enable nearly instant provisioning of dedicated servers on an hourly or monthly billing model. With its own API, CLI, and certified Infrastructure as Code modules, Bare Metal Cloud is easy to scale and manage using popular DevOps tools. The powerful underlying hardware ensures consistent performance, even for the most demanding applications.

Bare Metal Cloud servers are currently available from eight strategic locations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Through the edge location in Austin, Texas, the platform provides improved performance and availability for applications and solutions requiring edge presence with low latencies and quick scalability.

To learn more about phoenixNAPs API-driven bare metal servers, visit the Bare Metal Cloud page. For customized configurations, view phoenixNAPs dedicated server options.

Bare Metal Cloud Features:



100% dedicated resources

No noisy neighbors

15 TB free bandwidth included (5 TB in Singapore)

30+ server instance types

Up to 50 Gbps network capacity

20 Gbps DDoS protection

Private networking options

Easy-to-use API and CLI tools

Certified Infrastructure as Code modules (Terraform, Ansible, Pulumi)

Pay-per-use billing, monthly and yearly reservation options

Global infrastructure footprint, with low-latency network access

About phoenixNAP

phoenixNAP is a global IT services provider with a focus on cyber security and compliance-readiness, whose progressive Infrastructure-as-a-Service solutions are delivered from strategic edge locations worldwide. Its cloud, dedicated servers, hardware leasing, and colocation options are built to meet always evolving IT business requirements. Providing comprehensive disaster recovery solutions, a DDoS-protected global network, and hybrid IT deployments with software and hardware-based security, phoenixNAP fully supports its clients business continuity planning. Offering scalable and resilient opex solutions with expert staff to assist, phoenixNAP supports growth and innovation in businesses of any size enabling their digital transformation.

phoenixNAP is a Premier Service Provider in the VMware Cloud Provider Program and a Platinum Veeam Cloud & Service Provider partner. phoenixNAP is also a PCI DSS Validated Service Provider and its flagship facility is SOC Type 1 and SOC Type 2 audited.

About American Tower

American Tower, one of the largest global REITs, is a leading independent owner, operator and developer of multitenant communications real estate with a portfolio of approximately 219,000 communications sites and a highly interconnected footprint of U.S. data center facilities. For more information about American Tower, please visit http://www.americantower.com.

Cautionary Language Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning phoenixNAP and American Towers goals, beliefs, expectations, strategies, objectives, plans, future operating results and underlying assumptions and other statements that are not necessarily based on historical facts. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in American Towers forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those factors set forth in Item 1A of its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 under the caption Risk Factors. phoenixNAP and American Tower undertake no obligation to update the information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances.
Physicians for Informed Consent will continue to monitor this important case with far-reaching implications for constitutional rights, namely, the right of parents to decline a vaccination for their child ...

Physicians for Informed Consent (PIC), an educational nonprofit organization focused on science and statistics, filed an Amicus Curiae brief this month in order to support parental rights and informed consent in vaccination in the case Booth v. Bowser (United States District Court, District of Columbia), Case Number 1:21-cv-01857-TNM.

PICs Amicus brief supports the plaintiffs in the case  parents challenging the constitutionality of a recently enacted law, the District of Columbias Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020, 2019 D.C. Adv. Leg. Serv. 532 (Dec. 23, 2020) (the Minor Consent Act). The Plaintiffs Verified Amended Complaint describes the essence of the case:

The Minor Consent Act eviscerates parents rights to make informed decisions and foolishly allows children as young as 11 to make their own consequential vaccination decisions, which can result in injury or death, as well as vaccine-induced immunity. Under this law, Defendants must conceal from parents that their children have been vaccinated, depriving them of the most rudimentary knowledge that they require to properly care for their children. Shockingly, Defendants shroud the process in secrecy by instructing insurers to conceal childrens vaccination information from parents as payors. Defendants have covered all bases to deceitfully hide this vital information from parents and to obstruct their ability to serve as dutiful and effective caregivers. Document 31, filed 11/15/21, page 11.

The current procedural posture of the case is that plaintiffs requested a preliminary injunction, and the defendants have moved to dismiss the case. Therefore, the District Court is presented with questions relating to the sufficiency of the allegations, and the plaintiffs likelihood of success on the merits.

Several doctors groups have provided Amici briefs in the case. Physicians for Informed Consent provided an Amicus brief to address the following key points:

1. The Minor Consent Act fails every level of judicial scrutiny because it is arbitrary and irrational that the government would (1) completely override parental rights guaranteed by constitutional precedent, whilst (2) legalizing the worst-case scenario: behind closed doors an adult stranger asks an 11-year-old girl to consent to his medical injection, which the child does not medically understand even after this stranger shares his information privately with her; she gets injured and her parents are ignorant because of the law. The Bill of Rights is surely present to protect against this ill-conceived legislation.

2. Physicians who are fluent in obtaining informed consent would confirm that the Minor Consent Act would violate every level of judicial scrutiny. Physicians experienced in obtaining informed consent know it is not possible for 11-year-old children as a group to understand the risks of Covid-19, the relative durability of natural immunity, the risks and benefits of Covid-19 vaccination, the ingredients in vaccination, or the risks and benefits of Covid-19 therapiesall in the applied context of patient personal and family history, and all in the short time (if any) allotted for a Covid-19 vaccination during a medical appointment. Document 45-1, filed 2/16/21, pages 7-8.

Additionally, although there is a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use in children, there is not a COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved or licensed by the FDA for use in children under age 16, a distinction that may not be clear even for adults.

The PIC Amicus brief provides additional details specific to children in Washington, D.C., such as the DC science and health curriculum for fifth graders [] contains zero references to vaccination or the immune system Only in ninth grade do DC public school students begin their basic and highly simplified education about infectious disease and the immune system. Id. at page 11.

"Physicians for Informed Consent will continue to monitor this important case with far-reaching implications for constitutional rights, namely, the right of parents to decline a vaccination for their child," said Greg Glaser, general counsel for Physicians for Informed Consent.

###

About Physicians for Informed Consent

Physicians for Informed Consent is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization focused on science and statistics. PIC delivers data on infectious diseases and vaccines, and unites doctors, scientists, healthcare professionals, attorneys, and families who support voluntary vaccination. In addition, the PIC Coalition for Informed Consent consists of over 300 U.S. and international organizations. To learn more or to become a member, please visit physiciansforinformedconsent.org.
Victor has become one of the Firms most vocal DE&I champions, and this well-earned recognition is a testament to his continued contributions to the Firms inclusive culture, said Truphena Martin, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager at PKF OConnor Davies.

PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, one of the nations largest accounting, tax and advisory firms, is proud to announce that Victor M. Pena, a Partner in the Firms Financial Services Group, has been selected by Long Island Business News to receive a 2022 Diversity in Business Award. The annual award highlights the outstanding achievements of professionals of diverse backgrounds and abilities, as well as recognizes those who actively support the growth of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the Long Island community. Pena  the Firms Broker-Dealer Practice Leader and Co-Chair of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council  joins a cohort of 20 fellow awardees from the Long Island business community selected for their personal and professional DE&I accomplishments.

Victor has become one of the Firms most vocal DE&I champions, and this well-earned recognition is a testament to his continued contributions to the Firms inclusive culture, said Truphena Martin, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager at PKF OConnor Davies. Through my work with Victor on the Firms Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, Ive had the opportunity to witness the passion he has for his work and his community firsthand. I congratulate him on this award, and I look forward to our continued collaboration and partnership.

Pena brings over 15 years of public accounting experience to his work with broker-dealers, asset managers, registered investment advisors, and hedge, private equity, venture capital and impact investment funds. Fluent in Spanish, he is the Firms Latin American Desk Leader and serves as an Advisor to the PKF Latin America Board. His Firm leadership has expanded over the years to include service as an Associate Member of the Firms Executive Committee and as a Co-Chair of the Firms Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. As Co-Chair, Pena has spearheaded a number of Firm-wide initiatives, tools and employee education resources to help realize a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Our team is comprised of such unique backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. Ive always believed that encouraging, supporting and celebrating these diverse voices is essential to an inclusive workplace and a successful business, said Pena. To be recognized by Long Island Business News for this work is a true honor and reaffirms my commitment to advocacy on behalf of my friends and colleagues.

Pena retains an active involvement in both the regional and national accounting communities. A Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York and a Chartered Global Management Accountant, he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Latino Professionals For America. He is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs Stock Brokerage and Digital Assets Committees, as well as a member of the Secured Finance Networks ESG Task Force and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Brooklyn College.

This years Diversity in Business Award honorees will be formally recognized at an awards ceremony being held on March 22, 2022, at the Crest Hollow Country Club. For more information, visit https://libn.com/diversityinbusiness/.

About PKF OConnor Davies, LLP

PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, is a full-service certified public accounting and advisory firm with a long history of serving clients both domestically and internationally. With roots tracing to 1891, the Firm has 19 offices in the United States and abroad. In the U.S., offices are located across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, where PKF OConnor Davies has recently merged in Boston-based DGC, LLP, and expanded its footprint in the New England market.

The Firm also has an office in Mumbai, India. PKF OConnor Davies employs more than 1,400 professionals who provide a complete range of accounting, auditing, tax and management advisory services. The Firm is led by over 150 partners who are closely involved in the day-to-day management of engagements, ensuring a high degree of client service and cost effectiveness.

The Firm is a top-ranked firm, according to Accounting Todays 2021 Top 100 Firms list and was recently recognized as one of Americas Best Tax and Accounting Firms by Forbes. PKF O'Connor Davies was named one of Vault's 2022 Accounting 50, a ranking of the 50 best accounting employers to work for in North America and ranked among the top 50 most prestigious accounting firms in America in a complementary Vault survey.

PKF OConnor Davies is the lead North American representative of the international association of PKF member firms. PKF International is a network of legally independent member firms providing accounting, tax and business advisory services in over 400 locations in 150 countries around the world. With its tradition, experience and focus on the future, PKF OConnor Davies is ready to help clients meet todays ever-changing economic conditions and manage the growing complexities of the regulatory environment. For more information, visit http://www.PKFOD.com.
Because we act as the operations arm for other agencies, we provide all the back-office support, keyword, budget and client management for our PPC clients, worldwide.

PPC.co, a leader in expert pay-per-click management services, is pleased to announce the release of the companys white label PPC service for other digital marketing agencies. This newly released service is meant to provide digital marketing agencies the resources they need to prepare to scale their own companies without having to grow internal staff or hire individual PPC account managers.

With our private label PPC offering, were able to provide agencies with the support of a true agency partnership, says Samuel Quincy Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer of PPC.co and SEO.co. Because we act as the operations arm for other agencies, we provide all the back-office support, keyword research, creative copywriting, budget recommendations and client management for our PPC clients, worldwide. We have worked with some of the most well-recognized brands on the Fortune 500 list, providing direct and indirect client services as a white label partner. Additionally, this partnership allows us to become an extension of your marketing team, as opposed to an outside agency.

As a white label PPC provider, the company has expert in-house personnel adept at managing client campaigns for a host of different platforms including Google Ads, Google Display Ads, Bing Ads, YouTube, Facebook, Amazon, Linkedin, Instagram and TikTok. The firm also manages retargeting and remarketing campaigns, ensuring that potential targets eventually convert to paying, long-term customers.

The firms results speak for themselves. In multiple cases, the company has more than quadrupled website conversions and doubled revenue. In addition, the firm has been able to achieve as high as 5.5x return on ad spend (ROAS) for clients in both ecommerce and B2B services.

We treat our reselling partner client campaigns as if they were our own, says Edwards. The level of effort, thoughtfulness, and TLC we provide our white label partners is truly unparalleled.

Interested private label PPC resellers are encouraged to reach out to the firm to discuss agency discounts, onboarding, client processes and other options available only to reselling partners.

About PPC.co

Since 2010, the team at PPC.co have been actively providing digital marketing services for Fortune 1000 and small businesses alike. Originally founded as SEO.co, the company has been a mainstay specialist in white label digital marketing for over a decade. The company helps other agencies get results for their clients. Services include professional reporting and data analysis to help agencies see what we're doing and why we're doing it. Looking for PPC partners with a proven track record to help you deliver great results for your clients? Schedule a demo call to learn more about our transparent, managed pay-per-click services as well as our monthly performance options for digital marketing agencies of all sizes.


Realm Title Agency, a full-service title and escrow firm, has opened its doors in Clarksville, Maryland. Taking a concierge approach to settlement, we deliver the hands-on support of a boutique brand with the expertise and security of a large firm.

Realm Title Agency, a full-service title and escrow firm, has opened its doors in Clarksville, Maryland. Part of Mid-States Title Insurance Agency, Inc., Realm Title Agency is perfectly designed to service the needs of active buyers, sellers, and lenders in todays marketplace. Its seamless and secure closing services protect investments, support property rights, and reduce risks for its clients. The firms experienced team leverages decades of industry insights plus state-of-the-art technology to guide its clients through the home buying and selling process with ease.

Were excited to grow our business and open our newest settlement firm, Realm Title Agency, in the greater Clarksville area, said Mike Maddiex, President of Mid-States Title. Like all of our Mid-States companies, Realm Title Agency focuses on providing exceptional service, handling every interaction with the utmost professionalism and competence, and ensuring secure and successful transactions for our clients. Taking a concierge approach to settlement, we deliver the hands-on support of a boutique brand with the expertise and security of a large firm.

Steve McClung and Tina Cho lead Realm Title Agency, utilizing years of industry experience to exceed client expectations. McClung, who serves as Branch Manager and Vice President of Title Operations, is a settlement attorney with over a decade of real estate and legal experience. Before joining Realm Title Agency, he worked for Sage Title Group, another Mid-States company, and Long & Foster Real Estate, a top real estate firm in the local market.

Cho is the Vice President of Business Development for Realm Title Agency, collaborating with local real estate partners and the community to build the brands presence in the market. She brings over 15 years of experience in the title insurance and settlement business and is a licensed title insurance producer in Delaware and Maryland.

As part of Mid-States, Realm Title Agency leverages The Exchange, the companys secure digital closing platform. Real estate transactions have always been a target for cybercriminals looking to steal money and personal information, and with the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry has become an even bigger target now that much of the process occurs online. The Exchange adds another layer of security to the agencys operations, with two-factor authentication and other security features to protect its clients, their money, and their information.

About Realm Title Agency

Realm Title Agency is a full-service real estate settlement company dedicated to providing home buyers and sellers in Maryland and Delaware with title insurance and escrow. As a subsidiary of Mid-States Title Insurance Agency, Inc., Realm Title Agency is one of the regions innovative settlement companies. Their experienced attorneys and settlement officers utilize unsurpassed industry knowledge and technology to guide customers through the home buying and selling process. (https://www.realmtitle.com)
Renaissance, a global leader in pre-K12 education technology, today released the latest What Kids Are Reading (WKAR) report, the worlds largest annual survey of K12 reading habits.

Each year, Renaissances WKAR report lists the most popular books at every grade level, and also provides new understanding of K12 students reading habits. The report is uniquely illuminating because it draws from two Renaissance programs: Accelerated Reader, which records the books students are actually reading, not just buying or checking out from libraries, and myON, which provides students with instant access to thousands of digital titles for online or offline reading.

The 2022 WKAR report uses the data of 4.5 million students in 22,749 US schools who read 128 million books, revealing insights into students reading comprehension and the characteristics of what they choose to read, such as word count and text difficulty.

Beyond sharing data on student reading, the reports goal has always been to celebrate books and to encourage students to read for pleasure, both in and out of school, said Gene Kerns, the chief academic officer at Renaissance. We know from prior research that the amount of reading that students do is a strong predictor of how much theyll grow and achieve, and the likelihood theyll be able to understand more complex texts later in school and in their careers.

This years report includes author essays about topics such as the value of reading, the process of writing, and the power of storytelling to engage students and support vocabulary and knowledge development, all of which lead to greater reading comprehension. Essay authors include:



Jacqueline Woodson, author of The Day You Begin;

Yangsook Choi, author of The Name Jar;

Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World; and

Padma Venkatraman, author of A Time to Dance.

Kymyona Burk, a senior policy fellow for early literacy at the Foundation for Excellence in Education, wrote in the introduction to the report, As children grow as readers and as individuals, it is important for them to find engaging books that they can connect with and that motivate them to read. Sometimes, it only takes one character, one book, or one shared experience to change the trajectory of a childs life.

The report also features helpful book lists designed to help educators provide choices for students who may be struggling to find books they are interested in, and to help all students discover new titles that they might otherwise miss. Grade-Range Lists highlight how different literacy education looks as students move between ages, grades, and abilities, and focus on the specific skill sets literacy experts believe will support literacy growth and comprehension at each grade band. This includes Highly Decodable books for grades K2, Vocabulary Practice for grades 35, Background Knowledge Builders for grades 68, and High Interest and Accessible books for struggling students in grades 912.

In addition to the always popular Signature Books listwhich highlights the most popular book in each statethe report includes the following lists, for each grade level:



New and Now Reads, which are titles just being discovered by students;

Top Print Titles and Popular Digital Reads;

Authentic Spanish Titles, written for native speakers to help students make real-life connections, develop deeper vocabulary and linguistic understanding, and foster cultural appreciation;

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Themes, designed to help educators and students begin conversations about our diverse makeup and how inclusion can help us thrive; and

Social and Emotional Learning Topics, which features two books that address a SEL-related topic.

Visit https://www.renaissance.com/wkar/ to download a free copy of the report, explore data by state, and create personalized book lists.

About Renaissance

As a global leader in assessment, reading, and math solutions for pre-K12 schools and districts, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. Renaissance solutions reach more than 40 percent of US schools and more than half a million students in other regions across the world. The Renaissance portfolio includes Star Assessments, for reliable, accurate insights into K12 student learning; myIGDIs, for accurate assessment of early learning; myON, to increase students access to high-quality reading materials; Accelerated Reader, to support independent reading practice; Freckle, for teacher-led differentiated instruction; Schoolzilla, to give educators actionable insights into trends in student attendance and achievement; Lalilo, to develop critical foundational skills; and Nearpod, for teacher-facilitated instructional delivery. For more information, visit Renaissance.com.

Press contact:

Tracy Stewart

Director, Marketing Development

Renaissance

(832) 651-1189

pr@renaissance.com
A recent report from the Bellwether Education Partners, Priced Out of Public Schools: District Lines, Housing Access, and Inequitable Educational Options, attempts to examine the availability of low-income rental units in school districts to understand whether districts in the largest 200 metropolitan areas are accessible to families in poverty. However, a review by Erica Frankenberg of Penn State finds significant methodological shortcomings that limit the reports usefulness.

The report finds nearly 500 examples of borders between two starkly different types of districts: those that are the most and least accessible based on the cost of rental housing. It designates these borders between these districts as barriers. After describing the problem, the report recommends a combination of education policy solutions, including expanding school choice, and affordable housing opportunities.

Professor Frankenberg notes several limitations and concerns with the study and report. One problem is that the reports approach is disconnected from federal housing policy and research. In addition, the report fails to consider the effects of race, which is central to understanding a racialized lack of affordability. Further, the reports failure to acknowledge prior research, its lack of clarity about its methodology, and its overlooking of boundaries that exist within districts all make it unlikely to have fully identified the barriers to high-quality schools.

Thus, though the report is useful in its consideration of the relationship between housing and educational opportunity, Professor Frankenberg concludes that its flaws substantially limit the reports utility for informing social policy.

Find the review, by Erica Frankenberg, at:

https://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/housing

Find Priced Out of Public Schools: District Lines, Housing Access, and Inequitable Educational Options written by Alex Spurrier, Sara Hodges, and Jennifer ONeal Schiess and published by Bellwether Education Partners, at:

https://bellwethereducation.org/sites/default/files/Bellwether_PricedOutofPublicSchools-EDB_1021_Final.pdf

NEPC Reviews (http://thinktankreview.org) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: http://www.greatlakescenter.org

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: https://nepc.colorado.edu
Judith Lynn Stillman (second from right) at the premiere of her film "Women Trailblazers in Music" last November These extraordinary women composers have been marginalized, repressed, and shamefully neglected, but should be household names. Their innovative masterpieces are imaginative, passionate, and heartfelt, and theyre a joy to play.

Rhode Island College celebrates Womens History Month with Women of Note, a film and concert event from RIC Artist-in-Residence Judith Lynn Stillman, on Wednesday, March 16 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The event includes an encore presentation of Stillmans film Women Trailblazers in Music and live performances, both of which will take place at Sapinsley Hall at the Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts.

Women Trailblazers in Music spotlights diverse women composers spanning twelve centuries. The film, which premiered at Rhode Island College last November, features stories rarely heard and music not often played. It is a journey with tunes and tales by and about pioneering women composers who were all but expunged from history.

The concert, which follows the film screening, will feature two world premiere performances by guest artists Shani Collins and Valerie Tutson. Collins, a Bessie Award winning dancer and current visiting artist at the University of Ghana, will debut a newly choreographed dance to music by Melanie Bonis, an underrepresented woman composer who wrote during the late Romantic period. Tutson, director of Rhode Island Black Storytellers, will premiere a spoken word piece set to music composed by Stillman.

Also performing with Stillman are Charles Dimmick, the concertmaster of the Rhode Island Philharmonic; Steven Laven, principal cellist of Pro Arte Orchestra; and Rhode Island College faculty members Michael De Quattro, Joseph Foley, Ian Greitzer, Mary Ellen Kregler and Lori Phillips.

These extraordinary women composers have been marginalized, repressed, and shamefully neglected, but should be household names, says Stillman. They were forced to remain in the shadows of men, but they were equally talented. Their innovative masterpieces are imaginative, passionate, and heartfelt, and theyre a joy to play.

Stillman cites her inspiration to create the film as part of her ongoing dedication to giving voices to the voiceless. Previously, she has created projects addressing the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, refugees, artists of color, and the climate crisis. She has been producing prolifically through the pandemic. Her quarantine opera, Essential Business, won first prize in the international OperaVision #OperaHarmony competition, and featured Metropolitan Opera star baritone Will Liverman. She was also named an Honored Artist of The American Prize as a pianist and composer and recently finished composing and performing the score for a short Hollywood film.

Its difficult to revamp earlier periods of music history, but we can shift the paradigm, says Stillman. By examining the past, we can hope to change the shape of the future. We need to shine a light on historical gender discrimination and existing problems as well. Were making headway, but systemic challenges remain. I think the best way to effect change is through education.

This event is free to attend, but pre-registration is required. Tickets are available at http://www.ric.edu. It will also be live streamed on Anchor TV at Rhode Island College and at the University of Ghana, and the stream will be made available to schools that wish to show it during classes.

Attendees must wear masks and present proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in the previous 72 hours or a negative COVID-19 antigen test taken in the previous 6 hours. (At-home tests are not accepted.)
Ethos Technologies brings a culture and commitment of integrity and excellence to their customers throughout Virginia. Having their team of top-tier talent join the RJ Young family will continue to let us provide the most innovative products and exceptional service to our customers.

RJ Young, an industry-leading business technology solutions provider in the Southeast, announces today its acquisition of Ethos Technologies (previously Blue Ridge Copier), the largest office technology and IT solutions provider in Southwest Virginia.

Founded in 1996, Ethos Technologies is the trusted partner for cyber defense, co-managed IT, and office technology equipment. Headquartered in Roanoke, Ethos Technologies helps businesses across Virginia with the quality of their office technologies and IT services.

We are excited about our future with RJ Young, said Ethos Technologies CEO Paul Story. Our company core values align, and we look forward to working with RJ Young to take our current and future customers to the Modern Office.

The acquisition of Ethos Technologies marks the ninth acquisition by RJ Young in the past five years. It will expand RJ Youngs technology side of the business  furthering their expertise as a managed services provider to deliver IT services to clients on a larger scale. Ethos Technologies team of 26 will join the 600 team members of RJ Young to continue to provide expertise and high standards in sales and service to their customers.

Ethos Technologies brings a culture and commitment of integrity and excellence to their customers throughout Virginia. Their solutions are the perfect addition to RJ Youngs current technology offerings, said RJ Youngs President and CEO Chip Crunk. Having their team of top-tier talent join the RJ Young family will continue to let us provide the most innovative products and exceptional service to our customers.

Since the launch of RJ Youngs technology vertical in 2019, the company has grown that side of the business by 360%. Last year, RJ Young introduced its one-stop for technology solutions called the Modern Office  the companys response to the markets evolving needs amid workplace shifts initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, RJ Young has gone through a rebrand that speaks to the Modern Office, complete with a new website and logo.

If you would like to learn more about the partnership and how it can benefit your organization, reach out to info@rjyoung.com today.

ABOUT RJ YOUNG

RJ Young is an industry leader that provides technology solutions that power businesses. RJ Young helps small to enterprise-level organizations transition into modern workplaces and increase productivity with comprehensive managed IT solutions, office equipment and technology, business process outsourcing and digital communications. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, RJ Young has been partnering with businesses since 1955 and has more than 600 team members in more than 30 sales and service locations across nine states. To learn more about how RJ Young can help power your organization with technology solutions, visit RJYoung.com or reach out to info@rjyoung.com.
SJVs revolutionary National Criminal solution is available immediately for existing and new CRA customers and places a premium on making National Criminal searches more efficient, comprehensive and customizable

SJV Data Solutions, the leading independent wholesale data provider in the background screening industry and Accio Data Solutions, a leading software provider for the pre-employment screening industry, announce immediate availability of SJVs National Criminal Data Solution on the Accio Enterprise background screening platform.

For years, Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) have used National Criminal Database searches as a litmus test to determine if a consumer might have a criminal record outside the jurisdictions where they have been known to live. CRAs agree that there have not been clear differentiators among the top providers of National Criminal data and that there was no transparency of information, a single solution that covers both national and local information, or enough flexibility to consume information exactly as they needed it to satisfy customer requirements.

SJV Data Solutions addresses those concerns head-on with their reimagined National Criminal Database solution, now available to Accio customers. As a result, CRAs on Accios platform have access to national criminal data featuring over two billion unique criminal records derived from over 2,000 different municipalities at the County, State, and Federal levels across the United States, aggregated into an easily accessible format with flexible reporting. With over 90% population coverage, SJVs national criminal data is among the largest electronically available criminal records source in the country.

Were excited to offer this seamlessly integrated solution to Accios impressive roster of CRA clients, remarked Scott Vanek, founder, and chief executive officer of SJV. The appeal of Accios platform, with its focus on 24x7 access and automation, reinforces the value SJV offers with its National Criminal solution, so its a big win for background screening companies.

SJVs revolutionary National Criminal solution is available immediately for existing and new CRA customers and places a premium on making National Criminal searches more efficient, comprehensive and customizable so that CRAs large and small can provide this service more competitively.

SJVs solution couldnt come at a better time for the industry. Our robust integration with SJV ensures that our CRA partners will continue to enjoy the same reliable service and record formats in their database searches as they do with SJVs other offerings today, said Barry Boes, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Accio Data.

About SJV Data Solutions:

SJV is revolutionizing how Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) help businesses make choices about hiring and maintaining their most valuable assets: people. Today, SJV leads the background screening data industry in innovation, using its proprietary technology to productize employment screening services and increase efficiency, integrity and insight for CRAs. SJVs six targeted data solutions  SJV Connect, Criminal Record Data, Resume Verification, Medical Compliance, International Data, and Continuous Criminal Monitoring  provide the most comprehensive screening profile and empower businesses through integrations with both proprietary and third-party background screening platforms. The entire SJV team is dedicated to creating the best products and to making the world a better-informed place. For more information, please visit https://www.sjvdata.com

About Accio Data:

Accio Datas infinitely scalable platform allows CRAs to automate or augment the screening process from order entry all the way to results delivery and billing. Any data provider using XML for information exchange can integrate with Accio Enterprise at no charge. Clients can log in, place orders and retrieve results. More than 2,000 powerful customization options provide configurability for multiple industries.

Accio Data is a member of the Professional Background Screeners Association (PBSA). For more information about Accio Enterprise, Accio CourtPro or to request a demo, visit http://www.acciodata.com or call (512) 858-9329 or email sales@acciodata.com.
Sara Blakely, SPANX Founder and Executive Chairwoman, will open the ATD 2022 International Conference & EXPO in Orlando, Florida on May 16, 2022.

Blakely revolutionized the undergarment industry with just $5,000 and a lucky red backpack and turned it into a global brand known for inventing smarter, more comfortable solutions. SPANX sells undergarments, leggings, swimwear, and maternity wear in more than 50 countries. To this day, SPANX has never taken any outside investments.

Blakely was named one of Time magazines 100 Most Influential People in the world and was featured on the cover of Forbes as the youngest self-made female billionaire. Shes also a Guinness World Record holder for having the worlds highest tea party on top of a hot air balloon; but on Instagram, you may know her as the Pancake Queen, making pancakes in crazy shapes and sizes for her four children.

Blakely has invested millions of dollars to elevate women, and in 2013, she signed the Giving Pledge, promising to donate half her wealth to philanthropy.

The ATD International Conference & EXPO is the largest and best attended event for the talent development profession. The 2022 conference, which will be offered in person and virtually, provides world-class speakers, thought leadership, and unprecedented networking and collaboration opportunities.

To learn more about the conference and to register, visit atdconference.td.org. Follow conference activity with #ATD22 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About ATD

The Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the worlds largest professional membership organization supporting those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees, improve performance, and help to achieve results for the organizations they serve. Established in 1943, the association was previously known as the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD).

ATDs members come from more than 100 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD supports talent development professionals who gather locally in volunteer-led US chapters and international member networks, and with international strategic partners.

For more information, visit td.org.
Telstras SecureEdge Wins the SASE Pathfinder Award for Innovation & Leadership from Sea Street a Global Leader in Autonomous Service Operations

BOSTON, MassSea Street, a global leader in composable autonomous SASE services, today named SecureEdge from Telstra, Australia's best managed security services and network provider, the recipient of their inaugural SASE Pathfinder Award, as one of the first to market with an autonomous SASE service.

Telstras deployment of Autonomous SASE is one of the first for a major service provider, said Harley Stowell, CEO of Sea Street Technologies. Its dramatic effects in the industry will be felt far beyond the Australian business community. With Gartner predicting 56 billion connected devices by 2025, Telstra has stepped forward to show the industry how to provide exceptional customer experiences at extreme scale via the implementation of autonomous SASE services.

Matthew OBrien, Cyber Security Executive, Product and Technology at Telstra said,

We are honoured to receive the inaugural SASE Pathfinder award from Sea Street today, which recognises Telstras innovation leadership in bringing security at scale, that drives much-needed consumable compliance.

Telstra took the lead in the deployment of their autonomously powered SASE offering in early 2021 as part of its SecureEdge program, offering their customers an advanced, highly scalable, resilient security capability that scales and self-operates, independently of manpower.

OBrien, goes on to say, The research presented in the State of Cloud Adoption in Australia, 2021 report provides an important reality check regarding cloud uptake in Australia. Security remains a significant concern, with only 21% of respondents considering their organisation well prepared for the security challenges they face in their cloud migration.

We decided to face this challenge head-on. Adopting a Software Defined Strategy for rapid release security capabilities that works for our customers, we are able to help our customers realise the Public Cloud promise of advantage through flexibility, resilience and economics.

Sea Street has been instrumental in helping us meet this challenge. Their API driven platform packages Telstras security capabilities into autonomous services that scale, are assured and self-operate independent of manpower, giving us AI-powered end-to-end solutions that meet our customers secure network needs. Their innovation is deeply embedded in our SecureEdge innovation DNA.

In keeping with Telstras T22 strategy, this autonomous approach to SASE strips cost to operate secure network connections. SecureEdge is also further aligned to Telstras new T25 strategy of delivering cutting edge services that result in exceptional customer experience.

We are delighted to award the Telstra SecureEdge team with our SASE Pathfinder Award for 2021, continued Stowell. Theyve shown exceptional skill by delivering the future to their customers today, whilst also innovating for the industry-as-a-whole. Congratulations to the entire team.

Telstra SecureEdge is a portfolio of award-winning, advanced next generation cloud delivered security services empowering organisations to accelerate their digital transformation and cloud adoption in a more flexible, reliable, and secure manner without compromising performance. The SecureEdge portfolio underpins Telstras commitment to helping Australian businesses remain secure whilst offering our customers a greater level of choice and flexibility to accelerate their journey to the cloud.

SecureEdge forms the foundation and introduces the evolution of native cloud security from Australias leading telecommunications service provider. Successfully integrating Sea Streets market leading SIO BotsTM for Autonomous Service Operations and Palo Alto Networks industry leading security solutions with Telstras technical expertise and network leadership both simplify cloud delivered security and help organisations with their journey to SASE.

SASE simplifies wide-area networking and security by delivering both as a cloud service directly to the endpoint rather than the enterprise data centre. Autonomous SASE as deployed by Telstra takes this a step further, eliminating manual operations and instead employing highly advanced autonomous operations software to deploy secure networks at scale and intelligently assure, heal, and update them.

About Sea Street

Sea Street, the leader in designable autonomous service operations, based in Boston, MA are the creators of SIO Bots - advanced autonomous service products that provide frictionless integration while enabling service providers to transform their businesses to fully autonomous, closed-loop service operations. Founded in 2012, the companys platform is deployed at several top-tier CSPs, automating network, video, telephony, wireless, and enterprise services today. For more information, visit http://www.seastreet.com

Sea Street, SIO Bots and the Sea Street logo are trademarks of Sea Street, Inc. in the United States and jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

About Telstra

Telstra is Australias leading telecommunications and technology company, offering a full range of communications services and competing in all telecommunications markets. In Australia we provide 18.8 million retail mobile services, 3.8 million retail fixed bundles and standalone data services and 960,000 retail fixed standalone voice services.
TBGA Media helps customers create a strategy around their unique value proposition and execute campaigns to tell their AM story increasing awareness and leading to meaningful industry connections.

The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA) announces the expansion of its communications offerings for customers, officially launching this week as TBGA Media. This expanded offering helps customers solidify messaging and grow their presence in the ever evolving additive and advanced manufacturing marketplace; TBGA leverages 150+ years of additive manufacturing (AM) experience and relationships to maximize the impact of customers media investment.

Led by AM industry communications veteran and award-winning video producer, Cynthia Rogers, TBGA Media helps customers create a strategy around their unique value proposition and execute campaigns to tell their AM story increasing awareness and leading to meaningful industry connections. Services include:



Communications Strategy

Visual Content

Digital Engagements

Thought Leadership

Public & Media Relations

Social Media Management

TBGA founder, John E. Barnes, explains the need for this service, Additive and advanced manufacturing are complex subjects. Your value proposition, role in the value chain, and message need to be simple and easy to understand. This requires a team with a solid understanding of the technology, the business involved in AM, and the creativity to maximize the messaging and hit the right target audience. You cannot industrialize what people dont understand. Building on the core competencies of our ADDvisor Services team, TBGA Media rounds out our offerings to provide customers a solid foundation to industrialize their product.

Laura Ely, Director of Programs for TBGA, will directly supervise TBGA Media alongside TBGAs other services, ADDvising and Training. She added, Our ADDvisors help customers create technology and product roadmaps, map qualification journeys, understand business and economics, and hone their value proposition with data driven insights; our Media offering is a natural complement where we take those insights, craft a story, and drive meaningful conversations. In fact, over the last 2 years, TBGA has worked discreetly with more than 15 customers to tell their story via print, digital, and live events. Cynthia Rogers has developed customer stories for 25+ years and leverages 8+ years of relationship building in the AM field. TBGA is also punching up visual design capabilities with the addition of Allie Kunkel who comes with 8 years of branding and diverse media experience.

The newly redesigned TBGA website is a great example of the one-two punch of the TBGA Media and ADDvisor team. In the coming months, TBGA Media will work on a variety of special projects for customers along with providing on-the-ground support during upcoming AM conference season.

About The Barnes Global Advisors:

The Barnes Global Advisors is the largest independent additive manufacturing engineering consultancy. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, TBGA has impact on five continents and throughout the United States. TBGA helps companies work through their AM adoption via strategy, design, leadership, training, metallurgy, economics, and media. The team is comprised of seasoned specialists with well over 150 years combined experience in additive manufacturing. For further information, please visit http://www.barnesglobaladvisors.com
Altus Marketing, a Moore company, announces that The Salvation Army California South Division has selected it as their direct mail, digital and media marketing agency of record. Altus Marketing will work to maximize donor growth by creating an integrated direct marketing solution that reflects the diverse and unique programs offered by the organization in the five regions within the California South Division: from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. With this approach, the organization will develop deep engagement with donor audiences through personalized communications that reflect the broad range of demographics in Southern California.

Founded in 1865, The Salvation Army pursues its mission to meet human needs on a local and national level. They are committed to serving people of all demographics, ethnicity and lifestyle in every ZIP code that they cover. Each year, they assist approximately 23 million Americans and currently serve in 130 countries around the world.

Altus Marketing is inspired by The Salvation Armys widespread reach through the many programs and resources they provide to those in need like homeless shelters, summer camps and food pantries, said John Wilkinson, vice president of Client Relations at Altus Marketing. Our goal is to create direct marketing solutions that align with their values and connect more authentically with their current and future donors in these unique markets by highlighting the many ways that they are serving the needs of these specific areas.

The Salvation Army California South Divisions work is mission-critical in the communities they serve. For them to now take the same community-based approach to their direct mail, digital and media solutions shows that they know their donors care deeply about where they live and work, said Gretchen Littlefield, chief executive officer of Moore. Our technological advantage for personalized communication, powered by our CDP solution SimioCloud Connect, will enable Altus Marketing to make cost-effective and centralized data management solutions quickly, driving an integrated, localized and constituent experience.

Altus Marketings strategic insights and creative innovation will help create transformational growth to further The Salvation Armys impact on the men, women and children they serve in Southern California. Altus Marketing will align its technology and target marketing to relate and reflect the demographic of local donors and the area they live in.

The Salvation Army exists to meet human needs wherever, whenever and however we can, said Lt. Colonel John Chamness, Divisional Commander. With the support of Altus Marketing, who exceeded our estimates for growth this past holiday season, we will be able to engage and expand our donor profile and overall involvement with the diverse and culturally rich area that is Southern California, working together to build bright futures for all those we serve.

Learn more about Altus Marketings direct marketing solutions at altusmktg.com.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of Americas Favorite Charities by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the countrys largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit.

About Altus Marketing

Altus Marketing is an industry leader in integrated direct marketing solutions to national and chapter-based nonprofits, ministries and membership organizations. The organization delivers transformational growth for clients by combining strategic insight and creative innovation, backed by superior data and technology. Altus Marketing clients are sector leaders in domestic hunger and poverty relief, human services, healthcare, environmental protection, evangelism and veterans services.

About Moore

Moore is a leading constituent experience management (CXM) company focused on the integration of the donor experience across all platforms, channels and devices. With over 3,500 employees in 40 locations across the country, the company provides strategy, creative, production, media, data and analytic services powered by an ongoing investment in next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning to nonprofit, political and association clients. Moore is a recognized key contributor in strengthening these sectors.
Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC (Vertical Bridge or "the Company"), the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, today announced that it successfully issued $1.368 billion of tower revenue notes secured by a geographically diverse portfolio of 3,526 tower sites across all 50 states. The offering marks the seventh successful asset backed securities (ABS) financing by Vertical Bridge since 2016.

Proceeds from the offering, led by Barclays as structuring agent, will be used to repay the Series 2018-1 and 2020-1 Notes, cover associated transaction fees and expenses, and support the growth of the Companys infrastructure portfolio.

We greatly appreciate the confidence demonstrated by several large investors who supported our seventh and largest ABS issuance during a challenging period in the markets, said Alex Gellman, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer. As a repeat issuer who has taken a consistent program approach to our financings, we have the flexibility to continue aggressive growth of our infrastructure portfolio in support of our customers rapid expansion and deployment of advanced technologies like 5G.

The final order book had 43 investors, including many repeat investors, as well as 17 new investors to the Vertical Bridge ABS platform. The Company achieved several milestones with this issuance:



Largest transaction offered in the non-traditional ABS market thus far in 2022

Largest BB rated tranche ($242 million) ever offered, and largest BBB rated tranche ($202 million) offered since 2013 in the tower ABS market sector

First ever 10 year A rated tranche and only the second to be offered in the tower ABS market since 2018.

We want to thank the team at Barclays for structuring and leading this successful transaction, which we believe demonstrates that investors understand and appreciate the unique opportunity the tower business offers, said Michael Romaniw, Chief Financial Officer. Weve spent years building relationships with our investors, helping them understand the attractiveness of the assets, the stability of the business, and the consistent performance that Vertical Bridge delivers given our role in supporting the growing demand for wireless data.

The issuance achieved a blended all-in yield of 3.915% on average tenor of 7 years and achieved tighter all-in yield than the 2020-1 transaction with additional leverage and two additional years of tenor. Due to investor demand, the Senior A rated class bonds were priced with a split between 5.5 and 10 year offerings.

We were pleased to support Vertical Bridge on this transaction, which saw significant investor enthusiasm and set a number of milestones for the company and its broader securitization platform, said Michael Metallo, a Director at Barclays.

About Vertical Bridge

Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC is the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure and locations in the United States, with a portfolio of more than 318,000 sites, including over 9,000 owned and master-leased towers and the nations largest and tallest collection of broadcast tower sites. The Companys portfolio spreads across all 50 states and Puerto Rico and is comprised of towers, rooftops, billboards, utility attachments, convenience stores and other locations in support of wireless network deployments. In addition to colocation, Vertical Bridge offers build-to-suit, edge data centers and inbuilding wireless network solutions.

Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Vertical Bridge was founded in 2014 and is led by a senior management team with over 300 years of collective experience in tower infrastructure and related sectors. Vertical Bridge became the first tower company in the world to reach net-zero emissions, gaining CarbonNeutral certification in 2020. The company was recertified in 2021. For more information, please visit https://www.verticalbridge.com/
After receiving such positive feedback on the Clear chewable tablets, we started thinking about new, exciting ways for people to experience the discovery while also delivering the same caliber of allergy relief. Clear Gum was an obvious choice, said Jim Rex, President of The GHT Companies.

Vibrant Nutraceuticals, part of The GHT Companies family of brands, has just released their newest product: Clear Gum, a fast-acting, gluten-free, cruelty-free, and family-friendly histamine blocker to provide as-needed allergy relief; it is available in three flavors: Mint, Green Apple, and Cinnamon.

Clear Gum features the same active raw ingredient found in Vibrant Nutraceuticals Clear chewable tablets. The active ingredient, quail egg powder, has global recognition and developed rave reviews due to its scientifically-proven natural histamine-fighting properties. Vibrants founding scientist partner developed this product based on decades of historical research in the area of studying the benefits of quail eggs and worked to ensure that Clears active ingredients are the best naturally-sourced support on the market for addressing allergy symptoms.

After receiving such positive feedback on the Clear chewable tablets, we started thinking about new, exciting ways for people to experience the discovery while also delivering the same caliber of allergy relief, said Jim Rex, President of The GHT Companies. Clear Gum was an obvious choice  its enjoyable for kids and adults alike, flavorful, ready to take as needed, and it delivers all of the same benefits as the tablets.

Vibrant Nutraceuticals parent company, The GHT Companies, is the exclusive source in the U.S. for this unique quail egg blend, making this product a shining example of how the brand works with founding scientist partners to introduce leading products to the market.

When you purchase a product from Vibrant Nutraceuticals, you can know with confidence that it has been vetted with the utmost caution by our science team, says Rex. Optimal health and well-being for our consumers and our community is at the forefront of every decision we make, because we believe you deserve only the best.

Vibrant Nutraceuticals recommends chewing one to two pieces of Clear Gum as needed; one dose generally lasts 2 hours.

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About Vibrant Nutraceuticals

Vibrant Nutraceuticals is the trusted source for nutraceutical innovation, formulating some of the most cutting-edge wellness solutions available. Our unique line of supplements is both inclusive and affordable, working in conjunction with physician guidelines to meet your health needs  no matter your age, life stage, or walk of life.

Our products are formulated from only the safest, highest-quality ingredients with the strictest standards. Our founding scientists, internal science team, and in-house manufacturing team work tirelessly to ensure that our products are as effective as they are convenient.

About The GHT Companies

The GHT Companies is one of the most trusted names in the nutritional supplement field since 1996. The group is structured to collaborate with founding scientists to develop their unique ingredient/product discoveries and to deliver industry-leading, high-quality consumer products and ingredients on a global basis.

The GHT Companies uses its unique business structure of 5 diverse subsidiaries that touch on all facets of the nutraceutical industry in order to provide products and services to customers in the most effective way possible.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information and statements made are for educational purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional.
Mary Munoz, Senior Managing Director at Ziegler, commented: It has been exciting to see Capital Manor, under Life Care Services leadership, execute a major operations turnaround, expand its living options, add memory care services, and beautify and expand its activity and hospitality areas.

Ziegler, a specialty investment bank, is pleased to announce the successful closing of Capital Manors Series 2022 Bonds (the Bonds).

Capital Manor, Inc. (the Corporation) is a not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates a continuing care retirement community known as Capital Manor located in Salem, Oregon. Capital Manor consists of 302 independent living units and 83 residential care beds with an additional 34 memory care beds. Capital Manor has been managed by Life Care Services since 2010.

Capital Manor will use the proceeds of the Series 2022 Bonds to (i) refund the Series 2012 Bonds, (ii) fund the Projects (defined below), and (iii) pay certain costs of issuance of the Series 2022 Bonds. The Series 2022 Bonds are rated BBB- by Fitch and were issued through the Hospital Facility Authority of the City of Salem, Oregon with a bond yield of 3.030% and a yield to maturity of 3.415%. The Bonds are callable in 7 years at 103, declining to par in year 10 (2032).

In addition to refunding its Series 2012 Bonds, Capital Manor plans to renovate its existing buildings, including the recladding of the exterior of the Capital Manor Care Building and to renovate a portion of the resident Commons area (the Projects).

Mary Munoz, Senior Managing Director at Ziegler, commented: It has been exciting to see Capital Manor, under Life Care Services leadership, execute a major operations turnaround, expand its living options, add memory care services, and beautify and expand its activity and hospitality areas. Ziegler is excited to be a part of the journey to bringing Capital Manor residents an enhanced lifestyle.

David Lewis, Executive Director, added: The Capital Manor turnaround has been an exciting journey and exemplifies the success that a diverse team can produce. The excitement now is that we are strong, have a deep waitlist, and are investing in the future. For residents and staff alike, Capital Manor is a place to embrace a better life and embrace life better.

Ziegler is the nations leading underwriter of financings for not-for-profit senior living providers. Ziegler offers creative, tailored solutions to its senior living clientele, including investment banking, financial risk management, merger and acquisition services, seed capital, FHA/HUD, capital and strategic planning as well as senior living research, education, and communication.

For more information about Ziegler, please visit us at http://www.ziegler.com.

About Ziegler:

Ziegler is a privately held, national boutique investment bank, capital markets and proprietary

investments firm. It has a unique focus on healthcare, senior living and education sectors, as

well as general municipal and structured finance. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and

branch offices throughout the U.S., Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory

services, fixed income sales, underwriting and trading as well as Ziegler Credit, Surveillance and Analytics. To learn more, visit http://www.ziegler.com.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This clients experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

# # #
The 58th annual PEN Literary Awards were held on February 28 at Town Hall in midtown Manhattan, awarding nearly $350,000 in prizes to writers and translators. Hosted by Seth Meyers, this year's event returned to an in-person format after going virtual in 2021.

The evening's biggest winner was Daisy Hernandez, who was awarded the $75,000 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award for The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation's Neglect of a Deadly Disease (Tin House), an exploration of how poverty, racism, and public policies have conspired to keep the tropical illness Chagas disease hidden in the U.S.

Yoon Choi's Skinship: Stories (Knopf) won the $25,000 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection, and Margaret Renkl's Graceland, at Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache from the American South (Milkweed) took home the $15,000 Pen/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. Said Renkl in her acceptance speech, "Writing a book is an exercise in loneliness; publishing a book is an act of community." Torrey Peters's Detransition, Baby: A Novel (One World) received the $10,000 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel.

These were among the 19 PEN literary awards and grants presented throughout the night. Other winners include: Tiya Miles, who received the $10,000 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction for All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family's Keepsake (Random House); Catherine Raven, who received the $10,000 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award for Fox & I: An Uncommon Friendship; Divya Victor, who received the PEN $10,000 Open Book Award for a book by an author of color for Curb (Nightboat); Diane Seuss, who received the $5,000 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection for frank: sonnets (Graywolf); and Rebecca Donner, who received the $5,000 PEN/Jacqueline Board Weld Award for Biography for All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler (Little, Brown).

In the awards' two translation categories, Julia Sanches won the $3,000 PEN Translation Prize for translating Mariana Oliver's Migratory Birds (Transit), and Jennifer Grotz and Piotr Sommer won the $3,000 PEN Award for Poetry in Translation for translating Jerry Ficowski's Everything I Don't Know (World Poetry).

Playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury received the $10,000 PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award. Her acceptance speech, in which she emphasized the importance of "work that allows us to witness our interior lives and imagine each other," was preceded by an exquisite monologue performed from her 2019 play Marys Seacole, which explores the life of 19th-century Jamaican-born nurse Mary Seacole.

Screenwriter, playwright, director, actor, and comedian Elaine May was awarded the $25,000 PEN/Mike Nichols Writing for Performance Award. Actress Candice Bergan, who introduced the award, said that "anyone in American comedy attempting to show life as it is, whether they know it or not, is a descendent of Elaine May." In a jocular pre-recorded video message, Nathan Lane quipped, "You [May] winning the Mike Nichols Award is like me winning the Matthew Broderick Award. What does it all mean?" May herself could not accept the award in person, but she delivered a comedic and cleverly choreographed video message to express her gratitude.

Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o was honored with the $50,000 PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature. A transformative figure in African literature, wa Thiong'o's career has spanned nearly 60 years and two languages: English and Gikuyu. Unable to attend in person, three of wa Thiong'o's childrenauthors Mukoma, Wanjiku, and Nducu wa Ngugiaccepted the award on his behalf. Via a pre-recorded video message, he imparted the advice, "Let every language in the world express its unique musicality."

After the event, audience members were encouraged to participate in a candlelight vigil hosted by PEN America to support Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The vigil, held across the street from Town Hall, comprised many dozens of participants, holding electric candles and signs that read, "Writers and artists for a free Ukraine."
Last week, more than 1,000 people signed a letter issued by PEN International decrying Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Over the weekend, several hundred Russian publishing professionals issued their own public condemnation of the invasion. Many Russian publishers too have stood together to criticize Putin's horrible war.

The letter reads, in translation:

We, Russian book publishers, booksellers, editors, translators, critics, illustrators, designers, typesetters, proofreaders, printers, librarians, and booksellers, protest against the war unleashed by the Russian authorities in Ukraine. The war must cease immediately, and the initiators and participants of the military aggression must be stripped of their ranks and titles and brought to justice.

Books are one of the main forms of preserving and transmitting human experience. And all this experience accumulated over the centuries teaches us: war is a crime, and the value of human life is unconditional. War must be stopped!

The letter was signed by representatives from numerous independent bookstores and publishing houses, including Bumkniga, Chuk i Gik -- the publishing house of the Pushkin Foundation -- Sinbad, Alt Graph, Jaromir Hladik Press, Pollen Press, Corpus, Cloudberry, White Crow and several others.

Despite the war, some Russian publishers are still trying to do business with Ukrainian publishing houses. Svetlana Feldman of the Ukrainian publishing house Acca, based in Kharkov, reports that a representative from a Russian publishing house had reached out to her as bombs rained down on her city to renew rights for a medical dictionary. Feldman's reply (translated) read: '"F@ck you, Russian publisher." Sorry. That's our meme." The meme echoes the reply Ukrainian border guards gave to a Russian warship which demanded their surrender on the first day of the war.

Russia's Eksmo Takes Some Blame

Eksmo is the largest general trade publisher in Russia, publishing some 10,000 titles a year and is responsible for approximately 30% of total book sales annually. Today, Evgeny Kapyev, general director of Eksmo issued an open letter, addressing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in which he notes that publishers could have done more to foster greater "mutual understanding."

The publishing house is banned from operating in Ukraine as a result of it having been accused by by the Ukrainian State Committee of Television and Broadcasting of disseminating propaganda. In an interview with PW in November 2021, Kapyev said the publishing house was free of political influence.

Kapyev's open letter, published today, reads in full:

Dear publishers, authors, translators!

These days the world is going through an enormous, dreadful tragedy. War and its victims are unjustifiable, and further conflict escalation can cause irreversible consequences.

Our employees, authors, collaborators, and I personally, have relatives in Ukraine, and these are the most horrible and desperate days for many Russians as well as for the Ukrainians. Our children exchange messages with their Ukrainian friends  those, who have to hide in the Kyiv and Kharkov basements and bomb shelters  and cant understand what a mess those adults have made, how they could possibly get to this point.

In my opinion, we  publishers - are also responsible for what has happened. We are one of those responsible for the development of humanity ideas and mutual understanding. And the fact that for many people, still using weapons to settle an argument, rather than words, is our dramatic deficiency. And it means that as the general director of the largest Russian publishing house, I didnt do my best to prevent this situation.

I hope and I pray for the soonest peaceful resolution of the current situation, but we have to learn our lesson and build more cultural bridges to forever eliminate the use of weapons in a controversy.

Evgeny Kapyev

General Director of Eksmo Publishers

Georgia Publishers Condemn Attack

In addition, the Georgian Publishers Association has published its own letter protesting the invasion. The letter is referencing the year 2008 when Georgia was attacked by Russia and its capital Tbilisi was bombed.

The letter from the Georgia's Publishers and Booksellers Association states:

We, Georgian Publishers and Booksellers - the citizens of Georgia - who have experienced the devastating consequences of Russian imperialism and aggression, express our unconditional support for the fight of the Ukrainian people against Putin's Russia. We comprehend that this process requires enormous sacrifice and is associated with the human tragedy for every Ukrainian, but we strongly believe that this war will lead to the defeat of the evil empire.

Georgian people express their full support for the unity and sovereignty of Ukraine through large-scale demonstrations in all major cities of Georgia. We condemn the militaristic aggression of the Russian Federation against an independent European country. We stand where the civilized world stands, we stand by the brave, admirable warriors - for humanism, education, equality, freedom and a peaceful future.

Solidarity and victory to Ukraine!

On a side note, Russia's 2008 attack on Georgia took place prior to that year's Frankfurt Book Fair. As was then customary, the Georgian Publishers Association's booth in Frankfurt was just across an aisle from the official Russian stand. Tensions ran high and during the fair, the Georgian publishers engaged in their own protest of Russia's attack by tearing the pages out of books theyd taken off the Russian stand, and symbolically bombing the Russians with paper airplanes made out of their own books.

This article has been updated with new information.
Two years after the coronavirus forced a last-minute cancellation of the London Book Fair, four of Americas Big Five publishers will be sending small delegations to the fair, which runs April 5-7 at Olympia London.

Penguin Random House will not have anyone from the U.S. in London, and is leaving its participation at the event to its U.K subsidiary, although U.S. employees in certain departments will work with their U.K. colleagues. We are looking forward to returning to an in-person London Book Fair this year, with a strong contingent from across Penguin Random House UK attending, a spokesperson said.

Representatives from the other four major New York publishers stressed that those going to London will do so on a voluntary basis. We have 10 people attending from the U.S., with representatives from publishing, subsidiary rights, and sales. All attendance, whether from the U.S. or our U.K. company, is on an entirely optional, voluntary basis, an S&S spokesperson said. We are appreciative of the steps and measures LBF has put in place to maintain the health and safety of our staff and the publishing community, and look forward to productive, in-person meetings with colleagues from around the world.

Macmillan Trade US will be attending the fair in a limited fashion, a spokesperson confirmed. The contingent will include individuals from rights and editorial, who are attending the fair at their discretion, she added.

Hachette Book Groups publishers will have a small contingent at London Book Fair this year, a spokesperson said. The HBG rights team, the spokesperson added, "will stay closely connected through video meetings with publishers and co-agents in the weeks leading up to the fair, and will be making separate trips to London after the fair."

HarperCollins is sending a small group of volunteers to London, a spokesperson said.
Today, the organizers of the Bologna Childrens Book Fair announced that, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Fair has, "with immediate effect," suspended cooperation with all Russian state institutions in charge of organizing the Russian collective stand for the upcoming fair, which is scheduled for March 21-24. Last week, Bologna officials condemned the Russian attack, but had stopped short of blocking Russian participation in the fair.

In its new announcement, Bologna again condemned the Russian aggression and added that the BCBF and its associated brands "continue to support the Ukrainian Publishers' Association and will continue to promote their books, illustrators and writers in their absence at this years event."

In a conversation with PW, Elena Pasoli, director of programming for the fair, emphasized that the ban was on the Russian state-sponsored collective stand and not on individual, independent publishers. She added that the fair was planning to offer some practical solution to help promote Ukrainian children's books at the fair, though this was still to be determined.

On Monday, the Frankfurt Book Fair announced that it was suspending its cooperation with the Russian state institutions in charge of organizing the Russian collective stand at Frankfurter Buchmesse, and again promised that the fair gives the Ukrainian publishers associations its full support.

The action by the two fairs is just part of the condemnation of the Russian attack from the international publishing community, including a strongly written statement from the International Publishers Association president Bodour Al Qasimi: "The IPA stands in solidarity with publishers in peril all around the world and, especially at this moment, with our member in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association. We are following developments and discussing how IPA can be of most assistance to our member."

Today's news also follows a call by the members of the Ukrainian Book Institute, the Lviv International Book Forum, and PEN Ukraine for a global boycott of Russian books and publishers from events around the world and an end to book sales. The three organizations issued an open letter, the full text of which is below.

Dear world literature and publishing community!

We call for a ban on spreading Russian narrative through cultural products in general and books in particular. The very important actions were already taken by stakeholders in different spheres. Among them European Broadcasting Union, Eurovision, YouTube, Facebook

This propaganda misled millions, it intimidated and divided, provoked hostility and promoted the regime of cruel dictatorship.

But now the lie became obvious.

Russian propaganda is woven into many books which indeed turns them into weapons and pretext for the war. And these are the titles published in modern Russia involving state support. They are distributed all over the world, promoted at international book fairs, literary festivals, scientific conferences and geopolitical discussions. Affected by Russian propaganda in the field of literature and book publishing, many authors, literary agents, publishers and distributors from around the world spread the infection among more and more readers in their countries.

Meanwhile the places where Ukrainian literature and publishing were blossoming are under attack.

We are very grateful to our Lithuanian colleagues who have started the initiative to boycott Russian publishers at international book fairs. We are grateful to the team of Frankfurt Book Fair who supported this initiative.

We strongly believe that the boycott should be supported by many more and that new sanctions should be imposed to fully isolate Russia and prevent it from further expansion with the means of cultural instruments.

Our demands are:

1) to stop online and offline distribution of books by Russian authors and publishers through the bookstores in your countries;

2) to stop buying and selling rights to and from Russian publishers;

3) to suspend participation of Russia, its publishing houses, cultural centers and authors in all international book fairs and literary festivals;

4) to terminate grants for translations of contemporary Russian authors into foreign languages;

Russia and its criminal dictator are spreading false narratives and harmful ideology composed of the words and texts of their books.

We believe in the freedom of speech and uncensored creativity, we believe that books shape us and our world. But it also means they might be turned into weapons against democracy.
Pigs on a farm. Mohit Verma, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University, is developing tools to detect African swine fever. (Purdue University photo/Tom Campbell )

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  African swine fever, a highly contagious swine disease, is in the Dominican Republic. The disease does not infect people, but it can wipe out pork production in a region. Quick identification and containment are key to stopping its spread, and a team of Purdue University researchers are developing a rapid, pen-side test for the disease.

The National Animal Health Laboratory Network and the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program has provided $1 million to Mohit Verma, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue, for the project.

A rapid test that can be done in the field is needed for surveillance and diagnosis of African swine fever, he said. When it hit China a few years ago, it wiped out 50% of the countrys pig population. It is a devastating disease, and hours, even minutes, matter in containing it.

The research funding was included in the U.S. Farm Bill to build up the nations ability to quickly detect and respond to high-consequence diseases.

This was the first time to my knowledge that a joint operation between these two organizations was included in the farm bill, Verma said. It shows how seriously the U.S. is taking the risk from African swine fever.

Verma is collaborating with Purdue scientists Darryl Ragland, associate professor of veterinary medicine, and Jonathan Alex Pasternak, an assistant professor of animal sciences, to create a portable paper-strip test for the disease. The project follows in the footsteps of Vermas success developing similar tests for COVID-19 and Bovine Respiratory Disease.

Were working on a test that will detect the virus within 30 minutes and indicate results through an easy-to-see color change on a paper strip, Verma said. The ease of use, test timing and size are similar to those of an at-home pregnancy test or COVID-19 test.

A saliva or blood sample will be used for the test. Within a cartridge, the sample is mixed with primers and reagents developed by the team and gently heated. The included paper strip then changes colors if African swine fever DNA is present, he said.

We want the test to be easy for farmers and veterinarians, and for the pigs, Verma said. Our hope is to create something affordable and accessible that could be broadly used in the U.S. and throughout the world.

The technology tests for DNA from the virus and uses a method of nucleic acid amplification called loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP. When the viral DNA is present, LAMP amplifies it. As the level of nucleic acid increases, it changes the pH of the assay, which triggers the color change on the paper strip.

The advantage of LAMP over other methods is that it does not require extraction and processing of the samples, which can be lengthy and expensive, Verma said.

Writer: Elizabeth K. Gardner; 765-441-2024; ekgardner@purdue.edu

Source: Mohit Verma: msverma@purdue.edu

Related releases:

Pen-side test for bovine respiratory disease may save cattle industry millions, reduce antibiotic use - Purdue University News

Purdue researcher develops fast, accurate and affordable COVID-19 paper-based test; clinical trials await - Purdue University News

Purdue team gets $1 million to develop rapid sensor technology for cattle disease - Purdue University News

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
A prisoner who held a knife during the armed robbery of a Lafayette convenience store in 2010 was denied early release for the second time in Tippecanoe Circuit Court.

Brandon Crider-Harris was initially sentenced in 2011 for 30 years in prison and is not scheduled for release until June 2024. Harris was convicted of robbery, theft, conspiracy to commit robbery and being a habitual offender.

Since then, Harris has been spending his time incarcerated to work on being a better man, he said, by earning his GED and taking advantage of inmate programs such as the Case Plan Credit Time. This program allows inmates to complete goals, such as working a steady job and learning responsible life skills, to reduce their sentence.

When Judge Sean Persin asked what Harris employment looked like inside the prison, he answered that he has a full-time job there. Harris said he has a lot of work ethic and enjoys working. Additionally, he said, he wants to go back to school at Ivy Tech and get a degree.

I work from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m., Harris said. Usually Im covered head to toe in grease and grime, but today they gave me a day off. I really love my job.

Harris has accumulated two write-ups since his last hearing for early release court in 2018, when he first denied early release. His first write-up was for getting caught using a cellphone because, Harris said, he was losing custody of his son.

Since his son's mother was not in the picture and he was incarcerated, there was nothing he could do, Harris said. He was moved to a different facility because of the first infraction, and a new tattoo of his son's name and birthday caused a second write-up.

I understand its your job to punish bad behavior, but most people I know love this (being a criminal). When I was younger I did because it was all I knew, but then I had kids, Harris said. If I were to get out today, I do have a game plan on what I will do, and I don't say Im going to do something and dont do it.

I am deeply remorseful for what Ive done, for the robberies. I regret it every day, the man in me regrets it every day.

Im asking that I be shown some compassion.

Despite his plea, the judge said he could not order Harris' early release because of a state law that requires the county prosecutor also approve it.

I understand he has no thoughts of committing a crime, but people get out all the time with no intent and end up right back here, deputy prosecutor Jackie Starbuck said.

Persin noted the hard work Harris has done, and how important it is that he doesnt lose sight of how important that work is.

Youve done a lot of time in prison and I told you last time I thought your conduct was magnificent, Persin said.

I think you have some lower level write-ups. Those arent a problem to me, Persin said. Youre on a good path forward. Stay on that path.

Harris said he is hopeful that he will be released in June 2024.

I want to get out and be an uncle to my nieces and nephews, a big brother to my sisters, Harris said. I really am sorry.
The Indiana House bill that would have required teachers to post their curricula died in the Indiana Senate Monday night.

House Bill 1134 targeted the teaching of critical race theory in public schools and passed in the House on Jan. 26, sending it to the Indiana Senate for a final vote, according to previous Exponent reporting.

The controversial bill would have required schools to post educational activities and curricular materials on the schools website, according to the Indianapolis Star, passed largely along party lines a 60-37 vote in the Republican-supermajority House.

Senators adopted an amendment on Thursday to change the bill so that it no longer contained any language about making students feel guilt or discomfort, according to the Indiana Senate Republicans website.

Additional amendments included lesson plans not needing to be posted publicly.

The Senates version of HB 1134 requires schools to give parents access to their learning management system and gives parents the ability to inspect learning materials upon request, but materials need not be posted before they are used in the classroom, the website reads.

Republicans have a 39-11 supermajority in the Senate, but Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said he didn't have the votes to support the bill, according to Indy Star reporting.

"We had some members of our caucus who felt like it didn't go far enough," he said. "We had some members of our caucus that felt like it was too much of a burden on education and just not a good policy that we wanted to move forward."

Members of the Purdue community criticized the bill after it passed the House, according to previous Exponent reporting.

Janet Alsup, head of curriculum and instruction within the College of Education, said the bill is complex and would put additional strain on teachers and could affect future teachers.

Indiana already has a pretty significant teacher shortage in most areas, she said. Even as a college of education, we're working very hard all the time to increase our enrollments to get more teachers in the field working with students in our state.

(This bill) could potentially make that situation worse, Alsup said.

Quentin Smith, a junior in the College of Education and the president of the Purdue Student Education Council, said it could affect him and his plans to become a teacher in the near future.

(This bill is) something that hurts me inside, especially being a junior, Smith said. In a year, Ill be a student teaching.

I dont want to be censored. Its not worth it. Giving more power to the parents than you give to the professionals is something thats built for failure.
Published:

28 February 2022





Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes.

As Russian missiles fall on Ukraine, an organisation named 'Stop the War' has become a focal point of controversy in the febrile world of the British left. Stop the War are either 'naive', wrote Labour leader Keir Starmer recently, or they 'actively give succour to authoritarian leaders who directly threaten democracies'. The organisation's vice chair (and former adviser to Labour's previous leader Jeremy Corbyn) Andrew Murray, fired back, accusing Starmer of supporting 'warmongering'. Corbyn himself - still suspended from the party whip - is deputy president of Stop the War and promotes it through his own 'Peace & Justice' organisation.

On the surface, this was a policy dispute over the UK's diplomatic and military response to the emerging Russian-Ukrainian crisis. In the build-up to Russia's invasion, the Government took a tough rhetorical stance against Putin and imposed sanctions. Starmer, joining other critics here and abroad of Johnson's government, demanded a much stronger response.

Stop the War, in contrast, accused the British government of pouring 'oil on the fire'. As of last week, they wanted the UK to encourage diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia through the Minsk-2 agreements. They cited last-ditch French and German diplomatic efforts as examples to follow.

Also contentious was the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Stop the War blamed the current crisis on NATO's eastward expansion after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They called for NATO to rule out Ukrainian membership.

Yet, Stop the War's argument has been blindsided by Putin's aggression. All last week, Russia has ripped up the Minsk Protocol. Germany and France, hitherto Stop the War's suggested models, have imposed meaty sanctions. Most importantly, NATO is not the root of Putin's grievances. Rather, it is his imperialist view of Ukraine as part of a 'greater Russian space' and thus in Russia's sphere of influence, whatever the views of its demcratically elected government.

Despite that, Stop the War doubled down. On Tuesday night, they reiterated that this conflict is 'not ... the responsibility of Russian or Ukrainian governments alone'. The UK and NATO, they claim, also bear significant blame, due to the 'expansion of NATO and US hegemony'.

This spat is thus a proxy for other more entrenched divides. In part, it is a parochial battle of political poisoning. Starmer is consciously distancing himself from Corbyn - who, multiple accounts agree, damaged his electoral chances through his inept response to Russia's 2018 poisoning attack in Salisbury. Murray has one eye on Labour's internal critics of Starmer.

The clash is also overlaid with contested histories of British foreign policy over the twentieth century.

It is important, for instance, that NATO was a Cold War creation, an alliance against the Soviet Union. Labour's leadership has traditionally been staunchly anti-communist: as Starmer stressed, it was Clement Attlee's 1945-51 government that helped found NATO, although he passed over Attlee's murkier Cold War entanglements, like the bloody Malayan 'Emergency'.

Further on the British left, others were more openly sympathetic to the Soviet Union. Back in the 1980s, Stop the War's Murray was part of the 'Straight Left' faction of the Communist Party of Great Britain and battled with the 'Eurocommunists' over how far it should break from the Soviets. This helps explain his current sparring with the journalist and former Trotskyist Paul Mason, a prominent critic of 'tankies' - an allusion to Soviet tanks crushing dissent in Hungary (1956) and Prague (1968). Arcane splits in the British 1980s far left still echo in contemporary socialist politics.

Also crucial is the fraught legacy of former Labour Prime Minister, Tony Blair (1997-2007). Indeed, Stop the War was founded in 2001 and peaked during the mass opposition to the disastrous 2003 invasion of Iraq. Stop the War's supporters point out that NATO has itself invaded and bombed other countries, particularly Libya (2011), and they point to the failed intervention in Afghanistan (2001-2021).

Some in Stop the War - like the chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Kate Hudson - also attack NATO's intervention in Yugoslavia in 1999, blaming the country's collapse on the West. Those who mention NATO's intervention in the Kosovan War are, however, more likely to be supporters of institutions like NATO and the UK's 'responsibility to protect' (such as Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting) as they highlight its role in stopping genocidal ethnic conflict.

These histories are, in turn, underpinned by clashes over the true meaning of an 'ethical' or 'moral' foreign policy - an ideal that, Charlotte Lydia Riley stresses, is crucial for Labour's self-image. Does it involve economic sanctions (that have civilian victims) and the sending of weapons to a warzone, coordinated through an inherited Atlantic alliance that has its own murky history? Or does it consist simply of pleas for peace and nothing else, even as a sovereign, democratic government calls for support while threatened by an oppressive dictator?

In Labour, it's an old question. Attlee became Labour leader in 1935 after his ally, Ernest Bevin, publicly savaged Attlee's predecessor, George Lansbury, for 'hawking his conscience' by refusing to impose sanctions on the Italian fascist Mussolini after his invasion of Ethiopia. Putin's own invasion makes it burningly relevant today. With Labour ahead in the polls, it is not inconceivable that it could shape British foreign policy.

Dr Colm Murphy is the Deputy Director of the Mile End Institute and Teaching Fellow in the School of History at Queen Mary University of London.

This blog was originally published on 24 February 2022 by UK in a Changing Europe and reproduced with their kind permission.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/28/2022



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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 Ben discovering Mahogany had lied a lot, Ximena Morales admitting she wasn't "in love" with Mike Berk, Kim Menzies gushing about sex with Usman "SojaBoy" Umar , Memphis Smith coming clean to Hamza Moknii, and Gino Palazzolo buying an engagement ring for Jasmine Pineda during the fifth-season episode Sunday night on TLC.: Before the 90 Days' new season stars Usman, a 32-year-old from Sokoto, Nigeria, and Kim, a 50-year-old from San Diego, CA; Gino, a 51-year-old from Canton, MI, and Jasmine, a 34-year-old from Panama City, Panama; and Memphis, a 34-year-old from Muskegon, MI, and Hamza, a 28-year-old from Kairouan, Tunisia.The series also stars Mike, a 34-year-old from Thiells, NY, and Ximena, a 24-year-old from Pereira, Colombia; Ella, a 29-year-old from Idaho Falls, ID, and Johnny, a 34-year-old from Jinan, China; Ben, a 52-year-old from Fraser, MI, and Mahogany, a 24-year-old from San Bartolo, Peru; and Caleb, a 28-year-old from Chandler, AZ, and Alina, a 27-year-old from Saint Petersburg, Russia.Usman was previously married to Lisa Hamme , 54, whom he had met on Facebook two years before filming : Before the 90 Days' fourth season.Lisa struggled to trust Usman during their relationship and they split in May 2020. Usman later served Lisa with divorce papers in December 2020 and Lisa has since remarried with a childhood friend.: Before the 90 Days follows long-distance relationships and documents how each couple found each other as well as their first in-person meeting in a foreign country "and the countless surprises, drama and culture clashes along the way."In most : Before the 90 Days cases, lovebirds are hoping to get engaged and begin the K-1 Visa process.After traveling across the world, the couples will determine if love can conquer all as they experience challenges such as language barriers, interfering families, cultural differences, age gaps, ex partners, and "shady pasts," according to TLC.Below is what happened on the eleventh episode of : Before the 90 Days' fifth season:Kim and Usman were shown waking up next to each other after having sex for the first time. Kim joked she was going to be walking funny and that the night was "amazing.""He's my boyfriend! What the f-ck is my life!?... It was absolutely amazing. It was everything I could have wished for and more -- more! There is definitely a difference between African sex and then American men sex," Kim shared."There is a different flow, a different rhythm -- a certain intensity. There is not a lot of foreplay; it's just kind of getting into it. But the kissing part was really good... He likes to flip things around."Kim cracked up after giving the cameras too much information, and Usman said he had slept with Kim because she really loved him and deserved his love. He said they had sex four times and it was "yummy, yummy" and "awesome."Kim promised Usman that she was going to make him really happy, but she worried about the logistics of dating considering they live in different countries. She noted how it was going to be very difficult to communicate over text and video chats again after being together."Maybe one day I will win a Grammy and I will be holding your hand on the stage," Usman told Kim.However, Usman had been hiding something from her, and so he planned to tell her that day because she deserved honesty. He was scared how she was going to react and just hoped it wouldn't damage their new boyfriend and girlfriend relationship.Kim and Usman later went on a romantic spice tour in Zanzibar, and they were crowned the king and queen of spicy village.After a great day, Kim was smiling ear to ear, but then Usman was about to break the news about Zara -- the subject of his new hit song -- being about an ex-girlfriend.Ben was shown preparing for his first real date after meeting Mahogany, and he was very nervous. Ben, a fitness model, bronzed up his muscles so he would look good at the boardwalk by the beach and impress his girlfriend.He called his time with Mahogany at a restaurant the previous night "an unbelievably magical moment," but he acknowledged how he'd probably have to break down Mahogany's walls and bond with her in order to achieve the same intimacy they had developed online.The couple planned to walk along the water, talk, have lunch at a nearby cafe, and just get to know each other better.Ben told Mahogany that he wanted to find out what God's plan was for them, and he tried to communicate with her in Spanish. He asked what made her lose trust in him, and Mahogany admitted it was her father's questions and skepticism of Ben.Mahogany's parents were concerned about Ben's age and the fact he's so much older than Mahogany, and so Ben recognized he had a lot of work to do -- both in his relationship and when it came to impressing and winning over her father.Ben said he needed to talk to Mahogany's parents and he'd like to meet them that evening, but Mahogany seemed a little hesitant. She wasn't even sure her parents would be open to that idea."We can't continue this relationship while her parents are right in her ear saying, 'Don't trust this guy.' So I really hope that they agree to meet with me," Ben shared in a confessional."Because it's clear to me now that if I don't get their approval, this relationship is dead in the water; it's not going to go anywhere."That evening, Mahogany's parents agreed to meet with Ben, and he went to her apartment for the gathering. Ben called her place beautiful and gorgeous, but she lived alone and had apparently told Ben that she lived with her parents.Ben claimed Mahogany had said she lived with her parents just a month ago and so the experience was strange for him. He said Mahogany wasn't familiar with her apartment and there were games inside she'd never played, as well as a surfboard she'd never used.Ben also noticed there were expensive things in the apartment, but he didn't want to accuse Mahogany of lying to him."I'm really thrown off right now because I came all this way and I don't really know if I can trust her," Ben complained.Ben then met Mahogany's parents Jose and Silvia, who were wary about Jasmine meeting a much older man online.Ben explained to Jose and Silvia that "love knows no age" and he was "in love" with their daughter. Jose had doubts Ben could really love Mahogany since they had only dated for three months, but Ben said Mahogany is very mature for her age.Suddenly, Ben learned Mahogany was only 22 years old when she had told him she's 24 years old. Mahogany called it "a mistake," and Ben let her off the hook by saying it must have been an issue with the translation.However, Ben was positive Mahogany had told him that she was 23 when they met, and he even wished her a happy 24th birthday. Ben said Mahogany never denied turning 24 and so there was definitely "more than a miscommunication on this one."The night didn't go well because Ben was certain this house -- given there weren't photos of her anywhere -- didn't belong to Mahogany and that she had also lied about her age. Since Ben has a daughter who's 22 years old, he was pretty freaked out and almost ready to go back to the airport.Jasmine was mentally drained after her fight with Gino, who tried to show Jasmine how sorry he really was. Jasmine figured Gino would put his best effort into their relationship going forward and they could maybe make it as a couple.Jasmine then revealed to Gino how she had stolen one of his shirts so she could remember him, and Gino shared how he had found one of Jasmine's nails on the floor and put it in his bag because he thought that's all he'd have left of her. He wanted a piece of her to have with him all the time.But instead of finding the story sweet, Jasmine appeared turned off and a little creeped out."It's weird but it's cute at the same time. That's Gino," Jasmine told the cameras with a laugh.Jasmine was excited to show Gino more of Panama and introduce him to her mother. She was nervous about the meeting, especially since her mother is over-protective and wasn't sure about Gino's intentions. Jasmine's mom apparently never wanted to see her hurt again after Jasmine's difficult divorce.Gino realized the next week was going to be critical for his relationship and he really needed to step his game up if he was going to keep Jasmine as his girlfriend and potential future fiancee.Once in Western Panama, Gino and Jasmine were getting back on track, and Gino acknowledged how he felt relieved. While Jasmine was going to introduce Gino to her mother, she said she wasn't ready for her kids to meet Gino yet since she wasn't 100 percent sure they were going to be together long-term.In order to regain trust in their relationship, Gino had to go back to giving Jasmine "reports" about his whereabouts and interactions with people. Despite having taken a step back in their romance, Gino said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Jasmine."She fulfills everything I've looked for in a woman. She's caring, intelligent, sexy and hot -- but most importantly, Jasmine has a very good heart," Gino shared."So I'm going to buy Jasmine an engagement ring and I plan to ask her to marry me before I go back to the United States."Gino therefore went into the city and picked out a $270 ring, and he just hoped Jasmine would like it since she had told him before that he has terrible taste. He was on a "super budget" since he wasn't working at the time."I hope Jasmine sees how serious I am with this ring, and despite all the problems that we've had, I hope that she says 'yes,'" Gino told the cameras.Jasmine wanted Gino to receive her mother's blessing for them to be together, and Gino had chocolates and a sweet card ready to give her. Jasmine called her mother "very traditional" and "religious," and so she didn't think Gino was prepared for her truth and direct way of conversing."If she says 'no,' even though I love you, I wouldn't marry you, Gino," Jasmine admitted on the way to the meeting. "Because I didn't listen to her the first time and I learned the hard way. She knows best."Jasmine asked Gino to remove his hat out of respect for his mother, but he refused, and so things didn't get off to a great start.Ximena and Mike were on their way to pick out a wedding dress, but Ximena appeared upset and annoyed that Mike was going with her. Ximena said it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress ahead of the ceremony, and so Mike promised he'd wait in the other side of the store and not sneak a peek.Ximena also admitted she was still angry about the way Mike had interrogated her the previous night about her club outing and why she had returned home so late into the evening.Mike hoped Ximena would be happy in her wedding dress and actually show that she wanted to marry him, and she gushed about loving a particular strapless gown with an A-line cut.Ximena called the dress "divine" and thought she looked like a princess, but she wasn't happy with Mike and still wanted to have a talk with him.Ximena asked Mike why he didn't want to pay for her plastic surgery when he was willing to pay for her wedding dress, and he didn't think her question made sense. Ximena said if she underwent surgery, she could begin working as a model.But Mike liked the way Ximena already looked, which made her laugh. She said she needed the money for the procedure in a few days and wanted to have the surgery before buying a wedding dress."I feel like Ximena is almost giving me an ultimatum, because if I don't pay for the surgery, there is no wedding dress," Mike noted."With no wedding dress, there is no wedding. I'm not really for the surgery because different complications can come up, and it also costs $5,000. She should be wanting to use that money for our future together, but that doesn't seem to be on her mind and that really hurts."Mike told Ximena that he didn't want to talk about the surgery anymore, but she said it was "normal" and repeated how there would be no dress if there's no surgery.Later on, Ximena complained about how Mike was always on top of her. She said Mike followed her everywhere she went, like if she stopped eating, he would stop eating. Ximena called him "weird" and accused him of imitating her.Ximena thought Mike could be too affectionate, and she didn't like how he said, "I love you," every few minutes. She called Mike's behavior "stressful" and "exhausting," and she admitted having surgery was more important to her than anything else at this point.Mike promised to give Ximena more space, and then she said, "You don't sleep so you can spy on me... I don't like to be stared at."Mike said he wasn't spying on Ximena, he was just looking at her because she looked beautiful all the time. But Ximena snapped how those habits were pushing them apart and he could lose her."I want space. I want time. I don't want to get married yet," Ximena said. "I do want us to get married, but not yet."Mike said Ximena seemed like a different person and didn't appear to be invested in their relationship anymore. The visit left Mike feeling confused, and so he flat out asked his fiancee, "Do you love me?""No," Ximena replied. "I am not in love with you."Hamza, who was having doubts about marriage due to his mother's advice not to rush things, told Memphis that he wanted to marry her but needed more time with her first.Memphis complained, "Why would you ask me to get married to you and then have me do all this stuff and all of this preparing for nothing? That is ridiculous. Why would you ask me to come to Tunisia and marry you if you did not want to get married? I do not understand!"Memphis accused Hamza of lying and called him "not nice," especially since she couldn't stay in Tunisia for much longer. She said she wanted to be with Hamza but if he didn't want to marry her, she would go home and end their relationship."I am afraid of you," Hamza admitted."What?! Why?" Memphis asked."Because of your ex before. One ex, two ex. Divorce," Hamza said.Memphis said she only had one divorce, but then Hamza confessed that he was afraid he'd act like Memphis' ex and then she'd leave him. Memphis asked Hamza to not be afraid of the past and to trust her and look forward to the future.Hamza wished Memphis trusted him whole-heartedly, but she insisted that she trusted him even though it was important for them to sign a prenuptial agreement."So do you want to marry me?" Memphis asked."Okay," Hamza replied.Memphis became even more afraid to tell Hamza about her past mistake in light of his insecurities, but she ultimately shared how she had slept at her ex-husband's house in the summertime when they had just begun dating.Memphis revealed she had slept at her ex's house for four nights but nothing happened sexually, and Hamza replied, "Are you crazy?!" Hamza stormed off swearing and said he was now reconsidering marrying her.Memphis insisted they had just started dating at the time, but Hamza felt disrespected and lied."I did not sleep in the bed with him and I did not have sex with him!" Memphis said. "I want you to trust me. That is why I'm telling you now."When Hamza said things weren't okay, Memphis replied, "F-ck it," and walked away from him. Hamza's mother scolded Memphis for not being honest with her son sooner, but Memphis said she desperately needed some moral support at the time she had slept at her ex-husband's place.Memphis further explained the situation off-camera to Hamza for 20 minutes, and she said she had been through a very dark time. At the time, she didn't pass her state boards for the first time and she was very depressed."I laid in bed for approximately four days," Memphis said, sharing how her ex-husband had to make sure that her children were clothed and cared for during that time.Memphis said if she didn't look to her ex-husband for support at that time, her decisions would have been "very detrimental" to her life.Hamza told Memphis that he understood her reasoning and still loved her and wanted to marry her, but he hoped she would rely on him for support going forward.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 03/01/2022



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

and The Amazing Race couple Cody Nickson and Jessica Graf have revealed they are expecting their third child together.Jessica, 31, and Cody, 36, both took to Instagram on Monday to announce their big news."Nickson Addition 08.2022 @babynickson," the couple captioned an Instagram video on their respective accounts showing footage of the couple, their two young girls, and sonogram images of their baby on the way."A lot of you have already guessed it and it's nice to not have to hide it anymore. We prayed for you & now we can't wait to meet you."The video was set to "You Are My Sunshine," and one sweet image featured Cody and Jessica embracing as they cradled her noticeable baby bump.The footage also included the pair's daughters Maverick, who was born in March 2019 and turns three this month, and Carter York, 16 months, whom the pair welcomed into the world on October 5, 2020. The girls were smiling as they held up a sonogram of their new sibling.Cody also has an nine-year-old daughter Paisley from a previous relationship.Jessica revealed Tuesday on Instagram how she's nearly 17 weeks into her third pregnancy, and Cody simultaneously shared in his Instagram Story how he's "really happy.""We tried to hide it as long as we could, but Jessica is now showing. I can't even describe it because I've got such a smile on my face," Cody explained."But yeah, we're extremely happy. We went through this all last year, trying to get pregnant and it wasn't happening. And then we thought we were pregnant, and then we found out we weren't... And then a week later, we found out we were."The former Marine elaborated, "And then we had to move forward with this move and everything. It's been a happy and stressful time... We are happy and we are blessed, and there's some good news for y'all."Jessica and Cody just closed on a bigger home in Dallas, TX, in January and have since been moving their belongings into it.Jessica revealed on Instagram in late January, "When we got married we made a 10 year plan to build a home. Never did we imagine we would do it in 3! The opportunity was just perfect and we couldn't turn down the chance.""We started this project last January and a full calendar year later, here we are, keys in hand and a lot more work ahead. But this is the exciting part. Unpacking and making our new house a home in this next chapter of life."Back in December 2020, just two months after Jessica gave birth to the couple's second child, Cody said he couldn't wait to get his wife pregnant again and was really looking forward to having a third baby."What are you most excited for in 2021?" a fan asked Cody when the reality TV star conducted a Q&A session on his Instagram Story at the time. Getting my wife pregnant again ," Cody replied, before adding, "(I'll tag her @thejessicanickson so she can slap me later. Ha)."In reply to Cody's post, Jessica wrote on her own Instagram Story, "If this happens, it'll be LATE 2021 lol!"Jessica and Cody fell in love on Season 19 of in 2017 and then got engaged on February 13, 2018 shortly after winning the $1 million prize on The Amazing Race's 30th season.Jessica and Cody got married in October 2018 , just one month after announcing Jessica's first pregnancy The couple tied the knot in Malibu, CA, at The Chateau Le Dome at Saddlerock Ranch.The day after their wedding, the and The Amazing Race couple revealed they were expecting a baby girl Maverick was born on March 17, 2019, nearly a month before her April 11, 2019 due date.Jessica did not debut her first baby bump until she was 22 weeks along with Maverick in order to avoid haters and trolls, but Jessica was much more confident and open with fans during her second pregnancy.Jessica then announced she was pregnant with Baby No. 2 on May 6, 2020 by posting a cute family photo on Instagram."FINALLY! As you guys know, Cody and I have been wanting to have all our kids pretty close in age so we were determined to get pregnant this year... Maverick is going to be a big sister!" Jessica wrote at the time."I'm not really sure if she fully understands that yet but no matter what, she's always going to be my baby."The couple then unveiled the sex of Baby No. 2 on May 12, 2020 by posting a gender-reveal video to Jessica and Cody's YouTube channel.Considering Cody is dad to three girls, he's probably hoping for a boy this year!"I had no idea that one day I would be on [ ], nor that it would change the course of my life forever. I met the love of my life, Jessica. I don't say that lightly," Cody wrote on Instagram in October 2021."Since the day we met, we've spent almost every waking and sleeping moment together. We are inseparable. We would go on to win the Amazing Race together as a team, and this would give us the money to buy our house, grow our businesses, get married, and start our family."Cody added how he felt "blessed... beyond what I could've ever imagined.""[I] am incredibly thankful for my wife and kids," he added. "I am also humbled and appreciate the kindness and support many of you that have shown me and my family."
Dancing with the Stars pro Maks Chmerkovskiy, who was in Kyiv when the Russian invasion began, said Monday in an update he will start to make his way out of Ukraine.

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"I'm going to try to make my way out. I'm going to try to start getting towards the border," Chmerkovskiy, who is Ukrainian-American, said in the update posted to his Instagram account. "I have options. My options are better than most people's, unfortunately, but I'm just a little nervous."

"It's going to be alright, well I know, it's going to be okay," he added, urging followers not to panic if he doesn't provide many more updates.

Chmerkovskiy was staying at hotel in Kyiv when the Russian invasion began late Thursday, and he told followers in an earlier update he was "safe," but the overall situation was "dire."

"Just a lot of fighting everywhere," he said in the new update. "The streets are crazy. At one point, I got arrested...but again, all good, I promise."

"For me, it was just a reality check," he added.

He also gave an update on his friends, who he mentioned in his earlier Instagram post.

Chmerkovskiy said one of his friends has been headed from Kyiv to the city of Lviv in the west, to the Polish border, traveling 17 hours by bus, but still hasn't made it to the border.

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He added that she told him it was cold at night when the engine was turned off to save gas, but there were volunteers along the bus route providing food and hot drinks.

Chmerkovskiy said that another friend took the kids out, and she and her husband are "taking up arms" in the ground defense against the invasion.

In an Instagram video Sunday, he was wiping back tears as he described the situation.

"I'm in a very safe place, but this is nuts, and I think everybody is going through a lot of emotions, and I think it's time I expose mine a little bit in a more personal manner," he said. "This is a war, this is a crazy situation, it's insane."

"What Ukrainians are doing, it makes me so proud," he added. "Just spread the word that this needs to pause, stop, stop, stop the shooting...The reality is I just want to go home at this point. I'm just hoping for a safe ending to it all."

In another post, he posted footage he said was of "mostly unarmed Ukrainian civilians," who stopped "and turned away Russian tanks."

He also posted a photo he said was of "a civilian car shot at while trying to escape the war," adding that a man died and his wife and two daughters were injured.

The invasion has led to at least 368,000 Ukrainians fleeing the country, the United Nations announced Sunday.

On Monday, the United States closed its embassy in Belarus and authorized diplomats to voluntarily leave Russia amid the war in Ukraine due to "safety issues," according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony are pulling upcoming, major theatrical releases from Russia due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.

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Disney will not be releasing Turning Red, a new animated film from Pixar featuring Sandra Oh , Rosalie Chiang and James Hong, in Russia. The film was originally set to hit theaters in Russia on March 10.

"Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees," the statement continued.

Warner Bros. will be pulling The Batman from Russian theaters. The comic book epic, which was set to open in Russia on Thursday, stars Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis.

"In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia. We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy," a WarnerMedia spokesperson said in a statement.

Sony, meanwhile, is pulling its Marvel film Morbius starring Jared Leto, Tyrese Gibson, Matt Smith and Michael Keaton, from Russia. The film was sit to hit theaters in Russia on March 24.

"Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis unfolding in that region, we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly," a Sony spokesperson said in a statement.
Amanda Seyfried said playing Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout, premiering Thursday on Hulu, required her to find admirable qualities in the convicted fraud character.

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"You kind of have to fall in love with them a little bit regardless of what they've done or who they are," Seyfried said on a Television Critics Association Zoom panel. "That's where my process begins."

Holmes claimed to have created a test that performed hundreds of diagnostic tests from a single drop of blood taken from a thumb prick. Holmes raised millions in funding for her company, Theranos, but was indicted for fraud by the SEC in 2018.

Holmes was found guilty Jan. 3 of four counts of fraud. She was also the subject of the 2019 documentary The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.

"It's crazy that we were shooting this show while the trial was beginning," Seyfried said. "New information was always coming through to us."

With all the coverage of Holmes available, Seyfried, 36, said The Dropout attempts to explain why Holmes perpetrated her crime. However, Seyfried said the cast and creator-executive producer Elizabeth Meriwether only extrapolate from their research, including ABC News correspondent Rebecca Jarvis ' podcast, The Dropout.

"She's still such a mystery, and I think this is the only project that actually gives insight," Seyfried said. "It's a lot of guesswork, but guesswork based on a lot of facts."

Early episodes of The Dropout show Holmes' admiration of Steve Jobs and ambitions to create a product and become a billionaire. At Stanford University, freshman Holmes got into a senior level laboratory program.

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Holmes dropped out of Stanford in 2004 and instead used the money saved for tuition to invest in her fledgling company. Seyfried said she believes Holmes convinced herself her blood test would work.

"A true devotion to something led her to this, whether it's true devotion to becoming a billionaire, or really saving people's lives," Seyfried said. "She was devoted to her goals."

Seyfried said that devotion made Holmes convincing to investors and fellow scientists. Even when they questioned her, Seyfried said, Holmes could make them believe her.

"She could sell me sand, if I ever met her," Seyfried said. "She would always deflect anything she didn't really know with something she did know. So she'd double down."

The Dropout also depicts how Holmes adopted a deeper speaking voice as she became the public face of Theranos. The Dropout depicts Holmes as a child, and Seyfried plays her as a teenager with a higher pitched voice.

Seyfried said adopting such a deep voice showed her how challenging Holmes' persona became.

"I had to work really hard to get there because I speak at such a higher level than she does naturally," Seyfried said. "I still couldn't get all the way there. There were some different breathing tricks, but I don't think I nailed it 100%."

The Dropout also depicts Holmes' relationship with Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani (Naveen Andrews). Balwani was an older businessman Holmes met during a study abroad program in Beijing in 2002. He became Holmes' boyfriend and Theranos partner.

Seyfried said it was more challenging to figure out what happened in private moments between Holmes and Balwani. She said Meriwether's script and extrapolating the facts on the record guided her and Andrews to portray the private moments.

"We were able to come up with a pretty good idea of what might have happened together," Seyfried said.

New episodes of The Dropout stream Thursdays on Hulu.
Tall buildings vote question on hold

TRAVERSE CITY  City leaders have not yet decided whether another tall buildings vote will go before Traverse City voters in November.

Commissioners had been set to vote on putting an ask from Innovo TC Hall on the ballot for their Feb. 22 meeting, but bad weather forced them to cancel.

Mayor Pro Tem Amy Shamroe said that question will be put off to a future meeting, because representatives for the developer couldn't confirm for Monday's meeting.

The developer, the same Kalamazoo-based group behind Breakwater Apartments a block away, wants to build an apartments-and-commercial space project on empty land on Hall Street with a 60-foot-tall roof deck.

While city officials had previously assured them their plans didn't require a vote under a 2016 city charter amendment, nonprofit group Save Our Downtown challenged that assertion in court and won. Thirteenth Circuit Court Judge Thomas Power agreed that structures on the building's roof, like an elevator shaft and front entry atrium, that would stand taller than 60 feet count as part of the building.

That's despite city zoning rules stating otherwise, with the city's tall buildings vote implementation policy pointing to those rules.

Innovo TC Hall and Traverse City are appealing Power's decision, although a decision from the state Court of Appeals isn't expected any time soon.
Athens, GA (30605)

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Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
People gathered in Harmony Parking lot in Brattleboro on Friday, April 22nd for a street festival and parade in celebration of Earth Day. According to Nancy Braus of 350 Brattleboro, the goal was to celebrate the ways in which the community is working towards climate justice and to empower 
Maia McNeill gets Kayli and Lisa Nicholson, of Brattleboro, to sign a petition to allow 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in an election.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

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Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds light and variable..

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Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46F. Winds light and variable.
Nader Hashim is a Dummerston resident and a Democratic candidate for state senate in Windham County. He previously served in the House of Representatives on the Judiciary Committee, and also formerly served as a Vermont State Trooper. He presently works at a law firm in Brattleboro. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.
Beckley, WV (25801)

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Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
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NORWALK  Wegmans, the upscale grocery store chain based in upstate New York, announced Tuesday it plans to open its first Connecticut store on 11 acres of land off Connecticut Avenue near Interstate 95.

Marcie Rivera, a spokesperson for the chain, said Wegmans doesnt have a timeline regarding when the 95,000-square-foot store will open on Richards Avenue in Norwalk.

It usually takes a couple of years from when we announce an opening to when it actually opens, Rivera said.

The property has been occupied by an office complex owned by MBI Inc., which Norwalk officials said is looking to relocate to another site in the city. MBI makes a variety of collectibles like coins under the Danbury Mint brand and porcelain figurines.

Colleen Wegman, president and chief executive officer of Wegmans Food Markets, said in a statement, each year we receive hundreds of requests from residents for a store in Connecticut, so were excited to bring Wegmans to Norwalk and to get to know our new neighbors.

Rivera said Wegmans has been considering opening a Connecticut location for several years. The Norwalk property is a mid-sized location for Wegmans, according to Rivera.

Wegmans has an 80,000-square-foot store in Chestnut Hill, Mass., and has locations that are as large as 140,000 square feet, according to the Food Marketing Institute.

Opening a store in Norwalk puts Wegmans in direct competition with Connecticuts home-grown upscale grocery chain, Stew Leonards, which got its start as a small dairy store in 1969.

That store is located on the opposite side of Norwalk at 100 Westport Ave., and is one of six Stew Leonards locations, including three in Connecticut.

Stew Leonard Jr., president and chief executive officer of the chain, said he is really good friends with the Wegman family.

Obviously, we are competitors, but I have tremendous respect for their quality and their corporate culture because we are both family businesses, Leonard said Tuesday. Both our families love helping out people and providing good quality food. I welcome them to Norwalk and I plan on being there with a big bouquet of flowers the day they open up.

Leonard said sales are still growing at his familys Westchester County store in Yonkers, N.Y., even after Wegmans opened a location in 2020 about 15 miles away on the opposite side of lower Westchester in Harrison, N.Y.

So I think there is room for both of us in Norwalk, he said.

Wegmans has established itself in southern New England with six locations in eastern and central Massachusetts inside the interstates 495 and 128 corridor. The chain has also been focused on the metropolitan New York area.

Wegmans opened its first New York City store in the Brooklyn Navy Yard redevelopment project in October 2019. And the company has announced it will open a store in a former Kmart location at Astor Place at 770 Broadway in the second half of 2023.

Rivera said it is too soon to say if the grocery chain will open any other stores in Connecticut. Wegmans has 106 stores in seven states and has more than 50,000 employees.

Donald Klepper-Smith, an economist with DataCore Partners, said Wegmans decision to enter the Connecticut market via Norwalk is the marriage of a good brand and a lucrative market in Fairfield County.

Its a good place for them to start in Connecticut  thats where the money is, Klepper-Smith said. And its a home run for consumers. I can see them looking at Wegmans as a destination retail location.

Wayne Pesce, president of the Connecticut Food Association, a Hartford-based trade group representing the states supermarket operators, said Wegmans entry into the states grocery market will force anyone who is selling food to step up their game.

Competition is good and this is a family-owned business that has been around for a long time, Pesce said. They are best known for their pre-prepared foods because they save time for consumers.

He said Wegmans expansion from the mid-Atlantic states all the way north to New York is nothing short of amazing. Pesce said he expects the Norwalk Wegmans will initially draw customers from well beyond Fairfield County.

People are going to want to see what all the fuss is about, he said. The question is how far people will be willing to go to get there.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Litchfield Jazz Presents, a free online series from Telefunken Soundstage, will hold the third concert of its 2021-22 season on March 25, featuring vocalist Melinda Rodriguez.

Rodriguez will tip her hat to two of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time  Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson, according to a statement.

Her band includes Matt Wilson on drums, Matt Dwonszyk on bass, Albert Rivera on saxophones and up-and-coming pianist Will Evans.

Based in Miami, Florida, Rodriguez is a member of the Litchfield Jazz Camp teaching staff and has served as an adjunct professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she recently received her masters degree. She is the winner of the 2019 Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition and was selected as one of the finalists on the popular television program The Voice, season 17, according to the statement.

Matt Wilson is one of the most in demand drummers working today and has been honored by the Jazz Journalists Association as Drummer of the Year. He is a regular in critics and readers polls annually.

Albert Rivera is a busy musician/educator and an ASCAP and Chamber Music America award winner, whose groups can be heard in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut clubs and at many East Coast Festivals on almost any weekend of the year. He is Director of Operations at the Litchfield Jazz Camp and adjunct professor of Jazz at Purchase College.

Brooklyn-based Matt Dwonsyk appears at major NYC jazz clubs, tours internationally and has performed with the late, great Harold Mabern, Bennie Williams, Herlin Riley, Eddie Henderson, and many more. Will Evans is the new kid on the block. He received the George Wein Jazz Ambassador award in 2016 and graduated with highest honors from Brown University in 2020. Having decided on a life jazz, he is working on a Masters degree at Manhattan School of Music and gigging professionally. We met Will at Litchfield Jazz Camp where he was a student.

This show is free and available to the public, and can be seen live at www.LitchfieldJazzFest.com, Facebook and YouTube pages at 7:30 p.m. March 25.
On Feb. 2, a French judge ordered two security aides for Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen to be tried for organizing a 1997 grenade attack against a political opposition rally in the capital Phnom Penh that left 16 people dead and at least 120 injured. On Feb. 22, Sovannarith Keo of RFAs Khmer Service spoke to Brad Adams, Asia director of New York-based Human Rights Watch, about the French courts action and what might happen next. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

RFA: What does this French courts order of indictment mean for Hun Sens bodyguard chief Hing Bun Heang and for Huy Piseth specifically, and what does it mean for Hun Sen himself?

Brad Adams: Well, I think that for the two individuals, Hing Bun Heang and Huy Piseth, they will never be able to travel in Europe again. They won't be able to travel to North America. There should be a European arrest warrant put out through the European Union's common procedure. There should be an Interpol Red Notice, which means they would be subject to arrest anywhere outside Cambodia. Of course, they should be subject to arrest in Cambodia, but we know the Cambodian government has already refused to arrest them. It could lead to enhanced sanctions against both of them.

Hing Bun Heang has been sanctioned in the past, and I expect that both of them will face additional sanctions that would affect their assets overseas and any companies that they're involved in. And of course we know that in particular Hing Bun Heang is highly corrupt and would be subject in time to sanctions for that as well. So it would be illegal to trade with them or do business with them if you're a foreign company based in certain jurisdictions.

For Hun Sen, the judgment of the court or the court order makes it clear that if he didn't have immunity, he would have also been subject to an arrest warrant. So will Hun Sen be arrested? No, not right now, not unless his immunity is challenged and lifted by a French or other court. But I think it will be very hard for the European Union and other democracies at least to invite him for bilateral meetings or to participate in multilateral meetings, because we now have an independent court in a very well-established democracy concluding that the evidence shows that Hing Bun Heang and Huy Piseth organized and ordered the grenade attack, and that only one person could have given them permission to do that. And that was the prime minister.

This is something, by the way, that Huy Piseth acknowledged when he was questioned by the FBI in 1997. He said that only a prime minister could order this when agent [Tom] Nicoletti asked him why bodyguards would be present in that park on that day when they had never been present at any other protests before. And he admitted it.

RFA: You mentioned earlier that there will be enhanced sanctions against these two individuals and that there should be an Interpol Red Notice or a so-called European arrest warrant issued against both of them. Do you think the French court will likely move to request this kind of Interpol Red Notice or other international arrest warrant against these two individuals in the future?

Brad Adams: Yes. The way it works in the French system is that it's up to the prosecutor to make that request. But the problem is that there is no transparency, so we will have to dig in, and maybe you as journalists can also dig, to find out if and when the prosecutor makes that request. They do not have an obligation to make that request in public. They can, but they don't have to. So we don't know when that will happen, but I can't believe that it won't happen, because the case is very serious It's a case of attempted assassination, according to the French court, and attempted murderthe attempted assassination of Sam Rainsy and murder of the 16 people. And this is obviously a very, very serious crime.

RFA: Will your organization, Human Rights Watch, move to pursue the request of an Interpol Red Notice against them?

Brad Adams: Yes, of course we are going to push very hard for this. But in the end it is up to the French authorities. I will say the French authorities did pass the demand, the summons for Hing Bun Heang and Huy Piseth to appear in the French court from the French judge to the Ministry of Justice in France, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in France, to the embassy in Phnom Penh, and to the Cambodian government. So, the system worked properly in France to pursue this case although the Cambodian government refused to make Huy Piseth and Hing Bun Heang available for questioning. And that's the reason the arrest warrant was issued. The arrest warrant was issued when they failed to appear as requested by the French Court.

RFA: Can this order of indictment be appealed to the Supreme Court in France?

Brad Adams: No, there's no way to appeal at this point. This case is now going to be set for trial sometime next year probably, at which point the evidence will be heard in court. And people like me will be called to testify. Hing Bun Heang and Huy Piseth will be entitled to appear and testify if they choose to. And the court would come to a conclusion about whether or not there is enough evidence beyond a reasonable doubt to convict them.

A Cambodian man prays in front of portraits of victims of a 1997 grenade attack on a political opposition rally in Phnom Penh that left 16 people dead and at least 120 wounded. File Photo: AFP

RFA: If the two are convicted by the French court in upcoming proceedings, as you mentioned, how likely will a sentence be announced against them?

Brad Adams: I can't say that. I would expect in a case with this much death and this many injuries that it would be a very substantial prison sentence. That's what would normally happen, but it's impossible for me to say whether that would happen after a conviction. If there is a conviction, the court will have been convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that they had organized [the attack] and had planned to kill, and that that's about as serious a charge as one could expect.

RFA: It seems that there will likely be a long way to go for the French court to begin hearing the merits of this case. Do we know of any exact date for this hearing?

Brad Adams: No, there's no date. The estimate I've been given by the lawyers in the case is that usually it would be 12 to 18 months after the order by the investigating judge.

RFA: Sam Rainsys lawyer, Pierre-Olivier Sur, told the AFP on Feb. 2 that French justice is closing in seriously if not dangerously against Prime Minister Hun Sen. If it werent for his diplomatic immunity, he would be the one in the dock instead of his subordinates. How likely is it that Hun Sen could be summoned in the future to testify at the hearing on the merits of this case?

Brad Adams: I expect that will happen the day after Hun Sen leaves office, if he ever does. And, of course, we don't know. Does he really plan to step down and have his son take over, or is he going to stay until he dies? We don't really know. But I imagine that the day after he leaves office this lawyer will be back in court asking for Hun Sen to be summoned, and that his failure to appear would follow the same path as this case. He would then be subject to an arrest warrant. There's no reason why the lawyers wouldn't make that request. There's no reason why the court, given its order, which suggests that Hun Sen was only protected because of his diplomatic status, would not make such a move.

RFA: So this means that if Hun Sen resigns from his position as prime minister and loses his immunity, an arrest warrant could be handed to him. In terms of international legal cooperation, it is likely in the coming month that as the chair of ASEAN, Hun Sen along with other ASEAN state leaders will be invited by the U.S. president to attend the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit in the White House. Is it likely that the French court would issue a surprise arrest warrant and then send it to the U.S. for help in serving it?

Brad Adams: You know, I wish they would, because I believe he's responsible for this horrific attack. But, no, they've made it clear that they would not. They think his diplomatic status provides immunity while he is in office. So I don't think there's any chance of that happening. However, it should be pointed out that this is the interpretation of the French government. It is not necessarily accurate that he has diplomatic immunity. This could be contested in court someday in France. You know, every country has to decide whether to give diplomatic immunity to a head of government when they travel. And most do, because they're afraid that if they arrest one prime minister, their own prime minister might then get arrested when he travels. But it's not the same as being an accredited diplomat where you have diplomatic immunity. And this is a choice that governments make, to give diplomatic immunity to traveling government officials.

RFA: For my last question, how would this French courts order of indictment affect Hun Sens international image overall, especially when he attends the ASEAN-U.S. Special Summit in the White House?

Brad Adams: Well, we're going to be making the point to journalists such as yourself and the international media that the chair of ASEAN has been indirectly accused of committing mass murder by a French court. Now of course he's been accused of this and many other things by many other people over the years. He's been accused of being responsible for mass killings in the 1998 election and for the killings of journalists and activists, etc. There's no lack of evidence and accusations against Hun Sen. But for a French court to make this order is very different from Human Rights Watch or a Cambodian NGO issuing a report. So I think it's going to elevate the attention he gets. It's going to be a black eye for ASEAN. It's going to make Cambodia look bad, and it's going to lead, I think, to a lot of governments thinking hard about how they should interact with Hun Sen. It can't be business as usual for some governments. You know we don't have much hope for ASEAN or for China or India. I mean, they're going to do business with anybody. But we do hope that other democracies who say they put human rights at the forefront of their foreign policy will reconsider how they interact with Hun Sen.
Separately, U.S. announces it will host leaders of ASEAN at special meeting March 28-29 in Washington.

People remove debris at the site of a military-base building that, according to Ukrainian ground forces, was destroyed by an air strike, in Okhtyrka town in Ukraines Sumy region, Feb. 28, 2022.

Singapore broke from ASEANs line Monday by saying it would impose sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine, after the Southeast Asian bloc, in a statement, neither condemned Moscow nor called the strike on its neighbor an invasion.

Singapore said it would suspend exports of items that could be used as weapons in Ukraine, and that it would block some banking and financial transactions connected to Russia. Analysts called the city-states move unprecedented.

We are witnessing an unprovoked military invasion of a sovereign state as we speak . Russias invasion of Ukraine is a clear and gross violation of the international norms and a completely unacceptable precedent, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told parliament on Monday.

[W]e will impose export controls on items that can be used directly as weapons in Ukraine to inflict harm or to subjugate the Ukrainians. We will also block certain Russian banks and financial transactions connected to Russia. The specific measures are being worked out and will be announced shortly, he added.

Singapore and next-door neighbor Indonesia were the only Southeast Asian countries to condemn Russias Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, although the Philippines issued its own strongly worded statement on Monday.

Manila expresses explicit condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a statement, adding that the country had voted yes on a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning the invasion.

By contrast, a collective statement issued by the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations was wishy-washy, according to analysts.

First, ASEAN did not mention Russia in the statement  at all. Second, the statement by ASEAN did not state that what was happening in Ukraine was an invasion. And third, ASEAN asked all parties to exercise restraint, in a situation where one country was defending itself from an invasion by a giant neighbor with superior military might.

In their statement, the ASEAN foreign ministers also put the burden of upholding the principles of mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and equal rights of all nations on all parties rather than just the invading nation.

ASEANs bland statement did not surprise Southeast Asia analyst Derek J. Grossman.

ASEAN predictably cant bring itself to criticize Russia for invading Ukraine, the senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp., a U.S. think-tank, said on Twitter.

Thanks for nothing, ASEAN.

Southeast Asia expert and academic Zachary Abuza commended Singapore for its stand.

Once again Singapore is way out front of ASEAN: defending international law, imposing a swath of banking sanctions, a ban on export of dual use tech, travel restrictions, despite the short-term economic costs, Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, said on Twitter.

Rare leadership from Southeast Asia.

ASEANs statement also contrasted sharply with vocal protests against the Russian invasion that took place in Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and other capitals of members of the regional bloc.

A Filipino activist lights candles during a rally in Quezon City, near Manila, to protest against Russias invasion of Ukraine, Feb. 28, 2022. Credit: Basilio Sepe ASEAN Meeting in Washington

Separately, the United States announced Monday that it would host ASEAN leaders at a special meeting in Washington on March 28-29, the Associated Press reported.

It is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration to serve as a strong, reliable partner and to strengthen an empowered and unified ASEAN to address the challenges of our time, AP quoted White House press secretary Jen Psaki as saying in a statement.

The meeting comes as Washington is pushing to make the Indo-Pacific region a top foreign policy priority amid Beijings increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Six Asian governments  including four ASEAN countries  have territorial claims or maritime boundaries in the waterway that overlap with the sweeping claims of China. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesias exclusive economic zone.

Lately, stability in Southeast Asia has been threatened with alleged incursions by Chinese vessels in the exclusive economic zones of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia in the South China Sea.

Russias military strike on Ukraine has raised fears of similar actions by Beijing in areas it calls its territory.

[T]his is something that creates a very dangerous legal precedent, especially for an assertive country like China that has repeatedly pushed for its own interpretations of international law, most clearly in the South China Sea, National War Colleges Abuza wrote in a column for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, last week.

Nearly three dozen people, a majority of them Ukrainian, protest Russias invasion of their country outside the Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Feb.28, 2022. Credit: BenarNews Evacuations

Meanwhile, Southeast Asian countries were working overtime to evacuate their nationals from Ukraine, either to neighboring countries, or to bring them back home.

On Feb. 26, two days after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed a directive sent to all government agencies and provincial heads asking them coordinate in providing assistance to the 7,000 Vietnamese who reside in Ukraine, mainly in Kharkiv, Odessa and Kyiv, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA), the parent company of BenarNews.

Additionally, on Monday, Vietnams Civil Aviation Authority asked local airlines to work out plans by March 2 to bringing citizens home, RFA reported.

The sizeable Vietnamese community in Ukraine dates back to the 1980s, when Moscow signed an agreement with Hanoi to allow talented students to study or work in the country.

In Manila, the Philippines foreign affairs department said there were about 350 Filipinos living and working in Ukraine.

On Monday, the department said that about 40 of them had been evacuated safely to areas in Poland, Hungary and Moldova. Six of them have already arrived in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, independent reports confirmed by the Philippine foreign department said that two vessels with Filipino crew members were hit by a bomb and shelling in the Black Sea.

A Marshall Islands-flagged and Turkish-owned commercial cargo ship, the Yasa Jupiter, was hit by a bomb off the coast of Ukraines port city of Odessa on Feb. 24. Eleven Filipinos were among the crew members.

The Filipinos were not hurt in the incident and have already been in touch with their families back home, the department said, citing information gathered by Filipino diplomats.

Another vessel with 21 Filipino seafarers, the Japanese-owned, Panamanian-flagged grain bulk carrier M/V Nomura Queen was hit by a missile strike in the Black Sea off Odessa and bore damage to its stern, the department said.

One Filipino crew member fell upon impact and sustained a non-life threatening injury while the rest of the Filipino crew are safe, it added.

The vessel was expected in Istanbul for repairs, and the foreign department said it was already in touch with its owner to monitor the condition of the crew.

Elsewhere, nine Malaysians and two of their dependents have been safely evacuated from Kyiv and were expected to reach Malaysia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Monday.

Indonesia has evacuated 31 of its citizens from Ukraine to Poland and Romania.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, confirmed the news shared by the ministry via Twitter that 25 Indonesian citizens in Odessa, Ukraine had been taken to Bucharest on Sunday, while six Indonesians living in Lviv were evacuated to Poland on Monday.

The ministry said that there were 153 Indonesian nationals in Ukraine, most of whom lived in Kyiv and worked in the manufacturing and service sectors.

There are more than 350 Thais working Ukraine, said the Thai embassy in Warsaw, which has jurisdiction over the former Soviet republic. The embassy said that 99 Thais arrived in Warsaw and Bucharest on Sunday. But officials were most worried about the 14 Thais stranded in Kyiv a city near the border with Russia.

Our top concern is Thai people stranded in Kharkiv, next to the Russian border. Due to the situation, we cannot take them out, Chettaphan Maksamphan, the Thai ambassador to Poland, said on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday.

The situation in Kharkiv is really bad. We told those Thais to stay put, he wrote.

BenarNews reporters Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok, Ronna Nirmala in Jakarta, Suganya Lingan in Kuala Lumpur, Basilio Sepe and Jojo Rinoza in Manila, and RFAs Vietnamese Service contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Democratic Taiwan is considering stepping up military recruitment amid fears China could speed up plans move against the country while the rest of the world is focusing on events in Ukraine, as a U.S. defense delegation began a two day visit on Tuesday.



Taiwanese defense ministery Chiu Kuo-cheng told the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday that a move from national service to conscription "can't be ruled out," as lawmakers debated moving to a more active military recruitment program.



Taiwan's army numbered 162,282 in 2021, with males over the age of 18 required to complete four months' military training, but falling birthrates mean that the pool of potential recruits is dwindling.



The government had previously regarded all males up to the age of 36 as conscripted reservists. The legal affairs bureau tabled a proposal in the Legislative Yuan calling for debate on a return to conscription, if the military needs of the country can't be met by volunteers alone.



Chiu said proposals to bring back year-long military service were also on the table alongside other options, but "I haven't made a decision yet."



Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker Tseng Ming-tsung welcomed the proposals, although he said there should be a consensus among the island's 23 million population.



"Given that the current situation is so tense across the Taiwan Strait, this may lead to war," Tseng said. "Assuming there is a [nationwide] consensus, we will support it."



"I think it is time to bring it out and have a proper debate," Tseng said.



Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Luo Chi-cheng said people in Taiwan are strongly affected by Putin's war in Ukraine.



"There is going to be a more positive attitude to discussing these issues right now," Luo said. "It may be that there will be a modest extension of national military service to enable our military to respond as needed in the event of war."



National defense researcher Shu Hsiao-hwang said the current training period of four months may not be enough in the face of saber-rattling from Beijing.



"The training period is really short right now ... which means that professional, operations and equipment training is also too short, which will cause problems for conscripted troops in future," Shu said.



He said the lack of specialist training could mean a lack of key specialties among conscripted personnel, and that learning tactics in a training session was a far cry from knowing how to apply them on the battlefield.



US commitment



The U.S. delegation appointed by President Joe Biden arrived in Taiwan to be greeted by foreign minister Joseph Wu, as the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson passed through the Taiwan Strait.



The U.S. Navy said the ships passage "demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific."



Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen will also meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials, with Tsai's office calling for "an in-depth exchange of views on Taiwan-U.S. cooperation issues in various fields."



Taiwan hopes the sides will "continue to deepen the steady development of Taiwan-U.S. relations, continue to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, and continue to jointly contribute to global peace and prosperity," the presidential office said in a statement.



Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also expected in Taiwan on Wednesday, and will also meet with Tsai.



Former Secretary of State Pompeo's visit displays fully U.S. bipartisan backing for its rock solid' support" for Taiwan, the island's foreign ministry said in a statement.



'Futile' visit



China on Tuesday said the delegation's visit was "futile."



"[It is] futile for the U.S. to send anyone to demonstrate its so-called support for Taiwan," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular news briefing in Beijing.



He called on Washington to end "all forms of official exchange with Taiwan."



Under CCP leader Xi Jinping, China has stepped up its territorial claims on Taiwan, which has never been ruled by the CCP, nor formed part of the People's Republic of China.



Tsai, who was re-elected in a landslide victory on a platform of defending the country's democratic way of life, has repeatedly said nobody in Taiwan is interested in being ruled by Beijing, citing the current crackdown on public dissent and political opposition in Hong Kong as illustrative of life under CCP rule.



China has stepped up flights of its military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone to a near-daily basis, while the Biden administration has followed that of Trump in boosting official contacts with Taiwan and continuing to supply its military with arms.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
More than 130 alumni of China's most prestigious universities have condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling on the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to honor a mutual security pact it signed with Kyiv in 1994.



"We strongly condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine and resolutely support the just struggle of the Ukrainian people to resist it, and defend their country," said the statement, signed by graduates of disparate departments from journalism to physics at Peking, Tsinghua and Renmin universities.



It cited a joint security pact signed between China and Ukraine that commits Beijing to "providing security guarantees" to Ukraine, in the event that Ukraine was the subject of foreign aggression.



Letter signatory Lu Nan, who graduated from the journalism department at Renmin University, said the letter was initiated by alumni of Peking University.



"We all have a common purpose, which is to oppose war and maintain peace," Lu told RFA. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a fundamental challenge to human conscience."



"Ukraine didn't invade Russia. It's a sovereign country and its people are peace-loving," he said.



Anger at 'Little Pinks'

The letter came as video footage of civilian and military casualties in Ukraine circulated on Chinese social media.



"We are very angry at the large number of Little Pinks who support the use of violence in Russia in online comments," Lu said. "This is no longer just about politics; it's about humanity and conscience."



An alumnus of Zhejiang University surnamed Ma said the letter was rare in 's China, where public speech is strictly regulated by CCP censors.



"It's rare for alumni to make statement like this; the phenomenon may spread," Ma said. "Other groups ... will likely have the same point of view."



Internet censors in China ordered news outlets and social media accounts to avoid posting anything critical of Russia or favorable to NATO after Russia began moving troops across the border into Ukraine last week.



All copy about the war is to be approved by the CCP's propaganda department prior to posting, while social media platforms are required to delete "inappropriate" comments about the situation in Ukraine.



Meanwhile, some of the thousands of Chinese nationals currently in Ukraine have hit out at Chinese social media commentators for endangering them after "joke" comments circulated about the sexual availability of Ukrainian women if the men die in the war.



Evacuations begin

The Chinese embassy in Kyiv said it had started evacuating the first batch of 600 Chinese nationals by bus to neighboring Moldova on afternoon.



A second group of nearly 1,000 students was evacuated on , with Moldova granting temporary visa waivers for refugees crossing the border.



But the evacuation flights promised earlier by the embassy seem unlikely to materialize soon, an embassy official told RFA.



"Planes can't leave, you can't leave by plane, so it'll have to be overland," the official said. "We have to get people out in batches, and I don't know about ."



"It depends on whether we have transportation available," the official said. "I can't answer that right now."



The official said the 24-hour hotline has been extremely busy.



"Basically, no sooner do I hang up on one call than another call comes in," the official said, warning Chinese nationals in Ukraine to keep their phone on, pay attention to their personal safety, and not to identify themselves as Chinese if using a subway station to shelter from the fighting.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The visit was the first by ICC officials since 2019, when the court authorized probe of alleged Myanmar atrocities.

Rohingya leaders in Bangladesh are expressing optimism about getting justice for alleged crimes against humanity committed in Myanmars Rakhine state, after the International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor wrapped up his first visit to refugee camps.

Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan said The Hague-based ICC had authorized an investigation in November 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed efforts to visit Bangladesh to gather evidence at Rohingya camps in Coxs Bazar, a southeastern district along the border with Myanmar.

At that time, the pre-trial chamber concluded that it was reasonable to believe that since at least 9 October 2016, members of the Tatmadaw [the Myanmar military], jointly with other security forces and with some participation of local civilians, may have committed coercive acts against the Rohingya people that constitute crimes against humanity, according to a 55-page court document.

We have to work together to achieve justice and show that international law is not an abstract idea, it is not something for the law book and for students, for academics or even judges just speak to, Karim Khan said during a press conference at a hotel in Dhaka on Sunday at the end of his weeklong trip to Bangladesh.

It will not be easy, there will not be justice tomorrow, justice is hard earned, he said. But I believe it can be achieved and certainly I cannot give promises, but I do not want my successor to be giving a similar speech.

Karim Khan called the Rohingya a key priority and noted that he had increased resources tied to the investigation.

His visit to the country included meetings with the law minister and other officials, Rohingya refugees other stakeholders.

Md. Ilias, an adviser to the Arakan Rohingya National Union, called the prosecutors statement a positive development.

We believe the investigation will expose how cruel genocide and crimes against humanity were perpetrated against the Rohingya people by the Myanmar military, he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, on Monday.

We have handed over to the ICC prosecutor all sorts of documents relating to the persecution and genocide of the Rohingya. This is highly likely that the verdict of the case will certainly go in favor of the Rohingya if the international community stands by us, Ilias said.

Karim Khans visit to Bangladesh unfolded as the International Court of Justice, a sister court to the ICC that is also based in The Hague, held hearings to determine whether it has jurisdiction to judge if atrocities committed by Myanmars military against Rohingya constituted a genocide.

The case stems from a lawsuit brought by Gambia, a Muslim-majority nation in West Africa, against Myanmar before the ICJ. Gambia is accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention through the alleged expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from Rakhine state to Bangladesh amid a brutal crackdown in 2017.

Khan, the ICC prosecutor, visited Coxs Bazar on Saturday and spoke with about 10 Rohingya at one of the refugee camps, according to attendee Khing Maung.

Actually, this is his first meeting with the Rohingya. He told us that the ICC prosecution team has been working to ensure that the Rohingya people get justice, he told BenarNews, adding that the prosecutor promised to return.

Another Rohingya expressed hope for a positive verdict and a better life for himself and other refugees.

If the ICC verdict goes in favor of the Rohingya, the Myanmar military would come under pressure. Then there could be an opportunity for the Rohingya to return to our homeland in Myanmar, Md. Salim Ullah told BenarNews. In that case, the international community must stand by us.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan speaks to reporters in Dhaka, Feb. 27, 2022. Credit: BenarNews Evidence is needed

For his part, Karim Khan said he and his team had work to do before trying any cases.

We are doing criminal investigations. One thing is certain: evidence is needed to build cases, he said.

We have to prove allegations beyond reasonable doubt in the courtroom  this is why we need hard evidence that we have checked, that we have verified, that we have confidence in because in due course the defense will have the right to challenge it, he said. And I need to be confident in the evidence, and in the end the truth we believe in will prevail and the judge will make the right decision based on that.

Meanwhile, a former Bangladeshi foreign secretary expressed doubt that a positive verdict for the Rohingya would open Myanmar for repatriation.

I think the ICC could convict some five to 10 officials of the Myanmar military for the genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya. But the main problem would arise in executing the verdict, Md. Touhid Hossain told BenarNews on Monday.

Myanmar military officials usually do not go outside the country.  So convictions of some officials are unlikely to force them to accept the Rohingya, Hossain said. Repatriation is a political decision for Myanmar.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news service.
A military spokesman said children were detained for their protection during clashes with opposition forces.

The remains of houses burned down by Myanmar junta soldiers litter the ground in Le-Ngauk village, Yinmabin township, northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing region, Jan. 5, 2021.

Anti-junta paramilitaries on Monday freed some 100 preschool children and other residents they say Myanmars military had detained as human shields against a counterattack in a village in embattled Sagaing regions Yinmabin township.

Residents of Yinmabins Chin Pone village told RFAs Myanmar Service that they were attending a funeral service on Saturday when two military helicopters attacked a training camp for the prodemocracy Peoples Defense Force (PDF) paramilitary group located just west of the settlement.

According to one witness, around 40 troops descended from two additional helicopters and arrested anyone who was unable to flee the area, including some 100 preschoolers and other villagers.

After holding the village for two days, troops left Chin Pone at around 10 a.m. on Monday  but not before torching four homes and several motorbikes.

A PDF fighter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFA that when members of his group entered Chin Pone to free the detainees from the village school on Monday, they discovered more than a dozen bodies in the building.

One of my brothers found them in the school when he went in to retrieve the children, he said.

He said there were four bodies in one place, two more in another place and a seventh in a third place. Additionally, there were six bodies, including a young womans, at the entrance of the preschool on the south side of the monastery. So, a total of 13 bodies were found. Two of them were from our village.

The children and nine teachers and villagers were taken to a safe place by residents after the army left the area, the PDF fighter said.

Residents told RFA that while troops are no longer in the village, they were unable to retrieve the bodies because of the threat of booby-traps.

They said the military vacated Chin Pone at approximately the same time that helicopters carried out another attack on the nearby Yinmabin villages of Thabyay Aye, Kyauk Pyut and Wah Sein Taung.

The billowing smoke can be seen from here and there is still a helicopter in the area, said one resident, who was observing Chin Pone from a village about one mile away. All of our stashed valuables were said to be taken away and the houses where [troops] found weapons were destroyed.

Sources told RFA that more than 5,000 residents from some 10 surrounding villages fled their homes during the Saturday raid on Chin Pone.

Training terrorists

A pro-junta media outlet reported that fighting broke out Chin Pone on Saturday after the military carried out checks on a local monastery and school following a tip that PDF units were hiding there. It said that troops killed six male and female PDF members in a firefight and seized weapons, ammunition and dozens of vehicles.

Junta Deputy Information Minister Zaw Min Tun confirmed the incident, telling RFA that people in the village had been training PDF terrorists.

During the raid, the security forces seized some of them along with eight homemade firearms, four homemade mortars, some mortar shells and homemade mines, he said. The detainees are now being questioned in accordance with the law. I dont know the numbers.

They were holding training sessions in schools and monasteries. Some of them were killed in the clash and some of our troops were injured. The preschool children were kept in the school because the terrorists were fleeing in all directions.

However, Ko Khant, a member of the North Yamar PDF, said the armys detention of the children and other residents of Chin Pone village amounted to using civilians as human shields.

The main reason that they were using the children as human shields is because they were afraid of being attacked, he said.

Ko Khant said he believes that the troops detained people in the village with the intention of using them as protection because not all of the children were trapped in the confusion of the initial raid.

The soldiers took them as hostages because they did not have enough strength to defend themselves, he said. If they became encircled and attacked by area paramilitaries, they would have suffered heavy casualties.

Yinmabin township has been a stronghold of armed resistance to junta rule since the military seized power from Myanmars democratically elected National League for Democracy party in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup. In the nearly 13 months since, junta forces have arrested nearly 9,400 civilians and killed 1,585  mostly during peaceful anti-coup protests.

Authorities shut down internet access in Yinmabin six months ago in a bid to disrupt PDF communications.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The razing of Padmasambhava is seen as the latest infringement on Tibetan religious freedom.

The left photo  taken Oct. 3, 2019 - shows the site of the statue of Padmasambhava which stood three-stories high at the Chanang Monastery in Drago county of the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. On the right is the site on Feb. 25, 2022, showing the destruction of the statue as indicated by the circular objects on the ground. Credit: Left image - Google Earth, CNES/Airbus; right - Planet Labs; analysis by RFA

The Chinese government has demolished a third Tibetan Buddhist statue in what sources told RFA is the latest example of official efforts to stamp out the Tibetans religious traditions.

The statue of Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, is the third verified by RFA as having been destroyed by Chinese officials since December. It once stood three-stories high at the Chanang Monastery in Drago (in Chinese Luhuo) county of the Kardze (in Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It was razed in late January, sources living in exile and satellite imagery revealed.

This is the second massive destruction in Drago in January alone, a Tibetan living in exile told RFAs Tibetan Service.

RFA reported that another three-story statue at a different monastery in Drago had been destroyed in early January, only weeks after authorities toppled a 99-foot Buddha statue just 900 meters (2,700) away. A three-story structure is around 40 feet high.

Satellite imagery of the Chanang Monastery taken Oct. 3, 2019 shows the the site of the statue of Padmasambhava which stood three-stories high, but an image taken Feb. 25, 2022 shows the destruction of the statue as indicated by the circular objects on the ground.

Though there has been no explanation of the reasons for its destruction, it falls in line with the Chinese governments policy of demolishing Tibetan religious sites in the region, the exiled Tibetan said.

File photo of Padmasambhava statue in Drago county in Tibet. Photo: RFA The source noted that the Padmasambhava statue had only been built six years ago.

Though the Chinese authorities warned that they would demolish the statue last year, one of the Lamas of the monastery had documentation supporting the significance of the statue, so the demolition was pushed to a later date, the source said.

After the appointment of Wang Dongsheng as the secretary of the Drago County Party Committee in 2021, he put more priority on the statues demolition in line with the Chinese Communist Partys hardline policies against Tibetans, the source said.

Sometimes, Chinese authorities make up regulations to justify the demolition of Tibetan statues, another Tibetan exile told RFA.

When the Chinese government demolished the 99-foot statue of Buddha and the three-story statue of Maitreya Buddha at Gaden Namyal Ling monastery in Drago, they trotted out unbelievable justifications such as that the height of the statue was not appropriate  or that it was blocking the pathway within the monastery compound, the second source said.

But this statue of Padmasambhava in not in the way of the monastery, so it is evident that it can be nothing but the Chinese governments encroachment on Tibetans religious freedom, the second source said.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
China apparently said the school violated Turkeys own regulations, but some parliamentarians want it reopened.

Authorities in Istanbul closed a Uyghur elementary school there allegedly at the request of the Chinese government officials who worried students were receiving anti-China instruction, the principal and the parents of students said.

On Feb. 21, officials with the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education locked the doors to the Hira Uyghur Elementary School and did not allow its more than 300 students to enter.

The school opened in 2015 by Uyghurs from western Chinas Xinjiang region with permission from the directorate, said Loqmanjan Abdulla, who founded the school and served as its principal.

School officials said they were told that China had filed a complaint against the school.

Hira Uyghur School is located in a district of Istanbul where many Uyghurs have settled, some fleeing widespread persecution in Xinjiang. It taught students the Uyghur language and other subjects and offered instruction for Uyghur children who do not have Turkish residency and therefore cannot attend public schools.

It also taught English and Turkish as well as vocational skills like sewing and driving to adults.

Loqmanjan told RFA that he was summoned to the directorate and told to shut down the school because of a complaint from China that alleged its operation violated Turkeys own educational regulations.

Officials told him that they could not allow his school to operate during the same hours as public schools, even though he said there was no conflict.

They studied half-time in the national schools, Loqmanjan said of his students. The students who study there in the afternoons would come in the mornings, and the students who study there in the mornings would come in the afternoons.

Unexpectedly, this appears to have drawn Chinas attention, he said. I suppose they thought this was the work of the Turkish government, that we were taking steps toward setting up our own private, independent Uyghur school system, that the Turkish government made this possible for us, that they even gave us a school.

In the complaint filed with Turkish government authorities, China also said the school violated Turkish rules by requiring pupils wear military uniforms for a school ceremony in 2019, Loqmanjan said.

Theres nothing of substance here, he said. To say these were military uniforms is entirely false. They are not military uniforms.

They are the same uniforms the kids wear in the national schools, he said. After we explained this, they looked into it and found that was indeed the case. As of now, this is the only thing China has said, based on a photograph from 2019.

Loqmanjan said that Hira lightened the load on the public school system by offering additional education to Uyghur students who may not be native Turkish speakers.

Were currently working on the issue, meeting with relevant offices, and thinking about how best to resolve the matter, he said. This is not something that anyone anywhere in the world should be opposed to. In other words, we are demanding our most basic rights as human beings.

Levent Yazici, who is the head of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Education, told RFA that the school had not been shut down, although members of Parliament have publicly criticized its closure.

Why would we have closed it? We havent closed it. he said. I am unaware of this matter. I have no connection to it. Well have to look into it and see.

Uyghur students pledge allegiance to the flag of East Turkestan, Uyghurs' preferred name for northwestern China's Xinjiang region, at Hira Uyghur Elementary School in Turkey's capital Istanbul, Aug. 3, 2020. Credit: Hira Uyghur Elementary School

Embarrassing mistake

The dispute over the school comes as Turkey and China have grown closer in recent years, including through a bilateral agreement to exchange information on money laundering and terrorism financing.

The agreement, which requires the provision of information on the financial activities of specific individuals and companies, has raised concern among Uyghurs in Turkey that it may limit their ability to promote Uyghur rights in China in the name of preventing terrorism.

As the two countries have grown closer, Uyghur migrants working in Turkey have been occasionally detained and placed in immigration detention centers.

Opposition party lawmakers in the Turkish Parliament who support the Uyghurs criticized the closure of the school.

Selcuk Ozdag, who is the deputy chairman of the Kelechek (Future) Party, said the decision was an embarrassing mistake and called on the ministry to immediately reverse it. He also said that his party intended to hold a press conference in front of the school.

This is a disgrace on the part of the government that is currently leading the Turkish Republic, he said. To have closed the school based on alleged pressure from the Chinese government is shameful, too shameful even for the current government.

The site for the Hira school was given to its founder when Future Party leader Ahmet Davutoglu was prime minister of Turkey.

Ozdag said authorities from the ruling party did not follow normal procedures to shut down the school in order to keep the decision quiet in order to avoid criticism from other countries.

They [Education Ministry officials] are scared because theyre worried it will become a topic of international discussion, he added. Theyre trying to be surreptitious and say they didnt close the school, that it just closed on its own.

Ayhan Erel, a lawmaker from the Iyi (Good) Party, told RFA that he would issue a formal parliamentary inquiry with the Minister of National Education. He referred to the Uyghurs preferred name for the Xinjiang region in China.

We stand against this, he said. As for our Uyghur kin in East Turkestan, they are in fact living under oppression and ambush there. As the country of Turkey, for us to close their schools would be tantamount to breaking their arms and then just leaving them there, alone. Shall their spirit and their objectives amount to nothing? That will not happen.

Another Iyi Party legislator, Hayrettin Nuhoglu, also criticized the schools closure.

We will do whatever we can as blood relatives [of the Uyghurs], he added. The school should not have been shut down. We will look into this and see what comes of it.

A Uyghur migrant named Nuriye who did not want to provide her surname said her two children attended classes at Hira and that its closure saddened students.

The children all loved [going to Hira] because they could speak in their own language and play their own games, she said.

Principal Loqmanjan says he is now collecting a list signatures of local Uyghurs who want the school reopened, which he intends to submit to the government.

He said that Turkish authorities asked him to write a statement saying that Hira is not an official private school, but rather a supplementary educational institution where children take extra courses in their free time after school.

We love the Turkish Republic, and we support the Turkish education system, but we also love our mother language and hope that we will be able to continue it, he said. This is the format were using to collect the signatures we plan to submit.

Translated by the Uyghur Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is "unmistakably" linked with a referendum in Belarus over the weekend that tightened authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka's grip on power and ended the country's nuclear-free status, Julie Fisher, the U.S. special envoy for Belarus, told RFE/RL's Belarus Service in an interview.

Fisher said in the interview that there was no indication Belarusian citizens supported the initiatives, which were approved by around two-thirds of those who cast ballots, according to election officials, in a referendum that several governments and civil society groups said failed to meet international standards.

The changes to the constitution allow Lukashenka, 67, the possibility to rule until 2035, offer him a new lever of power, and abolish a section of the constitution defining Belarus as a nuclear-free zone, possibly paving the way for the return of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus.

The vote came against the backdrop of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow using Belarusian territory as a staging ground for parts of the attack.

"With the unprovoked attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory, we were able to see -- even before the official day of voting on the proposed constitutional amendments -- what those changes mean in Belarus," Fisher said.

"They mean the people of Belarus can be dragged into wars they do not want to fight against a neighboring country with which many Belarusians have close ties. It is clear this is not what the people of Belarus want," she added.

Lukashenka proposed the constitutional changes following domestic and international backlash over his violent crackdown on dissent after an August 2020 presidential election that he claims gave him a sixth consecutive term. The opposition says the vote was rigged.

With the results of the February 27 referendum never in doubt, many Belarusians heeded the call of opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya to use the vote to protest the war against Ukraine.

Fisher lauded the efforts of the demonstrators, hundreds of whom were detained by police, calling the show of dissent "a significant development."

"While they were not as large as the protests after the fraudulent 2020 election, they came after months and months of the authorities arresting, beating, and torturing protesters and anybody else they thought was expressing disagreement with how they were operating," Fisher said.

"It takes great bravery to protest in public in such an environment. And, as they have since 2020, the people of Belarus demonstrated their courage by standing up for what they believe in. And, as they have done since 2020, hundreds of them paid a price for that, arrested by a regime that cannot tolerate even the slightest display of dissent or disagreement," she added.

The U.S. envoy, who was approved by the Senate in 2020 as the first U.S. ambassador to Belarus since 2008, has been unable to take up her post in Minsk because the Belarusian government has denied her a visa in response to the harsh economic sanctions Washington has imposed on Lukashenka and other members of his regime because of the election and subsequent crackdown on dissent.

Fisher's comments came after the United States announced on February 28 that it had suspended operations at the embassy in Minsk "due to security and safety issues stemming from the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine.

She said Washington "had no choice but to close the embassy in Minsk because of the hostile and restrictive actions of the Belarusian authorities."

Fisher added that because the decision to suspend operations happened "quickly," there is still a range of pending issues that need to be worked out at the State Department on the path forward.

"Our diplomats in Minsk [on February 28] lowered the American flag and took it with them when they left Belarus. The flag flew there for more than 30 years, a visible sign of the American presence, the hand of friendship, and the assistance that the United States offered to the people of Belarus," she said.

"We look forward to the day when the U.S. flag once again flies over the United States Embassy in Minsk," Fisher added.
Tehran has been walking a diplomatic tightrope over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, blaming the hostilities on "NATO provocations" while also rejecting war as a solution, but taking pains not to denounce Moscow for its military aggression.

But the cautious approach has been met with criticism inside Iran, where anti-war demonstrators chanted slogans against Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 26-27. Meanwhile, experts have warned that Tehran's stance is shortsighted and could come back to haunt it.

The protests in Tehran on February 26 were small but spoke loudly of the public's dissatisfaction with the official response to Russia's war against Ukraine, which Moscow has argued is not a sovereign state.

The conflict has officials attempting to strike a balance between maintaining ties with a key ally, and recognition of tension over Iran's nuclear ambitions as well as the country's lasting aversion to war following the bloody 1980-88 conflict with Iraq.

Within hours after Russia launched its invasion on February 24, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian appeared to aim for the middle by pinning blame on the United States and its allies.

After blaming "NATO provocations" for the crisis -- echoing the disputed Kremlin line that Kyiv's desire to join the military alliance left Russia no option but to fight after Washington supported Ukraine's right to choose its own direction -- Amir-Abdollahian struck a diplomatic chord.

"We don't believe that resorting to war is a solution. [It is] imperative to establish [a cease-fire] & to find a political and democratic resolution," he wrote on Twitter.

President Ebrahim Raisi later told Putin that NATO expansion was a "serious threat," while expressing the hope that "what was happening" would benefit "the nations and the region." The Russian readout of the call said Raisi had expressed "understanding" for Russia's security concerns, "allegedly caused by the destabilizing actions of the U.S. and NATO."

The stance prompted criticism and condemnation from many, including Tehran-based international law expert Mehdi Zakerian, who reminded Raisi that he was the president of Iran -- not Russia. "Not only did you not condemn the use of force [by Russia], but you sympathized with Moscow's concerns in the region," Zakerian said in a February 28 interview with the reformist Sharq daily. "In the future, other countries can say. 'We have concerns about Iran, so we will use force.'"

Raisi later appeared to rectify his position by tacitly criticizing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and supporting the rights of sovereign states. "The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes hegemony and those who accept hegemony, and supports the rights of all nations to self-determination," he said on February 27, adding that Tehran was open to a role in securing peace in Ukraine.

Speaking on March 1, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed Washington for the Russian attack on Ukraine, saying Ukraine was a "victim of the crises created by the United States." Khamenei said his country supported the end of the war in Ukraine while adding that the roots of the crisis must be acknowledged.

For his part, the deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, Brigadier General Amir Nasirzadeh, said the crisis in Ukraine appeared to suggest that the "important lesson" of the war in Ukraine for Iran is that the country should not give up its nuclear program, which Tehran claims is solely for civilian purposes.

"They [got rid] of deterrent nuclear power and were faced with this crisis," Nasirzadeh was quoted as saying by Iranian media on February 28. "In our country, some say we should [abandon] it and make peace. But in today's world it is impossible not to have military and deterrent power. Wherever we are weak, we will be hit."

'Looking East'?

Crushed by crippling U.S. sanctions reimposed in 2018 by then-U.S. President Donald Trump after Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, Tehran has followed a policy of "looking to the East," turning to allies Russia and China for support.

But the policy of siding with Moscow and Beijing has been viewed skeptically by an Iranian public that distrusts the two powers, and Iran's reliance on its fallback move of criticizing a common adversary -- the West -- has led to criticism that Tehran is working against its own interests.

"The idea that whatever is bad for the United States and the West is good for us is a dangerous shortsightedness," foreign policy analyst Diako Hosseini said on Twitter.

Sadegh Zibakalam -- an outspoken, Tehran-based university professor -- apologized for Iran's support for Russia and saw similarities in Moscow's and Tehran's mindset toward its people.

"Contrary to the ruling regime, many Iranians are with the Ukrainian people and condemn this aggression," Zibakalam wrote on Twitter before highlighting the repressive nature of the Iranian regime, which routinely cracks down on protests. "Just as the Russian people cannot show their sympathy, Iranians also do not have such permission."

Others posted the Ukrainian flag on social media while expressing their opposition to the war.

"I hope Ukraine can resist Putin's assault," Tehran-based cleric Abolfazl Najafi Tehrani said on Instagram while posting the flag of Ukraine. He lamented that Ukraine was not receiving enough international support in the "unequal war" imposed on it.

A small group of citizens openly challenged the clerical regime's stance by demonstrating on February 27 outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Tehran, where some chanted "Death to Putin," according to amateur videos of the protest posted online.

Some were seen holding Ukrainian flags while others called the Russian Embassy "a den of spies" -- a nod to the clerical regime's official terminology for the U.S. Embassy in Tehran after it was taken over by hard-line students following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Many Iranians have also been critical of the coverage by Iran's state television, which mirrored Moscow's preferred terminology by referring to the invasion as a "special military operation."

"The state broadcaster is reporting the news like a colony of Russia," former lawmaker Ali Motahari said on Twitter on the first day of Russia's unprovoked assault on its neighbor. "Iran must condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine in order to demonstrate its independence."

The daily Javan, which is affiliated with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said the "West's henchmen" were accusing Tehran of having a pro-Russian stance.

"It is obvious that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not sided with any of the parties to the conflict [and] has never supported the killing of innocent people," Javan said, adding that Tehran had been aware that "this sedition has been led by the United States."

Nuclear Fallout?

Meanwhile, some suggested that the war in Ukraine could negatively impact the ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna.

Tehran is counting on Russia's support in the talks, which have reached a crucial stage according to diplomats involved, including Russia's Mikhail Ulyanov. The Russian envoy has continued to meet with his U.S. and European counterparts despite heightened tensions over the war in Ukraine and has remained optimistic that an agreement can be worked out to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

"Russia will use all of its cards, including the nuclear talks, to push for its interests and achieve a balance. Therefore I believe the war in Ukraine will cast a heavy shadow on the talks, " former lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpishe said in an interview this week.

Speaking on February 25, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said U.S. officials would now only engage with Russian counterparts on issues that are "fundamental to our national security interest," including the talks to revive the nuclear deal under which Tehran agreed to curbs on its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from crushing economic sanctions.

"The fact that Russia has now invaded Ukraine should not give Iran the green light to develop a nuclear weapon," Price added.
In Romania, an outpouring of private offers of accommodation and other help has greeted Ukrainians fleeing danger as the Russian war on their homeland continues, as official refugee camps appeared slow to open in the initial days of the conflict.

Tens of thousands of Romanians from Cluj, Timisoara, Constanta, Bucharest, and smaller cities have joined makeshift platforms to meet the swelling demand for assistance, which UN and other officials warn could quickly balloon as millions of Ukrainians are displaced by the biggest military invasion in Europe since World War II.

Watching the humanitarian calamity unfold across the Ukrainian border only about 80 kilometers from Neamt County, in northeastern Romania, Silviu Ardeleanu says he fell into a stupor. "When I saw the photos of the women [fleeing Ukraine] with children, I couldn't speak for about three hours," he told RFE/RL's Romanian Service.

Thinking of his own wife and three children, he added later, "I said, 'Wow, if I were in this situation...."

Within 24 hours, Ardeleanu was welcoming the first of nearly two dozen Ukrainian war refugees who are now sheltering at the boardinghouse that he runs on his property near the Izvorul Muntelui reservoir, also known as Lake Bicaz. All but two are women or children.

By February 27, many of them were sitting at an informal gathering in the courtyard where there was grilling and, crucially for the children, Ardeleanu said, "laughing."

Neamt's tourism season is fast approaching, but Ardeleanu says he can accommodate a few more people among his three cottages, with 12 combined rooms, and the Ukrainians can stay indefinitely. "As long as the war lasts, they can stay," he said.

Some of Ardeleanu's guests are the families of men he knows to be working far from home, aboard Taiwanese ships, who reached out to him through mutual acquaintances. Others found him through a two-week-old Facebook group set up to help match Ukrainians in need with Romanians who, like Ardeleanu, just want to help.

United For Ukraine

Uniti Pentru Ucraina (United For Ukraine) already has more than 225,000 members, including donors, volunteers, tutors, and Ukrainians seeking help as they escape the violence. It's a project organized by European Parliament member Vlad Gheorghe, along with other Romanians eager to unite local individuals, NGOs, and businesses willing to help.

Since his own message on the site, Ardeleanu, who's a member of a local council, has fielded calls from at least 10 other residents offering use of their property to house war refugees.

But it's not just Romanians in the border regions.

Silvana Strava, an economist and mother of three from the town of Avrig, in Sibiu in central Romania, offered accommodation and meals on the Facebook site, and even said she could travel hundreds of kilometers to the Ukrainian border to pick up the fleeing Ukrainians. "I find it horrible what we see there, and we can't even imagine what parents, families, and children are going through when they have to separate or leave with nothing," she said.

Caesar Sirian emigrated from Romania 16 years ago and has his own business in Germany. But he still owns a house in Brasov, in touristic Transylvania, that is empty and undergoing reconstruction. So he offered two of its rooms for up to four Ukrainians and packed up to return home over the weekend to sort out the details. Once the renovations are done next month, Sirian says, the house can house more refugees.

There are still long lines of cars in southern Ukraine with frightened families inside who have been waiting three days to cross the Siret checkpoint into Romania.

The UN refugee agency said on February 28 that half a million people had fled Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to invade the country, home to 44 million people, with many of them crossing into Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. The agency has warned that the fighting could force up to 4 million to flee Ukraine.

Similar sites have cropped up in those and other countries, also with "marketplaces" for free accommodation and other assistance.

Romanian officials were said to have only slowly ramped up the opening of facilities for people fleeing the fighting in Ukraine.

And there were early indications from Romanian authorities that only a small portion of the thousands of Ukrainians who came to the country in the initial days of the war had applied for refugee status in Romania, with many expected to continue westward.

Romanian authorities announced that by March 1, 89,000 Ukrainians had entered the country and, of those, 50,000 had moved on to other EU destinations.

Written and with contributions by Andy Heil, based on reporting by Andreea Ofiteru of RFE/RL's Romanian Service
The European Union has unveiled a proposal to ban Russian oil imports by the end of the year, impose more banking sanctions against Moscow, and cut off some Russian broadcasters in Europe saying that the Kremlin has to pay dearly for its aggression Ukraine.

With Russia intensifying its attacks on eastern Ukraine on May 4, the EU said that its sixth round of sanctions against Moscow will comprise phasing out the importation of Russian crude and refined oil products by the end of the year despite pushback from some of the bloc's members, including Slovakia and Hungary.

"We will phase out Russian supply of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year," the head of the bloc's executive European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

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.

"This will be a complete import ban on all Russian oil, seaborne and pipeline, crude and refined," she said, adding that "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin must pay a high price for his brutal aggression."

Von der Leyen, however, conceded that getting unanimity on oil sanctions will not be easy.

The commission chief, however, conceded that getting unanimity on oil sanctions will not be easy.

The measures require approval from all 27 EU countries to take effect and soon after von der Leyen's announcement, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria announced that they would seek exemptions from the embargo voicing concerns about energy security. Hungary and Slovakia are heavily dependent on Russian energy imports.

The Czech Republic, meanwhile, said it would seek a temporary exemption period of two or three years in order for pipeline capacities to be increased.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said EU countries blocking an oil embargo would be "complicit" in Russia's crimes in Ukraine.

Whatever their arguments are, if they oppose (the) oil embargo, it means one thing: they play on the Russian side. They share responsibility for everything Russia does in Ukraine, full stop, Kuleba said in a video posted on Twitter.

Von der Leyen also proposed that Sberbank, Russias largest bank, and two other major banks be disconnected from the SWIFT international banking payment system.



The EU will also ban three Russian state-owned broadcasters, she said, without naming the channels directly.



"They will not be allowed to distribute their content anymore in the European Union, in whatever shape or form, be it on cable, via satellite, on the Internet or via smartphone apps," von der Leyen told EU lawmakers.

According to a document seen by RFE/RL, the package also contains a list of 58 individuals sanctioned over Russia's military action in Ukraine that includes the Patriarch of Russia's Orthodox Church, a close ally of Putin's.



Von der Leyen also proposed launching a recovery package for Ukraine to help it rebuild after the war.



"This package should bring massive investment to meet the needs and the necessary reforms," von der Leyen said. "Eventually, it will pave the way for Ukraine's future inside the European Union."

The European Union accounts for nearly a half of Russia's crude and refined oil products. But the Kremlin, in a first reaction to Brussels' announcement, put on a brave face, warning that the embargo is a "double-edged sword" and that EU consumers will pay the price.

"The cost of these sanctions to the citizens of Europe will grow by the day," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 4.

Peskov said the Kremlin was looking at "various options" for its response to the new sanctions.

In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "open" to imposing more sanctions on Russia and would be discussing measures with allies from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations in the coming days.

On the battlefront, Moscow deployed 22 battalions near Izyum, an eastern city, in a bid to push into the Donbas region, the British Defense Ministry said in its daily bulletin on May 4, adding that Russia's apparent goal is capturing the cities of Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk in the east, "despite struggling to break through Ukrainian defenses." A Russian battalion usually consists of 700-800 soldiers.



According to the British intelligence bulletin, capturing the two cities "would consolidate Russian military control" of northeastern Ukraine.

In neighboring Belarus, the armed forces began "surprise" large-scale drills on May 4 to test their combat readiness, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko said there was "heavy fighting" at the Azovstal plant on May 4 and said city officials had lost contact with Ukrainian forces inside.

Boychenko told Ukrainian television that Russian forces were attacking with heavy artillery, tanks, and warplanes, and said warships off the coast were also involved.

Russian troops are on the territory of the plant, according to David Arakhamia, a member of the Ukrainian delegation that has held now-stalled peace talks with Russia.

"Attempts to storm the plant continue for the second day. Russian troops are already on the territory of Azovstal," Arakhamia said, citing the commander of the Azov Regiment, which is defending the plant with other Ukrainian troops. He contradicted Boychenko, saying Ukrainian authorities have contact with the defenders at the plant.

The commander announced the storming of the plant by Russian troops the day before and called again for the evacuation of civilians.

Boychenko said on May 3 that more than 200 civilians were still holed up with fighters in the sprawling plant.

In his video address, Kuleba denied that Azovstal was under Russian control.

On May 4, Peskov denied Ukrainian reports that Russian troops had stormed the Avozstal steel plant soon after the latest group of civilians made it out of the sprawling complex.

"There is no storming," Peskov told reporters, contradicting claims by Ukrainian soldiers inside the steelworks.

"The order was publicly given by the supreme commander-in-chief to cancel the assault," Peskov said, referring to a statement Putin made on April 21 that called off a direct assault on Azovstal because it would result in too many Russian casualties. Instead, forces should seal off Azovstal so tightly that "even a fly can't get out," Putin said.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Rikard Jozwiak, Reuters, AP, and AFP
To enhance cooperation on vaccines, jointly build immune barrier

13:50, March 01, 2022 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Deputies called on the globe to unite closer for accelerated COVID-19 vaccination around the world at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-level Meeting on COVID-19 Vaccines held on Feb. 25.

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is at a critical moment when unfair distribution of vaccines is severely hindering the global fight against the virus.

On Jan. 26, 2022, 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China to Mali arrive in Bamako, capital of the African country. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Mali)

Just as UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid said, "Our strength lies in solidarity," mankind must unite together and strive to reach the goal of global vaccination as early as possible, so as to put the pandemic to an end soon.

Enhancing unity to fight COVID-19 is the first of the three major issues that deserve much thought and attention at present and over the coming period globally, told by Chinese President Xi Jinping to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres when the two met recently.

To achieve fair distribution of vaccines and fill the immunization gap is an urgent task. So far, over 10 billion doses of vaccines have been administered globally. However, only around 17 percent of the people in Africa have received at least one shot, and vaccination rate is lower than 10 percent in 27 countries.

As a provider of global public products, China is striving to build a global community of health for all. It has made important contribution to the global fight against the virus and won international acclaim.

Hungary received the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by China's Sinopharm on Feb. 16 and started administering them eight days later, becoming the first country in the EU to use Chinese vaccines. (Photo from sinopharm.com)

China actively advocates and practices solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As a staunch supporter of global solidarity against the virus, China is the first country to make and practice the commitment to taking COVID-19 vaccines as a global public product.

Last year, Xi proposed the Global Vaccine Cooperation Action Initiative, aiming to enhance vaccine equity and accessibility in developing countries, so that the immune barrier would be built at an early date.

He stressed at the 2022 World Economic Forum Virtual Session that of particular importance is to fully leverage vaccines as a powerful weapon, ensure their equitable distribution, quicken vaccination and close the global immunization gap, so as to truly safeguard people's lives, health and livelihoods. Guterres expressed his thanks to China for the country's contribution to improving vaccine accessibility in developing countries.

China is the largest contributor to fair distribution of vaccines. As a country that delivers on its promises, China fully supports the UN target of administering vaccines to over 70 percent of the global population by mid-2022.

So far, China has provided over 2.1 billion doses of vaccines for more than 120 countries and international organizations, becoming the biggest provider of outbound vaccines among all countries. Half of the vaccine doses administered around the world were made in China. Most of the vaccines received by many countries, especially developing countries, came from China.

The vaccines provided by China have enhanced the capability, confidence and resolution of developing countries in the fight against the pandemic. Chief Executive of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization Seth Berkley called China's efforts an important contribution to the global fight against the virus.

A new batch of anti-pandemic materials donated by the Chinese government to the Solomon Islands arrive in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, Feb. 18, 2022. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands)

China is a devoted practitioner of joint vaccine production. It is among the earliest to support the waiver of COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property rights and to transfer technologies to developing countries. It has launched joint vaccine production with 20 countries, with an annual production capacity of one billion doses.

On Feb. 20, China and Egypt jointly donated 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Palestine. It marked the first time for Egypt to send its locally produced COVID-19 vaccines abroad. Egypt's acting Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar introduced that Egypt has so far produced more than 30 million doses of the vaccine, and their safety and efficiency are guaranteed. Through concrete actions, China has enhanced the vaccine production capacity of developing countries, setting a exemplary model of solidarity in the fight against the pandemic.

China is an active participant in multilateral cooperation on vaccines. It supports the World Health Organization in playing a central and coordinating role, and gives priority to the procurement needs of the COVAX Facility, to which China has supplied over 200 million doses of vaccines. China has also donated $100 million to the facility for the distribution of vaccines in developing countries.

At the UNGA High-level Meeting on COVID-19 Vaccines, China proposed to build a "safety net" for immunity, build up anti-pandemic "arsenals," improve the "governance shield" for health and strengthen the "anchor of stability" for development, which demonstrated the country's firm support for multilateral cooperation.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
The Russian war in Ukraine has entered a sixth day, with reports that the Russian Army had set up checkpoints on the outskirts of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, a huge military convoy was massing outside Kyiv, and claims that Russian forces aim to encircle the port city of Mariupol on March 1.



Video images of fighting in the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv, showed residential areas being shelled and apartment buildings shaken by powerful explosions. Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said dozens of people in Kharkiv had been killed in rocket strikes on February 28.



The head of the Sumy region, Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, said more than 70 Ukrainian servicemen were killed when Russian troops shelled a military base in the town of Okhtyrka, located between Kharkiv and Kyiv.
Videos are emerging of extraordinary civil resistance by Ukrainians against Russian aggression in their country. A crowd in Berdyansk booed Russian troops. A female driver refused to show her documents to a Russian soldier at a checkpoint in the Sumy region, and subjected him to a bold verbal tirade. Residents of a village bordering Belarus informed their Belarusian neighbors over a loudspeaker that their troops would not be welcome in Ukraine.
In one Ukrainian town, invading Russian troops admitted over a loudspeaker that the streets belonged to local residents who refused to move out of their way. But the military column then dispersed the crowd with an unspecified gas. Across Ukraine, it was another day that saw unarmed civilians confronting heavily armed Russian soldiers.
Russian missiles struck the TV tower in Kyiv, which is located near a memorial for the victims of the Babyn Yar Holocaust massacre, the Ukrainian government said on March 1 as Russian forces also bombarded the central square in Kharkiv and other civilian sites in the eastern city.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry posted a photo of clouds of smoke around the TV tower. The nearby Babyn Yar memorial center was dedicated just last year to mark the 80th anniversary of the infamous mass slaughter of Jews by the Nazis.

Local media reported that there were several explosions near the TV tower and that Ukrainian TV channels stopped broadcasting shortly afterward.

Live Briefing: Russia Invades 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.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Twitter that at least five people died in the strike that hit the TV tower and he expressed outrage that it hit close to the memorial commemorating the deaths of tens of thousands of Jewish men, women, and children who were killed at the Babyn Yar ravine in 1941 soon after the Nazis occupied the city.

"To the world: what is the point of saying "never again" for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating" Zelenskiy said on Twitter.

A spokesman for the memorial said a Jewish cemetery at the site was damaged, but the extent would not be clear until daylight. Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid denounced the incident and said Israel would help repair any damage.

We call for preserving and respecting the sanctity of the site, he said on Twitter.

Shortly after reports of the attacks, Zelenskiy spoke by phone with U.S. President Joe Biden.

"The American leadership on anti-Russian sanctions and defense assistance to Ukraine was discussed. We must stop the aggressor as soon as possible. Thank you for your support!" Zelenskiy said on Twitter.



A White House official said the two leaders spoke for about 30 minutes. Biden is scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address later on March 1.

Zelenskiy also gave an interview to Reuters and CNN in which he said Russia must "first stop bombing people" before peace talks could make any headway. Zelenskiy also urged NATO members to impose a no-fly zone to stop Russia's air force.

The attacks on Kyiv and Kharkiv came as a convoy of artillery and armored vehicles extending more than 65 kilometers massed outside Kyiv.

Zelenskiy condemned the bombardment of Kharkiv as a war crime and act of terror in a video statement following the deadly attack that targeted the northwestern regional capital's central square and struck the city administration building.

"After such an attack, Russia is a terrorist country," Zelenskiy said.

Emergency services reported that at least 10 people were killed in the attack, which came after dozens were killed by Russian shelling a day earlier. Moscow has repeatedly claimed that it is not targeting civilian areas during what it calls its "military operation" in Ukraine, which has entered its sixth day.

Satellite images showed that the convoy that has been steadily approaching Kyiv was within kilometers of the city in what Ukraine's armed forces see as an attempt to surround and take control of the country's capital.

Russia's Defense Ministry announced on March 1 that Russian forces would strike Ukrainian security service infrastructure and a psychological operations center in Kyiv and advised residents living near such targets to leave their homes.

Zelenskiy also challenged European lawmakers to "prove" they stand with Ukraine. Speaking on March 1 via videolink to the European Parliament a day after Ukraine made an official request to join the European Union, Zelenskiy said in an impassioned plea that his country had proven its strength in six days of resistance to Russia's unprovoked invasion.

"The European Union is going to be much stronger with us, that's for sure. Without you, Ukraine is going to be alone," Zelenskiy said.

"Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness," he added.

Ukraine's air force reported that five Russian fighter planes and a helicopter had been shot down during aerial attacks over cities outside the capital on February 28, although the information could not be independently verified.

The air force command also said that a Russian cruise missile had been destroyed by a Buk anti-missile system and that Ukrainian jets had struck columns of Russian armored vehicles in the Kyiv and neighboring Zhytomyr regions.

Ukrainian warplanes also reportedly dropped bombs and fired missiles at Russian forces in areas outside Kyiv.

Video images of fighting in Kharkiv on February 28 showed residential areas being shelled and apartment buildings shaken by powerful explosions. Reports that the northeastern city had been heavily bombarded had tempered optimism of an agreement.

Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko has said dozens of people were killed in the February 28 rocket strikes. On March 1, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described the attacks on Kharkiv as a war violation.

"The shelling against civilian infrastructure yesterday [February 28] in Kharkiv violates the laws of war," Borrell said after a call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. "The EU stands unwavering at the side of Ukraine in these dramatic moments."

Elsewhere in Ukraine, the head of the Sumy region, Dmytro Zhyvytskyy, wrote on Facebook on March 1 that more than 70 Ukrainian servicemen were killed when Russian troops shelled a military base in the town of Okhtyrka, located between Kharkiv and Kyiv.

In Kherson, a city located just northwest of the Crimean Peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, Mayor Ihor olykhayev wrote on Facebook that the Russian military was setting up checkpoints at the entrances to the city. Kolykhayev vowed that "Kherson has been and will stay Ukrainian."

Mariupol has been left without electricity following attacks by Russian forces, according to Donetsk region head Pavlo Kyrylenko, who wrote on Facebook on March 1 that Ukrainian forces still held the Azov Sea port city.

The head of the separatists in the eastern region, Denis Pushilin, said that the goal was to encircle the strategically important city by the end of the day.

On March 1, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Ihor Konashenkov said that separatist forces had "joined the military units of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which took control of the regions of Ukraine along the coast of the Sea of Azov."

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, TASS, and dpa
In the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha, remaining civilians huddle in basements under near-constant bombardment from surrounding Russian and separatist forces.

"The town is being destroyed," one resident wrote to RFE/RL's Donbas.Realities on February 27. "Direct hits to the hospital. Houses are burning. Looters are thriving -- they steal groceries, mobile phones, appliances. Residents are in basements, completely cut off from information. There is no light, water, heat, or telephone connection."

Volnovakha, with a prewar population of about 21,000, lies in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, about 65 kilometers southwest of the regional capital, Donetsk, and on the front line between Ukrainian forces and the combined arms of the Moscow-backed separatists and their Russian military allies. It has been the scene of intense fighting since February 27.

"Private homes and apartment buildings, infrastructure facilities, and a hospital were severely damaged by the occupiers' shelling," the Kyiv-appointed head of the Donetsk regional administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, told RFE/RL. "The town is blocked by the enemy," he added. "It is impossible to evacuate the population or even bring people bread and water.... I appeal to international humanitarian organizations to help the city."

Volunteers In Yellow Armbands

Meanwhile, some 700 kilometers to the west, the Black Sea port city of Odesa has seen little action in the first days of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. But it is impossible to escape the preparations for war. On the morning of February 28, a radio announcer advised residents which parts of an armored vehicle to target with Molotov cocktails: "Windows, wheels, hatches," the voice said.

Ukraine's third-largest city, with a population just over 1 million, Odesa is known as "the pearl of the Black Sea," and it has a rich cultural history to match the moniker. In Russian imperial times and in the Soviet era, people knew it as the country's "southern capital."

A few rockets landed in the city on February 24, the first day of Russia's invasion. Since then, residents have heard only occasional small-arms fire or bursts from anti-aircraft emplacements. The Buyalik airfield, some 100 kilometers north of the city, has been shelled.

On February 28, the city center was deserted of people, but populated by anti-tank hedgehogs, concrete barriers, and other military preparations. Volunteers in yellow armbands hustled the few pedestrians out of the area, while others handed out coffee and snacks to soldiers.

"People are armed," said local civil-defense coordinator Serhiy Bratchuk. "People are carrying out their tasks in full cooperation with the armed forces of Ukraine, the National Police, the Security Service, border guards, and local authorities. We face threats from the sea and the air."

Bratchuk and his volunteers coordinated donations of food, medicine, and other necessities brought in by local residents. Timur Nishnaianidze, a former Georgian consul-general in the city, carried an automatic rifle as he enlisted recruits in a volunteer detachment.

Most cafes, bars, and restaurants in Odesa are closed. Each day, more roads into the city are blocked and new checkpoints pop up. There is a 7 p.m. curfew.

'We Need Help'

Back in Volnovakha, locals use the Telegram app to search for missing relatives. On February 28, there was a report of a 12-year-old girl trapped alive in the basement of a collapsed building.

"Since yesterday the Russian Army has been shelling my hometown of Volnovkha," Lilia Filonenko wrote on Instagram on February 27. "People are without electricity, water, and heat. No telephones. They are bombing.... Civilians are being killed. There are corpses in the streets."

"We need help," she pleaded.

The Volnovakha district administration has said there is no opportunity to evacuate citizens or wounded from the besieged town. "We know about the terrible situation and about the shelling," the administration said in a statement. "We understand the situation you are in now. But unfortunately, there is no possibility of a 'green corridor' for the mass evacuation of the population. As soon as it is possible to evacuate people safely, we will do it."

Saboteurs And Symbolism

Near Odesa on February 27, border guards reportedly intercepted "a sabotage and reconnaissance group" in two civilian vehicles. Land mines, grenade launchers, and automatic rifles were reportedly seized.

On February 25, the Ukrainian military reported killing 25 Russian paratroopers and sinking a Russian boat near Koblevo beach on the eastern edge of the city. Bratchuk said some of the purported saboteurs had come into Ukraine from the breakaway Moldovan region of Transdniester, a Russian-backed enclave about 50 kilometers to the northwest.

WATCH: Kyiv residents lined up on February 28 to receive weapons to help defend the Ukrainian capital from Russian troops.

The headquarters of the 122nd Territorial Defense Brigade is located in Odesa. It is responsible for guarding infrastructure facilities throughout the region and helping police and the armed forces combat saboteurs. An RFE/RL correspondent reported seeing long lines of people waiting to enlist at the unit's reception center.

"Volunteers help to organize the lives of the soldiers," said Oleksiy Chorniy, head of the brigade's volunteer headquarters. "They provide them with food and other material that the state has not sent yet.... There is a huge number of people helping out.... I have never seen such a thing before."

Local hospital volunteer Andriy Tantsyura told RFE/RL that as of February 26, 14 wounded soldiers had been brought to the Odesa Military Hospital. RFE/RL was not able to confirm that information.

Volunteer coordinator Bratchuk says that Odesa, because of the prominent role it played in the Russian Empire, has always been a key part of Russian nationalists' plans to carve the so-called Novorossia out of eastern and southern Ukraine.

"I think the occupiers have a sense of symbolism," he said of the invading Russians. "They consider Odesa a symbol of the empire...and probably planned to come here as 'liberators.' But...we think that the formation of our defense has confused their plans for a landing. They have begun to understand that no one is waiting to welcome them."

Written by Robert Coalson based on reporting from Ukraine by Darya Kurennaya of Donbas.Realities and from Odesa by Mykhaylo Shtekel of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870)

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Danvers, MA (01923)

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The leader of a household described as a religious cult was convicted of second-degree murder Tuesday along with two of her followers for starving a 1-year-old boy to death because he did not say Amen during a mealtime prayer.

Jurors also convicted Queen Antoinette, her daughter Trevia Williams and Marcus A. Cobbs of child abuse resulting in death. Cobbs was also found guilty of accessory after the fact for helping to cover up the death of Javon Thompson.

The defendants each face up to 60 years in prison when they are sentenced May 18.

They showed no emotion as the verdict was read, a contrast to their laughter and astonishment during prosecutors closing arguments. The trial lasted six days, and jurors deliberated for about three hours.

Javons mother, Ria Ramkissoon, testified that Antoinette said Javon had a spirit of rebellion inside him and that denying him food would cure him. She said she believed Antoinettes claim about the evil spirit.

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Javon died in either December 2006 or January 2007. He was about 16 months old, and its not clear whether he was ever capable of saying Amen. Ramkissoon testified that he had said it before, but another household member said the boy most likely made a sound that resembled Amen.

No one in the eight-person household did anything to prevent Javon from wasting away, according to testimony. His heart stopped beating after a week or more without food, his mother testified.

After Javon died, Antoinette told her followers to pray for his resurrection and ordered Ramkissoon to nurture him back to life, according to witnesses.

Ramkissoon said she stayed with Javons body for weeks, talking to him, dancing for him, even trying to give him water. Ultimately, according to testimony, the group members stashed Javons body in a suitcase and relocated to Philadelphia, where they stayed briefly with an elderly man. The suitcase was stored in a shed behind the mans home for more than a year.

Ramkissoon, 23, pleaded guilty last year to child abuse resulting in death. Her plea deal included an extraordinary provision: If Javon comes back to life, the conviction will be thrown out. Prosecutors said only a Jesus-like resurrection would suffice.

Ramkissoon will soon be released from jail and placed in a residential treatment program, prosecutors said.

Its going to take years for Ria to get back to the child that I know, said Ramkissoons mother, Seeta Khadan-Newton.

Antoinette, 41, Williams, 22, and Cobbs, 23, represented themselves at trial. They did not testify or call any witnesses. Antoinette introduced a single piece of evidence: a copy of a handwritten application for nonprofit status for her organization, 1 Mind Ministries. In that document, she described herself as a chosen daughter of the most high God and a queen of Jesus Christ.

In their closing arguments, Antoinette and Cobbs accused prosecutors and the media of conspiring to condemn them.

Weve been like pariahs, Antoinette said. These people want to blame someone for this childs death, so theyve chosen us.

Witnesses said Antoinette claimed to speak to God and ran a tightly controlled household. Among the rules were that the group dressed in only white, blue and khaki and they left the house only in pairs. They destroyed identification documents, cut off contact with relatives and were encouraged to smoke marijuana, which Antoinette called Gods weed.

Shes a very convincing manipulator, said Tiffany Smith, who lived with Antoinette before Javon died and testified that she was forced to give birth without medical care. The jury saw through that.

Even Antoinettes name, she said, was given to her by God. Although she was arrested and charged under the name Queen Antoinette, prosecutors said her real name is Toni Sloan.

Williams was referred to as Princess Trevia, and Cobbs was Prince Marcus. Ramkissoon was known as Princess Marie.

When Javon died, the household also included Antoinettes three other children and Tiffany Smiths older sister, Danielle. She testified that Cobbs had her committed to a psychiatric hospital in New York after she began telling outsiders about Javons death. Danielle Smith ultimately led police to his body.

Ramkissoons attorney, Steven D. Silverman, said he was relieved with the verdict.

I was fearful that the jury might consider her the most culpable, since she is the custodian of the child, Silverman said. But fortunately, they were able to see clearly that the Queen was in control of the situation.
Sanford, NC (27330)

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A popular Bay Area yoga instructor was fired over the weekend because of her relationship with a Petaluma man who runs an antisemitic website and organization that the Anti-Defamation League said is responsible for at least 74 antisemitic propaganda incidents, including recent events in which antisemitic flyers were distributed in the Bay Area.

Jeff Renfro, who owns Hella Yoga and Funky Door Yoga in Berkeley and Yoga Hell in Petaluma, told The Chronicle he fired instructor Kelly Johnson over the weekend and terminated an agreement to sell one of the businesses to her because of the involvement of her boyfriend, Jon Minadeo Jr., in Goyim TV, a website that broadcasts antisemitic videos and other antisemitic activities.

A message announcing the firing was splashed across the colorful home pages for the Hella Yoga and Yoga Hell  reading We are a firm believer in diversity and inclusion, due to recent activities brought to our attention Kelly Johnson is no longer affiliated with Hella Yoga Berkeley or Yoga Hell Petaluma.

In a phone interview, Johnson told The Chronicle that she does not share her boyfriends beliefs and that she was hurt by her depiction as a racist.

The firing was first reported by J., the Jewish News of Northern California.

It followed a series of incidents in which antisemitic flyers stuffed in plastic sandwich bags with rice for ballast were distributed in several locations around the Bay Area, including the Berkeley hills, Palo Alto, Tiburon and the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Goyim TV is responsible for the flyers, Minadeo told The Chronicle, but said he did not personally distribute them.

In an email to present and past customers, Renfro said he decided to fire Johnson because she seems to share (Minadeos) beliefs and had assisted him in his business of hate. He told The Chronicle he found evidence on a computer they shared that Johnson registered Goyim TV as a California corporation.

We were devastated to find out that someone so close to us could be so far from our values, the email said.

It also said that the monthly profits from Hella Yoga will be donated on an ongoing basis to an Auschwitz memorial fund.

I am really hurt that they have gone this far to lie about me and say these things about me that are untrue, Johnson said. I am a very loving person and have relationships and friendships with all kinds of people. Its really hard to read this. Its all lies.

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.

Johnson described herself as a giving person who wants to be known for making a difference in peoples lives, adding that she and Minadeo had sought out legal advice.

This is the most slanderous, lying, evilest thing I have ever seen someone do to anyone else, Minadeo said.

Minadeo said Goyim TV is about uniting all races against the Jewish supremacy. His girlfriend, he said, doesnt share his beliefs and isnt involved in his activities. He also said that he agreed to stop posting daily videos to Goyim TV about a month ago in an effort to smooth over the dispute with Renfro, but that it didnt work.

Im not responsible for someone elses beliefs and what they do, Johnson said.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
San Francisco school kids wont be allowed to remove their masks inside when California drops its statewide school mask mandate. People who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus now can go maskless indoors along with everyone else.

For the latest COVID news, follow our daily updates.

Latest updates:

Biden administration expanding delivery of antiviral pills, at-home tests: The federal government and Pfizer have been working together to fast-track the production and delivery of antiviral pills to treat COVID-19, President Biden said during his State of the Union address Tuesday. Roughly 1 million pills will be made available this month at select pharmacy clinics and more than 2 million will be available in April, officials said. Starting next week, households that have already ordered COVID-19 tests from the government can order four more tests for free. The government had delivered more than 270 million free tests by March 1.

President Biden announces new COVID-19 treatment, education initiative: President Biden announced during his State of the Union address Tuesday that the federal government will launch a Test to Treat Initiative  a program meant to reduce the time between a persons positive COVID-19 test result and the moment they receive treatment such as antiviral pills and monoclonal antibodies. The initiative will also include steps to educate the public about new treatments, inform health care providers about new treatments and deliver antiviral pills to long-term care facilities.

Bay Area lags in office return compared to other major metros: After a sharp dip in January due to the omicron COVID-19 surge, more Bay Area residents are returning to their offices to work. But at 25% of its pre-pandemic baseline, the attendance rate in the San Francisco metropolitan region lags behind other areas as of mid-February, according to the Office of the Controller's latest reopening report. By comparison, weekly office attendance is close to about 50% of its baseline in Austin, 35% in Los Angeles, 32% in New York, and 28% in San Jose. Hotel occupancy in San Francisco has recovered to December levels, with about 45% of available rooms in use, but still remains far below the 80% pre-pandemic average. The average rate of an overnight stay has edged back up to $200, down from about $310 in 2019.

Hawaii to end Safe Travels COVID safety program: Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Tuesday that Hawaii's Safe Travels program, which allowed people coming into the state to bypass quarantine requirements, would end March 25, Hawaii News Now reported. The program requires temperature screenings at Hawaiian airports and a mandatory five-day quarantine, unless incoming travelers presented proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of their departure times.

California teachers push back on plans to lift school mask mandates: The union representing teachers in the second-largest school district in the nation recommended that K-12 schools keep indoor mask mandates in place. Even though Los Angeles County health officials said they will follow new state recommendations to make masking indoors optional, United Teachers of Los Angeles, which represents some 35,000 educators, has an agreement with the Los Angeles Unified School District to require masks indoors through the end of the school year. LAUSD schools have been the safest and most well equipped in the country because educators and families united to demand critical health and safety protocols, UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in the statement to KTLA. These protocols, like indoor masking, have protected tens of thousands of educators and more than half a million students, along with their families. It is premature to discuss removing these health and safety measures while there are still many unvaccinated youth in our early education programs and schools. The district said it recognizes the updated state guidance but will wait longer before changing its policy. In Northern California, about 200 Rocklin Unified School District teachers and school staff staged a sick-out on Monday to protest a decision by the school board to immediately stop enforcing the mask mandate, which is in effect until March 11.

Contra Costa County case rates back near pre-omicron levels: New COVID-19 infections in Contra Costa County have fallen to mid-December levels, before the omicron-fueled surge took off, county health officials said Tuesday. COVID hospitalizations are also coming down steadily and are now around what they were at in early January, before the omicron peak. Compared to last week, new daily cases have dropped 45% to 151, and the number of people hospitalized with COVID has fallen 35% to 83 people. We have vaccines, tests, treatments that work, and many people now have some immunity from vaccination or past infection, the countys health services director Anna Roth told county supervisors Tuesday. Its much safer to now move into the next phase. Protecting ourselves in the community is now really up to each one of us, making individual health decisions to reduce the risk to yourself as well as your loved ones.

Alameda County aligns with state to drop mask mandate for the unvaccinated, will decide this week on masking in schools: Alameda County is the latest Bay Area jurisdiction to align with state guidance that allows unvaccinated residents to go maskless in most indoor public settings starting Tuesday. Other Bay Area counties have taken the same tack. Alameda County is still considering whether it will also align with the states policy to lift indoor mask requirements for K-12 schools on March 12. California announced both masking changes Monday. Counties and school districts can choose to keep indoor masking in schools but so far in the Bay Area, only San Francisco Unified School District has announced plans to retain its local school mask mandate.

China to test all overseas mail as cases surge: Following COVID-19 outbreaks in nearly half of the country's provinces this week, the state-owned China Post announced plans to hold all overseas mail and parcels for nucleic acid testing to reduce the risk of virus spread from potentially contaminated objects, according to a report from South China Morning Post. After disinfection and leaving the parcel for 24 hours, we will open the parcel and carry out COVID-19 testing for the inside objects with the consent of the recipient, Tao Mu, an official with China Post, told the state broadcaster CCTV. Each item will be released within 14 to 20 hours of a negative result. While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk of surface transmission is minimal, health officials in China have long contended that the coronavirus can be transmitted via inanimate objects.

Contra Costa County hits booster milestone, but still a long way to go: Contra Costa County this week hit a milestone in the administration of COVID-19 vaccine boosters, with 50% of eligible residents now having gotten a booster shot, county health officials said Tuesday. While were glad that number is on the rise, that number is still too low for our comfort, health services director Anna Roth told county supervisors. We still have a long way to go. Boosters significantly reduce the likelihood of COVID infection and hospitalization compared to the primary vaccine series  most Americans got two shots of mRNA vaccine for their primary series  which are already very protective against hospitalization and death. Booster uptake has lagged in the region, state and nation, with just 50% to 68% of eligible residents in most Bay Area counties having been boosted. People 12 and older whove been fully vaccinated are eligible for boosters. Those five to 11 years old are not yet eligible for boosters because not enough time has passed since their first two shots; this group only became eligible for their initial shots in November, and boosters are given at least five months after the second shot.

Sonoma County COVID trends going in the right direction despite high case count: Sonoma County officials said that coronavirus metrics were improving in the region as the omicron winter surge continues to wane. Things are going in the right direction, Dr. Sundari Mase, the countys health officer, told a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. That is good news. However, she said there has been a decline in demand for testing and encouraged people to report the results of at-home antigen tests to the county database so the public health department could continue to accurately monitor COVID-19 trends. We still have a very high case-volume, Mase said. Sonoma County is averaging around 20 daily cases per 100,000 residents, down from a peak of 228 cases per 100,000 in early January. Its significantly higher than where we were before last November before the omicron surge, she cautioned. Mase also said the county will sunset its recommendation that students wear masks outdoors while at school and would follow Californias guidelines for allowing schools to lift the indoor mask mandate for vaccinated individuals.

Santa Clara County to lift mask mandate Wednesday: Public health officials in Santa Clara County confirmed they will lift the universal indoor mask mandate on Wednesday. We have met the metrics, said Dr. Sara Cody, the countys health officer, at a press briefing. We are transitioning from a requirement to a recommendation. She said it is not completely safe to align with the states masking guidelines, but felt the trends were in a strong downward trend. We still have community transmission of COVID, Cody said. But we reached the level where it feels safe enough. She added that case rates and wastewater data show the level of community transmission is continuing to decrease. Santa Clara County discontinued local rules for schools and childcare settings in mid-2020 and has followed state guidance and rules since that time. That will not change at this time, Cody said.

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U.S. birth rates fell sharply during the pandemic: The number of births in the United States fell substantially in the first half of 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 1.74 million births between January and June of last year, marking a 2% decline from the 1.78 million births over the same period in 2020. But most of that change is attributed to a 9% drop in births in January and 2% in February  meaning that fewer women were getting pregnant when the initial COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders were issued. California was among the states that reported the biggest decline, about 3-4% year-over-year. There were racial and ethnic disparities in the changes as well, with births by white women seeing a 1% decline in 2021, while births by Asian women fell 8%. Overall births in the U.S. declined 2% From 2015 to 2019 as well, but the researchers noted that the sharp decline in births in January and more moderate decline in February of 2021 followed by generally increasing trends beginning in March, are not consistent with those of recent years in which changes in births by month were more moderate.

California senator tests positive for COVID: Sen. Alex Padilla tweeted Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19. It was a breakthrough case, he said, because he was fully vaccinated. Im asymptomatic and grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted, Padilla tweeted. In accordance with CDC guidance, I am isolating and working remotely. I will continue consulting with the Capitols Attending Physician and expect to return soon, he said.

Pfizer vaccine less effective for young children compared to teens and adults: The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine is less effective at preventing infections in children between the ages of 5 and 11, according to data collected by public health officials in New York. While the Pfizer vaccine still prevents severe illness in children 5-11 years old, it offers almost no protection against infection, according to the data, which has not yet undergone peer review. The Pfizer vaccine is currently the only vaccine authorized for children 5-11 in the U.S.

Vaccination holdouts no longer have to mask up indoors: Unvaccinated people as of Tuesday can forgo wearing face masks in most indoor public settings, just like vaccinated people already could under California rules. The change removes one of the last COVID-19 restrictions on face coverings for the nations most populous state. Read the full story.

Marin County holding off for more information on school masks: Marin County Public Health officials said Monday they are waiting to understand the states updated school guidance before confirming what changes  if any will take place in local classrooms. In a news release they said Marin schools and districts would then have the ability to maintain a stricter stance that whatever new policy the state unveils.

Most Bay Area counties follow state on school masks: San Francisco public health officials said they'd align with the new California state guidance on school masking, though the city's public school district won't yet be allowing students to go mask free. At least five other Bay Area counties  Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Solano, San Mateo and Sonoma  also announced Monday that they would adopt the new state guidance that drops the requirement for masking in schools after March 11. Alameda County officials said they would decide later this week whether to align with the state.

S.F. schools not ready to drop masking: When many California gives the green light for kids across the state to go into classrooms without face masks, San Francisco students wont be among those enjoying the new freedom. San Francisco school officials said Monday that they are not now changing masking protocols. Read the full story here.

Oakland weighs keeping parklets: Oaklands city council plans to vote Tuesday on whether to make outdoor parklets and sidewalk cafes permanent  a pandemic-era feature thats helped boost economic activity. If the council does not extend its program that has allowed many restaurants and businesses to use outdoor spaces without having to go through an extensive application and permitting process, it will expire at the end of March. Read the full story.
Owners of rental properties filed suit Tuesday to challenge the two-year-old moratorium on evictions in Oakland and Alameda County, saying the local government orders violate their property rights and are being abused by tenants to withhold rent for reasons unrelated to the coronavirus.

The local eviction bans took effect in March 2020, after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency that also included an eviction moratorium, later extended by state lawmakers. But the lawsuit said the statewide moratorium, scheduled to expire at the end of this month, allowed nonpayment of rent only for financial reasons related to the pandemic, while Oakland and Alameda County have no such restrictions. The city and county allow eviction only if a renter poses a threat to public safety or the owner is converting the building to non-rental property.

(T)here is no justification for such extreme measures, the lawsuit said. It was filed in federal court on behalf of five owners of rental housing and Housing Providers of America.

The suit seeks an end to both moratorium orders and damages for the owners property losses. Although the tenants still owe unpaid rent and are legally obliged to repay it, the suit said some tenants have already left without paying, despite rental assistance available from both the city and the county. The suit accused the local governments of taking, or confiscating, the owners property by enabling nonpayments.

Housing agencies in Oakland and Alameda County did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

One plaintiff, the owner of a rental home in Oakland, said one of his tenants had paid rent regularly for 10 years but stopped paying $1,500 a month at the start of the moratorium and has not resumed, for reasons unrelated to the pandemic. Another plaintiff said a tenant in Hayward had been harassing other tenants, then came to an agreement to move out in 2020, but remained in place after the moratorium and hasnt paid rent since then.

Another Oakland homeowner said in the suit that when she entered the unit of a tenant who currently owes $5,000 in rent, it was infested with insects and one of its cabinets was hung from the ceiling.

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The owners contended the pandemic is receding locally, and tenants no longer need any special protections. The Bay Area is open for business, attorney Andrew Zacks said in the suit.

A similar suit has been filed by property owners in Los Angeles County against the county and the state of California.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
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Californians whose primary language is not English have faced huge barriers in seeking unemployment benefits  unable to communicate or forced to rely on sometimes-predatory go-betweens.

Now they should find it easier to apply to the state Employment Development Department for benefits, thanks to a settlement the agency made with several advocacy groups and a $21 million two-year budget allocation.

Its an enormous issue. California is the nations most linguistically diverse state with 7 million residents who speak a language other than English at home. While most are Spanish speakers, 2.4 million speak one of more than 200 other languages. Many are low-wage service workers.

Individuals who are not fluent in English face insurmountable barriers to receiving assistance, said a September 2020 report from the governors EDD Strike Team.

EDD agents now are supposed to immediately loop in qualified interpreters (often from an outside agency) when callers request help in their language.

Whats huge is, someone can pick up the phone, call EDD and get an interpreter in the language theyre most comfortable speaking, said Marisa Lundin, Indigenous program legal director at California Rural Legal Assistance, one of the groups in the settlement. The others are Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Asian Americans Advancing Justice  Asian Law Caucus, Center for Workers Rights and Legal Aid at Work.

One in five Californians communicate in languages other than English, making it critical that EDD communicates with customers in many languages, said a statement from EDD Director Nancy Farias, who took over as agency head early this month.

The agency currently has lines in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese and Vietnamese, although callers to those lines have trouble getting through (as is true of the English lines). EDD must add Korean, Tagalog and Armenian lines by the end of the year.

Also by year-end, the agency must translate unemployment documents into the above languages plus Arabic, Farsi, Punjabi, Russian, Japanese, Hindi, Khmer (Cambodian) and Thai.

EDD must collect and share data on claimants using its language services so advocates can monitor how well the system is working. The agency will create a multilingual access unit and establish an advisory committee of community members on language access.

The advisory board will allow organizations like ours and others to provide feedback and access whether the agreement and other efforts are implemented and enforced, said Joann Lee, special counsel on language justice at Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. Her nonprofit had filed a complaint against EDD, alleging systemic language access violations of federal and state anti-discrimination mandates covering national origin, ethnic identification, and linguistic characteristics.

The agreement also applies to outside EDD vendors, Lee said, notably ID.me, which verifies claimants identities, and Bank of America, which issues the debit cards for paying benefits.

Lundin said she hopes the changes will alleviate reliance on private third-party brokers, notarios that will file for your EDD benefits for a fee and charge you a fee every time you certify. ... People would pay and pay for a service, not getting benefits, and not getting communication from EDD about the holdups.

Katherine Wutchiett, staff attorney for the Work and Family Program at Legal Aid at Work, said she hopes that next EDD will expand language support for people seeking state disability insurance and paid family leave.

We are committed to work with EDD to ensure this forms an example for (state disability insurance and paid family leave) and those programs arent left behind, she said.

Advocates shared statements from some claimants about their experiences.

I had to rely on relatives in order to apply and understand what the requirements were for eligibility, said Ali Atia of Richmond, who lost his janitorial job during the pandemic, in a statement shared by advocates. As a native speaker of Arabic with a Yemeni dialect, it would have been much easier for me to apply for benefits and provide needed clarifications in response to EDDs inquiries had I been able to communicate with them in Arabic online or over the phone.

Another Arabic speaker, a San Pablo woman who worked as a nanny and requested to have her name withheld, said in a statement that she trusted another person to submit her claim and guide her through the process.

A year later, I realized that the person had not only been providing fraudulent information, but also duped me by pocketing most of the money while I received a small, one-time payment, she said. With this settlement, I have hope that others in difficult situations such as myself can directly interact with EDD, be in charge of our own claims, and not be taken advantage of because services arent available in the languages we use.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
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For nearly seven years, an Oakland developer has been trying to raise enough money to break ground on a 360-unit project near Lake Merritt on city-owned land. On Tuesday, the City Council voted against giving the developer a sixth extension to get the two-building project off the ground.

If the council had approved the project, it would have brought market-rate and affordable housing and tax revenue to the city, but officials have been frustrated that the key lot was empty for six years, until a council member opened a temporary tiny home village for the homeless there.

The project had promised 729 union construction jobs, more than $600,000 in annual tax revenue and about $4.7 million in land sale proceeds, city staff said. But council members said that publicly owned land should prioritize affordable housing projects and instead the city should look to lease public land rather than sell.

I do appreciate the developers and the work they have done, said Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, who represents the district where the site is located.

But Bas said the site should be used for affordable housing, not the mixed-use project. Instead, she urged the developers to partner with the city on other projects.

While the outcome may not have been what was desired, I think we all want to continue to partner because there is a lot of need for housing across the entire city, Bas said.

The project has sparked a debate in Oakland around whether city-owned property should be used for affordable housing projects as the city grapples with a skyrocketing homelessness crisis. Activists protested against the development when the City Council first approved the project in 2016 and shut down numerous council meetings.

Developer UrbanCore Development has received five extensions from the city to get the project off the ground, but it still hadnt happened. UrbanCore partnered with East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation on the building that would house affordable units. Both developers have completed other projects in Oakland.

Since first getting approval for the project, the lot became home to at least a dozen people at a sprawling homeless encampment. Last summer, Bas opened a temporary tiny home village with pallet shelters and electricity for nearly 60 unsheltered people at the site.

The developer has said rising construction costs and the pandemics impact on the real estate market have hindered it from securing the necessary financing, according to the city.

Michael Johnson, president of UrbanCore Development, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Chronicle. City staff said the developer had requested a nine-month extension, until Nov. 15, to get financing.

In June, Johnson told The Chronicle that the development would break ground before his extension ran out. Johnson said he needed about $85 million to build one of the towers, which was estimated to cost $236 million. In addition, he said he needed more time to raise about $70 million to build the 91-unit, six-story affordable mid-rise building.

The project was first approved in 2016, and the city and UrbanCore entered into a development agreement in 2017. The project included a total of 360 residential units in two buildings  the first building would have had 252 market-rate units and 18 affordable units, and the second building would have had 90 affordable units.

Johnson supported the tiny village for homeless people at the site, but had said the tiny home village would have had to move once he was ready to break ground.

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Bas submitted a letter to the rest of the council that was discussed at Tuesdays meeting that laid out the broader context of the project. Bas pointed to a 2018 resolution that calls on the city to lease, rather than sell, public property.

In addition, the resolution requires city staff to submit written justification as to why a sale is preferred over a lease. The resolution also states that developments on public land must focus on permanently affordable projects and provide the deepest levels of affordability.

Bas also pointed out that the city is far behind its affordable housing production, but its unclear how the city would finance more affordable projects.

The state asked Oakland to issue permits for 6,949 low-income and moderate units by 2023, but the city has met only 22% of that goal so far. The city has approved permits for 1,506 affordable units.

Oakland was also asked to issue permits for 7,816 units for above-moderate-income households and has met 174% of that goal, according to city staff.

Clearly, Oakland needs to prioritize producing affordable housing, especially at very low income levels, Bas wrote in the letter.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
San Francisco is getting a new modern Korean restaurant from two fine-dining chefs and Korean powerhouse restaurant group Daeho.

Ban Sang will open in April at 1560 Fillmore St., at Geary Boulevard, the former location of Japanese restaurant Izakaya Kou. The kitchen will be led by Ethan Min, who has experience at Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurants Atelier Crenn, Saison and the now-closed Kinjo sushi bar, and Jin Lim, previously of Michael Mina, Kinjo and Kabuto in San Francisco.

The idea started when Daeho, which runs the wildly popular Daeho Kalbijjim & Beef Soup in the Bay Area, approached the two Korean natives to open a new restaurant, Min said. Daeho chief operating officer Tony Chong said the company wanted to help the young talented chefs grow, and already had the lease on the Izakaya Kou space.

Despite the chefs fine-dining experiences, they dont want Ban Sang to be a super high-end restaurant. Theyll serve a $70 set menu on trays, highlighting an array of Korean dishes incorporating French and Japanese techniques and ingredients.

The first half of the menu will feature three banchan, or Korean side dishes like tomato basil kimchi, and two main dishes. Entrees could include double-cut short rib galbi with pickled cipolinni onions or tuna tartar with shiso tempura and a lemon verbena ponzu sauce. The second half of the menu will come with another entree, a rice or noodle dish  think chewy rice cakes tossed in a gochujang tomato sauce  plus kimchi and soup.

The two chefs, who met in culinary school in Korea, chose this menu format to showcase the variety of Korean cooking. For drinks, there will be Korean liquors plus beer, wine and sake.

The reason we wanted to open this restaurant is to introduce our Korean culture, Min said.

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The restaurant will serve dinner to start but will eventually add lunch on Friday and Saturday. If Ban Sang does well, Chong said they plan to open more throughout the Bay Area.

Ban Sang is arriving at an exciting time for the Bay Areas Korean food scene, which has been long maligned as inferior to Los Angeles or New Yorks. A host of new Korean restaurants have opened in recent months, including Benu chef Corey Lees San Ho Won in San Francisco, tofu specialist Joodooboo in Oakland and French-Korean bar Bar Bonmot in Cupertino. The owners of Inner Sunset market Queens are gearing up to open a Korean-Chinese restaurant in March, and Daeho itself is on an expansion kick. Its new San Mateo location is set to open this month.

Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany
As the Bay Area food community searches for ways to help people in Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion, many are looking to San Francisco chef and food blogger Anna Voloshyna. Born and raised in Ukraine, she is arguably the citys most prominent voice celebrating Ukrainian food and culture.

Right now, shes completely overwhelmed.

Over the past few days, shes received an onslaught of supportive messages from people in the food industry  in the Bay Area and beyond  who want to spring into action following the attack. Already, Voloshyna has multiple fundraisers in the works. All of the money raised would go to #CookForUkraine, a chef-led fund providing aid to families in Ukraine via childrens charity Unicef UK, or World Central Kitchen, chef Jose Andres nonprofit that feeds people impacted by disasters.

For the past week, Voloshyna has constantly posted updates on the war to her Instagram, which has about 46,500 followers. Amid the violence, she encourages people to cook Ukrainian dishes at home, recently sharing a recipe for Ukrainian pancakes topped with caramelized apples. Voloshyna sees the spread of Ukrainian cooking as a way to raise awareness.

If we can spread the truth, even with one single recipe, it can spark interest, she said. And then they can read more.

Bay Area chefs and restaurants are finding their own ways to respond to the ongoing war as well. Scandinavian cafe Kantine in San Francisco is donating all proceeds from semlor, a special almond cream-filled bun, on Tuesday to World Central Kitchen. Palo Alto bar Zola is similarly donating 10% of sales from Tuesdays Mardi Gras celebration to World Central Kitchen. And Adrian Chang, a Sonoma County cook and writer, is hosting a virtual dumpling class on Sunday in exchange for donations to #CookForUkraine. Hes teaming up with Linda Esposito, who hosts cooking classes at nonprofit cooking school 18 Reasons.

We cant not do anything, Chang said. Sanctions arent doing enough. If we can help the people who are really suffering, Im all for it.

Bars across the country are pulling Russian vodka from their shelves, including San Francisco watering hole Madrone Art Bar. Others are taking more symbolic stances, such as the Mission Districts Bond Bar changing its Moscow Mule to a Kyiv Mule.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle 2021

Voloshyna started raising funds on Monday, after artist Evan Stevens of Happy Cooking Cards reached out to collaborate. He painted Voloshynas cherry varenyky, a sweet and sour Ukrainian dumpling, to transform into art prints and recipe cards. Hes selling them online, with 50% of the profits going to #CookForUkraine.

On March 13, Voloshyna will host a fundraiser at the Archery, an events space in San Franciscos Mission District, with the help of volunteers staffed by 18 Reasons. On the menu is borscht, the Ukrainian beet soup topped with sour cream; pampushki, garlicky bread rolls; and Ukrainian crepes stuffed with sweet cheese.

Shes also collaborating with Lindsay Kinder, the owner of San Francisco cooking class and events business Food La La, for a free online cooking class centered on cherry varenyky, Voloshynas favorite dish. Theyll collect donations for #CookForUkraine.

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Voloshyna was born in a small village outside of Nikolayev, in southern Ukraine, and most of her family and friends are still there. Theyre hiding in the familys root cellar, waiting to see if a bomb will come destroy their house, she said. She remembers the cellar as the place her grandma kept preserves and pickles. Now, its where her relatives miraculously get enough internet to talk to her three times per day.

I say to them, Right now we need to stand and survive and we will rebuild everything later, Voloshyna said. I tell them a bright future is coming.

This story was updated with the new date for Voloshynas fundraiser at the Archery, March 13.

Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker
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A pioneer of organic and biodynamic winegrowing in California has chosen his successor, preserving a family dynamic amid growing corporatization within the wine industry.

Phil Coturri named his former protege Mayacamas Olds the chief operating officer of his company Enterprise Vineyards, which farms 600 acres of vines in Napa and Sonoma counties for wineries including Kamen Estate Vineyards, Oakville Ranch and Stone Edge Farm. Coturri doesnt plan to retire anytime soon, he said, but Olds will enable him to pull back on the day-to-day administrative duties.

Coturris decision to create a succession plan before his retirement is unusual in Wine Country, where more and more successful wine businesses are selling to large conglomerates  most recently, Napas 50-year-old Shafer Vineyards, sold to South Korean conglomerate Shinsegae Property for $250 million.

Coturri wasnt interested in selling Enterprise Vineyards to the highest bidder. It creates a homogenization of wine varieties and styles, he said, and could have dire environmental consequences if companies dont prioritize watersheds and other factors as the climate changes. If the controlling interest is changing constantly, it becomes more of a commodity, said Coturri. Then there is no one with the passion necessary to be responsible for their actions.

By hiring Olds now, Coturri is ensuring that his vision for Enterprise will remain in place for future generations.

When Coturri founded Enterprise in 1979, few vineyards in the Bay Area were farmed organically. The use of herbicides was standard; the toxicity of these chemicals, like RoundUp, which has been shown to be a carcinogen, was not yet common knowledge. Coturri revolutionzed the industrys now widespread adoption of organic and biodynamic practices for high-quality wines. Today, hes considered the go-to organic farming expert for Wine Countrys top estates.

Olds worked with Coturri at Enterprise as a viticulturist between 2006 and 2011. Recently, a casual lunch to catch up with her former employer led to a job offer that she couldnt refuse. It just magically happened, said Olds, who will also oversee Corturris Sonoma Valley winery, Winery Sixteen 600, which focuses on Rhone grape varieties like Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.

Were fully, 100% aligned on the philosophy of farming and growing high quality grapes among organics, on preserving diversity as well as how we feel about taking care of his crew and his people, she said.

Most recently, Olds was the general manager of Sonoma sparkling wine house Gloria Ferrer Wines, where she initiated the switch away from using herbicides in the vineyard; the winery is now on its way to being certified organic. But she missed working with high-end red wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, she said. Most importantly, the move enables her to refocus on her familys business, Sky Vineyards, which Enterprise helps farm. Sky is a remote, fully off-the-grid estate on the border of Napa and Sonoma counties in the Mayacamas mountain range.

Coturri insists on keeping his business in the family, calling wine a multigenerational experience. His grandfathers worked as barrel coopers and in the 1960s, his father planted vines and made wine in Sonoma Valley. Both of Coturris sons are heavily involved in his businesses today: Sam Coturri is the technical director of Winery Sixteen 600 and Max Coturri is the head of construction for Enterprise.

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So, it might seem counterintuitive that Coturri hasnt promoted either of his sons to the top management role, but when it came time for succession planning, he felt that Olds was best suited to act as the glue between Enterprises staff of more than 100 employees and to maintain the high level of farming the company has built its reputation on.

Sam Coturri said Olds has his full support. She has qualifications that neither my brother nor I have, and experience we dont have, he said .

Besides, Olds is family, argued Phil Cotturi. Long before their working relationship, his wife babysat Olds, and years later, Olds babysat Coturris children.

Theres a heritage that was started forty-plus years ago and it's a heritage that I want to go on for another 40 years, if not more, said Coturri.

Jess Lander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jess.lander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesslander
At least half a million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded last Thursday, the United Nations says. But others in the nation of 40 million people have decided to stay  with many joining the fight against the invaders.

So many, in fact, that the Territorial Defense Forces, the civilian army that was created after the 2014 revolution, has been turning away volunteers.



I came to military office, said Dima Kyiashko, 31, a sales representative for a logistics company. I said, OK, please give me a gun, I will go and fight. They said, Listen, young man, we are already fully packed with people who have much more experience than you have. So please go away and just try to help in another area.



Kyiashko is one of four Ukrainians who talked with the Fifth & Mission podcast about the moment they realized the invasion had begun and their feelings about how the nation has responded.

He's not the only one who volunteered to carry a gun and was turned down. Illia Berezenko, a 27-year-old correspondent for the pro-Ukrainian TV channel Espresso, had a similar experience.



Well, that's a funny story, he said on Sunday. Because we have so many volunteers, like, I kid you not. In first two days, we had queues like a kilometer long, like half a mile long just to sign up. And as of today, we don't even have guns to give to people and like myself too, because so many people join forces.



Berezenko is instead working on humanitarian support, helping to supply the volunteer troops as well as local hospitals. He said the response has been overwhelming there too.



I had so many calls to give me food to give to the hospitals and to the soldiers that like at 2 p.m. I started to decline, he said, because we didn't need anything. We had a lot of it.



Liliia Kyiashko  Dima Kyiashko's wife  is also a journalist. She said she has been inspired by the response.



We feel terrified, really. But we know that we are all together and everybody will fight, said Kyiashko, 27.



The interviews with the Kyiashkos, Berezenko and software engineer Dima Kurkin were arranged by Maksym Zubkov, 29, a PhD student in mathematics at UC Berkeley, who also appears in the episode, speaking with host Cecilia Lei.



Zubkov was pictured in The Chronicle last week, a Ukrainian flag draped over his shoulders as he checked the news on his phone while sitting on the steps of the Ukrainian consulate in San Francisco. He told photographer Gabrielle Lurie that he has friends and family in Ukraine who'd like to talk, leading to this episode of Fifth & Mission.



Zubkov has been fundraising for his local community in Ukraine and has a website, maksymzubkov.com, where he's providing information about how Bay Area residents can help the people of Ukraine.

Photo above: Volunteer fighters for Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces pose with supplies donated by community members.
Desperate to combat a drug epidemic thats cost more than 1,300 lives in the past two years, San Francisco officials are pushing to get more people into treatment and spending millions on expanding existing programs and creating new ones.

Now, some city leaders and nonprofits are reviving talk of a get-tough method of rehab that has been largely rejected throughout the U.S. since the 1990s  placing a primary emphasis on requiring clients to shake their addictions without medication or relapses, loosely referred to as abstinence.

Currently, the citys health department and its nonprofit partners embrace a harm reduction approach, letting people shed addictions mostly at their own pace with help from medication if requested and without intensive judgment from counselors if they relapse. At times that means going into residential rehab, but it also can simply be living inside away from the temptations of street dealers.

The debate was revived last month as the city struggled to get more people help through its new Tenderloin Linkage Center at U.N. Plaza, where those facing addiction can access drug treatment and housing. San Francisco has made national headlines as Mayor London Breed confronts the open-air drug use and dealing in the Tenderloin that residents and merchants say has only gotten worse as the super-powerful opioid fentanyl has infiltrated the drug supply.

The city dipped a toe into the abstinence technique late last year by funding a sober-only program for men coming out of jail or as an alternative to being incarcerated. State law requires that any rehab program allow medically assisted treatment such as methadone or suboxone for opioids and not end treatment for relapses, but the 86-bed complex run by the Adult Probation Department gets around that by billing itself as fostering lifestyle changes, not simply abstinence from drug use. Participants are urged, however, to shake drugs with no medication help. And if they relapse, they are asked to go to a program to get drug-free again.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

In addition, a new coalition of nonprofits and companies called the Urban Vision Alliance is proposing a massive expansion of the abstinence-based approach using transitional housing and rehab to get people drug-free before they get permanent subsidized housing. Through fundraising and planning help, the group is supporting the creation of 1,500 beds in complexes to be renovated over the next several years in San Francisco by the Salvation Army, which provides programs shepherding people from the street into homes with heavy rehabilitation along the way.

That infusion of treatment beds encouraged by Urban Vision would be more than the number of treatment beds the city is currently adding. San Francisco has plans to add about 400 mental health and addiction treatment beds, although the timeline for all of them isnt yet clear.

Still, harm reduction has been the preferred technique of most drug treatment providers across the nation for decades, and in San Francisco its rehab gospel for any program.

National studies for decades have shown that abstinence techniques are less effective than the now-traditional medicated harm reduction methods, with failure rates of at least 75% versus 40% to 60%. But the crisis has gotten so bad in San Francisco that abstinence supporters say other options are worth a try.

Thats the argument made by Supervisors Ahsha Safai and Catherine Stefani.

At a Feb. 8 supervisors meeting, the two grilled the citys director of behavioral health about why the city didnt have more abstinence-based programs. Safai  spurred by a coalition of those in recovery and advocates  helped shepherd the probation departments complex into existence, and said at the hearing hed like to see more like it funded by the city.

Hillary Kunins, the behavioral health director, responded that the state law requiring medication-assisted treatment prohibits funding abstinence-only programs  but she added that shes open to suggestions.

I want to encourage us all to not fall into what I think is a false dichotomy of abstinence versus harm reduction, but really see it for all of us together to improve health outcomes, she said during the meeting.

Stefani, aligning with Safai, appeared exasperated that there wasnt more enthusiasm for abstinence approaches.

There are people who have substance use disorder that absolutely cannot use their drug of choice, she said. They cant take a sip of wine, they cant do a line of coke, they cant smoke fentanyl because they could die, and they dont want to. They are seeking abstinence in their life.

We are not saying that you cant have harm reduction either, but we are saying make a place for abstinence-based recovery for those addicts who are suffering and need it.

Safai told The Chronicle he is merely trying to expand the palette of programs, since years of intensive efforts to help chronically homeless addicts havent cleared the streets of people shooting and smoking dope in public.

We see such extreme despair on the streets, we should be open to trying new things, he said. Why not try something more demanding to see how successful that can be?

The question is urgent as the city prepares to launch new rehab efforts with millions of dollars in new state, federal and local tax money over the next couple of years. And Breed is under intense political pressure to deal with the crisis.

T.J. Johnson, whos struggling to shake addictions to fentanyl and alcohol, knows the debate well. Hes tried going cold turkey by himself and in clean and sober facilities.

Stephen Lam/The Chronicle

But the only thing that makes sense to this 41-year-old San Franciscan is what hes doing right now: taking methadone and pulling back slowly from drinking at his own pace. Hes doing it in his own place, a hotel room he landed recently through a homeless-aid program  which means for the first time in years, hes housed and stable and able to devote himself to sobriety.

Ive tried everything else. This is the only thing that feels right, Johnson said the other day. This talk of abstinence? It wont work. You just cant force people to kick drugs suddenly and stay clean.

More than a dozen addiction experts and hundreds of pages of research papers reviewed by The Chronicle back up what Johnson is arguing. They maintain that medically assisted treatment, and keeping clients in a program despite relapses, are more effective than old-school abstinence techniques.

A 2016 study published by the National Library of Medicine showed that rehab patients using methadone were 4 times more likely to stay in treatment than those not using medicine.

We do want to honor abstinence for people who are ready and able to do so ... but we know abstinence-only programs only work for a small percentage of the population, said Laura Guzman, a senior director at the National Harm Reduction Coalition.

Vitka Eisen, president and CEO of the citys largest drug treatment provider, HealthRight 360, said going cold turkey, without medication, is not supported by the science, and is considered high risk and puts the client at risk of death from overdose if they relapse.

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.

Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said the probation department program Safai championed is the first of its specific kind she has heard of, and I am watching this program to see if we can learn from it.

She added that the programs creation is part of a growing trend around the nation, not just in San Francisco, of the unending drug epidemic forcing people to try any new method they can think of.

The tragedy of overdoses is forcing the dialogue, Volkow said. The numbers are alarming  you cannot ignore the more than 100,000 people who died of overdoses in the past year, the most ever.

San Franciscos harm reduction programs often move people into supportive or other forms of housing and let them continue to use drugs while case managers steer them toward sobriety programs. But the frustration Volkow speaks of is spurring some to consider adjusting that policy, known as housing first, which is giving those addicted to drugs housing before they shake their addictions, recognizing that getting sober is much easier if youre stable under a roof.

One of the foremost advocates for abstinence in San Francisco is Tom Wolf, who was homeless and quit an opioid addiction in 2018 through abstinence in a Salvation Army program. Now working as a recovery advocate, he pointed out that a majority of the 650 people who died of overdoses in San Francisco last year were housed, according to city figures, and that many of those were formerly homeless people living in housing first supportive housing in the Tenderloin.

The supportive housing residents were being allowed to stay in their housing while they used narcotics, and while case managers tried to persuade them to get sober. Wolf said there needs to be a more assertive approach to getting those residents clean.

The whole original premise of the harm reduction approach was to use alternatives like medically assisted treatment to help you get into recovery and reach abstinence, Wolf said. But whats actually going on now is they want to just keep you alive in places like supportive housing, which is fine, but nobodys having the conversation about what to do next.

Were letting people continue to use their illegal drugs too long. We should work harder to get those people into recovery. Im not opposed to using things like methadone while youre getting into recovery, but youll be much better off if youre free of all medication and drugs. Full abstinence improves your life.

The coalition Urban Vision Alliance, which officially launches in March, is proposing a greater emphasis on steering unsheltered people with addiction into transitional housing and getting firmer commitments from them to stop using before they get permanent apartments  a form of abstinence-based assistance.

The nonprofit is loosely patterning its first big assistance project with the Salvation Army after the approach of Haven for Hope, a street-to-recovery-to-housing program in San Antonio, Texas, that claims to have been largely responsible for a 77% reduction in the downtown homeless count since it was founded in 2010.

Urban Visions emphasis will be on chronically homeless people  the 20% to 40% of the unhoused population whove lived outside for more than a year and overwhelmingly are the desperate ones seen getting high on the street.

We need a better exit to get free of addictions, said Theo Ellington, director of homeless initiatives at the Salvation Army. Harm reduction hasnt worked for some people. Abstinence-based treatment has to be available.

Chronicle staff writer J.D. Morris contributed to this report.

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron
Apple said Tuesday that it would pause product sales in Russia, becoming the latest major corporation to cut ties after the invasion of Ukraine.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines minister of digital transformation, said on social media that Apple had stopped Russian online sales, a few days after Federov wrote a letter to CEO Tim Cook calling for solidarity with Ukraine.

We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country, the company said, according to TechCrunch and other news outlets. We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence.

Apple said it removed Russian state media including RT News and Sputnik News from the App Store outside of Russia, as well as limiting Apple Pay, according to reports. Apple didnt respond to requests for comment.

Future Publishing/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Fedorov, an active Twitter user, has also tweeted requests to the CEOs of Google and its YouTube division to block Russia state media, while hailing bitcoin donations and thanking Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musks donation of Starlink satellite internet terminals to the country under siege.

Tech giants have been swept into the largest land war in Europe since World War II, with their products and services reaching millions of people, including combatants and citizens of both sides. So far, Metas Facebook and YouTube have sought to restrict Russian groups but havent completely cut access.

Facebook said it blocked Russian state media from running ads, expanded fact checking and allowed users to hide their profiles. It also closed a small network of around 40 accounts spreading misinformation and posing as an authentic news source. The company has also grappled with deleting video game footage that users have uploaded and misleadingly labeled as videos from the conflict.

We are taking extensive steps across our apps to help ensure the safety of our community and support the people who use our services  both in Ukraine and around the world, Facebook said.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Google said it would block RT and Sputniks YouTube channels in Europe starting Tuesday and paused some Russian channels ad revenue.

Federov has characterized part of the war with Russia as a digital struggle.

On Saturday, he called for tech experts to join the fight. We are creating an IT army, he said, linking to a recruitment page through encrypted messenger app Telegram. We continue to fight on the cyber front.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
San Francisco Mayor London Breed has publicly criticized District Attorney Chesa Boudin on multiple occasions in recent weeks, and Boudin returned fire in an interview with the New York Times published Tuesday.

Breed criticized Boudin for not supporting her emergency declaration in the Tenderloin, and later echoed a frequent line of attack used by Boudin recall proponents, stating, "We need to start concentrating more on supporting the victims of this city than we are supporting in some cases, sadly, the criminals."

Boudin was asked by interviewer David Marchese about Breed's remarks, and they discussed the structure of San Francisco's recall laws. San Franciscans will vote on Boudin's recall on June 7.

"Theres a structural flaw in the way that San Franciscos recalls are designed, which is that the mayor appoints the replacement after a successful recall vote," Boudin said. "It creates an incentive for the mayor to always support a recall, because who wouldnt want to appoint a citywide elected official? Why would she ever oppose a recall?"

When Marchese quipped, "'Why would she ever oppose a recall?'  because she thought the person was doing the best job," Boudin then accused Breed of trying to find a scapegoat for various city problems.

"She has the budget of a city and a county combined." Boudin said. "The resources are immense, and with those resources come high expectations. When we have problems like the Tenderloin or a housing crisis or an opioid-overdose epidemic, it is convenient for someone with access to those resources and power to have a foil when people are upset. When you have that much power, if people are upset, its convenient to have a place to shift the blame."

Boudin said he believes resident dissatisfaction with San Francisco crime is valid, specifically dissatisfaction with property crime such as retail theft. He said that if there's a belief among criminals they can get away with crimes, it comes from the San Francisco Police Department's low arrest rates and not his office.

"With theft in San Francisco, people believe they can get away with it because only 2 percent of reported thefts result in arrest," he said. "We can hang people in the town square, but the most effective thing at deterring crime is certainty of arrest. But the police make arrests in less than 3 percent of reported auto burglaries. Not blaming the police: These are crimes that are hard to make an arrest in. Because of that, people dont fear consequences. It has nothing to do with my policies."

It is true that the San Francisco Police Department's arrest rates for property crimes are very low and have been getting worse in recent years. Boudin said that he has "tremendous sympathy and admiration for the members of the San Francisco Police Department who do their job with integrity," but criticized the police union and members "who, instead of doing their job well, tell the victims that they cant do anything because they dont like the district attorney."

Boudin also criticized the wealthy individuals funding the recall efforts, and at one point accused William Oberndorf  one of the biggest donors to the PAC bankrolling the recall  of trying to arrange a quid pro quo in 2019 where Oberndorf would support Boudin if Boudin opposed San Francisco's sanctuary city policy. Oberndorf denied this allegation.

You can read the full New York Times interview here.
A father fatally shot his three daughters and their chaperone Monday night during a supervised visit at a Sacramento church before turning the gun on himself, officials said.

The shooter was estranged from the girls mother, who had a restraining order against him, an official said.

Sacramento County sheriff's spokesperson Sgt. Rod Grassman said the children were ages 9, 10 and 13.

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said investigators believe the shooting happened during a supervised visit with the children, and the fourth victim, an adult, was the chaperone.

The shooter came in and  what appears to be  killed the person who was supervising the visit, killed his own three children and then turned the gun on himself, Jones told the Sacramento Bee.

The shooter's identity wasn't immediately released.

The shooting occurred just after 5 p.m. in the main sanctuary area of The Church in Sacramento on the 2000 block of Wyda Way.

A church employee, who was working upstairs, heard the gunshots and called 911, Grassman said.

Sheriff's officials are investigating it as a domestic violence incident.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Twitter that the incident is "another senseless act of gun violence in America."

"This time in our backyard," Newsom wrote. "In a church with kids inside. Absolutely devastating. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their communities. We are working closely with local law enforcement."

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg wrote on Twitter: "This is an unspeakable tragedy. It happens too often, and tonight it happened in our backyard. First thoughts are with the victims and their families. Same to the first responders who have to confront such a horrible scene. Will say more as we learn more."

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office posted on Twitter at 6:09 p.m. that there was "large police presence due to a shooting" in the Arden Arcade neighborhood near Howe Avenue and Wyda Way. People were being asked to avoid the area.

Authorities said anyone who may have witnessed the incident should call 911.

This is a developing story and details will be added as they become available.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A Bay Area yoga instructor was fired from two popular studios due to her personal beliefs and relationship with a man who runs an organization that the Anti-Defamation League said was founded on virulent antisemitism," the business owner confirmed to SFGATE.

Kelly Johnson, a former instructor and owner at Hella Yoga Berkeley and former instructor at Yoga Hell Petaluma, was fired Saturday because of her involvement with a "business of hate," Jeff Renfro described in an email to customers.

Kelly was fired and we severed our business ties because of statements that were coming out of her mouth and that she had a very long-term, serious relationship with somebody who is a quite well-known white supremacist, antisemite, gay-basher, Renfro, who is Jewish, told SFGATE in an interview over the phone.

Johnsons boyfriend, Jon Minadeo Jr., leads the Goyim Defense League, an organization classified by the ADL as a network that espouses vitriolic antisemitism and white supremacist themes via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions. Minadeo also operates a YouTube-style video sharing platform called Goyim TV where conspiracist, antisemitic content is distributed. According to J., the Jewish News of Northern California, which first broke the news, Minadeo hosted a regular 4-hour livestream in which he peddled a multitude of baseless, anti-Jewish conspiracy theories, including that Jewish people were responsible for 9/11 and that the Holocaust was fabricated.

The Press Democrat also confirmed Saturday that Minadeo operates both the Goyim Defense League and Goyim TV.

The Goyim Defense League is believed to have distributed antisemitic flyers accusing Jewish people of creating the COVID agenda throughout the Bay Area in January and February. The organization also has espoused anti-Black, anti-Latino and anti-LGBT views, the ADL said.

Renfro, the yoga studio owner, told SFGATE that he first met Johnson about eight years ago  and for the past six or seven years, they were business partners and close friends. He even sold his stake in Hella Yoga to her, buying it back just about a month ago as his knowledge of Minadeos work grew. In recent years, Johnson began spewing hateful sentiments, such as complaining about sitting next to two smelly Jews on an airplane, Renfro told SFGATE.

When  she started talking like that, he said, I Googled John because I thought he was into QAnon. Renfro said he knew Minadeo had previously shared anti-vaccine and conspiracist views. I just thought he was kind of an idiot, Renfro said.

Renfro believes Johnson may have aided Minadeo in setting up his streams on Goyim TV, using the same technology that she had set up for Hella Yoga and Yoga Hells livestreams early in the pandemic. He said he also found paperwork on Johnsons computer to register Goyim TV as a California company.

It was obvious  Kellys really good at doing stuff like that  that she was the one who registered Goyim TV, he said.

Johnson denied these claims, saying that Renfro's allegations are all lies in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. (SFGATE and the Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.)

Minadeo did eventually stop his streams, Renfro said, but around this time, the flyer campaigns started. Minadeo confirmed to the Chronicle that Goyim TV was responsible for the flyers but said he did not distribute any himself.

Renfro said that he wanted to help Johnson privately, having one-on-one conversations and attempting to stage an intervention for Johnson to change her views. Kelly started to withdraw more from us, just emotionally just not communicating with us very well, Renfro said. It just seemed like she was stuck in a world that wasn't our world.

Since the firing was made public, Renfro said hes received plenty of phone calls  some hostile, but most grateful for his decision.

It's necessary, he said. Im a believer in tough love. Shes going down a rabbit hole, and we explained that to her.
MOSCOW  For two decades under President Vladimir Putin, Russians reaped the bounties of capitalism and globalization: cheap flights, affordable mortgages, a plethora of imported gadgets and cars.

On Monday, those perks of modern life were abruptly disappearing, replaced by a crush of anxiety as sanctions imposed by the West in retaliation for Moscows invasion of Ukraine rattled the foundations of Russias financial system.

The ruble cratered, losing one-quarter of its value, and the central bank shuttered stock trading in Moscow through Tuesday. The public rushed to withdraw cash from ATMs, and Aeroflot, the national airline, canceled all its flights to Europe after countries banned Russian planes from using their air space. Concern about travel was so great that some people rushed to book seats on the few international flights still operating.

Ive become one concentrated ball of fear, said the owner of a small advertising agency in Moscow, Azaliya Idrisova, 33. She said she planned to depart for Argentina in the coming days and was not sure whether her clients would still pay her.

Compounding the pain was the decision by Western countries to restrict the Russian central banks access to much of its $643 billion in foreign currency reserves, undoing some of the Kremlins careful efforts to soften the impact of potential sanctions and making it difficult for the bank to prop up the ruble.

Other moves struck at the heart of critical Russian industries. Shell, a company that for years helped Russia profit from its energy riches, said it was exiting all its joint ventures with Gazprom, Russias largest state-owned natural gas company  following BPs announcement Sunday that it would sell its stake in the Russian state-run oil giant Rosneft. Volvo said it would stop production at its truck factory in Russia, and Mercedes-Benz said it would drop its partnership with a Russian truck maker.

And in a sign of how the sanctions were hitting regular Russians in ways big and small, Apple Pay and Google Pay stopped working at many of Moscows subway turnstiles  the ones operated by a bank on the United States' sanctions list.

SERGEY PONOMAREV/NYT

For many Russians opposed to the war, those hardships paled in comparison to the moral cost of seeing their country launch an unprovoked invasion. Anti-war protests continued across Russia, with at least 411 people detained in 13 cities, according to OVD Info, a rights group that tallies arrests, for a total of at least 6,435 detentions since Thursday.

But the financial jolt offered tangible evidence of the Wests outrage, one that is now washing over Russias economy with unpredictable consequences.

The sanctions announced by the European Union and the U.S. over the weekend, J.P. Morgan analysts wrote to clients Monday, are more severe and wider than even the more extreme sanctions we had believed were in play just a month ago. By Monday evening, the EU had added more Russian business tycoons to its sanctions list, including two owners of Alfa Bank, Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, who had cut a relatively Western-friendly image.

Some analysts worried that the wide-ranging sanctions, combined with Ukraines ferocious resistance on the battlefield, could lead Putin to escalate the crisis. The Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that the bombers, submarines and land-based launchers that make up Russias nuclear triad had been put on enhanced combat duty, as Putin had ordered Sunday. Rumors circulated that men could be called up if the military got bogged down in Ukraine.

I realized that this government has gone utterly mad, said Ivan Petrov, 28, a Moscow machine learning engineer who flew to the Egyptian resort of Hurghada over the weekend, fearing the war in Ukraine could escalate to the point that he might get drafted. His next goal: Find a job in the West.

Earning in rubles seems absolutely pointless, Petrov said.

On Monday, the sanctions full force hit Russias already stagnant economy.

Russias central bank, its reserves largely frozen, more than doubled its key rate to 20% to try to stabilize the ruble. A dollar cost more than 110 rubles at kiosks in Moscow on Monday compared with about 80 a week earlier, potentially devaluing peoples savings given the likely increase in the price of imported goods. In trading in London, shares of Sberbank, Russias largest bank, lost three-quarters of their value. The vice president of the countrys real estate agents association declared that Russians could say goodbye to the mortgage.

To stem the flight of capital, Putin on Monday signed an order rolling back some of the free-market capitalism that had integrated post-Soviet Russia into the world economy. Russian exporters were required to convert 80% of their foreign-currency revenues since Jan. 1 into rubles; residents of Russia were banned from depositing money into accounts outside the country.

Putin called an emergency meeting on the economy with senior officials, in which he repeated his reference last week to the West as an empire of lies.

SERGEY PONOMAREV/NYT

Our financial system and our economy have collided with a totally nonstandard situation, Elvira Nabiullina, the head of the central bank, said afterward.

In a stark sign of the fury in the West over Russias attack on Ukraine, even Switzerland  a favorite destination and banking hub of Russian oligarchs and senior Kremlin officials  ditched its traditional neutrality and joined in European sanctions, including personal ones against Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

There were signs of anger in the elite, though not among the security establishment closest to Putin. Nabiullina, who has said in the past that her outfit choices are meant to send messages, wore funereal black. Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned metals tycoon close to the Kremlin, wrote on social media that he wanted to know whos really going to pay for this whole party. Vyacheslav Markhayev, a lawmaker from Siberia, declared that the Kremlin hid plans to start a full-scale war against our closest neighbor.

Countries should spend money on treating people, on research to defeat cancer, and not on war, Oleg Tinkov, the billionaire founder of one of Russias biggest consumer banks, wrote on Instagram.

Stanislav Usaty, owner of a marketing agency in St. Petersburg, said he expected to lose many of his clients because of the higher exchange rate, especially companies selling imports; he said he would probably need to lay off staff. Aleksandra Gridina, the owner of a travel agency in the city, said she would need to raise prices for international tours that her clients had already booked.

Its a catastrophe for our business, she said.

Still, while there was confusion at the subway turnstiles and lines formed at ATMs and banks, there was no full-fledged financial panic among the general public. And it was far from clear whether the sanctions would help turn more Russians against the war  or whether they would only increase their resentment of the West, confirming the Kremlin narrative that the U.S. and Europe were determined to dismantle their country.

Times change, much has happened, but one thing has not changed, a reporter on the state-run news channel Rossiya 24 said Sunday. When a united Europe tried to destroy Russia, this always ended up bringing about the opposite result.

The backbone of Putins power is made up of security officials who rarely leave Russia and stand to gain from greater state control over the economy. In the broader public, he draws his core support from pensioners and state employees, who are less sensitive to economic volatility than those in the private sector.

SERGEY PONOMAREV/NYT

Shopping for groceries in Moscow on Monday, Valentina Petrova, 85, who said she used to work on Russias Proton space rockets, said the economic troubles did not faze her.

I think the president did everything right, she said.

Petrov said his parents also supported the war. And older Russians, he noted, had seen their share of ups and downs.

They survived many other Russian crises, he said. Theyre calm about this.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Would you like to sign in with your palm?

That was the question a cheerful Amazon employee posed when greeting me last week at the opening of a Whole Foods Market in Washingtons Glover Park neighborhood. She blithely added, You can also begin shopping by scanning the QR code in your Amazon app.

Lets go for the palm, I said.

In less than a minute, I scanned both hands on a kiosk and linked them to my Amazon account. Then I hovered my right palm over the turnstile reader to enter the nations most technologically sophisticated grocery store.

For the next 30 minutes, I shopped. I picked up a bag of cauliflower florets, grapefruit sparkling water, a carton of strawberries and a package of organic chicken sausages. Cameras and sensors recorded each of my moves, creating a virtual shopping cart for me in real time. Then I simply walked out, no cashier necessary. Whole Foods  or rather Amazon  would bill my account later.

More than four years ago, Amazon bought Whole Foods for $13 billion. Now the Amazon-ification of the grocery chain is physically complete, as showcased by the revamped Whole Foods store in Glover Park.

For a long time, Amazon made only small steps toward putting its mark on the more than 500 Whole Foods stores in the United States and Britain. The main evidence of change were the discounts and free home delivery for Amazon Prime members.

TING SHEN/NYT

But this 21,000-square-foot Whole Foods just north of Georgetown has catapulted Amazons involvement forward. Along with another prototype Whole Foods store, which will open in Los Angeles this year, Amazon designed my local grocer to be almost completely run by tracking and robotic tools for the first time.

The technology, known as Just Walk Out, consists of hundreds of cameras with a Gods-eye view of customers. Sensors are placed under each apple, carton of oatmeal and boule of multigrain bread. Behind the scenes, deep-learning software analyzes the shopping activity to detect patterns and increase the accuracy of its charges.

The technology is comparable to whats in driverless cars. It identifies when we lift a product from a shelf, freezer or produce bin; automatically itemizes the goods; and charges us when we leave the store. Anyone with an Amazon account, not just Prime members, can shop this way and skip a cash register since the bill shows up in our Amazon account.

Amazon has tested such automation for more than four years, starting with 24 Amazon Go convenience stores and several Amazon Fresh grocery stores around the country. The palm-scanning technology, known as Amazon One, is also being licensed by others, such as a Hudson convenience store at Dallas Love Field Airport and Shaquille ONeals Big Chicken restaurant at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

Those stores were valuable experiments, said Dilip Kumar, Amazons vice president of physical retail and technology. The company is treating Whole Foods as another step in its tech expansion into retail stores, he said.

We observed areas that caused friction for customers, and we diligently worked backward to figure out ways to alleviate that friction, Kumar said. Weve always noticed that customers didnt like standing in checkout lines. Its not the most productive use of their time, which is how we came up with the idea to build Just Walk Out.

He declined to comment on whether Amazon planned to expand the technology to all Whole Foods stores.

My New York Times colleague Karen Weise, who covers Amazon from Seattle, said the company operated on long time horizons, with the patience and money to execute slowly. That has allowed it to transform labor, retail and logistics over many years, she said. Groceries are just one piece of its ambitions.

The Whole Foods in Glover Park has operated for more than 20 years, a cornerstone of a neighborhood that is within walking distance of Embassy Row and the vice presidents Naval Observatory residence. Four years ago, the store closed over a dispute with the landlord and a rat infestation. Amazon announced last year that it would reopen the store as a Just Walk Out pilot project.

The rats may be gone, but not the neighborhood angst. The renovated store has sparked a spirited local debate, with residents sparring on the Nextdoor community app and a group neighborhood email list over the stores dystopian feeling versus its impressive technology. Some neighbors reminisced about how the store used to invite people to just hang out, with free samples and fluffy blueberry pancakes sold on weekends.

Alex Levin, 55, an 18-year resident of Glover Park, said people should not reject the stores changes.

We need to understand the benefits and downsides of the technology and use it to our advantage, he said. He added that he had tried tricking the cameras and sensors by placing a box of chicken nuggets in his shopping bag and then putting the item back in a freezer. Amazon wasnt fooled, and he wasnt charged for the nuggets, he said.

But others said they had found errors in their bills and complained about the end of produce by the pound. Everything is now offered per item, bundle or box. Some mourned the disappearance of the checkout line, where they perused magazines and last-minute grab bag items. Many were suspicious of the tracking tech.

Its like George Orwells 1984, said Allen Hengst, 72, a retired librarian.

Amazon said it didnt plan to use video and other Whole Foods customer information for advertising or its recommendation engine. Shoppers who dont want to participate in the experimental technology can enter the store without signing in and pay at self-checkout kiosks with a credit card or cash.

As a longtime customer of Glover Parks Whole Foods, I had missed the dark, cramped and often chaotic store and was excited to explore the changes. But somewhere between the palm scan and the six-pack banana bundles, I began to feel ambivalent.

I noticed a sign near the entrance that forbade shoppers to take photos or videos inside. My eyes drifted toward the ceiling, where I noticed hundreds of small black plastic boxes hanging from the rafters.

An employee jumped in. Those are the cameras that will follow you during your shopping experience, she explained, with no hint of irony.

Several workers milled about the entrance to guide customers through check-in, while others stood behind the seafood counter, cheese station and produce areas. Kumar said the stores would always employ humans, but I wondered for how much longer. Amazon, under scrutiny for its labor practices, said employees roles might shift over time and become more focused on interacting with customers to answer questions.

There were early signs of a more self-service future. At the bakery, I looked for someone to slice my $4.99 Harvest loaf and was directed to an industry-grade bread slicer for customers. A small label warned: Sharp blades. Keep hands clear of all moving parts.

Kumar wouldnt share data on the accuracy of Just Walk Out, so I tested the technology. I picked up an organic avocado and placed it on a pile of nonorganic avocados. After walking around the store, I went back and picked up the same organic avocado. If the cameras and sensors functioned properly, Amazon would be on top of my actions and charge me for the organic avocado that had been misplaced in the conventional bin.

When I was ready to leave, I had the option of using a self-checkout kiosk or skipping the process. I decided on the latter and waved my palm again over an exit turnstile. The turnstiles arms opened.

You should receive your receipt within two to three hours, an employee at the exit said.

I walked out. It felt discomfiting, like I might be mistaken for a shoplifter.

An email from Amazon landed in my inbox an hour later. A link sent me to my Amazon account for details. It said my shopping experience had lasted 32 minutes, 26 seconds. My total bill was $34.35  and I was correctly charged for the organic avocado.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
To be a fan of Azealia Banks in 2022 is to engage in a tightrope of cognitive dissonance, her Wikipedia laundry list of scandals and beefs complicated by just how good she is at this whole music thing. Whatever you think about her, Banks is a consummate performer  and over the course of the evening at her headlining Noise Pop show at the Warfield on Sunday, she dazzled, again and again.

There was not much banter in between songs. Instead, multiple times during her show, Banks continued to rap long after her full band  complete with guitarist, bassist, drummer, DJ and, briefly, a full horn section  finished with her backing music. She seemed so enthralled by the sheer range of her voice that she was flexing for her pleasure as much as the audiences. At one point, she broke into a lounge-y number, just her and her drummer  a fan in front of me likened her to a cabaret singer. It was joyous to behold.

Her take on Heavy Metal and Reflective, already a menacing, steel-encased song on record, was punishing live  nearly broaching heavy metal with severe drums and riffs. On a song like Gimme a Chance, where salsa instrumentation and Banks singing fully in Spanish melds with house-tinged hip-hop, a live horn section further established just how exacting her musical vision is. Not only did she do 212, but she enlivened her signature hit with live drums. Although some are a decade old, her hits still felt fresh.

But Banks is Banks. She follows wherever her muse takes her, which resulted in a befuddling moment where her DJ dropped the needle on the reggae staple Murder She Wrote early in her set, with no context.

At one point, midway through performing 1991, she stopped the music entirely  seemingly struck with a thought she couldnt escape from. She started chatting with the DJ about an unreleased song she had just recorded.

This is the ctiest fking st ever, she exclaimed. Then, she proceeded to leak the song herself  playing the tinny audio file through a microphone and then AirDropping what appeared to be a demo to a whole bunch of fans in the front row. It was strange and delightful, like the Before Sunset tale about Nina Simone stopping in the middle of a song to flirt with a crowd member  except this time it was done with stans and iPhones. (If anyone who was AirDropped this file is reading this, please email me.)

The show was undeniably a queer event, even if Banks sentiments about queer and transgender people are muddled and confounding at best. People showed up and out, decked in Telfar and leather and sequins. It was a place for the Bay Areas queer and trans people of color to see and be seen.

About midway through her set, she asked the crowd, Yall Gen Z or millennials?

To be fair, it is a valid question  considering her re-emergence in popularity thanks to the online powers that be. The millennial set knows her best from the legendary, black-and-white 212 video from 2011, while the Gen Z crowd probably knows her from Luxury, a song that is also nearly a decade old but has been transmuted enough times on TikTok and YouTube that it feels brand new. All the while, shes had just one album, a smattering of EPs and a few other singles  a limited body of work considering her sustained popularity.

The generational question felt like a treatise on the current state of her career. Even with a decade of cultural vibe shifts behind her, most of the public still knows Azealia Banks for two things. Banks is a headline-generating firebrand with a novella-length list of beefs and offenses, chief among them pissing off the entire country of Ireland, allegedly being trapped in Elon Musk and Grimes house and feuding with so many people that it once took Wendy Williams an entire minute to list them all. For her stans, shes a forward-thinking, far-reaching talent with boundless vocal prowess and the musical taste to back it up.

In reality, she occupies a far more complicated space somewhere in the middle. Banks is an incredibly skilled rapper and musician whose social media fuse is incredibly short, leaving long-lasting reverberations in its wake. Shes grappled publicly with her demons, and has apologized repeatedly for her derogatory words. Whether she believes what she says is almost beside the point; her statements cast a shadow over her talent, even if other similar problematic artists get a pass.

When the lights turned on at the Warfield, and the glow of Banks performance drifted, a quote from writer Matthew Perpetuas brutal review of an M.I.A. album rushed into my head.

Right or wrong, the social contract is simple: If you bring the hits, we'll put up with your st, he wrote back in 2010, a year before Banks debuted. And heres the thing: You dont just pack the Warfield without having the hits. Musical careers arent carried by the strength of online beefs. Theres something about Azealia that continues to draw people in, even for those who have been her targets.

Maybe shes sometimes right, and her valid critiques on cultural appropriation and other things are just lumped in with her outrageous, outright offensive sentiments. Maybe people are, indeed, willing to separate the art from the artist for her. Im not sure. But for the night, maybe none of it mattered.
For the past decade, French actor Gerard Depardieu has been one of the closest Western celebrities to President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

In 2013, the movie star became a Russian citizen to avoid taxes in France. In a letter to Russian state television at the time, Depardieu said, I love your president, Vladimir Putin, very much and its mutual. Putin awarded Depardieu Russian citizenship at a special dinner that year.

As tensions between Russia and Ukraine were growing last month, Depardieu even went on French television to say, Leave Vladimir alone.

Now, Depardieu has taken a surprising step toward ruining that cherished friendship when, on Tuesday, the actor denounced the war in Ukraine in an interview with Agence France-Presse, the French news service.

Russia and Ukraine have always been brother countries, Depardieu said. I am against this fratricidal war. I say, Stop the weapons and negotiate.

Best known for 1990s movies including Cyrano de Bergerac and Green Card, Depardieu later posted part of his statement on Instagram. His agent did not respond to an interview request.

Depardieus comments are unlikely to change many Ukrainians views of the actor. In 2015, the Ukrainian government included Depardieu on a list of cultural figures who were a threat to the countrys security. It did not state a reason, but Ukrainian newspapers linked the decision to comments that Depardieu had made questioning Ukraines independence. In 2014, at the Baltic Pearl movie festival in Latvia, Depardieu told reporters that he loved both Russia and Ukraine, which is part of Russia.

The French tax exile is not the only famous actor to have taken Russian citizenship: Steven Seagal, the American-born star of action movies like Under Siege, was naturalized in 2016. On Thursday, Seagals representatives did not immediately respond to a request to discuss the actors views on the war in Ukraine.

In recent years, Depardieu has been in the news for controversies aside from his Russia connections. In 2018, French prosecutors investigated rape allegations against him but dropped the case the following year because of a lack of evidence.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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MUKACHEVO, Ukraine - Ukrainian officials say at least 11 people were killed and more were wounded in the eastern city of Kharkiv on Monday morning after Russia launched rocket strikes, targeting Ukraine's second-largest city with some of the heaviest shelling since the invasion began Thursday.

Suspected cluster munitions struck buildings in residential parts of the city, raising fears that as Russia escalates attacks in urban areas it could use tactics similar to those it used in Chechnya and Syria, where it has been accused of widespread wartime abuses.

The bombardments came as Russian and Ukrainian delegations held talks Monday for the first time. They met by Ukraine's border with Belarus, a key Russian ally.

Oleh Synehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, said Monday that "dozens are dying" and that at least 11 people were confirmed dead. He called the attacks, in three areas of the predominantly Russian-speaking city that had been considered more friendly to Russia, "a war crime."

"The Russian enemy is shelling entire residential areas of Kharkiv, where there is no critical infrastructure, where there are no positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that the Russians could aim at," he said in a message on Telegram.

As the shelling began, many Kharkiv residents were lining up at grocery stores and other shops to replenish supplies after being shut in for several days. In the aftermath, images circulated online of damaged buildings and streets dotted with blood and hastily discarded groceries. One video showed a still-smoldering children's clothing factory entirely destroyed.

Kharkiv resident Alexey Zavrazhnyi, 32, said a rocket fell in a playground about 700 meters from his apartment. A second fell on the opposite side of the playground, damaging the area where Zavrazhnyi said he takes his 9-month-old daughter to play. Luckily no one was injured here, he said, but elsewhere in the city he saw blood on the street.

Mark Hiznay, associate director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch, told The Washington Post that Russian forces had used Smerch cluster munition rockets, which disperse submunitions or bomblets, according to footage he reviewed.

"This attack clearly illustrates the inherently indiscriminate nature of cluster munitions and should be unequivocally condemned," he said.

Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the open-source group Bellingcat have identified the use of cluster munitions in other Russian attacks in Ukraine over recent of days in what analysts say is a worrying sign that Russia may be turning to even more-deadly military tactics.

"As Putin's 'special operation' plan to quickly demoralize the Ukrainian army and occupy large cities unopposed appears to have failed, we may see a return to area bombings, which caused so much harm to Chechen and Syrian civilians," the Moscow-based Conflict Intelligence Team, an open-source intelligence group that monitors Russia's military, said in a tweet Monday.

In Syria, where Russia has been allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2015, Russian warplanes have become synonymous with the cluster bombs that have decimated Syrian cities such as Aleppo and civilian infrastructure such as hospitals. In Chechnya, Russia was similarly accused of indiscriminately targeting civilian populations, among other alleged war crimes, during the second Chechen conflict from 1999 to 2005.

Now Russia appears to be adopting siege warfare tactics against Kharkiv, firing long-range weapons into the city, a senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the Pentagon, said Monday.

U.S. officials assess that if Russia can take Kharkiv and also seize Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine, "that would allow them to section off the eastern part of Ukraine and fix whatever Ukrainian armed forces are in the east and keep them there," far from the capital, Kyiv, the senior U.S. defense official said.

Siege tactics often include bombarding a target from a distance, even with civilians stuck in place, and cutting it off from food and ammunition resupply.

Ukrainian officials gave conflicting reports about the number of fatalities.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said earlier Monday that the exact number of casualties remained unknown but that at least 15 Ukrainian fighters and 16 civilians had been wounded.

Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko wrote in a Facebook post Monday that "Kharkiv has just been massively fired upon by grads," with "dozens of dead and hundreds of wounded," Reuters reported.

He was referring to Russian BM-21 "Grad" 122-millimeter rockets fired from truck-mounted multiple-rocket launchers. A correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty photographed damage to Russian military equipment, including Grad missile launchers, near Kharkiv on Friday.

Authorities issued a curfew for the city beginning Monday afternoon.

Kharkiv, a city of 1.5 million people about 25 miles from the border with Russia, has emerged as a major linchpin in Russian efforts to push beyond the east and on to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv.

The Post verified videos posted Monday of explosions in a northeastern Kharkiv neighborhood.

In two clips that were verified, flashes of light appear in rapid succession as columns of smoke rise. A woman observing the barrage is heard crying in the background of one of the videos.

Russian bombardments of Kharkiv started to accelerate Saturday evening. After days of fighting largely around Kharkiv, Russian forces briefly took the city Sunday, but they were repelled hours later by Ukrainian fighters.

"Ukrainian forces have put up a pretty strong fight . . . but the worst is yet to come," Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at CNA, a Virginia-based nonprofit research and analysis organization, told The Post on Sunday. "Russian forces haven't [yet] tried to take Kharkiv, not seriously."

He warned that after facing unexpectedly strong Ukrainian resistance, Russia was likely to increase its aerial campaign against Kharkiv, a densely packed city.

The senior U.S. defense official said that while Russia's advance on Kyiv appears to still be its main effort, seizing Kharkiv remained a clear objective.

"In Ukraine right now, there is no safe place," Boris Redin, an activist in Kharkiv, told The Post on Monday. "And Putin has to be stopped because there'll be no safe place on the planet. But we're standing and we'll win."

- - -

Berger, Cahlan and Lee reported from Washington. Khurshudyan reported from Dnipro, Ukraine. The Washington Post's Dan Lamothe in Washington contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Monday that there is no place in the Republican Party for "white supremacists or anti-Semitism" after two House Republicans participated in a conference organized by a white nationalist who encouraged a chant supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

McConnell issued a statement in response to reports that Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona addressed the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC) in Orlando, Fla. The event was organized by Nicholas Fuentes.

Fuentes, a white-nationalist activist, rose to prominence after attending the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. in 2017 and then dropping out of Boston University because of "threats" he said he received, according to the Anti-Defamation League. He once hosted the "America First" podcast.

"There's no place in the Republican Party for white supremacists or anti-Semitism," said McConnell, who did not identify the lawmakers.

McConnell's statement comes a week after Greene told right-wing podcast host Alex Jones that McConnell and his wife, former transportation secretary Elaine Chao, are "fully bought and paid for by China."

"Mitch McConnell, he lies to your face," Greene told Jones. "He says he's a Republican. He's the leader in the Senate of the Republican Party, but he's married to Elaine Chao, and they're fully bought and paid for by China on record. And everyone knows it, but no one does anything about it."

Chao, who served as transportation secretary in the Trump administration and as labor secretary under the George W. Bush administration, was born in Taiwan. She was the first Asian American woman to be a member of a president's Cabinet.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, a 2012 nominee for president, was harsher in his criticism of Greene and Gosar.

"Morons. I have morons on my team," Romney said Sunday.

Romney made the remarks on CNN's Sunday morning show "State of the Union" after anchor Dana Bash asked him about Greene and Gosar's connections to Fuentes.

Romney on Sunday called racist views "evil."

"There's no place in either political party for this white nationalism or racism. It's simply wrong," Romney told Bash. He added: "Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar - I don't know them, but I'm reminded of that old line from the 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' movie where one character says, 'Morons. I've got morons on my team.' "

"And I have to think anybody that would sit down with white nationalists and speak at their conference was certainly missing a few IQ points," Romney added.

Greene attended the AFPAC conference in person, according to CBS News, while Gosar addressed attendees in a 30-second prerecorded video. Gosar attended the event last year, The Washington Post reported.

Before introducing Greene, Fuentes told the crowd, "Now they're going on about Russia and Vladimir Putin is Hitler - they say that's not a good thing." Fuentes also asked the crowd to "give a round of applause for Russia" and responded, "Absolutely," as attendees chanted "Putin! Putin!"

After Fuentes introduced Greene, she told the crowd they were "canceled Americans," HuffPost reported.

"You've been handed the responsibility to fight for our Constitution and stand for our freedoms, and stop the Democrats, who are the Communist Party of the United States of America," Greene said.

Romney wasn't the only conservative to criticize Greene for her Friday speech, given hours before she addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was also held last week in Orlando. Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee and Romney's niece, said, "White supremacy, neo-Nazism, hate speech and bigotry are disgusting and do not have a home in the Republican Party," comments Romney cited on "State of the Union."

Romney also denounced former president Donald Trump and other Republicans for complementing Putin in what the senator called "almost treasonous" comments.

The Republican Jewish Coalition quickly condemned Greene's attendance at AFPAC as "appalling and outrageous." Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., criticized what he called "racial politics" but said he "completely disagrees" with Greene speaking at AFPAC, CBS News reported.

On Sunday, Greene defended herself to CBS News, denouncing the attacks against her as "identity politics" and an attempt to "cancel" her. She also said she didn't know about Fuentes's views and spoke at the conference not because she agreed with the organizers but to engage with an audience about what she believes.

"It doesn't matter if I'm speaking to Democrat union members or 1,200 young conservatives who feel cast aside and marginalized by society," Greene said in a statement to CBS News. "The Pharisees in the Republican Party may attack me for being willing to break barriers and speak to a lost generation of young people who are desperate for love and leadership."

Greene has a history of making inflammatory comments. In 2018, she blamed California's wildfires on a "laser" beamed from space in a Facebook post that surfaced last year, Forbes reported. Last year, she equated safety measures designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus with the Holocaust, The Washington Post reported. Before she was elected in 2020, she claimed the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., was a hoax, according to NPR.

Romney slammed her for those comments, too, telling reporters in February 2021 that the Republican Party "should have nothing to do with Marjorie Taylor Greene," NPR reported.

"It's important for us to separate ourselves from the people that are in the wacky weeds," he said, "and if we don't, then our opposition tries to brand us with their image and with their point of view."
U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzlers Twitter account was suspended on Monday for violating the platforms rules against hateful conduct, according to one of Hartzlers top campaign advisers.

Hartzlers account was suspended over a tweet in which she said womens sports are for women, not men pretending to be women.

On her Twitter page, the post is hidden behind a notice saying it violated the sites rules. Several other tweets targeting a collegiate swimmer who is transgender remain on her page.

Men pretending to be women is a statement often used to reject the identity of transgender people by those who oppose transgender rights. There are currently bills pending in statehouses across the country  including in Missouri  to prevent transgender children from being able to participate in youth sports.

According to Twitters platform use guidelines, Hartzlers account will be suspended for 12 hours unless the Tweet that violated the sites rules is taken down.

Hartzlers campaign criticized Twitter for suspending her account and questioned why the site hasnt prevented Russian President Vladimir Putin from posting. The Kremlins Twitter account last posted at 1:21 p.m. E.T.

Its shameful, utterly ridiculous, and a horrible abuse of censorship by big tech giants to stifle free speech, the campaign said in a statement.

The campaign said it had no plans to take down the tweet.

Hartzler, who is a conservative Christian, launched a statewide television ad earlier this month that LGBTQ groups called transphobic. It targeted a collegiate swimmer and used both her name and photo before she transitioned. Hartzler has tweeted the image, which implies that the woman transitioned in order to gain a competitive advantage, several times.

The swimmer drew national attention from conservatives and anti-trans activists because she started competing in the womens division after beginning her medical transition in 2019. She formerly competed for the mens team.

Hartzlers opposition to transgender-rights is consistent with her longstanding views on LGBTQ issues. In 2017, she introduced an amendment to a bill funding the U.S. military to prevent transgender people from serving. In 2004, she was the spokeswoman for the campaign to add language banning same-sex marriage to the Missouri Constitution. On her official Congress page, Hartzler says she supports Missourians' right to define marriage as between a man and a woman.

I will continue champion marriage as the union of one man and one woman so every child has the opportunity to be loved and known by a mom and a dad, Hartzler said.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that the U.S. constitution guarantees a right to same sex marriage.

Conservatives have often claimed they are censored on mainstream social media and sites have sprung up in attempts to attract a conservative audience. At least two  Gettr and Parler  are an attempt to create a conservative alternative to Twitter. Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump soft-launched his own social media platform called Truth Social.

Trump was banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube in 2021 in response to his role in the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

Hartzler is not the first U.S. Senate candidate to have a post taken down on social media. Last month, YouTube removed a video posted by Rep. Billy Long because it violated their community guidelines. Longs video falsely claimed the 2020 U.S. presidential election was stolen from Trump.

_____
As a child in the Russian city of Volgograd, Nina Ryakhovskaya grew up with her younger cousin, sliding in their socks on their grandmothers wooden floor, pretending to be figure skaters and confiding secrets and crushes to each other.

Now 40, and living in Kyiv with her Ukrainian husband, Ryakhovskaya recently called her cousin in Volgograd to tell her the Russians were invading Ukraine. Her cousin did not believe there was an invasion and told her that Russia was only conducting an operation against Nazis there, she said.

It makes me feel like we are distant forever, Ryakhovskaya said in a video call from a house in the countryside near Kyiv, where she fled with her husband and 7-year-old son as the Russian invasion unfolded. I cant forgive them. I cant forgive that they are part of this.

Because of their countries complex and intertwined history, many Ukrainians and Russians have relatives from both sides of the border who are now standing on opposite sides of the war. The conflict triggered by President Vladimir Putin of Russia has gone beyond the front lines and into the families of many Ukrainians and Russians, as well as the diasporas of those peoples around the world.

The war has already created family rifts and prompted fears among some that relatives will harm each other in battle.

I have cousins on both sides, said Dan Hubbard, a professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. I dread them killing each other.

Hubbard, 64, was raised in the United States by his mother, who was Russian, and his Ukrainian great-grandmother. He fondly recalled how the two women used to share homemade cabbage pie while playing cards and making fun of each others accents.

Today, some members of his family live near Moscow and others are outside of Kharkiv, Ukraines second-largest city, which is now under siege by Russian forces. Both his Russian and Ukrainian cousins are old enough to enlist in the army. Hubbard says he has been trying to avoid the news because it causes him too much pain.

I feel for both sides because Russian boys dont even know why they are there, he said. My cousins are killing one another because of a madmans fantasy.

Zoya, a 25-year-old assistant at a cosmetics company in St. Petersburg, is the daughter of a Russian mother and a Ukrainian father. She grew up near Moscow, but her paternal grandmother spoke to her in Ukrainian, read her Ukrainian poems and sang her Ukrainian songs.

This conflict is like when your mom and dad have a fight, said Zoya, who, like several people interviewed for this article, asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of repercussions in Russia. You cant choose one of them because you love them both.

In a 2011 poll, 49% of Ukrainians said they had relatives in Russia, and there were 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens living in Russia in 2015, according to one study.

With a Russian mother and a Ukrainian father, Alona Cherkassky grew up in Moscow but spent her summers in Odessa, Ukraine, where her grandparents lived. As an adult, she prided herself on her double heritage. But with the Russian invasion, it has become a source of pain.

It feels like a very personal attack, said Cherkassky, 45, who now lives in London.

Cherkasskys cousin Georgy, 44, a Russian animator, lives in Moscow with his wife, who is from Odessa, the seaside city where the Russian navy came ashore during the invasion. He said that his wife did not separate her Ukrainian identity from her adoptive Russian one until recently.

Of course since they are bombing her homeland, she is thinking of herself more as Ukrainian, Georgy said.

The kinship bond between Russians and Ukrainians that many people of mixed origin described has also been emphasized by Putin, who has repeatedly pointed out that the countries share a common heritage. But while for many this closeness made the invasion even more devastating, for Putin it was a justification for it.

On the one side, our president says were all one people, said Georgy, but on the other side, hes bombing them.

Olena, who has a Russian mother and a Ukrainian father, said her parents were sheltering underground from Russian shelling in the eastern Ukrainian region of Sumy, near the Russian border.

Olena said she grew up in both Ukraine and Russia, speaking a mix of both languages, reading literature and listening to a cross-border mix of pop music.

Now she lives in France, and she reads her children Russian and Ukrainian fairy tales and sings lullabies to them from both countries. But since Russias invasion, her children have started to ask which country is theirs.

How can I say I am more Russian or more Ukrainian? she asked. I never needed to.

Some people torn between the two countries expressed their distress on social media.

My son is almost 6. His mothers country of birth bombs his fathers, Alexander Kolyandr, who identified himself as an analyst for an investment bank in Moscow, wrote on Twitter.

My moms from Russia, my dads a Russian speaker from Ukraine, Evan Gershkovich, a Moscow correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, wrote on Twitter on the wars first day. Today still isnt computing even after weeks of watching this develop in real time.

In the house where she is staying in the Ukrainian countryside, Ryakhovskaya said she was freezing because when she left Kyiv she was in shock and took only summer clothes. She has now become scared of the dark. At night, she and her family only use headlamps so as to not attract the attention of Russian troops by turning on the house lights.

The fallout with her family in Russia has only added to her distress.

Its even harder because you lose your relatives, she said. They dont believe a person they know from their childhood, she added. They believe the TV.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Russian conductor Valery Gergiev was fired from the Munich Philharmonic orchestra on Tuesday because he supports Russian President Vladimir Putin and has not rejected Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the German city's mayor said.

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter said in a news release that the decision came after he issued an ultimatum to the 68-year-old Russian conductor to reject the invasion. When Gergiev, a close friend of Putin, did not respond by Monday, Reiter said he was left with no choice but to dismiss the conductor.

"I had expected him to rethink and revise his very positive assessment of the Russian leader," Reiter said. "After this didn't occur, the only option is the immediate severance of ties."

The move to dismiss Gergiev, a prominent classical music conductor who has led the Munich Philharmonic since the 2015-16 season, follows a stretch of widespread anger toward the conductor for his refusal to denounce Putin. Some of Gergiev's concerts have been canceled, and he's been asked to resign from honorary positions because he has not spoken out against the invasion.

Marcus Felsner, Gergiev's manager, announced Sunday he was dropping his client for backing Putin. Felsner, who described Gergiev as "the greatest conductor alive and an extraordinary human being with a profound sense of decency," said to the Guardian that the conductor would not and cannot "publicly end his long-expressed support for a regime that has come to commit such crimes."

"In the light of the criminal war waged by the Russian regime against the democratic and independent nation of Ukraine, and against the European open society as a whole, it has become impossible for us, and clearly unwelcome, to defend the interests of Maestro Gergiev," Felsner said in a statement, noting the decision to drop the conductor was "the saddest day of my professional life."

Gergiev did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. He has yet to speak publicly about Russia's invasion.

The announcement comes as Russian forces gathered menacing strength Tuesday. While Ukrainian soldiers and ad hoc civilian militias have provided tenacious defense of major cities, a Russian projectile appeared to strike near Kharkiv's administration building and a convoy of tanks, troop carriers and artillery more than 40 miles long threatened Kyiv. Five hours of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations near Belarus's border on Monday failed to yield a breakthrough, with the two sides agreeing only to continue discussions in coming days.

The Moscow-born Gergiev is a star maestro who regularly packs opera houses and concert halls. He has made no secret of his bond with Putin, whom he has known for decades. The conductor has endorsed Putin's presidential campaigns and sided with the Russian leader in denouncing the band Pussy Riot, which had spoken out against Putin's control over the nation's culture.

In addition to being the longtime artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Gergiev was honored by Putin in 2013 as an official "Hero of Labor," the Atlantic reported. That same year, at the Opening Ceremonies of a million dollar-expansion to the Mariinsky Theater, Putin offered a birthday toast to Gergiev, who had just turned 60, according to the New Yorker.

In 2014, Gergiev was among those who signed a letter supporting Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. He also conducted a 2016 concert in front of Russian soldiers in the Syrian city of Palmyra shortly after it was captured by the Islamic State, according to the BBC.

The classical music world has responded to Gergiev's recent inaction. The Verbier Festival in Switzerland confirmed that Gergiev had resigned as music director at its request. He has been dropped by the Vienna Philharmonic's five-concert tour in the United States, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the Festspielhaus theater in Germany. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala told reporters Monday that Gergiev would no longer conduct "The Queen of Spades" at the La Scala theater.

"I don't think he will be there, I think at this point we can rule it out," said Sala, who is also La Scala board chairman, according to Reuters. When asked about whether Gergiev responded to La Scala's request for him to speak out about the invasion, Sala said, "The maestro did not reply to us."

The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra has also indicated it would drop Gergiev if he continued to support Putin. A September festival he was expected to conduct would be canceled if he did not speak out against the invasion, the orchestra said.

Reiter, the Munich mayor, noted that he terminated Gergiev's contract three years before his deal was set to expire.

"With immediate effect, there will be no further concerts by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under his direction," he said in a statement.
DNIPRO, Ukraine - Russia intensified strikes on cities across Ukraine on Tuesday, but the advance of foreign forces ground to a halt outside Kyiv as local troops and volunteers steeled themselves for a fierce battle for the capital.

U.S. and British officials said a long column of tanks and combat vehicles was stalled roughly 20 miles north of central Kyiv on the sixth day of President Vladimir Putin's invasion, deepening questions about whether Moscow's assault will yield a protracted war of resistance with its much smaller, less powerful neighbor.

The convoy, stretching some 40 miles, has moved little over the past day as the Russian forces have grappled with fuel and food shortages, a U.S. defense official told reporters, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. The British Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces continued to hold the cities of Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol, but all three "are now likely encircled by Russian forces," with air and artillery attacks intensifying.

The United Nations has recorded the deaths of more than 130 civilians, including 13 children, since the beginning of the fighting last week, mostly because of shelling and rocket fire. The actual toll is probably far higher, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

Officials say Moscow has now pushed into Ukraine more than 80% of the combat power it staged within Russian border areas and in neighboring Belarus in recent months, demonstrating Putin's determination to cripple a Western-backed government that he maintains has undermined Russian security.

Ukraine has refused to forswear its right to join the NATO military alliance, a proposition Putin has described as a red line.

The conflict has triggered successive rounds of international sanctions against Russia, including measures targeting its central bank and access to the global financial system. European nations have united in opposition to Putin's actions, with some countries reversing long-standing policies so they can provide military support to Ukraine.

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Perhaps most ominously, the invasion raised the specter of a military confrontation between NATO and Russia, a nation with a massive conventional force and nuclear arsenal. That possibility seemed unthinkable as recently as last month.

The massive, albeit apparently stalled, military column appears to aim straight for the seat of Ukraine's government. Fierce fighting and shelling has continued in different areas across the country, with Russia appearing to embrace the use of less accurate weapons, including multiple rocket launcher systems that can be used to launch thermobaric rockets, or vacuum bombs, U.S. officials said.

In Kyiv, volunteers and soldiers have dug trenches and assembled barricades, staging antiaircraft guns and antitank rockets in the streets ahead of what promises to be a punishing urban battle. More than 600,000 people have already fled Ukraine, searching for safety in Poland and other neighboring countries, while many who remain in Kyiv have sought shelter in basements and subway stations.

The government of President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed that Ukrainians will not yield to Russian firepower, and he has called for additional Western aid. The flow of weaponry increased this week when Germany opened its stockpiles and even studiously neutral Finland agreed to chip in.

Russian and Ukrainian officials failed to make any progress in initial peace talks at the Belarusian border on Monday.

Zelensky spoke with President Joe Biden on Tuesday hours before his State of the Union speech, which was expected to highlight his administration's efforts to confront Russian aggression. Biden has ruled out sending U.S. forces to fight in Ukraine, but officials say military and humanitarian aid will continue.

On Tuesday, Zelensky and his chief of staff reported that a Russian airstrike apparently aimed at a TV tower had hit Babyn Yar, a vast Holocaust memorial in Kyiv that marks the site of a 1941 massacre that left tens of thousands of people dead.

At least five people were killed, officials said. Footage of the strike's aftermath, obtained by The Washington Post, showed a chaotic scene with cars and buildings blown out and at least four bodies on fire. Firefighters rushed to extinguish the flames.

"What is the point of saying 'never again' for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar?" Zelensky tweeted. "At least 5 killed. History repeating . . ."

Russian leaders yielded no ground on Tuesday, as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu vowed the operation would continue until the Kremlin's aims were accomplished, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of planning to obtain nuclear weapons.

The Kremlin has denied targeting civilians and accused Ukrainian forces of using human shields.

Western officials said that particularly fierce fighting continued in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, a predominantly Russian-speaking city some 25 miles from the border. A missile struck a regional government building, triggering a massive explosion. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the city's opera and ballet theater were also hit in Russian attacks. He also said residential neighborhoods had been shelled with what local officials suspected were cluster munitions, fanning fears that Moscow might again employ tactics like those that proved deadly for civilians in Chechnya and Syria.

Terekhov said the fighting had impeded the arrival of food and medical supplies in Kharkiv, and artillery had struck transformer stations, leaving much of the city without power. Local authorities were hanging on, he said, but were surrounded by Russian forces.

"This is very serious, and people are in a state of shock because they could have never thought this would happen," the mayor said in a phone interview.

Across the street from the Kharkiv government building, a tent used by activists with the Euromaidan movement, which advocates closer Ukrainian ties with Europe instead of Russia, was also struck by a missile and destroyed, said Boris Redin, an activist with the movement.

He said the strikes killed residents who were driving or walking nearby.

In southern Ukraine, Russia has occupied Berdyansk and taken possession of Melitopol, a city of about 150,000. Russian forces remain outside the major southern city of Mariupol, but are close enough to attack it with artillery and other long-range weapons, the U.S. defense official said.

Russian and local forces were battling over the southern city of Kherson, whose mayor, Ihor Kolykhaiev, warned residents in a Facebook post to stay indoors and pleaded with Russian authorities to spare their lives.

"We are NOT military! But I will keep the city and its life going as long as I can," he wrote. "If the soldiers of the Russian Federation and their leadership hear me, I ask: leave our city, stop shelling the civilian population. You already took everything you wanted, including human lives. God be your judge."

In Kyiv, people waited hours in line for gasoline and scoured local stores for food ahead of what they feared would be a similar assault to the one gripping Kharkiv. A children's hospital set up makeshift wards in a basement shelter for cancer patients and premature babies.

China, which has refrained from directly condemning Putin's operation, began a large-scale evacuation of its citizens.

Western nations have been quick to point to Russian stumbles in the invasion, highlighting what they say were failures to back up initial assaults and flawed assumptions about Ukrainian defenses. U.S. and Ukrainian officials have also noted what they say are signs that Russian soldiers, especially young conscripts, were given scant information about their mission before being sent into Ukraine to fight.

As of Tuesday morning, Russia had fired some 400 missiles at Ukraine since the invasion began, up from about 380 on Monday, the Pentagon said. Airspace over Ukraine continues to be contested, despite the massive size advantage that the Russian air force has, officials said.

Also on Tuesday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Putin ally, called for Russia to bring more Russian S-400 air defenses to his country, Interfax reported. Russian forces have poured into Ukraine from Belarus, which hosted joint military exercises with Russia in the weeks before Putin's assault.

Last month, Belarus approved a referendum abandoning the country's status as a nonnuclear state. Lukashenko has raised the idea of moving Russian nuclear equipment into Belarus.

The newly levied economic sanctions, which targeted Putin and his top lieutenants, are already taking a withering toll on the Russian economy, sending the ruble tumbling and the government scrambling to raise interest rates. Around the world, companies have announced they will suspend business in Russia. A global movement to ban sales of Russian vodka is gaining steam.

While the sanctions have not so far targeted Russia's oil and gas sector, the conflict is expected to disrupt supplies through Ukraine and the Black Sea. To help mitigate potential surges in energy prices, the United States and other nations will release 60 million barrels of oil from their reserves to boost global supplies, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday, the fourth time the organization has overseen such a move since its establishment in 1974.

Ukraine's government, meanwhile, issued war bonds as it seeks to fund its military response, raising the equivalent of $277 million, officials said.

At the United Nations, diplomats continued to debate a resolution that would call for Russia to withdraw its troops and reverse its recognition of separatist areas in eastern Ukraine. While the resolution is nonbinding, the resolution, if adopted by the General Assembly, would represent a sign of global opprobrium.

At a separate session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, dozens of U.S. and European diplomats walked out during remarks that Lavrov made by video link.

In his own video address to the council, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the Ukraine operation, which he said had struck schools, hospitals, ambulances, and infrastructure that "provides millions of people across Ukraine with drinking water, gas to keep them from freezing to death, and electricity."

"People in Ukraine and around the world are looking to us to stand up and stand together," Blinken said. "We must not let them down."

- - -

Ryan and Lamothe reported from Washington. The Washington Post's Sudarsan Raghavan, Siobhan O'Grady, Whitney Shefte and Kostiantyn Khudov in Kyiv; David L. Stern in Mukachevo, Ukraine; Karla Adam in London; and John Hudson and Tyler Pager in Washington contributed to this report.
San Francisco's City Hall was bathed in yellow and blue lights this past weekend in support of the Ukrainian people after Russia invaded the country.

It was just one of several prominent buildings in the city bathed in the Ukrainian national flag's colors, including Salesforce Tower and Davies Symphony Hall over the weekend.

Instagram / gankp

In a letter to Ukraine Consul General of Ukraine in San Francisco Dmytro Kushneruk, San Francisco Mayor London Breed noted lighting City Hall in blue and yellow was to show the city's solidarity with Ukraine in its war with Russia.

"We stand with you in support of your democracy and the safety of your people," Breed wrote.

San Francisco community activist Hans Kolbe contacted the mayor's office, urging them to light City Hall in the Ukraine flag's colors. He said the lighting was essential to show the city stands with the Ukrainian people suffering from the invasion.

"It's a symbolic act, but you can send the pictures to your Ukraine friends in Kyiv and so forth, and it does give them support," he said. "It's really important for the people there."

Also on Sunday, hundreds of people attended a rally in San Francisco's Civic Center that was titled the "Save Ukraine! Stop War!" protest.

Courtesy Sebastian Luke

Organizers demanded that Western countries create a no-fly zone for Ukraine, increase military and financial aid to Ukraine and guarantee security for Ukraine with "internationally recognized borders."

Sergey Morozov attended the rally with his children and took photographs of the event.

"It was a very friendly atmosphere with a feeling of camaraderie," Morozov said. "People from different backgrounds and countries came to show support [for Ukraine]."

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.
In November, when Sanford resident Sue LaBonville encouraged the Village of Sanford to opt into offering cannabis, she set her sights on opening a microbusiness. But LaBonville is now planning instead to operate a dispensary if the Sanford Village Council opts in to offer marijuana at its meeting on March 14.

The steps required for a microbusiness to open and operate under the states guidelines didnt satisfy what LaBonville wanted to do. Her top goals are to boost village revenue and foot traffic while offering relief to people who use cannabis for medicinal purposes.

A microbusiness would allow a person to grow up to 150 of their own plants, and to sell their own products. But LaBonville said it could take up to five years or more before a microbusiness is up and running because of red tape.

Operating a dispensary, on the other hand, would allow LaBonville to sell cannabis that has been cultivated elsewhere. LaBonville, a semi-retired businesswoman, believes that such a business would bring needed revenue to the village and provide a service.

She and her husband, along with many others, were active in helping after the flood, doing many volunteer services. She said a year after the flood, when people started coming out of the fog of chaos, she thought of ways to help improve Sanfords economic scene. She saw people suffering.

LaBonville started researching and found that retailers in Michigan had collected over a billion dollars in cannabis sales in 2020 and returned $428,000 to local governments who hosted such businesses. Furthermore, she learned one in five residents report using cannabis and it generated $169 million in tax and fee revenues in 2020.

Sanford could use that money, she thought.

In December, when the Sanford Village Council put LaBonvilles opting-in proposal on its agenda, more than 30 people showed up supporting it, with only one person opposing it. She said she was surprised by the turnout.

She said many people in the community have warmly supported her endeavor.

Five years ago, I would have been a concerned resident saying, Really, you want to bring this here?' LaBonville said.

But in her research, shes learned a great deal, citing that marijuana is highly regulated, clean, and it's already in Sanford, only the village isnt getting the profits.

I would never do anything to cast Sanford in a negative light, LaBonville said.

Also, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency cites that 70% of cannabis use takes place outside of authorized retail stores.

People can grow up to 12 plants on their own, per the state law. According to Sanford grower Kim Methner, growing your own plants is a time-consuming, tedious, and costly task, which is why some people just prefer buying items from a dispensary.

LaBonville said she really wants to bring it to Sanford to kickstart the economy, which suffered tremendously after the May 2020 flood.

If you build it, they will come, LaBonville said.

As of now, Sanford Village President Dolores Porte said the council is expected to vote on March 14 about whether to opt in.

If the village were to opt into cannabis sales, LaBonville is not assured a permit, which is causing her a bit of anxiousness. Even though she has done some of the heavy lifting to bring cannabis to Sanford, the village would have to consider all applications for permits, not just hers. LaBonville admits she is a bit worried about that stage of the process if the village does opt in.
Affordable housing for San Francisco Unified School District teachers is one step closer to becoming a reality, after the Board of Education last week approved ground lease agreements for the project.

The district entered into an agreement in 2017 with the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development to develop affordable housing for teachers at 1360 43rd Ave. in the city's Sunset District.

The site will be developed by MidPen Housing Corporation. Once completed, the site will be called Shirley Chisolm Village and provide 135 housing units for teachers.

The two ground lease agreements approved by the board during last Thursday's special meeting will secure the site for 75 years, with options to extend the leases for an additional 24-year term.

California will lift its indoor mask requirements Tuesday for unvaccinated people and March 12 for schools and child care facilities, state officials said Monday.

The changes mark the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that both unvaccinated people and students will be allowed to remove their masks indoors.

Newsom jointly announced the new statewide masking policy with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who also announced changes in their states, citing declining COVID case rates and hospitalizations across the west coast.

California public health officials made the official decision to pull back on masking requirements after the state's COVID cases, hospitalizations and other metrics fell between 47 and 66 percent over the last two weeks, state Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said in an afternoon briefing.

The Vallejo City Council will decide March 8 whether to OK a $30 million dollar loan to redo and retrofit a nearly 60,000 square foot building on one of the most beautiful stretches of town: the waterfront.

The 400 Mare Island Way site is the former home of a gigantic State Farm Insurance building, which was purchased by the city in 2019 for $13 million in hopes of housing the police.

Vallejo officials knew that the place needed work, specifically millions in retrofitting and remodeling, so it put Measure G on the ballot in an attempt to raise the funds.

But then something unexpected happened -- Measure G failed with the voters, largely, some say, because people didn't want to pay millions more for a new police building.

A Hayward man suspected in two freeway shootings that left two people injured was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers Sunday.

Armando Perez, 24, is suspected of shooting and wounding someone in a pickup truck at about 11:45 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Interstate 580 just west of North Livermore Avenue near Livermore Sunday.

The victim was taken to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley and treated for injuries that weren't considered life threatening, according to the CHP.

Perez is also suspected of shooting and critically injuring someone about a half hour earlier on Interstate 205 near Interstate 5 in San Joaquin County, the CHP said in a news release Monday.

San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney -- a candidate in the ongoing California State Assembly race -- filed a lawsuit Thursday in Sacramento Superior Court calling on the state to refrain from describing his opponent as a civil rights attorney.

During the recent Feb. 15 state assembly primary election, Haney and opponent David Campos garnered the most votes of the four total candidates, meaning Campos and Haney will now face off in a runoff election on April 19.

Haney's lawsuit names California Secretary of State Shirley Weber as a defendant and seeks a writ of mandate to strike "civil rights attorney" from the ballot when referring to Campos. Weber's office approved Campos' use of the description for voting materials back in December.

A 43-year-old inmate on death row at San Quentin State Prison died Sunday night while he was being treated at an outside hospital, authorities said. Joshua M. Miracle, who had been sentenced to death in 2006 in Santa Barbara County, was pronounced dead at 7:04 p.m., according to a release from prison officials.

His cause of death is under investigation and will be determined by the Marin County Sheriff's Office Coroner Division.

Prison authorities didn't release information on why Miracle had been hospitalized.

Miracle was sentenced to death in Santa Barbara County on Jan. 24, 2006, for first-degree murder with personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon and an enhancement for committing a street gang act.

Twenty-three area faith leaders delivered a plea Monday to the Oakland Unified School District asking it to look at how its school closure plan will impact Black and Hispanic students.

A few of those leaders as well as City Councilman Noel Gallo met at 11 a.m. outside the school district's headquarters at 1000 Broadway in Oakland to speak to reporters about their plea.

The faith leaders also want the district to look at how budget decisions affect Black and Hispanic students. Any budget recommendations must provide equitable outcomes, they said.

The faith leaders asked the school district to pause its closure/merger/consolidation plan until the two equity analyses are complete.

Seven schools are slated for closure before the 2023-24 school year, while two schools will be truncated to grades K-5 from K-8 and two schools will merge under the school board decision.

The state's public utility regulator issued its first-ever permits Monday allowing passenger service in autonomous vehicles in San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

The permits, which the California Public Utilities Commission granted to self-driving vehicle companies Cruise LLC and Waymo LLC, will allow both companies to collect fares from riders and offer autonomous ride-booking services as long as a driver is present to take control of the vehicle if necessary to safely continue driving.

Cruise is permitted to offer autonomous ride service on certain San Francisco public roads between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. at speeds of up to 30 mph while Waymo can operate in designated areas of both counties at speeds of up to 65 mph and at any time of day.

According to the CPUC, neither company is permitted to operate their self-driving vehicles in dense fog or heavy rain due to safety concerns.

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will consider taking Vision Zero countywide Tuesday.

The ambitious traffic safety concept -- already in motion in Berkeley and Lafayette -- envisions the elimination of traffic fatalities and severe injuries through a safe system approach emphasizing infrastructure improvements.

The plan would only cover unincorporated areas.

A staff report for Tuesday's meeting reports that during the years of 2014 to 2018, there were 2,256 traffic collisions in unincorporated Contra Costa County (excluding highways) resulting in injuries of any severity. Of that total, 252 resulted in people being killed or severely injured. The number of annual collisions increased by 18 percent during those same years.

A man riding a motorcycle died Sunday after being struck by a vehicle in Santa Clara, police said.

The motorcyclist was traveling eastbound on Monroe Street and crossed Lawrence Expressway. The vehicle involved was travelling westbound on Monroe when it made a left turn into a gas station and collided with the motorcyclist.

The 53-year-old motorcyclist sustained major injuries and was later pronounced dead, police said. The 70-year-old driver of the vehicle remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigation. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to have been a factor, police said.

A fight between two juveniles on Monday evening on Potrero Hill resulted in one of the juveniles being shot, according to a tweet from San Francisco police at approximately 9:30 p.m.

The victim is expected to survive his injuries, police said.

The ongoing investigation is being handled by the Community Violence Reduction Team and is ongoing. Police said they will release more information in the morning.

The National Weather Service forecast for the San Francisco Bay Area calls for continued warm conditions under mostly sunny skies Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 10 to 15 degrees above normal for the second day in a row. Daytime highs along the coast should be in the upper 60s with lows about 50. Around the bay, highs are expected in the mid 70s with overnight lows to be in the upper 40s.

A cooling trend is expected to begin Wednesday and light rain may arrive that evening with cooling temperatures into the weekend.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has taken another turn with new variants BA.2 and BA.2.12.1, which are apparently more contagious but less severe than their predecessors, causing a new mini-wave of infections in the U.S. Nationally, cases are up, but deaths and hospitalizations remain relatively low f
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SHELTON  Long Hill School students may not be able to meet face-to-face with residents of nearby Wesley Village, but both sides are staying connected.

Long Hill School third graders have teamed up with some Wesley Village residents in a pen pal program  since the pandemic has prevented students and residents from face-to-face meetings. The students just finished their first letters, which were sent out this past week.

The students do miss visiting and are eager to communicate with the residents, third grade teacher Debbie Miller said. They are very proud of their first letter that they created and are anxiously awaiting a response.

Miller said Lisa Bisson, Director of Community Outreach at Wesley Villages Crosby Commons, reached out to the school about creating a connection between the residents and students.

She thought the idea of pen pals would be a meaningful way to communicate during a time when we cannot visit the facility as a grade, Miller said.

Third grade teacher Marielle Dalton said when she taught second grade at the school a few years ago, the trip to Wesley Village was one of the highlights of the year.

Students absolutely loved reading to and talking with the residents, Dalton recalled. When I told my students about our pen pal program, they actually cheered. They were so excited for the chance to communicate with our neighbors across the street in a way that has largely become obsolete in the age of email and text messages.

She said the pen pal program is exactly what we all need to feel connected in such a simple way and bring a little extra happiness to all involved.

Miller said her students letters focused on telling the residents about themselves, but they also had plenty of questions for the residents.

I believe these letters will be a special way to form a connection between generations, Miller said, And it will brighten everyones spirits.

Dalton said as her students were writing their letters, she was astounded by their effort and engagement.

I have not seen them work so hard and with such attention to detail on any project or activity so far this year, Dalton said. My students continually ask me if we are really sending the letters and if we will really receive letters in return.

Given the past two years of pandemic, Dalton said her students were craving human connections any way they can have them.

This project between Long Hill School and the residents of Wesley Village is an amazing way to reestablish the bonds that connect us all, regardless of age, she said.

Dalton said one of her students told her I cant wait to get a letter back. Older people are so nice.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
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The Conservation Council of Western Australia has lost a bid to overturn environmental approvals vital to Woodsides Scarborough natural gas project, in part because of a delay in commencing the legal action.

WA Supreme Court Justice Jeremy Allanson on Tuesday said in his published decision that in his opinion the delay in this case is properly characterised as excessive and unwarrantable.

Woodside is doubling the size of its Pluto LNG plant to process gas from its Scarborough development.

The WA Environmental Protection Authority allowed Woodsides Pluto and North West Shelf LNG plants to process gas from any field in July 2019, paving the way for Woodsides Scarborough-to-Pluto project.

The CCWA did not commence its legal action until December 2020 and the case was heard in December 2021.
When Western governments announced last week their intention to freeze assets belonging to President Vladimir Putin of Russia as punishment for invading Ukraine, there was no indication they knew of significant holdings that could be tied to him.

In fact, very little is known about what Putin owns and where it could be. Despite years of speculation and rumour, the extent of his wealth remains maddeningly opaque, even as billions of dollars have sluiced through the accounts of his close friends, and luxury properties have been connected to family members.

Tracking down Vladimir Putins assets has long eluded Western officials. Credit:AP

Officially, Putin earns about $US140,000 ($193,000) a year and owns a small apartment, according to his public financial disclosures.

But that would not account for Putins Palace, a vast estate on the Black Sea estimated to have cost more than $US1 billion, with a Byzantine ownership history that does not include the Russian President but has been linked to his government in various ways. Nor would the disclosures account for Putins Yacht, a $US100 million luxury vessel long tied to him in speculative news reports. (The yacht, Graceful, was tracked leaving Germany for Russia just weeks before the invasion of Ukraine.)
Capturing resource-rich Ukraine would give Vladimir Putin control of a cornerstone of the global commodities market.

The former Soviet state is a superpower in several crucial goods and is a key supplier for global metals and food markets.

Dubbed Europes bread basket, Ukraines plentiful supply of highly arable black soil has made it a giant in global grain production. Credit:Bloomberg

Supply disruptions and the impact of sanctions if applied to areas annexed by Russia have already sent ripples across global markets.

Analysts at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said last month that Russian annexation of some or all of Ukraine would increase Russian manpower, industrial capacity and natural resources to a level that could make it a global threat.
How beautifully Chloe glows, flatteringly lit against plush red velvet drapes, this so-called Melbourne icon, on her first venture interstate in 135 years.

At first it seems an odd proposition. The classic 19th century French nude now hangs at Hobarts MONA, a museum with a well-founded reputation for the contemporary and confronting. On holiday, if you like, from her usual spot at Melbournes historic pub Young & Jackson, where she has reigned for generations on the first floor in the bar that takes her name.

Chloe, on holiday at MONA in Hobart. Credit:MONA

It was MONA owner David Walshs idea to bring Chloe to Hobart so Tasmanians could savour a drink with her too. He declines to be interviewed about Chloe. Wise, perhaps: a 60-something man not known for his subtlety might get into strife discussing the merits (or otherwise) of a painting whose real-life model was just 17, and whose life ended tragically. Walsh defers to MONAs senior research curator Jane Clark, whose mission it was to lure Chloe to Hobart on his behalf.

Partly, says, Clark, it was the boss setting his curators a test. MONA had managed to borrow the National Gallery of Victorias prized Picasso, Weeping Woman, in 2012, for its Theatre of the World exhibition, and has since borrowed from the British Museum and the V&A, and a host of state galleries.
Why have one American period drama set in the early 1880s when you can have two? The current weekly episodes of The Gilded Age and 1883, both streaming here on Paramount+, play like two ends of a thread stretched across both a map of America and the history of that nations expansion. The shows may be opposites in terms of their outlooks  the former is a high-society melodrama set in New York, the latter a bloody revisionist western that begins in Texas  but you can certainly imagine that they inhabit the same world.

The Gilded Age is set in 1882, just prior to 1883, and the calendar proximity amplifies the unforgiving worlds they both seek to outline and document. In an episode of The Gilded Age, an act of violence might be a wealthy grandee dismissing a visitor by curtly announcing that the butler will see them out, while the 1883 equivalent is a foolhardy interloper being shot dead without warning. Together the programs play off each other, heightening their mutual extremes and sometimes highlighting their failings.

For aristocratic sisters Ada and Agnes van Rhijn (Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski) in The Gilded Age, the battlefield is charity events and the nouveau riche family that has moved in across the road. Credit:Alison Cohen Rosa/HBO

The two shows  each of which has had second seasons confirmed  are the work of celebrated and empowered storytellers. The Gilded Age was created by Julian Fellowes, the quintessential scribe of British society who gave us Downton Abbey and the immortal Maggie Smith line, Whats a weekend? 1883 is a prequel to the contemporary ranching drama Yellowstone, both of which are the work of Taylor Sheridan, whose wheelhouse is the unyielding American male and the complications he creates and eventually settles.

Fellowes and Sheridan also favour a young woman as the naive but forthright guide for their audience. The Gilded Age begins with the suddenly penniless Marian Brook (Louise Jacobson) arriving on Fifth Avenue to live with her wealthy aunt, Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), and hopefully find a husband. 1883 is narrated by Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), who with her hardscrabble parents are part of a wagon train undertaking the risky Oregon Trail. Death is everywhere on the prairie, she will intone, her voice filled with wonder and dread. In every form you can imagine.
China to build new glories on past achievements in space exploration

13:59, March 01, 2022 By Yu Jianbin, Feng Hua ( People's Daily

China has entered its harvest season of multiple long-term major space projects. The country has completed the construction of the global network of its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), concluded the last step of the three-step lunar exploration program (orbit, land, and return), and is going to complete the three-step strategy of its manned space program this year by finishing the building of its space station.

Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2020 shows the models of the lander and Mars rover Zhurong of Chinas first Mars probe Tianwen-1 on display at the 3rd Zhejiang International Intelligent Transportation Industry Expo in Hangzhou, capital of east Chinas Zhejiang province. (Peoples Daily Online/Long Wei)

While Chinas space exploration is continuously advanced, the State Council Information Office (SCIO) released the countrys fifth white paper on space industry in January this year. The white paper titled Chinas Space Program: A 2021 Perspective not only gave an account of Chinas achievements in space industry in recent years, but outlined the countrys development plan for the industry for the next five years and beyond, arising peoples greater interest in outer space.

The country has kicked off the construction of its Tiangong space station and plans to complete key technological research on tasks including Mars sampling and return and the exploration of the Jupiter system, continue studies and research on the plan for a human lunar landing, and develop new business models for upscaling the space economy, including travel, according to the document.

The space industry is a critical element of the overall national strategy, and China upholds the principle of exploration and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes, the white paper noted.

Since 2016, Chinas space industry has made rapid and innovative progress, manifested by a steady improvement in space infrastructure, the completion and operation of the BDS, the completion of the high-resolution earth observation system, steady improvement of the service ability of satellite communications and broadcasting, the conclusion of the last step of the three-step lunar exploration program, the first stages in building the space station, and a smooth interplanetary voyage and landing beyond the earth-moon system by Tianwen-1, followed by the exploration of Mars, said the white paper, adding that these achievements have attracted worldwide attention.

Over the past five years, Chinas space industry has worked together with global counterparts to implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and jointly promote the role of space technology in facilitating sustainable development, said Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Parents and children watch a life-size model of the Tianhe core module of Chinas space station at the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, June 30, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/ Chen Xiaogen)

China has signed about 50 cooperation agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in the space industry with foreign countries during the past five years, according to Wu.

China has launched the international lunar research station project together with Russia, carried out extensive international cooperation in space missions including manned spaceflight, lunar exploration project, and Mars exploration, signed cooperation agreements for the BRICS Remote-Sensing Satellite Constellation, and successfully launched the China-France Oceanography Satellite and the China-Italy Electromagnetic Monitoring Experiment Satellite, Wu said.

The country has also pressed ahead with international standardization of the BeiDou system, which has been included in the standard systems of international organizations in fields including civil aviation and maritime affairs, according to the official.

During the past five years, data of the Chinese Gaofen-1 and Gaofen-6 remote sensing satellites were offered free of charge about 550,000 times in 158 countries and regions via cloud platform, five Chinese satellites and three Chinese constellations joined the mechanism of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters, and data of Chinas Fengyun meteorological satellites were provided for 121 countries and regions, Wu said.

China has helped other developing countries boost their space science and research and share the fruits of its space industry development in a multitude of ways, including providing assistance with space infrastructure construction, training professionals in the industry, and offering space observation data, he added.

From the beginning of Chinas lunar exploration program in 2004 to the Change-5 lunar mission bringing moon sample to earth in 2020, the country has successfully completed the three steps of orbiting, landing, and bringing back samples from the moon, said Liu Jizhong, director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the CNSA.

China launches a Shijian-21 satellite aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest Chinas Sichuan province, Oct. 24, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Li Jieyi)

During the fourth phase of the lunar exploration program, China will develop a basic model of a lunar research station, thus laying a foundation for the construction of an international lunar research station on the moon with other countries, international organizations and partners, according to Liu.

Peaceful exploration and utilization of outer space is a common dream of humanity. Driven by the dream, more and more countries attach great importance to and vigorously boost the development of the space industry, which is expected to make a major and far-reaching impact on human society.

Against such a backdrop, China is gearing up for scaling new heights on its journey to deeper space with Chinese wisdom.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
A former elite soldier who was allegedly told by war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith to execute an unarmed Afghan man has objected to giving evidence about the incident in the Federal Court on the grounds he might incriminate himself.

Person 4, who was medically discharged from the SAS last year, started giving evidence on Monday in Mr Roberts-Smiths defamation case against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times.

Ben Roberts-Smith outside the Federal Court in Sydney earlier this month. Credit:Peter Rae

He has already told the court he witnessed Mr Roberts-Smith kick an unarmed and handcuffed Afghan man off a cliff in Darwan in late 2012, before the man was shot dead.

But Person 4, whose name cannot be revealed for national security reasons, objected to answering a question on Monday by the newspapers barrister, Nicholas Owens, SC, about his recollection of events during a separate mission in Afghanistan on Easter Sunday, 2009. Justice Anthony Besanko did not compel him to answer the question.
Specialist teams are being deployed in Lismore to rescue and recover victims of one of the nations worst flood disasters as residents of nearby Ballina, including patients at Ballina Hospital, were ordered to evacuate.

On Wednesday morning, the State Emergency Service (SES) issued a leave now evacuation order for Ballina Island, urging residents to immediately move to a safe location.

Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said he expected more deaths following the discovery of the two fatalities in the region on Tuesday, as the floodwater recedes slowly from its 14.37-metre peak, moving downstream towards the coastal community of Ballina.

Severe flooding hits Lismore in northern NSW in the worst flood ever recorded. Credit:Elise Derwin

All 55 patients at Ballina Hospital were evacuated due to the rising floodwaters, the Northern NSW Local Health District announced late on Tuesday night. Extra staff were called in to help NSW Ambulance and the SES relocate the patients to Xavier Catholic College, where a makeshift emergency department was set up for anyone requiring urgent care.
Illustration by John Shakespeare. Credit:Sydney Morning Herald The downfall of Putin may come from overconfidence Dave Sharmas claim that threatening to drag Vladimir Putin and his inner circle before the International Criminal Court and challenging Russias status as a permanent member of the Security Council would focus their attention is little more than dreaming (How to raise the stakes on Russias aggression, March 1). As Sharma points out, the ICC is restricted on investigating actions by non-signatories to the Rome Statute, such as Russia. And what mechanisms could be deployed to expel Russia from the Security Council, where it has been a member since the collapse of the USSR? Sharma does not explain how this could be achieved. - Maurice Critchley, Mangrove Mountain The history of power in Russia has been underpinned by who has the support of the army. While large, the current army has high numbers of conscripts and lower level officers notorious for corruption and bad treatment of their own soldiers. To this, add Putins new musings about the use of nuclear weapons and the prospect of entrenched fighting in Ukraine. It opens a door to undermining Putins control. Will the armed forces launch nuclear missiles because other countries are imposing sanctions? Putin may well control the security services, but that has never saved a tsar, nor a president. To his peril, Putin both underestimates and overestimates the army and his relationship with them. - Samantha Massey, Sans Souci Like most Australians, I deplore the military incursion into another sovereign and independent country, Ukraine. I support the strongest economic sanctions to be brought against the perpetrator. But I equally deplore other military incursions that have taken place since World War II. The list is a long one: North Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Serbia, to name but a few. I wanted the international rules-based order (IRBO) to apply in those circumstances too. But it seems this IRBO is not universal. It should be. - Gary Hare, Narrabeen

How beneficial would it have been for Putin to have Donald Trump as Commander in Chief of the American military right now? Many Americans, especially Republicans, do not appreciate the bullet they dodged. However, it looks like the gun is being readied for another shot. - Bob Macfarlane, Mirrabooka We see BP, Shell and now the Australian Future Fund are selling off assets in Russian enterprises (Investors moving funds from Russia, March 1). All well and good, but is it naive to ask what we investors were doing investing in things that helped maintain the rule of Putin? I hate the idea that we, as Australian taxpayers, have been guilty of propping up a dictator. - David Ashton, Katoomba My dream headline is Moscow coup. Only one casualty. - William S Lloyd, Denistone Aged care food debacle hard to swallow With this parliamentary term coming to an end, Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck must be working hard at squirrelling away any real insights into the Coalitions failure to attach meaningful monitoring and reporting rules to the hundreds of millions shovelled out for improved nutrition in aged care facilities (Little to show for $460m aged care food supplement, March 1). No doubt the report that is eventually concocted for public consumption by the end of March would have the minister tied up in knots again at subsequent senate estimates hearings. But luckily for him, though no one else, the election will be called, and he can forget about being publicly accountable as the chief custodian of taxpayers massive contributions to this sector. - Sue Dyer, Downer (ACT)

Of the many issues that will stain John Howards legacy, allowing for-profit aged care providers into the market will be at the top. Experience has shown that some aged care operators have trousered far too much of the taxpayers money, given to them to look after elderly Australians. Having learnt nothing, the federal government  through the astonishingly inept ministers Richard Colbeck and Greg Hunt  implemented a half a billion dollar handout to providers to spend on better food. Amazingly, the government has not put in place any mechanism to check how providers actually spent the money. Surprise, surprise the money doesnt appear to be being spent on food. Is it stupidity or just pig-headed stubbornness, or both? The only thing that is certain is that aged care residents continue to miss out. - Ross Hudson, Mount Martha (Vic) Your article states: In November, a spokesman for Senator Colbeck said early indications were that the average expenditure on food per aged care resident was higher than $6.08 a day, but could not definitely say if this was the case. Minister Colbeck would know that you cant even get a pie and a pint at the cricket for $6.08. - Mark Paskal, Austinmer Cruel joke As Peter Davidson clearly states, we abandoned full employment in the 1970s to counter inflation (Crucial chance to lift all Australians up, March 1). A pool of unemployed is government policy. That makes the well-below-poverty payments for the unemployed, to encourage them to get a job, a cruel joke. - Graeme Finn, Summer Hill Opera uproar

Yellowface! White-splaining! Wow. The Sydney Opera House must be loving this. So much free publicity and so controversial (Letters, March 1). I think this is what the tabloids call woke. If you want to do something positive about racism in Australia, start with the Uluru Statement, then move on to refugees, maybe some genuine anti-religious discrimination laws. Leave opera alone. The biggest crime of an early departure at Turandot is missing Nessun Dorma. - Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn Critics concerned that Turandot composer Puccini had never visited China reminded me on an anecdote involving the lyricist EY (Yip) Harburg, who won the Oscar for his work on The Wizard Of Oz. After he wrote the beautiful April in Paris in 1932 an interviewer said to him: But I understand youve never been to Paris. Harburg replied, Ive never been over the rainbow either. - Hugh OKeefe, Elizabeth Bay Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, who plays DI Sunny Khan in the TV show Unforgotten, believes the time was ripe for more diversity in TV and film casting. Shows such as Bridgerton and The Personal History of David Copperfield show that a diverse cast did not make them less enjoyable, he said. But, he added, if historical accuracy is the point of the film ... that also means you dont cast Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (Standing out for playing DI Normal, The Guide, February 28). - Alicia Dawson, Balmain Set them free The story about Arifa Hakimi finally receiving her visa was indeed heartening (Letters, March 1). Perhaps Bob Carr could make another call to Graham Richardson, who could make another call to the Prime Ministers chief of staff so that the visa applications from the Murugappan family from Biloela and the men in indefinite detention in Melbournes Park Royal Hotel  some who have spent eight or nine years within Australias immigration detention regimes  can receive similar positive intervention from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke. - Liz Stephenson, Elderslie

If political veterans can reach across the aisle and make a good thing happen in this case, it begs the question why the same largesse cannot be dispensed to the Murugappan family to end their inhumane four-year detention saga, or to end the heartless treatment of the Park Hotel refugees. Clearly, Immigration Minister Hawke has immense powers, which appear to be wielded on a whim. - Joy Nason, Mona Vale Kangaroo court With an ex-Labor MP now found corrupt by ICAC, no doubt Scott Morrison will be telling us what awful disgraceful treatment they have suffered from this kangaroo court (Ex-Labor MP is found corrupt, March 1)? - Mark Pearce, Richmond Thanks for the news My partner and I are both 80 years old. Weve been married for 58 years. We dont remember World War II. We grew up in relatively comfortable circumstances, raised two children, who are now married with their own children. We have never experienced floods, bushfires, droughts, excessive heatwaves, earthquakes, severe accidents, long-term illness or financial hardship. We must be like millions of others who have been similarly fortunate. We have both served in community-oriented professions and done our fair amount of volunteering and protesting against injustice. Our hearts go out to those who have suffered and are suffering. We read and watch the struggle of others with fear, apprehension and sympathy. We know that without the dedication and hard work of journalists and the efforts of publications and broadcasters who bring us the face of tragedy, we would remain ignorant and unaware. So thank you all those people who work in media who bring us the news, both bad and good. - William and Irene Turner, Port Macquarie

Comic opera I am indeed indebted to all correspondents who have warned about overt racial stereotyping in the current production of Turandot at the Sydney Opera House (Letters, March 1). By feigning moral outrage I have successfully avoided having to accompany my wife to witness another display of comically dressed men and women randomly breaking into a five-minute aria that 10 seconds of dialogue could better describe. - Col Burns, Lugarno Tea oclock It would seem that Lahore was not unique (Letters, March 1). In the late 90s, as a new recruit at an international school in Ajman in the UAE, first pay day we headed for a local Chinese restaurant to enjoy their special pot of tea. - Brian Collins, Cronulla Ashs big day

Is Ash Wednesday the day we celebrate awesome Aussie tennis players (Its the heartbeat of our nation, March 1)? - Peter Fyfe, Enmore Thirsty work I just witnessed the best use for an e-scooter (Letters, March 1). A middle-aged man placed his slab of beer on the scooter while he walked alongside. He maintained that pace so that the slab did not slide. - Alan Parkinson, Weetangera (ACT) Born leader Looks as though Ukraine has a president who holds a hose. - Greg Thompson, Bega
Private, Catholic and public schools are in a resources race for teachers amid a workforce shortage crisis that needs to be addressed through pay rises, an independent school headmaster has warned.

Knox Grammar headmaster Scott James said his north shore private school was experiencing significant difficulties finding teachers and there was stiff competition between education sectors.

Knox Grammar headmaster Scott James said there was a resources race for teachers across all school sectors. Credit:Rhett Wyman

We probably experienced the greatest difficulty at the back end of last year and this year, he said at The Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit on Tuesday.

Im exceptionally fortunate to work in the independent sector within a very well-resourced school.
Thieves rummaging through flooded south-east Queensland businesses and homes have been condemned by Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan as grubs preying on the most vulnerable.

Burglaries occurred in two flooded businesses and a home on Monday in Goodna, Blackstone and Bundamba, Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said at a press conference on Tuesday.

A 21-year-old man has been charged over one incident, while the two other robberies were still being investigated.

I cannot overstate how disappointed and disgusted I am that that has occurred in areas where people have had to leave their houses, Ms Carroll said.
To think we assumed Penny Wong had reached the top when Labor leader Bill Shorten named the plain-speaking Adelaidian as Opposition leader in the Senate back in 2013. Little did we know of the altitude Wong had yet to climb.

Now the political veteran has scored the ultimate achievement in the world of corporate perks. Labors opposition foreign affairs spokesperson achieved Qantas Frequent Flyer Lifetime Platinum Status (our caps, not Wongs) in the final week of February  a designation, in our books, on par with an Australia Day honour or even the top gong on Dancing With The Stars.

Political veteran Penny Wong has scored the ultimate achievement in the world of corporate perks. Credit:Illustration: John Shakespeare

When pressed, a Qantas insider confirmed the privilege was only bestowed on frequent flyers once they rack up 75,000 status credits  which are a different measure to frequent flyer points and simply denote how much you fly.

And the South Australian Senator Wong sure knows how to fly.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned Russia is likely to have a more violent response due to the resistance from the international community against the invasion of Ukraine as he committed $105 million to Ukraine for defensive and humanitarian support.

The economic, diplomatic and defence response has been far stronger than anticipated and particularly I believe by the Russian government. It is having a very serious impact on their progress, Mr Morrison said on Tuesday, commending the responses from countries like Singapore and Switzerland in assisting Ukraine.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Louie Douvis

Every day that that resistance continues, every day that we impose a cost on the Russian government and all those who support them in their unlawful acts, makes it even harder for Russia to continue to pursue their objectives in Ukraine, he said.

This is also likely to lead to an even more violent response from Russia. Anyone who thinks the Russian government is just going to sit there, I think doesnt understand the intent and the outrageous objectives of [Russian] President Putin.
Italy is turning to coal power to replace Russian gas, while Germany is fast-tracking LNG import terminals and considering extending the life of coal and nuclear plants as the impact of the Ukraine war is felt across Europes energy market.

But experts say despite a short-term spike for fossil fuels, any move to ditch the dependence on Russian gas wont deter the long-term push for clean energy to not only meet climate goals but decrease reliance on imported fuels.

A nuclear power plant in the German province of Bavaria. Credit:dpa

Severe international financial sanctions are being waged on Russia, which may extend to its energy exports and the massive state-controlled Gazprom, which supplies about 40 per cent of Europes gas.

Energy analyst Wood Mackenzies head of markets and transitions for Asia Pacific, Prakash Sharma, said the European crisis had made energy security a primary concern across Europe.
The culture wars and political tension that have engulfed the drafting of the new national school curriculum are a critical part of the process, the independent authority says, as education ministers prepare to meet next month to try to resolve their outstanding differences.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority chief executive David de Carvalho said federal and state education ministers had reached 98 per cent agreement over the revised document following an almost year-long debate dominated by the Commonwealths concerns about the history content.

David de Carvalho, chief executive of the national curriculum authority, says rigorous debate over what children are taught in schools is an important part of developing the new curriculum. Credit:Rhett Wyma

Mr de Carvalho said the tendency for curriculum debates to be consumed by politics was preferable to what once occurred when there was broad agreement about grand narratives in teaching and everybody would sign up to the same view of the world.

The issue of what we teach to our children is always going to be value-laden. Its an expression of a communitys aspirations for its children, he told The Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit on Tuesday.
Ill talk soon about Ukraine. About the women and children in bunkers willing themselves through the night by singing the national anthem; the man filmed apparently trying to stop a Russian tank with his bare hands in the northern city of Bakhmach; the young couple, Yaryna Arieva and Sviatoslav Fursin, who tied the knot in Kyiv as sirens wailed and then immediately took up arms to fight in the civilian resistance; the President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who fights for his nations sovereignty while making it clear he does not view the ethnic Russians in Ukraine as other.

Sviatoslav Fursin and Yaryna Arieva at their wedding in Ukraine last week.

Ill get back to Ukraine: first, some light relief via the latest cancel-culture controversy from the land of the free.

Last week, the chair of Columbia Universitys department of psychiatry, Jeffrey Lieberman  a renowned expert in schizophrenia  tweeted about an American model of South Sudanese descent, Nyakim Gatwech, known as Queen of the Dark.

Whether a work of art or freak of nature, shes a beautiful sight to behold, he said.
The war in Ukraine began because a dictator with a gamblers instincts made a bet that the West is weak. There is plenty of evidence that he is right, but its crucial that he is proven wrong.

Ukraine is the first hot front line in a new Cold War that will be fought across the globe in a myriad of ways for decades. Because Vladimir Putin is not acting alone and this is a fight for the way the world is run: a battle between democracies and despots.

Xi Jinping and Vladmir Putin pledged eternal friendship in a statement before the war. Credit: AP

Before declaring war Putin met with another president-for-life Xi Jinping, as the Winter Olympics began. They released a 5000-word joint communique heralding that: Friendship between the two states has no limits, there are no forbidden areas of co-operation.

Beijings read-out of this meeting noted: This is a strategic choice that will have a far-reaching impact on China, Russia and the rest of the world. The two countries have never and will never waver in this choice.
Nearly a week since Russian troops poured over the border, they have not captured a single major Ukrainian city after running into far fiercer resistance than they expected. Michael Kofman, an expert on the Russian military at Washington DCs Wilson Center, tweeted: Looking at the Russian operation so far, theyre having tremendous problems with logistics and communications. The whole effort seems shambolic. Many Western military analysts fear that Russia will now fall back on tactics which call for crushing bombardment of built-up areas before trying to enter them. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: One reason why things appear to be stalled north of Kyiv is that the Russians themselves are regrouping and rethinking and trying to adjust to the challenges that theyve had.

The Russians have been surprised not only by the scale of Ukrainian resistance but also by poor morale among their own forces, some of whom surrendered without a fight, the US official said. Loading Russia still has more forces to throw into the fight even though President Vladimir Putin has drawn global condemnation and sanctions that have already sent the rouble into freefall and forced Russians to queue outside banks for their savings. Russias TASS news agency reported new peace talks would be held on Wednesday. A first round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials on Monday at the Belarus border failed to reach a breakthrough. Russia sees no desire on the part of Ukraine to try to find a legitimate and balanced solution to the problems between the two countries, Gennady Gatilov, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, told Lebanese television in an interview aired on Tuesday.

Loading Big brands American big brands including Apple, Google, Ford and Harley-Davidson stopped sales and distanced themselves from Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, joining a growing list of companies from shippers to car makers to energy companies shunning the country. Apple said it had stopped sales of iPhones and other products in Russia, Alphabets Google dropped Russian state publishers from its news, Ford Motor told its Russian manufacturing partner it was suspending operations in the country, and Harley-Davidson Inc suspended its business and shipments of its bikes. Gatilov said Russia supports diplomacy based on respect for the positions of all countries and equality, but for now we dont see that, the Russian news agency RIA quoted him as saying in the interview.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv was ready to talk but would not bow to Russian ultimatums. In the south of Ukraine, Russia claimed to have completely encircled Ukraines Azov Sea coast. If confirmed, that would mean Russian forces invading from Crimea had joined up with separatists in the east and had cut off Ukraines main eastern port, Mariupol. Zelenskys government retains control of Kyiv with soldiers and civilians ready to fight invaders street by street. Some Kyiv residents have been sheltering in underground metro stations at night. There are long lines for fuel and some products are running out in shops, but by day there is a semblance of ordinary life on the streets. Zelensky makes appeal to European Parliament

In an emotional address to the European Parliament by video link on Tuesday, a day after he signed an official request to join the European Union, Zelensky urged the bloc to prove that it sided with Ukraine. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky. Credit:AP Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory be to Ukraine, he said. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a Geneva disarmament meeting via video link that Ukraine had been seeking nuclear weapons. More than 100 diplomats walked out of the hall in protest as his speech began. In an intelligence update, Britains defence ministry said a shift in Russian tactics puts civilians in danger: The use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties.

Human rights groups and Ukraines ambassador to the US have accused Russia of using cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, weapons condemned by many organisations. Ukraines general staff said Russian losses included 5,710 personnel, 29 destroyed and damaged aircraft and 198 tanks, all figures that could not be verified. Russia has given no full account of its battlefield losses. Zelensky also said he spoke to US President Joe Biden on Tuesday about US leadership on sanctions against Russia and defence assistance to Ukraine. Oil reserves, France We must stop the aggressor as soon as possible. Thank you for your support!, he said on Twitter.

A worker at a Ukrainian gas station in Volovets, western Ukraine. The war is raising huge questions about the energy ties between Europe and Russia. Credit:AP As the invasion entered its sixth day, Russia had launched more than 400 missiles on Ukrainian targets so far but did not control any major cities or have complete control of the skies over Ukraine. The International Energy Agencys 31 member countries agreed Tuesday to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves  half of that from the United States  to send a strong message to oil markets that supplies wont fall short after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The board of the Paris-based IEA made the decision at an extraordinary meeting of energy ministers chaired by US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. She said in a statement that US President Joe Biden approved a commitment of 30 million barrels and that the U.S. is ready to take additional measures if needed. AP, Reuters
The dark figure of Vladimir Putin casts his shadow over the war in Ukraine but it is worth taking a moment to reflect on the bravery and toughness that the people of Ukraine have shown over the past five days.

This country of 40 million people only came into being 31 years ago after a centuries-long struggle to be free of Russian and Polish domination. Until this week, Mr Putin clearly held it in contempt, not just militarily, but morally. The Russian dictator believed that Ukrainians  relatively poor, divided between speakers of Ukrainian and Russian, burdened by their centuries of submission to Moscow  would surrender with barely a shot fired when he sent in a few columns of Russian tanks.

The dictator should have known better.

It was Mr Putin himself who cemented Ukraines sense of nationhood when he launched his invasion of the Donbas region and Crimea in 2014 to punish Ukrainians for a popular uprising that overthrew a pro-Russian leader.

In the seven years since, about 14,000 Ukrainians have died in intermittent warfare against Russian-backed separatists even before the latest outbreak of hostilities.
He added Russian saboteurs were being regularly rounded up. Zelensky called for tougher sanctions on Russia, including closing all ports and airports to Russian vessels and planes, and for countries to cease paying for Russian energy exports. A member of the Ukrainian territorial defence directs cars in a traffic jam ahead of a military checkpoint outside Kyiv. Credit:AP Buying Russian goods now, is to pay money for murdering people, Zelensky said. British intelligence, released by the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday, said the Russian advance on Kyiv had made little progress over the past 24 hours, most likely as a result of continuing logistical difficulties. Russian forces have increased their use of artillery north of Kyiv and in vicinities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv, with the use of heavy artillery in densely populated urban areas greatly escalating the risk of civilian casualties.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said Russian forces were trying to lay siege to Kyiv and Kharkiv. Russian troops fired artillery at Kyiv, Kharkiv and the southern port city of Mariupol overnight while the Ukrainian side shot down Russian military planes around the capital, Arestovych said in a televised briefing. He described the current situation as under control. The mayor of Mariupol said on Tuesday morning that the southern port city was under constant shelling, which had killed civilians and damaged infrastructure. We have had residential quarters shelled for five days, Vadym Boichenko said in a live broadcast on Ukrainian TV. We have civilian infrastructure damaged - schools, houses. There are many injured. There are women, children killed.

Throughout the country, many Ukrainian civilians spent another night huddled in shelters, basements or corridors. The UN refugee agency says more than 660,000 refugees have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the past six days. UK Defence said Russia had failed to gain control of the airspace over Ukraine, prompting a shift to night operations in an attempt to reduce their losses. Few details have been released on the peace discussions, except that a second round could take place in the near future. Ukraines leader Zelensky called for an international tribunal to investigate Russia for its actions in recent days, which he described as war crimes. The bombardment of a residential area, which may have included cluster munitions that are banned by most nations, killed at least nine civilians and wounded dozens. Russian troops shelled Kharkiv using rocket artillery, he said in a video posted to his social media. This is, without any doubt, a military crime. A peaceful city. Peaceful residential neighbourhoods. Not a single military object in sight.

Loading For such a crime, there needs to be a tribunal. An international one. This is a violation of all conventions. No one in the world will forgive you for the murder of peaceful Ukrainian people. This is Ukraine. This is Europe. This is the year 2022. Evil, armed with rockets, bombs and artillery, must be stopped immediately. Ukrainian officials said 16 children had been killed in the first four days of fighting, but that number is likely to have risen significantly in the past 24 hours, after the deadliest attacks on civilians since the start of the invasion. Among the dead was schoolgirl Polina, who was killed by Russian saboteurs in Kyiv along with her parents and brother, according to officials. Loading

Russia has previously deployed the banned weapon, also known as an aerosol bomb, in Chechnya and Syria. Cluster munitions scatter or release smaller munitions or bomblets over a wide area, increasing the potential for casualties and damage. Putins decision to invade Ukraine last week was expected to be a quick victory over a smaller and outgunned adversary. But it has inspired widespread resistance with many Ukrainians staying put to try to thwart the invaders. UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said her office has confirmed that 102 civilians, including seven children, have been killed in the Russian invasion and 304 others wounded in Ukraine since Thursday. She cautioned that the official tally was likely vastly lower than the reality. Moscow is facing widespread opposition internationally and has become increasingly isolated as the United States, Britain, France and its allies expand economic sanctions on Russia and on Putins allies. Switzerland is the latest traditionally neutral nation to have joined the growing sanction regime, by freezing Russian financial assets, while Israel is poised to join a vote condemning Russia at the United Nations. Jerusalem has long been cautious in its dealings with Moscow, due to the presence of Russian forces in Syria that co-ordinate with Israel, as well as the large number of Jews in Ukraine.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said he intends to open an investigation into alleged war crimes. He said in a statement the investigation would look at alleged crimes committed before the recent Russian invasion, but added that given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine. The European Union is warning more than 7 million Ukrainians could flee their homes, leading to a wave of refugees that would dwarf the 2015 migration crisis and rival the turmoil that followed World War II, when more than 12 million people were displaced. At least 500,000 Ukrainians have crossed west into neighbouring countries since the start of the fighting, the UN refugee agency said. An estimated 120,000 are thought to have moved to Russia from Russian-occupied territory in the south-east of the country. About 160,000 have gone to Poland, which could accept as many as 1.5 million refugees over the crisis.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados and GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands:---The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and CCRIF SPC will host the 2022 Caribbean Regional Risk Conference on April 6 & 7, to provide a forum for policymakers, senior technocrats, and other stakeholders to explore country risk management and risk governance.

Under the theme, Introducing Country Risk Management to Advance Sustainable Development, the event will address the myriad of risks facing Caribbean countries, taking the discussion beyond natural hazard risks and climate change, to explore economic, geopolitical, environmental, societal, and technological risks, which continue to impact the regions development prospects. Already confirmed speakers and presenters are from several regional and international organizations, including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, The World Bank, Swiss Re, The University of the West Indies, and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, among others.

The conference will highlight the role of integrated risk management frameworks at the country level in enabling policymakers to better anticipate, identify and manage both climate and non-climate risks. Participants also will be exposed to cutting-edge tools, processes, and governance structures, necessary for operationalizing country risk management and developing all-hazards policy frameworks.

President of the CDB, Dr. Hyginus Gene Leon said, In the wake of the global pandemic and the growing threat of climate change, this conference takes on special significance as it sets the stage for us to explore country risk management through a wider lens and build much-needed capacity amongst key stakeholders. We will leverage the experience of both CDB and CCRIF along with recognized experts to stimulate new policy direction and action.

The Caribbean Regional Risk Conference is part of the Integrated Country Risk Management in the Caribbean Project, launched by the CDB and CCRIF SPC in 2017 to support the development of a regional risk platform for Caribbean governments.

In commenting on the conference and the wider country risk management project, CCRIFs CEO, Mr. Isaac Anthony said, As we seek to build forward stronger post-COVID and achieve the SDGs, country risk management and integrated risk governance must be seen as a key strategy for Caribbean sustainable development. This initiative will req uire action by a range of partners whose mandates focus on areas outside of natural catastrophe risks  mandates related to economic and financial risks as well as social and other humanity-related risks  to make it a resounding success for the small island and coastal states of the region.

The conference will be held virtually and is open to the public. The programme will cater to several target groups including the public and private sectors, civil society organizations, development organizations, academia, and the media.

At the end of the conference, CCRIF, CDB and the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD) will launch the Caribbean Integrated Risk Management Training Programme for the Public Sector.

To register for the conference, interested persons can contact CDB at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or CCRIF at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PHILIPSBURG:--- On March 1, 2022, the Court of First Instance ruled in three administrative injunction cases brought forward by three immigrants without a residence permit for either the Dutch side or the French side. The Minister of Justice ordered their return to their native country and placed them in administrative detention to secure their removal.

The courts found that certain procedures and guidelines regarding administrative detention were not fully complied with by the Ministry of Justice. As a result, the court ordered the immediate release of the three immigrants, pending the appeal process against their detention orders. The release was done within hours of the judgment being legally received by the government to be executed.

Important to note is that whilst the immigrants were released, the court denied the request to suspend the removal order of the immigrants. As such, although the three immigrants were released, they must make arrangements to leave the island as the rulings of March 1 did not change that.

The Immigration and Border Protection Service (IBP) intends to improve its operations and procedures to prevent situations like the ones that led to the three rulings of March 1. These cases will be used as a learning experience to strengthen the operations of IBP. IBP will continue to enforce the National Ordinance Admittance and Expulsion to the best of its abilities.
Edith (Edi) Marie Smith, daughter of the late Glen Lester and Dorothy Jane Allison, was born in Youngstown, OH on Friday, October 11th, 1963, and she departed this life on Saturday, April 30th, 2022, having attained the age of 59 years. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death b
Mars missions have been launching for over 50 years but not every mission ends in success.

Mars missions have been launching from Earth with regularity since the 1960s, bent on exploring our planetary neighbor. With its potential for liquid water  and therefore, life  Mars is an alluring target.

But it's a difficult journey, and only about half of all Mars missions successfully make it to the Red Planet, according to NASA. A "Great Galactic Ghoul" must be consuming them, joked a journalist and a NASA scientist corresponding in 1964, reported the Economist.

Since the first successful flyby in 1965, several space agencies have successfully made it to Mars. NASA, the former Soviet Union space program, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organization each met with earlier successes.

Related: How long does it take to get to Mars?

A brief timeline of important Mars missions. (Image credit: Future)

A significant batch of Mars-bound missions arrived in February 2021. NASA's Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter reached Mars that month, along with the United Arab Emirates' Hope orbiter (a first interplanetary mission for that country) and the China National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 orbiter and lander-rover mission, which was China's first successful mission to the Red Planet.

Coming up in the 2020s and 2030s, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is planning a sample-return mission from Mars' moon Phobos, and NASA has teamed up with the ESA on a sample-return mission from Mars itself.

Early Mars missions

A brief timeline of early Mars missions. (Image credit: Future)

Humanity first attempted to reach Mars near the dawn of the space age. The first satellite, the Soviet Union's Sputnik, launched in 1957; only three years later, the Soviet space program looked to extend its reach to Mars.

More formally known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the Soviet Union made multiple attempts in the 1960s to reach the Red Planet, and NASA soon followed with its Mariner 3 spacecraft. None of these early missions reached their target, or even got close, according to the NASA historical log of all Mars missions and RussianSpaceWeb.com.

First success and more attempts,1964 - 1971

Valles Marineris, seen at an angle of 45 degrees to the surface in near-true colour and with four times vertical exaggeration. The image covers an area of 630 000 sq km with a ground resolution of 100 m per pixel. The digital terrain model was created from 20 individual HRSC orbits, and the colour data were generated from 12 orbit swaths. The largest portion of the canyon, which spans right across the image, is known as Melas Chasma. Candor Chasma is the connecting trough immediately to the north, with the small trough Ophir Chasma beyond. Hebes Chasma can be seen in the far top left of the image. (Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum))

NASA's Mariner 4 was the first craft to finally reach Mars. The spacecraft launched on Nov. 28, 1964, and was the first to fly by the planet on July 14, 1965. It sent 21 photos of its target back to Earth.

Two days after Mariner 4 launched, the Soviet Union tried again with Zond 2. The spacecraft passed by Mars, but its radio failed and it did not return any planetary data.

The U.S. also launched Mariner 6 and Mariner 7 in 1969, both of which reached Mars and sent back a few dozen photos, according to NASA JPL. All of these spacecraft happened to fly over areas of Mars that were covered in craters, giving astronomers the false first impression that Mars looked like the moon.

Several more attempts were made between 1969 and 1971, but most failed to reach their target.

More failed missions:

March 27, 1969: Mars 1969A (USSR) launched but was destroyed before reaching Earth orbit.

April 2, 1969: Mars 1969B (USSR) failed during its attempted launch.

May 8, 1971: Mariner 8 (U.S.) failed during its attempted launch.

May 10, 1971: Kosmos 419 (USSR) launched and achieved Earth orbit before suffering a fatal issue.

In 1971, the Soviet Union finally reached the Red Planet. Its Mars 2 orbiter, which launched May 19, 1971, arrived on Nov. 2. However, when the Mars 2 lander was deployed it crashed, inoperable, on the surface. Mars 3, another orbiter and lander mission, launched on May 28, 1971, and arrived on the Red Planet Dec. 3.

The Mars 3 lander was the first spacecraft to successfully complete a soft landing on another planet, but was lost nearly immediately thereafter. While the lander worked for only a few seconds on the surface before failing, the orbiter remained operational.

Mariner 9 and the Viking missions, 1971-1980s

This color picture of the Martian horizon was taken by Viking 1 on July 24, 1976. (Image credit: NASA)

The public's image of Mars changed with the arrival of NASA's Mariner 9 in November 1971. The spacecraft, which launched on May 30, 1971, arrived at Mars when the entire planet was engulfed in a dust storm. What's more, something mysterious was poking above the plumes of dust.

When the debris settled to the surface, scientists discovered those unusual features were the tops of dormant volcanoes. Mariner 9 also discovered a huge rift across the surface of Mars, later called Valles Marineris  after the spacecraft that discovered it. Mariner 9 spent nearly a year orbiting the Red Planet, and returned 7,329 photos.

As the Soviet Union continued its Mars series of spacecraft, it garnered partial success. But out of four spacecraft aimed for the Red Planet, only one orbiter and one lander briefly returned data in 1974:

July 21, 1973: Mars 4 (USSR) launched and then flew by Mars on Feb. 10, 1974. It was intended to orbit the planet, not keep going.

July 25, 1973: Mars 5 (USSR) launched and settled into orbit around Mars on Feb. 12, 1974, but lasted only a few days.

Aug. 5, 1973: Mars 6 (USSR) launched with a flyby module and lander that arrived at the Red Planet on March 3, 1974, but the lander was destroyed upon impact.

Aug. 9, 1973: Mars 7 (USSR) launched again with a flyby module and lander, and arrived at the Red Planet on March 3, 1974, but the lander missed the planet.

Meanwhile, NASA sent two pairs of orbiters and landers toward Mars in 1975. Viking 1 and Viking 2 both arrived at the Red Planet in 1976, and sent their lander to the surface while the orbiter remained working above. The Viking program represented the first extended exploration of Mars, as each spacecraft lasted years and transmitted reams of information back to Earth. Hopes of finding life on the Red Planet, however, were dashed when the probes could not definitively prove the existence of microbes on the surface.

The Viking missions also revealed that the composition of Mars was almost identical to certain meteorites found on Earth. This suggested that some meteorites found on Earth were originally from Mars.

The Soviet Union also made two attempts to reach one of the moons of Mars, Phobos, in the 1980s, but both missions failed. The Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, and the Russian space program took over where the USSR left off, according to a 1994 paper published in the journal Science and Global Security.

Faster, better, cheaper in the 1990s

'Face on Mars' image taken by NASA's Viking 1 orbiter, in grey scale, on July, 25 1976. Image shows a remnant massif located in the Cydonia region. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

NASA's Mars Observer launched on Sept. 25, 1992. Just before it was supposed to achieve Mars orbit on Aug. 21, 1993, the spacecraft was lost. While the communication failure was never fully explained, the most likely cause was a fuel tank rupture that caused the spacecraft to spin out of contact with Earth, according to the 2018 book "Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration" by Asif Siddiqi.

The loss was especially painful because the spacecraft had cost so much: an estimated $813 million, nearly four times the original budget for the project. The exorbitant cost and the spacecraft's failure sparked a new movement within NASA to create missions that would take advantage of advanced computer electronics and new team management techniques. NASA called it the Faster, Better, Cheaper program (FBC).

In the meantime, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) left Earth on Nov. 7, 1996, and arrived at Mars on Sept. 12, 1997. Its mission was extended several times until NASA lost contact with it in 2006. MGS mapped the Red Planet from pole to pole, revealing many ancient signs of water, such as gullies formed by moving liquid and hematite (a mineral that forms in water). Data from MGS helped NASA decide where to land its future Mars rovers. MGS also took pictures of public interest, including re-imaging the famous "face on Mars."

NASA's 25-pound Sojourner Mars rover covered about 330 feet (100 meters) over 83 days on the Red Planet in 1997. (Image credit: NASA)

The Russian space agency continued the Soviet quest for Mars with their Mars 96 mission, which launched on Nov. 16, 1996. However, the orbiter, two landers and two penetrators were lost after the rocket failed.

On the other side of Earth, the FBC program's first mission was a great success. The NASA Pathfinder lander and Sojourner rover arrived at Mars in July 1997. The lander was the first to use a set of airbags to cushion the landing, and Sojourner was the first rover to trundle around on the surface of Mars. Pathfinder was expected to last a month and Sojourner a week, but both remained in operation until September 1997, when NASA lost contact with Pathfinder.

The first mission to Mars from neither the U.S. or the Soviet Union, Japan's orbiter Nozomi, launched on July 4, 1998. The spacecraft made it to Mars but failed to enter orbit in December 2003. However, it did collect data on interplanetary space, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Two other FBC missions never made it to the Red Planet. The Mars Climate Orbiter launched on Dec. 11, 1998, and disintegrated in the Martian atmosphere after arriving in September 1999. This spacecraft was an illustration of how important it is to label units in all calculations: the crash was caused by a failure to convert English units to metric when directing the spacecraft into Mars orbit, according to NASA.

NASA's Mars Polar Lander (MPL) and two space probes with it (called Deep Space 2) were launched on Jan. 3, 1999. All were lost before finishing their journey. NASA researchers speculated that the failure could have resulted from faulty signals to the lander's legs. If MPL determined it had landed before actually reaching the surface, the scientists thought, it may have shut off its engine prematurely.

The rover explosion, 2000 to 2020

The new millennium was a renaissance in Mars exploration.

NASA's Mars Odyssey launched March 7, 2001 and arrived at the Red Planet on Oct. 24, 2001. As of early 2022, the orbiter was still conducting its extended science mission more than two decades later. Mars Odyssey has returned more than a million images, mapped Mars global distributions of several elements, and relayed more than 95 percent of all data from the Spirit and Opportunity rovers back to Earth.

The ESA launched a lander-orbiter called Mars Express/Beagle 2 on June 2, 2003. The lander was lost on arrival on Dec. 25, 2003, but the orbiter completed its primary mission in November 2005. As of early 2022, the orbiter remains functional on an extended mission returning photos of Martian geology, according to ESA.

NASA's two rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, arrived at the surface of Mars in 2004. Each discovered ample evidence that water once flowed on the Red Planet. Spirit went inoperational in a sand dune in March 2010, while Opportunity continued to work for nearly another decade. Opportunity fell silent during a sandstorm in summer 2018 and NASA declared the mission over in early 2019.

Dust devils captured by the HiRISE camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (Image credit: NASA, HiRISE, MRO, LPL (U. Arizona))

NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched on Aug. 12, 2005. It began orbiting the planet on March 12, 2006. The mission has returned more data than all previous Mars missions combined and as of early 2022 continues to send high-resolution data of Red Planet features and weather. It also relays data from Martian surface missions back to Earth.

On Aug. 4, 2007, NASA launched a stationary lander called Mars Phoenix, which arrived at Mars on May 25, 2008, and found water ice beneath the surface. Phoenix's solar panels suffered severe damage from the harsh Martian winter, and communication with the $475 million lander was lost in November 2008. After repeated attempts to re-establish contact, NASA declared Phoenix dead in May 2010. The damage was confirmed in photos taken from orbit at the Red Planet.

The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, made another attempt to reach Phobos with the Phobos-Grunt mission, which launched in 2011 and crashed Jan. 15, 2012, after failing to leave Earth orbit. Phobos-Grunt was also carrying China's first attempt at a Mars orbiter, along with an experiment run by the U.S.-based Planetary Society designed to study how a long journey through deep space affects microorganisms.

NASA's powerful rover Curiosity arrived at Mars' Gale Crater in 2012 to search for signs of ancient habitable environments. Its major findings include the discovery of previously water-soaked areas, methane on the surface and organic compounds in the crust. Its mission continues as of early 2022.

NASA InSight selfie on Mars. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

India's MOM (Mars Orbiter Mission) successfully achieved orbit in 2014 to image the entire planet, providing a unique perspective on its weather and surface features.

NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN), launched in November 2013, achieved orbit on Sept. 21, 2014, and continues to observe changes in the Martian atmosphere to better understand why it thinned over billions of years.

The European Space Agency's ExoMars program, which is a collaboration with Russia, launched an orbiter called the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and a demonstration lander called Schiaparelli in 2016. Although Schiaparelli crashed on the Martian surface, TGO is still operational and investigating the composition of the Martian atmosphere.

NASA sent the Mars InSight lander to the Red Planet in 2018 to probe the interior structure of Mars in detail for the first time. InSight was approved for an extended mission in 2021 based on its findings so far about Martian history, although efforts to dig a heat-seeking probe (or "mole") below the surface turned up short as the regolith was harder than expected. InSight also carried the first Martian cubesats, tiny satellites that hitchhiked along on the same launch to document InSight's landing from orbit.

Now on Mars, 2021 to present

The Curiosity rover inspired another, called Perseverance, which landed successfully in Mars' Jezero crater on Feb. 18, 2021. Its quest is foremost to find samples with potential signs of life in them, although it also carries equipment for its numerous other investigations. Perseverance will cache its most promising samples for a future sample-return mission, tentatively scheduled for later in the decade and involving both NASA and the European Space Agency.

Perseverance brought with it the first interplanetary helicopter, called Ingenuity, which proved the feasibility of flying on Mars. While it was originally intended to fly a maximum of five missions, as of early 2022 Ingenuity had overcome a dust storm and flown 19 times, on a new mission to accompany Perseverance as it journeys across Mars.

Related: Mars helicopter Ingenuity spots Perseverance rover from the air (photo)

Other countries are accumulating Martian experience, too.

The United Arab Emirates' Hope mission, which arrived in February of 2021, is intended to examine Martian weather and atmospheric layers. In Hope's first year, the orbiter confirmed the existence of a discrete aurora, a highly localized atmospheric phenomenon on the night side of the planet, and took note of water-bearing clouds that grow and shrink daily.

China's Tianwen-1 mission included a lander, rover and orbiter for a multi-mission investigation of Mars. It arrived in Mars orbit in February 2021; some of its planned work includes looking at the water content of the soil and examining Martian climate and environment. In the first year of China's first mission to successfully arrive at the Red Planet, the agency landed and deployed the rover Zhurong, making it the first non-U.S. agency to operate a rover on Mars.

ExoMars, the ESA and Roscosmos collaboration, is at work on the Rosalind Franklin rover and its companion lander, which are scheduled to leave Earth in 2022 following a two-year delay due to technical problems and the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan also plans to return to the Martian system in 2024, when it will launch the Mars Moons Exploration (MMX) mission to bring back rock samples from Phobos, one of the two moons of Mars.

Additional resources

For more context on early Mars missions and their connection to today, read this article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on the massive crowdsourced search for the USSR lander Mars 3, more than three decades after its launch and loss. If you want to know more about humanity's fascination for the Red Planet, check out this National Geographic article on why we've collectively sent so many missions there. If you'd like the whole story of NASA's JPL through the early years of Mars missions, go for former JPL director Bruce Murray's 1989 book "Journey into Space: The First Three Decades of Space Exploration."

Bibliography




The long-awaited return of Peaky Blinders started with some tragic news that we were made aware of going in: Helen McCrory, Polly Gray herself, had sadly passed away. Such a loss is deeply tragic and it was interesting to see how the show would deal with the loss of arguably its beating heart and most human character, and it does so admirably  crafting a bittersweet, brilliant tribute, both in story and without  ending the episode with no music in a show as loud as Peaky is telling, and the funeral where Michael and Tommy draw lines  Michael outwardly telling Tommy that hes responsible for Pollys death to his face  sets the status quo for the last outing of Peaky Blinders - at least on the small screen.





Smash cut to several years later after the consequences of the failed attack on Oswald Mosely are dealt with. In France, the days before the collapse of the prohibition  Tommy Shelby wanders into a bar and orders water. He doesnt drink alcohol anymore  and the French barfly stereotypes on the Miquelon Island  outside of American and Canadian law - present take their anger out on him from the get go. Tommy proves almost instantly that he hasnt lost his touch, before Michael walks in to conduct business. Both sides have a rare mutal interest  the Americans arent impressed by Tommys poetry, but Michael knows Tommy all too well  but not well enough apparently, as not only is he rattled by Tommys claim that theres an insider among his ranks feeding information to the law, hes also shoved in jail after another tip. Michael it seems, is still very much out of his league.This was a quieter, more subdued season premiere than before  the lack of Nick Cave noticeably present as the soundtrack switches to a sombre tone. The episode plays out like a horror movie, the circling atmosphere catches Tommy at his lowest point, on the ground, taking the cowards way out, saved only by the substituted bullets that Arthur took out before they reached their destination. Who is the man Tommy cannot defeat was the big answer lingering over Season 5s finale? And questions are still being raised and answered as the episode progresses  Mosley was kept alive for an unknown reason of yet and with the losses of Aberama (Aidan Gillen) and Barney (Cosmo Jarvis) also ringing true  its a Black Day indeed, but above all else, Polly Grays absence is felt everywhere  and Tommys heart breaks upon the discovery of the body. Arthur has become a hollow shell of a man, back in his old ways again, failing to arrive on Christmas Day dressed as Father Christmas to give the Shelby family children presents. Ada tries her best, but shes no Polly  and with Pollys absence a chasm is left.Into the void a new threat steps  Jack Nelson, a powerful Boston gang leader. We dont meet Nelson in this episode but were already well acquainted with his company, Michael and Gina. Gina walks into another encounter with Tommy scarred by the last  the devil, she calls him, but theres a hint of chemistry there  Anya Taylor-Joy bringing the same energy that she brought into the table. Michael believes that the rat Tommy warned him of is the reason why he got caught  but Gina isnt so sure, and takes it up with Tommy when he shows up  it's rare to find Michael in a bad place like this but more telling is that Gina doesnt really care about the fact that hes locked up at all  the two characters are clearly no longer in their honeymoon period. Ginas cool rapidly slips away from her when Tommy raises the possibility of another buyer for his drugs  the east Boston Jews, who he has a familiar contact with in the eyes of the Solomons led by Tom Hardys patriarch Alfie.Its a fascinating stakes-raising of a premiere, but then  just when you think you know where its going to go Peaky Blinders throws another curve at us and hits us with a revelation: Ruby has a fever so she couldnt catch a boat to Boston, and is rambling phrases in Romany  having visions of a man with green eyes. Pollys sight was often a topic brought up in the past but may rear its head again in Ruby  but its enough for Tommy to be on ever-watchful alert. He gives Lizzie some warnings, telling her to hang a black Madonna from her neck, and says hell be on the next steamer back  incredibly shaken. This is Tommy back  scared  and more worried than ever.The final curve ball that should put Michaels power grab on hold for now is also made: Uncle Jack has abandoned him and chosen the President over Michael  and by extension, Tommy  offering him, the presidents son, Gina, his wife and mistress back to England  and maybe, back to Small Heath.The soundtrack is sparse but brilliant  a touch haunting in places and the usage of Joy Division only amplifies this, much has been made of music choices only being allowed to be chosen if they have that rebellious, Peaky vibe  and Joy Division very much has that. There couldnt be a better example of a series fully in command of its understand of music to its identity right now  maybe withas the possible exception. Hearingwill never not be a bad thing, and the always great Anna Calvi returned from Series 5 to deliver two more memorable song choices in the opening minutes and a cover of Johnny Cashswhen Tommy visited Michael in prison.Such an episode feels spend recapping what has come before especially after the time jump that the pacing is kind of bogged down in parts but it acts as a guided refresher for anyone who hasnt rewatched the series since it last aired. We dont know too much about these new threats but almost certainly well see a score of familiar faces return, plus Captain Swing and Jack have larger parts to play as well. Stephen Graham is due to join the series, we just dont know who as yet (maybe Jack himself) and there's a part to play for Conrad Khan too - it's easier to expect that he'll likely play Roosevelt's son.Either way  its the beginning of the end  or rather, the end is the beginning wont take its final bow with this series, with creator Steven Knight having originally intended to wrap up the show at the start of World War Two  but it seems the series story, in whatever capacity that is, taking Tommy Shelby with it or not  will go beyond to the big screen. And I think given everything that the show has thrown at us so far, we can put our faith in Knight to make the right call going forward.
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After leaving us on quite the cliffhanger in our last episode, viewers have surely been on the edge of their seats waiting for this episode to air.







Let us know what you thought about this episode in the comments below.





We pick up right where we left off with Scott and his mother talking in the bar in Transnistria. Scott asks his mother if she expects him to want to talk to her and for them to pick off where they left off after 15 years, and she says she hoped they could. She tells Scott she needs his help, and he tells her after all this time after she stole secrets and sold them to the Russians and disappeared, she should just walk away.She tells him she has never betrayed her country, and she is not who he thinks she is. She says that she was asked by her country to sacrifice her marriage, him and her life, and do what she did. She tells Scott it is the hardest thing she ever had to do, and if she had to do it over, she would not, but she has never stopped working for the CIA.Scott reminds her he was only 16 when she disappeared and she says she knows and she has watched him grow up and he makes her so proud. He asks her what she wants, as he does not believe she cares about him and his dad. She asks Scott to get her a file called Hutchinson from the Washington office, and this will give him the answers he needs. Scott tries to stop her as she goes to leave and she tells him that she loves him and never stopped, and she leaves.We see a man returning home and his neighbor comes over and tells him he knows what he is up to and to be careful. The man goes inside his door, comes back out with a gun, and shoots his neighbor in the head.In the office in Budapest, Scott is in his office, yelling on the phone, while Tank waits at the door. The team tries to hypothesize what is going on. Kellett tells Vo that she and Forrester are not seeing each other anymore and she tells Jamie she is there for her if she needs a female friend to lean on. Raines comments on how even Tank seems to be worried about Scott.Scott exits his office and tells them they have a case. Michael Vestal started a tech company (Vestal), which Raines says developed the dominant antivirus software on the market today. Three years ago, when his business partner died in an accident, the police were suspicious of Vestal and he fled before the trial. He has maintained an online presence claiming innocence and attacking US law enforcement and judges. Raines says he has 1.1 million followers, and that he was masking his IP so they did not know his whereabouts until a 65-year-old man (Fred Schmidt) was killed in his front yard in Frankfurt Germany. The security camera across the street captured the incident and showed it was Vestal. Frankfurt police do not have him in custody yet and the team gets going. Jamie checks in to make sure Scott is ok as he seemed agitated on the phone and he says he is fine and he just needs to figure some things out.They arrive in Germany, Katrin is there, and Raines says she looks happy to be working a case in her homeland. She introduces the team to Detective Kripo Adler, and he apologizes for not having their fugitive in custody already, but Kellett says it is okay as he eluded authorities for years already. Adler tells them he has been using the identity Thomas Smith. He offers to take them to the crime scene and they head out.As they approach, Vo says she thought he was rich and Forrester says people who run are not who they were when before they started running. Raines says his accounts were all frozen in the US so he has been living on what he squirreled away off shore for 2 years, and he assumes he is running low at this point. They review the crime scene with Adler and he tells them what they believe happened. They also speak with the victims wife, Lena Schmidt, who says she came home to find her husband dead on the doorstep with his head covered in blood. Jamie asks her if her husband knew that their neighbor was an American fugitive, and tells her about him fleeing the US before his trial. Jamie wonders if her husband discovered his identity and tried to confront him. Lena asks why he would do that and Alder says perhaps for blackmail, but Lena says her husband was not confrontational and she did not feel he would do that, and that they barely knew Vestal. Lena then gets a phone call from the funeral home and becomes upset, as she does not understand how this could have happened. Katrin enters and tells the team they should come look at Vestals apartment.Kellett comments on how he clearly left in a hurry and Raines says he left a hundred thousand dollars of tech equipment behind, and it was everything he needed to camouflage his location. They comment on the fact it was as if he was prepared for a siege, so Scott poses the question then of where he is. Vo and Raines find a key under a book, and it looks like a house key but does not fit the lock of his apartment. They wonder if he has a love nest or another apartment as the book is a classic romance novel and he does not seem the type to read something like that. Jamie says she will run down the mystery lover angle with the local police. Scott notes that he has mail from a security company and they wonder if they are protecting him now. Scott tells Vo to go check it out.Vo goes to the security company office, and speaks with their co-founder, Harold Pesch. He tells her Thomas Smith is one of the owners and they are a data security company. He tells Vo he learned who he really was an hour ago. Harold said when he opened the company 2 years ago, Thomas approached him and wanted to invest and he knew everything about the industry. He says Thomas was smart and well-funded and he needed the capital to open his company. He said when he saw the news he could not believe it, and he lets Vo see Smiths office. She recovers his laptop and brings it back to the office but it is encrypted. Forrester asks Raines to crack it, but he says since it was owned by someone who is an expert in data security, it may be beyond his skill level. Scott says he doubts that, and Raines says his grandpa always told him to always act humble.Jaeger come in with Alder and says Vestal just posted a video to all his followers and they watch the video. He says the US government is working with the German government to frame him, and shows a picture of Kellett and Forrester and says they are agents illegally stalking him, and calls his followers to action to find out who they are and make their life hell as they are doing to him.Scott and Jamie are outside and Scott says he is concerned with their images being out all over the internet, especially for how it will affect UC work. Jamie is worried the FBI will think all they are doing is attracting eyes in Europe and worries about the future of the team in Budapest. Scott says for now they need to keep their heads down, follow the facts and the case and everything else for now is out of their control. Jamie checks in again with Scott as she says he seems like he is carrying a lot of weight on him right now, and lets him know he can always talk to her but he says it is nothing.Raines tells Scott that he has spoken to the cybercom division, and they have created dummy profiles for Andy Jones and Diane Williams with their photos, so if any followers get through the FBI firewall, that is all they will find, and hopefully then they will get bored and move on to something else. Raines updates Scott that the laptop has many safeguards, so when he gets through one firewall, four more pop up, but he is like a dog with a bone and will get it cracked.Jamie says the canvas of the neighborhood and the interviews of all the employees at Schlage did not reveal anyone knowing who Vestals lover was, so they still do not know where the key fits. Katrin lets them know that local police are monitoring every mode of transportation out of Frankfurt, and Alder says if he is in Frankfurt, they will find him. Vo says he is in Frankfurt and says when she examined the video he posted, she was able to find an image of a street sign and Alder says he knows where it is and it is a school sign. The team and the local police head out to the location.When they get there, it is a tattoo shop and Katrin speaks to the person working there named Lula. She says that Vestal gave her a message to tell them which is if he dies in police custody, the world will know he was murdered. She says he left 10 minutes ago on foot and shows them which direction. As they are leaving Raines calls Forrester to tell him that the phone Vestal used to make the video has been turned on and gives them the address. They go into a nightclub where the phone was showing active and several bouncers attack Scott. Kellett pulls her gun and tells them all to stop and freeze.The bouncers tell Scott that Vestal was there handing out 100 Euro notes and said Scott was stalking him. Scott said perhaps they should have asked him about it, but they said they have had a lot of trouble there and Scott looked like trouble. Scott points out that Vestal knows there is a manhunt for him but he has not left Frankfurt and wants to know why. Kellett says that perhaps he feeds on the conflict with the police.As the team returns to the station and Raines lets them know he is getting close to cracking the laptop, Vo lets them know Vestal posted a new video and they watch it. He says the US government is trying to silence him, and shows footage of the fight in the bar, filmed right there, and says they are endangering innocent citizens and have to be stopped. Vo says he is up to 1.8 million followers and Jamie comments on the fact that he is getting off on the attention. He masked his IP address as he did before, but Scott asks Vo to analyze the video like she did before because that background is different.Scott gets a blocked call and it is his mother. She asks him to bring her the Hutchinson file by Thursday and that she loves him. Scott makes a video call to his friend Gary Murdoch, and asks him to find the file and send it to him, and that it is sensitive. Jamie finds Scott outside and asks what is going on and she asks if it was his mother, and says she knew because it is written all over his face. Jamie asks why she was in contact and Scott tells her it is because she wants a classified file. Kellett says that is a big ask, and Forrester says he knows. Jamie asks what he told her and when he does not answer she wants to know if he is actually considering doing it and he does not answer again.Vo comes to tell them that Raines has cracked the laptop, and Raines tells them there is nothing on it. Scott asks if it is just nothing useful and Raines says no, after all the encryption software there is literally nothing and it is a brand new laptop under all the encryption, with a blank hard drive. They feel this was a stalling tactic by Harold and Schlage and they want to know why he was intentionally slowing them down. The team arrives a Harolds home and he tries to run, but Scott catches him.As the team returns to the station with Howard, groups of followers have gathered outside the station yelling and chanting Free Vestal with signs as they enter the station. Katrin addresses the crowd in German and says they are catching a murderer and to get off their phones and do something noble instead, and they should be ashamed if this is the future of Germany.They ask Pesch why he wanted to stall them and he tells them he needs medical attention for a cracked rib. Scott offers him a pain reliever if he tells them why he was stalling them. He says everything he was working for over the last 5 years comes through today. They had negotiated the sale of the company for 50 million Euros, and it was set to close at three pm. He says it is a private company selling to a private company so is not open knowledge. Raines tells Forrester that with a deal that big, any undisclosed information could be an issue as the deal would be fragile. Scott asks Raines how long it would be to put a deal like that together and he says 6 months to a year, and he asks Harold how long he knew Thomas Smith was Michael Vestal. He says he only discovered it yesterday, but then admits he discovered it a year ago. He said he would lose everything if he told anyone, and why should he have to pay for the transgressions of his partner. Scott then reminds Harold that Vestal murdered his last partner.Raines and Forrester speak with Alder and Jaeger about with how fragile these deals are, that the deal may not be being completed electronically and that Vestal likely stayed to get his share of the money from the deal. Raines says there is no way that Pesch disclosed to the buyers and likely Vestal is still there because he worked out a cash side deal with Pesch. Pesch tells them that after the sale he was to use an encrypted messaging system to contact Vestal and bring him cash.They decide to use Pesch as bait to draw out Vestal and have him wired and let him know they will not let Vestal near him. Scott says that they do this all the time in America and everything will be fine. While they are in the middle of the drop, Vestal posts a new video with 2.2 million followers and Vo warns the team. Vestal said there is a set up at the Plaza where they are and posted the video 15 minutes ago. Scott and Jamie take off after Pesch and Scott asks him if he alerted Vestal, and discovers he had on his smart watch, and that he is still stalling hoping his deal will go through, and they arrest him for obstruction. Suddenly a huge crowd of followers arrive with masks and signs, surrounding them yelling. Jaeger and Alder arrive in their car and drive into the crowd to get Pesch, Forrester and Kellett out, and collect them and drive away just in time as the crowd becomes increasingly angry, pounding on the vehicle door and roof.Scott says he keeps going back to the reason Vestal killed his partner in the US was because he was trying to force him out, but here he was about to get a big payday and he risked it by killing his neighbor, and why would he do that. They wonder was it really because his neighbor was going to expose him or was it like Vo suggested, and it was personal. Vo discovers from the most recent video that someone else is holding the camera. Suddenly, Kellett remembers the book and the key, that the book is about an older man who seduces his neighbors wife, and they discover the key is for the neighbors house. Lenas car is gone so they set up a border check for her car.Lena is at the border and the officers ask her to get out of the car. The team arrives and open the trunk and find Vestal inside. At the station, Lena tells them she did not mean for this to happen but her husband was not good to her. She says her husband was boring and that love is a sickness one wants to have, and she became sick with love for Vestal.Alder confronts Vestal and says he did not appreciate the lies he said about corruption in the Frankfurt police department, and that they may not have as many followers and him, but they will be posting a new video to their social media account of his arrest. He then thanks the team and assures them Vestal will pay for his crimes in the US and Germany.Jamie tells Scott they have been friends for a long time and she can tell he is standing at a crossroad, and warns him to be careful.When they return to Budapest, Scott has a folder on his desk that states it is classified and he sends a text to someone. He meets up with a man and they give him an earpiece and tell him he did the right thing being counterintelligence. They advise Scott that when his mother shows, he can give her the envelope and they will move in and contact him after they debrief her. They say that it is a patriotic thing he is doing, and must have been a hard choice between family and country. He asks what is in the real Hutchinson file, and they say they do not know.Scott goes to meet up with his mother, and he sees her in disguise and he makes a tiny signal to her and she walks straight by him and does not approach him for the file. He stands continuing to wait as he had been as the credits roll.As always, our Wolf writing team and FBI directors and production teams have done a great job keeping us glued to our seats, anxiously awaiting to see what will happen next. It will be exciting to see how this storyline progresses and if Forresters mother is ever cleared of what she has been accused of. Only time will tell.
Chahid El Hafed, 01 March (SPS) - The Sahrawi National Assembly condemned the repressive practices against Sahrawi civilians who took to the streets to celebrate the 46th anniversary of the proclamation of the Sahrawi Republic, calling for the urgent intervention of the UN and the Council of security to put an end to Morocco's persistent violations of human rights in the occupied part of Western Sahara.

The political commission of the Sahrawi National Assembly held the UN and the International Red Cross "responsible" for the massive violations of human rights in the occupied part of Western Sahara, and the escalation of repression and abuse against Sahrawi activists rejecting the occupation.

She also warned of the danger of targeting Sahrawi activist Sultana Sid Ibrahim Khaya, through physical liquidation after the brutal attack on her family's home on Sunday, followed by the torture she was subjected to, which left marks on her body.

The Political Committee also condemned the reprisals against Sahrawi militants in occupied Dakhla, against the demonstrations condemning the kidnapping and assassination of the Sahrawi citizen Lahbib Aghrichi.

She also drew attention to the dangerous situation that Sahrawi civilian prisoners are going through in the jails of the Moroccan occupation, where they are deprived of their most basic rights.SPS

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Botswana Ambassador Presents Credentials to Saharawi President of Republic

Chahid El Hafed, 01 March (SPS) - The President of the Saharawi Republic, H.E. Mr. Brahim Ghali, received the Credentials of H.E. Mr. Zenene Sinombe, as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the Saharawi Republic, on Tuesday.

During the ceremony of presentation of Credentials at the Presidency, Mr. Zenene Sinombe, who is the first Ambassador of Botswana to the Saharawi Republic, conveyed to the President of the Republic the firm support of his country to the rule of law and the principles of international legality and African Union Constitutive Act in the decolonization of Western Sahara.

The President of the Republic welcomed Botswana Ambassador stressing the warm and brotherly relations that link the two peoples and leadership of the countries, and insisting on the determination of the Saharawi government to deepen and strengthen bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect, brotherhood and respect of international law and African unity.

Mr. Sinombe is the first Ambassador accredited to the Saharawi Republic, and is visiting SADR at a historically symbolic period, the Saharawi people having just celebrated the 46th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic in 27 February 1976.

Mr. Sinombe presented a copy of his Credentials yesterday to the Secretary general of the Saharawi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Salek Sghair Radhi. He was received upon arrival to Tindouf airport by the Chief of Protocol, Mr. Bulahi Sid, and Saharawi Ambassador to Botswana, Mr. Malainin Mohamed.

The African ambassador arrived to SADR yesterday, and will have the opportunity to meet various high officials, and visit Saharawi institutions to have an idea about the Saharawi experience of state and nation building despite the challenges and hardships of the bitter struggle for freedom and independence.

It should be recalled that Botswana and the Saharawi Republic have diplomatic relations since 1982. After a State visit paid by current Saharawi President, H.E. Mr. Brahim Ghali, to the Republic of Botswana in 2018, he agreed with H.E. President Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, to raise this relations to ambassadorial level.

In implementation of this verbal agreement, the Saharawi Republic opened its first Embassy in Gaborone in 2019, and Saharawi Ambassador Mr. Malainin Mohamed, presented his Credentials to H.E. President Masisi in 12 August 2019, as the first Saharawi Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Botswana.

Botswana has always adopted a firm and principled position towards the legitimate struggle of the Saharawi people for independence and voiced this honorable position in various regional and international forums, mainly at the level of the AU and UN.
Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday announced a proposal to create a grant program that would help local school districts fund upgrades for heating, ventilation and cooling systems.

The governors proposal would seed the program with $90 million in federal funding the state received through the American Rescue Plan, President Joe Bidens COVID-19 recovery act. In a statement, the governors office said that money would be an initial allocation, with additional funding as needed.

One thing the COVID-19 pandemic exposed is that many school buildings in our state, particularly those that are of a certain age, are in serious need of air quality improvements, Lamont said in a statement. Some people may erroneously think that heating and cooling systems are only about temperature control, but modernized ventilation systems provide an important public health function that filtrate the air and reduce airborne contaminants, including particles containing viruses.

I strongly urge lawmakers to approve this proposal so that we can begin releasing funds to school districts and make these much-needed HVAC upgrades, he continued.

Under the proposed legislation, which is now being considered by the legislatures education committee, municipalities would match grants to fund the total project cost of an upgrade.

The Connecticut Council of Municipalities offered its support for the governors proposal shortly after it was announced.

Governor Lamonts proposal to upgrade school HAVC systems in dire need of repair would provide real and essential funding assistance to local governments, their school districts and hard-pressed property taxpayers, Joe DeLong, CCMs executive director and CEO, said in a statement.

The cost for needed HVAC repairs in schools across the state would overwhelm municipal resources, and the impact of adequate air filtration on student learning, especially during a pandemic, is crystal clear; as is the health fallout for teachers and students as a result of bad air quality in schools, DeLong added.
President Joe Bidens nomination of federal judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court last week drew expressions of optimism from Connecticuts two U.S. senators, both Democrats, ahead of a confirmation battle that will take place in the coming weeks.

In statements released online and through social media, Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy said they planned to conduct a close examination of the credentials of Jackson, a former public defender who has served on the federal bench for nearly a decade.

If confirmed by the Senate, Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the nations highest court. Her nomination was made to fill the impending vacancy caused by the retirement of liberal Justice Stephen Bryer.

Murphy and Blumenthal voted to confirm Jacksons nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last year, along with three of their Republican colleagues. The senators expressed hopes for a similarly bipartisan vote on her nomination to the Supreme Court, though Republicans have already sought to cast Jackson as too liberal.

Neither Connecticut senator was made available Monday to speak directly on Jacksons nomination, with their offices pointing to hectic schedules in Washington.

On Twitter Friday, Murphy applauded Bidens selection and said he anticipated learning more about Jackson during the nomination process.

On first impression, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson seems like a respected, mainstream jurist that has won support from Republicans and Democrats in the past, Murphy said.

Blumenthal was even more effusive in his praise of Jackson, calling her profoundly impressive and a professional woman of character, intellect, integrity.

Judge Jackson is a woman, a Black woman, of exceptional success story and character, someone who more than meets the standard for nomination to the United States Supreme Court, Blumenthal said during a virtual press conference Friday. She has a unique combination of thoughtfulness and common sense and like Justice Breyer, she understands the real-world impacts of her decisions on everyday Americans.

Gov. Ned Lamont also offered support for Bidens nomination of Jackson, saying in a statement that her experience, perspective, and voice will be a valuable addition to the bench.

Jackson is a graduate of Harvard Law School, dashing the hopes of some who called on Biden to nominate someone outside of the courts traditional Ivy League background. However, she also served as an assistant federal public defender, and would be the first justice with experience representing criminal defendants since Justice Thurgood Marshall.

More typical of a nominee for a top-level federal judgeship, Jackson clerked for Justice Breyer early in her career. Like Breyer, she also served as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

She is brilliant, she is one of the brightest legal minds in our country, University of Connecticut School of Law Dean Eboni Nelson said. Her background as a federal judge, serving on the Sentencing Commission, being a former public defender, all of this great experience that she has and that she will bring to the court will help to inform the decision making, not only of herself but of her fellow justices.

Nelson, who also graduated from Harvard, said she has not met Jackson, but has heard wonderful things from former classmates.

Mike Lawlor, a professor of criminal justice at the University of New Haven, said Jacksons experience as a public defender would provide a contrast to the more cerebral thinking of the current slate of justices.

For the most part, Supreme Court justices are very accomplished academics, you know, and judges, Lawlor said. I think if youre a public defender you have a much more realistic appreciation for how the criminal justice system works, and both its intended and unintended consequences.

Even the Republicans vying to oust Blumenthal from his U.S. Senate seat this fall said Jackson deserved fair consideration during the nomination process  a departure from when the Republican-controlled Senate refused to hold hearings on former President Barack Obamas nomination of Merrick Garland to the court in 2016.

Judge Brown deserves a fair and unbiased process that allows her to share her viewpoints on important legal matters with the Senate Judiciary Committee and the American people, GOP Senate candidate Themis Klarides said in a statement released by her campaign.

Leora Levy, another Republican Senate candidate whose nomination by former President Donald Trump to serve as ambassador to Chile was never voted on by the Republican-controlled Senate, said in a statement that she would give all presidential appointments full consideration, but promised to withhold support from judicial nominees who are not constitutionalists.

It is my hope that President Bidens nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, will not attempt to legislate from the bench, which is the job of our elected representatives, in an effort to reengineer America to fit a radical, Progressive vision of America that is being promoted today by the Democrat Party, Levy said in a statement.

Jackson is expected to begin meeting with individual Senate leaders as early as Wednesday, according to CNN, before consideration of her nomination is turned over to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Blumenthal has served as a member of the Judiciary Committee since shortly after he was first sworn into the Senate in 2011.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Becoming partly cloudy after some evening light rain. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Becoming partly cloudy after some evening light rain. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
The General Inspectorate of Border Police informs that on Tuesday, between 00.00 and 18.00, at national level, 50,119 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, of whom 16,188 Ukrainian citizens (down by 7.4% compared to the same time interval from the previous day).

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES, 7,271 Ukrainian citizens entered through the border with Ukraine (a decrese of 6.3%), and 7,603 Ukrainian citizens entered through the border with the Republic of Moldova (a decrease of 9.6%), Agerpres.ro informs.

As many as 49,598 people completed the formalities on the exit direction from Romania, of whom 12,229 were Ukrainian citizens (an increase of 1%).

Since the beginning of this crisis, until March 1, at 18.00, at national level, 105,452 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania and 62,547 Ukrainian citizens left.
About 900 Romanian and American soldiers, with over 70 pieces of hardware, will train together, March 2-10, at the Secondary Combat Training Centre for Romanian Land Forces (CSIL) based at Smardan, Galati County, as part of the "Justice Eagle 22.1" exercise.

The personnel and hardware convoys will travel, on Tuesday and Wednesday, to CSIL Smardan by road.According to a press statement released on Tuesday, the Romanian military is part of the units of the 9th Marasesti Mechanised Brigade; the 341st Constanta Infantry Battalion; the 911th Capidava Infantry Battalion; the 912th Scythia Minor Tank Battalion; the, 114th Petru Cercel Tank Battalion, and the 168th Pontus Euxinus Logistics Support Battalion.The "Justice Eagle 22.1" exercise, organised by the 9th Marasesti Mechanised Brigade, will unfold according to an imaginary scenario that is nonetheless adjusted for possible operational threats in order to develop functional relations between the participating components and harmonise specific operational procedures .The shootings during the exercise are carried out by T-55 tanks, TAB-77 amphibious armoured personnel carriers, Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker infantry carriers, according to the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN).* * *The multinational exercise "Justice Eagle" takes place annually in Romania. It is designed to increase interoperability among NATO member armed forces, maintain the ability to deploy and train together by exercising logistical support and developing a regional environment conducive to military co-operation.The US military participating in the "Justice Eagle 22.1" exercise is part of the detachments deployed in Romania as part of measures to strengthen the NATO position on the entire eastern flank of NATO, as a defensive formula to ensure the security of allies and to deter aggressive actions in the Black Sea region.
Approximately 50 Ukrainian mothers with their children, who took refuge in Romania, arrived in Arad City on Tuesday morning and are staying at a private medical centre in the city, where they will remain until they manage to arrange transport to different European countries where they have relatives or friends.

The refugees, who came from Chernivtsi and Chernobyl, were picked up by a bus from the Siret Customs, the transport having been initially organized for 50 foreign medical students who had studied in Ukraine and who came to our country. According to the transport organizers, these students gave up the bus in favour of mothers and children.

The Ukrainians are housed in a private medical care centre, where they also receive food, and teams of doctors will consult them on Tuesday, Agerpres.ro informs.

"This is the first group of refugees to arrive in Arad from Vama Siret. The group consists of 48 people, mothers and children, the youngest being three months old. Most are children, about 70 percent. We also have a mother with seven children. This private initiative pursues a strictly humanitarian purpose. We are also supported by associations, which will provide food and necessities during their stay. Some of the refugees are homeless, so we do not know how long they will stay with us," he told AGERPRES. , Sorin Fildan, representative of the Red Medica clinic.

Most of the mothers said that they want to go to various countries in the European Union, where they have relatives or friends.

In Arad County, several associations announced that they were involved in supporting refugees, offering border transport and accommodation or various aids. Arad City Hall also announced that it is arranging about 300 accommodation places in boarding schools or nursing homes for the elderly.
The latest security developments in the region and the armed conflict in Ukraine were among the topics approached in the telephone call on Tuesday of Foreign Affairs Minister, Bogdan Aurescu with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

According to a release of the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry sent, on Tuesday, to AGERPRES, the Pakistani ministry showed particular appreciation for Romania's demarches to manage the flow at the border of Ukrainian civilians and citizens of other states. He was particularly grateful for Romania's support in facilitating the safe evacuation of Pakistani citizens from Ukraine, since the beginning of the crisis and until now, over 300 Pakistani citizens crossing the border between Ukraine and Romania, including diplomats and representatives of the Embassy of Pakistan in Kyiv, Agerpres.ro informs.

The two officials agreed to continue the tight operative coordination between the Romanian and Pakistani authorities for the safe transit of Pakistani citizens on Romanian territory.

Minister Aurescu condemned in the firmest terms the military aggression of Russia on Ukraine, as a flagrant, repeated breach of the principles of international law, especially the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as a continuation of the action of illegal recognition by the Russian Federation of the "independence" of the self-proclaimed separatist republics in Donetsk and Luhansk, component parts of Ukraine.

Aurescu reiterated the fact that, in the opinion of the Romanian party, it is very difficult to conduct negotiations between parties at the same time with continuing and even intensifying the use of armed force and expressed the hope that, in the following stage, there will be from the Russian party a real desire for dialogue that would lead to the end of aggression and the cessation of loss of human life.

During the phone call, the head of Romanian diplomacy emphasized the need for the entire international community to firmly sanction the actions of the Russian Federation, in a coordinated manner, showing that the sanctions already decided upon have started to produce effects.
His Grace Bishop Antonie has called for solidarity with Ukrainian refugees and prayers for both sides involved in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He said the current wave of refugees is an examination of our faith and love.

Most Reverend Deans, Most Reverend Parish Priests, Christian brothers and sisters, we have all witnessed for two days the tragedy of the neighboring Ukrainian people. The war put death between brothers of the same blood and the same faith, Bishop Antonie said. Because of this, many Ukrainians are taking refuge. Some come to the Republic of Moldova to save their lives. Their number is growing. These people need our help. Just as we were united during the pandemic, this time I call on the deans, priests, and Christians of the Balti Diocese to be united, first and foremost, in prayer, invoking Gods mercy to bring peace among the peoples, and to send the holy light to the leaders of this world to seek peaceful solutions to the misunderstandings that have arisen. We cannot be indifferent to the tragedy of people in distress, so we have started a fundraiser to help those facing the hardships of refuge. The coordination of this fundraising campaign, but also of other activities to help the refugees from Ukraine, will be done through the social sector of the Balti Diocese, the bishop announced, according to basilica.ro.

Let us be filled by the tragedy of our Ukrainian comrades, forced by need to abandon their homes, and let us show compassion, solidarity and love. God bless all the peoples with peace, His Grace Bishop Antonie noted.

The Diocese of Balti is bordered to the north and east by the Ukrainian regions of Chernivtsi and Vinitsa  the first inhabited mostly by Romanians from northern Bukovina.
Joining other Romanian hierarchs in their pleas for peace, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian of Canada has called on political leaders to end the hostilities with Ukraine, asking God to grant them wisdom, a spirit of responsibility, peaceful understanding and openness.

Expressing his deep sorrow over the armed conflict in Ukraine, Bishop Ioan Casian said that conflicts cause suffering, loss of life, much insecurity and incalculable material damage.

The Romanian Bishop of Canada recalled Christs words to His disciples after the resurrection  Peace be with you  and noted that peace is essential for good coexistence between us humans.

The bishop urged the Romanian clergy and faithful in Canada to join in prayer for those who are currently suffering in Ukraine, according to basilica.ro.

I urge the clergy and faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Canada to offer petitions and prayers at the Divine Liturgy and their personal prayer for the cessation of hostilities, for the protection of the Ukrainian people and a spirit of good understanding and prudence for the political leaders.
Carmen Iohannis, the First Lady, has sent, on Tuesday, on her Facebook page, a message on the occasion of March 1.

"A spring with peace to all!" - is the message sent by Carmen Iohannis, Agerpres.ro informs.

Hundreds of Romanians answered through comments showing their desire for peace both in Ukraine and Europe, but also in the world. Some users posted photographs of Martisor strands (e.n. - spring celebration in Romania centered around the wearing of a red and white strand of wool) or white doves, a symbol of peace.

Carmen Iohannis lives in Sibiu, being a teacher at the Gheorghe Lazar National College.
Minister of National Defense Vasile Dincu declared on Tuesday that the Romanian authorities are prepared for a larger wave of refugees from Ukraine, and considering that this a poor population, it will remain on the Romanian territory, because many will not afford to travel to other countries.

Present on Tuesday at private broadcaster Digi 24, Dincu said that there is a very large queue of refugees waiting to enter Romania at Siret Customs, because the Ukrainian border authorities are conducting the formalities very slowly and are not well organized.

"We are in a state of vigilance. Apart from military training, defense resources, for the strengthening of the Eastern Flank, a new problem has appeared, that of the refugees, that we have to handle. This is a situation that directly affects us, it also affects the population in the area. We are now forced to make scenarios, to prepare for a large wave of refugees. The Siret Customs is the most exposed. We have organized ourselves very well, unfortunately the Ukrainian authorities are not able to process, they have removed some of the border guards from their border and they are not able to process enough. I'll give you some numbers. We could process 2,000 people an hour at Siret customs. In the early days of the conflict, we had 400-500 people per hour passing through. Now, although there is a very long queue in the Ukrainian side, today we had only 200 people per hour, which means that the Ukrainian authorities are not able to cope with the flow and are not well organized, they also have to worry about the war, we understand. We have also repeatedly called on the authorities to allow a greater flow, because we are prepared. Unfortunately, they do not manage to release the flow that we could process," said minister Dincu, Agerpres.ro informs.

He explained that in the coming days the flow of refugees from Ukraine is expected to increase, as the cities in this country are destroyed, and since this is a poor population, it will not travel to other states and will remain on Romania's territory.

"We don't have any problems yet, our offer is bigger, but the second part of the refugees will come, the second stage. In the following days, as the conflict continues, there are already six days, as the cities, the schools, the neighborhoods are being destroyed, a poor population is coming, who can no longer afford to pass through Romania, they will come and there will be many who will have to stay in Romania. This is why these days we are working to change the legislation, including the labour legislation so that we can issue work permits for Ukrainians who want to get integrated in our country. We are working with the Ministry of Education to see what we can do with the children. Of the population that has passed through our country so far, we do not know how many are left, there were 15,000 children under the age of 14, and there were 25,000 children and young people under the age of 18. It is a flow that we will have to manage," the Romanian Defense minister said.

Dincu went on to say that the Romanian authorities have inventoried 470,000 accommodation places all over the country for Ukrainian refugees.

"According to today's figures, 58-60 percent of the Ukrainian citizens who entered our territory, about 95,000 this morning, are leaving our territory. Almost 40 percent remain. We are ready and we are constantly preparing for an even higher flow of population. We have activated refugee camps in the first line, we will move to the second line, the third line and then to the whole of Romania. This is not the case now. At the moment, we have around 760 people who have requested asylum, but we have set up several refugee camps as a precaution (...) We only have 700, we will probably have 1,000 in the next few days. It's still a good situation. (...) We have inventoried 470,000 accommodation places for the future. Of course, there will be many more," added the Minister of Defense.
The Minister of National Defence, Vasile Dincu, stated on Tuesday that a conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation is "totally improbable" and emphasized that the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) does not intend to mobilize reserves or send our recruitment orders

Present on Tuesday at private broadcaster Digi24, Dincu said that there can be talk about a genocide in the Ukraine conflict, as Russian soldiers are attacking and bombarding the civilian population.

Dincu stated that a conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation is improbable and gave assurances that there are no elements that would indicate an extension of the conflict of Ukraine that would affect the territory of Romania, Agerpres.ro informs.

"I don't believe we should fear, at this moment, an extension of the conflict. Sure that the closeness to Romania's territory can only worry us from a military point of view as well, to say so, but there is, we've discussed today in the CSAT [Supreme Council for the Country's Defence] session, no element which would show that the territory of Romania or the citizens of Romania are in danger. We do not believe that there is ultimately that much irrationality to start a Third World War, which could be destructive for humanity. This seems improbable. We can take it into account, as a theoretical assumption, to prepare defensively for any situation, but the citizens of Romania have nothing to fear," said the Defence Minister.

On the other hand, Dincu denied the rumors that the Romanian Army is preparing to mobilize reserves.

"We have received today hundreds of questions on Facebook regarding the fact that there is recruiting or that we're starting mobilization or recruiting. It's not the case. I will say it clearly, at this moment, the Ministry of National Defence is not sending recruiting orders and has no intention to mobilize reserves. I am the most authorized source," said the Minister.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Bucharest announces that since Sunday to Tuesday, 352 people, including 14 children, were killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to a press release from the diplomatic mission, more than 1,680 people were wounded, including 116 children.

In Kyiv alone, 9 civilians (including a child), 4 people whose identities are unknown and 18 people fighting to defend their territory were killed until Sunday since the start of the conflict, Agerpres.ro informs.

In the capital of Ukraine, 106 people were wounded, 47 civilians, including 3 children. The Ukrainian embassy recalls that 16 children have been killed since the beginning of the invasion.

According to the release of the diplomatic mission, between February 24-28, the enemy lost 5,300 soldiers, 29 aircraft, 29 helicopters, 191 tanks, 816 armoured vehicles were destroyed, 5 drones were shot down and 2 military ships were hit.
Energy Minister Virgil Popescu wrote on Tuesday on Facebook that he is in Baku to negotiate "concrete energy cooperation deals" with Azeri officials.

"Today I had a working meeting with Minister Sahil Babayev, chairman of the Romania - Republic of Azerbaijan Joint Intergovernmental Commission on trade, economic and technical & scientific cooperation. In my capacity as commission chairman on Romania's behalf, I suggested that we step up the activity of this commission, given the predominant energy component in bilateral dialogue," the Minister wrote, Agerpres.ro informs.

The next session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission will take place this year in Baku.

"I also proposed shaking up the activity of the Romania - Azerbaijan Energy Working Group, updating its structure and possibly organizing a new session in the near future. Talks within the Energy Working Group are likely to contribute to the implementation of the energy cooperation proposals advanced by Romania, as the direct dialogue with Azeri partners can allow the identification of new directions of cooperation in the energy sector," the government official added.

Romania plans to import gas from Azerbaijan through the Southern Corridor in order to reduce reliance on Russian gas.
Four Ukrainian refugees who crossed the Tisza River on Monday morning into Romania are applying for asylum, spokesperson for the Sighetu Marmatiei Local Border Police Inspectorate (ITPF) Iulia Stan said on Tuesday.

"The four citizens of Ukraine are applying for asylum," said Stan.On Monday morning, on an outside temperature of -5 degrees Celsius, around 06:35hrs, local, the border police found, near the Sighetu Marmatiei border crossing point, four Ukrainian nationals who had crossed the Tisza River into Romania. The four were taken over by border guards for medical care.Stan told AGERPRES that the four men are in good health.
Exhibitions, concerts, evenings of literature and music, workshops of origami technique, painting and martisoare (spring lucky charms made up of a white-and-red braided thread with silk tassels - ed.n.), but also film screenings will take place at the European representations of the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) on the occasion of the celebration of the Martisor Days, informs an ICR press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.

* At the Cultural Center - La Ferme rose in Uccle, Brussels, the opening of the exhibition "Martisor: Romanian cultural heritage - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage" is taking place on Tuesday. The exhibition is curated by the Buzau County Museum in collaboration with the Buzau County Council. The Buzau County Museum owns and manages a rich thematic heritage related to the Romanians' Martisor tradition. Along with objects from the "Ethnography" collection (martisoare, amulets, etc.), there are also a number of objects in the "History" collection (martisoare from the last century, letters/greeting cards on the 1st and 8th of March). The event is organized by ICR Brussels and the Romanian Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium. The exhibition can be visited from March 1-7.

* Szeged Branch of ICR Budapest, in collaboration with the Romanian Embassy in Hungary and the Somogyi Karoly City and County Library, organizes, on Tuesday, the multiethnic and multilingual event "Martisorul and its symbolism" in the Alagsori Klub hall of the Somogyi Karoly City and County Library. At the same time, graphic designer Adela Kiss, originally from Jula, will give a lecture on the tradition, genesis and customs related to this event, illustrating the theoretical concepts with a martisor-making workshop, from traditional to modern ones, Agerpres.ro informs.

* Starting Tuesday, ICR Istanbul will broadcast on social networks, an original film, "The Martisor, between customs and archetypal myths", with the participation of ethnologist Janeta Ecaterina Ciocan, who will present the martisor custom from the traditional Romanian village, referring to numerous popular legends.

* A series of martisoare created by students of the Romanian Language, Culture and Civilization Course (LCCR) in Portugal, under the coordination of Prof. Elena Covasan, will be posted on Tuesday on the social networks of ICR Lisbon and partner institutions. The event will be organized by the Romanian Embassy in the Portuguese Republic, ICR Lisbon and the Institute of the Romanian Language. Also on the occasion of Martisor, photographs taken by Portuguese Mariana Barbosa and Paulo Torres will be brought to the public's attention.

* The concert "Romanian-Spanish Travels in Three Centuries of Music", performed by violinist Clara Cernat and pianist Thierry Huillet, is taking place on Tuesday on the stage of the emblematic San Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid. The concert's repertoire includes Spanish and Romanian folk music in a musical journey over three centuries. Romanian music shines through the iconic "Ballad" by Ciprian Porumbescu, through "Airs dans le genre roumain" by George Enescu and through the virtuoso rhapsodies on Romanian themes signed by the French composer. The numerous themes intertwined and harmonized in the two rhapsodies: "Voyage Rhapsody" and "Valahia Rhapsody" belong to the Romanian folklore from the 18th century to the present day. They are attributed to Dimitrie Cantemir, Maria Tanase, Grigoras Dinicu, Costica Pompieru, the last two great Romanian fiddlers. Thierry Huillet orchestrated these works, highly popular with audiences, which tap into the Romanian folklore in the manner of the Hungarian rhapsodies by Franz Liszt.

* At the Accademia di Romania Art Gallery in Rome, there is an exhibition titled "Martisor - Spring Legend". The event is organized by the Romanian Language Institute in Bucharest, Accademia di Romania in Rome and the Romanian Embassy in Italy, in partnership with Romania's Embassy in the Kingdom of Spain, Romania's Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium, Romania's Embassy in France, Romania's Embassy in Portugal, Romania's Embassy in Ireland, the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Italy, Serbia's Embassy in Italy, The Bulgarian Institute of Culture in Rome, the Bulgarian School in Rome, the National Village Museum "Dimitrie Gusti" in Bucharest and the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade. On this occasion, the polyphonic coral group "Arpeggio" will offer the public present to the inauguration a "musical martisor".

The martisoare exhibition, which reached its fifth edition, reunites creations from students and teachers involved in courses of Romanian language, culture and Romanian civilization (LCCR) in Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, with those made by the the Republic of Moldova's Embassy in Italy and the Bulgarian Institute of Culture in Rome and with works made by seven schools in Romania. Apart from the panels with martisoare and greeting cards for March 8, there will be screenings with images from LCCR collaborators from the other participating countries and from Romanian schools, as well as the tradition of martisor in Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova and Serbia. Access to "Martisor - Spring Legend" is done based on Super Green Pass and by wearing the FPP2 protective mask.

* The Gallery of the Romanian Institute of Culture and Humanistic Research in Venice hosts the exhibition titled "Life, people and diversity of traditional garb from the Transylvanian Venice". The exhibition contains popular costumes form the village of Venetia de Jos, Brasov County, Romania and photographs from village life. The project is organized by ICCU Venetia and the "Ioan Cavaler de Puscariu" Association, in collaboration with the Ethnographic Museum in Brasov, "Etnotique" and "La Blouse Roumaine".

* An exhibition of martisoare in which artisan works are presented, who promote this Romanian tradition in Austria, can be visited at the headquarters of ICR Vienna. There, knitted or manually embroidered martisoare, various textile martisoare, martisoare made out of modeling paste, from wood and ceramic, as well as floral greeting cards and cabochon type martisoare. The exhibition can be visited on Tuesday until 19:30.

* The New York Romanian Cultural Institute invites the audience on Friday to meet a few of the writers that have emerged in the last 2 years, in the online series "Romanian feminine voices from North America" in a true celebration of feminine literary creativity. Lectures and short performances will be held by writers Raluca Albu, Cristina A. Bejan, Clara Burghelea, Adina Dabija, Mihaela Mosaliuc, Claudia Serea and Adela Sinclair, with musical interventions offered by the original composer and pianist Mischa Blanos. The event is part of the anniversary programs carried out during March in the United States, which is fully dedicated to women.

* At the ICR headquarters in Paris will be, on Sunday, between 11:00-14:00, the "Celebration of Martisor"/"Girls of Martisor", a workshop dedicated to children between 7 and 15. The martisor manufacturing workshop will be supported by Adriana Sirbu and will run during the Romanian language classes for children, organized by the Romanian School in Paris. ICR Paris will accompany the martisoare offered with a flyer presenting the tradition of Martisor, which entered UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.

* The Romanian Embassy in the Kingdom of Norway, the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) in Stockholm and DeMit Production organize on March 6 and 13 the "Spring Concerts in Norway", a string of musical events that will see Romanian and Norwegian permanent and guest lyric artists from the Norwegian National Opera House perform in Stavanger on March 6, and in Oslo on March 13, respectively. The venue of the Stavanger concert is the Eikenes Hall, starting at 19:00, while the Oslo event will take place at the Rommen Hall, as of 18:00 hrs. The protagonists of the "Spring Concerts in Norway" are Ioana Carmen Demit (soprano), Kjerstin Lovdal (soprano), Tunde Gaspar (alto), Gabriel Birjovanu (tenor), Florin Demit (baritone) and Natanael Uifalean (bass); accompanied by pianist Gabor Nagy, they will sing famous duets and vocal ensemble moments from the universal lyrical repertoire signed by famous composers: Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vincenzo Bellini, Georges Bizet, Franz Lehar, Luigi Denza, Jacque Offenbach.

The bill of the two events also includes a bloc of four Romanian pieces signed by George Enescu, Tiberiu Brediceanu, Aurel Eliade and George Grigoriu. The encore will consist of famous arias such as "Nessun dorma", "Brindisi" and "O sole mio".

* ICR London organizes on March 8 a children's workshop at the Enescu Hall, combining the origami paper folding technique and the Romanian tradition of spring lucky charms - 'martisor'. The children will craft paper objects to which they will attach the white and red silk thread with tassels, made also by them during the workshop. The ICR London team will deliver a presentation of the origami technique as well as a briefing on the symbolism of the 'martisor'. Painter Bogdan Mihai Radu will teach painting techniques in a workshop dedicated to floral representations.

*** The Romanian 'martisor', the symbol of spring, love and purity, is celebrated on March 1. The delicate lucky charms are made using both modern techniques such as quilling, pouring, modeling, but also traditional ones such as chain stitching, yarn twisting and intertwining, with natural materials such as seeds, dried flowers, fruit shells, but also recycled materials - paper, corks, cloth.

The 'martisor' entered UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017, in a joint file submitted by Bulgaria, North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova and Romania.
The Italian Air Force has supplemented with four more Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft the detachment deployed, since December last year, in the southeastern 57th Military Air Base from Mihail Kogalniceanu, reaching, at this moment, eight combat aircraft, the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) reported on Tuesday.

According to the MApN, the first two planes touched down on Sunday, and the other two arrived on Tuesday at the Mihail Kogalniceanu military air base, Agerpres.ro informs.

The Italian detachment executes in our country, together with soldiers of the Romanian Air Force, the German Air Force and the American Air Force, enhanced air policing missions under NATO command.

The main objective of joint training missions is to increase interoperability between NATO Allies, and joint air policing missions contribute to the development of the capacity for reaction and deterrence, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Anatol Popescu, president of the "Basarabia" Association of ethnic Romanians from the Ukrainian region of Odessa (which also includes southern Bessarabia - ed. note), proposes to the Romanian authorities the creation within the government of Romania of a directorate dedicated to the young Romanian ethnics in Ukraine and also readying a task force that should enroll refugee Romanian children from Ukraine with the education system in our country.

"I discussed with my colleagues in Cernauti that it would be time for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the government of Romania, the Department for Romanians Everywhere to set up a dedicated directorate for young Romanian ethnic refugees from Ukraine, and also for a task force to be created to enroll these children in the Romanian preschool, primary, middle school, or high school education system. This situation is here to last, at least during the current school year these children should attend classes to the extent possible, wherever they are housed by our selfless Romanians," Popescu said in a Facebook video recording. Agerpres.ro informs.

He thanked the Romanians for their solidarity in supporting the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.

"Thank you Romania, a big thank you to the Romanian people for supporting us, for hosting Romanians from Ukraine, for receiving ethnic Ukrainians, ethnic Russians, ethnic Bulgarians, ethnic Gagauzians who all fled the Russian tanks and who now need a roof and a bed, a school bench, a prayer and a warm meal," said Anatol Popescu.

He added that a military unit close to his village had been bombed this morning and renewed calls for support to those in need.

"Just this morning, the military unit eight kilometers away from my village of Caraclia, an old Bulgarian colony, a beautiful and peaceful settlement, has been targeted by missiles from Russian warships in the Black Sea, which are now headed for Odessa and the Bessarabian coast of Ukraine. Please stand by those compelled to flee the Russian army and give them shelter the Romanian way, on the territory of Romania, of the Republic of Moldova and wherever there is need for humanity and brotherhood," was Anatol Popescu's plea.
Bishop Justin of Maramures and Satmar has urged the clergy to host and help the Ukrainian refugees in his diocese.

We empower the priests on the border with Ukraine in the Sighet area, and not only, in connection and collaboration with the local authorities and the faithful they pastor, to receive our exiled brethren, to house them, to feed them, to comfort and give them rest until this great turmoil and trial pass, Bishop Justin said in a message at the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia crisis, according to basilica.ro.

The bishop used his message to urge believers to pray for peace in Ukraine, for peace between Ukraine and Russia and peace in the world.

Let us remember in our prayers all our Christian brothers in Ukraine and let us not forget the almost 500,000 Romanian brothers and sisters who are beyond the borders of Romania, abroad, in Maramures on the right bank of the Tisza River, in Northern Bukovina and in the other areas where they live. May the God of peace, justice, harmony and understanding between peoples and nations bring peace to the hearts of those who are at war today. May He enlighten and soften their hearts to extinguish this war before making countless casualties and before bringing grief and sorrow in families, communities and the hearts of parents and before grieving beyond measure the Church that suffers for every life lost prematurely and in a difficult and unwanted way by God, the Bishop of Maramures and Satmar noted.

The mayor of Sighetul Marmatiei announced on Thursday, February 24, that the local authorities are ready to house Ukrainian refugees.
During a phone talk today between Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the decision of both governments was reaffirmed to continue supporting the Ukrainian government and people against the Russian military aggression, the government said in a release.

According to the cited document, the two top officials looked at the security situation in the region following Russia's military attack on Ukraine, Agerpres.ro informs.

"The U.S. Vice President thanked Romania for supporting the Ukrainian refugees," noting also the importance of allied solidarity on NATO's eastern flank, which reinforces security guarantees.

In his turn, the Prime Minister thanked on Romania's behalf for the supplementation of U.S. troops in Romania, emphasizing the solidity of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the U.S. which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2022.

"The meeting also confirmed the determination of both governments to continue supporting the Ukrainian government and people against the Russian military aggression," the statement said.
Romania "fully" supports Ukraine's, but also the Republic of Moldova's and Georgia's accession to the European Union, President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday.

"Romania fully supports the accession of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia to the European Union. The place of these EU partners is in the European family, and Romania will do its utmost to make this a reality," Iohannis wrote on Twitter.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that he had signed a formal application for his country's accession to the European Union.He called on the EU to allow Ukraine's immediate accession through a special procedure.The presidents of eight Central and Eastern European states on Monday called on EU member states to immediately grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country and open accession talks, Reuters reported."We, the Presidents of the EU Member States: the Republic of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland, the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Slovenia, strongly believe that Ukraine deserves an immediate EU accession," it is shown in an open public letter on Monday.
The situation in the Republic of Moldova is "stable," and the authorities are doing their best to preserve it economically, politically and socially and to receive refugees from Ukraine, ambassador Victor Chirila said on Tuesday, at the end of a meeting with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu.

"The situation is stable, the authorities are doing everything possible to maintain economic, political and social stability, they have done everything possible to receive the flow of refugees coming from Ukraine. So, border points have been opened at Palanca and Otaci. The citizens of Ukraine are received both in private and in the reception points opened by the authorities. Yesterday, there were 36,000 Ukrainian citizens on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. We are doing everything in out power to help the citizens of Ukraine," the ambassador told the Parliament Palace, Agerpres.ro informs.

Asked what he thought were the economic consequences in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, Cyril said that "for the time being, the authorities have done everything possible to maintain economic stability."

"There are no major concerns. But, of course, we want an enhanced support from our strategic partners - Romania, the European Union, especially to ensure food security, as well as energy security. We also need important support in this regard. (...) We are doing our best not to get involved in this conflict, but to help the people of Ukraine with all we can. And we do our best for a peaceful dialogue. We have always chosen dialogue and negotiations to ensure peace in the region and stability," added Victor Chirila.

According to him, the Republic of Moldova needs equipment to better secure its borders.
The Romanian Patriarchates Filantropia Federation expressed its solidarity with the Ukrainian people and readiness to support Ukrainian refugees, according to basilica.ro.

Filantropia Federations press release: full text

In these times of crisis, Filantropia Federation is trying to lend a helping hand to those affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Our prayers and solidarity can soothe the painful times that war refugees go through.

So let us show kindness and empathy together so that we can shelter, feed and clothe the people who need our support.

Filantropia Federation, together with all 25 member organizations, expresses its readiness to help through social services in the territory and to back support measures that the state authorities will take.
The French inter-army tactical group will carry out mainly training activities with structures of the Romanian Army and of other allied states to achieve interoperability and carry out unitary actions, in this period marked by the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, says Romania's Chief of the Defense Staff, General Daniel Petrescu.

"I welcome the arrival of the French military in Romania! France's strategic solidarity with NATO allies on the eastern flank, implicitly Romania, is shown by the active strengthening of the defense posture on this defensive alignment in the face of the proliferation of the Russian Federation's threats against peace and security in Europe," General Petrescu wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Agerpres.ro informs.

According to the Chief of the Defense Staff, "strengthening the response capacity of national forces and supplementing the allied ground and air capabilities on the territory of Romania are eminently defensive measures aimed at maintaining the military balance in this region of the European continent".

The French Embassy in Bucharest announced on Monday that the deployment of French military units in Romania, belonging to the battalion considered to be the spearhead of the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), to activate an inter-army tactical group made up of about 500 military has been fast-tracked.
The Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE), Gabriel Vlase, presented on Tuesday to the Parliamentary Committee for the Control of the SIE activity the security situation of Romania from the perspective of this service's attributions.

According to a press release, the SIE director presented the updated situation in terms of national security and answered the questions of the committee, Agerpres.ro informs.

The conclusions of the meeting revealed that membership of the European Union and full membership in NATO provide Romania with the best security guarantees, the SIE constantly monitoring the current security developments at the border with Ukraine and the implications it could have on issues of interest to Romania.

"There is an uninterrupted flow of information on the reporting of the Service to the main threats to national security resulting from the situation in Ukraine and the solutions identified to prevent and counter them. Regarding the mission of the SIE to inform its legal beneficiaries about the risks and threats against Romania, the Committee found that the SIE has complied with its duties, constantly informing the national decision-makers," reads the release signed by the president of the parliamentary committee, Mihai Weber.
His Grace Bishop Veniamin of Southern Bessarabia urged the faithful to support the refugees from Ukraine and to pray for peace.

We are saddened by what is happening these days in the vicinity of our country and by the trials that have come upon our brothers throughout Ukraine, and we follow with concern the evolution in this country as well as at European level, the Bishop of Southern Bessarabia said in a message, according to basilica.ro.

Let us show our brotherly love by expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people, with the grieving families and with the refugees. Let us remember in our prayers the right-believing and God-fearing leaders, all those who fight for the defense of the motherland and peace in the world in which we live, the hierarch urged.

Bishop Veniamin called for prayer, but also for solidarity: It is sad to leave your home and your loved ones because of the war and its consequences. That is why, in fulfilling the law of Christian love, let us support those who have been forced to leave their families and homes.

The bishop urged the inhabitants of the villages of Palanca, Giurgiulesti and other border points with Ukraine to guide the refugees, to provide accommodation and food, knowing that this is how we fulfill the Lords command.

His Grace Bishop Veniamin informed that the priests of the diocese will work with the authorities and with all those who want to do good, in order to provide support and assistance to the refugees.

Many of us remember the hardships that our country went through in 1992, when many lost their loved ones in the Transnistrian war, a war that claimed many lives and caused real tragedy in many families, bishop Veniamin recalled.

May God send the angel of peace to protect the sorrowful and the afflicted, the wounded and traumatized by the war. May God grant peace among brothers and in the whole world, because the war is not pleasing to the Lord. It is the expression of selfishness taken to the extreme, a lack of wisdom and indifference to the gift of life offered by God to humans, His Grace added.

At the same time, the bishop of Southern Bessarabia appealed to all those who want to support the suffering brothers in any way, to contact the priests in our parishes, so that they can offer their love and support to the homeless and everything necessary for survival.

The bishops message concluded with a short prayer and blessing for those in tribulation:

O God, bless and protect the victims of war, the refugees, those on the battlefields and multiply Your gift and grace in the lives of all benefactors who stand in solidarity with those who are suffering and helpless in these difficult days, making their lives joyful through love.

The Diocese of Southern Bessarabia is a component part of the Metropolis of Bessarabia (Romanian Patriarchate). To the south it borders a Romanian historical territory that has access to the Black sea  Bugeac, today part of the Odessa Region, Ukraine.

The Republic of Moldova is also facing a wave of refugees from Ukraine. Actress Angelina Jolie, UN Ambassador for Refugees, recently shared a video on Instagram in which a UN official films the influx of refugees and praises the Moldovan authorities for their efforts.
Actions supporting Ukrainian refugees continued this weekend in the Archdiocese of Suceava and Radauti. Particular attention is paid to the collection of toys for the many Ukrainian children who cross the border accompanied by their parents. In addition, several volunteers take care to bring a smile to the childrens faces.

Food and water were provided, routing to accommodation and providing information on travel in Romania.

His Eminence Archbishop Calinic of Suceava and Radauti repeatedly visited the Siret border crossing, where he spoke with the volunteers and made sure that the support actions went well.

The Archdiocese provided Ukrainian-speaking volunteers, and throughout the night from Friday to Saturday, the archdiocese representatives were at the Siret Customs and the Burdujeni-Suceava Railway Station, according to basilica.ro.

Clerics and volunteers transported Ukrainian citizens to the accommodation centres in Radauti and Suceava.

Based on the principle of working Christian love, shown through sacrifice towards the neighbour, the volunteers of the Archdiocese of Suceava and Radauti, members of the Association of Romanian Christian-Orthodox Students (ASCOR) and the Association of Young Orthodox Suceava (ATOS), as well as clergy and parishioners Siret Customs are involved in the distribution of the collected products.

The Archdiocese thanked the authorities for their involvement and announced that it has received numerous messages from Christians from Romania and abroad announcing their intention to provide accommodation and send objects of necessity.

Several dioceses within the Romanian Patriarchate have responded to the call of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel to join the philanthropic efforts at Siret Customs.

An intervention committee was set up in the Archdiocese of Suceava and Radauti, consisting of the clergy of the Archdiocesan Centre, including deans, exarchs and volunteer coordinators.

They identify the most effective support measures for Ukrainian citizens in transit or intending to remain in Romania.

The Archdioceses representatives appeal to all believers to increase prayer in these tense days.

How you can donate

RON: RO51 RNCB 0234 0370 1091 0014

EURO: RO78 RNCB 0234 0370 1091 0110

Bank: Banca Comerciala Romana (Romanian Commercial Bank)

Details: Support for Ukrainian refugees
The Sukhoi Su-27 aircraft belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force has left Romania's airspace on Tuesday, without ammunition on board, the Ministry of National Defense announced.

"The Sukhoi Su-27 aitcraft, without ammunition on board, was escorted by two Mig-21 LanceR fighter aircraft of the Romanian Air Force up to the national airspace border, from where it was taken over by aircraft with the Ukrainian Air Force," states the ministry.

The aircraft returned to Ukraine at the request of the authorities in that country, and the process took place in compliance with national and international law, the Ministry of National Defense points out.

On February 24, two F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft of the Romanian Air Force in the Air Policing Service under NATO command took off around 6.15 am, to clarify a situation regarding an unauthorized flight in the northern part of Romania, which was approaching the national airspace, Agerpres.ro informs.

The two Romanian military aircraft strictly applied the national procedures and international rules applicable in such situations, proceeding to the interception and visual identification of the aircraft that had entered the Romanian airspace.

The respective aircraft, a Sukhoi Su-27 belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force, was escorted for immediate landing at Bacau 95th Air Base.
We call on reason and wisdom. We are constantly praying for an end to the conflict, the representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate in Romania wrote on Thursday regarding the situation in Ukraine.

The citizens of Ukraine, regardless of their ethnic origin, have the right to a free life. The misunderstandings between the states must be resolved exclusively through diplomatic channels, without loss of human lives, without generating real humanitarian tragedies, reads a message signed by Vicar Nicolae Lauruc, Dean Petru Rahovan and Dean Petru Rosoca, published by the vicariate on their Facebook page.

We are together in prayer with all the citizens of Ukraine, hoping that the Merciful God will give us the wisdom necessary not to shed innocent blood, the Ukrainian Orthodox in Romania also said, according to basilica.ro.

The Patriarch of Romania was the first head of an Autocephalous Orthodox Church to send a message and a prayer for peace in the context of the Ukrainian crisis:

We pray to the Merciful God, the Lord of peace, justice and love, to protect the Ukrainian people and give peace-making wisdom to all responsible political leaders, Patriarch Daniel noted on Thursday morning, expressing his deepest concern at the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Vicariate is an administrative-territorial unit canonically dependent on the Romanian Patriarchate, dedicated to Ukrainian Orthodox believers living in Romania. They attend services held in their mother tongue by Ukrainian priests or Ukrainian speakers.
Representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the main international body representing the rights of refugees, have met on Tuesday with the leadership of the Romanian Border Police, in the context of the conflict in Ukraine.

According to a press release of the Romanian Border Police General Inspectorate (IGPF), sent to AGERPRES, the meeting regarded the identification of efficient solutions in view of managing events at the northern frontier, especially in the event of a massive flow of persons coming from the conflict area, so that they benefit from support in following procedures upon entering the country, Agerpres.ro informs.

The IGPF head, Police Chief Commissioner Stefan Victor Ivascu, presented to the UNHCR high official, the deputy director for Europe Anne Marie Deutschlander, the measures disposed until now at the border with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, both in the border crossing points, as well as on the land and river border.

Furthermore, the flow of persons and processing capacity through the open border points was analyzed, as well as the statistical data regarding the situation of persons arriving in our country. The meeting was also an occasion for a presentation on how checks are conducted at the border crossing points, how access is made to asylum procedures, as well as requests for asylum recorded at the Border Police structures.

At the same time, according to the quoted release, the UNHCR delegation appreciated the rapid and adequate reaction that the Romanian authorities had regarding the persons arriving to Romania from the conflict area and manifested availability to support the Romanian authorities, so that vulnerable persons benefit from assistance and protection.
You are not alone! the representatives of the Providenta medical establishments of the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina told the Ukrainian refugees in a message. The Providenta Polyclinic, Hospital and Medical Foundation will offer free services to those in need.

Pregnant women and children have priority. Therefore, the doctors will voluntarily help those who are in such a trial, offering them consultations and other necessary medical services, the representatives of Providenta  Iasi announced, according to basilica.ro.

If you know them, if they live with you or in refugee centres, you can contact us at the phone numbers: +40745 065 643 or +40786 294 308. We will request the identity card and provide these services by appointment. We also need the support of volunteer students who know Ukrainian or Russian, the medical institution noted.

Providenta Polyclinic began its activity in 1998, with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, during his tenure as Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina.

In 2008, the Providenta Hospital was established, the first hospital of the Church. It has 102 beds, two operating rooms, an Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit and offers discounted medical services.
CHESTERFIELD  Pet products maker Manna Pro is rebranded itself Tuesday.

The new name is Compana. The slogan is changing from nurturing life to We nurture what you love.

And the Chesterfield-based firm is ditching its red barn logo to four silhouetted animals: a chicken, dog, cat and horse.

CEO John Howe told the Post-Dispatch the new branding reflects how the company has changed in recent years. It focused mostly on selling feed for livestock for most of its history, he said.

But in recent years, the company has bought up a bunch of brands focused on cat and dog wellness, grooming and cleanup, and now products for those pets make up roughly half of the business.

And Howe said its a good business to be in. More and more, pet owners are treating their furry friends like people, and are willing to spend on organic food and wellness products to do it. Howe said that revenues at the company, which hover around $600 million per year, are up eight-fold since he became CEO in 2008. He said profits have followed a similar trajectory.

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ST. LOUIS  Organizations across the region, from groceries to schools to courthouses, were left on Monday to grapple with changing mask requirements, as COVID-19 rates here continued to decline.

The region faces a new mix of rules: Mask mandates in St. Louis County and Illinois lifted on Monday. St. Louis citys mask rule isnt set to end until Sunday. Yet face coverings are still required in airports and on public transportation.

Were not out of the woods yet, but were in a much better place, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said during a briefing Monday morning.

St. Louis health director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis told an aldermanic committee on Monday that the mandate may be allowed to expire then given the decreasing level of community risk as long as those numbers are upheld.

The changes come three days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlined a new approach to mask guidance. Under the new recommendations, the agency is classifying counties as low, medium or high COVID-19 risk, based on the rates of new hospital admissions, the portion of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and the rate of new cases. For counties in the high category, the CDC recommends wearing well-fitting masks when in public, indoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. The federal government also continues to require masks on all public transportation at least through March 18.

As of Monday afternoon, St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County are all in the medium category, in which individuals who are at high risk for severe illness should talk to their health care providers about whether they should wear a mask and take other precautions.

The seven-day average of new COVID-19 admissions at area hospitals was still over 40 on Monday, a benchmark the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force has referred to as a level of concern. But it has fallen dramatically in recent weeks, to 42 on Monday, compared with 219 in mid-January.

Some people may still want to continue wearing masks in the county, Page said during Mondays briefing, and he encouraged them to do so. The county still recommends face coverings in indoor public settings, the health department said in an advisory Monday.

Hlatshwayo Davis, the city health director, said restrictions such as mask mandates could be reinstated in the future if the city returns to high-risk levels as defined by the CDC. Still, she said were in a way better place than we were during the surge of omicron infections. Currently the city is averaging fewer than 20 new cases a day, down from a peak of 517 on Jan. 8.

Under state law, the Board of Aldermen must vote to extend such mandates every 21 days; it will meet again Friday. In the past, the board has followed the guidance of city health officials.

But Hlatshwayo Davis said she continues to strongly recommend masking indoors.

That recommendation will stay in place with or without the support of a mask mandate, she said.

She also said she remains concerned about the citys relatively low COVID vaccination rate. According to CDC data, 57% of city residents are fully vaccinated, compared with 63% in St. Louis County, and 55% statewide.

She added that she has concerns about immunocompromised folks who absolutely feel theyve been left behind here.

Schnuck Markets Inc. on Monday said it would no longer require masks in a majority of its stores, including those in St. Louis County, citing new guidance from the federal government.

The Maryland Heights-based grocer said customers, employees and vendors will still have to mask up inside stores in the city of St. Louis. Employees and vendors will also have to wear masks in stores in areas that are high risk under the CDC categories, including a store in Carbondale, Illinois, and six in Indiana.

At the federal courthouse in St. Louis, Chief U.S. District Judge Rodney Sippel said court officials are working on new mask guidelines consistent with the CDC recommendations.

In federal court in the southern district of Illinois, masks had been required for those either not fully vaccinated or those who declined to disclose their vaccination status. A Feb. 18 administrative order makes masks highly recommended, and judges also have discretion to make their own rules.

Some school districts had already dropped mandates. Others said they were waiting: Maplewood-Richmond Heights, for example, sent a note to parents on Sunday saying it was aware of the new federal guidance but would continue masking at least until a school board meeting in March.

St. Louis University professor Enbal Shacham applauded the location-specific CDC guidelines as a tool to help residents know when to mask. She said they will be useful for other infectious diseases, too.

Shacham said she is worried about people taking off their masks right before schools go on spring break. Still, overall, shes hopeful.

Robert Patrick and Austin Huguelet of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

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China's car brand Hongqi kick-starts new year with strong sales

Xinhua) 14:17, March 01, 2022

File photo taken on Sept. 23, 2020 shows that a worker checks a vehicle at the general assembly line of Hongqi, the leading sedan brand of First Automotive Works (FAW) Group Co. Ltd., in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

CHANGCHUN, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Sales of Hongqi, a car brand under China's leading automaker FAW Group Co., Ltd., have soared 40 percent year on year in the first two months of 2022 to 63,800 units, the company said.

Hongqi, meaning "red flag," is China's iconic car brand. The brand was established in 1958 and has been used as the vehicle for parades at national celebrations.

In recent years, Hongqi has sped up the expansion of its product portfolio. Its sedans, SUVs as well as customized cars have been exported to Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Middle East and Europe.

Meanwhile, Hongqi has been exploring the market for new energy vehicles. A factory focusing on electric cars with an investment of 8 billion yuan (about 1.3 billion U.S. dollars) has started production, and its first batch of cars has hit the market.

Last year, sales of Hongqi exceed 300,000 units, an increase of 50.1 percent year on year.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
MONDAY, Feb. 28, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Although Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has deemed it "child abuse," access to "gender-affirming" services cuts the odds of severe depression and maybe even suicide among transgender teens, a new study finds.

Investigators came to that conclusion after tracking the mental health of 104 transgender and nonbinary kids, aged 13 to 20. Over a year, roughly two-thirds received puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormone treatment or both; the remainder had no treatment.

Those who got treatment experienced a 60% drop in depression risk and a 73% drop in suicidal thoughts, on average, researchers found.

"Our study builds on what we have already seen from an already staggering amount of scientific research," explained study lead author Diana Tordoff. "Access to gender-affirming care saves trans youths lives."

The finding flies in the face of a push by Abbott to criminalize medical care for transgender teens in Texas. Last week, Abbott sent a new policy position letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, noting that failure to report such treatment could result in criminal penalties.

The term gender-affirming treatment "describes care provided by health care professionals who are affirming of transgender peoples gender and are trained to provide competent and inclusive health care services," explained Tordoff, a doctoral candidate in the department of epidemiology at the University of Washington.

Alongside hormones and puberty blockers, such care can also include menstrual suppression and/or surgery, she noted.

About 150,000 American teens and 1.4 million adults currently identify as transgender, according to data cited by the American Medical Association and GLMA (Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality).

The study participants were patients at the Seattle Children's Gender Clinic. About 60% were transgender males (assigned female at birth); about a quarter were transgender female (assigned male at birth); and 10% were binary, or gender-fluid. Nearly two-thirds were white.

At the study's launch between 2017 and 2018, close to 60% of the participants said they were struggling with depression. About half reported feeling anxious, and more than four in 10 said they had contemplated harming themselves or taking their own life.

Prior to the investigation, only seven had been treated with either puberty blockers or hormones. But by the end of the year-long study period, 66% ended up receiving one or both.

The majority of participants completed mental health surveys three months, six months and one year following study enrollment.

In teens who did not undergo hormone or puberty blocking treatment, the risks for depression and suicidal thoughts were found to have doubled or even tripled at the three-month and six-month marks, Tordoff and her colleagues reported in the Feb. 25 issue of JAMA Network Open.

By contrast, those who had received treatment reaped a significant mental health dividend. While no impact was seen on anxiety levels, kids treated with hormones and/or puberty blockers saw dramatic drops in both depression and suicide risk.

"The results of this new study are in line with several past studies that have linked gender-affirming medical care to improved mental health outcomes for transgender youth," noted Dr. Jack Turban. He is chief fellow of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine and co-author of an accompanying editorial.

"This study once again reaffirms that efforts to ban gender-affirming care for transgender and gender diverse youth are dangerous and will lead to adverse mental health outcomes," Turban added.

Yet such efforts continue apace. Last year, bills to criminalize gender-affirmation care were introduced in 21 states, although such treatment is widely endorsed as safe and effective by the American Medical Association, GLMA and the Endocrine Society, among others.

The Endocrine Society condemned Abbott's position, saying "medical evidence, not politics, should inform treatment decisions."

"Being forced to experience puberty consistent with the sex recorded at birth is extremely distressing for many transgender and gender-diverse individuals," the society said in a statement last week.

"When an individuals gender identity is not respected and they cannot access medical care, it can result in higher psychological problem scores and can raise the persons risk of committing suicide or other acts of self-harm," the statement continued.

Tordoff agreed. Efforts like the one in Texas, she said, "will have profound immediate and long-term negative impacts on the well-being of trans youth and their families, both by increasing stigma and discrimination experienced by these youth, and denying them access to critical, lifesaving, evidence-based health care."

She also pointed out that insurance denials for gender-affirming care coverage "are still very common," even though "federal and state law prohibits most public and private health plans from transgender-based discrimination."

"This creates significant barriers to accessing gender-affirming care, both for trans youth and adults," Tordoff stressed.

More information

There's more on gender affirmation treatment at UCSF.

SOURCES: Diana M. Tordoff, MPH, PhD candidate, department of epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle; Jack Turban, MD, MHS, chief fellow, child and adolescent psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif.; JAMA Network Open, Feb. 25, 2022

Originally published on consumer.healthday.com, part of the TownNews Content Exchange.
During the 1970s the Rev. Salvatore E. Polizzi had become a national figure for his work in The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis. Residents were shocked when news came that he was being reassigned. Here is our coverage from March 1, 1980.

A friend of his calls it the mustache incident.

In telling about it, there is a bit of soft laughter. It is so like him, said the other priest.

Years ago, the Rev. Salvatore E. Polizzi grew a fine mustache. He was proud of it, as most new mustache-growers are. Time went by, and he learned, through the labyrinthian ways of the archdiocese, that Cardinal John Joseph Carberry, then the archbishop, was not at all pleased.

The word was that his eminence would very much like to see Father Sal clean shaven once again. So Father Polizzi shaved the mustache, but he couldn't resist a final gesture. He took his shaved whiskers, dropped them in an envelope, and attached a note. "To be opened by the archbishop only," it said, and he delivered it to the chancery office on Lindell Boulevard.

"There's more to the story," said the priest, "but I won't tell you."

The rest of the story, rumor has it, is that Father Polizzi requested that his whiskers be made part of his personnel file.

And they were.

It is sometime after the 6:30 a.m. ' Mass, and Father Polizzi has finished breakfast with the parish pastor, Monsignor Adrian I. Dwyer.

It is, more or less, a typical day at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. The church, of splendid Lombard design, is the focal point of St. Louis' Hill section, the city's Italian enclave and its last fully-in-place ethnic community.

The 52-square-block neighborhood is 95 percent Catholic and more than 90 percent Italian-American, mostly the descendants of immigrants om northern Italy.

Salvatore Polizzi whose own parents were from Sicily and who grew up in the old Italian section at Eighth and Carr streets has been assigned to the Hill's very unusual parish as associate pastor for more than two decades, although with him it has been much more than just being there. He has, to a great extent, been the spirit of the place.

Now, his time there is running out.

He will leave soon for a new parish, St. Roch's in the city's West End, where he will be pastor. His reassignment was a shock to him and to most of those in t his tight little neighborhood.

He refers to the reassignment notice he received from Archbishop John L. May as "4-0-3." That was the exact time of the archbishop's telephone call.

The church bell has fallen silent now. It had tolled that morning the mournful bong, long pause, bong, long pause, bong, the tell-tale cadence that precedes a funeral. It was the second funeral Mass of the week.

Father Polizzi, his Roman collar in place (he is rarely seen in public without it), is standing on the sidewalk near the statute called "The Italian Immigrants," which sits on the edge of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in the Hill neighborhood.

The Rev. Salvatore Polizzi waves to friends. In the background is Rudolph Torrini's statue of Italian immigrants. It is the work of a local sculptor, Rudolph Torrini, and it depicts a man, woman and child, arrived in a new land. Father Polizzi took a prototype of the sculpture to the taverns of the Hill, asking the old men about its authenticity. They suggested that an Ellis Island immigrant's tag be added and that there be straps on the suitcase, because that's the way it was.

Salvatore Polizzi (his name is pronounced at least two ways, either Poe-lizzie, an Americanized pronunciation, or Po-leet-zee, the Italian way) now stands by the statue at the corner of Wilson and Marconi avenues like a man controlling the flow at a narrows.

A university urbanologist once said this of him: "Sal runs what amounts to a guerrilla government on the Hill. It's a kind of human cooperative."

In 1974, because of his community work and the fights he led to preserve the neighborhood, Father Polizzi was chosen by Time magazine as one of America's 100 most promising leaders. It was not that the neighborhood had been in trouble, he said now, making a broad gesture. It was just that it had begun to get dowdy. And then there were the crises that arose, the threat of Interstate 44, the drive-in theater and so on.

The day before the first Hill Day festival in 1965, word came about the possibility of a drive-in theater being built at the far end of Wilson Avenue. "It came as an absolute bomb," Polizzi said. "Do you know what a drive-in brings, all the evil things? I went to the university and asked them how do we go about this?" (Polizzi earned a master's degree in urban affairs at St. Louis University, graduating in 1969.)

"We have a policy here when the neighborhood organizes to protest. We eave from the church, but first everyone is fully informed about what we're doing. If a reporter comes up to someone and asks, 'What are you ' people doing?' no one's going to say, 'Father asked me to come.' That's not our bag. And we don't wear those goofy , buttons or carry placards; elected officials are more fearful of people who are quiet.

"What we have here is what I call the triangle the church, the elected officials and the people of the neighborhood, all working together."

The neighborhood, under Polizzi's organization, got the state to build an overpass linking sections of the Hill that had been divided by Interstate 44. That took a trip to Washington and the intercession of an Italian-American, former Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe. The community offered to give the federal government $50,000 to build the overpass, and although the offer wasn't accepted, it got front-page publicity in the Washington Post.

Polizzi was also the driving force, behind Hill Day, one of the city's first big ethnic neighborhood festivals. It is an event that still finances many of the neighborhood services. Proceeds from Hill Day were invested by its sponsoring organization, Hill 2000, Inc., and the interest from that money pays for activities. Father Polizzi does not like federal funds.

Because of his role in organizing the community, Polizzi is no stranger to the limelight. Yet the attention bothers ; him. "I find it very unhealthy; I've really done nothing," he says. "All this attention has just baffled me."

For this reason, he was quite reluctant to be interviewed by the Post-Dispatch. In addition, he has had sharp differences with the newspaper over the years. He is not one to keep silent in the face of what he sees as a wrong, and he is an impassioned letter-writer who knows how to apply pressure. Mostly, his criticism has to do with the use of Italian words to describe organized crime. These words are demeaning to all Italians and are unfair, he says. Ethnic harassment, he calls it.

Now, standing on the street outside the church, Father Polizzi waves and shouts to passers-by.

Occasionally, someone will stop, roll down the car window and ask him about a house that might be for sale. He has all the information. It seems that nothing in the neighborhood escapes his attention. He can name the residents of every household up and down the streets, save for the apartment at the far of Wilson. They are newcomers, and he has not yet met them.

The aroma from Amighetti's bakery grows stronger. Amighetti's is famous for its sandwiches, so famous, in fact, that the doors to St. Ambrose have to be locked at noon time. The church had become a sandwich-eaters' haven.

The bright sunlight of the day accentuates the clean streets and alleys, the neat, compact houses of the Hill and the priest with the dark hair and even darker eyes. There is an Old World atmosphere.

The time and place of the announcement that he would be leaving this neighborhood is forever etched in Polizzi's memory. "It came at 4:03 p.m. exactly, two weeks ago Tuesday, the night the ice came," he said, "I had an inkling that something was coming; it was that sort of night. Like a heart attack, it comes so suddenly. "I absolutely never told the man I wouldn't go I was shocked, though. But I'll go."

"I haven't seen too many people," said Polizzi, a man who seems to thrive on personal contact. "When I see old friends, I wave and try to leave immediately. There would be too much mental anguish."

That evening in Rose's Tavern, at Edwards Street and Daggett Avenue, the place of the grape arbor bocce courts, there is the usual after-work talk. The Chippewa Bank has been robbed, the second bank robbery of the day. Southern Commercial Bank had been hit earlier.

"It's bad times; you're going to have a lot more of that," said a customer, requesting quarters for the video game. The bartender is talking to a liquor salesman about the shocking price increases in wine; others at the bar discuss a newspaper story about the international growth of Budweiser.

Finally, a beefy man in a plaid shirt walks in, orders the special frosted mug and says, "Whaddya think of the Father Polizzi thing? Terrible, huh? We're gonna miss him."

Others at the bar nod in agreement. "But I tell you what," the man said. "he's gonna miss us more."
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

In September 2017, Brian Baude was a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force National Guard. He lived in downtown St. Louis, making for an easy commute to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.

On the night that widespread protests broke out in the city after a judge found former police Officer Jason Stockley not guilty of murdering a Black motorist, Anthony Lamar Smith, Baude left his apartment to record the proceedings and protect his community.

That decision would have devastating consequences. Like many St. Louisans  protesters, residents and reporters  he got caught up in the aggressive kettling technique executed by police that night. An advancing wall of police trapped protesters in the intersection of Washington Avenue and Tucker Boulevard.

Citizens were thrown to the ground, pepper sprayed and manhandled by police, who would later famously chant, mimicking protesters: Whose streets? Our streets.

Like many citizens caught up in this unprecedented police action, Baude sued, alleging a violation of his First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights. The city, as it has in most of the other civil lawsuits, defended itself and its officers, citing the legal concept of qualified immunity, which gives police officers and their employers broad protections unless their specific action has previously been found to be a civil violation.

In January, Baude, and potentially most of the other litigants involved in that infamous spectacle, won a huge victory, when a three-judge panel on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that qualified immunity shouldnt apply in the case.

Police may be entitled to qualified immunity protections if they arrest individual offenders with at least arguable probable cause, it states, but officers cannot enjoy such protections by alleging that the unlawful acts of a small group justify the arrest of the mass.

The ruling should pave the way for the lawsuit to move forward or for the city to smartly settle it, considering how embarrassing and expensive the police overreach from that night  including beating up one of its own Black officers  has been.

But thats not what happened. This week, the city didnt just appeal the case to the full Eighth Circuit, it signaled its intention to take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Rehearing in this case is required because the panel opinion raises questions of critical national importance in the context of policing mass civil disorder by analyzing defendants claims of qualified immunity at a high level of generality by reason of their participation in the mass arrest, said the brief, issued under the name of Mayor Tishaura O. Jones new city counselor, Sheena Hamilton.

Baudes attorney, Javad Khazaeli, describes the brief in one word:

Betrayal.

Khazaeli endorsed Jones run for mayor, in part because she promised a new way of doing business in the city, specifically as it relates to holding police accountable. He was heartened when, after she was elected, her chief of staff, Jared Boyd, indicated the city would handle police lawsuits differently.

The new city counselor, Boyd told St. Louis Public Radio last year, would redefine what winning looks like. ... Its not to say we shouldnt be cognizant of city resources, but that cant be the only thing.

Jones office says that is still the case.

In mediation (of the Baude case), the city greatly increased its settlement offer  beyond even comparable cases  and have not received a response from opposing counsel, says Nick Dunne, spokesman for Jones. The city will continue to implement the Ahmad consent decree; since the decree was issued, neither the city or (police department) have been sued regarding protest cases.

The consent decree was reached in the case of another protester from September 2017, after a federal judge significantly limited police actions during protests.

St. Louis University Law Professor Brendan Roediger, who has played an active role in police accountability measures in the past decade, says the case puts the mayor, and her city counselor, in a tough spot.

Reasonable people would agree that the city counselors job is to represent city employees and that includes police officers, and that will sometimes mean that the city counselors office is going to say things different than the mayor is saying publicly. Thats OK, Roediger says.

But there is a big difference between that and asking one of the more conservative circuits in the United States to take an even more conservative position on qualified immunity. The policy argument that its OK for a city police officer to do pretty much anything during a protest is different. This is a very policy-based motion.

Dunne says the city is not seeking an expansion of qualified immunity. But lawyers who have read the brief in the Baude case say thats exactly what would happen if the court rules in the citys favor. That could produce political repercussions beyond the important issue of police accountability.

What the city counselor is doing could have serious consequences for transformation justice efforts throughout the country, says the Rev. Darryl Gray, a local police accountability activist who is still facing his own charges from the city related to a different protest. Its a slap in the face for activists, who literally, put their safety and even lives on the front line for police accountability.

The legal filing has people who have traditionally been in Jones camp concerned that when it comes to police accountability, at least in the courts, the new boss looks very much like the old boss.

This is a request for expansion within the realm of protest policing, Roediger says, and thats dangerous.

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.
A jail guard threw away a note from inmates who were seeking help for a Glen Carbon woman who later died at the Madison County jail, a lawyer for the inmates mother said Tuesday.

The sick call slip was found in a trash can by investigators after the death of Elissa Lindhorst, lawyer Louis J. Meyer said in a news conference Tuesday.

Lindhorst, 28, was experiencing symptoms of opiate withdrawal, and the jail was not equipped to handle those potentially deadly symptoms, her lawyer said.

Were alleging that she got zero care while she was in the jail and zero help, Meyer said.

Rana Schmidt, Lindhorsts mother, said she wanted to change the way society views people dealing with addiction, adding, I want to bring justice to her by making sure this doesnt happen to anyone elses child.

In the note, inmates say Lindhorst had stopped eating and drinking and was dehydrated, vomiting and experiencing back pain that they speculated was caused by her kidneys shutting down.

The inmates note said Lindhorst had filled out her own slip days ago.

She probably weighs 90lbs wet please help her, the note ends.

Meyer sued the jail, 17 corrections officers, the sheriff and the jails medical service provider last month in U.S. District Court in East St. Louis on behalf of Schmidt.

Schmidt, who spoke publicly about the lawsuit for the first time Tuesday, is seeking unspecified damages.

The lawsuit says jail and medical staffers were negligent and gave Lindhorst a mop, bucket and biohazard bag rather than medical care. A video shows other detainees attempting to help Lindhorst and yelling for help, the lawsuit says.

Lindhorst was booked into the jail just before 5 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2020, on a drug charge and found unresponsive in her cell the morning of Feb. 24. She was pronounced dead at a Maryville hospital.

Lindhorst was severely dehydrated and had aspirated her vomit, causing her lungs to become congested and inflamed, the suit says.

Capt. Kristopher Tharp, the jail administrator, said in an email Tuesday that the sheriffs office requested an investigation of the death by the Illinois State Police. He declined to comment further, citing the pending lawsuit.

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BERKELEY  St. Louis County police released the name of a 21-year-old man who died after being found wounded inside a vehicle Friday.

Police said Cincere Ford, of the 5300 block of Wells Avenue in St. Louis, was pronounced dead at a hospital Friday night.

Ford was one of two people found in a vehicle just after 10 p.m. in the 8300 block of Airport Road. Both men were shot multiple times. The other was listed in critical condition, but was expected to survive, police said.

Berkeley police asked St. Louis County to lead the investigation.

Call St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 with tips on the incident, or, to remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477).

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Missouri law enforcement agencies in 2021 seized almost $1 million more in property compared with seizures in 2020, according to a report released Monday by the states auditor.

In the 514 seizures carried out last year, officers seized approximately $5.3 million worth of property. In 2020, that figure was $4.2 million in 502 seizures.

Approximately 33.9% of the total property seized in 2021 was given to federal agencies, 4.9% was returned, 1.9% was transferred to the state and 47.4% is still pending a final decision.

Missouri state auditor Nicole Galloway compiled the report, and noted in a statement that under the Criminal Activity Forfeiture Act, law enforcement officials may take possession of property or cash believed to be involved in or related to a crime.

Missouri law requires prosecuting attorneys and the attorney general to file information about those seizures each year with Galloways office.

The states top five jurisdictions in property seizures were Iron County at $387,440; St. Louis city at $451,575; St. Louis County at $509,261; St. Charles County at $568,420; and Phelps County at $697,321.

With a population of just under 45,000, it may come as a surprise Phelps Countyabout 100 miles southwest of St. Louis  took the lead in seizures.

While county officials could not immediately be reached for comment, online data shows there were 121 drug seizure reports filed in the county in 2021, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.

A 2019 investigation by St. Louis Public Radio through the Pulitzer Center found most highway seizures of cash do not lead to criminal charges, but law enforcement still keeps the money. In addition, while the forfeited funds should go to schools, law enforcement uses the federal Equitable Sharing loophole and keeps almost all the money seized.

The Institute for Justice describes the Equitable Sharing loophole as a way for state and local law enforcement agencies to partner with the federal government to seize property under federal law and receive up to 80% of the proceeds  regardless of state law.

A complete copy of Galloways seizure report is available here.

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ST. LOUIS  A sex offender from St. Louis County pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges of walking away from a halfway house.

Thomas Lamar Perry, 37, was charged by complaint in federal court Jan. 12 and accused of removing a GPS monitoring device and walking away from the Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health halfway house in Farmington, Missouri, on Dec. 27.

Perry was scheduled to be released from the facility Feb. 8.

He was arrested Jan. 21 and indicted Feb. 9 on a charge of escape and failure to register as a sex offender.

Perry was sentenced in March to three years in federal prison after he admitted having sex with a 16-year-old and offering her to two other men for money.

Perry had already spent more than a year and a half in jail before he was sentenced to prison and was transferred to the halfway house in October.

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ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis man admitted providing fentanyl to someone who later died of an overdose in Florissant.

A federal judge on Monday accepted a guilty plea from Markquis Bryant on a charge of distribution of a controlled substance related to an overdose death. U.S. District Judge John A. Ross set sentencing for June 14 in St. Louis.

According to the plea agreement, investigators started looking into Bryant on March 7, 2020, when Florissant police responded to a home to investigate a fatal overdose.

Investigators determined that the victim bought fentanyl from Bryant the day before and that the drug caused the overdose.

After an undercover operation in which investigators bought fentanyl from Bryant, the plea agreement said, officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Florissant and St. Louis executed a search warrant at Bryant's home in the 5300 block of Queens Avenue.

Officers found five weapons, along with large quantities of suspected heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine.

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JEFFERSON CITY  Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday named a new health director a month after his previous appointee quit after facing stiff opposition from a faction of GOP hard-liners in the Missouri Senate.

Parson, a Republican, promoted Paula Nickelson, a 22-year veteran of the Department of Health and Senior Services, to serve as acting health director.

Because she is an acting director, Nickelson may serve without Senate confirmation, potentially avoiding a confirmation battle in the Senate during Parsons last three years as governor.

She could technically be the acting director for my next three years, Parson said.

He said not really when asked if he named Nickelson acting director to avoid the confirmation process.

We just want to get stability in the department, Parson said, adding Nickelson could still be confirmed at some point in the future.

Nickelson, who had served as deputy director of the DHSS, affirmed the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines as she introduced herself during a media briefing on Tuesday.

With regard to COVID, masks, vaccine, social distancing and therapeutics all play a role, all are useful and should be available to each of us as we make personal choices about how best to safeguard our own health and the health of our family members, Nickelson said.

Nickelsons stance appears to mirror the views of Parsons previous pick, Donald Kauerauf, who advocated for COVID-19 vaccinations but said he opposed mandates.

Hard-line Republicans such as Sen. Mike Moon, R-Ash Grove, railed against Kaueraufs nomination. Anti-vaccine activists had converged at the Capitol amid unfounded concerns Kauerauf wanted to force all Missourians to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Parson in February slammed the hard-liners who blocked Kaueraufs nomination.

The events that have transpired over the past few days surrounding Dons Senate confirmation hearing are nothing short of disgraceful, unquestionably wrong and an embarrassment to this state and the people we serve, Parson said.

Nickelson, when asked why she wanted the job, given what Kauerauf experienced, said, I was interested in assuring that our public health system did not falter. And we wanted to move forward quickly.

Nickelson, who said her hometown was Fulton, said she was born, raised and educated in Missouri, adding its not just a professional privilege for me to be asked to serve in this role. Its personal to me.

Parsons office, in a news release, said Nickelson had been a leader on several issues, including maternal health, emergency preparedness and chronic disease prevention.

She helped coordinate state-funded monoclonal antibody treatment centers for COVID-19 patients, the release said.

The release said Nickelson holds a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of Central Missouri and a masters of education in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The greatest honor for me is serving Missouri and my fellow Missouri citizens in this role, Nickelson said.

Originally posted at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1.

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JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri House gave preliminary approval Monday to a plan to limit the ability of local officials to require private businesses to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Legislation sponsored by Rep. Jim Murphy, a St. Louis County Republican, would dump ordinances approved last year by St. Louis, Brentwood, Richmond Heights and St. Louis County requiring homeowners and businesses to begin preparing for a higher number of electric vehicles hitting the roads.

Murphy said businesses and property owners should not have to pay for the installation of charging stations.

It says you can mandate them if you like, but if you mandate them you are going to pay for them, Murphy said. Building codes are not meant for this.

Murphy found support among Republicans.

It doesnt surprise me that this pile of manure is coming from St. Louis County, said Rep. Dottie Bailey, R-Eureka.

Democrats said Republicans are making a political stand against an issue that needs to be addressed as electric vehicles become more common.

To say that electric cars are part of an agenda is beyond the pale, said Rep. Steve Butz, D-St. Louis.

Whether these laws are in place or not, change is coming, said Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis.

The proposal is another example of Republican attempts to undermine actions by local governments, including raising the minimum wage, imposing health orders and attempt to crack down on firearms.

Murphy said the costs would hurt small businesses, potentially forcing layoffs.

The measure needs a final vote in the House before it can move to the Senate for further debate.

The legislation is House Bill 1584.

Originally posted at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28

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JEFFERSON CITY  Top Missouri officials are joining the fight to squeeze Russias finances in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, state Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, a Republican, requested an emergency meeting of the Missouri State Employees Retirement System board of trustees to prevent the future purchase of Russian securities and to discuss the strategic divestment of existing Russian holdings.

Fitzpatrick said the state-run pension system holds an estimated $13 million in Russian securities within funds worth over $1 billion as part of its investments into global emerging markets.

Vladimir Putin is a madman, and its time for the world to cut him off. In Missouri, that starts with MOSERS. When he is isolated and alone, Ukrainians and Russians will have their countries back. Missouri stands with the Ukrainian people. Fitzpatrick said. Im calling on all other Missouri pension plans to follow suit in ensuring no public funds are used to help prop up the Russian economy as long as these atrocities continue.

Its not the first time a Missouri official has put Russia is the crosshairs.

In 2017, former Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, urged state and local governments to pull money out of the nation after Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee.

Her legislation would have prohibited state and local governments from investing in Russian companies or contracting with companies who do business there. It also would have required divestment of holdings and cancellation of existing contracts.

In the Missouri Senate, Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, introduced legislation Tuesday to direct state and local governments, including their pension funds, to immediately divest from Russia and Russian businesses.

So long as the tyrant Putin is in power, Missouri should cut its financial ties with his murderous regime, Rizzo said.

The latest moves follows similar actions in other states. On Monday, the Indiana House moved to block Russian-controlled businesses and nonprofits from acquiring property in Indiana for one year.

Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to file legislation requiring state pension funds to pull investments connected to the Russian government and its critical supporters.

And in Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday asked the Illinois State Board of Investments, the Teachers Retirement System and the State Universities Retirement System to explore the potential of divesting state pension assets from Russian-based companies and Russian assets.

Condemnation of Russia

In the Missouri House, lawmakers are poised to consider a resolution sponsored by Rep. Mike Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, calling on President Joe Biden to reaffirm our countrys unwavering support for Ukraines freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

The resolution says Biden should immediately provide intelligence and send weapons and supplies to Ukraine, including anti-armor weapons, anti-aircraft weapons, and small arms, with no restrictions.

As a result of Russian President Vladimir Putins choices, Russia should immediately experience intense pressure on its economy and massive costs through isolation from the global financial system, global trade, and cutting-edge technology, Haffners resolution notes.

Another lawmaker, St, Charles County Republican Rep. Adam Schwadron filed legislation that would create a one-time, six-month tax holiday on motor fuel sales in the state in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the expected ensuing rise in motor fuel prices.

I believe the long-term fix for rising motor fuel prices is continuing on the path toward American energy independence by making use of all of Americas natural resources; however, in this time of crisis, we cannot wait to take action to relieve consumers in Missouri of the rapidly increasing prices at the pump, Schwadron said.

Missouris gas tax currently stands at 19.5 cents per gallon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Originally posted at 10 a.m. Updated at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 1.

Updated at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 2 to remove outdated reference to University of Missouri retirement system.

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ST. LOUIS  Reversing its earlier position, the city Election Board on Monday voted to print on the April 19 special election ballot the political party affiliations of candidates running for a vacant aldermanic seat.

In January, the board, following its attorneys advice, had decided to let the Democratic and Republican central committees submit nominees but to not list those designations on the ballot.

That was an attempt to mesh Proposition D, an ordinance passed by voters in 2020 that mandated nonpartisan elections, with a city charter provision on filling aldermanic vacancies that remained in effect. The charter holds precedence.

But after pushback from some Democrats, the board voted 2-1 along party lines on Monday to have Democratic nominee Michael Gras and newly picked Republican nominee Taunia Allen Mason listed with the Dem and Rep designations as in the past.

Typically the listing would give the Democratic nominee an advantage in the heavily Democratic city.

I do believe its the right thing to do, Gerre Kraemer, one of the two Democrats on the board who voted for the switch, said in an interview. She didnt elaborate.

Kraemer, a former 12th Ward Democratic committeewoman and the sister of Collector of Revenue Gregory F.X. Daly, was joined by Democratic board member Joseph Barbaglia in voting for the change.

Opposed was board chairman Jerry Hunter, its lone Republican. Hunter said the board should follow the legal advice it had been given. He added that he was unaware until after the meeting that the GOP had filed a candidate last week.

Normally the board, appointed by the governor, is evenly split between the two parties but one GOP seat has been vacant because of a resignation a few months ago.

Mason, the new GOP candidate, is a freelance video producer and on the city Port Authority board. She also is a former 28th Ward GOP committeewoman and the wife of Circuit Judge David Mason.

If the voters voted to take the party designation off, I think it should stay off, Mason, 59, said in a telephone interview before the election board meeting. We cant have it both ways.

Gras, 38, was among Democrats urging the change. When political parties are nominating that makes it partisan either way, he said.

Alderman Sharon Tyus, 1st Ward, another critic of the original decision, held a committee hearing last week on the issue.

At the hearing, Gary Stoff, the boards GOP director, said the board, its staff, the boards lawyer and a lawyer in the city counselors office had agreed on how to proceed originally.

He said they concluded that while the charter says parties pick candidates to run in special aldermanic elections, it doesnt say they appear with a party designation by their name.

Tyus noted that the election board for decades before Proposition D was enacted had always listed party designations on the ballot.

Gras is a lawyer and the 28th Ward Democratic committeeman. He and Mason are running to fill the final year in the term of Democrat Heather Navarro, who resigned last month. Independent candidates have until March 18 to submit signatures on petitions to also get on the ballot.

Originally posted at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  Gov. J.B. Pritzker has asked Illinois employee pension systems to review potential divestment in Russian assets after Russias invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

The Democrat wrote Monday night to the Illinois State Board of Investments, the Teachers Retirement System and the State Universities Retirement System asking them to explore the potential of divesting state pension assets from Russian-based companies and Russian assets.

Pritzkers action follows similar overtures in other states to protest Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to invade its neighbor last week.

The state of Illinois stands with the people of Ukraine and nations around the world supporting peace in the country, Pritzker wrote.

Divestment of Russian-related interests from the states $100 billion portfolio likely wouldnt have the impact that economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and much of the West. But it has precedent.

State law prohibits investing in Iran, Sudan and companies that boycott Israel.
JEFFERSON CITY  Republicans in the Missouri House are charting another path aimed at requiring low-income people to get a job if they want to receive Medicaid health insurance benefits.

A proposed constitutional amendment under consideration in the House would ask voters to remove a prohibition on imposing restrictions on eligibility or enrollment in the states MO HealthNet program.

Though the language makes no specific reference to work requirements, it could open the door to them down the road.

It would just lay the groundwork for allowing work requirements in the future, said Rep. J. Eggleston, a Maysville Republican who is sponsoring the latest proposal.

Republicans for years have resisted attempts to expand Medicaid under the terms of the 2010 federal health care law signed by former President Barack Obama.

In 2020, advocates bypassed the Legislature and went directly to voters who approved a constitutional amendment expanding access to the program with 53% of the vote.

Previously, Missouris health care program did not cover most adults without children, and its income eligibility threshold for parents was one of the lowest in the nation.

Even after voters approved Medicaid expansion, GOP lawmakers have continued to fight it.

Legislators last year refused to front the money needed to pay for health care for the newly eligible population in hopes of blocking the programs expansion. A judge ruled in August that Republican Gov. Mike Parsons administration must implement the program anyway, and lawmakers have since budgeted for the programs expansion.

Under a separate proposal also moving through the House this year, Medicaid recipients older than 19 and younger than 65 would need to spend at least 20 hours a week working, volunteering, going to school or getting substance abuse treatment, among other work-related options. That change would require approval from the federal government in order to be implemented.

Eggleston said he believes work requirements lead to more self-sufficiency. He wants voters to weigh in on the idea.

Were just offering the suggestion to see what they want, Eggleston said.

The concept drew support from GOP members of the House Budget Committee.

My people want this, and I work for them, said Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove.

Democrats said the proposal is another effort by Republicans to undermine the will of the voters, who supported Medicaid expansion in an August 2020 statewide referendum.

Im very concerned about this, said Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury.

Rep. Doug Richey, R-Excelsior Springs, said the legislation is merely a modification of the Medicaid expansion vote, not an attempt to gut the program.

I realize this is an emotional issue for people on both sides, Richey said.

Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City, said Republicans should wait and see how the expansion works.

The whole point of the program is to give people health care so they can go to work, Bland Manlove said.

Sharon Geuea Jones, a lobbyist for the pro-expansion Missouri Health Care for All group, said the Republican-led Legislature should leave the program alone while it is still in its early stages.

We havent fully implemented it. Why are we going back into it? Geuea said.

She also said Republicans continually try to alter voter-approved initiatives that they disagree with.

This body does not trust them and does not care what they think, Geuea Jones said.

I think we need to continue to uphold the will of the people, said Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, D-St. Louis.

The legislation is House Joint Resolution 92.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Originally posted at 9:40 a.m. Tuesday, March 1.

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WASHINGTON  The United States has overpaid more than $3.6 billion in government-funded unemployment benefits from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 through February this year, a government watchdog said on Wednesday.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in its latest report that it continues to have concerns about overpayments and potential fraud in the unemployment insurance (UI) system. The government expanded unemployment benefit eligibility to people who did not qualify for regular state unemployment insurance, to cushion against the pandemics economic shock.

The government-funded Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program covers, among others, the self-employed and certain gig economy workers. Funding for the program was included in the pandemic relief packages passed during former President Donald Trumps term and extended in President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion rescue package approved this month.

As of March 15, 2021, DOL (the Department of Labor) reported that states had identified more than $3.6 billion in PUA overpayments from March 2020 through February 2021, the GAO said.

The watchdog said the Labor Department was taking measures to collect data on states recovery of PUA overpayments. But the GAO also noted that legislation enacted in December 2020 provided states with authority to waive certain PUA overpayments.

Thus, additional data on the amounts of PUA overpayments states have waived are also needed to effectively monitor the recovery of overpayments, it said. GAO recommends that DOL collect data from states on the amount of overpayments waived in the PUA program, similar to the regular UI program.

Since the pandemic started, the unemployment insurance program has been dogged by problems ranging from backlogs to fraud, which economists say are keeping weekly unemployment claims elevated. There were at least 7.735 million people on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program in early March.
A man shot and killed his three children, one other person and himself at a church in Sacramento, California, on Monday, authorities said.

The man had a restraining order against him. Deputies responding to reports of gunfire around 5 p.m. found five people dead, including the shooter, at the church in the Arden-Arcade neighborhood, said Sgt. Rod Grassmann with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.

The victims included three juveniles under 15 years of age, Grassman said. He didn't know their genders.

The identity of the other victim wasn't immediately known.

A church employee heard the gunshots and called 911, Grassman said. The shooting occurred in the main sanctuary area, he said.

Sheriff's officials are investigating it as a domestic violence incident, Grassman said.

Officials didn't know if the family members belonged to the the church, which sits on a mostly residential block near a commercial area east of downtown Sacramento.

It wasn't immediately known how many people were at the church or if there were any services or activities at the time of the shooting.
On Jan. 11, 1989, President Ronald Reagan delivered his farewell address from the Oval Office. It was the close of his second term, and Reagan was reflecting on his two terms. He asserted that his presidency was about restoring America in its role as a shining city on a hill.

Reagan recalled the words and beliefs of John Winthrop, an early pilgrim and an early freedom man. Winthrop journeyed here on what today wed call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free. Ive spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I dont know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it.

Reagan described his own vision of a land teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. Thats how I saw it and see it still.

Reagan took an aggressive stance toward the Soviet Union, calling it an evil empire. His challenge to Moscow and communism led to the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Unions collapse. He told the National Association of Evangelicals in 1983 that the Soviets must be made to understand we will never compromise our principles and standards [nor] ignore the facts of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire. To do so would mean abandoning the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.

Gone are the days when the GOP championed freedom and understood the threat from Moscow. The Republican Party of Reagan is dead. And that makes me incredibly sad.

As Russia sent troops into Ukraine, the U.S. and other NATO countries began imposing sanctions, targeting Russian banks and limiting Russias ability to access financial markets. All the while, many influential members of the Republican Party continued to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Somehow the GOP has lost its way and has found itself at the bottom of that hill. The fall has been deservedly bumpy.

On Feb. 23, former President Donald Trump in a radio interview called Putins military move on Ukraine genius.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took to cable news and social media praising Putin and castigating President Joe Biden. Pompeo has called Putin a very talented statesman. In January, Pompeo went on Fox News and spoke of Putin, saying: He was a KGB agent, for goodness sakes. He knows how to use power. We should respect that.

Fox News host and right-wing political commentator Tucker Carlson uses his show on an almost daily basis to push Russian-style propaganda. He asserts that the Democrats have trained us to hate Vladimir Putin, and that Ukraine is not a democracy.

Conservative commentator Candace Owens has been suggesting that the U.S. and NATO are at fault for Putins threat to invade Ukraine.

This descent from the shining city on a hill did not just start over Ukraine. Back in 2018, Trump met with Putin in a closed-door meeting during the Helsinki summit. At a news conference after the summit, Trump was asked if he believed his own intelligence agencies or the Russian president when it came to the allegations of meddling in the 2016 elections. Trump answered, President Putin says its not Russia. I dont see any reason why it would be.

The House speaker at the time, Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, said Trump must appreciate that Russia is not our ally. There is no moral equivalence between the United States and Russia, which remains hostile to our most basic values and ideals.

It was not that long ago that the Republican Party not only understood but fought for the sacred right to self-government. What Putin is doing in Ukraine is an attack on Ukraines national sovereignty. It is also an assault on global democracy and the very freedom that Reagan cultivated.

Will the Republican Party be able to climb back up the hill? Or will another political party attempt to make the ascent? Either way, it will be a long way back up.

Lynn Schmidt is a Post-Dispatch columnist and Editorial Board member. lynnschmidtrn@outlook.com On Twitter: @lynnschmidtrn
Former Attorney General William Barr spent almost two years running interference for a dangerously unfit president. Now, in a brazen but not terribly persuasive attempt to clean up his image in history, Barr warns that his ex-boss, Donald Trump, didnt belong in the White House and shouldnt be invited back. Trump cared only about one thing: himself, Barr writes in his new memoir. Country and principle took second place.

How curious that Barr says he only discovered this plain-as-day fact late in his tenure  because to a great many Americans, it was horrifically obvious the whole time Barr was helping Trump destroy political norms and undermine the Constitution.

As the nations top legal official, Barrs duty was to the American people. Instead, he generally acted like just another of Trumps shady personal lawyers, except with the power of the federal government behind him.

When special counsel Robert Mueller released his report on the Trump campaigns troubling dalliances with Russia in the 2016 presidential campaign, Barr stalled its release until he could issue his own whitewashing summary. To this day, because of Barrs little gaslighting campaign, many Americans think Muellers report exonerated Trump of any impropriety  when, in fact, it left ominously unsettled questions of conspiracy with Russian disinformation efforts, and virtually proved that Trump obstructed justice.

Barr then set out to fulfill the demand of his vindictive boss to investigate the investigators who had launched the Mueller probe. Though Barrs own inspector general would conclude the investigation was justified, Barr appointed special prosecutor John Durham, hoping to find otherwise. Three years later, Durhams continuing probe looks increasingly like a big nothingburger.

After Trump crony Roger Stone was convicted of lying to the FBI, Barr overruled his own prosecutors to recommend a lighter sentence. Barr moved to drop charges against Trump toady and confessed perjurer Michael Flynn. No wonder almost 2,000 former Justice Department employees alleged Barr repeatedly assaulted the rule of law and demanded his resignation.

The ethical bridge too far, even for Barr, finally came in late 2020, when he refused to endorse Trumps lie of a stolen election. Within weeks, this most loyal of lackeys was gone, with Trump publicly berating him as spineless. Now Barr emerges from under Trumps bus tires to warn that his former boss is a bellicose narcissist who did a disservice to the nation.

You dont say.

Yet, Barrs book, according to published accounts, still defends his own various indefensible actions on Trumps behalf. If only Barr had included some much-needed soul-searching, instead of just announcing these epiphanies about Trump that anyone with a working brain recognized years ago.

Barrs book, by the way, is titled, One Damn Thing After Another. What a perfect description of the tenure of a man who might well  and certainly should  go down in history among Americas very worst attorneys general.
With COVID-19 restrictions falling, chances are that many of you are considering a trip to Europe or Asia this summer. That means paying in euros, francs, yen, or whatever when you're at your destination. Unless you're a currency speculator, you'll almost always lose something in exchanging your dollars for whatever, but you can keep those losses to no more than around one percent.

The Right Plastic

Today, foreign exchange is all about which plastic to use and how to use it. A few European retail outlets have started requiring that all transactions be with plastic  no cash at all. And much of the world is ahead of the U.S. in widespread adoption of the latest technologies. Plastic is not only the best way to cope with foreign exchange; in many cases, its the only way.

To minimize losses, you need at least two different kinds of plastic.

1. A credit card without a foreign-transaction surcharge or fee. To keep losses to a minimum, the key rule is to put as many big-ticket bills on a credit card as possible: But you have to use the right card. A decade ago, most credit cards added a surcharge of three percent on all transactions completed outside the U.S.  even those conducted in U.S. dollars. And that's a gratuitous "junk" fee: When a U.S. bank processes your transaction; the bill is already in dollars, so your bank adds nothing to the process. The very small actual cost of conversion is covered by the international network to which your bank belongs: Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.

More recently, a lot of credit cards  especially co-branded travel-related cards  have reversed their exchange practice: They no longer charge a fee at all or add just a trivial fee of one percent or less to cover the actual transaction cost.

If your current credit card carries no surcharge, you're already OK. If it still adds that three percent, consider getting a new card with no foreign transaction fees.

2. A debit card with no ATM fees. The best way to get local currency outside the U.S. is to get it from a local bank's ATM. But finding the right card can sometimes take some digging. Although a large foreign bank's ATM generally uses the bank rate for conversion, when you use debit card at a foreign bank's ATM  and your bank likely considers all bank ATMs except its own as "foreign" ATMs  you face up to three possible fees:

 Your bank assesses a fee  typically around three or four dollars  for every ATM transaction at any "foreign" bank, regardless of the amount.

 Your bank may also add that nasty conversion fee.

 The operator of the foreign ATM may assess a withdrawal fee,

There's a good chance that your bank's debit card hits you with at least one of the three fees. To avoid them, consider opening a no-fee checking account with a bank that (1) charges no exchange fees on foreign withdrawals and (2) absorbs some or all foreign-bank fees as well. That's what I do: I have a small no-fee checking account with a small local bank that I transfer money to before a trip but otherwise keep idle. Your best bets for such a "travel money" account are credit unions, former savings banks, and online banks.

Keep away from three major gouges:

1. Airport exchange offices almost always give very poor rates  you can lose up to 10 percent.

2. Many foreign airports have given local exchange agencies exclusive franchise to operate all ATMs at the airport. Those ATMs proclaim "no fees," but they give the same lousy rates as the exchange office. Find a major bank's ATM instead

3. Some foreign merchants may offer to bill you in dollars rather than local currency. Even if your card adds no junk fees, however, the merchant will almost certainly give you a lousy exchange rate. Don't fall for it.

Fortunately, these gouges are easy to avoid  or at least to minimize. And that means losing as little as possible in the exchange process.

(Send e-mail to Ed Perkins at eperkins@mind.net. Also, check out Eds new rail travel website at www.rail-guru.com.)
The former home of South Africas first Black president has been turned into a luxury getaway.

After a massive renovation, the Johannesburg property Nelson Mandela reportedly lived in for six years with his family is now the location of a boutique hotel.

Hidden on a quiet street in a wealthy Sandton suburb of Houghton, Sanctuary Mandela recently opened to the public for bed and breakfast accommodations  boasting nine rooms and the 36-seater Insights restaurant with a menu inspired by the anti-apartheid revolutionary, who died in 2013 at 95.

Accentuated by artwork and artifacts in tribute to Mandela, the luxury hotel has four room types decorated in modern yet simple style.

Rooms range in pricing from $260 to nearly $1,000 per night for the Presidential Suite, which is said to be Mandelas former bedroom.

Unique finishes also include window frames bearing his nickname Madiba and his Robben Island prison number 466/64.

According to South Africa Tourism, the home was Mandalas primary residence following his release from prison after 27 years.

The beloved political leader hosted the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jackson, Magic Johnson former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton at the estate, which was later used as the headquarters for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Sanctuary Mandela is managed by Motsamayi Tourism Group, considered the oldest Black-empowered South African tourism group with a significant portfolio in attractions, accommodation and experiences.

Conceived by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which is tasked with preserving Mandelas legacy and with sharing that legacy across the globe, the Sanctuary is perfectly set up to achieve these goals, Motsamayi CEO Jerry Mabena told The Independent.

Most of our visitors are people who have heard about the place and want to have a look around and enjoy a cup of coffee. These people have been welcomed at all times. The venue is open to everyone, and we encourage anyone to visit the venue and see our work to preserve Mandelas legacy for themselves.

The hotel is located a short walk from The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.
For over a thousand years, the cathedral towering over the main square of Santiago de Compostela in the far northwest corner of Spain has been the ritualistic last stop for pilgrims whove hiked here from churches in Paris and all over Europe. And for a thousand years, pilgrims  standing before this towering cathedral  have been overcome with joy and jubilation.

Walking the Way of St. James has changed little over the centuries. The gear still includes a cloak, a floppy hat, a walking stick, a gourd (for drinking from wells), and a scallop shell (symbolizing where youre going).

In recent years, the route has enjoyed a huge renaissance of interest, attracting more than 300,000 pilgrims annually. These days, most take a month to walk the 450 miles from the French border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The walk itself is a kind of hut-hopping. At regular intervals along the route, humble government-subsidized hostels called albergues provide pilgrims a place to rest for the night (bunks are generally free, though a small donation is requested).

In the midst of the Camino, out on a dusty trail pilgrims have trod for a thousand years, I meet pilgrims of all types. Prepackaged groups have clean, matching T-shirts. Each hiker is issued a mass-produced walking stick with a decorative gourd tied to the top and the requisite dangling scallop shell with a brightly painted cross of St. James.

Other pilgrims are part of humbler, ragtag church groups from distant Catholic lands. Resting on a bluff, Im passed by an otherworldly group that has shuffled all the way from Lithuania to the rhythm of its raspy, amplified chant-leader. Along with their rucksacks, the group carries an old boom box, various statues, and a 10-foot-tall cross. With their intentionally monotonous chant, they trudge slowly out of sight and then out of earshot.

Later, I stop in a medieval village  like so many ghostly quiet villages pilgrims pass all along the route. Its only shop is a vending machine cut into a stone wall. An old woman scrubs her laundry, bent over a convenient creek-side spot as her ancestors have for centuries. She ignores a shepherd herding his gangly flock over a narrow bridge.

In this idyllic corner, pilgrims are eager to share their experiences. I met a bouncy flower child from Berlin  a 20-year-old woman hiking alone, singing to herself, and radiant with appreciation for this personal journey. She speaks to me as if she were a real saint come to Earth. Talking with her, I feel Ive entered a Botticelli painting (and dont want to leave).

An Englishman I meet is doing the trail in three successive years because he cant get enough time away from his 9-to-5 job to do it in one 30-day stretch. While he walks, he reflects on simplicity. Nearly everyone I meet is having a richly rewarding time. I keep thinking how a standard RV vacation  with its clever abundance of comforts  couldnt be more different than this chance to be away from the modern world with all that it entails.

Because the last overnight stop on the Camino is just two miles away from the city of Santiago, most pilgrims arrive at the cathedral late in the morning, in time for the midday Mass.

Like a kid follows a parade, I follow the pilgrims as they approach the cathedral. I try to imagine the mindset of a medieval pilgrim, so exhausted yet so triumphant. Youve just walked from Paris  about a thousand miles  to reach this holy spot. Your goal: to request the help of St. James in recovering from an illness. Or maybe youve come to honor the wish of a dying relative...or to be forgiven for your sins. Whatever the reason, you know the pope promised that any person who walked to Santiago in a Holy Year, confessed their sins, and took communion here would be forgiven.

After weeks of hiking, the spires of the cathedral come into view and jubilation quickens your tired pace. Finally, you stand upon that shell in the pavement to gaze up at the awe-inspiring cathedral. Stepping inside, you squint down the nave and see the statue of St. James that marks his tomb.

Kneeling at the silver tomb, you pray and make your request. Then you climb the stairs behind the altar up to the saints much-venerated statue  gilded and caked with precious gems. Embracing him from behind while gazing thankfully out over the cathedral, you have completed the Camino de Santiago.

Whether you hike the entire route or just the last stretch, its an experience that will stay with you forever. And, if you need an excuse to be thankful, consider that  unlike your medieval counterpart  you dont need to hike back to Paris.

(Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This article was adapted from his new book, For the Love of Europe. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.)
The religious dictatorship that has ruled Iran since the 1980s justifies its rule by being very active in trying to be the protector of Shia Moslems everywhere. Iran is the largest Shia majority nation but had never, until the religious dictatorship came along in the 1980s, pushed the protector of all Shia angle. There was good reason for this because the Iranians were not Arab but Indo-European and thus automatically foreigners in the region dominated by Islam, a new religion founded by Arabs in what is now Saudi Arabia 1,600 years ago and propagated, often with great force, by Arab armies. For thousands of years the Iranians (as Persians and several other earlier names) had dominated the region. The Arab armies managed to convert Iranians to Islam but not maintain political control for long. Iran eventually adopted the Shia form of Islam, in part because it was only practiced by a minority of Moslems and despised by most Arabs. This suited Iran, which was soon dominating the region militarily once more. This played a part in the unraveling of the Arab Islamic empire, called the caliphate, after a few centuries. The caliphate has never been revived since despite occasional efforts to do so.

The non-Arab Iranians found that most Moslems did not want Iran in charge of Mecca and Medina, the most holy of religious shrines for Moslems and always controlled by Arabs. The Iranians are Shia Moslems and Shia comprise only about ten percent of all Moslems. The Saudis are largely Sunni, a version of Islam about 80 percent of Moslems belong to. Iranians are not Arabs. For many Moslems that is a big deal because Islam was founded by Arabs and the Moslem scriptures (the Koran) are written in Arabic. For the Iranian religious dictatorship, taking control of Mecca and Medina from the Saudis is a major goal. The main battlefield is Yemen, where Iran-backed Yemen Shia rebels began a civil war in 2014 and with Iranian support have defeated Saudi efforts to prevent the Shia provinces in northwest Yemen from becoming an Iranian military base area. Meanwhile the Iranians have convinced many of the Shia Yemenis that getting their autonomy back should be non-negotiable because without that autonomy the Yemeni Shia will be vulnerable to retaliation from all the other Yemeni groups the Shia rebels have harmed during the years of civil war. Its an impossible situation for the Saudis because the Iranians want to use Shia controlled areas in northern Yemen as a perpetual base for attacks on Saudi control of Mecca and Medina.

The Saudis have been more successful in Iraq, where national elections in 2021 revealed much less support for Iran despite increased Iranian threats and financial promises Iran could not keep. The Yemeni Shia cost a lot less to support and their smaller budget has survived several reductions of cash available for foreign wars. Those IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) operations in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon are much more expensive.

Iran has been seeking ways to regain its influence in Iraqi politics and so far, has been unsuccessful. Iran initially responded with a failed assassination attack on the Iraqi prime minister plus rocket and mortar attacks on the American embassy and the remaining U.S. troops. Most Iraqis want some Americans to stay, more economic activity with Arab neighbors and an end to Iranian meddling in Iraq. Iran has other problems that must be tended to, including growing economic problems and domestic unrest because of that. Iraq is now a lower priority, but one Iran will eventually return to once Saudi control of Mecca and Medina is replaced by Iranian management. This is seen as impossible by most Arabs and non-Moslem nations that depend on oil produced in Arabia and Iran.

Many Iranians want their religious dictatorship replaced but the senior clerics who make the decisions confronted that possibility early on with the creation of the IRGC, a force of Iranian true believers in the religious dictatorship willing to slaughter any Iranians who posed a threat. That has worked for decades but is now weakening. Decades of corruption and misrule have brought Iranians more and more poverty and privation. In the last few years even provinces that were once solidly pro-IRGC, and supplied most of the new IRGC recruits, have been the scene of anti-dictatorship protests. The religious government needs a win and needs it soon or face a civil war rather than just more protests.

February 28, 2022: Negotiations with Iran to revive the 2015 treaty that ended sanctions, if Iran halted work on nukes, are not going well. There have been multiple meetings since the new, hardline Iranian government took power in August 2021. This was the result of the 2020 national elections which were rigged, as they traditionally are, so the new president would be Ibrahim Raisi, an infamous mass-murderer and recognized war-criminal. Putting Raisi into such a public position is another example of how desperate Iran is to make clear to opponents in Iran, Yemen, Iraq and elsewhere what they are up against. Raisi insisted that Iran would not negotiate with the West until the 2018 sanctions were first lifted. That did not happen. Now Iran is demanding compliance to its demands within a week or Iran will abandon the negotiations. Nations seeking to negotiate a new peace deal with Iran discovered that Raisi had the support of the religious dictatorship in Iran as well as the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) for this desperate, all or nothing negotiating strategy. One demand that is apparently going to kill any deal is Iran insisting on a written guarantee that the United States will not withdraw from the agreement again. Iran needs cash to keep its wars in Syria, Yemen and Iraq going. Israel is preparing to carry out airstrikes on the Iranian nuclear program if they get too close to producing a bomb. Arab oil states will allow Israeli warplanes to unhindered passage to and from such a mission. Iranian threats against its Arab neighbors have caused more resolve to resist and the Arab peace deals with Israel are a nightmare scenario Iranians never expected to experience.

February 26, 2022: In the capital (Tehran) several dozen Iranians protested the Russian invasion of Ukraine and did so outside the Russian embassy. This protest was technically illegal but more accurately represented the attitudes of most Iranians. Enthusiastic Iranian media support for the Russian invasion was criticized by many senior Iranian officials because the media sounded like it was just repeating the Russian justification for the invasion as self-defense against NATO expansion. Some Iranian government officials point out that Russia has claims on portions of Iran and Iran could be next on the Russian list of self-defense invasions. The Shia in neighboring Iraq also protested the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

There were mixed signals elsewhere in the region. Western nations criticized Israel for not condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Actually, Israel did announce that it supported Ukrainian territorial integrity. Israel has an important relationship with Russia in Syria and Israel does not want to endanger that because it makes it easier to carry out airstrikes against Iranian forces in Syria. Russia needs its relationship with Israel more that it needs an alliance with Iran. For that reason, Israel and Russia are often described as frenemies and have consistently behaved as such.

February 25, 2022: The government agreed to speed up the completion of a security fence along the 832-kilometer-long Pakistan border, especially the portion in the southeast opposite Pakistans Baluchistan province. In the last month Baluchi separatists, based on the Iran side of the border, carried out two attacks inside Pakistan. In Iran, the local Sunni Baluchi are opposed to how harshly Iranian Shia government treats them. Iranian and Pakistani Baluchis have family, tribal and ideological links and that makes it easier for an Iranian Baluchi Islamic terror group to establish and sustain bases in Pakistan. This is a constant source of friction between Iran and Pakistan because the Iranians could shut down groups like Jaish al Adl were it not for the Pakistani sanctuaries. Pakistan is unable to suppress its own Baluchi Islamic terrorist and separatist groups. Iran, which has long treated uncooperative minorities harshly. This includes Shia Arabs in the southwest, Sunni Kurds in the northwest and the Sunni Baluchis in the southeast. Iranian and Pakistani Baluchis want to create an independent Baluchistan that includes a chunk of southeast Iran where most of the Iranian Baluchis live. Iranian separatist group Jaish al Adl is particularly hated by Iran. In late 2018 Iran threatened to send troops across the Pakistani border to find and destroy Iranian Jaish al Adl camps in Pakistan if the Pakistani security forces did not take action and neither did the Iranians. Jaish al Adl is still active. Pakistan is the only Arab nation with nuclear weapons and does not take sides in the unofficial war between Iran and the wealthy Persian Gulf Arab states, who are now allied with Israel. Pakistan does not want war with Iran but also wants to maintain cordial relations with the Arab oil-states, which often help Pakistan financially. At the same time Pakistan has agreed to establish a barter trade system with Iran as a way around the financial and banking sanctions imposed on Iran. Pakistan is using the same barter method with Afghanistan, which is also sanctioned.

February 23, 2022: The United States sanctioned a Yemeni businessman living in Sweden and a Greek businessman operating out of the UAE for operating a smuggling and trading operation consisting of five front companies created by Iran to generate over ten million dollars for the Shia rebels in Yemen. This network concealed that it was created and controlled by Iran to get money to the Shia rebels that Iran has openly supported since 2015 and covertly for over a decade before that. This network was designated a terrorism support operation. Despite this the United States has still not reimposed the terrorist designation the Shia rebels had until a new American government lifted that in 2021. This was supposed to make the Shia rebels more willing to negotiate a peace deal. Instead. it revealed the extent to which the Shia rebels were controlled by Iran. This was something else that many Western governments have been slow in recognizing.

February 22, 2022: In Yemen, Iranian UAVs equipped with explosives have twice in the last two weeks been intercepted while trying to attack Saudi airports outside cities near the Yemen border. These airports are less than a hundred kilometers from missile and UAV launching sites in northern Yemen controlled by Shia rebels. For years the Shia rebels used long range rockets and short-range ballistic missiles against these targets with little success. The cheaper Iranian UAVs proved more effective because that are more difficult to detect and intercept. In the two recent cases the UAVs were intercepted so close to the target that their explosives blew in the large airport terminal glass windows and injured over two dozen passengers and staff. The attack today wounded sixteen, with three victims in critical condition.

February 16, 2022: For the first time Iran has openly admitted that a satisfactory peace in Yemen is only possible if Iran gets a new treaty listing economic sanctions and not imposing any restrictions on Iranian nuclear research or ballistic missile development.

February 14, 2022: In southern Syria (Daraa and Suwayda provinces plus Damascus) over a thousand Iranian mercenaries arrived to help deal with locals protesting the Assad government and Iranian presence. The mercenaries were nearly all foreigners from Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. These reinforcements traveled from eastern Syria (Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces) and used multiple routes to avoid Israeli airstrikes. The local violence against Syrian, Russian and Iranian forces cause over fifty dead and wounded each month and has remained fairly constant for three years. This is part of the undeclared war between Iranian and Syrian forces going on there since 2018. Anonymous assassins use pistols and hidden bombs to kill those who work, or worked for, government forces or Russian and Syrian backed local militias. Russian and Assad forces openly drive Iran-backed groups and individuals out of the area. There is no open violence because Iran, Syria and Russia are still officially allies. Near the Israel border Russian and Syrian pressure has prevented Iranian attacks on Israel. Russia and Syria have also been checking locals to see if they are Lebanese Shia using stolen uniforms rather than Lebanese Shia wearing authorized Syrian army or police uniforms. This border security operation is a big deal for Syria and Israel and a major embarrassment for Iran, which is why Iran has not cranked up its usual media outrage to complain. Israel will sometimes fire on Iranian forces operating in Daraa, especially near the Israeli border. Israel also shares intel with Russia and Syria about Syrian officers who are secretly working for Iran. The Iranians pay well, and in dollars. Israel will sometimes release evidence of this to the media, so that Iranians back home have another reason to oppose Irans foreign wars. Negotiations have been underway between Iran and Russia/Syria for over a year but are not making much progress. The covert Iranian violence is just another incentive for Syria to get the Iranian agents out of the area.

February 9, 2022: In the south (the capital Damascus) Israel carried out attacks against air defense systems around the city. This was in retaliation for another Syrian SAM (surface to air missile) failing to self-destruct when it missed its target and instead continuing on into Israel. In this case the SAM detonated before it hit the ground in northern Israel. This has happened before but this incident appeared suspicious so Israel launched airstrikes against Syrian air defenses. This SAM was one of many Syria fired to try and stop Israeli surface-to-surface missiles fired from northern Israel against Iranian targets near Damascus earlier in the day, which set off more attacks.

February 2, 2022: In southern Iraq, an Iran supported Iraqi militia, the True Promise Brigade, took credit for launching three Iranian UAVs, equipped with explosives and programmed to crash and explode in the UAE. That failed because UAE air defenses have been upgraded to detect and destroy UAVs or cruise missiles coming from any direction. The True Promise Brigade is not very large or active and is now targeted by Iraqi counter-terrorism forces. Iraq is seeking to improve its economic relationships with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and reduce contact with Iran.

January 31, 2022: In the Syrian capital Damascus, Israel carried out several air strikes against Iranian weapons warehouses operated and guarded by Lebanese Hezbollah gunmen. This was the first Israeli airstrike since Russian announced, on the 24th, that Russian and Syrian warplanes, including early warning aircraft, would conduct joint patrols along Syrians southern borders to detect and prevent airstrikes from Israel. This was all largely symbolic because Israeli warplanes rarely enter Syrian air space to carry out attacks on targets in Syria. Instead, Israel uses air-to-surface missiles launched from Israeli fighters in Israeli, Lebanese or Jordanian air space.

January 20, 2022: Turkey and Israel have been working on improving their diplomatic, economic and military relationships for several years and that effort has been proceeding slowly. At the same time the Turks have been increasingly hostile to Iran and that includes ignoring Iranian requests during the 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Turkey sent advisors, armed UAVs and Syrian mercenaries to help the Azeris score their first victory over Armenia in a three-decade long territorial feud. Iran was also unhappy with the fact that the Azeris gave credit to the many Israeli weapons they had purchased over the last decade. This included the Israeli Barak 8 anti-aircraft system which intercepted a number of Russian ballistic missiles fired at Azerbaijan by the Armenians. One of those ballistic missiles was an Iskander, a recent Russian design that was supposed to be more difficult to detect and intercept. Iran is also angry about how its campaign in Syria is proceeding and how unhelpful, or even hostile, their allies Turkey and Russia have been. Russia has been a discreet intermediary between Turkey and Israel and has long urged the Turks to improve relations with Israel. There has been little official notice of this effort, which is what made the Turkish Foreign Ministers phone call such a big deal.

A technical failure in the main pipeline between Iran and Turkey disrupted the flow of natural gas. Iranian officials did not specify the nature of the technical failure. Turkeys state pipeline operator, BOTAS, cut gas supplies to industrial users and electricity generation by 40 percent. Private households were not affected  voters dont like being cold. The energy disruption was the last thing Turkeys stressed economy needed. A week later intermittent supplies of Iranian gas resumed getting through. Full supply will be restored in early February. In 2020 Turkey used 48 billion cubic meters of gas. Iran supplied 5.3 billion cubic meters, about ten percent. In 2021 Iran supplied around 15 percent of Turkeys natural gas requirements.

January 18, 2022: In the Gulf of Oman a U.S. Navy warship seized a small freighter from Iran that was carrying 40 tons of fertilizer that is used for explosives in Yemen by the Shia rebels. The fertilizer was hidden but the boarding party did a thorough search because this boat had been caught carrying Iranian weapons to Yemen last year and was released because the owner said he would no longer smuggle.

Further south, Somalia officially backed the UAE after an Iranian sponsored bombing in the UAE capital. Iran says the attack was carried out by Shia rebels in Yemen. For nearly a decade Somalia has been in the middle of the Gulf Arab dispute with Iran and its allies Turkey and Qatar. The UAE has been the most active Arab state in Somalia and now appears to be overtaking Iran and its allies. The Arabs supply more aid than Iran and its allies.
FILE PHOTO: Models of oil barrels and a pump jack are displayed in front of a rising stock graph and "$100" in this illustration taken February 24, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Scott DiSavino

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices surged over 7% on Tuesday to their highest since 2014, as a global agreement to release crude reserves failed to calm fears about supply disruptions from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Members of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which includes the United States and Japan, agreed to release 60 million barrels of crude from their reserves to try to quell the sharp increase in prices that pushed major benchmarks past $100 a barrel.

However, news of that release - equivalent to less than one day of worldwide oil consumption - only magnified the market's fear that supply will be inadequate to cover growing disruptions.

Brent futures rose $7.00, or 7.1%, to settle at $104.97 a barrel, their highest close since August 2014.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $7.69, or 8.0%, to settle at $103.41. That was its highest close since July 2014 and its biggest daily percentage gain since November 2020.

Markets rallied further in thin post-close trading, with Brent surpassing $107 and U.S. crude above $106 per barrel after the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, said U.S. crude stocks fell by more than 6 million barrels in the most recent week.

In intraday trade, Brent hit its highest since July 2014 and WTI its highest since June 2014. In addition to crude, U.S. heating oil and gasoline futures also hit their highest since 2014.

U.S.-led sanctions on Russia exempted the energy sector, but traders are shying away from trading Russian barrels, leading to big discounts on that oil and tightening supply for other kinds of crude. Across various markets, different grades of oil in the Middle East and elsewhere surged.

Russia's military move on Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, has stalled as its forces struggle with food and fuel shortages, with some units apparently gripped by low morale, a senior U.S. defense official said on Tuesday.

"Oil's climbing the Ukraine war wall of worry," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York. He said traders were disappointed in the size of the release of strategic reserves.

The world's biggest shipping firm, AP Moeller-Maersk A/S, was halting container movement to and from Russia, while Britain has banned all ships with any Russian connection from entering its ports.

Major oil and gas companies, including BP and Shell PLC, have announced plans to exit Russian operations and joint ventures. TotalEnergies SA said it would not invest further capital in its Russian operations.

The largest supplier of global oil, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, known as OPEC+, have not signaled a desire to boost production beyond their expected 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) increase in April, despite entreaties from the United States and others.

The group is due to meet on Wednesday for a monthly meeting.

"The pledge from OPEC+ to increase supply is so far a paper promise," said Louise Dickson, senior oil market analyst at Rystad Energy, noting that participating OPEC+ deal members are producing about 800,000 bpd below stated target levels, further squeezing global supplies.

Futures for Brent and WTI through October were in what Robert Yawger, executive director of energy futures at Mizuho, has called "super-backwardation" with each month trading at least $1 a barrel below the prior month.

Backwardation, a market structure where prompt contracts are more expensive than those for later dates, indicates fear of being able to find cargoes in the near-term, as global oil demand has largely recovered from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic while production has not kept pace.

Libya's parliament approved a new government on Tuesday, but the incumbent administration rejected the vote and vowed not to cede power.

Libya, an OPEC member, produced about 1.2 million bpd of crude in 2021, according to U.S. energy data.

The API figures showed an unexpected drop in U.S. stocks. Government figures will be released Wednesday, when analysts expect the latest U.S. data will show a 2.7 million-barrel increase in crude stocks. [EIA/S] [API/S] [ENERGYUSA] [ENERGYAPI]

(Additional reporting by Laura Sanicola in New York, Julia Payne in London and Muyu Xu in Beijing; Editing by Jason Neely, David Goodman, David Gregorio and Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO: A maze of crude oil pipes and valves is pictured during a tour by the Department of Energy at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, U.S. June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Richard Carson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States vowed on Tuesday to release 30 million barrels of oil as part of a global 60 million barrel pledge in an effort to shore up energy markets amid the ongoing Russia invasion of Ukraine, and said it could take further steps as needed.

"We are prepared to use every tool available to us to limit disruption to global energy supply as a result of (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin's actions," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

"We will also continue our efforts to accelerate diversification of energy supplies away from Russia and to secure the world from Moscow's weaponization of oil and gas," the statement added.

The United States and 30 member countries of the International Energy Agency agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to stabilize global energy markets, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a separate statement.

"We stand prepared to take additional measures if conditions warrant," U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.

(Reporting by Katharine Jackson; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 1, 2022) - Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. (TSXV: GMG) ("GMG" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that GMG and Wood have agreed to a non-binding Letter of Intent, with the aim to agree on the terms of binding agreements for Wood to design and deliver major graphene manufacturing expansion projects.

Wood will support GMG in scaling up and automating its proprietary natural gas to graphene manufacturing process. The parties' intent is for Wood to become GMG's engineering, design and construction contractor for GMG's near and long-term graphene manufacturing facility needs in Australia and overseas.

Graphene is one of the main components enabling the GMG and University of Queensland graphene aluminium-ion battery ("G+AI Battery") technology. In 2017 and 2018, GMG developed and proved its proprietary graphene production process to produce graphene from natural gas (i.e. methane). This process produces high quality and scalable graphene, suitable for use in clean-technology applications, including G+AI Batteries. GMG's arrangement with Wood is intended to support scaling and automation of the graphene production process to meet graphene supply requirements for GMG's targeted G+AI Battery division.

A Letter of Intent was earlier signed with Bosch (news release 25 October 2021) for the design and delivery of targeted G+AI Battery manufacturing plants. GMG and Wood will work in collaboration with Bosch to create an aligned production process from graphene manufacturing through to final G+AI Battery products across the Company's facilities.

GMG's Managing Director and CEO, Craig Nicol, commented: "We are proud and excited to be collaborating with Wood who are a major, world leading engineering company with a significant focus on the energy transition. As we have told our shareholders, one of our key current activities is engagement with customer and industry partners for G+AI Battery development and this is another example of that progression. In parallel we are also building up our internal battery and graphene engineering capability further through a recruitment programme that is underway. Together with the partnership already established with Bosch this is another important step towards GMG's goal to become a major global supplier of G+AI Batteries as we continue to de-risk the commercial scale up of this technology."

About Wood

Wood is a global leader in consulting and engineering across energy and the built environment, helping to unlock solutions to some of the world's most critical challenges. Wood provides consulting, projects and operations solutions in more than 60 countries, employing around 40,000 people. www.woodplc.com

About GMG

GMG is a clean-technology company which seeks to offer energy saving and energy storage solutions, enabled by graphene, including that manufactured in-house via a proprietary production process.

GMG has developed a proprietary production process to decompose natural gas (i.e. methane) into its elements, carbon (as graphene), hydrogen and some residual hydrocarbon gases. This process produces high quality, low cost, scalable, 'tuneable' and low/no contaminant graphene suitable for use in clean-technology and other applications. The Company's present focus is to de-risk and develop commercial scale-up capabilities, and secure market applications.

In the energy savings segment, GMG has focused on graphene enhanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning ("HVAC-R") coating (or energy-saving paint), lubricants and fluids. In the energy storage segment, GMG and the University of Queensland are working collaboratively with financial support from the Australian Government to progress R&D and commercialization of graphene aluminium-ion batteries ("G+AI Batteries").

For further information, please contact:

- Craig Nicol, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Company at [email protected], +61 415 445 223

- Leo Karabelas at Focus Communications, [email protected], +1 647 689 6041

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends", "expects" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or will "potentially" or "likely" occur. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forwardlooking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding timing, completion and the final terms and conditions of binding agreements to be entered into between Wood and the Company; Wood's role as a technical development partner and the impacts and benefits arising therefrom, including facility needs; GMG's ability to produce its products and the benefits arising from such products; and the commercial progress and technical characteristics of certain products.

These forwardlooking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the deployment of the Company's resources, including that GMG and Wood will be unable to agree on terms and conditions for binding agreements; that such terms and conditions will differ from the Company's expectations; that results and impacts arising binding agreements between GMG and Wood will differ from the Company's expectations; changes to regional and global market trends; and that the Company will be unable to research, develop and produce certain products and technologies.

In making the forward looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, assumptions regarding the Company's ability to enter into binding agreements with Wood on the terms consistent with the Company's expectations; that benefits and impacts arising from binding agreements between the Company and Wood will be consistent with the Company's expectations; the Company's ability to research, develop and test its products within anticipated timelines; and market demand for the Company's products.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/115227
FILE PHOTO: Smoke rising after shelling on the outskirts of the city is pictured from Kyiv, Ukraine February 27, 2022. REUTERS/Mykhailo Markiv/File Photo

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Human rights groups and Ukraine's ambassador to the United States on Monday accused Russia of attacking Ukrainians with cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, weapons that have been condemned by a variety of international organizations.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both said that Russian forces appeared to have used widely banned cluster munitions, with Amnesty accusing them of attacking a preschool in northeastern Ukraine while civilians took shelter inside.

Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, told reporters after meeting with members of the U.S. Congress that Russia had used a thermobaric weapon, known as a vacuum bomb, in its invasion of her country.

"They used the vacuum bomb today," Markarova said after a meeting with lawmakers. "...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."

A vacuum bomb, or thermobaric weapon, sucks in oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, typically producing a blast wave of a significantly longer duration than that of a conventional explosive and is capable of vaporizing human bodies.

There has been no official confirmation that thermobaric weapons have been used in the conflict in Ukraine. CNN reported that one of its teams had spotted a Russian thermobaric multiple rocket launcher near the Ukrainian border early on Saturday afternoon.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she had seen reports but did not have confirmation that Russia had used such weapons. "If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime," she told a press briefing, noting that there are international organizations that would assess that and President Joe Biden's administration "would look to be a part of that conversation."

The Russian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

Markarova said Ukraine was working actively with the Biden administration and Congress to obtain more weapons and tougher sanctions.

"They should pay, they should pay a heavy price," she told reporters after leaving the meeting.

One lawmaker who attended the meeting, Democratic Representative Brad Sherman, said the Ukrainians had asked for a U.S.-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine but that he felt that was too dangerous because it could provoke conflict with Russia.

Amnesty International said international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions. Launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, additional reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Leslie Adler, Rosalba O'Brien, Mary Milliken and Sandra Maler)
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DDB North America announced today that the network has strengthened its innovation and experience offering with three senior hires; Head of Experience Christine Lane, Group Director, Experience Melissa Hochman, and Group Executive Producer, Experience Rock Darlington. Reporting into DDB North America's Chief Integration Officer Lucia Grillo, all three bring creative curiosity and an exceptional dedication to craft that will push DDB North America's commitment to work beyond the traditional.

Grillo, who joined the regional leadership team last June, has been tasked with evolving DDB's creative product to be more insight-driven and immersive, delivering platform ideas, with content and executions in more spaces and places.

Grillo said: "DDB North America has been on a journey of creative product transformation over the past year, beginning with the arrival of our CEO and President, Justin Thomas-Copeland and his vision for the agency as a future-forward integrated creative powerhouse. I'm so excited we are taking another step in our journey, as we continue to expand and invest in experience and innovation. Christine, Melissa, and Rock are some of the best at what they do, and we are thrilled to have them at DDB."

Christine Lane joins DDB North America as Head of Experience. Lane comes to DDB with an impressive resume, with the last six years spent at McCann as SVP, Executive Director of Innovation. There she was responsible for some of the agency's best-known non-traditional work, including award-winning "Fearless Girl," a bronze statue of a young girl, installed on the eve of International Women's Day, to stare down Wall Street. A true innovator, Lane has dedicated her career to architecting world-class production teams from the ground up to create works for clients such as AT&T, GE, Mastercard, National Geographic, Pfizer, Reckitt and Verizon. In 2018, she was named to Adweek's Creative 100, a list of gifted professionals who inspire current and future generations with their work and their passion for creativity. Lane will work with teams across DDB North America to drive ideation and lead education and awareness of the latest platform innovation and technology.

Lane said: "I'm at my best when inventing new, unexpected forms of experience, and I feel so at home with the entrepreneurial spirit and way of thinking at DDB. There is a lot to be said for the openness, desire, and drive that DDB has and is putting towards working differently. I'm looking forward to surrounding myself with extremely talented people and matching their creativity with how we can best serve the consumer in order to make the creative output even stronger."

Partnering with Lane to drive education and serve as a liaison for the social and digital space to bring the best of what the innovation world has to offer is Melissa Hochman. A multidisciplinary strategist by trade, Hochman will help drive digital strategies for experience and social as DDB North America's Group Director, Experience. She's worked on a variety of clients including P&G, IBM, Campbell's Snack Brands, National Down Syndrome Society, and Pizza Hut. Hochman began her 10-year career in media, moved to digital strategy at Ogilvy and most recently, held the role of VP, Digital Strategy at Saatchi & Saatchi. She is fascinated with what makes a consumer's mind tick and pairing that with knowledge of media behaviors to solve the business challenge at hand.

Hochman said: "There is incredibly strong creative DNA in the DDB brand. The culture feels collaborative and intentionally entrepreneurial which is key to making fully-integrated work. There isn't a formula for creativity, but DDB is reimagining what it looks like to operationalize and enable it, from the client brief to how it shows up in the world. I am excited to collaborate with Lucia, Christine and Rock as a cross-network team. Plus, I have an absolute crush on DDB's groundbreaking work for Skittles."

Rock Darlington brings over 17 years of award-winning digital production experience to his role as Group Executive Producer, Experience. He hails from Leo Burnett, where he spent over 12 years leading and executing all forms of integrated production. Darlington worked on a number of different projects while at Leo Burnett, but cites using AI to help take bias out of hunger for client Feeding America as a career highlight. Prior to Leo Burnett, Darlington spent time as a Producer at Domani Studios, Draft FCB, and Pixel. At DDB, Darlington will work closely with teams across the North America network to vet ideas outside of traditional content and will be a key partner to make the work even better, faster, and smarter.

Darlington said: "I've always been jealous of the type of work DDB is doing. Unexpected projects, like a Skittles Broadway Show and Miller Lite's Cantroller, are the kinds of work consumers really enjoy when engaging with brands. I can't wait to dive in with the teams and continue to find new, interesting avenues to connect brands to their consumer and to help inspire this kind of out-of-the-box thinking."

DDB North America CEO and President Justin Thomas-Copeland said: "We are strategically strengthening our experience and innovation capabilities and Christine, Melissa, and Rock are all exceptional hires, at the top of their fields, who live and breathe our Unexpected Works philosophy. They will be instrumental to our creative product transformation in taking the briefs to new heights! I cannot wait to see what is to come! "

ABOUT DDB WORLDWIDE DDB Worldwide (www.ddb.com) is one of the world's largest and most influential advertising and marketing networks. DDB has been named 2021 Network of the Year by D&AD and ADC, as well as numerous times by the Cannes International Festival of Creativity and the industry's leading advertising publications and awards shows. WARC has listed DDB as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 12 of the last 15 years. The network's clients include Molson Coors, Volkswagen, McDonald's, Unilever, Mars, Peloton, JetBlue, Johnson & Johnson, and the U.S. Army, among others. Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE: OMC) and consists of over 10,000 employees across 149 offices in over 63 countries, with its flagship office in New York, NY.

ABOUT OMNICOM Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE  OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 70 countries.

CONTACT: Donna Tobin, Global Chief Marketing & Communications Officer; [email protected]

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SOURCE DDB North America
HOUSTON, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: SMLP) (the "Partnership") announced today that Rommel M. Oates has been appointed to the Board of Directors of its general partner, Summit Midstream GP, LLC (the "Board"). Mr. Oates was appointed on February 28, 2022 as a Class III Director.

Mr. Oates is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Oates Energy Solutions LLC and Refinery Calculator Inc. Since 1999, Mr. Oates has been a leading pioneer in helping the world transition to a sustainable future by using hydrogen as its main energy carrier. Mr. Oates has produced 18 patents in the field of hydrogen and is considered by many to be an expert in the area of hydrogen storage. Since 2014, Mr. Oates has served as a board member for the International Association of Hydrogen Energy. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Oates served True North Venture Partners (an Ahearn, Walton, Cox family limited partnership entity) in several capacities. From 2015 to 2016, Mr. Oates held the role of Senior Director of Commercial Development for True North's Management Partners team. Then, from 2016 to 2018, Mr. Oates held executive leadership roles in sales, marketing and commercial development for TNVP's portfolio company Aquahydrex Pty Ltd. From 2003 to 2015, Mr. Oates served in various capacities of increasing responsibility with Praxair Inc. (now Linde) including service as Director of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide Product Management, Sr. Account Director for Pipeline and On-Sites, General Business Manager of Praxair Electronics Houston and several Operations and Engineering roles. In addition, Mr. Oates holds an MBA and Master of Finance Degrees from Tulane University as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree (Pi Tau Sigma Honors) and Master's of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami, Florida.

Heath Deneke, President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, commented, "I'm excited to welcome Rommel Oates as the newest Director on Summit's Board. Rommel has an extensive background in clean energy technology and brings a unique perspective to the Board, which will be valuable as we continue to refine our ESG approach, increase engagement in energy transition initiatives and develop our inaugural sustainability report, which will be published later this year. Rommel has a successful track record of using his expertise and creativity to create impactful solutions and I look forward to working with him in his new role to create long-term value for our stakeholders."

About Summit Midstream Partners, LP

SMLP is a value-driven limited partnership focused on developing, owning and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets that are strategically located in the core producing areas of unconventional resource basins, primarily shale formations, in the continental United States. SMLP provides natural gas, crude oil and produced water gathering, processing and transportation services pursuant to primarily long-term, fee-based agreements with customers and counterparties in six unconventional resource basins: (i) the Appalachian Basin, which includes the Utica and Marcellus shale formations in Ohio and West Virginia; (ii) the Williston Basin, which includes the Bakken and Three Forks shale formations in North Dakota; (iii) the Denver-Julesburg Basin, which includes the Niobrara and Codell shale formations in Colorado and Wyoming; (iv) the Permian Basin, which includes the Bone Spring and Wolfcamp formations in New Mexico; (v) the Fort Worth Basin, which includes the Barnett Shale formation in Texas; and (vi) the Piceance Basin, which includes the Mesaverde formation as well as the Mancos and Niobrara shale formations in Colorado. SMLP has an equity method investment in Double E Pipeline, LLC, which provides interstate natural gas transportation service from multiple receipt points in the Delaware Basin to various delivery points in and around the Waha Hub in Texas. SMLP also has an equity method investment in Ohio Gathering, which operates extensive natural gas gathering and condensate stabilization infrastructure in the Utica Shale in Ohio. SMLP is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may project, indicate or imply future results, events, performance or achievements and may contain the words "expect," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions, or future conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would," and "could." In addition, any statement concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies and possible actions taken by us or our subsidiaries are also forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also contain known and unknown risks and uncertainties (many of which are difficult to predict and beyond management's control) that may cause SMLP's actual results in future periods to differ materially from anticipated or projected results. An extensive list of specific material risks and uncertainties affecting SMLP is contained in its 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 28, 2022, as amended and updated from time to time. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and SMLP undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events.

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SOURCE Summit Midstream Partners, LP
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (Tribune News Service)  Although the United States in not directly involved in the war between Ukraine and Russia, the conflict can have an impact on local military families as they face uncertainty of what will be expected of their loved ones.

For one Springfield military family, it can mean at least one of them being put on alert and potentially spending time away on another continent for up to a year.

Capt. Courtney Slater is a full-time member of the Ohio Air National Guard, and serves as the public affairs officer for the 178th Wing unit in Springfield. Her husband Danny Slater is a civilian airline pilot but serves as a part-time member of the Guard. His unit is stationed at the Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus.

They have five children  the youngest is 5 months and the oldest being 17 years old. Being a dual-military family can cause uncertainty at times due to the urgency in which one may have to leave due to military responsibilities.

That means relying on support systems, coordinating child care and making sure that everything is in order before they leave.

"With Danny being an airline pilot, he is gone however many days a month and when he is home he has the kids home with him, at least our younger two that aren't in school full time," said Slater.

While the United States is not directly involved in combat operations in Ukraine, President Biden sent more than 10,000 troops to eastern European countries prior to the start of the war.

He could send more as the war goes on. As a result, military units such as Danny Slater's could be put on standby to support potential missions. Slater flies in refueling missions as an Air Force pilot.

If Danny Slater does deploy to Europe, it would be his second in less than a year. Last summer, as the United States was pulling out of Afghanistan, he was sent to Qatar to support that mission.

But in Danny Slater's case, being on alert doesn't always mean a deployment, and he could be gone for a short period of time, depending on the mission.

While Slater was deployed to the Middle East, his wife Courtney was pregnant with their youngest child. But he returned home well before the child was born. The couple is waiting to see if Danny will be deployed or sent away again.

"And once he leaves, I don't know if he is going to be gone for 12 hours, if he is going to be gone for 24 or 36 hours. I don't know what that timeframe looks like," Courtney Slater said.

"So for us that impact is, 'Hey, if you leave, are you going to be home for dinner? Do we have childcare for tomorrow? I plan on you being home all week while I am at work.' So that just starts this trickle down effect. So as a dual military family, we have to have plans in place," she added.

Those plans for military families are referred to as Family Care Plans. Courtney said her family is relying on built-in support networks and enacting those plans quickly.

That can be a call to her parents to coordinate child care as well as what impacts her husband's absence is going to have moving forward.

Deployments can also be tough for families, as military members can miss quality time with their children or be away during certain milestones. For younger children, it can be difficult for them to understand why one of their parents is away. Which is the case for the Slaters' second youngest, a toddler.

"You know it was hard while he was gone for those several months over the summer and with our older boys, a junior in high school, a sophomore, one in middle school, 'Dad is gone; when is he going to be back?' He is missing big life events. So, we are also managing that emotional toll that is going on with the children and how do we fill in that support and that void that might be happening," Courtney said of Danny's time overseas.

As a result, when Danny and Courtney are home, they try to take advantage of that time and be mentally and physically present for their children.

In terms of long-term planning, they rely on family care plans as well as planning on a month to month basis, which is largely driven by Danny's job as an airline pilot.

In terms of being on alert, they try to handle what can be quick and unexpected circumstances the best they can.

(c)2022 Springfield News-Sun, Ohio

Visit Springfield News-Sun, Ohio at www.springfieldnewssun.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
First responders and a U.S. Navy helicopter rescued an injured woman who fell approximately 30 feet while hiking on Guam, the Navy said Monday.

The fall happened Friday morning during a group outing at the Cetti Bay hiking trails in Umatac, about 8 miles south of Naval Base Guam, according to a press release from the Guam Fire Department.

First responders from the fire department reached the 35-year-old woman at 11:25 a.m. and began medical treatment.

Meanwhile, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam informed Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 of a fallen hiker with possible head and spinal injuries, squadron spokesman Lt. j.g. Juan Suarez told Stars and Stripes by email Monday night.

The squadron dispatched an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter from Andersen Air Force Base to the scene, where the crew picked up the patient. The crews flight surgeon treated the woman for her injuries en route to Naval Hospital Guam.

The woman arrived at the hospital around 12:25 p.m., according to the fire department. The remaining members of her hiking party returned on foot with the first responders.

The injured womans status was not immediately clear, Suarez said.
GRESHAM, Ore. (Tribune News Service)  This all started because of an abandoned roll of film.

Back in 1960, someone took the roll to Zimmermans 12-Mile Store to be developed  and then forgot to pick it up. The prints remained at the Gresham retailer for decades, hidden away on a back shelf, until finally the store closed and, in 2005, the building was torn down. The photographs, along with the unclaimed snapshots from other Zims customers, ended up being donated to the Gresham Historical Society & Museum.

Silvie Andrews, the director of the small museum, recently put a handful of the images online, a preview for an exhibit showcasing everyday local moments.

One of the photos shows a wintry scene, with shovel-wielding neighbors digging out a red 1957 Lincoln Premiere thats stuck in a snow-clogged road.

The big vehicle, an Eisenhower-era classic with spiky fishtails, was ordinary enough for its time. The couple inside it, however, was anything but.

Family memories

Chris Gattman, scrolling through social media, immediately recognized the car and the street.

The Lincoln belonged to the local flight instructors grandparents, Charles and Lillian Gattman. The car was spinning its wheels on the street where the couple lived  220th, near Ash.

The Gattman family was a little stunned at the appearance online of the 60-year-old photograph theyd never seen before. It was as if Charlie and Lil had suddenly walked back into their lives.

Not that theyd ever really left. Charlie died in 1995 at 74, his wife 14 years later at 85, but their impact on the family continues to resonate.

Chris started going through boxes he had in storage, pulling out photos and documents from a world so alien to todays that it could be Mars  a world where heroes lived quietly, almost secretly, in small suburban houses and drove big, fishtailed cars.

Charlie Gattman worked for Meier & Frank for 35 years, refinishing furniture. The companys nondescript workshop on Northwest Irving Street looked out at warehouses and the old viaduct in what is now the upscale Pearl District.

He loved it, Chris says. Thats all he did.

But there was more to Charlies story than the job he loved and the close family he headed. He was a member of the Greatest Generation, the one where almost every Tom, Dick and Harry had tales to tell of Great Depression deprivation or World War II courage  or both. Not that they ever felt comfortable telling them.

Charlie was one of those guys. He was a middle-school student in Dallas, Texas, when a 19-year-old Bonnie Parker was waiting tables in the small city, preparing to embark on her short but sensational crime spree with boyfriend Clyde Barrow. Charlie, for his part, stayed on the straight and narrow  until the war, that is. Then everything went sideways.

He served as a waist gunner on a B-17 bomber, flying through antiaircraft fire time and again, deep into Nazi Germany. In one impromptu crew photo, he and his colleagues all look a bit dazed. The reason, he told his grandson decades later: Only minutes before, theyd returned to the base without landing gear, bullet holes everywhere. Theyd pulled the ball-turret gunner out of the planes belly at the last possible moment before impact.

Just another day at the office.

Inevitably, Charlies luck ran out. The crews plane burst into flames over the industrial city of Schweinfurst in October 1943. Badly injured by flak, Charlie ended up imprisoned at Stalag 17, the Nazi-run POW camp later made famous by the Billy Wilder movie of the same name.

He emerged from the camp nearly two years later weighing about 90 pounds.

For decades, the only memory Charlie shared from this period of his life was that of seeing the Statue of Liberty come into view when he returned to the U.S. on a convalescent ship. Unless youve lost your freedom, you just dont know what it means, he told his children and grandchildren.

Of course, his wife Lillian was a member of the Greatest Generation too. She didnt go overseas during the war, but she had her own extreme experiences.

She was a force of freakin nature, her grandson Chris says.

Lillian grew up in New Mexico, Montana and other western states during the Depression. Her father, a silver miner, moved the family around a lot. That was fine with Lillian  she didnt mind being on her own, always the new girl in town. She loved to hunt and, by the age of 13, had become an expert poacher.

You got one shot, Chris recalls her telling him, because the echoing boom of the rifle might alert the property owner or game warden. When shed get home with her prize, her parents would share it with every family on the block, to ensure no one turned them in.

Lillian never gave up hunting, even when she no longer needed to do it to survive. It was always her favorite activity.

Oh, she was a crack shot, her son, Charles III  Chris father  says. She was like a legend.

During the war, Lillian moved to Portland to work in the shipyards. After landing a job as a welder, she moved into a room on Victory Boulevard in Vanport City, the massive, thrown-together housing development built for war workers on what is now North Portland parkland.

Charles C. Gattman Jr. and Lillian Smith Busch met in Vanport shortly after Charlie returned from Europe.

A photo captures the new couple with Charlies brother Bob. Charlie looks older than his years, his eyes weighted down by what hed seen and experienced overseas. Lillian looks younger than hers, with a childs playground smile.

That smile probably hurt her face. She hadnt done it in months.

A love lost

The war was hard on everybody, so Lillian didnt complain.

She wasnt a complainer anyway. The young wife would rather take action, and she did.

Her husband, David Lester Busch, whod been her high-school sweetheart in Montana, was a B-24 gunner  and news from him had suddenly stopped arriving. Lillian wrote to the wives of the other men in the bomber crew, trying to make sense of the bits of information that each of them had revealed in their letters home, hoping to figure out where they might be.

One note Lillian wrote, to the wife of the crews nose gunner, prompted a distraught, apologetic response, for, being on the East Coast, the woman had seen David more recently than Lillian had  and had failed to write to Lillian about it.

I can imagine what your opinion of me must be, and believe me, you are perfectly justified in harboring such an opinion, the woman, who called herself simply Mrs. Bourne, wrote.

Mrs. Bourne did her best to make up for it. She recounted how David L. Busch, who Lillian called Les, had talked endlessly about the love of his life.

His main topic of conversation was you, and he considers himself rather lucky to have a girl like you, Mrs. Bourne wrote. He is certainly tops with me and my Jim.

Early in 1945, the War Department reported that David Lester Busch was missing in action over Germany.

For weeks, Lillian peppered various soldiers and their wives with letters, and she wrote to the war department as well, pleading for information and giving the department her own intelligence.

Finally, in late summer, a telegram brought Lillian the news: her husband was dead.

A card later arrived from Gen. George C. Marshall, the Armys chief of staff (and later U.S. secretary of state), stating that Les had fought valiantly in a supreme hour of his countrys need. His memory will live in the grateful heart of our nation.

Decades later, with her grandson, Lillian would go through these letters, telegrams and photographs, tears in her eyes. She hadnt been able to look at them since learning of Les death.

A new beginning

Charlie Gattman arrived in Portland to start a new life, finding a place to live near Victory Boulevard. He and Lillian Busch soon met.

The injured former POW and the mourning widow fell in love almost instantly. They laughed together. Despite all theyd been through, they each managed to keep their sense of humor about the world.

Charlie wasnt jealous of Lillians late husband. He honored Les memory, his son and grandson say, and encouraged Lillian to hold onto personal mementos from her time as Mrs. David L. Busch.

He and Lil soon married, had a baby and, after the Vanport flood forced them to flee inland, settled in Gresham.

With the war behind him, Charlie wanted to become a sheriffs deputy, but because of his mistreatment at Stalag 17B, he couldnt pass the physical. He became a reserve officer instead and went to work at Meier & Frank.

Charlies physical limitations included severe headaches that came on every day of his life, his son says. Id see the pain in his eyes. But he never missed a day of work. He never complained.

Those headaches likely were the result of shrapnel that hit him in the head when his B-17 went down. His captors used sizzling road tar to seal up his wound, he recalled.

Charlie endured relentless suffering at the POW camp, and it was exceeded only by what happened after the Germans abandoned the prison as Allied forces were advancing on it. Charlie and other dying prisoners of war ended up at the Mauthausen concentration camp. There, Charlie witnessed random executions every day, certain his turn was coming.

The U.S. Army liberated Mauthausen in May 1945.

After this ordeal, Charlie just wanted a normal, peaceful life with his beautiful new wife. But he lived in increasingly weird times.

In the early 1960s, a fellow former Stalag 17B prisoner, the illustrator and photographer Ben Phelper, got in touch.

Charlie hadnt known the man during their captivity, but Phelper was reaching out to as many survivors of the camp as he could, figuring these were the men most likely to believe him and help him.

Phelper worked as a bouncer for Jack Ruby, the Dallas nightclub owner who would secure a place in history by murdering President John F. Kennedys accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, on live TV.

The reporter Shelby Scates would recall being there when Ruby offered Phelper the bouncer position, followed by instructions on the art of handlin rowdy broads. The trick was to cinch the ladys upper lip between your thumb and index finger and then pull.

Later that night, Scates told Phelper: You cant take a job with that creep. Hes bad news. Hes a gangster. For the sake of your kids, forget Ruby. Find another job.

Phelper took the job, and at some point in the months that followed he started informing select acquaintances that he knew all about a plot to kill the president.

A decade later, Charlie came upon an article in an obscure publication in which Phelper said he thought he was safe from being murdered himself because he had written everything down that I know of and distributed it to many people for safekeeping.

Charlie wrote in the margin: He gave me a copy of this. Kennedy was to be killed in Dallas, Texas. I was told this sometime before [he was] killed.

Charlie did receive such a letter from Phelper, his son says. Charlie III read it himself when he was a teenager; he recalls it being rambling and impossible to understand. After reading it, he asked his father what it was all about.

My dad said he thought the poor guy had lost it, he was going crazy, he says.

Lillian read it too. She told her husband to stop communicating with Phelper, that the man was nothing but trouble.

After his fathers death, Charlie III remembered the letter but couldnt find it among his fathers possessions. I tore the house apart, he says.

He did, however, find something else. Charlie liked to make use of hidey-holes around the house. It was a personality quirk, maybe a holdover from his POW days. In the months after Charlies death, his son found various documents  as well as photos Charlie had remembered to pick up from Zimmermans 12-Mile Store  hidden away here and there.

And so when Charlie III happened to notice a loose wood panel in his fathers gun room, he pulled it off the wall.

A pile of cash tumbled out, he recalls. He scooped up some of it and rushed into the kitchen, breathing hard, excited.

He would be disappointed. The money, it turned out, was fake. His dads idea of a joke.

Lillian thought it was pretty funny.

dperry@oregonian.com

2022 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit oregonlive.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
During Womens History Month, we celebrate the contributions of women across all spheres of life. But to observe this month honestly, we must acknowledge how womens stories and contributions are often overlooked. Such are the consequences when the authors of history largely are men. The names of so many women who have made history, or recorded it, remain in the shadows.

This is true in the male-dominated field of journalism, notably among war correspondents  and, in particular, combat photographers. The names of the women who worked alongside iconic photographers such as Robert Capa, Nick Ut and Tim Hetherington draw little recognition outside the field. Yet, their noteworthy accomplishments came with an additional obstacle: their gender. Before they saw any fighting, they had to win the fight against sexism. The 20th century attitude toward female journalists was summed up by the comments of the Saigon bureau chief for United Press International in 1967: What the hell would I want a girl for? To fully appreciate their work, we must understand the obstacles female photojournalists had to surmount to be considered capable.

But recognizing their accomplishments is about more than acknowledging gender barriers. Its also about valuing different voices  or visions  in news coverage. Reporting on complex events, such as war and its consequences, requires context, accuracy and insight that demand varied perspectives. This is something students of news literacy learn. News literacy teaches the importance of equitable, diverse and inclusive representation in newsrooms as fundamental to accessible, representative, quality journalism. News literacy also benefits society by enabling us to spot biased or narrow coverage and to identify credible reporting that is crucial to our understanding of the world.

Womens History Month is an excellent time to honor some of the female photojournalists who brought their unique visions to important stories, usually in harms way and often in unwelcoming workplaces.

Dickey Chapelle

Chapelles first big assignment came at age 23 when she covered combat training in Panama for Look magazine. When World War II began shortly after, National Geographic sent her to the front line, where her assignments included battles at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. During the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the secret police captured Chapelle, and she spent nearly two months in solitary confinement. Undeterred, she went on to cover the Cuban Revolution and the Vietnam War, accompanying troops into the jungle, where guerrilla fighting was being waged. Chapelle was killed in Vietnam in 1965 when shrapnel from a tripwire severed her carotid artery while she was on a search and destroy mission with U.S. Marines. She was the first American woman photographer killed in combat. Over her career, Chappelles images captured many facets of war: intense fighting, soldiers at rest, refugees in peril and civilians caught in the middle.

Catherine Leroy

Leroy demonstrated a fearlessness before stepping foot on a battlefield. Just 22 years old in 1966, and with little money and no employer, she left France for Vietnam. Despite this inauspicious start, she is widely considered the most daring photographer in Vietnam. Leroy worked for The Associated Press and UPI and would draw acclaim for a series of photos published in Life magazine that captured a U.S. Navy corpsman tending to a dying Marine. In 1968, North Vietnamese soldiers captured Leroy and a fellow French journalist during the Tet offensive. Calling on their common language, she persuaded her captors to let her take photos, arguing that she could show another side of the war. Life featured these images on its cover, accompanied by a story she wrote. Leroy died in California in 2006.

Adriana Lestido

In the 1980s, Adriana Lestido worked as a journalist with La Voz del Interior and Pagina/12, major newspapers in Argentina. She then turned to long-form projects to shed light on the harsh realities of life for women in her country. Her work during the notorious Dirty War of 1976 to 1983, when Argentinas military dictatorship waged a campaign of terror against leftist political opponents and other citizens it perceived as enemies, made her name. During these years, an estimated 10,000 to 30,000 citizens were killed or disappeared after being taken into government custody. Lestido is probably best known for her photograph of a mother and daughter at a protest demanding the return of the disappeared. The image would symbolize the women-led resistance against the dictatorship. Lestido lives and works in Buenos Aires.

These women paved the way for contemporary war photographers, such as Lynsey Addario, who was kidnapped twice, first in Afghanistan and then in Libya. In 2009, Addario was part of a New York Times team whose Afghanistan coverage earned the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. Her 2015 memoir, Its What I Do: A Photographers Life of Love and War, became a bestseller.

Journalism and society are richer for the contributions of these women, and those contributions will continue if those who follow them are given the opportunities they deserve.

Carol McCarthy, a former newspaper reporter and editor, is the senior director of communications at the News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan national education nonprofit.
Doing any kind of business with Russia, its companies or its oligarchs is now tainted by the invasion of Ukraine  and the deterrent of not wanting to be associated with a pariah nation may prove as effective in bringing Vladimir Putin to heel as the sanctions piling up. While there are always routes around poorly drafted and rushed new restrictions, the fear of being held to account in the court of popular opinion may be the disinfecting sunlight that really does get into all the corners.

Companies and institutions will need to accept financial pain as the price of taking concrete action to punish Russia. But that may prove cheaper than seeing their brands and reputations blackened by association with Putins invasion, and possibly being punished with penalties by regulators down the line.

Nicolai Tangen, who oversees Norways sovereign wealth assets, said on Friday that the $1.3 trillion fund wouldnt offload its Russian holdings. If we sold out of Russia now, it would be a wrapped gift to the oligarchs who buy our shares, he told Bloomberg News. By Sunday, the worlds largest sovereign wealth fund had changed its mind, or had it changed by its government. We want to give a very clear and unequivocal response that the type of abuse we have seen in recent times cannot be accepted, Norwegian Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum said. The $2.8 billion bloc of Russian equities the fund owned at the end of last year has been frozen and will be divested  likely at a loss, given the collapse in Russias stock market.

It marks a political intervention by the fund, which is the kind of mission creep it has long avoided. That departure, along with the swiftness of the turnaround, shows how toxic being financially associated with Russian assets has rapidly become.

A newfound unwillingness to suffer reputational damage has also prompted BP to seek to offload its 20% stake in Rosneft, Russias largest oil producer. Our involvement with Rosneft, a state-owned enterprise, simply cannot continue, BP Chairman Helge Lund said. The company warned that could result in a writedown of as much as $25 billion; with buyers likely to be few and far between, analysts reckon BP may have to take that hit.

And Switzerland, long the destination of choice for money of dubious provenance, has banned its banks from opening new accounts for Russian companies or individuals that feature on the latest European Union sanctions list. The government has also asked finance companies to report their existing links with sanctioned entities, though ministers didnt detail what the outcome of that information gathering would be.

Theres more than reputational risk at stake.

The U.S. Treasury laid down a marker in 2014 by fining BNP a record $9 billion for transactions conducted with countries on a sanctions list including Sudan, Iran and Cuba, in currencies other than dollars, and going back 10 years. The retrospective message was unmistakable: If a financial entity wants to conduct business in the U.S. or in dollars, then it must abide by the spirit as well as the letter of the law.

With the entire democratic world united in condemnation of Russian aggression, executives need to align their corporate responsibilities with the direction of travel set by their governments. The threat of long-term stigma outweighs any consideration of the short-term balance sheet hit from disinvesting Russian assets. Death by a thousand corporate cuts may prove a more effective way of isolating Russia financially than the sweeping official efforts to exclude the country from the global financial system.

Marcus Ashworth, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European markets, spent three decades in the banking industry, most recently as chief markets strategist at Haitong Securities in London. Mark Gilbert, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering asset management, previously was the London bureau chief for Bloomberg News. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  Lacey Quintero knows how to handle the stresses of military life. A Navy veteran, the 36-year-old mother of two is married to a Navy officer stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.

Weve been through multiple deployments as a family, Quintero said Feb. 10 while seated on a picnic table outside the Navy Exchange on the outskirts of the base.

I, myself, am a veteran with multiple deployments under my own belt, and I know how to handle these things, no problem.

But she has reached a breaking point. She, her husband Matthew and their two daughters, ages 3 and 5, have been wracked with headaches, nausea, rashes and a host of other symptoms as a result of drinking and washing with contaminated tap water from the Navys water distribution system.

Theyve essentially lived in hotel rooms since the end of October, due first to her husbands transfer in the fall to Hawaii and then, in early December, being among the thousands of families displaced from homes in military communities near Pearl Harbor after petroleum contamination was discovered in a well used by the Navy.

That well was immediately shut down and isolated from the Navys other two wells.

The Navy has spent the past two months flushing its water system of contamination as families adjust to hotel life until they can return to their homes.

The Navy has divided the roughly two dozen military communities on and around the base into 19 zones to manage the cleanup. Water pipes and appliances within homes are being flushed sequentially, beginning with those closest to the contaminated well and moving outward from there.

The Hawaii Department of Health has declared tap water in the first two zones, Red Hill Housing and Pearl City Peninsula, safe for all uses.

Quintero, like many others, however, remains skeptical that the water in the Navys system will ever be dependably safe. Despite the costs breaking a lease, she and her husband have sought housing outside of the military community.

Not a vacation

Navy spouse Tracey Contreras bristles over suggestions by some that military families lodging temporarily in hotels are living the good life, lounging beside swimming pools and dining in swanky restaurants along Waikiki Beachs bustling Kalakaua Avenue.

This is not a vacation, Contreras said during a Feb. 9 phone interview from the small hotel room she shares with her husband, a petty officer first class, and her mother, who is paralyzed below the waist and recovering from a form of blood cancer. This is not fun for us.

Contreras, 46, moved to the hotel with her mother shortly before Christmas while her husband Eduardo was still in the Middle East on the tail end of a two-year deployment. He rejoined her shortly before the new year.

My mother is in a hospital bed, and she has to have a wheelchair, Contreras said. We were given one room with one bed. I had to ask them if they could remove this tiny couch from the room, and then I myself had to call in a medical company and rent a hospital bed for her.

Hotel policy prevented them from bringing along Contreras two beloved dogs, Lady and Breezy, who had to remain in the familys water-contaminated home in Earhart Village on the joint base.

Last fall, Contreras said she and her mother began experiencing stomach pains. Contreras developed sinus problems, for which she frequently showered in hot water in hopes the steam would be beneficial.

Contreras said she lost most sense of smell from that condition, but her mother began complaining of a bad smell coming from the water.

Contreras soaked their Thanksgiving turkey and vegetables in tap water before roasting them.

The oven belched a strange smelling smoke that even she could smell, she said.

When she touched the roasted turkey with a carving knife, it, like, imploded, Contreras said. The spine of the turkey, every vertebrae, came apart in pieces.

They went ahead and ate it.

Then we were both super, super sick, she said. News reports about the Navys tainted water came out at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend.

Contreras vacillated between anger and anguish as she recalled those events, fuming that the water was contaminated under the Navys watch while initially downplaying residents complaints, grieving that she gave that water to her ailing mother and two dogs.

Died in her arms

On Jan. 19, the day the Navy flushed the pipes of her home, Contreras was in the house holding Lady, the small dog she confesses as her favorite.

She made this cry like Ive never heard before, she said. As she was carrying Lady upstairs to get her away from the hubbub, the dog gasped for breath, coughed, vomited and died in her arms.

This is the dog thats been by my side  my family, she said. When my husbands been away, shes been my cuddle-bug.

Despite the flushing, the water in her home remains tainted. In a video she provided Stars and Stripes shortly after the interview, a strange, rainbow-tinged vapor curls up from a pan of water just drawn from the tap.

She expects her family will have no choice but to move back into the home once the Hawaii Health Department declares her zone as having safe water. She is skeptical, however, about official pronouncements on tap-water purity.

She has contacted rental agents about housing elsewhere but found the family could not afford what they would need.

Were not officers or anything; we dont make a ton of money, she said.

A robust picture

Many of those displaced by contaminated water are not satisfied that only a tenth of homes will be sampled and tested in any given zone before the water is declared safe.

During a Navy daily livestream briefing on Facebook on Feb. 11, Capt. Darren Guenther, chief of staff for Navy Region Hawaii, read a submitted question that many were asking: How can I be 100% sure my water is OK if its not been tested?

The Interagency Drinking Water System Team  whose members come from the Navy, Hawaii Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  developed and approved the plan to begin with an initial sampling of 10% of houses in each neighborhood, Guenther said.

But thats just the start of a long-term testing and monitoring process, he said.

The Navy will test an additional 5% of homes during a three-month period following the initial testing, Guenther said.

That gives them a robust picture of the entire zone, he said.

At the four-month mark, the Navy will test another 10% of homes or buildings and do so again every six months for a two-year period.

Cumulatively, by the time the first two years of testing has concluded, as many as 60% of all the structures will have been tested, Guenther said.

The science of cleansing

Some residents regard the testing scheme as unreliable because of widespread inconsistency of contamination from house to house.

Bonnie Russell, who along with her Navy husband Lawrence, a petty officer first class, and four children were displaced from their home in Caitlin Park, is among those leery of the testing protocol.

I just wish they were testing more than 10% of the houses because when they did the initial home testing  and I had requested my house be tested  [contamination] showed up as trace, Russell said during a Feb. 7 phone interview.

But two doors down from me was the highest result in any private home, she said.

Im not sure Im ever going to trust the water in the sink again.

The Navy did little to bolster her confidence, Russell said, after the service earlier this year issued guidance to residents for cleaning household items of petroleum contamination.

They were directed to clean childrens items that are porous, such as bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups, with dishwashing detergent.

Russell said she and other residents asked the Navy to provide the scientific basis used to determine that commercial dish soaps could remove petroleum contamination.

Unsatisfied with the response, Russell contacted four of the worlds largest detergent manufacturers, including Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive, and asked if any of their dish soaps were effective at removing petroleum contamination from porous surfaces.

All four responded that their products had not been tested to perform such a task, she said.

On the other hand, the Navys guidance to residents for cleansing porous surfaces in items such as coffee machines, ice makers and water dispensers was to simply run large quantities of water through them.

Its all very contradictory, Russell said. Why is plain water going to clean out my dishwasher or refrigerator or water dispenser, but not a baby bottle?

All of this inside our bodies

Back at the exchange, Lacey Quintero said her family is in the process of moving into a 1,200 square-foot apartment in a community beyond the Navys water system. They signed a lease for the apartment, sight-unseen.

The Quinteros arrived in Hawaii from San Diego on Nov. 6 and checked into the Navy Lodge on Ford Island.

We began drinking tap water at the Navy Lodge, she said. Thats the first day we were sick. I personally have been sick since that day.

They moved into a home on Nov. 21 at Officer Field on the joint base. They were not there long.

Everyone in my family took drastic health downturns when we moved in, Quintero said. Their daughters could not sleep at night, plagued with full-body rashes and canker sores in their mouths.

But I had to stop focusing on my kids because my husband and I were so ill, she said. We were up at 3, 4 in the morning just vomiting, with diarrhea, violent stomach cramps, burning like fire in our throats.

The family stopped using the water on Nov. 29, after news broke about possible contamination. They moved into a Waikiki Beach hotel on Dec. 4 when the Navy offered to pay for temporary lodging.

The Navy has flushed the familys house twice, Quintero said. But petroleum fumes in the home give her an instant headache upon entering.

Lab tests she and her daughters underwent this month revealed highly elevated levels of toxins associated with petroleum products.

The risks of moving back into Officer Field are too great to chance, Quintero said.

Now that we have all of this inside our bodies, we cant afford to have any more put in, she said.
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TOKYO  New rules for international travelers arriving in Japan took effect Tuesday, including one that drops the longstanding quarantine requirement for anyone fully vaccinated with a booster shot and three negative COVID-19 tests.

U.S. Forces Japan changed its health protection measures to reflect those changes, command spokeswoman Air Force Lt. Col. Brooke Brander said in an email Tuesday to Stars and Stripes.

Personnel who are up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations (i.e., fully vaccinated and boosted) and have negative pre-departure and arrival COVID-19 tests will not incur a ROM and may use public transportation after they receive the results of their negative arrival test, she wrote.

ROM, or restriction of movement, is a looser form of quarantine in which those affiliated with the U.S. military are permitted to quarantine at home and have access to their installations.

Japan announced plans to lower its quarantine requirements and admit more people, mostly international students and businesspeople, on Feb. 18 as the omicron phase appeared to have peaked in Japan. Up to 5,000 people will be allowed entry each day, up from 3,500, still a fraction of the hundreds of thousands estimated to be awaiting entry to Japan, according to The Associated Press on Monday.

A seven-day quarantine period is still the norm, according to Japanese regulations. But three negative tests  72 hours before arrival, upon arrival and three days after arrival  will end quarantine.

The same applies to unvaccinated individuals, although they must remain in their homes during the three-day period, Brander wrote.

Those who test negative upon arrival may travel by public transportation to their ROM location within 24 hours. They are not permitted public transportation during the remaining ROM period.

Those traveling to Japan by the Patriot Express, the government-contracted air service, or by military aircraft, also must obtain a COVID-19 test upon entry, regardless of vaccination status, according to the email.

Also, the mask mandate is still in place on and off U.S. installations, but individuals on U.S. installations who are fully vaccinated or up to date on their vaccines and can maintain social distancing may do without masks outdoors, Brander said.

The Department of Defense Education Activity in a notice to parents Monday said it was realigning its mask policy at its schools around the globe following revised guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new policy is coming in a few days, DODEA director Thomas Brady wrote.

The CDC loosened its guidelines for communities whose hospitals are not strained due to COVID-19. That means about 70% of the U.S. population may go without masks indoors, including schools, according to a CDC media briefing Friday.

In Japan, tourists are still not allowed entry under the relaxed border controls, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Family members of long-term foreign residents of Japan may apply for a visa in some circumstances, but that provision does not apply to the U.S. population under the status of forces agreement. SOFA, which outlines the rights and responsibilities of U.S. military personnel, excludes service members and their dependents from visa requirements, generally.

Non-SOFA family members may enter Japan in some circumstances under a humanitarian visa, according to Branders email. Humanitarian visa applications are determined on a case-by-case basis by the government of Japan.

On Tuesday, Tokyo reported another 11,813 people had contracted COVID-19, about 2,200 more than Monday and 251 more than one week prior, according to public broadcaster NHK and metro government data. NHK reported 32 people died.

Japan reported 51,016 new infections Monday, 12,607 fewer than the previous day, and 198 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

On Okinawa prefecture, another 1,029 people tested positive Tuesday, nearly 2  times the new cases Monday, according to the prefectural Department of Public Health and Medical Care.

The department reported about 300 people are hospitalized out of 5,675 people recuperating from the disease and filling 46.4% of hospital beds available for COVID-19 cases.

Stars and Stripes reported Mari Higa contributed to this report.
South Korea could become the Ukraine of Asia in the event of conflict between its ally the United States and its neighbor China, the progressive candidate for South Korean president said during a recent televised debate.

Sim Sang-jung, a National Assembly lawmaker and a former leader of the minority Justice Party, explained her vision for South Koreas foreign policy on Friday as Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine. Sim and three other candidates are competing in the election March 9.

In her remarks, Sim compared South Koreas relationships with China and the United States to the ongoing instability in Eastern Europe. Seouls relations with Beijing are experiencing a breakdown, and talk by other candidates of bolstering South Koreas weapons programs may cause considerable tension on the Korean Peninsula, Sim said during the debate.

We should learn from what happened in Ukraine now, she said. "So, to speak, we can be the Ukraine of Asia when some strategic balance in northeast Asia collapses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Russian armed forces into neighboring Ukraine on Thursday. South Korea is among the many nations that have condemned the invasion.

South Koreas government also joined international sanctions against Moscow, and the Foreign Ministry on Monday announced an export ban on strategic items, including semiconductors and aerospace equipment.

China, one of the biggest trading partners for South Korea and Ukraine, has stopped short of condemning Putins invasion and instead urged all sides to negotiate. China also abstained from voting on a U.N. Security Council draft resolution condemning the invasion. The resolution was sunk by Russias veto Saturday.

It is important to reject the Cold War mentality, take seriously and respect the reasonable security concerns of all countries and reach a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiation, Chinas Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement Friday.

China has long held the basic position of respecting all countries sovereignty and territorial integrity and abiding by the purposes and principles of the U.N. charter, the statement said.

President Joe Bidens administration actively supports Kyiv. The U.S. enacted broad sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs, urged European allies to impose their own restrictions against Moscow and approved an additional $350 million in military aid for immediate support to Ukraines defense, according to a State Department press release Saturday.

South Koreas precarious position between China and the U.S. has been a talking point among the leading presidential candidates in the election cycle.

Yoon Seok-youl, a front-runner and the conservative People Power Partys nominee, in recent debates and public speeches has defended the U.S.-South Korea alliance. Yoon advocated for deploying another U.S.-made missile-defense battery in South Korea, a notion criticized by other candidates for its foreign policy implications for China.

Lee Jae-myung, another front-runner and the ruling Democratic Partys candidate, has broadly called for negotiations between all nations and raised concerns about the economic risk to South Korea in taking sides between China and the United States.
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii  The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment to be stood up Thursday in Hawaii represents a significant step forward in the Marine Corps decade-long plan to make its Pacific force leaner and more mobile in response to Chinas growing military might, according to a top Marine Corps official.

The 3rd Marine Regiment, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, will be redesignated during a ceremony as a littoral regiment, the first of three the Corps expects to transition by 2030.

The 3rd Littoral Regiment that is standing up on Thursday, after a year or more of reorganizing, is now built into smaller units that actually are capable of deploying tonight, Gen. Eric Smith, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, told reporters during a conference call Monday.

The existing regiment was organized around its three battalions of roughly 900 Marines each that went on regular, planned deployments, Smith said.

Six-month workup, six-month deployment, you come home, you reset, you deploy again for six months, he said. So that was 3rd Marine Regiment. And they did that for decades, and they did it with excellence. They did it in combat. It was awesome.

The littoral regiments, however, are revamped into units roughly the size of reinforced platoons of 75-100 Marines intended to be low-signature, long-range, highly mobile [and] easily moveable, Smith said.

The regiment's size is expected to be about 2,000 Marines, but that could change as it evolves, Smith said.

The small units will operate within the so-called weapon engagement zone, sustain themselves for short periods while faced with the enemy and deploy new technologies and capabilities in whatever remote Indo-Pacific location they are sent, he said.

That does not mean the regiment is scattered, Smith said.

I hate that term, he said. They are strategically placed via [the Corps sea and air vessels] throughout the first and second island chains in order to change an adversary's calculus.

Those small units will come with various capabilities.

Some will specialize in expeditionary advanced base operations, which can provide Navy ships with surveillance information and provide precision targeting information. The Marine Corps experimented with the concept in August in Hawaii during the Navys Large-Scale Exercise 2021.

Some of those units are designed to jam you, Smith said. Some of those units are designed to deceive you. Some of those units are designed to reinforce logistically our other units. Some are designed to simply collect, to listen and sense what the adversarys doing.

The littoral regiments are specialized to deal with the rising threat of China, Smith said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has described China as Americas pacing threat.

Smith reiterated that assessment several times during the conference call, even when asked to consider Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine last week.

I don't think that what's happening in the Ukraine now changes  or should change  the focus of the stand-up of this first of three Marine littoral regiments, he said.

Because despite what's happening today, with Russia in Ukraine, the pacing threat of China hasn't changed.

Russia has less than half of the United States population of 329 million, Smith said.

China has 1.6 billion inhabitants, he said. So, they are the pacing threat, in terms of GDP, in terms of military size. You can't take your eye off the fastest runner.

The timetable calls for the 4th and 12th Marine Regiments on Okinawa to transition into littoral regiments by 2030, Smith said.

In the shorter term, the Marine Corps has a goal of introducing four new capabilities in the Pacific by the end of 2023, he said.

Standing up the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment will achieve the first of those, Smith said.

Still to come are additional organic aviation lift capacity by way of the Corps KC-130 transport planes; long-range strike capability; and long-range surveillance via the MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle, he said.
The U.S. is signaling its support for democratically run Taiwan with a visit by former national security and defense officials, a trip that comes as Washington heaps sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

A delegation that includes former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen and ex-undersecretary of defense for policy Michele Flournoy arrived in Taipei on Tuesday afternoon, the semi-official Central News Agency reported.

Theyll meet President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday to discuss a range of international issues, including relations between the two sides, the Presidential Office in Taiwan said in a statement. They will also attend a dinner reception later in the day.

Tsai last week downplayed worries that Russias attack could trigger a crisis in Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory to be taken by force if necessary. She also warned the public about external forces using fake information about the situation in Ukraine to sow panic about a possible Chinese threat to the island.

The dispatch of a delegation of former officials to Taipei is intended to send a message of reassurance about U.S. support for Taiwans security, said Bonnie Glaser, director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The signal to Beijing is that the U.S. is not distracted by Russias invasion of Ukraine, and the U.S. has a strong stake in the preservation of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang welcomed Washingtons decision to arrange the trip.

President Biden sending this senior delegation to Taiwan at this time of great change in the world shows the significance of U.S.-Taiwan ties and Taiwans status, as well as the fact that the U.S. highly values regional peace, he said in the legislature in Taipei.

Su also said that central bank has enough U.S. dollar liquidity to keep the local currency dynamically stable in the event of large fund outflows. Foreign investors have been net sellers of local stocks in recent sessions amid investor concern over the fighting in Ukraine, helping send the Taiwan dollar to its lowest close since mid-October last week.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing Tuesday that the U.S. should stop all forms of official interaction with Taiwan, and handle Taiwan-related issues in a prudent manner lest it should further undermine the larger interests of bilateral relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The Chinese people are firmly determined to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

The U.S. visit comes as Taiwan makes its own gesture of support for Ukraine. A flight containing 27 tons of medical supplies for Ukraine departed from Taoyuan airport Monday night bound for Frankfurt, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Officials in Taipei see the risk of China launching an imminent attack some 160 km (100 miles) across the Taiwan Strait as low. Thats because Beijing wants stability before a congress of the ruling Communist Party later this year that is likely to hand President Xi Jinping a precedent-busting third term in power and also because the Peoples Liberation Army is seen as lacking the capabilities to guarantee the success of any venture.

Still, China has maintained its military pressure on Taiwan in recent days. Taiwan detected nine Chinese military aircraft off its southwest on Feb. 24, the day Russia mounted its attack on Ukraine. Then on Feb. 26, the U.S. Navy sent a destroyer through the strait.

The Seventh Fleet said in a statement that the move was intended to show the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Wen-Ti Sung, a lecturer in Australian National Universitys Taiwan Studies Program in Taipei, said another item on the U.S. delegations agenda could be explaining to officials how the island fits into the Biden administrations new strategy for the region.

Washington unveiled that plan last month as it seeks to strengthen its role in the region to counter what it sees as the growing threat posed by China.
Just last week, many European countries were still so somnolent about the threat Russia posed to Ukraine that Germanys spy chief was caught unawares in Kyiv when the Kremlin invasion started. He had to be extracted in a special operation.

But over just a handful of days, Europe has been shocked out of a post-Cold War era  and state of mind  in which it left many of the democratic worlds most burning security problems to the United States.

The continent has in some ways leapfrogged the United States, which  though many policymakers credit the Biden administration for helping to coordinate  wasnt prepared for the speed of the European change. And it has been dizzying for some of the continents Russia hawks, especially those in Eastern Europe who campaigned for tougher measures against the Kremlin for years but were ignored by bigger countries including Germany, Italy and France.

Thats how it felt to Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, who sat down in his office in the Latvian capital of Riga late Sunday to take part in a video conference with fellow European Union foreign ministers. On the call they agreed to another round of sanctions that days prior would have been unimaginable. They included banning Russian state media in the E.U., harsh sanctions on Russian banks, and even using E.U. funds to pay for countries shipments of weaponry to Ukraine  a step so outside the ordinary operations of the 27-nation bloc that some policymakers didnt realize it was an option.

Right now Im taking part in the E.U. foreign affairs council, feeling like the show The Visible is the Unbelievable,  a long-running Russian popular science program, Rinkevics wrote on Twitter, posting a photo of his computer screen showing a checkerboard of small video images of foreign ministers. Were deciding on things that seemed unbelievable a week ago.

The countries taking action against Russia stretch around the world. Japan announced on Monday that it, like other countries, will impose sanctions on Russias central bank and on senior officials in Belarus. Australia meanwhile said it would sanction Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian leaders and would supply weaponry to Ukraine.

But no region other than Europe has overturned its foreign policy orthodoxies in a heartbeat. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared he would vastly increase his countrys defense spending and start shipping arms to Ukraine. A top leader of the German Green party  which grew out of an anti-nuclear power movement decades ago  declared an openness to keeping his countrys nuclear plants operating if it helped reduce reliance on Russian energy.

Eight member nations of the European Union said they wanted to start membership negotiations with Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said shed be open to it, and on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky formally sent an application to Brussels.

Its the end of an era, said former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who was once dismissed by a Finnish leader as having post-Soviet stress for his hawkish approach to Russia.

What you grew up in, the last 30 years, is over, he said he told a group of college students late last week. We are somewhere else.

The situation on the ground has led countries to understand neither Biden nor the East Europeans were crazy, Ilves said.

Finland and Sweden, who have long held themselves apart from NATO, are seriously considering joining the defense alliance. A poll published Monday by Finlands public broadcaster showed 53 percent of Finns favored membership. Even Switzerland, the mountainous redoubt of neutrality and hidden bank accounts, declared Monday it would freeze top Russians assets.

During a six-hour meeting in Brussels on Thursday night that included an emotional video call-in from Zelensky that left some E.U. leaders in tears, the presidents and prime ministers even discussed the possibility of unilaterally halting the purchase of Russian oil and gas upon which they depend. That could force European factories to close for lack of power  and the leaders set aside the discussion for the time being. But that the idea was floated was a measure of Europes new world.

Russias invasion is against the values Europe believes in, said Nathalie Tocci, the head of the Italian Institute of International Affairs and an adviser to the European Unions foreign policy chief. We see the risk that it could possibly tip beyond Ukraine itself. Faced with a 1939 scenario, wed be crazy not to change paradigm. What we dont know is whether it is sufficient. What is already crystal clear is that its necessary.

Policymakers and analysts described a months-long campaign by the Biden administration to share intelligence briefings, pressure powerful countries that they might need to make sacrifices, and coordinate among a disparate group of 27 E.U. member states. Those countries range from the Russia-friendly  Hungary  to the Russia-fearful - many formerly Communist states  to those that have powerful business ties to Moscow, including Germany and Italy.

The Biden team negotiated economic measures and made countless phone calls to European officials. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv, Berlin, Riga and other European capitals.

The coalition that this week laid out unprecedented sanctions, the largest ever to target an economy of Russias size, did not emerge out of nowhere, said Ivo Daalder, a U.S. ambassador to NATO under former president Barack Obama who now heads the Chicago Council on Foreign Affairs. It had to be built.

As far back as November, Daalder said, European officials were reporting that the Biden administration was pressing them hard on the need to prepare a coordinated sanctions package they hoped, at the time, might deter Putin from acting.

While there were cracks as recently as earlier this month among countries analysis - with the United Kingdom and United States for example predicting a major Russian assault and France and Germany taking a more skeptical view  those fissures disappeared when Putin moved into action.

Biden and Blinken basically herded the cats, many of which were quite reluctant, Ilves said. Otherwise youd have a lot of people running around in all directions.

Doug Lute, who served as U.S. ambassador to NATO from 2013 to 2017, said American leadership was key in bringing NATO countries together to face a common threat.

Lute characterized Bidens attempt in recent months to orchestrate pressure on Russia and encourage countries with deeper ties to Russia to adopt a stronger stance as a diplomatic surge, involving intelligence sharing, consultations on sanctions and more.

The last time NATO was as united as it is today was Sept. 12, 2001, when the alliance for the only time in its history invoked the Article V mutual defense clause in response to the terrorist attacks on the United States, Lute said.

A senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly, said the Biden administration has sought as a guiding principle in its foreign policy to restore American engagement with the world. The official cited nearly five months of efforts by the administration to telegraph the threat it believed Russia posed in Ukraine and bring partners together in response.

The fact you now have the world coming together, this didnt happen by accident, the official said. This happened by dint of a lot of hard work.

After the Russian invasion last week, Scholz felt the countrys path was clear, said his spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit.

Putin underestimated the ability of Europe and the Western partners to show unity and resolve, Hebestreit said. We have decided on major sanctions, probably some of the sharpest sanctions that have been decided upon in modern times against [a] state.

The scales are falling from peoples eyes, said Alexander Vershbow, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and NATO deputy secretary general. There are no more illusions or hopes about cooperating with Russia.

The current moment might serve to alter the defense equation in Europe, adding gravity to Europeans sense of needing to protect themselves and potentially relieving the U.S. burden there if there is increased European spending and troop reinforcements on the continent. That would allow the United States to take up its long-planned shift toward Asia, said Vershbow, who is now a fellow at the Atlantic Council.

In the end, many said, Putin made the choice simple.

Putin made us realize that we really are dependent on each other and that we have to close ranks, which is what we did, said Hannah Neumann, a German Green member of the European Parliament. I think Putin is surprised that we really did it. And I can tell you, we are also a bit surprised by the extent and speed with which we really did it.

And others said the transformation will endure.

We have to accept as Germans that we have to pay for our security in economic terms, that we can no longer hope for Pax Americana - that we can make our business with whoever we want, and somebody else will pay the economic price for our security, said Franziska Brantner, a state secretary at the German Economy Ministry who was involved in her countrys shift on defense spending and weapons deliveries to Ukraine. These days are over.
RZESZOW, Poland  NATO airspace will not be used to transfer fighter planes to the Ukrainian military, alliance leaders said Tuesday after a meeting in Poland, where top U.S. commanders were on hand for high-level security talks.

Ukraine has requested additional military hardware from the West to help stave off Russias full-scale invasion, which was on its sixth day when the NATO talks occurred.

But one day after a top European Union official said some countries were ready to provide fighters to Ukraine, NATO appears to have put on the brakes.

NATO is not going to be part of the conflict, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. So NATO is not going to send troops into Ukraine or move planes into Ukrainian airspace.

On Monday, the European Unions high representative, Josep Borrell, said numerous countries were prepared to provide Ukraine with fighter jets. And Ukraines parliament said Monday that Poland was among the countries ready to provide Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters.

Polish President Andrzej Duda spoke ambiguously Tuesday about how or whether those planes would arrive.

We are not going to send any jets into Ukrainian airspace, said Duda, who did not indicate if Poland was considering an aircraft transfer over land, or who else might be delivering them.

Dudas statement comes as the U.S. and its NATO allies ramp up military support for Ukraine while trying to avoid getting drawn into the war. Duda said allowing Polish jets into Ukrainian airspace would risk putting NATO into direct conflict with Russia.

U.S. President Joe Biden also has repeatedly ruled out any direct American military involvement in Ukraine, saying such a move would risk a world war.

Still, allies say they remain committed to providing weapons to Ukraine, which means arms must cross the border one way or another.

In Lask on Tuesday, Stoltenberg and Duda met with several U.S. commanders, including NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Tod Wolters and Gen. Christopher Cavoli, the top U.S. Army general in Europe.

The meeting in Poland came as elements of NATOs spearhead force hit the ground in Romania, marking the first time in history that the quick-reaction unit has been mobilized.

Today, French troops are arriving in Romania as the lead element of this force, Stoltenberg said.

The unit, formally known as the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, is currently led by France. Other parts of NATOs response force also are expected to deploy and will incorporate U.S. soldiers.

The U.S. has sent thousands of troops to central and Eastern Europe in moves aimed at reassuring allies and signaling military resolve to Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lashed out at Western military support for Ukraine and economic sanctions that have dealt a severe blow to the Russian economy.

On Sunday, Putin ordered his military to put Russian nuclear forces into a "special mode of combat duty." The nuclear saber-rattling has heightened fears that the war could spread beyond Ukraine.

Meanwhile, weapons shipments continue to flow into Ukraine, Stoltenberg said. Among the supplies are anti-tank Javelins, Stinger missiles, small arms and ammunition.

President Putin has shattered peace in Europe, Stoltenberg said. Allies condemn the unjustified and brutal invasion of Ukraine. The Russian assault is totally unacceptable.

The weapons deliveries are not just confined to NATO states. Both Sweden and Finland are sending arms into Ukraine as well.

And on Tuesday, Finlands parliament launched a debate on whether the country should now consider joining NATO. Although it is a longtime close partner of the alliance, Finland has historically been reluctant to formally join the alliance.

But public opinion has shifted in the country, which has Europes longest border with Russia, and more Finns now favor coming into NATOs fold.
The Russian military is branching out from relying heavily on guided missiles in its bombardment of Ukraine, firing more artillery, rockets and other weapons that can be difficult to aim precisely and cause devastating carnage in civilian areas, military experts said.

The shift comes as the Pentagon assesses that Russia is pivoting to siege warfare in the cities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv, and could do so in the capital, Kyiv. Such tactics are notoriously horrifying, trapping civilians under fire as an invading force encircles a city and prevents food, ammunition and medical supplies from entering.

Military analysts said that Russias initial battle plan appeared nonsensical and haphazard, with Russian soldiers launching a ground invasion after a brief bombardment that primarily struck military targets but failed to knock out all Ukrainian air defenses. Invading forces, operating with little logistical support and air cover, appeared to expect little resistance, but instead have clashed with Ukrainians in bloody fights.

Russian commanders appear to be reconsidering their approach, analysts and U.S. government officials said.

Im seeing reorganization, said Michael Kofman, the director of Russian studies at CNA, a Virginia-based think tank. Theyre coalescing into larger units, theyre pulling up logistics and theyre starting to use more artillery and air power.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagons current assessments, affirmed Tuesday that it does appear Russia is regrouping. Russian forces have begun frequent use of a multiple rocket-launch system that can employ unguided cluster munitions and thermobaric rounds, made at least one flight with a Su-34 bomber, and built a 40 mile-long column comprising hundreds of tanks and other armored vehicles north of the capital, Kyiv, Russias primary objective.

When Russia launched its invasion Thursday, it fired more than 100 missiles into Ukraine, primarily at airfields and other military targets. The initial salvo included a mix of cruise missiles fired from ships and Iskander ballistic missiles that are reasonably accurate, said Rob Lee, a former Marine Corps infantry officer who is now a senior fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

As of Tuesday, the Russians had launched a total of about 400 missiles - which have guidance systems and are relatively precise, experts say. But as they have faced stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces, Russia has begun to employ rocket systems and other methods in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, around which some of the heaviest fighting has occurred. On Tuesday, an explosion appeared to a rock a government center and nearby intersection as cars sat in traffic, according to video of the attack. It wasnt clear what caused it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned the shelling, calling it a war crime.

The rocket launcher fires rapid volleys of unguided munitions, and can carry cluster munitions, which indiscriminately disperse small bomblets upon detonation to inflict maximum casualties. Amnesty International accused the Russian military on Monday of killing civilians, including children, with the rounds, which are condemned by the majority of the international community.

Oksana Markarova, Ukraines ambassador to the United States, told reporters Tuesday that Russia also has used a vacuum bomb, a colloquial name given to thermobaric weapons due to the way they suck in oxygen from the surrounding air upon detonation to produce a larger explosion.

The Pentagon has stopped short of confirming reports about the specific types of ordnance being used by Russian forces in Ukraine, while acknowledging it is assessing the situation.

Lee, with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his advisers will have difficult days ahead if they cause major destruction. While Russia leveled residential areas in Syria and Chechnya in earlier conflicts, it is not clear that Putin is comfortable doing so in a nation whose history is closely intertwined with Russias when it could have political fallout for him, he said.

If youre going to go into cities, you have to be prepared to destroy them, and thats going to mean that a lot of Russians die, and a lot of civilians die, Lee said. I dont know if theyre really going to be willing to massacre all these civilians.

Its been challenging for the Pentagon and independent observers to thoroughly assess what weapons and tactics Russian commanders are employing, even as imagery of battle damage and explosions circulate widely online. In one example, a video of a missile hitting a high-rise apartment building drew international attention, but it now appears the damage may not have been caused by Russia.

Jeffrey Lewis, who studies missile warfare in California at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said his team assessed it was most likely an errant surface-to-air missile. We cant tell whether it is Ukrainian or Russian, but the former would be more likely, Lewis said, given the strikes location.

Lewis said Russias initial strikes looked pretty accurate, as Iskander missiles tend to be. He predicted that Russia will shift next to using more rocket artillery.

Kofman, with CNA, said the Russian plan so far has not made any sense, putting rank-and-file soldiers in combat with few resources as the Russian air force is largely missing in action. The senior U.S. defense official at the Pentagon said Tuesday that the United States believes rank-and-file Russian soldiers are now coping with fuel and food shortages.

Lee said he has been left wondering whether the Russians are experiencing shortages of specific weapons. He cited Krasnopol laser-guided artillery rounds, which have been used in Syria in conjunction with drones to spot targets, improve accuracy and assess battle damage, he said.

The haphazard planning raises questions, too, as to whether Putin withheld his invasion plan from military staff officers for too long to effectively coordinate, Lee said. He doubted that rank-and-file Russians soldiers are ready for a more aggressive fight, citing videos in which civilians have taunted them and stopped their vehicles without being killed.

Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general at RUSI, a London think tank, said that many observers thought Russia would have done better in dominating the skies, and the fact that Ukraine continues to fly jets and Turkish-made drones exposes a weakness in the Russian military.

Chalmers said Russia has an advantage with its rockets and artillery, but he predicted that plans to take large cities will prove particularly difficult.

It takes a lot of personnel. You can bomb a city to smithereens but there are lots of place to hide, to go underground, he said. They will have to fight block by block if the resistance continues.

- - -

The Washington Posts Karla Adam in London contributed to this report.
A Southern California couple and their newborn daughter escape Ukraine, one step at a time

(Tribune News Service)  Jessie Boeckmann was in a Ukrainian hospital room with her newborn baby when she was awakened by the sound of explosives.

She roused her husband, Jacob, and climbed out of bed to look through the window.

What are you doing?

I just heard bombs go off.

Are you sure? he asked.

Seconds later, more explosions. It was clear. The city was under attack.

The couple from Orange County had come to Kyiv for the surrogate birth of their daughter, Vivian. But starting on the morning of Feb. 24 they were caught up in the biggest military invasion on European soil since World War II. The explosives outside their window launched them on a harrowing journey of escape.

For the next 34 hours, the two parents and their days-old daughter would travel by car and, for nearly eight miles, on foot, in freezing weather. They would eventually arrive at Ukraines border with Poland, a place teeming with desperation, as thousands of other refugees waited to escape the war.

Through it all, Jessie literally wore her baby, carrying Vivian under heavy coats in a sling that hung against her chest. At one point, a guard looked at the newborn and asked just one question:

Is she alive?

Russian invasion

This wasnt the first time the Costa Mesa couple traveled to Ukraine to expand their family. In 2019, their older daughter, Mary  named after both of her grandmothers  was born in Ukraine, also through a surrogate.

But that was a completely different experience than what the Boeckmanns encountered this time. From the instant the bombs went off, Jesse Boeckmann said, life went from business as usual  normal, everyday things  to complete chaos.

The attack, they both added, seemed to surprise many Ukrainians.

We were aware of media reports and were monitoring what was happening, said Jacob Boeckmann, 40, a plastic surgeon who owns Pacific Coast Facial Plastic Surgery in Laguna Niguel and also works at the UC Irvine Medical Center.

But once we arrived in Kyiv (on Feb. 13,) we found that no one was really believing that Russia would ever invade, he added. It was, literally, business as usual.

Vivian was born two days before the first explosions  a 2/22/22 baby. In Ukraine, unlike the U.S., newborns are required to stay two to three days in the hospital to ensure theyre OK before going home.

On Thursday, after the explosions, the couple contacted their driver and asked to be picked up ASAP. But the drivers wife also was pregnant, so he backed out. Still, he got them another driver, Val, who spoke only Russian, forcing them to communicate via a Google translation app.

Jessie called Val one of the angels on their journey.

I told Jacob several times, I dont understand why this driver doesnt make us get out of the car and just leave us, said Jessie, 39, an ophthalmologist with Acuity Eye Group in Costa Mesa.

The ride from Kyiv to the U.S. Embassy in Lviv, Ukraine was supposed to be six hours. But when they got word that the embassy shut down, they turned toward the border between Ukraine and Poland. Val drove them for some 27 hours in heavy traffic on two-lane highways.

All the while, the drivers family was calling him.

A female kept calling him on the phone and yelling at him in Russian. I assume it was his wife or daughter. He would yell back at her and hang up, Jessie said.

The drivers family wanted him back home, the couple surmised.

I knew what that tone meant, Jacob said.

Maybe it was the tiny baby in her arms that prompted the man to take such risks and stay with the couple. Maybe it was routine decency. Jessie says, I cant thank him enough, from the bottom of my heart.

As they drove, the couple spotted huge lines snaking around gas stations and ATMs. They drove past tanks and soldiers; they saw young children walking on the side of roads carrying luggage. The temperatures hovered mostly in the 20s.

She has a baby, 4 days old!

As they came near the border, the traffic simply stopped. It was around 2 a.m. Friday, Feb. 25, and they all decided to sleep in the car for a few hours. At daybreak, cars resumed moving  but only briefly. By 9 a.m. traffic again was at a standstill.

They faced a decision. They still had about eight miles to reach the border, and the air was below freezing. But travel by automobile was no longer viable.

So Jessie put Vivian in her sling and Jacob picked up their two backpacks and luggage. And they joined the human line of newly minted Ukrainian refugees hoping to stay alive by fleeing their homeland.

The smell of auto fumes was overwhelming. They stopped frequently to check on the baby. And they walked.

We were so close to the border, Jacob said. We thought things would improve.

That did not happen.

It was a big  crowded area without any crowd control or anyone directing traffic, Jessie said. Everybody would slam into each other. Think of a mosh pit.  But here, there was desperation.

Theres no food, no blankets, no water, no bathrooms, no order, no calm, she said. Theres no hope.

Time passed and tensions grew. So did the crowd trying to get through two gates.

As they waited, Jacob traded emails with officials with the U.S. Embassy. Jacob said they suggested that he plead our case with the border guards.

As Americans, they were told, they should be able to get through the gate.

But first they had to get close.

As they stood in the crowd a man asked Jessie how old the baby was. Four days old, she said, before breaking down in tears.

That bit of information seemed to change things.

You know how crowds take a life of their own? Jacob asked.

(The man) started yelling She has a baby! Four days old! Let her through!

The crowd decided Jessie and our daughter deserved priority, Jacob said. They literally pushed Jessie and the baby through hundreds if not thousands of people to get her to the front.

It was an act of God, he added. People found it in their hearts to push her to the front of the lines.

But as she moved forward, Jessie, already worried that the baby could suffer from hypothermia, feared a different disaster.

They were pushing me into the people in front of me. I was so worried that my baby would be crushed. I was yelling at them I have a baby. I was crying.

Jacob, meanwhile, was left behind.

I pleaded my case, he said. But his situation was not unique. Were all trying to get through, he was told.

Hours later, their luggage left behind, Jacob edged closer to the gates.

There was increasing volatility in the crowd. A lot of people were yelling at each other. There was a sense of desperation, Jacob said.

Only women and children were being let out.

Meanwhile, Jessie had found her second set of angels with a Ukrainian American family that had also crossed over. While they were processing through customs, they helped her with the baby and held her spot in line. She turned back to yell to Jacob that she needed him to pass over baby formula, baby clothes and some documents.

Unlike the war-driven chaos of Ukraine, Poland offered order. The Red Cross was on hand. There was water and currency exchange. A volunteer driver  Jessie said her third angel  took Jessie, and Vivian and their new friends to a hotel some 90 minutes away. Jessies mother, Mary Miller of Arkansas, working with a friend whos a travel agent, had secured them a room.

Jacob not allowed to cross

Jacob, meanwhile, was in Ukraine. The guards werent letting him cross; they told him his American passport was fake.

I pleaded and pleaded, Jacob said. After several hours, I made the guard mad because I wouldnt shut up.

It eventually took the intervention of the U.S. Embassy and Congress members (Reps. Steve Womack and Rick Crawford) from the couples home state, Arkansas, to get Jacob out of Ukraine.

The  embassy emailed a picture of my passport to the head guard, along with my phone number, Jacob said. I got a call from a guard and he escorted me across.

Jessie escaped Ukraine at 5 p.m., 34 hours after they had left Kyiv. Jacob crossed five hours later.

Its unclear how many Americans are still in Ukraine.

A State Department spokesperson wrote in an e-mail that the U.S. government doesnt provide that information. The government has opened a welcome center for U.S. citizens at the SPA Gloria Hotel in Przemysl , Poland, near the border. Other support teams also are working in other countries near the Ukrainian border, she wrote.

Back in Kyiv, the surrogate who gave birth to Vivian saw the apartment building she was staying in bombed. She was unharmed and able to travel to her hometown, several hours away, to be with her husband and their two children.

Her husband wants to fight the Russians, Jessie said. Hes going to war.

The Boeckmanns added that news accounts, as dire as some may look, do not begin to convey the scope of the unfolding tragedy.

What were able to see on TV is just a sliver of the reality of whats going on in Ukraine.

Were praying these people can find peace, he said. Theyre just like you and me. They live in a democracy that was just attacked for no reason.

Jacob said he feels guilty that he and his wife and new baby have a home to return to.

We know were lucky because we get to go home.

The family is hoping to fly back home Tuesday.

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The government of Ukraine is asking foreign citizens to help fight its war. And some are heeding the call, despite immense personal risk and uncertain legal grounds.

On Tuesday, Ukraine temporarily lifted visa requirements for foreign volunteers who wish to enter the country and join the fight against Russian forces. The move came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky created the International Legion of Territorial Defense over the weekend and called on volunteers to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter that anyone interested in participating should contact Ukraines diplomatic missions in their respective countries. Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too, Kuleba said Sunday.

Foreign citizens have been fighting in Ukraine since 2014, when Russia-backed separatists seized parts of the Donbass region. But experts who track foreign fighters say this is a step far beyond that in ambition. Ukrainian embassies are openly involved in the recruitment of fighters, while Western governments have offered support for those who wish to join the Ukrainian side.

Its potentially way, way bigger than it was in 2014, said Kacper Rekawek, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Research at Extremism at the University of Oslo who has studied foreign fighters in Ukraine. Rekawek put the number of foreigners involved in that earlier fighting at around 1,000.

The risks are extraordinary. Ukrainian cities have weathered cycles of intense shelling, and talks between Kyiv and Moscow did not produce any breakthroughs. At least 11 people were killed in the eastern city of Kharkiv on Monday, and more were injured, Ukrainian officials said. Suspected cluster munitions struck buildings in residential parts of the city.

Its very dangerous for people to travel [to Ukraine] at the moment, said Ed Arnold, a research fellow for European security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank. Fighting in a war is not as easy as picking up a weapon and just going to fight, he said.

Arnold, who served as an infantry officer in the British army, said it may be safer for those with military training. However, if you have no military training, its a very silly idea, he added.

So far, most of the foreign fighters in Ukraine are from other post-Soviet states like Georgia and Belarus. Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of a group called the Georgian Legion already fighting in Ukraine, said that he was coordinating with the government in Kyi to help receive international fighters. He currently had more than 200 men under his command, he said.

Theyre mostly Georgian, but there are different nationalities, Mamulashvili said, adding that among his unit were people from Britain, the United States, Albania and India. Its a lot of different guys, and we are waiting for more, Mamulashvili said.

The Georgian Legion was the only international group in Ukraine. It was now the Georgian fighters responsibility to create a bigger, lets say, brigade, Mamulashvili said.

If the numbers grow as hoped the Ukrainian war could mark the greatest recruitment of international fighters in Europe since the Spanish Civil War.

At least 50,000 people joined International Brigades in support of the Soviet-backed Republican cause in Spain between 1936 and 1938. Though the Republicans were ultimately defeated by Nazi-aligned Nationalist forces, they became an international cause celebre for the left, inspiring writing by George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway.

Lisa Kirschenbaum, a professor of history at West Chester University, said there while there were no similar ideological appeals made by Ukraine, there were clear parallels between the recruitment of foreigners during the Spanish war and the current recruitment in Ukraine, even down to the language used.

The framing of the call for volunteers, equating the war against Hitler and the war against Putin, suggests a more symbolic role, or, if you like, propaganda purpose, Kirschenbaum wrote in an email. The arrival of foreign volunteers effectively marks Ukraines cause as the cause of the civilized world.

In remarks and votes, officials in various European nations have allowed or appeared to encourage their nationals to fight on behalf of Ukraine.

On Monday, lawmakers in Latvia voted unanimously to allow Latvian citizens to fight in Ukraine, according to Reuters. In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Sunday that there is nothing at first sight that would legally prevent someone from going to Ukraine to participate in the conflict, on the Ukrainian side.

In Canada, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said Sunday that while the government has warned that traveling to Ukraine is dangerous, joining the fight is an individual choice that Canadians can make for themselves.

We understand that people of Ukrainian descent want to support their fellow Ukrainians and also that there is a desire to defend the motherland, and in that sense it is their own individual decision, Joly said at a news conference.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told the BBC on Sunday that she supported people in Britain who might want to travel to Ukraine to join the fight, adding that Ukrainians were fighting for freedom, not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.

However, on Monday British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was asked on Sky News about Trusss comments and said there are better ways for civilians to contribute to the security of Ukraine.

While he agreed with Truss that Ukraine is defending democracy, traveling to Ukraine can be dangerous for people with no military background, Wallace said. If youre keen to help and youre a United Kingdom citizen, come and join our armed forces, he said.

Other countries have been more cautious still. Ukrainian authorities have said Monday that the Georgian government is blocking a charter flight from Tbilisi to Poland that contained foreign citizens ready to fight.

Georgian Legion commander Mamulashvili said that about 500 Georgians had been expected to join him in Ukraine before the flight was blocked. I would say the Georgian government is totally pro-Russian and supporting the Russian occupation of Ukraine, Mamulashvili added, though Georgia has itself been invaded by Russia and condemned the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Some countries also have laws that could prohibit citizens from fighting in Ukraine. In the United Kingdom, a law from 1870 bans fighting alongside any country at war with a country that is at peace with Britain. However, the law hasnt been used for a century, including during the Spanish Civil War.

Most Western focus on foreign fighters in recent years has been on citizens who join extremist groups, such as the Islamic State in Syria. Though the British government did try to prosecute some citizens who fought with Kurdish militias in northern Syria, the cases fell apart due to the difficulty in establishing if these were terrorist acts.

There is a gray area, said Rekawek, the researcher from the University of Oslo. Were in this fantastic world in a sense in which being a foreign terrorist fighter is illegal everywhere. But being a foreign fighter? Oh, thats a slightly different kettle of fish.

Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who tracked the role of foreign citizens during the Syrian war, said that the context of Ukraine made it significantly different for Western governments.

The foreigners who are volunteering to fight on behalf of Ukraine are unlikely to return home and then have an ideology that makes them want to conduct some type of terrorist attack in the heart of London or Paris or Brussels, Zelin said.

But war is unpredictable. There is obviously a danger that among the range of people who might travel to fight for Ukraine would be some who are looking for excitement or simply enjoy fighting, said Anthony Dworkin, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Obviously its understandable why Ukraine would welcome anyone who is ready to fight, but countries should be very cautious about encouraging it, Dworkin added.
WASHINGTON  Roughly 80% of the more than 170,000 troops Russia had surrounding Ukraine for months before invading are now inside the country, though the Ukrainian resistance and supply issues have slowed their advance, a senior U.S. defense official said Tuesday.

Russian forces advancing toward Ukraines capital of Kyiv has made no appreciable movement since Monday when they were approximately 15.5 miles from the center of the city, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Ukrainian resistance and Russian supply issues with fuel have been slowing movement for days, though the official said the U.S. is now picking up signs that [Russia is] having problems feeding their troops.

Not only are they running out of gas, but they are running out of food, the official told reporters at the Pentagon.

The U.S. also believes Russia has exhibited a certain risk aversion for its troops, the official said, noting Russia is not necessarily willing to take high risks with their own aircraft and their own pilots or their ground forces.

Take the amphibious assault for instance, they put those troops ashore a good [43 miles] away from Mariupol because they knew Mariupol was going to be defended and they [couldnt] put them ashore in an uncontested environment. And they still haven't reached Mariupol, the official said.

The U.S. has seen significant numbers of Russian troops  some of whom are Russian draftees  surrendering in Ukraine sometimes without a fight, the official said. A lot of these [Russian] soldiers are conscripts [who have] never been in combat before. Some of them, we believe, weren't even told they were going to be in combat.

Russia reevaluating its approach

However, the pause Tuesday toward Kyiv could partially be deliberate as Russian troops are possibly regrouping, rethinking and reevaluating their approach, the official said.

We don't know exactly why [Russia is] having the logistics and sustainment problems, the official said. Was it a failure of planning and pre-positioning or has it been a failure in the execution? There could be lots of reasons for this, not to mention the [Ukrainian] resistance."

Though the Russian forces have not advanced as fast as the U.S. believes Russia intended, the official urged the public to remain pragmatic and mindful that Russia still has a lot of power available to them.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday warned civilians to leave Kyiv as it plans strikes on Ukrainian military and security facilities in the capital city, according to the Russian state-owned TASS media outlet.

In order to thwart informational attacks against Russia, [Russian forces] will strike technological objects of the [Security Service of Ukraine] and the 72nd [Center for Information and Psychological Operations] in Kyiv, the ministry said.

The announcement could indicate a hardened Russian military strategy to come, the U.S. official said.

"This is war. It's dynamic. We can expect to see them change their approach, the official said. In fact, I would argue that the Russian Defense Ministry's threatening statement today that they're going to start going and attacking government infrastructure in Kyiv is indicative of a change here."

Since the start of the war Thursday, the U.S. has detected 400 launches of short- and medium-range cruise missiles, the official said.

About 285 miles to the east of Kyiv, heavy fighting continues in Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv as the U.S. believes Russia aims to encircle that city, the official said. On Tuesday morning, a Russian missile strike destroyed a government building in the citys Freedom Square.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a speech to the European Union called the strike, which occurred away from Ukrainian military locations, an act of frank, undisguised terror and a "war crime."

We are fighting just for our land and for our freedom, Zelenskyy said. "Every square of today, no matter what it's called, is going to be called Freedom Square, in every city of our country. Nobody is going to break us."

In southeastern Ukraine, Russian troops are still outside Mariupol  but they are close enough now that they could attack Mariupol with long-range fires, the official said.

Throughout the country, neither the Russians nor the Ukrainians have been able to secure the airspace since the war began.

The airspace over Ukraine continues to be contested, the official said. The Russians do not have air superiority over the entire country, but there are areas where they have more control than others.

International response

Ukrainian officials for days have pleaded for the U.S. and other NATO nations to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine as Russia continues to contest the airspace. However, the defense official said there has been no talk at the Pentagon of doing so as President Joe Biden insists no U.S. forces will fight in Ukraine.

The president of the United States  the commander in chief  said we're not going to be fighting in Ukraine and certainly if you were to enact a no-fly zone, that puts you in the fight, the official said.

Also Tuesday, NATO announced it would not allow its airspace to be used to move donated military planes to Ukraine after a top European Union official on Monday said some countries were ready to provide fighter jets to the country.

NATO is not going to be part of the conflict, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. So, NATO is not going to send troops into Ukraine or move planes into Ukrainian airspace.

The decision comes as Ukraine has requested additional military equipment from Western countries to help it fight for its sovereignty. The U.S. has provided about $1 billion is security assistance to Ukraine during the past year, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and other ammunition.

The U.S. has also sent about 14,000 troops to Eastern Europe to support NATO allies near Ukraine. About 4,700 of them were sent to Poland, some of whom are assisting in the evacuation process, the Pentagon has said.

So far, U.S. troops have not had to lend much effort to the evacuation mission. About 70 Americans have fled Ukraine across the border into Poland since Monday while about 500,000 Ukrainians have fled or tried to flee their country, the official said.

[There has been] no major impact on our troops or any need for our troops to assist them, the official said. [Any] assistance has been pretty minor just in terms of food, water, a place to sit down and  some internet access," the defense official said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not decided how long he will keep U.S. troops deployed to the region, but is committed to being able to help using the DOD as much as were needed, a senior defense official said Monday.
CARLISLE, Pa. (Tribune News Service)  Seven months after the United States military left Afghanistan, and three months since he's been in Carlisle, a former major in the Afghan National Army talked Sunday about how he's still being sought after by the Taliban.

The major, whose name The Sentinel is withholding due to the ongoing threats his family and others left behind in Afghanistan face, said he's been able to keep in contact with members of his family who are still in Afghanistan. Through them, he learned about the Taliban's raid on his home this past week.

Amid ongoing reports of revenge killings committed by the Taliban against those who helped Allied forces during the "war on terror," the major counts himself lucky that he and his youngest brother were able to escape. However, a younger brother and former Afghanistan police officer remains in hiding  and his father, wife and child still remain in the country.

"I couldn't bring my family," he said. "It was a rough crowd [at the airport]."

The major's story of joining the military in 2007 to fight for his country's independence and working with Allied forces like NATO was mirrored by many of the men who now find themselves refugees residing in the Carlisle area after being vetted at U.S. military bases.

The Partnership for Better Health in coordination with Bosler Memorial Library and Carlisle Borough held a special welcome reception for Afghanistan refugees Sunday at the library. Area elected and judicial officials, as well as organizations like Sadler Health Center providing information and resources that will help them rebuild their lives in and around Carlisle.

Carlisle Mayor Sean Shultz spoke on behalf of the borough, with remarks also shared by Becca Raley (Executive Director of the Partnership for Better Health), Jeffrey Swope (Executive Director of Bosler Memorial Library) and Sayeed Azhar from the International Service Center, the largest resettlement agency serving the greater Carlisle and Harrisburg area.

The aim of the event was to provide guidance on food assistance from Project SHARE, job searches and English as a Second Language classes at Employment Skills Center, and arts and other activities for children from Carlisle Arts Learning Center and Bosler.

These are basic needs for families who left nearly everything behind.

A two-star general made it out with his family but now faces the task of starting over in a new country. Others were able to evacuate with their wives and children, but currently live in a hotel as they await better housing options. A number, like the major, have already found work, though they may only have bicycles to get there, even during winter.

This has been the process for the refugees who settled locally, all of whom were either interpreters or members of the Afghanistan military. In just a quick list of recognition among those in the crowd, there were colonels and others from the Afghan National Army, a number of surveillance and intelligence officers with the National Directorate of Security (NDS), and those who worked at the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan.

The general was among those who spoke to the crowd, and his words  as well as words from other speakers  were translated by Mohad Ghafoori, who has lived in Carlisle for five years and volunteered to translate at the event. For the general, the U.S. withdrawal and evacuation served as a setback for what he hopes will eventually lead to a democratic Afghanistan.

"The refugee status is being increased across the world, but for Afghans in the U.S., it's different," he said through translation. "The war in Afghanistan was ... important because terrorism was not just a threat to Afghanistan but also throughout the world. We were fighting to save not just Afghanistan but also humanity."

Those like the general and the major find themselves in Carlisle because of local efforts to help those fleeing their country. Rev. Mira Hewlett, executive pastor at Carlisle United Methodist Church, has acted as point person for connecting local sponsors with Afghanistan families who need help, but she was quick to point out that it's a community effort that helped bring refugee families to Carlisle.

"We have 12 sponsorship groups helping 13 families," she said. "Most of the groups have four to five people. They can come from churches, but some are independent groups. Two groups are just neighbors who came together."

Hewlett said there are currently six more families awaiting sponsorships to help them resettle in the Carlisle area. She said the families are chosen based on need and sometimes groups are connected based on their backgrounds, with a military family sponsoring the general's resettlement in Carlisle.

The major was hopeful his family will be among those who make it out of Afghanistan to join him as he and his brother rebuild their lives.

"We're still trying to get them out, that's what's important for us," he said. "For now, every day, I'm familiarizing myself with America, and I'm learning something new. I hope to go to college or do something technical and get a certificate to improve my life in a better way."

ncreason@cumberlink.com

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(Tribune News Service)  A police sergeant in Western North Carolina said he faced discrimination within his department after being called up to active duty in the National Guard to help with the states response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now hes suing.

The N.C. National Guard involuntarily activated Sgt. Brett Foust with the Asheville Police Department several times in 2020 and 2021, his lawyer said in federal court documents. When he returned to the police force, Foust was reportedly denied training opportunities and nearly declared unfit for duty unless he passed multiple fitness exams.

The APD did not have cause to send him for a fitness for duty examination, failed to follow policy in doing so, and only sent him on leave as a pretext to substantiate an intended termination of Sergeant Fousts employment, the lawsuit states.

In doing so, his lawyer said, the Asheville Police Department violated a federal law known as the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which protects members of the military from discrimination in civilian jobs. Representatives from the city and the Asheville Police Department did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment on March 1.

According to the complaint filed Feb. 24 in the Western District of North Carolina, Foust enlisted in the National Guard in 2000 and served various tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He was hired as a patrol officer in the Asheville Police Department in 2014 and was promoted to sergeant in 2019, the suit states. Fousts lawyer said he later became a field training officer in August 2020, which came with a pay raise.

The N.C. National Guard first called up Foust in April 2020 to help the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services with its contact tracing program, according to the complaint. He returned to work at the end of May but was called up again from September 2020 to March 2021 to manage food bank operations in Western North Carolina.

During Fousts second stint with the National Guard, his lawyer said the Asheville Police Department underwent some leadership changes in which a new captain took over the patrol division in which Foust worked.

Foust lost his position and pay raise as a field training officer soon after, according to the lawsuit.

He was also denied requests to attend two different training sessions  one for law enforcement leadership through the FBI and a second for firearms instructor training, his lawyer said. When he voiced concerns with the police chief about possibly being retaliated against for his military leave, the chief reportedly told him he would not tolerate retaliation but that people will find a way to retaliate.

The chief also noted that the captain overseeing Foust has trouble dealing with people, the complaint states.

Soon after his return, Foust asked for a new patrol car with a protective cage, his attorney said. But just before he was scheduled to pick it up, his captain reportedly interceded and denied the request.

Over the next several months, Foust reportedly became the target of at least seven administrative investigations and four disciplinary actions that his lawyer described as baseless. Most of the infractions involved issues with his body camera not being turned on, which he said had been unknowingly set to stealth mode.

Foust met with the chief again in September to express his concerns, according to the lawsuit, and the chief reportedly reiterated that dealing with people was not one of (the captains) strengths.

Then, on Oct. 7, the department revoked Fousts police powers, confiscated his service weapon, badge and vehicle and put him on indefinite leave until he passed a fitness exam, the complaint states. Foust was reportedly told that two memorandums had been written about him that would be given to the police department physician overseeing his test, but Foust was not allowed to see either of them.

He passed his first fitness test on Oct. 12, and the doctor referred him for a second test conducted by a third party, the suit states. Foust remained on leave and went for his second test in Charlotte at the beginning of November, his attorney said.

During the test, the examiner spoke with Foust and reviewed information given to him by the police department, at which point he reportedly said something along the lines of I thought it was going to be one of these.

Sergeant Foust understood this comment to mean that his referral was unnecessary, there were ulterior motives for the referral, and that he was obviously fit for duty, his lawyer said in the lawsuit. The examiner also stated that the APD would not like his conclusions.

Foust did not return to active duty until Dec. 8 after his attorney contacted the police department, according to the complaint. He reportedly remains on light duty because of an injury to his wrist he previously sustained on the job.

On his first day back at the office, Fousts lawyer said, his police captain opened the window to her second-floor office, and yelled outside in front of numerous people, Well, well, well, look who came back. She also talked loudly about his personnel and medical information through the open window, according to the lawsuit.

(The captain) intended to and did in fact humiliate, embarrass, and disparage Sergeant Foust by yelling these things at Sergeant Foust in such an open forum, the complaint states.

His lawyer said another officer has since been promoted to Fousts position and it is unclear whether he will be able to return to the same position once his wrist heals.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction mandating that the Asheville Police Department comply with federal law and stop all discriminatory actions, restore Fousts rank and salary from before he left for active duty in the fall of 2020, wipe his record of all investigations and disciplinary actions as well as pay damages.

The city has not yet responded to the complaint, court filings show.

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WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  Both sides in the debate over how fast the U.S. should shift to renewable energy sources are finding ammunition in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Republicans and fossil fuel defenders who believe the U.S. should continue to aggressively drill for oil and natural gas say plentiful American supplies could provide Europe with an energy lifeline if the flow of natural gas from Russia is disrupted.

Whats happening in Russia and Europe is a stark reminder of the need to support American energy development, not hinder it, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said in a statement urging revival of the abandoned Keystone XL pipeline.

Democrats and clean energy advocates say the supply of natural gas from Russia would not be an issue if the world used more solar, wind and other renewable power sources.

Europe needs to wean itself off of its addiction to Russian gas, Paul Bledsoe, strategic adviser to the Progressive Policy Institute, said in an interview.

It funds the malign Kremlin activities, he said. Russia gets at least a third of its overall government revenue from oil and gas exports.

Daines is among dozens of Republicans to press the administration to revive Keystone, though the Canadian company behind that project, TC Energy, abandoned it after President Joe Biden revoked its permit.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced legislation Monday that would, among other steps, weaken environmental regulation, reinstate a permit for Keystone and lower a metric known as the social cost of carbon, which federal agencies use in considering climate rules, to $0.

My bill will reverse Joe Bidens disastrous energy surrender that has allowed Russian energy dominance and instead open up American production full-throttle, Hawley said. To stand up to aggressors like Vladimir Putin, we can and we must work to power our nation and the world.

Asked last week if the president would consider lifting restrictions on the energy sector or reconsider a permit for Keystone, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, The Keystone Pipeline is not flowing, so Im not sure how that would solve anything.

Theres also plenty of oil leases that are not being tapped into by oil companies, so you should talk to them about that and why, Psaki said.

Psaki said Biden has been talking with major oil-producing countries to ensure supplies are available. She declined to predict if the president would consider ordering U.S. companies to stop importing Russian oil.

Heather Reams, president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, a right-leaning energy group, said that after stressing the importance of energy independence for national security reasons, Republicans can cite the invasion as a cautionary tale about the need to balance emissions reductions with other considerations.

Democrats risk being out of touch with the moment if they promote the notion of a total switch from oil and gas to solar, wind and other renewables, she said.

We dont have the baseload power for that, Reams said, referencing electric utilities need for fast-starting power plants that can meet demand surges. Its not to say we cant work towards that, but its not a realistic option right now.

Reams called the canceled Keystone pipeline a lost opportunity and said the administration should cut through bureaucratic steps to allow energy projects of all types to advance.

As of mid-February, all seven export terminals in the U.S. were full of tankers, blocking more outbound deliveries of LNG. The U.S. became the top supplier to Europe of LNG in January, ahead of Qatar, Russia, Nigeria and Algeria, according to the Energy Information Administration.

As oil and gas companies and Republicans pushed to weaken environmental rules in the last week, Democrats pushed to decouple from Russias energy supplies.

Through his actions, President Putin has provided the world with an overwhelming incentive to move away from Russian gas and to other forms of energy, Biden said Feb. 23, before Russia invaded.

Environmentalist and author Bill McKibben urged Biden to invoke the Defense Production Act and direct manufacturers to churn out heat pumps, units that run on electricity rather than fossil fuels, and ship them to Europe.

Russia is an autocratic petro-state using oil and gas money to finance military aggression, Manish Bapna, CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement. It is weaponizing energy exports to hold Europe hostage to a price and supply crisis of Moscows making.

Following Germanys move last week to halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, meant to carry gas from the St. Petersburg area, under the Baltic Sea to Germany, the European Union is expected to announce a climate plan this week to limit its reliance on Russian gas.

Russia supplies about 40% of Europes gas. Roughly 60% of all the goods and services Russia sells abroad relate to fossil energy.

In a report published in December by the Progressive Policy Institute, Bledsoe pressed the EU to adopt regulations that lower methane, the highly potent greenhouse gas that comprises the majority of natural gas. Russia is the largest methane emitter in the world by far, Bledsoe said, citing International Energy Agency research. The lines are leaky.

Nodding toward the international backlash against Russia and moves in Europe toward renewables and away from methane leakage, he said, I think this is the beginning of a global revolution in gas to make it far cleaner. He added, Countries are going to require gas to lower methane emissions.

Republicans and Democrats could reach common ground in Congress to export more LNG to help allies in Europe withdraw from Russias energy supply and ramp up domestic renewable energy production, he said. Thats the bipartisan deal to be had.

The U.S. became the top producer of oil and gas during the Trump administration and has held that position since, EIA data show.

Nathaniel Stinnett, founder and executive director of the Environmental Voter Project, a nonpartisan group that works to shift environmentalists into consistent voters, said fossil fuels empower authoritarian regimes.

Oil and gas deposits are only found in certain countries. So those countries, like Russia and Saudi Arabia, quickly realize that they can get away with murder  sometimes quite literally, Stinnett said by phone.

Curtailing fossil fuels and growing renewables allows consumers to gain economic freedom from utility companies and weakens petro-state strongmen, like Putin, Stinnett said.

Just as the collapse in 2021 of Texas electrical grid triggered debate about electrical stability, Russias invasion may spark a reckoning over ties between fossil energy and geopolitical power, Stinnett said.

Certainly clean energy and the future of the fossil fuel economy is going to be highlighted over the next seven, eight months because of this, Stinnett said. We dont need to live in a fossil fuel economy.  We dont need to argue about the size of the club we hand to people like Putin.

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(Tribune News Service)  Sidney Achee had a tough exterior. A highly-decorated military man who rose to the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army, he wasnt one to outwardly express affection or emotion.

That was, until his son, Robert Achee, married Carmen. Something about her softened Sid in the latter half of his life. For years, they spoke every afternoon between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. about their days and the nights they had ahead. He even told her about his love for his partner, Elizabeth Ingram.

He knew he could tell anything and everything, you know, about his girlfriend and everything that was going on with him, Carmen said.

Carmen knew something was wrong when Sid, whom she called Dad, didnt pick up for their daily phone call in August.

Ring after ring, Carmen tried to get ahold of him. It wasnt like him to not pick up. Even when he was busy at the gym or with visitors, hed answer to let Carmen know what he was doing.

Carmen, 68, and her husband, Robert, 75, didnt know that Sids phone was sitting in his apartment at The Stayton at Museum Way senior living facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Sid was already at the hospital at that point, struggling to breathe because of COVID-19.

Five days later, the strong-willed military father and grandfather died after his battle with the virus. Despite his age  he lived to be 99  his death at the hands of COVID was a shock. He was fully vaccinated and scheduled to get a booster dose.

Robert and Carmen want to give Sid a proper military burial  both to put him to rest and to give themselves a sense of closure  but the waitlist for burials at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., is so long that the ceremony likely wont take place until next winter.

The quiet birdmen

The military is the Achee family business. Growing up, Robert and his brother Jerry became experts at living the military family lifestyle, moving nearly every year. Their mother, Ruth, was an expert at packing their lives up and moving them from base to base.

Ruth, who died in 1999, served as the familys rock because of Sids intense work schedule, Robert said.

Sids commitment to camaraderie and sense of purpose, which he derived from his nearly 30-year military career, rubbed off on his eldest son. Robert spent 27 years in the Army before retiring as a major. All three of Roberts children also joined various military branches.

As proud as Sid was of his sons, Robert said there was always an air of competition between them.

There was that expectation to do the best you can at whatever you do, but I think my father was a little bit threatened by the fact that I was doing so well in the military, Robert said. I excelled so well that eventually he had to come to terms with it.

The distance between the men shrank as they aged. One of Sids true loves was flying, and when Robert became a pilot himself, father and son found common ground. Sid encouraged Robert to join a private aviation club called the Quiet Birdmen.

Surrounded by pilots from all walks of life, Sid and Robert joined the clubs secretive meetings in hotel conference rooms. Sid shared stories of his time in the Korean War, of when he rescued a wounded prisoner of war and flew him back to medical station.

For what felt like the first time, Sid and Robert got to just be father and son.

I wish we would have done that a lot earlier in life, but that didnt happen, so Im not going to fault him for it or hold it against him, Robert said. The fact that we did get closer as time went on was a blessing in itself.

The last flight west

Every late afternoon, Carmen glances at the clock, knowing her father-in-law isnt there for their daily call. Its been months since his death, and the Achee family, like many others who have lost loved ones to COVID-19, are still coming to terms with the fact that Sids really gone.

I can get through death pretty easily because Ive been associated with it all my life. Ive been in the military and in combat. Death, I understand that, its part of war and battle. Robert said. When you see a loved one go for something like this  its hard to deal with because theres no reason.

Robert serves as the executor of Sids estate and has busied himself with organizing his fathers financial affairs. Its distracted him enough that hes just now confronting the grief from losing his father.

Though it may not be until November, December or next January, the Achees are waiting for a proper burial.

Were all willing to wait for that day when we can get together and have him interred with my mother at the National Cemetery and receive those honors, Robert said. As we say, its the last flight west.

Staff researcher Naomi Kaskela contributed to this report.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Tuesday night during his State of the Union address is scheduled to announce plans to provide health care and disability compensation to more veterans who are suffering the effects of toxic exposure, according to a senior administration official.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will soon initiate a federal rulemaking process to add nine rare respiratory cancers to the departments presumptive list, according to the official. Being on the list means the government acknowledges a veterans military service caused their medical condition, and it lowers the amount of evidence that a veteran must provide to receive benefits.

Biden also will announce his support for legislation that would expand health care and disability compensation to veterans who served in areas where they were exposed to toxic burn pits, according to the senior administration official, who spoke to reporters Tuesday on the condition of anonymity.

The president has been clear he wants a bill to make it to his desk that he can sign that will expand health care and deliver benefits for those whove experienced the harmful health effects associated with toxic exposures, the official said.

Biden, facing a stalled domestic agenda, will use his first State of the Union address to lay out a unity agenda that includes policies that Democrats and Republicans have historically supported, the official said. Proposed policymaking for veterans is part of the strategy.

Momentum has been building in Congress during the past several years to support veterans who developed illnesses after being exposed to open-air burn pits, which were used throughout the 1990s and the post-9/11 wars to burn garbage, jet fuel, paint, medical waste and plastics. Veterans diagnosed with cancers, respiratory issues and lung diseases at young ages have sought VA benefits and health care, but the department contended for years that there wasnt sufficient evidence to link the illnesses to their military service.

Capitol Hill lawmakers agree about the need to address the issue, but theyre working on two competing strategies.

The Senate passed a bill last month that would expand health care to more veterans who served in areas with toxic burn pits, but it doesnt address benefits, such as disability compensation. The leaders of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, who sponsored the bill, insisted the measure is just a first step in a three-phase approach that would provide health care and benefits incrementally. The cost of the bill totals $1 billion, according to the office of Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of committee.

The House, on the other hand, is attempting to pass one large bill that would expand health care to about 1.5 million veterans while also making millions of veterans newly eligible for disability compensation. According to the Congressional Budget Office, that measure would cost about $208 billion for the next decade.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, is expecting that bill to be voted on this week in the House.

Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois, the ranking Republican on the committee, prefers the Senates measure and criticized House Democrats on Monday for not working with Republicans and failing to be fiscally responsible.

The senior administration official would not say Tuesday which bill Biden supports.

[The White House] is not going to opine on the specific legislative discussions that are happening between the Senate and the House, the official said.

As Congress debates larger reform efforts, the VA is moving ahead with adding illnesses to its presumptive list. Contending there was enough evidence to link the conditions to burn pit exposure, the department in August added three conditions to the list: asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis. According to the White House, the VA has so far approved 12,000 benefits claims for veterans and survivors affected by the diseases, amounting to $36 billion in benefits payments.

Biden ordered the VA in November to consider rare cancers for the presumptive list. Hell announce Tuesday that the VA will soon start the process of adding them, the senior administration official said. The conditions are squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea, adenocarcinoma of the trachea, salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea, adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung, large cell carcinoma of the lung, salivary gland-type tumors of the lung, sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung, and typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung.

The proposal to add the conditions will be posted to the Federal Register and go through a public comment period. A date was not given for when the proposal would be posted. It was also uncertain how many veterans would be affected by the action.

The proposed rulemaking will get underway in earnest, and we are committed to a very timely and efficient review process so that we can ensure that we can deliver services and benefits to the veterans affected by these rare cancers just as quickly as possible, the senior administration official said.

Biden had also ordered the VA to consider constrictive bronchiolitis for the presumptive list. The condition will not be part of the new proposal, and the VA is continuing to review scientific research to determine whether there is enough of a connection, the White House said.

Biden will also announce Tuesday the creation of a network of specialized medical providers to help veterans who have concerns about their toxic exposure. According to the White House, the VA plans to hire 73 medical workers who specialize in toxic exposures. The department will establish a call center by January 2023 that will answer calls from veterans about their exposures and connect them with the specialists.

In addition to announcements regarding toxic exposures, Biden plans to talk about veterans in other ways during the State of the Union. The White House released information Tuesday about a new effort Biden will announce to connect veterans to same-day mental health care.

Hell talk specifically about prioritizing mental health care for those experiencing the invisible wounds of war, the senior administration official said. He'll talk about the need to reduce veteran suicide. Hell reinforce the need to support our veterans in finding jobs and ensuring women and LGBTQ veterans receive the appropriate services that they need.
Stillwater, OK (74074)

Today

Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low around 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low around 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.
There are over 1000 daily positive new cases of Covid-19 in the Bay of Plenty for the first time since the pandemic begun.

The Ministry of Health has announced 1185 cases in the region with 19,566 across the country.

There are 10 people hospitalised in the Bay of Plenty.

Across New Zealand there are 373 cases currently in hospital. Nine of these are in ICU or HDU.

The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield is currently updating the media on New Zealand's response to the Omicron outbreak of Covid-19.

"I know that such a high daily case number can be concerning for people to hear, and many of us will now have whanau members who now have Covid-19, but it's important to remember that Covid-19 now is a very different foe to what it was at the beginning of the pandemic," says Bloomfield.

He says the high vaccination rate means for most people it will be a milder illness and can be managed safely at home.

Dr Bloomfield says PCR testing has served us incredibly well, but with thousands of cases each day we did reach the point last week where rapid antigen testing became both useful and appropriate.

He says samples were typically pooled earlier on in the outbreak, but a positive test in a batch means each will need to be retested. Higher test positivity rates now however mean it becomes less feasible.

He says prior to February 7, none of the labs had ever exceeded five per cent test positivity, but the swift increase in positive cases has affected that. Labs have also had other difficulties including vacancies in roles and sickness because some lab workers have contracted the virus.

Bloomfield says he wants to apologise to people whose tests have been delayed, but says they have committed to completing the test processing.

People are still advised to seek a test, though some people facing a longer delay should also seek a rapid antigen test, he says.

The samples affected by the backlog may be slightly less accurate - they are more likely to show a negative result - but all positive results will be accurate.

Bloomfield says some 9000 tests were sent to Queensland for testing, to help clear the backlog. He says the backlog is clearing, but anyone who had a test on 23 February or earlier, or who has developed symptoms, should collect a rapid antigen test from their local testing centre or seek advice from Healthline.

Bloomfield says test processing has got to a much more manageable level in the past 24 to 48 hours.

He says there is strong uptake of RATs for people who have symptoms, or who are household or close contacts, as well as surveillance testing at hospitals and aged care facilities.

A full breakdown of MOH figures can be found below...

Covid-19 vaccine update

Vaccinations administered in New Zealand

Vaccines administered to date: 4,019,697 first doses; 3,960,106 second doses; 33,301 third primary doses; 2,371,552 booster doses: 241,810 paediatric first doses and 3,500 paediatric second doses

Vaccines administered yesterday: 388 first doses; 733 second doses; 74 third primary doses; 23,465 booster doses; 1,452 paediatric first doses and 231 paediatric second doses

People vaccinated (including those vaccinated overseas)*

All Ethnicities (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 4,063,450 first dose (96.5%); 4,002,194 second dose (95.1%), 2,373,199 boosted (70.9% of those eligible)*

Maori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 519,236 first dose (90.9%); 498,691 second dose (87.3%), 201,631 boosted (59.4% of those eligible)

Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 280,751 first dose (97.9%); 274,682 second dose (95.8%), 121,569 boosted (57.9% of those eligible)

5 to 11-year-olds all ethnicities: 241,707 first dose (50.7%); 3,485 second dose (0.7%)

5 to 11-year-olds - Maori: 35,755 first dose (30.9%); 577 second dose (0.5%)

5 to 11-year-olds - Pacific Peoples: 21,296 first dose (43.1%); 468 second dose (0.9%)

*Note, that the number for people vaccinated differs slightly from vaccines administered as it includes those that have been vaccinated overseas.

Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)**

Northland DHB: first dose (90.3%); second dose (87.8%); boosted (69.1%)

Auckland Metro DHB: first dose (97.4%); second dose (96.1%); boosted (68.1%)

Waikato DHB: first dose (95.3%); second dose (93.5%); boosted (66.9%)

Bay of Plenty DHB: first dose (95.3%); second dose (93.3%); boosted (68.1%)

Lakes DHB: first dose (93.6%); second dose (91.5%); boosted (68.6%)

MidCentral DHB: first dose (96.8%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (73.3%)

Tairawhiti DHB: first dose (93.5%); second dose (90.8%); boosted (69.3%)

Whanganui DHB: first dose (92.4%); second dose (90.5%); boosted (73.4%)

Hawkes Bay DHB: first dose (97.2%); second dose (95.2%); boosted (71.1%)

Taranaki DHB: first dose (94.8%); second dose (93.1%); boosted (68.2%)

Wairarapa DHB: first dose (96.8%); second dose (95%); boosted (74.9%)

Capital & Coast DHB: first dose (98.8%); second dose (97.9%); boosted (78.8%)

Hutt Valley DHB: first dose (96.9%); second dose (95.7%); boosted (75.3%)

Nelson Marlborough DHB: first dose (96.8%); second dose (95.4%); boosted (76.1%)

West Coast DHB: first dose (93.1%); second dose (91.2%); boosted (73.4%)

Canterbury DHB: first dose (99.8%); second dose (98.7%); boosted (73.1%)

South Canterbury DHB: first dose (95.4%); second dose (94.2%); boosted (75%)

Southern DHB: first dose (97.9%); second dose (96.7%); boosted (74.8%)

**First and second dose percentages are for those 12+. Booster dose percentages are for 18+ who have become eligible three months after having their second dose.

Hospitalisations

Cases in hospital: total number 373: Northland: 4; North Shore: 63; Middlemore: 134; Auckland: 115; Waikato: 23; BOP: 10; Rotorua: 3; Tairawhiti: 2; Hawkes Bay: 1; Taranaki: 1; MidCentral: 3; Hutt Valley: 5; Capital and Coast: 3; Nelson Marlborough: 1; Canterbury: 4; Southern: 1;

Average age of current hospitalisations: 52

Cases in ICU or HDU: 9

Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region only, excluding Emergency Departments): Unvaccinated or not eligible (37 cases / 13.4%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (6 cases / 2.1%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (110 cases / 39.8%); unknown (72 cases / 26.1%)

Cases

Seven day rolling average of community cases: 10,689

Number of new community cases: 19,566

Number of new community cases (PCR): 2,513

Number of new community cases (RAT): 17,053

Location of new community cases (PCR & RAT): Northland (329), Auckland (12,530), Waikato (1,812), Bay of Plenty (1,185), Lakes (376), Hawkes Bay (168), MidCentral (260), Whanganui (45), Taranaki (165), Tairawhiti (88), Wairarapa (42), Capital and Coast (691), Hutt Valley (355), Nelson Marlborough (196), Canterbury (740), South Canterbury (37), Southern (529), West Coast (17); Unknown (1)

Number of new cases identified at the border: 22

Number of active community cases (total): 99,859 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 118,337

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

Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 16,314

PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 27,072

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last 7 days): 5.2 million

- Additional reporting RNZ
Shorter days, cooler nights and the spectacular show of leaves changing colour on trees around New Zealand heralds the beginning of autumn and the start of a delicious new season of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The most vibrantly coloured fruit are the richest in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants as they get their eye-catching hues from phytochemicals - natural bioactive compounds which promote good health.

New season apples, pears, limes and passionfruit are available now, feijoas are nearly ripe, and mandarins and persimmons will come in later in autumn.

5+ A Day Charitable Trust partner and GP, Dr Dane Rua emphasises the importance of eating a variety of colours for maximum health benefits.

Making sure you get at least five servings of a range of colourful vegetables and two servings of fruit every day is a simple but effective thing you can do for the health of your whanau.

Looking after ourselves means making sure we eat foods high in nutritional value to offer us protection from disease and the energy to get through busy days, says Dr Rua.

5+ A Day Project Manager, Carmel Ireland says the autumn bounty of fresh produce brings tasty flavours to meals at any time of the day.

Breakfast is a great time to add a serving of fruit to your routine. A mix of pears and feijoa simmered with spices and a tablespoon of honey is a vitamin-packed topping for yoghurt or porridge.

And while its easy to pop whole apples and persimmons in the kids lunchboxes, try cutting them into bite-sized pieces for younger tamariki. Remember to sprinkle the apples with lime juice to stop them browning, says Carmel.

While we often have a serving of fruit after dinner, Carmel suggests adding autumn fruit to our main meal for a burst of colour and flavour.

Tray bakes are our go-to at this time of year. We throw sliced potato, kumara, carrots and onion into the oven for 20 minutes then add wedges of bright orange persimmon or pears drizzled with balsamic vinegar and roast until caramelised, says Carmel.

If youre searching for inspiration, keep an eye on our social media channels and our website for tips and recipes to make the most of delicious autumn fruit and vegetables, she says.

For more tips and recipes to make the most of seasonal produce, head to the 5+ A Day website: https://www.5aday.co.nz/ and follow the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust on social media: @5adaynz
Satellites are increasingly being released beyond our atmosphere, but what happens if we lose communication with a satellite and cant see it to understand why?

University of Canterbury researcher associate professor Stephen Weddell says this poses a threat to the very communication technologies we use every day.

Stephen is an electrical engineer researcher at the University of Canterbury leading the Computational Design and Adaptation Research Group.

The group received a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund in 2019 and are finding a way to improve the clarity of objects beyond Earths atmosphere.

Stephen says they have applied a technique called adaptive optics that controls and reduces the effects of turbulence due to our atmosphere so we can take better images of satellites while they orbit around Earth and have better visibility of their location and possible condition.

Were working to minimise distortion between us and the object through the thin layers of atmosphere that surrounds the Earth, he says.

You could think of the atmosphere as foggy air in a way  like a smudge on reading glasses which makes an object appear distorted and challenging to see details, clearly. Once that gets cleared up, we can see the object very well.

Adaptive optics basically clears a cylinder of space between us and the object through the atmosphere and is particularly useful if weve lost communication with the satellite for whatever reason and want to study a detailed image of it to see why. For example, a solar panel may not have deployed correctly.

The team are using this technique to correct images in real time on the back of a telescope and have found that it can improve clarity by up to 60 per cent.

We recently used adaptive optics on telescopes at Mt John and got some remarkable images with it  the detail is fantastic, says Stephen.

He says that adaptive optics will provide visual information to protect major assets, such as satellites that provide us with internet connectivity and other forms of communications, such as radio, television, and satellite phones.

By using these instruments on powerful telescopes, we can increase our knowledge about a spacecrafts condition and position, says Stephen.

If we didnt have satellites wed be back in the dark ages where we relied upon bouncing signals off the ionosphere to get information around the world or on cables laid on the seabed between continents.

Satellites have significantly transformed our lives, but there is a threat that with more satellites being released into Earths orbit, the risk of more space debris taking down functioning satellites and leading to a loss of communications on Earth is becoming greater by the day.

He says the group want to help maintain the satellite network as much as possible, and that the ability to image spacecraft more clearly using adaptive optics will help.

Satellite collisions would create more debris, and this is referred to as the Kessler syndrome. We want to minimise these threats and provide accurate information back to people like the European Space Agency and other organisations who are monitoring these satellites.

Stephen acknowledges that much of this research relies on reasonably mature technology, but the UC team have developed and characterised an adaptive optic system for New Zealands largest telescopes at the University of Canterbury Mt. John Observatory, and their team are the first in New Zealand to be able to develop this technique and apply it to satellites.

This research is really important as it is providing capability within New Zealand, and an ability to share that information, particularly with our strong collaborations around the world.

The research project is funded by a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund from 2019  2022.
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A hot potato: Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken, three of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, are joining others in refusing requests by Ukraine to freeze all Russian users' accounts. While the companies have frozen the accounts of those targeted by sanctions, they will not implement a universal block on Russian accounts.

On Sunday, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov tweeted a plea for all major crypto exchanges to block addresses of Russian users. "It's crucial to freeze not only the addresses linked to Russian and Belarusian politicians, but also to sabotage ordinary users," he wrote.

I'm asking all major crypto exchanges to block addresses of Russian users.



It's crucial to freeze not only the addresses linked to Russian and Belarusian politicians, but also to sabotage ordinary users. --- Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 27, 2022

Fedorov is also offering a "generous reward" for information on digital wallets held by Russian and Belarusian politicians.

Ukrainian crypto community is ready to provide a generous reward for any information about crypto-wallets of Russian and Belarusian politicians and their surroundings. War crimes must be pursued and punished! To share info please contact in Telegram: https://t.co/XHidwUQ8bE. --- Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 26, 2022

A spokesperson for Binance told CNBC, "We are not going to unilaterally freeze millions of innocent users' accounts."

"Crypto is meant to provide greater financial freedom for people across the globe. To unilaterally decide to ban people's access to their crypto would fly in the face of the reason why crypto exists."

Binance also says it will donate $10 million towards humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and is launching a "crypto-first" crowdfunding site to raise a further $20 million.

The US, UK, Europe, and Canada have all responded to the invasion of Ukraine with a slew of sanctions against Russian banks, oligarchs, politicians, and more. While the big crypto exchanges have frozen the accounts of sanctioned users, the firms are refusing to take the same action against all Russians.

"A unilateral and total ban would punish ordinary Russian citizens who are enduring historic currency destabilization as a result of their government's aggression against a democratic neighbor," Coinbase told Motherboard.

Another large exchange, Kraken, said that it could not freeze the accounts of its Russian users without a legal requirement to do so. Kraken exchange CEO Jesse Powell said such a move would violate the company's "libertarian values."

Johnny Lyu, CEO of KuCoin, has a similar view: "As a neutral platform, we will not freeze the accounts of any users from any country without a legal requirement. And at this difficult time, actions that increase the tension to impact the rights of innocent people should not be encouraged."

Bitcoin's price has surged back up to above $43,000 this week after losing almost $10,000 of its value in the wake of the crisis.
In brief: MediaTek is one of the most prominent mobile chipset manufacturers, but its position is being challenged by Qualcomm, especially when it comes to 5G-enabled silicon. The company's latest move is a duo of mid-range Dimensity chips targeted at upper mid-range phones.

Over the last few years, the concept of the affordable flagship has meant fewer bells and whistles and the use of previous-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon high-end chips to meet a lower price point. Examples include the OnePlus 9R, Realme GT2, the Poco F3, and the ZTE Axon 30.

However, MediaTek wants to offer an alternative in the form of proper mid-range chipsets that can compete with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 870 mobile silicon, at least in terms of performance--Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 8100 are its solutions. They come with four Arm Cortex-A78 CPU cores clocked at up to 2.85 GHz, four energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores, and a Mali G610-MC6 GPU.

The two chips are built on TSMC's 5nm process node, and the main difference between them is the clock speed of the CPU, GPU, and NPU. The Dimensity 8000 supports FHD+ displays with a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, while its bigger brother can handle WQHD+ screens at up to 120 Hz. Both sport MediaTek's Imagiq 780 image signal processor that can handle up to a single 200-megapixel shooter or a triple camera module with two 32-megapixel sensors and one 16-megapixel sensor. It also touts 4K and HDR10+ video capture.

Both chipsets support quad-channel LPDDR5 RAM working at up to 6,400 Mbps and have UFS 3.1 storage. Each integrates a sub-6GHz 5G modem and comes with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 standards.

A notable feature that also made its way to the higher-end Dimensity 9000 silicon is support for AV1 hardware-accelerated decoding. A feature that Samsung already added to its Exynos 2200 SoC. Qualcomm also plans to use it in its upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen2.

MediaTek says its new mid-range mobile chipsets will debut in several phones later this year with price ranges between $400 and $700, starting with Xiaomi's Redmi K50 Pro, the Realme GT Neo 3, and the Oppo K10. The OnePlus Nord 3 might also use one of the new chips, but we know for sure that Xiaomi's Redmi K50 Pro+ will integrate the Dimensity 9000, which is another win for MediaTek.

The Taiwanese company maintains a lead on the smartphone chipset market. Research from CounterPoint analysts indicates MediaTek's market share dipped slightly in Q4 2021 but is still above Samsung's 30 percent share. Qualcomm remains unchallenged in the 5G modem market, but that could easily change once Apple transitions to first-party modems sometime in 2023.
In brief: The Biden administration reportedly wants Chinese tech companies to aid in imposing stricter export rules against Russia as a result of the latter country's invasion of Ukraine. Companies that refuse could face sanctions, but that may also complicate US-China trade relations.

Several countries in Europe started imposing additional sanctions on Russia last week in response to its invasion of Ukraine, prompting some in the semiconductor industry to look for alternative suppliers for materials and gases needed at their chip manufacturing facilities.

US companies are also facing mounting pressure to restrict access to their services from Russia, not to mention the possibility of cyberattacks on their infrastructure similar to what government institutions in Ukraine have seen over the past few days. Microsoft, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have all taken steps to limit or remove Russian state-sponsored media messaging and advertisements on their platforms, and Netflix has refused to comply with an order to stream 20 federal TV channels starting today.

Intel, AMD, and others recently halted industrial chip sales to Russia, but it's unclear how big of an impact this may have on a country that is mostly reliant on Asia for its infrastructure needs.

According to a Bloomberg report, the Biden administration may ask Chinese companies like Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) and Lenovo to aid in imposing export controls for American-made technology, especially in the case of Russia's defense sector.

Chinese companies that refuse this request may be restricted from accessing American manufacturing equipment, spare parts, and technology licenses. As of writing, more than two-thirds of the chips, computers, phones, and other tech products imported by Russia come from China.

In related news, the Biden administration asked cryptocurrency exchanges from around the world to prevent Russian individuals and organizations from using them as a tool for avoiding sanctions. Major exchanges like Coinbase, Kraken, and Binance have thus far agreed to do so in the case of individuals currently targeted by economic sanctions, but they refuse to apply the same treatment to the accounts of ordinary Russian citizens.
What just happened? While those within the tech industry are throwing their support behind Ukraine and its people, World of Tanks creative director Sergey Burkatovskiy has come out in public support of Russia, a move that has resulted in his firing.

Burkatovskiy revealed his stance in a now-deleted Facebook post, announcing that he supports "the operation of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR [Donetsk People's Republic] and the LPR [Luhansk People's Republic]."

But it seems Wargaming, the company behind the popular MMO, certainly doesn't feel the same way. A day after his post, Burkatovskiy posted another message confirming he had "broke up with the VG," with VG translating to WG, or Wargaming.

PC Gamer notes that Wargaming is a Belarusian company that employs hundreds of developers in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv. It told Russian gaming site Cyber.Sports.ru that Burkatovskiy's view is his personal opinion, and that it categorically does not coincide with the position of the studio.

"He has been let go and is no longer at the company," it added.

Wargaming added that it is now focused on helping its Kyiv workers and their families. The company's Kyiv studio has already made a $1 million donation to the Ukrainian Red Cross that will help support hospitals, doctors, and displaced citizens.

"At Wargaming, the safety and security of our employees is the top priority. Currently, all available company resources are helping and supporting our 550+ colleagues: providing them with alternate housing, early salary payments, additional funds to aid travel and relocation."

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seen Wargaming temporarily halt its global advertising and redesign ads to remove images of advancing tanks and other military vehicles. Advertising has now resumed with the new assets, but it is still on hold in the Ukraine "as we believe it is inappropriate and insensitive to advertise our games while it is the centre of this conflict."

There has been a barrage of responses from the tech industry to the Ukraine crisis, from Elon Musk claiming SpaceX could stop the ISS crashing into Earth following Russian sanctions, to major crypto exchanges refusing to put a freeze on all Russian citizens' accounts.
Tesla's 4680 electric vehicle batteries are coming, but it will start production only by March 2024, with Panasonic taking the lead on the new power cells. The batteries will be twice the size of the current Tesla batteries, with the capacity being fivefold compared to old models, bringing a massive upgrade to the EV's battery.

Tesla 4680 Batteries: Panasonic to Start Production by 2024

Panasonic announced earlier that it is aiming to start the production of the 4680 batteries for Tesla, to begin before the end of March 2024 for it to kick off. According to Reuters, the company will then start its production in its Wakayama plant in Japan, where it will have two production lines that will build the batteries.

The Tesla 4680 battery stands for 46 millimeters wide and 80 millimeters tall (hence the 4680), which is significantly taller than the previous batteries of the EVs. The new batteries from Panasonic will bring a higher capacity, but the company did not yet unveil its specifications but got more for the EVs.

Read Also: Tesla Model Y Police Cars Have Longer Life-Span Compared To Traditional Vehicles! Another Dept Transitions To EV

Panasonic's 4680 Batteries for Tesla: Higher Capacity

Nikkei Asia's report said that Panasonic is going all-in for the battery production for Tesla, and it will still be of the Lithium-Ion make, with 10 to 20 percent less than the need to bring regular batteries now. Tesla's EV batteries are going for an upgrade, but the timeline remains unknown from Panasonic.

The company invested as much as $694 million for the plant to center its production of the 4680 batteries.

Tesla's 4680 Batteries

There were many ventures to the Tesla's new battery cells from the different partner companies for this matter. The company focuses on bringing new power cells to its clean energy vehicles that focus on getting a higher range and performance to carry its functions, since the electric vehicles highly rely on battery power for their mobility.

Reports pointed out that the Panasonic is starting the battery production for Tesla by 2021, and its last announcement was the Battery Day 2020 of the company. The Japanese multinational company fulfills Tesla's dreams for an adequate-sized battery that will fit on EVs well, something which the Model Y will carry someday.

However, there were reports that LG will produce the 4680 cells but will begin by 2023 for the US and European regions.

Tesla and Panasonic's partnership continues to produce the 4680 cells or the high capacity batteries, which Elon Musk highly praises for several of the Battery Days. The only dilemma now is the wait that will befall the company and its fans regarding the new cells that will start production by 2024, with its delivery coming later.

Related Article: First Refreshed Tesla Model S Plaid Owner Showcases its NEW Charging Port and LED Lights

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Lucid Motors cuts its 2022 electric vehicle or EV production forecast significantly, slashing its previous prediction of up to 20,000 units for this year alone.

Lucid Motors and 2022 EV Production

As per a news story by The Verge, the luxury EV maker, Lucid, announced that it is drastically decreasing its initial production forecast for 2022.

This time around, Lucid stated that it is now only expecting 12,000 to 14,000 vehicles for this year, which is thousands away from its initial goal of 20,000.

It is worth noting that the luxury EV maker disclosed that there are currently a whopping 25,000 pre-orders or reservations of its Lucid Air electric sedan. As such, the potential sales of the automaker are now at a staggering $2.4 billion.

The latest reservation figures of Lucid are up from its previous announcement that Lucid Air has already received 20,000 pre-orders.

However, the EV maker admits that it has only produced 400 vehicles by the end of February.

Meanwhile, though, only 125 of them were delivered to their customers by the end of 2021, which is away from its plan to release over 500 vehicles in 2021. But overall, the tech firm said that it delivered a total of 300 EVs.

Lucid Motors Production vs. Supply Issues

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, the CEO of Lucid Motors, Peter Rawlinson announced that the EV maker is facing issues in both its supply chain and its logistics.

However, the news outlet noted that the Lucid CEO did not give any specific details regarding the supply constraints, which the exec described as "extraordinary."

Despite the supply chain issues that the EV maker is currently facing, the Lucid boss is still optimistic.

Rawlinson said in a statement that: "We remain confident in our ability to capture the tremendous opportunities ahead given our technology leadership and strong demand for our cars."

Read Also: Lucid Air Dream Edition's Actual Test Drive! How Its Exterior, Interior, and Other Luxurious Details Look Like

Lucid Gravity SUV Delayed

That said, the upcoming first-ever SUV of Lucid Motors is also facing pushback for its launch date.

As per a report by Autoblog, the electric crossover SUV was previously slated to release sometime in 2023.

In the latest earnings call of the Lucid CEO with investors, he announced that the launch of the Gravity SUV is slightly delayed from its previous schedule.

The exec said that the Lucid Gravity will be launching in the first half of 2024, citing that the delay would assure that it would be under the best production process.

Related Article: Lucid Motors Vs. Tesla: CEO's Plans That Could Beat Elon Musk-Better EV Than Model S, Largest SPAC Deal, and More!

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple CEO Tim Cook wants people to join hands with him and change the world with technology, focusing on effecting different innovations to answer the current problems. The world is closely looking at the progression of other crises present, including the COVID-19 pandemic that started its plague in 2020 that focused on significant lockdowns.

Apple's Tim Cook: Use Technology to Change the World

Corriere Dela Serra's first edition of its "Login" magazine focused on bringing what the Apple CEO wants to share to the world, which is the belief in technology. The open letter is written in Italian, and it is available for the public to read via its website.

Cook's letter focused on the innovations and technology from the regular people, giving them encouragement to pursue their works.

In the letter, Cook said that he wants the world to rise to the occasion and get past the many crisis and issues that it currently experiences. The CEO also said he wants to work with these innovators to affect global change and bring a massive contribution.

The letter encourages all innovators to focus on their work and never give up.

Read Also: Amazon Music Competes with Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora as the US' 'Second Largest Music Streamer in 2022'

Cook Wants Innovators to Join and Work Together

According to Mac Rumors, Cook wants the public to experience the world of technology, and these innovators will help bring that for everyone. Moreover, the CEO mostly talked about the focus of Apple in the future and its goal of going carbon neutral, something that is close to happening as the company aims to zero by the time this decade ends.

Apple's Technology for the World

Without a doubt, Apple is one of the most popular technology companies globally, and the company's focus is to bring consumer technology like the iPhone smartphone for people to enjoy. Apple offers many products to the world, and it focuses on bringing technology that the public can utilize for their everyday needs.

The company also aims to better its current technology for better and more powerful devices, including the four new Macs that will feature the M2 chips soon. The Cupertino company also aims to bring several intelligent home options and interconnectivity that complement the use of its current technology available to the public.

Tim Cook is highly compared to Steve Jobs for being a CEO that focuses on innovation and development for the company, something that not a lot shows in this world. Some tech companies may focus on profit alone, but Cook wants to focus on innovations to showcase in the future, something that will help the current experiences that people face.

Related Article: Apple: 20-inch Folding Display Might be In Development says Analyst; iPad, iMac Hybrid Coming Soon?

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The ExoMars Rover 2022 mission got delayed, and this is because of the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine, with many space missions getting affected by the incidents. The ESA gave the country sanctions due to their actions in what is currently happening to their international relations, mainly as it already affected space programs.

ExoMars Rover 2022: No Launch This Year Due to Russia's Issues

The Member States of the European Space Agency (ESA) came together and imposed a sanction on Russia because of its actions that currently make headlines. The sanction now affects ExoMars Rover 2022, a mission that focuses itself on bringing a remote-operated machine to explore the Red Planet for further knowledge.

The information gathered by Russia will give them exclusive rights to it, including those partners of the country regarding this mission. A rover's mission is not easy and fast, as it will take years before it stops the digging that they are doing and readying itself for its return mission to the planet, which also has massive risk.

Read Also: NASA Perseverance Rover Captures Face-Like Mars Rock-Nicknaming It 'Issole'

ESA Gives Sanctions to Russia: Mars Rover Suffers

Russia's actions involved the Roscosmos and its Soyuz rocket operations, with the ESA declaring that the country cannot focus on its missions now. The government withheld its participation in different space activities, leading to a sanction against its various tasks soon launching to the world.

The Mars Rover is highly afflicted by this happening, especially as the mission's goal is already to reach the Red Planet in the coming months.

We deplore the tragic events taking place in Ukraine, a crisis which escalated dramatically into war in recent days. Many difficult decisions are now being taken at ESA in consideration of the sanctions implemented by the governments of our Member States.https://t.co/nOg8orZr1n https://t.co/5Mr6WexY9I  Josef Aschbacher (@AschbacherJosef) February 28, 2022

Mars Rover Missions

There are already different companies and countries on Mars with their rovers, and it aims to conduct studies of their own for their samples and research. One of the most famous missions now is NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance Rover, which brought its rovers in 2012 and 2020, respectively; both have different parts of exploring.

Curiosity continues its mission despite having the Perseverance on another crater of the Red Planet.

Another known country that looked into bringing its rovers to the Red Planet in China and the Zhurong rover's mission astounded the world with its capabilities. There were many doubts about China and its space missions as there were several incidents that disputed their capabilities. Still, the country persevered, showing that its Zhurong could handle the Martian terrain.

The rover missions are allowed for different space companies on their goals to Mars, but they're already companies that focus on bringing humans to Mars. The missions of these rovers are to explore the Red Planet for its ability to harbor human life, and that includes finding water sources and determining the air to breathe for when life becomes multi-planetary.

Related Article: NASA Mars Rover Captures What People Think Is Proof Life On Mars-It Isn't, Here's Why

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Christina Telep from Unsplash) Japanese automaker Toyota has stopped all operations on its domestic plants after a cyberattack took place earlier this week.

Toyota has stopped all operations in its 14 domestic plants after an alleged cyberattack hit the automaker on Tuesday, March 1. According to the latest report, the recent closure will result in a loss of around 13,000 cars of output in total.

Toyota Cyberattack Prompts Factory Shutdown

According to a report by Reuters, Toyota suffered from an unexpected breach that affected the supplier of electronic components and plastic parts.

As of press time, neither Toyota nor the authorities have any lead about the motive behind the huge cyberattack. There was also no trace of clue to the possible identity of the suspect for the case.

Apparently, the cyberattack took place just after Japan denounced Russia's actions regarding its invasion of Ukraine. The country was one of many nations in the world that "financially" sanctioned Russia. However, there's no indication that this decision was connected to the data breach that occurred in Toyota.

As for the investigation of this incident, Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister of Japan said that the government will now investigate this matter to see if Russia has a potential connection with it.

"It is difficult to say whether this has anything to do with Russia before making thorough checks," Kishida said.

Related Article: 2022 Toyota Tundra is a Hybrid: Here's its Fuel Economy-Will It Be Better than the Ford Maverick?

Toyota Cites System Failure About Cyberattack

Kojima Industries Corp. the automaker supplier said that it has indeed suffered from some kind of an attack, as what the spokesperson told the reporters, The Verge reported.

Meanwhile, a Toyota spokesperson said that the incident was a case of a "supplier system failure." Regarding the shutdown of its plants, the firm remained unsure as to how long it will last.

To add, Hino Motors and Daihatsu were also included in the wide-scale closure of Toyota's plants locally.

Aside from the ongoing tension in Ukraine, the global supply chain continues to struggle with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Somehow, this hindered the carmakers when it came to car production.

Moreover, Toyota was also aware of productions that were halted in North America all because of the Canadian trucker protests.

Aside from Toyota, another Japanese company experienced some sort of data breach back then. Panasonic reported that a third party was trying to access its network in November.

According to Tech Times, Panasonic detected unauthorized access. Upon knowing that, it immediately released security countermeasures to combat the potential cyberattack.

The company also requested a specialist to probe the possible leakage that could happen to customers. Apparently, the hackers could steal some confidential information from the people from the storage data of the company.

Outside the cyberattack news, Toyota wants to develop a lunar-exploring car with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The vehicle will be called Lunar Cruiser, per Tech Times.

Read Also: Tesla 4680 Batteries: Panasonic to Begin Production by 2024; Twice the Size, Five Times the Capacity



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Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Russian UN ambassador regrets U.S. decision to expel 12 members of his mission

Xinhua) 16:38, March 01, 2022

Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia speaks at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. Nebenzia on Monday regretted a U.S. decision to expel 12 staff members of the Russian UN mission. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, on Monday regretted a U.S. decision to expel 12 staff members of the Russian UN mission.

"I would like to inform you about yet another hostile step taken by the host country -- a step against the Russian mission. Just now, literally, an hour ago, we were informed that from the Russian mission, 12 of its staff are being expelled," said Nebenzia at the beginning of a Security Council meeting that he was chairing.

The decision is "yet another gross violation" of the UN Headquarters agreement signed by the United States as the host country, and of the Vienna Conventions, said Nebenzia.

"We keep being told about the need for diplomacy, diplomatic solutions. At the same time, our opportunities to conduct this kind of activity are being restricted," he said. "We deeply regret this decision. And we'll see how the events develop within the context of this decision."

U.S. deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Richard Mills, said the 12 staff members of the Russian mission were ordered to leave because they engaged in "activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats."

"They have been given a request to depart this country so they do not harm the national security of the host country," said Mills.

Nebenzia said the U.S. representative's response was not satisfactory.

The U.S. decision came amid Russian military operations in Ukraine.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
(Photo : Carlos Jimenez Castrillo )

In the global marketplace, business developers are no longer confined to the business opportunities available in their own nation. In fact, some of the most successful people find innovative ways to climb the ladder on an international scale.

At 22 years old, Carlos Jimenez Castrillo is the perfect example. Today, he is the Business Development Manager of Firstbase, a SaaS platform designed to help international entrepreneurs grow and expand their businesses in the US.

Born and raised in Costa Rica, Carlos always had big ambitions. "I knew that I wanted to work with startups since I was a teenager," he says. "But I didn't know I was going to end up where I am today."

He attended a private school in Costa Rica where he learned English. By the time he graduated, he was already fluent-"I was pretty advanced compared to the average person in Costa Rica", he explains. He knew that having English under his belt would eventually help him break out of Costa Rica and move towards the global business playing field.

After graduating, Jimenez studied computer science at a Costa Rican university. But Jimenez went above and beyond to pursue his goals. "I also worked as an intern at several startups in Canada," he says. At his first start-up, Jimenez was soon working alongside the CEO. "We established a business development process for Latin America," he explains. "And this model was lucrative-the company grew and soon raised their seed round."

A few months after this success, Jimenez was named Latin American Coordinator of the company.

In this role, Jimenez became an expert on connecting Latin America with international markets for SaaS products. And of course, at the same time, Jimenez was still in school. "I wasn't only selling to Latin American companies and helping them grow, I was also studying," he says.

The next move Carlos made was a bold one. "I decided I was still young, and didn't want to start working for someone," he explains. "So, I jumped in and created my own startup."

He launched a platform designed to connect startups in Central America with investors in the US and in Europe.

"Given that I was in this space, I also applied to the Founder Institute so I could become a Country Director and launch the incubator there." At that time, he was only 18, making him the youngest ever country director for the Founder Institute. "Most of the people that were Country Directors were people with 40 or 50 years of experience and MBAs. So, it was pretty exciting getting a position like that," recalls Jimenez.

Carlos built a crowdfunding model in which Angel investors could purchase equity in young Central American startups. The model proved to be a success. In the first two years, Jimenez himself became an advisor in several startups, such as Moovin and PetLife-"A few of the fastest-growing startups in Costa Rica."

But Jimenez still wasn't satisfied. "After these experiences, I wanted to focus on bigger things." He opened up brokerage and began to learn more about the business development models of more mature companies in Latin America.

"I learned a lot about how businesses grow, operate, how they exit, and also how they source investments. I got to know the newest trends and some of the best business people," he says.

Then, COVID hit.

"I decided to take a kind of a gap year, because I wanted to move into a new industry and a new market."

Jimenez ended up joining one of his advisory startups called Softon Digital. He became their VP of Sales. Within a period of two months, Carlos was able to close deals for up to $2.5 million.

"We hired around 200 people in a period of two months given the sales I did." Needless to say, Carlos realized he was a good business developer.

In May 2021, Carlos joined the new startup Firstbase as Product Partnership Manager. In this role, he created the partnership model that has been praised as being one of the best partnership models in the business. In fact, this model became the blueprint for numerous other similar companies. Soon, his model generated so much growth that Carlos was named Business Development Manager.

In just 10 months, Firstbase has grown around 170%. Currently, they have a monthly growth rate of 40%.

With these exceptional results at only 22 years old, it's clear that Carlos's journey in the global business development market is only just beginning.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Mark Zuckerberg is being accused by a Meta investor of $2.5 billion worth of insider trading. A civil lawsuit is currently being launched directly at Meta's (previously Facebook) very own CEO.

Mark Zuckerberg is Being Sued by Hugues Gervant

Zuckerberg is being accused of insider trading crimes by Hugues Gervant, who filed "derivative litigation" while accusing Meta's CEO of over $2.5 billion through insider sales before and during particular scandals that started to shake the social media giant as per Law360.

This type of lawsuit is a form of legal case that a shareholder brings to the court. In this particular case, the complaint was directly filed to the federal court of California.

Lawsuit Includes Period Before Facebook's Name Change

The "angry" investor is currently hoping to hold Mark Zuckerberg's CEO accountable for his supposed crimes. The claim also includes that the directors and executives of the company are also legally responsible for Facebook's recent drop in stock value.

The lawsuit also includes a time period before the initial Facebook name was then switched to Meta. With that, it also focuses directly on time in 2021 when the company was met with multiple whistleblower accusations and claims that Instagram and Facebook were detrimental to children's health.

Mark Zuckerberg Accused of Selling $2.5 Billion Shares Based on Insider Info

The filing also notes that Zuckerberg had engaged directly in insider trading, which violated the federal law itself. The accusation states that he sold $2.5 billion shares between the period of April of 2021 and October of this year based on insider information.

According to the story by The Sun, the legal complaint notes that as the highest officer of Facebook and the trusted company director, Mark Zuckerberg conducted minimal oversight when it came to the platform's engagement within schemes to make misleading and false statements and engage in platform content misconduct.

Read Also: LG Solar Panels to Stop Production: Company Struggles to Keep Up with Low Prices of Chinese Rivals

What the Civil Lawsuit Said Mark Zuckerberg Did

Other allegations include consciously disregarding the duties of his position, which is to monitor these types of controls when it comes to reporting and engaging in the particular schemes. Zuckerberg was also said to have "consciously disregarded his duties" when it came to how the company's corporate assets were protected.

The suit notes that Zuckerberg's motive when it came to facilitating and participating in the particular fraud is shown by the insider sales that happened before the fraud's exposure. In addition, a recent podcast with Lex Fridman, the Meta CEO, included thoughts about life and death.

The CEO of Meta already has plans for creating his own virtual worlds and even revealed other larger plans for his metaverse.

Related Article: Google 'Body Language-Reader' Could Turn Off TV When You Dozed Off and More | ATAP Radar Technology

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Youth in their 20s who have fallen into the swamp of preventing the return of Corona and poverty
Ada, OK (74820)

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Crown Resorts still doesnt have suitable anti-money laundering controls in place, having allegedly pocketed $1 billion in revenue from high-risk VIP customers - including some with known links to criminals and foreign governments - without checking the source of their money since 2016.

The financial crimes regulator, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), on Tuesday launched civil action in the Federal Court against the James Packer-backed casino giant seeking penalties for serious and systemic non-compliance with anti-money-laundering laws.

AUSTRAC has taken Crown to the federal court over its money laundering failures. Credit:Joe Armao

Crowns infiltration by international criminal syndicates and money launderers was revealed in a series of reports by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in 2019, and subsequently confirmed by damning public inquiries in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.

AUSTRAC chief executive Nicole Rose said the watchdogs investigation, launched in October 2020, found that Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth had failed to operate a compliant anti-money-laundering program and failed to conduct appropriate due diligence on some very high-risk customers.
For decades, Rupert Myer AO has been one of this countrys most consistent advocates for arts and culture. On Tuesday night the businessman and philanthropist delivered a keynote lecture titled Growing Australias Cultural Inheritance at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. An impassioned argument for greater cultural awareness and support on behalf of both government and the private sector, it was the kind of address to which no one could take exception.

Unfailingly polite and full of goodwill, Myer called for bipartisan generosity for cultural initiatives, and the establishment of a National Cultural Plan. He spoke in praise of Indigenous culture, saying we have a lot to learn from the First Australians. Ours is not a derivative culture. he said, It is anchored with the stories and practices of Indigenous Australians, and evolves as our nation does, moment by moment.

Donor Michael Blanche with the artwork Jabanunga Goorialla (Rainbow Serpent) by the late Rover Thomas. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Myers message received a sympathetic response from filmmaker, Alison Page, who echoed the idea that Indigenous culture could and should be available to all Australians who cared about this country and ongoing issues of national identity.

Hear, hear! we shouted, but a quick look around the audience revealed not a single member of federal parliament, and relatively few representatives of Canberras other museums and galleries. The Governor General and Mrs Hurley were in attendance, but those best placed to implement Myers suggestions were nowhere to be seen.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There are plenty of new releases heading to bookshops this month, so theres bound to be something to suit your taste. Two Prime Ministers Literary Award winners have new books out. For Steven Carroll, its the final in his quartet revolving around the life of T.S. Eliot. For poet Omar Sakr, its his first prose fiction work. Non-fiction enthusiasts can relish offerings from Julianne Schultz and Troy Bramston. And there is more crime fiction, debut fiction and poetry than can be mentioned here. The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday. Credit: The Idea of Australia, Julianne Schultz Allen & Unwin, $34.99, March 1

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The founding editor of Griffith Review investigates the nature, reality and myths of this country. As she puts it early on: I wanted to understand how, for all her material success, and with more natural and institutional advantages than almost any other nation, many feel Australia has lost her moorings, morally and strategically. How we forgot our ambition to show the world what an inclusive, compassionate and human society might achieve. An ambitious, readable and stimulating work. Credit: Goodnight, Vivienne, Goodnight, Steven Carroll Fourth Estate, $29.99, March 2 Vivienne is the first, tragic wife of T.S. Eliot, who was committed to a London asylum a few years after their marriage ended. Miles Franklin-winning novelist Steven Carrolls final book in his Eliot quartet imagines a different fate for Vivienne and is predicated on her belief that if only she could escape incarceration and prove she could look after herself, things would be very different. Credit: Bob Hawke: Demons and Destiny, Troy Bramston

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Viking, $49.99, March 1 Promising a portrait of the real Bob Hawke, journalist Troy Bramston delves into the public and private life of Australias 23rd Prime Minister. Bramston, a biographer of Keating and Menzies, has spoken to friends and foes, family, and political colleagues from here and overseas. Hes also delved into the archives for this all-encompassing, warts-and-all picture of the Silver Bodgie. Credit: The Fish, Lloyd Jones Text, $32.99, March 1 The great thing about New Zealander Lloyd Jones fiction is how different each book is. There was the poetic Book of Fame, an imaginative account of the All Blacks 1905 your of Britain and Europe, the Booker shortlisted Mister Pip, the more recent Hand Me Down World and his previous novel The Cage, which our reviewer called a bold and austerely compassionate book. Now comes The Fish, a story of a family, its tragedies and triumphs. Credit:

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Those Who Perish, Emma Viskic Bonnier Echo, $29.99, March 1 Crime fiction fans will relish the return of Emma Viskics entrancing Caleb Zelic for what is said to be the final in her series about the deaf private investigator. His brother Anton is in dire straights - again - and only Caleb can save him. Viskic has said she was originally reluctant to write a deaf character as dialogue was crucial to the way she worked. But Zelic remains a brilliant creation and her previous three books have delighted readers and award judges alike. Credit: Booth, Karen Joy Fowler Serpents Tail, $32.99, March 8 The author of The Jane Austen Book Club and the wonderful We Are Completely Beside Ourselves returns with a historical novel set in 19th century America. Paterfamilias of the extraordinary Booth family was Shakespearean actor Junius Brutus Booth, whose 10 children included actors, poets, writers and, most notoriously, John Wilkes Booth, killer of President Abraham Lincoln.

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Credit: Son of Sin, Omar Sakr Affirm Press, $29.99, February 22 Teen Jamal Smith is a queer Muslim struggling to find his way past homophobia, racism and the secrets of his family in award-winning poet Omar Sakrs powerful, moving and confronting debut novel. Its fiction of great imagination that is grounded, one suspects, in an element of lived experience but transposed into the sort of work that tells us much about Australia since the 2005 Cronulla riots. Credit: Sadvertisinig, Ennis Cehic Vintage, $32.99, March 1

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Nine residents were unaccounted for and 400 people were awaiting rescues on Tuesday morning after record-breaking floods hit the tight-knit community of Lismore on Monday.

In a record-breaking effort, NSW SES made 932 flood rescues across the past 24 hours, with the volunteer organisation continuing to be inundated with calls on Tuesday.

Heavy flooding along the Clarence River impacts South Grafton on Tuesday. Credit:Brook Mitchell

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said natural disaster declarations had been made for 17 council areas in the region, allowing for the immediate provision of financial support.

Speaking to Sevens Sunrise on Tuesday morning, Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said there were still a number of people missing with hundreds still needing to be rescued.
Rarely do Sydney offices have a resident organist. Particularly a professional like Robert Fox who will on Wednesday belt out Camille Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 on an orchestral organ with 2277 pipes at the opening of Australias first mega non-profit hub.

To be known as Yirranma Place, the new headquarters of Australias largest philanthropic group, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, will open on the site of the former Church of Christ, Scientist, on Sydneys Liverpool Street which Mr Foxs family once attended.

Following the $60 million purchase, extensive restoration and renovation of the heritage building, Yirranmas 3400 square metres also becomes home to 76 non-profits, advocacy groups and social enterprises, with rents subsided by the foundation.

Organist Robert Fox will perform at the opening of Yirranma Place on Wednesday. Credit:James Brickwood

In its heyday, more than 1000 Sydney disciples of the American founder of Christian Science Mary Baker Eddy crammed on pews in the large auditorium where an opera singer often accompanied the organist playing the 1920s organ.
Regarding an invasion (C8) affecting the toilet paper arsenal, Jack Dikian of Mosman says: Its not just the availability of toilet paper, although it might explain the shortage. A recent study found that more than a quarter of Australian Army personnel are estimated to be overweight. I reckon, either the army is top-heavy with too many generals or their mess halls have been awarded a few hats.

I see my old mate Dave Horsfall (C8) is once again risking overcast skies in telling us of the upcoming 2028 eclipse, but is he doing it so far in advance hoping that the weather gods will have forgotten by the time it happens? asks Richard Murnane of Hornsby.

Roger Harvey, a weather watcher from Balgowlah, has been taking sporadic photos of dam levels from the Heralds weather page for a decade. Ive followed the highs and lows, and scrutinised articles on our infamous desalinator. Annoyingly, the dams never reach 100 per cent  no matter how prolonged the deluge. These two weeks are proving to be extraordinary, but just you wait. Wont happen.

Never fear Toni Mulholland (C8), assures Judy Jones of Thornleigh. Your Kenwood Chef will keep on keeping on for a few years yet. Mine still chug-a-lugs along after 56 years of faithful service. I cant count the number of Christmas puddings and Christmas cakes it has seen.

Last year, Carole Dawes of Randwick finally decided to buy a new fridge after 36 years of faithful service, with only two service calls in that time. Ive had five service calls for my six-month-old fridge already. Even the technician admitted, they dont make em like they used to.
Another person has died in Queenslands flood emergency, bringing the total to nine.

On Tuesday morning police divers found the body of a 76-year-old man who was reported missing in floodwater at Glen Esk near Lake Wivenhoe on Sunday. The man was located in his submerged vehicle at Paddy Gully Creek, Moombra.

The 76-year-old man was found in his submerged vehicle at Paddy Gully Creek.

Emergency services initially responded to reports of a vehicle in floodwater on the Brisbane Valley Highway about 9pm on Sunday. Police, SES, swiftwater rescue crews and PolAir searched the area.

Investigations are continuing, but police will prepare a report for the coroner.
Victorians deserve a planning system that works for them and property-based taxes that do not increase the price of their homes, but work efficiently to benefit everyone.

On Tuesday the Andrews government, by their own admission, shelved significant planning reform that would have benefited Victoria by tens of thousands of jobs and more than $7 billion in economic activity.

The Andrews government has dumped the public housing reforms it announced less than two weeks ago. Credit:Justin McManus

This planning reform package was a generational opportunity for improvement to make our planning system the nations best. We are deeply disappointed the Andrews Labor government has walked away from the reform table for good, and that the $7 billion in economic benefit will be denied to the Victorian economy.

For three years the Property Council worked with the Victorian government, the planning department and the Commissioner for Better Regulation to provide input and recommendations through the planning reform review process. Our members volunteered their time to provide advice and solutions with a commitment on both sides to work together to create a better system.
The news that the federal government will be funding the supply of weapons to Ukraine marks a sharp shift in Australias involvement in the response to Russias invasion. It comes after much discussion in recent weeks of the effectiveness of economic sanctions, and whether international law has been made a dead letter by Russian President Vladimir Putins actions. While it is important to identify the shortcomings of measures that stop short of warfare, it is even more important to understand that one of Moscows major goals is to discredit the very idea of an effective international system.

Putin wants to take us back to a time of great powers carving the world into zones of privileged interest. One can imagine him asking about the International Criminal Court or the SWIFT banking system, as Stalin is said to have done about the Vatican: How many divisions do they have?

War is always a failure of systems, with irreparable costs in human life, whether it occurs in Ukraine or Myanmar, Yemen or Libya. As it stands, the system has failed Ukrainians, and we are now trying with the tools we have available to minimise the damage. But we must also ask ourselves, what can be done to prevent failures like this in the future?

Putins actions are a textbook case of the crime of aggression as defined in the Rome Statute which established the International Criminal Court. While Australia became a signatory to that statute in 1998, it has not ratified the amendments relating to aggression since they were agreed in 2010. This is probably because our AUKUS allies take exception to the idea of being told when they can and cant go to war.
One week. Thats how long level one COVID-19 restrictions lasted in Western Australia before the state government announced it would bring in even tougher rules.

On Friday the state recorded more than 1000 new locally transmitted cases but the Chief Health Officer refused to say publicly the number that would trigger level two restrictions.

On Monday the state recorded just over 1100 new cases and the Premier made the announcement.

Premier Mark McGowan talked all last week about how he did not want to bring in level two restrictions while Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson was quiet on the subject of the caseload number which would trigger such rules. Credit:Peter de Kruijff

Dr Andrew Robertson, in his written health advice to the Premier on Monday, said other states had recorded peaks within 17 to 21 days of hitting 1000 cases and tougher restrictions should be brought in before daily levels hit an anticipated 2500 cases on Friday.
This action caused the police line guarding the building to retreat closer to the building itself; soon after this, law enforcement was overwhelmed, and rioters flooded the building, prosecutors wrote in a court filing. Reffitt retreated only after an officer pepper sprayed him in the face, prosecutors said. Loading Prosecutors believe Reffitt took at least two firearms with him to Washington: an AR-15 rifle and a Smith & Wesson pistol. When FBI agents searched Reffitts home in Wylie, Texas, they found a handgun in a holster on a nightstand in the defendants bedroom. Prosecutors say photos and video of Reffitt during the riot show a handgun holster on his right hip, with what appears to be a silver object inside the holster. On the morning of January 6, Reffitt said he planned to do the recon and then come back for weapons hot and sent messages about meeting at a rendezvous point, according to prosecutors.

These messages, along with the weapons that Reffitt carried and the gear he wore, make clear that the defendant did not come to DC with the intention to engage in peaceful activity, prosecutors wrote. The siege resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer. The Justice Department says more than 235 rioters have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, injuring over 100 officers. Rioters caused over $US1 million in damage to the Capitol. The Justice Department says its investigation has generated an unprecedented volume of evidence, with hundreds of thousands of documents and thousands of hours of videos to share with defence attorneys. Shared files total more than nine terabytes of information and would take over 100 days to view, the department says. More than 750 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Over 200 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanours carrying a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment. More than 100 riot defendants have been sentenced. And at least 90 others have trial dates this year.

Philadelphia-based defence attorney Justin Danilewitz, who was a federal prosecutor in New Jersey from 2012 to 2017, said a conviction in Reffitts case may lead to a flurry of guilty pleas by other riot defendants. And that can benefit defendants on occasion because its better than the alternative if the alternative is a conviction following a trial, Danilewitz added. An acquittal could inspire other defendants to dig in their heels and either push for a better plea offer from prosecutors or gamble a trial of their own, he said. Defence attorney William Welch has said there is no evidence that Reffitt damaged property, used force or physically harmed anybody. In a May 2021 court filing, Welch said none of the videos or photos shows a gun in Reffitts possession at the Capitol. In fact, neither of the police officers interviewed by the government said anything about a firearm, he wrote.

Reffitt has been jailed since his arrest in Texas less than a week after the riot. He faces five counts: obstruction of an official proceeding, being unlawfully present on Capitol grounds while armed with a firearm, transporting firearms during a civil disorder, interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder, and obstruction of justice. The obstructing justice charge stems from threats that he allegedly made against his son, then 18, and daughter, then 16, after returning home from Washington. Reffett told his children to choose a side or die and said they would be traitors if they reported him to law enforcement, prosecutors said. He predicted future political violence in statements both to his family and to fellow militia members, bragged to fellow militia members about his involvement in the riot, recruited other rioters into the militia, and ordered bear spray and riot shields to his home to prepare for further violence, prosecutors wrote. Messages recovered from Reffitts cellphone indicate he planned to joined an armed insurrection on January 6 and intended to occupy the Capitol, prosecutors said. We had thousands of weapons and fired no rounds yet showed numbers. The next time we will not be so cordial, he wrote, according to prosecutors.

Presiding over Reffitts trial is US District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2017. Friedrich already has sentenced nine rioters who pleaded guilty. Freidrich individually questioned 13 prospective jurors before a lunch break on Monday, asking them how closely they have followed news coverage of the Capitol riot. Some said they had formed strong, negative opinions about the events of January 6 but could strive to be fair and impartial. The judge disqualified three members of the jury pool who said they would have difficulty setting aside their opinions or emotions about the riot. One of them, a man who lives near the Capitol, said the riot felt like an attack on my home in some sense. It was a very scary time, he told the judge, Prosecutors expect to call about a dozen witnesses, including three Capitol police officers who interacted with Reffitt and an officer who was in charge of the US Capitol Police command centre.

Jurors will see videos that captured Reffitts confrontation with police. Prosecutors also have audio recordings of Reffitt talking about the riot inside his home after returning home. We made a point. That was a historic day, Refffitt said during one of the recorded conversations, according to prosecutors. And guess what? Im not done yet. I got a lot more to do. Thats the beginning. Reffitts son, daughter and a fellow Texas Three Percenter group member also are listed as government witnesses. The group member travelled with Reffitt to Washington and back to Texas between January 4 and January 8, 2021. During the drive (to Washington), Reffitt talked about dragging those people out of the Capitol by their ankles and installing a new government, prosecutors wrote. A court filing that refers to the other militia member by the initials R.H. says the man will tell jurors he was given immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony.
Broadway's "histo-remix" musical Six has announced plans to launch a second North American tour this fall.

Named the "Boleyn Tour," this second company will begin performances September 20 at the Smith Center in Las Vegas and will make a later stop at Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville (February 21-26, 2023).

The previously announced "Aragon Tour" is currently in rehearsals and will begin performances on March 29 at Broadway in Chicago's CIBC Theatre. Combined, the two tours of Six will visit more than 46 cities in 26 states in their first year. Casting for the "Boleyn Tour" will be announced later this year.

Six is written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, and invites the six wives of Henry VIII to reclaim their identities as they transform from Tudor Queens into Pop Princesses. The musical is co-directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille.

The Broadway production, now running at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, opened in October 2021. The musical is also currently onstage at the Vaudeville Theatre in London's West End, on a UK tour, and at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
Conway, AR (72032)

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Associate Editor

Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
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BRIAN QUINN Richard Richmond was appointed Monday night to become the newest member of City Council.
Towanda, PA (18848)

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Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Delaware County Daily Times, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com.
Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.
Over 100 WVU students and faculty gathered today in front of the Mountainlair to show their support for Ukraine with signs, speeches, and songs.
On a day when the peak is shrouded by mist, passengers on the Mount Washington cog railway feel like they really could be on a railway to the heavens. Ascending to above the tree line and into the clouds, with each trip the railway invokes the imagination of its creator.

Sylvester Marsh, a 49-year-old entrepreneur, found himself and a friend temporarily lost on the tallest mountain in the Northeastern United States during a storm in 1852. At 6,288 feet, Mount Washington soars above New Hampshires White Mountains. Washington is just one of the Northern Presidentialsconnected peaks bearing the names of early American presidents (the others: Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, plus Clay).

Forced to temporarily abandon their push for the summit, the pair quickly sought some natural shelter. Once the storm passed, they managed to arrive at the top after all. Wandering through the alpine meadows and glacial cirques, Sylvester Marsh came up with an outrageous idea.

Portrait of Sylvester Marsh in The Bay State Monthly (May 1885), as reproduced by The Project Gutenberg. (Public Domain)

A Founder of Chicago

Marsh had been born in Campton, less than 60 miles (as the crow flies) from Mount Washington, in the foothills of the White Mountains. The ninth of 11 children and the recipient of only the most rudimentary schooling, Marsh nevertheless advanced his lot through hard work and persistence. At age 19, and over the course of three grueling days, he walked to Boston in search of employment. He eventually established himself as a merchant plying the provision-and-meat trade routesnotably incorporating the recently completed Erie Canalbetween the Ohio backcountry and the eastern cities. Americans had been bringing their hogs and cattle over the Appalachians and into the Ohio River valley since the late 18th century, and in much larger numbers since 1818 (the year the National Road facilitated easier eastwest travel). But by the winter of 1833, purveyor of pork and beef Sylvester Marsh could be found even farther west, in Chicago. This was the same year, incidentally, that the still-diminutive settlement, having just achieved a population of two hundred, was first incorporated as a town, making Marsh one of Chicagos founders. Marsh supplied fresh meat to the town and adjacent Fort Dearborn.

But the Panic of 1837 wiped out much (perhaps all) of Marshs accumulated fortune. The dogged New Hampshirite reacted by diversifying into the grain industryand once again he managed to amass considerable wealth. Decades later, of course, Chicago would become by far the largest meatpacking center in the United Statesand in this, too, Marsh had a hand. Indeed, according to one late-19th-century biography, Sylvester Marsh was the industrys very architect: The meatpacking industry was originated by him, and he made many appliances that were incidental to its success. Marsh was especially adept at harnessing the power of steam for practical useas, for example, in the production of Marshs caloric dried meal, a breakfast cereal that sold for decades, and, possibly, even the coffee percolator. His specially dried corn was shipped as far afield as Mexican California and Europe. The effect of his discovery upon the demand for our great staple [corn] in Europe, trumpeted the Chicago Press and Tribune, can scarcely be over-estimated. We regard this as one of the most important discoveries of the age, and its enterprising, ingenious inventor will live in history as one of the benefactors of his species. Meanwhile, Marsh continued shipping large quantities of pork and beef to Boston.

An Outrageous Idea

It was during this period when, during a trip back home to New Hampshire, he attempted his fateful ascent of Mount Washington. Three years later, in 1855, having helped lay the foundations of Chicagoand the industry that would come to define it, to bootSylvester Marsh moved back to New England.

And thus we return to his outrageous idea: He would build a railway to the summit of Mount Washington.

Train car and tracks on the Cog Railway on Mount Washington, NH. (Joe Klementovich/Getty Images)

This was a particularly challenging prospect since, generally speaking, railroads were built on gradients of less than 10 percent; a Mount Washington locomotive, along the most favorable 3-mile route, would still need to contend with steepness grades of up to 37 percent as it chugged its way up more than 3,500 feet in elevation. How was his train to gain the necessary traction in such conditions? And what about the rugged terrainor the fact that Marshs base (eventually Littleton, New Hampshire) was 25 miles away? On the other hand, should Sylvester Marsh succeed in his audacious plan, his would be the first mountain-climbing railway of its kindand the steepest railwayin the world.

Marsh surveyed the proposed route himself, then applied to the New Hampshire legislature for a charter for the road, promptly earning himself the nickname Crazy Marsh. Perhaps out of sheer curiosity (yet certainly also in consideration of his undeniably impressive record as an inventor), the legislature awarded him the charter in June 1858, though not without sarcastically offering him the right to build a road to the moon, too. Some of the members called it madness, a 19th-century newspaper informed readers, others ridiculed and none believed that there was anything in it.

Marsh found few investors willing to bank on such an impossible enterprise, and so he initially funded the project virtually on his own. As for the technical challenges of the venture, Marsh developed a unique friction braking system and, most importantly, his own version of the cog-rail. The cog (or rack) railway, first invented in 1812 in the English city of Leeds at a time when some doubted friction alone could adequately secure a steam locomotive, fit wheels with teeth into track with teeth. (The English version proved unnecessary and was now long out of use; it was never used for mountain-climbing in any case.) Marshs driving wheel was similarly bristling with teeth, but his wrought-iron, L-shaped rails secured ladder-rung-like rollers or pins between them, each roller spaced so that the wheels teeth fit snugly between them. His cog-rail was also positioned in the center (the English version had been on one side only). All of this, of course, was designed not only to provide the traction necessary to move up a slope, but also to prevent the locomotive from sliding backwards!

Marsh acquired a patent for his rack railway concept in September 1861five months after Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to combat the Southern combinations, and two months after the First Battle of Bull Run.

A Wonder of the World

The war delayed construction, but by 1866, Marsh had completed a quarter-mile of track. To transport materialsincluding his steam locomotive, disassembledto the base of the mountain required teams of oxen, which Marsh at first drove himself. His camp he built mostly from the trees at the foot of the mountain, where he erected a water-powered sawmill to cut timber for miles of wooden framework. This was his solution to the problem of rugged terrain, and in the end, almost all of the railways track would be built high in the air on these trestles. He built a forge, too, in part for reassembling the locomotivenicknamed Herohed hauled in pieces from Littleton. Though the track remained mostly unfinished, Marsh felt ready to hold a public demonstration of his mountain-climbing cog railway.

Mount Washington Cog Railroad at the top of Mount Washington in White Mountain in fall, New Hampshire, USA. (travelview/Shutterstock)

The crowd that gathered that August watched as Marshs locomotive, with its six-and-a-half-ton, 50-horse-power engine, pushed the trains single car up a western spur of Mount Washington at 2 miles an hour. The train then returned, the locomotive remaining on the downhill end. This was repeated several times, with guests on boardand all, it seems, were impressed. Crazy Marsh had done it! Much-needed investment now poured in. By 1868, the railway was open for business, running all the way to the steepest portion of the route (called Jacobs Ladder, where the grade rose to almost 2,000 feet per mile). By mid-1869, the track extended to the very top of Mount Washington. Seventeen years after that stormy climb, Sylvester Marsh could ride a train to the summithis own train. Contemporaries considered it the greatest engineering feat of the century and one of the wonders of the world.

Marsh never made much money from his Mount Washington enterpriseindeed, all told, the project may have been a loss. Then again, an 1885 biographer insists, immense wealth was never his aim. Rather, he was large in his ideas. And by the time he passed away in 1884, his cog railway had gained national and international fame; engineers from the Swiss Alps traveled to New Hampshire to study his design so that they could imitate it at home. Almost 100 years after Marshs death, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers found Marshs cog railway so impressive that, for the first time, two national engineering societies have combined their conclusions in order to designate the train system as a National Historical Mechanical and Civil Engineering Landmark.

In continuous operation since 1869 (except for brief stints during the two world wars), Sylvester Marshs mountain-climbing cog railway still runs to this day.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
Fences and barriers surround the U.S. Capitol after being re-installed ahead of President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address before a Joint Session of Congress on Feb. 27, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The State of the Union is scheduled for March 1. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

Accounting Expert: Heres What Biden Wont Say on US Deficits in State of the Union Speech

President Joe Biden is expected to speak an hour or more while mentioning multiple hot issues during his State of the Union (SOTU) address to the nation Tuesday evening, but the true scope of the national debt likely wont be among them, according to a government accounting guru.

The Department of the Treasury issued its latest annual Report on the Financial Condition of the United States on Feb. 17 and estimated the national debt to be $29.8 trillion as of Sept. 30, 2021, the last day of the 2021 fiscal year.

In the five months since the end of the 2021 fiscal year, calculations by private national debt clocks maintained by groups like Truth-in-Accounting (TIA), a Chicago-based non-profit devoted to advocating for transparency in government, indicate the national debt total now exceeds $30 trillion.

But the truth is, according to Sheila Weinberg, TIAs founder and chief executive officer, the true national debt is, at $141 trillion, more than four times as big as the official estimate because federal accounting procedures dont include projected future costs to taxpayers of huge entitlement benefit programs like Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits and federal retiree benefits.

It was great to see the Treasury Department issue the federal governments audited financial report before the State of the Union. But I am concerned that the president will not mention the important information included in it, Weinberg told The Epoch Times on Monday.

A critical part of the State of the Union should be the financial state of the Union, but the president will most likely fail to mention that the governments spending is on an unsustainable path and that, while the government has promised our seniors Social Security and Medicare benefits over the next 75 years, Congress and the president have no idea where the money will come from to pay $71 trillion of those benefits, she continued.

Weinberg also said she doubts the president will mention that in order to maintain the spending projected without borrowing even more money, taxes would need to increase by more than 32 percent or spending, including promised Social Security and Medicare benefits, would have to be cut by 25 percent.

Private employers are required to project on an annual basis their future liabilities for things like employee health and retirement programs and to set aside funding for them. The federal government does not require its accountants to do so because of the power to raise tax rates and manipulate tax policies to generate more revenue.

A Peterson Foundation billboard displaying the national debt is pictured on K Street in downtown Washington on Feb. 8, 2022. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Peter G. Peterson Foundation)

The Chicago-based TIA leader added that while the president might mention the need for additional defense spending, the GAO who audits the federal financial report indicates that material weaknesses exist that make it impossible for the auditors to account for the current spending.

Weinberg was referring to the lengthy statement and analysis by the Government Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, which Biden is also unlikely to mention in his SOTU remarks even though it is included in the Treasurys annual report,

The GAOs auditors dig deeply into the financial statements provided by executive branch departments and agencies in order to reach conclusions about the reliability of the statements, or the lack thereof.

While couched in dry accounting and financial terms, the GAO analysis paints a damning picture of a government that cannot credibly account for its spending, assets and liabilities, as seen in these observations by GAO: The federal government is not able to demonstrate the reliability of significant portions of the accompanying accrual-based consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended Sept. 30, 2021, and 2020, principally because of limitations related to certain material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and other limitations affecting the reliability of these financial statements and the scope of our work 

As a result of these limitations, readers are cautioned that amounts reported in the accrual-based consolidated financial statements and related notes may not be reliable. The federal government did not maintain adequate systems or have sufficient appropriate evidence to support certain material information reported in the accompanying accrual-based consolidated financial statements.

The reasons the weaknesses have existed for years, according to GAO, include the federal governments chronic inability to estimate accurately Small Business Administration (SBA) loan guarantee costs, reasonably calculate or document environmental liabilities, provide documentation for large portions of the operational costs of the Department of Defense (DOD) and SBA, or adequately account for intra-governmental transfers.

In other words, according to GAO, federal officials cannot reasonably assure that the consolidated financial statements are (1) consistent with the underlying audited entities financial statements, (2) properly balanced, and (3) in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

The GAO analysis, Weinberg said, is giving them what we accountants call a disclaimer opinion. What that means in essence is they flunked their audit.
Edith Wilson, President Woodrow Wilsons wife, quietly played a key role in running the White House when the president fell ill

On a railroad car named Mayflower, headed to California in September 1919 for a presidential speaking tour, first lady Edith Bolling Galt Wilson felt trapped. She was loyal to President Woodrow Wilsons mission to rally the American people for his League of Nations proposal after World War I. On the other hand, her husbands health was noticeably failing, and she feared for his life.

Loyalty was a strong character trait Mrs. Wilson had consistently displayed throughout the years with her family, including an invalid grandmother that she helped care for each day. Her fortitude was put to the test again when her first husband, Norman Galt, died suddenly in January 1908 in his early 40s and left his business and debts to his widow. The Galts were an affluent family in Washington, D.C., owners of the Galt & Bro. jewelry business and considered one of the most prominent families in the capital city.

The new widow became a business owner in a day and time when women didnt even have the right to vote. She was faced with the decision to continue the business alone, take on a partner, or close the doors on the popular shop that had served notable customers such as Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Alexander Graham Bell.

As would become her custom, the widow Galt and future first lady would look adversity in the eye and make a decision to meet the challenges the best she could with a small group of trusted friends. After several sleepless nights, she decided to stay loyal to the jewelry businesss employees and turned the day-to-day management over to a male employee who had worked with two generations of the Galt family.

Brokering World Peace

Although President Wilsons health and stamina were visibly diminished in his second term, the 63-year-old politician and former educator decided to take to the rails on a speech-making tour to the West. He had placed himself in the self-appointed position of trying to broker world peace after the Great War, and he and the first lady, who was always at his side, had already spent a grueling six months in Paris negotiating the Treaty of Versailles for the victorious Allies.

The president relied heavily on his second wife and had taken her into confidence with most every aspect of his job, including reading dispatches from around the world together. Mrs. Wilson wrote in her memoir that he would clarify each problem for her and then outline the way he planned to meet it. She not only was a confidante but also took on the duty of decoding top secret memorandums.

Mrs. Wilson, along with the presidents private secretary Joseph Tumulty and his personal physician Dr. Cary Grayson, was not in favor of the Western speaking tour to rally national support for the League of Nations proposal, which was receiving pushback and opposition from the Senate. However, even prior to his political career as president of Princeton University, Wilson was extremely set in his opinions, thought his ideas were the best, and set out to enforce them at any cost. At the university, he butted heads with the students, the administration, and the traditions. He did not like compromise and would sacrifice overall success if his ideas were not carried out in every particular detail. He wouldnt hear of canceling the speaking tour and trying to override the Senates opposition to his world peace plan.

In response to the presidents inner circle advising against the trip, President Wilson said it was his duty to go and explain to the people the consequences of not embracing his peace proposal and, hopefully, convince an aware public to force the Senate to accept his plan. He strongly believed it was the only hope for the world and the only way to avoid another world war. Mrs. Wilson didnt have an answer and couldnt stop him. With her admiring devotion, she took her place at his side.

The Presidents Health Takes a Turn

President Wilson began to experience excruciating headaches on the trip. His breathing became difficult, and he experienced fits of choking. He tried to sleep by being propped up with pillows in a chair. His supporters began to fear that he would collapse at any moment. Early one morning near Wichita, Kansas, Dr. Grayson called the speaking tour off. The president could hardly breathe, muscles in his face were twitching, and he was extremely nauseated. The first lady knew they were facing something terrible, and the night was the longest and most heartbreaking of her life. The next day, Tumulty announced to the press that President Wilson had suffered a severe nervous attack. Orders were flashed to clear the train tracks, and the Mayflower began to speed back to Washington, D.C.

An air of secrecy and seclusion began, with Dr. Grayson and Mrs. Wilson working together to provide a shield for the president. She knew after the long night on the train that life would never be the same. Something broke inside her, and she decided from that hour forward to not reveal the truth to the public or her husband, as she didnt want him to know how ill he was. She decided, as she did many times in her past, that she would be the one to carry on. The doctor believed that only a complete, extended rest would cure President Wilson and allow him to resume charge of the nation. Dr. Grayson was determined to keep the president at the White House, and he announced that the first lady would be in complete charge of nursing her husband. She began to screen his visitors and correspondence and answer queries when she didnt want to bother the president, even telling a secret agent of the British government with important news for the president that she would receive it for him and never allowing a meeting between the two men.

Within a few weeks of returning to the White House, President Wilson suffered a stroke in the early morning of October 2, 1919. Doctors swarmed in, but no information leaked out. Ike Hoover, chief usher (head of the household staff and operations), said this was the beginning of the deception of the American people. He had been outside the bedroom door when Dr. Grayson emerged after examining his patient and cried out, My God, the president is paralyzed. The doctor transformed the White House into a hospital and fashioned news releases to shield the presidents true medical condition and the severity of it.

Mrs. Wilson wrote in her memoir that her husband had suffered a stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body, leaving an arm and a leg useless; however, Thank God, she said, the brain was clear and untouched. She asked the doctors to be frank with her. Recovery, they said, could not be hoped for unless the president was released from every disturbing problem and allowed to heal. The first lady asked how it could be possible to keep every problem from the president, since that was the nature of his job. She wasnt sure how to protect him.

Mrs. Wilsons Stewardship

Dr. Francis X. Dercum, a leading neurologist and consulting physician, leaned toward Mrs. Wilson and confided his faith in her to be able to solve the challenge. He suggested that everything come to her and she decide the importance of each matterto consult with the respective heads of all the departments and see what could be solved without bothering the president. She felt the gravity of the situation and thought it better that President Wilson resign and let the Vice President, Thomas R. Marshall, assume the presidency. The doctor disagreed, feeling that a resignation by the president would have a bad effect on the country and her husband. Dr. Dercum reminded the first lady that her husband had the utmost confidence in her.

She was aware of public affairs and had studied history and politics. At the doctors urging, Mrs. Wilson began what she called her stewardship. She claimed to have never made a single decision herself, although her critics accused her of assuming power. Their calls and pleas to Vice President Marshall went unanswered, as he and the president had never worked closely together, and Marshall believed his office was not politically significant. He wrote in his autobiography that he was of no importance to the administration beyond the duty of being loyal to it and chose what I thought to be the better part: to acknowledge the insignificant influence of the office.

Vice President Marshall also wrote that the months were not pleasant during President Wilsons illness. The standing joke of the country is that the only business of the vice-president is to ring the White House bell every morning and ask what is the state of health of the president.  I never have wanted his shoes, he said.

And so, first lady Edith Bolling Galt Wilson continued her stewardship. The White House Archives documents that after President Wilson suffered a severe stroke, she prescreened all matters of state, functionally running the executive branch of government for the remainder of Wilsons second term. It wasnt until February 1967, however, that Congress ratified the 25th Amendment to address presidential disability and succession. Section 3 calls for the vice president to assume the powers of presidency.

If the provision had been in place about 48 years prior to 1967, America would never have had a secret president.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
Clean-up efforts are underway for an oil spill off the coastline of Orange County in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Amplify Energy Sues Shipping Companies Over California Oil Spill

SANTA ANA, Calif.Amplify Energy, the company that owns an oil rig that spilled crude into the waters off of Huntington Beach, filed a federal lawsuit Monday against two shipping companies accused of dragging anchors over the pipe that sprung a leak.

The company names container ships, the MSC Danit and the COSCO Beijing, in the lawsuit that was filed at the end of the business day in federal court in Santa Ana as part of the ongoing litigation regarding the spill before U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in which Amplify Energy is a defendant.

Amplify Energy is suing the owners of the container ships, Mediterranean Shipping Co., and Dordellas Finance Corp., along with the captains and crews and other associated companies, as well as the Marine Exchange, which is responsible for directing traffic around San Pedro Bay.

Amplify Energy is alleging that had it been notified right away about the anchor strikes it would have immediately assessed the situation and made any necessary repairs, according to a statement from the company.

The spill should never have happened and had these parties not been grossly negligent and had any party notified Amplify, this entire event could have been avoided, Amplify Energy said in its statement about the lawsuit.

Clean-up efforts are underway to clear a massive oil spill in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Oct. 5, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Both of the ships had been anchored in San Pedro Bay on Jan. 25, 2021, awaiting to unload cargo, the lawsuit said. A storm was brewing, so many of the other ships in the area took refuge in deeper waters. The MSC Danit and COSCO Beijing did not, according to the lawsuit.

Instead, the MSC Danit and COSCO Beijing remained anchored about 4.8 miles off the California coast, next to the undersea San Pedro Bay Pipeline which has been in place since 1980, the lawsuit alleged.

That pipeline conveys oil from offshore production and platforms to Long Beach and all defendants knew or should have known precisely where the pipeline was and federal law prohibits ships from using anchors too close to that pipeline.

Wind gusted up to 63 miles per hour in the storm that pushed waves up to 17 feet high, and the ships anchors across the sea floor where anchoring was prohibited, the lawsuit alleged. The anchors dragged a 4,000-foot section of the pipeline across the seafloor, the lawsuit alleged.

The anchor-dragging bent and bowed the pipeline, displacing some parts of the pipeline by more than 100 feet and breaking off the concrete casing around the pipeline, the lawsuit alleged.

Yet despite dragging anchor while repeatedly crossing over the well-charted location of the pipeline, the MSC defendants and Beijing defendants failed to alert Amplify of the incidents, the lawsuit alleged.

Nor did Marine Exchangewhich monitors such movements in real time and knew or should have known that the ships had cross over the pipeline multiple times while broadcasting that they were at anchor inform Amplify of the ships movements.

Cargo awaits unloading from ships off the Port of Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

After the oil spill, Coast Guard officials named the ships as possibly the cause of the damage to the pipeline, the lawsuit said.

Then, after one of the COSCO Beijings crew members allegedly attempted to flee the country, the MSC Danits owner asked (Carter) for emergency relief to secure his deposition, the lawsuit alleges. The Coast Guards investigation into the anchor-dragging incidents remains ongoing.

Amplify is seeking damages for harm to its business and reputation as well as for repairs and replacing the pipeline and for the loss of income from suspending its operation.

Amplify is also seeking injunctive relief against Marine Exchange which would require it to warn of anchor-dragging incidents within 24 hours to the companies affected by such an accident. The company also wants to prevent vessels from anchoring near the pipeline when stormy weather is anticipated.
Voters wait to cast their ballots at Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona, on Nov. 3, 2020. (Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images)

Arizona House, Senate Approve Measure Boosting Voter ID Requirements on November Ballots

The Republican-controlled Arizona House and GOP-led state Senate voted Monday to approve a measure on the November election ballot that would drastically increase the identification requirements needed for Arizonans who want to vote both in-person and by mail.

Gina Swoboda, third vice chairman of the Republican Party of Arizona, announced the measure had been approved in a video posted to Twitter on Monday.

We are so proud to announce that the voter ID act has passed out of the house, it will be on the ballot in November, Swoboda said. Thank you to everyone for making this happen. This is going to be a great election cycle, the people will be heard.

The SCR1012 bill (pdf) would require early voters to provide their date of birth and number along with their signature on their return ballots.

Currently, voters in Arizona just sign their names, which county officials then compare to signatures they have on file with verified voter registration documents.

The measure was approved after Republicans raised concerns that the states voter ID laws allow for fraud or illegal votes to take place, particularly in light of allegations of voter fraud in Arizona during the 2020 presidential election.

An independent Senate-sponsored forensic audit by Florida-based company Cyber Ninjas found numerous ballot discrepancies and potential issues involving a combined total of 53,305 ballots.

However, Democrats argue that the bill, along with a string of other election integrity bills being pushed through the Senate are aimed at voter suppression.

The bill would also limit the type of identification that is acceptable for in-person voters, removing their ability to provide two different forms of identification without a photograph in order to receive a ballot at a polling place, such as a water bill or tax bill.

The measure applies the voter identification requirements to elections beginning no later than the 2024 primary election.

An election official checks a voters photo identification at an early voting polling site in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 26, 2014. (Eric Gay, File/AP Photo)

Marcelino Quinonez, a Democrat who serves in the Arizona House of Representatives from the 27th district, said he refused to vote yes on SCR1012 and a similar bill, HCR2025, because he trusts Arizona voters and the integrity of our elections.

HCR2025 would require Arizonans to provide ID, as well as the last four digits of their Social Security number, in order to vote early.

Democracy only works when you respect the outcome: win or lose, not when you change the laws along party lines. I voted NO on SCR1012/HCR2025 because voter ID laws in Arizona already exist, and I trust our process, Quinonez said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Mitzi Epstein of Tempe said she is concerned that the similar HCR2025 measure could lead to hundreds of valid mail ballot requests being rejected.

Voter ID is good. Arizona has voter ID requirements. But this HCR has too many flaws and will have too many unintended consequences. Every eligible voters ballot should be counted. We should not create barriers to voting, Epstein said on Twitter.

However, Republican Rep. Walt Blackman of Snowflake praised the measure for strengthening election integrity.

I dont see whats wrong with this. I really dont, said Blackman. Because all its doing is protecting our election and the process.

But Arizona state Rep. John Kavanagh, a Republican, said the measures are the best way to ensure every vote is counted legally.

Now you dont have to mail in your drivers license if its an early ballot, Kavanagh told Fox 10. You would simply have to put in your drivers license number, which you have and you can copy, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Those two pieces of information would be hidden, so nobody could see it.

Its an easy way and a secure way to ensure that somebody who steals your ballot from the mailbox, or a family member who wants to vote on your behalf, unbeknownst to you, cant find a piece of paper with your signature on it, trace it, and vote on your behalf, said Kavanagh.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Republican Party on Friday filed a lawsuit asking the state Supreme Court to kill the vote-by-mail system used by 90 percent of registered voters, arguing that it is unconstitutional.

The lawsuit asks justices to get rid of the no-excuse absentee balloting system adopted by the state in 1991.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
People wait in line to drop off mail-in ballots at an early voting location in Phoenix, Arizona on Oct. 16, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Arizona Republicans File Lawsuit to Remove Mail-In Voting

The Arizona Republican Party has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove absentee voting and no-excuse mail-in voting in the state.

In the suit filed on Friday, the political party argued that in-person voting at the polls on a fixed date (election day) is the only constitutional manner of voting in Arizona.

In the petition to the court (pdf), attorneys noted a provision in the state Constitution, which says that official ballots are to be provided at the next regular general election in such manner that the electors may express at the polls their approval or disapproval of [a] measure. The attorneys argued that at the polls means ballots must be cast at in-person polling places.

Stated simply, Arizonas early voting statuteswhich provide for absentee or no-excuse mail-in votingviolate the Arizona Constitution, in whole or in part, the petition reads. Arizonas early voting statutes should be struck down, Republicans told the court.

The no-excuse mail-in voting system was adopted in Arizona in 1991. Republicans in the suit said that if the state Supreme Court does not decide to strike down the early voting statutes, then it should revert to the mail-in voting rules in place prior to 1991, which means voters would need to have a valid reason to vote by mail.

The latest suit was filed by the state GOP and Yvonne Cahill, the partys secretary. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, is named as the respondent in the case.

Signature Verification, Drop Boxes

Republicans also raised the topics of signature verification and drop boxes with regard to mail-in voting.

They alleged that Hobbs didnt properly codify signature verification procedures for mail-in ballots in 2020, noting that after having issued in July 2020 a signature verification guide for early ballot envelopes, Hobbs has never added these procedures to the operative Elections Procedures Manual (EPM) or an addendum thereto.

If adopted into the EPM and approved by the Governor and Attorney General, the procedures would have the force of law, and their violation would be punishable as a misdemeanor, they said. But since Hobbs failed to do so, county recorders are not required to follow the procedures.

The Secretarys failure to include the guidelines in the EPM is not only remiss but also perpetuates inconsistent and non-uniform signature verification procedures by allowing her and the various Arizona counties to create and change their own procedures at will, whatever those may be, without the safeguard of the Governors and the Attorney Generals approval.

A woman wearing gloves drops off a mail-in ballot at a drop box in Hackensack, N.J., on July 7, 2020. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

The Republican Party also alleged that Hobbs exceeded her authority by allowing drop boxes to be used to collect mail-in ballots.

Exceeding her legal authority, [Hobbs] has prescribed rules in the EPM allowing county officials to develop and implement procedures for placing drop-boxes, including unstaffed drop-box[es], in various locations throughout the several counties, they wrote.

Neither the secretary of state nor county recorders have authority under the Arizona statues to implement drop box voting in Arizona, the Republican Party argued. Moreover, the legislature may not delegate this authority to the Secretary, nor may the Secretary delegate a portion of this authority to county recorders, as the EPM purports to do, they added.

They are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to decide what they call purely legal questions of the case before the next election cycle, with early voting set to start Oct. 12 for the states general election on Nov. 8.

Whether the Secretary must include signature verification guidelines in the EPM, whether she may create drop-box rules without legal authority, and whether mail-in voting statutes are constitutional (a question that requires this Court to interpret the Arizona Constitution) are purely legal questions of first impression that Arizona courts have never addressed, they noted.

Republicans furthermore asked the court to eliminate ballot drop boxes, prohibit ballot counting before election day, or prohibit voting absentee on initiatives and referendums. The GOP did not challenge absentee voting for members of the military, which the state is required to allow by federal law.

In a response to the lawsuit, Hobbs said on Twitter: Our early voting system is secure and popular. This lawsuit filed by the Republican Party of Arizona has a single aimto make it more difficult to vote.

I look forward to once again defending the voters of Arizona and defeating this ridiculous attempt to undermine our elections.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Hobbs for additional comment.

Raquel Teran, a state senator and chairwoman of the Arizona Democratic Party, said the lawsuit is yet another attempt by the Arizona Republicans to make it harder for people to vote.

In 2020, 90 percent of Arizona voters used a ballot that arrived in the mail, which can be returned through the U.S. Postal Service, an official drop box run by county election officials or to a polling place. The ballots are collected at a central warehouse, where workers confirm the signature on the outside of the ballot envelope matches signatures on file to verify the vote is legitimate.

Separately, on Monday, the Arizona legislature approved a measure that will boost voter ID requirements required for both in-person and mail-voting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks following a service by Reverend Simon Ckuj at St Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic Church, Lidcombe in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 27, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Australia Pledges $50 Million to NATO to Provide Weapons for Ukraine

The Australian government will provide AU$70 million (US$50 million) to purchase military equipment and weapons for Ukraine in its efforts to fend off an ongoing Russian invasion.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement following a meeting of the National Security Committee and will see the funds channelled to NATO where it will be decided how the money is distributed.

A further $35 million of humanitarian aid will be delivered to provide shelter, food, and medical care.

The overwhelming majority of that ($70 million) will be in the lethal category, the prime minister told reporters on March 1.

We are talking missiles, ammunition, we are talking supporting them in their defence of their own homeland in Ukraine.

Morrison would not go into specifics of what type of lethal military aid was being provided and how it would be delivered.

I dont plan to give the Russian government a heads-up about what is coming their way, but I can assure them it is coming your way, he said.

We will be answering the call from (Ukrainian) President Zelensky. He said, Dont give me a ride, give me ammunition, and that is exactly what the Australian government has agreed to do.

Morrison welcomed the efforts from fellow nations in sanctioning Russia but warned that President Vladimir Putin would likely amp up the aggression.

It is also likely to lead to an even more violent response from Russia, he said. Anyone who thinks the Russian government is just going to sit there, I think, doesnt understand the intent and the outrageous objective of President Putin.

He also called on Beijing not to extend any lifeline to Russia.

There is real economic pain being felt as a result of these sanctions, Morrison said. But the impact of the worlds response to impose a price on President Putin needs to be reinforced by countries like China because if they extend a lifeline to them, as they have in taking their wheat exports by easing trade restrictions on Russian wheat into China that only serves to undermine, I think, the principled stance that has been taken by so many other countries around the world.

Currently, the government is processing around 100 visa applications from Ukrainians each day.

In solidarity, Australias Parliament House and later the Sydney Opera House will be lit up with the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

Morrison meanwhile warned ordinary Australians against travelling to Ukraine to fight against Russian forces.

The legal position of those who may seek to do that is very unclear  anyone seeking to do that would find themselves on the wrong side of some very, very violent attacks, he said.

It comes after the Ukrainian president signed a decree temporarily lifting visa entry requirements for foreigners wishing to join in the defence of the eastern European nation.

Meanwhile, Russias Foreign Ministry has warned members of the European Union against providing weapons to Ukraine.

EU citizens and entities involved in the delivery of lethal weapons, fuel, and lubricants to Ukraine will bear responsibility for any consequences of such actions to manifest themselves during the ongoing special military operation, according to a statement.

They cannot fail to understand how dangerous these consequences are, it added. It did not elaborate on what penalty or punishment Russia might try to inflict.

Ceasefire talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives have yielded no results, with Russian forces approaching the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Fighting is continuing around the country.
Australian Billionaire Unveils Biggest Renewables Hub in Southern Hemisphere

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest continues to make good on his commitment to transform Australia into a world-class green energy titan, with the announcement of what could become the southern hemispheres largest solar, wind, and battery hub.

Forrest-owned Squadron Energy Orders has issued contracts to immediately start construction for the $3 billion (US$2.2 billion) Clarke Creek energy precinct located in the northeast of Queensland.

Stage two of the Clarke Creek project has received approval to build up to 195 wind turbines for a total capacity of 800 MW (megawatts) and up to 400 MW of solar, along with battery storage to store the energy when required.

Squadron Energy estimated the project could power 660,000 homes, equivalent to 40 percent of all of Queenslands householdsor nearly 8 percent of all households in Australia.

Forrest noted that with other green energy projects in the pipeline, the title of largest green energy hub in the southern hemisphere would not be permanent.

We have commenced construction of what will be the largest renewable energy precinct in the southern hemisphere, Forrest said.

Fortescue Metals chairman Andrew Forrest during a visit to the Christmas Creek mine site in The Pilbara, Western Australia on Apr. 15, 2021. (AAP Image/Pool, Justin Benson-Cooper)

But I am delighted to say that we will not hold this record for long, with other renewable energy projects under development that will surpass our project in scale. We intend to bring on other projects which will be larger than todays record.

One such project includes Squadron Energys 15 percent stake in Sun Cable, a monolithic 20,000 MW solar farm in the Northern Territory that expects to power Singapore and parts of Asia through intercontinental transmission lines.

Energy hubsareas where solar, wind, and storage are centralisedhave been lauded as a gateway to the shift away from coal by shaving costs through economies of scale and cutting down on transmission cabling.

We are investing in Clarke Creek not only to harness the renewable power of the wind and sun to energise our homes, our factories and our cities but as a critical step towards breaking our reliance on fossil fuels, Forrest said.

Climate change is the single greatest threat to our existence, and we must meet this global challenge with tenacity and speed. This announcement is a signal that Australia is prepared to act with purpose to realise our 100 percent, green, renewable, zero-emissions energy future.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk welcomed the commitment and its contribution to the states emissions reduction targets.

Delivering such a huge renewable energy boost takes Queensland closer to achieving our targets of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, she said.

The Queensland government had already announced a power purchase agreement for the Clarke Creek project, which involved an upfront payment to reserve 346.5 MW of the power produced for 15 years.

Slave Labour Concerns of Rapid Energy Transition

However, Australias accelerated switch to more solar and wind generation has brought with it concerns of slave labour and human rights violations embedded in renewable energy supply chains.

A report released by the Australian Human Rights Commission highlighted reports of adults, and sometimes children, operating in poor or harmful conditions or working for little to no financial return.

This included the use of child slave labour in dangerous conditions for the mining of cobalt, a mineral used in some batteries, along with the use of forced labour in global solar supply chains originating in Chinathe worlds biggest solar supplier.

Forrest himself made a large portion of his wealth based on exports of iron ore to China and has continued to maintain a strong relationship with the Chinese regimeincluding inviting a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to a federal government press conference in April 2020.

Andrew Forrest (left) and Victoria and Tasmania Consul-General of China Long Zhou (centre) at a press conference at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices on Apr. 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (AAP Image/James Ross)

China has placed millions of ethnic Uyghur, Kyrgyz, and Kazakh citizens from Xinjiang into labour camps that have been linked to the production of polysilicona key component in solar cellsand has continued to engage in human rights violations, including the forced organ harvesting of Falun Dafa practitioners.

Australia, with a world-record adoption of rooftop solar energy, has no domestic capability to create solar cells and instead imports 90 percent of its solar panels from China.

Federal Independent MP Craig Kelly has expressed fears that Australias switch to renewables could see the transfer of billions of dollars in wealth from Australia to China.

Kelly raised further concerns that the purchase of solar and wind components entailed a transfer of wealth from Australia to the CCP that went towards continuing the forced labour of Uyghurs.

We send billions of dollars off to communist China to buy the solar panels, Kelly said on The Epoch Times show Australia Calling.

The Chinese are very clever: move the production out to use the cheap labour of the Uyghurs to keep the solar panels at a price that will dominate the market and will wipe out all the competition.
A man pushes away floating debris next to a flooded shed on the bank of over flowing Clarence River in Grafton, Australia, on March 1, 2022. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Australian Defence Forces Mobilized to Help As Flooding Worsens

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the flood-hit areas in Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW) would receive further support from the defence force after flooding in the region continues to grow.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has 600 active personnel currently involved in rescue efforts, with people getting airlifted to safety from the roof of their homes. But most rescues are being done by flood boats.

The weather situation, particularly in and around Lismore  was very difficult, Morrison told reporters on Tuesday. It was not an easy thing to get those aerial assets in place to be affecting those rescues.

That will continue, and we are pre-positioning further ADF support all along the eastern coast of Australia, Morrison said.

Any further requests for federal assistance from Queensland and NSW would be immediately provided, the prime minister said.

Morrison said the current weather event, dubbed a rain bomb by the Queensland premier, was causing flooding that long-time locals in flood-prone areas have never seen in their lifetime.

As of Wednesday morning, 11 lives have been lost to the floods, of which nine were in Queensland and two in Lismore.

Despite the terrible impacts that these flooding events have demonstrated, what we have seen is extraordinary courage and response across all agencies, Morrison said.

A man paddles his kayak next to a submerged bus on a flooded street in the town of Milton in suburban Brisbane, Australia, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Patrick Hamilton/AFP /AFP via Getty Images)

Residents stay next to a flooded street in Lawrence, in northern New South Wales, Australia, on March 1, 2022. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Over 80,000 disaster support claims have been made so far, and $3 million (US$2.16 million) in payments have already been directly given through Services Australia. The Disaster Recovery Payment provides $1,000 (US$721) for adults and $400 for children.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) said on Tuesday that insurers received almost 31,000 claims related to the flood emergency in one day, representing a 107 percent increase on Monday.

This is still a large-scale unfolding event across two states with significant increases in claim numbers, and we expect this to continue to climb as people are allowed to return to their homes and businesses, ICA CEO Andrew Hall said.

This comes as the Australian Bureau of Meterology (BOM) issued a warning for Australias most iconic city, Sydney, to brace for flooding and severe winds with the weather system.

At the NSW budget estimate hearings on Tuesday, Labor MP Walt Secord questioned why the fleet of five helicopters from the National Parks and Wildlife Services had not been deployed to help.

However, State Emergency Services (SES) commissioner Carlene York said it was naive to think that a person who can pilot a helicopter can do a rescue.

It is a highly technical, well-trained skill to land on a roof, York told reporters. National Parks and Wildlife are not trained for the purposes of our rescues to go and rescue community members.

We would love it if we could have more helicopters, but Im also not going to put the lives of helicopter operators at risk.

York said authorities have spread every available well-trained personnel across the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast to help get the community to safety.

The BOM issued major flood warnings for the Hawkesbury-Nepean Rivers and the SES announced that the Warragamba Dam had hit capacity at Wednesday noon.

It also issued warnings for heavy thunderstorms that may lead to flash flooding in Victoria. The entire east coast of Tasmania is being also warned of minor flooding, with floods already occurring at the South Esk River.
In this photo provided by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, water floods land and buildings near Gympie, north of Brisbane, Australia Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. Heavy rain is bringing record flooding to some east coast areas and claimed seven lives while the flooding in Brisbane, a population of 2.6 million, and its surrounds is the worst since 2011 when the city was inundated by what was described as a once-in-a-century event. (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services via AP)

Australian Man and Pet Dog Swept to Deaths as Flooding Continues

An Australian man and his dog from the Gold Coast have been swept to their deaths as Queenslands flooding crisis moves south.

The man, aged in his 50s, and his dog died when their car was swept away in torrential rain on Currumbin Creek Road about 3 a.m. on Monday.

The vehicle had been driven 30 to 40 metres into floodwaters and couldnt be located by emergency services.

Surf lifesavers discovered the submerged vehicle just after 10.45 a.m. about 10 metres from the roadway.

The man and his dog were still in the vehicle.

It is the eighth fatality in southeast Queenslands floods.

It was a nervous night for the owners of the landmark Yatala Pie Shop, which sits a stones throw from the swollen Albert River.

After the store was flooded in 2017, this time David Porter and his staff werent taking any chances.

The pies were loaded into a refrigerated truck and parked at higher ground, the drinks fridge was emptied and the machinery plastic wrapped.

And the water rose.

For hours, it inched across the car park coming closer and closer to the restaurant, lapping at the steps of the verandah but, miraculously, it stopped.

It was like slow motion, said Porter.

It went up really quick  like a metre and then it went really slowly400mm, up two steps and then like over three hours it went up 100mmthe last 10mm took over an hour.

We didnt think it was going to stop, but it has stemmed  right on the top step of the verandahs.

The pie shop is hoping to be open for business on Tuesday.

We dodged a bullet, Porter said.

Meanwhile, flood-hit Logan City Council is bracing itself, with the Albert River at Beenleigh peaking at 7.3m and the Logan River still threatening.

Logan Mayor Darren Power said the Logan River was set to exceed the landmark 2017 flood level of 20.50m when ex-tropical cyclone Debbie hit.

Locals were sandbagging their homes on Monday with about 1000 properties already affected, prompting the council to open a 24-7 evacuation centre at Crestmead.

Refuges were also available at Cornubia and Jimboomba but only during business hours due to power outages.

The Logan River is set to peak 300mm above what happened in 2017, Power told AAP.

Weve got it peaking at about 9 am Tuesday morning on our latest figures but if it rains between now and then we will have to recalculate.

The river is expected to remain above the major flood level of 16m for days.

The Gold Coast is also battening down, with flooding expected to exceed record 2017 levels.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate warned flooding would affect properties until at least noon on Tuesday, prompting the opening of 24-7 evacuation centres at Burleigh and Ormeau.

He said beaches will remain closed on Tuesday with a sandbag station set up at Pimpama.

Underground car parks are underwater due to flash flooding that swamped a major Queensland highway and has closed almost 100 local roads.

Gold Coast City Council issued emergency alerts for Currumbin Valley and Tallebudgera Valley with flooding expected to continue to rise despite the tail end of a low-pressure system moving south.

Apart from the northern rivers, we are also workingto assist people in the Currumbin and Tallebudgera valley catchments, Tate said.

The system remains centred offshore from the Gold Coast as it impacts the citys southern end and northern NSW.

It is expected to bring intense rainfall with six-hour rainfall totals between 60mm and 120mm predicted.
Ban On Foreign Buyers to Ease Housing Crisis Voted Down by Liberals, Bloc

A Conservative Party amendment to ease the housing crisis by temporarily banning foreigners from purchasing Canadian real estate in order to stem demand has been voted down by Liberal MPs, despite this being part of their partys platform during the last election campaign.

Conservative MP Adam Chambers presented the amendment of the Underused Housing Tax Act contained in the governments Bill C-8, as MPs were reviewing the bill during a parliamentary finance committee meeting on Feb. 28.

Recognizing it is not permanent, it is mostly so that we can all take a step back and try to take the wind out of the sails a little bit of this breakneck speed that were seeing in the property market, Chambers said as he presented the amendment.

Chambers noted the amendment, which would ban foreign buyers from Canadas real estate market for a period of two years, would buy time to see whats happening in the housing market as home prices reach record highs in recent months.

This wont be a silver bullet, but it will help take some of the upward pressure out of the property market, he said.

The Underused Housing Tax Act seeks to implement an annual tax of 1 percent on the value of vacant and underused residential property directly owned by non-resident non-Canadians.

Liberal MP and Chair of the committee Peter Fonseca first ruled the amendment to be inadmissible due to it being a new concept that is beyond the scope of the bill, but his decision was overruled by opposition MPs.

The amendment was then debated but finally voted against, with Bloc Quebecois MP Gabriel Ste-Marie siding with the government.

In explaining his rationale, Ste-Marie said he was worried that enacting such a law would be met by retaliation from the U.S. in the form of similar legislation, which would hurt Canadian snowbirds who want to buy properties down south.

I can already see people come into my riding office, a lot of people would not be pleased, he said.

Ste-Marie also wondered if there would be exceptions, such as if a property owner in Canada wants to sell to his children who are not residents.

Liberal MP Terry Beech recognized that the amendment is very similar to something we campaigned on actually in the last election, but he argued the measure would be more adequate in a separate piece of legislation.

Id certainly want to give more time to it and probably more thoughts to a more complete, holistic approach to implementing this, and making sure that it was effective, Beech said, noting that the Conservative amendment would only apply to individuals and not entities.

During the 2021 election campaign, the Liberal Party platform said they would Ban foreign money from purchasing a non-recreational, residential property in Canada for the next two years, unless this purchase is confirmed to be for future employment or immigration in the next two years.

NDP MP Daniel Blaikie expressed frustration that the Liberals supported the measure in principle but are not being more proactive in adopting it.

One of my frustrations over the last six and a half years has been the slow pace at which the Liberal government undertakes to meet its own commitments, Blaikie said, adding he supports the amendment because it would push the government in the right direction.

Conservative MP and finance critic Ed Fast, a former minister of international trade under Stephen Harper, argued that based on his trade experience he did not expect other countries to retaliate if Canada were to impose such a measure, and if they did, the challenge mechanisms would take longer to kick-in than the proposed two-year ban.

It would send just that clear message that we are placing Canadian buyers of residential real estate first. They come first, then anybody else who wants to join can come later. But right now, we have to focus on Canadians themselves, said Fast.

Fast also argued that approving the amendment in committee would still allow the government to review it at the report stage, allowing a more comprehensive examination of the measure that Liberal MPs on the committee said is needed.

The Canadian Real Estate Association said on Feb. 15 that its Home Price Index rose a record 2.9 percent month-over-month in January, and was up a record 28 percent year-over-year.
Beijings Energy Policies Benefit Chinese Industry, While US Sacrifices Its Own Energy Interests: Expert

The Chinese regime has received widespread praise for its purported ability to make progress on climate change issues, but it actually pursues energy policies that benefit itself without regard for the environment. Meanwhile, the United States has failed to adopt energy policies that serve its best interests.

Thats according to Marc Morano, executive director of ClimateDepot.com, a project of the Washington-based think tank Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow.

Morano described what he sees as a double standard whereby climate activists and political leaders welcome China into a global campaign for cleaner energy and sustainable economies, and are so gratified at Beijings nominal participation that they turn a blind eye to what is really going on.

China is given a complete pass on their human rights violations and their climate sins, if you will, all because people want China to be part of the process. And China is also relentlessly praised by the Biden administration, and by climate activists, Morano told EpochTVs China Insider program at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 26.

Morano said that numerous voices across the media, political, and diplomatic realms have spoken out in praise of China because of the autocratic regimes supposed effectiveness at bringing about change in areas where democratic nations have lagged for so many years.

The interesting thing about China is that you can go back decades, and United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres has praised Chinas one-party rule for, essentially, getting things done, [Canadian Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau praised Chinas one-party rule because it could get things done on investments in solar energy, and you have many other prominent figures in the climate movement who have used China as a model, Morano said.

Climate advocates have tended toward flights of rhetoric about Chinas ability to surpass Western nations in the implementation of clean energy alternatives such as wind and solar, but in Moranos view the reality behind the rhetoric is far more complex.

He pointed out that Chinese enterprises are constructing one coal plant per week and that China currently accounts for 50 percent of the worlds coal production. At the time that China became a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change passed in December 2015, the prevailing expectation was that Chinese industry would soon reach its peak emissions. At that point, observers expected industry in China to make use of evolving technologies to curb its reliance on coal and then emissions would level off, in much the way that emissions of American industry eventually did during the industrialization of the United States. But such expectations have proven wrong, Morano said.

Despite the rhetoric about leading the way on climate change, economic self-interest, rather than environmental considerations, drive the actions of Chinese industries, he argued.

Theyre doing whats best for their country, but they have showmanship on climate issues. So theyre promoting what theyre doing with regard to solar and windmills, and some estimates are that the U.S. buys 90 percent of our solar panels from China, Morano said. Whats interesting is that in China itself, there have been many reports that cities have abandoned solar panels and that windmills that havent been working are rusting away.

US Energy Policies

In Moranos view, rhetoric about Chinas commitments to the Paris Agreement is just PR intended to make China look good to the West. At the same time, the green energy movement has driven the U.S. commitment to clean energy under the Biden administration, and has, in the end, made America less competitive and exacerbated energy costs for ordinary citizens.

In 2020, energy production and consumption in the United States soared and exports surpassed imports for the first time since 1952, when Harry Truman was president, noted Morano, who does not see fossil fuel production and high air and water quality as mutually exclusive. In fact, air and water quality have improved radically in the United States since 1970, Morano said, and the World Health Organization has ranked the country as one of the top seven nations in the world for air cleanliness.

But the Biden administrations energy policies, he said, have taken the country in a new direction, as evidenced by the presidents decision to terminate the Keystone XL pipeline. Such actions have undermined Americas competitive edge vis a vis China and other rivals.

This is where we were in 2020. Then we gave all that up. And President Biden comes in and shuts Keystone down, and the Treasury Department starts defunding fossil fuel projects and environmental social governance, Morano said.

As a consequence, prices have skyrocketed in an energy market highly susceptible to such shifts, and Americans have ended up paying more in energy costs per month than before, Morano said. In New York City alone, the Consumer Price Index reported its highest-ever monthly increase28.2 percentin electricity prices in January.

A concurrent phenomenon is a growing U.S. dependence on China for cobalt mining and on other places with problematic human rights records, such as the Congo.

All were doing is getting more and more reliant on China for these rare earth minerals, and also on Russia for their rare earth mining. They have big supplies of nickel, Morano said.

Its just bonkers from a strategic and national security point of view for Europe, Canada, and the United States to actually start shutting down our energy and then play by some Green New Deal rules when OPEC, Iran, Russia, and China have zero intention of playing by the same rules, he added.

Michael Washburn China Reporter Follow Michael Washburn is a New York-based reporter who covers China-related topics. He has a background in legal and financial journalism, and also writes about arts and culture. Additionally, he is the host of the weekly podcast Reading the Globe. His books include The Uprooted and Other Stories, When We're Grownups, and Stranger, Stranger.
Fighter jets soar in sky

China Military Online) 16:54, March 01, 2022

Fighter jets attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Air Force taxi on the runway before the round-the-clock training exercise on February 20, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by ZuoLixiang)

A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Air Force takes off from the runway during a round-the-clock training exercise on February 20, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cui Baoliang)

A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Air Force takes off from the runway during a round-the-clock training exercise on February 20, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cui Baoliang)

A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Air Force soars in the sky during a round-the-clock training exercise on February 20, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cui Baoliang)

A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Air Force soars in the sky during a round-the-clock training exercise on February 20, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cui Baoliang)

A fighter jet attached to an aviation brigade under the PLA Air Force soars in the sky during a round-the-clock training exercise on February 20, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Cui Baoliang)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Taiwanese air force pilots run to their armed U.S.-made F-16V fighter at an air force base in Chiayi, southern Taiwan on Jan.5, 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijings Psychological Warfare Against Taiwan Likely to Intensify in Wake of Ukraine Crisis: Expert

The Chinese regime is paying close attention to the global ramifications of the current Ukraine crisis, and is likely to consider the Wests reactions in assessing future moves against Taiwan, said Grant Newsham, a senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies.

If the Western allies fail to grapple successfully with Russian President Vladimir Putins aggression against Ukraine and find a way to resolve the crisis, Beijing may use that failure to ratchet up its campaign of psychological warfare against Taiwan, Newsham said.

Psychological warfare, trying to wear down the resistance, is part of the Chinese strategy. And it does have an effect if the Taiwanese dont think anyone is there to really back them up, Newsham said.

Speaking to EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 26, Newsham said that Beijing has been playing a cat-and-mouse game with the much smaller and militarily weaker Taiwan for many years now, and has recently been emboldened by Americas pullout from Afghanistan, which was widely criticized as a strategic failure.

Chinese officials are taking notes on the current situation in Eastern Europe and waiting to see how it plays out, Newsham said. If Putin accomplishes his aims and comes away with a large chunk of Ukraine, with no real adverse consequences for his invasion, then this is sure to embolden Beijing in its own territorial ambitions.

You have to look at the U.S. track record in recent times. And, you know, even were worried. So you can imagine how the Taiwanese are feeling. Thats what youre seeing in Asia. Chinas taking notes and Taiwan is watching as well, he said.

When Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, some observers speculated that Beijing might try to use the worlds fixation on that event as a cover for aggression against Taiwan, up to and including landing military forces on the island. Even before events in Ukraine, some wondered whether Chinese leader Xi Jinping might attempt to use the spectacle of the Winter Olympics as cover for a move against Taiwan, Newsham reflected.

Contrary to those predictions, Newsham does not see an immediate threat to the self-ruled island. So far, Beijing has refrained from using either event as a diversion, but that does not mean that communist officials are uninterested in the implications of the Ukraine invasion as they mull potential moves.

My thinking is, theyre probably going to wait a while, and see how the Russian move on Ukraine works out, Newsham said.

Does Russia get hit with such devastating financial and economic sanctions? Does NATO actually wake up militarily? Does the Biden administration do something like reestablish oil independence or energy independence? Does it show any sign that its going to get its financial house in order? Does it show its going to fund the military the way it should?

The Scope of Potential Aggression

Once Beijing does draw conclusions from the Ukraine crisis and other recent geopolitical events, moves are possible against Taiwan, against strategic targets in the South China Sea, or even possibly, against Japan, said Newsham.

Its really been clear since about 10 years ago that the Chinese threat to Japan is unmistakable. And the Japanese have kind of woken up [to the threat], but theyve got a long way to go very quickly, he said.

Newsham described the Japanese military as pathologically dependent on the U.S. military for logistical and infrastructural support, particularly since Japans post-World War II constitution has so severely limited Japans combat resources and capabilities.

Although Chinas permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, has called on all parties to the Ukraine conflict to exercise restraint, Newsham expressed skepticism about Beijings interest in resolving the crisis, and said that he sees Russia and China as having entered a marriage of convenience.

They both see what each does as a way to bring the Americans down a notch, and maybe even just discombobulate the Americans so much that they cant respond, Newsham said.

Michael Washburn China Reporter Follow Michael Washburn is a New York-based reporter who covers China-related topics. He has a background in legal and financial journalism, and also writes about arts and culture. Additionally, he is the host of the weekly podcast Reading the Globe. His books include The Uprooted and Other Stories, When We're Grownups, and Stranger, Stranger.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko chairs a meeting with military officials in Minsk, Belarus, in a file image. (Nikolay Petrov/BelTA via Reuters)

Belarus President Denies Reports Belarusian Troops Entered Ukraine

The president of Belarus on March 1 denied reports that his troops had entered Ukraine.

The Belarusian army has not and will not take any part in the military action, President Alexander Lukashenko said at a Belarusian Security Council meeting in Minsk.

The question is why? Do they not have the same weapons we do? Please, lord. Do they not have enough human resources? Plenty. Combat skills? Plenty. We are still not going to take part in that special operation. Not going to, he added.

Russian officials have described the invasion of Ukraine as a special military operation.

Reports from Ukraine claimed Belarusian troops had entered the Chernihiv region in northeast Ukraine, near Belarus.

The Ukraine Parliament cited Vitaly Kirilov, a Ukrainian military commander, while Ukrainian outlet UNIAN cited the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, but neither Kirilov nor the state service had appeared to promulgate such information.

Residents of villages in the region told UNIAN that they spotted the movement of military equipment seemingly originating from Belarus.

A senior U.S. defense official told reporters on a call that the United States has not confirmed that any Belarusian troops entered Ukraine. Weve seen no indication of that, the official said.

Russia has been utilizing Belarus to open up new fronts in Ukraine, but Belarus has hesitated to get directly involved.

Russia is being pushed towards a third world war. We should be very reserved and steer clear of it. Because nuclear war is the end of everything, Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said while voting over the weekend. He also suggested Russia would soon win the war but that Belarusian troops could be ready within hours if necessary.

Ukraines defense intelligence officials said Tuesday that Russia was preparing a deliberate provocation to justify introducing Belarusian troops into the conflict, and that approximately 300 Belarusian tanks were near the BelarusUkraine border.

Belarus hosted ceasefire talks but those ended Feb. 28 without a resolution. The sides plan to meet again on March 2.

Lukashenko said that Ukraine must act to end the war.

These talks could result in stopping the war. But believe me, everything depends on the Ukrainian side. If they dont listen to what the West and the Americans keep feeding them, the war will stop, he said.
Then-Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow speaks at the CPAC convention in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 28, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Biden Administrations Energy Policies Financing Putins Actions in Ukraine: Larry Kudlow

The United States is effectively financing President Vladimir Putins aggressive actions in Ukraine due to the Biden administrations stupid energy policies, according to Larry Kudlow, one of former President Donald Trumps top economic advisers.

Russia has been hit with a string of sanctions from the West in recent days following its invasion of Ukraine, with officials targeting the countrys finances, sovereign debt, and those in Putins inner circle.

Meanwhile, leaders from Europe, the UK, and the United States issued a joint statement on Feb. 26, unveiling further sanctions against the Kremlin which include removing selected Russian banks from the international payment service SWIFT.

Yet the United States has so far stopped short of directly sanctioning Russias energy sector for fear that it could further drive up global energy prices, which have already skyrocketed in recent months, and result in an energy crisis.

Opponents of such sanctions are concerned that the United States, as well as much of the European Union, enjoys close energy and trade ties with Russia, which is one of the worlds largest producers of oil and natural gas.

The most recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that the United States increased its oil imports from Russia by about 28 percent in the first 11 months of 2021, while the country doubled the amount of crude oil it imported from Moscow last year.

Yet Russia only accounted for around 3 percent of the overall U.S. crude oil imports in 2021.

Miles of unused pipe, prepared for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, sit in a lot outside Gascoyne, North Dakota, on Oct. 14, 2014. (Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Kudlow told EpochTVs American Thought Leaders that President Joe Biden wouldnt be so concerned with the consequences of sanctioning Russias energy sector if his policies regarding energy in the United States werent so terrible.

Theyre worried about, you know, Russia not being able to sell oil and gas. Alright, thats the bottom line. So that would be a problem in the short run. Now, that problem is fixable if Joe Biden had a good energy policy, but he has a terrible energy policy, Kudlow said. Hes running a jihad against fossil fuels, as you probably know, and thats the reason were in the fix were in right now.

Kudlows comments echo those of Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) who on Feb. 28 vowed to introduce legislation that will reopen energy production in the United States full throttle and reverse Bidens policy of American energy surrender.

Hawley introduced the bill after oil prices surged above the $100 per barrel mark on Feb. 23, shortly after Putin announced a military operation was set to get underway in Ukraine.

Kudlow went on to explain that Putin continues to profit from skyrocketing oil prices, providing the Kremlin with the financial means to invade countries such as Ukraine.

When oil prices are low, you dont hear from Putin. When oil prices are high, thats how they make their money. Thats all they have. John McCain used to say, Russia is like an old gas station masquerading as a country, Kudlow continued.

So go back in time, in 2008. Oil gets $150 a barrel. What happened? Putin took Georgia, then oil prices fell back. And then the fracking revolution started. Under Obama  And we didnt hear from Putin for years. But then, in 2014, for a variety of reasons, oil prices jumped back to 100 bucks a barrel. From like, 25 to 100. Well, Putin takes Crimea, he has the money from his oil profits to do that, you know, then Trump comes in, and we have energy independence and we are full throttle with the drillers and the frackers, you dont hear from Putin, Kudlow said.

In the last year, as Biden comes in and he runs this jihad against fossil fuels, he takes out the Keystone [oil pipeline], he takes out Alaska drilling, he takes out a number of pipelines. Right now the Energy Department is sitting on six applications for LNG exports, and they wont pass it, the Interior Department has stopped all leasing of federal lands, they just stopped it. So were at $100 a barrel and rising so Putin has got the money to go into Ukraine, Kudlow said.

The Republican added that the United States has effectively financed Putins aggression with its stupid energy policies, which he said have raised the price of oil unnecessarily.

So the moral of the story is, we have spare capacity in oil and natural gas and LNG, use it to stop this crazy radical left wing green assault on fossil fuel and carbon  there is no world without fossil fuels. But Biden bought into this far-left agenda. It was a gift to Putin.

Katabella Roberts Follow Katabella Roberts is a reporter currently based in Turkey. She covers news and business for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on the United States.
Richard Grenell, a special envoy appointed by President Donald Trump, speaks during a joint press conference with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic after their meeting at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade on Sept. 22, 2020. (Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images)

Bidens Weak Messaging a Factor in Ukraine Invasion: Richard Grenell

President Joe Bidens weak messaging and policies on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline played a role in Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to launch a full-scale invasion against Ukraine on Feb. 24, former Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell suggested in a recent interview.

This is a disaster  We didnt have to have this situation unfold, Grenell told EpochTVs American Thought Leaders program at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando.

Grenell, former U.S. ambassador to Germany, said he believes the Biden administrations decision in May 2021 to waive sanctions on the company behind Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany and its chief executive, factored into Putins decision to invade Ukraine.

This is a terrible situation that has unfolded because Joe Biden is so weak and has messaged multiple times that he would make decisions and not think about the consequences, he said.

The Biden administration took sanctions off the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. The Nord Stream 2 Pipeline is the most influential project that the Russians have. The Trump administration had it sanctioned. It is not up and running.

The project represents an $11 billion investment from Russia that, if certified, would carry 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany every year.

Last year, a State Department report sent to Congress concluded that Nord Stream 2 AGthe company behind the pipelineand its CEO, Matthias Warnig, an ally of Putin, engaged in sanctionable activity. But Secretary of State Antony Blinken immediately waived those sanctions, saying that it was in the U.S. national interest.

The waivers had no specific end date, and could be rescinded by the secretary of state.

Biden on Feb. 23 moved to announce new sanctions Nord Stream 2 AG and its corporate officers in response to Russias actions in Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about Russias invasion of Ukraine in Washington on Feb. 24, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate, the president said in a statement, announcing the measures.

Russian officials turn energy off and on whenever they want to create leverage, said Grenell. We already know that the Russians do this.

And so the largest economy in Europe, the Germans, should not be in a position of being able to be leveraged by the Russians. And they currently are with this Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

This is a failure of epic proportion, Grenell continued.

We wouldnt be in this situation if Donald Trump were President, if we had a president who really thought about what was happening, he added. There are implications for your decisions. When you drop sanctions on the Nord Stream Two Pipeline, dont be surprised that youre empowering the Russians.

Biden meanwhile on Monday downplayed fears of nuclear war with Russia, after Putin said Sunday said that he had placed Russias nuclear deterrent forces on high alert.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that that the United States will not attempt to escalate the rhetoric against Russia in light of the apparent heightened nuclear threat.

It is important to remembereven over the course of the last several months and yearswhen we had significant disagreements with Russia on several issues, the United States and Russia have long agreed that nuclear use will have devastating consequences, she told reporters.

Jack Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.

Isabel van Brugen Reporter Follow Isabel van Brugen is an award-winning journalist and currently a news reporter at The Epoch Times. She holds a master's in newspaper journalism from City, University of London.
A customer walks past shelves with bottles of vodka in a supermarket amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Moscow, Russia, on April 8, 2020. (Maxim Shemetov/Reurers)

Boycott of Russian Vodka Goes International Condemning Putins Invasion of Ukraine

An international boycott of Russian vodka is slowly forming across the globe from the United States to Australia in opposition to President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

The invasioninitially touted as a special military operation by Putintriggered boycotts of Russian booze in the United States, with governors from the states of Texas, Utah, Ohio, Virginia, and New Hampshire calling on the states liquor and wine outlets to limit the sale of Russian products, including vodka.

Governors across all five U.S. states said the decision came as a sign of solidarity with the former Soviet nation.

On Sunday, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), which regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in the state, also instructed all Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores to remove Russian-made products from shelves in a sign of solidarity and support for the people of Ukraine.

Given the evolving political-economic climate, its just the right thing to do, said board Chairman Tim Holden.

However, the boycott is quickly spreading outside of the United States, with one of the biggest alcohol retail chains in New Zealand, announcing on March 1 that it will pull thousands of bottles of Russian Vodka and beer from shelves in response to Moscows aggression towards Ukraine.

The West Auckland Trusts, which owns 26 retail stores as well as hospitality venues throughout West Auckland, said it would stop selling the products, effective immediately.

The ban includes those brands with Russia as their country of origin and includes; Ivanov, Russian Standard, Russkaya, Kristov Red vodkas, Gorkovskaya Vodka, JJ Whitley Rhubarb Vodka, Royal Bison Vodka, Russkaya Vodka, Baltika Beer, and Three Hills Pale Ale beer.

Russian products removed from shelves will not be replaced with other brands, the chain said, and the empty shelves will instead display a Ukrainian flag.

Vodka is Russias most high profile export product and our actions today are designed to show our support for Ukraines sovereignty, Allan Pollard, Trusts CEO said.

While New Zealand is a comparatively small market individually, joining our counterparts in other countries around the world in boycotting the sale of these products is a statement of solidarity for the Ukrainian people, Pollard said.

Elsewhere in Australia, a string of liquor chains including Coles Liquor stores Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, and First Choice as well as the Endeavour Group, the company which owns Dan Murphys, BWS, and Jimmy Brings, have said they will stop selling products of Russian origin.

As an organisation, Endeavour Group is deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine and we join the calls for peace, a spokesperson said in a statement.

Following feedback from a variety of stakeholders, we have decided to remove products of Russian origin from our stores, hotels, and online businesses in the coming days.

Meanwhile, in Canada, the Ontario liquor control board removed Russian-made products from its more than 600 stores, including its online stores.

The LCBO supports the Provincial and Federal governments in condemning Russias attack on Ukraine, the liquor control board said in a statement.

Ontario joins Canadas allies in condemning the Russian governments act of aggression against the Ukrainian people, and will direct the [Liquor Control Board of Ontario] to withdraw all products produced in Russia from store shelves, Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy wrote on Twitter on Feb. 25, alongside the hashtag StandwithUkraine.

In Europe, Finland has also pulled a similar move, with the countrys state-owned alcohol outlet Alko and retail cooperative S-Group announcing that they would pull all Russian products from store shelves.

Denmarks largest retailer Salling Group also removed all Russian goods from its shelves, including vodka, toothpaste to chocolate, CEO Per Bank said.

Supporters of the boycott have praised the move as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine and condemnation over Russian forces invading Ukraine on Feb. 24.

However, critics claim that the boycott will have little effect on the Russian economy, given that a limited number of brands imported to America still produce the alcohol in Russia.
A student adjusts her mask at St. Joseph Catholic School in La Puente, Calif., on Nov. 16, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

California Bill Would Provide Free Meals to All Preschoolers

California lawmakers are seeking to provide free school lunches for daycare providersexpanding upon the states meal program that will make breakfast and lunch free for K12 students.

Sen. Josh Becker (D-Peninsula) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 1481 on Feb. 18 that, if passed, would require the state to provide reimbursement for two meals daily for daycare facilities as long as they abide by nutrition standards, according to the bill.

Californias youngest children cannot be left out of our states groundbreaking meals policy to tackle food insecurity among learners, Becker said in a statement.

The current reimbursement amount for providers caps at 75 percent of the meal cost, with $34 million in unreimbursed amounts annually, according to Beckers office.

The proposed law is intended to help providers who have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic while also leaving more income in the pockets of child care providers.

While the bill has yet to be heard by the state senate, its favored by some child care providers and lawmakers in the state.

I have noticed a significant difference in the quality of food for the children, child care provider of 27 years Georgia Stalions said in a statement. The Food with Care Bill would greatly help me to serve high-quality food.

Thirteen state lawmakers are supporting the legislation, especially legislators in rural areas that view this bill as a saving grace.

All young people should be free from the stress of explaining their circumstances when seeking nourishment, co-author Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) said in a statement.

SB 1481 arrives shortly after the passing of SB 364 in Jan. 2022, which allowed for students K12 to receive free meals.

The pending Senate bill is expected to be heard in the spring.
Canada and the West Become States of Unfreedom

Commentary

The dismantling of the Canadian trucker convoy protest by Trudeau and his henchmen has exposed the agenda of the Western elite. What we are witnessing in Canada is emblematic of the sociopolitical and economic condition of the United States and the West more generally. The abrogation of natural and legal rights, the legal prohibition of dissent, the cancellation of small, independent producers (to the benefit of monopolies), the increasing penetration of state and corporate surveillance, the implicitly approved hacking of the names and addresses of dissenters and their supporters, the exposure of dissidents by the press and social media, the confiscation of the property of those who hold unacceptable viewsthese are not only facts in Canada; they are the near future, if not the present, in the United States and beyond. Together, these represent the Chinese state model writ large and rolled out across the world, a model engineered, unwittingly or not, by Western elites in the first place.

Now that the mask is off, the naked and effete face of tyranny has been exposed. It is a tyranny of leftist authoritarian patsiesa tyranny of the state, of course, but also of leftist foot soldiers among the so-called intelligentsia and activist base. The latter groups are comprised of those whose values the clique in power supposedly representsthe diversity, equity, and inclusion crowd with their crowd-sourced opinions. They have been trained by their overlords to view divergence from the orthodoxy of race-baiting and identity politicking uber alles as manifest evil. Ironically, along with the powers that be, they deem dissent the equivalent of fascism while statespersons and their servants display their fascistic attitudes and actions at every opportunity. Their disdain for the unwashed is matched only by (and is predicated upon) their own insecurity, given that the basis of their upward socio-occupational adjustment is a special identity status or an unwavering fealty to the agenda. Holding the correct opinions has been lent a moral status denied truckers and the rest of the hoi polloi.

The ironies continue to multiply. Justin Trudeau and his fellow statespersons have likened the protesters to the followers of totalitarian regimes of the past, even while enacting totalitarian measures in the present. Honk honk is, dont you know, an acronym for Heil Hitler, not a truckers signal to clear the way for precious cargo and for those who carry it or a symbol of protest against enforced immobility. Such reversive blockades and inversions of reality are the sure symptoms of totalitarianism.[1]

Even socialists parrot the establishment view of the truckers and their protest, a real working-class movement if there ever was one, but not the right kind, as far as they are concerned, because not based on the right creed. Freedom is not only not a worthy objectit is the cry of the far-right, white supremacist neo-Nazi. Freedom from necessity is what the socialists and their comrades extol, as if all economic activity were not predicated on fundamental lack. And necessity is exactly what the truckers represent, a necessity that those the truckers and other workers cater to must deny without reservation.

Freedom has been deemed a nonessential commodity. The U.S. Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms have been effectively cancelled, revealed as nonbinding palimpsests to be overwritten by the Emergencies Act and other state-of-emergency decrees. These sacred documents indeed have the status of religious scriptures in a secular stateheld by some to be true but inapplicable outside of privately held belief. The principle that the rights these documents acknowledge do not proceed from governments but preexist them has been dismissed with derision. The ruling elite have granted to themselves the prerogative to nullify them on command.

Conspicuously missing from the recent rhetoric and dictates of unfreedom is any mention of concern about the spread of covid. In case any doubt remained, one knows unequivocally now that one was never locked down for ones own good, but rather from a predetermined desideratum to restrain, forbid, and extract obedience from the willing or unwilling subject. Those who saw covid-19 as a pretext for the administration of coercion have been vindicated, whether the lackeys say otherwise or not. Yes, covid-19 can be a serious disease, but the mitigation of disease was never the ultimate object of the covid regime. And those who believed that the rationale for the supposed mitigation measures was earnest must now admit that the state of exception will be permanent, as the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben suggested almost twenty years ago.

Many nevertheless continue to exercise a modicum of self-determination, so long as they are granted the necessary leeway. But with the incessant pull of the establishment overlords and their bureaucratic executors, the noose continually tightens around most necks (despite the apparent remission of covids latest variant)if only psychologically for now. In any case, at every step, one is admonished to consider what is allowed and what is forbidden, whether in terms of economic and political expression, mobility, or even ones innermost thoughts.[2] The existential crisis of freedom is acute, as the state and corporate responses to the truckers protest have made eminently clear.

From Mises.org

-

Notes:

1. Andrew M. obaczewski, Political Ponerology: The Science of Evil, Psychopathy, and the Origins of Totalitarianism, ed. Harrison Koehli, rev. ed. (Otto, NC: Red Pill Press, forthcoming), pp. 14849. Emphatically insisting upon something which is the opposite of the truth blocks the average persons mind from perceiving the truth.

2. See the third change to the Canadian criminal code proposed in Bill C-36, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act and to Make Related Amendments to Another Act (Hate Propaganda, Hate Crimes and Hate Speech), 2d sess., 43d Parliament, 2021. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 810.011: Fear of hate propaganda offence or hate crime, which suggests that a person may provide information to a judge if he or she entertains a [f]ear of hate propaganda offence or hate crime yet to be committed by someone else.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Canada to Ban Russian Oil Imports Over Putins Invasion of Ukraine

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government plans to ban imports of Russian crude oil intro the country, in response to Russian President Vladimir Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Trudeau announced the move on Twitter, saying that the sector accounts for more than one-third of Russias federal budget revenue.

He said the decision would be significant even though Canada has barely imported any Russian oil and gas in recent years.

This move sends a powerful message, he said.

He also told a press conference in Ottawa that the oil industry has benefited President Putin and his oligarchs greatly.

Canadas Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson told lawmakers on Monday that the country hasnt imported any crude oil from Russia since 2019.

Trudeau also announced other measures in response to the escalating crisis in Ukraine. He said he intends to provide Ukraine with anti-tank weapon systems and upgraded ammunition, following its earlier shipments of military equipment.

Canada has also supported multiple sanctions against Russia, and backed Russias removal from the SWIFT system for international bank payments. Canada has issued sanctions against the Russia Central Bank, and all Canadian financial institutions are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the bank.

We are providing even more lethal aid to Ukraine, and well be sending 100 Carl Gustaf anti-tank weapon systems and 2,000 rockets, which we will be working to deliver as quickly as possible, Canadas Defense Minister Anita Anand said.

Trudeau also said that his government has asked that Russian state-owned broadcaster Russia Today, commonly referred to as RT, be dropped by the independent Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications regulator.

It is important that Canadians and people around the world be faced with accurate information, Trudeau said.

On Sunday, Canadian cable operators said they would voluntarily drop the Kremlin-backed broadcaster.

Canada, alongside the EU, announced that they would close their airspace to Russian airlines on Sunday over Putins decision to launch a special military operation against Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Russia responded Monday by shutting off its airspace to carriers from 36 nations, including Canada.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine engaged in six-hour long negotiations on the bank of the Pripyat River on Monday.

The outcome of the talks remains unclear at this stage, with the Ukrainian presidency saying in a statement that discussions would focus on an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from the territory of Ukraine.

The Russian delegation head, Vladimir Medinsky, said both sides had agreed to keep the negotiations going.

The two sides are set to meet in the coming days and continue talks, according to the Ukraine-based Interfax news agency.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks on as Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly speaks during a news conference, in Ottawa on Feb. 25, 2022. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Canadians Can Decide Themselves Whether to Join Ukraines Foreign Legion, Joly Says

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said she will leave it to individual Canadians to decide if they want to join Ukraines new foreign legion to fight against Russias invasion.

Speaking at a press conference on Feb. 27, Joly said it is up to Canadians to decide whether they want to join Ukraine in the fight against Russia, while also stressing that the government has warned against travelling to Ukraine due to security reasons.

We understand that people of Ukrainian descent want to support their fellow Ukrainians and also that there is a desire to defend the motherland. In that sense, its their own individual decisions, she said. But let me be clear: we are all very supportive of any form of support to Ukrainians right now.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in the early hours of Feb. 27 that he is forming a foreign international legion for volunteers from abroad to join him in countering Russias invasion of his country.

This will be the key evidence of your support for our country, Zelenskiy said in a statement.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba followed up by saying foreigners willing to join the volunteer army can reach out to Ukraines diplomatic missions stationed in their home countries.

Foreigners willing to defend Ukraine and world order as part of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine, I invite you to contact foreign diplomatic missions of Ukraine in your respective countries, Kuleba said on Twitter, about an hour after Zelenskys announcement.

Together we defeated Hitler, and we will defeat Putin, too.

Meanwhile, Britains Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also said she would support British citizens who decide to fight alongside the Ukrainians against Russian military forces.

In an interview on BBCs Sunday Morning on Feb. 27, Truss was asked if she would support British nationals who decide to answer Zelenskys call, and she said absolutely.

That is something that people can make their own decisions about, she said.

The people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom and democracy, not just for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.  And absolutely, if people want to support that struggle, I would support them in doing that.

In an appeal to the world, the Ukrainian government stressed that the fight against Russia has a lot of things at stake besides the invasion of their homeland.

This is the beginning of a war against Europe, against European structures, against democracy, against basic human rights, against a global order of law, rules and peaceful coexistence, the Ukraine Crisis Media Center said in a news release on Feb. 27.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Capitol Report (Feb. 28): First Trial of Jan 6 Detainee Begins

President Joe Biden is working with allies Monday, planning their next move on Russia. The administration has now cut ties with Russias Central Bank, and Congress is preparing to spend billions to support Ukraine.

Russia, Ukraine, and Chinawhat are the implications moving forward for the American people? U.S. Congressman and candidate for U.S. Senate Tedd Budd weighs in.

Theres something that Biden is adding to his State of the Union speech Tuesday. And we show you the fencing that just went up around the Capitol, along with some unexpected guests guarding the nations Capitol.

On Monday, the first defendant from the Jan. 6 Capitol breach was heard in court. The outcome is expected to impact the other cases stemming from Jan. 6, so, for this trial, the stakes are high.

As the United States watches Russia breach Ukraines border, it has many asking, What about the borders of the United States of America? Congressman Chuck Fleischman is asking DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for answers.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend, former President Donald Trump topped the straw poll for 2024 by a large margin.

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Rick Caruso attends the Let California Kids Hear Campaign at The Grove in Los Angeles on Aug. 12, 2019. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Caruso)

Caruso Pledges Support and Finances for Recall Gascon Effort

LOS ANGELESLos Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso announced on Feb. 28 his support for the recall of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, after previously backing him during the now controversial district attorneys 2020 campaign.

I firmly believe that George Gascon needed to stand up, admit that many of his policies have put the city of Los Angeles in perilcrime is risingchange those policies, or he should step down, and if he doesnt step down, he should be recalled, Caruso said in a video uploaded to YouTube.

Previously, Caruso, who served on the LAPDs Police Commission from 2001 to 2003, co-hosted a fundraiser for Gascons campaign against Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey and donated $3,000 to his campaign.

Gascon, 67, was previously a patrol officer with the Los Angeles Police Department and worked his way up the ranks to Assistant Chief of Police under then LAPD Chief William Bratton in the 2000s.

But the billionaire businessman later soured on Gascon after he announced progressive policy reforms, such as eliminating sentencing enhancements for suspects who use a gun during a crime and reducing sentences for some crimes. Caruso later donated $45,000 to incumbent Jackie Laceys campaign.

Once [Gascons] campaign started rolling out, and I was hearing about what his plans were, I quickly pivoted, Caruso told Fox News reporter Elex Michaelson in an interview last week.

Caruso will be donating $50,000 to the recall effort, according to his campaign manager Peter Ragone.

Leaders of the effort to recall Gascon said they are grateful for the support and generous contribution.

We hope that all candidates, community leaders, and elected officials will continue to get behind the recall of George Gascon, so we can restore public safety in Los Angeles, recall spokesperson Tim Lineberger told The Epoch Times in an email.

Mayoral candidate and LA Councilman Joe Buscaino announced his support for Gascons recall on Jan. 31.

Several other organizations have endorsed the recall of Gascon, including the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, and the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
For more than a year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has collected data on hospitalizations for Covid-19 in the United States and broken it down by age, race and vaccination status. But it has not made most of the information public. When the C.D.C. published the first significant data on the effectiveness of boosters in adults younger than 65 two weeks ago, it left out the numbers for a huge portion of that population: 18- to 49-year-olds

The article continues:

Two full years into the pandemic, the agency leading the countrys response to the public health emergency has published only a tiny fraction of the data it has collected, several people familiar with the data said.

The CDC has shared only a tiny fraction of its COVID data with the American public?

Former CDC Director Thinks Agency Should Let COVID Data Speak for Itself

According to CDC spokesperson, Kristen Nordlund, one of the reasons for the lack of data transparency is because basically, at the end of the day, [the data is] not yet ready for prime time, noting that the CDCs priority when gathering any data is to ensure that its accurate and actionable. In an interview with Fox News, former CDC director Robert Redfield, MD confirmed this view, saying

One of the things is that CDC has a tendency to look at data and make sure that they believe that data is accurate. They call it curating the data. So very frequently the data is out of sync to be able to be in real-time to respond.

But Dr. Redfield suggested that he disagreed with this practice. He said that he believes whatever data the CDC collects should absolutely get out there in real-time. He added:

I think the best thing for CDC to do is to tell the American public the truth and let the data there. Im sure the American public is intelligent enough to understand the explanations. I know theres a concern that they have that the data may somehow be misinterpreted to determine the efficacy of the vaccines, rather than just tell people the truth.

CDC Reluctance to Track COVID Breakthrough Cases Due to Fear of Contributing to Vaccine Hesitancy

Nordlund reportedly said that another reason for the CDCs hesitancy to be more transparent was due to fear that its data might be misinterpretedthat information about the number of fully vaccinated people breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections, for example, could lead to concerns about the effectiveness of the COVID shots.

Epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, who was a member of the team that ran The COVID Tracking Project, dismissed the CDC worries about incomplete data being misinterpreted. She said, We are at a much greater risk of misinterpreting the data with data vacuums, than sharing the data with proper science, communication and caveats.

During the past two years, the CDC has frequently been criticized for its COVID and COVID vaccine data collection practices, its mixed and confusing messaging and a growing perception that the agency has not been fully transparent with the American public regarding the pandemic.

Perhaps one of the clearest examples of the CDCs failure to provide timely and accurate COVID-related information is the agencys inability or unwillingness to adequately track the number of cases in which fully vaccinated (and boosted) individuals have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Because of this, it is not known how many breakthrough cases there have been in the United States. Consequently, there is no way to know for sure how effective the COVID shots have been in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID illness.

This represents a huge and fundamental scientific knowledge gap underlying the primary tool the U.S. government has aggressively pushed on the American people to deal with COVID. But this is only part of the problem. That other part has to do with the lack of reliable information regarding the number of people in the U.S. who have been hospitalized with COVID.

In April 2021, the CDC arbitrarily decided to stop tracking coronavirus breakthrough cases so that it could focus on tracking only breakthrough cases that resulted in hospitalization or death. The assumption was that this major change in policy would allow the agency to more accurately gauge the number of vaccinated people being hospitalized for COVID and, by extension, the overall number of people hospitalized for the illness.

CDC System for Tracking COVID Hospitalizations in Need of Overhaul

But it has recently come to light that the system the CDC has been using to count COVID hospitalizations is deeply flawed. According to an article in Politico on Feb. 7, 2021 titled Biden officials trying to recalculate U.S. Covid-19 hospitalizations, the U.S. government has established a task force to work with hospitals nationwide to improve COVID-19 reporting. The task force wants hospitals to report the number of patients who are hospitalized because they have COVID and separate those from the patients who are hospitalized for other reasons but test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus after being admitted.

As reported by The Vaccine Reaction earlier this month:

What this suggests is that, in the past, U.S. hospitals have been counting people hospitalized for reasons other than COVID as COVID patients if they happened to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 after admission. This would have the effect of increasing hospital COVID case counts, making the effects of COVID on U.S. hospitals appear worse than they actually were. Remember all those media reports about how overwhelmed hospitals were with COVID patients? It now appears that at least some of that reporting may have been inaccurate, even grossly inaccurate.

So not only do we not know how effective the COVID shots have been in real-world circumstances, we do not know how many vaccinated (or unvaccinated) people have been hospitalized for COVIDwhich means that we really do not know how many people have actually died of COVID, in general. It is no wonder the CDC has consistently found it so difficult to be forthcoming.

Originally published on www.thevaccinereaction.org by Marco Caceres Republished via GreenMedInfo.com
Chen Xiangying (second L), 92, draws her first pension payment from a bank on September 28, 2006 in Shanghai, China.(China Photos/Getty Images)

China to Delay Retirement Age in Bid to Ease Pension Fund Crisis: Experts

China plans to change the mandatory retirement age of its citizens, as part of efforts to alleviate its pension fund crisis that has worsened in recent years due to an increase in the countrys aging population.

On Feb. 21, Chinas State Council announced that it would implement a gradual delay in the legal retirement age, and acknowledged that Chinas aging population is mounting rapidly.

The aging population has become a pressing issue in China. According to Jan. 17 data by the Bureau of Statistics, in 2021, Chinas working-age population of 16 to 59 accounts for 62.5 percent of the total population; those over 60 account for 18.9 percent; and over 65 is 205.6 million, about one-seventh of the population, showing a rise of 14.96 million over the 2020 national census.

Shandong and Jiangsu Provinces were the first to implement gradually delayed retirement in January and March, respectively. The official documents stipulated that the minimum time of postponing retirement is to be no less than one year.

Chinese authorities are likely counting on raising the current mandatory retirement ages of 60 for men, 55 for female office workers, and 50 for female blue-collar workers, and thereby reducing the number of retirees who will consume pension funds.

The current compulsory age of retirement for Chinese is one of the lowest in the world, much lower than the average of 64.2 in most developed countries. However, in the 1950s when the Chinese Communist Party took power, the average life expectancy in China was only 35 years, that is, the government seemed to require Chinese people to work until they died since the compulsory retirement age was 50-60.

Chinese authorities are reconsidering the compulsory retirement age now that Chinese peoples life expectancy has increased. According to data released by Chinas National Health Commission, the average life expectancy of Chinese residents reached 77.3 in 2019.

Xia Yifan, a China expert based in Japan, told The Epoch Times that delaying the retirement age is related to the pension funds crisis.

China is facing a transition in its population from aging to deep aging, which may be considered from 60 to 65 and over, and raising the retirement age can ease the pressure on pension funds. In 2017, Chinas pension funds balance was only 10.3 percent of the countrys GDP, while the U.S. balance was 160 percent of its GDP during the same period. This contrast shows the extent of corruption among Chinese officials. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) should give the Chinese people an explanation for this, Xia said.

Chinese portal site Sina reported in 2012 that Cai Fang, director of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that delaying retirement age has a dual purpose, as it can both increase labor supply and reduce pension expense.

The report also mentioned that Zheng Bingwen, director of the Social Security Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that by end of 2011, the total amount in the retiree accounts increased to 2.5 trillion yuan ($390 billion), while the National Pension Fund has a deficit of $2.23 trillion ($350 billion) and is failing to cover the need. This indicates that the money needed for future pension funds is almost non-existent.

Zheng estimates that for each year the regime delays the retirement age, it can close a 20-billion-yuan ($3.17 billion) pension fund gap. He believes that delaying the retirement age is a trend that can alleviate the pressure on the pension funds to a certain extent but cannot be counted on to completely solve the problem.

Officials and the privileged classes of state-owned enterprises enjoy high salaries, are corrupt, and squander public monies, while investing very little in the retirement [needs] of the grassroots, Xia said.
K.T. McFarland, then-deputy national security adviser designate, speaks during a conference at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on Jan. 10, 2017. (Chris Kleponis/AFP via Getty Images)

China, Russia Pose Unprecedented Strategic Threat to US: Former Trump Adviser

The United States is facing the greatest strategic threat in history with the new partnership between Russia and the Chinese regime, according to K.T. McFarland, former deputy national security adviser under the Trump administration.

The strategic threat is from China, McFarland said. The greatest strategic threat is China, Russia together; that Chinese technology, Chinese money, Chinese ruthlessnessyou know, wolf-warrior diplomacymarried up with Russian natural resources and Russian military capability, thats a really formidable adversary for the United States.

McFarland made the remarks in an interview with EpochTVs China Insider at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, on Feb. 26.

Russia and China now boast a no limits partnership after Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Feb. 4. The unprecedented partnership was declared in a 5,000-word joint statement, and the two bordering nations also said there would be no forbidden areas of cooperation.

China sided with Russia to denounce the enlargement of NATO, while Russia took up Chinas position on Taiwan, calling the self-governing island an inalienable part of China, according to the statement.

Also on Feb. 4, Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom signed a 30-year deal with state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation. The deal would see Russia sending China natural gas via a new pipeline linking the Russian far east with northeastern China.

The lengthy statement, coupled with Chinas recent decision to abstain from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding that Moscow stop its attack on Ukraine, shows that Putin and Xi are in cahoots, according to McFarland.

Once Xi decided to make a move against Taiwan, she said it was absolutely certain Putin would reciprocate by repeating Chinas political stance on the self-ruled island.

I think that may be the mind game theyre playing, McFarland said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrive to pose for a photograph during their meeting in Beijing on Feb. 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

The Chinese regime has repeatedly refused to denounce Moscows military aggression against Ukraine and has also objected to calling Russias attack an invasion.

On Feb. 28, China sided with Russia again, when both nations voted against a decision by the U.N. Human Rights Council to hold an urgent debate on Russias invasion of Ukraine.

In October 2021, Xi vowed that the reunification of Taiwan with China would definitely be realized.

Taiwan, a de facto independent entity, has announced that it will impose sanctions on Russia. On March 1, Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang said Taiwan will join moves by the United States and others to block certain Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system.

If China controls Taiwan, not only does it give China a strategic military position on the South China Sea, and all the trade that goes through the most important world maritime trade route in the South China Sea, it also puts China in position to control Taiwans microprocessing industry, McFarland said.

Taiwans microprocessing industry produces some of the worlds most advanced semiconductors, which are tiny chips that power everything from smartphones, computers, and fighter jets to missile systems. The island is home to the worlds largest contract chipmaker, TSMC.

In other words, McFarland said the United States would face a supply chain crisis if China were to gain control of Taiwans manufacturing plants that are producing these chips.

The communist regimes ambition isnt limited to taking over Taiwan.

China doesnt want to just be the most important country in the world and the global world order of the post-war period, McFarland said. It wants to smash that international order and recreate an order where China, like the good old days of thousands of years ago, sat in Beijing and all the vassal nations came and offered tribute while they kowtow to the emperor.

The Chinese plan is to pick us all off one at a timepick off Taiwan and maybe pick off Vietnam and then work his way around, pick off Australia.

As such, the Chinese regimes current partnership with Russia will be short-lived, she said.

At the end of the day, the Chinese are going to turn on the Russians, too, once they get what they want out of the Russians, McFarland said.

Frank Fang journalist Follow Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based journalist. He covers news in China and Taiwan. He holds a master's degree in materials science from Tsinghua University in Taiwan.
A woman walking past a poster of the South China Sea, with the slogan at the bottom "China's territory, never to yield an inch of our ground" on a street in Weifang, east China's Shandong Province, on July 14, 2016. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinas Propaganda on Ukraine Seeps Into Western Mainstream Media

Western reporters repeat CCP propaganda that contradicts its territorial aggression

News Analysis

In otherwise excellent reporting on Chinas reaction to Vladimir Putins Ukraine invasion, Western reporters continue to buy into major elements of Beijings propaganda, namely that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stands for peace, state sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and that these so-called Beijing policies somehow contrast with Moscows invasion.

Nothing could be further from the truth, if one considers the long and continuing history of the CCPs militarized land grabs that go from their initial Jiangxi Soviet of 1931-1934, to Yanan starting in 1935, Beijing in 1949, East Turkestan (now Xinjiang) in 1950, and Tibet in 1951.

From 1964 to 1969, CCP leader Mao Zedong attempted to take Soviet territory, but was rebuffed militarily. In 1974, China fought a battle against South Vietnam (then allied with the United States) and took the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. A U.S. aircraft carrier was nearby, but unfortunately did not assist. Had we nipped Chinese expansion in the bud, history would surely have unfolded more amicably.

In 1988, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy killed Vietnamese marines on Johnson South Reef in the South China Sea and later built an artificial island on which they put a military base. In 1995, the Chinese regime occupied Mischief Reef in the Philippines exclusive economic zone, and built a massive military base in clear violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In 2009, Beijing claimed all of the South China Sea as its territory in a note verbale to all U.N. member states. In 2012, the Chinese Coast Guard grabbed Scarborough Shoal from Philippine fishermen.

I visited the shoal in 2016 and personally saw the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) endangering the lives of Philippine activists as they attempted to swim to a rock on the shoal and plant a flag. The CCG backed their motorboats toward the swimmers, who had to swim evasively and push off the boats. The CCG thus sought to stop them and scare them back to the fishing boat on which we had come. The CCGs large steel boats also came within a few yards of our smaller wooden fishing boat, purposefully rocking it violently to scare us away. I caught it all on camera.

Chinese pursuit boats circle swimmers who were attempting to raise the Philippine flag over Scarborough Shoal on the West Philippine Sea, on June 13, 2016. (Kalayann Atin Ito)

More recently, the PLA occupied Himalayan territory within India and Bhutans borders. Bhutan is a tiny country that relies on India for its defense, and India has attempted to deescalate PLA incursions by fighting them off in mountainside scuffles without using firearms. Finally, China maintains close relations with the Taliban, and terrorist groups in Burma (Myanmar) that control territory.

Chinas 1979 War Against Vietnam

In 1979, Chinas Chairman Deng Xiaoping waged a war against Vietnam over its invasion of Cambodia and budding alliance with the Soviet Union. Vietnam pushed the Chinese military back, but Beijing managed to move the border a bit south in the process, taking some strategic locations, including mountainous heights for which the two sides had fought.

According to my sources in Vietnam, for example, China kept two of three waterfalls at Ban Gioc, plus the northern hill adjacent to the falls, and some territory at the Huu Nghi border. The border marker is on the south side of the falls, as I witnessed myself on a trip there in 2015.

Professor Carlyle Thayer at the University of New South Wales confirmed in an email, There were small bits of land that China retained for tactical reasons after the 1979 war.

Thayer is skeptical, however, of claims by some of my sources that China had a colony within Vietnam from 1975 to 1977 of about 3,000 people, and started a parallel government in the strategically central district of Bao Lac. China comes close to this in Burma today, so the claims should be further investigated.

Alexander Vuving, a faculty member at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, wrote in an email: After the war, the Chinese withdrew to north of the pre-1979 border in most areas. But they did gain some territories. These are several strategic locations along the border, most of which were legalized as Chinese territories in the Sino-Vietnamese land border treaty of 1999.

Vuving wrote that Ban Gioc and the Huu Nghi border crossing are among the disputed places where Vietnam ceded to China in the 1999 border treaty. I dont see evidence of China militarily occupying these places but they seemed to control them after the war. These two places are more symbolic than strategic. There are several strategic heights along the border where two sides fought for their control during the 1980s. Most of these were also ceded to China in the land border treaty.

What Will Be Invaded Next?

It seems that the CCPs territorial ambitions, viewed from its 1931 capture of Jiangxi Province to its latest captures of territory in the Himalayas, know no bounds. Whats next on the CCP chopping block? The Senkaku Islands of Japan? All of Taiwan? All of Bhutan?

Now that Russias military is absorbed in a war in Ukraine, might China grab Russias relatively undefended far-east? In 1964, Mao reportedly complained about Russias land grab east of Lake Baikal, a broad stretch of territory that is about a third of todays Russia. Could such a claim be used as a basis for a future Chinese invasion?

Lake Baikal is seen on Aug. 20, 2003. (Grigory Sobchenko/AFP/Getty Images)

What about the Korean peninsula? In 2017, Chinese leader Xi Jinping apparently convinced then-President Donald Trump that all of the Koreas used to belong to China. Was he testing the waters for a historical claim that could some day lead to an invasion?

Nobody knows what China or Russia will take next, because their dictators opportunistically change their stories depending on what they think they can take at the moment. What is certain is that the Soviets in the past, and China today, have ambitions of global hegemony.

Western Reporters Fall for CCP Propaganda

After studying and personally witnessing Chinas military expansionism, it is unfortunate to read mainstream Western reporters, supposed to be experts on China issues, repeating without any caveat, critical perspective, or context, CCP claims that Beijing stands for territorial integrity.

Recent examples, apparently caused by a perceived disconnect between Beijings propaganda supporting territorial integrity and its silent support for Putins invasion of Ukraine starting with Crimea in 2014, and continuing in a more violent and extended manner today, can be found in otherwise excellent reporting by The New York Times and Financial Times.

On Feb. 26, a New York Times reporter called Beijing a staunch proponent of sovereign independence, which she contrasted with Russias invasion. Other reporters took up the same theme the next day.

On Feb. 27 in The New York Times, a second reporter claimed that state sovereignty and territorial integrity [is] a longstanding tenet of Chinese foreign policy.

The Financial Times on the same date referred to Beijings policy of support for global peace and stability.

None of this is anywhere near the truth, as should be clear from the history noted earlier, or most recently, Xis supportive attitude towards Russias invasion. There is no contrast between Xi and Putin on this point. They both want to steal territory, and they both deny it. China has consistently infringed on the sovereign independence, territorial integrity, and global peace of its neighbors and Asia as a whole, all the while claiming that it has a right to do so. Putin is following the same strategy in Ukraine.

There is one difference, however, and that is that Xi is a bit more powerful and cagey than Putin. The CCP thrives by creating or taking advantage of conflict between others, and stepping into the power vacuum that results.

This has been true since the CCP took power in 1949 after Chinas Nationalist government exhausted itself in a fight against Imperial Japan. The CCP largely sat that fight out in Yanan, and then took Beijing when the time was ripe.

Xi could do the same to Russia, after having encouraged it to destroy itself in Ukraine.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A man reads a Chinese state-run newspaper with coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, that supports Russias actions, on a street in Beijing, China on Feb. 24, 2022. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Nationals in Ukraine Seek Help to Be Evacuated; Poland Gives a Hand

Chinese nationals in Ukraine were pleading for help to be evacuated on Feb. 28, as the Chinese embassy was just starting to evacuate its citizens from the country. Earlier in the day, the Embassy of Poland in China announced that the Chinese can leave Ukraine via Poland.

Chinese citizens in Ukraine. If you dont have a valid Schengen visa [an EU visa that allows people to travel freely] but want to evacuate via the Polish-Ukrainian border,  you are allowed to enter Poland, The embassy posted on Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like social media platform, on Feb. 28. You dont need to take a nucleic acid test [for COVID-19] or be vaccinated.

The embassy said that the Chinese who want to enter Poland need to have ID to verify their identities, and can stay in Poland for at most 15 days. The Polish border control will only allow the Chinese who want to escape the war caused by Russias invasion to enter the country.

After the Polish embassy posted the announcement, Chinese netizens quickly responded and spread the information on other Chinese social media platforms.

Thank you, Poland! Poland, you are our real friend! were the main sentiments in the comments that Chinese netizens left under the announcement.

Chinese nationals in Ukraine have been urgently seeking help to be evacuated in the past days. The opening of the Polish border gave them a channel to leave.

Chinese Students

Guangdong provincial government-run magazine South Reviews (Nanfengchuang in Chinese) interviewed Chinese student Li Yiping on Feb. 26, who said: We are depressed and scared. Were worried that we will be hit by a bomb at the next second, and will die.

Li and seven other Chinese students have stayed in a dugout since Feb. 24, and take turns to sleep. The awake people are in charge of checking the news to know when the Chinese embassy announces an evacuation, and guarding their food and water.

Ukrainian Military Forces servicemen of the 92nd mechanized brigade use tanks, self-propelled guns, and other armored vehicles to conduct live-fire exercises near the town of Chuguev, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Feb. 10, 2022. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)

I registered with the embassy [of China in Ukraine] for evacuation, prepared my passport and other ID, and packed all my luggage, Yue Jiaming, a Chinese student in Kyiv, told Chinese Hubei provincial government run Jimu News on Feb. 27. Im waiting for the embassy to call me.

Yue said he prepared enough food and water for several days, but he really wants to be evacuated as soon as possible.

Li Jinhong (pseudonym), a Chinese student in Kharkiv, told Jimu that he lived with other students in a dorm building.

We tried to reduce our consumption of drinking water, Li said. We are very anxious. He explained that the tap water in Kharkiv isnt safe to drink. They bought enough water, but didnt want to use it too quickly because they didnt know when the Chinese embassy would evacuate them.

Nobody would live a life of trepidation [like ours] for long. Hope the war can end as soon as possible, Wang Jun (pseudonym), a Chinese student in Kyiv told Jimu.

To avoid possible harassment, Li said that he and his fellow Chinese students removed the antithetical couplets, two lines of Chinese poetry they posted on the sides of their doors for Chinese New Year, because they didnt want anybody to know that the residents inside were Chinese.

Beijing Youth Daily also interviewed Chinese students in Ukraine, who said they face dsimilar situations. All the students waited to evacuate, and indicated that they didnt dare to show their Chinese identity to avoid a possible conflict.

Refugees from Ukraine arrive at a temporary shelter near Korczowa, Poland on Feb. 28, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Chinese Regime

On Feb. 28, the Chinese embassy announced it would begin an evacuation.

On the day, they picked up about 200 students from Kyiv University and took them to Moldova, and removed about 400 Chinese students out of Odessa, a Ukrainian city about 40 miles from Moldova.

According to the Embassy, over 6,000 Chinese citizens have registered with the embassy for evacuation in the past five days.

The Chinese Ambassador in Ukraine Fan Xianrong said in a video that the embassy released on its Weibo account on Feb. 26: There are missiles in the air, explosions and guns on the ground, and the two armies are fighting each otherHow is it possible to ensure safety in such circumstances?

According to Chinese students in Ukraine, they have been in a dangerous situation not only because of Russias invasion, but also the Chinese regimes attitude on the invasion, and Chinese netizens making jokes about the situation on social media platforms.

Hu Xijin, Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times former editor-in-chief, posted on Weibo on Feb. 26 that the Ukrainian government should be called neo-nazi if theres Chinese exclusion campaign.

In the post, Hu acknowledged that the Ukrainian people hate Chinese now because the Chinese netizens support Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russias invasion and Chinese men want to take the opportunities of the war, to marry Ukrainian women.
Jim and Lisa Stull at the matinee performance of Shen Yun in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Feb. 27, 2022. (Nancy Ma/The Epoch Times)

CINCINNATI, OhioJim and Lisa Stull drove over 1,000 miles from Florida to see Shen Yun, arriving in Cincinnati at 3 a.m., making them fashionably early for the Feb. 27 matinee.

We got some sleep and we got to come here and see the showwe were afraid that we werent going to be able to, but it was beautiful! said Mrs. Stull.

Despite the grueling travel, the couple was happy they came, finding the performance of classical Chinese dance and music relaxing, calming, and peaceful.

Shen Yun is the world-renowned New York-based performing arts company bringing 5,000 years of Chinese culture to life on stage, renewing a culture damaged by 70 years of communism.

Mrs. Stull said she was in awe of the dancers and musicians.

I think its good for them to get the Chinese culture out there because especially with the pandemic there are a lot of people who are down on that, she said. I think that [Shen Yun] showed an artistic performance [that says Chinese people are] individuals and I just think its good to get that out there.

Dr. Mario Castillo-Sang and his family at the matinee performance of Shen Yun in Cincinnati, Ohio on Feb. 27, 2022. (Stacey Tang/The Epoch Times)

Mario Castillo-Sang, a surgeon at Saint Elizabeth Healthcare, came to the performance with his family. His mother was born in China.

She emigrated from China after the Cultural Revolution, when her grandfather was killed by a squad, said Dr. Castillo-Sang. Were not very enthusiastic about communist regimes.

Coming from such a background, Dr. Castillo-Sang understands well that the Chinese people and the Chinese communist regime are not one and the same.

I think that the regime that rules them does not represent who the Chinese people are, he said, adding that Chinese people hold friendship and tolerance as values, and simply want to live their lives in peace.

For him, Shen Yun highlighted that basic universal desire for peace and freedom.

I think artistically, it was a way of representing tolerancea way of representing the value of a culture that has been held hostage by a Communist Party, he said.

Reporting by Nancy Ma and Stacey Tang.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Is Covid Policy Comedy, Tragedy, or Both?

Commentary

The Saturday Night Live skit on Covid policy is a welcome relief, a cultural sign that rationality has started to return. Yes, the segment is truly hilarious. And it reveals so much about the present moment in which even highly politicized elites are realizing that the dissidents in the Covid wars had it right all along.

At the same time, the skit speaks to a deeper truth about the last two years. For many in the professional Zoom class, the entire occasion tragically became an opportunity for signaling virtue, pontificating about politics, and tightening alliances with their class compatriots, even as billions around the world suffered at the hands of overlords who massively neglected the lessons of traditional public health in favor of a wild experiment in pointless compulsion.

They shut down the economy (two weeks turned into two years) but for people in a certain class and age group, it was a welcome relief from the burdens of going to the office. The value of seeming to be part of a grand political mission outweighed the cost of not going out to eat. The lack of empathy for the workers who had no such luxury, church goers locked out of their houses of worship, and kids torn from their peers, to say nothing of millions who fell into povertyand we could go onwas truly startling.

No, there was nothing amusing about any of this. Not to be humorless here but this was an unprecedented catastrophe the world over. It should not be reduced to fodder for late-night amusement. Its tragedy not comedy. Every family has a tragic story to tell. And it is far from over, for the collateral damage will be with us for a generation or two.

Perhaps in the future we can treat the arrival of pathogens as a time for patients and doctors to work together to promote wellness. Perhaps researchers can focus on therapeutics. Perhaps public-health agencies can work on being truthful with the public. Perhaps we can be more careful about mandating injections for vast swaths of humanity that did not want them or had already earned their natural immunity.

None of this will happen unless we can talk openly about it, without censorship, and do so seriously. The prevailing emotion right now as I type is the opposite: you can now laugh about how preposterously everyone behaved but dont get serious about investigations or rethinking anything.

For that matter, an interview I did with a world-class pathologist in Canada was just deleted by YouTube for medical misinformation. The censorship is as ruthless as ever!

We will be fully over the political side of this mess when the following has become a political, social, and cultural consensus:

1) Emergency powers were never justified. They were imposed in a panic, one deliberately generated in Congressional testimony by Anthony Fauci who manipulated the U.S. president into believing that he could on his own shut down the economy to make a virus go away. The whole episode was pathetic and contradictory to the whole experience of public health.

2) All mitigation measures deployed have not proven effective and certainly caused vast harm. The schools should never have been forced closed. The hospitals should have done business as usual. Doctors should have been free to treat patients. Travel should never have been stopped. Stay-at-home orders served no purpose. Hundreds of thousands of businesses were wrecked for no reason at all. Mandatory masks are not just pointless but inhumane, especially for kids. Testing the healthy, as track-and-trace theater, proved a waste. The vaccines should never have been mandated anywhere.

3) Even if C19 mutates in a worse way, or some new pathogen comes along, there is no public-health justification for shutting down society, dividing the social classes, canceling gatherings, limiting building capacity, restricting travel, or otherwise violating the rights of conscience and bodily autonomy. Contra the CDC, people should not have to wait breathlessly for the bureaucrats to look at the science to discover whether and to what extent we can exercise our human rights.

4) All public-health interventions need to be limited to informing the public of all available information, seeking therapeutics, quarantine for the sick by choice, and otherwise allowing doctors to practice medicine. Yes, society might need to respond to new pathogens but society is fully capable of doing so without central direction from unelected bureaucrats on power trips.

5) The science behind pandemic management needs to be decentralized and include genuine discussion and debate rather than allowing a small cabal to take full power while censoring everyone else.

And for each of these points, there need to be iron-clad guarantees. No more discretionary power for unelected bureaucrats to impose horrible rules on anyone. The power of the CDC, and all their sister bureaucrats in the states, needs to be reined in, starting with the many documents posted on government websites that presume that in the event of a virus, this agency or that gets to become the central manager of society while ignoring all constitutional restraints on power.

In short, we need freedom back, and a guarantee that nothing like this can ever happen again. Some degree of levity about the comedic qualities of the last two years is merited but it needs to be complemented by a serious commitment toward radical reform. We need a new way to think about how a good society can develop freely even in the presence of infectious disease. Freedom needs to be nonnegotiable.

From the Brownstone Institute

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A Navy member gets a COVID-19 vaccine on Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va., in a file image. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jackson Adkins via The Epoch Times)

Court Denies Biden Administration Attempt to Impose COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate on Navy SEALs

A federal appeals court on Feb. 28 rejected an attempt by President Joe Bidens administration to partially lift a block on the militarys COVID-19 vaccine mandate for a group of Navy SEALs.

A federal judge in January blocked the mandates enforcement for 35 Navy members, many of them SEALs, ruling that while the Navy had provided a process for adjudicating religious exemption applications, by all accounts, it is theater.

At the time of the ruling, the Navy had granted zero religious exemptions. As of Feb. 23, it had still granted none.

Nonetheless, officials asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to allow the military to take into account the unvaccinated status of the 35 members when making deployment, assignment and other operational decisions. They argued that forcing the Navy to deploy plaintiffs while they are unvaccinated threatens the success of critical missions and needlessly endangers the health and safety of other service members.

A three-judge panel on the court rejected the request, noting the discrepancy between how the branch has handled medical and religious exemption requests.

The Navy has granted hundreds of medical exemptions from vaccination requirements, allowing those service members to seek medical waivers and become deployable. But it has not accommodated any religious objection to any vaccine in seven years, preventing those seeking such accommodations from even being considered for medical waivers, the panel said.

Judges said there is apparently no template for approving requests, but there is a disapproval template form. And during the process, Navy officials sent memorandums to Vice Admiral John Nowell asking that he disapprove the exemption requests, even those based on sincerely held religious beliefs.

The Navy has has effectively stacked the deck against even those exemptions supported by Plaintiffs immediate commanding officers and military chaplains, emphasizing the futility of pursuing exemptions, the panel said. Further, letting 35 unvaccinated members deploy wouldnt seriously impede military function because over 5,000 other members are still on duty despite being unvaccinated, they added.

Defendants have not demonstrated paramount interests that justify vaccinating these 35 Plaintiffs against COVID-19 in violation of their religious beliefs, the ruling stated.

The panel consisted of Judges Edith Jones, a Reagan nominee; Stuart Duncan, a Trump nominee; and Kurt Engelhardt, a Trump nominee.

Mike Berry, director of military affairs for First Liberty Institute, which is representing the plaintiffs, said the group was grateful for the ruling.

The purge of religious servicemembers is not just devastating to morale, but it harms Americas national security. Its time for our military to honor its constitutional obligations and grant religious accommodations for service members with sincere religious objections to the vaccine, Berry said in a statement.

The Navy declined to comment.

U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor, the George W. Bush nominee who entered the injunction, has yet to rule on a motion to widen the preliminary injunction to all Navy members seeking a religious exemption. He received arguments from both parties in February.
James Lindsay, author of "Race Marxism" and founder of New Discourses, in Washington on Feb. 15, 2022. (Otabius Williams/The Epoch Times)

Critical Race Theory Is Race Marxism: Author James Lindsay

James Lindsay, author of Race Marxism: The Truth About Critical Race Theory and Praxis, says that the critical race theory currently moving through American society is a modern iteration of Marxism that uses identity and race, rather than class, to pit people against each other and advocate for revolution.

After studying volumes of classic Marxist and Neo-Marxist theory, What I realized is that Marxism just changed, it just evolved, Lindsay told American Thought Leaders host Jan Jekielek during a Feb. 17 interview. And so, with the evolution of critical race theory, we have a variant that replaces economic class with race and otherwise uses exactly the same motifs, exactly the  same engine, different chassis, if you had a car, for example.

Everything will be centered through a lens of race.

Herbert Marcuses Impact on Critical Race Theory

Herbert Marcuse, Lindsay says, is the most influential neo-Marxist of the mid-20th century and author of a short book called, An Essay on Liberation, in which he says that the working class has stabilized and a new group is needed to fight the socialist revolution.

Theyve stabilized, they are now a conservative, even counter-revolutionary, force and so he feels betrayed at that point by the working class, Lindsay said. And he says, We need to look for the populations of the groups that have  the vital needs for a socialist revolution.

Marcuse was a German-American political theorist and a member of the Frankfurt School of critical theory.

Lindsay noted that Marcuse targeted inner cities and the black power movement in the 60s as the group that was needed for the socialist revolution and began mentoring one of the movements leaders, Angela Davis.

Marcuse focused on identity instead of class. He said We need to look to the ghetto populationso the feminists, the sexual minorities and the outsiders, the unemployed, and then he said, what we actually need to do is make sure that they get the right theory. They have the energy, they dont have the theory. And where we get that? We get that into the into the students, said Lindsay.

So, well create a student movement, just like we saw in Paris in 68, just like Mao [Zedong] used in China.

Lindsay names another Marcuse essay, Repressive Tolerance, in which Marcuse says that movements from the political left should be tolerated, but movements from the political right should not be tolerated.

Herbert Marcuse (1898-1979), German born American philosopher and radical political theorist, associated with the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. (Keystone/Getty Images)

Therefore, [Marcuse] says, violence can be used against conservatives, conservatives may not use violence in return, said Lindsay.

Marcuse also calls for censorship and pre-censorship of conservative thought. Lindsay said Marcuse justifies this by claiming, that the society is already censoring the revolutionary left, it automatically is always doing that, because its trying to preserve the status quo.

According to Marcuse, the working class has become the enemy of the current socialist effort.

When he identifies the working class as being conservative and counter-revolutionary, he believes that it is now justified to pull out the full machinery of censorship, pre-censorship, and violencehe says that withdrawal of democratic tolerance, he says the suspension of their rightsthis is all necessary, said Lindsay.

Lindsay gives some examples of pre-censorship, including political correctness and algorithms on social media platforms that feed people targeted information to influence their thinking.

It could be kind of self-censoring, you know, with this preventative thing, or it could actually be to the point of  conditioning somebodys thought so that they only think in particular and approved ways. Lindsay points to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) social credit system as an advanced censorship tool, which Western countries, including the United States, appear to be moving toward.

The CCP has been constructing a surveillance ranking system for years that monitors the behavior of its population and ranks them based on a social credit score. The systems goal is to reinforce the idea that keeping trust is glorious and breaking trust is disgraceful, according to a 2015 CCP document.

People check on travel packages offered by travel agencies during the Guangzhou International Travel Fair in Guangzhou in south Chinas Guangdong Province on March 3, 2018. Travelers in China were blocked from buying plane tickets 17.5 million times in 2018 as a penalty for failing to pay fines or other offenses, the Chinese regime reported this week on penalties imposed under a controversial social credit system. (Chinatopix via AP)

Marcuse advocated violence against conservatives if there is a clear and present danger. Currently, the mainstream corporate media and the government are saying that vaccine hesitancy and domestic terrorism are presenting a danger to the public, creating an opportunity to justify violence against groups like the Jan. 6 protestors and trucker convoys who are protesting lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

I think that the leftists who hung on most every word that Herbert Marcuse spoke and wrote in the 1960s and 1970s, have shaped leftist thought and leftist politics for a long time now, and they genuinely believe that they have a right to move society forward, and therefore to repress the right and to advance the causes of the left, said Lindsay.

Lindsay sees Marxism as an entitlement complex, noting that Marx displayed his own sense of entitlement by writing letters in which he was often begging people for money. He draws a parallel between how the left ridicules and condemns people for being racist or transphobic to bullying done during the Cultural Revolution under Chinas communist dictator Mao.

Lindsay says the left is now pitting whites against all other races instead of Marxisms original, rich verse poor.

So, you have a racial bourgeoisie that has access to bourgeois racial property called whiteness, and you have a proletariat and the people of color, a racial proletariat, in their interactions across this stratification  a structural racism in society that is a system that pervades everythingits embedded in the laws, its embedded in the language, its embedded in how we think about ideas, Lindsay said of the ideology.

People can only be accepted, or anti-racist, if they adopt critical theory, even if they are black. Well, you become politically black in the words of Nicole Hannah Jones, you become a black voice in the words of (U.S. Rep.) Ayanna Pressley, you become an expert on racism or an anti-racist in the words of CRT activist Ibram X. Kendi. You take on the ideology, you take on critical race theory, you become a race Marxistthen youre authentically black.

Ibram X. Kendi is seen in a New York City studio on March 10, 2020. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Critical race theory is based on a kernel of truth, not the whole truth, says Lindsay.

And so, its not universally true that people want to maintain power for the sake of maintaining power. To believe [this] is psychological pathology, said Lindsay, suggesting its more of a projection by those who make the statement.

This revolution that race Marxists believe needs to occur includes overturning the so-called systematically racist structures currently in place in all U.S. institutions.

Kendi believes that in order to fix the racist society, Congress must pass an anti-racist constitutional amendment.

Democrats in Congress, behind us, are currently trying to do [this] legislatively, rather than through a constitutional amendment. They just proposed a $70 billion racial equity bill [that] reproduces this exact same program.

Thats supposed to establish a department of anti-racism, itll have jurisdiction over all local, state, and federal policies, private policies, expressions of public and private officials. But he also tells us that the department of anti-racism will be staffed entirely by formally trained experts in racism, said Lindsay.

Critical race theorists, as a bunch of academics working with policymakers, and maybe corporate leaders, are going to become the Party.

Marxism Is a Religion

Lindsay says critical race theory is rooted in Marxist teachings and has all the components of a religion, but replaces God with man.

If you read Marxs writings before The Communist Manifesto, especially  the various manuscripts he wrote in 1844, its very clear that Marx was not outlining a political and social theoryhes outlining a theology, said Lindsay.

This is an absolute religion. Every piece of a religious faith is present; It has an ontology and axiology, and epistemology.

But what he actually put in Gods place is what he called man in himselfa man thats become truly independent, that no longer needs God no longer needs his parents, whom he was mad at because they stopped giving him money, frankly, said Lindsay.

He said that, unlike other orthodox religions, redemption in race Marxist ideology is elusive.

The redemption is off at the end of history; the redemption is that we will get to the perfect society if everybody participates. So, you cannot redeem yourself. All you can do is take up the theory and do the work and be on the right side, Lindsay said. So, long as you are upholding the attempt to bring Marxism into the world, youre in the general good graces of the saints or whatever, but theres no full redemption, theres just more activism.

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.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 24, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

DeSantis Rejects Biden Admin Request for National Guard at State of the Union

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took on Feb. 28 rejected a request from the Biden administration to deploy the Florida National Guard to Washington for the State of the Union address on March 1.

I have rejected this request, DeSantis wrote on Twitter. There will be no Florida National Guard sent to D.C. for Bidens State of the Union.

Christina Pushaw, the governors press secretary, said the request was made last week for help to prepare for First Amendment protests.

Last week, the federal government requested all states send National Guard personnel to DC to prepare for anticipated First Amendment protests, Pushaw told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. The National Guard should never be misused for political purposes.

She continued, Last year, when the National Guard deployed to DC around the inauguration, they were forced to sleep in freezing parking lots, all for a regime spectacleOur dedicated, patriotic service members deserve better.

While Florida will not be sending their national guard units, the Pentagon has approved the deployment of 700 other unarmed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.

On Sunday, U.S. Capitol Police said that fencing will go up around the Capitol building and that roads will be closed in surrounding areas ahead of the state of the union address, out of an abundance of caution.

A statement released by Capitol Police said, The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service have been closely working together to plan for the upcoming State of the Union.

The decision coincides with the trucker convoys that are rolling into the D.C. area to hold protests demanding an end to the White Houses extension of its national emergency declaration, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, and a review of the governments pandemic response.

No specific threats have been identified relating to the presidents March 1 speech, but Capitol Police are not taking any chances following the events on Jan. 6, 2021.

There is no love lost between Floridas Republican governor and the Democratic president as they have sparred over COVID-19 restrictions, mask mandates, and the crisis on the southern border.

On Dec. 3, 2021, DeSantis reinstated the long-disbanded Florida State Guard in order to respond to state emergencies utilizing an all-volunteer force. It was designed to assist the National Guard during natural disasters such as hurricanes.
A screen shows the logo and a ticker symbol for the Walt Disney Company on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, on Dec. 14, 2017. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Disney Pausing Movie Releases in Russia Over Tragic Humanitarian Crisis

The Walt Disney Company announced on Monday that it would stop releasing new films in Russia in response to President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar, a spokesperson for Disney said.

Disney said it will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.

In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees, its companys statement said.

It became one of the first major movie production studios to halt the release of films in Russia due to the Ukraine invasion.

Responding to Disneys announcement, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) challenged the company to also pause film distribution in China over the communist regimes dismal human rights record.

Now do China where you are making big $$$, he wrote on Twitter.

Hours after Disneys announcement, Warner Bros. parent company WarnerMedia said on Twitter that it will be pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia in light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy, the company said in a statement.

Sony has also said it wont be releasing films in the country.

Putin on Feb. 24 authorized a special military operation in Ukraine to eliminate what he called a serious threat, saying his aim was to demilitarize Russias southern neighbor.

In an address on state television, Putin said he had been left with no choice but to launch the operation.

Its goal is to protect people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide for the last eight years. And for this we will strive for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.

And to bring to court those who committed numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including against citizens of the Russian Federation.

Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS), told DW that talk of Nazism in Ukraine is completely out of place.

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, is a Russian-speaking Jew who won the last presidential election by a huge margin against a non-Jewish Ukrainian candidate, Umland said.

The Auschwitz Memorial and the U.S. Holocaust Museum were quick to condemn Putins rhetoric and his exploitation of history as a false justification for his military campaign.

This act of barbarity will be judged by history, the Auschwitz Memorial said in a statement on Feb. 24.
People cast their ballots in voting booths at the 2nd Street Elementary School in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, Calif., on November 6, 2018 as Americans vote for the mid-term elections. (Frederic Brown/AFP/Getty Images)

Election Inspector Sues Delaware Over Early Voting, Permanent Absentee Voter Status

An elections inspector in Delaware on Feb. 24 sued the states Department of Elections seeking a declaration that its early voting option and permanent absentee voter system were unconstitutional.

Michael Mennella, who has served as an elections inspector in eight polls, filed the lawsuit in the Court of Chancery of Delaware.

In 2019, the Delaware General Assembly passed legislation allowing in-person voting to begin at least 10 days before the 2022 general election.

The statute also permitted registered voters in Delaware to apply for permanent absentee voter status, meaning a voter could apply once for an absentee ballot and, upon request, automatically receive an absentee ballot in every subsequent election.

Mennellas complaint cited Article 5, Section 1 of the Delaware Constitution, which specified a day certain for the conduct of every biennial general election.

The states constitution said the election must be held on the first Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.

Mennella contended that to begin in-person voting at least 10 days prior to Election Day, as the 2019 statute provided, the Delaware constitution would have to be amended to allow for the expansion beyond the constitutionally designated day.

A voter reads her ballot while voting at the Legion Park polling place in Miami, Florida, on Nov, 3, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Statistics provided in the brief by the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), co-counsel for Mennella, demonstrated a significant number of Delawares permanent absentee voters were listed as deceased by the Social Security Death Index and in published obituaries.

The complaint referenced the Delaware state website, which as of February 11, 2022, listed 23,000 permanent absentee voters on the rolls.

According to the complaint, some of those listed on the states permanent absentee voter roll have been dead from one to 10 years, with one having died in 2010.

Plaintiffs co-counsel Jane Brady told The Epoch Times, We are finding 12 to 15 percent of the 23,000 permanent absentee voters listed on the states roll have either died or moved away.

It is important to bring this action to protect election integrity in Delaware. This is not a partisan issue, said Brady.

People stand in line outside the Richland County Voter Registration and Elections Office on the second day of in-person absentee and early voting in Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 6, 2020. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

According to a Feb. 24 press release from PILF, Delawares new permanent absentee voter statute allegedly violates the states constitution, because it grants an individual eligibility to vote by absentee ballot in perpetuity, without consideration of the applicants eligibility in each subsequent election.

Delaware law does not mandate the State Election Commission to verify the eligibility of permanent absentee voters for each succeeding election.

Instead, the commission requires the absentee voter to notify the state of any changes in his status, according to the complaint.

Delaware State Election Commissioner Anthony Albence was not available for comment.

PILF President J. Christian Adams said in the Feb. 24 press release that Delaware election inspectors are forced to choose between obeying the statutes or following the state constitution.

We are confident the court will uphold the rule of law and the state constitution.
Entrapment Motion Fails for Whitmer Kidnap Plot Defendants

A judge in Michigan has denied a bid by three former Wolverine Watchmen to have their charges dismissed in an alleged plot to capture Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, ruling that the presence of undercover FBI informants and agents didnt amount to entrapment.

Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wilson made his ruling March 1, following a two-day entrapment hearing for Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar. The defendantswho face charges under Michigan law of providing material support to a terrorist plotwill still have their chance to convince a jury that the FBI entrapped them, with their state trial set for Sept. 12.

Meanwhile, the federal trial for the alleged ringleaders of the purported Whitmer kidnapping plot is set to begin March 8. Those defendantsAdam Fox, Barry Croft, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Casertahad their own motion to dismiss denied in January.

Wilson said he considered several factors in deciding whether the state defendants had been entrapped. They included the amount of time between the FBIs investigation and their arrest; whether the FBI pressured them to commit crimes; and whether the FBIs investigation escalated their criminal culpability.

For the first factor, Wilson said he only had to consider the case of Bellar, who left Michigan and abandoned the Wolverine Watchmen in July 2020 because of concerns over the alleged plot leader, Fox.

But even though he left Michigan two months prior to arrest, this was not a long period of time that lapsed between investigation and determination by FBI that they had enough to go forward, Wilson said about Bellar.

As to whether the FBI encouraged the defendants to commit a crime, Wilson said the Watchmen were already predisposed to their alleged actions. Wilson looked at the Watchmens former Facebook page to support his assertion, noting that it was trying to recruit people who support the boogalooa reference to a second American civil war.

I just cannot, in reviewing this matter, infer that the government somehow pressured any one of these individuals to participate in anything, or to get in line with this way of thinking, Wilson said. That was the very reason we got the [FBI informant] in the beginning: As soon as he joined the group and learned they were talking about harming police officers and politicians, he contacted the FBI.

Wilson said he took the same view of the main FBI informant under scrutiny during the entrapment, referred to in court documents as Dan. An Iraq War veteran who would go behind enemy lines to help find targets for airstrikes, he was code-named Thor by the FBI in its investigation.

During the hearing, defense attorneys argued that the FBI gave Dan the code-name Thor because the defendants would see him as a god, due to his military expertise. This allowed Dan/Thor to manipulate the Watchmen, the defense attorneys said.

But Wilson disagreed, saying that he failed to find any instances where Dan provoked the defendants to violence.

I reviewed a lot of paperwork in this matter, and I cant find anywhere where Dan increased the culpability of the defendants, Wilson said. In fact, a couple times Dan deescalated the situation.

A pretrial hearing is set for Aug. 8.
The logo of Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot is seen on an Airbus A320-200 in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, on Sept. 26, 2017. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters)

EU Restrictions Over Russian Airspace Causing Disruption to Passenger and Cargo Traffic

Russia on Feb. 28 closed its airspace to airlines from the European Union and Canada following sanctions from Brussels and Ottawa that banned Russian aviation from entry as fighting raged in Ukraine.

Flights from 36 countries, including 27 all members of the EU, have been banned from Russian airspace, which will likely affect several airlines that use Russian airspace to get from Europe to Asia.

The Russian airspace restrictions are being brought as a retaliatory measure for the ban by European states on flights by civil aviation operated by Russian airlines or registered in Russia, Russias civil aviation authority said.

Russias Aeroflot said it would cancel all flights to European destinations in response.

Airlines will now only be able to enter Russian airspace with a special permit.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, announced on Feb. 27, that the EU would shut down European airspace for Russian carriers.

We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian registered, or Russian-controlled aircraft. These aircraft will no more be able to land in, take off, or overfly the territory of the EU, von der Leyen said.

Dozens of flights have been cancelled or rerouted on detours as the cost of the airspace crisis hits airline shares.

Shares in U.S. and European airlines were down 4 percent on Monday, while Finnish national carrier Finnair saw its shares down 21 percent.

The new measures mean that some international flights will have to make long detours on certain routes without access to Russias airspace, potentially raising the cost of tickets.

Several carriers are diverting flights south while also avoiding areas of tension in the Middle East.

The rerouting saw Kazakhstans airspace experiencing a tripling of flights to more than 450.

Last week, Russia banned British carriers after the U.K. barred Aeroflot, Russias flagship carrier, as well as private jets.

Lufthansa cancelled 30 flights to Russia this week, with flights from Europe to Tokyo and Seoul having to fly detours for which the company has secured necessary flight rights.

Airline Swiss, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, cancelled its Feb. 28 flight from Zurich to Moscow, due to the uncertain regulatory situation and said it will not be flying through Russian airspace.

Singapore Airlines said that it was suspending all services between Singapore and Moscow until further notice for operational reasons.

Korean and Japanese carriers said that they would continue to use Russian airspace, but had no plans to add flights to Russia or Europe to replace flights cancelled by Western carriers.

United Arab Emirates suspended flights to two cities in the south of Russia until March 8, while it is continuing flights from Dubai to Moscow and seven other Russian destinations.

The supply chain is expected to witness further disruption as the airspace restrictions and flight cancellations will severely affect cargo traffic across Eurasia.

Due to the ongoing dramatic developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lufthansa will no longer use Russian airspace, Lufthansa Cargo said.

American owned UPS and FedEx said they were also halting deliveries to Russia.

Washington is considering a similar action, but has yet to make a final decision, according to American officials.

The U.S. State Department is requesting that American citizens leave Russia immediately, due to an increasing number of airlines cancelling flights over Russian airspace.
Military specialists walk past a Russian Topol intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the exposition field in Kubinka Patriot Park outside Moscow on August 22, 2017. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)

Fact Check: US Nuclear Explosion Guidance on Masking Not Recently Changed After Putin Order

Federal guidelines on masking in the case of a nuclear explosion were not changed this week, said a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday.

The guidelines, posted on the Ready.gov website, were shared widely on social media after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said he would raise his countrys nuclear deterrence level, sparking fears that a nuclear conflict could break out amid Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

The guidelines include ways to prepare and what to do during a nuclear explosion, recommending COVID-19-related rules such as wearing face masks and social distancing.

Continue to practice social distancing by wearing a mask and by keeping a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who not part of your household, the government guidance said. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 and let the operator know if you have, or think you might have, COVID-19, it added. If you can, put on a mask before help arrives.

After the guidance was updated, the recommendation to practice social distancing and wear a face mask was criticized on social media.

But a spokesperson for FEMA told The Independent that the nuclear guidance wasnt recently changed due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

It is not true that the COVID social distancing language was updated in response to the situation with Russia-Ukraine, FEMA spokeswoman Jaclyn Rothenberg told the outlet. COVID protocols were originally added in 2020, and pages are now going through reviews to update that language based on new [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance that was just released.

The change comes as Russias defense ministry said its forces would strike targets in Kyiv, Ukraines capital, that were used by Ukraines security service and also communications sites. It warned residents near such sites to leave their homes, while giving no information about where in the city of three million people those targets were located.

The West has imposed heavy sanctions on Russia to shut off its economy from the global financial system, pushing companies to halt sales, cut ties and dump tens of billions of dollars worth of investments.

After those sanctions were levied, Putin cited those economic penalties for raising his countrys nuclear level.

Western countries are not only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic area. Im speaking about the illegitimate sanctions that everyone is well aware of. However, the top officials of the leading NATO countries also make aggressive statements against our country as well, Putin said on Sunday, according to state-run media.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (4th R) stands with a U.S. delegation including retired Admiral Mike Mullen (3rd R), former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as they arrive at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taiwan on March 1, 2022. (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Former Top US Defense Officials Arrive in Taiwan Amid Russia-Ukraine War

As the Ukraine crisis escalates, Taipei welcomed a high-level visit by former top U.S. defense officials, which indicates rock-solid relations between Taiwan and the United States, a Taiwanese official said.

The unannounced delegation arrived in Taipei at 4:13 p.m. local time on March 1, according to Taiwans state-run Central News Agency (CNA). The group, led by retired Admiral Mike Mullen, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet President Tsai Ing-wen in the following morning, and attend a banquet later that day.

The two-day visit underscores bipartisan support from Washington and will even more clearly highlight the rock-solid relations between Taiwan and the United States, especially at a time of the Ukraine crisis, Taiwans presidential office spokesperson Chang Tun-han said a day earlier, CNA reported.

Mullen, a former top U.S. military officer, will be accompanied by Meghan OSullivan, a former deputy national security adviser, Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of defense, and Mike Green and Evan Medeiros, both of whom were senior directors for the Asia affairs office of the National Security Council.

A senior official of the Biden administration told Reuters that the selection of the five flagged an important signal about the bipartisan U.S. commitment to Taiwan and its democracy.

The two sides are also looking to exchange views on bilateral cooperation, Taiwan-U.S. relations, and regional peace and stability, said Chang.

Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (R) greets retired Admiral Mike Mullen, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as the latter arrives at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taiwan on March 1, 2022. (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Taiwan has stepped up its alert levels since Russia attacked Ukraine, wary of China taking advantage of its distracted Western allies and moving against the self-ruled island. Nine Chinese aircraft entered Taiwans air defense identification zone in the hours following Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Taiwan quickly mobilized its military aircraft in response, according to its defense ministry.

Concerns mounted as to whether Taiwan will meet the same fate as Ukraine, as Russias aggression is compared to that of China. Beijing has long been eyeing and harassing the democratic country, which the communist regime claims as its own.

Yet Taiwans government has repeatedly said the islands situation and Ukraines are fundamentally different due to the islands geographical and geopolitical advantages, and its key role in the global high-tech supply chain.

In all areas, the two cannot be compared, said cabinet spokesperson Lo Ping-cheng, in a Feb. 28 statement.

It has been less than a year since the previous delegation, led by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), visited Taiwan last April.

Taiwans Foreign Affairs Ministry said last week that former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife will visit Taiwan from March 2 to 5 and meet with Tsai.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Born around the same time in the same Virginia county, these four men took various paths to address slavery

Something must have been very special about Southampton County, Virginia, as during the first quarter of the 19th century, four men of African descent, born just a few years and a few miles apart, took different paths to find freedom from the oppressive conditions of slavery. Nat Turner, Anthony Gardiner, Dred Scott, and John Fed Brown challenged existing norms and, in doing so, stirred the nations slavery debate on the way to its abolition.

Southampton County was established in 1749. An agrarian community, its primary rivers, the Blackwater and Nottaway, flow into Albemarle Sound, not Chesapeake Bay. This circumstance limited commerce. Consequently, Southampton had few towns, just a couple of major plantations, and, mostly, small farms. The 1830 census showed the main county products were cotton, corn, brandy, and chattel people. The rapid rise of cotton cultivation in the Deep South prompted the growth of the interstate slave trade, making bondsmen Virginias largest export during the five decades prior to the Civil War. The census also details that there were 7,756 enslaved people of African descent in the county along with 1,745 free blacks and members of the Nottoway Tribe. The minority white population, 6,573, feared the consequences of a slave revolt.

Nat Turner

Nat Turner, a slave and mesmerizing self-schooled preacher, believed that signs from heaven guided him to initiate one of the longest and bloodiest slave revolts in American history. Turner, born in October 1800 on Benjamin Turners farm, was highly intelligent, literate, and deeply religious. He purportedly began seeing visions from God in the 1820s. These visions prompted him to plan an uprising against enslavers.

On February 11, 1831, Nat Turner witnessed a solar eclipse. He believed this was his sign from God to begin his rebellion. Turner became ill and was unable to enact his plans to begin the rebellion on July 4. A few weeks later, on August 13, 1831, an atmospheric disturbance made the sun appear bluish-green. Turner regarded this as his final sign to act, and he called upon his closest followers to meet him in a reptile-infested swamp on the afternoon of August 21, 1831. Turner told them that they would use their enemies weapons to strike for freedom. After a meal, they began their rebellion, traveling from house to house, freeing slaves, and killing all enslavers and their families they encountered.

By noon on August 22, Turners command numbered over 60 armed men. After killing the Rebecca Vaughn family, General Nat and his troops were checked by the Southampton militia at nearby Parkers Field. They discovered their path to Jerusalem (todays Courtland, Virginia) blocked over the Nottoway River by militia. The insurrectionists spent that evening at Major Ridleys Quarter. The next day, Turners remaining followers were defeated by the Blunt Family at Belmont Plantation; more were scattered by the militia at Captain Newt Harris house. The uprising was then violently suppressed by Virginia and North Carolina militias. Turner nevertheless escaped and was not captured until the end of October. He was executed on November 11, 1831.

A barefoot Nat Turner, who led a revolt of enslaved people in 1831 in Southampton County, Va., emerges from a makeshift cave and surrenders to a local farmer. ( Learn NC, University of North Carolina School of Education)

Anthony Gardiner

As with all other violent slave revolts, Nat Turners insurrection failed to fulfill its purpose. Slave revolts were a desperate effort to break the bonds of enslavement. By the beginning of the 19th century, many enslavers realized the need to end slavery. Yet how to achieve this goal was the big question, and it prompted a Back to Africa movement.

Located on the coast of West Africa, Liberia was colonized through the efforts of the American Colonization Society (ACS). The Society was founded on December 21, 1816, at the Davis Hotel in Washington, D.C. Notable attendees included James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Francis Scott Key, and Daniel Webster. Senator Henry Clay presided over the meeting and was joined by other co-founders: John Randolph, Richard Bland Lee, and Bushrod Washington. Many society members believed that free blacks could not be assimilated into white society. Numerous laws limited their economic and social opportunities. There was also a bias against free blacks, who were often persecuted as anti-slavery agitators. Free blacks lived under slaverys shadow, and many believed they would have a better life in Africa. Clay thought that repatriation was preferable to emancipation. Many Upper South states appropriated money to underwrite transportation of these individuals to Liberia.

One of these early Liberian colonists was Anthony William Gardiner. Gardiner was born free in Southampton County on February 3, 1820. He was 11 years old when he sailed with his family to Monrovia, Liberia, aboard the Valador, on February 12, 1831.

Anthony W. Gardiner (Illustrated by R.W.)

Anthony Gardiner prospered politically in Liberia. He was a signer of the countrys declaration of independence, and he helped to draft that new nations constitution in 1847. He became Liberias first attorney general in 1848. Gardiner was elected vice president in May 1871 and served two terms. After briefly serving as acting president in 1876, he was eventually elected president in 1878, serving until he resigned on January 20, 1883, over a boundary dispute with Sierra Leone. Gardiner, during his five years in office, strove to expand trade, established Liberias Interior Department, and promoted public education.

Liberia was the first independent African republic. Over 13,000 free migrants were transported to Liberia. However, this experiment did not work well due to fighting between the Americo-Liberians and indigenous people. Many people of African descent living in the United States did not wish to return to Africa as they had become Americanized despite the prejudice they endured.

John Brown

The ACS was unable to achieve a mass exodus of free blacks back to Africa, nor could it end slavery. The conditions of slavery were simply inhuman, and they were exposed by several books written by escaped enslaved persons. One of these authors was the runaway John Fed Brown. His expose described the break-up of slave families, the fear instituted in those enslaved of punishment and exploitation, and treatment so severe that one could scarcely imagine that men could do such things to other men.

When Brown reached freedom in England, he told his story to Louis-Alexis Chamerovzow, secretary of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society in 1854. Chamerovzow explained in the preface of the book, Slave Life In Georgia: A Narrative of the Life, Sufferings, and Escape of John Brown, A Fugitive Slave, Now In England, that telling John Browns travails as a slave would advance the anti-slavery cause, thereby exposing the world to the horrible life of those still held in bondage.

John Brown, originally named Fed, was born in 1818 on the Betty Moore Farm on the Nottoway River in Southampton County. At age 10, he was separated from his family and eventually taken by slave dealer Starling Finney in 1830 to Georgia. The rising value of cotton in the 1820s prompted an increased need and value of those enslaved. Fed was sold to a rather cruel planter, Thomas Stevens, for $350.

Stevens, who whipped his slaves daily, caused Fed to try to run away several times. In the last attempt, he was caught and had what he called bells and horns placed around his neck and a circle of iron fitted around the crown of his head. The two torture objects were held together by three iron rods (horns) that stuck out three feet above his head and had bells attached at the end of each rod. The entire contraption weighed about 14 pounds and dissuaded Brown from attempting another escape. As Brown recalled, When Stevens had fixed this ornament on my head, he turned me loose, and told me I might run off now if I liked.

By some good fortune in 1845, Stevens son temporarily removed the bell and horns, and Fed made his escape. Eventually, he made his way to Indiana, where he assumed his free name John Brown. With the help of Quaker conductors on the Underground Railroad, Brown then moved to Canada in 1847, where he was a copper miner. In 1849, Brown moved to runaway Josiah Hensons Dawn Institute to learn a trade until moving to England, where he died in 1876.

While the Underground Railroad was successful in freeing thousands of slaves, it was not a viable permanent solution. Many, like John Brown, never gave up their hope of freedom. When Brown was able to break his own chains of slavery, he proved that he was a man equal to all others. He advanced himself by his own exertions, and he set an example for others to follow.

Various efforts had been tried by enslaved African-descended people to achieve freedom. Rebellion had little opportunity to succeed, being a fugitive slave was dangerous and often unsuccessful, and the Liberian concept was only for free blacks. Nevertheless, the United States had become a nation based on the rule of law; accordingly, when Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, it outlawed slavery in the eventual states known as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. This law was reinforced by the Missouri Compromise. The MasonDixon Line became the boundary between African-descended people living enslaved or free. This situation would be challenged by the Southampton County native Dred Scott.

John Fed Brown. (Documenting the American South, University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Dred Scott

Born in Southampton County about 1798, Dred Scott was acquired by the Peter Blow family shortly thereafter. The Blows moved to Alabama and then to St. Louis, Missouri, where they sold Dred to John Emerson, a surgeon serving with the U.S. Army.

When Dr. Emerson died in 1843, his wife, Irene, inherited Scott, his wife, and his children. Dred attempted to purchase his freedom, but Mrs. Emerson refused. Scott then filed a lawsuit in 1850. The St. Louis Circuit Court declared that Scott and his family should be granted freedom since they had been illegally held as slaves when Dr. Emerson had taken them on his Army assignments in the free jurisdictions of Illinois (Fort Armstrong) and Wisconsin Territory (Fort Snelling). Mrs. Emerson appealed. The Missouri Supreme Court struck down the decision in 1852, and the Scotts were returned to slavery.

With the assistance of new lawyers, who included a later member of President Abraham Lincolns Cabinet, the Scotts filed suit in Federal Court. The case went to the Supreme Court, and on March 6, 1857, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney delivered the majority ruling that, according to the Constitution, any person descended from Africans, whether enslaved or free, was not a citizen of the United States. He stated that neither the Northwest Ordinance nor the Missouri Compromise could exclude slavery. Taney ruled that Scott could not be freed by legislative action because he was subject to the Fifth Amendment, which prohibited the taking of property from its owner without due process. Dred Scott was returned to the Blow family and later manumitted (freed).

Justice Taneys decision deepened tensions between the North and the South. The Civil War broke out four years later.

Dred Scott, as pictured at lower left in Frank Leslies Illustrated Newspaper, June 27, 1857. (Courtesy of Library of Congress )

Sons of Southampton

Nat Turner, Anthony Gardiner, John Brown, and Dred Scott all aspired to end enslavement of people of African descent. Each mans approach took slavery to task for its inherent evils. Nat Turner reinforced the white fears of slave revolts. The 1831 Southampton insurrection was one of the last major slave revolts prior to the Civil War. Governor John Floyd called the Virginia General Assembly into session in January 1832, during which the causes, events, and results of Nat Turners rebellion were discussed. Several bills concerning general manumission or the sale and deportation of all slaves were debated. None of these concepts proved to be successful.

Virginias first slave code was passed in 1682. New slave laws, however, were legislated in 1832 and were much more stringent and diligently enforced. They addressed prohibiting the movement, assembly, and education of slaves; prohibiting a slave from lifting a hand against a white personeven in self-defense; restricting slaves from holding religious meetings without the presence of a licensed white minister; and establishing harsher punishments for runaway slaves. Even the freedom of free blacks was limited by these codes.

It is no wonder then that other Southampton African-descended people sought freedom from oppression. Prejudice prompted the Gardiner family to move to Liberia, and for John Fed Brown to run away and then to tell his sad story of slaverys inhuman concepts. Browns book stimulated others to find ways to end enslavement, while Dred Scotts legal efforts were yet another major spark nudging the nation toward a showdown about abolition. All of these stories are profound reflections from four men from Southampton County. They were all freedom fighters, and their efforts changed American history.

An account of Nat Turners insurrection, recounted to lawyer Thomas Gray while Turner was imprisoned, was published in 1831. (Documenting the American South, University Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
France to Move Its Embassy in Ukraine to Lviv, Says Foreign Minister

France will move its embassy in Ukraine to the western city of Lviv from the capital Kyiv, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday, the last Western country to move its diplomatic mission as conditions worsen on the ground in Russias invasion.

Reacting for the first time after Russian President Vladimir Putin put Russias nuclear deterrent on high alert, Le Drian said the move made no sense and that the Russian leader had lost the communications battle since launching operations in Ukraine last Thursday.

He said Russian oligarchs should be worried about the future of their assets in France and Europe and that the European Union would ban Russian media outlets such as Sputnik and RT in the coming hours describing them as war propaganda.

The minister added that a draft resolution put forward at the United Nations Security Council later on Monday would call for an immediate ceasefire.

By John Irish
Tamara Lich, organizer for a truckers' protest "Freedom Convoy" and supporters demanding an end to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, delivers a statement during a news conference in Ottawa, on Feb. 3, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Free Tamara: Alberta MLA Calls for Release of Freedom Convoy Organizer

An Alberta MLA is calling for the release of his constituent Tamara Lich, who remains behind bars for organizing the truckers Freedom Convoy protest to oppose federal COVID-19 mandates.

Drew Barnes, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, issued a statement titled Free Tamara in a Twitter post on Feb. 27, saying it is a miscarriage of justice that Lich is still detained now that the Ottawa protest has ended.

She freely admits to taking part in non-violent civil disobedience in her role with the freedom convoy to Ottawa. She faces mischief charges, and nothing more, Barnes said.

Despite this, she has been denied bail by an Ontario judge who refuses to accept her pledge to quietly return home to Alberta.

Lich was arrested on Feb. 17 and charged with counselling to commit mischief. She was denied bail on Feb. 22 by Ontario Court Justice Julie Bourgeois, who said Lichs detention is necessary for the protection and safety of the public.

The question remains, why is Tamara Lich still behind bars in an Ontario jail? The same authorities that worked so hard to ensure she couldnt stay now wont let her leave. #ableg #medhat

Statement- pic.twitter.com/H7Vmp9zeRh  Drew Barnes (@Drew__Barnes) February 27, 2022

In his statement, Barnes said Lich is a political prisoner, and blamed partisan media and [the] Eastern elite for portraying her as a threat to her own country because she embarrassed them.

She has been portrayed in the media as a violent criminal, a foreign operative, and an anarchist. Nothing could be further from the truth. She is a former energy worker of Metis heritage, a mother, and grandmother, and sometimes plays guitar in a local band, he said.

I can only conclude that she is a political prisoner of a thoroughly disgraced establishment.

Arrogance and Elitism

The protests in Ottawa began at the end of January to oppose the federal governments vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers. As large convoys of trucks from across the country arrived at the national capital, supporters joined in to call for an end to all pandemic-related restrictions. Protesters blocked several Canada-U.S. border crossings in solidarity with the truckers.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused to meet with the truckers personally or have any representatives hear their grievances during the three-week protest in Ottawa. On Feb. 14, he invoked the Emergencies Act which gave police sweeping powers to oust the protesters, including forcing towing companies to remove vehicles encamped in the citys downtown core.

Under the emergency orders, financial measures were brought in that allowed banks to freeze without a court order the accounts of individuals and corporations who were suspected of being involved in the demonstration. The government also broadened anti-money laundering regulations to include crowdfunding platforms that collected donations for the truckers and required them to register with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.

On Feb. 21, the House of Commons voted to pass a motion approving the use of the Emergencies Act. Trudeau revoked the Act two days later saying it was no longer needed.

Barnes criticized the Trudeau governments seizure of the bank accounts of hundreds of people who donated to the convoy, saying that the arrogance and elitism of Ottawas political establishment was fully exposed.

Nothing stokes fear among the political elites more than widespread civil disobedience. They see themselves as wise and benevolent masters, empowered by their privilege to guide society. Tamara Lich and every single trucker, farmer, and freedom convoy supporter who stands up to them, exposes them for who they really are, Barnes wrote.

So the question remains, why is Tamara Lich still behind bars in an Ontario jail? The same authorities that worked so hard to ensure she couldnt stay now wont let her leave.

Smearing Protestors Defamatory and Desperate

Throughout the Ottawa demonstration, the Liberals and NDP repeatedly referred to protestors as extremists, accusing them of being associated with hate groups. During a parliamentary question period on Feb. 16, Trudeau told Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who is Jewish, that her party stands with people who wave swastikas.

Barnes said these claims targeting the protesters are defamatory and desperate.

Even before the convoy arrived, a variety of officials doggedly attempted to smear these folks as members of a small fringe minority. They were even accused of being both racists and professional protestors, hired by foreign powers including, most laughably, Russia, he said.

Now, more than ever, we need to get back to the foundational principles handed down to us from our ancestors. Equality before the law. Economic freedom. Individual opportunity. These arent just buzzwords. They are the mortar that holds society together.

Only when we get back to these foundational principles, will we be able to reach our full potential.
German Bundeswehr armed forces recruits receive a debriefing by an instructor during a drill at a military training area in Viereck, Germany, on Aug. 8, 2018. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

Germany Building Up Military Following Russian Invasion, Defense Stocks Surge

Stock prices of defense companies rose after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his country would raise military spending, and build up its forces and capabilities, as a response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Germanys 2022 federal budget will set aside a one-off sum of 100 billion euros for the countrys military, Scholz said in a policy statement on Feb. 27. The country will invest more than two percent of its GDP into defense year after year, he added. Berlin had spent roughly 1.53 percent of its GDP on defense last year according to data from NATO. By raising military spending, Germany aims to match targets set out by NATO back in 2006.

According to some analysts, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine due to the mounting fears of NATO expansion on the Russian border. The German solution to build arms could encourage other European allies to follow suit leading to a renewed arms race on the continent.

Defense stocks in various markets traded much higher on Monday than Fridays close. Share prices of Germanys Rheinmetall, an automotive and arms manufacturer, peaked at 160 euros ($178) from Fridays close of 107 euros ($119), an increase of 49.5 percent. Hensoldt, a major German military sensor manufacturer, surged over 88 percent to hit a peak of 27.95 euros ($31) from 14.80 euros ($16.50).

Thales, a French multinational company engaged in defense and aerospace industries, saw share prices rise from 91.50 euros ($102) at Fridays close to hit a peak of 105.55 ($117.71) euros in Monday trading.

Italian defense company Leonardos share price increased from 6.93 to 8.20 euros ($7.73 to $9.14). BAE, Britains largest defense company, saw its share price rise from 650.40 GBX to 749.40 GBX ($8.71 to $10.04).

Shares of Northrop Grumman increased from $409.66 to $442.14 in the United States. Raytheon shares hit a high of $102.70 from $98.12. Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the F-35 fighter jet, saw share prices rise 5.94 percent to reach a peak of $433.82 on Monday.

More resources for defense among U.S. allies in Europe combined with the challenge from Russia could contribute to the development of a larger, more capable  European defense industrial base that could  become more competitive with that of U.S., Seth Seifman, an analyst at JP Morgan, wrote in a note.

However, and in the near-term we see Germanys announcement as an opportunity for U.S. defense contractors.

After the Cold War, several European nations cut back on their military capabilities due to the belief that economic interdependence would make war meaningless. Germanys Wandel durch Handel doctrine proposed that commercial ties with Russia will keep Kremlins expansionism under check.

Germany slashed its armed forces from around 500,000 in 1989 to just 180,000 at present. The number of main battle tanks declined from 5,000 to 300 during this time.

However, Russias invasion of Ukraine has forced Scholz to declare a historic shift in the countrys defense policy.

In his policy statement, Scholz accused Putin of wanting to build a Russian empire and redefine the status quo in Europe in line with his own vision by using military force if required. As such, Germany intends to invest much more in security to protect our freedom and our democracy, the Chancellor added.
A combine harvester loads a truck with wheat in a field near the village of Hrebeni in Kyiv region, Ukraine July 17, 2020. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

Global Fertilizer Supply Is At Risk Due To Dependence on Russia, Says Norwegian Fertilizer Producer

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is beginning to threaten the global food supply, said Norwegian fertilizer producer, Yara International in a March 1 press statement.

The Norwegian company recommended that the international community needs to reduce its dependence on Russian raw materials for agriculture fertilizer.

Fertilizer prices were already rising sharply at the end of 2021, following natural gas costs.

Russia produces 25 percent of the European supply of nitrogen, potash, and phosphate which are key ingredients for producing nitrogen-based fertilizers; along with over 40 percent of its natural gas.

Yara, which is one of the worlds biggest fertilizer manufacturers, is a supplier to the Ukrainian agricultural sector and a major buyer of materials used for fertilizer, such as phosphate and potash, from Russia.

Russia also provides the natural gas used for nitrogen required to make fertilizer.

Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of basic foodstuffs, accounting for about 29 percent of global wheat exports, 19 percent of world corn supplies, and 80 percent of world sunflower oil exports.

Russia is also one of the biggest suppliers of strategic metals, such as titanium, gold, cobalt, iron, and platinum. It supplied 6 percent of the worlds aluminum, 40 percent of palladium, and 30 percent of global diamond production in 2021.

With the geopolitical conditions out of balance, the biggest sources of raw material to Europes food production are being subject to limitations, and there are no short-term alternatives, said Yara.

Higher food prices could lead to famine for the most vulnerable, Yara warned.

One potential consequence is that only the most privileged part of the world population gets access to enough food, said Yara, adding that while high prices may have a short-term positive impact on profit, they would mean an unsustainable food system, leading to starvation and conflict in the long term.

It is therefore crucial that the international community come together and work to secure world food production and reduce dependency on Russia, even though the number of alternatives today is limited, Yara said.

Exports have been halted in Ukraine, due to restrictions on commercial ships in the Sea of Azov, which has disrupted food shipments.

Wheat futures have soared since last week due to concerns that Russias invasion of Ukraine will continue to disrupt grain shipments from the Black Sea region.

Further restrictions in wheat supply could increase prices in several parts of the world, including Australia, Argentina, and the American Midwest.

Ukraine is among the worlds biggest grain exporters, with China and the European Union as its biggest consumers.

If Ukrainian farmers are not able to tend to their crops during harvest season in four months, due to military operations, or if ports and infrastructure are heavily damaged, the situation could be critical, say experts.

Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley, said on Twitter, Just when you thought it could not get any worse . Now, food, fuel & transport costs will skyrocket. An absolute catastrophe, as the war could have a dramatic impact on the organizations ability to reach the 120 million people dependent on its food aid.

As of the morning of March 1, benchmark soft red winter wheat futures in Chicago were up to $9.84 a bushel, the highest since 2008 and 27 percent higher from the start of the year.

Hard red wheat breached the $10 per bushel mark and milling wheat in Paris is near an all-time high.

Corn futures also rallied at a staggering pace, up almost 22 percent this year at its highest level since May 2021.

Reuters contributed to this report.
The YouTube app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken on July 13, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

Googles YouTube Blocks Channels Linked to Russian State-Backed Media RT and Sputnik Across Europe

Googles YouTube on Tuesday joined a string of big tech giants blocking content from Russian state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik across Europe.

The company said in a statement that it is blocking YouTube channels connected to the two media outlets in the EU, effective immediately, due to the ongoing situation in Ukraine.

Itll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action, a YouTube spokesperson said on Twitter.

Previously, Google barred the likes of RT and Sputnik and several other Russian channels from earning money for ads on their websites, apps, and YouTube videos, in line with recent EU sanctions.

The announcement comes after Facebook parent company Meta Platforms on Monday said it will restrict access to Kremlin-backed news outlets RT, formerly known as Russia Today, and Sputnik on its platforms across the European Union.

The decision came at the request of the Ukrainian government.

We have received requests from a number of governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state-controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time, Metas vice president for global affairs, Nick Clegg, said.

We will continue to work closely with Governments on this issue, he added.

Elsewhere, Twitter said on Monday that it is adding labels and reducing the visibility for tweets containing content from websites like RT and Sputnik.

The label will be applied automatically to any tweets that include a URL from a designated state-affiliated media website, Reuters reported. Twitter is also making it less likely that people will see such tweets by not recommending them to users and taking them out of the Top Search function.

The company is also temporarily pausing advertisements in Ukraine and Russia to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads dont detract from it.

Microsoft also said it would remove RT apps from its app store, no longer display any state-sponsored RT and Sputnik content, and de-rank search results from Bing in an effort to exposure of Russian state propaganda, as well to ensure our own platforms do not inadvertently fund these operations.

The Atlanta-based company also said it is banning all advertisements from RT and Sputnik across its advertising network.

A spokesperson for the video social networking service TikTok also told NPR on Monday that it has blocked both of the accounts of RT and Sputnik in the EU, meaning that people using the app in Europe will no longer be able to view pages or content posted by either of the outlets.

The Epoch Times has contacted a TikTok spokesperson for comment.

The move by a string of big tech companies come after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday said the EU would ban RT and Sputnik, which she referred to as the Kremlins media machine.

The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putins war, von der Leyen said. We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe.

Just days before her announcement, the EU sanctioned RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan.

The steps from multiple social media companies come as Western leaders are increasingly putting pressure on tech firms to limit how the Kremlin can spread pro-Russian propaganda, with state-backed outlets typically serving as a mouthpiece for Putins government.
Health Agencys Use of Cellphone Data Lacked Transparency, Committee Hears

The governments program using cellphone mobility data from Canadians to inform public health policies was under review again on Feb. 28 by the House ethics committee, with witnesses arguing that while privacy might have been respected, transparency was lacking and the countrys privacy laws are outdated.

Michael Geist, a law professor at the University of Ottawa who specializes in the internet, said it appears the government acted properly since the data used had been aggregated and de-identified, and its use during a pandemic may well be beneficial.

Yet, despite all of these factors, something doesnt sit right with many Canadians, said Geist.

For him, the foundational problem lies with the fact that Canadian laws are no longer fit for purpose and in dire need of reform.

We need laws that provide greater assurances that our information is protected and will not be misused, that policies are transparent, and that consent is informed.

It was revealed last December that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has been using cellphone data to track the anonymized movements of Canadians since the onset of the pandemic in order to measure the effectiveness of lockdowns and inform other public health policies.

PHAC obtained its data from wireless carrier Telus, from crowdsourcing company Tutela (by way of the Communications Research Centre), which collects mobility data by embedding its software in over 3,000 cellphone applications, as well from the health analysis company BlueDot.

Telus collected data, and was requested to do so by the Public Health Agency. But it did so without the awareness of millions of Canadians, said witness Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, former Quebec parliamentarian and professional speaker on ethics.

Charbonneau decried the lack of transparency and said the government has been trivializing the issue.

When we dont use the mechanisms in the legislation to protect people and their personal information, well then we lose peoples trust. We lose their trust in their elected officials and in their society.

Geist agreed there could have been more transparency, saying theres been limited disclosure and the Privacy Commissioner hasnt been actively engaged. Its quite clear this could have been done far better.

Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien told that same committee on Feb. 7 that his offer to review the collection of data had been rejected by the government, which consulted its own privacy advisers instead.

PHAC was seeking to extend and broaden its program and published a Request for Proposal (RFP) in December to enlist the services of a contractor who could provide it with data coming off cellphone towers for the next five years, with an intent to also use the data for other issues than the pandemic.

Since PHACs program had not been broadly advertised, opposition MPs have been pressing on the issue to find out if privacy rights were violated and why the government has not been more forthright about it.

On Feb. 8, a motion was adopted in the House of Commons to request that PHAC suspend its data program until it is further examined, with the Conservatives, the Bloc, and the NDP defeating the Liberals in the vote. However, the motion is non-binding and the government can choose to ignore it.

The government has said the privacy of Canadians has not and will not be violated because data was de-identified and aggregated, and that the information about PHACs program could be pieced together through various sources such as government press releases and statements.
Patients in hospital beds wait at temporary holding area outside Caritas Medical Center in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo)

Hong Kong Considers Lockdown as Daily Infections Top 34,000

HONG KONGHong Kong reported a record 34,466 new coronavirus infections Monday as deaths continued to climb, as authorities assess the possibilities of locking down the city.

Hong Kong is grappling with a coronavirus surge driven primarily by the Omicron variant. Daily cases have more than quadrupled from a week ago, when the city reported over 7,500 infections.

Once every three days the case number will double, said Albert Au, principal medical and health officer of the citys Centre for Health Protection during a daily virus briefing. We think that the number will continue to climb.

The city also reported 87 deaths Monday.

Health authorities said the government could implement measures that may involve asking people to stay at home, and that it remains to be seen whether it would be done via legislation or other means.

Hong Kong health minister Sophia Chan said during a radio program Monday that the government is still discussing the matter of a lockdown to reduce the flow of people and maximize the effectiveness of mass testing.

Hong Kong officials last week announced citywide universal testing slated for March, with more than 7 million of the citys residents required to undergo testing three times.

Some supermarkets had their shelves wiped bare as residents stockpiled daily necessities after rumors circulated on social media that there was a vote in the legislature to lock down the city for a week.

People queue up to pay as residents worry about a shortage of fresh food at a market in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo)

A man looks for food next to the empty shelves of fruit as residents fear a fresh food shortage at a market in Hong Kong, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo)

The legislature denied that such a matter was being discussed.

The Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat is aware of various recorded voice and text messages being widely spread in the society, claiming that LegCo is undergoing legislative work and counting votes for imposing lockdown which prohibits members of the public from leaving home for seven days, it said in a statement Monday.

The Secretariat clarified today (Feb. 28) that LegCo and its committees have not conducted any discussion on the matter, and reiterated that all meetings of LegCo are open, transparent, and broadcast live.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said to reporters that the government was still assessing whether a lockdown will be implemented to prevent residents from leaving their homes during the upcoming mass-testing exercise.

She also said that residents need not panic and urged them not to be misled by rumors. Lam also said that food supplies to Hong Kong were normal.

Lam had previously said a citywide lockdown was unrealistic as certain groups still needed to go out and work during the epidemic.

Authorities have extended social distancing measures, such as a ban on restaurant dining after 6 p.m., to April and brought forward summer holidays for students to March so that schools can be turned into testing centers, isolation facilities, and vaccination premises. Students who have their holidays moved forward are likely to attend school through the summer, though international schools in the city are not affected.

Since the beginning of the current COVID-19 wave at the end of 2021, the city has reported 193,149 infections.

Hong Kong is still aligning itself with mainland Chinas zero COVID policy to totally stamp out outbreaks, even as most of the world has opted to live with the virus.

Authorities have taken drastic measures over the last two months, including locking down residential estates where clusters of infections have been detected and quarantining and mass-testing close contacts of infected patients.

Hong Kong has reported 205,780 infections so far, with 744 deaths. Nearly 94 percent of the citys total case count has come from its current wave.
President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress as Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) look on, in Washington on April 28, 2021. (Jim Watson/Pool/Getty Images)

House Mask Mandate to Be Lifted Ahead of State of the Union Address

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosis (D-Calif.) controversial House mask mandate has been lifted ahead of President Joe Bidens March 1 State of the Union address.

Capitol Physician Brian Monahan announced the changes to the law in a Sunday notice obtained by The Epoch Times, in which he said that CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus infection rates at the U.S. Capitol are down to just 2.7 percent, lower than the 4.7 percent infection rates in the larger Washington metro area.

Individuals may choose to mask at any time, Monahan said, but it is no longer a requirement.

KN95 or N95 mask wear [sic] is no longer required, Monahan emphasized later. Mask wear is now an individual choice option.

The announcement seems to be in contravention to an earlier statement that suggested that Biden would put strict rules in place for his visit to Capitol Hill.

For the 2022 State of the Union, coronavirus safety measures emphasize a negative PCR test one day before the event, the wearing of a high-quality, properly fitted, medical-grade filtration mask (KN95 or N95) at all times, an attestation of a negative health screening inventory and social distancing separation of seating, read the rules, shared by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Twitter.

In a dear colleague letter, House Sergeant at Arms William Walker shed light on the reason for the decision, and admitted that the vaccinated comprise most cases of the CCP virus in the Capitol.

Eighty-nine percent of coronavirus infections at the Capitol occur in vaccinated individuals, Walker said.

The move comes after the CDC made sweeping changes to its mask suggestions on Feb. 25.

Nearly three-quarters of Americans dont need to wear masks because they live in areas with low or medium community risk of hospitalization from COVID, the CDC said.

Across the nation, several states with Democrat governors have lifted their mask mandates citing similar decreases in cases.

In addition, the Omicron variant of the CCP virus, which has become the most common across the United States, has been extremely mild in comparison to other variants of the disease.

Pelosis House mask mandate has long been controversial with GOP lawmakers, and some have flouted the rule in protest of the mandate.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has racked up over $70,000 in fines for her refusal to wear a mask, has been one of the most outspoken critics of the policy.

In a statement to the Epoch Times, Greene blasted not only House mask mandates but also mask mandates across the country.

Over the past year and a half, communist Democrats have ruled our country as tyrannical dictators with mandates and lockdowns, Greene said. Now, the American people have had enough and are standing up against these outrageous and unconstitutional policies.

Other Republicans have argued that the mandates imposition of fines violates the U.S. Constitution.

Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), after being fined $500, argued in his appeal that the fines violate the 27th Amendment (pdf).

The 27th Amendment, the most recent change to the Founders original framework, is a simple one, meant to guarantee that members of Congress cannot immediately change their own pay; Under the rules laid out in the amendment, any change in compensation must not occur until the next Congress is seated.

Good argued that by garnishing the wages of House lawmakers, the fine changed members salary in the same Congress, violating the 27th Amendments prohibition against such changes. Other GOP lawmakers have agreed with the criticism.

However, the Supreme Court has refused to hear any cases contesting the rule, saying that the House has the ability to set its own rules and that these rules lay outside the jurisdiction of the federal court system.

Pelosi has often contended that she defers to the Capitol physician in deciding whether and when to lift the mandate, though the rule was originally put in place by Pelosi and her caucus.

The mask mandate was introduced in early 2021 and passed through the House by a 222204 vote with no Republican support.

The measure directed the House Sergeant-at-Arms to impose a $500 fine for a first offense and a $2,500 fine for any subsequent offense against a Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner for failure to wear a mask in contravention of the Speakers announced policies of January 4, 2021.

Pelosi had earlier put the mandate in place for all members, but the party-line resolution cemented the speakers diktat as a finable offense; fines are withdrawn from members paychecks.

The mandate was temporarily lifted during the summer of 2021 before being re-imposed in July. Pelosi cited the growth of the Delta variant of the CCP virus as her reason for reinstating the mandate.

After the new mandate was announced in July, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in a tweet condemned the decision to reimpose mask mandates.

Make no mistakeThe threat of bringing masks back is not a decision based on science, but a decision conjured up by liberal government officials who want to continue to live in a perpetual pandemic state, McCarthy wrote.

Other controversial measures purportedly designed to respond to the CCP virus remain in place.

One such measure is the proxy voting procedure, which allows lawmakers to stay home and have other members who are present vote for them in their absence.

Democrats dominated the controversial practice in 2021 according to a study released by the Republican-leaning Ripon Society, which found that Democrats cast 72.5 percent of all proxy votes.

This measure, like the mask mandate, has faced sharp criticism from House Republicans.

In a Jan. 12 speech on the House floor, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) criticized the practice, which she called asinine.

Have House Democrats become so averse to work that they now believe voting from their couches is a viable option? Foxx asked. It is time to end proxy voting once and for all. It is one of the many blemishes that have been put on this great body under one-party rule.

Foxx has said that if Republicans take the majority in Novemberas they are widely expected by observers to dothey will undo this measure if it remains in place.

Zachary Steiber and Nick Ciolino contributed to this report.
A view of the car which was destroyed by recent shelling in Kyiv outskirts on Feb. 28, 2022. (Genya Savilov//AFP via Getty Images)

International Criminal Court to Investigate Alleged War Crimes in Ukraine Amid Russia Invasion

Update: An investigation has been launched into alleged war crimes in Ukraine as of March 2, 2022. Original story below.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Monday that his office will seek court approval to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

Karim A. A. Khan wrote in a statement that there is a reasonable basis to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine, including since Russia launched a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.

The ICC will open a formal investigation as rapidly as possible, he wrote.

Given the expansion of the conflict in recent days, it is my intention that this investigation will also encompass any new alleged crimes falling within the jurisdiction of my Office that are committed by any party to the conflict on any part of the territory of Ukraine, wrote Khan.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine last week, rights groups have alleged violations of international war crimes law, including the targeting of civilians, as well as indiscriminate attacks on schools and hospitals.

Ukraine and its allies on Monday called for a United Nations inquiry into possible war crimes committed by Russia during its military actions in Ukraine.

Ukraines Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba on Feb. 25 called for an investigation following reports that Russian forces shelled a kindergarten and an orphanage the Ukrainian city of Okhtyrka, in Sumy region.

Todays Russian attacks on a kindergarten and an orphanage are war crimes and violations of the Rome Statute, he wrote on Twitter. Together with the General Prosecutors Office we are collecting this and other facts, which we will immediately send to the Hague.

Responsibility is inevitable, Kuleba added.

The United Nations Human Rights Council voted on Monday to accept Ukraines request to hold an urgent debate on Thursday on Russias invasion. A Ukrainian draft resolution denouncing the invasion will be considered at the urgent debate.

Prosecutor Khan said his office would seek support and funding from the ICCs 123 member states for investigations. The importance and urgency of our mission is too serious to be held hostage to lack of means, he said.

Alleged violations dating back to 2014 will be probed, Khan said. The year is when Ukraine recognized the courts jurisdiction following Russias annexation of Crimea.

Although neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the court in The Hague, Ukraine gave it authorization over war crimes and crimes against humanity.

There is a reasonable basis to proceed with opening an investigation, Khans statement said. In particular, I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine.

Since Putin authorized a special military operation against Ukraine, the United Nations said civilian deaths have surpassed 100, and the death toll is likely to be considerably higher as many reported casualties have yet to be confirmed.

The picture is grimand could get worse still. Aerial attacks and fighting in urban areas are damaging critical civilian facilities and disrupting essential services such as health, electricity, water and sanitation, which effectively leaves civilians without the basics for day-to-day life, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said.

Khan will have to first obtain authorization from a pre-trial chamber of the court before launching an investigation.

An estimated 13,000 people have died in Eastern Ukraine since conflict broke out in 2014.

The Kremlin on Tuesday responded to the accusations of war crimes saying that it categorically denies the claims.

Meanwhile, Putin claims that Ukraines current pro-EU government in Kyiv has committed genocide in the Donbass by trying to exterminate Russian speakers in the region of Eastern Ukraine that borders Russia. Western leaders and media have called the claims baseless, while the U.S. State Department in January said the claims were Russian disinformation.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Pro-democracy activist Benny Tai, among the 47 arrested, arrives to report to the police station over the national security law charges in Hong Kong on Feb. 28, 2021. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

International Lawmakers Call for the Release of 47 Hong Kong Activists After 1 Year of Detention

A coalition of international lawmakers is calling for the immediate release of 47 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists arrested by the citys national security police a year ago.

The arrests demonstrated beyond any doubt the Chinese governments intent to use the National Security Law to wipe out all forms of political opposition in Hong Kong, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China said in a Feb. 28 statement.

While the worlds eyes are rightly turned to Ukraine, we will not forget the #HK47. On the one year anniversary of their detention, their plights shows how far the Chinese government has reneged on its promises to Hong Kong made under international law. Statement  pic.twitter.com/gtvgY6FzO7  Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (@ipacglobal) February 28, 2022

The group was among the 53 pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers, and politicians whose arrests on Jan. 6, 2021, drew international condemnations.

The mass arrests followed their participation in unofficial primary polls in June 2020, aimed at selecting legislature candidates for a since-postponed city election. The informal poll that drew more than 600,000 votes was later declared illegal by the communist regime in Beijing.

Hong Kong police charged the 47 with conspiracy to commit subversion under the citys national security law last February.

The national security law, imposed by Beijing, criminalizes four broadly defined categories of offenses, including secession, subversion, and collusion with a foreign country. Persons found guilty can face up to life in prison.

Critics say the legislation has been used as a tool to further crush dissent in the city. Most of the citys once-lively pro-democracy camp have been charged or convicted under the national security law or similar offenses, with others in exile overseas.

So far, only 14 have been released on bail, 33 remain in jail pending trial.

A supporter holds a poster showing some of the 47 pro-democracy activists on trial on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law for taking part in unauthorized pro-democracy primaries in July 2020 at the West Kowloon Court in Hong Kong on July 8, 2021. (Anthony Kwan/AFP via Getty Images)

On the one-year anniversary of their detention, 60 lawmakers urged Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to end the arbitrary detention of the 47 and drop politically motivated charges against them.

Politicians from the United States, Europe, Australia, and other countries call on their government to impose sanctions on Beijing and Hong Kong officials responsible for the abuse of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.

Some Hong Kong prominent activists in exile also issued a statement calling for the activists release.

Many of these brave activists have been languishing in prison for nearly two years without bail while they await trial, they said in a Feb. 28 statement. We believe these blanket denials of bail are compromising Hong Kongs common law legal system which relies on the presumption of innocence, and is creating a system of widespread arbitrary detention.

Good conscience, shared values, and even self-interest, dictates that [the] democratic world should not abandon or forget these brave activists on the anniversary of their arrest.
Ukrainian servicemen walk by a damaged vehicle, at the site of fighting with Russian troops, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 26, 2022. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

Internet in Ukraine Disrupted as Russian Troops Advance

LONDONInternet connectivity in Ukraine has been affected by the Russian invasion, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest, internet monitors said on Saturday.

Russian forces captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday, Russias Interfax news agency reported, as Moscow launched coordinated cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities, including the capital Kyiv.

Connectivity to GigaTrans, Ukraines main internet provider, dropped to below 20 percent of normal levels before returning to higher levels in the early hours of Friday morning, according to internet monitoring organization NetBlocks.

We currently observe national connectivity at 87 percent of ordinary levels, a figure that reflects service disruptions as well as population flight and the shuttering of homes and businesses since the morning of the 24th, Alp Toker, director of NetBlocks, told Reuters.

While there is no nation-scale blackout, little is being heard from the worst affected regions, and for others theres an ever-present fear that connectivity could worsen at any moment, cutting off friends and family, Toker said.

The Monash IP Observatory in Australia said that so far only the Obolonskyi district of Kyiv and central parts of Kharkiv, in Ukraines east, showed clear signs of internet failure.

Other anomalies might simply be due to some people moving away from their computers, for example by leaving cities, said Simon Angus, an associate professor of economics who serves as the observatorys director.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials released more information about an alleged Belarusian cyberespionage operation they said was targeting personal email accounts belonging to Kyivs forces.

In a Facebook post, Ukraines Computer Emergency Response Team said the hackers were targeting not just Ukrainians but also Poles, Russians, and Belarusians as wellincluding several Belarusian media organizations.

Emails sent to the Belarusian embassy in London were not returned.

By James Pearson and Raphael Satter
Some of the greatest minds in American history are connected with the Supreme Court. But looking at the current Supreme Court, are these great minds too enlightened or too cloistered to properly serve the American people? Benjamin H. Barton, author of the new work Credentialed Court: Inside the Cloistered, Elite World of American Justice, discusses the history of the Supreme Court and in particular those who presently preside.

Benjamin H. Barton is a professor of law at the University of Tennessee and has written four other books on the subject of law and justice, including Fixing Law Schools, Rebooting Justice, Glass Half Full: The Decline and Rebirth of the Legal Profession, and The Lawyer-Judge Bias in the American Legal System. He is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, ABA Journal, and TIME magazine. He also spent a year as a Fullbright Scholar teaching comparative law at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia.

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks before the media at his official residence as an extraordinary Diet session was closed, in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 21, 2021. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/Pool via Reuters)

Japan Imposes Sanctions on Russian, Belarus Leaders Over Ukraine Crisis

Japans government has imposed sanctions on members of the Russian leadership and some financial institutions, as well as leaders of Belarus in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

The sanctions come after Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that Japan will further strengthen its sanctions if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates. This round of sanctions includes the freezing assets of six Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Security Councils deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev, and the councils secretary Nikolay Patrushev.

The asset freeze will also target three Russian financial institutions, namely Russian state development corporation VEB, Promsvyazbank, and Bank Rossiya. Japan will prohibit exports to 49 Russian entities as part of the sanctions, the ministry said.

Kishida said that Belarus, an ally of Russia, will also be subject to new sanctions. The country has been criticized for allowing Russian troops to use its territory to launch its invasion of Ukraine.

Kishida on Monday imposed sanctions on the Central Bank of Russia and extend $100 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

To more solidly demonstrate our wish for solidarity with the people of Ukraine, Japan will take the measure of allowing visa extensions to any Ukrainians in Japan who wish to do so,Kishida said on Twitter after holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.

The prime minister had strongly condemned Russias attack on Ukraine and urged Moscow to engage in diplomatic talks.

Read More Australia, Japan Announce Sanctions on Russia Over Actions in Ukraine

Japan relies on Russia for some of its energy needs, with Russia providing more than 12 percent of Japans thermal coal in 2021 and almost a tenth of its liquefied natural gas. Kishida said he did not foresee any significant impact on energy supplies in the short term and would take all measures into account to limit such impacts on households and companies should oil prices continue to rise.

Meanwhile, the United States also sanctioned Russias Central Bank and other sources of wealth, except energy sanctions, on Monday, after imposing sanctions against Russian leaders last week.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the United States seeks to ensure Russia pays a severe economic and diplomatic price for its further invasion of Ukraine and is prepared to impose further costs on Russia if necessary.

The Australian government said it will expand the sanctions it already had in place for past Russian aggressions, which will also target Russian banks. The European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada have also announced sanctions on Putin and Lavrov.

Mimi Nguyen Ly and Reuters contributed to this report.
Ukraines president is urging the European Union to prove that its with Ukraine, as a large Russian military convoy descends on the capital city.

Ukraines ambassador pleads for more weapons as her country continues to fight against Russia. Congress is now preparing additional funds to help Ukraine.

Experts predict more sanctions are on the horizon for Russia. And others say the world didnt expect the west to respond with so many sanctions. All this while Frances finance minister predicts the collapse of the Russian economy.
A worshipper (L) wears a face mask to protect against the coronavirus while sitting in a pew at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Ash Wednesday on Feb. 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

LA County Indoor Mask Mandate Could Be Lifted Friday: Health Director

LOS ANGELESLos Angeles Countys much-debated COVID-19 indoor mask-wearing mandate could be lifted by Friday, according to the public health director, aligning the county with the states action that took effect Tuesday.

The move would mean Los Angeles County will no longer require people to wear masks at indoor businesses. The county is one of the final holdouts in California not to align with the state on the masking rules.

The state last month dropped its indoor mask-wearing mandate for vaccinated people. On Tuesday, it also dropped the mandate for unvaccinated people.

Los Angeles County, however, resisted dropping the indoor masking requirement. Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said the county wanted to wait until the local virus-transmission rate fell out of the high category as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and maintained the lower level for at least two weeks. Under the current rate of decline, Ferrer previously said that would mean the mask mandate would be in place until the end of March.

But on Feb. 25, the CDC announced new standards that rely largely on COVID hospital numbers to govern whether masks should be worn. Those new standardswhile resulting in mask recommendations being lifted for much of the countrystill classified Los Angeles as having high virus activity and urged that people continue to wear masks.

Ferrer told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the CDC updates its data every Thursday. And when this weeks update is released, Los Angeles County will likely fall from the high virus activity category to the low category, she said.

Given that drop, Ferrer said the county is prepared to issue a new Health Officer Order on Thursday, taking effect Friday, that will eliminate the indoor mask-wearing requirement.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer speaks as Mayor Eric Garcetti (R) looks on at a press conference in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 4, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Masks, however, will continue to be required in locations where they are mandated by federal and state orders, including health care facilities, transit centers, airports, aboard public transit, in correctional facilities, and at homeless shelters and long-term care facilities.

Masks are also still required indoors at K-12 schools, however, the state announced Monday that it will lift that requirement as of March 12. Los Angeles County will also lift the school-masking requirement in alignment with the state, but individual school districts have the option of maintaining the mandate.

That means the rule could potentially remain in effect at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). In a statement Monday, the district would not commit to dropping the mask requirement.

We are encouraged by recent improvements to local health conditions, which underscore the effectiveness of the districts robust vaccination and testing programs, according to the district. We are committed to upholding our science-driven approach to COVID-19 protocols and will continue to consult with our medical director and health partners as we work to establish an updated mask policy.

We respect the voices of all stakeholders, and as such, we will remain engaged with our labor partners, employees and families as we maintain and seek practices that are protective, responsive and in the best interest of our school communities.

Meanwhile, the president of the districts powerful teachers union indicated that it will oppose any effort to lift the indoor mask mandate.

LAUSD schools have been the safest and most well-equipped in the country because educators and families united to demand critical health and safety protocols, UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a statement. These protocols, like indoor masking, have protected tens of thousands of educators and more than half a million students, along with their families. It is premature to discuss removing these health and safety measures while there are still many unvaccinated youth in our early education programs and schools.
LAPD Officers Now Required to Explain Pretextual Stops

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles Police Commission updated its policy on so-called pretextual stops on March 1 to discipline officersbeginning with additional trainingif they dont articulate at the moment why a traffic or other minor violation escalates into a criminal investigation.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) defines a pretextual stop as one in which officers escalate a minor traffic or code violation into an investigation of a more serious crime unrelated to the initial violation.

According to the Office of the Inspector General, there were pretty substantial racial disparities in stops, many of which were pretextual stops, conducted by the department in 2019, and a fairly small number of them yielded evidence of serious crimes or ended up resulting in any kind of arrests.

Those findings led the commission to request that the department update its policy, according to Commission President William Briggs.

Those pretextual stops do not result in guns being taken off the streets, those pretextual stops do not result in curtailing murders and curtailing shootings  there is no data that anyone can point to that establishes that pretextual stops curtail violent crime in our city, said Briggs, adding that data collected for the Racial and Identity Profiling Act shows just the opposite.

Under the updated policy, officers making a pretextual stop will have to articulate on their body-worn video cameras the reason for the change.

An officers training, experience and expertise may be used in articulating the additional information the officers used to initiate the stop, the policy update states.

The policy also states that pretextual stops can only happen if officers are acting upon articulable information and not a mere hunch or on generalized characteristics, including race.

Failure to articulate the information that prompted the officer to make a pretextual stop will result in progressive discipline beginning with counseling and retraining. The policy adds that discipline will escalate as more violations of the policy are made.

City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson joined the police commission meeting and called the policy update a huge step in the right direction. He noted that public trust in the police is so easily degraded when a person is stopped and they cant figure out why they were stopped or that the reason they were given just doesnt add up for them.

He added, I dont know of an African American male driver, [and] I know very few Latino male drivers, who dont have half-a-dozen stories about being stopped by police for reasons that didnt make sense.

Its clear to them, or at least leaves the impression, that: I am a person, Im an individual in this space and for some reason, this officer has decided that Im suspicious,' Harris-Dawson said.

Several people called in to Tuesdays meeting to oppose the motion for allowing pretextual stops to continue at all. Hamid Khan of the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition called the policy update a facade of reform.

They still want to maintain their capacity to stop people because if this was truly, they wanted to change this, they would completely ban the pretextual stop, Khan told City News Service on Tuesday. That pretext is about racial profiling, this is about targeting particular communities and this is about constant harassment and intimidation.

Mona Sutton, who identified herself as the representative for the Community Police Advisory Board for the South Bureau and Harbor Area, said she opposed the policy update for limiting officers ability to make pretextual stops, arguing against others beliefs that it undermines public trust in the police.

Another caller also opposed changes to the policy, saying pretextual stops lead to officers finding firearms and drugs.

Police Chief Michel Moore responded to those concerns on Tuesday.

Ive heard thoroughly members of this organization who believe that this policy will stop us from identifying those responsible for violent crime, stop us from identifying those that are carrying weapons, firearms, engaged in street violence. I firmly believe that that is not the case, Moore said.

In a preamble to the policy that will be added to the departments manual, the LAPD notes:

While the exercise of an officers discretion in initiating a stop or conducting a detention is authored under the law, it should reflect the necessary balance of the role of law enforcement in the prevention of crime and receiving and thereafter maintaining the communitys trust that the officers actions are fair and without bias.

The statement adds that stops can promote public safety and protect the public, but can subject motorists and pedestrians to inconvenience, confusion and anxiety, as well as harm the relationship between police and the community, with many considering such stops racially biased or unfair.

To maintain public trust, the Departments use of pretext stops as a crime reduction strategy must be measured in furtherance of achieving the necessary balance between the perception of fairness and identifying those engaged in serious criminal conduct, the preamble adds.
In this file photo, police recruits attend their graduation ceremony at LAPD Headquarters in Los Angeles on July 8, 2016. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

LAPD Sees Sharp Decline in COVID Cases

LOS ANGELES (CNS)  Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore Tuesday reported a sharp and dramatic drop in new COVID-19 cases within the department, with only seven department personnel testing positive for the virus in the last week.

As a reminder, just some four weeks ago, those numbers were in the five-and-six-hundred range of new COVID cases, Moore told the Los Angeles Police Commission.

He added that 68 Los Angeles Police Department employees are at home recovering from the virus and the average recovery time is about 10 days.

Moore told the commission on Jan. 11 that the department was experiencing significant impacts from the virus but there were contingency plans to ensure that essential patrol, investigations and 911 services continued. Around that time, more than 1,000 personnel were off-duty due to the virus.

On Jan. 6, Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke alongside the chiefs from the fire and police department to assure the public that the departments still had adequate staffing levels to keep Angelenos safe.

The drop in COVID-19 cases is consistent with that of the county, Moore noted Tuesday. The number of COVID-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals has also been coming down, reducing the virus impact on the local health care system.

The countys number of hospitalized COVID patients has been as high as 8,098 and as low as 213 during the two-year pandemic. It quickly shot up to over 4,800 in mid-January amid a winter surge in cases fueled by the Omicron variant, and has been steadily declining since then. The number fell below 1,000 on Sunday for the first time since December, and stood at 927 as of Tuesday.
A child wears a face mask as they attend an online class at a learning hub inside the Crenshaw Family YMCA during the Covid-19 pandemic in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 17, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

LAUSD to Create New Online Schools Before Vaccine Mandate Takes Effect Fall 2022

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles Unified School Districts Superintendent Alberto Carvalho confirmed on Feb. 28 the district will create several new online schools in anticipation of an influx of online program enrollment when the districts COVID-19 vaccine mandate takes effect in the fall.

The six new independent online learning programs have been planned to accommodate students who are unable to attend classes in person or prefer remote learning, as well as unvaccinated students, who will no longer be allowed on campus after the start of the next school year.

About 87 percent of LAUSD students over the age of 12 were vaccinated as of Dec. 2021, meaning potentially more than 34,000 students remain unvaccinated.

The districts City of Angels online learning programthe districts only long-term independent study program this yearsaw enrollment increase more than 10 times, from almost 1,500 students last school year to more than 17,000 students this school year, according to the districts Chief of Schools David Baca in a board meeting in early February.

We anticipate enrollment increasing, not decreasing, so it does cause us to think about planning in a different waybuilding a leadership structure to support this, even with the students we have right now, 17,900, Baca said during the meeting. [These are] sizable needs. Thats all different learning profilesEnglish learners, students with disabilities, you name it.

Carvalho said On Feb. 28 he planned to put the COVID-19 relief funds for staff and resources into the new online schools for the first two years, up to $16.2 million per year. After that, the schools will rely on state funding.

The new online schools curriculum and programs are still in development but are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, according to EdSource. Enrollment will begin in March, Carvalho said, and each new school will enroll about 2,500 students.

The LAUSD Board of Education approved on Feb. 8before Carvalho started his new position as the head of LAUSDon Feb. 14the districts application for six new online school codes to help shoulder the burden on the City of Angels program, according to a report presented at the board meeting.

For the 2022-2023 school year and beyond, Los Angeles Unified has an opportunity to pave a new path for TK-12 online learning, the report continued. By creating up to six new online schools, students whose parents choose the independent study option will have a variety of quality online school options with the opportunity to select an option that matches their interests.

A spokesperson for LAUSD did not respond to a request for comment by press deadline.
A Pobeda airlines flight to Moscow, on which Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was traveling, departs BER Berlin Brandenburg Airport in Schoenefeld, Germany on Jan. 17, 2021. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Russia-Ukraine (March 1): Russia Eyes Sanctions Workarounds in Energy, Gold, Crypto

The latest on the RussiaUkraine crisis, March 1. Click here for updates from Feb. 28.

Russia Eyes Sanctions Workarounds in Energy, Gold, Crypto

WASHINGTONThe harsh sanctions imposed on Russia and the resulting crash of the ruble have the Kremlin scrambling to keep the countrys economy running. For Vladimir Putin, that means finding workarounds to the Western economic blockade even as his forces continue to invade Ukraine.

Former Treasury Department officials and sanctions experts expect Russia to try to mitigate the impact of the financial penalties by relying on energy sales and leaning on the countrys reserves in gold and Chinese currency. Putin also is expected to move funds through smaller banks and accounts of elite families not covered by the sanctions, deal in cryptocurrency, and rely on Russias relationship with China.

Right now, the biggest two avenues that Russia has are China and energy, said John Smith, former director of Treasurys financial intelligence and enforcement arm.

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Apple Stops Product Sales in Russia

American big brands including Apple, Google, and Harley-Davidson on Tuesday cut sales and distanced themselves from Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, joining a growing list of companies from shippers to carmakers to energy companies shunning the country.

Apple Inc. said it had stopped sales of iPhones and other products in Russia and Harley-Davidson Inc. suspended its business and shipments of its bikes.

The worlds biggest shipping lines, MSC and Maersk, on Tuesday suspended container shipping to and from Russia, deepening the countrys isolation.

The West has imposed heavy restrictions on Russia to close off its economy from the global financial system, pushing companies to halt sales, cut ties, and dump tens of billions of dollars worth of investments.

We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence, Apple said in a statement announcing a pause in sales in Russia and other measures including limiting Apple Pay and dropping the ability to download RT News outside of Russia.

We have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens, it added.

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US and Allies Announce Release of 60 Million Barrels of Oil From Reserves

President Joe Biden on Tuesday authorized the Department of Energy (DOE) to release 30 million barrels of oil from the U.S. strategic petroleum reserves, representing half of a coordinated 60-million-barrel release from International Energy Agency (IEA) member states.

The move comes as part of an effort to stabilize oil markets amid Russias invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions against Russia. Russia provides 10 percent of the global supply of natural gas and oil and roughly 40 percent of the European Unions.

The price of crude oil has been accelerating of late and on Tuesday reached more than $104 a barrelthe highest its been since 2014.

Read the full article here

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Russian Forces Escalate Attacks on Ukraines Civilian Areas

KYIV, UkraineRussian forces escalated their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday, bombarding the central square in Ukraines second-biggest city and Kyivs main TV tower in what the countrys president called a blatant campaign of terror.

Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the square in Kharkiv.

Ukrainian authorities said five people were killed in the attack on the TV tower, which is a couple of miles from central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings. A TV control room and power substation were hit, and at least some Ukrainian channels briefly stopped broadcasting, officials said.

Zelenskyys office also reported a powerful missile attack on the site of the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial, near the tower. A spokesman for the memorial said a Jewish cemetery at the site, where Nazi occupiers killed more than 33,000 Jews over two days in 1941, was damaged, but the extent would not be clear until daylight.

At the same time, a 40-mile (64-kilometer) convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly on Kyiv, the capital city of nearly 3 million people, in what the West feared was a bid by Russian President Vladimir Putin to topple the government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime.

The invading forces also pressed their assault on other towns and cities, including the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

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Ukraine Wants Russia Kicked Off the Internet

Ukraine has effectively asked that Russia be kicked off the internet.

In a letter sent Monday to the president of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, Ukraines deputy minister for digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, cited the atrocious crimes of Russias invasion, including its alleged breach of the Geneva Conventions in attacking civilian targets.

Federov asked that ICANN revoke, permanently or temporarily, the domains .ru and .su and shut down the root servers in Moscow and St. Petersburg that match domain names and numbers.

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Russian Troop Morale Is Flagging in Some Units

A senior U.S. Department of Defense official told reporters on a call that intelligence has indications that morale is flagging in some of the Russian forces units.

We have picked up independently on our own, indications that morale is flagging in some of these units. That they again did not expect the resistance that they were going to get, and that their own morale has suffered as a result, the official told reporters Tuesday.

Not all of the Russian troops were fully trained and prepared to go into battle, the official continued to say.

Read the full article here

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Russian Radio Station Taken Off Air Over Ukraine Coverage

Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy was taken off air on Tuesday, its editor Alexei Venediktov said, in a blow to one of the few remaining liberal media that the Kremlin has tolerated until now.

The move came shortly after the prosecutor generals office demanded that access be restricted to Ekho Moskvy and the TV Rain online news channel because of their coverage of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The demand was prompted by their websites targeted and systematic posting of information calling for extremist activities, violence and deliberately false information about the actions of Russian forces as part of a special operation in Ukraine, the prosecutors office said.

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Russia Kills 5 in Attack on Kyiv TV Tower

Russian forces fired at the Kyiv TV tower and Ukraines main Holocaust memorial, among other civilian sites targeted Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraines State Service for Emergency Situations said the strikes on the TV tower killed five people and left five more wounded.

Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, posted a photo of clouds of smoke around the TV tower, which is a couple miles from central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said an electrical substation powering the tower and a control room on the tower were damaged from the hit.

The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys office, Andriy Yermak, said on Facebook that a powerful missile attack on the territory where the (Babi) Yar memorial complex is located is underway.

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Russia Warns: No US Military Bases in Ex-Soviet Countries

The United States and its European allies must not build any bases in the former Soviet Union or use those countries for military purposes, warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.

Lavrov, quoted by Russian state-run news agencies RIA and TASS, said the Kremlin found it unacceptable that some European nations are hosting U.S. nuclear weapons and again said Russia is taking measures to stop Ukraine from obtaining similar weapons. He did not provide evidence for the claim.

It is high time to bring American nuclear weapons home, and to completely eliminate the infrastructure associated with them in Europe, he said at a U.N. video conference on Tuesday.

As Lavrov started to speak, video footage showed more than 100 U.N. diplomats leaving their seats and walking out of the room.

Read the full article here

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Russia Bombards Ukraines No. 2 City

Russian forces bombarded the central square in Ukraines second-largest city and other civilian sites Tuesday.

At the same time, a 40-mile (64-kilometer) convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced on the capital, Kyiv, in what the West feared was a bid to topple Ukraines government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime. And Russian President Vladimir Putins forces pressed their attack on other towns and cities across the country, including at or near the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

In Kharkiv, Ukraines second-biggest city, with a population of about 1.5 million, at least six people were killed when the regions Soviet-era administrative building was hit. Explosions tore through residential areas, and a maternity ward was moved to an underground shelter.

Kharkivs Freedom SquareUkraines largest plaza, and the nucleus of public life for the citywas struck with what was believed to be a missile.

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Ukraine Lifts Visa Requirement for Foreign Nationals Seeking to Join Its Fight Against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has temporarily lifted a visa requirement for foreign nationals who wish to join Ukraines International Defence Legion to fight against Russia.

Zelensky signed a decree late Monday, which will take effect on Tuesday and remain in effect as long as martial law persists. Foreignerswith the exception of Russian citizenswont need a visa to enter Ukraine if they are joining the legion to fight Russian troops, according to the decree, The Kyiv Independent first reported.

On Sunday, Zelensky had issued a plea to foreigners to come fight with Ukraine, reported New Voice of Ukraine. By early Monday, Ukraines deputy defense minister claimed that the country received thousands of requests from foreigners to join the war.

Zelensky also announced Monday he will release prisoners with combat experience to defend Ukraine.

Under martial law, participants in hostilitiesUkrainians with real combat experiencewill be released from custody and will be able to compensate for their guilt in the hottest spots of war. All sanctions are lifted from some people who took part in the anti-terrorist operation. The key now is defense, he said.

Read the full article here

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Russias Lavrov Says There Is a Danger of Ukraine Acquiring Nuclear Weapons

Russias foreign minister told a Geneva disarmament meeting on Tuesday that Kyiv has been seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, calling this a real danger that it needed to prevent.

Ukraine still has Soviet technologies and the means of delivery of such weapons, Sergei Lavrov told the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament in a pre-recorded address. We cannot fail to respond to this real danger.

He delivered the speech to a thin crowd since many diplomats including France and Britain staged a walk-out to protest Russias invasion of Ukraine.

They stood in a circle outside the meeting for the duration of Lavrovs speech, holding a Ukrainian flag. Lavrov was supposed to attend the session in person but the visit was canceled, with Russia accusing unidentified EU states of blocking his flight path.

At the same meeting, Ukraines foreign minister accused Russia of war crimes through its shelling of his country and called for a special meeting to address Russian aggression and weapons of mass destruction.

Earlier in the session, the president organized a minute of silence for the victims of fighting in Ukraine.

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Russian Forces Shell Maternity Hospital Near Kyiv: Report

Russian forces on Feb. 28 shelled a private maternity hospital in Adonis, located in the village of Buzova in Kyiv province, according to the clinics CEO Vitaliy Girin.

In a statement on Facebook on Tuesday, Girin said the hospital was badly damaged in the shelling, but the building is standing.

Everyone was evacuated, he said, reassuring that everyone made it out of the building safely.

Everything is ok with me and my family! Share this, please, because there is a lot of fake information, Girin added.

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Russian Military Convoy North of Kyiv Stretches for 40 Miles: Maxar

Satellite images taken on Monday show a Russian military convoy north of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that stretches for about 40 miles (64 kilometers), substantially longer than the 17 miles (27 kilometers) reported earlier in the day, a U.S. private company said.

Maxar Technologies also said additional ground forces deployments and ground attack helicopter units were seen in southern Belarus, less than 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of the Ukraine border.

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Americans, Canadians Answer Ukraine Call for Foreign Fighters

A Texas software developer and a cook in British Columbia are among dozens of Americans and Canadians answering Ukraines call for foreign volunteers to fight Russias invasion.

With their governments refusing to send troops to Ukraine out of fear of sparking a world war, Americans and Canadians told Reuters they were inspired by Ukrainians fierce resistance. Many believe their democratic rights at home may ultimately be jeopardized if they do nothing to defend Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Sunday for the formation of an international legion. Some young volunteers traveled straight to Ukraine to enlist.

Others were applying at Ukrainian embassies and consulates before quitting jobs or dropping out of university.

The mobilization was taking place as Russian artillery bombarded Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Monday, the fifth day of conflict.

Ukraine Lifts Visa Requirement for Foreign Nationals Seeking to Join Its Fight Against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has temporarily lifted a visa requirement for foreign nationals who wish to join Ukraines International Defense Legion to fight against Russia.

Zelensky signed a decree late Monday, which will take effect on Tuesday and remain in effect as long as martial law persists. Foreignerswith the exception of Russian citizenswont need a visa to enter Ukraine if they are joining the legion to fight Russian troops, according to the decree, The Kyiv Independent first reported.

On Sunday, Zelensky had issued a plea to foreigners to come fight with Ukraine, reported New Voice of Ukraine. By early Monday, Ukraines deputy defense minister claimed that the country received thousands of requests from foreigners to join the war.

Zelensky also announced Monday he will release prisoners with combat experience to defend Ukraine.

Under martial law, participants in hostilitiesUkrainians with real combat experiencewill be released from custody and will be able to compensate for their guilt in the hottest spots of war. All sanctions are lifted from some people who took part in the anti-terrorist operation. The key now is defense, he said.

The Ukrainian government has also been providing some of its citizens with basic military training.

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Biden Admin Downplays Fears of Nuclear War With Russia

President Joe Biden on Monday said that Americans should not fear the prospect of a nuclear war with Russia as White House officials indicated that the United States hasnt changed the status of its nuclear forces.

The comments come after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sunday that he would ready his countrys strategic defense forces, which oversee some of Russias nuclear arsenal.

While attending an event Monday, Biden was asked by a reporter if Americans should be worried about nuclear war. Biden simply responded with No.

Putin, a day earlier, said the move to increase the readiness of the nuclear forces was done after the United States, the European Union, and other nations imposed punishing sanctions and other penalties against Russias leadership.

Zachary Stieber, Mimi Nguyen-Ly, Jack Phillips, Isabel van Brugen, The Associated Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Democratic candidates for Los Angeles mayor speak to citizens of San Pedro, Calif. at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Los Angeles Mayoral Candidates Discuss Housing, Port at San Pedro Debate

SAN PEDRO, Calif.A handful of the top Los Angeles mayoral candidates gathered for another round of debate and discussion on Feb. 27 at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, California.

The forum, hosted by Shannon Ross, of the San Pedro Democratic Club, began at noon and included candidates for the Los Angeles County Sheriff and the Long Beach mayoral run.

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), LA City Councilmen Joe Buscaino and Kevin de Leon, and LA City Attorney Mike Feuer were in attendance.

Los Angeles councilman Joe Buscaino speaks at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Real estate businessman Rick Caruso, who threw his hat in the race two weeks ago, did not participate in the forum. This is the second debate Caruso has not shown up to, but his campaign manager Peter Ragone told The Epoch Times in a statement he will be attending a debate scheduled for May 1 hosted by Cal State LA and sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Pat Brown Institute.

Rick looks forward to debates during the campaign, emphasizing those that will reach the most voters, Carusos campaign told The Epoch Times in an email. The Caruso campaign is also sorting through many other debate invitations it has received.

Only candidates who have raised $400,000 or more were invited to the San Pedro forum. LA mayoral candidates were asked questions from community leaders about the ports, homelessness, and affordable housing.

In San Pedro, candidates discussed how they would ensure a successful process at the ports while protecting jobs and keeping energy clean. They also sparred on issues of affordable housing in the city amid skyrocketing property costs.

Im the candidate here who has experienced grappling with these issues because our office represents the port, were here every day, attending to the issues from the supply chain issues to the operations of the court, Feuer said.

Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer speaks at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The LA port is the nations largest container port, occupying 7,500 acres of land and water plus 43 miles of waterfront and connects to the Port of Long Beach.

Buscaino said in addition to hiring qualified workers who understand the port operation but he will also hire have qualified folks who understand how to police the city, how to work on energy efficient with the DWP Commission, [and] the airport commission.

Bass said she will support expanding jobs at the port with a vision of equity in mind.

One of the things that I am excited about with the port is that the port is one of the areas where people who have been left out of our economy can participate, maybe they were formerly incarcerated, and theyre not able to find jobs elsewhere, she said.

Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

When it came to the issue of affordable housing, de Leon said he knows what housing insecurity feels like, as he was temporarily homeless in his twenties.

This is the biggest humanitarian crisis in our lifetime, de Leon said. He pointed to the citys various interim housing options, but emphasized there needs to be a long-term solution for more permanent supportive housing units.

The issue with LA is that we have an affordability crisis, he said.

Los Angeles councilman Kevin de Leon speaks at the Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Buscaino said he would create a central department for housing developments to streamline the process of building.

Bass said theres no one-size fits all for developing more housing and that there should be both a local and national state of emergency response.

We have a crisis in our city, we cant just do business as usual, she said. She also said homeless people arent homeless due to one single reason and that there should be varying responses to address the unhoused.

Unfortunately, we dismantled our mental health system in the 90s, she said. And we never addressed it.

Feuer said if he becomes mayor, officials would have to speed up the construction process on affordable housing if they want to keep their jobs.

The same group of candidates also gathered for another forum early Monday morning in Beverly Hills put on by the Los Angeles Business Council.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) speaks during hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office building in Washington on June 9, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via Reuters)

Manchin Calls On Biden to Ramp Up Domestic Production, Cut Ties With Russian Oil

The US is currently buying around 500,000 barrels of Russian oil per day.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) called on President Joe Biden to relax rules against U.S. oil production which have left the nation heavily dependent on Middle Eastern and Russian oil. Even after the invasion of Ukraine, which the president has condemned, the United States has continued to buy around 500,000 barrels of Russian oil per day.

The entire world is watching as [Russian President] Vladimir Putin uses energy as a weapon in an attempt to extort and coerce our European allies, Manchin said in a statement. While Americans decry what is happening in Ukraine, the United States continues to allow the import of more than half a million barrels per day of crude oil and other petroleum products from Russia during this time of war. This makes no sense at all and represents a clear and present danger to our nations energy security.

Manchin continued, The United States can and must ramp up domestic energy production and increase access to our abundant resources and technologies to both protect our energy independence and support our allies around the globe.

If there was ever a time to be energy independent, it is now, Manchin added, accusing Biden of being hypocritical for continuing to allow the importation of Russian oil. To continue to rely on Russian energy as they attack Ukraine is senseless.

Manchin concluded, In the coming days and weeks, the strategic value of American energy and what can be done to better position our nation on the global stage will be an ongoing topic in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Upon taking office Biden, citing the so-called climate crisis, signed a series of executive orders ending or reversing Trump-era policies.

Most prominently, Biden placed a moratorium on leasing federal lands to oil and natural gas producers. He also paused construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which has been a controversial issue since President Barack Obamas time in the Oval Office.

These policies, however, have made the United States again dependent on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russian oil. Even as the United States has roundly condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine, oil from the nation has continued to pour into the United States.

Republicans, both before and after the invasion of Ukraine, have persistently called on Biden to reverse these anti-American energy policies and to restore President Donald Trumps energy policies, which increased U.S. oil production dramatically and rendered it energy-independent for the first time in decades.

Though many Democrats have fallen into line with the White House on energy and climate policy Manchin, who has often broken with his party during the 117th Congress, has for some time expressed skepticism toward his party over the issue.

In November, Manchin called for Biden to restart construction on the Keystone XL pipeline after the White House announced that it would pull from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to taper down skyrocketing gas prices. Earlier the same month, Manchin announced his opposition to a scheme in the now-defunct Build Back Better spending package to give tax benefits to specific manufacturers of electric vehicles.

Manchin has also rejected calls from within his party to kill the coal industry, which would be disastrous for his constituents in West Virginia. In the coal-rich, cash-poor state, citizens are dependent on the industry for around 90 percent of their energy. Coal mining is also a major employer in the state, whose residents are among the poorest in the nation.

Because Biden has unilateral control over much of the United States energy policy, the White House would be able to significantly ramp up domestic oil production through a handful of executive orders.

Though the United States and its western allies have imposed tough sanctions on Russia, cutting several of its largest banks out of the SWIFT financial system, the nation remains as dependent on Russian oil as it was before the invasion of Ukraine.

If Biden heeds Manchins call to make changes to his energy policies, it is likely that the move will be praised by the GOP but will face heavy scrutiny from progressive Democrats and environmentalist groups.

In November, as gas prices were rising rapidly, Biden quietly subverted his earlier moratorium, leasing around 80 million acres of land in the Gulf of Mexico to oil producers. The move, which still left the United States almost entirely dependent on OPEC and Russia, was criticized by the environmentalist Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental alarmist groups.

President Biden cant claim to be addressing the climate emergency or caring about environmental justice if he continues to treat the Gulf of Mexico and coastal communities as sacrifice zones, said Kristen Monsell, a legal director for the group, calling for Biden to reverse the lease.

Canadawhich is the worlds fifth-largest oil producer despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus nominal opposition to fossil fuelshas already banned the importation of Russian oil.

In an interview with ABC News, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that boosting domestic oil production through ending the oil lease moratorium and restarting the Keystone pipeline is a misdiagnosis.

I would also note that, on oil leases, what this actually justifies, in President Bidens view, is the fact that we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, on oil in general, and need to look at other ways of having energy in our country and others, Psaki argued.

She said that energy sanctions against Russia remain on the table.

There has been as yet no indication that Biden will put such sanctions in place or radically change course in his attitude toward domestic energy policy, but Manchins statement indicates that there is at least some bipartisan support for the move.
Marxism Is an Intellectual Swindle, Inversion of Reality: James Lindsay

James Lindsay, founder of New Discourses and author of Race Marxism, said Marxism and its more recent offshoot, critical race theory, are fraudulent because they put theory before reality and are unscientific.

This is the intellectual swindle of all of Marxism, including critical race theory, is that the theory comes first. So everything that you see in reality has to literally be made to reflect theory.  Its not science, it puts theory first, Lindsay told the host of American Thought Leaders, Jan Jekielek, in a recent interview.

Lindsay says Marx put man in place of God.

This is the Genesis myth, this is the snake, this is the idea that you that we are the creators of reality, not that reality was created and we respond to it. That is the centering of man as that which creates everything. For Marx, thats what it was all about, [it] was how do we get rid of God, Lindsay continued.

Throughout history, when socialism and communism failed in countries like the Soviet Union, China, and Cambodia and over 100 million people died from famine or brutality, those who advocate for communism make excuses for its failure and say they just need to get closer to the theory to make it work, says Lindsay.

Chinese refugees queuing for a meal in Hong Kong during the famine caused by The Great Leap Forward in May 1962. (AFP via Getty Images)

Every time you fail and calamity results and millions of people die or whatever it happens to be, that was just: we didnt know all the contradictions that were actually involved. So, weve exposed a new contradiction thats going to require us to apply theory to it.

But in general, the explanation is there were contradictions that the theory had not yet incorporated. For example, Max Horkheimer points out in his development of the critical theory. He says  Marx thought we could live in a perfectly just society where we have perfect freedom. He didnt realize that freedom and justice were dialectical concepts, that theyre in opposition.

Lindsay says the neo-Marxist thinking that is being espoused today states there must be some higher-order synthetic third path, there must be a synthesis of freedom and justice where they actually become one concept.

So we have to have freedom-justice. So thats where they say things that sound very much like George Orwell: that we will have freedom when we have justice. Or we will have freedom when everybody follows all the rules, said Lindsay.

Lindsay gave the example of Canadas COVID-19 mandates and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau following the neo-Marxist playbook. For example, with Justin Trudeau saying  with the mandates is that we have to have the mandate so that we can have fewer restrictions  Its just absolute doublespeak.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rises during Question Period in Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

People who put idea ahead of reality and subscribe to critical race theory, have had their empathy and compassion turned into a tool used to manipulate them, said Lindsay.

He says because racism dehumanizes the victim and perpetrator, Marxist theory is appealing to people because it claims to be humanizing everything but the problem is, that the analysis, the structural analysis is based in nonsense. Its based in an inversion of reality, in fact, a war on reality.

Marxism is the most manipulable ideology Ive ever seen in my life, said Lindsay. He gives two reasons for this, one because it, is located in the subjective experience, which is extremely manipulable. And then secondly, because it has this were all in this together kind of voice behind it.

Lindsay says that the corporations, which were the original enemy of communism, are now combining fascist and communist structures to further globalism.

So, were building an external fascistic structure, but then what is the main tool within it? Social justice, climate justice, equity, thats a communist model. Everything I know about equity is it is just the new brand name for socialism. Its the redistribution of shares so that people are made equal, by definition its socialism. And so, you now have a fascistic-corporate, public-private partnership employing communism.

Marxism Breeds Division

Lindsay says problems cannot be solved because people feel attacked about who they are (their identities).

When your politics tie to who you are, according to this idea from Harvard Negotiation, theres no resolution. If you create a division at that level, you cant even start to solve problems at the superficial level, said Lindsay. You cant talk about immigration if its all seen in terms of how one another perceives identity factors, and what identity means in reality. So its almost a perfect weapon for division.

So, in other words, if you read the definition of a mental pathology or psychopathology, its some set of psychological quirks that have become so severe that they impinge upon your ability to live day-to-day life. And Im like, wow, critical theory is designed to induce psychopathologies, and what better way than by tweaking people at the level of identity, said Lindsay.

Lindsay said the neo-Marxists make people doubt their own intellectual, psychological authority when they are questioned about critical race theory being taught in schools, instead calling it culturally responsive education.

Were not really teaching critical race theory, critical race theory is not in schools, of course its not; thats culturally responsive teaching, CRT means something completely different, said Lindsay.

Screenshot from a Sept. 20 webinar presentation teaching Florida educators how to slip CRT into classrooms. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times)

And these are the actual manipulations that have been done again and again and again and again. And now you can understand why. And theyre being done at the level of identity because its the deepest psychological layer that does not resolve and stays divisive. You keep people fighting about identity, theres no resolution there.

Lindsay said that schools are teaching kids to see everything through a lens of identity and race, essentially, promoting Marxist ideology and sowing division.

You cannot shoehorn reality into theory, there are any number of reasons why this kind of dialectical control mechanism that they want to install is not going to work and is going to require the absolute totalitarian kind of destruction of humanity, said Lindsay. They have to absolutely subjugate people in order to force it to work.

Lindsay says the overemphasis on sexual identity and race is self-indulgent and working people dont have the luxury of time to think about these things.

Large crowds gather on Parliament Hill during the Freedom Convoy protest

against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions, in Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. (Limin Zhou/The Epoch Times)

The working class is not going to accept this, and of course, therefore, theyre going to have to be beaten down. And thus, we see the revolt in Canada from the truckers, said Lindsay. Theyre also the people who are going to be displaced the most by automation, and so they have to be put under control before that happens. So the working class has become the enemy of Marxists, as funny as that sounds.

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.
My Journey From Left to Right

During my first year at university, a senior student invited me to attend a meeting of a student organization. It was a meeting of a small group of students discussing communist revolutions around the world and the future of a revolution in India. It took some time for me to understand the student group was a small far-left organization that was active in the universities at that time.

Leftist ideologies always attracted me during my childhood. As children growing up in the state of Kerala in India, which commanded big support for left parties, we used to read a lot of magazines coming from the Soviet Union at that time. They painted happy lives of the people in Soviet Republics. If that was not enough, full-page advertisements with the pictures of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung used to appear in the newspapers. Naturally, I was sympathetic to the student organization with left-leaning ideologies. However, my priority was to focus on my studies and finding employment.

With the passage of time, I learned more about Marxism and other communist ideologies. The life of the poor in different parts of the world and their exploitation by the rich concerned me. Now, nearly 40 years after listening to a few proponents of Chinese model communism, I find myself having done a full swing from left to right. I think it was caused by COVID.

Initially, when COVID started to spread, I was also worried about the seriousness. When I found mainstream media singing the same tune, I was convinced that the virus from Wuhan is coming to kill us all.

The tipping point was when governments all over the world started distributing vaccines as the only solution for the virus. For me, it was unacceptable because I have long nurtured and nourished my health through natural practices and a healthy lifestyle. As a result, what grew in me was a suspicion towards governments, political parties, professional organizations, and mainstream media.

As I started listening to dissenting voices, I found more and more media outlets and organizations that confronted the official versions. That is when I decided to attend the world freedom march on Jan. 22 in Brisbane, Queensland.

What I saw was an atmosphere of open talk, mutual respect, and a collective resolve to fight the efforts of politicians and their donor organizations. It was amazing to see how people are willing to come forward and participate in protest marches without support from politicians or media or donors.

I think it is time for a change.

The world before World War II was controlled by colonial masters who treated colonies as their private property.

The post-WWII world saw the rise of arms businesses that bartered arms for human lives. Then came financialization and tech corporations, which will also give way, proving the saying that only change is permanent.

If communism is not respected in the 21st century, it is because of its failure to change with the times. Instead, political parties that are chartered to look after the workers of the world are now hand in glove with the rich corporations to control the world. What we need now is a free world that respects choices, identities, and rights. Not governments that sell one-size-fits-all global solutions.

Jose Puttanani

Queensland, Australia
Ned Eisenberg attends the Naked Angels' 25th Anniversary Gala "One Big Ball!" at Roseland Ballroom in N.Y.C., on Feb. 14, 2011. (Jennifer Polixenni Brankin/Getty Images)

Ned Eisenberg, Law & Order: SVU Star, Dies at 65

Ned Eisenberg, an American actor best known for his long-running recurring role on Law & Order: SVU, died at his home in New York on Feb. 27, a family member has said. He was 65.

Eisenberg had been fighting two types of cancer over the past two years, Patricia Dunnock, the actors wife, said in a statement to TMZ on Monday, also confirming the death of her husband.

As Ned would say, he was attacked by two very rare assassinscholangiocarcinoma and ocular melanoma, Dunnock said. Over the course of two years, he bravely fought the cancers in private while continuing to work in show business to ensure that his medical coverage paid for himself and his family.

Born on Jan. 13, 1957, Eisenberg was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Riverdale Junior High School in 1972. He later studied acting at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

Ned Eisenberg attends the Wont Back Down New York Premiere with his family at Ziegfeld Theater in N.Y.C. on Sept. 23, 2012. (Rob Kim/Getty Images)

Actor Ned Eisenberg arrives at the Red Rope Playhouse presents Ex-Lovers at the Westside Theatre in N.Y.C. on May 21, 2008. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

The prolific character actor is best known for his work in Law & Order: SVU, where he played the high-priced attorney Roger Kressler. He also appeared in the initial Law & Order run, where he portrayed the Manhattan-based defense lawyer James Granick.

Eisenberg also appeared in a number of big movies including Last Man Standing with Bruce Willis, Woody Allens Celebrity, The Exterminator, and The Good Wifeto name a few.

He also made a name for himself on the Broadway play Brighton Beach Memoirs and guest-starred on a number of 1980 TV series, including the American drama Miami Vice.

Eisenberg is survived by his wife and son.

From NTD News
Relatives of a 4-year-old boy whose body was found in a garage freezer in Las Vegas speak with reporters at the Clark County Regional Justice Center after a court hearing for Brandon Lee Toseland on Feb. 28, 2022. (Ken Ritter/AP Photo)

Nevada Grand Jury May Hear Boys Body Found in Freezer Case

LAS VEGASProsecutors in Nevada filed additional charges and told a judge on Monday a grand jury may review evidence that a Las Vegas man held a woman and her children captive, killed her 4-year-old son, and hid the body in a garage freezer.

Brandon Lee Toselands appointed attorney, Scott Coffee, noted outside court that medical examiners have yet to release findings of the boys death and prosecutors have yet to share with him evidence collected since Toselands arrest last week.

Toseland was taken into custody Feb. 22 in a vehicle with the childs mother after a 7-year-old schoolgirl gave her teacher a handful of sticky notes saying her mother was being held captive and thought the girls brother was dead at Toselands house. Police said they found handcuffs with the woman in the car.

This Clark County Detention Center booking photo shows Brandon Lee Toseland, 35, of Las Vegas, following his arrest on Feb. 22, 2022. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP)

The boys frozen body was found wrapped in plastic bearing what police Lt. Raymond Spencer said last week were visible injuries of physical abuse. Spencer declined to describe the injuries.

Coffee acknowledged Monday that police found a large hole dug in recent weeks that might have been meant as a grave in Toselands small backyard. Coffee said he was trying to make sense of the situation.

Its very early in the case, the deputy Clark County public defender told reporters after a brief hearing that drew opposing factions of grieving family members to the Clark County Regional Justice Center. Toseland intends to plead not guilty, Coffee said.

The boys paternal grandmother, Victoria Abina, and aunt, Annissa Abina, stood with other relatives in the court hallway saying they want justice for the child and dont trust the mothers family.

We want everyone in this to be held accountable, the grandmother said.

Brandon Lee Toseland stands and listens to a judge during a brief court appearance in Las Vegas, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Ken Ritter/AP Photo)

The boys father died in January 2021 of a respiratory illness. A lawyer speaking to the media on behalf of the boys mother and her family said she and her two children moved into Toselands home last March.

The mother has not been charged with a crime. Her lawyer, Stephen Stubbs, alleges she was physically, sexually and emotionally abused by Toseland and that her children were physically and emotionally abused and kept apart from her most of the time.

Stubbs said the mothers family is fighting with the fathers family over funeral expenses and the proceeds of an online GoFundMe account set up by the fathers cousin.

The Associated Press is not naming the mother or children to avoid identifying a victim who alleges sexual abuse. Stubbs said the mother does not want her name made public.

Toseland, 35, is not charged with sexual abuse. Felony child abuse and neglect charges were added Monday to kidnapping and murder charges filed last week.

Prosecutors Michelle Fleck and Christopher Hamner notified Toseland, Coffee and the court that the evidence in the case may be presented to a grand jury. They could seek additional charges at that time.

Coffee said he wants to review material collected by police and prosecutors, including an autopsy on the boy, and to obtain a mental health examination for Toseland, who spoke in court only to acknowledge he had read the criminal complaint against him.

The attorney said it appeared Toseland was competent to understand the proceedings.

We dont know much about what was going on leading up to the childs death, Coffee said. Hopefully, the medical examiners report will help us with that.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Pro Tem William Jansen ordered Toseland to remain held without bail with a next court appearance scheduled for April 7.

Coffee said Toseland worked in the past for Las Vegas-area homebuilders and had a car wash business but said he did not know if Toseland was employed at the time he was arrested.

The mother of the boy and girl worked until December as a phlebotomist, a health care technician collecting blood samples from patients, before Stubbs said her work received a text message that she quit.

By Ken Ritter
A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. (Kacper Pempel/Illustration/Reuters)

New Chinese Hacking Tool Found, Spurring US Warning to Allies

Security researchers with U.S. cybersecurity firm Symantec said they have discovered a highly sophisticated Chinese hacking tool that has been able to escape public attention for more than a decade.

The discovery was shared with the U.S. government in recent months, who have shared the information with foreign partners, said a U.S. official. Symantec, a division of chipmaker Broadcom, published its research about the tool, which it calls Daxin, on Monday.

Its something we havent seen before, said Clayton Romans, associate director with the U.S. Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This is the exact type of information were hoping to receive.

CISA highlighted Symantecs membership in a joint public-private cybersecurity information sharing partnership, known as the JCDC, alongside the new research paper.

The JCDC, or Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, is a collective of government defense agencies, including the FBI and National Security Agency, and 22 U.S. technology companies that share intelligence about active cyberattacks with one another.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

The capabilities of this malware are remarkable and would be extremely difficult to detect without this public research, said Neil Jenkins, chief analytics officer at the Cyber Threat Alliance, a non-profit group that brings together cybersecurity experts to share data.

Symantecs attribution to China is based on instances where components of Daxin were combined with other known, Chinese-linked computer hacker infrastructure or cyberattacks, said Vikram Thakur, a technical director with Symantec.

Symantec researchers said the discovery of Daxin was noteworthy because of the scale of the intrusions and the advanced nature of the tool.

The most recent known attacks involving Daxin occurred in November 2021, the research report reads. Daxins capabilities suggest the attackers invested significant effort into developing communication techniques that can blend in unseen with normal network traffic.

Daxins victims included high-level, non-Western government agencies in Asia and Africa, including Ministries of Justice, Thakur added.

Daxin can be controlled from anywhere in the world once a computer is actually infected, said Thakur. Thats what raises the bar from malware that we see coming out of groups operating from China.

Romans said he did not know of affected organizations in the United States, but there were infections all around the globe, which the U.S. government was helping to notify.

Clearly the actors have been successful in not only conducting campaigns but being able to keep their creation under wraps for well over a decade, said Thakur.

By Christopher Bing
New Cold War Alliances Forming

Part 2 of the 3-part series 'The New Cold War'

News Analysis

Western economic sanctions may drive Russia closer to communist China, with their axis of authoritarianism expanding to include countries in both the Chinese and Russian orbits.

Although Russia and China are intensifying their alliance, they have no formal defense agreement. Chinas only official ally is North Korea. Nevertheless, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is building relationships with other authoritarian regimes through the sale of surveillance technology, and by providing training on how to control the populace and censor the internet. Through these and other economic interests, the countries expected to join Chinas side are Iran, Venezuela, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Cambodia, and possibly other nations that are part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road).

Afghanistan is likely to support China, but it is not in a position to wage a foreign war. Many of the BRI countries are horribly indebted to China and may feel the need to vote with Beijing at the United Nationsbut most are unable to aid China in a war and many would not want to do so. Cambodia has become nearly a vassal state of China, but again, the military capabilities of Cambodia are quite limited.

Beijing seems to be trying to project some soft power through participation in global organizations and events, such as the Olympics, but it is doubtful that it will win over any new allies. The CCP is facing difficulties as advanced, wealthy countries are unlikely to abandon the U.S. side to join the China camp.

Previously, the CCP counted on Chinas position as the worlds factory and global financier to garner support. Now, however, it appears that industrial power alone will not be enough to help Beijing recover from its destructive diplomacy or its history of broken deals and aggressive actions.

Unlike China, Russia has official allies. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is comprised of six countries: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The remaining Central Asian Republics, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, while not part of the CSTO, are clearly within the Russian sphere of influence. Additionally, the Central Asian Republics are dependent on trade with China, making it improbable that they would turn their back on the China-Russia axis.

Cuba is a Russian ally in the Americas. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel have discussed forming a strategic partnership. In January, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian Television network RTVI that Russia may position military assets in Cuba if the United States and its allies do not yield on the Ukraine issue.

India opposes the CCP and has been moving deeper into the U.S. orbit, despite continued weapons purchases from Russia. According to a 2020 report by the Stimson Center, around 70 percent to 85 percent of Indian military equipment come from Russia. New Delhi has also been increasing its purchases of U.S. weapons, but India is unable to operate militarily without support from Russia, according to a 2021 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.

This political ambiguity has worked for India, until now, as Russias invasion of Ukraine may force India to take sides. So far, New Delhi has failed to condemn the invasion, and Washington is increasing pressure for India to join the rest of its allies in sending a strong and unified message to Russia.

Similar to India, Vietnam and China have an uneasy diplomatic history. Vietnams hatred of China has been moving it deeper into the American sphere, although Russia is its largest supplier of weapons. While Hanoi has not specifically condemned the invasion, Vietnamese media are covering the unfolding events without their usual pro-Russia bias.

This leaves Vietnam as a bit of a wild card in terms of which side it will favor. It is possible that Hanois distrust of the CCP is stronger than its fondness for Russia. Or, the fact that the United States is Vietnams largest trading partner may tip the scales in favor of Vietnam joining the U.S.-led alliance.

The Burmese junta has spoken out in support of the invasion. Facing its own set of Western sanctions, Burma (commonly known as Myanmar) is dependent on the CCP for trade and investment. The Burmese junta also purchases weapons from both China and Russia, as well as Ukraine, Serbia, and India.

In addition to selling weapons to Burma, Serbia has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia. Serbia buys weapons from both China and Russia, while the Russian Federation is Serbias fifth-largest trading partner.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union and NATO, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada, have all signaled their closer alignment with the United States. In the Asia-Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Indonesia condemned Russia.

This leaves Russia and China with a bit of a rogues gallery of supporters, mostly smaller countries with limited economic and military capabilities. Furthermore, even the partnership between Beijing and Moscow may become so plagued by sanctions that the CCP will distance itself from Russia.

Read part I here.

Read part III here.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Newsom Seeks to Halt States Pension Investments in Russia

SACRAMENTOAs tensions rise over Russias war with Ukraine, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking to halt the states top pension funds from investing in Russia.

Newsom sent a letter (pdf) on Feb. 28 asking the leaders of the states three top pension fundswhich jointly hold $970 billion in funds, according to the governors officeto halt the flow of money into Russia and ban the purchase of Russian debt.

Newsom also asked the companies to protect current investments in Russian markets, which total over $1.5 billion in stocks and debt, according to the governors office.

These pension funds are the states Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), the State Teachers Retirement System, and the University of California Retirement System.

Russias brazen and lawless military assault on Ukraine demands our support for the Ukrainian people and exacting an immediate and severe cost upon the Russian government in response to its continuing aggression, Newsom wrote in the letter. California has a unique and powerful position of influence given the states substantial global investment portfolio.

The pension systems represent millions of state citizens, including state public employees and public school educators.

Newsom asked the three retirement systems chairpersons to respond within 10 days of the letter.

The letter was sent on the same day as state Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) announced plans to introduce bipartisan legislation that would force the states pension funds to divest from Russia.

The world is watching the atrocities taking place in Ukraine. Its sickening, McGuire said in a statement. We must stand strong for the people of Ukraine. Thats why we all must mobilize to stop Russia in its tracks. California has unique and remarkable economic power in this circumstance. As the fifth-largest economy in the world, we must use this power for good. We can help stop this autocratic thug, Putin, by advancing this critical legislation and enacting our own financial divestments.

Theresa Taylor, president of CalPERSs board of directors, said Feb. 28 that she expects the board will discuss divestment from Russia at its upcoming meeting, scheduled March 14 to 16, the Sacramento Bee reported.

While I am personally appalled at Russias actions, and every pension has holdings in Russia differently, ours are half in public equities and half in private equity and real assets, Taylor said in a text, according to the Sacramento Bee. In public markets, access to sell the Russian assets is closed right now due to sanctions. As to the other half, as fiduciaries we really have to look if we can afford to just get rid of those assets.

Spokespersons for CalPERS, the California State Teachers Retirement System, and the University of California Retirement System were not immediately available for comment.
(L-R) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas and Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg at the Tapa army base in Tallinn, Estonia, on March 1, 2022. (Leon Neal /Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

No NATO Allies Are Considering No-Fly Zone Over Ukraine: UKs Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ruled out a no-fly zone over Ukraine, insisting that no NATO allies are contemplating such a move as it would risk a direct conflict between the alliance and Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly requested a NATO no-fly zone over his country to prevent Russian jets from carrying out bombing runs on Ukrainian targets.

But during a diplomatic visit to Eastern Europe on Tuesday, Johnson said such a move is not being considered by any NATO country.

I think for any NATO member to get involved actively in conflict with Russia is a huge step which is not being contemplated by any member, he said during a press conference at the Tapa military base in Estonia.

This is a time when miscalculation and misunderstanding is all too possible and its therefore crucial that we get that message over.

When it comes to a no-fly zone in the skies above Ukraine we have to accept the reality that that involves shooting down Russian planes  thats a very, very big step, its simply not on the agenda of any NATO country.

Johnson ruled out British forces fighting in Ukraine, and clarified that the UK is not actively supporting British nationals volunteering to help the defence of Ukraine, contradicting an earlier remark from Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Earlier in the day, at a press conference in the Polish capital Warsaw, a Ukrainian journalist who fled over the border made an impassioned plea for the UK to assist with a no-fly zone.

Daria Kaleniuk, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre civil society organisation, said: NATO is not willing to defend because NATO is afraid of World War Three, but its already started and its Ukrainian children who are there taking the hit.

Johnson responded by saying, Im acutely conscious that there is not enough that we can do, as the UK government, to help in the way that you want and Ive got to be honest about that.

He said a no-fly zone would mean the UK would be engaged in direct combat with Russia. Thats not something that we can do or that weve envisaged. The consequences of that would be truly very, very difficult to control, he said.

The United States and NATO have also rejected this idea.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on MSNBC on Monday morning that setting up a no-fly zone would be definitely escalating the situation and would potentially put us in a place in a military conflict with Russia.

Thats something the president doesnt want to do, she said.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also told MSNBC that the alliance has no intentions of moving into Ukraine neither on the ground or in the airspace, noting that such a scenario could see the conflict spiral out of control that escalates even further into concern for full-fledged war in Europe involving NATO allies.

Jack Phillips and PA Media contributed to this report.
A burnt car is seen in front of a damaged City Hall building, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1, 2022. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

No Need to Change Nuclear Alert Level After Russian Warning: NATO Secretary-General

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will not change its nuclear alert level, coming after statements from Russias leadership.

We will always do what is needed to protect and defend our allies, but we dont think there is any need now to change the alert levels of NATOs nuclear forces, Stoltenberg told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. Stoltenberg had just spoken to Polish President Andrzej Duda at an airbase in Lask, where U.S. and Polish fighter planes are stationed.

Earlier this week, Russia has raised the specter of nuclear war after President Vladimir Putin issued a weekend order to raise his countrys strategic deterrence level, which includes the countrys nuclear arsenal. France, the UK, and the United States, which are NATO member states, possess nuclear members.

We strongly believe its reckless and irresponsible the way Russia is speaking about nuclear weapons, Stoltenberg told the AP. Stoltenberg also stressed that Russia has signed a number of deals that agree nuclear war cannot be won and shouldnt be fought.

And it is NATOs responsibility to ensure that we dont see a development where a conflict in Ukraine spiraled out of control and becomes a full-fledged confrontation between NATO and Russia in Europe, Stoltenberg continued.

Russias neighbor and ally, Belarus, held a referendum to drop the countrys non-nuclear status. European and NATO officials said that the move means it may start hosting Russian nuclear weapons.

We know what does it mean for Belarus to be nuclear. It means that Russia will put nuclear weapons in Belarus and this is a very dangerous path, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated on Monday.

On Tuesday, satellite photos showed a miles-long column of tanks and armored vehicles was moving toward the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. A U.S. Defense official told reporters that the column had not made any advances in the past 24 hours due to logistics problems, including a shortage of fuel and food.

Russias Defense Ministry said via state-run media that it would hit targets in Kyiv, including communications sites, while warning that residents should leave their homes. However, the Russian officials did not provide information about what targets it would strike.

Video footage and photos uploaded Tuesday show that a TV tower in Kyiv was struck along with a large explosion. Ukrainian officials, through social media channels, blamed Russian forces for the attack and said at least 10 people were killed.

In Kharkiv, located in the northeastern portion of the country near the Russian border, numerous missile and artillery strikes were reported, officials said, adding that dozens of people were founded or feared killed.
Gas pipes are seen at the construction site of the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline at Houstrup Strand, Denmark, on Feb. 23, 2021. (Ritzau Scanpix/John Randeris via REUTERS)

Norway-Poland Gas Link Construction Resumes as Ukraine War Sparks Energy Security Push

The war in Ukraine is pushing European countries to rethink their reliance on Russian energy, with Germany looking to extend its use of coal to help wean itself off Russian gas and Denmark resuming construction of a pipeline linking Poland to Norwegian gas fields after a 33-month hiatus over environmental concerns.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has triggered worries that Russian gas supplies to Europe could be cut, highlighting the need to diversify energy supplies and spurring European countries to action.

Denmark-based grid operator Energinet has announced its resuming construction of the Danish section of Baltic Pipe, which will connect Poland to Norwegian supplies of natural gas.

We are very busy making up for the lost months, in order for us to finalise the project in time. Our contractors will add more manpower and machinery to the project, which will allow us to accelerate the pace of construction and finish as soon as possible, Sren Juul Larsen, project manager for Baltic Pipe Project at Energinet, said in a statement.

Energinet said it has obtained a new environmental permit and expects the pipeline to be partially operational from Oct. 1 this year and running at full capacity of up to 10 billion cubic meters from Jan. 1, 2023.

The pipeline aims to reduce Polish reliance on Russian gas, seen by Warsaw as an urgent imperative in light of Russias aggression in Polands close ally and neighbor Ukraine.

Poland now gets half of its 20 billion cubic meters of total annual gas consumption from Russias energy giant Gazprom. The long-term contract between Poland and Gazprom expires at the end of this year and Warsaw doesnt plan on renewing it.

Construction of the pipeline was halted in 2019 after Danish regulators pulled its permit over concerns about the impact on protected mice and bat species.

We are of course very committed to protecting nature and wildlife during the construction of Baltic Pipe, Larsen said, adding that the new permit features added protections for wildlife and describes in detail precautions that Energinet must take to protect protected species during construction.

Energinets Polish partner Gaz-System said its on track to finalize construction of Baltic Pipe components in Poland to allow gas to start flowing from Norway by Oct. 1, 2022.

The resumption of construction highlights a renewed urgency on the part of European countries to become less dependent on Russian energy supplies.

Germany has seen a major pivot in policy in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine, announcing a massive boost in defense spending, freezing certification of Nord Stream 2, and moving forward with plans to build two new liquefied natural gas terminals to import more of the fuel from countries like the United States.

Specialists work onboard Allseas deep-sea pipe-laying ship Solitaire to prepare pipe for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the Baltic Sea on Sept. 13, 2019. (Stine Jacobsen/Reuters)

Berlin is also looking to extend the use of coal as Germany tries to wean itself off Russian natural gas.

Germanys coal plants could stay in operation beyond 2030, the current deadline for ending coal, according to Robert Habeck, Germanys minister for economy and energy.

Strengthening our energy sovereignty strengthens our security, Habeck said on Monday ahead of talks with European Union counterparts. Therefore, we must first overcome the high dependence on Russian imports of fossil fuelsa warmonger is not a reliable partner.

Russia supplies around 35 percent of Germanys crude oil, 55 percent of its natural gas, and half its coal.

The numbers are similar for all of the European Union, with Russia supplying around 27 percent of the blocs crude oil, 41 percent of its natural gas, and 46.7 percent of its coal.

The Ukraine crisis is also leading to more calls to boost U.S. fossil fuel production, both to strengthen Americas energy security and that of its European allies.
NYPD Sends 100 Officers to Washington to Help With State of the Union Security

WASHINGTONSome 100 police officers from New York have arrived in Washington to help the U.S. Capitol Police with security for President Joe Bidens State of the Union.

At least five buses transported the officers to the nations capital, where they were sworn in at the Capitol Police headquarters, an officer who declined to be named told Epoch Media Group.

Officers arent sure how long theyll be in Washington.

An NYPD spokesman told The Epoch Times in an email that the department sent approximately 100 officers because the Capitol Police requested them for the upcoming State of the Union.

The NYPD is one of the outside agencies here to help ahead of Bidens speech, which is scheduled to take place before a joint session of Congress, a Capitol Police spokesperson added.

The requests for outside help were made because some law enforcement partners couldnt help at this time because they are preparing for potential convoys arriving in the region, according to the spokesperson.

U.S. Capitol police officers gather on the east front plaza of the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 28, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

One major convoy passed into Missouri on Monday while another planned to leave from New England on March 2.

Most convoys appear poised to arrive after Bidens speech.

An organization called the KNK Foundation, which could not be reached for comment, applied for a demonstration permit for March 1 on the Sylvan Theater that they said would speak out against COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates, and in support of convoys, according to a copy of the application obtained by The Epoch Times. The groups Instagram page says it is a nonprofit that wants to support convoys arriving in Washington.

The permit has not yet been issued, a National Park Service spokesman told The Epoch Times.

Authorities in Washington approved and re-erected fencing around the Capitol over the weekend as the U.S. Capitol Police prepare to prevent disruptions to the work of Congress and the State of the Union.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said his agency has been working closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners on a security plan and that he requested support from outside law enforcement agencies as well as the National Guard to assist with our security precautions.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier in February approved the deployment of some 400 National Guard personnel to Washington to help direct traffic. The members wont be armed or assist law enforcement, according to the military.

Maryland and Virginia authorities have confirmed theyre in touch with partners regarding the convoys, and the White House says theyre tracking the demonstrators.
Online News Legislation Risks Eroding Public Trust in Media Beyond the Point of No Return

Commentary

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguezs latest move to ensure wealth is transferred from large online companies to favoured Canadian news organizations may further undermine public faith in two of Canadas most troubled institutions: government and media.

Major newspaper companies in Canada have lobbied the government for years for a bailout to compensate them for losing audiences and advertising dollars to social media and other more interesting online platforms. First was a series of tax credits for Canada Revenue Agency-approved providers. Next up was the $50 million (over five years) Local Journalism Initiative that pays the salaries of reporters on approved beats for sanctioned outlets.

Upcoming is Rodriguezs legislation forcing online companies such as Facebook and Google to make commercial arrangements to subsidize designated media.

Legacy newspapers have maintained that online companies such as Facebook and Google unfairly profit from the news they produce. The companies have a different view, with Facebook insisting that news comprises a modest 4 percent of their traffic. And they say that by providing a free platform for posted content they are already generating a benefit to media worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Regardless, Rodriguez has sided with the legacy media and, last week, expanded the pot of gold to include Canadas licensed broadcasters such as CTV (Bell), Global (Shaw) and the taxpayer-funded CBC.

While Rodriguez indicated that politicians want to stay at arms-length (although his actions on getting Russia TV banned by cable carriers indicate otherwise), he is creating an unprecedented level of interdependence between many of Canadas newsrooms and government. There will be protestations of virtue by all involved while others will point to the absence of public debate on this issue as clear-cut justification for their raised eyebrows.

When all is said and done, the amounts shaken out of the pockets of the big tech companies will not be significant enough to change the dynamics of the market, although in the short term they may buy some companies a little more time and others a few more trinkets. After all, there is little evidence any new journalism jobs have been created from the deals Facebook and Google have already struck with most Canadian publishers. (To be fair, it could be argued that a few may have been saved from layoffs.)

But in exchange and in the longer term, Rodriguezs move risks pushing growing public suspicion of institutional media to levels from which there may be no redemption.

Edelman is an international communications company that produces an annual report concerning levels of public trusta commodity upon which media depend, often advertising themselves as the most trusted sources of news. Faith in the unbiased presentation of the events of the day and the firm belief that journalists approach their search for the truth without fear or favour was what made selling subscriptions and advertising possible.

Similarly, governments have learned the hard way that order can collapse, and quickly, unless the public has faith its members are being treated fairly, the rule of law is respected and justice is blind.

According to Edelman, trust in both government and media in Canada is collapsing.

Around two thirds of Canadians believe journalists and reporters (61%) and business leaders (60%) are purposely trying to mislead them, with government not far behind (58%), states the 2022 report published in January. Further, less than half of Canadians view government leaders and CEOs as trustworthy (government leaders at 43% and CEOs at 36%).

The mistrust level for journalists and reporters is up 12 points year over year, as it is for the leaders in government category.

More troubling for all involved is that not only are the government and media distrusted, they are actually viewed as forces of division. While NGOs and business are both seen as primarily unifying influences, government leadership is considered to be chiefly divisive by 45 percent of Canadians. The media, at 44 percent, are rated as having an equally fractious impact. Those numbers compare to about one-third who view them positively. The data for this study was all gathered in 2021, long before the further deepening of divisions picked up in polls after Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus taunting of unvaccinated truckers led to a poorly managed Ottawa protest, a panicked invocation of the Emergencies Act, and considerable debate regarding the role of media.

Given all that, its hard to see Rodriguezs new policy doing much other than stifling innovation and deepening the publics suspicions that a Faustian bargain has been struck behind its back. The one ray of hope is that a door might just have been kicked ajar for news entrepreneurs hoping to appeal to lost audiences looking for someone to trust.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A COVID-19 vaccine is administered at a "Kids and Families Vaccine Clinic" operated by Black Creek Community Health Centre in Toronto on Jan. 13, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

Ontario Judge Rules in Favour of Mother Who Doesnt Want Her Children Vaccinated for COVID

Ruling can't be based on judicial notice of a 'moving target' such as COVID policies, judge says

An Ontario judge has ruled in favour of a mother who does not want her two children to be vaccinated against COVID-19, contrary to what her ex-husband wants, noting in his ruling that government pandemic policies have changed over time.

In his ruling, the first of its kind regarding pandemic-related litigation in Canada, Ontario Superior Court Justice Alex Pazaratz said his decision was based on the best interests of the children and legitimate concerns from the mother that the COVID-19 shots could have side effects.

Its very hard to fault a parent for being worried about such an ominous list of potentially very serious side effects, wrote Pazaratz in his ruling on Feb. 18, referring to an eight-page fact sheet issued by Pfizer last June on the possible risks associated with its COVID-19 vaccine, which was submitted by the mother in her affidavit.

Among the side effects identified in the fact sheet were severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face and throat, inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), diarrhea, and vomiting. The document notes that there is only a remote chance the vaccine will cause a severe allergic reaction and that incidences of myocarditis are very low.

The judge noted that the father had proposed the Pfizer vaccine as one of the choices his two children aged 12 and 10 could take to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Documents the 35-year-old father submitted in his affidavit to support his case included government information and fact sheets, such as those titled Vaccines for Children: COVID 19 and The Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines.

The mother, 34, submitted several articles including one from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, titled Clinical Considerations: Myocarditis and Pericarditis after Receipt of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Among Adolescents and Young Adults, and another article by Dr. Robert Malone, the inventor of the mRNA vaccine, titled Are People Getting Full Facts on COVID Vaccine Risks?

Pazaratz said previous legal cases where COVID vaccinations were ordered by the court might be due to the objecting parent presenting materials that were grossly deficient, unreliable andat timesdubious.

This lack of an equally credible counter-point to government recommendations may well have been determinative in those earlier cases, he wrote.

But in this case, none of the materials presented by the mother are from fringe organizations or dubious authors. To the contrary, the mother quotes extensively from leaders in the medical and scientific community.

In addition, Pazaratz cited a report by independent social worker Michelle Hayes, who was engaged by the parents to resolve their parenting disputes. Hayes, after interviewing the two children twice, said both of them made it clear that they didnt want to be vaccinated. She added that there werent any concerns that either child had been manipulated or pressured by either parent.

As in the original report, each of the children presented confidently and thoughtfully for both interviews. As they reviewed their thoughts, they each showed consistency in their views and preferences in each interview, Hayes wrote in her summary.

Pazaratz said while he agreed with the father that the children may not be of age to make such decisions, he did not agree with the fathers position that their feelings on the matter were inconsequential.

Rather than simplistically accept or reject what children say they want, the court must engage in a complex and sensitive analysis of the weight to be attributed to each childs stated views, he wrote.

Legitimate and Highly Complex Debate

Pazaratz stressed the importance of hearing evidence from both sides before jumping to any judgement.

What if the objecting parent presents evidence which potentially raises some serious questions or doubts about the necessity, benefits, or potential harm of COVID vaccines for children? he asked.

There are obvious public policy reasons to avoid recklessly undermining confidence in public health measures. But that has to be weighed against our unbridled obligation to leave no stone unturned when it comes to protecting children.

Given that he was satisfied by the materials the mother submitted that a legitimate and highly complex debate exists with regard to COVID vaccines, Pazaratz said he wasnt prepared to apply judicial notice as a method to resolve the case.

Judicial notice refers to recognizing certain facts as so notorious or generally accepted as not to be the subject of debate among reasonable persons, according to Canadian law when it comes to weighing evidence.

Pazaratz characterized the attempt to base a ruling on COVID-19 policies enacted by all levels of government as trying to make a judgement based on a moving target.

How can you take judicial notice of a moving target? During the past two years of the pandemic, governments around the worldand within Canadahave constantly changed their health directives about what we should or shouldnt be doing. What works and what doesnt, he wrote.

And the changes and uncertainty are accelerating with each passing newscast. Not a day goes by that we dont hear about COVID policies changing and restrictions being lifted.

Pazaratz argued that government experts may not be experts after all in accessing the risks that come with COVID vaccines.

Government experts sound so sure of themselves in recommending the current vaccines. But they were equally sure when they told us to line up for AstraZeneca. Now they dont even mention that word, he said.

But how can judges take judicial notice of facts where theres no consensus or consistency?
A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture on April 14, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

OPEC+ Signals It Will Stick to Plan Despite Ukraine Invasion

LONDONSaudi Arabia on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to an OPEC+ agreement with Russia in the oil markets despite widening sanctions on Moscow and global outrage over its military assault on Ukraine.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies led by Russiaa group known as OPEC+have been unwinding historic production cuts they instated in 2020 after the pandemic caused an unprecedented fall in global demand.

Then, former U.S. President Donald Trump intervened to encourage Riyadh and Moscow to end a price war and work together to shore up the oil market.

Oil prices have rallied to their highest levels in over seven years this week on tight supply and disruptions to crude exports from Russia caused by wide-ranging sanctions on Moscow.

Members of the International Energy Agency (IEA) who met on Tuesday to discuss the Ukraine crisis, agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves.

The United States would like to see OPEC+ increase output more quickly than it has been doing since August.

Only a few countries have spare capacity, including de facto OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbor the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Riyadh has so far resisted U.S. calls to increase output more quickly than called for under the OPEC+ agreement.

At its last meeting on Feb. 2, OPEC+ agreed to increase output by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) for March, leaving it with another 2.6 million bpd of cuts to unwind by end of the September.

Saudi Arabias cabinet on Tuesday reaffirmed its commitment to the OPEC+ agreement, which calls for monthly increases of 400,000 bpd, Saudi state news agency said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a call with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Tuesday in which they discussed the OPEC+ deal and pledged to continue coordination on global energy markets, Russian and Emirati news agencies reported.

The UAE, a close U.S. ally in the Middle East, abstained in a Feb. 25 vote on a draft United Nations Security Council resolution deploring Moscows actions.

A diplomatic adviser to the UAE president said that was to encourage a political solution and taking sides would only encourage violence.

A technical committee meeting of the OPEC+ alliance met on Tuesday to assess the latest fundamentals.

By Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of Starlink satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Feb. 25, 2022, in a still from video. (SpaceX via AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Orange County Man to Command First Private Astronaut Mission

MISSION VIEJO, Calif.A 1976 Mission Viejo High graduate and astronaut and test pilot, Michael Lopez-Alegria, returns to low-Earth orbit for the fifth time next month as commander of Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), the first all-private crew to the International Space Station.

Lopez-Alegria also serves as vice president of business development for Axiom Space, a privately funded space infrastructure developer headquartered in Houston. He joins three other multinational crew members on a 10-day mission to complete more than 25 health and science research experiments for microgravity, which interest people who create materials and micro-technology, researchers told Space.com.

This has really been a dream come true for me, and its been amazing to see both the crew and the company mature and gel as we get ready for this very important step into the future, Lopez-Alegria said on Feb. 28 during a virtual press conference.

Michael Lopez-Alegria in in Girona, Spain, on June 29, 2012. (Miquel Benitez/Getty Images)

Those joining Lopez-Alegria on the private mission to space will fulfill a particular role. They include American entrepreneur and nonprofit activist investor Larry Connor of Dayton, Ohio, who will serve as a pilot. In addition, investor and philanthropist Mark Pathy of Canada and impact investor and philanthropist Eytan Stibbe from Israel will serve as mission specialists.

Aside from Ax1 Commander Lopez-Alegria, all paid approximately $55 million for the trip to space.

Although it sounds like a tour, Lopez-Alegria reiterated the crew is not a group of space tourists.

On Mar. 30, he will prepare for lift-off to fly inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule, hitching a ride on a Falcon 9 rocket.

Lopez-Alegria, who spent more than 40 years in aviation in space experience in the U.S. Navy and NASA, said its a pleasure for him and the crew working in SpaceXs integrated technology like portable computers stationed in the space shuttles cockpit.

Were just like kids in a candy store, he said.

Joining Lopez-Alegria at the press conference were six other officials from Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX.

This is really a meaningful mission, not only for those four gentlemen but for all of us, Michael Suffredini, president and CEO of Axiom, said. What theyre doing is really advancing the state of humanity and human knowledge, which is what our company was built for.

The quartets mission is a flagbearer for private astronaut missions and future research of microgravity which Axiom, according to its website, believes is the most promising environment for innovation and problem-solving since the internet.

During their 10-day stint in space, the crew will focus on life science and technology research like stem cells, cardiac health, and spacecraft self-assembly that would become a pathfinder for opportunities in low-Earth orbit and open a space technology ecosystem.

In addition, the crew will return life science samples for NASA that have been in orbit and a nitrogen tank for refurbishing.

Axiom is a selection of companies picked by NASA to develop space station designs and other commercial destinations in low-Earth orbit for a space travel economy.

The Ax-1 mission is the first of probably hundreds of missions to build the Axiom space stations, which will launch the first module by late 2024.

We are really trying to set the bar high for future private astronaut missions to the International Space Station, Lopez-Alegria said. We have a very ambitious timeline filled with a lot of experimentation and a lot of outreaches to educational organizations all over the world. If we could get through all of that and make our International Space Station hosts want us to come back, I think that would be a win.
A Panasonic Corp.'s lithium-ion battery, which is part of Tesla Motor Inc.'s Model S and Model X battery packs, is pictured with Tesla Motors logo at the Panasonic Center in Tokyo on Nov. 19, 2013. (Yuya Shino/Reuters)

Panasonic to Begin Mass Producing New Tesla Battery by End-March 2024

TOKYOPanasonic Corp. said on Monday it will begin mass production of a new lithium-ion battery for Tesla Inc. before the end of March 2024 at a plant in Japan.

Unveiled by the Japanese company in October, the 4680 format (46 millimetres wide and 80 millimetres tall) battery is around five times bigger than those currently supplied to Tesla, meaning the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker will be able to lower production costs.

The new powerpack is also expected to improve vehicle range, which could help Tesla lure more drivers to EVs.

Panasonic will build two new production lines at its Wakayama factory in western Japan to build the batteries, the company said in a news release.

The company did not say how much it will spend on the expansion.

The Nikkei newspaper reported earlier that Panasonic planned to invest 80 billion yen ($692 million) in the plant.

By Tim Kelly
Parents of Disabled Child Sue Pennsylvania School to Reinstate Mask Mandate

Parents argue mask optional policy is discrimination

The parents of a medically fragile 6-year-old child are suing the Cumberland Valley School District in Pennsylvania to change its masking policy from masks optional back to mandatory masking for all.

By permitting optional masking, the school board forces the parents of medically fragile children with disabilities into an unfair decision of keeping the child home and safe, or sending them to school and risk being exposed to COVID-19, says the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Universal masking in Pennsylvania schools had been implemented by the state health department in 2020 to curtail the spread of COVID-19, but in December 2021, a court said the health department didnt have the authority to continue requiring masking without a continued state emergency order. This put masking decisions in the hands of school boards.

On Jan. 3, Cumberland Valley School Board made masking optional.

But the parents who brought the lawsuit say this makes it unsafe, and the school is denying access to a public building by a protected class of disabled individuals by implementing the mask order. They compared it to removing all the wheelchair ramps from school buildings, which would be a clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The names of the parents in this case are unknown. It is filed by Jane Doe 1 and John Doe 1, who is also medically fragile. They are the parents of Child Doe 1 and other children who could potentially bring the virus home from school.

This is a class action suit, meaning it could cover all students in the district with medical issues protected by the ADA who may require a masked environment. That could include students with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chorionic liver or kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, blood disorders, compromised immune systems, cancer, or spinal cord injury. Court papers estimate some 1,600 students in the school district are in this protected disabled class, and say allowing optional masking is discrimination.

The parents asked for an emergency order granting a temporary restraining order, which would require the school to reinstate masking while the court case is ongoing. District Judge Christopher C. Conner said he would make a decision on that only after hearing from the school. A hearing is scheduled for March 5.

Cumberland Valley School Districts attorney, Michael Cassidy, told The Epoch Times he could not comment on pending litigation.

The Doe Parents attorney, Alexander Saksen did not respond to requests for comment.

Parent Thomas Quinn Jr. has four students in the district, including one who had to stop attending in person because the masks impacted his health. Quinn suggests letting students vote on the masks.

The children are affected most, Quinn told The Epoch Times. We say their opinion matters, but when it comes down to it, we often tell them to shut up. Well, its time to hear their opinion and stop injecting our words into their minds.

Im personally tired of people stamping their feet, like a toddler, every time moves are made to return to normalcy, Quinn said. The needs of the many should be more important than the needs of the few. This parent isnt comfortable with the masks being optional? Fine. Go virtual. Thats your option.
Pfizers COVID-19 Vaccine Goes Into Liver Cells and Is Converted to DNA: Study

The messenger RNA (mRNA) from Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine is able to enter human liver cells and is converted into DNA, according to Swedish researchers at Lund University.

The researchers found that when the mRNA vaccine enters the human liver cells, it triggers the cells DNA, which is inside the nucleus, to increase the production of the LINE-1 gene expression to make mRNA.

The mRNA then leaves the nucleus and enters the cells cytoplasm, where it translates into LINE-1 protein. A segment of the protein called the open reading frame-1, or ORF-1, then goes back into the nucleus, where it attaches to the vaccines mRNA and reverse transcribes into spike DNA.

Reverse transcription is when DNA is made from RNA, whereas the normal transcription process involves a portion of the DNA serving as a template to make an mRNA molecule inside the nucleus.

In this study we present evidence that COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 is able to enter the human liver cell line Huh7 in vitro, the researchers wrote in the study, published in Current Issues of Molecular Biology. BNT162b2 mRNA is reverse transcribed intracellularly into DNA as fast as 6 [hours] after BNT162b2 exposure.

BNT162b2 is another name for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that is marketed under the brand name Comirnaty.

The whole process occurred rapidly within six hours. The vaccines mRNA converting into DNA and being found inside the cells nucleus is something that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said would not happen.

The genetic material delivered by mRNA vaccines never enters the nucleus of your cells, the CDC said on its web page titled Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines.

This is the first time that researchers have shown in vitro or inside a petri dish how an mRNA vaccine is converted into DNA on a human liver cell line, and is what health experts and fact-checkers said for over a year couldnt occur.

The CDC says that the COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way, claiming that all of the ingredients in both mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines (administered in the United States) are discarded from the body once antibodies are produced. These vaccines deliver genetic material that instructs cells to begin making spike proteins found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 to produce an immune response.

Pfizer didnt comment on the findings of the Swedish study and said only that its mRNA vaccine does not alter the human genome.

Our COVID-19 vaccine does not alter the DNA sequence of a human cell, a Pfizer spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. It only presents the body with the instructions to build immunity.

More than 215 million or 64.9 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated as of Feb. 28, with 94 million having received a booster dose.

A 3D print of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2the virus that causes COVID-19in front of a 3D print of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle. (Courtesy of NIAID/RML)

Autoimmune Disorders

The Swedish study also found spike proteins expressed on the surface of the liver cells that researchers say may be targeted by the immune system and possibly cause autoimmune hepatitis, as there [have] been case reports on individuals who developed autoimmune hepatitis after BNT162b2 vaccination.

The authors of the first reported case of a healthy 35-year-old female who developed autoimmune hepatitis a week after her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine said that there is a possibility that spike-directed antibodies induced by vaccination may also trigger autoimmune conditions in predisposed individuals as it has been shown that severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection are characterized by an autoinflammatory dysregulation that contributes to tissue damage, which the viruss spike protein appears to be responsible for.

Spike proteins may circulate in the body after an infection or injection with a COVID-19 vaccine. It was assumed that the vaccines spike protein would remain mostly at the injection site and last up to several weeks like other proteins produced in the body. But studies are showing that is not the case.

The Japanese regulatory agencys biodistribution study (pdf) of the Pfizer vaccine showed that some of the mRNAs moved from the injection site and through the bloodstream, and were found in various organs such as the liver, spleen, adrenal glands, and ovaries of rats 48 hours following injection.

In a different study, the spike proteins made in the body after receiving a Pfizer COVID-19 shot have been found on tiny membrane vesicles called exosomesthat mediate cell-to-cell communication by transferring genetic materials to other cellsfor at least four months after the second vaccine dose.

The persistence of the spike protein in the body raises the prospect of sustained inflammation within and damage to organs which express the spike protein, according to experts at Doctors for COVID Ethics, an organization consisting of physicians and scientists seeking to uphold medical ethics, patient safety, and human rights in response to COVID-19.

As long as the spike protein can be detected on cell-derived membrane vesicles, the immune system will be attacking the cells that release these vesicles, they said.

Dr. Peter McCullough, an internist, cardiologist, and epidemiologist, wrote on Twitter that the Swedish studys findings have enormous implications of permanent chromosomal change and long-term constitutive spike synthesis driving the pathogenesis of a whole new genre of chronic disease.

Whether the findings of the study will occur in living organisms or if the DNA converted from the vaccines mRNA will integrate with the cells genome is unknown. The authors said more investigations are needed, including in whole living organisms such as animals, to better understand the potential effects of the mRNA vaccine.

At this stage, we do not know if DNA reverse transcribed from BNT162b2 is integrated into the cell genome. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the effect of BNT162b2 on genomic integrity, including whole genome sequencing of cells exposed to BNT162b2, as well as tissues from human subjects who received BNT162b2 vaccination, the authors said.
Humanitarian aid for Ukraine is being loaded onto an aircraft at Athens International Airport in Greece, on Feb. 27, 2022. (AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Planes With Aid for Ukraine Loaded at Athens Airport

Two planes carrying humanitarian aid for Ukrainians left Athens International Airport on Sunday, bound for Poland.

They carried items such as blankets and food, from the Greek armed forces, officials said.

Greece is also sending ammunition, rifles, and missile launchers to Ukraine with military cargo planes, officials said.

Responding to a request by Ukraine and in consultation with its NATO allies and its EU partners, and showing its solidarity with the suffering Greek people, Greece will send, within the day, defense equipment, a government statement said.

The military aid was decided at a meeting earlier on Sunday between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos, and Chief of the National Defense General Staff Gen. Konstantinos Floros.

Two C-130 planes with the equipment have left a military airport west of Athens bound for Poland.

The first of them is already at Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in Poland, unloading, and the second will arrive later, a Defense Ministry official told the Associated Press.

In Athens, hundreds of Ukrainians have gathered in the city center to protest the invasion.

This is the fourth day of protests against Russias invasion by Ukrainians living in the country.
An undated photo of poutine french fries, a local classic dish in the province of Quebec, Canada. (Shutterstock)

Quebec Diner Drops the Word Poutine From Menu in Jab at Russian President

A Quebec restaurant is denouncing Russias invasion of Ukraine in an unusual way: by temporarily removing the word poutine from its menu in a jab at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Famed diner Le Roy Jucep, located in the city of Drummondville east of Montreal, claims to have invented both the dish and the word poutine in the 1950s. But the wordwhich the diner said was an abbreviation for servers to write cheese, potatoes, saucehappens to be the French translation for Putin.

The Russian presidents name is written as Vladimir Poutine in France, Quebec, and in other French-speaking regions.

The diner which now dubbs itself the inventor of the fries-cheese-gravy, announced on social media on Feb. 25 that it will retire the word poutine for the famous Quebec dish.

Tonight the Jucep team decided to temporarily retire the word P***tine from its trademark in order to express, in its own way, its profound dismay over the situation in Ukraine, the restaurant wrote on Facebook.

The diner later took down the post due to backlash including hateful phone calls, reported CTV News. On Facebook, Le Roy Jucep still describes itself as the inventor of the fries-cheese-gravy.

In 2018, a young Russian coupleMasha Klimova and Alexei Kolesovstarted a food truck serving poutine in their country, calling it the Poutinerie. They met objections from some who believe it to be making fun of the president, though Kilmova told The Canadian Press that was only a minority of people that held that view.

Owners Masha Klimova and Alexey Kolesovs Poutinerie food truck is seen at the Laces Festival in Gorky Park, Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 18, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Melanie Marquis)

Le Roy Juceps decision to drop the name poutine comes amid an escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian military confrontation. On March 1, five people were killed and another five were wounded after Russian missiles struck a television tower in Kyiv.

Dozens of people commented on the diners Facebook page, complementing its gesture.

Beautiful gesture of support, one individual wrote in French.

It was so easy to understand your intention: to make people aware of what Ukrainians are going through and to have a thought for them. It takes absolutely nothing away from removing this word from your menu, another person also wrote in French. I found your initiative compassionate

In an interview with French-language news channel ICI RDI, an unnamed woman living in Ukraine thanked the restaurant for de-Putinizing the dish. The diner shared the interview on their Facebook page on Feb. 26.

Very touching to learn that our tiny message of support has made it from Drummondville to Ukraine! the restaurant said in French.

If we could make someone smile there, thats already a win! We are with you from the bottom of our hearts.
A man reads a Chinese state-run newspaper reporting on the conflict in Ukraine as Russia invades the country, on a street in Beijing on Feb. 24, 2022. (Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images)

Crude Jokes, Pro-Russia Sentiment on Chinese Internet Causing Chinese Nationals in Ukraine to Fear for Their Safety

A Chinese international student in Ukraine said he feared a physical attack as mainland Chinese netizens mocked Ukraine and its citizens currently under attack by Russian forces.

I hope people will be rational, said Feng Jun (pseudonym) in his appeal to netizens at home to stop cracking crude jokes about a country in the middle of a Russian attack. It will put us overseas Chinese in danger as locals turn the spear on us, he told the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times.

While Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last week, jokes, such as taking in a homeless Ukrainian beauty aged 18 to 24, surfaced on Chinese social media that mocked the refugees of the invasion. Some pro-Russia web users targeted foreign embassies in China with abusive comments, while others vocally supported Russian President Vladimir Putin and advocated for war.

Chinas Twitter-like forum soon took down the topic and deleted relevant posts, which still sparked anger from readers outside China.

Chinese international students caught in the crossfire said the inflammatory posts have been translated and reported by Ukrainian media. Some expat Chinese have been confronted by passers-by for an explanation, either on the street or in subway stations, they said.

The Chinese Embassy in Kyiv had initially suggested that its citizens in Ukraine display the Chinese flag on their cars to avoid injury, but then pulled back this advice on Feb. 26.

Chinese expats have stopped raising the flags as a result of the surging anti-China sentiment locally, according to Feng, who now fears being identified by nationality.

We dont dare to raise [the Chinese flag] anymore. Yesterday, we locked the doors and tore down all the Spring couplets during the night, he said, referring to red papers that wish for good fortune posted on the doors of homes, a Chinese tradition that is part of lunar new year celebrations.

We cant have any obvious signs or red stuff [indicating we are Chinese], he said. We are just unarmed civilians, not soldiers.

A power cut hit some student dormitories as a result of the Russian bombing, according to Feng, adding that some saw their dormitory doors and windows blown out. The artillery fire has just been particularly intense, he said.

Earlier, a Feb. 26 post written under the name I0nGnnn, a self-alledged Chinese student in Ukraine, circulated on Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like platform. The now-deleted message accused the casual teasing of web users in mainland China were causing problems to Chinese students in Ukraine, who were facing harassment while taking refuge in bomb shelters beside large crowds of Ukrainians.

Those of us who are on the battlefield are paying for your actions! Stop pushing your compatriots into the fire, the post said.

A netizen posted a self-shot video on Twitter on Feb. 27, saying a Chinese friend in Kyiv said that he was from Japan, not China, to avoid conflicts when asked about his nationality. Others dare not seek shelter in underground subway stations, as locals kept asking whether they supported the inflammatory online comments.

The Epoch Times cannot verify the identity of the self-proclaimed Ukraine-based student in the video.

Feng, who has registered to leave the country, said the ground floor of the dormitory is now an evacuation zone because the structure is relatively strong. He said he has to rush there every time the air defense siren sounds.

Chinas Embassy in Kyiv said last week it was preparing charter flights to evacuate its citizens out of Ukraine due to the deteriorating situation.

Gu Xiaohua and Li Xinan contributed to this report.
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall on the Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow, Russia Feb. 23, 2022. (Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via Reuters)

Russia Launching Large-Scale Information and Psychological Operation: Official

Russia will launch a large-scale information and psychological operation against Ukraine in the near future, said Ukraines Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov on Tuesday.

Its goal is to break the resistance of Ukrainians and the Ukrainian army with lies, Reznikov said in a statement, adding that Moscow also has plans to create communication problems via electronic warfare while also creating fabricated reports that Ukraines military and government agreed to surrender.

Reznikov said Russia will also disseminate fake and supposedly signed documents and edited fake videos online to Ukrainians. This is a lie. This wont happen. There will be no surrender! Only victory, he added.

Russian officials or state-run media outlets have not made any public comment on Reznikovs claims.

However, Russian state media started issuing warnings from its Defense Ministry that the Russian military will begin to target areas in Kyiv, the capital, including the Security Service of Ukraine and 72nd Main Centre for Psychological Special Operations.

Russias Defense Ministry said that this will help suppress information attacks against Russia, according to reports.

Rocket strikes on Kharkiv killed at least 10 people and wounded 35, Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said. Similar strikes killed and wounded dozens in the city the previous day.

The rubble is being cleared and there will be even more victims and wounded, he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the artillery barrages on Kharkiv amounted to state terrorism.

Our people are motivated and we are fighting for freedoms and our lives, Zelensky told members of the European Union on Tuesday. We are fighting for our survival.

Nearly a week since Russian troops poured over the border, they have failed to capture a single major Ukrainian city after running into fierce resistance. The civilian deaths of the last 48 hours were an ominous sign that frustrated Russian commanders could be resorting to more devastating tactics.

One Ukrainian official, Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova, alleged Russia used a vacuum bomb, possibly referring to a thermobaric weapon, on Tuesday.

The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large, she said. The International Criminal Court indicated that it has started an investigation into the matter.

Russia still has more forces to throw into the fight even though President Vladimir Putin faces condemnation and international sanctions for his actions.

Russias state-run TASS news agency reported new peace talks would be held on Wednesday. Talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials held on Monday at the Belarus border failed to reach a breakthrough. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv was ready to talk to Moscow but would not just follow Russian ultimatums.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A general view of the business class cabin of a Finnair A350 aircraft is pictured in Helsinki, Finland, on Dec. 3, 2021. (Finnair/Handout via Reuters)

Russia Sanctions Snarl Flights, Compound Airline Industry Woes

HELSINKI/PARIS/CHICAGOAirlines are bracing for potentially lengthy blockages of key east-west flight corridors after the European Union and Moscow issued tit-for-tat airspace bans and Washington did not rule out similar action in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Industry officials say the Biden administration would ban Russia from U.S. airspace. The White House said on Monday while barring Russian flights was not off the table, it had yet to make a decision.

There are a lot of flights that U.S. airlines fly over Russia to go to Asia and other parts of the world and we factor in a range of factors, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters.

The issue has been a subject of intense U.S. government discussions in recent days. Senator Dick Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in the U.S. Senate, voiced his support for the ban.

Other countries have done it in Europe and turning the lights out at the airport on those guys isnt a bad idea, he told reporters.

U.S. Representative Carlos Gimenez, a Republican member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said on Twitter that he would file legislation this week to ban Russian-operated airlines and private jets from flying in U.S. airspace.

A move by the White House to ban Russias carriers is expected to provoke a response from Moscow, which could affect carriers like United Airlines. The Chicago-based carrier, for example, uses Russian airspace for flights from Delhi.

American Airlines said it was not using any Russian airspace for international flights and it would suspend interline deals with Russian carriers Aeroflot and S7 Airlines indefinitely.

Russia on Monday banned airlines from 36 countries including all 27 members of the European Union after EU ministers agreed to refuse entry to Russian airplanes including the private jets of the countrys oligarchs.

However, the chairman of Italys civil aviation authority called the airspace sanctions against Russia a violation of international treaties.

The sanctions have sparked flight cancelations and costly detours, denting the industrys pandemic recovery and dealing a blow to the mainly Ireland-based leasing industry which was ordered to stop doing business with Russian airlines.

The rerouting meant that flights in Kazakhstans airspace tripled to more than 450 on Monday.

Without access to Russias airspace, many carriers will have to divert flights south while also avoiding areas of tension in the Middle East.

Finnish national carrier Finnair canceled flights to Japan, Korea, China, and Russia and scrapped 2022 guidance, as sanctions block access to Asiaa cornerstone of its strategy in recent years due to its Helsinki hubs location.

Shares in Finnair plunged 21 percent, leading to a retreat in airline stocks in both Europe and the United States.

Germanys Lufthansa group said 30 flights to Russia would be canceled this week and flights from Europe to Tokyo and Seoul would have to fly detours.

Russias Aeroflot said it has canceled flights to the United States, Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic through Wednesday due to the closure of Canadian airspace. The announcement came a day after the carrier said it would cancel all flights to European destinations.

On Monday, an Aeroflot jet headed to Verona in Italy was forced to enter a holding pattern outside EU airspace and was diverted to Turkey after apparently being refused access, according to flightradar24.

The logo of Russias flagship airline Aeroflot is seen on an Airbus A320-200 in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, on Sept. 26, 2017. (Regis Duvignau/Reuters)

Disruption

Other carriers from Latvias AirBaltic to Singapore Airlines have also suspended flights to Russia.

Korean Air, Japan Airlines, and Japans ANA Holdings said they were continuing to use Russian airspace but had no plans to add flights to Russia or Europe to replace flights canceled by European carriers.

Demand to Japan and South Korea has been low due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions.

Airspace shutdowns and flight cancellations also started to affect cargo traffic, further exacerbating global supply-chain woes.

Many cargo carriers use Russian airspace, which is a major intersection for global trade, about half of which by value is carried by air.

Due to the ongoing dramatic developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lufthansa will no longer use Russian airspace, Lufthansa Cargo said.

U.S.based United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp., two of the worlds largest logistics companies, said they were halting deliveries to Russia.

By Anne Kauranen, Tim Hepher, and Rajesh Kumar Singh
Smoke billows over Kyiv after a missile attack targeting the Ukrainian capital's television tower in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 1, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

5 Dead After Kyiv Hit With Missiles Following Russian Evacuation Warning

Five people were killed and another five were wounded after missiles hit Kyiv on March 1 within hours of Russia warning that its military would launch strikes at sites in Ukraines capital.

Ukranian officials said the strikes on a television tower resulted in 10 casualties and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a memorial site to the Holocaust was also struck.

To the world: what is the point of saying never again for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? Zelensky wrote on Twitter, referring to the memorial, which sits near the TV tower.

Ukrainian officials said the missiles that hit the tower and memorial were fired by Russia.

Smoke billowed from the tower structure after the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted by state-run news agencies as promising its military would strike sites in Kyiv belonging to Ukraines security service and a special operations unit.

The Russian ministry said the strikes would be aimed at thwarting informational attacks against Russia, urging Ukrainians to evacuate the areas around the sites.

Capturing Kyiv, which has about 2.8 million people, is a main objective of the Russian military, according to Ukrainian, American, and British officials.

A Russian armored column stretching for 40 miles was approaching Kyiv from the north but had made little progress over the past day, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on a call on Tuesday. The official attributed the situation to troops running low on fuel and food, which may have triggered the shift in tactics.

One reason why things appear to be stalled north of Kyiv is that the Russians themselves are regrouping and rethinking and trying to adjust to the challenges that theyve had, the official said.

Besides firing at Kyiv, Russian troops were accused of shelling Kharkiv, the countrys second-largest city, and the southern port city of Mariupol.

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russias invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 1, 2022. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Ukrainian emergency service personnel carry a body of a victim out of the damaged City Hall building following shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 1, 2022. (Pavel Dorogoy/AP Photo)

Rocket strikes on Ukraines second-biggest city Kharkiv killed at least 10 people and wounded 35, Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said. Similar strikes killed and wounded dozens in Kharkiv on Monday.

Photographs and videos showed severe damage from the missiles.

Ukraine described the attacks as war crimes because they hit residential areas and urged the rest of the world to take action.

Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has remained in the capital rallying Ukrainians, told the European Parliament via remote link.

America and European allies have refused so far to send troops to aid Ukraine, but have dispatched weapons, including anti-tank launchers.

Western countries have also resisted calls from Ukraine to impose no-fly zones over portions of Ukraine. Implementing such areas would require deploying U.S. military to enforce, which would be a direct conflictpotentially a direct conflict and potentially war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.

Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, said after meeting with members of Congress in the U.S. capital that Russians used a vacuum bomb in addition to missiles.

They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by Geneva Conventions. So, you know, the devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large. But we Ukrainians will resist. We are defending our home. We do not have any other option. We will not get tired. We will not stop. We will not surrender, she said.

The U.S. defense official told reporters on March 1 that Russia has fired more than 400 missiles since the Feb. 24 invasion, including roughly 20 in the past 24 hours.

The International Criminal Court is seeking approval to investigate alleged war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

Russian officials appeared to dispute being behind at least some of the strikes.

Russian forces, during special operations, do not conduct any strikes against civilian infrastructure or any residential areas; this is out of the question. We are talking only about the demilitarization of Ukraine and about military structures. We must not forget that in most cases that you bring up, that is the firing by these nationalistic groups, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told a briefing in Moscow.

Russia claims to be protecting itself from threats created by the West, and states it is not occupying Ukraines territory.

Sergei Lavrov, Russias foreign minister, told the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament in a recorded address that Ukraine was seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.

Russian officials also alleged that the Ukrainian side is using civilians as human shields and have placed weapons, including mortars, in courtyards of residential buildings and near schools.

Ukraine says the invasion lacks justification and has called on Putin to order the complete withdrawal of troops.

Ceasefire talks ended on Feb. 28 with no immediate results. A second round was slated for March 2.

Isabel van Brugen and Reuters contributed to this report.
No immediate agreements come out of the talks between Russia and Ukraine, President Joe Biden and U.S. allies plan their next move on Russia, and Russians brace for economic hardship as the Russian ruble plunges and western sanctions continue to grow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, listens to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 14, 2016. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russia Warns: No US Military Bases in Ex-Soviet Countries

The United States and its European allies must not build any bases in the former Soviet Union or use those countries for military purposes, warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.

Lavrov, quoted by Russian state-run news agencies RIA and TASS, said the Kremlin found it unacceptable that some European nations are hosting U.S. nuclear weapons and again said Russia is taking measures to stop Ukraine from obtaining similar weapons. He did not provide evidence for the claim.

It is high time to bring American nuclear weapons home, and to completely eliminate the infrastructure associated with them in Europe, he said at a U.N. video conference on Tuesday.

As Lavrov started to speak, video footage showed more than 100 U.N. diplomats leaving their seats and walking out of the room.

Earlier this week, the governments of the Czech Republic and Slovakiaformerly Soviet satellite statessaid they would increase military aid to Ukraine. Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said that Slovakia, which shares a small border with Ukraine, will have 1,200 NATO troops and Patriot missile defense systems deployed in his country.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last week said NATO was deploying elements of its rapid response force, which is made up of land, air, maritime and special operations forces, on allied territory.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said over the past weekend that he fears Russia could attack Poland, the Baltic states, or Finland.

Map of NATO deployments in Europe (Reuters)

He started in Georgia, now Ukraine, Morawiecki said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The next target could be the Baltic countries, Poland, Finland, or other countries on the eastern flank.

And he added Saturday: We need a strong European army.

Russia warned Kyiv residents to flee their homes on Tuesday and rained rockets down on Kharkiv, as Russian commanders who have failed to achieve a quick victory shifted their tactics to intensify the bombardment of Ukrainian cities.

With an armored column miles long bearing down on the capital, Russias defense ministry said it was planning to strike targets in Kyiv used by Ukraines security service. Residents near such sites should evacuate their homes, it warned, while giving no information about where in the city of 3 million people those targets were located.

Rocket strikes on Kharkiv killed at least 10 people and wounded 35, Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said. Similar strikes had killed and wounded dozens in the city the previous day.

Reuters contributed to this report.
This years Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) was held amid global turmoil. While Russia invades Ukraine, many say that China remains the bigger threat. However, what are the prerequisites to confronting China and Russia? Experts and lawmakers at the conference seem to agree that energy independence is the way.



I spoke with Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) on the Russia threat and his big focus on bringing domestic manufacturingparticularly for pharmaceuticalsback to the United States, and why he thinks the United States needs to confront China. Braun highlights the long-term threat that is the Chinese regime, and what we can do.



Then I spoke with KT McFarland, former deputy national security adviser, about what Russia and China seek to accomplish. In terms of relative similarities, how does the Ukraine situation translate into the regional power play, and how Taiwan is reacting to the situation as the Chinese Communist Party seeks to invade in the future?

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Senate GOP, Manchin Block Bill That Would Have Codified Roe v. Wade

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joined Senate Republicans on Monday to block a House-passed bill that would have codified Roe v. Wade.

The Womens Health Protection Act (WHPA) was shot down in a 46-48 vote, failing to meet the 60-vote threshold required to end debate on a measure and send it to a simple majority floor vote.

The WHPA would have protect[ed] a persons ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy, and to protect a health care providers ability to provide abortion services.

Democrats pushed for the measure in response to a Texas law which prescribes penalties for doctors who abort an infant with a detectable heartbeat.

The Texas bill, in contrast to many similar heartbeat bills passed in red legislatures across the United States, functions using civil rather than criminal penalties. Individual citizens can sue doctors who perform an abortion after the infants heart has begun to beat.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to shut down the law, leaving Democrats scrambling to protect abortion, which they consider a human right.

Later this year, the Supreme Court will hear another case on a Mississippi law that poses an even more direct challenge to the standard laid out in the 1973 case Roe v. Wade.

After the court said that it would not strike the law down, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that Democrats would push for the WHPA to codify the broad outlines of Roe v. Wadewhich bars states from banning abortion altogether.

House Democrats passed the WHPA in September in a 218-211 vote; All Democrats except one voted for the bill, while Republicans unanimously opposed the legislation.

In the Senatewhere simple majorities are insufficient to pass legislationthe bill would have needed to win the support of all 50 Democrats plus 10 Republicans to go to a floor vote. Though this was an unlikely outcome in the evenly divided Senate, where the vice presidents vote gives Democrats the majority, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) pushed for the legislation anyway.

Across the country, its a dark, dark time for womens reproductive rights, Schumer said in a Monday speech on the Senate floor. It looks like the Supreme Court is close to drastically restricting this right in the coming months.

Congress must codify into law what most Americans have long believed, that abortion is a fundamental right and that womens decisions over womens health care belong to women, notNOTto extremist right-wing legislatures, Schumer added.

The WHPA was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.). All but two Democrats in the upper chamberabortion opponents Joe Manchin and Sen. Robert Casey Jr. (D-Pa.)cosponsored the bill.

At a news conference prior to the Senate vote, Blumenthal said: This vote will be a rallying cry in November. This vote is going to awaken a lot of people, men and women, who grew up taking reproductive rights for granted.

Casey voted with his party to start debate on the measure, accusing the GOP of clear and unrelenting use of this issue as a political weapon. However, Casey gave no indication that he would change his anti-abortion stance and vote for the bill when it came to a simple majority floor vote.

Republicans, who opposed the measure, applauded the failure of the WHPA and accused Democrats of pushing for fringe pro-abortion politics.

With a cascade of major crises testing our country, Senate Democrats are prioritizing a show-vote on mandating 9 months of abortion-on-demand across America, said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a Monday speech on the Senate floor.

Senate Democrats want to go on record supporting the radical and massively unpopular position that we should have functionally no restrictions on abortion whatsoever, McConnell added.

In her own statement on the bill, swing-voting Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said that while she supports allowing some abortions, the WHPA goes too far.

It would broadly supersede state laws and infringe on Americans religious freedoms, Murkowski said.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), a staunchly pro-life lawmaker, applauded the defeat of the WHPA in a statement.

Tonight, the hard-left formally kicked the old slogan of safe, legal, and rare to the curb and embraced extreme pro-abortion politics, Sasse said, referencing a line that President Bill Clinton repeated often. This legislation will make Planned Parenthoods army of lobbyists happy, but its going to alienate a lot of Americans.

This pro-abortion extremism is completely out-of-touch with mainstream America. While Planned Parenthood, President Biden, and Speaker Pelosi embrace fringe pro-abortion politics, pro-lifers are offering a compassionate pro-baby, pro-woman, pro-science message.

Given Manchins opposition to so much as ending debate on the measure and Caseys general opposition to abortion, the bill almost certainly would have failed even if Democrats had overcome the 60-vote threshold.

Some Democrats have encouraged President Joe Biden to use executive powers to codify Roe v. Wade, but the White House has said that there is little that it can do to overrule SCOTUS.
Shell Oil Exiting Russia, Withdraws From Multiple Joint Ventures

Shell announced plans to pull out from Russia after the country launched an invasion into neighboring Ukraine, making the multinational oil and gas giant the latest in a series of companies and organizations to embrace decoupling.

Shell will exit its joint ventures with Gazprom, the Russian state-owned energy corporation, and its related entities. This includes withdrawing from the 50 percent stake Shell holds in Salym Petroleum Development and the Gydan energy venture, two projects in Siberia, as well as the 27.5 percent stake in the Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility off Russias east coast.

Shell also plans on ending its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Its one of five companies that committed to providing financing and guarantees for up to 10 percent of the projects 9.5 billion euro ($10.6 billion) total cost. After Russias initiation of war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz refused to certify the pipeline.

Our immediate focus is the safety of our people in Ukraine and supporting our people in Russia, Shells CEO Ben van Beurden said in a Feb. 28 press release. In discussion with governments around the world, we will also work through the detailed business implications, including the importance of secure energy supplies to Europe and other markets, in compliance with relevant sanctions.

Shell had around $3 billion in non-current assets in Russian ventures by the end of 2021. The exit plans are expected to affect the book value of its Russian assets. Shells Russian assets only accounted for less than 5 percent of its global oil and gas production in 2020.

Kwasi Kwarteng, the UKs secretary of state for business, energy, and industrial strategy, welcomed the companys decision. Shell have made the right call to divest from Russia  including Sakhalin II. There is now a strong moral imperative on British companies to isolate Russia. This invasion must be a strategic failure for Putin, Kwarteng said in a Twitter post.

Other companies have also announced their decision to get out of Russia. TotalEnergies SE, a French company involved in major LNG projects in Russia, will stop providing capital for new developments.

Norways biggest energy company Equinor ASA, will be withdrawing from Russian joint ventures, collectively worth around $1.2 billion. Only 4 percent of Equinors total production in 2020 was accounted for by Russia.

British oil and gas company BP declared that it will exit its 19.75 percent shareholding in Russian integrated energy company Rosneft. Two directors at the Rosneft board nominated by BP will be resigning immediately.

We can no longer support bp representatives holding a role on the Rosneft board, BP chair Helge Lund said in a Feb. 27 press release. The Rosneft holding is no longer aligned with bps business and strategy and it is now the boards decision to exit bps shareholding in Rosneft. The bp board believes these decisions are in the best long-term interests of all our shareholders.
Sydney Freggiaro at the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, on Feb. 27, 2022. (Jana Li/The Epoch Times)

LAS VEGASClassical Chinese dance can be described as the root of many other dance forms and has even influenced ballet. Sydney Freggiaro, who was formerly a dancer and now a doctor, found that Shen Yun Performing Arts opened her eyes to how much classical Chinese dance had influenced her own dancing without actually being aware of it.

They were incredible. I would say I had no idea how much conventional dance had borrowed from traditional Chinese dance so I really appreciated the history.  And I had no idea the rich history that we were borrowing from China, Dr. Freggiaro said.

She was impressed by how much expression the dance form allowed. New York-based Shen Yuns dancers are trained in the bearing and form of classical Chinese dance which allows for a plethora of emotions to be depicted without uttering a single word.

It was extremely expressive. Even if I didnt know the history, I understood the stories so it was really easy to relate to. I think they went above and beyond in doing that, said Dr. Freggiaro.

The stories told in Shen Yun vary from tales of valiant heroes to humorous, miraculous monks. With the glory and tragedy of 5000 years to the present day, Shen Yun will never run out of stories to tell.

It was extremely powerful and moving to watch Chinese dance.  Sydney Freggiaro

Theyre very talented.  So it was extremely powerful and moving to watch Chinese dance. And thats them telling us this rich history, cultural history, and bringing it to the modern era. So I think it was fantastic storytelling, Dr. Freggiaro complimented.

With the history of China comes the spiritual aspects of the nation that is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Shen Yun strives to showcase China as it was before communism.

I guess our impression of China right now is that its very closed off. So to see that these people were able to express their spirituality in a way that was not safe for them back at home is really emotional. I like cried a little bit.  So for these people to be blending spirituality and movement, continuing their cultural tradition was incredibly inspiring, she said.

Since the pandemic began, live arts have been put to a halt. Dr. Freggiaro expressed how touched she was to see Shen Yun performing in Las Vegas.

Weve been shut-in. We havent been able to see people expressing movement for two years. When the curtain rose, I cried a little because weve been locked into whats right in front of us and so to have the world come to you, and the tradition, the story, that was really empowering, she said.

Shen Yun puts on an all-new production every year. Dr. Freggiaro expressed that she would love to be able to talk to Shen Yuns choreographers.

If she had a chance to speak with the artists of Shen Yun, she would say, Keep doing what youre doing. [Youre] serving the community. [Youre] serving every town by showing a rich traditional culture, by empowering and educating people about dance. Dont stop, please dont stop. And I mean, look how many people are here. People from all walks of lifeall ages are here to see this.

Reporting by Jana Li 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.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.Through the dance and music of Shen Yun, audiences find a way to connect to the people and history of China that is richer and more nuanced than they had encountered beforewhether they work with Chinese colleagues, are Chinese-American themselves, or simply enjoy sampling the traditions of various cultures.

Rick Loughery, national chairman of the Young Republicans, and his friend Shane Materkowski attended the Feb. 27 matinee.

Shen Yun allows the Western world a really great window into China and whats actually going on over there, and I think that it helps us understand Chinese culture in a way that we dont get to because of the way that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) operates, Mr. Loughery said.

I think it also allows us to see the beauty of Chinese culture because many Americanswhen we think of China today, we think of the communist regime, and its good to remind us that there are wonderful people in China, that believe in God and want a better world for everybody.

Shen Yuns performances highlight the centrality of spirituality, which led to the development of Chinese culture over 5,000 years. Chinese traditions place the utmost importance on the harmony between man and nature, and mutual respect among people. Through story dances, Shen Yun communicates such values.

It seemed there was much more peaceful coexistence of different thoughts and ideas prior to the communist takeover and now its just one-way thinking and no other room for thought or belief, which is really, really scary, particularly in the modern age, Mr. Loughery said.

But, through Shen Yun, he sees hope.

I think theres a promise thator the potential that things can get better, that relations can improve, that life in China can get better in the future because young people will have a different perspective; Americans, perhaps though the show, better understand whats going on over there and better know how we can help in the future, he said.

Mr. Materkowski said that as an American-born Chinese, he absolutely loves Shen Yun because it helps me bring my own culture, my own history, back to life, and allows me to kind of get some of those things that we dont really get to see anymore.

Its nice seeing Chinese dance brought back, he said, adding that hes never seen a production like this in China.

Connecting With Chinese Colleagues

Joseph Cardullo is a quality management operations director at a pharmaceutical company. He was glad to have a glimpse into Chinese culture.

In America, we have very little Chinese culture in our day-to-day life, he said. So, for me, it allows me to see perspectives into the Chinese culture here in America and for my colleagues, who, I share so much time with at work.

Joe Cardullo at Shen Yun at the Mirriam Theater, Philadelphia, on Feb. 27, 2022. (NTD)

The program also gave him a deeper appreciation of the Chinese peoples courage to stand up for their beliefs in the face of communist oppression. In its presentation, Shen Yun not only tells stories from ancient China but also depicts religious persecution in todays China.

In one program ladies were protesting for their beliefs, which cost her her life, he recounted. Here in America, we are blessed with the ability of free speech.  We as Americans probably dont have that level of fear and dont need that level of courage sometimes.

Preserving a Beautiful Culture

Tony Sadowski, a producer for PBS and NPR, brought his family to see the show.

He found Shen Yun mind-opening.

Its a hopeful story and its one that challenges you and it makes you think a little bit about the way people are living their lives and what kind of things are important to us, what values we should really be thinking about, he said.

Bryan and Tony Sadowski at the Feb. 27 matinee of Shen Yun, in Philadelphia. (William Huang/The Epoch Times)

For Mr. Sadowski, Shen Yun is about preserving a culture that is about beauty, a sense of connection to your spirituality, and to each other.

Given how enormous world events feel right now, this is a really hopeful and vibrant beautiful show and its something that I think we need right now, he said.

Reporting by William Huang, Frank Liang, 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.
A cargo ship carrying thousands of vehicles that caught on fire near the Azores has now sunk into the Atlantic Ocean, officials confirmed on Tuesday. (Marinha Portuguesa)

Ship Carrying 4,000 Cars Sinks in Atlantic Ocean: Officials

A cargo ship carrying thousands of vehicles that caught on fire near the Azores has now sunk into the Atlantic Ocean, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The Portuguese Navy confirmed on social media that the Felicity Ace sunk about 25 nautical miles outside the limit of the Azores economic zone in the Atlantic. The ocean depth, naval officials estimated, is about 10,000 feet in that area.

The weather was pretty rough out there, said Pat Adamson, a spokesperson for MOL Ship Management, which operates the vessel, according to Bloomberg News. And then she sank, which was a surprise.

After the ship sank, it left debris and a small patch of oily waste, which is being dispersed by tugboats water jets, the Portuguese Navy said. The site is now being monitored by Portuguese and EU environmental agencies.

The merchant ship, which was traveling to the United States from Germany, was carrying about 4,000 cars, including ones made by Volkswagen, Porsche, Bentley, and others. There were reports saying the ship was also carrying electric vehicles on board.

While it remains too early to confirm what occurred and next steps, we arealong with our colleagues at Porsche AGsupporting our customers and our dealers as best we can to find solutions, said Angus Fitton, a Porsche vice president, in reports published in February. We are in contact with the shipping company and the details of the cars on board are now known.

Last month, one Twitter user, Matt Farah, who operates the SmokingTire website, wrote that his Porsche was on the burning ship.

I just got the call from my dealer. My car is now adrift, possibly on fire, in the middle of the ocean, he tweeted at the time.

A Bentley spokesperson told the BBC that its cars were also on the beleaguered ship. Officials told Automotive News that they believe that dozens of Lamborghinis including Urus SUVs as well as Aventador and Huraca models were on the vessel.

We dont know yet the final outcome, the CEO of Automobili Lamborghini America, Andrea Baldi, told the outlet. We also are waiting for official information for the time being. We have informed our dealers, and they have informed our customers, because whatever happens, in any case, there will be a delay.

The Aventador model, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each, is sold out and is nearing the end of its production run, the site noted.

The car is sold out, so there is always a possibility out of 563 units that some cancellation can allow an Aventador replacement, but I prefer to hope for the time being that at least the few Aventadors on the ship will be safe, Baldi told Automotive News.

The cause of the Felicity Ace blaze remains unclear.
Supreme Court to Hear Appeal of Non-Indian Couple Denied Adoption of Indian Child

The Supreme Court has agreed to review the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which was enacted by Congress in 1978 to prevent non-Indian families from adopting Native American children.

On Feb. 28, the court granted the petition for review in the case, Haaland v. Brackeen, court file 21-376, which it consolidated with Cherokee Nation v. Brackeen, Texas v. Haaland, and Brackeen v. Haaland. The lead petitioner is U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

Chad and Jennifer Brackeen, a white evangelical Christian couple in Texas, tried to adopt a Native American child, although an appellate court ruled thatunder the ICWAIndian families are entitled to enjoy preference in the adoption process.

The Brackeens attorney, Matthew D. McGill of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP, said he is glad his clients case will be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

This case is about preserving the Brackeens family and, especially, the continued well-being of the little girl they are seeking to adopt, who has thrived as part of the Brackeens family now for more than two years, McGill told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

We are pleased that the court has chosen to review all of the important constitutional issues raised by the parties.

The Brackeens argue that the ICWA denies them their constitutional right to equal protection.

Although adoption is generally governed by state law and based on the best interests of the child, the federal statute created a separate child-custody system for Indian children, directing state courts to give preference to placement of a child with (1) a member of the childs extended family, (2) other members of the Indian childs tribe, or (3) other Indian families of any tribe, instead of with non-Indian adoptive parents, the Brackeens stated in a brief (pdf).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stated in its decision (pdf) against the Brackeens that a U.S. District Court ruled that key provisions of the ICWA were unconstitutional, but in the process disregarded two centuries of precedent, and omitted any discussion of the history of the federal constitutional power to enter treaties or legislate with respect to the Indian tribes.

The ICWA governs the removal and out-of-home placement of Native American children. The statute sets minimum federal standards that have to be adhered to in any legal proceeding to place an Indian child in a foster or adoptive home, and requires that Indian tribes and families be allowed to participate in such Indian child welfare cases, according to the 5th Circuit.

The ICWA was enacted after Congress found that an alarmingly high percentage of Indian families are broken up by the removal, often unwarranted, of their children from them by nontribal public and private agencies and that an alarmingly high percentage of such children are placed in non-Indian foster and adoptive homes and institutions. Congress also faulted the states and their administrative and judicial bodies for often failing to recognize the essential tribal relations of Indian people and the cultural and social standards prevailing in Indian communities and families.

The system in place before the ICWA was adopted was designed to destroy Indigenous people, said Alleen Brown in a 2019 column on the left-wing website The Intercept.

In the 1970s, between a quarter and a third of Indigenous children across the United States had been removed from their homes. Social services often cited neglect or deprivationeuphemisms for povertyas grounds for placing children in the custody of non-Native families and institutions, offering birth parents little opportunity for redress, Brown wrote.

The campaign against the Indian Child Welfare Act fits into a wider right-wing effort to legally challenge civil rights-era gains that have remained instrumental in shielding marginalized communities from Americas foundational systems of discrimination and genocide.

U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court, didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Protesters display placards in front of the Representative Office of the Moscow-Taipei Coordination Commission in Taipei on Feb. 25, 2022, to protest against Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. (Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images)

Taiwan Joins SWIFT Sanctions on Russian Banks, Ships Medical Supplies to Ukraine

TAIPEI, TaiwanTaiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang said on March 1 that Taiwan will work with Western countries in their ban of selected Russian banks from the SWIFT international payment system.

The SWIFT ban was announced on Feb. 26 by the United States, the European Union, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, in response to Russias military attack on Ukraine.

Su told reporters that Taiwan has condemned Russia for its aggression against Ukraine and said the self-governing island was in lockstep with its democratic partners on its sanctions plans. As for the SWIFT ban, Su said the Taiwan government will cooperate with any decisions related to the ban.

Currently, there is not much trade between Taiwan and Russia. According to data from Taiwans Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan exported $1.3 billion worth of goods to Russia in 2021, while importing $5 billion of Russian products. Meanwhile, Taiwans trade with Russia accounts for only 0.76 percent of the islands total trade.

The Taiwan government announced on Feb. 25 that it will impose sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Wang Mei-hua, Taiwans minister of economic affairs, said on Tuesday that the island will strictly review products exported to Russia in accordance with the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multilateral agreement aimed at regulating the export of weapons and sensitive dual-use goods and technologies.

She added that her ministry has communicated with local companies, including those in the semiconductor sector, and had confirmation that they will comply with export control to Russia.

Taiwan is a major exporter of semiconductors, which are tiny chips that power everything from computers, electric vehicles, to fighter jets and missile systems. The island is home to the worlds largest contract chipmaker TSMC.

TSMC told Taiwans government-run Central News Agency on Feb. 25 that it was exporting almost nothing to Russia at the moment. In 2021, 65 percent of TSMC chips went to North America, followed by the AsiaPacific region at 14 percent, China at 10 percent, and Japan at 5 percent.

Separately, Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 1 that it had sent a shipment of 27 tons of medicine and medical supplies to Ukraine on humanitarian grounds.

On Feb. 27, Janez Lenarcic, the European commissioner for crisis management, told a news conference that about 18 million Ukrainians will be affected in humanitarian terms in Ukraine and neighboring countries.

The United Nations Refugee Agency said on Monday that at least 520,000 refugees from Ukraine have fled to neighboring countries amid Russias ongoing attack.

Taiwans foreign minister Joseph Wu, in a Twitter post showing pictures of the shipment, stated that Taiwan stands with Ukraine.

While #China sides with #Russia in an unlimited alliance, #Taiwan is with freedom & democracy fighting the expansion of authoritarianism. I have faith: Democracy will prevail, Wu wrote.

Russias invasion of Ukraine has sparked concerns that China may be emboldened and decide to invade Taiwan, a de facto independent country that the communist regime sees as a part of its territory.

In October last year, Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed that reunification of Taiwan with China would definitely be realized.
A nuclear threat on Ukraine, sanctions on Russiaas Ukraine battles its powerful neighbor, Taiwan is under pressure from China. But will a Taiwan invasion be next?

Beijing has been slow to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine. But while China suggested they hide their identity inside the war-torn country, Taiwan put its national flag on its evacuation bus.

Hong Kongs largest-yet pandemic outbreak sees spiraling new virus numbers. A sharp jump of nearly 10,000 new infection cases were reported on Monday.

And for those watching our full episode: A number of Indo-Pacific military drills are in play. Two of them come from Beijing, while one is hosted by Indiaand joined by the United States and 40 other countries.

How will Russia deal with Western sanctions? NTD talks to experts to get insight on whether President Vladimir Putin might look to China to dull the financial impact.

Have other topics you want us to cover? Drop us a line: chinainfocus@ntdtv.org

And if youd like to buy us a coffee: https://donorbox.org/china-in-focus

Subscribe to our newsletter for more first-hand news from China.

For more news and videos, please visit us on Gettr and Twitter.
Malalai (C) from Kunduz province, sits with her children at a camp for internally displaced people as they wait for a bus to return home, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Oct. 9, 2021. (Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

Taliban Bans Further Evacuation Of Afghans Over Poor Living Conditions Abroad

The Taliban said on Sunday that it will no longer allow further evacuations of Afghans, and that women will be barred from traveling abroad without a male chaperone.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that Afghans will not be allowed to leave the country without a clear destination and valid reasons, citing reports of Afghans living in bad conditions in camps abroad, Kabul-based TOLOnews reported.

As for Afghan women, Mujahid claimed that Sharia law forbids women from traveling abroad without the presence of a male guardian.

The Taliban has not outlined what it considers are valid reasons to leave the country.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Monday that they were engaging with the Taliban, asking them to live up to their prior commitments of respecting human rights, which include freedom of travel.

We have seen the Taliban statements reported in the press and have raised our concerns with the Taliban, the spokesperson said. Our ability to facilitate relocation for our Afghan allies depends on the Taliban living up to its commitment of free passage.

Mujahid said the Talibans travel restrictions would apply to Afghans who worked with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and American forces, but did not elaborate under what, if any, circumstances they would be able to evacuate.

The announcement came as the Taliban conducted a widespread house-to-house search operation in Kabul and other Afghan cities, which Mujahid described as clearing operations aimed at apprehending robbers and kidnappers. The searches come amid fears of political persecution by the Taliban of those who supported the former government, and other political opponents.

He said that the operations resulted in the seizing of weapons and ammunition, as well as the arrest of nine kidnappers and 53 robbers. Mujahid said that women were also involved in the searches and that only suspected areas were searched.

A resident of Kabul told TOLOnews that about 10 to 15 individuals stormed into his house unannounced and checked everywhere in the house.

Andreas von Brandt, the European Unions ambassador to Afghanistan, called on the Taliban to immediately end the intimidations, house searches, arrests, and violence against members of different ethnic groups and women, calling such actions crimes.

Despite Putins war, we are watching you, Brandt warned on Twitter on Sunday.

The travel ban also violates a key requirement for the Taliban if it wants the United States to lift sanctions and recognize its government.

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August last year when the United States withdrew its forces, resulting in more than 120,000 people fleeing the country.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A "We're hiring" sign hangs on the wall of a Target store in Miami, Fla., on Dec. 03, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Target Raises Minimum Wage for Some Jobs to $24 an Hour

U.S. retailer Target Corp. announced on Monday that it will adopt a minimum wage system that would increase starting pay for some employees by as much as $9 an hour, with the highest pay going to hires in the most competitive markets.

Target, which has roughly 1,900 stores and 350,000 employees in the United States, currently pays a universal starting wage of $15 an hour. It said in 2017 that its hourly minimum wage will be raised to $15 by 2020, becoming one of the first retailers to do so.

The Minneapolis-based discount retailer said in a Feb. 28 statement that up to $300 million will be invested in its labor force in the year ahead. The investment will include a new minimum wage that ranges from $15 to $24 and an expansion to health care coverage for team members.

Our team is at the heart of our strategy and success, and their energy and resilience keep us at the forefront of meeting the changing needs of our guests year after year, said Melissa Kremer, the retailers chief human resources officer.

We want all team members to be better off for working at Target, and years of investments in our culture of care, meaningful pay, expanded health care benefits and opportunities for growth have been essential to helping our team members build rewarding careers, Kremer added.

Many major retailers have been struggling with workforce shortages over the last few months, and some have countered this by increasing the hourly minimum wage for employees.

According to a recent survey of more than 100 major retailers with annual revenues between $500 million and more than $20 billion, 96 percent said theyre having trouble finding store employees. The survey conducted by global consulting firm Korn Ferry in January also found that 88 percent said it was difficult to find distribution-center workers.

The high demand for workers in the branch has recently pushed up pay for employees in other retailers such as Costco and Amazon.

Costco raised its minimum hourly wages for workers from $16 to $17 last fall. Amazons starting wage is $15 per hour, and the e-commerce giants nationwide average starting wage for jobs in transportation and fulfillment is $18 an hour.

Walmart remains a laggard: Last fall, it boosted its minimum wage to $12, from the $11 hourly base it established in 2018. Walmart also raised the hourly wages for more than 565,000 store workers by at least a dollar.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
How do we know for sure that our children feel our love? We may wonder about this key aspect of our relationship with them, or we may just take it for granted that its all working out. Does one child think that I love her sibling more? Is my son feeling upset because he doesnt think I love him? These are questions I asked when we were raising our three children. Then, I read The 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell. After reading it, I made some changes.

The authors claim that there are five basic love languages: physical touch, gifts, words of affirmation, acts of service, and quality time. We may respond favorably to all of these loving actions, but for each of us there is a primary love language, which is the one through which we feel most loved. The book describes in detail what these languages are and how each of us can recognize what approach works best for us. Those interested can take a quiz that has questions and answer choices. You can find it at: https://www.5LoveLanguages.com/quizzes/love-language

The quizzes are designed for different age groups: adult, teenager, and child. Based on the answers, the primary love language is revealed. For children under the age of 8, parents can ask the survey questions and get responses from their child.

Why is that important? It provides us with a tool so we can relate to our family members according to their specific need for love. As Dr. Chapman says in this groundbreaking book, You have to know how to communicate love to a child so that he genuinely feels loved.

When I took the quiz, I had some major realizations about why I experienced an emotional disconnect with my mother. My primary love language was quality time, and in second place was words of affirmation. Looking back to childhood memories of my mom, I could see that her primary love language was service. Indeed, she made beautiful clothes for me and provided many services that allowed me to receive an excellent education. However, on an emotional level, we were like two ships passing each other in the night, not able to connect. I didnt hear enough words of affirmation, nor did we spend much quality time together. When we did spend time together on vacations to the Adirondack Mountains and Fort Myers Beach, Florida, our family was more relaxed, and it made us all feel more connected and happy. Overall, I doubt that she experienced much gratitude from me, since I wasnt able to interpret her acts of service as expressions of her love for me. It wasnt until several years after cancer claimed her life at 50 that I understood that she really did love me after all.

I encouraged my husband to take the quiz, and we both realized that our love languages were different, so we made some adjustments in our lifestyle. We started spending more quality time going on bike ride adventures all over California. My husbands primary love language was service, so I did more of home improvement projects and fixing meals he liked. We both needed more words of affirmation, so we appreciated each other more frequently.

It wasnt until our children were young adults that I discovered this useful tool, so there was some catching up to do. By that time, they werent around as much, so they didnt take the quiz, and I had to depend on my own observations. I guessed that the oldest preferred quality time, so we planned some adventures like renting horses and galloping on the beach, mud baths and hot springs with friends, and snorkeling at Kanapali beach on Maui. These activities provided the excitement and quality time that helped her feel loved. She often remembers these experiences because they made a big impact on her; hopefully she could feel the love Ive had for her since her birth, in a very concrete way.

I learned about The 5 Love Languages from a couple who has 7 children. This family was very smart. The parents posted their results and that of each child on the refrigerator so that the whole family could be aware of each persons love language. Their oldest son told me that there was a lot of love and harmony in the home due to knowledge of everyones love language. They consciously practiced this awareness and still do as adult siblings.

In the book, there is a heart-warming testimony about healing in a fatherdaughter relationship. Neither was aware of each others love language, and consequently, there was awkwardness and friction in their communication. When they both took the quiz and discovered the others love language, the change was profound and wonderful. Each became more conscious of the others needs and took the time to act on that information. Knowledge of anothers primary love language is one of many tools that can improve a relationship, but that alone wont transform or heal. Experiencing real love within the family and beyond isnt that simple. However, we can use this very practical approach and make some changes that will make a difference.

Another resource that has helped me to understand more about love within the family is Real Love in Parenting: Nine Simple and Powerfully Effective Principles for Raising Happy and Responsible Children (published September 2005). I would recommend that adults read Greg Baers first book, Real Love, in order to understand his perspective. Through difficult life experiences, he came to realize that everything he had tried in his pursuit of happiness wasnt working, even though he was externally successful. His career as a surgeon and civic leader brought him wealth and respect, but he felt so unhappy that he eventually became a drug addict with suicidal inclinations. Through his quest for lasting happiness, he discovered what was missing and launched a new career of writing, teaching, and speaking on the topic of Real Love. RealLoveParents.com is a website that may help provide answers to your most troubling questions about parenting.

In his own words, Greg Baer explains:

I started RealLoveParents.com which uses these teachings to give parents the instruction book they didnt getbut needto learn how to raise happy and responsible children. I am dedicated to helping create a generation of emotionally stable adults by teaching parents now how to raise happy and responsible children. Effective parents experience more joy and have naturally eliminated a need to respond to stress. Happy and responsible children grow to be effective leaders in their own families and in society. My goal is to teach you the real meaning of love, replacing anger and confusion with peace and confidence in your individual life and in your relationships.

The family can be experienced as a school of love because its where children begin to learn about relationships. When they grow up, they can apply what they learned in their interactions with parents, siblings, and extended family members to people they meet in their community. Many of us believe that the family is a God-created institution and a necessary cornerstone of a good society. Ronald Reagan supported this belief when he made this statement: The family has always been the cornerstone of American society. Our families nurture, preserve, and pass on to each succeeding generation the values we share and cherish, values that are the foundation of our freedoms.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
Teen Who Tracked Elon Musks Private Jet Starts Following Flights of Russian Oligarchs

A teenager who was blocked on social media by Elon Musk after tracking the Tesla chief executive officers private jet has now started following the private planes of Russian oligarchs.

Jack Sweeney, 19, created a Twitter account called Russian Oligarch Jets in February amid President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine.

The account tracks the movements of some of Russias wealthiest businessmen, informing account followers of when and where their aircrafts take off and land along with a short summary of flight information, such as the location and duration of each trip.

The automated feed posted its first tweet on Sunday, the same day that the United States sanctioned two of Russias state-owned banks, the countrys sovereign debt, and elites with close ties to Putin.

Prior to the Biden administrations sanctions, German Chancellor Olaf Sholz announced a freeze on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would carry 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany each year.

Subsequent massive and targeted sanctions against Russia were also announced by the EU, which focused on the countrys oil, financial, transport, and energy sector, and visa policy which targets Russian oligarchs.

Yet despite multiple sanctions from the West meant to financially cripple Russias elite, Sweeneys account shows that many of them are still jet-setting across the globe in private planes.

So far, Sweeneys account is tracking the Russian billionaire and businessman Roman Abramovich, a former scientist turned industrial magnate, Alexander Abramov, and the president of aluminum manufacturing giant Rusal, Oleg Deripaska.

The businessmen have traveled everywhere from Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, and England in recent days, despite the UKs Prime minister Boris Johnson announcing that the country has banned all Russian aircraft from entering UK airspace as part of its largest-ever package of sanctions against Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.

The ban pertains to aircraft on a scheduled service which is, owned, chartered or operated by a person connected with Russia, or which is registered in Russia according to Johnsons announcement.

Yet data from Sweeneys account shows that industrial magnate Alexander Abramov landed in London, England, on March. 1.

In response to the UKs ban on Russian planes entering the country, Russias civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, has banned all flights by UK airlines to the country as well as transit flights.

Sweeney has also created a second account to monitor the private jets of president Putin himself but warned on Twitter that the account, called Russian VIP & Putin Jets, might not be as accurate because there are a dozen VIP Russian planes and ADS-B coverage isnt great in Russia.

ADS-B stands for automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast and broadcasts information about an aircrafts GPS location and altitude, among other things, enabling it to be tracked.

Sweeney made headlines last month when he created a Twitter account called Elon Musks Jet which tracked the businessmans movements in his private plane through air traffic information gathered by bots.

However, the freshman at the University of Central Florida was promptly told to take down the account by Musk due to security risks.

While Musk initially agreed to Sweeneys offer to remove the account if Musk paid him $50K, the Tesla chief later went back on the offer and allegedly blocked the teenager on social media.

Undeterred, Sweeney told The Epoch Times that he planned to launch a business called Ground Control to monitor the flight activity of private jets owned by other high-profile people, this time for a profit.
A student walks on campus at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 3, 2020. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

The Dreadful Toll of Campus Injustice in Australia

Commentary

A few years ago, an engaging young overseas-trained doctor arrived in one of Australias biggest cities to do post-graduate research. He was a popular and confident student, soon appointed to leadership roles at the university college where he was staying, thrilled to be part of its student community.

A photo of him taken a year later shows his hair starting to fall out (alopecia) through stress after monstrous treatment from his university following an unfounded, malicious sexual assault allegation.

Two years later, a jury took 20 minutes to dismiss the case after a two-week trial. After the criminal trial, the court took the unusual step of awarding costs against the Crown, with the judge stating a proper investigation would have revealed that the complainant was very substantially lacking credit and the case should not have been commenced.

But there was never any proper investigation. This young man was treated abominably by this tertiary institution.

After the complaint was made, he was given two hours to leave the college and was not allowed to discuss with anyone why he was being evicted. Relevant witnesses were never interviewed, he had no chance to present a proper response to the allegations.

He was dumped far from his former college, alone and publicly shamed, while the accuser spread lies about what had happened.

The believe survivors mantra is leaving a trail of its own victims. (Dawid Zawia/Unsplash)

The coordinators of his post-grad program were told before he was even charged, that he could not take part in clinical work or research because he was under investigation.

His education plans were derailed, his life was put on hold. He has spent the last few years working as a waiter, couch surfing with friends or living in a hostel, having spent his savings, with help from his family, defending his criminal case.

Since he contacted me in late 2020, we have been doing our best to support him, including using immigration lawyers to keep him in the country whilst pursuing action against the university.

Late last year, our excellent campus justice team achieved a confidential settlement with the university. He is now studying and seeking medical registration to practice in Australia.

Meanwhile, universities across the country continue to believe the victim and the presumption of innocence as a cornerstone of our system of justice is ignored.

In Australia, each year dozens of accused young men are shafted by tertiary institutions to appease the lynch mob.

Whats unusual about our young doctors story is he didnt fall victim to an aggrieved young woman. He is openly gay and his accuser was male.

But the believe-the-victim rules applied just the same, even though the accuser was a known troublemaker, having attracted unfavourable attention for making aggressive comments to women in the college.

Activists and advocates for survivors of sexual abuse gather in the Federal Building Plaza to protest the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in Chicago, Ill., on Sept. 28, 2018. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Theres a worrying parallel to the Melbourne story I wrote about earlier this year, in that our doctor, like Chris from Melbourne, had a supervisory role in the college, requiring him to look after students.

It says a lot about the vulnerability of men in this circumstance who are required to impose rules that easily create resentment amongst students, setting themselves up for vengeful allegations.

It began when our doctor was asked by the colleges director to speak to the accuser about a particular incident of being aggressive towards a female student and to urge him to seek counselling. He did that and the accuser reacted badly, accusing him of betraying their friendship.

But then, a few days later the accuser was all over the doctor, openly flirting with him in public, inviting himself to his roomin front of witnesses. Theyd just started consensually kissing when the accuser suddenly jumped up and left the room, for no apparent reason. It seems like it was all a set-up, a clumsy form of entrapment as payback for the doctors role in reprimanding him for his bad behaviour.

Our doctor then discovered the accuser was claiming he had been sexually assaulted by him. The doctor made a report to the student liaison officer, explaining it was a false accusation, listing witnesses who could confirm the proceeding events that evening. This evidence was not pursued.

Within a week, the doctor learnt an official sexual assault complaint had been made alleging digital penetration without consent had occurred during the encounter in his room.

Ultimately the jury found our doctor not guilty of this charge, with a subsequent court finding the allegation couldnt be substantiated due to the complainants lack of credibility.

On top of that, there was the blatantly sexually flirtatious behaviour by the complainant who changed his complaint, lied to the police multiple times, and tried to suppress evidence and influence witnesses.

Vital evidence supporting the accused had been withheld by numerous officials at the university during their contact with the police and it required subpoenas and orders from the judge for the forceful release of this information during the trial.

Even after the jury dismissed the case and the court made its clear ruling, the university kept open the option of conducting its own misconduct investigation for eight months.

Whilst we celebrate this settlement over a university, it is frustrating that the legal grounds focused on how the officials had slipped up in minor areas of administrative law, rather than addressing the use of these draconian regulations to adjudicate sexual assault.

The Queensland Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that universities shouldnt be making these decisions but this was overturned on appeal.

The fact remains that universities are unable to conduct investigations in a manner that provides proper attention to due legal process.

As the Supreme Court judge commented: It would indeed be a startling result if a committee comprised of academics and students who are not required to have any legal training could decide allegations of a most serious kind without any of the protections of the criminal law.

But that is just what is happening, and universities are getting away with it.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Among the Founding Fathers of the United States were inventors and scientists. More importantly, however, the Founders were truly inventive leaders. They were tremendous problem-solvers and great innovators across a wide spectrum of academic and practical pursuits. There seems to be no end to their involvement in research and development on behalf of the new nation. Their biographies always leave you wondering, How did they find the time, and when did they sleep? Hamilton, for example, led his battalion to victory in the decisive battle of Yorktown. He later became the very first treasury secretary. Without any previous template to follow, he devised the national banking system that was necessary for the economic development of the United States. Thanks to his genius, our very bankrupt country overcame the financial problems of its earliest years. Without capital from banks and loans, future inventors would never have been able to open businesses or sell their new products.

What was their motivation? Why were the Founders so inventive, and what hopes and dreams did they have for us? Their future vision rings as clearly in their writing and in their work as the Liberty Bell rang before the famous crack. They wanted prosperity and a rising GDP for us and for our children. Surrounded by European military powers, economic independence was needed just to survive. To achieve it, the Founders carefully designed a more open business climatea better kind of capitalism than the one that they had suffered with under the British Empire.

Jefferson worked to improve a farming plow and designed a device to copy letters. As secretary of state, he invented a wheel cipher that was part of an early attempt to send secretly encoded messages. Privacy must have been a problem even before the internet. Still, Jeffersons greatest contribution to science probably took place when he sent Lewis and Clark to explore the vast Louisiana Purchase. Their expedition into the unknown resulted in hundreds of geographic discoveries and encounters with many amazing new plants and animals.

Benjamin Rush was a pioneering advocate for the mentally ill at Pennsylvania Hospital, which Benjamin Franklin helped to charter. Rush was the first American to argue that mental illness had a physical cause, and he made great advances in more humane patient treatment. The U.S. Psychiatric Association acknowledges Dr. Rush as the Father of American Psychiatry.

Franklin was already a world-renowned scientist and inventor when George Washington was only a teenager. His inventions are known, or should be known, to every school-age child. There is the lightning rod, the bifocals, and the Franklin stove. Electricity? By the end of the 1750s, his publication, Experiments & Observations on Electricity, had been printed in both French and German. He developed many important electrical terms such as these common essentials that not a single modern electrician can live without: positive and negative.

Franklin helped to start the American Philosophical Society in 1743, and many of the other Founders later became membersWashington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Rush. This was the premier scientific group in colonial America. The members shared research and exciting new findings in all fields of science to promote the common good as well as the American economy. The APS building and library still stands in Philadelphia today. Its close proximity to Independence Hall is symbolic of the unbreakable connection between scientific life, invention, and the Founders vision for the new republic.

Inventors would need a way to protect their inventions. Adam Mossoff of George Mason University provides some excellent background: Patents were granted by royal decree from the King.  They were expensive.  If youre going to create a new, thriving free society, its not going to be based on aristocracy, the existing wealthy. Its going to be based on the creation of new wealth. They took the position that patents should be like property rights. Economists have called this the democratization of invention. The American Founding Fathers recognized that if you are going to have an innovative economy,  Congress would authorize protection of patents and copyrights.

James Madison made sure that patent protection was included in the original Constitution. It seems that whenever they considered the future, the Founders thought about each and every detail. Article I secures the patent right: To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.

Buy American and Made in the USA are not just recent ideas. Early in 1789, George Washington wrote to Lafayette about the American improvements in manufactures. He praised the cotton cloths, hats, leather goods, glass, shoes, and nails being produced that once were imported from Britain. He wrote about having a suit of clothes made with American cloth that he would later wear, famously, at his inauguration ceremony. Indeed we have already been to[o] long subject to British prejudices. I use no porter or cheese in my family, but such as is made in Americaboth  may now be purchased of an excellent quality. Washington was no doubt tired of overpriced imported goods delivered by a hostile country that he had spent a lifetime fighting against, a country that held nothing but contempt for his own.

On April 10, 1790, Washington signed the Patent Act into law. The first president approved 156 new patents during his two terms. If you were lucky enough to be one of those 156, you received your document hand-signed by Washington himself. The author B. Zorina Khan, in her book The Democratization of Invention, describes the impact: The United States created the first modern patent system and its policies were the most liberal in the world toward inventors. Individuals who did not have the resources to directly exploit their inventions benefited disproportionately from secure property rights and the operation of efficient markets.

The Founders set the wheels in motion for the greatest entrepreneurial economy that the world has ever seen. By their example, they taught us how to support science and research and to protect the rights of inventors. Their incredible leadership and foresight helped us to achieve the security and the opportunities that we enjoy today. The Founders would be astonished by the things that we have come to take for granted, like our highways and the Empire State Building. They would probably be most impressed by medical advances that have reduced so much mortality. Still, they would caution us to continue to maintain our economic independence and our spirit of invention because there may yet be wolves at the door. Save for that rainy day, they would say. The Founders would echo this quote from economist Milton Friedman: There is no alternative way so far discovered of improving the lot of ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by the free-enterprise system.

This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
Early on in the COVID pandemic, people suspected that the deaths attributed to the infection were exaggerated. There was plenty of evidence for this. For starters, hospitals were instructed and incentivized to mark any patient who had a positive COVID test and subsequently died within a certain time period as a COVID death.

At the same time, we knew that the PCR test was unreliable, producing inordinate amounts of false positives. Now, the truth is finally starting to come out and, as suspected, the actual death toll is vastly lower than we were led to believe.

COVID Deaths Have Been Vastly Overcounted

In the video above, Dr. John Campbell reviews recent data released by the U.K. government in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. They show that the number of deaths during 2020 in England and Wales, where COVID-19 was the sole cause of death, was 9,400. Of those, 7,851 were aged 65 and older. The median age of death was 81.5 years.

During the first quarter of 2021, there were 6,483 deaths where COVID-19 was the sole cause of death, again with the vast majority, 4,923, occurring in seniors over 65.

A total of 346 died from COVID-19 alone during the second quarter of 2021, and in the third quarter, the COVID death toll was 1,142. Again, these are people with no other underlying conditions that might have caused their death.

So, in all, for the 21 months covering January 2020 through September 2021, the total COVID-19 death toll in England and Wales was 17,371  a far cry from whats been reported. As of the end of September 2021, the U.K. government reported there were 137,133 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, and these deaths were therefore all counted as COVID deaths.

In a January 19, 2022, press conference, U.K. health secretary Sajid Javid admitted that the daily government figures are unreliable as people have been and continue to die from conditions unrelated to COVID-19, but are included in the count due to a positive test.

He also admitted that about 40% of patients presently counted as hospitalized COVID patients were not admitted due to COVID symptoms. They were admitted for other conditions and simply tested positive.

COVID Has Primarily Killed Those Close to Death Anyway

Campbell also points out that of the 17,371 people who had COVID-19 as the sole cause of death, 13,597 were 65 or older. The average age of death in the U.K. from COVID in 2021 was 82.5 years. Compare that to the projected life expectancy in the U.K., which is 79 for men and 82.9 for women. This hardly constitutes an emergency, least of all for healthy school- and working-age individuals.

Campbell then goes on to review data on excess deaths from cancer. Estimates suggest there have been an extra 50,000 cancer deaths over the past 18 months  deaths that normally would not have occurred. Delayed diagnosis and inability to receive proper treatment due to COVID restrictions are thought to be primary reasons for this.

As noted by Campbell, when were looking at excess deaths, we really need to take things like age of death into account. COVID-19, apparently, killed mostly people who were close to the end of life expectancy anyway, so the loss of quality life years isnt particularly significant.

That needs to be weighed against the deaths of people in their 30s, 40s and 50s who have died from untreated cancer and other chronic diseases, thanks to COVID restrictions.

CDC Highlights Role of Comorbidities in Vaxxed COVID Deaths

In the U.S., data suggest a similar pattern of exaggerated COVID death statistics. Most recently, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky cited research showing that 77.8% of people who had received the COVID jab yet died from/with COVID also had, on average, four comorbidities.

So, really, these are people who were unwell to begin with, Walensky said. But while Walensky points to this study as evidence that the COVID shot works wonders to reduce the risk of death, the exact same pattern has been shown in the unvaccinated. People without comorbidities have very little to worry about when it comes to COVID.

COVID is a lethal risk only for the sickest among us, and thats true whether youre vaccinated or not.

For example, a 2020 study found 88% of hospitalized COVID patients in New York City had two or more comorbidities, 6.3% had one underlying health condition and 6.1% had none. At that time, there were no COVID jabs available.

Similarly, in late August 2020, the CDC published data showing only 6% of the total death count had COVID-19 listed as the sole cause of death. The remaining 94% had had an average of 2.6 comorbidities or preexisting health conditions that contributed to their deaths. So, yes, COVID is a lethal risk only for the sickest among us, just as Walensky said, but thats true whether youre vaccinated or not.

Most COVID Deaths Likely Due to Ventilator Malpractice

In addition to the issue of whether people die from COVID or with a SARS-CoV-2 positive test, theres the issue of whether incorrect treatment is killing COVID patients. By early April 2020, doctors warned that putting COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation increased their risk of death.

One investigation showed a staggering 80% of COVID-19 patients in New York City who were placed on ventilators died, causing some doctors to question their use. U.K. data put that figure at 66% and a small study in Wuhan found 86% of ventilated patients died. In an April 8, 2020, article, STAT News reported:

Many patients have blood oxygen levels so low they should be dead. But theyre not gasping for air, their hearts arent racing, and their brains show no signs of blinking off from lack of oxygen. That is making critical care physicians suspect that blood levels of oxygen, which for decades have driven decisions about breathing support for patients with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress, might be misleading them about how to care for those with COVID-19. In particular, more and more are concerned about the use of intubation and mechanical ventilators. They argue that more patients could receive simpler, noninvasive respiratory support, such as the breathing masks used in sleep apnea, at least to start with and maybe for the duration of the illness.

At the time, emergency room physician Dr. Cameron Kyle-Sidell argued that patients symptoms had more in common with altitude sickness than pneumonia. Similarly, a paper by critical care Drs. Luciano Gattinoni and John J. Marini described two different types of COVID-19 presentations, which they refer to as Type L and Type H. While one benefited from mechanical ventilation, the other did not.

Despite that, putting COVID patients on mechanical ventilation is standard of care for COVID across the U.S. to this day. Without doubt, most of the early COVID patients were killed from ventilator malpractice, and patients continue to be killed  not from COVID but from harmful treatments.

Better Alternatives to Ventilation Exist

Mechanical ventilation can easily damage the lungs as its pushing air into the lungs with force. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) would likely be a better alternative, as it allows your body to absorb a higher percentage of oxygen without forcing air into the lungs. HBOT also improves mitochondrial function, helps with detoxification, inhibits and controls inflammation and optimizes your bodys innate healing capacity.

Doctors have also had excellent results using high-flow nasal cannulas in lieu of ventilators. As noted in an April 2020 press release from doctors at UChicago Medicine:

High-flow nasal cannulas, or HFNCs, are non-invasive nasal prongs that sit below the nostrils and blow large volumes of warm, humidified oxygen into the nose and lungs. A team from UChicago Medicines emergency room took 24 COVID-19 patients who were in respiratory distress and gave them HFNCs instead of putting them on ventilators. The patients all fared extremely well, and only one of them required intubation after 10 days  The HFNCs are often combined with prone positioning, a technique where patients lay on their stomachs to aid breathing. Together, theyve helped UChicago Medicine doctors avoid dozens of intubations and have decreased the chances of bad outcomes for COVID-19 patients, said Thomas Spiegel, MD, Medical Director of University of Chicago Medicines Emergency Department. The proning and the high-flow nasal cannulas combined have brought patient oxygen levels from around 40% to 80% and 90% 

How to Use Prone Positioning at Home

You can also use prone positioning at home if you struggle with a cough or have trouble breathing. If youre struggling to breathe, you should seek emergency medical care. However, in cases of cough or mild shortness of breath being treated at home, try to avoid spending a lot of time lying flat on your back.

Guidelines from Elmhurst Hospital suggest laying [sic] on your stomach and in different positions will help your body to get air into all areas of your lung. The guidelines recommend changing your position every 30 minutes to two hours, including:

Lying on your belly

Lying on your right side

Sitting up

Lying on your left side

This is a simple way to potentially help ease breathing difficulties at home. If you or a loved one is hospitalized, this technique can be used there too.

Hospital Incentives Are Driving Up COVID Deaths

You might wonder why doctors and hospital administrators insist on using treatments known to be ineffective at best and deadly at worst, while stubbornly refusing to administer anything that has been shown to work, be it intravenous vitamin C, hydroxychloroquine and zinc, ivermectin or corticosteroids.

The most likely answer is because theyre protecting their bottom line. In the U.S., hospitals not only risk losing federal funding if they administer these treatments, but they also get a variety of incentives for doing all the wrong things. Hospitals receive payments for:

COVID testing for all patients

COVID diagnoses

Admitting a COVID patient

Use of remdesivir

Use of mechanical ventilation

COVID deaths

Whats worse, theres evidence that certain hospital systems, and perhaps all of them, have waived patients rights, making anyone diagnosed with COVID a virtual prisoner of the hospital, with no ability to exercise informed consent. In short, hospitals are doing whatever they want with patients, and they have every incentive to maltreat them, and no incentive to give them treatments other than that dictated to them by the National Institutes of Health.

As reported by Citizens Journal, the U.S. government actually pays hospitals a bonus on the entire hospital bill if they use remdesivir, a drug shown to cause severe organ damage. Even coroners are given bonuses for every COVID-19 death.

A Bounty Has Been Placed on Your Life

What does this mean for your health and safety as a patient in the hospital? Citizens Journal asks. Without mincing words, it means your health is in severe jeopardy. Citizen Journal likens government-directed COVID treatments to a bounty placed on your life, where payouts are tied to your decline, not your recovery.

For Remdesivir, studies show that 7175% of patients suffer an adverse effect, and the drug often had to be stopped after five to 10 days because of these effects, such as kidney and liver damage, and death, Citizen Journal writes. Remdesivir trials during the 2018 West African Ebola outbreak had to be discontinued because death rate exceeded 50%. Yet, in 2020, Anthony Fauci directed that Remdesivir was to be the drug hospitals use to treat COVID-19, even when the COVID clinical trials of Remdesivir showed similar adverse effects. In ventilated patients, the death toll is staggering  [attorney Thomas] Renz announced at a Truth for Health Foundation Press Conference that CMS data showed that in Texas hospitals, 84.9% percent of all patients died after more than 96 hours on a ventilator. Then there are deaths from restrictions on effective treatments for hospitalized patients. Renz and a team of data analysts have estimated that more than 800,000 deaths in Americas hospitals, in COVID-19 and other patients, have been caused by approaches restricting fluids, nutrition, antibiotics, effective antivirals, anti-inflammatories, and therapeutic doses of anti-coagulants. We now see government-dictated medical care at its worst in our history since the federal government mandated these ineffective and dangerous treatments for COVID-19, and then created financial incentives for hospitals and doctors to use only those approved (and paid for) approaches. Our formerly trusted medical community of hospitals and hospital-employed medical staff have effectively become bounty hunters for your life. Patients need to now take unprecedented steps to avoid going into the hospital for COVID-19. Patients need to take active steps to plan before getting sick to use early home-based treatment of COVID-19 that can help you save your life.

Treat COVID Symptoms Immediately and Aggressively

Considering the uncertainties around diagnosis, its best to treat any cold or flu-like symptoms early. At first signs of symptoms, start treatment. Perhaps its the common cold or a regular influenza, maybe its the much milder Omicron, but since its hard to tell, your best bet is to treat symptoms as you would treat earlier forms of COVID.

Considering how contagious Omicron is, chances are youre going to get it, so buy what youll need now, so you have it on hand if/when symptoms arise. And, remember, this applies for those who have gotten the jab as well, since youre just as likely to get infected  and perhaps even more so. Early treatment protocols with demonstrated effectiveness include:

Based on my review of these protocols, Ive developed the following summary of the treatment specifics I believe are the easiest and most effective.

References
Two women embrace after one arrives at Auckland International Airport in Auckland, New Zealand on Feb. 26, 2022. (Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP)

Time to Re-engage: New Zealand to Open Border to the World

New Zealand has announced it will be opening up its borders to fully vaccinated Kiwis from around the world from midnight on March 4.

Prime Minister Jacinda Arden announced the border change in Parliament noting that this would be welcome news to many Kiwis who are eager to travel home to see loved ones as soon as possible.

I can assure you now that as we open, all vaccinated travellers who test negative on arrival with a RAT will be able to immediately enjoy New Zealand and all it has to offer and not have to isolate, she said on Monday.

Fully vaccinated Kiwis returning from overseas will not need to isolate upon arrival and will undertake two rapid antigen tests within six days of arriving. Those with a positive result will be required to isolate for the same period as a community case.

Meanwhile, all unvaccinated travellers will be required to enter managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ).

But the Prime Minister warned the pandemic was still an ongoing issue and that the government could still bring back restrictions after the border reopening.

The usual caveats (apply). We are making these decisions in light of the experience we have and the evidence we have, she said. The pandemic isnt over yet. We need to make sure we have in our back pocket all of the tools that have got us through so far.

The announcement comes after the country opened its gates to Kiwis in Australia last Sunday.

Professor David Skegg said the announcement was made in light of significant changes in the past few weeks.

Given the rapid change we believe it is now appropriate to drop the requirement of self-isolation for fully vaccinated New Zealanders, he said.

If you had asked for our advice two or three weeks ago, we probably would have given a different answer. This has developed very rapidly.

It comes following calls from opposition parties National and ACT for greater freedom for movement.

Prior to the announcement, opposition leader Chris Luxon said: From the families that couldnt see loved ones, to the hospitality businesses who dont have any international customersKiwis are hurting.

Its time to re-engage with the world.

New Zealand has some of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 95 percent of those aged 12 and over double-dosed.

Just over 70 percent of the eligible population have also received a third dose.
Container ship Maersk Emerald is unloaded at the Port of Oakland, Calif., on July 12, 2018. (Ben Margot, File/AP Photo)

Top Container Lines Cancel Shipping to Russia, Essentials Allowed With Increase in Scrutiny

Two of the biggest container lines in the world, the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Maersk, have announced the temporary suspension of shipping activities to and from Russia after the country was subject to international sanctions and other isolating measures.

The MSC suspension came into effect on March 1 and will cover all access areas including Far East Russia, the Black Sea, and the Baltics. MSC will continue to accept and screen bookings for delivery of essential goods such as food, medical equipment, and humanitarian goods, the firm said in a March 1 service update.

MSC will contact customers directly, as necessary, in respect of any Russia-related cargo that is already in transit. Headquartered in Switzerland, MSC is currently the biggest shipping company by capacity in the world.

Denmarks Maersk, which was the worlds largest container shipping line and vessel operator until last year, said that it is deeply concerned about the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine and is making regular adjustments to comply with sanctions against Russia.

As the stability and safety of our operations is already being directly and indirectly impacted by sanctions, new Maersk bookings within ocean, air, and intercontinental rail to and from Russia will be temporarily suspended, with the exception of foodstuffs, medical, and humanitarian supplies (bar dual-use items), Maersk said in a March 1 advisory.

The suspension will cover all Russian gateway ports. For cargo that is already underway and for bookings that were already in place prior to the suspension, Maersk promised to do its utmost to ensure that the goods are delivered to their intended destination.

The company also warned of significant delays as countries like Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands are holding back vessels destined to Russia to check for primarily dual-use items and restricted commodities. Maersk had halted all port calls to Ukraine last week.

The company owns a 31 percent stake in Global Ports, a Russian port operator. It employs around 500 people in Russia and 60 in Ukraine.

Maersk and MSC were preceded by Singapore-headquartered shipping firm Ocean Network Express, which announced booking cancellations to and from ports in Ukraine and Russia. Germanys Hapag Lloyd has also stopped bookings for Russia on a temporary basis.

Despite Russias invasion of Ukraine, container booking rates have remained unchanged, a logistics provider in Indonesia said to S&P Global. Some liners have extended rates to North America from Indonesia until the end of this month.

We are uncertain of what will happen [even] next week  there could be severe implications on the supply chains.  Many liners could make blank sailing into Europe due to this issue, further clogging up the system, the logistics provider stated.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) raised concerns about the plight of seafarers amidst the Russia-Ukraine war, with Secretary-General Kitack Lim expressing worries about the conflicts impact on energy supplies and the delivery of food and other commodities to developing nations.
In this video still, tracks leading to the Charles River is seen in Massachusetts, on Feb. 26, 2022. (State Police Association of Massachuset via AP/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Truck Carrying Mail Plunges Into Massachusetts River

State police said a tractor-trailer veered off the road and plunged into a river in Massachusetts on Saturday.

The truck went down a long embankment near an exit from Interstate 95 to the Massachusetts Turnpike at around noon and ended up in the Charles River.

The driver, who police said cant swim, was standing atop the truck when first responders arrived.

Weston Fire Department firefighters brought the driver to safety and he was taken to Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston by a Newton Fire Department unit.

Authorities said the driver was conscious and alert and didnt appear to sustain any injuries.

State police told the Boston Herald the truck had been carrying mail, but it wasnt clear if it was an official U.S. Postal Service truck or one operated by a contractor.

The Newton Fire Department advised drivers to avoid the area as the State Police dive team assisted in the removal of the truck from the river.
Canadian soldiers fire the Carl Gustav short-range anti-armoured weapon during a live-fire frontal assault exercise on a firing range during Operation REASSURANCE, in Cincu, Romania, on April 9, 2016. (Corporal Guillaume Gagnon/CAF Combat Camera via Flickr)

Canada Sending Anti-Tank Weapons to Ukraine, Trudeau Says

Canada announced Monday it will send anti-tank weapons to bolster Ukraine and impose additional sanctions to punish Russia for its invasion.

At a press conference in Ottawa on Feb. 28 attended by some of his cabinet ministers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada and its allies are not seeking to provoke or escalate tensions with Russia, which said it was putting its nuclear forces on high alert on Feb. 27.

While Trudeau said this threat is a concern for G7 leaders, they are firm and determined to continue to stand strong together in defence of democracies.

On the military side, Trudeau said Canada would also be providing airlift support to move supplies and aid and contribute to other NATO efforts.

Defence Minister Anita Anand said one plane left for Europe Monday and another will leave later this week, and this effort is facilitated by 50 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel.

The anti-tank weapons to be shipped are the Carl Gustav shoulder-fired recoilless rifles, which will come out of the CAF inventory. The quantity isnt clear, with Anand saying the amount would be 100 during her prepared remarks and then 125 when answering a question. The minister said Canada is also providing 2,000 munitions that have been upgraded in Canada.

The Carl Gustav can fire a number of different types of munitions, one of which is laser-guided for improved accuracy. It is unclear what type of munitions Canada is providing.

Some reports indicate that the U.S.-provided anti-armour shoulder-fired Javelin system is making an impact on the battlefield, slowing the Russian advance.

Canadas announcement of military aid follows another announcement made on Feb. 27 pertaining to sending non-lethal aid in the form of body armour and gas masks. Earlier this month, Canada said it was sending approximately $10 million in lethal aid.

On Feb. 28, Russias foreign ministry warned European Union countries supplying weapons and other goods to Ukraine of dangerous consequences.

Trudeau also announced additional measures targeting Russia after imposing sanctions on its banks over the weekend.

The prime minister said Canada would stop importing Russian crude oil, an industry that has benefited President Putin and his oligarchs greatly.

And while Canada has imported very little amounts in recent years, this measure sends a powerful message, he said.

In 2019, 3 percent of Canadas oil imports were from Russia, according to the Canada Energy Regulator.

Dan McTeague, gas price expert and president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, told The Epoch Times that Ottawa should go further by preventing Russian vessels from using Canadian waters to deliver 800,000 barrels of oil a day to the U.S. West Coast.

More than banning Russian oil, we should be making efforts to displace it, added McTeague, referring to unleashing Canadas oil-producing potential to hurt the Kremlins bottom line.

In order to tackle disinformation, Trudeau said his government will also be asking the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to review the presence on Canadian airwaves of Russia Today (RT), an English-language Russian state media.

Prior to this announcement, major television providers said they were removing RT from their channel lineup.

When asked by a reporter if he would consider applying this measure to other state-owned outlets like Chinas, Trudeau said its a good question and one we should absolutely and are indeed reflecting on, but he added for the time being the focus is on Russia.

On the humanitarian front, Trudeau announced that the government will match donations made to the Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Crisis Appeal up to $10 million, and this will come in addition to the $50 million in humanitarian aid already committed by Canada.

Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser said that since Jan. 19, Canada has streamlined the immigration process for Ukrainians, which resulted in the approval of nearly 4,000 applications.
Trump Asks Appeals Court to Block Order to Testify in Probe

Former President Donald Trump on Feb. 28 appealed an order that he and two of his children testify in a probe being conducted by New Yorks attorney general.

Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump through lawyers asked the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court to overturn the order, which was handed down on Feb. 17.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who is leading the probe into the Trump Organization, was given notice that an appeal was filed, court documents show.

Trumps lawyers have not entered the actual appeal document, which will lay out their arguments to the court as to why the order from New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron should be blocked.

Engoron ruled that James has the clear right to question principals of an entity being investigated after finding copious evidence of possible financial fraud, the judge said in his ruling.

James said ahead of the expected appeal that the Trumps have the right to seek a delay but they cannot deter us from following the facts and the law wherever they may lead.

Make no mistake: My office will continue to pursue this case without fear or favor because no one is above the law, added James, who has said her office has uncovered evidence that Trump Organization financial papers such as tax submissions contain material misstatements and omissions.

Trump said in a recent statement said that his companys assets are unique, extremely valuable and, in many cases, far more valuable than what was listed in our financial statements.

He also said the statements dont include brand value, which would close the gap of any discrepancy they may have found, if there is a discrepancy at all.

Mazars USA, an accounting firm, informed the Trump Organization in February that statements filed for Trump for 2011 through 2020 should no longer be relied upon, citing filings from James and an internal investigation.

While we have not concluded that the various financial statements, as a whole, contain material discrepancies, based upon the totality of the circumstances, we believe our advice to you to no longer rely upon those financial statements is appropriate, Mazars counsel William Kelly wrote, adding that Mazars performed the work in question in accordance with professional standards.

Kelly said Mazars would no longer be able to work for the Trump Organization.

Trump said Mazars has been threatened, harassed, and insulted like virtually no other firm has ever been and was forced to resign from a great long-term account by the prosecutorial misconduct by James.
UK Government Pushes Through Controversial Protest Curbs Despite Lawmakers Criticisms

The British government has reinstated restrictions on protests to a controversial policing bill amid criticisms from both opposition and backbench Conservative lawmakers.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Bill contains a wide-ranging raft of measures aimed at overhauling the criminal justice system.

These include plans to give police in England and Wales more powers to impose conditions on non-violent protests judged to be too noisy and thereby causing intimidation or harassment or serious unease, alarm, or distress to the public.

In the early hours of March 1, the House of Commons, in which the government enjoys an 80-seat majority, voted to reinstate the protest curbs to the bill which had been removed by the House of Lords.

Home Office minister Kit Malthouse said that the government rejected the Lords watering down of the public order provisions.

He said people have a fundamental right to dissent, to protest, but stressed the right to protest is not unqualified.

He said some protesters over the last couple of years have been using tactics which are massively disruptive to other peoples lives, and Parliament and the police need to strike a balance between competing rights.

The minister also defended proposals to crack down on tactics used by campaign groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain including blocking roads, which he said put a lot of police officers in danger and did cause a significant amount of misery to many thousands of people.

He argued people want protection from the state of their rights to get to school, and to hospital, and to work.

The main opposition Labour Party suggested the protest curbs went against Britains long-standing and important democratic freedom to gather and to speak or to protest.

Shadow Home Office minister Sarah Jones said: Over the last five days thousands of people have been arrested and detained at anti-war protests across Russia. We would all defend their right to protest. And yet, here we are in the mother of all democracies debating an amendment to a bill that would criminalise in this country singing at a peaceful protest.

Several senior Conservative MPs also voiced concerns over the restrictions.

Former minister Jesse Norman said it was unfortunate the government was bringing forward noise-based restrictions on protests when people in Ukraine are dying for their beliefs and for the rights of freedom of speech and of association.

Steve Baker, a former Brexit minister, said protests are inherently noisy and inherently annoying.

If noise is ever used as a weapon Im sure there are other instruments of law that can be used, he said.

PA Media contributed to this report.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L) and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki give a press conference at the Chancellery in Warsaw, Poland, on March 1, 2022. (Leon Neal /Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

UK Ready to Take Ukrainian Refugees in Considerable Numbers: Johnson

Britain is ready to take Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russian aggression in considerable numbers, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday.

Speaking in Poland, one of the main destinations for people fleeing the war, Johnson said more would be done to allow Ukrainians to come to the UK.

The government is extending the family scheme, which will cover an additional 200,000 eligible people, he said.

A Polish border guard assists refugees from Ukraine as they arrive to Poland at the Korczowa border crossing, Poland, on Feb. 26, 2022. (Czarek Sokolowski/AP Photo)

Additionally, we are going to have a humanitarian scheme and then a scheme by which UK companies and citizens can sponsor individual Ukrainians to come to the UK, he said.

The prime minister said the Polish government and people were doing an amazing job, an inspirational job in addressing the humanitarian crisis.

We in the UK stand ready to help you, we have humanitarian supplies already coming in. I think two planes of medical supplies have already landed, there is more to come, Johnson said.

He told his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki, We stand ready, clearly, to take Ukrainian refugees in our own country, working with you, in considerable numbers, as we always have done and always will.

The UK government has come under pressure from both Conservative and opposition lawmakers to do more to take in Ukrainian refugees.

Home Secretary Priti Patel on Monday ruled out a visa waiver for those fleeing the conflict with Russia, citing security concerns. But she said that further changes would be announced in the next few days to help the people of Ukraine.

In a speech in Warsaw, Johnson said Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a colossal mistake by invading Ukraine.

Putin has lied to his people and to his troops about how this conflict would go, and he has now been caught out in that lie, he said.

They have not been welcomed to Ukraine as he prophesied, their tanks have not been cheered in the streets or garlanded with flowers. Instead, Ukrainians have mounted an astonishing and tenacious resistance.

Johnson said Putin was tearing up every principle of civilised behaviour between states.

He has hurled his war machine on the people of Ukraine, a fellow Slavic country, he has bombarded civilian targets, fired rockets at blocks of flats, he is responsible for hundreds of civilian casualties including growing numbers of children. And also, of course, for the deaths of many Russian and Ukrainian soldiers.

He said evidence of Putins attacks on civilians could be used in a future trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Ukrainian service members in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the morning of Feb. 26, 2022. (Sergei Supinksy/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine Lifts Visa Requirement for Foreign Nationals Seeking to Join Its Fight Against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has temporarily lifted a visa requirement for foreign nationals who wish to join Ukraines International Defence Legion to fight against Russia.

Zelensky signed a decree late Monday, which will take effect on Tuesday and remain in effect as long as martial law persists. Foreignerswith the exception of Russian citizenswont need a visa to enter Ukraine if they are joining the legion to fight Russian troops, according to the decree, The Kyiv Independent first reported.

On Sunday, Zelensky had issued a plea to foreigners to come fight with Ukraine, reported New Voice of Ukraine. By early Monday, Ukraines deputy defense minister claimed that the country received thousands of requests from foreigners to join the war.

Zelensky also announced Monday he will release prisoners with combat experience to defend Ukraine.

Under martial law, participants in hostilitiesUkrainians with real combat experiencewill be released from custody and will be able to compensate for their guilt in the hottest spots of war. All sanctions are lifted from some people who took part in the anti-terrorist operation. The key now is defense, he said.

The Ukrainian government has also been providing some of its citizens with basic military training.

People take part in a basic military training session in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine on Feb. 28, 2022. (Alexey Furman/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, authorities in Kyiv, Ukraines capital, which has about 3 million people, have been handing out weapons to anyone willing to defend the city as Russian troops close in.

On Monday, talks in Belarus between Ukrainian and Russian officials aimed at reaching a ceasefire ended with no agreement, except to continue talks later.

Zelensky, in a video address late Monday, said Russian forces have intensified their shelling of Ukraine while the talks were underway. He also said Russians have shelled the city of Kharkiv with rocket artillery.

The escalation of conflict between Ukraine and Russia occurred around Feb. 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a special military operation against Ukraine. Putin said the military operation is a response to threats coming from Ukraine and is intended to protect civilians and demilitarize Ukraine.

At the time, Putin said that Russia has no plan to occupy Ukraine and that the Ukrainian military should immediately lay down its arms. Putin didnt specify how long the operation would be expected to take. Following his announcement, explosions were reported in multiple Ukrainian cities.

Smoke rises from a Russian tank destroyed by the Ukrainian forces on the side of a road in the Lugansk region on Feb. 26, 2022. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)

Prior to the announced operation, Putin declared on Feb. 21 that Russia recognizes two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk, and Luhansk, as being independent. He also said that the Minsk agreement between Ukraine and Russia no longer exists. By Feb. 23, Russia announced that leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk sent letters to Putin asking for help amid threats from Kyiv.

Donetsk and Luhansk, located in the mining area of Donbass, declared independence from Ukraine in April 2014. The move was in response to a coup in February 2014, when anti-Moscow, pro-EU factions overthrew then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovychs government.

After the breakaway, the Ukrainian military was deployed to fight the rebels in the Donbass, resulting in heavy shelling and skirmishes. More than 10,000 civilians have died since the fighting began. Ukraine accused Russia of being responsible for the escalation of the conflict but Moscow has denied any involvement.

In September 2014, Ukraine and the breakaway regions held extensive talks in Minsk, Belarus, and agreed to Minsk I, a 12-point ceasefire deal. But the deal fell apart with violations by both sides.

In February 2015, Russia, Ukraine, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway regions signed Minsk II, a 13-point ceasefire deal. While heavy fighting subsided, it never completely ceased.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Refugees from Ukraine walk along a road after crossing the MoldovaUkrainian border's checkpoint near the town of Palanca on March 1, 2022. (Nikolay DOYCHINOV/AFP)

Ukraine Refugees Flood West as Border Nations Scramble to Organize Aid

Shortly after the first shots were fired on Ukraine during what Russian President Vladimir Putin called special military operations on Feb. 24, Ukrainians began fleeing from the front lines and flooded toward the border nations of Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, and Romania.

The vast majority of Ukrainians evacuating are women and children because of the implementation of martial law, which specifies that Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are restricted from leaving the country until further notice.

More than half a million Ukrainians have exited the country since Feb. 24, according to a United Nations (UN) report.

In response to the escalating crisis, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released $20 million in emergency funding for Ukraine last week. Additionally, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the organization would cooperate with Ukraine border nations, and pleaded for those countries to keep their frontiers open.

We stand ready to support efforts by all to respond to any situation of forced displacement, Grandi said.

Ukraine crisis assets map showing how many people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries

Not Standing Idly By

The office of Polands prime minister also established a special government website on Feb. 27 aimed at streamlining aid and resources offered to Ukrainians who are displaced because of the conflict.

The Polish government is offering Ukrainian asylum-seekers free travel on some intercity metro trains, transfer services, basic medical care, and shelter.

Refugees from Ukraine arrive at a temporary shelter near Korczowa, Poland, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Hungarians have mounted a community-driven aid response to the refugee crisis.

Since Feb. 26, the Budapest Bike Mafia and Age of Hope Foundation are among dozens of organizations collaborating to ship donations such as food, medicine, clothing, hygiene products, and blankets from across the country to Hungarys borders with Ukraine at Zahony and Tiszabecs. Lines of refugees up to 12 miles long were reported at Tiszabecs on the HungaryUkraine border on Feb. 27.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said the war in Ukraine is shaping up to be one of the biggest humanitarian emergencies in Europe for years to come.

Red Cross centers in Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia mobilized teams to help people arriving from Ukraine. Temporary shelters have been established at border crossings, and volunteers are distributing food, water, bedding, clothes, cellphone SIM cards, and sanitary essentials on both sides of the frontier. The shelters also offer medical and psychological support.

Its heartbreaking to see so many individual tragedies unfold at our doorstep. Theres no end in sight for this conflict, and no telling when people can safely return home, said IFC Regional Director for Europe Birgitte Bischoff Ebbesen.

Leaving Kyiv

Nataliia Sidanich, a scientist, Maksym Sidanich, an IT program manager, and their 12-year-old daughter, Margo, learned of the war in a phone call from Nataliias parents, who also live in Kyiv, on the morning of Feb. 24.

We were completely confused, Nataliia Sidanich told The Epoch Times. It was hard to believe, even in our worst nightmares. Unfortunately, the nightmares came true. Weve been living in this nightmare for six days now.

The family had to decide whether to stay and find a way to protect their property or to flee to save their lives.

Property is nice, but life is our biggest possession, so we decided to leave our hometown, she said.

When the family departed Kyiv on Feb. 24, everyone they encountered didnt believe that war was upon them. Up until lunchtime that day, everything seemed the same, even though Russian tanks had rolled into Ukraine the night before. Things changed quickly that afternoon as traffic snarled roads leading out of the city to the west and south, away from Russia.

Map of Russian attacks in Ukraine (Reuters)

The Sidanich family drove 745 miles west in one stretch to a hotel in Vorohta in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in Western Ukraine.

The most important thing is that I am safe now, and together with my parents, Margo Sidanich, 12, told The Epoch Times.

Nataliias parents stayed in Kyiv for two more nights, hiding in the basement of their building. They then decided to flee as well.

Many of Nataliias friends stayed behind, including families with small children. Maksym Sidanichs parents are still on the outskirts of Kyiv. His mother, who is 60, stayed put due to what Maksym called the Ukrainian principle. She agree to call every three hours, after a nerve-wracking day when the family was unable to reach her for 11 hours.

Our assumption was that this would be over in a few days, but Ukraine is standing its ground. Even here in the west, every man is armed. They patrol the area at night, Maksym Sidanich said.

We dont want to thank the enemy, but they brought Ukraine together like never before, Nataliia Sidanich said. We wont give up.

The family plans to stay put and is waiting to hear news of the Ukrainian forces first victory and of peace talks. If Russian forces make their way to Western Ukraine, Maksym Sidanich said hell join the local militia to defend his family.

We have no other option. We are not leaving the country, he said.

People are streaming into the area where the family is staying from all parts of Ukraine. Some people come to stay, while others just pause on their way to the border. Sidanich has seen buses full of children sent west by parents who didnt want the young ones to spend their days in basements and bunkers.

Unfortunately, we arent seeing any cars from eastern parts of the country. They are already unable to make it here, he said. The bridges are blocked.

Daily necessities are already out of stock both in Kyiv and in the west, Nataliia said. But while she couldnt find shampoo or toothpaste, families elsewhere are facing a harsher reality. Nataliias friends, a family of eight in Kharkiv, are living in a basement without heat, water, or electricity with a 1-year-old who has fallen sick.

Every time I dial them, my heart skips a beat. Every time, Im afraid there wont be an answer, that Ill hear nothing but silence.

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
China welcomes Ukraine-Russia negotiations, hopes for continuation: spokesperson

Xinhua) 17:05, March 01, 2022

BEIJING, March 1 (Xinhua) -- China has always supported and encouraged all diplomatic efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and welcomes the launch of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to the negotiations between delegations from Russia and Ukraine held in the Gomel region of Belarus on Monday.

"We have noted that the two sides have agreed to hold a new round of negotiations in the near future," Wang said.

China hopes that the two sides will continue the process of dialogue and negotiation and seek a political solution that accommodates reasonable security concerns of both sides, serves common security of Europe and is conducive to lasting peace and stability in Europe, Wang added.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks about Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Washington on Feb. 24, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

US and Allies Announce Release of 60 Million Barrels of Oil From Reserves

President Joe Biden on Tuesday authorized the Department of Energy (DOE) to release 30 million barrels of oil from the U.S. strategic petroleum reserves, representing half of a coordinated 60-million-barrel release from International Energy Agency (IEA) member states.

The move comes as part of an effort to stabilize oil markets amid Russias invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions against Russia. Russia provides 10 percent of the global supply of natural gas and oil and roughly 40 percent of the European Unions.

The price of crude oil has been accelerating of late and on Tuesday reached more than $104 a barrelthe highest its been since 2014.

The announcement to tap oil reserves came out of a meeting Tuesday of the 31 IEA member states that was chaired by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.

An IEA release notes that global oil markets were already tight before Russias invasion, with heightened price volatility and low commercial inventories.

In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, We are prepared to use every tool available to us to limit disruption to global energy supply as a result of President Putins actions. We will also continue our efforts to accelerate diversification of energy supplies away from Russia and to secure the world from Moscows weaponization of oil and gas.

The 60 million barrels represent 4 percent of the 1.5 billion barrels of emergency stockpiles held by IEA members, according to the release, and is equivalent to 2 million barrels a day for 30 days. The United States consumes an average of about 20 million barrels per day.

Its the fourth time the IEA has tapped its reserves since its creation in 1974.

It is heartening to see how quickly the global community has united to condemn Russias actions and respond decisively, said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol in a statement.

One gas and oil expert, Patick De Haan, downplayed the move saying in a tweet that it was insignificant given the de facto ban on Russian oil.

Energy giants BP and Shell were among a list of companies to announce an exit from Russia this week in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

And on Tuesday a group of Republican Senators introduced legislation to ban the U.S. purchase of Russian oil.

First and foremost, President Biden needs to restart Americas energy production and quit financing Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine by continuing to purchase crude oil from Russia. Under the previous Administration, our nation was energy independent but President Biden reversed course and turned hostile nations like Russia into Americas gas station, said the bills sponsor Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) in a statement. Make no mistake, if President Biden fails to act, we will continue to work in Congress to hold Vladimir Putin accountable.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has also urged Biden to increase US energy production to deal with the uncertain oil market.

Gas prices in the U.S. continue to rise with the national average at more than $3.61 a gallon. Thats a 23-cent increase from a month ago and an almost 90-cent increase from a year ago, according to AAA.

This is the second time Biden has tapped the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to attempt to bring down the cost Americans are paying at the pump. Last November, the United States announced a release of 50 million barrels, in concert with oil-consuming nations including China, India, and Japan.

Reuters contributed to this report.
US Defense Official: Russian Troop Morale Is Flagging in Some Units

A senior U.S. Department of Defense official told reporters on a call that intelligence has indications that morale is flagging in some of the Russian forces units.

We have picked up independently on our own, indications that morale is flagging in some of these units. That they again did not expect the resistance that they were going to get, and that their own morale has suffered as a result, the official told reporters Tuesday.

A large number of Russian troops that are being used in the invasion of Ukraine are conscripts and very young men drafted into service, the official added. The official did not say how that intelligence was gathered.

Not all of the Russian troops were fully trained and prepared to go into battle, the official continued to say.

On Tuesday, Russia warned Kyiv residents to flee their homes while hammering the border city of Kharkiv. Some analysts have said that Russian commanders are likely going to shift their tactics after meeting stout resistance from Ukraines military.

Satellite photos showed an armored column of tanks and armored vehicles several miles long heading toward the capital. Moscow said that it was planning to hit targets in Kyiv, as Ukrainian Parliamentary officials confirmed that a TV tower in the city was struck.

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russias invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 1, 2022. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

A fireman runs after a Russian airstrike hit Kyivs main television tower in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 1, 2022. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Residents in the city should evacuate their homes, the Kremlin warned via state-run media, while giving no indication about where those targets were located. Video footage uploaded to social media purported to show strikes occurring in other parts of the city of 3 million people.

The Russian army is an artillery army primarily, and it looks like they are shifting into war-fighting mode, Nick Reynolds, a land warfare analyst at RUSI in London, told Reuters. The failure of the Russians to achieve their goals quickly has galvanized Ukraine[s] resistance to them. Really what we are seeing now is the Russian military shifting gears.

The United States, European Union nations, and other states have levied harsh sanctions and economic penalties against Russia, including targeting its Central Bank and operations via the international SWIFT banking system.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that he is a primary target of Russias military, but told the European Parliament on Tuesday that defending Kyiv is a key priority, Previously, U.S. Defense officials said Russias initial invasion was designed to decapitate the Ukrainian government and military leadership.

Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory be to Ukraine, he said in the European Parliament address.

As he requested the European Union to expedite Ukraines application to join the bloc, Zelensky added: We are fighting for our life  We are fighting for survival. This is the highest of our motivation.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
A man says goodbye to his daughter before she boards an evacuation train at Kyiv central train station on Feb. 28, 2022. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

US Ukrainian Community Hears Traumatic Stories From Loved Ones

Americans with ties to Ukraine are staying in close contact with loved ones there through daily phone calls, texts, and social media posts. When too many hours go by without a response, it could mean spotty internet coverage. Or maybe theyve taken refuge in a basement or subway without a signal.

Each time theres a gap in communication, the terrible thought surfaces that something worse may have happened. Its made for stressful days and sleepless nights.

Laryssa Charest and her husband John have hosted three Ukrainian orphans in their Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, home for four summers. The couple developed a love that moved them to try adopting the siblings, now ages 13, 12, and 9. The process was full of red tape, and recently the adoption fell through, but the Charests are still close to the children and their Ukrainian foster parents. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, theyve been communicating daily.

Just in the past couple of days, we insist that they call, Laryssa Charest told The Epoch Times. I only call every morning. I asked them to send me a text. The eldest sent me a text saying, Its a little scary here now, and the whole house is shaking. I dont understand whats happening. Its really terrible.

Charest was told they cant lift their phone to the window to take photos for security reasons. They want to remain undetected in their home. The foster parents are both in their 60s, and they have a few other foster children in addition to the three siblings.

When Russia invaded, the father had been working on a house the family has been building about 25 kilometers (about16 miles) away. He intended to return home in the evening, but hes been trapped alone in the partially constructed house for days, and hes not sure what roads are occupied and where its safe to travel.

Also, he has the familys money and everyones papers in the car. It means the foster mother cant buy food. She reports being down to one kilo of flour. She plans to make cookies with it, but shes not sure how shell feed the children after the cookies are gone.

They try to watch television to understand whats happening, but reception is spotty and often theyre sheltering in a neighbors basement.

If the family could get to the border with their papers, the Charests would buy them airline tickets to the United States, but for now, the future is uncertain.

Our world is spinning. Im tired. Im exhausted. I have a headache, Charest said. She cant sleep because she keeps waking up worried about the next news report. Every couple of hours, I check my phone to see if theres any news about the latest blast, or see if I got a message from the kids. It has definitely absorbed every ounce of energy that we have.

Sister Supports Soldiers

Serge Shetilov, 69, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, hasnt slept much either since Russia invaded Ukraine. Mostly, hes been watching the news and communicating with his sister who lives in Ukraine.

Nataliya Shetilova is part of a well-developed network that collects items for the Ukrainian military. (Courtesy Serge Shetilov)

I talked to her yesterday, Shetilov told The Epoch Times. Lots of explosions near her house where she lives, and in the city where I lived before I came to America. He has been in the United States for 30 years but has other family members in Ukraine.

His sister, Nataliya Shetilova, 66, has been volunteering for the Ukrainian army since 2014, collecting items for the military. She continues the work today.

She does this because we have to save our country. Somebody has to do this, Shetilov said. When Russia took Crimea, our supply for the army was so poor. She collects donations from people and supplies everything from food to clothes to military items, if someone donates them.

She has developed a network of people from around the world who have been mailing her items and money for the military for years.

Shetilova has also been baking fresh bread for years, to feed the troops.

A basket of buns baked by Nataliya Shetilova, 66, to help feed Ukrainian soldiers battling the Russian invasion near her home. (Courtesy of Nataliya Shetilova)

I am baking, praying, and asking the Lord to keep every warrior from the enemy! Glory to our brave soldiers! Glory to Ukraine, Shetilova wrote on her Facebook page on Feb. 28 in a post of fresh-baked buns in baskets ready to hand out to soldiers. She was able to buy the ingredients from monetary donations.

Innocent people died because they select democracy, Shetilov said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a dictator. We dont want the same president for 20 years. Putin doesnt want democracy because if his people choose democracy, he cant rule Russia. I hope soon the Russian system collapses.

Stephen Haluszczak, president of the Ukrainian Cultural and Humanitarian Institute, has been in touch with a teacher in Ukraine whos been hiding in the basement of a school with her students. He said its important to know that in past conflicts, the phone lines were tapped, and people may be nervous to communicate.

Its easy to be excited about Ukraines spirit and will, but they need our support now more than ever, Haluszczak told The Epoch Times.

Too Dangerous to Travel

Natasha, 42, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, has lived in the United States for 19 years. With more than 20 relatives and a good number of friends scattered around Ukraine, she declined to give her last name to protect their security. She has been organizing and attending war protests and staying in touch with friends and family in Ukraine.

One Ukrainian friend posted on Facebook that she had her 4-year-old son hiding under a mattress in the bathtub, and the family was sitting on chairs surrounding him.

Little kids, they start asking, Mommy how long is this going to last? I have kids 6 years old and 9 years old, and they just dont understand. Children are asking, Mommy, are we going to die? Its very scary, Natasha told The Epoch Times. At bedtime in Ukraine, children hear sirens outside.

Natashas family and friends are staying home because its not advisable to travel. She heard a report of a family of four who tried to flee in their car.

The Russians stopped them, and they were shot with machine guns. The womans husband and son were killed in front of her. She shielded her baby and the child survived, but the mother lost her arm, so she was brought to the hospital, and they begged for help. Were going to give her whatever we can because she lost everything, Natasha said.

Borders of some towns are closed so they can keep track of whos in town.

Thats for safety, Natasha said. The Russians rob houses and they change into our clothes and they try to pretend theyre Ukrainian people, so we heard that its safer to just stay put.

She organized a protest on the Pennsylvania Capitol steps in Harrisburg on Feb. 26, and more than 40 Ukrainians attended. She also attended a protest with hundreds the next day in Washington, D.C., where speakers asked President Joe Biden to offer more support.

Ukrainian war protest on the steps of the Pennsylvania State Capitol building, Harrisburg, Penn., on Feb. 26, 2022. (Photo provided)

These events have been useful for meeting other Ukrainian Americans and for organizing collections of money and supplies for soldiers, women, and children.

The first boxes of supplies have already been sent, Natasha said, and money is being sent directly through MoneyGram International. They can send mail in through Poland.

Natasha went to Home Depot to buy hand warmers for soldiers. When an employee learned why she was buying so many, he bought even more to send.

Some Ukrainian stores reopened on Feb. 28, and for now, the people Natasha stays in touch with have food.

I just want people to understand that we were a free country, and we were Democratic. We chose our president, and not what Putin is saying, Natasha said.

We want to be a country free and independent. We are strong people, and we are showing the whole world right now that we dont want to give up any piece of ground to anyone.
Kurt Campbell, then-U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, speaks at a press conference at the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Dec. 13, 2012. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

US Wont Shift Focus Away From Indo-Pacific Despite Ukraine Crisis: Top White House Official

The United States wont take its eye off the Indo-Pacific region despite the Ukraine crisis, engaging in two theaters simultaneously, as it did during World War II and the Cold War, according to the White Houses Indo-Pacific policy coordinator.

Its difficult. Its expensive. But it is also essential, and I believe that were entering a period where that is what will be demanded of the United States and this generation of Americans, Kurt Campbell, White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, said at a Feb. 28 virtual event hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. There is a deep recognition and intention here inside the government, in the White House, to sustain every element of our engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

In the long-awaited Indo-Pacific strategy that was released two weeks earlier, the White House deemed the region as critical in countering growing aggression by the regime in Beijing.

Campbell said Washington will show a determination to sustain high-level engagement in the coming months. President Joe Biden is set to host a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Washington in late March. Biden will travel for meetings in the region later in 2022.

Related Coverage China, US Flex Military Muscles Near Taiwan Amid Ukraine Conflict

The Biden administration also is sending an unofficial delegation of former defense and security officials to visit Taiwan this week, in a show of support for the island that the Chinese regime has long claimed as its own.

You will see a whole range of activities across the board diplomatically, institutionally, and on the fronts of economics and trade, Campbell told the panel.

Mira Rapp Hooper, director for Indo-Pacific strategy at the White House National Security Council, said shes quite confident that the war against Ukraine wont divert U.S. focus away from the region.

She noted that the administrations Indo-Pacific report was made public within minutes after national security adviser Jake Sullivan walked off the podium from a speech warning Americans to leave Ukraine because of the high risk of a Russian attack.

That timing was to signal both to the region and to the world that no matter what happened in Europe, we had a plan for Asia that was already unfolding, according to Hooper.

We had a set of steps that we intended to take in the next 12 to 24 months, no matter what horror was inflicted on the people of Ukraine, she said, noting that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had made four trips to Asia in the past year, the most recent one during the strategys release.

While theres urgency in both theaters, the aid going to Ukraine is quite distinct from that allocated for Indo-Pacific, according to Hooper.

That does not mean that we will feel moments of resource scarcity, she said. But it does mean that we can plan for both simultaneously.

Awkward ChinaRussia Relationship

Campbell said the United States is determined to keep communication lines with the Chinese regime open, despite concerns about its deepening relationship with Moscow.

We have to acknowledge that there are elements of the RussiaChina relationship that are even playing out as we speak, that are worrisome and regrettable, and they have to be watched carefully, he said. China is occupying an awkward nexus in which theyre trying to sustain their deep and fundamental relationship with Russia.

Related Coverage Chinese State Media Accidentally Releases Censorship Rules on RussiaUkraine Coverage

Campbell also made a reference to the no limits partnership that the two leaders declared ahead of the Winter Olympics Games opening ceremony.

Its too early to know what position Beijing will ultimately take, according to Campbell, who noted that the circumstances are difficult for Beijing at the moment. He said he believes that Beijing authorities have been concerned by both the solidarity displayed by the West since the invasion and the brutality that is playing out every day in Ukraine.

Its clear from our perspective that the association, so public and so deep, between Russia and China is indeed quite uncomfortable right now, he said.

China has refused to denounce the Russian attack as an invasion and has criticized Western sanctions as ineffective. It abstained from voting last week on a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Russias war on Ukraine. On Feb. 28, Chinas foreign ministry told reporters that it would continue to conduct normal trade cooperation with Russia, as long as theyre mutually beneficial.

Our relationship features non-alliance, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of any third party, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, who described the relationship by saying that China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination in a press briefing.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the nation via his smartphone in the center of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 26, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

War Has a Way of Clarifying Whats Important

Commentary

War, like other life-or-death crises, has a way of clearing things up. You see this in how Ukraine has responded to the Russian invasion, and how other Europeans have, too. In the face of necessity, theyre doing whats necessary. And part of whats necessary is dumping the progressive nonsense.

The order went out in Ukraine: Women and children to the rear. Men to the front. For Ukrainian men it may well be, as Mark Twain would have said, their proud privilege to die for their families, their freedom, and their country. No nonbinary nonsense here. No ethnic, gender, or LGBTQ quotas.

The Ukrainians know that in time of war, its the job of men to fight, and of women to nurture their families and support the fighters. A soldier can concentrate better on the task at hand if he knows his wife is safe and his children are well-cared for. The lengths to which the American elite has gone to obscure this simple truth are obscene. Im reminded of the disgusting programs to desensitize male soldiers to female distress so the males are not driven by their natural instinct to protect their women comrades. May we learn from the Ukrainian example.

Ukraine has an armed citizenry. She (yes, I use traditional English pronouns, and countries are feminine, for men stand in awe of them) never yielded to nonsense about gun control and disarming good citizens.

Thank goodness. We now see the results: Men, bring out your arms. Line up, and well give you more of them. And if you dont have enough, then make them. Whatever it takes to kill the invader.

President Volodymyr Zelensky apparently understands leadership. The three-day growth of beard is a nice PR touch. But thats not whats crucial. Whats crucial is he rallies his countrymen to fight for permanent things such as family, country, and freedom.

The Bidettesthe effete crowd in the Biden administrationassumed Zelensky would run like a coward. Just like their erstwhile Afghan professorial puppet. Just like they would in similar circumstances. So they offered Zelensky safe passage out of the country.

But Zelensky is not a Bidette. Hes a man. And because hes a man, he responded as one: I need ammunition, he said, not a ride.

Even the mainstream media like him now: NBC News did a fawning story on him Sunday night. What a change from just two years ago! Remember how the media treated Zelensky when they were trying to impeach President Donald Trump for a phone call? They savaged him because he corroborated Trumps version of the call.

I guess it helps the media that Vladimir Putin isnt a socialist. Otherwise, theyd be more conflicted about Zelensky.

The Ukrainian example has also had a salutary effect on the rest of Europe. Europeans recognize that the Bidettes are not reliable, and that the threat from Russia is real. So they have pulled out of the muck and stepped up to help Ukraine. No more Eurosclerosis now.

Germany has announced she will raise her military budget. That budget finally will exceed the 2 percent of GDP that Germanys NATO obligations require. Germany is also sending military aid to Ukraine.

More military aid is coming from Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and many other countries. Finland has stepped out of her neutrality role. The sparsely populated country has pledged $50 million in aid. The Finns know all about Russian aggression, having experienced it personally.

And its not just military aid: War can bring out the worst in people, but it also can bring out the best. Europeansboth public and private sectorare coming forward to help the women and children and foreign refugees pouring out of Ukraine. So are the best Americans. Theyre not waiting for bankrupt Uncle Sam.

The Ukrainians are reminding us of lessons the American and European elites had forgotten:

Faith, freedom, family, and country are precious: So precious they are worth fighting for and, if necessary, dying for. No one, by contrast, dies willingly for an LGBTQ quota or an equity, diversity, and inclusion program.

The male virtues are strength, endurance, patriotism, protection, honor, and valor. The male virtues are central to any well-functioning society, and the progressive denigration of them in recent years has caused incalculable damage. Zelensky and his countrymen are reminding us, by example, of the pivotal role of responsible and virtuous men.

Those who risk or give their lives for the permanent things are heroes. It doesnt matter what faults they may share common to their time. As we observe the Ukrainians, let us remember our own heroes. They also risked their lives for faith, freedom, family, and country. The next time someone is tempted to tear down a statue of a George Washington, may he pause and remember Ukraine!

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A sign at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is posted near Richland, Wash., on Aug. 13, 2019. (Elaine Thompson/AP Photo File)

Washington State Nuclear Site Evacuated After Reports of Shots Fired: Officials

A decommissioned nuclear site in Washington state was evacuated following reports of shots being fired at the location.

Officials with the Department of Energy and Richard Operations Office are at the Hanford Site, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

There is no evidence of shots being fired on the site, and no injuries or deaths were reported, the statement said. Employees at the Hanford Site are still being interviewed.

As a precaution, affected 2750 E personnel have been evacuated, and access to the Hanford Site has been restricted. No actions are necessary for the public, the nuclear sites statement said. In a later statement, it said that all Hanford Site personnel, with the exception of 2750E Building personnel, can now return to their normal duties.

Officials added that reports indicated work activities in the immediate area likely caused the noises originally reported as shots fired to the Patrol Operations Center.

Earlier on Tuesday, an emergency text message alert was reportedly sent out to employees at the site.

HANFORD SECURITY INCIDENT INFORMATION: Active Assailant at 2750E in 200 East Area. Affected employees prepare to run fight hide. Employees in nearby buildings are to lockdown and prepare to run fight hide. All others stay away, the message read, according to local media.

The Benton County Sheriffs Office, Hanford Patrol, and other agencies responded to reports of shots being fired, said a Facebook message from the Benton County Sheriffs Office.

The Hanford Site, located in eastern Washington near the Columbia River, was first used in 1943 to manufacture plutonium for the Manhattan Project, which produced nuclear weapons during World War II. Starting in 1989, officials began a cleanup of the site.

Additionally, all of the facilities and structures that were associated with Hanfords defense mission must also be deactivated, decommissioned, decontaminated, and demolished. That environmental cleanup project is the work that about 8,000 Hanford employees are involved in today, according to Hanfords website.
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan at the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at Claremont Showgrounds in Perth, Australia on May 3, 2021. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Western Australia to Tighten Restrictions, Amid Ongoing Outbreak

Western Australia (WA) will move to the nations toughest COVID-19 public health restrictions despite having just 11 people in hospital with the virus.

Year three students and above will be required to wear face masks in public and home gatherings will be limited to 10 people under new rules coming into effect statewide from Thursday.

Hospitality venues will avoid being subject to a four-square metre density rule but will be limited to 150 patrons.

WA on Monday recorded a further 1140 infections but none of the 11 cases in hospital are in intensive care. The state now has 5540 active cases.

Premier Mark McGowan insisted the strict new level two rules were necessary to manage an outbreak which the government now expects to peak at about 10,000 daily cases within two to three weeks.

He said he was hopeful they would only need to remain in place for a month.

March will be the most difficult month Western Australia experiences in this whole pandemic, he told reporters.

We would be irresponsible if we didnt have the most appropriate measures in place during the period where they are most required.

With the rest of the nation easing restrictions, McGowan denied it was premature to tighten rules which had only been in place for one week.

He expected hospitalisations to increase dramatically despite WA entering its Omicron outbreak with far higher vaccination rates than other jurisdictions had.

About 63 per cent of eligible West Australians have now received their third vaccine dose.

WA Health modelling suggests the state will have almost half a million cases and 129 deaths over the next six months, with 715 people admitted to ICU.

One person has so far died during WAs Omicron outbreak.

The government had initially flagged that a four square metre density rule would be implemented at some stage across hospitality venues.

That rule will now only come into effect at the Crown casino gaming floor.

Major stadiums, theatres and cinemas will have their capacity slashed to 50 per cent while hospital visits will be banned except for spouses, parents or carers, birth partners or those allowed in for compassionate reasons.

Weddings and funerals will be capped at 150 attendees.

McGowan said the revised rules would spare smaller venues such as cafes and restaurants from financial pain while slowing the spread of cases.

While we have avoided some of the tougher measures, this will still be an impact on many operators and on peoples lives and for that, Im sorry, he said.

A new round of financial assistance for affected businesses will be announced later this week.

WA is due to also reopen its borders to vaccinated travellers from Thursday, with modelling indicating it will have a negligible impact on case numbers.

The remote Aboriginal communities of Bidyadanga and Beagle Bay have meanwhile been cleared of COVID-19 after dozens of test results proved to be false positives.

Secondary PCR testing revealed the affected people had other respiratory virus infections including the flu and rhinovirus.

The initial tests were carried out using Commonwealth-provided GeneXpert PCR machines which will no longer be used.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a news briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Zelensky Addresses European Leaders: No One Is Going to Break Us

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an emotional address to the European Parliament on Tuesday.

This is the price of freedom. We are fighting just for our land. And for our freedom, despite the fact that all of the cities of our country are now blocked, he said, according to video footage of the speech.

Every square today, no matter what its called, is going to be called Freedom Square, in every city of our country. No one is going to break us. We are strong. We are Ukrainians, Zelensky continued. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think its a fair one.

On social media, Zelenskys speech went viral after his Ukrainian translator appeared to break down in tears as he started speaking.

Later, he called on European countries to classify Russia as a terrorist state, which would mark a significant escalation in the conflict.

Zelensky on Monday formally signed an EU membership form for Ukraine, days after Russia launched an assault on the country. On Tuesday, EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the bloc officially welcomed the application.

A blast is seen in the TV tower, amid Russias invasion of Ukraine, in Kiev, Ukraine on March 1, 2022. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Smoke billows over Kyiv after a missile attack targeting the Ukrainian capitals television tower in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 1, 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

The message from Europe is clear: We will stand up. We will not look away when those fighting in the streets for our values face down Putins massive war machine, Metsola said.

Chairman of EU leaders Charles Michel, however, said the move is symbolic but said that the bloc will weigh the request.

The council [of EU governments] will have to seriously look at the symbolic, political and legitimate request that has been made and make the appropriate choice in a determined and clear-headed manner, Michel told reporters.

Translator chokes up as Zelensky addresses the European Parliament: Nobody is going to break us. We are strong. We are Ukrainians. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think its a fair one. pic.twitter.com/AqOzmMPuFx  Zach Basu (@zacharybasu) March 1, 2022

Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey are also currently official candidates for EU membership.

Zelenskys government remained in control of Kyiv with soldiers and civilians ready to fight invaders street by street.

But pictures released by U.S. satellite company Maxar showed Russian tanks, artillery, and fuel trucks stretching for 40 miles along a highway to the north.

For the enemy, Kyiv is the key target, Zelensky, who has remained in the capital rallying Ukrainians, said in a message overnight. We will neutralize them all.

Some Kyiv residents have been sheltering in underground metro stations at night. There are long lines for fuel and some products are running out in shops, but by day the city is still holding out, with a semblance of ordinary life on the streets.

In the south of the country, Russia claimed to have completely encircled Ukraines Azov Sea coast. If confirmed, that would mean Russian forces invading from Crimea had joined up with separatists in the east and had cut off Ukraines main eastern port, Mariupol.

Reuters contributed to this report.
As the state of Illinois and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update their COVID-19 guidelines, the numbers in Madison County are trending in a positive direction.

On the heels of the Illinois indoor mask requirement for schools and in public places ending at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, the Madison County Health Department announced that the number of new cases in the county continues to decline.

According to the MCHD, there was a peak of 1,300 new cases on Jan. 6, but that number had dropped to 80 new cases on Thursday.

The MCHD reported 34 new cases on Monday, plus 27 on Sunday and 28 on Saturday for a three-day total of 89 new cases.

Compared to a couple of weeks ago, its a significant drop, but I have to play both sides of this, Madison County Public Health Director Toni Corona said. You have to remember that there are a lot of folks doing self-testing at home and those numbers are just the tests that we know about.

Also, the community-based testing center in Fairview Heights, which had been operating six days a week, is now down to three days a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Thats another reason why we shouldnt hang our hat on the number of reported cases and its justification for looking more at hospital data.

On Friday, the CDC updated its mask policies across the country.

According to CDCs COVID-19 Community Levels, Madison County is listed as low. For the low and medium areas, the CDC has no recommendation for masks in an indoor setting, unless you are at an increased risk for COVID.

Since July, the CDC has called for the use of masks in schools regardless of COVID cases in counties. But now, only counties labeled as high are recommended to wear masks every day.

Pritzker lifts mask mandate Gov. J.B. Pritzker Monday issued an updated executive order officially lifting the mask requirement in most indoor settings. School districts and private businesses can continue to require masks at their discretion. In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Illinois Department of Public Health guidance, all long-term care facilities must continue requiring masks for all residents, staff and visitors to the facilities, congregate facilities (such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters) and in healthcare settings, regardless of vaccination status. Additionally, to follow federal mandates, all children 2 and younger regardless of vaccination status must wear a face covering on public transportation and while in transportation hubs such as airports and bus stations. All Illinois residents can visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccine location. See More Collapse

Levels are low, medium and high, and are determined by hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and total number of new COVID cases in the area.

As of Monday, the case rate for Madison County on the Illinois Department of Public website was 119.41 new COVID cases per 100,000 population.

There is no longer a mandate, but masks are still recommended, especially for people with certain health scenarios, Corona said. The CDC has made a lot of changes in its guidelines, and youll see the IDPH will align with those changes.

The key change is looking at community levels rather than community case transmissions. Thats going to be helpful to us as individuals and as communities to gauge the prevalence of the virus.

While Corona offers a reminder that the pandemic is not over, she sees the steady decline in cases as another step toward its eventual end.

These are the new metrics that were shifting to, and it makes perfect sense because were changing from a thought process of eliminating COVID to learning to live with COVID, Corona said.

Were looking more at data from hospital metrics, such as the number of persons hospitalized with COVID and the number of persons in the ICU, as well as case rates. We need to make the hospitals available for handling situations that they are supposed to deal with, and if those stresses can be relieved, were in good shape.

The seven-day case positivity rate in the county has declined from a high of 27.18% on Jan. 18 to 3.16% on Feb. 25.

Statewide, the IDPH reported 157 COVID-19 patients occupying staffed ICU beds, with 82 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.

Nationwide, meanwhile, as of Feb. 23, the current seven-day moving average of daily new cases (75,208) decreased 37.7% compared with the previous 7-day moving average (120,761).

A total of 78,595,529 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the United States as of Feb. 23.

According to the CDC, 81.1% of people ages 5 and older have had at least one vaccination.

We have a lot of tools for individuals and communities to self-navigate, Corona said. The vaccine is here, and the boosters are here. There is masking and there are testing options available, as well as antivirals and monoclonal antibodies, and those tools make it logical that (the new CDC metrics) are the next step.
The waiting is over for Dr. James T. Minor.

On Nov. 29, Minor was named as the 10th chancellor of Southern Illinois Edwardsville, and he assumes his duties on Tuesday.

Minor succeeds Randy Pembrook, who has served as SIUEs ninth chancellor since August 2016. Pembrook announced his retirement in May 2021, effective in 2022.

I have to give a lot of credit to Chancellor Pembrook, who has been extraordinarily gracious with his time. We were in touch weekly from December until this past Friday and that has been tremendously helpful to me, Minor said in a phone interview on Monday.

There are a lot of details about the inner workings of the university where I have been updated, but the university and the people who make this community make it a very special place. Compared to just three short months ago, Im even more optimistic now about the potential for SIUE.

Minor most recently served as assistant vice chancellor and senior strategist in the Office of the Chancellor at California State University, which recently posted the highest graduation rates in its history. He has successfully advocated for hundreds of millions of dollars in support of graduation initiatives and served as principal investigator for $7.5 million in funded programs and research.

Along with college administrators across the nation, Minor spent much of the past two years dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges it created.

He is confident, though, that SIUE will emerge stronger than ever when the pandemic finally does end.

Its such a unique circumstance because we all know that the university will have life beyond COVID, Minor said. Even in managing the day-to-day protocols and the changing policies and the changing public health circumstances that we have all dealt with over the past two years, you have to manage with that with one hand, yet with the other hand, you need to look ahead to a time when COVID will be mostly behind us.

There wont be such an intense focus about where are we this week? or what are the positivity rates? We manage that as a temporary circumstance, but the long-term planning has to do with the future of SIUE, and thats where Ive focused a lot of my attention.

Minor has a noted resume of teaching and scholarship in educational policy, administration in higher education, academic governance and more.

Prior to his post at California State, Minor served as deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education where he administered more than $7 billion in federal higher education programming.

He believes those experiences will aid him in his position at SIUE. He noted the strength of the SIU System, which in addition to its two main campuses at SIUE and Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has several other locations, including the SIUE School of Pharmacy in Edwardsville, the SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton and the SIUE East St. Louis Center.

The economic growth and development of this region will be determined by the health and vitality of this university system, Minor said. Our ability to enroll diverse residents and students in this university, to give them a high-quality experience, and to place them in communities across this region and this state, is going to make all of the difference for the quality of life in this region.

Minor holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a bachelors in sociology from Jackson State University and a masters in sociology from the University of Nebraska.

He is the first African American chancellor at SIUE.

Im very proud of it, but Im interested in my appointment being more than a historical fact, Minor said. At the same time, I dont want to understate the significance of this important hallmark and what it represents.

For people who have been part of this community for a long time, the sense of pride that they express associated with the appointment is very humbling and gratifying in some respects. Knowing that I represent them is something far greater than simply being the university chancellor.

Minor noted that SIUE has declared itself as an anti-racist institution.

To him, that indicates a level of activism that goes beyond a conceptual commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

It says a lot about the ambition of this university to be a place where everyone is welcome, Minor said. Everybody can prosper in an inclusive community, and that is paramount to our success as an institution.

When he arrived on the SIUE campus this week, Minor said his No. 1 priority was to get out of Rendleman Hall and talk to members of the university community  faculty, staff and students.

I want to listen and to learn about where the challenges and opportunities are for this university, Minor said. I will do so with some very pointed questions about how we make improvements with respect to student success and how to support and enhance faculty excellence.

I also want to find out how we can do a better job of engaging our donor and community partners. I want to know what we can do to improve this region and the impact of this institution in doing so.

Minor has plenty of longer-term goals for SIUE as well.

I have not been bashful regarding my ambition for the institution, which is for SIUE to be first and best in class in every respect, Minor said. I want it to be a meaningful partner in the system and take a giant step forward as an institution.

A lot of my conversation will be with members of this community about how we do that. I dont want to get ahead of the listening, but I will be asking questions with that idea in mind.

Minor and his wife Erika, who is in the insurance business, have three children  Adrian, 25, who is an artist in Los Angeles; Zenani, 18, a first-year college student in Washington, D.C; and Reuben, 17, a high school senior in Long Beach, California.

They are super excited about this opportunity (at SIUE), said Minor, who added that his wife will join him in Edwardsville sometime this summer. I was talking to my youngest son last night and were in the college admissions season with him and expect to have him on a college campus this summer.

From a parents perspective, Ive learned so much in the last two years about all of the little steps that parents are negotiating with their kids to get them out of high school and onto a college campus. That is part of why I take so seriously our responsibility to do whatever we can to ensure the success of our students.

As he acclimates himself to his new position and his new home, Minor cant help but think about what the future holds for SIUE.

I believe that this is a special season for SIUE, Minor said. A lot of people who were here in the 1970s and 1980s have told me what this place was like in the early years, and now its clear to me that the university is becoming something that will be even more exciting and interesting.

This university community gets to define its future. I have a sense that there is a high degree of readiness to take a significant step forward as an institution.
EDITORS NOTE: The Intelligencer requests briefs be submitted at least 10 days prior to the desired publication date. Due to the volume of community-submitted briefs, the content may be published within 10 days of submission. Holidays and weather forecasts may impact some events. The Intelligencer cannot guarantee that submission will be published.

Fat Tuesday Concert

6:30 p.m. at the Ahlemeyer Atrium, Trimpe 141. Featuring Bud Shultz and the You Cant Beat Experience Jazz Band. Sponsored by the Hayner Public Library District and the L&C Music Department. Part of the Lewis and Clark Community College Music Departments Spring 2022 performance schedule.

Cribbage Club

6 p.m. at Camelot Bowling Alley, 801 Beltline Road, Collinsville. Beginners welcome, free to attend. Contact Phil (618) 288-7910 or Susan at (618) 978-1664 for more information.

Pasta Dinner Every Tuesday

3-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. Edwardsville. Pasta of the week served with salad. 618-656-9774

Southern Illinois PAL

7-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The Southern Illinois Parents of Addicted Loved Ones group meets each week to provide hope through education and support. For parents and loved ones over the age of 18 who have someone in their life who is struggling with or recovering from substance use. PAL respects anonymity and is free of charge. Contact Craig at 618-567-6095 to receive the link for the Zoom meeting or for questions. More information can be found at www.palgroup.org.

Toddler Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library. Ages 0-2. Theyve got the books, bops and bubbles. Bring your babies and toddlers to share stories and songs with Miss Kristen and all the Story Time friends. Registration Required.

Teen Game Night

6-7 p.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library. Grades 6-12. Game Night is back every week. Go on a quest with fellow players in Dungeons & Dragons or choose from a variety of board games to play with friends.

Southern Illinois PAL

7-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The Southern Illinois Parents of Addicted Loved Ones group meets each week to provide hope through education and support. For parents and loved ones over the age of 18 who have someone in their life who is struggling with or recovering from substance use. PAL respects anonymity and is free of charge. Contact Craig at 618-567-6095 to receive the link for the Zoom meeting or for questions. More information can be found at www.palgroup.org.

Thursday, March 3

NAMI Meeting

7-8:30 p.m via Zoom. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) family support meetings may also be in person. To receive the link for a Zoom meeting or address for an in-person meeting contact Pat Rudloff, silverlining6@charter.net.

Preschooler Story Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library, 112 S Kansas St. If youre ready for a story, clap your hands. Ms. Megan will be sharing fun tales & tunes, and dont forget, bubbles. Ages three - five. Registration required.

Chicken Dinner Every Thursday

4-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two or four pieces of chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit. 618-656-9774

PFLAG Edwardsville Meeting

7-8:30 p.m. at Rainbow House, 808 N Main St. PFLAG offers support, education and advocacy for LGBTQ people and their allies. This will be a support group style meeting.

Contact Amy for more information at 618-977-5078 or pflagedwardsville@outlook.com.

Friday, March 4

Tri Township Library Book Sale

9-noon at the Tri Township Library, 209 South Main, Troy. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Masks are required. Book donations are accepted during the book sale and on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Fish Fry Every Friday

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two pieces of cod or one catfish filet and sides. 618-656-9774

Fish Fry

4:30-8 p.m. at the Edwardsville Moose, 7371 Marine Road, Edwardsville. Dine-in and carryout options. 618-656-5051

Sunday, March 6

Stridin' & Survivin' Spring Vendor Fair

1-5 p.m. at The Hall at 7132 Marine Road. Free admission and parking. Hourly attendance prizes and two special drawings for purchasing guests. Proceeds Benefit Cancer Research, Education and Patient Navigation. Contact info@stridinandsurvivin.org or 618-830-0339 for more information.

Monday, March 7

Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Chili Chowdown

11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m at Main Street United Methodist Church in Upper Alton. The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club's 36th Annual Chili Chowdown fund-raising event features all-you-can eat chili, beverage and dessert for $9.00. Diners may eat-in or carry-out. Tickets available from any member of the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club and will also be sold at the door.

Tuesday, March 8

American Legion Post 199 meeting

6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post 199 at 58 S. State Rt. 157. All legion members are encouraged to attend the meetings. Non-member visitors are welcome.

Spring 2022 Avian Migration along the Mississippi River

6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom. Part of the Sierra Club Speakers Series. Emily Connor is the Education Manager at the Riverlands Audubon Center in Alton, IL Her focus is on the significance of the spring migration of birds along the Mississippi flyway and she will highlight a few of the spring nesting birds that we will begin to see in our region. ZOOM registration is available via the Events tab at https://www.sierraclub.org/illinois/piasa-palisades. Contact Chris Krusa at 410-490-5024 for questions.

Cribbage Club

6 p.m. at Camelot Bowling Alley, 801 Beltline Road, Collinsville. Beginners welcome, free to attend. Contact Phil (618) 288-7910 or Susan at (618) 978-1664 for more information.

Pasta Dinner Every Tuesday

3-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. Edwardsville. Pasta of the week served with salad. 618-656-9774

Southern Illinois PAL

7-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The Southern Illinois Parents of Addicted Loved Ones group meets each week to provide hope through education and support. For parents and loved ones over the age of 18 who have someone in their life who is struggling with or recovering from substance use. PAL respects anonymity and is free of charge. Contact Craig at 618-567-6095 to receive the link for the Zoom meeting or for questions. More information can be found at www.palgroup.org.

Toddler Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library. Ages 0-2. Theyve got the books, bops and bubbles. Bring your babies and toddlers to share stories and songs with Miss Kristen and all the Story Time friends. Registration Required.

Teen Game Night

6-7 p.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library. Grades 6-12. Game Night is back every week. Go on a quest with fellow players in Dungeons & Dragons or choose from a variety of board games to play with friends.

Thursday, March 10

NAMI Meeting

7-8:30 p.m via Zoom. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) family support meetings may also be in person. To receive the link for a Zoom meeting or address for an in-person meeting contact Pat Rudloff, silverlining6@charter.net.

Preschooler Story Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library, 112 S Kansas St. If youre ready for a story, clap your hands. Ms. Megan will be sharing fun tales & tunes, and dont forget, bubbles. Ages three - five. Registration required. (Jan 20 -April 28 2022)

Chicken Dinner Every Thursday

4-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two or four pieces of chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit. 618-656-9774

Friday, March 11

Fish Fry Every Friday

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two pieces of cod or one catfish filet and sides. 618-656-9774

Fish Fry

4:30-8 p.m. at the Edwardsville Moose, 7371 Marine Road, Edwardsville. Dine-in and carryout options. 618-656-5051

Ongoing Events

Al-Anon

For information call 618-463-2429. For more information, visit SIAFG.org and District-18.org.

Youth Take Home Crafts

Pick up a take-home craft bag at the Edwardsville Public Library with all the materials to make the project. A new craft will be available each month at the Youth Desk.
Salida, CO (81201)

Today

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
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If there is any country that protectively loves its nationals in diaspora, just like America, it is unarguably India. To profile the country in this context, it is expedient to say that August 15 has remained a memorable day in her history. The significance of the date cannot be downplayed in this context as it was on August 15, 1947, that she won her independence after a long and bitter struggle.

Against the foregoing backdrop, it may not be wrong to guesstimate that not few elderlies that were in their youthful or teenage days when the Asian country gained independence will always remember that at the stroke of midnight, Jawaharlal Nehru read out his Tryst with destiny speech, proclaiming India's independence. As documented by historians, he became the first Prime Minister of Independent India.

As documented in history, India is a land of different cultures, heritages, many languages and religions, and despite the differences, India is in its all ramifications united in its diversity.

It has also being gathered that virtually all Indians are proud of their country, given the beautiful cultures, languages, places and the good heart that characterize who they are. The foregoing virtues, no doubt, make them feel proud that they are born in such a beautiful land, and that unarguably influence their patriotic disposition to India as a country. An Indian once proudly responded, Our mother India has been teaching her children different skills and talents such as sports, archery, defenses, music, dance, art, humanity, kindness, love, tenderness and acting, .When we have such a beautiful land to live in, then why will not our heart be filled with pride?.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the way India loves its citizens has further been deepened in the mind of her admirers, like this writer, as it has in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine Conflict demonstrated through Operation Ganga which shows India left no Stone unturned to bring back her citizens from Ukraine to their homeland.

In fact, India has stepped up its efforts and doing all it can to ensure the safe return of its citizens. Against the foregoing backdrop, the government said that it would be sending four of its ministers to Ukraines neighboring countries to expedite the process

For the sake of clarity, Indias Operation Ganga, which is unarguably driving the alacritous evacuation is a rescue operations been carried out to bring back all Indians stuck in Ukraine. As gathered, India has gone ahead full steam wherein six Air India planes were seen flying back civilians from the conflict-ridden zone.

Reacting to pleas and appeals from stranded Indian students in Ukraine, which emerged on social media, India launched the multi-pronged 'Operation Ganga' to evacuate her citizens stranded in Ukraine after Russia invaded it.

Despite the fact that Ukrainian airspace is closed, India has been carrying out evacuation flights from neighboring countries of Romanian capital Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest.

It was also gathered that as at yesterday, February 28, 2022, that six Air India flights have brought back those stuck in the war zone and many more such efforts are ongoing. In fact, the government has announced that four Union ministers would travel to Poland and Romania to oversee the evacuation of thousands of Indians, including students, who are still stuck there.

For the sake of clarity, 'Operation Ganga' is the initiative launched by the government of India to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. Under this, India has already successfully brought back more than a thousand of its nationals from Ukraine. It has also set up 247 control centres to assist in the evacuation of Indians through the border crossing points with Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovak Republic. A Twitter handle, OpGanga Helpline, has also been dedicated to the mission, where all information regarding evacuation process and advisories of embassies are shared to keep everyone up-to-date.

It would be recalled that India operated its first evacuation flight under Operation Ganga and brought back 219 Indians from Romanias capital Bucharest to Mumbai on Saturday evening. The second evacuation flight carrying 250 nationals landed in Delhi on Sunday. The third flight evacuated 240 Indians from Hungarian capital Budapest, whereas the fourth and fifth flight flew 198 and 249 more passengers from Bucharest to Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the sixth flight under Operation Ganga left for Delhi from Budapest with 240 Indian nationals on Monday. Even as Air India flights were being used to carry out the rescue initiative, Spicejet, Indigo and Air India Express have now joined the mission.

The government said that Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri, Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiradtiya Scindia, and Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation General V K Singh will be heading out soon and will be visiting as special envoys of the Indian government.

This move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday his government is "working day and night" to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine.

"Wherever there is trouble, we left no stone unturned to bring our citizens back," Modi added.

Argued from the foregoing backdrop, it is not an exaggeration to say that the level of care or concern a country shows to its citizens is directly proportional to the level of patriotism she gets from them, and that there is an urgent need for Nigeria to learn from all the efforts taken by India to evacuate her citizens, particularly the students, from Ukraine.

Looking at how alacritous India and committed India has been since her citizens were reported to be stranded in Ukraine, it is not surprising that a UK-based international research data and analytics group, YouGov, has in a recent Survey titled Most Patriotic Countries 2022, stated that respondents in groups of people from 19 countries around the world were asked whether they believe they live in the best country in the world, and that their answer determined which were the most patriotic. As provided in its findings, the top ten most patriotic countries (based on what percentage answered yes) are: The United States (41%), India (35%), Australia (34%), the United Arab Emirates (27%), Saudi Arabia (25%), and Thailand (25%). Other countries rated by the data and analytics group are Philippines (15%), Indonesia (14%), The United Kingdom (13%) and Denmark (13%).

Based on the YouGov survey, India is the second most patriotic country, with 35% of its respondents answering yes to My country is the best country in the world, and 32% believe that the US is better than most countries.

On the presentation of this issue before some colleagues in the newsroom, not few of them unanimously agreed that the level of patriotism in our nation is fast waning. Two of the reasons they adduced as the causes of the retrogressive development cannot be farfetched as they noted that the level of insecurity in the country is getting worse, and that people are no more patriotic because the governments seemingly do not invest in their lives. This is currently been demonstrated as the Federal Government is unjustifiably dilly-dallying over the evacuation of more than 1,500 Nigerian citizens, mostly student, stranded in Ukraine. This is as not few countries are swimming against the tide of war-risk to evacuate their citizens. It is unfortunate that Nigerians are still issuing Press Statements that may likely not translate to action.

Against the foregoing backdrop, why would Nigerians not be unpatriotic? After all, it is a trite fact that what a given country is doing, or has done for its citizens is determinant of how deep or fervent the level of patriotism citizens of such country will exude at any given time.

Without over flogging this issue in this context, it is expedient to urge the federal government of Nigeria, and its entire representatives in foreign affairs matters as related to Ukraine to hit the ground running by learning from India, or emulating her, and eschew the issuance of countless press releases over the evacuation of Nigerians stranded in Ukraine. In fact, it is high time the federal government learned from Indias Operation Ganga and her alacritous evacuation pf her citizens from Ukraine
Diesel tax cut not enough

PHUKET: The 3% diesel tax cut in effect for three months is not enough to stave off rising prices in Phuket, Phuket Chamber of Commerce President Thanusak Phungdet has warned.



By The Phuket News

Tuesday 1 March 2022, 01:16PM

On an island where everything is brought from the mainland by road, cutting the diesel tax for three months will not be enough to stave off rising prices, said Mr Thanusak. Photo: Tha Chatchai Police

All sectors in Phuket have been affected by the rising diesel prices, Mr Thanusak noted.

"The diesel tax cut for three months from the Cabinet is not enough to alleviate [financial pressures in] Phuket, the government should freeze the price of petrol for longer than this," he said.

The price of diesel, along with the prices of other most-common forms of vehicle fuel, have risen by as much as 30% in the past six months.

The tax cut, which came into effect on Feb 18, halved the tax rate from B5.99 per litre to B3 per litre until May 20. The cut capped diesel at B29.94 per litre, keeping it below B30 per litre as promised by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in November.

At the full tax rate, the Excise Department collects B12 billion a month in diesel excise tax, or B144bn per year, from the countrys monthly diesel consumption of approximately 2bn litres.

The tax cut will reduce tax revenue by B17bn but that should be partially offset by a rise in other tax revenue as the economy is recovering, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said.

The Oil Fuel Fund Office (Offo) previously paid B7 billion a month to ensure the diesel price was capped at B29.94 a litre, below the inflated market rate of B33.73. Offo also fixed the price of LPG at B318 per 15-kilogramme gas cylinder, compared with the global market price of B432.

But all that does little to alleviate pressure on rising prices in Phuket, Mr Thanusak said.

The prices of all consumer and even trade goods in Phuket are affected by fuel prices, as everything is brought to Phuket by road, Mr Thanusak explained.

Higher petrol costs make shipping goods costs more expensive, and Phuket is a province that has to import consumer products from all over the country, from Rayong, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram or Suphan Buri, and other provinces.

Phuket will be more affected than other provinces that have their own agricultural crops and have their own food, he continued.

The rising petrol prices affects everyday people, shop owners, transport operators all industries in Phuket The groups that suffer the most would be those in trade and business, he added.

The surge in non-diesel fuel prices will add pressure to household expenses, though the impact would vary depending on each persons income, he noted.

Some will be more affected than others, he admitted.

Mr Thanusak said that the average monthly income in Phuket was likely to be many times more than the B1,950 Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew cited to a Senate standing committee last month, as that figure was calculated when there were no tourists coming to Phuket at all.

Price controls on essential goods are helping to contain price rises from spiralling upward further. Some industries, such as Phukets fishing industry, will rely more on other government support programmes to contain rising operational costs, he added.

Transport costs, such as fares charged by local taxi drivers may be soaked up by the drivers, considering the fares already charged, or they may be increased further in light of the rise in regular petrol prices, Mr Thanusak said.

Tourists are more likely to be affected, he said, adding that tourists still had the right to negotiate fares with green-plate taxi drivers. Alternatively, tourists had the option of renting cars, he said.

Phukets tourism situation has improved, but not to the extent that many had hoped. The current state of the tourism industry in Phuket is still not good, he said.

Hotel occupancy was estimated at 60-70%, Mr Thanusak said, but admitted that the figure was based on the new number of hotels currently open on the island.

Some 30-40% of hotels that were open pre-COVID have so far remained closed, he said.

The number of tourists coming to the island is helping the economy, he added. There is now local shopping turnover from this group, he said.

The government should encourage local people to travel in their own provinces more, and should encourage more Thai tourists to come to Phuket or go to other tourist cities, to create more Thai trends to travel in Thailand, Mr Thanusak said.

Mr Thanusak agrees with the open letter by tourism figures to ease entry restrictions for tourists. Measures should be eased, not necessarily immediately, but gradually adjusted. This is probably most suitable for Phuket, he said.

He also agrees with Vice Governor Phichet Panaphong requesting to have COVID-19 declared endemic in Phuket.

What Phuket needs most is for development into a true tourism business destination and to become a duty-free destination, Mr Thanusak said.

I hope that the government will appoint one team of high-level executives to come and plan for Phuket to be a Special Andaman Tourism Economic Zone, with Phuket as a pilot province, which the private sector presented to the Cabinet on Nov 16 last year, he said.

The Special Economic Zone aims to make Phuket and the Andaman provinces the main areas for importing both Thai and foreign tourists and distributing tourists throughout the country, he said.
Meth continues to spread, says Phuket Vice Governor

PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Anuphap Rodkwan Yodrabum has warned of the continual spread of the drug methamphetamine and urged officials island-wide to do everything possible to eliminate it from society.

drugscrime

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 1 March 2022, 04:07PM

V/Gov Anuphap Rodkwan Yodrabum has led the Phuket Provincial Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Command Center for years and overseen many drug-related arrests across island.

He chaired the 4th annual meeting of the Phuket Provincial Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Command Center yesterday (Feb 28), joined by various officials from relevant government agencies.

The narcotic that is spreading most and quickest across the island of Phuket is methamphetamine due to a huge decline in price, V/Gov Anuphap said.

This is mainly due to a steep decline in the price of the drug which has increased availability considerably, he added.

The second most prevalent drug is crystal meth (ya ice), closely followed by majijuana (cannabis), V/Gov Anuphap confirmed. Heroin and cocaine were classed as niche drugs and not as widely available, he added.

He further stated that after Kratom was withdrawn from the illegal category 5 narcotic list, actual drug-related arrests had fallen when compared to before. Drug users are often those classisfied as being of a good moral standing in society, V/Gov Anuphap said.

However, there was still much work to be done from an enforcement perspective in combating the spread of drugs, meth in particular.

Phuket has instructed all relevant agencies to clamp-down in a rigorous manner to intercept and suppress drugs coming onto the the island in an effort to break the cycle of distribution and usage across the island, V/Gov Anuphap said.
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Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. SW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. SW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Local

Commissioners, county judges clash over DRO staffing

dbyers / Submitted GLASS SCOTTO SOBEL

Clearfield County Commissioners and the county courts are clashing over the staffing shortage in the Clearfield County Domestic Relations Office.

The DRO office is responsible for the collection of support payments for spouses and children of divorced/separated families.

According to DRO Office Director Rick Redden, the department is without seven full time employees out of a full staff complement of 19.

We are in survival mode right now, Redden said. Unfortunately the people who are hurt by this are the people who need us the most.

Redden said the staffing shortage is causing longer wait times for beneficiaries to receive their payments and the complaints are piling up in the office. Redden said he doesnt blame them because they have bills to pay  and if they dont receive their support payments many families are forced to go on public assistance.

Although we have been able to minimally function and encourage staff to assume many additional duties with the understanding we would fill all vacancies, the stress we are working under is becoming unbearable, Redden said in a letter to Clearfield County President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman and Judge Paul E. Cherry in a letter dated Jan. 21.

Redden said the office is losing employees and cant find replacements  and placed the blame on low salaries. A DRO officer requires a college degree with counseling education/experience. It also takes three months of training for new hires to learn the statewide computer system.

The county is paying its DRO officers less than $15 per hour. He said they have a DRO officer with six years experience, who has a bachelors degree and is still making less than $15 per hour. When that employee was hired he was paid $14.14 per hour, now he is making $14.90 per hour. The starting salary for a conference officer is $29,230.

Because all counties in the state use the same computer software and system, it is easy for neighboring counties to lure away Clearfield County DRO employees once they are trained to use the computer system, Redden said. He said over the past two months, the DRO office has received only two applications for employment.

When the DRO office called the first applicant to set up an interview, the applicant declined after being informed of the pay. When they called the second applicant, Redden said the applicant laughed out loud when told of the jobs responsibilities and its pay.

President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman and Judge Paul E. Cherry sent a letter to the commissioners dated Feb. 9, informing the commissioners their position on the staffing issues. The letter states that Clearfield County pays its DRO officers significantly less than neighboring counties and counties of similar size:

Bedford County  enforcement officer $42,151, conference officer, $44,000

Crawford County  enforcement officer, $34,632; conference officer, $50,536 conference officer

Huntingdon County  enforcement officer, $54,517; conference offier, $44,000

Mifflin County  enforcment officer, $40,950; conference officer, $30 per hour

Perry/Juniata County  enforcement officer, $37,576, conference officer, $46,416 for conference officer

Tioga County  enforcement officer, $41,584; conference officer, $46,417

Wayne County  $43,941 for both conference and enforcement officers

The judges said they didnt receive responses from Jefferson, Elk or Clinton counties. The letter also stated that Clarion, Indiana and McKean counties pay their DRO staff less than Clearfield County.

The judges letter also stated that the DRO office recently lost an enforcement officer who took another job as a secretary because the position had a pay of $16.47 per hour.

Redden said the situation is about to get worse becayse the DRO offices last conference officer is retiring in June and another employee is actively seeking other employment with a second interview scheduled.

Redden said the state reimburses the county 66 percent of the cost to operate the office, which includes employee salaries. In addition, the state, realizing the difficulties the DRO office is having in obtaining and retaining employees, has provided incentive funds to be used to increase the salaries of its employees at no cost to the county.

Redden said the state is willing to financially support county DRO offices because it less expensive in the long run because without support payments, many families end up on public assistance, which costs the state significantly more.

However, to use the incentive funds to increase salaries, it must be first approved by the county commissioners  and so far, the Clearfied County Commissioners have refused. The funds are idling in a bank account, Redden said. Redden added that this money would not only give their clients better service, but this money would go to Clearfield County employees who are residents of the county who would then use the money to buy goods and services from local businesses, improving the local economy.

Redden also said the state sets performance benchmarks for DRO offices. When Clearfield Countys DRO office had a full compliment of staff, he said it ranked in the top of all 6th class counties at meeting these benchmarks. Currently, the countys DRO office is hitting 83 percent of the benchmarks, if it dips below 80 percent, the county risks losing the 66 percent reimbursement from the state.

Redden said if the situation doesnt change, it is likely that the office would dip below the 80 percent threshold.

In the Feb. 9 letter, judges Ammerman and Cherry expressed frustration with the commissioners position.

Again, the Child Support Office due to staff shortages can no longer effectively process its cases. It is imperative that compensation be significantly increased such that we can hire and retain competent employees. Guaranteed state incentive moneys are available to assist the county in providing increased compensation, and we have specific approval of the state to use incentive funds for this purpose, the letter states. Yet since July of 2021, the Commissioners have been unwilling to even discuss with the Court these issues and the use of incentive moneys to increase compensation.

In a statement provided to The Progress on Monday, the commissioners defended their stance by stating they are aware of the situation, but were disappointed that (the DRO Office) have chosen to raise these concerns in the media, as it has never been the practice of the county to bargain in the press.

The route chosen by DRO simply undermines that intention and makes the achievement of fair collective bargaining agreements for county employees much more difficult, the statement said.

The commissioners debunked the DROs claims, and stated the wages paid to those employees are competitive with, and in some cases higher than, wages paid to the same employees in other comparable counties. Commissioners said that unlike many other similarly sized counties, employees in Clearfield contribute nothing to their health insurance deductibles, and overall employee health care contribution rates are significantly lower than in many comparable counties.

The county regrets that DRO chose this route, as it undermines delicate negotiations between the county and six different unions representing six different divisions of county employeesnegotiations which are presently primed to result in significant increases in employee compensation. For example, as part of ongoing contract negotiations, the county has proposed increasing the salaries of DRO employees by approximately $5,300, and the salaries of probation officers by as much as $5,500, over the term of the new collective bargaining agreements, in exchange for relief from rising health care costs. By law, the county cannot raise the wages of these employees except through negotiation and execution of a collective bargaining agreement or other bargained instrument, the statement said.

Commissioners said their primary focus is to the taxpayers of Clearfield County as a whole.

Any change to wages creates an increased pension liability, which will have to be funded for decades. Presently, the county pays over $700,000 annually toward the county pension  this is 100% county taxpayer money, and it is already projected to increase over time. Massive wage increases to other departments would likewise come out of the general fund and inevitably result in a tax increase. It is our job to balance a fair wage and benefit package for our hard-working staff with the economic realities of our area.
RIDGEFIELD  Ridgefield schools have hired Jill Browne as the new director of finance.

Browne comes to Ridgefield from Bristol schools where she worked as director of finance and director of finance and operations.

Prior to her time in Bristol, Browne worked as a business manager, human resources manager and assistant principal in Watertown schools. She also served as a math department leader and teacher at other schools in Connecticut. Before pursuing a career in public education, she worked in marketing and administration.

Superintendent Susie Da Silva said Brownes educational and business experience were important to the hiring process.

Jill Browne has decades of experience in education as well as time spent in the private sector, Da Silva said in a statement. Her responsibilities in public school finance, budget, operations, facilities, human resources, technology and the classroom make her an excellent fit for RPS.

I am honored to be joining the Ridgefield Public Schools as its new director of finance, Browne said in a statement. Ridgefield is a community that has a very high regard for education, evidenced by its consistent pursuit of high achievement at every level.

Bristol schools Director of Talent ManagementSam Galloway highly recommended Browne.

Jill is an intelligent, insightful professional who can be counted on to complete any task assigned to her, Galloway said in a release. She will follow up on all details to ensure that assignments are completed with excellence as the standard. She takes an interest in all aspects of the school district from the classroom to the district office.

Browne will begin her role at RPS on June 1.
STAMFORD  Superintendent Tamu Lucero announced last week that the school district would consider allowing students and staff to go mask-less inside school buildings as early as this Wednesday, and on Monday, she said that would also apply to masks on school buses.

The Stamford Board of Education is expected to weigh in on whether or not masks should be optional inside city schools and buses at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday night.

In her weekly letter to the community, posted last Friday, Lucero wrote that the bus policy will remain in place due to federal regulations that dictate mask wearing on public modes of transportation.

But on Monday, in an email to staff and families, Lucero wrote that the mandate would also be lifted for buses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidance, no longer calling for masks on school buses.

State officials acknowledged this latest development on Friday.

With this framework in mind, CDC experts are working now to update guidance for K-12 schools, early childhood education facilities, and institutes of higher education, DPH said in a statement.

The states mask mandate for schools was lifted Monday due to decreasing numbers of COVID-19 cases across the state. That means local school boards now have the authority to decide if they want to continue the mandate or not.

Many school districts opted to shift to optional masking starting Monday.

Initially, Stamford Director of Health Jody Bishop-Pullan had proposed March 15 as the end of the mask mandate.

A number of factors  including the decreased spread of the COVID-19 virus, and lower hospitalization and death rates  have led city school officials to consider eliminating the mandate sooner.

However, the school district and city Department of Health will recommend that staff and students continue to wear masks.

Tuesdays Stamford Board of Education meeting, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., includes two agenda items: an update from local health officials and a potential vote on repealing the school districts mask mandate policy.

In the past, some members have expressed hesitancy toward supporting the repeal, arguing that they would prefer the policy remain on the books, in the event Lucero or a future superintendent would want to quickly restore the policy.

In recent weeks, the mask debate has heated up in Stamford. Parents and students protested the mandate outside Stamford Government Center, while Board of Education members seemed open to ending the practice.

Many of the parents at the protest said children are less likely to become severely ill if they contract COVID-19, and said students are suffering emotionally by the mask requirement during the school day.

Includes prior reporting by staff writer Nicholas Rondinone.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com
Salem, MO (65560)

Today

Periods of rain. Low near 55F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low near 55F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 37F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 37F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 74F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
From an office in the Press Corps of the Indiana Statehouse, the journalism majors of Franklin College's Pulliam School of Journalism work alongside the best reporters in the state, digging into the behind-the-scenes stories of Indiana politics. We're a student newsroom, but our work doesn't sit on a professor's desk. We create daily content for this website and 35 professional media partners around the state.
Heber Springs, AR (72543)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening followed by thunderstorms late. Low 61F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening followed by thunderstorms late. Low 61F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Editor: Greg A. Fairbanks, J.D., LL.M.

As businesses continue to recover from the pandemic, many have experienced dramatic economic difficulties that may ultimately manifest as operating losses. From a federal perspective, the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, in 2017 and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, P.L. 116-136, in 2020 significantly changed the historic treatment of net operating losses (NOLs) for federal income tax purposes. The TCJA provisions, specifically, limit allowable NOL deductions to 80% of federal taxable income and lift the previously imposed 20-year limitation on carryovers. While the TCJA provisions disallow NOL carrybacks, the CARES Act temporarily and retroactively allows NOLs incurred in tax years beginning in 2018, 2019, or 2020 to be carried back five years or carried forward indefinitely, at the taxpayer's election. From a federal standpoint, the CARES Act change was intended to grant taxpayers a degree of relief from the economic difficulties created by the pandemic.

As states have historically employed myriad ways to account for operating losses on a current basis, as well as unique carryover and carryback provisions, tracking the ability to utilize operating losses at a state level has long been a complex and time-consuming endeavor. Over the past two years, as states have reckoned with their own financial difficulties and decided whether and how to conform to the many significant tax provisions included in the TCJA and the CARES Act, NOL treatment has certainly not escaped notice. Some states, in efforts to address budgetary woes and maximize revenue, have acted to limit taxpayers' ability to offset taxable income with recognized losses. This item focuses on legislative developments in California, Illinois, and Kansas, as well as judicial decisions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, that highlight imposed limitations on NOL usage.

Legislative changes

Using legislation to craft policy, California, Illinois, and Kansas have recently enacted state-specific limitations on NOL usage.

California: In June 2020, California enacted legislation expected to raise $9.2 billion in taxes over a three-year period, in part by amending the California Revenue and Taxation Code to suspend the use of NOLs for most taxpayers for tax years beginning in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (Ch. 8 (A.B. 85), enacted June 29, 2020). This is not the first time California has acted to restrict the use of NOLs. California suspended NOLs from 2008 to 2011, during and after the Great Recession (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 17276.21 and 24416.21). Specifically, the 2020 legislation adds provisions for both corporate and personal income tax purposes that together suspend the use of NOLs for most California taxpayers for tax years beginning in 2020, 2021, and 2022 unless they can qualify for limited small business exceptions. The NOL suspension does not apply if a corporate taxpayer has less than $1 million of income subject to tax for the tax year (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 24416.23(c)). Also, to compensate for the suspension, to the extent that the NOL utilization is denied by Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code Section 24416.23, a corollary extension of the NOL carryover period is provided for each year of disallowance (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 24416.23(b)). Similar rules apply for personal income tax purposes (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 17276(b) and (c)).

Illinois: Illinois enacted a fiscal 2022 budget bill that includes a temporary limitation of its NOL carryover deduction (P.A. 102-0016 (S.B. 2017), Laws 2021). Specifically, the legislation limits C corporations to a deduction of $100,000 of NOL carryforwards for each tax year ending on or after Dec. 31, 2021, and prior to Dec. 31, 2024. Like California, this is not Illinois's first foray into restricting NOL usage as a means to raise tax revenue and close its budget gap. Previously, a similar limitation applied for tax years generally ending in 2012 and 2013. If a corporation is affected by the limitation in a given year, that year will not be included in determining the 12-year carryforward period in which previously generated NOLs must be used.

Kansas: Kansas legislation enacted in 2021 changes the state's treatment of NOLs so that losses incurred in tax years prior to Jan. 1, 2018, generally follow the federal treatment, except that the carryforward period is limited to 10 years (Kan. S.B. 50, Laws 2021). This change, which was included with other corporate income tax modifications as part of a significant bill imposing a sales tax collection and remittance requirement for remote sellers and marketplace facilitators, is the result of over three years of legislative efforts to respond to the increases in Kansas taxes due to federal income tax changes resulting from the TCJA. For NOLs incurred after Dec. 31, 2017, Kansas NOL deductions will follow the federal treatment, but may only be carried forward. Therefore, while Kansas NOLs incurred after Dec. 31, 2017, may now be carried forward indefinitely, the federal 80% limitation added by the TCJA and the CARES Act's temporary suspension of this limitation for NOLs carried forward to 2019 and 2020 will apply for Kansas income tax purposes. By disallowing NOLs from being carried back and adopting the 80% TCJA limitation, Kansas's legislation, like the legislation enacted by California and Illinois, imposes limits on taxpayers' ability to use NOLs.

Judicial decisions

Courts in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey have recently considered disputes regarding the appropriate usage of losses to offset income in computing the corporate income tax.

Pennsylvania: It is important to recognize that challenges to Pennsylvania's concept of an operating loss attribute, the net loss carryover (NLC), have resulted in several significant judicial decisions in recent years. Pennsylvania law generally allows corporate taxpayers to carry forward unused prior net losses to reduce the amount of taxable income subject to Pennsylvania corporate net income tax (CNIT) in future years. However, legislation enacted during an economic recession in the 1990s temporarily suspended the deduction before reintroducing it with a fixed-dollar limitation on the amount of net loss a taxpayer could claim. Subsequently, the Legislature amended the legislation to allow taxpayers to claim the greater of a fixed-dollar amount or a relatively small percentage of taxable income.

In 2017, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of the limitation and struck down the fixed-dollar limitation provision of the NLC statute as applied to the challenging taxpayer during the 2007 tax year (Nextel Communications of the Mid-Atlantic, Inc. v. Pennsylvania, 171 A.3d 682 (Pa. 2017)). In fashioning a remedy, the court severed the fixed-dollar cap from the NLC provision while retaining the percentage limitation. Subsequently, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued a bulletin clarifying its policy to apply the remedy only on a prospective basis, to tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2017 (Corporation Tax Bulletin 2018-02, Net Operating Loss Deduction (NOL): Application of Nextel Communications v. Commonwealth (May 10, 2018)).

In addressing the most recent challenge to the NLC statute during 2021, an intermediate appellate court, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, found that a taxpayer was not entitled to a refund of CNIT paid for the 2014 tax year when the taxpayer's use of NLCs was limited by the state's percentage limitation for net loss deductions (Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc. v. Pennsylvania, No. 803 F.R. 2017 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 9/13/21)). In denying the refund, a three-judge panel found that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision in Nextel does not require a retroactive elimination of the percentage limitation based on the taxpayer's income. Instead, the court ruled that prospective application of Nextel to the taxpayer's facts did not violate the Uniformity and Remedies clauses of the Pennsylvania Constitution, or the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. Thus, Pennsylvania was free to apply its NLC percentage limitation. The next chapter in the NLC interpretive saga is likely to come soon, with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court currently considering an appeal of General Motors Corp. v. Pennsylvania, 222 A.3d 454 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2019), in which the applicability of Pennsylvania's flat-dollar limitation to the taxpayer is at issue.

New Jersey: Addressing an attempt by the New Jersey Division of Taxation to disallow the usage of NOLs, the New Jersey Tax Court recently found that the division may not disallow NOLs generated in closed tax years and carried forward to an open tax year under an audit examination (R.O.P. Aviation, Inc. v. Director, Division of Taxation, No. 01323-2018 (N.J. Tax Ct. 5/27/21)). Specifically, the N.J. Tax Court found the division's adjustment of NOL carryforwards created in closed years was tantamount to the adjustment of income reported in those years, thus constituting an impermissible "audit" for closed years outside the state's four-year statute of limitation. The decision confirms that the division cannot adjust NOLs generated in tax periods falling outside the four-year statute of limitation and carried forward to offset income in open tax years that are audited. Further, it clarifies that NOLs from tax years that are otherwise closed cannot be disallowed even when they impact the computation of income for open years. The division may still appeal this determination.

Limitations on NOL usage will continue

The recent legislative changes and court decisions in California, Illinois, Kansas, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania highlight states' continuing efforts to limit the use of NOLs in efforts to raise revenue and balance their budgets in these challenging times. As the economic effects of the pandemic continue to evolve, there is little reason to believe that the states will become more beneficent with respect to the application of state operating loss attributes. Instead, a spotlight is likely to remain on the ever-changing landscape of NOL treatment for state income tax purposes, and these recent developments merely evidence a need to remain vigilant. Taxpayers in loss positions should continue to identify and evaluate the impact of these and other amendments to their anticipated usage of state NOLs for both cash flow and tax provision purposes.

EditorNotes

Greg A. Fairbanks, J.D., LL.M., is a tax managing director with Grant Thornton LLP in Washington, D.C.

For additional information about these items, contact Mr. Fairbanks at 202-521-1503 or greg.fairbanks@us.gt.com.

Contributors are members of or associated with Grant Thornton LLP.
Editor: Greg A. Fairbanks, J.D., LL.M.

Taxpayer Catherine Toulouse, a U.S. citizen residing in France, timely filed her 2013 federal income tax return reporting tax on line 44 of her Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, of $63,632, offset by foreign tax credits in the same amount shown on line 47. Toulouse also submitted a modified Form 8960, Net Investment Income Tax  Individuals, Estates, and Trusts, where she properly reported $11,540 in net investment income on line 17 but also added lines to the form to show a foreign tax credit of $11,540 and the amount of net investment income tax due as $0.

Toulouse included two Forms 8833, Treaty-Based Return Position Disclosure Under Section 6114 or 7701(b), disclosing her position using carryover foreign tax credits from Italy and France to offset her net investment income tax liability. The position disclosed included a detailed explanation claiming treaty benefits under both Article 24(2)(a) of the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion With Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital (Aug. 31, 1994) (United StatesFrance treaty) and Article 23(2)(a) of the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation With Respect to Taxes on Income and the Prevention of Fraud or Fiscal Evasion (Aug. 25, 1999) (United StatesItaly treaty).

In February 2015, the IRS issued a math error notice, proposed an adjustment of $11,540, and on the same day assessed tax in that amount under Sec. 6213(b). Toulouse did not pay the assessment and sent the IRS a letter reiterating her position that a foreign tax credit could be used to offset her net investment income tax liability. In February 2016, the IRS informed Toulouse by letter that her claim for a foreign tax credit had been disallowed because the foreign tax credit does not apply against the net investment income tax.

In August 2018, the IRS assessed a Sec. 6651(a)(2) failure-to-pay penalty of $2,885 against Toulouse for 2013. In September 2018, the IRS issued Toulouse a final notice of intent to levy and a Notice of a Federal Tax Lien filing. Toulouse requested a Collection Due Process (CDP) hearing with respect to both notices, challenging her underlying liability for the net investment income tax. While reasserting that her net investment income tax was offset by foreign tax credits under the U.S.France and U.S.Italy tax treaties, Toulouse also objected to the IRS's failure to issue her a notice of deficiency.

A CDP hearing was held by phone in March 2019, and in September 2019 the settlement officer issued a determination sustaining the proposed levy action but not the filing of the federal tax lien. According to the notice of determination, the settlement officer determined that Toulouse was not entitled to a foreign tax credit against her net investment income tax.

Toulouse ultimately filed a petition in Tax Court in October 2019 requesting a review of the IRS's determination from the CDP hearing. Toulouse and the IRS filed cross-motions for summary judgment with the court, primarily on the issue of whether Toulouse was entitled to a foreign tax credit against the net investment income tax based on the provisions of the U.S.France and U.S.Italy tax treaties. Because the validity of Toulouse's case was a collection review proceeding and her underlying tax liability was properly at issue, the Tax Court reviewed Toulouse's liability de novo.

Tax Court discussion

In evaluating the cross-motions, the Tax Court first observed that there was no dispute that the Code and its associated regulations do not permit a foreign tax credit against the net investment income tax (Toulouse, 157 T.C. No. 4 (2021)). Foreign tax credits are provided under Secs. 27 and 901. Sec. 27 provides that "[t]he amount of taxes imposed by foreign countries and possessions of the United States shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter to the extent provided in section 901." Sec. 901 similarly states that the "tax imposed by this chapter shall ... be credited" essentially with taxes paid to foreign countries. Secs. 27 and 901 are both part of Chapter 1 of the Code. However, the net investment income tax is imposed under Sec. 1411, which is part of Chapter 2A of the Code. As the court noted, by its terms, the foreign tax credit of Sec. 901 is not available to offset non-Chapter 1 taxes.

Recognizing this statutory barrier, Toulouse argued that both the U.S.Italy and U.S.France treaties provide an independent basis for applying a foreign tax credit against her net investment income. The relevant language of each treaty is identical and provides a foreign tax credit "[i]n accordance with the provisions and subject to the limitations of the law of the United States (as it may be amended from time to time without changing the general principle hereof)." However, the Tax Court held that the plain text of the treaties necessarily subjected any credit to being within the provisions and limitations of the Code.

In so holding, the court rejected several arguments from Toulouse. First, the court noted that the fact that the net investment income tax of Sec. 1411 was instituted after the enactment of the treaties was not determinative. Both treaties state that they cover all federal income taxes imposed by the Code, and the addition of the net investment income tax to the Code was not a change to the "general principles of U.S. tax laws."

The Tax Court then addressed Toulouse's arguments premised on the "subject to the limitations of the law of the United States" language in the treaties. While Toulouse argued that the Code provided no limitation on a foreign tax credit as applied to net investment income because the Code was simply silent on the matter, the court noted that her argument ignored the other treaty language that such credit must be "in accordance with the provisions" of the Code. Worldwide income of U.S. residents is taxable absent an express affirmative credit or deduction stated in the Code. Thus, the court found that it is immaterial that the Code does not state that a credit is unavailable or is merely silent on the matter; the Code must provide a credit for one to exist.

The Tax Court was also unconvinced by Toulouse's argument that the placement of the net investment income tax in Chapter 2A of the Code (instead of Chapter 1) was a clerical choice or happenstance and that the intention of the treaties to eliminate double taxation should prevail in the absence of evidence that Congress considered whether to provide a foreign tax credit against the net investment income tax. The court found that congressional creation of an entirely new chapter of the Code when enacting the net investment income tax evidenced a structural choice. The court also cited cases and a technical explanation associated with the U.S.France treaty in noting that, while the general purpose of treaties is to preclude double taxation, treaties do not provide absolute protection, as the terms of credits are determined by the limitations of U.S. law.

Survival of the idea of independent tax credits under treaties?

Arguably, the most interesting aspect of this case is neither the holding nor the discussion but the opening expressly highlighted by the court for potential future argument. Multiple times in the opinion, the court observed that while Toulouse's argument based on Article 24(a) of the U.S.France treaty and Article 23(2)(a) of the U.S.Italy treaty was unpersuasive, tax treaties could potentially provide credits outside of the Code:

[Toulouse] questions the purpose of the Treaties if there is no independent, treaty-based credit and a credit is allowable only if it is provided in the Code. But we do not so hold. Other provisions of the Treaties may well provide for credits that are unavailable under the Code. [Toulouse], however, relies on provisions that by their express terms do not.

The language in the articles of the U.S.France and U.S.Italy treaties relied upon by Toulouse continues to be part of model U.S. tax treaty language on relief from double taxation, including model years 2006 and 2016. In its final regulations related to the net investment income tax, the IRS stated that all treaties with similar language "would not provide an independent basis for a credit against the section 1411 tax." In the same regulations, in stating that treaties must be analyzed to determine whether the United States has to provide a credit (if they do not contain the model language), the IRS left open the possibility that treaties currently exist or could exist to allow such a credit.

However, given the proliferation of use of the model treaty language, most U.S. citizens living abroad will continue to find a foreign tax credit unavailable against their net investment income, even when that income is taxed by other countries. In view of the IRS's position and the Toulouse case, the best course of action for affected citizens seems to be to encourage legislative action to amend Sec. 901 to include taxes under Chapter 2A as creditable. Such an amendment would bring a credit against the net investment income tax squarely within the existing model treaty language "in accordance with the provisions ... of the law of the United States."

EditorNotes

Greg A. Fairbanks, J.D., LL.M., is a tax managing director with Grant Thornton LLP in Washington, D.C.

For additional information about these items, contact Mr. Fairbanks at 202-521-1503 or greg.fairbanks@us.gt.com.

Contributors are members of or associated with Grant Thornton LLP.
BELLEVILLE  Caritas Family Solutions raised more than $150,000 through its virtual 9th annual Heart & Soul Gala presented by Federico Kia.



The gala is the nonprofits largest fundraising event, supporting its mission of strengthening the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families in order to create healthy relationships, loving homes, and strong communities. The agencys services include foster care, pregnancy care for women experiencing homelessness, adoption, counseling and independent living for adults with disabilities among other service lines.



This years one-hour production, emceed by WSIL-TVs Brooke Schlyer, included a silent auction, videos about Caritas mission and special appearances from local celebrities such as KSDKs Rene Knott.



Caritas Family Solutions CEO Gary Huelsmann said their goal is to raise awareness about all of the services Caritas currently provides. The agency currently serves more than 6,500 people including 1,700 foster children, throughout the Southern Illinois region. This years event also highlighted Caritas Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) program.



This event is always an opportunity for us to engage with the community and educate them about the amazing work Caritas does for the families we serve, said Huelsmann. We are inspired by the resilience our children, individuals and families show and this gala was a chance to celebrate all we have accomplished together.



Caritas also unveiled plans for its 75th anniversary celebration this summer with a kick-off on Caritas Day, July 31.

Sponsors for this years gala included Federico KIA, Kennedy Capital Management, Barbara & Jim Calandro, Contegra Construction Company, Cardinal Buick GMC, Edward Jones, The Gori Law Firm, Performance Roofing Inc., Thompson Coburn LLP and Dave and Jill Wenzel.



Caritas has offices in Alton, East Alton, Highland, Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Olney, Sparta and Effingham. For mpre information visit www.caritasfamilysolutions.org.




CHICAGO  Empower Illinois has announced two donors are sponsoring a scholarship donation match for eligible Catholic schools in central and southern Illinois.

Schools eligible for the $10,000 match include St. Francis/Holy Ghost School in Jerseyville and St. John the Evangelist School in Carrollton.
GLEN CARBON  Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) was named Medium Firm of the Year at the annual ACEC Illinois 2022 Engineering Excellence Awards.

Founded in 2006, the engineering and construction firm has grown from a three-person operation in Belleville to nine offices in four states, more than 50 employees and numerous infrastructure projects throughout the Midwest.

KEG President and Founder Geri E. Boyer, PE accepted the award alongside members of her team at the annual Engineering Excellence Awards hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Illinois. This was the inaugural year for the award.

KEG was honored for its contributions to the success and growth of the association, its role in advancing the consulting design profession and its commitment to community involvement and activism.

We are beyond honored to be recognized by ACEC Illinois," Boyer said. "My team and I are so grateful to do what we love and have our work celebrated by our industry peers. We share this award with our teaming partners, our clients, and our fellow engineers.

"And, of course, this award truly belongs to my team," she said. "I may be the one picking up the plaque, but Im just a small piece of this group of amazing, dedicated professionals. I am so proud to be among them. Thank you to all my KEG-ers for everything you do.

KEG is a 100% woman-owned professional engineering firm with offices in Belleville, Glen Carbon, Peoria, Geneva, Champaign, Evansville, Indiana; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is on a selling tour for his proposed Illinois Family Relief Plan, which he hopes to pilot through the legislature by the spring.

Key features are more than $1 billion of tax relief taking the form of up to $300 in property tax rebates for property owners. He also wants to eliminate the state tax on groceries and freeze the gas tax over the coming year.

The plan includes:

 Suspend a 1% tax on groceries, saving Illinois residents an estimated $360 million.

 Freeze the motor fuel tax which had been expected to increase about 2 cents a gallon from 39.2 cents to 41.4 cents a gallon. It would save taxpayers an estimated $135 million.

 Rebate property taxes via an income tax credit of up to $300 for nearly 2 million Illinois property owners.

Hes also pushing restoring the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF), which dedicates part of the state income tax revenue for municipalities.

State-shared income tax revenue is distributed to local governments through the LGDF, a state and local funding partnership instituted as part of the establishment of the state income tax in 1969. The idea was to help local governments fund essential services and programs such as public safety, public health and basic infrastructure construction and repair. This shared revenue also reduces the amount of revenue local governments must collect through local taxes.

Over the last decade, the state has found that partnership easy to raid. A review of the history of LGDF distributions shows that the local percentage share of the state income tax distributed through LGDF funding has already been reduced over the years. This has prevented local governments throughout the state from receiving billions of dollars in shared revenue.

Until January 2011, counties and municipalities received 10% of total state income tax revenues through LGDF. Following a temporary increase in state income tax rates in 2011, the percentage of tax revenue allocated to LGDF for distribution to local counties and municipalities declined to 6%.

In January 2015, the local share of the state income tax increased to 8% when the higher income tax rates declined according to a predetermined schedule established by law. The state income tax was permanently increased in 2017 and the local government share was reduced to 5.45%. The LGDF share is presently 6.06% for individual income tax collections and 6.845% for corporate income tax collections.

The manipulation has left municipalities across the state frustrated and irate. Whenever you hear an official of any city say were waiting for our money from the state, this is what theyre talking about. Municipalities unwilling or unable to balance budgets have resorted to increased taxes.

Campaigning by promises of money is always a good idea. Unfortunately, Pritzker paints with a broad brush, and specifics turn smooshy.

Everything Pritzker announces between now and Election Day deserves additional scrutiny. Hes practically at the point where he can designate whatever policies he wishes, based on both the Democrat majority in Springfield and his own confidence that hes write.

Difficult to forget, however, is his reversal on his campaign promise about district map drawing.

Were all for taxpayers getting money back.

We also understand were in Illinois.

Youll excuse us if we keep both hands on our wallet, and keep it in a front pants pocket.
The initial reaction to the appointment of a new ethics watchdog for Illinois state government has centered on the troubling way in which former judge Michael McCuskey was chosen for the job.

To be sure, that process was deeply flawed in ways that longtime watchers of Illinois government can only greet with an eye roll and a long, exasperated sigh. But there is even more and greater exasperation ahead if we let this all-too-familiar partisan disappointment overshadow the reason the legislative inspector general position was open in the first place.

On that score, direct your attention to the description of the job from the previous person who held it: paper tiger.

The legislative inspector general is supposed to investigate ethics complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly. When, last July, former appellate judge Carol Pope announced her resignation from the post two years early, she complained that restrictions on the position made it all but impossible to achieve its goals.

It was a familiar refrain, virtually mirroring complaints from her predecessor, Julie Porter. Porter, by the way, had been brought in during an embarrassing 2017 #MeToo scandal in the legislature because the job had been vacant since 2014.

Pope announced her resignation in July and left the job a month and a half ago. Democrats pointed to the delays and what they described as a political stalemate regarding her successor as the justification for ramrodding McCuskey through the House and Senate last week.

But before we rush to celebrate their sense of urgency, consider what lawmakers have done to respond to Popes and Porters concerns. They decided the inspector general can open a case without first seeking the blessing of the state Ethics Commission.

Thats it.

They have not granted the watchdog subpoena powers critical to getting testimony and information. They actually made the job tougher by requiring a formal complaint to open an investigation rather than allowing the watchdog to pursue cases based on media or public reports.

Neither party gets any points, of course, for trying to break the Ethics Commission impasse over two finalists. They both contributed to the stalemate, and neither showed any inclination to try to solve it, until Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, brought forth McCuskey.

So now, at least, we have an official watchdog to oversee ethics issues in the General Assembly. And, by all accounts -- even those of people who voted against him because of the process -- the former judge is respected for his independence and integrity.

But Pope and, before her, Porter both came into the role with similar credentials and reputations. And both left frustrated and disappointed. So, the key issue now isnt that we have an inspector general, nor even the unsavory tactics that put him in place. Its whether hes going to be allowed to do his job or will step away in disgust a few years hence.

If either party truly cares about currying the publics confidence and respect, thats where theyll concentrate their attention.


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Port Allen, LA (70767)

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Disgraced LV chairman Alan Cook finally left yesterday  80 days after his botched attempt to sell it to American private equity.

Cook, 68, was instrumental in pushing the 530million sale to Bain Capital, which would have stripped the 179-year-old insurer of its mutual status.

The deal was rejected in December by LVs 1.2million members after a Daily Mail campaign. Cook promised to step down but has remained until now, collecting 45,000 in pay in the process.

Exit: LV chairman Alan Cook was instrumental in pushing the 530m sale to Bain Capital, which would have stripped the 179-year-old insurer of its mutual status

The deal also cast a spotlight on his past, including his tenure as the Post Offices managing director when it began prosecuting sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft.

Critics welcomed Cooks exit, but said chief executive Mark Hartigan, the other key driver of the deal, must leave LV too.

They also said acting chairman Seamus Creedon, who would have continued to be employed under Bain, has questions to answer. LV has appointed two non-executives to its board.

Natalie Ceeney, CBE, is the ex-chief executive of the Financial Ombudsman Service, which handles disputes between customers and financial firms.

And former Merrill Lynch banker Suzy Neubert is married to ex-Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester, who is now chairman of Easyjet.

In a change in direction for the board, which unanimously backed Bain takeover, Creedon said his first task was to appoint directors who will continue to develop LV as a growing mutual insurer.

Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, a Treasury select committee member, said of Cook: How he was able to cling on for so long earning huge wages is beyond me.

'It seems this sorry saga is slowly coming to an end and LVs future as a mutual is becoming more secure.

Labour MP Gareth Thomas, chairman of Parliaments all-party group on mutuals, said Hartigan should go too.

He added: Frankly, Mr Creedon has many questions to answer about his own role in the Bain debacle.

'Top of the list is why on earth he thinks he can be trusted in charge when he would have benefited from the demutualisation and tie-up with Bain too.

Only a change of board and a new chief executive can set LV free of its recent past.

Its annual report this month will show whether Hartigan will be paid a 740,000 bonus.
Lockheed Martin is looking to spend 50million to set up a base for its space business in the North East.

The US company, the worlds biggest defence group, is in talks in Newcastle about a project which could create up to 2,300 jobs.

It could build a factory as well as a research centre. It already has 2,000 staff in the UK and invests 1.8billion in Britain a year.

Lift off: Executives from the US company are holding talks in Newcastle about the potential project, which could create up to 2,300 jobs

Lockheed is a major space contractor that has been involved in all 22 Nasa missions to Mars.

More than 45,000 people work in the UKs space industry.

Nik Smith, of Lockheed Martin UK and Europe, said: We are committed to make the UK one of the most prosperous and capable space sectors in the world.

'With its strong manufacturing heritage, highly skilled workforce and reputation for quality, we've identified North East England as a strong contender for our future operations, potentially creating new high-technology engineering and manufacturing jobs for the region.'
The boss of GlaxoSmithKline deplored the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the pharma giant revealed it was supporting relief efforts in the country.

Emma Walmsley said the FTSE 100 firm utterly condemned the invasion and was helping its 400 Ukrainian staff as well as humanitarian organisations such as Save the Children and the Red Cross.

We have just huge respect for the courage and resolve of the people of Ukraine, our people and the people beyond that, and want to do everything we can to help, Walmsley said.

Support: GlaxoSmithKline boss Emma Walmsley (pictured) said the FTSE 100 firm was helping its Ukrainian staff as well as humanitarian groups such as Save the Children and the Red Cross

She added that the company would support and comply with all sanctions. It has two businesses in Kyiv, according to its annual report, but has no factories in Ukraine.

The comments came as the group confirmed plans to complete the demerger of its consumer healthcare business in July this year.

The division, which was named Haleon last week, owns brands including Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol painkillers.

Goldman Sachs previously valued the consumer business at around 45billion.

The separation is expected to be the biggest demerger in Europe for 20 years and the largest London listing in a decade.

Despite market volatility caused by the war in Ukraine, Walmsley said that she was extremely confident that the separation of Haleon will be completed on time.

The spinning out of Haleon is a key plank of her plans for the business.
Shell has become the latest major company to sever ties with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

The energy giant will ditch its work with Gazprom and pull out of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline as Western powers reel from President Putins warmongering in Eastern Europe.

Shell warned that it could take a 2.2billion hit as it laid out a plan to exit a series of projects.

Out of gas: Energy giant Shell is to ditch will ditch its work with Gazprom which includes its 27.5 per cent stake in Sakhalin 2  a flagship facility in the Russian Far East (pictured)

These include its 27.5 per cent stake in Sakhalin 2  a flagship facility in the Russian Far East that is majority-owned by Gazprom and produces around 4 per cent of the worlds liquefied natural gas.

Shells announcement came a day after BP said that it was cutting ties with Kremlin-backed oil company Rosneft.

BP is now looking to offload its 19.75 per cent stake in Rosneft and current boss Bernard Looney has stepped down from the board.

Shell also said it would end its involvement with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which Germany has suspended because of the escalating conflict.

Shell helped to finance Nord Stream 2  which was meant to double Russian gas imports to Germany  and is thought to have lent more than 600million towards the project.

The oil giant isnt quitting Russia altogether, however. It has a network of around 400 petrol stations and a lubricants business in the country which it said it intends to keep.

Hours before Shell made the announcement, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng grilled Ben van Beurden about the companys work in Russia in a phone call.

Kwarteng also piled pressure on BP boss Bernard Looney on Friday - around two days before BP severed its links with Rosneft.

Last night Kwarteng said on Twitter: Earlier today I spoke to Shells chief executive, Ben van Beurden.

Shell have made the right call to divest from Russia - including Sakhalin II. There is now a strong moral imperative on British companies to isolate Russia.

This invasion must be a strategic failure for Putin.

Van Beurden said: We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security.

He added: Our decision to exit is one we take with conviction.

We cannot  and we will not  stand by.

He added: Our immediate focus is the safety of our people in Ukraine and supporting our people in Russia. The company is also bowing out of two projects in western Siberia, Salym and Gydan.

But it faces the same struggle to find a buyer as BP and other companies keen to escape their Russian investments.

Few, if any, Western firms will be able or willing to buy up Russian assets under the current circumstances.

Experts and politicians including former Labour party leader Ed Miliband had urged Shell to step back from Russia.

Shells shares were down by 1.4 per cent, or 28.5p, to 1972p last night even though oil prices rose  suggesting that investors were expecting its exit.

The move could constrain Shells finances at a time when van Beurden is trying to turn the company into a global green energy powerhouse, which he insists must be funded with money from its traditional oil and gas business.

In addition to Shell, a slew of companies including the Norwegian oil group Equinor and Daimler Truck cut their connections with Russia.

Volvo also suspended car shipments to Russia  while sanctions ramped up against Russian financial institutions.

The calls from Kwarteng for businesses to isolate Russia could pile pressure on companies including Glencore, Total, ExxonMobil and the commodities trader Trafigura.

FTSE 100-listed Glencore, which has suffered a series of ethical scandals, owns a 0.5 per cent stake in Rosneft and 10 per cent of Russian resources firm En+.

Jamie Maddock, equity analyst at Quilter Cheviot, said: While Glencore has a much smaller stake in Rosneft, it is a stake nonetheless.

It becomes much harder to justify retaining a stake in the business now BP has taken the decision to offload its ownership.

Glencore declined to comment last night.
Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is under fire from politicians for his roles at Russian companies including Rosneft.

Social democrat Schroeder led Germany from 1998 to 2005, when he was replaced by Angela Merkel.

The 77-year-old, who is a close friend of President Putin, has been chairman of Rosneft since 2017 and was paid 500,000 last year.

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (pictured, left with Vladimir Putin), has been chairman of Rosneft since 2017 and was paid 500,000 last year

He also leads the shareholder committee at the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

And last month he was nominated to join the board of state-backed energy group Gazprom, which owns Nord Stream 2.

But German politicians in his own party have lashed out at him for keeping his ties with Russian companies going despite the invasion of Ukraine.

SPD co-chairman Saskia Esken said: Rosneft and Gazprom are now the infrastructure of a bloody war of aggression.

With his mandates there, Gerhard Schroeder is damaging the reputation of Germany and social democracy.

Dealings with a warmonger are incompatible with the role of a former chancellor.

Schroeder was instrumental in setting up the Nord Stream 2 project while in office  but Germany recently blocked the pipeline from opening as tensions escalated.

He has blamed Russia for the war but has not gone any further  leaving it unclear if he will keep his current roles.

He has been criticised for his ties before and provoked a backlash in 2004 when he described Putin as a flawless democrat.
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 
Cumberland, MD (21502)

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editor's pick

Barre Unified Union School District

Searches for school administrators are coming 'down to the hire' in Barre

BARRE  The most pressing one recently ended, another was over before it began, and several other administrative searches in the Barre Unified Union School District are nearing the finish line, including two that have all but crossed it.

There are higher profile hires on the horizon, but the search for newly minted Superintendent Chris Hennesseys replacement as co-principal at Barre City Elementary and Middle School appears to be all but over, and the school board is a vote away from hiring a new director of early childhood education.

The latter decision would have been made late last week if the paperwork involving Hennesseys plans to hire Elizabeth Brown had been included in materials submitted to the board in advance of its Thursday night meeting. Instead, the board was briefed on Brown, who is director of the Head Start program in Rutland, and is expected to replace Lauren May as director of early childhood education in Barre on July 1.

May announced her plans to resign at the end of the school year in November, but Hennessey said he expects she will remain in the district in a different capacity next year and Brown will take over her administrative duties.

The search for Hennesseys replacement as co-principal at Barre City Elementary and Middle School has also been narrowed to one  the schools former assistant principal, Pierre Laflamme.

Laflamme was promoted to interim principal after Hennessey was promoted to interim superintendent following former superintendent David Wells abrupt resignation last year.

After the board stripped interim from Hennesseys new role following a search that ended in January, his old job was posted on Jan. 20. Board members were told 10 candidates applied by the Feb. 3 deadline, four were considered viable and two withdrew before being interviewed by a 12-member search committee.

Hennessey said the committee has recommended Laflamme, who he worked with at Barres pre-K-8 school before taking over as interim superintendent.

Hennessey said he planned to interview Laflamme this week as a part of a process that may include a board interview.

Hennessey told board members, who interviewed Laflamme for the interim principals position a few months ago, they could decide whether they wanted to talk to him again before considering the hire later this month.

Hes put a lot of work into this, Hennessey said of Laflamme.

Unless something goes sideways, Laflamme will remain on as middle school principal at Barre City Elementary and Middle School, while Spaulding High School Principal Brenda Waterhouse takes over the role of elementary school principal now held by Hayden Coon.

Coon recently announced he will be leaving the district at the end of the school year to accept a principals position in neighboring New Hampshire. There was no search for Coons successor after Waterhouse volunteered to make a switch that she and Hennessey agree is in the best interest of the district as a whole even if it will require her leaving Spaulding.

The search for Spauldings next principal began when the position was posted on Feb. 10. The deadline for applicants is today and there were eight candidates in the mix heading into the weekend. A 13-member committee, which includes a mix of administrators, faculty, staff, parents and students, has been assembled and will meet for the first time on Wednesday.

The committee is expected to narrow the list of candidates before scheduling interviews on March 14, and recommending one or more of them to Hennessey for his consideration. That would put Hennessey in the position to conduct interviews of his own in time to recommend one, or more, finalist to the board for its consideration on March 24.

With several searches nearing decisions, and at least some likely to involve an as yet unknown number of board-level interviews, the possibility of scheduling a special meeting exclusively for that purpose before March 24 has been floated and likely will be decided during the boards March 10 organizational meeting.

Browns hiring is expected to be approved by the board at that meeting and Laflammes technically could be as well. However, March 24 is considered the more likely date  especially if the board wants to conduct its own interview.

Waiting until March 24 to conduct interviews could bog down the agenda that night or slow the hiring process.

The goal is to obtain board approval to hire three new administrators on March 24. One of them is presumably Laflamme, another would be Waterhouses replacement as principal of Spaulding High School, and a third would be the curriculum directors position that has been vacant since Mary Ellen Simmons left the district late last year.

Rather than rush to find a mid-year replacement for Simmons, Hennessey opted to rely on existing staff to perform those duties with an eye to bringing a new curriculum director on board July 1. The position was posted Jan. 3 and attracted 13 applicants before the Feb. 14 deadline. One subsequently withdrew and a 12-member search committee has narrowed the field to three finalists it will interview on Thursday. The committee will recommend one or more of the finalists to Hennessey, who will conduct his own interviews before making a recommendation to the board.

Depending on how many finalists Hennessey recommends to the board, it could be interviewing candidates for at least two, and possibly three positions, with the potential of multiple finalists for two of the positions.

Two other administrative searches are on a slightly slower track. Both involve assistant principals positions and one presumes Laflamme will be promoted and wont return to his former role as assistant principal. The position, which has been filled for the last several months by Olivia Kane, recently was posted and the deadline for applicants is March 7. Heading into the weekend, six people had applied, and four of them also were in the running for one of two assistant principals positions at Spaulding High School.

That currently vacant position was posted on Jan. 31 and the deadline for applicants was Monday. As of the end of last week, 18 people had applied and three had withdrawn after accepting jobs elsewhere.

Separate search committees will evaluate and interview candidates for both of those positions and make recommendations to Hennessey by the end of the month.

david.delcore @timesargus.com
Barre, VT (05641)

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Inheritor of brick carving seeks to carry forward traditional craft through modern-day innovations

People's Daily Online) 17:08, March 01, 2022

Bu Wenjun is among the fourth generation in the Wei family to inherit the traditional art of brick carving in Longde county, Guyuan city, northwest Chinas Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Bu Wenjun (right) teaches carving skills to a fifth-generation inheritor of the Wei brick carving craft. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Brick carving, an ancient form of decorative art used to embellish buildings, had once prospered during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties in China. The brick carving craft of the Wei family has a history stretching back more than 120 years, and with the patterns carved on the bricks commonly incorporating animals that carry auspicious meanings.

Bu introduced that it takes seven different procedures and more than 20 steps to complete a full brick carving artwork, with the carving craft requiring a suitable level of strength applied by the craftsman who must try his best not to break a brick while creating patterns on it.

Turning bricks into works of art has always been the main pursuit of the Wei craftsmen. Inheriting the craft from his father-in-law, Bu is aware of his responsibility to carry forward the craft.

Photo shows villagers learning the techniques of brick carving. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

To further promote the ancient art, Bu has broken with tradition by teaching the skills to his fellow villagers, including left-behind women and persons living with disabilities, turning the traditional craft into a source of income for the local rural residents. Traditionally, craftsmen would teach the skills to men of the same family only.

Bu also injected innovations into the craft by replacing animal hair with cotton in an effort to cope with a shortage of raw material and prevent any cracking that may appear on the surface of the brick during the firing process. He also developed more than 300 types of bricks for carving purposes, having sold these products throughout China to Gansu, Shaanxi and Qinghai provinces. In 2011, Bu started a company that specializes in carrying forward the traditional craft.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)


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Kingsport, TN (37660)

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Handcrafted beverage-maker Aroma Joe's is expanding into the Capital Region.

The chain coffee crafter awarded the Hurley Group of Guilderland rights for the franchise's development in the region, a news release said.

Hurley Group Managing Director Bob Hurley said his team is "extremely pleased" to bring Aroma Joe's to the Capital Region and North Country.

"Aroma Joes is a great business concept with incredible potential, and we are actively looking for franchisees who share that passion, he said in the release.

"We are currently working in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the brand has greatly resonated with consumers looking for something different  great products served with positivity and passion," he added.

Aroma Joe's is known for its coffee, espresso beverages and daily menu. The company, founded in 2000, is headquartered in Maine but has established 82 locations across the U.S. in its home state as well as New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Florida.

The expansion into upstate New York comes as the company plans to open a slate of new stores along the East Coast.
ALBANY - Albany Nanotech founder Alain Kaloyeros has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review his 2018 conviction in a federal bid-rigging case as he prepares to turn himself in later this month to start serving a 42-month prison sentence.

Kaloyeros, 66, is scheduled to start serving his sentence on March 14 after exhausting his appeals. He was, however, able to get an extra month's time to take care of a "potentially serious" medical condition before having to report to the Bureau of Prisons. Kaloyeros has requested to be sent to the minimum security camp at Otisville, although where Kaloyeros will ultimately be sent has not been made public.

Kaloyeros and his attorney Michael Miller filed what's known as a petition for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court on Feb. 18. That's essentially a request to have the court review his case. Only 80 such cases are taken up by the court each term on average  out of 7,000 to 8,000 applications. The court typically takes about six weeks to make a decision on whether it will hear a case or not. Federal prosecutors have until the end of this month to file a reply to Kaloyeros' filing.

Kaloyeros is asking the Supreme Court to essentially strike down established case law in the Second Circuit (which covers the Manhattan court where Kaloyeros was convicted) that allows for a broad interpretation of what constitutes wire fraud.

Kaloyeros was accused of taking steps to ensure that two upstate construction contractors, both major campaign donors to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, would be put in a favorable position to win hundreds of millions of dollars in state contracts for high-tech manufacturing projects in Syracuse and Buffalo.

Kaloyeros was accused of helping the two contractors by tailoring the requirements outlined in the request for proposals, or RFPs, for the projects to ensure that the two favored companies would likely be chosen for the jobs, which they were.

Kaloyeros was a board member of a quasi-government nonprofit called Fort Schuyler Management Corp. Fort Schuyler was one of two entities created by Albany Nanotech to manage its real estate and economic development projects separately from the State University of New York system where Kaloyeros was a physics professor.

Although Kaloyeros did not directly benefit financially from his actions, he was prosecuted under the so-called "right-to-control" theory of wire fraud that says that someone can commit wire fraud by depriving someone of important economic information.

In this case, Kaloyeros was accused of manipulating the RFPs issued by Fort Schuyler without informing the Fort Schuyler board of directors what he had done or why, thereby denying the board and its members vital information they were entitled to to make their decisions, which involved handing out nearly $1 billion in construction contracts funded by the state.

Prosecutors alleged that Kaloyeros was motivated by his desire to stay in the good graces of the governor. Cuomo had put Kaloyeros in charge of the two economic development projects, which the governor had dubbed the "Buffalo Billion," as a way to export the Albany Nanotech model to other upstate cities.

Kaloyeros created Albany Nanotech two decades ago as a computer chip research partnership between the state and IBM. The facility, located across the street from the University at Albany, has grown over the years to include lab space used by chip companies and equipment suppliers from across the globe.

Kaloyeros also created the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at Albany Nanotech, which was originally part of UAlbany and was later spun off as part of a new school called SUNY Polytechnic Institute, with campuses in Albany and Utica.

Kaloyeros, who lives in Slingerlands, has lived a relatively normal life since his 2018 conviction, being allowed to remain free until he exhausted his appeals of his case in the Second Circuit. Although he no longer works for the state or the SUNY system, he has continued his research work in the semiconductor industry and continues to socialize with friends and family in the area.

The Second Circuit is not the only part of the federal appeals court system that allows the prosecution of wire fraud under the "right-to-control" theory.

The Eighth Circuit, which covers federal courts from the Dakotas and Minnesota down to Missouri and Arkansas, does as well, according to the filing made by Kaloyeros attorney Michael Miller to the Supreme Court last month.

Miller argues that other appeals courts like the Sixth and Ninth circuits do not recognize the "right-to-control" theory for wire fraud, and so the Supreme Court should decide which interpretation is correct.

The Ninth Circuit includes California and the West Coast states, and the Sixth Circuit includes Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

"By contrast, in the Sixth and Ninth circuits, the ethereal right to accurate information is not a protected property interest under the federal property fraud statutes," Miller wrote. "From the early 1990s to today, the asserted right to accurate information, without more, will support a wire fraud conviction in New York but not Nashville; in St. Louis but not San Diego."
Lev Glazman was a six-year-old living in Israel, where his family had emigrated from Russia, when he was introduced to fine fragrance. It was still the Iron Curtain, so the only available fragrance was Red Moscow, and it smelled absolutely horrible, he recalls.

My mother took me to the black market and bought a French perfume. When she opened the bottle, I was blown away.

The experience sparked a lifelong infatuation with scent. After moving to the United States as an adult, he met Ukrainian-born Alina Roytberg, a fashion designer who was also passionate about style and beauty. They married, and in 1991 partnered to launch Fresh, a skin-care and cosmetics brand that helped kick off the natural beauty movement, in Boston.

Even then, it wasnt just about creating a product. It was about creating a product that people can bring home to continue an experience, says Roytberg.

Although Roytberg and Glazman are still involved with Fresh, they sold a majority stake in the company to LVMH, the French-based luxury goods conglomerate, in 1999. This allowed them to turn their attention toward creating new sensory and design-minded experiences in the Hudson Valley, where they have a home.

Next up: breads and pastries

John Carl D'Annibale

In 2016, Glazman and Roytberg, along with hospitality expert Damien Janowicz, purchased a dilapidated historic railroad hotel on Route 66 in Ghent, and reimagined it into Bartlett House. The original plan was to open a commissary bakery to produce breads and pastries for a hotel. But they found themselves smitten with the Italianate brick building, and decided to make it a standalone business.

The perennially popular cafe and bakery has a state-of-the-art kitchen and a European brasserie-style interior, with wallpapered walls, warm wood furniture and flooring, and vintage-inspired lighting and fixtures.

Its a multisensory experience, filled with the warming scents of baked goods and savory foods. From made-fresh-daily sweets like chocolate croissants and blackberry, beet, and cheese-filled Danish, to hearty salads and sandwiches, the restaurant offers a taste for every craving.

Bartlett House also serves as a gathering place for local residents, weekenders, and vacationers, in a rural town that doesnt have a true community hub. Its such an important location, Glazman says. Its become sort of like a center of town again.

Throughout the pandemic, Bartlett House remained open, with the small staff placing boxed orders on the porch for pickup during the earliest days of lockdown. This engendered repeat business from regulars and newcomers alike.

I feel like there was more love developed for the cafe during the past two years than probably even in the first four years of business, Roytberg says. We were open and welcoming. Its fascinating how people really want to hold on to that. And theres nothing more peace making and calming than bread.

The scent of a hotel

Francine Zaslow

In 2020, the team applied their successful hospitality model to a new venture. On Warren Street in Hudson, they transformed 14,000 square feet, across three adjoining historic buildings, into The Maker Hotel: boutique lodging with a restaurant, cafe, and lounge. The concept was inspired by the culture of artists, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs who have populated the city for centuries.

Lush and moody, The Makers spaces evoke bohemian Paris, with rich Belle Epoque and edgy Industrial Era flourishes. Each of its 11 rooms are a sensual mix of shapes, tactile fabrics and surfaces, and fascinating art and decorative objects. Some spaces are inspired by archetypal makers like artists, writers, and architects.

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Fragrance is an important component of The Maker. Electric diffusers imbue the hotels public spaces with its signature scent, Spiritus, a woodsy, spicy blend of frankincense, cannabis, and vanilla. And the Fragrance Library, a tucked-away room open only to hotel guests, highlights 120 perfumes from around the world.

We had the idea to open the world of fragrance not from behind a counter, Roytberg says. Its not about marketing. Its about you sitting in this beautiful, intimate little space, and you decide the memory youre going to create today, what mood youre going to be in.

When asked if he has a favorite among the collection, Glazman says, Its like looking at paintings. They have different personalities. Ultimately, he names Vetiver, an eau de cologne by iconic French beauty house Guerlain, which he has been wearing since he was a teenager.

In responses to guests desire to take a piece of The Maker home with them, the hotel now has its own shop, selling bedding, decor, glassware, and other items. The undisputed stars of the collection are the six fragrances and three scented candles. All are gender inclusive, vegan, cruelty free, made without commonly used chemical irritants, and packaged in partially recycled materials.

Selections include the sultry perfume Fire, with notes of juniper, tobacco, and Tahitian vanilla; and Artist, a candle infused with bright, invigorating pomelo, waterlily, and wild vetiver. The Lounge at The Maker even serves drinks inspired by the fragrance line; order one, and get a sample of the perfume to take home. In addition, the hotel offers curated packages with a special scent component.

Roytberg and Glazman are planning to expand their fragrance line both in number of selections and in national distribution. And theyre at work on growing The Makers slate of live performances, in what Glazman calls a Moulin Rouge type of concept.

In the meantime, he and Roytberg hope the scents are able to bottle the experience of staying at The Maker, and help create new sensory links. Fragrance captures moments in time. It connects us. At The Maker, we say, Make your memories, Glazman explains.

Roytberg finishes, Ultimately, the maker of these fragrances is the wearer. Thats who animates it and creates what happens. The story isnt complete unless someone wears it and experiences something while wearing or sensing it.
New York State Police are continuing to investigate a shooting involving Town of Fishkill police at an apartment complex on Sunday to determine how it left two residents shot, with one in critical condition at a Westchester hospital.

State police are investigating the incident that unfolded on Sunday at around 2:35 p.m. when town police, who were at the Views of Rocky Glen complex investigating a domestic dispute, were approached by Michael M. Becerril, 29, who was armed with a knife.

Becerril ignored the officers verbal commands to drop the knife, and one officer unsuccessfully fired a Taser at Becerril. The investigation determined that Becerril was then shot while he physically fought with the officers trying to take him into custody.

Chassity Wade, 30, was also shot during the incident when state police say she attempted to stop the confrontation.

Becerril was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center where he remains in critical condition, and Wade was transported to Montefiore St. Lukes Hospital in stable condition.

Right now, the New York State Police are the lead agency on the investigation which is being assisted by the Dutchess County District Attorney. As of Tuesday afternoon, Becerril was still in critical condition. However, if Becerrils condition worsens and he dies, the investigation will automatically go to the New York State Attorney General.

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Town of Fishkill Police Officers Joseph DiPalma and John Hurtado, and Town of Fishkill Sergeant Gerald Cocozza were uninjured in the incident.

There are no criminal charges at this time and its still very much an ongoing investigation, said Troop K Public Information Officer Aaron J. Hicks.

Hicks could not disclose if an officer shot Wade, although there were no other reports of a gun on the scene. No information has yet been released on how many shots were fired during the altercation.
Over 10 years ago, in 2011, Hurricane Irene barreled up the east coast, pummeling New Jersey and later hitting the Catskills as a tropical storm, where it unleashed up to 13 inches of rain within 24 hours. Ulster County, meanwhile, got between half a foot and a foot of rain. Crops and homes were flooded, tens of thousands were left without power, and then-Ulster County Executive Michael Hein called it the worst natural disaster in Ulster Countys history. Roughly two weeks later, the region was again hammered by Tropical Storm Lee.

Now, Ulster County is considering the threat of future floods that could become more common as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Town and county officials in the Ashokan Reservoir watershed are planning ahead for a worst-case scenario by engaging in drills that are intended to highlight holes in current emergency planning.

Together with the Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program (AWSMP), Ulster Countys Division of Emergency Management is preparing to hold tabletop exercises in Hurley, Olive, Shandaken, and Woodstock, areas that surround the Ashokan Reservoir that supplies drinking water to New York City and 1 million Hudson Valley residents. Deputy Director of Ulster Countys Division of Emergency Management Michael Madison will lead the as-yet-unscheduled discussions, which will be happening in the coming months.

Residents shouldnt expect to see emergency vehicles running drills. Instead, the four-hour-long exercises are discussion based and happen around a conference room table. Scenarios will be presented to municipal leaders, who will work through how, based on their current emergency plans, each municipality would handle natural disaster emergencies.

The issues explored, says Madison, can be as simple as where residents would shelter during a flood or as complex as how emergency vehicles could get to residences if certain roadways were washed out or impassable.

What were trying to gain from that is to find any gaps or any updates that need to be done in their plan, he says.

One of the exercises will be focused in Shandaken, where Tropical Storm Irene caused road washouts in August 2011 and floodwaters downed power lines flooded or totaled several homes, town supervisor Peter DiSclafni says. He says flood planning is something the town is focused on heavily, and he thinks the upcoming exercises will help the town imagine where a worst-case scenario could occur and how the town would react.

You try to prepare as much as you can, because you dont know where its going to happen, says DiSclafani. You try to shore up what you think is weak, what will harm structures down the way, and that kind of thing. This is going to give us insight on what our options are.

Real-life prep for a weather disaster

Last months ice storm that left over 46,000 in Ulster County without power already highlighted some of what the exercises may address in Olive. There, town supervisor Jim Sofranko says that communication quickly became an issue in the ice storm.

There was no electricity, no cable, no landline phones, says Sofranko, adding that the town doesnt have its own local newspaper. Communication was definitely the most difficult challenge.

Cell phones were working, though Sofranko says the towns cell tower got overwhelmed at points in the aftermath of the storm. Still, he found mobile communication, and particularly social media, to be the best way to reach people with messaging during that storm and in the days following. To that end, the town is now looking into how to implement a mobile phone alert system and is exploring using Facebook to get the word out about emergencies, too, as well as the towns website.

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But thats also depending on people having access to that, says Sofranko. So its not the greatest scenario.

Sofranko notes that when considering flooding, the history of the region is important. Many villages were built in valleys and along waterways that, as water levels rise due to climate change, could become increasingly problematic.

Towns were developed near water sources, he says. That is in direct conflict with the ever-increasing water levels that were seeing, attributable to climate change. Its easy to just say, Oh, its because of climate change, but we also have to take that and say: lets plan. We have to incorporate it into our planning.

Sofranko says that in addition to communication, the towns flood planning has included trying to imagine a bigger flood event than Irene.

Since Irene, theres been places where weve done culvert replacement, increasing the scope and size of the project to accommodate a 500-year flood so the water can get through easily and not overwhelm a critical road or facility, says Sofranko.

That planning will be, in part, what will be examined during the exercises run by Madison. Madison stresses that the exercise wont result in all of the answers, but is intended to raise questions that the municipalities can then work to address.

Its not pass or fail, he says. The objective is to open the eyes of everybody to say, Oh wow, we never thought of that. The best approach possible is to get plans as up-to-date as we can so that if the plan ever has to be executed, it can be.
TROY  Police said they charged four people in connection with a daytime shooting on Second Street that has left a man with serious injuries.

Three people were apprehended fleeing the area after the shooting happened around 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Troy police said, and a fourth person was located inside a residence near the shooting scene.

Police said that the shooting happened during a verbal dispute in the area of Second and Madison streets. Police said they recovered four illegal handguns during the investigation.

The victim, who was shot in the torso, remains in serious condition at a local hospital.

Three men in their 20s from Troy, Amsterdam and Manhattan were charged with criminal possession of a weapon. A 25-year-old Bronx man was charged with attempted murder.

Troy police are investigating two other shootings that happened over the weekend.

On Saturday, a man was wounded in the area of Sixth Avenue and 102nd Street. That victim sustained a non-life threatening injury.

The third shooting happened outside on Fifth Avenue in the area of 101st Street around 1:50 p.m. Sunday. A man was shot in the hip.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Police said Sunday there was no indication the three shootings were connected. "Still, that will be a component of the ongoing investigations to confirm, " wrote Troy Assistant Police Chief Steven Barker in a release on Sunday.

Police ask those who may have information regarding the incidents to reach out to detectives by phone at (518) 270-4421 or report online at troypd.org.
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MECHANICVILLE City schools posted a short statement Sunday saying its superintendent "is taking a vacation leave," but neither district officials nor Superintendent Bruce Potter will explain the circumstances surrounding the sudden absence.

Board of Education President Marlene Tierney said in the first statement posted on the matter that Assistant Superintendent Kevin Kolakowski will be Mechanicville's Acting Superintendent in Potter's absence, "effective immediately."

Kolakowski followed that up with a letter to parents Monday morning that said in part, I look forward to continuing to serve our community, Kolakowski wrote. I want to assure our community that we will continue to support our students, our staff, our programs, and our families. During this time, there will not be any change impacting program or supports during this interim period.

In a separate email to the Times Union, Kolakowski would only say that Potter is on vacation leave effective Monday, Feb. 28. On the district's website, a link to a section for the "Superintendent's page" appears to be disabled.

Potter, who would only respond to the Times Union through texts, said he is "still with the district," but would not answer questions about the reason for his sudden absence.

"All I can say at this point is, I believe in transparent accountability," Potter wrote. "I welcome a thorough review of my work. I cant wait to return to lead our team as we continue to build a school of best practices through a community of learners approach."

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

In a later text, after a Times Union phone call, he added, "I'm not gone for good. That's all I can say about the matter."

James Dexter, superintendent of Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES, which assists in hiring superintendents through the region, said he had no information on Potter's absence.

On Feb. 3, the last meeting of the Board of Education, Potter was present. At that time, there was no mention of Potters impending "vacation leave."

Potter, which seethroughny.org indicates was paid $176,538 in 2020, was appointed superintendent in 2019 after long-time Superintendent Michael McCarthy suddenly stepped down mid-school year.
SCHENECTADY  A Schenectady police detective is facing charges after being accused of harassment.

Schenectady police were alerted Saturday afternoon that Investigator Brandon Kietlinski was the subject of a complaint filed with the Glenville Police Department.

The complaint alleged that Kietlinski harassed two people, according to a statement issued on Monday by Schenectady police. Details of the nature of complaint were not immediately clear.

Kietlinski turned himself in to Glenville police and was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree harassment, a violation-level offense.

Kietlinski, who has been with Schenectady police since 2009, will be placed on administrative leave during the investigation, officials said.

Allegations of harassment made by the public against members of the Schenectady Police Department are taken seriously, city Police Chief Eric Clifford said in a statement. It is my expectation that all members of the Schenectady Police Department will conduct themselves as consummate professionals while on duty and off duty.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

The incident will be investigated by the police department's Office of Professional Standards.

Police declined to make additional information available.

Clifford said the Schenectady Police Department will cooperate fully with the Glenville Police Department and the countys District Attorneys Office on behalf of the complainants and their desire to seek protection and justice.
ALBANY  After a Times Union investigation found horse racing in New York has been buttressed by $2.9 billion in state benefits since 2008, a handful of state lawmakers and advocacy groups on Monday mounted a renewed push for passage of two bills to end two subsidies to the sport.

The coalition is backing legislation that would take approximately $230 million in revenues from video lottery terminals (VLTs) that the state allocates to support horse racing winnings and breeding and instead direct those funds to education and human services. Another measure calls for ending sales and use-tax exemptions for race horses.

The coalition, called the Campaign to End Horse Racing Subsidies, is lead by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, along with several other Democrats and outside groups. On Monday, they kicked off a week of meetings with legislators and advocates to drum up support for the legislation.

"At a moment when our working-class communities so desperately need funding for critical services like education, human services, and economic justice, to prop up a deadly industry that often abuses and neglects the horses in its care and is known for violations of workers' rights, with $230 million of New York taxpayers' dollars, is not right," said state Sen. Robert Jackson, D-Manhattan.

But the New York racing industry has mounted fierce opposition to the legislative proposals.

Patrick McKenna, a spokesman for the New York Racing Association, decried Jackson's comments about the industry in a statement Monday.

"This is a willful and irresponsible characterization of the state of horse racing in New York offered by groups whose only goal is to destroy the sport," McKenna said. "NYRA is as healthy today as at any point in recent memory and sets the industry standard when it comes to safety and integrity."

NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., have sent joint memos outlining their opposition to the legislation to repeal tax exemptions to every member of the state Assembly and Senate, McKenna said.

NYRA, which operates Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, also warned that the revenue it gets from video slots is protected by a 2008 franchise agreement and settlement between NYRA and the state.

"The change to the VLT funding structure suggested by (Assemblywoman) Rosenthal would certainly be in violation of these agreements," McKenna said.

The industry has formed its own group in defense of its state benefits, a coalition called We Are NY Horse Racing. They've produced videos and other media touting the jobs created by horse racing.

They also count the top Democrats who oversee racing issues among their legislative supporters, as well as the New York Farm Bureau, the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and others.

"We Are NY Horse Racing recently launched its first significant ad, which is now airing on cable television as well as digital platforms," said Najja Thompson, Executive Director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. and spokesperson for We Are NY Horse Racing. "Our membership is committed to spending real dollars to talk directly to New Yorkers about the importance of the sport in our state."

NYRA and We Are NY Horse Racing have said the state funding they receive allows them to continue to employ thousands of people.

A state-commissioned gaming market study released a year ago found that without subsidies, eight tracks would likely shutter, leaving just the three NYRA tracks. But NYRAs racing would be significantly diminished and race horse breeding would be "devastated," the study concluded.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Leaders of the legislative committees that oversee racing, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, D-Mount Vernon, and Sen. Joseph Addabo, D-Queens, have already stated their opposition to ending the video slot allocation that sends millions to race tracks.

Pretlow called the idea "ridiculous" and said the legislation would "kill" the horse racing industry.

A bill to eliminate the sales tax exemption for the sale of race horses and a use-tax exemption for race horses was sponsored by Jackson and Democratic state Sens. Julia Salazar and Jabari Brisport of Brooklyn, and Alessandra Biaggi of the Bronx.

"The time has come for New York to end this tax-break for the rich," Salazar said Monday.

In their joint memo, thoroughbred horse racing organizations argued the changes would discourage people from buying race horses and decrease the number of horses that race in the state, driving down wagering and state taxes collected on bets.

Rosenthal's bill to redirect video slot money to other causes is sponsored by seven other Assembly Democrats.

The Campaign to End Horse Racing Subsidies is backed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), New York Communities for Change, Worker Justice Center of New York and other groups.

Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA, suggested the coalition may tackle repealing other subsidies for the industry next.

"This is the beginning," said Guillermo.
Its all well and good that the city of Albany got around, finally, to releasing a report on how police handled the removal of protesters who had camped outside South Station last April.

Its to the departments credit, too, that it acknowledged, at long last, that officers were wrong to remove or cover their badges.

But what took so long?

This is no incidental question. It goes to the heart of the need for the police department to build trust with the community, a process that must start with sincere transparency. This particular act of transparency had all the feel of pulling an impacted wisdom tooth.

One might pass that off as the institutional impulse of police departments to keep internal affairs internal. But its hard not to see the lag also as a symptom of the hostility of Mayor Kathy Sheehan and her administration to transparency of late. The tone, after all, is set at the top. For months  since she won reelection  the mayor has not answered questions from the Times Union in any setting other than a public news conference.

The internal review stemmed from an April 22 encounter between police and protesters who had established a camp on Arch Street in front of South Station for six days. The encampment followed some violent incidents, including an April 14 melee in which a protester broke a station window.

Protesters had asked for a meeting with Mayor Sheehan, but none materialized. After earlier requests to disband were rebuffed, police forcefully dismantled the camp and arrested a number of protesters. Protesters and journalists noted that in the course of that action, some officers removed or obscured their badges, a violation of departmental policy.

An investigation ensued, and concluded the badges were obscured or taken off through an apparent misunderstanding of a directive from Chief Eric Hawkins. Because of concern that a lieutenants address had been posted online and that he faced threats of people showing up at his house, the chief authorized officers to remove their name tags, but their badges had to remain visible.

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Somehow, though, the part about badges wasnt communicated to officers in a meeting just before the removal operation, leading to confusion, the investigation concluded. The chief says new protocols have been put in place to ensure that doesnt happen again.

There also seems to be acknowledgment that Albany police need more training in dealing with large crowds, though the review concluded this episode was otherwise handled professionally.

Fair enough. But, again, what took so long? This report was finished some two months ago. How long does it take to dot the is and cross the ts and implement corrective actions whose need was apparent well before December? When the report was finally released, it came on a Friday afternoon  well known to be the preferred timing for news that officials want to receive as little attention as possible before everyone cuts out for the weekend.

Thats what passes for transparency, apparently, in a city government that could clearly use a refresher course in it.
I was vacationing in Wilmington, N.C., earlier this year when I heard that Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger were censured by the Republican National Committee for participating in the House investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The NRC described the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol as ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.

That same day, former Vice President Mike Pence told the Federalist Society that Donald Trump is wrong when he claims Pence could have overturned the 2020 presidential election and prevented Joe Biden from taking office.

On the very same day all that was happening, I toured the Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington, and learned about the Massacre of 1898. White supremacists tired of living with Black politicians and Black school leaders decided they had had enough. In the days leading up to the city elections that November, they threatened violence and intimidated voters. Right after the election, they forced city officials to resign and ran the editor of the Black newspaper out of town. They took over City Hall and armed mobs burned down the newspaper building and other Black businesses. From there, violence spread to other parts of the city.

At a mass meeting after they took control, they declared, We will no longer be ruled and will never again be ruled by men of African origin. It was the only successful coup in U.S. history and is the focus of a documentary called Wilmington on Fire.

This event was the springboard for the white supremacy movement and Jim Crow segregation throughout the state of North Carolina and the American South. And yet, it was not until 2006, after the North Carolina General Assembly published a report on it, that the tragedy became known to the general public. I had not heard about it until now. What I found most ironic about this particular history lesson is that the white supremacists who suppressed voter turnout and pulled off the successful coup in Wilmington in 1898 were Democrats. At that time, the Republican Party was the party of Abraham Lincoln and attracted a majority of Black voters.

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The moral of the story is, we may change parties, but we are not yet smart enough to stop history from repeating itself.

Rick Kissane lives in Loudonville.
ALBANY  On Jan. 8, 2020, then-state Sen Brian Benjamin drove to Albany for official business, left the next day, and later sought a $174, taxpayer-funded reimbursement for his traveling expenses.

That reimbursement was supposed to cover all of Benjamin's expenses for the drive to Albany and back, including gas. And in seeking the reimbursement, Benjamin signed a voucher certifying that he'd personally borne the costs of the trip.

Yet records show that on Jan. 9, 2020, the day Benjamin drove home from Albany, his state Senate campaign spent $54 at a Sunoco gas station in Lake Katrine, directly off I-87 along Benjamins route back to New York City.

The Times Union found a dozen instances where Benjamin submitted vouchers claiming the full, taxpayer-funded reimbursement for traveling from New York City to Albany; during those same trips, a campaign-issued debit card was used to pay for gasoline. Each time he'd sought full taxpayer reimbursement for the 12 trips, Benjamin stated he was the one bearing the costs.

Benjamin has since risen to prominence: In August, two days after she was sworn in, Gov. Kathy Hochul named Benjamin as lieutenant governor, making him second-in-line. In a state with a history of scandal, its not uncommon for the lieutenant governor to ascend further: David Paterson became governor when Eliot Spitzer resigned in 2007; Hochul became governor when Cuomo resigned while facing likely impeachment.

Albany politicians collecting taxpayer-funded reimbursement for costs already covered by their campaigns  known as double-dipping  has at times proven controversial, and was the subject of the 2006 trial of the former Assemblyman Clarence Norman. He was charged with submitting more than 70 false travel vouchers and pocketing over $3,000 in unwarranted taxpayer payments, but was acquitted. In Normans case, all of his vehicle-related charges were covered by the Brooklyn Democratic Party he chaired.

Benjamin did personally pay for some of his car-related expenses while serving in the state Senate between 2017 and 2021. He sought and received about $11,000 in reimbursements for the drive to Albany and back over four years, and spent more than $30,000 in campaign funds on vehicle-related expenses.

Benjamin's lieutenant governor campaign did not dispute that he'd used Senate campaign funds to buy gas on Albany trips. But his campaign spokesman, Kevin Groh, said the "notion that Lt. Gov. Benjamin profited off of things like gas and car maintenance costs while in the state Senate is absurd."

"With his own money, then-state Sen. Benjamin made a down payment on his car, paid for insurance and paid for most maintenance and gas charges," Groh said.

On the dozen trips to Albany and back examined by the Times Union, Benjamin received $2,100 in mileage reimbursements; during days overlapping with those trips, his campaign made 14 gas-related payments, ranging from $50 to $69.

A graduate of Brown University and Harvard Business School, Benjamin has worked in affordable housing development. He has recently begun to face greater scrutiny, and a series of controversies have emerged.

In January 2021, when Benjamin was running unsuccessfully for New York City comptroller, The City reported that several people listed as campaign donors had never heard of him; Benjamin returned nearly two dozen donations. In November, a Harlem real estate entrepreneur was charged in an alleged scheme to illegally secure public campaign matching funds for Benjamin, who did not face charges of wrongdoing.

In March 2021, the Daily News raised questions about whether Benjamin was using campaign funds to pay personal expenses, which would be illegal. They included $6,700 Benjamin spent from his Senate campaign account on "constituent services" at a Harlem jazz club where hed held his wedding celebration, and $1,200 at a Norfolk, Va., auto body shop, days after his father-in-laws nearby funeral.

The Daily News also reported that Benjamin spent approximately $1,000 at a Shell gas station in Providence, R.I. Benjamin has been a trustee at Brown University since 2015, and at least two of the meeting dates lined up with the gas station expenses, though the trustee position seemed unrelated to Benjamins political campaign activities.

At the time, Benjamin said the spending was legally appropriate. But the state Board of Elections began investigating.

In mid-August, when Benjamin was being vetted for the lieutenant governor post, he stated on a State Police background-check form that hed never been contacted by a "regulatory body" concerning a possible campaign finance violation or investigation. Yet by that time, both the state Board of Elections and New York City Campaign Finance Board had contacted him in their respective inquiries.

In January, after working out a deal with the Board of Elections, Benjamin repaid his state Senate campaign account nearly $26,000, including for the Virginia car repair and the Harlem jazz club. Benjamin repaid about half of the $28,000 his Senate campaign had paid for his auto lease. And Benjamin repaid his campaign about $3,500 for gas between 2017 and 2021, but $500 short of the total his campaign spent at gas stations.

"Following a thorough review of historical filings and expenditures in conjunction with the New York State Board of Elections, ... Benjamin personally refunded his Senate campaign account for certain expenditures such as car payments, all gas charges, and other related expenses," Groh said. "He has always sought to comply with relevant governmental reimbursement guidelines. Lets be clear: This is a settled matter. There is no action needed."

But Benjamin only made the repayments after the issues were raised in the media and the Board of Elections began investigating. Before any of that occurred, Benjamin signed the dozen, certified travel vouchers seeking the taxpayer reimbursements.

'Due and owing'

When a member of the state Senate fills out the travel reimbursement voucher, they certify that the information is "true and correct," that no part of the reimbursement sought "has been paid"  and that the balance "therein stated is actually due and owing."

The Senates travel voucher does not contain language included on the Assemblys travel voucher stating that submission of fraudulent claims "may be a felony offense under provisions of the NYS Penal Law."

The reimbursement amount was based on a federal formula, and the number of miles between Albany and Benjamins district. Under the federal standard used to make the calculation, the blanket travel reimbursement is supposed to cover all costs related to a given trip.

The state Assemblys policy explicitly states that members are eligible for the blanket mileage reimbursement only when the "actual expenses" of operating a private vehicle  gas, oil, maintenance, repairs and insurance  are not "reimbursed to the member or paid from any other source." The policy document of the Senate is less specific, but says a senator can only seek reimbursement for "actual and necessary" transportation expenses, mirroring state law.

The dozen instances flagged by the Times Union were between June 2018 and May 2020. In seven, Benjamins campaign paid for gas when he was spending the full day in Albany on legislative business. For instance, Benjamin claimed a $175 mileage reimbursement for a trip between Feb. 4 and Feb. 6, 2019; on Feb. 5, a debit card issued to Benjamins campaign spent $51 at an Exxon Mobil.

A $68 gas charge on April 8, 2018, the first day of a trip he reported making to Albany, was at a Shell station in Yorktown Heights, off the Taconic Parkway on a route heading to the state Capitol.

On Feb. 3, 2020, Benjamins campaign recorded a charge in Providence, R.I., where Benjamin held the Brown University trusteeship; Benjamin reported being in Albany that night for a two-day trip to the Capitol.

A week later, Benjamins campaign incurred a gas station charge in Brooklyn and in Providence the same day. Benjamin reported staying in Albany that night. On Feb. 12, Benjamins trip to Albany ended, and his campaign reported another gas station charge back in Brooklyn.

In 2015, Newsday examined how Senate Republicans spent heavily from campaign funds on vehicles and took the reimbursements, and that the Nassau County district attorney was investigating. No charges resulted from that probe. In 2013, a preliminary report issued by the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption stated that the commission was probing "double dipping."

The issue was most deeply explored in the criminal case against Norman. The evidence that resulted in a grand jury indictment, put forth by then-Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, was later summarized in a ruling issued by a state Supreme Court justice.

According to the evidence presented, the Brooklyn Democratic Party paid all of Normans car-related expenses, including gas, oil and routine maintenance, even as he took the travel reimbursement. The grand jury indicted Norman on a felony count of grand larceny and 76 counts of offering a false instrument for filing.

A top Assembly attorney and another official from the state comptroller's office both testified before the grand jury that indicted Norman that if a lawmaker did not pay the expenses he or she would not be entitled to reimbursement.

Norman argued that the erroneous filings were unintentional and should have been treated as an administrative matter. His attorney argued that he had personally incurred the vehicle-related expenses, even though they were charged to the Brooklyn Democratic Party's credit card.

Norman had asserted those expenses came to be incurred by the Brooklyn Democrats  and were no longer his  when the political party paid its credit card bills, an event which Norman said occurred after hed already submitted the vouchers. Norman made the argument despite also being responsible for approving the payment of the credit card bills for the Brooklyn Democrats.

Norman was acquitted in 2006. But in three other trials on separate corruption charges, Normal was convicted, and served time in prison.
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ALBANY  New York's $280 billion pension fund includes nearly $111 million in investments from Russian companies that state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said his office may divest from the pool as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.

DiNapoli is also freezing future purchases with Russian companies "due to the situations unpredictability and the likelihood that conditions will deteriorate."

"This will ensure that the (pension) fund does not increase its minimal exposure to the Russian economy while completing its divestment review, consistent with my fiduciary duty," DiNapoli said in a statement Tuesday.

The decision stops short of the breadth of the executive order Gov. Kathy Hochul signed two days prior, which calls for divestment of contracts or other work tied to Russia. Hochul's order applies to state agencies or boards that the governor controls, which does not include the comptroller's office.

"This is a strong statement," Hochul said Sunday during a news conference. "It is a statement of our priorities. It is a statement of our values."

Outside of the statement, it was unclear what, if any, work that state agencies may have tied to Russian companies. The governor's office did not provide specifics.

Some lawmakers shifted their attention to the state's large pension fund, which has Russian assets. The war with Ukraine has resulted in severe economic sanctions that are causing the value of the ruble to plummet and led to the shutdown of the Russian stock market.

"These actions will send a message of unity with the federal government and our international partners in imposing the strongest sanctions possible as well as solidarity with the Ukrainian government and citizens," Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, D-Rockland, said in a statement prior to the comptroller's decision.

The state's pension fund assets have $110.8 million in public equity investments, including direct holdings and co-mingled funds, related to Russia, according to the comptroller's office.

Among those investments is 3.3 million shares of Sebrank of Russia, at a cost of $40.8 million and fair value of $50.4 million, according to a list of the assets from last year.

Although the comptroller's office is first engaging in a review of its Russian-linked assets before making a decision to outright divest; the office has a history of making investment decisions based on public policy.

The office divested from certain oil-related companies this past year because they were out of line with its goal of only working with firms that have clear intentions to lower their carbon emissions.

DiNapoli divested from a Canadian oil sands firm in April, and in August the fund divested from five coal producers and 42 shale and gas companies. The decisions came following detailed reviews by the office.

The crisis in Ukraine "underscored major political and investment risks relating to President (Vladimir) Putins unhinged, tyrannical foreign policy, leading to sanctions that have significantly hobbled Russias already weak economic growth," DiNapoli said.

While DiNapoli's office reviews its investments and considers divesting from its limited Russian assets, state agencies are undergoing similar reviews, but are required to end work related to the nation, unless there is no other way to do the work, according to Hochul's executive order.

The governor said she wants to ensure "were not spending any taxpayer dollars in support of propping up that regime."

"Are we in any way supporting the government of Putin and Russia that are now attacking democracy in the Ukraine?" Hochul said. "We are no longer going to allow New York state business to be transacted with Russian entities."

The order is in effect while Russia "commits these human rights violations and atrocities in violation of the rights of the Ukrainian people," according to the declaration.

The directive applies to all agencies and departments over which the governor has executive authority, plus all public-benefit corporations, public authorities, boards and commissions that the governor appoints the chair, chief executive or the majority of board members; it does not include Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Hochul said the state is also in talks with banks about further actions that could be taken against Russian businesses with interests in New York.

"We realize the unique power that we have to join President Biden in economic sanctions, as well as to look at our operations," Hochul said.
Two local events this week are using food as a focus to raise funds for relief to Ukraine as it is being invaded by Russia.

Cafe Capriccio in Albany will host an event starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, with proceeds going to Global Empowerment Mission, a nonprofit providing supplies and other aid at stations along the Ukrainian border.
In February 1965, the Cambridge Union in Great Britain, the oldest debating society in the world, brought together two of Americas most articulate and divisive figures, author James Baldwin and commentator William F. Buckley Jr., for a verbal sparring on the assertion that the American dream is at the expense of the American Negro. The experimental theater company Elevator Repair Service has conjured a theatrical re-enactment, Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge thats coming to Williams College for two performances, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 12-13.

Whether the debate did anything to advance the cause of civil rights and the status of African-Americans is open to debate. Nevertheless, that one hour of talking heads nearly 60 years ago has become legendary. A black and white video of the complete proceedings lives via YouTube. The debate has also been the focus of countless think pieces in journals and blogs and two years ago it was the subject of a book, The Fire Is Upon Us by Nicholas Buccola.

Baldwin, who opened the debate, was at his eloquent best when speaking of how the economic basis for American prosperity comes from the free labor of his ancestors. The writer made it personal by stating: I picked the cotton, and I carried it to the market. I built the railroads under someone elses whip for nothing.

To take on such overtly political and didactic material is an unusual step for the avant-garde Elevator Repair Service. Since its founding 1991, the Manhattan-based troupe has become known for lively productions of original material often involving choreography and a good dose of whimsy. The company has also found success at taking pre-existing texts not written for dramatic purposes and turning them into compelling theater. For example, a six-hour reading of the complete text of The Great Gatsby became Gatz, which received wide acclaim throughout an international tour that included two performances in 2008 at EMPAC.

We enjoy doing these kind of projects that require working from a bulk of text, founding artistic director John Collins said. The humor comes as a result of the experiment of asking what happens when you take this text not meant for the stage and put it on the stage and look at the collisions that come up.

The typical process of creating a new show starts with Collins proposing an idea or subject that is explored through words and movement by an ensemble of actors during a collaborative studio process, a technique sometimes known as devised theater. This explains why there are no authors credited to the companys shows. In a departure, Baldwin and Buckley was the result of Collins invitation to one ensemble member, Greig Sargeant, to come up with a concept or vehicle that would draw on his unique talents and interests.

Greig couldnt be available for the early development process for Seagull (a take-off on Chekhov debuting in July) and we wanted to find a role for him, Collins said. We had dinner one night and he told me he always wanted to play James Baldwin. I said Great, lets do some research. 

With his fiction, poems and essays, Baldwin left a substantial body of writing that could provide plenty of points of departure and yet the debate with Buckley seemed like a good fit. Many of us had heard about it but not seen it. So we watched it and said this is amazing. said Collins, who serves as stage director.

Though Sargeant is older and taller than Baldwin, he has gone deep into the character. Collins has observed him write with his left hand because Baldwin was left-handed. The actor also started wearing a ring of the type Baldwin wore. The most important commonality though is race. Collins said: Grieg is in complete awe of Baldwin as we all are. But as a Black man he speaks the words himself as well and you can feel a certain passion. A bit of rage creeps in and Grieg allows it to creep in.

In the role of Buckley is Ben Williams, another regular with Elevator Repair. Williams has taken on the role of Buckley in another production, No Great Society, a piece about poet Jack Kerouac that includes his appearance on Buckleys talk show Firing Line. For that, Williams did an impersonation of Buckley that included the aloof mannerisms and the mid-Atlantic accent. But since Sargeant wasnt attempting to speak in Baldwins voice, the team decided Williams shouldnt go for the full Buckley.

Bens impersonation is hilarious but not right for this. It would have made Buckley seem cartoonish, Collins said. Hes harder to dismiss when not presented as a clown. Hes smart but his ideas are scary. His argument is what we hear from people now.

The actors deliver the complete debate as it happened with no interloping new material. But the creators have added a fantasy coda intended to soften the portrayal of Baldwin and to keep Buckley from getting the last word as he did in the debate. After leaving the dais, Baldwin encounters his close friend Lorraine Hansberry and they have a brief conversation. Hansberry, who wrote Raisin in the Sun and was the first Black female author to have a play on Broadway, died in January 1965 one month before the debate. We wanted a relaxed intimacy to the final scene, the director said.

Note: An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect first name for William F. Buckley Jr.

Joseph Dalton is a freelance writer based in Troy.
(The Center Square)  The legalization of marijuana for adult recreation use may be a matter of when, not if, for the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The Senate Law & Justice Committee held a hearing Monday to fully understand which states are models of success, Sen. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland, said in his opening remarks as committee chairman.

It is not necessary for us to go about this blindly when 18 other states have gone through this process already, Regan said.

The committee discussed potential tax revenue from a legalized market, adjusting DUI laws, and how to transition the market from a medical one to a medical and recreational one.

This would be historic legislation for the state of Pennsylvania, and critical from a revenue perspective going forward, said Sen. James R. Brewster, D-Allegheny.

The revenue could be historic as well. Trent Woloveck, the chief commercial director for Jushi, which has 18 dispensaries in the Commonwealth, in his testimony estimated a legalized market could generate as much as $250 million in tax revenue every month. That's $3 billion annually.

But those revenues will depend on how well Pennsylvanias tax structure captures the market. Colorado is a great example, Brandon Nemec, the government and regulatory affairs associate for PharmaCann, said. Ive seen projections that Colorado is now 80%/20% licit-to-illicit, and thats eight to nine years into the adult use regulated marketplace.

Other states, such as California and Illinois, may have taxes set too high to capture more than 50% of the market, Nemec said. Whats important is growing the legal market to undermine the black market.

The speed to establishing the adult use framework is paramount, Jesse Alderman, a cannabis lawyer with FoleyHoag LLP, said. The illicit market loves a vacuum of authority.

If Pennsylvania creates a legal market, though, DUI laws will have to adjust. Currently, a driver can be charged with a DUI if they have marijuana in their system, even if they arent impaired. Sober, unimpaired drivers are still at risk of getting a DUI charge.

The mere presence of marijuana should not constitute a per se DUI, said Patrick Nightingale, a consumer advocate with NORML, a pro-legalization organization.

Yet, problems beyond taxation and DUI laws remain.

None of this legislation is going to make it to the governors desk if it doesnt address our Second Amendment issues that are still illegal on the federal level, said Sen. Daniel Laughlin, R-Erie.

Until some federal issues get resolved, Laughlin said, state Republicans may be reluctant to embrace legalization.
Irish families may need to host refugees escaping the conflict in Ukraine according to Simon Coveney who said there is indisputable evidence of Russian war crimes in the country.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs said Ireland would be central to the humanitarian response to the crisis but said there was unlikely to be enough state provided accommodation in the country to cope with the numbers of Ukrainians expected.

It will probably have to involve families as well who are willing to open up their homes to Ukrainian families for a temporary period of time, he said.

But this is a war effort, so the norms need to get set aside.



People at a vigil outside the Ukrainian embassy in Dublin on Monday evening

Speaking to reporters in Dublin, Mr Coveney added: Weve seen I think indisputable evidence now that war crimes are taking place in Ukraine  the brutalising of a number of Ukrainian cities, the deliberate targeting of civilians.

It is now under investigation from the International Criminal Court, who have now opened a file on potential war crimes in Ukraine, and I think that says a lot.

But I think we can see for ourselves in terms of some of the social media pictures that are coming out, which I think are being stood over by the media organisations, as to the extent of civilian targeting in Ukrainian cities, which is essentially terrorising civilian populations.

And that is something that cant go unchecked and we need to call it out.

Mr Coveney said the three rounds of EU sanctions against Russia, along with the arms and non-lethal supplies sent to Ukraine, was evidence of the bloc working at unprecedented pace to respond to the invasion.

I think we have no choice but to show a level of resolve and solidarity within the European Union that is proportionate to what is happening on our doorstep in the heart of Europe, he said.

We have a sovereign state, a democracy, being brutalised and attacked by one of the most powerful military forces on the planet and we have got to respond to that.

Ive been in politics for nearly 25 years and Ive never seen an issue that has galvanised European unity in a way that this has. Its changing countries foreign policy, its bringing countries together in a way that sets differences aside.

So many countries across the European Union have different and complex relationships with Russia historically but this issue really has I think brought people together rather than anything else, and it will continue to in the days ahead.

Mr Coveney said the conflict was the first war that has played out on social media.

I think as Irish people watch whats happening to Ukrainians and theyre horrified by it and they want us to be working with our EU partners and indeed other partners to respond to that in solidarity, he said.

And we are. Weve already announced a 10 million-euro humanitarian package. I expect well do a lot more than that. Weve waived any requirements for visas for Ukrainians to come into Ireland, and theyre going to get effectively a special refugee status when they get here for up to three years to be able to work and live here, effectively as EU citizens.

I think, in truth, if were going to be able to accommodate the numbers that I expect to come here, were going to have to go beyond providing state-provided accommodation.

He added: The extent of the sanctions that are now in place or being put in place are extraordinary measures that mean that the EU is going to suffer as a result of these sanctions, as well as Russia, he said.

But I think thats a sacrifice that the EU is willing to make.

I think the humanitarian response that Ireland will need to be central to and part of will also demand a level of solidarity and support and generosity and emotional connection with a country thats just being torn apart at the moment.
The Kansas City political power house offers are surprisingly stern rebuke against colleagues as he, again surprisingly, joins forces with environmentalists.



Take a look . . .



"Republicans are shamelessly asking #SCOTUS to gut the Clean Air Act, which has helped protect the health of Americans for over half a century.



"I'm proud to stand with over 190 of my Democratic colleagues to defend the #CleanAirAct."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
This cowtown could become a lot more crowded very soon.

We've talked about this story before but a recent note offers an update of a hotly contested neighborhood issue and developers hoping to cram this town all manner of monstrosities.

In the beautiful, beautiful suburbs . . . Planners have better rules about this type of construction and politicos who aren't inherently corrupt.



Meanwhile, in the name of "affordable housing" the current administration is betraying a great many promises and council is mostly powerless to help protect neighborhoods.

Here's the sitch . . .



Kansas City has more than 22,000 non-conforming lots . . . Most are vacant or serving as side yards, and most are situated between the Missouri River and 85th Street. Many could be the site of new homes if the City Council changes the zoning code.



We actually have so many of these lots, we dont know the number, said Joe Rexwinkle, a division manager at the KCMO Planning Department. The city wants to stimulate investment by allowing houses to be built on these non-conforming lots if theyre compatible with nearby existing homes, he said. Compatibility would be based on average height, size and setbacks.



The proposed changes (to the KC Code of Ordinances, Chapter 88) are scheduled to be heard by the City Plan Commission on March 1, but is expected to be postponed once again . . .



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Close readers know we posted this last night by mistake because . . . Honestly, we use this time to catch up on important Internets work . . . And video games, of course.

Still . . .



Right now we share a place for news links, insight and discourse as the Prez addresses the nation amid war, the last remnants of the COVID plauge and a great deal of apprehension regarding the future.



Just a bit of fashion insight to keep it light . . .

We'll be watching to see how many Beltway denizens adorn themselves with the colors of the Ukraine flag as an homage to brave souls getting slaughtered whilst everyone cheers from a safe distance.



Meanwhile, from both progressive and conservative perspectives, here's a preview of the remarks along with just a bit of context . . .



Biden set to use first State of the Union to condemn Putin for 'premeditated and unprovoked' war | CNN Politics President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address in the US House chamber Tuesday evening, using his biggest platform of the year to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will deliver GOP rebuttal to State of the Union. Who is she? Reynolds has bucked Biden's COVID protocols, is a supporter of Donald Trump and may have her eyes on a higher office.

Biden under pressure on Ukraine, inflation and more as State of the Union looms - live President warns crisis and sanctions could drive up gas prices

Biden to promote allied unity against Russia, economic gains during State of the Union address WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden plans to use his State of the Union address Tuesday to emphasize the united response by the U.S. and its allies against Russia while seeking to promote the condition of the economy and sell an optimistic view of the country's future, administration officials said ahead of the address.

Biden to announce plan to lower costs for American families during State of the Union address When President Joe Biden discusses the state of the US economy during Tuesday night's State of the Union address, he will focus on a new plan to lower costs for American families and his administration's efforts in the labor market's recovery, senior administration officials told reporters on a call previewing the remarks.

Cori Bush sends message to Biden with State of the Union outfit Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., an outspoken member of the progressive House " Squad" who favors efforts to defund police, is hoping to earn the attention of President Biden through her choice of attire for his State of the Union address.

Josh Hawley sits out State of the Union because he didn't want to be tested for COVID-19 Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley announced he was skipping the State of the Union on Tuesday, saying on Twitter that he didn't want to comply with the event's COVID-19 policies. In order to sit in the House Chamber for the speech, members of Congress and the press had to be vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19.

GOP lawmakers slammed for boycotting State of the Union amid Ukraine crisis A number of Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate announced their intent to boycott President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, his second since taking office last year, despite the deepening crisis in Ukraine amid Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion.

NYT claims Biden 'redefining the arc of his presidency,' gives positive review for handling of Russia, SCOTUS The New York Times claimed Sunday that President Biden was "redefining the arc of his presidency" following a number of policy setbacks throughout his first year in office and a sinking approval rating to one of the lowest in modern presidential history.

Dems liken 'Squad' member Tlaib's SOTU rebuttal to 'keying your own car' Far-left "Squad" member Rep. Rashida Tlaib will give one of two Democratic rebuttals to President Biden's State of the Union speech on Tuesday, drawing the ire of centrists in her own party, including one who described it as "keying your own car." Tlaib (D-Mich.)

Poll: Ahead of State of the Union, 61% of Americans say Biden hasn't kept most of his promises As President Biden prepares to deliver his first State of the Union address Tuesday night, a Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows that a combination of Republican rancor and Democratic disappointment has left his approval rating near an all-time low after a tumultuous first year in office.

Accordingly, close readers might want to check back for an update of news following the speech as well.



UPDATE . . . Here's some of our favorite news links after the fact:



Lawmakers wear blue and yellow to State of the Union in nod to Ukraine First Lady Jill Biden was among those wearing blue, and one of her guests was Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. Early in his address President Joe Biden directed attention to Markarova and led the room in an extended standing ovation in honor of Ukraine.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert heckle Biden at State of the Union Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert heckled President Biden Tuesday at his first State of the Union address - making rare breaches of etiquette to show their disapproval of various Biden policies. Greene (R-Ga.) made faces and muttered throughout Biden's roughly one hour speech, particularly when he spoke about administering COVID-19 vaccines to children - but Boebert (R-Colo.)

Lauren Boebert heckled Biden at the State of the Union as he talked about his son Beau, who died of brain cancer after serving in Iraq Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert interrupted President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address on Tuesday as he spoke about how his dead son Beau Biden's death could be linked to burn pit exposure during his deployment to Iraq. "When they came home, many of the world's fittest and best trained warriors were never the same.

State of the Union: Congress overwhelmingly eschews masks after CDC changes guidance The verdict is in: masks are out. President Biden's first State of the Union of his presidency saw the overwhelming majority of Congress eschew their masks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed their guidance on the subject this week.

AP FACT CHECK: Biden's claims in his State of Union address The Associated Press is fact-checking President Joe Biden's first State of the Union speech as he grapples with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a stalled domestic agenda and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the claims we've examined: COVID-19 BIDEN: "Severe cases are down to a level not seen since July of last year."

Analysis: Hits and misses from Joe Biden's State of the Union speech President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night, a speech that came amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and lagging poll numbers in advance of the 2022 midterm elections.

Excerpts from President Biden's State of the Union Address as Prepared for Delivery | The White House Throughout our history we've learned this lesson - when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising. That's why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2.

Biden in State of the Union vows to check Russian aggression, fight inflation Addressing a concerned nation and anxious world, President Joe Biden vowed in his first State of the Union address Tuesday night to check Russian aggression in Ukraine, tame soaring U.S. inflation and deal with the fading but still dangerous coronavirus.

Republicans leading 'pro-family revolution,' Kim Reynolds says in State of the Union response Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds argued in a high-profile, prime-time speech Tuesday that Democratic President Joe Biden has taken the country backward for working families like the ones in Iowa.

9 viral moments from Biden's State of the Union address The roughly hour-long speech was also filled with plenty of humorous or just plain head-scratching moments that lit up social media, with many of Google and Twitter's trends coming from Biden's address or the guests and lawmakers inside the House Chamber. Missed it?

5 takeaways from Biden's State of the Union speech WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union speech Tuesday night at a perilous time for the U.S. and for his presidency, facing low approval ratings as his party braces for a tough midterm election this fall.

'FUND The Police': Biden Calls For More Police While Promoting His Gun Control Agenda President Joe Biden spoke out against defunding the police and instead called for more police, better training and increased accountability during Tuesday's State of the Union address. "I know what works: Investing in crime prevention and community police officers who'll walk the beat, who'll know the neighborhood, and who can restore trust and safety," the president said Tuesday.

Kansas, Missouri lawmakers react to President Biden's State of Union address KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Following President Joe Biden's State of Union address , Missouri and Kansas lawmakers reacted to his remarks. Republicans representing Kansas and Missouri slammed Biden following his address. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley didn't attend President Joe Biden's State of Union address on Tuesday due a COVID-19 vaccine policy that was in place.

Developing . . .
We're working on some interesting items for the morning but for right now we thought it was best to share these news items for our beloved late night readers.



Check-it . . .

Kansas City Kindness Rules

30 Ukrainians stuck in U.S. sheltered by Kansas Citians STILWELL, Kan. - A group of 30 adults and children from Ukraine were scheduled to fly back home this week. They were visiting the United States with the Kansas City based organization Fellowship of Christian Athletes for a conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Energy To The East

Future of Independence solar farm up in air after controversial vote INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - Independence's solar farm project brought hopes of cleaner energy for the city, but from early on, it's been the focus of controversy. The farm has been a major sticking point not only for elected officials, but also for taxpayers for many years.

Explaining Way Of The World

How should you talk to your children's about the war in Ukraine? (KCTV/CBS NEWS) -- As war rages in Ukraine from Russia's invasion into the country, kids who hear and see things on TV and among their friends may feel uneasy. They may have questions about what they have seen and heard. So how should parents approach the topic without stoking their fears?

Final Act . . .

John McDonald retires after 47 years; AMC adds two to C-suite - Kansas City Business Journal One of the longest tenured executives in AMC's more than 100-year history is rolling the credits on his career. John McDonald is retiring after a 47-year career with AMC Theatres, where he began as a film crew member in 1975 and eventually rising to executive vice president of U.S.

Tasty Tribute Debuts

Q39 brings back sandwich in tribute to founder KANSAS CITY, Mo. - March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and a popular barbecue restaurant is using it as an opportunity to honor its founder. Rob Magee was the founder of Q39. He died of colon cancer in December. In honor of Magee, Q39 staff will take part in "Wear Blue Day" on Friday, March 4.

More Local Good Deeds

Heart to Heart International working to send aid to Ukraine LENEXA, Kan. - Heart to Heart International got its start helping the people of Ukraine. "The nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, and I think some years after that, there was a group of Kansas City Rotarians to travel to that part of the world, to Belarus and Ukraine, to see if there was anything they could do to assist," said Dan Neal, Heart to Heart International's vice president of operations.

Forecast This Week . . .

At last! A warm and dry week in KC Hide Transcript Show Transcript EXCLUSIVE DRIVE RADAR AND NINE-DAY FORECASTS, SO YOU WILL KNOW FIRST. KEY: MARCH SEEMS TO BE COMING LIKE SPRING, BUT WE HAVE HAD DRAMATIC SWINGS IN FEBRUARY. BRYA WE CAN CLOSE THE BOOKS ON THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO GNGOI UPWARD. AS YOU CAN SEE, JUST SOME HIGH-LEVEL CLOUDINESS.

This is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
The embattled upstart politico has suffered MSM rebuke, arrests and high-profile charges of domestic drama.



Finally, it seems that even the most progressive members of the caucus have lost their patience with his antics than started as a practical joke and now seem like a cry for help.



Here's the word . . .



"The KDP State Committee passed a resolution suspending Rep. Coleman from the party for a two-year period. To the extent permitted by DNC and KDP bylaws, this suspension prevents Rep. Coleman from participating in party events, from serving in an elected or appointed capacity within the Party, and from receiving party resources and support during any campaign for public office."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
Today we learned more about a deadly suburban triple shooting and the tragic circumstances surrounding the drama.



Here are the basics . . .



"Police have identified the three people who were shot and killed inside a suburban Lenexa home early Sunday morning as a 20-year-old resident of the home, his 22-year-old girlfriend and the young womans ex-boyfriend."





Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Lenexa police release identities of 3 people killed in apparent murder-suicide KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Lenexa Police Department released on Monday the identity of three people killed in a shooting that happened early Sunday morning. Police said the incident appears to be a murder-suicide. Officers first responded to the 8400 block of Laurelwood at around 1:20 a.m. on reports of a shooting.

Police ID three killed in Lenexa shooting LENEXA, Kan. - Lenexa, Kansas police have now identified the three people killed in a shooting early Sunday morning. The victims were identified Monday as 20-year-old John M. Williamson, 22-year-old Sara M. Beck, of Belton, Missouri and 37-year-old Dustin J. Johnson, of Belton, Missouri. Police responded to a shooting near W.

Lenexa police identify 3 people killed in shooting early Sunday Police in Lenexa, Kansas, have identified three people who died after a shooting early Sunday.Authorities said the victims are John M. Williamson, 20, of Lenexa; Sara M. Beck, 22; and Dustin J. Johnson, 37, both of Belton, Missouri.Police officers were called about 1:20 a.m.

Developing . . .
Right now we're inspired by hottie Linsdey as we take a peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news-gathering . . .

Working For Tech Progress

Initiative closes digital divide in Kansas City, Missouri's urban core KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Lincoln Building in Kansas City, Missouri's historic 18th and Vine District is receiving upgrades. High school students are running wires through the walls, ceilings and closets to get high speed internet to the businesses that rent space in the building.

Sidewalk Menace Hits Suburbs

Bird scooters set to arrive in Overland Park KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In a sure sign of spring, birds are set to arrive tomorrow in Overland Park. Tomorrow, the city will start allowing Bird e-scooters in the city. It will mark the first time the scooters, which can travel up to 15 miles per hour, have been allowed in the city.

Old School Lesson In Geopolitics

Truman Library historian talks about complex US-Russia relations then and now While relations between the United States and Russia are strained now, they have been complex since the end of World War II.The only U.S. president from Missouri, Harry Truman, shaped those relations into what we see today.

Hottie Shares Trade Secrets

Watch Instagram Model Lindsey Pelas Explain How to Take Selfies Like a Pro - Maxim "I'm not Cindy Crawford as you can tell, but I do make a living based off my selfie." Lindsey Pelas didn't become an Instagram sensation with 8.7 million followers by dropping unflattering photos. The "genetically gifted" model, influencer and Eyes Up Here podcast host has revealed her best selfie-snapping tips in a video filmed for Page Six.

Bomb Tech Escalates Conflict

Ukraine claims Russia used an illegal vacuum bomb during invasion: 'Potentially a war crime' The International Criminal Court has started investigating Russia over potential war crimes the country may have committed during its invasion of Ukraine, after a Ukrainian official claimed that Russia used an illegal weapon during the war, officials said. On Monday, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, told reporters at the U.S.

Vlad Attacks Innocents

Russia bombs residential area of Kharkiv and intensifies Kyiv assault as talks with Ukraine end Russian forces bombarded a residential area in Ukraine's second-largest city with rockets on Monday, killing at least nine people, and several large detonations were heard in the center of the capital Kyiv, as talks between delegates on both sides in Belarus came to a close.

Can Prez Navigate Peace?!?

Biden's dilemma: How to give Putin an off-ramp With Ukraine holding Russia off longer than many U.S. officials had expected, President Biden now faces a great unanswered question - how to give Vladimir Putin an off-ramp to avoid even greater calamity. Why it matters: A cornered, humiliated Putin could unleash untold pain on the world, from cyberattacks to nuclear threats.

Vlad Nuke Threat For Realz

'Yes, He Would': Fiona Hill on Putin and Nukes Hill spent many years studying history, and in our conversation, she repeatedly traced how long arcs and trends of European history are converging on Ukraine right now. We are already, she said, in the middle of a third World War, whether we've fully grasped it or not.

GOP Rallies For MAGA

Trump the star turn as Republicans gather at CPAC - in pictures Ted Cruz, Ron DeSantis and Tulsi Gabbard were among the big names at the annual conservative summit in Florida - but the former president took center stage

Hit Squad Targets War Hero

Kremlin sends 400 mercenaries into Kyiv to kill President Zelensky Private militia known as the Wagner Group 'flown in from Africa five weeks ago' It is run by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of the Russian president Highly trained operatives have a 23-strong kill list including the PM and cabinet More than 400 Russian mercenaries have been flown in from Africa to assassinate Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, it was revealed last night.

OBAMA PART DEUX DREADED BY GOP!!!

Republicans fear Michelle Obama presidential run, ex-Trump aide says Michelle Obama would put Republicans "in a very difficult position" if she ran for president in 2024, a former Trump aide said, because the former first lady is both popular and "immune to criticism". Monica Crowley, a former treasury spokeswoman, was speaking on Saturday at CPAC, the conservative conference in Orlando, Florida, at which Donald Trump strongly suggested he will run again in two years' time.

Check The Feel Good Eat Out

Three Food-Focused Businesses Designed to Make a Positive Impact - In Kansas City The Prospect Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant's soon-to-open eatery will do more than serve food. The Prospect KC is a social enterprise where people from disenfranchised communities can receive culinary training and get first-hand industry experience cooking for and helping to run The Prospect KC's cafe, coffee shop, and small, fresh grocer.

South Side Tribute To Good Deeds

Know someone who deserves to be rewarded? The South KC Impact Awards are waiting for your nomination The South Kansas City Chamber is asking businesses and community members to help nominate those who did something to make a positive impact in South Kansas City in 2021. The deadline to submit a nominee has been extended to Sunday, March 6.

Local Springtime Sneak Peek

Your Storm Track 5 Daily Forecast Our early sampling of "spring-like" weather continues today. It's a little on the chilly side this morning, with wide temperature variation around the region. Some areas have fallen into the 20s while some areas are near 40 degrees. Simply spectacular conditions for this afternoon with sunny skies, a westerly wind and a high temperature near 73 degrees.

Eden Munoz - Chale is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Here's a quick peek at local drug damage that persists despite so many MSM distractions . . .



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Opioids are killing more people than ever, and Kansas lags other states on these steps to help In September 2020, Seth Dewey got a phone call at home from someone using drugs. "They said, 'Seth, we need Narcan over here right now,'" Dewey said. The call for suggested a life-and-death emergency requiring medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose.

Clay County Sheriff's Office holds summit, informs community about overdose deaths from counterfeit pills CLAY COUNTY, MO (KCTV) -- The Clay County Sheriff's Office continues to warn community members about an increase in overdose deaths and near-fatal overdoses from pills laced with fentanyl. The sheriff's office hosted a second Community Drug Education Summit at Kearney High School Monday.

Developing . . .
Brevard, NC (28712)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 53F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 53F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Crowne Plaza Jaipur launches an Event Lounge - Utsav



(TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - February 28th, 2022 - Crowne Plaza Jaipur marked a new milestone with the opening of Utsav their in-house event lounge to cement its position as the leading hotel for lavish, magnificent events and celebrations. Utsav aims to offer an enhanced and personalized guest experience, spectacular event concepts to inspire guests and showcase the event creativity and capability of Crowne Plaza Jaipur.

The event lounge will assist the guests to curate the best events and weddings; it provides guests exclusive access to the very best elements that make an event, a wedding, or celebration a lifelong memory. To add to the exclusiveness of Utsav, the talented chefs of Crowne Plaza Jaipur have carefully curated a selection of exotic menus that are a feast for all the senses. Guests can customize the menus as per their preference and can choose from a range of cuisines such as Awadhi, Hyderabadi, North Indian, South Indian, Marwari, Gujarati, and many more.

Nalin Mandiratta, Area General Manager, IHG South West Asia and General Manager, Crowne Plaza Jaipur says, Crowne Plaza Jaipur has always been a pioneer in hosting memorable events and weddings and with the launch of Utsav, our endeavor is to create memorable experiences for our guests and make Crowne Plaza Jaipur a preferred destination to meet and celebrate.

About Crowne Plaza Jaipur

Crowne Plaza Jaipur, is strategically located opposite the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Center (JECC) as well as the Sitapura business hub. The hotel also enjoys close proximity to the Jaipur International Airport and is a landmark for both business and leisure travelers in the city.

The hotel offers 218 well-appointed rooms and suites; over 50,000 square feet of multi-purpose meeting and banqueting space, including a pillar-less ballroom a with pre-function area. The award-winning food and beverage outlets of the hotel are known for delivering innovative gastronomical experiences. With its plethora of offerings, it is an ideal destination to meet and celebrate.

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From left, Mark Smoot, cadaver dog Jaeger, Richland Township police Officer Sean Kisel, Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees and Richland police Detective Rick Pollino walk from a wooded area after searching for additional skeletal remains on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, near The Johnstown Galleria in Richland Township. Not seen in the photograph is Ira Hart, deputy coroner, who walks behind Pollino.
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(BPT) - A significant majority of parents want to be home every night to tuck their children into bed (based on a OnePoll and Amazon Glow survey of 2,000 American parents*). Thats not always possible if you work long hours or are among the more than six million Americans who have a job that
It's been two weeks since the hike of fuel prices took effect , yesterday fishermen of the G
Foreign partners will hand over as many as 70 warplanes to the Ukrainian Army  MiG-29s and Su-25s  to repel Russian aggression.

As Ukrinform reports, the Land Forces of Ukraine announced this on Facebook.

Ghosts of Kyiv will now have more! Plus 70 planes for the Ukrainian Army! Our partners are giving us MiG-29s and Su-25s! If necessary, they will be able to be based on Polish airfields from which Ukrainian pilots will perform combat missions," said the report.

Bulgaria will hand over 16 MiG-29s and 14 Su-25s, Poland  28 MiG-29s, and Slovakia  12 MiG-29s.

As Ukrinform reported, President Volodymyr Zelensky insists on a full no-fly zone for the Russian missiles, planes, and helicopters.
Russias missile artillery shelling of residential districts of Kharkiv is a war crime that will be punished at an international tribunal.

"Russian forces today brutally fired missile artillery on Kharkiv.

This is clearly a war crime. Peaceful city. Peaceful residential districts. Not a single military facility. Dozens of eyewitnesses prove that this is not an erroneous volley but deliberate destruction of people. The Russians knew what they were targeting. There will definitely be a tribunal for this crime. An international tribunal," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address, Ukrinform reports.

Zelensky stressed that the shelling was a violation of all conventions. According to him, no one in the world will forgive Russians for killing peaceful Ukrainians.

"This is Ukraine. This is Europe. This is year 2022. Evil, armed with missiles, bombs, and artillery, must be stopped immediately. [Must be] destroyed economically. To show that humanity is able to defend itself," the Head of State stressed.

Read also: Family burnt to death in their car after Kharkiv shelling

As reported, on February 28, 11 people were killed and several dozen people were wounded in a missile artillery shelling of Kharkiv. As a result of the shelling, 87 houses were destroyed.

Russian president Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities. Missiles hit residential buildings.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Ukraine officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of all Ukrainian people, courageously resist the Russian aggression.

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Russia's assurances that the civilian population will be evacuated from the most dangerous areas of the attacked Ukraine may be another lie, and buses with people may become an easy target.

"There are many urgent tasks. In particular, to coordinate humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians from the most dangerous areas," Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, told UN Security Council members, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

At the same time, he warned: "Russia's assurances about security cannot be trusted. Russia's words often, if not always, do not correspond to its actions."

In this regard, the diplomat stressed that Russian politicians and diplomats, even at the UN, claimed that there would be no invasion, no attack on Ukraine.

"Therefore, such [humanitarian] corridors may become an easy target for the Russian army," said the Ukrainian diplomat.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine is not only a security crisis, it is also a humanitarian crisis, he added.

"This war, unleashed by conscious choice [of Putin], is not just a violation of international law, but also a violation of perception of the world," Kyslytsya said.

He also called on the international community to record all violations of international law and international humanitarian law in Ukraine.

As reported, the UN Security Council met in New York on Monday to discuss the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Russian president Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities. Missiles hit residential buildings.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Ukraine officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of all Ukrainian people, courageously resist the Russian aggression.

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Slovenia is sending several planes with weapons, ammunition and helmets to Ukraine, Slovenian Defense Minister Matej Toni has announced.

According to Ukrinform, the relevant report was issued by the Slovenian news agency STA.

"As Defense Minister Matej Tonin said on Monday, Slovenia is sending rifles, ammunition and helmets to Ukraine. He did not say how many, saying only that the aid was sent by several planes, the report says.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO Allies continue to increase assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of necessary air-defense missiles and anti-tank weapons, as well as financial and humanitarian support.

As reported, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion.

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The Norwegian government will send up to 2,000 M72 anti-tank grenade launchers to Ukraine.

Ukrinform reports this with reference to Reuters.

The decision overturns a Norwegian policy in place since the 1950s of not sending arms to non-NATO countries that are at war or at risk of armed conflict.

"Norway has strict policies regarding exports of military equipment, but Ukraine now faces extraordinary circumstances," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said.

As Ukrinform reported, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the world's largest sovereign wealth fund  Norways Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) - will lose its Russian assets amounting to about $2.8 billion.

As reported, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure. Missiles hit residential buildings.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Ukraine officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague.

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The Taiwanese government will join efforts to block the access of some Russian banks to the SWIFT international payment system and has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

That's according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

Prime Minister Su Tseng-chang said that Taiwan was in lock-step with its democratic partners around the world on its sanctions decision, adding that on SWIFT the government will "cooperate" with what Western countries have decided.

The agency writes that the move is largely symbolic as Taiwan's trade with Russia is minimal. Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission said on Monday any transfers to Russia do use SWIFT but go via intermediary banks.

Taiwan is a major semiconductor producer and the government has already said chip companies are complying with export controls to Russia.

Separately, the government said it had sent 27 tonnes of medical supplies to Ukraine.

"The Republic of China, Taiwan, as a member of the international community's democratic camp, is willing to act in the spirit of 'Taiwan Can Help' and based on humanitarian considerations, our country will provide Ukraine with urgently needed medical relief supplies in a timely manner," Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said.
In Kherson, the Russian aggressors are taking civilians captive.

This was reported via Telegram by the head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, Hennadiy Lahuta, according to Ukrinform.

"There are already cases in Kherson where Russians captured civilians! One such case occurred in Shumenske," the statement reads.

He encourages people to stay at home.

As it was reported earlier, Russian troops are seen in the streets of Shumensky residential district; shots are fired around KhBK.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the launch of the invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops open fire to destroy key infrastructure, missiles hit residential buildings.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.
Google-owned YouTube video hosting has blocked across Europe a number of channels linked to Russian propaganda outlets RT and Sputnik amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

This was reported by Google Europe on Twitter, according to Ukrinform.

"Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, were blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately. Itll take time for our systems to fully ramp up," the statement said.

Google added that their teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.

Earlier, the prime ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Estonia issued a public appeal to Twitter, Google, YouTube, and Facebook to block Russian propaganda channels.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to launch an invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure, while their missiles have been hitting civilian households.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Ukraine has officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation with the UN International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Photo: DPA
Finland, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, and Austria provide military assistance to Ukraine to help it defend itself from Russian aggressors, despite their neutral status or domestic arms policy.

Thats according to an update by Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, Ukrinform reports.

In particular, he said that for the first time in history, Finland provides armaments: 2,500 automatic rifles, 150,000 rounds of ammunition, 1,500 disposable RPGs, and 70,000 food rations.

Sweden is handing over 135,000 rations, 5,000 helmets, 5,000 bulletproof vests, and 5,000 anti-tank weapons. The country has been providing military assistance for the first time since 1939.

Norway has also made an exceptional decision in support of Ukraine, shifting away from the policy of non-supply of weapons to non-NATO countries that are at war  Oslo is sending Ukraine 2,000 anti-tank grenade launchers.

Luxembourg is providing Ukraine with anti-tank weapons.

Neutral Austria will soon send helmets, protective vests, and fuel.

Nikolenko also noted that a large amount of assistance continues to arrive, from bulletproof vests and helmets to man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-tank weapons.

"The issue of strengthening the Air Force is being resolved in order to repel the enemy in the air even better," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Russia went to war with Ukraine on February 24 at the behest of aggressor President Vladimir Putin. For the sixth day in a row, Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure, targeting apartment buildings. Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.
Austria will provide another EUR 15 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The relevant report was released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Austrian Republic, Ukrinform reports.

The Austrian federal government has prepared a second expanded aid package. Austria is providing EUR 15 million to local aid organizations from the Foreign Disaster Fund (AKF). The funds are being donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF and Austrian NGOs.

Last week, Vienna provided EUR 2.5 million for the implementation of humanitarian programs Ukraine.

As reported, on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine and launched a large-scale invasion.

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Albania has joined the states that have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft.

According to Ukrinform, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko reported this on Facebook on March 1.

"The number of states that have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft has expanded. Albania joined them now," he said.

Nikolenko added that Russia now faces mass port closures and restrictions on sea travel.

In this context, he said that the United Kingdom is developing a legislative decision so as to prevent Russian ships from entering British ports.

Earlier reports said that the EU had completely closed its airspace to all Russian aircraft.

The anti-Putin coalition in support of Ukraine started preparing a fourth package of sanctions against Russia. The new sanctions package will include the expulsion of some Russian diplomats and the further tightening of sanctions against the banking system and Putin's entourage.

In addition, the EU is considering creating a "register of corrupt Russian officials," which will include both government officials and businessmen close to the Kremlin who will not be able to have financial relations or do business with the civilized world.
Kadyrov forces unit, which aimed to kill President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, was eliminated.

"We are already aware of the special operation that was to be carried out by Kadyrov forces unit. We received the information from representatives of Russias Federal Security Service who do not want to take part in this bloody war. The Kadyrov forces unit, which came to kill our President, was eliminated," Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said on the air of Ukraine 24 TV channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He noted that the unit had been divided into two groups and was closely followed. According to him, one group came under fire in Hostomel, another group is at gunpoint.

"We will not give our President or our country to anyone. This is our land, get out of here," Danilov added.

Ramzan Kadyrov is the leader of Russias Chechnya region and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian president Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities. Missiles hit residential buildings.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Ukraine officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of all Ukrainian people, courageously resist the Russian aggression.

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The National Bank of Ukraine has opened a current account for the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine for humanitarian purposes.

The account is meant for charity contributions from Ukraine and from abroad. The Ministry of Social Policy will channel the raised funds to support Ukraines citizens severely affected by the war, the NBUs press service informs.

Money transferred to this account will be used by the Ministry of Social Policy to provide food and shelter for refugees and citizens that have been displaced due to military conflict.

Account details of the Ministry of Social Policy are below: UA823000010000032302338301027.

This account accepts multiple currencies. It has been established and opened to receive transfers from international partners and donors both in foreign currency (U.S. dollars, euros, British pounds) and from Ukrainian business and citizens in hryvnias. If necessary, the NBU will update the payment details for charitable assistance for humanitarian purposes.

For UAH remittances:

Bank: National Bank of Ukraine

MFO 300001

Account No. UA823000010000032302338301027

EDRPOU Code 37567866

Payee: Ministry of Social Policy

For foreign currency remittances:

UA823000010000032302338301027 currencies USD, EUR, GBP

For EUR remittances:

BENEFICIARY: Ministry of Social Policy

BENEFICIARY BIC: NBUAUAUXXXX

IBAN DE05504000005040040066

PURPOSE OF PAYMENT: for crediting account 32302338301027

BENEFICIARY BANK NAME: DEUTSCHE BUNDESBANK, Frankfurt

BENEFICIARY BANK BIC: MARKDEFF

BENEFICIARY BANK ADDRESS: Wilhelm-Epstein-Strasse 14, 60431 Frankfurt Am Main, Germany For USD remittances:

BENEFICIARY: Ministry of Social Policy

BENEFICIARY BIC: NBUA UA UX

BENEFICIARY ADDRESS: 9 Instytutska St., Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 400807238

BENEFICIARY BANK NAME: JP MORGAN CHASE BANK, New York

BENEFICIARY BANK BIC: CHASUS33

ABA 0210 0002 1

BENEFICIARY BANK ADDRESS: 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA

PURPOSE OF PAYMENT: for crediting account 32302338301027

For GBP remittances:

BENEFICIARY/RECIPIENT NAME: Ministry of Social Policy

SORT CODE: 60-92-42

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0080033041

GB52CHAS60924280033041

REFERENCE FOR CREDITING ACCOUNT: 32302338301027

BENEFICIARY BIC: NBUA UA UX

BENEFICIARY ADDRESS: 9 Instytutska St., Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine

BENEFICIARY BANK NAME: JP MORGAN CHASE BANK NA, London

BENEFICIARY BANK BIC: CHASGB2L

BENEFICIARY BANK ADDRESS: 125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AJ, UK

You can support Ukrainian Army here.
The Slovenia consulate was destroyed as a result of Russian missile strike on Freedom Square in Kharkiv.

"The Slovenian Consulate in Kharkiv was destroyed as a collateral diplomatic damage as well," Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas posted on Twitter.

Read also: At least 10 people killed in Russian strike on central Kharkiv

As reported, on March 1, Russian troops launched an air strike on the central square of Kharkiv, killing 10 people.

Russian president Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities. Missiles hit residential buildings.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Ukraine officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of all Ukrainian people, courageously resist the Russian aggression.

ol
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledges to provide more support to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia over its aggression.

In our call, Secretary Blinken affirmed that the U.S. support for Ukraine remains unfaltering. I underscored that Ukraine craves for peace, but as long as we are under Russias assault we need more sanctions and weapons. Secretary assured me of both, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba posted on Twitter.

In our call, @SecBlinken affirmed that the U.S. support for Ukraine remains unfaltering. I underscored that Ukraine craves for peace, but as long as we are under Russias assault we need more sanctions and weapons. Secretary assured me of both. We coordinated further steps.  Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 28, 2022

According to the minister, the parties coordinated further steps.

Earlier, Kuleba informed Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, about Russia's shelling of Kharkiv city civilian infrastructure.

Russian president Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on February 24 and launched a large-scale invasion. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities. Missiles hit residential buildings.

Martial law was imposed in Ukraine and general mobilization was announced.

Ukraine officially filed a lawsuit against the Russian Federation at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of all Ukrainian people, courageously resist the Russian aggression.

Photo credit: Ukraines MFA

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 UNHCR

The United Nations and humanitarian partners today launched coordinated emergency appeals for a combined US$1.7 billion to urgently deliver humanitarian support to people in Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring countries.

The escalation of conflict has triggered an immediate and steep rise in humanitarian needs as essential supplies and services are disrupted and civilians flee the fighting.

The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighbouring countries in the coming months.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said: Families with small children are hunkered down in basements and subway stations or running for their lives to the terrifying sound of explosions and wailing sirens. Casualty numbers are rising fast. This is the darkest hour for the people of Ukraine. We need to ramp up our response now to protect the lives and dignity of ordinary Ukrainians. We must respond with compassion and solidarity.

The Flash Appeal asks for $1.1 billion to assist 6 million people inside Ukraine for an initial three months. The programme includes multipurpose cash assistance for the most vulnerable people, food assistance, water and sanitation, support to health care and education services, and shelter assistance to rebuild damaged homes. The plan also aims to deliver support to authorities to maintain and establish transit and reception centres for displaced people and prevent gender-based violence.

Aid groups will need safe and unimpeded access to all conflict-affected areas according to the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence.

With more than half a million refugees having fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the past five days alone, and many more expected, support is also required to meet the critical needs of those seeking protection outside the country.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: We are looking at what could become Europes largest refugee crisis this century. While we have seen tremendous solidarity and hospitality from neighbouring countries in receiving refugees, including from local communities and private citizens, much more support will be needed to assist and protect new arrivals.

An inter-agency Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for the Ukraine situation asks for a preliminary $550.6 million to help refugees in Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, as well as in other countries in the region in order to help host countries provide shelter, emergency relief items, cash assistance, and mental health and psychosocial support to those who fled Ukraine, including people with specific needs, such as unaccompanied children.

The Ukraine Flash Appeal 2022 is available here.

The Regional Refugee Response Plan for Ukraine is available here.

A press conference at 1415 CET with Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, will stream live on https://media.un.org/en/webtv/

Media contacts:
The United Nations and humanitarian partners today launched coordinated emergency appeals for a combined US$1.7 billion to urgently deliver humanitarian support to people in Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring countries.

The escalation of conflict has triggered an immediate and steep rise in humanitarian needs as essential supplies and services are disrupted and civilians flee the fighting.

The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighbouring countries in the coming months.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said: Families with small children are hunkered down in basements and subway stations or running for their lives to the terrifying sound of explosions and wailing sirens. Casualty numbers are rising fast. This is the darkest hour for the people of Ukraine. We need to ramp up our response now to protect the lives and dignity of ordinary Ukrainians. We must respond with compassion and solidarity.

The Flash Appeal asks for US$1.1 billion to assist 6 million people inside Ukraine for an initial three months. The programme includes multipurpose cash assistance for the most vulnerable people, food assistance, water and sanitation, support to health care and education services, and shelter assistance to rebuild damaged homes. The plan also aims to deliver support to authorities to maintain and establish transit and reception centres for displaced people and prevent gender-based violence.

Aid groups will need safe and unimpeded access to all conflict-affected areas according to the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence.

With more than half a million refugees having fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in the past five days alone, and many more expected, support is also required to meet the critical needs of those seeking protection outside the country.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: We are looking at what could become Europes largest refugee crisis this century. While we have seen tremendous solidarity and hospitality from neighbouring countries in receiving refugees, including from local 2 communities and private citizens, much more support will be needed to assist and protect new arrivals.

An inter-agency Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP) for the Ukraine situation asks for a preliminary US$550.6 million to help refugees in Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, as well as in other countries in the region in order to help host countries provide shelter, emergency relief items, cash assistance, and mental health and psychosocial support to those who fled Ukraine, including people with specific needs, such as unaccompanied children.

The Ukraine Flash Appeal 2022 is available here.

The Regional Refugee Response Plan for Ukraine is available here.

A press conference at 1415 CET with Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, will stream live on https://media.un.org/en/webtv/

ENDS

This Press Release is available here

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Refugees from Ukraine enter Poland at the Medyka border crossing.  UNHCR/Chris Melzer

At a recently opened reception centre in Dorohusk, exhausted-looking groups of mostly women and children arrive on convoys of orange buses bringing refugees from Polands nearby border crossing with Ukraine. Many have spent days on the move before finally making it to safety.

In one room sits a pile of toys donated by local residents. You are welcome to take something, a female volunteer says in Polish to a young girl of around five, who understands the sentiment if not the words. She hesitates, weighing the choice carefully, before hugging a green dog to her chest and running off to join her mother.

In the first five days since the start of the military offensive in Ukraine, more than 280,000 people have sought safety in neighbouring Poland, crossing at eight border points between the two countries. The authorities there are registering refugees and providing them with accommodation and assistance, supported by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which is also providing information and legal assistance, and moving additional relief supplies to a warehouse near the border for distribution.

See also: UNHCR mobilizing to aid forcibly displaced in Ukraine and neighbouring countries

On top of the efforts of national authorities and humanitarian agencies, Polish citizens and local organizations have also come out in force to support the new arrivals.

Just beyond the border point in Dorohusk, groups of locals offering free rides to some of the many Ukrainian refugees with family links in Poland hold up cardboard signs in Ukrainian asking: Where do you want to go?

Near the reception centres, collection points have spontaneously sprung up to receive items being donated by streams of concerned Poles. In just a few days these facilities have been filled with food, water, clothes, sleeping bags, shoes, blankets, nappies and sanitary products for people arriving with only what they can carry.

At another reception centre near the Medyka border crossing, a local nun hands out battery packs and cell phone charging cables to help refugees stay connected. A man came and put a big bag of these things in my hand. I dont know exactly how they work, but the refugees here are very grateful, she said.

Donations from Polish residents are offered to refugees close to the Medyka border crossing.  UNHCR/Chris Melzer

It is not only near Polands 500-kilometre border with Ukraine where citizens are keen to show their solidarity with the refugees. A hundred kilometres west in the town of Lublin, a small Red Cross centre is overflowing with donations from people eager to help.

Local resident Barbara arrives with her husband and young son Jan, each carrying bags filled with supplies. We thought about what people probably need most now," Barbara explains. "So we bought water, food, blankets and sleeping bags. After all, it is still quite cold."

As Jan hands over the bag he is holding, his mother says: "We explained to him what is happening. He was so moved by it that he wants to help other children. That's why he also gave away some of his toys."

"The solidarity is amazing."

At the offices of NGO Homo Faber in Lublin, volunteers are taking calls around the clock from residents asking how they can help. "People call and say, for example, that they have vacated a room. The willingness to help is enormous," says the head of Homo Faber, Anna Dabrowska.

"The solidarity is amazing," she continues, pointing to the close ties many feel with Ukraine. "Our two peoples have always had close relations. The most important building in Lublin, the Holy Trinity Church, has a Ukrainian inscription. Of course, we help our neighbours!"

See also: A mother from Kyiv finds safety in Poland after days on the road

At a nearby Polish Red Cross warehouse in the town, manager Kinga Zielnicka is busy finding room for donations that have flooded in over the past few days. She says her own great-uncle was separated from his Polish family after World War II.

He grew up in Ukraine, we grew up in Poland, so I have family over there, Kinga explains, adding that her relatives in Ukraine have also fled their home. We talk on the phone all the time. Soon they [will] be here. She looks at the piles of donated items around her and adds: Maybe my relatives will get some of it too.

donate
RTHK: Scores of diplomats boycott speech by Lavrov to UN

More than 100 diplomats from some 40 Western countries and allies including Japan walked out of a speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the top UN human rights forum on Tuesday in protest over Russia's attack on Ukraine.

The boycott by envoys from the European Union, the United States, Britain and others left only a few diplomats in the room including Russia's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Gennady Gatilov, who is a former deputy to Lavrov. Envoys from Syria, China and Venezuela were among delegations that stayed.

Lavrov was addressing the UN Human Rights Council remotely, after cancelling his visit due to what the Russian mission said on Monday were EU states blocking his flight path.

Neutral Switzerland also imposed financial sanctions on Lavrov on Monday, a measure of the international revulsion over an offensive Russia describes as a "special military operation" aimed at dislodging "neo-Nazis" ruling Ukraine.

In his speech, Lavrov accused the EU of engaging in a "Russophobic frenzy" by supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine during Moscow's military campaign that began last Thursday.

A Russian armoured column bore down on Ukraine's capital Kyiv on Tuesday and its forces fired rocket barrages into the centre of Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, on the sixth day of Russia's assault on its neighbour.

Among the diplomats who walked out, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod joined Ukraine's ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko behind a large Ukrainian blue and yellow flag.

"It is a remarkable show of support for Ukrainians who are fighting for their independence," Filipenko told reporters.

Filipenko said there had been "massive destruction to civilian infrastructure" in Kharkiv, adding: "The maternity wards are being attacked, civilian residential buildings are being bombed."

Russia denies targeting any civilian sites.

Canada's Joly said: "Minister Lavrov was giving his version, which is false, about what is happening in Ukraine and so that's why we wanted to show a very strong stance together."

Later on Tuesday Canada will petition the International Criminal Court over what Joly said were Russia's "crimes against humanity and war crimes".

She was referring to the Hague-based court where the office of the ICC prosecutor on Monday said it would seek court approval to open an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The US envoy to the Human Rights Council, Michele Taylor, said in a statement: "This Russian war of aggression will have profound implications for human rights in Ukraine and Russia, and the leaders of Russia will be held accountable." (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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The U.S. claims that it wants peace and prosperity. But everywhere its influence expands to, chaos seems to be the only outcome.

The outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, at its core, is the inability for Russia to compromise any more of its geopolitical security. The eastward expansion of NATO, in breaching a promise made by the United States to Russia at the end of the Cold War, has given American military forces a clear path to Russia's doorsteps if America chooses. By the third decades of the 21st century, Russia's largest military rival has eliminated any semblance of respect toward Russia's geopolitical interests.

For the Russians, Ukraine is the bottom line. America and NATO's not-so-subtle attempts to get Ukraine under its umbrella crossed the Rubicon.

What can't be understated is that America is copying the playbook in another part of the world  the Indo-Pacific  against another one of its strategic competitor  China. Although the circumstances are vastly different, but the West has been stepping up its geopolitical stranglehold around China.

The recent two administrations in the United States have invested considerable effort into strengthening regional military alliances in the Indo-Pacific. The Trump administration oversaw the tightening of relationships between United States and India, laying the foundation for the materialization of the Quad. Then, under Joe Biden's reign, AUKUS became a linchpin of U.S.' military projection in the Pacific Ocean. The Five Eyes alliance, the Quad and AUKUS are now the center of U.S.' geopolitical construct aimed at keeping China in check.



The apartment block in 6A Lobanovsky Avenue which was hit with a missile in Kyiv, Ukraine, February 26, 2022. /CFP

And just as NATO kept nibbling at Ukraine, the U.S. and the mini-NATO in Asia keeps nagging China on its core interests. In the South China Sea, the alliances have been stepping up their naval presence. Alliances like AUKUS has opened the door for the West's deployment of more vessels like nuclear-powered submarines around China.

What America and the West is doing to China very much follows a similar script of being politically and rhetorically provocative while dangling with the possibility of military confrontation. Ukraine has blown up because the United States has squeezed its competitor's geopolitical maneuverability too far. Shouldn't the United States start to think about the danger and negative consequences of tap-dancing on other nation's interests?

The world has spent decades talking about the U.S. hegemony, the liberal world order and the economic development it has brought. But, as Ukraine crisis goes on, it is time to start talking about how that hegemony has fed the insatiable appetite of U.S.' geopolitical objectives. U.S., as a superpower, may have facilitated the growth of world economy, but it hasn't given freedom for nations to fulfill their own national interests. Its much taunted "liberalism" isn't freedom, it's commercial.

Ukraine is becoming the victim of decades-long of U.S.' unrestrained expansion of its influence. Let's hope that no one else would fall to the same victimhood again.
People struggle on stairways after a last-minute change on the departure platform for a Lviv bound train in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The Washington state Legislature has allocated $19 million to assist any refugees who land in the state.
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Jennifer Ann Hancock was born Nov. 20, 1956, in Atlanta, to William Roy and Martha Jones Hancock. She went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Gray. She was preceded in death by her father, William Roy Hancock, and her brother, Timothy Roy Hancock, as well as grandparents
Texas State Professor Dr. Louis Porter answers a question during the Ukraine, Russia, the EU, & the US in Crisis discussion, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, at Derrick Hall. The event was part of the History in the Making series by the History Department at Texas State.
March 1 2022

Construction of the UK's first vertical launch spaceport is likely to begin later this month after planning consent for a 43m facility was granted by Shetland Islands Council (SIC).

Subject to final approval from the Scottish Government and the granting of a license from the Civil Aviation Authority SaxaVord UK Spaceport will comprise three launchpads at the Lamba Ness peninsula in Unst, each capable of propelling small satellites into orbit.

The privately funded venture would have capacity for up to 30 launches per year, the first of which could take to the skies as early as September should everything go according to plan.

SaxaVord Spaceport CEO, Frank Strang, said: We will spend upwards of 43m over the next 18 months, rising to 100m in the next five years. We have already started blasting and crushing stone and are seeking to clarify the conditions imposed on the development by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), SIC and others as soon as possible."

Built top designs by Aecom the spaceport had been held up by HES over fears that the ruins of a WWII radar station might be damaged.
Abuja, Mar 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Mar, 2022 ) :Nigeria, South Africa and other African governments scrambled on Monday to help their citizens escape the Russian operation in Ukraine after reports of racist and unfair treatment of Africans at border crossings.

Africans in Ukraine, many of them students, are among hundreds of thousands of people trying to flee into Poland and other neighbours.

African Union leaders voiced concern at the reports of mistreatment of Africans caught up in the Ukraine conflict and said such conduct would be "shockingly racist".

The current chair of the African Union, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat said Monday that they were "particularly disturbed by reports that African citizens on the Ukrainian side of the border are being refused the right to cross the border to safety".

"Reports that Africans are singled out for unacceptable dissimilar treatment would be shockingly racist and in breach international law," they said in a statement.

All countries should "respect international law and show the same empathy and support to all people fleeing war notwithstanding their racial identity", the added.

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Godfrey Onyeama said on Monday the evacuation of the country's nationals would start on Wednesday.

Earlier, presidential adviser Garba Shehu had urged Ukrainian border officials to treat Nigerian citizens equally after reports they had been stopped from boarding buses and trains to the border.

Shehu referenced a video on social media showing a Nigerian mother with a young baby being physically forced to give up her seat.

There had been also reports of Polish officials refusing Nigerian citizens entry into Poland from Ukraine, he added.

"All who flee a conflict situation have the same right to safe passage under UN Convention and the colour of their passport or their skin should make no difference," said Shehu.
The capital city police, in continuation of campaign against land grabbers, illegal occupants, and goons have retrieved a house and a plot of two poor citizens in separate cases from influential land grabbers

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Feb, 2022 ) :The capital city police, in continuation of campaign against land grabbers, illegal occupants, and goons have retrieved a house and a plot of two poor citizens in separate cases from influential land grabbers.

The police retrieved a four-marla plot of a citizen Ghulam Rasool from the illegal occupants and registered an FIR against them at police station Nishtar Colony.

Similarly, a notorious land grabber property dealer Khalid, in guise of tenants rented house of the sister of a poor street hawker Rana Muhammad Ramzan one year ago in Tezaab Ahata Misri Shah area. The occupied tenant Khalid harassed the actual owner of the house and refused to vacate their property.

The complainant Rana Ramzan and his sister Shamim Bibi lodged a written complaint against the illegal occupants with the office of Capital City Police Chief few days ago. Additional IG Fayyaz Ahmad Dev ordered SSP Discipline Ejaz Rasheed to look into both the matters and take immediate legal action against the illegal occupants and ensure the retrieval of properties.

Accordingly, SSP Discipline Ejaz Rasheed initiated inquiry in person, took legal action and retrieved the occupied properties from the possession of the illegal tenants within record time. Police handed over the possessions of both the properties to legal owners.

The owner of the plot Ghulam Rasool whereas owner of the house Shamim Bibi and her brother Ramzan lauded the continuous efforts of Capital City Police Chief Fayyaz Ahmad Dev and his team to make provincial capital free of land grabbers.

The citizens visited the office of the CCPO Lahore today and met Fayyaz Ahmad Dev to express their gratitude over the prompt action and redress of their grievances. The citizens presented the CCPO Lahore Fayyaz Ahmad Dev flowers bouquets as recognition of his personal interest and efforts to redress their grievances.

The CCPO Lahore appreciated the performance of SSP Discipline Ejaz Rasheed and his team to solve the issues in record time. The CCPO Lahore reiterated his commitment to make city free of land mafia and goons.
Some 677,000 refugees have fled the conflict in Ukraine for safety in neighbouring countries, while around a million people are estimated to be internally displaced, the United Nations said Tuesday

Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Mar, 2022 ) :Some 677,000 refugees have fled the conflict in Ukraine for safety in neighbouring countries, while around a million people are estimated to be internally displaced, the United Nations said Tuesday.

The UN Refugee Agency chief Filippo Grandi said the numbers of people on the move was "extremely worrying", as Russian troops pound cities in eastern Ukraine, on day six of Moscow's invasion.

Grandi told a press conference in Geneva that the latest figure he had was 677,000 people who had fled from Ukraine to neighbouring countries.

"We are looking at what could become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century," he said.

Grandi said that around half had fled to Poland, whilst roughly 90,000 had reached Hungary, 60,000 Moldova, 50,000 Slovakia and 40,000 Romania.

At an earlier press conference, Shabia Mantoo, a spokeswoman for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said the numbers were "exponentially increasing".

She said that all neighbouring countries had so far kept their borders open for refugees fleeing Ukraine -- including a "sizeable number" who have crossed into Russia.

"UNHCR urges governments to continue to maintain access to territory for all those fleeing: Ukrainians, and third-country nationals living in Ukraine, who are now forced to escape the violence," she said.

- Internally displaced - Meanwhile in Stockholm, Karolina Lindholm Billing, the UNHCR representative to Ukraine, estimated that a million people had been internally displaced by the Russian invasion.

"We estimate that it has to be about one million people who have fled internally or who are currently on a train, a bus or in a car trying to get to a safety," she told a press conference in Stockholm.

She cautioned that the agency still did not have reliable figures.

Mantoo said that at the Polish border, UNCHR staff reported that people who managed to cross the frontier had been waiting up to 60 hours in freezing temperatures.

"Refugees who have the means are finding their own accommodation, whereas others are being hosted with local communities who have opened their homes, or sheltered in reception centres," she said.

There are queues of up to 20 hours to enter Romania, said Mantoo, with volunteers providing interpretation services, while it is taking 24 hours to cover the 60 kilometres (37 miles) between the Ukrainian port city of Odessa and the border with Moldova.

New arrivals in Moldova are being accommodated in temporary reception centres, while the UNHCR is distributing relief items, including blankets and sleeping bags, with an airlift from Dubai of more supplies due to arrive on Wednesday.

The UN's International Organization for Migration said an estimated 470,000 third-country nationals were living in Ukraine, including a large number of overseas students and labour migrants.

"While 6,000 of those have been confirmed to have arrived in Moldova and Slovakia alone, many remain stranded amidst the worsening security situation," spokeswoman Safa Msehli told journalists in Geneva.

"We appeal to states to protect people forced from their homes due to the fighting and to allow them to cross Ukraine's borders to safety -- without discrimination."
UK government is open to removing Russia as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council following the invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said Tuesday

London, March 1 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Mar, 2022 ) :UK government is open to removing Russia as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council following the invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said Tuesday.

"I think it's something we want to discuss with the UN obviously," the spokesman, who speaks on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

"There are the mechanisms in place for that which are well established," he said, adding that Johnson had yet to stake out a position himself on the question.

"What is right to say is that we want to see Russia isolated diplomatically, and we will consider all options to achieve that."Britain is also one of the five permanent members alongside Russia, the United States, China and France.

The five are meant to guarantee international peace and security, but Russia stands accused of trashing the UN rulebook with its offensive on Ukraine.
God the Creator wants Christians to forgive, reconcile, and hand over those they consider their enemies to him. Bishop Francis Aquirinus Kibira Kambale said this in the Diocese of Kasese.

Peter Masereka  Kasese, Uganda.

Presiding over the Holy Eucharist at Our Lady of Assumption Kasese Cathedral, this week, Bishop Kibira reminded Christians of their role as channels of God's mercy and the protection of those they consider enemies.

Do not seek revenge when persecuted

The Bishop asked the followers of Christ to assist those in sin and to repent of their own failings. The faithful, said the Kasese prelate, must avoid judging others and instead be the light of Christ.

Bishop Kibira further reminded Christians to be ready for persecution even when they do good. He gave the example of Christ, who resisted and never gave up on his mission to save the world.

Bishop Kibira also warned the faithful against seeking revenge. He urged them instead to carry their burdens to God in prayer.

Be champions of reconciliation

On the same day, at St. John Kisanga Parish, Fr. Augustine Masereka, the Director of Catholic Kasese Guide Radio warned believers not to be driven by pride and selfishness. Christians, he said, need to be rich in the spirit by focusing their attention on things that will obtain them salvation.

Fr. Augustine urged the faithful to be champions of peace, unity and reconciliation in extending love and prayers for their enemies. He said forgiveness releases a person from the scars of hate.
Bishops in the US State of Texas have appealed for mercy to be offered to a mother of 14 and grandmother sentenced to die on April 27, following what has been called a flawed process and conviction.

Vatican News staff writer

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops has asked the State of Texas to spare the life of Melissa Lucio, sentenced to death in 2008 for the death of her two-year-old daughter, Mariah. Lucio claims Mariah died after a tragic fall down a staircase. The Bishops noted that Lucio was convicted on the basis of a forced confession following a rigorous interrogation the night her daughter died, in the absence of evidence or witnesses. Many other organizations are rallying around Melissa Lucio's case, including domestic violence and battered womens organizations, and former prosecutors.

The bishops write: "We ask the state to commute Melissa Lucios sentence of death and re-examine the case to consider her history as a victim of sexual abuse and domestic violence, her troubling interrogation by law enforcement, and the lingering questions regarding the manner of her daughter Mariahs death." They also note that she has undertaken a spiritual journey while in prison, "accompanying others to a deeper faith in Christ."



The bishops echo the words of Bishop Daniel Flores, who shepherds the Diocese of Brownsville, where the Lucio family lives. "One tragedy is not somehow made better by killing someone else," they say. "Justice is not suddenly restored because another person dies. Executing Melissa will not bring peace to her surviving children, it will only bring more pain and suffering." They add that this case again shows why the death penalty process in Texas "cannot be trusted to provide justice to all," since it is a deeply flawed process "rife with human error and inconsistency."



They conclude by offering their prayers for all affected by the tragic loss of Mariah's life, for her mother Melissa, and for her family, beseeching "the State of Texas to commute her death sentence and conduct a meaningful review of her case to enable this family to continue the hard work of restorative justice and healing.
Churches across the world are joining in prayer and solidarity efforts for Ukraine where the start of Russian military action has led to a worsening crisis.

By Vatican News staff writer

In recent days, Russias invasion of Ukraine has been at the center of concerns and prayers of many Church communities, who have offered prayers and support for the brothers and sisters made vulnerable by the conflict situation. There have also been numerous calls for dialogue and peace negotiations in order to bring an end to the war which broke out on 24 February.

Leading the way has been Pope Francis, who during the General Audience on 23 February, announced Ash Wednesday, 2 March, as a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Ukraine. More recently, during the Angelus on Sunday, the Holy Father reiterated his call for prayers for the people of Ukraine and called for the opening of humanitarian corridors to welcome those who are fleeing from the violence.

Hong Kong

Inviting Christians to join in prayers for Ukraine following the Popes appeal, Bishop Stephen Chow, SJ, of Hong Kong, noted that the power of the sincere prayers of so many people can achieve what is beyond human imagination.

In a 25 February letter, the Bishop expressed deep sadness by the civilians loss of lives and homes, amid the military manoeuvres and manipulation of political power that are shattering the hope for peace and stability of the people of Ukraine.

We are citizens of the global village, and our well-being is intimately intertwined. Let us offer our sincere prayers for those in Hong Kong and throughout the world who are struck by these two pandemics, he said.

He further asked Christians to pray to God to to touch in-depth the hearts of the ones who have the power to revert this tragic trajectory to restore hope for peace in our world.

India

Similarly, the Churches in India have joined in the growing chorus of voices calling for an end to the deepening conflict in Ukraine.

In a joint message on Monday, signed by the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBCI), National Council of Churches of India (NCCI) and the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), the churches invited everyone to join to pray for Ukraine on 2 March.

We believe that we have a responsibility to pray for the transformation of leaders who take up arms in anger or revenge, the statement read.

The Churches prayed that Gods protection and providence may be upon Ukraine and Russia by which the entire region shall experience peace forever.

Holy Land

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa has also lent his voice to the appeals for Ukraine. In a recent interview with Vatican News, he expressed sadness over the situation in the country and said that he had sent messages of closeness to the Christian communities.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of  the Mother Church of Jerusalem to pray for peace and for the end of tensions  in an interview with Italian news agency SIR.

Order of Malta

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Relief Corps of the Order of Malta (Malteser Ukraine) has set up a field kitchen to provide warm meals for internally displaced people.

The kitchen provides breakfast, lunch and dinner to migrants, psychological as well medical assistance. Volunteers on the ground are also prepared to provide first aid services for those in need of them.

Malteser Ukraine has prepared a floor space capable of accommodating over 250 migrants, while tents, cots and blankets are distributed to the displaced.
KAYLEE SUGIMOTO is a News and Features Reporter for The Vidette. Contract Sugimoto at ksugim1@ilstu.edu. Follow Sugimoto on Twitter at @kayleesugimoto1

IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of digital media, please contribute to this most important cause. Thank you.
MARISSA HARVEY is a News and Features Reporter for The Vidette. Harvey can be contacted at mcharv1@ilstu.edu. Follow Harvey on Twitter at @marissaharvey16

IF YOU SUPPORT THE VIDETTE MISSION of providing a training laboratory for Illinois State University student journalists to learn and sharpen viable, valuable and marketable skills in all phases of digital media, please contribute to this most important cause. Thank you.
The United States and other Western countries took extraordinary steps to cut Russia off from the global financial system over its invasion of Ukraine, blocking its ability to prevent a major devaluation of the ruble on foreign exchange markets, and severely limiting the ability of its banks to make international transactions.

On Monday morning, the U.S. Treasury officially announced that it had barred U.S. companies from doing business with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. That includes banks that hold assets belonging to any of those entities.

"The unprecedented action we are taking today will significantly limit Russia's ability to use assets to finance its destabilizing activities, and target the funds Putin and his inner circle depend on to enable his invasion of Ukraine," Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen said in a statement. "Today, in coordination with partners and allies, we are following through on key commitments to restrict Russia's access to these valuable resources."

At the same time, governments around the world, including the member states of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, Australia and others announced similar restrictions.

Those actions came on top of an international agreement to cut off some Russian banks from the SWIFT network, which banks use to facilitate international transactions. Run by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, the SWIFT network is essential to the smooth operation of the global banking system.

Central bank sanctions

Among other things, the sanctions announced Monday block the Russian Central Bank's access to large portions of its $630 billion in foreign currency reserves.

One of the main reasons central banks hold foreign currency reserves is to allow them to protect their own currencies from sudden price changes.

"Fundamentally, the fact that the central bank has that foreign currency allows the central bank to intervene in a way that prevents a disorderly depreciation of the currency," Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, told VOA.

A major step

Milesi-Ferretti said that the decision to freeze funds belonging to Russia's central bank is practically unprecedented when it comes to a major economy.

"The only precedent I'm aware of is Iran, which had, of course, a much different level of integration with financial markets than Russia does," he told VOA.

Iran's central bank assets in the U.S. were frozen in 1979 by U.S. President Jimmy Carter after Islamic revolutionaries in that country unseated Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and took American embassy personnel hostage.

The impact of the Russia freeze was immediately apparent Monday.

When markets lose confidence in the value of a currency, it costs more to exchange that currency for other currencies on the open market. For example, last week, it was possible to buy one U.S. dollar for about 80 Russian rubles. On Monday, as people and companies rushed to exchange their rubles for dollars, the price of one dollar rose to nearly 118 rubles.

The Russian central bank's foreign currency reserves could have allowed it to take some of the pressure off the ruble by using those funds to purchase rubles on the open market.

Disruptions in Russia

Reports out of Russia on Monday indicated that there was a rush among some consumers to trade their rubles for other currencies, in order to protect savings from sudden devaluation. However, there were also reports of foreign currency shortages.

In addition, other reports suggested that the commonly used mobile payment systems Apple Pay and Google Pay had ceased functioning for some users over the past several days. The outage appears to be the result of individual Russian banks being targeted by sanctions, which made it illegal for U.S. firms, such as Apple and Google, to do business with them.

Major international corporations Monday announced that they were divesting from partnerships with Russian firms. British Petroleum announced that it would abandon its 20% stake in the state-owned energy firm Rosneft. Other major firms, including the oil firm Shell and the banking firm HSBC, also announced that they were severing financial ties with Russian partners.

The havoc led Russian regulators to close the country's stock and derivatives markets Monday.

SWIFT impact

Cutting off Russian banks from SWIFT has been called the "nuclear option" of financial sanctions, but it does not make it impossible for the Russian banks to transact with other banks in the world. What it does is make the process far less efficient.

SWIFT is a messaging service that lets banks quickly and securely verify the identity of the banks and individuals involved in an international transaction. However, there is nothing to prevent Russian banks from using other means of communications.

Nicolas Veron, senior fellow at Peterson Institute for International Economics, also a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based economic policy think tank, told VOA that limiting SWIFT access  especially when applied to only some Russian banks, is not the death blow that many believe it to be.

"I think this metaphor of the nuclear option is a bit unfortunate because it doesn't kill anybody," he said. "It makes life more complicated for Russian banks, but it doesn't actually prevent transactions [from being] executed and completed. It just makes everything more complicated because SWIFT is very convenient when you have it."

Mandarin Service reporter Yinan Wang contributed to this story.
Hundreds of Afghans who fled war in their own country in recent years are now stranded in Ukraine, where many are attempting to escape.

Rana Alwat, her husband and son left Odessa and boarded a train to flee the country. After taking a bus and waiting in long queues on the Polish border, the family arrived Monday.

"My 3-year-old son was so terrified of the bombs exploding, I told him it was just balloons popping," she told VOA.

Six years ago, the 26-year-old migrated to Odessa, Ukraine, in search of a better future and had been teaching at an Odessa-based Afghan refugee school.

"This is a very bad feeling. I came here with dreams and wished to study and pursue higher education. I am facing the same misfortune; I am very scared for my family and now must resettle again."

Ukrainian migration data indicates at the end of 2020, there were some 1,449 Afghans with permanent residency in the country and more than 200 with temporary visas. But many Afghans like Sanaullah Tasmim arrived after the Taliban took control of Kabul in August.

The 20-year-old left Afghanistan six months ago to finish his medical studies in Moscow. However, because Afghanistan's government collapsed and his scholarship was no longer valid, he was unable to begin his studies and was forced to travel to Ukraine to work and earn money to finish his higher education on his own.

He told VOA, "I escaped war and came all the way here to study and make a better future but yet got stuck in another war."

On February 24, Poland's Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski told the media that nine reception centers will be set up along the country's 535-kilometer (332-mile) border with Ukraine to receive the incoming refugees.

Tasmim said he arrived in Poland on Monday.

"I lost everything on my way here, my phone, my money, and my luggage. However, I am very happy to be in a safer place now."

Sabur Shah Dawoodzai, an Afghan refugee who arrived in Poland six months ago, is now collecting food and clothing for incoming Ukrainian refugees. He told VOA over the phone that he understands their anguish.

"Seeing the footage of Ukrainians taking shelter at subway stations reminds me of the six months earlier situations of Afghans including me at the Kabul airport during the collapse," Dawoodzai said. "It does bring tears to my eyes. No one can feel the situation of Ukrainians more than us."

Jawed Haqmal, a translator for the Canadians in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, was among those evacuated by Ukrainian special forces.

Haqmal, his wife, and their four children have been attempting to flee the fighting by crossing into Poland.

"We are on our way, trying to get to Poland. I never thought I will find myself in the middle of another war. I wish my children did not witness another disaster. They are traumatized," Haqmal said.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, more than 520,000 people have fled Ukraine so far, with the agency estimating that number could reach 4 million in the coming weeks.

This story originated from VOA's Deewa service.


U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns that rules of the international order that help protect peace and security will be weakened if Russian President Vladimir Putin is allowed to get away with his premeditated invasion of Ukraine.

In a video address to the U.N. Human Rights Council, Blinken warned the human rights and humanitarian crises affecting Ukraine will get worse if Putin succeeds in toppling the countrys democratically elected government.

"Look at Crimea, where Russias occupation has come with extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention, the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, the brutal repression of dissent.  Reports of Russias human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law are mounting by the hour, Blinken said.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine six days ago, Blinken notes Russian strikes against civilians and civilian infrastructures have escalated. He says schools, hospitals and residential buildings have been targeted. He says critical infrastructure providing millions of people with drinking water, with gas to prevent them from freezing, with electricity to keep the lights on has been destroyed.

The High Commissioner said yesterday that Russias attacks had killed at least a hundred civilians, including children, and wounded hundreds more  and said she expects the real figures are much higher.  Russias violence has driven over half a million Ukrainians from the country in just a few days," Blinken said. "Children, the elderly, people with disabilities, who are making harrowing journeys through conflict zones.

The Kremlin insisted Tuesday that Russian troops dont conduct any strikes against civilian infrastructure and residential areas.

The U.N. Refugee Agency is preparing for up to 4 million Ukrainians to flee for safety to neighboring countries. UNHCR officials say the situation looks set to become Europes largest refugee crisis this century.

Blinken says Russias repression does not stop at Ukraines borders. He says the Kremlin also is ramping up its repression within Russia. He says human rights defenders, journalists, Putins political opponents have long been subjected to harassment, intimidation, poisoning and imprisonment.

He says this treatment now is being meted out to Russians peacefully protesting the invasion of Ukraine. He says thousands have been detained, and anyone found to be assisting a foreign country or organization could be imprisoned for up to 20 years.
Despite strategic partnerships with the Kremlin, no Central Asian government has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine or recognized Luhansk and Donetsk as independent. Russian claims that regional leaders "understand" President Vladimir Putin's decisions have been refuted or ignored.



U.S. media reports that Kazakhstan refused Moscow's "request to send troops," attributed to the U.S. National Security Council, also have not been confirmed by authorities in Nur-Sultan, the Kazakh capital. Kazakh and American pundits suspect the White House may have disclosed intelligence without providing details.



Central Asian governments have been evacuating their citizens from Ukraine.



During a February 28 virtual meeting with Central Asian foreign ministers, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and reiterated Washington's support for that nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. His Central Asian colleagues, however, did not publicly echo this line.

Experts tell VOA that authorities in the region are "walking the thinnest line ever." The public has been more critical of Russia's war than their leaders.



"The government is calculating possible risks," said Kazakh scholar Daniyar Kosnazarov. "All of us will be affected."



The Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) sent a short-duration military deployment to Kazakhstan in January when the government faced mass protests and violence.



"No one wants foreign troops. We had this experience, even for a small amount of time, so we can relate to Ukraine," said Kosnazarov, who is based in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city.



He urged the Kazakh government to focus on its domestic agenda and implement political and economic reforms promised by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.



"This conflict will definitely affect the course and quality of reforms, but society will continue to demand increased living standards."



Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan also are part of the CSTO. Uzbekistan has joined and withdrawn twice.

The Kremlin has said the Kyrgyz and Uzbek leaders have told Russian President Vladimir Putin that they support his military action in Ukraine but press services in those nations have stressed only that they "exchanged views on the situation around Ukraine."

Bishkek, Tashkent and Dushanbe have chosen to stay neutral, citing close ties to both Russia and Ukraine, calling for dialogue and upholding international norms. All five Central Asian countries, like Ukraine, were once part of the Soviet Union.



More than 3 million Uzbeks work in Russia. Tajikistan has more than 1.6 million, and Kyrgyzstan 620,000 citizens working in that country, according to official statistics. World Bank data shows that remittances from Russia constitute nearly one-third of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Tajikistan  more than 20% for Kyrgyzstan and more than 10% for Uzbekistan.

"As Russia's economy sinks, ours will, too. Ruble devaluation will mean further devaluation of our currencies," predicted Tajik intellectual Parviz Mullojanov.



Central Asian states want productive relations with the United States, European Union, and Russia, he said. "They don't want to sever ties with the West at all but need to deal with Russia next door."



Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are members of Moscow's Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which also includes Armenia and Belarus.

Emil Umetaliev, former Kyrgyz economy minister, said the costs of war always fall on ordinary people.



"As an EEU member, our country will suffer. We are dependent on Russia's diminishing economy. This will especially hurt small- and medium-size businesses."

Countries in the region must survive as independent nations, argued Umetaliev. "Central Asian leaders should coordinate foreign policies, establishing a common strategy in line with international agreements, to prevent separatism and invasion."

Marlene Laruelle, Central Asia program director at George Washington University in Washington, believes the region's players are "very unhappy and afraid of what Russia is doing."



"They may see Russia as the aggressor, but also feel that the West has pushed it too much, especially on NATO enlargement."



These states do not have much room to maneuver, she added. "The Russian economic recession, driven by Western sanctions, will have a huge impact on investment and remittances."



Maqsuda, 45, an Uzbek migrant in Samara, Russia, told VOA that workers like her are extremely nervous about their earnings losing value. "I send at least $400 a month to my family in Jizzakh. I may lose my job and even if I keep it, how am I to exchange and send money? ATMs here already don't work."



Laruelle thinks the war on Ukraine will damage Russia's credibility. "Clearly the regime will now be seen as more repressive and authoritarian than ever."



She views Central Asian opinion on Ukraine-Russia as polarized.

"Putler," a play on "Hitler," is a common pejorative for Putin on Uzbek and regional social media.

Posts in both native languages and Russian condemn the war and support Ukraine.



Uzbekistan's Parliamentary Deputy Speaker Alisher Kadirov, known for anti-Russian stands, applauds Ukraine for fighting, calling the Kremlin's war wrong.



But he advocates a calm, pragmatic approach, and peace, hailing the position taken by the administration of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.





"As friends of both Ukraine and Russia, we hope these dark clouds will vanish soon," Kadirov wrote on his Telegram channel.





Don't be fooled by this social media outpour, said Uzbek blogger and editor Eldar Assanov, underlining that Central Asia still largely lives in a Russian-dominated information space.



Several Uzbek news outlets informed VOA that they've been unofficially ordered not to publish and air pro-Ukraine content.



"We've been warned to be balanced and neutral, which we always try to be, but in this case, the authorities don't want us to put out any view deploring Russia and/or defending Ukraine," said a manager of a well-established media outlet in Tashkent, speaking on condition of anonymity and not revealing the name of the organization.



Assanov is not surprised at such restrictions. "Many follow Russian websites and channels, don't know Ukrainian arguments, and just support Russia."



But the Russian media presence has decreased with improved content in native languages. And social media expose Central Asians to global debates and diverse opinion.



Still, Assanov said, Russian influence is very strong. "Uzbek media just copy Russian content."



"No country wants what Ukraine is experiencing," he said. "So, leaders may get softer with Russia, but not rush to join its projects and cultivate other powers to counter the Russian pressure, such as Turkey."



Journalists and bloggers across Uzbekistan take credit for advancing Uzbek media but don't see particularly higher levels of critical thinking. "I can't say we've been that effective yet, perhaps with the next generation," said Assanov. "For now, for many, Russia is great because it can invade."



This story originated in VOA's Uzbek Service. Davron Hotam in Kyrgyzstan and Ozod Mas'ul in Tajikistan contributed to this report.
About 20 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were killed in a fresh attack by the suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group, monitors said Monday.

"At least 20 civilians were killed in #Kikura village (#Beni territory, North #Kivu) on Sunday night. The #ADF are suspected," the U.S.-based Kivu Security Tracker (KST) said on Twitter.

Ricardo Rupande, head of a local association of grassroots groups, gave the same toll and urged the armed forces to take action against the rebels.

David Moaze, a lawyer and coordinator for a DRC rights group called ADDHO, said two women and a girl around age 9 were among the dead.

The ADF  which Islamic State describes as its local affiliate  has been blamed for thousands of deaths in eastern DRC, as well as a spate of recent bomb attacks in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

Last May, the DRC government imposed a "state of siege" in North Kivu and neighboring Ituri in a bid to crush armed groups that plague the two provinces.

Under it, senior civilian positions in the provinces have been taken over by army or police officers.

Despite the crackdown, and cross-border support from Ugandan forces that began in late November, the ADF's attacks have continued.

Kikura, where the latest bloodshed took place, lies around 15 kilometers from a Ugandan army base in eastern DRC at Mukakati.

The DRC army and U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, in the DRC, are also present in the area.

Rupande said the armed forces "have given the enemy time to organize."

The ADF was historically a Ugandan rebel coalition whose biggest group comprised of Muslims opposed to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

But it established itself in eastern DRC in 1995, becoming the deadliest of scores of outlawed forces in the troubled region.

Islamic State presents the ADF as its regional branch  the Islamic State Central Africa Province, or ISCAP.

In March 2020, the United States placed the ADF on its list of "terrorist groups" affiliated with IS jihadists.
Western nations are continuing to pay Russia hundreds of millions of dollars every day for gas and oil imports, despite the tough sanctions imposed on the country's banking and aviation sectors following its invasion of Ukraine.

With around 40% of Europe's oil and gas imported from Russia, governments are scrambling to find alternatives. European Union ministers met Monday in Brussels to discuss how to break the dependency.

Russia dependency

"Every day we spend 350 million euros, which we give to the Russian system, to be able for them to invest in arms, which are dropping on the city of Kyiv and elsewhere today. So yes, for climate reasons and for the security of our people, we need to reassess that dependency on fossil fuels," Eamon Ryan, Ireland's minister for the environment, climate and communications, told Reuters.

Russia supplies about a third of Europe's gas, and the latest figures show imports have increased since its invasion of Ukraine. The soaring price makes trade even more profitable, and analysts say there are no quick alternatives.

"I think that the West is going to try to continue to hold back on sanctioning on the oil and gas sector," said Douglas Rediker, a nonresident fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

Gas imports

Germany is among the EU states most dependent on Russian energy. Last week, it announced the cancellation of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia.

Gas industry executives say the fossil fuel will remain vital for Germany's economy.

"We have to think about the future," Timm Kehler, managing director of the Zukunft Gas Association told Reuters. "Germany will need more gas because domestic production is declining, because we also need more gas-fired power plants, because we will also use more gas in other industrial sectors in order to achieve the climate targets. And we have to answer the question, 'Where will gas come from in the future?' Nord Stream 2 has played a very central role in this up till now."

Energy U-turn

In recent days, Germany's government has signaled a dramatic U-turn on energy policy. Addressing lawmakers Sunday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced plans to build two liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to diversify supply. Europe's LNG imports hit a record high in January, with nearly half coming from the United States.

Germany had pledged to switch off its nuclear power stations by the end of this year and all coal-fired plants by 2030. Scholz said those decisions could be reversed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"The events of the past few days have shown us that responsible, forward-looking energy policy is decisive not only for our economy and the environment. It is also decisive for our security.  We must change course to overcome our dependence on imports from individual energy suppliers," Scholz said at the emergency session of parliament on Sunday.

Renewables

German ministers are drafting laws to ensure renewable energy sources will account for 100% of Germany's power supply by 2035. The continent must speed up the change, said former environment and energy secretary Rainer Baake, now managing director at the Berlin-based Climate Neutrality Foundation.

"Now we have to talk about even faster implementation of these plans. I think it is doable. It has to happen in all sectors. It has to happen in the power sector. It has to happen in the transport sector, in the heating sector, and of course also in the industrial sector," Baake said.

"There should be a very clear message to Russia now: We don't want your gas, and we don't want your oil in the future. It's going to be painful, because prices are probably going to be higher. But the only way to free ourselves from this dependency from fossil fuels is to put efficiency and renewables instead of the fossil energies," Baake told VOA.

Cutting ties

Meanwhile, European energy giants have announced they are offloading their stakes in Russian oil firms worth billions of dollars. British Petroleum said it would sell its 20% share in Russian state-owned firm Rosneft, while Royal Dutch Shell said Monday it would end its joint ventures with Gazprom.

"We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security," Shell's chief executive, Ben van Beurden, told reporters.
A delegation of former U.S. defense officials is in Taiwan to meet with senior leaders and signal support for the self-governing island, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine highlights threats to democracies around the world.

The group includes former U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen; former Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan Meghan O'Sullivan; former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy; and former National Security Council senior directors for Asia Mike Green and Evan Medeiros. The group collectively served under former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

The selection of these five individuals sends an important signal about the bipartisan U.S. commitment to Taiwan and its democracy and demonstrates that the Biden administrations and the United States commitment to Taiwan remains rock solid, a senior Biden administration official in Washington told VOA on background.

The trip coincides with a separate visit by former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, who will arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday to speak at the government-affiliated Prospect Foundation. He will also meet with Vice President Lai Ching-te and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.

Michael Mazza, a non-resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, speculated that Mullen may have come with a message for Taiwans senior leadership and would return with a response for White House officials.

While Mullen is a former official, someone of his stature carries more diplomatic weight than a normal diplomatic message, Mazza said.

The selection of Admiral Mullen to lead this delegation may serve multiple purposes. He is, first, well-poised to deliver important messages regarding defense and, second and related, to assess any defense-related issues or concerns that Taiwans leaders may raise, Mazza told VOA by email.

There is significant concern in Washington right now that the Overall Defense Concept has been abandoned, or at least downgraded, in Taiwans defense strategy. It is likewise unclear what, if anything, has replaced the ODC. Id be surprised if Mullen did not raise these concerns and seek out details about the direction Taiwans defense strategy is taking, he said.

Under President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan has focused on an asymmetric defense strategy to make it an unattractive target to Chinas Communist Party, which claims Taiwan as a wayward province and has not ruled out an invasion.

This strategy has focused on making it clear to Beijing that the cost of invading Taiwan would be extremely high even though it has superior military power.

While this policy has been advocated by Tsai, there is ongoing concern in Washington that these policies are not being fully carried out by Taiwans Ministry of National Defense, an institution that typically skews conservative in its policymaking.

Wen-ti Sung, a cross-strait relations expert at the Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University, said that rather than abandoning its Overall Defense Concept, Taiwan is in the midst of discussing how to rebalance and future-proof Taiwans capacity.

Sung said analysts in Taiwan have questioned whether the islands current defense strategy is too focused on deterring an amphibious landing by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army.

Weapons purchases and training have reflected that strategy, he said, but they may not be of much use after 2035 when the PLA completes its modernization campaign.

They need to spread eggs in more baskets and shift away from single threat-based planning and move towards a more balanced capability-based approach to force building, Sung said by phone.

I think discussion and some [white] papers are discussing that kind of rebalancing, he said. I dont think Taiwan is ditching the ODC, but there are new thoughts being given to ODC and more traditional deterrence.

Last week, Taiwans foreign minister told the McCain Institute for International Leadership that the democracy needs continued U.S. support to defend itself from China, which experts say could have the ability to attack Taiwan as early as 2027.

In the meantime, China has scaled up pressure on Taiwan in other ways. In 2021, China sent more than 1,000 flights into Taiwans air defense identification zone, a swathe of land and sea around the Taiwan Strait monitored by Taiwans military, to send the message that the democracy is doomed, according to Wu.

While Taiwan and the United States do not have formal diplomatic relations, the U.S. is the islands most important ally and has committed to providing Taipei with the means to defend itself under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act and other follow-up agreements. These have included major weapons sales, which escalated during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump and have continued under current President Joe Biden.

Last August, the Biden administration approved $750 million in weapons sales to Taiwan.

Former and sitting U.S. officials regularly visit Taiwan although the opposite is rare. Visitors last year included former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd and former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, while Alex Azar, then-secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also visited Taiwan in 2020.
A preserved Soviet tank guards the entrance to the site in Berlin where the Nazis officially surrendered in 1945. Overhead, a Ukrainian flag flutters in the breeze  a show of solidarity for a people now under attack by Russia.

The former army barracks, now a museum dedicated to the war between Nazi Germany and the former Soviet Union, has become embroiled in the current invasion of Russian forces in Ukraine, as European leaders warn of the return of conflict on a scale not seen since World War II.

Normally, we display all four flags  Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. (But) we see it as an important symbol that we sympathize with Ukraine. Ukraine is the victim here. She was attacked  that's the only point to make. So, today we raised only one flag, museum director Jorg Morre told VOA in an interview on February 24, the day Russia launched its invasion.

In addition, the buildings official name plaque  the German-Russian Museum  has been obscured with black tape.

Nazi capitulation

After six years of war that tore the continent apart and killed tens of millions of people, Nazi Germanys official capitulation on May 8, 1945, was signed in the east Berlin suburb of Karlshorst and witnessed by British Royal Air Chief Marshal Arthur Tedder and Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

The barracks was initially used as a military facility by conquering Soviet forces after World War II in what became East Germany. In 1967, East German authorities turned the building into the Museum of Surrender, a monument to the estimated 11 million Soviet soldiers who died fighting the Nazis.

During the war, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Many of the Nazi atrocities against the Soviets took place on what is now Ukrainian soil.

Ukraine objections

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and German reunification in 1991, the site became the German-Russian Museum.

It was Germany and Russia who agreed to cooperate with one another here in 1994, Morre explained. Then, two other countries were added, Belarus and Ukraine.

The museum is now sponsored by an association of German, Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian historians.

In 2014, after Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea, the museum found itself at the center of a dispute over its name.

Our Ukrainian colleagues have difficulties working in a museum called the German-Russian Museum, Morre said.

From the German point of view, it was sufficient for quite some time to say, We have a museum with Russia. But it's a bit inaccurate. Russia was taken to mean the whole of the Soviet Union. For a long time, that didn't bother anyone. For the Germans, it's very important to have a museum together with our former enemies in war. But we've learned now that it's important to distinguish between Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, Morre told VOA.

The museum has yet to decide on an official name change.

Historical revisionism

Morre has found himself on the front line of a battle for historical truth. In 2014, shortly after Russia seized and annexed the Crimea Peninsula from Ukraine, he attended a biannual World War II history conference in Moscow. His Russian colleagues, with whom he had previously worked closely through the museum, compared the Ukrainians to the Nazis and warned there was a new battle against fascism under way in Europe.

The sentiment was echoed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said in March 2014, We see neo-Nazis, nationalists and antisemites on rampages in parts of Ukraine.

I noticed that an understanding of history I once considered to be final was suddenly being reinterpreted, Morre told VOA. Suddenly, there were fascists in Ukraine and a need to protect peaceful, Russian citizens. All of a sudden, a historical parallel (with WWII) was drawn, and as a historian, I had to contest that this was simply not true. I found myself in a situation where I had to protest.

Morre and several other European historians voiced their objections at the conference but were heavily outnumbered by Russians, who voted to pass a resolution warning of the revival of fascism and Nazism in Europe.

I realized all of a sudden: We're in the business of politics, Morre said. It is no longer the case that as a historian, I can simply sit at home or in the library, do my exhibitions in peace and everything is in the past. Rather, everything is extremely current, and I have to double-check every word I say, lest the other side starts to use it for political means.

Denazification

On the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last week, Putin said it was aimed at the denazification of Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly compared Ukraines government to the Nazis and has accused the country of committing genocide against Russian-speaking populations in the Donbas region. Russia has not provided any evidence for its accusation.

Ukraine has strongly rejected such claims and pointed out that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish. His grandfather fought against the Nazis, and many of his family members were killed in the Holocaust.

Morre is outraged by Putins language.

This is a misrepresentation, a corruption of history that I would have never expected. Perhaps we have indeed learned nothing from history, he said.

For decades, most Europeans believed war was a part of history never to be repeated; to be remembered in museums like the one at Karlshorst.

But as conflict returns to Europe, Russia is invoking the language of 20th-century conflicts, as its tanks roll into Ukraine.
Ghana has welcomed home a first group of evacuated students who were studying in Ukraine when Russia invaded. Ghana's foreign ministry says more than 500 other Ghanaian students have fled Ukraine and can come home if they wish.

The first batch of 17 students arrived Tuesday in the capital, Accra, on two flights.

Looking very calm, the students were welcomed by a government delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong.

Nana Boakye Agyemang, a first-year medical student who has been studying in Ukraine for the past five years, spoke briefly to reporters at the airport.

This is quite unfortunate that we have to come home. Siblings should be calm, friends should be calm. The government is doing its possible best to make sure that we all come back home. For the meantime, we want to say thank you and we appreciate whatever has been done for us, Agyemang said.

Priscilla Adjai, another student, told VOA she decided to return to Ghana because she feared for her life.

We decided to move because they said the targeted areas were eastern Ukraine but we were in western Ukraine. We were not supposed to be targeted but two hours from me cities were bombed, so I became afraid because its narrowing down to where I am. So I talked to my parents and they said, Yes, go ahead, Adjai said.

The deputy foreign minister told the media the government is working around the clock to evacuate Ghanaians who want to return home.

We thank the Almighty God that hes seen you through and brought you home. In the next couple of hours youll reconcile and re-engage with your families. The government is determined to continue to make sure that your colleagues who are still in transit to be evacuated will be eventually evacuated, Ampratwum-Sarpong said.

The students were later reunited with their parents, who were in a separate meeting with government officials.

More than 500 Ghanian students who were in Ukraine when Russia invaded have made their way to Poland and Romania. Officials say those desiring to come back to Ghana will be flown home.
Ukraines second-largest city, Kharkiv, faced increased Russian shelling Tuesday, while a column of Russian forces stretched out along a road north of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on the sixth day of Russias invasion of its neighbor.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry shared a video of one strike at the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building in the center of the city that created a huge ball of fire and smoke as several cars passed through.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russias missile attack on Kharkivs main square Tuesday as "frank, undisguised terror" as well as a war crime. "Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget.  This is state terrorism of the Russian Federation."

An emergency services official said the strike killed at least six people and injured 20 others.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday that Russian shelling of civilian infrastructure that took place Monday in Kharkiv violates the laws of war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed allegations of war crimes and told reporters that Russian troops dont conduct any strikes against civilian infrastructure and residential areas, despite extensive, mounting evidence of Kremlin attacks on homes, schools and hospitals, which reporters for The Associated Press have documented.

Later Tuesday, Ukraines parliament said a Russian missile hit the television tower in Kyiv. Local media reported the attack caused several explosions and Ukrainian channels stopped broadcasting shortly thereafter.



Ukrainian officials said five people were killed in the attack. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that it rekindles memories of the mass killing of Jews by Nazi SS troops and local collaborators during World War II.



Kyiv TV tower, which has just been hit by a Russian missile, is situated on the territory of Babyn Yar. On September 29-30, 1941, Nazis killed over 33 thousand Jews here. 80 years later, Russian Nazis strike this same land to exterminate Ukrainians. Evil and barbaric.

Ukraine also reported Tuesday that troops from Russian ally Belarus had entered Ukraines Chernihiv region.



Russian forces north of Kyiv are being closely watched amid fears of an assault on the capital. U.S. defense officials and British intelligence said the convoy has not made much progress toward the city in recent days.



We generally sense that the Russian military movement, not just this convoy but the overarching movement on Kyiv is stalled, a U.S. senior defense official told reporters Tuesday.



The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence, said, We have picked up independently on our own indications that morale is flagging on some of these [Russian] units, adding, They did not expect the resistance they were going to get.

But the official added that it is important to be pragmatic. The Russians still have a significant amount of combat power that has not yet been tapped, and they will regroup, they will adjust, they will change their tactics.



One U.S. official told reporters Monday the convoys main push was 25 kilometers outside the city.



Satellite images from Maxar Technologies have shown the convoy becoming longer, stretching for about 64 kilometers in images taken Monday.



For the enemy, Kyiv is the key target, Zelenskyy said in a video message late on Monday. We did not let them break the defense of the capital, and they send saboteurs to us. ... We will neutralize them all.

In Poland, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will hold both Russia and Belarus accountable for what is happening in Ukraine.



President Putin has shattered peace in Europe. Allies condemn the unjust and brutal invasion of Ukraine. The Russian assault is totally unacceptable, and it is enabled by Belarus, he said.



Russia has used Belarusian soil for troop drills and as a staging ground to strike at Ukraine.

Stoltenberg reiterated that NATO will not be sending troops to fight in Ukraine, nor will it be patrolling Ukrainian airspace, while calling on Russia to immediately stop the war and withdraw its forces. Speaking alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda, Stoltenberg thanked Poland for opening its borders to refugees fleeing the fighting in Ukraine.



Speaking virtually Tuesday to the European Parliament, Zelenskyy issued an emotional appeal for more support, declaring that Ukraines fight for democracy deems the country worthy.



"We are fighting also to be equal members of Europe. I believe that today we are showing everybody that is what we are. ... We have proven that as a minimum, we are the same as you."



The U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday that more than 660,000 people, most of them women and children, had fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since Thursday.



The U.N. human rights office reported at least 136 civilian deaths in Ukraine, including 16 children. The deaths are largely the result of about 400 documented missile strikes on civilian and military targets, according to senior U.S. defense officials.



The real toll is likely to be much higher, spokesperson Liz Throssell said during a briefing.



The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron in a call Monday that a settlement can only happen if Russias legitimate security interests are considered, including the demilitarization of Ukraine.



Australia announced plans Tuesday to send missiles to Ukraine as part of a $50 million package. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters the lethal and non-lethal aid comes in response to a call by Zelenskyy for Ukrainian allies to send his country military support to oppose the invasion, and thats exactly what were doing, Morrison said.

Roughly 100 diplomats, mostly from Western countries, walked out of a United Nations Human Rights Council speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva on Tuesday in protest of the invasion. The walkout, which was led by Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, occurred as Lavrov appeared at the session via video link, saying he was unable to attend in person because of European bans on flights from Russia.

U.S. lawmakers are considering a White House request for $6.4 billion in military and humanitarian aid. The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, told a group of U.S. senators in a meeting Monday that Ukraine needs more weapons.



Its David versus Goliath, said Senator Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, noting the much larger size of Russias military. I think that any human being reading the reports coming out of there realize that this is dire.

Markarova, who is slated to join Jill Biden in the first ladys box for the presidents State of the Union address, also advocated for U.S. sanctions against Russias oil and gas sectors after joining with numerous other countries to apply economic pressure on Putin with sanctions targeting top officials, business figures and the Russian financial system.



"We need to consider stopping the flow of energy from Russia to the United States and enlist our allies in the same cause, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that numerous American law and lobbying firms have dropped Russian clients in response to the invasion, according to government filings.

Reuters reported late Tuesday that Russian President Putin issued a decree banning cash exports of foreign currency from the country exceeding $10,000 in value with effect from March 2, according to a Kremlin statement.

Also on Tuesday, Echo Moskvy, one of Russia's oldest radio stations that is critical of the authorities, was taken off the airwaves. The Associated Press confirmed that the blockage, along with threats to shutter the renowned station permanently, is a result of its coverage of the invasion.



Putin has now committed nearly 75% of the combat power Russia prepositioned around Ukraines borders. But videos posted on social media show that lines of Russian tanks and armored vehicles have been wiped out. Warplanes and helicopters have been shot down, according to officials, and Russian troops have been stranded on roadsides because their vehicles ran out of fuel.



Carla Babb, Jamie Dettmer, Heather Murdock, Anita Powell, Nike Ching contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters.
With Somalias delayed elections pushed back again, the countrys media are digging in for what has already been a lengthy and at times difficult election period.

Journalists reporting on politics and opposition candidates have been assaulted and detained, and a state leader threatened unspecified consequences for media who exaggerate the menace of the militant group al-Shabab, according to a report by the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS).

Journalists are taking increasing risks throughout Somalia, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the secretary general of SJS, told VOA. The various attacks against reporters increased in 2021, in physical attacks, intimidation, harassment, or targeted cyber bullying.

When it comes to political coverage, the syndicate found cases where federal and state authorities deliberately blocked, detained, harassed, and threatened journalists covering elections.

The Somali embassy did not respond to a request for comment.

Pressure on media covering election campaigns and rallies is a trend seen globally, media experts say.

During elections, press freedom is truly tested. Its when were likely to see a states true colors appear, said Muthoki Mumo, of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Political beat

In delaying the parliamentary elections slated for last Friday, Somali lawmakers last week cited a lack of funding and security.

The vote is already a year behind, after disagreements between the government and opposition resulted in delays. The militant Islamist group al-Shabab had also vowed to disrupt the vote and warned Somalis to stay away from the polls.

Voting is now scheduled to take place in mid-March.

Journalists covering early rounds of voting and election campaigns, or investigating irregularities, have been obstructed, harassed or detained, the SJS report found.

Authorities in Galmudug, central Somalia, blocked journalists from filming a polling station during the selection of delegates in November. The news team were reporting on allegations of malpractice, SJS reported.

In South West state, security officials detained eight journalists covering the arrival in the region of the states former president Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, who is a candidate in elections.

And in January, police in Hirshabelle detained seven radio journalists just two hours after they broadcast an interview with an opposition group.

The trend raises concerns that Somali reporters and media outlets may self-censor.

The attacks on journalists that you know about are the tip of the iceberg. You dont know what stories specific journalists are going to shy away from in the future. The stories that are not told are difficult to quantify, Mumo said.

Legal threats

Somalias media already work in a challenging environment, with 65 journalists arrested and two killed in the past year.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders describes Somalia as Africas most dangerous country for the press, saying journalists are under pressure from government and militants.

The country ranks 161 out of 180 countries, where 1 is freest, on the World Press Freedom Index.

Attempts to improve conditions have fallen short, Mumin said.

Somalia in 2020 announced a special prosecutor for crimes against journalists. However, the SJP report said it has failed to secure any prosecutions.

Somalia is one of the countries where accountability is one of the key issues of media freedom, so we must see government accountability around their dealings with press freedom, Mumin said.

The CPJs Mumo agreed, saying, The threats don't just come from one direction.

Many of the journalists have been killed by al-Shabab, Mumo said. But she added, The state security forces that are supposed to be there, providing a protected environment for you to do your job freely, are also coming at you.

An Islamist militant group designated as terrorist by the U.S., al-Shabab is fighting for control of Somalia and carries out regular bombings and attacks.

The militants claimed responsibility for the deaths of both journalists killed in 2021.

Somalias journalists need an end to impunity and policies that target journalists, Mumin said, adding, We want to see Somalia allowing journalists access to information.
An Indian student has been killed in the ongoing fighting in Ukraine according to Indias foreign ministry even as New Delhi ramped up efforts to rescue thousands of Indian students stranded in the war-torn country.

The 21-year-old medical student was killed in the town of Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city that is under attack from Russian forces. With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry said the Indian foreign secretary is calling in ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones."

The students death was reported as Indian students stranded in Ukraine issued desperate appeals to be evacuated and New Delhi dispatched senior ministers to neighboring countries and said it is increasing evacuation flights to help both Indian nationals and those from other developing countries.

Opposition leaders and parents of students have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take urgent measures to evacuate the remaining students.

Some people are panicking. Please do not worry. Once you cross the Ukrainian borders, we will make sure that there are enough flights to bring you back whether it takes a day or two more," foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Monday. We are encouraging Indians to move to western Ukraine.

But in social media posts and in calls with Indian television channels, students are narrating their ordeal  some said they are huddling in temporary camps at Ukraines borders, others said they were told by the Indian embassy to go to the rail stations in Kyiv but could not get on board trains.

Some students alleged they were mistreated by border guards at the Ukraine-Poland border while attempting to cross fleeing the conflict to seek safety.

It prompted opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to tweet we cant abandon our own people.

Indias foreign ministry also said it is sending humanitarian aid and medical assistance to Ukraine following a request from the Ukranian envoy in New Delhi. It is seen as a diplomatic gesture by New Delhi, which has not issued any public condemnation of Russia and abstained from two votes at the United Nations Security Council  on a resolution that sought to deplore Russias aggression and a procedural vote calling for an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly.

India also abstained from a vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Monday to hold an urgent debate on Ukraine.

Political analysts say Indias stance is influenced by its heavy reliance on weapons from Moscow at a time when tensions with China are running high and on New Delhis unwillingness to abandon a partner that has stood by it in the past.
For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine.

For the latest developments of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, all times EST:

11:37: p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden shared a photo of the U.S. Congress during the State of the Union address Tuesday and said, The United States of America stands with the Ukrainian people. He called Russias invasion of Ukraine during his address unprovoked and premeditated.

11:04 p.m.: Ukraine has received about $33.8 million in donations of cryptocurrency to its government or non-governmental organizations since the Russia invasion began. About one-third of it on Tuesday, according to a firm that tracks digital currency.

Most of the donations have been in bitcoin or ether, said Tom Robinson, chief scientist of Elliptic, who added that several donations totaled more than $1million, according to The Associated Press. Some people are sending non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, to the Ukrainian government's ethereum account. Elliptic also warned of scammers tricking unsuspecting cryptocurrency holders wanting to donate to Ukrainian causes.

10:12 p.m.: Canada will refer the invasion of Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russian forces, according to a statement from its foreign minister.

We are working with other ICC member states to take this significant action as a result of numerous allegations of the commission of serious international crimes in Ukraine by Russian forces, Canada's foreign minister Melanie Joly, said in a statement.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a special operation.

A referral by a member state will fast-track an investigation by allowing the prosecutor to skip having to seek court approval, Reuters reports, and according to a diplomatic source will shave months off the process of starting an investigation.

9:45 p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden announced, during his State of the Union address, that the U.S. will ban Russian aircraft from U.S. airspace as punishment for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Canada and the European Union made similar moves earlier this week.

He also said the U.S. will release 30 million barrels of oil from the strategic reserve. In separate statements issued Tuesday, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested that the Biden administration might release more.

8:30 p.m.: U.S. actor-director Sean Penn, who was in Ukraine to film a documentary on Russia's invasion became one of the refugees walking for the border with Poland.

A spokesperson for the 61-year-old Penn said he has made it out of Ukraine safely but declined to discuss his whereabouts or his departure from Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty, a statement from the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

7:34 p.m.: U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil said Tuesday it will begin a phased withdrawal from Sakhalin-1, the major oil field it operates in Russia, citing Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

In response to recent events, we are beginning the process to discontinue operations and developing steps to exit the Sakhalin-1 venture, the group said in a statement, adding that it deplores Moscow's actions in Ukraine and stressing that it will no longer invest in new projects in Russia.

Earlier Italian oil giant Eni said Tuesday it would withdraw from the Blue Stream gas pipeline linking Russia to Turkey, in which it has a 50 percent stake, also according to AFP reports.

Eni intends to sell its stake in Blue Stream, a company spokesman said. The company controls the gas pipeline, which links the two countries via the Black Sea, equally with Russian energy giant Gazprom.

BP started the exodus from Russia on Sunday when it announced it was pulling its 19.75% stake in Rosneft. CEO Bernard Looney said he was resigning from the Russian company's board with immediate effect.

6:55 p.m.: VOAs Henry Ridgwell reports that Western nations are continuing to pay Russia hundreds of millions of dollars every day for gas and oil imports, despite the tough sanctions imposed on the country's banking and aviation sectors following its invasion of Ukraine.

With around 40% of Europe's oil and gas imported from Russia, governments are scrambling to find alternatives. European Union ministers met Monday in Brussels to discuss how to break the dependency.

6:35 p.m.: U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said Tuesday that the Group of Seven economies will put together a task force to freeze and seize assets of certain Russian elites, according to Reuters.

The move will inflict financial pain on the powerful individuals surrounding (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and make clear that no one is beyond our collective reach, Yellen said in a statement after a virtual G-7 meeting of finance chiefs.

Earlier on Tuesday, Germany's finance minister, Christian Lindner, said the G-7 expected an agreement in the coming days on possible further sanctions, though he gave no details about what moves were under discussion.

4:36 p.m.: Ford Motor Co. suspends Russian operations

4:35 p.m.: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ruled out imposing economic sanctions on Moscow on Tuesday, Reuters reports, saying he wants to maintain good relations with all the governments of the world.

I do not agree with the fact that media from Russia, or from any country, are censored. We must assert freedom, Lopez Obrador added.

He was responding to a question about possible repercussions for Russian companies operating in Mexico, such as energy giant Lukoil and the airline Aeroflot.

Lopez Obrador on Monday ruled out closing Mexican airspace to Aeroflot, which flies to the Caribbean resort city of Cancun.

4:25 p.m.: Cryptocurrency purchases in rubles are at a record high following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, raising questions about whether the likes of bitcoin can help Moscow get around sanctions, Agence France-Presse reports.

Thanks to sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its Western allies, the ruble is down 27% against the dollar since the start of the year and is trading at more than 100 rubles per U.S. unit, its weakest level on record.

Crypto data-provider Kaiko has reported record purchasing volumes of bitcoin in rubles since last week's invasion.

However, it's still relatively low, which shows an interest split between institutional and retail buyers, Clara Medalie, head of research at Kaiko, told AFP.

4:12 p.m.: Despite strategic partnerships with the Kremlin, no Central Asian government has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine or recognized Luhansk and Donetsk as independent, according to Navbahor Imamova, reporting from the VOA Uzbek Service. Russian claims that regional leaders understand President Vladimir Putin's decisions have been refuted or ignored.

3:58 p.m.: Britains foreign secretary has announced sanctions against Belarus for its role in supporting Russias invasion of Ukraine, according to several media reports monitored by VOAs National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin.



3:27 p.m.: The 31 members of the International Energy Agency said Tuesday theyd release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to bolster the worlds oil markets in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States and large energy-consuming countries in Europe have not sanctioned Russian oil, but prices have spiked since the invasion. On Tuesday, the price of a barrel of oil was more than $100 for the first time since 2014. The release is to send a strong message to oil markets that there will be no shortfall in supplies the group said Tuesday.

3:18 p.m. : Russian consumers are facing higher prices and fewer imported goods after Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine sent their currency, the ruble, plummeting, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). People in the Russian cities of Tomsk and Kaliningrad told RFE/RL they were bracing for a drop in living standards.

3:04 p.m. : VOAs Jamie Dettmer, who is in Lviv, Ukraine, reports that Russia and Ukraine had their first prisoner exchange Tuesday since the Kremlin ordered the invasion of its neighbor six days ago. A Ukrainian military official in the Sumy region, Dmytro Zhyvytskiy, said in a Telegram announcement there had been a prisoner swap. The first exchange of prisoners took place in Sumy region. We exchanged our five people from the territorial defense for one Russian military police officer, Zhyvytskiy said. It came on a day of further mayhem and destruction as Russian forces stepped up attacks on cities and towns across Ukraine, striking at civilian infrastructure and communications facilities.

2:50 p.m. : Ukrainian authorities say Russian missile attacks have hit the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, including residential areas and the regional administration building. Kharkiv's regional chief said Russia launched Grad rockets and cruise missiles on the city on March 1. Despite overwhelming evidence of an indiscriminate bombardment of the city, Russia continues to deny its military is hitting civilian targets. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and VOA jointly produce the program Current Time, which posted this report featuring amateur video from Ukraine.

2:26 p.m.: Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at the U.N. Human Rights Council Tuesday, blamed the United States and what he referred to as a neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv for the war in Ukraine. His remarks stand in stark contrast with the view of most of the international community. VOAs Lisa Schlein reports that just as Lavrov began to speak, most of the diplomats in the U.N. Human Rights Council chamber rose and collectively left the room in protest. Lavrov was unaware of it because, as he said, he was compelled to address the council by video conference instead of in person as he had intended.

2:15 p.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in a speech Tuesday at the U.N. Human Rights council that rules of the international order that help protect peace and security will be weakened if Russian President Vladimir Putin is allowed to get away with his premeditated invasion of Ukraine. In a video address, Blinken warned the human rights and humanitarian crises affecting Ukraine will get worse if Putin succeeds in toppling Ukraines democratically elected government. VOAs Lisa Schlein monitored the speech and has this report.

2:03 p.m.: VOAs Katherine Gypson reports that several U.S. legislators are introducing a joint resolution to urge President Joe Biden to remove Russia from the United Nations Security Council.

The Russian government is actively killing innocent Ukrainian civilians, committing war crimes, and invading sovereign territory unprovoked. At the same time, Moscow is driving decisions in the United Nations through its role as a Permanent Member of the Security Council. Russia must be exiled from the international community, Senator Marsha Blackburn said in a statement Tuesday. She and Representative Claudia Tenney introduced the resolution.

Putin is attempting to rebuild the Soviet Union and his ambassador should not be allowed to veto the United Nations response to Russian aggression. The Russian Federation is a direct threat to global security and the sovereignty of our international partners, Blackburn added.

1:45 p.m.: VOAs Anita Powell shared the White Houses official readout of the phone call earlier today between U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to discuss the United States continued backing for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russian aggression. President Biden underscored the United States sustained help for Ukraine, including ongoing deliveries of security assistance, economic support, and humanitarian aid.

The leaders discussed how the United States, along with Allies and partners, is working to hold Russia accountable, including by imposing sanctions that are already having an impact on the Russian economy. The leaders discussed Russias escalation of attacks on sites used by civilians in Ukraine, including todays bombing near Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial.

1:37 p.m. : Russias media regulator has warned independent news outlets not to report negatively on the war in Ukraine, including on troop causalities. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tuesday criticized Russias actions as repression during remarks at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday.

The Russian media regulator, Roskomnadzor, issued letters to at least 10 media outlets, including Novaya Gazeta, run by Nobel Peace laureate Dmitry Muratov, and Current Time, a Russian-language digital news network led by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and VOA.

1:14 p.m.: Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the sanctions that followed, has pushed the price of oil to over $100 per barrel, the highest level in eight years. But, it has also opened an opportunity for African oil producers like Nigeria, Angola, Libya, and Algeria to cash in with more crude oil exports, as VOAs Timorthy Obiezu reports from Abuja.

12:59 p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden held a phone call with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tuesday and they spoke for just over 30 minutes, according to a White House official. VOA White House Correspondent Anita Powell shared Zelenskyys readout of the call, where he thanked Biden for his support.

12:56 p.m.: In Washington D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered Ukrainian flags displayed along Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the U.S. Capitol. VOAs Myroslava Gongadze reports that in addition, the John A. Wilson Building will be lit with the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

12:48 p.m.: As Russia's war in Ukraine plays out for the world on social media, big tech platforms are moving to restrict Russian state media from using their platforms to spread propaganda and misinformation, according to The Associated Press.

Google announced Tuesday that it's blocking the YouTube channels of those outlets in Europe "effective immediately" but acknowledged "it'll take time for our systems to fully ramp up."

Other U.S.-owned tech companies have offered more modest changes so far: limiting the Kremlin's reach, labeling more of this content so that people know it originated with the Russian government, and cutting Russian state organs off from whatever ad revenue they were previously making.

12:40 p.m.: Waves of women and children continue to leave Ukraine to seek safety elsewhere. For VOA, Oksana Lihostova has more from western Ukraine in this report narrated by Anna Rice.

12:28 p.m.: Ukrainian television is up and running again after a Russian rocket hit and damaged the central broadcast tower in Kyiv Tuesday, according to VOAs Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze. The damage caused broadcasts to cease for a couple of hours, but local sources say the station switched to digital streaming and is currently back on the air, though there are fears Russian forces could target it again. Five people were killed and another five were wounded in the television tower attack, according to The Associated Press.

12:04 p.m.: Russian forces bombarded the central square in Ukraines second-largest city Kharkiv and other civilian sites Tuesday in what the countrys president condemned as a blatant campaign of terror by Moscow, according to The Associated Press. Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget, vowed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At the same time, a 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced on the capital Kyiv, in what the West feared was a bid to topple Ukraines government and install a Kremlin-friendly regime. And Russian President Vladimir Putins forces pressed their attack on other towns and cities across the country, including at or near the strategic ports of Odesa and Mariupol in the south.

11:38 a.m.: At a press briefing in Islamabad Tuesday, Ukrainian Ambassador to Pakistan Markian Chuchuk said that Pakistan, like other countries in the world, should openly condemn Russian attacks on Ukraine. Tabinda Naeem from VOAs Urdu Service reported that the Ukrainian ambassador said, We are hoping that our friend Pakistan will take a clear side and condemn the Russian invasion with their decisive action. The statement came as Pakistan's prime minister recently returned from a visit to Russia and Russian actions in many parts of Ukraine are being condemned by the international community. Pakistans foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said two days ago that Pakistan is in favor of peace, but it remains unclear whether Pakistan will condemn Russias actions in the ongoing special session of the U.N. General Assembly.

11:15 a.m.: Mass exodus and disbelief: How Russias invasion caught Ukrainian civilians and the aid response off guard is a report published Tuesday by The New Humanitarian, a news agency founded by the United Nations in 1995 that is now an independent non-profit news organization.

11:04 a.m.: As Russia intensifies its assault on Ukraine, Turkey is hardening its criticism of Russia and heeding Kyivs calls for support - moves that some analysts suggest could threaten Turkeys attempts to maintain good ties with both Moscow and Kyiv. VOA's Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

10:48 a.m.: In a dramatic speech Tuesday, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the European Parliament via video link to consider an emergency application by Ukraine to join the European Union.

We are fighting for our rights, for our freedoms and now were fighting for survival. We are also fighting to be equal members of Europe, Zelenskyy said.

Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans. And then, life will win over death and light will win over darkness, he said.

Charles Michel, the chairman of EU leaders, told the EU Parliament after Zelenskyy's speech that the bloc would have to seriously look at Ukraine's legitimate request to join, according to Reuters. But Michel added, It is going to be difficult, we know there are different views in Europe (about further enlargements).

1o:35 a.m.: In photos: Russias invasion of Ukraine, March 1, 2022.

10:23 a.m.: NATO is sending Ukraine anti-tank missiles and air-defense capabilities, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a briefing at Tapa Military Base in Estonia Tuesday. VOAs National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin reports on highlights from the news conference in Estonia with the NATO secretary general and prime ministers from Britain and Estonia.

10:02 a.m.: Speaking at the U.N. Human Rights Council Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, We must condemn, firmly and unequivocally, Russias attempt to topple a democratically elected government, and its gross human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law. And we must take steps to hold the perpetrators accountable. This Councils decision to hold an urgent debate on the crisis in Ukraine is an important step toward ensuring documentation and accountability, and I thank the many members who supported it.

9:58 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Tuesday criticized Russia for repression, as VOAs Nike Ching reports from the UN Human Rights Council. Russian officials have issued a warning to journalists that any reporting that refers to the assault in Ukraine as an attack, an invasion, or a declaration of war will result in media outlets being blocked and fined.

9:06 a.m.: Australia says it plans to spend $50 million to buy missiles and ammunition to support Ukraine. Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement Tuesday during a press conference. VOAs Phil Mercer is in Sydney and filed this report.

8:57 a.m.: Governments across Asia are joining international sanctions, or imposing their own, on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. It's more than just U.S. allies, too. Even some countries that try to take a more neutral political stance are condemning the Russian aggression. VOA's Bill Gallo reports from Seoul, South Korea.

8:33 a.m.: The United Nations and partner agencies Tuesday launched an emergency appeal for $1.7 billion to assist with the fallout from the Ukraine crisis. The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighboring countries in the coming months, according to a statement.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: We are looking at what could become Europes largest refugee crisis this century. While we have seen tremendous solidarity and hospitality from neighboring countries in receiving refugees, including from local communities and private citizens, much more support will be needed to assist and protect new arrivals.

8:23 a.m.: At first glance Lviv seems like a normal Central European town with some bustle in the streets. But take a closer look and the sightseers are not genuine tourists but evacuees from other parts of Ukraine waiting to join the huge exodus heading to Poland and overwhelming the border posts. Or they are men aged over 18 and younger than 60 years old, who are stuck in Lviv and forbidden to leave the country as they might be enlisted to fight. VOAs Jamie Dettmer is in Lviv and speaks with people who are watching in fear, and preparing for more conflict.

8:15 a.m. : Heavy shelling is reported in Ukraines second-largest city Kharkiv on the 6th day of the Russian invasion.

8:07 a.m.: VOA's Heather Murdock reports from her car as she travels from Kyiv to Lviv Tuesday, describing the scenes on the road and the situation in Kyiv as she left.

7:55 a.m.: Over the past week, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has attracted praise from western leaders and many Ukrainians for his hands-on leadership style and his strong defiance of Russias invasion. But he has also been vilified by Russias President Vladimir Putin and was the subject of many other reports, some of which later proved to be false. Polygraph.info, a fact-checking website produced by the Voice of America, examined some of the recent reporting about Ukraines president to sort through what is true and what is not.

7:33 a.m.: The United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF, has set up a makeshift perinatal center in the basement of a medical center on the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city which has come under heavy fire this week. Doctors and nurses have been caring for pregnant women, mothers and newborns under difficult circumstances. UNICEF says the escalating conflict in Ukraine poses an immediate and growing threat to the lives and well-being of the countrys 7.5 million children. UNICEF has called for an immediate cease-fire and reminded all parties of their international obligations to protect children from harm.

6:43 a.m.: A European Commission official told VOA in an email Tuesday morning that it will soon propose [to] activate the Temporary Protection Directive to aid people fleeing the war in Ukraine.



Press officer Ciara Bottomley said, All people in need, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or their skin colour, who are fleeing violence in Ukraine should be granted access to the EU.



She reiterated what European Commissioner Ylva Johansson said on February 27: All people that need to flee from the war in Ukraine should be welcomed to the European Union. There are third country nationals staying as students in Ukraine  we stand ready help them to get back to their country of origin. If people need international protection they can apply for asylum in the European Union.

6:15 a.m.: The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is appealing for 250 million Swiss francs to assist people affected by the Ukraine conflict.

5:40 a.m.: Diplomats from the European Union and its partners walked out of the room in protest over the crisis in Ukraine, as Russias foreign minister addressed the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations.

5:37 a.m.: Conflicting reports about Belarus military involvement in Ukraine emerged Tuesday. Ukrainian authorities said Belarus has joined Russia in its invasion of Ukraine. The announcement was posted on the official Twitter account of the Ukrainian parliament Tuesday. Belarusian troops entered Chernihiv region, the statement said. Located north of Kyiv, Chernihiv has been hit by heavy shelling. However, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was quoted Tuesday as saying Belarus has no plans to join Russia's military operation in Ukraine. Lukashenko denied Kyiv's allegations that Russian troops were attacking Ukraine from Belarus' territory, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported.

4:27 am.: The International Skating Union announced Tuesday that skaters from Russia and Belarus have been suspended from taking part in international ice skating competitions.

The ISU Council reaffirms its full solidarity with the ISU Members in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Speed Skating Federation and the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation, the statement said.

3:48 a.m.: Google said it is blocking Russian state media YouTube channels in Europe due to the ongoing war in Ukraine effective immediately. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action, the U.S. tech giant announced Tuesday on Twitter.

3:04 a.m. India is ramping up efforts to evacuate students stuck in Ukraine sending four ministers to neighboring countries and announcing more flights to bring them back. There have been desperate appeals from the roughly 18,000 Indian students who make up the largest group of foreign students in the country.

VOAs Anjana Pasricha reports from Delhi:

2:01 a.m.: Ukrainian authorities said an administrative building in Kharkiv was blown up Tuesday. The countrys ministry of foreign affairs shared a video of the attack on Twitter saying: Russia is waging war in violation of international humanitarian law. Kills civilians, destroys civilian infrastructure. Russias main target is large cities that now fired at by its missiles.

1:07 a.m.: The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, or the USOPC, issued a statement Tuesday calling for a complete ban on international sport participation for athletes and authorities from Russia and Belarus.

As the world watches in horror while Russia brazenly attacks the innocent people and athletes of Ukraine, this is the only acceptable action to be taken until peace has been restored, the USOPC statement said condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine.

USOPC said the ban is to take effect immediately. The Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games is set to begin on March 4.

12:20 a.m.: U.S. State Department Spokesman Ned Price said the impact of sanctions imposed by western countries on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine is already felt as the value of the ruble plummets.

12:00 a.m.: Mastercard has suspended certain Russian financial institutions from using its services in an effort to comply with sanctions.

The company said it plans to work with regulators in the coming days to ensure compliance and also promised to donate $2 million to support humanitarian relief, Reuters reported.

In recent days, Russians formed long lines at ATMs over fears that debit cards would stop working or banks would limit cash withdrawals.

For more on a snapshot of the ongoing war, VOAs Jamie Dettmer reports on what Ukraines war looks like from Lviv, Ukraine:

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Libyan lawmakers confirmed a new transitional government Tuesday, a move that is likely to lead to parallel administrations and fuel mounting tensions in a country that has been mired in conflict for the past decade.

Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha submitted his Cabinet to the east-based House of Representatives, where 92 of 101 lawmakers in attendance approved it in a vote broadcast live from the city of Tobruk.

The new government includes three deputy prime ministers, 29 ministers and six ministers of state. There are only two women in the Cabinet, overseeing the Ministry of Culture and Arts and holding the position of State Minister for Women Affairs.

Bashagha appointed Ahmeid Houma, the second deputy speaker of the parliament, to lead the Ministry of Defense, and Brig. Essam Abu Zreiba, from the western city of Zawiya, as interior minister. Former ambassador to the European Union, Hafez Qadour, was named foreign minister.

The appointment of Bashagha last month, a powerful former interior minister from the western city of Misrata, is part of a roadmap that also involves constitutional amendments and sets the date for elections within 14 months.

The move deepened divisions among Libyan factions and raised fears that fighting could return after more than a year and a half of relative calm.

Bashagha has formed an alliance with powerful east-based commander Khalifa Hifter, who welcomed Bashagha's appointment as prime minister earlier this month. That alliance has caused concerns among anti-Hifter factions in western Libya and their main foreign backer, Turkey.

"Now the question is whether this contrived alliance will be enough for Bashagha and his ministers to impose themselves in Tripoli and rule," said Jalel Harchaoui, a researcher specializing in Libya. "It is not clear at all that Turkey and, importantly, Misrata's main forces will let that happen right away."

Embattled Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, who like Bashagha hails from Misrata, remained defiant Tuesday against replacing his government. In a statement, Dbeibah's government called Tuesday's confirmation a "new farce" and accused the parliament's leadership of "messing with the security and stability of Libyans."

Dbeibah has repeatedly said his government will hand over power only to an elected government. He has proposed a four-point plan to hold a simultaneous parliamentary vote and referendum on constitutional amendments late in June. That would be followed by a presidential election after the new parliament crafts a permanent constitution. He did not offer a time frame for the presidential election.

Dbeibah was appointed through a U.N.-led process in February 2021 on the condition that he shepherd the country until elections. The effort to replace him stems from Libya's failure to hold its first presidential election during his watch.

The presidential vote was planned for December 24, but it was postponed over disputes between rival factions on laws governing the elections and controversial presidential hopefuls. Lawmakers have argued that the mandate of Dbeibah's government ended on December 24.

The vote's delay was a major blow to international efforts to end a decade of chaos in the oil-rich Mediterranean nation.

Libya has been unable to hold elections since its disputed legislative vote in 2014, which caused the country to split for years between rival administrations, each backed by armed militias and foreign governments.

The oil-rich North African nation has been wrecked by conflict since a NATO-backed uprising toppled then killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.
At least eight people have died and others are missing as wild storms continue to batter parts of eastern Australia. In the state of New South Wales, residents have sought refuge from rising floodwaters on their roofs. Officials in the city of Ballina, north of Sydney, say they are bracing for a life-threatening" one-in-500-year flood.



Janelle Saffin, a lawmaker in the New South Wales state parliament, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about her escape from a house swamped by record-breaking floods in Lismore, 725 kilometers north of Sydney.



In darkness, Saffin and two friends were forced to swim to safety.



We went out to the veranda, hanging, sort of, on the rafters. There were three of us, and at some point, it was swim or we go under. We were scared. We were, of course. When you are standing in a house and the water is rushing up and you know no one is coming.



Other residents have been forced to seek refuge on their roofs. Volunteers in boats answered their screams for help and have reportedly rescued dozens of people. The mayor of Lismore said the situation was catastrophic. A woman has told how rapidly rising floodwaters forced her to pass her children out of a bedroom window to her partner.



Officials in the nearby city of Ballina, north of Sydney, have said they were bracing for a life-threatening" one-in-500-year flood as wild storms continued to batter parts of eastern Australia.



An evacuation order was issued, but emergency officials said that for residents in parts of Ballina, it was too late to leave. They have been urged to get to higher ground.



New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet is urging residents to heed official advice.



Much tragedy occurs when those instructions are not followed, particularly about driving through floodwaters. It occurs every single time we have a flood across our state. Please do not drive through those floodwaters, and if those evacuation orders are in place, please leave.



Thousands of homes have been damaged by flooding in the Queensland state capital, Brisbane. Power supplies and roads have been cut by what officials have described as a rain bomb.



Military helicopters have been brought in to help rescue people trapped by some of the worst floods ever documented in Australia.



The volatile weather system is heading south and could hit Sydney  Australias most populous city  later on Tuesday.
The last time Singapore imposed unilateral sanctions against another country was 44 years ago, when it punished Vietnam for invading Cambodia, which was then called Kampuchea.

But this week, Singapore  a tiny Southeast Asian city-state that tries to avoid explicitly choosing sides between bigger countries  announced sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

"Unless we, as a country, stand up for principles that are the very foundation for the independence and sovereignty of smaller nations, our own right to exist and prosper as a nation may similarly be called into question," said Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in a speech announcing the moves.

Many of East Asia's largest economies  from Japan to South Korea to Australia  announced similar moves, joining Western sanctions against Russia, or imposing their own, as they condemned Moscow's invasion. Some of Asia's biggest cities  including Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, and Sydney  also saw anti-war protests in support of Ukraine.

The anti-Russia sentiment was far from unanimous. Most prominently, China and North Korea have defended Russia's "legitimate security interests," saying the root cause of the conflict lies with the United States. In Southeast Asia, where many countries have strong economic and military ties with Russia stretching back to the Cold War, most governments have remained silent on the Ukraine issue.

But at least in some ways, Russia's invasion is threatening a lightning-quick reshape of Asian geopolitics, forcing even some countries who typically strive for neutrality in great power conflicts off the sidelines.

Singapore has been among the loudest critics of Russia's war. On Monday, Singapore announced it will impose export controls on items that can be used directly as weapons in Ukraine. It also said it would block certain Russian banks and financial transactions.

Singapore tries to avoid choosing sides, said Foreign Minister Balakrishnan as he announced the sanctions. "However, there will be occasions when we have to take a stand, even if it is contrary to one or more powers, on the basis of principles, as we are doing now," he said.

Singapore, with a population of under 6 million and no natural resources, "takes sovereignty very seriously," explained Lim Tai Wei, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore. "The thinking is that if a vulnerable country can be overrun, it can happen to other small countries, as well," Lim told VOA.

US allies join effort

The United States, which has tried to coordinate a global campaign of pressure against Russia, has seen the most success among its friends and allies.

Japan this week joined the West in trying to limit the Russian central bank's access to foreign exchange reserves. It also said it would participate in international efforts to cut off Russian banks from the SWIFT financial payment system.

Japan, which last week unveiled measures targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials, also announced it will provide $100 million worth of loans and $100 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

The moves amount to a major shift for Japan, which had in recent years pursued engagement with Russia, to reduce tensions and solve the countries' territorial dispute over four northwest Pacific islands.

"The merits of this approach were already in question, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine has made it untenable. This will necessitate a major rethink of Japan's Russia policy," wrote James D.J. Brown, an associate professor of Political Science at Temple University's Japan campus.

South Korea, another U.S. ally, has also taken a more forceful approach, especially as Russia's war in Ukraine becomes more violent. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday announced Seoul will exclude Russian banks from SWIFT and will ban shipments of "strategic items," which could include things like semiconductors, navigation and avionics equipment, and other electronics.

In response, the Kremlin's ambassador to Seoul, Andrey Kulik, warned that South Korea-Russia ties could "change course" after developing positively for 30 years, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The ambassador also threatened to withhold Russian support from cooperation projects involving North and South Korea. Although such projects are virtually non-existent now, restarting them is a major priority for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who leaves office in May.

Taiwan's government, a democracy that has resisted threats from the much more powerful China, has also condemned Russia's "savage war" and said it will help fight "the expansion of authoritarianism."

Australia has called Russia's invasion "brutal" and imposed sanctions. New Zealand, meanwhile, has also condemned the Russian war and imposed travel bans, but does not have an independent sanctions law that would allow it to further target Moscow.

ASEAN neutrality

The situation is more complicated for countries in Southeast Asia  including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam  which maintain close ties with Russia.

Last week, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) released a statement on Ukraine that refrained from describing Russia's actions as an "invasion." In fact, the statement did not mention Russia at all, instead calling for "all relevant parties" to exercise restraint.

"ASEAN is probably striving for near neutrality because as you can see nearly half of ASEAN has long-term traditional relations with Russia," according to Lim, the professor at the National University of Singapore.

However, Thailand and the Philippines, both ASEAN members, are U.S. allies, Lim said. "So, on the balance of probability, this makes ASEAN internally reach a kind of balanced equilibrium in their individual and coordinated response to the events in Ukraine," he added.

In a statement Monday via Twitter, the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs expressed "explicit condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine" and said it would vote in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's actions.
Russia and Ukraine had their first prisoner exchange Tuesday since the Kremlin ordered the invasion of its neighbor six days ago. But it came on a day of further mayhem and destruction as Russian forces stepped up attacks across Ukraine, striking at civilian infrastructure and communications facilities, including Kyivs iconic main TV tower and the countrys main Holocaust memorial.

Five people were killed in the strike on the tower, which erupted in a ball of flames, Ukrainian authorities reported. In a tweet, the Defense Ministry has said some Ukrainian channels will not work for a while.

The Tuesday attack also targeted the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial, where in 1941 tens of thousands of Jews were killed over a two-day period during the Holocaust while the city was under Nazi occupation.

Grad rockets rained down on Ukraines battered but still defiant capital just after Russians warned residents to leave their homes, saying they would be targeting security and intelligence buildings and civil communications in order to prevent information attacks on Russia.



Russias Defense Ministry warned anyone near such potential targets to leave.

We call on... Kyiv residents living near relay nodes to leave their homes, spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

People took the warning seriously, with one family who lives near a major intelligence building in the capital telling VOA by phone they wasted no time in getting to shelter.

Right now we are sitting in the metro station, said Dima, an 18-year-old student.

Amid the stepped-up fighting, both sides carried out their first prisoner swap. Dmytro Zhyvytskiy, a Ukrainian military official in the Sumy region, explained in a Telegram announcement.

The first exchange of prisoners took place in (the) Sumy region. We exchanged our five people from the territorial defense for one Russian military police officer," Zhyvytskiy said.

The ferocity of the airstrikes, rocket and missile attacks  including on Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city  appeared to give credence to U.S. intelligence reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has become infuriated at the slower than expected progress of his forces in subjugating Kyiv and Kharkiv. They fear the Russian leader will bear down even harder in a bid to break Ukrainian resolve.



Satellite images of a 60-kilometer-long armored column approaching the capital from the North have sparked concerns that Russia is redoubling efforts to seize Kyiv, possibly in a major ground offensive planned for Wednesday or Thursday. U.S. officials say Russia's efforts to breach Kyiv had slowed in the previous 24 hours, likely as a result of the stiff resistance and fuel and supply challenges.

Some military analysts predict a renewed offensive on Kyiv could mark an inflection point in the war. If it is repulsed, they reason, Putin will have lost his opportunity to end the conflict quickly, while Ukrainian forces will gain more time to organize and receive increasingly large resupplies of munitions and arms from Western allies.



Russian forces seem outmatched in terms of morale and fighting spirit, say military strategists such as Edward Luttwak.

Fragmentary battlefield reports suggest that many Russian soldiers find their tasks distasteful, reducing their propensity to attack with full force. Putin's political preparation was poor: Russian troops are not encountering Neo-Nazis but only people very much like themselves, he tweeted.

Looking at the Russian operation so far, they're having tremendous problems with logistics and communications, said Michael Kofman, an analyst with CNA, a Washington, D.C.-based defense think tank, The whole effort seems shambolic.



Ukraines military claims it has killed 5,700 Russian troops so far. On Monday, Ukraine offered amnesty and cash to any Russian soldiers who lay down their weapons.



Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume this week, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before any meaningful talks on a cease-fire can start. Zelenskyy urged NATO members to impose a no-fly zone to ease the Russian air force bombing of Ukraine.

The Russian military appears to be readying for more casualties. A nurse in Belarus told VOA that more Belarusian civilian hospitals, and others further away from the border, are being repurposed to receive Russian wounded  suggesting those nearer the border with Ukraine are becoming overwhelmed.



While Russian forces are being stymied around Kyiv in the south, they appear to be advancing and threatening to seize the port city of Mariupol. The Ukrainian military reported that they had repelled a tank attack and captured six Russian servicemen in Mariupol. Locals in the city say they have been unable to get any Ukrainian television channels and are only receiving Russian news. They told VOA their internet is down.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters a 6th day, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has blamed the United States and its allies in collusion with what he referred to as a neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv. Ukraine and the West say Russia is launching unprovoked attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Just as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov began to speak, most of the people in the U.N. Human Rights Council chamber rose and collectively left the room. Lavrov was unaware of it because, as he said, he was compelled to address the council by video conference instead of in person as he had intended.

Lavrov angrily accused the European Union of impinging on his right to freedom of movement by preventing him from flying over their air space to Geneva. He then spent the next 20 minutes blasting the policy of the collective West led by Washington that, he claimed has led to the Kyiv regime going to war with its own people since 2014.

He accused the Ukrainian regime of criminal actions and of unleashing an eight-year war against Russian and Russian-speaking citizens in the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

These remarks stand in stark contrast with the view of most of the international community. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin could not remain indifferent to their fate. So, he decided to recognize the regions independence and launch what he called a special military operation to protect the inhabitants.

That justification for the invasion was voiced earlier by Putin himself. It has been dismissed as part of a surreal disinformation campaign by most Western governments, which have responded to the invasion with unprecedented sanctions. Lavrov lashed out against those as well. He spoke through an interpreter.

The West has clearly lost control of itself in its desire to vent its anger on Russia and has gone to the extent of destroying all the institutions and rules it has created, including the inviolability of propertyThe sovereign equality of states is a key principle of the U.N. Charter. It fully applies to the work of the Human Rights Council.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres disagrees with that reading of the U.N. Charter. In response to Putins actions, he said the so-called independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are violations of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Guterres said they were inconsistent with the principles of the charter of the United Nations

While Lavrov was speaking, a spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency, Shabia Mantoo, said the number of Ukrainian refugees was exponentially increasing.

We have now over 660,000 refugees who have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries in the past six days alone. This is according to the latest data made available by governments and compiled by the UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency. At this rate, the situation looks set to become Europes largest refugee crisis this century, and UNHCR is mobilizing resources to respond as quickly and effectively as possible.

Mantoo said most refugees have fled to Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia, while some have moved toward other European countries. She noted a sizeable number has gone to the Russian Federation, adding national authorities are responsible for their care.
They have argued viciously in Congress over just about everything: Whether the Capitol insurrection should be investigated or brushed aside. If the president's choice for the Supreme Court should be the first Black woman. Even over whether or not to wear masks under the dome.

But as lawmakers gather for President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address amid the gravity of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, they have mustered a rare and remarkable bipartisan resolve, determined to hold the U.S. and its allies together in the defense of a Western-oriented democracy.

When Biden stands in the House chamber Tuesday evening, trying to make good on what until now has been a faltering attempt to resolve the nation's bitter divisions, he may find that the threat from Russian President Vladimir Putin abroad has become the unexpected force pulling the U.S. political parties toward common purpose.

"I think you will see in the State of the Union, a strong bipartisan support for our president," predicts Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a Biden ally.

The turn of events is both stunning and fragile. Foreign policy has not been the kind of bipartisan draw it was during the past century, when Congress and the White House worked together as the U.S. dominated the global stage. Factions on the right and left have broken off, most definitively over the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, creating oddball political alliances in the U.S. and chiseling away at a shared mission.

The revival of a robust majority that's largely supportive of Biden's strategy toward Russia is even more striking because it is shaping up as one of the most significant rejections of Donald Trump's embrace of Putin and the former president's praise of Putin's tactics as Russia invaded Ukraine.

"We're all together at this point and we need to be together about what should be done," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Still, the State of the Union address may not be free of partisan antics, unfolding against the backdrop of a Congress deeply divided over many issues: a prime-time address to the nation, too tempting for lawmakers looking for attention.

This year is particularly fraught amid ongoing COVID restrictions and a Capitol still largely shuttered to the public in part because of the security concerns in the aftermath of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, assault by Trump supporters trying to stop Congress from certifying Biden's election.

"It's a big worry of mine," said Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who said he hoped his side of the aisle is respectful and doesn't yell out "stupid" things.

Tuesday's gathering in the House chamber will be the first time all members are invited since the pandemic outbreak in 2020 and last year's Capitol attack.

Masks will no longer be required, removing one source of friction for those lawmakers who had flouted the guidelines and risked being booted from the session for failing to comply  though COVID tests and social distancing measures will still be required.

But the heavy metal security fence is back up around the Capitol complex, a bow to the "new normal" of threats from within America's own electorate.

At least one Republican, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, will sit it out rather than participate in what he calls COVID "theater," even as he is deeply involved in monitoring the war in Ukraine. "I'm just not taking any more COVID tests unless I'm sick," Rubio said Monday.

It can't be said that Republicans are fully pleased with Biden's handling of the Ukraine war.

McConnell has been highly critical of the president's runup to the crisis, calling the White House's disastrous exit from Afghanistan last summer a sign of U.S. weakness that opened the door to Putin's invasion.

Leading Republican lawmakers have derided what defense hawks view as Biden's initial reluctance to impose sanctions to deter Putin's advance on Ukraine. Others have criticized the White House climate change agenda as creating an energy policy that boosts Russian exports, including via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany, now scrapped over the war.

"We all know what Putin wants, and he said so publicly: He wants to reconstitute the USSR and pull back in his orbit all the countries that were in it before," said Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. "This is a seminal moment."

But even some of the Trump's staunch supporters are parting ways with the former president after he called Putin's invasion tactics "genius."

Republican Rep. Mo Brooks, who rallied with Trump supporters ahead of last year's assault on the Capitol and has won Trump's endorsement in the Alabama Senate primary, lambasted Putin's invasion as "barbaric and evil."

But in a nod to the non-interventionist strain that runs deep in both left and right flanks, Brooks added, "While Putin's Ukrainian invasion and murders are heinous, this is first and foremost a problem for Western Europe to resolve."

Congress will face tests ahead, starting with Biden's request for at least $6.4 billion in supplemental funding to help Ukraine, which will require cooperation from both parties.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said the Trump voices remain "a big part of the Republican Party nationally, but at least so far on Capitol Hill, especially in the Senate, I think you've got an overall bipartisan consensus. I hope it stays that way."
Authorities in Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar are helping at least 900 Ukrainian tourists who were left stranded after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Zanzibars President Hussein Mwinyi on Monday said they were helping about 900 Ukrainians who were there on vacation when Russia invaded their country last week.



Authorities said the Ukrainians are not able to safely return home but cannot stay on the Tanzanian island as local media reported they are running out of money.



In comments sent to the press, Mwinyi said they have initiated talks with hotel owners on how they can help these people. He said they will help the Ukrainians until their government is ready to come to their assistance.



Authorities said they are communicating with Ukraines embassy in neighboring Kenya to try to evacuate the tourists to Ukraines neighbor, Poland.



Officials with the Ukrainian Embassy in Kenya said, "Zanzibar is a pretty popular tourism destination for Ukrainian nationals, so it was clear that there would be an issue. We contacted the tour operators who sent the tourists to Zanzibar. ... We realize that we have about 1,000 people  we got in touch with Zanzibar to see the possible measures and possible ways how the Tanzanian government can cooperate with the Zanzibars to protect our nationals."



Polands foreign minister on Tuesday said they have accepted 400,000 Ukrainians who have fled for safety since Russias invasion.



The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said more than 660,000 Ukrainians fled the invasion in the last six days to neighboring countries.



The East African nation reported on Tuesday that Ukraines Ambassador to Kenya was scheduled to meet the stranded tourists and Zanzibar officials.

Zanzibar's beaches and historic Stone Town attract about half a million tourists each year and account for 30% of the semi-autonomous islands output.



Zanzibars tourism ministry says the country received more than 2,300 Ukrainian tourists and more than 18,000 Russian tourists in 2020.



Some in the industry fear Russias war against Ukraine could have a negative impact on tourism.



Theresia Cosmas is a tourism officer at Tanzanias College of African Wildlife Management.



Cosmas said the fighting already affects Zanzibar since foreign income will drop as Zanzibar receives many tourists from various corners of the world, including from those two countries.



Tanzania last week ordered its few hundred citizens living in Ukraine to leave the country.



The U.N. said more than 136 civilians in Ukraine have been killed since Russias military invaded and began striking Ukrainian military and civilian areas.
The United Nations is appealing for $1.7 billion to assist in delivering immediate humanitarian aid to Ukrainians and refugees in neighboring countries.

According to the U.N., around 12 million Ukrainians will need relief and support as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates. An additional four million Ukrainian refugees are expected to need protection in surrounding countries in the next few months. Russia invaded Ukraine last week.

U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths says as casualties rise fast, the response to protect lives needs to happen now.

Families with small children are hunkered down in basements and subway stations or running for their lives to the terrifying sound of explosions and wailing sirens, Griffiths said. Casualty numbers are rising fast. This is the darkest hour for the people of Ukraine. We need to ramp up our response now to protect the lives and dignity of ordinary Ukrainians. We must respond with compassion and solidarity.

The U.N. is calling for $1.1 billion in aid to assist six million domestic Ukrainians within the next three months. That money will go toward multipurpose cash assistance, food, water and sanitation, health care, education services and shelter assistance to rebuild damaged homes.

With more than half-a-million refugees fleeing Ukraine in recent days, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi says the situation looks to possibly become Europes largest refugee crisis this century.

While we have seen tremendous solidarity and hospitality from neighboring countries in receiving refugees, including from local communities and private citizens, much more support will be needed to assist and protect new arrivals, Grandi said.

The U.N. also is asking for $550.6 million in aid through an inter-agency regional refugee response plan to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland, the Republic of Moldova, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and other countries assisting in shelter, emergency relief items and mental and psychological support.
The U.N. Security Council voted Monday to impose an expanded arms embargo on Yemen's Houthi rebels, saying they have threatened the peace, security and stability of the war-torn country.

Council members said the rebels are responsible for attacking civilians, commercial shipping in the Red Sea, and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Security Council had already imposed an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo against Houthi leaders and top officials but this resolution dramatically expands the arms embargo to include all Houthis.

The British-drafted resolution said the Iran-backed Houthis "implemented a policy of sexual violence and repression against politically active and professional women, engaged in the recruitment and use of children," indiscriminately used land mines and improvised explosive devices, and obstructed humanitarian aid to Yemenis.

Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital of Sanaa and much of the northern part of the country, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try to restore President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The U.S. has since suspended its direct involvement in the conflict.

Monday's vote was 11-0 with Ireland, Norway, Brazil and Mexico abstaining amid concerns about the negative impact on the dire humanitarian situation in the Arab world's poorest nation and the risk of undermining a fragile political process.

Since 2014, nine Yemenis have been added to the U.N. sanctions blacklist. including Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi movement, and Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who reportedly died in December 2017. Last year's additions included three senior Houthi rebels linked to cross-border attacks from Yemen into Saudi Arabia and the Houthi offensive in the central desert city of Marib.

The resolution extends the sanctions against them until Feb. 28, 2023, which include an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban.

The resolution adopted Monday adding the arms embargo to all Houthis calls on all countries "to increase efforts to combat the smuggling of weapons and components via land and sea routes, to ensure implementation of the targeted arms embargo."

It "strongly condemns the cross-border attacks by the Houthi terrorist group, including attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates striking civilians and civilian infrastructure, and demanding the immediate cessation of such attacks."

U.N. envoys have been trying for several years to get the Houthis and the government to commit to a nationwide cease-fire and to reopen Sanaa airport to commercial traffic. They've also pushed them to ensure an uninterrupted flow of fuel and commodities through the main port of Hodeida and to resume a political process aimed at reaching a political settlement.

The resolution says there is no military solution to the current conflict and that the only viable path forward is "dialogue and reconciliation among the multiple and varied parties."

It extends the mandate of the U.N. panel of experts monitoring implementation of the sanctions until March 28, 2023.

In their last report circulated on January 29, the experts said nearly 2,000 children recruited by the Houthis died on the battlefield between January 2020 and May 2021, and the Iranian-backed rebels continue to hold camps and courses encouraging youngsters to fight.


Western diplomatic missions in Pakistan collectively urged the host country Tuesday to denounce Russias invasion on Ukraine and back international calls for Moscow to immediately stop the war.

The statement, signed by ambassadors of 22 countries and the head of the European Union delegation in Islamabad, comes as the United Nations General Assembly is expected to adopt a draft resolution this week condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and demanding the withdraw of all Russian forces from its territory.

As heads of missions to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, we urge Pakistan to join us in condemning Russias actions and to voice support for upholding the U.N. Charter and the founding principles of international law, the statement said.

Standing with our colleagues, tweeted the U.S. embassy in Islamabad in response to the joint statement.

Islamabad has avoided criticizing the Russian assault on Ukraine and called on both sides to seek a negotiated settlement to the conflict.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was visiting Moscow for official talks on Thursday when President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to invade Ukraine. Islamabad has decided to remain neutral in the General Assembly session under way in New York, according to the local English-language DAWN newspaper.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry has not immediately responded to journalists requests for a reaction to the joint statement nor said whether Islamabad will attend the General Assembly session. But federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari criticized as ironic the Western-led call for Islamabad to condemn Russias actions.





Mazari tweeted that Khan has stated clearly (ou)r position that we do not support use of mly (military) force to settle conflicts but u cannot adhere to Charter & IL (international law) selectively as has been done by the powerful for decades.

She continued, So let's also see condemnation of ongoing Indian & Israeli violations of UN Charter & IL. As the UN SG had stated the UN Charter is "not an a la carte menu" but sadly the powerful have all been using the Charter exactly as such.

The emergency General Assembly meeting was convened after Moscow vetoed a resolution in the 15-member Security Council on Friday that would have deplored the Russian aggression. China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained from voting on the U.N. Security Council resolution. No country has veto power in the 193-member General Assembly.

The envoys who signed Tuesdays joint statement represent countries that are Pakistans major development partners. They include France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ambassador to Pakistan, Markian Chouchak, also appealed for Islamabad to condemn the Russian attack.

We hope that Pakistan will oppose this war, will take meaningful steps to force Russia to end its military aggression, Chouchak told a news conference in Islamabad.

We believe that unless there is a full-fledged international response to the Russian war aggression, the situation will only get worse in the event of a neutral stance, the ambassador said.

Prime Minister Khans office said in a statement issued after his three-hour meeting at the Kremlin last week that he regretted the latest situation between Russia and Ukraine and said Pakistan had hoped diplomacy could avert a military conflict. He also stressed the need for settling disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

The Pakistani leader has repeatedly said that his country is seeking balanced ties with major world powers and would not become part of any global bloc politics.

On Monday, Khan defended his trip to Moscow, the first by a Pakistani prime minister in 23 years. He said in an address to the nation that his predecessors wrong foreign policy of siding with the U.S.-led Western war on terrorism in Afghanistan had cost 80,000 Pakistani lives and about $150 billion in economic losses.

"The most embarrassing part was that a country was fighting in support of a country that was bombing it, Khan said in an address to the nation, referring to U.S. drone strikes against suspected militant hideouts in Pakistani areas near the Afghan border.

My governments foreign policy is independent, and our visits to China and Russia will prove beneficial for Pakistan in the future, Khan said in his televised speech.

Russia and Pakistan, once bitter adversaries during the Cold War, have restored ties in recent years. Beijing, both a close ally of Moscow and Islamabad, has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan over the past six years in major infrastructure projects, further cementing bilateral ties.

Pakistans frosty relations with the United States, analysts say, have pushed the South Asian nation closer to China and Russia in recent years.

Islamabads tensions with Washington stem from allegations that covert support from the Pakistani military helped the Taliban to sustain their insurgency against U.S.-led international forces in neighboring Afghanistan for 20 years and retake power last August. Pakistan rejects those allegations.
Moscow and Kyiv will hold a second round of peace talks, according to both governments, after Ukrainian delegates demanded an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian forces during initial talks Monday on the border with Belarus.

Ukrainian resistance coupled with Russian military logistical failures have slowed Moscows invasion into Ukraine. After five days of fighting, Russias military has not taken a single major Ukrainian city, with its main push toward Kyiv about 25 km outside the city center after only advancing a handful of kilometers Sunday, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

Ukrainians are putting up continued, and sustained and stiff resistance in and around Kyiv, the official said. "They (the Russians) have been frustrated by their lack of progress on Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has now committed nearly 75% of the combat power Russia pre-positioned around Ukraines borders to the invasion. But videos posted on social media show lines of Russian tanks and armored vehicles have been wiped out. Warplanes and helicopters have been shot down, according to officials, and Russian troops have been stranded on roadsides after their vehicles ran out of fuel.

Airspace over Ukraine remains contested. Russians have not achieved air superiority over the whole country. Ukrainian air defenses remain intact and viable, both in terms of aircraft and missile defense systems, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Monday.

The official added that it appeared Russian forces were trying to section off the eastern part of Ukraine by controlling from Kharkiv to Mariupol in the south. Neither city had been broken by Russian advances, although Kharkiv has seen the heaviest fighting, according to officials.

A senior official on Sunday cautioned that Russian forces are likely to learn from their initial invasion failures and adapt for future attacks.

Ukraine Seeks EU Admittance

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the European Union to grant his country immediate membership in the bloc.

Zelenskyy signed an application for Ukraine to join the European Union on Monday, asking for a fast-track EU accession in a video message in which he also encouraged Russian troops to lay down their arms.

"Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing, he said. I'm sure it's fair. I'm sure it's possible."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he spoke with the Ukrainian leader by phone and commended him for the bravery of the people and armed forces of Ukraine.

NATO allies are stepping up support with air-defense missiles, anti-tank weapons, as well as humanitarian and financial aid, Stoltenberg tweeted.

Russia faced increased diplomatic and economic pressure Monday, the fifth day of its invasion, with the United Nations General Assembly due to hold an emergency session, Russias currency plunging to a record low and the addition of new sanctions against the countrys central bank.

Among the new sanctions imposed Monday, Britain prohibited British entities from conducting transactions with Russias central bank, finance ministry and wealth fund, while Singapore announced a set of sanctions that include targeting bank transactions and export controls.

A day after the European Union said it was sending fighter jets to Ukraine, Australia on Monday committed to an unspecified delivery of lethal military equipment.

Asked by VOA how the U.S. was helping get international military aid to Ukrainians, the senior defense official told reporters, I don't know of a single unified sort of body to pull that together. Right now, countries are doing what they can, when they can, and where they can, and that includes the United States.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that the EU was engaging in hostile behavior toward Russia, and that providing arms to Ukraine was an extremely dangerous and destabilizing factor.

Peskov also said that while sanctions imposed against Moscow are heavy, Russia has been planning for them and has the potential to offset the harm.

The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden would hold a call with several allies Monday to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and to coordinate our united response.

At least 350 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded last week, with another 1,700 wounded, Ukraine said Sunday. There was no information about casualties among Ukrainian forces, and while Russia has acknowledged casualties among its troops, it has not publicly disclosed any count.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted Monday that more than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries.

Putin told his defense minister to put nuclear forces in a special regime of combat duty Sunday, saying that leading NATO powers had made aggressive statements and imposed financial sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.

Following a vote for a rare special session of the U.N. General Assembly, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded to Putins nuclear alert, saying Russia is under no threat from NATO, a defensive alliance that will not fight in Ukraine. This is another escalatory and unnecessary step that threatens us all. We urge Russia to tone down its dangerous rhetoric regarding nuclear weapons.

Russia voted against calling Mondays special session of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly but could not exercise veto power on the procedural vote. China, the United Arab Emirates and India abstained.

Explaining Chinas abstention, U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Beijing believes the top priority now is for all parties to exercise the necessary restraint to prevent the situation from getting worse.

Actions taken by the U.N. should help cool the situation and facilitate diplomatic solutions and restrain from aggravating tensions, Zhang said.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The British government is expected tomorrow to deport more than 100 failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers and those whose visas were revoked for committing crimes in the United Kingdom.

According to the British Home Office, the targeted deportees, mostly convicts, are scheduled to be flown home on a chartered flight and more deportations are expected to continue.

Some of the people being deported are married in Brirain and are leaving children in that country. Human rights campaigners are accusing the British Home Office of violating international asylum laws.

One of the people facing deportation is Welcome Mpofu, who arrived in Britain 17 years ago, and was detained while he was on a routine immigration check up process.

"Im currently at Brook House Detention Center. They want to deport me even if I sought asylum in 2005when I arrived here. I have been living in this country for 17 years.

"I sought asylum at Heathrow International Airport and they have not yet process my immigration papers. They detained me when I was on a routine immigration check in process. I had gone there to update information on my stay here and all of a sudden I was taken for detention. I have been checking in all these years and so I dont know what has changed. All my family members, brothers, parents are late. I dont know where I can go if they deport me. I have nowhere to stay in Zimbabwe.

Several other Zimbabweans narrated their stories ranging from committing crime to just waiting for immigration papers while living in Britain. Most of them say they are disappointed about what the British government is doing.

Some Britons and non-governmental organizations are crying foul over the deportations.

In a tweet, Briton, Liz Keating, said, Your (British Home Office) mass deportation to Zimbabwe risks banishing British residents from their homes and tearing loving parents away from Black British children. I demand you reconsider this dangerous & reckless plan now.

The British government last year deported some Zimbabweans, who were described by the Home Office in London as convicted foreign criminals, following what it said was a historic landmark agreement between the two nations to send some Zimbabweans back home.

The Home Office said at that time that the deportees were sentenced to a combined total of over 75 years in prison for various crimes, including rape and murder.

The British government, which has deported 7,985 foreign criminals from the United Kingdom since January 2019, says it wants to keep its communities safe from criminals. Indications are that the country is planning to deport at least 150 Zimbabweans per month, especially those that have committed serious offences and failed asylum seekers.
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Update, Monday, March 7, at 7:47 p.m.: Less than a week after arriving back in the U.S., Maksim Chmerkovskiy said he plans to leave to join ground efforts supporting Ukraine. The Dancing With the Stars alum said in a CNN interview that he felt guilty for exiting Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion. I spent the last couple of days with survivors remorse, and Im currently working on an opportunity to go back, he said. Probably sometime next week, Im going to go back to Poland and join efforts on the ground.

Chmerkovskiy had worked on several TV shows and dance projects in the country. He said that multiple military personnel told him to leave because he was an American citizen and things were about to get crazy. However, he explained that he felt bad for doing as instructed. The feeling sunk in even worse because when I got to the train station, I realized that its all women and children, he said. Im too big and Im taking up space, so I had put myself between trains. I literally moved out of the area where people wouldve all been [] Internally, I sort of justified my space cause I was outside. Chmerkovskiys American citizenship made it possible for him to flee. Reportedly, a military mobilization order from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has banned men ages 18 through 60 from leaving the country.

Update, Wednesday, March 2, at 6:40 p.m.: Maksim Chmerkovskiy has made it back to America after being arrested in Ukraine, per TMZ. Paparazzi spotted him reuniting with wife Peta Murgatroyd. He wrote on a February 28 Instagram Story that he had made it to Poland. The former Dancing With the Stars pro, who had been working on the show World of Dance in Ukraine, said his train trip to Warsaw was traumatizing and detailed being packed into a sweaty and claustrophobic train. I absolutely have to say this: Polish people are amazing!!!!!, he wrote on Instagram. Thank you from the absolute bottom of my heart.

Original story follows.

Former Dancing With the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy said he was arrested in the capital of Ukraine and is now trying to leave the country amid the ongoing Russian invasion. Theres a lot of fighting everywhere, the streets are crazy, he said in a five-minute Instagram video. At one point, I got arrested like a foot outside of here. But again, all good, promise  That was probably the least traumatizing moment in this whole thing as far as Ukraine is concerned. He described the experience as a crazy reality check, adding that hes not in the mental state to unpack what happened. The dancer and choreographer added that he had decided to head to the border, presumably referring to the Polish-Ukrainian border where thousands have fled. I have options, Chmerkovskiy said. My options are better than most peoples, unfortunately. Im just a little nervous to be honest with you, but I think its going to be alright. About nine hours later, he shared a travel update on his Instagram story. I made it on the train, he wrote. Were headed to Warsaw (hopefully).

Chmerkovskiy has been regularly sharing videos and updates on Instagram as the situation in his home country has worsened. This does feel like the way it was when and why we left in the 90s, he wrote in a February 24 post. Like my old PTSD Ive finally fixed is coming back. In his latest video, Chmerkovskiy asked his followers not to panic if he disappears from social media for a while. He explained that at the moment, hes mainly only staying in touch with his wife, Peta Murgatroyd (a fellow DWTS alum), brother, and parents. He closed his video by calling any unfair treatment at the border inhumane. African students are reportedly facing discrimination as they attempt to make their way out of Ukraine. People are running from a conflict, from the war, Chmerkovskiy said. Treat everybody the same. I love you all, and Ill keep you posted.
Deepti and Shake in Love is Blind. Photo: Netflix

This season of Love Is Blind may be over, but the drama sure isnt. Deepti Vempatis siblings have posted a joint statement criticizing their sisters ex-fiance, Abhishek Shake Chatterjee. Shake, bruh, youre a loser, Sunny Vempati and his partner Hina Merchant Vempati wrote on Instagram. You minimized my sisters life by making some awful and cringeworthy comments about her. You made these statements knowing your own mom would one day watch it; my parents and my entire family had to sit through you talking behind my sisters back about insecurities she fought her entire life.

Throughout the second season of the Netflix reality show, Shake told multiple people he wasnt physically attracted to Deepti. In the statement, the Vempatis said he made comments on and off camera about her body. Ultimately, Deepti declared that she deserved to marry someone who was sure about her and left Shake at the altar. Her siblings praised her for her decision, writing, We wish you didnt pick that [clown] but despite his childishness, you carried yourself with grace and continued to see the good in people. Were so damn proud to call you our baby sister, and know were there for you always.

They concluded their message by telling Shake that his behavior could not be explained by editing. No one forced you to say those words, they wrote. We welcomed you into our home, and you saw it as an opportunity for clout; so forgive me if Im not sympathetic towards you and the hate youre receiving. Good luck with the rest of your life; and stay the fuck away from my sister. Deepti later reacted to the post, writing in an Instagram story, The love and support from my family is unmatched .
Photo: Fox Kids Networks

Batman is more color palette than character, only defined by a few select bits of iconography and narrative details; that sketch is filled in by the tastes and preferences of the artist or director. One of the richest of these palettes is found in Batman: The Animated Series, often heralded as not just the Caped Crusaders greatest cartoon adventure but one of the best adaptations of all time. It distills Batman and his adventures to their purest form, filtering through decades of comic-book and big-screen stylings to render a Dark Knight that feels full and a Gotham bathed in a gothic noir atmosphere.

So with The Batman heading to theaters on March 4, were revisiting Batman: The Animated Series. These twelve episodes fit most in line with the upcoming film and are sure to get you excited for Hollywoods latest blockbuster stab at the property.

Batman: The Animated Series is streaming on HBO Max.

The Cat and the Claw Part One/Two (Season 1, Episode 1 & 8)

Batmans relationship with Catwoman is well-worn territory, not just as a comic book storyline but as the backbone of three separate Batman films  The Batman is the latest. The two part episode The Cat and the Claw is built around it as well, creating a connection that Batman both longs for and feels uncomfortable with. Its not a great pair of episodes (after the vibrancy of their Gotham City rooftop Will They/Wont They, facing a generic terrorist organization ends up feeling pretty stodgy,) but it is a crash course in how vital the pairing has become to Batman mythology.

On Leather Wings (Season 1, Episode 2)

Every new incarnation of Batman allows for a reinterpretation of him, his world, and his connections to other characters. If it feels fresh and emotionally relevant, like we hope The Batman is, it doesnt matter that Batman is a character thats over 80 years old. Its something that this episode of Batman: The Animated Series has in spades, deftly signifying who The Dark Knight is and how he relates to the world around him. By the end, we grasp everything we need to know about Batman in order to be excited for the series, rocketing it into television history.

P.O.V. (Season 1, Episode 13)

The Batman has a stacked cast from Gotham, including numerous members of the police department. It shares that aspect with Batman: The Animated Series, and the episode P.O.V. is a fine example of how peripheral characters can drive an episode just as well as Batman. Through an interview process with Harvey Bullock, Renee Montoya and a new officer Wilkes, we not only get to explore their differing personalities but their perception of Batman himself, a figure that straddles the line between urban legend and unofficial cop. Its an original set-up for what could easily be uninspired childrens television.

Prophecy of Doom (Season 1, Episode 22)

A major plot point of The Batman is uncovering the corruption of Gotham Citys elite, including that of Bruce Waynes own deceased family. Batman: The Animated Series does not hold a high opinion of the rich and the affluent, and in many cases, like the Emmy-winning episode that introduces Mr. Freeze, Heart of Ice, theyre even more soulless than those locked in Arkham Asylum. Prophecy of Doom portrays them as a sort of mindless horde, driven even more mindless by an actual wannabe cult leader who seeks to profit off their ceaseless lust for wealth.

I Am The Night (Season 1, Episode 34)

Director Matt Reeves has stated that The Batman dives into why hes doing all of these things for the reasons that he thinks is right and I Am The Night is a great examination of Batman attempting to reconcile with his own motivation. After Commissioner Gordon is seriously wounded, Bruce Wayne is thrown into despair. What if Batman isnt actually effective at all? What if the entire life hes constructed has just been a useless charade to cope with his parents death? I Am The Night forces Batman to dissect himself as he desperately searches for a reason to be.

If Youre So Smart, Why Arent You Rich? (Season 1, Episode 41)

The Riddler is a primary foe in The Batman, taking on a guise that seems at least partly inspired by the Zodiac Killer. His green garb in Batman: The Animated Series is much more comic friendly and kid-approved, but his personality retains a vengeful menace. In his debut episode, The Riddler is shown to be equal parts cunning and vindictive, as his entire shtick is concocted to get a one-up on all of those that would seek to torment him. Not just a purveyor of puzzles, he relishes the fear hes able to instill from simply knowing more than you.

Birds of a Feather (Season 1, Episode 52)

The Penguin was a tricky character for Batman: The Animated Series, as a twenty-two minute action cartoon on Fox Kids was hard-pressed to find any immediate peril in an umbrella-wielding bird enthusiast. As such, one of his best episodes is Birds of a Feather, a story with little grand stakes other than diving into Oswald Cobblepots pathos. Like in The Batman, hes a blustering crime boss desperate to rub elbows with higher power, a front that hides a pitiful sense of inadequacy and shame. Is he a criminal because his disfigurement allows for no better treatment from society, or is he just a squawking sociopath?

Blind as a Bat (Season 1, Episode 54)

Though there are aspects of The Penguin that are sympathetic, one cant forget his capacity for cruelty. Its on great display in Blind as a Bat, an episode title that spoils the main twist: during an accident with a military helicopter that his company created (Wayne has a long way to go from pure altruism,) he loses his sight. Penguin steals the copter, but he takes the most glee during the climax as he taunts the visually impaired Batman. Like in another episode Ive Got Batman In My Basement, The Penguin seems happiest when bullying anyone weaker than him.

Trial (Season 2, Episode 4)

Batman films often use a revolving door system for villains - two show up, are defeated by Batman, and then exit. Two more appear and the cycle repeats. The Batman seems to abscond from this, building up a Gotham thats already knee deep in classic staples. Batman: The Animated Series uses this tactic to great effect as well in Trial, in which Batmans villains take Batman to a kangaroo court of their own and judge him for his role in their own malfeasance. Its the narrative equivalent of dumping out all your action figures but honestly, some of them have a point.

Riddlers Reform (Season 2, Episode 8)

One personal layer of nearly every costumed character in Gotham is vanity. Everyone from The Joker to Batman himself is concerned with their own bizarre brand of public relations. And its vanity that takes center stage with Riddlers Reform, an episode that finds The Riddler seemingly going straight as a celebrity genius. However, his pride also reveals the unbreakable link that will always keep him tied to the criminal underbelly - If he cant prove that hes indeed smarter than Batman, well what good is anything? Its the obsession that brought Riddler to the Rogues Gallery A List of The Batman.

Catwalk (Season 2, Episode 18)

Catwoman makes for a dynamic foil to Batman, but shes also interesting when countering other characters that might not share the animal attraction she has with the Dark Knight. Batman: The Animated Series took full advantage of this with Catwalk, an episode that saw her team with, be betrayed by, and then attempt to take revenge on Scarface and the Ventriloquist, the puppeteering villain that was introduced in 1988, but seems straight out of Batmans 1930s capers. Catwalk isnt a grandly important episode nor is it a heavy one, but it proves that Batman can subsist on fun, episodic action.

Mask of the Phantasm

How do we know that Mask of the Phantasm, the Batman: The Animated Series tie-in film that hit theaters in 1993 and became a cult classic is important to The Batman? Well, Robert Pattinson, THE Batman, cited it as an inspiration. Phantasm might have been derided by critics just after its release as an underwhelming journey for the hero, but its a deeply emotional tale that serves triple duty as origin story, epic romantic tragedy, and ultimate showdown with the Joker. It drowns Batman in grieving angst, proving that you didnt need a live action version for a satisfying adaptation.
Best of 2022 (So Far) Running lists of our critics favorite releases from the past four months Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos Courtesy of the Studios

Finally, its spring. The sun is out. And its never too early to look back and count our blessings at the movies. The range of cinematic journeys weve experienced so far in 2022 so far are dizzying, from poignant hormonal awakenings (Turning Red) to an epic battle across multiple universes in (Everything Everywhere All at Once) to a 50-year-old madmans doomed flight from a jumbo-sized cannon (Jackass Forever). And thats just the start. Here are the best movies Vulture has seen and (for the most part) reviewed this year, according to our critics Alison Willmore, Bilge Ebiri, and Angelica Jade Bastien, arranged in unranked and chronological order.

January

A metaverse fairy tale and a wistful story of self-affirmation, the latest film from Mamoru Hosoda keeps one foot in a digital world that serves as an escape for billions of people around the world. One of them is Belles heroine, an unremarkable teenager from a fading rural community who, in her anonymous online life, has become a famous pop star. While Hosodas film uses Beauty and the Beast as its main inspiration, what makes it so compelling are the ways in which it plays the real and virtual off one other, diverging from the familiar contours of the classic story to show how even when we remake the world as a teeming new space where everything is possible, we bring all our pain and baggage with us.  Alison Willmore

Theres something startlingly intimate about Compartment No. 6. It lies not so much in the subject matter or the stylistic approach or even the themes of the movie. Rather, its in everything in between  in the way it captures a mood, an inexpressible sense of lostness and wandering that sets the viewers mind ablaze. Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen finds a way to make an old tale feel new, following two mismatched souls forced together during a long train ride from Moscow to Murmansk. Despite a disastrous first impression, the wiry and restive Ljoha (Yuriy Borisov) turns out to be surprisingly loyal and generous, and the understandably standoffish Laura (Seidi Haarla) starts to warm to him. Together, perhaps just for a brief moment, they find purpose and grace at the far edge of the world.  Bilge Ebiri

February

Jackass Forever is a kinder, gentler Jackass, but thankfully, its not a more mature one. If anything, Johnny Knoxville and his merry band of gluttons for punishment have regressed, in the best way possible, utilizing the full array of modern filmmaking to portray some of the most sophomoric stuff ever put onscreen. Even so, what makes a Jackass stunt a Jackass stunt isnt really the difficulty or the cleverness or the grossness of the activity, but the interactions among the perpetrators, victims, and spectators. First comes the stunt, then comes the agony and, finally, the camaraderie. There is a lot of hugging in Jackass Forever, believe it or not, and most of it feels sincere. While enormously fun, this is a more emotional movie than previous entries. You sense that among the people onscreen, and you might also sense it in the audience. Watching these middle-aged masochists keep hurting themselves for our pleasure reminds us of the passage of time.  B.E.

The coming-of-age genre is usually saved for teenagers and people in their very early 20s, despite the fact that the nature of being human is to be in a constant state of flux. Its why I find coming-of-age films focused on the turbulent decades of true adulthood so ripe  when the buildup of breakups, breakthroughs, accomplishments, and beliefs is starting to loom large. The Worst Person in the World, Joachim Triers final film in his loosely constituted Oslo Trilogy, sidesteps the arch emotional beats that define stories of very young people in love. It charts the growth of Julie (Renate Reinsve) from her 20s into her 30s and the relationships she has with two primary men in her orbit  first, Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie), an older artist, and second, Eivind (Herbert Nordrum), a barista who catches her eye at a party she crashes. These characters arent neatly good people with perfect politics who say what they mean and mean what they say. They fuck up, in sometimes glorious ways, and are accountable for those fuckups. Triers approach to their stories is piercingly aware of the bruises we accumulate trying to become something more than our present selves. The story quietly washes over you until you realize youre drowning in waves of acute emotions.  Angelica Jade Bastien

Lingui, the Sacred Bonds

Its no wonder, given the forever-uncertain state of access to the procedure in the U.S. and around the world, that the abortion thriller has blossomed into its own potent subgenre. Its latest entry come from Chadian filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun and is centered on Amina (Achouackh Abakar Souleymane), a single mother who discovers her 15-year-old daughter, Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio), is pregnant. But for a movie hinging on whether or not a character will be able to illegally end her unwanted pregnancy, Lingui, the Sacred Bonds becomes almost ebullient as the determined Amina, in trying to help her child, starts to shed the shame and the allegiances that have weighed her down for so long. Harouns film portrays the patriarchal structures that entrap women but also shows the ways in which those women are able to work around them together.  A.W.

Air Doll

Left without a U.S. distributor for years, this melancholy 2009 Hirokazu Kore-eda film is the myth of Galatea by way of a sex shop, with a sublime Bae Doona playing an inflatable doll who comes to life when her owner is away and eventually drifts into a part-time job and a relationship with a co-worker. Like the alien in Under the Skin, the protagonist of Air Doll is an otherworldly outsider who first observes humanity and then makes an ill-fated attempt to become part of it, getting exposed to humanitys capacity for cruelty in the process.  A.W.

Steven Soderberghs latest is a fleet-footed, gorgeously made suspense movie about an agoraphobic tech contractor who hears what she believes to be a rape when analyzing audio from an Alexa competitor. As the isolated Angela Childs, Zoe Kravitz is both prickly and vulnerable, upset that shes not able to push past her own trauma and just return to normal alongside the rest of the world  until she believes she has no choice but to force herself outside and into a conspiracy thats both horrifying and tawdry.  A.W.

Playground begins and ends with an embrace, but between those two instances of tenderness lies a nerve-shredding, incredibly well-acted 72-minute drama set in the guilelessly cruel world of young children. There have been lots of movies about bullying, but Im not sure Ive ever seen one like Laura Wandels, which is shot, cut, and performed with an immediacy that puts us inside the queasy, terrified mind of a 7-year-old girl. The films childs-eye perspective is so relentless we almost never see a parent or teachers face unless theyre leaning down or sitting at our protagonists level  a striking visual correlative to the general helplessness of the adults around these kids. Playground is a tough watch, but its also an essential one.  B.E.

Cyrano is, technically speaking, Joe Wrights first musical film, but you could say hes been making musicals his entire career. As it begins, you sense a director fully in his element, able to weave in and out of bursts of song and snatches of dancerly movement without ever fully disappearing into the realm of the unreal. Starring Peter Dinklage and adapted from Edmond Rostands classic 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac (with a central conceit from Erica Schmidts 2018 stage musical), the movie sings even when nobodys singing: Characters speak as if guided by internal meters, and they move with brisk, purposeful precision. When they do burst into song and dance, it feels organic and natural, like everythings just tipped one slight degree into the fantastical. Cyrano is a delicate dream of a movie, the kind of film that feels like you might have merely imagined it  light on the surface but long on subconscious impact.  B.E.

The Burning Sea

Any true fan of disaster flicks would do well to check out this Norwegian release, which is being billed as a sequel of sorts to modern-day classics The Wave (2015) and The Quake (2018) from the same country. It does share a director with the latter  John Andreas Andersen  but its a far more sober and intimate film than either of its predecessors, relying more on tension than spectacular, over-the-top devastation. This time, a Norwegian offshore-drilling company is sent into a tailspin when it discovers that a horrific accident on one of their rigs might actually be the start of a once-in-a-millennium seismic event that will cause a massive oil leak. Their solution: to light the North Sea on fire in order to burn up all the oil before it can spread out and destroy the European coastline for generations. Unfortunately, one of our heroes is trapped on one of the rigs in the middle of this flaming cataclysm. The results are intensely dramatic  more survival flick than disaster porn.  B.E.

The Long Walk

A beguiling mix of science fiction, ghost story, and spiritual meditation, Mattie Dos third feature is set in a rural Laotian village to which the future has brought a scattering of technological advances but few solutions for the economic stagnation driving new generations to the city for work. Yannawoutthi Chanthalungsy is the unnamed protagonist, a man whos always been able to see the dead but who only learns as an old man that the ghost whos been his companion since he was young has the ability to take him back in time. The Long Walk is about someone trying to fix the past, with all kinds of unforeseen consequences. But its also a moody portrait of someone so sure he knows how to help those in need that he cant actually see the monstrosity of his actions.  A.W.

March

Kogodanas latest is an exquisitely melancholy movie about the life and death of a robot, but its also about finding significance in the moments and textures of a mundane existence. Jake (Colin Farrell) and Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith) purchased Yang (Justin H. Min) to help their adopted daughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja) connect to her Chinese heritage, but never fully appreciated the place he occupied in their family until he stops working. In trying to get the secondhand companion android repaired, Jake discovers Yang had a whole inner life and history that leads him to reconnect with his own existence. After Yangs meditative power owes so much to vividness of the near-future the film conjures up, a sun-dappled world that still feels tender from offscreen schisms distant enough to be memories but near enough to still be felt.  A.W.

You might have thought Batman couldnt get any darker, but youd be wrong: Heath Ledgers Joker in The Dark Knight sewed a telephone into a guys abdomen in 2008 so that Paul Danos Riddler could then feed another guys abdomen to a cage full of rats in 2022. This is a Batman movie reimagined as a grisly serial-killer film, only this time its not just the serial killer who looms in the shadows, watching his prey and waiting to pounce; the hero does, too. The typical superhero movies subtext about the subtle similarities between the good guy and the bad guy here becomes overt text, as director Matt Reeves shoots Batmans pursuit of his targets with the same psychotic, heavy-breathing, point-of-view aesthetic with which he shoots the Riddlers. Now, we have to try and figure out how the hero differs from the villain  and so too does Batman. Thats part of the films charm: watching a familiar, oft-filmed superhero try and discover just what it is that constitutes heroism  a question that finds its answer during a moving climax that has almost nothing to do with tracking down bad guys or pummeling people. As a result, The Batmans darkness never feels fashionable, or opportunistic, or cheap. Reeves loves these dead-end apocalyptic environments and delights in tales that toy with the moral calculus of typical hero narratives. He has given us a Batman that he himself can believe in, not to mention a Batman that feels right for our times.  B.E.

Great Freedom

Sebastian Meises searing prison drama follows the life of Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski, in a haunting performance), a gay man and prison camp survivor for whom Germanys liberation after WWII didnt seem to make all that much of a difference. The postwar German government still kept laws criminalizing homosexuality on the books, thus resulting in him being sent straight back to prison. By juggling time periods and keeping the action largely confined to life behind bars, Meise has crafted an unusually (and beautifully) suffocating film. As we shuffle through scenes from Hanss incarceration in the 1940s, the 1950s, and the 1960s, we feel like were very much stuck there with him. But the film is not without humanism: Much of it charts the growing friendship between Hans and Viktor (Georg Friedrich), an addict whose initial disgust at his fellow inmate eventually transforms into solidarity, respect, and a kind of love.  B.E.

Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assads extremely gripping drama begins with a matter-of-fact depiction of a conspiracy so strange and shocking it takes a second to regain your bearings after witnessing it. Reem (Maisa Abd Elhadi), a female customer in a hair salon run by Huda (Manal Awad), is casually drugged, stripped naked, and photographed in a compromising position. Then, Huda uses the pictures to force Reem into spying for the Israeli secret service, part of an ongoing operation that has pulled many terrified women into its web. Hudas blackmail scheme works for one simple reason: These women live in a world where just the hint of adultery  even if unproven, or for that matter disproven  is a life-shattering one. The ensuing film intercuts between two narrative strands: Huda, caught by the Palestinian resistance, is interrogated in a dark basement, while Reem desperately searches for a way to clear her name. Abu-Assad has made his share of films about the cruel absurdity of life under Israeli occupation, but here he lets all sides have it. These women are oppressed by everybody. Even though the story unfolds in linear time, as we watch these two female protagonists journeys, we begin to realize Reem is going through a version of what Huda herself did once upon a time. The intimate, slow-burning frustration of these two womens predicaments builds and builds until we ourselves start to feel like were stuck in a dark prison of the soul.  B.E.

As exuberant and unapologetically weird as its 13-year-old heroine, Domee Shis Pixar feature debut effortlessly combines generational trauma and adolescent hormonal awakenings, ancestral inheritances and boy band fandom, and all in a pastel-hued Toronto that, for once, gets to play itself. What makes Turning Red so joyous and also heartrending is the way it takes Chinese immigrant archetypes  the tiger mom, the good daughter  and explores the individuals behind them, finding a lonely woman repeating her own mothers mistakes despite herself, and a young woman so determined to please the parent she adores that shes ready to start punishing herself for not being perfect. Also, the panda is adorable, and the big panda showdown is a splendid mix of the absurd and the emotional.  A.W.

Israeli director Nadav Lapids latest abrasive moral drama follows a hotshot, award-winning director, Y (Avshalom Pollak), as he flies to the remote, dusty Arava Valley to screen one of his films to a small-town audience. He is met by Yahalom (Nur Fibak), a young, cheerful bureaucrat who works at the Ministry of Culture and asks him to sign a form declaring the subject of the film hes screening. The document is a mere formality, but it sets Y  who is clearly a surrogate for Lapid himself  off. Not just because of the moral dilemma he faces in signing it, but also because of the paradox he senses in Yahalom, a smart, kind young woman who understands the inherent corruption behind this type of low-key censorship but nevertheless performs her job with pleasant professionalism. Interesting setup, but what makes Aheds Knee so powerful is the way the movie detonates before our eyes. The rage and doubt gnawing away at Ys conscience spill over into an extended flashback, numerous dance sequences, and, ultimately, a blistering monologue  a trancelike, spittle-flecked, apocalyptic screed that practically takes the movie hostage. But Lapid reserves perhaps the greatest condemnation for himself, for Y is also revealed to be a manipulative, duplicitous, even hypocritical mess. And so the film asks: At what point does constant aggrievement become its own toxic form of aggression? At what point does rage become cruelty? And at what point does merely going about ones business perpetuate great evil? Humanity has never had easy answers to such questions, and neither does this movie.  B.E.

Sex and violence are two of the movies most reliable spectacles, and Ti Wests latest  his first in six years  offers up plenty of both by sending an amateur film crew out to a rural Texas farm to shoot a porn film, without telling the enigmatic elderly couple theyre renting from what their plans are. But X has more on its mind than just basking in the tropes of the classic slasher. It also interrogates the conservatism at the genres core by having its carnage be fueled by envy rather than by a sense of moral punishment, with Mia Goth doing double duty as aspiring sex symbol Maxine and as the despondent older woman Pearl.  A.W.

Intregalde

The most riveting film youll ever see about three Romanian social workers stuck in the mud. In Radu Munteans absorbing and bizarre drama, a mission to deliver food supplies to a remote region of Transylvania is derailed when the aid workers decide to pick up an elderly villager, who promptly sends them down the wrong path, resulting in their SUV being bogged down along the way. Assorted attempts to get the car out of the mud simply make matters worse, and the situation escalates both emotionally and physically. It all feels like a metaphor for something  institutional failure, perhaps, or the cocoon of bourgeois privilege, or the futility of temporary gestures. But that doesnt really do justice to the films psychological acuity, to its lived-in sense of drama and its sharply-drawn characters. Muntean is a master of putting ordinary people in circumstances that gradually force them to reveal who they are, without it ever feeling forced, heavy-handed, or opportunistic.  B.E.

Shave ten to 15 percent off of Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinerts second film and youd have a stone cold masterpiece. As is, Everything Everywhere All At Once is still pretty damn wonderful, an epic battle across multiple universes as well as a startlingly sad portrait of an immigrant family on the verge of collapse. Michelle Yeoh is splendid as Evelyn Wang, a beleaguered laundromat owner whose marriage is failing, whose daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) is drifting away, and who is in the midst of getting audited by a joyless administrative ghoul played by Jamie Lee Curtis. But the real standout is former child actor Ke Huy Quan, of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. As Evelyns whimsical husband Waymond, hes the heart of the film, and hes the star of a fanny pack martial arts battle thats guaranteed to be one of the years best action setpieces.  A.W.

RRR

The American blockbuster may be stuck in a moribund state, beholden to IP and boring, samey visuals, but this Telugu epic is proof that in other parts of the world, glorious excess is still possible. S. S. Rajamoulis historical drama creates a fictional backstory for real revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) by having their paths cross in 1920s Delhi, where they become fast friends, not knowing theyre on different sides of the colonial divide. Or are they? RRR is three hours of pure, uncut entertainment, with plot songs, outrageous action setpieces, awkward courtships, gleeful violence, tearful betrayals, and a musical number dance-off in front of an audience of snobby Brits. If you dont tear up with joy at the spectacle of one of the heroes crashing a truck through the gates of the governors compound to release a barrage of CGI wild animals into a party, then check your pulse  you may be dead.  A.W.

In between Shakespeare and video game adaptations, Justin Kurzel has been a reliable chronicler of Australias history of violence, beginning with Snowtown in 2011 and continuing with True History of the Kelly Gang in 2019. But Nitram, a portrait of the perpetrator of the 1996 Port Arthur shooting, feels like the culmination of Kurzels interests in the mundanity of evil. A mesmerizing Caleb Landry Jones plays the title character, a lonely, disturbed man with a penchant for perverse acts of provocation. Nitram immerses the viewer in his experiences, which veer between the pathetic and the repellent, a tightrope walk of empathy without sympathy.  A.W.

April

Babi Yar. Context

The Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa made headlines a few weeks ago when he was expelled from the Ukrainian Film Academy for opposing a boycott of all Russian films and directors  this, after he himself had resigned from the European Film Academy for its weak response to Russias invasion of his country. But Loznitsa himself suspects that the real reason for his expulsion was because some were upset over this devastating documentary about the Nazi invasion of Ukraine and the notorious massacre of Kyivs Jews that occurred at the Babi Yar ravine on the citys outskirts. Using footage entirely shot by cameramen of the time, Loznitsa tells the story of the citys capture and the monstrous events that followed, but he also shows how complicit many ordinary citizens were in helping perpetrate the Nazis crimes. Ultimately, what Babi Yar. Context shows is how the uncontrollable poison of war always spreads far beyond the battlefield and those fighting on the front lines.  B.E.

Were All Going to the Worlds Fair

Somewhere between a horror film and a coming-of-age story, Jane Schoenbruns film has an incredibly complex understanding of the internet as a medium for connection, community, misunderstanding, and performance. Casey (Anna Cobb), a solitary teenager, embarks on a creepy viral challenge thats rumored to have caused physical and psychological changes in its participants. As the videos she posts become increasingly disturbing, a lonely middle-age man (Michael J. Rogers) reaches out to her, claiming to be concerned for her well-being. The exchanges between them serve as reminders that online presences are the tips of icebergs, only glimpses of lives that remain unseen and unknowable off screen.  A.W.

There have been some epic child performances this year  see the Celine Sciamma film just a few items below this one  but nothing compares to Rayan Sarlaks turn as the motormouthed younger son in Hit the Road. The first film from writer-director Panah Panahi, child of the great Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi, Hit the Road features a lot of impressive acting, from Hasan Majunis dryly hangdog role as the injured patriarch of the central family to Pantea Panahiha as the mother maniacally trying to hide her distress as they head toward the Turkish border to smuggle older son Amin Simiar out of the country at a terrible cost. But Sarlak, gleeful, impulsive, and chaotic, is a force of nature who cant be controlled, only corralled in a particular direction, a wildly charismatic kid who embodies the films bold swings from humor to anguish.  A.W.

Give Robert Eggers his due  while the filmmaker has gotten acclaim for the in-depth research hes put into re-creating historical details onscreen in works like The Witch and The Lighthouse, its the way he re-creates the mind-sets of the past that really impresses. The Northman, adapted from the Scandinavian legend that inspired Hamlet, is a Viking saga that feels downright alien in its priorities. As the exiled prince Amleth, Alexander Skarsgard is a hulking force of revenge for whom dying in battle is the whole point of existence. As his mother, Queen Gudrun, Nicole Kidman offers an off-the-rails monologue for the ages. There are berserker ceremonies, acts of self-branding, battles with undead warriors, and a nude fight in the shadow of a volcano  plus, Bjork plays a witch. Its hard to imagine any other movie this year going quite so hard.  A.W.

Delicate, diminutive, and perfect, Celine Sciammas Petite Maman deploys a simple premise to devastating ends. While on a trip to clear out her late grandmothers house, young Nelly (Josephine Sanz) discovers that shes able, through some kind of magic thankfully left mysterious, to visit her mother back when she was 8 year old herself. As an adult, played by Nina Meurisse, Marion is loving but aloof, awash in melancholy Nelly struggles to understand. But as a child, played by Gabrielle Sanz, shes as open as Nelly is herself, unguarded about her fears and her dreams for the future. Sciamma gets miraculously good performances from the Sanz sisters, who often dont seem to be acting at all so much as just being at play. Their characters impossible interlude together is touching without ever being cloying.

Gaspar Noes Vortex is perhaps the most human movie hes ever made. And yet, somehow, its also the cruelest. It may not have the extravagant violence of his earlier efforts, but theres an unflinching, near-clinical relentlessness to the picture. Inspired partly by events in the directors own life, it follows an elderly couple as they cope with frailty and dementia. The movie unfolds in split screen, as if to embody the increasing psychic distance between them  each character effectively in their own world. Its visually striking and quite beautiful, but also profoundly unsettling. All too often, films about such struggles try to sugarcoat their stories, to alleviate the grim (and very real) subject matter with coy evasion and elevate it through magical thinking and spiritual overtones. Noe, being Noe, goes in the opposite direction: He rubs our faces in it. But do not mistake this relentlessness for coldness or distance. Every second seethes with emotion of an intensely personal kind. This is a director confronting the darkest, saddest corners of his mind.  B.E.
In 2017, journalist Kim Wall went missing after boarding a submarine with eccentric Danish entrepreneur Peter Madsen. Madsen had built the sea craft himself, and Wall was interviewing him for a story. Madsen surfaced without Wall, and the ensuing investigations and murder trial fed into a media frenzy, full of victim-blaming rhetoric and leering detail. Now, Walls murder is the subject of the new two-part HBO documentary Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall. The doc is directed by Erin Lee Carr, who previously directed At the Heart of Gold, about systemic abuse in USA Gymnastics. Undercurrent will delve into Walls murder and the psychology of Madsen, who was deemed a narcissistic psychopath in Danish court. Undercurrent will air both parts back-to-back on Tuesday, March 8, on HBO and HBO Max.

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Illustration: Martin Gee

Tech companies and telecom providers in Europe, Australia, and Canada are blocking Russian state-controlled media outlets in light of the Putin regimes invasion of Ukraine. On February 27, European Union president Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that the state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread lies to justify Putins war and announced a ban on these outlets. Multiple tech platforms have complied with the E.U.s media ban and deplatformed, demonetized, or blocked RT and Sputnik from their services. On Thursday, March 3, CNN Business reported that RT America  the U.S. cable branch of the Russia-owned news network  is effectively shutting down. Its production companys general manager, Misha Solodovnikov, told staff in a memo that RT America is ceasing production at its New York, L.A., Miami, and D.C. locations as a result of unforeseen business interruption events. RT America will be letting go of its U.S. staff, with Solodovnikov stating, we anticipate this layoff will be permanent.

Russia has blocked access to the BBC website, Facebook, and Twitter, in response to their freezes and bans on operations on March 5, according to Deadline. Russian parliament approved sanctions against the media sites, as they are foreigners who infringe on the rights of Russian citizens. In late February, several media companies have either suspended services or Russian state-sponsored content from their applications. Here is how media and tech companies have responded to Russias state-controlled media.

Spotify

Spotify closed its Russian offices indefinitely on March 2 in response to the invasion. It also limited discoverability features for Russian state-sponsored media on the app without disabling its service for Russian customers. Spotify teams have begun reviewing thousands of news links, removing all content sponsored by the Kremlin, including RT and Sputnik. The company asserted that it will aid individual Spotify employees in Russia and Ukraine.

Meta

On February 25, Metas head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, announced via Twitter that the company is now prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or monetizing on our platform anywhere in the world. By February 28, the Facebook and Instagram parent companys president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, announced that Meta would be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the E.U. at this time. This means the outlets pages are not accessible on Facebook and Instagram.

Apple

BBC News reported on March 1 that Apple will be halting all product sales in Russia, as well as limiting Apple Pay and Apple Maps services. Apple also shared they are limiting live traffic and incidents reports in Ukraine as a safety precaution. A few days ago on February 25, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov publicly asked Apple to discontinue services in Russia, including blocking access to the app store.

Ive contacted @tim_cook, Apple's CEO, to block the Apple Store for citizens of the Russian Federation, and to support the package of US government sanctions! If you agree to have the president-killer, then you will have to be satisfied with the only available site Russia 24. pic.twitter.com/b5dm78g2vS  Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 25, 2022

Google and YouTube

Reuters reported on February 26 that Google is barring Russian state-owned media outlets from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps, and YouTube videos as well as blocking Russian medias access to Googles ad-services tools, search function, and Gmail.

The official Google Europe account tweeted on March 1 that the company is blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately.

BBC News

On March 4, the BBC announced that they were suspending work for all journalists in Russia, in order to expose them to the risk of criminal prosecution simply for doing their jobs. The BBCs director-general Tim Davie stated, Truth is often the first casualty of war. In a conflict where disinformation and propaganda is rife, there is a need for factual and independent news people can trust. This was in response to a new law in Russia that threatened to jail those spreading fake news about the armed forces.

TikTok

A spokesperson for TikTok told NPR on February 28 that the app is blocking RT and Sputniks pages and content on the social-media platform in the E.U. On March 6, TikTok also announced that it would be suspending new content and live streaming abilities for the time being, citing Russias fake news law (per Deadline).

Microsoft

Microsoft president and vice-chair Brad Smith published a blog post on February 28 announcing the company is removing RT news apps from our Windows app store, de-ranking RT and Sputnik results on Bing, and no longer displaying any state-sponsored RT and Sputnik content on MSN.

Smith also revealed that Microsofts Threat Intelligence Center has been detecting cyberattacks directed against Ukraines digital infrastructure, including a new malware package named FoxBlade, and is working with the Ukrainian government and NATO to inform them of security concerns.

Roku

Roku spokesperson Kimberly Sampson told The Verge on Tuesday, March 1: We are removing RT from the Roku Channel Store everywhere, including the US.

International telecoms

Outside of the E.U., Canadas largest cable operators (Rogers, Bell, Telus, and Shaw) have said they would drop Russian state-owned broadcaster RT from their channel lineup. Australian satellite operator Foxtel and its public broadcaster SBS have also suspended the transmission of RT broadcasts. On March 1, a DirecTV spokesperson announced the television distributor is no longer carrying RT America effective immediately.

This post has been updated throughout.
Decatur, IL (62521)

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BEIJING, Mar. 1 -- Recently, the 20th Chinese peacekeeping multi-role engineering unit to Lebanon passed the first combat-readiness inspection in 2022 organized by the United Nations (UN) with high standards.

In this inspection, more than 10,000 pieces of equipment in 17 categories were inspected and all the main equipment, self-sustaining materials, medical equipment, etc., met the requirements of the UN. Thus, the unit was highly acknowledged by the inspection team.
Romans respond to emergency in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian church is Rome is organising a collection of medicine, food and clothes to send to Ukraine in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion.

Italians, Ukrainians and other foreign residents of Rome are queuing up to donate basic necessities to the church of S. Sofia, on Via di Boccea 478, as part of a relief effort co-ordinated by its rector, Fr Marco Semehen.

The collection is being organised in collaboration with Caritas Ukraine, with the support of the Ukrainian embassies to Italy and to the Vatican.

Citizens and associations are actively participating in the collection in recent days by packing up food and medicines in the church grounds, ready to load into authorised vans and buses going to Ukraine.

For people in Rome who wish to help, the church has issued a list of items needed: "pasta, olive oil, sunflower oil, rice, coffee, tea, rusks, Nutella, sweet snacks, tinned tuna, canned vegetables, vacuum-sealed cheeses."

The list of medicine includes: "Oki task, Aspirin, Tachipirina (paracetomol), Ibuprofen, bandages/gauze wraps, syringes, syringes for blood clotting, elastic bandages, diapers/nappies, isothermal blankets, painkillers, anti-inflammatories, insulin (long-lasting) metformin and vitamins."

In addition to the Church of S. Sofia, there are collection points for Ukraine underway elsewhere in the Italian capital, including in Piazzale Ostiense (outside the train station), Via Nomentana 633a (Montesacro), Via Enio Bonifazi 8a (Primavalle) and Via Sestio Calvino 32 (Subaugusta).

The Salvabebe-Salvamamme Association is also organising a collection of basic necessities, outside its headquarters on Via Giacomo Raffaelli, from 10.00-17.00 every day until Wednesday 2 March.

Along with long-life non-perishable foods, the association requests donations of winter clothes, new or in perfect condition (heavy jackets, blankets), hygiene products for children (nappies, bubble baths), adult diapers, new underwear, socks, pyjamas, towels, blankets and sheets, winter clothing (scarves, jumpers, coats, duvets, clothes, warm shoes).

Photo Agnese Palmucci - Avvenire
Italy updates travel advice after EU shuts airspace to Russian flights.

Italians currently in Russia on a temporary basis are being "strongly advised" to "organise their prompt return to Italy", according to a travel update on the Viaggiare Sicuri website on Monday.

The advice from Italy's foreign ministry, which extends to "tourists, students and people on business trips and similar", was issued following Sunday's closure of EU airspace to Russian flights in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The updated travel alert warns of the difficulty in finding flights back to Italy but notes that there are still connections available via Istanbul, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

It is also possible to reach the Schengen area by land, the website says, with buses going from St Petersburg to the Estonian capital Tallinn.

The travel update also warns of "possible further restrictions in the next few hours" and advises all planned travel to Russian to be postponed.
St. Stephen's School in Rome hosts a special panel titled "The Future of Art: Creating Inclusive Spaces" on Sunday 6 March at 18.00.

The event will examine the current state of the art world and creative industries with a focus on inclusivity - from racial and gender inclusivity to sustainability - featuring St. Stephen's Alumni.

Moderated by Pietro Pantalani, the associate director of the Levy Gorvy gallery in London, the panel includes stylist and creative director Nicola Formichetti, Rachel Nicholson, director of Visitor Engagement and Research at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; and artist and podcaster Isotta Page.

To register your attendance at the event click here.
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Chinas annual parliamentary pageant -- the National Peoples Congress -- opens Saturday in Beijing, bringing President Xi Jinping one step close to a precedent-defying third term in power. Amid the pomp and propaganda at the Great Hall of the People, the Communist Party leadership will lay out policies to address the countrys biggest challenges, such as rebuilding growth slowed by Covid. The 3,000-or so deputies always give their ceremonial seal of approval to everything proposed, but that doesnt mean there isnt drama. A property slump, a war in Europe and a Covid surge in Hong Kong leave lawmakers plenty to chew on.

1. Whats the meeting for?

While the party calls the shots in China, the NPC gives its proposals the force of law. The event has also for decades provided the worlds best chance to see Chinas leaders in action, with Premier Li Keqiang outlining key policies in a speech and conducting what is often his only news briefing of the year. Xi has increasingly sought to use the NPC to further legitimize policy decisions, leading to some dramatic votes in recent years. In 2018, the body voted almost unanimously to lift limits on the presidents term, and in 2020 passed a resolution calling for a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong. The NPC runs alongside the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body of people from the arts, business and legal worlds, as well as party delegates. Together, theyre known as the Lianghui, or Two Sessions.

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2. Whats on the agenda?

Besides any discussion of the turmoil resulting from Russias invasion of Ukraine, Chinese lawmakers will release the countrys latest economic goals and fiscal spending plans Saturday. Leaders signaled the need to address contraction of demand, supply shocks and weaker expectations during their Central Economic Working Conference in December. Boosting consumption, easing credit supply, expediting infrastructure investment, addressing growth gaps and tweaking a Covid Zero strategy that frequently plunges cities into lockdown will be the main ways to lift the economy, BNP Paribas SA analysts Xd Chen and Jacqueline Rong wrote. Foreign Minister Wang Yi was expected to address hot button issues such as Ukraine and U.S. support for Taiwan during his annual news conference Monday. Xi will likely use the biggest event on Chinas political calendar before a twice-a-decade party congress later this year to further shore up support.

3. Whos coming?

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NPC deputies and CPPCC members have one thing in common: They need the partys blessing to be there. Attendees include Xi and his six fellow members of the Politburo Standing Committee, other party and government leaders, company executives and military commanders. Hui Ka Yan, chairman of the worlds most-indebted property developer, Evergrande Group, could skip the CPPCC meeting, or even be ousted from the body. For the third year straight, there will be no foreign journalists flying in to mingle with masters of the worlds second-largest economy due to Covid curbs. Only some Chinese and foreign journalists based in the capital will attend, and from a satellite location miles away. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has turned down her invite to focus on the citys virus surge. About a dozen of the citys 36 NPC deputies had their trip to the capital thwarted when one in their group tested positive for Covid during their two-week quarantine in Shenzhen, causing him and close contacts to remain in the southern Chinese city, the South China Morning Post reported.

4. What is Xi facing going in?

Xi must overcome several crises on his path to the party congress, where the ruling party traditionally reshuffles its leadership line-up. The debt-ridden housing sector has crashed, causing companies to default and sales to slump, tighter regulation of the tech sector has wiped out billions in stock market wealth and efforts to cut carbon emissions have hit the economy. Covid Zero controls have all but shut the nations borders and stifled consumption. Moreover, the countrys birth rate is tumbling, and womens rights issues keep flaring up. Internationally, Xis decision to publicly join hands with President Vladimir Putin at the Beijing Winter Olympics weeks before the invasion of Ukraine has led to calls for China to show it supports the independence of smaller nations.

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5. What about the economy?

The fiscal and economic projections released on the NPCs opening day are some of the most anticipated indicators of the direction of Chinas economy. Last year, the governments target of above 6% growth in gross domestic product fell short of the 8.4% increase predicted by economists, as China prioritized reducing debt levels and encouraging innovation over growth. This year, Beijing was likely to set a growth target of between 5% and 5.5%, BNP Paribas analysts said.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

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From the dawn of Crispr in 2012, medical scientists have recognized the gene-editing tools potential to treat, or even cure, genetic diseases. New data from Intellia Therapeutics this week make their hope more realistic than ever. The companys Crispr therapy was able to significantly lower patients levels of a misfolded liver protein and keep them low for months.

This comes as very good news for many biotech companies racing to develop therapies that stop the human liver from making bad-behaving proteins.

The Nobel prize-winning Crispr technology is moving from concept to clinic at breathtaking pace. Intellia is the first company to demonstrate success in so-called in vivo editing  that is, in living human cells. (The field has also seen some early good results in ex vivo editing, where cells are removed from the body, edited in a lab and then given back to a patient.)

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Intellias data came from a phase 1 trial of a therapy it is developing with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals that reduces output of the protein transthyretin, or TTR. In people with TTR amyloidosis, the liver makes a misfolded version of this protein, which then clumps together and builds up, causing damage to organs and nerves.

Last June, Intellia offered early data on the first six people who were given the drug. Among those who got the highest dose, blood levels of the errant protein dropped on average by 87%. The next question was, could the effect be improved at higher doses? If so, how long would it last?

The new data provide some answers. Nine more people added to the trial received one of two higher doses of the drug. So far, it appears that the higher the dose, the better it knocks out the gene.

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Gene-editing experts are even more excited about the treatments durability. Intellias data show that protein levels stay low for at least 12 months after the Crispr therapy. Although it will take years to learn whether this will be a lifelong fix, the data suggest that a one-and-done treatment is at least a possibility.

In the gene-editing world, these new data have brought not just a collective sigh of relief that nothing bad happened, but also a fairly audible Woohoo! says Fyodor Urnov, director of the Center for Translational Genomics at the Innovative Genomics Institute.

The next hurdle for Intellia will be to show that its Crispr therapy is as good as or better than two existing drugs for TTR-amyloidosis: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Onpattro, which is administered once every three weeks, and Ionis Pharmaceuticals Tegsedi, which is given weekly. Intellias early data suggest that its drug can more fully suppress TTR production, but the company will need to prove that the effect translates into actual benefits for patients. That means demonstrating in a clinical study that it can slow or reverse the damage caused by the build-up of those protein plaques.

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Another key test for Intellia, and more generally for the gene-editing field, will be to show that its Crispr therapy wont cause dangerous side effects down the road. A constant worry about any gene therapy is that it may make so-called off target cuts in otherwise healthy DNA that could lead to cancer.

If further data from Intellias trials check all the boxes on safety and efficacy, the company will be poised to take a page from the playbook of another Nobel prize-winning technology, RNA interference. That approach uses molecules called small interfering RNAs to turn off production of errant proteins.

Alnylam spent more than 16 years working out how to get those siRNAs into liver cells. But once it struck upon a successful delivery system, designing new drugs by swapping in new siRNA became fairly straightforward. The biotech firm now has multiple approved drugs and a robust late-stage pipeline.

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Intellias data suggest that gene-editing companies could adopt that same kind of plug-and-play approach, at least for liver diseases. In my mind, the door to the liver is now wide open, said Kiran Musunuru, a cardiologist at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine and a founder of Verve Therapeutics, which is developing a type of gene editor that swaps one base for another.

Biotech companies aspire not only to shut down bad-behaving proteins, but also to correct larger stretches of DNA or to insert new genetic code. Delivering those types of approaches to the target cells, even in the liver, remains a high hurdle for the field.

Another wrinkle for Intellia: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ruled yesterday that the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT owns the intellectual property underpinning the first generation of Crispr gene editors. Intellia and several other companies licensed the technology from the University of California, which has claimed to own the IP and says it plans to appeal the Patent Office decision. Shares of Intellia and others sank on the news, but analysts think the universities will eventually establish cross-licensing agreements that wont delay development in the Crispr pipeline.

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In any case, Intellias data is a big step toward proving that Crispr can live up to its immense hype  at least for some genetic diseases. The question is whether companies will be able to crack the delivery problem and realize the technologys full potential.

More from other writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Can Moderna Buy Its Way Into the $200 Billion Club?: Max Nisen

 Crispr Is Still Promising, Even If Editass Experiment Falls Short: Max Nisen

 Crispr Gene-Editing Breakthrough Is a Big Deal. How Big?: Sam Fazeli

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lisa Jarvis, the former executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News, writes about biotech, drug discovery and the pharmaceutical industry for Bloomberg Opinion.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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It is hard not to be cynical about the college admissions process. In the latest effort to encourage more diversity at American colleges and universities, two Democrats in Congress have introduced legislation to bar colleges that participate in the federal financial aid program from considering legacy status in deciding who gets in. As Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, one of the co-sponsors, explained, Selecting applicants to universities based off of family names, connections, or the size of their bank accounts creates an un-level playing field for students without those built-in advantages, especially impacting minority and first generation students.

But if we have learned any lessons from the past quarter century, it should be that college officials will look for a way to skirt these restrictions, just as they have with laws limiting the use of race as a primary factor in admissions to favor some groups over others.

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Strategies designed to promote racial diversity can just as readily be used to provide cover for legacy admissions, whereby children or grandchildren of alumni or donors receive special preferences. The current trend toward eliminating standardized tests and class rankings for purposes of diversity, or making those tests optional, gives schools even more latitude.

As measures of ability or promise become less objective, legacy students  just like other students with wealth and connections  will be the ones likely to benefit by taking advantage of new rules. Of course, this is the reverse of what the sponsors of the congressional legislation intend. They would reject comparisons to ongoing lawsuits against Harvard and the University of North Carolina that claim the universities have been discriminating against students in some racial groups at the expense of others.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in these cases in October with a ruling expected next year. The court ruled in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke in 1978 that colleges could not use race as a primary factor in admissions, but only as a plus factor. In Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003, the justices stipulated that the policy be narrowly tailored.

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The only way that plaintiffs in the two court cases might prove they had been discriminated against would be to examine the individual test scores and grade point averages of the various applicants to these schools. That is not readily done because those records are confidential and private.

But the plaintiffs claim that Asian American students in the Harvard case and white and Asian students in the University of North Carolina suit who have test scores (as well as grades and extracurricular resumes) well above the average at the schools were turned down in favor of admitting Black, Hispanic and Native American students whose SAT scores were well below the average.

To get around those measures, admissions officers have used vaguely worded tests of personality or character to boost the portfolios of students from favored groups and scale back the records of students from other groups. Asian applicants argue that they tend to be greatly disfavored by these subjective measures.

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The Supreme Court will decide whether or not schools are allowed to tip the scales in these ways. The schools claim such measures are necessary if they are to admit diverse and balanced classes. No matter what the court decides, colleges may look for new ways to arrive at the results they want.

A parallel question is now being posed to admissions officers in regard to the policy of admitting legacies. These tips, as they are called, are used by elite schools to encourage alumni loyalty and assist in raising funds. Even if such legacies were banned or discouraged due to outside pressures and attention, colleges will still be able to find ways to identify relatives of alumni or donors through essays, interviews, letters and recommendations.

Legacy students might be more likely to write an essay that mentions specific aspects of a schools history or campus traditions. They might be less likely to use the Common Application and more able to write a school-specific essay. They might also be more likely to visit in person and mention that they have parents who attended.

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Legacies made up 15% of the 2019 Harvard class. If Harvard eliminated preferences based on race and legacy and for children of donors, faculty and staff, and gave a larger boost to socioeconomically disadvantaged students of all races, legacies would have declined from 15% in the status quo to 4%, according to an expert report filed in the case.

But the campaign against legacy admissions, thought to be an aspect of the push for diversity and against privilege, cannot be squared with efforts to get rid of standardized tests  since elimination of clear and reliable measures will give admissions officers more wiggle room to select the mix of students they want.

Whatever you want the next freshman class to look like, the only way to ensure accountability on the part of colleges is by insisting on measurable standards of academic performance.

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(James Piereson is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and at the Independent Womens Forum.)

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Supreme Court Should Just End Affirmative Action: Ramesh Ponnuru

 Why the Most Qualified Person for a Job Hardly Ever Is: Stephen L. Carter

 The Supreme Court Wont Uphold Affirmative Action: Noah Feldman

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Naomi Schaefer Riley is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior fellow at the Independent Womens Forum.

James Piereson is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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The global oil market is suffering whats starting to look like the biggest disruption since the 1990-91 Gulf War. A large chunk of Russian crude and refined products exports are not finding buyers now and signs point to even more trouble by next week. Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude have surged above $105 a barrel for the first time since 2014. In late trading in London on Tuesday, WTI was up more than 10% in one of the biggest one-day spikes ever. More importantly, yardsticks that measure the short-term tightness of the market are surging. The price gap between a barrel of Brent delivered now and one in one year has widened to more than $13.50 a barrel, the largest spread since Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait almost 32 years ago.

The situation calls for emergency measures, akin to those deployed by central banks during the 2008-09 global financial crisis, to overcome the supply shock. Here are six key points:

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*First, a problem traders call self-sanctioning: Market participants are simply refusing to deal in Russian oil, even if Western governments allow it within the sanctions they have imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The reasons include confusion about whats legally permitted, fears about reputational damage, or moral objections.

Russia exports about 5 million barrels a day of crude, plus nearly 3 million barrels of refined products. Estimates of the potential losses are hard to come by, but oil traders believe exports are likely to suffer a notable drop by late next week, reflecting the collapse in demand by refiners. They all suggest that as many as 2 million barrels a day of Russian oil exports (crude and refined products) are at risk, or about 25% of total. The situation is fluid, and some traders and executives are penciling larger losses, with some saying 30%-to-50% of seaborne Russian oil flows are failing to find buyers as of right now. If the later figures prove correct, the disruption could top 4 million barrels a day.

In the clearest sign yet that almost all buyers of Russian oil have left the market, the countrys flagship crude was offered on Tuesday at a record discount of $18.60 a barrel under the Brent benchmark. Even at that exceptional discount, several times larger than the usual couple of bucks difference, there were not a single bid for the barrels.

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*The biggest obstacle to trading Russian oil is shipping. Sovcomflot, the state-controlled Russian company  the worlds biggest owner of medium-sized tankers, called Aframaxes  is being largely shunned. Other key tanker companies and managers, including Maersk Tankers and Torm, have announced they are, for now, not taking on new Russian oil shipping contracts. When a tanker from an adventurous owner comes available, it costs as much as 300% more than it did only a few days ago, making the trade prohibitively expensive. Beyond shipping, many banks are also refusing to deal in Russian oil, even if Europe and the U.S. gave general licenses on their sanctions to allow energy payments.

*The International Energy Agency on Tuesday agreed to release 60 million barrels from its members strategic petroleum reserves, but thats not close enough to cover the potential drop in Russian oil exports if self-sanctioning continues. If the release intends to cover only 30 days, it equals 2 million barrels a day, matching what traders believe are current losses. But the losses may be larger. IEA members hold emergency stockpiles of 1.5 billion barrels  so they can release far more oil, and quicker.

The IEA should call on China and India to tap their emergency stockpiles, too. The lesson from this centurys financial crises is for authorities to use overwhelming measures. The emergency release is, however, a losing battle: the IEA is fighting an open-ended shortfall with a finite stockpile. Demand management is therefore crucial. Even at risk of bringing back the memories of Jimmy Carters cardigan, western leaders should encourage energy conservation now.*The U.S., Japan and Europe should use diplomatic pressure to convince Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to immediately increase production well above their OPEC+ current quotas. Its in the interest of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to help to stabilize the market. So far, both Saudi Arabia and the UAE appear to be siding with Russia. If they do so, they will be on the wrong side of history. OPEC+ meets virtually on Wednesday, and in recent meetings, the group has supported a 400,000-barrel a day output increase each month. Considering the current disruption, thats not enough.*President Joe Biden should use its State of the Union speech to encourage American oil drillers to boost production. The U.S. shale patch needs to go into war footing. Many in the American oil industry would be tempted to snap back a we told you so! about forgetting about the domestic industry. Perhaps they are right, but this is the wrong time for recriminations. Get on with the job, and drill. At $100-plus a barrel, every U.S. shale producer is able to pay dividends, reduce debt and boost spending. The industry should not  and this is crucial  use this opportunity as a blank check; it must recognize that this is a moment of crisis. This is not a return to drill, baby, drill!*Finally, a nuclear deal with Iran would help to alleviate the crisis, guaranteeing the return of perhaps 500,000 barrels a day in a relatively short time frame, and another 500,000 barrels a day in six months or so. But a deal between Tehran and the U.S., Europe, China and Russia is uncertain, with diplomats racing against the clock in talks in Vienna this week. Iran appears to see the current oil shortage as leverage to extract further concession. Without an Iran deal, the outlook for the oil market would be eve more perilous. Currently, it feels like the chances of a deal are a coin toss.

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Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. He previously was commodities editor at the Financial Times and is the coauthor of The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earths Resources.

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The U.S. Federal Reserve has acted swiftly to adopt new rules regarding the investing and trading activities of senior officials, seeking to resolve what has been the most intense ethical scandal in the central banks 109-year history. Yet questions remain about what went wrong questions that must be answered before the Fed can move on.

The trouble began in September 2021, when journalists unearthed financial disclosures showing that Fed officials  most egregiously Robert Kaplan, then president of the Dallas Fed  actively traded individual stocks and financial assets in 2020 while the central bank was undertaking vast market interventions to keep the U.S. and global economy afloat. It deepened when then Vice Chair Richard Clarida later disclosed that he had bought at least $1 million of shares in a U.S. stock fund on the eve of a major Fed announcement in February 2020, after selling a similar amount just a few days earlier. Ultimately, Kaplan, Clarida and Eric Rosengren of the Boston Fed resigned, and a number of senior staff came under scrutiny.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell announced the new rules in October, and the central banks policy-making committee formally adopted them earlier this month. Policy makers and senior staff members are no longer allowed to own individual stocks and bonds or transact in derivatives. Also, they must provide 45 days non-retractable notice before making any transactions, must hold investments for at least a year and are completely barred from trading during periods of heightened financial market stress, as defined by the chair and general counsel of the Feds Board of Governors.

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The rules are well designed, and much tougher than those governing Congress or the judiciary. But they shed no further light on what actually happened. The public needs to know the whole truth about the Fed officials trading activity, who knew what when, and what, if anything, anyone tried to do about it. To that end, Chair Powell  at the time under consideration for reappointment but not yet nominated nor guaranteed the post  requested that the Feds Inspector General produce a definitive account, and promised that he would play no role in the investigation.

To satisfy the public and the Feds Congressional overseers, the Inspector Generals report should answer the following questions:

 Did investigators receive full access to all individuals, institutions and materials involved? This is a real concern because, for example, the reserve banks arent legally required to adhere to Freedom of Information Act requests.

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 What were the exact dates of the officials transactions? The existing disclosures are troublingly vague, simply saying multiple for most assets, meaning the officials made more than one trade during the year. The ethical rules of the time forbade active trading in the 13 days surrounding a scheduled meeting of the policy-making Federal Open Market Committee. But the Fed held dozens of emergency meetings in 2020 and took many actions outside of the preset meeting schedule. Also, the ethics officer of the Board of Governors sent a notice to officials in March, warning against making unnecessary trades.

 How were the transactions approved? At least three groups of people beyond the officials in question could have been involved: the ethics officers, the general counsel, and the reserve bank boards of directors. The report should detail what these people knew, when they knew it, whether their formal approval was given and why.

 What role did the Feds Board of Governors play? In January 2021, months before the scandal broke but after the transactions had taken place, the board  in a process led by Governor Lael Brainard  approved all 12 reserve bank presidents for another five-year term. Were the transactions part of the review process? Was anyone on the board (other than Clarida) aware of the transactions?

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 Are the new rules sufficient? Some have argued that they should limit officials to a single asset allocation or require that assets be placed in a qualified blind trust. I think the rules are adequate, that blind trusts are not as effective as they sound and that the marginal benefit of single asset allocation is not worth the cost. But the Inspector General should formally weigh in.

The trading scandal has cast a shadow over the Fed. If the central bank wants to maintain the high degree of political and public support it has historically enjoyed, the Inspector Generals report must offer the necessary illumination.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Kaleb Nygaard is a senior research associate at the Yale Program on Financial Stability and the host of two podcasts, The Bankster and The Reserve.

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President Vladimir Putins regime has been accused of corruption for years by campaigners and investigative journalists. The U.S. Treasury said it officially on Monday, directly calling Putins regime a kleptocracy. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Putin has given the U.S. and its allies the perfect chance to crack down on the lax practices and loopholes that facilitate corruption and allow dirty money to swill around Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. President Joe Biden has pledged that his administration would battle money laundering and tax evasion by kleptocrats and criminals, starting in the U.S.

Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine demanded a harsh and rapid response from world powers to try and cut off funding for Putins war effort. It is the time to strike at the regimes shadowy offshore funds too.

Before this, they couldnt have gone after Putin without risking provoking him, said Sony Kapoor, a banking and finance expert who runs a think tank, the Nordic Institute for Finance, Technology & Sustainability. Now they can freeze, confiscate and repatriate assets from Putin and his inner circle directly.

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The U.K. has already been prodded to bring forward a delayed economic-crime law, designed to expose the true owners of real estate and tackle money laundering through London, estimated by the National Crime Agency to cost the U.K. more than 100 billion pounds ($134 billion) a year. Switzerland and the string of global tax havens and secretive jurisdictions, including those under Britains protection, should be pressed to join the cause. Globally, the volume of illicit funds being cleansed in the financial system is worth 2%-5% of GDP, or up to $2 trillion, according to the United Nations.

The U.S. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control on Monday banned any U.S. citizens or companies from dealing with Russias central bank as well as with Russian wealth funds and the ministry of finance. It described one sovereign pool, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, as a slush fund for Putin and emblematic of Russias broader kleptocracy in its statement.

This fund and its leadership are symbols of deep-seated Russian corruption and influence peddling globally, a senior administration official said, according to a White House transcript of the background briefing. Some of you may know it spun off from VEB  Putins slush fund bank that we fully blocked last week  and its known to be intimately connected to kleptocracy at the highest levels of the Russian government.

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For the U.S., something like this has been building for a while. Biden has pledged to stop corrupt leaders and criminals from using the U.S. financial system to launder money and evade taxes. Last December, the Treasury launched a kleptocracy fund to reward informants who helped identify assets. The U.S. also already passed the Corporate Transparency Act to beef up company registration standards toward the end of Donald Trumps presidency.

There seems to have been a recognition in the U.S. that opaque financial flows are a threat to national security interests, which has been bipartisan, said Oliver Bullough, an author and money-laundering expert.

Putins regime has been accused for years of misappropriating funds by investors such as American-born William Browder and exiled tycoons like Mikhail Khordokovsky. Details of individuals and companies linked with money laundering and corruption have been exposed by investigative journalists with groups like the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and in national newspaper consortiums. And books like Putins People by Catherine Belton have attempted to expose how Russian offshore funds have been used to finance secretive overseas operations to help Russias allies and undermine its enemies.

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A string of countries has joined attempts to squeeze and isolate Russia financially through sanctions. In the latest step, the U.S., a string of European countries plus Canada and Japan agreed to freeze much of the Russian central banks $643 billion in foreign currency assets.

Even Switzerland has agreed to follow last weeks European Union sanctions against individuals, companies and some banks, including sanctioning Putin, his prime minister and foreign minister. It isnt the first time Swiss banks have frozen assets of people under U.S. sanctions, but the country still guards its geopolitical independence and banking secrecy.

Theres a romantic notion in Swiss banking that its privacy protects good individuals from dangers at home, but this looks increasingly outdated the more scandals have emerged about its harboring of bad actors.

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Britain should do more. The governments economic crime bill is a step, but critics fear this wont go far enough. It will finally bring transparency to Britains notorious offshore-owned prime housing market, long favored by oligarchs as a place to stash their cash, said Bullough. But the government still isnt cleaning up the U.K. corporate register, where shell companies with anonymous owners can still be established cheaply.

Its clear Britain is not yet on board with any campaign to push dark money out of the financial system, Bullough said.

The short-term aim is about stopping the fighting in Ukraine, but theres a longer-term goal that is in reach here. Combatting corruption and money laundering needs to be a global effort. The U.S. appears ready to lead it, other nations must sign up.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Europes Elite Reckons With Its Russian Ties: Lionel Laurent

 West Uses Russias Central Bank Against Putin: Timothy OBrien

 The Invasion of Ukraine Is a Tragic Sin: Leonid Bershidsky

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Paul J. Davies is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering banking and finance. He previously worked for the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

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The yellow and blue of Ukraines flag, which was banned during the Soviet era, has become a powerful global symbol after Russias invasion. Its been beamed onto landmarks from New York to Sarajevo, splashed across social media, and waved during anti-war protests around the world. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight It has also done a lot to bind members of the European Union and the NATO alliance together, in a moment of welcome geopolitical solidarity after a pandemic that hardened borders and national interests. Sanctions are piling up against Russia, refugees are being taken in, business and political ties are being cut, and financial and military support for Ukraine is flowing.

As Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy heaps pressure on Europe to be more assertive, Russian President Vladimir Putin is triggering the kind of fear that smashes long-held taboos. The EU is supplying arms to a country at war for the first time in its history, using a financial envelope whose name  the Peace Facility  says it all. Its not often that security takes priority over economic expediency. The union is waking up to a new normal of permanent instability, according to the German Marshall Funds Bruno Lete.

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And as the balance of European power swings East  where Baltic states feel emboldened after warning for years of Putins belligerence but also vulnerable to conflict at their doorstep  Kyiv is reiterating demands for the ultimate prize: Membership in the EU club. Fed up with knocking politely at the door, Zelenskiy is giving it a kick. Europe must give Ukraine everything it asks for, Latvias defense minister wrote in a Financial Times op-ed, citing Ukraines aspirations to join EU and also NATO.

Obviously, if theres a time to dream big, its now. It is perhaps easier to visualize the EUs flag one day billowing next to Ukraines than it is NATOs, described by a former head of the alliance as a hell-freezing-over scenario. Some symbolic recognition of Kyivs European aspirations would be a worthy accompaniment of more funding and deeper ties  especially if it adds to diplomatic pressure on Putin.

But amid the idealism, there still needs to be realism: Not every taboo is going to be broken.

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EU enlargement is not just a bureaucratic paper-push but a preciously guarded power that has been as divisive a topic as defense  not least after the departure of the U.K. and worries over democratic backsliding in the East. Ukraines 43 million citizens and commodities-focused economy would take years, if not decades, to integrate. Even as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen trumpeted that Ukraine was one of us, European Council President Charles Michel cautioned of differing views on the issue.

Nor is it obvious that the Europeans have fully worked out what kind of defense they want. There has been a lack of political will, concrete budget commitments and an inability of 27 countries to define their most pressing threats. The EU facility financing weapons for Ukraine is an off-budget, inter-governmental tool that wont require any internal arm-twisting. We are still at the easiest point of the turnaround  the beginning.

Even without a full-fledged vision of defense, more spending seems inevitable. Defense company shares are rising, with BAE Systems and Thales up around 25% this month as achieving the symbolic level of 2% of GDP would see Germany alone spend an extra $18 billion, according to Jefferies analysts. Even if Sciences Pos Julien Theron notes that the 2% figure is symbolic rather than a fulfilment of NATOs wish list, an awakening is taking place.

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And the willingness of the EU to confront its trade and energy ties to Russia is an important signal for a union with global dependencies that leave it vulnerable  the recent launch of a screening tool to monitor foreign investment from powers like China is slowly gaining traction.

The real limits to a more assertive EU will ultimately be set by governments and voters. What seems unifying today can create the opposite result tomorrow. The sight of American troops leaving Afghanistan in chaotic fashion, or French troops leaving Mali, are visible signs that an initially popular and necessary military response can lose support over time. The EU has also yet to feel the full economic brunt of sanctions.

It is, however, heartening that the EUs power play is being seen, not just heard: A more assertive bloc willing to invest in defense with U.S. support, confront economic dependencies that make it vulnerable, and find common ground among its members. Its an idealistic flag, but one worth flying.

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 Why Negotiations Are Both Futile and Necessary: Therese Raphael

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the European Union and France. He worked previously at Reuters and Forbes.

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Something still feels broken in the labor market. There are many jobs and wages are up. But there is also a sense of uncertainty and misery. Service jobs can be grueling, and despite recent growth, peoples wages over the course of their careers arent increasing as fast as they once did  especially when you account for inflation. And every day brings more technology that might one day take your job.

The Biden administration and labor activists think the answer to these problems is to empower unions. After all, unions historically protected some workers and their wages, and helped jobs feel stable. Despite the political enthusiasm, though, its not clear workers actually want to be part of these labor groups. Recent unions drives have failed. At their height, about a quarter of employees were part of a union; now only about 10% are, and it falls further each year.

Thats not altogether surprising. Why pay dues to an institution that may not serve your needs? Unions in their present form no longer work for our new economy. If they want to play a role going forward they need to reinvent themselves. Heres how.

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The union model made some sense in the post-war era, when many jobs were fairly routine and there was lots of value in gaining skills unique to a particular employer; How a company made cars or did word processing tended to be unique to each employer. This meant workers were more beholden to their employers, since their skills had less value on the open market. There was also not much wage variance within a single firm because jobs were more similar and there was a smaller premium on talent. It was harder to monitor who was a better, harder worker. If you were lucky enough to be in a union, it offered job security, higher wages and benefits that rewarded long tenure. People got paid a similar amount, which meant better workers subsidized weaker ones, and that was a fair trade for the security that came from the power of banding together.

Now the world is different. Mechanization means everyone uses the same word processing software and similar manufacturing techniques, so skills are easier to transfer across employers. There is a big premium on talent and data analytics mean its easier to identify the better employees for higher compensation. If you are a high-value worker there is less incentive to unionize because it would mean subsidizing your colleagues or paying dues to someone other than your employer who can determine (and limit) your career path.

Despite a changing labor market, the Biden administration is trying its best to bring back unions. But its an attempt to recreate the 1960s economy. Instead unions should reform themselves to adjust to the new economy.

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The problem with the labor market is people cant take enough risk  which is how wages go up and people get ahead. We know from finance there are two ways to manage risk: hedging, which means taking less risk and forgoing upside; and insurance, which provides protection from the downside while allowing you to keep the upside. Insurance tends to increase risk taking while hedging reduces it.

Unions traditionally offered hedging, reducing risk by offering stable salaries and discouraging job changing. But that only holds people back. They should instead focus on helping workers take more risks in a more dynamic economy by offering them insurance.

Even as union membership has fallen, so has job switching (last year was a rare exception). Fewer job changes is one big reason wages arent growing as fast. We also have an entrepreneurship deficit despite the fact that technology makes it easier than ever to work for yourself. People arent taking these risks in part because health and retirement benefits are tied to employers, making change prohibitively expensive.

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Instead of traditional unions that manage your relationship with your employer, unions can become modern day guilds that workers belong to as long as they work in a particular industry  no matter what company employs them. The union could offer benefits for its workers, but not negotiate wages or working conditions with employers.

For example, imagine a gig workers union (or guild) where membership offers quality health insurance (at good rates because workers pool together), disability insurance, or even insurance that offers sick leave. The unions could also offer legal services and counseling for disputes with employers. It wouldnt try to set wages and work conditions with gig platforms, as this forces the workers to give up flexibility, autonomy and upside. Instead, the modern union would fill a hole in the labor market, where workers are under-insured and constrained from taking risk.

This is not a union in the traditional sense because it wouldnt have much direct sway over companies -- and that may make the idea sound radical. But the primary purpose of unions is to protect workers and get them a better deal. The old union model no longer meets that objective. If it did, more people would want to unionize. Unions are already moving into the role I describe, offering benefits. The Screen Actors Guild is one such model: it still does collective bargaining, negotiating minimum pay and working conditions, but a large part of its value is offering benefits like health insurance to its members while top performers continue to get higher rewards. It was built for the superstar economy many other industries are starting to resemble.

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Workers need a reliable source of insurance so they can more easily change jobs or work independently. Enabling workers to take more risks will enhance individual bargaining power in a modern economy. Thats never had more value for workers, and its what they need to thrive more than overprotective unions.

More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

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Allison Schrager is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of An Economist Walks Into a Brothel: And Other Unexpected Places to Understand Risk.

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Excluding Russia from global bankings SWIFT messaging system was always seen as an extreme option to punish President Vladimir Putin for his actions in Ukraine. Some were reluctant to impose it; Frances finance minister called it the financial nuclear weapon. Yet on Feb. 26, the U.S. and its allies put aside fears over the potential hit to their own economies and moved to shut a group of Russian lenders out of the network. That left bankers and diplomats racing to grasp the repercussions for everything from energy exports to debt and currency markets.

1. What is SWIFT?

SWIFT -- the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication -- is the Gmail of global banking. It delivers secure messages among more than 11,000 financial institutions and companies in over 200 countries and territories, handling trillions of dollars in transactions. The message traffic -- 42 million a day on average last year -- includes orders and confirmations for payments, trades and currency exchanges. A member-owned cooperative, based just outside Brussels, SWIFT was founded in 1973 to end reliance on the telex system.

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2. Why is losing SWIFT access such a big deal?

A country cut off from SWIFT can suffer significant economic pain. Thats what happened to Iran in 2012, when its banks lost access as part of European Union sanctions targeting the countrys nuclear program and its sources of finance. (Many of the banks were reconnected in 2016 after the EU took them off its sanctions list.) When Western nations threatened Russias access to SWIFT in 2014, Alexei Kudrin, a onetime finance minister close to Putin, estimated that it could reduce Russias gross domestic product by 5% in a year.

3. Whos been banned?

The U.S. was working with European Union partners to finalize the list of Russian banks to be cut off from SWIFT. It was set to include seven lenders including state-controlled VTB, Bank Rossiya and Bank Otkritie, according to an EU draft. Some of those targeted already faced other sanctions. Sberbank and Gazprombank were excluded from the proposal, underscoring concern over the potential economic fallout for Europe. Sberbank has twice as many assets as any other bank in Russia and Gazprombank is a key bank for Russias energy conglomerates.

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4. Why the initial reluctance to impose a SWIFT ban?

U.S. President Joe Biden cited the lack of unity among European nations as a reason. Another was a fear among Western officials that banning countries from SWIFT would encourage development of alternative systems. Plus, theres the likelihood of collateral damage. The SWIFT move could result in missed payments and giant overdrafts within the international banking system, said Credit Suisse strategist Zoltan Pozsar, who compared the situation to the 2008 failure of Lehman Brothers and the pandemic-related market slump of March 2020. Europe uses SWIFT to send payments for Russian natural gas it needs to heat its homes and power factories, meaning a ban could threaten supplies in the midst of the winter heating period, adding to an already heightened cost of living crisis in the region. A German government spokeswoman said purchases of Russian gas were still possible using SWIFT, even after the ban.

5. Is there an alternative to SWIFT?

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Not really, or at least not yet. Since 2014, the Bank of Russia has run its own financial messaging system for Russian and foreign banks. But that one has only about 400 users. The Peoples Bank of China in 2021 announced a joint venture with SWIFT that was seen in some quarters as an insurance policy against being cut off from the global financial system. Digital currencies and the underlying technology have also been touted as a threat to SWIFT for several years, but theyre nowhere close to replacing it.

6. How secure is the SWIFT system?

There have been multiple attempts to rob financial institutions through fraudulent messaging on SWIFT, some of them successful. Bangladeshs central bank lost $81 million to hackers who breached it in 2016 and tricked the Federal Reserve Bank of New York into sending funds. SWIFT emphasized that its own network hadnt been breached, but it beefed up security in the wider industry with mandatory and advisory controls at member firms.

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7. Who regulates SWIFT?

Since it doesnt hold deposits, SWIFT isnt regulated the way a bank is. Its overseen by the National Bank of Belgium and representatives from the U.S. Federal Reserve System, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and other major central banks. Generally speaking, SWIFT would cut off access only if the European Union passed sanctions against a particular entity or country. SWIFT suspended certain Iranian lenders in 2018 after the U.S. imposed a new round of sanctions, although it says that was an isolated event that was taken in the interest of the stability and integrity of the wider global financial system.

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Churchill famously said it is better to jaw-jaw than war-war, but as he himself reflected, thats not always possible. While a ceasefire in Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine would be the answer to many prayers, there was no sign of it Monday. Ukrainian and Russian delegations ended five hours of negotiations without agreement. Russian forces heavily bombed the city of Kharkiv the whole time.

Its possible that Putin, increasingly aware that he has miscalculated badly, will seek a way to avoid a war of attrition in Kyiv. But images of a 40-mile-long Russian military convoy heading toward the Ukrainian capital Monday night suggest instead that he has made the grisly choice to double down.

Though the Russian delegation indicated there would be further negotiations soon, there is no obvious off-ramp for Putin now. With each passing day, it becomes more difficult to see what a negotiated solution would look like.

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Having formally recognized two pseudo republics in the Donbas region, Putin would hardly repudiate his whole pretense. And given the scale of the attack and the civilian targets, negotiations would be unlikely to deter a war-crimes investigation. He has become not simply a pariah but one of historys monsters. His country will be deeply isolated, economically hobbled and cut off in all sorts of ways from the rest of the world as long as he rules.

But although negotiations seem futile, the search to end the invasion must continue. Putin is capable of inflicting tremendous harm, and the prospect of a nuclear escalation is unthinkable.

Meanwhile, the free worlds response has begun to crystallize. As the reality of a major war in the center of Europe has sunk in, so too have the broader stakes, which Ukraines government has been at pains to emphasize. It has taken us a while to connect those dots.

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After Russias illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, realists argued that the West should accept that Ukraine is fully within Russias sphere of influence. The idea of a Western-oriented Ukraine was seen as a liberal fantasy; it would serve better as a neutral buffer between NATO and Russia, the argument went.

Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who strongly disagreed with the Crimea grab, was gunned down in front of the Kremlin for his views seven years ago. The West imposed sanctions that caused some trouble, but Putin adapted and, in some ways, made his economy more resilient.

We should not be fooled, international-law scholar Thomas Grant wrote at the time. The situation in Ukraine is clear-cut. And, if Russia prevails in that situation, there will be consequences for our own security. Now a senior research fellow at the University of Cambridge, Grant says the Ukraine invasion, because of its scale and the pattern it shows, poses a bigger threat to the legal stability of international territorial borders.

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Its a sobering thought. If you think of the millions of ways individuals, companies, states and institutions are connected around the world, remove the immutable principle of stable borders and its like pulling the rug out. Suddenly you need to price in a lot more risk, uncertainty and volatility. Your country and my country may be big, allied and safe, but many others arent. And there will be a race to be armed to the teeth.

Normally the prospect of fighting the most serious security threat in most of our lifetimes, armed only with the United Nations Charter and other postwar legalese, would be a cause for despair. But the brazenness of Russias invasion and the threat it poses to Ukraine and broader European security have brought a swift and robust international response.

Putin, ever the former KGB officer, tried to coopt the language of international law in his rambling announcement of his peacekeeping mission. He wants the Crimea annexation recognized as a precondition of any deal. He realizes that legalese gives legitimacy to state action and will now be used against him.

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International law plays a role in coordinating the behavior of other actors. The fact that we have clear red lines that were broken makes it easier to coordinate a response, says Dapo Akande, a professor of public international law at Oxford University. Of course, Russias action also massively tests international institutions and the laws that provide the plumbing for our world.

A more proactive round of sanctions is already helping to unplug various segments of Russias economy from the global system, holding its leaders to account and pursuing the assets of those close to Putin. The freezing of Russian Central Bank assets and Switzerlands decision to join sanctions are particularly impactful. And while Russias veto as a permanent member of the UN Security Council effectively paralyzes that body, a Cold War-era mechanism has allowed the broader emergency General Assembly session to debate the invasion of Ukraine and vote on a resolution later this week. It wont have the practical impact of cutting off banks from the SWIFT payment system, but it will be a measure of the international opinion arrayed against Putin and will perhaps encourage dissent in Russia.

That resolve will have to withstand the costs and pressures that arise in the days and weeks ahead. Negotiations, if they resume, offer only the slimmest of hopes that this madness will be brought to an end. In the meantime, decoupling Russia from the global community and defeating Putin are the Wests most urgent tasks.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. She was editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe.

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Man kills 3 children, himself at church Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight A father fatally shot his three children and one other person before killing himself in a Sacramento church on Monday evening, police said. The children were under the age of 15, according to police. The fourth victim was supervising the fathers visit with his children, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones confirmed. It is unclear whether the person was a social worker or affiliated with the church.

Just after 5 p.m., a church worker who was upstairs heard a round of gunshots, Sgt. Rod Grassmann, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office, said at a news conference. The worker quickly exited the building and called 911 at 5:07 p.m. By the time first responders arrived on the scene, all five people were dead in a room in the main sanctuary, authorities said.

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The mother of the children, who was out of town at the time of the shooting, had previously filed a restraining order against the father, the sheriff told reporters.

 Jaclyn Peiser

Feinstein's husband dies after cancer fight

Richard Blum, husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 86.

Feinstein announced her husbands death in a statement Monday morning that said her heart is broken today.

She said her husband, a wealthy San Francisco investor, left things better than he found them and was devoted to his family. She described his work for the people of the Himalayas and noted he was a longtime friend of the Dalai Lamas.

In a White House statement, President Biden called Blum a successful businessman and proud son of California who dedicated much of his public life to fighting poverty around the globe.

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Biden said hed served on the Senate Judiciary Committee with Feinstein for 16 years and during that time, Jill and I came to know Dick as a friend.

Feinstein, 88, has missed votes in recent weeks as her husbands health declined; Democrats hold a fragile 50-50 majority. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) is also absent after suffering a stroke in January. He is expected to return in the coming weeks, ahead of an expected vote in April on Bidens Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Several of Feinsteins colleagues paid tribute to Blum on the Senate floor Monday afternoon.

Blum was the chairman of Blum Capital Partners, an equity investment management firm. He was also the former chairman of the University of California Board of Regents and a former chairman of the advisory board for the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. He served on then-President Barack Obamas Global Development Council.

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 Associated Press

Cuomo launches TV ad in bid to clear name

An unrepentant Andrew M. Cuomo (D) launched a television advertisement aimed at clearing his name on Monday, more than six months after a torrent of sexual harassment allegations drove the New York governor out of office.

The 30-second spot, which highlights decisions by New York district attorneys not to press criminal charges against him, closes with a picture of the beleaguered former governor behind an overlay of the words: Political attacks won. And New Yorkers lost a proven leader.

Five criminal probes of Cuomo, 64, closed without charges, although some prosecutors said they found accusations against him credible. Oswego County District Attorney Gregory Oakes coupled his decision with a plea to lawmakers to tighten sexual harassment laws.

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Cuomo, a three-term governor, has mostly kept a low profile since resigning, but he has begun to poke his head out recently. He told Bloomberg News in an interview in February that he had been vindicated by the decisions of the prosecutors.

In August, state Attorney General Letitia James (D) released a bombshell report that found Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women. The probe was met with swift outrage, and Cuomo quit after its release rather than face possible impeachment.

A November state Assembly report bolstered the findings of Jamess office, saying that the evidence of Cuomos sexual misconduct was overwhelming.

But Cuomo has stridently denied the claims against him. His surrogates have painted Jamess report as a partisan hatchet job.

 New York Daily News

Senate passes bill to end gun licensing

The Georgia Senate passed a Republican-backed bill Monday that would do away with the need for a license to carry a handgun in public  eliminating a current background check requirement.

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Democrats said the measure would fuel gun deaths and proposed an amendment that would expand background checks, but the GOP-controlled Senate defeated it. Senate Bill 319 passed 34 to 22 along party lines and now goes to the state House.

Facing a primary challenge from Republicans including former U.S. senator David Perdue, Gov. Brian Kemp has backed the revocation. He says Georgia residents should have their constitutional rights protected and be able to protect themselves and their families amid a spike in violent crime.

More than 20 other states allow concealed weapons in public without a permit, according to Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The bill would do away with the need for a license to carry a handgun in public  either openly or concealed on ones body.

Georgia currently requires people to obtain a license to carry a loaded handgun outside their own homes, businesses or cars, although people can carry rifles and shotguns in many places without a permit and carry unloaded guns in cases.

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To obtain a weapons license, state residents must submit an application and fee and undergo fingerprinting in addition to a background check.

People convicted of felonies and people who have been hospitalized for mental health problems or received treatment for drugs or alcohol in the years preceding the application are not eligible.

Also Monday, a House Public Safety and Homeland Security subcommittee passed House Bill 1358, its version of the Senate bill, with little debate.

The subcommittee also passed House Bill 1378, which would remove Georgias legal prohibition against carrying guns in churches.

 Associated Press

Man saved after clinging to ice chunk in Alaska's Cook Inlet: An Alaska man walking on a shoreline wound up clinging to a chunk of ice for more than 30 minutes in frigid water when the shoreline ice broke loose and carried him out into Cook Inlet. Jamie Snedden, 45, of Homer was rescued Saturday near the community of Anchor Point on the Kenai Peninsula. He was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia. He was expected to fully recover, Alaska wildlife troopers said. Snedden was swept about 300 yards out into the inlet, near the mouth of the Anchor River. He was not wearing any type of personal flotation device.

 Associated Press

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People look at cars abandoned in the Bronx borough of New York City after a night of extremely heavy rain last September. (Getty Images)

Researchers say individuals should respond to the hazard most pressing at the time and be prepared to move locations if necessary.
Times Herald File Photo The Safety Around Water or SAW program is just one of many opportunities youth can experience at the Daviess County Family YMCA. The annual campaign supplies funding so all in the Daviess County and surrounding communities have affordable access to YMCA membership, programs and resources that support youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.
Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on.
Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn says the Australian economy will not be impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the escalating conflict threatens to push inflation higher.

In delivering a speech for the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce in Melbourne on Tuesday, Mr Comyn acknowledged the conflict and paid respects to anyone with ties to the region.

CBA chief Matt Comyn said the Ukraine crisis would have a minimal impact on the Australian economy. Credit:

I want to mention the terrible situation currently unfolding on Ukraine and fear and suffering of those affected by war, Mr Comyn said.

The Russian invasion has raised concerns around the world of the potential to further increase inflation and trigger an energy crisis if economies are cut off from Russias vast gas supplies, as punitive sanctions are imposed to hobble the Russian economy.
Tasmanians lost access to internet and mobile phone coverage for about six hours on Tuesday afternoon after two undersea fibre cables connecting it to the mainland were accidentally severed.

The outage - which occurred across the island state and affected Telstra, TPG Telecom and Optus customers - caused major disruptions to businesses and hospitals from about 1pm. A Telstra spokesperson said all services were restored by 7pm.

Tasmania is suffering from a statewide network outage. Credit:iStock

A Telstra spokesperson said the damage to the cable, which connects Tasmania to the mainland, was caused in Melbourne by third party civil works.

From about 1pm on Tuesday, Tasmanians could send and receive calls but were unable to connect to the internet. Telstra said the cuts had impacted NBN internet services, some free-to-air TV and radio stations and mobile data services. In a statement, supermarket Coles said it was unable to pick, pack or deliver online orders due to the outage.
Two years from now, 14,400 souls will be projected giant-sized onto the dome of Hamer Hall for one minute each across 10 days. Described by conceptual artist and director Robert Walton as a probe were sending into the future, this holographic work, Child of Now, will be scanned from a diverse array of contributors and depict the life cycle of a 101-year-old.

Its not just an archive of what people look like and how they move, Walton says. Its an archive of peoples visions, hopes, dreams, and apologies to the future.

The Child of Now prototype at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Credit:Gregory Lorenzutti

This big dream began in a tiny room in the belly of the Arts Centre, where Walton sat down with First Nations consultant and co-writer Claire G. Coleman, the author of speculative fiction novel Terra Nullius.

I tend to think of the world in dystopian terms, Coleman says. She describes herself as a pessimistic optimist: I expect the worst is going to happen, but I always hope that someone will stop it.
In the dream, he was meeting his sister at his parents house for dinner, and they arrived to find his ex-wife in the backyard, sitting calmly at a picnic table. He and his family then went inside the house and looked through a window at his ex-wife. Andrew said he woke up feeling like he had dodged a bullet, and later decided that contacting his ex would be a bad idea. That Andrews dream provided enough insight to change his course of action, Barrett said, supports what is commonly known as continuity hypothesis: A theory that states that anxieties in our dreams may mirror the ones in our waking life. He said hed been thinking it might be reasonable and even pleasant to start getting together with his ex occasionally, she said. But something in his dream made him abandon this plan. Ian Wallace, a psychologist in Inverness, Scotland, and author of Decode Your Dreams: Unlock Your Unconscious and Transform Your Waking Life, was struck by the placid imagery: the calm face of Andrews ex and the picnic table.

The picnic table could symbolise that he now has the opportunity to make things easier and more pleasant for himself, he said. Tap dancing for attention Five years after Zach, 31, broke up with his on-and-off girlfriend of three years in 2014 because of issues related to dating long-distance, he had a dream about them meeting at what Zach described as a magic academy, like the one in the TV series The Magicians. Loading The two were on a great lawn, and Zach heard an old phonograph playing what he said might have been a love song in the distance. He began to tap dance, hoping his ex-girlfriend would see him, but she had fallen asleep on a blanket.

Later, he was in a room inside the academy. All of the rooms are locked by a magical spell that can only be broken by the occupant of the room, Zach said. When he heard a knock on the door, he opened it to find his ex-girlfriend there. Zach, who is in another relationship, said he rarely dreams about his ex-girlfriend and that he woke up wishing that he was at the magical academy. According to Barrett, each room being locked with a spell only its occupant can break could be associated with the issues that Zach and his ex faced by dating long-distance. That Zach woke up wishing he was at the academy could suggest an openness to reconnecting. I wouldnt be amazed to see this dreamer give it another chance, she said. The dreams mystical quality, Wallace said, suggests that Zach is seeking a perfect relationship. In waking life, we can sometimes delude ourselves with magical thinking as we try to idealise a romantic relationship rather than engaging with practicalities, he said. Rekindling a relationship

Right around the start of the pandemic, Justy, 34, said she started having one or two dreams a month about her ex-husband, whom she divorced in 2014 after two years of marriage. Loading In one dream, Justy, who is currently single, arrived at a hotel in the area where her ex grew up. There, she discovered that he was getting married to someone else. Soon she was surrounded by his family and friends, who told her that they wished it was her and him getting married again. Then, Justy and her ex were somewhere else, alone. He was holding her and saying that he wanted to be with her. Justy said the dream stayed with her because of how emotional it felt, despite the fact that she and her ex-husband no longer share romantic feelings. I think a big part of why these dreams started during the pandemic is theres this nostalgia for when I was married, she said. I really liked where my life was at and where my career was going.
Homicide detectives suspect a couple found dead in their semi-rural Darling Downs home on Monday night were involved in a murder-suicide.

Stephen and Sally Starling, aged 74 and 75, were discovered by police about 6.45pm after a neighbour noticed the couples barn door was open.

Sally and Steve Starling.

Shocked friends described the pair as social, adventurous and well-travelled.

Neighbour Pat Hogge said the pair had no children but owned horses and a yacht.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing flu-like symptoms, including a fever.

Mr Morrison released a statement just before midnight confirming that he tested positive on Tuesday evening, despite testing negative every day  including on Tuesday morning  since Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison coughs during a news conference at Parliament House in Canberra, hours before testing positive for COVID-19. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He repeatedly coughed during a news conference on Tuesday and pulled out of an event at the Sydney Opera House to light up the sails in yellow and blue in honour of Ukraine, which was attended by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

I had tested myself daily since Sunday, including this morning, with all tests returning a negative result, the Prime Minister said in a statement.
Salisbury, MD (21801)

Today

A shower or two possible this evening with partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A shower or two possible this evening with partly cloudy skies overnight. Low 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Masks are available for attendees of Home, Garden and Remodeling Show.
COVID cases in Louisville continue to fall, as CDC changes its focus
Weatherford, TX (76086)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 67F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
In a series of car crashes over the weekend, eight people were killed in three separate crashes in Hartford, Meriden and Newington on Saturday and Sunday.

The eight deaths come amid a recent rise in deadly crashes in Connecticut, state police data shows.

State police said the Hartford and Meriden collisions involved wrong-way drivers. Police said another wrong-way driver was arrested in Seymour on Saturday. There were no crashes reported in that incident, but the driver was charged with being under the influence.

With three wrong-way driving incidents that all occurred around the same time early Saturday morning, state police issued a statement indicating the problem is not unique to Connecticut.

It is a battle that is faced nationwide and unfortunately is not something new, Sgt. Dawn Pagan said. When calls are received reporting wrong-way drivers, state police respond swiftly as we fully recognize the imminent danger involved.

Pagan cited drivers in mental crisis, disoriented from illness or severe weather conditions limiting visibility as potential contributing factors in wrong-way crashes.

Patrolling troopers and drivers calling 911 are often how state police learn of wrong-way drivers. Pagan said law enforcement urges drivers to continue to call 911 if they see a wrong-way driver.

At the request of Hearst Connecticut Media on Monday, state police conducted a search of motor vehicle crashes in the agencys system since 2019. Over the years, it showed the number of fatal crashes climbed, without any clear pattern emerging in the wrong-way driver data also provided.

In 2019, the data showed, state troopers responded to 102 fatal crashes, five of which were initially reported to involve a wrong-way driver. There were 106 fatal crashes investigated by state police in 2020, with three of them initially reported to involve a wrong-way driver. Last year, state police investigated 128 fatal crashes, with none of them initially reported to dispatch as involving a wrong-way driver.

So far this year, state police have responded to 17 fatal crashes, with two initially reporting the involvement of wrong-way drivers.

These crashes only account for those investigated by state police. They do not include any investigated by municipal agencies. The numbers could also be skewed slightly, officials warned.

Even though a crash is initially reported as wrong-way driver, without reading each individual investigative report, we are unable to verify that any of the involved vehicles were in fact traveling in the wrong direction, state police said Monday.

Alec Slatky, director of public affairs for AAA Northeast, said Monday that in general the deadly weekend in Connecticut is part of a trend happening nationwide.

Really since the pandemic came into full swing almost two years ago at this point, fatalities have gone up pretty much everywhere, Slatky said.

Nationally, there were 38,680 fatalities in 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Slatky said that was the most in the country since 2007.

He said while data is still being finalized for last year, it looks like it was an even worse year. Current data from the NHTSA estimates there were 20,160 fatalities in the first half of 2021, putting the overall years total on track for the most fatal crashes since 2006, Slatky said.

He cited more people speeding, less people wearing seat belts and an increase in impaired driving as major contributing factors.

In March of last year, AAA released an analysis that showed the number of fatal wrong-way crashes were climbing across highways nationwide. That 2021 analysis, however, showed that Connecticut had experienced a 14 percent drop in these crashes.

The data used in the study compared data from 2010 to 2014 with data from 2015 to 2018.

During that first set of years, there were 29 fatal wrong-way crashes in Connecticut. There were 20 wrong-way fatal crashes in the subsequent four-year period. Nationally, from 2015 to 2018, there were more than 2,000 deaths from wrong-way crashes, averaging to about 500 per year  up about 34 percent from the prior four-year span.

Fran Mayko, a spokesperson for AAA Northeast, said last year that alcohol impairment, advanced age and driving without a passenger were the three leading factors in fatal wrong-way crashes.

When AAA released the analysis last year, it attributed the drop in fatal wrong-way crashes in Connecticut to some roadway changes implemented since 2015. Among the changes cited were the state Department of Transportation installing oversized reflective signs along 800 entrance and exit ramps on state highways and overhead traffic cameras that activate flashing signs when drivers are going the wrong way. The DOT also repainted worn pavement markings and replaced some missing signage, AAA said.

Slatky said the changes that reflected a downward decline during that second four-year period show the state is definitely going in the right direction when it comes to ways to reduce these types of crashes.

The incidents this past week started around 2:25 a.m. Saturday in Meriden on I-91 northbound between exits 17 and 18. State police said 21-year-old New Haven resident Charde Monet Spates was driving the wrong way when she collided with 50-year-old Windsor resident Judith Melvin-Levy. They were pronounced dead at the scene. A 21-year-old passenger in Melvin-Levys vehicle was evaluated for minor injuries.

Around 2:46 a.m., a 38-year-old Ellington man driving on I-84 eastbound near Exit 51 in Hartford was hit head-on by a car being driven by 41-year-old Hartford resident Natchia Izekia Rivera-Hall. The Ellington man had minor injuries. Rivera-Hall and her passengers, 41-year-old April Slade, 37-year-old Yarelis Ramos and 31-year-old Quashonda Grant were all killed in the crash.

Around 3 a.m. Saturday, state police responded to a report of a wrong-way driver on Route 8 in Seymour, which led to the arrest of 54-year-old Manchester resident Michael Brown. He was charged with operating under the influence, driving the wrong way on a divided highway and failure to carry a license.

Newington police said a four-vehicle crash on East Cedar Street around 9:30 a.m. Sunday killed 61-year-old East Hampton resident Mark Steiner and 29-year-old Wethersfield resident Alexis Soto. Newington police have not specified what caused the crash.
HARTFORD  A man suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting in the city Sunday night, police said.

Shortly after 10 p.m., officers responded to an area hospital for a gunshot wound victim that showed up for treatment, Lt. Aaron Boisvert said.

The victim, a man in his 30s, had a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, Boisvert said. Investigators learned had was shot in the 400 block of Farmington Avenue.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to call 860-722-TIPS.
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Quincy, IL (62301)

Today

Cloudy with occasional rain late. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain late. Low 53F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Partnership and Data Governance Specialist, Manila, Philippines

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

Country: Philippines

City: Manila

Office: UNDP Philippines

Closing date: Friday, 4 March 2022

Job Identification : 2515

Locations : Manila, Philippines

Posting Date : 02/24/2022, 06:17 AM

Apply Before : 03/04/2022, 04:59 AM

Job Schedule : Full time

Agency : UNDP

Grade : NOC

Vacancy Type : Fixed Term

Practice Area : Governance

Bureau : Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific

Contract Duration : 1 Year with Possibility for extension

Education & Work Experience : Masters Degree - 5 year(s) experience OR Bachelors Degree - 7 year(s) experience

Required Languages : English

Vacancy Timeline

1 Week

Mobility required/no mobility

no mobility required

Job Description

BACKGROUND

UNDP Philippines is realigning its structures and processes to improve on programmatic and operational efficiency, while retaining the required capacities for programme delivery and development, proper oversight, communications, and partnerships, as well as the needed operational capacity to deliver programmes at acceptable risk levels. This position is part of the realigned country office structure.

You are invited to join a team of dedicated development professionals whose primary role is to support the Philippines to achieve the 2030 Agenda. As part of the UNDP team your focus will be to work with multiple stakeholders to find the country specific solutions that lead to the eradication of poverty and to ensure no one is left behind - and we reach those furthest behind first.

You will be confronted with diverse development challenges, including addressing basic development needs, supporting institutional transformations to enable sustainable development, and enabling rapid recovery from shocks, crises, and conflicts by strengthening development pathways. These development challenges are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often coexist, requiring tailored integrated solutions that can adequately address specific deficits and barriers.

We place a premium on national ownership in the analysis, design, and implementation of solutions, as well as a partnership-based approach to leverage the range of skills and resources needed - public and private. We work closely with all stakeholders in society to find innovative solutions to old development problems.

UNDP is looking for individuals who have the analytical, planning and implementation capacities that can address links, choices and connections across many issues and sectors, including data governance. We seek individuals who can apply global best practice to national contexts. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic, motivated, and committed to making a positive contribution to Development in the Philippines.

You will have strong knowledge and demonstrated experience in partnership and resource mobilization working with Government, UN agencies, IFIs, CSOs and the private sector. You also will have strong experience broadly working on data governance and digitalization issues to help to shape effective development policy and programmes. You will work collaboratively with your colleagues to ensure holistic, integrated, effective and efficient programming. You will also work with our sister UN Agencies, UNDP HQ staff, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme.

Position Purpose

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the RR in cooperation with the DRR, the Senior Partnership and Data Governance Specialist will work with programme and Impact Advisory Team (in the UNDP Country Office in the Philippines). The role of the Partnership and Data Governance Specialist is to drive partnership and resource mobilization effort to strategically positioning UNDP, through exploration, analysis, digital, advisory and advocacy efforts. The Partnership and Data Governance Specialist coordinates evidence-based research and analyses, policy options, communication and advocacy of UNDPs mandate and mission, and PIAT (Programme Impact and Acceleration Team) network in initiating new programming and partnerships with the government, development partners, and other key stakeholders. With a team of outside and in-house experts, the Partnership and Data Governance Specialist monitors economic and social policy developments and manages the resources of the CO engagement facility. He/she supports the operationalization of UNDPs policy and programme dialogue with the government and development partners and undertakes innovative digitalization work to support the programmatic work of the Country Office.

The key results of the post are to strengthen UNDPs contributions to the countrys development pathways to inclusive and sustainable development through partnership and resource mobilization, provision of evidence-based research, data governance and digitalization, data quality, filling data gaps by surveys, policy advice and policy options, and programming on critical social and economic development challenges. The results to be achieved is impact of UNDP programme in Philippines at a policy and outcome level as well as development of new projects with resource mobilization and strategic partnerships. The post increases visibility of UNDP in the policy dialogues on human development, social and economic policies and analyses.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Manage strategic programme development by building strategic partnerships with the government and development partners with resource mobilization, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Identification of concrete programme niches

Supports the RR in resource mobilization efforts and leads the elaboration of programme initiatives in coordination with UNDP senior management

Formulation of new Programme and projects in consultation with the government, and development partners

Research and analyses of information on key stakeholders - the government, development partners, civil society, and the private sector in preparation for possible areas of cooperation

External and internal analysis for assessing CO opportunities for resource mobilization

Scanning of the opportunities in the country based on partner-specific intelligence and the competitive landscape; identification where the CO competency strengths overlap with partner/client needs

Analysis of key development and sectoral policies (such as the Mandanas ruling) currently being discussed and implemented in the country and key donors willing to support policies

Assessment of the level of CO engagement with each donor: type and level of contact and particular areas of interest; development of strategy to position the CO to become a priority partner for the donor

Identification of emerging sources of funding; assessment of their current usage and potential for the future

Development and implementation of a donor intelligence strategy (partners, needs and priorities, perception of UNDP by its current and potential future partners, and projection of UNDP added value and potential role)

Development of fund-raising strategies and approaches

Develop outreach materials/products/tools for donor engagement

Map and advise on potential engagement with the private sector

Planning, organization, facilitation of policy dialogue and public consultation on social and economic development issues, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Policy advocacy for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Human Development and pro-poor and equitable economic growth by participating in relevant forums, conferences, and trainings

Facilitation of policy dialogue on social and economic issues with the government, development partners, civil society, the private sector; contributions to development of policies as relevant

Support the provision of policy options, particularly from pro-poor and human-centered perspectives, on macroeconomic and development issues to government and other development actors

Sound contributions to knowledge networks through identification of best practices and lessons learned

Assessment of the countrys social and economic policies and their impacts on poverty reduction, inequality, and exclusion

Support to monitoring progress and formulation of strategies towards the achievement of the SDGs

Training and capacity building support for UNDP Country Office and project staff and government officials on social and economic issues

Promote data governance and digital transformation for development focusing on achievement of the following results:

Support the CO in evaluating requests coming from governments, ensuring that both short term, tactical and long term, strategic implications (e.g., sustainability; rights-based issues and inclusion) are considered, and advocating for the same

Develop a data governance and digital portfolio, that is founded and shaped by data, is human-centered, and can grow in coherent and integrated fashion over time, to respond to changing client and user needs, enhanced inclusion and access, innovative data prototypes etc.

Support in developing/updating digital transformation strategies, sectoral action plans (e.g., on digital health, digital governance, digital resilience etc.) and capacity building framework matching the demands/needs their government partners

Ensure alignment with UNDP digital strategy and related Global Policy Network priorities

Support in developing and executing strategies, roadmaps, and prioritization plans (considering post covid19 public services demand) for digitization of public services

Working closely with other teams, develop guidelines and protocols to ensure that digital projects and programmes adequately account for potential negative systemic effects (e.g., on privacy, human rights, ethics, environmental sustainability), are universally accessible and are aligned with the SDGs Capacity building

Actively encourage COs and government counterparts peer-learning across the region, by creating opportunities to share experiences and make sure that digital assets and capabilities are leveraged within the country and the region

Support the CO and government counterparts in creating an enabling ecosystem and culture of digital innovation and strengthen this competency amongst stakeholders Partnership and Network development

Explore knowledge partnerships, resource mobilization and leveraging opportunities to strengthen the existing/build new portfolios of digital technology interventions, including through liaising with the regional centre SDG Finance and other global and regional expertise

Other evolving tasks and works within the on-going projects and initiatives with the national partners

Conduct evidence-based research and analyses for policy options, focusing on achievement of the following results:

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Collection, compilation, analyses and interpretation of political, social and economic statistical data, thorough research of the evidenced-based socio-economic development issues in the country and production of relevant reports

Support the acquisition and formulation of top-quality analyses and substantive inputs to CCA, UNSCDF, CPD and other strategic documents

Substantive advice on possible areas for UNDP support and adjustment of on-going programmes to ensure that UNDP programmes are in line with national policies and priorities

Support analytical policy research to support evidence-based programming

Manages innovation and exploration through the operationalization of SDG platforms and Labs

Production of periodic updates and briefs on country development situation to be used by stakeholders, CO, and HQ

Communication on UNDP knowledge products and increasing the awareness and visibility of UNDP programmes and support received from development partners and other partners through annual reports, promotion videos, and social media tools

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in focusing on achievement of the following results:

Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices of policy and programme relevance

Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice

Identification and formulation of lessons learned and recommendations to be integrated into broader CO knowledge management efforts

Organization and conduct of trainings on partnerships building in the Country Office

Identification and formulation of lessons learned and recommendations to be integrated into broader CO knowledge management efforts

Organization and conduct of trainings on RM and partnerships building in the Country Office

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Innovation and Strategic Thinking: Ability to try out / test new ways of engagement and communications. Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify ones preferred way of doing things. Ability to analyze the organizations value proposition and shape visionary/long term plans. Use insight to identify target audiences and partners and to inform communication objectives, messages, and solutions

Design Thinking: Knowledge of method (s) for practical, creative resolution of problems and creation of solutions, with the intent of an improved future result

Economics & Innovative Finance for SDG: Knowledge of economics concepts, principles and policies and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations. Knowledge of financing for sustainable development and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations. Knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Substantive Networking: Ability to substantively engage and foster networks with academia, research institutions, and think tanks

REQUIREMENTS:

Education

Masters Degree in Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field and or

Bachelors Degree with relevant number of years of experience

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

Masters degree with five (5) years of relevant experience or bachelors degree with seven years (7) of relevant experience at the national or international level. Relevant experience in partnership and resource mobilization, data governance and digitalization, and research and policy-level analysis

Some experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and advanced programmes for statistical analysis of data

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and national language of the duty station

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Candidates selected pursuant to this vacancy may be subject to UNDPs policy on Probation upon assignment.

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'1883' star Sam Elliott blasts 'The Power of the Dog' as "a piece of s***"
Zhang Jun (C front), China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. Zhang on Monday warned against the politicization of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday warned against the politicization of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

What is unfolding in Ukraine is indeed heart-wrenching. China calls on all parties concerned to exercise restraint, de-escalate the situation, and avoid civilian casualties. The safety of life and property of all civilians, including those of foreign nationals, and their humanitarian needs should be effectively guaranteed, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

It is of utmost importance to prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis, he told a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

China welcomes the remarks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the United Nations will play an active role in coordinating the humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, he said. "In our view, the United Nations and the international community should provide humanitarian assistance in accordance with the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality as set forth in General Assembly Resolution 46/182, and avoid politicization."

What remains most important at the time is to return to the track of diplomatic negotiations and political settlement as soon as possible, and to promote de-escalation of the situation, said Zhang.

China supports the holding of direct dialogues and negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which is the ultimate way to solve this issue. The international community should foster favorable external conditions for dialogue and political settlement, and avoid exacerbating the tensions. Any action by the Security Council should help play a constructive role, rather than leading to further escalation, he said.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 51F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low 51F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
The Stefanson government may be doffing mandatory indoor mask use for Manitobans on March 15, but almost one-third of businesses are saying they will continue insisting on the measure.

The Stefanson government may be doffing mandatory indoor mask use for Manitobans on March 15, but almost one-third of businesses are saying they will continue insisting on the measure.

An online survey by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, which received 440 responses, has found 32 per cent of businesses will voluntarily continue with mask restrictions for either customers or workers even though the government will no longer require it.

A further 42 per cent say they will be dropping the requirement.

As well, while the government says, starting March 1, it is eliminating proof of vaccination COVID-19 requirements, 29 per cent of businesses say they will continue them; 48 per cent say they wont.

Chuck Davidson, chambers president and chief executive officer, said hes not surprised by the responses.

Its what weve been hearing from during discussions with them, he said Monday. But its really all about Manitobans and how ready they are and what they are comfortable with.

Thats why we see businesses saying well get rid of the vaccination requirement, while others are saying no, and 23 per cent are saying we dont know, Davidson said.

Businesses are getting a better sense from their customers how comfortable people are. Its all about your customers.

Last month, the government began lifting restrictions by allowing all businesses in the province, including restaurants and retail, to open to 100 per cent capacity.

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The government also said further restrictions would be lifted March 1 and 15.

When businesses were asked whether  since the federal government eased testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers returning to Canada on Feb. 28  they would resume business-related travel, 22 per cent said they would begin travelling both domestically and internationally, 10 per cent said only in Canada, and 18 per cent said they had already resumed travelling before the change.

Only seven per cent said they wouldnt be resuming business travel after Feb. 28, while 14 per cent said they still needed to determine whether they would or not.

When asked how long they estimate it would take before revenues returned to pre-pandemic levels, 38 per cent said it would be another year, 13 per cent said six months, eight per cent said three months, and five per cent said never.

Thirty-five per cent reported revenue didnt change during the pandemic.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Contract talks are set to resume Tuesday for about 2,000 Safeway and FreshCo workers across Manitoba.

Contract talks are set to resume Tuesday for about 2,000 Safeway and FreshCo workers across Manitoba.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832, which represents the workers, says the current collective agreement expires on March 19.

The union says negotiations with the grocery chains, which are both owned by Sobeys, have not gone well.

It says more than 98 per cent of workers who voted over the weekend were in favour of a strike mandate.

Sobeys says talks with the union began in December and the company is committed to finding a deal that respects the workers and keeps business competitive in the province.

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The company says it remains committed to the bargaining process.

We know that if we work together, we can find common ground, Sarah Dawson, Sobeys public affairs lead, said in an emailed statement.

The union said it represents employees at grocery stores in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson, Neepawa and Dauphin.

Over this pandemic, we have an employer who has made a huge profit and employees who have worked very hard to ensure Manitobans have access to essentials despite increasing risks and stress, Jeff Traeger, the unions president and lead negotiator, said in a new release.

Sobeys Capital Incorporated has consistently called its employees heroes, but its time for them to move beyond words and show their gratitude in a more meaningful way.

 The Canadian Press
Salad days have arrived for many Churchill residents now that Rocket Greens is doing home delivery of its locally grown produce.

Salad days have arrived for many Churchill residents now that Rocket Greens is doing home delivery of its locally grown produce.

Its quite the change from the expensive and often wilting greens residents here were used to after their lengthy trip on rail or the pricey fare thats sometimes flown in to the small community on the shores of Hudson Bay.

The hydroponic vegetable operation, called Rocket Greens, is operated by the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC) and its latest $20,000 grant from Churchill Region Economic Development (CRED) fund helped the group acquire its own van to make weekly deliveries of its produce.

Dylan McCart, the executive director of the CNSC, said the non-profits research organization is just about breaking even from the operation.

SUPPLIED The hydroponic vegetable operation, called Rocket Greens, is operated by the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC) and its latest $20,000 grant from Churchill Region Economic Development (CRED) fund helped the group acquire its own van to make weekly deliveries of its produce.

"We definitely dont make huge revenues from the operation," he said.

The selection of produce that is now available year round provides an option to the extremely expensive cost of shipping produce  that is often wilting and quickly rotting  like lettuce, arugula, kale and herbs that Rocket Greens grows.

Lettuce can cost as much $7.50 in Churchill. Since 2017 Rocket Greens has grown more than 60,000 pieces and now has about 50 weekly subscribers for its $10 or $20 box of that weeks produce that included five-to-10 items. It also distributes to grocery stores and restaurants and to the CNSC own cafeteria operation

Like any new technology  and Churchills was the first installation of the the turnkey shipping container unit, called Growcer, developed by a company out of Ottawa  it took some time to work out the kinks.

The grow op in Churchill received one of the last bits of funding from the $7 million CRED fund that was established just prior to the rail outage in the spring of 2017. The CRED fund also helped with a $200,000 grant to fund the original acquisition.

SUPPLIED Carly Basler, sustainability coordinator at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre.

Carly Basler, CNSCs sustainability coordinator, has become a bit of an advocate for the Growcer and has talked extensively with folks in Norway House who also acquired a unit (which also received funding from the CRED.)

Basler said, "The communications I have done with other communities started organically. Sharing our successes and challenges is an important part of operating the first Growcer in Canada. It felt important to talk openly about how it really is."

Jason Denbow, the executive director of Community Futures, the organization that runs the CRED, said Basler blazed the trail in terms of making the thing work in the frigid temperatures of Northern Manitoba winters.

"She was initially told it could be transported up and plunked down and it would work," Denbow said. "But nothing is that simple especially in the climate of Churchill."

It did work but McCart said it was mostly thanks to Basler

SUPPLIED Rocket Greens has grown more than 60,000 pieces and now has about 50 weekly subscribers for its $10 or $20 boxes.

Basler said that while Rocket Greens struggles to break even, it has not raised its prices in four years to ensure that it remains affordable for the community

Unlike the sophisticated food delivery operations that have proliferated in the cities during the pandemic, Basler said starting the subscription service was not really that hard.

"Churchills pretty small," she said. "Everyone literally knows everyone else."

As small as Churchill is, the CNSC is 23 kilometres outside of town and while the centre does have its own fleet of vehicles they were proving to be unreliable to get the produce into town.

"We are a non-profit and we have had our own difficulties over the last couple of years and the centre itself is running a deficit," McCart said. "Our vehicles are all used and not very gently used."

SUPPLIED Joni Reimer, CNSC intern.

The new van is equipped to handle the produce and prevent it from freezing on the trip into town.

The fact that the project addresses the well-known food security issues, made it attractive to the CRED when it began in late 2016.

Denbow said when the rail line went out of service in May 2017  and stayed out of service for 18 months  the fund had to pivot in its mandate.

"We shifted from long term economic development to how to get short term support in place to keep businesses up and running so the there was something there to conduct economic development when the rail was back," Denbow said.

He said Rocket Greens was a great example of the kind of project they were looking for initially. In fact the CRED also funded another version of an indoor vegetable growing operation that Opaskwayak Cree Nation deployed before Rocket Greens. OCN uses a technology from South Korea.

Although the CRED is now fully expended, Denbow said Community Futures  whose main function is to provide loans for business people in its various regions  still has plenty of means to support businesses in the North through its office in Thompson

martin.cash@freepress.mb.cs
Some of Canadas Ukrainian restaurants are seeing a rush of customers amid the ongoing Russian invasion as they look to bounce back from COVID-19 restrictions.

Some of Canadas Ukrainian restaurants are seeing a rush of customers amid the ongoing Russian invasion as they look to bounce back from COVID-19 restrictions.

Tetyana Barylkos family-run restaurant and bar Barrel House Korchma in Toronto has been navigating a flood of people wanting to dine in and order takeout over the past several days.

Barylko and her family are stunned by the support the restaurant has received since the crisis in Ukraine began.

Weve been getting a very overwhelming amount of support, she said in an interview Monday.

While this has been a positive development for the business, which opened last June, it has been difficult to keep up with the demand because of staffing challenges resulting from the indoor dining ban implemented by the Ontario government in January, Barylko said.

Barrel House Korchma is working to bring back staff let go when sales dropped 70 per cent due to the COVID restrictions.

In addition, the ongoing supply chain crunch stemming from the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine are making it difficult to buy Ukrainian imports, including non-alcoholic kvass, other beverages and even pickled vegetables.

We were planning on getting beers imported from Ukraine, but I dont think thats going to be possible any time soon, Barylko said.

She expects Ukraine to be more focused on helping its civilians and restoring the country, rather than on exports.

Uncle Eds Ukrainian Restaurant in Edmonton has also faced hurdles because of the pandemic, but is seeing a pickup in support amid the crisis overseas. The business plans to donate a percentage of its sales to an organization helping Ukrainians this week.

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For Denis Ganshonkov, who owns Russian restaurant The Ossington Stop in Toronto, he is watching how things play out at LCBO stores. On Friday, the provincial liquor store started pulling Russian products from its shelves in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Even though he focuses largely on local businesses, Ganshonkov does buy some products from the LCBO, including vodka brand Russian Standard and Beluga Russian Luxury Vodka.

He is also thinking about how people might react to Russian items when ordering.

I dont know if there might be backlash if people see Russian Standard vodka on the menu, he said.

Ganshonkov has received questions from customers about what his stance on the war is and he said he wants to emphasize that his restaurant does not support President Vladimir Putins decision to attack Ukraine.

I hope people know that a Russian restaurant in North America is not sponsoring any of this and is not part of whats going on, he said Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2022.
HALIFAX - The first three RCMP officers who responded to the Nova Scotia mass shooting walked through darkness toward gunfire and burning homes, but the gunman they pursued continued to kill before slipping away.

HALIFAX - The first three RCMP officers who responded to the Nova Scotia mass shooting walked through darkness toward gunfire and burning homes, but the gunman they pursued continued to kill before slipping away.

Transcripts tabled Tuesday at a public inquiry indicate the officers who raced  sirens screaming  to the scene in Portapique, N.S., were dispatched after a harrowing 911 call at 10:04 p.m. on April 18, 2020, from Jamie Blair, just before she was killed.

"The last thing we had was just a person screaming there (in Portapique)," the dispatcher radioed Const. Stuart Beselt as he drove about 50 kilometres toward Portapiques unlit roads, arriving at about 10:25 p.m.

A 92-page summary prepared by the commission of inquiry details the officers actions after they arrived in Portapique, and reveals that for about 90 minutes, they were the only police officers to enter the enclave.

As Beselt drove into the community in his patrol vehicle, he met residents Andrew and Kate MacDonald driving out. They had just crossed paths with the killer in his replica RCMP cruiser, and Andrew MacDonald had been shot. However, the inquiry heard Monday that at that moment the shooter was beyond Beselts line of vision, in a dip in the road 160 metres away.

Some time between 10:27 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., the killer drove south, deeper into the small community and fatally shot Joanne Thomas and John Zahl in their home.

At that point, as the first officers were advancing into Portapique, the killer, Gabriel Wortman, managed to elude detection. Rather than head north toward the Mounties, the commission believes he drove along a rough trail through a wooded lot that he owned in the south end of the community, ending up at his warehouse on Orchard Beach Drive, which he had earlier set alight.

The commission says there is evidence Corrie Ellison  a visitor to Portapique  was taking photos of the burning building just before he was shot dead at 10:40 p.m.

Within the next five minutes, its believed the gunman slipped out of the community by taking a dirt road that provided an escape route to the highway and allowed him to bypass police stationed on the main road into town.

But this wasnt known to Beselt, a 24-year-veteran of the force, as he entered the community on foot with Const. Adam Merchant, a 13-year-veteran, and Const. Aaron Patton, a member since 2017.

According to the inquirys summary, he had put on his body armour almost immediately upon arriving, and after encountering the MacDonalds, he was ready to enter the community along with Merchant.

The commission documents show Beselt speaking to the MacDonalds at 10:28 p.m., and by 10:36 p.m., he was radioing Patton, who was just behind him, that he and Merchant could see a burning house halfway down Portapique Beach Road.

Beselt had studied the 2014 shootings of RCMP officers in Moncton, N.B., and believed being in a police car added to the danger. "I made the decision to run in, and Im glad I did. I think it kept me alive, to be honest with you," he told commission investigators.

According to the commissions transcripts and interviews, Beselt, Merchant and Patton advanced with carbines pointed forward and wearing body armour, while Const. Vicki Colford stayed at the intersection of the highway and Portapique Beach Road, to contain the area and care for the MacDonalds.

They were following basic RCMP training to create an "immediate action rapid deployment" team, which requires them to seek out someone posing a threat to others lives.

Just after 10:39 p.m., they radioed in that they were hearing shots being fired to their east, and found their way through a wooded trail that emerged at the killers burning warehouse property. By 10:48 p.m., Beselt radioed to a supervising officer that "things are blowing up or theyre shooting, Im not sure." They found Ellisons body in front of the warehouse.

Recordings of the radio conversations were played during the hearings, and the senior counsel for the commission, Roger Burrill, noted the rising tension in the officers voices rising as they advanced into the chaotic scene.

Then, the three officers knocked on the door of Lisa McCullys house, where her two children and Jamie Blairs two children had taken shelter, and were on the line with a 911 operator. McCully had been killed by the shooter when shed gone outside.

Meanwhile, back at the intersection of the highway, Colbert radioed incoming officers at about 10:48 p.m. that shed been informed there were private, back roads that might lead out of the area.

"If you guys want to have a look at the map, were being told theres a road, kind of a road that someone could come out, before here," she said. The commissions investigators state its likely that message was directed at Cpl. Natasha Jamieson and Const. Chris Grund who were coming in from the Millbrook detachment.

The commission doesnt indicate how they responded. However, it was probably too late: the commissions investigators say the killer had likely already reached the highway and was driving away. It wasnt until a little after 5 a.m. the next morning that police set up a checkpoint at the back-road exit where the killer had escaped.

The commission said GPS data suggests that the killers vehicle may have sped by two RCMP officers during his escape, but both Grund and Jamieson told commission investigators they didnt notice a police car passing them.

Shortly after 11 p.m. more officers had arrived at the entrance to Portapique Beach Road and the report describes their frustration as they awaited orders. Grund asked Staff Sgt. Andy OBrien, the operations officer during the incident, about entering the community, but OBrien "indicated that he only wanted one team in the community to avoid a risk of crossfire," according to the commission summary.

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Const. Bill Neil, arriving from neighbouring Pictou County, also asked supervisors to "give us something to do" at about 11:45 p.m. After the RCMP dispatcher indicated nobody was with the children, he and Grund were sent to bring them to safety, arriving at the McCully house shortly after midnight.

Grund and Neil were the first officers to join Beselt, Merchant and Patton in the community  more than 90 minutes after their original entry on foot.

Through all of this, the general public had been given little word of what was going on. At 11:16 p.m., Beselt radioed Brian Rehill, RCMP risk manager, to ask whether some kind of emergency broadcast might be made to warn civilians, but Rehill replied the police were using a 911 map to call as many residents as possible.

At 11:32 p.m. local time, the RCMP sent out a tweet saying they were "responding to a firearms complaint in the Portapique area," and asked people to avoid the area and stay in their homes with locked doors.

It wasnt until 8:02 a.m. the next morning, over nine hours after Wortman had escaped the area, that they issued another tweet declaring an "active shooter situation."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2022.
The Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre has secured new federal funding that will allow its free camp for Indigenous students  which aims to expose inner-city elementary schoolers to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics  to triple in size this summer.

The Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre has secured new federal funding that will allow its free camp for Indigenous students  which aims to expose inner-city elementary schoolers to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics  to triple in size this summer.

The centre, which operates out of the University of Winnipeg, typically runs an annual two- to three-week day camp for a total of 50 students.

This year, Wii Chiiwaakanak will provide STEAM programming to 150 students on and off the downtown campus over four weeks, said Angeline Nelson, director of community learning and engagement.

"As a visibly First Nation student, its very clear to see that youre underrepresented in many different areas The importance of these types of programs is to help address some of those gaps from underrepresented communities," said Nelson, who is Ojibwa and Cree from Roseau River First Nation.

Nelson graduated from the University of Manitoba with a bachelor of science degree in 2009.

The director said her goal is to use a grant from CanCode, an initiative out of Ottawa that supports projects that equip youth  with a focus on underrepresented groups  with scientific and digital skills they need to prepare for future studies, to get more young Indigenous students interested in science-related disciplines.

Wii Chiiwaakanak has secured a total of $367,000 between Jan. 25, 2022, and March 31, 2024.

"Its been a long time coming that weve been building on all of our STEAM outreach programs," Nelson said, adding she and her colleagues have tailored offerings to younger students because there is a dearth of engaging programs for elementary schoolers that weave Indigenous knowledge into science-related instruction.

The annual summer camp for incoming grades 1-6 students educates them on everything from chemistry to computer science, involves activities ranging from dissections to field trips, and introduces participants to Indigenous role models in the STEAM fields.

Approximately two years ago, centre staff surveyed around 85 local families who had engaged in their various programs to find out about student experiences with the content.

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Nelson said less than 30 per cent of children had participated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs before.

"That really spoke to us," she said. "It really spoke to the significance of our programming and ensuring that kids have an opportunity to learn about STEAM, to be on campus from a young age, to develop that sense of belonging and also, to engage in programs where they are represented."

The Anishinaabemowin name of the centre translates to "partners" or "walking together" in English, Nelson added.

"Our government is proud to invest in Wii Chiiwaakanak and be a partner in delivering educational and cultural programming rooted in Indigenous knowledge," said Liberal MP Dan Vandal, federal minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, in a prepared release about the announcement.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
OTTAWA  Tyson George Billings of High Prairie, Alta., will remain in an Ottawa jail while waiting to answer to charges concerning his role in the three-week protest that debilitated the core of the national capital.

OTTAWA  Tyson George Billings of High Prairie, Alta., will remain in an Ottawa jail while waiting to answer to charges concerning his role in the three-week protest that debilitated the core of the national capital.

Billings, 44, was arrested Feb. 19, on the second day of a large-scale police operation to disperse the protests that had created gridlock in downtown Ottawa.

Demonstrators, protesting the Liberal government and COVID-19 restrictions, blocked roads, drove slowly down Ottawa highways, and blasted the core with noise from truck horns for days on end.

Billings has been charged with mischief, counselling to commit mischief, counselling to disobey a court order, obstructing police and counselling to obstruct police.

Ontario Justice Donna Hackett issued a publication ban on the evidence and reasons for her ruling but said she was not satisfied that Billings should be released on bail.

Billings, nicknamed "Freedom George" by fellow demonstrators in Ottawa, livestreamed his participation in the protests over several days.

He sat in the courtroom wearing a black hoodie, the word "Freedom" printed on the chest, with his head in his hands at one point as Hackett delivered her decision.

Hes the latest key organizer for the freedom convoy protest to be denied bail.

Tamara Lich, who served as the public face of the convoy, was ordered to remain behind bars last week and have no contact with other main figures in the protest  Pat King, Benjamin Dichter, Christopher Barber and Daniel Bulford.

Lichs lawyers plan to appeal her denial of bail at a hearing Wednesday.

King, a close associate of Billings, was denied bail on Friday, when Justice of the Peace Andrew Seymour said the evidence painted a portrait of an individual with clear intent to continue his protest.

King was also ordered not to communicate with fellow organizers, including Billings.

Barber was arrested and released on bail.

As of Feb. 21, Ottawa police had charged more than 120 people with a combined 393 offences in connection with the protests.

Meanwhile an Ontario court has extended to March 9 a freezing order on funds donated to the Ottawa protest, as a class-action civil suit against organizers continues.

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Parties in the case have agreed to move some donated funds and cryptocurrency into escrow, which could be redistributed to affected Ottawa residents and business owners should the class action succeed.

Norman Groot, a lawyer representing some convoy protest leaders, says Christopher Garrah, Benjamin Dichter and Nicholas St. Louis have agreed in principle to moving donated funds within their control to an escrow account.

Groot notes the funds that Garrah, Dichter and St. Louis have agreed to move to escrow might not account for all the cryptocurrency that was donated, and he proposed parties meet next week to take stock of what has been transferred.

An escrow agent will oversee the transferred funds, and will be permitted to change the passwords for cryptocurrency.

The class-action lawsuit seeks a total of $306 million in damages related to the three-week anti-government convoy protest near Parliament Hill that snarled traffic, shut businesses and plagued residents with near-constant honking.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2022.
Doctors are urging caution as the province lifts restrictions, estimating more than half of Manitobans could be at higher risk of developing a serious COVID-19 infection.

Doctors are urging caution as the province lifts restrictions, estimating more than half of Manitobans could be at higher risk of developing a serious COVID-19 infection.

Dr. Kristjan Thompson, president of Doctors Manitoba, said the pandemic is not over just because public-health restrictions have been lifted.

"I dont want Manitobans to think that were out of the woods," he said Tuesday. "COVID-19 its a virus. It doesnt care about government policies, it doesnt care about orders. It is a virus that is deadly, it will continue to infect. It will continue to mutate and evolve."

The organization, which represents more than 4,000 physicians in the province, set up a website (newcovidnormal.ca) so Manitobans can assess their own risk.

The group advises people to gather gradually, in fresh air or well-ventilated spaces, on top of getting vaccinated and boosted.

An advisory group of physicians used health data to estimate that more than half of Manitobans have a risk factor that gives them a higher chance of becoming severely ill or dying from COVID-19. Risk factors include underlying medical conditions, disabilities, obesity, smoking, age, and being Black, Indigenous or a person of colour. Vaccination reduces the risk.

While hospital and intensive-care admission rates areon the decline, hospital capacity isnt back to pre-pandemic levels yet.

Thompson, an ER physician at St. Boniface Hospital, didnt weigh in on what he described as "government policy decisions" that led to Manitoba following other provinces lead to lift all restrictions.

Vaccine requirements have been lifted as of today, March 1, and indoor mask mandates will be lifted March 15. But he said medical and public-health advice remains the same, regardless of the orders in place. He said Doctors Manitoba still recommends people wear masks to reduce risk and it wants everyone to get vaccinated, including health-care workers. He said 99 per cent of physicians have been vaccinated.

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"I think were concerned that people are getting the wrong message. Im hearing from many patients and many folks and Manitobans who are saying they believe the pandemics over just because these protections are being lifted. But the end of restrictions and protections does not mean the end of the pandemic," Thompson said.

The provincial government released data that shows declining hospitalization and intensive-care admission rates as part of its announcement about lifting restrictions. Those indicators may be on the decline, but hospital capacity isnt back to pre-pandemic levels yet.

Thompson said hospitals are still operating over capacity and patient wait times are still high. As of last week, patients were waiting 11 hours in the emergency room to see a doctor, and he said ER patients who need to be admitted to hospital are still waiting many hours or even days for a hospital bed.

"Our hospitals are still stretched and are still over-capacity. So, I think it behooves us to tread carefully and softly so that we can get on top of these numbers, address this surge in volume, and get back to pre-pandemic numbers," Thompson said.

"Once the dust settles, I think we do need to look at our health-care system as a whole and understand why this happened and why our system is always filled to the brim."

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com
A local Ukrainian couple parted ways at the Winnipeg airport Sunday for what they hope will be a short period of time while the 35-year-old man visits their war-torn homeland to defend their city and loved ones.

A local Ukrainian couple parted ways at the Winnipeg airport Sunday for what they hope will be a short period of time while the 35-year-old man visits their war-torn homeland to defend their city and loved ones.

"I have felt awful. I have not been sleeping well, but now I feel calm (because) Im going home to see my family and to protect my family. I know I will return as soon as possible," said Max Liahusha, reached by phone Monday at Calgary International Airport.

SUPPLIED Local Ukrainians Tanya and Max Liahusha said goodbye to each other at the airport before Max, who has military training, left to return to his home country to protect his family.

Liahusha has to take three different flights  Winnipeg to Calgary, Calgary to Amsterdam, and lastly, Amsterdam to Krakow  to meet friends who are planning to pick him up Tuesday in Poland to organize a road trip to his final destination.

Over the weekend, after numerous tense conversations that have taken place in recent days after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, Liahusha said his wife finally agreed to let him board a plane.

It was around one year ago Liahusha moved to Winnipeg to meet Tanya, who arrived in 2019 as an international student, and started a life together in Canada.

Before moving to the Prairies, he spent six years working for the French military; during that time, he learned how to operate military vehicles, Liahusha said during a phone interview conducted primarily in French. His resume also includes Ukrainian and Russian fluency, and prior experience as an industrial train conductor in Ukraine.

Liahusha said he was compelled to go home to offer his extensive military experience and support his brother, sister-in-law and mother-in-law, alongside numerous friends who remain in Ukraine.

"Its not a decision thats hard. It was easy to make  when my wife said yes. I told her, I need to go. I need to go. She said, No, no, no, but finally, she said, Alright," said Liahusha, who works as a window installer in Winnipeg.

Its not a decision thats hard. It was easy to make  when my wife said yes."  Max Liahusha

Russian forces continued to attack cities across the eastern European country throughout the weekend, while Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear deterrence forces to be on high alert.

As of midday Monday, there had yet to be any reported action in Kryvyi Rih, a city in which the Liahusha family resides, located approximately 500 kilometres southeast of the capital of Kyiv.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS A number of Canadian-Ukrainians in Manitoba are fundraising and purchasing items, such as two-way radios, to send to people who have been unable to flee amid the chaos.

Tanya said saying goodbye was incredibly difficult and while she did not want him to go home, she decided it may be the right thing to do.

"Its his duty; its what he has to do. Hes very brave. I admire his ability to stay strong during this time and think about others," she said, hours after she dropped her husband off at the local airport.

This is not the first time the two, who were married in Ukraine in 2015, have been separated across the world. Liahusha has travelled to Tahiti and Mali, among other places, for military work.

Tanya, 32, said the plan is her husband will arrive in their hometown to support their family, including her twin sister, any way he can. He will also help the community by building physical barriers to prevent Russian soldiers from invading Kryvyi Rih and prepare for an air attack, she said.

"We talked about (the possibility that he may have to use weapons). I hope he doesnt have to do it once he reaches Ukraine, but I know that he is cool-headed and he can act fast. He knows what to do in emergency situations," Tanya added.

We talked about (the possibility that he may have to use weapons). I hope he (Max Liahusha) doesnt have to do it once he reaches Ukraine, but I know that he is coolheaded and he can act fast."  Tanya

Meantime, a number of Canadian-Ukrainians in Manitoba are fundraising and purchasing items, such as two-way radios, to send to people who have been unable to flee amid the chaos.

Brandon resident Vartan Davtian said he is planning to move home to Ukraine next week to do whatever he can to support his relatives and friends, including a childhood friend who is a major in the army.

Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images/TNS Ukrainian service members ride on tanks toward the front line with Russian forces in the Luhansk region of Ukraine.

Davtian, 37, said he would have left sooner, but he has been told he will be of more use if he arrives with money and supplies, such as night vision goggles and various medicines that are in short supply in Ukraine.

"Right now, Im going to try to move every single rock around me to raise that money before I leave," he said. "It is human nature that we leave things for tomorrow.

"Ive been leaving lots of things for tomorrow, but this is a time when you cant leave this for tomorrow because tomorrow is gonna be late."

Ive been leaving lots of things for tomorrow, but this is a time when you cant leave this for tomorrow because tomorrow is gonna be late.  Vartan Davtian

Manitoba is home to the largest population of Ukrainians per capita in Canada. Approximately 15 per cent of the provincial populations ethnic origin is Ukraine.

Some rural municipalities have even more concentrated Ukrainian diasporas; in Ethelbert and Sliding Hills, both of which are located north of Dauphin near the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border, that figure is around 64 per cent, according to 2016 census data.

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Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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FAITH-related relief groups in Manitoba are appealing for donations and prayers to help people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

FAITH-related relief groups in Manitoba are appealing for donations and prayers to help people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Mennonite Central Committee is accepting donations for programs that support displaced and vulnerable people. This includes emergency housing, food, blankets and other supplies, as well as trauma healing.

We are working with our partners and assessing the situation as it unfolds, said Scott Campbell, MCC director of development.

Response to the appeal has been super encouraging so far, he said, noting MCC began more than 100 years ago in Ukraine when North American Mennonites responded to a food crisis in the eastern European country.

Our supporters recognize our historical connection to Ukraine, he said. (To make a donation, visit www.mcc.org or call 1-877-684-1181.)

Canadian Lutheran World Relief is inviting donations for food, necessities and trauma care for people impacted by the invasion.

The numbers of displaced people are staggering, said David Turner, who directs communications and marketing, adding the agency is in contact with its partners in Europe about the most effective ways to distribute the aid.

One partner in Hungary has already shipped 28 tonnes of food for refugees, he said.

The response to the appeal, which launched Feb. 25, has been positive, with about $100,000 already donated. (To donate, visit www.clwr.org or call 1-800-661-2597.)

Roman Catholics are invited to respond to needs in Ukraine through Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, which is working with its partners in the region to provide food, shelter, medical care and transportation to safe locations for people in that country.

As the conflict goes on, much more funding will be required to meet Ukrainians needs, the agency said, asking Canadians to give generously. (Donations can be made at www.devp.org or by calling 1-888-664-3387.)

The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg has launched an appeal to help the 200,000 members of the Ukrainian Jewish community.

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The entire country faces chaos, scarcity and political violence, and members of Ukraines Jewish community are especially vulnerable, said Elaine Goldstine, chief executive officer of the federation.

Many members of the local Jewish community trace their roots to Ukraine, Goldstine said, including herself  her father was born in that country.

We want to show the Ukrainian community in Winnipeg we stand with them at this time of crisis, she said. What is happening in Ukraine is so sad.

Within minutes of posting the appeal on social media donations started to come in, Goldstine said, adding funds raised through the federation will be forwarded to Jewish agencies working on the ground in Ukraine. (Donations can be made by visiting jewishwinnipeg.org/ukraine or by calling 204-477-7400.)

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is working through its members to respond to the crisis. A list of its member agencies that have launched appeals for Ukraine can be found on its website.

faith@freepress.mb.ca
WINNIPEG - Manitoba politicians returned to the legislature Tuesday to begin a spring sitting that will focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, health-care capacity and proposed changes to election rules.

WINNIPEG - Manitoba politicians returned to the legislature Tuesday to begin a spring sitting that will focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, health-care capacity and proposed changes to election rules.

The annual budget is likely to be delivered in the first half of April, Premier Heather Stefanson said, and will include more money for health care.

We know that there are many investments (to be made), particularly in the area of surgical and diagnostic backlogs, so well be looking to make more investments in those areas, Stefanson said in an interview Monday.

The pandemic has hit Manitoba hard. The province has recorded the second-highest per-capita death rate behind Quebec, o data tracked by the federal government indicates.

Hospitals, which had little extra capacity, were stretched last spring to the point where dozens of intensive care patients were flown to other provinces. Thousands of surgeries and diagnostic tests have been postponed so that staff can be redeployed to provide COVID-19 care.

The Opposition New Democrats said they will use the spring sitting, which is to go until early June, to push Stefanson for answers about health care.

She failed to fix the surgery backlog her government created  and has no solutions to fix health care, NDP Leader Wab Kinew said in a news release.

Stefanson, who took over as Progressive Conservative leader and premier in November following the retirement of Brian Pallister, has also decided to lift COVID-19 restrictions. A health order requiring proof of vaccination at public indoor venues was dropped Tuesday. Having to wear masks in indoor public places is to end March 15.

The budget will contain another deficit. Aside from one small surplus in 2019, Manitoba has recorded red ink every year since 2009.

Stefanson said the Tories still aim to balance the books by 2028 and to phase out education taxes on property  promises she inherited from her predecessor. But, she said, the government will take a cautious approach, given the pandemics effects and the potential economic fallout from the war in Ukraine.

There are obviously so many things out there that are just beyond our control, she said.

Condolences speeches were the first order of business Tuesday for former legislature members who died recently, including New Democrat Danielle Adams, who was killed in a highway crash in December.

One of the bills to be introduced in the coming days could change the Elections Act to make it easier for voters and reduce the load on workers at polling stations.

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One change, proposed at a committee hearing last fall, would allow voters to cast ballots at any polling station in their constituency instead of at one designated station.

Another proposal would make greater use of electronic machines to accept and count ballots.

The government is also mulling the idea of no longer publishing the home addresses of candidates online over increased concerns about personal safety in recent years.

The spring sitting marks the return of all legislature members to the chamber. Many have taken part via video conferencing during the pandemic to reduce the number of people in the chamber and allow those attending to spread out.

The option will still be available for any member who is ill, Stefanson said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2022.
A mother at Grant Park High School says she is in disbelief after learning that a substitute teacher enunciated a racial slur in its entirety during a lesson on the final day of Black History Month.

A mother at Grant Park High School says she is in disbelief after learning that a substitute teacher enunciated a racial slur in its entirety during a lesson on the final day of Black History Month.

How can you be so ignorant in this day and age? said Melanie Ferris, whose teenage son is enrolled in Grade 11.

I just cant really wrap my head around the fact that this is still happening. It makes me wonder: How many Black substitutes do we have? Do we have any diversity in terms of teaching staff?

Ferris said she and her son, who is Afro-Indigenous, were talking at home over the lunch-hour on Tuesday when he mentioned that one day earlier a substitute teacher had said the N-word to a room full of students in his English class.

The derogatory term was mentioned during a class in which a documentary about Black history was being screened, she said, noting that her son recalled students immediately scolded the teacher, started messaging each other about the incident and laughed about the situation in shared shock.

Ferris said her son, whom she described as a comedian, was later told he would be written up for acting out. The (substitute teacher) said to them: I dont get paid enough to deal with this, she added.

In an email Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Winnipeg School Division indicated administrators are aware of the situation and an internal review process is underway.

After Ferris was made aware of the incident, the Winnipeg mother said she asked her son for permission to contact his principal to raise concerns.

(The principal) was very reassuring. He said that he was disgusted and appalled. He said he contacted HR. He wants to ensure that this sub doesnt work in the building again, she said.

Ferris said the school leader also reassured her that he would speak to her sons class and relay the above information. While she said she feels supported by the response, she is disappointed, because the incident will likely have a lasting impact on students of colour.

This is at least the third time in the 2021-2022 academic year that an educator working at a public school in Manitoba has voiced the N-word out loud to a classroom full of students.

The Manitoba Teachers Society did not provide comment on the most recent event, referring to it as a personnel matter.

Earlier incidents occurred at College Louis-Riel in the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine and Niverville High School in Manitobas Hanover district.

Respective school division leaders announced the educators involved in the separate incidents would be placed on leave temporarily during investigations.

The Oct. 14 incident at a francophone high school in St. Boniface prompted a heated debate during a class and later, a physical altercation between two students.

DSFM announced in the wake of the events that it would be launching a diversity, inclusion and anti-racism plan in an effort to rebuild the trust of families who were harmed by the high school teachers use of a derogatory slur.

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All three incidents involved white teachers.

Ferriss son has only ever had a single Indigenous teacher throughout his public school career, to his mothers knowledge, and has never had a Black instructor.

The 2021 State of Equity in Education reports indicate that roughly 10 per cent of permanent teachers, 26 per cent of term teachers, and 20 per cent of substitute teachers in Winnipeg School Division identify as members of visible minorities.

The reports  which draw from 2017-2018 self-identification surveys conducted by the division  indicate WSDs Indigenous population makes up eight per cent of total permanent educators, 10 per cent of the term teacher group and six per cent of the substitute roster.

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Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
A 98-year-old Winnipeg woman hospitalized after a stranger pulled her walker out from under her says she now languish(es) in constant pain and has lost her treasured independence.

A 98-year-old Winnipeg woman hospitalized after a stranger pulled her walker out from under her says she now "languish(es) in constant pain" and has lost her treasured independence.

"Her cowardly attack on me left me with disbelief that such trauma would ever occur in my lifetime," the woman wrote in a victim impact statement provided to court for the sentencing of 44-year-old Amanda Castel.

The woman was rounding the corner of the former Hudsons Bay building onto Portage Avenue, May 15, 2021, when she was "hit full force like a bolt of lightning."

"(Castel) ran up behind and spun my walker away," she said. "I just lay against the building unable to get up."

The woman suffered a fractured pelvis and spent six weeks in hospital.

"I can no longer do the things I had been able to do before," she said. "I have not left my building since my discharge from hospital, as I no longer feel safe to be outside I know I will never make a full recovery."

Castel pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated assault and a second count of assault in connection to another senior she attacked a month earlier in a Winnipeg bus shelter.

"Im sorry for what I did," said Castel, who was sentenced as part of a joint Crown and defence recommendation to nine-months time served, plus three years supervised probation. "I respect my elders because that is what my culture does."

On April 11, 2020, a 93-year-old woman was waiting in a bus shelter at the corner of Graham Avenue and Fort Street when "for no apparent reason," Castel punched her in the face, stomped on her foot and threatened to kill her, Crown attorney Nicole Roch told provincial court Judge Rachel Rusen.

The woman suffered minor injuries but did not require medical attention.

"Its shocking for members of the public to be attacked unprovoked," Roch said. "Its even more shocking when these victims are elderly, people who are essentially vulnerable."

Castel was arrested and had been released on an undertaking when she was involved in the second attack. She was arrested 10 days later, after police spotted her on Portage Avenue.

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Court heard Castel suffers from serious substance abuse and mental health issues, including schizoaffective disorder and had a traumatic upbringing stained with violence.

Castels attack on the 98-year-old victim wasnt planned, but was instead an impulsive decision driven by her extreme intoxication, Roch said.

"Certainly, if this had been a more deliberate sort of incident, the Crown would be looking at something in the range of a penitentiary sentence, given the nature of the injuries and the vulnerable state of the victim," Roch told Rusen.

Castel has participated in counselling and treatment while in custody and according to jail staff has become one of their "biggest success stories," said defence lawyer Trevor Sicotte. Since being taken into custody, Castel has reconnected with family and close friends who will provide her with the strong support she needs in the community.

"She is not the same person who was attacking random people in the street," Sicotte said.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Transport Canada is looking into how a Russian airline broke a ban on that country's planes in Canadian airspace after a pilot declared a "humanitarian flight."

Transport Canada is looking into how a Russian airline broke a ban on that country's planes in Canadian airspace after a pilot declared a "humanitarian flight."

In a Twitter post Sunday night, the department said Aeroflot Flight 111 violated the prohibition that was imposed earlier in the day in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

CP DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Until Sunday, Aeroflot operated multiple flights per day through Canadian airspace en route to the U.S. and beyond, but had no routes that landed in Canada.

According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the flight by Russia's flagship carrier took off for Moscow from Miami International Airport shortly after 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, about six hours after Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced the airspace ban.

The European Union also implemented a ban on Russian commercial aircraft and private planes Sunday, a move that added to sanctions against major Russian banks and members of the country's monied elite.

Until Sunday, Aeroflot operated multiple flights per day through Canadian airspace en route to the U.S. and beyond, but had no routes that landed in Canada.

Transport Canada said it will launch a review of the conduct of both Aeroflot and Nav Canada, the non-profit body that runs the countrys civil air navigation service.

"We will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action and other measures to prevent future violations," the department stated.

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The transport minister met with Nav Canada CEO Raymond Bohn on Monday to discuss the breach, said Alghabra spokeswoman Valerie Glazer.

As the plane approached Canadian skies, Nav Canada informed the flight it was not to enter the airspace due to the newly issued "notice to airmen"  also known as a NOTAM  that banned "all aircraft owned, chartered or operated ... by a person connected with Russia."

"The pilot indicated he was aware of the NOTAM but declared the flight a humanitarian flight and would enter Canadian airspace," Nav Canada said in a statement Monday.

The organization said it accepted the declaration at face value, in line with civil aviation protocols.

Two subsequent Russian planes departing U.S. airports tried to follow suit with the same humanitarian declaration, but the flights were ordered around Canadian airspace by neighbouring navigation service providers, Nav Canada said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2022.
MOST of Manitobas major post-secondary institutes are keeping mask and vaccine protocols intact until their respective winter semesters end to minimize continuous COVID-19 changes.

MOST of Manitobas major post-secondary institutes are keeping mask and vaccine protocols intact until their respective winter semesters end to minimize continuous COVID-19 changes.

"As scientific leaders, (universities) should follow the strictest and strongest evidence, which clearly shows that fully vaccinated individuals wearing masks are the least likely to transmit and the least likely to get sick from all variants of COVID," said Andrew Halayko, a professor who studies pulmonary health at the University of Manitoba.

The Canada Research Chair in lung pathobiology and treatment indicated he plans to wear a mask indefinitely. It would be "paradoxical" if his medical campus ceased the requirement, Halayko added.

The U of M, University of Winnipeg, University College of the North and Brandon University have all confirmed plans to maintain status-quo policies, for now  despite changing provincial regulations.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Swapnil Kasafat (left) and Nirzhar Risalat, civil engineering students, study in the University Centre on campus.

"We feel that it would be disruptive to change our mask and vaccine mandates in the middle of term," said Chris Minaker, associate vice-president of strategic communications and external relations at the U of W.

Fewer than a quarter of total courses at U of W are taking place in-person on the downtown campus, given the school postponed a widespread return planned in early 2022 because of concerns about the Omicron variant.

Red River College Polytechnic also plans to keep its strict policy on face coverings, which mandates students, staff and visitors to wear either a medical-grad, KN95 or N95 mask on campus, for the rest of its winter semester.

The polytechnic institute, however, is ending a requirement that visitors must show proof of immunization against COVID-19 to enter facilities, starting Tuesday.

"At the beginning of the winter term, more than 90 per cent of staff and students had identified that they had been double vaccinated, and there will not be many additional students or visitors on campus for the remainder of the term," wrote Lauren Parsons, a communications manager at RRC Polytech, in an email.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Signs indicate masking and vaccination protocols on the doors of the University Centre at the University of Manitoba.

Parsons said the school will continue to provide a mix of virtual and in-person education, with only experiential and hands-on training taking place on campus to reduce capacity and thus, limit opportunities for COVID-19 transmission.

Public venues in Manitoba will no longer need to check vaccine cards before admitting visitors as of March 1, as the province phases out restrictions in an attempt to establish a "new normal." The indoor mask mandate and all remaining public health policies are slated to end two weeks later.

"I will 100 per cent still be wearing a mask in March, in April, probably in May," said Aleeza Gerstein, an assistant professor in microbiology and statistics at the U of M. "Wearing a mask is not cumbersome I actually gave birth in a KN95 mask a year ago, so its not that much of a hardship."

The U of M recently tightened its mask policy in the lead-up to the first day of its gradual reopening on Monday so that all visitors wear KN95s indoors. An estimated 40 per cent of the community, including around 5,000 daily visitors, is expected to return for the end of the winter term.

Student union president Brendan Scott said Monday that the Fort Garry campus was the busiest it had been since 2020.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Janet Nguyen, bachelor of sciences student, studies in the University Centre on campus at the University of Manitoba.

"Im actually very happy that the university is taking more safety precautions than the province," Scott said. "It very much makes this campus a much safer place."

The undergraduate student leader added that the benefits are two-fold for students and faculty alike because the protections will limit physical illness and in turn, class disruptions such as retake tests and assignment extensions.

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Gerstein said she was "extremely heartened" that her employer has strengthened its mask policy and procured tons of high quality masks to distribute to community members on campus, free of charge.

As a result of limited PCR testing eligibility and widespread at-home rapid testing, hospitalization rates are the only remaining reliable measure of the COVID-19 situation in the province  and even then, they paint a two-week-old picture, she noted.

Gerstein and Halayko are among the local scientists who have been outspoken about concerns that the province is rushing to repeal restrictions when the pandemic is ongoing.

"Masks are the cheapest, easiest and least invasive way we have to prevent transmission," Halayko said.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
OTTAWA  The Trudeau government says its making it easier for Ukrainians to reach Canada, but refugee advocates want the federal government to do much more to prepare for a humanitarian airlift.

OTTAWA  The Trudeau government says its making it easier for Ukrainians to reach Canada, but refugee advocates want the federal government to do much more to prepare for a humanitarian airlift.

"We have to learn a little bit from what happened in Afghanistan," said Lloyd Axworthy, who chairs the World Refugee and Migration Council.

"Im disappointed that there isnt a bit more pick-up."

Manitobas Ukrainian community says its not aware of many people who want to leave Europe, but Axworthy argues its clear that Russia will target politicians, journalists and civil-society activists if it takes over Kyiv.

"We need to establish a lifeline for those people fairly quickly," he said.

DYLAN ROBERTSON / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Lloyd Axworthy in Kyiv in 2019.

Axworthy said he fears a repeat of last fall, when Canada set up a chaotic, last-minute program to air-lift Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover of Kabul, a program advocates had called for months earlier.

"Its the kind thing that really calls for very proactive and energetic action."

Axworthy was Jean Chretiens immigration and foreign-affairs minister in the late 1990s. In 2019, he oversaw Canadas election-observation delegation in Ukraine during its presidential vote.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Monday that more than 500,000 refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine.

Manitoba has the largest percentage of Canadians who claim Ukrainian roots, and Axworthys group wants Ottawa to tap into those communities for a fast-tracked, private-sponsorship program, for Ukrainians who either could be targeted by Russia or have medical issues that wont get adequately treated during a war.

"We should be taking the lead, not just on our efforts but in trying to get international efforts mobilized," said the Winnipegger, who argued that Ukrainians would likely return home from various countries once its safe to do so.

CP A woman pushes a baby stroller after crossing the border from Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania which is seeing an influx of refugees from the country as many flee Russia's attacks. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

His group called Saturday on Ottawa to take six steps to make sure people living in Ukraine can seek asylum, from organizing flights from Europe to Canada, to deploying visa officers to border zones.

Metis federation donates to Ukraine Click to Expand The Manitoba Metis Federation has donated $100,000 of its business revenues to the Canadian Red Cross for humanitarian relief in Eastern Europe. We must do what we can to support the millions who have been and will continue to be displaced by Russian aggression, wrote federation President David Chartrand, who urged people to also contribute before Ottawa stops matching donations. He said the federation will also display Ukrainian flags on buildings and digital billboards, in recognition of the cultural ties that countrys diaspora has forged with the Red River Metis.

Instead, Ottawa dropped visa processing fees for Ukrainians on Monday, and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser told reporters he had "beefed up" consul staffing in the capitals of countries that neighbour Ukraine.

"Were working with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress to develop the best path forward and working with different provincial counterparts as well to understand the opportunities to do this the right way," he said.

The federal Conservatives have called on Canada to drop its visa requirement entirely, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed open to pursuing.

"We have several concrete measures that have accelerated the processing of applications  but we are also looking at all the different tools that we could use to best help those who want to come to Canada," Trudeau said.

CP A humanitarian centre for refugees coming from Ukraine at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, in Palalanca, Moldova. (AP Photo/Aurel Obreja)

Manitoba has, so far, contributed $150,000 to the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress for humanitarian aid to displaced families and refugees, a statement from Premier Heather Stefanson said Monday.

The province will take in Ukrainian refugees "looking for a safe haven," and will expedite Ukrainian immigration applications through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, the statement said.

Its too soon to expect a flood of refugees from Ukraine but Canada needs a plan, said Winnipegs Ostap Skrypnyk, vice-president of the Canada Ukraine Foundation and former Ukrainian Canadian Congress executive director.

"Were preparing for that eventuality and trying to work with the federal government to see what could be done in that regard," said Skrypnyk.

"Right now, these people are fairly comfortable" staying in Europe, he said.

If the situation worsens and refugees from Ukraine begin arriving in Canada, there are Manitobans who want to help, he said.

CP Refugees from Ukraine sleep in a tent at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, in Palalanca, Moldova. Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing from war by crossing their borders to the west in search of safety. (AP Photo/Aurel Obreja)

Some have been contacting the Ukrainian Canadian Congress nationally and here in the province about offering to take people from Ukraine into their homes, said Skrypnyk.

"I got an email last night about a woman in Beausejour that says shes willing to give her spare room for a refugee family, " he said. "Right now there is no big influx of people on the immediate horizon."

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Axworthys group has also called on Canada to make sure that neighbouring countries continue allowing people living in Ukraine to claim asylum, amid reports of Ukrainians and other foreigners being denied entry to countries like Poland.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said shes been bringing up that concern with Eastern European countries, and would do so again in a Tuesday visit to Poland.

"Should they see massive flow of people at their borders, (I told leaders) that Canada could help," she told the Free Press during a press conference from Geneva.

"Canada will play its part. And of course, we will make sure that Ukrainians seeking refuge will have a place to stay in Canada."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Dylan Robertson

Parliamentary bureau chief In Ottawa, Dylan enjoys snooping through freedom-of-information requests and asking politicians: "What about Manitoba?" Read full biography
Two arrests at South Point Douglas shelters hours apart Sunday speak to a rise in violent incidents at spaces that serve vulnerable Winnipeggers, experts say.

Two arrests at South Point Douglas shelters hours apart Sunday speak to a rise in violent incidents at spaces that serve vulnerable Winnipeggers, experts say.

A man was reportedly threatening people with a knife, attempted to stab an employee and was restrained by staff at around 8 p.m. before he was arrested. Police, who did not name either shelter Monday, said the suspect had been attempting to use drugs and became violent when asked to leave.

Nathaniel Sean Capay, 23, was charged with assault and weapons charges and failure to comply with the conditions of an undertaking.

An hour later, police received reports of an armed man suffering psychosis at a second neighbourhood shelter. Officers used a taser on the man, who was carrying bear spray and a substance believed to be methamphetamine, police said.

A 26-year-old man was charged with possession of a weapon and drugs, along with failure to comply with a probation order.

Unfortunately, weve seen a number of incidents over the past year, violent incidents, that have occurred at these shelters, and the Winnipeg Police Service is prepared to respond, Const. Jay Murray said at a news conference Monday.

These recent incidents didnt take place at Siloam Mission, communications manager Luke Thiessen said, but said such situations are becoming more common in shelter spaces.

Weve definitely seen an increase in violent incidents over the last two years, so its really top of mind for us, how can we address this, he said Monday. Its something weve been having a lot of internal conversations about.

Thiessen suggested the timeline matches with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, correlating with an increase in problematic drug use within the community experiencing homelessness.

Siloam Mission has increased its security in recent months but it was put in place to help keep up COVID-19 regulations, Thiessen said. There are no plans in place to ramp up security further.

The general tone, the atmosphere, in our drop-in and shelter has been a little more tense, and its tough to know what to do about it.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Luke Thiessen, communications manager at Siloam Mission, said the shelter has increased its security in recent months but it was put in place to help keep up COVID-19 regulations.

In his four years as Salvation Army Centre of Hopes executive director, Maj. Gordon Taylor said hes seen violence at the Christian charitys shelter spaces rise  largely a result of a combined issue of drug use and mental health issues in a minority of visitors.

The big shift weve seen is kind of the randomness of it, if thats the right word, he said.

Whereas it used to be the most likely scenario for violence would be a dispute between two people over a drug deal or something like that, now people are victims of violence who just happen to be passing by.

In December, Taylor himself was physically assaulted within the building by someone who wasnt legally allowed to be there (a client staying at the shelter had a restraining order against the individual).

Its just a small number of people (amid) the majority of people were serving, he said.

Murray said the South Point Douglas area is a busier area for police, considering the shelters stationed in the neighbourhood.

However, in the brief time when situations can get intense, its still often hard to get backup, Taylor said.

Were not going to physically try to remove someone, thats too dangerous for everyone involved, but police are busy and cant get here within two minutes when you call them, he said.

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End Homelessness Winnipeg communications and community relations manager Kristiana Clemens said the organization receives reports of similar incidents in shelters across the city.

The acuity and the frequency of scary things happening, its so common for all the shelters, she said.

The cases of violence are symptomatic of a wider issue in which there arent enough housing options available, she said  both in terms of low-barrier shelters in Winnipeg and pathways to housing.

Many people choosing to stay on the streets are doing so to avoid violent incidents like those reported Monday, Clemens added  and a heavy-handed response from police or city leadership isnt the answer.

As long as we have significant numbers of people choosing to stay unsheltered in streets and bus shelters because they believe that is safer and as long as we continue to really strain the capacity of the providers of low-barrier shelters in our community to the point where its difficult to maintain collective safety I think the traditional response to these kinds of incidents may be one thats going to be punitive or harmful to the people who are most vulnerable to being victims, Clemens said.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
Manitobas largest school board has removed a trustee, who has a track record of sporadic attendance and has been disciplined by the board in the past, from her position.

Manitobas largest school board has removed a trustee, who has a track record of sporadic attendance and has been disciplined by the board in the past, from her position.

Following a private board meeting Monday, the Winnipeg School Division announced via news release its trustees had adopted a motion to declare the Ward 5 seat vacant, effective immediately.

"The motion comes as a result of trustee Cindy Murdochs failure to attend regular board meetings," states the release.

The brief statement cited the Public Schools Act, which outlines the situations  a trustees death, resignation, disqualification, move to reside outside the division or failure to attend three consecutive regular meetings without authorization  when a board can announce an opening.

Murdoch could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

On Feb. 7, Murdoch was dismissed from a virtual board meeting approximately 15 minutes after it started "due to improper conduct." Board meeting minutes show the last public meeting she attended prior to that appearance was four meetings earlier, on Nov. 1.

The now-former trustee has faced multiple allegations of attending meetings while intoxicated since being elected to serve families in WSD in 2018.

Murdoch has never publicly addressed such allegations, but she has spoken openly about her struggle with mental health.

Multiple sources have told the Free Press she has repeatedly denied being under the influence of any substance at work, but concerns about intoxication at a meeting in autumn 2019 led to her temporary suspension the following spring.

Following a brief police-reported disappearance in April 2020 and a board suspension announced the following month, Murdoch released a lengthy statement condemning the action and announcing her participation in residential treatment to overcome her personal challenges.

In her letter, she wrote the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a reduction of the mental health support services she had been accessing since the previous fall.

"I believe the great personal efforts I am making to overcome these many challenges should be a source of inspiration, not condemnation Far too often people with disabilities and mental health challenges are disregarded as not being up to standard," Murdoch said at the time.

She has filed a human rights complaint against the WSD in relation to the incident. It has yet to be resolved.

In-camera board discussions about Murdochs behaviour and well-being have taken up a significant amount of time since 2019, according to division sources who spoke to the Free Press last month about their frustrations little action was being taken to address the matter.

Laurie French, president of the Canadian School Boards Association, noted there is a distinct difference between code of conduct breaches and instances where boards are legally obligated to declare a seat vacant.

Each board has its own code of conduct in Manitoba, and they typically rely on a "trustees manage trustees" model so elected officials hold each other accountable to the highest governance standards and behaviour, French said.

Three of nine seats on the WSD board are now vacant. Two former members left their positions in 2019, after they were elected to provincial politics, and their jobs were not filled because of pandemic-related disruptions.

Prior to the pandemic being declared, the provincial government had also directed boards not to hold byelections in the lead-up to introducing a controversial education reform bill that has since been scrapped.

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The latest vacancy marks the second time in one month a trustee in the Manitoba capital has been turfed because of attendance-related issues. The Pembina Trails School Division announced a sudden board opening Jan. 31.

The vacant seats in central and south Winnipeg will be filled in the upcoming civic election, scheduled for Oct. 26.

Boards continue to run meetings with a mix of in-person and virtual attendance, owing to COVID-19 concerns.

"Trustees have been challenged to respond and ensure that the adequate supports are in place and theyve been working very hard to do that under very strained conditions under the last two years," French said Tuesday, during a phone call from Kingston, Ont.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
IN the early 2oth century  1906, to be exact  my great-grandparents, along with thousands of others, fled the pogroms and anti-Semitism of Europe, specifically Russia, in search of a better life. As Jews, they were the frequent targets of hate, violence, and inequality under the law.

Opinion

IN the early 2oth century  1906, to be exact  my great-grandparents, along with thousands of others, fled the pogroms and anti-Semitism of Europe, specifically Russia, in search of a better life. As Jews, they were the frequent targets of hate, violence, and inequality under the law.

They made their way to Canada, with little in the way of English, possessions, money, or sense of what the future held in store. Just a few generations later, their sacrifices have paved the way for members of our family to achieve things that, to them at the time, would not have been thought possible.

As a direct beneficiary of those sacrifices, I am grateful for their courage, but the root causes of their forced departure are not lost on me, and remain even more present in my mind today as events unfold in Ukraine.

As I watch what is happening in Europe with disbelief and horror, my thoughts are taken back to the months I spent in Grade 9 with leaders from Winnipegs Jewish community as they prepared us for a trip to Washington, D.C., and a visit to the United States Holocaust Museum.

It was during those conversations that my peers and I learned about the ways in which an entire people were brainwashed to believe that their fellow citizens, colleagues, neighbours and teachers, were lesser than. It was as a result of those prevailing attitudes that my ancestors were forced to migrate west.

My classmates and I were taught these lessons, not only for the purpose of understanding the past and the harsh realities of our Jewish heritage, but more importantly to help ensure such atrocities could not be permitted to occur again.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen on implementing a brutal regime while dehumanizing the Ukrainian people with accusations that include false claims that its Jewish president and prime minister are, in effect, Nazis. These accusations, not only false and more accurately descriptive of Putin himself, are eerily reminiscent of the ways in which Adolf Hitler began his slow and methodical goal of eradicating the Jewish people, and other minorities, from European society, and his push for greater territorial control.

A widely accepted definition of genocide includes 10 stages: classification, symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, persecution, extermination and denial. It is clear, as we watch reports of news feeds from Russia and the rhetoric from Putin, that the Russian population has, in large part, been led to believe  through official state information  that Ukraine and the Ukrainian people are not legitimate, and that war is justified on that basis.

Much of this comes as a result of government propaganda aimed at dehumanizing another group. There is no doubt that several of the 10 stages of genocide are active in Putins campaign. This is not to imply that what is happening in Ukraine right now will inevitably lead to genocide, but the strategic approach to demonizing a people is clearly in line with other historical conflicts that began in similar ways.

We have also seen this play out in Donald Trumps America and the election that led to his presidency, and more recently here in Canada during the so-called Freedom convoy, as people consume information through amateur social media platforms that attempt to create fractions within our own populations, and play upon fear and lies to achieve the larger aims of greater power and control.

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As an educator, I am left to wonder what role we can play to ensure our young people are not only aware of what is going on in Ukraine, but that they have the necessary tools to make sense of it. This includes an ability to draw links between other historical events and what is happening today.

We need to help young people understand the power of communication, the role of government and its different forms, the role of media, and how to find  and then make sense of  the truth within it all.

Historians often use what are called historical thinking concepts as an approach to the study of human history. The six primary concepts are: 1) to establish historical significance, 2) use primary source evidence, 3) identify continuity and change, 4) analyze cause and consequence, 5) consider historical perspective, and 6) understand the ethical dimensions of historical interpretation.

As the Historical Thinking Project of Canada says, these concepts allow students to detect the differences  between the uses and abuses of history. Historical thinking only becomes possible in relation to substantive content.

We need our young people to engage in discussions about world affairs at home and in the classroom. By asking them, and others we engage with, where they got their information, how they know it is true, whether or not it can be trusted, what they are going to do with it, and what questions they might have moving forward, we can greatly impact the development of their critical thinking skills and, as such, contribute to a better future.

Ben Carr is principal of the Maples Met School in Winnipeg.
THE object of the exercise is to get some rocks which will remain ours.  There will be no indigenous population except seagulls, wrote Sir Paul Gore-Booth, a senior official at the British Foreign Office, as the plan to expel the 2,000 Chagos Islanders from their homes was taking shape in 1966. We must surely be very tough about this.

Opinion

THE object of the exercise is to get some rocks which will remain ours.  There will be no indigenous population except seagulls, wrote Sir Paul Gore-Booth, a senior official at the British Foreign Office, as the plan to expel the 2,000 Chagos Islanders from their homes was taking shape in 1966. We must surely be very tough about this.

They were indeed very tough about it. Six years later the Chagossians (Ilois, as they call themselves) were scooped up, loaded on ships, and dumped on the waterfront of Port Louis in Mauritius, where most of them have lived in abject poverty ever since. But last month, a number of them went back to the islands on a Mauritian ship.

Not to stay, yet. They were shadowed by a British fisheries protection vessel throughout their visit, which comically claimed that it was co-operating in environmental research. But the balance has now tipped so far in favour of the former residents that the British ship dared not stop the Mauritian vessel.

While their own ships crew worked to define the territorys maritime boundaries for the Mauritian government, the Ilois revisited their old homes, now roofless and overrun by vegetation. Afterwards, they had to go back to Mauritius  but why were they exiled in the first place?

The crime that Gore-Booth was shamelessly discussing in 1966 was committed on behalf of the United States. The Chagos Islands, an archipelago of 62 coral atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean, would make an ideal bomber base from which to dominate most of south Asia and eastern Africa, and the Pentagon wanted it.

Britain, in its usual kiss-up, kick-down mode, was happy to oblige, but there was a problem. The Chagos Islands had been governed as part of the British colony of Mauritius, which was due to get its independence in 1968. The United States wasnt keen on having a major strategic base in an independent African country, so something had to be done.

The solution, obviously, was to separate the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and declare them the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Easily done: offer the Mauritians three million pounds for the islands, and tell them they cant have independence unless they accept the deal.

However, this was happening at the height of decolonization, when colonial territories all over the Third World were claiming the right of self-determination. What if the Ilois do the same? Well, then, wed better remove all the inhabitants.

So thats what Britain did in 1972, falsely claiming there was no resident population, only contract workers. The Ilois have not been allowed to return for 50 years, and all the people who were actually born there are getting old, but their children and grandchildren have not forgotten.

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They actually managed to get a decision in the British courts in 2000 ruling that the expulsion had been unlawful and ordering the British government to let the islanders go home. It might even have been obeyed  except that 2001 brought the 9/11 attacks, and the U.S. base on the Chagos island of Diego Garcia became a key hub in the war on terror.

American B-52s flying from the Chagos Islands have bombed Afghanistan and Iraq at intervals for 20 years, and Diego Garcia, with no civilian population, became a transit point for prisoners being flown untraceably between American black sites around the planet. The islands were on long lease from the U.K., and the U.S. didnt want them given back.

Britain still insists it is the sovereign power on the islands (although it is the U.S. that runs them), but since the International Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that the whole expulsion had been illegal it has been on the defensive. The UN General Assembly and, more recently, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea have backed that ruling.

It will take some time, but the United States no longer really needs a base on Diego Garcia since it has access to air bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, all much closer to the action. Moreover, Mauritius says it doesnt mind if the base stays, so long as it gets its islands back.

So the Ilois will be going home one day soon  and meanwhile, heres a fun fact: the Chagos archipelago is at the bottom of a giant bowl-shaped depression in the ocean, almost 100 metres deep. If the sea was actually level  if not for the huge gravitational anomaly that holds that bowl open  the Chagos Islands would all be in very deep water.

Gwynne Dyers new book is The Shortest History of War.
Former Quebec premier Jean Charest was edging closer and closer this week to jumping into the Conservative Party leadership race to take the place newly vacated by Erin OToole. His style and his history stand in sharp contrast to the leading candidate of this moment, Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest was edging closer and closer this week to jumping into the Conservative Party leadership race to take the place newly vacated by Erin OToole. His style and his history stand in sharp contrast to the leading candidate of this moment, Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.

At age 63, Mr. Charest is a longtime fixture in Canadian politics, having joined the Conservative cabinet of former prime minister Brian Mulroney in 1986. He switched parties to lead the Quebec Liberals, winning Quebec elections in 2003, 2007 and 2008. His terms of office were marked by sharp conflict with labour unions and advocates of Quebec independence.

He drags behind him the heavy load of baggage accumulated during a long political career. As a party-switcher, he inspires doubts about his party loyalty. As a close associate of Mr. Mulroney, he raises doubts about his understanding of integrity and high principles of government.

Wayne Glowacki / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Former Quebec premier Jean Charest

Mr. Charest offers a sharp contrast to Mr. Poilievre. At age 42, Mr. Poilievre belongs to a newer generation of Canadian Conservatives who rose to prominence in the era of former prime minister Stephen Harper. As a Saskatchewan native and a University of Calgary graduate, he reflects the Prairie Conservative thinking that has dominated the Conservative Party since the Harper years.

Now serving his sixth term in the House of Commons, Mr. Poilievre served as a cabinet minister under Mr. Harper. In opposition in 2015, he has earned a national reputation as a merciless and sharp-tongued critic of the ruling Liberals.

A leadership race between these two men, if it takes shape, will offer Canadian Conservatives a genuine choice between two distinct paths toward power. Mr. Charest bears the scars of the Quebec battles between federalists and the independence movement. Mr. Poilievre has cast himself as an acerbic opponent of Liberal spending programs and an ardent believer in smaller government and lower taxes.

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre has earned a national reputation as a merciless and sharp-tongued critic of the ruling Liberals. THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES/Adrian Wyld

Mr. Charests career suggests a willingness to reach across party lines  and even to hop over them when power beckons. Mr. Poilievre has known no other party label than Conservative since the current version of the party rose from the ashes of the former Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties.

The social conservative wing of the party may still play a large role in a leadership race if the opponents of same-sex marriage and abortion decide one of these men is more sympathetic to their views. Either man, however, is likely to disappoint the social conservatives once the leadership has been settled.

Mr. Charests prospects depend on a long leadership race and abundant opportunity to bring new members into the party. Mr. Poilievre would benefit more from a speedy leadership choice dominated by the party as it was re-shaped by Mr. Harper.

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Mr. Poilievre is gambling that his ardent support for the anti-vaccine demonstrators whose big highway rigs occupied the streets of Ottawa for three weeks will advance his cause. Mr. Charest counts more on people who have voted Liberal all through the Justin Trudeau years to lift him and his party to power.

One way or the other, the race that is taking shape should at last end the internal bickering that elevated Mr. OToole to the leadership and then promptly dumped him after a single election loss. And it should give Canada a Conservative Party that can fulfil the opposition role that makes parliamentary government work.
LISBON  A large cargo vessel carrying cars from Germany to the United States sank Tuesday in the mid-Atlantic, 13 days after a fire broke out on board, the ships manager and the Portuguese navy said.

LISBON  A large cargo vessel carrying cars from Germany to the United States sank Tuesday in the mid-Atlantic, 13 days after a fire broke out on board, the ships manager and the Portuguese navy said.

The Felicity Ace sank about 400 kilometers (250 miles) off Portugals Azores Islands as it was being towed, MOL Ship Management in Singapore said in a statement. A salvage team had put out the fire.

The 200-meter-long (650-foot-long) vessel listed to starboard before going under, the ships manager said.

The Portuguese navy confirmed the sinking, saying it occurred outside Portuguese waters. A Portuguese Air Force helicopter evacuated the 22 crew members when the fire first broke out, setting the ship adrift.

Ocean-going tugboats with firefighting equipment had been hosing down the ships hull to cool it.

It wasnt clear how many cars were onboard the ship, but vessels of the Felicity Aces size can carry at least 4,000 vehicles.

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European carmakers declined to discuss how many vehicles and what models were on board, but Porsche customers in the United States were being contacted by their dealers, the company said.

We are already working to replace every car affected by this incident and the first new cars will be built soon, Angus Fitton, vice president of PR at Porsche Cars North America, Inc., told The Associated Press in an email.

The ship was transporting electric and non-electric vehicles, according to Portuguese authorities. Suspicion on what started the fire on Feb. 16 has fallen on lithium batteries used in electric vehicles, though authorities say they have no firm evidence about the cause.

Authorities feared the ship could pollute the ocean. The ship was carrying 2,000 metric tons (2,200 tons) of fuel and 2,000 metric tons (2,200 tons) of oil. It can carry more than 17,000 metric tons (18,700 tons) of cargo.

The Portuguese navy said in a statement that only a few pieces of wreckage and a small patch of oil was visible where the ship went down. The tugboats were breaking up the patch with hoses, it said.

A Portuguese Air Force plane and a Portuguese navy vessel are to remain at the scene on the lookout for signs of pollution.
BRISBANE, Australia (AP)  Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and hundreds of thousands more were told to prepare to flee as parts of Australias southeast coast were inundated by the worst flooding in more than a decade. At least 10 people have died.

BRISBANE, Australia (AP)  Tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes by Tuesday and hundreds of thousands more were told to prepare to flee as parts of Australias southeast coast were inundated by the worst flooding in more than a decade. At least 10 people have died.

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said there had been 1,000 rescues in the state by Tuesday and more than 6,000 calls for authorities to help.

Scores of residents, some with pets, spent hours trapped on their roofs by a fast-rising river in the town of Lismore in the states north.

The body of a woman in her 80s was found by a neighbor in her Lismore home on Tuesday, a police statement said. There were no details of how she died.

Dozens of cars were trapped on a bridge in the nearby town of Woodburn over Monday night with both the bridges approaches submerged. Up to 50 people were rescued from the bridge early Tuesday, officials said.

We had no capabilities to get them off in the dark so we just had to make sure that they bunkered down and we went in this morning and got them all out," Woodburn State Emergency Services Commander Ashley Slapp said.

The floodwaters were moving south into New South Wales from Queensland state in the worst disaster in the region since what was described as a once-in-a-century event in 2011.

Perrottet said 40,000 people had been ordered to evacuate, while 300,000 others had been placed under evacuation warnings.

Government meteorologist Jonathan Howe described the recent rainfall in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland as "astronomical."

Nine of the 10 deaths reported so far were in Queensland. A 76-year-old man who disappeared with his vehicle in floodwaters northwest of Brisbane on Sunday has since been confirmed dead.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said another man in his 70s remained missing after falling from his moored yacht in the state capital Brisbane into a swollen river on Saturday.

The cleanup was underway in Brisbane, Australias third most populous city, despite more storms forecast for later in the week. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner urged people to register for the "Mud Army," as the thousands of volunteers who mobilized to help out after the 2011 floods were dubbed.

Thousands of homes in Brisbane were inundated Sunday, many by swollen creeks in suburbs such as Ashgrove, where Kelvin Barfoot had to evacuate with members of his family, including his 99-year-old mother-in-law, Mina Baker, in a State Emergency Service rescue boat.

The family moved back into the top floor of their two-story home and started removing damaged furniture and electrical appliances that had been covered by almost 1.5 meters (5 feet) of water.

People wade through flood water as they relocate in Chinderah, Australia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Tens of thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and many more had been told to prepare to flee as parts of Australias southeast coast are inundated by the worst flooding in decades. (Jason OBrien/AAP Image via The Associated Press)

"We thought we were pretty well prepared for it," said Barfoot, who leads a volunteer bush care group which has tallied more than 4,000 hours of planting and weeding along Enoggera Creek over the past six years. "Just unbelievable. When it did start coming in, it went up very quick."

Barfoot said his daughter and her husband swam to the house to help with the rescue after notifying emergency services that her grandmother  who moved to Australia from Christchurch, New Zealand, after earthquakes there in 2011 killed 185 people  needed to get out.

"We were pretty much stuck upstairs at that point," Barfoot said. "That was quite traumatic for my mother-in-law  we got her out (of New Zealand) after the earthquakes, so it was all a bit reminiscent of that for her.

"Now shes back home. She wanted to come home. She was a bit traumatized, but shes tough. She came down and asked me if there was anything to do to help!"

Schrinner said the six-day rainfall in downtown Brisbane  792.8 millimeters (31.2 inches) through Monday morning  was significantly higher than the previous record of 655.8 millimeters (25.8 inches) set when flooding devastated the city in 1974.

Rick Threlfall and Steve Hadley, meteorologists who moved from England to Australia and have been living in Newmarket, Brisbane, for almost a decade, were in the process of sandbagging the ground floor of their home but couldnt finish in time to beat the rapidly rising flood.

"Back in the U.K., we do weather warnings for 20 millimeters (1 inch) of rain," Threlfall said. "My weather gauge here has recorded 950 millimeters (37 inches) in three days. Brisbanes average is about 1,200 millimeters (47 inches) for the year, so weve pretty much had 80% of annual rainfall in three days.

"No real escaping the water, I guess."

The extraordinary rainfall comes as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported this week that vast swathes of Australia have already lost 20% of its rainfall and the countrys fire risk has gone beyond worst-case scenarios developed just a few years ago.

Australias hottest and driest year on record was 2019, which ended with devastating wildfires across southeast Australia. The fires directly killed 33 people and another 400 people were killed by the smoke.

The fires also destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed 19 million hectares (47 million acres) of farmland and forests.

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But two La Nina weather patterns have since brought above-average rainfall to the same regions.

Lesley Hughes, an Australian academic and lead author of the U.N. IPCC assessment reports in 2007 and 2015, said climate change was expected to overwhelm government systems such as flood responses.

"We can see that our emergency services are struggling already to cope with the floods in northern New South Wales with people stranded on roofs without food for more than 24 hours," Hughes said.

___

McGuirk reported from Canberra.

 The Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United States announced Monday it is expelling 12 members of the Russian Mission at the United Nations, accusing them of being intelligence operatives engaged in espionage.

Vasily Nebenzya, Russian ambassador to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the security council, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United States announced Monday it is expelling 12 members of the Russian Mission at the United Nations, accusing them of being intelligence operatives engaged in espionage.

The Biden administrations action came on the fifth day of Russias invasion of neighboring Ukraine, which has sparked condemnation from the United States and dozens of other countries.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations said in a statement that the Russian diplomats have abused their privileges of residency in the United States by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security.

Richard M. Mills, Jr., deputy representative of the United States to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the security council, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The mission said the expulsions have been in development for several months and are in accordance with the United States agreement with the United Nations as host of the 193-member world body.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told The Associated Press, when asked his reaction to the U.S. saying the Russians were engaged in espionage: They always do. Thats the pretext all the time when they announce somebody persona non grata. That is the only explanation they give.

The expulsions were first confirmed by U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills after Nebenzia told the U.N. Security Council on Monday afternoon that he had just been informed of yet another hostile step undertaken by the host country step against the Russian Mission.

Nebenzia, who was presiding as this months council president at a session to discuss the dire humanitarian consequences of Russias invasion of Ukraine, called the U.S. expulsions a gross violation of the U.N. agreement with the United States and of the Vienna Convention governing diplomatic relations.

Well see how events develop within the context of this decision, he said.

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Mills then confirmed the expulsions, saying the Russian diplomats were engaged in activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats.

He said they are also in accord with the U.S.-U.N. agreement. Nebenzia countered that this was not satisfactory.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded to the Russian ambassadors characterization of the expulsions as a hostile act by saying: I think the hostile act is committing espionage activities on our own soil.

According to the U.N. diplomatic directory, Russia has 79 diplomats accredited to the United Nations. The U.S. Mission did not name those who are being expelled or state how long they are being given to leave the country.

___

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.
BYRONJosh Pearson, age 22 of Byron, passed away on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.

Josh was born on August 7, 1999 in Rochester, MN to Jeff and Sherry (Cordes) Pearson. He attended Mayo High School and graduated in 2018. After high school he attended Spartan College of Aviation in Tulsa, OK and graduated with his Private Pilot license. He also attended Tulsa Community College. After school, Josh returned to Rochester and worked at Scheels Sporting Goods.

Josh enjoyed cars of all types, especially fast ones. He loved flying (his office in the sky) and large farm machinery. Josh also had a love for cooking and was a big fan of Chef Gordon Ramsey and all of his recipes. Joshs cooking will be sorely missed, especially chicken fried rice, monster cookies and gourmet turkeys for the holidays. He was the best on-the-fly chef, it always turned out! He was also a lover of cowboy boots and anything from the South. Josh had a sense of humor that was always accompanied with unmistakable loud hearty laughter! Josh enjoyed spending time on the river with his brother as well as playing farming and racing games with his Oklahoma friends.

Josh will be missed by his loving parents, Jeff and Sherry; his loving brother, Matt; his large fluffy golden retriever, Bentley Bentayga; maternal grandparents, Mary Lou Walther (Bob) and Roxy Cordes (Carolyn); paternal grandparents, Pat and Dale Pearson; aunts and uncles and their children: Kerry, Ron, and Isaac Fjerstad; Wendy, Rick, and Kaylynn Sandell; Tracy, Jeff, Katie, Kevin, and Kelly Madden; Holly, Rick, William, and Sophia Walters; great uncles: Ron Walther (Jan) and Dick and Riitta Ebert; as well as many other relatives and friends.

A private memorial service will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. All are invited for a Celebration of Life on Friday, March 4, 2022 from 12-3:00 p.m. at VFW Post 1215, 2775 43rd St. NW, Rochester, MN 55901.

Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Pearson family; to share a special memory or leave a condolence please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.
A Winona man was arrested for assault on Friday, and Winona police discovered on Monday that the individual had also failed to register as a predatory offender.

According to police, Andrew Jacob Bowers, 41, was arrested for third-degree assault Friday morning after officers responded to a call and discovered a woman with a laceration above her eye. According to police, Bowers allegedly struck the female in the face, resulting in the arrest.

On Monday morning, officers checked Bowers criminal history which is where they discovered that he was supposed to be registered as a predatory offender out of Illinois, police said. It was found that Bowers had not registered in the state of Minnesota, after officers confirmed Bowers did show a Winona address, and he was subsequently referred to the county attorney for that additional charge.

Bowers was held in jail on the predatory registration violation charge and had a hearing on Tuesday for that charge.

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In its 138-year history, the public library in Beaver Dam was been led by seven different women. Sarah Cournoyer has been selected as the eighth.

The Beaver Dam Community Library Board chose Cournoyer to replace Sue Mevis, who retired in 2021 after serving almost 28 years at the helm. Cournoyer has been performing the duties of interim library administrator since last fall.

The clear choice was Sarah, said Samantha Stam, board vice president. She loves Beaver Dam, shes got the credentials. We knew what was right in front of us.

Cournoyer earned a masters degree in library and information science from UW-Milwaukee. Shes been the youth services librarian in Beaver Dam since 2016, and had previously worked there from 2007-2012 as an adult library page. She was employed at the Horicon Public Library for about five years in between her service in Beaver Dam as a childrens librarian and then as assistant director.

Librarianship is a second career for me, so while I completed my masters degree I had opportunities to work on our website, I also shelved materials so Ive kind of spanned the gamut of what services we offer and worked in nearly every position in the library, she said.

Cournoyer said when she and her husband were choosing a community in which to live, a great library was one of the requirements on the list.

Little did we know how truly community this library was  our whole family got engaged with using the library and attending programs, she said.

Cournoyers leadership role comes at a time when the library board is in the midst of planning a facelift for the facility. The current library at 311 N. Spring St., Beaver Dam, was constructed in 1984 and this will be its first major remodel. Renovation funds will come from the librarys endowment fund, which includes gifts and bequests.

Weve selected basically a lay-out and are waiting to get that rendering back before deciding when to put shovels in the ground, said Stam.

Prior to the Spring Street location, Beaver Dam citizens patronized the Williams Free Library (now home to the Dodge County Historical Society), which was built at 105 Park Ave. and opened in 1891. The first established public library in Beaver Dam was housed in a room at the city hall in 1884.

Cournoyer laughed and said she doesnt live at the library, although many children commonly asked her that when she led story times.

Times are different, but several past directors have lived on the premises at the Williams Free Library. There was a really cool apartment on the first floor, she said.

The role of the librarian has changed emphatically since 1884 when Ella Smith was hired for that position at a salary of $52 per year, according to the booklet A Century of Library Service in Beaver Dam.

She distributed 1,043 volumes to a community that never before had library services, and by 1886 found it necessary to expand with 3,300 volumes on the shelves.

In 2022, the library administrators salary is set at approximately $74,000.

Beaver Dam Community Library joined the Monarch Catalog in September. Patrons can use digital library services including OverDrive, Libby and hoopla. They can now access more than 2.7 million items shared by the 31 member libraries of the Monarch Library System and available for convenient pick up at the library.

Cournoyer said the pandemic forced the library to shut down at times and it had to adjust to serve the community.

The last two years its been interesting to watch things develop. Our digital presence for the library has always been strong, but we saw those numbers increase a lot. Hooplas usage increased by 80% last year, she said. When we were closed and offering the mailbox service and contactless pickup we noticed we have a very strong readership of print materials as well, and in particular our large print collection.

Stam noted that the library board felt fortunate to retain all staff throughout the pandemic.

We know the importance of a library in the community and I love that we have somebody in charge who shares that and shows us that its not just a place to get books. Families have a sense of community here, theres access to the internet, its a necessity, she said.

Calling her new position her passion and purpose, Cournoyer said the types of services offered at the library continue to grow.

We have a solid grounding and are looking ahead to find out what people in our community want, what they need and how to deliver that, she said.

The Beaver Dam Community Library is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call the library at 920-887-4631 go to cityofbeaverdam.com/library.

Follow Kelly Simon on Twitter @KSchmidSimon or contact her at 920-356-6757.

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JUNEAU  A 45-year-old Milwaukee man was placed on a $75,000 cash bond Friday for charges related to allegedly hitting and firing a gun at his girlfriend while he was through Dodge County in I41.

Daniea Lanier is charged with felony counts of second degree recklessly endangering safety, use or attempted force while intimidating a victim, possession of firearm by a convicted felon and a misdemeanor count of operating firearm while intoxicated. If convicted of all the charges, Lanier could face up to 30 years in prison.

Dodge County Court Commissioner Steven Seim issued condition of the bond that Lanier does not have contact or communication with the victim. He also may not have violent or abusive contact or communication with anyone. He shall not possess a firearm.

According to the criminal complaint, a Dodge County deputy responded to a domestic incident complaint on Thursday around 10:45 a.m. on I-41 and Highway 49 in the town of Lomira.

The vehicle had been stopped by the Wisconsin State Patrol and Washington County Sheriffs Office on I-41 following a 911 call with no voice contact with the caller. Dispatch could hear a man saying he was going to kill the woman.

The deputy interviewed the woman who said that the two had been dating for about two years and they were out for a drive. According to the complaint, she said that she began yelling at Lanier because of his driving habits and they started arguing. She said that he had hit her with a closed fist at one point and did so about five times. The woman said they were around Lomira when he had the gun out and was threatening to shoot her. At one point, the woman said Lanier shot at her but the bullet went in the glovebox. A bullet hole was seen on the glovebox door.

A 9mm pistol, a small amount of marijuana and two liquor bottles were found in the vehicle. Lanier spoke to officers but denied anything happening besides the argument and denied having a gun.

Lanier submitted to a preliminary breathalyzer test which resulted in the reading of .105. A second reading had shown a result of .074, and was taken about an hour later.

A preliminary hearing will be held on March 3.

Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or contact her at 920-356-6760.

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Top spots for Witsies

Wits student wins the countrys premier budget speech competition.

Students from the School of Economics and Finance (SEF) at Wits University have once again proved their economic skills in the annual Nedbank/Old Mutual Budget Speech Competition.

The competition, now in its 50th year, requires students to write an essay on the economic issues concerning South Africa. The finalists then attended the Budget Speech delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, who also responded to their questions.

In the undergraduate section, Rethabile Mphahlele from Wits took the top honours.

Dhyan Saravanja in the undergraduate section and Lebo Siboyi in the postgraduate section were both runners-up.

In congratulating the students, Professor Uma Kollamparambil, Head of School, says the School has always prided itself on teaching students not just technical economics skills but important analytic and social skills that will enable them to play a meaningful role in shaping the economy of this country in the future.

These outstanding results are testimony of how valuable the Wits education is. As we celebrate Wits' centenary year, we also recognise the high calibre of students our School of Economics and Finance continues to produce.

This years students had the full support of the Schools academics. Dr Lyndal Keeton and Nimisha Naik were the convenors. Dr Aylit Romm, Dr Gareth Roberts, Professor Gregory Farrell and Dr Kenneth Creamer helped to prepare the students for the competition. In addition, students are able to draw on the broader support services at Wits through the Road to Success Programme (RSP). In fact, Rethabile Mphahlele was an RSP Peer advisor in 2021.

The Budget Speech Competition has been running for 50 years and has unearthed some of the countrys young talent and paved the way for lucrative networks and opportunities for budding economists.

The students who have participated over the years have gone on to influence policy processes, lead some of the largest organisations in the country and become changemakers across various sectors.
Next Engineers Programme targets high schools

The five-year programme seeks to increase the diversity of the next generation of engineers through early exposure to engineering concepts and careers.

Wits University is part of the Next Engineers programme, an initiative led by the global company General Electric (GE) along with local partners Protech, FHI360 and the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), designed to secure the next pipeline of engineers and to increase diversity in engineering.

The programme launched on Thursday, 24 February 2022 during #EngineersWeek in Johannesburg, will provide more than 3500 students between the ages of 13 to 18 over five years with hands-on exposure to engineering concepts and careers, and ultimately award financial support to students pursuing engineering degrees.

The launch hosted at GE offices was attended by the Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi and officials from the Department, learners and principals and various stakeholders.

Speaking at the launch Lesufi said: As the GDE, we welcome this initiative and are grateful that GE will be investing in transforming our engineering sector, especially through our learners. As we are aware, the engineering sector has a critical role to play in ensuring that Gauteng achieves its goals as articulated in the Growing Gauteng Together Vision 2030.

Nyimpini Mabunda, CEO of GE South Africa highlighted the need for a diverse profession to provide more diverse solutions that will contribute to the growth of the economy. Through GEs Next Engineers programme, we are not only exposing tomorrows engineers and change-makers who will solve societys most pressing challenges to invaluable hands-on learning experiences but we are playing our part in increasing the representation of females in the engineering sector.

The programme currently exists in Cincinnati, Ohio and Greenville, South Carolina in the United States of America, and Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. Johannesburg is the first African city to host the programme. The goal is to reach more than 85,000 students in approximately 25 cities globally by 2030.

Wits expertise

Wits Universitys Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, through the Academic Development Unit (ADU), together with Protec will play a key role in the implementation and success of the programme.

Wits University will host, design, run and support the three components of the programme namely the Engineering Academies, Camps and Discovery - for thousands young learners from several districts in Johannesburg selected from quintile 1  5 schools.

The Wits team comprises Programme Director Prof. Rodney Genga, Prof. Francis Faller, Prof. Cuthbert Nyamupangedengu and Dr Yu-Chieh Yen.

For Genga and team, this programme is part of ongoing efforts to expose young minds, from an early age, of the possibilities that exist.

We believe it that early access and exposure to engineering concepts and industry irrespective of learners backgrounds, plays a big part in the aspirations of young people as well as contributes to elimination historic and systemic barriers, says Genga, Director of the ADU whose main role in the Faculty is to improve the success and throughput of engineering students.

In particular, ADU will host the GE Next Engineers Camp at Wits during the winter high school break that overlaps with the University winter break. Engineering academics, as well as Wits engineering postgraduate Teaching Assistants, will play an active role in the camp.

Protecs CEO, Balan Moodley says through this collaboration we look forward to mentoring and exposing students to endless possibilities brought by the engineering sector and giving them an opportunity to turn their passion into a career in engineering.
Alumni in the spotlight in February 2022

Catch up on a wrap of Witsie awards, appointments and newsmakers from the past month.

Awards

Two Wits fine art alumnae Ravel Pillay (BA FA 2016) and Malebona Maphutse (BA FA 2018) were announced winners in the 2022 Emerging Painting Invitational by auction house Strauss & Co on 16 February 2022. Pillay received first prize and Maphutse third.

Promising botanist Jessica Minnaar (BSc 2018, BSc Hons 2019, MSc 2021) received research funding at the 2021 Awards by the Botanical Education Trust. She has been studying the biology of plants of the genus Galtonia in the High Drakensberg for her PhD. Only 5% of the genetically diverse Drakensberg Mountain Centre is conserved and its plants are increasingly threatened due to overgrazing, afforestation, agriculture and invasion by alien plants.

Appointments

Ntsoaki Ramabulana (BCom 2009, BCom Hons 2018) has been appointed to the Executive Committee of Aon Reinsurance Solutions.

Noko Mantome (BCom 2016) joined Momentum Securities as an equity analyst.

Alvin Rapea (PDM, HRM 1997) was appointed as partner in the corporate education division at the Regenesys Business School.

Exxaro Resources appointed Dr Pumla Mnganga (PhD 2014) to its board. She is the founder and managing director of Lehumo Women's Investment Holdings, a woman owned and managed investment holding company.

Premium Nickel Resources appointed Boris Kamstra (MBA 2001) as its chief operating officer as it transitions the Selebi Mines from care and maintenance to operational mines. Kamstra is a seasoned leader in the mining industry, with over 30 years of experience in senior and executive roles. Most recently he was the CEO of Alphamin Resources, developers of Bisie tin mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

South African record label Open Mic Productions has appointed Advocate Nkateko Maluleke (MM ENVC 2018) as its new managing director.

James Barber (MBA 2002) was appointed co-chief investment officer-head of private investments at Alberta Investment Management Corporation. Barber will be responsible for real estate, infrastructure, private equity and private debt and loans.

Tata Consultancy Services appointed Langa Dube as its country manager. Dube has a certificate in the management advanced programme at Wits Business School and is pursuing his masters in digital business.

Kevin Staples (BSc 1998) is the new group CEO of international software company BBD. The company aids financial service providers, gaming houses, insurance companies and telecommunication firms with digital solutions.

Ricardo Smith (BSc 2011, BSc Hons 2012) has been appointed as acting chief investment officer at Absa Stockbrokers and Portfolio Management.

Metso Outotec Oyj, a provider of industrial machinery, has appointed Brian Beamish (BSc Eng 1977) as a new board member.

Petra Diamonds has appointed Jon Dudas (BSc 1982, MSc 1984) as an independent nonexecutive director. He is currently chairperson of Samruk-Kazyna, Kazakhstans sovereign wealth fund, which he joined in 2020. Prior to this, he was an independent nonexecutive director and chairperson of the National Atomic Company Kazatomprom.

Chromaflo Technologies has named Moses (Jabu) Banda (BA 2014) as its commercial director in sub-Saharan Africa. Banda will spearhead sustainable market share growth in the region through market development and conversion of primary sales targets, including the proliferation of existing product lines and introduction of new product lines. Banda brings with him 20 years of experience in executive management and product commercialization obtained with Gilbarco Veeder-Root.

Newsmakers

A previously mothballed, cordoned-off area on a historical site in Braamfontein has been transformed into an art, sculpture and wellness park by a team of experts led by architect Edmund Batley (BArch 1994).

Professor Shabir Madhi (MBBCh 1990, MSc 1999, PhD 2003) released research indicating that at least three in four people living in Gauteng had been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus at least once since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. He also shared a personal note, with Bruce Whitfield about his relationship with money.



Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong (MBBCh 1975) participated in an interview with fellow Witsie Refilwe Moloto (BCom 2004).

Mothupi Kgopa (BSc 2007) is a mathematician who invented a scientific calculator named Geleza, which uses both solar and battery power. He explains that Geleza means go to school in township slang. He believes learners in rural areas spend a lot of money on scientific calculators which are expensive as they cost around R320 each. The Geleza calculator will cost the consumer R150. Kgopa also runs Kgopa Foundation for Mathematics, which seeks to instill a passion for mathematics in rural students. He launched Geleza in January through his company, Geleza Tech.

Andrew Goodhead (BSc Eng 2013) travelled from Cape Town to the Drakensberg on a solar powered e-bike.

The journal Nature published an article about Professor Patrick Arbuthnot (BSc 1982, BSc 1984, MBBCh 1985, PhD 1993), director of the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit at Wits, and his teams involvement with building capacity for vaccine manufacturing in low- and middle-income countries.

Mining company Gold Fields signed a partnership with Wits and other institutions (universities of Venda, Upssala, Polito, the Geological Survey of Sweden and Nordic Iron Ore) to develop new electromagnetic and magnetic methods for deep exploration targeting underground mining. Professor Musa Manzi (BSc 2008, BSc Hons 2009, PhD 2013), project lead and director from Wits, said the technologies would be used to make "a good case study" on how one can maximise the value of mining infrastructures, such as tunnels and boreholes.

Geologist Thomas Clarke (BSc Hons 2002, MSc 2000), vice president of exploration at Hawkmoon Resources in Canada, recently discovered gold which provides an exciting starting point for up-and-coming drill programmes for the company in 2022.

Kimberley Taylor (BSc Eng 2016), founder and CEO of logistics company Loop, was profiled in the Financial Mail.

Headwig Barrys (PGCE 2019, MA FA 2020) latest exhibition at Nirox Sculpture Park was profiled in the Mail & Guardian.

Anton Harber (BA 1979, MA 2021), adjunct professor in journalism at Wits, writes news media might have turned the corner in finding a new business model that could help restore the sector to financial health.

South African scientist Dr Raeesa Moolla (BA 2008, PhD 2015) struggled to breathe as a child with asthma and allergies, now she is helping to figure out the health impacts of the things that people breathe in.
Rosettenville residents defend eviction that would leave them homeless

CALS represents residents from Rosettenville who will be left homeless if an eviction order is granted against them without alternative accommodation in place

[UPDATE: Acting Judge Shaida Mahomed adjourned proceedings and indicated she will issue directives on further issues she would like the parties to address]

On Thursday 3 March 2022, the High Court in Johannesburg is set to hear an eviction case affecting a group of residents from Rosettenville. The residents, represented by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, include women and children who would be left homeless if the eviction were granted. We argue that this would not be in the interests of justice.

The Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) represents a group of residents from Rosettenville, Johannesburg, who have faced eviction from their homes at least four times in the last five years. During that time, they have had limited to no access to water and electricity and have successfully challenged this form of constructive eviction. The most recent eviction application against them will be heard on Thursday, 3 March by the High Court in Johannesburg.

We understand that there are many competing rights and interests in a matter like this one. The owners of a property have the right to use and access that property. Yet, the law around evictions is clear: no-one may be evicted from their home if they will be left homeless. In this case, our clients have been left particularly vulnerable after losing their income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures. They would not be able to afford other accommodation, and the City of Johannesburg has so far been unable to ensure that they would be granted emergency housing.

We are therefore asking the Court not to grant the eviction, or to grant it only on condition that alternative accommodation can be found for the residents who would otherwise be left homeless. In January last year, the High Court ordered that the City of Johannesburg must undertake a verification of the residents personal circumstances and that the Department of Social Development must be joined to the matter.

Being evicted from your home inevitably affects your right to human dignity, says Vuyolethu Mntonintshi from CALS. Being evicted onto the street has a further impact on many other rights like freedom and security and the rights of children to shelter and protection. Being evicted during a pandemic infringes on all of these rights and further endangers health and even life.

CALS is represented by external counsel Mluleki Marongo, who will appear for us before Acting Judge Shaida Mahomed.

The matter is set to be heard by the High Court in Johannesburg on 3 March 2022.

Read more in our papers here.

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Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness fell quickly for kids during Omicron surge but still offered some protection against severe disease
Weather Alert

...The National Weather Service in Indianapolis IN has issued a Flood Warning for the following rivers in Indiana... Wabash River at Lafayette and Covington. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days is bringing minor flooding along lower portions of the White River and upper portions of the Wabash River. Additional rainfall Thursday evening through Friday evening should keep portions of the White and Wabash above flood stage through the weekend. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated later this evening. && ...FLOOD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING TO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Lafayette. * WHEN...From this evening to early Saturday morning. * IMPACTS...At 12.0 feet, High water affects a few low river cabins and county roads. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 5:30 PM EDT Wednesday the stage was 10.7 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage late this evening to a crest of 12.6 feet early tomorrow afternoon. It may then fall below flood stage Friday afternoon depending on Friday's rainfall. - Flood stage is 11.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
W&M's Global Research Institute receives $1.9M to tackle pressing challenges around the world

Multidisciplinary hub: Students and faculty members attend a cookout at William & Mary's Global Research Institute, where scholars and policy practitioners collaborate to apply research to real world issues. Photo courtesy of GRI Photo - of - Hide Caption

New support for William & Marys Global Research Institute (GRI) totaling $1.9 million will enhance the universitys ability to address critical international challenges such as the changing role of the U.S. in geopolitics, conflict and peace building in Africa, a growing debt crisis and threats to the stability of democratic regimes. The funds will expand GRIs impact through groundbreaking research, innovative teaching and strengthened connections between the academic world and policymakers.

Four post-doctoral fellowships will be created through two separate grants: one from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and another from the Charles Koch Foundation in partnership with former W&M Board of Visitors member Paul C. Jost 76, J.D. 88 and Laura Holmes Jost, longtime benefactors of the university.

Funds from the Carnegie Corporation will extend GRIs new Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Academic Diversity, launched as a pilot program in 2020, and will build on the grantmaking foundations long-term support of the Teaching, Research, and International Policy (TRIP) Project, which gathers data and publishes analyses on the relationship between the study and practice of international relations. Carnegie funds will also support the Institutes communications team in providing decision-makers with access to the most accurate and up-to-date knowledge generated through applied research.

The post-doctoral fellows funded through the partnership between the Charles Koch Foundation and the Josts will help William & Mary to diversify and expand research and teaching in the areas of international security and U.S. foreign policy.

Across these two awards, post-doctoral fellows will represent a wide range of academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds.

We are enormously grateful to our philanthropic partners for recognizing the GRIs transformative work with this generous funding, Provost Peggy Agouris said. With their support, William & Mary is better positioned to extend our influence globally and bring about positive change in line with our strategic plan, Vision 2026.

The Carnegie Corporations support will ensure the continuation of GRIs Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Academic Diversity, which recently brought two post-doctoral fellows to William & Mary. The program creates a pipeline for scholars from underrepresented groups, such as women and first-generation students, international scholars, racial minorities, military veterans and scholars with disabilities to advance in the field of international relations. These fellows, in turn, serve as mentors for William & Mary students from underrepresented groups from across multiple fields who might not otherwise get an opportunity to engage in a mentored research experience.

Carnegie has long provided vital support to TRIP and other projects seeking to bridge the gap between theory and practice, said Sue Peterson, W&M government department chair and Reves professor of government and international relations. This new grant will allow us to increase opportunities for students and emerging scholars from underrepresented groups. In the process, Carnegie not only is transforming TRIP and our work, but also is helping to transform the discipline of international relations.

One of the Carnegie fellows will work with GRIs TRIP Project on the theory and practice of international relations. The other will work with the Institutes Africa Research Center on urbanization, labor markets, conflict management and peacebuilding in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Corporation has long valued the insights generated by the TRIP project that flesh out the non-linear relationship between academic research and policy, said Stephen Del Rosso, director of the Carnegie Corporations International Peace and Security program. We are also pleased to support GRIs communications efforts to connect its work to the policy realm and to promote diversity in the international relations field.

Funds from the Charles Koch Foundation (CKF) and from the Jost family will allow GRI to hire post-doctoral fellows who bring new theoretical perspectives not currently represented at the Institute and who are committed to the principle of open inquiry and the free exchange of ideas. These fellows will collaborate with students on policy-relevant research, covering topics such as U.S. alliances and overseas military commitments, foreign aid, trade, diplomacy and the links between public opinion and U.S. foreign policy.

The fellows funded through the Koch/Jost grant will teach courses not currently offered at William & Mary on topics related to U.S. foreign policy. To support development of a security studies program at GRI, these fellows will lead programs in the fall and spring that convene scholars and policy practitioners in Williamsburg.

We are excited to continue our support for William & Mary and its incredible students and faculty, said the Jost family. This institution is one of the countrys premier research universities. Were excited to help it contribute to the conversation about how to create a foreign policy that is based on realism and restraint and that relies on strength and smarts to ensure Americans security and well-being.

The United States is one of the safest countries in the world, and as a great power with a global economy, theres an opportunity to better understand the role we play, said CKF Executive Director Ryan Stowers. Developing grand strategy requires rigorous scholarship and open inquiry into the successes and failures of the past, and evidence-based assessments of the world and our place in it. We look forward to learning from GRIs top scholars as they address these fundamental questions.

Each post-doctoral appointment will have a duration of two years, with both Carnegie-funded post-doctoral fellows coming on board this August along with one of the two Koch/Jost fellows; the other would arrive in August 2023.

At the Global Research Institute, teams of students and faculty collaborate to address real-world problems. The work we do requires diverse teams and the freedom to explore new ideas. We need to engage ideas from across theoretical, ideological and disciplinary perspectives, said GRI Director Mike Tierney, 87, M.A. 89. We are delighted that these two awards will bring a broader range of expertise and experience to William & Mary and expand our post-doctoral fellows pilot program, while providing promising scholars support to create new knowledge and bridge the academic-policy divide.
The closing meeting of the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2021. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua)  "Your experience is just like your name," President Xi Jinping told Mi Xuemei after hearing her story at an annual session of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), to which they are both deputies.

"Xuemei," Mi's given name, is a literal translation of the two characters for "snow and plum." If Chinese people hear this combination, it immediately conjures up images of plum blossoms, blooming in the snow. The hardy fruit is renowned for flowering amid the bitter winter months.

Throughout her life, Mi has been as resilient as her namesake flower. She came from a poor rural family in northwest China. At 22, Mi joined the country's hundreds of millions of migrant workers who leave the countryside behind for jobs in the city. Her destination of choice was Guangdong Province, an industrial hub in south China.

Initially employed as a security guard, over 20 years, she worked her way up to department director at an enterprise in the city of Zhongshan. There, she was elected an NPC deputy. Despite her achievements over the years, Mi still remembers where she came from.

"I was especially touched by one sentence in particular in your New Year Address  happiness is achieved through hard work," Mi said to Xi when he joined deputies from Guangdong at the NPC session in 2018.

In response, the president quoted a classic Chinese verse, "Fragrant plum blossoms in the bitter cold," to summarise Mi's journey.

Mi might be happily settled in Zhongshan with her family, but she still thinks of herself as a migrant worker and prides herself on understanding dreams and struggles of migrant workers.

In her role as an NPC deputy, she has dedicated herself to representing the rights and beliefs of this social group of over 200 million people. In particular, Mi raised issues such as better access to education for migrant workers' children.

Migrant workers wait to board a chartered train at Sansui Station in Sansui, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 20, 2021. [Xinhua/Liu Xu]

"The issue of education for migrant workers' children, which Mi just brought up, is quite common," Xi told the NPC group deliberation attendees. "While pushing ahead with urbanization construction, we should make every effort to help migrant workers have stable lives  with their children." He also stressed that rural areas should not be left behind as urbanization gains momentum.

Over the years, Xi has been paying very close attention to the well-being of migrant workers. He wrote to them, visited their workplaces and chatted with them when there was an opportunity.

"When formulating policies, we should put ourselves in the shoes of migrant workers and focus on issues that need our attention and support the most," Xi once said.

China has unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2022, outlining essential tasks to comprehensively push forward rural vitalization this year.

Dedicating a part to rural migrant workers, the document called for implementing a package of pro-job policies to help migrant workers stabilize employment and integrate into cities. It also urged the creation of more jobs in the fields of home services, delivery, elderly care and nursery.

More job training was emphasized, as well as better healthcare and pension coverage for migrant workers.

(Source: Xinhua)
School nights for boarders at Caijiagang Middle School are never boring, because they get to listen to stories from the comfort of their dormitory.

For over 1,000 nights since 2015, Ma Xiaojuan, a teacher at the school, has been telling stories to her students, who are aged between 10 and 15.

Although a keen traveler, Ma spends her summer and winter breaks finding interesting stories to tell the students.

"The world is large enough to be explored at a later date, but the time I have to spend with each child is limited, so I want to spend as much of it as possible with them," she said.

Born in 1993 in Caijiagang Town in Changde, Hunan Province, Ma attended the Hunan First Normal University, graduating from the College of Music and Dance in 2015.

As a teacher at a rural school, she teaches a range of different subjects, including music and English, and is also a head teacher.

She knows all too well that school nights at rural boarding schools can sometimes be lonely.

"It reminded me of my own childhood. My parents worked away in big cities, so I know the students feel lonely sometimes. So I want to spend time with them and keep them company," Ma said.

That was how she started telling her students bedtime stories.

The stories aren't randomly chosen, and in some cases, she writes ones based on her own experiences and things that have happened around her.

"My sister is Teacher Ma's student, and she told me about her. I hope that one day, I can be her student so I can hear her stories, too," said Zhou Xiangyan, an 11-year-old sixth grader. "The stories are full of details  not just plotlines, but things of value and significance."

One day, Ma noticed that some of her students were wearing their red school scarves the wrong way. That evening, she told them a story called The Color of the Red Scarf, so that they would better understand why they all wore them.

Occasionally, Ma tells stories about famous historical figures, including Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Zhou Enlai. To tell better stories, Ma spends her free time searching book stores for inspiration, and now she has written 168 stories.

Thanks to their teacher's influence, Ma's students don't just enjoy listening, they also enjoy telling stories themselves.

"I am the fourth student in my class to tell a story in public. To do a good job, I carefully observe the way Teacher Ma tells a story when she is with us in the dorm," said the student, surnamed Zhou. "My friend suggests to me where I can slow my pace and make my voice more emotional. Story-telling has changed me. I'm more communicative with my teachers and feel closer to my parents. They praised me after watching a video of me telling my story."

Through her daily interactions, Ma gets to know each student closely. She also helps them with their daily lives and eats meals with them.

Her devotion to teaching and to her students is encouraging other teachers in Hunan.

"The nights she spends with the children shine like stars enlightening their thoughts," said Deng Yan, a professor at Hunan Normal University. "I still remember the first time I went to one of their story nights last October. Ma Xiaojuan's voice was gentle, and the light was warm," said Tian Fanghui, a peer, friend and colleague. "That night, I realized that storytelling is one way of teaching."

To record the scenes that left the deepest impressions, Tian made an oil-painting, which she has titled Story-telling. "Xiaojuan's passion for rural education and her major have greatly encouraged me," Tian continued.

For the gentle-voiced educator in Caijiagang, storytelling is something she is sure to continue to do for as long as she continues to teach.

(Source: China Daily)
Woodward, OK (73801)

Today

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 48F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Airbnb is offering free short-term housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war with Russia, the company announced Monday. Refugees are shown here arriving in Przemysl, Poland, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022.
A Russian military convoy threatening Kyiv is far bigger than initially thought, with satellite images from Monday showing it occupying much of a 40-mile stretch of road
Russian Standard is one of the few vodka brands that is actually Russian.
4m of aid for Ukraine announced by First Minister

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Mar 1st, 2022

The Welsh Government will provide 4m in financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine to help support those in desperate need.

Speaking in the chamber, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: We stand in support of the Ukrainian people who are bravely resisting this unprovoked and brutal act of war.

The Welsh Government will provide 4m in financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, which will help to provide crucial support to many who are in desperate need. We are also assessing what surplus medical equipment could usefully be sent to the country.

Wales, as a Nation of Sanctuary, stands ready to welcome people fleeing Ukraine. Tomorrow we will be holding urgent discussions with local authority leaders to ensure preparations are in place to accept refugees.

I have also written to the Prime Minister urging the UK Government to strengthen current arrangements to enable Ukrainian citizens to come to the UK quickly and safely. It is vital people can seek safe sanctuary here without bureaucracy delaying that process.

The UK Government must honour its duty to allow people to seek safety in situations such as those we are all witnessing today with great sadness and repulsion.

The Russian attack on Ukraine has caused the displacement of many tens of thousands of Ukrainian people from their homes and marked the onset of what could be the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe for decades.

Welsh Government pointed anyone who is able to help to consider making a financial donation to the British Red Cross, UNICEF UK or to the UNHCR UK.

Top image: The Queens Square Stand with Ukraine rally on Sunday, pictured by Oliver Stephen.
Continued mask wearing in Welsh shops welcomed by retail trade union

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Mar 1st, 2022

Continued mask wearing in Welsh shops has been welcomed by a retail trade union.

On Monday the Welsh Government announced that face coverings would no longer be mandatory in some indoor settings  such as gyms, cinemas, theatres, community centres and museums.

However they remain a legal requirement for adults and children aged 11 and over, unless exempt, in all retail settings, on public transport and in health and care settings.

Official guidance will also continue to highlight the importance of face coverings as one means of helping keep people safe.

Usdaw, which represents 360,000 members across the UK, has welcomed the news that the legal requirement for shoppers to wear face coverings, if they are able to, will remain in Wales for the time being.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary says: It is sensible and measured to keep the requirement to wear a face covering in shops. While Covid appears to be in decline, the pandemic is not over yet.

Wearing a face covering protects others and we welcome that the Welsh Government has been clear and consistent on it being mandatory in stores.

Usdaw is urging the shopping public to wear a face covering, if they can, to help make shops safer. We ask the public to follow the rules and respect shopworkers, abuse is not a part of their job.

We continue to call on retail employers to maintain appropriate safety measures, ensuring they are followed consistently in every store.

Many shopworkers are at a greater risk of catching the virus, simply because of the number of people they interact with on every shift. Yet they have worked throughout the pandemic to keep our communities supplied with essentials. These key workers must be valued, respected and protected.

The Welsh Government is set to announce the outcome of its most recent three week review on Friday (March 4).

It has previously been indicated that the mandatory requirement of face masks in the remaining indoor settings, could be phased out this month.
Extension of Wrexham primary school amongst 11 new projects announced to grow Welsh language education

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Mar 1st, 2022

The creation of seven new classrooms at a Welsh-medium primary school in Wrexham is amongst 11 new capital projects announced today by Wales education minister.

It follows a bidding process which will now see them proceed to the next stage of the business case process and apply for funding from the Welsh-medium Capital Grant, totalling over 30 million, following the announcement of the funding last year.

The Welsh Government funding is aimed at increasing capacity in Welsh-medium schools, establishing new Welsh-medium provision and supporting early language immersion as well as helping learners of all ages improve their skills and confidence in Welsh.

6.3 million has been earmarked for Ysgol I D Hooson, in Wrexham, which would create seven additional permanent classrooms for the school.

This would create capacity for an additional 105 pupil places.

Jeremy Miles, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said: Widening opportunities to access Welsh-medium education is absolutely central to growing our language and using Welsh more in our day-to-day lives.

This investment will help meet the demand for Welsh-medium education by increasing capacity in schools and supporting the increase in Welsh-language immersion. The investment will complement our plans to increase the number of Welsh-medium teachers and develop the Welsh language skills of staff in English-medium schools.

Creating opportunities to use Welsh outside the classroom is also important, whether competitively in the arts or sports, or just visiting the Eisteddfod. Im therefore pleased to support the Urdd next year with continuing its fantastic work in opening up a wide range of opportunities for young people.

All of these activities will help us achieve our goal of a million Welsh speakers and doubling the daily use of Welsh by 2050.

An additional 1.2m will also be provided to the Urdd for the new financial year, to support the youth organisation to continue its activities, which have been disrupted by Covid-19.

The funding will support a network of Urdd development officers across Wales, as well as provide new support for Welsh-medium apprenticeships within Wales most deprived communities. The funding is in addition to the Welsh Governments funding to provide free entry to the Eisteddfod in Denbighshire this summer.
Seriously injured trauma patients have higher chance of survival thanks to Wales Air Ambulance, new report reveals

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Mar 1st, 2022

A new report published today has revealed that seriously injured trauma patients attended by Wales Air Ambulance have a significantly increased chance of survival.

The service, which attends life and limb-threatening emergencies, has become an important part of the critical care provision within Wales. It attends patients who have suffered a serious medical issue as well as those who have received a trauma to the body.

The findings of an in-depth five-year evaluation of the service show that there is a 37 per cent reduction in deaths within 30 days amongst patients who received the emergency department-standard care provided by the services medics at the scene of an incident.

The service has also seen a 41 per cent reduction in secondary transfers for patients, vastly exceeding its original target of 30 per cent. A secondary transfer is when an emergency patient is taken to a healthcare facility, usually the nearest to the incident, who then requires a transfer to another hospital that can offer them the specialist care that they need.

Due to advanced decision-making at the scene of an incident, the services medics are able to diagnose the specific needs of a patient and take them directly to the appropriate healthcare facility. This further reduces the time it takes for a patient to receive the specialist care that they need while saving the NHS time and money by avoiding a secondary transfer.

The introduction of an advanced service has also attracted more medics to work in Wales. In the last five years, twelve consultants have taken up roles in Welsh hospitals because of the opportunity to work with the Wales Air Ambulance.

The evaluation has been independently scrutinised by Swansea University, with support from Health Data Research UK and Monash University in Australia. It included the use of Swansea Universitys world-class anonymised databank called SAIL to compare the services operational and patient recovery figures with data from 9 billion patient records worldwide.

The report, which examined the 9,952 missions attended by the service between 2015 and 2020, also reveals that 63 per cent (6,018) of patients received advanced lifesaving treatments. This included 313 people who required a blood transfusion and 790 people who received anaesthesia

The evaluation covers a five-year period starting in 2015, the year when an enhanced medical operation was introduced to the Wales Air Ambulance.

A unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership between the Wales Air Ambulance Charity and NHS Wales saw the creation of the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru). As a result, the service became consultant-led and transformed into a flying emergency department, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient at the scene of an incident.

The services consultants and critical care practitioners are able to deliver innovative emergency treatment across Wales, including minor operations, blood transfusions and anaesthesia. These were previously not available outside of a hospital environment.

However, the service is not just provided by air. The medics can also deliver their lifesaving treatments by road in the Charitys fleet of rapid response vehicles.

While NHS Wales supplies the medics, the Wales Air Ambulance Charity needs to raise 8 million a year to fund the helicopters and rapid response vehicles.

Wales Air Ambulance, which is marking its 21st birthday, now operates 24/7, with the introduction of an overnight service in 2020.

Dr Sue Barnes, Wales Air Ambulance Charity Chief Executive, said: In the two decades since the launch of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity on this day in 2001, we have evolved into a vital critical care operation.

Our mission and vision are focused on delivering our lifesaving medical service whenever and wherever it is needed, alongside improving the lives of those we serve by being a world leader in what we do. This report offers tangible evidence of how we are achieving our aims.

Our ability to do this is thanks to our dedicated Charity, medical and aviation teams, however, it would not be possible without the incredible support from the people of Wales. It is because of their generosity that we have one of the most advanced air ambulance operations in the world and there are no words to convey our thanks.

The key for us now is to ensure that as many people as possible in Wales can benefit from our lifesaving care. With our medical partners, we continually monitor and evaluate our mission data and areas of unmet need to identify any service improvements that can be made.

Professor David Lockey, EMRTS Cymru National Director, said This evaluation is one of the most extensive done by any air ambulance operation anywhere in the world.

It clearly demonstrates that the advanced medical provision we offer is delivering benefits for the people of Wales, as well as the NHS. We must pay tribute to those in the Charity, NHS Wales and Welsh Government who set up and supported the introduction of our consultant-led service.

We also recognise the passion and commitment of all those, past and present, who have worked hard to deliver this service, as well as the Charitys supporters, without whom our service would not exist.

We are also incredibly proud and grateful to work alongside our colleagues in the Welsh Ambulance Service and in health boards across Wales.

Together, we are able to offer the best possible care for people across the country.
A federal judge will allow a member of the press and the defendant's wife inside the courtroom for the first January 6 trial, reversing an earlier decision to bar the public from the courtroom during witness testimony.
Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese received two glowing promotions in the corporate press last weekend. Big business chiefs and a prominent journalist, well-connected to the US-linked intelligence networks, extolled his political qualities.

A feature-length interview by Jacob Greber in the Australian Financial Review (AFR) magazine was headlined: New-look Albo: Im comfortable in the boardrooms as well as the pub. On the same day, the Australian, the Murdoch medias national flagship, featured Albaneses most wide-ranging interview on foreign affairs and national security, conducted by foreign editor Greg Sheridan.

Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese [Credit: @AlboMP, Twitter]

The lionising of Albanese is revealing. With the deeply unpopular Liberal-National Coalition government wracked by infighting, Prime Minister Scott Morrisons approval ratings sinking further into negative territory and an election looming by May, key elements in the ruling class, both in Australia and the United States, are looking to a Labor government under conditions of an escalating war in Europe, the ongoing pandemic disaster, staggering social inequality and declining real wages.

In the AFR, Greber lauded Albanese for having ended all talk of Labors war on the big end of town. That was a reference to the phoney fair go rhetoric of Labors 2019 election debacle, in which few workers believed Labors promise of limited tax measures against wealthy layers.

Greber highlighted Albaneses plan to emulate the supposed consensus politics of the 1983 to 1996 Hawke and Keating Labor governments, which worked closely with the trade unions to ruthlessly restructure the economy along pro-market lines at the expense of working-class jobs, conditions and basic rights.

Im comfortable in the boardrooms as well as the pub, Albanese told Greber, and repeated his previous statement that Labor was seeking renewal, not revolution. This points to the key role to be assigned by the boardrooms to any incoming Labor government: to suppress working-class discontent and prevent it from turning in a socialist direction against capitalist rule.

Among the corporate leaders singing Albaneses praises to Greber was Jennifer Westacott, the CEO of the Business Council of Australia (BCA), which represents the largest corporations operating in the country. She said Albanese had worked really hard to pivot Labor to work with business since Labors 2019 election loss.

Westacott enthused that Albanese gets the role of the private sector, just as much as Morrison. He understood that youve got to have the right economic conditions [so] that business can thrive.

Another admirer was former BCA president Tony Shepherd, despite his strong ties to the Coalition. A long-time agitator for lower corporate taxes, and greater workplace flexibility, Shepherd told Greber: I always found him approachable.

Rod Eddington, a former British Airways boss, said business found encouragement in Albaneses approach. Richard Goyder, a corporate boardroom member and ex-CEO of the Wesfarmers retail network, said: He always reaches out to me. Hes open. He listens.

One business leader told Greber that Albanese had an excellent business network. Among those on Albaneses speed dial, together with Westacott and Goyder, were Macquarie Banks Nicholas Moore, Qantas boss Alan Joyce, company director Mark Birrell, banker and company director David Gonski, and former Australian Industry Group CEO Heather Ridout.

Greber noted with appreciation Albaneses evolution from a young Labor rabble-rouser. Albanese assured Greber that he had always been a supporter of business and the creation of wealth, not just its distribution.

This speaks volumes about the role and trajectory of Labors Left faction, in which Albanese has been a key figure for three decades. Like the Labor Party as a whole, it has always been thoroughly committed to defending and maintaining the capitalist profit system. Its onetime fraudulent claims to represent fairness, and even socialism, sought to divert the discontent and struggles of the working class back behind the big business Labor Party and the parliamentary establishment as a whole.

Albanese indicated the affluent and upper middle class social base on which Labor has increasingly depended. He boasted of winning the support of pretty wealthy voters in his inner-Sydney electorate. Such layers were the only ones in which Labor won greater support in the 2019 election, even as its vote plunged to a near-record low.

Despite the promotion of Albanese, an accompanying AFR editorial demanded that he make his pledges to business more specific. He had to supply hard details about delivering incentive-sharpening tax and workplace reform to boost productivity and pay down the massive public debt incurred from bailing out business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Albanese could be the leader that Labor and Australia both need right now, the editorial concluded. But he had to prove that he was a true believer in Hawke-Keating style reform for a more competitive and prosperous Australia.

Total commitment to the US alliance

In his extended interview with Sheridan in the Weekend Australian, Albanese underscored Labors unconditional commitment to the US military alliance and the Biden administrations escalating confrontation with both Russia and China.

The interview was conducted after a fortnight of frenzied allegations by Morrisons Coalition government that Labor was insufficiently aggressive toward China, and was in fact Beijings pick for the forthcoming election.

Albanese responded by boasting that the AUKUS pact, signed by Australia with the US and UK in September, directed against China, and featuring the supply of nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia, could not have gone ahead without Labors support. A precondition of American support was that there be bipartisan support for it in Australia, he said. Without Labors support, it wouldnt have happened.

Sheridan agreed. He hailed Albanese for changing Labors previous opposition to nuclear-powered submarines. The interviews introduction declared: If Australia does end up getting nuclear submarines through AUKUS, these powerful boats will have a most unlikely hero: Anthony Albanese. The Labor leader has come a long way.

Albanese did not stop there. He denounced China as aggressive and stridently backed Morrisons flat rejection of any discussion with China on the 14 points of complaints that its embassy issued in November 2020. The 14 complaints included discriminatory tariffs on Chinese products, a bar on the Chinese telco company Huawei supplying 5G technology, and far-reaching bans on Chinese investment in Australia. Echoing Morrisons inflammatory accusation that these grievances amounted to coercion of Australia, the Labor leader described them as very provocative.

The interview took the form of an audition. Sheridan asked: So how does Albanese feel about the national security and intelligence agencies themselves, especially ASIO [the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation], once a hostile obsession for the far left of the Labor Party.

The Labor leader assured readers that he had developed a very good relationship with these agencies, all of which are closely integrated with those of the US and other members of the Five Eyes spy networkthe UK, Canada and New Zealand. He also had a high regard for all the current heads of the national security agencies.

Similarly, Albanese vowed that a Labor government would be absolutely serious about increasing military spending. Its at least 2 percent of our GNP on defence, it may well need to be more in the future, he said.

In fact, Albanese criticised the Coalition government for not delivering an effective or substantial military buildup. It had also wasted billions of dollars and many years on submarines it did not pursue, including the French submarine contract that the government scrapped last September to enter the AUKUS pact.

Significantly, Albanese presented Labor as the best party to conduct war. He boasted of Labors record of leading the country during World War II, boosting the commitment to the US alliance in the 1980s and 1990s and signing the 2011 pact to base US marines in the strategic northern city of Darwin.

Sheridan noted that the marine hosting decision, which Albanese strongly supported as a cabinet minister at the time, has laid the groundwork for steadily expanding US military involvement in northern Australia, which Albanese supports.

The Labor leader avoided mentioning the fact that the minority Gillard Labor government, which signed the basing deal with the Obama administration, was kept in office via an agreement with the Greens, who also support the heightening confrontation with Russia and China.

Sheridan emphasised that Albanese was part of the sensible social democratic tradition in national security. The journalist remarked that the communists hated the social democrats because they convinced the working class that reform was better than revolution.

That says a lot about the concerns in ruling circles that, as the war, political and social crisis intensifies, workers will turn in a revolutionary socialist direction against the entire capitalist order. Labor and the trade unions are above all needed to head off and quash such a development.

Sheridan concluded by noting Albaneses political journey: He did start political life as an activist on the radical left within the Labor Party As early as 1990, however, he took a trip with the US State Department and spent six weeks falling in love with the US Hes come a long way, Albo.

As with the AFR feature, this is instructive of the true character and trajectory of the Labor Left. Since 1990, Labor, including all its the Left ministers, has either joined or given essential bipartisan backing to every barbaric US-led war of conquest since the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union, from the first Gulf War to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the regime-change assaults in Libya and Syria.

Albaneses PR promotion is a warning that any Labor-led government will be one of pro-US militarism, wealth creation for the rich, and deeper attacks on the jobs and conditions of the working class.
Australian state, territory and federal governments have announced the removal of virtually all remaining public health measures against COVID-19.

While all objective evidence points to the fact that current conditions are worse than at almost any other time, Australian governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike, have effectively declared the pandemic over.

This is part of a process underway globally, with the exception of China, which continues to implement a highly successful zero-COVID strategy. The major capitalist governments, basing themselves on the demands of the financial elite, are eliminating any impediments to corporate profit-making activity, in a program of forever COVID.

Across the country, 1,413 deaths from the virus were recorded in February. While this is lower than the total of 1,519 in January, the worst month on record, the daily average increased slightly to 50.46. More than half of the 5,171 COVID-19 deaths since 2020 occurred in just these two months. Based on pre-pandemic averages, the virus remains the leading cause of death in Australia.

Since the Omicron surge began in December, the countrys testing and contact tracing infrastructure has been almost entirely dismantled, in line with the Labor-dominated National Cabinets decree that COVID-19 management will be consistent with influenza, or other infectious diseases.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for COVID-19 is at the lowest level since June 2021. The majority of testing is now left up to individuals, who must in most cases source, pay for and administer rapid antigen tests (RATs) themselves. While it is mandatory to report positive test results, this is totally unenforceable. Negative RAT results are not recorded, meaning it is impossible to gauge the real level of infection within the community.

Despite the massive decline in testing, more new infections continue to be recorded each day than at any point in 2020 or 2021. In the last seven days of February, 161,663 new COVID-19 infections were reported across the country, an average of more than 23,000 per day. There are currently 204,220 active cases of COVID in Australia, higher than on all but 48 days of the pandemic.

In New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), indoor mask mandates were scrapped last Friday in all but a handful of settings, including public transport, health and aged care facilities, airports and aircraft. This follows the February 18 removal of most density limits, reopening of dance floors and, in NSW, elimination of QR code check-ins.

From today, Victorians will no longer receive a $450 payment if they need to self-isolate while waiting for COVID-19 test results.

Queensland Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk smugly declared last week: Smiles are back. Masks will no longer be required in shops, workplaces, schools and hospitality venues from 6pm on Friday 4 March.

Announcing the slashing of public health measures, Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews stated: Were going to a situation on Friday where there are essentially no COVID-19 rules, or so few that its unrecognisable to what it was a year ago.

The critical difference is that, a year ago, there were just 72 active cases of COVID-19 in the entire country, approximately the same number of new infections recorded every five minutes yesterday.

Work from home orders have also been rescinded in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, meaning it is now up to employers whether office workers are allowed to continue working remotely.

There is substantial opposition to this drive among workers. A recent survey by consulting firm Bendelta found that 81 percent of office workers would prefer to work from home and 70 percent opposed an employer mandate on the number of days per week they are required to be in the office.

The return to offices is being heavily pushed by governments as a means to revitalise cities. While this is couched in terms of restoring trade to struggling cafes and other small businesses, it is really about protecting the fortunes of commercial landlords and property developers, as well as further promoting the dangerous lie of a return to normal.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet recently stated that attending offices in-person was a civic duty.

Western Australian Labor Premier Mark McGowan announced yesterday that level two COVID-19 restrictions will be introduced on Thursday, when the states hard border is dropped.

Despite an existing surge of cases, with more than 1,000 new infections recorded each day since the four-digit milestone was reached for the first time on Friday, McGowan is proceeding with the border reopening.

The new restrictions, which mainly target home gatherings and hospitality venues, are designed to have minimal impact on business. The limited measures will do nothing to prevent a major surge in infections, illness and death when the border is reopened.

McGowan has previously said that the states plan is modelled on the example of South Australia. In that state, 173 people have died from COVID-19 since the domestic border was reopened on November 23.

Northern Territory (NT) Labor Chief Minister Michael Gunner said yesterday he planned to end the territorys indoor mask mandate sooner rather than laterlike very soon. While the territory has not set out a definite timeline for the winding back of public health measures, Gunner reiterated that QR code check-ins would soon be scaled back.

All of the territorys 22 COVID-19 deaths have occurred in the past three months, including 20 in February. The vast majority of the victims were indigenous. While this is not reported in official figures, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress CEO Donna Ah Chee said on Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio on February 23 that 14 of the 15 deaths recorded at that time were of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Currently, 96 NT residents are hospitalised for the virus, higher than at any point before January 27, with 4 in ICU and a further 17 requiring oxygen. Around 90 percent of those hospitalised in the territory are indigenous.

The NT has the highest per capita COVID-19 infection and hospitalisation rates in the country. According to official figures, 1.78 percent of the territory population is currently infected with the virus. Over the past week, an average of 573 infections have been recorded each day, more than the total number recorded in the territory before 2022.

The surge of cases and deaths is a direct result of the NT Labor governments opening of domestic borders on December 20.

The resumption of face-to-face teaching in schools has been a major driver of COVID-19 infections. State education departments have released only scanty details of case numbers in schools. In NSW, more than 20,000 students and 500 educators tested positive in just the first two weeks of term one. In Victoria 18,875 students and almost 2,000 teachers tested positive in the same period.

The Committee for Public Education has compiled reports from teachers, students and parents revealing at least 862 schools have been affected. This is only a fraction of the total.

Despite the high infection numbers among schoolchildren, most of whom have not yet received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, let alone three, the few public health measures in place in schools are rapidly being done away with.

Masks are no longer required for high school students or staff in NSW and Victoria and from next week, Queensland school students will not need to wear masks. Mandatory twice-a-week rapid antigen testing for school students in NSW has now been scrapped.

More than 700 students at the Australian National University in Canberra have tested positive for COVID-19 since an outbreak in campus residence halls began when students arrived for orientation week on February 14.

By removing the last remaining COVID-19 restrictions, Australian governments are creating the conditions for the next wave of the virus to be even more devastating than the last. The Omicron surge was itself fuelled initially by Perrottets removal of most restrictions on December 15, just as the new variant was beginning to take hold, together with similar measures in Victoria and elsewhere.

Students, teachers and workers must reject the false claims of the Australian and global ruling elite that the worst of the pandemic is over, or that future outbreaks are inevitable and must be lived with.

COVID-19 can and must be eliminated, but only the global working class can carry this out. Fundamentally, what is required is a fight to abolish the capitalist system, under which vital public health measures, including the shutdown of non-essential business, are blocked at every turn by the profit demands of big business.
On Saturday, freight rail carrier BNSF reported record profits for 2021. The companys operating income for the year was $8.8 billion, which represented a significant 13.7 percent increase from the previous year. Revenue also increased to $22.5 billion, which was 11.6 percent above last years total.

BNSF Anniversary Engine at Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, California, February 21, 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)

The announcement of the financial bonanza came just four days after a federal judge upheld an injunction that bars workers from striking over the companys brutal new Hi-Viz attendance policy. The points-based policy penalizes workers for taking time off for any reason whatsoever and will be used to squeeze even more profits out of workers labor. Imposed unilaterally on February 1, the Hi-Viz policy is intensifying workers already grueling and unpredictable schedules, which make it all but impossible for workers to see doctors or spend time with their families.

BNSFs operating ratio decreased by 0.7 percentage points last year to a record-setting 60.9 percent, according to a report from Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company helmed by mega-billionaire Warren Buffett (current net worth, $114.7 billion) which owns the railroad. A companys operating ratio is the percentage of its revenue that is consumed by its operating expenses. The railroad industry overall seeks to keep its operating ratio at 80 percent or lower.

BNSFs remarkably low operating ratio results largely from aggressive cost cutting. The continued reduction of expenses was doubtless a motivation behind the imposition of the Hi-Viz attendance policy. Workers opposition to the policy already has taken the initial form of a sharp increase in resignations. BNSF will use the policy to reduce its workforce even further by terminating workers who take too much time off. The railroads unstated aim is to establish a smaller pool of employees working around the clock as virtual slaves.

BNSFs freight volume rose by 6.9 percent in 2021, compared with the previous year. The overall volume increase resulted from a growth in shipments of coal (8.9 percent), consumer products (7.7 percent), industrial products (5.4 percent) and agricultural products (2.9 percent).

Of all freight categories, coal accounted for the largest increase in BNSFs operating revenues (21.5 percent). The increase reflected higher volume and greater average revenue per unit. The increase in volume resulted from greater electricity generation, higher natural gas prices and increased export demand, according to the report.

Consumer products accounted for the next largest increase in operating revenues (13.7 percent). Increased retail sales, a rise in inventory restocking on the part of retailers and rising online shopping contributed to the increase in the volume of consumer products, according to the report. BNSFs average revenue per car or unit also increased in 2021.

Operating revenue from agricultural products increased by 5.8 percent, and operating revenue from industrial products increased by 5 percent. The latter increase resulted mainly from improvement in the US industrial economy, particularly in construction and building, according to Berkshire Hathaway.

The relative increases in operational revenue do not correspond exactly with the relative proportions of revenue that the various freight categories represent for the company. The largest portion of BNSFs freight revenues (38 percent) came from consumer products in 2021. A further 24 percent came from industrial products, 23 percent from agricultural products and 15 percent from coal.

BNSF trains traveled 143 million miles last year and carried 535 million tons of cargo, wrote Warren Buffett in his annual letter to shareholders. Both accomplishments far exceed those of any other American carrier, he added, calling BNSF an indispensable asset for America.

The railroads size and capacity make it an indispensable asset not only for its shareholders, but also for US-NATO preparations for war against Russia. In the event of armed conflict, the Biden administration would focus significant attention on ensuring that BNSF kept supply chains connected. Biden also could mobilize the railroad to move military materiel and other necessary equipment to aid the war effort.

BNSFs Hi-Viz attendance policy requires workers to be available for duty 24 hours per day for two weeks straight to earn back points that they have lost by taking time off. The company will use this policy not only to ensure the steady generation of profits for its Wall Street shareholders, but also to press workers into servicing US imperialisms war machine.

Most of the railroads conductors and engineers are members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) or the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD). The unions made no serious attempt to stop the company from imposing its Hi-Viz policy. The unions limited themselves to requesting a restraining order against BNSF when it was already too late to have any practical effect.

Since the federal judge granted BNSF the anti-strike restraining order, BLET and SMART-TD have faithfully enforced it. Not only have the unions warned workers not to advocate or talk about a strike, they also have imposed an additional restriction by forbidding workers to talk to the media at all. All the while, BLET and SMART-TD officials have tried to cover their treachery by directing workers attention to futile legal appeals. As BNSF itself gloated in a recent court filing, the unions have never prevailed in court in 33 years.

BLET and SMART-TD have engaged in a charade to give workers the impression that they are fighting the company, even as they uphold its interests. Workers will not be able to oppose BNSFs exploitation successfully or prevent a potentially catastrophic war without taking initiative independently of the unions and of both political parties. Workers have already taken the critical first step in initiating the BNSF Workers Rank-and-File Committee, which has formulated a list of demands and guiding principles. All workers who want to wage a genuine fight for their interests should join the committee by contacting bnsfwrfc@gmail.com.
By Zhong Sheng

Chinas State Council Information Office issued the Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021 on February 28. The report, with tons of facts and figures, fully presents the worsening situation of the already wretched human rights conditions in the US and proves the only superpower has become the biggest destroyer of human rights in the world.

Despite having the worlds most advanced medical equipment and technology, the United States has the highest number of COVID-19 infections and deaths globally. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the US, epidemic prevention and control has been highly politicized, which has become a tool and a bargaining chip for Republicans and Democrats to attack, reject and confront each other.

Domestically, the US governments unscientific, unequal and irresponsible epidemic prevention and control conducts have seriously undermined its peoples rights to life and health. Peoples mental health deteriorated due to the uncontrolled outbreak; the number of the homeless is staggering; the elderly rights to life are flagrantly violated.

Internationally, instead of making any contribution to the global anti-pandemic cooperation, the US has repeatedly coerced the WHO and has been keen on passing the buck, shifting the blame and political manipulation.

While developing countries are in dire need of vaccines, Washington vigorously pursues America First and vaccine nationalism, dragging down global anti-pandemic cooperation. What the US has done throughout the pandemic reflects a total disregard for the right to life and health of people around the world, including Americans.

The American society is chronically plagued by systematic racism, gun violence, impartial law enforcement, and rich-poor polarization, which have only exacerbated as the pandemic is running out of control, exposing ordinary Americans to a life of insecurity and fear. However, turning a blind eye to its own human rights problems, the US has instead used human rights as a political tool to interfere in other countries internal affairs, which lays bare its double standards and hypocrisy on the issue.

Calling itself the beacon of human rights, the US is nevertheless a pandemonium where politicians are playing a game of fake democracy and peoples political rights are stomped on at will. Money politics is getting so very rampant that election is just a game of the rich while public interests and appeals are persistently ignored. The electoral farce has further deteriorated Americas political polarization, leading to steadily weakening governance capacity, social division and unrest, and stretched public welfare.

Several polls have shown that American peoples trust in their government is about to hit a historical low since 1958, and the international communitys confidence in American democracy is on a nosedive. Yet even in face of such a horrible track record of democratic practices, the US still refuses to face up to reality but insists on politicizing democracy to form small cliques and gangs to split the world asunder. The so-called Summit for Democracy held under the guise of safeguarding democracy and human rights ended up a farce widely criticized in the international community.

The US has always pursued hegemonism, unilateralism and interventionism in the attempt to preserve its global hegemony. The countrys frequent use of force has resulted in a large number of civilian casualties. Its abusive use of unilateral sanctions has caused humanitarian crises.

The New York Times reported that more than 50,000 US airstrikes in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan were reckless and poorly targeted, killing tens of thousands of civilians. A study by an American university showed the 20-year US military operations in Afghanistan have killed 174,000 people, including more than 30,000 civilians, and injured more than 60,000, leaving 3.5 million homeless and nearly 23 million in starvation.

Whats more jaw-dropping is that right after its embarrassed and scrambled withdrawal from Afghanistan, Washington immediately froze billions of dollars in foreign exchange reserves at the Afghan Central Bank, pushing the Afghan economy to the brink of collapse. Challenging justice with hegemony, trampling on righteousness for self-interest, and wantonly violating human rights in other countries, the US has become the biggest troublemaker and destroyer against the healthy development of international human rights cause.

As the pandemic and the profound changes unseen in a century are intertwined, it is the international communitys common mission to promote and protect human rights while endeavoring to vanquish the pandemic and recover the economy afterward. The US should look squarely at and get down to solving its own human rights issues and abandoning the habit of human rights politicization. It must join the rest of the world in upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, engage in constructive dialogue and cooperation on human rights, and make concerted efforts for the healthy development of human rights cause worldwide.

Editors note: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
From February 22 to 24, the Christchurch Coroners Court held an initial hearing to determine the scope of its inquiry into the deaths of 51 people in the terrorist attack on March 15, 2019. The hearing was held remotely due to the explosion of COVID cases in New Zealand.

Flowers for the victims of the March 15, 2019 attack. (Wikimedia Commons)

The attack on the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch by fascist gunman Brenton Tarrant was New Zealands worst ever mass shooting, and one of the most horrific far-right terror attacks in the world. As he drove to the mosques and massacred defenceless men, women and children, Tarrant live-streamed the attack on social media.

The coronial process is the first public inquiry into the Christchurch shootings. Despite its significance, media reports on the initial proceedings last week were largely buried under an avalanche of coverage of ongoing anti-vaccination protests outside parliament, and the war in Ukraine.

Nearly three years after the events, the circumstances of the attack remain shrouded in secrecy, with many unanswered questions about why it was not prevented. Tarrant obtained a firearms licence in New Zealand and spent two years gathering weapons and learning how to shoot. He corresponded with and donated to far-right groups in Australia, Europe and North America, and travelled to dozens of countries, completely unmolested by the authorities.

The Labour Party-led government has suppressed critical discussion of the attack. The state censor banned Tarrants manifesto, which revealed the gunmans admiration for Donald Trump, his sympathy for the police and military, and hatred of immigrants and socialists. It also made clear the similarity of his views to those of parties like the right-wing nationalist New Zealand First, and One Nation in Australia.

A royal commission of inquiry, which released its findings in December 2020, took place entirely in secret. The government ordered that all of the evidence submitted to the inquiry be sealed, including testimony from police, state agencies and Tarrant himself.

The commission, led by former Supreme Court Judge William Young and former senior diplomat Jacqui Caine, produced a final report, which was full of unsubstantiated statements, contradictions and glaring omissions, It whitewashed the intelligence agencies and police and simply asserted that there was no plausible way [Tarrant] could have been detected except by chance.

The royal commission did not condemn successive governments, in Australia and New Zealand, which have stoked xenophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment, including through participation in the imperialist wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Tarrants guilty plea meant that he could not be questioned during a trial about any aspect of the attack, including his motivation, how it was planned, and whether he had accomplices. He was sentenced in August 2020 to life in prison.

In November 2021, the terrorists then-lawyer Tony Ellis claimed that the plea had been obtained by duress and that Tarrant had been subject to inhuman or degrading treatment while in prison, which prevented a fair trial. Tarrant was reportedly considering an appeal against his sentence.

Before the coronial hearing got underway, a number of lawyers representing victims families supported an application by lawyer Nigel Hampton QC for Coroner Brigitte Windley to recuse herself due to the possible perception of bias. Windley worked as an advisor to the police from 2007 to 2014. In 2015, she was seconded to the Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, which oversees the spy agencies.

After a 30-minute hearing, Windley denied the application. She said she did not know the individual officers who would be giving evidence to her inquiry, as far as she was aware.

Lawyer Anne Toohey, representing some victims families, called for a transparent hearing in which all evidence could be presented. She told the court: The family members simply havent had the opportunity to understand what really happened. Regarding the royal commission, she said: Its very difficult to accept findings when the evidence that supports those findings hasnt been published.

Toohey also raised disturbing questions about the police response to the attack. She recounted the traumatic experience of the family of Kamel Darwish, who was killed in Al Noor mosque. Police claimed that Kamel died instantly at 1:44 p.m., but records show that his phone made calls to family members, and sent a love heart emoji to his wife at 2:06 p.m.

Kamel Darwish was not taken to hospital; his body remained in the mosque overnight. After the shooting, his brother Zuhair phoned Kamel several times. Some of the calls were connected, but there was no voice at the other end. Believing his brother could still be alive, Zuhair travelled to the mosque and pleaded with police to do something. He says officers placed him in the back of a police car and threatened him with arrest if he did not calm down.

Tarrant arrived at Al Noor mosque at 1:40pm and began shooting, killing 44 people. He then drove 5km to the Linwood Islamic Centre, where he killed 7 more people. He was arrested at 1:57pm while driving away from the Linwood mosque. (Image: Wikipedia)

Kathryn Dalziel, a lawyer representing 13 families, said survivors of the attack at Al Noor were abused by police officers who arrived on the scene: They tried to speak to the police, to say that the terrorist had left. They tried to tell them and were yelled at with guns pointed at them, to sit down and shut up. Meanwhile, Tarrant was driving to Linwood Mosque, where he killed several more people. He was finally arrested after leaving Linwood Mosque.

Dalziel called on the court to investigate whether anyone else had helped carry out the attack. We have clients who say that they witnessed somebody else present on the day that they believe is not the terrorist [Tarrant], she said.

Another lawyer, Aarif Rasheed, criticised the royal commissions suppression of evidence, including the interview with Tarrant. He said the commission had not looked in detail at Tarrants international travel, including whether he received any training overseas.

The commissioners made the extraordinary claim that Tarrant had not met with far-right extremists during his extensive travels. This was despite the fact that he donated thousands of dollars to Martin Sellner, the leader of Austrias white supremacist Identitarian Movement, in January 2018, and then travelled to Austria later in the year. Tarrant also visited a Polish village on the same day where the Knights Templar International (KTI), a white supremacist group associated with Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, was holding a gathering.

Tarrant had links with leaders of the Australian United Patriots Front (UPF) and its offshoot, the Lads Society, which tried to recruit him in 2017. The royal commissioners, however, asserted that Tarrant had no support from these or other neo-Nazi groups for his attack.

Following the attack, it was reported that, in 2016, a man complained to Australian police after Tarrant sent him a death threat on Facebook for criticising the UPF. A New Zealand man also said he had complained to police in 2017 about racist and extremist language used by members of Tarrants gun club near Dunedin. In both cases, the royal commission accepted the police claims that no such complaints were made.

In response to Rasheeds submission, Coroner Windley said it does seem slightly uncomfortable that she was being asked as a single Coroner, to reconsider issues that were looked at by a royal commission that had a full-time secretariat, two commissioners of significant standing, and 18 months to dedicate to their investigation.

Replying to this point on the second day of the hearing, Abdul Razzaq, from the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ), said that the issue of resources of the Coroner should be addressed appropriately by the Ministry of Justice.

Razzaqs own submission highlighted the Muslim communitys lack of involvement in the royal commission. He said, I put forward 184 questions to various agencies, but still have no idea if these were asked. The coroners inquiry, he said, must allow detailed questioning to take place openly.

He called attention to the failure of the royal commission to probe the private sector, including Facebook, where Tarrant participated in right-wing extremist groups. In addition, he said, it failed to properly investigate whether an IP address in Dunedin, identified by the intelligence agencies prior to the attack as having accessed Breiviks manifesto and material related to firearms, could have belonged to Tarrant.

Razzaq said the commission simply relied on the statements of the NZSIS [Security Intelligence Service, GCSB [Government Communications Security Bureau], and did not probe any further.

He also said the commission did not appear to have investigated how Tarrant had obtained steroids, which are commonly used in far-right circles. Probing this issue could reveal whether he had associates in New Zealand.

Razzaq called for the inquiry to examine how Tarrant was able to obtain a firearms licence, which was granted by police despite Tarrant providing two inappropriate referees on his application form. One of them had previous convictions, and the other had been warned by police on arms-related matters.

Tarrants new lawyer Ron Mansfield QC told the coronial inquiry that the Department of Corrections had only allowed his client to view the royal commissions report last month, and he alleges that it contains factual errors. Astonishingly, the shooter was only interviewed once by the commissioners, for a total of five hours.

Counsel assisting the Coroner, Alysha McClintock, defended the royal commission. She declared that its blanket secrecy was for security reasons, without attempting to justify this. She also stated that the commissioners consulted with affected families and reported on the questions that they asked, as part of the findings.

In fact, the families had no opportunity to participate in the commissions hearings and to question the evidence presented by police, the intelligence agencies, or anyone else. Nor were the families provided with information about the content of the hearings. They, like the public as a whole, were completely shut out.

Mark Zarifeh, a crown prosecutor involved in preparing the case against Tarrant, made a submission defending both the royal commission and the police investigation. He asserted that several matters the police had investigated cant be taken any further; theyve done what they can, theyve looked at all the evidence.

He also said the issues raised by the families had already been dealt with at length by the royal commissionsomething that cannot be verified, since the evidence is sealed. Zarifeh stated that the coronial inquiry should not be all in the public arena, citing issues of confidentiality, which he did not attempt to explain, other than to say they were the same reasons the royal commission had to be held in secret.

Taken as a whole, the submissions to the coronial inquiry constitute a damning indictment of the royal commission. The hearing confirmed the WSWSs analysis that this process was never intended to uncover the truth of what happened, but to suppress information, and to whitewash the role of the government and the agencies of the capitalist state in the lead-up to, and the immediate aftermath of, the attack.

At the very least, the refusal of police to investigate leads that would have led them to Tarrant, shows that authorities turned a blind eye to the danger of far-right violence.

The danger of fascism has increased dramatically since the March 15, 2019 attack, thanks to the promotion of right-wing extremism by sections of the state apparatus and politicians internationally. In the United States, militias allied to Donald Trump attempted a violent coup on January 6, 2021. In New Zealand, Canada, Australia and elsewhere, far-right groups are leading anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown protests, which are being used to justify the criminal policies of allowing COVID to rip through the population.

In a submission to the coronial hearing, the Islamic Womens Councils Aliya Danzeisen said violent threats against Muslims are a regular occurrence, warning: There is a clear and present danger within New Zealand that another attack similar to March 15 can occur again. She also pointed to the role of the extreme right at the Wellington anti-vax protest outside parliament.

The NZ political establishment is lurching to the right. The Ardern government is supporting the US war drive against Russia, while seeking to impose drastic austerity measures on the working class, and unleashing the deadly coronavirus.

The governments main responses to the Christchurch attack were to ban some firearms, boost the powers of the state to censor online content, and to introduce hate speech legislation. Through the Christchurch Call initiative, Ardern has joined other world leaders in demanding greater censorship of social media.

The target of these measures is the working class, not the far-right. Above all, the ruling class fears the emergence of a socialist-minded workers movement, fighting against war and for decent living standards, and conscious of the danger posed by the extreme right.

The WSWS warns that the state apparatus has no intention of revealing the full truth about the March 15 attack. It will seek to control the coronial hearing, to censor its proceedings and limit its scope as much as possible, ensure that its outcome does not contradict the royal commissions whitewash.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government deployed emergency powers, under the never-before-used Emergencies Act, for ten days last month to put an end to the far-right Freedom Convoys occupation of downtown Ottawa and blockades of various border crossings. Apart from the countrys most powerful business lobby groups, the Business Council of Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, some of the strongest support for this authoritarian action has come from Canadas progressive and ostensibly left organizations.

Left: Jagmeet Singh at the OFL Convention in 2017 (Wikimedia Commons/OFL Communications Department), Right: Justin Trudeau speaks during a media conference at the end of an EU-Canada summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, June 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Even before Trudeau declared a public order emergency on Feb. 14, the leader of the trade union-backed New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, had pledged his partys support. A week later, when the minority Liberal government sought the House of Commons mandatory retroactive approval for its invocation of the Emergencies Act, it secured it thanks to the unanimous support of Canadas social democrats. Charlie Angus, who is often portrayed as a left voice on the NDPs frontbench, summed up the partys attitude when he declared during the Commons debate, (W)hat we saw yesterday was policing at its best in this country We cannot be made to look like a failed state to the world.

Party elder statesman Ed Broadbent, who was a member of the NDP caucus that voted against Pierre Elliott Trudeaus invocation of the War Measures Act in 1970, gave his seal of approval to the partys support for the current Liberal government and its use of emergency powers. The Emergencies Act is not the War Measures Act, Broadbent claimed, adding, The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is not suspended. There is parliamentary oversight. And the act would expire in its application after 30 days.

Progressive media outlets struggled to contain their enthusiasm for the massive police operation mounted, using the emergency powers, against the Ottawa occupation. Supported logistically by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, it brought together tactical police units from across the country and involved the establishment of a police No-Go zone covering a large part of downtown Ottawa. The title of a National Observer article approvingly declared that Convoy participants had gotten a reality check, while another article applauded the police for moving in calmly and forcefully. The Canadian Labour Congress, Canadas largest union federation, was so little troubled by the governments resort to emergency powers that it did not make any public mention of it, including in a February 15 statement on the Convoy titled Canadas unions stand with those who stand against hate.

A dangerous precedent

Workers should reject such complacency and political stupidity. The Trudeau government deployed the Emergencies Act to uphold the predatory geostrategic interests of Canadian imperialism and the profits of big business, not protect the democratic and social rights of working people.

The invocation of this never-before-used legislation and its endorsement by the House of Commons marks a major shift to the right within official politics. It breaks a political taboo on using emergency powers and sets the stage for a more ruthless enforcement of Canadian imperialist interests against the working class at home and Ottawas geopolitical rivals abroad. This process can only be halted through the independent political mobilization of the working class on the basis of a socialist program.

The successor to the draconian War Measures Act, the Emergencies Act permits the federal government to employ coercive measures that may not be appropriate in normal times. When the act is in force, the federal government is empowered to make new laws by decree and expand its powers as it sees fit. The only provisos are that parliament must retroactively approve the acts invocation, can repeal any or all of the emergency powers the government arrogates, and the emergency must expire after 30 days unless its extension is approved by parliament.

To put an end to the far-right Convoy the Trudeau government arrogated the power to: impose No-Go zones in which protests and gatherings were prohibited, with violators subject to immediate arrest; ban participation in public assemblies deemed to go beyond lawful protest; and order financial institutions to freeze the accounts of anyone or any organization identified as responsible for the public order emergency. The federal government also gave itself the power to commandeer equipment and other resources needed to end the emergency, such as tow trucks to clear the far-right occupation of Ottawa.

Anyone who violated any of these emergency provisions is liable to fines of up to $5,000 and/or imprisonment for up to five years.

Broadbents argument that adherence to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms serves as a check on these extraordinary powers is a lie. First, the Charters very first clause stipulates that all rights contained within it are subject to reasonable limits determined by a free and democratic society. This gives the government and state institutions vast leeway to limit and run roughshod over democratic rights, especially in an emergency. Second, any determination that the government has abused its prerogative under the Emergencies Act to limit and suspend democratic rights would come only years after the fact, after a lengthy judicial process culminating at Canadas Supreme Court.

The political justifications that Trudeau and his ministers advanced for invoking the Emergencies Act make clear that it did so to defend Canadas geostrategic and economic relationship with the United States, uphold the authority of the state, and ensure, to use the words of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, that Canada retains its reputation as a competitive place for investment and business.

The order-in-council published in the Canada Gazette explained the Emergencies Act was required due to the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property, including critical infrastructure, for the purpose of achieving a political or ideological objective. Further reasons included the adverse effects on the Canadian economy recovering from the impact of the pandemic, the adverse effects on Canadas relationships with its trading partners, including the United States, the breakdown in the distribution chain and the availability of essential goods, services, and resources, and [t]he potential for an increase in the level of unrest and violence that would further threaten the safety and security of Canadians.

It is not hard to imagine how during a future major strike by industrial workers, cries will be raised from big business demanding state repression because strikers are causing adverse effects on the Canadian economy. Or perhaps the Conservatives and their right-wing media backers, who fraudulently portrayed the occupation of downtown Ottawa by a far-right mob threatening to overthrow the government as a movement standing up for working Joes, will demand a police state crackdown the next time a popular protest takes place against Canadian imperialisms role in the US-led war drive against Russia, because it poses a threat to Canadas relationships with its trading partners, including the United States.

Because the NDP and unions have rallied round the Trudeau government and its use of emergency powers, the door has been opened for the Conservatives and the right-wing media to cynically posture as defenders of civil liberties by opposing the resort to emergency powers. Thus, the likes of the Toronto Sun and interim Conservative leader Candice Bergenthat is, the very same forces who incited and fashioned the Convoy into a far-right extra-parliamentary movement in order to push politics far to the rightare now feigning concern over democratic rights.

This is no less absurd than the assertion by Trudeau and his progressive apologists that deploying the Emergencies Act will safeguard democracy. The Ottawa occupiers were not engaged in a peaceful protest, but rather a menacing act of political intimidation. For 24 days they besieged downtown Ottawa, flouting anti-COVID restrictions and bullying and terrorizing local residents. The initiators and leaders of the Convoy publicly declared their aim to be the ouster of the democratically elected government and its replacement by an authoritarian junta. To claim under such conditions that workers should oppose the Emergencies Act because they have an obligation to defend the democratic rights of the far-right activists and outright fascists is preposterous.

The far right and the capitalist states bodies of armed men

Working-class opposition to the Emergencies Act is necessary because history shows that whenever institutions of the capitalist state are strengthened in the name of combatting the far right and defending democracy, they are invariably turned against the working classand with far more speed and violence. Moreover, the very institutions supposedly tasked with defending democracy, the police, intelligence agencies, and the military, have proven time and time again to be breeding grounds for the very far-right and fascistic forces they are allegedly suppressing.

In July 2020, a far-right military reservist who was on active duty attempted to assassinate Trudeau at his official residence. Corey Hurren denounced the Prime Minister for trying to introduce a communist dictatorship in a note discovered by police after his arrest while heavily armed on the grounds of Rideau Cottage, where Trudeau resides.

In December, a report by the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, the state watchdog agency tasked with ensuring the intelligence agencies do not violate the law, noted that white supremacists and neo-Nazis in the Canadian military pose an active counterintelligence threat, and that the authorities are limited in their ability to identify these forces in the ranks.

As the Convoy approached Ottawa, the military was so concerned about support for the far-right mob within its elite Special Forces unit, Joint Task Force 2, that it circulated a code of conduct among its members to remind them of their obligation to stay above the fray of political debate. On February 13, the Ottawa Citizen revealed that two soldiers from the unit, which is responsible for counterterrorism missions and providing security to the Prime Minister, were under investigation for participating in the occupation.

As for the RCMP, which is now being touted by left and progressive politicians as a key prop of democracy and the rule of law, this institution of savage state repressionwhose origins lie in Canadian capitalisms bloody and violent dispossession of the Native populationhas a more than century-long record of infiltrating and repressing left-wing movements and critics of Canadian capitalism. Just three months ago, RCMP officers in British Columbia illegally seized two journalists documenting the polices aggressive assault on protests by the Wetsuweten First Nation and their supporters against the Coastal Gas Link pipeline. Photojournalist Amber Bracken and documentary filmmaker Michael Toledano were seized by heavily armed officers November 19, 2021, in a violent raid that made Bracken feel like she was being kidnapped.

Throughout the Ottawa occupation, the police treated the far-right occupiers with kid gloves. Whether due to support for the Convoy among police commanders, or the fear that their officers might balk at taking action against the far-right occupiers, the police avoided the deployment of the ruthless violence and riot-control methods that are ubiquitous when left-wing protesters take to the streets.

The same tendencies are evident internationally. In Germany, the ruling elite systematically built up the neofascist Alternative for Germany as a major opposition party. Germanys state institutions, including the military, intelligence agencies, and police, are infested with right-wing extremist networks that have openly laid plans to assassinate political opponents on a so-called Day X. In France and Spain, senior military officers have engaged in antidemocratic conspiracies, including open coup plotting.

In the United States, ex-President Donald Trumps attempted fascist coup on January 6, 2021, enjoyed strong support from substantial sections of the Republican Party, military veterans, and the police. The ease with which the far-right and fascist thugs seized control of the US Capitol, one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the world, and almost took congressmen hostage as part of Trumps months-long plot to overturn the presidential election result underscored that his authoritarian power grab was tacitly approved, if not actively supported, by significant sections of the states security apparatus.

Canadas ruling elite is moving in the same authoritarian direction. Over recent years, the Trudeau government and its provincial counterparts have virtually outlawed the right to strike, at least whenever workers find themselves in a position of strength. In the name of the war on terror, the intelligence agencies have been given since 2001 vast new powers to spy on and disrupt political opponentspowers that are directed principally towards suppressing social opposition from below. Calls are already being made from many quarters for some of the powers the Trudeau government invoked during last months ten-day emergency, such as the ban on protests in the environs of critical infrastructure, to be made permanent.

The ruling class views its vast repressive state powers as essential if it is to withstand mounting popular opposition to unprecedented levels of social inequality, the reckless drive to war, and the prioritization of corporate profits over the safeguarding of human life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vast majority of workers for whom the reactionary views of the far-right Freedom Convoy are anathema should not permit their opposition to fascistic political violence to be corralled behind support for the Trudeau government and the capitalist state. This requires first and foremost a settling of political accounts with the NDP and trade unions, which proved throughout the Convoys occupation of Ottawa to be the chief impediments to an independent political response by the working class to the danger of far-right political violence and the ruling elites pandemic policy of mass infection and death.

As the Socialist Equality Party stressed in its statement, Canadian workers need a socialist program to defeat the threat of far-right political violence, end the pandemic and oppose war:
In Australia, calamities have unfolded across the states of Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) over the past few days as dozens of cities, towns and villages have been impacted by widespread rain and flooding, which has reached historic levels in some cases.

So far, at least eight people have lost their lives, including a Queensland State Emergency Services (SES) volunteer who attempted to rescue a family in distress. Three more people are still reported to be missing in the Queensland capital of Brisbane, and at least 1,000 remain unaccounted for in the northern NSW city of Lismore.

Flooded Newmarket Road, Wilston, Brisbane [WSWS Media]

Huge volumes of rain fell across the region. In Brisbane, the countrys third largest city, total rainfall over three days was 611 millimetres (24 inches), surpassing all records since monitoring of the area began in 1840.

Residents of over 140 Brisbane suburbs have been threatened by rising water levels in creeks and the Brisbane Riverwhich was at 3.5 metres last night. The levels in the river have not passed the 4.4-metre record set during the last devastating floods in 2011, but the flooding is more widespread.

Some areas that were not affected by the 2011 floods, including the Brisbane suburbs of Wilston and Windsor, were inundated. An estimated 20,000 homes across the state have been damaged, including 15,000 in the Brisbane area, mainly in low-lying working-class suburbs, including Goodna and Beenleigh.

The extreme weather system that dumped the rain moved slowly south over several days, from north of Brisbane to the neighbouring state of NSW, where it flooded the regional city of Lismore and then headed down the NSW coast toward Sydney.

Hundreds of people have been displaced. In Queensland, over 1,000 people have been evacuated, while more than 1,500 people are in evacuation shelters across the state, and at least 53,000 homes were without power as of last night. In NSW, approximately 60,000 people in the states north have been affected by evacuation orders. More than 300,000 have been warned they may need to flee their homes.

First to be inundated was Gympie, 170 kilometres north of Brisbane. The highest flood levels in 100 years stranded hundreds of people, with more than 3,600 properties affected and a thousand submerged. On Sunday morning, the water level of the Mary River peaked at 22.8 metres, the highest ever recorded since 1893. Hundreds of residents remain in evacuation centres, waiting for the water to recede.

Families being rescued in Maryborough, Queensland, February 2022 [Source: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services]

Further downstream, the city of Maryborough, 250 kilometres north of Brisbane, was at the centre of another emergency late on Monday as the Mary River climbed to a forecast peak of 10.7 metres, barely 50 centimetres short of the height of its flood levee.

In Brisbane, many residents who were flooded in 2011 were hit again. Despite the 2011 disaster, in which 35 people died and thousands of homes were destroyed, the authorities failed to issue timely warnings of the impending disaster.

On Sunday afternoon, people were rescued from their homes and others fled as water lapped at their doorsteps. Residents complained to the media about the lack of warning, saying they could have sandbagged or saved their belongings if they had been given time to organise. Many flood victims said they were uninsured because of the exorbitant premiums for flood cover.

Despite the 2011 catastrophe, homes are still being built, and bought or sold, in flood-prone areas of Brisbane. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner laid the responsibility on homebuyers, saying they were aware of the risks.

In scenes reminiscent of 2011, drifting boats and large chunks of debris caused havoc and damage in the Brisbane River and major city roads were cut. Some 60,000 homes were without power. Schools and the rail system were closed yesterday.

Wivenhoe Dam, west of Brisbane, went from some 40 percent of capacity to over 180 percent in three days, forcing the authorities to begin releasing water, adding to the flows into the Brisbane River. As in 2011, it appeared that water releases began too late to avoid worsening the disaster.

Apparently unanticipated by government authorities, flooding has now happened in Brisbane River tributary catchments. The suburban Enoggera Reservoir, which does not have a gate and releases water when it is over capacity, was at 270 percent capacity on Sunday night.

Yesterday, flooding spread to northern NSW. The regional city of Lismore experienced the worst-ever floods in its history, engulfing the homes of thousands of people in the middle of the night without any prior official warning.

In each location, there has been a clear contrast between the efforts of local people and SES volunteers, who rescued many, and the response of the state and federal governments.

In Brisbane there was anger among flood victims that the state Labor Party government had earlier said that the situation would be safe, and was not on the scale of 2011.

At a press conference, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reacted defensively when asked why successive state governments had failed after a decade to make adequate preparations for a disaster of this magnitude.

Many of the 177 recommendations made to the previous state Labor government under Premier Anna Bligh by an official inquiry after the 2011 floods, including an early flood warning system, and changes to training and procedures at the Wivenhoe dam, have not been implemented.

Palaszczuk claimed that her government was powerless in the face of the extreme weather, despite advance warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology of major flooding events. She insisted that we didnt know that this was going to happen. This is Mother Nature.

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report found that catastrophic flooding is becoming more likely internationally due to global warming. Recent scientific studies into intensive rain systems, dubbed atmospheric rivers, have shown that they make devastating floods more likely in a warmer world under climate change.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison flew to Brisbane to make a show of concern for the victims of the floods. As in the 201920 bushfire crisis, his main focus was on deploying military personnel to assist the emergency and recovery operation. That exposes the lack of adequate civilian disaster resources.

Federal Defence Minister Peter Dutton provoked outrage on social media for setting up a GoFundMe fundraiser and appealing for donations to pay for the recovery of the Pine Rivers Community in his Queensland electorate. His appeal served to underscore the inadequacy of the governments financial response.

The federal Liberal-National governments $4 billion Emergency Response Fund has reportedly not spent a cent on disaster recovery since the funds creation in 2019, while accruing $800 million in interest.

In Queensland, state government grants of just $180 for individuals and $900 for families of more than five people have been made available in some flood-affected areas, while the federal government has offered only one-time payments of $1,000 for each eligible adult and $400 per child.
As Russias offensive in Ukraine and NATOs military threats threaten to provoke a generalised military conflagration in Europe, a political gulf is visibly emerging between the mass of workers and the main presidential candidates in France.

Workers are opposed to a war towards which all the capitalist governments are moving ever more rapidly. According to a 24 February poll for CNews, 70 percent of French people oppose a direct French military intervention in Ukraine. In 2015, polls found that 77 percent of Germans, 65 percent of Italians, 66 percent of Spaniards and 59 percent of French people opposed a policy of arming the Ukrainian regime against Russia.

Eric Zemmour, Anne Hidalgo, Valerie Pecresse, Christiane Taubira (Images from Wikimedia Commons)

The presidential candidates in France, on the other hand, are backing NATOs escalation of military and financial threats against Russia, including the arming of the Ukrainian regime against Moscow. They are lining up against the workers, who constitute the vast majority of the electorate, and behind NATOs imperialist moves that threaten to unleash a Third World War.

Emmanuel Macron, as yet undeclared incumbent, called on Putin to immediately halt his military operations, claiming: France stands in solidarity with Ukraine. It stands by the Ukrainians and acts with its partners and allies to stop the war. His foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, was more threatening, reminding Russia that NATO is also a nuclear alliance, before promising that Western sanctions would strike at the heart of Russia.

Right-wing LR (Les Republicains) candidate Valerie Pecresse condemned in the strongest terms the war started by Russia in Ukraine. In a tweet she said that the response of France and Europe must be vigorous, coordinated and harsh.

The extreme position of the traditional ruling parties allows the far right to present themselves as advocating a less aggressive policy. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally (RN) is often criticised for her alleged ties to Putin, but she too has condemned the invasion of Ukraine. She called for France to take the initiative for a diplomatic meeting, under the aegis of the United Nations.

The pro-Vichy journalist Eric Zemmour denounced the invasion and called on Macron to go to Moscow and Kiev as soon as possible to negotiate a ceasefire. He called for a strengthening of French military power, supposedly to oppose both the United States and Russia.

The most virulent criticisms came from the parties that the media falsely treat as being left wing. The Socialist Party (PS) candidate and mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, condemned with the greatest energy the brutal attack ordered by Vladimir Putin and called for a firm reaction to this unjustified and criminal act.

Christiane Taubira, former Minister of Justice and Radical Party presidential candidate, reacted on Twitter: This is war, and that is the level on which France, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) and the UN must react.

None of these presidential candidates cared to explain the political and historical chain of events that led to Russias invasion of Ukraine, or the impact of NATOs threats to send missiles and other weapons of war into Ukraine, including now to fight the Russian army.

It is undoubtedly the case, however, that US imperialism saw the Stalinist dissolution of the USSR in 1991 as an opportunity to impose its global hegemony. It set into motion the dismantling of Yugoslavia, wars across the Middle East and Africa, color revolutions in Eastern Europe and the 2014 coup in Ukraine with the help of far-right forces to overthrow a pro-Russian regime. The debacles suffered by the US and its allies in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have led to a wider confrontation between the imperialist powers, against Russia and China.

Putin justified his reactionary invasion on a nationalist and anti-communist basis, in line with the interests of the capitalist ruling elites that emerged from the Stalinist restoration of capitalism in the USSR in 1991. But the healthy opposition of the workers to this counterrevolutionary policy must, in order to halt the rapidly-escalating danger of war, be directed also and above all against the bloody policy of the NATO imperialist powers.

Indeed, as it threatened Russia with the possibility of arming Ukraine, NATO effectively used the latter as bait to lure Russia into a war.

Against the threats of a catastrophic war provoked by the major capitalist powers, the struggles of the working class must be united in an international anti-war movement. This requires a fundamental, uncompromising break with the established political parties and corrupt national trade union bureaucracies.

Thus Jean-Luc Melenchon, on the subject of Ukraine, called in a statement for an immediate meeting of the OSCE to achieve an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of all foreign troops from Ukraine. He gave the following assessment of the war, based on speculations as to the psychology of the Russian president and his aides: Russia is attacking Ukraine. An initiative of pure violence manifesting a will to limitless power. An unbearable escalation is being provoked.

By calling for a meeting of the OSCE, Melenchon is proposing that workers abstain from class struggle and instead take a back seat to the diplomacy of the capitalist states. Unable to call for a mobilisation of workers in Russia, Ukraine and the imperialist centres against the war, Melenchon sows the illusion that diplomacy based on the nation-state system will be able to stop the race to war. In fact, an escalation of military and economic threats between NATO and Russia is ongoing.

This is the opposite of an attempt to mobilize workers internationally in a movement of demonstrations and strikes against the danger of war. One must recall that Melenchon got 20 percent of the vote, or 7 million votes, in the last presidential elections in 2017. However, he does not call for mobilizing his voters against the war, in strikes or protests, but for proposing to the state and its imperialist strategists various tactical initiatives to defend their own interests.

The invasion of Ukraine and the reaction unmasks the class nature of Melenchon and his party, LFI. They have applauded the wars waged by French imperialism, especially in Africa and with the wars in Libya and then Mali. During Macrons five-year term as president, Melenchon supported compulsory military service and demanded an increase in the armys budget, while downplaying the danger of a war with Russia.

His remarks calling for a faster increase in the military budget made clear his militarist class perspective. Why we criticise this Military Planning Law, he said, is that it tries to please everyone And I recall that General de Villiers [the former head of the army] resigned in July, explaining that he needed an immediate increase in these resources, and therefore one that rises immediately and stabilizes towards the end.

LFI was built to serve as a trap for millions of people who voted or participated in LFI via Internet to support Melenchon in 2017. They applauded some of LFIs tactical criticism of the PS, of endless austerity in Europe and of imperialist crimes like Trumps bombing of Syria in April 2017. But LFIs criticisms were tactical and fraudulent. Despite these criticisms, however, the LFI leadership functions as petty-bourgeois supporters of war and the military.

Stopping the race to a truly devastating war requires the independent mobilisation of workers across Europe and the world in an anti-war movement, independent from and in conscious opposition to the impotent and cynical policies of Melenchon and LFI.
David North, the Chairman of the International Editorial Board of the World Socialist Web Site, spoke with Professor Mete Kaan Kaynar on Turkeys KITABA DAIR literary interview program. North discussed his book, The Russian Revolution and the Unfinished 20th Century, and the rapidly intensifying conflict between Russia and NATO over Ukraine.

David North speaks on the NATO-Russia war on Turkey's KITABA DAIR
The World Socialist Web Site spoke with students and young workers who attended protests this Saturday against attacks on the National Health Service (NHS). They spoke on NHS privatisation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing war crisis.

In Leeds, our reporters spoke to student Hannah, who said the privatisation of the NHS was devastating. It would cost people much more money, like in America, she said. Everyone has the right to a healthy life, and if they are sick, the right to go to a doctor and get the medicine they need.

She described having COVID and how this had worsened her asthma. I had to go back on inhalers and start paying for them. Having to pay nearly 16 each time was very difficult on her student income.

Asked about the events in Ukraine, Hannah said, After weve had a pandemic, do we really need a war? She thought it was ridiculous that vital funds needed in the pandemic were being used for military spending.

Bertha and Siring at the SOS NHS day of action in Sheffield (WSWS Media)

In Sheffield, reporters spoke to journalism students Siring and Bertha, from India and Nigeria.

Siring said, The danger in Ukraine is actually of a fourth world war because I think that COVID has been the third world war My father is a micro-biologist. He has been just like a soldier in this war. Every day, my family and I thought we could lose him at any time.

She felt governments had treated health workers as expendable, saying, There is no cost in the lives of health workers to any of the governments around the world. I feel that the working class is the biggest resource any country can have. The wealth is generated by the workers. It is the working class that helped the rest of us to survive the pandemic.

Bertha said, When the lockdown happened, there wasnt any notice or assistance. It was just a news flash. We expected so much from the government; that they would help the low-income groups of people. The government made money during COVID by embezzling. While working people were sent to work to die. There is so much corruption. People began protesting but the government just ignored them.

In Manchester, the WSWS spoke with Damien, a young worker, and Tal, a financial studies student, about the war crisis.

Russia is engaging in some sort of expansion and thats bad, but then the Ukraine isnt necessarily 100 percent good as the government has worked with and cooperated with various neo-Nazi and fascist groups within their own structure. So, its ultimately the people who are going to be affected and losing in this. There is no real clear good side in this.

Damien said Putin had made clear that he was hostile to the working class and had denounced Russias revolutionary socialist past. Its clear to me that hes interested in having more power, and a buffer against the NATO expansion rather than actually being interested in the people of the Ukraine.

The working class is the majority, so the only way they can get anything that is in their interests is by acting in their own interests.

Tal said it was important to learn from the past. In Russia, everyone was involved in WW1 and WW2. The whole of Europe lost millions of lives, and now they are doing it again. They are not learning from their wars, and they are not learning from their past.

Nobody benefits from war, he said. Whenever you go to war you lose, whichever side you are on. Our soldiers die, and your soldiers die. Its not the Prime Ministers, or big bureaucrats and politicians who are fighting. Its always us common people who live normal lives. We go to the wars, we get displaced, we lose our houses, we lose everything. The elite class have their bunkers, and big palaces to hide in. So, its the elite class who benefit really.

Its all about the oil everywhere, the Middle East, energy prices going up. They are pushing us to go electric, but who can afford that. I cant afford a petrol car, so how can I afford electric? If they want us to have electric cars, they have to increase our salaries or do something so that we can afford it.

Asked about the future, Tal replied, Its dark, with the war and the pandemic. We will be having to tell our grandchildren what it was like during the wars, the horror of past war experiences, like people tell us now about wars in the past, and what they had to live through. We dont want to go through that either. We dont want war.
Residents of the northern New South Wales regional city of Lismore are speaking out about the life-threatening flood disaster that swamped their homes in the early hours of yesterday without any official warning.

After the Wilson River breached the citys levee at around 3 a.m., the entire lower area of the city was rapidly flooded, engulfing about 14,000 homes. People were left clinging to rooftops for hours, unable to get through to emergency services.

Flooding engulfs Lismore [WSWS Media]

One resident told the media she spent 15 minutes on hold with the SES and a similar amount of time waiting after calling the triple-0 emergency number, while trying to get help for a friend stranded in central Lismore. She and her three-year-old sat in a kayak tied to a clothesline waiting to be saved for four hours, she said.

Many people were eventually rescued by other residents who rushed to their aid, often using kayaks and small boats, exposing the lack of official resources. Water up to three storeys high had swept through in the middle of the night, catching people completely unaware.

Roads and bridges were engulfed, adding to the difficulties for people trying to escape the floodwaters, which also stretched for kilometres around the areas surrounding the city. One man is feared dead, after being heard calling for help, but more lives may have been lost. After the floodwaters hit, other people could be heard calling for help from rooftops. As of this morning, as many as 1,000 people remained unaccounted for, with around 400 calls for help yet to be answered.

Due to an intense rain system that moved south from neighbouring Queensland after flooding Brisbane, the river levels in Lismore far exceeded anything previously recorded. The river peaked at around 14 metres, which is almost two metres higher than the citys worst-ever floods in 1954, and well above the levee.

Although this level is unprecedented, the extreme weather system had sat over Brisbane and surrounding areas for more than three days, giving authorities time to prepare for a disaster in Lismore, a city of about 44,000 people.

Yet the NSW governments Special Emergency Service (SES) only gave the order to evacuate Lismore at around 2 a.m., telling residents floodwaters were rising rapidly and that the levee was expected to overtop.

Lismore shopping centre flooded [WSWS Media]

Moreover, this is not the first serious flood in Lismore, the most recent being in 2017, when the levee was also breached. The current catastrophe has laid bare the failure of governments, federal, state and local, to provide protective infrastructure, warning systems and rescue services, especially in the low-lying central stretches of the city where many residents are working class or elderly.

Lismores recently released new flood plan only envisages lifting the levee protecting the city to cope with a once in 20-year flood, rather than the historic flood that has devastated the town.

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation yesterday morning, Lismore mayor Steve Krieg said the SES had only two boats on hand to assist survivors in the area.

Anne, a WSWS supporter in Lismore, whose house and car were inundated and wrecked, described how her partner had been saved from drowning by a local man in a kayak. She had been away overnight and could not contact her partner for hours.

When he stepped off the front porch, he was up to his armpits in water. Later he fell down in the water but this guy rescued him, using his kayak despite being told by the SES that it was too dangerous.

No one was warned this was going to happen. But some people were saying it was very clear from the weather pattern maps last week that a disaster was coming.

People had gone to bed on Monday with no warning. No evacuation notices were issued and no alert was raised until 3 a.m. People were left to scramble onto their roofs with their kids. Some people were caught in their roof cavities and could not get out.

Anne denounced NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, who told the media that the scenes in Lismore were incredibly distressing and the severe weather had been worse than expected. Perrottet said the government and emergency services were doing everything we can to provide help and support as quickly and as safely as possible.

The premier had no idea, Anne said. There was no SES, only people with kayaks and boats. I rang the SES five times this morning and each time was told it would take seven hours to arrive. The warnings came too late, and there was no knocking on doors to evacuate people. You had to evacuate yourself, with the roads flooded.

The SES said it received 374 calls for help in 30 minutes, and at one stage asked people with boats to help rescue stranded residents. However, that call was cancelled when the SES declared the situation to be too dangerous. Despite this, local social media pages were filled with offers to help with rescues, and many more pleas for assistance. Before long, hundreds of people arrived with boats.

Friends had to save each others lives, Anne said. Local Facebook groups were posting information in real time. There was no power and no phone coverage. She said it was shocking that hundreds of people were still unaccounted for.

Anne said governments had failed to provide the necessary infrastructure and maintenance to protect the population. The levee was obviously not good enough. And the drains were overgrown, making the flooding inevitable.

Anne said the local council was still allowing homes to be built in flood-prone areas. When she and her partner bought their house some years ago, they were told that their neighbourhood never flooded. Now, like many others in the city, they face financial hardship, having to repair the house and replace furniture and household appliances.

Virtually no one in these areas of Lismore is insured for floods. They either cant get it or it is too expensive. I was quoted $10,000 a year, with a $5,000 excess. The federal governments emergency assistance grants of $1,000 for each eligible adult and $400 per child would do little to help, she said.
Valerie Pecresse, the presidential candidate for the Gaullist Republican Party (Les Republicains, LR) in the April 2022 French presidential election, has become embroiled in controversy after she opened her campaign by invoking violent neo-fascist conspiracy theories.

Valerie Pecresse in 2019 (Wikimedia Commons)

At a public appearance on February 13 at the Zenith stadium to launch her campaign, she said: In ten years time, will we still be the seventh power in the world? Will we still be a sovereign nation or an auxiliary of the United States, a pawn of China? Will we be a nation united, or torn apart? Faced with these vital questions, we do not give up to blind fate. Neither to a great replacement nor a great loss of our rank. I am calling you to urgent action.

Amid mounting controversy over her remarks, Pecresse has unconvincingly claimed her reference to the theory had been misconstrued. However, other parts of her speech also contained unambiguous appeals to the traditions of collaboration with Nazism. She said: I want French people from the heart, and not just paper Frenchmen. Pecresse also took aim at Frances multi-million Muslim minority, provocatively stating: Marianne [the personification of France] is not a veiled woman.

These are unambiguous appeals to political racism. The great replacement theory is championed by the far-right in Europe and internationally. It falsely asserts that the majority white population is the victim of genocide due to immigration from African, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries.

Most infamously, before he murdered 49 Muslims in the Christchurch terror attacks in 2019 in New Zealand, white supremacist Brendon Tarrant published a white supremacist manifesto, which he titled The Great Replacement.

The origin of the term great replacement is attributed to French author Renaud Camus. Camus is now a supporter of far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, who was convicted of inciting racial hatred in 2011 and 2022, and of inciting hatred against Muslims in 2018. Camus theory asserts that replacist elites, who are often implied to be Jewish, aim to replace the white population with African and Arab immigrants, a process Camus calls genocide by substitution.

Pecresses attacks on paper Frenchmen also place her campaign speech unmistakably in the traditions of fascistic appeals to political racism. This term is forever associated in its use by anti-Semites, from those who supported the false conviction of Jewish officer Captain Alfred Dreyfus in 1894 to defenders of the Nazi-collaborationist Vichy French regime in World War II.

In 1894, far-right writer Charles Maurras, convicted of treason in 1944 for supporting Vichy French dictator Philippe Petain, denounced naturalization papers as the prey of any barbarian.

The term paper Frenchmen became more widely used after the infamous Holy Union between Maurrassian far-right nationalists and social democrats to support World War I. After the October 1917 proletarian revolution in Russia and amid the French takeover of Alsace after the Allied victory over Germany, the term was associated with attempts to stir up French nationalism and divide the working class. In 1922, the nationalist newspaper Le Journal denounced naturalized Alsatians as paper Frenchmen with a heart that remained German.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the father of National Rally (RN) candidate Marine Le Pen and founder of the modern French far-right movement, often counterposed the real French to those who received naturalization of convenience.

It will come as no surprise to workers and youth in France that Pecresse is a reactionary servant of the ruling class. Before being nominated as the Gaullist presidential candidate in December, she was known mainly for the mass student protests and staff strikes she provoked as education minister between 2007 and 2009, with her deep cuts in the universities. Her election programme calls to cut public spending by 45 billion by slashing unemployment insurance, pensions and at least 200,000 public sector jobs.

Even as the pandemic still claims over 200 lives every day in France, Pecresselike the other leading candidateshas barely mentioned it during her campaign. She combines disregard for the millions of dead in the pandemic with calls for an aggressive foreign policy. Discussing her foreign policy in an interview with France-Culture, she promised to give France back its influence in the world, criticizing setbacks such as Frances recent withdrawal from Mali, and the role of Russia.

Nonetheless, Pecresses unabashed reference to the great replacement and the traditions of French far-right nationalism of the 20th century is not a purely personal decision, but marks a new watershed in the rightward movement of the European bourgeoisie. Indeed, this was acknowledged widely in the media; the ex-Maoist daily Liberation wrote that after Pecresses speech, France now had a third far-right candidate after Le Pen and Zemmour.

The appearance of fascistic slogans in the presidential campaign of Frances traditional right-wing party of government is part of an explosive movement of the entire European bourgeoisie towards the far right in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last May, thousands of active military personnel and 23 retired French generals hostile to COVID-19 vaccines signed a letter published in the far-right magazine Current Values. In their letter, they stated their plans for a far-right putsch and subsequent civil war which will lead to deaths in the thousands.

The NATO powers escalating war drive against Russia goes hand-in-hand with a further turn to the far right. While the German ruling class has decided to triple its military budget and publicly repudiate the policy of military restraint it adopted after the Soviet Unions defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, the French bourgeoisie is intensifying its turn to political racism.

This underscores the lasting significance of the positions advanced by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), notably during the 2002 French election crisis. At that point, the discrediting of the social democrats led to a presidential run-off between the Gaullist incumbent Jacques Chirac and the neo-fascist Jean Marie Le Pen. When petty-bourgeois groups like the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) called to vote Chirac as a barrier against the growth of neo-fascism, the ICFI opposed them.

Calling for an active boycott campaign, mobilizing the working class to prepare it to oppose whichever of the two candidates won, the ICFI insisted that fighting war and authoritarian rule depended on the independent mobilization of the working class against capitalism.

The ICFIs warnings on the bankruptcy of Gaullism were fully confirmed by the subsequent course of events. In an obituary published after Chiracs death in 2019, the WSWS wrote:

Chiracs record in his second term vindicated the ICFIs opposition to the petty-bourgeois pseudo-left parties claims that a Chirac vote was the best way to block the rise of neo-fascism and war.  Chiracs response to the rise of the class struggle in his second term was an accelerating turn towards fascistic and militarist policies. Faced with the teachers strike, he tried to demoralize it with appeals to anti-Muslim racism to divide the workersdiscussing and passing in 2004 a law banning the Muslim veil in public schools. His response to the 2005 riots was to impose a three-month state of emergency that suspended basic democratic rights.

The normalization of appeals to anti-Muslim sentiment, the obituary continued, paved the way for the ruling elite to integrate the FN [now Marine Le Pens National Rally] into mainstream bourgeois politics as part of a universal drive by the European bourgeoisie to legitimize fascistic politics.

Pecresses nod to the writings of Renaud Camus, Zemmour and Tarrant today constitutes a further political warning. As the bourgeoisie pursues policies of mass COVID-19 infections and a rapidly-escalating war drive against Russia posing the danger of nuclear war, opposition to far-right authoritarianism cannot take the form of support for capitalist parties. Against the danger of war and neo-fascism, the decisive question is building an international movement in the working class fighting against imperialist war and for socialism.
Despite the thoroughly antiscientific alteration to mask guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the aggressive campaign by state and health authorities across the US to declare the pandemic over, the latest data on pediatric infections, hospitalizations and deaths betray an entirely different reality.

The CDC evidently did not consult its own data on the record child deaths that have occurred, and continue to occur, during the surge of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, as consequences of the staggering level of infections and hospitalizations among children since early January.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks during an event on Dec. 8, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Over the last month alone, from January 31 to February 27, the CDC Data Tracker Demographics section has added 212 pediatric deaths, a rate of 7.5 children per day. Nearly 70 percent of these, 148, occurred in the last 13 days, a rate of over 11 per day. Finally, 84 were added across the five days from February 23-27, a staggering rate of nearly 17 per day.

As of Sunday, the most recent update shows that 1,430 children have been killed by COVID-19 in the US since the start of the pandemic. Age data has been released for only 807,877 deaths, meaning the ages for 137,811 deaths, using the CDCs current death toll of 945,688, have not yet been processed.

While there are no dates attached to these figures, a troubling limitation in itself, the majority have been added over the past few months. Health care expert Gregory Travis has tracked this data set and found that over half of all child deaths have been added since November 2021, during the Delta and Omicron waves fueled largely by the full reopening of schools.

The latest American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) report for the week ending February 24, which uses different data sources from the CDC, recorded another 20 child deaths in 14 states across every region of the country. The AAP cumulative child death toll stands at 891, a vast undercount compared to the CDCs demographics data. Indicative of the limitations, the report is missing five states which have never publicized age mortality data, four states which no longer publicize this information, and Texas, which now only releases the data once per month.

Of the states with confirmed child deaths last week, Louisiana, Mississippi and California each added three pediatric deaths. These are the highest single week increases in these states since at least mid-November.

The AAP report also shows another 126,774 child infections, the 29th straight week of over 100,000 child infections. An additional 474 children were hospitalized last week, a significant undercount because only 25 states plus New York City provide age information for hospitalizations.

Just as the CDCs reduction in quarantine and isolation guidelines was a clear capitulation to lobbying by Delta Airlines, among other major corporations, the latest change follows a campaign by the White House and state authorities which demanded the agency provide justification for removing mask mandates.

With the seeming flip of a switch, most of the country transitioned from living in high-risk to low- or medium-risk areas overnight, while 70 percent of the population is now encouraged to stop wearing masks.

Again betraying her role as a shill for the Democratic Party and an enemy of teachers, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten hailed the new guidelines in a press release, writing, We welcome these long-needed new metrics for a safe off-ramp from universal masking. The CDCs guidance is informed by science, not politics, and sets us on a path to a new normal in schools and other public places.

The change also comes on the eve of Bidens first State of the Union address tonight, which he will deliver to a mask optional audience. He will seek to chloroform the public about the dangers of the ongoing pandemic, as over 2,000 people continue to die from COVID-19 each day in the US.

States have pounced upon the CDCs new guidelines. The last three states with statewide mask mandates in schoolsCalifornia, Oregon and Washingtonannounced Monday that they will drop them earlier than previously stated. Clearly working in tandem, the change will go into effect on March 11 in each state.

Delawares school mask mandate ended today, a month earlier than Democratic Governor John Carney initially proposed, with state officials citing the CDCs new guidelines. Illinois also ended its school mask mandate on Monday, and Marylands was ditched last Friday.

Also citing the CDC, New Yorks Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the states school mask mandate will end Wednesday, one week earlier than expected. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is prepared to end the citys school mask mandate on March 7, as well as the Key2NYC vaccine requirement for restaurants, gyms and theaters.

Educators and parents widely denounced Adams on Twitter.

One teacher wrote, I love my work and my students but I cannot risk the lives of my unborn twins by being in a 43% vaccinated environment with no ventilation and no masking. And what about high risk students & families? Anti-safety activists should not get the final say for the rest of us.

Another said, There is no mechanism to report and count positive home rapid tests, even as more and more people have begun using them - including @NYCSchools whenever students are exposed and right now as they return. And no school vaccination requirement. Terrible idea to drop it all now.

Statements made by Adams last week underscore the true priority of the entire political structure in the United States, which demands the full reopening of schools and businesses in order to secure corporate profits. Politico quoted Adams saying at a press conference, The best thing we can do to deal with Covid is get back to work New Yorkers did their job: vaccinated, boosters, taking testing. Now I need them to do one more job: go back to their job.

In another press conference, he said, Im hearing people saying, Hey Eric, youre not focused on Covid. Im like, What are you saying? We have masterfully kept our schools open. Brought down rates inside our schools so that parents can go to work.

This is a blatant revision of history. In fact, epidemiologist Isaac Michaels noted that between January 3-14 alone, there were 85,492 confirmed cases among students in New York Citys K-12 schools, an unprecedented increase above 2020-2021.

The dropping of school mask mandates is not based on popular support. A recent UC Berkeley poll of registered voters in California found that 65 percent support mask requirements and 64 percent support vaccine requirements in K-12 schools. In addition, a nationwide CBS-YouGov poll from mid-February found that 56 percent of respondents supported mask mandates in all indoor settings.

The scrapping of the last remaining measures that reduce the spread of COVID-19 comes as the BA.2 Omicron subvariant has been identified in every US state and threatens to prolong the current wave, if not unleash a new surge in itself. The variant is known to be more transmissible and potentially more virulent than the BA.1 Omicron variant.

Without masks, children have effectively no protections against COVID-19 in schools or public places. Vaccination rates remain very low among children. Ages 0 to 4 remain ineligible for vaccination, while only 25.6 percent of 5-to-11-year-olds and 57.5 percent of 12-to-17-year-olds have received two shots.

According to the Coronavirus in Kids Project, only 11.5 percent of children ages 12-17 are optimally vaccinated, meaning those whose primary series was recently completed and are not overdue for a booster.

On Monday, researchers from New Yorks Department of Health released a preprint study showing a major drop in the Pfizer vaccines efficacy among 5-to-11-year-olds compared to the 12-17 age group. Pfizers is the only approved COVID-19 vaccine for 5-to-11-year-olds, and they receive one-third the dose of the older group.

According to their data, between December 13, 2021 and January 30, 2022, vaccine efficacy (VE) against infection declined from 66 to 55 percent for 12-to-17-year-olds and dropped from 68 to 12 percent for 5-to-11-year-olds.

Efficacy against hospitalization also declined dramatically between the two groups. Over the same time period, VE against hospitalization declined from 85 percent to 73 percent among 12-to-17-year-olds, and from 100 percent to 48 percent among 5-to-11-year-olds.

Educators, parents and students must recognize the enormous dangers posed by the latest decisions of the White House, the CDC and local authorities. Like his predecessor Trump, Biden has sought to accustom the population to mass death, in preparation not only for continuing pandemic fatalities, but also for the deaths that will inevitably occur as a result of his administrations reckless provocation of war with Russia.

The past year has proven that the Democratic Party is wholly immune to pressure from the population and is indifferent to the suffering and deaths of millions. The CDC itself has demonstrated that its principal job is to bolster the political establishment and corporate elite, rather than protect human life.

The working class must act now to develop an international mass movement that will fight for the global elimination of COVID-19 and against the threat of war.
The Socialist Equality Party (Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei, SGP) and the World Socialist Web Site condemn the war offensive announced yesterday by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Social Democrats, SPD) in the German parliament (Bundestag) and supported by all the Bundestag parties.

In a speech reminiscent of the darkest hours of German history, Scholz threatened Russia and announced arms deliveries to Ukraine and a massive increase in German troops in Eastern Europe. The speech culminated in the announcement of the largest rearmament programme since the end of the Second World War.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

The entire parliamentary debate left no doubt that the ruling class, despite its crimes in two world wars, is back on the warpath. Germanys ruling elite sees Putins reactionary invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to put long cherished and long prepared militarization plans into practice.

Better equipment, modern equipment, more personnelthat costs a lot of money, said Scholz. For this purpose, the federal government will set up a German army special fund and provide it with a one-off amount of 100 billion euros in the 2022 budget year. We will use the funds for necessary investments and armaments projects.

Some of the rearmament programmes key goals include the next generation of combat aircraft and tanks, the Eurodrone and the acquisition of the armed Heron drone.  A modern replacement for outdated Tornado jets will also be procured in good time for Germanys current nuclear sharing of US nuclear weapons aimed at Russia. He continued, The Eurofighter is to be enabled for electronic warfare. The F-35 fighter aircraft will be considered as a transport plane, he continued.

Germany needs planes that fly, ships that set sail and soldiers that are optimally equipped for their missions, he enthused. This is the key issue. And it is certainly achievable for a country of our size and importance in Europe. But one should not fool oneself, he went on. Better equipment, modern equipment, more personnelthat costs a lot of money, he said.

In addition to the German army special fund, the government is planning a massive increase in military spending. From now on, we will invest more than 2 percent of gross domestic product in our defense every year, announced Scholz. And I address myself here to all parliamentary groups in the German Bundestag: Lets write the special fund into the German Constitution, the Basic Law.

The figures mentioned by Scholz are gigantic. Raising German defense spending to 2 percent of its GDP entails an increase of 24 billion to over 71 billion. This is more than double the health care budget (35.3 billion in 2021). The additional 100 billion of the special fund is five times the entire education and research budget (20.8 billion in 2021). Together with the 50 billion budgeted so far, it amounts to a tripling of the military budget this year.

It is clear who will bear the cost of this madness and what purpose it serves. Further cuts are being made in education and social services, and there is not even enough money for health care and care sectors in the midst of a deadly pandemic. Nonetheless, a massive increase in the defense budget is to be anchored in the Basic Law in order to permanently finance the gigantic armament projects and prepare for war against Russia and other countries.

Scholz described it as a mission to act to dissuade Putin from his war course. The war was a catastrophe for Ukraine. But the war will also prove to be a catastrophe for Russia, he threatened. Elsewhere, he asked, What capabilities does Putins Russia have, and what capabilities do we need to face this threat, today and in the future?

He announced to applause that the federal government had decided on Saturday that Germany will supply Ukraine with weapons to defend the country. In addition, the German army has already expanded its support for the eastern alliance partners and will continue to do so. Scholz gave an overview of Germanys contribution to the NATO buildup against Russia, which is increasingly taking the form of direct preparations for war.

In Lithuania, where we lead the NATO task force, we have increased our troops, Scholz said. We have extended and expanded our air policing assignment in Romania. We want to participate in building a new NATO unit in Slovakia. Our navy is helping with additional ships to secure the North and Baltic Seas and the Mediterranean. And we are ready to take part in defending the airspace of our allies in Eastern Europe with anti-aircraft missiles.

From the mouth of a German chancellor, such threats of war against Russia are doubly criminal. During World War II, Germany invaded the Soviet Union and waged a war of extermination in which 27 million Soviet citizens lost their lives and 6 million Jews were industrially murdered.

Apparently, these crimes are not enough for Germanys ruling class. Eighty years later, it is ready, if necessary, to sacrifice all of humanity in a third world war.

No ifs and buts, we stand by our duty of assistance in NATO, said Scholz. President Putin should not underestimate our determination to work with our allies to defend every square meter of Alliance territory. We mean that very seriously. With the admission of a country to NATO, our will as an ally is bound to defend that country as we would ourselves.

Scholzs affirmation of the duty to assist has potentially devastating consequences. Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that an armed attack against one or more parties will be regarded as an attack against all and commits the alliance to provide assistance ... including the use of armed force.

If the Ukraine war spreads to an Eastern European NATO country, Scholz is undertaking to go to war together with the entire NATO alliance against Russia, a nuclear armed power.

Scholzs claim that German rearmament was merely a reaction to Putin, who overnight brought war back to Europe in order to shatter the European security order, is a propaganda lie. So is the claim that the West is concerned with defending freedom and democracy.

In fact, the NATO powers have waged war for imperialist interests almost continuously for 30 years and reducing entire countries to rubble in the process, including in Europe itself. In 1999, the US-led NATO coalition led by Washington, which Germany joined, bombed Serbia for 78 days to impose Kosovos secession on it.

In recent years, the ruling class has continually pushed for the return of German militarism. In 2013, leading journalists, academics, military personnel, business officials and representatives of all the parliamentary parties drew up and published the SWP (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) paper  New Power, New Responsibility , which announced Germanys return to an aggressive foreign policy in order to militarily assert its global interests as a trading and export nation.

At the Munich Security Conference in 2014, the plans were officially announced by then-Federal President Joachim Gauck and his successor, former Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD). Significantly, Gauck sat on the Bundestag tribune during Scholzs speech and demonstratively hugged the Ukrainian ambassador.

Just days after the 2014 conference, Berlin and Washington, in close cooperation with fascist forces, orchestrated a coup in Kiev to bring an anti-Russian regime to power. Since then, NATO has continued to escalate its military deployments in Eastern Europe and effectively provoked Putins attack on Ukraine.

The intervention is now being used by the entire ruling class to close ranks around an extreme pro-war campaign.

I dont know any parties anymore, I only know Germans, Kaiser Wilhelm II rejoiced when Germany entered World War I in 1914, and all parties in the Reichstag voted for war credits.

The war fever with which all parliamentary groups paid tribute to the chancellor yesterday is reminiscent of this. As Scholz spoke, representatives of the coalition governments parliamentary groups and the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) opposition repeatedly rose from their seats together. Representatives of the Left Party and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also applauded and spoke to express their full support for NATO aggression against Russia.

Putin is the aggressor here and must be stopped immediately. His great power fantasies must not become reality, demanded the parliamentary group leader of the Left Party, Amira Mohamed Ali.

CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz praised Scholz for a good government declaration and assured him of his support, especially to impose rearmament against deep popular opposition. If you want a comprehensive upgrading of our armed forcesand we want it from today obviously with youthen we will go down this path with you, even against resistance, Merz said.

The Socialist Equality Party is the only party opposing the war hysteria. We fight to build an anti-war movement of the international working class that aims to eliminate the cause of warthe capitalist profit systemand build a global socialist society. The aggressive stance of the German ruling class and the growing threat of a devastating third world war give this struggle enormous urgency.
Facing mounting foreign debt and a deepening economic crisis, the Rajapakse government and the Sri Lankan ruling class are watching the developing war in Ukraine with bewilderment.

Russias reactionary invasion was provoked by US imperialisms moves to integrate Ukraine into its NATO alliance as part of a military encirclement of Russia. The war is now threatening to escalate into a dangerous nuclear conflict of the major powers.

Jayanath Colombage [Credit: Sri Lanka Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

Addressing a media briefing on Friday, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage declared: We are watching the situation [in Ukraine] but wont take sides. Each can have their own reasons He did not elaborate, even to name the sides involved in the conflict or explain why Sri Lanka chose to be neutral.

Colombage immediately went on to speak about the economic impact of the conflict on Sri Lanka saying, We will have to pay more for our fuel and gas, our tea market will be affected.

Following his briefing, the foreign ministry issued a statement of three paragraphs, each containing just one sentence. It said Sri Lanka is deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in Ukraine and called upon all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint [and the] cessation of hostilities, in order to maintain peace, security and stability in the region. It urged the protagonists to resolve the crisis through diplomacy and sincere dialogue.

Sri Lanka is a small country, and by no means a major player on the geopolitical stage. Its perfunctory not taking sides declaration is an indication that conflict over Ukraine is extremely sensitive for the government.

President Gotabhaya Rajapakses government is acutely nervous about making any statement that might antagonise the US or European powers. His regime is under pressure from the US and its allies, which are now involved in the Ukrainian war crisis, to break all its relations with Beijing and line up with Washingtons aggressive geopolitical and military moves against China.

In order to intensify this pressure, Washington and the major European countries passed a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2021 for an investigation into war crimes during Colombos brutal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam that ended in 2009. The resolution also contains accusations of human rights violations, including the arbitrary arrest of political opponents, after President Rajapakse came to power in November 2019.

The US and the European countries, which are notorious for their own war crimes, cynically use the issue of human rights to twist the arms of various regimes and bring them into line. They used the same war-crime allegations against previous President Mahinda Rajapakse, the brother of the current president, and ultimately orchestrated a regime-change operation to remove him from office.

The Sri Lankan government has been unable to denounce these imperialist machinations. In fact, over the past year Colombo has sought to appease the US and EU to try and evade any investigation into war crimes. Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who served as defence secretary under his brothers government, is directly responsible for the bloody final offensives of the communal war that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians.

Russia and China have supported Sri Lanka in the UNHRC and voted against the Washington-led resolutions. At the end of this month, Colombo will have to face a review of last years resolution, with indications that the US and the European powers will send ultimatums to Colombo and demand action.

The Sri Lankan government, which is reeling from an economic crisis that has dramatically worsened under the COVID-19 pandemic, is deeply concerned about the economic impact of the war.

The countrys foreign reserves are drying up and it is teetering on the brink of default. Lacking enough foreign exchanges to buy oil for electricity generation, Sri Lankan authorities have been forced to impose extended power cuts, vital transport services are being curtailed and imports of many essential items have been limited.

An Institute of Policy study yesterday noted that Russia and Ukraine are major markets for Sri Lankan imports and exports, with annual tea exports to Russia alone worth about $US150 million. Sri Lanka imports 45 percent of its wheat and more than half its soybeans, sunflower oil, peas and asbestos from Russia and Ukraine.

None of the main parliamentary opposition partiesthe Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the United National Partyhas issued a political statement on the Ukraine war crisis. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, which previously engaged in anti-imperialist demagogy, has also kept its mouth shut.

The pro-US Tamil National Alliance (TNA) appears to be in a quandary because it hopes to win support for its political agenda in Sri Lanka from New Delhi and Washington. However, India, which acts as a major strategic partner of the US in the region, has so far refused to follow Washington and denounce Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Sri Lankas parliamentary parties, moreover, are nervous that the escalating war will deepen the economic and political crisis and set off widespread strikes and protests by the Sri Lankan working class over wages, jobs and social rights.

The governments insistence that it will not be taking sides, however, will not last. As the war intensifies so will Washingtons pressure on Colombo, which will rapidly line up with US dictates.

An editorial entitled Ukrainea pawn in big power rivalries, in the DailyMirror, a mouthpiece of the Colombo elite, anxiously noted, If the war is not brought to an end fast, more people in Africa, Asia and Latin America will die of starvation, than those killed by war in Ukraine. The editorial ends by declaring: Invasion is not the answer to problems. It is time for negotiations. NATO needs to halt its expansionist designs, Russia needs to withdraw, and good sense needs to prevail. War is no solution.

Like the rest of the ruling elite, the Colombo-based DailyMirror is worried about the deepening economic and political crisis. Its calls for negotiations and good sense are an attempt to divert the concerns of workers and youth about the danger of a nuclear-armed conflict into futile appeals to the very powers that are responsible for the catastrophe.

The only way to prevent war is by building an international anti-war movement of the working class based on socialist policies to abolish the capitalist system which is the root cause of conflict. This is the perspective of the International Committee of the Fourth International. Sri Lankan workers and youth must take up this struggle by joining and building the Socialist Equality Party.
As Texas hospitals continue to report shortages of staff and ICU beds, a decline in hospitalizations to levels last seen in late December has been used by state officials to reinforce the drive to scrap any remaining public health measures against COVID-19. The current downturn in the pandemic, however, is more apparent than real.

On February 23, WFAA Dallas 8 reported that there were 4,832 COVID-19 cases, down from 4,970 the day before and the fourth straight day officials have reported fewer than 5,000 new cases. The report continues, The states current 14-day average is 6,387 cases. This is the first time the average has been this low since it was 6,114 from Dec. 11-24, 2021.

Students and parents gather outside the Governor's Mansion to urge Gov. Greg Abbott to drop his opposition to public school mask mandates, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A look at the Texas Department of State Health Services dashboard, however, shows that there were 4,693 New Confirmed Cases and 1,911 New Probable Cases on February 25, adding up to 6,604. And the 150 deaths, contrasted to the daily average of 173, hardly signifies turning the corner on the pandemic, or justifies its reclassification as endemic.

Whatever the spin the corporate media put on these numbers, the fact remains that hospitals remain in a dire state. As a Victoria Advocate report admitted on February 22: Here is the latest situation Friday, Feb. 11 to Thursday, Feb. 17: Hospital staff has never been in shorter supply, which deepens the strain on all departments, including emergency rooms, respiratory therapy and even labor and delivery. Without the capacity to take on new patientsand with equally thin resources elsewhere to transfer them todoctors fear theyll have to start making heartbreaking decisions about care in order to save the most lives possible.

Noting that the vast majority of COVID-19 hospital patients are unvaccinated, the article concludes, Doctors say mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing are the best ways to slow down the hospital numbers in the short term, and that monoclonal antibody therapies for people with COVID-19 symptoms can keep them out of the hospital in many cases. They also say the only way to permanently slow down the spike in hospitalizations is to vaccinate a majority of the state.

This is in line with the mitigation approach, an abject failure previously promoted by the Democrats, who are now, as the policies of the Biden administration and Democratic governors nationwide show, increasingly adopting the homicidal herd immunity approach pushed by the Republicans. Since neither policy relies on science nor concern for the working classs health and life but on prioritizing profits, any apparent or real dips in sickness and death will prove short-lived, as they have every other time following the relaxation of already inadequate mitigation measures.

One by one, Texas school districts have dropped their mask mandates and other measures like social distancing, contact tracing and testing. Round Rock Independent School District, where over 600 students signed a petition in January to demand the enforcement of masking, provision of high-quality masks, reestablishment of testing and contact tracing and outdoor eating spaces, dropped its mask mandate on February 21.

At the Dallas Independent School Districts school board meeting on February 17, Superintendent Michael Hinojosa announced plans to lift its mask mandate beginning February 28. Hinojosa said that, since the district had single digits of students and staff members infected with the virus on February 16, we will make masks recommended.

In Waco, where the school district had incurred a lawsuit by Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for refusing to rescind its mask mandate last fall, the school district will drop the mandate on March 4. Of the four original defendants in the lawsuit, Waco, La Vega, Midway and McGregor, only La Vega will retain its mask mandate, though its days are likely numbered after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidelines Friday which discourage mask wearing in much of the country.

The crowding of children back into unmasked in-person instruction in often poorly ventilated classrooms and of their parents into unsafe workplaces is couched as nothing more than a personal decision and freedom of choice, not a matter of social policy designed to protect the right to health and life. Thus, masks and vaccinations are to be strongly encouraged but not required under the latest protocols.

It is highly likely that the Omicron variant will be supplanted by, or merged with, other strains of the virus, like the BA.2 subvariant, bringing more sickness and death in its wake and undermining the efficacy of vaccinations in the third year of the pandemic. The ruling class and its adjuncts, as they are already doing, will do everything they can to keep the public in the dark about the true toll.

As Dr. Benjamin Mateus recently commented, The deliberate intent of the CDC, which has repeatedly withheld critical data from scientists and the public, is to make sure science conforms to policy rather than shaping it. Government officials, politicians and corporate media will continue to conceal, minimize and misrepresent data that does not further this reckless agenda.

The return-to-school, return-to-work agenda can count on the assistance of the trade unions in their role as the enforcers of the ruling class dictates, as epitomized by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who has worked might and main to push the return to in-person classes, to the point of joining forces with extreme right-wing figures like pseudoscience peddler Dr. Lucy McBride and herd immunity advocate Jay Bhattacharya.

The working classteachers, parents, students and all workerscan put no faith in capitalist politicians and their enablers to end the pandemic. They must form rank-and-file committees, independent of the Democrats and aided by principled scientists and medical professionals, to fight the lies of the ruling class and struggle for socialism to eliminate the virus and its toxic political counterpart, capitalism, worldwide.
Are you an auto parts worker at Tower, Dakotta or Flex-N-Gate? Have you been affected by COVID? What are your working conditions like? Contact us and share your story today. Workers identities will be kept confidential.

Tower International, an auto parts factory in Chicago, Illinois (Credit: WSWS)

During the peak of the Chicago areas Omicron surge in mid-January, there were over 13,000 daily average cases in Cook County, where the city is located. As cases skyrocketed, testing capacity became overwhelmed, with many people facing significant delays in getting their results or difficulty in finding appointments to get tested at all. Seeking to take advantage of the chaos in the health system, a number of unscrupulous and fraudulent pop-up testing sites also mushroomed across the city and the country. Officially, over 14,606 people have died to date from COVID in Cook County.

The colossal loss of life, with the death toll in the US rapidly approaching one million, is the consequence of the profit-driven herd immunity policies pursued by corporations and their political representatives in the Democratic and Republican parties. The trade unions such as the United Auto Workers (UAW), meanwhile, have played the critical role in enforcing these policies, keeping workers on the job during the pandemic and covering up the number of COVID cases and deaths, in line with their decades-long integration into corporate management.

Isabella, a Tower Automotive worker in Chicago whose name has been changed to protect her identity, says she faced harassment from the company over her COVID quarantine under these disastrous conditions. The plant she works at is an auto parts supplier to Fords Chicago Assembly Plant on the South Side of Chicago.

Im going on my third year at Tower, Isabella said of her experience at Tower International, an auto parts sweatshop, speaking to the World Socialist Web Site.

It has been horrible and stressful to work in that environment. You walk in there and its stressful all day, dealing with Human Resources thats unprofessional, supervisors that are unprofessional. Every day youre constantly being watched by supervisors and HR.

Tower workers, who only get 20 hours of paid personal time off every year, face a punitive attendance points system, both products of the UAW unions sweetheart contracts with the company. Youre not allowed to go to the bathroom unless they say so, Isabella said. You have to wear all your safety equipment all the time. Even if you make an honest mistake, theyll harass you. Points are a way of screwing you over. After a certain amount of points, youll get terminated. Theyll try to point you for any reason.

All they care about are the numbers for the day. Its just a very stressful environment. We work six days a week for 65 hours. You only get one day off. But, see, the thing is theyll give you a schedule every week and theyll say youre scheduled from Monday through Thursday. Okay, youre off Saturday. That last Thursday of the week theyll tell you to work Friday. Even if you have other plans for your life.

Basically, they control you, she pointed out. They control your every move. Youre basically owned by Tower. Thats how I feel.

All they care about is the numbers, even if the machines go down and its beyond your control. You turn around, the supervisor is there, the HR person is there.

Theyll throw you to the machines

When asked what her day to day work is like, she said, I do a little bit of everything. They put you wherever they put you. They dont train you for the job and they expect you to learn it within 15-20 minutes and they expect you to keep the numbers on green. And if you go on red, theyll harass you. Mind you, in the contract [with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Tower], they say you have to be trained for a certain number of days. But theyll throw you to the dogs. Theyll throw you to the machines. They dont care.

Tower workers produce parts that supply Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant (Credit: WSWS)

I hurry up at work all the time. I learned almost all the jobs in the factory in zones 1, 2, and 3. Basically the robots do all the work. But its tricky. You put one part, a simple part or a big part in the machine, then they make you do three different jobs at a time. Youre going back and forth for three different jobs.

Its non-stop running back and forth for 11 hours. Its exhausting. You have to catch on to the machines too because they work at a certain pace. Even if you go to one part, you have to go back to the second part.

Isabella pointed to the fact that Tower tries to push out workers by grinding them down over time. Its crazy, she said. The end of my second year, the jobs were not like that. You were only assigned to two jobs at a time. Now theyre getting so greedy with their money and theyre cutting people off. Theyll point to any given reason to fire you.

Theyll find temp workers to replace you. That factory is almost full of temps. Theres a union contract we just got, and in the fifth year you max out. They dont want that, so they want to assign them to temps. Thats what theyre trying to do to us.

People were sick, sick, sick

When the mandates happened, they were firing people for not wearing a mask, Isabella said. I walked in and they gave out fresh masks. If you walk in without a mask by accident they terminate you. They terminated three people one day when I had a baby.

When the pandemic first started, we were laid off automatically. When we came back, they were being really strict with masks and making sure everything was sanitized, which was good. Then this year and last year, thats when everything hit the fan. They didnt care about sanitizing. They didnt care if people were positive, and that leads to my situation.

Isabella initially got an antigen test, which she didnt realize was not acceptable as a test result. She then sought to get a more accurate PCR test, which was very difficult to get during the Omicron surge. Throughout the process she was hounded by HR to produce her results, which she struggled to get in a timely manner.

Human Resources at Tower cited the CDCs change to its guidelines to reduce quarantine times from 10 to five days in justifying a rapid return to work, Isabella said. The move by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as the World Socialist Web Site explained at the time, was a completely unscientific and corporate-backed decision to force workers back to work in the midst of the dangerous surge of the Omicron variant that reached over 1 million cases a day at the peak and from 2,000 to 3,000 deaths a day on average.

At the same time, Tower management ignored the companys own policies on COVID-19 safety, employees at the plant have asserted. Isabella said, They didnt let me quarantine for the correct amount of days. After you do the quarantine, youre supposed to test if youre clear. They said come back to work before the period. When I came back, there were so many positive people. There were symptoms of [it] everywhere, coughing, headache. People were sick, sick, sick. Half the plant was sick.

That was my issue with them, she said about the pressure she faced to return to work. I tested negative in December, but my ex-fiance tested positive on the same day. My baby and my exs baby tested positive. Everybody else tested negative on the quick tests in my family.

Isabella said that she informed HR that several of her family and household members had tested positive, and that she was awaiting results of her own test. Several days later, she was still awaiting her test results, and was experiencing a fever and loss of taste and smell. Despite this, and the fact that members of her family had tested positive, HR encouraged her to return to work, she said.

I asked them, So you want me to report back to work even though we have multiple people who might all have COVID? They said, Yes, the CDC shortened the testing period.

Like others at Tower, Isabella said she had previously been penalized for calling off work to quarantinea basic and necessary public health measurewhile she awaited COVID test results which turned out to be negative. Last time I got tested, she added, I got pointed because I tested negative. The main HR lady said if you test negative youre pointed, if you test positive, you go on quarantine. So if you test negative they penalize you!

If I dont follow the instructions, you will discipline me. If I test negative, you will penalize me. Damned if I do, damned if I dont. And I was dying here.

Once we team up, they cant walk all over us.

Isabella continued to be hounded and mistreated by management throughout the process.

All they care about are their numbers. All they care about is working you like a slave. Theyre supposed to retest you after you test positive. They dont. They just send you to work.

Almost the whole plant was positive. People were literally coughing in the lunchroom. The day that I tested positive, they didnt sanitize when I got back in. All they care about is doing 750 parts every night. Even the superintendent tested positive and he was still there driving a forklift. Its bad there. They dont care about you.

Isabellas child also became significantly ill with COVID, contradicting the claims of the Biden administration and pro-corporate academics that children are largely immune to the virus. My baby was dying in my arms with this damn COVID. These people dont care. He was breathing so hard. I had to take him to the hospital. I was so ready to leave my jobOSHA this, CDC that, theyre not even following that. These people are a joke.

Exposure to COVID completely changed Isabellas outlook on vaccinations. She said, I was one of those people that didnt believe in vaccinations. Now Im afraid. Im afraid to catch COVID. Im so scared that my baby is going to catch COVID again. That was one of the worst days of my life, seeing my baby get COVID.

I was one of those people that thought COVID was not real, but then it hit my family. Holy st. I will never say anything like that again. Imagine if we both got it at the same time and I couldnt care for him?!

When this reporter spoke to Isabella about the effective Zero COVID strategy implemented in China that only resulted in two deaths in 2021, she responded, They did it the correct way. China did their job so that they no longer have COVID again. Chicago cant get it together.

COVID could have been avoided if we had followed the guidelines. Now jobs, schools, they dont care. They cut it down from 10 to five days because theyre too cheap to pay them. COVID is not going away. Whos going to quarantine in five days and be okay? Im still recovering from COVID.

Theres growing opposition among workers at Tower and across the country to the exploitation they have faced under the pandemic. People are getting tired of it, Isabella said. Oh hell no youre not going to walk over metheres a lot of people feeling like that.

Once we start teaming up, little by little, the whole factory, they cant walk over us. I tell them yall need to speak up.

Are you an auto parts worker at Tower, Dakotta or Flex-N-Gate? Have you been affected by COVID? What are your working conditions like? Contact us and share your story today. Workers identities will be kept confidential.
Dr. William Ku is a retired scientist and physicist from Columbia University who has had decades of experience analyzing data. After the 1986 Challenger explosion set his project studying quasars back several years, he was recruited by financial institutions to model complex financial instruments. Following his retirement, he turned to analyzing data in the healthcare sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, using his analytic and modeling experience, he has teamed with epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding to document critical developments.

Dr. William Ku

Benjamin Mateus: Dr. Ku, thank you for taking time to speak with the World Socialist Web Site. I have been following your work closely and am always impressed by the clarity of your graphs and plots.

Perhaps a good place to start would be by explaining the work you are doing now with bringing awareness to the issues behind the COVID-19 pandemic. What is your background, and how did you become interested in tracking COVID? Perhaps you can also discuss your collaboration with Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, who has given your excellent graphs and plots a wide audience.

William Ku: I have been trained as a scientist and researcher for more than 50 years. Initially, I analyzed and modeled many physical systems ranging from atoms to clusters of galaxies.

After the Challenger explosion, I left academia and spent 20 years analyzing and modeling complex financial instruments. Finally, when I retired and encountered more health issues, I turned my attention to trying to improve health care data analysis.

When SARS-CoV-2 emerged more than two years ago I figured that with so little known about a deadly virus I can use my talents to track, analyze and model the spread of this deadly disease. Dr. Feigl-Ding has been extremely helpful in guiding my analysis and making sure that our graphics help to educate the average citizen and fight the tremendous amount of misinformation on social media that has caused more people to suffer and die needlessly.

BM: In your look into the data at a granular level, what is the picture that emerges in the US? And can you give a graphical pictorial on this? Many have forgotten the early phases of this long drawn out pandemic. It would be good to recap.

WK: More than two years ago, I tried to see how exposure led to infection and then to hospitalization, ICU, and death in an effort to build a model to aid public health authorities to better forecast and allocate scarce health care resources, and individuals to better assess what their risks were from exposure to this deadly virus. Early data from many countries showed that age was the primary driver of mortality. Over a very wide spectrum from 8 to 80 years old every six years roughly doubled a persons risk of death. This was true two years ago and is still true now and can be seen in the data for lagged Case Fatality Rates (CFR, deaths per cases occurring three weeks before). Knowing this, nursing homes should have managed their vulnerable population better then.

Figure 1 COVID-19 Case Fatality Rate by age group and vaccine status. Source Dr. William Ku

Gender also played a strong role. Men of similar age were 60 percent more likely to die from COVID-19 than women. Finally, many other health (obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc.) and demographic (income, job, etc.) factors also affected how likely a person was to die from this disease. Each one of these factors can be fed into a computer model to calculate how infections progress from cases to hospitalizations to deaths.

In the early days, it was very difficult to convince the public to treat the exponential growth of cases seriously and people waited for death counts to soar before acting to mitigate the spread of the disease. But with variants such as the Omicron that can double every two days, waiting 3 weeks for deaths to occur and report and then act can allow the virus to grow 1,000-fold and get totally out of control.

BM: Can you review the data with regards to what states have done better or worse? Where do we see high rates of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths?

WK: On a state level, some states have done much better than other states in terms of keeping hospitalization and death counts lower. For a long time, Vermont was one of the best at keeping COVID-19 cases and deaths low (927 per million population) compared to other states like Mississippi (4,035 per million) and Arizona (3,837 per million). But no state has been immune, and even Vermont has seen a huge Omicron surge when it failed to boost its population fast enough last fall.

I have focused a lot of my attention on the biggest three states in the United States since they contain more than a quarter of the US population. California has done a much better job of protecting its citizens from COVID-19 than Florida and Texas, especially through the Delta and Omicron waves when vaccines have become widely available. Texas is an especially sad case since the median age of Texans (34 years old) is younger than that of Californians (35 years old), and fewer should have died. Most hospitalizations and deaths in Texas and Florida could have been prevented with better public health messaging and government management.

Figure 2 COVID-19 Daily Deaths in Florida, Texas, and California. Source Dr. William Ku

BM: What countries did well during the pandemic? And specifically on South Korea, why did they take their foot off the brakes? How are they faring?

WK: Some countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, etc. were able to control the spread of the disease better initially. But no one has escaped the virus unscathed.

One of the first countries hit by the pandemic after China was South Korea. They were able to use classic pandemic control techniques like thorough testing, tracing and treating those infected in isolation facilities that allowed them to contain the spread of the disease for over 21 months.

Figure 3 COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in South Korea. Source Dr. William Ku

Countries looked to South Korea for best practices. Then South Korea started to ease mitigation measures last October and allowed the Delta variant to spread and kill record numbers of Koreans. Worse, last month they essentially dropped all mitigation measures under political pressures. Omicron is milder than Delta but when cases soar to near 20 times higher than the Delta peak reached in mid-December, Omicron deaths are certain to set records. They should have vaccinated (86 percent) and boosted (55 percent) even more people, especially the young and elderly, before taking their foot off the brake. South Korea is teaching the world a new lesson that if they cannot end mitigations safely, how can countries like the US that are less well vaccinated (65 percent) and boosted (44 percent) drop mitigations so prematurely?

BM: What countries have done poorly? You had recently looked at Russia, which has seen a massive death toll.

WK: Official COVID-19 deaths per capita are very high in major countries like Peru (0.62 percent), Brazil (0.30 percent), Poland (0.29 percent) and the US (0.29 percent), but we know they are undercounted for many countries. Pandemic death reporting has been very uneven from country to country. Different criteria are used to classify and report deaths attributable to COVID-19.

Most people now consider excess deaths above the average for the past roughly five years more reliable as a gauge of true mortality associated with hurricanes, earthquakes and pandemics even though it is less timely than officially reported death counts. Official death counts from COVID-19 are nearing 6 million, but scientists estimate that the real toll is more likely 2 to 4 times higher. Using excess death counts and extrapolating, Russia has lost 0.83 percent [almost 1 in every 100 people] of its population to COVID-19, and the US has lost 0.32 percent. These are huge humanitarian tolls.

BM: As a data scientist, you had tweeted about your frustrations behind the CDCs (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) slow and delayed publication of data. What does it mean not being able to have real-time data? In other words, why has the world politicized the pandemic instead of responding to it in a collaborative fashion?

WK: Slow, incomplete and haphazard reporting of pandemic data makes a difficult problem more difficult to understand and manage. The CDC should be able to do a much better job handling this than Third World countries that lack the training, resources and money to do so.

The CDC had been slow to release breakthrough data that they had collected from the states to the extent that the FDA booster approval process was delayed last summer costing thousands of Americans their lives. Their decision to allow different states to report cases sporadically and non-uniformly makes it difficult to sum up all the state data to form a complete, accurate and timely picture for the US.

As we had mentioned earlier when Omicron infections can double every 2 days, allowing some states to delay reporting for a week makes absolutely no sense. Further, when other agencies such as Health and Human Services can collect and report hospital deaths in a timelier fashion, there is no reason to cut that reporting channel until the CDC has fixed its own death reporting channels. All this extra work to manage the message ultimately does more harm than gooderoding public trust in Americas scientists and government.

Moreover, scientists used to share information and resources across borders to speed up the advancement of science, and now it seems people only support their own narrow views. In many classic science fiction stories, the arrival of alien invaders causes humans to unite to defeat a common enemy. Now the arrival of SARS-CoV-2 has exposed more human divisions and allowed [this] alien invader to kill millions of humans.

BM: You have used social media to bring awareness to the need to vaccinate the population, highlighting the benefits these life-saving treatments offer. You have also noted that the benefits for these treatments wane over time and especially by the evolution of new mutations in the virus. Can you comment?

WK: Vaccines have been extremely effective in saving lives, and it has been extremely frustrating and puzzling because vaccine hesitancy continues to hold sway over large segments of the population.

Seeing the updated data for vaccinated folks (see Figure 1), people should be rushing to take up free vaccines offered by the government as they act like a Fountain of Youth for older immune systems. Someone 50-65 years old that is vaccinated fares as well as someone 30 years younger (18-29 years old) who is unvaccinated.

But vaccines are not perfect, and they do wane over time so breakthrough cases, hospitalizations and deaths do occur and should have been better tracked and studied by the CDC. Boosters should have rolled out earlier than last October, and now with Omicron they are more necessary than ever, but instead boosting has slowed significantly.

Figure 4 COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against deaths. Source Dr. William Ku

BM: The BA.2 subvariantcan you speak on it? And can you speak on it in the context of the dismantling of all trackers and opening of society? Will vaccines alone end this pandemic?

WK: The BA.2 variant appears to be around 30 percent more contagious than the original Omicron. In the United States it is still a minor player (around 4 percent) although spreading exponentially. According to the latest World Health Organization estimate, BA.2 constitutes about one-third of all SARS-CoV-2 variants globally. It is disheartening to see all the countries and states rushing to reduce or drop mitigation measures especially with approximately 3 percent of the worlds population being unable to achieve full vaccine and booster protection due to poor immune systems or age. These more vulnerable parts of the population are now left to fend for themselves.

Figure 5 COVID-19 variant percentages in USA. Source Dr. William Ku

Moreover, new variants can always develop that are not milder. Dropping masking, reducing testing, eliminating tracing and ending isolation (classic pandemic tools) without applying objective benchmarks (in terms of hospitalizations, death rates or case fatality rates) sounds insane to me. Vaccines can end this pandemic in theory if enough people get vaccinated and boosted, and countries stay vigilant until reasonable benchmarks are met. Unfortunately, the world appears to be rushing for the exit and killing more people in the process.

BM: Dr. Ku, one last question. On Friday, February 25, the CDC changed its masking guidelines. But it wasnt so much that the masking guidelines were changed; it was how they determine risk.

Instead of using infection rates and positivity rates, they are heavily weighing hospitalizations and bed occupancy. Essentially, overnight, the US map has been transformed into a low-risk zone. We know most cases are asymptomatic. Also, from the time of infection to illness means a significant number of infections will occur before any triggers are hit.

However, even when hospitals were drowning in patients in January, the CDC did not really lift a finger to address the situations that were putting health care systems into extreme crisis. I cannot help but think that the CDC has accommodated to political pressures and is enacting the policy of living with the virus with the new guidelines. Can you comment?

WK: I agree with you and share your concerns.

I think adding hospital admits per day and total hospitalizations to the mix is okay in principle, although as you say these are less timely indicators than cases. The question is how all these factors should be weighed and used to assess risk levels by county. These important questions should not be left to bureaucrats, and the opinion of outside doctors and scientists should be considered to set more objective benchmarks.

Figure 6 COVID-19 hospital admits per day in the US - pediatric and adult patients. Source Dr. William Ku

For example, while hospital admits per day have fallen in general, pediatric hospital admits remain higher than they were before Omicron hit last December, but the CDC apparently doesnt care about this measure in dropping universal masking of students.

BM: Any final thoughts?

WK: I fervently hope that recent changes by the CDC and the UK Health Security Agency do not worsen a trend toward less timely, comprehensive and standardized data collection and dissemination. Viruses do not take weekends or holidays off. I hope the trend toward more lax testing, tracing and isolation standards set by these countries and others like South Korea are temporary and will not permanently discourage and damage the reputations of doctors, scientists and public health professionals who work every day to save the lives of others. If so, the world could lose more lives to the next COVID-19 variant or virus.

BM: Dr. Ku, thank you for your time and responses. They have been very clarifying and appreciated.

WK: You are welcome. Take care.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers in Indiana... White River at Edwardsport. White River at Elliston. Wabash River at Montezuma. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days will lead to minor flooding along lower portions of the White River and upper portions on the Wabash River. Additional rainfall later this week should keep portions of the White and Wabash above flood stage through Saturday. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated within the next 12 to 24 hours. && ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Montezuma. * WHEN...Until Monday evening. * IMPACTS...At 18.0 feet, Montezuma agricultural levee is overtopped. Fourteen hundred acres of low bottomlands flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 10:45 AM EDT Wednesday the stage was 13.0 feet. - Forecast...The river will rise to 13.4 feet just after midnight tonight. It will then fall to 13.3 feet and begin rising again early tomorrow afternoon. It will rise above flood stage early Friday morning and continue to rise to 17.1 feet early Saturday afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage Monday morning. - Flood stage is 14.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky urges Biden to give 'useful' message in State of the Union
Ivanka, Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have been subpoenaed by the office of the New York State Attorney General to provide testimony in the ongoing investigation into the business dealings of (their father) former President Donald Trump and The Trump Organization.
Shortly after Disney took a stand this afternoon and paused the theatrical release of Pixars Turning Red in Russia over the countrys invasion of Ukraine, Warner Bros has officially stopped the release of its highly anticipated The Batman for now in Russia. The movie was set to open on March 3, and Deadline was informed by the studio that the movie was still set for release; that a DCP was over in the country. Note, Universal in a joint venture service deal handles the distribution of Warner Bros movies over in Russia.

In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film, The Batman in Russia. We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy. Warner Bros. just announced.

More from Deadline

Morbius & Other Sony Films Pulled From Russia Release

The Batman is a highly anticipated movie. Stateside this weekend its expected to make at least $115M.

I hear that Warner Bros. pulled The Batman as it was the right thing to do in the current political climate. Even though theaters are privately owned, not state-owned, in Russia, we havent heard any information about about the country encouraging a ban of Batman.

More Stories On Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Recently, Sonys Spider-Man: No Way Home cleared close to $45M in Russia, and the countrys moviegoing is bouncing back from the pandemic.

The Batman is getting a theatrical release in China unlike rival Marvels movies of late, scheduled for March 18.

Best of Deadline

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A California surf instructor and QAnon follower accused of killing his two children with a spearfishing gun because he thought they had serpent DNA gave a mind-boggling interview to the feds after his arrest, explaining that he believed he was Neo from The Matrix, an FBI search warrant reveals.

In an interview with FBI agents last summer, Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, discussed time travel, teleportation, [his kids] telling him about babies being placed in fireworks, food, and walls, the filing states, adding that Coleman also mentioned during the interview that Q was actually talking to him, referring to the eponymous online conspiracy theorist who claims a cabal of cannibalistic Democrats is leading a global child sex abuse ring.

Coleman, who ran Santa Barbaras Lovewater Surf Co., was arrested Aug. 9, 2021 as he re-entered the United States from Mexico, the day after the remains of his 2-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter, Kaleo and Roxy, were found at a ranch in Baja California. A local surfer who knew Coleman said at the time that he was stunned by the news, telling The Daily Beast that Coleman seemed like he had it together, seemed all there mentally Its a total mindbender.

The warrant, which was filed Feb. 17 and first obtained by Seamus Hughes, deputy director of George Washington Universitys Program on Extremism, lays out a raft of alarming new details that have not been previously reported.

How the QAnon Crazies Went From Comet Pizza to the National Butterfly Center

On Aug. 7, 2021, Colemans wife, Abby, called police to report him and their children missing. He had left home with them in the couples Mercedes Sprinter van, and was not returning Abbys texts, she told cops. Officers had Abby use the Find My iPhone app to discern his location, which came up as Rosarito, Mexico, the warrant explains.

Hi babe, miss you too, said one of the texts Coleman sent to Abby after she reported him missing but before he stopped responding. Things have been rough but starting to get some clarity as well. Still confused on a lot of things though and processing through them. So many crazy thoughts going through my head right now, hard to explain. Yeah, funny your [sic] getting some clarity through my grandmas [sic] old bibles. Wasn't there 2? Anyways, was actually still thinking of burning them in case theres [sic] a chip in them or something. Going to keep processing through everything and hope to get some answers. Hope all this craziness ends soon. Love you.

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U.S. District Court for the District of California

Two days later, Coleman was taken into custody by federal agents at the San Ysidro, California Port of Entry. In a subsequent interview with the FBI, Coleman confessed to stabbing Kaleo and Roxy to death with the speargun, saying he ditched their bloody clothes in a trash bin near Tijuana, according to the warrant.

Coleman explained to agents that he had started noticing strange coincidences five or six days earlier, discussing QAnon and Illuminati conspiracy theories as well as Strongs numbers (an index of every word in the Bible), the warrant goes on. He said visions and signs revealed that his wife, A.C., possessed serpent DNA (M. Coleman mentioned that he was not sure if his wife was a shape shifter) and had passed it onto his children and that all things were pointing to the idea that his children have corrupted DNA that will spread if something is not done about it. M. Coleman explained that he was either crazy or the only person that is left on Earth that is a true man, and that while he was in Mexicobefore killing his childrenM. Coleman laid in bed seeing all the pieces being decoded like The Matrix, and he was Neo. M. Coleman also discussed time travel, teleportation, [Roxy] and [Kaleo] telling him about babies being placed in fireworks, food, and walls.

Coleman claimed that Q was communicating with him directly, telling agents that he eventuallysaw the big picture that he had to kill his children to prevent them from becoming an alien species that would release carnage over the Earth. Coleman said he knew what he did was wrong, but it was the only course of action that would save the world, the warrant states.

During the interview, Coleman demonstrated a series of hand signals he said proved someone was part of the conspiracy and showed their allegiance, according to the warrant. He said he had scrolled through Instagram and took screenshots of various people making the hand signs, and although he said he no longer used Facebook, he had done a search of a friends account and saw a picture of him making one of the gestures over his eye. Coleman told agents that he knew that the whole thing was a setup and they were using people to get him.

When agents spoke to Abby Coleman, she explained that the two of them had been researching QAnon and that Coleman had become significantly more paranoid that people around him were involved in a conspiracy. She said Coleman started doing a lot of research on leaders running the church and found that they may have been part of the conspiracy, and that he had connected the people running the church to people in their community and to some of their best friends, indicating that Abby, along with their friends, were all in on this thing together.

A friend of Colemans, identified in the warrant as A.M., also spoke to the FBI, and confirmed that Coleman had started seeing signs all around him. There were suspicious Instagram postings by musicians, teachers, and friends, A.M. said Coleman told him, and the people making hand signals in the photos Coleman spotted were evil disguised as good. Coleman showed A.M. a picture from Instagram in which A.M.s friends were making peace signs, insisting that A.M. was a loyalist, and could not see that he was being controlled.

A.M. also told agents about a call hed received from Abby a few hours after Coleman took off for Mexico, asking him to come over to their house. When he arrived, Abby showed A.M. a picture of him with his friends when he was about 13, making hand gestures.

Based, at least in part, on these hand gestures, A.M. said that [Abby] accused him of being in on it and eventually [Abby] chased A.M. out of the Coleman Residence, the warrant says.

Demi Lovato Promotes Lizard-War Videos at Hub for QAnon

The incident came roughly a year after A.M. sent Coleman a Facebook link to a screenshot of ex-President Donald Trump being interviewed, with a caption reading: Team Trump Online, Aliens?, and Triggered Presidential Edition Text Trump to 88022, according to the warrant. A few months later, A.M. sent Coleman a video on Facebook titled, Our Favorite Election Tampering Witness Still Refuses to be Bullied by Rep. Steve Johnson.

The search warrant requests permission from a judge for FBI agents to analyze Colemans private Facebook activity, in hopes of gleaning additional clues.

Coleman, who remains detained without bail, is due back in court on May 19.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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We most likely won't see the ExoMars mission blast off and start its journey to the Red Planet this year. The European Space Agency has announced that it's fully implementing sanctions imposed on Russia by its member states following the country's invasion of Ukraine, and it expects the move to affect its joint projects with Roscosmos. One of those joint projects is ExoMars, which is being developed to search for past life on the Red Planet, as well as to assess its water and atmospheric trace gases.

The ESA is working on the rover that will travel across the Martian surface, while the Russian space agency is in charge of its lander and some instruments the rover will use. In the ESA's announcement, it said "the sanctions and the wider context make a launch in 2022 very unlikely." The agency still has to analyze all its options before it can finalize a decision on how to proceed.

ExoMars was supposed to launch in 2018 before it was rescheduled for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple technical failures during testing prompted the space agencies to postpone it yet again. To be able to reach Mars from Earth, a spacecraft has to leave our planet within 10-day launch windows that only occur every two years when the two planets are properly lined up. If ExoMars is missing the this year's window, then it will definitely be delayed for another couple of years at the very least.

The ESA has also acknowledged that Roscosmos halting Soyuz launches and withdrawing its workforce from the vehicle's usual launchpad in Kazakhstan will affect some of its projects and payloads. In addition, as The New York Times notes, the war calls the fate of the ISS into question. At the moment, NASA and Roscosmos are working together to maintain the space station. But Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin recently said that US sanctions against his country could degrade its space program and destroy its partnership with NASA.

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He said:

"If you block cooperation with us, who will save the International Space Station (ISS) from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or...Europe? There is also the possibility of a 500-ton structure falling on India and China. Do you want to threaten them with such a prospect? The ISS does not fly over Russia, therefore all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them?"

While the US side of the ISS provides life support and power, the Russian side provides propulsion to maintain its altitude. NASA's human spaceflight program head Kathy Lueders said operations are going well thus far, but that Northrop Grumman and SpaceX have offered to help look for ways to add capability to the US side of the space laboratory.
John Bolton, former national security advisor to Donald Trump, took down a Newsmax host who claimed the 45th president was pretty tough on Russia in a lot of ways.

During a Monday night appearance on Rob Schmitt Tonight, host Schmitt ran down an itemized list of ways Trump was very tough on Russia, arguing that president Vladimir Putin waited to invade Ukraine until Biden was in office.

Im surprised that you dont think [Trump] would have handled this better than Joe Biden, said Schmitt.

Bolton immediately picked apart Schmitts Trump was Tough on Russia list, saying [Trump] did not take a tough stance against Russia.

Even when the administration sanctioned Russian oligarchs for selling S-400 missile systems to other countries, in almost every case, the sanctions were imposed with Trump complaining about it and saying we were being too hard [on Russia], said Bolton.

The fact is that he barely knew where Ukraine was, he continued, adding that the former president once asked his chief of staff John Kelly if Finland were a part of Russia.

Its just not accurate to say that Trump deterred the Russians. I think the evidence is that Russia didnt feel that their military was ready, Bolton said.

John Bolton pushes back on Newsmax host: "[Trump] barely knew where Ukraine wasIt's just not accurate to say that Trump's behavior somehow deterred the Russians" pic.twitter.com/ICRmmeJ8C3  Jason Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) March 1, 2022

Schmitt then tried to get Bolton to agree that Trump deserved credit for warning European leaders about the dangers of relying on Russia for gas and oil. He talked about that before [anyone else], nobody was talking about that at the time, Schmitt said.

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Youre absolutely wrong! Bolton shot back, correcting him that Ronald Reagan was the first to issue that warning.

Fair enough, Schmitt conceded.

Amid Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Trump has defended his praise of Putin. In a recent radio interview, he called the Kremlin genius and savvy, later adding that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a brave man.

Speaking at Saturdays Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Trump also claimed that Putin would not have waged war on Ukraine if he had been president for a second term.

Under Biden, Russia invaded Ukraine. I stand as the only President of the 21st century on whose watch Russia did not invade another country, Trump said. Under our administration, Russia respected America.
leonardo-dicaprio-2021 - Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Republican politicians and conservative media pundits have been a little confused about how to respond to Russias invasion of Ukraine. The GOP, once known for its hawkishness toward Russia, softened its stance toward the murderous authoritarian as Donald Trump praised him incessantly throughout his time in office. He continued to do so even as Putin sent tanks into Ukraine last week, leaving conservatives in a quandary.

Theyve responded the same way theyve responded to pretty much every other bad thing, from infectious diseases to high gas prices, which is by blaming their political opponents. Pinning an Eastern European war of aggression on American liberals may seem like a bridge too far, but that hasnt kept scores of desperate right-wingers from trying to cross it.

More from Rolling Stone

Heres an incomplete list of the paths theyre taking:

TikTok, iPhones, and The View

Tom Basile of Newsmax on Saturday blamed the invasion on the wussification of the United States, citing TikTok, the opinions of the cackling hens on The View, and newest iPhone. Instead of their cell phones, Basile argues, Americans should be focused on tyrants at home and abroad. Basiles monologue, which went on for nearly six excruciating minutes, also took aim at the push for trans rights, college kids in crayon therapy and the lawnmower parents and liberal professors who made them that way, and, of course, President Biden, whom he bashed alongside a picture of a shirtless Putin riding a horse.

"The wussification of America is on full display and Vladimir Putin is going to waltz right in and conquer one of the largest countries in Europe" says @Tom_Basile. pic.twitter.com/0EsqtGb07Z  Newsmax (@newsmax) February 26, 2022

What ever happened to the America that would put a boot up your rear end if you tried to bully us or one of our allies, Basile added. Hes at least been consistent on this point, arguing in an op-ed for the Washington Times last July that the U.S. should not pull troops out of Afghanistan. Americas forever wars must continue, he wrote, adding that a war-weary nation needs to recommit itself to the concept of freedom through strength.

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The Green New Deal

The most common invasion culprit cited by galaxy-brained conservatives might be the Biden administrations reticence to mine every last fossil fuel from the planet. The less the United States and other Western nations drill for oil, the more reliant they are on Russias energy reserves, giving Putin leverage to take over Ukraine without facing serious repercussions. This may be true, but whats even more true is that Putin is a ruthless autocrat who has long believed in Russias right to Ukraine, and who was going to try to take it over regardless of what the West is doing about the climate crisis (which, as a United Nations report detailed on Monday, is very much still a crisis).

Nevertheless, the right is blowing the energy issue out of proportion as a way to blame Democrats. Conservative commentator Charlie Hurt went so far as to dub the invasion the Green New Deal war during a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, adding that 100 percent of the blame lies at the feet of Biden and John Kerry for the administrations efforts wean the nation off fossil fuels.

Fox guest Charlie Hurt blames the Green New Deal for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/Om8q3c0ETA  nikki mccann ramirez (@NikkiMcR) February 26, 2022

Why blame President Biden and his climate initiatives when you can blame a teenage girl? Steve Bannon recently brought on a guy with a bucket hat and a soul patch to argue that there is a direct causal link between Greta Thunberg  and Vladimir Putins dominance and being able to invade Ukraine last week.

Steve Bannon brings on his International Editor to say that Greta Thunberg is responsible for Putins invasion of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/gZWSZ6kFmt  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 27, 2022

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk also blamed Greta Thunberg, and threw in Leonardo DiCaprio for good measure.

One of the reasons why Vladimir Putin is able to do this in the first place, one of the reasons why he feels emboldened is because of a set of energy policies that Joe Biden put forward, he said last week, according to Media Matters. Cheap oil is a deterrent from tyrannical Third World dictators from invading other countries. Could it be that Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio actually might be to blame for what Vladimir Putin is doing? Thats a take you will not hear anywhere else.

Democrats impeaching Trump for trying to extort Ukraine

Ron Johnson, the conspiracy theorist from Wisconsin who recently announced hes running for another term in the Senate, blamed the Democrats who impeached former President Trump for attempting to extort Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into digging up dirt on Biden. Im certainly hoping that Colonel Vindman, Adam Schiff, and Nancy Pelosi, who used Ukraine as a pawn in their impeachment travesty, are recognizing and reflecting on how they weakened Ukraine, weakened the West, weakened America by the divisive politics that they play.

Johnson did not elaborate on how holding Trump accountable for blocking a foreign ally from receiving congressionally approved military aid somehow weakened said ally.

Ron Johnson blames Vindman, Pelosi, and Adam Schiff for weakening Ukraine with Trumps impeachment pic.twitter.com/61KmZlFy7W  Acyn (@Acyn) February 27, 2022

Non-existent 2020 election fraud

Trump almost immediately blamed non-existent 2020 election fraud for Putins decision to invade Ukraine. It all happened because of a rigged election, he told Laura Ingraham on Fox News last week. Trump earlier the same day praised Putin as a genius for sending tanks into Eastern Ukraine.

Hours after calling Vladimir Putin "smart" for invading Ukraine, former President Trump blames the invasion on the "rigged election." pic.twitter.com/MYLJrUHxIS  The Recount (@therecount) February 24, 2022

Uhh, err  globalists

Russia has promoted a number of ridiculous rationalizations for the invasion, one which being that they simply want to rid Ukraine of Nazism. The idea kind of falls apart pretty quickly when you consider that Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zalenszky is Jewish. Far-right Arizona state Senator Wendy Rogers unleashed a few anti-Semitic tropes in explaining whats behind the war, tweeting on Sunday that Zelensky is a globalist puppet for Soros and the Clintons.

The bankers want a great reset and World War III, she added a few minutes later.

Rogers has since bashed those who support Ukraine against Russia as sheep, while continuing to attack Soros for expressing support for Ukraine. The media are a bunch of Soros assets for the New World Order, she wrote on Monday.

Covid-19 masks

Hey, why not?

Do they have any idea how weak that made America look? Steve Hilton said recently of a picture of Biden and military officials wearing masks in the White House. To think they actually staged that photo. Did nobody in the White House stop to say, You know what? If were trying to show a brutal dictator that were serious about standing up to him, it might not be the best idea to have our military chiefs cowering in pathetic little masks.'

Fox Host bashes the administration over Ukraine because they wore masks in a photo pic.twitter.com/XJqFvOAOCV  Acyn (@Acyn) February 28, 2022

That picture captured better than anything else the collapse of American power, prestige, and credibility under Biden, Hilton added.

?????

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) weighed in on Sunday, tweeting about millennial leftist, the woke sky, and a non-binary fuss to save the world from intercontinental ballistic tweets in an effort to argue that  its unclear.

He got dunked on by the dictionary, though.

Were not entirely sure what this tweet is supposed to mean, and were literally the dictionary.  Dictionary.com (@Dictionarycom) February 27, 2022

Joe Biden

The chief cause of Putins invasion of Ukraine, according to conservatives, is, of course, Joe Biden. Heres one of countless examples of Republican politicians and commentators lobbing blame at the president, courtesy of Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas):

President Zelensky has shown exactly the kind of strength needed to stand up to a RUTHLESS, civilian-killing dictator like Putin. If only Joe Biden had shown the same strength, we would never be in this situation. My heart and prayers go out to the people of Ukraine.  Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) February 28, 2022

If Donald Trump were president, none of this crap would be going on, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said last week on Fox News. You got to be strong. When youre weak is when everything falls apart. And Biden is weak, and Trump was strong.

Trumps takes on the invasion have also revolved around calling Biden weak. The problem is not that Putin is smart, Trump said Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference after a spiel about how sanctions are weak and ineffective. Of course hes smart. Its that our leaders are dumb.

You get the idea. The right is so desperate to cast Biden as weak that they seized on the fact that a camera was rolling as he walked away from a podium in the White House last week, the implication being that he should have  moonwalked out of the room? Its unclear.

This is what weakness on the world stage looks like. pic.twitter.com/0Krq48gbIy  House Republicans (@HouseGOP) February 22, 2022

The Republican National Committees official research Twitter account now uses the image of Biden walking away from the podium as its header. The account recently tweeted a video of him and First Lady Jill Biden walking to Marine One, apparently in an effort to demonstrate that boarding helicopter is some sort of proof of incompetence.

A contrast in leadership. pic.twitter.com/TlR5pIxqaw  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 25, 2022

The question is what these people thing Biden should be doing instead of what hes doing now. What would strength here look like, exactly?

Trump, for one, doesnt seem to have any clue. I think I know exactly what should be done, Trump told the media while in Orlando for CPAC. I would rather not tell him under this forum. I dont think its appropriate.

God

I think you can say that Putin is out of his mind, and yes, maybe so, croaked televangelist icon Pat Robertson. But at the same time, hes being compelled by God. He went into the Ukraine, but that wasnt his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately.

Robertson added that Putin will use Ukraine as a staging ground as he prepares to invade Israel. Is Putin crazy? Is he mad? Perhaps, Robertson continued. God says Im going to put hooks in your jaws and draw you into this battle whether you like it or not. Hes being compelled.

Pat Robertson came out of retirement to claim that Putin "is being compelled by God" to invade Ukraine in preparation for a massive End Times invasion of Israel. pic.twitter.com/Pmwybf57Ay  Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 28, 2022

Robertson may seem like hes the crazy one here, but were not willing to write off his theory quite yet. God, as they say, works in mysterious ways.

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toska husted

Courtesy toska husted

"Life does not stop," or so the adage goes  even amid war.

As Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, many in the country are seeking shelter, leaving some pregnant women hiding out in hospital basements and bomb shelters where their babies are now being welcomed to the world in an increasingly dangerous situation.

One photo  shared by Ukrainian politician and former lawmaker Hanna Hopko to Facebook last week  showed a newborn girl born in a bomb shelter just as Russian troops began to move in to the country.

"Life does not stop," Hopko wrote on Facebook, along with a photo of the baby in her mother's arms. "Hiding in a bomb shelter, a woman in Kyiv gave birth to a baby girl named Mia."

RELATED: 'Heroic' Soldier Died While Detonating a Bridge to Slow Russian Invasion, Ukraine Military Says

 Mia was born in shelter this night in stressful environment- bombing of Kyiv. Her mom is happy after this challenging birth giving. When Putin kills Ukrainians we call mothers of Russia and Belarus to protest against Russia war in Ukraine . We defend lives and humanity ! pic.twitter.com/qsBDcfc1Q9  Hanna Hopko (@HopkoHanna) February 25, 2022

Another Facebook post from a Ukrainian hospital in Luhansk last week detailed how all patients and staff were temporarily evacuated underground as shelling began.

"We were urgently evacuated to the basement together with other patients of the obstetrics and gynecology department. Each patient was provided with a bed with a bed, the basement was equipped with electricity, kerosene lamps and electric generators were prepared for emergencies," the post read.

During the shelling, a patient arrived who needed "urgent gynecological surgery," according to the hospital.

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"At the risk of their lives, the doctors left the shelter, performed an emergency operation in the operating room, and then transported the patient to the shelter," hospital officials wrote on social media.

Thanks to a team of nurses, a midwife and an OB-GYN, "everything went well."

"A wonderful boy weighing 3500 g [roughly 8 pounds] was born," the post read.

Viktor Liashko, Ukraine's minister of health, also used social media to share photos of babies he said were born amid the fighting and mothers holding children in cramped quarters.

RELATED: 'Just Total Fiction': How Putin Is Using Nazi Propaganda to Defend Invasion of Ukraine

"On the third day of the war, which was started by the Russian occupiers, under fire and explosions, life is also in full swing and the cries of newborn Ukrainians appear," Liashko wrote last week. "Yesterday in Kherson, under fire, two boys were born in one of the maternity hospitals in the bomb shelter. Two new lives that already have War in their genetic code."

Russia's invasion on Ukraine began on Thursday, with forces moving from the north, south and east.

Details of the attack and the fighting change by the day, but this is the first major land conflict in Europe in decades  and hundreds have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Thousands more people have fled or tried to escape Ukraine amid warnings of a possible "refugee crisis."

Still others are staying put, seeking shelter underground as Russian troops move in.

"You don't know where to go, where to run, who you have to call," Liliya Marynchak, a 45-year-old teacher in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, told PEOPLE recently of the moment her city was bombed. "This is just panic," she said.

The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn widespread condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia. Various countries have also pledged aid or military support to Ukraine, whose president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has pleaded for peace talks while urging his country to resist.

Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the interest of so-called "peacekeeping."

The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.
The global reach of Russian state-backed news channels RT and Sputnik is getting slimmer by the day.

YouTube has now said it will block the outlets across Europe  including the U.K.  following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

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Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, were blocking YouTube channels connected to RT and Sputnik across Europe, effective immediately, Google Europe said in a statement posted on Twitter. Itll take time for our systems to fully ramp up. Our teams continue to monitor the situation around the clock to take swift action.

Shortly after the announcement was made, RT was inaccessible on YouTube in the U.K.

The move follows a series of swift actions taken against RT and Sputnik  which many have argued have become mouthpieces for Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin  since the conflict erupted last week.

Over the weekend, the European Union said it was blocking the channels, part of a broader plan to ban the Kremlins media machine from the continent, according to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. Canadian cable giants later pulled RT from their TV lineups, while on Monday the U.K. media regulator Ofcom said it had opened 15 investigations into the channel over breaches of impartiality. RT is still available on U.K. TV.

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Leading Hollywood stars Brian Cox and Michael Keaton delivered messages of support for Ukraine at the Screen Actors Guild awards on Sunday (27 February).

The 28th SAG Awards were handed out at a live ceremony in Santa Monica, California, as the guild honoured performers in 15 categories across film and television.

Keaton and Cox used their stage time to express solidarity with Ukraine, tipping their hats to the countrys president Volodymyr Zelensky for leading the fight against Russia from the frontline.

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Indiana State Capitol

House Education Committee Chairman Bob Behning, who is a top Republican legislator in Indiana, apologized for his comments which suggested that Black students do not perform better academically because they lack respect for learning, according to the Associated Press.

Behning made the comments while answering a question from another Indiana lawmaker last week about a bill that would change the academic students for all students in the state.

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From Associated Press:

Behning cited a statistic showing that just 30 out of 1,000 Black students in the Indianapolis Public Schools system passed both the English and math portions of the states ILEARN standardized exam last year. I would suggest that part of the problem is, theres a number of things, he said, poverty impacts that for sure, having a respect for learning  theres a lot of things that come into play.

In a statement to The Indianapolis Star, Behning apologized for his remarks last week.

He claimed that he used the statistic for shock factor and to really bring home the problem the state is having with education. He says that in no way he meant to imply Black children lack a respect for learning.

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I should have been clearer in stating what I truly believe to be the biggest obstacles to improving our childrens academic performance, he said. I sincerely regret my remarks have been hurtful to others, and I apologize for it.

Mark Russell, the director of advocacy and family services for the Indianapolis Urban League said many Black people in the community were upset about Behnings comments, according to the Associated Press.

I dont think it was taken out of context or misconstrued. It was offensive, Russell said. I dont deal with peoples intentions. I deal with their actions and the affect of their actions.
LONDON  Designer Lilia Litkovskaya had always been a cheerleader for fashion in her native Ukraine, designing and making her collections there, and even setting up a successful fashion school in Kyiv called Schooll.

Now, with Russian President Vladimir Putins war machine in full swing, she has fled her country, and is eager to promote Ukranian fashion, and creativity, in the rest of Europe.

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Litkovskaya, who left Kyiv last week with her two-year-old daughter, is hoping to go through with a planned installation later this week at Tranoi, the Paris fashion trade event, which runs from March 4 to 7.

I want to say This is Ukraine. I want to speak loudly about my country and the glory of our army, our heroes. We are a talented nation, we are strong and full of art, energy and creativity, the designer said in a Zoom interview from Switzerland, where she arrived with her daughter last week.

She made her way to Poland by car, then flew to Milan and took the train to Lugano, Switzerland, to stay with friends. She had been planning the Paris showcase for the past month, but never thought the Russian invasion would happen so soon.

Schooll, a fashion institution founded by Lilia Litkovskaya. - Credit: Courtesy image

Courtesy image

Its still unclear whether the Ukrainian artists, designers and creatives will be able to participate or what form the installation might take. Those who were set to take part include Pavel Nikolaevich Makov, a graphic and etching artist; designer Nadya Dzyak; DakhaBrakha, a world music quartet, and Sasha Maslov, a portrait photographer.

Last week, the designer, who comes from a long line of tailors and artisans and who is known for her elegant, draped clothing, dramatic proportions and clothing that caresses the skin, pressed pause on her latest collection.

Her clothes are made in Ukraine and sell through retailers in 15 countries, including Selfridges.

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Factories cant function because people cant move. Everyone is sitting at home, or in shelters, said Litkovskaya, whose mother and team are still in Ukraine. Weve taken orders as usual, but dont know what will happen. Our sales team is continuing to work with our partners.

She said shes determined not only to raise her voice in Paris, but also to return as soon as possible to rebuild every industry. We have the energy to make it happen.

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UPDATE: This story has been updated with information from the Windsor Central School District.

A Broome County teen was killed and two other people, including another teenager and the driver, were seriously injured in a rollover crash Sunday on Interstate 81 in the Town of Kirkwood, New York State Police said.

Sidney-based troopers reported that a 14-year-old male passenger from Windsor was pronounced dead at a hospital following the 4:35 p.m. one-vehicle crash at the Exit 1 off-ramp from I-81 southbound.

The vehicle's driver, 40-year-old Andrew Morley, of Windsor, was taken to UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City with serious injuries, troopers said.

State Police said another passenger, a 12-year-old female from Windsor, was seriously injured as well. The youth was taken by ambulance to the Johnson City facility but she was later transferred to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse.

The Windsor Central School District posted a message on its website Monday saying it was offering counseling and support to students and staff after the death of a ninth-grade student.

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State Police closed the exit ramp for several hours to investigate the crash. Troopers announced the ramps reopening shortly after 10 p.m., Sunday.

Kirkwood Fire, Five Mile Point Fire, Great Bend Rescue, Eastern Broome Ambulance, Chenango Ambulance, Union Ambulance, the New York State Department of Transportation and Broome County Sheriffs Office deputies assisted State Police.

The crash remains under investigation.

Follow Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Windsor student dies in I-81 rollover crash in Kirkwood, NY
WASHINGTON  In a sign of intra-party disarray, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday sharply rebuked an economic proposal floated by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a member of his own leadership team who is tasked with leading GOP efforts to recapture the Senate majority next year.

If were fortunate enough to have the majority next year, Ill be the majority leader. Ill decide in consultation with my members, what to put on the floor, McConnell said Tuesday when asked about Scotts 11-point plan.

The far-right manifesto calls for radically downgrading the federal government, drastically cutting spending on social services, requiring all federal laws to be reauthorized every five years, and raising taxes on the poor.

The Florida Republican maintained he pitched the plan in a personal capacity, and not as part of his role in GOP leadership as the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is tasked with helping elect GOP candidates.

But Democrats have savaged Republican candidates up and down the ballot over the proposal, accusing them of seeking to raise taxes on needy Americans.

McConnell sought to stem that bleeding in his remarks on Tuesday, pledging, We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare after five years.

When asked about Sen. Rick Scott's agenda, @LeaderMcConnell: "We will not have as part of our agenda a bill that raises taxes on half the American people and sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years. That will not be part of the Republican Senate Majority Agenda." pic.twitter.com/XN7q9Kc6b4  CSPAN (@cspan) March 1, 2022

Scott didnt stick around to listen to McConnell bash his proposal; the Florida Republican left early before McConnell took questions. The minority leader appeared unaware of Scotts unusual exit, telling reporters his colleague would be available to take questions even though Scott had already walked away.

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The public lashing was an extraordinary display for a leader known for holding his cards close to the chest and for working to advance party unity above all else. McConnell has refused to release a GOP agenda if his party takes back the Senate in November, something that would reveal more fissures within the GOP.

McConnell and Scott have also differed in their approaches to former President Donald Trump. Unlike McConnell, Scott has embraced the former president, using his image to raise funds and bolster his partys chances in November.

Trump, for his part, has urged Republicans to oust McConnell as leader in the Senate and replace him with Scott, an idea that hasnt gotten any steam.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
TAMPA  Its called the Dignity Act and it would provide legal status to many of the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the United States illegally.

Introduced last month by U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Miami and co-sponsored by half a dozen of her fellow Republicans, the bill represents a rare attempt to tackle a national concern that has only grown in recent decades.

But the measure has failed to attract widespread support so far, in part because of conditions it sets and limits it places on who would be eligible. Democrats who control Congress, as well as President Joe Biden, have introduced their own more-sweeping immigration plans and they, too, have hit roadblocks.

Meantime, many among the 11 million continue to wonder whether they can ever emerge from the shadows.

Everyone wants to know if theres something new, said Isaret Jeffers, a human rights activist and immigrant from Mexico who visits twice a week with farmworkers in Plant City, many of them here illegally. We always end up saying the same thing: Dont give up hope.

The Salazar bill would allow undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than five years to stay and work here without the threat of deportation. It also offers them a path to citizenship, but its a long one: They couldnt apply for permanent residency and a green card  required before seeking citizenship  for at least 15 years.

Eligible immigrants must register with the government, then the clock starts ticking. They have 10 years to get right with the law, Salazar said  pass a criminal background check, work or serve as a family caregiver, and pay taxes as well as a special 2 percent levy to fund border security and an electronic identification system.

At the end of the 10 years, eligible immigrants can remain in the country as temporary workers under a renewable visa or enroll in whats called the Redemption Program  the bills path to citizenship. They would have five years to learn English and U.S. civics and do local volunteer work or national community service or contribute additional money to a worker training program. At that point, they could seek a green card.

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Immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children, nicknamed Dreamers, can get full legal status quicker if they earn a college degree, complete three years of service in the U.S. military or demonstrate theyve been employed for at least four years.

Salazar, a former TV journalist and daughter of Cuban refugees, told the Tampa Bay Times her initiative is the only reasonable immigration bill in Congress.

My community sent me to Washington, D.C., to fight for them, and Im doing just that with my Dignity Act, she said. It is the right thing to do for my district, for our state, and for America.

In addition to its focus on immigrants living in the United States, the bill contains provisions titled border security and enforcement and strengthening the American workforce and economy.

The bill has the support of the Libre Initiative, a Washington-based organization that focuses on Hispanic voters and is affiliated with conservative billionaire Charles Koch.

People living in the U.S. illegally need to know there must be some cost of breaking the law, Daniel Garza, president of the Libre Initiative, told the Times.

Allian Collazo of St. Petersburg, who works in grassroots operations for the organization, said, The Dignity Act  is carefully crafted to address the primary immigration challenges facing us today.

Its a big step in the right direction for undocumented immigrants, said Eli Gonzalez, founder and president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Pinellas County.

The Dignity Act affords them the peace of mind that, if they do what citizens in this country are asked to do  obey the law and pay their taxes  the government will accept them, Gonzalez said. They would no longer have to dread the feeling that they could get deported.

The measure is humane and fair, said Simon Canasi, 65, a retired bank executive who was named Hispanic Man of the Year in 2019 by the Tampa Hispanic Heritage Committee.

I have long held that, as long as illegal immigrants work hard to achieve the American dream and obey and respect our laws, they should be given a fair path to being legal permanent residents, Canasi said.

Jeffers, the human rights activist, sees no progress for undocumented immigrants in the conditions, limitations and fees established in the Dignity Act.

We are vulnerable families and workers with a very low salary, said Jeffers, founder of the farmworker advocacy organization Colectivo Arbol. This bill is far away from giving us dignity.

That view is echoed by Cirenio Cervantes, 27, a so-called Dreamer who works with Faith in Florida, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrants and others living in poverty.

Any talks on immigration should include provisions on family reunification and a pathway to citizenship for all those that call this country their home, said Cervantes, who came from Mexico and lives in Mulberry.

Farmworker Rocio Macedonio, 43, has a practical concern with the proposed legislation: She said she and her husband cannot afford to pay the required $1,000 per year each during the 10-year Dignity program. Their total payout would amount to $20,000.

Macedonio and her husband, Isaias, 44, a construction worker, came illegally from Mexico 24 years ago. They live in a Lithia mobile home with their four sons, 8 to 21, all of whom are U.S. citizens by birth.

Its simple: We are not rich, Macedonio said. We dont have savings. We live paycheck to paycheck.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, the Tampa Democrat, co-sponsored the Democratic immigration measures that have stalled in Congress, called the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act.

Castor had no comment on the Dignity Act, instead urging passage of her partys own measures in the politically divided Senate.

I urge Floridians and colleagues in Congress to press the U.S. Senate to help move this legislation across the finish line, Castor said in an email to the Times, to benefit families and companies that need talented workers and a country that depends upon secure borders.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Monday that hes very concerned Republicans will unleash ugly attacks on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jacksons character or her identity as a Black woman.

Speaking with reporters on Capitol Hill, Durbin gave two reasons hes worried.

First, he said, is that hes seen the way some GOP members of the committee have treated other Black, female nominees who have come before the panel. He said theres been a theme to Republicans questioning these nominees temperament to be a judge.

I listened to the questions from some of my colleagues and it doesnt reflect well on their temperament, Durbin said. I think there is an opportunity to be direct and pointed without being confrontational and disrespectful.

Its not the first time Durbin has accused some Republicans of treating President Joe Bidens Black, female court picks worse than others. In late January, he told reporters that some of Bidens judicial nominees had become more controversial than I anticipated.

When HuffPost asked if there has been a pattern to those nominees, Durbin said flatly, Assertive women of color.

The Democratic senator said Monday that hes also concerned unfairly harsh GOP attacks on Jackson could lead to dangerous threats against her. Without naming names, Durbin said there was another Black, female nominee before his committee recently who he thought was excellent, a judge herself, and whom Republicans were particularly aggressively questioning.

One or more of the senators on the other side decided to put on Twitter some statements about their testimony, Durbin said. There were threats on her family after that.

Sen. Dick Durbin is

Its not clear which nominee Durbin was referring to  Biden has nominated and confirmed a number of Black women to lifetime federal judgeships  but there was at least one other Black, female nominee who came before Durbins committee and received death threats during and after her confirmation: now-Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins.

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Republicans including Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) attacked Rollins for being one of the preeminent legal arsonists in the country, wholly unfit, radical and someone responsible for lawlessness and dangerous crime. They made a point to condemn her on the Senate floor and during TV appearances.

In reality, their ire over Rollins was part of a broader GOP effort to condemn progressive prosecutors, a new movement of Democratic district attorneys who reject broad tough-on-crime measures and instead welcome policies like declining to prosecute low-level crimes and ending cash bail. Rollins, who was the district attorney in Boston, has been a proponent of criminal justice reforms and has said these reforms make the system more fair to poor and minority defendants while focusing taxpayer money on fighting serious offenses.

Rollins was ultimately confirmed in December on a party-line vote that required Vice President Kamala Harris to break the tie. She is the states first Black woman to serve as U.S. attorney.

Durbin said Monday that its hard enough to ask people to sign up for public service, in part because it requires sacrifice for you and your family. He urged his colleagues to go out of their way to avoid dangerous rhetoric around Jacksons confirmation process.

To subject them to that kind of abuse is inexcusable, he said.

If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque via Reuters)

Durbin didnt give many specifics on the timing of Jacksons confirmation hearing, but vowed to make the process orderly and timely. He said he would like to have her confirmation done by April 6, when the Senate goes into recess for its Easter and Passover break.

Jackson, currently a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, has already demonstrated that she can pick up at least some GOP support in the Senate. When she was confirmed to her current judgeship in June, three Republicans joined Democrats in voting to confirm her: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).

When the Senate confirmed Jackson to her previous seat on the U.S. district court in 2013, it was by a unanimous vote.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Finning International Inc

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Finning International Inc. (TSX: FTT) (Finning or the Company or we, our or us) today announced that Nancy Tower and Manjit Sharma have been nominated to stand for election to the Companys Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting to be held on May 10, 2022.



Nancy Tower has over 30 years of industry and board experience, including senior executive positions at Emera Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Nova Scotia Power Inc. Ms. Tower most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Tampa Electric Company, a regulated electric utility company and a subsidiary of Emera Inc. Ms. Tower serves on the board of AltaGas Ltd., a leading North American energy infrastructure company. She was recognized as one of Canadas Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2011. Ms. Tower holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University and is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant.

Manjit Sharma brings over 30 years of cross-functional experience in various industries. She most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of WSP Canada Inc., a world leading professional services consulting firm. Prior to joining WSP, Ms. Sharma spent 20 years with General Electric Canada in progressively senior positions, including Chief Financial Officer. In 2019, she was recognized as one of Canadas Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Ms. Sharma serves on the board of Vermilion Energy Inc., an international oil and gas producer, and on the board of Export Development Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and is a Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant.

We are pleased to nominate Nancy Tower and Manjit Sharma to our Board of Directors and look forward to benefitting from their extensive business experience, proven leadership, and valuable insight, said Harold Kvisle, Chairman of the Board.

In addition, Kathleen ONeill has advised of her intention to retire from the Companys Board of Directors and, accordingly, not to stand for re-election at the upcoming Annual Meeting. Ms. ONeill has served on our Board since 2007. During her tenure, she served on several committees, including as Chair and a financial expert of the Audit Committee. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we would like to thank Kathleen for her leadership and exemplary service during her 15 years with Finning, said Mr. Kvisle.

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About Finning

Finning International is the worlds largest Caterpillar dealer delivering unrivalled service to customers for nearly 90 years. Headquartered in Surrey, British Columbia, we provide Caterpillar equipment, parts, services, and performance solutions in Western Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.

Contact Information:

Amanda Hobson

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Treasury

(604) 331-4865

amanda.hobson@finning.com

www.finning.com




New York Citys police pension fund began the process of divesting from its Russian investments Tuesday after its trustees approved what amounts to yet another sanction against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The funds trustees voted to instruct city Comptroller Brad Lander to execute the divestment from any companies the U.S. has identified as financing, supporting or enabling Russian leader Vladimir Putins regime.

Lander, who, as comptroller, oversees the citys pension funds, said Tuesday he hopes the funds divestment will accelerate an end to aggression and a swift resolution that saves lives.

New Yorkers, including current and retired police officers, stand in solidarity with Ukraine and are proud to play a role in contributing to cutting President Putin and his enablers off from global financial markets, Lander said.

The funds trustees include Lander, Mayor Adams, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, PBA President Patrick Lynch, and Detectives Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo.

As a union comprised of every race, religion and creed who strongly believe in and protect democracy, we will do whatever we can to aide Ukraine, DiGiacomo said.

As of Feb. 25, the New York City Police Pension Fund held $42.2 million in Russian securities. The fund has more than 85,000 members and retirees, and is one of the largest city retirement funds in the U.S.

This is not about penalizing the Russian people, but about holding President Putin and his government accountable, Adams said in a written statement. Our administration is committed to standing with Ukrainians and refugees here and abroad while doing all we can to advance peace.

Compared to other sanctions the U.S. and Europe have leveraged against Russia, $42.2 million is a relatively small amount. Those much bigger sanctions bar Americans and people within the European Union from trading with Russias central bank and other banking restrictions aimed at blocking billions of dollars in Russian financial reserves held in banks across the globe.

The police pension fund probably wont be the only New York City pension to get in on the act of punishing Russia, though.

According to a spokeswoman from Landers office, the citys four other pension funds will meet later this month. Lander plans to propose divestment from Russian assets to all four.
Filmmaker and actor Sean Penn confirmed he has evacuated to Poland, as the crisis between Russia and Ukraine intensifies.

Penn has had feet on the ground in Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian assault to work on a documentary about the conflict. The actor shared a photo of himself Monday carrying a suitcase while walking along the side of a backed-up highway as many others attempt to flee Ukraine.

"Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road," Penn wrote. "Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value."

Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road. Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value. pic.twitter.com/XSwCDgYVSH  Sean Penn (@SeanPenn) February 28, 2022

'Our world is crumbling': Ukrainians try to flee homes with food, belongings amid Russian invasion

The 61-year-old actor has given updates, attended press briefings and captured images from the frontlines since first being on location in November. Here are all the updates he's given on the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Sean Penn says he has walked to the Polish border after being on the ground in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

Sean Penn: Russian invasion is 'a brutal mistake'

Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the country's military operation in eastern Ukraine, Penn called the ongoing invasion "a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken" in a statement to USA TODAY Saturday.

Celebs support Ukraine: Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Elton John speak out amid Russian invasion

"If he doesn't relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind," Penn said, adding that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people "have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost."

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'The world will hold Russia accountable': Leaders react to 'horrific events' in Ukraine

'A brutal mistake': Sean Penn calls Russian invasion of Ukraine 'a horrible mistake'

Sean Penn attends Ukrainian news briefings

The Office of the President wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday that the actor and filmmaker attended news briefings, met with Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk and spoke to journalists and military personnel about the Russian invasion.

"Sean Penn demonstrates the courage that many others, especially western politicians lack," the president's office wrote on Facebook. "The director specially came to Kiev to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia's invasion of our country."

Sanctions: From soccer to vodka, here are some sanctions, bans and boycotts placed on Russia

'Grave' situation: Russian troops surround Kharkiv; 40-mile convoy threatens Kyiv: live updates

Penn captures images months before invasion

Penn visited the Ukraine months before the invasion began Wednesday.

The actor was in the country taking photos of what would be the frontlines in the Donetsk region in November. Photographs for the upcoming documentary, which is being produced by VICE Studios, showed the actor visiting the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Oscar winner has been involved in numerous international humanitarian and anti-war efforts over the years and founded the non-profit disaster relief organization CORE in response to the 2010 earthquakes in Haiti, chronicled in the documentary "Citizen Penn."

Contributing: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean Penn Ukraine documentary: Actor walks to Poland, more updates
Johnson Controls brand Sensormatic Solutions empowers retailers to effectively drive retail operations and delight customers

The Sensormatic IQ intelligent operating platform improves retail outcomes with greater scalability, agility, and more actionable insights

The solution may assist retailers with an increase in food compliance and safety standards through digitalization

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland, March 01, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Johnson Controls today announced that Sensormatic Solutions is adding PENN Connected to its Sensormatic IQ platform capabilities to increase operational efficiency through remote refrigeration monitoring and digital compliance.

The digital solution helps retailers combat food waste, and assists with compliance by monitoring product storing temperatures, both hot and cold. The digital food safety platform provides remote monitoring, empowering retailers to better serve their shoppers with quality products at the right temperature. Through prompt alerts, retailers can intervene early to reduce or control product losses.

"With trillions of dollars of food wasted each year, and with essential product scarcity top-of-mind around the world, it is critical to utilize a full range of tools to help maintain a culture of product safety and compliance," said Craig Szklany, Sensormatic Solutions vice president of global solutions management & marketing. "With the digital food safety solution under the Sensormatic Solutions umbrella, we are uniquely positioned to better serve our customers. Offering a remote access monitoring system and greater compliance will provide retailers the flexibility to adapt to new business models as well as the peace of mind that their consumers have access to high-quality products."

The food safety platform is designed to integrate with Sensormatic IQ in the future to further accelerate digital transformation for retail organizations. The remote monitoring solution helps cut waste and loss which reduces costs while furthering sustainability and compliance efforts. The solution may help retailers increase compliance and help save hours of work per year by streamlining the compliance processes, from eliminating the need for manual temperature checks to reducing office hours spent filing documentation. With an enterprise view of sites provided by Sensormatic IQ, the food safety platform promotes optimal visibility to help increase grocery retailers levels of traceability, transparency, and proof of quality in their global compliance.

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No matter where a retailer is on their own digital transformation journey, Sensormatic IQ help retailers effectively digitize their operations and enhance customer experiences.

To learn how retailers can take remote monitoring to the next level with Sensormatic Solutions and PENN Connected, visit PENN Connected: Food Safety Compliance.

About Johnson Controls

At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.

With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, Johnson Controls delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through its comprehensive digital offering OpenBlue. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world's largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

About Sensormatic Solutions

Sensormatic Solutions is the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls powering operational excellence at scale and enabling smart and connected shopper engagement. Our intelligent digital operating platform  Sensormatic IQ  combines the full Sensormatic Solutions portfolio, including third-party data to deliver unmatched insights into shopper experience, inventory intelligence, loss prevention and operational effectiveness with advanced technologies, like AI and Machine Learning. This enables retailers to act on prescriptive and predictive data-driven outcomes to confidently move into the future. Please visit Sensormatic Solutions or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and our YouTube channel.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005325/en/

Contacts

Media

Jaclyn Messina

Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls

Work: +1 561-235-6458

jaclyn.messina@jci.com

Madison Southall

Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls

Work: +1 954-415-5971

madison.southall@jci.com

Anne Lines

Matter on behalf of Sensormatic Solutions

Work: +1-978-518-4512

jciretail@matternow.com
Model-turned-actor Jung Ho-yeon brought home her first ever Screen Actors Guild Award last night for her performance as Kang Sae-byeok in last years global sensation Squid Game.



Not only did Jung leave audiences stunned by her debut acting role in the drama series, her red carpet look from yesterdays award ceremony also turned heads, everywhere  especially back in her home country of South Korea.



Tied into the lower section of her braided hair was a daenggi made from the same fabric as her custom Louis Vuitton gown, fit for the luxury fashion houses global ambassador. The ribbon was traditionally used in Korea both as a means to adorn the braided hair while symbolizing social status or different functions.



Jungs particular style was once representative of unmarried women in the countrys past and is commonly seen in Korean period dramas.



Celebrity hairstylist Jenny Cho, who carefully crafted the look, told Teen Vogue that she was very emotional about getting to style Jungs hair into what she described as a modern version of the sleek traditional Korean braids.



The hairstyle matched the rest of Jungs Korean-inspired gown, which took 210 hours to make  its meticulously placed beads and crystals over black jacquard silk coming together to resemble Korea's traditional mother of pearl artwork, Chosun reported.



Jungs homage to her Korean culture follows the recent controversial appearance of the daenggi and its complementary traditional dress, the hanbok, at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Prominent Korean celebrities have shared photos of themselves wearing the hanbok in response to what many in Korea viewed as part of an ongoing attempt by China to lay claim to Korean culture.



Featured Image via Getty

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Texas Nurses Association District 18, Covenant School of Nursing, and TTUHSC Texas Student Nurses Association collected blankets, hats, and gloves for a delivery presentation at the APS Silver Star Room.

TTUHSC Texas Student Nurses Association made a special delivery to Adult Protective Services Texas Silver Star Room on Friday.

Texas Nurses Association (TNA) District 18, Covenant School of Nursing, and TTUHSC Texas Student Nurses Association collected blankets, hats and gloves for the delivery presentation at the APS Silver Star Room.

Priscilla Stansell, Assistant professor at TTUHSC School of Nursing, said they found out there was a need for the warmer items due to recent cold spells.

TTUHSC Texas Student Nurses Association made a special delivery to Adult Protective Services Texas Silver Star Room. The donation included 36 blankets, 42 pairs of socks, 11 gloves and eight hats.

They had plenty of food due to a food drive, but not really any warm items like the blankets, socks and other items, Stansell said. Our students do a lot of these philanthropic activities so, I brought this idea to the students about making this a volunteer opportunity.

Stansell added that her students are always looking for ways to give back to the Lubbock community.

That's one of the reasons they join TNSA is because they want to be more involved in the Lubbock community while they're in nursing school, she said.

They were very excited to be able to do this because, as nurses, they have a passion to give back to the community, Stansell said.

Natalie Conlin, level four student at TTUHSC School of Nursing and the philanthropic chair at TNSA, said the students were glad to be a part of this event.

Natalie Conlin, level four student at TTUHSC School of Nursing and the philanthropic chair at TNSA, taking in the donations at APS Silver Star Room on Friday.

I think this kind of helps contribute to that caring factor that we have as nurses  I think it's just kind of another way to give back to the community, Conlin said.

The Llano Estacado Silver Star Room is under the guidance of the LESSB Board and serves an average of 660 clients who live in Lubbock and the surrounding counties. The typical client served is someone 65 or older or disabled persons 18 and over who have been identified by APS personnel as having been subject to abuse, neglect or exploitation.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Student nurses donate cold-weather gear for Lubbock area seniors
Ukrainian soldiers fly the flag on top of their armoured vehicle in Kramatorsk (EPA)

US veterans responding to President Volodymyr Zelenskys calls to help Ukraine in its fight against Russia have said that their attempts to join the resistance are being held up by red tape and a lack of direction from officials - delays that could ultimately cost Ukrainians their freedom.

On Sunday, Mr Zelensky made an appeal to foreign nationals to travel to Ukraine and fight side by side with its troops as part of its newly-formed International Legion of the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.

Since then, Ukraines Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar has said that several thousand people from across the globe have volunteered to join.

We already have several thousand statements from foreign nationals who want to join the resistance to the Russian occupiers and protect world security from the Putin regime, she said in a statement on Monday.

Ex-US Army and Marine members told The Independent on Monday that many of them are ready to go, saying it is their duty as Americans to help where we can.

Some had contacted the Ukrainian Embassy in the US as early as last Thursday - the day Russia declared war on Ukraine and three days before Mr Zelensky launched the legion - volunteering their service.

But, they revealed that their attempts to enlist have so far fallen short with widespread confusion over how to apply and questions going unanswered by the embassy.

John Murphy, a former Marine who now lives in South Carolina, said he fears that such delays are wasting precious time as Russian President Vladimir Putins army increases its assault on Ukrainian civilians by the day.

If they dont get the help they need soon then Russia will take Ukraine, he warned.

Its admirable to see Ukrainian butchers and lawyers and traffic cops fighting to keep Russia out of their country but, if were being honest, a professional soldier is worth 15 guys with an AK-47s if they dont know how to use them.

There appears to be little information available as of yet for US veterans seeking to join the international legion.

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The Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that people should contact the Ukrainian embassies in their home countries to apply.

On Monday - one day after Mr Zelenskys appeal - the website for the Ukrainian Embassy in the US (based in Washington DC) appeared to be down for much of the day.

John Murphy pictured during his time in Marine Corps (John Murphy)

Veterans that The Independent spoke to said that emails and calls also went unanswered while others spoke of their confusion on social media.

Repeated attempts by The Independent to contact the embassy by email and phone on Monday were also unsuccessful, with the phone line going straight to answerphone each time.

It appears that the only clear and readily available instructions for applying come from an anonymous US official who gave an interview with Military Times after the military publication received several questions from veterans about how they could enlist. The first step: apply to the Ukrainian embassy.

Mr Murphy said that, at the age of 60, my wife says Im crazy to be thinking about serving in the legion.

But then I see 60-year-olds in Ukraine who have worked as butchers and candlestick makers and they are defending the country when theres people like me who have spent years in the military and in law enforcement and so have the skills and are just sitting around, he said.

He said he feels a duty to respond to Ukraines appeal for help as he fears that if the West doesnt take action to stop Mr Putins forces now, things will only get worse and other countries may also come under attack.

Its not that I want to go but the way I see it, if we dont stop Russias aggression now, its going to escalate into something even worse, he said.

Im a bit of a history buff and I look at the inaction of the world in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland and the world stood by and just watched it happen.

I fear if Ukraine doesnt come out on top, it wont end with Ukraine. Then will China take advantage of the situation in Taiwan? And will North Korea be the bad actor and come at Israel? And then were in World War Three.

He added: If the world as a whole was to stand up and say its not acceptable behaviour... well you cant fight the whole world.

John Murphy today. The veteran has contacted the Ukrainian Embassy in DC about supporting Ukraine (John Murphy)

Because Ukraine is not in Nato, neither the US, UK or any other Nato nations are sending troops into Ukraine to engage in combat against Mr Putins forces.

President Joe Biden has doubled down on multiple occasions this past week that US troops will not be fighting in Ukraine.

Mr Murphy said that, while he understands the delicacy of the situation, a lack of action from the Western governments is part of what is leading him to feel that he has no choice but to step in.

The Russian government needs to be held to account and if other governments arent going to be the ones doing it then the people are going to have to, he said.

Having spoken about the situation with several dozen of his fellow Marine Corps veterans, he said many of them also feel a duty to help Ukraine.

His younger friends especially have no doubts about going as they think that if the situation escalates - for example if Russia invades a Nato country and the US recalls people with military experience - they could be called up to serve anyway.

However, Mr Murphy said that if there continues to be a lack of a definitive plan, it will likely deter veterans from joining.

He said he first reached out to the embassy by phone and email on Thursday but got nowhere whatsoever and has been searching online trying to find ways to do things.

After posting on the Facebook page for the Georgian National Legion, he said he was inundated with messages from around 100 other people from all across the world asking him for any guidance about how to sign up.

As of yet, the most reliable way is to just fly to the Ukrainian border and then knock on the door, he said.

Theres no real information. The only information is to get to Poland and once youre there go to the border crossing and say Im here to join the legion but that doesnt leave a lot of room.

And that will be the largest detractor for anyone with combat experience as you dont want to jump on a plane to Poland and turn up and all you have is a slingshot to fight with.

While these things take time, its time he said Ukraine does not necessarily have.

James McCall pictured while he was in the US Army (James McCall)

On Monday night, satellite images showed a Russian military convoy stretching more than 40-miles long heading for the capital Kyiv.

Mr Putin bombed residential areas of the countrys second-largest city Kharkiv killing at least three children and six adults, as Russian forces increasingly strike civilian areas.

James McCall, who served eight years in the US Army including a tour of Afghanistan, told The Independent he too is waiting to hear back from the embassy after emailing and calling several times.

As a result, he said there are no logistics right now for how or when he will go to Ukraine.

However, he said that if he doesnt hear back from the embassy, he has a plan b: Ill just hop on a plane and go to Poland.

He said he has also been in touch with the Georgian National Legion, a group of volunteer fighters - all ex-military - first set up by Mamuka Mamulashvili in 2014 to defend Ukraine in the War in Donbas, as another plan b option.

Either way, Mr McCall said its a matter of when not if he will go to Ukraine.

Its not a question of thinking. Its just getting things ready to go, he said.

Mr McCall, who now lives in Oklahoma, said he feels a duty to fight to defend Ukraine because it is a fight for democracy and freedom.

This is an attack on freedom worldwide and an attack on democracy and if we let it stand then it will continue to grow and overflow everywhere else, he said.

We as the free people of the world cant stand by and let this happen. Zelensky asked for help and its my duty as an American to help where I can.

He too feels that the response from the US - and the rest of the West - has fallen short and so he and other veterans have been left with no choice but to take action.

Sanctions are great but its not enough. I feel like were not doing enough and I dont stand alone, he said.

Ive spoken to a lot of brothers in arms who feel the same way.

In the history of America weve always helped other countries and this is no different.

James McCall now. Being a husband and father has made him more determined to support the families torn apart by Russias assault (James McCall)

Being a husband and father of four motivates him even more to go and help, he added, after seeing Ukrainian families torn apart by the Russian invasion and their homeland being invaded by foreign occupation.

I couldnt imagine having a foreign military presence entering my hometown like that, he said.

Mr McCall said he is not concerned that going to fight as a foreign national, he will not have the same protection from the US as when he served in the Army.

If I go over there I go on my own free will to help and I dont expect others to put themselves at risk for me, he said.

The US has not yet given its position on American citizens joining the fight on Ukrainian soil.

And other Western nations have given somewhat mixed messages.

Following Mr Zelenskys announcement, the UKs Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she would absolutely support British nationals who choose to travel to help Ukraine.

But her comments were quickly contradicted by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace who said that only trained military personnel should be traveling to the country and that Britons should not put yourselves in harms way.

A Downing Street spokesperson then said, when pressed by a reporter, that the Foreign Office advises against all travel to Ukraine.

Despite this - and reports of difficulties applying to sign up - some Americans have already made their way to Ukraine to fight anyway.

Mr Mamulashvili, commander of the Georgian National Legion and former Georgian military officer, spoke to The Independent on Monday from his position on the frontline close to Kyiv.

While the Georgian National Legion has been ongoing since 2014, he said he began receiving more applications from Americans and Britons wanting to join the legion in support of Ukrainian troops as the conflict began escalating in Ukraine.

He began recruiting more ex-military members around 10 days before Thursdays invasion, after which time he has recruited even more and received more applications to join.

After it got to the active phase, we received lots more applications and lots more guys joined us, he said.

Mamuka Mamulashvili is recruiting foreign nationals to fight in Ukraine (Mamuka Mamulashvili/Facebook)

Over the next few days, the legion is expecting its first major wave of recruits since the war started, Mr Mamulashvili said.

He is expecting around 50 Americans, 100 Britons and around 400 Georgians in total.

Then I think there will be more activity and more ex-military people joining, he said.

We get a lot of good ex-US and ex-UK soldiers joining us.

While the Georgian National Legion does not include civilians, he said that it did train around 300 Ukrainian civilians as tensions were escalating and war became an increasing possibility.

We had a sense that war would come, he said.

The Ukrainians are motivated and as time goes on more and more civilians are getting engaged in the battle process and making it harder for the Russians.

Mr Mamulashvili said the Georgian Legion will now work closely with Mr Zelenskys international legion.

Some of the first recruits in the international legion are said to include a 10 special operations veterans who are preparing to cross the border from Poland into Ukraine.

A US Army veteran recruiter told Buzzfeed News the group, made up of six American, three British and one German veteran, are all Nato-trained with experience in counterterrorism and close combat.

Two other former American infantry officers will lead the group, the veteran recruiter said.

While Ukraines Deputy Minister of Defense said several thousands have volunteered for the international legion, it is not clear how many have been or will be enlisted or how many Americans are among them.
WASHINGTON  The 2022 midterms kick off today, with Texas the first state to hold its primary elections.

Over the next few months, intra-party contests throughout the country will shape the race for the House and offer some signs of how competitive particular Congressional races will be come November.

Due to the decennial redistricting process this year a number of incumbent members of Congress are facing off with their colleagues in unusual member-on-member primaries. In some states, the congressional district lines are still being finalized.

Former President Donald Trump looms large over the Republican field. He has jumped into races against Republican Representatives who voted to impeach him, and the primaries will test his political power in an election where he is not on the ballot.

More: Liz Cheney vs. Trump: The feud forcing Wyoming to ask hard questions

"On balance, the message that is winning on the Republican side is a very fiercely pro-Trump message," said David Wasserman, House races analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

On the other hand, "Democratic primaries tend to be more about identity politics and which groups are represented," Wasserman said. "I expect that we will see more primaries come down to which people have compelling stories."

Strategists from both sides of the aisle hope that competitive primaries will force the other party's nominees to take extreme political stances that will make them easier to defeat in November's general election.

"GOP primaries across the country have devolved into all-out brawls to see who can take the most extreme and dangerous positions," said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre. "After GOP candidates push each other further and further to the right, theyll have to answer to voters who will reject their dangerous extremism.

Republicans, meanwhile, say the same can be said of Democratic candidates.

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Democrats across the country have embraced radical policies that caused higher prices, skyrocketing violent crime, and open borders," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Berg. "General election voters overwhelmingly oppose these policies."

Democrats currently hold the majority, with 222 seats to Republicans' 211. Two GOP House seats are currently vacant and are expected to stay in GOP hands. Given historical trends favoring the party out of power, Republicans are expected to take back the chamber in the fall.

But what candidates emerge from the primaries may help determine if that prediction holds true, and if so how large a margin Republicans will win in November.

Here are ten of the top House primaries to watch:

TX-28 Democratic Primary

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 12: Democratic candidate Jessica Cisneros (TX-28) speaks during the 'Get Out the Vote' rally on February 12, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) alongside candidates Jessica Cisneros and Greg Casar gathered and rallied with supporters ahead of the Democratic March primaries.

Texas voters in the 28th Congressional district vote today to determine the fate of nine-term Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar.

Cuellar  weakened by an FBI raid  faces a strong primary challenge from immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros. Its the second time the two candidates have faced off. Cuellar narrowly defeated Cisneros in the 2020 primary, 51.8%-48.2%.

In January, Cuellars home and campaign office were raided by the FBI. ABC News reports that the raid was part of a federal grand jury probe seeking information related to companies and organizations with ties to Azerbaijan. It is unclear if Cuellar is a target of the probe, and he has denied any wrongdoing. Cuellar has served as co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.

The FBI raid presented progressives with a new opportunity to attack the congressman. Cuellar is one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, and was the only Democrat to vote against a House bill last fall that would protect the federal abortion rights.

Cisneros, on the other hand, has received endorsements from top progressives including Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, as well as groups including Justice Democrats, NARAL, and the Working Families Party.

Biden won the newly redrawn district by 7.2 points in 2020, making it slightly more Democratic than the last election. Still, Republicans see it as a pickup opportunity and the seat is an offensive target for the NRCC. The shadow of the FBI raid comes at an inopportune time for Cuellar, and Republicans have framed Cisneros as a socialist who is unfit for the moderate lean of the district.

If neither candidate hits 50 percent of the vote there will be a runoff on May 24th. A third Democrat, community activist Tannya Benavides, is also running for the nomination.

WV-02 Republican Primary

West Virginia lost a House seat in the redistricting process, leading to a intra-party primary between GOP Reps. David McKinley and Alex Mooney on May 10.

McKinley currently represents WV-01, a seat hes held since being elected in 2010. He is a centrist, who backed the creation of the Jan. 6th committee, voted to certify election results, and was one of 13 Republicans to back Bidens infrastructure bill.

More: 13 House Republicans voted to pass the infrastructure bill. Here's what their states, districts stand to get.

Mooney is a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus who was elected to WV-02 in 2014. Originally from Maryland, critics have accused him of being a carpetbagger who only moved to West Virginia to run for office.

Former President Trump endorsed Mooney, citing his opposition to the infrastructure bill and Jan. 6th committee. The seat is a strong Trump district, so his endorsement will likely hold sway. The primary will determine if its enough to defeat McKinley, who has been a member of Congress for longer and has stressed his deep roots in the state.

GA-07 Democratic Primary

Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019, to unveil the "Immediate Financial Relief for Federal Employees Act" bill which would give zero interest loans for up to $6,000 to employees impacted by the government shutdown and any future shutdowns.

Two of Georgias rising Democratic stars will face off in a member-on-member primary on May 24, the most high profile incumbent battle due to redistricting.

The contest will pit Rep. Lucy McBath, who has represented Georgias Sixth Congressional district since 2018, against Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, who won the 7th district last cycle.

Neither candidate actually lives in the newly redrawn district, but Bordeaux represents more of the area. Bourdeaux was one of a small group of Democrats in the House to support efforts to split Bidens infrastructure and Build Back Better social safety and climate package, drawing the ire of some progressives.

Bourdeaux gained national attention last cycle as the only Democrat to flip a seat held by a GOP incumbent.

McBath has a national profile as a gun control advocate. Her son, Jordan, was shot and killed at a Florida gas station after the killer complained about loud music coming from the car he was sitting in.

More: Parkland shooting spurred a grieving mom to run for Congress. Now she's voting for new gun laws

McBath, a Black woman, has the backing of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC. The district became significantly less white in the redistricting process.

The seat was also redrawn to become significantly more Democratic, meaning the primary is expected to be more consequential than the general.

SC-01 Republican Primary

On June 14, first-term Republican Rep. Nancy Mace will attempt to defend her seat against Trump-backed Katie Arrington in what figures to be one of the races that will test the former president's grip on the party. If neither candidate clears 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will take place on June 28.

Mace is the first Republican woman to represent South Carolina in Congress, and was the first woman to graduate from the cadet program at The Citadel, the states Military College. She flipped the seat in 2020, defeating Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham.

Despite backing her first campaign, Trump split from Mace over her criticism of his role in the Jan. 6th insurrection. Instead, Trump endorsed Arrington ahead of the upcoming primary.

In the GOP primary for the seat in 2018, Arrington defeated former South Carolina Gov. and incumbent Rep. Mark Stanford, a Trump critic, but then lost the general election to Cunningham. Arrington announced shed challenge Mace on Feb. 8, and received Trumps endorsement the following day.

Following her 2018 loss, Arrington took a job at the Pentagon. Per Bloomberg, in May 2021 her security clearance for accessing classified information was suspended, a result of a reported Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified Information and subsequent removal of access by the National Security Agency. In October Arrington sued the Department of Defense and National Security Agency for not telling her about the allegations that led to the move.

After the former president endorsed her opponent, Mace recorded a video for Twitter outside Trump tower, in which she outlined her past support and ties to Trump, including working for his 2016 campaign.

If you want to lose this seat once again in a midterm election cycle to Democrats, then my opponent is more than qualified to do just that," she said in the video.

IL-06 Democratic Primary

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) speaks during a news conference to introduce legislation on safe gun storage outside the U.S. Capitol on February 08, 2022 in Washington, DC. Democratic members of Congress were joined by gun control advocates to introduce the "Protect Children Through Safe Gun Ownership Act."

Illinois 6th Congressional district is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Sean Casten, who defeated a six-term Republican incumbent to win the seat in 2018.

Democratic Rep. Marie Newmans IL-03 district was redrawn, placing her hometown in Democratic Rep. Chuy Garcias neighboring IL-04. Newman announced shed run instead in IL-06, which now contains around 40% of her old constituency.

The race pits Newman, a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, against Casten, a more moderate Democrat who has focused much of his work on combating climate change.

Newman defeated then-Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski, a conservative, to win the seat in 2020. She has the backing of EMILYs List and the Progressive Caucus PAC, while Casten has the support of 314 Action and the Progressive Turnout Project. The primary has also split the Democratic caucus, with progressive members like Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan backing Newman, and more moderate members including fellow Illinois Democrats Reps. Brad Schneider and Bill Foster in Casten's corner.

Looming over the primary is a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics, which is investigating whether she promised a political rival a job so he wouldn't run against her in the 2020 primary election, a potential violation of federal law.

More: Ill. Rep. Marie Newman's alleged political bribe is focus of Ethics Committee investigation

The primary is on June 28. Whoever emerges will face a competitive general election, and the NRCC has identified the seat as a target.

IL-15 Republican Primary

Congressman Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, announces victory in his race against challenger Betsy Dirksen Londrigan in Illinois' 13th Congressional district race Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.

Republican Reps. Rodney Davis and Mary Miller will face off on June 28 in another member-on-member primary due to redistricting.

Davis has represented IL-13 since 2013, while Freedom Caucus member Miller has only served since last year. Just two days into her first term Miller quoted Adolf Hitler in a speech to the group Moms for America. She drew further attention when her husbands truck was spotted sporting a decal of an armed right-wing group tied to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

More: New Illinois congresswoman under fire for comment: Hitler was right on one thing

More: GOP congresswoman's husband, whose truck had Three Percenters decal, says he never heard of armed group before

Davis voted to certify the 2020 election, while Miller objected to the Arizona and Pennsylvania results. Davis supported the creation of a special committee to investigate Jan. 6, and was named by McCarthy to the select committee before he pulled all Republican members in a dispute with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He has the endorsement of fellow Illinois Republican Reps. Mike Bost and Darin LaHood.

More: Pelosi rejects GOP picks Jordan, Banks on Jan. 6 committee; McCarthy threatens to pull out

Trump looms over the race. The former president endorsed Miller, who is also backed by the Club for Growth. However, Davis is no stranger to Trump, having co-chaired his Illinois reelection campaign.

The primary will test the impact of Trumps endorsement against another conservative incumbent, who has a long political history in Illinois.

MI-03 Republican Primary

Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich., speaks during a roundtable discussion with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and other Republicans as they criticize President Joe Biden on the Afghanistan evacuation, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021.

On Aug. 2, GOP Rep. Peter Meijer faces a primary challenge spurred by his vote to impeach Trump.

Meijer was the only freshman to vote to impeach the former president, and said his vote "may have been an act of political suicide."

Trump endorsed John Gibbs in the primary. Gibbs, a Black man, touts his background as the grandson of sharecroppers, and served on Trump's controversial 1776 commission.

More: Trump's '1776 Commission' report excuses slavery, condemns legacy of civil rights movement

Gibbs served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at HUD during the Trump administration, and was nominated to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management, but not confirmed due to a record of controversial tweets. Gibbs tweeted promoting a conspiracy theory that former Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta participated in a satanic ritual, and accused the Democratic party of being the party of "Islam, gender-bending," according to CNN

Audra Johnson, the "MAGA Bride" who wore a Make America Great Again dress to her Trump themed wedding, is also running for the nomination.

More: Couple faces backlash after MAGA-themed wedding

Whoever emerges from the GOP primary is expected to face Democrat Hillary Scholten, an attorney. Scholten lost the election against Meijer in 2020, 53%-47%, but redistricting altered the makeup of the seat from a Trump +3 to a Biden +8 district.

MI-04 Republican Primary

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 03: Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) (C) joins fellow members of the Problem Solvers Caucus during a news conference to highlight the need for bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 relief legislation outside the U.S. Capitol December 03, 2020 in Washington, DC. With the holiday season approaching and the legislative session coming to a close, federal government funding for critical coronavirus relief programs are set to expire as the U.S. faces daily records for infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

GOP Rep. Fred Upton currently represents MI-06 and is the Dean of Michigans Congressional delegation, having first won election in 1986. Upton has not officially declared his election plans, but last week began airing TV ads, a sign that he will likely run in the redrawn MI-04 district, setting up another member-on-member primary thanks to redistricting.

Upton would face fellow Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga, a six term Congressman who currently represents MI-02. Unlike other incumbent primaries, the two current members of Congress also face a Trump-backed third candidate, Michigan State Rep. Steve Carra.

Trump endorsed Carra last fall. The former president is mad at Upton, who voted in favor of Trumps second impeachment. Upton also voted to create a special House committee to investigate Jan. 6th, and was one of 13 House Republicans to back Bidens infrastructure package. Both Upton and Huizenga supported certifying the election results, while Carra has called for a forensic investigation of Michigans 2020 election.

More: The members of Congress who objected to Joe Biden's Electoral College win amid Capitol riot

Whoever emerges will likely be elected in the general election in November. The primary will test the strength of two incumbents against a state legislator who doesnt have the same funds or name ID, but does have the key Trump-endorsement in a red district. The results of the contest will help reveal how much power the former president has in shaping electoral results in a year he is not also on the ballot.

The primary is set for Aug. 2.

WY-AL Republican Primary

FILE - Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks during the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications' 18th First Amendment Awards at the NH Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., on Nov. 9, 2021. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy is endorsing challenger Harriet Hageman over Cheney in the GOP primary in Wyoming, a rare departure for a party leader attempting to boost a Trump-aligned candidate over one of the former president's chief critics.

On Aug. 16 Wyoming voters will head to the polls to vote in the Republican primary for the states sole House seat. GOP Rep. Liz Cheney is hoping to maintain the Republican nomination for the seat shes held since winning election in 2016, but has a large field of primary challengers.

Leading the field of competitors is attorney Harriet Hageman, a former Cheney supporter who previously donated to her campaign. The primary comes after Cheney  a former GOP conference chair and daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney  split from her party over her criticism of former President Donald Trump.

Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., have both endorsed Hageman. Cheney served as one of McCarthys deputies in Republican leadership until she was stripped of the position in May. It is uncommon for party leaders to endorse in primaries against an incumbent, especially one who held a high ranking role within the caucus and was viewed as a rising star in the party.

More: House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy endorses Liz Cheney challenger in continuing fallout over Trump

Trump urged his supporters to coalesce around a single candidate to take on Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney voted to impeach Trump and serves on the special committee investigating Jan. 6.

More: Donald Trump endorses Wyoming lawyer Harriet Hageman in GOP primary against Liz Cheney

Wyoming legislators voted earlier this month in favor of a Trump-backed bill that would make it harder for voters to register as a Republican to participate in the primary. Under current law, voters can decide on Election Day whether to register as a Republican or Democrat and then receive the ballot for their chosen partys primary. Some Republicans worry that under the system Democrats will register for the GOP primary to back Cheney over Hageman.

Given the partisan lean of the state, the winner of the primary will in all likelihood win the general election come November. The primary will reveal if a Republican who has publicly broken with Trump is able to prevail in a deep red state that Trump won by 43 points.

NH-01 Republican Primary

New Hampshire Republicans won't vote until Sept. 13, so there is still ample opportunity for the field to take form. The primary could become a high-profile race to take on Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas.

Matt Mowers is running for the seat again, having lost to Pappas in 2020, 51.3%-46.2%. Mowers served as a senior advisor to the White House at the State Department during the Trump administration, and was an aide to former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J. Mowers is endorsed by former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.

Former Trump White House assistant press secretary Karoline Leavitt would be 25 at the time of election, the minimum age requirement to be a member of Congress. Leavitt previously worked as communications director for Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the House Republican caucus chair, and has her endorsement. She's also endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., who is currently the youngest member of Congress.

Gail Huff Brown, a former journalist and the wife of former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass. Huff Brown has the endorsement of former Trump national security advisor Robert OBrien, former Trump Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

State Rep. Tim Baxter is also running for the nomination, and has shaped his campaign around talking points like banning Critical Race Theory and holding Dr. Anthony Fauci accountable. Baxter has been endorsed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

A Trump endorsement could help break the logjam.

Contributing: Ledyard King

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mid-terms: Here are 10 primaries that may decide control of the House
FILE  Molly Mondor, a teacher at Wapato Middle School, brings out a hot pan of cheese zombies during the 34th annual Cultural Unity Fair on Thursday, March 31, 2016, in Wapato, Wash.
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FILE  Ashley Robles, center left, and Kassidy Young, right, react as Trinity Gantt, center right, is surprised by a bunch of clown noses appearing in her hands during a magic trick by Kevin Holzer, left, at the Central Washington State Fair Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021 in Yakima, Wash.
Jennifer Ana Duoung, 19, the alleged driver involved in a triple fatality wreck in Richland early Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, makes her preliminary appearance in Benton County Superior Court via remote video from the Benton County Jail.
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Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe (L) holds video talks with South Africas Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise (R) on March 1, 2022. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe holds video talks with South Africas Minister of Defense and Military Veterans Thandi Modise, on March 1, 2022. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

BEIJING, March 1 -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe held talks with Thandi Modise, minister of defense and military veterans of South Africa,via video link on March 1, 2022.

Wei Fenghe said that China and South Africa are good friends and partners with profound friendship and mutual trust. Under strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership has seen continuous in-depth development in recent years. The two sides work together in fighting the pandemic and cooperation in various fields have yielded fruitful results.

Wei pointed out that China and South Africa, both being major developing countries and emerging market economies, should jointly resist hegemonic, domineering and bullying behaviors, practice genuine multilateralism and safeguard international fairness and justice, so as to make positive contributions to world peace and development.

The Chinese military is willing to maintain high-level communication with the military of South Africa, improve the cooperation mechanism, expand cooperation fields, jointly fight the pandemic, striving to promote the development of bilateral military relations, Wei said.

Ms Modise said that South Africa attaches great importance to the development of bilateral relations and will stand firm together with China to jointly oppose hegemonism and jointly handle challenges of todays world.

The South African military hopes to strengthen cooperation with its Chinese counterpart in terms of joint training and exercise, armaments technology, naval and air force exchanges, to continuously improve the relations between the two militaries, Modise said.

The two ministers also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.
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United for Hungary is holding a protest at 6:00pm today in front of the Russian spybank, or the International Investment Bank (IIB), the political opposition coalition announced on Facebook.

Facebook announcement available here



The post stated that Peter Marki-Zay, the joint oppositions prime ministerial candidate and mayor of Hodmezovasarhely, would also be speaking at the event on the Buda side of the Chain Bridge in Budapest.



The war between Russia and Ukraine has already caused the Czech Republic and Romania to leave the Budapest-based financial institution, reported adevarul.ro.



In 2019, the Hungarian government provided 10 million (US $11.2 million) in subsidies to the IIB to cover the move to Budapest. HVG wrote at the time that the financial institution was given exceptional treatment: its chair and employees are exempt from all judicial and administrative procedures, and in addition to diplomatic immunity, they are able to take as many partners and guests into Hungary and the European Union as they want.



Socialist MEP Istvan Ujhelyi said then that the banks move to Budapest posed a security risk, and an American think tank called the Orban-sponsored Russian financial institution Putins Trojan horse in Europe.



Following this, IIB responded in a statement denying that it was a spybank.
Hungary will not send troops or weapons to Ukraine, nor will it allow deadly weapons to be transported through the country, said Peter Szijjarto, Minister for Foreign Trade and Foreign Affairs, on Monday afternoon from Kosovo.

Video - in Hungarian - available here.



Szijjarto justified the decision by claiming that the government did not want Hungary to get involved in the Russian-Ukrainian war.



Although the government previously agreed with the European position of sending arms to Ukraine, Peter Szijjarto said that: The reason for the decision now is because delivering weapons could cause Hungary and ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia to become military targets. We must ensure Hungarys security so that we do not get enmeshed in this war. - stated the Foreign Minister.



NATO is delivering German-made missiles and other military hardware from the Netherlands to Ukraine on a NATO airplane with Hungarian insignia, HVG has reported.



Peter Szijjarto announced that the government would provide 600 million Ft. (US $1.72 million) in funds to alleviate the refugee crisis in Ukraine.





Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Budapest, August 2021
YORK  The local COVID-19 case rate has dramatically dropped and the number of new cases in the Four Corners Health District is in a declining trajectory.

I was looking forward to bringing good news for a change, so this is good to say, Four Corners Health Director Laura McDougall said during this past weeks community sector briefing. We are down to only 35 new cases, in the last seven days, in the entire district.

Just a month or so ago, the 7-day case rate got as high as 888.

We are now at the bottom of the valley, McDougall said. During the last surge, our high day was 219 cases in one day. So we are in a much better place and we hope that will stay for a while.

Yes, the cases are declining here as well as in the state and all over the nation, said York General Health Care Services CEO Jim Ulrich. In Nebraska, we went from 3,600 cases in a week to 1,800. Regarding statewide hospitalizations for COVID, there were 496 on Feb. 15 and this morning there were 356. At York General, we have had a downturn of COVID patients in our emergency room and we have no COVID patients, in house, today. Last week, we gave 15 infusions.

We are not having much COVID activity and it is great to see this, Ulrich continued. We only have two employees out with COVID right now. The Hearthstone and Willow Brook are both all green zones.

York County Development Corporation Director Lisa Hurley said local school officials were reporting very, very low case counts and Tyler Hinton from York College said they had zero COVID cases on campus at this time.

Meanwhile, we are still giving vaccinations and boosters, McDougall said. With such low rates of transmission right now, this is a safer time to get them. We cut back on our vaccination hours because we just werent seeing the crowds, so we are doing those from noon until 4 p.m., on Fridays, at the Four Corners offices.

It was also noted that Four Corners has received a number of take-home COVID tests which are available to the public for free. They also come with a free option to receive a documented lab result, if desired. In York County, the free tests are available at the Four Corners office, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. The office is located at 2101 North Lincoln Avenue.

If a documented lab result is needed, before opening the test kit, a person can go online to Nebraska.eMed.com. There a Certified eMed Guide will watch and help the person take the test. If this is done, the test will be considered verified and can be used for official purposes. If the person chooses not to use the virtual option, the test results are for personal use only.

If someone has symptoms and needs a test kit, call 402-362-2621 and staff will meet them in the Four Corners Health Department parking lot with a test(s). People can receive up to six test kits at a time.

And testing remains available at Four Corners each Monday and Thursday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Those who want a test to be administered there are asked to pre-register through the following link: https://fourcorners.ne.gov/programs-services-2/coronavirus-covid-19-information/

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YORK  The driver of a semi who was involved in a multiple-vehicle accident in December, on Interstate 80 in York County, has been formally charged with possessing cocaine and methamphetamine the night of the accident.

Chad Chrivia, 32, of Lapeer, Michigan, has been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, both Class 4 felonies that carry a possible maximum sentence of one year in prison upon conviction.

According to court documents, on Dec. 5, at 9:55 p.m., the York County Sheriffs Department was dispatched to a multiple-vehicle accident near the York exit. When they arrived, they saw a semi overturned on its side.

After speaking with all parties involved, we determined that the semi driver  Chad Chrivia  was at fault, the investigating deputy says in the affidavit filed with the court. He had no injuries but said he did not remember anything that happened.

The deputy said a background check of Chrivia revealed he has a drug use history in Michigan. Canine Nitro alerted to the presence of narcotics in the semis cab. He admitted to having cocaine.

A box containing cocaine was found during a search, as was methamphetamine. Both substances, found inside the cab, were positively identified as the suspected substances. A methamphetamine pipe was also located in an eyeglass case that was on his person.

The case has been bound over to District Court.
Tata Motors has launched four new variants of Nexon in India to celebrate the roll-out of 3,00,000th Nexon from the company's Ranjangaon facility in Pune. Indias first GNCAP 5-Star compact SUV now gets XZ+ (P) / XZA+ (P) and XZ+ (HS) / XZA+ (HS) variants in both petrol and diesel configuration with a new colour option in Royale Blue. These variants will also be offered in the Dark avatar.

Here's the new variant pricing list (Ex-showroom, Delhi)

Tata Nexon XZ+ (P) - Rs 11,58,900

Tata Nexon XZA+ (P) - Rs 12,23,900

Tata Nexon XZ+ (HS) - Rs 10,86,800

Tata Nexon XZA+ (HS) - Rs 11,51,800

Also read: This modified Tata Altroz looks sporty and eye-catching

Launched in 2017, Tata Nexon has become Tata's best-selling SUV and recently got the Kaziranga Edition version. The Tata Nexon will now be available in 40 variants, with 22 variants in petrol and 18 variants in diesel having both automatic and manual transmission options.

The new Nexon XZ+ (P) / XZA+ (P) variants will be equipped with additional premium features such as Premium Benecke Kaliko Leatherette ventilated front seats, air purifier and auto dimming IRVM. Additionally, the new XZ+ (HS) / XZA+ (HS) variants will sport an air purifier to make the drives healthier for the occupants. These additional features will also be available in their respective Dark editions.

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Due to a system malfunction, Toyota is suspending production at all 28 lines of its 14 plants in Japan starting on March 1. Kojima Industries Corp, based in Toyota city in central Japan, said on February 28 that the problem could be a cyberattack as an error was detected in its computer server system.

As a result, the company said its system could not communicate properly with Toyota or monitor production, although there was nothing physically wrong with the production equipment.

Kojima spokesman Tomohiro Takayama said the company was investigating and working to fix the problem. This has never happened before, Takayama said. We are not sure yet if it is a cyberattack, but we suspect it might be one.

Also read: Tata Nexon SUV gets THESE features in new variants, Royale Blue paint added

Kojima supplies Toyota with many parts including air-conditioning, steering wheel components, and other parts for vehicles' interiors and exteriors. It was unclear when the problem might be fixed and production could resume.

Toyota Motor Corp., which makes the Prius hybrid and Camry sedan, apologize for inconveniencing its customers and promised to fix the problem as quickly as possible. Hino Motors, a Toyota group truckmaker, said two of its production plants in Japan were similarly affected by a malfunction.

The Nikkei business daily reported Daihatsu Motor Co., a Toyota affiliate that makes small cars, was also affected and had stopped production. Whether production will resume on March 2 will be decided later on March 1, Daihatsu said in a statement.

Toyota and other automakers already are grappling with shortages of computer chips and other parts due to disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. Some customers have been waiting months for their orders to be delivered.

With inputs from AP

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Airports Authority of India (AAI), the national airport's operator, will provide air traffic services at the upcoming Noida International Airport at Jewar in Greater Noida. As per sources, the first phase is expected to be commissioned by 2024.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the AAI and Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) on February 28, AAI said. YIAPL is a special purpose vehicle set up for the development of the greenfield Noida International Airport at Jewar. As an Air Navigation Services Provider, AAI is the only entity statutorily empowered to provide air traffic services in the country.

"AAI is pleased to partner with Noida International Airport and is upbeat about these kinds of challenging projects, which will open new gateways of operating multiple major airports in the vicinity of each other catering to the Metros," said A K Pathak, Member (Planning) at AAI.

Also read: Planning an overseas vacation? A list of countries that can be visited without RT-PCR

Mumbai and Navi Mumbai are lined up for a similar approach, he said, adding AAI has already signed a pact for CNS-ATM services with Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL) in 2018. Under the pact with the Noida International Airport, AAI will plan, procure, install and commission the CNS/ATM equipment and facilities and provide air traffic services at the upcoming airport, AAI said.

Besides, the facility will also be equipped with Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems and ATS Automation Systems which will enable situational awareness and provide decision support to Air Traffic Controllers for all-weather operations, it stated.

The Noida International Airport (Jewar) is expected to be commissioned by the year 2025 and AAI will be associated with the airport operator in all three phases covered under the CNS-ATM agreement such as the pre-commissioning, commissioning, and the operational phase, as per the statement.

The airspace design and flight procedure design will be undertaken collaboratively under the Air Space Management (ASM) Directorate of AAI with the participation of the New Delhi Air Traffic Control Centre and the airport operator, it added. AAI said it is also expected to deploy its ATC and ATSEP (Air Traffic Services Engineering Professionals) workforce to meet service standards.

With inputs from PTI

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Following the EU's ban on Russian airlines and Moscow's pledge to retaliate, the airline industry is bracing for potential lengthy sanctions wars. The crisis affected airline shares, resulting in dozens of flights being cancelled and detoured.

Kazakhstan saw a tripling of its flights in its airspace because of the rerouting. Following the European Union's Sunday ban on Russian airlines as fighting in Ukraine raged, airline executives say Russia is likely to ban their use of their airspace for international flights.

Kremlin officials said on Monday that a response would be forthcoming to Western sanctions against Russia's aviation industry. "The guiding principle will be reciprocity, and our own interests will be at the forefront of that," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

Also read: Airports Authority of India partners with Jewar airport to provide air traffic services in Noida

Without access to Russia`s airspace, carriers will have to divert flights south while also avoiding areas of tension in the Middle East. Shares in European airlines and airport operators were down 3-6% in early trade, while Finnish national carrier Finnair cut its guidance and saw its shares tumble 23%.

Germany`s Lufthansa said 30 flights to Russia would be cancelled this week and its subsidiaries Eurowings and Austrian Airlines, while Latvia`s AirBaltic said it was extending its suspension of flights to Russia until the end of May. Lufthansa said its flights from Europe to Tokyo and Seoul would have to fly detours for which the company had secured necessary flight rights.

In Asia Singapore Airlines said on Monday it was suspending all services between Singapore and Moscow until further notice for "operational reasons". Finnair scrapped its 2022 guidance, fearing significant loss of business as it uses a route across Russian skies from Europe to Asia via its hub in Helsinki.

Korean Air, Japan Airlines and Japan`s ANA Holdings said on Monday they were continuing to use Russian airspace but had no plans to add flights to Russia or Europe to replace flights cancelled by European carriers. Demand to Japan and South Korea has been low due to Covid-related travel restrictions.

Also read: DMRC to construct metro loop corridor with 4 metro stations under Central Vista project

Airline Swiss, also owned by Lufthansa Group, said it would continue to fly to Russia as Switzerland has not banned Russian airlines.

MORE SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION

Shutdowns of airspace and flight cancellations will also affect cargo traffic, further aggravating the global supply chain problems caused by the pandemic. "Due to the ongoing dramatic developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Lufthansa will no longer use Russian airspace," Lufthansa Cargo said.

U.S.-based United Parcel Service Inc and FedEx Corp, two of the world`s largest logistics companies, said they were halting deliveries to Russia.

Russia`s Aeroflot said on Sunday it would cancel all flights to European destinations after EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU had decided to close its airspace to Russian traffic. The United States is considering similar action, but has yet to make a final decision, according to U.S. officials.

The U.S. government said on Sunday citizens should consider leaving Russia immediately on commercial flights, citing an increasing number of airlines cancelling flights as countries close their airspace to Russia.

With inputs from Reuters

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Update: After today's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over evacuation flights, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has announced that over the next 3 days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring out Indian citizens. Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Poland and Slovak Republic will also be used.

The top external affairs ministry officials briefed the committee members on February 28 about Operation Ganga launched by the government to rescue Indian nationals, including students, from Ukraine. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other external affairs ministry officials informed the panel that around 13 flights are expected to be operated in the next two to three days.

Systematic planning is being done to evacuate citizens and the ministry is working to multi-fold increase the number of daily flights to nine to evacuate stranded Indians, to around nine, according to sources. Shringla gave a detailed presentation to the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs on the situation in Ukraine following a Russian military offensive and India's efforts to evacuate its citizens, they said.

Also read: Turkey's Ilker Ayci declines Air India CEO role - Tata spokesperson

Russian-speaking officers from the ministry of external affairs have been sent to five neighboring countries- Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Moldova for evacuation of Indian nationals through land borders. Further, the officials have been sent to the border check-posts and Indian embassies to boost evacuation efforts.

The agenda of the parliamentary panel chaired by BJP leader P P Chaudhary was to deliberate on the ministry's Demand for Grants for the financial year 2022-23, but it took up the crisis in Ukraine following written notice of RSP MP NK Premchandran and request of other MPs.

Shringla told the committee that so far around 1,200 students had returned in five flights. Several thousand others had crossed the Ukrainian border or were in the process of doing so, the sources said.

The committee was also briefed on the measures being taken by the government to work with the International Committee of the Red Cross in ensuring the safety of Indian nationals in Ukraine, they said.

Also read: DMRC to construct metro loop corridor with 4 metro stations under Central Vista project

The Committee unanimously appreciated the measures being taken by the government for its Operation Ganga to bring Indian nationals, particularly students, back from Ukraine, the sources said.

Some panel members also enquired about India's position on the conflict at the international level and were informed that at the UN Security Council, India had asked for an immediate cessation of violence and hostilities.

India had also called for a return to diplomacy and dialogue and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, the sources added. Talking about stranded students, officials informed the panel that three advisories were issued, but the students were reluctant to leave as they did not want to miss their exams, the sources said.

With inputs from PTI

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Ilker Ayci has declined the Tata Group's offer to be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Air India, aviation industry sources said on March 1.

On February 14, Tata Sons had announced the appointment of Ayci, former chairman of Turkish Airlines, as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India.

RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch had last Friday said the government should not give clearance to the appointment of Ilker Ayci the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India "keeping in view national security."

Also read: Closure of airspace causing airlines time and money, cargo delay increases

SJM's co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan had said the government is "already sensitive" to the issue and has taken up the matter "very seriously".

When asked for the reasons why the SJM is opposed to the newly appointed CEO and MD, Mahajan had reiterated that it's a matter of national security.

"After all, decisions are made about a person based on his relationships, he said.

With inputs from PTI

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New Delhi: Oil prices surged on Tuesday as concerns over supply disruptions after Russia`s invasion of Ukraine and related sanctions outweighed talks of a coordinated global crude stocks release.

May Brent crude futures were up $4.58, or 4.67%, to $102.55 a barrel by 1331 GMT after hitting an intraday high of $104.60. The benchmark touched a seven-year high of $105.79 after the invasion began last week.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) April crude futures were up $4.14, or 4.33%, at $99.86 a barrel after hitting its highest level since July 2014 at $101.53.

A Russian armoured column bore down on Ukraine`s capital Kyiv on Tuesday after deadly shelling of civilian areas in its second largest city.

Russia said on Tuesday its forces had cut off the Ukrainian military from the Sea of Azov north of the Black Sea.

Russia`s economic isolation deepened as the world`s biggest shipping firm Maersk on Tuesday said it would halt container movement to and from Russia. Britain meanwhile has banned all ships with any Russian connection from entering its ports.

"The fragile situation in Ukraine and financial and energy sanctions against Russia will keep the energy crisis stoked and oil well above $100 per barrel in the near-term and even higher if the conflict escalates further," Louise Dickson, senior oil market analyst from Rystad Energy, wrote in a note.

Major oil and gas companies, including BP and Shell, have announced plans to exit Russian operations and joint ventures while Total said it would not invest further capital in its Russian operations.

Buyers of Russian oil are facing difficulty over payments and vessel availability due to sanctions with BP cancelling fuel oil loadings from a Russian Black Sea port.

Still, the market mood was helped by the United States and allies discussing a coordinated release of crude stocks to mitigate supply disruption. That release could reach 60 million to 70 million barrels, media outlets reported.

"OPEC will likely stick to its original plan of a monthly 400,000 bpd increase, which will not alleviate fears," Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, said.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers - including Russia - will meet on Wednesday.

"The U.S. is coordinating an additional SPR (strategic petroleum reserve) release and today, the IEA`s extraordinary meeting should also address the issue of energy security. These might provide short-term relief," Varga added.

Members of the International Energy Agency (IEA) began an extraordinary ministerial meeting on Tuesday which could lead to a coordinated oil stocks release to help cool off oil prices.

Meanwhile, Asia`s factories sustained a brisk recovery in February amid signs the coronavirus pandemic was having less of an impact on business, implying an uptick in oil demand.

Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation", exports some 4 million to 5 million barrels per day of crude oil, and 2 million to 3 million barrels per day of refined products.

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Honda Power Pack Energy India and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation have inked a memorandum of understanding and a business agreement to partner in the field of e-mobility and provide battery sharing services in HPCL's retail stores across India. It's also a significant event as it's the first time Honda's battery-sharing programme has gone global, and HPCL has been picked as a preferred partner.

In October 2021, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Japan has announced its plan to begin battery sharing service in India, starting with electric three wheelers through its newly established subsidiary, Honda Power Pack Energy India. Hondas battery sharing service will enable rickshaw drivers to stop by at the nearest battery swapping stations being set up across the selected cities and swap discharged batteries (Honda Mobile Power Pack e) with fully charged ones.

The use of this service will significantly reduce drivers initial cost to purchase EVs as well as reduce concern about running out of batteries. This will reduce the risk of drivers losing business opportunities while waiting for batteries to be charged.

Also read: India gets worlds first on-demand doorstep fast EV charging services

Honda plans to start its Battery as a Service (BaaS) business on a commercial basis from Bengaluru city in the first half of 2022. Honda will set up a strong network of battery swap stations at strategic locations like HPCLs retail outlets.

The service will be launched in Bengaluru city with the intention to expand to other major cities in a phased manner. Initially, the focus will be on the three-wheeler segment and would eventually expand to two-wheelers as well. For this purpose, Honda has been developing its ties with multiple OEMs in various applications.

Online signing off ceremony has been held, where both parties reaffirmed their commitment towards carbon neutrality and joined hands to achieve a greener future for India and the world by way of expanding utilization of renewable energy and actively pursuing the electrification of the transportation sector, which accounts for approximately 20% of the nations greenhouse gas emissions.

President & CMD, Honda Power Pack Energy India, Kiyoshi Ito, said that he is looking forward to a long-lasting partnership and friendship between Honda and HPCL to bring the reliable & customer-centric battery sharing service in India and to ensure a greener future. Referring to the association of Honda with HPCL, he added that for Honda, "it was a case of meeting the right partner at the right time."



Executive Director, Corporate Strategy Planning & Business Development, HPCL Rajnish Mehta said that HPCL is already committed to becoming a net-zero company by 2040, and the partnerships with global players like Honda will be instrumental in achieving this target. He also asserted that a strong collaboration between HPCL and Honda would definitely pave the way for both companies in expediting the energy transition process.

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#mute
Kharkiv (Ukraine): In a deeply shocking news for India, a 21-year-old student originally from Karnataka, was killed in Kharkiv shelling as Russia-Ukraine war entered the sixth day.

The student was a native of Karnataka's Haveri district, a state government official said. "A student Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a native of Chalageri in Haveri district, died in the shelling," Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan. Reports say that Naveen had spoken to his family a couple of days back and had told them over video call that he has been staying in a bunker and was safe. But the youngster went out today (March 1, 2022) morning to buy groceries when he fell prey to the attack.

External Affairs Ministry confirmed the death of the Indian in a tweet. "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning," it said. The ministry said it is in touch with the family of the student. The MEA said Foreign Secretary is calling in ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate its demand for "urgent safe passage" to Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and in other cities conflict zones. "Similar action is also being undertaken by our ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine," the MEA said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai spoke with the boy's father. "All efforts will be made to bring back Naveen's body to India. The CM said that the matter is being negotiated with foreign ministry officials," the Karnataka CMO informed.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious."

Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious.  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 1, 2022

The Kharkiv city is witnessing increasing fighting between the Ukrainian troops and Russian forces. Official sources said the deteriorating situation in Kharkiv is a matter of grave concern and that the safety and security of Indian nationals in that city is of utmost priority for the government. They said India has already taken up up with the Russian and Ukrainian embassies the "pressing" requirement of safe passage to Indian nationals, including students, from Kharkiv and other cities in conflict zones.

(With Agency inputs)

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Kyiv: As Ukraine-Russia war intensified, Tuesday (March 1, 2022) brought itself a very sad development for India. A student of medicine, originally from Karnataka, was killed in the shelling in Kharkiv. PM Narendra Modi attended another high-level meeting to take stock of the situation. "PM Modi expressed deep anguish over the loss of life of Indian citizen in Kharkiv," said Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla after meeting on Ukraine crisis.

Shringla said, "We had an estimated 20,000 Indian students in Ukraine at the time that we issued our first advisory. From that number approximately 12,000 have since left Ukraine, which is 60% of the total number of our citizens in Ukraine. Of the remaining 40%, roughly half remain in the conflict zone in Kharkiv, Sumy area and the other half have either reached the western borders of Ukraine or are heading towards the western part of Ukraine - they are generally out of conflict areas."

We had an estimated 20,000 Indian students in Ukraine at the time that we issued our first advisory. From that number approximately 12,000 have since left Ukraine, which is 60% of the total number of our citizens in Ukraine: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla (1/2) pic.twitter.com/mUzuHPiOFT  ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2022

Shringla also said that all of "our nationals have left Kyiv. The information with us is that we have no more nationals left in Kyiv, nobody has contacted us from Kyiv since. All our inquiries reveal that each and every one of our nationals have come out of Kyiv."

Shringla said that over the next three days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring back Indian citizens. "Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Poland and Slovak Republic will also be used to operate evacuation flights," Shringla said. He added, "A C-17 IAF aircraft is expected to fly out to Romania at 4 AM on Wednesday to bring back Indians." The Foreign Secretary also said that PM Modi received a call from President of France Emmanuel Macron and the PM also spoke to President of Poland. "Earlier this afternoon I separately called in the Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine. I reiterated strongly our demand for urgent safe passage for all Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and other cities in the conflict area," said Shringla.

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United Nations: India has said that it was deeply concerned over the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and reiterated its call for an immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities, saying all differences can only be bridged through honest, sincere and sustained dialogue.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti told a rare emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine convened on Monday that New Delhi is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals still stranded in Ukraine.

"India is deeply concerned that the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate. We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities, Tirumurti said.

"My government firmly believes that there is no other choice but to return to the path of diplomacy, he said.

Peaceful settlement of disputes has been India's consistent position; my govt firmly believes that there's no other choice but to return to the path of diplomacy: India's Permanent Rep to UN, TS Tirumurti, at 11th Emergency Special Session of UNGA on #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/TjLeLpr5nR  ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2022

Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advocated this strongly in his recent conversations with the leadership of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, Tirumurti said, "We reiterate our firm conviction that all differences can only be bridged through honest, sincere and sustained dialogue.

He said there is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine. India is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals who are still stranded in Ukraine. The safety and security of Indian nationals, including a large number of students, remains our top priority, he said.

He noted that the complex and uncertain situation at the border crossings is adversely impacting the uninterrupted and predictable movement of people. This important humanitarian necessity must be immediately addressed, he said.

India thanked all neighbouring countries of Ukraine who have opened their borders for Indian citizens and given all facilities to Indian missions and their personnel to evacuate Indian nationals to their homeland.

"We stand ready to help those from our neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance, he said.

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Kharkiv (Ukraine): In tragic news for the country, the Ministry of External Affairs has said that an Indian student has lost his life in the shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family.

According to reports, the student, Naveen, was 21 years old and hailedk from Karnataka. He had spoken to his family couple of days back and had told them over video call that he has been staying in bunker and is safe. But the youngster went out today (March 1, 2022) morning to buy groceries when he fell prey to the attack.

"Foreign Secretary is calling in Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones," ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter. He further wrote, "With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family."

With profound sorrow we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family.  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) March 1, 2022

"The deteriorating situation in Kharkiv is a matter of grave concern. The safety and security of Indian nationals in that city is of utmost priority to government," said sources. They added, "Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to our need for safe passage urgently. In places where the conflict has not endangered movement, we've been able to evacuate our citizens."

"Over 9000 Indian nationals brought out of Ukraine while a considerable number are now in safer areas. We will continue to make utmost efforts to ensure the return our citizens stranded in Ukraine," said sources to ANI.

The Ukrainian authorities on Tuesday had claimed that the centre of the country's second-largest city Kharkiv has been badly hit by renewed Russian shelling. Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said the administration building in the centre of Kharkiv came under heavy Russian shelling along with other residential buildings.

Sinehubov said that Ukrainian troops are fending off Russian attempts to advance on the city of 1.4 million people. Videos posted on Ukrainian social networks and media showed a massive explosion next to the towering Soviet-era administrative building on Kharkiv's central square hitting several cars parked in front of it, shattering windows but leaving the building largely intact.

(With inputs from Jaipal Sharma)

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New Delhi: Delhi government on Tuesday (March 1) announced that the consent of parents of students of classes 10 and 12 will not be mandatory to attend offline classes/exams.

The government also allowed the schools to deploy transportation facilities for students while following the Covid-19 behaviour.

However, the hybrid model of classes will be followed for classes 1 to 9 and 11 till March 31, 2022. The government allowed the schools to operate all the classes in offline mode from April 1, 2022.

Meanwhile. Delhi on Monday (February 28) reported 258 fresh COVID-19 cases and zero death, while the positivity rate stood at 0.71%, according to data shared by the city health department. The zero Covid fatality count in a day, recorded in the city, comes after a gap of nearly two months.

With 258 fresh cases, the national capital's case count increased to 18,59,892. The death toll stood at 26,122, the latest health bulletin stated.



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United Nations: India has said that efforts to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine have been hampered by "adverse conditions" at the borders, but it has also offered to help evacuate citizens of neighbouring and other developing countries stranded there.

India also said on Monday at a parallel Security Council and General Assembly meetings on Ukraine that it will be providing relief supplies to Ukraine that is suffering an invasion by Russia. Indias Permanent Representative TS Tirumurti made the announcements with near-identical statements at the two meetings.

At the Security Council meeting called by French President Emmanuel Macron on unfettered humanitarian assistance in Ukraine, Tirumurti said, "Taking into account the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine, my government has also decided to provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines. These are expected to be despatched tomorrow."

"We stand ready to help those from neighbours and developing countries who are also stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance," he said.

The emergency meeting of the Assembly was called by the Council under the norms set by the 1950 "Uniting for Peace" resolution for situations where the Council is paralysed by differences among the veto-wielding permanent members after Russia vetoed a resolution condemning its invasion and calling it to withdraw its troops.

This was only the 11th emergency session and the first in 40 years to be called by the Security Council. At both meetings, Tirumurti expressed India`s deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and called for an immediate end to the hostilities.

He said that India was worried about the safety of the thousands of its citizens stranded there whose evacuation was being hampered by the situation at the borders with Ukraine`s neighbours. "Our evacuation efforts have been adversely impacted by the developments on the ground at the border crossings," Tirumurti said at the Council.

At the Assembly, he said, "The complex and uncertain situation at the border crossings has vastly impacted the uninterrupted and predictable movement of people. This important humanitarian necessity must be addressed immediately."

"The international community needs to ensure free and uninterrupted humanitarian access and smooth movement of all people keeping in view the humanitarian requirements in Ukraine," he said.

"Given that the safety of Indian nationals is of paramount importance to my government, senior ministers from the government of India are being deployed as Special Envoys to Ukraine`s neighbouring countries," Tirumurti said at the Council.

Hardeep Puri is to go to Hungary, Jyotiraditya Scindia to Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Solvakia, and V.K. Singh to Poland to help with the evacuations.

Tirumurti thanked those countries for helping with the evacuation.

In a remark directed at Moscow, which he did not name, Tirumurti said at the Assembly, "All member states of the United Nations are not only obliged to follow the UN Charter, but also respect international law and territorial integrity and sovereignty of states."

He said that India welcomed the direct talks between Ukraine and Russia that began at the Belarus border on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advocated for cessation of hostilities and return to diplomacy when he spoke with Russia`s President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine`s President Voldymyr Zelentsky, he said.

"We reiterate our firm conviction that all differences in interests can only be bridged through honest, sincere and sustained dialogue," he said at the Assembly.

At the Council meeting, France`s Permanent Representative Nicolas de Riviere called for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access and said that the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers is an absolute priority and there is no compromise on this.

He said that France and Mexico will propose a resolution to the Security Council calling for full respect for humanitarian law and unobstructed access for providing humanitarian assistance.

Under-Secretary-General Marting Griffiths, who is in charge of Humanitarian Affairs speaking from Geneva through a video link to the Council said, "We have all been watching the military offensive in Ukraine with a sense of disbelief and horror."

He said that the aerial and ground attacks have resulted in an alarming level of human casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure like bridges, sanitation and electricity.

"This effectively leaves civilians without the basics for day-to-day life," he added.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, also speaking through a video link, said that there were already 5,20,000 Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring countries and the numbers could swell to 4 million.

Russia`s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzia asserted that there was no need for international humanitarian aid for Ukraine because in the areas under Russian control the military was providing assistance and there were no "acute humanitarian issues".

He also claimed that Russia "does not have the aim of occupying Ukraine".

At the Assembly, speaker after speaker either outrightly condemned the Russian invasion or at least spoke up for the UN charter and preserving territorial integrity of nations.

Syria was the rare country that made an all-out defence of Russia.

Kenya is an elected member of the Council and its Permanent Representative Martin Kimani apologied at the Assembly for the Council`s inaction and made the case for reforming the Council.
New Delhi: Uzaif Rabbani is spending his days in a bunker in Ukraine's Kharkiv amid a fierce Russian offensive, hoping for evacuation, but as the fourth-year medical student waits, he like many from India, is worried if he will ever be able to complete his education.

However, government officials said a meeting will soon be held to discuss the issue with all stakeholders, keeping in view the extraordinary situation in Ukraine. The matter will be looked into "sympathetically", they said.

Rabbani's situation is shared by many Indian students enrolled in medical courses in institutes in the war-torn country.

"I have to complete four years to get my medical degree. Once I am evacuated, I will have to think of what happens next. I hope the government allows a special provision to migrate to any Indian college and continue my education there," Rabbani told PTI over phone from Kharkiv, where a student from Karnataka was killed in shelling on Tuesday morning.

Though his daughter is back home from Ukraine, Nidhi Yadav's father worries about whether she will be able to resume her studies in Kyiv.

"I don't know what will happen next. I took a huge loan to send her to Ukraine in hope that she will become a doctor, but now things have worsened. There is no clarity on whether the situation will return to normal, whether she will be able to resume her education, will she have to explore other options here," the father of the first-year medical student said.

The new rules of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate regulations state that MBBS aspirants can take up to 10 years to complete the programme.

They also state that besides the minimum course work tenure of 4.5 years, candidates need to intern for two years, including 12 months in the foreign medical institute where they are studying and another year of supervised internship in India.

The MBBS programme in Ukraine lasts for six years, and being much affordable in comparison to that in private medical colleges in India, it is a popular choice among Indian students.

"As of now, there are no norms and regulations under the National Medical Commission to accommodate medical students, who were studying abroad and had to return to India midway, in Indian medical colleges in between an academic session," a health ministry official told PTI, on the condition of anonymity.

"However, keeping in view such extraordinary situations, the Indian government will look into the matter sympathetically. A meeting to discuss this issue with all stakeholders is likely to take place soon," he said.

Sahil, a medical student at the Poltava State Medical University in Ukraine, is one of those who has returned after spending four years there.

"Getting out of a war zone was the first thing on my mind but what happens next? I hope the government gives us some clarity on this and our years of effort and money doesn't go waste," he said.

Depleting food stock and long queues for water are adding to the trauma of stranded Indian students in the war-hit nation, while they await evacuation amid reports of some being roughed up by security personnel and spending freezing nights out in the open.

As Indian and Ukrainian authorities on Monday (February 28) described the situation as "complex" and "very difficult" in terms of evacuation of people, the students, joined by their parents, appealed to the Indian government to expedite efforts to evacuate them. Russia launched its attack on Ukraine last Thursday.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, it said a total of 1,396 Indians were brought back home in six flights as part of the evacuation mission and the total number of Indians who have left Ukraine since India issued the first advisory earlier this month is around 8,000.

An estimated 20,000 Indian nationals, mainly medical students, reside in Ukraine.

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New Delhi: Indian Air Force C-17 transport aircraft will now be deployed into Operation Ganga to evacuate stranded Indian nationals in the war-hit country, Ukraine.

IAF officials on Tuesday (March 1) informed that the C-17 will leave for Romania at 4 am on Wednesday (March 2) to bring back Indian citizens from Ukraine.

The aircraft C-17 which has the capacity to carry approximately 300 passengers will take off from its home base in Hindan near Delhi.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi Modi asked the IAF to join Operation Ganga to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine, said sources.

Confirming the news Foreign Secy HV Shringla said, a C-17 IAF aircraft is expected to fly out at 4 AM on Wednesday to Romania to bring back Indians. "Over the next three days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring back Indian citizens," he said.

Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Poland and the Slovak Republic will also be used to operate evacuation flights, he said.

Till now, only private Indian carriers have been evacuating Indians from Romania and Hungary, countries with land borders with Ukraine on the western side, as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24 following the Russian military offensive.

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NEW DELHI: The Indian embassy in Kyiv on Tuesday issued a fresh advisory for the Indian nationals asking them to ''leave the Ukrainian capital urgently as the Russia-Ukraine war intensified.

All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available, the Indian embassy said in its latest advisory for Indian students amid the ongoing conflict.

Advisory to Indians in Kyiv All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available.  India in Ukraine (@IndiainUkraine) March 1, 2022

The Indian embassy had earlier issued several advisories for the Indian nationals asking them to ''stay calm and safe'' wherever they are in view of Russias military offensive against Ukraine. All those travelling to Kyiv are advised to return to their respective cities temporarily. Further advisories soon, it had said.

In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts from Ukraine under Operation Ganga, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts, said sources.

Leveraging the capacities of our Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame. It will also help deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently," sources said.

The Indian Air Force is expected to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of Operation Ganga from today. Earlier today, a flight carrying 182 Indians landed in Mumbai. The flight flew out of Romanian capital Bucharest, as Ukraine has closed its airspace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on various issues, including the situation in Ukraine. According to the government sources, PM Modi updated him about the government`s efforts to evacuate Indian nationals from the war-torn country under the recently launched `Operation Ganga`.

He also updated him that over 1,600 Indian students have been evacuated from Ukraine till this morning as the seventh Air India Express flight landed in Mumbai with 182 Indians, mostly students, who departed from Budapest (Hungary) at midnight Monday.

PM Modi further updated him that he had directed the Ministry of External Affairs officials to make proper arrangements for the students who will be coming to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania till they depart for India.

Detailing the initiatives, the Prime Minister also apprised the President that four senior Cabinet Ministers are departing to the neighbouring countries Poland, Hungary Slovakia and Romania as his `Special Envoy` to oversee the evacuation mission and with the visit of four senior ministers to various nations will energise the evacuation efforts, the sources said.

He also updated Kovind that India will extend help to people from the neighbouring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine under India`s motto of the world being one family.

The first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on Ukraine`s borders would be dispatched Tuesday, the Prime Minister informed the President. Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring the situation and he has already chaired three high-level meetings till Monday evening.

The Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is leaving for Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen VK Singh (Retd) will be going to Poland to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals.

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New Delhi: Spiritual leader and Yoga Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar expressed his concern on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and hoped that the war will end and a resolution of the crisis will be achieved through diplomacy. He also announced that the volunteers of The Art of Living foundation are ready to help out stranded Indian nationals in Ukraine arriving at the neighbouring borders of countries like Hungary, Romania and Poland.

"It is so unfortunate that Ukraine got caught up in between two major powers of the world. Let's hope that the war get resolved through dialogues," Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said. "Nobody wants war, especially our country," added Sri Sri. He informed that PM Narendra Modi had called him and the two discussed the arrangements for the students who are being brought back to their motherland.

The spiritual leader said that the PM is very concerned about the tense situation and especially about the Indian nationals stranded in the war-hit country. He praised the sincere efforts that are being made by the Indian government to evacuate the Indian nationals from Ukraine. "They (Indian govt) are doing everything in their capacity" to help the Indian nationals, he said.

Expressing his concern about stranded Indian nationals, Sri Sri pointed out the fact that it is terribly difficult to manage and get the stranded nationals to the functional airports at these times, and "all help is needed at this hour," he said.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (@SriSri) shares a message for stranded Indians and global citizens amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis#RussiaUkraineConflict #UkraineRussiaConflict #Russia #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/scTnr7SS5z  Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) March 1, 2022

Agreeing with India's decision to help out the war-hit country, Sri Sri Ravishankar urged all people and political leaders to take action that will work for the welfare of the entire globe.

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New Delhi: In order to scale up the ongoing evacuation efforts under `Operation Ganga`, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts, said sources.

The sources said that leveraging the capacities of the Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame. It will also help to deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently, sources added. Indian Air Force is likely to deploy several C-17 aircraft as part of `Operation Ganga` from today.

Till now, only private Indian carriers were evacuating Indians from Romania and Hungary, countries with land borders with Ukraine on the western side, as the Ukrainian airspace had been shut since February 24.

India began the evacuation of around 14,000 of its stranded citizens on February 26. Leveraging the capacities of the IAF will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame, they noted.

The large C-17 aircraft will also help deliver humanitarian aid to war-hit Ukraine more efficiently, they mentioned.

The Union government has launched `Operation Ganga` to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine. Special flights are being operated by Air India as part of the `Operation Ganga` mission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him on various issues, including the situation in Ukraine. According to the government sources, PM Modi updated him about the government`s efforts to evacuate Indian nationals from the war-torn country under the recently launched `Operation Ganga`.

He also updated him that over 1,600 Indian students have been evacuated from Ukraine till this morning as the seventh Air India Express flight landed in Mumbai with 182 Indians, mostly students, who departed from Budapest (Hungary) at midnight Monday.

PM Modi further updated him that he had directed the Ministry of External Affairs officials to make proper arrangements for the students who will be coming to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania till they depart for India.

Detailing the initiatives, the Prime Minister also apprised the President that four senior Cabinet Ministers are departing to the neighbouring countries Poland, Hungary Slovakia and Romania as his `Special Envoy` to oversee the evacuation mission and with the visit of four senior ministers to various nations will energise the evacuation efforts, the sources said.

He also updated Kovind that India will extend help to people from the neighbouring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine under India`s motto of the ''world being one family.''

The first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on Ukraine`s borders would be dispatched Tuesday, the Prime Minister informed the President. Prime Minister Modi is personally monitoring the situation and he has already chaired three high-level meetings till Monday evening.

The Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is leaving for Romania and Moldova, Kiren Rijiju to Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri to Hungary and Gen VK Singh (Retd) will be going to Poland to oversee the evacuation of Indian nationals.

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New Delhi: Naveen Shekharappa, a medical student from Karnataka's Haveri died when Russian soldiers blew up a government building in Kharkiv this morning. Naveen was standing outside a grocery store when he was hit. The death of the 21-year-old has left his family, friends, and the whole of India heartbroken.

While politicians offered their condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Naveen's father. The PM offered his condolences and a video show's the deceased student's father acknowledging the call. Modi is also chairing another high-level meeting on the Ukraine crisis.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said they are trying their best to recover Naveen's body and bring it back to India. "I know his family. They are very close to me. PM had spoken to the family. We will try our best to recover the body and bring it back to India. I have requested PMO and MEA to help us to recover mortals."

Father of Indian student Naveen Gyangoudar breaks down over the death of his son who lost his life in shelling in the war-hit Ukraine (Pic: ANI)

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also condoled the death of the student and prayed for the safety of Indians stranded there. "Feel terrible to hear this news. Prayers for his family. Pray for the safety of all other Indians stranded and hope they will be back home soon. Hope the conflict will soon come to an end," Kejriwal tweeted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Received the tragic news of an Indian student Naveen losing his life in Ukraine. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. I reiterate, GOI needs a strategic plan for safe evacuation. Every minute is precious."

Security experts in India have asked Indian nationals in war-hit areas of Ukraine to leave for safer places after an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv city on Tuesday. They call the incident unfortunate collateral damage in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. Major General (Retd) KK Sinha said, "The thing is that you have been told not to come out. He might have gone to the Kharkiv supermarket there. He must have gone to buy some food. There are many kinds of casualties. Collateral damage is always there."

News of the student`s death came within an hour of the Indian embassy in Ukraine asking its citizens to urgently leave the capital Kyiv. "Advisory to Indians in Kyiv- All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available (sic)," a statement from the embassy read. Security experts are advising students on various options to protect themselves."If they can't leave it is better to go to some place which is midway, in my judgment in the rural areas. They will give the shelter. There are churches, not the Roman Catholic Churches but there are Churches," said Sinha.

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NEW DELHI: India has yet again advocated for peaceful settlement of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and said that the Narendra Modi-led government firmly believes in the path of diplomacy and dialogue for an amicable resolution of all issues.

While the international community continues to take stringent measures to put pressure and further isolate Russia, India has been treading cautiously on the Russia-Ukraine crisis mainly due to its age-old ties with Moscow.

While India has hugely welcomed talks between Russia and Ukraine for urgent resolution of the bloodier conflict between the two nations, it has apparently refrained from condemning the Russian invasion. In view of New Delhis time-tested ties with Moscow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is under tremendous international pressure to toughen its stance against Russia to oblige the new friends in the West" as a mark of solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

India had abstained on the UN resolution, along with China and the UAE while Russia voted against and 11 Council members in favour. It was the second time in as many days that India abstained on a Security Council resolution on Ukraine. India had on Friday abstained on a UN Security Council resolution by the US that 'deplores in the strongest terms' Russia's ''aggression" against Ukraine.

India, China and the UAE abstained on the resolution, which received 11 votes in favour by Albania, Brazil, France, Gabon, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, United Kingdom and the United States. The resolution on Friday was blocked since permanent member Russia, and President of the Security Council for the month of February used its veto. This led to a procedural resolution in the Council to refer the matter to an emergency special session of the General Assembly.

President of the 76th session of the General Assembly Abdulla Shahid presided over the unprecedented session, only the 11th such emergency session of the General Assembly since 1950. However, India has promised all help to Ukraine to end the huge humanitarian crisis arising out of the war and pressed for talks between Moscow and Kyiv to hold talks in Belarus.

Presenting Indias stand at the 11th Emergency Special Session of UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Ukraine, India`s Permanent Representative, TS Tirumurti, on Monday said, "Peaceful settlement of disputes has been India`s consistent position; my government firmly believes that there`s no other choice but to return to the path of diplomacy."

"India is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals who are still stranded in Ukraine... this important humanitarian necessity must immediately be addressed," he said.

Tirumurti thanked all neighbouring countries of Ukraine for opening up their borders for Indian citizens. "We stand ready to help those from our neighbours and developing countries who may seek assistance," he added.

Prior to the UNGA Session, a UNSC meeting was also held on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. During the Security Council meeting, Tirumurti informed that India will provide urgent relief supplies, including medicines to Ukraine.

Speaking on behalf of the Indian government, Tirumurti said that there is an urgent and pressing humanitarian situation developing in Ukraine. "In such times of conflict, India attaches the highest priority to safety and well-being of civilians, in particular women, children, and elderly. We are of the view that core principles of humanitarian assistance should be fully honoured," he said.

While India remains deeply concerned about the unfolding developments in Ukraine, New Delhis stand on the issue is shaped by its national interest, according to experts.

After the Ukrainian diplomats' appeal for intervention, PM Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging him to return to the negotiation table and use diplomatic channels for resolving the hostility with Ukraine.

Indias stand on the war reflects the complexities of a pragmatic where world New Delhis prime concern remains to protect its territorial integrity and sovereignty, vis-a-vis its not-so-good relationship with two hostile neighbours. It may be recalled that Russia has been India's biggest supplier of arms and ammunition and recently provided a ballistic missile submarine to India.

Under technical collaboration with Moscow, the Indian Air Force operates 272 Sukhoi 30 fighter jets made in Russia. It has eight Russian-made kilo class submarines and more than 1,300 Russian t-90 tanks.

Despite enormous US pressure, India has decided to purchase the S-400 air defence system from Russia. India has signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia in 2018 to buy the missile system. Not to forget that during the India-China border standoff in Ladakh, it was Russia that assured Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that there would be no cut-back in military supplies.

Russia also remains a reliable ally for India in the powerful UN Security Council. Moscow has ensured that New Delhi is not sidelined and left out of the conversation on Afghanistan, and in Central Asia, while also providing some leverage with the US. While America has also strongly backed India during the recent border tensions with China, powerful western nations like France, Germany and UK too have been important friends of New Delhi, making it extremely difficult for PM Modi government to offend the West allies and adopt a harsh stand against Russia.

Even as the crisis deepens, India continues to press for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities.'' The Narendra Modi regime is doing whatever it can to undertake immediate and urgent evacuation efforts of Indian nationals who are still stranded in Ukraine.

India has also decided to send relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation along its bordering areas arising out of tens of thousands of people attempting to flee the Russian invasion. India has thanked all neighbouring countries of Ukraine who have opened their borders for Indian citizens and given all facilities to Indian missions and their personnel to evacuate Indian nationals to their homeland.

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Bengaluru: As Ukraine-Russia entered its sixth day, a tragic turn awaited India. A 21-year-old student originally from Karnataka was killed in Kharkiv shelling. The student was a native of Karnataka's Haveri district, a state government official said. "A student Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar, a native of Chalageri in Haveri district, died in the shelling," Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan.

While politicians across party lines offered their condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Naveen's father. The PM offered his condolences and a video show's the deceased student's father acknowledging the call. Modi also chaired another high-level meeting to review the Ukraine crisis.

Naveen was studying to be a doctor. The MBBS programme in Ukraine lasts for six years, and being much more affordable in comparison to that in private medical colleges in India, it is a popular choice among Indian students. Apart from lower fees in private colleges and quality of education, Indian students choose Ukraine also because several famous medical schools don't take an entrance exam to provide a seat. Recently, Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi had also stated that about 90% of Indians who study medicine abroad fail to clear qualifying exams in India.

Naveen Shekharappa father said in this context, after his son's death, "Despite scoring 97% in PUC, my son could not secure a medical seat in the state. To get a medical seat, one has to give crores of rupees and students are getting same education abroad spending less money."

Despite scoring 97% in PUC, my son could not secure a medical seat in State. To get a medical seat one has to give crores of rupees&students are getting same education abroad spending less money, says father of Naveen Shekharappa, an Indian student who died in shelling in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/wXqArRW9eq  ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2022

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian colleges are even recognised by the World Health Council and the degrees are also valid in India as Indian Medical Council too recognises them. The Ukrainian medical degrees are also recognised by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, European Council of Medicine and General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, among others.

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A medical student who returned to her home in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district from has made shocking claims. The student has said that Ukrainian guards were beating up Indian students who were fleeing the war zone.

The statement from Shruti Nayak, a third year MBBS student at Ivano National Medical University, comes a few days after videos of a purported security officer hitting a student had gone viral.

Shruti reached her home in Guna after being evacuated by an Air India flight.

The situation in Ukraine is very bad, she told reporters. "Ukrainian guards were harassing Indian students who were fleeing the war zone and even beating them up," she claimed. "I am fortunate enough that I reached India and now meeting family members," she said. Nayak had booked a return ticket for February 16, but the flight was cancelled.

She then booked a ticket for March 3, but it too got cancelled, she said. Nayak then traveled 400 km on a bus to reach Romania on February 26 and the government there helped Indian students, she said, while also thanking the Indian government. She boarded a special Air India flight for evacuees on February 27 from Romania and reached New Delhi at 6.30 pm IST the same day.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said earlier that more than 180 students stuck in Ukraine contacted a helpline set up by the state government. So far, 29 persons from Madhya Pradesh have returned from Ukraine, Chouhan stated on Monday night.
New Delhi: As the number of Covid-19 cases continue to sink, the Government of Uttarakhand on Monday (February 28, 2022) further relaxed coronavirus-related restrictions.

According to the new guidelines, the state has allowed swimming pools and water parks to reopen from March 1. In view of the decline in the number of Covid-19 infections, the government has also decided that full office attendance will be resumed from March 1.

ALSO READ | Fourth wave of Covid-19 in India from June, to last for 4 months, says study

The ban on political rallies and dharnas, however, also continue till March 10.

Government of Uttarakhand allows the opening up of swimming pools and water parks in the state. pic.twitter.com/xQKQMwv7wt  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) March 1, 2022

Earlier on February 16, the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led government had lifted night curfew after over one-and-a-half months and had allowed various other economic activities to resume fully.

According to revised guidelines, a night curfew imposed in the state on December 27 to rein in a spike in pandemic cases was lifted, and gyms, shopping malls, cinema halls, spas, salons, theatres, auditoriums and meeting halls were also allowed to reopen with full capacity.

The state, notably, currently has 2,330 active Covid-19 cases.

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NEW DELHI: Global star Priyanka Chopra on Tuesday celebrated Mahashivratri with her husband Nick Jonas at their Los Angeles home.

The 39-year-old shared a picture featuring her and Nick performing pooja at the temple in their home.

The couple can be seen seated in front of a huge white coloured Lord Shiva idol. Priyanka is clad in a pastel pink coloured Indian suit whereas Nick is wearing a white coloured white kurta-pyjama.

"Har har Mahadev! Happy Mahashivratri to everyone celebrating," Priyanka captioned the post.

This is the duo's first Mahashivratri after welcoming their first child via surrogacy, earlier this year.

The 'Fashion' actor was last seen in the sci-fi action film, 'The Matrix Resurrections'. She recently wrapped up filming for the thriller series, 'Citadel'.
Officials on February 28 said that a new metro loop corridor, spanning about 3 km, has been proposed in the heart of the national capital. As per officials, this corridor will cater to people who will be visiting the new government buildings coming up as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project.

The new circular line will have four metro stations and it will be built separately from the existing metro corridors -- Yellow Line and Violet Line -- passing through the area, they said. The existing Central Secretariat station is an interchange facility between the Yellow Line and Violet Line.

The foundation stone of the Central Vista project was laid in December 2020. The infrastructural revamp envisages a new triangular Parliament building and a common Central Secretariat. The Central Vista redevelopment project also seeks to upgrade the boulevard running from Vijay Chowk to India Gate with more amenities.

Also read: Delhi Metro to run with 100 percent capacity from February 28

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) on February 28 "signed a memorandum of understanding, as per which DMRC shall provide technical assistance as well as execute finishing and services work for the construction of a metro loop corridor" to connect the existing metro network with the new central secretariat buildings, which shall come up as part of the Central Vista redevelopment project, the Delhi Metro stated.

DMRC and CPWD today signed an MoU, as per which DMRC shall provide technical assistance & execute finishing and services works for construction of a Metro loop to connect the Metro with new Central Secretariat buildings, which shall come up as part of the Central Vista project. pic.twitter.com/JiwZDTYleE  Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I    (@OfficialDMRC) February 28, 2022

A metro loop corridor, connecting "four common Central Secretariat stations" with the existing Central Secretariat metro station is being proposed to cater to the office-goers who shall travel to these offices using the metro. Planning is being done expecting a peak hour demand of 20,000 passengers per hour during the morning and evening peak hours. The entire corridor shall be underground, it said in a statement.

"As per the MoU, the DMRC shall prepare the detailed project report apart from finalizing the horizontal and vertical alignment of the tracks and tunnels along with sizing of facilities like platforms, support services, and maintenance facilities. DMRC shall also appoint a detailed design consultant for the project," officials said.

"While CPWD will carry out the basic civil structure construction work, DMRC shall execute all other finishing and services works including design and construction of control systems, signal systems, track work, rolling stock, electrical and maintenance works, etc.," the statement said.

Also read: Airports Authority of India partners with Jewar airport to provide air traffic services in Noida

Presently, DMRC is operating a metro network of about 391 km with 286 metro stations. As part of its fourth phase of expansion, DMRC is engaged in the construction of 65 km of new lines across three different corridors.

The MoU was signed at Metro Bhawan between DMRC's director, business development, Pramit Kumar Garg, and P S Chauhan, special director general, CPWD in the presence of DMRC's managing director, Mangu Singh, and other senior officials.

The Central Vista redevelopment project, which was announced in September 2019, envisages a new triangular Parliament building, with a seating capacity for 900 to 1,200 MPs, that is targeted to be constructed by August 2022, when the country will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The common Central Secretariat is likely to be built by 2024.

With inputs from PTI

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New Delhi: A Marathi film actress from Vile Parle was defrauded of Rs 1.48 lakh after receiving a message supposedly from her cell phone provider Airtel asking her to reveal her ATM card details, which were used to withdraw money from her account.

According to The Indian Express, the woman received a message on her husband's phone. The SMS, which was apparently from Airtel, indicated that the number's Know Your Customer (KYC) details were out of date and that the number will be blocked if the necessary steps were not taken.

After dialling the number, the scammer instructed the woman to download and install the Quick Support programme, which allows a third party to access people's mobile actions.

She was then asked to deposit Rs 10 into a specific account as a KYC fee. Then, using the application, she submitted her banking information, which the scammer was able to see.

Because of the application, the woman provided her banking information, which the fraudster was able to read. However, when she went to the Airtel store, she was told that no call had been made.

She then rushed to her bank, where she discovered that the fraudster had used her credit card information to withdraw Rs 1.48 lakh.

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Barcelona: Global PC brand Lenovo on Monday unveiled several new laptops designed for a more connected and increasingly hybrid world.

The new line-up of ThinkPad, ThinkBook, ThinkVision, IdeaPad, tablet and solutions were launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022 here.

The flagship ThinkPad X13s is developed in collaboration with Qualcomm and Microsoft -- world's first laptop powered by the premium Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform and running up to Windows 11 Pro.

"The ultra-slim, ultra-light fan-less design delivers the next level of silent always-on, always-connected PC experiences in addition to incredible multi-day battery life rated up to 28 hours, AI accelerated experiences and enhanced 5G connectivity," the company said during the event.

The latest ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 machine is powered by up to latest Intel vPro with 12th Gen Intel Core i9 H-series processors running Windows 11 Pro and available with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX Laptop GPUs, up to 64GB DDR5 memory and optional dual Solid-State Drives (SSD) supporting up to a massive 8TB.

Lenovo also introduced several updates to its ThinkPad T series portfolio to address the productivity and collaboration needs of a widely diversified workforce.

A new ThinkPad T16 along with updated ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 and T14 Gen 3 feature 16:10 aspect ratio displays with low blue light technology with FHD camera options combined with Dolby Audio speaker system and Dolby Voice.

The company also introduced a new ThinkPad P16s along with an updated ThinkPad P14s Gen 3.

The other devices include ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 2 and ThinkBook 13s Gen 4 i laptops.

Lenovo also introduced its new IdeaPad Gaming 3i and IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop series in two screen sizes, 15-inch and 16-inch.

The company also unveiled a fresh line-up of consumer IdeaPad Chromebooks for the modern home office, classroom and beyond.

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NEW DELHI: Siddharth Arora, who essays the role of Mahadev in &TVs Baal Shiv show is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and so on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri, the actor visited Kaal Bhairav temple in Varanasi which is also his hometown.

Siddharth offered prayers and witnessed the Maha Poojan which happens on Shivratri every year.

Talking about his visit to Kaal Bhairav Mandir and the Maha Shivratri celebrations, Siddharth, said, Har-Har Mahadev! Humare saare darshako ko aur Shiv bhakto ko Maha Shivratri ki bahut saari badhiyan. The sacred festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated with full faith and devotion across the country. Being a Shiv Bhakt myself, I celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm and devotion every year. This year, I visited the Kaal Bhairav Mandir in Shiv Ki Nagri, Varanasi, to mark the celebrations and seek blessings. People from all around the city and even outside the city come down to join the grand celebrations. Shivaratri is a great festival of convergence of Shiva and Shakti. As per Indian Mythology, at midnight, it is believed Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Linga; hence devotees worship Shiva Linga during Maha Shivratri. I visited the Kaal Bhairav Mandir early morning and offered milk, water, and fruits to shivling. The temple is one of the oldest Shiva temples, which is believed to be the Kotwal of Varanasi (protector of Varanasi) and without his permission, no one can stay in Kashi. Bhairav is considered a fearsome manifestation of Lord Shiva who wears a garland of skulls and carries a club of peacock feathers.

The actor further added, It was indeed a surreal experience. Seeing the grand celebrations was magnificent, and the chanting of "Har Har Mahadev" with lakhs of Shiv Bhakts was such a spiritual experience. In addition to that, I also visited the other temples for darshan and pooja with my family. I offered Jal (water) honey, milk, tulsi, Kumkum, bhang, dhatura flower, and bael leaves to Shiv Linga. Havana Abhishek was being performed in temples where devotees gathered in large numbers and took baths in the river Ganga.

Siddharth is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, and talking about his devotion, he further stated, "I have always been a big Lord Shiva bhakt and grown up listening to his several stories and stutis. With his blessing, I got an opportunity to portray Mahadevs role in &TVs Baal Shiv. I could not have asked for anything more. People have appreciated my work and showered me with tremendous love and affection. I feel truly blessed. Mahadevs character is and will be one of the most landmark moments for me, personally and professionally. I am thankful to everyone who has contributed to it, especially the makers, creative writers and especially my friends, family and fans who have supported me through this journey.

Watch Siddharth as Mahadev in &TVs Baal Shiv, airing at 8:00 pm, every Monday to Friday.
United Nations: Ambassadors from dozens of countries on Monday backed a proposal demanding that Russia halt its attack on Ukraine, as the UN General Assembly held a rare emergency session during a day of frenzied and sometimes fractious diplomacy surrounding the five-day-old war.

If Ukraine does not survive ... International peace will not survive," Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said at the assembly's first emergency meeting since 1997. Have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next.

Reflecting escalating global alarm, both of the UN's major bodies, the 193-nation assembly and the smaller, more powerful Security Council took the unusual step of holding simultaneous, hastily scheduled meetings on the war. In Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council voted to hold its own urgent session.

Tension permeated the diplomatic discourse: The Security Council meeting opened with the news that the United States was kicking out 12 Russian UN diplomats whom Washington accused of spying. Meanwhile, Russian and Ukrainian officials held talks on the Belarus border, agreeing only to keep talking.

The guns are talking now, but the path of dialogue must always remain open, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the assembly. We need peace now. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia reiterated his country's assertions that what it calls a special military operation in defence of two breakaway areas in eastern Ukraine was being misrepresented.

Russian actions are being distorted and thwarted," he complained. Russia has repeatedly sought to blame Ukraine for what Moscow claims are abuses of Russian speakers in the eastern enclaves.

The Russian Federation did not begin these hostilities that were unleashed by Ukraine against its own residents," he said. Russia is seeking to end this war.

The assembly session came three days after an attempt to condemn and stop Russia's attack ran into a Russian veto in the Security Council. The assembly will give all UN members an opportunity to speak about the war.

More than 110 signed up to do so, with speeches to continue Tuesday. The assembly, which allows no vetoes, is expected to vote later in the week on a resolution coordinated by European Union envoys, working with Ukraine.

The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, demands that Russia immediately stop using force against Ukraine and withdraw all troops. It urges an immediate peaceful resolution through dialogue and negotiations, and it deplores what it calls Russia's aggression and the involvement of Belarus, which is siding with Moscow.

Assembly President Abdulla Shahid opened Monday's session by asking all envoys to stand for a moment of silence. In hours of speeches afterward, dozens exhorted their colleagues to vote yes.

With the Security Council having failed to deliver against its responsibilities, we, the General Assembly, must now stand up to play our part, said New Zealand's ambassador, Carolyn Schwalger.

Austrian Ambassador Alexander Marschik appealed to those who have good relations with Russia, saying that "a good friend, an honest friend, will speak up and say what needs to be said and what needs to be done when a friend commits an illegal and evil act.

But Russian ally Syria accused the West of a politics of hypocrisy noting that various other conflicts over the years haven't gotten such special attention.

This historic emergency session on the situation in Ukraine completes the anti-Russian campaign that finds its origins in the provocative and hostile rhetoric towards Russia, propagated by the West to stoke tensions in Ukraine and compromise Russia's security, Syrian Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh said.

China, another Russian ally, called for respecting all countries' sovereignty and internationally recognized borders but didn't directly address the resolution. Instead, Ambassador Zhang Jun encouraged fostering a conducive atmosphere for Russian-Ukrainian talks and frowned on any approach that may exacerbate tensions.

Nothing can be gained from stirring up a new Cold War, but everyone will stand to lose," he said.

The Security Council meeting later Monday was focused on the humanitarian impact of Russia's invasion, but the session began with a prickly exchange about the Russian diplomats' expulsion from the US. Nebenzia bristled to the council that the expulsions were yet another hostile step by Washington.

US Deputy Ambassador Richard Mills said a dozen diplomats were engaged in undiplomatic activities. Olivia Dalton, a spokesperson for the United States' UN Mission, later said in a statement that the 12 were intelligence operatives who were engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security."

With the UN saying the war is creating an already alarming and potentially massive humanitarian and refugee crisis, France and Mexico planned to propose a humanitarian-focused Security Council resolution.

French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere said Sunday it would demand the end of hostilities, protection of civilians, and safe and unhindered humanitarian access to meet the urgent needs of the population.

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Kyiv: The Ukrainian authorities on Tuesday claimed that the centre of the country's second-largest city Kharkiv has been badly hit by renewed Russian shelling. Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said the administration building in the centre of Kharkiv came under heavy Russian shelling along with other residential buildings.

Sinehubov didn't give any specific numbers of casualties from the latest shelling. Previously, Sinehubov had said at least 11 people were killed and scores of others were wounded in the shelling in Kharkiv on Monday.

He said Ukrainian troops are fending off Russian attempts to advance on the city of 1.4 million people. Videos posted on Ukrainian social networks and media showed a massive explosion next to the towering Soviet-era administrative building on Kharkiv's central square hitting several cars parked in front of it, shattering windows but leaving the building largely intact.

Sinehubov said that Russia launched GRAD and cruise missiles on Kharkiv but that the city defence was holding. "Such attacks are the genocide of the Ukrainian people, a war crime against the civilian population!" he said.

Wearing a flak jacket and a helmet, Synegubov said in a video posted on social media that it was too early to know the number of casualties.

The mayor of Ukraine`s Mariupol also confirmed that the southern port city was under constant shelling which had killed civilians and damaged infrastructure, as Russia started day six of its invasion.

"We have had residential quarters shelled for five days. They are pounding us with artillery, they are shelling us with GRADS, they are hitting us with air forces," Vadym Boichenko said in a live broadcast on Ukrainian TV.

"We have civilian infrastructure damaged - schools, houses. There are many injured. There are women, children killed," he said.

Ukraine`s largest steelmaker Metinvest BV has most of its facilities located in Mariupol where it has halted production. The company sent most workers home while reduced shifts ensured the equipment production was not breaking down.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a special operation that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbour`s military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today addressed a special session of European Union Parliament. Addressing the EU session in Ukrainian language, Zelenskyy delivered a few important takeaways:

- "We have proven our strength": "I dont read from paper, the paper phase is over, were dealing with lives. Without you Ukraine will be alone. We've proven our strength; were the same as you.

- "Life will win": "Prove that youll not let us go. Then life will win over death".

- "No body can break us": "We're fighting for our land & our freedom despite the fact that all our cities are now blocked. Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians."

- "It's a tragedy for Ukraine and very high price. We are giving away our best people, the strongest ones. We fight for survival. But also to be equal with you. Do prove that you are with us. Prove that you indeed are Europeans".

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New Delhi: As fighting in Ukraine escalated for the fifth day, UN Member States met on Monday (February 28, 2022) for a rare emergency special session of the General Assembly to discuss the crisis.

Addressing the UN membership, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the fighting in Ukraine must stop.

Guterres stated that although Russian strikes are reportedly largely targeting Ukrainian military facilities, "we have credible accounts of residential buildings, critical civilian infrastructure and other non-military targets sustaining heavy damage."

"Enough is enough," the UN Secretary-General said and added that soldiers need to move back to their barracks. Leaders need to move to peace. Civilians must be protected. International humanitarian and human rights law must be upheld.

Chilling development

Antonio Guterres also reacted to President Vladimir Putin putting Russia`s nuclear deterrent on high alert on Sunday and called it a chilling development.

Soldiers need to move back to their barracks. Leaders need to move to peace. Civilians must be protected. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders, must be respected. pic.twitter.com/3OGoiAqSnR  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 28, 2022

"Yesterday, Russian nuclear forces were put on high alert. This is a chilling development. The mere idea of a nuclear conflict is simply inconceivable. Nothing can justify the use of nuclear weapons," he said.

International peace at stake

Ukraine's Ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya told the General Assembly that for the first time since the United Nations was established, a full-fledged war was unfolding in the centre of Europe.

If Ukraine does not survive, international peace will not survive, he said and added that "now is the time to help his country".

#UNGA observes a minute of silence during Emergency Special Session on Ukraine. "The General Assembly represents the collective conscience of humanity," said @UN_PGA. https://t.co/AglnCSHQsO pic.twitter.com/MuuALXUr8O  United Nations (@UN) February 28, 2022

If Ukraine does not survive, the United Nations will not survive, have no illusions. If Ukraine does not survive, we cannot be surprised if democracy fails next, Sergiy Kyslytsya said.

Russian actions distorted

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said that the actions of his country are being distorted and thwarted, with media and social networks proliferating what he called these lies.

He highlighted that goal of the special Russian military operation is to protect people in Luhansk and Donetsk, two regions in eastern Ukraine, who for eight years were subject to torment and genocide by the Kyiv regime.

To that end, there is a need to demilitarize and de-nazify Ukraine, Vasily Nebenzya stated.

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New Delhi: Amid the Russian onslaught, a desperate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday applied for immediate membership to the European Union. Our goal is to be with all Europeans and to be equal to them. I am sure we deserve it, Zelenskyy said in a televised address and asked the EU to urgently admit Ukraine to the bloc.

Also had a phone conversation with @vonderleyen. Talked about concrete decisions on strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, macro-financial assistance and Ukraine's membership in the #EU.    (@ZelenskyyUa) February 27, 2022

So why is EU membership so important for Ukraine?

The European Union membership will ensure that powerful European countries step in to save Ukraine, both militarily and financially. EU comprises 27 member states, including France and Germany, which have sizeable military and financial muscle. EU member states also receive trade incentives.

EU admission will provide some security to Ukraine against future Russian invasion. EU has already said it will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and equipment to Ukraine, and also announced fresh sanctions against Russia.

EU countries are shutting down airspace for Russian-owned, registered or controlled aircraft to further squeeze Moscow. There are also curbs on Russian media. Russian media reported that the EU might assist Kyiv with intelligence, with the satellite centre in Madrid to provide intel on Russian troop movements to Ukraine and the EU.

The many ifs and buts

Any admission to the EU requires unanimous support from every member state. Some member states have complicated approval procedures. At this stage, Ukraine is years away from reaching EU membership standards, especially on the corruption front.

The 27-nation bloc is expansion-weary and unlikely to take on new members any time soon. But given the pace of Russian invasion and support from individual member states, what the EU decides as a bloc remains to be seen.

Ukraine is already receiving military and humanitarian assistance from EU states such as France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Romania, Spain and the Czech Republic.

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New York: More than 5,00,000 people have left Ukraine since the start of Russia`s military operation and about 1,60,000 have become internally displaced, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told the UN Security Council on Monday.

"According to the latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency, more than half a million people have already crossed the international borders, mostly towards Poland, Griffiths said.

"An additional 1,60,000 have been internally displaced. This is likely a significant underestimation as the numbers are changing by the hour," he added.

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London/Copenhagen/Paris: European Union countries are considering a ban on Russian ships entering the bloc`s ports, aiming to tighten sea restrictions after a halt on air traffic, European officials say, a step that would further hamper Russia`s commercial shipments.

Britain already decided on Monday (February 28) to deny entry to British ports to all ships that are Russian owned, operated, controlled, chartered, registered or flagged. Canada followed on Tuesday (March 1), saying it would shut its ports to Russian-owned ships later this week, a day after it banned Russian crude oil imports.

The Marshall Islands-flagged NS Champion, which is operated by Russian shipping company Sovcomflot, turned away from the UK on Monday after the UK ban was declared and reported it was heading to Denmark with an oil cargo onboard and an expected arrival on March 2, ship tracking data on Eikon showed.

Two other vessels carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes, the Marshall Islands La Perouse, operated by Sovcomflot, and the Cyprus-flagged Christophe De Margerie, operated by Russia`s Yamal, were both heading to France in coming days, Eikon ship tracking data showed.

With tighter global energy supplies, cutting off such shipments poses a challenge for Europe, which joined the United States and other allies in imposing an array of sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation".

Denmark`s foreign ministry said EU foreign ministers discussed closing European ports to Russian ships on Sunday.

"Denmark is actively working for the EU to make a common decision to close its ports to Russian vessels," the foreign ministry said in an emailed comment to Reuters.

"We have already decided to close the Danish airspace to Russian aircraft. At the same time, we are open to looking at new initiatives in collaboration with our European partners."

A French government official told Reuters the EU was working on more sanctions and the closure of ports to Russian ships was a possibility, but added that any additional steps should affect Russia "proportionally much more than our own economies".

A Greek government official said Athens "will implement any decision the European Commission takes on this issue".

IN DUE COURSE

A European Commission spokesperson said there was no such ban in force at the moment. "But we continue working on further sanctions, which will be announced in due course," the spokesperson added.

The European Parliament will on Tuesday vote on a non-binding resolution calling for EU ports to be closed to Russian ships and ships coming to or from Russia, except for "necessary justified humanitarian reasons", which could add political pressure for the bloc to act.

On Monday, the Spanish transport ministry declared the country`s airspace closed to Russian-operated aircraft and said it had proposed similar measures in the maritime sector.

Madrid said it was considering denying Russian ships access to Spanish ports, prohibiting supplying them there with fuel or other supplies, or even blocking Russian or Russian company-owned ships from accessing Spanish waters.

Jens Meier, chief of Hamburg`s Port Authority, told an online news conference on Monday that while there were no clear rules about dealing with Russian ships at the time, he expected an announcement shortly "as to what is no longer allowed".

Elegny, the Engie-owned gas shipment and storage firm which operates the terminal at Montoir where Yamal`s Christophe De Margerie was headed, did not immediately respond when asked if it had received any instructions from government or local authorities on handling the cargo.

Sovcomflot was among the Russian entities the U.S. Treasury restricted last week from raising capital in U.S. markets, which shipping sources say will complicate transactions for the Moscow-listed company.

Sovcomflot declined to comment on Tuesday.



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KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the West to consider a no-fly zone for Russian aircraft over Ukraine on Monday after Moscow bombarded the country`s second-largest city, drawing new sanctions by the United States and its allies.

Russia faces increasing international isolation over its invasion of Ukraine, and hours of negotiations between the two sides on Monday failed to reach a breakthrough to halt the fighting.

Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks in Kharkiv, a city of 1.4 million people, had killed civilians, including children. In a video address, Zelenskiy said it was time to block Russian missiles, planes and helicopters from Ukraine`s airspace.

"Fair negotiations can occur when one side does not hit the other side with rocket artillery at the very moment of negotiations," Zelenskiy said. He did not specify how and by whom a no-fly zone would be enforced.

The United States has ruled out sending troops to fight Russia and officials have voiced concern about further escalating tensions between the world`s two biggest nuclear powers.

"A no-fly zone would require implementation," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

Such a move would require "deploying U.S. military to enforce, which would be... potentially a direct conflict, and potentially a war with Russia, which is something we are not planning to be a part of."

Western nations, united in condemnation of Russia`s assault, have hit Russia with sanctions, with targets including President Vladimir Putin and his confidants.

But Putin has shown no sign of reconsidering the invasion he unleashed on Russia`s neighbour last Thursday in an attempt to redraw Europe`s security map and pull Ukraine firmly into its orbit.

The Russian leader put Russia`s nuclear forces on high alert on Sunday, though a senior U.S. defence official said Washington had still not seen any "muscle movement" following Putin`s announcement.

Asked at the White House on Monday if Americans should worry about nuclear war, U.S. President Joe Biden said: "No."

But in a sign of souring relations, the United States expelled 12 Russian diplomats at the United Nations, citing national security concerns. Russia described the move as "hostile."

The Russian invasion - the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two - has failed to achieve the decisive early gains that Putin would have hoped for. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbour`s military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

Talks between the two sides were held on the border with strong Russian ally Belarus - a launch pad for invading Russian troops.

Ukraine had said it wanted to secure an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces. The Kremlin declined to comment on its goals.

The meeting ended with officials heading back to capitals for further consultations before a second round of negotiations, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told reporters.

Live TV
New York: Underlining that not everyone can or will choose to flee Ukraine, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Richard Mills said that those who remain in Ukraine must be ensured "unobstructed protection and assistance".

Mills made these remarks at a UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and the region.

He noted that now half a million people have fled Ukraine in response to Russia`s invasion.

"...Behind each of these numbers are real people caught in a humanitarian nightmare unfolding before our eyes. And the truth is, no one knows where it will end, how many people will flee their homes, how many will need humanitarian assistance, how many will die. That is because we don`t know when President Putin will end his war of choice against Ukraine," Mills said.

He noted that the World Food Program warns us that the food security impact of Russia`s invasion will be felt far beyond Ukraine`s borders.

Vulnerable people from Asia to Africa and the Middle East will face greater levels of food insecurity as supplies are disrupted, as we are already seeing, he said.

"An estimated 283 million people in over 80 countries are acutely food insecure or are at high risk, and this conflict in Ukraine will only exacerbate situations already on the brink of starvation. This is yet another reason why hostilities must end now."

He highlighted that the United States is already providing nearly USD 54 million in additional humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

He continued saying that USAID has been airlifting and positioning relief supplies - especially needed to help older people, people with disabilities, and people displaced from their homes - to face the winter weather.

Meanwhile, UK Ambassador to UN Barbara Woodward highlighted that UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson announced USD 54 million in aid to help the Ukrainian people.

"Yesterday, UK PM Boris Johnson announced USD 54mn in aid to help our Ukrainian friends, bringing the total amount pledged to Ukraine this year, to USD 190 million. The UK would also guarantee up to USD 500mn loans via multilateral development banks," Woodward said during the UNSC meeting.

"The UK will also participate in tomorrow`s UN appeal. UK govt experts have also deployed to the region to provide humanitarian support to those fleeing violence in Ukraine. We call on President Putin to stop this war and withdraw his forces from Ukraine," Woodward added.

Live TV
Demonstrators are arrested during a protest against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the United States, May 31, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021, released by the State Council Information Office on Monday, shows that the human rights situation in the US worsened last year.

For instance, there was a sharp surge in COVID-19 deaths particularly among the most disadvantaged groups due to epidemic prevention and control measures in the country becoming a tool and a bargaining chip for Republicans and Democrats to attack, reject and confront each other.

So far, the COVID-19 pandemic has infected over 34.51 million people in the world's most developed country, resulting in more than 480,000 deathsboth are the highest in the world. The average life expectancy in the country fell by 1.13 years, the biggest drop since World War II.

Likewise, shooting deaths hit a new record, rising to more than 44,000. With the number of mass shootings in the country numbering 693, up 10.1 percent from the previous year.

More than 420 bills with provisions that restrict access to voting have been introduced in 49 US states. Only 7 percent of young US citizens now view the country as a "healthy democracy", while public trust in the government has fallen to its lowest point since 1958.

Racial discrimination remains serious. Around 81 percent of Asian American adults said violence against Asian communities is rising. And violent law enforcement claimed 557 lives, the highest number since 1998, which more than doubled that of the previous fiscal year. Most of the victims were colored people.

Moreover, in fiscal year 2021, the US detained more than 1.7 million migrants at its southern border, including 45,000 children.

In the meantime, unilateral US actions have created new humanitarian crises around the world, with Afghanistan as a typical example.

Except for the novel coronavirus pandemic over the past two years, none of these challenges is new. They are all institutional and chronic problems, which serve to highlight the callousness of the holders of power in the US. They have become defenders not of the disadvantaged and vulnerable but of vested interests.

Ironically, the US has never stopped pointing fingers of blame at other countries, and taking human rights protection as a pretext for its interference in other countries' internal affairs for its own narrow ends.

As more countries realize the hypocrisy of the US in acting as a condescending human rights preacher, the international community should boycott its practices of weaponizing a cause that calls for more international cooperation, mutual respect and mutual understanding.

The US tried to reinforce its public persona of "human rights defender" last year by organizing and hosting a so-called Summit for Democracy but its record of human rights violations highlights what a travesty that was.
Meeting in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique held in Shanghai

From:english.eastday.com | 2022-03-01 21:37

A meeting to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique between China and the United States was held on Monday morning in the Shanghai Jinjiang Hotel.

On site or via the Internet, Chinese and American officials, scholars and representatives from all walks of life attended the meeting at the Jin Jiang Grand Hall of the Shanghai Jin Jiang Hotel, where the communique was released 50 years ago, to draw wisdom from history to light up the road ahead for China-US relations.
Concert in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique held in Shanghai

From:english.eastday.com | 2022-03-01 21:36

A concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Shanghai Communique was held on Monday night at the Shanghai Grand Hall on the north Bund, where many classic Chinese and US songs were performed.




Intervencion del Representante Permanente del Peru ante la ONU, Embajador Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros, sobre situacion en Ucrania.

?? https://t.co/ERM7YglDk4 pic.twitter.com/XUIhMxu09j
Con 74 votos a favor, el #PlenoDelCongreso aprobo el Proyecto de Resolucion Legislativa 1372. pic.twitter.com/LfZQrjsy6k
Nota de Prensa??Canciller Cesar Landa condena ofensiva militar contra Ucrania ante Consejo de #DerechosHumanos @UN_HRC y Conferencia de Desarme.

??Tambien demanda cese inmediato de la agresion e inicio de negociaciones para solucion pacifica y negociada

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During the extension of the state of emergency, the exercise of constitutional rights relating to personal freedom and security, the inviolability of homes, and the freedom of assembly, as well as transit across the national territory, are restricted.

The decree states that the intervention of the National Police and the Armed Forces is in accordance with the provisions of Legislative Decree No. 1186 , which regulates police use of force, and Legislative Decree No. 1095 , which establishes rules for the use of force by the Armed Forces in the national territory and its Regulations.
Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: "Hoy rescatamos los recursos del pais para todos los peruanos. El guano de las islas permitira que los agricultores solventen a las familias mas necesitadas como parte de la Segunda Reforma Agraria". #SiempreConElPueblo pic.twitter.com/MpmTebnJjN
The minor suffers from cardio-respiratory problems, as well as requires surgery and medical attention.

As explained by his mother, the little boy suffers from four heart abnormalities. Of them, the one with the highest risk is the artery that goes to the lungs, which is clogged and needs surgery.

Both the minor and his mother were taken on an Antonov plane from Cajamarca Airport, where the Head of State will fulfill activities shortly.

There, the top official will participate in the inauguration ceremony for the comprehensive electrification in the provinces of Chota, Cutervo, Hualgayoc, and Santa Cruz.

Ademas, el jefe de Estado, @PedroCastilloTe, superviso la evacuacion aeromedica de un paciente menor de edad. pic.twitter.com/un0bZqSMBX
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. 17,7% more taxes were paid in Armenia in this years nearly 50 days compared to the previous years same period, Minister of Finance Tigran Khachatryan said in an interview with ARMENPRESS, when asked whether or not the government could revise the projected 7% economic growth and what actions the government must take to guarantee this figure.

Khachatryan said theyve tried to understand whether or not they are now in a reliable interval against the projected figures of tax revenues.

We recorded that 17,7% more taxes were paid this year compared to the previous year. And this is in line with the annual growth indicators which we have for 2022. Why is the government bringing forward the economic growth indicator in discussions with the public, for several reasons. Because first of all economic growth shows the result created by our population and the increase of revenues at the expense of it, he said.

According to Minister Khachatryan, this 7% new economic value is created especially in the private sector thanks to the efforts of active companies who are producing goods, exporting or rendering services.

The second question is what the government must do to guarantee or contribute to this 7% economic growth. The government is one of the major actors in the economy. We make more than 2 trillion in spending annually, most of which are spending of social significance, some are salary expenses, and some part are procurement of products and services. And all this together contribute to economic activity, Khachatryan said.

Speaking about the kind of services which create new value in the economy, for example the construction of roads, reservoirs or implementation of economic projects aimed at the rapid development of individual sectors of agriculture, Khachatryan attached importance of how swiftly the government is making this procurement, how accurately the participants are explained with the intentions, how effectively it is cooperating with the participating or winning organization of the procurement in order to implement the work in time and in full scale.

In all these issues our organizational actions with the private sector are directly contributing for the work to start and end within the timeframes. For example, we have planned for 2022 to make 60% more capital spending than it was planned for 2021, and in its value it is the size exceeding 350 billion drams: nearly 4,5% of the GDP. Compared to the previous year, these are very significant positive changes. And we must be able to organize it in a way so that we remain within the boundaries of what was planned in terms of time. And it is also this way that we should contribute for economic growth to be in the size that was planned. And I think that making decisions and following their implementation in a timely manner in all these issues is the action which the government must do, but of course not limiting to only this, he said.

Asked if the government will achieve the 7% economic growth, the Finance Minister said theyve numerously noted that they arent simply predictors. The government doesnt only project, but also has assumed obligations to fulfill it. And we not only project this, but we have the toolbox with which we are doing everything for this to happen, he said.

However, the Finance Minister doesnt rule out that the projected growth could not happen due to factors which dont depend on the government.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. On February 28, the opening ceremony of the exhibition dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Armenias accession to the United Nations, organized by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia was held at the UN Office in Geneva. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and the Director-General of UN Office in Geneva Tatiana Valovaya delivered welcoming remarks at the event.

In his speech, Minister Mirzoyan, particularly, said;

Distinguished Director-General,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to welcome all of you today at this special event that marks the 30th anniversary of Armenias accession to the United Nations. I feel privileged to inaugurate this exhibition together with Her Excellency Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG). Distinguished Director-General, I highly appreciate your opening remarks and I thank the UNOG for participation and valuable contribution to this event.

For centuries we strived, struggled and aspired for independence and statehood in our ancestral homeland. In this sense we are a lucky generation to have witnessed how our national dream comes true.

On the 2nd of March 1992, the Armenian tricolor was raised in front of the UN headquarters, opening a new chapter in our nations history. A chapter of a full-fledged member of the global organization. We do not take it for granted. We know from our own experience how many sacrifices it takes to enjoy the benefits of sovereign equality. And how many more efforts it takes to preserve and sustain it.

Hence, comes Armenias staunch and unwavering commitment to the multilateralism that has the United Nations at its center. Hence comes Armenias full adherence to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

In the photos that we present to your attention today you will find the tokens of our continued commitment reflected in Armenias contribution to the joint efforts under the UN umbrella through active engagement in different bodies and committees. Armenia has been chairing and working hard in the various bureaus and boards, participating in several peacekeeping missions, acceding to core conventions and treaties, hosting the UN events and working hand-in-hand with the UN country team.

I hope that this handful of photos could convey the genuine spirit and extent of the collaboration that we have enjoyed within the UN, and the equal importance that we attach to all its pillars  peace and security, human rights, rule of law and development.

Allow me to conclude by quoting Kofi Annan who believed that there is more that unites us than divides us. Indeed, the UN provides a unique platform for building on what unites us and for bridging the gaps among us. Armenia remains a strong believer of this mission.

I would like to thank you all again for being here with us to revisit some of the snapshots of the landmarks of the path that Armenia has covered in this global multilateral setting in the past 30 years.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Parliament session began with 29 items on the agenda.

Lawmakers will debate the bill on amending the law on Protection of Economic Competition, the law on State Regulations for Ensuring Technical Security, the law on Ensuring the Activities of Officials, Service and Social Guarantees and several other legislative initiatives.

The election of the new chairman of the Audit Chamber is also scheduled for March 1.

Then, on March 2, parliament will hold the confirmation hearing and vote of Vahagn Khachaturyan as President of Armenia.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Acting President Alen Simonyan paid tribute today to the memory of the victims of the 2008 March 1 events in Yerevan.

The PM posted a video about their visit on Facebook.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Programs are being implemented in 11 universities of 9 countries aimed at promoting Armenian studies, Armenian language and culture in universities, museum-institutes and research centers abroad, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan said in an interview to ARMENPRESS.

He informed that three of these programs are new as the contracts were signed in 2021-2022. The list includes the Cairo University, the University of Uruguay and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Additional funding was provided for 2 research projects in Argentina and the Mashtots Center for Armenian Studies in Germany.

We are trying to expand the centers of Armenian studies and establish at least 2 such centers annually with the state budget, give a new content so that various such centers create relations and implement joint projects, research. We will soon hold a conference of Armenian studies which will be attended by all 11 centers of Armenian studies. We will try to understand our next steps and different cooperation formats within these centers, with the ministry and these kind of centers existing Armenia, he added.

The deputy minister said they are planning to expand the list of universities teaching Armenian language in 2022. The possibilities of holding other events relating to Armenia and the Armenian culture are also being discussed. Programs are planned to be implemented in Poland, Portugal, Spain, Iran and Georgia.

According to the deputy minister, the best way to counter the anti-Armenian propaganda in the world is to spread the Armenian culture, increase the interest towards the Armenian language, people and Armenia. In terms of increasing the interest towards Armenia, the centers of Armenian studies, of course, play a significant role, and this is the reason that we continue expanding these centers so that the interest towards Armenia and its people, as a nation and state with a rich cultural history, only grows, Artur Martirosyan said.

Interview by Gayane Gaboyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. US Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. honored the memory of the victims of Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait (1988), the Armenian National Committee of America reported.

Rep. Pallone's full statement below:

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom and the 32nd anniversary of the Baku pogrom.

Hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan suffered horrific acts of violence when they were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and burned alive in a pogrom that started on February 27, 1988. Almost two years later, a seven-day pogrom broke out in Baku during which Armenians were beaten, murdered, and expelled from the city beginning January 12, 1990. Over 90 Armenian civilians were killed, over 700 were injured, and countless other victims were permanently displaced by the ethnic violence that followed.

The Azerbaijani Government was complicit in each of these atrocities by using violent rhetoric in rallies leading up to the pogrom and by doing nothing to halt the ensuing violence against Armenian citizens.

Azerbaijan has taken steps over the last two decades to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities committed in Sumgait and Baku. Even more disturbing, the Azeri Government lauded the perpetrators of this event and similar violent attacks.

President Aliyev's regime continues to use hateful rhetoric against Armenians to this day, including in the build up to Azerbaijan's deadly attacks on Artsakh in the fall of 2020. Azeri forces, Turkish drones, and Turkish-backed foreign terrorists conducted a premeditated attack that violated international law. The resulting indiscriminate bombing campaigns against large population centers killed thousands of Armenians and displaced tens of thousands more. It also included appalling war crimes against Armenians at the hands of Azerbaijani forces and foreign mercenaries that included beheadings, torture, and other abhorrent acts of violence.

I continue to stand with the Armenian people in condemning the horrific pogroms and in mourning the loss of those who were senselessly killed in Artsakh and subsequent Azeri attacks on Armenian soil. It is critical for the United States to recognize and denounce violent assaults against all civilians. If we do not condemn or punish crimes against humanity and ethnic violence, we become passive bystanders, failing to live up to the lessons of the 20th century and our pledge to uphold human rights and democratic values all over the world. If we do not take a firm stand against those who commit atrocities, it will embolden them and encourage others to commit heinous acts in the future. These lessons are especially important as we prepare to commemorate the 107th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April.

I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus to honor the victims of the Baku and Sumgait pogroms and the victims of Azerbaijani aggressions in Artsakh, I will also continue to condemn all acts of violence against people who are targeted simply because of who they are. I hope my colleagues will join me in rejecting violent rhetoric, intimidation and outright violations of human rights. In doing so, we renew our commitment to achieving a lasting peace in the Caucasus.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. The Parliament of Armenia honored the memory of the victims of 2008 March 1 events with a moment of silence at the beginning of todays session.

Today is March 1, and on these days 14 years ago 10 citizens of Armenia  8 civilians and 2 police officers, were killed as a result of the events that took place in Yerevan, Acting Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan said, proposing the lawmakers to honor the memory of the victims with a moment of silence.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia will transfer 70 combat aircraft to Ukraine that can be stationed on airfields in Poland, TASS reports citing the press service of the Ukrainian Navy.

If necessary, they can be stationed on Polish airfields, from which Ukrainian pilots will perform combat missions, the press service said.

According to its data, Bulgaria will transfer 16 MiG-29 fighters and 14 Su-25 attack planes, Poland - 28 MiG-29 planes, and Slovakia - 12 MiG-29 planes.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Acting Speaker of Parliament Hakob Arshakyan received the Special Envoy of Canada to the European Union and Europe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federal Republic of Germany Stephane Dion, the Parliaments press service said.

The Chair of the Parliaments Standing Committee on European Integration Arman Yeghoyan also attended the meeting.

Welcoming the guests, Hakob Arshakyan has underlined that this year is significant for Armenia and Canada: the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries turns. In the Armenian-Canadian bilateral relations, the Acting Speaker stressed the role of the inter-parliamentary cooperation, particularly the Parliamentary Friendship Groups.

Hakob Arshakyan has opined that the close and effective cooperation with the European Union is of special importance for Armenia and has added that the opportunities of the RA-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement shall be fully used. That is a firm basis in terms of the development of mutually beneficial relations with the EU and the EU member states, Hakob Arshakyan documented.

Hakob Arshakyan highly evaluated the fact that from the first days of the 2020 Artsakh second war Canada had actively tried to make efforts for ceasefire. In this aspect he valued the decision of the Government of Canada for stopping the supply of the Canadian armament to Turkey.

Touching upon the post-war still non-overcome problems, Hakob Arshakyan highlighted the realization of all provisions of the trilateral statement, considering of priority the issue of the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and the civilians being held in Azerbaijan. The Acting Speaker has reminded that the return of the abovementioned persons is postponed with fake criminal cases in Azerbaijan.

We hope that the international counterparts will decently respond to the fact and we will be able to advance in the region with the committed peace agenda, Hakob Arshakyan stressed.

In this context the importance of the demarcation and delimitation process and the complete withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the Armenian sovereign territory was touched upon. With regards to the establishment of peace in the region it has been underscored that the special representatives of Armenia and Turkey actively negotiate in registering progress in the Armenian-Turkish relations.

During the meeting the sides referred to the efficiency and continuity of the development program of the Staff being implemented with the cooperation between the National Assembly Staff and the Parliamentary Centre of Canada.

With respect to the development of parliamentary diplomacy Hakob Arshakyan and Arman Yeghoyan emphasized the implementation of such strategic programs. The efficiency of the implementation of the exchange programs was underlined.

Stephane Dion in his turn highlighted the continuous development of the Armenian-Canadian relations and the deepening of the relationship. In this context he especially stressed the role of the Friendship Groups.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman Brad Sherman issued a statement commemorating Azerbaijan's massacre of Armenians in Sumgait and Baku, the Armenian National Committee of America reported.

His full statement is below.

I stand in solidarity with the Armenian American community in commemorating the February 1988 Sumgait Pogroms. Thirty-four years ago, in the Azerbaijani town of Sumgait, Azerbaijani mobs targeted and assaulted peaceful Armenian residents on the basis of their ethnicity and endured unspeakable crimes. The violence left hundreds of Armenian civilians dead and injured, women and girls were raped, some victims were burned alive, and thousands were forced to flee their homes.

This tragic anti-Armenian massacre helped touch off a wave of anti-Armenian violence that spread to Kirovabad in November 1988 and to Baku in January 1990, which culminated in the forcible expulsion of 390,000 Armenians from Azerbaijan and the 1991-94 war over Artsakh.

As we pause to honor the memories of the victims of the Sumgait Pogroms, must also use this solemn anniversary to remember the consequences that ensue when aggression and ethnic hatred grow unchecked.

This stark reminder remains evident today as the government of Azerbaijan continues its state-sponsored policy of aggression against Armenia and Artsakh. The world witnessed the consequences of Azerbaijans unchecked hatred against Armenians during the invasion of Artsakh in 2020 as Azeri forces committed horrendous war crimes against Armenian civilians, including women and the elderly, and illegally imprisoned Armenian POWs after the cessation of hostilities. Many POWs are still held by Azerbaijan.

The government of Azerbaijan must be held accountable by the international community for its legacy of aggression against the Armenian people  from the pogroms committed thirty-four years ago, to their relentless belligerence against Armenians that persists today. Such crimes against humanity must never go unrecognized or escape accountability, whether they occurred yesterday or 30 years ago or 100 years ago.

As a Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Congressional Armenian Caucus for 25 years, I have worked in Congress to shed light on such atrocities and hold those responsible accountable. On todays solemn anniversary, we reaffirm our resolve to oppose anti-Armenian hatred and work to ensure such history will not be repeated.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. US Congressman Adam Schiff issued a statement condemning Azerbaijani attacks on Armenians in Sumgait (1988) and Baku (2000) and ongoing aggression against Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenian National Committee of America reported.

Rep. Schiff's full statement is below:

Yesterday, we marked the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait and Baku pogroms. Beginning on February 27, 1988, and for three days following, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians - leaving hundreds of civilians dead and injured and women and girls were raped. Some victims were thrown from windows and burned alive. Tens of thousands were forced to flee.

After two years, it was estimated that only 40,000 of the 250,000 Armenian residents of Baku remained in Azerbaijan. On January 13, 1990, organized Azerbaijani mobs turned on them, too, killing hundreds and injuring many more.

The pogroms came as a direct result of years of vicious, racist anti-Armenian propaganda by Azerbaijani authorities, dehumanizing the Armenian residents of Azerbaijan and laying the groundwork for mass violence. Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities and deny the governments role in instigating the attacks.

As we reflect on yesterday's anniversary, we honor the victims of this ghastly injustice and pledge to speak out against hatred so that history will not repeat itself. But tragically, more than three decades later, that is exactly what has happened. Beginning on September 27, 2020, and over 44 days, Azerbaijani forces once again targeted and murdered innocent Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, and displaced tens of thousands more. Today, Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Armenia and Artsakh continues. Armenian soldiers are still illegally detained and subject to torture while thousands of civilians still live in danger. Religious and cultural Armenian sites that have fallen under Azerbaijani control are under constant threat.

These are the horrific consequences when aggression and hatred grow unchecked  and it is why, whether these crimes against humanity occurred one year, thirty years, or a hundred years ago, we can never allow them to go unrecognized. More than that, it is why the United States must fully step into its role as a defender of democracy and peace around the world. We must not relent in our calls for the safe and unconditional release of the remaining Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians, for the end of U.S. assistance to the Aliyev regime, and for stronger efforts to support democracy in Armenia and a free, independent Artsakh.

So let us pause to remember those who suffered in the atrocities of the Sumgait and Baku programs. But let us also recommit ourselves and our nation to doing everything we can, today, to bring liberation to our Armenian brothers and sisters abroad, once and for all.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, the PMs Office reports.

Issues related to the forthcoming Armenian-French cooperation forum in Paris and their upcoming meeting were touched upon.

The sides discussed also the situation around Nagorno Karabakh and the strengthening of security and stability in the South Caucasus region.

The leaders of the countries exchanged views on the processes taking place in the international arena.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is concerned by the developments taking place in the territory of Ukraine, Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs Eduard Aghajanyan said at a press conference, asked what is Armenias position on the situation in Ukraine.

Armenia, of course, is deeply concerned about the current situation. Having felt the consequences of the horrors of war on ourselves, of course, we are able to empathize and assess the situation. Any war has very painful consequences, and the Republic of Armenia, is, of course, acting as a supporter of the solution of issues through peace and negotiated means. Of course, this situation is concerning, and Armenia, being a member of the international community and having a certain position, is concerned also by the consequences of this process in our region. Of course, we very closely follow the developments, and Armenia must also be ready to all the consequences that could result from any development, he said.

According to him, the cessation of military operations and shift to the solution of the issue through diplomatic means would be the most desirable development for Armenia.

But these are issues that are out of Armenias control, and the only thing we are left with at this moment is to assess at best the risks in our region and thus move forward, Eduard Aghajanyan said.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met today with Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), in Geneva, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said.

Referring to the ICRCs activities as a non-political and humanitarian organization, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the importance of the organization's activities towards resolving the humanitarian issues in Artsakh.

In this context, Ararat Mirzoyan drew Peter Maurer's attention to the urgency of repatriating 38 Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held in Azerbaijan, as well as revealing the cases of enforced disappearances and the fate of missing persons.

Minister Mirzoyan stressed the need for ensuring the unimpeded access of international organizations to Nagorno Karabakh and their active involvement on the ground.

The interlocutors agreed to continue the cooperation for the resolution of humanitarian issues.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received Special Envoy of Canada to the European Union and Europe, Canadas Ambassador to Germany Stephane Dion.

During the meeting the Armenian PM said that Dions visit is a good occasion to discuss the Armenian-Canadian partnership agenda and attached importance to the fact that Canada shares the vision of Armenias reforms, the Prime Ministers Office said in a press release.

Armenia is committed to its democratic agenda and is grateful to Canada, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for supporting our democracy, PM Pashinyan said.

PM Pashinyan underscored that despite the difficulties after the 2020 war, the Armenian government is consistently advancing on the path of strengthening democratic institutions, and the assessments of reputed international organizations are a testament to this.

Stephane Dion conveyed PM Trudeaus warm greetings and underscored that he is visiting Armenia to discuss the prospects of the Armenia-Canada Strategic Dialogue.

Canada is a resolute supporter of Armenias democratic agenda and is interested in implementing joint programs in Armenia, Stephane Dion said.

Issues relating to the strengthening of democracy in Armenia and in this context the expansion of the Armenian-Canadian partnership were discussed.

The Armenian Prime Minister offered the Canadian side to consider the opportunities of joint projects in Armenia in the areas of road construction, reservoir construction, renewable energy, green economy and educational infrastructures. Stephane Dion found the proposals interesting and noted that he will present them to the Canadian Prime Minister and the government.

Views were exchanged around international and regional security issues. PM Pashinyan presented Armenias stance over the delimitation and demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, opening of the regional connection routes, and addressed the agreements reached as a result of the meetings mediated by international partners. PM Pashinyan noted that Armenia attaches importance to peace and stability in the region and expects the support of international partners in this process.

The PM and Stephane Dion stressed the importance of democratic institutions in the context of handling security challenges. Pashinyan noted that Armenia is ready to actively work with Canada around the joint political, economic, cultural and humanitarian agenda and programs.

PM Pashinyan asked Stephane Dion to relay his greetings and best wishes to his Canadian counterpart, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires in Armenia Denis Avtonomov says Kievs official position on Russias military actions in Ukraine is that the actions are a war of conquest and not a special operation as stated by Moscow.

Today is the 6th day of the war, Avtonomov said at a press conference at the Ukrainian Embassy in Yerevan. We are resisting for already 122 hours. New fronts are opening thanks to our defenders, the enemy is suffering losses. The international IT community has joined the destruction of the army of occupants, even Ukrainian school students are attacking in the cyberfront. Meanwhile in Russia, hundreds of thousands of people understood that the government is deceiving them, that there is no special operation, that this is a simple war of conquest where thousands of Russians have already been killed, Avtonomov said.

The Ukrainian Charge d'Affaires accused the Russian military in bombarding cities and the peaceful population, which Russia denies. Avtonomov said that a Russian tactical missile hit central Kharkov this morning.

Its the central part of the city, there are no military facilities there, residential buildings of Kharkov are bombed with Grads, this is war crime, Avtonomov said.

Citing the Ukrainian militarys general staff, Ukraine's Charge d'Affaires Denis Avtonomov said that 5710 Russian troops have been killed in the 6 days. Another 200 Russian troops have been taken captive, 29 warplanes, 29 helicopters, 198 tanks, 846 infantry fighting vehicles, 77 artillery systems have been destroyed, according to the official Ukrainian data.

Asked about Ukraines expectations from Armenia in the given situation, given that Russia is Armenias strategic ally, Avtonomov noted that Armenia hasnt yet issued its official stance over the Russian militarys actions in Ukraine, but said that Armenias position during the February 28 vote in Geneva is positive.

Armenia isnt expressing its position now. Nevertheless, yesterday, during the UN Human Rights Council session, the issue of including the situation in Ukraine in the upcoming 49th session in Geneva was being debated. From the 47 members, 29 voted in favor, 13 abstained, including Armenia, and those who voted against are Russia, China, Venezuela, Cuba and Eritrea. This is the first time in recent years when Armenia doesnt support Russias stance. We think this is a good signal and we hope that such a position will at least continue, Avtonomov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.

When clarifying the unfolding developments, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. However, Ukraine has numerously accused Russia in striking civilian infrastructure.

In terms of losses, the Russian military admitted in having suffered casualties but did not give numbers.
YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on March 1 within the framework of the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the parties praised Armenia's close cooperation with the UN, in particular with the UN Human Rights Office. Ararat Mirzoyan noted that the year is symbolic, it marks the 30th anniversary of Armenia's membership in the UN. In this regard, the Foreign Minister stressed that Armenia has established itself as a responsible, reliable partner of the international community and has consistently contributed to the promotion of multilateralism, as well as the protection and promotion of fundamental human rights and fundamental freedoms in the world.

Presenting the situation created by the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, Ararat Mirzoyan stressed the importance of unhindered involvement of international organizations in the full settlement of humanitarian issues in Nagorno Karabakh, including the implementation of humanitarian missions by the UN High Commissioner.



Minister Mirzoyan noted that the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh, its people, was accompanied by gross violations of human rights, international humanitarian law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, which were documented in detail and presented to international human rights organizations.

Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that Armenian prisoners of war are still illegally detained in Azerbaijan, civilians, whom official Baku refuses to release and return, which is a gross violation of international law. Attention was also drawn to the planned actions of vandalism and destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the territories under the control of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces as a result of the war against Nagorno Karabakh.

The parties also exchanged views on the ongoing reforms in Armenia and the achievements made within their framework, in particular, in the areas of strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, the rule of law, the judiciary, and the fight against corruption. The interlocutors highly assessed the coordinated cooperation with international structures in this process.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reaffirmed Armenia's commitment to advancing the agenda for the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity.
RTHK: Spain arrests UK's most wanted woman

Spanish police said on Tuesday they had arrested Britain's most wanted woman over a 1-billion VAT scam, after nine years on the run.

The fugitive, identified by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) as 47-year-old Sarah Panitzke, was arrested by Guardia Civil police on Sunday walking her dogs in Santa Barbara village, between Barcelona and Valencia.

Panitzke has been wanted since 2013 for money laundering offences as part of 16-strong criminal gang that bought mobile phones abroad without VAT then resold them in the UK.

The gang made profits of "more than 1 billion" (1.2 billion euros/US$1.3 billion), police and the NCA said in separate statements.

Originally from Fulford, near the northern English city of York, Panitzke disappeared in May 2013 before being convicted and sentenced in absentia to eight years behind bars.

She was the last of the gang to be caught, with other members collectively sentenced to 135 years in jail, the NCA said.

Investigators with Britain's HMRC tax authorities said she was responsible for laundering all the group's income through multiple companies in Spain, the tiny principality of Andorra and Dubai.

The gang managed to shift more mobile phones in the UK than the collective number sold by all legal outlets, the Guardia Civil said, citing British investigators.

In 2015, police discovered she was living in Olivella, just south of Barcelona, with her husband bringing supplies at weekends.

But she realised the police were onto her and "totally changed her appearance and fled", later cutting all physical ties with her family to avoid detection.

It was seven years before they found her again after being tipped off she might be in Santa Barbara in February. After a lengthy surveillance operation, police spotted a woman "who clearly had the same physical characteristics".

This time, they deployed multiple agents in civilian clothing to ensure she wouldn't escape again.

"Sarah Panitzke was one of Britain's most wanted tax fugitives. She played a pivotal role in a multi-million pound VAT fraud and moved millions through offshore bank accounts," said Simon York, head of HMRC's fraud investigation service in a statement.

"Panitzke thought she had put herself outside of the reach of HMRC, but... no tax criminal is beyond our reach." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
YEREVAN, 1 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The special military actions implemented by Russia are aimed at saving people, demilitarizing and denazifing that country, ARMENPRESS reports, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov announced in a video message at the session of the UN Human Rights Council.

He announced that Russia respects the Ukrainian people and does not intend to violate the rights of the citizens of that country.



Millions of Ukrainians today live in Russia. We take them for ours. Together we always were and will be strong and successful'', the Minister of Foreign Affairs said.



According to him ''the consistent dissemination and the attacks on truth and freedom'' are implemented by the permission of the US and its allies.



Exactly the policy of the West headed by Washington led to that since 2014 Kiev regime has been fighting against its own people, against all those who do not agree with the neo-Nazi values of Maidan, criminal policy of the Ukrainian authorities. said Lavrov.
YEREVAN, 1 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz called on the leadership of Russia to stop the military actions in Ukraine, ARMENPRESS reports, Scholz said at the joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg.



I cant miss the opportunity to call on Russia together with my counterpart to immediately stop all military actions, withdraw Russian forces and return to dialogue. said Scholz.
YEREVAN, 1 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Chinese government calls on Russia and Ukraine to resolve the situation through dialogue, ARMENPRESS reports Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during the telephone conversation, Kuleba presented the situation after the first round of Russian-Ukrainian talks, noting that the cessation of hostilities is their priority, and official Kyiv wants to continue negotiations.

Wang Yi noted that China's position is open and transparent. The Chinese side stands for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. "Reacting to the current crisis, China calls on Ukraine and Russia to find a solution through negotiations and to support all constructive international efforts aimed at a political settlement of the issue, reads the statement.

Wang Yi added that China is convinced that the security of one country cannot be at the expense of the security of other countries, and regional security cannot be achieved through expanding military alliances.
YEREVAN, 1 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. Ukraine is ready for real talks with Russia, but considers the ultimatums unacceptable, the representative of Ukraine in Armenia, Charge d'Affaires Denis Avtonomov told ARMENPRESS, commenting on Kyivs expectations from the talks on the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

According to the Ukrainian diplomat, the talks are always useful and necessary, but the conditions that Russia, in the person of President Vladimir Putin and Russian diplomats, puts forward for the settlement of the issue are unacceptable for the Ukrainian side and are considered an ultimatum.

"Negotiations are always needed, but what the Russian President said to the French President yesterday, what the Russian Ambassador to the UN Nebenzya said, is an ultimatum. We are talking about "demilitarization", "denazification", Ukraine's neutral status, abandonment of plans to join the European Union and the NATO. I did not see any willingness of them to change that position. And our position is to stop the fire and withdraw the troops. After that we are presented with ultimatums, we have no choice but to fight. As a diplomat, I can assure you that the ultimatum - the talks are different things," said the Charge d'Affaires of Ukraine.

To the question of ARMENPRESS in which case Ukraine will consider itself a winner or what will it consider a victory, Denis Avtonomov answered. "Complete liberation of Ukrainian territories, including Crimea and Donbass."
US Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. honored the memory of the victims of Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait (1988), the Armenian National Committee of America reported.

March 1, 2022, 10:12 Rep. Pallone calls on US to recognize and denounce Azerbaijani violent assaults against Armenians

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: Rep. Pallone's full statement below:

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom and the 32nd anniversary of the Baku pogrom.

Hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan suffered horrific acts of violence when they were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and burned alive in a pogrom that started on February 27, 1988. Almost two years later, a seven-day pogrom broke out in Baku during which Armenians were beaten, murdered, and expelled from the city beginning January 12, 1990. Over 90 Armenian civilians were killed, over 700 were injured, and countless other victims were permanently displaced by the ethnic violence that followed.

The Azerbaijani Government was complicit in each of these atrocities by using violent rhetoric in rallies leading up to the pogrom and by doing nothing to halt the ensuing violence against Armenian citizens.

Azerbaijan has taken steps over the last two decades to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities committed in Sumgait and Baku. Even more disturbing, the Azeri Government lauded the perpetrators of this event and similar violent attacks.

President Aliyev's regime continues to use hateful rhetoric against Armenians to this day, including in the build up to Azerbaijan's deadly attacks on Artsakh in the fall of 2020. Azeri forces, Turkish drones, and Turkish-backed foreign terrorists conducted a premeditated attack that violated international law. The resulting indiscriminate bombing campaigns against large population centers killed thousands of Armenians and displaced tens of thousands more. It also included appalling war crimes against Armenians at the hands of Azerbaijani forces and foreign mercenaries that included beheadings, torture, and other abhorrent acts of violence.

I continue to stand with the Armenian people in condemning the horrific pogroms and in mourning the loss of those who were senselessly killed in Artsakh and subsequent Azeri attacks on Armenian soil. It is critical for the United States to recognize and denounce violent assaults against all civilians. If we do not condemn or punish crimes against humanity and ethnic violence, we become passive bystanders, failing to live up to the lessons of the 20th century and our pledge to uphold human rights and democratic values all over the world. If we do not take a firm stand against those who commit atrocities, it will embolden them and encourage others to commit heinous acts in the future. These lessons are especially important as we prepare to commemorate the 107th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April.

I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus to honor the victims of the Baku and Sumgait pogroms and the victims of Azerbaijani aggressions in Artsakh, I will also continue to condemn all acts of violence against people who are targeted simply because of who they are. I hope my colleagues will join me in rejecting violent rhetoric, intimidation and outright violations of human rights. In doing so, we renew our commitment to achieving a lasting peace in the Caucasus.
US Congressman Brad Sherman issued a statement commemorating Azerbaijan's massacre of Armenians in Sumgait and Baku, the Armenian National Committee of America reported.

March 1, 2022, 10:55 Azerbaijan continues its state-sponsored policy of aggression against Armenia and Artsakh  US Congressman

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: His full statement is below.

I stand in solidarity with the Armenian American community in commemorating the February 1988 Sumgait Pogroms. Thirty-four years ago, in the Azerbaijani town of Sumgait, Azerbaijani mobs targeted and assaulted peaceful Armenian residents on the basis of their ethnicity and endured unspeakable crimes. The violence left hundreds of Armenian civilians dead and injured, women and girls were raped, some victims were burned alive, and thousands were forced to flee their homes.

This tragic anti-Armenian massacre helped touch off a wave of anti-Armenian violence that spread to Kirovabad in November 1988 and to Baku in January 1990, which culminated in the forcible expulsion of 390,000 Armenians from Azerbaijan and the 1991-94 war over Artsakh.

As we pause to honor the memories of the victims of the Sumgait Pogroms, must also use this solemn anniversary to remember the consequences that ensue when aggression and ethnic hatred grow unchecked.

This stark reminder remains evident today as the government of Azerbaijan continues its state-sponsored policy of aggression against Armenia and Artsakh. The world witnessed the consequences of Azerbaijans unchecked hatred against Armenians during the invasion of Artsakh in 2020 as Azeri forces committed horrendous war crimes against Armenian civilians, including women and the elderly, and illegally imprisoned Armenian POWs after the cessation of hostilities. Many POWs are still held by Azerbaijan.

The government of Azerbaijan must be held accountable by the international community for its legacy of aggression against the Armenian people  from the pogroms committed thirty-four years ago, to their relentless belligerence against Armenians that persists today. Such crimes against humanity must never go unrecognized or escape accountability, whether they occurred yesterday or 30 years ago or 100 years ago.

As a Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Congressional Armenian Caucus for 25 years, I have worked in Congress to shed light on such atrocities and hold those responsible accountable. On todays solemn anniversary, we reaffirm our resolve to oppose anti-Armenian hatred and work to ensure such history will not be repeated.
US Congressman Adam Schiff issued a statement condemning Azerbaijani attacks on Armenians in Sumgait (1988) and Baku (2000) and ongoing aggression against Armenia and Artsakh, the Armenian National Committee of America reported.

March 1, 2022, 11:34 US Congressman calls for unconditional release of remaining Armenian POWs and captured civilians

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: Rep. Schiff's full statement is below:

Yesterday, we marked the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait and Baku pogroms. Beginning on February 27, 1988, and for three days following, Azerbaijani mobs assaulted and killed Armenians - leaving hundreds of civilians dead and injured and women and girls were raped. Some victims were thrown from windows and burned alive. Tens of thousands were forced to flee.

After two years, it was estimated that only 40,000 of the 250,000 Armenian residents of Baku remained in Azerbaijan. On January 13, 1990, organized Azerbaijani mobs turned on them, too, killing hundreds and injuring many more.

The pogroms came as a direct result of years of vicious, racist anti-Armenian propaganda by Azerbaijani authorities, dehumanizing the Armenian residents of Azerbaijan and laying the groundwork for mass violence. Azerbaijani authorities made little effort to punish those responsible, instead attempting to cover up the atrocities and deny the governments role in instigating the attacks.

As we reflect on yesterday's anniversary, we honor the victims of this ghastly injustice and pledge to speak out against hatred so that history will not repeat itself. But tragically, more than three decades later, that is exactly what has happened. Beginning on September 27, 2020, and over 44 days, Azerbaijani forces once again targeted and murdered innocent Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, and displaced tens of thousands more. Today, Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Armenia and Artsakh continues. Armenian soldiers are still illegally detained and subject to torture while thousands of civilians still live in danger. Religious and cultural Armenian sites that have fallen under Azerbaijani control are under constant threat.

These are the horrific consequences when aggression and hatred grow unchecked  and it is why, whether these crimes against humanity occurred one year, thirty years, or a hundred years ago, we can never allow them to go unrecognized. More than that, it is why the United States must fully step into its role as a defender of democracy and peace around the world. We must not relent in our calls for the safe and unconditional release of the remaining Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians, for the end of U.S. assistance to the Aliyev regime, and for stronger efforts to support democracy in Armenia and a free, independent Artsakh.

So let us pause to remember those who suffered in the atrocities of the Sumgait and Baku programs. But let us also recommit ourselves and our nation to doing everything we can, today, to bring liberation to our Armenian brothers and sisters abroad, once and for all.
There has been criticism from some quarters, especially opposition parties, over the alleged delay in India's response to evacuate Indians

New Delhi: The central government on Tuesday compared its response to help Indian citizens in war-hit Ukraine with those of several other countries, including the US, the UK and China, vis-a-vis their nationals to assert that while its 'Operation Ganga' continues and embassy remains functional, others have been unable to work at such a scale with some even expressing inability to help their citizens.

There has been criticism from some quarters, especially opposition parties, over the alleged delay in India's response to evacuate its citizens, mostly students, with some videos surfacing of Indian citizens facing harassment.

Government sources shared response of various countries to rebut criticism and assert that India has been prompt and relentless in helping its citizens.

The Chinese have postponed their evacuation plans while the Indian Operation Ganga is proceeding. Flights from India into neighbouring countries are continuing to bring back Indians. China has issued no travel advisories and no support mechanisms, while India has released contact numbers, advisories and support mechanisms. Chinese nationals are being attacked in Ukraine while the buses with the Indian flag are being given safe passage, a source said.

The US has stated that it will not be able to evacuate its citizens who are facing a long waiting time at the Ukrainian border for evacuation through other neighbouring countries, government sources said.

They cited official statements from the US and China besides Chinese media reports to back their claims.

At certain points, the US asked its citizens to even carry food and other items for two days at the Ukrainian border, and their waiting situation is similar to that of Indian citizens, they said, adding that both India and the US have issued similar advisories and have released several phone numbers for assistance.

Citing the response of other countries, government sources said Britain has clarified that it will not be able to provide increased support to its citizens stranded in Ukraine while, they added, India has increased support on a war footing.

The British embassy has relocated while the Indian embassy in Kyiv is still functioning. Britain has asked its nationals to follow the advice of Ukrainian authorities with no additional assistance, a source said.

He quoted a statement of the UK government which said, Russia's military action in Ukraine will severely affect the British Government's ability to provide consular assistance in Ukraine. British nationals should not expect increased consular support or help with evacuating in these circumstances.

Similarly, the German embassy has been closed at Kyiv while the Indian embassy is still functional. Germany has said that it is not in a position to evacuate its citizens, while India's Operation Ganga, name of its evacuation exercise, is continuing, they said.

Over 80,000 international students study in Ukraine, according to data from Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science. The largest number come from India, followed by Morocco, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Nigeria. India's evacuation programme, Operation Ganga, has been the most active among all nations which have their citizens in Ukraine, a source claimed.

Sources shared media reports of various other countries, including Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria, to back their assertions.

Some opposition parties, including the Congress, have been criticising the government for not evacuating Indian students in time from Ukraine and have called for urgent steps to evacuate them, after Russia attacked Ukraine. They have shared videos of Indian students in Ukraine highlighting their plight and making appeals to the Indian government to evacuate them soon.

Stepping up its evacuation efforts, India on Monday decided to send four Union ministers to countries in Ukraine's neighbourhood as its special envoys to coordinate the evacuation of Indian students.
UPDATE: A baby has been found safe and well, after a car was stolen outside a Melbourne home with the infant inside the vehicle.

On Tuesday night, Victoria Police confirmed the 11-month-old boy had been reunited with his parents, after the baby and a man were located at around 5.40pm.

The theft happened on Tuesday at around 2.10pm on Putt Grove in Keysborough, just under 30km southeast of Melbourne's CBD.

The baby was in the back of a car parked on Putt Grove in Keysborough. Source: Google Maps

In a statement, Victoria Police said the baby's mother had just exited her Toyota, and had kept it running, when an unknown man hopped into the front seat of the vehicle.

The man then drove off from the scene, with the 11-month-old baby boy inside the vehicle.

Speaking to the media before the baby was found, Inspector Fiona Halford said the theft appeared to be "opportunistic" and that the parents had just stopped on the street, but not outside their home.

"The parents are quite distressed," she said.

"Police are looking after them, giving them every support that we can give them but as you can imagine, when their 11-month-old baby is missing, they are very distressed."

The Toyota was last seen travelling east on Cheltenham Road near Corrigan Road before the baby and the vehicle were located in Cranbourne just after 5.30.

A man has been taken into custody.

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Dublin, Feb. 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Thailand Medical Cannabis Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Thailand medical cannabis market reached a value of US$ 26.3 Million in 2020. Looking forward, the market to grow at a CAGR of around 32% during 2021-2026.

Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use sectors. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor.



Cannabis, also known as marijuana, comes from the hemp plants such as cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive part of cannabis and is used for medicinal purposes in several countries across the globe. Similar to several other countries, cannabis was extensively used as a traditional medicine in Thailand. It was also used for several medical purposes like muscle relaxer, to ease women's labor pains and as a condiment in cooking.

However, the sale and possession of marijuana was banned and criminalized in 1935 by the Cannabis Act and was further criminalized by the Narcotics Act of 1979. Despite this, the marijuana culture in Thailand has softened over last few decades, though not completely. Recently, Thailand government has legalized cannabis for medical purposes. There are several factors that will drive the demand for cannabis in Thailand.

Thailand possesses geographical advantage over the production of cannabis because of its annual tropical climate resulting in lower production costs as less artificial light needed and temperature control are required for the cultivation of cannabis.

Moreover, Thailand has historically had a strong tradition of using cannabis for medical purposes which is also expected to create a positive impact on its demand. Some of the other major factors that will drive the market include foreign investments, ageing population, increasing number of clinical trials and R&D investments, etc.

Story continues

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the Thailand medical cannabis industry performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What are the popular species in the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What are the key derivatives in the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What are the various applications of medical cannabis?

Who are the major end-users for medical cannabis?

What are the major routes of administration in the Thailand medical cannabis industry?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the medical cannabis industry?

What are the cultivation and harvesting requirements for cannabis?

What are the processing requirements for cannabis?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the Thailand medical cannabis market?

What is the structure of the Thailand medical cannabis industry and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the Thailand medical cannabis market?

Thailand Medical Cannabis Market Segmentation:

Market Breakup by Cultivated Species:

Indica

Sativa

Hybrid

Market Breakup by Derivatives:

Cannabidiol (CBD)

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Others

Market Breakup by Application:

Cancer

Arthritis

Migraine

Epilepsy

Others

Market Breakup by End-Use:

Pharmaceuticals

Research and Development Centres

Others

Market Breakup by Route of Administration:

Oral Solutions and Capsules

Vaporizers

Topicals

Others

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fqfhkh

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




Mario Fratto does not want Republican voters in the newly drawn 24th Congressional District to compromise.

Fratto, a Geneva attorney who runs his family's granite manufacturing and installation business, breaks down his opposition for the Republican nomination. U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs, the incumbent in the 14-county district that stretches from western New York to the North Country, was one of 35 Republicans who voted for a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He was one of 11 GOP members who voted to strip U.S. Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, a Republican, of her committee assignments. He also voted for a farm workforce bill that would provide undocumented laborers a pathway to citizenship.

The votes, Fratto says, are "not too conservative." He would not have voted for any of those measures.

Another potential GOP primary foe, Andrew McCarthy, has advocated for a public health insurance option  a position usually held by left-of-center Democrats and not conservative Republicans. McCarthy has also said the 2020 presidential election, which former President Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden, was "fair and square." Fratto disagrees, saying most Republicans think that "there were things done to interfere in the election." He believes there should be certain election reforms, such as restrictions on mail-in voting and the implementation of a voter identification requirement.

"If we can make people show a vaccine card to go get a cheeseburger in New York, but they say it's too big of a hassle to ask people to show identification to vote I think is absurd," he said. "If we lose the integrity in our elections, then we have a problem with our whole republic."

He also opposes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and noted that many Republicans think there should be limits on legal immigration.

Fratto acknowledges he faces an uphill battle in the 24th district, which includes all or parts of eight towns in northern Cayuga County. Jacobs has the financial edge  his campaign has $334,153  and the incumbent advantage. He has been endorsed by a fellow upstater, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is the House Republican Conference chair. In western New York, the area Jacobs has represented since 2020, the local Republican committees are lining up behind him.

But Fratto hopes to give Republican voters an alternative. In addition to his policy differences with Jacobs and other GOP candidates, he highlights his work ethic, from having a newspaper route as a boy to going back to school to study constitutional law. He returned home to the Finger Lakes to work in construction and run his family's business, Geneva Granite.

"I don't view myself as an out-of-touch person who always had the silver spoon and just came up into politics," he said. "It was something I looked at and said I don't like the direction the country is heading. We're depending on China for everything. We're losing jobs. You need both parents to work and they still can't get by. This isn't the American dream ... The country is on such a path that we're heading toward a future we wouldn't want for our children."

Before the district lines were redrawn, Fratto sought to succeed U.S. Rep. Tom Reed in Congress. Reed, who represents the existing 23rd district, announced he will not seek reelection this year.

Redistricting altered Fratto's plans. His current residence is just outside of the newly drawn 24th district  Geneva is now in the 22nd district, which is comprised of eight central New York counties, including most of Cayuga County. (Members of Congress are not required to live in the districts they represent.)

When he looked at the new maps, he felt he was more connected to the 24th. If he is elected, he plans to live in the district  he has property in the town of Seneca, Ontario County.

"You have Ontario in there, part of Yates... that's the Finger Lakes and that's my community," he said. "That's where my family comes from. That's where I built my life and I think that they deserve the best representation they can get."

Something that could give Fratto a boost is an endorsement from Trump. Trump has endorsed in other New York congressional races  he is supporting Stefanik and U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney in their reelection bids. But he has not endorsed in the 24th district race.

Fratto recalls what Trump said after the House voted for the creation of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Trump described the 35 Republicans who voted for the bill as "wayward" and warned that there are "consequences to being ineffective and weak."

"I don't think President Trump should be endorsing him," Fratto said, referring to Jacobs. "I don't think he will."

In the 24th district, Fratto is positioning himself as the Trump candidate. He says he began supporting Trump during the 2016 primaries and launched a YouTube channel to help the former president's 2020 reelection bid.

Trump's backing could help Fratto with fundraising and increase his name recognition  two things he needs to overcome Jacobs' advantage among GOP voters.

"My loyalty to his presidency and what he's done for his country, I think, is highly above everybody else in the race and I would love to have his endorsement," Fratto said.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs, who is facing a primary in his bid for a second term, has won the support of three Republican and Conservative party committees in central New York.

The Republican and Conservative committees in Cayuga County voted to endorse Jacobs, a Buffalo-area Republican, over his potential primary foes in the 24th Congressional District. The Oswego County Republican Committee is also supporting the incumbent.

"During his first term in Congress, Chris has been a tireless advocate for our conservative values, our constitution, and his constituents in Washington," said Fred Beardsley, chairman of the Oswego County Republicans. "I have full confidence he will continue this impeccable record of service in the newly drawn NY-24  he's the right man for the job, and we look forward to working with him."

Half of the Republican committees in the sprawling 14-county district have designated Jacobs as their candidate to run in the 24th district, which extends from northern Erie County in western New York to Jefferson County in the North Country. All or part of eight towns in Cayuga County are in the new district.

Jacobs views the recent endorsements as "critical" to his campaign.

"I could not be more excited to represent Oswego and Cayuga County next year," Jacobs said. "I have visited the counties, met with local elected officials, met with small business owners and it's clear there is something very special about these communities.

"I plan to be very active and present to ensure the needs of Oswego and Cayuga County are met. I look forward to a strong partnership in order to ensure our conservative values are protected and Oswego and Cayuga County communities thrive!"

There could be a crowded primary field for the Republican nomination in the 24th district. Four other Republicans  Todd Aldinger, a western New York attorney; Mario Fratto, a Geneva attorney who runs his family's granite manufacturing business; Andrew McCarthy, an Air Force veteran; and John Murtari, a Wayne County resident  will circulate petitions to force a primary.

To qualify for the June 28 primary ballot, candidates must collect 1,250 valid signatures from GOP voters.

The Republican primary will likely decide who represents the 24th district beginning in 2023. The GOP has a large enrollment advantage over Democrats in the new district.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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Commemorative coins honoring Harriet Tubman are one step closer to becoming reality.

The U.S. Senate passed the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act on Feb. 17. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, would require the Department of the Treasury to mint 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins and 750,000 half-dollar coins.

Two entities  Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. in Auburn and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio  would split the proceeds from the surcharges paid for the coins, which would be issued in 2024. Buyers would pay a $35 surcharge for the $5 gold coins, a $10 surcharge for the $1 silver coins and a $5 surcharge for the half-dollars.

If all the coins are sold, $9.5 million in surcharges will be paid on the coins, with the Harriet Tubman Home receiving $4.75 million  a sizable windfall for the landmark.

"This legislation will serve the solemn purpose of ensuring Harriet Tubman's story continues to receive the recognition it deserves and the proceeds will help preserve her legacy at the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn for countless generations to come," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a longtime supporter of efforts to establish the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, which includes the Harriet Tubman Home.

The Senate bill was also supported by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, of New York, who has been a booster of the Tubman park in Auburn. Gillibrand added that the coin and the proceeds will "ensure that the story of (Tubman's) relentless fight for abolition and women's suffrage lives on in Auburn and beyond."

The legislation was introduced by U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks in the House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. John Katko, whose district includes Auburn and Tubman park, is an original cosponsor. When he and Meeks, D-Queens, first introduced the bill in 2020, the plan was to release it this year  the 200th anniversary of Tubman's birth. But the measure did not advance in Congress.

The coin won't be available this year, but supporters are hopeful the legislation will clear the necessary hurdles as they mark the Tubman bicentennial.

"Tubman's heroism, patriotism and activism are all a part of what made America," said Karen Hill, president and CEO of Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. "We thank Rep. Katko and Rep. Meeks in the House and Sen. Rosen, (Sen. Rob Portman) and Sen. Schumer for their work in making the Tubman Bicentennial Coin Act a reality."

If the legislation is approved and the coins are minted, it likely won't be the last time Tubman appears on some form of U.S. currency.

The Treasury is redesigning the $20 bill and will put Tubman on the new note. The plan was first announced in former President Barack Obama's administration. President Joe Biden renewed that commitment shortly after taking office in 2021.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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March 2, 1997

(No paper March 1, 1997)

AURORA  Sonni Micocci came to Wells College for a weekend visit when she was a high school senior.

After spending a few days at the quaint campus overlooking Cayuga Lake, she knew Wells was the school for her.

"I came and visited and went to a class," the 22-year-old Micocci said. "It was such a casual setting. There was an amazing sunset. It was very peaceful and the students really embraced us."

Women's colleges in the United States were founded mainly in the years following the Civil War to give equal opportunity to females excluded from the male-dominated world of higher education. And women's college students have been contributing to society since Vasser, the first all-women's school, opened its doors in 1865.

Despite the vast majority of colleges and universities becoming coeducational years ago, the 83 remaining women's schools remain an alternative for many students.

Wells College opened in 1868 with 10 faculty members and 34 students. The school was founded by Henry Wells, owner of the Wells Fargo company. The school now has an enrollment of 370.

 Compiled by David Wilcox

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SENECA FALLS  In the background, trash trucks climbed up and down the Seneca Meadows landfill on Route 414, emptying their loads of waste.

That backdrop was chosen deliberately by Seneca Lake Guardian for a recent press conference at Waterloo Container across the road from the landfill.

The group and its supporters were there to announce they are sending a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul with more than 1,000 signatures urging her to direct the state Department of Environmental Conservation to deny SMIs application for a modification to its permit to allow the deposit of waste in a 50-acre area within the existing footprint in the Tantalo portion.

If approved, the states largest landfill could take 6,000 tons of waste a day until 2040, despite a permit and a local law requiring the landfill to close by Dec. 31, 2025.

Steve Churchill, the only Democrat on the Seneca Falls Town Board, turned and pointed to the large mound with trucks moving around.

There are 200 to 400 of these trucks entering the landfill every day, he said. We are urging that this landfill be shut down when its current permit expires in 2025 and that the expansion request be denied. Its that simple. But it isnt that simple. Its complicated.

He said also complicating the issue is the fact that Seneca Falls is under the spell of the influence of easy money, making it unable to focus on the future.

Churchill said hes run election campaigns for county and town offices four times and spent a total of about $1,500.

The landfill has spent some $400,000 in the past several election cycles to get four elected officials who will support their wishes, he said, pointing to the boards recent decision to grant a town operating permit held up for two years for good reasons such as violations of town code.

We need Gov. Hochuls help. Im sure shell be asking for alternatives to the 6,000 tons of trash dumped here a day, Churchill said. But the answer is right in the states own Beyond Waste plan of 2010, which spells out a plan that has not been implemented.

The DEC itself is a complication. They started the mega-landfills by closing small ones in favor of several larger ones. The Finger Lakes have paid the price and had its future compromised. The burden has been placed on our children who have been sold out for a few dollars, he said. This community is torn by this landfill.

He said the letter asks that the landfill be closed at the agreed upon date of 2025 and expansion be denied.

Erica Paolicelli of Three Brothers Winery in Fayette, said the landfill is 11 miles from their business and they have seen it grow from there into a mountain.

Visitors to our winery often comment on the mountain of trash and the odors as they come to vacation in the Finger Lakes, getting off the Thruway, Paolicelli said The Finger Lakes have done their part for trash disposal for decades. Having it go on to 2040 or beyond is more than we can bear.

Tourism and a huge landfill cant co-exist. Allowing more trash for more years would be a step back. I urge Gov. Hochul, who has been a champion for the region, to keep doing it on this issue.

Rich Swinehart, CEO of Waterloo Container, said the only things that SMI attracts to the area are large trash trucks and sea gulls.

The Finger Lakes has done its part. We cant do this forever, he said, urging Hochul to do what the letter asks: Close the landfill in 2025 and deny the expansion.

Others joined the chorus in asking the governor to not yield from the 2025 closing, which corresponds to the end of its permit and the town local law, and to deny the 50-acre expansion. They included Geneva City Councilor Ken Camera, Michael Thomas of The Voice of the Finger Lakes and Joseph Campbell and Yvonne Taylor of Seneca Lake Guardian.

The letter states that failure to close SMI by 2025 will adversely and irreversibly impact the vibrant wine and tourism industry in the region, prevent sustainable businesses from retaining and recruiting employees, degrade the pastoral nature of the Finger Lakes and damage the vital natural resources residents rely on. It notes the landfill draws trash from all over the state, including New York City, and from four other states and Canada. It cites its closeness to bodies of water, local schools and tourist routes.

We call upon you, Gov. Hochul, to stop this unreasonable assault on our air and water in the Finger Lakes. Seneca Falls should be recognized as the birthplace of womens rights, not home of the largest landfill in the Northeast, it states.

SMI submitted an application to the DEC in July 2020 for a 50-acre expansion within the existing footprint of the 400-acre landfill, the states largest. SMI wants to use an in-fill area of the old Tantalo portion of the landfill to deposit waste. If approved, the life of the landfill would be extended by 15 years or until 2040. The application seems to disregard Local Law 3 of 2016, passed by the Town Board, calling for the landfill to close by Dec. 31, 2025. That is being challenged in court.

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General Motors does not have any plants in Russia, but it sells about 3,000 vehicles annually there and has limited supply-chain exposure.

Several automakers such as General Motors (GM) and Daimler Truck have suspended some business in Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine. As the former country attacked the latter, many firms have idled operations in Russia following Western sanctions against it.

GM has said it would suspend all vehicle exports to Russia until further notice. Though the carmaker does not have any plants in Russia, it sells about 3,000 vehicles annually there and has limited supply-chain exposure. "Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine at this time," the company said in a statement. "The loss of life is a tragedy and our overriding concern is for the safety of people in the region."

Harley too suspended its business in Russia as the bike maker relied on Europe and the Middle East for 31% of sales last year. It doesnt break out sales to Russia.

Volvo Cars has also suspended car shipments to the Russia until further notice, becoming the first international automaker to do so. The company justified its action stating that there are "potential risks associated with trading material with Russia, including the sanctions imposed by the EU and US." The carmaker exports vehicles to Russia from plants in Sweden, China and the US. It sold around 9,000 cars in Russia in 2021.

Volkswagen also temporarily suspended deliveries of cars to dealers in Russia until further notice. "Deliveries are to resume as soon as the effects of the sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States have been clarified," a company spokesperson said in a statement. The carmaker has also halted production for a few days at two of its German factories due to a delay in getting parts made in Ukraine. (Read full report here)

Mercedes-Benz Group is also looking into legal options to divest its 15% stake in Russian truck maker Kamaz as quickly as possible, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported. A company spokesperson said in a statement that business activities would have to be re-evaluated in light of the current events.

(with inputs from Reuters)

First Published Date:
Beijing (Gasgoo)- In the second month of 2022, Li Auto's monthly delivery volume more than tripled from a year ago, the auto startup reported on March 1st.





Photo credit: Li Auto

In February, Li Auto delivered 8,414 Li ONEs, representing a 265.8% jump from a year ago. The cumulative delivery volume of the Li ONE since delivery started amounted to 144,770 vehicles by the end of February.

However, the number dropped 31.42% compared to a month ago, when Li Auto managed to consecutively surpass the 10,000-vehicle mark, at 12,268 vehicles.

During the Chinese New Year, our users enjoyed range-anxiety-free and pleasant family time, thanks to Li ONE's range extension system that uses battery power for urban commuting and recharges during long-distance traveling. The combination of this system with the full-stack, self-developed NOA as part of Li ONEs standard configuration creates a safer and more convenient driving experience and offers superior suitability for long-distance family travel, said Shen Yanan, co-founder and president of Li Auto.

The company explained that the Chinese New Year holiday and scattered COVID cases in Suzhou caused a temporary supply crunch, tolling its production.

Additionally, the company reported that by the end of February, Li Auto holds 220 retail stores in 105 Chinese cities and 279 service centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops in 204 cities.


With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Didi continues service in Russia

Chinas ride-hailing platform, Didi, announced that the company would stay in Russia and continue to serve local drivers and passengers. Notably, on February 21st, the company made a public decision to withdraw from the Russian market starting March 4th due to poor business outcomes.

Photo credit: Didi



NIO sets up car maintenance subsidiary

On March 1st, Shanghai Shouwei Automobile Maintenance Service Co., Ltd. was registered with business scope including car wash and chauffeur services. The company is wholly owned by NIO, with a registered capital of RMB1 million, according to the corporate database, Qichacha.

Hongqi sees Jan.-Feb. sales surge 40% YoY

FAW Groups featured auto brand, Hongqi, managed to sell 63,800 vehicles in the first two months of 2022, indicating a 40% year-on-year surge.

ORA Ballet Cat rolls off production line

On March 1st, another Cat model of Great Wall Motors ORA brand, the Ballet Cat, rolled off the production line. The vehicle is reportedly starting presale in early March, priced from RMB200,000.

XPeng Feb. deliveries jump 180% YoY, driven by P7

Chinas EV maker, XPeng, saw its monthly delivery jump 180% year on year, with the P7 model making up for over half of the companys deliveries in February.

Li Auto sees Feb. deliveries soar over 260% YoY

In the second month of 2022, Li Auto's monthly delivery volume more than tripled from a year ago, the auto startup reported on March 1st.

NIO's vehicle deliveries in Feb. 2022 rise 9.9% YoY

NIO announced today its new vehicle deliveries stood at 6,131 units last month, growing 9.9% year on year.

Changan Auto eyes mass production of L4 autonomous vehicles by 2025

Changan Auto plans to realize scale production of L4 autonomous vehicles by the year 2025, the automaker disclosed on February 28th.

Leapmotor delivers 3,435 vehicles in Feb.

Chinas EV startup, Leapmotor, saw its monthly delivery volume soar over 400% year on year in February but more than halved from January 2022, the company reported on March 1st.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Changan Auto plans to realize scale production of L4 autonomous vehicles by the year 2025, the automaker disclosed on February 28th.

Photo credit: Changan Auto



In fact, Changan Autos plan is not so farfetched, as its autonomous driving scheme started a decade ago, in 2009.

In 2009, Changan Auto initiated an intelligent connected vehicle project, exploring the field from ADAS to autonomous driving. The project was able to introduce new technologies from time to time.

By the time of 2016, Changan Auto successfully completed a 2,000 km-long autonomous driving road test from Chongqing to Beijing. In August 2018, the automakers CS55 model, which was powered by its L3 autonomous driving technology, made its way through Hoh Xil.

In the same year, Changan Auto became the first Chinese company to publicly demonstrate its L4 autonomous driving achievements through commercial use experience.

In April 2020, Changan Auto started its L4 autonomous driving operation project, with RMB1 billion invested. The project has an estimated due date in 2025 and a designed annual production capacity of 500,000 sets of L1 to L4 intelligent driving products, realizing RMB4 billion of production value.

According to Changan Auto, its L4 autonomous products range from automated valet parking to Robotaxis.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On February 26th, Chery Holding and the provincial government of Anhui Province officially inaugurated their joint Anhui research institute of new energy vehicles and intelligent connected vehicles.

OMODA5; photo credit: Chery Holding



The research institute is of great importance to Chery Holdings intelligent and electric transportation, with a series of designated labs setting the foundation for Cherys own Nokia Bell Laboratory.

Positioned as technology development and public service platform, the research institute consists of an auto research center and an industrial incubator. The auto research center includes platform R&D, powertrain system R&D, autonomous driving test field, and Cherys Alkaid Lab.

According to Chery Holdings business strategy, the company aims to realize 100% new energy adoption and V2X usage by the end of the 14th five-year plan (2025). The automaker plans to build an intelligent battery-electric platform, a high-performance battery-electric platform commercial vehicle platform, and a hybrid platform.

As of now, Chery Holding has established an R&D network across the globe, with six R&D centers in Shanghai, Europe, and North America. Over the years, the company has filed for more than 23,000 patents, with 14,000 authorized so far.

Additionally, during the inauguration, Chery Holding showcased its global model, the OMODA5, and its mini-EV model, the Chery QQ Ice-cream, and released relevant technology achievements and procurement plans. The automaker also signed purchase contracts with two local suppliers.
LOS ANGELES  BongaCams, a popular webcam site, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and will pay models 100% of each token on March 12.

On the long-awaited site anniversary dayMarch 12, 2022there is a maximum payout percentage for all models and studios on BongaCams100% of each token.

In other words, all models going online on March 12, 2022 will have a unique chance to get 100% of each token earned on the websites anniversary day. There are no additional requirements: simply start streaming to get record-high earnings, the company said.

Campaign date & time: March 12, 00:00  23:59

Duration: 24 hours

Payout percentage: 100%

"Its vital to highlight that BongaCams runs frequent special campaigns for models, significantly increasing the payout percentage, however this time the festive campaign is impressive like never before: 100% of each token for all models and studios, no exceptions!" said a company rep.

The websites anniversary is meant to be "one of the brightest events of the year in the adult industry," according to BongaCams.

"Dont miss out on the spectacular anniversary of BongaCams, join the celebration on March 12 and be part of this incredible event..."
At a special meeting Monday morning, Flagstaff Unified School Districts (FUSD) board voted to encourage rather than require masks at district locations, including in transportation. The move was in response to the Feb. 25 update to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance that adjusted the metrics used to determine community transmission levels for COVID-19.

Those on district property may now choose to wear a mask at any time and to their comfort level, according to the motion, which specifies that those decisions should be supported and respected.

Masks will continue to be required at Leupp Elementary, as the Navajo Nations public health emergency order is still in effect.

FUSD has consistently aligned its COVID-19 health information with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and Coconino County indicators and thresholds based on guidance from the CDC, district superintendent Michael Penca said in the meeting. Improving health conditions, the individual and collective efforts to keep each other safe and this new guidance allow us an opportunity to be agile with its new mitigation strategies.

The board voted 3-2 to approve the motion, with the same division as last weeks meeting (board president Carol Haden and members Anne Dunno and Carole Gilmore for and members Christine Fredericks and Dorothy Denetsosie Gishie against).

I am still concerned in particular that we've not heard any definitive information from the reservation, Fredericks said. ...About all I can say is Im torn. I understand that weve agreed to go with the CDC recommendations, but we still have neighbors who are doing things a little differently.

The requirement is not set to go back into effect should the county move to a high transmission level, though masks will be recommended. Penca said this is in part to honor the boards previous action, which set an end date of March 21, regardless of transmission and in part because it would be unmanageable to base district policy on the countys weekly updates.

Doing so would present challenges for us to implement and manage, Penca said. ...Its, I believe, unmanageable, puts our staff in a very difficult and sometimes unsafe situation.

Penca said at the meeting that FUSD would communicate this change to families, students and staff as soon as possible. Communications over the weekend had asked for patience and kindness while were in this transition, he said.

The board had set an end date of March 21 for its mask requirement at its Feb. 22 meeting, with the potential for it to end earlier, should the district move into the moderate or low transmission levels. Coconino Countys schools report released Friday morning showed FUSD had a high case rate (156 per 100,000) and a substantial positivity yield (8.6%), with both decreasing from the previous week.

According to the new metrics, Coconino County currently has a medium transmission level.

Coconino County plans to follow the updated CDC guidance, including changing its reporting, according to its Health and Human Services Department's (CCHHS) announcement of the change.

The new system focuses on meaningful consequences such as hospitalizations, severe illness and deaths, CCCHS director Kim Musselman said. It also aligns recommendations for schools with other community settings.

It is important that we adjust our approach to COVID-19 as the situation changes, Musselman said in the announcement. More people are vaccinated now and COVID-19 cases are declining. It makes sense to modify the metrics based on the current circumstances. ...This is an exciting moment in our battle against COVID-19, but we will remain vigilant and nimble, should the circumstances change.

The recommended guidelines for counties at the medium level are to stay up-to-date with vaccines (including boosters), get tested when symptomatic and for those at high risk for severe illness to consult a healthcare provider about precautions, including masking.

The new guidance uses three metrics to determine transmission: the rate of cases and hospitalizations and the percentage of staffed in-patient beds occupied by COVID patients. All are measured on a weekly basis and the overall transmission level can be either high, medium or low.

Counties that have low or medium transmission levels can consider going without masks in public indoor settings, according to Coconino Countys announcement of this update, although ...people with symptoms, a positive test or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask regardless of community level. Masks are recommended for areas at the high transmission level.

I think this is a big change for a lot of people, or will be, and I would very much like to know that schools have even more avenues to report if they wish to. I would feel better if there was support everywhere throughout the community, Gilmore said.

Penca said bullying, harassment or intimidation related to masking would be handled according to district policy.

We want that to be reported and that would be followed up on, he said. ...We want to respect the choices of individuals to either wear a mask or not wear a mask, thats expected.

The individual and collective mitigation efforts which have contributed to the improving COVID-19 health conditions in our local communities are commendable and this is a good step that we have been working towards, Penca said. FUSD continues to encourage all members of our school community to participate in free COVID-19 vaccines and testing opportunities and, while this is an exciting moment of this pandemic, to maintain self-care and remain agile in case circumstances change.

FUSD has said it plans to update its mitigation plan and metrics in its next board meeting, which is scheduled for March 8.

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A Republican state senator fawned over the leader of a white nationalist movement on Friday and told his followers that she fantasizes about hanging her perceived enemies from gallows.

Ive said we need to build more gallows. If we try some of these high-level criminals, convict them and use a newly built set of gallows, itll make an example of these traitors who have betrayed our country, Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, said Feb. 25 in her speech to the white nationalist America First Political Action Conference in Florida.

Rogers told the white nationalists who were assembled in the ballroom at the Orlando World Center Marriott that they were patriots.

She addressed the AFPAC crowd remotely, speaking from Arizona, where she said she was busy pushing legislation. Rogers effusively praised Nick Fuentes, the events racist organizer, who she said had been de-platformed everywhere because he says things that upset the media and the far left.

I truly respect Nick because hes the most persecuted man in America, she said to loud cheers, adding later that he was standing up to tyranny by creating AFPAC.

Fuentes, an advocate of turning America into a nation only for white Christians, is one of the leaders of the so-called groyper movement  along with the founder of American Identity Movement, a white nationalist group formerly known as Identity Ervopa  and Rogers is one of its emerging icons. The groyper movement is a collection of white nationalists who seek to normalize racism and make it a part of mainstream conservative political ideology.

AFPAC opened with Fuentes soliciting a round of applause from the crowd for Russias invasion of Ukraine. The white nationalists chanted in response, Putin! Putin! Putin!

In his closing speech, Fuentes said the United States is the evil empire in the world.

Now, theyre going and saying, Vladimir Putin is Adolf Hitler, as if that isnt a good thing, he said, before chuckling and adding, Oops, I shouldnt have said that.

Rogers lamented that there was no longer freedom of speech, and said we cant even laugh at comedy any more for fear of being banned from social media platforms. (The First Amendment protects people from being punished by the government for their speech, but it does not apply to businesses or exempt people from facing consequences for their speech.) She pined for the 1980s and 1990s, when we could say the craziest stuff and people would just laugh and not take offense, because it was simply light-hearted.

Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar, a Republican from Prescott, gave a brief video address, a far cry from last year, when he was the featured speaker.

Arizona Republicans were largely silent about Rogers speaking to the white nationalist conference. But state Sen. Paul Boyer, a Glendale Republican, blasted Rogers for pushing race superiority and political violence.

Youre not a victim @WendyRogersAZ so quit pretending to be one. And stop using Christianity to justify race superiority and executing your political opponents, he wrote on Twitter.

Boyer did not return a message seeking comment.

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The US claims that it wants peace and prosperity. But everywhere its influence expands to, chaos seems to be the only outcome.



The outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, at its core, is the inability for Russia to compromise any more of its geopolitical security. The eastward expansion of NATO, in breaching a promise made by the United States to Russia at the end of the Cold War, has given American military forces a clear path to Russia's doorsteps if America chooses. By the third decades of the 21st century, Russia's largest military rival has eliminated any semblance of respect toward Russia's geopolitical interests.



For the Russians, Ukraine is the bottom line. America and NATO's not-so-subtle attempts to get Ukraine under its umbrella crossed the Rubicon.

What can't be understated is that America is copying the playbook in another part of the world  the Indo-Pacific  against another one of its strategic competitor  China. Although the circumstances are vastly different, but the West has been stepping up its geopolitical stranglehold around China.

The recent two administrations in the United States have invested considerable effort into strengthening regional military alliances in the Indo-Pacific. The Trump administration oversaw the tightening of relationships between United States and India, laying the foundation for the materialization of the Quad. Then, under Joe Biden's reign, AUKUS became a linchpin of US' military projection in the Pacific Ocean. The Five Eyes alliance, the Quad and AUKUS are now the center of US' geopolitical construct aimed at keeping China in check.



And just as NATO kept nibbling at Ukraine, the US and the mini-NATO in Asia keeps nagging China on its core interests. In the South China Sea, the alliances have been stepping up their naval presence. Alliances like AUKUS has opened the door for the West's deployment of more vessels like nuclear-powered submarines around China.



What America and the West is doing to China very much follows a similar script of being politically and rhetorically provocative while dangling with the possibility of military confrontation. Ukraine has blown up because the United States has squeezed its competitor's geopolitical maneuverability too far. Shouldn't the United States start to think about the danger and negative consequences of tap-dancing on other nation's interests?



The world has spent decades talking about the US hegemony, the liberal world order and the economic development it has brought. But, as Ukraine crisis goes on, it is time to start talking about how that hegemony has fed the insatiable appetite of US' geopolitical objectives. US, as a superpower, may have facilitated the growth of world economy, but it hasn't given freedom for nations to fulfill their own national interests. Its much taunted "liberalism" isn't freedom, it's commercial.



Ukraine is becoming the victim of decades-long of US' unrestrained expansion of its influence. Let's hope that no one else would fall to the same victimhood again.

Source:CGTN
Signs beckoning employees to apply now are as common on restaurant and retail storefronts as advertisements for their daily specials or seasonal shopping offers.

Across the United States, and in Beatrice, those signs seem like permanent decorations. Theyre the visible bruises of an economy lacking in labor. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the labor force in Gage County has dropped by nearly 500, from 10,969 in March of 2020 to 10,502 in December 2021, according to data from the Nebraska Department of Labor.

Many economists have taken to calling this national economic trend the Great Resignation or the Great Reshuffle. In most places, it manifests as staffing shortages.

Karen Stohs, regional manager for the Department of Labor office in the 13 county southeast Nebraska area, said signs are showing that about half of the labor force the state lost will return between 2022-2023.

But still, our labor force participation as a whole is down, Stohs said. And thats because of the pandemic, early retirement and people just figuring out how to live differently. Maybe they just live on one income and make adjustments to the style of their living. You see those one income families, where maybe the other parent stays home with their children, and maybe theyll go back into the workforce at a later time.

While the issue affected most aspects of the economy, Stohs said some industries took it harder than others.

The food and hospitality industries are probably the biggest that have lost workers, she said. Thats probably due to the type of demands on the individuals with those working hours and the type of work they have to do.

Beatrice Mayor Stan Wirth said the labor shortage is taking its toll on the local economy, especially in the industries Stohs mentioned.

The shortage has shown itself most acutely in the services sector, where numerous businesses in our community have had to cut back hours and even close locations temporarily just because of the lack of workers, he said. We have jobs everywhere. Workers, not so much As we move forward, how we try to make modifications, how we try to accommodate for serving the public is going to be a challenge. Its a very difficult situation for employers.

Wirth said childcare presents a challenge for some parents wanting to get back into the labor force. He tossed around an idea of the City helping to subsidize childcare for certain families.

Wirth also said stimulus checks and increased unemployment benefits contributed to the problem.

But even when those checks stopped coming, workers didnt race back into the workforce. Stohs said she and her staff help businesses work through the ongoing workforce crisis.

Any company, any business thats willing to listen, well talk with them about what theyre willing to do to retain their current workforce, she said. Were helping them to look at how an employee can grow in the company.

Private companies arent the only places crunching to make due with smaller staffs. Jason Alexander, Beatrice Public Schools superintendent, said the district has many open positions, especially those in kitchen, custodial and para work.

Alexander said, for public employers, the problems will likely get worse before they get better.

Were heading for a situation where the private industry is able to out-compete publicly funded entities because of the wage-per-hour were able to pay versus what private industries can pay, Alexander said. At some point, the gap is going to get so wide, and were going to find ourselves in a very difficult situation.

Though, Alexander said there are still plenty of advantages to working in the school system, including hours and time off.

The work schedule itself is probably more conducive to the family, he said.

In the long run, Stohs said Beatrice has the chance to buck the trend by making itself more appealing to potential residents and workers. In 2019, according to U.S. Census data, 4,795 residents of Gage County commuted outside of the county for their jobs. 3,761 residents worked inside the county, and 2,326 commuted from other counties to Gage County for work.

We really need to look at what other areas are doing to draw individuals into their communities and think about what we as a county and a community can do, Stohs said.

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Another candidate has thrown his hat in the race for the Beatrice City Council Ward 3 spot.

Paul Fanning came to Nebraska from Wisconsin 10 years ago. He went from shepherding a flock as a pastor in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod to working as law enforcement officer for the Lancaster County Jail.

Its not as big of a change as people think it is, he said. Really, in many ways, if you do the professions right, theres a lot of similarity. A lot of it involves community with people, understanding people.

Fanning moved to Beatrice in 2018 and assumed a position as an officer on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department.

Fanning said he became interested in local politics when Beatrice put a mask mandate in place in 2020.

It wasnt until the pandemic that I started paying close attention to local government, he said. The Beatrice Board of Health put in a city-wide masks mandate. I found that that mandate as it was initially worded was very inflexible to the point where it was not realistic and it infringed on Constitutional freedoms and individual rights.

Fanning said he and other community members approached the City government to adjust the wording. He said national and local government response to the pandemic was overblown since he said the pandemic, which has killed nearly 1 million people in the U.S., is largely not fatal.

Fanning said he wants to advocate for individual freedom and reduce the scope of the government, especially as it pertains to regulations. Fanning said the Council can go too far in its regulations, citing the proposed ordinance on food trucks.

So I would want to see is the Council not making it harder on those smaller businesses, he said. I dont think we should be imposing fees and permits and regulations that are going to be a disincentive to people who want to start up businesses.

Fanning said he sees utility in regulating food trucks in public areas; he said he was opposed to the original draft of the ordinance, which was broader in its reach than the current proposed ordinance

Fanning said he loves the community of Beatrice, and he wants to see it grow.

What I would like to see in Beatrice is Id like to see our City Council do things to encourage more businesses to move into Beatrice and start up so we can improve the conditions in our city, he said. I mean, if you drive through Beatrice, you see all kinds of empty storefronts, places where businesses used to be. I think thats kind of sad. We dont see a lot of new businesses getting started in the Beatrice area. But I think this really would be a great place for a lot of businesses to get started up Its only natural for Beatrice to be a hub in the area.

Since there are two other candidates running from Ward 3, Caleb Sabatka and current City Council President Mike McLain, their names will appear on the spring primary ballot. The top two vote-getters will advance to the November election.

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A shooting put at least one man in the hospital, and left a portion of South 32nd Street cordoned off by police early Tuesday afternoon.

Officers responded to the scene at Fourth Avenue South and 32nd around 1 p.m. As of 3:15, no arrests have been made in connection to the shooting.

Emergency personnel found a 37-year-old man on the 400 block of South 32nd Street, who was promptly taken to a Billings hospital, according to a social media post from the Billings Police Department. Along with Billings Police and American Medical Response, Yellowstone County Sheriff's deputies also responded to what became an area buzzing with police activity.

Within an hour, the entire block of 32nd between Fourth Avenue South and Fifth Avenue South was taped off by police. Investigators also fanned out around the neighborhood, searching alleyways and speaking with residents. By 2:30, the BPD crime scene investigation van was parked on 32nd to assist officers.

A few blocks away along Fourth Avenue South, investigators were photographing bits of debris and inspecting a wrecked sedan. The Ford was left in the alleyway between 36th and 37th streets on the South Side.

Police are asking residents to avoid the area while the investigation continues.

Tuesday's shooting is the third report in which violence has led to a hospitalization on the South Side in just as many weeks. A man was taken to the hospital with stab wounds Feb. 19. A Billings man was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon. This past weekend, a South Side stabbing left a man hospitalized as well. Police are still investigating the incident.

The shooting also comes on the day police Chief Rich St. John was due to speak with the public about recent crime trends, police behavior, increases in violence and other topics facing Billings police as of late.

Violence has claimed the lives of five people in Billings so far this year, more than halfway toward equaling last year's nine reported homicides. Investigations are still ongoing into the shooting deaths of four people, two of whom were teenage boys. A BPD officer shot and killed a man in mid February who brandished a weapon that turned out to be a pellet gun. Officer Brett Hilde did not have his body cam activated at the time of the shooting, but police say the man pointed the pellet gun at multiple passersby and Hilde himself before the officer fired eight times, killing the man.

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A Big Sky High School student was arrested Friday after allegedly making a credible threat of school violence on social media.

The student  Parker Abbott, 18  told police he was inspired by the Sandy Hook school shooter.

An on-site school resource officer received information about Abbott's threat, which was made on Instagram and had been intercepted by the FBI, according to charging documents filed Monday in Missoula County.

Law enforcement initially thought the threat came from the Billings area because of the IP address, but was able to determine that Abbott was the suspect.

The resource officer alerted administration about the threats and subsequently made contact with Abbott  he granted the officer permission to search his backpack and car without a warrant, court documents said. Two notebooks and a crumpled piece of paper were found, which referenced suicidal thoughts and the recent arrest of four people on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, in which 12 students and one teacher were murdered.

Detectives arrived on the scene to assist. They reviewed the Instagram messages, in which Abbott used the handle "adamsrottenflesh." Another person in the chat asked Abbott if he was inspired by mass shooters, to which Abbott replied, "Yeah, mainly Adam Lanza."

Lanza was the shooter in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, in which 26 people were killed, 20 of whom were children. Abbott exhibited an obsession with Lanza, including purchasing the same shoes Lanza owned. Abbott was wearing those the day he was arrested.

He also talked in the chat about how he has access to his father's firearm.

In a chat on Feb. 22, another user asked Abbott why he related to Lanza  Abbott replied because of social anxiety and isolation. He mentioned a hatred for people and talked about wanting to hurt them.

In his messages, Abbott allegedly said "I was so close to going on a rampage" ... "I had all of my dad's guns and stuff and I was f----- ready" ... "I haven't been as open about my homicidal thoughts."

In another message, Abbott said, "It's like hell yea ill show u a school shooter hahah." There were also photos of him posing with a firearm.

When interviewed by detectives, Abbott admitted to naming his Instagram handle after the Sandy Hook shooter. He also admitted to typing the concerning messages on Feb. 22, being inspired by Lanza, buying his shoes and posting photos with a semi-automatic firearm on his Instagram account.

He denied planning to kill anyone and said he had never taken the gun outside of his house or pointed it at anyone.

Abbott is charged with one felony count of intimidation. He is being held at Providence St. Patrick Hospital for evaluation, and a $250,000 warrant was requested by the Missoula County Attorney's Office "to ensure community safety and provide adequate time to develop a comprehensive release plan that will address the significant mental health issues at play in this case," charging documents said.

Missoula County Public Schools and the Missoula Police Department waited three days to say anything about Abbott's arrest. Both issued news releases Monday afternoon.

The police news release said there is no threat to public safety and no information to indicate if anyone else was involved.

The MCPS release, sent shortly after the police version, reminded students, families and staff that they take all threats of school violence with extreme seriousness.

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Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen on Monday announced a civil investigation into social media giant TikTok for potential violations of the state consumer protection act.

Knudsen said in a press release Monday the investigation seeks to answer questions about whether the social media company is intentionally distributing a dangerous product without adequate warning.

"This is a critical investigation to protect Montana children and assist Montana parents," Knudsen said, citing reports of the platform being used by drug cartels, sexual predators, pornography distributors and inciting troubling behavior by teens.

"Montana is happy to take the lead at looking into potential violations of state law by this Chinese social media goliath to help parents keep their children safe online and crack down on platforms which potentially misrepresent their safety features for financial gain," Knudsen said.

Monday's announcement comes less than two weeks after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his office would investigate TikTok for potentially facilitating human trafficking and child privacy violations.

According to the press release, Knudsen's decision to probe the company was predicated by examples of the company potentially misleading Montanans about the safety of the product for children, citing a report in the Wall Street Journal headlined, "How TikTok Serves Up Sex and Drug Videos to Minors."

Earlier this month TikToks head of trust and safety Cormac Keenan touted steps the company has taken including expansion of a system that detects and removes problematic content at upload. That includes adult nudity, minor safety and illegal activities.

We've made significant strides to improve our policies and enforcement, including our efficacy, speed, and consistency, though we recognize there's no finish line when it comes to keeping people safe, Keenan wrote. We're driven by our passion to help everyone have a good and enriching experience on TikTok.

Knudsen alleges schools have been vandalized and forced to ratchet up security due to trends and threats on TikTok.

The 44-page document signed by the state's top Department of Justice officials includes 80 separate requests for information, such as reasoning for its self-assigned ratings on smart phone app stores, what "industry-first steps" the company claims to have made to create a safe and age-appropriate experience for teens and what changes it recently made to its algorithm in July 2021. The letter also includes 56 separate document requests for TikTok, including "any and all documents related to the efficacy of TikTok's age verification," and "any and all documents related to how the TikTok algorithm chooses what content to promote in a users For You Feed."

The "first civil investigative demand," first reported Monday by Fox Business, requests the company furnish the information by March 28 or face penalties under Montana law.

The Montana Legislature last year briefly considered a bill that would have hired more than two dozen new staffers to the Public Service Commission to police social media. That bill, Senate Bill 391, was the response by Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, to social media companies "de-platforming" conservatives. Indeed, Twitter and Facebook revoked former President Donald Trump's accounts after the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol based on his false remarks about the 2020 election.

Lawmakers also tabled a bill from Rep. Brad Tschida, R-Missoula, that would have forced internet providers to give consumers an option to opt in or out of receiving hard-core pornography.

In mid-February, Knudsen announced a separate investigation into GoFundMe, a crowdfunding site that said in January it would redirect donations meant to sustain protesters demonstrating against vaccine mandates in Canada. A spokesperson for Knudsen said the attorney general took up the matter after hearing from "concerned Montanans," although no victims in Montana had been reported.

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North Dakota began the third year of the coronavirus pandemic with 1,060 active cases of COVID-19, not much change from a year ago despite the widespread availability of vaccines over the past 12 months.

The pandemic began in March 2020, and the state saw its first spike in cases late that year before the availability of vaccines. The state made vaccines available to the general public on March 29, 2021 -- when active cases were at 1,142, according to state data.

Active cases dropped below 1,000 in early May last year and stayed there through mid-August, when the highly contagious delta variant gripped the state and caused another late-year case spike that continued into the new year after the omicron variant supplanted delta. That wave has now waned, with active COVID-19 cases dropping steadily from a pandemic high of 11,991 reported Jan. 22.

The fact that active cases in North Dakota are roughly where they were at the time vaccines became widely available is likely due to several factors: The easy spread of delta and omicron, more than 51,000 "breakthrough" cases of COVID-19 in vaccinated people, and vaccine hesitancy. The state continues to have one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Agency data shows 65.2% of adults in North Dakota being fully vaccinated. The rate for all vaccine-eligible people in the state -- age 5 and older -- is 58.6%. The national averages are 75% and 69%, respectively. The CDC also recommends COVID-19 booster shots for people ages 12 and older. In North Dakota, 41.5% of people in that age group have received a booster. The national rate is 45.3%.

More daily data

The state Health Department's coronavirus dashboard on Tuesday showed 162 new virus cases, a daily positivity rate of 4.03%, and a 14-day rolling test positivity rate of 5.47%. That rate has been moving steadily toward the state target of less than 5% for the past five weeks, after it topped out at a reported 19.69%.

COVID-19 hospitalizations were unchanged from Monday, at 68. The most recent state data showed about 13% of staffed inpatient hospital beds available statewide and about 15.5% of intensive care unit beds open. In Bismarck, CHI St. Alexius Health had 11 open general care beds and five available ICU beds; Sanford Health had two inpatient beds and two ICU beds.

Two new virus-related deaths were confirmed statewide. The state no longer publicly reports the county, sex and age range of newly confirmed deaths. The dashboard death total for Morton County increased by one, to 142; Burleigh County's total was unchanged, at 299. State-leading Cass County, home to Fargo, saw its total rise by one, to 327.

There have been 238,207 confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Dakota during the pandemic, with 234,953 recoveries, 7,810 hospitalizations and 2,194 deaths.

The state case data includes only clinically verified tests. Results of in-home tests that recently became widely available are not required to be reported to the state and are thus not included in the totals.

Pandemic records are based off the Health Department's daily reports. The agency often revises data on its dashboard later based on updated information.

More information

People can go to https://www.ndvax.org or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available near them. A list of free COVID-19 testing offered by local public health units is at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. That site also lists where free at-home test kits are being offered. For more detailed information on coronavirus in North Dakota, go to www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus. For more information on coronavirus variants, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html.

Reach Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

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Bismarck City Commissioner Mark Splonskowski is running for Burleigh County auditor/treasurer.

Splonskowski has worked for the county tax equalization department since 2014. He was elected to the City Commission in 2020. If elected county auditor, he intends to continue serving on the city board. His term ends in 2024.

"I desire to use the knowledge and experience I have gained at Burleigh County, as well as the time I have spent on the City Commission, to work for the people on the county level," Splonskowski said.

There is no statute in North Dakota Century Code that addresses a person holding two elected offices, North Dakota Association of Counties attorney Aaron Birst said. State Supreme Court cases and attorney general opinions have fleshed out the issue, and the principle is that someone cannot hold two positions in government if the offices are "incompatible," he said.

Incompatibility exists when performing the duties of one office interferes with performing the duties of the other, Birst said. He added that the attorney general has said it is a case-by-case analysis.

Splonskowski grew up near Lake Park, Minnesota, and moved to Bismarck in 2013 to marry his wife, Alexandria. They have two children.

Current Auditor Leo Vetter is not seeking reelection. He did not elaborate on his reasoning. Vetter was elected in 2020 to fill out the rest of former auditor Kevin Glatt's term. Glatt resigned in October 2019 without offering a reason.

No one else has publicly announced a bid for auditor.

Reach Sam Nelson at 701-250-8264 or sam.nelson@bismarcktribune.com.

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On Tuesday night, President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union speech. He might want to consider some advice from two political analysts who have a track record of success.

In 1989, William Galston (my esteemed colleague on the "Beg to Differ" podcast) and Elaine Kamarck, both of the Brookings Institution, looked at the state of the Democratic Party and offered some tough love. Their party had just lost its third consecutive presidential election. Many Democrats were self-soothing by pointing to the flaws of their 1988 nominee, Michael Dukakis ("slightly less animation and personality than the Shroud of Turin," according to one pundit), but few seemed able to confront the uncomfortable truth that Galston and Kamarck delivered, namely that Democrats were out of touch with most Americans.

Galston and Kamarck are offering Biden and today's Democratic party new advice about appealing to a broader swath of the electorate, but this time, they are writing with more urgency. They recommended a course correction in 1989, they write, because they feared for the future of liberalism. Today, the stakes are far higher, as the GOP is led by someone who attempted to overthrow a free and fair election.

Democrats are in the grip of several self-defeating myths. One is that turnout is their friend. It isn't. The Democrats did a fantastic job boosting turnout in 2020 -- but so did the Republicans. Trump earned 11 million more votes in 2020 than he did in 2016. In Virginia's 2021 election, high turnout favored the Republican.

Another myth is that "people of color" will deliver victories to Democrats very soon. White voters, Democrats have been telling themselves, will be subsumed in a new "rising American electorate" populated mostly by people of color. As Galston and Kamarck note, Hispanics have been trending away from the Democrats quite markedly. "Nationally, support for Democratic presidential candidates fell from 71% in 2012 to 66% in 2016 and 59% in 2020 among Hispanic voters." As CNN reported, in 2020 Trump performed 10 points better in Texas counties where Latinos comprise a large majority than he did in 2016.

The term "Hispanic" is so broad as to subtract from understanding. Voters who trace their ancestry to Mexico or Puerto Rico have quite different views from those who fled from Venezuela or Cuba, for example. And their experience here is very different as well. Galston and Kamarck note that only 12% of African American voters believe police misconduct to be a matter of isolated incidents, contrasted with 40% of Hispanics. And "by 43 to 18%, Hispanics oppose teaching CRT in public schools, while African Americans favor including it, 43 to 20%." As Ruy Teixeira warns, the trend among Asian voters (the fastest-growing minority) is also worrying for Democrats.

More cold water: The electorate, however tinted, is not becoming more progressive. Conservatives and moderates outnumber liberals and progressives. Only 9% of voters say they approve of the policies of Sen. Bernie Sanders or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On no issue is this myth more damaging to Democrats than on crime and policing. Kamarck and Galston quote Rep. Jim Clyburn to the effect that the "defund the police" slogan probably cost the Democrats 12 congressional seats in 2020. Even among African Americans, the group most likely to hold critical views of policing, shrinking police forces or cutting funding (as opposed to reform) is unpopular. In Minneapolis, an initiative to replace the police force with a "department of community safety and violence prevention" was defeated in 2021. Among African Americans, 75% were opposed.

The authors argue that we are both extremely polarized and closely divided. Our national elections are determined by tiny margins in key states, and that means, yes, the party should tack to the center. How did Biden win? By gaining votes among certain key constituencies. He earned 48% of the male vote, up from Hillary Clinton's 41%, including 31% of white working-class men, which improved on Clinton's anemic 23%. "Biden moved five crucial states from the Republican to the Democratic column by making large gains among swing voters in the heart of the electorate, especially moderates and independents."

Those moderates and independents are the very voters Democrats are losing today. Between March of 2021 and January of 2022, Biden lost 22 points among moderates and 21 among independents.

Galston and Kamarck join a growing chorus of realist Democrats, including James Carville, David Shor, Ruy Teixeira and Stan Greenberg, who are begging the party to disabuse itself before it's too late. These are not conservatives, far less Republicans. They are simply people who have excellent advice for those not too blinkered to receive it. There is still time for a course correction, if only just.

Mona Charen is a syndicated columnist.

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If it had not been for the railroads, I would never have gotten beyond the first chapter of Atlas Shrugged. Having had a vague idea of what Ayn Rand believed in, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story depended so heavily on the Iron Horse (given that most libertarians view trains as collectivist and bad and cars as admirable chariots of liberty). For I love trains and everything to do with them, and the starring role of the Taggart train empire, with its shining rails, made of greenish Rearden metal, fascinated me even when the smoking and the arrogance repelled me. I have absolutely no desire to read it again, though parts of it squat in my memory, resisting all attempts to evict them.

Ayn Rands plot and unsubtle message were so relentless that reading the book, the essence of her Objectivist philosophy, was much like being struck repeatedly over the head with a rolled up copy of, say, Foreign Affairs, annoying but not bad enough to cause actual pain or loss of consciousness. As for the worship of self-will, I can always see the point of that, even if I have technically rejected it as a way of life. Yet it has its limits and should not in my view be equated with independence of mind. I am myself very arrogant, and could once have qualified for my countrys Olympic Arrogance team, but even I found the Chilean copper magnate Francisco DAnconia a bit much to take. In fact my heart sank every time he appeared in the narrative. I am ashamed to confess that I may have found myself wishing he would take one of his very high dives into some very shallow water. If this was the ideal person, then his world was not mine.

In fact it was DAnconia, along with the annoying pirate Ragnar Danneskjold, who most thoroughly put me off the Randian vision. The banker Midas Mulligan was a banal cliche who could be met in a smaller form at any Rotary Club lunch (I had to attend these as a young reporter, so I know). But DAnconia and Danneskjold were more ambitious characters, outrageous but intended to be ultimately admirable. I imagined Danneskjold as an impossibly smug sort of Scandinavian, one of those insufferable Social Democrat statesmen, only with a battleship. So I wished patriotically that the Navy of the Peoples State of England, still preserving its fine traditions, would catch up with him and take, sink, burn, or destroy him, as its standing orders require.

As for who John Galt was, I had ceased to care long before I found out. My copy of Atlas Shrugged, purchased before Miss Rand was well known in Britain, was a frayed paperback picked up in a used-book store. It showed signs of having been very much used by its owner, an undoubted enthusiast. If I had not known that Miss Rand was a cult before then, I should certainly have known it after experiencing his underlinings and marginal notes. I had some strong suspicions about Dagny Taggart, too, and the famous moment where Rand observes that the diamond band on the wrist of her naked arm gave her the most feminine of all aspects: the look of being chained made me pause for breath a bit. Was this, in fact, true about femininity and had I just missed it in a largely repressed and suburban life? Or had the author lifted the corner of a curtain concealing who knows what seething desires? I felt I had no sure way of knowing, though I strongly suspected the second was the case.

Goodness, all this and railroads, too. What sort of author was this? What revelation was next? Had I wandered by accident into the sort of story I normally shy away from? In fact, I do not think the rest of the book really lived up to the sinister promise of this passage, though if it had, as we shall see, maybe Objectivism, which posited the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute, would be a large and living creed.

Then again, when was all this supposed to be happening? Was it a potential future or a narrowly avoided past? I rather liked the thrillerish darkness of the landscape and the feeling of impending disaster, a little like the two great Brueghel paintings of the Tower of Babel. I had the impression that much of its action was conducted after sundown, even when it wasnt. And I enjoyed the sheer doominess of a world in which the USA was fast descending into collectivism.

I was not quite so pleased to learn that my own country had already become a Peoples State, a fate apparently so routine and commonplace that Rand could not be bothered to explain how the extinction of a thousand years of history had come about. England in those days was still a tough old goose, and might not have been quite such a pushover for the Communists as FDRs New Deal America undoubtedly was. I suspected that, had I been able to ask the author for an explanation, Britains Sovietization would have been the fault of people like me, bleating Episcopalians beguiled by the Sermon on the Mount into lowering our guard against the collectivist enemy and all those moochers. I say people like me but I have a feeling that Rands book quite possibly helped turn me into just such a bleating Episcopalian by making the Objectivist alternative appear so deeply unattractive, spiteful, and cold. English conservatism is not like its American cousin. Its origins are in Church and King, and if we can easily work out why Charles I lost at Naseby, and even see some merit in Cromwell and the Ironsides, we tend to take the view of W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman in that forgotten classic 1066 and All That: Any well-organized, rigidly rational cause may possibly be right, but it is also repulsive.

Ayn Rands big mistake was to leave sex, drugs, and rock n roll out of her Objectivist vision, which appears to be hanging on only among a coterie of cultists. I agree that the diamond bracelet reference hints at a faintly kinky, sexually liberated tendency that might have been best kept under wraps in 1957. But when the western world was invaded by a wholly selfish, wholly rational, wholly objective system of belief just a decade later, it was a lot more interested in bed and dope than it was in banking or commerce. And who needs a strike against the old ways when everyone has been led away from the former paths of life and duty by the Pied Pipers of Rock? Selfishness is indeed a very powerful gospel, which is why in recent years it has reached up to try to destroy God himself, recognizing Him as its most profound enemy (just as I think Miss Rand did). But its watchword turned out to be I Cant Get No Satisfaction rather than Who is John Galt?
Boing Boing pal, inspiring inventor, and creative technologist extraordinaire Mitch Altman shares wonderful news that the legendary hacker gathering Hackers on Planet Earth will convene again on July 22 in New York City!

A New HOPE (Hackers On Planet Earth) conference  Call for Participation now open, and Tickets now available

A New HOPE is the live and in-person 2022 version of the Hackers On Planet Earth conference, which has been happening in New York City every two years since 1994. This summer will be the best HOPE yet!

Please join us at our new venue: St. John's University in Queens, New York

July 22  July 24, 2022.

https://www.hope.net/

We've all been through a lot these past two years. Let's get together to share, learn, grow and transform through our diverse and wonderful hacker community.

A New HOPE this year will feature talks, panels, workshops, music performances, villages, art, demos, ham radio  plus 2,000 geeks of all sorts. Topics cover lots of ground  from tech and computers to society and politics to art and music to serious to humorous  anything that has a place in our lives in the geek and hacker community. Total beginners through seasoned experts.

Tickets are now available!

https://store.2600.com/products/tickets-to-a-new-hope

Everyone is welcome!

Our Call for Participation is now open! If you have a project or topic you would like to share, please send us your proposal. We want to hear from you.

https://www.hope.net/cfp.html

It is totally fine if this is your first time. It is also totally fine if you are a skilled virtuoso.

A few of the many keynote talks from past HOPE conferences include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Chelsea Manning who famously shared classified U.S. military documents with WikiLeaks, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, and Edward Snowden.

We look forward to being together this summer at A New HOPE.
In an embarrassing flub, a Russian state-owned news outlet accidentally ran a pre-prepared article saying Russia defeated Ukraine.

"Ukraine has returned to Russia," the article, published by news agency RIA Novosti, said, even though the two countries are still fighting.

The article went on to say that although Ukraine would not necessarily "be liquidated," it would be "reorganized, re-established and returned to its natural state of part of the Russian world.  The West sees the return of Russia to its historical borders in Europe. And he is highly indignant at this, although in the depths of his soul he must admit to himself that it could not be otherwise."

Although the news agency quickly deleted it, according to The Scotsman, they weren't quick enough. Pakistan's Frontier Post got a hold of it and translated it into English, which has been posted on Twitter by Daily Beast columnist Julia Davis:

Embarrassing and revealing: Russia's state media prematurely published an article announcing the Kremlin's victory over Ukraine and prematurely celebrating "the return of Russia to its historical borders in Europe." https://t.co/ZprQYiHaDQ pic.twitter.com/INYWkzEVsb  Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) February 28, 2022

And according to Insider:
According to official New York City records obtained by Patch, there were nearly 300 calls made to the city's 311 hotline in the last twelve months by residents complaining about their neighbors' noisy sex. According to the records, Queens had 103 complaints followed by Manhattan, 66, Brooklyn, 55, the Boogie Down Bronx with 48, and Staten Island with only four.

From Patch.com:

Yet someone logged 56 sex noise complaints for Cross Bay Boulevard against an orgy of "hippies"  who sometimes dress up as Freddy Krueger, Pennywise and the Easter Bunny  with an alleged fondness for the theme music of professional wrestler Velveteen Dream, data shows.

"They're still here causing a sex mayhem," their alleged neighbor declared one morning at 6 a.m. "Thought it was too cold outside for an orgy party. Doesn't stop this guy." []

"[She] makes the bed squeak as if it's an Olympic event," complained one New Yorker [in an unrelated report].

Another reported, "ceiling shaking and debris falling sex." []

Complaints such as these typically go from 311 operators to local police precincts, where officers will investigate if available.

"The NYPD takes all quality of life complaints seriously," police spokesperson Detective Sophia Mason assured Patch. "[We] will continue to monitor and address all complaints."

Records show those NYPD probes into noisy coitus rarely reach completion.
It's not all Russians on the ground attacking Ukraine. Among the Russian military is one confused gentleman from Texas who is now a foot soldier for Putin, proudly standing with the "denazifiers and liberators" in Ukraine.

"These guys are tough, these guys are ready, and there's plenty of 'em," says middle-aged Russell Bonner Bentley, who stands near his Russian comrades in the video clip below. "So far, Russia has used about 10% of its military power, and we're gettin' ready to bring the hammer down!"

Bentley, who once "vied for a seat in the US Senate," according to Texas Monthly, says he's "gonna save and liberate the good people in Ukraine, and the bad people " He pauses to kick at the ground for effect. "Boom! Kick their ass."

Just a good ol' boy apparently embedded with Russian forces in Ukraine pic.twitter.com/XlePvPwfkd  Borzou Daragahi  (@borzou) February 28, 2022

For more background on Bentley, who used be "an Army engineer based in Germany, a hard-partying musician in South Padre, a marijuana legalization activist in Minnesota and Alaska, and a drug trafficker on the run from the U.S. Marshals" before slurping up Russian propaganda seven years ago, check out this fascinating read in Texas Monthly.
BY JON HARRIS

Feb. 28, 2022

Health Care: 5 takeaways from ECMC's 2021 numbers

In 2021, the effects of battling a pandemic in its second year became even clearer: a major staffing crunch, overwhelmed emergency departments and longer average hospital stays.

"It's been very stressful and we've had to react very quickly," Thomas Quatroche Jr., president and CEO of Erie County Medical Center, told the corporation's board of directors at their annual meeting Jan. 25.

If you watched the meeting  unlikely since it only had 10 views on YouTube as of late February  you heard Quatroche provide several key figures for 2021, numbers that are being audited and will be released in a formal annual report near the end of March.

Here are some key takeaways in the meantime:

1. An overwhelmed Emergency Department

This is a big one. ECMC had 68,384 visits to its ED in 2021, which was 3,000 more than in 2020 and only about 1,000 shy of the pre-pandemic figure in 2019.

But nearly 6,700 of those people last year left without being seen, likely due to wait times. That dwarfed the figures in recent years: About 2,100 left without being seen in 2020, while the pre-pandemic number was roughly 3,800 in 2019.

"We have weekends of 20% have left without being seen in the ER because we can't discharge people," Quatroche said.

2. Patients stayed in the hospital longer

Takeaway No. 1 leads right into No. 2.

Quatroche presented data that showed the hospital's average length of stay was 9 days last year, up from 7.9 in 2020 and 7.8 in 2019. That figure also was likely pushed higher by Covid-19 patients.

3. Despite staffing pinch, ECMC did hire  a lot

ECMC, which has north of 3,500 employees, had 688 total new hires last year, Quatroche said.

About half of that was in nursing: 218 general duty nurses, 46 licensed practical nurses and 68 certified nursing assistants.

"Most of those nurses have been recruited since August," he said.

ECMC also recruited 60 doctors last year, Quatroche noted.

4. Surgeries rebounded  somewhat

Overall, ECMC reported doing nearly 13,000 surgeries in 2021, up from a low of about 11,500 in 2020, but still about 800 surgeries shy of the 2019 figure.

The big jump came in outpatient surgeries, procedures that don't require an overnight hospital stay. ECMC did almost 8,100 outpatient surgeries last year, compared with about 6,400 in 2020.

"The outpatient increase is really a function of converting a lot of inpatient cases to outpatient cases," Quatroche explained.

The reason: Inpatient elective surgeries were restricted for a decent chunk of the year. ECMC had actually paused inpatient elective procedures  which take up a hospital bed  in September, long before Gov. Kathy Hochul's order just after Thanksgiving to preserve bed capacity for the winter Covid-19 surge.

ECMC has been allowed to restart all electives since mid-February. That's a boost to ECMC's finances, since the pause on moneymaking electives had caused the hospital to burn through cash.

5. The bottom line is improving, but not back yet

According to a chart Quatroche presented, ECMC's revenue has actually rebounded. The problem is expenses also are rising.

What that does to the bottom line: The chart presented to the board showed a projected loss of about $25 million last year.

That's a big improvement from 2020, when ECMC recorded a loss of more than $80 million  even with a nearly $63 million federal relief payment.

It comes after ECMC had posted positive operating margins in 2016-2018 and essentially broke even in 2019.

 Jon Harris

Want to know more? Three stories to catch you up:

THE LATEST, IN CONTEXT

What: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York announced that its Blue Fund has opened its 2022 competitive grant cycle and is now accepting applications online through 4 p.m. April 1.

Tell me more: The Blue Fund will consider requests for $100,000 to $300,000 grants from nonprofits in the eight counties of Western New York looking to implement initiatives that align with either behavioral health, cardiovascular health, health care workforce development, healthy children or maternal health. Go to bcbswny.com/bluefund to learn more.

Why it matters: Nonprofits rely on grant funding to operate and expand initiatives. Last year, the Blue Fund awarded $2.45 million to 12 projects in Western New York, including $226,000 to a Niagara Falls Housing Authority initiative that just graduated its first class of certified nursing assistants.

ICYMI

Five reads from Buffalo Next:

1. 43North winner TopSeedz is an unusual startup: The artisan seed and cracker manufacturer already has millions in sales. It's outgrowing its Cheektowaga space. And it's never raised money from outside investors, beyond the prizes its won from startup competitions. Natalie Brophy looks at one of the Buffalo Niagara region's promising homegrown startups.

2. Unemployment benefits played a big role in propping up the Buffalo Niagara economy during the pandemic: And now, new data shows just how much those benefits meant to the region, especially as it struggled with more than 1 of every 5 workers out of their jobs during the dark days of the pandemic.

3. A second warehouse is coming to Lackawanna: With warehouse space in high demand, Uniland Development Co. is planning a second large manufacturing and warehouse building on the former Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna.

4. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand pushes 'Made in America' bill: The Made in America Manufacturing Communities Act introduced last week would help fund training programs like those at Buffalo's Northland Workforce Training Center.

5. Buffalo Grand Hotel owner accused of securities violations in Canada: Harry Stinson, the Hamilton developer who bought the former Adam's Mark Hotel and rebranded it twice while undertaking a massive renovation, has been accused by Ontario securities regulators of inappropriately soliciting over $19 million from more than 200 Canadian investors for a condo conversion at the hotel that he has now abandoned.

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the regions economic revitalization. Email Business of Health Care reporter Jon Harris at jharris@buffnews.com.

Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com.

Buffalo Next Must-read local business coverage that exposes the trends, connects the dots and contextualizes the impact to Buffalo's economy. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Nine out of 10 Americans eat meat.

Yet raise the possibility of eating organs, and many of those carnivores  raised to blithely devour hot dogs composed of you-dont-want-the-details  suddenly have qualms.

Humankind has not always been so picky. From the Paleolithic era to the present day, cooks have tried to make the most of the entire animal.

Heres some of my favorite ways Western New York restaurants offer offal. This list is deliberately entry level, for meat-eaters who are game for trying something, once. Do you have the guts?

Crispy chicken livers at Colony Seafood and Steakhouse

876 Main Road, Irving; colonyseafoodandsteakhouse.com; 716-934-4826.

This swanky Irving hideout offers chicken livers rolled in cracker meal and fried to a crisp, a preparation that minimizes the sucking-a-penny flavor. Sour cream jacked with horseradish provides lactic ying to the mineral yang of the livers, to brilliant effect.

. . .

Boiled shredded pork tripe with chile oil at Peking Quick One

359 Somerville Ave., Tonawanda; 716-381-8730.

This dish uses blanket tripe, poached, sliced thin and marinated in chile and sesame oil, garlic, vinegar and cilantro, with a touch of tingly Sichuan peppercorn. Served cold, its an intense jerkylike experience usually enjoyed on piles of rice and alongside something green, like slip cucumber.

. . .

Liver dumpling soup at Schwabls

789 Center Road, West Seneca; schwabls.com; 716-675-2333.

On Wednesdays, one of the last outposts of German cuisine in Western New York offers one of my favorite comforts aus Deutschland, leberknodelsuppe, or liver dumpling soup. Tender orbs of ground liver and breadcrumbs floating in beef stock sweetened with carrots and celery, livened with black pepper.

. . .

Kibdah at Crave King

2693 South Park Ave., Lackawanna; 716-783-9743.

Lamb liver, diced and sauteed with fresh chiles, tomatoes, turmeric and other spices, produces one of the most un-coppery liver dishes in town. This particular dish, eaten over white rice, has led several acquaintances to allow that maybe they dont hate all liver.

. . .

Cold beef and tripe with hot oil at Golden Hill

4001 Sheridan Drive, Amherst; 716-631-7198.

Golden Hill, successor-in-address to Sichuan specialist China Star, proves it too can deliver subtle Sichuan splendor. Case in point: poached sliced beef shank and honeycomb tripe, garlic and cilantro tossed in chile oil thats been simmered with an intoxicating bouquet of spices. Cool to the touch, rousing but not painful to the palate.

. . .

Foie gras torchon at Patina 250

250 Delaware Ave.; 716-290-0600.

Foie gras has been scarce in Buffalo, but one worthy version can be found at Patina 250, in the Westin Buffalo hotel. This remarkable preparation offered a slice of liver nuggets suspended in dark aspic, like an edible stained glass window designed by Goths. Huckleberry compote, pistachio cake and oatmeal crumble helped make it taste as interesting as it looked.

. . .

Tripe in red sauce at Ilio DiPaolos Restaurant

3785 South Park Ave, Blasdell; iliodipaolos.com; 716-825-3675.

Simmering sliced tripe in red sauce is a traditional Italian approach that achieves tenderness through patience and the tomatoes gently acidic effects. In the best versions, like Ilio DiPaolos, the organ meat gradually imbues its surroundings with funky character, so that the sauce is as prized as its protein.

. . .

Liver and onions at Mandys Cafe

3796 Clinton St., West Seneca; 716-771-1553.

While Darrells Place in Middleport has a bang-up version, when I want the primal satisfaction of beef liver, bacon, onions and gravy, this West Seneca spot gets the call. Seared slices with a hint of pink inside, enough bacon and sweet sauteed onions to pair with every bite, and gravy for the mopping makes it memorable.

. . .

Chorizo con buche taco at Taqueria los Mayas

3525 Genesee St., Cheektowaga; taqueria-los-mayas.com; 716-906-3730.

Poached tripe gets crisped and then cooked with chorizo, the intensely seasoned loose pork sausage, then piled into a house-made tortilla. Anointed judiciously with chopped onion, cilantro, salsas and perhaps habanero carrot pickle from the house salsa station, the combination of funky flavor and chile fire has a reputation as a reliable hangover snuffer.

Send restaurant tips to agalarneau@buffnews.com and follow @BuffaloFood on Instagram and Twitter.

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William Lorenz Jr. has always loved Batman. As a kid, he remembers watching the Tim Burton films starring Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader, entranced by the idea that a normal person could become a superhero.

I know a lot of people have said this, but it's true: He's one of the most realistic superheroes because he's human, Lorenz said. He doesn't have any superpowers, or come from an alien planet. He wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider. He's somebody that just dedicated his life mentally and physically to being able to bring justice.

As a senior associate at Mura Law Group, LLC, Lorenz has dedicated his own life to justice on a professional level. And much like the millionaire Bruce Wayne, Lorenz has found a way to fight for the underdogs in his own community by adopting an alter ego.

Since 2014, Lorenz has been dressing as Batman and appearing at events to raise money for charities such as The Salvation Army and The Buffalo Dream Center. He was named Buffalos Best Batman in a contest held by the Erie County Public Library, a title he proudly adopted for a memoir chronicling his work, The Ballad of Buffalos Best Batman, which was published in 2019.

Now, with director Matt Reeves The Batman  the first solo Batman film in 10 years  opening in theaters on March 4, Lorenz is donning the cape and cowl once more, appearing at local cinemas to raise money for Hearts for the Homeless of WNY, a community group that works to feed and clothe the homeless.

If ever there was a time for a superhero to help out the community, during a global pandemic would probably be it, Lorenz said about his recent appearances as Batman, which have included comic book shops and blood drives.

His costumes over the years have ranged from the 1989 Michael Keaton suit  his favorite  to the more colorful, campy Adam West look from the 1960s television show. For his earliest appearances, he was "wearing a mix of the Michael Keaton and Christian Bale costumes," Lorenz said. "I guess you could call it a homemade suit.

For his appearances in support of the new movie, Lorenz will don a replica of the suit worn by Robert Pattinson in "The Batman," a choice that both fits the moment and provides a little more comfort during his upcoming three consecutive days of appearing as Batman.

That one is a little more breathable, he said of the new costume.

He's received invites to work with various charities and events, including the Buffalo Bisons' Superhero night, and has appeared at food drives helping to collect donations. Lorenzs appearances have proven fruitful for the various charities hes worked with. Last year Lorenz worked with FeedMore WNY on a drive that collected over 1,500 pounds of donations  in classic superhero fashion, Lorenz said hes working on a sequel to that event.

Donna Blarr, office manager and volunteer coordinator at Hearts for the Homeless, said that working with Lorenz on previous events was a wonderful experience, especially because of his enthusiasm and willingness to help those in need.

Everybody loves a superhero, Blarr said. People who come to be served by Hearts for the Homeless see the extra effort in trying to help them, and William has a great demeanor and a sincerity to him.

And for Lorenz, connecting with people is the ultimate goal. He remembers a time when he considered hanging up the costume for good, but hearing from families of children that looked forward to seeing him at events reaffirmed that what he was doing was making a bigger impact than he could have ever imagined.

It's been an honor and a privilege to portray Batman in the community for the past eight years, Lorenz said. And if I have made even one person smile when they see a superhero, walking down the street, then it has all been worth it.

Events

Lorenz will be collecting donations for Hearts for the Homeless on the following days:

6 to 9 p.m. March 4 at Regal Transit Center & IMAX

1 to 4 p.m. March 5 at Regal Quaker Crossing in Orchard Park

Noon to 3 p.m. March 6 at Flix Stadium 10 in Depew

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WASHINGTON  Democratic leaders appear to be coalescing around Max Della Pia, a three-decade Air Force veteran who narrowly lost the party's congressional nomination in a primary in 2018, as their chosen opponent to challenge Rep. Claudia Tenney in New York's newly redrawn and heavily Republican 23rd congressional district.

The Erie County Democratic Committee endorsed Della Pia last week, and the candidate said Monday that he also has the support of other county chairs across the district, which sprawls from the Chautauqua County shores of Lake Erie eastward to Della Pia's home in Tioga County and beyond.

Claudia Tenney: a complicated conservative congresswoman-in-waiting for WNY The woman who would be the Southtowns' congresswoman lives near Utica, but she wants you to know that will soon change, and that she knows Buffalo and points south and a thing or two about being a hometown Republican representative in the Trump era.

Della Pia, 68, said his candidacy  which he has not yet formally declared  will likely take a slogan from the race run by former Rep. Stan Lundine, a Jamestown Democrat, nearly a half century ago.

"He said: 'From the district, for the district,' " Della Pia noted. "And I said that's appropriate 50 years later."

Della Pia, who has lived in Tioga County since retiring from the military in 2008, plans on portraying Tenney as a newcomer to the district  which she is. Tenney, who has quickly won Republican backing across the district, lives in a Utica suburb and represents a district in that area that was carved up as state legislators shrunk the number of House seats in the state from 27 to 26.

Criticizing Tenney for her support of former President Trump, Della Pia said: "I don't want to stand by and watch someone who is basically part of what I think is very corrosive to our democracy walk into our district from elsewhere and say: 'I am your new congresswoman.' "

Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner agreed.

"He has dedicated much of his life to defending our nation and our democracy, a qualification greatly in need in these dangerous times," Zellner said. "In contrast, Claudia Tenney is a Trump apologist whose only interest is sustaining her political career."

Della Pia is no stranger to politics. A resident of Owego, he currently serves as Democratic chairman in Tioga County. Moreover, he ran for Congress four years ago, losing a Democratic primary in the current 23rd district to cybersecurity expert Tracy Mitrano of Penn Yan by 230 votes.

He retired from more than 30 years of service in the Air Force as a colonel in 2008. He then worked for five years as a business development analyst for Lockheed Martin.

Claudia Tenney tours Southern Tier, wins endorsements for NY-23 Wellsville, Olean and Cuba were among the municipalities visited by Tenney in her tour to become acquainted with the redrawn congressional district.

A graduate of the Air Force Academy and Marquette University Law School, Della Pia worked for nearly two years as a Capitol Hill aide while serving in the Air Force. He also had his own law practice.

Now Della Pia faces an immense challenge: beating a Republican in a largely rural district designed by Democrats in Albany as one of only four Republican congressional districts in the state. The district includes southern Erie County and much of the Southern Tier  but not heavily Democratic Ithaca, a Democratic enclave that has occasionally made the current 23rd district somewhat competitive.

Asked how he would manage to compete in the new, more Republican 23rd district, Della Pia noted that his background and his stance on some issues would help him.

An expert marksman in his military days, he said: "I am not against guns, but I am for good government."

And to Della Pia, that means a government that's responsive to the people. To that end, as the Southern Tier's House member, Della Pia said he would work to modify immigration laws to make it easier for local farmers to find the labor they need.

Claudia Tenney lands Erie County GOP endorsement Rep. Claudia Tenney, the Utica-area Republican running for Congress in a redrawn Southern Tier seat, won the unanimous backing of the Erie County Republican Committee Thursday.

On a broader scale, Della Pia said he favors President Biden's Build Back Better plan, which would restore the expanded child tax credit and establish childcare and prekindergarten programs. The bill would help those at the bottom rung of the economic ladder, he said.

Asked for comment on Della Pia's candidacy, Tenney's political advisor, Nick Stewart, referenced an embarrassing moment from the Democrat's last race: when The Buffalo News reported that a campaign aide lifted large parts of Della Pia's website from another candidate from Georgia.

This time, Stewart said, Della Pia would mimic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York progressive.

Just like the last time he ran, the far-left agenda driving Max Della Pias 'copy-and-paste-candidacy' will be whatever Pelosi and Biden tell him it is," Stewart said. "The last thing Western New York and Southern Tier families need in Congress is someone like Max, who refuses to think independently and will copy-and-paste AOCs voting record.

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The name of John Yates Beall doesn't mean much today, even to heavy-duty Civil War buffs.

But in late 1864, Beall was among America's most wanted men.

And his capture in Niagara Falls is about to be commemorated with a historical marker.

Beall was assigned by the Confederate government to enter Union territory and do as much damage as he could.

He carried out his assignment from Confederate President Jefferson Davis with a vengeance.

Beall captured and robbed a ship on Lake Erie, sank another ship, tried to derail a train running between Buffalo and Dunkirk, and was steps away from making his getaway when he was captured in Niagara Falls.

On Dec. 16, 1864, Beall was about to board a train crossing the old Suspension Bridge into Canada when Niagara Falls Police Officer D.H. Thomas arrested him at the old New York Central Railroad depot.

That building stood near where the Niagara Falls Amtrak station is today, so the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society believes the station is the best place for a historical marker commemorating Beall's arrest.

"It's local history," said Jim Ball of Derby, the chapter president. "Who would know about it if we didn't do it?"

Friday, the Niagara Falls City Council passed a resolution of support for the society's application to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation for money to pay for the marker.

The Council's approval also was needed because the city owns the land on which the marker would be installed.

Ball said the impetus for the marker came from Anton Schwartzmueller, an employee of Customs and Border Protection at Niagara Falls. He's also a local history buff and a member of the Railway Historical Society.

If the Pomeroy Foundation accepts the request, it will cut a check to the society that will be large enough to pay for a foundry to create the marker, Ball said.

"We would hope that this could be done between now and the next time the snow flies," Ball said.

After his arrest, Beall, 32, was taken to New York City, where he was tried by a military tribunal, and convicted of spying and sabotage. He was hanged on Governor's Island on Feb. 24, 1865.

Although he was a captain in the Confederate Army, Beall was in civilian clothes when he was captured, thus making him a spy eligible for execution, instead of a prisoner of war.

Niagara County Historian Catherine L. Emerson found several contemporary articles about Beall, included a front-page story in the Feb. 15, 1865, edition of the New York Herald.

The article said that Beall, a University of Virginia graduate, was a millionaire before the war and also the heir to a British nobleman's estate.

"Like many others of his misguided countrymen, at the outbreak of the rebellion he espoused the cause of Jeff. Davis, went into the army, was commissioned captain in the Second Virginia infantry, and served under the dashing and intrepid 'Stonewall' Jackson," the reporter wrote.

Every month is Black History Month at Underground Railroad Heritage Center The interactive Heritage Center includes the permanent exhibition, "One More River to Cross," with stories of the Underground Railroad in Niagara Falls.

The New York Tribune reported Feb. 6, 1865, that Beall owned a plantation with 100 slaves.

According to the Herald article, testimony showed that Beall boarded the merchant steamer Philo Parsons at Sandwich, Ont., on Sept. 19, 1864.

While the ship was on its way from Detroit to Sandusky, Ohio, Beall and two colleagues, armed with revolvers and "hand-axes," hijacked the ship, threw some of the freight overboard and robbed the clerk of all the money he had.

That same day, Beall and friends boarded and scuttled a second ship, the Island Queen.

A wire service report in the Lockport Journal for Feb. 27, 1865, said Beall and his team tried to hijack a third ship, the Michigan, in hopes of liberating Confederate prisoners of war held on Johnson's Island in Lake Erie, three miles off Sandusky.

Photos: Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center The Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center tells the story of how Niagara Falls was a key and final stop on the Underground Railro

On Dec. 16, 1864, Beall and four other Confederate officers tried to derail the train from Dunkirk to Buffalo by placing objects on the tracks about halfway between the two cities.

Their goal was to rob the American Express safe aboard the train, the New York Tribune reported.

It wasn't reported how Beall got to Niagara Falls that same day to try to enter Canada.

The Amtrak station is located in the former U.S. Custom House, which was opened in 1863 at the American end of Suspension Bridge.

The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge stands on the site of Suspension Bridge, while the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center shares the building with the train station.

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Project for Public Spaces has awarded $40,000 grants to three Buffalo nonprofits.

The three recipients  Buffalo Heritage Carousel, Buffalo Central Terminal and Buffalo Urban Development Corp.  were chosen for the "community placemaking grants" over projects in Kansas City and Nashville. They're funded by General Motors, which focuses on cities where it has manufacturing plants. The idea behind the grants is to help transform underperforming public spaces or help create new ones that serve historically marginalized communities.

Buffalo Heritage Carousel, which opened in May 2021, is considering using its grant to introduce solar-powered benches. They would allow people to charge their phones and work remotely while enjoying views of the carousel and Lake Erie.

"This grant provides a way to create community on the boardwalk and extend the bond formed by the carousel inside to the outdoors," said Carmina el-Behairy, Buffalo Heritage Carousel's executive director.

The grant for the Central Terminal helps to advance its plan to use the large lawn around the buildings for community use. That idea was developed in 2021 as part of the Central Terminal Restoration Corp.'s master plan for reuse of the art deco railroad station that saw its last train 43 years ago.

"We have such a huge space that we have to figure out early activation, similar to Canalside, with the Project for Public Space's 'lighter, cheaper, quicker' approach," said Executive Director Monica Pellegrino Faix, referring to simple, low-cost solutions used to generate public interest.

The different uses, she said, "will make it welcoming and inviting and functional."

The Buffalo Urban Development Corp. plans to use its grant to improve a stretch of Ellicott Street next to Buffalo and Erie County Central Library, where apartments and a food market have recently opened.

Preliminary ideas include using paint, planters, benches and traffic calming measures to enhance the site, where a portion of the library also hangs over the street.

"This grant will help us to create a vibrant, accessible space that elevates the heart of our city and connects people in a meaningful way, said Brandye Merriweather, the nonprofit's president.

"One of the great things about these three projects is how different they were," said Nate Storring, deputy executive director of Project for Public Spaces.

"The Buffalo Heritage Carousel brings its unique asset of being solar powered and connecting the history of industry in a sustainable way," Storring said. "You have the Buffalo Central Terminal project that is in a majority Black neighborhood and is seeking to reuse an amazing building while taking a community-building approach.

"And then you have Ellicott Street, which is a thoroughfare and has the potential to be a great space for people to hang out and come together in close proximity to the public library," he said.

Mark Sommer covers preservation, development, the waterfront, culture and more. He's also a former arts editor at The News.

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School officials this weekend got the answer to one of the most asked questions during the pandemic: When will students, teachers and staff be allowed to stop wearing masks in school?

The answer: Wednesday.

But there are still many other questions.

Are quarantine time frames still the same? Will unvaccinated school staff still need to be regularly tested? What about physical distancing requirements in schools and the test-to-stay program for unvaccinated children?

While they wait for those answers, which may come as soon as Tuesday, many school superintendents say the new requirements are being greeted with relief from many parents and staff, though some are concerned about the masks coming off so soon following winter break, when children may have had more exposure to Covid-19 due to travel. Some parents have also raised concerns that their children may be picked on if they want or need to continue wearing a mask in school.

"We need to be very cognizant of anyone who is bullied or shamed for wearing a mask," Niagara Falls Superintendent Mark Laurrie said. "That wont be tolerated."

Williamsville Superintendent Darren Brown-Hall said he, too, has heard this concern from parents.

"Individuals that still want to wear a mask, they can do that," Brown-Hall said. "Were going to respect everyones decisions. Were going to support one another in our inclusive Williamsville community."

Hochul lifts school mask mandate effective Wednesday Counties, cities, school districts and individual schools still can choose to keep a mask rule in place, and parents are free to send their children to school with masks on, the governor said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement Sunday that the statewide school masking requirement would end Wednesday has left it to local counties and cities to decide whether the school mask mandates should continue. The answer for this region has been, largely, "no," although Hochul did say in response to questions that individual schools and school districts could decide to keep more restrictive policies in place.

Buffalo Public Schools, the largest school district in the region, announced late Monday that its mask mandates will stay in effect at least a few more days. The district's Medical Advisory Team will determine later this week whether the policy should be changed.

The Erie County Health Department, following Hochul's lead and the recommendation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday that it would not require masks in school settings starting Wednesday. Other counties have made the same determinations.

"Like every other Covid-related issue, people's feelings run across the spectrum from absolute delight with the governors announcement to the fact that Wednesday, for some families, and some of our staff, may be a very anxiety-provoking day," Hamburg Central School District Superintendent Michael Cornell said.

Masks are recommended, but no longer required, for school buses. But students who use regular public transportation to get to and from school are still required to adhere to federal mask mandates that apply to all public transportation.

Hochul's announcement had school superintendents scrambling to get word to parents and staff about the change.

Brown-Hall sent out a message to families Sunday and is following up with a reminder Tuesday saying that masks are now optional for all students, but student safety remains the top priority.

While the governor had planned to wait until the end of this week to make an announcement about face coverings in school, her timetable changed after the CDC issued new guidance late Friday. Robert N. Lowry Jr., deputy director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, said it became clear that waiting was not an option.

"We felt that absent some kind of announcement from the state that there would be mass confusion," he said.

No more vaccine mandate for KeyBank Center, mask mandate lifted for Erie County buildings Mark Poloncarz's decision to lift the vaccine mandate from KeyBank Center will be useful news for fans coming to Buffalo for the NCAA Tournament next month.

Orchard Park Superintendent David Lilleck wrote in a note to parents, "This is good news as we enter the endemic stage of the pandemic and continue to move towards more normalcy for our children."

Laurrie, the Niagara Falls city schools superintendent, said he has received no negative feedback about the lifting of the mask mandate, but did field a couple of calls from parents whose children are unvaccinated and wanted to make sure there would be no problems if their children kept wearing their masks to school.

"I am sensitive to that, particularly in this first week," said Laurrie, who sent robocalls and posted a YouTube video on the school district website regarding the coming mask-wearing change.

He and other superintendents also reiterated the ongoing availability of Covid-19 rapid tests and KN95 masks for students, as well as the need for sick children to continue to stay home and report if they test positive.

The statewide rules regarding mask mandates for students and staff in kindergarten through high school are leading local colleges and universities to re-evaluate their own on-campus mask mandates.

Both the University at Buffalo and Canisius College issued statements saying that, at least for now, masking requirements will continue.

"Decisions about whether to relax mask requirements at UB will be made in collaboration with SUNY and the county health department based on CDC guidance and on the prevalence of the virus at the university and within the local community," UB stated. "Any changes to UB's guidelines will be promptly communicated to the university community. For now, the university will continue to require masking indoors at UB and on UB buses in accordance with our current guidelines."

Buffalo Public Schools spokesman Ka'Ron Barnes said the city school district's medical advisory team was meeting with the Erie County Health Department to determine steps forward.

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore said his teachers had hoped the state would let a week or two pass after children returned from the mid-winter break, since symptoms can lag. He also said teachers were interested to know what the vaccination rate of children in the district currently is.

In Western New York, 59% of children ages 12 to 17, and 32% of children ages 5 to 11 are considered fully vaccinated, according the the New York State Department of Health. In Erie County, 63% of children ages 12 to 17, and 36% of children ages 5 to 11 are considered fully vaccinated.

The vaccination rates among children in Niagara County are even lower. Laurrie said, however, that it is clear that positive cases among students are coming from the community and very rarely through classroom transmission.

In the Niagara Falls city school district, which did not have last week off for mid-winter break, Laurrie said that there were only six confirmed cases of Covid-19 over the last 10 days.

"Thats back to September numbers," he said.

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Thanks to the high prices they command, avocados are sometimes referred to as 'green gold.' Jose Castanares/AFP via Getty Images

To the relief of avocado lovers from coast to coast, the recent drama between the United States and Mexico was fleeting.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture banned imports of the fleshy fruit from Mexico on Feb. 11, 2022, after an employee of its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, who was working in Mexico, received threats after refusing to certify a mislabeled shipment of avocados.

With only a two- to three-week supply stored in American warehouses, any extended disruption to the avocado pipeline would have been quickly felt.

Eight days later, the ban was lifted, and cooks could resume smashing avocados into guacamole, blending them into smoothies and smearing them onto bread without trepidation.

Yet to me, this disruption  however brief  reveals just how reliant the U.S. has become on its neighbor for a product that has seen its demand soar. When I was working on my book Avocado: A Global History, I was struck by the extent to which this lucrative trade has evolved over the past 25 years, making it an attractive business possibility for both legitimate and criminal enterprises.

Mexicos cash crop

Avocados from Mexico have been fueling Americas taste for the fruit since 1997, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture lifted a 1914 import ban, which originally was implemented due to fears over pests like seed weevils infesting U.S. crops. At the time, Southern California produced about 90% of the avocados eaten by Americans.

Since then, per capita avocado consumption in the U.S. has ballooned from 2 pounds in 2001 to nearly 8 pounds in 2018.

This increase in the popularity of avocados, coupled with the limitations of domestic sources, has allowed Mexican avocados to dominate the American market. Today, Mexico  specifically, the Mexican state of Michoacan, which is the only state certified to sell the fruit to the U.S.  supplies about 80% of the 60 million pounds of avocados eaten north of the border each week.

Avocados are sometimes referred to as green gold because of the price they command in international commodity markets. Exports of avocados from Mexico were valued at nearly US$3 billion in 2021, ahead of both tequila and beer, two other popular Mexican exports. The average price of an avocado is up 10% from a year ago; during the brief ban, the price of a carton of the fruit catapulted to nearly $60, up from around $30 a year ago.

Currently, less than 1% of avocados eaten in the U.S. come from places other than Mexico and the U.S. Countries like Peru and Colombia also produce the fruit.

Cartels want their piece of the pie

In Mexico, the high profit margins of the avocado trade attracted the interest of crime cartels, and those operating in Michoacan began to infiltrate the avocado business more than 20 years ago.

As various cartels have vied for control of the avocado industry, violence and extortion have escalated in the region. In the beginning, cartels were content to extort farmers, packers and exporters  in essence, taxing them for the ability to do business without interference from the cartels.

Members of a self-defense group guard an avocado plantation from drug cartels in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. Enrique Castro/AFP via Getty Images

But a bloody turf war has intensified in recent years.

In 2019, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel killed nine people in Uruapan, Michoacans hub of avocado distribution, hanging their corpses from a prominent overpass in the city. They dumped seven more bodies on the side of a road, leaving a banner at the scene that taunted a rival gang, the Viagras. There are even reports of cartels using drones to drop bombs as part of their efforts to control the economy of the region.

Threats directed at inspectors have happened before. While no individual cartel has been directly tied to a specific threat, U.S. officials seem to think the threats are linked to increased cartel participation in the avocado trade.

In 2019, a team of USDA inspectors working in Ziracuaretiro, a city just west of Urupan, were robbed and threatened with violence. Later that year, the USDA wrote a memo stating it would suspend inspection activities if threats of physical violence and intimidation against inspectors continued. After the most recent threat, the USDA referenced this memo when announcing the temporary import ban.

The Hass holds all the cards

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador dismissed the notion that the suspension was due to cartels associated with the avocado trade. Instead, he blamed unspecified political interests in the U.S. and pressure from other countries who want a share of the lucrative American avocado market.

One of the reasons the U.S. began allowing Mexican avocados to be imported over the objection of domestic growers was NAFTA. The U.S. wanted the ability to send corn and other agricultural goods to Mexico under the rules of the 1994 free trade agreement. But the Mexican government demanded some sort of agricultural export quid pro quo to help balance trade between the two countries, and avocados were ripe for the job.

The recent brief disruption underscores the risks of being so heavily reliant on a product that comes from one region in one country thats rife with violence and corruption.

Yet it isnt easy to simply open up an avocado spigot from another country. Americans really prefer just one variety of avocado: the Hass, which is the type imported from Mexico. While the U.S. allows Hass avocado imports from Peru and Colombia, wholesalers prefer not to sell them because theyre thought to be lower quality. Hass is the dominant variety grown in California, too, but American growers cant grow nearly enough to meet the demand.

Greenskin avocados, which are grown in Florida and the Caribbean, along with many other countries, arent nearly as popular with consumers due to textural differences and the fact that they dont change color to indicate when they are ripe. Greenskin avocados could ease U.S. dependence on Mexican avocados, but until they gain acceptance by avocado eaters, they wont help wean Americans off the Hass avocados grown in Michoacan.

Avocados might be a source of political tension, but their unicorn status as a creamy, delicious food thats considered healthy makes most people willing to put politics aside and pass the guacamole.

___

Jeffrey Miller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

___
Actively encouraging the habits and practices that lead to long-term financial health has never been more important than it is now.

Covid-19 has altered life in many ways, wreaking significant financial havoc.

 43% of U.S. residents had a reduction in income, according to a 2021 Prosperity Now report.

 40% of low-income households were worse financially.

 50% of low-income households couldnt cover basic expenses like housing, food and medical care. This exacerbated medical issues, increased late fees and sometimes forced people into predatory lending situations and other unsavory solutions.

Unfortunately, the pandemic revealed that the majority of American adults are poorly equipped to withstand financial emergencies. Some 50% of all Americans would experience financial hardship if they had to cover an emergency expense of $1,000 or less in the next 30 days, according to the 2021 Charles Schwab Financial Literacy Survey.

Additionally, the pandemic intensified economic inequalities, affecting Americans of color more than others.

The need for more rigorous financial education and ongoing counseling is great. We must increase the emphasis on financial health and wellness for all Western New York residents.

A simple way to help future generations with their financial health is requiring schools to teach financial literacy.

Currently, 21 states incorporate financial literacy programming in high schools course work. Curriculum and student grade levels vary from state to state. Some states integrate financial literacy as early as kindergarten, which experts believe is the best  albeit most costly  solution.

High school students who are required to take personal finance courses have better average credit scores and lower debt delinquency rates as young adults. As adults, they are more likely to make on-time payments and keep up with their bills.

In the past, parents played a much larger role in shaping teens financial knowledge but recent history shows this method is no longer effective due to growing financial complexities along with many parents themselves lacking fundamental financial understanding.

Schools can, and should, play a critical role in financial education but it cannot stop there. Services for adults, like financial education classes, one-on-one financial counseling and outreach programs for vulnerable communities must be widespread and encouraged. Only then can we increase access to economic prosperity and expand economic mobility.

Noelle Carter is president and CEO of Consumer Credit Counseling Service.

Noelle Carter is president and CEO of Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Buffalo.
Id like to push back on this, in the name of the rights of another group of law-abiding citizens  those who dont want to live in a country where they have to live in fear about going to their local Walmart on the day some yahoo who got dumped by his girlfriend decides to get even by shooting her and anyone else who happens to be in the line of fire. We dont want to live in a country where you need to be packing so you can make it home from school or work alive. The gun violence issues we face are not going to be solved by eliminating restrictions on guns so that everyone can go anywhere armed to the teeth. The obvious answer, as demonstrated by countries like Sweden, Japan, every other western advanced country in fact  is fewer guns  not more.
The body parts of Ilona Golabek have been found concealed inside bags. (SWNS)

The body parts of a missing woman have been found hidden inside bags at a country park three months after she disappeared.

Detectives launched a murder enquiry when Ilona Golabek, 27, vanished from her home in Boston, Lincolnshire, on 9 November.

Her partner Kamil Ranoszek, 40, was arrested two weeks later and charged with her murder.

He is currently awaiting trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

On Tuesday, Lincolnshire Police revealed that suspected human remains had been discovered at Witham Way Country Park on 19 February.

Read more: Police 'failed to investigate' UK paedophile who 'abused hundreds' in Bulgaria

Human remains were discovered at Witham Way Country Park on 19 February. (Google Maps)

Ilona Golabek's body was located within the blue boundary at a country park in Boston, Lincolnshire (SWNS)

Read more: Radio DJ 'tried to arrange sex with children as young as 12 in Philippines'

Officers attended and recovered bones which were later confirmed to be human, while specialist teams found other body parts in three other areas of the park.

The remains were sent off for DNA tests to be carried out, which confirmed they belonged to Golabek.

Detective Inspector Andy McWatt, of Lincolnshire Police, said: "We have located somebody parts concealed in bags in the park since we started searching the area on 19 February.

"We remain in the park and are continuing to search the location. Ilonas family are aware and out our thoughts are with them.

"We are continuing our appeal for witnesses, and we are appealing for anyone who may have seen anything suspicious in or around the park to contact us."

Officers will remain in the park for the remainder of the week while further site examinations are carried out.

The force had previously released CCTV images of a woman who matched the description of Golabek but they no longer believe that was her.
Forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn is being celebrated with the launch of 2 coins designed by the Royal Mint.

The singer and entertainer lifted peoples spirits during the Second World War with songs including Well Meet Again and The White Cliffs Of Dover.

The reverse design of the 2 coin design features a detailed portrait of Dame Vera, accompanied by her name and the dates denoting the years of her life. The coin also features an edge inscription that reads: Well meet again.

Dame Vera continued to perform and win new fans long after the Second World War. She died in June 2020, aged 103.

The coin, designed by the Royal Mints in-house designers, was originally unveiled as part of a five-coin collection.

The Royal Mints coin design celebrates Dame Vera Lynn (Royal Mint/PA)

Dame Veras daughter, Virginia Lewis-Jones, said: Its fantastic to see my mother celebrated in this way and to ensure her legacy lives on.

Were just so excited and pleased  even more so knowing that Royal Mint coins require approval of Her Majesty the Queen. Im especially pleased that this coin is available to international collectors. Over the years Ive always been touched by the sacks of letters we receive from people all over the world who have been moved in some way by my mothers music, charity work or morale-boosting performances during the war.

Dame Vera also became heavily involved with charity work later in her life. In particular, she campaigned for the Burma Star Association  a British veterans association for ex-servicemen and women who served in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War.

She was made a Dame in 1975 and a Companion of Honour in 2016.

Clare Maclennan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: Dame Vera Lynns songs were crucial in maintaining morale during the Second World War and it is an honour to celebrate her legacy on a 2 coin.

The collectable 2 is the Royal Mints latest tribute to one of Britains greatest national treasures. We are delighted to have worked with Dame Veras family to help this coin come to life.

The coin will not enter general circulation, but collectors can buy brilliant uncirculated, silver and gold versions from the Royal Mints website.

Prices range from 10 for a brilliant uncirculated version of the 2 coin to 11,430 for a 5oz gold coin in a denomination of 500.
Workshops / Conferences

Spring Into Success - Student Success Events

Each spring semester, the Center for Exploring Majors hosts student success events tailored to your academic success and how to survive college.

Each Spring semester, University Division hosts student success workshops dedicated to students academic success and retention. Events during Spring into Success offer students the opportunity to connect with university services, colleges, and support offices. Presenters throughout the USI community will delve into topics relating to academic, career, and personal success. Topics of student interest typically cover study skills, library skills, academic advising, counseling services, financial aid, student organizations, stress management, fitness, recreation and nutrition, career services, study abroad, service learning, and more.

March 1st and 2nd calender of events can be found here: https://www.usi.edu/media/5638262/spring-into-success-2022-march-schedule.pdf
Wisconsin Family Council has announced the first inductees into Wisconsins Marriage Hall of Fame.

The organization began this unique Hall of Fame to honor both the institution of marriage and individual marriages that have gone the distance. Applying to be part of the Hall of Fame was open to any married couple in Wisconsin who have been married 60 or more years. In this inaugural group, the cut off was 65 years of marriage.

Julaine Appling, president of WFC, said, Strong marriages that last a lifetime are the bedrock for a strong Wisconsin. We are excited to launch this Marriage Hall of Fame and to induct eleven couples as the inaugural members. Each year in February we will open the application for other couples to apply to be inducted.

The honor of being the longest-married couple goes to Hiram and Gretta Brown from Rice Lake. Hiram and Greta will celebrate their 78th wedding anniversary on March 25.

Their daughter submitted their story, relating that her parents, now 98 and 97 years old, met at a USO in Arkansas. Hiram was shipped off to Paris almost immediately after they were married in 1943. Their daughter was born while he was overseas. He didnt see her until she was nearly a year old. After Hiram came home from the war, the couple moved to Rice Lake, Hirams hometown. Their marriage advice is simple but so wise: Stick it out!

The other 10 inaugural inductees are as follows:

Elmer and Edna Georgeson from Camp Douglas, married 74 years

Marvin (Sr) and Janey Kuel, from Kewaskum, married 71 years

Paul and Laverne Franke, from Menasha, married 70 years

Clarence and Henrietta (Hennie) VanEssen from Waupun, married over 70 years (Clarence passed away earlier this month)

Jack and Katherine Hedlund from Grantsburg, married 70 years

Donald and Alice Roth from Hustisford, married 69 years April 4

Bill and Barbara Lincoln from Watertown, married 68 years

Levi and Patricia Snyder from Markesan, married 68 years

Otis and Bonnie Ostrander from Beaver Dam, married 67 years

William and Shirley Wilks from Elkhorn, married 65 years

The often-entertaining and always enlightening stories and excellent marriage advice from all these inductees, along with pictures of many of them, are available online.

We are so glad we can honor these couples who exemplify the kinds of marriages that build a strong foundation for our communities, state, and nation, said Appling.

Each of these couples will be sent a framed certificate recognizing their induction into Wisconsins Marriage Hall of Fame. Next year, WFC will induct more couples into the Hall.

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A homeless woman accused of entering a Lake Hallie home and stealing a cat has been charged in Chippewa County Court.

Traci L. Curtis, 49, was charged with criminal trespass to dwelling, theft of movable property, intentional catnapping, and bail jumping. In court records, Curtis is described as homeless but living in the Chippewa Falls area. She will make her first court appearance March 9 before Judge James Isaacson.

According to the criminal complaint, a Lake Hallie officer was called to a home Jan. 20 for a report that Curtis had entered a home through a rear door without permission, and left with their cat.

A resident of the house talked with Curtis, and the cat walked up to Curtis. The resident left the room; when the resident returned Curtis and the cat were gone. Attempts to later contact Curtis were unsuccessful.

When the officer spoke to Curtis, she claimed the cat was hers. Curtis said she had some health issues, was missing her cats, and decided to leave with it.

Curtis claimed that someone from the home waved at her and invited her in; the residents there disputed that claim.

Finally, on Feb. 7, the victims contacted the dispatch center and informed officers that their cat had been returned to them. A random person had dropped off the animal.

Court records show that Curtis was charged in July 2021 with possession of meth and drug paraphernalia. That matter also will be reviewed at the March 9 hearing. In 2017, she pleaded guilty to possession of an illegally obtained prescription and disorderly conduct and was placed on probation for two years.

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Claiming some nursing home residents cast ballots without knowing what they were doing, and repeating complaints about grants from a liberal organization to help administer the 2020 election, the former state Supreme Court justice leading a GOP review of the 2020 election said Tuesday the Legislature ought to take a very hard look at decertifying the states presidential election  something experts say is a legal and constitutional impossibility.

In a sweeping critique of current election rules, Michael Gableman also called for the elimination and dismantling of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission after it instructed clerks in 2020 that they did not need to send poll workers into nursing homes to assist with absentee voting after many were turned away due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At best, WEC is hopelessly derelict of duty, Gableman told the Assembly elections committee in a three-hour presentation of his 136-page interim report from his ongoing one-party review. The report reiterates past GOP criticisms of the states presidential election, including that millions of dollars of private grants allocated to cities to help administer the election amid the pandemic constituted bribery  a claim courts have rejected.

The commissions nonpartisan administrator, Meagan Wolfe, denounced the report, saying it was based on mischaracterizations and that almost every item flagged by the review has already been litigated or addressed.

The opinions in the Special Counsels latest interim report were fixated on topics that have been thoroughly addressed, Wolfe said. The integrity of the November 2020 election, and of the WEC, has been shown time and time again through court cases and previous investigations.

A recount and court decisions have affirmed that President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Reviews by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau and the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty found no evidence of widespread fraud. Multiple court rulings have also found no evidence of irregularities.

Further, the results of the 2020 election have been confirmed by county canvassing boards, recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties, post-election audits by local and state election authorities and a voting equipment audit by the elections commission.

Gableman indicated that his review, for which Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has allocated $676,000 in taxpayer money, is far from complete. He said he continues to speak with Vos about extending the contract, which expired at the end of December. The eight-month review has been plagued by legal challenges against multiple subpoenas issued by Gableman.

The former justices lengthy, meandering and at times openly partisan attacks on elections commission staff and Democratic appointees underscored to critics the one-sided nature of the investigation.

This circus has long surpassed being a mere embarrassment for our state, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement. From the beginning, it has never been a serious or functioning effort, it has lacked public accountability and transparency, and it has been a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.

Decertification

Republican lawmakers and legislative attorneys have repeatedly said overturning the election after it was certified by the state and Congress would be illegal and impossible. And in his report, Gableman makes clear that his purpose is not to challenge the states certification. But an appendix does sketch how that might be done, he said.

It is clear that the Wisconsin Legislature could lawfully take steps to decertify electors in any presidential election, for example in light of violations of state election law that did or likely could have affected the outcome of the election, according to the report.

UW-Madison political science professor and elections administration expert Kenneth Mayer said the claim is meaningless.

Even if the Legislature did pass some sort of decertification now it would have no legal effect, he said. Once the electors have cast their ballots, and they have been counted in Congress, thats the end of it.

Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, has repeatedly rejected efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

In a world where partisan divides are deep & seemingly anything can be justified as long as it results in retaining power, handing authority to partisan politicians to determine if election fraud exists would be the end of our republic as we know it, Steineke tweeted.

Following the hearing, committee chair Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, and member Rep. David Murphy, R-Greenville, did not rule out the possibility of pursuing decertification, though Murphy said that bar needs to be extremely high.

To undo an election would be extremely detrimental to our republic. This is a very destabilizing act, Murphy said. On the other hand, elections that are stolen, thats also destabilizing for the republic so we have to look at this with an open mind from both directions.

Gablemans report comes weeks after Rep. Timothy Ramthun, R-Campbellsport, launched a campaign for governor focused largely on claims of widespread fraud and a desire to take back the states 10 electoral college votes already certified for Biden. Other Republicans in the race  former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and anti-establishment candidate Kevin Nicholson  have also lobbed criticism at the 2020 elections administration, but have not openly called for decertifying the results.

Voting deputies

Gableman took special aim at the elections commissions decision to exempt clerks from the requirement that they send poll workers, known as special voting deputies, into care facilities in 2020, showing several videos of attorney Erick Kaardal questioning nursing homes residents who evidently voted but seemed to have trouble understanding questions he was asking them about the election.

The commissions guidance was issued in March 2020 shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. The directive remained in place for the November 2020 presidential election and the February 2021 primary.

John Sauer, CEO of LeadingAge Wisconsin, which represents nursing homes, said there are instances in the report that, if true, would certainly warrant further investigation. But, he said, even if a few of the examples cited turn out to be factual, we have to remember this was a very unusual circumstance, where the pandemic forced a suspension of the use of special voting deputies.

Sauer noted the Gableman report said investigators vetted 24 nursing homes in Dane County, but the county has only 18, according to the state Department of Health Services.

The videos Gableman showed appeared to call into question whether the people interviewed, in some cases appearing confused or uninformed, should have been allowed to vote. But under election law, only a judge  not an elections clerk or a special voting deputy  can reject a persons right to register to vote after finding the person is incompetent.

Simply being forgetful or appearing to be confused doesnt mean that person cant formulate their opinion on who they choose to vote for, Sauer said. If theres not a determination, then the assumption is that person is competent and able to cast a ballot.

Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell criticized the videos, which he described as using seniors as political props, adding that families concerned a relative may be incompetent should have a judge make that finding.

You wouldnt want special voting deputies to be determining that on their own, he said.

Private grants

Gableman also contends that the private grants by the Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, which were distributed around the state but went primarily to the states five largest cities, were aimed at boosting turnout in areas more likely to go for Biden.

In taking the money, Gableman said, Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha and Green Bay engaged in what he called election bribery, defined in state law as accepting anything of value, such as money, to induce any elector to go to or refrain from going to the polls or vote or refrain from voting.

His report also points to provisions in the CTCL and the cities Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan that, among other things, encourage the use of ballot drop boxes and reaching out to historically disenfranchised voters such as racial minorities and the poor, which not-coincidentally, matched that of the Biden-voter profile.

A Wisconsin State Journal review of the CTCL grants found that the money was spread around to about 214 municipalities, while the five largest cities received two to four times more money, per capita, than smaller cities.

At the same time, no community that asked for money from the group was denied, with communities in 39 of the states 72 counties receiving grants, including ones won by Trump.

A state Legislative Audit Bureau survey also found that drop boxes were common across Wisconsin, appearing in 24 to 54 municipalities in each of seven different regions of the state, including in the northeast and northwest where Trump won the vast majority of counties.

The 2020 election is over. Heres what happened (and what didnt) The 2020 election was the most secure in American history, according to the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructu

The states anti-election bribery law also specifies other things that also cost money that are aimed at helping people vote but dont constitute bribery, such as giving employees paid time off to vote, and driving people to the polls.

The conservative Thomas More Society on Tuesday released its own private review of the 2020 election, which also alleges the CTCL grants constitute bribery and raises questions surrounding special voting deputies at nursing homes.

The separate review was conducted on behalf of the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, one of a handful of groups that unsuccessfully sued to overturn the results of the states 2020 presidential election. The organization shares office space in Brookfield with Gableman, according to lease documents, and the groups president, Ron Heuer, as well as Kaardal, are members of Gablemans team.

State Journal reporters Chris Rickert, Alexander Shur and David Wahlberg contributed to this report.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a correction. A previous version misstated the reason why Skaalen Retirement Services in Stoughton shredded four absentee ballots in the 2020 election. It was because the residents decided they didnt want to vote. None of the residents at the nursing home at the time had been found by a judge to be incompetent.

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Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gablemans GOP-ordered review of the 2020 election is set to be made public Tuesday, according to Gablemans team.

Gablemans eight-month review of the 2020 election has been marred by a slew of legal challenges to multiple subpoenas issued by the former justice, who previously declared without evidence that the election had been stolen. The review, for which Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has allocated $676,000 in taxpayer money, was originally planned to be completed last fall but failed to meet several deadlines, which Republican leaders attributed to ongoing court battles.

Gableman staffer Zak Niemierowicz told The Associated Press that the final report will be provided to Vos and the state Assemblys elections committee on Tuesday. A staffer for Rep. Janel Brandtjen, chairperson of the Assembly committee, said the report is expected to be released to the public.

Vos office did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Vos spokesperson Angela Joyce told The Associated Press that Gableman, not Vos, would release the report.

The Assemblys GOP-led Committee on Campaigns and Elections is scheduled to hear testimony from Gableman on Tuesday. The committee will also hear from Erick Kaardal, a Republican attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society who has challenged the use of private election grants provided to the states five largest cities to help administer last years election during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Much of Gablemans review has focused on election grants provided to Wisconsin cities by the Chicago-based Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL)  funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg  to help administer the 2020 election. Republicans, including Gableman, have targeted CTCL funds as unfairly increasing turnout in the Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine.

Court rulings have found nothing illegal about the more than $10 million in grants CTCL distributed to about 214 municipalities in 39 of Wisconsins 72 counties, including many solidly won by Trump. Nor did CTCL turn down grant requests from any of the Wisconsin municipalities that made them.

Legislative action

The Republican-controlled Legislature last week sent a package of election bills to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is all but certain to veto most, if not all, of them. The proposals would give the Legislature more control over guidance issued by the Wisconsin Elections Commission, limit which absentee voters could claim indefinitely confined status and allow lawmakers to cut funding for the state Elections Commission when its deemed not to have complied with state election laws.

Another bill added late in the Assemblys final session would allow election officials to begin counting absentee ballots on the Monday before an election, but Democratic lawmakers ultimately opposed the measure because it also shortened the window that clerks have to send out absentee ballots for federal races.

Republicans have touted the measures as an effort to clean up election processes in the state following a report last year from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau that found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election but made several recommendations for improvements. President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump by close to 21,000 votes in the battleground state.

Democratic legislators, Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul have lambasted the Gableman review as a waste of taxpayer dollars and an attempt to undermine faith in state elections.

Republican scrutiny of the 2020 election continues to grow as part of a nationwide GOP effort to make changes to election procedures following baseless claims by some Republicans, including Trump, of widespread fraud in the presidential election.

Vos had planned to use Gablemans report to craft election-related legislation leading up to the 2022 midterms, but the Assembly held its final session of the year last week. Vos said future bills will be drafted but that obstruction had slowed the election reviews progress.

Subpoenas, lawsuits

Gableman has previously demanded documents, interviews or both with the mayors of Wisconsins five largest cities, the states top elections official, the chair of the state Elections Commission and members of Evers administration, as well as two companies that make vote-counting systems, Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems.

Attorneys for Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software told Gableman in January the organization would not comply with the subpoena, which they called a quintessential fishing expedition.

In mid-February, Gableman withdrew his subpoena seeking emails and financial documents from immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera Action.

He also called for several officials, including Racine Mayor Cory Mason and Wisconsin Elections Commission chair Ann Jacobs, to be jailed for refusing to sit for the behind-closed-doors interviews for which they have been subpoenaed.

In December, Gableman demanded that Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway be jailed. He later rescinded the demand, only to reinstate the demand last week.

There are also three pending lawsuits related to liberal watchdog group American Oversights public records requests to Vos and Gableman for documents related to the election review. Vos last week asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take up one of the cases.

Gableman made a baseless claim at a pro-Donald Trump rally in 2020 that the election in Wisconsin had been stolen by bureaucrats, and he has met with and hired people for his investigation who formerly worked for Trump and espoused conspiracy theories about the election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The events unfolding in eastern Europe may seem like theyre a long way away, but I would suggest they nonetheless provide us an opportunity for perspective.

Just a week ago, life in Kyiv wouldve felt much like any U.S. metro area. Even more so, life in rural Ukraine wouldve felt very similar to our lives here. Away from the political battles, farmers or shop owners or welders in central or eastern Ukraine wouldve been doing many of the same things their counterparts in greater Nebraska were doing.

Today those realities are obviously very different. Businesses are closed, families are separated from their homes or each other as theyve fled the country and there is great uncertainty about what their homeland and hometowns will look like in the months to come. This isnt a column about the war or dictators or international politics, so Ill leave it at that. But what is the perspective we should draw from this experience thousands of miles away?

First and foremost, I hope its empathy. And clearly the world could use a little empathy right now! Maybe with that perspective can come a little better understanding of those who think or act differently than we do.

But the perspective Id like to dive into today from a community development lens is how this tragic set of events is an illustration of the tremendous advantages we have at our disposal. And these are advantages we inevitably take for granted because theyre not obvious or flashy. Where some mightve previously described rural life in Nebraska as boring, I hope we now recognize it as stable  and thats a very good thing.

I know its not exciting, but you cannot overstate the value of living in the middle of the most wealthy and powerful nation on earth in terms of our capacity to grow vibrant communities. Odds are pretty good that infrastructure is going to remain intact, banks and businesses are going to remain open, we wont be forced to leave our homes en masse . . . all things our counterparts in Ukraine are now experiencing.

That stability allows us to concern ourselves with community needs higher up the developmental scale. As a practical matter, that allows time and money to go to community betterment instead of emergency relief or rebuilding. Progress instead of plugging holes in the dike.

But just as important, that stability allows us all to THINK differently. We can dream bigger. Our mindset can be driven by the prospect of a prosperous future, not an uncertain one. For the psychology majors out there, we can move up Maslows Hierarchy and think about moving our communities closer to their full potential instead of just stopping at the imperative of meeting basic human needs.

I know everythings not perfect in Nebraska either. But the last week should certainly have given us perspective on the scale of those problems and hopefully made us appreciative of our assets, and perhaps, taken away some excuses for not getting involved in your hometown.

Greater Nebraska has plenty of assets, fundamentally sound systems to build on and the freedom to dream big dreams. So while we must empathize with those whose lives have experienced upheaval and pray for the people of Ukraine, Id suggest we also have an obligation to each other to fully utilize these advantages weve been given. Maybe this perspective gives you the motivation to set aside what seemed to be barriers last week and instead focus your attention on the assets at your disposal to build a more prosperous hometown.

K.C. Belitz is the chief operating officer of the Nebraska Community Foundation.

K.C. Belitz is the chief operating officer of the Nebraska Community Foundation.

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Ask the average person what holiday comes to mind during the month of March and youll typically hear Saint Patricks Day. However, this year, the same question directed toward the average central Pennsylvanian might yield a different answer: Fasnacht Day.

Fasnacht Day, which is always celebrated on Shrove Tuesday, is celebrated in Pennsylvania Dutch country the day before Ash Wednesday, which kicks off the 40 days of Lent before Easter. Easter is celebrated on a different day each year, so Ash Wednesday and consequently Fat Tuesday also change. This year, Fasnacht Day falls on the first of March.

The Pennsylvania Dutch use fastnachts  traditionally sugar and lard-laden doughnuts  as a way for households to get rid of their lard and sugar before Lent, foods typically given up during the fasting season.

The Karns Food store at 1706 Spring Road in North Middleton Township joins a variety of bakeries in the area in selling the treats.

People make a really big deal about it, Karns Bakery Manager Casey Miller said of Fasnacht Day. I would say [its] probably one of our biggest selling times of the year, for sure. It might beat Christmas, to be honest, and Thanksgiving.

Miller said the North Middleton Karns location made about 9,000 individual fasnachts this year, and that other Karns locations made more. This is the only time of year Karns has fasnachts for sale, and according to Miller, they sell fast.

We usually sell out each year, Miller said. Sometimes we last until Wednesday or Thursday.

Miller said fasnachts are different from traditional doughnuts.

Fasnachts are not filled, first of all, they dont have a hole in them and traditionally theyre made from potato flour, so thats kind of what makes them a little different, Miller said.

She referred to Karnss process of making fasnachts as simple.

So a company called Maple Donuts, which provides other products for us, has our own specific recipe that only they make this product for us, Miller said. They send them a couple days in advance and we just reheat them and glaze, sugar, powder and leave them plain.

Miller said this year, Karns received the fasnachts on Friday and began processing them Saturday. They have five flavors for sale.

We have plain, powdered, sugar, cinnamon sugar and glazed, Miller said. Glazed is our top seller, and then also we do a variety pack so if you dont know what you like and you want something different, you could try the variety pack and find out what you like.

Miller says she has a love-hate relationship with Fasnacht Day.

I mean, while Im making them I dont want to eat them, but you know after the hustle bustle, I might take a pack home with me, she said.

I know our customers look forward to it a lot, she said. I dont think its anything thats going to change any time soon for sure.

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn

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A Carlisle woman was sentenced Monday to two years of probation, including four months of home confinement, for engaging in illegal monetary transactions involving $232,300 in COVID-19 relief funds, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Christina McConnell, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Conner Monday. The court said McConnell misused relief funds that were guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration through the Paycheck Protection Program.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said McConnell knowingly used criminally derived PPP loan proceeds to purchase personal-use vehicles and residential property in June and July 2020. Her husband, Keith McConnell, also pled guilty to the underlying PPP wire fraud and related money laundering offenses, and he is awaiting sentencing.

The court ordered Christina McConnell to pay $232,200 in restitution, and she paid the full amount prior to sentencing. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Services Criminal Investigation bureau.
Following an investigation by State Police, Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack on Tuesday announced that no criminal charges will be filed in the fatal police-involved shooting in North Middleton Township in mid-February.

At the conclusion of reviewing all of these factors, it is the determination of the district attorneys office that there are no criminal violations on behalf of the officers and this is what people might call, unfortunately, I dont like the term, but a 'good shoot,'" McCormack said. "This is a situation where the officers felt, particularly the officer that was hit, that his life was in danger and that he had no choice.

McCormack said his investigation only determines whether there was a criminal violation in what law enforcement did during the Feb. 16 incident, and that any issues with department policies and procedures will be investigated by the department itself.

Quote "This is a situation where the officers felt, particularly the officer that was hit, that his life was in danger and that he had no choice.  Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack

State Police and the Cumberland County District Attorney's Criminal Investigation unit headed the investigation into the police-involved shooting that killed Roger Wayne Ellis, 54, of Carlisle, outside of a trailer on Brittney Drive in North Middleton Township.

McCormack thanked the State Police for their help in the investigation and said that during the incident, police on the scene did what they could with the threat of a weapon and an injured officer, whom McCormack did not name during the conference.

"The officers were composed," he said. "They all kept their heads. It's obvious their training kicked in."

Searching for Ellis

Though the shooting took place on Feb. 16, McCormack said the sequence of events that started things began on Jan. 14 when Camp Hill Police encountered Ellis' vehicle at a 7-11 store on Market and 32nd streets in Camp Hill. An officer determined Ellis owned the vehicle but should not be driving on a DUI-suspended license.

Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Ellis led police on what McCormack called a "low-speed chase," turning down a number of local roads. Police discontinued the pursuit but later spotted his vehicle again. When police attempted to conduct another traffic stop, Ellis ran a red light and fled at a higher rate of speed, leading police again to drop the pursuit.

Police issued information on a warrant for Ellis' arrest. By Jan. 25, police received tips from the community that Ellis could either be at a North Middleton Township trailer or living in Newville, which is why members of Newville Borough Police became involved in the investigation.

After receiving those tips, police spent time confirming Ellis' location and eventually settled on the North Middleton Township location.

February shooting

McCormack illustrated the site of the shooting incident on a PowerPoint presentation. He described the area as having one lower trailer where Ellis resided and another trailer beyond that, which was abandoned but would play a role in how the events played out.

McCormack said Camp Hill Police officers took charge of serving the arrest warrant and requested presence from North Middleton Township Police, since it was their jurisdiction. They also requested the presence of a K9 officer from Newville Police because of reports that Ellis may be in possession of a handgun. Camp Hill officers collected near the main door to one side of the trailer, while a North Middleton officer and the K9 officer stood post on another door on the other side of the trailer.

Camp Hill Police announced their presence and the owner of the trailer came out and confirmed Ellis was inside. That person was whisked away, and police again announced their presence and commanded Ellis to exit. Only one officer made it through the main door before spotting a handgun, and that Camp Hill officer announced the presence of the gun and backtracked out of the trailer.

On the other side of the trailer, the North Middleton and Newville officers heard the call about a gun, but also heard noise in the trailer that they mistook for a struggle inside. McCormack said that they believed other officers were struggling with Ellis, so they went into the trailer and made their way to the back bedroom where Ellis was located. Before they reached it, Ellis pointed the handgun out of a crack in the door and fired at the North Middleton officer about 2 to 3 feet away, hitting him in the chest and his Kevlar vest.

McCormack said those officers retreated, but in different directions. The Newville K9 officer joined Camp Hill Police on one side of the trailer, while the injured North Middleton officer retreated behind the abandoned trailer to check on his wounds, but effectively isolating himself from the rest of the police force. The North Middleton officer then got in contact with the rest of the police force to make sure they knew where he was to avoid any possibility of crossfire.

At that point, McCormack said Ellis escaped through the bedroom window, checked to see the large group of police near the front of the trailer and then made his way north toward the abandoned trailer where the North Middleton officer was alone.

When the North Middleton officer spotted Ellis, McCormack said the officer retreated into an open field expecting Ellis to either stay put or retreat into the line of woods. However, McCormack said that for unknown reasons, Ellis went toward where the officer had been and pointed his handgun.

McCormack said that with the officer already having been shot and now alone in an open field facing a man with a weapon, he fired a series of shots, striking Ellis in the neck and leg. Resuscitation attempts were not successful and Ellis died at the scene.

McCormack said an autopsy confirmed traces of drugs in Ellis' system, including methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.

"We do not know what was going through his mind that afternoon," McCormack said. "We did learn after the fact, from what he told others, that he was not going back to jail again."

But McCormack said that is hearsay from others regarding Ellis' motives.

Posted at noon on Cumberlink:

Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack said during a news conference Tuesday that no charges will be filed in the police-involved shooting in North Middleton on Feb. 16.

McCormack detailed the timeline of events that led to the shooting death of Roger Wayne Ellis, 54, outside a residence in the first block of Brittney Drive, and he said a North Middleton Township police officer was justified in using lethal force.

At the conclusion of reviewing all of these factors, it is the determination of the district attorneys office that there are no criminal violations on behalf of the officers and this is what people might call, unfortunately, I dont like the term, but a 'good shoot,'" McCormack said. "This is a situation where the officers felt, particularly the officer that was hit, that his life was in danger and that he had no choice.

State Police initially reported that North Middleton Township Police, along with Newville Police and Camp Hill Police went to a residence to serve an arrest warrant on Ellis, of Carlisle, who was wanted for fleeing and eluding police in a previous incident. After officers announced their presence, police said Ellis refused to comply with commands to exit the home and instead fired a handgun at a North Middleton officer at close range.

The officer, who has not been identified, was injured, taking the shot in his bulletproof vest. Officers left the home, but Ellis reportedly approached the same officer again outside, and that officer shot Ellis, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

For more information and for a video of the news conference, check back to Cumberlink.com.

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HARRISBURG  The Russian invasion of Ukraine is spurring Pennsylvania lawmakers to draft legislation to require the state Treasury Department and the states three public pension funds to divest holdings connected to Russia. Some selling off was already underway Monday.

The state Treasury Department said it began divesting its holdings in all Russian-based companies last week. It described the holdings as less than one one-hundredth of a percent of its holdings and expected to finish the process of divestment by Mondays end.

Divestiture legislation was being drafted Monday in the House by Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, and in the Senate by state Sen. Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia.

Its time we start moving beyond symbolism and get some concrete action to what Pennsylvania can do to hold Russia accountable, to apply pressure to stop this attack, Benninghoff told a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon.

Lawmakers in 2010 required the divestment of investments related to Iran and Sudan.

In a memo to fellow senators, Street said the aggressive and illegal invasion of Ukraine demands action.

We must wield our economic power to ensure that Russia faces grave consequences for their flagrant violations of international law and human cooperation, Street wrote.

Over the weekend, Pennsylvania ordered the removal of Russian-made products from state-owned liquor stores and Gov. Tom Wolfs administration lit the front of the Capitol in the yellow and blue colors of Ukraines flag.

Wolf, a Democrat, had called for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to get rid of Russian-made products and his office said he supported the Treasury Departments divestment.

His office said the administration was reviewing all state procurement contracts to ensure that it is not providing any financial support to Russia, but was noncommittal on calls for the pension systems to divest from Russian entities, saying he would review any legislation.

Out of the nearly $40 billion that Pennsylvanias Treasury Department directly manages, it had $2.9 million invested in 31 Russian companies, mostly energy companies, plus a few telecommunications firms and banks, it said.

Treasurer Stacy Garrity, a Republican, is urging the states public pension systems to divest from Russian holdings to the greatest extent possible, her office said.

Board members of the $72 billion Public School Employees Retirement System  one of the nations largest public pension funds  expected to start getting details of the funds exposure to Russian-related investments at a previously scheduled workshop on Monday.

The board might be ready to take action by its next full meeting on March 11 after agency staff has time to provide more details about the investments, chairman Christopher SantaMaria said.

Certainly Im interested in seeing what we have there and reducing, if not eliminating, that exposure, SantaMaria said in a telephone interview. Were definitely going to get an update on it.

Board members will likely have questions, such as what kind of costs or consequences are associated with selling off assets, SantaMaria said.

Also, selling off assets could be more complicated than just selling public equities, and investments in private equities and hedge funds could take a little longer to shed, SantaMaria said.

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HARRISBURG  A group suing over Pennsylvania's new map of congressional districts asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to reconsider whether they are entitled to an emergency order to halt the plan.

The petition came three days after U.S. District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson in Harrisburg denied their request for a temporary restraining order against the 17-district map, saying she first would sort out jurisdictional issues. The six plaintiffs said those issues concern whether they have standing to challenge the map.

The U.S. Supreme Court asked for a response by late Thursday.

The plaintiffs, including two Republicans running for Congress this year, claim the new map favors Democrats, including by putting Republican U.S. Reps. Glenn Thompson and Fred Keller into the same central Pennsylvania district. The Legislature must approve the congressional map, they argued.

Relief is urgently needed because candidates are already campaigning for office under this unconstitutional map, and the statutory deadline for obtaining the needed signatures on nomination petitions is March 8, the plaintiffs told the U.S. Supreme Court.

A congressional districting plan passed by Republican majorities in the General Assembly had been vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.

The plaintiffs also argued that the state Supreme Court-selected map improperly contains congressional districts that vary from each other by two residents, when it's possible to meet federal standards with deviations of just one person.

Unless state lawmakers and Wolf produce a new set of district lines, they want this year's congressional election to be run at-large, rather than district-by-district. That would have voters in all parts of the state picking all 17 members of Congress.

The Democratic-majority state Supreme Court last week made its choice for a new map and revised the petition-gathering schedule for congressional and statewide candidates.

Having a court suspend or delay the primary-election calendar to accommodate the judicial creation of a new congressional map is not an option, the plaintiffs argued in the U.S. Supreme Court filing.

The defendants are Wolf, acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman and Jessica Mathis, the director of the Bureau of Election Services and Notaries. A Department of State spokesperson has declined to comment on the case, citing ongoing litigation.

Wilson allowed a group whose proposed map was chosen by the state Supreme Court to join the case. She said they had argued to be allowed into the case in order to protect this collateral attack to their Pennsylvania Supreme Court litigation.

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"All we can do is be positive," Owner Dean Yaukey said. "I mean, we dont want to sit around and cry about it, we want to be positive [and] plan on rebuilding."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that TCP Hot Acquisition LLC doing business as HRB Brands is recalling all lot numbers with expiration dates on or before August 2023 of the Sure and Brut aerosol sprays. For affected UPC codes, check out the FDAs website at www.fda.gov.

The FDA said the products are packaged in aerosol cans that had unexpected levels of benzene in the propellant. Exposure to benzene can occur by inhalation, orally or through the skin and result in cancers, including leukemia and blood disorders. No reports of adverse events related to the recall have been reported.

Consumers with questions can call TCP Hot Acquisition LLC at 1-866-615-0976.

The risk of salmonella was behind a recall from Vadilal Industries Inc. The company is recalling two batches of its frozen custard Apple Pulp. The recall was initiated after FDA received a complaint about five illnesses and after sampling revealed the presence of salmonella.

The product was distributed nationwide in 35.27-ounce packets that have best before dates of September 2023 and UPC of 8901777282168. Customers should discontinue use and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Lehi Valley Trading Co. is recalling packages of yogurt raisins over undeclared peanuts. The company said the recall was initiated after it was discovered equipment used to package the product may have come in contact with peanut allergens.

Affected products include Snack-Worthys 10-ounce yogurt raisins, Woodys Smokehouse 12.3-ounce yogurt raisins, and Texas Best Smokehouse 8-ounce yogurt raisins. For UPC codes and best by dates, check out the FDAs website.

Customers who have purchased the raisins should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

A number of fire hazards have led to the recall of multiple consumer products in the last two weeks.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that Viking Range is recalling its 5 Series freestanding gas ranges because the rigid gas tubing can separate at the joint to the bake, broil and griddle burners, posing a risk of a gas leak. The recall involves the gas ranges (models VGR and VGIC) manufactured between Aug. 10 and Dec. 1, 2021. For serial number date codes, check out the commissions website at www.cpsc.gov.

No incidents or injuries have been reported. The gas ranges would have been sold at Best Buy and other stores nationwide.

Consumers should stop using the bake, broil and griddle functions to avoid a risk of a gas leak and contact the company at 888-566-2512 to arrange for a free repair by an authorized service provider. Consumers can continue to use only the top surface burners on the range.

Anthropologie is recalling its Anecdote Autumn glass candles because the double wick candles can achieve higher than usual flames, causing the glass container to break apart and posing fire and laceration hazards.

The company has received nine reports of the candles cracking or breaking apart while in use, resulting in minor property damage. No injuries have been reported.

The candles were sold at Anthropologie stores and online from July 2021 to December 2021. Consumers should stop using the candles and return it to a store. For those who cant return them, visit www.anthropologie.com/recall for details.

Marshalls is recalling its Festive Lights Hanukkah menorahs because they can burn or catch fire when holding lit candles. The company has received three reports of the menorahs burning or catching fire, though no injuries or property damage have been reported.

The menorahs were sold in the shape of a llama, brontosaurus, stegosaurus, T-rex, castle, rainbow, rainbow platform and emojis. They were sold at Marshalls, Home Goods and Homesense stores from November 2021 to January 2022.

Consumers should stop using the menorahs and return them to any Marshalls, Home Goods and Homesense stores for either a choice of a full refund or a refund in the form of a store gift card.

Husqvarna is recalling its Automower 435X and 535 all-wheel drive robotic lawnmowers because the lithium-ion battery can overheat, posing a fire risk. The company has had five reports of batteries overheating, including two reports of fires. No injuries have been reported.

The lawnmowers were sold at Husqvarna dealers nationwide and online from March 2020 to July 2021. Consumers should stop using the mowers and download the free software update the company is pushing to recalled units. Consumers with units with more than 1,200 charging cycles will also receive a free replacement battery. For more information, call 877-257-6921.

BrushX is recalling its hot air brushes because the brushes do not have an immersion protection device, posing an electrocution or shock hazard to the user if it falls into water when plugged in. No incidents or injuries have been reported.

The recall involves the BrushX Styler, Dryer & Volumizer (BrushX One) and the BrushX Gen.2 hot air brushes sold in black and black/pink color combinations. They were sold online at MyBrushX.com from April 2020 to August 2021.

Consumers should stop using the brushes, destroy them by unplugging the unit and cutting the cord and emailing a photo of the destroyed product to BrushX at replacement@mybrushx.com to receive a free, upgraded replacement product.

Email Naomi Creason at ncreason@cumberlink.com or follow her on Twitter @SentinelCreason

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COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the area as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new guidance on wearing masks.

The St. Francois County Health Center reported on Monday that the county recorded 83 new cases from Feb. 16-22. Of those cases, 75 were confirmed and eight were probable.

Thats down from 265 cases that were recorded for the week of Feb. 2-8.

The testing positivity rate is down to 6.5% from 19.6%.

COVID-related deaths have gone up by six  four confirmed and two probable  in the past 10 days, bringing the total to 270 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

On Friday, the CDC relaxed mask guidelines for communities that are considered low to medium risk. In those areas, the CDC advises that healthy residents can go without a mask indoors.

According to the CDC, the risk is determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

St. Francois County is considered at medium risk. The CDC advises that residents in medium risk areas that are at high risk of severe illness to check with a doctor about whether they should wear a mask. Those who have COVID symptoms, have tested positive, or have been exposed to COVID should still wear a mask, according to the guidelines.

Last Tuesday at the St. Francois County Commission meeting, Health Center Director Linda Ragsdale said if residents are fully vaccinated, they dont need to wear a mask unless they are immunocompromised or at risk.

Madison County is the only area county considered high risk by the CDC, so residents are still advised to wear a mask indoors.

The Madison County Health Department reported 51 new cases from Feb. 14-23. According to the states COVID dashboard, the county has recorded seven cases over the past week and the positivity rate is 3.5%.

Iron, Ste. Genevieve, and Washington Counties are all considered medium risk by the CDC.

Iron County has recorded eight new cases over the past seven days, state data says. The positivity rate is 6.5%.

Ste. Genevieve County added 13 new cases during the past week and the positivity rate is 5.2%, according to the state dashboard.

The Washington County Health Department reported 24 new cases and four deaths over the week of Feb. 15-22. The positivity rate is 9.4%, down from 14.6% the week before.

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On Nov. 29, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Darrell Missey allowed the petition to be sealed, closing off specific details of the allegations from public view. Missey was later tapped to lead the Missouri Department of Social Services Childrens Division and is no longer overseeing the matter. Judge Brenda Stacey last week denied a Post-Dispatch request to unseal the petition.

Patrick Werner and Forrest Nye, as well as several limited partnerships, are listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

He declined to say more, other than a possible countersuit was in the works. Attorney Mark Bishop, representing Nye and Werner, couldnt be reached.

While details are limited about the allegations, their official responses to the lawsuit are viewable in court records. Allegations include breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation and fraudulent misrepresentation. The records say Stephen Voyles, on behalf of Wilshire, negotiated with Nye and Werner to purchase several apartment complexes. Those deals appear to have hit a notable snag.

The properties in question are Woodcrest Village, in De Soto, Hunters Ridge, in Hillsboro, Wildwood Apartments, in Arnold, Windcrest Village, in Ste. Genevieve, and Oak Knoll, in Festus. According to the Missouri Housing Development Commission, about 200 of the units are supported by $18.4 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits. The tax credits are awarded to developers as incentives to build or refurbish affordable housing.

Nye and his firm, Nye Management LC are listed as the general partner for the tax credits, according to the Missouri Housing Development Commission, which oversees and awards projects funded through federal and state tax credits. Robert Muchow and Capital Partners Series XIV, XI and XII  not named in the lawsuit  are listed as the limited partners for most of the tax credits, with Doe Run Partnership LLC and Nye having the remainder.
The Missouri Department of Conservation will be hosting a Hunter Education Skills Session on March 26 at the Farmington Elks Lodge, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Before attending students must complete one of the following:

Online Course: Learn the information online through a computer or mobile device. The online course includes audio, video, images, graphs, and interactive animation to enhance the learning experience. Simply log on to mdc.mo.gov and search Hunter Education.

Self-Study Manual: Students can learn at their own pace by getting a student manual, complete with colorful pictures and graphs, from the MDC Cape Office in Cape Girardeau at 573-290-5730 (pick up or can be shipped), or order online through mdc.mo.gov

Classroom Session: Register and attend a four-hour classroom session with a Hunter Education instructor. The class includes lecture, discussion and videos.

To gain admission to the skills session, students must present a completed Hunter Education manual with all the review questions completed or provide a certificate of completion from the online course or classroom session. No admission will be granted without proof of completion.

Youths less than 16 years of age do not need Hunter Education as long as they are hunting with a qualified adult parent or mentor. MDCs Apprentice Hunter Authorization lets people 16 years of age and older try hunting before taking Hunter Education as long as they hunt with a qualified adult mentor.

MDC requires that hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, and who are 16 or older, successfully complete an approved Hunter Education course to buy firearms hunting permits and participate in managed hunts. Certain exemptions apply. Hunters who have completed an approved Hunter-Education course in another state, and have proof of completion, are not required to take Missouris Hunter Education course.

New Online Course: Those who are 16 and older may now obtain Hunter Education with the all online course. This new course allows users to take Hunter Education at their own pace and eliminates the need for attending the skills session. There is a processing fee associated with this course.

Register online at http://my.register-ed.com/ or by going to mdc.mo.gov or the Southeast Regional Office 573-290-5730. Contact Conservation Agent Clayton Lewis at (573-330-8038) for additional information.

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The arrival of Ash Wednesday means that many people who dont normally serve many plant-based meals will be searching for new meatless entree ideas for Lent. And for the No-Cook Cooking cook, the easier those entrees are, and the more quickly they can land on a plate, the better.

If its always an uphill battle persuading the carnivores in your family even to try a meatless meal, the good news this season is that there are far more plant-based products out there than ever before. And even if youve been frustrated by empty shelves at your favorite store lately, you can expect many of these items to be in stock.

If youve just served an Impossible, Incogmeato or Beyond burger to your favorite carnivore, and he or she is eating it happily, dont worry about whether its cheating to enjoy a non-burger burger during Lent. Pile the lettuce, pickles and mustard on your bun and enjoy. But if your goal for following both the rule and the spirit of fasting is fixing meals that dont need to offer reasonable facsimiles of meat to be satisfying, just take some cues from your favorite world cuisines.

Recipes abound online for creating your favorite meat-free international dishes at home. And once you capture the satisfaction of your favorite restaurant meals in your own kitchen, youll want to add your new finds to your regular rotation.

If youre a fan of Chinese and pan-Asian foods, start with a reliably delicious favorite: fried rice. While youre at the grocery store, pick up a few different kinds of rice and tuck a bag or two of frozen peas and carrots in your buggy. If you can find the bags that steam in the microwave without any fuss, grab them; they are true No-Cook Cooking superheroes.

Stir-fry some chopped fresh cauliflower and a handful or two of pea pods, strings removed, in some hot chili oil with a few shards of hot red pepper while you steam some rice and a bag of peas and carrots. If youre an onion fan, add some fine slivers. Once the vegetables are tender, fold in the steamed rice and peas and carrots. Add low-sodium soy sauce and, if you love it hot, another splash of chili oil. Tinker with the vegetable selections to make your palate happy.

Keep fried rice in mind for the weeknights when you dont have much time to spare, but you really want to use up the last fresh vegetables from a farmers market visit. Its also a delicious way to use up chopped ham on nights when youre back to eating meat. A friend once told me he reluctantly tried Spam fried rice with fresh pineapple while visiting Hawaii and never looked back; the dish became a go-to favorite on busy evenings for his surprised but delighted family.

Another flavor profile to try is kung pao. If you love the crispy, crunchy combination of peanuts, carrots and celery with chicken from your favorite takeout menu, imagine how much youll enjoy it with extra-firm tofu cubes that youve stir-fried until its crackly on the outside and silky soft on the inside. Nuts can bring fiber, protein and an impressive array of minerals to any meal, so, while youre at it, see how your favorite cashew chicken recipe will taste with tofu instead  or, even better, seitan.

If you rely on slow cookers this time of year for hearty meals that fill your kitchen with amazing aromas, give Indian cuisine a try. Lentils and chickpeas can shine in their finest tender glory when simmered slowly in Indian spices; once you try one recipe, youll start looking up others before your meal is even cool enough to finish. Steam some basmati rice and toast some sesame seeds for a finishing touch.

When Lent gives way to Easter, take a moment and give your grocery store receipts an honest examination. You may discover that youve spent less on meatless meals, but havent felt deprived.

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Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea on Monday said he disagrees with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkins call this weekend for Roanoke to break off its 30-year Sister City relationship with Pskov, Russia, in light of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Now is not the time for further division, wrote the mayor in a letter to the governor dated Monday, but rather to ensure we demonstrate compassion for and support of the people of Ukraine, while continuing to use our existing relationships with the people of our sister cities to show them there is a better way, a way led by common understanding, freedom and peace  standing in direct contrast with the path of authoritarianism and violence.

Leas stance with Youngkin stood in contrast to a report this weekend by WFIR radio that said Lea told the station he agreed with Youngkins call to sever ties.

I misspoke, Lea said Monday. He added that he did not fault WFIRs reporting.

Lea said he intended to place the Pskov relationship on the agenda for discussion during the March 7 Roanoke City Council meeting. It would be up to the council to decide what action, if any, needs to be taken with regard to the relationship, the mayor said.

Lea said he does agree with Youngkins denouncement of the invasion and told him so when they talked Sunday. Lea also said he supports Youngkins action plan. The mayor did not have specifics of that plan.

Youngkins office said the governor believes the state should cease buying Russian goods and services and that the Virginia Retirement System and university endowments should pull back investments in Russian assets.

Roanoke Valley Sister Cities Inc. said it, too, disagreed with the governors offices request about Pskov in a letter signed by the groups president, Mary Jo Fassie.

Meanwhile, in Norfolk, another city Youngkin had asked to end such a relationship, Mayor Kenny Alexander called for the Norfolk Sister City Association to rally behind Ukraine and end its relationship with Kaliningrad, Russia, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

Freedom and self-determination are ingrained in Norfolks spirit, and we stand in support of a free and independent Ukraine, Alexander wrote in a Sunday afternoon Facebook post, according to the Pilot.

Norfolk is proud to join many throughout the world who are rallying behind Ukraine, while calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin for his senseless, inhumane, and tyrannical acts of violent aggression against a sovereign and democratic nation.

Marguerite Inscoe, president of the Norfolk Sister City Association, wrote in an email to the Pilot: The mayor and governor have made a notable request considering current circumstances with Russia and Ukraine. Discussion is underway with the executive board.

Roanoke has seven sister cities and Norfolk has 10.
Its a little closer to being normal.

The University of Virginia Health system will adjust its visitation policy on Thursday to allow younger visitors, more visitors and longer visits, citing the abating surge of COVID-19 and dropping case counts.

The health system, which includes the UVa Medical Center and other inpatient and outpatient facilities, will allow visitors 12 years old and older who do not have COVID or other illnesses and allow two visitors at a patients bedside from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

One visitor will be allowed to stay overnight, a major change from the current visitation policy.

The health system has five levels of visitation policy. The least restrictive level is open, in which numerous visitors are allowed from all ages to closed, where no visitors are allowed at all.

As of Monday, the system was on restricted visitation, which limited visitors to 18 years old and older, one visitor per patient in most departments and no public access to the common areas of the hospital.

On Thursday, the policy will change to limited, skipping one level known as restricted. The change comes about two weeks after the health system moved its restrictions from highly restricted to restricted, allowing two visitors per patient, but only one at the bedside at a time.

Its a pretty drastic difference from what our policy is today. Were still at one visitor during limited visiting hours, said Bush Bell, administrator of Hospitality and Support Services for the medical center. Were pleased that we can make this change on Thursday for at least the foreseeable future.

UVa Medical Center has seen a daily count of around 50 patients being treated or isolated for COVID in the past week, a significant decrease from the 112 reported on January 21.

Bell said declining patient numbers in the hospitals COVID care unit and the COVID intensive care unit, combined with falling case counts across the community, led to the decision.

The health system has changed the visitation restrictions numerous times since the March 2020 onslaught of COVID-19, the levels changing with the number of cases in the community.

We want patients to have visitors. There are lot of studies that indicated when patients have visitors they get better faster, Bell said. When someone comes into the hospital as a patient, we know it affects the entire family. Its not just the patient who is being treated, its the family.

Beginning Thursday, patients staying in the medical center and the UVa Transitional Care Hospital may have two designated visitors at their bedside between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. and one visitor may stay at the bedside overnight.

Two designated visitors are also allowed at the Emergency Department, outpatient clinics and procedural areas, although some areas may have restrictions, including operating rooms where visitation is not permitted.

Visitors must be ages 12 or older and cannot have COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19 or other contagious diseases. All visitors must be screened before entering the hospital and must always wear a mask inside UVA Medical Center facilities.

All public spaces, including the hospital lobby, cafeteria and waiting areas, will be open to members of the public.

Maternity and delivery patients may have two visitors on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week as may end-of-life patients.

No patients are allowed for those visitors being treated for COVID.

Bell said he hopes the hospital will someday be able to set its policy back to open.

Wed probably have to have our COVID patient census drop to about zero and our COVID ICU drop to near zero and infection rates in the Blue Ridge Health District drop to way, way low, Bell said. It would be great, but we dont know when that is going to happen. We hope its soon.

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The Department of Defenses inspector general laid out flaws in the United Statess vetting process for Afghans who left their home country in the midst of the military withdrawal in August.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has, inevitably, had a variety of impacts on the telecoms business. Perhaps the most high-profile news so far has been Ericssons decision to suspend deliveries to Russia.

According to an internal memo from CEO Borje Ekholm, seen by Reuters, the company wants to assess the potential impact of sanctions on its business there.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has received Starlink satellite internet terminals donated by American aerospace manufacturer, SpaceX. However, as they are highly visible terminals that look like home satellite television dishes an internet security researcher has warned these could become Russian targets.

In addition more than a dozen telecoms providers on both sides of the Atlantic are reportedly either providing free international calls to Ukraine or are scrapping roaming charges with the country.

Other operator offers, reported by the European telecoms lobbying group ETNO, include giving SIM cards to refugees in neighbouring countries, free Wi-Fi in refugee camps, activating the 'SMS donation' function to help organisations aiding refugees and including Ukrainian channels in IPTV packages for free.

A rather surreal note was added to this activity when Reuters reported that Google and Meta were among foreign social media companies with more than 500,000 daily users that had not complied with Russian legislation to open local offices  and now face penalties or even outright bans.

A few companies had fully complied, including, apparently, Apple, Spotify, and Rakuten's messaging app Viber. However, given the present situation and the wider Russian campaign for internet control, its hard to see why any company would want to invest in a local office right now.

That said, social media demand certainly exists in Russia. Estimates are that Russia had nearly 51 million users on Instagram and 7.5 million on Facebook by November. In fact demand for virtual private networking (VPN) apps, which can help with circumventing internet restrictions, has reportedly surged in Russia lately.
Pan-African operator Vodacom said that Vodacom Central Region (VCR) extended its coverage with 40 new sites, driving inclusive connectivity across the Northern Cape and Free State in South Africa.

The South African mobile communications company has invested ZAR 181 million (USD 12 million) in the 2021/2022 financial year to increase network coverage, capacity and perform battery upgrades as part of its purpose-led goal of driving sustainable, inclusive connectivity. This brings investment into the region over the last three years to ZAR 550 million (USD 36 million).

"The deployment includes connecting villages in parts of Northern Cape and Free State provinces that had been without network connectivity since the early 1990s, ushering in a new era of digital inclusion for the people living in these areas," said a company press release.

Part of Vodacom's investment in the Region for the last financial year was earmarked for the installation of new 3G and 4G enabled base-station sites in 25 urban centres and in 15 rural areas. The Region launched its first live 5G network footprint in the Northern Cape province in September 2021 extending coverage for the region as part of Vodacoms commitment to connecting the next digital billion, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Delivering connectivity to these provinces is crucial, especially considering the latest figures from Stats SA: in 2019, only 5.4% of households in the Free State and less than 6% in the Northern Cape had access to the internet at home.

The result of our network roll-out programme is that thousands of citizens in these provinces have now become active participants in our increasingly digitised society, said Evah Mthimunye, Vodacom Central Region Managing Executive.

Within South Africas households, Stats SA also noted that a mere 1.2% of those based in rural areas had online access at home. As such, a key focus for Vodacom was to deepen connectivity within South Africas rural communities, with the additional installations bringing the total number of rural sites up to 545 within the Free State and Northern Cape.

By December, online traffic in the region had seen a year-on-year increase of 60.2%, demonstrating the demand for online access and the success of VCRs measures to meet this need. To support this surge in traffic, Vodacom also boosted the capacity of its networks, focusing on high-volume areas such as Bloemfontein, Kimberly, and Kathu.

The cost to communicate remains a big issue in South Africa. Vodacom has been on a pricing transformation journey to reduce data and voice rates to drive adoption across all its markets.
Safaricom is negotiating an infrastructure sharing agreement with state-owned incumbent Ethio Telecom, as the newcomer is unable to lay down enough networks for its commercial launch in Ethiopia this year.

Safaricom Ethiopia managing director Anwar Soussa said both operators are currently working with regulator the Ethiopian Communication Authority (ECA) to iron out details of the partnership, reported Ecofin Agency.

Ethio Telecom and ourselves are both committed to the digital transformation program. We are currently working together to establish a win-win partnership to achieve this. We are currently in the process of negotiating national roaming and infrastructure sharing in accordance with the telecommunications proclamation and regulatory framework under the ECA, said Soussa.

Safaricom is preparing to launch commercial services in Ethiopia this May, after acquiring a global licence last year when the government voted to liberalise its formerly closed off telecoms market.

But in that short time frame, Safaricom was unable to muster the financial capital to deploy enough networks for its launch. The company previously pledged to inject US$8 billion into its networks over the next ten years.
Matrix NAP Info, a telecommunication company based in Jakarta whose interests include cable, data centres, the cloud and the Matrix Cable Internet Exchange, has announced an agreement with PT Communication Cable Systems Indonesia (CCSI) on the establishment of a subsea cable joint venture.

Called PT Varuna Cahaya Santosa, its a joint venture to develop the high-capacity Varuna Cable System (VCS). This submarine fibre optic cable will connect Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Labuan Bajo, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Bawean and Madura island and return back to Java island in one loop network with a total optical cable length of more than 3,400 kilometres.

The partners have also signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsui relating to Mitsuis interest in equity participation in the VCS. Discussions regarding this are still ongoing.

The VCS stakeholders believe that the development of a telecommunications network that expands outside Java requires the construction of a submarine fibre optic cable backbone network that connects islands throughout Indonesia.

In this collaboration, Matrix NAP Info will offer supporting expertise in the operation and construction of the submarine cables. CCSI will be responsible for procurement and deployment contracting as well as operation and maintenance. The construction of the network is expected to be completed within 24 months.
Satellite provider Telesat has announced a strategic cooperation agreement with pan-African technology group Liquid Intelligent Technologies to bring Telesat Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services to Africa.

As part of the agreement, the companies will closely collaborate on the commercial and technical aspects of integrating the Telesat Lightspeed enterprise-grade, high-throughput, low-latency satellite network with Liquids global value-added services network. This integration can enable the expansion of Liquids enterprise portfolio offerings, including next-generation cloud services, managed security services, business Wi-Fi and data center connectivity.

At the same time, Telesat will explore combining Liquids landing stations, Points of Presences (PoPs), site hosting, management services, and fibre network as part of its global terrestrial infrastructure that seamlessly integrates with the Telesat Lightspeed satellite network.

Liquids terrestrial infrastructure in Africa is second to none, from the largest fibre network spanning over 100,000 kilometers to state-of-the-art teleports and access to diverse points-of-presence within the continent, said Glenn Katz, Telesats Chief Commercial Officer. Were eager to explore the synergies between both of our companys offerings, with confidence that we will establish a win-win for our organizations and the future of connectivity for Africa.

Telesat Lightspeed will be the worlds most advanced LEO network, delivering the enterprise-grade, fibre-like connectivity that Africas massively underserved market needs, said Scott Mumford, Liquid Satellite Services CEO. Integrating ubiquitous, multi-gigabit per second links with guaranteed SLAs from Telesat Lightspeed will enable Liquid to expand their award-winning services via an untethered network in the sky, and deliver expanded service offerings to our customers not possible through the current satellite-based offerings.

The agreement opens the door for a collaborative approach to LEO terrestrial development. Moving forward, Telesat and Liquid Intelligent Technologies will work together to determine how each companys industry-leading technologies can integrate with the other to better serve the African continent.
Vodacom DRC has selected Intelsat to provide its Ku-band satellite services in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Intelsats end-to-end managed CellBackhaul service will serve as an alternative backhaul service to certain sites as a component of Vodacoms Rural Communication Solution (RCS) initiative to bring mobile services to deep rural sites in DRC.

As part of the Inclusion for All pillar of their Vision 2025 strategy, Vodacom brings together available transport networks and hybrid power solutions to enhance and upgrade rural communication services. Intelsats Ku-band capacity and the CellBackhaul managed service enable Vodacom to extend mobile connectivity to areas where fibre or microwave backhaul networks are not yet available or unfeasible to deploy.

We are pleased to continue to work with Intelsat on their new Ku-Band managed service as an alternative backhaul solution to support our rural expansion objectives, said Didier Kabongo, CNO of Vodacom DRC. Expanding mobile service to the underserved and unserved population of the Democratic Republic of Congo is a key pillar of our Vision 2025 strategy.

Intelsat CellBackhaul combines the extended reach and resiliency of Intelsats largest-of-its-kind global network with network design, installation, and operation services, making it possible for mobile network operators to deploy services in areas where traditional terrestrial backhaul services are unavailable.

Rhys Morgan, Intelsat's vice president, and general manager, EMEA Media and Networks Sales said: CellBackhaul managed services bring together the right capacity, services, and expertise to provide customers economical alternatives to expand into difficult areas. Intelsat is dedicated to this important partnership with Vodacom DRC, helping to deliver solutions that fill gaps where other technologies are unworkable.
Following news that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe V. Wade, pro-choice protesters took to the streets of Moscow, and Planned Parenthood officials want to remind people that its health centers are still open and abortion services are currently legal.
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
An investiture will be held for the Honorable Russell S. Roberts on Friday, March 4, at 3 p.m. The ceremony will take place on the 2nd floor of the Jackson County Courthouse at 4445 Lafayette Street in Marianna.

Roberts was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as a Circuit Judge to fill a new judgeship created by the Florida Legislature for the 14th Judicial Circuit.

He started his commission as Circuit Judge on Jan. 1. Judge Roberts assignment includes circuit court duties in Holmes County as well as dependency and unified family court cases in Bay County.

Roberts is a 1991 honor graduate of Marianna High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in International Business and Spanish with high class honors from Samford University in 1994. He then graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law with honors in 1997. He is a member of the Florida and Mississippi Bar Associations. While in law school, Roberts served as Chairman of the Moot Court Board, as a legal writing teaching assistant, and was the recipient of the Deans Distinguished Service Award.

Following his graduation from law school, Roberts served as a law clerk for the Honorable Leslie H. Southwick on the Mississippi Court of Appeals. He then returned home to Marianna where he began his private practice of law. For the past 20 years, he practiced law with his father and his brother at Roberts, Roberts and Roberts, Attorneys at Law. He also served as a part-time assistant public defender for the Office of the Public Defender for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit since 1998.

Judge Roberts is the son of John and Kathryn Roberts of Marianna. He is an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Marianna and the Chipola Civic Club. He also serves on the Marianna Main Street Board, the Chipola College Foundation Board and on the 14th Circuit Bench/Bar Professionalism Committee.
Two Dothan Preparatory Academy students were arrested for making a bomb threat on Monday that forced the entire student body and much of the staff outside for two hours.

Each student was charged by Dothan police with making terroristic threats and is subject to expulsion from Dothan City Schools.

The bomb threat was called into the office at DPA at 12:15 p.m. on Monday and office staff and campus school resource officers immediately responded with appropriate protocols, DCS stated in a press release.

Parents were notified via the automated call out system at 12:47 p.m. once all students were safely evacuated from the building and accounted for.

At the time of the evacuation, a group of students were participating in a Black History Month event called the African American Living Wax Museum where students portrayed notable Black legends. The evacuation interrupted the program.

Money collected from entry to the event were meant to fund transition activities in Briana Gibsons 7th and 8th grade combined self-contained class for students with disabilities of differing cognitive levels. Gibson coordinated the event and her students participated in hosting the program.

Making a threat on a public school can have serious legal and financial consequences for the perpetrators, DCS said. At the very least, it disrupts the learning environment for the students and consumes staff resources.

Law enforcement ended their sweep of the campus at 2:45 p.m. and students were allowed to return to their classrooms.

We encourage our parents to talk with your child about the seriousness of threats and the importance of reporting suspicious activities, threats, or disturbing information to a trusted adult, DCS said. Students also need to be aware that Dothan City Schools and law enforcement agencies take these threats very seriously and pursue prosecution even when such incidents are intended as pranks.

Besides the possibility of criminal charges, DCS will seek restitution from the court for the disruption created by the suspects. The district will impose the strongest penalty within our Code of Conduct.

Please make sure your child is aware of these ramifications and that they understand hoaxes related to campus safety will not be tolerated.

Making bomb threats is a Class III offense in the systems Code of Conduct. Students who violate the rule are subjected to immediate recommendation for expulsion to the DCS Student Disciplinary Tribunal.
The mood inside Dothan Preparatory Academys gym was solemn, reverent and uplifting on Monday as its choirs sang Lift Every Voice and Sing, often referred to as the Black National Anthem.

Under dim lighting, 7th and 8th grade students dressed as prominent Black historical figures sat still and silent next to their research projects as people attending the African American Living Wax Museum quietly observed.

Gavin Wells, 7th grade SGA president, was dressed as influential Civil Rights leader Malcom X because he was inspired by the African-American ministers by any means necessary approach to activism.

I liked what he did, so ever since then, hes been my favorite Black history figure, Gavin Wells said. I love Black history. Thats my favorite thing to learn about to see what my people have done in life and what weve accomplished.

Jackie Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Barack and Michelle Obama, Mohammad Ali, and Michael Jackson were among the other Black history figures that students researched through the month of February and portrayed at Mondays exhibition.

Parents Martina Casey and Candace Wells attended the event to show support and appreciation for Black history, their sons' work, and the schools commitment to showcasing important inspirational figures  it means a lot, Candace Wells said.

It really lets all the students at the school get a chance to walk through and maybe learn about one person that they did not know about Just knowing that theyre eager to learn about it, to get other students involved in it, thats what made me the proudest.

Briana Gibson, coordinator of the exhibition, teaches a 7th and 8th grade combined self-contained class for students with disabilities of differing cognitive levels.

I want (people) to see that my kids are learning like everyone else, Gibson said. They love the interaction; they love the collaboration.

Gibson said the project was for students to dig a little deeper, looking beyond the history books and broad information that they typically see on social media.

She added that she was grateful for the junior high school administrations support and assistance with Mondays event.

The wax museum wrapped up several days of events celebrating and honoring Black History Month, which included a Black History Walk at Girard Primary School, a Black History Tea at Morris Slingluff Elementary School, and a Black History Month Program at Dothan High School.

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 .
Hong Kong: Chinese medicines distributed

The Food & Health Bureau distributed a total of about 23,000 boxes of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines donated by the Mainland to residents subject to restriction-testing declarations yesterday and today.

Residents of Tak Sui House, Tak Long Estate in Kowloon City, Heng Chi, Heng Fu and Heng Kin houses, Tin Heng Estate in Yuen Long, Pok Man House, Pok Hong Estate, Shun Wo House, Wo Che Estate in Sha Tin, Chun Hin and Chun Ho houses, Ching Chun Court in Tsing Yi, Fuk Yat, Yu Yat houses, Yat Tung (I) Estate, Kit Yat House, Yat Tung (II) Estate in Tung Chung, Sau Yin House, Sau Mau Ping Estate and Shing Tai House, On Tai Estate in Kwun Tong received the Chinese medicines.

The bureau expressed its gratitude to the Central People's Government for its ceaseless support to Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work in co-ordinating the delivery of anti-epidemic proprietary Chinese medicines to Hong Kong within a short timeframe.

It said the move assisted Hong Kong in the fight against the fifth wave of the epidemic and demonstrated the deepest care extended by the central government to the people of Hong Kong.

Apart from the first batch of "Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang" and "Jinhua Qinggan Keli" delivered to Hong Kong, another proprietary Chinese medicine "Huoxiang Zhengqi" will also arrive in Hong Kong by phases.

The bureau noted that these three proprietary Chinese medicines are recommended in the Mainland's Diagnosis & Treatment Protocols for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia and widely applied in the Mainland's anti-epidemic work.

It added that under the clinical guidance of Chinese medicine practitioners, the Chinese medicines could be used during the stage of medical surveillance, and treatment for patients with mild and common symptoms, subject to actual clinical conditions.

Having regard to the physique, cause of disease and medical conditions of different people, members of the public should seek professional advice from Chinese medicine practitioners before consuming Chinese medicines.

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
A federal district judge agreed with the Dothan City School Board on Monday and ruled to dismiss former Superintendent Phyllis Edwards lawsuit in which she sought $584,000 in damages.

In a civil suit filed in January of last year, Edwards demanded monetary damages from the Dothan City Schools Board of Education claiming breach of contract, conspiracy, and deprivation of her rights to due process under the 5th and 14th Amendments.

However, Chief U.S. District Judge Emily Marks ruled with the defendants, who filed a motion to dismiss the suit on the basis that her primary claim has no merit.

In her suit, Edwards claimed her intent to resign letter dated Sept. 8, 2020 only stated an intent to resign at some point in the future, but that she intended to work for the next 120 days as laid out in her contract.

In her letter, Edwards wrote, As we move into another unprecedented season and one that we have no knowledge on how to specifically address, it will be critical that the board has a quality trust and level of confidence in the Superintendent. I understand that times change and may necessitate a new leader, one that shares the boards vision of success and matches the desire of the community.

On Sept. 14, board members accepted her resignation and appointed then-Chief Operations Officer Dennis Coe as acting superintendent. He was named superintendent early last year.

In its decision, the court found that the alleged action by the board was random and unauthorized conduct, but concluded that Edwards did not state a claim of violation of procedural due process and dismissed her claim for damages with prejudice.

Edwards Montgomery-based attorney Jacob Fuller filed the formal complaint against the Dothan City School Board and all acting board members at the time of her resignation  Chairman Mike Schmitz, Vice-Chairman Brenda Guilford, Chris Maddox, Amy Bonds, Brett Strickland, Susan Vierkhandt, and Franklin Jones, in their individual capacities  in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama on March 24, 2021, according to court documents.

The complaint states that Edwards was frequently subject to actions and behavior by certain board members to undermine her authority and sabotage her ability to do her job, despite being exemplary in her role as superintendent and never receiving a negative review by the school board.

Fullers assertion that he first went public with on Jan. 19 is that school board members were in a haste to get rid of Edwards instead of letting her work the 120 days required under the contract. He said she is owed to be paid out the remainder of her contract as a result of their actions.

In response to the claims, three attorneys representing the school board  Kevin Walding, Carl Johnson Jr., and Wilson Green  filed a motion on April 26 asking the judge to dismiss the complaint on grounds that the plaintiff failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.

The motion says that Edwards resignation was unconditional and she is trying to perverse the 120-day contractual notice clause in her suit, rendering it effectively meaningless, if not absurd.

It would permit a superintendent who had admittedly lost the confidence of her employer and who acknowledged a need for a change in the superintendency to wrangle extra-contractual financial concessions from the Board by keeping one-foot-in-and one-foot-out of the superintendency for the duration of her contract term, thereby placing the Board in a state of an indefinite administrative and functional suspended animation while in the throes of an unparalleled public health crisis, the motion stated.

That interpretation of the notice clause effectively nullifies it, and common sense as well as applicable state and federal law forecloses such overreaching.

The court also sided with the school board in ruling that board members could not be sued in their individual capacities for actions made as school board officials. It also ruled that school board members cannot be sued in their official capacity as they are protected by sovereign immunity.

Despite the lawsuit, Schmitz previously told the Eagle that he did not regret hiring Edwards to lead the school district as she was the right person at the right time.

Edwards has the right to appeal the courts decision on this matter.

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 .
Dothan businessman Jeff Coleman is not giving up on his U.S. Congress bid following a court denying his request for clarification over the filing deadline.

Voters deserve a choice, but a political machine is doing everything they can to protect the insiders and namby-pamby politicians who are driving America into a ditch, Coleman said in a Monday news release.

On Jan. 24, a court extended the filing deadline to Feb. 11 to allow more time for district lines to be finalized and more time for prospective candidates to review them, before the U.S. Supreme Court halted that ruling.

Coleman, a Republican, filed his paperwork seeking to represent Alabamas 2nd Congressional District, and challenge incumbent Rep. Barry Moore, a day before the extended filing deadline of Feb. 11.

Following confusion from the Alabama GOP and Secretary of States Office over the actual filing deadline, Coleman asked a court to clarify the deadline. But on Friday, a three-judge federal panel declined and said Coleman could not be party to the case.

On Monday, Coleman hand-delivered a letter to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Secretary of State John Merrill requesting they seek clarification from the U.S. Supreme Court as to whether they intended to nix the Feb. 11 filing deadline for all congressional candidates in its ruling.

The people of Alabama deserve to live under a system where the rules are clear, and the same rules apply to everyone, Coleman wrote in the letter.

Coleman launched his candidacy with two major TV advertisements that aired for the first time during the Super Bowl and has been active in campaigning.

We refuse to be steamrolled by the same type of political cronyism that is hurting our Alabama families, Coleman added in his release. This is about letting the people decide between the same old corrupt career politicians or an Alabama Tough trucker with a proven track record of job creation and standing up for whats right.

Without Coleman in the race, Moore will have no opposition in the May 24 Republican primary. Moore defeated Coleman in the 2020 GOP primary runoff election.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is ordering Russian liquor be removed from state-owned liquor stores.

In a letter to Mac Gipson, administrator of the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Ivey said the move is designed to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, following the Russian invasion of the country.

This is a small, but meaningful way to take action and show the people of Ukraine we support them while also firmly stating our opposition to the unnecessary humanitarian crisis Russia has inexcusably created. I encourage all Alabama citizens and businesses to explore ways they can show support for Ukraine and discourage Russia for continuing this unreasonable siege on a neighboring country, Ivey said in a statement.

The order applies to all Russian-sourced liquor products sold at ABC stores throughout the state. It does not apply to Russian-themed liquor products from other nations.

The removal is in effect until further notice.

It is my hope, by taking this action, the State of Alabama may contribute to Russias justly deserved  and increasing  economic isolation, Ivey said.

ABC operates more than 230 liquor stores across the state.

Iveys move comes after similar moves by other governors  including those from Utah, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvaniato remove Russian liquors from state stores. The move is mostly symbolic as only 1.2% of U.S. vodka imports came from Russia in the first half of 2021.
Russia is our friend and the South will rise again were chanted in tandem several years ago in Charlottesville by torch-carrying defenders of the statue of a fellow white nationalist, Robert E. Lee.

Lee waged a frontal assault against the U.S. government, not unlike the mob who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the results of a presidential election, egged on by a wannabe autocrat. If our nation still cannot distinguish between traitors and patriots, we should not be surprised at our slide toward fascism.

When Vladimir Putin called his invasion of Ukraine a special military operation, he sounded like Republican apologists who maintain that the violent Capitol insurrection was legitimate political discourse.

Save the fledgling democracy in Ukraine?

Its an open question whether we can preserve democracy here.

A majority of those surveyed say American democracy is in crisis and at risk of failing, according to an NPR/Ipsos poll released in January, as reckless Republicans erode faith in our democratic process by clinging to the lie of a stolen election.

How did we get here?

Claudio Lopez-Guerra, a political scientist at the University of Richmond who specializes in the study of democratic institutions, cites the numerous cultural changes that have taken place in democratic societies over the past three decades as the world has become more integrated.

Some segments of the population feel that their way of life and their identities are under threat. This makes them more open to support leaders who promise to restore their lost dominance  to make the country great again, he said.

Therein lies the appeal of the Donald Trump slogan, with disastrous implications for U.S. democracy. For too many folks, whiteness has come to trump loyalty to nation.

In a move Ronald Reagan never saw coming, Russia has become a beacon of the American Right. Richard Spencer, the University of Virginia graduate and white nationalist, was quoted in the Washington Post calling Russia the sole white power in the world.

Trump all but grabbed a megaphone and pompoms as he cheerleads Putins bloodthirsty aggression, calling the dictator a genius. This is in typically fawning character.

As president, Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian officials, constantly undermined NATO, took Putins word over U.S. intelligence that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and was impeached for his attempted arms-for-political-dirt-on-Biden blackmail of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

As the Russian invasion unfolded, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon embraced anti-woke Putin for his hostility toward LGBTQ people. Putin, a former KGB agent, no doubt would smile at Gov. Glenn Youngkins use of civilian informants to police the classroom and snitch on teachers whose lessons are deemed too divisive (read h-o-n-e-s-t) about racism. The current book-banning fetish would also get Putins seal of approval as folks feed their resentments instead of nourishing democracy.

In doing his invasion calculus, Putin undoubtedly noticed the disunited state of an America politically incapable of responding cohesively to challenges. The existential threat of climate change and the lingering toll of the pandemic havent come close to galvanizing us.

Tragically, our nations unjustified 2003 invasion of Iraq robbed the U.S. of much of the moral authority it could use at this heartbreaking moment. The former Soviet Union, despite its appalling human rights record, was always eager to call out Americas abysmal treatment of its Black citizens. More recently, Russian disinformation campaigns have inflamed our racial climate more than any schoolhouse lesson on systemic racism.

In the meantime, automation, deregulation, globalization and the dismantling of the welfare state have dramatically increased inequality, Lopez-Guerra said. This has led to a reasonable perception that traditional democratic institutions  traditional parties, establishment politicians, and so on  are not delivering, so people become more open to try something else. The result is polarization and social cleavages that are ready to be exploited by politicians.

Add the outsize role money has played in politics since the Reagan era, and the result has been an erosion in the democratic process, Lopez-Guerra said. Political leaders would not be able to get away with all these violations of democratic norms if they werent sanctioned by their wealthy donors.

Those cynical politicians and their donors have us fighting over masks, vaccines and Critical Race Theory while the planet burns and they warm their hands over the fire.

No one is more aware of Americas moral failings than its Black and Indigenous people, and yet both have felt that the ideal of America was worth fighting and dying for. People across the globe have been drawn by this nations promise. Were at our best when we expand equality and opportunity.

If we dont defend democracy within our borders, we will fail it beyond them.

Michael Paul Williams is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist with the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va.; read more of his columns on Richmond.com.
Swedens alcohol monopoly, Systembolaget, has removed all Russian-made vodka and other types of Russian alcohol from its shelves with immediate effect, in protest of the countrys invasion of Ukraine.

The move comes after Finlands alcohol monopoly, Alko, announced a similar boycott.

In a statement, assortment manager at Systembolaget, Ulf Sjodin described the situation as exceptional and that Systembolaget has taken the development very seriously.

He added: As stated by the Swedish government, among others, Russia's armed attacks violate Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The attack causes great suffering to the Ukrainian people.

The situation in Ukraine is exceptional and the invasion is a clear violation of international law. Against this background, Systembolaget has decided to immediately and for the time being stop the sale of all Russian articles in Systembolaget's range, and to cancel all planned launches of Russian articles.
An investor looks at stock prices on a smartphone at a brokerage in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Oil and gas, fertilizer and steel stocks will benefit from the crisis in Russia-Ukraine, but animal husbandry-related ones will be hurt, BIDV Securities (BSC) has said.

The crisis will not directly affect the Vietnamese economy since trade with the two countries accounts for less than 2 percent of Vietnams exports-imports.

The main impact on Vietnam would be from the conflicts effect on energy prices, according to BSC.

But it would benefit the oil and gas sector as global demand surges and supply is disrupted, it said.

Russia is the worlds third largest oil exporter. The conflict, which can disrupt Russian oil supply to Europe via pipelines, will affect global supply.

Speaking of the U.S.'s plan to release stocks from its oil reserves to cool down the market, BSC said this is a temporary measure and would be difficult to sustain for long, and so global prices are unlikely to decline.

Last week prices topped US$100 per barrel for the first time since 2014.

The demand is expected to drive the prospecting for oil in Vietnam, which would benefit oil exploration and drilling companies, BSC said.

It named PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corporation (PVD) and PetroVietnam Technical Services Corporation (PVS) as likely gainers as as result.

The oil refining, transportation and distribution sectors are also expected to gain as domestic demand recovers after Covid-19 and gasoline prices have already risen to all-time highs.

This would drive up stocks like Vietnam National Petroleum Group (PLX), Petrovietnam Transportation Corporation (PVT) and PetroVietnam Oil Corporation (OIL), BSC said.

It was also upbeat about the fertilizer sector amid a global supply shortage as Russia and China restrict exports of fertilizers and key chemicals.

Russia, which accounts for 62 percent of the world's ammonium nitrate supply, has halted exports for two months starting Feb. 2 to ensure domestic supply. The chemical compound is widely used in the agriculture industry as a fertiliser to improve yields for crops such as corn, cotton and wheat.

Last October, China had announced the suspension of fertilizer exports until June 2022 to ensure domestic availability amid food security concerns.

Its exports of DAP (diammonium phosphate) and urea account for a third and a tenth of global trade, and so this move caused a jump in global fertilizer prices.

BSC said the rising prices and increased production could drive up Vietnamese fertilizer stocks, including DPM of PetroVietnam Fertilizer & Chemicals Corporation and DCM of Petro Vietnam Ca Mau Fertilizer JSC.

BSC also named Vietnams steel industry as a potential beneficiary of the conflict since it could supply Europe instead of Russian and Ukrainian producers.

Russia was the second largest steel exporter to the EU with a 15.7 percent share in 2020, and Ukraine was the sixth largest with 5.7 percent.

It is extremely likely that, due to the conflict, Russian steel will be embargoed in the EU market while Ukraines steel output will decline.

Vietnam was the 10th largest flat steel exporter to the EU in 2021 with a 2 percent share.

The bloc is imposing a definitive safeguard measure on certain steel products, and it currently consists of a tariff increase if a countrys exports to it exceeds 3 percentof the total.

Vietnams animal husbandry sector is likely to be hurt due to the increase in animal feed prices, BSC said.

Russia and Ukraine are the world's top and third largest wheat exporters, and their conflict has driven prices up by 17.8 percent.

Ukraine is also the fourth largest exporter of corn, accounting for 22 percent of global supply. Corn prices have risen by 8.4 percent since fighting began.
Some said it was not just impractical but also something that would set a "bad precedent."

In mid-February, American experts, Alan Basist, Mekong Dam Monitor Co-Lead, and Brian Eyler, Southeast Asia Program Director, Stimson Center, had suggested at the virtual event "Where's the Water: Mekong Dry Season 2022" hosted by the Stimson that countries in the Lower Mekong should try to reach an agreement to pay China for water releases during times of crises like droughts.

This way, downstream countries could use an insurance representative to assess the economic cost that China has when it releases water from dams and make financial contributions to create a fund that offsets the financial loss to China and ask Beijing to release water, they said.

Chainarong Setthachua, an expert on the Mekong at Mahasarakham University, Thailand, said the idea was "far from achievable" based on the current situation in the Mekong River.

On the one hand, Setthachua explained, if China accepts this agreement, it means that Beijing admits its dams upstream cause negative impacts on downstream countries, including drought, which it has always denied.

In fact, China contends that those dams "benefit" irrigation systems in lower Mekong, and has been denying its responsibility for drought and other crises in the lower Mekong regions, he said.

On the other hand, said Setthachua, countries in the lower Mekong may not want to proceed with the "water buying" suggestion as it could be seen as "confronting" China, because Beijing is their big partner in the region.

Lastly, the MRC has never listed "Chinese dams" among reasons causing drought downstream, citing climate change as a clear cause. Therefore, the agreement of buying water from China is not a big issue for MRC.

"So I would say it is impossible to implement it."

In recent years, MRC has repeatedly asked China to cooperate with downstream countries to find solutions for droughts and floods in lower Mekong, without explicitly accusing China's dams for causing those problems.

On Jan 13, MRC called on China and Southeast Asian nations to better coordinate management of Mekong hydropower dams and reservoirs after three years of record low flows and extra dry conditions, Reuters reported.

Dao Trong Tu, former deputy general secretary of the Vietnam National Mekong Committee, said the feasibility of a water buying agreement was quite obscure.

Downstream countries should clarify how much water is needed to reach a target area, for example, how many cubic meters that China releases will reach Vietnam's Mekong Delta.

Regarding the idea of water release in the wet season, Tu warned that it may cause the state of "added floods"; "enough water" in Vietnam may cause floods in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

David Blake, an independent researcher on Mekong water resources governance with a PhD from the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia, England, said he opposed the idea because it would not benefit downstream countries.

He said China could quite easily exaggerate the level of what it was foregoing and extract excessive payments from lower Mekong states. In reality, Beijing has never been transparent about its dam construction plans, dam operational regime and other key aspects of its program of hydraulic control on the upper Mekong.

Blake also felt "buying water" will do little or nothing for the Mekong's wild capture fisheries, because water releases would not mimic the natural flood pulse of the Mekong, as it is most likely that they would occur when water was least available in the downstream basin for irrigation, navigation and salt flushing purposes in the Delta in the dry season and not when the fish need them most for lifecycle functions.

Also, the water releases would not change the capture of sediments and nutrients in the reservoirs, which are an important reason for the decline in the fisheries and aquatic productivity of the lower Mekong.

As someone who has conducted research around water resources issues in the Mekong Region since 1990, Blake said as far as the Mekong river's fisheries are concerned, to all extents and purposes, the major damage has already been done by existing dams. The river was already suffering a massive and ongoing crash in aquatic biological productivity, which would continue to decline over the coming years.

Blake said he was afraid that once a payment precedent was set, it would surely encourage the same "kidnapper" to capture more "hostages" (other transboundary rivers, for instance) and repeat its unilateral actions, and would in effect be getting rewarded for its selfishness.

He said the public should not forget that China never consulted with any of the downstream riparian states, much less for their permission, which a responsible state would do, when it went ahead and built all the mega-dams that now block and hold back the river's flow.

"This would not be a good way to proceed."

Risk of disunity

Blake also said that four countries in the lower Mekong, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, may not be able to come to an agreement on how to equitably split the payment based on potential economic losses and gains.

"It would be too expensive, I suspect."

Also, it would set up a potential precedent, if it was carried to its logical conclusion, of Cambodia, for instance, having to pay for water held back in large dams in Laos and Vietnam.

Expressing similar concerns, Tu wondered how countries would pay for water release by China if they do not benefit from that release. For instance, if Vietnam needed water but Thailand, Laos and Cambodia upstream did not, how would the situation be managed?

With a river length of 2,000 km flowing through four countries, such an agreement would difficult to carry out.

"It will become a difficult issue for them (countries involved) to separate interest and financial responsibility."

Instead, Tu stressed the importance of China and related countries being willing to cooperate with each other.

He said several countries, including Vietnam, joined the Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, which entered into force in 2014. However, China ignored it.

"In reality, the application of conventions is not easy."
Ho Chi Minh City has suspended its largest Covid-19 ICU center to receive and treat patients with tumors, and dismissed certain other field hospitals.

Duong Anh Duc, deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, decided on the suspension based on a proposal by the municipal Department of Health as the number of hospitalized Covid-19 cases has dropped below 1,000 a day, along with a reduced number of severe cases and deaths.

The suspension of field hospitals would also allow health workers to recover and prepare for new developments should the disease take a different turn in future.

The ICU center at the Oncology Hospital is the largest for Covid-19 patients, not just in HCMC but across Vietnam. The center was specialized for Covid-19 treatment in July 2021, when the coronavirus rampaged through the southern city. The center has treated over 5,000 patients to date.

Other field hospitals and medical facilities for Covid-19 treatment in districts, wards and industrial parks would still be maintained. Hospitals that have been re-specialized to treat Covid-19 would be restored to their original functions, but Covid-19 departments would be formed.

Covid-19 hospitals that have been suspended could be re-activated within 24 hours by the HCMC health department should the need arise.

HCMC has recorded over 534,000 Covid-19 cases in the fourth coronavirus wave since late April. Around 20,285 people have died.
Vietnam is set to sign a contract with Pfizer this month for 21.9 million vaccine doses for children aged 5-11, with 7 million delivered in the first quarter.

Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said Tuesday that the remaining 14.9 million doses are expected to be delivered in April. As soon as the vaccines arrive, the ministry would administer them to children aged 5-11, he added.

The health ministry has also updated its guidelines for using of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, saying children aged 5-11 would receive the 10 mcg (0.2 ml) dosage. Children aged 12 and above would receive a 30 mcg (0.3 ml) dosage.

Duong Thi Hong, deputy head of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, said health authorities are aiming for 95 percent of children to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

While Covid-19 vaccination would not be mandatory for children aged 5-11, health experts would try to persuade parents to let their children be vaccinated based on scientific evidence, she added.

An online survey by the health ministry last month on whether parents would let children under 12 be vaccinated against Covid-19 found that out of 415,000 respondents, 60.6 percent agreed, 1.9 percent refused, 29.1 percent said they would consider it, and 7.6 said they would allow the vaccination if it was mandatory.

So far, all of Vietnams adult population have received their first Covid-19 vaccine shot and 97.9 percent their second. Meanwhile, 98.6 percent of children aged 12-17 have received their first shot and 93 their second.
US CDC lists Vietnam among 140 destinations with 'very high' Covid risk

Travelers reclaim their luggage at the airport in Denver, Colorado, U.S., November 24, 2020. Photo by Reuters/Kevin Mohatt

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged Americans to avoid traveling to Vietnam because of high counts of Covid.

On Monday, the agency added Vietnam to the Level 4 category, the highest travel health notice tier, with a very high Covid risk along with more than 140 other countries and territories.

The CDC places a destination at Level 4 when more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents are registered in the preceding 28 days.

"Avoid travel to these destinations. If you must travel to these destinations, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel," CDC wrote on its website.

Vietnam was previously listed at Level 3, deemed high risk.

Vietnam has been recording a surge in daily Covid cases since after the Lunar New Year holiday. On Monday, the country recorded over 122,000 cases, with the average daily count over the past week at 74,773.

Since the pandemic broke out in the country in early 2020, Vietnam has confirmed over 3.37 million infections.

Vietnam has resumed commercial flights to 20 of 28 countries and territories that it operated direct flights to before the pandemic, including the U.S. (San Francisco).

From March 15, Vietnam will fully reopen inbound and outbound tourism.
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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a U.S. sovereign loan guarantee to Ukraine of up to $1 billion to support its economic reform agenda.
Through its Rewards for Justice Program, the U.S. Department of State is offering a reward for up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of anyone involved in the terrorist attack of U.S. citizens Avijit Roy and his wife Rafida Bonya Ahmed.



The attack by unknown assailants wielding machetes took place on February 26, 2015, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The couple was visiting the city to attend a book fair. Avijit Roy was killed in the attack and Rafida Bonya Ahmed was seriously wounded.

Avijit Roy was an author, blogger, and activist who challenged fundamentalism in Bangladesh by advocating for freedom of expression. He coordinated international protests to raise awareness of the plight of imprisoned atheist bloggers in Bangladesh and was a well-known critic of social repression. The Rewards for Justice announcement declared Roy was targeted and killed for his outspoken beliefs and activism.



Two groups have claimed responsibility for the attack. One was Ansarullah Bangla Team, or ABT, a Bangladeshi terrorist organization that seeks to radicalize youths to kill those deemed by them to be anti-Islamic. Soon after, the now deceased leader of al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, or AQIS, posted a widely circulated video claiming that AQIS followers, including those who have yet to be arrested, were responsible.



In 2016, the State Department designated AQIS as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, which provides authority to sanction terrorists and those who support terrorists or terrorist acts.



Since its inception in 1984, the Rewards for Justice Program has paid in excess of $200 million to more than 100 people who have provided actionable information that helped prevent terrorist attacks, bring terrorists to justice, and resolve threats to U.S. security.



If you have information about the terrorist attack on Avijit Roy and Rafida Bonya Ahmed, please text RFJ via Signal, Telegram, or Whatsapp at +1 (202)702-7843. Or e-mail info@rewardsforjustice.net.



All information will be kept strictly confidential.
ELKO  Rotary Club members in Elko have been anxiously following the developments in Ukraine after making connections with residents in Cherkasy and Kyiv through earlier service projects.

The Elko clubs have already been contributing to a global grant that helps dispense chemotherapy drugs to children with cancer. Thyroid cancer levels continue to remain above average in the northern region 35 years after the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Club member Helen Hankins said Rotary International is now developing funding opportunities to assist Ukrainians as they continue to fight off an invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is a tragic and sad time for the people of Ukraine and the world, said a statement from the main club.

Rotarian Lizz Todd has been in contact with one of five Ukrainian journalists who visited Elko in November 2018. He said he has moved his family but he remains in the city and sleeps in bomb shelters at night.

On Monday he wrote on Facebook: February 28, the 5th day of Russias attack on Ukraine. Like David and Goliath. But we hold on. Some cities are very shamed by the occupation beast. At the same time there are victories and more. Russian troops continue to bomb cities, peaceful quarters. They are destroying our multi-storey buildings, attacking civilians like a mad dog.

He said its good to be among your own.

Private business provides fuel, medicines, products, equipment, he wrote. There are already many phones, everyone can find out where to take what  Togetherness.

The Elko club has been in touch via a text messaging service with a Rotarian in Kyiv, who put the current war in context with Ukraines history with Russia.

I think its very difficult to actually fight for a long time with a country that is fighting in the defense and has 300 thousand retirees with real combat experience and a fully supporting population  over 8 years of the war, 20 thousand military dead, someones relatives, she wrote. Its just that everyone has been ready for a long time and live with such a crazy neighbor like Russia, whose leadership looks like a mad monkey with a nuclear grenade.

The doctor said she is on a medical team that is ready to treat wounded soldiers and people if needed.  We fight on our own land for our freedom and independence.

News reports late last week said people in Cherkasy were sheltering in a bowling alley as air raid sirens blared.

The Ukrainian military has shot down an enemy plane in the Zolotonosha district of the Cherkasy region, with law enforcement officers and servicemen searching for the pilot who ejected before the aircraft crashed, the Ukrinform multimedia service reported, quoting the Main Directorate of the National Police. Authorities were searching for the pilot.

A message from Rotary International said we are deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the escalating loss of life and humanitarian hardship there. Continued military action against Ukraine will not only devastate the region, but also risk spreading tragic consequences across Europe and the world.

As one of the worlds largest humanitarian organizations, we have made peace the cornerstone of our global mission. We join the international community in calling for an immediate cease fire, withdrawal of Russian forces, and a restoration of diplomatic efforts to resolve this conflict through dialogue.

Today, our thoughts are with our fellow Rotary members and others in Ukraine coping with these tragic events. Rotary International will do everything in its power to bring aid, support and peace to the region.

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ELKO  The STARS (Staff & Teachers Achieving Results with Students) program will be returning to Elko County School District early this spring.

STARS was designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional performance and commitment to the education of all students served by the districts schools.

While it is impossible to recognize every well-deserving employee, the intent of this program is to identify, select, and celebrate staff members who epitomize the image of a high-quality Elko County School District employee.

Almost every one of us can look back at our time as a student in school and identify one or more educational staff who made a significant impact on our life, said Interim Superintendent Clayton Anderson. Knowing this, and having been the recipients of this type of kindness during our formative years, it is imperative that we recognize, appreciate, and value those individuals who truly make a difference in the lives of our students.

The individuals selected do not need to be a classroom teacher and could be any employee who provides services at any Elko County School District school. Two employees will be selected beginning in March 2022 through May 2022; one certified employee and one classified employee.

Community members are invited to nominate individuals. The nomination form can be found at https://www.ecsdnv.net/Human-Resources.

All nominations will remain confidential and anonymous, unless the nominator chooses otherwise, and can be submitted by anyone (self-nominations will be rejected by the committee and all nominations will be verified).

For more information about the program, contact board of trustee member Susan Neal at sneal@ecsdnv.net.

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Opioid crisis hits home

Editor:

The opioid crisis was just a buzzword until I stood over the cold, lifeless body of my first and greatest love, who died two weeks ago of an opioid overdose at 25 years old.

Nevada as a whole and Elko County, in particular, is in the midst of a drug crisis. While county-specific information is not available, the Nevada Overdose Data to Action (OD2A) program reports that accidental drug overdose deaths among Nevadans increased by 55% from 2019 to 2020. Overdoses among those under 25 years old have increased by nearly three times during that one year.

These numbers are devastating, especially when you humanize this grave situation by thinking of these deaths as sons, mothers, friends, grandchildren, aunts, coworkers, husbands, brothers, loved ones. However, as I sobbed over the body of the boy I loved, my heartbreak was met with anger and resentment.

Fatal overdose is entirely preventable because of Naloxone  the opioid overdose antidote  and because of Good Samaritan Laws.

In all communities in Nevada, Naloxone is available FOR FREE, without a prescription, through the OD2A program. Given that more than half of overdoses occur with a bystander present, training for Naloxone use and access to Naloxone, quite literally, is the difference between life and death.

Moreover, in 2015, Nevada adopted the Good Samaritan Overdose law, which prevents punitive actions against any person who calls 911 to assist someone who may be overdosing on opiates. This law also provides immunity to persons seeking medical treatment for an opioid overdose for themselves or someone else.

The night my sweet first loved overdosed, he was with at least four bystanders, who delayed medical treatment for upwards of twenty minutes, likely for fear of punishment for their own drug use and paraphernalia.

Today, I call for increased awareness of resources and legal protections, increased availability of and access to Narcan, and increased funding for user-friendly and easily-scalable education and training programs. I implore you all to consider this harm-reduction approach as the only way to ensure  with 100% certainty  that you will not one day be in my shoes.

Colleen Fitzgerald

Deeth

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Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, citing the need to 'de-nazify and demilitarize' the country. Really, Ukraine joining NATO poses too much of a threat to Russia and what it sees as its sphere of influence. Having a neighbour join the opposite side is a scenario the US has seen in the past with Cuba in the 1960s, a nation still embargoed some 60 years later.

The US, as the world's most foremost military hegemon, maintains hundreds of military installations worldwide. Many are inside the US, while plenty remain outside its borders in some of the world's most remote places. The formation of the US Space Force during the Trump presidency opens the door for future space military expansion, but for now the nation is happy to be deployed in over 70 countries worldwide.

Related stories:

How many bases does the US have?

According to the US Department of Defence 2015 Base Structure Report, there are nearly 562,000 facilities, which includes single buildings and structures, on over 4,800 sites worldwide. This covers over 24.9 million acres. In terms of actual sites, this meant 513 active installations worldwide. To put this in some sort of context, Britain, France and Russia maintain around 30 bases on foreign soil, combined.

This report was created in the context of needing to cut federal spending, and shutting down a number of these sites to reduce government spending was the hope.

But David Vine, a professor of political anthropology at the American University in Washington, DC, claimed in a 2015 book that this number was much higher, 750. His book, Base Nation: How US military bases abroad harm America and the World, says there are 120 bases in Japan, 119 Germany and 73 in South Korea.

This US military base right by the North Korean border pic.twitter.com/RdFuPO6vht  Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) January 16, 2022

In terms of troop deployments, 173,000 troops were deployed in 159 countries according to US military data from 2020.

What role does NATO play?

The US has been a part of NATO since its creation in 1949. According to Al Jazeera, Europe was home to 60,000 US troops in 2021, though this number has swelled in the first two months of 2022 due to war in Ukraine. Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the US has added an extra 14,000 troops to Europe.

BREAKING: Kosovo asks the US for a permanent military base and requests NATO membership  Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) February 27, 2022

Defending the borders of NATO are a key priority with the fighting so close to the alliance. The US maintains bases in many European countries, including as far east as Poland, Estonia and Turkey, the latter of which was a contributing factor to the development of the aforementioned Cuba missile crisis.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS ON SENATE RESOLUTION ON E-SABONG

I stand with my co-senators in urging the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to suspend the license to operate of "e-sabong" operators until the cases of the 31 missing cockfight enthusiasts or "sabungeros" are resolved.

The disappearance of the sabungeros  which allegedly involved game-fixing, the participation of armed men, the supposed lack of CCTV footage, and the circulation of fake photos  must be investigated.

Hence, I fully support the ongoing Senate probe that will hopefully lead to the resurfacing of the 31 missing sabungeros and institutionalize measures moving forward to ensure that these disappearances won't happen again.

If there are criminal elements behind this, they must be brought to justice immediately.
Russian invasion of Ukraine: headlines

- Evacuation of Mariupol postponed over accusations of Russia breaking a partial ceasefire that was meant to allow humanitarian corridors out of Mariupol and Volnovakha.

- Ukraine President Zelenskyy condemns decision not to implement no-fly zone

- Russia ready to "bomb cities into submission", intelligence official tells CNN

- Ukraine can "absolutely" prevail over Russia - US secretary of state

- Gas prices in US soar, however 80% of Americas says US should stop importing Russian oil even if that means higher prices at the pump

What you need to know about the conflict

- How can I support the refugees fleeing war in Ukraine?

- China and Russia said their relationship had "no limits." Is the statement still true?

- What would happen if Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant exploded?

- Prolonged attack threatens the global supply of crops

- Zelenskyy, Zelensky or Zelenskiy? Why spelling is important to Ukrainians

- How long can Russia fight in Ukraine?

Related news articles:
Russian President Vladimir Putin has caused global alarm by instructing his countrys military to put its nuclear forces on special alert, a decision he said was in response to aggressive statements from the West, amid international condemnation of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The move also comes after Putin last week warned whoever tries to hinder Russia in Ukraine can expect consequences you have never seen in your history.

Putin move a "chilling development" - UN chief

This is a chilling development, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres told a special session of the UN General Assembly on Monday. The mere idea of a nuclear conflict is simply inconceivable. Nothing can justify the use of nuclear weapons. The United States ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on Sunday accused Putin of continuing to escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable.

The United Kingdoms defence secretary, Ben Wallace, has said he believes Putins raising of Russias nuclear alert is merely rhetoric aimed at distracting from a stuttering invasion. "He's made this comment. We keep it under review," Wallace told Sky News on Sunday. "But you know, what we shouldn't really forget is that this is a big attempt to distract away from his troubles in Ukraine by just deploying into the sort of media space these phrases."

In an interview with Business Insider, Tara Drozdenko, the director of the Union of Concerned Scientists' Global Security Program, agreed that a nuclear confrontation is unlikely, unless another nuclear power directly enters the conflict in Ukraine. "I hope it doesn't escalate, and I think there's a good chance that it doesn't, but the risk is real whenever nuclear-armed states are engaged in conflict with one another, Drozdenko said. Ukraine doesn't have nuclear weapons, so the risk of nuclear war in this scenario is if, somehow, the conflict escalated to pull in NATO countries or the US. That raises the risk of nuclear confrontation because some of the NATO countries have nuclear weapons."

See also:

What is Russia's nuclear arsenal?

According to January 2022 figures compiled by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in its annual Nuclear Notebook, Russia has a nuclear stockpile of 4,477 warheads. A signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the country has greatly reduced its nuclear arsenal from a 1980s high of around 40,000 warheads, just as its Cold War foe the US, which is also one of the 191 states to have signed the NPT, has cut its stockpile from around 30,000 in the 1960s to just under 4,000 today.

However, while the overall number of nuclear weapons in existence has fallen, their potency has increased markedly since atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War, causing over 200,000 deaths by the end of 1945, and many more thereafter. While these bombs had a strength of around 15 and 20 kilotons, respectively, Russias current nuclear warheads are mostly between 100 and 800 kilotons in strength, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The US' vary from around 100 to 1,200 kilotons, while the two other nuclear states in NATO alongside the Americans - the UK and France, who have significantly fewer warheads than the US and Russia - possess weapons in the low hundred kilotons.

Modern weapons are 20 to 30 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Drozdenko warns. If the US and Russia launched everything that they had, it could potentially be a civilization-ending event. And even if only a single nuclear weapon were dropped on a large city today, the death toll would potentially be measured in the millions rather than the tens or hundreds of thousands, says the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs agrees that one nuclear bomb can destroy a whole city, potentially killing millions, and jeopardizing the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term catastrophic effects.

How does a nuclear attack unfold?

A nuclear weapon can be donated on the surface or in the air; the latter impacts a larger geographical area, and is how the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs were used.

1. Fireball vaporises everything in its wake

According to a simulator created by the Outrider Foundation, a US-based body that campaigns against nuclear weapons and climate change, a 300-kiloton nuclear bomb detonated in the air would, within a fraction of a second of detonation, create a fireball measuring just over one square kilometre. This fireball would heat up to a temperature hotter than the sun, instantly vaporising everything inside it.

2. Heat burns everything in far wider area

Over a much wider radius than the fireball - a little over 160 square kilometres, according to the Outrider Foundation - the intense heat generated by the explosion would leave people with severe or fatal third-degree burns, while everything made of materials such as plastic, wood and fabric would catch fire. People outside this radius would still be likely to suffer first or second-degree burns. Whats more, the flash resulting from the explosion would temporarily blind anyone looking in its direction at the time of detonation.

Full screen A screenshot from the Outrider Foundation's nuclear simulator, showing the radius of the fireball, shockwave and heat generated by a hypothetical attack on New York City. Outrider.org

3. Shockwave adds to destruction

By pushing back the surrounding air, the rapid expansion of the fireball would cause a shockwave measuring around 70 square kilometres. Hurricane-force winds would demolish buildings that do not have steel-reinforced concrete, and people in this area would be likely to be injured or killed by the collapsing structures and debris carried by the high winds. To make matters worse, the damage to healthcare workers and infrastructure would mean those injured by the explosion would be unlikely to be able to count on swift medical treatment.

4. Radioactive fallout

According to the Outrider Foundation, around 50% to 90% of those who initially survive the heat and shockwave would die of poisoning within a few hours to a few weeks from the extremely high levels of radiation emitted by the nuclear blast.

Furthermore, the mushroom cloud created by the explosion would carry radioactive debris high into the air and across large distances. Radioactive particles would remain in the environment, contaminating it for years to come; for example, they would be absorbed by crops and, as a result, work their way into our food chain. In the years after the blast, many people exposed to such radiation would die from cancers such as leukaemia.

This has been seen in Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors. According to figures published by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 2015, nearly two-thirds of all deaths among Hiroshima survivors in the preceding 12 months were cancer-related; in the case of the Nagasaki atomic bomb, it was just over half. The ICRC also noted that children under 10 who were exposed to atomic radiation in 1945 went on to be four times more likely than the general population to be diagnosed with leukaemia.

Estimated death toll of nuclear attack on major US cities

According to NukeMap, a tool that estimates the impact of an attack, just over one million people would be killed if a 300-kiloton nuclear bomb were to be dropped on New York City, while a further two million people would be left injured. In the US' capital city, Washington DC, there would be approximately 350,000 fatalities, with around 600,000 people injured.

It's important to note that the projected death toll offered by NukeMap - which was created by the nuclear weapons expert Alex Wellerstein, the author of the book Restricted Data: The History of Nuclear Secrecy in the United States - does not include those killed by longer-term fallout effects.
The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has claimed that troops from Belarus have entered northern Ukraine in what has been interpreted as a joint operation with Russia.

Earlier on Tuesday morning local sources had reported that a column of 33 units of Belarusian forces had invaded the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine. This came after claims from Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko that he would not get involved in the conflict just last week.

BREAKING: Ukrainian Parliament's social media account, citing spokesman for the Regional Command of Territorial Defense, says Belarusian troops have entered a region of northern Ukraine.  The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) March 1, 2022

This wasfollowed by a tweet from the Verkhovna Rada, saying: Belarusian troops have entered Chernihiv region. The information was confirmed to the public by Vitaliy Kyrylov, spokesman for the North Territorial Defense Forces. More details later.

Belarus shares its eastern border with Russia and is located directly to the north of Ukraine. Crucially, Belarus southern border is very close to the Kyiv and provides a direct route towards the Ukrainian capital.

Full screen Google Maps

Despite Lukashenkos insistence, there have been reasons to think that Belarus could become involved in the invasion in recent days. Just last week the authoritarian leader held a referendum in Belarus which would allow him to tighten his grasp on the country and end its status as a nuclear-free zone.

Why is this important? Having won the referendum vote Lukashenko now has the legal authority to allow Russia to move its nuclear arsenal to Belarus southern border with Ukraine, within striking distance of Kyiv.

Tight-knit bond between Putin and Luksahenko

The introduction of Belarus in the invasion of Ukraine would mark a significant change in Russias strategy in the region, but it is far from unexpected given the closeness of the two regimes. Lukashenko was elected in Belarus first democratic election as a sovereign state in 1994 and has ruled ever since.

In recent years his electoral victories have been met with accusations of voter suppression, strong-arm tactics and voting irregularities as he repeatedly won by what CNN have termed as suspiciously wide margins.

 #Belarus: Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested on Sunday. We urge the authorities to respect peoples right to freedom of expression and assembly and to immediately release all those detained for peaceful expression of their opinions: https://t.co/jyDOC00PzD  UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) March 1, 2022

In recent years he has strengthen ties with Putin, who has provided hundreds of millions of dollars of financial support to ensure that Lukashenko can remain in power. In turn, it is thought that the flow of Russian money likely comes with certain strings attached.

Proof of that alliance was clear in 2021 when Lukashenko said in an interview: "If we need to, Belarus will turn into one military base for Russia and Belarus in order to withstand your aggression, if you decide, or if any one country decides to attack. And you should be clear on this, I have never made any secret of it."

That appears to be the situation that Belarus now finds itself in, bound to support Putins expansionist foreign policy in the region and turned into a military base for the Kremlins continued assault on the Ukrainian people.
For many European countries, the question of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership is again firmly under the spotlight. Russia's reckless attack upon Ukraine, neither being members, has caused a huge swing in support of the alliance. Nations like Finland and Sweden have never been members despite their close links with organisations like the EU but recent polling suggests they could be on the threshold of applying.

Related news:

NATO used to be much smaller, and it is only since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the break up of the Warsaw pact, the communist equivalent to NATO, that the organisation swelled its ranks. Currently, NATO has 30 member states.

Which European nations are not in NATO?

Andorra

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cyprus

Finland

Ireland

Kosovo

Malta

Moldova

Monaco

Russia

San Marino

Serbia

Sweden

Switzerland

Ukraine

The largest group of European nations are those that profess their neutrality. Including nations such as Austria, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland, some have military neutrality enshrined in their constitutions, or because of previous dealings with the great powers. For Sweden, proximity to a belligerent Russia has resulted in moves in support of NATO in the last week.

Some European nations have close cultural and economic ties to Russia, which usually keeps them out of NATO. Examples include countries like Armenia and Belarus, parts of the former Soviet Union. Ukraine can be counted among this group until recently; although not a member, is considered a strategic partner by NATO due to its proximity to Russia - one of the prime reasons for Moscows insistence that the country be denied full membership.

Another example is that of Finland, a country which has been threatened by Russia for taking steps towards joining NATO. Despite having a population that was against joining the alliance, events in the last week have resulted in a huge poll swing in favour of joining NATO.

Kosovo is Europe's newest nation, formed from a war in Serbia in 2008. NATO was and is instrumental in keeping the peace, meaning the alliance and Kosovo share a unique relationship. It is not a member, but has made overtures to NATO in recent years about becoming a full member, including a request in February 2022 for a US military base in the country.

BREAKING: Kosovo asks the US for a permanent military base and requests NATO membership  Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) February 27, 2022

Cyprus is in a difficult position. It has professed its desire to join NATO, but the northern half of the country is occupied by Turkish-backed separatist rebels. Turkey, being a NATO member, is unlikely to allow Cyprus' accession without a resolution to the stalemate.
Having recently bolstered their roster with some serious reinforcements, it seems the Sixers aren't done just yet

Philadelphia 76ers look to sign DeAndre Jordan

According to reports on Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers have established them as the front-runners to acquire the services of center DeAndre Jordan either as a waiver claim or a free-agent signing. In need of a center the Sixers have stepped up their efforts to cover the position, having recently included Andre Drummond in the trade-deadline deal which saw James Harden arrive from the Brooklyn Nets. With Jordan recently waived by the Lakers the Sixers may have just found their man.

The 76ers have been in the market for a backup center and will be aggressive in pursuit of DeAndre Jordan  either placing a waiver claim or working to sign him as a free agent should he clear waivers, sources tell ESPN.  Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 1, 2022

Who is DeAndre Jordan?

At 33 years of age, Jordan is a two-time All-NBA defensive first-team choice (2015 and '16). Also selected to the All-NBA first team with the he LA Clippers in 2016, the big man signed a one-year, $2.6 million minimum deal to join the Lakers this season. Should he join the Sixers through free agency as opposed to waivers he will save them some $2.3 million in luxury tax. It is now simply a matter of waiting to see, as Philadelphia most definitely have an open spot on their roster. To date, Jordan has started 19 games this season with the Lakers before ultimately dropping out of their rotation.

Why did the Lakers cut DeAndre Jordan?

As recently as 2017, Jordan was was an All-Star and then in 2019 he was signed a four year, $40 million contract. How then did he get to the point that he's at now, which is to say, out of work? The simple answer is that the Lakers are attempting to stop the rot. Of course that's not to say that Jordan is responsible for it, but it became clear that he was surplus to requirements and with their intention to sign D.J. Augustin, it's now clear that Los Angeles are trying to find greater balance in a team that has so far under performed significantly.

The Los Angeles Lakers intend to waive DeAndre Jordan and sign free agent guard DJ Augustin, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Lakers are bringing in a veteran, accomplished shooting PG to back up Russell Westbrook.  Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2022

Augustin at 34 years old has played 34 games for the Houston Rockets on the season so far. In that time he has averaged 5.4 points and 2.2 assists. Where the Lakers are concerned, it is clear that they need cover at point guard for Russell Westbrook having traded Rajon Rondo to the Cleveland Cavaliers back in January. Watch this space!
Two elderly women chat with each other while making paper-cuts at a care center for the elderly in Huangjiayu Village of Lanshan District, Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 27, 2022. Lanshan District of Rizhao City has set up care centers since 2021, providing assistance and care to the elderly people over 60 years old. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

People enjoy themselves at a care center for the elderly in Huangjiayu Village of Lanshan District, Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 27, 2022. Lanshan District of Rizhao City has set up care centers since 2021, providing assistance and care to the elderly people over 60 years old. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Volunteers prepare lunch at a community care center for the elderly in Lanshan District, Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 27, 2022. Lanshan District of Rizhao City has set up care centers since 2021, providing assistance and care to the elderly people over 60 years old. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Elderly people practice Taiji at a community care center for the elderly in Lanshan District, Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 27, 2022. Lanshan District of Rizhao City has set up care centers since 2021, providing assistance and care to the elderly people over 60 years old. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Volunteers serve lunch at a community care center for the elderly in Lanshan District, Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 27, 2022. Lanshan District of Rizhao City has set up care centers since 2021, providing assistance and care to the elderly people over 60 years old. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Elderly people enjoy their lunch at a care center for the elderly in Huangjiayu Village of Lanshan District, Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 27, 2022. Lanshan District of Rizhao City has set up care centers since 2021, providing assistance and care to the elderly people over 60 years old. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Elderly people enjoy their lunch at a community care center for the elderly in Lanshan District, Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 27, 2022. Lanshan District of Rizhao City has set up care centers since 2021, providing assistance and care to the elderly people over 60 years old. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Editor: WXL
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds a video meeting with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday held a video meeting with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong.

Noting this year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK, Wang said China and the ROK should uphold and revisit the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic ties and jointly plan for the future development of bilateral relations.

China wishes the general election of the ROK to go smoothly and hopes that the relations between the two countries will achieve a steady transition after the election and continuously advance to a higher level, Wang said.

China appreciates the efforts made by the ROK to promote the peace process on the Korean Peninsula and is willing to continue to provide assistance within its capacity, Wang said.

Wang added China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the ROK on the Korean Peninsula affairs.

Chung Eui-yong said the ROK appreciates and believes that China will continue to play a significant and constructive role on the Korean Peninsula issue.

The two sides also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine.

Editor: Zhang Zhou
The third team of mainland health experts and personnel are welcomed by Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), upon arrival at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

HONG KONG, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The third team of mainland health experts and personnel arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday to work with the HKSAR government in fighting the latest COVID-19 outbreak.

The team consists of five experts, with Liang Wannian, head of the COVID-19 response expert panel under China's National Health Commission (NHC), as the team leader.

The experts will give advice and share their experiences with clinical medical experts in Hong Kong on critical care of COVID-19 patients and ways to reduce the number of infections and mortality rate of the epidemic.

Liang said that the team will maintain close contact with their Hong Kong counterparts and share their experiences in combating the epidemic.

The expert delegation was welcomed by the HKSAR's Chief Executive Carrie Lam and officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR upon their arrival at the Shenzhen Bay Port on Monday afternoon.

"I hope that macro-viewed advice from the new team of experts will build a solid foundation for Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work," Lam said, noting that suggestions from the previous two mainland medical teams have already been adopted in Hong Kong's daily anti-epidemic work.

The first and second teams of medical experts from the mainland have arrived in Hong Kong on Feb. 17 and Feb. 19, respectively, to aid the HKSAR in curbing the COVID-19 epidemic.

The two groups of medical experts have exchanged views with relevant departments of the HKSAR government and medical workers. They conducted field visits to communities, isolation facilities, medical institutions and some other organizations, and learned about the treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild and severe symptoms.

Hong Kong reported 34,466 new COVID-19 cases and 87 deaths on Monday, official data showed. Enditem

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel depart for Hong Kong from Shenzhen Bay Port, south China, Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel arrive at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port, Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel are welcomed by Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), upon arrival at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel depart for Hong Kong from Shenzhen Bay Port, south China, Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

The third team of mainland health experts and personnel are welcomed by Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), upon arrival at south China's Shenzhen Bay Port on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Editor: Zhang Zhou
The Ministry of Infrastructure has reported that it is working with Western countries to close ports for Russian ships.

"Already now, ports are beginning to be closed for the aggressor's ships. In particular, the UK has already taken the appropriate decision for the ships of Russia, as well as all those associated with it. We expect that all our Western partners will join it in the near future," the Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said in the Telegram channel.

At the same time, the Danish shipping company Maersk temporarily stops all container traffic to and from Russia. In addition, cargo for the Russian Federation is not processed in the ports of Belgium. Belgian ports do not allow all cargo destined for the aggressor country. Cargo is delayed by dock workers in Belgian ports.

"We are also grateful to Turkey for closing the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles for warships. At the same time, we are working to block the railroad, shipping and transport system of the occupier around the world," Kubrakov said, emphasizing the importance of blocking Russian shipping, since it directly affects import and export opportunities of the occupier.

"Now we hit Russia's air transport system most painfully. Without any exaggeration, it is actually blocked. All European and North American airspaces are closed. We are also working to ensure that European leasing and insurance companies stop working with the occupier's airlines. Let me remind you that more than 50% of the fleet is under lease," Kubrakov said.

The Ministry of Infrastructure also announced the readiness of Poland, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkey to let Ukrainian vehicles through without international permits, which simplifies the logistics of humanitarian and military-technical assistance to Ukraine. Truck drivers who will deliver aid to Ukraine will be allowed to cross the state border, regardless of age, the head of the ministry said.

"Everyone who wants to help Ukraine from abroad, organize locally through our embassies or contact the list of hubs for humanitarian aid determined by the government. Now there are a lot of people who want to help. Everyone is now on the verge of exhaustion, so we kindly ask you to organize yourself," Kubrakov said.

At the same time, Ukrzaliznytsia evacuation trips are carried out from hot spots to large transport hubs, from where women, children, people with disabilities and the elderly can get to the border with our Western partners. All relevant information about them is available on the media resources of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Ukrzaliznytsia.

According to Kubrakov, Ukraine has agreed with Poland, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria on the free passage of Ukrainian refugees by their railways.

According to the minister, Ukravtodor is systematically working on the creation of "green corridors" that should ensure the movement of goods, the evacuation of people and at the same time hinder the enemy. Also, road workers dismantle road signs on all roads of the country.

The minister specifically recalled that the national postal operator  Ukrposhta  is also restoring work every day.
Hontiveros backs fuel subsidies to cushion impact of rising petroleum costs

Re-electionist Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday expressed her support for expanded government subsidies to the transport sector seen to cushion the impact of rising oil prices brought by the Ukraine conflict to ordinary Filipinos.

Hontiveros, who is pushing for Healthy Buhay and Hanapbuhay for Filipinos, said that government must immediately implement an expanded transport subsidy program to mitigate the impact of fast-rising oil prices, and prevent subsequent price hikes in food and basic goods.

"Malayo man ang Ukraine sa Pilipinas, magiging malapit sa bituka ang problema ng Pinoy kapag bumulusok pataas ang presyo ng gas, pagkain at iba pang basic goods. We need a comprehensive transport subsidy program that will soften the impact of oil price hikes on food and commuting costs for ordinary Filipinos," Hontiveros said.

She said that a transport subsidy program, likely under the Department of Transportation, must reach drivers and or operators of all public utility vehicles in the country, including buses, jeeps and taxis, along with those under ride-hailing services. The same program must also help delivery riders and service providers, as well those transporting agricultural products or basic goods.

"Sa fuel subsidy program, sisiguraduhin natin na tataas man ang operational cost ng mga transport at delivery services sa bansa ay sasaluhin muna ito ng pamahalaan. Sa ganyang paraan mapipigilan natin ang paglobo ng pamasahe o presyo ng mga bilihin na hindi pa kaya ng mga karaniwan at karamihan ng mga Pilipino na hindi pa nagsisimulang makabawi mula sa krisis ng kabuhayan na dulot ng pandemya," Hontiveros said.

The senator also stated that the P500-million pantawid dagat subsidy in the 2022 budget allocated to fisherfolk and farmers should be released immediately to help the agricultural sector bear the brunt of the impending crisis.

"Dapat ipamahagi na ang nakalaang subsidiya sa 2022 budget para sa mangingisda at magsasaka para alalayan ang ating local food producers. We must expect and prepare for the worst. Mabuti na ang handa kaysa mabulaga na lang tayo na tumirik na ang sektor na siyang nagpapaandar sa ating ekonomiya, " she concluded.
Luxembourg will supply Ukraine with 100 anti-tank weapons, 20,000 rounds of ammunition, jeeps and tents, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister Francois Bausch has has said.

"As an act of solidarity and to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion, the Luxembourg government, decided following the proposal of the Defense Department and the Luxembourg Army, to deliver e.a. 100 anti-tank weapons, 20,000 rounds of ammunition, jeeps and tents to Ukraine," Bausch said on Twitter on Monday.
The talks with Russia have not brought the results desired by Ukraine just yet, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on Monday night.

"There is no result desired by us just yet. Russia declared its position, and we made an argument in order to stop the war. We received certain signals. When the delegation returns to Kyiv, we will analyze what we have heard and will decide how to proceed to the second round of negotiations," Zelensky said.
Spain is going to legalize all Ukrainians in the country, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

"About 100,000 Ukrainians live in Spain. We are going to implement a set of measures so that they can live and work legally and ensure them access to education, healthcare and social policy, like any citizen of our country," Sanchez said on Twitter on Tuesday.
The Prime Ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia have sent a public appeal to the leadership of Twitter, Google, YouTube and Facebook to block Russian propaganda channels, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said.

"Colleagues from abroad responded to my request. I am very grateful for that! Support at such a difficult moment for Ukraine is extremely important. The Prime Ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia sent a public appeal to the leadership of Twitter, Google, YouTube and Facebook to block Russian propaganda channels. People should know reliable information and not fall for the manipulations of the aggressor country. This is a forced measure, this is the safety of people," Tkachenko said on the Telegram channel and published a photo of the relevant statement.

In particular, among the requests to the platforms: to close accounts that justify, deny or glorify war and war crimes; close the accounts of public agencies of Russia and Belarus, the leadership of the country and persons close to them; close the accounts of state-controlled media in Russia; prohibit propaganda channels from using Russian and Belarusian state media on their platforms to circumvent international restrictions.

"We will wait for the response of the services," Tkachenko said.
A cruise missile attack on the central square in Kharkiv is an act of unvarnished terror, Russia is a terrorist state, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"Kharkiv. A cruise missile attack on the largest square in Europe, on Freedom Square. Dozens of victims. This is the price of freedom. This is such a morning for the people of Ukraine... After the cruise missile that was hit on Kharkiv from Belgorod, this is terror against the city, terror against Ukraine. There was no military target on the square, just like in those residential areas of Kharkiv, which are hit by missile artillery. A missile on the central square is unvarnished terror. No one will forgive. Nobody will forget. An attack on Kharkiv is a war crime. This is a state Russian terrorism," Zelensky said in a video statement on Tuesday.

"After this, Russia is a terrorist state. Accordingly, it should be official. We call on all states of the world to immediately and effectively respond to such criminal tactics of the aggressor and declare that Russia is carrying out state terrorism," Zelensky said.

The president also demanded full responsibility for the Russian terrorist activities in international courts.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced the withdrawal of the Ukrainian ambassadors from Kyrgyzstan and Georgia for consultations due to these countries justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine and an immoral position in relation to sanctions against Russia.

"Our diplomats are right now implementing important and absolutely necessary decisions regarding those states that have changed their word and international law. We are immediately recalling the ambassador from Kyrgyzstan for consultations in order to justify the aggression against Ukraine. We are immediately withdrawing the ambassador from Georgia for creating obstacles for volunteers who want help us, for an immoral stance towards sanctions," Zelensky said in a video statement on Tuesday.
President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola says the European Parliament recognizes Ukraine's European perspective.

At an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, convened over Russia's aggression against Ukraine Metsola said the EU recognizes the European perspective of Ukraine, welcomes Mr. President, Ukraine's application for candidate status and will work to achieve this goal. The EU and Ukraine must look to the future together.

Addressing the President of Ukraine, Metsola said the European Parliament supports Ukraine in its struggle for survival at this dark moment in our history. She said when Ukraine looks at the European Parliament, it will find an ally, a space to speak to Europe and the world, and always a friend.
Zelensky in European Parliament: We are fighting to become full members of Europe. Prove us you are with us

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing representatives of the European Parliament, has said that he would like the phrase "Europe's choice of Ukraine" to be heard today from representatives of the European Union and the European Parliament.

According to the head of state, today Ukraine is giving itself for European values, rights and freedom, for the desire to be equal to its best people.

"There is such a phrase - the Ukrainian choice of Europe. This is what we aspired to and what we were going for. Therefore, I would very much like you to hear today, from you to us, Europe's choice of Ukraine," Zelensky said during a video broadcast of extraordinary plenary session of the European Parliament dedicated to the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Nauseda calls on Macron to speed up Ukraine's affiliation with EU

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, during a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, urged the latter to expedite Ukraine's accession to the EU and start negotiations as soon as possible.

"Lithuania continues to closely coordinate response measures to military aggression against Ukraine with EU& NATO allies. Productive conversation with Emmanuel Macron this afternoon. I called on speeding up Ukraine's accession to the EU & starting negotiations swiftly," Nauseda said on Twitter Tuesday.
International payment systems Visa and MasterCard have blocked cards issued by Russian banks and their subsidiaries, which are on the sanctions list.

"Visa has already started implementing the relevant sanctions and blocked the cards of these banks... will provide a $2 million grant to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine," Visa Vice President for the CIS and Southeast Europe wrote Vira Platonova on Facebook on Tuesday.

According to Platonova, Visa will also double match all employee donations (up to $1 million) to the Ukraine response funds of UNICEF and the Red Cross.

"As a result of sanction orders, we have blocked multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network... Today, we announced a $2 million contribution to the Red Cross, Save the Children and our employee assistance fund for humanitarian relief," MasterCard CEO Michael Miebach wrote on Tuesday.

Both payment companies added that they are ready to continue to act in accordance with additional sanctions that may be introduced.

According to Visa, Belvnesheconomobank, Promsvyazbank, Novikombank, Sovcombank, Ozon Bank, Rosgosstrakh Bank, Otkritie Financial Corporation Bank, BM Bank, VTB, VTB Georgia, VTB (Belarus), VTB Armenia, a subsidiary of JSC VTB Bank (Kazakhstan), VTB Azerbaijan Bank, Dabrabyt Bank (Belarus), Belinvestbank, Vietnamese-Russian Joint Bank, Sarovbusinessbank, West Siberian Commercial Bank.
Audria Henderson, HR representative for Amazon, spoke at the Southaven Chamber of Commerce on the company's diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration has advised against non-essential travel to Russia in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.

The ministry urged Moldovan citizens in Russia to stay calm and recommended that citizens wishing to return to their home country use the remaining routes via Istanbul, Turkey, or Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, with arrival in Iasi or Bucharest, Romania. This is because the Moldovan airspace is closed until March 4 and there are no arrivals or departures at the Chisinau Airport.

The ministry asked citizens to regularly check the information published on its website and the website of the Moldovan embassy in Moscow.

Given the Ukraine situation, the Moldovan parliament declared a 60-day state of emergency starting on February 24. Over five days of the conflict, Moldova has taken in almost 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, most of whom traveled further to EU countries. About 50,000 refugees are staying in Moldova.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz the shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities by the Russian army during peace talks.

"Had a phone conversation with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Spoke about Russia's shelling of residential neighborhoods in Ukrainian cities during peace talks. Emphasized the need to close the sky over Ukraine. The work on Ukraine's accession to the EU needs to be accelerated," Zelensky said on Twitter on Tuesday.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel calls on the media to be balanced and objective

The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel called on the media to take a balanced approach in covering the situation in Ukraine, journalistic values and standards. This appeal is posted on the Embassy's Facebook page.

The Embassy of Ukraine appreciates the interest and concern of the media representatives over the situation in Ukraine. The unbalanced approach in media coverage may be used by Russian propaganda. We urge all reporters, who cover the war in Ukraine, not expose in their materials and videos positions of Ukrainian army and other strategic objects. It only helps Russian invaders to conduct their offence. Please follow the highest journalist values and professional standarts, - the statement said.

The Embassy stressed that they had encountered several unacceptable cases of media coverage.

Specifically, it is the interview with the leader of terrorist organization DNR; recent material from Kyiv of the Israeli reporter who for unknown reason tried to depict Ukrainian defenders in a dubious context; other reporters who tried so hard to find contact details of the putative relatives of the Ukrainian President exactly the same hours when Kyiv was under massive attack of Russian army, - the diplomatic mission said.

The statement said: We strongly believe that in times of unprecedented propaganda and misinformation that are spread worldwide by the Russian Federation, the values and high standards of the democratic free media are crucial, - the Embassy said.
Employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine are carrying out search and rescue operations at the site of an airstrike on a five-story residential building in Kharkiv.

"As of 16:00, after an air strike between the second and third entrances of a five-story residential building (six entrances in total) in Kharkiv, 8 people were killed and 6 people were injured, 38 people were rescued (of which 2 people were taken from the rubble)," the press service of the State Emergency Service reported in the Telegram channel.

Rescue work continues.

Earlier it was reported that, 7 people were killed and 24 people were injured, 11 of them were hospitalized (1 child), in the shelling of the building of Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
The European Court of Human Rights issued a decision demanding that the Russian Federation stop attacks on civilian objects in Ukraine, MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said.

"The European Court of Human Rights issued a decision ordering the Russian Federation to stop attacks and bombing of civilian targets in Ukraine," he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Earlier, Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska said that Ukraine had applied to the European Court of Human Rights with a statement on the introduction of interim measures, demanding, among other things, a stop to Russia's military attack on civilian objects.
Putin must allow safe corridors to rescue people, deliver aid in Ukraine - Austrian chancellor

Russian President Vladimir Putin should allow safe corridors for rescuing people and delivering aid to Ukraine, said Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

"The situation in Ukraine in a few days will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe due to lack of resources. Humanity is on the agenda - especially for Russia. Putin must allow safe corridors for saving people and delivering aid," Nehammer said on Twitter on Tuesday.
Ukraine may launch a preventive missile strike on Belarus if the commander-in-chief makes the appropriate decision, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov has said.

"Our troops are now engaged in the destruction of Russian military equipment and resources that are today on the territory of our country. If necessary, if a decision is made by the commander-in-chief to do this, it will be accepted," he said on the air of the Ukraine 24 TV channel.

Answering a clarifying question whether Ukraine would launch a preemptive strike on Belarus if the decision was made by the President of Ukraine, commander-in-chief Volodymyr Zelensky, Danilov replied: "Of course."
On March 1, Ukraine held the first auction for the placement of government domestic loan war bonds, at which it attracted UAH 8.122 billion for the period of one year at 11% per annum.

According to the Ministry of Finance, a total of 10 applications were submitted for the auction, all of them were satisfied.

In addition, another auction was held, at which UAH 20.7 million was raised at 10% per annum for 56 days.

"In the conditions of military aggression of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Finance offers citizens, businesses and foreign investors to support the budget of Ukraine by investing in military government bonds," the Ministry of Finance said on the eve of the auction.

The funds from the bonds will be used to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the uninterrupted provision of the financial needs of the state under martial law, the ministry said.

As reported, the total volume of issuance of military bonds is up to UAH 400 billion. They can be purchased by the National Bank. However, according to available information, it was not among the buyers in the first auction.

The last time the Ministry of Finance sold war bonds was after the start of the war with Russia in Donbas in 2014.
European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell says the sanctions imposed on Russia for its aggression against Ukraine will prevent the Kremlin from spending on this war the money it earned from gas supplies to Europe.

He stated this in the European Parliament on Tuesday as part of an extraordinary meeting convened due to Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Recalling that the EU has already applied several packages of sanctions for the aggression of the Russian Federation, Borrell expressed confidence that these sanctions will have extremely large consequences for the country. He said they won't let Russia spend the money they spent on their gas to fund this war. According to him, this is the most important lesson they can learn from these strategic developments. He said they cannot appeal to the rule of law and continue their trade and commercial relations.

At the same time, he expressed confidence that the Europeans should be even more united against the forces of evil.
Ukraine calls on UNESCO to prevent possible destruction St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv by Russia

Ukraine has sent a letter to UNESCO to save St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv from the threat of destruction, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko has said.

"The Russians are going to destroy St. Sophia Cathedral. They seek to destroy the entire Ukrainian history, trying to appropriate it for themselves," Tkachenko wrote in Telegram channel.

According to the minister, this unique architectural monument is included in the World Heritage List, and any damage or destruction of the cathedral caused by Russia will be an irreparable loss for all mankind.

"We have already sent a letter to UNESCO. We call on the world community to intervene and help break the silence of UNESCO in order to save St. Sophia Cathedral from the threat of destruction," the minister said.
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Kuleba calls on FM of Poland, France, Germany to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, provide Ukraine with more weapons, financial, humanitarian support

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on the foreign ministers of Poland, France and Germany to increase sanctions pressure on Russia so that it stops its war crimes in Ukraine and provides the country with more weapons, financial and humanitarian assistance.

"Met online with Foreign Ministers of the Weimar Triangle of Poland, France and Germany. I urged to step up sanctions pressure on Russia to make it stop its war crimes in Ukraine, and provide Ukraine with more weapons, financial and humanitarian support," Kuleba wrote in Twitter on Tuesday.
Nomination for gas transit via Ukraine on Wed still high

The first published nomination for gas transit across Ukraine on March 2 is 108.8 million cubic meters, according to Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine data.

In other words transit capacity utilization will again be high. The nomination is adjusted throughout the day and that for Monday is currently 109.3 mcm.

European buyers have requested more gas from Gazprom after sanctions against Russia sent gas prices soaring: gas is trading at $1,332 per thousand cubic meters at the TTF hub.
The European Court of Human Rights has decided to direct the Russian government to refrain from military attacks on the civilian population and civilian objects.

The corresponding decision was published by the EctHR on Tuesday.

In addition, it is required to refrain from attacks on residential premises, ambulances and other specially protected civilian objects, such as schools and hospitals, and to immediately ensure the security of medical institutions, personnel and ambulances in the territory that was attacked or besieged by Russian troops.

Under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, the Court may order interim measures to any state party to the European Convention on Human Rights. Interim measures are urgent measures which, according to the well-established practice of the Court, are applied only in cases where there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm.
No one wounded during shelling of TV tower in Kyiv, Kyiv residents asked to temporarily use regional TV channels

The State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection asks Kyiv residents to use regional TV channels until the restoration of backup broadcasting.

"For now, you can watch Ukrainian television on the regional Multiplex MX-5. We ask citizens to use the channel search on the TV to get access to regional channels. Fortunately, none of the employees were wounded," the State Special Communications Service's Telegram channel said.

BRT Concern is taking measures to resume broadcasting in the regions.

As reported, as a result of the strike by Russian troops at the Kyiv TV tower, there was a hit in the broadcaster's control room, and TV channels will not work for some time, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Andriy Yermak, head of the President's Office of Ukraine, has said that a powerful missile attack is underway in Kyiv on the territory where the Babyn Yar memorial complex is located.

"Right now, the President of Ukraine is being interviewed by CNN and Reuters. The sixth day of the war. We are at work. Work at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander is in full swing around the clock. Already used to almost no sleep mode. It was at this time that a powerful missile attack was going on the territory where the Babyn Yar memorial complex is located! These monsters are killing victims of the Holocaust for the second time! We know exactly what we are striving for," Yermak wrote on Facebook.

He stressed that "we will definitely survive and rebuild our beloved Ukraine."
The U.S. tobacco company Philip Morris handed over 500,000 packs of cigarettes to the Ukrainian army, MP from the Servant of the People party Danylo Hetmantsev has said.

"Philip Morris donated 500,000 packs of cigarettes to help the army! Lviv Tobacco Factory and JT International Ukraine also handed over cigarettes to the military today in all regions where there are logistics warehouses," Hetmantsev wrote in Telegram.
The first unit in Ukraine made up of foreign volunteers has been created under the territorial defense of the Azov unit, MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said.

"Belarusians will fight for Ukraine. A Belarusian unit has been created under the Azov territorial defense. This is the first unit of foreign volunteers," Honcharenko wrote on Telegram on Tuesday.

He noted that this is "another argument in favor of the fact that the Belarusian people are not an enemy for Ukrainians." "Our common enemy is dictators Putin and Lukashenko, who unleashed this war," the MP summed up.
Danilov: Part of Kadyrovtsy group who came to Ukraine to eliminate Zelensky already under gun of Ukrainian military, handed over to FSB

Part of the elite unit of the Kadyrovtsy (Kadyrov followers) who came to Ukraine to eliminate the President of Ukraine, at the gunpoint of the Ukrainian military, they were handed over to the FSB, said Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC).

"The special operation that was to be carried out directly by Kadyrovtsy to eliminate our president is fully known to us today. I can say that we received information from representatives of the FSB who have no desire to take part in this bloody war. Thanks to this, that Kadyrov's elite group that came here to liquidate our president was killed," he said on the air of the Ukraine 24 TV channel.

He added that, having arrived in Ukraine, they were divided into two groups.

"We tracked them. One group was covered in Hostomel, the second is now under gunpoint. We will not give our president or our country to anyone. This is our land," he said.
The truth about the war: a website with statistics of war crimes and losses of the Russian army in Ukraine was created for Russian citizens

To inform Russian citizens about military events and the number of deaths on the territory of Ukraine, the website https://russkiykorabl.info was developed and launched - Postmen communication agency informs.

On the website, it is explained what has been happening on the territory of Ukraine from the very beginning, and also provides contacts for information regarding the fate of the missing Russian military forces.

The statistics on the losses of the Russian army, as well as war crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine - the number of dead and wounded, evidence of shelling of residential buildings are published on the website. The site also contains materials on global actions in support of Ukraine.

Furthermore, on the platform, Russian citizens will be able to find hotline numbers that will help to search for Russian soldiers and officers who were sent to the so-called "drills" on the territory of Ukraine.

According to the developers, the website is equipped with stable availability in case of attempts to block it by the aggressor country. The first version of the website was written on the Tilda platform created by Russian developers and may not be available on the phones of Ukrainian mobile operators. The site is fully operational on the mobiles and desktop versions of all users on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The European Parliament voted "yes" to a resolution calling on the institutions of the European Union to work towards granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate, thus recognizing Ukraine's European perspective.

The corresponding document entitled "Russian aggression against Ukraine" was voted on Tuesday as part of an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament, convened because of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Some 676 voted, of which 637 gave their affirmative votes, 13 were against, and 26 abstained.

The European Parliament salls on the EU institutions to work towards granting Ukraine candidate status for the EU in accordance with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union and on merit basis, and in the meantime continue to work towards its integration into the EU single market in accordance with the Association Agreement, the resolution says.
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Auburn University junior Jordan Carraway has big plans. Her goal is to one day become an astronaut, but first, she plans to fly as a pilot for the Air Force and win the title of Miss America.

Carraway, who is studying industrial and systems engineering, recently took a step closer to her dream of becoming an astronaut when she was accepted into Project Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere, or PoSSUM, a program hosted by the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences. The program took place at Florida Institute of Technology from Jan. 25-29.

Project PoSSUM features a course titled Fundamentals of Astrodynamics, which introduces students to scientific human spaceflight as a systemic problem. Through the course, students gain a general understanding of the mesosphere and life support systems relevant to suborbital flight.

Carraway, along with nine other students, had the opportunity to participate in a simulated parabolic flight, spacesuit training, experience zero gravity through aerobatic flight and more.

This opportunity was a massive step for me in the direction of my dream of one day becoming an astronaut, Carraway said. It was also the most fun experience Ive ever had in my entire life.

Originally from Daphne, Alabama, Carraway has been fascinated by space since middle school.

A friend used to brag to me that her grandmother sent her to space camp every year for her birthday, she said. I was an angsty pre-teen and said, my grandmother would send me to space camp if I asked her to. So, I asked her to, and she sent me. My parents said that after I came back that summer from space camp, I never stopped talking about space.

She returned to space camp every summer through her senior year and then went back to teach at the camp after high school.

Everything about space is so beautiful and we know so little about it, Carraway explained of her fascination. Theres still so much to learn and to explore and theres so much uncharted territory. That sense of adventure is really exciting to me.

Carraway is mostly interested in the human factors and ergonomics aspect of industrial engineering. Her favorite astronaut, Mike Massimino, also studied industrial and systems engineering. She said she first learned about human factors after reading his biography.

I want to continue studying more into human factors, especially with deep space travel, Carraway said. Ergonomics is going to be very important moving forward and going to Mars. With six months there and six months back of being in a tiny little spaceship, ergonomics is very important.

When it comes to her other plans, Carraway is working towards those goals by being active in Auburn Universitys Air Force ROTC program and she currently holds the title of Miss Hoover. She is passionate about her social impact plan, Girls Can, which she is working to promote through her pageant title.

Its all about empowering women looking to enter male-dominated career fields, she explained. Being an engineering major, being in Air Force ROTC, wanting to be an astronaut, all of those fields are very male-dominated, so I know the struggles that can occur at times. I want to be a light and provide outreach and mentorship to women who feel like they may be alone in these fields.

Carraway is certain that the Auburn University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is setting her on the path to succeed in all of her goals.

I have enjoyed being an ISE student since my first course in occupational safety and ergonomics, she said. It has just gotten better since then. I know this is the major I was meant for.
Zelensky: Why repeat 'Never again' for 80 years if world remains silent when bomb falls on Babyn Yar?

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called the missile attack on the territory where the Babyn Yar memorial complex is located, which killed five people, a repetition of history.

"To the world: what is the point of saying 'never again' for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least five killed. History repeating," Zelensky wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
Russia is preparing a provocation to justify the deployment of Belarusian troops along the Pinsk-Ivanava-Drahichyn route, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports, citing data from the Main Intelligence Agency.

According to available intelligence data, there are currently about 300 units of Belarusian tanks near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border.

"The convoy has not yet crossed the border and is waiting for the route Pinsk-Ivanava-Drahichyn [about 30 km from the state border of Ukraine]," the report said.

Russia is expected to be planning a deliberate provocation to justify the planned attack by Belarusian troops.
Shmyhal: Russia shoots memory of Holocaust victims, tries to deprive us of our voice

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal calls on the world not to be silent after Russia's missile attack on the Kyiv TV tower and the Babyn Yar Memorial Center.

"Never again? Just now Russia launched a powerful missile strike on the Babyn Yar Memorial Centre and TV tower. Civilians were killed. Russia shoots the memory of Holocaust victims, tries to deprive us of our voice, destroys the Ukrainians," Shmyhal wrote on Twitter.

As reported, as of 18:00, as a result of the shelling of the Kyiv television tower in Shevchenkivsky district, 5 people were killed and 5 people were injured.
Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet has addressed the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) and key structures of the European Higher Education Area regarding the exclusion of the Russian Federation from institutional and intergovernmental relations.

"I turned to the BFUG and key structures of the European Higher Education Area regarding the exclusion of the Russian Federation from institutional and intergovernmental relations," he wrote on the Telegram channel.

According to Shkarlet, the European Higher Education Area is built on the fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law.

"These principles are explicitly stated in the vision of the European Higher Education Area set out in the Rome Communique 2020, signed by 48 ministers responsible for higher education from all countries of the European Higher Education Area," he added.

The minister stressed that the Russian Federation had demonstrated to the world that it violates all the principles and conditions of interaction between countries, destroying everything in its path with terrorist actions. "I am sure that only by uniting we will form a powerful European entity," he summed up.
Five civilians who were injured in a missile attack on the Kyiv TV tower on Dorohozhychi were passers-by, said mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko.

"As a result of two, according to preliminary data, missiles hitting the TV tower, five civilians of Kyiv have been killed. They were walking along the sidewalk past the tower," Klitschko wrote on the Telegram channel.

He urged Kyiv residents not to walk or ride the streets. "Be as careful as possible. It's better to spend this night in shelters," the mayor added.

As reported, as a result of the shelling of the Kyiv television tower in Shevchenkivsky district, five people were killed and five people were injured. Later, the State Special Communications Service clarified that several employees and the security of the TV tower were injured as a result of the attack.
NATO should work out common security guarantees for Ukraine if they not ready to grant membership  Zelensky

NATO should work out common security guarantees for Ukraine if it is not ready to accept it into its membership, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"Our partners, if they are not ready to take Ukraine into NATO ... because Russia does not want Ukraine to be in NATO, should work out common security guarantees for Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.

The head of state clarified that Kyiv needs legal security guarantees, which would include guarantees of territorial integrity, border protection, as well as Ukraine's special relations with all neighbors and security.
Denysenko: Aggressor did not hit TV tower, shells hit control room building, not far from monument to Victims of Babyn Yar

The Russian aggressor did not hit the TV tower in Kyiv, the shells hit a building where a control room was located and Babyn Yar, Vadym Denysenko, adviser to the interior minister, said.

"I want to clarify that Russian weapons didn't hit the tower itself. It hit the neighboring building: where the control tower was located. The shells hit not the tower, but Babyn Yar  one of the greatest symbols of the horrors of fascism. Moreover, people who were at the monument to the Victims of Babyn Yar died," Denysenko said on Ukrainian TV channels.

According to him, Russia, which talks all the time about the fight against fascism, shows this fascism, and shows, among other things, disrespect for the Jewish people.

Denysenko believes that Israel will definitely respond to this.

"I think that Israel should already react, because it is impossible not to react to such terrible things. At a minimum, they should put forward diplomatic notes, summon the Russian ambassador. They should write in all Israeli media that the Russians are shooting at the memory of Babyn Yar and shooting people who come to honor Babyn Yar in these terrible days," Denysenko said.
Tens of thousands of protesters blocked streets and gathered around government buildings in Armenia's capital on Wednesday to demand the prime minister's resignation over his calls for a formal peace agreement with neighboring Azerbaijan.
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) received on Monday a collection of gigantic colossi from the Egyptian museum in Tahrir that includes a pair of statues of the Ancient Egyptian gods Amun-Re and Mut, a red granite column of king Ramses II, a limestone statue of the goddess Isis holding her son  Horus  along with other gigantic artefacts.

El-Tayeb Abbas, the assistant to the tourism minister for archaeological affairs at the GEM, said that every object was accurately examined and a report on its current condition has been drafted.

Furthermore, Eissa Zidan  the executive director for restoration and transportation of objects at the GEM  explained that the transportation process was very critical because of the tall and large size of the colossi.

For example, the pair of statues of Amun and Mut are 4 metres tall, 186 centimetres wide, and 169 centimetres deep  a matter that has led to the study of the scheduled transportation route and the removal of any obstacles that could get in the shipments way.

The colossus was reassembled on a metal structure in the late 1990s by the German archaeological mission headed by Hourig Sourouzian.

All the pieces of the colossus were installed in their original position; however, the missing segments were kept empty to be added later in the event they are found.

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The U.N. Security Council voted Monday to impose an expanded arms embargo on Yemen's Houthi rebels, saying they have threatened the peace, security and stability of the war-torn country.

Council members said the rebels are responsible for attacking civilians, commercial shipping in the Red Sea, and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Security Council had already imposed an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo against Houthi leaders and top officials, but this resolution dramatically expands the arms embargo to include all Houthis.

The British-drafted resolution said the Iran-backed Houthis ``implemented a policy of sexual violence and repression against politically active and professional women, engaged in the recruitment and use of children,'' indiscriminately used land mines and improvised explosive devices and obstructed humanitarian aid to Yemenis.

Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital of Sanaa and much of the northern part of the country, forcing the government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the U.S., to try to restore President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The U.S. has since suspended its direct involvement in the conflict.

Monday's vote was 11-0, with Ireland, Norway, Brazil and Mexico abstaining amid concerns about the negative impact on the humanitarian situation in the Arab world's poorest nation and the risk of undermining a fragile political process.

Peter Salisbury, the International Crisis Group's senior analyst for Yemen, tweeted that Yemen has been ``the site of some of the first post-Russia/Ukraine horse trading at the Security Council'' since Russia's invasion of its neighbor last week.

Russia voted in favor of the resolution after the UAE abstained on Friday's vote in the Security Council on a resolution that would have condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ``in what was perceived at council as a quid pro quo,'' Salisbury said.

UAE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh welcomed the arms embargo on the Houthis, calling it a ``terrorist group'' responsible for ``flagrant violations and heinous attacks.''

``This resolution will curtail the military capabilities of the Houthis and push toward stopping their escalation in Yemen and the region,'' she said. ``It will also prevent their hostile activities against civilian vessels and threats to shipping lines and international trade ... (and) stop the suffering of Yemeni civilians and those affected in neighboring countries by their terrorist acts.''

Nusseibeh called on the Houthis to stop their cross-border attacks and return to serious political negotiations, stressing that there is no military solution to the war in Yemen.

Ireland's deputy U.N. ambassador ,Jim Kelly, said his government abstained because it remains concerned that designating all Houthis ``may result in unintended negative humanitarian and political consequences.'' It is also concerned the resolution's description of ``terrorist attacks'' by the Houthis ``may have unintended negative consequences for the millions of Yemeni people living under Houthi control,'' he said.

Since 2014, nine Yemenis have been added to the U.N. sanctions blacklist and the resolution extends the arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze against them until Feb. 28, 2023.

The list includes Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi movement, and Yemen's former president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who reportedly died in December 2017. Last year's additions included three senior Houthi rebels linked to cross-border attacks from Yemen into Saudi Arabia and the Houthi offensive in the central desert city of Marib.

The resolution calls on all countries ``to increase efforts to combat the smuggling of weapons and components via land and sea routes, to ensure implementation of the targeted arms embargo.''

It ``strongly condemns the cross-border attacks by the Houthi terrorist group, including attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates striking civilians and civilian infrastructure, and demanding the immediate cessation of such attacks.''

U.N. envoys have been trying for several years to get the Houthis and the government to commit to a nationwide cease-fire and to reopen Sanaa airport to commercial traffic. They've also pushed them to ensure an uninterrupted flow of fuel and commodities through the main port of Hodeida and to resume a political process aimed at reaching a political settlement.

The resolution says there is no military solution to the current conflict and that the only viable path forward is ``dialogue and reconciliation among the multiple and varied parties.''

It extends the mandate of the U.N. panel of experts monitoring implementation of the sanctions until March 28, 2023.

In their last report circulated on Jan. 29, the experts said nearly 2,000 children recruited by the Houthis died on the battlefield between January 2020 and May 2021, and the Iranian-backed rebels continue to hold camps and courses encouraging youngsters to fight.

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More than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv, the head of the region wrote on Telegram.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyy posted photographs of the charred shell of a four-story building and rescuers searching rubble.

In a later Facebook post, he said many Russian soldiers and some local residents also were killed during the fighting.

Meanwhile, Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said the administration building in the centre of Kharkiv came under Russian shelling Tuesday along with residential buildings.

Sinehubov didn't give any specific numbers of casualties from the latest shelling.

Previously, Sinehubov said at least 11 people were killed and scores of others were wounded in the shelling in Kharkiv on Monday.

He said Ukrainian troops are fending off Russian attempts to advance on the city of 1.4 million people.

Videos posted on Ukrainian social networks and media showed a massive explosion next to the towering Soviet-era administrative building on Kharkiv's central square hitting several cars parked in front of it, shattering windows but leaving the building largely intact.

 Russian forces have struck Independence Square in central Kharkiv with a powerful explosion.



According to a video of the event, the blast detonated right in front of the headquarters of the Kharkiv Oblast government.



Video: Ukraine NOW/Telegram pic.twitter.com/poZjYcjRjD  The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 1, 2022

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The rate of COVID-related hospital admissions across Egypt has declined by 40.4 percent between 11 and 25 February compared to the previous two weeks, acting Minister of Health Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said during a weekly meeting with his assistants and health officials on Monday to follow up on the states efforts to face the pandemic.

The number of people who are self-isolating and people admitted to intensive care units and intermediate care units nationwide also decreased during the same period, said a statement by the ministry.

The minister also confirmed the availability of all coronavirus vaccines at fixed and mobile vaccination centres across the country for all age groups, the statement said.

During the meeting, Abdel-Ghaffar reviewed reports on vaccination rates nationwide, noting that the governorates of Beheira in northern Egypt and Sohag in Upper Egypt have the highest daily rates of vaccinated citizens.

Egypt's daily infections have dropped over the past week after a steep increase in cases since January, during which the country experienced its highest single-day rise in infections since the pandemics outbreak.

Egypt plans to vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible population 12-year-olds and above  by the second half of 2022.

More than 30 million people have been fully vaccinated to date, and almost 40 million have received their first dose, according to recent ministry statistics.

Moreover, over 1 million citizens have already received their booster shots.

While Egypt has received tens of millions of doses of all coronavirus vaccines, the country is locally producing the Chinese Sinovac vaccine through the state-run Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines.

Abdel-Ghaffar will also announce on Tuesday the start of clinical trials for EgyVax, Egypts second locally made COVID-19 vaccine.

In February, the country said its first coronavirus vaccine COVI-VAX, whose clinical trials started in November, has shown promising results.

In addition, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced in February that Egypt, along with five African countries, had been chosen to produce mRNA vaccines after receiving the technology from the WHO's global mRNA vaccine hub.

The process will include extracting the raw material needed to produce mRNA vaccines  like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines  said Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population.

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US-based Pfizer, a world-renowned pharmaceutical corporation, is currently cooperating with the healthcare authorities in Egypt for the sake of leveraging digital technologies and solutions for healthcare services in the local market, said Patrick Van der Loo, Pfizers regional president for Africa and the Middle East.

The company is also working on establishing partnerships in this regard and in discussions with healthcare stakeholders and the government regarding investing in the field, according to van der Loo.

Van der Loo made his comments in his answer to Ahram Onlines question on the presence of Pfizer in the Egypt during a media roundtable the company organised virtually on Tuesday for the regions media representatives.

During the event, the company announced its plans to deliver breakthroughs to more patients across the region, aiming to impact more than 45 percent more people in 2022 compared to 2021.

These plans include continuing to play a leading role in the global fight against COVID-19 while having more than 50 product launches across Africa and the Middle East, thereby addressing unmet needs and critical public health challenges.

As we continue to raise the bar within science and patient impact in the region, we are seeking even stronger collaborations with healthcare professionals, communities, and governments to ensure greater access to our breakthroughs, said Van der Loo.

In 2021, we reached more than 4.1 million patients across Africa and the Middle East. In addition to the 100 breakthroughs available in the region to support patients across six therapeutic areas  vaccines, oncology, inflammation and immunology, internal medicine, rare diseases, and anti-infectives and sterile injectables  we are planning to have over fifty product launches in 2022.

On the companys produced vaccines against COVID-19 in the region, Van der Loo said that Pfizer has pledged to provide two billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to low- and middle-income countries in 2021 and 2022  at least one billion doses each year.

We have fulfilled this pledge for 2021, and as of 6 February 2022, we have delivered more than 1.1 billion doses to 101 low- and middle-income countries. When it comes to our novel COVID-19 antiviral treatment (Paxlovid), we expect to produce 120 million treatment courses in 2022, depending on the global need, he explained.

In the Middle East, Paxlovid is now available in many countries, and we are currently engaging in discussions with other local governments.

For his part, Yasser Al-Dershaby, Pfizers Vice President and the companys Regional Medical Lead, said that the company generated data in 44 publications, 20 non interventional studies, and 18 clinical trials in 2021 across the Middle East and Africa, with plans to bring more Phase I and II clinical trials in the region.

The company continues to lead new programmes in partnership with governments to create a nurturing environment for sustainable investments, including the cultivation and training of the next-generation of the workforce, enhancement of local R&D capability, appropriate technology transfer, as well as increased clinical trial efforts, he explained.

In this repect, he said that Pfizer has invested $24.5 million to date, with an additional $33.8 million expected over the coming years to ramp up production.

In February, Egypt received a shipment comprising over 2,158,650 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine from the US government, according to Egypts Ministry of Health and Population.

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Egypt will send a plane to Romanias capital of Bucharest on Tuesday to repatriate Egyptian students who crossed the border of war-torn Ukraine into its western neighbour.

The plane, operated by flagship carrier EgyptAir, will take off for Bucharest this afternoon, the Egyptian Cabinet said in a statement.

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine started last week, around 6,000 Egyptians lived in Ukraine, including 3,000 students studying at the country's universities, especially in medicine.

The Russian invasion continued for the sixth day on Tuesday, claiming scores of lives and forcing more than 500,000 people to flee from the country, according to the UN.

Egypt has not recorded any deaths of Egyptian students, but an Egyptian citizen was injured in an airstrike in Kharkiv over the weekend and is currently in stable condition, according to officials.

The government directed the Egyptian Embassy in Kyiv to provide all support and care to the injured national and other Egyptian expats in Ukraine.

More than 1,200 Egyptian students have arrived in Poland and 250 others have reached Romania from Ukraine, Egypts Minister of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram said on Monday.

Egypt has urged expats in the western cities of Ukraine to move to neighbouring Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Authorities, however, affirmed that Egyptians in the capital, Kyiv, and eastern citizens, which are under heavy Russian attacks, should stay at home and shelters.

Hungary requires Egyptian students entering the country to have an unexpired passport and unexpired Ukrainian residence permit.

The Egyptian embassy in Poland, however, announced on Monday that Egyptians coming from Ukraine with expired passports will be allowed to cross the border into the country, and the embassy will issue temporary travel documents to facilitate their return to Egypt.

The Egyptian embassy in Romania has also urged Egyptians coming from Ukraine with expired passports to contact it, as it is working with Romanian authorities to facilitate their entry into Romania.

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Libyan lawmakers confirmed a new transitional government Tuesday, a move that is likely to lead to parallel administrations and fuel mounting tensions in a country that has been mired in conflict for the past decade.

Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha submitted his Cabinet to the east-based House of Representatives, where 92 of 101 lawmakers in attendance approved it, during a vote that was broadcast live.

The appointment of Bashagha last month, a powerful former interior minister from the western city of Misrata, is part of a roadmap that also involves constitutional amendments and sets the date for elections within 14 months.

The move inflamed divisions among Libyan factions and raised fears that fighting could return after more than a year and a half of relative calm.

Embattled Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has taken a defiant stance against efforts to replace his government.

He has repeatedly vowed that he will only hand over power to an elected government and says parliamentary elections should be held in June.

The effort to replace Dbeibah stems from Libya's failure to hold its first presidential election during his watch.

The presidential vote was originally planned for Dec. 24, but it was postponed over disputes between rival factions on laws governing the elections and controversial presidential hopefuls.

Lawmakers have argued that the mandate of Dbeibah's government ended on Dec. 24.

The vote's delay was a major blow to international efforts to end a decade of chaos in the oil-rich Mediterranean nation.

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Many countries have found themselves in a difficult position regarding the stand they should take on the current war in Ukraine, particularly those who maintain close ties with both the United States and Russia.

The abstention by the United Arab Emirates, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, on a resolution presented by the United States to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, along with China and India, was a clear example of the difficult situation several Arab countries face. Abu Dhabi is a very close American ally, and hosts one of the USs largest military bases in the oil-rich Gulf region. Yet it also maintains close relations with Russia, and coordinates closely with Moscow on energy issues and regional conflicts.

In this framework, on Sunday Egypt called for an Arab League emergency meeting at the level of permanent representatives to discuss the fast developments in Ukraine following Russian President Vladimir Putins decision to start a military operation there a week ago.

As soon as the Russian tanks started rolling across the border, officially upon the request of two breakaway Ukrainian regions supported by Moscow, Egypts Foreign Ministry asserted the importance of advocating dialogue and diplomatic solutions to politically settle the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

Following a diplomatic path would lead to preserving international security and stability, the Foreign Ministry declared, prevent further escalation of the crisis, and avert the aggravation of humanitarian and economic conditions in that area and the world at large.

Indeed the Arab countries are not a direct party to this war, which for a change is not taking part on their own territory. However, the effects of this dangerous military escalation in Europe will certainly have staggering negative effects on this region, like the rest of the world, particularly in economic terms.

Meanwhile, many of the regions wars and conflicts that require international cooperation and intervention, such as the situation in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Palestine and with Irans nuclear programme, will either come to a standstill or deteriorate further as the world focuses on the developing war in Ukraine. There is no question that it is in the interest of the Arab countries that this war should end through a diplomatic solution.

Ironically, countries in the region that have been a stage for wars and conflicts for decades, are the ones now appealing to the worlds superpowers to show restraint and resort to diplomacy. This is yet another sign of the times, and clear evidence of the changing world order that Arab countries must deal with.

Whatever the future scenario is in relation to the Ukrainian government, Russia, members of the US-led NATO military alliance and the entire world are all aware that the ongoing war is not just about Ukraine. The Russian president wants to redraw the map of Europe that was imposed on the former Soviet Union after its collapse in 1991. Considering the growing Russian economy and influence, and the obvious retreat of the United States from the world stage, Putin has probably calculated that now is the right time to make this military move, and change the rules that allowed the United States and NATO to bring their missiles and advanced military equipment very close to Russias borders.

For many years, and particularly during the Cold War, the Middle East region was the battleground for proxy wars between the two superpowers. When that era ended, and for the past 30 years, it was the United States that unilaterally launched wars in the Middle East, occupying Afghanistan and Iraq, and stressing it was the only reliable broker for all of the regions conflicts, starting with the Palestine-Israel conflict and ending with Irans nuclear programme. Russia and China opposed those wars, but only in diplomatic terms, and were not expected to go to war against the United States to prevent its invasion of Iraq, for example.

Yet the era of US dominance over world affairs has apparently also come to an end, the signs of a worldwide US retreat having begun with former US president Barrack Obama succeeding a warmonger who launched wars of choice in order to avenge the 11 September, 2001 terrorist attacks against New York and Washington.

Obama pulled US troops out of Iraq, and started a similar process in Afghanistan. At that time, current US President Joe Biden was vice president. While the total opposite of Obama, Donald Trump  his successor  continued the trend of US withdrawal from the Middle East, even offering a price tag for US allies, not just in Europe and Asia, but also for Arab countries, if they wanted to keep US troops on their territories for protection. Thus, it was no wonder that Russia and China would move in to fill in the void.

However, the military escalation in Ukraine, that has reached the stage of world powers reminding each other of their nuclear capabilities, cannot be but extremely alarming. World powers who have long preached diplomacy and restraint to others certainly have a lot of work to do on their own territory this time.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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On an inspection visit to Aswan governorate, the head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Egypt Christian Berger toured EU-supported projects. One such project, of which the EU has been a main sponsor since its launch in 2020, is the Aswan International Womens Film Festival (AIWFF). An NGO initiative held in collaboration with the ministries of culture and tourism as well as the National Council for Women (NCW), the sixth AIWFF (23-28 February) had A World Free from Sexual Exploitation as its theme, and featured films by 12 EU members.

Also with EU support, for the third year in a row AIWFF is providing workshop training, with 70 beginners (over 75 percent female) and 300 filmmakers benefiting in total. The EU also gives a prize to the best film highlighting womens issues from EU and European neighbourhood countries. In this context it recognised both established artists and up-and-coming talents.

According to the Austria-born diplomat, the EU partnership with AIWFF reflects a commitment to womens empowerment, particularly through art.

Cinema is a universal language that has a significant influence on how societies perceive issues like gender equality and womens role in the society. From the EU perspective, gender equality is a founding value. We work at global, regional and country levels to support partnerships that promote and protect the rights of women. In Egypt we have built longstanding partnerships with national and development partners and with civil society to support womens voices, participation, and the elimination of gender-based violence. We commend Egypts efforts to promote womens empowerment in various fields, including art and culture. Capitalising on cinema as a soft power is crucial for positive change in any society.

Bergers tour also included a visits to the the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-supported Basketry Cluster, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET Egypt)-supported Mohammed Hussain Helal Technical Secondary School, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBERD)-supported Al Bargasy for Desert Coolers, which manufactures coolers based on chilled-water and straw technology serving both ecological and environmental EU goals.

He attended a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-supported musical performance as part of a family planning awareness campaign, and an Om Habiba Foundation (OHF)-organised Civil Society Organisations (CSO) meeting as part of a one-day review of the EU-funded CSO-LA project (Empowering Local Development Dynamics (ILDD) in Aswan. But the main purpose still was AIWFF.

We visited a number of projects that actually employed people but we also visited technical vocational schools that prepared people to find jobs in the marketplace. We also saw a company that is producing cooling equipment with a very strong environmental aspect. The three main themes of the visit were job creation, supporting women and young people, and environmental issues. And I must say that the three, four projects that we saw, are doing exactly what we thought was necessary, and of course all of those ideas and projects are in line with the Egyptian development plan, the sustainable development goals of the United Nations and our development aims in this country.

Commenting on the outbreak of war in Ukraine during his visit, Berger said, We know very well what war means. We have come out of 1,000 years of war among European countries and that is why the European Union after the WWII was created following, the initiative of Robert Schuman [1886-1963], the French foreign minister who said that this cannot happen again. We had many wars in the 19th century and civilians suffered the most. Any war is a tragedy for families, for women in particular, for mothers, sisters, daughters. And we must do what we can to prevent it.

Berger assumed his Cairo post in September 2020, at the height of the Covid crisis, which necessitated new strategies and a focus on the pandemics social-economic impact.

Very early on the EU launched a program to support job creation and companies based on small and medium-size enterprises which are the backbone of the European economy to create jobs. The other and equally important step was to open borders so trade could take place across borders, because we saw a massive disruption in the supply chain. The third strategy was solidarity, that the world has to stand together to find a vaccine. So the European Union launched a fundraising conference in which 60 billion Euros were raised to develop a vaccine and companies produced the vaccine, and now we are rolling it out both in the EU and to our partners across the world.

In this regard, eliminating the illegal immigration and enhancing opportunities for legal immigration particularly for the young was a key concern. According to the ambassador, migration is a very important topic for the EU, and there is great cooperation with Egypt on how to prevent unregulated migration and promote legal migration.

Studying and promoting educational migration for us is very important. Last week we had the European Union-African Union summit, with different topics of discussion, and one of them was how can we promote legal migration particularly through education. One of our best projects and programs ever in the European Union is the Erasmus program by which we bring students to the Europe for half a year or for a little bit longer, but it is not only students, any young people can come, people who want to learn a trade, or want to study or go to school, or those who want to work in a civil society organisation. This is something that we also offered our partners in North Africa and the Middle East, including Egypt. This is one way of promoting legal migration for education and also for enhancing intercultural dialogue.

Berger believes the Middle East is the cradle of European civilisation, and the cradle of civilisation itself. There are a lot of cultural links between Europe in general and the Middle East. Of course one value that we all share is the value of a decent and healthy life. And I think that we see in particular now with the Corona pandemic that there is something we have in common with our partners in the Middle East, North Africa, and across the world, which is a very strong bond that we have in order to overcome this pandemic.

Regarding the cultural, social, and religious barriers the EU finds challenging in Egypt and how they deal with them, Berger says understanding those barriers is a key to working on and around them. One of those challenges is to finance cultural and educational projects. The other aspect is to get people to take part in what we do, as raising awareness is very important. We have a range of means, but once we have identified what yhe barriers are, there are different ways to solve the problems.

On the other hand, he adds, there are always differences and that is the beauty of life: that we have different approaches to things.

We need first of all to understand the differences, and then to allow ourselves to bridge the differences. We are not so far apart as the European Union and Egypt. It is just across the Mediterranean, so there are not really deep cultural differences. But of course the differences have to be respected, and to be taken into account. Once you know them it is possible. Also we have to see those differences over time. Europe was not the same as it is today. It took a while to develop. And I am sure it is the same here. The important thing is that we dont stand still, we keep developing things and trying to come together with the same understanding. There are of course international agreements and international conventions that help us to reach these goals and I think this is what we have to work on. We do this in a constant dialogue with our partners either here in Egypt or anywhere else in the world to discuss these issues.

In this regard, Berger insists that the EU position is clear: We believe in freedom of expression, freedom of art, and freedom of culture but at the same time you need to respect cultural differences even in the EU, and in many of the European member states. You have to find a very fine balance between freedom of expression and insulting somebody. You have to find the right balance between those two things, and again it is something that changes over time. Even in our countries we had these issues, and we had different times. We have a constant dialogue with our partners in Egypt on these issues.

Over the five days of the tour (22-26 February) Berger was accompanied by his spouse Marilena Berger, who contributed much interaction and encouragement. Without her many things that I have done I could not do, Berger says. First of all she is Greek, and I am from Austria. She comes from a country that is not very far from Egypt. We spent most of our time in the Middle East, and also in Turkey, so it was very important to be with someone who could advise me and who could tell me about social sensitivities like the interpretation of body language, and how to drink coffee the proper way. She was extremely helpful. Very often I think she is the better diplomat because she has brought with her all of this cultural understanding that is very important and necessary for the type of job I do.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Tracing confusion to unity in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Rabha Seif Allam writes about a week of change in the European Union.

At the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, the European Union failed to appreciate the reality of the Russian threat. However, it soon realised that strong expressions of condemnation would not stop the conflict, leading the EU first to threaten sanctions against Russia and then to pass them and then to plunge decisively into supporting Ukraine with weapons and military equipment.

Such an unprecedented move is being seen as having changed the very essence of the EU.

The 27-nation bloc has unequivocally rejected Russias invasion of Ukraine, but at first it was not unanimous about what action to take or which sanctions to impose against Moscow.

The initial reaction of the EU countries was clearly divergent regarding how to handle Russia, depending on the degree of economic interests between each EU country and Moscow. However, different phases of the EUs reaction to Russias invasion of Ukraine can be identified.

At first, the EU threatened harsh economic sanctions against Russia if Moscow moved towards invasion. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell warned about the consequences of any hostile action by Russia against Ukraine, stressing the EUs support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

At the same time, however, he warned against exaggerating the situation in Ukraine since talks with Russia were still ongoing. He even criticised Washingtons move to withdraw most of its diplomats from Kyiv as Russian troop buildups accelerated on the border.

Once Moscow had recognised the breakaway Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics, the EU moved from threats of sanctions to the unanimous adoption of preliminary sanctions against Russia at an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers.

The sanctions targeted the 351 members of the Russian parliament the Duma who had voted in favour of recognising the independence of the two separatist regions of Ukraine and included a ban on financial dealings with them. Sanctions were also placed on 27 Russian individuals and entities that the EU believes contributed to the Russian threat to Ukraine.

Then came Russian forces being sent into the two separatist regions, to maintain security, according to Moscow, as noted in statements by EU foreign ministers who condemned the Russian escalation.

However, as soon as the sanctions were passed, Russian President Vladimir Putin shocked observers by launching a simultaneous land, sea, and air invasion of Ukraine from the north, east, and south. This rendered the EU sanctions futile since they did not prevent Russias comprehensive military escalation.

The invasion also revealed the complexity and slow pace of collective EU action and its inability to respond quickly to an event that threatens European security and stability and brings back memories of a World War II atmosphere before the EU was formed.

The EU was mainly formed as a result of bilateral Franco-German cooperation to connect the economic interests that fuelled the war, especially coal and steel, and with a view to preventing another war in Europe. However, the bloc was unable to stop the invasion of Ukraine despite its intertwined economic relations with Russia.

The EU is Russias primary economic partner. Some 37 per cent of Russias global trade is with the EU countries, and it ranks fifth on the EUs list of trade partners at five per cent of the blocs overseas trade.

Europe relies on Russia for its energy needs, including 26 per cent of its oil supplies and 40 per cent of its natural gas. But these strong economic connections did not dissuade Moscow from attacking Ukraine. Putin anticipated divisions in European ranks due to the dependence of the major European countries on Russian gas and oil.

European postures on Russias escalation have varied. European countries bordering Russia that have suffered a long history of Russian threats to their sovereignty, such as Poland, have been more eager to take up decisive positions against Russia.

However, France and Germany have been more invested in dialogue and giving diplomatic efforts more time to avert conflict. The UK has been closer to the US position of gathering intelligence on troop mobilisation on the Russian-Ukrainian border and not believing Putins denials of an intention to attack Ukraine.

Germany played down the US and UK warnings as exaggeration, stating that Moscow was not set on military action.

INVASION: Europes position then shifted, revealing genuine shock at Russias duplicity despite the mediation efforts still underway.

Germany suspended work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that will supply Germany with Russian gas across the Baltic Sea, a project opposed by the US, UK, Poland and Ukraine. Some have accused Germany of unwittingly helping Putin to attack Ukraine.

When the EU leaders met at an emergency summit after Russias invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, they demanded that Russia immediately end all hostilities and withdraw its troops and military equipment from Ukraine, respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, and end its media campaigns and cyberattacks.

Economic sanctions were also adopted in the financial, energy, transportation, export, and visa sectors, but European leaders hesitated on isolating Moscow from the international financial transfer system SWIFT.

Opponents said this would be a nuclear option that would harm European banks more than Russias financial sector. Since Germany, Italy, and Hungary opposed this option, the EU sanctions did not include freezing Russia out of the SWIFT system.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky grew more frustrated over delays in European military support, and Borrell believed a European military response would never happen because the EU is not a military alliance. This response succinctly reflected the dilemma of the EU as a giant bureaucratic institution that is unable to take swift decisions or move on urgent issues.

However, this was before the flood of images of battles, bombings, and flames consuming Ukraine appeared in the European media. Images of Ukrainians fleeing the conflict and lining the roads to neighbouring countries were a reminder of the tragedy of civilians fleeing World War II.

Images of local Ukrainian resistance groups that have been arming or organising themselves to assist in Kyiv and other cities were reminders of the resistance during the Nazi invasion of the Eastern European countries in World War II.

As a result, the EU had to race to reverse its inaction on the threat posed by Russia to Ukraine, and it closed ranks before Putin could take any further advantage of divided and contradictory positions in the West.

From Thursday to Saturday last week, the EU woke up after European leaders returned to their national parliaments and declared a more decisive position supporting Ukraine, in order to protect themselves from returning to the days when the military might of authoritarian regimes decided the fate of the continent.

Ukraine, which aspires to join the Western camp, is not the only one under threat. The entirety of Europe and its security, values, and democratic legacy are at risk.

The EU was originally designed to prevent war, but it now finds itself obliged to allocate 450 million euros to facilitate direct military support to Ukraine under the umbrella of the European Peace Facility (EPF).

In addition, it is providing urgent relief worth 50 million euros to house Ukrainian refugees in neighbouring EU countries and allowing them to stay for up to three years. France has allocated 300 million euros in military support to Ukraine, but the spearhead in changing Europes posture was Germany.

Berlin overturned its long-established policy of banning sending military support to either side in an ongoing conflict and decided to support Ukraine. The rest of Europe followed suit since most European weapons are German-made, which made Europes decision to militarily support Ukraine contingent on German approval.

The Netherlands decided to send 400 million euros in military aid to Kyiv, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged to boost Germanys defence budget by about 100 billion euros, tripling it in one fell swoop.

The EU countries also agreed to expel Russia from the SWIFT system, impose sanctions on the Russian Central Bank, freeze the countrys assets abroad, and ban Russian airlines from using EU airspace. It adopted similar sanctions against the Belarusian regime for assisting Russia in Ukraine.

The EU has thus abandoned its cautious policy towards Russias neighbours, including Ukraine, whose membership of the EU was being delayed out of concerns at Moscows reaction.

Today, the EU has decided to punish Moscows expansionist policies and deplete its economic capabilities to render it incapable of continuing the conflict. It has also moved to provide direct military support to Ukraine, and for the first time it has implemented new collective tools for joint military action under the umbrella of the EPF.

A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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A protracted energy crisis due to the Russia-Ukraine war will boost Egypts natural gas exports to European and Eastern Mediterranean markets, reports Gamal Essam El-Din

In a cabinet meeting held on 24 February to review plans to contain the economic impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the local economy, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said Egypt had achieved self-sufficiency in natural gas in 2018, and is currently planning to use its position on Europes doorstep to become a major supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the continent as it transitions away from other fossil fuels.

Egyptian gas has helped meet Europes energy needs in recent years. Our gas liquefaction plants at Idku and Damietta are now operating at full capacity as we try to maximise our natural gas exports in light of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the rise in international gas prices, Minister of Petroleum Tarek Al-Molla said.

Egypt, he continued, has the infrastructure necessary to transport natural gas, with 29 gas-treatment plants supplementing the LNG facilities at Idku and Damietta.

Tamer Abu Bakr, an Egyptian expert on the gas industry, told Al-Ahram on 26 February that increases in energy prices globally would not only allow Egypt to boost its exports of natural gas, but help attract investment to the oil and gas sector. In addition, increased demand for oil and gas is likely to result in increased traffic transiting the Suez Canal.

On Sunday, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced a 10 per cent increase in transit tolls, applicable from 1 March.

Should Russia halt supplies of natural gas to Europe due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, European countries will have to search for alternatives, and Egypt is well placed to become one of them, said Senator Mahmoud Mansour, assistant secretary-general of the majority Mostaqbal Watan Party.

Egypt, Mansour pointed out, is better placed than Libya, which despite major reserves is hamstrung by political instability, and Algeria, which also has reserves but lacks the necessary liquefaction plants. Mansour noted that Egypt ranked 14th globally in terms of gas production, extracting 58.5 billion cubic metres in 2020, and since 2013 has exported gas to more than 20 states.

In December, Al-Molla told Reuters that Egypt has been positioning itself as an energy hub since the 2015 discovery of the giant offshore Zohr field.

Natural gas exports are a crucial source of foreign exchange for Egypt and our natural gas exports are now at full capacity of about 1.6 billion cubic feet per day [bcf/d], said Al-Molla. Egypts natural gas production is stable, currently ranging between 6.5 and seven billion cubic feet per day.

At the time, he added that Egypts natural gas exports were expected to fall to one bcf/d by April due to regular seasonal fluctuations, and increased domestic consumption as summer began. He also noted that Egypt was planning 60-65 million cubic feet (mmcf/d) of exports to Lebanon, beginning in the summer, as part of a US-backed plan to ease Lebanons power crisis.

According to official figures, Egypt currently imports 450 million cubic feet of gas per day from Israel to be liquefied and re-exported to Europe. We are seeking to raise this figure to 600-650 mmcf/d by the first quarter of 2022. Further increases will require the construction of a new onshore pipeline to the Damietta and Idku liquefaction facilities, which could be installed in 2024-25, to help pump more Egyptian natural gas to Europe, said Al-Molla.

In November, Egypt and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding to increase natural gas supplies from Israel to Egypt, with the aim of increasing exports to Europe.

Cabinet Spokesperson Nader Saad said on Sunday that in light of the Russia-Ukraine conflict the government is studying how to export the largest amount of natural gas to Europe in the coming stage.

While the conflict might negatively affect us in terms of higher wheat prices and lower tourism traffic revenues, these losses could be offset by exporting more natural gas to Europe, Saad said in a televised interview. He added that Egypt is moving quickly to consolidate its position as a major gas producer and exporter to Europe, and is working on a joint agreement with Cyprus and Greece to export gas through linking Greek and Cypriot fields with Egyptian liquefaction stations.

Saad also pointed to official figures showing a significant increase in Egypts liquefied natural gas exports, reaching 6.5 million tons in 2021, compared to 1.5 million in 2020.

The massive Zohr gas field, said Senator Mahmoud Mansour, has turned Egypt into the fastest-growing Arab exporter of LNG.

Edward Moya, a senior market analyst, told Africa Report magazine that a possible brake on Egypt boosting its gas exports to Europe is that unlike many gas-rich countries, Egypts domestic consumption is high.

Figures show Egypts current domestic natural gas consumption absorbs over 90 per cent of production.

But that, says Mansour, will change in the medium term. Egypt, he stressed, aims to generate 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by next year, and 42 per cent by 2035.

Moreover, Egypt has the largest natural gas infrastructure in terms of gas transportation and liquefaction facilities, including two cross-border gas pipelines connecting with Israel and Jordan, making us an ideal partner for Europe in terms of natural gas supplies.

A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is acutely aware of how destructive the Russian war on Ukraine can be for his countrys already ailing economy. On the first day of the invasion alone, the Turkish lira dropped by over five per cent against the US dollar.

The popularity of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the president himself have been plunging against the backdrop of soaring energy and food prices. At the same time, Turkey has long and close political ties with Russia. Erdogan and his Russian counterpart have worked closely together on a range of foreign policy issues, from Syria and Libya to the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict, even if they stood on the opposite sides of those issues. They also have much in common: leadership styles, world outlooks shaped by their respective irredentist projects, and shared attitudes towards the liberal, democratic West. They certainly are of the same mind on sanctions from that direction.

It is little wonder that, in its attempt to calm tensions ahead of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ankara should focus on that matter. For several weeks, the mainstream Turkish media cautioned that escalating sanctions against Moscow would be counterproductive. Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin put it bluntly in an interview with Die Welt: Sanctions against Russia are useless. You only postpone the problems, he said, adding that Russia feels threatened by NATO so new rules and principles were needed for both Russia and the West to feel safe.

The Turkish experience with US sanctions following its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile system would naturally have informed this stance. But the economic impact of sanctions on Russia appears of greater concern. Any sanctions imposed on Russia will have an adverse effect on the Turkish economy, Fatih Ceylan, Turkeys Permanent Representative to NATO from 2013 to 2018, warned in an interview with Cumhuriyet newspaper.

The scope of the sanctions against Russia could be broadened soon, and Turkey may be asked to act accordingly. How Turkey will comport itself in this situation needs to be discussed in detail. The situation could narrow Turkeys diplomatic field and push Turkey into corner.... Therefore, Turkey needs to act very cautiously.

Economically, Turkey is stuck between a Ukrainian wall and a Russian hard place. Its annual trade volume with Russia is $34.7 billion and with Ukraine it is $7.4 billion. Turkey is dependent on Russia for 33.6 per cent of its natural gas, and both countries are important sources of food and tourism for Turkey. Russians and Ukrainians made up 15 and eight per cent, respectively, of the tourists who visited Turkey in 2021. On the other hand, Kyiv has become a main importer of Turkeys Bayraktar drones, leading Russia to accuse Ankara of feeding Ukrainian militaristic zeal.

Much to Ankaras dismay, therefore, Turkey has come under increasing pressure to get off the fence. Turkey must not remain neutral, said Ukraines Ambassador to Ankara Vasyl Bodnar, and Kyiv has officially asked Ankara to close the Bosporus and Dardanelles to Russian warships. Ankara has resisted the appeal. In remarks to Hurriyet newspaper on 25 February, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey was obliged by international law to allow Russian warships through these straits. Under the 1936 Montreux Convention, Turkey has the right to limit the passage of warships through the straits during wartime or if threatened, but otherwise the convention guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime, and restricts the passage of naval ships that do not belong to Black Sea states .

Opinion from across the Turkish political spectrum agrees that Ankara should uphold the terms of the convention. Turkey must strictly adhere to the Montreux agreement; it is not at war, said Ali Oztunc of the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP). Considering the current fragility of our economy, priority should be given to minimising the possible repercussions of the crisis on our country, the opposition IYI (Good) Party said in a statement.

On Sunday, 27 February, Cavusoglu reiterated his countrys intent to act clearly and transparently in accordance with the principles of the Montreux Convention. Yet, he introduced a crucial shift in rhetoric that allows Turkey to enact the articles of the 1936 Montreux Convention permitting it to limit naval transit through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits during wartime. Until this point, Ankara had refrained from using the term war. By Sunday, that had changed. At the beginning, it was a Russian attack and we evaluated it with experts, soldiers, and lawyers, Cavusoglu told CNN Turk that day, as reported in Hurriyet. Now it has turned into a war. This is not a military operation; it is officially a state of war.

Nevertheless, he was careful to recall the article in the convention that states that vessels of war belonging to belligerent powers, whether they are Black Sea powers or not, which have become separated from their bases, may return thereto. Cavusoglu stressed that the text was clear on this matter. There should be no abuse. The ship should not be involved in a war after reporting that it was passing through the Bosphorus to return to base.

That provision gives Ankara some wiggle room to avoid incurring Putins wrath, which it felt in the form of stinging economic boycotts after the downing of the Russian Su-24 over Syria in 2015. On the other hand, the above mentioned provision does not apply to Russian ships leaving the Black Sea. Might Turkey suddenly invoke the Montreux Convention to prevent Russian ships from sailing to the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, for example?

The Kremlin may have anticipated this. Last week, Russian Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Mikhail Bogdanov announced that his country supports the participation of Syrian Kurds in the constitutional reform process in Syria. Senior Russian officials have reportedly met with Syrian Kurdish leaders, who have established de facto autonomy in northeastern Syria, to discuss this. To Ankara, the Russian stance lends an unacceptable legitimacy to Syrian Kurdish political forces which it regards as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has been banned in Turkey. Turkey has staged numerous incursions into northern Syria to strike Kurdish targets it has tagged terrorist, yet these operations have always required a tacit Russian go-ahead. Bogdanovs recent announcement signalled that if Turkey does not tread carefully with the Ukraine question, Russia could respond via Syria, in which crisis the Erdogan regime has huge political, economic and military stakes.

So, how is Erdogan to strike a balance? He has attempted to advance himself as a mediator, but his offers were shrugged off. As Cengiz Candar pointed out in Al Monitor, Putin, who prefers direct negotiations with Biden, did not pay much attention to Erdogans initiative, and his planned visit to Turkey, which was announced by Erdogan himself, has yet to materialise. Similarly, there are no indications showing that Turkeys mediation offer was considered seriously by Washington. No Western leaders referenced Ankara during the intensity of their frenzied diplomatic traffic to find an off-ramp to the crisis.

In an article for War on the Rocks, Selim Koru, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and an analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, argues that Erdogan, who has been pivoting away from NATO and the West, sees the Ukraine crisis from a different perspective. The natural position for Turkey to be right now is on the fence. It is true that Turkey has strong relations with Ukraine, but that isnt necessarily an effort to balance against Russia. Turkish officials have told me in the past that they were actually disappointed to see such decidedly anti-Russian and pro-Western sentiment in their Ukrainian counterparts. They would much rather Kyiv be nationalistic but non-aligned, and therefore in need of a friendly middle power like Turkey. Still, he adds, Things being as they are, Turkeys immediate consideration is economic.

A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Al-Ahram Weekly outlines how Egypt can get ready for the upcoming UN COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022.

In November 2022, Egypt will be hosting COP27, the UN Climate Change Conference, in Sharm El-Sheikh on behalf of the African nations, marking a turning point in global solidarity on climate action and addressing the adverse impacts of climate change on the world as a whole.

This is undoubtedly a not to be missed opportunity for Egypt not only to advance its climate action, but also to speed up the implementation of its Vision 2030 strategy that is well aligned with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the 2063 African Agenda.

Egypts Vision 2030 has placed equity, human development, risk reduction, adaptation and resilience building at the heart of its priorities. This is in addition to mainstreaming sustainability considerations into the national policy framework to ensure reducing poverty and inequality as well as promoting gender equality.

Preparing for COP27 can take place across a number of pillars to serve the national development agenda. In 2015, Egypt submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change its intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs), where it emphasised its need for international support on finance, technical assistance, and capacity building to address the harmful impacts of climate change.

Specifically, Egypt estimated that national climate action on mitigation and adaptation would require approximately $73 billion over the 2020-2030 period. Such an estimate needs to be updated and revised upwards in the light of emerging issues on the national, regional, and global scenes, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that led to fiscal pressures in both the developed and developing countries.

It is also important to work on aligning the mandate of the financial sector, banking and non-banking, with Egypts aspired transition to a more inclusive, green, and resilient economy. This can be achieved by enhancing the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into the financial systems business model, core strategy, and operations.

To that end, it would be useful to provide financial institutions with explicit incentives to promote sustainable and climate finance, hence increasing funding flows towards socially responsible and environmentally friendly investment. Such incentives may include preferential rates and priority sector lending, as has been the case in countries like India and Bangladesh where regulators have been proactive in raising their financial systems readiness to mobilise resources towards funding their national sustainable development agendas.

In this respect, the Arab countries could start working on a collective basis to develop a sustainable and climate finance taxonomy tailored to better reflect the regions sustainable development financing needs and priorities. This is important to address the lack of good quality data as well as the absence of commonly adopted metrics, definitions, and methodologies in the region that have all acted as barriers to financing socially responsible, green, and smart investment.

Such a taxonomy would enable the various stakeholders, such as finance providers, investors, and regulators, to better understand sustainability issues, related risks and opportunities, and ultimately enable them to better adjust and respond to market needs.

As a key partner in implementing and financing the national development agenda, COP27 may also be an excellent opportunity to crowd in private investment, bringing in much-needed innovation and technology upgrading, whenever commercially viable.

Over recent years, Egypt has had good experience in raising private-sector engagement in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Special attention should now be dedicated to attracting private investment to projects that may be characterised as of low commercial readiness due to their high transaction costs and long payback periods and hence perceived low profitability.

This can be achieved through financial-engineering mechanisms such as blended finance and well-structured public-private partnerships (PPP). The recent amendments to Egypts PPP law represent a key step in the right direction, and it is also important to work on developing a pool of bankable investment opportunities, while working on aligning private incentives with public interests.

This pool of projects should reflect national needs and priorities and present the private sector with a business-deal flow over the coming few years in projects such as coastal zone protection, agriculture, water resources, and irrigation. These sectors have been noted in Egypts INDCs as the most vulnerable to climate change and where financial and technical assistance are much needed.

Finally, conducting major awareness and educational campaigns about the merits of sustainable development has become a must to reach out to the layman and to ensure support and buy-in for ongoing efforts on Egypts path to a more inclusive, green, and resilient economy. In this respect, several initiatives have been undertaken to reach out to Egyptian and Arab young people such as the Arab Sustainable Development (ASD) Week and ongoing work by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, including, but not limited to, the Be an Ambassador project.

Capitalising on young peoples enthusiasm and using digital platforms, among other things, would undoubtedly have a positive impact on promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production. This would increase demand for responsible investment, thus promoting the mobilisation of sustainable financial flows and ultimately increasing private-sector engagement in financing sustainable development in Egypt.

*The writer is a former advisor to the minister of investment, and is currently an independent consultant.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The conflict in Ukraine has recalled the question of creating a European military force and long-simmering controversies over financing NATO.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point in modern history and a before- and after-threshold for the international order.

It throws into relief all the weaknesses of the post-Cold War arrangements: the failure of arms control polices, the weaknesses of the European security order, and the latent tensions between Russia and NATO.

Regardless of how the conflict ends, these questions will have a high priority on the international agenda in the aftermath of the conflict.

Both Russia and Ukraine have brought up the nuclear question. At the Munich Security Conference that convened a week before the conflict erupted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with regret about his countrys decision to relinquish its nuclear weapons in 1994 and suggested it might once again seek a nuclear deterrent.

On the fourth day of the conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces on high alert, a step that could trigger reciprocal actions from NATO forces.

Such developments have raised concerns that the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) that entered in force in 1994, and the New START Treaty that entered into force in 2011 and that was extended after US President Joe Biden took office in 2021 are insufficient to lay to rest the spectre of a nuclear conflagration that has haunted the world since World War II.

There has been increasing talk of a quiet superpower race for nuclear supremacy. By the outset of this year, Russia had modernised the arsenal of nuclear weapons it had inherited from the former Soviet Union, while the US is said to have entered its third nuclear age in its efforts to keep pace with new technologies.

On a related level, the sudden Russian recourse to force in Ukraine reawakened memories of the Russian annexation of Crimea, the question of creating a European military force, and long-simmering controversies over financing NATO or NATOs involvement in wars outside of its original remit, as for example in Iraq and Afghanistan after 11 September 2001 and in Libya in 2011.

Russia may have felt that following the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq, NATO would turn its attention to expanding into areas Russia regards as its backyard or sphere of influence. Since the end of the Cold War, NATO membership has doubled, with most new members having once been part of the Soviet Union. The last to join was North Macedonia in 2020.

Russian concerns over NATO enlargement have been aggravated by expansions in the NATO missile shield and the increase of its military assets in Poland and Romania. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany is determined to rebuild its military, which had largely fallen into neglect.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz on Sunday announced a historic shift in Germanys foreign and defence policy and said that 100 billion euros would be invested in developing the German army in 2022 alone and that more than two per cent of GDP per year would be earmarked for defence.

He also vowed to lay the constitutional foundations for a permanent defence fund that might even exceed targeted NATO dues.

The Ukraine crisis appears to have galvanised Germany, an engine of European change, to lead the way to a new European defence outlook characterised by a resolve not to remain overly dependent on the NATO umbrella regardless of the outcome of the conflict.

Ukraine has become a soft spot in the geopolitical conflict between Russia and NATO. The two sides are in a tug-of-war over their forward defence lines, and Ukraine is paying the price.

Militarily, Russia has set in motion a three-pronged plan that began with warm-ups along Ukraines borders, with Belarus and Chechen forces participating in manoeuvres.

Syria served as a rearguard base. In the lead-up to the conflict, Russia staged manoeuvres off the Syrian coast, signalling that it was prepared for other scenarios further afield.

Phase two of the Russian plan was to paralyse the Ukrainian defence infrastructure and dominate the countrys airspace as Russian ground forces advanced from several directions in order to seize control of nuclear facilities, airports, military installations, and other vital targets.

The third stage was to surround Kyiv and topple Zelenskys government, which Moscow views as a Western puppet.

Russia has accomplished much of its aims in the first two phases. The third, the siege of Kyiv, is the most essential part of the plan. Will the Russian operation stop if it succeeds in overthrowing Zelensky and installing a pro-Russian government?

This question focuses attention on the Ukrainian resistance and how prepared both sides are for guerrilla warfare. The prospect will have reminded Moscow of its debacle in Afghanistan, where Soviet forces sustained major attrition at the hands of Afghan insurgents in the 1980s.

In Ukraine, Kharkiv, the largest city in the east of the country, could be an arena of urban warfare, though this would probably be more intense in western cities such as Lviv.

If Ukrainian forces go for this form of combat, the fighting could drag on and the hopes for a quick return to calm and stability could dim. The fact that Russian tanks found no military contingents to join them when they arrived in Kyiv is a sign of what they might be up against.

As for the political aims of the invasion, it is unclear who Moscow wants to install in Kyiv and how a Russian-backed authority would govern where it is unlikely to find significant popular support.

Kyiv and the other western areas of Ukraine are far removed from the breakaway regions in the east of the country that Russia has supported since 2014.

A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Hong Kong: Citizens' needs considered

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said due consideration will be given to maintaining the operations of important and essential activities in society and addressing the needs of the public during the compulsory universal testing (CUT) process.

It made the statement in response to media enquiries about the CUT scheme's details and possible arrangements for a so-called lockdown thereunder.

The Hong Kong SAR Government reiterated that it would take into account Hong Kong's actual circumstances and the views of various sectors when refining the details of the scheme, with the aim to cut the prevailing virus transmission chains in the community in a thorough, speedy, orderly and effective manner.

It said considering the severity of the fifth wave of the epidemic and the continuous rise in both confirmed cases and deaths, it is totally understandable for the public to feel anxious and worried.

Citizens are urged to stay vigilant and heed the information disseminated by the Hong Kong SAR Government, so as to avoid being misled by rumours spread by individuals with ulterior motives and succumbing to unnecessary fear and irrational behaviour.

The scheme is an integral part of the anti-epidemic action plan announced by the Chief Executive on February 22, which will help the city thoroughly pin down infections in the community.

Given the large scale of the scheme which calls for precise execution, the Government has to plan the details carefully to ensure sufficient ancillary measures and manpower are in place.

The scheme is still being refined and, once confirmed, will be announced and widely publicised, such that the public will grasp the arrangements to avoid any misunderstanding or chaos.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will also duly and comprehensively consider the scheme's impact on the city's important economic aspects and public livelihood.

Of these, finance is the most internationalised sector. Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, must stay in touch with other markets at all times. We are aware that even when such measures as lockdown or home confinement have been implemented in places where other financial markets are located, the financial operations remain unaffected.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will take into account the characteristics of the financial sector and safeguard the city's status as an international financial centre when implementing the scheme.

The statement noted that similarly the experience of implementing a CUT initiative in other parts of the world shows that the basic needs of citizens such as food, necessities and the seeking of medical attention outside the home should be addressed. Therefore, citizens do not need to panic nor scramble or stockpile the relevant supplies.

In view of the recent market situation, the Hong Kong SAR Government has taken the initiative to contact major supermarkets, urging them to ensure a sufficient supply of goods.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to monitor the market situation closely and keep in touch with major suppliers to ensure a stable supply. It has been working closely with the Guangdong and Shenzhen governments to broaden the means to ensure the stable supplies of fresh food, vegetables and other goods, such as water and freight rail transportation, while seeking to enhance the operation of cross-boundary transportation of supplies at the same time.

This story has been published on: 2022-03-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Egyptian farmers are expected to supply 5.5 million tonnes of wheat during the next season  2 million tonnes more than they supplied in 2021  according to Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Mohamed Moselhi.

Moselhi made the statement amid fears of a disruption in wheat supplies due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, as Russia and Ukraine provide the majority of Egypts wheat imports.

In 2021, Egyptian farmers supplied 3.5 million tonnes of wheat, a key strategic commodity that secures the staple food of bread for tens of millions of Egyptians.

Moselhi said that Egypt, the largest wheat importer in the world, currently relies on 14 countries for wheat imports, including Russia, Ukraine, the US, France, Romania, and Kazakhstan.

However, Egypt depends on Russia and Ukraine for 80 percent of its wheat imports; 50 percent from Russia and 30 percent from Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine together account for 29 percent of the worlds wheat exports, according to the Wheat Outlook report for 2022 issued by the US Department of Agriculture.

In 2021, Egypt imported 5.5 million tonnes of wheat, according to data released by the supply ministry in December.

Egypts wheat imports cost EGP 20-22 billion, while locally produced wheat costs around EGP 18 billion, Moselhi said.

The global price of wheat increased from $250 per tonne to between $334 and $350  an increase of about $100 in less than one year, the minister added.

Egypts strategic reserves of wheat  3.2 million tonnes  are sufficient for up to four months, the minister said, adding that about half-a-million tonnes of local wheat have been stored from last year.

Moselhi said Egypt cancelled tenders to buy wheat from France and the US on Monday because the hard wheat offered in the tender is more suitable for pasta than bread.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has issued instructions to increase the number of wheat collection points and easing procedures to facilitate the delivery of wheat from small farmers, Moselhi said in an interview with Ala Masoliety TV programme on Sada Elbalad.

In February, the Egyptian government confirmed that it will raise the price of subsidised bread loaves  sold at 5 piastres for over 30 years  but will make sure that the neediest and most marginalised citizens are not affected.

Egypt has imported wheat from four countries so far in 2022; 43 percent from Romania, 29 percent from Russia and 23 percent from Ukraine, said Moselhi.

The rest of the imported wheat came from France and others, Moselhi said.

The minister noted that Egypts contracts to import wheat from Russia are still valid, saying that Russia and Ukraine are trying to fulfil their wheat export commitments.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian government has announced plans to diversify its wheat import sources amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

This includes buying wheat from countries outside Europe, such as the US, Argentina, Canada, and Paraguay, Cabinet spokesperson Nader Saad told media outlets in February.

This year, the area of land cultivated with wheat in Egypt reached 3.6 million feddans, Moselhi said, adding that the country aims to produce between 9 to 10 million tonnes of wheat in the future.

The area of cultivated land in the Toshka project, south of Upper Egypts Aswan, is expected to increase to 1 million feddans by 2025, Moselhi said, noting that this will save about $1 billion in the countrys wheat budget.

In December, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi inaugurated land reclamation projects in Toshka to help Egypt move toward self-sufficiency in wheat.

Moselhi added that the ongoing National Project of Silos will help store wheat for a period ranging from 12 to 18 months.

The silos current storage capacity is 3.4 million tonnes and the state is planning to build 60 grain field bins, he added.

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Egypt welcomes a UN Security Council resolution expanding an arms embargo on Yemens Houthi militias, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Tuesday, while reiterating Egypts condemnation of the militias attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In a press statement on Tuesday, Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson Ahmed Hafiz said that Egypt hopes the UN Security Council resolution will contribute to stopping the Houthi attacks and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Yemen.

Hafiz added that the resolution helps push the political solution forward in the Yemeni crisis and supports the efforts of the UN special envoy to Yemen.

The UN Security Council voted on Monday to impose an expanded arms embargo on Yemen's Houthi rebels, saying they have threatened the peace, security and stability of the war-torn country.

The Security Council had already imposed an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo against Houthi leaders and top officials, but this resolution dramatically expands the arms embargo to include all Houthis.

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An Air Cairo flight took off from Bucharest for Cairo on Tuesday evening carrying 175 Egyptian students who fled Ukraine into Romania following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to news reports, there are a total 181 passengers on the flight, which was dispatched upon directives from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. The flight is also carrying members of the Egyptian Red Crescent who were sent to provide any necessary medical aid.

Egyptian Ambassador Moayad El-Dalie said in earlier media statements that another group of nearly 200 Egyptian students were on their way to cross the Romanian-Ukrainian borders.

He added that the Egyptian embassy in Bucharest has already provided accommodation for the Egyptian students at student hostels in the city.

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine started last week, around 6,000 Egyptians lived in Ukraine, including 3,000 students studying at the country's universities, especially in medicine.

The Russian invasion continued for the sixth day on Tuesday, claiming scores of lives and forcing more than 500,000 people to flee from the country, according to the UN.

Egypt has not recorded any deaths of Egyptian students, but an Egyptian citizen was injured in an airstrike in Kharkiv over the weekend and is currently in stable condition, according to officials.

The government has instructed the Egyptian embassy in Kyiv to provide all the necessary support and care to the injured Egyptian national and other Egyptian expats in Ukraine.

More than 1,200 Egyptian students have arrived in Poland and 250 others have reached Romania from Ukraine, Egypts Minister of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram said on Monday.

Egypt has urged expats in the western cities of Ukraine to move to neighbouring Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. However, authorities affirmed that Egyptians in the capital Kyiv and eastern cities, which are under heavy Russian attack, should stay at home and shelters.

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Israeli forces and armed Palestinians exchanged fire during an Israeli arrest raid in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank early Tuesday, leaving two Palestinians dead, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

One of those killed in the Jenin camp was identified as a 22-year-old member of the militant Islamic Jihad group; he had been shot in the head. The other was an 18-year-old.

In the arrest raid, Israeli troops from the paramilitary border police surrounded the home of the wanted man who eventually turned himself in.

A police statement said Palestinians opened fire from multiple directions twice during the raid, and that Israeli forces returned fire. As the Israeli forces left Jenin, dozens of people threw firebombs and a home-made grenade, drawing more Israeli fire, police said.

The Jenin camp has been a stronghold of armed men from the Islamic Jihad and the larger militant Hamas group.

Islamic Jihad's top political leaders are based in Syria and Lebanon, with some prominent members in Gaza, where it is the second largest militant group after the ruling Hamas.

The Jenin camp is part of the roughly 40% of the West Bank that is under Palestinian administration, but Israeli troops routinely enter those areas for arrest raids.

The killed 22-year-old Islamic Jihad member, Abdullah al-Hossari, had served 26 months in an Israeli prison before being released last August. Media reported that the other killed man, 18-year-old Shadi Najem, was unarmed.

The man arrested in the raid was identified as Amad Abu al-Hija, who had previously been imprisoned by Israel. His father had been the head of the Hamas military wing in Jenin until his own arrest two decades ago.

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A delegation of former US defense officials landed Tuesday afternoon in Taiwan in a sign of stepped-up communication between the sides amid the looming threat from China

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen is leading the five-person delegation that is scheduled to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials during the two-day visit. Mullen and the delegation were greeted at Taipei's Songshan Airport by Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu, who bumped elbows with the group members.

Tsai's office said the delegation had been appointed by President Joe Biden and that the visit would permit ``an in-depth exchange of views on Taiwan-US cooperation issues in various fields.``

Taiwan hopes the sides will ``continue to deepen the steady development of Taiwan-US relations, continue to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, and continue to jointly contribute to global peace and prosperity,`` the office said in a statement.

Separately, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was due to arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday. Pompeo, who formerly led the Central Intelligence Agency, will also meet with Tsai and address a forum prior to his departure Saturday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

``Former secretary of state Pompeo's visit displays fully US bipartisan backing for its `rock solid' support`` for Taiwan, the ministry said.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has drawn fresh attention to China's threat to use force to annex self-governing democratic Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.

Circumstances are very different, however: Taiwan lies 160 kilometers (100 miles) across the turbulent Taiwan Strait from mainland China and enjoys strong support from the US, which is legally bound to ensure the island can defend itself and treat all threats to it as matters of ``grave concern.``

China has refused to condemn Russia's war against Ukraine and its criticism of sanctions leveled against Moscow is widely seen as a sign of commitment to the two countries' mutual defiance of Washington and the West, despite Beijing's longstanding defense of the principle of national sovereignty.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin dismissed the US delegation's visit, saying it was ``futile for the US to send anyone to demonstrate its so-called support for Taiwan.''

China urges the US to honor past communiques signed with China, ``stop all forms of official exchange with Taiwan, and handle Taiwan-related issues with caution so as to avoid further serious damage to the overall situation of China-US relations,'' Wang told reporters at a daily briefing.

China has been sending military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone on a near-daily basis, and on Saturday, its Defense Ministry protested as provocative the passage of the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson through the Taiwan Strait.

The Strait is in international waters and the US Navy said the ship's passage ``demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.``

China routinely protests US contacts with Taiwan's government and in November, announced that its military conducted air and naval readiness patrols in the direction of the Taiwan Strait after five US lawmakers met with Tsai on a surprise one-day visit.

President Joe Biden has followed his predecessors in stepping up contacts between Taiwan and both serving and retired administration officials, along with selling defensive military equipment.

The other members of Mullen's delegation are former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy, former White House Deputy National Security Adviser Meghan O'Sullivan, former Senior Director for Asia at the White House National Security Council Michael Green, and Evan Medeiros, former senior director of Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council.

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The Cannes Film Festival said Tuesday that Russian delegations will not be welcome at this year's event in May due to the invasion of Ukraine.

"The Cannes Festival wishes to express all its support to the Ukrainian people," its team said in a statement.

"We are adding our voice to those who oppose this unacceptable situation and denounce the attitude of Russia and its leaders.

"It has been decided -- unless the war of aggression ceases under conditions that satisfy the Ukrainian people -- to not welcome official delegations from Russia or to accept the slightest presence linked to the Russian government."

The organisers said they saluted the courage of all Russians taking the risk of protesting the invasion, and Russian artists and film professionals who have stood up against the current government.

"Faithful to its history, which began in 1939 in resistance to fascist and Nazi dictatorship, the Cannes Festival will always put itself at the service of artists and film professionals who raise their voices against violence, repression and injustice," the statement added.

The Cannes Film Festival was founded in 1939, primarily to compete with the Venice Film Festival in fascist-controlled Italy.

This year's event is due to take place from May 17 to 28.

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Egyptian musicians are taking part in the five-day-long Arabic Music Days, curated by renowned Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma and held at Pierre Boulez Hall in Berlin, Germany.

Arabic Music Days is taking place from 1 till 5 March, presenting one ensemble from the Arab world daily.

Related Iconic musician Naseer Shamma seeks to rebuild Iraq through music

Focusing on trios, the participating artists include renowned names from the region presenting Arab and Persian music.

Among the programme highlights is Iraqi composer and oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma, who is also curating the event. His trio is scheduled to perform on 4 March.

Egypt is represented by two trios: Teryola and Trio Abozekrys.

A brand new formation, Teryola's lineup includes Hany Elbadry on ney, Mohamed Essam on piano and Mohamed Arafa on percussions. Their Germany concert will mark the official launch of the ensemble that presents mostly compositions by Elbadry in addition to other works.

Hany Hamed Elbadry is among the leading Egyptian musicians specialised in playing the ney, an end-blown flute and one of the oldest instruments in Arabic musical culture. For over three decades, Elbadry has developed a unique technique for the instrument and composed over 100 works featuring the ney. Today, as part of teaching the ney, Elbadry continues to join numerous formations performing a variety of music genres and adding a one-of-a-kind flavour to the performance.

From Shahinaz and Noun to Longa Hojaz and Jeharkah Fantasy, the Teryola will play eight of Elbadry's compositions topped with the arrangements of Enta Omry by Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, Just in the Memory by Mohamed Fouad, and Sands by Ahmad Hassan.

Another Egyptian formation included in the Arabic Music Days' programming is the Abozekry Trio, founded by Egyptian oud player Mohamed Abozekry, who over the past years has been performing with different formations that often carry his name, and fuse jazz with Oriental tunes. Among his most recent projects is the Abozekry Sextet, with which he performed at the Cairo Opera House last January.

A graduate of Beit El-Oud (The House of Oud) where he studied with Naseer Shamma, and the Lyon Academy of Music, Abozekry has created several imprints in the Egyptian music scene over the past decade. In 2010, he formed a band called Karkade with which he explores fusions of popular and classical music alongside Sufi calls and secular poetry.

A brainchild of renowned Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma, the Arabic Music Days held at the Pierre Boules Hall in Berlin, Germany, is a recurring initiative, which in its current season has been extended from three to five days, giving an opportunity to a larger number of musicians to showcase their work.

Shamma's concert on 4 March will also mark the fifth anniversary of the Hall's opening.

Born in the southern city of Kut, Iraq, Shamma began his journey with oud at the age of 11 and then graduated from the Baghdad Academy of Music in 1987. During Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, he fled Iraq in the early 1990s to Cairo, where he founded the House of Oud, which until today remains the leading oud educational institution in the country, extending to teaching other Oriental instruments.

Shamma has been performing in Egypt, in the Arab region and across the world for many decades, attracting widespread attention from regular listeners as well as music academics. He has garnered over 60 awards, including the Royal British Academy Award for Best Artist in Iraq in 1994 and 1998 and the Rotterdam Arab Music Festival award.

Apart from creating music, Shamma is involved in a vast range of humanitarian works and has been credited for his activities with the 2012 International Gusi Prize. He has been assigned the Ambassador of the Iraqi Red Crescent, Ambassador of the International Non-Violence Association, and continues to serve as the UNESCO Artist for Peace and a goodwill ambassador to the International Red Crescent and Red Cross societies.

Aside from Shamma and the two Egyptian trios, Arabic Music Days will also feature other Arab musicians including Maqamat Trio, consisting of Anwar Abudragh (djoza, oud, vocals), Sulafa Haddad (piano) and Hussein Firat Fadhil (percussions); as well as Gharbi Twins Trio.

The musical offerings will be complemented with an online exhibition showcasing works by visual artists Jaber Alwan (Iraq) and Nja Mahdaoui (Tunisia).

"In a specially produced video presentation, Omani poet Saif Al-Rahbi will read from his works. Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hanias Oscar-nominated film The Man Who Sold His Skin will be available for streaming," reads the event's description.

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Political commentators in Egypt are divided in their response to the war in Ukraine, reports Gamal Essam El-Din

Political figures in Egypt are divided in their reactions to the Russia-Ukraine war. Some argue that Russia had no alternative to invading its smaller southern neighbour to prevent NATO expansion, while others argue that the attempt to crush Ukraines freedom will cost Russian President Vladimir Putin dear.

On 24 February, the Foreign Ministry released a statement that read: Egypt is following with deep concern successive developments regarding the situation in Ukraine, and affirms the importance of upholding dialogue and diplomatic solutions, as well as endeavours that would hasten the political settlement of the crisis.

Two days later it called for an emergency Arab League meeting at delegate level to discuss developments in Ukraine.

The Arab League Council permanent representatives met on Monday, calling for diplomacy to prevail and offering to assist in diplomatic mediation.

The tone of Egypts official reaction is shared by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, said Abdallah Al-Sinnawi, a political commentator.

The three countries maintain good relations with the US and Russia, and Egypt is reliant on Russia and Ukraine for wheat imports and tourist arrivals, he added.

Relations between all three countries and the United States have not been at their best since Joe Biden was elected president in January 2021. Indeed, the relations between Biden and the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia in particular are far cooler than they were with his predecessor Donald Trump.

In contrast, points out Al-Sinnawi, the leaders of most Arab countries, including Egypt, have developed good relations with Russia in recent years.

Russia was the first country to support Egypts revolution in 2013, moved to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in 2014, and was the first to congratulate Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on his election as president of Egypt in June 2014, says Al-Sinnawi. Randa Slim, a political analyst with the Washington-based Middle East Institute, notes that Arab capitals fear the implications of the conflict for regional security and due to the prevailing perception across the region that the West has double standards when it comes to Arab lives and Arab lands  a point driven home by the stark difference in how European countries are welcoming Ukrainian refugees compared to how most of them treated Syrian refugees.

Slim also argues that Western indignation over Russias occupation of Ukrainian lands is a painful reminder to Arabs of European inaction and US support of the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Gamal Zahran, a professor of political science at Suez Canal University, believes Arab peoples, politicians, and thinkers see little but Western double standards when they compare Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022 with Americas invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Not only did America ignore the United Nations when it invaded Iraq in 2003, it also led regime change in Libya, and hit Syria in 2011. Arab peoples naturally ask why America gave itself the right to invade Iraq, ignoring international condemnation, while it condemns Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Mustafa Al-Feki, political thinker and director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, draws a parallel between what happened in Cuba in 1962, and what is happening in Ukraine in 2022.

In 1961-62, former US president John Kennedy authorised a clandestine invasion of nearby Cuba by a brigade of Cuban exiles supported by the CIA, and in reaction the then Soviet President Nikita Khurshchev decided to send medium-range nuclear missiles to Cuba to protect its revolutionary regime.

We have a similar situation now: Russia under President Putin has strong fears that Ukraine will join NATO, posing a direct threat to Russian national security.

Al-Feki believes that most Arab peoples reactions to the war in Ukraine is at best tepid.

Arab forces loyal to Iran in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq are anti-American and so unlikely to object to the Russian invasion. In moderate Arab countries people view the war as a conflict of interests between Russia and the West, and though they may have something to lose from this war, they certainly have nothing to gain.

Al-Feki makes no secret of his admiration of Putin. He is a man with a unique character and an iron will to restore Russias prestige and influence in the world, he says. Al-Feki does, however, worry about Putin because he wants to turn Russia into a superpower vis-a-vis America again, and this could cost him and his country a lot.

Al-Feki argues that US-led NATO should stop provoking Putin who only wants to secure the borders with Russias neighbours.

Mohamed Al-Sayed Said, an Al-Ahram political analyst, believes Putin was dragged into the war in Ukraine. I think that the US and its Western allies pushed Putin into this war to clip the wings of Russia through tough sanctions and international isolation, he argues.

In contrast, Abdel-Moneim Said, a member of the Senate and a prominent political thinker and strategist, said in a TV interview on 27 February that America should support Ukraine in both word and deed.

Supporting Ukraine with only lip service will not be good for the United States, said Said. Victory for Russia and Putin in Ukraine will undermine the United States and its Western allies. The conflict in Ukraine is a serious test of Americas support for countries seeking democracy and freedom.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict will have grave economic consequences, Said continued. Most countries will suffer because of this war. Egypt and Arab countries should see this war as an opportunity to depend on themselves in meeting their needs, he argued. For example, we should cultivate more land with wheat as this is a strategic crop which could compromise our internal security.

A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The repercussions of the war in Ukraine are being felt the world over, not least in the already troubled Middle East

On Tuesday, as Russian military convoys were heading closer to Kyiv on the fifth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Western capitals were pushing for the UN General Assembly extraordinary special meeting to support a resolution condemning Russias actions, and threatening further economic and diplomatic sanctions against Moscow.

The UN General Assembly deliberations which opened Monday followed a failed attempt to secure support for a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution, tabled by the US and Albania, similarly condemning Moscow. It was automatically vetoed by Russia, China, a permanent UNSC member, and India and the UAE, both the non-permanent members, abstained.

In a press briefing, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused the US of igniting tensions, while a senior political adviser in the UAE tweeted that diplomacy was the only way ahead.

Following the UNSC meeting, Arab League Council permanent representatives met in the Arab Leagues Cairo headquarters at Egypts request. The council subsequently issued a statement that called for diplomacy to prevail, and offering to assist in diplomatic mediation.

In the hours leading to the UNGA vote, a source in the UNs New York headquarters said the US and other leading Western states have been sending very clear messages to allies that they expected them to toe the line.

Egypt, for its part, is keen to send a clear message to Ukraine that what Cairo is aiming for is to avoid escalation.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the US in the region, has declined a US request to increase oil production to make up for possible shortfalls in Russian production, and will instead comply with the position of OPEC Plus, of which Russia is member, on production levels.

Washington and the other Western capitals, according to Cairo-based foreign diplomatic sources and Egyptian officials, have also been communicating with Arab capitals bilaterally.

Western eyes will be closely watching the voting allies, including those in the Middle East, in the UN General Assembly, and on the language that comes out of the ordinary Arab Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled this week.

An Egyptian government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that it was a tightrope moment, not just for Arab countries who have been expanding relations with Russia, but for regional powers, including Israel and Turkey, that have grown closer to Moscow but now need to keep a steady eye on their relations with the US and NATO.

According to the source the situation is complicated: it is not just about striking a balance in relations with Washington and Moscow, it also involves taking into account the economic, political, and military reality the war is creating, and accommodating its eventual outcome, whatever that will be.

Given the unprecedented economic sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, including a partial exclusion from SWIFT, it is far from clear how any state can pursue economic relations  including in the military, energy, and agricultural sectors  with Russia.

A number of Arab countries, Egypt, and Algeria among them, depend on Russia and Ukraine for wheat supplies. How they will manage in the event of the conflict dragging on, with the Russian economy under siege and the rouble in free-fall, is anyones guess.

It is impossible to predict how long the war will take, whether it will end in favour of Moscow, or whether the Russian economy can withstand the sanctions it now faces.

The concern in Cairo and other Arab capitals is that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably expected a swift victory following Moscows recognition of two self-proclaimed separatist states in the Donbas, which has not come to pass.

In Cairo and New York, informed sources say it looks increasingly likely that Putin now faces the prospect of being bogged down in a long guerilla war in Ukraine, a situation that will force states across the region to make delicate calibrations in their relations with the US and Western allies.

Israel, which declined to send military equipment to Kyiv despite a direct appeal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, will need to carefully review its position. Ditto Turkey, which has attributed its closure of the maritime passage between the Mediterranean and Black Sea solely to its obligations under international law.

Western diplomatic sources say that it is most likely that the next few weeks will see an increase in transatlantic pressure on Russia, especially if the expected second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian talks fail to make progress.

This week, French President Emmanuel Macron, who tried but failed to halt the descent into war, spoke with Putin to ask for a humanitarian corridor to be established to allow for the passage of aid supplies, and for Russia to avoid targeting civilians. Soon after Macrons phone call, reports emerged suggesting that Russian forces are using cluster bombs to shell targets in Ukrainian cities.

According to Rabha Seif Allam, an analyst at Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS), whatever happens, the war will create a new reality for Europe. Already, she noted, Germany has made a giant U-turn, and will now supply military equipment to Ukraine, while the EU has pledged a $450 million military support package to Kyiv.

Future questions, according to ACPSS analyst Ahmed Eleiba, are much tougher: they include the entire post-Cold War security architecture, raising questions about NATO expansion, and demilitarisation, and denuclearisation policies.

Western diplomatic sources agree that future policy scenarios will have to take into account the consequences of what they qualify as Putins reconquest strategy which has been manifested in a series of interventions in former Soviet states, including Georgia, Kazakhstan, and now Ukraine. Particularly relevant, they say, is what will become of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which failed to prevent the war, and to the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The same sources say the war has opened a Pandoras Box that the West itself had tried to keep closed. They add that for now, the top priority is to attend to the humanitarian crisis: the war has already created half a million refugees, a figure that could soon turn into millions.

The international media has featured heart-breaking scenes of thousands of Ukrainians, carrying what few possessions they can, desperately attempting to board trains to take them westwards towards the EU, or caught in tailbacks kilometres long as they attempt to cross land borders.

Reported by Dina Ezzat and Khaled Dawoud in Cairo, Ahmed Mustafa in Dubai, Mohamed Abu Shaar in Gaza, and Sayed Abdel-Meguid in Ankara

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Hundreds of thousands of people have been pouring across Ukraines western borders since last weeks Russian invasion in an exodus that could run into millions.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued this week following Russian President Vladimir Putins ordering of military forces into the country last Thursday, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been attempting to flee to neighbouring EU countries such as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania, all of which have borders with Ukraine.

According to statements made by EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson at a press conference in Romania on Monday, at least 400,000 Ukrainian refugees have thus far entered EU countries, with an unknown further number having been internally displaced.

Most Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine, meaning that the refugees have been made up largely of women and children.

The media in European countries and worldwide have featured heart-breaking scenes of thousands of Ukrainians, many carrying the few possessions they have been able to take with them, desperately attempting to board trains to take them westwards towards EU countries or caught up in tailbacks many kilometres long as they attempt to cross land borders or escape from towns and cities in Ukraine.

In remarks reported by Reuters, Johansson said that the EU was preparing to grant Ukrainians who flee the war the right to stay and work in the bloc for up to three years, adding that EU border states would get help to cope with the arrivals.

We have to prepare for millions [to arrive in the EU], she added after a visit to a border crossing between Romania and Ukraine.

Johanssons remarks followed UN reports on Sunday that more than 200,000 people have already arrived in Poland from Ukraine, with 71,000 arriving in Hungary, 27,000 in Romania, 41,000 in Moldova, and 18,000 in Slovakia. Many thousands more are expected in the coming days.

According to reports circulating at the weekend, in order to host the refugees the EU is preparing proposals to trigger its temporary protection directive, drawn up after the 1990s war in the Balkans, but never previously used.

This is designed to deal with mass arrivals of displaced persons in the EU and provides for the same level of protection, for one to three years, in all EU states, including a residence permit and access to employment and social welfare benefits.

It means that refugees from Ukraine would be able to live and work in EU countries for up to three years without first registering for asylum or applying for work or other visas.

Since 2017, Ukrainians holding a biometric passport have been able to enter the European Schengen Zone visa free and stay for up to 90 days in any 190-day period. However, they have not been able to work or settle in EU countries or qualify for social welfare benefits.

News of the potential triggering of the EU temporary protection directive was followed, also on Sunday, by an announcement by EU President Ursula von der Leyen that Ukraines accession to the EU could be fast-tracked in the wake of the Russian invasion.

Speaking to the Euronews TV channel, Von der Leyen said that over time, they [Ukraine] belong to us. They are one of us and we want them in.

Her remarks were followed by statements from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday calling for Ukraines immediate accession to the EU under a simplified procedure, though it was unclear how this would work in practice.

A EU-Ukraine Association Agreement has been in force since September 2017 that commits Ukraine to converge its economic policy, legislation, and regulation across a broad range of areas to that of the EU in exchange for political and financial support, access to research and knowledge, and preferential access to EU markets.

Though an agreement of this type may be an important step towards EU membership, Ukraine is not currently an official candidate for EU accession talks.

The EU welcome for Ukrainian refugees and the prospect held out by Von der Leyen for fast-tracked Ukrainian membership of the bloc has been paralleled by strong support for the Ukrainian government in the conflict with Russia, including the provision of extensive military and non-military aid.

An additional 120 million in EU grants has been announced for Ukraine this year, adding to the 160 million initially foreseen, with investments planned of up to 6.5 billion over the next few years.

More importantly, the EU countries have announced that they will be sending lethal military aid to Ukraine to support it in resisting invading Russian forces. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Von der Leyen said the EU would be providing some 500 million in arms and other aid to the Ukrainian military in a move described as a watershed moment in the blocs history.

For the first time ever, the EU will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and other equipment to a country that is under attack, she said in an appearance alongside EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell in Brussels.

The EU military aid is in addition to weapons already promised to Ukraine by EU member states, with Germany saying that it will send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles and Sweden that it will send 5,000 anti-tank weapons, 5,000 helmets, 5,000 body shields and 135,000 field rations, as well as $50 million in funding to the Ukrainian military.

Denmark is reportedly sending 2,700 anti-tank weapons and allowing volunteers to join a foreign brigade to fight in Ukraine. Belgium is sending 3,000 machine guns and 200 anti-tank grenade launchers.

According to a NATO statement on Sunday, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States have already sent or are approving significant deliveries of military equipment to Ukraine including Javelin missiles and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as millions of euros of financial assistance.

In addition to the support for Ukraine, the EU is also sanctioning Russia in association with similar sanctions being introduced by the US and UK. All transactions with the Russian central bank are to be banned in an effort to paralyse its assets and shares in Russian state-owned entities may no longer be listed on EU stock exchanges.

Selected Russian banks are being cut out of the Swift international payments system in a bid to cripple Russian trade or have been hit by asset freezes and other restrictions. The foreign assets of Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu have been frozen in the EU, which has also imposed sanctions on all 351 members of Russias parliament.

Bank accounts held by Russian nationals in the EU are being limited to 100,000. Russian airlines and private jets are being banned from EU airspace, and a ban has been introduced on exports of aircraft and aviation parts to Russia, as well as of hi-tech goods including semiconductors, computers, telecoms and information security equipment and sensors.

The EUs policy of potentially rolling out the temporary protection directive and extending settlement, work, and welfare rights to all Ukrainian refugees for a period of up to three years is in contrast to its treatment of other refugees made homeless as a result of war or conflicts outside Europe.

Refugees from the wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan have been obliged to apply for asylum on a case-by-case basis before being extended settlement or other benefits.

According to the UN International Organisation for Migration, there were just under 18,000 refugees living in camps in Greece, a EU member state, in December last year, with 60 per cent of them having no access to food or money and half of them being children.

If granted asylum, the refugees are granted benefits for 30 days.

During the 2015 European refugee crisis when some 1.3 million people came to the continent in search of asylum from war or societal breakdown in their home countries outside Europe, most of them Syrians, but also Afghans, Libyans, Iraqis, and others, some EU countries closed their borders and refused to take in refugees.

The situation was resolved when Germany agreed to admit some one million refugees as asylum-seekers and the EU made an agreement with Turkey, a major transit country for the refugees, that it would increase border security and take back future refugees entering Greece in return for six billion euros.

A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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China will not openly support Russias invasion of Ukraine but, united in their opposition to a US-led world order, both countries are seeking to set new rules.

Last Friday at the United Nations Security Council in New York, there was zero expectation that the US-proposed draft resolution condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine and calling on Moscow to pull back its tanks would be adopted. As one of the five permanent members of the worlds highest peace and security abritrator, Russia used its veto power to block the US resolution.

The reason the draft was adopted was for Washington and other countries to test how China would vote, considering its growing alliance with Russia on both the official and personal levels. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have met no less than 38 times since the Chinese leader took office 10 years ago. The latest summit was on 4 February at the spectacular opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, only three weeks before the Russias military attack on Ukraine. This has raised suspicions that Putin had given his close ally, Xi, a heads-up on his plans.

At the Security Council, along with India and the United Arab Emirates, China abstained from voting, while 11 countries supported the draft. The US was hoping to win 14 out of 15 votes, to send a clear message to Putin that he is isolated and rejected on the world stage. Yet a Chinese abstention remained a better option for Washington than a second veto at the Security Council, which would have been tantamount to Beijing taking concrete steps on the ground in support of Russia and Putin.

After Putins decision to march on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, a week ago, US officials revealed that they had tried for nearly three months to convince Chinese officials to deter Putin from making this move, showing them detailed intelligence information to prove that Russias invasion plans were real  to no effect. They added that the Biden administrations diplomatic outreach towards China in the attempt to avert war began after the US president and his Chinese counterpart held a video summit on 15 November. However, top Chinese officials downplayed the US threats, accusing Washington of dragging Putin into a war.

An extremely worrying sign for US and European officials indicating that the alliance between Russia and China has reached new, high levels was the statement released by both Putin and Xi after their 4 February meeting. The sweeping, 5,300-word statement declared there would be no limits to the two countries relationship and no forbidden areas of cooperation. The two leaders called on the United States to abandon plans to expand NATO in Europe and deploy intermediate range missiles in Europe and Asia. There was no mention of Ukraine by name. Nor, in the light of Chinas decades-long stand that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory, of Taiwan. But the two countries clearly supported each other in those conflicts.

China and Russia also denounced what they see as American interference in their internal affairs through fomenting colour revolutions, a reference to the public uprisings in former Soviet republics like Georgia and Ukraine that toppled pro-Moscow governments. Russia and China stand against attempts by external forces to undermine security and stability in their common adjacent regions, said the statement. In a message directly aimed at Washington, the two leaders vowed to counter interference by outside forces in the internal affairs of sovereign countries under any pretext, oppose colour revolutions and increase cooperation in the aforementioned areas.

US and European leaders in turn accused China of working with Russia to overturn what they say is a rules-based international order. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Xi and Putins 4 February statement sought to replace rule of law with rule of the strongest.

After the Russian advance on Ukraine, the Chinese president was the first world leader Putin was keen to be in touch with to explain his move. In a phone call on Friday, Putin complained to Xi that the United States and NATO had ignored Russias reasonable security concerns and had reneged on their commitments, according to a readout of the call released by the Chinese state news media.

Xi reiterated Chinas public position that it was important to respect the legitimate security concerns as well as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. Putin told Xi that Russia was willing to negotiate with Ukraine, and Xi said China would support any such move. Meanwhile, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a series of stonewalling statements. It hasnt endorsed the invasion, but neither has it condemned it. The ministry has repeated that the situation is complex, sanctions are useless, and the West is largely responsible for the war because it backed Russia into a corner by expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) into zones formerly under Russian control.

The day Russia started its military advance in Ukraine, the Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, openly stated that the United States was the culprit behind the tensions. When the US drove five waves of NATO expansion eastward all the way to Russias doorstep and deployed advanced offensive strategic weapons in breach of its assurances to Russia, did it ever think about the consequences of pushing a big country to the wall? asked the spokeswoman. The next day, as Hua was bombarded with questions about whether China considered Russias special military operation an invasion, she turned the briefing into a critique of the United States. You may go ask the US: they started the fire and fanned the flames, she said. How are they going to put out the fire now?

Chinese officials also bristled at the US State Departments comment that China should respect state sovereignty and territorial integrity, a long-standing tenet of Chinese foreign policy, considering Beijings own disputes over Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet. Chinese Ambassador to the US Zhang Jun, said, The current situation in Ukraine is the result of many complex factors. China always takes its own position according to the merits of the matter itself. We believe that all countries should solve international disputes by peaceful means in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Even though China wants to position itself as essentially neutral and advocates dialogue, its positions are actually a remarkable defence of Russia and reflect strengthening China-Russia ties. However, it is also conceivable that Beijing might seek to downplay its support for Moscow, for example by abstaining at the UN Security Council, to dampen the economic and geopolitical impact of Russias military move.

Chinas rise, after all, has rested on global economic interdependence and geopolitical stability in Europe and the rest of the world. China knows that openly supporting Russias invasion would seriously damage its already strained relations with the wealthy democracies that are its main trading partners, such as the United States, European Union countries, and Japan. Ties with these countries are already as bad as they have been since China began its policy of reform and opening in the 1970s. If China sided with Russia by offering economic relief or agreeing to veto sanctions in the UN Security Council for example, then it would be hard to salvage those ties. Instead, most wealthy democracies would perceive China and Russia as being in a 1950s-style communist alliance. This would make it almost impossible to restart engagement with China.

This dilemma is reflected in how the war is discussed on Chinese social media. On the most influential platform, WeChat, a senior Chinese media editor said China should voice its understanding and a certain amount of support for Russia because the United States ultimately pushed it to invade, but that China shouldnt provoke Western countries by overtly supporting Russia.

US and European officials also worry that Russias commercial links to China will help the Russian economy however unprecedentedly tough the international sanctions they imposed. Their economies are complementary: China is a manufacturing power but resource-poor, so it needs Russian energy, while Russia has enormous energy reserves but needs investment and help broadening its economic base.

It is unlikely that China will immediately offer aid to Russia, but it could easily become the long-term buyer of gas and other resources that Russia cant sell to Western countries. On Friday, it announced that it would loosen restrictions on Russian grain imports, but this had been in the works for some time.

However, changing the flow of resources will not happen overnight. Pipelines take many years to construct, so China cant suddenly step in to buy sanctioned goods such as natural gas, which would have been carried by Germanys Nord Stream 2 pipeline. But in the coming years, China can offset sanctions by becoming a no-questions-asked buyer of Russian resources.

Meanwhile, China has been firm in rejecting rising speculation in the Western, Japanese and South Korean media that the Russian move in Ukraine might encourage Beijing to make a similar move in Taiwan. Right after Biden took office early last year Taiwan was one of the key issues causing tension between the two countries, with Washington warning against any application of the One China policy to forcibly annex the island.

Chinas foreign ministry repeatedly stated that Ukraine and Taiwan are not the same. While Russia did recognise Ukraines independence after the collapse of the former Soviet Union in 1991, since the creation of Taiwan in 1949 China has insisted that it is an inalienable part of its territory. But on a deeper level, the logic that drove Putin to take over Ukraine is similar to that of China towards Taiwan.

Both the Peoples Republic of China and the Russian Federation are descendants of large, continental, multiethnic empires. The 20th century saw China lose Mongolia and Taiwan in the aftermath of the Qing dynastys collapse. China no longer claims Mongolia, but it still wants Taiwan and hasnt ruled out taking it by force.

Russia fared worse when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. It lost most of Central Asia, as well as territories in Europe, including the Baltic States, many parts of the Caucasus, Belarus, and Ukraine. Russia seems to have given up on recapturing Central Asia, but clearly wants segments of its European territories back. In any case, Russias situation is something nationalists in China can clearly identify with. So if Russia can grab chunks of Ukraine or install a puppet regime and withstand economic sanctions that could embolden nationalists in China to look to Taiwan with a view to doing the same.

However, Western experts on China believe that such a move is likely be delayed for the same reasons that prevent Beijing from openly backing Russias invasion of Ukraine: Chinas economic growth depends on maintaining positive ties with the rest of the world. It is such growing economic influence that will probably enable China to fulfil its ambitions in Taiwan, probably without using military means the way Putin did in Ukraine.

Looking ahead, China is expected to surpass the US as the worlds largest economy in 2030, according a recent study released by the British consultancy Centre for Economics and Business Research. Credit insurance firm Euler Hermes made a similar forecast. In 2020, Chinas economy totalled $15.92 trillion, and the market research firm IHS Markit estimates that it reached $18 trillion last year on export manufacturing growth and capital for new projects. The US economy reached about $23 trillion last year, the market research firm said.

There is no gold medal or anything like that, CEBRs Executive Deputy Chairman, Douglas McWilliams told Voice of America (VOA). But when youve got more money to spend, you do have the ability to influence things, and China will have that ability to influence things.

He noted that officials in Beijing are already leveraging their economy in disputes with other countries. China vies with four Southeast Asian governments over maritime sovereignty, contests a group of islets with Japan and has had territorial standoffs with India since 2017. China would also be better placed, he said, to advance its Belt and Road Initiative, a nine-year-old effort aimed at building land and sea trade routes through Asia, Europe and Africa in the form of infrastructure projects and investments.

The result of that expectation, China surpassing the United States economically, has been a bolder PRC [Peoples Republic of China] foreign policy that seeks to settle regional disputes in Chinas favour and de-legitimize US regional and global leadership under the assumption that China is destined to set the new rules of international relations, said Denny Roy, senior fellow at the East-West Centre think tank in Honolulu.

A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The Israeli government has recently announced its refusal to cooperate with the special commission established by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate Israeli rights violations against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. It will not even allow commission members into Israel. The reply to the council from the Israeli ambassador to the UN reiterated the same line Israel feeds to every UN agency from UNESCO and UNHCR to the General Assembly: the commission is biased against Israel.

In fact the special commission was formed in May after Israeli missile strikes against Gaza killed 260 Palestinians, including dozens of women and children. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet joined many international human rights organisations in describing the Israeli strikes, some of which targeted residential neighbourhoods, as war crimes. But the inquiry is not just about that. The commissions task is to probe Israeli human rights abuses throughout the occupied territories, as well as against Arab citizens of Israel.

Now where is the voice of the international community? Why have Western governments, which take every occasion to boast of their vigilance over human rights, not said a word about the Israeli decision to boycott the Human Rights Councils commission? Why has there not been a peep from the Western media, some quarters of which never tire of demanding freezes on aid to certain countries they accuse of human rights violation.

This is not the first time Israel has barred investigatory commissions from entry on the grounds that they are pro-Palestinian and anti-Semitic, a charge it levelled against the International Criminal Court in Hague when the court launched an investigation into Israeli war crimes and human rights violations in the Occupied Territories. More and more rights organisations, such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and similar organisations in Israel, have begun to publicly accuse Israel of apartheid.

Have Western governments, parliaments and media plugged their ears? Are human rights to them a weapon to be used against us while Israel is given free rein to practise thuggery?

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The war in Ukraine must be stopped before all sides reach the point of no return.

It is next to impossible to predict what the situation in Ukraine will look like in terms of military operations by the time this article appears on 3 March.

As I write it on 27 February, fighting is raging in Ukraine between Ukrainian and

Russian forces in a war that broke out as a special military operation, according to the order given by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Russian army, or as an invasion, as the West led by the US and Ukraine have called the advance of the Russian forces into Ukrainian territory.

This afternoon, Russian television showed a meeting between Putin and the Russian top brass in which he ordered them to ready the nuclear deterrence capacities of Russia for possible combat, an order that some saw as an implied threat of crossing the nuclear threshold in the current conflict in Ukraine.

The meeting came in the wake of the escalation by the different parties in this unnecessary war, one that could have been avoided if the world has paid attention to the messages emanating from Moscow about its security concerns.

I am not implying that the lack of an unequivocal response from the US and NATO members to these concerns justifies the use of force. The point I want to make is that security is indivisible and that excluding Russia from the architecture of European security is a non-starter for the simple historical reason that Russia is a European power.

In the first two weeks of February, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Moscow and met with Putin. They stressed that Russian security is part of the security of Europe.

In the last 24 hours the US and European countries, whether members of NATO or not, have increased dramatically their military assistance to Ukraine, while widening their sanctions regimes targeting Russia.

Among the sanctions decreed on 26-27 February have been closing their airspace to Russian planes and banning certain Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system. Other sanctions included freezing the personal assets of Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov abroad.

As far as military assistance to Ukraine is concerned, the US decided on additional assistance yesterday that brought the total to almost $1 billion in a year. According to official US military sources, the weapons sent to Ukraine are lethal.

In the meantime, Russian forces have been laying siege to two Ukrainian cities in the south of the country, Kherson and Berdyansk, and heading towards the capital Kyiv.

It has been said that it is easy to start wars but difficult to end them. Undoubtedly, this applies to the Ukrainian war that broke out on 24 February. Following developments in the conflict, we must try to look for the best possible outcome. Otherwise, this could become a war without end and where it would be difficult, if not impossible, to determine a winner.

I am afraid that the Ukrainian conflict could become a proxy war between Russia and the US. The spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry has said that relations between her country and the West are nearing the point of no return. Thats a very significant position.

If this is the case, how will NATO and the EU deal with elaborating a new security architecture for Europe, including Russia? It may seem ironical to say that this new security setup would include Ukraine short of NATO membership.

Some governments in the West believe that every country is free in the context of its sovereignty and independence to choose the alliances that seem capable of protecting it from its adversaries.

No one would dispute this. However, in some instances mutual security is paramount in order to keep the peace. Probably this is the case with Russia and Ukraine.

If negotiations between the two countries reach an understanding and seal an agreement on the neutrality of Ukraine, this will not impinge in any way on Ukraines sovereignty or independence, and such a step would go a long way towards maintaining security and peace in Europe.

In the meantime, the war in the Ukraine must stop. Let the guns fall silent and diplomacy take over.

The best possible outcome is the end of the war without winners or losers. One thing is certain, though, regardless of how the most dangerous challenge to international peace and security since World War II would come to an end, and that is, the world we have known wont be the same after military operations cease for good in Ukraine.

Some people say that they miss the Merkel diplomacy. I think they are right. I would claim that if the former German chancellor were still in power, she would have made a great difference in disuading President Putin from ordering his special military operations in Ukraine.

* The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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An invasion is an invasion, whether of Iraq or Ukraine. But are invasions appraised differently depending on where they take place and by whom.

In prefacing this discussion, it should be stated clearly that the invasion of a sovereign state is unacceptable and impermissible, be it the US invading Iraq or Russia invading Ukraine. However, the issue here is the double standard applied in the two invasions.

The US got away with invading Iraq in 2003 under false pretenses, and Russia, having more reason to invade Ukraine, is now considered to be a pariah. As a deviation from the conventional wisdom, lets take stock of how the Western media has portrayed both and the hypocrisy that this has entailed.

Every time a sovereign state is invaded, we are perplexed and tell ourselves that such invasions cannot possibly occur, especially in the 21st century. Today, it is Ukraines turn to face the grim horrors of invasion. Another case in point will tell us that we never learn from the fallout of invasions.

In 2002, then US president George W Bush used the term axis of evil in his state of the union address to describe North Korea, Iran, and Iraq. Bush identified the three countries as a dangerous network of terrorist states capable of threatening the US.

However, it was ludicrous to think that Iraq posed a security threat to the US, and despite the unequivocal conclusion that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction and had nothing to do with the 11 September 2001 attacks, the US mobilised enough support to get away with an invasion of the country in 2003, one that was not much different from todays invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Yet, the world ignored the deception and stood behind the invaders. In retrospect, and compared to todays uproar against Russia, no significant condemnation emerged.

The invasion of Iraq led to the occupation of the country that lasted until 2011 and had powerful consequences until 2017. It created a powerful Al-Qaeda presence in Iraq, proliferating sectarian strife, further Iranian influence in the region, a massive death toll, and a lasting humanitarian crisis. As far as the invasion of Iraq is concerned, Bush and British prime minister Tony Blair, also a strong supporter and participant in the invasion, got away with murder, no pun intended.

During the invasion, the world stood still for a moment, fumbled somewhat, but soon enough turned its back and let the Iraqis face their wretched destiny alone. There was no uproar in the Western media similar to what we are seeing today over Ukraine, no call for unprecedented sanctions, and no hint of a nuclear-driven war. There were also no calls for diplomatic moves to stop the invasion and definitely no closure of air space to the invader.

The Western media misled the world into accepting the invasion, siding with the US administration. In his book, Hate, Inc., US author Matt Taibbi speaks about how the Western media sold the Iraq war and got away with it, saying that the Washington Post and New York Times were key editorial-page drivers of the conflict; MSNBC unhired anchors Phil Donahue and Jesse Ventura over their war scepticism; CNN flooded the airwaves with generals and ex-Pentagon stoolies; and broadcast outlets ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS stacked the deck even more.

In a two-week period before the invasion, these US networks had just one American guest out of 267 who questioned the war, according to the organisation Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting.

Undoubtedly, the Western media chooses its battles and sides with whomever it pleases. While the invasion of Iraq by the US was considered a liberation, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia is seen as a cut-throat invasion in the eyes of the Western media.

But in a University of Chicago lecture, astonishingly from 2015, US political scientist John J Mearsheimer spoke on the causes and consequences of the Ukraine crisis. He faulted the West for the current outcome, seeing it as peeling Ukraine from Russias orbit and incorporating it into the West. Our basic aim was to make Ukraine a Western bulwark on Russias border, Mearsheimer said.

Diana Johnstone in Consortium News affirms the above. The official US line is that the Kremlin threatens Europe by its aggressive expansionism, but when the strategists talk among themselves the story is different. The goal is to use sanctions, propaganda and other measures (over-extension) that the US can exploit to Russias detriment, she says.

Starting with the Clinton administration in the 1990s, the US began moving NATO eastwards towards the Russian border and integrating Ukraine economically into the West, as it had earlier integrated the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and the Baltic States. Russia, apprehensive of Ukraines moves towards the European Union, warned the West against such actions.

Due to Ukraines proximity to Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin sees such moves as an existential threat. Georgia and Ukraine becoming part of NATO is a direct threat to Russia, he has said. Are we deploying missiles near the US border? No, we are not. It is the United States that has come to our home with its missiles and is already standing on our doorstep.

The West would never allow a Russian presence in the Western hemisphere. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a case in point in the 1960s when the former Soviet Union tried to put military forces in Cuba. Putin is demanding the same deal today: that the US should not move its military forces to the Russian border.

The Western media has escalated its attacks on Russia. But that is not an anomaly, as the Western media has always broadcast a negative picture of Russia. In an article appearing on the website of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the author writes that nobody loves Russia, arguing that the western media have perpetuated the myth of Putins neo-Soviet autocracy.

The American press has ignored all other sides of Russia by making the dark side central to its coverage, he says.

The Western media acts in accordance with US rules, and its narrative focuses on an oppressive Russia with Putin enjoying dictatorial powers. The invasion of Ukraine allows the Western media to continue its assault, as it focuses on an anti-Putin and anti-Russia discourse.

It claims Russia is targeting civilians in Ukraine. But civilians are seen moving about and heading to safer ground, panicking true, but still safe enough because they are not targeted per se. Reporters are seen in the middle of streets and walkways and not in danger. Russia is bombing key infrastructure, oil terminals, and gas facilities in Ukraine. But targeting civilians is not its aim.

The Western media has focused on the notion that the invasion opens the way for further expansion by Russian military forces into Europe. This is a far-fetched assumption that the US Harvard Gazette has reiterated. A key step for the US and its NATO allies should be tripling combat-ready troops in the Baltics and NATO-allied eastern Europe to deter any thought of a Ukraine-style incursion there, it says.

It is exacerbating the situation by rubbing salt into the wound. Nataliya Gumenyuk, a Ukranian journalist, said that I am in general critical of parachute journalism, a foreign reporting cliche with a very binary approach. Its clear they know very little about our situationWe are not a rich country, but the usual cliches of war are there.

It is to be hoped that diplomatic dialogue will begin immediately and that Russia, Ukraine, and the Western allies will sit together and negotiate a deal satisfying to all concerned. In the meantime, the Western media should downplay rather than overplay the intensity of the situation, so that we dont wake up to find the world on the verge of nuclear war.

* The writer is the author of Cairo Rewind on the First Two Years of Egypts Revolution, 2011-2013.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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An administrative centre from the First Intermediate Period in Kom Ombo, royal artefacts in Luxor, and a collection of Saite wells in North Sinai were new discoveries made this week, writes Nevine El-Aref

New discoveries always make the headlines, and three new discoveries were announced in Kom Ombo, Luxor, and North Sinai this week.

An Austrian-Egyptian mission working in the Upper Egyptian town of Kom Ombo approximately 45 km north of Aswan on the east bank of the Nile uncovered part of a large administrative facility from the First Intermediate Period consisting of rooms containing more than 20 conical silos used for grain storage, as well as cellars, staircases, and storerooms.

The walls of these silos are exceptionally well preserved, standing up to two metres in height. Some of the silos are even taller, said Abdel-Moneim Said, head of Aswan and Nubia Antiquities at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, adding that the presence of rat bones and excrement inside one of the rooms showed that the storage facilities were infested by vermin.

The building probably served as a centre for grain distribution. It is a unique discovery at Kom Ombo and indicates the importance of the town during the First Intermediate Period, Said said.

Kom Ombo is a protected area containing the famous Ptolemaic temple of Kom Ombo, a regular feature on tourist itineraries. But the remains of the ancient hill around it on three sides have never been investigated systematically.

The Austrian Archaeological Institute in Egypt, which has a long-term interest in settlement archaeology, began a project there in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in 2017 in order to investigate the ancient town and its hinterland.

The town was settled from Early Dynastic times until the Early Islamic Period and, after a long gap, again during the British occupation of Egypt when a fort was built on the hill as part of defences against the Mahdist movement in Sudan at the end of the 19th century.

A second discovery was made this week in Luxor during excavation carried out in the vicinity of the Luxor Temple where the Tawfik Andraos Palace once stood. An Egyptian mission unearthed a collection of royal artefacts including a black granite stelae from the New Kingdom and an offering table from the Roman Period.

Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), explained that the stelae depicts kings Thutmose IV and Amenhotep II standing together giving offerings to the god Amun-Re sitting on a throne. Thutmose IV is shown offering bread, while Amenhotep II is holding an incense burner in one hand and a cup of water in the other.

The offering table is a plate-shaped structure carved in limestone with holes for installing pots. A collection of limestone offering vessels and Ptolemaic stelae depicting king Ptolemy along with a granite grinder and the remains of wheat and lentils were also unearthed.

The discovery was made in the area of the Tawfik Andraos Palace, demolished late last year because of its dilapidated state and the instability of its foundations. This made it a threat to the neighbouring Luxor Temple and pedestrians walking along the Nile Corniche.

The palace had been standing in the area since its construction in 1897 and relates to the history of its former owner Andraos Bishara who was one of the most prominent figures in Luxor in the early 20th century.

Upon his arrival in Luxor from his hometown of Qus in the 1880s, Bishara decided to build his family home in the precincts of the Luxor Temple with a view across the Nile to the Theban Necropolis.

He invested part of his fortune in buying land that extended as far as the Colossi of Memnon on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor. His son Tawfik became a key figure in the town and built his own house beside his fathers, which had earlier been demolished.

The sons palace was inhabited by the family until 2013, when the bodies of Tawfiks two daughters were found, believed to have been murdered, inside. Since then, the palace had been abandoned.

The third discovery made this week was on the Horus Military Road in North Sinai, where a collection of Saite wells was uncovered during excavations carried out by an Egyptian mission.

It is the first time that such wells have been found, as they were earlier only known from scientific documents and engravings on the Karnak Temples in Luxor from the reign of king Seti I, Waziri said.

The wells were found in a sandy area surrounding the Tel Kedwa Fortress on the Horus Military Road in North Sinai. Early studies reveal that the wells were demolished in antiquity and buried in sand in order not to be used by Persian invaders.

Ayman Ashmawi, head of the ancient Egyptian antiquities sector at the SCA, said that one of the wells was in good condition and had a different shape to the others.

It is filled with clay rings stacked on top of each other. The diameter of each ring is one metre, and each has three holes in its sides. The excavations have uncovered 13 rings and a large collection of clay pots from the 26th Dynasty, while excavations inside the fortress have revealed a 12-metre storage area filled with clay pots piled on top of each other that were used for drainage.

The remains of copper-smelting workshops with ovens and copper spikes were also found inside the Fortress.

The Tel Kedwa Fortress is one of the most important sites of military architecture from the ancient Egyptian 26th Dynasty in North Sinai. The Egyptian mission has also revealed the remains of two other fortresses, one of which dates back to the era of king Psamtik I.

The Horus Military Road is one of the oldest roads in Sinai, linking Egypt and Palestine along a length of 220 km. It is mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts dating back to the Old Kingdom as the Road of Horus.

An inscription of king Seti I at the Karnak Temple in Luxor indicates the existence of a series of military fortresses and wells along the Road, with a well bearing the name of king Seti I in front of each fortress. During the New Kingdom, specific names were given to each fortress and well along the road.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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Work is in full swing at the long-awaited Aten Museum in Minya before its official opening

On the east bank of the Nile in Minya stands the pyramid-shaped edifice of the Aten Museum waiting for the completion of its final phase writes Nevine El-Aref.

The museum is a gift from Germany and was started in 1998 according to a partnership agreement between the Aten Museum and the Hildesheim Museum in Germany.

The building was modified by the late Egyptian architect Gamal Bakri. Museums consultant Mahmoud Mabrouk designed the grounds to provide a suitable landscape for outdoor exhibitions.

The grounds, which overlook the Nile, take up 25 feddans. The building is made up of five floors and features 14 exhibition halls, a large conference hall, a scientific library, an open-air theatre, a museum for children, a restoration laboratory, a food court, and a 600-metre boulevard along the Nile Corniche.

The idea of establishing the Aten Museum began in 1979 after a twinning agreement was signed between the city of Minya and the German city of Hildesheim. It was designed to be a major facility in presenting the ancient town of Akhenaten to modern visitors, also telling the history of the Minya governorate and the capital of Egypt at the time.

The construction of the museum began in 2002, but due to various reasons, it is still unfinished today. Nonetheless, with its elegant form, it has already become a landmark of the city of Minya. It was built over three phases, and the basic shape was finalised in 2010. The construction was halted in 2011 due to the 25 January Revolution, and then again for the lack of a budget. The work resumed in 2015.

Moemen Othman, head of the Museums Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), told Al-Ahram Weekly that work on the final phase of the museum is now at full swing with a view to completing the museum and opening it to the public.

The Supreme Council of Museums embarked on a tour early this week to inspect the work and the exhibition scenario of the museum, which will put on display a large collection of artefacts relating to the history of Minya from prehistoric times right through to the Graeco-Roman era.

The exhibition will include sections on the history of ancient Amarna, which once stood on the site of Minya and was the capital of Egypt during the reign of the monotheistic king Akhenaten. He aimed to stabilise the Aten religion at Amarna, and important art techniques were used in the city to carve royal statues and build temples, including talatat stones, blocks of a standardised size that were used to construct temples to the god Aten.

The exhibition also explores recent discoveries made in Minya and Egypts relations with its neighbours in the ancient period by displaying diplomatic archives from the reign of Akhenaten. Objects relating to Akhenatens wife queen Nefertiti, as well as his father, king Amenhotep III, and his mother queen Tye, unearthed at Amarna will also be on show.

Othman said that the museum has been installed with showcases to the highest international standards highlighting the beauty of the objects and each with an appropriate lighting system.

Akhenaten was an 18th-Dynasty ancient Egyptian king who during the fifth year of his reign changed his name from Amenhotep IV to Akhenaten and changed Egypts official major deity from Amun to Aten.

He moved his capital to Tel Al-Amarna in Minya some 200 miles north of Thebes, now called Luxor, and named it Akhetaten. At the time, it was a virgin site on the east bank of the Nile and a large desert embayment enclosed by limestone cliffs in which a series of boundary stelae were carved.

The boundary texts dated to the fifth, sixth, and eighth years of his rule and describe the planned city in some detail, revealing Akhenatens intention to construct a city dedicated to the worship of Aten and separate from already established cults.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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The Russian army on Tuesday reached the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, near Moscow-controlled Crimea, and is setting up checkpoints on its outskirts, the city's mayor said.

"The Russian army is setting up checkpoints at the entrances of Kherson," mayor Igor Kolykhayev said on Facebook. "Kherson has been and will stay Ukrainian," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to attack Ukraine last week.

Russian troops have invaded Ukraine from several directions, including from Crimea.

Videos on local media in Kherson showed the Russian army entering the city.

"Today, I am responsible for the life of our city and provide protection in the way that our capabilities allow," Kholykhayev said.

He asked people not to leave their homes outside curfew hours.

"The greatest value this city has is your lives. This is not a fight, this is a war," he said.

Kherson has a population of around 280,000 and lies north of the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014.

Russia claimed to have besieged the city on Sunday.

The Russian army also says it controls the port city of Berdyansk, which lies north-west of Crimea on the Azov Sea.

Russia has faced fierce resistance in Ukraine in its advance on the country.

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Russian troops will carry out an attack on what they said was the infrastructure of Ukraine's intelligence services in Kyiv and urged residents living nearby to leave, the defence ministry said Tuesday.

"In order to suppress information attacks on Russia, the technological infrastructure of the SBU (Ukraine's Security Service) and the 72nd main PSO (Psychological Operations Unit) centre in Kyiv will be hit with high-precision weapons," defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

"We call on... Kyiv residents living near relay nodes to leave their homes," Konashenkov added.

His statement comes as Russian troops are ramping up efforts to take Ukraine's capital Kyiv.

Ukrainian authorities have accused the Russian army of carrying out strikes on residential areas in several cities, including the eastern city of Kharkiv, where fierce fighting is taking place.

Russia says it does not target civilians, despite evidence otherwise.

Ukraine says up to 350 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded.

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Russian forces fired at the Kyiv TV tower and Ukraine's main Holocaust memorial, among other civilian sites targeted Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said.

Ukraine's State Service for Emergency Situations said the strikes on the TV tower killed five people and left five more wounded.

Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, posted a photo of clouds of smoke around the TV tower, which is a couple miles from central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said an electrical substation powering the tower and a control room on the tower were damaged from the hit.

The head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak, said on Facebook that a ``powerful missile attack on the territory where the (Babi) Yar memorial complex is located'' is underway.

Babi Yar, a ravine in Kyiv, is where nearly 34,000 Jews were killed within 48 hours in 1941 when the city was under Nazi occupation. The killing was carried out by SS troops along with local collaborators.

After a blast sounded around the city and smoke was seen rising in the Babi Yar district, the interior ministry said equipment had been damaged and "channels won't work for a while".

BREAKING: An explosion has hit a television tower in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv with a number of channels reportedly no longer on air.https://t.co/X3flQUBL0r



 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/Dcxp6K6Eol  Sky News (@SkyNews) March 1, 2022

The interior ministry said that back-up systems would be put into operation to restore programming.

Earlier, the Russian defence ministry spokesman had said that Moscow's forces would hit technological infrastructure in Kyiv "to suppress information attacks on Russia".

But the targets he cited -- the SBU security service and the army psychological operations unit -- did not include the civilian-run television tower in the capital.

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The UK government is open to ejecting Russia as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council following the invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said Tuesday.

"The prime minister hasn't set out any position on that," he told reporters.

"What is right to say is that we want to see Russia isolated diplomatically, and we will consider all options to achieve that."

"I think it's something we want to discuss with the UN obviously," the spokesman, who speaks on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

"There are the mechanisms in place for that which are well established," he said, adding that Johnson had yet to stake out a position himself on the question.

"What is right to say is that we want to see Russia isolated diplomatically, and we will consider all options to achieve that."

Britain is also one of the five permanent members alongside Russia, the United States, China and France.

The five are meant to guarantee international peace and security, but Russia stands accused of trashing the UN rulebook with its offensive on Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Britain's deputy prime minister again rejected calls for NATO to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying it would risk widening the war by putting the alliance in direct conflict with Russian forces.

Dominic Raab told Sky News on Tuesday that Britain instead is pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to change course by working with other countries to ratchet up sanctions and investigate war crimes during the conflict.

"We're not going to (impose a no-fly zone) because it would put us in a position where we would have to enforce it by, in effect, shooting down Russian planes,'' Raab said in an interview with Sky.

The comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked NATO to impose a complete no-fly zone for Russian aeroplanes, helicopters and missiles.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense on Tuesday said Russia had failed to gain control of the skies over Ukraine, forcing it to shift to night operations to reduce its losses.

Russian forces have "made little progress'' in their advance on the capital, Kyiv, over the past 24 hours probably because of logistical difficulties, the ministry said.

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For two decades, Vladimir Putin has struck rivals as reckless, impulsive. But his behavior in ordering an invasion of Ukraine, and now putting Russia's nuclear forces on high alert, has some in the West questioning whether the Russian president has become dangerously unstable.

In recent days, Putin has rambled on television about Ukraine, repeated conspiracy theories about neo-Nazism and Western aggression, berated his own foreign intelligence chief on camera from the other side of a high-domed Kremlin hall where he sat alone. Now, with the West's sanctions threatening to cripple Russia's already hobbled economy, Putin has ordered the higher state of readiness for nuclear weapons, blaming the sanctions and what he called ``aggressive statements against our country.''

The uncertainty over his thinking adds a wildcard to Russia's war on Ukraine. Western officials must confront Putin as they also wonder whether he comprehends or cares about cataclysmic consequences or perhaps is intentionally preying on the long-held suspicions about him.

An aide to French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke with Putin on Monday, said the Russian leader answered Macron ``without showing irritation, in a very clinical and a very determined manner.''

``We can see that with President Putin's state of mind, there is a risk of escalation,'' added the aide, who spoke anonymously in line with the French presidency's practice on sensitive talks. ``There is a risk of manipulation from President Putin to justify what is unjustifiable.''

Foreign leaders have long tried to get inside Putin's head and have been wrong before. And Putin in this crisis is showing many of the same traits that he has displayed since becoming Russia's leader. Putin has directed invasions of neighbors, unspooled conspiracy theories and outright falsehoods, and ordered audacious operations like interfering in the past two US presidential elections.

He single-handedly made landmark decisions like the 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, consulting only his narrow inner circle of KGB veterans and keeping everyone else in the dark. He has long been surrounded by lieutenants reluctant to risk their careers by urging caution, let alone voicing adverse opinions.

He has also talked about nuclear war and once mused that such a conflict would end in Russians going ``to heaven as martyrs.''

Experts say Putin could be using the specter of nuclear conflict to fracture the growing support for Ukraine's defense and to force concessions. His latest comments also suggest the sanctions are working.

``We have to know this is a sign that we're getting to him,'' said Jim Townsend, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense and a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. ``We just have to take that into account. We have to be cool.''

Officials in the U.S. were alarmed by a 5,000-word essay published under Putin's name in July that argued Russians and Ukrainians are one people and blamed any divisions on foreign plots. One Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. government's internal thinking, said the intelligence community was concerned Putin was operating from ``an emotional place'' and driven by long-simmering grievances.

More recently, Macron went to meet with Putin and had several long phone calls before the invasion. A top official in Macron's office said last week that Putin was ``no longer the same,`` had become ``more stiff, more isolated,'' and at his core had veered into the approach now playing out.

During a five-hour dinner between the two leaders, Putin spent more time railing about NATO expansion and the 2014 revolution in Ukraine than discussing the immediate crisis.

Putin's perceived self-insulation was highlighted in recent official meetings broadcast by state television. He faced foreign leaders and close aides from the opposite end of a long table. No Russian official who spoke gave a dissenting view.

``He's not had that many people having direct inputs to him,'' said Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee. ``So we're concerned that this isolated individual (has) become a megalomaniac in terms of his notion of himself being the only historic figure that can rebuild old Russia or recreate the notion of the Soviet sphere.''

Putin has long been committed to recovering lost glory, suppressing dissent and keeping neighbors in Moscow's orbit. In 2005, he called the collapse of the Soviet Union ``the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.'' Russia has fought a war with Georgia, annexed Ukraine's Crimea, backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, and earlier this year briefly deployed troops to help quell protests in Kazakhstan.

His public dismissals of Ukrainian sovereignty go back many years. In 2008, he is reported to have told President George W. Bush, ``George, you have to understand that Ukraine is not even a country.''

A year before that, he displayed his anger toward the US and NATO in a pivotal speech at the Munich Security Conference, blasting the alliance's expansion eastward and attacking American military intervention abroad. The U.S. was mired at the time in the Iraq War, launched on the basis of false assertions about Iraq having nuclear weapons capability.

``The United States has overstepped its national borders in every way,'' Putin said then. ``This is visible in the economic, political, cultural and educational policies it imposes on other nations.''

Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, said he had not seen evidence prior to the Ukraine invasion to suggest Putin was behaving irrationally, and he noted that other world leaders in history have been dismissed by outsiders as irrational. Putin, he said, has ``an incredible appetite for risk when it comes to Ukraine.''

Two years ago, Putin endorsed the latest version of a Russian nuclear deterrent policy that allows for the use of atomic weapons in response to a nuclear attack or aggression involving conventional weapons that ``threatens the very existence of the state.''

Putin's associate Dmitry Medvedev, who served as placeholder president when Putin shifted into the prime minister's seat due to term limits, said in 2019 that a move by the West to cut Russia off from the SWIFT financial system would amount to an effective declaration of war a signal that the Kremlin may view Western sanctions as a threat on par with military aggression. The sanctions announced in recent days include cutting key Russian banks out of SWIFT. The ruble has since plummeted.

In 2018, Putin told an audience that Russia wouldn't strike first in a nuclear conflict but theorized about retaliating against an imminent enemy attack, adding with a smirk: ``We would be victims of aggression and would get to heaven as martyrs. And they will just die and not even have time to repent.''

James M. Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said he did not believe nuclear war was imminent but there was real potential for escalation. Another possibility was Putin would use increasingly brutal non-nuclear tactics in Ukraine.

Acton suggested finding an ``off-ramp'' that might allow Putin a perceived victory. In 1962, during the Cuban missile crisis, the US secretly agreed to remove nuclear missiles from Turkey in exchange for the Soviets pulling back from Cuba.

But, Acton added, ``I'm not entirely clear whether he in his own mind knows what an off-ramp looks like right now.''

Jeffrey Lewis, an expert on nuclear policy at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said he wasn't immediately worried about a nuclear escalation. But one danger of sending public signals about nuclear weapons is that they can be difficult to interpret, Lewis said, just as the world is trying now to understand Putin's latest moves and intentions.

``He is isolated and making poor decisions and losing,'' Lewis said. ``And that is dangerous.''

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Turkey's defense minister has called for a ceasefire in the conflict in Ukraine during a telephone discussion with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, according to the Turkish defense ministry.

During their conversation, Hulusi Akar ``emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire'' to improve the humanitarian situation and to allow the evacuation of people caught up in Russia's military attacks on Ukraine, according to a ministry statement.

The Turkish minister also told Shoigu that Turkey would continue to work to restore peace in the region and to help provide humanitarian aid.

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NATO foreign ministers will hold emergency talks in Brussels on Friday over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the alliance said in a statement.

NATO allies have rushed to bolster their eastern flank after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the attack, but remain adamant that they will not get involved militarily in the war in non-NATO member Ukraine.

NATO has for the first time activated its rapid response force to add to thousands of troops already sent by allies to eastern members.

The alliance has faced calls to help impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine as Russia has launched air strikes against civilian targets.

NATO has rejected that idea, arguing it could drag the alliance what could turn into a nuclear conflict with with Moscow.

"We have to accept the reality that that involves shooting down Russian planes," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday on a trip to Estonia with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

"That's a very, very big step that is simply not on the agenda of any NATO country."

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The United States had on Monday already asked for the removal of 12 members of the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN by March 7, accusing them of spying.

"This is a hostile move against our country," Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoli Antonov said in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday, adding that Moscow was "deeply disappointed" and "totally rejected" the US claims.
The vote on the document took place on Tuesday at an emergency plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) almost unanimously approved a resolution condemning Russia's military operation in Ukraine and calling for tough sanctions against Moscow, including restriction of oil and gas imports from Russia and disconnecting the country from SWIFT.

The European Parliament calls for the EU institutions to work towards granting EU candidate status to Ukraine, and, in the meantime, to continue to work towards its integration into the EU single market along the lines of the Association Agreement, the document reads.

"The European Parliament condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federations illegal, unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against and invasion of Ukraine, as well as the involvement of Belarus in this aggression," according to the resolution, which is recommendatory in nature.

The members of the European Parliament called on the EU to impose new tough sanctions against Russia, which in particular should be "aimed at strategically weakening the Russian economy and industrial base, in particular the military-industrial complex, and thereby the ability of the Russian Federation to threaten international security in the future."

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At Berlin central station, commuters rush past a mother and her four children as they stand bewildered on the platform, weighed down by heavy luggage.

Two of them, still toddlers, are wearing hats and jackets in blue and yellow, the colours of the flag of Ukraine, the country from where they have just fled.

Germany has opened its doors to refugees from Ukraine since Russia's invasion of the country began last week, displacing more than half a million people already.

National rail operator Deutsche Bahn has laid on free travel for refugees and is also preparing to charter additional trains from the Polish border.



Refugees from Ukraine cross into Poland at the Medyka crossing, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. AP

"We are going to Dresden (in eastern Germany). We have a good friend there who said he could find us a place to stay," 17-year-old Ukrainian student Maxym Floria tells AFP.

Floria set off four days ago with his mother and younger brother from Izmail, in the Odessa region, and has travelled through Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland to get here.

"If Odessa fell we didn't stand a chance, so we decided to leave with my family," he said.

Only a relatively small number have made it to Germany so far: around 1,800, according to a spokesman for the interior ministry.

Men Left Behind

Of the more than 500,000 people who have left Ukraine to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, more than half of them are in Poland, according to the UNHCR.

Floria's father, like all men aged between 18 and 60, has not been allowed to leave Ukraine as he has been called up to fight.



A father hugs his daughter as the family reunite after fleeing conflict in Ukraine, at the Medyka border crossing, in Poland, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. AP

The family are not intending to stay in Germany permanently.

"I firmly believe that we will be able to go home safely and that everyone will fight for our country," Floria said, visibly emotional and exhausted.

Berlin is expecting to see a sharp increase in the number of women and children arriving from Ukraine in the coming days.

The German capital and the surrounding state of Brandenburg have already reactivated some of the systems deployed in 2015 to cope with an influx of refugees from the Middle East, mainly Iraq and Syria.

Ukraine is at least 700 kilometres (430 miles) from Berlin, but Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has repeatedly stressed that Germany's borders are open to those fleeing the conflict.

Night Train From Warsaw

The Russian invasion has provoked an outpouring of support in Germany, with more than 100,000 people joining a demonstration in Berlin on Sunday to show solidarity with Ukraine.



People walk down the boulevard 'Strasse des 17. Juni' ahead of a rally against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Berlin, Germany, Feb. 27, 2022. AP

Some have also taken to social media to organise initiatives to transport food and clothes to the Polish-Ukrainian border and to offer accommodation in Berlin.

The European Union is planning to grant Ukrainians fleeing the war the right to stay and work in the 27-nation bloc for up to three years.

At Berlin Hauptbahnhof, one of the largest stations in Europe, the situation is a far cry from 2015, when Germans welcomed cohorts of refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria by serving them soup and handing out toothbrushes.

On platform 14, police officers and volunteers draped in Ukrainian flags are there to welcome a handful of refugee families who have just arrived on the night train from Warsaw.

Berlin has already prepared 1,300 emergency beds for refugees and is planning to add 1,200 more in the coming days.

In Brandenburg, which borders Poland, accommodation is being readied for 10,000 people, regional interior minister Michael Stuebgen told the RBB broadcaster.

The authorities are also counting on support from the 330,000 Ukrainians or people of Ukrainian origin already living in Germany, many of whom still have family and friends back home.

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Some 677,000 refugees have fled the conflict in Ukraine for safety in neighboring countries, while around a million people are estimated to be internally displaced, the United Nations said Tuesday.

The UN Refugee Agency chief Filippo Grandi said the numbers of people on the move was "extremely worrying", as Russian troops pound cities in eastern Ukraine, on day six of Moscow's invasion.

Grandi told a press conference in Geneva that the latest figure he had was 677,000 people who had fled from Ukraine to neighbouring countries.

"We are looking at what could become Europe's largest refugee crisis this century," he said.

Grandi said that around half had fled to Poland, whilst roughly 90,000 had reached Hungary, 60,000 Moldova, 50,000 Slovakia and 40,000 Romania.

At an earlier press conference, Shabia Mantoo, a spokeswoman for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said the numbers were "exponentially increasing".

She said that all neighbouring countries had so far kept their borders open for refugees fleeing Ukraine -- including a "sizeable number" who have crossed into Russia.

"UNHCR urges governments to continue to maintain access to territory for all those fleeing: Ukrainians, and third-country nationals living in Ukraine, who are now forced to escape the violence," she said.

Internally Displaced

Meanwhile in Stockholm, Karolina Lindholm Billing, the UNHCR representative to Ukraine, estimated that a million people had been internally displaced by the Russian invasion.

"We estimate that it has to be about one million people who have fled internally or who are currently on a train, a bus or in a car trying to get to a safety," she told a press conference in Stockholm.

She cautioned that the agency still did not have reliable figures.

Mantoo said that at the Polish border, UNCHR staff reported that people who managed to cross the frontier had been waiting up to 60 hours in freezing temperatures.

"Refugees who have the means are finding their own accommodation, whereas others are being hosted with local communities who have opened their homes, or sheltered in reception centres," she said.

There are queues of up to 20 hours to enter Romania, said Mantoo, with volunteers providing interpretation services, while it is taking 24 hours to cover the 60 kilometres (37 miles) between the Ukrainian port city of Odessa and the border with Moldova.

New arrivals in Moldova are being accommodated in temporary reception centres, while the UNHCR is distributing relief items, including blankets and sleeping bags, with an airlift from Dubai of more supplies due to arrive on Wednesday.

The UN's International Organization for Migration said an estimated 470,000 third-country nationals were living in Ukraine, including a large number of overseas students and labour migrants.

"While 6,000 of those have been confirmed to have arrived in Moldova and Slovakia alone, many remain stranded amidst the worsening security situation," spokeswoman Safa Msehli told journalists in Geneva.

"We appeal to states to protect people forced from their homes due to the fighting and to allow them to cross Ukraine's borders to safety -- without discrimination."

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The official added that it appeared Russian forces were trying to section off the eastern part of Ukraine by controlling from Kharkiv to Mariupol in the south. Neither city had been broken by Russian advances, although Kharkiv has seen the "heaviest fighting," according to officials. A senior official on Sunday cautioned that Russian forces are likely to learn from their initial invasion failures and adapt for future attacks.

"Airspace over Ukraine remains contested. Russians have not achieved air superiority over the whole country. Ukrainian air defenses remain intact and viable, both in terms of aircraft and missile defense systems," a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has now committed nearly 75 percent of the combat power Russia pre-positioned around Ukraine's borders to the invasion. But videos posted on social media show lines of Russian tanks and armored vehicles have been wiped out. Warplanes and helicopters have been shot down, according to officials, and Russian troops have been stranded on roadsides after their vehicles ran out of fuel.

"Ukrainians are putting up continued, and sustained and stiff resistance in and around Kyiv," the official said. "They (the Russians) have been frustrated by their lack of progress on Kyiv."

Ukrainian resistance coupled with Russian military logistical failures have slowed Moscow's invasion into Ukraine. After five days of fighting, Russia's military has not taken a single major Ukrainian city, with its "main push" toward Kyiv about 25 km outside the city center after only advancing a handful of kilometers Sunday, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

Moscow and Kyiv will hold a second round of peace talks, according to both governments, after Ukrainian delegates demanded an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian forces during initial talks Monday on the border with Belarus.

 Ukraine Seeks EU Admittance

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the European Union to grant his country immediate membership in the bloc. Zelenskyy signed an application for Ukraine to join the European Union on Monday, asking for a fast-track EU accession in a video message in which he also encouraged Russian troops to lay down their arms. "Our goal is to be together with all Europeans and, most importantly, to be on an equal footing," he said. "I'm sure it's fair. I'm sure it's possible."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he spoke with the Ukrainian leader by phone and "commended him for the bravery of the people and armed forces of Ukraine." "NATO allies are stepping up support with air-defense missiles, anti-tank weapons, as well as humanitarian and financial aid," Stoltenberg tweeted.

Russia faced increased diplomatic and economic pressure Monday, the fifth day of its invasion, with the United Nations General Assembly due to hold an emergency session, Russia's currency plunging to a record low and the addition of new sanctions against the country's central bank.

Among the new sanctions imposed Monday, Britain prohibited British entities from conducting transactions with Russia's central bank, finance ministry and wealth fund, while Singapore announced a set of sanctions that include targeting bank transactions and export controls.

A day after the European Union said it was sending fighter jets to Ukraine, Australia on Monday committed to an unspecified delivery of lethal military equipment. Asked by VOA how the U.S. was helping get international military aid to Ukrainians, the senior defense official told reporters, "I don't know of a single unified sort of body to pull that together. Right now, countries are doing what they can, when they can, and where they can, and that includes the United States."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that the EU was engaging in hostile behavior toward Russia, and that providing arms to Ukraine was an "extremely dangerous and destabilizing factor." Peskov also said that while sanctions imposed against Moscow are heavy, Russia has been planning for them and "has the potential to offset the harm."

The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden would hold a call with several allies Monday to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine "and to coordinate our united response."

At least 350 civilians have been killed since Russia invaded last week, with another 1,700 wounded, Ukraine said Sunday. There was no information about casualties among Ukrainian forces, and while Russia has acknowledged casualties among its troops, it has not publicly disclosed any count.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi tweeted Monday that more than 500,000 refugees have fled Ukraine for neighboring countries. Putin told his defense minister to put nuclear forces in a "special regime of combat duty" Sunday, saying that leading NATO powers had made "aggressive statements" and imposed financial sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.

Following a vote for a rare special session of the UN General Assembly, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield responded to Putin's nuclear alert, saying Russia "is under no threat from NATO, a defensive alliance that will not fight in Ukraine. This is another escalatory and unnecessary step that threatens us all. We urge Russia to tone down its dangerous rhetoric regarding nuclear weapons."

Russia voted against calling Monday's special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly but could not exercise veto power on the procedural vote. China, the United Arab Emirates and India abstained.

Explaining China's abstention, UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said Beijing believes the top priority now is for all parties to exercise the necessary restraint to prevent the situation from getting worse. "Actions taken by the U.N. should help cool the situation and facilitate diplomatic solutions and restrain from aggravating tensions," Zhang said.


A bill to protect the right to have an abortion in the United States died in the Senate on Monday after it failed to garner enough Republican support to pass a procedural vote.

While the Women's Health Protection Act was expected to fail, Democratic leaders were under pressure from constituents to put it to a vote anyway in a show of support for federal abortion rights, as the U.S. Supreme Court could soon upend those rights.

Reproductive rights advocates see federal legislation as possibly the best chance to codify the right to terminate pregnancy in the United States, particularly after the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative justices signaled, they could soon cut constitutional protections.

The bill would have needed several Republicans' support to reach the necessary 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. The vote was 48-46. Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat, voted against the bill, as did Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, moderate Republicans who have supported limited abortion rights.

"Abortion is a fundamental right and women's decisions over women's health care belong to women, not to extremist right-wing legislators," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters ahead of Monday's vote.

Abortion opponents characterized the bill as radical and said it would nullify state laws that have been passed to restrict abortions. "It's extreme. It's an egregious violation of the most fundamental of all human rights, and that is the right to life," Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana said of the bill in debate on Monday.


KYODO NEWS - Mar 2, 2022 - 12:35 | All, World

The International Energy Agency said Tuesday its member countries, including the United States and Japan, agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves to ensure the stability of oil markets amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Such a coordinated release of petroleum stocks, the first of its kind since 2011, is intended to "send a unified and strong message" to global markets that there will be no supply shortfalls as a result of the attack launched by Russia, the world's third-largest oil producer and largest exporter, the IEA said in a press release.

The agreement was reached during a ministerial-level meeting, against a backdrop of already tight global oil markets, heightened price volatility and commercial inventories that are at their lowest level since 2014, the Paris-based agency said.

"The situation in energy markets is very serious and demands our full attention," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a press release, adding that global energy security is "under threat," putting the world economy at risk during a fragile stage of recovery from setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Japanese industry minister Koichi Hagiuda said after the meeting that the agreement among the 31 member countries of the IEA is intended to show "our will to the world that the international community is joining hands to overcome this difficult time." Japan's share will be decided later, he said.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement the IEA's response reflects "our common commitment to address significant market and supply disruptions related to President (Vladimir) Putin's war on Ukraine." The United States said it will release 30 million barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

IEA members hold emergency stockpiles totaling 1.5 billion barrels. The coordinated drawdown is the fourth in the history of the IEA, which was created in 1974, with the last one taking place in 2011 amid disruption to oil supplies from Libya.

The latest decision comes amid already high oil demand driven by a rapid recovery of economic activities after the coronavirus pandemic downturn.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures, the U.S. oil benchmark, topped $109 in after-hours trading Tuesday, the highest since September 2013.

The IEA agreed to continue monitoring markets and consider further releases as necessary, the White House said.

"We are prepared to use every tool available to us to limit disruption to global energy supply as a result of Putin's actions," Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

The IEA also said the ministers resolved that energy supply "should not be used as a means of political coercion nor as a threat to national and international security."

They also discussed Europe's "significant reliance" on Russian natural gas and the need to reduce it by looking to other suppliers, including via liquefied natural gas, amid concerns that Moscow may weaponize dependence on its energy exports.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 2, 2022 - 07:02 | All, World

The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden on Tuesday slammed China for having "distorted" global trade through its unfair economic practices, and vowed to work with allies and partners to confront moves that undermine market competition.

In its annual trade policy agenda released the same day, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also underscored its efforts to beef up economic engagement with Asian countries through a planned "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework," an idea initially announced by Biden in October amid China's growing economic clout in the region.

The USTR said it plans to release additional details in the "near future" on the framework, calling it "a key part of the administration's Indo-Pacific Strategy that will strengthen the United States' ties to an important and dynamic region."

The report was particularly harsh with regard to China, citing "a wide array of unfair, distortive measures" that provide substantial support to Chinese industries, as well as the country's failure to ensure basic labor rights and its achieving of low operating costs through "artificially low wages and poor worker protections."

It also criticized Beijing's alleged use of forced labor involving the Muslim Uyghur minority in the far-western Xinjiang region, calling its use in supply chains not only an "extreme form of unfair competition" but a "moral stain."

"China's approach to trade drives frictions in many of China's trade relationships -- not just ours," the USTR said, adding that Beijing is posing "threats" to the United States.

"We are also considering all existing tools -- and will potentially seek new ones as needed -- to combat the harms of China's state-led, non-market practices," it said, without elaborating.

On the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which is expected to be launched early this year, the report said it will address key areas of cooperation such as trade, supply chain resilience and clean energy.

The USTR will lead efforts to craft a "trade arrangement" with parties that includes provisions on high-standard labor commitments as well as cooperation in the digital economy, it said.

The framework is expected to help make up for U.S. absence from major regional free trade agreements, but experts are skeptical as to whether it could lead to deeper economic integration in the region, as it seems unlikely that it would involve politically sensitive trade liberalization commitments at this time.

China, meanwhile, is part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade agreement that also involves members including Japan, South Korea and the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Beijing has also applied to join an 11-member Pacific free trade pact known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. The United States withdrew in 2017 from the original version of the deal.

On trade relations with Japan, the USTR hailed the Asian country as "a valued trading partner of the United States, as well as a close ally."

Through an initiative launched last year called the U.S.-Japan Partnership on Trade, the two countries will engage regularly to advance cooperation on trade as well as to address issues of concern for either side, the report said.

The initial areas of focus for cooperation include issues such as "third country concerns," the USTR said in the report, an apparent reference to China's unfair economic policies.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 1, 2022 - 15:18 | All, World, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan eased COVID-19 border controls on Tuesday, setting its limit on new entrants at 5,000 per day, up from the previous 3,500, and reducing or exempting quarantine periods for both Japanese and foreign nationals.

Within the daily cap, which was relaxed for the first time in three months, foreign nationals will be able to enter Japan for purposes other than tourism.

But more than 400,000 people already eligible for visas have been unable to enter the country as of Jan. 4, according to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan, and calls for further easing of the controls remain strong among business and academic communities at home and abroad.

Japan's entry ban on nonresident foreigners effective from late November to the end of February, initially aimed at keeping the Omicron variant of the coronavirus at bay, has sparked a chorus of criticism for being too strict and not based on epidemiological reasoning.

After arriving in Japan, travelers will now be asked to quarantine for three days and required to test negative for the virus on the last day of that period.

Those who have been vaccinated three times and depart from countries where infections are stabilizing will not need to quarantine.

"I was able to smoothly return to Japan since I have completed my third round of inoculation and was exempt from quarantine," said Akira Onodera, 57, who arrived at Narita airport near Tokyo from Hanoi, Vietnam, after working there.

"But I am worried about whether the easing would cause a resurgence of the infections," he said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said foreign students and technical interns have been waiting for entry into Japan and that the country is seeking to allow more people in.

"By considering infection situations in Japan and abroad as well as demand of Japanese nationals returning, we will increase international traffic in steps," Matsuno said.

Of the roughly 407,600 people awaiting entry to Japan, about 152,900 are students, according to the agency.

Since late November, only a fraction of nonresident foreigners wishing to enter Japan had been granted entry as exceptions. The relaxation came ahead of the start of the new school and business year in April.

While business leaders, academics and even ruling party lawmakers have argued Japan's policy is still too tough and the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits, the government is considering raising the daily ceiling in stages to allow in up to tens of thousands of new entrants in the near future.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 1, 2022 - 18:34 | All, Japan

Major Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. said Tuesday they will consult with the government to assess Shell PLC's planned exit from its flagship oil and natural gas business in eastern Russia.

The British oil major said Monday it is exiting Sakhalin 2, its joint venture with Russian energy company Gazprom and a massive oil and gas project located on Sakhalin island, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Shell has a 27. 5 percent stake in the project, while Mitsui and Mitsubishi hold 12.5 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

The project has been one of the main sources of natural gas supply to Japan. It can produce 9.6 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually, and about 60 percent of its production is shipped to Japan, according to Mitsubishi's website.

The Japanese companies said they will analyze details of Shell's decision and consider how to handle the situation with the government and related parties.

Shell's move comes as the United States and its allies step up economic sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Another British energy giant, BP PLC, said Sunday it would sell its stake in Russian oil company Rosneft.

"We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security," Shell's chief executive Ben van Beurden said in a statement.

Shell said it is also pulling out of its other Russian businesses, including the Nord Stream 2 project, a pipeline built to send Russia's natural gas to Germany.

Japan has joined the United States and European allies in blocking access by some Russian banks to the SWIFT international payment system.

The United States is considering ways to exclude energy transactions from the sanction, Japan's industry minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters Tuesday.

"We will coordinate with the United States and European countries to prevent any disruption of energy supplies to Japan," he said.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 1, 2022 - 23:16 | All, Japan

The leaders of Japan and France agreed Tuesday to enforce "strong" sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and opposed Moscow's nuclear threat.

During roughly 25-minute phone talks, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron shared the view that Russia's use of force to unilaterally change the status quo clearly violates international law and threatens the global order. They agreed to coordinate closely in their response to the crisis, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

"I stressed (during the talks) that a globally united and resolute action is necessary to protect the foundation of the international order," Kishida told reporters at his office after the phone conversation.

The Russian aggression has triggered a chorus of criticism from countries that support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Japan and France are among the Group of Seven nations imposing economic sanctions against Russia after Russian troops invaded Ukraine last week despite tenacious diplomatic efforts by the West to prevent such a scenario. Macron had sought to deter Russia by talking directly with President Vladimir Putin.

Japan has joined a coordinated attempt by the United States and other G-7 members -- Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy plus the European Union -- to cut some Russian banks off the SWIFT international network. The punitive step will hamper Russian trade as SWIFT is critical infrastructure in transmitting financial information between banks when making or receiving payments.

Tensions have spiked since Putin put his nuclear forces on high alert amid uncertainty over any cease-fire as talks between Kyiv and Moscow continue.

Kishida has been pushing for the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons as prime minister of Japan, the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings, and as a lawmaker elected from Hiroshima.

"We should not allow any change to the status quo by force. We need to be mindful that this is a challenge faced by Europe and the broader international community including Asia," Kishida said.

The Ukrainian crisis has raised concerns about its ramifications for Asia where China's military build-up and assertive territorial claims have heightened regional tensions. As the G-7 seeks to isolate Russia, how China will respond to the crisis has been in focus.

Kishida also spoke by phone with Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh of Laos to deepen cooperation toward achieving a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region.

During the 35-minute conversation, Kishida expressed hope that Laos and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will "clearly support" the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Japan has been deepening ties with 10-member ASEAN with some like Cambodia and Laos having close ties with China while Vietnam and the Philippines among others have territorial disputes in the South China Sea with Beijing.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 1, 2022 - 21:18 | World, All

A delegation of former U.S. defense and security officials arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday, drawing ire from Beijing over interactions between the United States and the self-ruled island following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden sent the delegation led by Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the island, showing that Taiwan-U.S. relations are "rock solid," Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said at a press briefing.

But the visit triggered a strong reaction from Beijing, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin urging the United States to adhere to the "one China" principle and stop any form of official contact with Taiwan.

Wang added at a regular news conference in Beijing that the United States should "handle Taiwan-related issues prudently" to avoid seriously undermining China-U.S. relations as well as peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The U.S. delegation's two-day visit comes as Russia launched an attack on Ukraine from multiple fronts last week, causing concern that Chinese President Xi Jinping might emulate his Russian counterpart's strategy and exploit the confusion to seize Taiwan.

Earlier Tuesday, Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters at the legislature that the visit by the high-level delegation underscores the significance of the self-ruled island's strategic location and the steadfast support of the United States for Taiwan.

The delegation members include Michele Flournoy, a former undersecretary of defense under the administration of President Barack Obama, and Meghan O'Sullivan, a former deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush.

Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang said President Tsai Ing-wen will meet on Wednesday morning with the members of the delegation, the first such group of former officials sent by Biden to Taiwan since April 2021.

Separately, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to arrive in Taiwan on Wednesday for a four-day visit and will hold talks with Tsai, according to the Foreign Ministry.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. Beijing regards the island as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland by force if necessary.
Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi, Kenya. The resumed fifth session of the UNEA-5 kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday.(Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

NAIROBI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday, with delegates renewing call for action on the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss in order to secure a green and resilient future for humanity.

More than 2,000 participants including environment ministers, diplomats, researchers, innovators and grassroots campaigners will be participating in the three-day forum that will take place in a hybrid format to chart a new course for the planet and its inhabitants.

Espen Barth Eide, the president of UNEA-5 and Norway's Climate and Environment minister said that faith in multilateralism was crucial to boost action on ecological threats, hasten a pandemic recovery that is green and inclusive.

He noted that human actions were fueling global warming, loss of species and plastic litter in waterways, adding that durable solution lied in a shift to less carbon intensive and circular economic activities.

Among key highlights of this year's global environment assembly will be adoption of a legally binding pact on ending plastic pollution and discussions on novel ways to regenerate ecosystems and tame the climate crisis.

In addition, the forum whose theme is "Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals" will discuss harmful chemicals in the agriculture sector and blue economy.

Inger Andersen, the executive director of UN Environment Program (UNEP) stressed that securing a peaceful, sustainable and green future for humanity was possible subject to robust action on plastic pollution, carbon emission and habitat loss.

"We have a responsibility to deliver solution to the crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss," said Anderson adding that financing and policy incentives were key to promote green growth.

Keriako Tobiko, Kenya's minister for Environment and Forestry said that delegates from 198 countries who will participate in the biennial UN environmental forum should come up with resolutions that aims to bequeath future generations a healthy, green and plastic free planet.

According to Tobiko, human activities had escalated plastic pollution, extinction of species and runway greenhouse gas emission, adding that long-term solution hinged on enforcing legislation, public awareness and incentivizing waste recyclers. 

Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi, Kenya. The resumed fifth session of the UNEA-5 kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday.(Xinhua/Long Lei)

Espen Barth Eide, the president of UNEA-5 and Norway's Climate and Environment minister, speaks at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 28, 2022. The resumed fifth session of the UNEA-5 kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday.(Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)

Keriako Tobiko, Kenya's minister for Environment and Forestry, speaks at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 28, 2022. The resumed fifth session of the UNEA-5 kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday.(Xinhua/Long Lei)

Inger Andersen, the executive director of UN Environment Program (UNEP), speaks at the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 28, 2022. The resumed fifth session of the UNEA-5 kicked off in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday.(Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)
Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows Ukrainian people in Trieste, Italy.

Some Ukrainian people on Monday arrived in Trieste, a port city located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. (Str/Xinhua)

Italian police officers check on Ukrainian people in Trieste, Italy, Feb. 28, 2022.

Some Ukrainian people on Monday arrived in Trieste, a port city located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows a Ukrainian child in Trieste, Italy.

Some Ukrainian people on Monday arrived in Trieste, a port city located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. (Str/Xinhua)

Italian police officers check on Ukrainian people in Trieste, Italy, Feb. 28, 2022.

Some Ukrainian people on Monday arrived in Trieste, a port city located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows Ukrainian people in Trieste, Italy.

Some Ukrainian people on Monday arrived in Trieste, a port city located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. (Str/Xinhua)

Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows Ukrainian people in Trieste, Italy.

Some Ukrainian people on Monday arrived in Trieste, a port city located on the border between Italy and Slovenia. (Str/Xinhua)
Photo taken on June 6, 2020 shows the electric buses manufactured by Chinese company BYD heading for Santiago from the Port San Antonio in Chile. (BYD Company Limited/Handout via Xinhua)

Chile is aiming for 100-percent electric public transportation by 2040 and carbon neutrality by 2050.

SANTIAGO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chile's government has approved a new nationwide electromobility strategy to speed up sustainable development.

"This is a national policy that draws up a roadmap to move towards the development of sustainable transportation, with direct benefits for citizens, and will also let us reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels," Deputy Energy Minister Francisco Lopez said in a statement.

The plan's primary goal is to push exclusively zero-emission light and medium vehicles to the market by 2035, including public transit vehicles and major mobile machinery.

The Energy Ministry will lead and monitor the implementation of the strategy, which will also be updated every five years.

Chile is aiming for 100-percent electric public transportation by 2040 and carbon neutrality by 2050. 
ATHENS, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Seven bodies have been recovered after a boat carrying refugees and migrants sank off the coast of Greece's Lesvos island on Tuesday, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

A rescue operation by the local Coast Guard is under way to locate any survivors, as it was still unclear how many people were on board the boat when it overturned and what the circumstances of the incident were.

For years, Greece has hosted a large number of refugees fleeing conflict and poverty. Hundreds of refugees trying to seek safety in Europe have perished in the Aegean Sea in the past seven years. 
Joint statement by the South Asian affiliates of IPPNW on Russia Ukraine conflict

Date: 28.02.2022

Various affiliates of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) from South Asian countries have expressed grave concern at the serious health and humanitarian crisis due to war between Russia and Ukraine. Affiliates who participated in a virtual meet include Pakistan Doctors for Peace and Development (PDPD), Physicians for Social Responsibility Nepal (PSRN), Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) Bangladesh, Sri Lankan Doctors for Peace and Development (SDPD) and Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD). In a joint statement they said that as medical doctors we are much concerned about the humanitarian crisis due to war between the two countries. It has been estimated that the fighting could kill 25,000 to 50,000 civilians, 5,000 to 25,000 Ukrainian military personnel, and 3,000 to 10,000 Russian soldiers. It could also generate 1 to 5 million refugees. Any escalation could lead to use of nuclear weapons which would be catastrophic. The studies conducted by IPPNW have shown that even a limited nuclear exchange would put over two billion people at risk. Such a war at this moment may not remain localised to Europe alone. With direct or indirect participation of the US and NATO in the conflict, the danger lies that it will lead to involvement of other countries in the time to come.

The statements made by the Ukrainian government about the acquisition of nuclear weapons. Russia, which has nuclear weapons, has actually hinted at their possible use. Both Russia and the United States, that backs the Ukrainian government, are major nuclear possessing countries. The nuclear weapons could be launched by misunderstanding, by accident or otherwise. Any attack on Chernobyl or at any other nuclear plant would be disastrous.

Continuation of war will push the whole world, particularly the low and middle income countries, who are badly affected economically by the COVID Pandemic, into deep crisis.

Therefore it is urgently needed that the two countries reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis through mutual dialogue and confidence building measures.

We demand immediate cessation of Russian military operations and withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.

We also demand respect to the work of doctors, nurses and other health care workers.

Respective governments of South Asia should to take immediate measures to bring back their citizens from the war zones.

It is time the United Nations should come forward and take effective steps to stop this war and help in negotiating wide-ranging peace talks covering all the relevant issues and concerns of both Russia and Ukraine.

We also urge all the governments around the world to come forward to restore peace. India as a leader of the Non-Aligned movement in the past should play an active role towards seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Whereas we support protests by citizens in Russia, who are opposed to war and appeal to all the peace-loving citizens and organisations to come forward and raise voce against war.

Signatories:

Dr Arun Mitra  Co President IPPNW

Dr S S Soodan  Regional Vice President IPPNW South Asia

Dr Kamrul H Khan  Deputy Chair International Council IPPNW

Dr Tipu Sultan  President Pakistan Doctors for Peace and Development

Dr Asoka Hettiaracchhi  President Sri Lankan Doctors for Peace and Development

Dr Sharad Onta  President Physicians for Social Responsibility Nepal
KHARTOUM, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Monday called for reaching understandings between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia to start a smooth and effective negotiation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

"Sudan is the most in need for consensus among the three countries, and has been negatively affected by the prolonged negotiation without reaching a binding legal agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD," Sudan's acting Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Daw Al-Bait Abdul-Rahman said in a meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Sudan Hossam Eissa.

The meeting was part of the two countries' efforts to push the negotiation issue on the Ethiopian Nile dam, Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.

"The remaining clauses of difference among Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia require political will from all parties," the minister said.

The Egyptian ambassador delivered a message to the Sudanese minister from his Egyptian counterpart, voicing Egypt's full readiness for cooperation and coordination in all fields, according to SUNA.

The meeting discussed Ethiopia's decision to generate electricity from the GERD, and reviewed activation of cooperation mechanisms between Sudan and Egypt to achieve the common goals of the two countries and the Nile Basin countries.

Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia have been negotiating under the African Union over technical and legal issues related to the filling and operation of the GERD.

Sudan proposed a mediation quartet of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and the African Union regarding the GERD issue, while Ethiopia rejected the proposal.

Ethiopia, which started building the GERD in 2011, expects to produce more than 6,000 megawatts of electricity from the project, while Egypt and Sudan, both downstream Nile Basin countries that rely on the river for its fresh water, are concerned that the dam might affect their water resources. 
* The long-awaited negotiations between delegations from Russia and Ukraine were held in the Gomel region in Belarus and lasted for five hours.

* Putin said a settlement would only be possible if Russia's security concerns were considered, while Ukraine's key demands were an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops.

* As the fights continue, Ukrainians have flooded into border regions, hoping to find shelter and safety.

MOSCOW/KIEV, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine conducted their first round of negotiations in Belarus Monday, with both sides failing to reach a clear breakthrough.

NO CEASEFIRE, NOR BREAKTHROUGH

The long-awaited negotiations between delegations from Russia and Ukraine were held in the Gomel region in Belarus and lasted for five hours.

Headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Moscow's delegation was formed by representatives from the defense and foreign affairs ministries, among others.

Photo shows a view of the talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations held in the Gomel region in Belarus on Feb. 28, 2022. (Belta news agency via Xinhua)

Defense Minister Olexiy Reznikov and the deputy head of the ministry of foreign affairs were among the participants from the Ukrainian side.

Before the negotiations, representatives from the Russian side said a key aim of the consultations would be to achieve peace.

While the talks were carrying on, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. Putin reiterated that a settlement would only be possible if Russia's security concerns were considered.

Putin said it was important to recognize "Russia's sovereignty over Crimea," as well as the country's commitment to solving the tasks of Ukraine's "demilitarization and denazification," and the issue of Ukraine's neutral status, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Ukraine's key demands were an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

After the consultations, Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said that the next round of peace talks will take place on the Belarusian-Polish border in the coming days.

Medinsky said the delegations would now head back to their capitals to further discuss all negotiation positions and meet again for the next round of negotiations.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)





FLEEING AMID TENSIONS

The Ukrainian army said on Monday that the situation in Kiev was still under its control.

As the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian army posted on Facebook, Ukrainian forces still had Kiev in control, having defeated repeated attempts by Russian troops to storm into the outskirts of Kiev at night.

Valery Zaluzhny, chief commander of the armed forces of Ukraine, said Sunday on Facebook that Ukraine has mobilized about 100,000 troops amid the conflict with Russia.

The Russian air forces have gained air supremacy over the entire territory of Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry was quoted by local media as saying on Monday. The news is yet to be confirmed from the Ukrainian side.

In a Sunday meeting with top defense officials, Putin ordered the country's deterrence forces to be placed on "a special mode of combat duty."

Before the negotiations, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said during a briefing that all units were ordered to mount an offensive in accordance with the operation plan.

Russian forces have destroyed Ukraine's flagman aircraft An-225 Mriya, the world's biggest cargo plane, Ukraine's state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom said Sunday on Telegram.

As the fights continue, Ukrainians have flooded into border regions, hoping to find shelter and safety.

People from Ukraine arrive at Beregsurany, eastern Hungary, Feb. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Hao)

Hungarians living in rural villages came together to help people fleeing over the border with Ukraine.

"What you see here is a response to all the difficulties, problems and fear that are present in Ukraine," Gusztav Furedi, a volunteer with a Hungarian charity, told Xinhua.

Volunteers set up reception points, welcoming people from Ukraine with hot drinks and food and organizing free ongoing transport.

On the first day of Russia's military operation, Poland's border guard said 29,000 people came to Poland. This figure has now swelled to more than 100,000.

Holding her one-year-old son with one arm, Julia, who declined to give her full name, picked up convenience food from volunteers. Her older son plunged his head into a box full of plush toys donated by local people.

Julia's family lives in a small town in western Ukraine, while her husband works at a Skoda car factory in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. After the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, she decided to go to her husband's place.

People from Ukraine arrive at Medyka, Poland, Feb. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhou Nan)

Her father and brother drove her to the border area, the sounds of explosions heard along the way. She walked the last 20 km with her two sons to Poland and was finally reunited with her husband, who came to pick her up.

"The journey was difficult and dangerous, but now we are finally safe," said Julia.





SHOCK WAVES

The White House announced Saturday that the United States, joined by European nations and Canada, will remove some Russian banks from SWIFT, the payment system used for most international financial transactions.

This move escalates the West's economic sanctions against Moscow for its ongoing military operations in Ukraine.

The White House said in a joint statement that in concert with the European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Canada, the United States is supporting the expulsion of "selected Russian banks" from SWIFT "within the coming days" to "further isolate Russia from the international financial system and our economies."

Photo taken on Feb. 28, 2022 shows the U.S. Department of the Treasury in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"Europe's economy, which is far more closely tied to Russia's than the U.S. economy, could suffer if Russia was restricted or prohibited from using SWIFT, including if banks are blocked from access," NBC News reported on Sunday.

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the current sanctions against Russia could be a reason to review relations with states that have imposed them, noting that Russia may respond symmetrically to measures taken against Russian citizens and companies abroad, namely by seizing funds of foreigners and foreign companies in Russia.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday that the EU would shut its airspace to Russian airlines in response to its "special military operation" in Ukraine since early Thursday.

"We are shutting down the EU airspace for Russians," Von der Leyen said in a statement on Sunday, "We are proposing a prohibition on all Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft."

Due to the closure of EU airspace to Russia, the French Foreign Affairs Ministry on Sunday asked its nationals to leave Russia immediately.

"Due to the increasing restrictions on air traffic between Russia and Europe, it is strongly recommended that non-resident French nationals in Russia make arrangements to leave the country without delay by existing air links," the French ministry said in the latest traveling notice.

An "emergency special session" of the UN General Assembly to consider collective action on the Ukraine crisis was held on Monday following a Security Council resolution the day before to hold the meeting.

It is the first such resolution that the council has adopted in four decades, according to the Security Council Report. (Video reporters: Lu Jinbo, Li Dongxu; video editors: Hong Liang, Li Qin, Mu Xuyao, Liu Xiaorui)
TAIPEI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan reported 44 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including four locally transmitted infections and 40 imported ones, the island's disease monitoring agency said.

The new local infections, three in Taoyuan and one in Taipei, are all related to previously reported cases, it said.

To date, Taiwan has reported 20,533 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 15,439 were local infections. 
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Monday welcomed the ongoing cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait in the search for missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals.

In a press statement, the members of the council welcomed Kuwait's conclusion of the identification process of human remains recovered from Samawah in Iraq and transferred to Kuwait in 2019-2020. They noted that 59 sets of remains were identified as Kuwaiti and third-country nationals. They also noted that Kuwait returned to Iraq the six sets of remains that were not matched against its missing persons database.

The council members reiterated their deepest sympathy to the families of the missing and expressed their condolences for the lives lost.

They welcomed the sustained commitment of the Iraqi government to return all remaining Kuwaiti property and encouraged the Iraqi government to continue its search for the missing property, in particular, to reinvigorate its search for the missing Kuwaiti national archives. They expressed their appreciation to the Iraqi government for its efforts to fulfill all remaining obligations in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions. 
MOGADISHU, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The new African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia will focus on stabilization and state-building processes with a clear end goal in sight, a senior AU official said Tuesday.

Bankole Adeoye, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said the new mission to be called the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) will be multi-dimensional with clear timelines.

"ATMIS is 100 percent aligned with the Somalia Transition Plan. This implies that the strategy of the Government of Somalia and the objective of ATMIS will be aligned. This is the number one factor that will make a difference," Adeoye said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

The AU official has been on a three-day visit to Somalia where he held high-level engagements with government officials, civil society members and Somalia's international partners.

Somalia and the AU have adopted a roadmap to replace the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) with a new mission to be called ATMIS subject to authorization by both the AU Peace and Security Council as well as the UN Security Council.

"This time around, Somalia's plan is actually front and center of ATMIS, with the full support of the European Union and the whole gamut of the United Nations," Adeoye said.

He said the ATMIS will have a mobile and agile force that can rapidly degrade, eliminate and decimate terrorists or armed groups that are making life difficult for the good people of Somalia.

"ATMIS will have a character of a mission with an end goal, and that end goal is to transfer the full responsibilities of security to the Federal Government of Somalia," the AU official said.

The AU official said that the adoption of the Concept of Operations (CONOPs) and the joint proposal in early February for the establishment of a new mission in Somalia by the AU and the Somali government and other key stakeholders was a consultative and exhaustive process guided by a set of principles that included the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, national ownership and leadership by the government and adherence to the spirit of political dialogue, inclusivity and reconciliation.

"What I am taking away from here is that the African Union and the Government of Somalia remain within the vision and mission of the African Union to build an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent," Adeoye said at the end of his visit. 
TRIPOLI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday said that nearly 100 asylum-seekers were evacuated from Libya to Italy.

"The first humanitarian evacuation flight of the year brought nearly 100 vulnerable asylum-seekers out of Libya to safety in Italy," the UNHCR said in a statement.

The evacuated asylum-seekers included children, women at risk, survivors of violence and people with serious medical cases, the statement said.

"Some were recently released from detention while others had been held in captivity by smuggling or trafficking networks," it added.

The UNHCR expressed gratitude for the support from Italy, while calling on other states to consider similar safe pathways for bringing vulnerable asylum-seekers out of Libya.

Many illegal migrants, mostly from Africa, choose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya which has been suffering from a state of chaos since 2011 when former leader Muammar Qaddafi was overthrown.

So far this year, nearly 2,500 illegal migrants have been rescued at sea and returned to Libya, including women and children, according to the International Organization for Migration. 
by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

NEW DELHI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Atul Mishra, a 25-year-old resident from India's eastern state of Bihar, has been staying in Delhi, the country's capital city, for the past four years, hoping to get a job via extra training.

Mishra is among millions of unemployed youth in India trying to get a job that would change the fortunes of his family.

As a son of a farmer, he rented a room in the Rohini area of the city and has been preparing for a competitive exam to find a job in the government.

"I keep studying and time just passes by. The last two years have been spoiled by COVID-19, and now we'll see what happens next," Mishra told Xinhua.

Mishra aims to crack an exam that could land him in a government job. Every fortnight on Sunday, he visits the city Daryaganj makeshift book market to purchase test papers and then work on them at his rented house in order to train himself for the exam.

Daryaganj's Sunday makeshift book market is famous among young people, especially students.

On Sunday vendors occupy pavements and sell books ranging from academics to current affairs, magazines, test papers and study materials at cheaper rates to help students pass tough government exams.

"My agenda is to get a job so that I can secure the future of my family -- my parents, two sisters and a brother," Mishra said. "My father is a farmer but farming at present is not reliable enough to raise your family comfortably."

Young people like Mishra were supposed to fuel India's economy but they instead are fast becoming frustrated over the lack of jobs.

"Sometimes negative thoughts do occupy my mind like in this huge competition and unemployment if I didn't get a job, then what? But then I move out in open and try to overcome these fears," Mishra said.

"And even after I took the exam for getting a job, government agencies would take three to five years to declare the results," he complained.

Rising unemployment and lack of jobs are emerging as a big election issue in the ongoing local elections in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state.

Recently, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh's election campaign speech was interrupted by job-seeking youth in the state, who asked him when they will "initiate recruitment in the Indian army".

Like Uttar Pradesh, youth in other parts of India are also desperate for jobs and the distress sometimes turns into anger or violence.

Last month job seekers protested the alleged anomalies in the competitive exam conducted by the state-run Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB-NTPC) in Mishra's home state. Some of them set ablaze passenger trains.

The irate aspirants also pelted stones on police while trying to obstruct the movement of trains, forcing the police to fire smoke shells and use batons to disperse the protestors.

The aspirants opposed the Railway's decision to hold the exams in two stages, claiming the second stage for final selection amounted to "cheating". They claimed that there was only one examination mentioned in the RRB notification issued in 2019 and the government was playing with their future.

Millions of Indian youth including women are unable to find jobs as employment rates plummet across the country. Many graduates have stopped looking for jobs altogether and even the highly educated are settling for low-paid work.

In December last year, the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh advertised 15 job vacancy openings in government departments for peons, drivers and watchmen, which saw nearly 11,000 unemployed young men making a beeline not just from within the state but also neighboring Uttar Pradesh.

Although the jobs needed candidates who had cleared the 10th-grade exams, applicants included graduates, post-graduates and those who have engineering and law degrees.

"I have applied for the post of driver. I am also preparing for the judge's exam. I am from Madhav College. The situation is such that sometimes there is no money to buy books. So, I thought I will get some work," Jitendra Maurya, a law graduate told a local television news channel.

According to an economic research house -- the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India had 53 million unemployed people as of December 2021 and a huge proportion of them were women. Of them, 35 million were unemployed who were actively seeking work while 17 million were those who, though willing to work, were not actively seeking it.

The CMIE recently said the unemployment rate dropped in January 2022, which it claimed was a significant fall of 1.3 percentage points from a rather menacing 7.9 percent in December 2021 to a somewhat meeker 6.6 percent in January 2022.

"The number of unemployed people fell by a hefty 6.6 million. This sounds very good," it said.

But, there is a twist.

"The fall in the unemployment rate did not arise out of more people getting jobs. The 6.6 million drop in the count of unemployed does not mean that 6.6 million more jobs were created to employ them. They, rather disappointingly, just stopped looking for jobs. As a result, they were no longer counted as unemployed," Mahesh Vyas, managing director of the CMIE writes.

The CMIE said the employment rate, which is the most important indicator in labor statistics, rose in January to 37.6 percent from 37.2 percent in December.

As per the data available with the research house, the unemployment rate during February 2022 in India climbed to 8.1 percent.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has battered India's economy, which was already in the throes of a prolonged slowdown. The lockdown during the pandemic saw a loss of jobs and an increase in unemployment.

The number of active job seekers in the working-age population has fallen and youth mostly bear the brunt of sweeping job losses.

Experts say the COVID-19 pandemic is only partly responsible for the sharp decline in employment and the government was not creating enough jobs.

Former Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian government, Kaushik Basu, in an interview recently said that India is doing "very poorly" in terms of employment generation and the country's youth unemployment rate was "shockingly high".

He added that India's youth unemployment had been rising every year for a long time, and in 2019 before the pandemic hit, it reached the level of 23 percent.

"This is the kind of unemployment figure you see in deeply troubled economies, like Yemen and Iran," Basu said.

"Once again, this draws attention to where our policy focus needs to be," Basu added. "It has to be on helping the poor and the middle classes with job creation and for that we need higher investment and an atmosphere where creativity and entrepreneurship flourish." 
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that it is very important to restore calm and normalcy in Delhi. The statement from PM Modi comes after the death count in the communal violence over the amended citizenship law mounted to 20 in the national capital.

In a series of tweet, PM Modi said, "Had an extensive review on the situation prevailing in various parts of Delhi. Police and other agencies are working on the ground to ensure peace and normalcy."

"Peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times. It is important that there is calm and normalcy is restored at the earliest," he added.

Take a look:

Had an extensive review on the situation prevailing in various parts of Delhi. Police and other agencies are working on the ground to ensure peace and normalcy.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 26, 2020

Peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times. It is important that there is calm and normalcy is restored at the earliest.

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 26, 2020

Earlier today, interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah must resign over his failure to control the violence in North-East Delhi that has claimed 20 lives. Addressing media after the Congress Working Committees meet, Sonia Gandhi blamed the Centre for the grim, riot-like clashes in the areas of Maujpur, Jaffrabad, Bhajanpura, Gokulpuri among others.

The situation in Delhi is very tense. Where was Amit Shah and what was he doing while Delhi was burning, Gandhi asked. She also posed tough questions for Delhi Chief Minster. Where was Arvind Kejriwal, asked the interim Congress chief demanding an answer from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government.

Meanwhile, the Delhi police have identified over a dozen people for rioting. According to sources, gangsters from the Sakri Nasir gang and the Chenu gang were involved in the violence. The communal clashes incited in the national capital was a pre-planned conspiracy by the gangs, sources said.

Also Read: NSA Ajit Doval Meets Northeast Delhi Officials To Review Situation As Death Count In Communal Violence Mounts To 13

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval late on Tuesday night reached Seelmapur in northeast Delhi to review situation.

(With Agency Inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the AAP government will give Rs 1 crore to the family of police head constable Ratan Lal, who was killed during a communal violence in northeast Delhi on Monday over amended citizenship law, and a government job to a kin. I want to assure the family of Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal ji that we will take care of them. We will give a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a job to a member of his family, Kejriwal in the state assembly.

Kejirwal had visited Lal's family on Tuesday. Politics of hatred and violence will not be tolerated. Common man of Delhi did not indulge in violence; outsiders, some political elements are involved in it, Kejriwal said.

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah wrote to the deceased cops wife, conveying his condolences and said the entire country was with the family of the brave policeman in this hour of grief.

Also Read | Delhi Violence: Police Constable Ratan Lal Died Of Bullet Injury, Confirms Autopsy Report

In his letter to Lal's wife Poonam Devi, Shah said he had made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

Your brave husband was a dedicated policeman who faced tough challenges. As a true soldier he made the supreme sacrifice to serve this country. I pray that God gives you strength to bear this sad and untimely loss, the home minister wrote.

Shah said the entire country was with the family in this hour of grief. The head constable was among 23 people killed in spiralling violence over the amended citizenship law in northeast Delhi.

Also Read | Delhi Violence: NSA Ajit Doval Briefs Home Minister Amit Shah On Prevailing Situation In Northeast Region

Frenzied protesters torched houses, shops, vehicles and a petrol pump, besides hurling stones at security personnel. Lal hailed from Tehawali village at Fatehpur-Shekhawati Tehsil in Sikar district of Rajasthan.

(With PTI inputs)
New Delhi:

Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rampur MP Azam Khan, his wife Tanzeem Fatima and son Abdullah Azam were sent to seven days judicial custody after they surrendered in the district court on Wednesday. The next hearing of the case will be on March 2.

This comes a day after local MP-MLA court in Rampur had ordered attachments of the properties of Azam Khan, Tanzeen Fatima, and Abdullah Azam after non-bailable warrants were issued against them in one of the cases and they still refused to appear in court.

It is to be noted that Azam Khan and his family had been ignoring summons by the courts in various cases lodged against them as a result of which warrants were issued against them.

Azam Khan had made several attempts to get anticipatory bail but his request was denied by the court.

On February 14, Allahabad High Court dismissed a plea Azam Khan seeking quashing of a chargesheet indicting him along with his legislator wife and ex-MLA son for allegedly committing forgery in securing a fake birth certificate for the latter.

Also Read: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tweets On Delhi Violence, Says Important To Restore Calm And Normalcy

In July last year, more than 4 cases were lodged against Azam Khan and his family. Azam Khan was booked for land grabbing, encroachment, book theft, power theft, statue theft, buffalo theft, goat theft. On the other hand, Abdullah Azam was booked for forgery in birth date documents. He even lost his membership of the state assembly after he was found guilty of forgery.

(With Agency Inputs)

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CCTV: It is reported that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations held negotiations in the Belarusian city of Gomel at the Belarus-Ukraine border on February 28. China has been saying that it hopes the two sides can seek a political settlement to the Ukraine issue through peaceful negotiations. Do you have any comment on the current negotiation situation?

Wang Wenbin: China always supports and encourages all diplomatic efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and welcomes the launch of the peaceful negotiations by Russia and Ukraine. We have noted that the two sides have agreed to conduct a new round of negotiations shortly. We hope they can keep up the dialogue and negotiation process to seek a political settlement that accommodates both sides legitimate security concerns, achieves common security in Europe and promotes Europes lasting peace and stability.

AFP: The IOC called for an international event ban for athletes from Russia and Belarus. If the International Paralympic Committee announced similar measures this week, will Russian athletes still compete in the Paralympic Winter Games?

Wang Wenbin: Please direct your question to the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG).

Macao Monthly: According to reports, US President Biden today decided to send a bipartisan delegation led by Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to visit Taiwan. Tsai Ing-wen is set to receive the delegation in Taipei on the morning of March 2. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: The Chinese people are firmly determined and resolved to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The attempt by the US to show support to Taiwan will be in vain, no matter who the US sends. China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and stipulations in the three China-US joint communiques, stop all forms of official interactions with Taiwan, and handle Taiwan-related issues in a prudent manner, lest it should further undermine the larger interests of China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Shenzhen TV: The US guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson recently sailed through the Taiwan Strait and hyped it up. What is your comment on this?

Wang Wenbin: I noticed that spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command has released a written statement on this.

What is the true intention of the US hyping of the USS passage through the Taiwan Strait?

If the US wants to embolden the Taiwan independence forces in this way, then we have this to say to the US: such move will only accelerate the demise of the Taiwan independence forces. The US will also pay a heavy price for its adventurist act.

If the US tries to intimidate and pressure China in this way, then we have this stern warning: the so-called military deterrence will be reduced to scrap iron when facing the steely great wall of the 1.4 billion Chinese people.

The trick of sending vessels to sail through the Taiwan Strait should be better saved to entertain those obsessed with hegemony.

Hubei Media Group: Yesterday, the State Council Information Office (SCIO) issued the Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021, which revealed the truth about the US violation of human rights. What is your comment?

Wang Wenbin: I noted the Report on Human Rights Violations in the United States in 2021 issued by the SCIO yesterday.

The report showed that human rights conditions in the US further worsened supported by substantial facts and solid figures. With the most advanced medical system in the world, the US has logged the highest numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Average life expectancy fell by 1.13 years last year, the biggest drop since the Second World War. Public security situation in the US deteriorated. There were 693 mass shootings in 2021, up 10.1 percent from 2020. More than 44,000 people were killed in gun violence. More than 420 bills with provisions that restrict voting access have been introduced in 49 US states. Only 7 percent of young Americans view the country as a healthy democracy, while public trust in the government has fallen to almost historical low since 1958. Attacks driven by discrimination targeted at racial minorities, especially Asian Americans, are getting more rampant. Hate crimes against Asians in the New York City jumped 361 percent from 2020. Violent law enforcement in the US makes life more difficult for migrants and refugees. In fiscal year 2021, the US detained more than 1.7 million migrants at its southern border, including 45,000 children. Violent law enforcement claimed 557 lives, which more than doubled the figure of the previous fiscal year.

A myriad of human rights tragedies are not only happening within the US borders. US hegemony, unilateralism and interventionism have led to new humanitarian disasters in many places all over the world. According to statistics, the so-called anti-terrorism war launched by the US in the past 20 years or so has claimed the lives of more than 929,000 people. The 20-year US military operations in Afghanistan have killed 174,000 people, including more than 30,000 civilians, and injured more than 60,000 people. Immediately after the troops hasty withdrawal from Kabul, the US froze seven billion dollars of Afghan central banks foreign reserve, and even split it illegally not long ago. Such practice has pushed the Afghan economy to the brink of collapse, and made peoples livelihood worse off.

The US double standard on human rights issues is known around the world. On the one hand, the US groundlessly accuses others of arbitrary detention and forced labor, and on the other, it looks away from torture, abuse and modern slavery that are rife in US prisons. US black sites across the world including the Guantanamo Bay prison arbitrarily detain and torture people without prosecution, which have become a classic symbol for US affront to the rule of law and violation of human rights.

With a deplorable human rights record, the US is calling itself a human rights defender, acting as a human rights judge and practicing human rights diplomacy. This fully reveals the US hypocrisy and double standard on human rights issues. The US should face up to and reflect on its own human rights problems, give up politicizing human rights, do something concrete to promote Americans human rights and stop undermining human rights in other countries.

CCTV: We noted that yesterday State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the high-level segment of the 49th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council via video link and delivered an address. Can you share more with us on Chinas propositions on protecting and promoting human rights?

Wang Wenbin: On February 28, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the high-level segment of the 49th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council via video link in Beijing and delivered an address titled Upholding Equity and Justice to Promote Sound Development of the Global Human Rights Cause.

State Councilor Wang Yi put forward a four-point proposition on protecting and promoting human rights. First, we should act as true champions of human rights. Human rights have historical, specific and practical contexts, and the human rights cause can only be advanced in light of each countrys reality and its peoples needs. The economic, political, social, cultural and environmental rights of all should be advanced in a coordinated manner to promote and achieve well-rounded human development. Second, we should act as staunch guardians of peoples interests. A happy life for all is the biggest human right. A countrys human rights are essentially gauged by whether its peoples aspirations for a better life are satisfied; whether their needs, concerns and expectations are addressed; and whether they enjoy a growing sense of fulfillment, happiness and security. Third, we should act as positive contributors to common development. Without development, there would be no human rights to speak of, nor could the rights enjoyed by the people be sustainable. President Xi Jinping has put forth the Global Development Initiative (GDI), which is yet another public good China provides for the development of the global human rights cause. It has been endorsed and supported by the UN and up to 100 countries. Fourth, we should act as firm defenders of equity and justice. In judging whether human rights are upheld in a country, one cannot use other countries standards, still less apply double standards or use human rights as a political tool to interfere in the affairs of other countries. We need to steadfastly promote greater democracy and rule of law in international relations, follow true multilateralism, and steer global human rights governance toward greater fairness, equity and inclusiveness.

In 2021, we solemnly commemorated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Looking back on the development of Chinas human rights cause in the past 100 years, it is fair to say that the CPCs 100-year history records its efforts in fighting for, respecting, protecting, and developing human rights. Under the CPCs leadership, 770 million rural poor have been lifted out of poverty and a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty is achieved. China built a moderately prosperous society in all respects and pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization. Throughout our fight against COVID-19, we put the people and human lives first and protected the peoples safety and health to the greatest extent.

Going forward, China will continue to steadfastly pursue a human rights development path that meets the trend of the times and suits its national conditions. We will continue to uphold a human rights philosophy that puts people front and center, develop the whole-process peoples democracy, promote common prosperity for all, and safeguard the human rights of the Chinese people at a higher level. We will continue to take an active part in UN human rights endeavors by making Chinas voice heard and contributing Chinas part to this worthy cause. China will work with all countries to advance the sound development of the global human rights cause.

Reuters: You said yesterday that one countrys security cannot be at the expense of others security; still less should one country flagrantly undermine others sovereignty and security for its own absolute military advantage and absolute security. We would like to clarify, do you mean Russia or some other country?

Wang Wenbin: I can give you a clear explanation. As noted by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, China advocates common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. China believes that the security of one country should not come at the expense of the security of other countries, still less should regional security be guaranteed by strengthening or even expanding military blocs. The Cold War mentality should be discarded completely. The legitimate security concerns of all countries should be respected. Given NATOs five consecutive rounds of eastward expansion, Russia's legitimate security demands ought to be taken seriously and properly addressed. I hope Ive made it clear enough.

AFP: On Monday, at least 11 people were killed by shelling in residential areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Ukraines health ministry said on Sunday that at least 352 civilians have been killed so far in the entire conflict. Whats your comment?

Wang Wenbin: The Ukraine issue has complex historical context and realistic factors. The Chinese side regrets the casualties. The current situation is not what we want to see. The top priority is for all parties to exercise necessary restraint to prevent the situation on the ground in Ukraine from deteriorating or even spiraling out of control. The life and property safety of civilians should be effectively guaranteed, and in particular, large-scale humanitarian crises should be averted.

Bloomberg: The New York Times has reported that some 500,000 people have fled Ukraine, and as yet, China hasnt described this as an invasion. How would you like to characterize Russias activities in the Ukraine?

Wang Wenbin: We have answered this question many times. You may refer to that. I want to stress that Chinas position on the Ukraine issue is consistent. We have no selfish interests on the Ukraine issue. China always decides its position based on the merits of the Ukraine issue itself.

Reuters: Taiwan has sent relief supplies to Ukraine. Is China prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to the country?

Wang Wenbin: China is ready to play a constructive role in easing the situation in Ukraine. We will release relevant information in due course.

Reuters: Will the crisis boost Russian demand for Chinese goods as it shifts away from imports from Europe and also envisages a bigger role of Yuan in bilateral trade with Russia?

Wang Wenbin: As we have repeatedly said, we believe that sanctions are not an effective solution to solve problems. It is Chinas consistent position that we oppose all illegal unilateral sanctions. China and Russia will continue to carry out normal trade cooperation following the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

The following question was raised after the press conference: Some Chinese citizens have reportedly left Ukraine recently. Can you share some details and the work China has done? What are the follow-up evacuation arrangements?

Wang Wenbin: Since changes have taken place in the Ukraine situation, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to and have been concerned about the safety of Chinese citizens in Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has immediately activated the emergency mechanism for consular protection, stayed in close communication with all parties for coordination, and put our hearts to ensuring the safety of our compatriots in Ukraine with a range of measures.

At present, Chinese citizens in Ukraine are heading to neighboring countries of Ukraine in various ways. In this process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine, the Chinese Consulate General in Odessa, and embassies in Ukraines neighboring countries including Moldova, Slovakia, Romania and Poland have found ways and mobilized all resources and forces possible to provide support and assistance for our compatriots in Ukraine. About 1,000 Chinese citizens in Ukraine have so far safely relocated.

China is grateful for the help and support rendered by all sectors in Ukraine and relevant neighboring countries. We hope all sides will fulfill their international obligations to ensure the safety of lives and property of civilians. Again, we remind Chinese citizens in Ukraine to enhance safety awareness, keep in touch with Chinese embassies and consulates in Ukraine and neighboring countries and strengthen their own security precautions in real earnest.
New Delhi:

At least 24 people were killed and four others sustained injuries on Wednesday after a bus carrying passengers fell into a river on Kota-Dausa highway in Bundi district. The deaths include 11 men, 10 women and three children. All the passengers were travelling to attend wedding party."The wedding party with 28 persons on board was headed to Sawai Madhopur from Kota early morning when the driver apparently lost balance of the bus while traversing a bridge near Papdi village under Lekhari police station limits," news agency PTI quoted Lakheri Sub-Inspector Rajendra Kumar as saying.

"The bus, subsequently, plunged into Mej river from the bridge that had no wall or railing. Thirteen people died on the spot while 10 others succumbed to their injuries on way to hospital," he added.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, "I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic accident in Bundi in which about 25 people have lost lives after the bus fell into river Mej.. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loves ones in this tragedy. I wish speedy recovery to all injured (sic)."

I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic accident in #Bundi in which about 25 people have lost lives after the bus fell into river Mej.. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loves ones in this tragedy. I wish speedy recovery to all injured.  Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) February 26, 2020

The accident comes days after when in Gujarat at least 12 people were killed and four others were injured during a night in a collision between a truck and a tempo near Mahuvad village in Vadodara district.

Twelve people have been killed and four others injured in the accident between a tempo and a truck, district Superintendent of Police Sudhir Desai had said at that time. The injured were shifted to SSG Hospital in Vadodara.

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New Delhi :

The number of casualties in the Delhi violence climbed up to 27, according to the reports. The GTB hospital earlier said that four people were brought dead during the intervening night of February 25-26. Another death was reported from LNJP hospital. Eerie calm prevailed on the streets of Maujpur, Seelampur and Gokulpuri on Wednesday morning. No fresh incidents of violence or stone-pelting have been reported so far. The Delhi Metro has resumed the services at all station. Security Update Entry & exit gates at all stations have been opened. Normal services have resumed in all stations, the DMRC said on Twitter.

There are reports that the number of deaths will increase as the current data is from only one hospital. Local residents of the violence-affected areas faced harrowing times in getting their near and dear ones admitted to hospital. In fact, the Delhi High Court had to pass a midnight order to ensure safe passage for ambulances to reach the injured.

According to PTI, the hearing took place at the residence of Justice S Murlidhar on an urgent plea seeking safe passage for the injured to medical institutions with adequate facilities. The Bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Anup J Bhambhani directed the Delhi Police to deploy all resources to ensure this. People were seen carrying the injured on bikes, e-rickhsaws and other vehicles due to lack of ambulances. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reportedly chaired three meetings in last 24 hours to take stock of the situation. An ABP report said that an hourly report is being sent to the home ministry.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval late on Tuesday night reached Seelmapur in northeast Delhi to review situation in the area even as the death count in the communal violence over the amended citizenship law mounted to 13. For the third consecutive day, the police struggled to check the rioters who ran amok on streets, burning and looting shops, pelting stones and thrashing people.

After overnight incidents of arson, tension smouldered in the national capital and as the day progressed streets in several localities like Chand Bagh, Bhajanpura, Gokulpuri, Maujpur, Kardampuri and Jaffrabad saw pitched battles between the members of two groups who also hurled petrol bombs and opened fire.

Late in the night, locals in Maujpur area claimed that announcements were being made by police on loudspeakers about promulgation of shoot-at-sight orders, but Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Ved Prakash Surya denied it. Over 200 people, including 48 police personnel, have been injured and half of the civilians have suffered gunshot wounds, hospital authorities said.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi :

Even as the officials grapple to restore normalcy in the violence-hit North-East Delhi, Indias nuclear neighbour Pakistan on Wednesday targeted the Narendra Modi government. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter to launch a veiled attack against India. Without specifically mentioning violence in Delhi, Khan said that the world must take notice and act on it. Today in India we are seeing the Nazi-inspired RSS ideology take over a nuclear-armed state of over a billion people. Whenever a racist ideology based on hatred takes over, it leads to bloodshed, Khan said in a series of tweets.

As I had predicted in my address to UN GA last year, once the genie is out of the bottle the bloodshed will get worse. IOJK was the beginning. Now 200 million Muslims in India are being targeted. The world community must act now, he further said.

Khan then went on to issue a farce warning against those indulging in violence against minorities in Pakistan. I want to warn our people that anyone in Pakistan targeting our non-Muslim citizens or their places of worship will be dealt with strictly. Our minorities are equal citizens of this country, Khan said on micro-blogging site.

This is the first global reaction on Delhi violence. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump skirted the issue and said that though he did hear about the mob attack but didnt take it up with PM Modi. The violence in North-East Delhi coincided with Trumps high-profile India visit. While the home ministry has been monitoring the situation, Wednesday saw PM Modi breaking his silence on the issue.

Peace and harmony are central to our ethos. I appeal to my sisters and brothers of Delhi to maintain peace and brotherhood at all times. It is important that there is calm and normalcy is restored at the earliest. Had an extensive review on the situation prevailing in various parts of Delhi. Police and other agencies are working on the ground to ensure peace and normalcy, PM Modi said on Twitter.

PM Modis reaction came minutes after in an unprecedented press conference, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi demanded Home Minister Amit Shahs resignation. The BJP hit back at Gandhi and said that the Congress was resorting to shallow politics. T

The number of casualties in the Delhi violence climbed up to 22, the officials at the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital confirmed on Wednesday. The hospital said that four people were brought dead during the intervening night of February 25-26. Eerie calm prevailed on the streets of Maujpur, Seelampur and Gokulpuri on Wednesday morning. No fresh incidents of violence or stone-pelting have been reported so far. The Delhi Metro has resumed the services at all station. Security Update Entry & exit gates at all stations have been opened. Normal services have resumed in all stations, the DMRC said on Twitter.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi:

Coronavirus is expanding its grip in China and South Korea increasing its death toll to 2,715 and 78,064 confirmed cases. Amidst the increasing number of diagnosed cases, in a rather heart-warming move, two hospital attendants celebrated recovery of several patients with dance routine.

The video was shared by Peoples Daily, China, has the two medical staff on duty of admitted patients detected with COVID19 dancing ballet at the hospital entrance at E Chinas Anhui

The video caption said: #HeartwarmingMoments: Two medical workers dance ballet in front of a hospital in E Chinas Anhui to celebrate the recovery of six more #COVID19 patients.

Take a look at the breather video:

#HeartwarmingMoments: Two medical workers dance ballet in front of a hospital in E Chinas Anhui to celebrate the recovery of six more #COVID19 patients. pic.twitter.com/p27njb7evk  People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 25, 2020

Social media too did their happy dance as they congratulated the staff on their success in saving lives and called them real life angels, heroes. A post read: They are stressed. They cheer himself up (sic). Great job! I pray for China,

A user wrote, So happy I am seeing that doctors are dedicated for patient. Even knowing that they are in danger. Serve humanity, serve planet.

One user praising the doctors said, A user wrote, So happy I am seeing that doctors are dedicated for patient. Even knowing that they are in danger. Serve humanity, serve planet.

In another video shared by Peoples Daily, China hospital attendants are seen doing victory dance in Gajnam style. The video comes as a breather, a break from the relentless battle against the deadly virus and the ongoing news of fatalities. Drop the beat! Lets take a break in the battle against #COVID19 and dance! they wrote.

Drop the beat! Lets take a break in the battle against #COVID19 and dance! pic.twitter.com/4r8lfNcEZX  People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 20, 2020

Earlier this month, a heart-wrenching video of an elderly couple with coronavirus bidding their final goodbye to each other at a hospital bed is making the internet have a meltdown. The video that was brought into light was shared by a Twitter user with the caption, What does a couple mean? Two elderly patients of #coronavirus #CoronarivusOutbreak in their 80s said goodbye in ICU, this could be the last time to meet and greet.

Also Read: US Warned To Prepare For Coronavirus Pandemic As Europe Lockdowns Spread

Meanwhile, on Monday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the peak in China occurred between January 23 and February 2 and the number of new cases there "has been declining steadily since then". Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for the use of digital technology such as big data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing to help in diagnosing and treating the endemic.

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Mahathir's office announced he had "sent a resignation letter as prime minister of Malaysia" to the king (Photo Credit: File Photo)

Kuala Lampur:

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, at 94 the world's oldest leader, submitted his resignation to the king Monday after a bid by his allies to bring down the government and block the succession of leader-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim. The shock move followed 24 hours of political drama which saw an attempt by Anwar's rivals within his own "Pact of Hope" coalition, which stormed to a historic election victory in 2018, and opposition politicians to form a new government.

The coalition would reportedly have excluded Anwar, Mahathir's presumptive successor, and most of the lawmakers from his party, which would have stopped him becoming premier any time soon. Anwar and Mahathir have a notoriously stormy relationship but they reconciled ahead of the 2018 polls, and Mahathir has repeatedly promised to hand over power to his former foe.

The bid appeared to have fizzled out by early Monday, however -- before Mahathir's office announced he had "sent a resignation letter as prime minister of Malaysia" to the king at 1:00 pm. What would happen next was far from clear, however.

Anwar was due to meet the king Monday afternoon. While the monarch's role is largely ceremonial, he confirms the appointment of the country's prime minister and Anwar could be hoping to persuade him that he has enough support from MPs to form a government, observers said.

However, Mahathir's party Bersatu also announced it was leaving the "Pact of Hope" coalition - suggesting they could be making their own attempt to form a government.

Earlier, two of Anwar's rivals from his People's Justice Party, Mohamed Azmin Ali and Zuraida Kamaruddin - seen as key figures in leading the bid to form a new government and block his ascent - were sacked, the party announced.

Anwar had teamed up with former nemesis Mahathir ahead of the 2018 elections to oust the government of Najib Razak, who had become embroiled in the massive 1MDB graft scandal.

They led an alliance to an unexpected victory against a coalition that had ruled Malaysia uninterrupted for over six decades, and Mahathir agreed to eventually hand power to Anwar.

But Mahathir, in his second stint as premier after first holding the role from 1981 to 2003, has repeatedly refused to say when he will transfer power, stoking tensions within the four-party coalition.

The alliance's popularity had plummeted as it was accused of failing to raise living standards and protect the rights of the ethnic Malay Muslim majority, and it lost a string of local polls.

According to reports, the proposed new government aimed at blocking Anwar would have included Mahathir's party, the United Malays National Organisation -- the party of scandal-tainted ex-leader Najib - and a hardline Islamist group.

Many were angry, however, that the democratically elected government, which came to power partly on a pledge to push through much-needed reforms, could be replaced without an election.

The people "will not agree to or cooperate with any 'backdoor' government formed out of the selfish, self-preservation agenda of certain MPs", said a statement from a group of leading activists and academics.

Some called for a snap poll, although politicians appeared to be trying to form a new government without holding an election.

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Balakot Anniversary: It was for the first time that Indian jets entered inside Pakistan to drop bombs after the 1971 War. (Photo Credit: File Photo)

New Delhi:

Balakot airstrike, when Indian fighter jets entered deep inside Pakistan and bombed Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps marks its first anniversary today. It was for the first time that Indian jets entered inside Pakistan to drop bombs after the 1971 War. The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, to commemorate the anniversary will today visit a front-line base in Kashmir that launched fighter planes last February. Bhadauria will visit the air forces Srinagar-based No 51 squadron, and interact with personnel who were involved in the action against Pakistan, according to media reports.

The Balakot strikes took place after on February 14, at least 42 CRPF personnel were killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 30 kg of explosives into their bus.

More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in South Kashmir.

Balakot Airstrike: All You Need To Know

Addressing the nation after Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the security forces have been given permission to choose the timing, place, and nature of their response. "All tears will be avenged" and the armed forces have been given "full freedom to decide the place, time, intensity and nature of the retaliation against the enemy. I feel the same fire in the heart that's raging inside you," said the Prime Minister.

On February 26, Indian fighter jets entered deep inside Pakistan and bombed JeM terror camps in Balakot. The air strike was followed by an aerial combat between air forces of the two countries on February 27 when Pakistan jets entered India. While chasing Pakistani jet an Indian Air Force jet crashed in Pakistan occupied Kashmir following which its injured pilot was captured.

For a moment, it appeared that the worst moment in the hostility of the two nations has just arrived. But sanity prevailed and Pakistan quickly announced to release the Indian pilot and the two sides walked back from the cliff.

Hours after the attack, Foreign Secretary of India in a press conference said, In an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of today (Feb 26), India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated.

(With Agency Inputs)

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New Delhi:

Fresh round of violence erupted in Northeast Delhi's Bhajanpura, according to the sources. This came hours after NSA Ajit Doval took stock of the prevailing situation in the region. The sources further added that the police teams have started moving from Seelampur to Bhajanpura. Delhi Police PRO, MS Randhawa, earlier had said that the situation is now under control and no reports of violence have been registered on Wednesday.

Doval, who was tasked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the mandate to restore normalcy in riot-hit North East Delhi where 24 people have been killed in communal violence, undertook a late night tour of the riot-hit areas on Tuesday accompanied by Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, newly-appointed Special Commissioner S N Shrivastava and other senior officers.

Also Read | Delhi Police Releases Two Helpline Numbers, Arrests 106 People In Connection With Northeast Region Violence

The former Intelligence Bureau chief who holds the rank of a cabinet minister visited the affected areas, including Jaffrabad and Seelampur, where he met police officers and gave them necessary directives, besides meeting leaders of different communities to assuage the tension, the officials said.

Shrivastava is believed to have been handpicked by Doval himself after Patnaik faced flak for failing to curb spiralling violence in the national capital in the backdrop of high-profile visit of the US president, they said. Delhi Police reports to the Union Home Ministry.

Doval on Wednesday morning presented his on the spot assessment of the situation to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by the prime minister about the steps taken to quell the violence and restore normalcy in areas under the grip of communal riots over the amended citizenship law, the officials said. Besides the prime minister, the CCS, the countrys top- most body on strategic affairs, comprises Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Also Read | Delhi Violence: NSA Ajit Doval Briefs Home Minister Amit Shah On Prevailing Situation In Northeast Region

He again took to tensed streets in the affected areas with senior officers where he met with locals and assured them that the situation is under control. During the visit, Doval said he was there on the instructions of Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Police is working hard. Only some criminals were involved in this. One should try resolving issues and not increasing them. There were incidents earlier but today it is calm. Locals want peace. We have full faith there will be peace, he said.

He returned to North Block to brief Home Minister Amit Shah in the afternoon about the current law and order situation in North East Delhi.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Arvind Kumar and Amulya Patnaik attended the meeting.

Twenty-four people have been killed and over 200 injured in communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi three days ago. Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh, Shiv Vihar are among the areas mainly affected by the riots.

The former Intelligence Bureau chief, Doval is known for his hands on approach and is considered a close confidante of the prime minister and his go-to man for any crisis situation.

(With Agency Inputs)

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New Delhi:

The candidates who are preparing for Jharkhand Class 11 examination, we have some important news for you. The Jharkhand Academic Council has formally released the JAC 11th Admit Card 2020 for the Board Exams. The JAC class 11 admit card on the official website of the board via school login. School principals are advised to visit the official website to download Class 11 admit card for the students. The candidates must note that they need to contact their respective schools to get the JAC class 11 Admit card 2020. To download the admit card, the school principals are required to login through the School Login section on the website.

For the convenience of the students, we have mentioned the steps through which the candidates can download the admit card:

Step 1: Visit the official website of JAC

Step 2: Click on the JAC Class 11 Admit Card Link

Step 3: Click on School Login and enter the Login ID and Password

Step 4: Download the JAC Class 11 Admit card

The Admit Card will be available for download on the official website of the board - jac.jharkhand.gov.in.

The Jharkhand Academic Council Class 11 Examination admit card will contain the candidates name and roll number, name of the examination, examination schedule, candidates photograph and signature image, schedule of the board examination, reporting time to examination centre, examination centre name and address and the instructions to be followed by the students on the day of the exam.

The candidate must note that the admit card is one of the important documents that the students will have to carry in the examination hall.
The World Bank has authorized USD 6.2 million in funding for the Belize COVID-19 Response Project, which will help the country acquire and administer COVID-19 vaccines.

The project will concentrate on speeding up immunization efforts, particularly the acquisition of vaccines suitable for children. The funding will also go toward a public awareness campaign to boost vaccine uptake, better vaccine distribution to remote areas and indigenous populations, and speed up the modernisation of Belize's health-care system, including expanding vaccination data digitization. Additionally, project funding will help with the purchase of medical equipment and supplies to help with COVID-19 case management.

"Belize's government responded quickly, decisively, and admirably to the pandemic. COVID-19, like the rest of the region, continues to pose socioeconomic hazards and put lives in jeopardy. Belize has made great progress in vaccinating its citizens, and we are glad to be a part of its efforts to obtain additional vaccinations and tackle vaccine hesitancy as quickly as possible "World Bank Country Director for the Caribbean, Lilia Burunciuc, stated. "The World Bank's assistance will also help the country develop its health system in preparation for the pandemic and improve healthcare for all inhabitants."

A survey will be conducted as part of the study to better understand the reasons behind vaccine apprehension in Belize. This data will aid the government in developing more effective outreach efforts that target vulnerable groups, alleviate fears, increase access to reliable information, and combat disinformation.

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A loud explosion was heard near the border between India and Pakistan on Monday night. According to the citizens of the border areas of Barmer district, the blast was so loud that its echo was heard for about 50 kilometres. On the other hand, after this incident, the police have informed other agencies. According to the information received, the police are now gathering information about the blast.

It is being said that the people of the Bakhasar police station area of Barmer district heard the sound of a loud bang and before this happened, a bright light was also seen in the sky. Regarding this case, people claim that the echo of this blast has been heard about 50 kilometres away from the border. At the same time, it is also being said that the sound of this blast has been heard in the villages of Barmer as well as Jalore in Gujarat. Now after the sound of the blast, the police are trying to gather information that where the blast took place?

So far, it is not clear whether the blast took place on the Indian border or in Pakistani territory. According to the SP, Barmer police also spoke to the Air Force and the Border Security Force in the matter but no one has confirmed it so far. On the other hand, Barmer Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhargava has appealed to the people that there is no need to panic due to the blast. The police are gathering information in this regard.

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A host of life science experiments is underway today as the Expedition 66 crew explores how living in space affects the human body.

The International Space Station is also gearing up this month for a pair of spacewalks to upgrade its power systems.

Skin, hearing, and mold were the main focus of today's biology research aboard the orbiting lab. Blood, saliva, and urine sample collections were also on Tuesday's schedule as scientists keep check of astronaut health.

NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn looked at skin tissue samples to understand why microgravity accelerates skin aging in astronauts. Afterward, he cleaned the Life Science Glovebox and closed out operations for the experiment that seeks to prevent skin deterioration in space and improve skin conditions on Earth.

Marshburn also collected his blood and urine samples before stowing them in a science freezer. NASA Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei collected his saliva samples then stowed them for future analysis. Doctors on the ground observe the biological samples to gain insights into how the human body adapts to long-term microgravity. Vande Hei also activated the Space Biofilms experiment to learn how to control mold growth on the station to maintain spacecraft safety and crew health.

Scientists also want to understand how the station's operating environment, including weightlessness itself, affects a crew member's hearing. ESA (European Space Agency) Flight Engineer Matthias Maurer participated in the Acoustic Diagnostics study during the afternoon that is monitoring any transitory or permanent hearing affects that might occur in crew members.

Two spacewalks are scheduled at the station for March 15 and 23 to ready the orbiting lab for a third set of roll out solar arrays. Vande Hei joined NASA Flight Engineer Raja Chari and scrubbed cooling loops in a pair of U.S. spacesuits throughout Tuesday. Two astronauts will exit the station and set up a power channel for the first spacewalk then replace components and perform more upgrades on the second spacewalk.

NASA Flight Engineer Kayla Barron spent most of the day on an orbital plumbing demonstration. She worked in the Harmony module observing fill and drain cycles on two different Collapsible Contingency Urinal designs.

In the station's Russian segment, Commander Anton Shkaplerov worked inside the Soyuz MS-19 crew ship readying the vehicle for its undocking on March 30. Roscosmos Flight Engineer Pyotr Dubrov inspected the Zvezda service module then explored cell biology.

On-Orbit Status Report

Payloads:

Acoustic Diagnostics: A crewmember performed Acoustic Diagnostics (AUDIO) measurements. The Acoustic Upgraded Diagnostics In-Orbit (Acoustic Diagnostics) investigation tests the hearing of ISS crew members before, during, and after flight. This study assesses the possible adverse effects of noise and the microgravity environment aboard the ISS on human hearing. The investigation compares the relationship between the detection of otoacoustic emissions, sounds naturally generated from within the inner ear, and hearing loss levels when exposed to noisy environments.

Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF-L): Gas sensors were replaced, and a backup power box was configured for use by the CBEF-L. CBEF-L is a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) new subrack facility, which is an upgraded facility of the original CBEF currently aboard the ISS. CBEF-L provides new capabilities with additional new resources such as Full High-Definition video interface, Ethernet, 24 VDC power supply, and a larger diameter centrifugal test environment. By using the original CBEF and CBEF-L as one facility for the same experiment, the payload user is provided with an upgraded experimental environment that can handle the processing of more experimental samples for a wider array of experiments.

Colgate Skin Aging: A specified 6-Well Plate was retrieved from SABL-1 and installed into MSG for sampling and preservation of tissue samples. The Colgate hardware was then de-installed completing final operations of the Colgate Skin Aging experiment. Deterioration of skin tissue is a normal part of aging but occurs over decades. Microgravity leads to changes in the human body very similar to aging, but these changes happen much more quickly. Microgravity Effects on Skin Aging and Health (Colgate Skin Aging) uses a 3D model of engineered human skin cells to evaluate cellular and molecular changes in microgravity. These cells may serve as a valid model to rapidly assess products aimed at protecting skin from the aging process.

Electromagnetic Levitator (EML): A crewmember performed On-board Training (OBT) for the upcoming EML Gas Circulation Pump R&R. Electromagnetic Levitator (EML) is a facility composed of four inserts installed into the European Drawer Rack (EDR) for the electromagnetic levitation of samples. The experiment samples are installed in a dedicated Sample Chamber that is attached to EML, and can be replaced by new Sample Chambers for new experiment batches.

Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG): The LSG Front 10 Gloves/Sleeves were changed out. The LSG is a sealed work area that accommodates life science and technology investigations in a "workbench" type environment. Due to its larger size design, two crew members can work in the LSG simultaneously.

Space Biofilms: Space Biofilms BioCell sample Habitats were removed from cold stowage and placed into the LSG for initialization. The BioCell Habitats were then placed into SABL for incubation. The Characterization of Biofilm Formation, Growth, and Gene Expression on Different Materials and Environmental Conditions in Microgravity (Space Biofilms) investigation characterizes the mass, thickness, structure, and associated gene expression of biofilms (molds) that form in space by analyzing a fungal species grown on different materials. Biofilm formation can cause equipment malfunction and human illnesses, and could be a serious problem on future long-term human space missions.

Space Tango - Cubelab Satellite Demo: Two CubeLab Satellites were removed from TangoLab, activated, and photo documented. Space Tango - Cubelab Satellite Demonstrator tests a new attitude-control technology for small satellites, which is an integral part of future space missions. Conventional attitude control systems for large satellites are not suited for small satellites. The new technology is energy efficient, lightweight, and not subject to friction wear and could enhance the attitude maneuvering capabilities of small satellites.

Universal Intelligent Glass Optics (UNIGLO): UNIGLO hardware was gathered, and procedures were reviewed. UNIGLO tests the effects of microgravity on a glass optics module capable of processing various types of complex glasses. The module uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help adapt materials processing techniques to the microgravity environment and a sensor based on laser-doppler interferometry to measure the effects of microgravity on processing complex glasses for a variety of applications in space and on Earth.

Systems:

Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) 3004/3015 EVA Prep: The crew removed the lithium-ion batteries from the EMU Battery Stowage Compartment, and performed EMU water loop scrubs as well as acquired and tested water samples for conductivity on EMU units 3004 and 3015. Additionally, the crew installed the ORU Scrubber to scrub and iodinate the water lines. EMU Loop Scrubs are required preventive maintenance needed to remove any chemical and biological contaminants from the EMU transport loop. The next activity performed by crew included an EVA Tool configuration, followed by water recharges on EMUs 3004 and 3015. The recharges ensure there is a full supply of fresh cooling water to each EMU suit. Additionally, the crew filled Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garments (LCVGs) with water from EMU water tanks.

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Activities: IFM was performed to rotate the Lab Aft Rigid Elbow IMV Duct 180 to direct airflow into the Lab Common Cabin Air Assembly (CCAA). The crew then performed IFM for the Oxygen Generation System (OGS) to relabel the Caution Labels on the closeout panel to protect the OGS Avionics Air Assembly (AAA) Muffler Filter Block.

Completed Task List Activities:

AC Vacuum Reference Table Print

Today's Ground Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

JEMRMS SFA Joint Zeroing and Deactivation

JEM Mode Transition from ROBO to STANDARD

MSS Powerup/Powerdown

SSRMS Walkoff

SPDM Unstow

PPS SARJ FDIR Configuration

MSS Hover Maneuver

MT Pre-Translation Check Out and Survey

MT Translation

Look Ahead Plan

Wednesday, March 2 (GMT 61)

Payloads:

DreamStar Crew interview (NASA)

EML GCP R&R prep (ESA)

Food Acceptability (NASA)

Ice Cubes Media Set Installation and checkout Activation and remove (ESA)

IGO (Intelligent Glass Optics) HW install (NASA)

Repository Saliva, urine and blood collection (NASA)

RR-18 Ops review (NASA)

SMART1 hardware gather and install on JEM iSEEP carrier (NASA)

Squares (NASA)

TOUCH (ESA)

Systems:

PMM1S4 Locker Cleanup

VRT EVA SAFER

WHC Manual Fill

EVA Procedure Review for Extravehicular Crew

Thursday, March 3 (GMT 62)

Payloads:

Astrobee deact (NASA)

Cryo Chiller cartridge install (NASA)

EML GCP module remove and R&R (ESA)

IGO Lab Camera orient (NASA)

LSG Glove swap (NASA)

Repository Saliva, urine collect (NASA)

RR-18 restock ops and crew conf and access unit clean (NASA)

Squares (NASA)

Standard Measures Cognition test and Fecal setup (NASA)

Systems:

EVA IROSA Strut Assembly

SSC 10 and 20 Swap

EVA Mod Kit Bag Preparation

Friday, March 4 (GMT 63)

Payloads:

CAL MTL leak check (NASA)

CCU ops (NASA)

DreamStar JEM HW Ops (NASA)

EasyMotion Data D/L (ESA)

EML GCP cleanup (ESA)

FLARE CPU install (JAXA)

IGO lab camera orient (NASA)

LSG front glove swap and setup for RR ops (NASA)

Repository Saliva collect (NASA)

Retina ops (ESA)

RR-18 Hab restock, access unit clean and ops (NASA)

Squares (NASA)

Standard Measures Body survey and collect and fecal collect (NASA)

Systems:

EVA Equipment Lock Preparation

EVA EMU OFV IV

EVA Tool Configuring

Today's Planned Activities:

All activities are complete unless otherwise noted.

HRF Generic MELFI Sample Insertion Operations

Collapsible Contingency Urinal In-Cabin Demo 3

Valve Throw for NORS

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Battery (BATT) Removal

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub Initiation

JPM Common Gas Supply Equipment (CGSE) Gas Line Lower Gas Bottle Unit Open

LSG-Front Glove-Swap

HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Hardware Setup

LSG Work Volume Deploy/Stow

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Iodination

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Lab Aft Rigid Elbow Inter-Module Ventilation (IMV) Duct Rotation

Intelligent Glass Optics Hardware Gather/Review

Colgate Skin Aging Preservation Ops

Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)

Acoustic Monitor Setup for Crew Worn Measurements

EVA Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Scrub Deconfiguration

DreamStar Crew Interview

ISS HAM Kenwood Radio Power Down in Columbus

Acoustic Diagnostics Operations - Calibration and Measurement

ISS HAM Kenwood Radio Power Up

DreamStar Hardware Operations

Acoustic Diagnostics Instrument Deinstallation and Stowage

Colgate Skin Aging MELFI Sample Insertion Operations Session

Acoustic Diagnostics EveryWear Questionnaire

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring

Space Biofilms Iceberg Sample Removal

HRF Generic Urine Collection

In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Oxygen Generation System (OGS) Relabel

Space Biofilms Initialization Ops

Phospho-Aging Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval And Insertion Operations

HRF Generic MELFI Sample Retrieval and Insertion Operations

TangoLab CubeLab Satellite Activation and Checkout

EML Gas Circulation Pump Exchange

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Water Recharge

Colgate Skin Aging MSG Teardown

SQuARES Flexible Daily Imagery

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Liquid Cooling Ventilation Garment (LVCG) Water Fill

Astrobee Stowage Clear

HRF Generic Saliva Collection

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Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, has advocated for a faster transition to renewable energy. "Rather than delaying the global economy's decarbonisation, now is the time to accelerate the energy transition to a renewable energy future," the UN Secretary-General said in a video message to a Geneva press conference announcing a new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Monday (IPCC).

According to the IPCC, if global warming is not controlled, some of the world's most densely populated areas would become uninhabitable, as reported by the media. The 3,600-page study focuses on climate change's practical effects on humans and nature.

The senior UN spokesperson confirmed, "Today's IPCC report is an atlas of human misery and a harsh indictment of failed climate leadership." Global average temperatures have already risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius, or two degrees Fahrenheit, according to the UN head, "leaving perilously little room" to reach the 2015 Paris climate agreement's goals.

"I'm urging rich nations, multilateral development banks, private financiers, and others to build coalitions to assist big emerging economies in ending coal use," he stated. "The Glasgow commitment on adaptation funding is clearly inadequate to handle the difficulties confronting countries on the frontlines of the climate crisis," Guterres said.

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Chandigarh: A husband killed his wife in Fazilka, along the Indo-Pakistan border. The case is of Laddu village. It is being said that the wife often stopped the husband from drinking alcohol and due to this, there were frequent quarrels between the two. At times, he even threw his wife out of the house.

Charanjit Singh, the brother of the deceased woman, lodged a complaint and told the police that her brother-in-law as well as her brother-in-law and brother-in-law's brother were also involved in the case. At present, the police have registered a case against the woman's husband, son and husband's brother on the complaint of the deceased's brother. Police have sent the woman's body for post-mortem. SHO of Vero police station Harpreet Singh said that further action will be taken only after the post-mortem report comes and the real cause of the murder will also be known.

Just a few days ago, an incident had come to light that had embarrassed the relationship between the husband and wife from Purnia in Bihar. Here, a woman killed her husband by conspiring due to an illicit relationship. Thereafter, in the joy of the murder, she also asked for a gift from her lover. The case has been a topic of discussion in the Purnea district after the revelation of the case.

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Mahadev Singh Dadal had just been elected the ward chair of Marma rural municipality-6 in Darchula in the 2017 local elections when he got a call from Lalit Singh Bohora, the district chair of the Nepali Congress. In the call, Bohora gave Dadal, a junior leader of the party, a few instructions.

He told me to follow orders given by office assistant Amar Singh Kotari. But, I refused to do so, says Dadal.

Irked by that, Bohora wrote a letter to the Nepali Congress central office stating Dadal had quit the party. Following the letter, a meeting of the Nepali Congress central committee on December 15, 2019, removed Dadal from the party and asked the Election Commission to make his post vacant taking help of a legal loophole. In a few months, Dadal was out of office.

What happened in Baglung was even worse. On October 29, 2019, the ward chair of Dhorpatan municipality-4, Tilak Pun, had to endure physical assault. Later, Pun was also accused of throwing away relief materials sent during the Covid-19 pandemic. But, this charge was not enough to fire him from his post. To ensure he was gone, Rastriya Janamorcha accused him of joining the Nepali Congress. Pun and ward member Tilak Phagami were removed from the party accusing them of quitting the party. Following this, the Election Commission removed them from their position.

Chhaya Devi Devkota was elected as the deputy mayor of Bhajani municipality in Kailali. She had contested the 2017 local elections from CPN-Maoist Centre. But, when the Maoist Centre and the UML merged, she became a member of the unified (now dissolved) Nepal Communist Party.

But, the two parties soon split. Following that, the Maoists accused Devkota of quitting the party and joining the UML. But, she did not agree and fought. But, on June 25, 2021, she was removed from the post following complaints made by the Maoists to the Election Commission.

There are various examples like this in which parties are using legal loopholes, in both the laws and the constitution, wrongly and removing elected representatives from their posts. All three of the above examples show how political parties are weakening the democratic institution of elected representatives.

De-electing the elected

Since 2017, 32 elected representatives have been removed from the positions by the Election Commission. Out of them, 28 were removed after the commission was told that these people had quit their respective parties.

But, the Supreme Court told the commission to reinstate these elected representatives as removing them was against the constitution. Following the order, the 28 elected representatives removed on charges of quitting the party have since been reinstated.

But, why are political parties taking action against these local representatives who they themselves handpick in the run-up to the local elections?

The legal loophole

To understand that, lets dive into the Political Parties Act 2017, the major source of the legal loophole. Chapter 6 of the act talks about quitting the party. Section 31 of the chapter states that if a person quits the party, his/her position will be deemed vacant if it fulfils three criteria. First, they have to submit a written resignation. Second, they become a member of another party. And lastly, they form a new party.

But, there are many cases where they have been removed from the party without the representative resigning or joining another party. The Election Commission also rarely checks if the political parties fulfiled these three criteria before declaring the position vacant.

Meanwhile, the constitutional provision is different. The constitutions articles 215 and 216 say the only way these positions can be deemed vacant are: a) if the person resigns, b) if s/he finishes term or c) if s/je dies. This shows how the Political Parties Act and the constitution are at odds.

It does make sense to remove the person from office if they quit the party because they contested the election with the help of the party, says Dinesh Thapaliya, the chief election commissioner. But even though it makes sense, the constitution says otherwise and when the person is elected directly by the people, I think it is about time we reviewed this rule.

He says that they were compelled to issue a notice about the position being vacant due to the legal loophole in the Political Parties Act that was drafted a year before the general elections. People being removed from parties was a sporadic affair. But, the trend started to go up from March 7, 2021, after the erstwhile Nepal Communist Party split.

Lack of justifications

The Election Commission has been adhering to the decision made by the central committee of the party and announcing that the post has turned vacant. The commission does not check if the decision made by the central committee meets the criteria of the Political Parties Act.

The act has a provision where the central committee needs to give the person a chance to share their side of the story. The party also has to form an investigation committee to determine if the person had actually done something wrong. But, in almost all cases, these provisions have not been followed by the political parties as they have been exploiting the legal loophole.

Take Chhaya Devi Devkotas case for example. She had told her party that she had not quit the Maoists. But, her party still took action against her.

They assumed that I was supporting KP Oli and took action against me. But, I had never taken UMLs membership, she told the Supreme Court.

Devkota is one of 14 local representatives against whom the Maoists took action for the same reason. But, almost all of them have been reinstated after the court ruled in favour of the representatives that were wrongfully removed.

Is it democratic?

Despite the reinstatement of the officials, if the legal provision itself is democratic is still open to debate and criticism

From one perspective, these local representatives use the party and its symbol to contest elections. The party helps them to get to where they are and when they leave the party and still stay unpunished, many argue it leaves a negative mark on Nepals multiparty democratic system.

Former Supreme Court justice Balram KC is worried about political malpractices mushrooming in the country if these people are not punished.

These leaders dont obey party whip and also alter the election process without being punished. If these cases rise, the country will never be politically stable. We need to control this, says KC.

But, according to the constitution, the local level positions cannot be left vacant. That is why the Supreme Court disregarded the Political Parties Act considering the provision as a legal loophole and asked the Election Commission to reinstate the people that it removed.

This has started a new debate. Is the Political Parties Act relevant? The Supreme Court does not think it is and it has even questioned its working procedure.

But, CEC Thapaliya says his office cannot do anything because when lawmakers were drafting the act, they did not pay attention to the constitutional provision.

The commission hasnt spoken about reviewing the act. But, if the act is amended, we will have our say. People are questioning our role, but what we are doing is following the process that is stated on the act, says Thapaliya.
Home  Just In  Nepal Armys clean mountain campaign: Efforts to collect 35 tons of waste from Everest, 3 other peaks

A team of the Nepal Army will soon collect 35 tonnes of waste from four mountains of Nepal including the highest peak of the world, Mount Everest.

The army is launching the Sapha Himal Abhiyaan (the Clean Mountain Campaign) given the decreasing level of snow in the Himalayas and the increasing effects of climate change.

The campaign

According to the Nepal Army spokesperson Narayan Silwal, the campaign will be conducted from April 5 till June 5 this year on Lhotse, Kanchenjunga, Manaslu and Everest.

In the first phase, starting from November 6, 2021, to February 27, 2022, we were making preparations and coordinating the works, he says, adding, In the second phase, we will conduct acclimatisation training from February 28 to March 29. The cleanup will start in the third phase.

A 29-member team including doctors from the Nepal Army will be deployed for garbage collection whereas 48 Sherpas will also join the team. The total number of cleanup crew will be 91 people including 14 in the coordination.

The programme this year is a continuation of the ongoing Sapha Himal Abhiyaan that was previously conducted in 2019 and 2021. In the first year, 10 tonnes of garbage was collected from the Himalayan region whereas 27.6 tonnes of garbage was collected in 2021, informs the Nepal Army spokesperson.

The objectives

Camp 2 on Everest is located at 6,400 metres. Climbers often make two rotations to camp 2 before their summit push.

Kishor Adhikari, a Nepal Army official involved in the mission, says there are two types of waste on the mountains: decomposable and non-decomposable items dumped in those areas. Empty oxygen cylinders, plastic bottles, cans, batteries, food items, torn tent remnants and other items are non-decomposable waste whereas the leftover foods and papers are decomposable waste.

In Nepal, there are eight peaks above 8,000 metres and 1,310 peaks above 6,000 meters. The Nepal Army estimates that 50,000 climbers and about 80,000 supporters visit the peaks each year.

The army aims to collect 35 tonnes of waste including 14 tonnes from Everest alone, 10 from Kanchenjunga, six from Lhotse and five from Manaslu. Of them, 22 tonnes will be collected around the base camps whereas 13 tonnes will be collected from the areas above the base camps.

Once the base camps are set up, we will fix ropes too. And with the help of the fixed ropes and the Sherpas, we will collect the rubbish as estimated from base camps and peaks above in joint efforts, the official says.

The collected waste will be first transported to the base camps and it will be managed and verified in the presence of the concerned bodies. The decomposable waste will be stored and transported separately by local authorities and non-decomposable waste will be airlifted to Kathmandu and handed over to waste management companies.

Lack of budget

File: Mount Manaslu

According to Nepal Army officials, it is estimated that the campaign will cost Rs. 129.67 million.

But, the government has allocated only Rs 83 million with discussions underway to further provide Rs 46.67 million.

The remaining amount will be collected from other government offices of all three tiers, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Nepal Tourism Board, Himalayan Rescue Association, Trekking Agency Association and others, Adhikari adds.

He further informs that the amount allocated by the government this year is 17 per cent less than that of last year. We will use monetary support from various government, non-government and private organisations/companies in a transparent and effective manner.

According to Nepal Armys estimation, around Rs 13 million will be spent on air travel, medical and communication services during the campaign. Further, Rs. 96.6 million will be spent on the purchase of personal clothing and accessories for the climbers.

It has also been estimated that Rs 108.62 million will be spent on the handling agencies. In addition, Rs 694.2 million is estimated to be spent on the allowance along with Rs. 445.7 million on miscellaneous expenses.

Silwal informs that the Nepal Army has already received permission to climb the peaks for the cleaning campaign. We have completed the selection of the team leader and other climbers for the campaign.

Currently, it is in process of calling for bids for the mountaineering materials and handling agency required for the campaign.
Acreage Holdings, Inc.

Dennis Curran, former GSK & P&G Executive, named COO of Acreage

NEW YORK, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acreage Holdings, Inc. (Acreage or the Company) (CSE: ACRG.A.U, ACRG.B.U), (OTCQX: ACRHF, ACRDF), a vertically integrated, multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation and retailing facilities in the U.S., today announced the appointment of Dennis Curran as the Companys Chief Operating Officer (COO). The Company also announced the resignation of James Doherty, General Counsel, effective April 30, 2022, and has launched a national search for his successor.



Over the last year, we have made significant strides to strengthen our management team, and today we further these efforts with the addition of Dennis as our new COO, said Peter Caldini, CEO of Acreage Holdings. Dennis has a distinguished track record leading consumer-focused businesses through operational growth strategies, and we are confident he brings the right skill set to us as we capitalize on the excellent work our team accomplished over the last year. We are excited for all the opportunities this new year will bring us and we welcome Dennis to the Acreage family.



Dennis Curran, COO of Acreage, said: Im thrilled to be joining the Acreage team at such an exciting time. The Company has done phenomenal work over the last year to become profitable and to reposition the business for growth in several key markets. I look forward to contributing to the future success of Acreage.



Dennis Curran brings over 35 years of leadership experience in the areas of product categories, sales, trade channels, distributor management, marketing, and business maturity in both domestic and international markets. Before joining Acreage, he was the Chief Customer Officer at GSK Consumer Healthcare and was responsible for delivering sales, profitability, and innovation for the United States, the business largest market. Prior to GSK, Mr. Curran had a career spanning 29 years with Procter and Gamble (P&G) in both the US and Europe working with some of the worlds leading consumer brands. His last role at P&G was Regional Manager and President for P&Gs North American Prestige business. Mr. Curran was responsible for overseeing sales, marketing, operations, and communications for various prestige brands with a portfolio worth roughly $550 million. Dennis will be replacing Robert J. Daino who as previously announced will be retiring at the end of March.

Mr. Caldini concluded, On behalf of the Acreage family, I also would like to thank Jim Doherty for all his hard work over the past four years and wish him the best as he returns to private practice. Jim has been a key player in Acreages growth, overseeing acquisitions, mergers, and compliance, and assisting in raising significant funding. We are all grateful for the diligence and enthusiasm he brought in helping to transform this company into what it is today.

Story continues

About Acreage Holdings, Inc.

Acreage is a multi-state operator of cannabis cultivation and retailing facilities in the U.S., including the companys national retail store brand, The Botanist. With its principal address in New York City, Acreages wide range of national and regionally available cannabis products include the award-winning The Botanist brand, the premium brand Superflux in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Ohio, the Tweed brand, the Prime medical brand in Pennsylvania, the Innocent brand in Illinois, and others. Acreage also owns Universal Hemp, LLC, a hemp subsidiary dedicated to the distribution, marketing, and sale of CBD products throughout the U.S. Since its founding in 2011, Acreage has focused on building and scaling operations to create a seamless, consumer-focused, branded experience. Learn more at www.acreageholdings.com and follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Instagram , and Facebook .

For more information and documents related to the Acreage, please visit: https://investors.acreageholdings.com

For more information, contact:

Steve Goertz

Chief Financial Officer

investors@acreageholdings.com

Courtney Van Alstyne

MATTIO Communications

ir@mattio.com




SYDNEY, March 1 (Reuters) - Australia has committed A$70 million ($50 million) to fund lethal defensive weapons for Ukraine, including missiles and ammunition, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday.

Australia has shifted from its stance last week when it said it would only fund military technical assistance.

Morrison told reporters on Tuesday the majority of the new weapons funding for Ukraine would be in the lethal category.

"We're talking missiles, we're talking ammunition, we're talking supporting them in their defence of their own homeland in Ukraine and we will be doing that in partnership with NATO."

He said the weapons would be delivered rapidly, but didn't disclose how.

Morrison also urged Australian citizens not travel to join Ukraine's militia in fighting against the Russian military, saying the legal position of foreign civilian combatants was unclear.

"Don't do it," he said.

Australia will commit A$35 million in humanitarian support to international organisations assisting Ukrainians with shelter, food, medical care, water and education, he said.

($1 = 1.3765 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Michael Perry)
U.S. banks are auditing their exposures to Russia as sanctions imposed on the country raise questions about the global implications of essentially locking Russia out of international financing.

But the relative size of Russia, as well as the countrys limited dealings with U.S. firms, should contain the risk from a potential economic collapse, according to RBC Capital Markets Managing Director Gerard Cassidy.

The exposure is minimal, said Cassidy, who watches the large cap U.S. banks.

With Russian banks  and the countrys central bank  locked out of the global banking system, some are questioning the ripple effects of the possible collapse of a G20 nations economy. The country is already reeling from the sanctions, with the Russian ruble devaluing over 25% against the U.S. dollar.

On Monday, Citigroup said it was exposed to about $10 billion in loans, government debt, and other assets linked to Russia. The company has over $2 trillion in total assets.

Citi continues to monitor the current RussiaUkraine geopolitical situation and economic conditions and will mitigate its exposures and risks as appropriate, the bank said in its annual filing disclosing the exposure.

Annual filings for JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America did not list Russia as a top 20 international market by exposure. Wells Fargo, a more domestically focused business than the other three large banks, did not mention Russia in its annual filing either.

But there are forms of indirect risk to Russia that have folded into the financial stability conversation as of late.

Lehman moment not likely

Over the weekend, Western nations announced a number of measures against Russia. In addition to partially cutting off the country from a critical global financial network known as SWIFT, the United States said it would be blocking transactions with the Central Bank of Russia in a move to prevent the country from defending its currency.

As the Russian ruble tumbled, the countrys central bank responded by doubling its interest rate (from 9.5% to 20%).

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Lines outside of Russian banks are raising concerns about a run on financial giants like Sberbank and VTB, both targeted by U.S. sanctions.

Citizens wait in front of the entrance of a branch of the Russian Sbertbank in the center of Zagreb. President Vladimir Putin raged against the West as he convened a meeting with officials including central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina and the CEO of Russia's largest lender Sberbank, German Gref, to address what the Kremlin called a new "economic reality." (Photo by DENIS LOVROVIC / AFP) (Photo by DENIS LOVROVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

But Kenneth Rogoff, former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund, noted that a faltering Russian economy likely would not spill over into a financial crisis in the United States.

The fact is, Russia is very important in energy markets but its a midget in the global economy and Ukraine is even smaller, Rogoff told Yahoo Finance Monday. By GDP, Russia is the 11th largest economy in the world, according to the World Bank (as of 2020).

But some have raised concerns about a Lehman Brothers-like global event, where the failure of a large bank triggers a global financial crisis. Sberbank and VTB together have about $750 billion in total assets and have foreign arms across central and eastern Europe.

Zoltan Pozsar at Credit Suisse wrote over the weekend that as Russia and its banks scramble to find U.S. dollars, firms around the world may face substantial settlement risk.

Banks inability to make payments due to their exclusion from SWIFT is the same as Lehmans inability to make payments due to its clearing banks unwillingness to send payments on its behalf. History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes, Pozsar wrote.

Cassidy said that even in the event of substantial global financial stress, the U.S. banks should be able to weather the storm.

The global financial conditions are much much stronger today than they were pre-Lehman, Cassidy told Yahoo Finance Monday. Here in the United States our American banking system has over two times the amount of capital liquidity following the financial crisis.

Brian Cheung is a reporter covering the Fed, economics, and banking for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter @bcheungz.

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GATINEAU, QC, Feb. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - As ministers of the Environment and other leaders meet at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi, Kenya, this week, more than 170 Member States will deliberate over the launch of a process to develop a new global agreement on plastic pollution.

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Canadian delegation are supporting the development of a new ambitious and legally binding global agreement that takes a full life cycle approach to address plastic pollution.

Canada has also been helping to lead the process in its role as co-facilitator, along with Ghana, to bring countries together, build consensus, and secure the mandate needed to develop an ambitious legally binding global agreement. A resolution supporting this mandate will be considered by ministers later this week.

Unsustainable plastic production and consumption, and the associated waste generated, are accelerating at an unprecedented rate. The global impacts of an exponential increase in plastic production are manifested in many areas of the environment and the global plastic pollution crisis is increasingly affecting people and the planet.

A coordinated approach with targeted, ambitious, and sustained action is needed to address plastic pollution globally. A strong resolution at UNEA would launch the necessary process to bring the international community together to enact global change by focusing efforts to tackle plastic pollution across all stages of the plastics life cycle through a binding agreement. This means working with stakeholders to mobilize investments and advance necessary solutions at the local, regional, and global levels to transition to a circular plastics economy. This includes measures such as improving product design, enabling sustainable use and management, and removing plastics from the environment.

Building off Canada's 2018 G7 Presidency and ongoing efforts to champion the Ocean Plastics Charter, the Government of Canada continues to advocate for the transition to a circular economy for plastics. The Charter's targets and objectives, which were heavily negotiated and developed in consultation with other governments, industry, and civil society, can form an important basis for the development of a new legally binding global agreement on plastic pollution and scaling up global action. Canada is steadfast in its commitments to demonstrate leadership and take strong action to reduce plastic pollution, protect biodiversity, and promote a healthy environment here at home and around the world.

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Domestically, the Government of Canada is moving toward zero plastic waste by 2030, taking regulatory steps to ban harmful single-use plastics, including plastic checkout bags, straws, and six-pack rings as early as the end of 2022. The Government of Canada is also introducing recycled content requirements for plastic products so that more plastic is kept in our economy and out of landfills. Alongside provinces and territories, we are moving forward on a Canada-wide strategy to achieve zero plastic waste, including to make plastics producers responsible for their waste. The Government of Canada has also committed over $19 million to support Canadian small and medium-sized businesses to develop solutions to address plastic pollution.

Quotes

"Canada has been facilitating and supporting the creation of a legally binding agreement on global plastic pollution. We will come to the table every day during the negotiations this week in Nairobi, to do what we can to bring countries together on meaningful action on plastic pollution. Our environment, and the many people and communities affected, simply cannot waitmeaningful commitments are needed now. That's why Canada supports an ambitious, legally binding global agreement on plastics that takes into account the life cycle of plastic pollution."

 The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

On June 9, 2018, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union adopted the Ocean Plastics Charter to demonstrate their commitment to take concrete and ambitious action to address the problem.

Canada is delivering $100 million to advance the goals of the Charter and address plastic waste in developing countries, spark innovation to beat plastic pollution, and support innovative private-public partnerships.

Associated links

United Nations Environment Assembly  UNEA 5.2

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

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Canadian National Railway

Divestiture of the KCS line to CN would increase competition by enhancing shipping options for many local businesses, while solving CP-KCSs parallel track conflict and preventing an important freight corridor from declining due to a lack of investment by CP-KCS



CN will invest in the Kansas City Speedway, which will benefit customers and communities, create union and management jobs, and produce substantial environmental benefits by taking 80,000 trucks off the road annually

MONTREAL, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR, NYSE: CNI) yesterday filed a responsive application with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) requesting specific conditions related to the approval of the pending Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) merger (collectively CP-KCS).

CNs responsive application asks the STB to condition any approval of a CP-KCS merger on the divestiture of the KCS line from Kansas City, Missouri to Springfield and East St. Louis, Illinois (the Kansas City Speedway) to CN, pursuant to the STBs statutory authority to order the divestiture of parallel tracks as a merger condition. Granting CN control of the line will provide customers with a new competitive option to move goods across a key North American economic corridor.

Under the right ownership, we believe there is a clear opportunity to bring widespread economic benefits for customers and communities across the American Midwest and Canada. CN has a comprehensive plan for the Kansas City Speedway that will increase competition, create jobs, reduce roadway congestion, and positively impact the environment. It reflects CNs ongoing efforts to ensure competition and choice in our industry and aligns with President Bidens 2021 executive order on competition.

- Rob Reilly, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer



CNs creation of the Kansas City Speedway will ensure that customers  particularly automotive and intermodal  have greater competitive shipping options between Eastern Canada, Detroit, Chicago and Kansas City. This pro-competitive solution to the proposed merger will enable local economies to thrive. Communities and customers recognize the benefit of CNs creation of the Kansas City Speedway. Over 70 letters of support have been filed with the STB, including letters from the city of East St. Louis and Congressman Frank Mrvan (IN-01).

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About CN

CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canadas Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 19,500-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and under Canadian securities laws. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company cautions that its assumptions may not materialize and that current economic conditions render such assumptions, although reasonable at the time they were made, subject to greater uncertainty. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of terminology such as believes, expects, anticipates, assumes, outlook, plans, targets, or other similar words.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results or performance of the Company to be materially different from the outlook or any future results or performance implied by such statements. Reference should be made to Managements Discussion and Analysis in CNs annual and interim reports, Annual Information Form and Form 40-F, filed with Canadian and U.S. securities regulators and available on CNs website, for a description of major risk factors.

Contacts:

Media

Canada

Jonathan Abecassis

CN Media Relations & Public Affairs

(438) 455-3692

Jonathan.Abecassis@cn.ca



Longview Communications & Public

Affairs

Martin Cej

(403) 512-5730

mcej@longviewcomms.ca



United States



Brunswick Group

Michael France / Andrew Spinelli

(917) 676-5802 / (312) 468-5802

mfrance@brunswickgroup.com

aspinelli@brunswickgroup.com Investment Community

Paul Butcher

Vice-President

Investor Relations

(514) 399-0052

investor.relations@cn.ca








By Medha Singh and Lisa Pauline Mattackal

(Reuters) - Bitcoin has leapt since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, bolstered by people in those countries looking to store and move money in anonymous and decentralised crypto.

Bitcoin trading denominated in the Russian rouble went into overdrive when the invasion began on Thursday, with daily volumes rising 259% from a day earlier to 1.3 billion rouble ($13.1 million), according to data from CryptoCompare.

In Ukraine, meanwhile, crypto exchange Kuna saw its daily trading volume more than treble to 150 million hryvnias ($5 million).

Bea O'Carroll, managing director at Radkl, a digital asset investment firm, said the war and Western sanctions had seen a trend emerge of bitcoin being used to transfer value.

"Basically, having a currency that is not controlled by the government, that is not affected by the emergency acts ... is really interesting," she added. "Maybe this is how Russia gets its value moved around. Equally, on the other side, there was 'this is how people are going to get value to the Ukrainians'."

In the five days since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, bitcoin has risen 13%, while the S&P 500 U.S. stock index that it often mimics is up around 2% and traditional safety play gold is now largely flat after gaining as much as 3.5% on the day of the invasion.

On the day of the attack, about $300 million short bitcoin positions were liquidated, Coinglass data showed, while Singapore-based QCP Capital said "a good portion" of leveraged long positions had been taken out.

As well as being largely anonymous, crypto holdings and transactions are often held in wallets on decentralised platforms that can be accessed from anywhere.

ENTER THE OLIGARCHS

"Bitcoin could be a potential safe haven for Russian oligarchs avoiding sanctions as there will be no censor on the Bitcoin network and on cryptocurrency transactions," said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote Bank.

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"Cryptocurrencies could act as a powerful store of value for a major part of holdings that don't need to be liquid."

Yet for crypto fans, the fact that such holdings could offer a route around sanctions could be a double-edged sword.

"It could lead to regulations from NATO countries against usage of crypto, but the flip side is that there could be broader adoption in places with geopolitical turmoil," said Katie Talati, head of research at digital asset manager Arca.

Ukraine was also quick to spot an opportunity in the crypto world's reach and anonymity. Vice-Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted the wallet addresses of bitcoin and ether, alongside an appeal: "Stand with the people of Ukraine. Now accepting cryptocurrency donations."

Fedorov's government and Ukrainian non-governmental organisations raised over $22 million in cryptocurrencies after the appeals, according to blockchain analysis company Elliptic.

While bitcoin may be emerging as a currency of choice in areas of geopolitical risk, however, market players caution there are differing views over whether it can more broadly become a "safe-haven" asset, a form of digital gold.

For Zach Friedman, co-founder of crypto brokerage Secure Digital Markets, bitcoin's post-invasion gains serve to enforce the "narrative around bitcoin's store of value during turbulent times".

STABLECOINS ON FIRE

Elsewhere: money is flowing into "stablecoins", which are pegged to traditional assets such as the U.S. dollar.

As of Friday, stablecoin transactions comprised over 83% of the total crypto market's 24-hour trading volume according to CoinMarketCap.

USD Tether, the largest stablecoin saw its market capitalization climb to an all time high of nearly $80 billion, while gold-backed cryptocurrency PAX Gold added nearly $100 million to its market cap in two days.

($1 = 98.9450 roubles; $1 = 29.7000 hryvnias)

(Reporting by Lisa Mattackal and Medha Singh in Bengaluru, Alun John in Hong Kong and Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Pravin Char)
Premier Christian Brand Communications Agency Celebrates 20th Anniversary

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Infinity Concepts

March 1, 2022



EXPORT, Penn., March 1, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- On March 1, 2022, Infinity Concepts, an integrated brand communications agency, will celebrate their 20th Anniversary.



Founded in early 2002, Infinity Concepts sought to create a new kind of agency that could provide organizations with help in two key areas:

strategic thinking to best fulfill God's calling on their lives, ministries, and businesses



expertise in the specialized fields of branding, marketing, fundraising, and media

"My vision for Infinity Concepts was a new kind of agency, an agency that would offer an integrated communication ecosystem with multiple agency disciplines under one roof," says Mark Dreistadt, Infinity Concepts Founder and CEO. "This agency concept was revolutionary at the time, yet it quickly became our reality. In the beginning my wife, Susie, and I worked from our kitchen table. But now the agency has grown into a successful international business with a dedicated staff that currently serves over 50 clients."



Infinity Concepts is a unique organization that helps clients to reach, engage, and activate the Christian community and build effective Jewish-Christian relations. In 2006, Infinity Concepts became the Christian marketing and public relations agency for the Israel Ministry of Tourism for North and South America. This relationship helped to build unprecedented bridges of communication and cooperation between the Jewish people and the Christian community.



"We have inspired tourism, volunteerism, and chartable support for the land and people of Israel," says Dreistadt. "We have served to strengthen the intrinsic link that connects the Jewish and Christian communities as they work together in areas of solidarity."



Through the years, Infinity Concepts has continued to broaden service options and develop new strategies that best serve their growing list of clients. With many clients in the nonprofit and ministry sectors, Infinity Concepts also serves clients in health care, broadcasting, hospitality, retail, and tourism.



In 2015, Pittsburgh Business Times honored Infinity Concepts as one of the 100 fastest-growing businesses in Pittsburgh. And in 2020, Infinity Concepts received the National Religious Broadcasters annual award for Best Digital Experience for production of the weekly podcast Health, Hope & Inspiration.



So, what does it take to build a premier Christian brand communications agency that serves clients not only across America but also around the globe?



"We are a unique set of individuals who are guided by biblical principles. Our team is skilled in strategy, marketing, and communications and we are committed to our clients' success. It is our teams' commitment to effectiveness, integrity, and excellence that has helped to make Infinity Concepts America's premier Christian brand communications agency," says Dreistadt. "God has blessed the hard work of our agency these past 20 yearsand it appears that the future is bright for this innovative agency to blaze new trails in the years ahead."



For more information on Infinity Concepts or to schedule an interview with a member of our agency management team contact Infinity Concepts Vice President and Chief Growth Officer, Darrell Law at darrell@infinityconcepts.com or 724-930-2801.



Infinity Concepts is America's premier Christian brand communications and fundraising agency serving clients worldwide.



SOURCE Infinity Concepts



CONTACT: Darrell Law, 724-930-2801, darrell@infinityconcepts.com


ShotShare / iStock.com

A few U.S. states have ordered government-run liquor stores to stop selling Russian-made vodka and other spirits following Russias invasion of Ukraine, but the economic impact on the spirits industry and Russia itself will likely be minimal.

See: Does Your Portfolio Contain Exposure to Russia, and Will It Be Impacted by the Ruble Crash?

Find: Oil Breaks $100 Mark as Russia Invades Ukraine  What Does That Mean for Bidens Promise on Gas Prices?

Utah Governor Spencer Cox issued an executive order on Saturday instructing the states Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to take all Russian-produced and branded products from the shelves of its retail stores, Reuters reported.

He was the fourth governor to do so, following the governors of New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The moves were made to show support for Ukraine.

We will do our part to push back on the Russian invaders and stand with our sisters and brothers in Ukraine, Cox said in a tweet, adding that Utah would also review all state procurements for any Russian ties.

While the pushback against Russian spirits carries a symbolic message, it probably wont have much of a financial impact. Russian-produced vodkas make up only about $18.5 million of the $1.4 billion vodka import market in the United States, The Guardian reported. State boycotts wont have nearly the economic impact of other international sanctions, such as shutting Russia out of the SWIFT global banking system.

See: Demystifying SWIFT Codes  What They Are and How To Find Them

Of the 10 most popular vodka brands in the U.S. last year, only one  Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka, which ranked third  is considered a Russian brand, according to A1 Wine & Spirit. Yet even Smirnoff is actually owned by British spirits giant Diageo and manufactured in Illinois, WPVI-TV reported. Most of the other Top 10 vodkas are Swedish, Dutch, French or American brands.

Another popular Russia-branded vodka, Stolichnaya, isnt made in Russia, either. Its made in Latvia  something the company has played up since Russias invasion of Ukraine, noting on its website that the company stands for peace in Europe and in solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

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As The Guardian noted, Stolichnaya is owned by Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler, who lives in Geneva, Switzerland. Russia banned the sale of Stolichnaya within its borders because of an ownership dispute that went to Russias supreme court.

Meanwhile, some American bars and liquor stores have begun to promote Ukrainian vodkas such as Kozak and Vektor.

I woke up yesterday morning and I saw that Russia had invaded Ukraine, Bob Quay, owner of Bobs Bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan told the Associated Press. You wonder what you can do. The U.S. obviously is putting on sanctions. I thought I would put on sanctions as well.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: What Is the Economic Impact of State-Run Liquor Stores Banning Russian Vodka?
The EU's ban on Kremlin-backed media outlets, Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik (plus any subsidiaries), is expected to cover online platforms and apps as well as traditional broadcast channels, TechCrunch has confirmed.

The "unprecedented" sanction was announced yesterday as the bloc dialled up its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A spokesman for Thierry Breton, the EU's internal market commissioner, told us the ban is "expected to cover all means of distribution or transmission, including internet video sharing platforms and applications".

He also confirmed that the EU's executive intends to use a sanction legal instrument for the RT ban, rather than trying to amend the existing Audiovisual Media Services Directive -- likely so it can move faster.

A separate Commission source suggested the ban could even be in place within a matter of days.

In parallel with the bloc's move to sanction the two Kremlin mouthpieces, a number of tech platforms have today announced fresh restrictions on Russian state-backed media.

Twitter said it would reduce the visibility of Russian state media-linked outlets on its platform and label tweets that contain links to them, as we reported earlier -- expanding its prior policy of labelling the media outlets themselves.

The social media platform said the changes would be deployed immediately -- and trailed more to come, suggesting it would add similar labels for other state-affiliated media accounts in the next few weeks.

Also today Facebook's parent, Meta, promoted fresh measures.

Policy president, Nick Clegg, said it will be "restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time". Although it was not immediately clear whether or not the company is fully banning the Russian state media firms or just geoblocking access to them.

We've asked Meta for more details.

We have received requests from a number of Governments and the EU to take further steps in relation to Russian state controlled media. Given the exceptional nature of the current situation, we will be restricting access to RT and Sputnik across the EU at this time.  Nick Clegg (@nickclegg) February 28, 2022

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Microsoft has also announced fresh measures to tackle Russia disinformation in the last few hours.

Writing in a blog post the company said: "We are moving swiftly to take new steps to reduce the exposure of Russian state propaganda, as well to ensure our own platforms do not inadvertently fund these operations.

"In accordance with the EUs recent decision, the Microsoft Start platform (including MSN.com) will not display any state-sponsored RT and Sputnik content. We are removing RT news apps from our Windows app store and further de-ranking these sites search results on Bing so that it will only return RT and Sputnik links when a user clearly intends to navigate to those pages. Finally, we are banning all advertisements from RT and Sputnik across our ad network and will not place any ads from our ad network on these sites."

NPR also just reported that TikTok will geoblock RT and Sputnik throughout the EU.

New: TikTok spokesperson confirms to NPR that media accounts backed by the Russian government, including RT and Sputnik, are now geo-blocked throughout the EU following the European Commission's action against state-backed media channels.  Bobby Allyn (@BobbyAllyn) February 28, 2022

European governments have been pressing for US tech platforms to take tougher action on Kremlin-affiliated media outlets throughout the day as Russia's armed forces have continued their aggression in Ukraine -- conducting a brutal bombardment of the country's second largest city, Kharkiv, which destroyed residential buildings and left scores of civilians dead.

Earlier today, Politico reported on a letter from the leaders of three Baltic states and Poland pressing platforms to do more to snuff out what they dubbed Russia's "massive disinformation campaign".

France's digital minister also tweeted earlier today about a meeting with social network firms and search engines -- "to discuss operationalizing the fight against Russian propaganda online" and to talk about the EU's new sanctions against Kremlin-backed media.

Meeting with social networks and search engines to discuss operationalizing the fight against Russian propaganda online, and the sanctions announced last night by @vonderleyen against Russia-funded media #RussiaToday and #Sputnik. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/ppAROgtw3m  Cedric O (@cedric_o) February 28, 2022

Breton himself also personally pushed the CEOs of Google and YouTube to take tougher action against "Russian war propaganda" in a video call, as we reported earlier today.

The EU's president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the bloc's incoming ban on Kremlin-backed media outlets yesterday as part of a package of fresh sanctions targeting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. "The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, as well as their subsidiaries will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin's war and to saw division in our Union," she said, trailing what she billed as an "unprecedented" move.

The pace of the EU's action on this front may look surprising but the bloc has spent years establishing channels of communication with mainstream tech platforms specifically for tackling online disinformation -- via a voluntary Code of Practice which a number of major platforms have been signed up to since 2018.

While that Code is not legally binding the mechanism generates an expectation of action, as well as establishing fast track channels for the Commission to reach and be heard by mainstream (US) tech platforms. It has previously used these channels to press for more to be done in relation to the coronavirus 'infodemic', as it dubbed the wave of disinformation targeting COVID-19 crisis in summer 2020.

War is clearly another pressing cause.

"A continuous coordination is also taking place at technical level with representative of the platforms," an EU spokesperson told TechCrunch. "Platforms agreed to keep adapting and updating platforms policies in light of the current situation.

"Regarding the next steps, we are exploring various options to best coordinate with platforms. Intense work and coordination is taking place."

The total ban on the Russian media mouthpieces' content distribution channels (including all things digital) is a huge step for the EU to take.

The bloc's lawmakers are typically extremely wary about measures that might risk accusations of speech policing. However Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed the context of its propaganda -- recasting trolling media outlets as no longer just something that's perennially chaffing at the margins of democratic Europe but an inexorable part of Putin's "war propaganda" machine as his armed force attack a sovereign nation.

Von der Leyen's remarks yesterday were also noteworthy -- as she said the bloc is "developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe" -- hinting at yet more action to come.

It remains to be seen exactly what the Commission is intending to expand its approach to cutting off the Kremlin's "toxic media machine" beyond the incoming ban on RT and Sputnik -- but further online content restrictions are unlikely to escape controversy.

The reference to "developing tools" suggests the EU could be hoping to lean on tech platforms to proactively chase down Russian propaganda that's being spread via non-official outlets -- perhaps by applying AI or other filtering technologies.

Although there are legal prohibitions in EU law that prevent general monitoring mandates being applied to digital platforms.

Emergency mandates to pre-filter content would also be a very blunt tool -- risking removing genuinely critical speech -- which could inadvertently feed the Kremlin's propaganda machine by sewing division within Western societies by lending credence to the notion that truth is the first casualty of war.
Park Hill Group Managing Director to Bolster FocusPoint's Fundraising Efforts

NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FocusPoint Private Capital Group ("FocusPoint"), an independent capital raising and advisory firm specializing in private capital markets, today announced the appointment of Thomas Chi to Managing Director, to lead project management.

FocusPoint Private Capital Group

Prior to joining FocusPoint, Thomas was a Managing Director in PJT Park Hill's private credit/hedge fund project management team based in New York and has over twenty years of experience in the alternative asset and finance industry. Before PJT Park Hill, Thomas was strategy head for Citi Private Bank's global hedge fund business.

"With a growing pipeline and increased market demand, we are pleased to announce the hire of Thomas Chi as he comes to us from PJT Park Hill and will play a significant role in helping FocusPoint achieve its next level of growth," said David Conrod, Chief Executive of FocusPoint. "Thomas is known in the industry to be a strong originator with an ability to work well with General Partners and foster a collaborative culture."

In this role Thomas reports to Conrod and is based in FocusPoint's NYC office.

"I am thrilled to join FocusPoint at a pivotal point in its growth trajectory," Thomas added. "FocusPoint executive leadership team has successfully raised funds in private markets for over 20-plus years and has a track record of working with a select grouping of General Partner's with differentiated strategies in demand by Limited Partners. I believe that my skillset will be very additive to this ongoing growth and I am looking forward to working with FocusPoint's clients to bring them best of breed fundraising and advisory guidance," he added.

FocusPoint has an expertise in a range of private market strategies that includes: buyout and growth equity; credit and income-related; real estate; real assets; venture capital; and other opportunistic strategies. Thomas holds Series 3, 7, 63, and 79 licenses.

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FocusPoint has deep connections with endowments, foundations, corporate and public pension funds, ultra-high net worth families, sovereign wealth funds, and other institutional investors throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm advises on all aspects of the fundraising process, including competitive positioning and market assessment, marketing materials and related documentation, partnership terms and conditions as well as investor relations.

About FocusPoint Private Capital Group

FocusPoint Private Capital Group (https://www.fpcgllc.com/) was founded in 2010 by Guggenheim Partners veterans David Conrod and Robert Mortimer. Headquartered in New York, the firm is an independent capital raising and advisory firm specializing in private capital markets and is a wholly-owned affiliate of LANDC Investment LLC. The firm raises capital for private equity, credit, real estate, real assets and direct transactions in both developed and emerging markets.

FocusPoint operates as a FINRA regulated broker-dealer in the U.S. and is a member of SIPC.

About LANDC Investment LLC

LANDC Investment LLC (https://www.landcinv.com/) is a financial services firm with two complementary platforms  FocusPoint Private Capital Group and Rise Line Business Credit.

FocusPoint Private Capital Group, an independent capital raising and advisory firm specializing in providing fundraising services to high quality General Partners, was acquired when LANDC was formed in 2014.

LANDC launched an asset management platform with the launch of Rise Line Business Credit, a specialty finance asset-based lending firm in 2017. Along with equity ownership in Rise Line, LANDC has secured equity and carried interest stakes in select funds and direct transactions for providing advisory and capital raising services. LANDC is led by principals with decades of experience in capital placement and investment management.

For Media:

Craig Allen,

Managing Principal

Allen & Associates Communications

P: +1 475 419 4468

craig.allen@aacomms.net

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SOURCE LANDC Investment LLC
Small Business Owners Can Get a Quote in Less Than 20 Seconds Using the New Quoting System

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2022 / General Liability Insurance is pleased to announce the launch of a free and user-friendly tool that will give small business insurance quotes online in less than 20 seconds.

To check out the new tool and/or get a quick and no-cost small business insurance quote, please visit https://quote.generalliabilityinsure.com/.

As a company spokesperson noted, General Liability Insurance realizes that while it is necessary for company owners to buy small business insurance, they may not have the time to call multiple companies asking for quotes.

This knowledge inspired the launch of the new online tool, which will help busy small business owners to request an insurance quote extremely quickly. Visitors to GeneralLiabilityInsure.com simply need to enter in their zip code to get a quote; or, if they prefer, they can call the company toll-free at 855-767-7828.

In addition to the handy online quote tool, the website also features helpful information about commercial general liability and business insurance, including what they are, what these policies cover and how much is needed to fully protect a small business.

"Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance protects your business against the economic loss and expense associated with claims filed against your business for bodily injury, property damage, injury to reputation caused by slander and libel, and also the harm caused by false or misleading advertising," the spokesperson notes, adding that other types of commercial insurance policies that are available include workers compensation insurance, business owner's policy and cyber liability insurance.

In the case of workers compensation insurance, this type of policy is mandatory in most of the United States in companies that have employees. It will provide financial protection if an employee has a job-related accident or illness.

Story continues

"After all is said and done, Small Business Insurance Quotes Online definitely has something to offer your growing business. Our coverage is comprehensive to ensure that basically everything that could go wrong is sufficiently guarded against," the spokesperson noted.

About General Liability Insurance

Forward thinking, and not satisfied with the "traditional" commercial insurance buying experience, the founders of General Liability Insurance decided to build a better platform for business owners to purchase the commercial insurance they need - as quick and painless as possible. For more information, please visit https://generalliabilityinsure.com/.

Media Contact

Ethan Andrew

info@ekinsurance.com

212 235-2003

99 Wall St

New York, NY 10005

SOURCE: General Liability Insurance





View source version on accesswire.com:

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ReportLinker

The Global Embedded Antenna Systems Market size is expected to reach $7. 5 billion by 2027, rising at a market growth of 14. 7% CAGR during the forecast period. Embedded antennas are a type of antenna that makes use of metamaterials to boost the performance of small antenna systems.

New York, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Embedded Antenna Systems Market By End User, By Antenna Type, By Connectivity, By Regional Outlook, Industry Analysis Report and Forecast, 2021 - 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06240988/?utm_source=GNW

The goal of these antennas, like any other electromagnetic antenna, is to introduce energy into space. Furthermore, metamaterials are materials created with unique, typically microscopic patterns to provide strange physical characteristics, which are used in this kind of antenna. Metamaterials in antenna designs can increase the antennas radiated power. The majority of the signal is reflected back to the source by conventional antennas, which are quite tiny in comparison to the wavelength. Due to its innovative construction, a metamaterial antenna seems to be much larger because it retains and re-radiates energy.



COVID-19 Impact



The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various domains of business. COVID-19 had an influence not only on the operations of industries that provide diverse embedded components and solutions, but also on businesses that use these goods and solutions. Lockdown has a worldwide impact on the semiconductor sector because of the reduced demand for consumer electronics. The continued decline in worldwide sales and export shipments for automobiles is projected to have a negative impact on the semiconductor market. The healthcare industry, on the other hand, is projected to gain from the COVID-19 pandemic, as the need for ventilators and other modern medical equipment grows globally.



Market Growth Factors:



Rising application of embedded antenna in Internet of Things (IOT) devices



Due to the availability of numerous smart goods for home and industrial uses, the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem is rapidly expanding. Smart homes, industrial internet, smart grids, and linked autos are just a few of the IoT application areas. Embedded antennas are compact, making them the optimum choice for low-frequency applications and IoT solutions with smaller designs. As a result, integrated antennas are in great demand from a variety of IoT applications. By leveraging the widespread deployment of cellular networks, cellular IoT gives the quickest approach to develop an IoT system internationally.



Development of 5G Technology



The wireless communication industrial innovations, like long-term evolution (LTE), greater usage of smart devices, enhanced mobility, and rapid rise in mobile data traffic, are driving demand for embedded antennas. New wireless technologies like LTE and 5G, that are the rapidly growing mobile technologies and are expected to continue to advance in the future, which would require more spectrum and energy. High-speed internet access has become one of the most critical characteristics in digitally sophisticated workplaces as the volume of connected devices grows.



Market Restraining Factors



Requirement for reduction of stock-keeping units (SKUs)



OEMs are forced to develop numerous SKUs of the same IoT devices linked to wide area network (WAN) technology due to differences in spectrum allotment between countries. As 2G and 3G networks are faded out and devices shift to LTE and 5G, a technology with far more than 40 frequency bands, is projected to continue. The number of spectral bands that OEMs must consider for antenna design is growing with 5G. Using active antenna tuning, smartphone makers may reduce the requirement for various SKUs. Even yet, distinct product SKUs are required for different locations by these firms. Although it is becoming more common, IoT devices are less complicated and seldom incorporate active antenna adjustment.



End User Outlook



Based on End User, the market is segmented into Consumer Electronics, Communication, Healthcare, Aerospace & Defense, Industrial, Automotive & Transportation and Others. Communication segment acquired a substantial revenue share in embedded antenna systems market in 2020. In a communication system, an antenna is critical. Its utilised for both transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals. An antenna, in reality, is a structure capable of radiating or receiving electromagnetic waves, depending on the situation.



Antenna Type Outlook



Based on Antenna Type, the market is segmented into Chip Antenna, PCB Trace Antenna, Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) Antenna, Patch Antenna, and Others. PCB Trace Antenna segment procured a significant revenue share in the embedded antenna systems market in 2020. The Embedded PCB antennas are meant to be quickly connected to the inside of the enclosure via an adhesive pad, providing stable performance and the flexibility of fitting away from other RF-prone components. Due to this, the demand for PCB trace antenna would witness a spike over the forecast period.



Connectivity Outlook



Based on Connectivity, the market is segmented into LPWAn, Cellular, RFID, GNSS/GPS, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and Others. The cellular segment garnered a significant revenue share in embedded antenna systems market in 2020. Antennas are a critical component of every wireless system, including cellular phones. An antenna in a wireless system converts guided radio wave energy into energy that is emitted or radiated into free space. Due to this increasing usage of antenna in cellular network, the demand for these systems would witness a rise during the forecast period.



Regional Outlook



Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific emerged as the leading region. It is owing to the factors like strong manufacturing sector and high advancements in the various telecom and IT technologies.



The major strategies followed by the market participants are Acquisitions. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; Yageo Corporation and Kyocera Corporation are the forerunners in the Embedded Antenna Systems Market. Companies such as Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., Koch Industries, Inc. and Antenova Ltd. are some of the key innovators in the Market.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., Yageo Corporation, Koch Industries, Inc. (Molex LLC), Kyocera Corporation, Taoglas, Airgain, Inc., Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Antenova Ltd., Walsin Technology Corporation, and TE Connectivity Ltd.



Recent strategies deployed in Embedded Antenna Systems Market



Acquisitions and Mergers:



Dec-2021: The YAGEO group completed the acquisition of Chilisin Electronics Corporation. Under this acquisition, a new Magnetics Product Business Group (PBG) would be formed under Pulse Electronics consisting of four Product Business Units (PBUs): Standard Power PBU, Specialized Power PBU, Wired Communications PBU, and Wireless Communications PBU.



Dec-2021: Molex, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, Inc. acquired the core technology and intellectual property (IP) of Keyssa, a California-based pioneer. In this acquisition, Molex would apply this technology to fulfill emerging application areas in smart factories, automotive advanced safety, medical robotics, and more.



Dec-2021: Vishay Intertechnology entered into an agreement to acquire Barry Industries, a leading manufacturer of ceramic components. This acquisition aimed to expand Vishays opportunities to fulfill the increasing communication applications in telecom infrastructure, military, and automotive markets.



Sep-2021: TE Connectivity signed an agreement to acquire the antennas business from Laird Connectivity. This acquisition aimed to integrate TEs high-speed data and wireless connectivity portfolio breadth, manufacturing scale, and distribution with accurately developed and market-leading antenna solutions to bring value to the customers.



Product Launches and Product Expansions:



Jan-2022: KYOCERA unveiled the industrys first evaluation board for testing antenna band switching performance. This latest KYOCERA AVX Antenna Band Switching Evaluation Board is among the first of its kind available in the global electronics market and would assist RF design engineers to maximize antenna performance, size, and emissions, decrease the number of device design iterations, more easily satisfy the customer and regulatory specifications, and boost product time-to-market.



Dec-2021: Antenova launched Affini, a part number SRFL064, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) antenna for the LTE, 4G, and 5G NR networks in global markets. The antenna offers high efficiency that would enable manufacturers to get certifications and PTCRB approval for their designs, and the design can be upgraded to usage 5G modules.



Oct-2021: Antenova released Allani, SR4L069, a compact SMD antenna for the 4G and 5G cellular bands. Antenova developed the Allani antenna to manage within 5G bands worldwide, and in specific Band 71 in the US that offers good coverage for 5G at 617-698MHz.



Jul-2021: Antenova introduced a compact high performing antenna for the 5G bands worldwide that include LTE band 74 1420-1520MHz and 617-698MHz. Lutosa is efficiently a plug-and-play antenna for designs, which require to reach the market rapidly, and designers who state Lutosa for their 4G and 5G designs would have a head start in getting certification since a flexible antenna is simple to design in than an SMD antenna.



Oct-2020: Antenova unveiled the Lepida SR4L054, a 5G SMD design. The IamiiANT antennas are developed to SMD designs utilizing laminated FR4 materials, and the flexiiANT antennas are adaptable FPC designs with a cable and connector proving another choice for certain small devices.



Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements



Sep-2021: Airgain joined hands with Sierra Wireless, a world-leading IoT solutions provider. This collaboration aimed to integrate the AirgainConnect AC-HPUE and AirLink products and provide them nationwide to public safety agencies and organizations. This integrated solution would bring improved mobile connectivity to first responders, field service, and transit applications.



Scope of the Study



Market Segments covered in the Report:



By End User



 Consumer Electronics



 Communication



 Healthcare



 Aerospace & Defense



 Industrial



 Automotive & Transportation



 Others



By Antenna Type



 Chip Antenna



 PCB Trace Antenna



 Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) Antenna



 Patch Antenna



 Others



By Connectivity



 LPWAn



 Cellular



 RFID



 GNSS/GPS



 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth



 Others



By Geography



 North America



o US



o Canada



o Mexico



o Rest of North America



 Europe



o Germany



o UK



o France



o Russia



o Spain



o Italy



o Rest of Europe



 Asia Pacific



o China



o Japan



o India



o South Korea



o Singapore



o Malaysia



o Rest of Asia Pacific



 LAMEA



o Brazil



o Argentina



o UAE



o Saudi Arabia



o South Africa



o Nigeria



o Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled



 Vishay Intertechnology, Inc.



 Yageo Corporation



 Koch Industries, Inc. (Molex LLC)



 Kyocera Corporation



 Taoglas



 Airgain, Inc.



 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation



 Antenova Ltd.



 Walsin Technology Corporation



 TE Connectivity Ltd.



Unique Offerings



 Exhaustive coverage



 Highest number of market tables and figures



 Subscription based model available



 Guaranteed best price



 Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06240988/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




ReportLinker

The Global Healthcare Consulting Services Market size is expected to reach $44. 9 billion by 2027, rising at a market growth of 11. 7% CAGR during the forecast period. Healthcare consulting is a business that provides advice to hospitals, clinics, and other health-care facilities in order to improve their operations and administration.

New York, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Healthcare Consulting Services Market By End User, By Type of Service, By Regional Outlook, Industry Analysis Report and Forecast, 2021 - 2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06240998/?utm_source=GNW

These healthcare consulting services assist healthcare organizations in better managing their internal work structures. There are numerous departments in a healthcare facility like finance, accounting, inventory, marketing, and other departments. For a healthcare facility to be successful, it is important that all departments must perform properly and efficiently.



The fundamental goal of a healthcare facility such as a hospital is to provide public healthcare. Profit comes into play when these healthcare organizations are privately owned. The key players of the market provide advice to all types of hospitals and other health-care initiatives in order to help them achieve their goal of running a healthcare facility. Profitability is one of the major aspects for the private healthcare facility. The treatment consulting services assist private hospitals in making more profit while simultaneously providing patients with world-class healthcare services.



A healthcare consulting firm serves as a third-party counsellor to a specific operator in the healthcare industry. Every healthcare organization, including hospitals, doctors offices, and other facilities, managed care organizations and payors such as insurance companies and government entities, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, and medical equipment companies, could potentially hire one of these advisory firms to help them improve organizational competency.



COVID-19 Impact Analysis



The population and economy have been severely harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of this, healthcare institutions are under tremendous pressure to develop a well-coordinated environment in which all clinical and non-clinical tasks are linked internally and the organization works in tandem with other healthcare units. More than 255 million confirmed cases had been reported globally as of November 2021, with more than 5 million deaths as per WHO.



The pandemic has had a significant impact on independent consulting, resulting in decreased business, lower revenue, and project delays. However, pharmaceuticals and healthcare were among the three main industries (along with chemicals and agriculture) that were least affected by the pandemic. Healthcare providers, payers, pharma & biotech businesses, medical device companies, and government agencies have all adopted innovative technologies, solutions, and services to tackle the outbreak, going beyond traditional routes to improve workflows.



Market Growth Factors:



Rising penetration of digital healthcare services



Due to the growing demand for efficient practical solutions, there has been a huge demand for healthcare advising services. Healthcare outsourcing is in high demand around the world due to its applications in a variety of disciplines within the healthcare industry. Furthermore, as a result of favorable government policies in both developed and emerging countries, possibilities for healthcare IT consulting are expanding. The ability of healthcare consultants to boost the overall corporate activities of healthcare organizations would aid the growth of the healthcare consulting market during the forecast period.



Consolidation in the healthcare industry is becoming more common



The number of merger and acquisition transactions in the healthcare industry has been steadily increasing over the last several years. Synchronizing the digital and IT infrastructure of several businesses during merger activities is a difficult issue. IT departments are responsible for data migration and synchronization, as well as the continuing management of electronic medical records. With the rising number of mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare industry, a growing number of customers are likely to seek the assistance of healthcare consultants to overcome relevant obstacles in a seamless and cost-effective manner.



Market Restraining Factors:



Growing number of multi-sourcing approaches



Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all strategy, an increasing number of companies are splitting down larger consulting contracts into smaller chunks and enlisting the help of multiple vendors to complete tasks. Because consulting firms do not necessarily have competence in every practice area, healthcare organizations are gradually adopting the multi-sourcing model. Healthcare providers, payers, and government agencies are all pushing for numerous consulting firms to work together on projects.



End User Outlook



Based on end-user, the healthcare consulting services market is divided into Government Bodies, Healthcare Providers, Health Insurance Payers, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies and Medical Device Companies. Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies segment procured a promising revenue share in the healthcare consulting services market in 2020. It is owing to the difficulties faced by these companies in managing IT and operational processes along with the constantly changing business dynamics of these companies across the world.



Type of Service Outlook



On the basis of type of service, the healthcare consulting services market is segmented into Digital Health Consulting, Financial Consulting, IT Consulting, Strategy Consulting, Operations Consulting, and HR & Talent Consulting. The financial consulting segment procured a promising revenue share in the healthcare consulting services market in 2020. These services include advisory services supplied to manage the hospitals funds and expenses. These solutions help businesses prioritise their spending based on the amount of incentives they can offer.



Regional Outlook



Region-wise, healthcare consulting services market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and LAMEA. North America emerged as the leading region in the healthcare consulting services market with the maximum revenue share in 2020. The provision of government funding for the progress of state-wide and national healthcare information exchange, the increased preference for HCIT solutions, the increased number of favorable initiatives by regional governments during the COVID-19 pandemic, the presence of large hospitals that demand integrated healthcare networks, the presence of major players offering healthcare consulting services, and the high adoption rate of these services by healthcare organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.



The major strategies followed by the market participants are Acquisitions. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix Accenture PLC and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited are the forerunners in the Healthcare Consulting Services Market. Companies such as Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, IQVIA Holdings, Inc., Huron Consulting Group, Inc. are some of the key innovators in the Market.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include McKinsey & Company, Ernst & Young Global Limited, Bain & Company, Inc., Huron Consulting Group, Inc., West Monroe Partners, Inc., Accenture PLC, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, IQVIA Holdings, Inc., and Boston Consulting Group.



Strategies Deployed in Healthcare Consulting Services Market



Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements:



Jul-2021: Cognizant teamed up with Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology. Following the collaboration, the two companies aimed to create end-to-end digital health solutions that would allow healthcare organizations and life sciences companies to enhance patient care and speed up clinical trials.



Oct-2019: Huron formed an exclusive partnership with Medically Home Group, a healthcare technology-enabled services company. The partnership would integrate Hurons and Medically Homes strategic capabilities and comprehensive healthcare expertise to transform patient care with the help of advanced and affordable solutions to get enhanced health outcomes at a lower cost.



Product Launches and Product Expansions:



Dec-2021: IQVIA rolled out new Research Nursing and Phlebotomy services. In addition, these new services provide patients who take part in clinical trials access to a global network of high-quality, credentialed professionals that offer compassionate protocol-required care within their own homes.



Nov-2019: Deloitte introduced ConvergeHealth Connect, a suite of products that enable healthcare institutions to better offer enhanced patient care. The new suite is based on the Salesforce Health Cloud and will be offered via Deloitte Digital, the firms creative digital consultancy that works with clients to digitally transform.



May-2019: IQVIA launched IQVIA MedTech and its dedicated industry-focused solutions and services for the medical device and in-vitro diagnostics market, and for companies with combination products. The new solution helps the companies to create better manage operations across their complete product lifecycle, from concept-to-market, offering quality control, regulatory, safety, and compliance solutions along the way.



Acquisitions and Mergers:



Jan-2022: Hiren took over Perception Health, the disease prediction company. Following the acquisition, the integrated capabilities of the two companies would enhance Hurons healthcare predictive analytics and data capabilities to assist customers to unlock insights and identify patterns to improve patient care and make informed decisions.



Nov-2021: EY took over Tao Leadership Limited (Tao), a company that focuses on driving fast-paced organizational transformation and culture change in businesses. This acquisition would further boost the growth of EY People Advisory Services by bolstering the already extremely prominent tech-enabled transformational leadership and culture change capabilities.



Sep-2021: Accenture took over Gevity, offers professional services to clients seeking sustainable and effective healthcare, social services, and life sciences solutions. Through this acquisition, the company aimed to expand its capabilities to offer health transformation services in Canada and internationally.



Jul-2021: Deloitte took over Paxton Partners, a healthcare consulting firm. Following the acquisition, Deloitte would acquire the specialist skills of the Paxton Partners team which would improve the capability available to state and federal health departments, other funders, insurers, public health services, sector operators, not-for-profit health vendors, private hospital groups, and investors.



May-2021: Deloitte acquired Iperion Life Sciences Consultancy, a globally-operating firm working to support life sciences companies and regulatory bodies in their digital transformation. Following the acquisition, the Iperion would become "Iperion - a Deloitte business" and become part of Deloittes Risk Advisory function, focusing on human medicine safety, outcomes, and experiences through standardized, regulated product information.



Feb-2021: Huron took over Unico Solution, a data management and analytics systems provider company. This acquisition aimed to enhance the data management and governance capabilities of Huron to assist customers in better managing their data to optimize their operations and boost cloud adoption.



Feb-2021: Cognizant took over Linium, a cloud transformation consultancy group specializing in the ServiceNow platform and solutions for smart digital enterprise workflows. Following the acquisition, the specialized ServiceNow focus of Linium aimed to expand Cognizants enterprise service management capabilities while supporting its own longstanding ServiceNow alliance.



Jan-2021: Deloitte took over HashedIn Technologies Private Limited, a leading cloud-native software engineering, and product development firm. Following the acquisition, the two companies would together assist the customers to imagine, provide and run their futures with cloud technologies. Moreover, the integrated capabilities of the two companies would strengthen the capacity to develop software products and intelligent solutions that boost innovation at the edge.



Oct-2020: Accenture took over OpusLine, an independent Paris-based health consulting company renowned for its strategic advisory and transformational services provided to healthcare organizations in France. Following the acquisition, OpusLine would become part of the new Health practice of Accenture Strategy & Consulting in France, strengthening its ability to assist customers innovate and provide digital innovation across their organization.



Jun-2020: Cognizant took over Collaborative Solutions, adding new finance and HR advisory and implementation services to Cognizants cloud offerings. This acquisition would provide the company with new finance and HR advisory and implementation services to Cognizants cloud offerings.



Jan-2020: Accenture acquired Clarity Insights, a data science consultancy with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and enterprise automation expertise. Through this acquisition, Accenture would expand its resources to assist healthcare companies with data science.



Scope of the Study



Market Segments covered in the Report:



By End User



 Government Bodies



 Healthcare Providers



 Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies



 Health Insurance Payers



 Medical Device Companies



By Type of Service



 Operations Consulting



 HR & Talent Consulting



 IT Consulting



 Strategy Consulting



 Financial Consulting



 Digital Health Consulting



By Geography



 North America



o US



o Canada



o Mexico



o Rest of North America



 Europe



o Germany



o UK



o France



o Russia



o Spain



o Italy



o Rest of Europe



 Asia Pacific



o China



o Japan



o India



o South Korea



o Singapore



o Malaysia



o Rest of Asia Pacific



 LAMEA



o Brazil



o Argentina



o UAE



o Saudi Arabia



o South Africa



o Nigeria



o Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled



 McKinsey & Company



 Ernst & Young Global Limited



 Bain & Company, Inc.



 Huron Consulting Group, Inc.



 West Monroe Partners, Inc.



 Accenture PLC



 Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation



 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited



 IQVIA Holdings, Inc.



 Boston Consulting Group



Unique Offerings



 Exhaustive coverage



 Highest number of market tables and figures



 Subscription based model available



 Guaranteed best price



 Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06240998/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




OTTAWA, ON, March 1, 2022 /CNW/ - The agriculture and agri-food sector is a key driver of Canada's economy, with the organics industry being one of the fastest growing sectors in Canada. Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced funding of up to $770, 000 for the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) to support market development for organic products.

The funding will help create domestic and international export opportunities and promote the "Canada Organic" brand. The project includes the development of market activities at major food shows in Germany and the United States with additional activities related to market accessibility and technical assessments. The investment, made under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership's AgriMarketing Program, will support the association in welcoming incoming missions, offering retailer training, creating market reports and developing a directory of organic producers and exporters.

With this investment, COTA has developed a 4-module retailer training program as well as a webinar training series on how to become 'Export Ready'. It continues to expand the training program in order to deliver sessions virtually as well as in-person to a wide stakeholder audience. In the first two years of the program COTA has trained over 600 participants from 300 companies with estimated related sales close to $1.7 million.

Today's announcement supports the continued growth of Canada's organics industry through increased access to domestic and international markets, export readiness and retailer training, and promotion of the industry to incoming missions.

Quotes

"Canada's organic industry is one of our fastest growing sectors. These producers provide healthy and nutritious food to consumers across the country and, increasingly, around the world. Supporting the market development for organic products will further contribute to the growth of a more competitive and sustainable Canadian agricultural sector."

- The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Story continues

"COTA and our members are very grateful for the continued support from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as organic agriculture and trade assist the Federal government to meet their goals on climate change. Canada's organic landscape continues to shine on the world stage and grow at a pace that highlights the increased demand for climate-friendly products by consumers worldwide."

- Tia Loftsgard Executive Director , Canada Organic Trade Association

Quick Facts

The Canada Organic Trade Association is a not-for-profit industry association representing the organic value chain in Canada.

Globally, the organic sector shows a worth of $147.5 billion dollars in 2018, up from the $102 billion in 2016 and is expected to continue its burgeoning growth. The Canadian organic market is now the sixth largest organic market in the world valued at $8 billion, which is up from $5.4 billion in 2017.

There were more than 7,500 organic operations in Canada in 2019, accounting for roughly 2% of total agricultural land.

Last year, Canadian agri-food and seafood exports increased by 10.9%, reaching $82.2 billion -- over $7 billion ahead of our target of $75 billion, and four years ahead of schedule.

Associated links

AgriMarketing

Canadian Agricultural Partnership

Canadian Organic Trade Association

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Cision

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2022/01/c9035.html
The California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS, is the nation's largest public pension fund. Its office building, above, is in Sacramento. (Carl Costas / For The Times)

California's governor called on the heads of the state's two largest pension funds and of the University of California Retirement System to divest any Russian investments, as the state joined others in the nation trying to squeeze Russia over its war in Ukraine.

In a letter late Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom also asked the officials to give recommendations within 10 days on how the state can protect its investments amid U.S. and worldwide sanctions against Russia.

The request came hours after California lawmakers outlined plans to introduce a bill that would force the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers' Retirement System, as well as all other state agencies, to divest Russian assets.

The bill, which is expected to be introduced in the next few days, was planned to contain an urgency clause that would have it take effect immediately once passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor. The governor's subsequent statement appears to urge the funds to move even more quickly on divestment.

"Russias brazen and lawless military assault on Ukraine demands our support for the Ukrainian people and exacting an immediate and severe cost upon the Russian government in response to its continuing aggression," he wrote. "California has a unique and powerful position of influence given the states substantial global investment portfolio."

Newsom said CalPERS and CalSTRS, the nation's two largest public pension funds, and the UC system, have a combined $1.5 billion in Russian investments. His statement called on the funds to offload the assets while protecting retiree income.

The separate bill in the works would also ask California companies to divest Russian assets, and it would block the awarding of state contracts to companies doing business with Russia.

The world is watching the atrocities taking place in Ukraine. Its sickening, Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) said in a statement. California has unique and remarkable economic power in this circumstance. As the fifth-largest economy in the world, we must use this power for good. We can help stop this autocratic thug, Putin, by advancing this critical legislation and enacting our own financial divestments.

Story continues

CalPERS, which provides pension benefits to state and local government employees, currently holds no Russian government debt but has investments in publicly traded Russian companies, real estate and some private equity totaling $900 million to $1.1 billion at any given time, fund spokeswoman Megan White said.

That means its exposure to Russian assets comprises only a fraction of the fund, which is the largest public pension fund in the nation, with $485 billion under management as of June 30.

"CalPERS supports the people of Ukraine who are suffering due to what is an unjustified and unprovoked attack," Chief Executive Marcie Frost said in a statement. "CalPERS investments in Russia total less than 1% of our total portfolio. We are monitoring current events and will take action as appropriate to protect the interests of our members."

CalSTRS, which provides pension benefits to teachers and is the nation's second-largest public pension fund, had investments in Russia worth less than $500 million as of Feb. 23, fund spokesman Bill Ainsworth said. Since then, the value has dropped because of the volatility in the market and repositioning of the portfolio.

"Therefore the actual exposure number could be much lower. CalSTRS is a long-term investor and we are continuing to actively manage our positions," he said in an emailed statement.

Although the figures provided did not break down the fund's investments, a public database on its website shows it held almost $32 million in Russian government debt as well as about $1.5 million in Russian rubles as of June 30. The database also shows that at the time it held shares in companies such as Gazprom and Russian banks Sberbank and VTB  both sanctioned by the U.S  valued at roughly $800 million. With the fund totaling $319.8 billion as of Jan. 31, any current holdings would amount to less than 1% of CalSTRS assets.

The proposed bill is supported by a bipartisan coalition of state senators and Assembly members, according to McGuire's office.

California joins other states taking steps to divest Russian assets or pressure Putin over the war.

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, got a bipartisan standing ovation Monday when he told representatives he would seek to have the states retirement funds quickly divest any Russian assets.

I dont know about yall, but I dont want one penny of Georgians money going to subsidize Vladimir Putin, Ralston said. While our role in international affairs is limited, we make clear we stand with those who want to live in peace.

On Monday, the Indiana House passed legislation that would block Russian-controlled businesses and nonprofits from acquiring property in Indiana for one year. It now goes to the Senate.

And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Sunday forbidding her state from doing business with Russia. She ordered state agencies to divest money and assets from companies or institutions aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine. The Democratic governor also said New York would welcome Ukrainian refugees, noting that New York already is home to the largest Ukrainian population in the U.S.

We strongly condemn the action of Putin and Russia for this unprovoked attack, which is now leading to atrocities against innocent human beings," she said.

Other states taking action included Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia and North Dakota.

California Assemblyman Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage) said he would push to have the state's legislation expanded to include such local funds as the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Assn. if the bill doesn't initially include it.

"We have to send a very clear message that the aggression that was shown by Putin and Russia towards the Ukrainian people is unacceptable," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
One For Israel Launches 31 Days of Prayer to Invite US Christians to Faithfully Pray for Israel

Ministry Urges American Believers to Pray for Spiritual Awakening in Israel







NEWS PROVIDED BY

One For Israel

March 1, 2022



COLLEYVILLE, Texas, March 1, 2022 /Standard Newswire/ -- Israel-based ministry One For Israel announces the release of a free 'Pray for Israel!' 31-day prayer guide to encourage U.S. Christians to accept the biblically based call to pray for Israel.







Releasing on March 1, the quick-read devotional offers 31 days of concise and focused prayer points designed to inform and stir the hearts of Christ-followers and prompt them to intercede for the unreached people of Israel. Each day's content pairs a passage from the Bible with a quick reference "Did You Know?" education and direction for the day's prayer.



"Not all Christians are called to travel to other nations as missionaries, but they are all called to pray for the unreached nations," encourages Dr. Erez Soref, President & CEO of One For Israel. "For this reason, One For Israel is asking U.S. Christians to commit to 31 days of bold intercession for Israel. Do not underestimate the impact of your prayers in encouraging, supporting and uplifting the Jews and Arabs who are sharing the Gospel with Israel, making disciples, training leaders and blessing our communities in the name of Yeshua (Jesus)."



Among the 31 unique prayer topics in the guide is:

The Next Generation: Pray for the next generation of believers to grow in faith and stand strong amidst the opposition they face in following Jesus.



Underground Believers: Pray for the new believers, for safety, and for boldness to take the next steps in their faith.



Israeli Government: Pray that the Gospel would not be hindered by those in authority.



Anti-Semitism: Stand with us in prayer and in public to fight anti-Semitism around the world.

One For Israel reports that currently, only one percent of the people living in Israel claim Jesus as their Messiah. However, not only are we seeing the physical restoration of Israel after a 2,000-year exile but Jewish people are returning to their God and accepting the Messiah in numbers not seen since the early church.



"We have been called to do ministry within this miracle of restoration," Soref urges. "Yet, anything we attempt in Yeshua's name will amount to nothing unless it's informed and empowered by prayer. Our heart's desire is that dedicated prayer partners will rise and pray for our Israeli brothers and sisters and that the God of Israel would save the people of Israel, as it says in Romans 10:1." The free 'Pray for Israel!' 31-day prayer guide is available for download at www.oneforisrael.org/prayforisrael.



About One For Israel

Established in 1990, One For Israel is a movement of Jewish and Arab Israeli followers of Yeshua (Jesus) who are sharing the Gospel with Israel and the world. The multifaceted, nonprofit ministry exists to make disciples, train leaders, and bless communities in the name of Jesus through their Bible College and discipleship programs. One For Israel is at the forefront of evangelism and discipleship in Israel's modern-day revival, producing innovative evangelistic media in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, seen by millions of Israelis and others around the world. Their media outreach includes over 50 short videos answering approximately 100 objections to Jesus, several hundred apologetic articles, and powerful discipleship content for those who have come to faith. For information, visit oneforisrael.org.



SOURCE One For Israel



CONTACT: Heidi McDow, A. Larry Ross Communications, 214-679-3409, heidi@alarryross.com


Image

Climate-Tech Startup to Demonstrate the Energy Savings and Carbon Reduction Benefits of Its Insulating Glass Retrofit Technology in Collaboration with Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) for Measurement and Verification

Creekside 5

Creekside 5

HOUSTON, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INOVUES, the provider of the only technology that enables existing building facades to be retrofitted with the latest energy-saving and smart glass innovations without replacement or disruption, has signed a contract to install its technology at a property owned by Ascendas Reit1 (AREIT) as part of a CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI)2 demonstration of the technology. CLI, the sponsor of AREIT, is a leading global real estate investment manager and one of the world's most sustainable companies.

As the High Impact Award winner of CapitaLand's inaugural Sustainability X Challenge (CSXC), INOVUES was selected out of over 270 entries received from more than 25 countries, to demonstrate its patented window retrofit technology at CapitaLand's Creekside 5, a three-story building in Creekside Corporate Park in Portland, Oregon.

Ms. Lynette Leong, Chief Sustainability Officer, CLI, said: "We look forward to having INOVUES on board as our sustainability partner. With properties in over 250 cities and 30 countries, CapitaLand integrates environmental, social and governance considerations into everything we do, and it is critical to the future success of our business. Through CSXC, we can source for the world's best innovations to meet our 2030 Sustainability Master Plan targets and provide companies like INOVUES with access to a range of real estate classes globally and typologies in varying climatic conditions to apply their solutions. This accelerates our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint for the built environment. We welcome more companies to join our CSXC 2022 and collaborate with us to build a sustainable planet for future generations. Registration closes on March 11, 2022."

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INOVUES will install its non-invasive insulating glass retrofits (IGRs) to transform existing windows into high-performing triple-glazed windows. The overglaze IGRs will be installed from the exterior without removing, replacing, or drilling any existing building components. The retrofit will provide the same benefits of window replacement but at a fraction of the cost and without disruption to the building or occupants. Global property management company Cushman & Wakefield, the building's manager, will administer the contract and oversee the work.

"We are thrilled to be working with two of the world's leading real estate companies to help decarbonize existing buildings and accelerate the transformation into a sustainable future," said Anas Al Kassas, INOVUES Founder and CEO. "We are excited to be moving ahead with this first project and looking forward to seeing our technology contributing to saving energy and cutting carbon emissions across CapitaLand's portfolio worldwide."

INOVUES' retrofit project at Creekside 5 received cash incentives, and it is supported by NEEA who will provide third-party measurement and verification (M&V) of the energy savings. Although the building has a below-average energy use intensity and the windows are double-glazed, a calibrated energy model indicated that transforming the existing windows into high-performing triple-glazed windows using INOVUES' IGRs will significantly reduce the building's energy consumption and GHG emissions. The project will be installed in Q2 this year and will be monitored for 9 to 12 monthsNEEA's M&V report is expected to be published early next year. For information on available incentives for IGRs, contact INOVUES at info@inovues.com.

About INOVUES:

INOVUES makes existing buildings more energy-efficient and sustainable by retrofitting their facades and windows with the latest energy-saving and smart glass innovations without removal, replacement, or disruption. Through its non-invasive insulating glass retrofits, INOVUES offers building owners a high-ROI low-carbon solution to save up to 40% on energy consumption, improve occupants' thermal and acoustic comfort, and increase the value and sustainability of the building.

Press Contact:

pr@inovues.com

[1] Ascendas Reit is Singapore's first and largest listed business space and industrial real estate investment trust. It was listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limit on Nov. 19, 2002.

[2] CapitaLand Investment Limited, the real estate investment management business of CapitaLand Group, was listed on Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited on 20 September 2021.

Related Images













Image 1: Creekside 5









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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The Jasmine Sunwhite New Crop offers the freshest rice produce from the season, delivering superior quality and taste for the new year delicacies.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jasmine Food Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (Jasmine Food), Malaysia's leading rice company, is encouraging Malaysians to take advantage of the new crop season this Chinese New Year with Jasmine Sunwhite New Crop.

Jasmine Food: Rediscovering the simple joys of cooking with Jasmine Sunwhite New Crop this Lunar New Year

The new crop season spanning from November to March produces aromatic, plump and moist rice when cooked. Anticipating the festivities in February, Jasmine Food aims to inspire the new year cuisines, both traditional and modern dishes with the Jasmine Sunwhite New Crop.

"We want families to rediscover the simple joys of home-cooking this Lunar New Year," said Mr. Lim Swee Keat, Chief Executive Officer of Jasmine Food. "Everyone loves a bowl of fragrant rice and delicious condiments to savor with their favorite New Year specialties. We also look forward to elevating some auspicious rice-based Lunar New Year classics such as Nuo Mi Fan (sticky rice with Chinese sausages), clay pot rice, and sweet rice balls with our finest quality rice."

Jasmine Food has been focused on bringing in an incredible range of the finest quality rice to the country. The premium rice varieties are imported from select rice-growing countries, such as Thailand, Myanmar, China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, the USA, and Australia. Harvesting is only carried out once a year between October and March, making this period the best time for consumer to enjoy the freshest rice products in the market.

Meanwhile, Malaysians preparing to welcome Lunar New Year festivities in February 2022 will be able to make the most of the offerings to create classic, scrumptious home-cooking feasts for their entire family.

As the market leader in the Malaysian rice industry, Jasmine Food regularly collaborates with other industry leaders to drive product innovation. This time around, Jasmine Food is partnering with Angel Brand, a manufacturer for sauces and condiments. The household names, famed for bringing the best Malaysian home-cooked flavors to the table, team up as the new crop season arrives, with the 2022 Lunar New Year just around the corner.

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"The collaboration with Angel Brand has been a very natural fit from the beginning," said he added. "With their naturally brewed sauces, bean pastes, and other traditional condiments, Angel Brand is our perfect match in creating the best flavour experience for Malaysians."

Starting on 1 January, customers purchasing any 5kg bag of Jasmine Food's rice variant such as Calfresh, Sunwhite, Moly, Pearl, and Royal Siam from Jasmine Food's e-commerce stores at Shopee or Lazada will receive one complimentary bottle of Angle Light Soy Sauce.

With several accolades under its belt including the ISO Quality Management award, Superbrand awards and the prestigious brand Laureate award, Jasmine Food is determined to ramp up celebrations with fellow Malaysians. Most recently, the brand achieved the top rice brand ranking in Malaysia, according to the Nielsen Company (M) Sdn Bhd index data.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/jasminefoodmy/.

About Jasmine Food Corporation Sdn Bhd

Founded in 1960, Jasmine Food Corporation, a subsidiary of Padiberas Nasional Berhad (BERNAS), is a leader in the distribution and marketing of rice industry in Malaysia with numerous accolades under the belt. Jasmine Food distributes rice products including fragrant rice, basmathi rice, white rice, specialty rice, brown rice, glutinous rice, and rice vermicelli through a comprehensive network of dealers nationwide.

SOURCE Jasmine Food
This week, the biggest story in the space industry is understandably the biggest story in world events overall: Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Of course, the most immediate and devastating impact of Russias actions are those felt by the people on the ground in the besieged country, but already there are signs that this could forever change how the international space community operates, and in particular itll test the long-standing collaborative relationship between the U.S. and Russia.

Via a series of tweets the head of Russias space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, was quick to respond to sanctions imposed by the U.S., noting that the joint stewardship of the International Space Station could be at risk as a result. Rogozin went so far as to imply that without Russian support, the orbiting station could theoretically fall on the U.S., Europe, China or India (its path doesnt place it over Russia at any point).

Non-military space cooperation between the two countries isnt affected by the sanctions currently imposed by the U.S., but Rogozin and by extension Roscosmos apparently dont see the measures as fully unentangled from agency collaboration.

Image Credits: NASA

One immediate impact of the ongoing Russian aggression toward the Ukraine is that its no longer going to be launching rockets from the European Space Agencys spaceport in French Guiana. Roscosmos is saying this is their decision in response to sanctions against Russia, and that it will be immediately withdrawing all on-site staff that support its Soyuz launches.

There were a number of international payloads on the docket to launch via Soyuz rockets over the course of the next few months, with the earliest in April. At a minimum, those will likely have to find new rides, unless the decision is somehow reversed. Arianespace could fill in the gaps with its own launch vehicles, so its unclear if Russian rockets would ever launch from the ESA facility again even if tensions were to de-escalate.

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KOUROU, FRENCH GUIANA DECEMBER 16, 2019: A mobile service tower for a Soyuz-ST rocket booster at the Guiana Space Centre. The rocket carrying CHEOPS telescope (CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite) of the European Space Agency, a COSMO-SkyMed satellite, an EyeSat satellite, and two small satellites to be launched on December 17, 2019, 11:54 Moscow time. Soyuz rockets are launched from the Guiana Space Centre as part of a collaborative programme between Roscomos and the European Space Agency. Sergei Savostyanov/TASS (Photo by Sergei SavostyanovTASS via Getty Images)

Commercial Crew more pivotal than ever

NASAs decision to enlist the aid of private companies to provide astronaut transportation services to and from the ISS now looks more prescient than ever. Elon Musk tweeted a cheeky response to Rogozins thinly veiled threats about the ISS mentioned above, suggesting SpaceX could step in and play an even greater role in the ongoing operation of the station should Russia exit the picture.

NASA could theoretically get even more help once Boeings commercial astronaut flight services get up and running, though those have been met with significant delays late in the program.

SpaceX Crew Dragon on approach to the ISS.

Image Credits: SpaceX
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market will be driven by the rising incidence of MI. The market is expected to grow by USD 2.02 billion from 2021 to 2026, progressing at a CAGR of 4.72% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. The report offers an up-to-date analysis as well as exact growth variance and the Y-O-Y growth rate.

Attractive Opportunities in Myocardial Infarction (MI) Therapeutics Market by Product and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

For additional valuable insights related to the market. Request a Free Sample Report.

Myocardial Infarction (MI) Therapeutics Market 2022-2026 : Scope

The myocardial infarction (mi) therapeutics market report covers the following areas:

Myocardial Infarction (MI) Therapeutics Market 2022-2026 : Segmentation

By product, the market has been segmented into antithrombotics, vasodilators, thrombolytics, and others. The antithrombotics segment will have significant market share growth during the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the increasing demand for NOACs worldwide.

By geography, the market has been segmented into North America, Asia, Europe, and Rest Of World (ROW). North America will account for the highest share during the forecast period.

Learn more about the contribution of each segment of the market. Download a Free Sample

Myocardial Infarction (MI) Therapeutics Market 2022-2026 : Drivers and Challenges

The rising incidence of MI is one of the key factors driving the global myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market growth. Novel antithrombotics offer significant advantages, such as target specificity. Furthermore, in developed nations, reimbursement programs aim at providing full-time coverage for drug therapies as well as cardiovascular imaging and acute care. These factors are contributing to the growth of the market in the forecast period.

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The extensive use of generics is one of the key challenges to the global myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market growth. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the expiry of the patent of the original branded drug. Thus, generic drugs have comparatively lower prices than branded drugs. In addition, the high success rates associated with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and vest prevention of early sudden death trial (VEST) have led to their increased adoption rate among end-users. These factors limit the use of MI therapeutics to a certain extent among patients, thereby restricting the market growth.

Myocardial Infarction (MI) Therapeutics Market 2022-2026 : Vendor Analysis

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market, including Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Athera Biotechnologies AB, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., CeleCor Therapeutics, CHIESI Farmaceutici SpA, CSL Ltd., Eli Lilly and Co., Ever Supreme Bio Technology, F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd., Faraday Pharmaceuticals, Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Merck and Co. Inc., Mesoblast Ltd., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi SA, and Johnson and Johnson Inc. among others.

Subscribe to our "Lite Plan" billed annually at USD 3000 that enables to download 3 reports/year and view 3 reports/month.

Myocardial Infarction (MI) Therapeutics Market 2022-2026 : Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026

Detailed information on factors that will assist myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of myocardial infarction (MI) therapeutics market vendors

Related Reports:

New Drug Delivery Systems Market by Route of Administration and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

Janus Kinase (JAK) Inhibitors Market by Application and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

Myocardial Infarction (MI) Therapeutics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 4.72% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 2.02 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 4.4 Regional analysis North America, Asia, Europe, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 39% Key consumer countries US, Mexico, Germany, UK, and China Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Amgen Inc., AstraZeneca Plc, Athera Biotechnologies AB, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., CeleCor Therapeutics, CHIESI Farmaceutici SpA, CSL Ltd., Eli Lilly and Co., Ever Supreme Bio Technology, F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd., Faraday Pharmaceuticals, Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Merck and Co. Inc., Mesoblast Ltd., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi SA, and Johnson and Johnson Inc. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table Of Contents :

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

5 Market Segmentation by Product

5.1 Market segments

5.2 Comparison by Product

5.3 Antithrombotics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.4 Vasodilators - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.5 Thrombolytics - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.6 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.7 Market opportunity by Product

6 Customer Landscape

6.1 Customer landscape overview

7 Geographic Landscape

7.1 Geographic segmentation

7.2 Geographic comparison

7.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.4 Asia - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.7 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.8 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.11 Mexico - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

7.12 Market opportunity by geography

8 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

8.1 Market drivers

8.2 Market challenges

8.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

8.4 Market trends

9 Vendor Landscape

9.1 Overview

9.2 Vendor landscape

9.3 Landscape disruption

9.4 Industry risks

10 Vendor Analysis

10.1 Vendors covered

10.2 Market positioning of vendors

10.3 Amgen Inc.

10.4 AstraZeneca Plc

10.5 Bayer AG

10.6 Bristol Myers Squibb Co.

10.7 Eli Lilly and Co.

10.8 F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd.

10.9 Merck and Co. Inc.

10.10 Novartis AG

10.11 Pfizer Inc.

10.12 Sanofi SA

11 Appendix

11.1 Scope of the report

11.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

11.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

11.4 Research methodology

11.5 List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/

Technavio (PRNewsfoto/Technavio)

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SOURCE Technavio
Monument Mining

Gross Revenue of US$5.05 Million and Cash Cost of US$1,810/Oz

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY and FSE: D7Q1) Monument or the Company today announced its production and financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2022 and the six months ended December 31, 2021. All amounts are expressed in United States dollars (US$) unless otherwise indicated (refer to www.sedar.com for full financial results).

President and CEO Cathy Zhai commented, I am glad that the second quarter progressed the Selinsing Flotation Plant Project to 37% completion and awarded all major equipment suppliers and construction contractors successfully. Purchase orders for major long lead items of equipment were issued, and fabrication of the flotation cell went well, and the civil work has completed the earth work. We stay on schedule anticipating the dry commissioning completion by June 2022. At the Murchison Gold Project, the Phase 1 drill program assays were highly encouraging and highlighted a new high-grade mineralization at the Junction Target in an area where there is significant room to extend mineralization with further drill programs. The Murchison Phase 2 drilling program commenced targeting down dip and down plunge of known high grade deposits aimed at testing the potential expansion of the underground resource.

Second Quarter Highlights:

Murchison Phase 1 drilling results confirm discovery of new high-grade mineralization at the Junction Target;

Murchison Phase 2 drilling started with 2,918 meters (12 RC holes) drilled;

Peranggih RC drilling and channel sampling confirms the extension of oxide mineralization and potential supplies to the mill;

Selinsing Flotation Plant Project is progressing as planned with 37% completion to date;

Selinsing Gold Mines Q2 production impacted by heavy monsoon rains: 1,683oz of gold produced in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: 2,963oz); 2,873 ounces (oz) of gold sold for $5.05 million in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: 3,754oz for $6.84million); Average quarterly gold price realized at $1,828/oz in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $1,889/oz); Cash cost per ounce sold was $1,810/oz in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $1,103/oz); Gross margin decreased by 106% to negative $0.15 million in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $2.69 million); All-in sustaining cost (AISC) increased to $2,146/oz in Q2, FY2022 (Q2, FY2021: $1,501/oz) (section 15 Non-IFRS Performance Measures of Q2 Managements Discussion and Analysis (MD&A).





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Second Quarter and Six Months Production and Financial Highlights

Three months ended

December31, Six months ended

December 31, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Production Ore mined (t) 85,209 112,073 160,181 193,649 Ore processed (t) 1,770,975 963,863 3,713,309 2,022,019 Average mill feed grade (g/t) 129,000 152,836 285,611 319,268 Processing recovery rate (%) 0.56 0.89 0.55 0.94 Gold recovery (oz) 63 % 58 % 64 % 61 % Gold production (1) (oz) 1,683 2,963 2,726 6,467 Gold sold (oz) 2,873 3,754 4,296 6,854 Three months ended

December 31, Six months ended

December 31, 2021 2020 2021 2020 Financial (expressed in thousands of US$) $ $ $ $ Revenue 5,046 6,835 7,429 12,754 Gross margin from mining operations (153 ) 2,694 195 5,753 Income before other items (2,124 ) 1,159 (2,879 ) 3,102 Net loss (2,502 ) (649 ) (3,769 ) (511 ) Cash flows (used in) provided by operations (4,023 ) 796 (4,000 ) 1,543 Working capital 38,605 20,384 38,605 20,384 Loss per share  basic and diluted (US$/share) (0.01 ) (0.00 ) (0.01 ) (0.00 ) Other US$/oz US$/oz US$/oz US$/oz Average realized gold price per ounce sold (2) 1,828 1,889 1,823 1,899 Cash cost per ounce sold: Mining 728 365 660 323 Processing 897 552 838 520 Royalties 164 172 165 168 Operations, net of silver recovery 21 14 20 10 Total cash cost per ounce sold 1,810 1,103 1,683 1,021 By-product silver recovery 0 1 0 1 Operation expenses 0 40 11 26 Corporate expenses 9 6 7 7 Accretion of asset retirement obligation 13 9 16 10 Exploration and evaluation expenditures 47 19 35 16 Sustaining capital expenditures 267 323 361 219 Total all-in sustaining costs per ounce sold 2,146 1,501 2,114 1,300

(1) Defined as good delivery gold bullion according to London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), net of gold dore in transit and refinery adjustment.

(2) Monument realized US$1,828/oz for the three months ended December 31, 2021 which excludes gold prepaid delivered of 723oz for comparison purposes.

(3) Total cash cost per ounce includes production costs such as mining, processing, tailing facility maintenance and camp administration, royalties and operating costs such as storage, temporary mine production closure, community development cost and property fees, net of by-product credits. Cash cost excludes amortization, depletion, accretion expenses, idle production costs, capital costs, exploration costs and corporate administration costs. Readers should refer to section 15 Non-GAAP Performance Measures of Q2 MD&A.

(4) All-in sustaining cost per ounce includes total cash costs and adds sustaining capital expenditures, corporate administrative expenses for the Selinsing Gold Mine including share-based compensation, exploration and evaluation costs, and accretion of asset retirement obligations. Certain other cash expenditures, including tax payments and acquisition costs, are not included. Readers should refer to section 15 Non-GAAP Performance Measures of Q2 MD&A.

Q2 FY2022 Production Analysis

Q2 FY2022 gold production was 1,683oz, a 43% decrease as compared to 2,963oz for Q2 FY2021. The decrease resulted from heavy rain and a large quantity of super low-grade ore being fed into the mill although gold recovery was slightly higher.

Q2 FY2022 ore processed decreased to 129,000t from 152,836t for Q2 FY2021. The decreased mill feed was mainly due to less oxide ore and old tailings being fed into plant.

Average mill feed grade was 0.56g/t Au in Q2 FY2022 as compared to 0.89g/t Au of Q2 FY2021. Q2 FY2022 processing recovery rate increased to 63.2% from 58.4% for Q2 FY2021. The slight increase in processing recovery rate was mainly due to significant increase in Peranggih oxide materials being processed.

Q2 FY2022 cash cost per ounce increased by 64% to $1,810/oz from $1,103/oz for Q2 FY2021. This increase was primarily due to a significant reduction in the mill feed grade from 0.89g/t Au to 0.56g/t Au and significantly more low-grade leachable sulphide ore and low-grade Peranggih materials being processed.

Ore stockpile has reduced mainly as a result of lower mining rate primarily due to heavy rain in both Selinsing pit and Peranggih pit especially towards to the end of the quarter.



Q2 FY2022 Financial Analysis

Q2 FY2022 gold sales generated revenue was $5.05 million as compared to $6.84 million from Q2 FY2021. Gold sales revenue was derived from the sale of 2,150oz (Q2 FY2021: 3,050oz) of gold at an average realized gold price of $1,828 per ounce (Q2 FY2021: $1,889 per ounce) and the delivery of 723oz (Q2 FY2021: 704 oz at $1,525 per ounce gold equivalent) in fulfilling gold prepaid sale obligations.

Q2 FY2022 total production costs increased by 26% to $5.20 million as compared to $4.14 million from Q1 FY2021. Cash cost per ounce increased by 64% to $1,810/oz as compared to $1,103/oz of the same period last year. The increase was attributable to a 45% decrease in the mill feed grade from 0.89g/t to 0.56g/t, heavy rain, offset by an increase in recovery to 63.2% (Q2 FY2021: 58.4%), as a result of processing significantly more leachable sulphide ore and other low grade ores.

Gross margin for Q2 FY2022 was negative $0.15 million before operation expenses and non-cash amortization and accretion. That represented an 106% decrease as compared to $2.69million from Q2 FY2021. The decrease in gross margin was attributable to significant lower grade ore feed, much lower volume of gold sold, and increased cash costs.

Net loss for Q2 FY2022 was $2.50 million, or ($0.01) per share as compared to net loss of $0.65 million or ($0.00) per share from Q2 FY2021. The net loss was mainly caused by lower operating margins impacted by heavy rain.

Cash and cash equivalents balance as at December 31, 2021 was $27.79 million, a decrease of $10.83 million from the balance at June 30, 2021 of $38.62 million due to $4 million used in operation activities, $5.5 million development cost in Selinsing including $3.8 million spent in sulphide project development, and $1.3 million spent in Murchison exploration and maintenance activities . As at December 31, 2021, the Company had positive working capital of $38.61 million as compared to that at June 30, 2021 of $48.54 million.



Development

Selinsing Gold Mine

The Sulphide project development comprises the Stage 1 Flotation plant project and Stage 2 BIOX leaching plant. The flotation plant construction includes project management, project validation, flotation design and engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning. Mine development included upgrading of tailing storage facilities, pit push backs, and river diversion. The flotation plant is expected to be completed by June 2022 with an estimated cost of up to $20 million. As of December 31, 2021, 37% of overall project has been completed.

During Q2 FY2022 Mincore Pty Ltd. (Mincore) completed the detailed engineering design of the flotation plant. Equipment specifications and data sheets were completed, and material take-offs and bills of material were issued for concrete, structural steel, piping, valves and electric cables instrumentation. All civil and structural, mechanical and piping drawings were issued for construction. Purchase orders for major long lead items of equipment were sent to the selected manufacturers. During the quarter the construction contract has been awarded to Seong Henng Engineering Works Sdn Bhd, an experienced Malaysian contractor which carried out the Selinsing Oxide Plant construction over 10 years ago.

During Q2 FY2022, R&D work produced the sample of flotation concentrate for pressure filtration testwork by the filter press supplier McLanahan. It is also achieved a key milestone that the pilot plant was successfully commissioned into operation, comprised ball mill and classifier, rougher / scavenger flotation cells and three stages of cleaner flotation. Samples of flotation concentrate was produced and a sample of this was sent to McLanahan for filter press testwork. Antimony leaching tests was carried out to support gold concentrates marketing effort.

The Tail Storage Facility expansion progressed 91.9% as of December 31, 2021, reached the 537m RL, which provides adequate capacity till May 2023.

Murchison Gold Project

No mine development was planned during the second quarter of fiscal year 2022, with the focus on exploration at Murchison. Murchison Project development is put on hold. The processing plant and other facilities are under care and maintenance and in good condition. Site accommodations and catering are fully functional to host administrative, exploration and mining activities.

Exploration Progress

Malaysia

Peranggih is currently the focus for identifying additional mineable material to extend production from the oxide plant at Selinsing. In the Phase 1 and 2 Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling programs at Peranggih approximately 70% of holes have hit gold mineralization above an oxide cut-off (>0.35g/t Au) at less than 50m below the surface, defining a mineralized zone 830m long and 60m wide. Exploration in the second quarter of FY2022 comprised of 396 channel samples, which tested extensions to known mineralization at Peranggih, where follow-up RC drilling is planned in Q3 FY2022, and a new prospect at Mentique, where further mapping and sampling are to be undertaken.

Western Australia

At the Murchison Gold Project, the Phase 1 RC and Air Core (AC) drill program completion was announced and comprised 3,465m in 46 RC holes and 10,484m in 349 AC holes, which were designed to test new targets away from known resources. All assays from the Phase 1 drilling were received in January 2022, subsequent to the end of the second quarter, and significant intercepts include 5m at 1.53 g/t Au from 31m (21BNRC037), 2m at 0.81 g/t Au from 111m and 3m at 1.91 g/t Au from 119m (21BNRC038) and 2m at 1.56 g/t Au from 60m and 2m at 3.70g/t Au from 106m (21BNRC039) at Munro Bore, 8m at 0.97g/t Au from 5m (21BNRC008) and 7m at 0.82g/t Au from 18m (21BNRC026) at FLC2, and 3m at 10.2g/t Au from 22m (21BNAC213) at the newly discovered Junction Target.

A Phase 2 RC and diamond drilling (DD) program commenced in November 2021, and a total of 2,918m in 12 RC holes were completed during the second quarter of FY2022, testing for extensions to known mineralization and resources at the NOA1, NOA2, NOA78 and Alliance target areas. 1,406 RC samples from the Phase 2 drilling were dispatched to ALS Geochemistry in Perth during the quarter. DD drilling was rearranged and postponed to March 2022 due to availability of the drill rigs. The Phase 2 drilling program is expected to be completed by the end of March 2022.

About Monument

Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY, FSE: D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that 100% owns and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia and the Murchison Gold Project in the Murchison area of Western Australia. It has 20% interest in Tuckanarra Gold Project jointly owned with Odyssey Gold Ltd in the same region. The Company employs approximately 200 people in both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities.

Cathy Zhai, President and CEO

Monument Mining Limited

Suite 1580 -1100 Melville Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com or contact:

Richard Cushing, MMY Vancouver T: +1-604-638-1661 x102 rcushing@monumentmining.com

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information about Monument, its business and future plans ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future events that are not historical facts and include the Company's plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and certain other factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities; foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument; assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Company's projects; assumptions regarding the future price of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of development and exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.




ReportLinker

Forecasts by Application (Shallow Water, Deepwater), by End-use (Oil, Gas, Offshore Wind), by Type (Platform Support Vessel, Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel, Multipurpose Support Vessel, Standby and Rescue Vessel), by Vessel Size (Small, Medium, Large, Very Large) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Recovery Scenarios

New York, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Offshore Support Vessel Market Report 2022-2032" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06241271/?utm_source=GNW



The Offshore Support Vessel Market Report 2022-2032: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.



Technological Advancements Are Creating New Opportunities For The Specialised Vessel Fleet



Technology advancements and developments, particularly Storage Vessels, which provide a cost-effective alternative for the development of gas-to-power projects, are also critical. Many of the gas-to-power projects under consideration use vessels rather than more traditional onshore regasification facilities. FSRUs have several advantages, including the ability to be built offsite and quickly transported to the projects location, as well as the possibility of lower risk than onshore development  especially if onshore development may face challenges such as increased security or permitting issues.



The technological advancements are creating new possibilities for the specialised vessel fleet There is anticipate changes in offshore vessel design, equipment, and systems, and theyre updating and expanding the guidance for these vessels right now so the industry can continue to look to them for guidance.



Operators are contracting multipurpose OSVs as a cost-effective tool for carrying out specialised services on platforms, offshore facilities, and piping equipment and systems as oil and gas moves into deeper, more demanding environments. Todays OSVs are equipped with larger accommodation spaces, heavy lift cranes, helidecks, and streamlined bow forms for harsh-environment operations, as well as larger accommodation spaces, heavy lift cranes, helidecks, and streamlined bow forms for harsh-environment operations.



What Are These Questions You Should Ask Before Buying A Market Research Report?

 How is the offshore support vessel market evolving?

 What is driving and restraining the offshore support vessel market?

 How will each offshore support vessel submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2032?

 How will the market shares for each offshore support vessel submarket develop from 2022 to 2032?

 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2022 to 2032?

 Will leading offshore support vessel markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?

 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2032 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2032?

 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?

 What are the offshore support vessel projects for these leading companies?

 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2020 and 2032? What are the implication of offshore support vessel projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?

 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the offshore support vessel market?

 Where is the offshore support vessel market heading? And how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?

 What can be the best investment options for new product and service lines?

 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path? C-suite?



You need to discover how this will impact the offshore support vessel market today, and over the next 10 years:

 Our 414-page report provides 314 tables and 311 charts/graphs exclusively to you.

 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.

 Contains in-depth analyse of global, regional and national sales and growth

 Highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors



This report tells you TODAY how the offshore support vessel market will develop in the next 10 years, and in-line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.



Forecasts to 2032 and other analyses reveal the commercial prospects

 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2032, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.

 You find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.

 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising offshore support vessel prices and recent developments.



This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.



Global Offshore Support Vessel Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by Application

 Shallow Water

 Deepwater



Global Offshore Support Vessel Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by End-Use

 Oil Supply

 Gas Supply

 Offshore Wind



Global Offshore Support Vessel Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by Type

 Platform Support Vessel

 Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel

 Multipurpose Support Vessel

 Standby and Rescue Vessel

 Other Vessel Type



Global Offshore Support Vessel Market (COVID Impact Analysis) by Vessel Size

 Small Vessels

 Medium Vessels

 Large Vessels

 Very Large Vessels



In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for 4 regional and 20 leading national markets:



North America Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 U.S. Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Canada Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Mexico Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis



Europe Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 Germany Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Spain Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 United Kingdom Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 France Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Russia Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Rest of Europe Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis



Asia Pacific Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 China Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Japan Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 India Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Australia Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 South Korea Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Rest of Asia Pacific Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis



LAMEA Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Outlook

 Brazil Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Turkey Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Saudi Arabia Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 South Africa Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 UAE Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market Forecast & COVID Impact Analysis

 Rest of Latin America, Middle East and Africa



The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.



Leading companies and the potential for market growth

 DOF Group

 GC Rieber

 Grupo CBO

 Harvey Gulf International Marine

 Havila Shipping

 Kawasaki Heavy Industries

 Maersk Drilling A/S



MMA Offshore Limited:

 Nam Cheong Limited

 PACC Offshore Service Holding

 Seacor Marine

 Siem Offshore

 Solstad Offshore

 Swire Pacific Offshore

 TideWater

 TideWater



Overall world revenue for Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 in terms of value the market will surpass US$xx million in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2032. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.



How the Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market report helps you?



In summary, our 410+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:

 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market, with forecasts for application, end-use, type each forecasted at a global and regional level discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues

 Revenue forecasts to 2032 for 4 regional and 20 key national markets  See forecasts for the Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and LAMEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.

 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market including company profiles for 20 of the major companies involved in the Offshore Support Vessel Market, 2022 to 2032 Market.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06241271/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Rebrand Follows Corporate Achievements in 2021, Including Market Growth in Key Industries, Product Advancements, Strategic Partnerships and Key Executive Hires

SAN FRANCISCO, March 01, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OmniSci, an innovator in advanced analytics, announced its rebrand to HEAVY.AI as enterprises face a new era of challenges in leveraging their big location and time data to visualize and identify high-value business opportunities and risks.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005398/en/

(Graphic: Business Wire)

The pace of new digital data being created continues to skyrocket. According to IDC, the amount of digital data created over the next five years will be greater than twice the amount of data created since the advent of digital storage. And of this data, 80% is associated with time-based spatial information, which continually changes.

"Businesses were once challenged by how little data they had to make critical decisions," said Jon Kondo, HEAVY.AI CEO. "Now, data collection is ubiquitous with sensors, smart devices and satellites supplying an endless source of massive, complex, and often messy heavy datasets that include location, time and more. Coupled with the growth in data capture with more affordable data storage and readily available bandwidth to transport data, and the big data challenge gets turned on its head. The last piece of the puzzle: enterprises now need a way to analyze this data at scale, quickly."

The rebrand to HEAVY.AI comes after strong momentum for the company, including 60% growth and increased customer retention in telecommunications, energy, and geospatial industries, as well as the public sector. New customer logos include Charter Communications, IHS Markit, Orennia, Smart Communications, University of Missouri Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, Validere and more.

The company also expanded its executive team with a new CEO and made significant innovations to the platform with the launch of OmniSci Version 5.10 (now HEAVY.AI 5.10) and HEAVY.AI Free. 2021 also marked the beginning of HEAVY.AIs partnership with HPE, and integration with Lumi, Bain & Companys AI-powered analytical platform.

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"Over the past year, weve witnessed data literacy within enterprises improve and business leaders work to capitalize on investment opportunities, avoid catastrophic risks, and better model future scenarios using AI and ML," said Kondo. "Heavy business challenges with heavy data calls for a solution that goes beyond the traditional BI and GIS tools available today. HEAVY.AI is powerful technology that takes diverse datasets at scale and delivers fast, contextual analysis by leveraging the massive parallelism of GPU and CPU hardware. We envision a world where decision makers can access critical, time-sensitive information from anywhere within milliseconds, when scale and accuracy are paramount."

Throughout 2021, HEAVY.AI was recognized by the industry for its innovative big data analytics solutions, winning a Business Intelligence Group 2021 BIG Innovation Award for offering the first platform to harness the massive parallel processing capabilities of modern GPU and CPU hardware. Brendan Hall Group also honored HEAVY.AI with the Gold Award for "Excellence in Business Strategy and Technology Innovation." Additionally, the company was selected for the insideBIGDATA IMPACT 50 List for Q1 2022 and received a SIIA CODiE Award for "Best Big Data Reporting & Analytics Solution."

"With HEAVY.AI and Orennias proprietary data and analytics, our customers can confidently make precise critical business decisions within minutes," said Ryan Benoit, CTO of Orennia. "HEAVY.AI's advanced visual analytics solution pulls our massive datasets of geospatial and time-series data into a single view with interactive, visual mapping to provide valuable insights nearly instantaneously. Now, our customers can make mission-critical decisions fast by leveraging the power of Orennias data and analytics at enterprise scale."

To learn more about the HEAVY.AI platform and its capabilities, please visit: heavy.ai.

About HEAVY.AI

HEAVY.AI provides advanced analytics that empower businesses and the government to visualize high-value opportunities and risks hidden in their big location and time data. HEAVY.AI supports high-impact decisions in previously unimaginable timelines by harnessing the massive parallelism of modern GPU and CPU hardware. The analytics technology unifies todays exploding data volumes from multiple sources for a better immersive and real-time, interactive visual experience. It is available in the cloud and on-premises. HEAVY.AI originated from research at Harvard and MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), and is funded by GV, In-Q-Tel, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), NVIDIA, Tiger Global Management, Vanedge Capital, and Verizon Ventures. The company is headquartered in San Francisco. Learn more about HEAVY.AI at heavy.ai.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220301005398/en/

Contacts

Diana Gallagher

408-656-9699

10Fold Communications for HEAVY.AI

heavyai@10fold.com
Third-Party Certification Strengthens Our Commitment to Provide Compliant, Quality Tech Infrastructure and Avoid Service Disruptions For Fleet Customers

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 28, 2022 /CNW/ -- Omnitracs LLC, a Solera company, today announced its Intelligent Vehicle Gateway electronic logging device (ELD) has received mandatory third-party certification in Canada. Omnitracs' ELD has been certified by FP Innovations for compliance with the Canadian ELD Mandate.

Solera Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Solera Holdings, Inc.)

Omnitracs announced its Intelligent Vehicle Gateway ELD has received mandatory third-party certification in Canada.

"Safety and compliance are at the heart of everything we do at Omnitracs. Omnitracs' IVG ELD has passed extensive and thorough testing with an accredited certification body to confirm compliance with the ELD technical standards," commented Michael Ahart, VP  Regulatory Affairs, Solera. "This certification further strengthens our commitment to provide reliable technology infrastructure to fleets, enabling our customers to continue operating confidently and meeting their compliance obligations. I thank all our customers for their continued trust in Omnitracs and welcome others to work with our team to evaluate an Omnitracs' ELD solution that suits their business needs."

With full enforcement of the ELD mandate scheduled for June 12, 2022, fleets should adopt ELD technology at the earliest to avoid possible violations and service disruptions. Transport Canada's amendment to the Commercial Vehicle Drivers' Hours of Service (HOS) Regulations mandates that federally regulated motor carriers and drivers who maintain daily paper logs for recording HOS will need to replace existing electronic recording devices (or upgrade software) and paper logs with ELDs that have been tested and certified by an accredited, third-party certification body.

Omnitracs customers working toward full compliance with the Canadian ELD mandate can depend on Omnitracs' IVG technology as one solution to assist in meeting their compliance obligations. Omnitracs is dedicated to providing workable solutions as it moves forward into a future where ELDs are an essential component to driver safety in a fleet environment. ELDs make it easy to log drivers' HOS, which helps to prevent fatigue that could lead to dangerous situations  both for drivers and other motorists.

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Canadian fleets can continue to rely on Omnitracs' intelligent fleet solutions to safely manage their compliance needs.

About Omnitracs

Omnitracs, a Solera company, offers the only complete fleet intelligence software platform. Serving the largest for-hire and private fleets in the transportation and distribution industries, Omnitracs's solutions accelerate business success, improve efficiency, and enhance the driver experience for nearly 15,000 customers who collectively travel 700 million miles per week. Omnitracs was a pioneer in the digital transformation in trucking more than 30 years ago. Today, it offers a one-stop shop for enterprise-grade, data-driven solutions across compliance, telematics, workflow, routing, and video safety in over 50 countries across the globe. Learn more at www.omnitracs.com .

About Solera

Solera is a leading global provider of integrated vehicle lifecycle and fleet management software-as-a-service, data, and services. Through four lines of business  vehicle claims, vehicle repairs, vehicle solutions and fleet solutions  Solera is home to many leading brands in the vehicle lifecycle ecosystem, including Identifix, Audatex, DealerSocket, Omnitracs, eDriving/Mentor, Explore, CAP HPI, Autodata, and others. Solera empowers its customers to succeed in the digital age by providing them with a "one-stop shop" solution that streamlines operations, offers data-driven analytics, and enhances customer engagement, which Solera believes helps customers drive sales, promote customer retention, and improve profit margins. Solera serves over 300,000 global customers and partners in 100+ countries. For more information, visit www.solera.com .

Cision

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SOURCE Solera Holdings, Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2022/28/c5253.html
NEW YORK, March 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Specialty Food Association (SFA) Winter Fancy Food Show ran from February 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and featured more than 800 companies from around the world showcasing thousands of products. On the final day, exhibitors donated their surplus specialty food to Three Square Food Bank, Southern Nevada's only food bank, and largest hunger relief organization, serving four countiesClark, Lincoln, Esmeralda and Nye, and F.R.E.E. International, an anti-human trafficking organization.

2022 Winter Fancy Food Show exhibitor donations for Three Square Food Bank and F.R.E.E. Internationals. Photo: Patrick Sasso for Loop Seven

The Specialty Food Association traditionally ends its Fancy Food Shows with food rescue.

"The Specialty Food Association traditionally ends its Fancy Food Shows with food rescue," said Jennifer Carney, Director, Tradeshow Operations, for the SFA. "Our members were happy to partner with Las Vegas organizations working hard to support people in their community."

Both organizations received donations of specialty foods and beverage products, which included meat, cheese, plant-based, confections, snacks, and more. Three Square received a total of 8,573 pounds of food which equates to approximately 7,144 meals, with F.R.E.E. International receiving perishables weighing in over 12,000 pounds.

"Nearly 364,000 Southern Nevadans are food-insecure, that's one in six people who don't know where their next meal is coming from," said Three Square Food Bank President and CEO Brian Burton. "Thanks to the generous donation provided by the SFA Winter Fancy Food Show, we're able to distribute additional meals to those in need right here in our community. It's partners like SFA that continue to drive us, fueling our fight against hunger and pursuit of a hunger-free community."

"On behalf of F.R.E.E. International, we are so grateful to The Specialty Food Association's Winter Fancy Food Show for providing us with such a generous donation of perishable foods. F.R.E.E. International works to Find Restore Embrace and Empower families in the Las Vegas valley through a variety of outreach, training, services and care to reduce human trafficking and exploitation, and we couldn't be more appreciative of this incredibly bountiful donation," said Aaron Hansel, Free International Las Vegas, 1000 Men for Freedom Director. "It's truly an honor to be a recipient of these much-needed products, and they will be distributed immediately to the deserving individuals, families and partnering organizations that serve our community."

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The Summer Fancy Food Show, which will also have a food rescue component, will take place June 12-14 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. For more information, click here .

About the Specialty Food Association

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) has been the leading trade association and source of information about the $170.4 billion specialty food industry for 70 years. Founded in 1952 in New York City, the SFA represents manufacturers, importers, retailers, distributors, brokers, and others in the trade. The SFA is known for its Fancy Food Shows ; the sofi Awards , which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage for 50 years; the Trendspotter Panel Show reports and annual predictions; the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report and Today's Specialty Food Consumer research; the ecommerce enabled SFA Product Marketplace , where members showcase products and sell directly to qualified buyers; SFA Feed , the daily source for industry news, trends and new product information, and Spill & Dish: A Specialty Food Association Podcast .

Facebook: Specialty Food Association

LinkedIn: Specialty Food Association

Twitter: @Specialty_Food

Instagram: @specialtyfoodassociation

Hashtags: #FancyFoodShow #ShapetheFutureofFood #VivaFancyFood

About Three Square

Three Square is Southern Nevada's only food bank and largest hunger relief organization, serving Las Vegas and all of Clark, Lincoln, Esmeralda and Nye counties. Since opening in 2007, Three Square has provided more than 444 million pounds of food to hundreds of thousands of people in need and earned a reputation as one of the most efficient and effective food banks in the country. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Three Square immediately implemented a disaster response plan to answer sudden school and business closures, drastic declines in retail food donations, social distancing limitations on volunteer efforts, reduced on-site staff support, and the need for low-contact food distributions. Within days, Three Square had increased food distribution by 250,000 meals a week and increased the capacity of its Call Center to refer Southern Nevadans to available food resources, social services, and unemployment benefits. A member of the Feeding America network of food banks, Three Square remains committed to its mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, or wants to learn more about Three Square's vision of a community where no one is hungry, please connect at threesquare.org , Facebook (@ThreeSquareFoodBank), Instagram (@threesquarelv) and Twitter (@threesquarelv).

About the F.R.E.E. International

F.R.E.E. International is a Las Vegas based anti-human trafficking organization dedicated to Finding, Restoring, Embracing and Empowering (F.R.E.E.) communities, families and those who have been affected by human trafficking. F.R.E.E.'s national partnerships include law enforcement, government, local and national NGO's. F.R.E.E. International also includes training, education, and awareness programs such as empowerment summits and school assembly programs for adults and children. F.R.E.E. is a 501 c 3 organization. For more information visit www.freeinternational.org .

Cision

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SOURCE Specialty Food Association
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

The Energy Ministry has informed foreign media representatives about the green energy resources in Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020.

The ministry held a meeting with 26 foreign journalists from 12 countries, including Ukraine, Moldova, Turkey, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Serbia, USA, Egypt, Algeria, Northern Cyprus, Malaysia, and Japan.

During the meeting, foreign journalists were briefed on Azerbaijan's rich renewable energy potential, the possibilities for realizing it, the steps taken to expand the use of green energy, and future plans.

The concept and master plan for transforming Karabakh and East Zangazur into a green energy zone, as well as the energy projects to be implemented in these territories, the hydro, wind, and solar plants to be built or restored, and the steps taken to attract foreign investments, were also presented.

Foreign journalists' questions were answered at the end of the meeting.

The high number of sunny and windy days in Azerbaijan creates numerous opportunities for the country's development of alternative and renewable energy sources. The country's renewable energy potential is estimated to be 26,940 MW, with 3,000 MW of wind power, 23,040 MW of solar power, 380 MW of bioenergy potential, and 520 MW of mountain river potential.

President Ilham Aliyev has identified the transformation of Azerbaijan into a "green growth" country through the extensive use of renewable energy over the next 10 years as one of the national priorities that will ensure the country's socio-economic development.

Azerbaijan aims to increase the share of renewable energy sources in electricity production to 30 percent by 2030, by using the countrys solar and wind energy potential and increasing investments in this sphere. By 2030, it is planned to put into use about 1,500 MW of new installed capacity.

In this regard, Azerbaijan signed an agreement with Saudi Arabias ACWA Power on the construction of a 240 MW wind power plant, and with the United Arab Emirates Masdar company for the construction of a 230-MW solar power plant.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan is taking steps to develop renewable energy resources on territories liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020, as well as to transform the Karabakh region into a "green energy zone." In this regard, the Energy Ministry and BP signed an Implementation Agreement to construct a 240MW solar power plant in liberated Zangilan and Jabrayil regions.
Significant reduction in cash burn rate

Preliminary data on QIXLEEF safety and efficacy

Update on REDUVO New Drug Submission

Update on ARDS-003 preclinical SARS-CoV-2 studies

Disclosure of revised intangible assets

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 28, 2022 /CNW/ - Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA: JAM1) a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development is providing its shareholders with a management update explaining the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) fiscal year end report.

Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. Logo (CNW Group/Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.)

Following the 2021 Annual General Meeting, the new Board of Directors (BOD) recommended that the Company focus its operations on two key value creating drug assets. In parallel, the BOD and executive team worked to reduce monthly expenses. Both decisions were key to minimize the yearly financing needs as the Company drives two of its drugs towards marketing approval and commercialization. The two assets that the Company focused on were QIXLEEF and REDUVO. In the case of QIXLEEF, the primary focus has been targeting a drug approval indication related to reduction of opioids. Plenitude clinical operations were maintained as long term safety and efficacy data will be required for drug approval by regulators. The focused operations led to an average monthly cash burn of $3.1 million CAD during the months of January to August 2021 down to an average of $1.2 million CAD from September to November. The prudent management of costs and prioritization of projects allowed the Company to end its fiscal year with $4.8 million CAD.

The Company has several other drug assets that could enter clinical trials subsequent to government funding and/or co-development partnerships. In addition, any of these assets could be licensed to a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company. The CAUMZ drug asset benefits from a bridge to QIXLEEF whereby all clinical achievements of QIXLEEF will benefit CAUMZ, thus reducing clinical requirements for drug approval and lowering the risk of unsuccessful clinical outcomes in pivotal trials.

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The REDUVO AdVersa asset was delayed pending successful new drug approval in Canada. ARDS-003 trials were not launched pending government funding or a partnership. The vision for the PPP-003 remains licensing or co-development with a partner.

QIXLEEF

The observed outcomes indicate that the REBORN1 and PLENITUDE clinical trials should continue, and enrolment accelerated. The clinical data also demonstrates the importance of accelerating testing in non-cancer patient populations because of the larger potential market size and the critical need for therapies to reduce opioid use. More data are necessary to confirm the role of QIXLEEF in pain management and opioid reduction.

REBORN - Preliminary Safety & Efficacy Outcomes

The REBORN1 Phase II trial is expected to be completed in 2022. Despite the additional site in the USA and protocol amendments aimed at accelerating enrolment, the impact of COVID-19 on clinical sites remained an issue affecting speed of recruitment and enrolment in 2021 and early Q1 2022. The Company is actively working on opening clinical sites outside of the USA to further accelerate enrolment. The REBORN2 Phase II/III trial is expected to be initiated in 2022 in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Europe.

The open-label design of the study allowed the Company to verify the performance of the investigational new drug QIXLEEF with respect to both efficacy and safety. To date the observed adverse effect profile of QIXLEEF is similar to that observed in previous clinical trials. This includes no serious adverse events and no unexpected adverse events.

Preliminary data from over 40 episodes of breakthrough pain in each of the experimental and active treatment groups, suggests that QIXLEEF could be an effective analgesic for pain management and allow reduction of the use of opioids, thereby confirming that the clinical trial should continue, and enrolment be accelerated. More data are necessary to confirm the role of QIXLEEF in pain management and opioid reduction.

PLENITUDE - Preliminary Safety & Efficacy Outcomes

As an addition to standard end-of-life care, QIXLEEF aims to improve quality of life and help reduce the pain of adults with terminal cancer. PLENITUDE, a Phase II clinical trial cleared by the FDA, is a 4-week trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of inhaled QIXLEEF on uncontrolled cancer pain in 78 adult patients with symptoms related to advanced, incurable cancer, and uncontrolled cancer-related pain. Despite the number of activated sites, the impact of COVID-19 on clinical sites remains an issue affecting speed of recruitment and enrolment. Therefore, the Company is working on plans to open additional sites, in and out of the USA.

The Plenitude trial is double-blind thereby limiting the Company's ability to assess the current clinical outcomes with certainty. To date the observed adverse drug event profile in the study patients includes a blend of mild to moderate effects in terms of severity, with the majority being mild. The adverse drug events are similar to that observed in previous clinical trials. This includes no serious adverse events and no unexpected adverse events.

With regards to efficacy, the blinded format of the study prevents the Company from confirming any QIXLEEF related outcomes. However, the study results demonstrate that the data from many patients shows clinically significant improvement in pain which is maintained over time. The observed outcomes signal that the clinical trial should continue, and enrolment be accelerated.

REDUVO

On December 30, 2020, the Company submitted its first new drug submission (NDS) for the REDUVO soft gel capsules to Health Canada to obtain approval and a drug identification number (DIN) for the prescription drug. The submission is currently in the final stage of review by the regulator.

During the period ended November 30, 2021, the Company began pre-launch activities such as, but not limited to, different validation reports, tech transfer, manufacturing setup and Medical Science Liaison (MSL) touchpoints with healthcare professionals for its REDUVO drug candidate. The Company is currently awaiting official communication from Health Canada to expand manufacturing and launch activities. It is important to keep in mind Health Canada has prioritized vaccines and COVID-19 related treatments, diverting the department's key personnel to review and expedite these files. This explains the delays in communication and feedback from Health Canada.

ARDS-003 (Onternabez)

ARDS-003 is a new patent protected therapeutic developed to treat hyperinflammatory conditions, such as those seen in patients suffering from viral infections, such as SARS-CoV-2. The investigational drug is designed to dampen the cytokine release syndrome and could be administered in combination with dexamethasone and/or antivirals. The following summary results, previously undisclosed, are from studies initiated early 2021, before halting clinical and manufacturing activities on ARDS-003. A study in the LPS Septic Lung model demonstrated statistically significant reduction of serum cytokines and chemokines. After demonstrating a statistically better health score status following infection of mice with SARS-CoV-2, a new study was initiated to assess the impact of ARDS-003 on serum cytokines. This latter study demonstrated statistically significant reduction in serum cytokines on Day 6 post-infection. This study also compared ARDS-003 to Remdesivir. The results of these studies were used to demonstrate to governmental funding agencies the potential role of ARDS-003 in the management of patients infected with viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2.

Intangible assets

The Company's intangible assets represent Tetra's drug development program in its various early to advanced-stage clinical phases.

The MD&A provides a detailed description of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations. As at November 30, 2021, the Company has recognized the following impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations:

The above assets are not yet available for use as management has determined that it will require a significant investment and more time to complete in an expedited and timely manner the required clinical trials, studies, and other efforts needed to commercialize these assets under the FDA and Health Canada approvals in their respective markets.

During the year ended November 30, 2021, in accordance with IAS 36, Impairment of Assets, the Company determined that the recoverable amount of the clinical trials asset did not support its continued value and revalued the asset in Q4 of fiscal 2020, which is presented as a revaluation of intangible assets of $23,978,449 in the consolidated statement of income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss).

The Company has disclosed in various news releases in 2020 and 2021 that it is still in the process of actively looking for ways to speed up enrolment to complete its Reborn and Plenitude clinical trials. That said, the impairment to the above noted intangible assets is a function of IFRS' requirement for a Company to assess its long-life assets for potential indicators of impairment and not an assessment of management's beliefs in the current status and overall potential of the clinical trials. The core principle of IAS 36 indicates intangible assets should be subject to impairment and re-evaluation based on the expected future cash flows the asset, in current form, will produce. During the last quarter for the period ended November 30, 2021, upon the required impairment analysis, it was determined that future cash flows of the assets had changed significantly because the conditions mentioned above. The asset valuation model is also sensitive to discount rates and long-term growth rates. Accordingly, it is reasonably possible that future changes in assumptions may negatively impact future assessments of the recoverable amount of the Company's assets.

According to the accounting standard, impairment of assets can be reversed if the circumstances that cause the impairment loss are favorably resolved. The Company will continue to evaluate the recoverability of its assets on a yearly basis, as work progresses on its portfolio.

Business Strategy

The Company's goals over the next fiscal year are:

Rapidly advance QIXLEEF through clinical development and continue to advance towards regulatory approval in the United States, Europe, and Canada.

Get the REDUVO soft gel market approval in Canada then accelerate REDUVO AdVersa development in the Rest of the World.

Initiate clinical development phase of ARDS-003 (Onternabez) and seek a Global out licensing deal with a pharmaceutical company.

About Tetra Bio-Pharma

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX: TBP) (OTCQB: TBPMF) (FRA:JAM1) is a leader in cannabinoid-derived drug discovery and development with a FDA and a Health Canada cleared clinical program aimed at bringing novel prescription drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. Their evidence-based scientific approach has enabled them to develop a pipeline of cannabinoid-based drug products for a range of medical conditions, including pain, inflammation, and oncology. With patients at the core of what they do, Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on providing rigorous scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing biopharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies.

For more information visit: www.tetrabiopharma.com

Neither the TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions; the inability of the Company to find licensing or co-development partners for its drug candidates; and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2022/28/c8961.html
Team Members Dedicated to Help Make Customers & Communities Safer, Smarter, Better

2022 Top Workplaces USA Award

Vector Solutions wins 2022 Top Workplaces USA Award

TAMPA, FL, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vector Solutions, the leading provider of industry-focused software solutions for training, workforce management, and risk communications, has been awarded a Top Workplaces USA 2022 honor by Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

Vector Solutions is honored to be ranked among the nations top workplaces, said Vector Solutions CEO Marc Scheipe. This honor demonstrates our companys commitment to create an environment that supports, empowers, listens to, and engages with our team members, which was more critical than ever during these last few years. Our team members are our greatest asset. Their dedication and passion allow Vector to help make our customers and their communities safer, smarter, and better.

"Companies need to authentically represent their brand to job-seekers," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "The employee experience needs to be on the mission-critical list. Leaders who embrace a people-first culture will benefit greatly. By giving employees a voice and showcasing your authentic culture through employer branding, organizations can attract those job seekers who complement their culture. Culture drives performance."

In addition to this 2022 Top Workplaces USA recognition, Vector Solutions has also previously been recognized as a top workplace by the Tampa Bay Times and Ohio Business Magazine.

About Vector Solutions

Vector Solutions is the leading provider of award-winning, intelligent SaaS solutions that help organizations and individuals operate at the highest level and prepare for more challenging workplaces and environments. Providing industry-focused solutions that connect information and technology, its unique product set includes training management, continuing education (CE), compliance training, workforce scheduling, safety management, and more. Its extensive online and mobile training library features carefully curated world-class content to meet the unique needs of professionals in the industrial, engineering, education, senior care, and public safety industries. Reaching approximately 31 million users and more than 34 thousand clients worldwide, Vectors mission is to serve everyday heroes by delivering intelligent software solutions that empower them to make safer, smarter, better decisions. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. For more information, visit www.vectorsolutions.com. Follow us on Twitter @VectorPerform and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VectorPerformance.

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About Energage

Making the world a better place to work together.

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

Attachment

CONTACT: Kara Schafer Vector Solutions 8138642664 kara.schafer@vectorsolutions.com




Company Logo

Global Inspection Management Software Market

Global Inspection Management Software Market

Dublin, March 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Inspection Management Software Market with COVID-19 Impact by Component (Solution and Services), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Vertical (Aerospace and Defense, Healthcare and Life Sciences) and Region - Global Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The inspection management software market is expected to grow from USD 7.6 billion in 2021 to USD 13.1 billion by 2026, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.5% during the forecast period.

Inspection management software market is rapidly gaining acceptance worldwide by hospitals, enterprises and corporates. It aids in quality control, lowers manufacturing costs, eliminates scrap losses, and identifies the root causes of defective work.



The solution segment is expected to hold a higher market share during the forecast period



Inspection management software also includes visual platform which is a complete rounds with asset pins in the same screen as the digital floor plans, making it easy to find each stop within an inspection, automated inspection schedules which helps to make recurring inspection schedules that generate assigned work orders on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis, custom rounds helps to create customized rounds with specific instructions and asset information for each of your buildings and floors, form builders helps to create custom inspection checklists and forms in minutes, address corrective measure helps to create and complete associated work orders in the field, documenting that the failed inspections have been corrected, inspection reporting allows to track inspection progress across the portfolio and drill down into specific programs and buildings.



The on-premises segment is expected to hold a higher market share during the forecast period



In this deployment method, all the information gets stored within enterprise premises. The on-premises deployment mode offers high speed, scalability, flexibility, and security but lacks in the remote access of stored data. The market share of the on-premises deployment mode is anticipated to steadily grow in the coming years due to its advantages. It is witnessing growth due to the ownership of private individual data and the digital rights management associated with the digital assets of enterprises.



The telecom vertical is expected to witness huge opportunities due to the need comply with government regulations.



To meet the telecom-specific requirements for hardware, software, and services, powerful inspection management software is required. It will contribute to address critical service challenges by increasing visibility of service quality and user experiences. In the telecommunications industry, streamlining device inspections is critical to reducing downtime. Exo is a quality assurance and inspection solution provider company. TIA condition assessments, post-modification, due diligence, as built and weld inspections, non-destructive foundation mappings, and rebar scans are all included in Exo inspection solution.it also has Aerial Inspections (UAV/Drone Inspection).



North America to dominate the inspection management software market in 2021



In North America, there is certification launched by Bureau Veritas to IATF 16949, which indicates the commitment to quality and readiness to compete in today's complicated, fast expanding industry. IATF 16949 helps drive customer satisfaction, create a culture of continuous improvement, detect, and mitigate risk in the automotive industry. The manufacturing industry has undergone tremendous changes, with digitized processes designed to meet increased demand, market dynamics, and disruptive innovation. This has increased the requirement for industrial processes to use inspection management software and integrate it into numerous operational domains via business process automation. The high usage and adoption of AI, cloud computing, big data, and 3D printing technologies are driving the North America market.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities in the Market

4.2 Inspection Management Software Market, by Component (2021 Vs. 2026)

4.3 Market, by Organization Size (2021 Vs. 2026)

4.4 Market, by Deployment Mode (2021 Vs. 2026)

4.5 Market, by Vertical (2021 Vs. 2026)

4.6 Market Investment Scenario

5 Market Overview and Industry Trends

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Availability of Vast Features Including Creating Forms, Checklists, Scheduling, Recording, and Tracking a Task

5.2.1.2 Creating Estimation, Invoices, Quality Control of Raw Materials

5.2.1.3 Need to Detect Faulty Products in Production

5.2.1.4 Need of Accuracy, Cost-Saving, Auditing of a Product

5.2.1.5 Growing Need for Streamlining Business Process Flows in Inspections Activities

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 High Cost of Installation and Technical Issues Within Inspection Management Software

5.2.2.2 Safety and Security Issues Within the Production Process

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Rapid Growth of Ar, Iot, and Cloud Technologies in Operations

5.2.3.2 High Demand for Smes Toward Inspection Management Software

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Data Integrity and Security Concerns

5.2.4.2 Lack of Adequate Resources and Inadequate Software Training Tools

5.3 Case Study Analysis

5.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.5 Ecosystem

5.6 COVID-19 Driven Market Dynamics

5.6.1 Drivers and Opportunities

5.6.2 Restraints and Challenges

5.7 Supply Chain Analysis

5.8 Pricing Analysis

5.9 Patent Analysis

5.10 Technological Analysis

5.11 Regulations

5.12 Trends/Disruptions Impacting Buyers

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6 Inspection Management Software Market, by Component

6.1 Introduction

6.1.1 Components: Market Drivers

6.1.2 Components: COVID-19 Impact

6.2 Solution

6.3 Services

7 Inspection Management Software Market, by Deployment Mode

7.1 Introduction

7.1.1 Deployment Modes: Market Drivers

7.1.2 Deployment Modes: COVID-19 Impact

7.2 On-Premises

7.3 Cloud

8 Inspection Management Software Market, by Organization Size

8.1 Introduction

8.1.1 Organization Size: Market Drivers

8.1.2 Organization Size: COVID-19 Impact

8.2 Large Enterprises

8.3 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

9 Inspection Management Software Market, by Vertical

9.1 Introduction

9.1.1 Verticals: Market Drivers

9.1.2 Verticals: COVID-19 Impact

9.2 Aerospace and Defense

9.3 Automotive

9.4 Consumer Goods and Retail

9.5 Energy and Utilities

9.6 Healthcare and Life Sciences

9.7 Manufacturing

9.8 Telecom

9.9 Transport and Logistics

9.10 Other Verticals

10 Inspection Management Software Market, by Region

11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Market Ranking

11.3 Historical Revenue Analysis of Top Vendors

11.4 Company Evaluation Quadrant

11.4.1 Star

11.4.2 Emerging Leader

11.4.3 Pervasive

11.4.4 Participant

11.5 Competitive Scenario

11.5.1 Market New Product Launches

11.5.2 Market Deals

11.5.3 Inspection Management Software Other Developments

12 Company Profiles

12.1 Key Players

12.1.1 Sap

12.1.2 Oracle

12.1.3 Siemens

12.1.4 Dassault Systemes

12.1.5 Ptc

12.1.6 Hexagon

12.1.7 Wolters Kluwer

12.1.8 Ideagen

12.1.9 Autodesk

12.1.10 Veeva Systems

12.1.11 Etq

12.1.12 Gensuite

12.1.13 Intelex

12.1.14 Iqs

12.1.15 Mastercontrol

12.1.16 Metricstream

12.1.17 Penta Technologies

12.1.18 Pilgrim

12.1.19 Plex

12.1.20 Reachoutsuite

12.1.21 Cority

12.1.22 Compliancequest

12.1.23 Omnex Systems

12.1.24 Field Eagle

12.1.25 Moonvision

12.1.26 Thrive Technologies

12.1.27 Sparta Systems

12.1.28 Aras

12.1.29 Assurx

12.1.30 Qualityze

13 Adjacent/Related Market

14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o49yy1

Attachment

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




A man who was indicted on a murder charge earlier this month in Maryland was apprehended early Sunday in a Fredericksburg motel room.

Daran M. Horton, 22, of Baltimore, was arrested on a charge of being a fugitive from justice, city police spokeswoman Sarah Morris said. He is being held without bond in the Rappahannock Regional Jail pending extradition to Maryland.

According to court records and a news release from the Maryland Attorney Generals office, Horton and two other young men were indicted on charges that include first-degree murder, arson and various weapons offenses.

The charges stem from the January 2020 slayings of two brothers in Baltimore. Authorities said the slayings were the result of a botched marijuana deal.

Fredericksburg police went to the Super 8 motel near the Spotsylvania Towne Centre early Sunday following a traffic stop about 11 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Mall Court and State Route 3. A 38-year-old Stafford County woman was stopped after running a red light.

Morris said that during the traffic stop, Nicole White was caught with illegal drugs and paraphernalia. She was taken into custody and charged with possession of illegal drugs.

Following the encounter with White, police went to the motel at 3002 Mall Court to serve warrants on Horton and another wanted man. Morris said several illegal substances were in plain sight, including suspected crack cocaine, marijuana and capsules containing white powder.

Derek A. Toles, 35, of Locust Grove, was taken into custody on two drug-related charges and a probation violation charge in Stafford. He is also being held without bond in the regional jail.

Morris said additional charges are pending against Horton and Morris, contingent on lab results.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Baltimore had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to Hortons arrest.

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A group of George Mason University forensic science students are preparing an experiment with hopes they will demonstrate how honey can help lead authorities to missing human remains.

Anthony Falsetti, an associate professor in GMUs forensic science program, and others say proteins in bee honey contain troves of biochemical information thats already widely used by scientists and government agencies to detect illegal pesticides in green products and fruit, or for measuring the amounts of heavy metal or microplastic pollutants in the air.

Whatevers in the environment, gets into the plant.  Bees take in a sample of the environment wherever they go, Falsetti said.

Falsetti said his GMU forensic science students will use a similar strategy to gather data in their study, but they will be searching for human proteins they also believe exist in the small samples of honey they will gather later for analysis.

The new experiment takes place at the universitys outdoor forensics laboratory, scheduled to open this spring at George Masons Science and Technology Campus in Manassas. The 5-acre facility features an inner fenced-in body farm, where in less than two weeks, students will help bury corpses provided to the university by the Virginia State Anatomical Program. The bodies will be placed in pre-dug graves of varying depths, already prepared in advance by the students.

[Remains] are screened by the state to make sure they do not have a contagious disease, said Stafford resident Mary Ellen OToole, a retired FBI special agent and current director of the forensic science program at George Mason University. The inner 1 acre will not disturb the surrounding community.

Falsetti said there are only eight U.S. universities where students are using human remains in forensic science experiments.

Last November, about 80 varieties of plants were strategically planted by students and researchers near the spots where the human remains will be placed. By late spring, the flowers will bear highly scented white and yellow blossoms neither typical to the campus, nor native to Virginia at all. With a bee flight radius of just over three miles, Falsetti said the unique types of flowers close to the remains will help students maintain accountability of those bees that have touched down on the special flora.

Students have already gathered samples of honey from the existing cluster of hives on the Manassas campus and will use data from those samples as a baseline in the upcoming experiment. Falsetti expects the new crop of honey will be ready for sampling by late spring or early summer.

Alessandra Luchini, a professor in the universitys Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, perfected the method to effectively extract the countless proteins from bee honey that are later analyzed in search of the presence of human remains.

Proteins can tell us a more precise story of what organisms have touched the honey and what organisms the bees have interacted with, Luchini said.

Luchini said the same technology used for years in cancer and infectious disease research will be used in the GMU honeybee experiment. Luchini said the experiment centers around an enormous mass spectrometer machine that scientists at the university maintain and operate to analyze proteins.

It spits out hundreds of thousands of different proteins without having any presumption, Luchini said. Its just a very unbiased method.

Falsetti said finding human remains in honey samples could one day aid criminal investigators in a large area searching for a missing person. He said samples of honey could be collected from beehives in an area presumed to contain a body and then analyzed. As bees operate within the wide range of their hives, the locations of existing hives could then be triangulated to help investigators determine an approximate location where the body might be found.

Its a good area, Luchini said. It depends on the frequency of the hives.

Keith Tignor, the state apiarist within Virginias Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, estimates there are between 2,500 and 3,000, if not more people involved in beekeeping across the state. With so many beehives already up and operating in a hobby thats gaining popularity in some locations, many ordinary citizens could one day help authorities solve a crime.

We can use existing beehives and the sampling is nonevasive, its just a small spoon of honey, Luchini said. Give us a spoon of honey and you could help solve the biggest crime of the century.

Falsetti said the Manassas campus hosts about 300 undergraduate forensic science majors and 90 graduate students. OToole said students in todays forensic science programs are well-versed in courses such as chemistry, biology, physics and math, and said about 85 percent of the students are women.

As they reach their junior and senior year, and certainly if theyre a graduate student, then they start to learn how to apply that science to crime scenes, said OToole.

James Scott Baron: 540/374-5438 jbaron@freelancestar.com

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COVID infections and deaths are in steep decline across Virginia and the nation, and mask mandates are also falling.

Thats good news for all of us.

As we take a collective breath, however, some disturbing realities are emerging.

The most troubling is that the gap between vaccination rates in counties that voted for President Joe Biden and those that voted for former President Donald Trump are accelerating, and with deadly consequences. In May 2021, the gap was 3.1 percentage points. By January 2022, it had risen to 13.2 percentage points.

Thats according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

Among states that publicly track patient vaccination status (and Virginia is one of those), the trend is frighteningly clear. The unvaccinated are hospitalized at a significantly higher rate than the vaccinated.

In Virginia, weekly hospital admissions per 100,000 people for the vaccinated was 1.6; for the unvaccinated it was 39.6.

What accounts for the gap? When leadership looks to the culture wars, rather than rigorous scientific research and analysis, to set health policy, the rates of the unvaccinated rise sharply.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, unfortunately, sided with the culture warriors and cries for individual freedom, rather than stare down and call out misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccines.

He turned to the same playbook to address masking policies.

Though not as effective as vaccinations in battling COVID, there was more than ample evidence at the height of the omicron surge to support a public policy that required the use of masks to stop viral spread.

A Dec. 6, 2021, Centers for Disease Control review of research studies examining the relationship between mask-wearing and lower infection rates found the following:

At least ten studies have confirmed the benefit of universal masking.  Each analysis demonstrated that, following directives from organizational and political leadership for universal masking, new infections fell significantly.

Again, in the face of clear evidence, Youngkin chose culture wars over substance. He used government authority to hamstring leaders, especially those in schools, by removing a key weapon from the public health toolkit to battle COVID.

Science, of course, is not perfect. In the early days of this pandemic, there was no manual telling researchers what the right course of action should be. The novel COVID-19 virus was unknown, and no human had natural immunity. It would take time to understand the virus, gather data on what works to stop its spread, and create effective policy.

As the amount of research grew, however, along with scientists understanding of how to fight it, a policy consensus emerged.

We can certainly appreciate the frustration people felt as scientific recommendations changed over time.

Far better, however, to embrace a process that constantly refines its conclusions based on rigorous testing and the verification of results, than to embrace the culture wars. The latter simply stokes peoples fears and mistrust of the very people and institutions charged with protecting them.

How did we get so distrustful of expertise and government? The history is complex, but theres no doubt that President Ronald Reagan gave government critics fuel in his first inaugural address, when he said: In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.

Over 40-plus years, this statement has been contorted to suggest that anything that comes from government is evil.

Gov. Youngkin and other culture warriors, should go back and read the rest of Reagans address. For in addition to the above quote, he also said the following:

Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it is not my intention to do away with government. It is, rather, to make it workwork with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.

Youngkins culture war approach is failing Virginians, and will continue to fail us.

It denies public health officials the tools they need. It smothers opportunity by doing nothing to prevent bad information and conspiracy theories from misleading people. Worse, it is stifling our productivity. Failure to address the pandemic scientifically only serves to extend it.

Right now, COVID is in decline, but the virus is still with us.

When the next surge comes, a culture war strategy will failagain.

Trust the scientific process. Its not perfect, but its our only path out of this pandemic.
PLATTSMOUTH  A Plattsmouth man who sexually assaulted a young family member on five separate occasions learned Monday that he would spend time in state prison.

Jeffrey A. Faust, 35, appeared in Cass County District Court for a sentencing hearing. He pled no contest in December to one Class IIA felony charge of incest.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss two other sexual assault charges as part of a plea bargain. They also agreed to recommend a sentence of six to eight years in state prison.

Plattsmouth police arrested Faust last year after they learned about allegations of sexual assaults on a young girl. The first crime took place in 2016 when the victim was less than ten years old. The victim testified that Faust had inappropriately touched her on four other occasions.

The victim initially denied that sexual contact had happened because she was scared that members of her family would not believe her. Prosecutors said she later told the truth because Faust had committed the crimes more than once.

Deputy County Attorney Sarah Sutter told the court Monday many of the victims relatives had stopped talking to the young girl. The victim told authorities that Faust had messed up my life and that she was depressed about losing her family connections.

Sutter asked the court to follow the plea bargains recommended length of prison time. She said Fausts criminal history dated to 2005 and included drug, traffic and sexual assault offenses. He spent several months in state prison in 2020 on a Cass County charge of third-degree sexual assault of a child.

He has consistently violated the law in one form or another, Sutter said.

Defense attorney Thomas Prickett told the court his client currently lives on disability payments. He said Faust accepted the plea bargain to spare his family the financial and emotional costs that would have come with a trial.

Judge Michael Smith said he would follow the plea bargain. He sentenced Faust to a term of six to eight years in the Nebraska Department of Corrections. Faust will receive credit for 332 days he has spent in Cass County Jail. He has been in jail on a bond of $1 million, 10 percent, since April 2, 2021.

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Sergei Vassiliev could barely avoid crying while his colleagues in the Colorado Springs Philharmonic played the Ukrainian national anthem to open the orchestra's two concerts last week.

"It was hard to hold back the tears and play, bit it was a special moment. I am super appreciative to everyone; the support has been amazing," said Vassiliev, a Ukrainian native who has been the Philharmonic's principal clarinetist since 2008. "I got a call about four hours before the first concert and a violinist asked me if I was interested in doing the Ukrainian anthem. It was a hard day for me because the Russians invaded our city (his hometown of Kharkiv) that day. I broke down into tears."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine began the day before Vassiliev's 40th birthday and has weighed heavily on him since his parents, aunt and two other relatives still live in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine. He has spent most of the days since the invasion began talking on the phone or through Skype with family members and monitoring news reports and social media such as Facebook for the latest developments in his native country.

"It has been pretty hard; I would describe it as shock," Vassiliev said. "Through videos and social media, it feels like I'm there and not here (at his northeast Colorado Springs home). For the past five or six days, it feels like virtual reality or a video game. You can hear the gunfire in the background on almost every call."

Vassiliev visits his hometown at least once a year, most recently during the Christmas holiday season, when he enjoyed an "awesome" New Year and noted the eastern European nation was "the best I've ever seen it." He also visited his parents in April to nurse them back to health from severe cases of the COVID-19 virus, including a long-haul case that continues to hinder his mother's recovery.

He believes Russian troops invaded Ukraine because the nation has become more democratic and western-leaning since its 2014 revolution and if ordinary Russians see Ukraine as a successful democracy "they will want that too, and that will be end for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin." He also said the Russian soldiers who invaded Kharkiv were "mostly 18-year-old kids who got lost once they entered the city."

Vassiliev said his brother is considering joining the Ukrainian territorial defense force, which he said has added more than 100,000 volunteers since the invasion started. He said he is proud of the soldiers and volunteers who have fought the Russian invasion despite the much larger numbers of the Russian invasion force.

"This is a fight between freedom and hypocrisy. The world needs to know this is not just about Ukraine. It is about the whole world  we are fighting for freedom. If we are subdued, it sends a message that freedom is not valued, along with democracy, the rule of law, tolerance," Vassiliev said. "What is happening is exactly the opposite of what the Russians are saying. Russian speakers are not being oppressed. I am a Russian speaker, and we are the ones whose rights are opposed."

Vassiliev said his solo had great meaning for him  African-American composer Florence Price's "Adoration"  which he describes as a prayer or meditation that is especially appropriate, given the invasion.

Vassiliev came to the U.S. in 1995 to study at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and has held principal clarinet positions with Des Moines (Iowa) Metro Opera Orchestra, Boise (Idaho) Philharmonic and appeared with Houston and Colorado Symphonies, as well as many other orchestras. He was featured in the Philharmonics' "Signature Series" in 2019, serving as artistic director as well as soloist, and he also founded the Educational Partnerships Immersive Concerts (EPIC) in 2020.

He wants the Russian Army to "leave Ukraine alone, and we want Ukraine to have real security guarantees from (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). We have show we can hold our own; imagine what would happen if we had the weapons Israel has," Vassiliev said. "We just want them to leave us alone. Ukraine doesn't want aggression; Ukrainians are a peaceful people."